What Happened on August 9
Important Events
- 48 BC Caesar's civil war: Battle of Pharsalus - Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at Pharsalus and Pompey flees to Egypt.
- 378 Battle of Adrianople: Goth army defeats Roman forces under Emperor Valens
- 1790 Robert Gray's Columbia Rediviva returns to Boston after 3 year journey, 1st American ship to circumnavigate the Globe
- 1898 Rudolf Diesel of Germany obtains patent #608,845 for his internal combustion engine, later known as the diesel engine
- 1942 Mahatma Gandhi and 50 others arrested in Bombay after passing of a "quit India" motion and campaign by the All-India Congress
- 1945 US drops second atomic bomb "Fat Man" on Nagasaki, Japan, destroying part of the city
- 1965 Singapore separates from the Federation of Malaysia and gains its independence
- 1974 Richard Nixon resigns as President of the United States and Vice President Gerald Ford swears the oath of office to take his place as the 38th US President
- 2020 Disputed Belarusian presidential election sees long time dictator Alexander Lukashenko officially win 80% of the votes but unofficially lose 60-70% of the votes to main opposition candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. Sparks widespread protests in Belarus and international condemnation.
Aug 9 in Film & TV
- 1930 Animated character Betty Boop debuts in Max Fleischer's cartoon "Dizzy Dishes"
- 1997 "Just to See You Smile" single released by Tim McGraw (Billboard Song of the Year 1998)
Aug 9 in Sport
- 1900 1st International Lawn Tennis Challenge, Boston, MA: Dwight Davis & Holcombe Ward beat Ernest Black & Herbert Roper Barrett 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to give US an unassailable 3-0 lead over British Isles
- 2012 Jamaican sprint superstar Usain Bolt wins the 200m at the London Olympics in 19.32 to become first to win 100/200m double in back-to-back Olympics
Famous Birthdays
Johann Michael Bach
(1648 - 1694)- Amedeo Avogadro
(1776 - 1856) - Vicente Guerrero
(1782 - 1831) - Rod Laver
82 Years Old - Whitney Houston
(1963 - 2012) - Deion Sanders
53 Years Old
Johann Michael Bach
Amedeo Avogadro
Vicente Guerrero
Rod Laver
Whitney Houston
Deion SandersWould You Believe?
Longest ever hunger strike ends, Indian human rights campaigner Irom Sharmila tastes honey after 16 years
On August 9, 2016
Famous Weddings
- 1832 King Leopold I of Belgium marries Louisa Maria
- 1949 Film and stage actor Jimmy Stewart (41) weds former model Gloria Hatrick McLean (31) at the Brentwood Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles
- 1958 Actor Robert Redford (21) weds Lola Van Wagenen in Las Vegas, Nevada
Famous Divorces
- 1922 Actress Gloria Swanson (23) divorces businessman Herbert K. Somborn after almost 3 years of marriage
- 1955 Actress Elizabeth Montgomery (22) divorces socialite Frederick Gallatin Cammann after more than a year of marriage
Trajan
Hermann Hesse
Cecil Frank Powell
Sharon Tate
Dmitri Shostakovich
Jerry GarciaArticles, Photos and Quiz
Nuclear Bombing of Nagasaki
Mushroom cloud over Nagasaki
August 9, 1945Singapore Leaves Malaysia
Front page of The Straits Times announcing Singapore Independence
August 9, 1965Richard Nixon's Resignation Letter
The brief letter confirming Richard Nixon's resignation, per federal law it was addressed to Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger
August 9, 1974Inflatable Trump-like Chicken
A giant inflatable chicken resembling President Trump constructed as a political protest
August 9, 2017Weekly Quiz for August 5-11
Test your knowledge of historical events and famous people in our multi-choice, weekly history quiz for August 5-11. Then challenge your friends!
August in History
A Pill to Cure All Ills
Not well? Take a Beecham’s Pill was often the advice. So popular was it that nobody doubted it’s extravagant claim in the world’s first advertising slogan.
August 6, 1859Why Mata Hari Was Not the Spy You Thought She Was
The controversial life and death of Mata Hari, the glamorous WWI double agent, executed in 1917, has recently been reassessed in the light of new evidence.
August 7, 1876Did a Snake Kill Cleopatra?
Cleopatra, the legendary Queen of Egypt, is said to have died on this day, famously submitting to the bite of a poisonous snake. The story might even be true. . .
August 10, 30 ADShip of Gold Sails Into Oblivion
A frigate with more than 150 souls on board, as well as nearly three tons of gold, sailed out of Melbourne on this day – never to be seen again.
August 12, 1853
