March 9 in History: Famous Births, Events, and Deaths

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March 9 has witnessed many remarkable moments throughout history. On this day in 1959, Barbie, the world-famous doll, made her debut at the American International Toy Fair in New York. In 1961, the Soviet Union launched the spacecraft Sputnik 9 carrying a dog and a mannequin, marking another step in space exploration. The day is also remembered for the birth of Yuri Gagarin in 1934, the first human to travel into space. Over the years, March 9 has become a date linked with creativity, innovation, and groundbreaking achievements across various fields.

Famous People Born on March 9

  • 1454 Amerigo Vespucci: Italian explorer and cartographer whose name inspired the term America.
  • 1568 Aloysius Gonzaga: Italian aristocrat and patron saint of youth.
  • 1890 Vyacheslav Molotov: Soviet politician and diplomat.
  • 1902 Will Geer: American actor best known for his role as Grandpa Walton in The Waltons.
  • 1910 Samuel Barber: American composer best known for Adagio for Strings.
  • 1918 George Lincoln Rockwell: American political activist who founded the American Nazi Party.
  • 1934 Yuri Gagarin: Soviet cosmonaut and the first human to travel into space.
  • 1940 Raul Julia: Puerto Rican actor best known for portraying Gomez Addams in The Addams Family films.
  • 1943 Bobby Fischer: American chess grandmaster and world chess champion.
  • 1958 Linda Fiorentino: American actress known for The Last Seduction and Men in Black.
  • 1964 Juliette Binoche: French actress and Academy Award winner.
  • 1975 Juan Sebastián Verón: Argentine footballer and later coach.
  • 1979 Oscar Isaac: Guatemalan-American actor known for roles in Star Wars and Dune.
  • 1980 Matthew Gray Gubler: American actor, director, and model.
  • 1987 Bow Wow (Shad Moss): American rapper and actor.
  • 1993 Suga (Min Yoon-gi): South Korean rapper, songwriter, and producer, member of BTS.
  • 1995 Cierra Ramirez: American actress and singer known for The Fosters.
  • 2000 Khaby Lame: Senegalese-Italian social media personality known for his comedic short videos.
  • Famous Events on March 9

  • 1500: Pedro Álvares Cabral left Lisbon, Portugal, leading a fleet that would eventually reach Brazil.
  • 1562: Kissing Day was first celebrated in France after a royal decree allowed public kissing.
  • 1796: Napoleon Bonaparte married Joséphine de Beauharnais in Paris.
  • 1842: The first documented discovery of gold in California was made by Francisco Lopez.
  • 1848: The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was ratified by the U.S. Senate, officially ending the Mexican-American War.
  • 1916: Germany declared war on Portugal during World War I.
  • 1932: Éamon de Valera became President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State.
  • 1945: Tokyo was heavily bombed by the United States in one of the deadliest air raids of World War II.
  • 1959: The first Barbie doll was unveiled at the American International Toy Fair in New York.
  • 1961: The Soviet Union launched Sputnik 9 carrying a dog and a mannequin, marking progress in human spaceflight testing.
  • 1964: The first Ford Mustang rolled off the assembly line, marking the birth of an American classic car.
  • 1976: The first female cadets were accepted into the U.S. Air Force Academy.
  • 1990: Dr. Antonia Novello was appointed the first female and first Hispanic U.S. Surgeon General.
  • 1997: The Notorious B.I.G., American rapper, was shot and killed in Los Angeles.
  • 2011: Space Shuttle Discovery completed its final mission, landing safely at Kennedy Space Center.
  • 2020: Italy imposed a nationwide lockdown due to the rapid spread of COVID-19, the first country to do so in Europe.
  • Famous People Who Died on March 9

  • 1451 Frances of Rome: Italian noblewoman and saint.
  • 1566 David Rizzio: Italian courtier and secretary to Mary, Queen of Scots.
  • 1629 Humphrey Lhuyd: Welsh cartographer and historian.
  • 1709 Ferdinando de' Medici: Italian prince and patron of the arts.
  • 1828 Franz Schubert: Austrian composer known for his lieder and symphonies.
  • 1831 Friedrich Kuhlau: German-Danish composer and pianist.
  • 1851 Hans Christian Ørsted: Danish physicist and chemist who discovered electromagnetism.
  • 1918 Frank Wedekind: German playwright known for Spring Awakening.
  • 1930 William Howard Taft: 27th President of the United States and later Chief Justice.
  • 1952 Paramahansa Yogananda: Indian spiritual teacher and author of Autobiography of a Yogi.
  • 1964 Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck: German general in World War I.
  • 1983 Ulf von Euler: Swedish physiologist and Nobel Prize laureate.
  • 1988 Kurt Georg Kiesinger: Chancellor of West Germany from 1966 to 1969.
  • 1997 The Notorious B.I.G.: American rapper and songwriter.
  • 2006 John Profumo: British politician involved in the Profumo affair.
  • 2008 Brad Renfro: American actor known for The Client.
  • 2018 Hubert de Givenchy: French fashion designer and founder of the Givenchy brand.
  • 2021 James Levine: American conductor and music director of the Metropolitan Opera.
  • 2022 Ron Miles: American jazz trumpeter and composer.
  • 2023 Robert Blake: American actor known for Baretta.
  • March 9 stands as a remarkable date that highlights the progress of humanity in exploration, innovation, and creativity. From the launch of historic space missions to the debut of cultural icons like Barbie, this day reflects milestones that shaped science, art, and popular culture. It reminds us how curiosity and invention have continually pushed the world toward new frontiers and discoveries.

    Throughout centuries, March 9 has also been a day linked with influential figures who transformed their fields. The births and deaths of leaders, artists, scientists, and thinkers on this day have left enduring legacies that continue to inspire generations. Whether through the arts, exploration, or acts of leadership, March 9 remains a symbol of human ambition and the ever-evolving story of progress.