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What happened on March 9th?
The United States bombed Tokyo
Matthew Jones
March 09, 2025
1945 US Launch Devastating Napalm Bombing of Tokyo
On March 9th, 1945, the US Army Air Forces carried out a catastrophic napalm bombing campaign on Tokyo during World War II. The attack, which targeted the city’s industrial heart, destroyed a quarter of Tokyo and killed an estimated 80,000 civilians in a single night, making it one of the deadliest air raids of the war.
This photo, taken two days after the bombing of Tokyo by Koyo Ishikawa, shows the aftermath of the bombing and the charred body of a woman who was carrying a child on her back.
🗞️Today’s Headlines
Everything important that’s ever happened on March 9:
1959 — Barbie was introduced by Mattel, quickly growing into a cultural icon that redefined the toy industry, despite fueling debates about body image and gender roles.
1862 — The Battle of the Monitor and Merrimack, the first clash between ironclad warships, forever changed naval warfare during the American Civil War.
1831 — The King Of France, Louis-Philippe established the French Foreign Legion to bolster France’s control over its colonial empire in Africa.
1796 — Napoleon Bonaparte married Joséphine de Beauharnais, a widow whose influence helped secure his rise to power; their marriage was annulled in 1810.
432 BCE — The Parthenon, a masterpiece of ancient Greek architecture, was consecrated in Athens as a temple to Athena.
🎂 Today’s Birthdays
On March 9, we’re singing to:
Ornette Coleman (1930) — American jazz musician and composer, a pioneer of the free jazz movement and renowned for his innovative improvisational style.
Yuri Gagarin (1934) — Soviet cosmonaut who became the first human to journey into space, orbiting Earth aboard Vostok 1 in 1961.
Bobby Fischer (1943) — Chicago native who became the youngest chess grandmaster and the eleventh world champion.
🪦Who Died Today?
On March 9, we’re saying goodbye to:
Kurt Georg Kiesinger (1988) — German statesman who served as Chancellor of West Germany from 1966 to 1969, leading a coalition government during the post-war period.
Charles Bukowski (1994) — American poet and novelist known for his raw, autobiographical works exploring urban life, addiction, and the human condition.
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