August 1909
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The following events occurred in August
1909.
January 1909
January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - DecemberThe following events occurred in January 1909.-January 1, 1909 :...
– February
February 1909
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in February 1909.-February 1, 1909 :...
– March
March 1909
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in March, 1909.-March 1, 1909 :...
– April
April 1909
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in April 1909.-April 1, 1909 :...
– May
May 1909
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in May, 1909.-May 1, 1909 :...
– June
June 1909
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in June 1909.-June 1, 1909 :...
– July
July 1909
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in July 1909.-July 1, 1909 :...
– August – September
September 1909
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in September 1909.-September 1, 1909 :...
– October
October 1909
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in October 1909:-October 1, 1909 :...
– November
November 1909
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in November 1909:-November 1, 1909 :...
– December
December 1909
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in December 1909:-December 1, 1909 :...
The following events occurred in August
August
August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of seven months with a length of 31 days.This month was originally named Sextilis in Latin, because it was the sixth month in the original ten-month Roman calendar under Romulus in 753 BC, when March was the first...
1909.
August 1, 1909 (Sunday)
- The "Semana TragicaTragic WeekTragic Week is the name used for a series of bloody confrontations between the Spanish army and the working classes of Barcelona and other cities of Catalonia , backed by anarchists, socialists and republicans, during the last week of July 1909.It was caused by the calling-up of...
" or "tragic week" ended as the Spanish government restored order in Barcelona and other areas of Catalonia. In seven days that began on July 26 with anti-war protests and a strike in Barcelona, hundreds of people were killed in fighting.
August 2, 1909 (Monday)
- The United States ArmyUnited States ArmyThe United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
accepted the delivery of the Wright Military FlyerWright Military Flyer-See also:-References:* * United States Air Force Museum - External links :* , NASA Collections Database* * Smithsonian online version of magazine November 1, 2006* reproduction 1908 Wright Model A Military Flyer.-See also:...
as "Army Aeroplane Number 1", and hired Wilbur and Orville Wright to train the first two pilots in operation of the machine. Lts. Frank P. Lahm and Frederic E. Humphreys began instruction in October. - The first Lincoln centLincoln centBelow are the mintage figures for the Lincoln penny-Mintage figures:Lincoln wheat cent, 1909-1958 Lincoln Memorial cent, 1959-1982 ...
s were put into circulation by the U.S. Mint.
August 3, 1909 (Tuesday)
- General Ramon González ValenciaRamón González ValenciaRamón González Valencia was a Colombian conservative, military officer and statesman. He participated in the civil wars of 1876, Colombian Civil War of 1895, and the Thousand Days War.- Biographic data :...
was selected as the 12th President of ColombiaPresident of ColombiaThe President of Colombia is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Colombia. The office of president was established upon the ratification of the Constitution of 1819, by the Congress of Angostura, convened in December 1819, when Colombia was part of "la Gran Colombia"...
, to fill the remaining year of the term of Rafael Reyes. González had been Reyes's Vice-President, but had been fired in 1905 by Reyes, who then abolished the office. - The Silver DartSilver DartSilver Dart may refer to:*AEA Silver Dart - An early aircraft which was flown off the ice at Baddeck, Nova Scotia on February 23, 1909. This was the first controlled powered flight in Canada....
, Canada's first airplane, was destroyed when it crashed into a hill.
August 4, 1909 (Wednesday)
- In SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, a lockout began of 80,000 workers in the paper industry, and the iron and steel industries. The Swedish Labor Federation called for a strike of 124,000 workers, and after a secondary strike, 285,000 of the nation's 460,000 non-agricultural workers were off the job. The Federation called off the secondary strike on September 11; the lockout of ironworkers lasted unil November. - Born: Glenn Cunningham, American track star, who overcame a childhood injury and held the world record for running the mile (1934–1937); in Atlanta, KansasAtlanta, KansasAtlanta is a city in Cowley County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 195.-Geography:Atlanta is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 255...
(d. 1988); Saunders Mac LaneSaunders Mac LaneSaunders Mac Lane was an American mathematician who cofounded category theory with Samuel Eilenberg.-Career:...
, American mathematician, in Taftville, ConnecticutConnecticutConnecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
; co-creator of category theoryCategory theoryCategory theory is an area of study in mathematics that examines in an abstract way the properties of particular mathematical concepts, by formalising them as collections of objects and arrows , where these collections satisfy certain basic conditions...
(d. 2005); and Roberto Burle MarxRoberto Burle MarxRoberto Burle Marx was a Brazilian landscape architect whose designs of parks and gardens made him world famous. He is accredited with having introduced modernist landscape architecture to Brazil...
, Brazilian architect, in Sao Paolo (d. 1994)
August 5, 1909 (Thursday)
- The Payne-Aldrich Tariff ActPayne-Aldrich Tariff ActThe Payne-Aldrich Tariff Act of 1909 , named for Representative Sereno E. Payne and Senator Nelson W. Aldrich , began in the United States House of Representatives as a bill lowering certain tariffs on goods entering the United States. It was the first change in tariff laws since the Dingley Act...
was signed into law by President William Taft at , after passing the Senate 54–38. The new rules for a federal corporate tax would take effect at midnight. In a statement, Taft said "The corporation tax is a just and equitable excise measure, which it is hoped will produce a sufficient amount to prevent a deficit," and that the law provided "that degree of publicity and regulation which the tendency in corporate enterprises in the last twenty years has shown to be necessary", and added that the law "will constitute an important and which incidentally will secure valuable statistics and information". - The British steamer SS MaoriSS MaoriSS Maori was a steamship of the Shaw Savill Line wrecked on the west coast of the Cape Peninsula near Cape Town in a storm on 5 August 1909 with the loss of 32 lives.She went aground a few kilometres south of the suburb of Llandudno...
sank in the New Zealand bay of the same name, killing 32 people, although most of the passengers and crew were able to evacuate to shore. One hundred years later, the wreckage is still popular for scuba divers. - The first public execution in Paris in 15 years attracted a large crowd despite being held at with short notice. M. Duchemin, who had murdered his mother in 1906, was guillotined in front of the Sante Prison.
- In Atlanta, the Georgia State Senate voted 37–2 against considering the proposed 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which would authorize an income tax. Georgia ratified the amendment the following year.
- Died: Miguel Antonio CaroMiguel Antonio CaroMiguel Antonio Caro Tobar was a Colombian scholar, poet, journalist, philosopher, orator, philologist, lawyer and politician.- Biographic data :Miguel Antonio Caro was born in Bogotá on November 10, 1845, and he died in the same city on August 5, 1909....
, 65, President of Colombia, 1894–1898
August 6, 1909 (Friday)
- Vincenzo Sabatassae, leader of the "Black Hand Gang" of ConnecticutConnecticutConnecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, was sentenced to 28 years in prison, and his fellow gangmembers were handed jail terms ranging from 3 to 25 years. The gang, which had terrorized the Italian-American residents in and around New HavenNew Haven, ConnecticutNew Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
for three years, was caught after kidnapping a man in Wallingford. In pronouncing sentence, the New Haven jugdge described Sabatassae as the worst criminal with whom he ever came in contact. - Alice Huyler RamseyAlice Huyler RamseyAlice Huyler Ramsey was the first woman to drive across the United States from coast to coast.-Biography:...
arrived in San Francisco to become the first woman to drive across the United States, having left New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
on June 18.
August 7, 1909 (Saturday)
- U.S. President William Howard TaftWilliam Howard TaftWilliam Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
arrived at the "Summer White House" in Beverly, MassachusettsBeverly, MassachusettsBeverly is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 39,343 on , which differs by no more than several hundred from the 39,862 obtained in the 2000 census. A resort, residential and manufacturing community on the North Shore, Beverly includes Beverly Farms and Prides...
, on the presidential train car Olympia which traveled as part of the "Federal Express" from Washington to Boston. The rest of the government went on vacation as well, with Vice-President ShermanJames S. ShermanJames Schoolcraft Sherman was a United States Representative from New York and the 27th Vice President of the United States . He was a member of the Baldwin, Hoar, and Sherman families.-Early life:...
going home to Utica, New YorkUtica, New YorkUtica is a city in and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 62,235 at the 2010 census, an increase of 2.6% from the 2000 census....
, House Speaker CannonJoseph Gurney CannonJoseph Gurney Cannon was a United States politician from Illinois and leader of the Republican Party. Cannon served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1903 to 1911, and historians generally consider him to be the most dominant Speaker in United States history, with such...
home at Danville, IllinoisDanville, IllinoisDanville is a city in Vermilion County, Illinois, United States. It is the principal city of the'Danville, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses all of Danville and Vermilion County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 32,467. It is the county seat of...
, and all but two Cabinet officials staying in Washington.
August 8, 1909 (Sunday)
- Mary MacKillopMary MacKillopMary Helen MacKillop , also known as Saint Mary of the Cross, was an Australian Roman Catholic nun who, together with Father Julian Tenison Woods, founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart and a number of schools and welfare institutions throughout Australasia with an emphasis on...
, the co-founder of the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred HeartSisters of St Joseph of the Sacred HeartThe Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart, often called the Josephites , were founded in Penola, South Australia in 1866 by Mary MacKillop and Father Julian Tenison Woods....
, died in North SydneyNorth Sydney, New South WalesNorth Sydney is a suburb and commercial district on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. North Sydney is located 3 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of North Sydney...
, Australia, following a stroke. On January 19, 1995, she became the first native Australian to be beatified by the Roman Catholic Church. The Xavier News; Butler's Lives of the Saints (Continuum International Publishing Group, 1998), pp70–72 - Lumber magnate George Van Dyke and his chauffeur, Frederick B. Hodgdon, were killed in a freak accident at Riverside, MassachusettsTurners Falls, MassachusettsTurners Falls is an unincorporated village and census-designated place in the town of Montague in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 4,441 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. Van Dyke had directed Hodgdon to drive to a cliff overlooking the Connecticut RiverConnecticut RiverThe Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...
, to watch logs being shipped. When they prepared to leave, Hodgdon pulled the wrong lever and the car went over the 75 feet (22.9 m) precipice. - Born: Charles Lyttelton, 10th Viscount CobhamCharles Lyttelton, 10th Viscount CobhamCharles John Lyttelton, 10th Viscount Cobham, KG, GCMG, GCVO, TD, PC was the ninth Governor-General of New Zealand and an English cricketer.-Early life and family:...
, British cricketer, Governor-General of New ZealandGovernor-General of New ZealandThe Governor-General of New Zealand is the representative of the monarch of New Zealand . The Governor-General acts as the Queen's vice-regal representative in New Zealand and is often viewed as the de facto head of state....
, 1957–1962; in KensingtonKensingtonKensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
, England (d. 1977)
August 9, 1909 (Monday)
- AlabamaAlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
became the first state to ratify the proposed Sixteenth Amendment to the United States ConstitutionSixteenth Amendment to the United States ConstitutionThe Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution allows the Congress to levy an income tax without apportioning it among the states or basing it on Census results...
, when the state senate unanimously approved the resolution for a federal income tax. The state house had unanimously approved the proposal on August 2. Governor ComerB. B. ComerBraxton Bragg Comer was an American Democratic politician who was the 33rd Governor of Alabama from 1907 to 1911.-Early Life and Education:...
signed the resolution on August 17, making the process complete. - One week after the Lincoln centLincoln centBelow are the mintage figures for the Lincoln penny-Mintage figures:Lincoln wheat cent, 1909-1958 Lincoln Memorial cent, 1959-1982 ...
had been released to the public, the U.S. Mint halted production of the so-called "V.D.B. pennies", which had the initials of designer Victor David BrennerVictor David BrennerVictor David Brenner born as Viktoras Barnauskas was an Lithuanian-American sculptor, engraver, and medalist known primarily as the designer of the United States Lincoln Cent.-Biography:...
. An estimated 22,350,000 of the pennies had been put into circulation. The San Francisco MintSan Francisco MintThe San Francisco Mint is a branch of the United States Mint, and was opened in 1854 to serve the gold mines of the California Gold Rush. It quickly outgrew its first building and moved into a new one in 1874. This building, the Old United States Mint, also known affectionately as The Granite Lady,...
made 500,000 such pennies and the 1909-S VDB Lincoln Head Cent can sell for more than $2,000. - Born: Adam von Trott zu SolzAdam von Trott zu SolzAdam von Trott zu Solz was a German lawyer and diplomat who was involved in the conservative opposition to the Nazi regime, and who played a central part in the 20 July Plot...
, German lawyer and diplomat (executed 1944); and V. K. GokakV. K. GokakVinayaka Krishna Gokak was a major writer in Kannada language and a scholar of English and Kannada literatures. He was fifth among eight recipients of Jnanpith Award for Kannada language for his epic Bharatha Sindhu Rashmi...
, author of the epic Bharatha Sindhu Rashmi and recipient of India's Jnanpith AwardJnanpith AwardThe Jnanpith Award is a literary award in India. Along with the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship, it is one of the two most prestigious literary honours in the country...
; in SavanurSavanurSavanur is a town and taluk headquarters of Savanur Taluk in Haveri District of Karnataka state, India.- History :Savanur was one of the princely states of British India, under the Bombay Presidency, and later the Deccan States Agency...
, KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
(d. 1992)
August 10, 1909 (Tuesday)
- Howard R. Hughes, Sr.Howard R. Hughes, Sr.Howard Robard Hughes, Sr. was an American entrepreneur, best known as the father of Howard Robard Hughes, Jr., the famous aviation pioneer and film producer. Hughes, Sr. created the fortune that Hughes, Jr. inherited when he turned 18.-Early years:Hughes, Sr...
was granted two patents (No. 930,758 and No. 930,759) for the Sharp-Hughes Rock Bit, a dual-cone rotary drill bit that revolutionized well-drilling and created the fortune that would be inherited by his billionaire son, Howard HughesHoward HughesHoward Robard Hughes, Jr. was an American business magnate, investor, aviator, engineer, film producer, director, and philanthropist. He was one of the wealthiest people in the world...
. - The town of Clay Center, KansasClay Center, KansasClay Center is a city in and the county seat of Clay County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 4,334.-Geography:Clay Center is located at...
, was panicked by eleven elephants owned by the Hagenbach-Wallace Circus. For two hours, the beasts moved through the streets and alleys of the town before being recaptured. - Born: Mohammed VMohammed V of MoroccoMohammed V was Sultan of Morocco from 1927–53, exiled from 1953–55, where he was again recognized as Sultan upon his return, and King from 1957 to 1961. His full name was Sidi Mohammed ben Yusef, or Son of Yusef, upon whose death he succeeded to the throne...
, Sultan of Morocco 1927–53 and King of Morocco 1957–61, in RabatRabatRabat , is the capital and third largest city of the Kingdom of Morocco with a population of approximately 650,000...
; (d. 1961); and Leo FenderLeo FenderClarence Leonidas "Leo" Fender was an American inventor who founded Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company, or "Fender" for short...
, electric guitar inventor and amp manufacturer, in Anaheim, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
; (d. 1991) - Died: Bob Womack, 65, who discovered the richest vein of gold in Colorado, but died penniless
August 11, 1909 (Wednesday)
- SOSSOSSOS is the commonly used description for the international Morse code distress signal...
, the international Morse CodeMorse codeMorse code is a method of transmitting textual information as a series of on-off tones, lights, or clicks that can be directly understood by a skilled listener or observer without special equipment...
signal for distress, was first used to call for rescue. The S.S. Arapahoe lost power off of Cape HatterasCape HatterasCape Hatteras is a cape on the coast of North Carolina. It is the point that protrudes the farthest to the southeast along the northeast-to-southwest line of the Atlantic coast of North America...
, North CarolinaNorth CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, and was rescued 36 hours later. Wireless operator R.J. Vosburgh alternated the new signal with the former distress call, CQDCQDCQD, transmitted in Morse code as — · — · — — · — — · · is one of the first distress signals adopted for radio use...
.
August 12, 1909 (Thursday)
- Harry K. ThawHarry K. ThawHarry Kendall Thaw was the son of coal and railroad baron William Thaw. He is best known for murdering the architect Stanford White at Madison Square Garden in 1906 in a jealous rage.- Early life:...
, whose 1906 murder of Stanford WhiteStanford WhiteStanford White was an American architect and partner in the architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White, the frontrunner among Beaux-Arts firms. He designed a long series of houses for the rich and the very rich, and various public, institutional, and religious buildings, some of which can be found...
created a national sensation, was kept in custody after a judge rejected his bid to be released from a hospital for the criminally insane. Justice Mills of the court in White PlainsWhite Plains, New YorkWhite Plains is a city and the county seat of Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located in south-central Westchester, about east of the Hudson River and northwest of Long Island Sound...
, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, concluded that Thaw continued to suffer from paranoia and delusions. Thaw would remain in asylums until 1924, and lived until 1947. - The Briggs & StrattonBriggs & StrattonBriggs & Stratton is the world's largest manufacturer of air-cooled gasoline engines primarily for outdoor power equipment. Current production averages 11 million engines per year.-History:...
Company began producing its first engines. - Died: Besarion JughashviliBesarion JughashviliBesarion Vanovis Jughashvili was Joseph Stalin's father. His surname means son of Juga, and is derived from either the Ossetian йуга Juga or the old Georgian ჯუღა djuga - 'steel'.-Family and early life:...
, 59, father of Joseph StalinJoseph StalinJoseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
August 13, 1909 (Friday)
- Juan Vicente GómezJuan Vicente GómezJuan Vicente Gómez Chacón was a military general and de facto ruler of Venezuela from 1908 until his death in 1935. He was president on three occasions during this time, and ruled as an unelected military strongman for the rest of the era.-Early years:Gómez was a barely literate cattle herder and...
was sworn in as the 38th President of Venezuela. As Vice-President, Gomez had been governing the nation since December 19, when President Cipriano CastroCipriano CastroJosé Cipriano Castro Ruiz was a high ranking member of the Venezuelan military, politician and the President of Venezuela from 1899 to 1908...
had gone to Europe for medical treatment. - The towns of Tehachapi, CaliforniaTehachapi, CaliforniaTehachapi is a city incorporated in 1909 located in the Tehachapi Mountains between Bakersfield and Mojave in Kern County, California. Tehachapi is located east-southeast of Bakersfield, at an elevation of...
, and Twisp, WashingtonTwisp, WashingtonTwisp is a town in Okanogan County, Washington, United States. The population was 938 at the 2000 census and decreased to 919 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Twisp is located at ....
, were both incorporated.
August 14, 1909 (Saturday)
- In San Juan County, UtahSan Juan County, UtahAs of the current census of 2010, there were 14,746 people and 4,505 households. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 50.4% Native American, 45.8% white, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% African American and 2.3% reporting two or more races...
, the Rainbow BridgeRainbow Bridge National MonumentRainbow Bridge National Monument is administered by Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, southern Utah, USA. Rainbow Bridge is often described as the world's highest natural bridge. The span of Rainbow Bridge was reported in 1974 by the Bureau of Reclamation to be , but a laser measurement in...
was located by the United States government in an expedition guided by Jim Mike (1872–1977), a PaiutePaiutePaiute refers to three closely related groups of Native Americans — the Northern Paiute of California, Idaho, Nevada and Oregon; the Owens Valley Paiute of California and Nevada; and the Southern Paiute of Arizona, southeastern California and Nevada, and Utah.-Origin of name:The origin of...
Indian, who had disclosed its existence to William B. Douglas of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. At 275 feet (83.8 m) in length, the Rainbow is the world's longest natural bridgeNatural BridgeNatural bridge or Natural Bridge can refer to several things:*Natural arch, a land formation sometimes referred to as a natural bridge*Natural Bridge, Alabama*Natural Bridge, New York...
. - The first motor race took place at the Indianapolis Motor SpeedwayIndianapolis Motor SpeedwayThe Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana in the United States, is the home of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race and the Brickyard 400....
, with motorcycles rather than automobiles. Seven races were held in one day, sanctioned by the Federation of American Motorcyclists. A.G. Chapple won the first race, a five mile (8 km) handicap limited to private owners.
August 15, 1909 (Sunday)
- A 46 feet (14 m) Celtic crossCeltic crossA Celtic cross is a symbol that combines a cross with a ring surrounding the intersection. In the Celtic Christian world it was combined with the Christian cross and this design was often used for high crosses – a free-standing cross made of stone and often richly decorated...
was raised by the Ancient Order of HiberniansAncient Order of HiberniansThe Ancient Order of Hibernians is an Irish Catholic fraternal organization. Members must be Catholic and either Irish born or of Irish descent. Its largest membership is now in the United States, where it was founded in New York City in 1836...
in memory of thousands of Irish immigrants who had died on the island after being quarantined there. - Isidore Bakanja died in Busira, in the Belgian CongoBelgian CongoThe Belgian Congo was the formal title of present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo between King Leopold II's formal relinquishment of his personal control over the state to Belgium on 15 November 1908, and Congolese independence on 30 June 1960.-Congo Free State, 1884–1908:Until the latter...
, six months after severe beating, later described as "the remarkable if not unique case of a native-born African killed by a European and declared a martyr" beatified on April 24, 1994. - Pius X became the first Roman Catholic Pope to ride in an automobile. The motor car had been the gift of American Catholics.
- Died: Euclides da CunhaEuclides da CunhaEuclides da Cunha was a Brazilian writer, sociologist and engineer. His most important work is Os Sertões , a non-fictional account of the military expeditions promoted by the Brazilian government against the rebellious village of Canudos, known as the War of Canudos...
, 43, Brazilian author (Os SertõesOs SertõesOs Sertões is a book written by the Brazilian author Euclides da Cunha, widely considered one of the greatest achievements of Brazilian and even World literature...
)
August 16, 1909 (Monday)
- The Law of Associations was decreed as part of the Young Turk RevolutionYoung Turk RevolutionThe Young Turk Revolution of 1908 reversed the suspension of the Ottoman parliament by Sultan Abdul Hamid II, marking the onset of the Second Constitutional Era...
within the Ottoman EmpireOttoman EmpireThe Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, and it became part of the Constitution five days later. The law provided in part that in order to prevent "the sowing of political division between the various Ottoman communities", "It is forbidden to form political associations based on national or other communal particularity, or whose names contain references thereto". The revival of OttomanismOttomanismOttomanism was a concept which developed prior to the First Constitutional Era of the Ottoman Empire. Its proponents believed that it could solve the social issues that the empire was facing. Ottomanism was highly affected by thinkers such as Montesquieu and Rousseau and the French Revolution. It...
, with an emphasis on making Turkish the national language and Islam the official religion, was resisted by Christians in the Balkans and by Moslems in the Middle East and North Africa. - The towns of AlamoAlamo, GeorgiaAlamo is a city in Wheeler County, Georgia, United States. The population was 1,943 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Wheeler County. Alamo was founded in 1909. Alamo's courthouse was built in 1913 and is on the National Register of Historical Places...
, ManchesterManchester, GeorgiaManchester is a city located in Meriwether and Talbot Counties in the U.S. state of Georgia, although primarily in Meriwether. The population was 3,769 at the 2010 census.-Demographics:...
, and SwordsMorgan County, GeorgiaMorgan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 15,457. The 2005 Census Estimate shows a population of 17,492. The county seat is Madison, Georgia.-Geography:...
were all incorporated in the U.S. State of Georgia - Niels NeergaardNiels NeergaardNiels Thomasius Neergaard was a Danish historian and political figure, a member of the Liberal Moderate Venstre and since 1910 of Venstre...
resigned as Council President of Denmark and was succeeded by Count Ludvig Holstein-LedreborgLudvig Holstein-LedreborgJohan Ludvig Carl Christian Tido lensgreve Holstein til Ledreborg was a Danish politician, a descendant of Johan Ludvig Holstein-Ledreborg, who was Minister of State of Denmark. He was Council President of Denmark for two months, from 16 August to 28 October 1909, as the leader of the Cabinet of...
, the Finance Minister, as head of government. - Baseball player Red MurrayRed MurrayJohn Joseph "Red" Murray was a professional baseball player.Red Murray was born in Arnot, Pennsylvania. In 1902, Murray attended Lock Haven College where he played football, basketball, and baseball. In 1904, Murray changed schools to the University of Notre Dame, playing catcher for the...
of the Giants made a memorable game saving catch at Forbes FieldForbes FieldForbes Field was a baseball park in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1909 to 1971. It was the third home of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball team, and the first home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's National Football League franchise...
in Pittsburgh, leaping for the ball and reeling it in as lightning lit up the sky.
August 17, 1909 (Tuesday)
- Paleontologist Earl Douglass discovered what he recorded in his diary as "eight of the tail bones of a Brontosaurus in exact position" at the Green River, 20 miles (32.2 km) east of Vernal, UtahVernal, UtahVernal, Uintah County's largest city, is located in eastern Utah near the Colorado State Line, and 175 miles east of Salt Lake City. It is bordered on the north by the Uinta Mountains, one of the few mountains ranges in the world which lie in an east-west rather than the usual north to south...
. These were the first of 350 tons of fossils, including full dinosaur skeletons, that wouild be excavated from what is now the Dinosaur National MonumentDinosaur National MonumentDinosaur National Monument is a National Monument located on the southeast flank of the Uinta Mountains on the border between Colorado and Utah at the confluence of the Green and Yampa Rivers. Although most of the monument area is in Moffat County, Colorado, the Dinosaur Quarry is located in Utah...
. - Madan Lal DhingraMadan Lal DhingraMadan Lal Dhingra was an Indian revolutionary freedom fighter. While studying in England, he assassinated Sir William Hutt Curzon Wyllie, a British official, hailed as one of the first acts of revolution in the Indian independence movement in the 20th century.-Early life:Madan Lal Dhingra was born...
, who had assassinated Sir Curzon Wyllie and Dr. Cowasji Lalkaka, then failed to kill himself, was hanged in London. Dhingra has been viewed alternatively as a terrorist and a martyr for Indian independence. - Born: Óscar RibasÓscar RibasOscar Bento Ribas Angolan writer.Ribas was born in Luanda, the son of Arnaldo Gonçalves Ribas and Maria de Conceição Bento Faria...
, Angolan author (d. 2004) - Died: Madan Lal DhingraMadan Lal DhingraMadan Lal Dhingra was an Indian revolutionary freedom fighter. While studying in England, he assassinated Sir William Hutt Curzon Wyllie, a British official, hailed as one of the first acts of revolution in the Indian independence movement in the 20th century.-Early life:Madan Lal Dhingra was born...
, 26, Indian assassin and martyr, by hanging.
August 18, 1909 (Wednesday)
- In Wilbur and Orville Wright sued Glenn CurtissGlenn CurtissGlenn Hammond Curtiss was an American aviation pioneer and a founder of the U.S. aircraft industry. He began his career as a bicycle then motorcycle builder and racer, later also manufacturing engines for airships as early as 1906...
and the Herring-Curtiss Company, alleging that Curtiss's aileronAileronAilerons are hinged flight control surfaces attached to the trailing edge of the wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. The ailerons are used to control the aircraft in roll, which results in a change in heading due to the tilting of the lift vector...
system infringed on their patent for warping airplane wings to control the plane. The court ruled in favor of the Wrights in December. At least one historian has observed that "the Wrights did almost as much to set aviation back as they had done to bring it forward" - Dundee United F.C.Dundee United F.C.Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923...
played its first game, as Dundee Hibernian. They played the Dundee Wanderers to a 1–1 draw. - Arlie LathamArlie LathamWalter Arlington Latham was an American third baseman in Major League Baseball from -. He died in Garden City, New York, at the age of 92.-Personality:...
, 49, became the oldest major league baseball player to steal a base, a record that still stood nearly 100 years later. Latham's Giants beat the Phillies 14–1.
August 19, 1909 (Thursday)
- The first day of automobile racing in the history of the Indianapolis Motor SpeedwayIndianapolis Motor SpeedwayThe Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana in the United States, is the home of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race and the Brickyard 400....
was marred by a fatal accident. During the running of a 250 miles (402.3 km) Prest-O-Lite Trophy RacePrest-O-Lite Trophy RaceThe Prest-O-Lite Trophy Race was an automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in each of the two years prior to the first Indianapolis 500. The trophy was sponsored by the Prest-O-Lite Company, a manufacturer of automotive lighting systems...
, driver Wilfred BourqueWilfred BourqueWilfred Bourque , also known as Billy Bourque and William Bourque, was a Canadian racecar driver, born in W. Farnham, Québec. At the time of his racing career, he lived in West Springfield, Massachusetts.-Racing career:...
and his mechanic, Harry Holcombe, were killed when their car left the track, struck a fence, and turned over. - Louis H. Schwitzer won the very first auto race at the Speedway, an "Indianapolis 5", averaging 57.4 mi/h. The first Indy 500 was held two years later.
- Aviator Glenn H. Curtiss averted what would have been the first mid-air collision, in a competition at Rheims, France. "The feat was accomplished when, for the first time in history, three heavier-than-air craft were manoeuvering at the same time," a report noted. When Curtiss realized that aviator Dumanest was approaching him at the same altitude, Curtiss climbed rapidly and soared over the other plane.
- Miner David Bourne discovered an outcorpping of gold and started a rush of mining claims at the city of Jarbidge, NevadaJarbidge, NevadaJarbidge is an unincorporated community in Elko County, Nevada, United States. It lies on the edge of the Jarbidge Wilderness, several miles south of the Idaho/Nevada border. Noted locally for its remoteness, the community is usually accessed by road from Rogerson in Twin Falls County, Idaho...
. At its height, the remote Elko CountyElko County, Nevada-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 45,291 people, 15,638 households, and 11,493 families residing in the county. The population density was 3/sq mi . There were 18,456 housing units at an average density of 1/sq mi...
town had 1,200 residents. - Born: Jerzy AndrzejewskiJerzy AndrzejewskiJerzy Andrzejewski was a prolific Polish author. His novels, Ashes and Diamonds , and Holy Week , have been made into film adaptations by the Oscar-winning Polish director Andrzej Wajda...
, Polish author, in Warsaw; (d. 1983)
August 20, 1909 (Friday)
- The earliest known photograph of PlutoPlutoPluto, formal designation 134340 Pluto, is the second-most-massive known dwarf planet in the Solar System and the tenth-most-massive body observed directly orbiting the Sun...
was taken, although the astronomers at the Yerkes ObservatoryYerkes ObservatoryYerkes Observatory is an astronomical observatory operated by the University of Chicago in Williams Bay, Wisconsin. The observatory, which calls itself "the birthplace of modern astrophysics," was founded in 1897 by George Ellery Hale and financed by Charles T. Yerkes...
did not realize it. Although Pluto was identified as the ninth planet from 1930 until 2006, historians have identified 14 "pre-discoveries". The 1909 Yerkes photos of August 20 and November 11 were identified in 2000. - Died: Ludwig GumplowiczLudwig GumplowiczLudwig Gumplowicz, born March 9, 1838 in Kraków, then a republic, now part of Poland, died August 20, 1909 in Graz, Austria, was one of the founders of European sociology. He was also a jurist and political scientist who taught constitutional and administrative law at the University of...
, 72, Austrian social theorist
August 21, 1909 (Saturday)
- Three people were killed at the Indianapolis Motor SpeedwayIndianapolis Motor SpeedwayThe Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana in the United States, is the home of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race and the Brickyard 400....
when a blown tire sent a racecar crashed into a crowd of spectators, bringing to seven the number of fatalities in the inaugural three days of auto racing at the Speedway. - Sigmund FreudSigmund FreudSigmund Freud , born Sigismund Schlomo Freud , was an Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis...
and Karl Jung departed from BremenBremenThe City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
to make a trip to the United States, on board the liner George Washington, where they would arrive on August 28. - With the United Kingdom and Germany spending unprecedented amounts in ship construction, German Chancellor Bethmann-Holweg approached Britain with a proposal for secret negotiations on a naval and political agreement. The talks ended in October.
- The National Public Assembly of the Ottoman Empire amended the national constittuion to make the Grand Vizier, ministers and even the Sultan accountable to Parliament.
- Born: Nikolay BogolyubovNikolay BogolyubovNikolay Nikolaevich Bogolyubov was a Russian and Ukrainian Soviet mathematician and theoretical physicist known for a significant contribution to quantum field theory, classical and quantum statistical mechanics, and to the theory of dynamical systems; a recipient of the Dirac Prize...
, Russian physicist and mathematician, in Nizhny NovgorodNizhny NovgorodNizhny Novgorod , colloquially shortened to Nizhny, is, with the population of 1,250,615, the fifth largest city in Russia, ranking after Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, and Yekaterinburg...
(d. 1992); C. Douglas DillonC. Douglas DillonClarence Douglas Dillon was an American diplomat and politician, who served as U.S. Ambassador to France and as the 57th Secretary of the Treasury...
, U.S. Treasury Secretary, 1961–65, in GenevaGenevaGeneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
(d. 2003); and Karl Hans Janke, German scientist, in Kolberg (d. 1988) - Died: George Cabot LodgeGeorge Cabot LodgeGeorge Cabot "Bay" Lodge , was an American poet of the late 19th and early-20th century.-Early life:Lodge was born in in Boston. His father was Henry Cabot Lodge, a politician. His mother was Anna Cabot Mills Davis Lodge...
, 35, American poet, of food poisoning
August 22, 1909 (Sunday)
- The first miracle attributed to Joan of ArcJoan of ArcSaint Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" , is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed divine guidance, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the...
took place at LourdesLourdesLourdes is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in south-western France.Lourdes is a small market town lying in the foothills of the Pyrenees, famous for the Marian apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes occurred in 1858 to Bernadette Soubirous...
when Msgr. Leon Cristiani invoked her blessing upon Miss Therese Belin, curing her of tuberculosis. Joan of Arc would be canonized on May 16, 1920. - Born: Mel HeinMel HeinMelvin Jack Hein was an American Professional Football player for the New York Giants. Hein played fifteen seasons for the Giants and never missed a down due to injury...
, NFL lineman (Giants '31–'45) and Hall of Famer, in Redding, CaliforniaRedding, CaliforniaRedding is a city in far-Northern California. It is the county seat of Shasta County, California, USA. With a population of 89,861, according to the 2010 Census...
; (d. 1992)
August 23, 1909 (Monday)
- Bill Bergen, Dodges' catcher, threw out six batters on the basepaths in a game against St. Louis, a record that still stands.
- The City of La Center, WashingtonLa Center, WashingtonLa Center is a town in Clark County, Washington, United States. The population was 2,800 at the 2010 census. The city is home to four card rooms / casinos which allow gambling on card games and poker, but not slots...
, was incorporated.
August 24, 1909 (Tuesday)
- Construction began on the locks of the Panama CanalPanama Canal LocksThe Panama Canal Locks, which lift ships up 25.9 m to the main elevation of the Panama Canal, were one of the greatest engineering works ever to be undertaken at the time, eclipsed only by other parts of the canal project. No other concrete construction of comparable size was undertaken...
, with the pouring of concrete at Gatun, using stone from Portobelo and sand from Nombre de DiosNombre de DiosNombre de Dios is a city on the Atlantic coast of Panama in the Colón Province.Founded as a Spanish colony in 1510 by Diego de Nicuesa, it was one of the first European settlements on the Isthmus of Panama. It is the oldest continually populated town in Panama and the America mainland...
. Work began on the locks at Pedro Miguel on Sepgember 1 and at MirafloresMiraflores (Panama)Miraflores is the name of one of the three locks that form part of the Panama Canal and the name of the small lake that separates these locks from the Pedro Miguel locks upstream. In the Miraflores locks, vessels are lifted in three stages totalling 8 m, allowing them to transit to or from the...
in July 1910.
August 25, 1909 (Wednesday)
- The United States Army selected the site for the world's first military airfield, signing a lease of a 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) tract of flat land at College Park, MarylandCollege Park, MarylandCollege Park is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, USA. The population was 30,413 at the 2010 census. It is best known as the home of the University of Maryland, College Park, and since 1994 the city has also been home to the "Archives II" facility of the U.S...
. Training of the first two Army pilots began there on October 8. - Born: Ruby KeelerRuby KeelerRuby Keeler, born Ethel Hilda Keeler, was an actress, singer, and dancer most famous for her on-screen coupling with Dick Powell in a string of successful early musicals at Warner Brothers, particularly 42nd Street . From 1928 to 1940, she was married to singer Al Jolson...
, Canadian singer and actress; in HalifaxCity of HalifaxHalifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
, as Ethel Hilda Keeler (d. 1993); and Michael RennieMichael RennieMichael Rennie was an English film, television, and stage actor, perhaps best known for his starring role as the space visitor Klaatu in the 1951 classic science fiction film The Day the Earth Stood Still. However, he appeared in over 50 other films since 1936, many with Jean Simmons and other...
, English actor (KlaatuKlaatuKlaatu was a Canadian progressive rock group formed in 1973 by the duo of John Woloschuk and Dee Long. They named themselves after the extraterrestrial Klaatu portrayed by Michael Rennie in the film The Day the Earth Stood Still...
in The Day the Earth Stood Still), as Eric Alexander Rennie (d. 1971)
August 26, 1909 (Thursday)
- The youth hostel movement got its start when a group of hikers, led by teacher Richard SchirrmannRichard SchirrmannRichard Schirrmann was a German teacher and founder of the first youth hostel.Born in Grunenfeld , Province of Prussia, as the son of a teacher, Schirrmann studied to become a teacher himself. In 1895 he received his qualification, and was sent to Altena, Westphalia, in 1903...
, found shelter from a thunderstorm in a school classroom. Reasoning that each village in Germany had a school, Schirrmann proposed that these provide accommodation to students during the holidays. The first hostel would open in 1912 at AltenaAltenaAltena is a town in the district of Märkischer Kreis, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The town's castle is the origin for the later Dukes of Berg. Altena is situated on the Lenne river valley, in the northern streches of the Sauerland.-History:...
. - Sailing in the Gulf of MexicoGulf of MexicoThe Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
, the S.S. Cartago telegraphed a wireless report of a hurricane near the Yucatán Peninsula, marking the first radio warning of a tropical storm. - Swiss paeleontologist Otto Hauser discovered a complete skeleton of a prehistoric man at Combe-CapelleCombe-CapelleCombe-Capelle is a Paleolithic and Epipaleolithic site situated in the Couze valley in the Périgord region of Southern France. Henri-Marc Ami carried out excavations from the late 1920s until his death in 1931....
in France, along with stone tools. Originally dated at 35,000 years of age, the Combe-Capelle skull was believed to have been the earliest homo sapiens in Europe, but forensic testing in 2011 revealed that the skeleton dates to about 7575 BC. - The town of Ridgefield, WashingtonRidgefield, WashingtonRidgefield is a city in the pastoral, rolling-hills countryside of northern Clark County, Washington, United States. The population was 4,763 at the 2010 census....
, was incorporated. - Born: Jim DavisJim Davis (actor)Jim Davis was an American actor, best known for his role as Jock Ewing in the CBS prime-time soap Dallas, a role which he held up until his death in April 1981.-Biography:...
, American actor (Jock Ewing on Dallas); as Marlin Davis in Edgerton, MissouriEdgerton, MissouriEdgerton is a city in Platte County, Missouri, United States. The population was 533 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Edgerton is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
; (d. 1981)
August 27, 1909 (Friday)
- Officers in Athens led a coup in Greece; Dimitrios Railes was forced to step down as Prime Minister, and Kyriakoules Mavromichales implemented reforms to avert a dictatorship.
- Henry FarmanHenry FarmanHenri Farman Henri Farman Henri Farman (26 May 1874 – 17 July 1958 was a French pilot, aviator and aircraft designer and manufacturer with his brother Maurice Farman. His family was British and he took French nationality in 1937.-Biography:...
became the first person to fly an airplane 100 miles (160.9 km), winning the Grand Prix de la Champagne endurance test and reaching 180 kilometres (111.8 mi) in 3:04:56.4 at Rheims. - Born: Lester YoungLester YoungLester Willis Young , nicknamed "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. He also played trumpet, violin, and drums....
, saxophone player, in Woodville, MississippiWoodville, MississippiWoodville is a town in and the county seat of Wilkinson County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 1,192 at the 2000 census.The Woodville Republican, a weekly newspaper founded in 1823, is the oldest surviving business in Mississippi.-Geography:Woodville is located at .According to...
(d. 1959) - Died: Emil Christian HansenEmil Christian HansenEmil Christian Hansen was a Danish mycologist and fermentation physiologist.Born in Ribe, he financed his education by writing novels and he was awarded a gold medal in 1876 for an essay on fungi....
, 67, Danish fermentation physiologist
August 28, 1909 (Saturday)
- A flash flood in Monterey, Mexico, drowned 1,200 people and left 15,000 homeless. The crest of the rain-swollen Santa Catarina river reached the city shortly after midnight.
- The CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
cities of San Pedro and Wilmington were consolidated with Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
August 29, 1909 (Sunday)
- Glenn CurtissGlenn CurtissGlenn Hammond Curtiss was an American aviation pioneer and a founder of the U.S. aircraft industry. He began his career as a bicycle then motorcycle builder and racer, later also manufacturing engines for airships as early as 1906...
won the world's first airplane race, conducted at Rheims, France and a $5,000 prize. While other pilots slowed down to make turns on a two lap course, Curtiss showed that sharp turns could be banked.
August 30, 1909 (Monday)
- The City of Tokyo announced a gift of cherry trees to be planted at the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C. The gift was paid for, anonymously, by Jokichi Takamini, the millionaire chemist who invented synthetic epinehphrine.
- The International League Against Epilepsy was founded, in Budapest, Hungary, during the 16th International Medical Conference.
- In Fez, MoroccoMoroccoMorocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, the consuls of France, Great Britain and Spain presented a letter of protest to the Sultan, demanding the abolition of the practice of mutilation and slow death as punishment. The initiative took place twenty days after more than 30 convicted criminals had hands or feet amputated. - The German battleship Helgoland was launched at Kiel, the first of a new class of ships with larger guns and improved propulsion.
- A gusher at the Maikop oil field in Russia rose to a height of 65 meters, but most of the wells contents were lost because the operators were not prepared to store it.
August 31, 1909 (Tuesday)
- Abbot Augustus Low was granted U.S. patent No. 929,960 for an improved "waste-paper receptacle". Low wrote in is application that the his invention was designed for "not only the collection and storage of waste paper ... but also its cancellation or mutilation in such manner as to render it unavailable or unintelligible for re-use or for information" – the first paper shredder. Adolf Ehinger of Germany markedted the first shredder in 1955.
- Charles D. Walcott discovered the Burgess Shale fossils, one of the greatest finds in the history of paleontoglogy, unearthing fossils years old.
- Paul EhrlichPaul EhrlichPaul Ehrlich was a German scientist in the fields of hematology, immunology, and chemotherapy, and Nobel laureate. He is noted for curing syphilis and for his research in autoimmunity, calling it "horror autotoxicus"...
found the first successful treatment for syphilisSyphilisSyphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. The primary route of transmission is through sexual contact; however, it may also be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy or at birth, resulting in congenital syphilis...
, arsphenamineArsphenamineArsphenamine, also known as Salvarsan and 606, is a drug that was used beginning in the 1910s to treat syphilis and trypanosomiasis...
, on his 606th experiment. The compound, based on arsenic, was the "magic bullet" that assisted the human immune system in combatting an illness, and led to the first use of chemotherapy. The number 606606 (disambiguation)606 can refer to:*606, the year.*The drug "606" or "compound 606", which became known as Salvarsan*Roland TR-606 Drum Machine*6-0-6, the BBC Radio 5 Live phone-in and accompanying internet discussion forum....
would become the slang name for the treatment with Salvarsan, the trade name for arsphenamine. - Born: Ferenc FejtőFerenc FejtoFerenc Fejtő, , was a Hungarian-born French journalist and political scientist, specializing in Eastern Europe....
, Hungarian-born French journalist and political scientist (d. 2008)