UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              Washington, DC 20549



                                    FORM 8-K



                                 CURRENT REPORT
                       PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF
                       THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934



        Date of Report: (Date of earliest event reported) August 12, 2004



                     OLD REPUBLIC INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
             -------------------------------------------------------
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


          Delaware                      001-10607                 36-2678171
----------------------------          ------------           -------------------
(State or other jurisdiction          (Commission             (I.R.S. Employer
of incorporation)                     File Number)           Identification No.)



               307 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60601
               ---------------------------------------------------
               (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)



                                 (312) 346-8100
              ----------------------------------------------------
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)



                                       N/A
          ------------------------------------------------------------
          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)





Item 5.  Other Events and Regulation FD Disclosure
         -----------------------------------------

On August 12, 2004, Old Republic International  Corporation's Board of Directors
created  two new  directorship  positions  and  appointed  to  those  positions,
effective  immediately,  Charles  F.  Titterton  and  Dennis  Van  Mieghem.  Mr.
Titterton is 62 and retired from Standard & Poor's  Corporation  where he was an
Insurance  Group  Director  for  eleven  years and prior to that had been a Vice
President-Corporate  Lending with the  Manufacturers  Hanover  Trust Company for
twenty-five  years.  Mr.  Van  Mieghem  is  64  and a  retired  partner  in  the
international  accounting  firm  of  KPMG,  LLP.  Mr.  Van  Mieghem  joined  the
predecessor firm of Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. in 1962, was elected a partner
in 1972 and  retired  in 1998  having  served as KPMG's  National  Tax  Practice
Director for insurance company  taxation.  Mr. Titterton and Mr. Van Mieghem are
Class 1 and Class 2  Directors,  respectively,  with terms  expiring in 2006 and
2007,  respectively.  Each  of  them  will  serve  on  the  Corporation's  Audit
Committee.  Mr. Titterton will also serve on its Nomination  Committee,  and Mr.
Van Mieghem will also serve on it Compensation Committee


         Exhibits
         --------

99.1     Press Release dated August 12, 2004.






                                   SIGNATURES

Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of  1934,  the
Registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.



                                         OLD REPUBLIC INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
                                         Registrant



     Date:  August 12, 2004              By: /s/ A. C. Zucaro
                                            ------------------------------------
                                            Chairman and Chief Executive Officer







                                INDEX TO EXHIBITS
                                -----------------


         Exhibits

99.1     Press Release dated August 12, 2004.