2009⚡ Event
Sri Lankan Army captures Kilinochchi
The Sri Lankan army captured the town of Kilinochchi from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, concluding the Battle of Kilinochchi. This marked a significant event in the Sri Lankan civil war.
war
What Happened in 2009?
Explore 85 historical moments from 2009 — 73 events, 12 birthdays, and 0 notable deaths.
Events in 2009(73)
2009⚡ Event
Bitcoin Genesis Block Mined
The cryptocurrency network of bitcoin was created when Satoshi Nakamoto mined the first block of the chain.
technologyeconomics
2009⚡ Event
Eng Foong Ho v Attorney-General
The Court of Appeal of Singapore held that equality before the law was satisfied by a "reasonable nexus" between state action and the object of the law.
law
2009⚡ Event
US Airways Flight 1549 lands on Hudson River
A miracle on the Hudson occurred when a commercial airliner made an emergency landing on the Hudson River after striking a flock of geese.
disaster
2009⚡ Event
Protests at Icelandic parliament
During a national financial crisis, thousands of people protested at the Icelandic parliament in Reykjavík.
economicspolitics
2009⚡ Event
Barack Obama inaugurated as US President
Barack Obama was inaugurated as the first African-American president of the United States in Washington, D.C.
politics
2009⚡ Event
Madagascar Riots
Rioting broke out in Antananarivo, Madagascar, sparking a political crisis that led to the deposal of President Marc Ravalomanana.
politicsdisaster
2009⚡ Event
Egyptian Court Ruling on Identity Documents
Egypt's Supreme Constitutional Court ruled that individuals not adhering to recognized religions are eligible for government identity documents.
lawreligion
2009⚡ Event
Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir becomes Prime Minister of Iceland
Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir became the first female prime minister of Iceland.
politics
2009⚡ Event
Omid satellite launched
Omid, Iran's first domestically made satellite, was launched from Semnan Space Center.
spacetechnology
2009⚡ Event
USS Port Royal runs aground
The United States Navy guided missile cruiser Port Royal ran aground on a coral reef off the island of Oahu.
wardisaster
2009⚡ Event
Satellite Collision
The satellites Iridium 33 and Kosmos 2251 collided and were destroyed in low Earth orbit on February 10, 2009. This was the first accidental hypervelocity collision between two intact satellites.
spacetechnology
2009⚡ Event
Colgan Air Flight 3407 crash
Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashes into a house in Clarence Center, New York, killing all 49 people on board and the house's occupant.
disaster
2009⚡ Event
Tamil Tigers suicide attack attempt
The Tamil Tigers attempted to crash two aircraft laden with C-4 in suicide attacks on Colombo, Sri Lanka, on February 20, 2009. The planes were shot down before reaching their targets.
war
2009⚡ Event
Bangladesh Rifles mutiny
Members of the Bangladesh Rifles began a mutiny at their headquarters in Pilkhana, resulting in 82 deaths.
warpoliticsdisaster
2009⚡ Event
Omar al-Bashir indicted by ICC
President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan was indicted by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the War in Darfur.
warlaw
2009⚡ Event
NCAA Report on Florida State University
The NCAA released a report alleging academic fraud by 61 student athletes at Florida State University as part of an investigation into an athletic scandal.
sportslaw
2009⚡ Event
Kepler Space Telescope Launched
The Kepler space telescope, designed to discover Earth-like planets orbiting other stars, was launched.
spacescience
2009⚡ Event
Massereene Barracks Shootings
Two off-duty British Army soldiers were shot dead by Real IRA paramilitaries outside Massereene Barracks in Antrim, Northern Ireland.
warpolitics
2009⚡ Event
Tesla Model S Unveiled
A prototype of the Tesla Model S, a groundbreaking electric car, was unveiled. This vehicle would become highly influential in the automotive industry.
technologyeconomics
2009⚡ Event
Situ Gintung dam failure
A failure of the dam holding Situ Gintung, an artificial lake in Tangerang, Indonesia, caused floods that killed at least 100 people.
disaster
2009⚡ Event
Lahore Police Academy Attack
The Manawan Police Academy in Lahore, Pakistan, was attacked by 12 gunmen. The incident resulted in 16 deaths and 95 injuries.
disasterpolitics
2009⚡ Event
Binghamton Shooting
A gunman opened fire at the American Civic Association in Binghamton, New York, killing thirteen people and wounding four before committing suicide.
disaster
2009⚡ Event
North Korea Satellite Launch
North Korea launched the satellite Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2, which passed over Japan. This sparked concerns it was a test of intercontinental ballistic missile technology.
spacewar
2009⚡ Event
L'Aquila Earthquake
An earthquake measuring 6.3 Mw struck near L'Aquila, Italy, killing 308 people and leaving more than 66,000 homeless.
disaster
2009⚡ Event
Moldovan Election Protests
Mass protests began across Moldova against the results of the parliamentary election.
politics
2009⚡ Event
Deadly fire at homeless hostel in Poland
Twenty-three people died in a fire at a homeless hostel in Kamień Pomorski. This was Poland's deadliest fire since 1980.
disaster
2009⚡ Event
Homestuck webcomic debuts
Andrew Hussie's webcomic Homestuck debuted on this date. The comic concluded on the same day in 2016.
artsliteratureentertainment
2009⚡ Event
GRB 090423 Detected
The gamma-ray burst GRB 090423 was detected coming from the most distant astronomical object of any kind known at the time.
sciencespace
2009⚡ Event
Attack on Dutch royal family
A Dutch man drove his car at high speed into a parade in an attempt to kill the Dutch royal family on April 30, 2009.
politicsdisaster
2009⚡ Event
Napier Siege Begins
Police in Napier, New Zealand, began a 40-hour siege of a former soldier's home. The man had shot at officers during a search warrant execution.
lawdisaster
2009⚡ Event
End of Sri Lankan Civil War
The Sri Lanka Army killed Velupillai Prabhakaran, the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. This event marked the end of the 26-year Sri Lankan civil war.
warpolitics
2009⚡ Event
North Korea Conducts Nuclear and Missile Tests
North Korea conducted a nuclear test and several missile tests, leading to international condemnation and UN sanctions.
warpoliticstechnology
2009⚡ Event
George Tiller Assassination
American physician George Tiller was shot and killed by an anti-abortion activist.
politicslawreligion
2009⚡ Event
Hermosillo daycare fire
A fire at a day-care center in Hermosillo, Mexico, killed 49 children.
disaster
2009⚡ Event
Bagua protests
Clashes between police and indigenous people in Bagua province, Peru, resulted in at least 31 deaths.
politicslaw
2009⚡ Event
Two American journalists sentenced in North Korea
Two American journalists, arrested for illegal entry into North Korea, were sentenced to twelve years hard labor. They were later pardoned.
politicslaw
2009⚡ Event
Czech Pirate Party Registered
Following a petition, the liberal progressive Czech Pirate Party was officially registered as a political party.
politics
2009⚡ Event
Rioting in Shishou, China
Mass rioting broke out in Shishou, China, over the dubious circumstances surrounding the death of a local chef.
politicslaw
2009⚡ Event
Operation Panther's Claw begins
British forces began Operation Panther's Claw, an aerial assault on Taliban positions in southern Afghanistan.
warpolitics
2009⚡ Event
Neda Agha-Soltan Killed in Iran
Iranian student Neda Agha-Soltan was shot dead in Tehran during presidential election protests. Footage of her death was widely distributed online.
politicslaw
2009⚡ Event
Washington Metro train collision
Two Metro trains collided in Washington, D.C., killing nine people and injuring eighty others.
disastertechnology
2009⚡ Event
Death of Michael Jackson
Singer Michael Jackson died as a result of the combination of drugs in his body.
entertainmentmusic
2009⚡ Event
Yemenia Flight 626 crash
Yemenia Flight 626 crashed into the Indian Ocean near the Comoros, killing 152 people. Bahia Bakari was the sole survivor.
disaster
2009⚡ Event
Ürümqi Riots
A series of violent riots erupted in Ürümqi, the capital of Xinjiang, China.
politics
2009⚡ Event
Staffordshire Hoard Discovered
The Staffordshire Hoard, the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found, was discovered near Hammerwich, England.
explorationarts
2009⚡ Event
Jadranka Kosor Becomes Croatian PM
Jadranka Kosor became the first woman to serve as prime minister of Croatia.
politics
2009⚡ Event
Caspian Airlines Flight 7908 Crash
Caspian Airlines Flight 7908 crashed in northwestern Iran, resulting in the deaths of all 168 people on board.
disastertechnology
2009⚡ Event
Fiordland earthquake
A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Fiordland, New Zealand. This was the country's largest earthquake since 1931.
disaster
2009⚡ Event
Tel Aviv LGBT Center Shooting
A shooting occurred at a branch of the Israeli LGBT organization the Aguda in Tel Aviv, resulting in two deaths.
disasterpolitics
2009⚡ Event
Taurus 09 Returns
The last vessels involved in Taurus 09, a Royal Navy training deployment covering 20,400 miles, returned to HMNB Devonport, England.
warexploration
2009⚡ Event
Mid-air collision over Hudson River
A tour helicopter and a small airplane collided over the Hudson River near Hoboken, New Jersey. Nine people were killed in the accident.
disaster
2009⚡ Event
Usain Bolt's 100m World Record
At the World Championships in Athletics in Berlin, Usain Bolt ran the 100 metres in 9.58 seconds, breaking his own record.
sports
2009⚡ Event
Clashes in Kokang
The Myanmar military junta and ethnic armies began three days of violent clashes in the region of Kokang.
war
2009⚡ Event
Atlanta Police Raid
Members of the Atlanta Police Department conducted a raid on a gay bar, leading to allegations of constitutional rights violations and a subsequent $1 million settlement.
lawpolitics
2009⚡ Event
Guinean Protests Disrupted
A large protest in Conakry, Guinea, was violently suppressed by the military junta, leading to numerous deaths and injuries.
politicslaw
2009⚡ Event
Sumatra earthquake
A 7.6 MW earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, causing widespread damage and casualties.
disaster
2009⚡ Event
Fort Hood shooting
U.S. Army major Nidal Hasan went on a shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, killing 13 people. This was the worst shooting ever to take place on an American military base.
warlaw
2009⚡ Event
Yellow Sea Naval Skirmish
A skirmish occurred between South Korean and North Korean naval ships off Daecheong Island in the Yellow Sea.
warpolitics
2009⚡ Event
Climatic Research Unit hacking
Servers at the University of East Anglia's Climatic Research Unit were hacked, and thousands of emails and files on climate change were stolen.
sciencetechnologydisaster
2009⚡ Event
Heilongjiang Mine Explosion
An explosion in a coal mine in Heilongjiang, China, resulted in the deaths of 108 miners.
disastereconomics
2009⚡ Event
Maguindanao massacre in the Philippines
A crowd of people on their way to register Esmael Mangudadatu's candidacy for governor of Maguindanao were kidnapped and killed by supporters of his rival, resulting in 58 deaths.
politicslaw
2009⚡ Event
Avdhela Project launched
The Avdhela Project, an Aromanian digital library and cultural initiative, was launched in Bucharest, Romania, on November 24, 2009.
technologyarts
2009⚡ Event
Bomb derails Russian train
A bomb exploded under a Russian high-speed train traveling between Moscow and Saint Petersburg, derailing it and killing 28 passengers.
disasterpolitics
2009⚡ Event
Lady Gaga begins The Monster Ball Tour
Lady Gaga performed the first concert of The Monster Ball Tour. The tour became the highest-grossing in history for a debut headlining artist.
musicentertainment
2009⚡ Event
Mogadishu suicide bombing kills 25
A suicide bombing in Mogadishu, Somalia, resulted in the deaths of 25 people. Among the victims were three ministers of the Transitional Federal Government.
politicswar
2009⚡ Event
Baghdad Bombings
Multiple bombings in Baghdad, carried out by the Islamic State of Iraq, resulted in at least 127 deaths and 448 injuries. The attacks occurred on December 8, 2009.
warpoliticsdisaster
2009⚡ Event
Northwest Airlines Flight 253 attempted bombing
On Northwest Airlines Flight 253, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab attempted to detonate plastic explosives hidden in his underwear.
disasterlaw
2009⚡ Event
St Mel's Cathedral fire
A fire destroyed Longford's 19th-century St Mel's Cathedral, a significant landmark in the Irish midlands.
disasterreligion
2009⚡ Event
Iranian security forces fire on election protesters
During protests in Tehran against the recent presidential election, Iranian security forces opened fire on demonstrators.
politics
2009⚡ Event
Karachi suicide bombing
A suicide bomber attacked a Shia procession commemorating the day of Ashura in Karachi, Pakistan, causing 43 deaths.
religionpoliticswar
2009⚡ Event
Pipeline rupture in Shaanxi, China
A rupture of the Lanzhou–Zhengzhou–Changsha pipeline in Shaanxi, China, caused approximately 150,000 liters of diesel oil to flow down the Wei River.
disastertechnology
2009⚡ Event
Pro-government rallies in Iran
Pro-government counter-demonstrators held rallies in several Iranian cities in response to recent anti-government protests on the holy day of Ashura.
politics
Born in 2009(12)
2009🎂 Birth
Shaylee Mansfield
Shaylee Mansfield, deaf American actress and YouTuber, was born.
entertainment
Deaths in 2009(0)
No deaths recorded for 2009.
Dates in 2009
January 2January 3January 5January 15January 20January 26January 29February 1February 2February 5February 10February 12February 20February 25March 4March 6March 7March 26March 27March 30April 3April 5April 6April 13April 23April 30May 7May 18May 25May 31June 5June 8June 17June 19June 20June 22June 25June 30July 5July 6July 15August 1August 3August 8August 16August 27September 10September 22September 25September 28September 30November 5November 10November 17November 21November 23November 24November 27December 3December 5December 8December 13December 25December 27December 28December 30
Frequently Asked Questions
- What happened in 2009?
- 2009 saw 85 notable historical moments, including 73 events, 12 famous birthdays, and 0 notable deaths.
- What were the biggest events of 2009?
- Key events of 2009 include: Sri Lankan Army captures Kilinochchi, Bitcoin Genesis Block Mined, Eng Foong Ho v Attorney-General.
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