On August 9, a U.S. president resigns, a nation is born, a battle rages, a symphony defies siege, and a shooting ignites protests.
August 9 in History
Nixon Quits; Ford to Be Sworn In
First U.S. president resigns in disgrace as impeachment closes in.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 9 — Richard Milhous Nixon, the 37th President of the United States, resigned this morning, the first chief executive in American history to leave office under threat of impeachment and removal. The resignation, effective at 11:35 a.m., closes the final chapter of the Watergate scandal that has consumed the capital for two years.
Vice President Gerald R. Ford will be sworn in later today to succeed Nixon, ending a second term that began in January 1973. The Supreme Court's unanimous July ruling and the smoking gun tape released last week forced his hand on impeachment articles already approved by the House committee.
Singapore Expelled From Malaysia, Becomes Sovereign State
Separation takes effect today after heated ideological rift.
The flag of Singapore, now a sovereign state after expulsion from Malaysia. — Ramir Borja.
SINGAPORE, Aug. 9 — The state of Singapore was expelled from the Federation of Malaysia today, ending a 23-month union marred by sharp ideological conflict between the ruling parties of the two territories.
The separation, formalized by the Separation Agreement signed Aug. 7, makes Singapore a fully sovereign nation.
Big Hole Battle Leaves Scores Dead
Nez Perce and soldiers trade heavy losses in Montana fight.
The battlefield along the North Fork of the Big Hole River, scene of the recent — Photographs
WISDOM, Montana Territory — Along the North Fork of the Big Hole River, where 89 Nez Perce tipis stood in a V-shaped pattern, the earth is now torn by rifle fire and stained with blood. Gibbon's 161 men and howitzer killed at least 29, losing 29 dead and 40 wounded.
U.S. Navy Forced to Quit Solomons in First Major Clash
Japanese victory in the Battle of Savo Island marks a blow to the Guadalcanal campaign.
GUADALCANAL, Solomon Islands, Aug. 9 — The first major naval engagement of the Guadalcanal campaign, the Battle of Savo Island, has forced the United States Navy to withdraw from the Solomon Islands, a strategic setback for Operation Watchtower. The clash, fought in the darkness off Savo Island yesterday, saw Japanese warships drive off the American covering force guarding the Marine beachhead on Guadalcanal. Four Allied cruisers were sunk in the engagement. Damage to three American cruisers was severe.
In Besieged Leningrad, Symphony Defies Nazis
Shostakovich's Seventh premieres under artillery fire as Hitler's banquet is drowned out.
On August 9, 1942, starving musicians of the Leningrad Radio Orchestra, reinforced by military performers, premiered Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony. The concert was supported by a Soviet military offensive to silence German forces. It was broadcast to enemy lines as psychological warfare. The performance occurred on the day Hitler had planned to celebrate Leningrad's fall. Conductor Karl Eliasberg later said they triumphed over the Nazi war machine.
Michael Brown, 18, shot six times by Officer Darren Wilson in confrontation lasting under 90 seconds.
Protesters march in Ferguson following the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown — Loavesofbread
Michael Brown, an 18-year-old African-American man who had graduated from Normandy High School just eight days earlier, was killed Saturday by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson. The officer fired twelve bullets, six of which struck Brown in the front of his body.
24 Held in Plot to Bomb Airlines With Liquid Explosives
Suspects planned to detonate bombs on transatlantic flights from UK to US and Canada.
Twenty-four people were arrested overnight in an operation spanning London, Birmingham and High Wycombe for conspiring to detonate liquid explosives aboard airliners travelling from Britain to the United States and Canada. Eight of those detained have been initially charged with terrorism offences. Police discovered a list of flights on a memory stick belonging to suspect Abdulla Ahmed Ali. An undercover British agent had infiltrated the group, according to CNN sources.
Hergé's Tintin Begins 'Blue Lotus' Serialization in Brussels
Fifth adventure aims to counter negative misperceptions of Chinese people.
The Blue Lotus, the fifth volume of The Adventures of Tintin by Belgian cartoonist Hergé, began serialization today in Le Petit Vingtième under the title Les Aventures De Tintin Reporter En Extrême-Orient. The story, which continues the plot of Cigars of the Pharaoh, was commissioned by the conservative daily Le Vingtième Siècle for its children's supplement.
Smokey Bear Replaces Bambi as Forest Fire Mascot
The black bear's image will appear on posters urging the public to help prevent forest fires.
The black bear whose face appears on a new poster is already a familiar sight. The United States Forest Service today authorized the use of Smokey Bear as its official mascot, replacing the temporary use of Bambi. The Wartime Advertising Council will distribute the fire education posters nationwide. Forest Service officials say the campaign is a success. A joint owner of the bear mascot includes the National Association of State Foresters. The catchphrase "Only YOU can prevent forest fires" was created for the campaign. It has become one of the most recognized slogans in U.S. history.
Gretzky Deal Stuns Canada; Ri Demands Block
The Great One is headed to Los Angeles in a mammoth trade that has shaken the hockey world.
In a deal that has rocked Canadian hockey to its core, Wayne Gretzky was traded today from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings. The Oilers sent Gretzky, Marty McSorley, and Mike Krushelnyski to the Kings for Jimmy Carson, Martin Gélinas, $15 million cash, and three first-round draft picks. New Democratic Party House Leader Nelson Riis demanded the federal government block the transaction, calling it a national calamity. Pocklington was burned in effigy outside Edmonton's arena.
King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra Crowned at Westminster Abbey
A splendid ceremony marks the long-delayed coronation of the King and Queen, attended by dignitaries from across the empire.
The coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, delayed by the King's recent illness, was held today in a magnificent ceremony at Westminster Abbey. Sir Thomas Lipton fed 500,000 poor Londoners in a July feast celebrating the occasion.
British Army Interns 350 Suspected IRA Men
The operation, launched at dawn, has provoked gun battles across Northern Ireland.
British forces today began arresting suspected Irish republican militants in Northern Ireland, interning 350 men under the Special Powers Act. None of those detained are Protestants. Intelligence is believed to have been poor; few of the 350 men were active republicans.
Women March on Union Buildings
Pass law protest draws thousands
An estimated 20,000 women of all races marched on the Union Buildings on a Thursday in 1956 to protest pass laws for black women. They walked in small groups of twos and threes, evading a ban on large gatherings, to deliver petitions. The marchers aimed to present their protest to the prime minister.
