On This Day in History — September 9

Highlights of September 9

• 2015 — Elizabeth II (pictured) became the longest-reigning monarch of the United Kingdom, surpassing Queen Victoria. Read more
• 2010 — A natural-gas pipeline in San Bruno, California, exploded and "shot a fireball more than 1,000 feet (300 m) in the air", killing eight people. Read more
• 2001 — Two al-Qaeda attackers assassinated Ahmad Shah Massoud, a pivotal Afghan resistance leader, two days before the September 11 attacks in the United States. Read more
• 1999 — The first banknotes of the Portrait Series of the Singapore dollar were introduced by the Board of Commissioners of Currency. Read more
• 1999 — The first banknotes of the Portrait Series of the Singapore dollar were introduced by the Board of Commissioners of Currency. Read more
• 1971 — Imagine, the second solo album by John Lennon (pictured), was released. Read more
• 1969 — Allegheny Airlines Flight 853 collided in mid-air with a Piper PA-28 Cherokee flown by a student pilot near Fairland, Indiana, killing all 83 occupants of and destroying both aircraft. Read more
• 1962 — French president Charles de Gaulle delivered his "speech to the German youth" to 20,000 people in the courtyard of Ludwigsburg Palace (pictured). Read more
• 1962 — French president Charles de Gaulle delivered his "speech to the German youth" to 20,000 people in the courtyard of Ludwigsburg Palace (pictured). Read more
• 1957 — U.S. president Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Civil Rights Act of 1957, the first civil rights bill since Reconstruction. Read more
• 1954 — A magnitude-6.7 earthquake struck near Chlef, killing over 1,200 people and forcing the Algerian government to implement comprehensive reforms in building codes. Read more
• 1939 — World War II: About 3,000 Polish Army troops began a nearly month-long defence of the Hel Peninsula during the German invasion of Poland. Read more
• 1939 — World War II: About 3,000 Polish Army troops began a nearly month-long defence of the Hel Peninsula during the German invasion of Poland. Read more
• 1892 — At the Lick Observatory in California, Edward Emerson Barnard discovered Amalthea (pictured), a moon of Jupiter and the last natural satellite to be discovered by visual observation. Read more
• 1892 — At the Lick Observatory in California, Edward Emerson Barnard discovered Amalthea, a moon of Jupiter and the last natural satellite to be discovered by visual observation. Read more
• 1796 — French Revolutionary Wars: A naval engagement between French and British fleets off the coast of Sumatra ended inconclusively. Read more
• 1791 — The commissioners overseeing the construction of the United States' new capital city named it Washington, in honor of the first president. Read more
• 1791 — The commissioners overseeing the construction of the United States' new capital city named it Washington, in honor of the first president. Read more
• 1739 — The Stono Rebellion, at the time the largest slave rebellion in the Thirteen Colonies of British America, erupted near Charleston, South Carolina. Read more
• 1570 — Ottoman–Venetian War: After a 40-day siege, the Cypriot city of Nicosia fell to the Ottomans, leading to a massacre of more than 20,000 citizens. Read more
• 1493 — Ottoman wars in Europe: A large Croatian army intercepted Ottoman forces returning to the Sanjak of Bosnia, but was defeated. Read more
• 1320 — Byzantine forces defeated Achaean troops at the Battle of Saint George, taking control of the Arcadia region of Greece. Read more
• 1141 — Yelü Dashi, the Liao general who founded the Qara Khitai, defeated Seljuq and Kara-Khanid forces at the Battle of Qatwan, near Samarkand in present-day Uzbekistan. Read more
• 337 — After disposing of all relatives who possibly held a claim to the throne, Constantine II, Constantius II and Constans became Roman co-emperors. Read more
• 9 — Germanic Wars: An alliance of Germanic tribes led by Arminius engaged Roman forces at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, defeating three legions within a few days. Read more

Events

• 2025 — Six people are killed when Israel carries out an airstrike on Doha in a failed attempt to decapitate the Hamas leadership. Read more
• 2025 — Several Russian drones incur on Polish airspace and are subsequently shot down, marking the first time a NATO member has engaged Russian military assets. Read more
• 2016 — The government of North Korea conducts its fifth and reportedly biggest nuclear test. World leaders condemn the act, with South Korea calling it "maniacal recklessness". Read more
• 2015 — Elizabeth II becomes the longest reigning monarch of the United Kingdom. Read more
• 2014 — The album Songs of Innocence by U2 is digitally released at no charge to all customers of the iTunes Music Store, appearing automatically in the "purchased" section of over 500 million users worldwide. Read more
• 2012 — The Indian space agency puts into orbit its heaviest foreign satellite yet, in a streak of 21 consecutive successful PSLV launches. Read more
• 2012 — A wave of attacks kills more than 100 people and injure 350 others across Iraq. Read more
• 2009 — The Dubai Metro, the first urban train network in the Arabian Peninsula, is ceremonially inaugurated. Read more
• 2006 — Space Shuttle Program: Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched on STS-115 to resume assembling the International Space Station. It is the first ISS assembly mission after the Columbia disaster back in 2003. Read more
• 2001 — Ahmad Shah Massoud, leader of the Northern Alliance, is assassinated in Afghanistan by two al-Qaeda assassins who claimed to be Arab journalists wanting an interview. Read more
• 1994 — Space Shuttle program: Space Shuttle Discovery is launched on STS-64. Read more
• 1993 — Israeli–Palestinian peace process: The Palestine Liberation Organization officially recognizes Israel as a legitimate state. Read more
• 1991 — Tajikistan declares independence from the Soviet Union. Read more
• 1990 — Batticaloa massacre: Massacre of 184 Tamil civilians by the Sri Lankan Army in Batticaloa District. Read more
• 1988 — Vietnam Airlines Flight 831 crashes in Khu Khot, Thailand, while on approach to Don Muang International Airport, killing 76. Read more
• 1976 — Two Aeroflot flights collide in mid-air over Anapa, Soviet Union, killing 70. Read more
• 1972 — In Kentucky's Mammoth Cave National Park, a Cave Research Foundation exploration and mapping team discovers a link between the Mammoth and Flint Ridge cave systems, making it the longest known cave passageway in the world. Read more
• 1971 — The four-day Attica Prison riot begins, eventually resulting in 39 dead, most killed by state troopers retaking the prison. Read more
• 1970 — A British airliner is hijacked by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and flown to Dawson's Field in Jordan. Read more
• 1969 — In Canada, the Official Languages Act comes into force, making French equal to English throughout the Federal government. Read more
• 1969 — Allegheny Airlines Flight 863 collides in mid-air with a Piper PA-28 Cherokee over Moral Township, Shelby County, Indiana, killing all 83 people on board both aircraft. Read more
• 1966 — The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act is signed into law by U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson. Read more
• 1965 — The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development is established. Read more
• 1965 — Hurricane Betsy makes its second landfall near New Orleans, leaving 76 dead and $1.42 billion ($10–12 billion in 2005 dollars) in damages, becoming the first hurricane to cause over $1 billion in unadjusted damage. Read more
• 1956 — Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show for the first time. Read more
• 1954 — The 6.7 Mw Chlef earthquake shakes northern Algeria with a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme). At least 1,243 people were killed and 5,000 were injured. Read more
• 1948 — Kim Il Sung is appointed as premier of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea). This is celebrated annually as its national holiday. Read more
• 1945 — World War II and Second Sino-Japanese War: The Empire of Japan formally surrenders to China. Read more
• 1944 — World War II: The Fatherland Front takes power in Bulgaria through a military coup in the capital and armed rebellion in the country. A new pro-Soviet government is established. Read more
• 1943 — World War II: The Allies land at Salerno and Taranto, Italy. Read more
• 1942 — World War II: A Japanese floatplane drops incendiary bombs on Oregon. Read more
• 1940 — George Stibitz pioneers the first remote operation of a computer. Read more
• 1940 — Treznea Massacre in Transylvania. Read more
• 1939 — World War II: The Battle of Hel begins, the longest-defended pocket of Polish Army resistance during the German invasion of Poland. Read more
• 1939 — Burmese national hero U Ottama dies in prison after a hunger strike to protest Britain's colonial government. Read more
• 1936 — The crews of Portuguese Navy frigate NRP Afonso de Albuquerque and destroyer Dão mutiny against the Salazar dictatorship's support of General Franco's coup and declare their solidarity with the Spanish Republic. Read more
• 1926 — Yleisradio (YLE), the Finnish national public broadcasting company, begins its broadcasts. Read more
• 1924 — Hanapepe massacre occurs on Kauai, Hawaii. Read more
• 1923 — Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, founds the Republican People's Party. Read more
• 1922 — The Greco-Turkish War effectively ends with Turkish victory over the Greeks in Smyrna. Read more
• 1914 — World War I: The creation of the Canadian Automobile Machine Gun Brigade, the first fully mechanized unit in the British Army. Read more
• 1892 — Amalthea becomes the last moon to be discovered without the use of photography. Read more
• 1882 — A British force repels an Egyptian force led by Ahmed Urabi in the battle of Qassasin during the Anglo-Egyptian War. Read more
• 1863 — American Civil War: The Union Army enters Chattanooga, Tennessee. Read more
• 1855 — Crimean War: The Siege of Sevastopol comes to an end when Russian forces abandon the city. Read more
• 1850 — The Compromise of 1850 transfers a third of Texas's claimed territory to federal control in return for the U.S. federal government assuming $10 million of Texas's pre-annexation debt. Read more
• 1850 — California is admitted as the thirty-first U.S. state. Read more
• 1845 — Possible start of the Great Famine of Ireland. Read more
• 1839 — John Herschel takes the first glass plate photograph. Read more
• 1801 — Alexander I of Russia confirms the privileges of Baltic provinces. Read more
• 1796 — Grenelle camp affair, a failed uprising by supporters of Gracchus Babeuf against the French Directory. Read more
• 1791 — Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States, is named after President George Washington. Read more
• 1776 — The Continental Congress officially names its union of states the United States. Read more
• 1739 — Stono Rebellion, the largest slave uprising in Britain's mainland North American colonies prior to the American Revolution, erupts near Charleston, South Carolina. Read more
• 1588 — Thomas Cavendish in his ship Desire enters Plymouth and completes the first deliberately planned voyage of circumnavigation. Read more
• 1561 — The ultimately unsuccessful Colloquy of Poissy opens in an effort to reconcile French Catholics and Protestants. Read more
• 1543 — Mary Stuart, at nine months old, is crowned "Queen of Scots" in the central Scottish town of Stirling. Read more
• 1513 — James IV of Scotland is defeated and dies in the Battle of Flodden, ending Scotland's involvement in the War of the League of Cambrai. Read more
• 1499 — The citizens of Lisbon celebrate the triumphal return of the explorer Vasco de Gama, completing his two-year journey around the Cape of Good Hope to India. Read more
• 1493 — Battle of Krbava Field, a decisive defeat of Croats in Croatian struggle against the invasion by the Ottoman Empire. Read more

Born on September 9

• 2003 — Luke Hughes, American ice hockey player Read more
• 2001 — Hailey Van Lith, American basketball player Read more
• 2000 — Ricky Pearsall, American football player Read more
• 1998 — Jordan Nwora, Nigerian-American basketball player Read more
• 1996 — Gabby Williams, American-French basketball player Read more
• 1994 — Yuliana Korolkova, Russian model and beauty pageant titleholder Read more
• 1994 — Clinton Gutherson, Australian rugby league player Read more
• 1993 — Cameron Cullen, Australian rugby league player Read more
• 1993 — Crazy Mary Dobson, American wrestler Read more
• 1993 — Sharon van Rouwendaal, Dutch swimmer Read more
• 1992 — Shannon Boyd, Australian rugby league player Read more
• 1992 — Damian McGinty, Northern Irish actor and singer Read more
• 1991 — Kelsey Asbille, American actress Read more
• 1991 — Lauren Daigle, American contemporary Christian music singer and songwriter Read more
• 1991 — Hunter Hayes, American singer-songwriter and guitarist Read more
• 1991 — Oscar, Brazilian footballer Read more
• 1991 — Danilo Pereira, Bissauan-Portuguese footballer Read more
• 1990 — Billy Hamilton, American baseball player Read more
• 1990 — Shaun Johnson, New Zealand rugby league player Read more
• 1990 — Haley Reinhart, American singer-songwriter and actress Read more
• 1990 — Andrew Smith, American basketball player (died 2016) Read more
• 1990 — Jordan Tabor, English footballer (died 2014) Read more
• 1989 — Alfonzo Dennard, American football player Read more
• 1989 — Casey Hayward, American football player Read more
• 1988 — Danilo D'Ambrosio, Italian footballer Read more
• 1988 — Will Middlebrooks, American baseball player Read more
• 1987 — Markus Jürgenson, Estonian footballer Read more
• 1987 — Andrea Petkovic, German tennis player Read more
• 1987 — Afrojack, Dutch-Surinamese DJ, record producer, and remixer Read more
• 1987 — Ahmed Elmohamady, Egyptian footballer Read more
• 1987 — Nicole Aniston, American actress and model Read more
• 1986 — Michael Bowden, American baseball player Read more
• 1986 — Chamu Chibhabha, Zimbabwean cricketer Read more
• 1986 — Timothy Granaderos, American actor and model Read more
• 1986 — Luc Mbah a Moute, Cameroonian basketball player Read more
• 1986 — Keith Yandle, American hockey player Read more
• 1985 — Martin Johnson, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer Read more
• 1985 — Luka Modrić, Croatian footballer Read more
• 1985 — J. R. Smith, American basketball player Read more
• 1984 — Brad Guzan, American soccer player Read more

Died on September 9

• 2025 — Mark Norell, American vertebrate paleontologist (born 1957) Read more
• 2024 — John Cassaday, American comic book artist and writer (born 1971) Read more
• 2024 — James Earl Jones, American actor (born 1931) Read more
• 2024 — Caterina Valente, Italian-French singer and dancer (born 1931) Read more
• 2015 — Annemarie Bostroem, German poet, playwright, and songwriter (born 1922) Read more
• 2015 — Einar H. Ingman Jr., American sergeant, Medal of Honor recipient (born 1929) Read more
• 2015 — K. Kunaratnam, Sri Lankan physicist and academic (born 1934) Read more
• 2014 — Montserrat Abelló i Soler, Spanish poet and translator (born 1918) Read more
• 2014 — Firoza Begum, Bangladeshi singer (born 1930) Read more
• 2014 — Graham Joyce, English author and educator (born 1954) Read more
• 2013 — Sunila Abeysekera, Sri Lankan scholar and activist (born 1952) Read more
• 2013 — Alberto Bevilacqua, Italian director and screenwriter (born 1934) Read more
• 2013 — Saul Landau, American journalist, director, and author (born 1936) Read more
• 2012 — Verghese Kurien, Indian engineer and businessman, founded Amul (born 1921) Read more
• 2012 — John McCarthy, Australian footballer (born 1989) Read more
• 2012 — Mike Scarry, American football player and coach (born 1920) Read more
• 2012 — Ron Tindall, English footballer and manager (born 1935) Read more
• 2006 — Gérard Brach, French director and screenwriter (born 1927) Read more
• 2006 — Richard Burmer, American composer and engineer (born 1955) Read more
• 2006 — Matt Gadsby, English footballer (born 1979) Read more
• 2006 — William Bernard Ziff Jr., American businessman, founded Ziff Davis (born 1930) Read more
• 2004 — Ernie Ball, American guitarist and businessman (born 1930) Read more
• 2004 — Caitlin Clarke, American actress (born 1952) Read more
• 2003 — Edward Teller, Hungarian-American physicist and academic (born 1908) Read more
• 2003 — Don Willesee, Australian telegraphist and politician, 29th Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs (born 1916) Read more
• 2001 — Ahmad Shah Massoud, Afghan commander and politician, Afghan Minister of Defense (born 1953) Read more
• 2000 — Julian Critchley, English lawyer and politician (born 1930) Read more
• 1999 — Arie de Vroet, Dutch footballer and manager (born 1918) Read more
• 1999 — Catfish Hunter, American baseball player (born 1946) Read more
• 1999 — Ruth Roman, American actress (born 1922) Read more
• 1998 — Lucio Battisti, Italian singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1943) Read more
• 1998 — Bill Cratty, American dancer and choreographer (born 1951) Read more
• 1997 — Richie Ashburn, American baseball player and sportscaster (born 1927) Read more
• 1997 — John Hackett, Australian-English general and author (born 1910) Read more
• 1997 — Burgess Meredith, American actor, director, and producer (born 1907) Read more
• 1996 — Bill Monroe, American singer-songwriter (born 1911) Read more
• 1994 — Patrick O'Neal, American actor (born 1927) Read more
• 1993 — Larry Noble, English comedian and actor (born 1914) Read more
• 1993 — Helen O'Connell, American singer (born 1920) Read more
• 1990 — Nicola Abbagnano, Italian philosopher and academic (born 1901) Read more

Holidays & observances

Christian feast day: Charles Lowder (Church of England); Christian feast day: Ciarán of Clonmacnoise; Christian feast day: Blessed Euthymia Üffing; Christian feast day: Blessed Francisco Gárate Aranguren; Christian feast day: Constance, Nun, and her Companions (Episcopal Church); Christian feast day: Blessed Maria Torribia; Christian feast day: Our Lady of Arantzazu (Oñati, Spain; Philippines; Christian feast day: Peter Claver; Christian feast day: Synaxis of Ss. Joachim and Anna, an Afterfeast. (Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches); Christian feast day: September 9 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); Armored Forces Day (Ukraine); California Admission Day (California, United States); Children's Day (Costa Rica); Chrysanthemum Day or Kiku no Sekku (Japan); Day of the Victims of Holocaust and of Racial Violence (Slovakia); Emergency Services Day (United Kingdom); Independence Day or Republic Day, celebrates the proclamation of Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) in 1948.; Independence Day (Tajikistan), celebrates the independence of Tajikistan from USSR in 1991.; International Buy-a-Priest-a-Beer Day; Martyrs' Day (Afghanistan) (date may fall on September 8, follows a non-Gregorian calendar, see List of observances set by the Solar Hijri calendar); Remembrance for Herman the Cheruscan (The Troth)

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