August 9
Subject to Britannica's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
1930: Betty’s first boop
On this day in 1930, Betty Boop made her cartoon debut in Dizzy Dishes. She already had her signature curls, big eyes, and “boop-oop-a-doop” catchphrase—but there was one small difference: she was a dog. Over the next year she transformed into the flapper icon audiences know today, later surviving a famous lawsuit over the inspiration for her unforgettable voice and style.
READ MORE
© Fleischer Studios; Photo Illustration Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Featured Event
© Photos.com/Thinkstock
During the Roman Civil War of 49–45 bce, Julius Caesar’s troops on this day in 48 decisively defeated the army of Pompey at the Battle of Pharsalus, causing Pompey to flee to Egypt, where he was subsequently murdered. [How much do you know about the Roman Empire?]
Featured Biography
Featured Biography
From A History of Chemistry by F. J. Moore (McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, 1918)
Born this day in 1776, Amedeo Avogadro of Italy showed that, under controlled conditions of temperature and pressure, equal volumes of gases contain an equal number of molecules—what became known as Avogadro’s law.
Famous Birthdays
More on August 9
© Daniel Shirey—MLB Photos/Getty Images
2025
Jen Pawol became the first woman to umpire a Major League Baseball game when she worked first base in a game between the Miami Marlins and the Atlanta Braves.
© R. Gino Santa Maria/Shutterstock.com
2014
Michael Brown, an unarmed African American teenager, was fatally shot by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. Days of civil unrest and protests followed, which contributed to the expansion of the Black Lives Matter movement.
© Northfoto/Shutterstock.com
1995
American musician Jerry Garcia, who personified the hippie counterculture for three decades as the mellow leader of the rock band the Grateful Dead, died of a heart attack at age 53. [Test your knowledge of musical groups.]
Wa Funches/AP Images
1988
Canadian hockey player Wayne Gretzky was traded from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings, a deal that shocked the sports world and stunned his home country, where he was a national icon. [See where Wayne Gretzky ranks on our list of the 10 greatest hockey players of all time.]
The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum
1974
Gerald Ford was sworn in as president of the United States, succeeding Richard Nixon, who had resigned. [Who becomes president after the president and vice president?]
© Bettmann/Getty Images
1969
Actress Sharon Tate and four others were murdered by followers of Charles Manson, leader of a communal religious cult known as the “Family.”
U.S. Army photograph
1945
The second atomic bomb dropped on Japan by the United States in World War II struck the city of Nagasaki.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
1942
After the arrests of Mahatma Gandhi and dozens of other leaders of the Congress Party by British authorities, Aruna Asaf Ali raised the Indian flag in Bombay, defying British orders and rallying supporters. Her action marked the definitive beginning of the Quit India Movement. [Explore a timeline of the Indian Independence Movement.]
© Cecil Beaton—Condé Nast Collection/Getty Images
1896
Russian dancer and innovative choreographer Léonide Massine, one of the most important figures in 20th-century dance, was born in Moscow. [Test your knowledge of dance.]
From Walden; or, Life in the Woods by Henry David Thoreau, 1854
1854
Henry David Thoreau’s Walden, considered his masterwork and a Transcendentalist milestone, was published. [Take our quiz about famous authors.]
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1964, (64.8), www.metmuseum.org
1814
After their defeat by the forces of U.S. General Andrew Jackson in the Creek War, the Muscogee people were force to cede 23 million acres of land, in accordance with the Treaty of Fort Jackson.
© Corbis
1173
In Pisa, Italy, construction began on a bell tower that became internationally famous as the Leaning Tower of Pisa. [Test your knowledge of iconic monuments.]