145 things happened on 9 April, from 585 BC to 2021. UK stories come first, then the rest of the world.
UK history first: stories from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
UK story
The Treaty of Paris, ratified by the United States Congress on January 14, 1784, is ratified by King George III of the Kingdom of Great Britain, ending the American Revolutionary War. Copies of the ratified documents are exchanged on May 12, 1784.
UK story
The first British-built Concorde 002 makes its maiden flight from Filton to RAF Fairford with Brian Trubshaw as the test pilot.
UK story
Charles, Prince of Wales, married Camilla Parker Bowles in a civil ceremony at the Windsor Guildhall.
Year of the Five Emperors: Septimius Severus was proclaimed Roman emperor by his troops at Carnuntum in modern-day Austria.
Basiliscus issued the Enkyklikon, a circular letter to bishops supporting the Monophysitism position.
Battle of Liegnitz: Mongol forces defeat the Polish and German armies.
Mongol invasions of Vietnam: Yuan forces are defeated by Trần forces in the Battle of Bach Dang in present-day northern Vietnam.
The Byzantine city of Thessalonike surrenders to the Ottomans, though rule reverts back to the Byzantines after the battle of Ankara.
Despite being vastly outnumbered, forces of the Old Swiss Confederacy defeated an Austrian army at the Battle of Näfels.
The Council of Ferrara begins with its first session in presence of the Patriarch of Constantinople, representatives of the Patriarchal Sees of Antioch, Alexandria and Jerusalem and Pope Eugene IV presiding.
The Treaty of Lodi is signed, establishing a balance of power among northern Italian city-states for almost 50 years.
Resettled Shiite Muslims rise up in the Şahkulu rebellion under the leadership of Şahkulu against the Ottoman Empire.
Philip III of Spain issues the decree of the "Expulsion of the Moriscos".
Eighty Years' War: Spain and the Dutch Republic sign the Treaty of Antwerp to initiate twelve years of truce.
Robert Cavelier de La Salle discovers the mouth of the Mississippi River, claims it for France and names it Louisiana.
Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville recorded himself singing "Au clair de la lune" on his phonautograph, producing the oldest known recording of an audible human voice (audio featured).
American Civil War: Robert E. Lee surrenders the Army of Northern Virginia (26,765 troops) to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, effectively ending the war.
The U.S. Congress passes the Payne–Aldrich Tariff Act.
First World War: The Canadian Corps began the first wave of attacks of the Battle of Vimy Ridge in Vimy, France.
After being denied permission to perform at Constitution Hall by the Daughters of the American Revolution, African-American singer Marian Anderson gave an open-air concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
World War II: During the German invasion of Norway, Vidkun Quisling attempted to seize power in the first coup to be broadcast over radio.
The United States Atomic Energy Commission is formed.
World War II: The Battle of Königsberg, in East Prussia, ends.
About 500 postal workers in Tel Aviv and Jaffa went on strike.
Sixteen white and black men began a two-week journey in the American South, acting in defiance of local laws that enforced segregated seating on public buses.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 22 relating to Corfu Channel incident is adopted.
Hugo Ballivián's government is overthrown by the Bolivian National Revolution, starting a period of agrarian reform, universal suffrage and the nationalization of tin mines
The Suez Canal in Egypt is cleared and opens to shipping following the Suez Crisis.
NASA announced the selection of the Mercury Seven, the first astronauts in Project Mercury.
The Boeing 737 took its maiden flight, eventually becoming the most produced commercial passenger jet airliner in the world.
The first EMD F40PH, Amtrak's most widespread diesel locomotive for many years, entered into service.
The Sahtu Dene and Metis Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement is signed for 180,000 square kilometres (69,000 mi2) in the Mackenzie Valley of the western Arctic.
Georgia declares independence from the Soviet Union.
Space Shuttle program: Space Shuttle Endeavour is launched on STS-59.
Invasion of Iraq: Coalition forces captured Baghdad and the statue of Saddam Hussein in Firdos Square was toppled.
In Tbilisi, Georgia, up to 60,000 people protest against the government of Mikheil Saakashvili.
Soyuz MS-16 is launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, carrying the Expedition 62/63 crew to the International Space Station.
Soyuz MS-18 is launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, carrying three members of the Expedition 64 crew to the International Space Station.
Every answer is somewhere on this page. Have a go, then check!
In which year did this happen: “Charles, Prince of Wales, married Camilla Parker Bowles in a civil ceremony at”?
C: 2005. 2005 — that’s 21 years ago. Find it on the page
In which year did this happen: “The first British-built Concorde 002 makes its maiden flight from Filton to”?
C: 1969. 1969 — that’s 57 years ago. Find it on the page
Which of these happened first?
C: The Treaty of Paris, ratified by the United States Congress on January 14. 2005: Charles, Prince of Wales, married Camilla Parker Bowles in a civil ceremony at · 1969: The first British-built Concorde 002 makes its maiden flight from Filton to · 1784: The Treaty of Paris, ratified by the United States Congress on January 14 Find it on the page
“The Treaty of Paris, ratified by the United States Congress on January 14” happened in 1784. How many years ago was that?
C: 242 years. 2026 − 1784 = 242. Find it on the page
Famous people whose birthday is 9 April.
Well-known people who died on 9 April.
Festivals, holidays and saints’ days celebrated on 9 April 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 “April 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.