December 9 in Pop Culture History

 

December 9th History, Trivia, and Fun Facts

December 9th History Highlights

  • 1960 – The first episode of Coronation Street, the world’s longest-running television soap opera, was broadcast in the United Kingdom.
  • December 9, 19** Birthday (fictional) Jimmy Olsen, DC Comics
  • December 9, 19** Birthday (fictional) Green Arrow, Oliver Queen, DC Comics
  • 1979 -The eradication of the smallpox virus was certified.
  • If you were born on December 9th,
    You were likely conceived the week of… March 17th (same year)

December 9th is…

Christmas Card Day
International Anti-Corruption Day
Christmas Card Day
International Day of Veterinary Medicine
National Pastry Day
World Techno Day

Christmas Card Day

National Christmas Card Day is celebrated annually on December 9th. For those who partake in the tradition, it serves as a reminder to write out Christmas cards and get them in the mail so that they arrive in time for Christmas. 

Where Did the Christmas Cards Tradition Originate?
The first Christmas card was created in Britain in 1843 to encourage increased usage of the British postal service. Sending Christmas cards started to become popular in the United States in 1875 when they were first mass-produced here. With the founding of Hallmark in 1910, the practice of sending Christmas cards became a mainstay in America.

Ways to Celebrate National Christmas Card Day

Get Your Christmas Cards in the Mail
You can observe this holiday how it was originally intended by getting your Christmas cards stamped and in the mail. This will ensure they make it to their recipients by Christmas. Getting them in the mail early is a great way to relieve some of the holiday stress as it gets closer to Christmas Day. 

Make Your Own Card
It is convenient to buy Christmas cards by the box, but it is more meaningful to make your own. You can use family pictures to share joy with your loved ones or get creative with stamps, glitter, and other art supplies.

Make a Display for Your Cards
National Christmas Card Day is the perfect time to prepare for the cards you will receive this holiday season. You could string them together, tack them onto a corkboard, or develop your own unique idea. As the cards start pouring in you will be ready to display them so that they can be enjoyed all season long.

December 9th Birthday Quotes

“Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to my conscience, above all liberties.”
– John Milton

“Life is like a B-picture script.”
– Kirk Douglas

“There’s a lot of stress out there, and to handle it, you just need to believe in yourself; always go back to the person that you know you are, and don’t let anybody tell you any different because everyone’s special and everyone’s awesome. Looking back isn’t going to help you.”
– McKayla Maroney

“In order to achieve anything, you must be brave enough to fail.”
– Kirk Douglas

When I played pro football, I never set out to hurt anyone deliberately – unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something
– Dick Butkus

“Accuse not Nature: she hath done her part; Do thou but thine.”
– John Milton

“My father instilled in me the attitude of prevailing. If there’s a challenge, go for it. If there’s a wall to break down, break it down.”
– Donny Osmond

December 9th Birthdays

1608 – John Milton, English writer, and philosopher (died in 1674)
1779 – Tabitha Babbitt, American inventor (died in 1853)
1883 – Joseph Pilates, German-American fitness expert, developer of Pilates (died in 1967)
1906 – Grace Hopper, American admiral, and computer scientist, designed COBOL (died in 1992)
1906 – Freddy Martin, American bandleader and tenor saxophonist (died in 1983)
1912 – Tip O’Neill, American lawyer, and politician, 55th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (died in 1994)
1916 – Kirk Douglas, American actor
1922 – Redd Foxx, American actor (died in 1991)
1930 – Buck Henry, American actor, and screenwriter
1933 – Morton Downey Jr., American singer-songwriter, actor, and talk show host (died in 2001)
1934 – Judi Dench, English actress
1934 – Junior Wells, American blues singer-songwriter and harmonica player (died in 1998)
1941 – Beau Bridges, American actor, director, and producer
1942 – Dick Butkus, American football player, sportscaster, and actor
1947 – Tom Daschle, American politician
1950 – Joan Armatrading, Kittitian-English singer-songwriter
1952 – Michael Dorn, American actor
1953 – John Malkovich, American actor
1957 – Donny Osmond, American singer, and actor
1962 – Felicity Huffman, American actress
1966 – Kirsten Gillibrand, American politician
1970 – Kara DioGuardi, American singer-songwriter
1977 – Imogen Heap, English singer-songwriter
1978 – Jesse Metcalfe, American actor
1980 – Simon Helberg, American actor,
1995 – McKayla Maroney, American gymnast

December 9th History

1851 – The first YMCA in North America opened in Montreal, Canada.

1872 – P.B.S. Pinchback (Republican) became the first African-American governor of a US state, Louisiana.

1884 – The US patent (#308990) for ball-bearing roller skates, was issued to Levant M. Richardson.

1907 – Christmas Seals, an outreach from the American Lung Association, went on sale for the first time, in a Wilmington, Delaware, post office.

1935 – The Downtown Athletic Club Trophy (now the Heisman Trophy) was awarded for the first time. The winner was halfback Jay Berwanger from the University of Chicago.

1958 – In Indianapolis, the John Birch Society was formed.

1960 – Coronation Street debuted on the BBC.

1960 – The Sperry Rand Corporation demonstrated the UNIVAC 1107 computer, the first to use thin-film magnetic technology. The secret was the few millionths of an inch of iron-nickel alloy.

1962 – The Petrified Forest National Park was established in Arizona.

1965A Charlie Brown Christmas premiered on CBS.

December 9, 19** Birthday (fictional) Oliver Queen, Green Arrow, DC Comics

1972 – #1 Hit December 9, 1972 – December 15, 1972: Helen Reddy – I Am Woman

1975 – President Gerald R. Ford signed a $2.3 billion loan authorization to prevent New York City from having to default on its debts.

1978 – #1 Hit December 9, 1978 – January 5, 1979: Chic – Le Freak

December 9, 19** Birthday (fictional) Jimmy Olsen, DC Comics

1981 – Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner was shot dead. Mumia Abu-Jamal was convicted of the murder.

1983 – Based on the 1932 film, Scarface, starring Al Pacino, was released in theaters.

1983 – Sudden Impact and Christine debuted in theaters.

1988Twins, Mississippi Burning, and My Stepmother is an Alien were released in theaters.

1989 – #1 Hit December 9, 1989 – December 22, 1989: Billy Joel – We Didn’t Start the Fire

1992 – England’s  Prince Charles and Princess Diana formally announced their separation.

1993 – Astronauts aboard the space shuttle Endeavor completed repairs to the Hubble Space Telescope.

December 9, 1997 – Microsoft Windows 2.0 was released.

2005The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Memoirs of a Geisha and Brokeback Mountain debuted in theaters.

2009 – A Russian SLBM RSM-56 Bulava failed mid-flight causing a very unusual light formation over Norway.

Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

“Show me the money!” – Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) #moviequotes

Michael Crichton, the author of The Andromeda Strain & Jurassic Park, also wrote & directed Westworld & graduated from Harvard MS. In ’94 he had the top TV show (ER), top movie (Jurassic Park), and top book (Disclosure). To boot, he was also voted one of  People Magazine’s most beautiful people in 1992.

Revenge is a dish best served cold. But what if it was the soup? Cold soup is gross.

Whenever someone gets shot in the chest in a movie, I take a few seconds to check with my hands which side the heart is, to see if he will survive.

Since mirrors are no longer made with silver, vampires should have reflections in the modern age. #science

US President #37 Richard Nixon (1969-1974) “Tricky Dick” was the first President to resign, and was also the second Quaker in the executive office.

When claiming to be the “best”, you don’t need any proof to back that up. However, when you use “better”, you need proof to substantiate your claim.

The Capital of Belize is Belmopan

Twiggy – Real Name: Leslie Hornby

Comparisons are as bad as clichés.

When I am cooking something in the oven I always forget to NOT shove my head in right after I open it and always get a blast of searing hot air in my face!

Link Wray’s hit Rumble released in 1958, has been the only instrumental song ever banned for radio play in the US.

The color “Dodger Blue” (#1E90FF) does not actually refer to the Dodger’s uniform (#005A9C) but is the color used throughout Dodger Stadium.

With the exception of Ebola, Plague, and Zombies, dead bodies are unlikely to be a significant cause of infection, so in large-scale disasters, there’s usually no need to bury quickly in mass graves or add a disinfectant.

More Pop Culture History Resources