August 9, 1776: Count Amedeo Avogadro, Italian physicist, was born. He advanced hypothesis that equal volumes of gases under identical conditions of pressure & temperature contain same number of molecules. His theory has become known as Avogadro’s law. Physicists have determined number of molecules in gram-molecular weight & found that it is same for all gases. Avogadro’s number is 6.022 x 1023 units per mole.

August 9, 1945: Second atomic bomb (plutonium device) was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan where 70,000+ people died from heat, radiation & blast effects. Three days earlier, first atomic bomb (uranium device) was dropped on Hiroshima. Six days later, Japan announced its unconditional surrender thus finally ending World War II.

August 9, 1912: Earthquake (7.4-magnitude) struck Turkey where 2,800 people died.

August 9, 1898: Rudolf Diesel, German engineer, received U.S. patent for an internal combustion engine that doesn’t require a spark to ignite the fuel-air mixture. His diesel engine allowed trains & ships to operate more efficiently with oil instead of coal.

August 9, 1841: Erie Canal boat fire in Buffalo, New York where 242 people died.

August 9, 1138: Earthquake struck Syria where 230,000 people died.