The year in history
2009
Someone born in 2009 turns 17 in 2026
2009 (MMIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2009th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 9th year of the 3rd millennium and the 21st century, and the 10th and last year of the 2000s decade. 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Johannes Kepler. It was also declared as the International Year of Natural Fibres by the United Nations General Assembly, as well as the International Year of Reconciliation and the Year of the Gorilla (UNEP and UNESCO).
What happened in 2009
Japan, Mexico, Turkey and Uganda assume their seats on the United Nations Security Council.
Israel withdraws from the Gaza Strip, officially ending its three-week war with Hamas. However, intermittent air strikes by both sides continue in the following weeks.
Bushfires in Victoria leave 173 dead in the worst natural disaster in Australia's history.
NASA's Kepler Mission, a space photometer that will search for extrasolar planets in the Milky Way galaxy, is launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, USA.
UNESCO launches The World Digital Library.
At&t Stadium opens to the public home of the NFL Dallas Cowboys
The death of American pop star Michael Jackson triggers an outpouring of worldwide grief. Online, reactions to the event cripple several major websites and services, as the abundance of people accessing the web addresses pushes internet traffic to unprecedented and historic levels.
Two bombs exploded separately at the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton Hotels in Jakarta, Indonesia, killing 9 people (including 2 suicide bombers) and injuring 53.
At least five people are killed and 275 injured in a train crash near Yaoundé, Cameroon. (BBC) (Press TV)
A 7.6 Mw earthquake strikes Sumatra, Indonesia, with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe), leaving at least 1,115 people dead.
The 2009 Cataño oil refinery fire began after an explosion at the refinery in Bayamón, Puerto Rico.
The Avdhela Project, an Aromanian digital library and cultural initiative, is founded in Bucharest, Romania.