Historical Events
- 1483 Edward V (aged 12) succeeds his father Edward IV as king of England. He is never crowned, and disappears presumed murdered, after incarceration in the Tower of London with his younger brother Richard (the "Princes in the Tower")
- 1731 British mariner Robert Jenkins' ear cut off by Spanish Guarde Costa in the Caribbean, later catalyst for war between Britain & Spain
- 1768 John Hancock refuses to allow two British customs agents to go below deck of his ship, considered by some to be the first act of physical resistance to British authority in the colonies
- 1865 Confederate General Robert E. Lee and 26,765 troops surrender at Appomattox Court House to US Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant ending the Civil War in North Virginia
- 1869 Hudson Bay Company cedes its territory to Canada
- 1992 John Major elected Prime Minister of the United Kingdom after his Conservative Party wins the most votes in British electoral history
- 2003 Baghdad falls to U.S. forces, ending the Invasion of Iraq, but resulting in widespread looting
- More Historical Events
Apr 9 in Film & TV
- 1976 "All the President's Men", directed by Alan J. Pakula, based on the non-fiction book by journalists Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward detailing their Watergate investigation, starring Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford, is released
Apr 9 in Music
- 2012 "The Lion King" becomes highest grossing Broadway show, overtaking "The Phantom of the Opera"
Apr 9 in Sport
- 1959 13th NBA Championship: Boston Celtics sweep Minnesota Lakers in 4 games, first of Boston Celtics record 8 straight titles
Did You Know?
Tamerlane
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Erich Ludendorff
Faisal of Saudi Arabia
Kristen Stewart
Lil Nas XFamous Weddings
- 1912 Detective writer Erle Stanley Gardner (22) weds Natalie Talbert
- 1913 US Admiral Chester Nimitz (28) weds Catherine Freeman (21) in Wollaston, Massachusetts
- 1953 Biologist Alexander Fleming (71) weds doctor Amalia Koutsouri-Vourekas (41)
Famous Divorces
- 2012 Salsa artist Marc Anthony (42) files for divorce from pop star and actress Jennifer Lopez (43) due to irreconcilable differences after 7 years of marriage; finalized in 2014
More Weddings & Divorces
Edward IV
Francis Bacon
Maria Louise van Hessen-Kassel
Frank Lloyd Wright
Willie Stargell
Prince PhilipArticles, Photos and Quiz
America’s Civil War Comes Home To Roost
On this day a surrender agreement ending the American Civil War was signed in the house of a man who had been driven out of his first home by the hostilities.
April 9, 1865
SS Libau Sets Sail
The Libau, disguised as the Aud, to avoid British detection
April 9, 1916
Weekly Quiz for April 6 - 12
What year was the 1st modern Olympics? Who established the 1st European settlement in South Africa in 1652? Did Peter the Great end a tax on beards in 1722?
