On May 9, 1994, South Africa held its first multiracial elections, leading to Nelson Mandela becoming the country's first Black president.

On May 9, 1974, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to impeach President Richard Nixon for obstruction of justice, marking a significant moment in American political history.

On May 9, 1969, the first-ever human to be trained for a space mission, an astronaut named Neil Armstrong, was selected to pilot the Gemini 8 mission.