Today in History: July 9, 14th Amendment ratified

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Today in History

Today is Thursday, July 9, the 190th day of 2026. There are 175 days left in the year.

Today in History:

On July 9, 1868, the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, granting citizenship and “equal protection under the laws” to anyone “born or naturalized in the United States,” including formerly enslaved people.

Also on this date:

In 1850, President Zachary Taylor died of gastrointestinal illness after consuming a large amount of cherries and iced milk on a hot day five days earlier; Vice President Millard Fillmore was sworn in as president the following day.

In 1896, William Jennings Bryant delivered his famous “Cross of Gold” speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

In 1918, 101 people were killed in a train collision in Nashville, Tennessee, in the deadliest US rail disaster in history.

In 1937, a fire at 20th Century Fox’s storage facility in Little Ferry, New Jersey, destroyed most of the studio’s silent films.

In 1943, during World War II, the Allies launched Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily.

In 1944, during World War II, American forces secured Saipan as the last Japanese defenses fell; the occupation allowed the U.S. to put B-29 bombers on the island, within range of Tokyo.

In 1947, the engagement of Britain’s Princess Elizabeth to Lt. Philip Mountbatten was announced.

In 1965, the Sonny & Cher single “I Got You Babe” was released by ATCO Records.

In 1982, Pan Am Flight 759, a Boeing 727, crashed in Kenner, Louisiana, shortly after takeoff from New Orleans International Airport, killing all 145 people aboard and eight people on the ground.

In 2004, a Senate Intelligence Committee report concluded the CIA had provided unfounded assessments of the threat posed by Iraq that the Bush administration had relied on to justify going to war.

In 2010, the largest U.S.-Russia spy swap since the Cold War took place on a remote stretch of Vienna's main airport tarmac as planes from New York and Moscow arrived within minutes of each other; 10 Russian sleeper agents were exchanged for four prisoners accused by Russia of spying for the West.

In 2011, South Sudan officially became an independent nation.

In 2018, President Donald Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh to fill the seat left vacant by the retirement of Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy.

Today’s Birthdays: Artist David Hockney is 89. Author Dean Koontz is 81. Actor Chris Cooper is 75. Musician and TV personality John Tesh is 74. Country singer David Ball is 73. Business executive/TV personality Kevin O’Leary (TV: “Shark Tank”) is 72. Singer Debbie Sledge (Sister Sledge) is 72. Actor Jimmy Smits is 71. U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham is 71. Actor Tom Hanks is 70. Singer Marc Almond is 69. Actor Kelly McGillis is 69. Rock singer Jim Kerr (Simple Minds) is 67. Actor-rock singer Courtney Love is 62. Actor Pamela Adlon is 60. Actor Scott Grimes is 55. Actor Enrique Murciano (TV: “Without a Trace”) is 53. Musician/producer Jack White is 51. Rock singer-musician Isaac Brock (Modest Mouse) is 51. Actor-director Fred Savage is 50. Actor Linda Park (TV: “Star Trek: Enterprise”) is 48. Actor Megan Parlen is 46. Animator/writer/producer Rebecca Sugar is 39. Actor Mitchel Musso is 35. Actor Georgie Henley (Film: “The Chronicles of Narnia”) is 31.