At A Glance

21 December 2009 at a glance

Day of the week
21 December 2009 was a Monday.
Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys.
Top Film of 2009
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 2009 was Avatar.
Bestselling Novel of 2009
“The Lost Symbol” by Dan Brown was No. 1 on Publishers Weekly's US fiction list for 2009.
Top-Rated TV Show
“American Idol” (FOX) was No. 1 in the Nielsen ratings for the 2009–10 season.
Star sign
The star sign for 21 December is Sagittarius.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 21 December 2009 fell in the Year of the Ox.
Birthstone
The birthstone for December is Turquoise.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 21 December 2009 was Waxing Crescent.

On this day: 21 December

  • 1995 The city of Bethlehem passes from Israeli to Palestinian control.
  • 1999 The Spanish Civil Guard intercepts a van loaded with 950 kg of explosives that ETA intended to use to blow up Torre Picasso in Madrid, Spain.
  • 2012 2012 phenomenon: Festivities are held in parts of Mesoamerica to commemorate the conclusion of b'ak'tun 13, a roughly 5,126-year-long cycle in the Mesoamerican Long Count Calendar whose passing many New Age spiritualists had earlier held to portend a variety of cataclysmic or transformative events.
  • 2020 A great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn occurs, with the two planets separated in the sky by 0.1 degrees. This is the closest conjunction between the two planets since 1623.
  • 2022 A Vega C rocket carrying two Pléiades Neo satellites fails after liftoff.

Famous people born on December 21

  • Jane Fonda, American actress and activist (born 1937)
  • Madelyn Cline, American actress and model (born 1997)
  • Samuel L. Jackson, American actor and producer (born 1948)
  • Emmanuel Macron, French politician, 25th President of France (born 1977)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.

Events of 2009 in the United States

A selection from Wikipedia's '2009 in the United States'. Not a complete list.

  • January 15 – US Airways Flight 1549 loses power in both engines shortly after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport, forcing the pilot to ditch the aircraft in the Hudson River.
  • February 13 – Toon Disney and Jetix relaunched as Disney XD.
  • February 22 – The 81st Academy Awards, hosted by Hugh Jackman, are held at Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire wins eight awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.

Life in the US in 2009

President

Barack Obama

Gas (per gallon)

$2.35

Loaf of Bread

$1.50

Average House

$216,700

Weekly Wage

$700

Or

Browse by Year

Famous Faces Born in the 2000s

Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.

Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

About The Day You Were Born

Ever wondered what was happening in the world when you took your first breath? Our birthday lookup tool reveals the fascinating history of your special day.

About The Birthday Chronicle and where our data comes from →