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On This Day in History — January 9
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Highlights of January 9
- 2015 — Contaminated beer served at a funeral in Tete Province, Mozambique, killed 75 people and made at least 230 others ill. Read more
- 2015 — A hostage situation, related to the Charlie Hebdo shooting, occurred at a Jewish market in Vincennes. Read more
- 2011 — In poor weather conditions, Iran Air Flight 277 (aircraft pictured) crashed near Urmia Airport, Iran, killing 78 of the 105 people on board. Read more
- 1996 — First Chechen War: Chechen separatists launched raids in the city of Kizlyar, Dagestan, which turned into a massive hostage crisis involving thousands of civilians. Read more
- 1992 — Radio astronomers Aleksander Wolszczan and Dale Frail announced the discovery of two pulsar planets orbiting PSR B1257+12 (depicted), the first confirmed detection of exoplanets. Read more
- 1991 — Representatives from the United States and Iraq met at the Geneva Peace Conference to find a peaceful resolution to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Read more
- 1981 — U.S. representative Raymond Lederer was convicted of bribery and conspiracy for his role in the Abscam scandal, but continued to serve his term for three more months. Read more
- 1978 — Iranian Revolution: Protests took place in Qom after an article insulting Ruhollah Khomeini was published. Read more
- 1975 — The Great Storm spawned the first of 45 tornadoes over a three-day period in the Southeastern United States. Read more
- 1972 — The Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association lost to the Milwaukee Bucks, ending a 33-game winning streak, the longest in major American professional team sports. Read more
- 1972 — Seawise University, formerly RMS Queen Elizabeth (pictured), an ocean liner that sailed the Atlantic for Cunard Line, caught fire in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong. Read more
- 1970 — The Presidential Council for Minority Rights, an appointed body to review legislation and prevent discrimination against minorities, was created in Singapore. Read more
- 1917 — First World War: Troops of the British Empire defeated Ottoman forces at the Battle of Rafa on the Sinai–Palestine border. Read more
- 1917 — World War I: A meeting of the German Crown Council decided upon the resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare. Read more
- 1857 — An earthquake registering 7.9 Mw ruptured part of the San Andreas Fault in central and southern California. Read more
- 1797 — War of the First Coalition: The siege of Kehl by Habsburg and Württembergian forces ended when French troops withdrew from their fortifications. Read more
Events
- 2021 — Sriwijaya Air Flight 182 crashes north of Jakarta, Indonesia, killing all 62 people on board. Read more
- 2017 — Mont-Libre Agile Learning Centre, the province of Quebec's first alternative schooling democratic learning centre to support homeschooled youth, opens in the city of Montreal. Read more
- 2015 — The perpetrators of the Charlie Hebdo shooting in Paris two days earlier are both killed after a hostage situation; a second hostage situation, related to the Charlie Hebdo shooting, occurs at a Jewish market in Vincennes. Read more
- 2015 — A mass poisoning at a funeral in Mozambique involving beer that was contaminated with Burkholderia gladioli leaves 75 dead and over 230 people ill. Read more
- 2014 — An explosion at a Mitsubishi Materials chemical plant in Yokkaichi, Japan, kills at least five people and injures 17 others. Read more
- 2011 — Iran Air Flight 277 crashes near Urmia in the northwest of the country, in icy conditions, killing 78 people. Read more
- 2007 — Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduces the original iPhone at a Macworld keynote in San Francisco. Read more
- 2005 — Mahmoud Abbas wins the election to succeed Yasser Arafat as President of the Palestinian National Authority, replacing interim president Rawhi Fattouh. Read more
- 2005 — The Sudan People's Liberation Movement and the Government of Sudan sign the Comprehensive Peace Agreement to end the Second Sudanese Civil War. Read more
- 2004 — An inflatable boat carrying illegal Albanian emigrants stalls near the Karaburun Peninsula en route to Brindisi, Italy; exposure to the elements kills 28. This is the second deadliest marine disaster in Albanian history. Read more
- 2003 — TANS Perú Flight 222 crashes on approach to Chachapoyas Airport in Chachapoyas, Peru, killing 46 people. Read more
- 1997 — Comair Flight 3272 crashes in Raisinville Township in Monroe County, Michigan, killing 29 people. Read more
- 1996 — First Chechen War: Chechen separatists launch a raid against the helicopter airfield and later a civilian hospital in the city of Kizlyar in the neighboring Dagestan, which turns into a massive hostage crisis involving thousands of civilians. Read more
- 1992 — The Assembly of the Serb People in Bosnia and Herzegovina proclaims the creation of Republika Srpska, a new state within Yugoslavia. Read more
- 1992 — The first discoveries of extrasolar planets are announced by astronomers Aleksander Wolszczan and Dale Frail. They discovered two planets orbiting the pulsar PSR 1257+12. Read more
- 1991 — Representatives from the United States and Iraq meet at the Geneva Peace Conference to try to find a peaceful resolution to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Read more
- 1964 — Martyrs' Day: Several Panamanian youths try to raise the Panamanian flag in the U.S.-controlled Panama Canal Zone, leading to fighting between U.S. military and Panamanian civilians. Read more
- 1962 — Apollo program: NASA announces plans to build the C-5 rocket launch vehicle, then known as the "Advanced Saturn", to carry human beings to the Moon. Read more
- 1961 — British authorities announce they have uncovered the Soviet Portland spy ring in London. Read more
- 1960 — President of Egypt Gamal Abdel Nasser opens construction on the Aswan Dam by detonating ten tons of dynamite to demolish twenty tons of granite on the east bank of the Nile. Read more
- 1959 — The Vega de Tera dam fails, triggering a disastrous flood that nearly destroys the town of Ribadelago and kills 144 residents. Read more
- 1957 — British Prime Minister Sir Anthony Eden resigns from office following his failure to retake the Suez Canal from Egyptian sovereignty. Read more
- 1945 — World War II: The Sixth United States Army begins the invasion of Lingayen Gulf. Read more
- 1941 — World War II: First flight of the Avro Lancaster. Read more
- 1939 — The Kingdom of Italy would officially the coastal areas of its Colony of Libya as an integral part of the country itself, becoming the nation's Fourth Shore. Read more
- 1927 — A fire at the Laurier Palace movie theatre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, kills 78 children. Read more
- 1923 — Juan de la Cierva makes the first autogyro flight. Read more
- 1923 — Lithuanian residents of the Memel Territory rebel against the League of Nations' decision to leave the area as a mandated region under French control. Read more
- 1921 — Greco-Turkish War: The First Battle of İnönü, the first battle of the war, begins near Eskişehir in Anatolia. Read more
- 1920 — Ukrainian War of Independence: The All-Ukrainian Central Executive Committee outlaws the Makhnovshchina by decree, igniting the Bolshevik–Makhnovist conflict. Read more
- 1918 — Battle of Bear Valley: The last battle of the American Indian Wars. Read more
- 1917 — World War I: The Battle of Rafa is fought near the Egyptian border with Palestine. Read more
- 1916 — World War I: The Battle of Gallipoli concludes with an Ottoman Empire victory when the last Allied forces are evacuated from the peninsula. Read more
- 1914 — The Phi Beta Sigma fraternity is founded by African-American students at Howard University in Washington D.C., United States. Read more
- 1909 — Ernest Shackleton, leading the Nimrod Expedition to the South Pole, plants the British flag 97 nautical miles (180 km; 112 mi) from the South Pole, the farthest anyone had ever reached at that time. Read more
- 1903 — Hallam Tennyson, 2nd Baron Tennyson, son of the poet Alfred Tennyson, becomes the second Governor-General of Australia. Read more
- 1878 — Umberto I becomes King of Italy. Read more
- 1861 — American Civil War: "Star of the West" incident occurs near Charleston, South Carolina. Read more
- 1861 — Mississippi becomes the second state to secede from the Union before the outbreak of the American Civil War. Read more
- 1858 — British forces finally defeat Rajab Ali Khan of Chittagong. Read more
- 1857 — The 7.9 Mw Fort Tejon earthquake shakes Central and Southern California with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). Read more
- 1839 — The French Academy of Sciences announces the Daguerreotype photography process. Read more
- 1822 — The Portuguese prince Pedro I of Brazil decides to stay in Brazil against the orders of the Portuguese King João VI, beginning the Brazilian independence process. Read more
- 1816 — Humphry Davy tests his safety lamp for miners at Hebburn Colliery. Read more
- 1806 — Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson receives a state funeral and is interred in St Paul's Cathedral. Read more
- 1799 — British Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger introduces an income tax of two shillings to the pound to raise funds for Great Britain's war effort in the Napoleonic Wars. Read more
- 1793 — Jean-Pierre Blanchard becomes the first person to fly in a balloon in the United States. Read more
- 1792 — Treaty of Jassy between Russian and Ottoman Empire is signed, ending the Russo-Turkish War of 1787–92. Read more
- 1788 — Connecticut becomes the fifth state to ratify the United States Constitution. Read more
- 1787 — The nationally known image of the Black Nazarene in the Philippines is transferred from what is now Rizal Park to its present shrine in the minor basilica of Quiapo Church. This is annually commemorated through its Traslación (solemn transfer) in the streets of Manila and is attended by millions of devotees. Read more
- 1760 — Ahmad Shah Durrani defeats the Marathas in the Battle of Barari Ghat. Read more
- 1693 — Sicily earthquake: The first of two earthquakes destroys parts of Sicily and Malta. After the second quake on 11 January, the death toll is estimated at between 60,000 and 100,000 people. Read more
- 1431 — The trial of Joan of Arc begins in Rouen. Read more
- 1349 — The Jewish population of Basel, believed by the residents to be the cause of the ongoing Black Death, is rounded up and incinerated. Read more
- 1127 — Jin–Song Wars: Invading Jurchen soldiers from the Jin dynasty besiege and sack Bianjing (Kaifeng), the capital of the Song dynasty of China, and abduct Emperor Qinzong of Song and others, ending the Northern Song period. Read more
- 1038 — An earthquake in Dingxiang, China kills an estimated 32,300. Read more
- 681 — Twelfth Council of Toledo: King Erwig of the Visigoths initiates a council in which he implements diverse measures against the Jews in Spain. Read more
- 475 — Verina, the Eastern Roman dowager Empress, instigates a riot in Constantinople and persuades emperor Zeno, her son-in-law, to flee. The Byzantine senate, however, acclaims Basiliscus as emperor and not her lover Patricius. Read more
- 400 — Aelia Eudoxia is officially crowned empress of the Eastern Roman Empire. Read more
Born on January 9
- 2006 — Sarah Toscano, Italian singer-songwriter and actress Read more
- 2004 — Souhardya De, Indian author and columnist Read more
- 2003 — Sangiovanni, Italian singer-songwriter Read more
- 2001 — Eric García, Spanish footballer Read more
- 2001 — Peter Mamouzelos, Australian rugby league player Read more
- 2001 — Zeke Nnaji, American basketball player Read more
- 2000 — Luka Šamanić, Croatian basketball player Read more
- 1998 — Kerris Dorsey, American actress Read more
- 1998 — Brent Rivera, American social media personality and actor Read more
- 1996 — Vítek Vaněček, Czech ice hockey player Read more
- 1995 — Braden Hamlin-Uele, New Zealand rugby league player Read more
- 1995 — Dominik Livaković, Croatian football goalkeeper Read more
- 1995 — Nicola Peltz, American actress Read more
- 1994 — Radek Faksa, Czech ice hockey player Read more
- 1993 — Katarina Johnson-Thompson, English long jumper and heptathlete Read more
- 1993 — Marcus Peters, American football player Read more
- 1992 — Jack Campbell, American ice hockey player Read more
- 1992 — Terrence Jones, American basketball player Read more
- 1992 — Joseph Parker, Samoan heavyweight boxer Read more
- 1991 — Ruby Soho, American wrestler Read more
- 1991 — Álvaro Soler, Spanish singer-songwriter Read more
- 1989 — Michael Beasley, American basketball player Read more
- 1989 — Nina Dobrev, Bulgarian-Canadian actress Read more
- 1989 — Yana Maksimava, Belarusian heptathlete Read more
- 1989 — Samardo Samuels, Jamaican-American basketball player Read more
- 1989 — Chris Sandow, Australian rugby league player Read more
- 1989 — Haris Sohail, Pakistani cricketer Read more
- 1988 — Lee Yeon-hee, South Korean actress Read more
- 1987 — Lucas Leiva, Brazilian footballer Read more
- 1987 — Paolo Nutini, Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist Read more
- 1987 — Jami Puustinen, Finnish footballer Read more
- 1986 — Raphael Diaz, Swiss ice hockey player Read more
- 1986 — Jéferson Gomes, Brazilian footballer Read more
- 1986 — Amanda Mynhardt, South African netball player Read more
- 1985 — Juan Francisco Torres, Spanish footballer Read more
- 1982 — Catherine, Princess of Wales Read more
- 1982 — Sharrod Ford, American basketball player Read more
- 1981 — Ebi Smolarek, Polish footballer and manager Read more
- 1980 — Édgar Álvarez, Honduran footballer Read more
- 1980 — Sergio García, Spanish golfer Read more
Died on January 9
- 2025 — Black Bart, American professional wrestler (born 1948) Read more
- 2024 — Rashid Khan, Indian classical musician (born 1968) Read more
- 2023 — Séamus Begley, Irish accordion player, fiddler and Irish traditional musician (born 1949) Read more
- 2022 — Bob Saget, American comedian, actor, and television host (born 1956) Read more
- 2022 — Maria Ewing, American opera singer (born 1950) Read more
- 2021 — John Reilly, American actor (born 1934) Read more
- 2019 — Verna Bloom, American actress (born 1938) Read more
- 2019 — Paul Koslo, German-Canadian actor (born 1944) Read more
- 2018 — Kato Ottio, Papua New Guinean rugby league player (born 1994) Read more
- 2017 — Zygmunt Bauman, Polish sociologist (born 1925) Read more
- 2016 — John Harvard, Canadian journalist and politician, 23rd Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba (born 1938) Read more
- 2016 — Angus Scrimm, American actor and author (born 1926) Read more
- 2015 — Michel Jeury, French author (born 1934) Read more
- 2015 — Józef Oleksy, Polish economist and politician, 7th Prime Minister of Poland (born 1946) Read more
- 2015 — Abdul Rahman Ya'kub, Malaysian politician, 3rd Chief Minister of Sarawak (born 1928) Read more
- 2015 — Roy Tarpley, American basketball player (born 1964) Read more
- 2014 — Amiri Baraka, American poet, playwright, and academic (born 1934) Read more
- 2014 — Josep Maria Castellet, Spanish poet and critic (born 1926) Read more
- 2014 — Paul du Toit, South African painter and sculptor (born 1965) Read more
- 2014 — Dale T. Mortensen, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1939) Read more
- 2013 — Brigitte Askonas, Austrian-English immunologist and academic (born 1923) Read more
- 2013 — James M. Buchanan, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1919) Read more
- 2013 — Robert L. Rock, American businessman and politician, 42nd Lieutenant Governor of Indiana (born 1927) Read more
- 2013 — John Wise, Canadian farmer and politician, 23rd Canadian Minister of Agriculture (born 1935) Read more
- 2012 — Brian Curvis, Welsh boxer (born 1937) Read more
- 2012 — Augusto Gansser-Biaggi, Swiss geologist and academic (born 1910) Read more
- 2012 — William G. Roll, German-American psychologist and parapsychologist (born 1926) Read more
- 2012 — Malam Bacai Sanhá, Guinea-Bissau politician, President of Guinea-Bissau (born 1947) Read more
- 2012 — László Szekeres, Hungarian physician and academic (born 1921) Read more
- 2011 — Makinti Napanangka, Australian painter (born 1930) Read more
- 2009 — Rob Gauntlett, English mountaineer and explorer (born 1987) Read more
- 2009 — T. Llew Jones, Welsh author and poet (born 1914) Read more
- 2009 — Tan Chor Jin, Singaporean murderer and triad leader of Ang Soon Tong (born 1966) Read more
- 2008 — Johnny Grant, American radio host and producer (born 1923) Read more
- 2008 — John Harvey-Jones, English businessman and television host (born 1924) Read more
- 2007 — Elmer Symons, South African motorcycle racer (born 1977) Read more
- 2007 — Jean-Pierre Vernant, French anthropologist and historian (born 1914) Read more
- 2006 — Andy Caldecott, Australian motorcycle racer (born 1964) Read more
- 2006 — W. Cleon Skousen, American author and academic (born 1913) Read more
- 2004 — Norberto Bobbio, Italian philosopher and academic (born 1909) Read more
Holidays & observances
Christian feast day:
Adrian of Canterbury; Christian feast day:
Blessed Alix Le Clerc; Christian feast day:
Berhtwald; Christian feast day:
Blessed Giulia della Rena; Christian feast day:
Feast of the Black Nazarene (Manila, Philippines); Christian feast day:
Julia Chester Emery (Episcopal Church (USA)); Christian feast day:
Stephen (old calendar Eastern Orthodox); Christian feast day:
January 9 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); Start of Hōonkō (Nishi Honganji) January 9–16 (Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism); Martyrs' Day (Panama); Non-Resident Indian Day (India); Day of Republika Srpska (Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, result of 2016 Republika Srpska National Day referendum) (note: not celebrated and disputed in wider Bosnia and Herzegovina, having been declared unconstitutional in 2015)
Events, births and deaths from Wikipedia contributors, “January 9”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Lists are selections; the full record lives at the source.