On This Day In History: Elvis Presley makes first appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show"

1956

Elvis Presley makes first appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show”

Born on This Day

Leo Tolstoy

Leo Tolstoy

1828 - 1910

Russian master of realistic fiction who produced acclaimed epics "Anna Karenina" and "War and Peace."

"The Fabelmans" Photocall

Michelle Williams

1980 -

American actress whose acclaimed film work includes "Brokeback Mountain," "The Greatest Showman" and "The Fabelmans."

Otis Redding

Otis Redding

1941 - 1967

Soulful singer-songwriter who had his biggest hit, "(Sittin' on) the Dock of the Bay," after his tragic death at age 26.

1942

SEP

9

A Japanese seaplane drops incendiary bombs near Brookings, Oregon, the first-ever aerial bombing on the US mainland. The bombs, which were intended to start a forest fire, do little damage.

Timeline

Also on This Day in History

Discover more of the major events, famous births, notable deaths and everything else history-making that happened on September 9th

1776

Congress renames the nation “United States of America”

On September 9, 1776, the Continental Congress formally declares the name of the new nation to be the “United States” of America. This replaced the term “United Colonies,” which had been in general use. In the Congressional declaration dated September 9, 1776, the delegates wrote, “That in all continental commissions, and other instruments, where, heretofore, […]

1850

California becomes the 31st state in record time

Though it had only been a part of the United States for less than two years, California becomes the 31st state in the union (without ever even having been a territory) on September 9, 1850. Mexico had reluctantly ceded California and much of its northern territory to the United States in the 1848 Treaty of […]

1893

President Cleveland’s child is born in the White House

Frances Folsom Cleveland, the wife of President Grover Cleveland, gives birth to a daughter, Esther, in the White House. On June 2, 1886, in an intimate ceremony held in the Blue Room of the White House, President Grover Cleveland married Frances Folsom, the daughter of Cleveland’s late law partner and friend, Oscar Folsom. Fewer than […]

1919

The Boston police department goes on strike

The infamous Boston Police Strike of 1919 begins, causing an uproar around the nation and confirming the growing influence of unions on American life.  As society changed in the 20th century, police were expected to act more professionally. Some of their previous practices were no longer countenanced. Explanations such as that later given by the […]

1939

Audiences are shown a surprise preview of “Gone with the Wind”

Audiences at the Fox Theater in Riverside, California, get a surprise showing of Gone with the Wind, which the theater manager shows as a second feature. Producer David O. Selznick sat in the back and observed the audience reaction to his highly anticipated—and highly controversial—film. The movie was released a few months later. In the […]

1942

Japanese bomb U.S. mainland

On September 9, 1942, a Japanese floatplane drops incendiary bombs on an Oregon state forest—the first air attack on the U.S. mainland in the war. Launching from the Japanese sub I-25, Nobuo Fujita piloted his light aircraft over the state of Oregon and firebombed Mount Emily, alighting a state forest. The president immediately called for […]

1967

Sergeant Duane D. Hackney receives Air Force Cross

Sergeant Duane D. Hackney is presented with the Air Force Cross for bravery in rescuing an Air Force pilot in Vietnam. He was the first living Air Force enlisted man to receive the award, the nation’s second highest award for bravery in action.

1969

Ho Chi Minh laid to rest in Hanoi

Funeral services, attended by 250,000 mourners, are held for Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi’s Ba Dinh Square. Among those in attendance were Soviet Premier Aleksei Kosygin, Chinese Vice-Premier Li Hsien-nien and Prince Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia. Ho had established the Indochinese Communist Party in 1929. In September 1945, as the defeated Japanese prepared to leave […]

1971

Uprising at Attica prison begins

Prisoners seize control of the maximum-security Attica Correctional Facility near Buffalo, New York beginning on September 9, 1971. Later that day, state police retook most of the prison, but 1,281 convicts occupied an exercise field called D Yard, where they held 39 prison guards and employees hostage for four days. After negotiations stalled, state police and […]

1976

Mao Zedong dies

Mao Zedong, who led the Chinese people through a long revolution and then ruled the nation’s communist government from its establishment in 1949, dies. Along with V.I. Lenin and Joseph Stalin, Mao was one of the most significant communist figures of the Cold War. Mao was born in China in 1893. During the 1910s, he […]

2002

72-year-old Buzz Aldrin punches a moon landing conspiracy theorist in the face

On September 9, 2002, astronaut Buzz Aldrin—the second human to set foot on the moon—is walking outside a Beverly Hills hotel when a conspiracy theorist starts harassing him and accusing Aldrin of lying about the Apollo 11 moon landing. Incensed, Aldrin punches his heckler in the face. “You’re the one who said you walked on […]

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin inside the Apollo 11 prior to the lunar landing on July 20, 1969. (Credit: NASA)

2007

NFL nabs New England Patriots in “Spygate” scandal

On September 9, 2007, the NFL catches the New England Patriots illegally videotaping coaching signals of the New York Jets from an unauthorized location in a Week 1 game in East Rutherford, N.J.—a scandal the media soon dubs “Spygate.”  Just before halftime of the Patriots’ 38-14 Patriots win, a 26-year-old New England video assistant named […]

History Every Day

Sign Up for "This Day in History"

Uncover fascinating moments from the past every day! Learn something new with key events in history, from the American Revolution to pop culture, crime and more.

By submitting your information, you agree to receive emails from HISTORY and A+E Global Media. You can opt out at any time. You must be 16 years or older and a resident of the United States.

More details: Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Contact Us