World War I

Historical eventMay 91918

World War I

First World War: Germany repelled Britain's second attempt to blockade the Belgian port of Ostend.

Everything on May 9Original source

In context

When
Thursday, May 9 1918108 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
20th century · 1910s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 1918.

What happened

World War I, or the First World War, also known as the Great War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Central Powers. One of the deadliest conflicts in history, World War I resulted in an estimated 15 to 22 million deaths, including those in war crimes and genocides. The war also helped spread the Spanish flu pandemic. The conflict saw important developments in weaponry, including the first large-scale use of machine guns, artillery, aircraft, chemical weapons, and tanks.

May 9 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1918World War I
  2. 2001Accra Sports Stadium
  3. 2001Ghana
  4. 2002Siege of the Church of the Nativity
  5. 2005Pope Benedict XVI
  6. 2012Yakovlev SJ-100
  7. 2018Barisan Nasional
  8. 2020COVID-19 recession
  9. 2022Russo-Ukrainian war
  10. 20232023 Pakistani protests
  11. 2023May 9 riots

Also in 1918

  • September 18World War IWorld War I: The Central Powers' defeat at the Battle of Dobro Pole played a role in the Bulgarian withdrawal from the war and led to the…
  • June 26World War IWorld War I: The 26-day Battle of Belleau Wood near the Marne River in France ended with American forces finally clearing that forest of…
  • December 14Giacomo PucciniGiacomo Puccini's comic opera Gianni Schicchi premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.
  • July 17RMS CarpathiaRMS Carpathia, which had rescued survivors of the 1912 Titanic sinking, was sunk by a German U-boat with the loss of five crew.
  • July 17Russian RevolutionRussian Revolution: Tsar Nicholas II and his family (pictured) were murdered by Bolsheviks at Yekaterinburg.
  • March 30March DaysFour days of inter-ethnic clashes broke out in Baku, Azerbaijan, resulting in about 12,000 deaths.
  • August 8Battle of Amiens (1918)The Battle of Amiens began in northern France, marking the start of the Allies' Hundred Days Offensive through the German front lines tha…
  • December 24Kingdom of YugoslaviaForces united in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes defeated Hungarian forces to end the occupation of Međimurje.

Everything we record for 1918 →

Sources

Cite this page

“World War I”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/world-war-i-1918-may-9, accessed October 28, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did World War I happen?

May 9 1918 — 108 years ago, on a Thursday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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