What happened on May 9? There are more than 253 events that were made this day in history. Here are the important historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.
Interesting Facts & Myths About May 9
May 9 is the 130th day of the year 2024. There are 236 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Thursday. This day falls under the 19th week of the year 2024.
On this day in Spring, Texas 77382 sunrise will occur at 06:30 AM and sunset will occur at 08:06 PM (local time).
The zodiac sign of a person born on this day is Taurus. The modern birthstone for this month is Emerald while the mystical birthstone is Sapphire.
According to the Chinese calendar, there are 265 days remaining before the start of the next Chinese New Year (January 29, 2025).
Is your birthday coming up in two days? Are you not curious to find out who is sharing your special day? Discover all the April 27 famous birthdays. There are fun facts about that day that you must know. (Sponsored link)
Historical Events For May 9
- 328Athanasius is elected Patriarch bishop of Alexandria.
- 1092Lincoln Cathedral is consecrated.
- 1450'Abd al-Latif (Timurid monarch) is assassinated.
- 1671Thomas Blood, disguised as a clergyman, attempts to steal England’s Crown Jewels from the Tower of London.
- 1726Five men arrested during a raid on Mother Clap’s molly house in London are executed at Tyburn.
- 1864Second War of Schleswig: The Danish navy defeats the Austrian and Prussian fleets in the Battle of Heligoland.
- 1873Der Krach: Vienna stock market crash heralds the Long Depression.
- 1874The first horse-drawn bus makes its début in the city of Mumbai, traveling two routes.
- 1877A magnitude 8.8 earthquake off the coast of Peru kills 2,541, including some as far away as Hawaii and Japan.
- 1877Mihail Kogălniceanu reads, in the Chamber of Deputies, the Declaration of Independence of Romania. This day became the Independence Day of Romania.
- 1887Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show opens in London.
- 1901Australia opens its first parliament in Melbourne.
- 1904The steam locomotive City of Truro becomes the first steam engine in Europe to exceed 100 mph.
- 1911The works of Gabriele D'Annunzio placed by the Vatican in the Index of Forbidden Books.
- 1915World War I: Second Battle of Artois between German and French forces.
- 1918World War I: Germans repel the British’s second attempt to blockade the port of Ostend, Belgium.
- 1920Polish-Soviet War: The Polish army under General Edward Rydz-Śmigły celebrates its capture of Kiev with a victory parade on Khreschatyk.
- 1926Admiral Richard E. Byrd and Floyd Bennett claim to have flown over the North Pole (later discovery of Byrd’s diary seems to indicate that this did not happen).
- 1927The Australian Parliament first convenes in Canberra.
- 1936Italy formally annexes Ethiopia after taking the capital Addis Ababa on May 5.
- 1940World War II: The German submarine U-9 sinks the French coastal submarine Doris near Den Helder.
- 1941World War II: The German submarine U-110 is captured by the Royal Navy. On board is the latest Enigma cryptography machine which Allied cryptographers later use to break coded German messages.
- 1942Holocaust: The SS murders 588 Jewish residents of the Podolian town of Zinkiv (Khmelnytska oblast, Ukraine). The Zoludek Ghetto (in Belarus) is destroyed and all its inhabitants murdered or deported.
- 1945World War II: Ratification in Berlin-Karlshorst of the German unconditional surrender of May 8 in Rheims, France, with the signatures of Marshal Georgy Zhukov for the Soviet Union, and for the Western Headquarters Sir Arthur Tedder, British Air Marshal and Eisenhower’s deputy, and for the German side of Colonel-General Hans-Jürgen Stumpff as the representative of the Luftwaffe, Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel as the Chief of Staff of OKW, and Admiral Hans-Georg von Friedeburg as Commander-in-Chief of the Kriegsmarine.
- 1945World War II: The Channel Islands are liberated by the British after five years of German occupation.
- 1946King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy abdicates and is succeeded by Humbert II.
- 1948Czechoslovakia’s Ninth-of-May Constitution comes into effect.
- 1949Rainier III of Monaco becomes Prince of Monaco.
- 1950Robert Schuman presents his proposal on the creation of an organized Europe, which according to him was indispensable to the maintenance of peaceful relations. This proposal, known as the “Schuman declaration”, is considered by some people to be the beginning of the creation of what is now the European Union.
- 1955Cold War: West Germany joins NATO.
- 1960The Food and Drug Administration announces it will approve birth control as an additional indication for Searle’s Enovid, making Enovid the world’s first approved oral contraceptive pill.
- 1961Jim Gentile of the Baltimore Orioles becomes the first player in baseball history to hit grand slams in consecutive innings.
- 1964Ngo Dinh Can, de facto ruler of central Vietnam under his brother President Ngo Dinh Diem before the family’s toppling, is executed.
- 1969Carlos Lamarca leads the first urban guerrilla action against the military dictatorship of Brazil in São Paulo, by robbing two banks.
- 1970Vietnam War: In Washington, D.C., 75,000 to 100,000 war protesters demonstrate in front of the White House.
- 1974Watergate Scandal: The United States House of Representatives Judiciary Committee opens formal and public impeachment hearings against President Richard Nixon.
- 1979Iranian Jewish businessman Habib Elghanian is executed by firing squad in Tehran, prompting the mass exodus of the once 100,000 member strong Jewish community of Iran.
- 1980In Florida, Liberian freighter MV Summit Venture collides with the Sunshine Skyway Bridge over Tampa Bay, making a 1,400-ft. section of the southbound span collapse. 35 people in six cars and a Greyhound bus fall 150 ft. into the water and die.
- 1980In Norco, California, five masked gunman hold up a Security Pacific bank, leading to a violent shoot-out and one of the largest pursuits in California history. Two of the gunmen and one police officer are killed and thirty-three police and civilian vehicles are destroyed in the chase.
- 1987A Polish LOT Ilyushin IL-62M “Tadeusz Kościuszko” (SP-LBG) crashes after takeoff in Warsaw, Poland, killing 183 people.
- 1992Armenian forces capture Shusha, marking a major turning point in the Karabakh War.
- 2001In Ghana 129 football fans die in what became known as the Accra Sports Stadium Disaster. The deaths are caused by a stampede (caused by the firing of teargas by police personnel at the stadium) that followed a controversial decision by the referee.
- 2002In Kaspiysk, Russia, a remote-controlled bomb explodes during a holiday parade killing 43 and injuring at least 130.
- 2002The 38-day stand-off in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem comes to an end when the Palestinians inside agree to have 13 suspected terrorists among them deported to several different countries.
- 2004Chechen president Akhmad Kadyrov is killed by a land mine under a VIP stage during a World War II memorial victory parade in Grozny, Chechnya.
- 2006Estonia ratifies the European Constitution.
Who Were Born On May 9?
- 1147Minamoto no Yoritomo, Japanese shogun (d. 1199)
- 1741Giovanni Paisiello, Italian composer (d. 1816)
- 1800John Brown, American abolitionist (d. 1859)
- 1801Peter Hesketh-Fleetwood, English Member of Parliament and developer (d. 1866)
- 1837Adam Opel, German engineer and industrialist (d. 1895)
- 1860J. M. Barrie, Scottish author (d. 1937)
- 1866Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Leader of Indian Independence Movement (d. 1915)
- 1873Anton Cermak, Mayor of Chicago (d. 1933)
- 1874Howard Carter, British archaeologist (d. 1939)
- 1882George Barker, American painter (d. 1965)
- 1882Henry J. Kaiser, American shipbuilder (d. 1967)
- 1883José Ortega y Gasset, Spanish philosopher (d. 1955)
- 1886Francis Biddle, United States Attorney General (d. 1968)
- 1888Rolf de Maré, Swedish art collector and museum director (d. 1964)
- 1892Zita of Bourbon-Parma, Empress of Austria-Hungary (d. 1989)
- 1893William Moulton Marston, American psychologist, writer (co-creator, Wonder Woman) (d. 1947)
- 1895Lucian Blaga, Romanian poet, playwright, and philosopher (d. 1961)
- 1895Richard Barthelmess, American actor (d. 1963)
- 1907Baldur von Schirach, Nazi official (d. 1974)
- 1907Fred Warngård, Swedish athlete (d. 1950)
- 1907Kathryn Kuhlman, famed evangelist (d. 1976)
- 1908Mary Goldsmith, American ceramist (d. 2007)
- 1909Don Messer, Canadian country musician (d. 1973)
- 1912Géza Ottlik, Hungarian writer (d. 1990)
- 1912Pedro Armendáriz, Mexican actor (d. 1963)
- 1912Per Imerslund, Norwegian writer (d. 1943)
- 1914Carlo Maria Giulini, Italian musician and conductor (d. 2005)
- 1914Denham Fouts, American male prostitute and socialite (d. 1948)
- 1914Hank Snow, American country music singer and songwriter (d. 1999)
- 1918Mike Wallace, American journalist
- 1918Moisis Michail Bourlas, Greek member of the World War II resistance (d. 2011)
- 1918Orville L. Freeman, American politician (d. 2003)
- 1919Arthur English, English actor and comedian (d. 1995)
- 1920Richard Adams, English author
- 1920William Tenn, American author (d. 2010)
- 1921Daniel Berrigan, American peace activist
- 1921Mona Van Duyn, American poet (d. 2004)
- 1921Sophie Scholl, resistance fighter in Nazi Germany (d. 1943)
- 1923Johnny Grant, American radio personality, television producer (d. 2008)
- 1924Bulat Okudzhava, Russian writer and musician (d. 1997)
- 1927Manfred Eigen, German biophysicist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry
- 1928Barbara Ann Scott, Canadian figure skater
- 1928Pancho Gonzales, American tennis player (d. 1995)
- 1928Ralph Goings, American painter
- 1929Kay Dotrice, British actress (d. 2007)
- 1930Joan Sims, British actress (d. 2001)
- 1930Kalifa Tillisi, Libyan writer and linguist
- 1931Vance Brand, American astronaut
- 1932Geraldine McEwan, English actress
- 1933Jessica Steele, English romance novelist
- 1934Alan Bennett, British author
- 1935Nokie Edwards, American guitarist (The Ventures)
- 1935Roger Hargreaves, English children’s author (Mr. Men) (d. 1988)
- 1936Albert Finney, British actor
- 1936Glenda Jackson, English actress and politician
- 1937David Prater, American singer (Sam & Dave) (d. 1988)
- 1937José Rafael Moneo, Spanish architect
- 1937Sonny Curtis, American singer, songwriter, guitarist
- 1938Charles Simic, Yugoslavian-born poet, 15th Poet Laureate of the United States
- 1939Ion Ţiriac, Romanian tennis manager
- 1939Pierre Desproges, French humorist (d. 1988)
- 1939Ralph Boston, American athlete
- 1940James L. Brooks, American film producer and writer
- 1941Pete Birrell, British bass guitarist
- 1942Jerry Buchek, American baseball players
- 1942John Ashcroft, United States Attorney General
- 1942Tommy Roe, American singer and songwriter
- 1943Anders Isaksson, Swedish journalist, writer, and historian (d. 2009)
- 1943Vince Cable, British politician
- 1944Laurence Owen, American figure skater (d. 1961)
- 1944Richie Furay, American musician (Poco and Buffalo Springfield)
- 1945Steve Katz, American musician (Blood, Sweat & Tears)
- 1946Candice Bergen, American actress
- 1946Clint Holmes, English-born American singer and songwriter
- 1948Calvin Murphy, American basketball player
- 1948Hans Georg Bock, German mathematician
- 1949Billy Joel, American musician
- 1950Tom Petersson, American bass guitarist (Cheap Trick)
- 1951Alley Mills, American actress
- 1953Amy Hill, American actress
- 1953Bruno Brokken, Belgian high jumper
- 1954Lawrence Dutton, American violist
- 1955Anne Sofie von Otter, Swedish mezzo-soprano
- 1955Kevin Peter Hall, American actor (d. 1991)
- 1956Wendy Crewson, Canadian actress
- 1960Tony Gwynn, American baseball player
- 1961Sean Altman, American singer (Rockapella)
- 1962Dave Gahan, English singer (Depeche Mode)
- 1962John Corbett, American actor
- 1962Paul Heaton, English singer/songwriter (Beautiful South)
- 1963Sanja Doležal, Croatian singer (Novi fosili)
- 1965Janu Tornell, American model and Survivor contestant
- 1965Ken Nomura, Japanese racing driver
- 1965Steve Yzerman, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1966Mark Tinordi, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1968David Benoit, American basketball player
- 1968Marie-José Pérec, French athlete
- 1969Amber, Dutch musician
- 1969Hudson Leick, American actress
- 1970Doug Christie, American basketball player
- 1970Ghostface Killah, American rapper
- 1971Paul McGuigan, English bassist (Oasis)
- 1972Dana Perino, former White House press secretary
- 1972Daniela Silivaş, Romanian gymnast and Olympic Champion
- 1972Lisa Ann, American Pornographic Actress
- 1972Megumi Odaka, Japanese actress and artist
- 1973Chu Sang-mi, South Korean actress
- 1974Dylan Lauren,American businesswoman & daughter of fashion designer Ralph Lauren
- 1975Brian Deegan, freestyle motocross innovator
- 1975Chris Diamantopoulos, Canadian actor
- 1975Lane Kiffin, American football coach
- 1975Tamia, Canadian singer
- 1976Christos Marangos, Greek-Cypriot footballer
- 1977Choi Jeong-yoon, South Korean actress
- 1977Iñigo Landaluze, Spanish cyclist
- 1977Maggie Dixon, American college basketball coach (d. 2006)
- 1978Aaron Harang, American baseball player
- 1978Leandro Damián Cufré, Argentine footballer
- 1978Santiago Dellapè, Argentine-born Italian rugby player
- 1979Andrew W.K., American musician
- 1979Brandon Webb, American baseball player
- 1979Dionysis Boukouvalas, Greek composer, pianist and musicologist
- 1979Matt Morris, American singer-songwriter
- 1979Pierre Bouvier, Canadian musician (Simple Plan)
- 1979Rosario Dawson, American actress
- 1980Angela Nikodinov, American figure skater
- 1980Grant Hackett, Australian swimmer
- 1980Jo Hyeon-jae, South Korean actor
- 1980Tony Schmidt, German racing driver
- 1981Bill Murphy, American baseball player
- 1981Evangelos Tsiolis, Greek footballer
- 1981Yu Yokoyama, Japanese actor and singer
- 1982Rachel Boston, American actress
- 1983Gilles Müller, Luxembourgian tennis player
- 1983Leandro Rinaudo, Italian footballer
- 1983Ryuhei Matsuda, Japanese actor
- 1983Tyler Lumsden, American baseball player
- 1984Prince Fielder, American baseball player
- 1985Audrina Patridge, American actress
- 1985Henrique, Brazilian soccer player
- 1985Jake Long, American football player
- 1988John Ryan Fitzpatrick, Canadian race truck driver
- 1992Chris Gutierrez, Filipino actor
- 1993Ryosuke Yamada, Japanese actor and singer
- 1997Zane Huett, American actor
Who Died On May 9?
- 1315Hugh V, Duke of Burgundy (b. 1282)
- 1446Mary of Enghien, Queen of Naples (b. 1368)
- 1657William Bradford, Governor of Plymouth Colony (b. 1590)
- 1707Dieterich Buxtehude, German composer
- 1745Tomaso Antonio Vitali, Italian violinist and composer(b. 1663)
- 1747John Dalrymple, 2nd Earl of Stair, Scottish soldier and diplomat (b. 1673)
- 1760Nicolaus Ludwig Zinzendorf, German religious and social reformer (b. 1700)
- 1789Jean Baptiste Vaquette de Gribeauval, French artillery specialist (b. 1715)
- 1790William Clingan, American delegate to the Continental Congress
- 1791Francis Hopkinson, American signer of the Declaration of Independence (b. 1737)
- 1805Friedrich Schiller, German poet and historian (b. 1759)
- 1861Peter Ernst von Lasaulx, German philosopher and writer (b. 1805)
- 1889William S. Harney, U.S. general (b. 1800)
- 1914C.W. Post, American food manufacturer (b. 1854)
- 1915François Faber, Luxembourgish cyclist (b. 1887)
- 1918George Coşbuc, Romanian poet (b. 1866)
- 1931Albert Abraham Michelson, German-born physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1852)
- 1938Thomas B. Thrige, Danish industrialist (b. 1866)
- 1949Prince Louis II of Monaco (b. 1870)
- 1950Esteban Terradas i Illa, Catalan mathematician, scientist, and engineer (b. 1883)
- 1955Kate Booth, oldest daughter of William and Catherine Booth (b. 1858)
- 1957Ezio Pinza, Italian bass (b. 1892)
- 1957Sir Ernest de Silva, Sri Lankan Philanthropist (b. 1887)
- 1964Rico Lebrun, Italian-American painter and sculptor (b. 1900)
- 1965Leopold Figl, Austrian politician (b. 1902)
- 1968Finlay Currie, British actor (b. 1878)
- 1968Marion Lorne, American actress (b. 1885)
- 1968Mercedes de Acosta, American poet, playwright, costume designer, and socialite (b. 1893)
- 1970Andrew Watson Myles, Canadian politician (b. 1884)
- 1970Walter Reuther, American labor leader (b. 1907)
- 1976Jens Bjørneboe, Norwegian author (b. 1920)
- 1976Ulrike Meinhof, German communist militant (b. 1934)
- 1977James Jones, American writer (b. 1921)
- 1978Aldo Moro, Prime Minister of Italy: 1963-1968, 1974-1976 (b. 1916)
- 1979Cyrus Eaton, Canadian-American businessman and industrialist (b. 1883)
- 1981Ralph Allen, English footballer (b. 1906)
- 1985Edmond O'Brien, American actor (b. 1915)
- 1986Tenzing Norgay, Nepalese sherpa and 1st sherpa to climb Mt. Everest (b. 1914)
- 1989Keith Whitley, American country music singer (b. 1955)
- 1993Jacques Dextraze, French Canadian military officer (b. 1919)
- 1994Elias Motsoaledi, South African freedom fighter (b. 1924)
- 1997Marco Ferreri, Italian film director (b. 1928)
- 1997Rawya Ateya, Egyptian politician and first female parliamentarian in the Arab world (b. 1926)
- 1998Alice Faye, American actress (b. 1915)
- 1998Rommie Loudd, former American football player, coach, and executive (b. 1933)
- 1998Talat Mahmood, Indian singer (b. 1924)
- 2000Arthur Davis, American animator (b. 1905)
- 2001James E. Myers, American songwriter (Rock Around the Clock) and producer (b. 1919)
- 2002Dan Devine, American football coach (b. 1924)
- 2003Russell B. Long, U.S. Senator from Louisiana (b. 1918)
- 2004Akhmad Kadyrov, Chechen president (b. 1951)
- 2004Alan King, American comedian (b. 1927)
- 2005Nasrat Parsa, Afghan singer (b. 1969)
- 2007Dwight Wilson, second-to-last Canadian World War I veteran (b. 1901)
- 2007Edith Rodriguez, woman refused emergency room treatment for gastrointestinal perforation (b. 1964)
- 2008Jack Gibson, Australian rugby league footballer and coach (b. 1929)
- 2008Nuala O'Faolain, Irish journalist (b. 1942)
- 2009Chuck Daly, American basketball coach (b. 1930)
- 2009Evgenios Spatharis, Greek shadow theatre artist (b. 1924)
- 2010Lena Horne, American singer and actress (b. 1917)
- 2010Otakar Motejl, Czechoslvakian politician (b. 1932)
- 2011Wouter Weylandt, Belgian cyclist (b. 1984)
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