On August 9, 1914, the renowned Hungarian conductor Ferenc Fricsay was born in Budapest. He became a significant figure in classical music, particularly noted for his interpretations of Mozart and Beethoven, and spent his final years in Basel, where he died in 1963. See wikipedia for more information.

On August 9, 1940, the Swiss linguist and Celticist Rudolf Thurneysen died. He was born in Basel on March 14, 1857, and became a leading authority on Old Irish, leaving a legacy that includes the influential "Handbuch des Alt-Irischen." See wikipedia for more information.