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On this day in history - February 9

What Happened On This Day – February 9

  • 1996 The Irish paramilitary organization IRA ends an 18-month ceasefire by exploding a large bomb in London

    The explosion in London's Canary Wharf left 2 people dead and 39 injured.

  • 1969 The Boeing 747 flies for the first time

    The “Jumbo Jet” was the world's largest passenger aircraft at the time.

  • 1964 The Beatles embark on their first tour in the United States

    Their appearance in the Ed Sullivan Sow marked the beginning of the “British Invasion”

  • 1959 The world's first intercontinental ballistic missile becomes operational in the USSR

    The Soviet R-7 Semyorka missile had a range of 8800 km (5500 mi).

  • 1950 U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy launches his anti-communist campaign

    On this day, McCarthy accused the U.S. State Department of being infiltrated by communists.

Illustration of stork, signifying birth

Births On This Day,
February 9

  • 1987 Magdalena Neuner

    German biathlete

  • 1942 Carole King

    American singer-songwriter, pianist

  • 1932 Gerhard Richter

    German painter

  • 1846 Wilhelm Maybach

    German businessman, founded Maybach

  • 1737 Thomas Paine

    English/American theorist, author

Illustration of tombstone, signifying death

Deaths On This Day,
February 9

  • 1981 Bill Haley

    American singer-songwriter, musician

  • 1957 Miklós Horthy

    Hungarian Admiral, regent

  • 1881 Fyodor Dostoyevsky

    Russian author

  • 1857 Dionysios Solomos

    Greek poet

  • 967 Sayf al-Dawla

    Emir of Aleppo