Date·Lore

On This Day · The 190th day of the year

July 9

July 9 carries 10 recorded events spanning between 551 and 2006. A major earthquake strikes Beirut, triggering a devastating tsunami that affects the coastal towns of Byzantine Phoenicia, causing thousands of deaths.

♋ZodiacCancer ◈BirthstoneRuby ❀Birth flowerLarkspur

Compiled & reviewed by · Last reviewed July 13, 2026

What happened on July 9?

July 9 is the 190th day of the year. It marks 10 notable events in history, dated between 551 and 2006. Famous people born on July 9 include Tom Hanks, Willi Stoph and Mervyn Peake.

The shape of the day

1475 years on from 551 Beirut earthquake, July 9 is a date with an anniversary worth pausing on. Most of the weight falls in the 19th century, where politics and nation-building recur.

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

Released on July 9

Movies, games, albums & shows

2025

  • Movie Superman

2024

  • Game Once Human

2021

  • TV The aquatope on white sand
  • TV The Patrick Star Show

Release data from TMDB & IGDB.

Events

10 notable moments
  1. 551

    551 Beirut earthquake

    A major earthquake strikes Beirut, triggering a devastating tsunami that affects the coastal towns of Byzantine Phoenicia, causing thousands of deaths.

  2. 1763

    Mozart family grand tour

    The Mozart family grand tour of Europe begins, lifting the profile of son Wolfgang Amadeus.

  3. 1811

    David Thompson (explorer)

    Explorer David Thompson posts a sign near what is now Sacajawea State Park in Washington state, claiming the Columbia District for the United Kingdom.

  4. 1850

    Zachary Taylor

    U.S. President Zachary Taylor dies after eating raw fruit and iced milk; he is succeeded in office by Vice President Millard Fillmore.

  5. 1868

    Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution

    The 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, guaranteeing African Americans full citizenship and all persons in the United States due process of law.

  6. 1877

    1877 Wimbledon Championship

    The inaugural Wimbledon Championships begins.

  7. 1896

    William Jennings Bryan

    William Jennings Bryan delivers his Cross of Gold speech advocating bimetallism at the 1896 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

  8. 1943

    World War II

    World War II: The Allied invasion of Sicily begins, leading to the downfall of Mussolini and forcing Hitler to break off the Battle of Kursk.

  9. 1962

    Starfish Prime

    Starfish Prime tests the effects of a nuclear explosion at orbital altitudes.

  10. 2006

    Italy national football team

    Italy win their fourth World Cup title, defeating France 5–3 on penalties following a 1–1 draw after extra time.

Famous birthday twins

Born on July 9

Tom Hanks

b. 1956

American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter

Willi Stoph

b. 1914

German engineer and politician, 4th Prime Minister of East Germany

Mervyn Peake

b. 1911

English author and illustrator

Ashley Young

b. 1985

English footballer

Kathleen Booth

b. 1922

British computer scientist and mathematician

Piia Suomalainen

b. 1984

Finnish tennis player

Lindsey Graham

b. 1955

American lawyer and politician

O. J. Simpson

b. 1947

American football player and actor

Deaths

  • 2024Maxine Singer
  • 2024Jerzy Stuhr
  • 2015Saud bin Faisal Al Saud
  • 1856Amedeo Avogadro
  • 1850Zachary Taylor
  • 1706Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville

Holidays & observances

  • —Arbor Day (Cambodia)
  • —Christian Feast Day: Agilulfus of Cologne
  • —Christian Feast Day: Amandina of Schakkebroek (one of Martyrs of Southern Hunan)
  • —Christian Feast Day: Blessed Marija Petković
  • —Christian Feast Day: Everilda
  • —Christian Feast Day: Gregorio Grassi (one of Martyrs of Shanxi)
  • —Christian Feast Day: Martyr Saints of China
  • —Christian Feast Day: Martyrs of Gorkum

Historical facts, event summaries, and biographical lines above are adapted 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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