August 9

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 was erected by Pope John XXII and Jordanus was 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.
*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

*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 - Eudoxia Lopukhina, Tsarina 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, commander at Battle of the Alamo
*1845 - André Bessette, Canadian religious figure (d. 1937)
*1847 - Maria Victoria al Pozzo della Cisterna, queen consort 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)
*1875 - Albert Ketèlbey, English pianist, conductor and composer (b. 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, 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, televangelist
*1922 - Philip Larkin, English poet (d. 1985)
*1925 - David A. Huffman, 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
*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
*1940 - Beverlee McKinsey, American actress (d. 2008)
*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)
*1948 - Bill Campbell, American baseball player
*1949 - Jonathan Kellerman, American writer
*1952 - Prateep Ungsongtham Hata, Thai politician
*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, New Zealand politician
* 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
*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, 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 Haydn Jones, Radio 1's The Chris Moyles show Producer
*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
*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 - 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

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)
*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)
*1990 - Joe Mercer, English footballer (b. 1914)
*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

Roman Catholicism
*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

* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/august/9 BBC: On This Day]
*
* [http://www1.sympatico.ca/cgi-bin/on_this_day?mth=Aug&day=09 On This Day in Canada] ----