752
Politics
Birth and later feast-day commemoration of Irene of Athens
Traditional commemoration of Irene of Athens’s birth/feast day on 9 August, marking the beginning of the life of a future Byzantine empress and saint.
View detailsThis Day
09August
21 indexed achievements across recorded history.
803
Politics
Death in exile on Lesbos
Irene died on 9 August 803 in exile on Lesbos, ending the life of Byzantium’s first sole female ruler.
View details803
803
Politics
Death of Irene of Athens in exile on Lesbos
Dies in exile on Lesbos on 9 August 803; later venerated as a saint for restoring icons, marking the end of Byzantium’s first female emperor.
View details1905
Science
Birth of Elizabeth Kathleen Coulborn
Elizabeth Kathleen Coulborn, later Dame Elizabeth Lane, was born in Bowdon, Cheshire, England.
View details1914
Science
Born in Helsinki, Finland
Tove Jansson was born on 9 August 1914 in Helsinki, into a Swedish-speaking Finnish artistic family.
View details1926
Sports
First Woman Tennis Star to Turn Professional
Became the first major woman tennis star to turn professional on a North American tour.
View details1936
Sports
Gold medal in 4×100 m relay at Berlin 1936
At Berlin 1936, Betty Robinson wins gold with the U.S. women’s 4×100 m relay team, completing a dramatic comeback from her 1931 plane crash.
View details1936
Sports
First British woman to win an Olympic athletics medal
Dorothy Odam won a silver medal in high jump at 1936 Berlin Olympics, first for a British woman.
View details1936
Sports
Olympic Gold in 4x100 Relay
Stephens won another gold in the 4x100 meters relay at the 1936 Olympics.
View details1958
Arts
First Commercial Recording Session
Cotten made her first commercial recording session with the folk group the Seegers on August 9, 1958.
View details1974
Politics
Nixon resigns; Watergate timeline culminates
Nixon's resignation followed The Post's Watergate coverage led by Graham.
View details1980
Aviation
Death of Jacqueline Cochran
Jacqueline Cochran passed away on August 9, 1980, in Indio, California.
View details1980
Arts
Death of Jacqueline Cochran
Death of Jacqueline Cochran in Indio, California, ending a record-setting aviation career.
View details1983
Arts
Death of Victoria Codona Adolph
Victoria Codona Adolph, former circus star, died in Palm Springs, California, at age 92.
View details1984
Sports
First Olympic medal: Silver in heptathlon at Los Angeles 1984
At the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games, Jackie Joyner wins silver in the heptathlon.
View details1993
Science
First Woman to Swim Across Lake Erie
Halli Reid completed a solo 17-hour swim across Lake Erie from Long Point, Ontario, to Freeport Beach, Pennsylvania, becoming the first documented woman to do so.
View details2005
Aviation
Completion of STS-114 Discovery, Collins's final spaceflight
STS-114 Discovery, commanded by Eileen Collins, landed after completing the post-Columbia Return to Flight safety tests and ISS resupply operations.
View details2006
Arts
Death of Melissa Hayden in Sun Valley, Idaho
Melissa Hayden died on August 9, 2006, at age 83, in Sun Valley, Idaho, after a long career as a prima ballerina and beloved teacher.
View details2012
Sports
First woman to officiate an NFL game
On August 9, 2012, Shannon Eastin became the first woman to officiate an NFL game.
View details2022
Sports
Mary McGee Passes Away
Mary McGee passed away on August 9, 2022, leaving a legacy of breaking barriers in motorsport.
View details