On This Day in History: June 9

Roman Emperor Nero escaped from Rome and committed suicide on June 9, 68 CE, after being cornered at a freedman's villa. He fled  Rome after he was declared a public enemy by the Roman Senate and is condemned to death in absentia.  Expand +

Saint Columba, an Irish missionary, dies, c. June 9, 597. He is credited for having a major role leaving a lasting legacy in spreading Christianity in Scotland. He is a patron saint of Scotland and one of the three patron saints of Ireland. His feast day is celebrated on June 9th.

The first Book of Common Prayer is published during the reign of King Edward VI of England. It reflected the England's split from the Roman Catholic Church under the previous monarch Henry VIII and the English Reformation following the break with Rome. It was put together by a religious committee headed by Thomas Cranmer the Archbishop of Canterbury. It was the first time a book of service was written in English. It has been extensively revised a number of times, the last in 1662. It has remained in use as the official liturgical book of the Church of England and other Anglican churches. More

The Congress of Vienna ends on June 9, 1815, after 18 moths of work having made decisions designed to reshape the political map of Europe and the establishment of a new political and legal order after more than two decades of turmoil and war following the French Revolution. Expand +

500 Mormons, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (LDS) depart from Iowa City, Iowa, on June 9,1856 traveling westward to Salt Lake City, Utah where in 1847, Brigham Young, the secular and relig,ious leader of the group, had established the center of a new Utah sanctuary for the Mormon community.  Expand +

The Chinese government leases Hong Kong's New Territories to the United Kingdom for 99 years. The lease was signed as part of the Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory, granting Britain control over the mainland area north of Kowloon and numerous islands, which now make up the majority of Hong Kong, including the Island of Hong Kong which had been under British control since 1841.  Expand +

Donald Duck, Disney character, debuts in the Silly Symphony short "The Wise Little Hen"  becoming one of the most recognizable cartoon characters, known for his sailor outfit, distinctive voice, and often volatile personality.

The residents of the village of Lidice (present-day Czech Republic) were rounded up beginning on June 9, 1942, on orders from Adolf Hitler to kill all men in Lidice, aged 16 and older in reprisal for the assassination by Czech underground fighters of Reinhard Heydrich, deputy leader of the Nazi paramilitary SS group. The women and children were taken to concentration camps or gassed, and the village of Lidice was destroyed. More

British Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, is reelected to a second term in office on June 9, 1983. Her reelection was reinforced by the victory in the Falkland Islands War and by deep divisions within the opposition Labor Party.

Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden reveals his identity to The Guardian and  on June 9, 2013, is publicly identified as the source of leaked classified documents, exposing mass surveillance programs. More