TODAY IN HISTORY: NOVEMBER 9

 

November 9

November 9th is a day that holds significant historical and cultural importance in various parts of the world. From significant political events to momentous cultural milestones and personal revelations, this date has left an indelible mark on our collective memory.

One of the most notable events that occurred on November 9th was the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. This day marked the end of the Cold War era and the reunification of East and West Germany. The Berlin Wall, which had been a physical and symbolic divide between the two parts of the city, was finally breached on this day, leading to celebrations and joyous reunions for families and friends who had been separated for decades.

Another significant event that took place on November 9th was the infamous Kristallnacht, also known as the Night of Broken Glass, in 1938. This was a night of extreme violence against Jewish people and their property throughout Nazi Germany. Synagogues were burned, Jewish-owned businesses were vandalized, and countless people were arrested and killed. This event is widely regarded as one of the most violent and pivotal moments in the lead-up to the Holocaust.

On a more positive note, November 9th also marks the birthday of the influential British theoretical physicist and cosmologist, Sir Roger Penrose. Born in 1931, Penrose has made significant contributions to the understanding of black holes, quantum mechanics, and the nature of the universe itself. His work has earned him numerous accolades, including the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2020.

In the realm of literature, November 9th holds a special significance as well. On this day in 1989, the renowned German writer Günter Grass was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. Grass, known for his powerful and complex novels such as \The Tin Drum,\ is considered one of the most important literary figures of the 20th century. His exploration of German history and identity in his work has left a lasting impact on the literary world.

November 9th also has personal significance for many individuals. It may be the date of their birth, anniversary, or a day that holds sentimental value. For them, this date represents personal milestones, memories, and moments of reflection.

Furthermore, November 9th has been a significant date in the world of politics. In the United States, November 9th, 2016, was the day after the presidential election, when Donald Trump was declared the winner and became the 45th President of the United States. This election marked a turning point in American politics, stirring up intense debate and division among the population.

In conclusion, November 9th carries immense historical, cultural, and personal significance. From the fall of the Berlin Wall to the horrors of Kristallnacht, the achievements of individuals like Sir Roger Penrose and Günter Grass, and even more recent political events, this date has left an indelible mark on the world. It serves as a reminder of both the triumphs and tragedies that have shaped our history and continue to mold our future.

Here are more events from this day:

694 – At the Seventeenth Council of Toledo, Egica, a king of the Visigoths of Hispania, accuses Jews of aiding Muslims, sentencing all Jews to slavery.

1277 – The Treaty of Aberconwy, a humiliating settlement forced on Llywelyn ap Gruffudd by King Edward I of England, brings a temporary end to the Welsh Wars.

1313 – Louis the Bavarian defeats his cousin Frederick I of Austria at the Battle of Gammelsdorf.

1330 – At the Battle of Posada, Basarab I of Wallachia defeats the Hungarian army of Charles I Robert.

1456 – Ulrich II, Count of Celje, last ruler of the County of Cilli, is assassinated in Belgrade.

1520 – More than 50 people are sentenced and executed in the Stockholm Bloodbath.

1620 – Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower sight land at Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

1688 – Glorious Revolution: William of Orange captures Exeter.

1720 – The synagogue of Judah HeHasid is burned down by Arab creditors, leading to the expulsion of the Ashkenazim from Jerusalem.

1729 – Spain, France and Great Britain sign the Treaty of Seville.

1780 – American Revolutionary War: In the Battle of Fishdam Ford a force of British and Loyalist troops fail in a surprise attack against the South Carolina Patriot militia under Brigadier General Thomas Sumter.

1791 – The Dublin Society of United Irishmen is founded.

1799 – Napoleon Bonaparte leads the Coup of 18 Brumaire ending the Directory government, and becoming First Consul of the successor Consulate Government.

1851 – Kentucky marshals abduct abolitionist minister Calvin Fairbank from Jeffersonville, Indiana, and take him to Kentucky to stand trial for helping a slave escape.

1862 – American Civil War: Union General Ambrose Burnside assumes command of the Army of the Potomac, after George B. McClellan is removed.

1867 – The Tokugawa shogunate hands back power to the Emperor of Japan, starting the Meiji Restoration.

1872 – The Great Boston Fire of 1872.

1881 – Mapuche rebels attack the fortified Chilean settlement of Temuco.

1887 – The United States receives rights to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

1900 – Russia completes its occupation of Manchuria with 100,000 troops.

1906 – Theodore Roosevelt is the first sitting President of the United States to make an official trip outside the country, doing so to inspect progress on the Panama Canal.

1907 – The Cullinan Diamond is presented to King Edward VII on his birthday.

1913 – The Great Lakes Storm of 1913, the most destructive natural disaster ever to hit the lakes, reaches its greatest intensity after beginning two days earlier. The storm destroys 19 ships and kills more than 250 people.

1914 – SMS Emden is sunk by HMAS Sydney in the Battle of Cocos.

1917 – The Balfour Declaration is published in The Times newspaper.

1918 – Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany abdicates after the German Revolution, and Germany is proclaimed a Republic.

1923 – In Munich, police and government troops crush the Nazi Beer Hall Putsch.

1935 – The Committee for Industrial Organization, the precursor to the Congress of Industrial Organizations, is founded in Atlantic City, New Jersey, by eight trade unions belonging to the American Federation of Labor.

1937 – Second Sino-Japanese War: The Chinese Army withdraws from the Battle of Shanghai.

1938 – Kristallnacht occurs, instigated by the Nazis using the killing of German diplomat Ernst vom Rath by Herschel Grynszpan as justification.

1940 – Warsaw is awarded the Virtuti Militari by the Polish government-in-exile.

1953 – Cambodia gains independence from France.

1960 – Robert McNamara is named president of the Ford Motor Company, becoming the first non-Ford family member to serve in that post. He resigns a month later to join the newly-elected John F. Kennedy administration.

1963 – At a coal mine in Miike, Japan, an explosion kills 458 and hospitalises 839 with carbon monoxide poisoning.

1965 – Several U.S. states and parts of Canada are hit by a series of blackouts lasting up to 13 hours in the Northeast blackout of 1965.

1965 – A Catholic Worker Movement member, Roger Allen LaPorte, protesting against the Vietnam War, sets himself on fire in front of the United Nations building.

1967 – Apollo program: NASA launches the unmanned Apollo 4 test spacecraft, atop the first Saturn V rocket, from Florida's Cape Kennedy.

1970 – Vietnam War: The Supreme Court of the United States votes 6–3 against hearing a case to allow Massachusetts to enforce its law granting residents the right to refuse military service in an undeclared war.

1979 – Cold War: Nuclear false alarm: The NORAD computers and the Alternate National Military Command Center in Fort Ritchie, Maryland detected purported massive Soviet nuclear strike. After reviewing the raw data from satellites and checking the early-warning radars, the alert is cancelled.

1985 – Garry Kasparov, 22, of the Soviet Union, becomes the youngest World Chess Champion by beating fellow Soviet Anatoly Karpov.

1989 – Cold War: Fall of the Berlin Wall: East Germany opens checkpoints in the Berlin Wall, allowing its citizens to travel to West Berlin.

1993 – Stari Most, the "old bridge" in the Bosnian city of Mostar, built in 1566, collapses after several days of bombing by Croat forces during the Croat–Bosniak War.

1994 – The chemical element darmstadtium is discovered.

1998 – A U.S. federal judge, in the largest civil settlement in American history, orders 37 U.S. brokerage houses to pay US$1.03 billion to cheated NASDAQ investors to compensate for price fixing.

1998 – Capital punishment in the United Kingdom, already abolished for murder, is completely abolished for all remaining capital offences.

1999 – TAESA Flight 725 crashes after takeoff from Uruapan International Airport in Uruapan, Michoacán, Mexico, killing all 18 people on board.

2000 – Uttarakhand officially becomes the 27th state of India, formed from thirteen districts of northwestern Uttar Pradesh.

2004 – Firefox 1.0 is released.

2005 – The Venus Express mission of the European Space Agency is launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

2005 – Suicide bombers attack three hotels in Amman, Jordan, killing at least 60 people.

2012 – A train carrying liquid fuel crashes and bursts into flames in northern Myanmar, killing 27 people and injuring 80 others.

2012 – At least 27 people are killed and dozens are wounded in conflicts between inmates and guards at Welikada prison in Colombo.

2020 – Second Nagorno-Karabakh War: An armistice agreement is signed by Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia.