April 9
1682 - French explorer Robert de La Salle claimed the Mississippi River Basin for France.
1731 - Robert Jenkins's ear was cut off, sparking the War of Jenkins's Ear between Spain and England.
1865 - Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia, bringing an end to the American Civil War.
1914 - The first full-color film, The World, The Flesh and the Devil, was shown in London.
1939 - Contralto Marian Anderson, after being denied performing at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. by the Daughters of the American Revolution because of her race, gave a concert at the Lincoln Memorial.
1940 - Germany invaded Denmark and Norway during World War II.
1942 - American and Philippine troops on Bataan were overwhelmed by Japanese forces during World War II. The "Bataan Death March" began soon after.
1959 - NASA announced the selection of America's first seven astronauts: Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Gus Grissom, Wally Schirra, Alan Shepard and Donald Slayton.
1963 - Winston Churchill became the first honorary U.S. citizen.
1967 - The first test flight of Boeing’s new 737 took place as the jetliner took off from Boeing Field in Seattle on a 2 1/2 hour trip to Paine Field in Everett, Washington.
1968 - Funeral services, private and public, were held for Martin Luther King Jr. at the Ebenezer Baptist Church and Morehouse College in Atlanta, five days after the civil rights leader was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee.
1979 - Officials declared an end to the crisis involving the Three Mile Island Unit 2 nuclear reactor in Pennsylvania, 12 days after a partial core meltdown.
1992 - Former Panamanian ruler Manuel Noriega was convicted of drug and racketeering charges.
2001 - American Airlines' parent company acquired bankrupt Trans World Airlines.
2003 - American Marines pulled down Saddam Hussein's statue in Baghdad in after U.S. commanders declared his rule ended.
2005 - Britain's Prince Charles married Camilla Parker Bowles, who took the title Duchess of Cornwall.
2010 - Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens announced his retirement. (His vacancy was filled by Elena Kagan.)
2020 - The government reported that 6.6 million people had sought unemployment benefits in the preceding week, bringing the total to 16.8 million in the three weeks since the coronavirus outbreak took hold.
Birthdays
22 - Isaac Hempstead Wright (actor)
23 - Elle Fanning (actress)
31 - Kristen Stewart (actress)
32 - Bianca Belair (professional wrestler)
34 - Jazmine Sullivan (singer)
35 - Leighton Meester (actress)
35 - Jordan Masterson (actor)
36 - Annie Funke (actress)
39 - Jay Baruchel (actor)
40 - Arlen Escarpeta (actor)
41 - Ryan Northcott (actor)
41 - Charlie Hunnam (actor)
42 - Keshia Knight Pulliam (actress)
46 - Sunny Anderson (TV personality)
55 - Cynthia Nixon (actress)
56 - Paulina Porizkova (actress/model)
56 - Mark Pellegrino (actor)
57 - Lisa Guerrero (actress/sports reporter)
58 - Joe Scarborough (TV host)
66 - Jimmy Tingle (comedian)
67 - Dennis Quaid (actor)
79 - Margo Smith (country singer)
82 - Michael Learned (actor)
88 - Jean-Paul Belmondo (actor)
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Today in Sports History - April 9
1932 - The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the New York Rangers in a sweep to win the Stanley Cup.
1935 - The Montreal Maroons sweep the Toronto Maple Leafs to win the Stanley Cup.
1941 - The PGA established the Golf Hall of Fame.
1945 - National Football League officials decreed that it was mandatory for football players to wear long stockings in all league games.
1946 - The Montreal Canadiens defeat the Boston Bruins in five games to win the Stanley Cup.
1959 - The Boston Celtics won the first of their record eight consecutive NBA championships with a sweep of the Minneapolis Lakers.
1960 - The Boston Celtics defeat the St. Louis Hawks in seven games to win the NBA championship.
1962 - Arnold Palmer wins his third Masters title.
1965 - The Houston Astrodome hosted the first indoor major league baseball game.
1972 - Jack Nicklaus wins his fourth Masters title.
1978 - Gary Player wins the Masters.
1978 - David Thompson of the Denver Nuggets scores 73 points in a game; in a separate contest, George Gervin of the San Antonio Spurs scores 63 points, including 33 in one quarter.
1982 - The Los Angeles Lakers establish an NBA record by blocking 21 shots in a game against the Denver Nuggets.
1989 - Nick Faldo wins the Masters.
1989 - Rickey Henderson of the New York Yankees steals his 800th career base.
1995 - Ben Crenshaw wins the Masters.
1997 - Major League Soccer announces expansion in Miami and Chicago.
2000 - Vijay Singh wins the Masters.
2002 - The New Jersey Nets won their first divisional title since joining the NBA in 1976.
2006 - Phil Mickelson wins his second Masters.
2013 - Connecticut defeats Louisville 93-60 to win the NCAA Women's Tournament, their eighth national championship.
2017 - Sergio Garcia wins the Masters, his first major championship in his 74th attempt.
1682 - French explorer Robert de La Salle claimed the Mississippi River Basin for France.
1731 - Robert Jenkins's ear was cut off, sparking the War of Jenkins's Ear between Spain and England.
1865 - Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia, bringing an end to the American Civil War.
1914 - The first full-color film, The World, The Flesh and the Devil, was shown in London.
1939 - Contralto Marian Anderson, after being denied performing at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. by the Daughters of the American Revolution because of her race, gave a concert at the Lincoln Memorial.
1940 - Germany invaded Denmark and Norway during World War II.
1942 - American and Philippine troops on Bataan were overwhelmed by Japanese forces during World War II. The "Bataan Death March" began soon after.
1959 - NASA announced the selection of America's first seven astronauts: Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Gus Grissom, Wally Schirra, Alan Shepard and Donald Slayton.
1963 - Winston Churchill became the first honorary U.S. citizen.
1967 - The first test flight of Boeing’s new 737 took place as the jetliner took off from Boeing Field in Seattle on a 2 1/2 hour trip to Paine Field in Everett, Washington.
1968 - Funeral services, private and public, were held for Martin Luther King Jr. at the Ebenezer Baptist Church and Morehouse College in Atlanta, five days after the civil rights leader was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee.
1979 - Officials declared an end to the crisis involving the Three Mile Island Unit 2 nuclear reactor in Pennsylvania, 12 days after a partial core meltdown.
1992 - Former Panamanian ruler Manuel Noriega was convicted of drug and racketeering charges.
2001 - American Airlines' parent company acquired bankrupt Trans World Airlines.
2003 - American Marines pulled down Saddam Hussein's statue in Baghdad in after U.S. commanders declared his rule ended.
2005 - Britain's Prince Charles married Camilla Parker Bowles, who took the title Duchess of Cornwall.
2010 - Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens announced his retirement. (His vacancy was filled by Elena Kagan.)
2020 - The government reported that 6.6 million people had sought unemployment benefits in the preceding week, bringing the total to 16.8 million in the three weeks since the coronavirus outbreak took hold.
Birthdays
22 - Isaac Hempstead Wright (actor)
23 - Elle Fanning (actress)
31 - Kristen Stewart (actress)
32 - Bianca Belair (professional wrestler)
34 - Jazmine Sullivan (singer)
35 - Leighton Meester (actress)
35 - Jordan Masterson (actor)
36 - Annie Funke (actress)
39 - Jay Baruchel (actor)
40 - Arlen Escarpeta (actor)
41 - Ryan Northcott (actor)
41 - Charlie Hunnam (actor)
42 - Keshia Knight Pulliam (actress)
46 - Sunny Anderson (TV personality)
55 - Cynthia Nixon (actress)
56 - Paulina Porizkova (actress/model)
56 - Mark Pellegrino (actor)
57 - Lisa Guerrero (actress/sports reporter)
58 - Joe Scarborough (TV host)
66 - Jimmy Tingle (comedian)
67 - Dennis Quaid (actor)
79 - Margo Smith (country singer)
82 - Michael Learned (actor)
88 - Jean-Paul Belmondo (actor)
==========================================
Today in Sports History - April 9
1932 - The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the New York Rangers in a sweep to win the Stanley Cup.
1935 - The Montreal Maroons sweep the Toronto Maple Leafs to win the Stanley Cup.
1941 - The PGA established the Golf Hall of Fame.
1945 - National Football League officials decreed that it was mandatory for football players to wear long stockings in all league games.
1946 - The Montreal Canadiens defeat the Boston Bruins in five games to win the Stanley Cup.
1959 - The Boston Celtics won the first of their record eight consecutive NBA championships with a sweep of the Minneapolis Lakers.
1960 - The Boston Celtics defeat the St. Louis Hawks in seven games to win the NBA championship.
1962 - Arnold Palmer wins his third Masters title.
1965 - The Houston Astrodome hosted the first indoor major league baseball game.
1972 - Jack Nicklaus wins his fourth Masters title.
1978 - Gary Player wins the Masters.
1978 - David Thompson of the Denver Nuggets scores 73 points in a game; in a separate contest, George Gervin of the San Antonio Spurs scores 63 points, including 33 in one quarter.
1982 - The Los Angeles Lakers establish an NBA record by blocking 21 shots in a game against the Denver Nuggets.
1989 - Nick Faldo wins the Masters.
1989 - Rickey Henderson of the New York Yankees steals his 800th career base.
1995 - Ben Crenshaw wins the Masters.
1997 - Major League Soccer announces expansion in Miami and Chicago.
2000 - Vijay Singh wins the Masters.
2002 - The New Jersey Nets won their first divisional title since joining the NBA in 1976.
2006 - Phil Mickelson wins his second Masters.
2013 - Connecticut defeats Louisville 93-60 to win the NCAA Women's Tournament, their eighth national championship.
2017 - Sergio Garcia wins the Masters, his first major championship in his 74th attempt.