Browse Historical Events by Day: What Happened on November 9th?

Death of Geoffrey Chaucer, the famous English poet known for "The Canterbury Tales."

The Mayflower, with 102 Pilgrims and about 30 crew, spots land (current Cape Cod). The Mayflower and its companion the smaller vessel the Speedwell had originally departed from South Hampton, England on August 15 but the Speedwell was twice, forced to return to port and was declared unseaworthy. After taking on some of the Speedwell's passengers and supplies, the Mayflower set out alone from Plymouth, England, on September 16, 1620. More

Napoleon Bonaparte stages a coup d'état, establishing himself as First Consul of France.

Kristallnacht or the Night of Broken Glass, a massive, coordinated attack on Jews throughout Greater Germany takes place. The German authorities looked on without intervening as Jewish homes, hospitals and schools were ransacked and buildings were demolished. The name Kristallnacht (literally 'Crystal Night') comes from the shards of broken glass that littered the streets after the attack. More

The Berlin Wall, which had divided East and West Berlin for nearly 30 years, is opened, leading to the eventual reunification of Germany. More

A series of coordinated bombings in Amman, Jordan, target three hotels, killing 60 people and injuring hundreds.