What are the important events that happened on August 9? Here are historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.

August 9: Facts & Myths About This Day

August 9 is the 221^st day of the year 2025 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 144 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Saturday.

Under the Julian calendar, this day is July 27, 2025 – a Saturday. Both day of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?

When this day started, 1,754,697,600 seconds has elapsed since midnight of January 1, 1970 – the Unix epoch.

Strange as it may, if we name this day after a polygon then it will be called ‘dihectaicosahenagon’ day.

Leo is the zodiac sign of a person born on this day. Peridot is the modern birthstone for this month. Diamond is the mystical birthstone from Tibetan origin that dates back over a thousand years.

According to the lunisolar Chinese calendar, there are 192 days remaining before the start of the next Chinese New Year.

The ancient Maya civilization believes that the end of the world will happen on December 21, 2012. There are now 4,614 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.

August 9 Historical Events

• 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.
• 1483 –
  Opening of the Sistine Chapel in Rome with the celebration of a Mass.
• 1854 –
  Henry David Thoreau published Walden.
• 1902 –
  Edward VII and Alexandra of Denmark are crowned King and Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
• 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 –
  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.
• 1945 –
  World War II: Nagasaki is devastated when an atomic bomb, Fat Man, is dropped by the United States B-29 Bockscar. 39,000 people are killed outright.
• 1965 –
  A fire at a Titan missile base near Searcy, Arkansas kills 53 construction workers.
• 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, Buckinghamshire, in an overnight operation.

Who were born on August 9?

• 1845 –
  André Bessette, Canadian religious figure (d. 1937)
• 1914 –
  Tove Jansson, Finnish author (d. 2001)
• 1927 –
  Daniel Keyes, American author
• 1927 –
  Marvin Minsky, American computer scientist
• 1942 –
  David Steinberg, Canadian comedian
• 1959 –
  Kurtis Blow, American rapper
• 1975 –
  Robbie Middleby, Australian footballer
• 1978 –
  Audrey Tautou, French actress
• 1984 –
  Paul Gallagher, Scottish footballer
• 1988 –
  Vasilios Koutsianikoulis, Greek footballer

Who died on August 9?

• 1048 –
  Pope Damasus II (birth year unknown)
• 1250 –
  King Eric IV of Denmark (b. 1216)
• 1534 –
  Cardinal Cajetan, Italian theologian (b. 1470)
• 1969 –
  Steven Parent, American student (murdered) (b. 1951)
• 1975 –
  Dmitri Shostakovich, Russian composer (b. 1906)
• 1979 –
  Walter O'Malley, American baseball executive (b. 1903)
• 1985 –
  Clive Churchill, Australian rugby league footballer (b. 1927)
• 2003 –
  Ray Harford, English footballer and manager (b. 1945)
• 2007 –
  Joe O'Donnell, American documentary photographer and photojournalist (b. 1922)
• 2008 –
  Bernie Mac, American comedian (b. 1957)