Historical Events
- 61 die in nightclub fire in Bangkok, Thailand.
- 75th Orange Bowl: #21 Virginia Tech beats #12 Cincinnati, 20-7
- 95th Rose Bowl: #5 Southern California beats #6 Penn State, 38-24
- Slovakia officially adopts the Euro currency and becomes the sixteenth Eurozone country.
Taiwan Adopts Hanyu Pinyin
The government of the Republic of China adopts Hanyu Pinyin as its official Chinese romanization (before this time, the most commonly used was Tongyong Pinyin.
Famous Deaths
- (Johannes Mario) J.M. Simmel, Austrian writer (It Can't Always Be Caviar), dies at 84
- Claiborne Pell, American writer, politician (US Senator (D) from Rhode Island, 1961-97), and sponsor of education grant legislation, dies at 90
- Edmund Purdom, British actor (The Egyptian, Asissi Underground, Pieces), dies at 84
- Nizar Rayan, Hamas leader, killed in an airstrike at 49
Died in 2009 2009 Highlights
About January 1, 2009
Day of the Week: Thursday
How Long Ago? 15 years, 3 months and 28 days
Leap Year: No
Generation: Generation Z
Chinese Zodiac: Rat
Star Sign: Capricorn
Holidays: New Year's Day (Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States)
Music Charts
#1 Song: Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) - Beyonce
#1 Song: Hallelujah - Alexandra Burke
