2022 August 25-28 – The 43rd Annual Great American Duck Race is held in Deming, New Mexico. https://www.demingduckrace.com/
2022 August 14 – National Code Talkers Day https://www.nationalnavajocodetalkersday.com/
1950 August 28 – U.S. President Harry S. Truman issues a Public Land Order abolishing Mesilla National Forest, which was created by FDR on April 6, 1944.
1944 August 9 – Smokey Bear’s Birthday. Originally an advertisement campaign to prevent forest fires, Smokey Bear is now a worldwide household name. He died on November 9, 1976 and is buried in Capitan, Lincoln County, New Mexico. Remember, Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires.
1932 August – Edgar Billings Howard begins excavating the Blackwater Locality No. 1 archaeological site discovered in 1929 by Ridgely Whiteman near Clovis. Blackwater Locality No. 1 becomes the type site for Clovis culture.
1916 August 25 – U.S. President Woodrow Wilson signs An Act To establish a National Park Service, and for other purposes.
1916 August 9 – U.S. President Woodrow Wilson issues a proclamation creating Capulin Mountain National Monument.
1908 August 27 – Flood in Folsom, New Mexico, after which George McJunkin, an African American cowboy, discovered a Folsom Point amongst a bunch of bison bone hunting site from about 9000 BCE. Most of the site was only excavated after his death as very few scientists would believe the importance of McJunkin’s discovery, ostensibly because he was African American.
1857 August 17 – U.S. President James Buchanan appoints Abraham Rencher the fourth Governor of the Territory of New Mexico.
1846 August 22 – Brigadier General Stephen W. Kearny assumes command as the first U.S. military governor of New Mexico.
1846 August 18 – Troops under the command of General Stephen W. Kearny seize Santa Fe for the United States with little resistance.
1846 August 15 – U.S. Army troops under the command of Brigadier General Stephen W. Kearny enter Las Vegas, New Mexico. General Kearny proclaims that all of New Mexico is now under United States rule.
1823 August – Bartolomé Baca assumes office as the fourth Géfe político de Santa Fe de Nuevo México.
1821 August 24 – Ferdinand VII of Spain signs the Treaty of Córdoba recognizing the independence of the Mexican Empire.
1793 August 16 – Teniente coronel Don Fernando Chacón is appointed Gobernador de Nuevo Méjico.
1722 August – Don Juan Domingo de Bustamente is appointed Gobernador de Nuevo Méjico.
1707 August – Almirante Don Jose Chacón Medina Salazar y Villaseñor is appointed Gobernador de Nuevo Méjico.
1680 August 10-13 – Tewa shaman Popé of Ohkay Owingeh leads the Pueblo Revolt against the Spanish rulers of Santa Fe de Nuevo Méjico. The Spanish settlers flee down the Rio Grande to El Paso del Norte.