What Happened On This Day – February 9
1996 The Irish paramilitary organization IRA ends an 18-month ceasefire by exploding a large bomb in London
The explosion in London's Canary Wharf left 2 people dead and 39 injured.
1969 The Boeing 747 flies for the first time
The “Jumbo Jet” was the world's largest passenger aircraft at the time.
1964 The Beatles embark on their first tour in the United States
Their appearance in the Ed Sullivan Sow marked the beginning of the “British Invasion”
1959 The world's first intercontinental ballistic missile becomes operational in the USSR
The Soviet R-7 Semyorka missile had a range of 8800 km (5500 mi).
1950 U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy launches his anti-communist campaign
On this day, McCarthy accused the U.S. State Department of being infiltrated by communists.
Births On This Day – February 9
1987 Magdalena Neuner
German biathlete
1942 Carole King
American singer-songwriter, pianist
1932 Gerhard Richter
German painter
1846 Wilhelm Maybach
German businessman, founded Maybach
1737 Thomas Paine
English/American theorist, author
Deaths On This Day – February 9
1981 Bill Haley
American singer-songwriter, musician
1957 Miklós Horthy
Hungarian Admiral, regent
1881 Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Russian author
1857 Dionysios Solomos
Greek poet
967 Sayf al-Dawla
Emir of Aleppo