On This Day - What Happened On July 9 - Encyclopedia Britannica

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1762 Catherine the Great assumed power Catherine the Great overthrew Peter III on this day in 1762 and began her reign as empress of Russia, leading her country into full participation in the political and cultural life of Europe and extending Russian territory. Test your knowledge of Russian history Pictures from History—Universal Images Group/Getty Images

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O.J. Simpson American football player bornJuly 9, 1947San Francisco, CaliforniadiedApril 10, 2024 (aged 76)Las Vegas, Nevada© Daniel Gluskoter/Getty Images 1975 Jack White American musician 1964 Courtney Love American musician and actress 1956 Tom Hanks American actor 1955 Lindsey Graham United States senator 1947 O.J. Simpson American football player See All Biographies On This Day

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2019 American businessman and politician Ross Perot—who ran for U.S. president as an independent in 1992, receiving some 19 percent of the popular vote—died at age 89. How much do you know about U.S. presidential elections?© Joe Sohm/Dreamstime.com 2011 South Sudan declared its independence after a referendum to secede from Sudan passed overwhelmingly.Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 2002 Fearing that there would not be enough eligible players to continue, Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig stopped the annual All-Star Game in the 11th inning with the score tied at 7–7. Find out which MLB team has won the most World Series© s_bukley/Shutterstock.com 2001 The British TV series The Office, created and written by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, debuted on the BBC. It became a huge hit, spawning a popular American version and making Gervais a star.© 2003/British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) 1995 American psychedelic rock band the Grateful Dead performed their last concert, at Soldier Field in Chicago; lead guitarist and vocalist Jerry Garcia died the following month. Take our quiz about musical groups© Northfoto/Shutterstock.com 1960 The Thresher, the first of a class of U.S. nuclear-powered attack submarines, was launched; it sank in 1963 in the worst submarine accident in history. Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about submarines, ships, and other watercraftNaval Historical Center/U.S. Navy 1956 American actor Tom Hanks, best known for his cheerful everyman persona, was born in California.© Francois Duhamel—Participant Media, LLC 1955 Rock Around the Clock by Bill Haley and His Comets became the first rock-and-roll single to hit number one on Billboard's pop charts. Take our quiz about rock and roll© David Redfern—Redferns/Retna Ltd. 1925 Hindi motion-picture producer, director, writer, and actor Guru Dutt, one of the best-known and most-accomplished stylists of Bollywood's golden age, was born. What's the highest-grossing Indian film ever made?© Dinodia Photos/Alamy 1911 Physicist John Archibald Wheeler, the first American involved in the theoretical development of the atomic bomb and the originator of the term black hole, was born. How much do you know about physics?New York World-Telegram and the Sun Newspaper Photograph Collection, Library of Congress (negative no. LC-USZ62-118106) 1856 Nikola Tesla—a Serbian American inventor and researcher who discovered the rotating magnetic field, the basis of most alternating-current machinery—was born this day (or the next) in Smiljan, Croatia. Take our quiz about scientists and inventorsCulver Pictures 1850 Zachary Taylor, 12th president of the United States, died, only 16 months after taking office. Test your knowledge of U.S. presidentsLibrary of Congress, Washington, D.C. (neg. no. LC-USZ62-13012) 1828 American painter Gilbert Stuart, who was one of the great portrait painters of his era and the creator of a distinctively American portrait style, died at age 72. Sort fact from fiction in our artists and painters quizNational Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C.; Smithsonian Institution Conserved with funds from the Smithsonian Women's Committee (object no. NPG.92.120) 1816 The Congress of Tucumán declared Argentina's independence from Spain.José Lazarte 1755 General Edward Braddock's British army was thoroughly defeated in the Battle of the Monongahela during the French and Indian War. Take our history of war quizLibrary of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-DIG-ds-05283) 1540 The marriage of King Henry VIII of England and Anne of Cleves—the fourth of his six wives—was annulled. Take our quiz about Henry VIII and his wives© Giraudon/Art Resource, New York SIGN UP FOR History's Biggest Headlines Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors. SIGN UP Thanks for signing up for Today in History. Your first newsletter will arrive soon! SIGN UP By clicking "Sign Up" you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.