Today in History: April 9, Robert E. Lee surrenders to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox
Today is Wednesday, April 9, the 99th day of 2025. There are 266 days left in the year.
Today in history:
On April 9, 1865, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered his army to Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia after four years of Civil War in the United States.
Also on this date:
In 1939, Marian Anderson performed a concert at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., after the Black singer was denied the use of Constitution Hall by the Daughters of the American Revolution.
In 1940, during World War II, Germany invaded Denmark and Norway.
In 1942, during World War II, some 75,000 Philippine and American soldiers surrendered to Japanese troops, ending the Battle of Bataan in the Philippines. The prisoners of war were subsequently forced to march 65 miles (105 kilometers) to POW camps in what is now known as the Bataan Death March; thousands died or were killed en route.
In 1959, NASA introduced the “Mercury Seven,” its first seven astronauts: Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Gus Grissom, Wally Schirra, Alan Shepard and Donald “Deke” Slayton.
In 1968, funerals, private and public, were held for the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. at the Ebenezer Baptist Church and Morehouse College in Atlanta, five days after the civil rights leader was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee.
In 2003, Baghdad fell to American troops during the Iraq War after six days of fighting.
In 2005, Britain’s Prince Charles married Camilla Parker Bowles, who took the title Duchess of Cornwall.
In 2018, federal agents raided the office of President Donald Trump’s personal attorney, Michael Cohen, seizing records on matters including a $130,000 payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
Today’s Birthdays:
- Satirist-musician Tom Lehrer is 97.
- Actor Michael Learned is 86.
- Drummer Steve Gadd is 80.
- Actor Dennis Quaid is 71.
- Fashion designer Marc Jacobs is 62.
- Model-actor Paulina Porizkova is 60.
- Actor Cynthia Nixon is 59.
- Actor Keshia Knight Pulliam is 46.
- Actor Jay Baruchel is 43.
- Actor Leighton Meester is 39.
- Singer-songwriter Jazmine Sullivan is 38.
- Actor Kristen Stewart is 35.
- Actor Elle Fanning is 27.
- Rapper Lil Nas X is 26.
- Actor Isaac Hempstead Wright is 26.
- Singer Jackie Evancho (ee-VAYN’-koh) is 24.