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Old clock in sand with the words: It Happend in August

View Historical Events by Day: What Happened on August 9 in History?

Explore the historical events that shaped our world on August 9th. From major milestones to cultural achievements, see what happened on this day in history. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.

48 BCE, August 9

The decisive Battle of Pharsalus during Caesar's Civil War takes place Pharsalus in Central Greece. Julius Caesar and his allies fought against the army of the Roman Republic under the command of Pompey who had the backing of a majority of Roman senators and his army significantly outnumbered the veteran Caesarian legions but Pompey suffered an overwhelming defeat. He fled the camp and made his way to Egypt where he was assassinated on September 28, 48 BC at the order of Ptolemy XIII the Pharaoh of Egypt.

379 CE, August 9

The Visigoths defeat a large Roman army led by Valens, the Roman emperor of the East, at the Battle of Adrianople (also known as the Battle of Hadrianopolis), in present-day Turkey. The battle was an overwhelming victory for the Visigoths ending with two-thirds of the Roman army, including Emperor Valens overrun and slaughtered. More

1945 CE, August 9

The United States drops an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Nagasaki. An American B-29 bomber headed for the city of Kokura, but because of poor visibility then chose a secondary target, Nagasaki. The bomb detonated killing an estimated 70,000 persons and destroying about half the city.

1965 CE, August 9

Proclamation of Singapore independence from Malaysia

1974 CE, August 9

Richard M Nixon resigns the presidency as a result of the Watergate scandal. Facing possible impeachment by Congress, he became the only U.S. President ever to resign. Gerald Ford automatically assumed the presidency, taking the oath of office in the East Room of the White House and becoming the 38th U.S. President. This made him the only person to become the nation's chief executive without being elected to the presidency or the vice presidency. More

2014 CE, August 9

The shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, sparks protests and civil unrest, leading to a national conversation on racial tensions and police violence in the United States.

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