In History, Today on May 9

The United States experiences a major cyberattack on the Colonial Pipeline, leading to widespread fuel shortages across the East Coast. The attack is attributed to the DarkSide ransomware group.

Malaysia's opposition coalition, led by Mahathir Mohamad, won the general election, ending the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition's 60-year hold on power.

The transit of Mercury across the face of the Sun was visible from Earth, a rare astronomical event that occurs approximately 13 times in a century.

Russia held a large military parade in Moscow to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Victory Day, marking the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.

The United States President Barack Obama publicly announced his support for same-sex marriage, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to do so.

Jose Saramago Foundation was officially inaugurated. The Foundation is located in Lisbon, Portugal, and serves to promote and preserve the work and legacy of the Nobel Prize-winning author.

A devastating storm named Cyclone Nargis struck Burma (Myanmar), leading to a catastrophic humanitarian crisis with tens of thousands confirmed dead or missing and millions more affected.

Chechen President Akhmad Kadyrov was assassinated in a bomb attack during a World War II memorial parade in Grozny.

The 9/11 attacks were formally linked to al-Qaeda by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in testimony to the US Congress. This connection solidified global efforts to combat the organization.

In Ghana, the Accra Sports Stadium disaster occurred when a stampede led to the deaths of 126 people during a football match between Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko.

Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as South Africa's first black president, marking the end of apartheid.

The United States House of Representatives Judiciary Committee opened formal and public impeachment hearings against President Richard Nixon over the Watergate scandal.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first commercially produced birth control pill, Enovid, marking a significant moment in reproductive rights.

French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman presented his proposal for the creation of what would become the European Coal and Steel Community, a precursor to the European Union.

Victory Day was celebrated in the Soviet Union, marking the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.

The first flight over the North Pole was made by Richard E. Byrd and Floyd Bennett.

Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show opened in London, marking an important moment in the cultural exchange between the United States and the United Kingdom, as it showcased American frontier life to a European audience.

The first recorded commercial horse race meeting was held under the auspices of the Kyneton & Northern Turf Club on Bet Bet Racecourse, one of the earliest examples of organized horse racing in Victoria, Australia.

The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House began during the American Civil War, lasting until May 21.

The first recorded ascent of Aiguille du Dru in the French Alps is made by the French alpinists led by A. Favre and guide Jean-Marie Couttet.

The city of Derna, in present-day Libya, falls to the United States' Marines and Arab mercenaries in the First Barbary War during the Battle of Derna.

The first newspaper in Canada, the Halifax Gazette, was published in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Thomas Blood, an Irish adventurer, attempted to steal the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London.

Hernando de Soto, a Spanish explorer and conquistador, reached the Mississippi River, the first documented European to do so.

Christopher Columbus embarked on his fourth and final voyage to the New World, aiming to find a passage to Asia.

Nicolaus of Cusa, a German philosopher, theologian, jurist, mathematician, and astronomer, discarded the traditional geocentric model of the universe, advocating a form of celestial philosophy that suggests a more complex and less Earth-centered universe.

The Treaty of Windsor is signed between Portugal and England, establishing a pact of mutual support and friendship that endures to this day.

Lincoln Cathedral in England was consecrated. Originally built in 1072 under Bishop Remigius, the cathedral was rededicated after being rebuilt following a fire.

The Third Council of Toledo begins, marking the Visigothic conversion from Arianism to Catholicism.

The construction of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem is ordered by Emperor Constantine the Great.