This Day In History, April 9th.
Five Historical Events That Happened on April 9th.
The American Civil War was practically over when General Robert E. Lee handed over his troops to Union General Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865.
During World War I, on April 9, 1917, Canadian soldiers attacked the German-held Vimy Ridge in France. The Allied troops won the conflict handily after four days of fighting.
The invasion of Denmark and Norway by German soldiers on April 9, 1940, officially started World War II in Scandinavia.
The "Mercury Seven," the first seven American astronauts, were chosen and announced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on April 9, 1959.
Georgia was the first republic to proclaim independence from the Soviet Union when it did so on April 9, 1991. This incident served as a prelude to the Soviet Union's final collapse later that year.
On April 9, 1865, General Robert E. Lee surrendered his army to Union General Ulysses S. Grant, effectively ending the American Civil War.
Since it essentially put an end to the American Civil War, General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia's surrender at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865, is regarded as one of the most important moments in American history. The process of reunification and reconstruction that would take place in the years after the war began with the capitulation, which came after a number of battles and campaigns that had occurred in Virginia during the previous months.
The Battle of Vimy Ridge Begins in World War I.
The First World War's Battle of Vimy Ridge, which took place between April 9 and April 12, 1917, was a significant conflict. Canadian forces attacked the strategically located German-held Vimy Ridge, which overlooks the Douai Plain in northeastern France, in concert with British and French forces. A decisive success for the Allied troops was achieved when the Canadian Corps was able to seize the ridge and hold it against ferocious German counterattacks despite suffering large losses in challenging terrain. The conflict is seen as a turning point in Canadian history and is frequently mentioned as a significant occasion in the country's transformation from colony to nation.
April 9, 1940, German forces launched a surprise invasion of Denmark and Norway, marking the beginning of World War II in Scandinavia.
Operation Weserübung, the German army's surprise invasion of Denmark and Norway on April 9, 1940, officially began World War II in Scandinavia. The Danish government capitulated within a few hours after the German invasion of Denmark was fast and largely bloodless. Fighting against Norwegian, British, and French soldiers as well as opposition from Norwegian citizens were all part of the longer and more difficult invasion of Norway. The German triumph in Norway gave them control over important ports and a foothold in the North Atlantic, but it also cost the German Navy a lot of money and put the invasion of Britain on wait.
1959: NASA Announces First Seven Astronauts
The "Mercury Seven," the first set of American astronauts to be chosen and prepared for human spaceflight missions, were announced by NASA on April 9, 1959. Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Gus Grissom, Wally Schirra, Alan Shepard, and Deke Slayton made up the Mercury Seven. They were picked from a pool of more than 500 military test pilots based on their aptitude for flying high-performance aircraft, as well as their physical and mental health. As part of the Mercury program, which sought to place American astronauts in orbit around the Earth, the Mercury Seven later took part in the United States' first manned spaceflights.
1991: Georgia Declares Independence from the Soviet Union. This event was a precursor to the eventual dissolution of the Soviet Union later that year.
The Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic's parliament proclaimed the nation's independence from the Soviet Union on April 9, 1991. This proclamation, the first by a republic inside the Soviet Union to proclaim its independence, came after months of rallies and demonstrations against Soviet control. The action marked a crucial turning point in the Soviet Union's disintegration, and it was followed by similar statements from other republics, which eventually led to the Soviet Union's collapse later that year.