Date·Lore

On This Day · The 40th day of the year

February 9

As calendar dates go, February 9 keeps a short memory — its record stays close to the present. Most of the weight falls in the 20th century, where politics and nation-building recur.

♒ZodiacAquarius ◈BirthstoneAmethyst ❀Birth flowerViolet

Aquarius is the sign for February 9 — read more on the Aquarius page, or see February's birthstone & birth flower.

Compiled & reviewed by · Last reviewed September 6, 2026

What happened on February 9?

February 9 is the 40th day of the year. It marks 10 notable events in history, dated between 1822 and 2016. Famous people born on February 9 include David Cecil, 6th Marquess of Exeter, Jimmy Bennett and William Henry Harrison.

Events

10 notable moments
  1. 1822

    Haiti

  2. 1825

    United States Electoral College

  3. 1907

    Mud March (suffragists)

  4. 1920

    Svalbard Treaty

  5. 1922

    Brazil

  6. 1941

    World War II

  7. 1971

    1971 San Fernando earthquake

  8. 1975

    Soyuz 17

  9. 1996

    Provisional Irish Republican Army

  10. 2016

    Bad Aibling rail accident

Famous birthday twins

Born on February 9

David Cecil, 6th Marquess of Exeter

b. 1905

Jimmy Bennett

b. 1996

William Henry Harrison

b. 1773

Johann Baptist von Spix

b. 1781

A. J. Buckley

b. 1977

Joseph Stiglitz

b. 1943

Joe Pesci

b. 1943

Major Harris (singer)

b. 1947

Deaths

  • 2016Zdravko Tolimir
  • 1984Yuri Andropov
  • 1960Ernst von Dohnányi
  • 1881Fyodor Dostoevsky
  • 1407William I, Margrave of Meissen
  • 1135Emperor Taizong of Jin

Holidays & observances

  • —Alto of Altomünster
  • —Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich
  • —Ansbert of Rouen
  • —Apollonia
  • —Bracchio
  • —Einion the King (Western Orthodoxy)
  • —Blessed Leopold of Alpandeire
  • —Maron (Maronite Church)

The factual record above — event titles, dates, names, and observances — is drawn from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) license. DateLore adds curation, structure, and original editorial commentary. DateLore is not affiliated with the Wikimedia Foundation.

About the author

Roman Tailor compiles and reviews every date on DateLore. He's the writer and editor behind the site's editorial essays and the day-by-day almanac. Corrections and questions are welcome — read more about DateLore or get in touch.

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