Rule of Panama
Colombia signs a convention with the USA recognizing Panama
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1909 in United States of America
Explore 22 historical events and records for United States of America in 1909.
Historical records for United States of America in 1909
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 22 of 22 unique records.
22Unique records
1 of 1Page
20Named events on this page
11Named people on this page
7Places on this page
January
February
Birth of Joseph Leo Mankiewicz
Birth of Joseph Leo Mankiewicz
April
Discovery of North Pole
Becomes the 1st person to reach the North Pole
June
Education
Graduates from the United States Military Academy at West Point
July
University of Geneva Honorary Doctorate
Receives his first honorary doctorate, awarded by the University of Geneva.
December
Zurich Physical Society Membership
Becomes a member of the Physical Society of Zurich.
Other events (month unknown)
Constitution of USA
Supports the 16th Amendment, which allows for a federal income tax.
Constitution of USA
Supports the 17th Amendment, mandating the direct election of senators by the people, replacing the previous system whereby they were selected by state legislatures.
Constitution of USA
To solve an impasse during the 1909 tariff debate, Taft proposes income taxes for corporations and a constitutional amendment to remove the apportionment requirement for taxes on incomes from property (taxes on dividends, interest, and rents).
Discovery of Pluto
Lowell and William H. Pickering suggest several possible celestial coordinates for the predicted Planet X.
Economy of USA
To solve an impasse during the 1909 tariff debate, Taft proposes income taxes for corporations and a constitutional amendment to remove the apportionment requirement for taxes on incomes from property (taxes on dividends, interest, and rents)
Election
Supports the 17th Amendment, mandating the direct election of senators by the people, replacing the previous system whereby they were selected by state legislatures
Income Tax
To solve an impasse during the 1909 tariff debate, Taft proposes income taxes for corporations and a constitutional amendment to remove the apportionment requirement for taxes on incomes from property (taxes on dividends, interest, and rents). Supports the 16th Amendment, which allows for a federal income tax
Martin Eden
Publication of "Martin Eden"
Oil Drop Charge Experiment
Begins oil-drop measurements that isolate elementary electric charge by balancing electrical and gravitational forces on charged droplets.
Oil-Drop Experiment Development
Develops the use of slowly evaporating oil droplets for precision measurements of elementary electric charge.
President of USA
Appointed President of the USA, 27th President
Salzburg Quantum Lecture
Presents a major lecture arguing that radiation displays both wave-like and particle-like properties.
Second Lieutenant
Appointed 2nd Lieutenant in the 15th cavalry Regiment
Three Lives
Publication of "Three Lives"
University of Zurich Appointment
Becomes associate professor of theoretical physics at the University of Zurich.
Vice President
Appointed Vice President of the USA
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.