1st » Non-laborer slaves in most of the British Empire are emancipated.
18th » The United States Exploring Expedition e.g Wilkes Expedition, which would explore the Puget Sound and Antarctica, weighs anchor at Hampton Roads.
Famous Deaths for August 1838
17th » Lorenzo Da Ponte, Italian playwright and poet (b. 1749)
23rd » Ferenc Kölcsey, Hungarian poet, critic, and politician (b. 1790)