August 9
| August 9 in recent years |
| 2023 (Wednesday) |
| 2022 (Tuesday) |
| 2021 (Monday) |
| 2020 (Sunday) |
| 2019 (Friday) |
| 2018 (Thursday) |
| 2017 (Wednesday) |
| 2016 (Tuesday) |
| 2015 (Sunday) |
| 2014 (Saturday) |
August 9 is the 221st day of the year (222nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 144 days remain until the end of the year.
Events
- 48 BC – Caesar's civil war: Battle of Pharsalus – Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at Pharsalus and Pompey flees to Egypt.
- 378 – Gothic War: Battle of Adrianople – A large Roman army led by Emperor Valens is defeated by the Visigoths in present-day Turkey. Valens is killed along with over half of his army.
- 681 – Bulgaria is founded as a Khanate on the south bank of the Danube, after defeating the Byzantine armies of Emperor Constantine IV south of the Danube delta.
- 1048 – Pope Damasus II dies in Rome, after reigning for only 23 days.
- 1173 – Construction of the Tower of Pisa begins, and it takes two centuries to complete.
- 1329 – Quilon the first Indian Diocese is erected by Pope John XXII and Jordanus is appointed the first Bishop
- 1483 – Opening of the Sistine Chapel
- 1666 – Rear Admiral Robert Holmes leads a raid on the Dutch island of Terschelling, destroying 150 merchant ships in the Vlie estuary, and pillaging the town of West-Terschelling, an act later known as "Holmes's Bonfire".
- 1810 – Napoleon annexes Westphalia as part of the First French Empire.
- 1842 – Webster-Ashburton Treaty is signed, establishing the United States-Canada border east of the Rocky Mountains.
- 1862 – American Civil War: Battle of Cedar Mountain – At Cedar Mountain, Virginia, Confederate General Stonewall Jackson narrowly defeats Union forces under General John Pope.
- 1877 – Indian Wars: Battle of Big Hole – A small band of Nez Percé Indians clash with the United States Army.
- 1892 – Thomas Edison receives a patent for a two-way telegraph.
- 1902 – Edward VII is crowned king of the United Kingdom.
- 1907 – The first Boy Scout encampment concludes at Brownsea Island in Southern England.
- 1925 – Kakori train robbery took place at Kakori, near Lucknow, India
- 1936 – Summer Olympic Games: Games of the XI Olympiad: Jesse Owens wins his fourth gold medal at the games becoming the first American to win four medals in one Olympiad.
- 1942 – Indian leader, Mahatma Gandhi is arrested in Bombay by British forces, launching the Quit India Movement.
- 1942 – World War II: Battle of Savo Island – Allied naval forces protecting their amphibious forces during the initial stages of the Battle of Guadalcanal are surprised and defeated by an Imperial Japanese Navy cruiser force.
- 1944 – The United States Forest Service and the Wartime Advertising Council release posters featuring Smokey Bear for the first time.
- 1945 – World War II: Nagasaki is devastated when an atomic bomb, "Fat Man", is dropped by the United States B-29 Bockscar. 70,000 people are killed instantly.
- 1965 – Singapore seceded from Malaysia and gained independence.
- 1965 – A fire at a Titan missile base near Searcy, Arkansas kills 53 construction workers.
- 1969 – Members of a cult led by Charles Manson brutally murder pregnant actress Sharon Tate (wife of Roman Polanski), coffee heiress Abigail Folger, Polish actor Wojciech Frykowski, men's hairstylist Jay Sebring, and recent high-school graduate Steven Parent at 10050 Cielo Drive in Los Angeles, California.
- 1971 – Internment in Northern Ireland: British security forces arrest hundreds of nationalists and detain them without trial in Long Kesh prison. Twenty people die in the riots that follow.
- 1974 – As a direct result of the Watergate scandal, Richard Nixon becomes the first President of the United States to resign from office. His Vice President, Gerald Ford, becomes president.
- 1977 – The military-controlled Government of Uruguay announces that it will return the nation to civilian rule through general elections in 1981 for a President and Congress.
- 1993 – The Liberal Democratic Party of Japan loses a 38-year hold on national leadership.
- 1999 – Russian President Boris Yeltsin fires his Prime Minister, Sergei Stepashin, and for the fourth time fires his entire cabinet.
- 1999 – The Diet of Japan enacts a law establishing the Hinomaru and Kimi Ga Yo as the official national flag and national anthem.
- 2001 – US President George W. Bush announces his support for federal funding of limited research on embryonic stem cells.
- 2007 – Emergence of the Financial crisis of 2007-2008 when a liquidity crisis resulted from the Subprime mortgage crisis
Births
- 232 – Probus, Roman emperor (d. 282)
- 1201 – Arnold Fitz Thedmar, English chronicler (d. 1274)
- 1593 – Izaak Walton, English angler (d. 1683)
- 1631 – John Dryden, English Poet Laureate (d. 1700)
- 1648 – Johann Michael Bach, German composer (d. 1694)
- 1653 – John Oldham, English poet (d. 1683)
- 1669 – Tsarina Eudoxia Lopukhina of Russia (d. 1731)
- 1674 – František Maxmilián Kaňka, Czech architect (d. 1766)
- 1722 – Augustus William, Prince of Prussia (d. 1758)
- 1726 – Francesco Cetti, Italian Jesuit scientist (d. 1778)
- 1757 – Thomas Telford, Scottish civil engineer (d. 1834)
- 1776 – Amedeo Avogadro, Italian chemist (d. 1856)
- 1783 – Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna of Russia (d. 1801)
- 1797 – Charles Robert Malden, British naval officer (d. 1855)
- 1805 – Joseph Locke, English railway and civil engineer (d. 1860)
- 1809 – William Barret Travis, American Lieutenant Colonel in the Battle of the Alamo (d. 1836)
- 1845 – André Bessette, Canadian religious figure (d. 1937)
- 1847 – Queen Maria Victoria al Pozzo della Cisterna of Spain (d. 1876)
- 1871 – Leonid Andreyev, Russian writer (d. 1919)
- 1872 – Archduke Joseph August of Austria, Austrian field marshal (d. 1962)
- 1874 – Reynaldo Hahn, Venezuelan composer and conductor (d. 1947)
- 1874 – Charles Fort, American writer and researcher into anomalous phenomena (d. 1932)
- 1875 – Albert Ketèlbey, English conductor, composer, and pianist (d. 1959)
- 1896 – Jean Piaget, Swiss psychologist (d. 1980)
- 1896 – Erich Hückel, German physicist (d. 1980)
- 1899 – P. L. Travers, Australian author (d. 1996)
- 1901 – Charles Farrell, American actor (d. 1990)
- 1902 – Zino Francescatti, French violinist (d. 1991)
- 1909 – Adam von Trott zu Solz, German diplomat (d. 1944)
- 1911 – William Alfred Fowler, American physicist, Nobel Prize Laureate (d. 1996)
- 1911 – Eddie Futch, American boxing trainer (d. 2001)
- 1914 – Tove Jansson, Finnish author (Moomins) (d. 2001)
- 1914 – Ferenc Fricsay, Hungarian conductor (d. 1963)
- 1914 – Joe Mercer, English footballer (d. 1990)
- 1919 – Joop den Uyl, Dutch politician and Prime Minister of the Netherlands (d. 1987)
- 1919 – Ralph Houk, American baseball player and manager
- 1920 – Enzo Biagi, Italian journalist and writer
- 1921 – J. James Exon, American politician (d. 2005)
- 1921 – Ernest Angley, American televangelist
- 1922 – Philip Larkin, English poet (d. 1985)
- 1925 – David A. Huffman, American computer scientist, creator of Huffman coding (d. 1999)
- 1927 – Daniel Keyes, American author
- 1927 – Robert Shaw, English actor (d. 1978)
- 1928 – Bob Cousy, American basketball player
- 1930 – Jacques Parizeau, Quebec economist and politician
- 1931 – Mário Zagallo, Brazilian football coach and player
- 1931 – Chuck Essegian, American baseball player
- 1932 – John Gomery, Canadian jurist
- 1933 – Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, Japanese television personality and children's author
- 1935 – Beverlee McKinsey, American actress (d. 2008)
- 1936 – Julián Javier, American baseball player
- 1936 – Patrick Tse Yin, Hong Kong film director
- 1938 – Leonid Kuchma, Ukrainian politician
- 1938 – Rod Laver, Australian tennis player
- 1938 – Otto Rehhagel, German football manager
- 1939 – Romano Prodi, Prime Minister of Italy, former President of the European Commission
- 1939 – Brito, Brazilian footballer
- 1941 – Way Bandy, American make-up artist (d. 1986)
- 1942 – Tommie Agee, American baseball player (d. 2001)
- 1942 – David Steinberg, Canadian comedian
- 1943 – Ken Norton, American boxer
- 1944 – Sam Elliott, American actor
- 1945 – Posy Simmonds, English cartoonist
- 1946 – Jim Kiick, American football player
- 1947 – Barbara Mason, American soul singer
- 1947 – Benjamin Orr, American bassist and singer (The Cars) (d. 2000)
- 1947 – Roy Hodgson, English football mananger
- 1948 – Bill Campbell, American baseball player
- 1949 – Jonathan Kellerman, American writer
- 1952 – Prateep Ungsongtham Hata, Thai politician
- 1954 – Ray Jennings, South African cricketer and coach
- 1955 – John E. Sweeney, American politician
- 1955 – Peter Schmuck, American sportswriter
- 1957 – Melanie Griffith, American actress
- 1958 – Amanda Bearse, American actress
- 1959 – Kurtis Blow, American rapper
- 1959 – Stuart Hughes, Canadian actor
- 1961 – Brad Gilbert, American tennis player
- 1961 – John Key, Prime Minister of New Zealand
- 1961 – Amy Stiller, American actress
- 1962 – Kevin Mack, American football player
- 1962 – Louis Lipps, American football player
- 1963 – Whitney Houston, American diva and actress
- 1964 – Brett Hull, Canadian-born hockey player
- 1964 – Hoda Kotb, American television news anchor
- 1966 – Vinny Del Negro, American basketball player and head coach
- 1967 – Deion Sanders, American football player
- 1968 – Gillian Anderson, American actress
- 1968 – Eric Bana, Australian actor
- 1968 – Karyn Parsons, American actress
- 1968 – Sam Fogarino, American musician (Interpol)
- 1968 – Joseph McGinty Nichol, American film producer and director
- 1969 – Divine Brown, American convicted felon
- 1969 – Troy Percival, baseball player
- 1970 – Rod Brind'Amour, hockey player
- 1970 – Chris Cuomo, American TV journalist
- 1970 – Thomas Lennon, American actor
- 1970 – Arion Salazar, American musician (Third Eye Blind)
- 1971 – Davide Rebellin, Italian cyclist
- 1971 – Mack 10, American rapper
- 1971 – James Kim, American technology reporter (d. 2006)
- 1972 – Juanes, Colombian singer
- 1972 – A-Mei, Taiwanese singer
- 1973 – Kevin McKidd, Scottish actor
- 1973 – Filippo Inzaghi, Italian footballer
- 1974 – Mahesh Babu, Indian film actor
- 1974 – Derek Fisher, American basketball player
- 1974 – Matt Morris, American baseball player
- 1974 – Kirill Reznik, American politician
- 1974 – Nicola Stapleton, English actress
- 1975 – Mike Lamb, American baseball player
- 1975 – Robbie Middleby, Australian soccer player
- 1976 – Jessica Capshaw, American actress
- 1976 – Rhona Mitra, English actress
- 1976 – Aled Jones, Welsh radio producer of The Chris Moyles Show
- 1977 – Jason Frasor, American baseball player
- 1977 – Chamique Holdsclaw, American basketball player
- 1977 – Adewale Ogunleye, American football player
- 1977 – Mikael Silvestre, French footballer
- 1978 – Audrey Tautou, French actress
- 1980 – Ryu Seung-beom, South Korean actor
- 1980 – Dominic Tabuna, Nauruan politician
- 1981 – Li Jiawei, Singaporean Olympic table tennis player
- 1982 – Tyson Gay, American sprinter
- 1982 – Danieal Manning, American football player
- 1983 – Ashley Johnson, American actress
- 1983 – Shane O'Brien, Canadian hockey player
- 1984 – Paul Gallagher, Scottish footballer
- 1984 – Saori Horii, Japanese gravure idol
- 1985 – Luca Filippi, Italian racing driver
- 1985 – Thirupathi.R,india
- 1985 – Hayley Peirsol, American swimmer
- 1985 – JaMarcus Russell, American football player
- 1986 – Vanessa Morley, American actress
- 1989 – Stefano Okaka Chuka, Italian footballer
- 1990 – Adelaide Kane, Australian actress
- 1991 – Hansika Motwani, Indian actress
- 1994 – Forrest Landis, American child actor
Deaths
- 117 – Trajan, Roman Emperor (b. 53)
- 378 – Valens, Roman Emperor (killed in battle) (b. 328)
- 803 – Byzantine Empress Irene (b. 752)
- 1048 – Pope Damasus II
- 1107 – Emperor Horikawa of Japan (b. 1079)
- 1173 – Najm ad-Din Ayyub, father of Saladin
- 1250 – King Eric IV of Denmark (b. 1216)
- 1534 – Cardinal Cajetan, Italian theologian (b. 1470)
- 1601 – Michael the Brave, Prince of Wallachia (b. 1558)
- 1634 – William Noy, English jurist (b. 1577)
- 1720 – Simon Ockley, English orientalist (b. 1678)
- 1744 – James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos, English patron of the arts (b. 1673)
- 1816 – Johann August Apel, German jurist and writer (b. 1771)
- 1837 – Xavier Sigalon, French painter (b. 1787)
- 1886 – Samuel Ferguson, Northern Irish poet and artist (b. 1810)
- 1919 – Ruggiero Leoncavallo, Italian composer (b. 1857)
- 1942 – Edith Stein, (St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross) (executed) (b. 1891)
- 1945 – Harry Hillman, American athlete (b. 1881)
- 1945 – Robert Hampton Gray, last Canadian Victoria Cross recipient (b. 1917)
- 1946 – Bert Vogler, Former South African cricketer (b. 1876)
- 1949 – Edward Thorndike, American psychologist (b. 1874)
- 1957 – Carl Clauberg, Nazi doctor (b. 1898)
- 1962 – Hermann Hesse, German-born writer, Nobel Prize Laureate (b. 1877)
- 1967 – Joe Orton, English writer (b. 1933)
- 1969 – Cecil Frank Powell, British physicist, Nobel Prize Laureate (b. 1903)
- 1969 – Abigail Folger, American heiress (murdered) (b. 1943)
- 1969 – Wojciech Frykowski, Polish writer (murdered) (b. 1936)
- 1969 – Jay Sebring, American hair stylist (murdered) (b. 1933)
- 1969 – Sharon Tate, American actress (murdered) (b. 1943)
- 1969 – Steven Parent, American student (murdered) (b. 1951)
- 1974 – Bill Chase, American trumpet player and bandleader (b. 1934)
- 1975 – Dmitri Shostakovich, Russian composer (b. 1906)
- 1979 – Walter O'Malley, baseball executive (b. 1903)
- 1979 – Raymond Washington, founder of Los Angeles, California gang, the Crips
- 1980 – Jacqueline Cochran, American aviatrix (b. 1906)
- 1985 – Clive Churchill, Australian rugby league footballer (b. 1927)
- 1988 – Giacinto Scelsi, Italian composer (b. 1905)
- 1988 – Ramón Valdés, Mexican actor, played the character Don Ramón, in the TV Series El Chavo
- 1990 – Joe Mercer, English footballer (b. 1914)
- 1992 – Fereydoun Farrokhzad, Iranian Singer (b. 1938)
- 1995 – Jerry Garcia, American musician (Grateful Dead) (b. 1942)
- 1996 – Sir Frank Whittle, invented the jet engine (b. 1907)
- 1999 – Fouad Serageddin, Egyptian politician (b. 1910)
- 2000 – John Harsanyi, Hungarian-born economist, Nobel Prize Laureate (b. 1920)
- 2000 – Nicholas Markowitz-kidnapped and murdered by Jesse James Hollywood (b. 1984)
- 2002 – Paul Samson, British guitarist (Samson) (b. 1953)
- 2002 – Peter Neville, anarchist, sociologist, and peace activist
- 2003 – Ray Harford, English footballer and manager (b. 1945)
- 2003 – Gregory Hines, American actor and dancer (b. 1946)
- 2003 – Jacques Deray, French film director (b. 1929)
- 2003 – Chester Ludgin, American baritone (b. 1925)
- 2004 – Robert Lecourt, French politician and president of the European Court of Justice (b. 1908)
- 2004 – Tony Mottola, American guitarist (b. 1918)
- 2004 – David Raksin, American film director (b. 1912)
- 2005 – Matthew McGrory, American actor (b. 1973)
- 2005 – Judith Rossner, American novelist (b. 1935)
- 2006 – James van Allen, American physicist (b. 1914)
- 2006 – Philip E. High, science fiction author (b. 1914)
- 2007 – Joe O'Donnell, American documentary photographer, photojournalist (b. 1922)
- 2008 – Bernie Mac, American comedian, actor.(b. 1957)
- 2008 – Mahmoud Darwish, Palestinian prominent poet and writer of prose.(b. 1941)
Holidays and observances
- Singapore: National Day
- National Women's Day in South Africa
- International Day of the World's Indigenous People
- Feast day of the great martyr Saint Panteleimon in Russian Orthodox Church
- National Peacekeepers' Day in Canada
- Saint Firmus and Saint Rusticus
- Saint Jean Vianney
- Saint Nathy (David), bishop of Achonry
- Saint Romanus, martyr [common] (Romanus Ostiarius, died 258)
- Saint Secundianus and companions, martyrs [Meaux]
External links
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