Elias Howe, the inventor of the
sewing machine, was born on July 9, 1819. Howe was working in a Cambridge, Massachusetts, cotton machinery factory when he dreamed up the idea of a machine that could sew. The idea fascinated him, and he spent all his spare time during the next five years developing a practical sewing machine. Eventually, Howe left his job to work on his invention. Howe eventually completed his first successful sewing machine in 1845.
Orenthal James "O. J." Simpson was born July 9, 1947 in San Francisco, California. Simpson originally attained stardom as a football running back at the collegiate and professional levels. After retiring from football, he began new careers in acting and football broadcasting. He was put on trial in 1994 for the murder of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman. He was acquitted of the charges after a widely disputed verdict.
Tom Hanks was born on July 9, 1956 in Concord, California. His father was an itinerant cook and his mother, a hospital worker of Portuguese ancestry. After dropping out of college, Hanks moved from California to Ohio to join the Great Lakes Theater Festival. While there, Hanks won the Cleveland Critics Circle Award for Best Actor for his performance in
The Two Gentlemen of Verona.
Hanks got his first big break starring in the TV sitcom
Bosom Buddies.
For more July 9 anniversaries, including the marriage of writer Samuel Johnson to Elizabeth "Tetty" Porter, the Battle of the Monongahela, the introduction of paper napkins. and the largest wave ever recorded, check out
OnThatDay.
