On this day: May 9

Minor League Club Fails to Arrive for Scheduled Game on May 9, 1920

On May 9, 1920, a scheduled baseball game was disrupted when one team did not appear at the ballpark. Contemporary reports noted confusion among officials and spectators; the reasons remain disputed in surviving sources.

Collapse at Ibrox: Britain’s first major modern stadium disaster

On May 9, 1902, part of the terracing at Ibrox Park in Glasgow collapsed during a Scotland vs. England football match, killing 25 people and injuring hundreds — the deadliest stadium structural failure of its era and a watershed for crowd-safety standards.

First Major US Film Censorship Ruling Enforced in 1915

On May 9, 1915, the United States saw enforcement of its first major motion picture censorship ruling when a federal court upheld state power to regulate film content, setting a precedent for government control of movies before they were recognized fully as protected speech.

First Successful Test of a Kidney Dialysis Machine, May 9, 1943

On May 9, 1943, a team led by Dutch physician Willem Kolff completed the first successful clinical test of an artificial kidney — an early dialysis machine — marking a foundational moment in renal medicine that paved the way for modern hemodialysis.

First National Emergency Broadcast Test Sounds Over U.S. Airwaves

On May 9, 1961, the United States conducted its first nationwide test of a modern Emergency Broadcast System, sending standardized alert tones and messages over radio and television to evaluate readiness for national civil defense communications.