In History, Today on January 9

China reopened its borders to international travelers for the first time since becoming largely closed in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions, signaling the end of zero-COVID policies.

Novak Djokovic, the world’s top-ranked tennis player, was detained in Australia over visa issues related to COVID-19 vaccination requirements, sparking a legal battle and international attention.

The World Health Organization team arrived in Wuhan, China, to investigate the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Charlie Hebdo shooting in Paris, France, concluded with the death of the two gunmen, who had attacked the satirical magazine's office two days earlier.

The controversial plan to send sterilization agents to public health centers in India was annulled by the Supreme Court of India, following widespread protests and debates about women's rights and government policies.

The Southern Sudanese independence referendum began, leading to the eventual independence of South Sudan from Sudan.

Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone at the Macworld convention, marking a significant milestone in mobile technology.

The Sudan People's Liberation Movement and the Government of Sudan signed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, ending the Second Sudanese Civil War.

Apple Inc. introduced iTunes, a digital media player application that revolutionized the way people purchased and organized music.

The United Nations Security Council held its first meeting of the new millennium.

The Assembly of the Serb People in Bosnia and Herzegovina proclaimed the creation of the Republic of the Serbian People of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Representatives from the United States and Iraq met at the Geneva Peace Conference to discuss the Gulf War.

The White House announced the resignation of Edwin Meese as Counselor to the President, amidst growing controversy surrounding the Iran-Contra affair and other ethical concerns. This was part of a series of political changes within the Reagan Administration during a period marked by scandal.

The RMS Queen Elizabeth, once the world's largest ocean liner, caught fire and sank in Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour. The ship had been purchased and was being refitted as a floating university. The incident marked the end of the luxurious liner's storied history.

Martyrs' Day in Panama: Riots erupted over sovereignty of the Panama Canal Zone, leading to clashes between Panamanians and U.S. troops.

Construction work began on the Aswan High Dam in Egypt.

The United Nations headquarters officially opened in New York City.

The United States began an invasion of the Philippines' main island of Luzon by landing on the beaches of Lingayen Gulf during World War II.

Juan de la Cierva made the first successful flight of an autogyro, a predecessor to the helicopter.

The Battle of Gallipoli ended with an Ottoman victory as Allied forces completed their evacuation from the peninsula.

Ernest Shackleton, leading the Nimrod Expedition, planted the British flag 97 miles from the South Pole, the farthest south anyone had reached at that time.

Bloody Sunday took place when unarmed demonstrators were fired upon by soldiers of the Imperial Guard as they marched towards the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg to present a petition to Tsar Nicholas II.

The New England Telephone and Telegraph Company is incorporated.

Umberto I is crowned King of Italy.

Mississippi became the second state to secede from the Union before the American Civil War.

The Fort Tejon earthquake, an estimated magnitude 7.9 event on the San Andreas Fault, strikes in central and southern California.

The French Academy of Sciences announced the Daguerreotype photography process.

Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, a British flag officer in the Royal Navy who died during the Battle of Trafalgar, was given a state funeral and interred at St. Paul's Cathedral.

Jean-Pierre Blanchard made the first successful balloon flight in the United States.

Philip Astley staged the first modern circus in London.

Afghan leader Ahmad Shah Durrani defeats the Marathas in the Third Battle of Panipat.

The city of Calais was recaptured by the French under the command of Francis, Duke of Guise, marking the end of English rule in the area.

Pope Adrian VI was elected as the 218th pope, the last non-Italian pope until John Paul II in 1978.

Judges' investigations for the trial of Joan of Arc began in Rouen, France.

The Jewish population of Basel, Switzerland, was rounded up and incinerated by townspeople who blamed them for the Black Death.

Jin troops from the Jin dynasty of the Jurchen tribe enter the Song capital of Kaifeng after a prolonged siege during the Jin-Song Wars. This marks a significant moment in the conflict between the Jin and the Song dynasties, underscoring the vulnerability of the Song dynasty and leading to the eventual fall of the Northern Song dynasty.

The Abbasid Caliphate's Fourth Fitna, a civil war, intensifies when the Alid Revolt escalates in the Hejaz.

Twelfth Council of Toledo: King Erwig of the Visigoths initiates a council to reform the laws of the Visigothic Kingdom, addressing issues of governance and religious matters.

Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople, as his general Basiliscus stages a revolt and assumes the throne.