August 9
1173 - Construction began on the campanile of Pisa Cathedral -- better known today as the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
1854 - Henry David Thoreau's "Walden" was first published, recounting his experiment in solitary life on the shores of Massachusetts' Walden Pond.
1945 - The United States detonated an atomic bomb over Nagasaki, Japan during World War II three days after dropping one over Hiroshima, killing an estimated 74,000.
1965 - Singapore proclaimed its independence from Malaysia.
1974 - Vice President Gerald Ford was sworn in as the 38th president of the United States following the resignation of Richard Nixon.
1988 - President Ronald Reagan nominated Lauro Cavazos to be secretary of education; Cavazos became the first Hispanic to serve in the Cabinet.
1995 - Jerry Garcia, lead guitarist of the Grateful Dead, died.
2014 - Michael Brown Jr., a Black 18-year-old, was shot to death by a police officer following an altercation in Ferguson, Missouri; Brown’s death led to sometimes-violent protests in Ferguson and other U.S. cities, spawning a national “Black Lives Matter” movement.
Birthdays
31 - Rydel Funk Lynch (singer)
31 - Erin Caldwell (actress)
33 - Alexa Bliss (professional wrestler)
34 - Bill Skarsgard (actor)
34 - Adelaide Kane (actress)
39 - Anna Kendrick (actress)
39 - Vivek Ramaswamy (entrepreneur)
41 - Ashley Johnson (actress)
44 - Texas Battle (actor)
48 - Jessica Capshaw (actress)
51 - Kevin McKidd (actor)
52 - Liz Vassey (actress)
53 - Nikki Ziering (actress)
54 - Thomas Lennon (actor)
54 - Chris Cuomo (TV host)
54 - Rod Brind'Amour (hockey player/coach)
56 - Eric Bana (actor)
56 - Gillian Anderson (actress)
57 - Deion Sanders (football player/coach)
60 - Hoda Kotb (TV host)
60 - Brett Hull (hockey player)
66 - Amanda Bearse (actress)
67 - Melanie Griffith (actress)
69 - Doug Williams (football player)
72 - John Cappelletti (football player)
77 - Barbara Mason (singer)
80 - Sam Elliott (actor)
82 - David Steinberg (comedian)
86 - Rod Laver (tennis player)
96 - Bob Cousy (basketball player)
============================
Today in Sports History - August 9
1936 - Jesse Owens became the first American to win four gold medals in one Olympic Games at the Summer Games in Berlin, Germany.
1971 - Satchel Paige is inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
1975 - The New Orleans Superdome as officially opened when the Saints played the Houston Oilers in exhibition football. The new Superdome cost $163 million to build.
1977 - The NHL refuses a merger which would have accepted six World Hockey Association (WHA) franchises into the league. (Four WHA teams would eventually make it into the NHL: Edmonton Oilers, New England Whalers, Quebec Nordiques and Winnipeg Jets.)
1981 - Major league baseball teams resumed play at the conclusion of the first mid-season players’ strike.
1988 - Wayne Gretzky of the Edmonton Oilers was traded to the Los Angeles Kings. The trade was at Gretzky's request. He was sent to the Kings with Mike Krushelnyski and Marty McSorley. Edmonton received Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelina, three first-round draft picks and cash.
1990 - The NHL approved the sale of the Minnesota North Stars by George and Gordon Gund. The Gunds were granted the rights to a Bay Area team that could begin play in October 1991. The team was the San Jose Sharks.
2002 - Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants hits his 600th career home run.
2012 - Shannon Eastin became the first female to officiate an NFL game when she worked as a line judge in a preseason game between the San Diego Chargers and the Green Bay Packers.
2012 - The United States women's soccer team defeats Japan 2-1 to win the gold medal at the Summer Olympic Games in London.
2012 - Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt becomes the first to win both the 100 meter and 200 meter races in back-to-back Olympic Games.
2016 - At the Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, American swimmer Michael Phelps wins the 200 meter butterfly event for his 20th career Olympic gold medal.
2022 - Tennis superstar Serena Williams announces her plans to retire.
1173 - Construction began on the campanile of Pisa Cathedral -- better known today as the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
1854 - Henry David Thoreau's "Walden" was first published, recounting his experiment in solitary life on the shores of Massachusetts' Walden Pond.
1945 - The United States detonated an atomic bomb over Nagasaki, Japan during World War II three days after dropping one over Hiroshima, killing an estimated 74,000.
1965 - Singapore proclaimed its independence from Malaysia.
1974 - Vice President Gerald Ford was sworn in as the 38th president of the United States following the resignation of Richard Nixon.
1988 - President Ronald Reagan nominated Lauro Cavazos to be secretary of education; Cavazos became the first Hispanic to serve in the Cabinet.
1995 - Jerry Garcia, lead guitarist of the Grateful Dead, died.
2014 - Michael Brown Jr., a Black 18-year-old, was shot to death by a police officer following an altercation in Ferguson, Missouri; Brown’s death led to sometimes-violent protests in Ferguson and other U.S. cities, spawning a national “Black Lives Matter” movement.
Birthdays
31 - Rydel Funk Lynch (singer)
31 - Erin Caldwell (actress)
33 - Alexa Bliss (professional wrestler)
34 - Bill Skarsgard (actor)
34 - Adelaide Kane (actress)
39 - Anna Kendrick (actress)
39 - Vivek Ramaswamy (entrepreneur)
41 - Ashley Johnson (actress)
44 - Texas Battle (actor)
48 - Jessica Capshaw (actress)
51 - Kevin McKidd (actor)
52 - Liz Vassey (actress)
53 - Nikki Ziering (actress)
54 - Thomas Lennon (actor)
54 - Chris Cuomo (TV host)
54 - Rod Brind'Amour (hockey player/coach)
56 - Eric Bana (actor)
56 - Gillian Anderson (actress)
57 - Deion Sanders (football player/coach)
60 - Hoda Kotb (TV host)
60 - Brett Hull (hockey player)
66 - Amanda Bearse (actress)
67 - Melanie Griffith (actress)
69 - Doug Williams (football player)
72 - John Cappelletti (football player)
77 - Barbara Mason (singer)
80 - Sam Elliott (actor)
82 - David Steinberg (comedian)
86 - Rod Laver (tennis player)
96 - Bob Cousy (basketball player)
============================
Today in Sports History - August 9
1936 - Jesse Owens became the first American to win four gold medals in one Olympic Games at the Summer Games in Berlin, Germany.
1971 - Satchel Paige is inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
1975 - The New Orleans Superdome as officially opened when the Saints played the Houston Oilers in exhibition football. The new Superdome cost $163 million to build.
1977 - The NHL refuses a merger which would have accepted six World Hockey Association (WHA) franchises into the league. (Four WHA teams would eventually make it into the NHL: Edmonton Oilers, New England Whalers, Quebec Nordiques and Winnipeg Jets.)
1981 - Major league baseball teams resumed play at the conclusion of the first mid-season players’ strike.
1988 - Wayne Gretzky of the Edmonton Oilers was traded to the Los Angeles Kings. The trade was at Gretzky's request. He was sent to the Kings with Mike Krushelnyski and Marty McSorley. Edmonton received Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelina, three first-round draft picks and cash.
1990 - The NHL approved the sale of the Minnesota North Stars by George and Gordon Gund. The Gunds were granted the rights to a Bay Area team that could begin play in October 1991. The team was the San Jose Sharks.
2002 - Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants hits his 600th career home run.
2012 - Shannon Eastin became the first female to officiate an NFL game when she worked as a line judge in a preseason game between the San Diego Chargers and the Green Bay Packers.
2012 - The United States women's soccer team defeats Japan 2-1 to win the gold medal at the Summer Olympic Games in London.
2012 - Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt becomes the first to win both the 100 meter and 200 meter races in back-to-back Olympic Games.
2016 - At the Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, American swimmer Michael Phelps wins the 200 meter butterfly event for his 20th career Olympic gold medal.
2022 - Tennis superstar Serena Williams announces her plans to retire.
