August 09
1854
Henry David Thoreau’s Walden, recounting his experiment in solitary life on the shores of Massachusetts’ Walden Pond, was published.
1936
Jesse Owens became the first American to win four gold medals in one Olympics.
1945
The United States exploded a nuclear bomb over Nagasaki, Japan, killing an estimated 74,000 people.
1965
Singapore proclaimed its independence from Malaysia.
1974
Vice president Gerald Ford was sworn in as president following Nixon’s resignation.
1995
Jerry Garcia, lead singer and guitarist of the Grateful Dead, died.
Birthdays
Jean Piaget
Pronunciation: [zhäNpyä´jA]
1896–1980, Swiss psychologist, known for his research in developmental psychology.
Izaak Walton
writer (1593)
Amedeo Avogadro
physicist (1776)
William Fowler
nuclear astrophysicist (1911)
Bob Cousy
basketball player (1928)
Whitney Houston
singer (1963)