August 9

Pre-1600

• 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. Valens is killed along with over half of his army.
• 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.
• 1329 – Quilon, the first Indian Christian Diocese, is erected by Pope John XXII; the French-born Jordanus is appointed the first Bishop.
• 1428 – Sources cite biggest caravan trade between Podvisoki and Republic of Ragusa. Vlachs committed to Ragusan lord Tomo Bunić, that they will with 600 horses deliver 1,500 modius of salt. Delivery was meant for Dobrašin Veseoković, and Vlachs price was half of delivered salt.
• 1500 – Ottoman–Venetian War (1499–1503): The Ottomans capture Methoni, Messenia.

1601–1900

• 1610 – The First Anglo-Powhatan War begins in colonial Virginia.
• 1810 – Napoleon annexes Westphalia as part of the First French Empire.
• 1814 – American Indian Wars: The Creek sign the Treaty of Fort Jackson, giving up huge parts of Alabama and Georgia.
• 1830 – Louis Philippe becomes the king of the French following abdication of Charles X.
• 1842 – The Webster–Ashburton Treaty is signed, establishing the United States–Canada border east of the Rocky Mountains.
• 1854 – American Transcendentalist philosopher Henry David Thoreau publishes his memoir Walden.
• 1855 – Åland War: The Battle of Suomenlinna begins.
• 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 – American Indian Wars: Battle of the 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.
• 1897 – The first International Congress of Mathematicians is held in Zürich, Switzerland.

1901–present

• 1902 – Edward VII and Alexandra of Denmark are crowned King and Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
• 1907 – The first Boy Scout encampment concludes at Brownsea Island in southern England.
• 1925 – A train robbery takes place in Kakori, near Lucknow, India, by the Indian independence revolutionaries, against British government.
• 1936 – Summer Olympics: Jesse Owens wins his fourth gold medal at the games.
• 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.
• 1942 – Dmitri Shostakovich's 7th symphony is premiered in a besieged Leningrad.
• 1944 – The United States Forest Service and the Wartime Advertising Council release posters featuring Smokey Bear for the first time.
• 1944 – World War II: Continuation War: The Vyborg–Petrozavodsk Offensive, the largest offensive launched by Soviet Union against Finland during the Second World War, ends to a strategic stalemate. Both Finnish and Soviet troops at the Finnish front dug to defensive positions, and the front remains stable until the end of the war.
• 1945 – World War II: Nagasaki is devastated when an atomic bomb, Fat Man, is dropped by the United States B-29 Bockscar. Thirty-five thousand people are killed outright, including 23,200–28,200 Japanese war workers, 2,000 Korean forced workers, and 150 Japanese soldiers.
• 1945 – The Red Army invades Japanese-occupied Manchuria.
• 1960 – South Kasai secedes from the Congo.
• 1965 – Singapore is expelled from Malaysia and becomes the only country to date to gain independence unwillingly.
• 1969 – Tate–LaBianca murders: Followers of Charles Manson 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.
• 1970 – LANSA Flight 502 crashes after takeoff from Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport in Cusco, Peru, killing 99 of the 100 people on board, as well as two people on the ground.
• 1971 – The Troubles: In Northern Ireland, the British authorities launch Operation Demetrius. The operation involves the mass arrest and internment without trial of individuals suspected of being affiliated with the Irish Republican Army (PIRA). Mass riots follow, and thousands of people flee or are forced out of their homes.
• 1973 – Mars 7 is launched from the USSR.
• 1974 – As a direct result of the Watergate scandal, Richard Nixon becomes the first President of the United States to resign from office. Vice President Gerald Ford becomes president.
• 1991 – The Italian prosecuting magistrate Antonino Scopelliti is murdered by the 'Ndrangheta on behalf of the Sicilian Mafia while preparing the government's case in the final appeal of the Maxi Trial.
• 1993 – The Liberal Democratic Party of Japan loses a 38-year hold on national leadership.
• 1995 – Aviateca Flight 901 crashes into the San Vicente volcano in El Salvador, killing all 65 people on board.
• 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 are arrested in the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot that happened in the United Kingdom. The arrests are made in London, Birmingham, and High Wycombe in an overnight operation.
• 2007 – Air Moorea Flight 1121 crashes after takeoff from Moorea Airport in French Polynesia, killing all 20 people on board.
• 2012 – Shannon Eastin becomes the first woman to officiate an NFL game.
• 2013 – Gunmen open fire at a Sunni mosque in the city of Quetta killing at least ten people and injuring 30.
• 2014 – Michael Brown, an 18-year-old African American male in Ferguson, Missouri, is shot and killed by a Ferguson police officer after reportedly assaulting the officer and attempting to steal his weapon, sparking protests and unrest in the city.
• 2021 – The Tampere light rail officially starts operating.

Pre-1600

• 1201 – Arnold Fitz Thedmar, English historian and merchant (d. 1274)
• 1537 – Francesco Barozzi, Italian mathematician and astronomer (d. 1604)
• 1544 – Bogislaw XIII, Duke of Pomerania (d. 1606)
• 1590 – John Webster, colonial settler and governor of Connecticut (d. 1661)

1601–1900

• 1603 – Johannes Cocceius, German-Dutch theologian and academic (d. 1669)
• 1611 – Henry of Nassau-Siegen, German count, officer in the Dutch Army, diplomat for the Dutch Republic (b. 1611)
• 1648 – Johann Michael Bach, German composer (d. 1694)
• 1653 – John Oldham, English poet and translator (d. 1683)
• 1674 – František Maxmilián Kaňka, Czech architect, designed the Veltrusy Mansion (d. 1766)
• 1696 – Joseph Wenzel I, Prince of Liechtenstein (d. 1772)
• 1722 – Prince Augustus William of Prussia (d. 1758)
• 1726 – Francesco Cetti, Italian priest, zoologist, and mathematician (d. 1778)
• 1748 – Bernhard Schott, German music publisher (d. 1809)
• 1757 – Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, American humanitarian; wife of Alexander Hamilton (d. 1854)
• 1757 – Thomas Telford, Scottish architect and engineer, designed the Menai Suspension Bridge (d. 1834)
• 1776 – Amedeo Avogadro, Italian physicist and chemist (d. 1856)
• 1783 – Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna of Russia (d. 1801)
• 1788 – Adoniram Judson, American missionary and lexicographer (d. 1850)
• 1797 – Charles Robert Malden, English lieutenant and surveyor (d. 1855)
• 1805 – Joseph Locke, English engineer and politician (d. 1860)
• 1845 – André Bessette, Canadian saint (d. 1937)
• 1847 – Maria Vittoria dal Pozzo, French-Italian wife of Amadeo I of Spain (d. 1876)
• 1848 – Alfred David Benjamin, Australian-born businessman and philanthropist. (d. 1900)
• 1861 – Dorothea Klumpke, American astronomer and academic (d. 1942)
• 1867 – Evelina Haverfield, Scottish nurse and activist (d. 1920)
• 1872 – Archduke Joseph August of Austria (d. 1962)
• 1874 – Reynaldo Hahn, Venezuelan composer and conductor (d. 1947)
• 1875 – Albert Ketèlbey, English pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1959)
• 1878 – Eileen Gray, Irish architect and furniture designer (d. 1976)
• 1879 – John Willcock, Australian politician, 15th Premier of Western Australia, (d. 1956)
• 1881 – Prince Antônio Gastão of Orléans-Braganza, Brazilian prince (d. 1918)
• 1890 – Eino Kaila, Finnish philosopher and psychologist, attendant of the Vienna circle (d. 1958)
• 1896 – Erich Hückel, German physicist and chemist (d. 1980)
• 1896 – Jean Piaget, Swiss psychologist and philosopher (d. 1980)
• 1899 – P. L. Travers, Australian-English author and actress (d. 1996)
• 1900 – Charles Farrell, American actor and singer (d. 1990)

1901–present

• 1902 – Zino Francescatti, French violinist (d. 1991)
• 1902 – Panteleimon Ponomarenko, Russian general and politician (d. 1984)
• 1905 – Leo Genn, British actor and barrister (d. 1978)
• 1909 – Vinayaka Krishna Gokak, Indian scholar, author, and academic (d. 1992)
• 1909 – Willa Beatrice Player, American educator, first Black woman college president (d. 2003)
• 1909 – Adam von Trott zu Solz, German lawyer and diplomat (d. 1944)
• 1911 – William Alfred Fowler, American astronomer and astrophysicist, Nobel Laureate (d. 1996)
• 1911 – Eddie Futch, American boxer and trainer (d. 2001)
• 1911 – John McQuade, Northern Irish soldier, boxer, and politician (d. 1984)
• 1913 – Wilbur Norman Christiansen, Australian astronomer and engineer (d. 2007)
• 1914 – Ferenc Fricsay, Hungarian-Austrian conductor and director (d. 1963)
• 1914 – Tove Jansson, Finnish author and illustrator (d. 2001)
• 1914 – Joe Mercer, English footballer and manager (d. 1990)
• 1915 – Mareta West, American astronomer and geologist (d. 1998)
• 1918 – Kermit Beahan, American colonel (d. 1989)
• 1918 – Giles Cooper, Irish soldier and playwright (d. 1966)
• 1918 – Albert Seedman, American police officer (d. 2013)
• 1919 – Joop den Uyl, Dutch journalist, economist, and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands (d. 1987)
• 1919 – Ralph Houk, American baseball player and manager (d. 2010)
• 1920 – Enzo Biagi, Italian journalist and author (d. 2007)
• 1921 – Ernest Angley, American evangelist and author (d. 2021)
• 1921 – J. James Exon, American soldier and politician, 33rd Governor of Nebraska (d. 2005)
• 1922 – Philip Larkin, English poet and novelist (d. 1985)
• 1924 – Mathews Mar Barnabas, Indian metropolitan (d. 2012)
• 1924 – Frank Martínez, American soldier and painter (d. 2013)
• 1925 – David A. Huffman, American computer scientist, developed Huffman coding (d. 1999)
• 1926 – Denis Atkinson, Barbadian cricketer (d. 2001)
• 1927 – Daniel Keyes, American short story writer and novelist (d. 2014)
• 1927 – Robert Shaw, English actor and screenwriter (d. 1978)
• 1928 – Bob Cousy, American basketball player and coach
• 1928 – Camilla Wicks, American violinist and educator (d. 2020)
• 1928 – Dolores Wilson, American soprano and actress (d. 2010)
• 1929 – Abdi İpekçi, Turkish journalist and activist (d. 1979)
• 1930 – Milt Bolling, American baseball player and scout (d. 2013)
• 1930 – Jacques Parizeau, Canadian economist and politician, 26th Premier of Quebec (d. 2015)
• 1931 – Chuck Essegian, American baseball player and lawyer
• 1931 – James Freeman Gilbert, American geophysicist and academic (d. 2014)
• 1931 – Paula Kent Meehan, American businesswoman, co-founded Redken (d. 2014)
• 1931 – Mário Zagallo, Brazilian footballer and coach (d. 2024)
• 1932 – Tam Dalyell, Scottish academic and politician (d. 2017)
• 1932 – John Gomery, Canadian lawyer and jurist (d. 2021)
• 1933 – Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, Japanese actress, talk show host, and author
• 1935 – Beverlee McKinsey, American actress (d. 2008)
• 1936 – Julián Javier, Dominican-American baseball player
• 1936 – Patrick Tse, Chinese-Hong Kong actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1938 – Leonid Kuchma, Ukrainian engineer and politician, 2nd President of Ukraine
• 1938 – Rod Laver, Australian tennis player and coach
• 1938 – Otto Rehhagel, German footballer, coach, and manager
• 1939 – Hércules Brito Ruas, Brazilian footballer
• 1939 – Vincent Hanna, Northern Irish journalist (d. 1997)
• 1939 – The Mighty Hannibal, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2014)
• 1939 – Billy Henderson, American singer (d. 2007)
• 1939 – Bulle Ogier, French actress and screenwriter
• 1939 – Romano Prodi, Italian academic and politician, 52nd Prime Minister of Italy
• 1939 – Butch Warren, American bassist (d. 2013)
• 1940 – Linda Keen, American mathematician and academic
• 1942 – David Steinberg, Canadian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1943 – Ken Norton, American boxer and actor (d. 2013)
• 1944 – George Armstrong, English footballer (d. 2000)
• 1944 – Patrick Depailler, French racing driver (d. 1980)
• 1944 – Sam Elliott, American actor and producer
• 1944 – Patricia McKissack, American soldier, engineer, and author (d. 2017)
• 1945 – Barbara Delinsky, American author
• 1945 – Aleksandr Gorelik, Russian figure skater and sportscaster (d. 2012)
• 1945 – Posy Simmonds, English author and illustrator
• 1946 – Rinus Gerritsen, Dutch rock bass player
• 1947 – Roy Hodgson, English footballer and manager
• 1947 – Barbara Mason, American R&B/soul singer-songwriter
• 1947 – John Varley, American author
• 1948 – Bill Campbell, American baseball player and coach (d. 2023)
• 1949 – Jonathan Kellerman, American psychologist and author
• 1949 – Ted Simmons, American baseball player and coach
• 1951 – James Naughtie, Scottish journalist and radio host
• 1951 – Steve Swisher, American baseball player and manager
• 1952 – Prateep Ungsongtham Hata, Thai activist and politician
• 1953 – Kay Stenshjemmet, Norwegian speed skater
• 1953 – Jean Tirole, French economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
• 1954 – Ray Jennings, South African cricketer and coach
• 1954 – Pete Thomas, English drummer
• 1955 – John E. Sweeney, American lawyer and politician
• 1956 – Gordon Singleton, Canadian Olympic cyclist
• 1957 – Melanie Griffith, American actress and producer
• 1958 – Amanda Bearse, American actress, comedian and director
• 1958 – Calie Pistorius, South African engineer and academic
• 1959 – Kurtis Blow, American rapper, producer, and actor
• 1959 – Michael Kors, American fashion designer
• 1961 – Brad Gilbert, American tennis player and sportscaster
• 1961 – John Key, New Zealand businessman and politician, 38th Prime Minister of New Zealand
• 1962 – Louis Lipps, American football player and radio host
• 1962 – Kevin Mack, American football player
• 1962 – John "Hot Rod" Williams, American basketball player (d. 2015)
• 1963 – Whitney Houston, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress (d. 2012)
• 1963 – Jay Leggett, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2013)
• 1963 – Barton Lynch, Australian surfer
• 1964 – Brett Hull, Canadian-American ice hockey player and manager
• 1964 – Hoda Kotb, American journalist and television personality
• 1965 – Nitin Chandrakant Desai, Indian art director, production designer, and film and television producer (d. 2023)
• 1966 – Vinny Del Negro, American basketball player and coach
• 1966 – Linn Ullmann, Norwegian journalist and author
• 1967 – Deion Sanders, American football and baseball player
• 1968 – Gillian Anderson, American-British actress, activist and writer
• 1968 – Eric Bana, Australian actor, comedian, producer, and screenwriter
• 1968 – Sam Fogarino, American drummer
• 1968 – McG, American director and producer
• 1969 – Troy Percival, American baseball player and coach
• 1970 – Rod Brind'Amour, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
• 1970 – Chris Cuomo, American lawyer and journalist
• 1970 – Thomas Lennon, American actor and comedian
• 1972 – Juanes, Colombian singer and songwriter
• 1973 – Filippo Inzaghi, Italian footballer and manager
• 1973 – Kevin McKidd, Scottish actor and director
• 1973 – Gene Luen Yang, American author and illustrator
• 1974 – Derek Fisher, American basketball player and coach
• 1974 – Stephen Fung, Hong Kong actor, singer, director, and screenwriter
• 1974 – Lesley McKenna, Scottish snowboarder
• 1974 – Matt Morris, American baseball player
• 1974 – Kirill Reznik, American lawyer and politician
• 1974 – Raphaël Poirée, French biathlete
• 1975 – Mahesh Babu, Indian actor and producer
• 1975 – Valentin Kovalenko, Uzbek football referee
• 1975 – Mike Lamb, American baseball player
• 1975 – Robbie Middleby, Australian soccer player
• 1976 – Rhona Mitra, English actress and singer
• 1976 – Audrey Tautou, French model and actress
• 1976 – Jessica Capshaw, American actress
• 1977 – Jason Frasor, American baseball player
• 1977 – Chamique Holdsclaw, American basketball player
• 1977 – Ravshan Irmatov, Uzbek football referee
• 1977 – Adewale Ogunleye, American football player
• 1977 – Ime Udoka, American basketball player and coach
• 1977 – Mikaël Silvestre, French footballer
• 1978 – Dorin Chirtoacă, Moldavian lawyer and politician, Mayor of Chișinău
• 1978 – Ana Serradilla, Mexican actress and producer
• 1978 – Wesley Sonck, Belgian footballer
• 1979 – Michael Kingma, Australian basketball player
• 1979 – Lisa Nandy, British politician
• 1979 – Tony Stewart, American football player
• 1981 – Jarvis Hayes, American basketball player
• 1981 – Li Jiawei, Singaporean table tennis player
• 1982 – Joel Anthony, American basketball player
• 1982 – Tyson Gay, American sprinter
• 1982 – Yekaterina Samutsevich, Russian singer and activist
• 1982 – Kanstantsin Sivtsov, Belarusian cyclist
• 1983 – Dan Levy, Canadian actor and comedian
• 1983 – Hamilton Masakadza, Zimbabwean cricketer
• 1983 – Shane O'Brien, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1983 – Alicja Smietana, Polish-English violinist
• 1984 – Paul Gallagher, Scottish footballer
• 1985 – Luca Filippi, Italian racing driver
• 1985 – Filipe Luís, Brazilian footballer
• 1985 – Anna Kendrick, American actress and singer
• 1985 – Hayley Peirsol, American swimmer
• 1985 – JaMarcus Russell, American football player
• 1985 – Chandler Williams, American football player (d. 2013)
• 1986 – Michael Lerchl, German footballer
• 1986 – Daniel Preussner, German rugby player
• 1986 – Tyler Smith, American singer-songwriter and bass player
• 1987 – Marek Niit, Estonian sprinter
• 1988 – Anthony Castonzo, American football player
• 1988 – Willian, Brazilian footballer
• 1988 – Vasilios Koutsianikoulis, Greek footballer
• 1989 – Jason Heyward, American baseball player
• 1989 – Stefano Okaka, Italian footballer
• 1989 – Kento Ono, Japanese actor and model
• 1990 – İshak Doğan, Turkish footballer
• 1990 – Sarah McBride, American LGBT activist
• 1990 – Stuart McInally, Scottish rugby player
• 1990 – Brice Roger, French skier
• 1990 – D'Arcy Short, Australian cricketer
• 1990 – Bill Skarsgård, Swedish actor
• 1991 – Alice Barlow, English actress
• 1991 – Alexa Bliss, American bodybuilder and wrestler
• 1991 – Hansika Motwani, Indian actress
• 1992 – Farahnaz Forotan, Afghan journalist
• 1993 – Jun.Q, South Korean singer and actor
• 1993 – Dipa Karmakar, Indian gymnast
• 1994 – Kelli Hubly, American soccer player
• 1994 – King Von, American rapper (d. 2020)
• 1995 – Eli Apple, American football player
• 1995 – Justice Smith, American actor
• 1996 – Sanya Lopez, Filipino actress and model
• 1999 – Deniss Vasiļjevs, Latvian figure skater
• 2000 – Arlo Parks, British singer-songwriter
• 2005 – Victoria Jiménez Kasintseva, Andorran tennis player

Pre-1600

• 378 – Traianus, Roman general
• 378 – Valens, Roman emperor (b. 328)
• 803 – Irene of Athens, Byzantine ruler (b. 752)
• 833 – Al-Ma'mun, Iraqi caliph (b. 786)
• 1048 – Pope Damasus II
• 1107 – Emperor Horikawa of Japan (b. 1079)
• 1173 – Najm ad-Din Ayyub, Kurdish soldier and politician
• 1211 – William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber, exiled Anglo-Norman baron (b. 1144/53)
• 1260 – Walter of Kirkham, Bishop of Durham
• 1296 – Hugh, Count of Brienne, French crusader
• 1341 – Eleanor of Anjou, queen consort of Sicily (b. 1289)
• 1354 – Stephen, Duke of Slavonia, Hungarian prince (b. 1332)
• 1420 – Pierre d'Ailly, French theologian and cardinal (b. 1351)
• 1516 – Hieronymus Bosch, Early Netherlandish painter (b. circa 1450)
• 1534 – Thomas Cajetan, Italian cardinal and philosopher (b. 1470)
• 1580 – Metrophanes III of Constantinople (b. 1520)

1601–1900

• 1601 – Michael the Brave, Romanian prince (b. 1558)
• 1634 – William Noy, English lawyer and judge (b. 1577)
• 1720 – Simon Ockley, English orientalist and academic (b. 1678)
• 1744 – James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos, English academic and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Radnorshire (b. 1673)
• 1816 – Johann August Apel, German jurist and author (b. 1771)
• 1861 – Vincent Novello, English composer and publisher (b. 1781)
• 1886 – Samuel Ferguson, Irish lawyer and poet (b. 1810)

1901–present

• 1910 – Huo Yuanjia, Chinese martial artist, co-founded the Chin Woo Athletic Association (b. 1868)
• 1919 – Ruggero Leoncavallo, Italian composer and educator (b. 1857)
• 1920 – Samuel Griffith, Welsh-Australian politician, 9th Premier of Queensland (b. 1845)
• 1932 – John Charles Fields, Canadian mathematician, founder of the Fields Medal (b. 1863)
• 1941 – Richard Goss, Executed Irish Republican (b. 1915)
• 1942 – Edith Stein, German nun and saint (b. 1891)
• 1943 – Chaïm Soutine, Belarusian-French painter and educator (b. 1893)
• 1945 – Robert Hampton Gray, Canadian lieutenant and pilot, Victoria Cross recipient (b. 1917)
• 1945 – Harry Hillman, American runner and coach (b. 1881)
• 1946 – Bert Vogler, South African cricketer (b. 1876)
• 1948 – Hugo Boss, German fashion designer, founded Hugo Boss (b. 1885)
• 1949 – Edward Thorndike, American psychologist and academic (b. 1874)
• 1957 – Carl Clauberg, German Nazi physician (b. 1898)
• 1962 – Hermann Hesse, German-born Swiss poet, novelist, and painter, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1877)
• 1963 – Patrick Bouvier Kennedy, American son of John F. Kennedy (b. 1963)
• 1967 – Joe Orton, English author and playwright (b. 1933)
• 1969 – Wojciech Frykowski, Polish-American actor and author (b. 1936)
• 1969 – Sharon Tate, American model and actress (b. 1943)
• 1969 – C. F. Powell, English physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1903)
• 1970 – Jimmy Steele (Irish republican), lifelong militant and editor (b. 1907)
• 1972 – Sıddık Sami Onar, Turkish lawyer and academic (b. 1897)
• 1974 – Bill Chase, American trumpet player and bandleader (b. 1934)
• 1975 – Dmitri Shostakovich, Russian pianist and composer (b. 1906)
• 1978 – James Gould Cozzens, American novelist and short story writer (b. 1903)
• 1979 – Walter O'Malley, American businessman (b. 1903)
• 1979 – Raymond Washington, American gang leader, founded the Crips (b. 1953)
• 1980 – Jacqueline Cochran, American pilot (b. 1906)
• 1980 – Ruby Hurley, American civil rights activist (b. 1909)
• 1981 – Max Hoffman, Austrian-born car importer and businessman (b. 1904)
• 1985 – Clive Churchill, Australian rugby league player and coach (b. 1927)
• 1986 – Eoin McNamee (Irish republican), Chief of Staff of the Irish Republican Army (b. 1914)
• 1988 – M. Carl Holman, American author, educator, poet, and playwright (b. 1919)
• 1988 – Giacinto Scelsi, Italian composer (b. 1905)
• 1990 – Joe Mercer, English footballer and manager (b. 1914)
• 1992 – Fereydoun Farrokhzad, Iranian singer and actor (b. 1938)
• 1995 – Jerry Garcia, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1942)
• 1996 – Frank Whittle, English soldier and engineer, invented the jet engine (b. 1907)
• 1999 – Helen Rollason, English sports journalist and sportscaster (b. 1956)
• 1999 – Fouad Serageddin, Egyptian journalist and politician (b. 1910)
• 2000 – John Harsanyi, Hungarian-American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1920)
• 2000 – Nicholas Markowitz, American murder victim (b. 1984)
• 2002 – Paul Samson, English guitarist (b. 1953)
• 2003 – Jacques Deray, French director and screenwriter (b. 1929)
• 2003 – Ray Harford, English footballer and manager (b. 1945)
• 2003 – Gregory Hines, American actor, dancer, and choreographer (b. 1946)
• 2003 – R. Sivagurunathan, Sri Lankan lawyer, journalist, and academic (b. 1931)
• 2004 – Robert Lecourt, French lawyer and politician, Lord Chancellor of France (b. 1908)
• 2004 – Tony Mottola, American guitarist and composer (b. 1918)
• 2004 – David Raksin, American composer and educator (b. 1912)
• 2005 – Judith Rossner, American author (b. 1935)
• 2006 – Philip E. High, English author (b. 1914)
• 2006 – James Van Allen, American physicist and academic (b. 1914)
• 2007 – Joe O'Donnell, American photographer and journalist (b. 1922)
• 2008 – Bernie Mac, American comedian, actor, screenwriter, and producer (b. 1957)
• 2008 – Mahmoud Darwish, Palestinian author and poet (b. 1941)
• 2010 – Calvin "Fuzz" Jones, American singer and bass player (b. 1926)
• 2010 – Ted Stevens, American soldier, lawyer, and politician (b. 1923)
• 2012 – Carl Davis, American record producer (b. 1934)
• 2012 – Gene F. Franklin, American engineer, theorist, and academic (b. 1927)
• 2012 – Al Freeman, Jr., American actor, director, and educator (b. 1934)
• 2012 – David Rakoff, Canadian-American actor and journalist (b. 1964)
• 2012 – Carmen Belen Richardson, Puerto Rican-American actress (b. 1930)
• 2012 – Mel Stuart, American director and producer (b. 1928)
• 2013 – Harry Elliott, American baseball player and coach (b. 1923)
• 2013 – Eduardo Falú, Argentinian guitarist and composer (b. 1923)
• 2013 – William Lynch, Jr., American lawyer and politician (b. 1947)
• 2014 – J. F. Ade Ajayi, Nigerian historian and academic (b. 1929)
• 2014 – Andriy Bal, Ukrainian footballer and coach (b. 1958)
• 2014 – Arthur G. Cohen, American businessman and philanthropist, co-founded Arlen Realty and Development Corporation (b. 1930)
• 2014 – Ed Nelson, American actor (b. 1928)
• 2015 – Frank Gifford, American football player, sportscaster, and actor (b. 1930)
• 2015 – John Henry Holland, American computer scientist and academic (b. 1929)
• 2015 – Walter Nahún López, Honduran footballer (b. 1977)
• 2015 – David Nobbs, English author and screenwriter (b. 1935)
• 2015 – Kayyar Kinhanna Rai, Indian journalist, author, and poet (b. 1915)
• 2015 – Fikret Otyam, Turkish painter and journalist (b. 1926)
• 2016 – Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster, third-richest British citizen (b. 1951)
• 2021 – Pat Hitchcock, English actress and producer (b. 1928)
• 2021 – Killer Kau, South African rapper, dancer and record producer (b. 1998)
• 2021 – Zairaini Sarbini, Malaysian voice actress (b. 1972)
• 2023 – Robbie Robertson, Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actor (b. 1943)

• Battle of Gangut Day (Russia)
• Christian feast day:
  • Candida Maria of Jesus
  • Edith Stein (St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross)
  • Firmus and Rusticus
  • Herman of Alaska (Russian Orthodox Church and related congregations; Episcopal Church (USA))
  • John Vianney (1950s – currently August 4)
  • Mary Sumner (Church of England)
  • Nath Í of Achonry
  • Romanus Ostiarius
  • Secundian, Marcellian and Verian
  • August 9 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples (United Nations)
• Meyboom (Brussels and Leuven, Belgium)
• National Day, celebrates the independence of Singapore from Malaysia in 1965.
• National Peacekeepers' Day, celebrated on Sunday closest to the day (Canada)
• National Women's Day (South Africa)

• "On This Day". BBC.
• The New York Times: On This Day
• "Historical Events on August 9". OnThisDay.com.