2009 was a pretty wild year, a year of new beginnings but also a year where things came to an end.
The year began with Barack Obama being sworn in as the first African American US President and ended with Sony selling their floppy disk for the last time.
Both Farmville and Grindr debuted in 2009, and Avatar was released to cinemas worldwide, making more money than Titanic to become the highest-grossing film of all time.
2009 also saw Michael Jackson’s final performance, just days before his death. Meanwhile, the world was on high alert after the Swine Flue reached pandemic levels.
Continue reading to uncover the significant events, groundbreaking news, chart-topping music, thought-provoking quotes, and impactful deaths that made 2009 an unforgettable year.
Events
Here you can explore the unforgettable moments that shaped the unforgettable year of 2009.
Jan 3
The cryptocurrency “Bitcoin” was created, providing a new digital currency.
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Jan 15
US Airways Flight 1549 landed on the Hudson River, NYC.
After colliding with a pack of Canada geese, the aircraft lost all engine power. Pilots Chesley Sullenberger and Jeffrey Skiles decided to make an emergency crash landing in the Hudson River. Everyone on board survived!
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Jan 20
The USA’s first African-American President, Barack Obama, conducted his first address.
“Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this America.”
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Jan 23
Adrian Hidalgo set the world record for spinning a diabolo around his leg 117 times in 1 minute.
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Feb 2
RuPaul’s Drag Race season 1 debuted on Logo TV.
BeBe Zahara Benet won the contest snatching a cash prize of $20,000.
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Feb 7
173 people died in Victoria, Australia, during the Black Saturday bushfires.
The series of fires had already begun to pop around the state over the previous days but flared up into a wild state on Black Saturday. As a result, countless people lost their homes, livestock, and livelihoods in what is known as the worst bushfire in white Australian history.
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Feb 13
At exactly 23:31:30 (UTC), Unix time passed 1,234,567,890.
Unix time is the number of seconds passed since a certain point. The Unix time was at 00:00:00 UTC on January 1, 1970. Leap seconds are ignored.
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Feb 18
Queen Elizabeth II knighted English fantasy author Terry Pratchett.
After the ceremony, Pratchett said: “You can’t ask a fantasy writer not to want a knighthood. You know, for two pins, I’d get myself a horse and a sword.”
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Mar 7
Brazilian soccer athlete Neymar da Silva Santos Jr. started his professional career at just 17 years old.
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Mar 15
NASA’s Discovery Space Shuttle launched from the Kennedy Space Center on mission STS-119.
The 156th crewed NASA space flight and 28th Space Shuttle mission to the ISS would have been a completely uneventful trip if it weren’t for a stowaway that tried to hitch a ride. During the countdown, a bat was seen clinging to the shuttle’s external fuel tank. The flight operators thought it would fly away during blast-off, but the bat clung on for quite some time before it was shaken off.
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Apr 5
North Korea performed a controversial intercontinental ballistic missile test.
North Korea announced the test was a protest after United Nations Security Council condemned the country.
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Apr 5
North Korea launched the infamous Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2 satellite.
While North Korea claimed the satellite reached orbit, no reputable international body managed to confirm this.
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Apr 6
Texas movie fans were surprised with a special premiere viewing of that year’s Star Trek movie.
Ticket holders were expecting to see a 10-minute preview of the new reboot along with a showing of the classic Star Trek III: The Wrath of Khan but instead were treated with the full version of the film and personal appearances by actor Leonard Nimoy.
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Apr 12
The Zimbabwean dollar was suspended indefinitely.
When the Zimbabwean dollar was introduced in 1980, it was on equal par with the US dollar. However, by 2009 it had to be redenominated three times due to hyperinflation. But, this wasn’t enough to stop the dollar from losing its value and being abandoned for more stable foreign currencies. Banknotes worth one hundred trillion Zimbabwean dollars were being circulated at their worst point.
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May 11
Justin Bieber made his first tweet at 8:27 pm, promoting his single “One Time.”
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May 11
NASA’s Atlantis Space Shuttle launched on the final mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope.
STS-125 was the fifth mission to fly to the telescope and perform necessary servicing and upgrades. The mission was originally scheduled for 2006 but was canceled due to safety concerns following the Columbia shuttle disaster. It wasn’t until the head of NASA was replaced that the mission was put back into the schedule. Despite initial concerns, it went off without a hitch.
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Jun 1
General Motors filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the US.
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Jun 8
Two American journalists were sentenced to 12 years of penal labor after illegally entering North Korea.
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Jun 18
NASA launched the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, the first American lunar mission in ten years.
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) was launched along with the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) as a part of the US Vision for Space Exploration Program. The LRO created a 3D map that covered 98.2% of the Moon’s surface.
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Oct 2
EA Games’ FIFA 10, the highest-rated FIFA game made, was released in Europe.
FIFA 10 was a complete game changer for EA games, as it overtook their other titles to become their fastest-selling sports game in Europe. For the most part, this was simply because FIFA 10 was their best version of the game, and with a score of 91 on Metacritic, it likely will remain so for some time!
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Nov 17
A sequel to LittleBigPlanet was released for the PlayStation Portable.
This PSP sequel was confusingly called LittleBigPlanet, so it’s often referred to as LittleBigPlanet PSP. Many of the game’s levels look similar to the PS3 sequel, but the story is completely different.
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Dec 11
Tiger Woods announced his indefinite leave from professional golf to focus on his marriage.
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Dec 18
James Cameron’s “Avatar” was released in the US. It became the highest-grossing film of all time at the time.
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Dec 28
Scarlett Johansson made her debut on Broadway.
In the Arthur Miller play “A View from the Bridge,” Scarlett Johansson starred as the lead female role. The play ran for 14 weeks with 81 regular performances and 30 preview showings.
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Dec 31
A blue moon and a lunar eclipse occurred on the same day.
The fact that both happened on New Year’s Eve made the event even more special. While we use the expression “once in a blue moon” to refer to something rare, a blue moon is just the second full moon within a calendar month. Unfortunately for spectators, the lunar eclipse was only partial; otherwise, it would have been an incredible sight!
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Famous Deaths
Here’s a glimpse at a few famous people who bid us farewell in 2009.
–1958
2009
Michael Jackson
American
Singer
–1958
2009
Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson was an American singer born on August 29, 1958. He died on June 25, 2009, at age 50 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
Died On:
Jun 25, 2009 (Age 50)
Died In:
California, USA
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–1977
2009
Brittany Murphy
American
Actress
–1977
2009
Brittany Murphy
Brittany Murphy was an American actress born on November 10, 1977. She died on December 20, 2009, at age 32 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
Died On:
Dec 20, 2009 (Age 32)
Died In:
California, USA
–1952
2009
Patrick Swayze
American
Actor
–1952
2009
Patrick Swayze
Patrick Swayze was an American actor born on August 18, 1952. He died on September 14, 2009, at age 57 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
Died On:
Sep 14, 2009 (Age 57)
Died In:
California, USA
–1958
2009
Billy Mays
American
Salesperson
–1958
2009
Billy Mays
Billy Mays was an American salesperson born on July 20, 1958. He died on June 25, 2009, at age 50 in Tampa, Florida, USA.
Died On:
Jun 25, 2009 (Age 50)
Died In:
Florida, USA
Quotes
Here’s a roundup of the most memorable quotes people said in 2009.
Feb 17
We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.
Maya Angelou
American Memoirist
Mar 19
We have lost contact with reality, the simplicity of life.
Paulo Coelho
Brazilian Lyricist
2009 In Music
2009 brought us a diverse range of musical gems that had us hooked from the very first note!
From the electrifying beats of “I Gotta Feeling” by The Black Eyed Peas to the heartwarming melody of “You Belong with Me” by Taylor Swift, these songs became anthems of the year and had us singing our hearts out.
Make sure you’re familiar with these music highlights from 2009.
Album of the Year
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss’s folk rock collaboration “Raising Sand” soared to new heights in 2009, earning them the Grammy for Album of the Year with their soulful melodies.
Song of the Year
Coldplay’s uplifting and melodic masterpiece “Viva la Vida” secured their victory of the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 2009.
Best New Artist
Adele’s powerful voice and emotional ballads won her the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2009, marking the beginning of her reign as a global superstar.
Eurovision Song Contest Winner
In 2009, the 54th Eurovision Song Contest returned to Moscow, Russia, with a showcase of diverse musical talents.
Alexander Rybak, a charismatic performer from Norway, wowed the audience with his violin skills and catchy song “Fairytale,” claiming a landslide victory and achieving the highest score in Eurovision history.
2009 in Numbers
Time for some number fun! The Roman numeral form of 2009 is MMIX, and when converted to binary, it becomes 11111011001.
Chinese Zodiac 2009
According to the Chinese zodiac system, 2009 was designated as The Year of the Ox, which takes place once every twelve years.
But did you know that the Chinese zodiac cycle also incorporates the five elements – Wood, Fire, Earth, Gold (Metal), and Water? So 2009 was actually the Year of the Earth Ox, which only occurs every sixty years!
The fascinating thing about the Chinese calendar is that it operates on a lunar cycle, which means that the Year of the Earth Ox officially kicked off on January 26th, and lasted until February 13, 2010.
Those born in the Year of the Ox are typically diligent, reliable, and trustworthy individuals. They are known for their strong work ethic, perseverance, and practical approach to life.
Famous people born in Years of the Ox include Kylie Jenner and Nash Grier!
2009 Trivia
Did you know that Bitcoin was first launched in 2009?
On January 3, 2009, bitcoin founder Satoshi Nakamoto mined the first block, earning 50 bitcoins and launching the cryptocurrency.
Bitcoin was slow to take off and was valued close to zero cents for its entire initial year, only achieving equality with the US dollar in 2011.
