TODAY IN HISTORY – 9th Dec, 2025 – Africa World News
By Valentine Uchechukwu Ndukwu.
A people without a knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.
This statement may not be absolute but the truth it bears is undeniable.
Today in history has outlined some remarkably amazing historical events that caught our attention on this day. Scroll down to view them
On this day in 1868, the first traffic lights were installed, outside the Palace of Westminster in London. Resembling railway signals, they use semaphore arms and are illuminated at night by red and green gas lamps.
Still on this day in 1940, World War II: Operation Compass: British and Indian troops under the command of Major-General Richard O’Connor attacked Italian forces near Sidi Barrani in Egypt.
According to Today in History, on this day in 1948, the Genocide Convention is adopted.
It was on this day in 1960 that the first episode of Coronation Street, the world’s longest-running television soap opera, is broadcast in the United Kingdom.
Today in History also reveals that in 1961 on this day that Tanganyika became independent from Britain.
In 1968 on this day Douglas Engelbart gave what became known as “The Mother of All Demos”, publicly debuting the computer mouse, hypertext, and the bit-mapped graphical user interface using the oN-Line System (NLS).
Still on this day in 1969, U.S. Secretary of State William P. Rogers proposes his plan for a ceasefire in the War of Attrition; Egypt and Jordan accept it over the objections of the PLO, which leads to civil war in Jordan in September 1970.
Interestingly on this day in 1979, the world recorded the eradication of the smallpox virus is certified, making smallpox the first of only two diseases that have been driven to extinction (with rinderpest in 2011 being the other).
Regrettably in 2016 on this day, at least 57 people are killed and a further 177 injured when two schoolgirl suicide bombers attack a market area in Madagali, Adamawa, Nigeria in the Madagali suicide bombings.
Today in history.
About The Author
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