On this day in history
January 9
American
1861Mississippi secedes from the Union, becoming the second state to leave after South Carolina.
Mississippi secedes from the Union, becoming the second state to leave after South Carolina.
Source: HistoryNet
1861The merchant ship Star of the West is fired upon by Confederate batteries while trying to resupply Fort Sumter…
The merchant ship Star of the West is fired upon by Confederate batteries while trying to resupply Fort Sumter, an early confrontation of the Civil War.
Source: HistoryNet
2007Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveils the iPhone at Macworld in San Francisco, a device that reshapes the mobile phone …
Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveils the iPhone at Macworld in San Francisco, a device that reshapes the mobile phone industry.
Source: HistoryNet
1788Connecticut ratifies the U.S. Constitution, becoming the fifth state to join the Union.
Connecticut ratifies the U.S. Constitution, becoming the fifth state to join the Union.
Source: HistoryNet
1793Jean Pierre Blanchard makes the first balloon flight in America, ascending from Philadelphia in the presence o…
Jean Pierre Blanchard makes the first balloon flight in America, ascending from Philadelphia in the presence of President George Washington.
Source: On-This-Day.com
1991Baseball bars Pete Rose from Hall of Fame election over his gambling on the sport.
Baseball bars Pete Rose from Hall of Fame election over his gambling on the sport.
Source: On This Day
World
1431Preliminary investigations begin in the trial of Joan of Arc at Rouen, proceedings that lead to her execution …
Preliminary investigations begin in the trial of Joan of Arc at Rouen, proceedings that lead to her execution for heresy four months later.
Source: On This Day
1760Afghan forces defeat the Maratha Empire at the Battle of Barari Ghat in India.
Afghan forces defeat the Maratha Empire at the Battle of Barari Ghat in India.
Source: On This Day
1799British Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger introduces the income tax to fund the war against Napoleonic F…
British Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger introduces the income tax to fund the war against Napoleonic France.
Source: On-This-Day.com
1839Louis Daguerre demonstrates his daguerreotype photographic process to the French Academy of Sciences.
Louis Daguerre demonstrates his daguerreotype photographic process to the French Academy of Sciences.
Source: On This Day
1909Ernest Shackleton's Nimrod expedition reaches 88 degrees 23 minutes south, a record farthest south point just …
Ernest Shackleton's Nimrod expedition reaches 88 degrees 23 minutes south, a record farthest south point just 97 miles from the South Pole.
Source: On This Day
1916The Gallipoli campaign ends as the last Allied troops evacuate the peninsula, concluding the Ottoman victory o…
The Gallipoli campaign ends as the last Allied troops evacuate the peninsula, concluding the Ottoman victory over British and French forces.
Source: KidsKonnect
1917The Battle of Rafa is fought in the Sinai, where British Empire forces defeat Ottoman troops and secure the Eg…
The Battle of Rafa is fought in the Sinai, where British Empire forces defeat Ottoman troops and secure the Egyptian frontier.
Source: Chronicles of History
1969The Concorde supersonic jetliner makes its first test flight in Bristol, England.
The Concorde supersonic jetliner makes its first test flight in Bristol, England.
Source: On This Day