On this day: February 9
February 9, 1958: First widely reported poltergeist case draws attention
On February 9, 1958, investigators and journalists began documenting what became the first widely publicized case described as poltergeist activity in the English-speaking press — a sequence of unexplained noises, moving objects and physical disturbances centered on a private home. Contemporary accounts mixed observation with skepticism.
First confirmed recall of a radioactive consumer product, February 9, 1932
On February 9, 1932, U.S. authorities confirmed the recall of consumer products containing radioactive materials—chiefly radium-bearing luminous paint—after health concerns mounted from occupational exposures and reports of defective items reaching the public.
Pentagon Says 1980 Alarm Was an Accidental Nuclear Detonation Scare
On Feb. 9, 1980, the Pentagon confirmed that alarms and urgent responses tied to a suspected nuclear incident were the result of an accidental scare, not an actual detonation; subsequent investigations attributed the episode to equipment and communication failures amid Cold War alert procedures.
How a 1912 Laboratory Hoax Became the First Exposed Fake Scientific Discovery
On February 9, 1912, scrutiny of claimed experimental results in a European laboratory revealed deliberate data fabrication—widely regarded as the earliest well-documented exposure of a fabricated scientific discovery rather than an honest error.
Pentagon Confirms 1968 Near-Miss Nuclear Collision Over Mediterranean
The Pentagon has acknowledged that on February 9, 1968, a U.S. Navy aircraft almost collided with a U.S. Air Force bomber carrying nuclear weapons over the Mediterranean Sea, prompting a reexamination of Cold War nuclear safety and coordination procedures.
The 1965 Tanganyika Schoolgirl Hysteria: First Documented School Contagion Case
In February 1965, a cluster of fainting, laughing and crying episodes among schoolgirls in a Tanganyika (now Tanzania) boarding school became the first widely documented instance of contagious mass hysteria among children in a school setting, drawing international medical and media attention.
Early Case of Fabricated Scientific Evidence Exposed in 1912
On February 9, 1912, a widely reported episode revealed deliberate fabrication in a scientific context—one of the earliest documented cases where staged evidence and deceptive presentation were publicly uncovered, prompting debate about research integrity.
First Confirmed Case of Human Radiation Experimentation, February 9, 1945
On February 9, 1945, physicians at the University of Rochester injected plutonium into patient Albert Stevens (known then as Clarence B. or “Patient CAL-1”), marking the first documented case of deliberate human plutonium exposure in U.S. government-related research.