9 August

Across recorded history, 1,498 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 9 August. Below are the 24 most widely documented — ranked by how many language editions of Wikipedia carry an article about them.

← August 8 August 10 →

Hermann Hesse

1877–1962

Nobel Prize winning German-Swiss poet, novelist and painter

Hermann Hesse was a German-Swiss novelist and Nobel Prize winner who also worked as a poet and painter.

Ernst Haeckel

1834–1919

German zoologist

Ernst Haeckel was a German zoologist who discovered, described, and named thousands of new species throughout his career.

Dmitri Shostakovich

1906–1975

Soviet composer and pianist

Dmitri Shostakovich was a Soviet composer and pianist who produced a prolific body of work throughout the twentieth century.

Edith Stein

1891–1942

Jewish-German Catholic nun, theologian and philosopher

Edith Stein was a philosopher and Catholic nun who authored numerous works on phenomenology and theology.

Mahmoud Darwish

1941–2008

The national Palestinian poet, and author

Mahmoud Darwish was a Palestinian poet whose literary works are widely recognized as the national poetry of Palestine.

Cecil Frank Powell

1903–1969

British physicist

Cecil Frank Powell was a British physicist who conducted research in the field of nuclear physics.

Edward Thorndike

1874–1949

American psychologist

Edward Thorndike was an American psychologist who conducted foundational research on the principles of learning and behavior.

Bernie Mac

1957–2008

American actor

Bernie Mac was an American actor who appeared in numerous film and television productions.

Susan Wojcicki

1968–2024

American business executive (1968–2024) Former CEO of YouTube

Susan Wojcicki was a business executive who served as the chief executive officer of YouTube.

Friedrich Ratzel

1844–1904

German geographer and ethnographer

Friedrich Ratzel was a German geographer who established the foundations of human geography and introduced the concept of Lebensraum.

Gregory Hines

1946–2003

American actor and dancer

Gregory Hines was an American dancer and actor who performed in numerous stage and film productions.

John Harsanyi

1920–2000

Hungarian economist

John Harsanyi was an economist who conducted research on game theory.

James A. Van Allen

1914–2006

American astrophysicist

James A. Van Allen was an astrophysicist who conducted research on the radiation belts surrounding the Earth.

Chaïm Soutine

1893–1943

Belarusian-French painter

Chaïm Soutine was a painter known for his contributions to the expressionist movement.

John Charles Fields

1863–1932

Canadian mathematician

John Charles Fields was a Canadian mathematician who established the international award for outstanding achievements in mathematics.

Frank Whittle

1907–1996

British Royal Air Force engineer air officer

Frank Whittle was an aerospace engineer who invented the turbojet engine.

Friedrich August II of Saxony

1797–1854

king of Saxony

Friedrich August II of Saxony was a king of Saxony who served as a regent and was a botanical collector.

Robbie Robertson

1943–2023

Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist

Robbie Robertson was a Canadian musician who worked as a singer, songwriter, and guitarist.

Frederick Marryat

1792–1848

British naval officer and novelist

Frederick Marryat was a British naval officer and novelist known for his maritime fiction.

Roque Sáenz Peña

1851–1914

Argentine politician, president of Argentina

Roque Sáenz Peña was an Argentine politician who served as the president of Argentina.

Leo Frobenius

1873–1938

German ethnologist and archaeologist

Leo Frobenius was an ethnologist who conducted extensive research and archaeological expeditions throughout the African continent.

Colette Besson

1946–2005

French sprinter

Colette Besson was a French sprinter who competed as an athletics competitor.

Hugo Boss

1885–1948

German fashion designer

Hugo Boss was a German fashion designer and entrepreneur who founded the clothing company that bears his name.

Jacqueline Cochran

1906–1980

American aviator and businesswoman

Jacqueline Cochran was an aviator who served as a pilot and businesswoman.

Source: Wikidata, released into the public domain under CC0. Snapshot: 2026-07. Names, dates and roles come from Wikidata; summaries are condensed from it. Nothing here is generated to fill a gap.