Today March 9th 2009 this day in history Read more below to view events, deaths, births, Holidays observances and video clips. Last database updated: Jan 17th, 2009
Events
590 – Bahram Chobin is crowned as king Barham VI of Persia.
1230 – Bulgarian tsar Ivan Asen II defeats Theodore of Epirus near the village of Klokotnitsa.
1276 – Augsburg becomes an Imperial Free City.
1500 – The fleet of Pedro Alvares Cabral leaves Lisbon for the Indies. The fleet will discover the sea route to Brazil, already Portuguese since the treaty of Tordesillas in 1494.
1566 – David Rizzio, the private secretary to Mary I of Scotland, is murdered in the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh, Scotland.
1765 – After a public campaign by the writer Voltaire, judges in Paris posthumously exonerate Jean Calas of murdering his son. Calas had been tortured and executed in 1762 on the charge, though his son had actually committed suicide.
1776 – Publication of the economics book The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith.
1796 – Napoléon Bonaparte marries his first wife, Joséphine de Beauharnais.
1834 – French Foreign Legion is founded.
1841 – The Supreme Court of the United States rules in the Amistad case, concerning captive Africans who seized control of the slave-trading ship carrying them: the court rules that they had been taken into slavery illegally.
1842 – Giuseppe Verdi s third opera Nabucco premieres in Milan; its success establishes Verdi as one of Italy s foremost opera writers.
1847 – Mexican-American War: United States forces under General Winfield Scott invade Mexico near Vera Cruz.
1856 – Sigma Alpha Epsilon is founded in the Johnston Mansion House on the University of Alabama
1862 – American Civil War: The first battle between two ironclad warships, a five-hour battle near Hampton Roads, Virginia between the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia, results in a draw.
1896 – Prime Minister Francesco Crispi resigns following the Italian defeat at the Battle of Adowa.
1908 – Inter Milan is founded.
1910 – The Westmoreland County Coal Strike, involving 15,000 coal miners represented by the United Mine Workers, begins.
1916 – Pancho Villa leads 1,500 Mexican raiders in an attack against Columbus, New Mexico, killing 17.
1924 – Italy annexes Fiume.
1925 – Pink s War, the first RAF operation conducted independently of the Army or Navy, begins.
1932 – The Egyptian University rector Ahmed Lotfy El-Said resigns in protest of the transfer of Dr.Taha Hussein without the University s permission. In 2003, an academic group called March 9 is established in Egypt to defend academic rights and university independence.
1932 – The first Ford Flathead engine leaves the assembly line at Ford Motor Company.
1933 – Great Depression: The United States Congress begins its first 100 days of enacting New Deal legislation. President Franklin D. Roosevelt submits the Emergency Banking Act to the Congress.
1935 – Adolf Hitler announces the creation of a new air force.
1945 – World War II: Bombing of Tokyo – American B-29 bombers attack Tokyo, Japan with incendiary bombs. The resulting fire storm kills over 100,000 people. The attack begins March 9 and continues into March 10.
1954 – McCarthyism: CBS television broadcasts the See It Now episode, A Report on Senator Joseph McCarthy, produced by Fred Friendly.
1957 – The magnitude 8.6 1957 Andreanof Islands Earthquake and tsunami occurs.
1959 – The Barbie doll debuts.
1967 – Joseph Stalin s daughter Svetlana Alliluyeva defects to the United States.
1967 – Trans World Airlines Flight 553, a Douglas DC-9-15, crashes in a field in Concord Township, Ohio following a mid-air collision with a Beechcraft Baron, killing 25.
1975 – Construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System begins.
1976 – Forty-two people die in a Cavalese cable-car disaster, the worst cable-car accident to date.
1977 – The 1977 Hanafi Muslim Siege: Approximately a dozen armed Hanafi Muslims take over three buildings in Washington, D.C., killing two people and taking more than 130 hostages. The hostage situation ends two days later.
1984 – The Competitive Enterprise Institute in founded in Washington, D.C.
1986 – United States Navy divers find the largely intact but heavily-damaged crew compartment of the Space Shuttle Challenger. The bodies of all seven astronauts were still inside.
1989 – A strike forces financially-troubled Eastern Air Lines into bankruptcy.
1990 – Dr. Antonia Novello is sworn in as Surgeon General of the United States, becoming the first female and Hispanic American to serve in that position.
1990 – Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, Clyde Wells confirms he will rescind Newfoundland and Labrador s approval of the Meech Lake Accord to amend Canada s constitution, effectively killing the Accord.
1991 – Massive demonstrations are held against Slobodan Miloševic in Belgrade. Two people are killed and tanks are in the streets.
1993 – Rodney King testifies at the federal trial of four Los Angeles, California police officers accused of violating King s civil rights when they beat him during an arrest.
2006 – Liquid water is discovered on Enceladus, the sixth largest moon of Saturn.
2007 – The US Justice Department releases an internal audit that found that the Federal Bureau of Investigation had acted illegally in its use of the USA Patriot Act to secretly obtain personal information about US citizens.
Births
1213 – Hugh IV, Duke of Burgundy, French crusader (d. 1271)
1285 – Emperor Go-Nijo of Japan (d. 1318)
1454 – Amerigo Vespucci, Italian explorer and cartographer (d. 1512)
1564 – David Fabricius, German astronomer (d. 1617)
1568 – Aloysius Gonzaga, Italian saint (d. 1591)
1629 – Tsar Alexis I of Russia (d. 1676)
1720 – Philip Yorke, 2nd Earl of Hardwicke, English politician (d. 1790)
1737 – Josef Myslivecek, Czech composer (d. 1781)
1749 – Honore Mirabeau, French writer and politician (d. 1791)
1753 – Jean-Baptiste Kleber, French general (d. 1800)
1758 – Franz Joseph Gall, German neuroscientist (d. 1828)
1763 – William Cobbett, English journalist and author (d. 1835)
1806 – Edwin Forrest, American actor and philanthropist (d. 1872)
1814 – Taras Shevchenko, Ukrainian poet (d. 1861)
1815 – David Davis, Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (d. 1886)
1820 – Samuel Blatchford, Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (d. 1893)
1825 – Alexander F. Mozhaiski, Russian aviation pioneer (d. 1890)
1833 – Frederick A. Schroeder, tobacco industrialist and mayor of Brooklyn (d. 1899)
1839 – Phoebe Knapp, American hymn writer (d. 1908)
1856 – Eddie Foy, American singer and dancer (d. 1928)
1887 – Phil Mead, English cricketeer (d. 1958)
1887 – Fritz Lenz, German geneticist (d. 1976)
1890 – Vyacheslav Molotov, Russian politician (d. 1986)
1891 – José P. Laurel, 3rd President of the Philippines (d. 1959)
1892 – Vita Sackville-West, English writer and gardener (d. 1962)
1894 – Frank Arnau, German writer (d. 1976)
1900 – Howard Aiken, American computing pioneer (d. 1973)
1900 – Tomislav II of Croatia, 4th Duke of Aosta, Italian aristocrat (d. 1948)
1902 – Will Geer, American actor (d. 1978)
1904 – Paul Klipsch, American engineer, noted for his loudspeaker designs. (d. 2002)
1909 – Derk Bodde, American sinologist (d. 2003)
1910 – Samuel Barber, American composer (d. 1981)
1915 – Johnnie Johnson, British fighter pilot (d. 2001)
1918 – George Lincoln Rockwell, founder and leader of the American Nazi Party (d. 1967)
1918 – Mickey Spillane, American writer (d. 2006)
1921 – Carl Betz, American actor (d. 1978)
1921 – Dimitris Horn, Greek actor (d. 1998)
1923 – Walter Kohn, Austrian-born physicist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry
1928 – Gerald Bull, Canadian long range artillery designer (d. 1990)
1929 – Desmond Hoyte, Prime Minister and President of Guyana (d. 2002)
1930 – Ornette Coleman, American musician
1931 – Thore Skogman, Swedish entertainer (d. 2007)
1932 – Keely Smith, American singer
1932 – Walter Mercado, Puerto Rican astrologist and actor
1933 – Mel Lastman, Canadian politician
1933 – Lloyd Price, American singer
1934 – Yuri Gagarin, Soviet cosmonaut (d. 1968)
1934 – Del Close, American actor, improviser, writer, and teacher (d. 1999)
1934 – Marlene Streit, Canadian golfer
1934 – Joyce Van Patten, American actress
1935 – Andrew Viterbi, American telecommunications scientist and businessman
1936 – Tom Sestak, American football player (d. 1987)
1936 – Mickey Gilley, American musician and singer
1937 – Bernard Landry, Premier of Quebec from 2001-2003
1937 – Brian Redman, English racing driver
1938 – Lill-Babs, Swedish singer
1940 – Raúl Juliá, Puerto Rican actor (d. 1994)
1941 – Ernesto Miranda, American litigant (d. 1976)
1942 – John Cale, Welsh musician (The Velvet Underground)
1942 – Mark Lindsay, American singer/musician (Paul Revere & The Raiders)
1943 – Bobby Fischer, American chess player (d. 2008)
1943 – Charles Gibson, American television journalist
1943 – Trish Van Devere, American actress
1943 – Colin Murdock, American voice actor
1945 – Robert Calvert, English singer (Hawkwind) (d. 1988)
1945 – Dennis Rader, American serial killer
1945 – Robin Trower, British rock musician
1946 – Jim Cregan, British rock musician
1947 – Keri Hulme, New Zealandic writer
1948 – Jeffrey Osborne, American singer
1948 – Emma Bonino, Italian politician
1949 – Tapani Kansa, Finnish singer
1950 – Doug Ault, baseball player (d. 2004)
1950 – Danny Sullivan, American race car driver
1951 – Zakir Hussain, World famous tabla player from India
1951 – Michael Kinsley, American journalist and editor
1951 – Helen Zille, South African politician
1952 – Bill Beaumont, English rugby player
1954 – Bobby Sands, IRA member (d. 1981)
1955 – Teo Fabi, Italian racing driver
1955 – Ornella Muti, Italian actress
1956 – Shashi Tharoor, Indian author & United Nations Under-Secretary General
1956 – Mark Dantonio, Michigan State University American football coach
1956 – David Willetts, UK Shadow Secretary for Education (Conservative)
1957 – Mark Mancina, American composer
1957 – Faith Daniels, American journalist
1957 – Mona Sahlin, Swedish politician
1958 – Linda Fiorentino, American actress
1958 – Martin Fry, English pop singer (ABC)
1958 – Jack Kenny, American television writer and producer
1961 – Mike Leach, American college football coach
1961 – Robert Rechsteiner, US professional wrestler (Rick Steiner)
1961 – Camryn Manheim, American actress
1962 – Jan Furtok, Polish footballer
1963 – Sean Salisbury, American football player
1963 – Terry Mulholland, American baseball player
1963 – David Pogue, Technology columnist and musician
1964 – Juliette Binoche, French actress
1964 – Phil Housley, American ice hockey player
1964 – Herbert Fandel, German football referee
1965 – Brian Bosworth, American football player
1965 – Benito Santiago, Puerto Rican baseball player
1966 – Brendan Canty, American musician (Fugazi)
1966 – Tony Lockett, Australian Rules Footballer
1966 – Michael Patrick MacDonald, American memorist
1968 – Youri Djorkaeff, French footballer
1968 – Johnny Kelly, American drummer (Type O Negative)
1968 – Brian Heidik, American reality-show contestant
1969 – Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, American basketball player
1969 – Stefie Shock, Quebec singer and songwriter
1970 – Martin Johnson, English rugby player
1970 – Shannon Leto, American drummer and occasional actor (30 Seconds to Mars)
1971 – Emmanuel Lewis, American actor
1971 – C Miller, American rapper
1971 – Diego Torres, Argentine singer
1972 – Spencer Howson, Australian radio broadcaster
1972 – Kerr Smith, American actor
1973 – Aaron Boone, American baseball player
1975 – Roy Makaay, Dutch footballer
1975 – Juan Sebastián Verón, Argentine footballer
1976 – Thor Halvorssen, human rights activist
1976 – Ben Mulroney, Canadian television host
1977 – Yamila Diaz, Argentine supermodel
1977 – Radek Dvorák, Czech hockey player
1978 – Lucas Neill, Australian footballer
1979 – Chingy, American rapper
1979 – Melina Perez, WWE Diva
1980 – Trent Croad, Australian rules footballer
1980 – Matthew Gray Gubler, American actor, film director, sketch artist, and former fashion model.
1981 – Antonio Bryant, American football player
1981 – Anders Nøhr, Danish footballer
1981 – Clay Rapada, American baseball player
1982 – Paul Ballard, English television presenter
1983 – Clint Dempsey, American footballer
1983 – Maite Perroni, singer in the Latin pop group RBD
1983 – Wayne Simien, American basketball player
1985 – Parthiv Patel, Indian Cricket Player
1984 – Julia Mancuso, American Olympic gold medalist
1986 – Brittany Snow, American actress
1987 – Bow Wow, American rapper and actor
1989 – Christina Broccolini, Canadian TV presenter
1992 – Luis Armand Garcia, American actor
1996 – Darsheel Safary, Indian actor
Deaths
1202 – King Sverre of Norway
1422 – Jan Zelivsky, Hussite priest (b. 1380)
1440 – St Frances of Rome, Italian nun (b. 1384)
1566 – David Rizzio, Italian secretary of Mary I of Scotland (b. 1533)
1649 – James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton, Scottish statesman (b. 1606)
1649 – Henry Rich, 1st Earl of Holland, English soldier (executed) (b. 1590)
1661 – Jules Cardinal Mazarin, French cardinal and statesman (b. 1602)
1709 – Ralph Montagu, 1st Duke of Montagu, English diplomat
1808 – Joseph Bonomi the Elder, architect (b. 1739)
1810 – Ozias Humphrey, English artist (b. 1842)
1851 – Hans Christian Ørsted, Danish physicist (b. 1777)
1888 – William I, German Emperor (b. 1797)
1897 – Sondre Norheim, Norwegian skier (b. 1825)
1918 – Frank Wedekind, writer
1937 – Paul Elmer More, American critic and essayist (b. 1864)
1954 – Eva Ahnert-Rohlfs, German astronomer (b. 1912)
1954 – V. Walfrid Ekman, Swedish oceanographer (b. 1874)
1960 – Jack Beattie, Northern Irish politician (b. 1886)
1964 – Paul Erich von Lettow-Vorbeck, German general (b. 1870)
1966 – Pablo Birger, Argentine racing driver (b. 1924)
1971 – Pope Cyril VI of Alexandria, Coptic Orthodox Patriarch (b. 1902)
1974 – Earl Wilbur Sutherland Jr., American physiologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1915)
1975 – Gleb W. Derujinsky, Russian-American sculptor (b. 1888)
1983 – Faye Emerson, American actress (b. 1917)
1983 – Ulf von Euler, Swedish physiologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1905)
1989 – Robert Mapplethorpe, American artist (b. 1946)
1991 – Jim Hardin, former Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves pitcher (b. 1943)
1992 – Menachem Begin, Prime Minister of Israel, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1913)
1993 – C. Northcote Parkinson, British historian and writer (b. 1909)
1993 – Bob Crosby, American bandleader and vocalist (b. 1913)
1994 – Charles Bukowski, American writer (b. 1920)
1994 – Fernando Rey, Spanish-born actor (b. 1917)
1994 – Eddie Creatchman, Canadian wrestler manager (b. 1928)
1996 – George Burns, American actor and singer (b. 1896)
1997 – The Notorious B.I.G., American rapper (b. 1972)
1999 – Harry Somers, Canadian composer (b. 1925)
2000 – Ivo Robic, Croatian singer and songwriter (b. 1923)
2003 – Stan Brakhage, American filmmaker (b. 1933)
2003 – Bernard Dowiyogo, President of Nauru (b. 1946)
2004 – Albert Mol, Dutch actor (b. 1917)
2004 – Dr. Gerald Deskin, Ph.D., clinical child psychologist (b. 1929)
2004 – Robert Pastorelli, American actor (b. 1954)
2004 – Rust Epique, former Crazy Town guitarist (b. 1968)
2005 – Chris LeDoux, American country singer (b. 1948)
2005 – Kurt Lotz, German business executive, second postwar CEO of Volkswagen (b. 1912)
2005 – István Nyers, Hungarian footballer (b. 1924)
2005 – Jeanette Schmid, Austrian professional whistler; aka Baroness Lips von Lipstrill (b. 1924)
2006 – John Profumo, British cabinet minister (b. 1915)
2006 – Geir Ivarsøy, Norwegian programmer, co-founder of Opera Software ASA (b. 1957)
2006 – Laura Stoica, Romanian singer, composer and actress (b. 1967)
2007 – Brad Delp, American singer (Boston) (b. 1951)
2007 – Glen Harmon, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1921)
2007 – Jeanne Hopkins Lucas, North Carolina politician (b. unknown)
Holidays and observances
Belize – Baron Bliss Day.