March 9: Facts & Historical Events On This Day

For the first time, a colossal squid was captured on video in its natural habitat.

Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni, or the colossal squid, can reach at least 1,000 lbs (453 kg) in mass. The particular one caught on camera was young and measured just one foot (30 cm) long.

The US record industry reported that for the first time since 1987, sales of vinyl records exceeded CD sales.

Space Shuttle Discovery completed its last-ever mission and made its final landing onto Kennedy’s runway at 11:57 am EST.

NASA's Discovery is now on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

Eminem signed up to the record label “Aftermath Entertainment,” founded by Dr. Dre.

The American Motors Corporation, best known for creating the Jeep, was bought out by Chrysler.

Lieutenant Hiroo Onoda became the last Japanese soldier to surrender, 29 years after WWII ended.

Ford Mustang went on sale for the first time.

The company sold over 22,000 on its first day alone!

The Soviet spacecraft Sputnik 9 was launched into orbit.

Onboard was Ivan Ivanovich the mannequin, Chernushka the dog, a few mice, and even a guinea pig!

Barbie was presented to the public for the first time.

The first doll appeared at the American Toy Fair, New York City, US.

The United States Air Force firebombed Tokyo, Japan, killing over 100,000 civilians.

The air raid, which destroyed most of Tokyo, is the most destructive bombing raid in history. Some post-war analysts consider the attack to be a war crime.

Bertha Landes became the first female mayor of a major city (Seattle) in the US.

The Inter Milan soccer club was formed.

Football Club Internazionale Milano, as it is known in Italian, was founded as an offshoot of the Milan Cricket and Football Club. One key difference between the clubs was that Inter Milan allowed foreign players to join instead of limiting their ranks to just Italians.

A five-day blizzard started in the south of England and killed 200 people.

Dutch astronomer Johannes Fabricius discovered sunspots.

Sunspots are regions of reduced surface temperature on the sun.

Naples, Italy, banned kissing in public.

If authorities caught couples kissing in public, the act was punishable by death.

Astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus recorded his first observation after witnessing a moon eclipse with a distant star.

This observation was important as it started his thinking that the sun was in the center of the cosmos.