December 09: Fun Facts about Today in History

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On December 9, learn about the most interesting events and historical facts that occurred throughout history. The 343rd day of the Gregorian calendar is December 9. On this day in history, Mozart died in Vienna, the first YMCA was founded in North America, and the Petrified National Forest in Arizona was established.

Sagittarius rules the 9th of December. Judi Dench, Kirk Douglas, and John Malkovich all have famous birthdays. National Llama Day and National Pastry Day are both celebrated on December 9.

Event
(December 09, 1868) Outside of London's Palace of Westminster, the first traffic lights are placed. They use semaphore arms and are lit by red and green gas lamps at night, similar to railway signals. photo source: wikimedia.org
Advertisements (December 09, 1961) Tanganyika gained independence, with Julius Nyerere as its first prime minister, and in 1964 the province merged with the island of Zanzibar to form Tanzania. photo source: wikimedia.org
(December 09, 1979) The illness was officially declared eradicated 10 years after the World Health Organization initiated a global immunisation programme against smallpox. photo source: wikimedia.org
(Died on December 09, 2015) Julio Terrazas Sandoval, Bolivian cardinal (b. 1936).