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This Year in History:
2009
Discover what happened in this year with HISTORY’s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.
January 2
January 2
Rare Bugatti found in British garage
On January 2, 2009, media outlets report that a rare unrestored 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante Coupe has been found in the garage of a British doctor. A month later,…
January 15
January 15
Pilot Sully Sullenberger performs “Miracle on the Hudson”
On January 15, 2009, a potential disaster turns into a heroic display of skill and composure when Captain Chesley Burnett Sullenberger III safely lands the plane he was piloting on…
January 18
January 18
GM auctions off historic cars
January 18, 2009, marks the final day of a week‑long auction in which auto giant General Motors (GM) sells off historic cars from its Heritage Collection. GM sold around 200…
January 20
January 20
Barack Obama is inaugurated
On a freezing day in Washington, D.C., Barack Hussein Obama is sworn in as the 44th U.S. president. The son of a Black father from Kenya and a white mother…
January 21
January 21
Toyota officially passes GM as planet’s biggest car maker
After more than seven decades as the world’s largest automaker, General Motors (GM) officially loses the title on January 21, 2009, when it announces worldwide sales of 8.36 million cars…
March 11
March 11
Toyota sells 1 millionth hybrid in U.S.
The Toyota Motor Company announces on March 11, 2009 that it has sold more than 1 million gas‑electric hybrid vehicles in the U.S. under its six Toyota and Lexus brands.…
March 30
March 30
President Obama announces auto industry shakeup
On March 30, 2009, President Barack Obama issues an ultimatum to struggling American automakers General Motors (GM) and Chrysler: In order to receive additional bailout loans from the government, he…
April 8
April 8
Somali pirates hijack Maersk Alabama ship
On April 8, 2009, the MV Maersk Alabama is hijacked off the coast of Somalia. The high‑profile incident drew worldwide attention to the problem of piracy, commonly believed to be…
April 13
April 13
Former MLB All‑star Mark “The Bird” Fidrych dies in truck accident
On April 13, 2009, former Major League Baseball all‑star pitcher Mark “The Bird” Fidrych is found dead at the age of 54 following an accident at his Massachusetts farm involving…
April 27
April 27
GM announces plans to phase out Pontiac
On April 27, 2009, the struggling American auto giant General Motors (GM) says it plans to discontinue production of its more than 80‑year‑old Pontiac brand. Pontiac’s origins date back to…
May 15
May 15
GE finally initiates cleanup of polluted Hudson River
After decades of environmental damage and legal wrangling, General Electric finally begins its government‑mandated efforts to clean the Hudson River on May 15, 2009. One of America’s largest and most…
June 25
June 25
“King of Pop” Michael Jackson dies at age 50
On June 25, 2009, Michael Jackson, one of the most commercially successful entertainers in history, dies at the age of 50 at his home in Los Angeles, California, after suffering…
August 8
August 8
Sonia Sotomayor is sworn in as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court
On August 8, 2009, Sonia Sotomayor is sworn in as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. Born in the Bronx to Puerto Rican parents, Sotomayor is the first Hispanic…
August 16
August 16
Usain Bolt sets 100‑meter dash world record
OnAugust 16, 2009, under the lights of Berlin’s Olympic Stadium at the World Championships, 22‑year‑old Usain Bolt strikes a lightning‑bolt pose and grins before taking his mark. Then the Jamaican,…
August 25
August 25
Ted Kennedy, “liberal lion of the Senate,” dies at 77
On August 25, 2009, Edward “Ted” Kennedy, the youngest brother of President John F. Kennedy and a U.S. senator from Massachusetts from 1962 to 2009, dies of brain cancer at…
September 12
September 12
Tea Party protest draws thousands to Washington, D.C.
On September 12, 2009, thousands of protesters participate in the “Taxpayer March on Washington,” one of the earliest and biggest Tea Party movement events. Marchers in the nation’s capital clogged…
October 8
October 8
Self‑help guru’s sweat lodge ceremony turns deadly
On October 8, 2009, two people die and more than a dozen others are hospitalized following a botched sweat lodge ceremony at a retreat run by motivational speaker and author…
November 5
November 5
Army major kills 13 people in Fort Hood shooting spree
On November 5, 2009, 13 people are killed and more than 30 others are wounded, nearly all of them unarmed soldiers, when a U.S. Army officer goes on a shooting…
December 4
December 4
Amanda Knox convicted of murder in Italy
On December 4, 2009, 22‑year‑old American exchange student Amanda Knox is convicted of murdering her British roommate, Meredith Kercher, in 2007 in Perugia, Italy. Knox received a 26‑year prison sentence,…
December 10
December 10
“Avatar” makes its world premiere in London
On December 10, 2009, Avatar, a 3‑D science‑fiction epic helmed by Titanic director James Cameron, makes its world debut in London. Starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana and Sigourney Weaver, the…
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