So you want to have a drink but you aren't sure why? Here are some GREAT reasons to call your friends over and have a party.

February 9th


- Christian Feast Day

February 9th


- 1995 - Space Shuttle astronauts Bernard A. Harris, Jr. and Michael Foale become the first African American and first Briton, respectively, to perform spacewalks.
- 1971 - Satchel Paige becomes the first Negro League player to be voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
- 1969 - First test flight of the Boeing 747.
- 1964 - The Beatles make their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, performing before a "record-busting" audience of 73 million viewers.
- 1962 - Jamaica becomes an independent nation within the Commonwealth of Nations.
- 2001 - The American submarine USS Greeneville accidentally strikes and sinks the Ehime-Maru, a Japanese training vessel operated by the Uwajima Fishery High School.
- 1996 - The Irish Republican Army declares the end of its 18 month ceasefire shortly followed by the explosion of a large bomb in London's Canary Wharf.
- 1991 - Voters in Lithuania vote for independence.
- 1975 - The Soyuz 17 Soviet spacecraft returns to Earth.
- 1973 - Biju Patnaik of the Pragati Legislature Party is elected leader of the opposition in the state assembly in Orissa, India.
- 1971 - The 6.4 on the Richter Scale Sylmar earthquake hits the San Fernando Valley area of California.
- 1971 - Apollo program: Apollo 14 returns to Earth after the third manned moon landing.
- 1965 - Vietnam War: The first United States combat troops are sent to South Vietnam.
- 1960 - Joanne Woodward receives the first star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- 1950 - Second Red Scare: Senator Joseph McCarthy accuses the United States Department of State of being filled with Communists.
- 1945 - World War II: The Battle of the Atlantic – HMS Venturer sinks U-864 off the coast of Fedje, Norway, in a rare instance of submarine-to-submarine combat.
- 1943 - World War II: Allied authorities declare Guadalcanal secure after Imperial Japan evacuates its remaining forces from the island, ending the Battle of Guadalcanal.
- 1942 - World War II: Top United States military leaders hold their first formal meeting to discuss American military strategy in the war.
- 1942 - Year-round Daylight saving time is re-instated in the United States as a wartime measure to help conserve energy resources.
- 1934 - The Balkan Entente is formed.
- 1922 - Brazil becomes a member of the Berne Convention copyright treaty.
- 1920 - Under the terms of the Spitsbergen Treaty, international diplomacy recognizes Norwegian sovereignty over Arctic archipelago Svalbard, and designates it as demilitarized.
- 1904 - Russo–Japanese War: Battle of Port Arthur
- 1900 - The Davis Cup competition is established.
- 1895 - William G. Morgan creates a game called Mintonette, which soon comes to be referred to as volleyball.
- 1889 - The United States Department of Agriculture is established as a Cabinet-level agency.
- 1885 - The first Japanese government-approved immigrants arrive in Hawaii.
- 1870 - The U.S. Weather Bureau is established.
- 1861 - American Civil War: Jefferson Davis is elected the Provisional President of the Confederate States of America by the Confederate convention at Montgomery, Alabama.
- 1849 - New Roman Republic established
- 1825 - After no presidential candidate receives a majority of electoral votes in the election of 1824, the United States House of Representatives elects John Quincy Adams President of the United States.
- 1788 - The Habsburg Empire joins the Russo-Turkish War in the Russian camp.
- 1775 - American Revolutionary War: The British Parliament declares Massachusetts in rebellion.
- 1621 - Gregory XV becomes Pope, the last Pope elected by acclamation.
- 1555 - Bishop of Gloucester John Hooper is burned at the stake.
- 474 - Zeno crowned as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire.

February 9th


- 1996 - Jimmy Bennett, American actor
- 1990 - Camille Winbush, American actress
- 1990 - Tyson Houseman, Canadian actor
- 1989 - Wu Chia-ching, Taiwanese pool player
- 1989 - Gia Farrell, American singer
- 1988 - Lotte Friis, Danish swimmer
- 1987 - Joe O'Cearuill, Irish footballer
- 1987 - Magdalena Neuner, German biathlete
- 1986 - Princess Raiyah bint Al Hussein, of Jordan
- 1985 - David Gallagher, American actor
- 1985 - Rachel Melvin, American actress
- 1984 - Han Kyung, Chinese pop artist/Korean singer Super Junior
- 1984 - Dioner Navarro, Venezuelan baseball player
- 1983 - Mikel Arruabarrena, Spanish footballer
- 1982 - Jameer Nelson, American basketball player
- 1982 - Ami Suzuki, Japanese singer
- 1982 - Chris Weale, English footballer
- 1981 - Joël Camathias, Swiss racing driver
- 1981 - John Walker Lindh, American Taliban fighter
- 1981 - The Rev, American musician (Avenged Sevenfold) (d. 2009)
- 1980 - Angelos Charisteas, Greek footballer
- 1980 - Shelly Martinez, American wrestler
- 1979 - David Gray, English snooker player
- 1979 - Akinori Iwamura, Japanese baseball player
- 1979 - Irina Slutskaya, Russian figure skater
- 1979 - Zhang Ziyi, Chinese actress
- 1978 - Airton Daré, Brazilian racing driver
- 1976 - Charlie Day, American actor
- 1976 - Vladimir Guerrero, Dominican baseball player
- 1976 - Georgios Korakakis, Greek footballer
- 1975 - Viktor Chistiakov, Russian-born Australian athlete
- 1975 - Clinton Grybas, Australian football commentator (d. 2008)
- 1974 - Brad Maynard, National Football League punter
- 1974 - Amber Valletta, American model
- 1974 - Erra Fazira, Malaysian actress and beauty queen
- 1974 - John Wallace, American basketball player
- 1973 - Svetlana Boginskaya, Soviet gymnast
- 1973 - Colin Egglesfield, American actor
- 1972 - Norbert Rózsa, Hungarian swimmer
- 1972 - Darren Ferguson, Scottish footballer
- 1972 - Crispin Freeman, American voice actor
- 1972 - Jason Winston George, American actor
- 1971 - Sharon Case, American actress
- 1971 - Johan Mjällby, Swedish footballer
- 1970 - Glenn McGrath, Australian cricketer
- 1970 - Krister Linder, Swedish musician
- 1969 - Ian Eagle, American sportscaster
- 1969 - Jimmy Smith, American football player
- 1968 - Alejandra Guzmán, Mexican singer
- 1968 - Rahul Roy, Indian actor
- 1967 - Todd Pratt, American baseball player
- 1966 - Harald Eia, Norwegian TV personality and comedian
- 1966 - Ellen van Langen, Dutch athlete
- 1965 - Igor Malkov, Russian speedskater
- 1965 - Julie Warner, American actress
- 1963 - Brian Greene, American physicist
- 1963 - Travis Tritt, American singer
- 1962 - Anik Bissonnette, Quebec ballet dancer (Les Grands Ballets Canadiens)
- 1961 - John Kruk, American baseball player
- 1961 - Jussi Lampi, Finnish musician and actor
- 1960 - Holly Johnson, British singer (Frankie Goes to Hollywood)
- 1960 - Peggy Whitson, NASA astronaut
- 1958 - Chris Nilan, hockey player
- 1958 - Cyrille Regis, English former footballer
- 1957 - Gordon Strachan, Scottish football player and manager
- 1955 - Jim J. Bullock, American actor
- 1955 - Charles Shaughnessy, British actor
- 1954 - Mary Jo Duffy, American comic book writer and editor
- 1954 - Christopher Gardner, American entrepreneur
- 1954 - Kevin Warwick, cyborg scientist
- 1953 - Gabriel Rotello, American television documentary producer
- 1953 - Ciarán Hinds, Northern Irish actor
- 1953 - Father Ezechiele Ramin MCCJ, Italian Comboni missionary priest and martyr (d. 1985)
- 1952 - Danny White, American football player
- 1952 - Mookie Wilson, American baseball player
- 1950 - Richard F. Colburn, American politician
- 1949 - Judith Light, American actress
- 1947 - Reinhard Adler, German footballer
- 1947 - Carla Del Ponte, Swiss UN prosecutor
- 1947 - Joe Ely, American musician
- 1947 - Major Harris, American singer
- 1947 - Michel Lamarche, Canadian professional wrestler
- 1946 - Séan Neeson, Northern Irish politician
- 1946 - Vince Papale, American football player
- 1946 - Jim Webb, United States Senator from Virginia
- 1945 - Mia Farrow, American actress
- 1945 - Gérard Lenorman, French singer
- 1944 - Derryn Hinch, Australian media personality
- 1944 - Alice Walker, American writer
- 1943 - Barbara Lewis, American singer and songwriter
- 1943 - Jonny Nilsson, Swedish speedskater
- 1943 - Joe Pesci, American actor
- 1943 - Joseph E. Stiglitz, American economist, Nobel laureate
- 1942 - Carole King, American singer
- 1941 - Sheila Kuehl, American actress
- 1940 - Brian Bennett, British musician (The Shadows)
- 1940 - J. M. Coetzee, South African author, Nobel laureate
- 1939 - Barry Mann, American singer
- 1939 - Janet Suzman, South African actress
- 1937 - Clete Boyer, American baseball player (d. 2007)
- 1936 - Stompin' Tom Connors, Canadian country singer
- 1936 - Clive Swift, British actor
- 1935 - Rev. Lionel Fanthorpe, British pastor, entertainer, journalist, writer and paranormal investigator
- 1934 - John Ziegler, former NHL Commissioner
- 1933 - Loris Azzaro, French fashion designer (d. 2003)
- 1932 - Tatsuro Hirooka, Japanese baseball player
- 1932 - Gerhard Richter, German painter
- 1931 - Thomas Bernhard, Austrian playwright and novelist (d. 1989)
- 1931 - Josef Masopust, Czech footballer
- 1930 - Garner Ted Armstrong, American evangelist (d. 2003)
- 1929 - Clement Meadmore, Australian-born sculptor (d. 2005)
- 1928 - Frank Frazetta, American illustrator
- 1928 - Rinus Michels, Dutch football coach (d. 2005)
- 1928 - Roger Mudd, American journalist
- 1926 - Garret FitzGerald, 7th Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland
- 1925 - Burkhard Heim, German physicist (d. 2001)
- 1923 - Brendan Behan, Irish author (d. 1964)
- 1922 - Kathryn Grayson, American actress (d. 2010)
- 1922 - Jim Laker, English cricketer (d. 1986)
- 1916 - Tex Hughson, American baseball player (d. 1993)
- 1915 - Lennard Pearce, English actor (d. 1984)
- 1914 - Ernest Tubb, American singer (d. 1984)
- 1914 - Bill Veeck, American baseball executive (d. 1986)
- 1914 - Bill Justice, American Disney animator
- 1912 - Futabayama Sadaji, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 35th Yokozuna (d. 1968)
- 1911 - William Darby, American World War II Army officer (d. 1945)
- 1910 - Jacques Monod, French biochemist, Nobel laureate (d. 1976)
- 1909 - Heather Angel, British actress (d. 1986)
- 1909 - Harald Genzmer, German composer (d. 2007)
- 1909 - Carmen Miranda, Brazilian actress (d. 1955)
- 1909 - Dean Rusk, 54th United States Secretary of State (d. 1994)
- 1906 - André Kostolany, stock market expert and speculator (d. 1999)
- 1902 - Gertrud Scholtz-Klink, German women's leader (d. 1999)
- 1901 - Brian Donlevy, Irish actor (d. 1972)
- 1901 - James Murray, American actor (d. 1936)
- 1897 - Charles Kingsford Smith, Australian pilot (d. 1935)
- 1895 - Hermann Brill, German politician (d. 1959)
- 1893 - Georgios Athanasiadis-Novas, Greek lawyer, politician and Prime Minister (d. 1987)
- 1892 - Peggy Wood, American actress (d. 1978)
- 1891 - Ronald Colman, English actor (d. 1958)
- 1885 - Alban Berg, Austrian composer (d. 1935)
- 1880 - Lipót Fejér, Hungarian mathematician (d. 1959)
- 1874 - Amy Lowell, American poet (d. 1925)
- 1867 - Natsume S?seki, Japanese novelist. (d. 1916)
- 1865 - Mrs. Patrick Campbell, British actress (d. 1940)
- 1865 - Erich von Drygalski, German geographer, geophysicist, and polar scientist (d. 1949)
- 1846 - Wilhelm Maybach, German automotive designer (d. 1929)
- 1846 - Whitaker Wright, English mining tycoon (d. 1904)
- 1839 - Silas Adams, American lawyer and politician (d. 1896)
- 1834 - Felix Dahn, German author (d. 1912)
- 1830 - Abd-ul-Aziz, Ottoman Sultan (d. 1876)
- 1814 - Samuel Jones Tilden, 28th Governor of New York (d. 1886)
- 1800 - Hyrum Smith, American religious leader (d. 1844)
- 1789 - Franz Xaver Gabelsberger, German inventor of the stenography (d. 1849)
- 1783 - Vasily Zhukovsky, Russian poet (d. 1852)
- 1781 - Johann Baptist von Spix, German scientist (d. 1826)
- 1775 - Farkas Bolyai, Hungarian mathematician (d. 1856)
- 1773 - William Henry Harrison, 9th President of the United States (d. 1841)
- 1769 - Susette Gontard, the beloved of the poet Friedrich Hölderlin (d. 1802)
- 1763 - Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Baden (d. 1830)
- 1756 - Karel Blažej Kop?iva, Czech composer (d. 1785)
- 1748 - Luther Martin, American patriot (d. 1826)
- 1747 - John Thomas Duckworth, Royal Navy admiral (d. 1817)
- 1666 - George Hamilton, 1st Earl of Orkney, British soldier (d. 1737)
- 1645 - Johann Aegidius Bach, German violist (d. 1716)
- 1533 - Shimazu Yoshihisa, Japanese samurai (d. 1611)