141 BC – Liu Che, posthumously known as Emperor Wu of Han, assumes the throne over the Han dynasty of China.
1009 – First known mention of Lithuania, in the annals of the monastery of Quedlinburg.
1226 – Khwarazmian sultan Jalal ad-Din conquers the Georgian capital of Tbilisi.
1230 – Bulgarian Tsar Ivan Asen II defeats Theodore of Epirus in the Battle of Klokotnitsa.
1500 – The fleet of Pedro Álvares Cabral leaves Lisbon for the Indies. The fleet will discover Brazil which lies within boundaries granted to Portugal in the Treaty of Tordesillas.
1701 – Safavid troops retreat from Basra, ending a three year occupation.
1765 – After a campaign by the writer Voltaire, judges in Paris posthumously exonerate Jean Calas of murdering his son. Calas had been tortured and executed in 1762 on the charge, though his son may have actually committed suicide.
1776 – The Wealth of Nations by Scottish economist and philosopher Adam Smith is published.
1796 – Napoléon Bonaparte marries his first wife, Joséphine de Beauharnais.
1811 – Paraguayan forces defeat Manuel Belgrano at the Battle of Tacuarí.
1815 – Francis Ronalds describes the first battery-operated clock in the Philosophical Magazine
1841 – The U.S. Supreme Court rules in the United States v. The Amistad case that captive Africans who had seized control of the ship carrying them had been taken into slavery illegally.
1842 – Giuseppe Verdi’s third opera, Nabucco, receives its première performance in Milan; its success establishes Verdi as one of Italy’s foremost opera composers.
1842 – The first documented discovery of gold in California occurs at Rancho San Francisco, six years before the California Gold Rush.
1847 – Mexican–American War: The first large-scale amphibious assault in U.S. history is launched in the Siege of Veracruz.
1862 – American Civil War: USS Monitor and CSS Virginia fight to a draw in the Battle of Hampton Roads, the first battle between two ironclad warships.
1908 – Inter Milan was founded on Football Club Internazionale, following a schism from A.C. Milan.
1916 – Mexican Revolution: Pancho Villa leads nearly 500 Mexican raiders in an attack against the border town of Columbus, New Mexico.
1933 – Great Depression: President Franklin D. Roosevelt submits the Emergency Banking Act to Congress, the first of his New Deal policies
1942 – World War II: Dutch East Indies unconditionally surrendered to the Japanese forces in Kalijati, Subang, West Java, and the Japanese completed their Dutch East Indies campaign
1944 – World War II: Soviet Army planes attack Tallinn, Estonia.
1945 – World War II: A coup d’état by Japanese forces in French Indochina removes the French from power.
1946 – Bolton Wanderers stadium disaster at Burnden Park, Bolton, England, kills 33 and injures hundreds more.
1954 – McCarthyism: CBS television broadcasts the See It Now episode, “A Report on Senator Joseph McCarthy”, produced by Fred Friendly.
1956 – Soviet forces suppress mass demonstrations in the Georgian SSR, reacting to Nikita Khrushchev’s de-Stalinization policy.
1957 – The 8.6 Mw Andreanof Islands earthquake shakes the Aleutian Islands, causing over $5 million in damage from ground movement and a destructive tsunami.
1959 – The Barbie doll makes its debut at the American International Toy Fair in New York.
1960 – Dr. Belding Hibbard Scribner implants for the first time a shunt he invented into a patient, which allows the patient to receive hemodialysis on a regular basis.
1961 – Sputnik 9 successfully launches, carrying a dog and a human dummy, and demonstrating that the Soviet Union was ready to begin human spaceflight.
1967 – Trans World Airlines Flight 553 crashes in a field in Concord Township, Ohio following a mid-air collision with a Beechcraft Baron, killing 26 people.
1974 – The Mars 7 Flyby bus releases the descent module too early, missing Mars.
1976 – Forty-two people die in the Cavalese cable car disaster, the worst cable-car accident to date.
1977 – The Hanafi Siege: In a thirty-nine-hour standoff, armed Hanafi Muslims seize three Washington, D.C., buildings.
1978 – President Soeharto inaugurated Jagorawi Toll Road, the first toll highway in Indonesia, connecting Jakarta, Bogor and Ciawi, West Java.
1997 – Comet Hale–Bopp: Observers in China, Mongolia and eastern Siberia are treated to a rare double feature as an eclipse permits Hale-Bopp to be seen during the day.2011 – Space Shuttle Discovery makes its final landing after 39 flights.
Births on March 9
1454 – Amerigo Vespucci, Italian cartographer and explorer (d. 1512)
1564 – David Fabricius, German theologian, cartographer and astronomer (d. 1617)
1568 – Aloysius Gonzaga, Italian saint (d. 1591)
1662 – Franz Anton von Sporck, German noble (d. 1738)
1697 – Friederike Caroline Neuber, German actress (d. 1760)
1737 – Josef Mysliveček, Czech violinist and composer (d. 1781)
1749 – Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau, French journalist and politician (d. 1791)
1753 – Jean-Baptiste Kléber, French general (d. 1800)
1758 – Franz Joseph Gall, German neuroanatomist and physiologist (d. 1828)
1763 – William Cobbett, English journalist and author (d. 1835)
1806 – Edwin Forrest, American actor and philanthropist (d. 1872)
1814 – Taras Shevchenko, Ukrainian poet and playwright (d. 1861)
1815 – David Davis, American jurist and politician (d. 1886)
1820 – Samuel Blatchford, American lawyer and jurist (d. 1893)
1824 – Amasa Leland Stanford, American businessman and politician, founded Stanford University (d. 1893)
1847 – Martin Pierre Marsick, Belgian violinist, composer, and educator (d. 1924)
1850 – Hamo Thornycroft, English sculptor and academic (d. 1925)
1856 – Eddie Foy, Sr., American actor and dancer (d. 1928)
1863 – Mary Harris Armor, American suffragist (d. 1950)
1887 – Fritz Lenz, German geneticist and physician (d. 1976)
1890 – Rupert Balfe, Australian footballer and lieutenant (d. 1915)
1890 – Vyacheslav Molotov, Russian politician and diplomat, Soviet Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 1986)
1891 – José P. Laurel, Filipino lawyer, politician and President of the Philippines (d. 1959)
1892 – Mátyás Rákosi, Hungarian politician (d. 1971)
1892 – Vita Sackville-West, English author, poet, and gardener (d. 1962)
1902 – Will Geer, American actor (d. 1978)
1904 – Paul Wilbur Klipsch, American soldier and engineer, founded Klipsch Audio Technologies (d. 2002)
1910 – Samuel Barber, American pianist and composer (d. 1981)
1911 – Clara Rockmore, American classical violin prodigy and theremin player, (d. 1998)
1915 – Johnnie Johnson, English air marshal and pilot (d. 2001)
1918 – George Lincoln Rockwell, American sailor and politician, founded the American Nazi Party (d. 1967)
1918 – Mickey Spillane, American crime novelist (d. 2006)
1920 – Franjo Mihalić, Croatian-Serbian runner and coach (d. 2015)
1921 – Carl Betz, American actor (d. 1978)
1922 – Ian Turbott, New Zealand-Australian former diplomat and university administrator (d. 2016)
1923 – James L. Buckley, American lawyer, judge, and politician
1923 – André Courrèges, French fashion designer (d. 2016)
1923 – Walter Kohn, Austrian-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2016)
1926 – Joe Franklin, American radio and television host (d. 2015)
1928 – Gerald Bull, Canadian-American engineer and academic (d. 1990)
1928 – Keely Smith, American singer and actress (d. 2017)
1929 – Desmond Hoyte, Guyanese lawyer, politician and President of Guyana (d. 2002)
1929 – Zillur Rahman, Bangladeshi politician, 19th President of Bangladesh (d. 2013)
1930 – Ornette Coleman, American saxophonist, violinist, trumpet player, and composer (d. 2015)
1931 – Jackie Healy-Rae, Irish politician (d. 2014)
1932 – Qayyum Chowdhury, Bangladeshi painter and academic (d. 2014)
1932 – Walter Mercado, Puerto Rican-American astrologer and actor (d. 2019)
1933 – Lloyd Price, American R&B singer-songwriter
1933 – David Weatherall, English physician, geneticist, and academic (d. 2018)
1934 – Yuri Gagarin, Russian colonel, pilot, and astronaut (d. 1968)
1934 – Joyce Van Patten, American actress
1935 – Andrew Viterbi, American engineer and businessman, co-founded Qualcomm Inc.
1936 – Mickey Gilley, American singer-songwriter and pianist[
1936 – Marty Ingels, American actor and comedian (d. 2015)
1937 – Bernard Landry, Canadian lawyer, politician and Premier of Quebec (d. 2018)
1937 – Harry Neale, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and sportscaster
1937 – Brian Redman, English race car driver
1940 – Raul Julia, Puerto Rican-American actor (d. 1994)
1941 – Jim Colbert, American golfer
1941 – Ernesto Miranda, American criminal (d. 1976)
1942 – Ion Caramitru, Romanian actor and artistic director
1942 – Mark Lindsay, American singer-songwriter, saxophonist, and producer
1943 – Bobby Fischer, American chess player and author (d. 2008)
1944 – Lee Irvine, South African cricketer
1945 – Robert Calvert, English singer-songwriter and playwright (d. 1988)
1945 – Robin Trower, English rock guitarist and vocalist
1946 – Alexandra Bastedo, English actress (d. 2014)
1946 – Warren Skaaren, American screenwriter and producer (d. 1990)
1946 – Bernd Hölzenbein, German footballer and scout
1947 – Keri Hulme, New Zealand author and poet
1948 – Emma Bonino, Italian politician, Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs
1948 – Eric Fischl, American painter and sculptor
1948 – Jeffrey Osborne, American singer and drummer
1949 – Neil Hamilton, Welsh lawyer and politician
1950 – Doug Ault, American baseball player and manager (d. 2004)
1950 – Andy North, American golfer
1950 – Howard Shelley, English pianist and conductor
1951 – Helen Zille, South African journalist, politician and Premier of the Western Cape1952 – Bill Beaumont, English rugby player and manager
1954 – Carlos Ghosn, Brazilian-Lebanese-French business executive
1954 – Bobby Sands, PIRA volunteer; Irish republican politician (d. 1981)
1954 – Jock Taylor, Scottish motorcycle racer (d. 1982)
1955 – Teo Fabi, Italian race car driver
1955 – Józef Pinior, Polish academic and politician
1956 – Mark Dantonio, American football player and coach
1956 – Shashi Tharoor, Indian politician, Indian Minister of External Affairs
1956 – David Willetts, English academic and politician
1958 – Paul MacLean, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
1959 – Takaaki Kajita, Japanese physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
1959 – Lonny Price, American actor, director, and screenwriter
1960 – Linda Fiorentino, American actress
1961 – Rick Steiner, American wrestler
1961 – Darrell Walker, American basketball player and coach
1963 – Terry Mulholland, American baseball player
1963 – Jean-Marc Vallée, Canadian director and screenwriter
1964 – Juliette Binoche, French actress
1964 – Phil Housley, American ice hockey player and coach
1965 – Brian Bosworth, American football player and actor
1965 – Benito Santiago, Puerto Rican-American baseball player
1966 – Brendan Canty, American drummer and songwriter
1966 – Tony Lockett, Australian footballer
1968 – Youri Djorkaeff, French footballer
1969 – Kimberly Guilfoyle, American lawyer and journalist
1970 – Naveen Jindal, Indian businessman and politician
1970 – Martin Johnson, English rugby player and coach
1971 – Emmanuel Lewis, American actor
1972 – Jodey Arrington, United States politician
1973 – Liam Griffin, English race car driver
1975 – Juan Sebastián Verón, Argentinian footballer
1977 – Radek Dvořák, Czech ice hockey player
1979 – Oscar Isaac, Guatemalan-American actor
1981 – Antonio Bryant, American football player
1981 – Clay Rapada, American baseball player
1982 – Ryan Bayley, Australian cyclist
1982 – Matt Bowen, Australian rugby league player
1982 – Mirjana Lučić-Baroni, Croatian tennis player
1983 – Wayne Simien, American basketball player[
1983 – Clint Dempsey, American international soccer player, forward
1984 – Abdoulay Konko, French footballer
1984 – Julia Mancuso, American skier
1985 – Brent Burns, Canadian ice hockey player
1985 – Jesse Litsch, American baseball player
1985 – Pastor Maldonado, Venezuelan race car driver
1985 – Parthiv Patel, Indian cricketer
1986 – Colin Greening, Canadian ice hockey player
1986 – Brittany Snow, American actress and producer
1989 – Taeyeon, South Korean artist, member of Girls’ Generation
1990 – Daley Blind, Dutch footballer
1990 – Matt Robinson, New Zealand rugby league player
1990 – YG (rapper), American rapper
1991 – Jooyoung, Korean singer-songwriter
1993 – Suga, South Korean artist (BTS)
1994 – Morgan Rielly, Canadian ice hockey player
Deaths on March 9
886 – Abu Ma’shar al-Balkhi, Muslim scholar and astrologer (b. 787)
1202 – Sverre of Norway
1440 – Frances of Rome, Italian nun and saint (b. 1384)
1444 – Leonardo Bruni, Italian humanist (b. c.1370)
1463 – Catherine of Bologna, Italian nun and saint (d. 1463)
1566 – David Rizzio, Italian-Scottish courtier and politician (b. 1533).
1649 – James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton, Scottish soldier and politician, (b. 1606)
1649 – Henry Rich, 1st Earl of Holland, English soldier and politician (b. 1590)
1661 – Cardinal Mazarin, Italian-French academic and politician, Prime Minister of France (b. 1602)
1709 – Ralph Montagu, 1st Duke of Montagu, English courtier and politician (b. 1638)
1808 – Joseph Bonomi the Elder, Italian architect (b. 1739)
1810 – Ozias Humphry, English painter and academic (b. 1742)
1825 – Anna Laetitia Barbauld, English poet, author, and critic (b. 1743)
1847 – Mary Anning, English paleontologist (b. 1799)
1851 – Hans Christian Ørsted, Danish physicist and chemist (b. 1777)1888 – William I, German Emperor (b. 1797)
1895 – Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, Austrian journalist and author (b. 1836)
