So you want to have a drink but you aren't sure why? Here are some GREAT reasons to call your friends over and have a party.

August 9th


- Christian Feast Day:
- Day of Remembrance for Radbod (Ásatrú)
- Frank Zappa Day (Baltimore)
- International Day of the World's Indigenous People (International)
- National Day, celebrates the independence of Singapore from Malaysia in 1965.
- National Peacekeepers' Day (Canada)
- National Women's Day (South Africa)

August 9th


- 1988 - Wayne Gretzky is traded from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings in one of the most controversial player transactions in ice hockey history, upsetting many Canadians so much that some considered him a "traitor" to his home country.
- 2001 - US President George W. Bush announces his support for federal funding of limited research on embryonic stem cells.
- 1999 - The Diet of Japan enacts a law establishing the Hinomaru and Kimi Ga Yo as the official national flag and national anthem.
- 1999 - Russian President Boris Yeltsin fires his Prime Minister, Sergei Stepashin, and for the fourth time fires his entire cabinet.
- 1993 - The Liberal Democratic Party of Japan loses a 38-year hold on national leadership.
- 1977 - The military-controlled Government of Uruguay announces that it will return the nation to civilian rule through general elections in for a President and Congress.
- 1974 - As a direct result of the Watergate scandal, Richard Nixon becomes the first President of the United States to resign from office. His Vice President, Gerald Ford, becomes president.
- 1971 - Internment in Northern Ireland: British security forces arrest hundreds of nationalists and detain them without trial in Long Kesh prison. Twenty people die in the riots that follow.
- 1969 - Members of a cult led by Charles Manson brutally murder pregnant actress Sharon Tate (wife of Roman Polanski), coffee heiress Abigail Folger, Polish actor Wojciech Frykowski, men's hairstylist Jay Sebring and recent high-school graduate Steven Parent.
- 1965 - Singapore is expelled from Malaysia and becomes the first and only country to date to gain independence unwillingly.
- 1965 - A fire at a Titan missile base near Searcy, Arkansas kills 53 construction workers.
- 1945 - World War II: Nagasaki is devastated when an atomic bomb, Fat Man, is dropped by the United States B-29 Bockscar. 39,000 people are killed outright.
- 1944 - The United States Forest Service and the Wartime Advertising Council release posters featuring Smokey Bear for the first time.
- 1944 - 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 dug to defensive positions, and the front remains stable until the end of the war.
- 1942 - Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi is arrested in Bombay by British forces, launching the Quit India Movement.
- 1942 - World War II: Battle of Savo Island – Allied naval forces protecting their amphibious forces during the initial stages of the Battle of Guadalcanal are surprised and defeated by an Imperial Japanese Navy cruiser force.
- 1936 - Summer Olympic Games: Games of the XI Olympiad – Jesse Owens wins his fourth gold medal at the games becoming the first American to win four medals in one Olympiad.
- 1925 - A train robbery takes place in Kakori, near Lucknow, India
- 1907 - The first Boy Scout encampment concludes at Brownsea Island in southern England.
- 1902 - Edward VII and Alexandra of Denmark are crowned King and Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
- 1892 - Thomas Edison receives a patent for a two-way telegraph.
- 1877 - Indian Wars: Battle of Big Hole – A small band of Nez Percé Indians clash with the United States Army.
- 1862 - American Civil War: Battle of Cedar Mountain – At Cedar Mountain, Virginia, Confederate General Stonewall Jackson narrowly defeats Union forces under General John Pope.
- 1854 - Henry David Thoreau published Walden.
- 1842 - The Webster-Ashburton Treaty is signed, establishing the United States-Canada border east of the Rocky Mountains.
- 1814 - Indian Wars: the Creek sign the Treaty of Fort Jackson, giving up huge parts of Alabama and Georgia.
- 1810 - Napoleon annexes Westphalia as part of the First French Empire.
- 1483 - Opening of the Sistine Chapel in Rome with the celebration of a Mass.
- 1329 - Quilon, the first Indian Christian Diocese, is erected by Pope John XXII; the French-born Jordanus is appointed the first Bishop.
- 1173 - Construction of the campanile of the cathedral of Pisa (now known as the Leaning Tower of Pisa) begins; it will take two centuries to complete.
- 681 - Bulgaria is founded as a Khanate on the south bank of the Danube after defeating the Byzantine armies of Emperor Constantine IV south of the Danube delta.
- 378 - Gothic War: Battle of Adrianople – A large Roman army led by Emperor Valens is defeated by the Visigoths in present-day Turkey. Valens is killed along with over half of his army.
- -48 - Caesar's civil war: Battle of Pharsalus – Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at Pharsalus and Pompey flees to Egypt.

August 9th


- 1991 - Candela Vetrano, Argentine actress
- 1991 - Hansika Motwani, Indian actress
- 1990 - Adelaide Kane, Australian actress
- 1989 - Stefano Okaka, Italian footballer
- 1989 - Jason Heyward, American baseball player
- 1987 - Marco Carmona, Mexican artist
- 1986 - Daniel Preussner, German rugby player
- 1985 - Luca Filippi, Italian racing driver
- 1985 - Anna Kendrick, American actress
- 1985 - Hayley Peirsol, American swimmer
- 1985 - JaMarcus Russell, American football player
- 1984 - Paul Gallagher, Scottish footballer
- 1983 - Ashley Johnson, American actress
- 1983 - Shane O'Brien, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1982 - Tyson Gay, American sprinter
- 1982 - Kanstantsin Siutsou, Belorussian cyclist
- 1981 - Jarvis Hayes, American basketball player
- 1981 - Li Jiawei, Singaporean table tennis player
- 1980 - Ryu Seung-beom, South Korean actor
- 1980 - Dominic Tabuna, Nauruan politician
- 1978 - Audrey Tautou, French actress
- 1977 - Chamique Holdsclaw, American basketball player
- 1977 - Adewale Ogunleye, American football player
- 1977 - Mikaël Silvestre, French footballer
- 1977 - Jason Frasor, American baseball player
- 1976 - Jessica Capshaw, American actress
- 1976 - Aled Jones, British Radio Producer
- 1976 - Rhona Mitra, English actress
- 1976 - Mark Priestley, Australian actor (d. 2008)
- 1975 - Mike Lamb, American baseball player
- 1975 - Robbie Middleby, Australian footballer
- 1974 - Mahesh Babu, Indian film actor
- 1974 - Derek Fisher, American basketball player
- 1974 - Matt Morris, American baseball player
- 1974 - Kirill Reznik, American politician
- 1974 - Nicola Stapleton, English actress
- 1974 - Stephen Fung, Hong Kong actor and director
- 1973 - Kevin McKidd, Scottish actor
- 1973 - Filippo Inzaghi, Italian footballer
- 1972 - Juanes, Colombian singer
- 1972 - A-Mei, Taiwanese singer
- 1971 - James Kim, American technology reporter (d. 2006)
- 1971 - Davide Rebellin, Italian cyclist
- 1971 - Mack 10, American rapper
- 1970 - Rod Brind'Amour, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1970 - Chris Cuomo, American TV journalist
- 1970 - Thomas Lennon, American actor
- 1970 - Arion Salazar, American bassist (Third Eye Blind)
- 1969 - Divine Brown, American sex worker and convicted felon
- 1969 - Smaragda Karydi, Greek singer
- 1969 - Troy Percival, American baseball player
- 1968 - Gillian Anderson, American actress
- 1968 - Eric Bana, Australian actor
- 1968 - Sam Fogarino, American drummer (Interpol)
- 1968 - Joseph McGinty Nichol, American film producer and director
- 1967 - Deion Sanders, American football player
- 1966 - Vinny Del Negro, American basketball player and head coach
- 1964 - Brett Hull, Canadian-born American ice hockey player
- 1964 - Hoda Kotb, American television news anchor
- 1963 - Whitney Houston, American singer and actress
- 1962 - Kevin Mack, American football player
- 1962 - Louis Lipps, American football player
- 1962 - John "Hot Rod" Williams, American basketball player
- 1961 - Brad Gilbert, American tennis player
- 1961 - John Key, 38th Prime Minister of New Zealand
- 1961 - Amy Stiller, American actress
- 1959 - Kurtis Blow, American rapper
- 1959 - Stuart Hughes, Canadian actor
- 1958 - Amanda Bearse, American actress
- 1958 - James Lileks, American columnist
- 1957 - Melanie Griffith, American actress
- 1955 - Peter Schmuck, American sportswriter
- 1955 - John E. Sweeney, American politician
- 1954 - Ray Jennings, South African cricketer and coach
- 1952 - Prateep Ungsongtham Hata, Thai politician
- 1949 - Jonathan Kellerman, American writer
- 1948 - Bill Campbell, American baseball player
- 1947 - Roy Hodgson, English football manager
- 1947 - Barbara Mason, American soul singer
- 1946 - Jim Kiick, American football player
- 1945 - Posy Simmonds, English cartoonist
- 1944 - Sam Elliott, American actor
- 1943 - Ken Norton, American boxer
- 1942 - Tommie Agee, American baseball player (d. 2001)
- 1942 - David Steinberg, Canadian comedian
- 1941 - Way Bandy, American make-up artist (d. 1986)
- 1939 - Brito, Brazilian footballer
- 1939 - Romano Prodi, Italian politician and statesman
- 1938 - Leonid Kuchma, Ukrainian politician
- 1938 - Rod Laver, Australian tennis player
- 1938 - Otto Rehhagel, German football manager
- 1936 - Julián Javier, American baseball player
- 1936 - Patrick Tse Yin, Hong Kong film director
- 1935 - Beverlee McKinsey, American actress (d. 2008)
- 1933 - Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, Japanese television personality and children's author
- 1932 - John Gomery, Canadian jurist
- 1931 - Chuck Essegian, American baseball player
- 1931 - Mário Zagallo, Brazilian football coach and player
- 1930 - Jacques Parizeau, Quebec economist and politician
- 1928 - Bob Cousy, American basketball player
- 1928 - Dolores Wilson, American opera singer (d. 2010)
- 1927 - Daniel Keyes, American author
- 1927 - Marvin Minsky, American computer scientist
- 1927 - Robert Shaw, English actor (d. 1978)
- 1925 - David A. Huffman, American computer scientist (d. 1999)
- 1922 - Philip Larkin, English poet (d. 1985)
- 1921 - Ernest Angley, American televangelist
- 1921 - J. James Exon, American politician (d. 2005)
- 1920 - Enzo Biagi, Italian journalist and writer (d. 2007)
- 1919 - Joop den Uyl, Dutch politician, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (d. 1987)
- 1919 - Ralph Houk, American baseball player and manager (d. 2010)
- 1914 - Ferenc Fricsay, Hungarian conductor (d. 1963)
- 1914 - Tove Jansson, Finnish author (Moomins) (d. 2001)
- 1914 - Joe Mercer, English footballer (d. 1990)
- 1911 - William Alfred Fowler, American physicist, Nobel Laureate (d. 1996)
- 1911 - Eddie Futch, American boxing trainer (d. 2001)
- 1909 - V. K. Gokak, Indian Kannada writer (d. 1992)
- 1909 - Adam von Trott zu Solz, German diplomat (d. 1944)
- 1902 - Zino Francescatti, French violinist (d. 1991)
- 1901 - Charles Farrell, American actor (d. 1990)
- 1899 - P. L. Travers, Australian author (d. 1996)
- 1896 - Erich Hückel, German physicist (d. 1980)
- 1896 - Jean Piaget, Swiss psychologist (d. 1980)
- 1875 - Albert Ketčlbey, English conductor, composer, and pianist (d. 1959)
- 1874 - Reynaldo Hahn, Venezuelan composer and conductor (d. 1947)
- 1872 - Archduke Joseph August of Austria, Austrian field marshal (d. 1962)
- 1871 - Leonid Andreyev, Russian writer (d. 1919)
- 1867 - Evelina Haverfield British suffragette (d. 1920)
- 1847 - Queen Maria Victoria al Pozzo della Cisterna of Spain (d. 1876)
- 1845 - André Bessette, Canadian religious figure (d. 1937)
- 1809 - William Barret Travis, American Battle of the Alamo figure (d. 1836)
- 1805 - Joseph Locke, English railway and civil engineer (d. 1860)
- 1797 - Charles Robert Malden, British naval officer (d. 1855)
- 1788 - Adoniram Judson, American Baptist missionary (d. 1850)
- 1783 - Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna of Russia (d. 1801)
- 1776 - Amedeo Avogadro, Italian chemist (d. 1856)
- 1757 - Thomas Telford, Scottish civil engineer (d. 1834)
- 1754 - Pierre Charles L'Enfant, French architect (d. 1825)
- 1726 - Francesco Cetti, Italian Jesuit scientist (d. 1778)
- 1722 - Augustus William, Prince of Prussia (d. 1758)
- 1696 - Joseph Wenzel I, Prince of Liechtenstein (d. 1772)
- 1674 - František Maxmilián Ka?ka, Czech architect (d. 1766)
- 1669 - Tsarina Eudoxia Lopukhina of Russia (d. 1731)
- 1653 - John Oldham, English poet (d. 1683)
- 1648 - Johann Michael Bach, German composer (d. 1694)
- 1631 - John Dryden, English Poet Laureate (d. 1700)
- 1603 - Johannes Cocceius, German-born Dutch theologian (d. 1669)
- 1593 - Izaak Walton, English angler (d. 1683)
- 1544 - Bogislaw XIII, Duke of Pomerania (d. 1606)
- 1537 - Francesco Barozzi, Italian mathematician, astronomer and humanist (d. 1604)
- 1201 - Arnold Fitz Thedmar, English chronicler (d. 1274)