Beloved Holiday Program Begins Its First Broadcast Soon
Tuesday, December 9 marks the 343rd day of 2025, with 22 days remaining in the year. This date holds historical significance across multiple fields. In 1965, an animated television special featuring characters from the “Peanuts” comic strip debuted on CBS. Global health authorities confirmed in 1979 that smallpox had been fully eliminated worldwide after centuries of widespread mortality.
Political milestones occurred on this date in 1990 when Lech Wałęsa secured victory in Poland’s first free presidential election since 1926. That same year, U.S. Marine forces conducted an early-morning landing in Somalia as part of a humanitarian operation. Later, in 2006, a space shuttle mission launched to upgrade systems on the International Space Station.
During the past two decades, several notable events unfolded. In 2013, analysis of data from a NASA rover indicated the existence of an ancient lake on Mars. A volcanic eruption on Whakaari, also called White Island, off New Zealand’s coast in 2019 resulted in 22 fatalities and multiple injuries among tourists. In 2021, a vehicle carrying migrants overturned in southern Mexico, causing at least 53 deaths and many injuries.
Current notable birthdays include actor Judi Dench, aged 91, and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, who turns 59 this day.