This Day in History - November 9

Looking back at this day in history, in nineteen eighty-five, twenty-two-year-old Garry Kasparov of the Soviet Union became the youngest World Chess Champion after defeating fellow Soviet player Anatoly Karpov. Moving forward to nineteen ninety-four, scientists discovered a new chemical element, later named darmstadtium. In two thousand five, the European Space Agency launched its Venus Express spacecraft from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to study the planet Venus. Later, in two thousand fourteen, people in Catalonia took part in a non-binding vote about whether their region should become a state and whether it should be independent. Most recently, in two thousand twenty-three, surgeons at NYU Langone Health in the United States announced the world’s first whole-eye transplant. These events show how history can bring new discoveries, big decisions, and remarkable achievements.

(UPDATED November 9, 2026 09:01 UTC)

In 1985, Garry Kasparov became the youngest World Chess Champion, beating Anatoly Karpov. In 1994, researchers discovered the chemical element darmstadtium. In 2005, the European Space Agency launched Venus Express from Kazakhstan’s Baikonur Cosmodrome. In 2014, Catalonia held a non-binding consultation on statehood and independence. In 2023, NYU Langone Health surgeons announced the world’s first whole eye transplant.