Discover what happened on May 9 in history, along with notable events that shaped politics, medicine, and popular culture.
What Happened on May 9 in History?
Important events on this day include FDA approval of the first birth control pill, the beginning of the Nixon impeachment hearings, and the premiere of the original “Friday the 13th” movie.
MAY 9 – TODAY IN HISTORY:
1754 – The first newspaper cartoon in America showed a divided snake “Join or die” in “The Pennsylvania Gazette.”
1785 – Joseph Bramah patented the beer-pump handle.
1926 – Americans Richard Byrd and Floyd Bennett became the first men to fly an airplane over the North Pole. Later discovery of Byrd’s diary appeared to cast some doubt on the claim.
1930 – A starting gate was used to start a Triple Crown race for the first time.
1936 – The first sheet of postage stamps of more than one variety went on sale in New York, NY.
1945 – U.S. officials announced that the midnight entertainment curfew was being lifted immediately.
1958 – Richard Burton made his network television debut in the presentation of “Wuthering Heights” on CBS-TV.
1960 – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for sale an oral birth-control pill for the first time.
1962 – A laser beam was successfully bounced off the Moon for the first time.
1974 – The House Judiciary Committee began formal hearings on the President Richard Nixon impeachment.
1974 – Three Detroit, MI thieves set a record by stealing 32,500 used watches from a Goodwill Industries warehouse.
1980 – In Norco, CA, five masked gunmen held up a Security Pacific bank, leading to a violent shoot-out and one of the largest pursuits in California history. Two of the gunmen and one police officer were killed and 33 police and civilian vehicles were destroyed in the chase.
1980 – A Liberian freighter hit the Sunshine Skyway Bridge over Tampa Bay in Florida, making a 1,400 ft. section of the southbound span collapse. 35 motorists, in six cars and a Greyhoud bus, fell 150 ft. into the water and died.
1980 – The original “Friday the 13th” movie premiered in theaters.
1986 – Movie goers were introduced to Johnny Five when the movie “Short Circuit” opened in theaters.
1991 – Actor, director Michael Landon appeared on “The Tonight Show” to discuss the cancer which ultimately killed him.
1992 – NBC’s “Golden Girls” aired its final first run network TV episode. 27 Million viewers tuned in to watch.
1996 – In video testimony to a courtroom in Little Rock, AR, President Bill Clinton insisted that he had nothing to do with a $300,000 loan in the criminal case against his former Whitewater partners.
2020 – In Michigan, Expirations for driver’s licenses and vehicle registrations were extended to July due to COVID-19.
2020 – COVID-19 caused the U.S. unemployment rate to hit 14.9% — the worst rate since the Great Depression.
2020 – The COVID-19 recession caused the U.S. unemployment rate to hit 14.9 percent, its worst rate since the Great Depression.
2022 – Russo-Ukrainian War: United States President Joe Biden signed the 2022 Lend-Lease Act into law, a rebooted World War II-era policy expediting American equipment to Ukraine and other Eastern European countries.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS ON MAY 9:
Vance D. Brand – 95 years old (1931) – Pilot, engineer, and astronaut
James L. Brooks – 86 years old (1940) – Director, producer, and screenwriter
John Ashcroft – 84 years old (1942) – Lawyer and politician, 79th United States Attorney General
Candice Bergen – 80 years old (1946) – Actress and producer
Calvin Murphy – 78 years old (1948) – Basketball player and radio host
Billy Joel – 77 years old (1949) – Singer-songwriter and pianist
Alley Mills – 75 years old (1951) – Actress
Joy Harjo – 75 years old (1951) – Poet, musician, playwright and author, 23rd United States Poet Laureate
John Corbett – 65 years old (1961) – Actor
Graham Harman – 58 years old (1968) – Philosopher and academic
Doug Christie – 56 years old (1970) – Basketball player and coach
Ghostface Killah – 56 years old (1970) – Rapper and actor
Brian Deegan – 51 years old (1975) – Motocross rider
Rosario Dawson – 47 years old (1979) – Actress
Brandon Webb – 47 years old (1979) – Baseball player
Prince Fielder – 42 years old (1984) – Baseball player
Jake Long – 41 years old (1985) – Football player
Tommy Edman – 31 years old (1995) – Baseball player
Shaboozey – 31 years old (1995) – Rapper and singer-songwriter
Noah Centineo – 30 years old (1996) – Actor
Trey Lance – 26 years old (2000) – Football player
DAYS OF THE YEAR FOR MAY 9:
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For additional information check out websites like: www.on-this-day.com, www.born-today.com, www.famousbirthdays.com, www.daysoftheyear.com, and www.nationaldaycalendar.com.
