What Happened Today in History on July 9

According to Czech legend, the Construction of the Charles Bridge in Prague, begins under the rule of Emperor Charles IV as he laid the first stone himself on July 9, 1357 at 5:31am Expand +

Peter III emperor of Russia, is deposed five months after ascending to the throne by a coup d'état led by his wife Catherine who declared herself Empress of Russia, marking the beginning of her 34-year reign where she became known as Catherine the Great. She was later formally crowned in September 1762 in Moscow. The coup took place while Peter was away from the capital and was supported by the Russian military and a faction of nobles. Peter was forced to abdicate and was later assassinated. Catherine, born Sophie von Anhalt-Zerbst, married Peter III (then Karl Ulrich) in 1745. Catherine the Great became the longest-reigning female ruler in Russian history. During her reign, Russia become one of the great powers of Europe, with significant territorial expansion and modernization advancements. More

Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, declares its independence from Spain. Argentina is located in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of 2,780,085 km², making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourth-largest country in the Americas, and the eighth-largest country in the world. Argentina's capital is Buenos Aires and has a 2023 reported population of 45.5 Million people. 

The Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, a cornerstone of civil rights, is ratified. It was passed by Congress two years earlier on June 13, 1866. South Carolina became the 28th State to ratify it on July 9, 1868 at which time the constitutionally necessary approval by three-quarters of the states (28 of 37) was reached. Secretary of State William Henry Seward certified on July 28 that the 14th Amendment had become part of the U.S. Constitution. Expand +

The Thresher (SSN-593) the first of a class of U.S. nuclear-powered attack submarines, is launched at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine. Almost three years later on April 10, 1963, while performing deep dive exercises and carrying 129 men, including her crew and several shipyard personnel, the Thresher sank in the worst submarine accident in history. More

The Starfish Prime high-altitude nuclear test is conducted by the United States as part of Operation Fishbowl. It involved detonating a 1.4 megaton nuclear warhead at an altitude of 250 miles (400 km) above Johnston Island in the Pacific. The test was designed in part to study the effects of nuclear explosions in the upper atmosphere and space, including the impact of the resulting electromagnetic pulse (EMP). The detonation created a large electromagnetic pulse (EMP) and radiation belts that damaged or destroyed approximately one-third of satellites in low Earth orbit, including AT&T's Telstar satellite. The EMP also caused electrical damage in Hawaii, disrupting streetlights, telephone networks, and burglar alarms. More

Pan Am Flight 759, a Boeing 727 flight from Miami to San Diego, with stops in New Orleans and Las Vegas. crashed in the New Orleans suburb of Kenner after being forced down shortly after takeoff due to wind shear which the pilots were not informed about prior to takeoff. All 145 on board, as well as 8 people on the ground, were killed. More

South Sudan, officially the Republic of South Sudan, gains independence from Sudan ending a decades-long civil war. South Sudan is a landlocked country in East Africa; bordered on the north by Sudan; on the east by Ethiopia; on the south by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Kenya; and on the West by the Central African Republic. South Sudan's 2024 population is 13 million people and Juba is its capital and largest city.