On This Day in History July 9, 2023

Historical Events 1401  Turko-Mongol ruler Tamerlane (Timur) destroys Baghdad, killing 20,000 1790  Russo-Swedish War: Second Battle of Svensksund - in the Baltic Sea, the Swedish Navy captures one third of the Russian fleet 1868  Louisiana and South Carolina are the last states to ratify the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution, guaranteeing civil rights 1893  Daniel Hale Williams repairs the torn pericardium of a knife wound patient, James Cornish, without penicillin or blood transfusion 1917  British battleship HMS Vanguard explodes at Scapa Flow (the result of an internal explosion of faulty cordite), killing 804 1971  Henry Kissinger visits the People's Republic of China to negotiate a detente between the US and China 2002  The African Union is established in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The first chairman is Thabo Mbeki, President of South Africa. 2017  Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi proclaims victory over Islamic State forces in Mosul Famous Birthdays Courtney Love 59th Birthday Elias Howe 1819 - 1867 Ferdinand II 1578 - 1637 Franz Boas 1858 - 1942 More Famous Birthdays Famous Deaths Earl Warren 1891 - 1974 Zachary Taylor 1784 - 1850 More Famous Deaths July 9: $48 Million Prize Money: Anyone For Tennis? The first Wimbledon Men’s Singles championship began on this day. The winner received prize money of $15. In 2022 the champion took away more than $2 million.