On This Day: 9 May

9 May in world history

• 2023Pakistani protests: Riots broke out following the arrest of former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan.
• 2022Russo-Ukrainian war: United States President Joe Biden signs the 2022 Lend-Lease Act into law, a rebooted World War II-era policy attempting to expedite American equipment to Ukraine and other Eastern European countries.
• 2018Barisan Nasional, the coalition that had governed Malaysia since the country's independence in 1957, suffer a historic defeat in the 2018 Malaysian general election.
• 1980Part of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Florida collapsed after a pier was struck by MV Summit Venture, killing 35 people.
• 1979Prominent Iranian Jew Habib Elghanian was executed after having been convicted by a revolutionary tribunal of various charges, triggering a mass exodus of Jews from Iran.
• 1974Watergate scandal: The United States House Committee on the Judiciary opens formal and public impeachment hearings against President Richard Nixon.
• 1969Carlos Lamarca leads the first urban guerrilla action against the military dictatorship of Brazil in São Paulo, by robbing two banks.
• 1968About 200 students at Bucks County Community College held a protest after the college canceled a planned speech by gay rights activist Dick Leitsch.
• 1964Ngô Đình Cẩn, a younger brother and the confidant of South Vietnam's first president, Ngô Đình Diệm, was executed by Nguyễn Khánh's military junta.
• 1960The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it would approve the use of Searle's Enovid, the first combined oral contraceptive pill.
• 1955Cold War: West Germany joins NATO.
• 1944World War II: The Japanese Take Ichi convoy arrived at Halmahera in the Dutch East Indies after losing many ships and thousands of troops to Allied attacks while attempting to carry two divisions of troops from China to New Guinea.
• 1942The Holocaust in Ukraine: The SS executes 588 Jewish residents of the Podolian town of Zinkiv (Khmelnytska oblast). The Zoludek Ghetto (in Belarus) is destroyed and all its inhabitants executed or deported.
• 1941World War II: The German submarine U-110 is captured by the Royal Navy. On board is the latest Enigma machine which Allied cryptographers later use to break coded German messages.
• 1936Italy formally annexes Ethiopia after taking the capital Addis Ababa on May 5.
• 1915World War I: British forces launched the Battle of Aubers, an offensive on the Western Front, as part of the larger Second Battle of Artois.
• 1877Mihail Kogălniceanu reads, in the Chamber of Deputies, the Declaration of Independence of Romania. The date will become recognised as the Independence Day of Romania.
• 1726Five men arrested during a raid on Mother Clap's molly house in London are executed at Tyburn.

Born on 9 May

• 1960Tony Gwynn, American baseball player and coach (died 2014)
• 1951Joy Harjo, American poet, musician, playwright and author, 23rd United States Poet Laureate
• 1882Henry J. Kaiser, American shipbuilder and businessman, founded Kaiser Shipyards (died 1967)
• 1866Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Indian economist and politician (died 1915)India
• 1801Peter Hesketh-Fleetwood, English politician, founded the town of Fleetwood (died 1866)
• 1540Maharana Pratap, Indian ruler (died 1597)India

Died on 9 May

• 2014Nedurumalli Janardhana Reddy, Indian politician, 12th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh (born 1935)India
• 2012Bertram Cohler, American psychologist, psychoanalyst, and academic (born 1938)
• 1970Walter Reuther, American union leader (born 1907)
• 1959Bhaurao Patil, Indian activist and educator (born 1887)India

Frequently asked questions

What happened on 9 May in history?

2023: Pakistani protests: Riots broke out following the arrest of former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan. 2022: Russo-Ukrainian war: United States President Joe Biden signs the 2022 Lend-Lease Act into law, a rebooted World War II-era policy attempting to expedite American equipment to Ukraine and other Eastern European countries. 2018: Barisan Nasional, the coalition that had governed Malaysia since the country's independence in 1957, suffer a historic defeat in the 2018 Malaysian general election. 1980: Part of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Florida collapsed after a pier was struck by MV Summit Venture, killing 35 people.

Which famous people were born on 9 May?

Tony Gwynn, American baseball player and coach (died 2014) (1960); Joy Harjo, American poet, musician, playwright and author, 23rd United States Poet Laureate (1951); Henry J. Kaiser, American shipbuilder and businessman, founded Kaiser Shipyards (died 1967) (1882); Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Indian economist and politician (died 1915) (1866).

Which day is observed on 9 May?

Commemoration of the end of the German occupation of the Channel Islands related observances: Liberation Day, commemorating the end of the G; Commemoration of the end of the German occupation of the Channel Islands related observances: National Day (Alderney); Europe Day, commemorating the Schuman Declaration. (European Union, Kosovo, Moldova, Ukraine); Victory Day observances, celebration of the Soviet Union victory over Nazi Germany (Soviet Union, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovin; Home Front Heroes Day in the United States (proposed; locally observed in Dallas, Texas).