August 9 is the 221st day of the year (222nd in leap years ) in the Gregorian calendar . There are 144 days remaining until the end of the year. This date is slightly more likely to fall on a Tuesday, Thursday or Sunday (58 in 400 years each) than on Friday or Saturday (57), and slightly less likely to occur on a Monday or Wednesday (56).
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 . Valens is killed along with over half of his army.
1173 – Construction of the campanile of the Cathedral of Pisa (now known as the Leaning Tower of Pisa ) begins; it will take two centuries to complete.
1329 – Quilon , the first Indian Christian Diocese , is erected by Pope John XXII ; the French-born Jordanus is appointed the first Bishop.
1500 – Ottoman–Venetian War (1499–1503) : The Ottomans capture Methoni, Messenia .
1610 – The First Anglo-Powhatan War begins in colonial Virginia .
1810 – Napoleon annexes Westphalia as part of the First French Empire .
1814 – Indian Wars : the Creek sign the Treaty of Fort Jackson , giving up huge parts of Alabama and Georgia .
1842 – The Webster–Ashburton Treaty is signed, establishing the United States–Canada border east of the Rocky Mountains .
1854 – Henry David Thoreau publishes Walden .
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 the 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 and Alexandra of Denmark are crowned King and Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland .
1907 – The first Boy Scout encampment concludes at Brownsea Island in southern England.
1914 – Start of the Battle of Mulhouse , part of a French attempt to recover the province of Alsace and the first French offensive of World War I.
1925 – A train robbery takes place in Kakori , near Lucknow , India
1930 – Betty Boop makes her cartoon debut in Dizzy Dishes .
1936 – Summer Olympic Games : Games of the XI Olympiad : Jesse Owens wins his fourth gold medal at the games.
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.
1944 – Continuation War : The Vyborg–Petrozavodsk Offensive , the largest offensive launched by Soviet Union against Finland during the Second World War, ends to a strategic stalemate. Both Finnish and Soviet troops at the Finnish front dug to defensive positions, and the front remains stable until the end of the war.
1945 – World War II: Nagasaki is devastated when an atomic bomb , Fat Man , is dropped by the United States B-29 Bockscar . 35,000 people are killed outright, including 23,200-28,200 Japanese war workers, 2,000 Korean forced workers, and 150 Japanese soldiers.
1945 – The Red Army invades Japanese-occupied Manchuria.
1965 – Singapore is expelled from Malaysia and becomes the only country to date to gain independence unwillingly.
1969 – Followers led by Charles Manson 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 .
1971 – The Troubles : The British Army in Northern Ireland launches Operation Demetrius . Hundreds of people are arrested and interned , thousands are displaced, and twenty are killed in the violence that followed.
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.
1991 – The Italian prosecuting magistrate Antonino Scopelliti is murdered by the 'Ndrangheta on behalf of the Sicilian Mafia while preparing the government’s case in the final appeal of the Maxi Trial .
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.
2006 – At least 21 suspected terrorists were arrested in the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot that happened in the United Kingdom. The arrests were made in London, Birmingham , and High Wycombe in an overnight operation.
2013 – Gunmen open fire at a Sunni mosque in the city of Quetta killing at least ten people and injuring 30.
2014 – Michael Brown, an 18-year-old African American male in Ferguson, Missouri , was shot and killed by a Ferguson police officer after reportedly assaulting the officer and attempting to steal his weapon, sparking protests and unrest in the city.
1201 – Arnold Fitz Thedmar , English historian and merchant (d. 1274)
1537 – Francesco Barozzi , Italian mathematician and astronomer (d. 1604)
1544 – Bogislaw XIII, Duke of Pomerania (d. 1606)
1603 – Johannes Cocceius , German-Dutch theologian and academic (d. 1669)
1631 – John Dryden , English poet, playwright, and critic (d. 1700)
1653 – John Oldham , English poet and translator (d. 1683)
1674 – František Maxmilián Kaňka , Czech architect, designed the Veltrusy Mansion (d. 1766)
1696 – Joseph Wenzel I, Prince of Liechtenstein (d. 1772)
1722 – Prince Augustus William of Prussia (d. 1758)
1726 – Francesco Cetti , Italian priest, zoologist, and mathematician (d. 1778)
1757 – Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton , American humanitarian; wife of Alexander Hamilton (d. 1854)
1757 – Thomas Telford , Scottish architect and engineer, designed the Menai Suspension Bridge (d. 1834)
1776 – Amedeo Avogadro , Italian physicist and chemist (d. 1856)
1783 – Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna of Russia (d. 1801)
1788 – Adoniram Judson , American missionary and lexicographer (d. 1850)
1797 – Charles Robert Malden , English lieutenant and surveyor (d. 1855)
1805 – Joseph Locke , English engineer and politician (d. 1860)
1845 – André Bessette , Canadian saint (d. 1937)
1847 – Maria Vittoria dal Pozzo , French-Italian wife of Amadeo I of Spain (d. 1876)
1861 – Dorothea Klumpke , American astronomer and academic (d. 1942)
1867 – Evelina Haverfield , Scottish nurse and activist (d. 1920)
1872 – Archduke Joseph August of Austria (d. 1962)
1874 – Reynaldo Hahn , Venezuelan composer and conductor (d. 1947)
1875 – Albert Ketèlbey , English pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1959)
1878 – Eileen Gray , Irish architect and furniture designer (d. 1976)
1881 – Prince Antônio Gastão of Orléans-Braganza , Brazilian prince (d. 1918)
1890 – Eino Kaila , Finnish philosopher and psychologist, attendant of the Vienna circle (d. 1958)
1896 – Erich Hückel , German physicist and chemist (d. 1980)
1896 – Jean Piaget , Swiss psychologist and philosopher (d. 1980)
1899 – P. L. Travers , Australian-English author and actress (d. 1996)
1901 – Charles Farrell , American actor and singer (d. 1990)
1902 – Zino Francescatti , French violinist (d. 1991)
1902 – Panteleimon Ponomarenko , Russian general and politician (d. 1984)
1909 – Vinayaka Krishna Gokak , Indian scholar, author, and academic (d. 1992)
1909 – Adam von Trott zu Solz , German lawyer and diplomat (d. 1944)
1911 – William Alfred Fowler , American astronomer and astrophysicist, Nobel Laureate (d. 1996)
1911 – Eddie Futch , American boxer and trainer (d. 2001)
1911 – John McQuade , Northern Irish soldier, boxer, and politician (d. 1984)
1913 – Wilbur Norman Christiansen , Australian astronomer and engineer (d. 2007)
1914 – Ferenc Fricsay , Hungarian-Austrian conductor and director (d. 1963)
1914 – Tove Jansson , Finnish author and illustrator (d. 2001)
1914 – Joe Mercer , English footballer and manager (d. 1990)
1915 – Mareta West , American astronomer and geologist (d. 1998)
1918 – Kermit Beahan , American colonel (d. 1989)
1918 – Giles Cooper , Irish soldier and playwright (d. 1966)
1918 – Albert Seedman , American police officer (d. 2013)
1919 – Joop den Uyl , Dutch journalist, economist, and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands (d. 1987)
1919 – Ralph Houk , American baseball player and manager (d. 2010)
1920 – Enzo Biagi , Italian journalist and author (d. 2007)
1921 – Ernest Angley , American evangelist and author
1921 – J. James Exon , American soldier and politician, 33rd Governor of Nebraska (d. 2005)
1922 – Philip Larkin , English poet and novelist (d. 1985)
1924 – Mathews Mar Barnabas , Indian metropolitan (d. 2012)
1924 – Frank Martínez , American soldier and painter (d. 2013)
1925 – David A. Huffman , American computer scientist, developed Huffman coding (d. 1999)
1926 – Denis Atkinson , Barbadian cricketer (d. 2001)
1927 – Daniel Keyes , American short story writer and novelist (d. 2014)
1927 – Robert Shaw , English actor and screenwriter (d. 1978)
1928 – Bob Cousy , American basketball player and coach
1928 – Camilla Wicks , American violinist and educator
1928 – Dolores Wilson , American soprano and actress (d. 2010)
1929 – Abdi İpekçi , Turkish journalist and activist (d. 1979)
1930 – Milt Bolling , American baseball player and scout (d. 2013)
1930 – Jacques Parizeau , Canadian economist and politician, 26th Premier of Quebec (d. 2015)
1931 – Chuck Essegian , American baseball player and lawyer
1931 – James Freeman Gilbert , American geophysicist and academic (d. 2014)
1931 – Paula Kent Meehan , American businesswoman, co-founded Redken (d. 2014)
1931 – Mário Zagallo , Brazilian footballer and coach
1932 – Tam Dalyell , Scottish academic and politician (d. 2017)
1932 – John Gomery , Canadian lawyer and jurist
1933 – Tetsuko Kuroyanagi , Japanese actress, talk show host, and author
1935 – Beverlee McKinsey , American actress (d. 2008)
1936 – Julián Javier , Dominican-American baseball player
1936 – Patrick Tse , Chinese-Hong Kong actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
1938 – Leonid Kuchma , Ukrainian engineer and politician, 2nd President of Ukraine
1938 – Rod Laver , Australian tennis player and coach
1938 – Otto Rehhagel , German footballer, coach, and manager
1939 – Hércules Brito Ruas , Brazilian footballer
1939 – Vincent Hanna , Northern Irish journalist (d. 1997)
1939 – The Mighty Hannibal , American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2014)
1939 – Billy Henderson , American singer (d. 2007)
1939 – Bulle Ogier , French actress and screenwriter
1939 – Romano Prodi , Italian academic and politician, 52nd Prime Minister of Italy
1939 – Butch Warren , American bassist (d. 2013)
1940 – Linda Keen , American mathematician and academic
1942 – Tommie Agee , American baseball player (d. 2001)
1942 – Jack DeJohnette , American drummer, pianist, and composer
1942 – David Steinberg , Canadian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
1943 – Ken Norton , American boxer and actor (d. 2013)
1944 – George Armstrong , English footballer (d. 2000)
1944 – Patrick Depailler , French race car driver (d. 1980)
1944 – Sam Elliott , American actor and producer
1944 – Patricia McKissack , American soldier, engineer, and author
1944 – John Simpson , English journalist and author
1945 – Barbara Delinsky , American author
1945 – Aleksandr Gorelik , Russian figure skater and sportscaster (d. 2012)
1945 – Zurab Sakandelidze , Georgian basketball player (d. 2004)
1945 – Posy Simmonds , English author and illustrator
1946 – Jim Kiick , American football player
1947 – Roy Hodgson , English footballer and manager
1947 – John Varley , American author
1948 – Bill Campbell , American baseball player and coach
1949 – Jonathan Kellerman , American psychologist and author
1949 – Ted Simmons , American baseball player and coach
1951 – James Naughtie , Scottish journalist and radio host
1951 – Steve Swisher , American baseball player and manager
1952 – Prateep Ungsongtham Hata , Thai activist and politician
1953 – Kay Stenshjemmet , Norwegian speed skater
1953 – Jean Tirole , French economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
1953 – Roberta Tovey , English actress and singer
1954 – Ray Jennings , South African cricketer and coach
1954 – Pete Thomas , English drummer
1955 – John E. Sweeney , American lawyer and politician
1957 – Melanie Griffith , American actress and producer
1958 – Amanda Bearse , American actress, comedian and director
1958 – James Lileks , American journalist and blogger
1958 – Calie Pistorius , South African engineer and academic
1959 – Kurtis Blow , American rapper, producer, and actor
1959 – Michael Kors , American fashion designer
1961 – Brad Gilbert , American tennis player and sportscaster
1961 – John Key , New Zealand businessman and politician, 38th Prime Minister of New Zealand
1962 – Louis Lipps , American football player and radio host
1962 – Kevin Mack , American football player
1962 – John "Hot Rod" Williams , American basketball player (d. 2015)
1963 – Whitney Houston , American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress (d. 2012)
1963 – Jay Leggett , American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2013)
1963 – Barton Lynch , Australian surfer
1964 – Brett Hull , Canadian-American ice hockey player and manager
1964 – Hoda Kotb , American journalist and television personality
1966 – Vinny Del Negro , American basketball player and coach
1966 – Linn Ullmann , Norwegian journalist and author
1967 – Deion Sanders , American football and baseball player
1968 – McG , American director and producer
1968 – Gillian Anderson , American actress and director
1968 – Eric Bana , Australian actor, comedian, producer, and screenwriter
1968 – Sam Fogarino , American drummer
1969 – Troy Percival , American baseball player and coach
1970 – Rod Brind'Amour , Canadian ice hockey player and coach
1970 – Chris Cuomo , American lawyer and journalist
1973 – Filippo Inzaghi , Italian footballer and manager
1973 – Kevin McKidd , Scottish actor and director
1973 – Gene Luen Yang , American author and illustrator
1974 – Derek Fisher , American basketball player and coach
1974 – Stephen Fung , Hong Kong actor, singer, director, and screenwriter
1974 – Matt Morris , American baseball player
1974 – Kirill Reznik , American lawyer and politician
1974 – Raphaël Poirée , French biathlete
1975 – Mahesh Babu , Indian actor and producer
1975 – Valentin Kovalenko , Uzbek football referee
1975 – Mike Lamb , American baseball player
1975 – Robbie Middleby , Australian soccer player
1976 – Rhona Mitra , English actress and singer
1976 – Audrey Tautou , French model and actress
1976 – Jessica Capshaw , American actress
1977 – Jason Frasor , American baseball player
1977 – Chamique Holdsclaw , American basketball player
1977 – Ravshan Irmatov , Uzbek football referee
1977 – Adewale Ogunleye , American football player
1977 – Ime Udoka , American basketball player and coach
1977 – Mikaël Silvestre , French footballer
1978 – Dorin Chirtoacă , Moldavian lawyer and politician, Mayor of Chișinău
1978 – Ana Serradilla , Mexican actress and producer
1979 – Michael Kingma , Australian basketball player
1979 – Lisa Nandy , English lawyer and politician
1979 – Tony Stewart , American football player
1981 – Jarvis Hayes , American basketball player
1981 – Li Jiawei , Singaporean table tennis player
1982 – Joel Anthony , American basketball player
1982 – Tyson Gay , American sprinter
1982 – Yekaterina Samutsevich , Russian singer and activist
1982 – Kanstantsin Sivtsov , Belorussian cyclist
1983 – Shane O'Brien , Canadian ice hockey player
1983 – Alicja Smietana , Polish-English violinist
1984 – Paul Gallagher , Scottish footballer
1985 – Luca Filippi , Italian race car driver
1985 – Anna Kendrick , American actress
1985 – Hayley Peirsol , American swimmer
1985 – JaMarcus Russell , American football player
1985 – Chandler Williams , American football player (d. 2013)
1986 – Michael Lerchl , German footballer
1986 – Daniel Preussner , German rugby player
1986 – Tyler "Telle" Smith , American singer-songwriter and bass player
1987 – Marek Niit , Estonian sprinter
1988 – Anthony Castonzo , American football player
1988 – Willian , Brazilian footballer
1988 – Vasilios Koutsianikoulis , Greek footballer
1989 – Jason Heyward , American baseball player
1989 – Stefano Okaka , Italian footballer
1989 – Kento Ono , Japanese actor and model
1990 – İshak Doğan , Turkish footballer
1990 – Stuart McInally , Scottish rugby player
1990 – Brice Roger , French skier
1991 – Alice Barlow , English actress
1991 – Alexa Bliss , American bodybuilder and wrestler
1999 – Deniss Vasiļjevs , Latvian figure skater
378 – Traianus , Roman general
378 – Valens , Roman emperor (b. 328)
803 – Irene of Athens (b. 752)
833 – Al-Ma'mun , Iraqi caliph (b. 786)
1048 – Pope Damasus II
1107 – Emperor Horikawa of Japan (b. 1079)
1173 – Najm ad-Din Ayyub , Kurdish soldier and politician
1211 – William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber , exiled Anglo-Norman baron (b. 1144/53)
1260 – Walter of Kirkham , Bishop of Durham
1296 – Hugh, Count of Brienne , French crusader
1341 – Eleanor of Anjou , queen consort of Sicily (b. 1289)
1354 – Stephen, Duke of Slavonia , Hungarian prince (b. 1332)
1420 – Pierre d'Ailly , French theologian and cardinal (b. 1351)
1492 – Beatrice of Silva , Dominican nun
1516 – Hieronymus Bosch , Early Netherlandish painter (b. circa 1450)
1534 – Thomas Cajetan , Italian cardinal and philosopher (b. 1470)
1580 – Metrophanes III of Constantinople (b. 1520)
1601 – Michael the Brave , Romanian prince (b. 1558)
1634 – William Noy , English lawyer and judge (b. 1577)
1720 – Simon Ockley , English orientalist and academic (b. 1678)
1744 – James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos , English academic and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Radnorshire (b. 1673)
1816 – Johann August Apel , German jurist and author (b. 1771)
1861 – Vincent Novello , English composer and publisher (b. 1781)
1886 – Samuel Ferguson , Irish lawyer and poet (b. 1810)
1910 – Huo Yuanjia , Chinese martial artist, co-founded the Chin Woo Athletic Association (b. 1868)
1919 – Ruggero Leoncavallo , Italian composer and educator (b. 1857)
1932 – John Charles Fields , Canadian mathematician, founder of the Fields Medal (b. 1863)
1942 – Edith Stein , German nun and saint (b. 1891)
1943 – Chaim Soutine , Belarusian-French painter and educator (b. 1893)
1945 – Robert Hampton Gray , Canadian lieutenant and pilot, Victoria Cross recipient (b. 1917)
1945 – Harry Hillman , American runner and coach (b. 1881)
1946 – Bert Vogler , South African cricketer (b. 1876)
1948 – Hugo Boss , German fashion designer, founded Hugo Boss (b. 1885)
1949 – Edward Thorndike , American psychologist and academic (b. 1874)
1957 – Carl Clauberg , German physician (b. 1898)
1962 – Hermann Hesse , German-born Swiss poet, novelist, and painter, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1877)
1963 – Patrick Bouvier Kennedy , American son of John F. Kennedy (b. 1963)
1967 – Joe Orton , English author and playwright (b. 1933)
1969 – Wojciech Frykowski , Polish-American actor and author (b. 1936)
1969 – Sharon Tate , American model and actress (b. 1943)
1969 – C. F. Powell , English physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1903)
1972 – Sıddık Sami Onar , Turkish lawyer and academic (b. 1897)
1974 – Bill Chase , American trumpet player and bandleader (b. 1934)
1975 – Dmitri Shostakovich , Russian pianist and composer (b. 1906)
1978 – James Gould Cozzens , American novelist and short story writer (b. 1903)
1979 – Walter O'Malley , American businessman (b. 1903)
1979 – Raymond Washington , American gang leader, founded the Crips (b. 1953)
1980 – Jacqueline Cochran , American pilot (b. 1906)
1981 – Max Hoffman , Austrian-born car importer and businessman (b. 1904)
1985 – Clive Churchill , Australian rugby player and coach (b. 1927)
1988 – Giacinto Scelsi , Italian composer and poet (b. 1905)
1990 – Joe Mercer , English footballer and manager (b. 1914)
1992 – Fereydoun Farrokhzad , Iranian singer and actor (b. 1938)
1995 – Jerry Garcia , American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1942)
1996 – Frank Whittle , English soldier and engineer, invented the jet engine (b. 1907)
1999 – Fouad Serageddin , Egyptian journalist and politician (b. 1910)
2000 – John Harsanyi , Hungarian-American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1920)
2000 – Nicholas Markowitz , American murder victim (b. 1984)
2002 – Paul Samson , English guitarist (b. 1953)
2003 – Jacques Deray , French director and screenwriter (b. 1929)
2003 – Ray Harford , English footballer and manager (b. 1945)
2003 – Gregory Hines , American actor, dancer, and choreographer (b. 1946)
2003 – R. Sivagurunathan , Sri Lankan lawyer, journalist, and academic (b. 1931)
2004 – Robert Lecourt , French lawyer and politician, Lord Chancellor of France (b. 1908)
2004 – Tony Mottola , American guitarist and composer (b. 1918)
2004 – David Raksin , American composer and educator (b. 1912)
2005 – Judith Rossner , American author (b. 1935)
2006 – Philip E. High , English author (b. 1914)
2006 – James Van Allen , American physicist and academic (b. 1914)
2007 – Joe O'Donnell , American photographer and journalist (b. 1922)
2008 – Bernie Mac , American comedian, actor, screenwriter, and producer (b. 1957)
2008 – Mahmoud Darwish , Palestinian author and poet (b. 1941)
2010 – Calvin "Fuzz" Jones , American singer and bass player (b. 1926)
2010 – Ted Stevens , American soldier, lawyer, and politician (b. 1923)
2012 – Carl Davis , American record producer (b. 1934)
2012 – Gene F. Franklin , American engineer, theorist, and academic (b. 1927)
2012 – Al Freeman, Jr. , American actor, director, and educator (b. 1934)
2012 – David Rakoff , Canadian-American actor and journalist (b. 1964)
2012 – Carmen Belen Richardson , Puerto Rican-American actress (b. 1930)
2012 – Mel Stuart , American director and producer (b. 1928)
2013 – Harry Elliott , American baseball player and coach (b. 1923)
2013 – Eduardo Falú , Argentinian guitarist and composer (b. 1923)
2013 – William Lynch, Jr. , American lawyer and politician (b. 1947)
2014 – J. F. Ade Ajayi , Nigerian historian and academic (b. 1929)
2014 – Andriy Bal , Ukrainian footballer and coach (b. 1958)
2014 – Arthur G. Cohen , American businessman and philanthropist, co-founded Arlen Realty and Development Corporation (b. 1930)
2014 – Ed Nelson , American actor (b. 1928)
2015 – Frank Gifford , American football player, sportscaster, and actor (b. 1930)
2015 – John Henry Holland , American computer scientist and academic (b. 1929)
2015 – Walter Nahún López , Honduran footballer (b. 1977)
2015 – David Nobbs , English author and screenwriter (b. 1935)
2015 – Kayyar Kinhanna Rai , Indian journalist, author, and poet (b. 1915)
2015 – Fikret Otyam , Turkish painter and journalist (b. 1926)
Holidays and observances [ edit ]
External links [ edit ]
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