- Aug 10 Dan Rylands patents screw cap
- Aug 13 William Gray of Hartford, Connecticut patents the coin-operated telephone
- Aug 23 1st ship-to-shore wireless message ("Sherman is sighted") received in the US from Lightship No. 70 to a coastal receiving station at Cliff House in San Francisco
- Aug 29 1st American International professional lawn tennis contest (Newport, Rhode Island)
Joule, Watt and Quadrant Adopted
Aug 31 Second International Electrical Congress adopts the joule as unit of energy (after James Prescott Joule), the watt as unit of power (after James Watt) and the quadrant as unit of electrical inductance (later renamed henry)
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