Once Upon A Time – May 9 – 1914 – US President Woodrow Wilson Proclaims Mother’s Day

1386 Treaty of Windsor between Portugal and England is ratified at Windsor cementing and strengthening ties between the two kingdoms (oldest diplomatic alliance still in force).

1865 President Andrew Johnson issues a proclamation declaring armed resistance in the South is virtually at an end; this is the commonly accepted end date of the American Civil War

1901 The First Australian Parliament opens in Melbourne, though the first working session will not be until 21 May

1941 British intelligence at Bletchley Park breaks German spy codes after capturing Enigma machines aboard the weather ship Muenchen

1945 World War II: The Soviet Union marks Victory Day

1960 US becomes the first country to legalize the birth control pill

2018 Historic win in Malaysian general election by opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan led by 92 year old former Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad, defeating Prime Minister Najib Razak and ending 61 years of rule by the Barisan Nasional coalition

Historical Events Today Events in 2023

Today in Film & TV

1958 “Vertigo”, American film noir psychological thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak, is released

Today in Music

1962 The Beatles sign their 1st contract with EMI Parlophone

Today in Sport

2001 Accra Sports Stadium Disaster: 129 Ghanaian football fans die in a stampede caused by the firing of teargas by police following a decision by the referee in a crucial match between arch-rivals Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko

Other Facts…

1914 US President Woodrow Wilson proclaims Mother’s Day

2012 Mark Rothko’s “Orange, Red, Yellow” becomes the most expensive contemporary art piece to be sold at auction for $86.9 million dollars

Thomas Blood, who tried to steal England’s Crown Jewels from the Tower of London on this day was not only forgiven by the King, but given a reward – May 9, 1671

Famous Weddings

1942 Physicist Robert Hofstadter (27) weds Nancy Givan

1969 American movie actress Lana Turner (48) weds 7th husband, hypnotist Ronald Pellar (39); divorce in 1972

1987 Actor Tom Cruise (27) weds actress Mimi Rogers (33)