The year in history
1909
Someone born in 1909 turns 117 in 2026
1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar, the 1909th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 909th year of the 2nd millennium, the 9th year of the 20th century, and the 10th and last year of the 1900s decade. As of the start of 1909, the Gregorian calendar was 13 days ahead of the Julian calendar, which remained in localized use until 1923. British supercentenarian Ethel Caterham is the last surviving person who was born in 1909.
What happened in 1909
Colombia recognizes the independence of Panama.
Members of the Nimrod Expedition claim to have found the magnetic South Pole (but the location recorded may be incorrect).
Leo Baekeland announces the creation of bakelite hard thermosetting plastic.
Serbia accepts Austrian control over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Payne–Aldrich Tariff Act is passed in the United States Congress.
Joan of Arc is beatified in Rome.
Russian ballet is brought to the Western world when the Ballets Russes opens a tour produced by Sergei Diaghilev at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, with 55 dancers, including Vaslav Nijinsky.
In London, Indian nationalist student Madan Lal Dhingra assassinates Curzon Wyllie, political aide to the Secretary of State for India.
Blue Anchor Line passenger/cargo liner SS Waratah, on her second voyage from Australia to Britain, leaves Durban and is lost without trace with all 211 aboard.
October – Suzuki Weaving Machine Manufacturing, predecessor of the Suzuki motorbike and compact car brand in Japan, is founded in Shizuoka Prefecture.
Itō Hirobumi, four time Prime Minister of Japan (the 1st, 5th, 7th and 10th) and Resident-General of Korea, is assassinated by An Jung-geun, an activist of the Korean independence movement, at the Harbin railway station in Manchuria.
The association football team Borussia Dortmund is founded in Dortmund, Germany.
Famous people born in 1909
Dana Andrews
American actor (d. 1992)
January 1 →
Patrick Peyton
Irish-born American priest, saint (d. 1992)
January 9 →
U Thant
Burmese United Nations Secretary General (d. 1974)
January 22 →
Simone Weil
French philosopher (d. 1943)
February 3 →
Zoran Mušič
Slovene painter (d. 2005)
February 12 →
Matti Järvinen
Finnish javelin thrower (d. 1985)
February 18 →
King Talal of Jordan (d. 1972)
February 26 →
Gabrielle Roy
Canadian author (d. 1983)
March 22 →
William M. Branham
American Christian minister (d. 1965)
April 6 →
Indro Montanelli
Italian journalist (d. 2001)
April 22 →
Howard Da Silva
American actor (d. 1986)
May 4 →
Nicholas Winton
British humanitarian (d. 2015)
May 19 →
Jessica Tandy
English actress (d. 1994)
June 7 →
Li Xiannian
President of the People's Republic of China (d. 1992)
June 23 →
Eric Reece
32nd Premier of Tasmania (d. 1999)
July 6 →
Souphanouvong
1st President of Laos (d. 1995)
July 13 →
Licia Albanese
Italian-born American operatic soprano (d. 2014)
July 22 →
Olivér Halassy
Hungarian water polo player and freestyle swimmer (d. 1946)
July 31 →
Ethel Caterham
English supercentenarian, oldest living person, last surviving person born in 1909, last surviving subject of King Edward VII
August 21 →
Jan van Aartsen
Dutch politician (d. 1992)
September 15 →
Piotr Jaroszewicz
Polish politician, 49th Prime Minister of Poland (d. 1992)
October 8 →
Whit Bissell
American actor (d. 1996)
October 25 →
Nigel Tranter
Scottish historian and novelist (d. 2000)
November 23 →
Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
American actor and naval officer (d. 2000)
December 9 →