130 things happened on 9 February, from AD 474 to 2025. UK stories come first, then the rest of the world.
1855 · 171 years ago
After a heavy snowfall in Devon, people discovered trails of strange hoof-like marks in the snow. The tracks had appeared overnight around the Exe Estuary and stretched for a total of some 40 to 100 miles. Some people said they were the footprints of the Devi…
UK history first: stories from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
UK story
The British Parliament declared that the American colony of Massachusetts was in rebellion. It was a step on the road to the American Revolutionary War, which broke out later that year. American forces, led by George Washington, eventually defeated the British and won independence for the United States.
UK story
After a heavy snowfall in Devon, people discovered trails of strange hoof-like marks in the snow. The tracks had appeared overnight around the Exe Estuary and stretched for a total of some 40 to 100 miles. Some people said they were the footprints of the Devil, which is how they got their name. Many theories have tried to explain them, and some people have questioned parts of the story.
UK story
More than 3,000 women marched peacefully through London, from Hyde Park Corner to the Strand, to demand the right to vote. Women from all walks of life took part in the biggest public demonstration for women's suffrage seen up to then. It was organised by the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies. Heavy rain left the marchers soaked and splattered with mud, which is why it became known as the Mud March.
UK story
The Beatles made their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, an American television programme, in front of a record-breaking audience. Americans were caught up in Beatlemania, the huge excitement about the band from Liverpool. Their appearance began the 'British Invasion', when British bands became hugely popular in the United States. By 22 February the Beatles held the top two places in the American singles chart.
UK story
The first recorded race is held on Chester Racecourse, known as the Roodee.
UK story
The Capture of Fort Rocher takes place during the Anglo-Spanish War.
UK story
The Beatles at the Cavern Club: Lunchtime – The Beatles perform under this name at The Cavern Club for the first time following their return to Liverpool from Hamburg.
Falstaff, the last opera by the Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi, was first performed at La Scala in Milan. It is a comic opera in three acts. Its story was adapted from William Shakespeare's play The Merry Wives of Windsor and scenes from his Henry IV plays. Verdi, who is best known for his operas, was born near the small town of Busseto.
American sports teacher William G. Morgan invented a new game that he called Mintonette, a name taken from badminton. It soon became known as volleyball. In volleyball, two teams of six players face each other across a net and try to ground the ball on the other side. It has been an Olympic sport since 1964, and beach volleyball joined the Olympics in 1996.
The Davis Cup tennis competition was established. It began as a challenge between Great Britain and the United States and was first called the International Lawn Tennis Challenge. It soon became known by the name of its trophy, which was given by Dwight F. Davis. Teams from more than 150 countries take part, making it the world's largest yearly team sports competition.
Halley's Comet was passing through the inner Solar System on its most recent visit. It is the only known short-period comet that can regularly be seen from Earth without a telescope. It comes back roughly every 74 to 79 years. Its next appearance is expected in the middle of 2061.
Scientists at the GSI Helmholtz Centre near Darmstadt, Germany, created the chemical element copernicium for the first time. It has the atomic number 112 and can only be made in a laboratory. Its most stable form has a half-life of about 30 seconds, which means half of it breaks down in that time. The element is named after the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus.
The opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics took place in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The Games were officially opened by South Korea's president, Moon Jae-in. It was the first Winter Olympics opening ceremony held in an outdoor stadium since 2006. The Games went on until 25 February.
Zeno is crowned as co-emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire.
Boleslaus III is restored to authority with armed support from Bolesław I the Brave of Poland.
A First Crusade army led by Bohemond of Taranto wins a major battle against the Seljuq emir Ridwan of Aleppo during the siege of Antioch.
Caizhou, the capital of the Jin dynasty, was captured by the Mongol Empire and their Song allies, bringing an end to Jurchen rule.
Gregory XV becomes Pope, the last Pope elected by acclamation.
Rhode Island becomes the fourth US state to ratify the Articles of Confederation.
Haiti attacks the newly established Dominican Republic on the other side of the island of Hispaniola.
After no candidate received a majority of electoral votes in the previous year's presidential election, the United States House of Representatives chose John Quincy Adams (pictured) as president in a contingent election.
The new Roman Republic is declared.
Jefferson Davis was named the provisional president of the Confederate States of America.
US president Ulysses S. Grant signs a joint resolution of Congress establishing the U.S. Weather Bureau.
US president Grover Cleveland signs a bill elevating the United States Department of Agriculture to a Cabinet-level agency.
Russo-Japanese War: Battle of Port Arthur concludes.
A meteor procession was observed along a great circle arc from Canada to Brazil, leading astronomers to conclude that its source was a small, short-lived natural satellite of the Earth.
The Svalbard Treaty was signed in Paris, recognizing Norwegian sovereignty over the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard.
Brazil becomes a member of the Berne Convention copyright treaty.
Stanley Bruce became prime minister of Australia as leader of the country's first Coalition government.
Prohibition law is abolished in Finland after a national referendum, where 70% voted for a repeal of the law.
The Balkan Entente is formed between Greece, Romania, Yugoslavia, and Turkey.
The Imperial Japanese Army began the Battle of Kranji as part of their campaign to capture Singapore.
Year-round Daylight saving time (aka War Time) is reinstated in the United States as a wartime measure to help conserve energy resources.
World War II: Allied forces declared Guadalcanal secure, ending the Guadalcanal campaign as a significant strategic victory for Allied forces fighting Japan in the Pacific War.
World War II: Allied aircraft unsuccessfully attacked a German destroyer in Førde Fjord, Norway.
Second Red Scare: US Senator Joseph McCarthy accuses the United States Department of State of being filled with Communists.
The R-7 Semyorka, the first intercontinental ballistic missile, becomes operational at Plesetsk, USSR.
Vietnam War: The United States Marine Corps sends a MIM-23 Hawk missile battalion to South Vietnam, the first American troops in-country without an official advisory or training mission.
Apollo program: Apollo 14 returns to Earth after the third human Moon landing.
Satchel Paige becomes the first Negro league player to be voted into the USA's Baseball Hall of Fame.
The spacecraft and crew of the Soviet Soyuz 17 mission returned to earth after 29 days in orbit at the Salyut 4 station.
The Australian Defence Force (ensign pictured) was formed by the integration of the Australian Army, the Royal Australian Navy, and the Royal Australian Air Force.
The Budd Company unveils its first SPV-2000 self-propelled railcar in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Civil unrest broke out across Palestine.
Dissolution of the Soviet Union: Voters in Lithuania vote for independence from the Soviet Union.
Japanese figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu won the Four Continents Championships to become the only man to complete a Super Slam.
Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele has the army soldiers enter the Legislative Assembly to assist in pushing for the approval for a better government security plan, causing a brief political crisis.
Second impeachment trial of Donald Trump begins.
The Baltic states synchronize their electric power transmission infrastructure with the Continental Europe Synchronous Area (CESA), in objective to disconnect from the Russo-Belarussian agreement to use the IPS/UPS system.
Every answer is somewhere on this page. Have a go, then check!
In which year did this happen: “The Beatles appear on The Ed Sullivan Show in America”?
A: 1964. 1964 — that’s 62 years ago. Find it on the page
In which year did this happen: “Mysterious 'Devil's Footprints' appear in the snow in Devon”?
A: 1855. 1855 — that’s 171 years ago. Find it on the page
Which of these happened first?
A: Parliament declares the colony of Massachusetts in rebellion. 1775: Parliament declares the colony of Massachusetts in rebellion · 1855: Mysterious 'Devil's Footprints' appear in the snow in Devon · 1964: The Beatles appear on The Ed Sullivan Show in America Find it on the page
“Parliament declares the colony of Massachusetts in rebellion” happened in 1775. How many years ago was that?
C: 251 years. 2026 − 1775 = 251. Find it on the page
Famous people whose birthday is 9 February.
UK story
Thomas Paine was an English-born writer and thinker who became one of America's Founding Fathers. In 1776 he wrote Common Sense, a pamphlet, or short booklet, that was hugely influential. It helped to inspire American colonists to declare independence from Great Britain. His ideas were based on human rights, and he was also an inventor.
Well-known people who died on 9 February.
Festivals, holidays and saints’ days celebrated on 9 February somewhere in the world.
Content note: these entries mention things like war, violence, deaths, disasters or crime. They are part of history, but they can be upsetting. Grown-ups and teachers: you may want to read them first. They come straight from Wikipedia and have not been rewritten for children.
Stories with a heading have been written for young readers by A Day in the Past, using the linked articles as sources. Other entries show text from Wikipedia’s “February 9” page and its “On this day” feed, written by Wikipedia contributors and shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. Each “Read more” link goes to the article an entry is based on. Photos are credited under each picture. Spotted a mistake? Please tell us.