On This Day In History
olivia newton-john has passed away at the age of 73. rest in peace 🕊
pic.twitter.com/6X9axf4pi9— 2000s (@PopCulture2000s) August 8, 2022
Quote from Charlie Charles IV on August 8, 2022, 11:56 pm
olivia newton-john has passed away at the age of 73. rest in peace 🕊
pic.twitter.com/6X9axf4pi9— 2000s (@PopCulture2000s) August 8, 2022
Sad news indeed CC, another lady I fancied like mad when I was a cub.
RIP.☹
August 9th
48 BC Caesar's civil war: Battle of Pharsalus - Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at Pharsalus and Pompey flees to Egypt.
378 Battle of Adrianople: Goth army defeats Roman forces under Emperor Valens
1790 Robert Gray's Columbia Rediviva returns to Boston after 3 year journey, 1st American ship to circumnavigate the Globe
1898 Rudolf Diesel of Germany obtains patent #608,845 for his internal combustion engine, later known as the diesel engine
1942 Mahatma Gandhi and 50 others arrested in Bombay after passing of a "quit India" motion and campaign by the All-India Congress
1945 US drops second atomic bomb "Fat Man" on Nagasaki, Japan, destroying part of the city
1965 Singapore separates from the Federation of Malaysia and gains its independence
1974 Richard Nixon resigns as President of the United States and Vice President Gerald Ford swears the oath of office to take his place as the 38th US President
2020 Disputed Belarusian presidential election sees long time dictator Alexander Lukashenko officially win 80% of the votes but unofficially lose 60-70% of the votes to main opposition candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. Sparks widespread protests in Belarus and international condemnation.
Did You Know?
Opening of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican
Today in History in 1483
Would You Believe?
Longest ever hunger strike ends, Indian human rights campaigner Irom Sharmila tastes honey after 16 years
Today in History in 2016
This day 170 years ago - 9 August 1850 - the Irish Tenant Right League met for the first time in Dublin.
Founded by Charles Gavan Duffy and Frederick Lucas, it set out to achieve what it called the three Fs: fair rent, fixity of tenure and freedom of sale. pic.twitter.com/j7umHIOVta
— This Day in Irish History (@ThisDayIrish) August 9, 2020
#OTD in 1976, Joyce Weisbecker, 18, delivered her video game TV Schoolhouse I to electronics company RCA, making her the US's first female video game designer. Weisbecker graduated in electrical engineering & computer science, & worked as a radar engineer. https://t.co/fyzLuSZtKA pic.twitter.com/MPRortt2rI
— On This Day She (@OnThisDayShe) August 9, 2022
On this day in 2014, a white police officer killed Michael Brown, an unarmed Black teenager, in Ferguson, MO. A grand jury refused to indict the officer, who was never held accountable. To overcome racial inequality, we must confront our history. https://t.co/wbAQ2Y4dWM
— Equal Justice Initiative (@eji_org) August 9, 2022
9 August 1173. The foundation stone of what became known as the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy was laid. It was the bell tower of the Cathedral of Pisa, which took two centuries to complete. pic.twitter.com/QsyPmqhxlm
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) August 9, 2022
9 August 1721. Six prisoners at Newgate Jail-who had been condemned to death-were used to test an early and unsuccessful smallpox vaccine to combat the disease for the first time. They became known as “guinea pigs”. In return for volunteering, they were freed. pic.twitter.com/VeEaPdmith
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) August 9, 2022
9 August 1870. The landmark Elementary Education Act was passed. It put in place the local framework by creating school boards for the compulsory education of children aged 5 to 13 in England and Wales by filling gaps in the existing provision. pic.twitter.com/Dnc0HYLMVD
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) August 9, 2022
9 August 1945. A US B-29 bomber dropped an atomic bomb (“Fat Man”) on Nagasaki, Japan: 40,000 were killed instantly and thousands more died later from the effects of radiation poisoning by contracting cancer. pic.twitter.com/rc7YXnuyA5
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) August 9, 2022
9 August 1963. ITV broadcast the first edition of pop show Ready Steady Go, presented by the 60s style icon Cathy McGowan (pictured). It was broadcast every Friday evening from 9 August 1963 until 23 December 1966. Each show started with the words: “The weekend starts here.” pic.twitter.com/UuGha7zxEa
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) August 9, 2022
9 August 1969. Followers of the cult leader, Charles Manson, brutally murdered pregnant Hollywood star, Sharon Tate (aged 26), and 4 others: Jay Sebring, Abigail Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, and Steven Parent. The murders took place at Tate’s house in Los Angeles, California, USA. pic.twitter.com/pLvbEkFNsY
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) August 9, 2022
9 August 1974. At 12 noon Richard Nixon became the first US President to ever resign from office, due to the Watergate scandal and to escape certain impeachment. He had announced his resignation in a nationwide TV broadcast on the previous evening. pic.twitter.com/xIggtishRG
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) August 9, 2022
9 August 1979. Brighton council announced that it would establish the first nudist beach in a major British seaside resort, despite local opposition. One local man claimed it would attract "perverts and voyeurs”. It was opened on 1 April 1980 and has remained there ever since. pic.twitter.com/VEdSs5ClYG
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) August 9, 2022
9 August 2012. Jamaican superstar sprinter, Usain Bolt, became the first man to win Gold at 100 and 200 Metres at two successive Olympic Games by triumphing in the 200 Metres at the London Olympics. He was also the first man to repeat as champion in the 200 metres. pic.twitter.com/HjsZzPou8d
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) August 9, 2022
9 August 2012. Nicola Adams won the gold at London 2012 to become the first ever women’s Olympic boxing champion. She won the flyweight gold by defeating the Chinese boxer and world No.1 Ren Cancan in the final. pic.twitter.com/cJxytx2p3P
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) August 9, 2022
August 10th
612 BC Killing of Sinsharishkun, King of Assyrian Empire. Destruction of Nineveh.
610 In Islam, the traditional date of the Laylat al-Qadr, when Muhammad began to receive the Qur'an
1497 John Cabot tells King Henry VII of his trip to "Asia"
1675 King Charles II and John Flamsteed lay the foundation stone of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London
1846 US Act of Congress passes establishing the Smithsonian Institution, now world's largest museum and research complex
Did You Know?
Leo Daft opens America's 1st commercially operated electric streetcar in Baltimore
Today in History in 1885
Would You Believe?
Louvre palace officially opens in Paris as The Museum Central des Arts
Today in History in 1793
This day 130 years ago - 10 August 1890 - John Boyle O'Reilly died.
As editor of Boston newspaper The Pilot, O'Reilly (born in Drogheda) was staunchly anti-racist, writing in 1877:
“The Pilot holds that the colored man should stand on a perfect equality with the white man.” pic.twitter.com/MAjLZk6YvI
— This Day in Irish History (@ThisDayIrish) August 10, 2020