This Day in History: March 9

2011: Space Shuttle Discovery completes its final mission

The Space Shuttle Discovery landed at Kennedy Space Center in Florida after completing its journey to the International Space Station (ISS). This marked the end of Discovery's 39 successful missions, which included launching the Hubble Space Telescope and constructing the ISS.

1976: Deadliest cable car accident in history occurs in Italy

43 people lost their lives when a cable car plummeted 160 ft (50 meters) to the ground after the steel cable snapped in the Italian town of Cavalese. A 14-year-old girl, Alessandra Piovesana, was the sole survivor of the disaster.

1961: Human dummy Ivan Ivanovich travels into space

A mannequin named Ivan Ivanovich was sent into space on board the Soviet spacecraft Korabl-Sputnik 4, also known as Sputnik 9. The test flight also carried animals such as a dog, reptiles, mice, and guinea pigs.

1959: Barbie doll goes on sale

The iconic Barbie doll was introduced by American toy company Mattel, and it has since become one of the best-selling toys in history, with more than one billion dolls sold to date.

1931: Electron microscope is invented

German physicist Ernst Ruska invented the electron microscope, which allowed for much greater magnification and resolution than traditional microscopes. His first instrument was capable of a resolution of 50 nanometers (billionths of a meter).

141 BC: Liu Che assumes the throne of Han Dynasty in China

Liu Che, posthumously known as Emperor Wu of Han, became the ruler of the Han Dynasty in China and reigned for 54 years. His reign is considered a period of great expansion and prosperity for the empire.

1522: Martin Luther preaches his "Invocavit Sermons"

German theologian Martin Luther delivered a series of sermons in the city of Wittenberg, encouraging citizens to rely on God's word instead of violence. This helped bring to a close the revolutionary stage of the Reformation.

1776: Publication of "The Wealth of Nations"

Scottish economist Adam Smith published his influential book "The Wealth of Nations," which laid the groundwork for modern economics and argued that a laissez-faire approach to markets would lead to greater prosperity for all.

1918: Bolshevik Party becomes the Communist Party

The Russian Bolshevik Party changed its name to the Communist Party, reflecting its adoption of Marxist-Leninist ideology and its commitment to the establishment of a socialist state in Russia.

1933: US Congress called into special session

President Franklin D. Roosevelt called the US Congress into a special session, which became known as the "100 days" and resulted in a series of landmark laws to address the Great Depression, including the creation of Social Security and the National Labor Relations Act.

1961: Soviet flight carries animals into orbit

The Soviet spacecraft Sputnik 9 carried several animals into orbit and returned them safely to Earth, including a dog named Chernushka (Blackie), frogs, and a guinea pig