On This Day - February 9th

On this day in the year 1555 of the common era (CE) John Hooper, the Bishop of Gloucester, England is burned at the stake for heresy in an egregious act of human sacrifice.

On this day in the year 1775 CE the British Parliament declares its Massachusetts colony to be in rebellion.

On this day in 1861 CE the Confederate Provisional Congress declares that all laws under the United States Constitution are consistent with Constitution of Confederate States; later on the same day, Jefferson Davis and Alexander Stephens are elected president and vice president of the Confederate States of America, both men were traitors but allowed to continue serving in public life until their natural death even after they lost the war against America which they championed.

In 1870 US CE, United States president Ulysses S. Grant signs law resulting in U.S. Army Signal Service’s establishment of its "Division of Telegrams and Reports for the Benefit of Commerce", later known as the National Weather Service.

In 1904 CE a Japanese torpedo boats launch a surprise attack on Russian ships at the Port Arthur naval base in Manchuria, beginning the Russo-Japanese War. Japanese troops also land at Chemulpo (Incheon), near Seoul, Korea; in three weeks, they advance to the Yalu River on the border of Manchuria.

In 1909 CE the first federal legislation in the United States is passed into law prohibiting the  importation, possession and use of narcotics, smoking opium is banned nationwide; seventeen years later in a clear violation of the separation of church and state, evolutionary biology is forbidden as a field of learning in Atlanta, Georgia.

In 1961 CE the Beatles play their first gig at Liverpool's Cavern Club; they would play there nearly 300 times over the next two years; three years later they make their first appearance The Ed Sullivan Show live from New York; the broadcast draws 73.7 million television viewers.

In 1962 CE the United States performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site; four years later the Dow Jones Industrial Average hits a record 995 points (today in 2026, the Dow Jones opened at 50,047.79); twenty five years later the New York Stock Exchange for the very first time installs a ladies’ restroom in the Exchange Luncheon Club.

In 1971 CE Satchel Paige becomes the first Negro League player to be elected to Baseball Hall of Fame.

In 1979 CE Walter Hill's film The Warriors, based on Sol Yurick's 1965 novel, is released in the United States, sparking gang violence at many theaters and a halt to the film's marketing campaign.

In 1997 CE the Fox cartoon series The Simpsons, airs its 167th episode, making it the longest-running animated series in cartoon history; twenty-nine years later the show is still in production having aired a total of 803 original episodes through the year 2025.