Rule of Iraq
In compliance with the status of forces agreement between the US and Iraq, US troops complete their withdrawal from Iraqi cities, including Baghdad, and transfer the responsibility of securing the cities to Iraqi troops
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
2009 in United States of America — Page 2
Explore 74 historical events and records for United States of America in 2009.
Historical records for United States of America in 2009
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 34 of 74 unique records.
74Unique records
2 of 2Page
33Named events on this page
25Named people on this page
8Places on this page
June
July
Death of Robert McNamara
Death of Robert McNamara
Death of Judi Ann Mason
Death of Judi Ann Mason
Death of Walter Leland Cronkite
Death of Walter Leland Cronkite
August
Death of Edward Moore Kennedy
Death of Edward Moore Kennedy
Death of Edward Moore Ted Kennedy
Death of Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy
New Horizons
New Horizons begins a further hibernation cycle as mission controllers conserve spacecraft resources during the Pluto cruise.
September
Death of Patrick Swayze
Death of Patrick Swayze
Diplomatic Plan
US President Barack Obama informs the Czech Republic and Poland that his administration has shelved Bush-era, Moscow-opposed plans to build missile shield bases on their territories
Missile Bases
US President Barack Obama informs the Czech Republic and Poland that his administration has shelved Bush-era, Moscow-opposed plans to build missile shield bases on their territories
Third Mercury Flyby
MESSENGER makes its third and final Mercury flyby before orbit insertion, further matching the spacecraft's path to Mercury's orbit.
October
Barack Obama named winner of 2009 Nobel Peace Prize for his extraordinary
Barack Obama named winner of 2009 Nobel Peace Prize "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples," Norwegian Nobel Committee says
Barack Obama named winner of 2009 Nobel Peace Prize for his extraordinary
Barack Obama named winner of 2009 Nobel Peace Prize "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples," Norwegian Nobel Committee says
Nobel Prize
Receives the Nobel Peace Prize for efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.
December
Invasion of Afghanistan
Obama announces deployment of 30,000 more US troops while pledging to begin withdrawals in 18 months
AQAP Threat Focus
US security attention increasingly focuses on Al-Qaeda in Yemen.
Christmas Day Bomb Plot Response
Responds after the attempted bombing is linked to Yemen-based AQAP.
Nobel Prize for CCD Imaging
Shares the Nobel Prize in Physics for invention of the CCD imaging semiconductor circuit.
Other events (month unknown)
Discovery of GJ 1214 b
Contributes to discovery and characterization of nearby transiting super-Earth GJ 1214 b.
Fantastic Mr Fox Feature
Wes Anderson directed Fantastic Mr Fox, his first feature-length stop-motion animated film.
Fantastic Mr Fox Screenplay
Co-wrote the adaptation of Roald Dahls Fantastic Mr Fox with Noah Baumbach.
Global Mercury Mapping
The third MESSENGER flyby fills a major imaging gap and brings spacecraft coverage of Mercury close to global.
Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench
Makes his feature directing debut with Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench, a low-budget musical drama.
Hubble Constant Narrows Dark Energy Models
Riess improves the Hubble constant measurement, reducing the range of dark-energy models allowed when local expansion data are combined with early-universe observations.
IBEX Ribbon Discovery
Leads the discovery of the unexpected IBEX Ribbon, a narrow band of energetic neutral atoms revealing previously unknown structure at the boundary shaped by the solar wind and interstellar medium.
Inglourious Basterds
Writes and directs Inglourious Basterds, presenting an alternate-history story set during the Second World War.
Invictus
Portrays South African President Nelson Mandela in Clint Eastwood's Invictus.
Kepler Exoplanet Survey Begins
Leads the Kepler mission as it begins its large transit survey for exoplanets.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Wins the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Rhode Island International Film Festival
Mercury Exosphere
MESSENGER observations show that Mercury's exosphere and anti-sunward tail contain multiple species with differing spatial distributions.
Sagittarius A Star Proper Motion
Uses precision radio astrometry to constrain the motion of Sagittarius A*, supporting its identification with the Milky Way's central massive black hole.
Toby Award Blithe Spirit Actress
Angela Lansbury received the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her performance as Madame Arcati in Blithe Spirit.
Whatever Works
Directs, "Whatever Works"
When You're Strange
Releases the documentary When You're Strange.
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.