Major Events
- 48 BC Caesar’s Civil War: Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey the Great at the Battle of Pharsalus, forcing Pompey to flee to Egypt
- 378 Battle of Adrianople: Goth army defeats Roman forces under Emperor Valens, who is killed
- 1790 Robert Gray’s Columbia Rediviva returns to Boston after 3-year journey, first American ship to circumnavigate the globe
Aug 9 in Film & TV
- 1930 Animated character Betty Boop debuts in Max Fleischer’s cartoon “Dizzy Dishes”
Aug 9 in Music
- 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 and Holcombe Ward beat Ernest Black and Herbert Roper Barrett 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to give the US an unassailable 3-0 lead over the 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
Did You Know?
Fun Fact About August 9
Longest ever hunger strike ends, Indian human rights campaigner Irom Sharmila tastes honey after 16 years
Articles, Photos and Quiz
‘Dirty Rat’ Lets His Mother Die
Before Abraham Lincoln was assassinated there was a plan to kidnap the President, which resulted on this day in the arrest of John Surratt, one of the plotters.
August 9, 1867
Nuclear Bombing of Nagasaki
Mushroom cloud over Nagasaki
August 9, 1945
Singapore Leaves Malaysia
Front page of The Straits Times announcing Singapore Independence
August 9, 1965
Richard 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, 1974
Inflatable Trump-like Chicken
A giant inflatable chicken resembling President Trump constructed as a political protest
August 9, 2017
Weekly 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!