1. On August 19, 1864, Union soldiers under the command of Major General Lovell Rousseau raided the town of Athens, Alabama, burning the local Confederate commissary and taking several prisoners. This was part of a larger campaign by Union forces to disrupt Confederate supply lines in northern Alabama.

2. On August 19, 1949, the Birmingham Black Barons baseball team defeated the New York Cubans 4-1 to win the Negro American League championship. The victory was a significant achievement for the Black Barons, who were one of the most successful teams in the league during the 1940s.

3. On August 19, 1989, Hurricane Chantal made landfall near Mobile Bay, causing extensive damage along the Gulf Coast of Alabama. The storm brought heavy rainfall and strong winds, knocking out power to over 200,000 homes and businesses and causing several fatalities.

4. On August 19, 2005, an explosion at a BP refinery in Texas City, Texas killed 15 workers and injured over 170 others. The refinery was a major supplier of gasoline to the southeastern United States, including Alabama.

5. On August 19, 2011, the Tuscaloosa County School Board voted to merge several local schools in an effort to improve education outcomes and reduce costs. The decision was controversial, with some parents and community members expressing concerns about the impact of the mergers on students and teachers.