Did you know
She was a renowned pioneer of women's judo, and in 1972 together with her senpai Masako Noritomi (1913–1982) was one of the first two women promoted to 6th dan
Notable Deaths on February 9
90 people
966 – 2025
February 9 has seen 90 notable figures pass away throughout recorded history — from 966 – 2025. Below are the most significant names who died on this date.
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
2013 — Keiko Fukuda
Japanese-American martial artist and trainer (born 1913)
Did you know
In 2006, the Kodokan promoted Fukuda to 9th dan, making her the first woman to hold this rank from any recognized judo organization
Did you know
She is also the first and, so far, only woman to have been promoted to 10th dan in judo, which occurred in 2011
Did you know
After completing her formal education in Japan, Fukuda visited the United States to teach in the 1950s and 1960s, and eventually settled there
Did you know
She continued to teach her art in the San Francisco Bay Area until her death in 2013.
Japanese calligrapher (born 894)
Ono no Michikaze or Ono no Tōfū was a prominent shodōka during the Heian period (794–1185). One of the so-called Sanseki 三跡, along with Fujiwara no Sukemasa and Fujiwara no Yukinari, Michikaze is considered the founder…
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966
emir of Aleppo (born 916)
ʿAlī ibn ʾAbū'l-Hayjāʾ ʿAbdallāh ibn Ḥamdān ibn Ḥamdūn ibn al-Ḥārith al-Taghlibī, more commonly known simply by his honorific of Sayf al-Dawla, was the founder of the Emirate of Aleppo, encompassing most of northern…
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967
978
1011
Chinese general
Yang Yanzhao, named Yang Yanlang (楊延朗) before 1012, was a military general in ancient China's Northern Song dynasty. For over two decades he defended Song's northern border against the Khitan-ruled Liao dynasty, helping…
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1014
1135
Japanese shōgun (born 1147)
Minamoto no Yoritomo was a samurai, daimyo and the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura shogunate, ruling from 1192 until 1199, also the first shogun in the history of Japan to hold de-facto power over Japan.…
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1199
duke of Lorraine
Matthias II was Duke of Lorraine from 1220 to his death. He was the son of Duke Frederick II and Agnes of Bar and succeeded his brother, Theobald I.
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1251
1407
French mistress of Charles VII of France (born 1421)
Agnès Sorel, known by the sobriquet Dame de beauté, was a favourite and chief mistress of King Charles VII of France, by whom she bore four daughters. She is considered the first officially recognized royal mistress of…
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1450
English bishop and martyr (born 1495)
John Roy Hooper was an English churchman, Anglican Bishop of Gloucester, later of Worcester and Gloucester, a Protestant reformer and a Protestant martyr. A proponent of the English Reformation, he was executed for…
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1555
English priest and martyr (born 1510)
Rowland Taylor was an English Protestant martyr during the Marian Persecutions.
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1555
1st Marquis of Santa Cruz, Spanish admiral (born 1526)
Álvaro de Bazán y Guzmán, 1st Marquis of Santa Cruz, was a Spanish admiral and nobleman. He took part, among others, in the seizure of the rock of Vélez de la Gomera (1564), the relief to the besieged during the sieges…
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1588
Duke of Pomerania (born 1542)
John Frederick was Duke of Pomerania from 1560 to 1600, and Bishop of Cammin (Kamień) from 1556 to 1574. Elected bishop in 1556 and heir of the duchy in 1560, he remained under the tutelage of his great-uncle Barnim XI…
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1600
Italian physician and philosopher (born 1585)
Lucilio Vanini, who, in his works, styled himself Giulio Cesare Vanini, was an Italian philosopher, physician and free-thinker, who was one of the first significant representatives of intellectual libertinism. He was…
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1619
Frederick III was King of Denmark and Norway from 1648 until his death in 1670. He also governed under the name Frederik II as diocesan administrator of the Prince-Bishopric of Verden, and the Prince-Archbishopric of…
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1670
Dutch painter (born 1613)
Gerrit Dou, also known as Gerard Douw or Dow, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, whose small, highly polished paintings are typical of the Leiden fijnschilders. He specialised in genre scenes and is noted for his…
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1675
Prince of Conti (born 1664)
François Louis de Bourbon, le Grand Conti, was Prince de Conti, succeeding his brother, Louis Armand de Bourbon, in 1685. Until this date, he used the title of Prince of La Roche-sur-Yon. He was proclaimed as the King…
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1709
American general and gunsmith (born 1706)
Seth Pomeroy was an American gunsmith and soldier from Northampton, Massachusetts. His military service included the French and Indian War and the early stages of the American Revolutionary War. He fought as a private…
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1777
French soldier, poet, and philosopher (born 1716)
Jean François de Saint-Lambert was a French poet, philosopher and military officer.
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1803
Greek poet and translator (born 1798)
Dionysios Solomos was a Greek poet from Zakynthos, who is considered to be Greece's national poet. He is best known for writing the Hymn to Liberty, which was set to music by Nikolaos Mantzaros and became the Greek and…
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1857
French historian, philosopher, and academic (born 1798)
Jules Michelet was a French historian and writer, best known for his multi-volume work Histoire de France, which chronicles the history of France from its earliest origins to the French Revolution. Michelet was…
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1874
Russian novelist, short story writer, essayist, and philosopher (born 1821)
Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky was a Russian philosopher, novelist, short story writer, essayist and journalist. He is regarded as one of the greatest novelists in both Russian and world literature, and many of his…
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1881
Dutch painter (born 1819)
Johan Barthold Jongkind was a Dutch painter and printmaker. He painted marine landscapes in a free manner and is regarded as a forerunner of impressionism.
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1891
Irish-Australian politician, 8th Premier of Victoria (born 1816)
Sir Charles Gavan Duffy, KCMG, PC, was an Irish poet, politician and journalist, Young Irelander and tenant-rights activist. After emigrating to Australia in 1856 he entered the politics of Victoria on a platform of…
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1903
American author, poet, and playwright (born 1872)
Paul Laurence Dunbar was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in Dayton, Ohio, to parents who had been enslaved in Kentucky before the American Civil War,…
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1906
Australian politician, 21st Premier of Queensland (born 1868)
William Neal Gillies was an Australian Labor politician in Queensland who served as premier of Queensland from February to October 1925.
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1928
Norwegian captain and businessman, founded Hurtigruten (born 1846)
Richard Bernhard With was a Norwegian ship captain, businessman, and politician for the Liberal Left Party. He is known as the founder of the shipping companies Vesteraalens Dampskibsselskab and Hurtigruten.
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1930
Japanese businessman and banker (born 1869)
Junnosuke Inoue was a Japanese financier and statesman of the Taisho and Showa eras. He was the 9th and 11th Governor of the Bank of Japan (BOJ), and Minister of Finance in 1923-1924 and 1929-1931. He was assassinated…
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1932
Bangladeshi soldier and activist (born 1904)
A. K. Golam Jilani was a Bengali revolutionary of the Indian independence movement from the Nawabganj Upazila, Dhaka in present-day Bangladesh.
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1932
1935
Finnish politician, 2nd President of Finland (born 1883)
Lauri Kristian Relander was the president of Finland (1925–1931). A prominent member of the Agrarian League, he served as a member of Parliament, and as Speaker, before his election as president.
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1942
American educator (born 1852)
Ella D. Barrier was an American educator and clubwoman. Her younger sister was Fannie Barrier Williams.
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1945
Australian politician, 20th Premier of Queensland (born 1884)
Edward Granville Theodore was an Australian politician who served as Premier of Queensland from 1919 to 1925, as leader of the state Labor Party. He later entered federal politics, serving as Treasurer in the Scullin…
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1950
American pianist, bandleader, and actor (born 1910)
Edwin Frank Duchin, commonly known as Eddy Duchin or alternatively Eddie Duchin, was an American popular music pianist and bandleader during the 1930s and 1940s.
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1951
Hungarian admiral and politician, Regent of Hungary (born 1868)
Miklós Horthy de Nagybánya was a Hungarian admiral and statesman who was the regent of the Kingdom of Hungary during the interwar period and most of World War II, from 1 March 1920 to 15 October 1944.
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1957
Russian painter and critic (born 1870)
Alexandre (Alexander) Nikolayevich Benois was a Russian artist, art critic, historian, preservationist and founding member of Mir iskusstva, an art movement and magazine. As a designer for the Ballets Russes under…
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1960
Hungarian pianist, composer, and conductor (born 1877)
Ernst von Dohnányi was a Hungarian composer, pianist and conductor. He used the German form of his name on most published compositions.
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1960
Bangladeshi theologian and educator (born 1874)
Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah was an educator, litterateur, Islamic theologist and social reformer of pre-partition India.
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1965
Russian-born American singer (born 1884)
Sophie Tucker was a Russian-American singer, comedian, actress, and radio personality. Known for her powerful delivery of comical and risqué songs, she was one of the most popular entertainers in the U.S. during the…
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1966
American actor and singer (born 1885)
George Francis "Gabby" Hayes was an American actor. He began as something of a leading man and a character player, but he was best known for his numerous appearances in B-Western film series as the bewhiskered,…
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1969
Canadian composer and conductor (born 1908)
Percy Faith was a Canadian-American bandleader, orchestrator, composer and conductor, known for his lush arrangements of instrumental ballads and Christmas standards. He is often credited with popularizing the "easy…
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1976
Russian engineer and businessman, founded the Ilyushin Design Bureau (born 1894)
Sergey Vladimirovich Ilyushin was a Soviet aircraft designer who founded the Ilyushin aircraft design bureau. He designed the Il-2 Shturmovik, which made its maiden flight in 1939. It is the most produced warplane, and…
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1977
Italian cyclist and coach (born 1893)
Costante Girardengo was an Italian professional road bicycle racer, considered by many to be one of the finest riders in the history of the sport. He was the first rider to be declared a "Campionissimo" or "champion of…
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1978
American poet and academic (born 1899)
John Orley Allen Tate, known professionally as Allen Tate, was an American poet, essayist, social commentator, and poet laureate from 1943 to 1944. Among his best known works are the poems "Ode to the Confederate Dead"…
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1979
Welsh journalist and author (born 1900)
Tom Macdonald was a Welsh journalist and novelist, whose most significant publication was his highly evocative account of growing up in the north of Cardiganshire in the years before the Great War, which was published…
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1980
Indian jurist and politician, Indian Minister of External Affairs (born 1900)
Mahommedali Currim Chagla was an Indian jurist, diplomat, and Cabinet Minister who served as Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court from 1947 to 1958.
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1981
American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1925)
William John Clifton Haley was an American rock and roll musician. He is credited by many with first popularizing this form of music in the early 1950s with his group Bill Haley & His Comets and million-selling hits…
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1981
Russian lawyer and politician (born 1914)
Yuri Vladimirovich Andropov was a Soviet politician who served as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from late 1982 until his death in 1984. He previously served as the Chairman of the KGB…
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1984
Japanese illustrator, animator, and producer (born 1928)
Osamu Tezuka was a Japanese manga artist, cartoonist and animator. Considered to be among the greatest and most influential cartoonists of all time, his prolific output, pioneering techniques and innovative…
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1989
American geneticist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1934)
Howard Martin Temin was an American geneticist and virologist. He discovered reverse transcriptase in the 1970s at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, for which he shared the 1975 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine…
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1994
American lawyer and politician (born 1905)
James William Fulbright was an American politician, academic, and statesman who represented Arkansas in the United States Senate from 1945 until his resignation in 1974. As of 2023, Fulbright is the longest-serving…
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1995
Finnish entrepreneur (born 1924)
Åke Kalevi Keihänen was a Finnish travel agency entrepreneur, director of Keihäsmatkat and a groundbreaking figure in Finnish tourism. Keihänen became known for his extravagant behaviour, long hair and unique style of…
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1995
American actor (born 1914)
David Wayne was an American actor and singer, with a stage and screen career spanning over 50 years. He was a recipient of two Tony Awards, Best Featured Actor in a Musical for Finian's Rainbow and Best Actor in a Play…
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1995
French journalist and politician, French Minister of Foreign Affairs (born 1911)
Maurice Schumann was a French politician, journalist, writer, and hero of the Second World War who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs under Georges Pompidou from 22 June 1969 to 15 March 1973. Schumann was a member…
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1998
American political scientist, economist, and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1916)
Herbert Alexander Simon was an American scholar whose work influenced the fields of computer science, economics, and cognitive psychology. His primary research interest was decision-making within organizations and he is…
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2001
Swiss-American author (born 1920)
Isabelle Christian Holland was an American author of fiction for children and adults. She wrote gothic novels, adult mysteries, romantic thrillers and many books for children and young adults.
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2002
Countess of Snowdon (born 1930)
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, was the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and the only sibling of Queen Elizabeth II. Born when her parents were the Duke and Duchess of…
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2002
Japanese-Turkish mathematician and academic (born 1926)
Masatoşi Gündüz İkeda, was a Japanese-born Turkish mathematician known for his contributions to the field of algebraic number theory.
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2003
Canadian journalist and politician (born 1925)
Claude Ryan was a Canadian journalist and politician. He was the director of the newspaper Le Devoir from 1964 to 1978, leader of the Quebec Liberal Party from 1978 to 1982, National Assembly of Quebec member for…
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2004
American engineer, invented the intermittent windscreen wiper (born 1927)
Robert William Kearns was an American mechanical engineer, educator, and inventor who invented the most common intermittent windshield wiper systems used on most automobiles from 1969 to the present. His first patent…
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2005
English pilot and businessman, founded Laker Airways (born 1922)
Sir Frederick Alfred Laker was an English airline entrepreneur, best known for founding Laker Airways in 1966, which went bankrupt in 1982. Known as Freddie Laker, he was one of the first airline owners to adopt the…
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2006
American baseball player and manager (born 1922)
Henry Albert Bauer was an American right fielder and manager in Major League Baseball. He played with the New York Yankees (1948–1959) and Kansas City Athletics (1960–1961); he batted and threw right-handed. He served…
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2007
Scottish actor (born 1934)
Ian William Richardson CBE was a Scottish actor. He was best known for his portrayal of Conservative politician Francis Urquhart in the BBC's House of Cards (1990–1995) television trilogy, as well as the pivotal spy…
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2007
American occultist and author (born 1943)
Christopher Hyatt, born Alan Ronald Miller, was an American psychologist, occultist, and writer. He was founder and president of New Falcon Publications, an independent publisher specializing in psychedelic and occult…
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2008
Maltese architect and politician (born 1932)
Carm Lino Spiteri, also known by his nickname Iċ-Ċumpaqq, was a Maltese architect and politician. He was a member of the House of Representatives with the Nationalist Party between 1971 and 1987, and again between 1992…
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2008
Iranian painter, poet, and sculptor (born 1931)
Jazeh Tabatabai was an Iranian avant-garde painter, poet, and sculptor. He was the founder and director of the Iran Modern Art Gallery in Tehran, Iran. Tabatabai's fame is mostly due to his creative figures and metal…
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2008
Cuban bassist and composer (born 1933)
Candelario Orlando López Vergara, better known as Cachaíto, was a Cuban bassist and composer, who gained international fame after his involvement in the Buena Vista Social Club recordings. He was nicknamed Cachaíto…
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2009
American businessman, invented the Frisbee (born 1920)
Walter Frederick Morrison was an American inventor and entrepreneur, who invented the Frisbee.
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2010
Greek lawyer and politician, 69th Mayor of Athens (born 1939)
Miltiadis Evert was a Greek politician, a member of Parliament, government minister, and ex-chairman of the New Democracy party.
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2011
Indian director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1922)
Om Prakash Dutta was an Indian filmmaker and writer. He began his career in 1948, by directing the film, Pyar Ki Jeet, which stars actress-singer, Suraiya. The film catapulted her to 'Super Star' status. He directed…
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2012
2012
Scottish-South African guitarist and songwriter (born 1938)
Joseph Edward Moretti was a Scottish guitarist and songwriter, renowned for his work on seminal UK rock and roll records such as Vince Taylor's "Brand New Cadillac" and Johnny Kidd & the Pirates' "Shakin' All Over", and…
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2012
American painter, illustrator, and sculptor (born 1923)
Richard Ernst Artschwager was an American painter, illustrator and sculptor. His work has associations with Pop Art, Conceptual art and Minimalism.
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2013
Irish hurler (born 1931)
James Smyth was an Irish hurler who played as a full-forward for the Clare senior team.
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2013
Danish actor, director, and producer (born 1918)
Axel Gabriel Erik Mørch better known as Gabriel Axel was a Danish film director, actor, writer and producer, best known for Babette's Feast (1987), which he wrote and directed.
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2014
American football player and coach (born 1924)
Harold Moreland Herring was an American professional football player and coach. He played college football at Auburn University and professionally as a center and linebacker for the Buffalo Bills in the All-America…
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2014
English general (born 1920)
Major General Logan Scott-Bowden, was a British army officer. A Royal Engineers officer during World War II, he was the first commander of the Ulster Defence Regiment. Retiring as a major general in 1974, he served as…
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2014
2015
2015
Nepalese politician, 37th Prime Minister of Nepal (born 1939)
Sushil Prasad Koirala was a Nepalese politician and the Prime Minister of Nepal from 11 February 2014 to 10 October 2015. He was also President of the Nepali Congress from 2010 to 2016, having earlier served in various…
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2016
Bosnian Serb military commander (born 1948)
Zdravko Tolimir was a Bosnian Serb military commander and war criminal, convicted of genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, extermination, murder, persecution on ethnic grounds and forced transfer. Tolimir was a…
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2016
French Army colonel (born 1920)
André Salvat was a colonel in the French Army. He was a veteran of World War II, the First Indochina War and the Algerian War. He was made a Companion of the Liberation for his World War II service.
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2017
American actor of stage, film, and television (born 1958)
Reginald Eurias Cathey was an American character actor. He was best known for various roles on the children's math show Square One Television, as well as Norman Wilson in The Wire, Martin Querns in Oz, Freddy Hayes in…
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2018
Icelandic composer (born 1969)
Jóhann Gunnar Jóhannsson was an Icelandic composer who wrote music for a wide array of media including theatre, dance, television, and film. His work is stylised by its blending of traditional orchestration with…
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2018
American actor and United States ambassador to Mexico (born 1931)
John Gavin was an American actor and diplomat who was the president of the Screen Actors Guild (1971–1973), and the United States Ambassador to Mexico (1981–1986). Among the films he appeared in were A Time to Love and…
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2018
American jazz composer (born 1941)
Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea was an American jazz pianist, composer, bandleader, and occasional percussionist. His compositions "Spain", "500 Miles High", "La Fiesta", "Armando's Rhumba", and "Windows" are considered…
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2021
Australian rugby league player and coach (born 1939)
John William Raper was an Australian professional rugby league footballer and coach. Nicknamed "Chook", he was a lock-forward who earned a then-record of 33 Test caps in the Australia national team between 1959 and…
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2022
American writer (born 1932)
Thomas Eugene Robbins was an American novelist. His most notable works are "seriocomedies". His 1976 novel Even Cowgirls Get the Blues was adapted into the 1993 film version by Gus Van Sant. His last work, published in…
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2025
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Notable deaths
Who died on February 9?
Keiko Fukuda — Japanese-American martial artist (1913–2013)
FeaturedKeiko Fukuda
Death year2013
Known forShe was the highest-ranked female judoka in history, holding the rank of 9th dan from the Kodokan (2006), and 10th dan from USA Judo and from the United States Judo Federation (USJF), and was the last surviving student of Kanō Jigorō, founder of judo
Deaths on this date90 (966 – 2025)
Explore February 9
Jump between the main pages for this date to compare events, people, and the daily quiz.
Also on February 9 in History
2025
The Baltic states synchronize their electric power transmission infrastructure with the Continental Europe Synchronous Area (CESA), in objective to disconnect from the Russo-Belarussian agreement to use the IPS/UPS system. Wikipedia →
2021
Second impeachment trial of Donald Trump begins. Wikipedia →
2020
See all events on February 9
Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele has the army soldiers enter the Legislative Assembly to assist in pushing for the approval for a better government security plan, causing a brief political crisis. Wikipedia →
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