- Aug 1 Benjamin Roberts, British industrial relations expert (London School of Economics), born in Leeds, England (d. 2011)
- Aug 5 Jan Bos, Dutch resistance fighter, born in Musselkanaal, Netherlands (d. 1945)
- Aug 6 Hidayat Inayat Khan, British-French classical composer, conductor and Sufi teacher, born in London, England (d. 2016)
- Aug 6 Robert Mitchum, American actor (Out of the Past, Winds of War, North & South), born in Bridgeport, Connecticut (d. 1997)
- Aug 11 Dik Browne, American cartoonist (Hi & Lois, Hagar the Horrible), born in New York City (d. 1989)
- Aug 12 Marjorie Reynolds [Goodspeed], American actress and dancer (Holiday Inn, Life of Riley), born in Buhl, Idaho (d. 1997)
- Aug 13 Sid Gordon, American baseball player, born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1975)
Jack Lynch (1917-1999)
Aug 15 Irish politician and Taoiseach (1966-73 and 1977-79), born in Shandon, Cork, Ireland
- Aug 15 Oscar Romero, El Salvador Roman catholic priest who was murdered, born in Ciudad Barrios, El Salvador (d. 1980)
- Aug 16 Roque Cordero, Panamanian composer (Sonata Breve), born in Panama City (d. 2008)
- Aug 17 Safa Khulusi, Iraqi writer and historian, born in Baghdad (d. 1995)
- Aug 17 Zhou Xiaoyan, Chinese operatic soprano and pedagogue (Shanghai Conservatory, 1949-65 and 1970-78), born in Wuhan, China (d. 2016)
- Aug 18 Casper Weinberger, American politician and businessman (US Secretary of Defense under Reagan 1981-87), born in San Francisco, California (d. 2006)
- Aug 22 John Lee Hooker, American blues guitarist ("Boogie Chillen"'; "Boom Boom"), born in Clarksdale, Mississippi (d. 2001)
- Aug 23 Tex Williams, American country-western singer, born in Ramsey, Illinois (d. 1985)
- Aug 24 Dennis James, American wrestling announcer and TV host (PDQ), born in Jersey City, New Jersey (d. 1997)
- Aug 25 Alice Stoll, American research physiologist and pioneer in aerospace medicine (fire-resistant fabrics), born in Long Island, New York (d. 2014) [1]
- Aug 25 Mel Ferrer, American actor (Longest Day, Eaten Alive, 5th Floor), born in Elberon, New Jersey (d. 2008)
- Aug 26 Jan Clayton, American actress (Ellen Miller-Lassie), born in Tularosa, New Mexico (d. 1983)
- Aug 26 William French Smith, American lawyer and US Attorney General (1981-85), born in Wilton, New Hampshire (d. 1990)
- Aug 27 Peanuts Lowrey, American baseball player, born in Culver City, California (d. 1986)
Jack Kirby (1917-1994)
Aug 28 American cartoonist (X-Men; Spider-Man; Hulk; Captain America), born in New York City
- Aug 29 Isabel Sanford, American actress (Louise-Jeffersons/All in the Family), born in New York City (d. 2004)
- Aug 29 John King, Baron King of Wartnaby, British businessman and CEO of British Airways after its privatization, born in Brentford, Middlesex, England (d. 2005)
- Aug 30 Denis Healey, English politician (Labour Chancellor of the Exchequer), born in London, (d. 2015)
- Aug 30 William "Pop" Gates, American Basketball Hall of Fame guard and coach (Harlem Globetrotters "Legends" Ring 1995), born in Decatur, Alabama (d. 1999)
About August 1917
How Old? 106 years old
Generation: Greatest Generation
Leap Year: No
Greatest Generation
Silent Generation
Baby Boomer
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Millennial
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