This Day In History : July 9

1893 United States

Daniel Hale Williams, an American heart surgeon performs the first successful open-heart surgery in the U.S. without anesthesia

Daniel Hale Williams, an American heart surgeon, performed the first successful open-heart surgery in the United States on July 9, 1893. He successfully repaired a wound to the pericardium, the sac surrounding the heart, of a patient named James Cornish. This groundbreaking surgery took place at Provident Hospital in Chicago, which was also founded by Williams and was the first non-segregated hospital in the United States. Notably, the surgery was performed without modern anesthesia.

Also on This Day in History July 9

Discover what happened on July 9 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries,
famous births and notable deaths.

Births on This Day, July 9
  • 1911 John Archibald Wheeler

    American physicist (first American involved in the theoretical development of the atomic bomb),  he coined the terms black hole and wormhole.

  • 1802 Thomas Davenport

    American inventor (invented 1st commercial electric motor)

  • 1819 Elias Howe

    American inventor (invented sewing machine)

  • 1926 Mathilde Krim

    American medical researcher and founding chairman of amfAR (Foundation for AIDS Research)

  • 1847 Edwin J. Houston

    American electrical engineer who experimented with electricity

Deaths on This Day, July 9
  • 2014 Eileen Ford

    American businesswoman who co-founded Ford Models

  • 1932 King Camp Gillette

    American businessman who founded the Gillette Company

  • 1856 Amedeo Avogadro (1776-1856)

    Italian scientist who contributed to molecular theory, including what is known as Avogadro's law (6.022 x 10 ^ 23)

  • 2019 Ross Perot

    American businessman (Electronic Data Systems, Perot Systems), billionaire and presidential candidate (1992, 1996)

  • 1850 Zachary Taylor

    American General and Politician who became the 12th President of the United States

1816

Argentina declares their independence from Spain

Argentina declared its independence from Spain on July 9, 1816. This declaration was made during the Congress of Tucumán, marking a significant step in Argentina's struggle for independence from Spanish colonial rule.
1932

Washington Redskins (then Boston Braves) formed

The Washington Redskins, originally known as the Boston Braves, were formed on July 9, 1932. The team was based in Boston, Massachusetts, before moving to Washington, D.C. in 1937. The franchise has undergone several name changes and is now known as the Washington Commanders as of 2022.    
1953

1st helicopter passenger service (NYC)

The first helicopter passenger service began operations in New York City on July 9, 1953. This service was provided by New York Airways, marking a significant milestone in the history of aviation and urban transportation.
1975

The National Assembly of Senegal passes a law that paves way for a (albeit highly restricted) multi-party system

The National Assembly of Senegal passed a law that paved the way for a highly restricted multi-party system on July 9, 1975. This marked a significant, albeit limited, step towards political pluralism in the country, allowing for the existence of additional political parties within a controlled framework.
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