What happened in 2009
216 entries recorded for 2009, listed by date. That was 17 years ago.
2009 at a glance
- Years ago
- 17 (as of 2026)
- Century
- 21st century
- Decade
- 2000s
- Generation born
- Generation Z
- Entries here
- 216
- Breakdown
- 163 historical events · 14 births · 39 deaths
January
- January 1
2009 Bangkok nightclub fire
Sixty-six people die in a nightclub fire in Bangkok, Thailand.
- January 2
Sri Lankan civil war
Sri Lankan civil war: The Sri Lankan army captured the town of Kilinochchi from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, concluding the Battle of Kilinochchi.
- January 3
Payment system
The first block of the blockchain of the decentralized payment system Bitcoin, called the Genesis block, is established by the creator of the system, Satoshi Nakamoto.
- January 3
Cryptocurrency
The cryptocurrency network of bitcoin was created when Satoshi Nakamoto mined the first block of the chain.
- January 5
Eng Foong Ho v Attorney-General
In Eng Foong Ho v Attorney-General, the Court of Appeal of Singapore held that equality before the law was satisfied by a "reasonable nexus" between state action and the object of the law.
- January 5
Walker Scobell
Walker Scobell, American actor
- January 8
2009 Cinchona earthquake
A 6.1-magnitude earthquake in northern Costa Rica kills 15 people and injures 32.
- January 15
US Airways Flight 1549
US Airways Flight 1549 struck a flock of Canada geese during its climb out from New York City and made an emergency landing in the Hudson River (featured).
- January 18
Lumi Pollack
Lumi Pollack, American actress
- January 20
2008–2011 Icelandic financial crisis
During a national financial crisis, thousands of people protested (pictured) at the Icelandic parliament in Reykjavík.
- January 20
First inauguration of Barack Obama
In Washington, D.C., Barack Obama was inaugurated as the first African-American president of the United States.
- January 20
Iceland
A protest movement in Iceland culminates as the 2009 Icelandic financial crisis protests start.
- January 21
Gaza Strip
Israel withdraws from the Gaza Strip, officially ending a three-week war it had with Hamas. However, intermittent fire by both sides continues in the weeks to follow.
- January 22
Barack Obama
U.S. President Barack Obama signs an executive order to close the Guantanamo Bay detention camp; congressional opposition will prevent it being implemented.
- January 23
Robert W. Scott
Robert W. Scott, American farmer and politician, 67th Governor of North Carolina (born 1929)
- January 24
Cyclone Klaus
Cyclone Klaus makes landfall near Bordeaux, France, causing 26 deaths as well as extensive disruptions to public transport and power supplies.
- January 26
Nadya Suleman
Nadya Suleman gives birth to the world's first surviving octuplets.
- January 26
Antananarivo
Rioting broke out in Antananarivo, Madagascar, sparking a political crisis that led to the deposal of President Marc Ravalomanana.
- January 26
YaYa Gosselin
YaYa Gosselin, American actress
- January 26
Suleman octuplets
The Suleman octuplets
- January 29
Governor of Illinois
Governor of Illinois Rod Blagojevich is removed from office following his conviction of several corruption charges, including solicitation of personal benefit in exchange for an appointment to the United States Senate as a replacement for then-U.S. president-elect Barack Obama.
- January 29
Supreme Constitutional Court (Egypt)
The Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt ruled that people who did not adhere to one of the three government-recognised religions were also eligible to receive government identity documents.
- January 31
Kenya
At least 113 people are killed in Kenya and over 200 injured following an oil spillage ignition in Molo, days after a massive fire at a Nakumatt supermarket in Nairobi killed at least 25 people.
February
- February 1
Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir
Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir (pictured) became the first female prime minister of Iceland.
- February 1
First cabinet of Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir
The first cabinet of Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir was formed in Iceland, making her the country's first female prime minister and the world's first openly gay head of government.
- February 2
Omid
Omid, Iran's first domestically made satellite, was launched from Semnan Space Center.
- February 5
United States Navy
The United States Navy guided missile cruiser Port Royal ran aground (pictured) on a coral reef off the island of Oahu.
- February 7
Black Saturday bushfires
Bushfires in Victoria leave 173 dead in the worst natural disaster in Australia's history.
- February 7
Blossom Dearie
Blossom Dearie, American singer and pianist (born 1924)
- February 10
Communications satellite
The communications satellites Iridium 33 and Kosmos 2251 collide in orbit, destroying both.
- February 10
Iridium 33
The satellites Iridium 33 and Kosmos 2251 destroyed each other in the first accidental hypervelocity collision between two intact satellites in low Earth orbit.
- February 10
Antonio Arena
Antonio Arena, Italian footballer
- February 12
Colgan Air Flight 3407
Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashes into a house in Clarence Center, New York while on approach to Buffalo Niagara International Airport, killing all 49 on board and one on the ground.
- February 12
Buffalo Niagara International Airport
Just before landing at Buffalo Niagara International Airport, Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashes into a house in Clarence Center, New York, killing the house's occupant and all 49 people on board the aircraft.
- February 20
2009 suicide air raid on Colombo
Two Tamil Tigers aircraft packed with C4 explosives en route to the national airforce headquarters are shot down by the Sri Lankan military before reaching their target, in a kamikaze style attack.
- February 20
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
The Tamil Tigers attempted to crash two aircraft laden with C-4 in suicide attacks on Colombo, Sri Lanka, but the planes were shot down before they reached their targets.
- February 25
Turkish Airlines Flight 1951
Turkish Airlines Flight 1951 crashes during landing at the Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, Netherlands, primarily due to a faulty radio altimeter, resulting in the death of nine passengers and crew including all three pilots.
- February 25
Border Guard Bangladesh
Soldiers of the Bangladesh Rifles mutiny at their headquarters in Pilkhana, Dhaka, Bangladesh, resulting in 74 deaths, including 57 army officials.
- February 25
Pilkhana, Bangladesh
At their headquarters in Pilkhana, members of the Bangladesh Rifles began a mutiny that resulted in 82 deaths.
- February 26
Johnny Kerr
Johnny Kerr, American basketball player, coach, and sportscaster (born 1932)
- February 26
Norm Van Lier
Norm Van Lier, American basketball player, coach, and sportscaster (born 1947)
- February 26
Wendy Richard
Wendy Richard, English actress (born 1943)
- February 28
Paul Harvey
Paul Harvey, American radio host (born 1918)
March
- March 2
João Bernardo Vieira
João Bernardo Vieira, Bissau-Guinean politician, President of Guinea-Bissau (born 1939)
- March 4
Omar al-Bashir
President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan was indicted by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the War in Darfur.
- March 4
International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issues an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. Al-Bashir is the first sitting head of state to be indicted by the ICC since its establishment in 2002.
- March 6
Florida State University academic-athletic scandal
As part of their investigation into an athletic scandal at Florida State University, the National Collegiate Athletic Association released a report alleging that 61 student athletes had engaged in academic fraud.
- March 7
Dissident Irish republican campaign
Dissident Irish republican campaign: Two off-duty British Army soldiers were shot dead by Real IRA paramilitaries outside Massereene Barracks in Antrim, Northern Ireland.
- March 7
Massereene Barracks shooting
Massereene Barracks shooting: The Real Irish Republican Army kills two British soldiers and injures two other soldiers and two civilians at Massereene Barracks, the first British military deaths in Northern Ireland since the end of The Troubles.
- March 7
Kepler space telescope
The Kepler space telescope (depicted), designed to discover Earth-like planets orbiting other stars, was launched.
- March 8
Hank Locklin
Hank Locklin, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1918)
- March 11
2009 Winnenden shootings
A teenage gunman engaged in a shooting spree at a secondary school in Winnenden, Germany, killing 16, including himself.
- March 12
Bernie Madoff
Financier Bernie Madoff pleads guilty to one of the largest frauds in Wall Street's history.
- March 13
Betsy Blair
Betsy Blair, American actress (born 1923)
- March 13
Alan W. Livingston
Alan W. Livingston, American businessman (born 1917)
- March 19
Maria Bergson
Maria Bergson, Austrian-American architect and interior designer (born 1914)
- March 23
FedEx Express Flight 80
FedEx Express Flight 80: A McDonnell Douglas MD-11 flying from Guangzhou, China crashes at Tokyo's Narita International Airport, killing both the captain and the co-pilot.
- March 26
Tesla Model S
A prototype of the Tesla Model S, one of the most influential electric cars in history, was unveiled.
- March 27
Situ Gintung
A failure of the dam holding Situ Gintung, an artificial lake in Tangerang, Indonesia, caused floods that killed at least 100 people.
- March 27
Irving R. Levine
Irving R. Levine, American journalist and author (born 1922)
- March 30
Lahore
The Manawan Police Academy in Lahore, Pakistan, was attacked and held for several hours by 12 gunmen, resulting in 16 deaths and 95 injuries.
- March 30
2009 Lahore police academy attack
Twelve gunmen attack the Manawan Police Academy in Lahore, Pakistan.
April
- April 3
2009 Binghamton shooting
A gunman opened fire at the American Civic Association in Binghamton, New York, U.S., killing thirteen and wounding four before committing suicide.
- April 4
France
France announces its return to full participation of its military forces within NATO.
- April 5
Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2
The North Korean satellite Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2 was launched from the Tonghae Satellite Launching Ground and passed over Japan, sparking concerns it may have been a trial run of technology that could be used to launch intercontinental ballistic missiles.
- April 5
North Korea
North Korea launches its controversial Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2 satellite. The satellite passed over mainland Japan, which prompted an immediate reaction from the United Nations Security Council, as well as participating states of six-party talks.
- April 6
April 2009 Moldovan parliamentary election protests
Mass protests began across Moldova against the results of the parliamentary election.
- April 6
2009 L'Aquila earthquake
An earthquake measuring 6.3 Mw struck near L'Aquila in the central Italian region of Abruzzo, killing 308 people and leaving more than 66,000 homeless.
- April 6
Valentina (French singer)
Valentina Tronel, French child singer
- April 6
Shaylee Mansfield
Shaylee Mansfield, deaf American actress and YouTuber
- April 7
Peru
Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori is sentenced to 25 years in prison for ordering killings and kidnappings by security forces.
- April 7
April 2009 Moldovan parliamentary election protests
Mass protests begin across Moldova under the belief that results from the parliamentary election are fraudulent.
- April 9
Tbilisi
In Tbilisi, Georgia, up to 60,000 people protest against the government of Mikheil Saakashvili.
- April 10
Josefa Iloilo
Fijian President Ratu Josefa Iloilo announced that he had suspended the constitution and assumed all governance in the country after it was ruled that the government of Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama was illegal.
- April 10
President of Fiji
President of Fiji Ratu Josefa Iloilo announces the abrogation of the constitution and assumes all governance in the country, creating a constitutional crisis.
- April 12
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe officially abandons the Zimbabwean dollar as its official currency.
- April 13
Andrew Hussie
Andrew Hussie's webcomic Homestuck debuted, and later concluded on the same day in 2016.
- April 13
Kamień Pomorski homeless hostel fire
Twenty-three people died in a fire at a homeless hostel in Kamień Pomorski; it was Poland's deadliest fire since 1980.
- April 19
J. G. Ballard
J. G. Ballard, English novelist, short story writer, and essayist (born 1930)
- April 22
Jack Cardiff
Jack Cardiff, British cinematographer, director and photographer (born 1914)
- April 23
Gamma-ray burst
The gamma-ray burst GRB 090423 was detected coming from the most distant astronomical object of any kind known at the time.
- April 26
Hans Holzer
Hans Holzer, Austrian-American paranormal investigator and author (born 1920)
- April 30
Chrysler
Chrysler files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
- April 30
2009 attack on the Dutch royal family
A Dutch man drove his car at high speed into a parade in an attempt to kill the Dutch royal family.
May
- May 1
Same-sex marriage in Sweden
Same-sex marriage in Sweden is legalized.
- May 7
Napier, New Zealand
Police in Napier, New Zealand, began a 40-hour siege of the home of a former New Zealand Army member who had shot at officers during the routine execution of a search warrant.
- May 7
Danny Ozark
Danny Ozark, American baseball player, coach, and manager (born 1923)
- May 7
David Mellor (designer)
David Mellor, English designer (born 1930)
- May 11
Iraq
An American soldier in Iraq opens fire on a counseling center at Camp Liberty in Baghdad, killing five other US soldiers and wounding three.
- May 11
Space Shuttle Atlantis
Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched on the final mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope.
- May 11
Claudio Huepe
Claudio Huepe, Chilean economist and politician, Chilean Minister Secretary-General of Government (born 1939)
- May 11
Sardarilal Mathradas Nanda
Sardarilal Mathradas Nanda, Indian admiral (born 1915)
- May 11
Abel Goumba
Abel Goumba, Central African physician and politician, Prime Minister of the Central African Republic (born 1926)
- May 12
Antonio Vega (singer)
Antonio Vega, Spanish singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1957)
- May 18
Sri Lanka Army
The Sri Lanka Army killed Velupillai Prabhakaran, the leader and founder of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, to bring an end to the 26-year Sri Lankan civil war.
- May 18
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
The LTTE are defeated by the Sri Lankan government, ending almost 26 years of fighting between the two sides.
- May 18
Hala Finley
Hala Finley, American actress
- May 20
Indonesian Air Force
An Indonesian Air Force Lockheed L-100 Hercules crashes in Magetan Regency, killing 99.
- May 25
North Korea
North Korea allegedly tests its second nuclear device, after which Pyongyang also conducts several missile tests, building tensions in the international community.
- May 25
2009 North Korean nuclear test
North Korea conducted a nuclear test and several other missile tests that were widely condemned internationally and led to sanctions from the United Nations Security Council.
- May 31
George Tiller
American physician George Tiller, one of the few doctors in the country who performed late-term abortions, was shot and killed by Scott Roeder, an anti-abortion activist.
June
- June 1
Air France Flight 447
Air France Flight 447 crashes into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Brazil on a flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. All 228 passengers and crew are killed.
- June 1
General Motors
General Motors files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It is the fourth largest United States bankruptcy in history.
- June 1
Vincent O'Brien
Vincent O'Brien, Irish horse trainer (born 1917)
- June 2
David Eddings
David Eddings, American author (born 1931)
- June 5
2009 Peruvian political crisis
After almost two months of civil disobedience, at least 31 people were killed in clashes between the National Police and indigenous people in Bagua province, Peru.
- June 5
2009 Hermosillo daycare center fire
A fire at a day-care center kills 49 children in Mexico
- June 6
Jean Dausset
Jean Dausset, French-Spanish immunologist and academic; awarded the 1980 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his studies of the genetic basis of immunological reaction (born 1916)
- June 8
2009 imprisonment of American journalists by North Korea
Two American journalists, having been arrested for illegal entry into North Korea, were sentenced to twelve years hard labor before being pardoned two months later.
- June 8
Omar Bongo
Omar Bongo, Gabonese captain and politician, President of Gabon (born 1935)
- June 9
Pearl Continental hotel bombing
An explosion kills 17 people and injures at least 46 at a hotel in Peshawar, Pakistan.
- June 10
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Eighty-eight year-old James Wenneker von Brunn opens fire inside the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and fatally shoots Museum Special Police Officer Stephen Tyrone Johns. Other security guards returned fire, wounding von Brunn, who was apprehended.
- June 12
2009 Iranian presidential election
A disputed presidential election in Iran leads to wide-ranging local and international protests.
- June 17
Czech Pirate Party
Following a petition, the liberal progressive Czech Pirate Party was officially registered as a political party.
- June 18
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), a NASA robotic spacecraft is launched.
- June 19
Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
War in North-West Pakistan: The Pakistani Armed Forces open Operation Rah-e-Nijat against the Taliban and other Islamist rebels in the South Waziristan area of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.
- June 19
War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
War in Afghanistan: British forces began Operation Panther's Claw, in which more than 350 troops made an aerial assault on Taliban positions in southern Afghanistan.
- June 19
Shishou incident
Mass rioting broke out in Shishou, China, over the dubious circumstances surrounding the death of a local chef.
- June 20
Killing of Neda Agha-Soltan
Iranian student Neda Agha-Soltan was shot dead in Tehran during the presidential election protests; footage of her death was widely distributed over the Internet, making it "probably the most widely witnessed death in human history".
- June 21
Greenland
Greenland assumes self-rule.
- June 22
Washington Metro
Two Metro trains collided in Washington, D.C., killing nine people and injuring eighty others.
- June 25
Death of Michael Jackson
The death of American entertainer Michael Jackson triggers an outpouring of worldwide grief as reactions online cause the flow of internet traffic to surge to unprecedented and historic levels.
- June 25
Michael Jackson
Singer Michael Jackson died as a result of the combination of drugs in his body.
- June 28
Honduras
Honduran president Manuel Zelaya is ousted by a local military coup following a failed request to hold a referendum to rewrite the Honduran Constitution. This was the start of the 2009 Honduran constitutional crisis.
- June 30
Yemenia Flight 626
Yemenia Flight 626 crashed into the Indian Ocean near the Comoros, killing 152 people, with French schoolgirl Bahia Bakari the sole survivor.
July
- July 4
2009 Mindanao bombings
The first of four days of bombings begins on the southern Philippine island group of Mindanao.
- July 4
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty's crown reopens to the public after eight years of closure due to security concerns following the September 11 attacks.
- July 5
July 2009 Ürümqi riots
A series of violent riots broke out in Ürümqi, the capital city of Xinjiang in China.
- July 5
Staffordshire Hoard
The Staffordshire Hoard, the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon gold ever discovered, consisting of more than 1,500 items (examples pictured), was found near Hammerwich in Staffordshire.
- July 6
Jadranka Kosor
Jadranka Kosor became the first female prime minister of Croatia.
- July 6
Vasily Aksyonov
Vasily Aksyonov, Russian author and academic (born 1932)
- July 6
Robert McNamara
Robert McNamara, American businessman and politician, 8th United States Secretary of Defense (born 1916)
- July 15
Space Shuttle program
Space Shuttle program: Endeavour is launched on STS-127 to complete assembly of the International Space Station's Kibō module.
- July 15
Caspian Airlines Flight 7908
Caspian Airlines Flight 7908 crashed in northwestern Iran, killing all 168 people aboard.
- July 15
Seismic magnitude scales
A .mw-parser-output .tooltip-dotted{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}Mw 7.8 earthquake struck a remote region of Fiordland, New Zealand, the country's largest earthquake magnitude since the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake.
- July 16
Teoh Beng Hock
Teoh Beng Hock, an aide to a politician in Malaysia is found dead on the rooftop of a building adjacent to the offices of the Anti-Corruption Commission, sparking an inquest that gains nationwide attention.
- July 24
Aria Air Flight 1525
Aria Air Flight 1525 crashes at Mashhad International Airport, killing 16.
- July 26
Nigeria
The militant Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram attacks a police station in Bauchi, leading to reprisals by the Nigeria Police Force and four days of violence across multiple cities.
August
- August 1
Tel Aviv gay centre shooting
A shooting at a branch of the Israeli LGBT organization the Aguda in Tel Aviv resulted in two deaths.
- August 3
Taurus 09
The last vessels involved in Taurus 09, a Royal Navy training deployment covering 20,400 miles (32,800 km), returned to HMNB Devonport, England.
- August 8
Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil
A Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil and Piper PA-32R collide over the Hudson River, killing nine people.
- August 8
2009 Hudson River mid-air collision
Nine people died when a tour helicopter and a small private airplane collided over the Hudson River in Hoboken, New Jersey.
- August 10
Handlová
Twenty people are killed in Handlová, Trenčín Region, in the deadliest mining disaster in Slovakia's history.
- August 15
Mary Catherine Lamb
Mary Catherine Lamb, American textile artist (born 1949)
- August 16
2009 World Championships in Athletics
At the World Championships in Athletics in Berlin, Usain Bolt ran the 100 metres in 9.58 seconds, breaking his own record set a year earlier.
- August 17
Sayano-Shushenskaya power station accident
An accident at the Sayano-Shushenskaya Dam in Khakassia, Russia, kills 75 and shuts down the hydroelectric power station, leading to widespread power failure in the local area.
- August 19
August 2009 Baghdad bombings
A series of bombings in Baghdad, Iraq, kills 101 and injures 565 others.
- August 19
Don Hewitt
Don Hewitt, American television producer, created 60 Minutes (born 1922)
- August 26
Kidnapping of Jaycee Dugard
Kidnapping victim Jaycee Dugard is discovered alive in California after being missing for over 18 years. Her captors, Phillip and Nancy Garrido, are apprehended.
- August 27
Tatmadaw Government (1988–2011)
The Myanmar military junta and ethnic armies began three days of violent clashes in the region of Kokang.
- August 27
Myanmar conflict
Internal conflict in Myanmar: The Burmese military junta and ethnic armies begin three days of violent clashes in the Kokang Special Region.
- August 28
Space Shuttle Discovery
NASA's Space Shuttle Discovery launches on STS-128.
September
- September 2
2009 Andhra Pradesh helicopter crash
The Andhra Pradesh, India helicopter crash occurs near Rudrakonda Hill, 40 nautical miles (74 km) from Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India. Fatalities include Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, the Chief Minister of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.
- September 6
Roll-on/roll-off
The ro-ro ferry SuperFerry 9 sinks off the Zamboanga Peninsula in the Philippines with 971 persons aboard; all but ten are rescued.
- September 9
Dubai Metro
The Dubai Metro, the first urban train network in the Arabian Peninsula, is ceremonially inaugurated.
- September 10
Atlanta Police Department
Members of the Atlanta Police Department conducted a raid on a gay bar, with patrons later alleging that their constitutional rights had been violated and the city agreeing to pay over $1 million in settlements.
- September 18
CBS Studios
After 72 years on radio and television, CBS Television broadcasts the final episode of Guiding Light, the longest-running soap opera in American history.
- September 22
Coco Yoshizawa
Coco Yoshizawa, Japanese skateboarder
- September 24
South African Airlink Flight 8911
South African Airlink Flight 8911 crashes near Durban International Airport in Durban, South Africa, killing the captain and injuring the rest of the crew.
- September 24
2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit
The G20 summit begins in Pittsburgh with 30 global leaders in attendance.
- September 25
Leah Jeffries
Leah Jeffries, American actress
- September 26
Typhoon Ketsana
Typhoon Ketsana hits the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand, causing 700 fatalities.
- September 28
2009 Guinean protests
A protest held by 50,000 people in Conakry, Guinea, was forcefully disrupted by the military junta, resulting in at least 157 deaths and over 1,200 injuries.
- September 29
2009 Samoa earthquake and tsunami
The 8.1 Mw Samoa earthquake results in a tsunami that kills over 189 and injures hundreds.
- September 30
2009 Sumatra earthquakes
The 7.6 Mw Sumatra earthquake leaves 1,115 people dead.
- September 30
Moment magnitude scale
A 7.6 MW earthquake struck off the southern coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, killing 1,115 and impacting an estimated 1.2 million people.
October
- October 1
Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom takes over the judicial functions of the House of Lords.
- October 3
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkey join in the Turkic Council.
- October 9
Lunar Precursor Robotic Program
First lunar impact of NASA's Lunar Precursor Robotic Program.
- October 10
Armenia
Armenia and Turkey sign the Zurich Protocols, intended to normalize relations. However, they are never ratified by either side.
- October 11
Halit Refiğ
Halit Refiğ, Turkish director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1934)
- October 11
Angelo DiGeorge
Angelo DiGeorge, American physician and endocrinologist (born 1922)
- October 15
Heinz Versteeg
Heinz Versteeg, Dutch-German footballer (born 1939)
- October 25
October 2009 Baghdad bombings
The October 2009 Baghdad bombings kill 155 and wound at least 721.
- October 28
28 October 2009 Peshawar bombing
The 28 October 2009 Peshawar bombing kills 117 and wounds 213.
- October 28
Barack Obama
US President Barack Obama signs the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
- October 28
NASA
NASA successfully launches the Ares I-X mission, the only rocket launch for its short-lived Constellation program.
November
- November 1
Ilyushin Il-76
An Ilyushin Il-76 crashes near the Mir mine after takeoff from Mirny Airport in Yakutia, killing all 11 aboard.
- November 3
Francisco Ayala (novelist)
Francisco Ayala, Spanish sociologist, author, and critic (born 1906)
- November 5
United States Army
U.S. Army major Nidal Hasan went on a shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, the worst shooting ever to take place on an American military base, killing 13.
- November 5
Nidal Hasan
U.S. Army Major Nidal Hasan murders 13 and wounds 32 at Fort Hood, Texas in the deadliest mass shooting at a U.S. military installation.
- November 10
Daecheong incident
A skirmish occurred between South Korean and North Korean naval ships off Daecheong Island in the Yellow Sea.
- November 10
Christian Convery
Christian Convery, Canadian actor
- November 16
Space Shuttle program
Space Shuttle program: Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched on mission STS-129 to the International Space Station.
- November 17
University of East Anglia
Administrators at the University of East Anglia's Climatic Research Unit discovered that their servers had been hacked, and thousands of emails and files on climate change had been stolen.
- November 21
2009 Heilongjiang mine explosion
An explosion in a coal mine in Heilongjiang, China, killed 108 miners.
- November 23
Maguindanao massacre
The Maguindanao massacre occurs in Ampatuan, Philippines; 58 opponents of Andal Ampatuan Jr. are kidnapped and killed.
- November 23
Esmael Mangudadatu
A crowd of people on their way to register Esmael Mangudadatu's candidacy for governor of Maguindanao, Philippines, were kidnapped and killed by supporters of his rival, resulting in 58 deaths.
- November 24
Avdhela Project
The Avdhela Project, an Aromanian digital library and cultural initiative, was launched in Bucharest, Romania.
- November 25
2009 Jeddah floods
Jeddah floods: Freak rains swamp the city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, during an ongoing Hajj pilgrimage. Three thousand cars are swept away and 122 people perish in the torrents, with 350 others missing.
- November 27
2009 Nevsky Express bombing
A bomb exploded under, and derailed, a Russian high-speed train travelling between Moscow and Saint Petersburg, killing 28 passengers.
- November 27
Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga performed the first concert of The Monster Ball Tour, which became the highest-grossing tour in history for a debut headlining artist.
- November 29
2009 Lakewood shooting
Maurice Clemmons shoots and kills four police officers inside a coffee shop in Lakewood, Washington.
- November 29
Salish Matter
Salish Matter, American YouTuber
December
- December 1
Treaty of Lisbon
The Treaty of Lisbon entered into force in the European Union.
- December 3
2009 Hotel Shamo bombing
A suicide bombing in Mogadishu, Somalia, killed 25 people, including three ministers of the Transitional Federal Government.
- December 3
Richard Todd
Richard Todd, Irish-born British soldier and actor (born 1919)
- December 3
Leila Lopes (actress)
Leila Lopes, Brazilian actress and journalist (born 1959)
- December 5
Owen Cooper
Owen Cooper, English actor
- December 8
December 2009 Baghdad bombings
Bombings in Baghdad carried out by the Islamic State of Iraq killed at least 127 people and injured at least 448 others.
- December 11
Rovio Entertainment
Finnish game developer Rovio Entertainment releases the hit mobile game Angry Birds internationally on iOS.
- December 13
Maddox Batson
Maddox Batson, American singer and songwriter
- December 17
MV Danny F II
MV Danny F II sinks off the coast of Lebanon, resulting in the deaths of 44 people and over 28,000 animals.
- December 20
Arnold Stang
Arnold Stang, American actor (born 1918)
- December 20
Brittany Murphy
Brittany Murphy, American actress and singer (born 1977)
- December 21
Edwin G. Krebs
Edwin G. Krebs, American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1918)
- December 21
Christos Lambrakis
Christos Lambrakis, Greek journalist and businessman (born 1934)
- December 25
Longford
A fire destroyed Longford's 19th-century St Mel's Cathedral, considered the "flagship cathedral" of the Irish midlands.
- December 25
Northwest Airlines Flight 253
Aboard Northwest Airlines Flight 253, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab attempted to detonate plastic explosives hidden in his underwear.
- December 27
2009 Iranian presidential election protests
During protests in Tehran against the recent presidential election, Iranian security forces opened fire on demonstrators.
- December 28
2009 Karachi bombing
A suicide bomber attacked a Shia procession commemorating the day of Ashura in Karachi, Pakistan, causing 43 deaths.
- December 28
Dhondup Wangchen
Tibetan dissident filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen was imprisoned for subversion by Chinese authorities after a secret trial.
- December 30
Lanzhou–Zhengzhou–Changsha pipeline
Due to a rupture of the Lanzhou–Zhengzhou–Changsha pipeline in Shaanxi, China, caused approximately 150,000 l (40,000 US gal) of diesel oil flowed down the Wei River before finally reaching the Yellow River six days later.
- December 30
2009 Iranian pro-government rallies
Pro-government counter-demonstrators held rallies (pictured) in several Iranian cities in response to recent anti-government protests on the holy day of Ashura.
- December 30
Camp Chapman attack
A suicide bomber kills nine people at Forward Operating Base Chapman, a key facility of the Central Intelligence Agency in Afghanistan.
- December 31
Blue moon
Both a blue moon and a lunar eclipse occur.
Questions about 2009
What happened in 2009?
This site records 216 entries for 2009, including 2009 Bangkok nightclub fire on January 1. They are listed below by date.
How long ago was 2009?
17 years ago, counting from 2026. Anyone born in 2009 turns 17 this year.
Which century is 2009 in?
2009 falls in the 21st century, in the 2000s.
Which generation was born in 2009?
Generation Z (1997–2012). First generation raised with smartphones and social media.
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