Today is Saturday, Aug. 9, the 221st day of 2025. There are 144 days left in the year.
Today in history:
On Aug. 9, 2014, Michael Brown Jr., a Black 18-year-old, was shot to death by a police officer following an altercation in Ferguson, Missouri; Brown’s death led to sometimes-violent protests in Ferguson and other U.S. cities, helping fuel a national “Black Lives Matter” movement.
Also on this date:
In 1173, construction began on the campanile of Pisa Cathedral—better known as the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
In 1854, Henry David Thoreau’s “Walden,” which described Thoreau’s experiences while living near Walden Pond in Massachusetts, was first published.
In 1936, Jesse Owens won his fourth gold medal at the Berlin Olympics as the United States took first place in the 400-meter relay.
In 1945, three days after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, a U.S. B-29 Superfortress dropped a nuclear device over Nagasaki; the bombing and subsequent radiation poisoning killed an estimated 74,000 people.
In 1969, actor Sharon Tate and four other people were found murdered at Tate’s Los Angeles home; cult leader Charles Manson and a group of his followers were later convicted of the crime.
In 1974, Gerald Ford took the oath of office to become US president after Richard Nixon’s resignation; in a speech following, Ford declared that “our long national nightmare is over.”
In 1988, President Ronald Reagan nominated Lauro Cavazos to be secretary of education; Cavazos became the first Hispanic to serve in the Cabinet.
Today’s Birthdays: Basketball Hall of Famer Bob Cousy is 97. Tennis Hall of Famer Rod Laver is 87. Jazz musician Jack DeJohnette is 83. Comedian-director David Steinberg is 83. Actor Sam Elliott is 81. Singer Barbara Mason is 78. College Football Hall of Famer and former NFL player John Cappelletti is 73. College Football Hall of Famer and former NFL player Doug Williams is 70. Actor Melanie Griffith is 68. Actor Amanda Bearse is 67. Rapper Kurtis Blow is 66. Republican Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas is 65. Hockey Hall of Famer Brett Hull is 61. TV host Hoda Kotb is 61. Pro and College Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders is 58. Actor Gillian Anderson is 57. Actor Eric Bana is 57. Producer-director McG (aka Joseph McGinty Nichol) is 57. NHL player-turned-coach Rod Brind’Amour is 55. Actor Thomas Lennon is 55. Actor Nikki Schieler Ziering is 54. Latin rock singer Juanes is 53. Actor Liz Vassey is 53. Actor Kevin McKidd is 52. Actor Jessica Capshaw is 49. Actor Ashley Johnson is 42. Actor Anna Kendrick is 40.