July 9

Today in History
• 1401 - Turko-Mongol ruler Tamerlane (Timur) destroys Baghdad, killing 20,000
• 1536 - French navigator Jacques Cartier returns to Saint-Malo from Canada
• 1572 - 19 Catholic priests hanged in Gorcum
• 1595 - Johannes Kepler inscribes geometric solid construction of universe
• 1755 - British General E. Braddock mortally wounded during French and Indian War
• 1776 - Declaration of Independence is read to George Washington's troops, New York
• 1795 - James Swan pays off the $2,024,899 U.S. national debt
• 1868 - 1st black cabinet member in South Carolina (Francis L Cardozo-sect of state)


Holidays - Traditional and Obscure
• Argentine Independence Day
• Barn Day
• Call of the Horizon Day
• Martyrdom of the Bab
• National Sugar Cookie Day
• Nunavut Day
• Palau Constitution Day
• State Rebellion Day

Birthdays
• 1511 - Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg, Queen of Denmark and Norway
• 1577 - Thomas West, 3rd and 12th Baron De La Warr, English Jamestown colonist
• 1654 - Emperor Reigen, 112th Emperor of Japan
• 1766 - Jacob Perkins, American inventor (father of the refrigerator)
• 1802 - Thomas Davenport, American inventor (invented 1st commercial electric motor)
• 1819 - Elias HoweElias Howe, American inventor (invented sewing machine)
• 1857 - Frederick II, Grand Duke of Baden (1907-18)
• 1910 - Walter Brookins becomes 1st to pilot an airplane to 1 mile altitude