1009day.year
Lombard Revolt: Lombard forces led by Melus revolt in Bari against the Byzantine Catepanate of Italy.
In 1009, Lombard forces under Melus staged a revolt in Bari against Byzantine rule in southern Italy.
In 1009, Melus, a Lombard noble, led a revolt in Bari challenging the authority of the Byzantine Catepanate of Italy. The uprising reflected widespread Lombard discontent with heavy taxation and distant imperial administration. Melus sought support from neighboring powers but faced the formidable infrastructure of Byzantium. Initial successes in seizing local strongholds gave hope to the rebels. However, the Byzantine response eventually suppressed the revolt, reasserting Constantinople's control. Although short-lived, the Lombard Revolt foreshadowed later fragmentation of Byzantine holdings in Italy and shifting power dynamics in medieval Europe.
1009
Lombard Revolt
Melus
Bari
Catepanate of Italy
1864day.year
Second Schleswig War: The Danish navy defeats the Austrian and Prussian fleets in the Battle of Heligoland.
On May 9, 1864, during the Second Schleswig War, the Danish navy defeated Austrian and Prussian fleets at the Battle of Heligoland.
During the Second Schleswig War, the Battle of Heligoland saw the Royal Danish Navy engage combined Austrian and Prussian naval forces on May 9, 1864. Fought near the Frisian island of Heligoland, the Danish squadron exploited superior tactics and better-trained crews to repel the larger allied fleet. Though tactically inconclusive in terms of ship losses, the engagement boosted Danish morale and maintained control of northern waters. The battle prevented Austria and Prussia from imposing a naval blockade, allowing Denmark to sustain supply lines. Its strategic impact, however, was limited by the war’s land campaigns, which ultimately favored the German powers. Despite the eventual Danish defeat in the war, the Battle of Heligoland remains celebrated as a rare naval victory for Denmark in the 19th century. It highlighted the evolving role of steam-powered ships and modern naval warfare tactics.
1864
Second Schleswig War
Austrian
Prussian
Battle of Heligoland
1865day.year
American Civil War: Nathan Bedford Forrest surrenders his forces at Gainesville, Alabama.
Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest formally surrenders his troops in Gainesville, Alabama, marking one of the final capitulations of Confederate forces in the American Civil War.
On May 9, 1865, Confederate Lieutenant General Nathan Bedford Forrest surrendered his forces to Union troops at Gainesville, Alabama. His cavalry had been one of the most feared units during the war, but dwindling supplies and strategic setbacks forced his decision. The ceremony took place under a flag of truce and included formal paroles for Forrest’s men. This surrender occurred just weeks after the fall of Richmond and General Lee’s capitulation at Appomattox Court House. It symbolized the collapse of Confederate resistance in the Deep South. Forrest’s decision helped spare further bloodshed and hastened the end of the Civil War.
1865
American Civil War
Nathan Bedford Forrest
Gainesville, Alabama
1865day.year
American Civil War: President Andrew Johnson issues a proclamation ending belligerent rights of the rebels and enjoining foreign nations to intern or expel Confederate ships.
President Andrew Johnson ends the Confederate states’ belligerent status and instructs foreign nations to intern or expel Confederate vessels.
On May 9, 1865, President Andrew Johnson issued a historic proclamation terminating the Confederate states’ status as belligerents in the Civil War. The document declared that former rebel forces would no longer enjoy the rights of war, including safe harbor and neutral treatment abroad. Johnson urged foreign governments to intern or expel any Confederate ships from their ports. This move aimed to isolate remaining Confederate leaders and prevent them from acquiring supplies. It marked a critical step in reasserting federal authority and curbing Confederate activity overseas. The proclamation laid groundwork for Reconstruction policies by legally ending the Confederacy’s claim to sovereign status.
President Andrew Johnson
proclamation ending belligerent rights
1915day.year
World War I: Second Battle of Artois between German and French forces.
The Second Battle of Artois begins as German and French forces clash in a major offensive on the Western Front during World War I.
On May 9, 1915, French and German armies launched the Second Battle of Artois near the coal-rich region of Artois in northern France. The French aimed to break through German defensive lines and secure high ground at Vimy Ridge. Intense artillery bombardments preceded infantry assaults, resulting in heavy casualties on both sides. Despite initial gains, French forces struggled to exploit breakthroughs against well-fortified German positions. The battle demonstrated the brutal nature of trench warfare and the challenges of offensive operations on the Western Front. It foreshadowed further attritional battles that would define World War I’s long stalemate.
1915
World War I
Second Battle of Artois
1918day.year
World War I: Germany repels Britain's second attempt to blockade the port of Ostend, Belgium.
German naval forces successfully defend the port of Ostend against a second British blockade attempt during World War I.
On May 9, 1918, German defenders repelled the Royal Navy’s second effort to blockade the port of Ostend, Belgium. The British sought to mine approaches and cut off German U-boat operations in the North Sea. Under cover of defensive minefields and shore batteries, German naval units thwarted the assault and maintained access to occupied ports. The failure of the blockade attempt underscored the strategic importance of Ostend for German maritime logistics. It also highlighted evolving naval tactics involving mines and coastal artillery. The engagement was part of a broader effort to control North Sea supply routes in the final year of World War I.
1918
second attempt
Ostend
1920day.year
Polish–Soviet War: The Polish army under General Edward Rydz-Śmigły celebrates its capture of Kiev with a victory parade on Khreshchatyk.
Polish forces celebrate the capture of Kiev with a victory parade on Khreshchatyk during the Polish–Soviet War.
On May 9, 1920, soldiers of the Polish Army under General Edward Rydz-Śmigły marched down Khreshchatyk Street in Kiev to celebrate their recent capture of the city. The parade featured colorful banners, military bands, and artillery salutes, drawing local and international attention. The occupation was part of Poland’s bold strategy to push eastward and establish a buffer against Bolshevik Russia. While initially successful, the Polish advance would later be halted and repelled by Soviet counteroffensives. The parade symbolized a fleeting moment of triumph before the tides of war shifted. It remains a memorable episode in the complex history of Polish-Ukrainian and Polish-Soviet relations.
1920
Polish–Soviet War
Edward Rydz-Śmigły
capture of Kiev
victory parade
Khreshchatyk
1941day.year
World War II: The German submarine U-110 is captured by the Royal Navy. On board is the latest Enigma machine which Allied cryptographers later use to break coded German messages.
During WWII, the Royal Navy captures German submarine U-110 on May 9, 1941, seizing an intact Enigma machine.
In a daring operation in the North Atlantic, HMS Bulldog, HMS Broadway, and HMS Aubretia forced U-110 to surface and captured its crew. The Royal Navy sailors secretly boarded the submarine and recovered the latest Enigma cipher machine along with codebooks. This intelligence breakthrough provided Allied cryptographers at Bletchley Park with vital materials to decrypt German naval communications. The successful exploitation of captured Enigma rotors and settings dramatically improved Allied codebreaking capabilities. It is considered one of the most significant events in the intelligence war. The secrecy around the capture was maintained to prevent the Germans from realizing that their codes were compromised.
1941
World War II
U-110
Royal Navy
Enigma machine
Allied
cryptographers
1942day.year
The Holocaust in Ukraine: The SS executes 588 Jewish residents of the Podolian town of Zinkiv (Khmelnytska oblast. The Zoludek Ghetto (in Belarus) is destroyed and all its inhabitants executed or deported.
Nazi SS forces execute hundreds of Jews in Zinkiv and destroy the Zoludek Ghetto on May 9, 1942.
As part of the Holocaust in Ukraine, SS units and local collaborators massacred 588 Jewish residents of Zinkiv on May 9, 1942. Victims were forcibly marched to execution sites and shot in mass graves outside the town in present-day Khmelnytska oblast. Meanwhile, in Belarus, the Zoludek Ghetto was liquidated, with its inhabitants either executed or deported to extermination camps. These atrocities exemplify the systematic genocide carried out by Nazi Germany on the Eastern Front. Survivor testimony and Nazi records document the brutality and scale of these operations. The events remain a stark reminder of the horrors of the Holocaust.
1942
The Holocaust in Ukraine
Podolian
Zinkiv
Khmelnytska oblast
Zoludek Ghetto
Belarus
1945day.year
World War II: the Channel Islands are liberated from Nazi occupation.
The Channel Islands are liberated from Nazi occupation on May 9, 1945, ending five years of German control.
On May 9, 1945, Allied forces liberated the Channel Islands, the only British soil occupied by Nazi Germany during World War II. German garrisons stationed on Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Herm surrendered following Germany's general capitulation. The civilian population, which had endured food shortages and strict German rule since 1940, celebrated the arrival of British troops. Liberation efforts included clearing minefields and restoring essential services. The event symbolized the final stages of the Allied victory in Europe. Memorial services and ceremonies were later held to honor both the resistance efforts and those who suffered during the occupation.
1945
World War II
Channel Islands
liberated from Nazi occupation
1969day.year
Carlos Lamarca leads the first urban guerrilla action against the military dictatorship of Brazil in São Paulo, by robbing two banks.
Carlos Lamarca leads Brazil's first urban guerrilla action by robbing banks in São Paulo on May 9, 1969.
Brazilian Army Captain Carlos Lamarca deserted and became a leading figure in the armed resistance against the country's military dictatorship. On May 9, 1969, he orchestrated and led two armed bank robberies in São Paulo as acts of political protest. The operations aimed to fund guerrilla activities and draw attention to human rights abuses. Lamarca's actions inspired a wave of urban guerrilla tactics among leftist groups. The government intensified its crackdown on dissent following these events. Lamarca became a polarizing symbol of resistance and remains a controversial figure in Brazilian history.
1969
Carlos Lamarca
military dictatorship
Brazil
São Paulo
1992day.year
Armenian forces capture Shusha, marking a major turning point in the First Nagorno-Karabakh War.
In 1992, Armenian forces seize the key city of Shusha in Nagorno-Karabakh, shifting the momentum of the war.
On May 9, 1992, Armenian troops make a daring assault to capture the strategically vital city of Shusha.
The fall of Shusha gives Armenia control over high ground, threatening Azerbaijani supply lines.
The victory boosts Armenian morale and consolidates their hold on Nagorno-Karabakh.
Thousands of residents flee amid heavy shelling and street fighting.
The event deepens the humanitarian crisis and cements Shusha’s symbolic importance.
It remains remembered as a decisive moment in the protracted conflict.
1992
Armenian
Shusha
First Nagorno-Karabakh War