Summary of the Day ✨ 9 December (09/12)
A day of global tragedy unfolded as a migrant truck crash in Mexico killed 55, a New Zealand volcano eruption claimed 22 lives, and suicide bombings in Nigeria left 57 dead, while Australia celebrated becoming the 26th country to legalize same-sex marriage and South Korea’s president faced impeachment over a political scandal.
Historical Events 📜
- 2021: Fifty-five people are killed and more than 100 injured when a truck with 160 migrants from Central America overturned in Chiapas, Mexico.
- 2019: A volcano on Whakaari / White Island, New Zealand, kills 22 people after it erupts.
- 2017: The Marriage Amendment Bill receives royal assent and comes into effect, making Australia the 26th country to legalize same-sex marriage.
- 2016: President Park Geun-hye of South Korea is impeached by the country’s National Assembly in response to a major political scandal.
- 2016: At least 57 people are killed and a further 177 injured when two schoolgirl suicide bombers attack a market area in Madagali, Adamawa, Nigeria in the Madagali suicide bombings.
- 2013: At least seven are dead and 63 are injured following a train accident near Bintaro, Indonesia.
- 2012: A plane crash in Mexico kills seven people including singer Jenni Rivera.
- 2008: Governor of Illinois Rod Blagojevich is arrested by federal officials for crimes including attempting to sell the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.
- 2006: Space Shuttle program: Space Shuttle Discovery is launched on STS-116 carrying the P5 truss segment of the International Space Station.
- 2003: A blast in the center of Moscow kills six people and wounds several more.
- 1996: Gwen Jacob is acquitted of committing an indecent act, giving women the right to be topless in Ontario, Canada.
- 1992: American troops land in Somalia for Operation Restore Hope.
- 1987: Israeli–Palestinian conflict: The First Intifada begins in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.
- 1979: The eradication of the smallpox virus is certified, making smallpox the first of only two diseases that have been driven to extinction (with rinderpest in 2011 being the other).
- 1973: British and Irish authorities sign the Sunningdale Agreement in an attempt to establish a power-sharing Northern Ireland Executive and a cross-border Council of Ireland.
Famous Births 👶
- 2005: Ni-Ki, Japanese singer
- 2003: Yuna, South Korean rapper, singer and dancer
- 2000: Diāna Ņikitina, Latvian figure skater
- 1997: Harvey Barnes, English footballer
- 1996: Mackenzie Blackwood, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1996: Kyle Connor, American ice hockey player
- 1996: MyKayla Skinner, American gymnast
- 1996: AleXa, American singer based in South Korea
- 1995: Simone Fontecchio, Italian basketball player
- 1995: McKayla Maroney, American gymnast
- 1995: Kelly Oubre Jr., American basketball player
- 1994: Ryan Lomberg, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1993: Cem Ince, German politician
- 1993: Mark McMorris, Canadian snowboarder
- 1993: Laura Smulders, Dutch cyclist
Notable Deaths 🕊️
- 2024: Nikki Giovanni, American poet, writer and activist (born 1943)
- 2022: Jovit Baldivino, Filipino singer and actor (born 1993)
- 2021: Speedy Duncan, American football player (born 1942)
- 2021: Demaryius Thomas, American football player (born 1987)
- 2015: Soshana Afroyim, Austrian painter (born 1927)
- 2015: Norman Breslow, American statistician and academic (born 1941)
- 2015: Juvenal Juvêncio, Brazilian lawyer and politician (born 1934)
- 2015: Julio Terrazas Sandoval, Bolivian cardinal (born 1936)
- 2014: Sacvan Bercovitch, Canadian-American author, critic, and academic (born 1933)
- 2014: Jane Freilicher, American painter and poet (born 1924)
- 2014: Jorge María Mejía, Argentinian cardinal (born 1923)
- 2014: Mary Ann Mobley, American model and actress, Miss America 1959 (born 1937)
- 2014: Blagoje Paunović, Serbian footballer and manager (born 1947)
- 2014: Jože Toporišič, Slovenian linguist and author (born 1926)
- 2013: Hristu Cândroveanu, Romanian editor, literary critic and writer (born 1928)
Holidays & Observances 🎉
- Anna’s Day, marks the day to start the preparation process of the lutefisk to be consumed on Christmas Eve, as well as a Swedish name day, celebrating all people named Anna. (Sweden and Finland)
- Armed Forces Day (Peru)
- Christian feast day:
Feast of the Conception of the Most Holy Theotokos by St. Anne (Eastern Orthodox Church) - Christian feast day:
Hannah (biblical figure) (Eastern Orthodox Church) - Christian feast day:
Juan Diego - Christian feast day:
Leocadia - Christian feast day:
Nectarius of Auvergne - Christian feast day:
Peter Fourier - Christian feast day:
December 9 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) - Fatherland’s Heroes Day (Russia)
- Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Tanganyika from Britain in 1961. (Tanzania)
- International Anti-Corruption Day (United Nations)
- National Heroes Day, formerly V.C. Bird Day. (Antigua and Barbuda)
- Navy Day (Sri Lanka)