What Happened on December 9
Important Events
- 536 Byzantine General Belisarius enters Rome while the Ostrogothic garrison peacefully leaves the city, returning the old capital to its empire
- 1212 Frederick II (later also Holy Roman Emperor) crowned King of Germany in Mainz
- 1968 NLS (a system for which hypertext and the computer mouse were developed) is publicly demonstrated for the first time in San Francisco.
- 1990 Lech Wałęsa wins Poland's 1st direct presidential election in Poland
- 1992 Operation Restore Hope: US Marines land in Somalia
Dec 9 in Film & TV
- 1960 1st broadcast of "Coronation Street" on British ITV
Dec 9 in Music
- 1964 John Coltrane's Quartet records their greatest work "A Love Supreme" at Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
Dec 9 in Sport
- 1978 1st game of Women's Pro Basketball League (WBL), Chicago Hustle vs Milwaukee Does
Did You Know?
Alfred Tennyson's poem "Charge of the Light Brigade" is published in "The Examiner"
On December 9, 1854
Famous Birthdays
John Milton
(1608 - 1674)- Clarence Birdseye
(1886 - 1956) - Margaret Hamilton
(1902 - 1985) - Grace Hopper
(1906 - 1992) - Kirk Douglas
(1916 - 2020) - Judi Dench
85 Years Old
John Milton
Clarence Birdseye
Margaret Hamilton
Grace Hopper
Kirk Douglas
Judi DenchWould You Believe?
The first traffic lights are installed outside the Palace of Westminster in London. Resembling railway signals, they use semaphore arms and are illuminated at night by red and green gas lamps.
On December 9, 1868
Famous Weddings
- 1883 Poet Rabindranath Tagore (22) weds Mrinalini Devi in an arranged marriage
- 1956 NBA player Bill Russell (22) weds college sweetheart Rose Swisher
- 1956 Prime Minister of Australia Malcolm Fraser (26) weds Tamie Beggs (20)
Famous Divorces
- 1929 Businessman Howard Hughes divorces 1st wife Ella Rice after 4 years of marriage
- 1937 Writer Walter Lippmann (48) divorces first wife Faye Albertson after 20 years of marriage
- 1982 Mary-Beth & William Hurt divorce
Gustaf Dalén
Branch Rickey
Ralph Bunche
Mary Leakey
Archie Moore
Jenni RiveraArticles, Photos and Quiz
Coronation Street, King of the Soaps
Thought to have no great future when launched on this day, Coronation Street still reigns supreme
December 9, 1960Operation Restore Hope
A US helicopter flies over Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, during Restore Hope in December 1995
December 9, 1992Weekly Quiz for December 9 - 15
Which country was Lech Wałęsa elected President of? Which British monarch abdicated their throne in 1936? Who headed the 1st expedition to the South Pole?
December in History
Real-life Tragedy for Theatrical Family
On this day a tragedy engulfed one of Britain’s noted theatrical families of the early 20th century.
December 8, 1926King Abdicates for Love of Wallis Simpson
On this day King Edward VIII gave up his throne so that he could marry the twice-divorced Wallis Simpson. It was the first time a British king had abdicated.
December 10, 1936Explosive Background to the Nobel Prize
Albert Nobel died on this day. His unique Nobel Prize legacy rewarded pioneers in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, peace, and economics.
December 10, 1896Marconi's Dream: Telegraphy Without Wires
Italian radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi's career received a big boost on this day with backing from the British Post Office.
December 11, 1896
