On this day

9 October in history.

5 moments from 1676 to 1986: discovery, creativity and courage, each with a source to read more.

5 moments

Universal Postal Union HQ Bern Switzerland

1874

The world agrees on how to send mail. Countries signed the Treaty of Bern and created the General Postal Union, today the Universal Postal Union. Its aim: simple shared rules so letters could travel between countries with ease.

Wikipedia: Universal Postal Union

Photo: Chrisaliv / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)

More from 9 October

  1. Portrait of Anthonie van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723), natural philosopher, in Delft. Knee piece, sitting at a writing table on which a certificate lies from his appointment as a member of the Royal Society in London by Charles II. Also a globe and an ink set; He holds a compass in h…

    1676

    Leeuwenhoek describes tiny living creatures

    Antonie van Leeuwenhoek wrote to the Royal Society about the tiny "animalcules" he had seen. It is the first known description of protozoa.

    Wikipedia: Antonie van LeeuwenhoekWikipedia: Royal SocietyWikipedia: Animalcule

    Photo: Jan Verkolje / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

  2. Washington Monument in Washington DC's National Mall Parks and Memorials

    1888

    The Washington Monument opens to visitors

    The Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. opened to the public. At the time, it was the tallest building in the world.

    Wikipedia: Washington MonumentWikipedia: Washington, D.C.Wikipedia: History of the world's tallest structures

    Photo: Greyfiveys / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

  3. Photograph of Nick Holonyak, Jr. published in 2002. Behind him is a chart illustrating the advances in the efficiency of commercial LEDs since his invention of the GaAsP LED in 1962.

    1962

    The LED is shown to the world

    Working for General Electric, engineer Nick Holonyak showed the public a light-emitting diode, or LED, for the very first time.

    Wikipedia: Nick HolonyakWikipedia: General ElectricWikipedia: Light-emitting diode

    Photo: Anonymous Unknown author / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

  4. 1986

    The Phantom of the Opera opens in London

    Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical The Phantom of the Opera opened in London's West End. It later became the longest-running show in Broadway history.

    Wikipedia: The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)Wikipedia: Musical theatreWikipedia: Andrew Lloyd Webber

Moments chosen for discovery, creativity and courage. Each one links to a source where you can read more; photos are credited to their owners.