History of April 9th

First public art exhibition (Palais-Royale, Paris)

Apr 9, 1667

House of Representives first meeting

Apr 9, 1789

African Methodist Episcopal Church organizes

Apr 9, 1816

Confederate General Lee surrenders

Apr 9, 1865

Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrenders his army to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia.

Alaska Purchase

Apr 9, 1867

Passing by a single vote, the United States Senate ratifies a treaty with Russia for the purchase of Alaska.

17th Amendment ratified

Apr 9, 1913

Required direct election of senators

Tornado reduces Oklahoma town to rubble

Apr 9, 1947

The town of Woodward, Oklahoma, is nearly wiped off the map by a powerful tornado on this day in 1947. More than 100 people died in Woodward, and 80 more lost their lives elsewhere in the series of twisters that hit the U.S that day.

First astronauts introduced

Apr 9, 1959

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) introduces America's first astronauts to the press: Scott Carpenter, L. Gordon Cooper Jr., John H. Glenn Jr. Virgil "Gus" Grissom, Walter Schirra Jr. Alan Shepard Jr., and Donald Slayton.

George Shultz condemns Soviet spying

Apr 9, 1987

Days before he is to travel to Moscow for talks on arms control and other issues, U.S Secretary of State George Shultz states that he is "damned angry" about possible Soviet spy activity in the American embassy in the Soviet Union.

Honda wins World Green Car award

Apr 9, 2009

The Honda FCX Clarity, a four-door sedan billed as the planet's first hydrogen power fuel-cell vehicle intended for mass production, wins the World Green Car award at the New York Auto Show.