Today in History: August 9, U.S. bombs Nagasaki
A sacred Torii Gate stands erect over the completely destroyed area of a Shinto shrine in Nagasaki, in October 1945, after the second atomic bomb ever used in warfare was dropped by the U.S. over the Japanese industrial center. Due to its structure, the blast of the explosion could go around it, therefore leaving the arch intact. The bombing killed more than 70,000 people instantly, with ten thousands dying later from effects of the radioactive fallout. (AP Photo)
Today in history:
On Aug. 9, 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.
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.
This Aug. 9, 1969 file photo shows the body of actress Sharon Tate being taken from her rented house on Cielo Drive in the Bel Air area of Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo)
This Aug. 9, 1969 file photo shows the body of actress Sharon Tate being taken from her rented house on Cielo Drive in the Bel Air area of Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo)
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.”
Lesley McSpadden, center, and Michael Brown Sr., left, the parents of Michael Brown, listen as attorney Benjamin Crump speaks during a news conference Monday, Aug. 11, 2014, in Jennings, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Lesley McSpadden, center, and Michael Brown Sr., left, the parents of Michael Brown, listen as attorney Benjamin Crump speaks during a news conference Monday, Aug. 11, 2014, in Jennings, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
In 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, spawning a national “Black Lives Matter” movement.
