Historical Events on June 9
On this day in history:
In 1534, French navigator Jacques Cartier became the first European explorer to discover the St. Lawrence River in present-day Quebec.
In 1898, Britain leased Hong Kong from China for 99 years. The territory returned to Chinese rule in 1997.
In 1934, Donald Duck made his first screen appearance in “The Wise Little Hen.”
In 1973, Secretariat, having won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, captured racing’s Triple Crown with a spectacular victory in the Belmont Stakes.
In 1982, Gen. Efrain Rios Montt declared himself president of Guatemala, overthrowing the government in a coup d’etat.
In 1993, Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito married former diplomat Masako Owada in Tokyo in a Shinto ceremony.
In 1997, President Bill Clinton urged Congress to ban human cloning following the recommendations of The National Bioethics Advisory Commission.
In 1998, Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar was sworn in as Nigeria’s military ruler after the death of Gen. Sani Abacha.
In 2005, Bolivian President Carlos Mesa resigned after weeks of protests.
In 2008, Internet providers Verizon, Sprint, and Time Warner agreed to block access to websites that distribute child pornography.
In 2018, Justify won the Belmont Stakes, becoming the 13th horse to win the Triple Crown and the second to do so while still undefeated.
In 2019, Ali Stroker became the first actor who uses a wheelchair to win an acting Tony Award for Best Supporting Actress in Oklahoma!
In 2020, the Senate voted unanimously to make Gen. Charles Q. Brown the Air Force’s 22nd chief of staff, the first Black official to lead a U.S. military branch.
In 2023, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned as a member of Parliament following a Privileges Committee report evaluating if he misled Parliament about gatherings he held at Downing Street during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In other news, actor Laverne Cox made history in 2014 by becoming the first transgender person to appear on the cover of Time magazine, challenging societal norms and advocating for gender equality.
*Biography of Laverne Cox:*
Laverne Cox is an American actress and LGBTQ+ advocate known for her groundbreaking role in the television series “Orange is the New Black.” Born on May 29, 1972, in Mobile, Alabama, Cox began her acting career in the early 2000s and gained recognition for her activism in the transgender community. She has received numerous awards for her work in promoting LGBTQ+ rights and representation in the media. Cox continues to be a prominent voice for transgender visibility and equality.