April 9

Scott Winters April 9, 2025 0 Comments

A quick look at Today in History, check out some Celebrity Birthdays, and find out what Days of the Year to celebrate.

TODAY IN HISTORY:

1682 – Robert Cavelier de La Salle discovered the mouth of the Mississippi River. He claimed it for France and named it Louisiana.

1833 – Peterborough, NH, opened the first municipally supported public library in the United States.

1865 – Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendere his army to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia.

1866 – The Civil Rights Bill passed over President Andrew Johnson’s veto.

1867 – The U.S. Senate ratified the treaty with Russia that purchased the territory of Alaska by one vote.

1872 – S.R. Percy received a patent for dried milk.

1912 – The first exhibition baseball game was held at Fenway Park in Boston, MA. The game was between Red Sox and Harvard.

1913 – On opening day at Ebbets Field, the new home of the Brooklyn Dodgers, fans had to wait for an hour to get into the ballpark because nobody brought the key. The Dodgers lost to Philadelphia 1-0.

1914 – In London, the first full-color movie, “The World, The Flesh & the Devil”, was shown.

1940 – Patent number 2,196,914 was awarded to Sylvan Goldman for his “folding basket carriers”. Today we call it a shopping cart.

1945 – The U.S. Atomic Energy Commission was formed.

1945 – National Football League officials made it mandatory for football players to wear socks in all league games.

1950 – Bob Hope made his first television appearance on “Star-Spangled Review” on NBC-TV.

1957 – The Suez Canal was cleared for all shipping.

1959 – NASA announced the selection of America’s first seven astronauts. The news media begins to refer to them as the “Mercury Seven”.

1965 – “TIME” magazine featured a cover with the entire “Peanuts” comic gang.

1965 – The Houston Astrodome opened in Houston, TX. The first indoor baseball game was played.

1967 – The first Boeing 737 made its maiden flight.

1968 – Murdered civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., was buried.

1970 – Paul McCartney quit the Beatles.

1983 – The Space Shuttle Challenger concluded it first flight.

1984 – The song “Flashdance…What a Feeling”, by Irene Cara, won Best Song at the Oscars.

1986 – It was announced that Patrick Duffy’s character on the TV show Dallas would be returning after being killed off.

1987 – Dikye Baggett became the first person to undergo corrective surgery for Parkinson’s disease.

1992 – President George H.W. Bush fell ill at a state dinner in Japan. He became pale, slumped in his chair, and threw up on the Japanese Prime Minister.

2000 – CBS-TV aired “Failsafe.” It was the first live full-length show to by aired by CBS in 39 years.

2001 – American Airlines’ parent company acquired the bankrupt TWA and becomes America’s largest carrier.

2003 – Baghdad fell to American forces. Iraqis turned on symbols of their former leader Saddam Hussein, pulling down a statue of him and tearing it into pieces.

2005 – Prince Charles married longtime love Camilla Parker Bowles, Duchess of Cornwall, in a civil ceremony in London.

2007 – The iTunes Music Store reached 2.5 billion songs sold.

2007 – Apple announced it had sold its one-hundred millionth iPod.

2009 – The television show “Parks and Recreation” premiered on NBC.

2017 – After 38 years, the Detroit Red Wings played their last game at Joe Louis Arena, beating the New Jersey Devils 4-1 in front of 20,027 fans.

2017 – After refusing to give up his seat on an overbooked United Airlines flight, Dr. David Dao Duy Anh was forcibly dragged off the flight by security officers. This lead to major criticism of United Airlines.

2020 – Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer extended the state’s “Stay Home” order until May 1st.

BIRTHDAYS:

Tom Lehrer – 97 a old (1928) – Songwriter

Michael Learned – 86 a old (1939) – Actress (TV’s, “The Waltons”, “All My Sons”, “Nurse”)

Dennis Quaid – 71 a old (1954) – Actor (“Wyatt Earp”, “The Right Stuff”, “The Big Easy”, “The Rookie”, “Everybody’s All American”, “Great Balls of Fire”)

Jimmy Tingle – 70 a old (1955) – Comedian

Lisa Guerrero – 61 a old (1964) – Reporter (TV’s “Monday Night Football”, “Inside Edition”)

Paulina Porizkova – 60 a old (1965) – Model, actress, TV judge (TV’s “America’s Next Top Model”)

Cynthia Nixon – 59 a old (1966) – Actress (“The Manhattan Project”, “Sex and the City”, “Sex and the City 2”, “Amadeus”, “The Pelican Brief”, “Little Manhattan”, “5 Flights Up”, “James White”, “A Quiet Passion”)

Kevin Martin – 56 a old (1969) – Lead vocalist (Candlebox)

Keshia Knight Pulliam – 46 a old (1979) – Actress (Played Rudy on TV’s “The Cosby Show”, “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne”)

Ryan Northcott – 45 a old (1980) – Actor (“Mystery, Alaska, Ripper”, TV’s “The Beach Boys: An American Family”)

Leighton Meester – 39 a old (1986) – Actress (TV’s “Gossip Girl”, movies “Killer Movie”, “Country Strong”, “The Roommate”, “Monte Carlo”, “The Oranges”, “The Judge”)

Jesse McCartney – 38 a old (1987) – Actor (TV’s “Summerland”, “All My Children”)

Kristen Stewart – 35 a old (1990) – Actress (“Panic Room”, “Twilight”, “New Moon”, “Snow White and the Huntsman”, “The Runaways”, “On the Road”, “Into the Wild”, “In the Land of Women”, “Catch That Kid!”)

Elle Fanning – 27 a old (1998) – Actress (“Maleficent”, “Super 8”, “We Bought a Zoo”)

TODAY IS:

National Unicorn Day: Bake delicious, fanciful Unicorn cupcakes, watch a fantasy movie like The Chronicles of Narnia, or research the history of these elegant mythological creatures.
International ASMR Day: ASMR can help sufferers of PTSD, anxiety, depression, and insomnia. It can also help relax you, no matter the reason. Check out Youtube to experience this phenomenon.
National Alcohol Screening Day: Alcohol screening promotes health awareness, enabling informed choices and fostering a balanced lifestyle for individuals.
Vimy Ridge Day:
National Former Prisoner of War Recognition Day: Honoring the sacrifice of those who endured captivity in service to their nation, their bravery is a testament to the human spirit.
National Winston Churchill Day: Find out about the remarkable, often quoted figure who was only the second person to become an “Honorary US Citizen”.
Appomattox Day:
National Mature Women’s Day: Wise and accomplished, women embrace life's chapters, radiating strength and wisdom, a celebration of experience and resilience.
Global Holistic Wealth Day: Complete well-being, weaving prosperity across life facets, encompasses fulfillment, health, and purpose in a seamless tapestry of existence.
Jumbo Day:
National Chicken Little Awareness Day:
National Chinese Almond Cookie Day:
National Name Yourself Day: Maybe you always felt like your name didn’t reflect who you are, or maybe you just want to try something new. Re-invent yourself for one day by choosing a new name..
National Cherish An Antique Day: Ask the older members of your family about the histories behind the antiques in your home. Clocks, dishware, jewelry and more can hold surprising stories.
Edinburgh Science Festival:
National Public Health Week: The well-being of communities — disease prevention, and better living through knowledge and action, towards a healthier world.
Discover National Parks Fortnight:
FOP Awareness Month: Raising awareness for a rare condition, efforts unite to support those facing the challenges of Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva.
National Robotics Week:
Bee Active Bee Healthy Bee Happy Week:
Community Garden Week:
Global Days of Action on Military Spending:
Be Kind to Spiders Week:
Blue Ribbon Week:
National Green Week:
World Hula Week (Merrie Monarch Festival):
National Bake Week:
America Saves Week:
National Cherry Blossom Festival:
National Window Safety Week:
Orthodox Holy Week:
Passover Begins:
The Masters Tournament: Golf's elite gather, showcasing unparalleled skill and sportsmanship in a prestigious event that captivates fans worldwide.