Historical events on July 9
JULY 9, 1943
World War II: The Battle of Saipan concluded after a mass Japanese suicide attack was repelled by American forces.
World War II or the Second World War was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all
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JULY 9, 551
An estimated 30,000 people died when a massive earthquake struck the Roman province of Phoenice.
The 551 Beirut earthquake occurred on 9 July with an estimated magnitude of about 7.5 on the moment magnitude scale and a
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JULY 9, 1982
A British man named Michael Fagan broke into Buckingham Palace and entered Queen Elizabeth II's bedroom when she was asleep.
Michael Fagan is a British citizen who intruded into Queen Elizabeth II's bedroom in Buckingham Palace in 1982.
(Image Credits)
"Buckingham Palace UK" by Chiugoran - CC BY-SA 3.0
JULY 9, 1937
Nitrate film being stored in a 20th Century Fox facility spontaneously combusted, destroying more than 40,000 reels of negatives and film prints.
Nitrocellulose is a highly flammable compound formed by nitrating cellulose through exposure to a mixture of nitric acid and sulfuric acid. One
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JULY 9, 1877
The inaugural Wimbledon Championship, the world's oldest tennis tournament, began in London.
The 1877 Wimbledon Championship was a men's tennis tournament held at the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, London.
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JULY 9, 1850
Following Zachary Taylor's death, Millard Fillmore became president of the United States, the last member of the Whig Party to hold that office.
Zachary Taylor was an American military officer and politician who was the 12th president of the United States, serving from 1849 until
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JULY 9, 1896
Politician William Jennings Bryan made his Cross of Gold speech advocating bimetallism, considered one of the greatest political speeches in American history.
William Jennings Bryan was an American lawyer, orator, and politician. He was a dominant force in the Democratic Party, running three times
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JULY 9, 1868
The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, including the Citizenship Clause and the Equal Protection Clause, was ratified by the minimum required twenty-eight states.
The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was adopted on July 9, 1868, as one of the Reconstruction Amendments. Considered one
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JULY 9, 1640
The Virginia Governor's Council made John Punch the first legally recognized slave in England's North American colonies.
The Governor's Council, also known as the Privy Council and Council of State, was the upper house of the legislature of the
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JULY 9, 1955
Albert Einstein, Bertrand Russell (pictured) and nine other preeminent intellectuals and scientists issued the Russell–Einstein Manifesto, calling for a conference to assess the dangers posed by weapons of mass destruction.
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who is best known for developing the theory of relativity. Einstein also made important contributions
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JULY 9, 1811
British explorer David Thompson posted a notice at the confluence of the Columbia and Snake Rivers (in modern Washington state, U.S.), claiming the area for Great Britain.
David Thompson was an Anglo-Canadian fur trader, surveyor, and cartographer, known to some native people as "Koo-Koo-Sint" or "the Stargazer". Over Thompson's
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JULY 9, 1962
The United States conducted the Starfish Prime high-altitude nuclear test, the largest nuclear explosion in outer space.
Starfish Prime was a high-altitude nuclear test conducted by the United States, a joint effort of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and
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JULY 9, 1745
War of the Austrian Succession: French victory at the Battle of Melle enabled their subsequent capture of Ghent from the Austrian Netherlands.
The War of the Austrian Succession was a European conflict fought between 1740 and 1748, primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands,
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JULY 9, 1958
An earthquake struck Lituya Bay, Alaska; the subsequent megatsunami, the largest in modern times, reached an elevation of 1,720 ft (524 m).
The 1958 Lituya Bay earthquake occurred on July 9, 1958, at 22:15:58 PST with a moment magnitude of 7.8 to 8.3 and
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JULY 9, 1995
Sri Lankan Civil War: After advising civilians to take shelter in places of worship, the Sri Lanka Air Force bombed a church in Navaly, killing at least 147 people.
The Sri Lankan civil war was a civil war fought in Sri Lanka from 1983 to 2009. Beginning on 23 July 1983,
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JULY 9, 1981
Nintendo released the arcade game Donkey Kong (cabinet pictured), which featured the debut of Mario, one of the most famous characters in video-game history.
Nintendo Co., Ltd. is a Japanese multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles.
(Image Credits)
"Headquarters of Nintendo Co., Ltd" by Tokumeigakarinoaoshima - CC BY-SA 4.0
JULY 9, 1763
The Mozart family grand tour began, presenting child prodigies Maria Anna and Wolfgang (both pictured) in Western Europe.
The Mozart family grand tour was a journey through western Europe, undertaken by Leopold Mozart, his wife Anna Maria, and their children
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JULY 9, 1790
Russo-Swedish War: During the Battle of Svensksund in the Baltic Sea, the Swedish Navy captured a third of the Russian fleet.
The Russo-Swedish War of 1788–1790 was fought between Sweden and Russia from June 1788 to August 1790. The war was ended by
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