April 9
April 9 is the 100th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 266 days remain until the year's end. It falls in spring (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Aries.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On April 9 the Sun's declination is approximately +7.5°. At this latitude the Sun is north of the celestial equator, giving the Northern Hemisphere longer days than nights.
For specific rise/set times at your location, see the U.S. Naval Observatory, or the NASA APOD archive for any imagery published on a April 9.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
No widely-observed holidays catalogued for this day in our base set. See the external almanacs above for region-specific observances.
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
1865 — American Civil War: Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House. ↗(161 years ago)more
The Battle of Appomattox Court House, fought in Appomattox County, Virginia, on the morning of April 9, 1865, was one of the last, and ultimately one of the most consequential, battles of the American Civil War (1861–1865). It was the final push of Confederate general in chief Robert E.
1940 — Germany invaded Denmark and Norway, beginning the Norwegian Campaign. ↗(86 years ago)more
Operation Weserübung was the invasion of Denmark and Norway by Nazi Germany during World War II. It was the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign.
1959 — NASA introduced its first seven astronauts, the "Mercury Seven". ↗(67 years ago)more
The Mercury Seven were the group of seven astronauts selected to fly spacecraft for Project Mercury. They are also referred to as the Original Seven and Astronaut Group 1. Their names were publicly announced by NASA on April 9, 1959: Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Gus Grissom, Wally Schirra, Alan Shepard, and Deke Slayton.
2003 — The U.S. Army captured Baghdad; Saddam Hussein's regime collapsed. ↗(23 years ago)more
The Battle of Baghdad, also known as the Fall of Baghdad, was a military engagement that took place in Baghdad in early April 2003, as part of the invasion of Iraq.
Notable births
1806 — Isambard Kingdom Brunel, English engineer. ↗(220 years ago)more
Isambard Kingdom Brunel was an English civil engineer and mechanical engineer who is considered "one of the most ingenious and prolific figures in engineering history", "one of the 19th-century engineering giants", and "one of the greatest figures of the Industrial Revolution, [who] changed the face of the English landscape with his ground-breaking design...
1933 — Jean-Paul Belmondo, French actor. ↗(93 years ago)more
Jean-Paul Charles Belmondo was a French actor, producer and distributor. Initially associated with the New Wave of the 1960s thanks to the success of the film Breathless (1960), he also acted in other films that modernized cinema such as Two Women (1960), Le Doulos (1962), That Man from Rio (1964), Greed in the Sun (1964), Weekend at Dunkirk (1964).
Notable deaths
1553 — François Rabelais, French Renaissance writer. ↗(473 years ago)more
François Rabelais was a French writer who has been called the first great French prose author. A humanist of the French Renaissance and Greek scholar, he attracted opposition from both Protestant theologian John Calvin and from the hierarchy of the Catholic Church.
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (100) | 2^2 × 5^2 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (266) | 2 × 7 × 19 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 09042026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | +7.53° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 72 days |