A Day in the Past

On this day: 9 August

131 things happened on 9 August, from 48 BC to 2021. UK stories come first, then the rest of the world.

Printable worksheet Take the quiz

In the UK 3

UK history first: stories from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Around the world 32

1944 82 years ago

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 dig to defensive positions, and the front remains stable until the end of the war.

War & peace Find out more: Continuation War (Wikipedia)

Quick quiz

Every answer is somewhere on this page. Have a go, then check!

  1. In which year did this happen: “In a ceremony at Westminster Abbey, Edward VII and Alexandra were crowned King”?

    1. 1902
    2. 1927
    3. 1922
    Show the answer

    A: 1902. 1902 — that’s 124 years ago. Find it on the page

  2. In which year did this happen: “The first Boy Scout encampment concludes at Brownsea Island in southern England”?

    1. 1907
    2. 1593
    3. 1902
    Show the answer

    A: 1907. 1907 — that’s 119 years ago. Find it on the page

  3. Which of these happened first?

    1. In a ceremony at Westminster Abbey, Edward VII and Alexandra were crowned King
    2. The Webster–Ashburton Treaty is signed, establishing the United States–Canada
    3. The first Boy Scout encampment concludes at Brownsea Island in southern England
    Show the answer

    B: The Webster–Ashburton Treaty is signed, establishing the United States–Canada. 1902: In a ceremony at Westminster Abbey, Edward VII and Alexandra were crowned King · 1842: The Webster–Ashburton Treaty is signed, establishing the United States–Canada · 1907: The first Boy Scout encampment concludes at Brownsea Island in southern England Find it on the page

  4. “Gillian Anderson” happened in 1968. How many years ago was that?

    1. 58 years
    2. 48 years
    3. 68 years
    Show the answer

    A: 58 years. 2026 − 1968 = 58. Find it on the page

Born on this day 39

Famous people whose birthday is 9 August.

Remembering 20

Well-known people who died on 9 August.

Special days 15

Festivals, holidays and saints’ days celebrated on 9 August somewhere in the world.

For older readers 22 Show stories about war, disasters, crime and other difficult history

Content note: these entries mention things like war, violence, deaths, disasters or crime. They are part of history, but they can be upsetting. Grown-ups and teachers: you may want to read them first. They come straight from Wikipedia and have not been rewritten for children.

Where these facts come from

Stories with a heading have been written for young readers by A Day in the Past, using the linked articles as sources. Other entries show text from Wikipedia’s “August 9” page and its “On this day” feed, written by Wikipedia contributors and shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. Each “Read more” link goes to the article an entry is based on. Photos are credited under each picture. Spotted a mistake? Please tell us.