Historical Events in 2009

Events 1 - 200 of 248

• Jan 1 61 die in nightclub fire in Bangkok, Thailand.
• Jan 1 Slovakia officially adopts the Euro currency and becomes the sixteenth Eurozone country.

• Jan 3 Israeli ground forces invade Gaza.
• Jan 3 The Bitcoin network is created as the first block of the digital currency is mined by a person or group of people using the name Satoshi Nakamoto
• Jan 4 Phil Taylor, with a 7–1 victory in the final over Dutchman Raymond van Barneveld wins his 12th PDC World Darts title, his 14th in all; his 110.94 average remains a record for the PDC World Darts Championship final
• Jan 6 Israel begins an assault on the Gaza Strip
• Jan 8 A 6.2 magnitude earthquake hit Costa Rica´s region of Volcan Poás, with an epicenter near Cinchona. It was caused by Varablanca-Angel fault.

• Jan 13 Global shipping experiences a drop in trade, as exports from South Korea dropping an annualised 30%, with Taiwan and Japan experiencing a 42% and 27% drop respectively

• Jan 20 Joe Biden assumes the office of the Vice President of the United States
• Jan 23 Dendermonde nursery attack occurred in Dendermonde, Belgium.
• Jan 23 UK officially enters recession as GDP falls by 1.5% in the last quarter of 2008 following a 0.6% drop in the third quarter, with unemployment growing by 131,000 to 1.92 million (6.1%)

• Jan 26 "I Run to You" single by Lady Antebellum is released (Grammy Award Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal 2009, Billboard Song of the Year 2009)

• Jan 29 Rod Blagojevich, Governor of Illinois, is removed from office after being convicted of corruption charges
• Jan 31 In Kenya, at least 113 people are killed and over 200 injured following an oil spillage ignition in Molo, days after a massive fire at a Nakumatt supermarket in Nairobi killed at least 25 people.
• Feb 1 Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir is elected as the first female Prime Minister of Iceland, becoming the first openly gay Head of Government in the modern world.
• Feb 1 Super Bowl XLIII, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL: Pittsburgh Steelers beat Arizona Cardinals, 27-23; MVP: Santonio Holmes, Pittsburgh, WR

• Feb 5 The United States Navy guided missile cruiser Port Royal runs aground off Oahu, Hawaii, damaging the ship as well as a coral reef

• Feb 7 Bushfires in Victoria left 173 dead in the worst natural disaster in Australia's history.

• Feb 12 Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashes near Buffalo in the state of New York killing 50 people.
• Feb 13 The Dutch Statistics agency confirms the Netherlands are in recession
• Feb 13 Unix time passed 1,234,567,890 seconds February 13, 2009 at exactly 23:31:30 (UTC).
• Feb 15 51st Daytona 500: Matt Kenseth wins shortened race; called off with 48 laps to go after a severe rainstorm hits the track

• Feb 18 The Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics announced that the Taiwanese economy has contracted an unprecedented 8.36% in the fourth quarter of 2008; thus placing the country in a technical recession

• Feb 25 BDR massacre in Pilkhana, Dhaka, Bangladesh. 74 People are being killed, including more than 50 Army officials, by Bangladeshi Boarder Guards inside its headquarter.
• Feb 27 Statistics Finland informs that Finland's gross domestic product diminished by 1.3% in the last quarter of 2008 from the previous quarter
• Mar 1 Steven Holcomb pilots USA-1 sled to victory in the 4-man competition at the World Bobsled Championships at Mt Van Hoevenberg, NY; first American win in the event in 50 years
• Mar 3 The building of the Historisches Archiv der Stadt Köln (Historical Archives) in Cologne, Germany, collapses.
• Mar 3 The Sri Lankan cricket team is attacked by terrorists while on their way to the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore for 2nd Test against Pakistan; match abandoned

• Mar 4 Malaysia has a 50% chance of slipping into the recession as growth is expected to reach just 0.5% for the year, announces the executive director Datuk Mohamed Ariff Abdul Kareem of the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research
• Mar 4 U.S. Steel announce the closure of the Stelco Lake Erie Works in Nanticoke, Ontario due to the increasingly worsening effects of the global economic slowdown

• Mar 11 Winnenden school shooting - 17 people are killed at a school in Germany.
• Mar 14 Canterbury winger Hazem El Masri becomes highest point scorer in Australian Rugby League history; 33rd minute penalty in Bulldogs' 34-12 win over Manly at ANZ Stadium, Sydney takes him to 2,178; Andrew Johns, 2,176
• Mar 22 Mount Redoubt, a volcano in Alaska began erupting after a prolonged period of unrest
• Mar 25 Gay dating site Grindr launched by Joel Simkhai, first ever dating application to combine dating information and location
• Mar 27 Situ Gintung, an artificial lake in Indonesia, fails killing at least 99 people.

• Mar 31 "Boom Boom Pow" single released by The Black Eyed Peas (Grammy Award for Best Music Video 2010, Billboard Song of the Year 2009)
• Apr 1 Croatia and Albania join NATO
• Apr 3 Australia formally adopts the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

• Apr 5 North Korea launches its controversial Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2 rocket. The satellite passed over mainland Japan, which prompted an immediate reaction from the United Nations Security Council, as well as participating states of Six-party talks

• Apr 6 A 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes near L'Aquila, Italy, killing at least 253.

• Apr 12 U.S. Navy rescues captain Richard Phillips, killing three pirates and capturing a fourth

• Apr 15 Even though official government sources state that Argentina's GDP will actually grow this year, private consulting firms state that Argentine economy has actually been in recession since October 2008

• Apr 23 Gamma ray burst (GRB) 090423 is observed for 10 seconds, the most distant object of any kind and also the oldest known object in the universe

• Apr 30 Chrysler automobile company files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
• Apr 30 Failed attack on the Dutch Royal Family results in 7 deaths and 17 injured
• Apr 30 The United Kingdom formally ends combat operations in Iraq
• May 1 Carol Ann Duffy is appointed British Poet Laureate - first Scot and woman Laureate

• May 1 Same-sex marriage is legalized in Sweden

• May 11 An American soldier in Iraq opened fire on a counseling center at Camp Liberty in Bagdhad, leaving 5 other US soldiers dead and 3 soldiers wounded

• May 15 Eurostat report that Austria, Belgium, and Romania have all entered recession in the first quarter of 2009
• May 15 French Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies announce French narrowly avoided recession in 2008, gross domestic product shrank 1.2% in 1st quarter of 2009 after falling by 1.5% in final quarter of 2008

• May 17 Video game Minecraft is first released to the public while in development
• May 18 The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam are defeated by the Sri Lankan government, ending the Sri Lankan Civil War and almost 26 years of fighting between the two sides
• May 19 Sri Lanka announces victory in its 25-year war against the terrorist organization, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam

• May 20 Mexico is the first Latin American country to officially enter recession

• May 24 62nd Cannes Film Festival: "The White Ribbon" directed by Michael Haneke wins the Palme d'Or
• May 24 Manchester United wins 1-0 at Hull City Stadium to win English Premier League title for 3rd consecutive season, for a second time; equals Liverpool's record of 18 league titles
• May 25 North Korea conducts its second nuclear test while also conducting several missile tests
• May 25 Thailand’s economy shrank more than expected in the first quarter of 2009, contracting the most in a decade and plunging the nation into recession
• May 27 South Africa enters the global recession; the first recession for South Africa in 17 years

• May 30 Super Rugby Final, Pretoria: Morné Steyn kicks 5 conversions & 2 penalties as the Bulls thump the Chiefs (Waikato, NZ), 61-17
• Jun 1 Air France Flight 447 crashes into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Brazil on a flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. All 228 passengers and crew were killed.
• Jun 1 General Motors files for chapter 11 bankruptcy. It is the fourth largest United States bankruptcy in history.
• Jun 2 Switzerland officially enters the global recession
• Jun 5 At least 32 people are killed in Peru during clashes between the police and indigenous protesters
• Jun 5 Chile officially enters recession; it is the first South American country to enter the global recession
• Jun 7 63rd Tony Awards: "Billy Elliot the Musical" (musical) and "God of Carnage" (play) win
• Jun 8 First section of the elevated High Line park, built on an old railway opens in New York from Gansevoort Street to 20th Street
• Jun 9 Brazil officially enters recession
• Jun 11 Bulgarian authorities declare the country is officially in recession after dropping 1.6% in the last quarter of 2008
• Jun 11 Texas mother hit by lightning while standing in her kitchen in her Texas home. Witnesses say lightning came through a light fixture, struck her chest and exited her foot. Survived after three days in hospital.
• Jun 11 The World Health Organization declares H1N1 swine flu to be a global pandemic, the first such incident in over forty years
• Jun 12 Protests in Iran following the presidential election.
• Jun 12 Stanley Cup Final, Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI: Pittsburgh Penguins edge Detroit Red Wings, 2-1 for a 4-3 series win; Penguins 3rd Championship
• Jun 12 TSC: All television broadcasts in the United States switch from analog NTSC to digital ATSC transmission.

• Jun 21 ICC Men's Cricket T20 World Cup, Lord's, London: Pakistan wins their first title beating Sri Lanka by 8 wickets; Player of the Series: Sri Lankan all-rounder Tillakaratne Dilshan (317 runs)
• Jun 21 ICC Women's Cricket T20 World Cup, Lord's: England 86/4 win inaugural event; beat New Zealand 85; England's Katherine Brunt takes 3 for 6
• Jun 22 Two Metro subway trains collide in Washington, D.C., killing 9 and injuring over 80

• Jun 25 Colombia enters into recession after witnessing 0.7% contraction in the last quarter of 2008 and 0.6% in the following quarter
• Jun 25 NBA Draft: Oklahoma power forward Blake Griffin first pick by Los Angeles Clippers
• Jun 27 The Tower of Hercules in northern Spain - only preserved Roman lighthouse still in use is inscribed as a World Heritage Site [1]

• Jun 30 Turkey records its fastest contraction of 13.8% in the first quarter of 2009 compared to 2008, leading the country into recession; this is Turkey's biggest economic slump since 1945
• Jun 30 Yemenia Flight 626 crashes off the coast of Moroni, Comoros killing 152 people and leaving 1 survivor

• Jul 3 Mark II.5 Skytrain cars enter service in Metro Vancouver.

• Jul 5 Ethnic rioting breaks out in Ürümqi, Xinjiang, People's Republic of China

• Jul 6 Jadranka Kosor became first female prime minister of Croatia

• Jul 14 Singapore experiences a seasonally adjusted and annualised growth of 20.4% in the second quarter as a result of increased pharmaceuticals production and construction, bringing the country out of the recession

• Jul 15 A 7.9 Magnitude earthquake registers 160km west of Invercargill, New Zealand, creating a small tsunami
• Jul 17 Jakarta double bombings at the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton Hotels killed 9 people including 4 foreigners
• Jul 18 Five members of one family are found murdered at Epping, New South Wales.

• Jul 19 The Wesley Impact: black spot the size of Earth discovered on Jupiter after unknown object crashed onto the planet
• Jul 23 Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox becomes the 18th pitcher to throw a perfect game in MLB history, defeating Tampa Bay Rays 5-0
• Jul 23 The Bank of Canada announces the end of the recession even though it remains nascent and still dependent on government stimulus money
• Jul 24 FINA Congress votes to ban all body-length swimsuits; men's suits to maximally cover from the waist to knee, and women's from shoulder to knee; fabric must be a "textile" or woven material; effective 1 January 2010
• Jul 29 Temperature reaches 103°F in Seattle, Washington, the hottest day on record [1]
• Jul 30 A bomb explodes in Palma Nova, Mallorca, killing 2 police officers. Basque separatist group ETA is believed to be responsible.
• Aug 2 Michael Phelps ends the World Swimming Championships in Rome with his 5th gold medal as part of the US 4x100m medley relay team that recorded the 43rd world record of the controversial meet

• Aug 11 "Need You Now" album released by Lady Antebellum (Billboard Album of the Year 2010)
• Aug 15 Portugal leaves recession after three consecutive quarters of negative growth having its GDP recover by 0.3% in the second quarter of 2009
• Aug 19 A series of bombings in Baghdad, Iraq, kills 101 and injures 565 others
• Aug 23 The Tradition Senior Men's Golf, Crosswater Club: Mike Reid wins his second Champions Tour major with birdie on first playoff hole against John Cook
• Aug 24 "Love Like Crazy" single released by Lee Brice (Billboard Song of the Year 2010)
• Aug 24 Thailand's GDP grew 2.3% in 2009's second quarter, technically leaving the recession

• Aug 29 Cristiano Ronaldo makes his debut for Real Madrid, scoring a penalty in their 3-2 win over Deportivo La Coruña

• Sep 5 Denmark celebrates the first national flagday, in memory of the fallen Danes in international operations since 1948.
• Sep 9 Cyprus enters recession after 0.6% contraction in the first quarter, followed by 0.4% in the second quarter
• Sep 11 Sweden emerges from the recession after witnessing GDP growth of 0.2% in the second quarter
• Sep 11 The Brazilian economy technically leaves the recession when GDP grew 1.9% in the second quarter of 2009 after having fallen in the first quarter of 2009 and last quarter of 2008
• Sep 12 South Africa claims 3rd Tri Nations Rugby Series with 32-29 win over defending champions New Zealand in Hamilton; Steyn bros dominate with the boot; Morné kicks 2 penalties, 2 conversions & dropped goal; François, 3 penalties
• Sep 12 The 9-12 Project organized multiple marches and demonstrations across the USA to protest government spending.

• Sep 18 The 72 year run of the soap opera The Guiding Light ends as its final episode is broadcast.

• Sep 21 Macedonia officially enters the recession after experiencing a drop in GDP of 0.9% in the first quarter, followed by 1.4% in the second quarter

• Sep 26 Typhoon Ketsana (2009) hit the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand, causing 700 fatalities.

• Sep 28 The military junta leading Guinea, headed by Captain Moussa Dadis Camara, sexually assaulted, killed and wounded protesters during a protest rally in a stadium called Stade du 28 Septembre.
• Sep 29 An 8.0 magnitude earthquake near the Samoan Islands causes a tsunami
• Sep 29 MESSENGER spacecraft performs a third and final Mercury flyby
• Oct 2 "Stan Lee Day" declared by County of Los Angeles and the City of Long Beach
• Oct 2 The economic crisis in Ireland is considered to be the driving force behind the largest migration of Irish people to London in 20 years, it is reported today
• Oct 2 The International Olympic Committee votes to award Rio de Janeiro, Brazil rights to host the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics
• Oct 4 George Papandreou's Panhellenic Socialist Movement defeats Greece's governing New Democracy party in an electoral landslide.
• Oct 5 Australia wins cricket's Champions Trophy at Centurion Park in Gauteng, South Africa by 6 wickets (28 balls remaining) v New Zealand; chasing 200, Shane Watson is 105 not out in Australia's 206/4

• Oct 9 First lunar impact of the Centaur and LCROSS spacecrafts as part of NASA's Lunar Precursor Robotic Program
• Oct 10 After closed borders for nearly two hundred years, Armenia and Turkey sign protocols in Zurich to open their borders

• Oct 18 British Mercedes driver Jenson Button finishes 5th in Brazilian Grand Prix at Autódromo José Carlos Pace to clinch his first F1 World Drivers Championship

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