1. In 1889, President Benjamin Harrison signed the proclamation admitting North Dakota into the Union as the 39th state. October 9 is celebrated as North Dakota's Statehood Day, in honor of this historic event.
2. In 1936, the Supreme Court of North Dakota issued a historic ruling in the case of Hjelle v. Sornsin, which established the principle of "last clear chance" in tort law. This principle holds that a negligent defendant may still be held liable for damages if the plaintiff had a last clear opportunity to avoid the accident but failed to do so.
3. On October 9, 1975, Fargo hosted the premiere of the film "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" at the Fargo Theatre. The event was attended by the film's director, Miloš Forman, and stars Louise Fletcher and Will Sampson.
4. In 1982, a snowstorm swept across North Dakota, dumping up to 24 inches of snow in some areas and causing widespread power outages. The storm is still remembered as one of the worst in the state's history, and is sometimes referred to as the "Blizzard of '82."
5. On October 9, 2019, North Dakota's largest oil spill in over a decade occurred when a pipeline leaked an estimated 383,000 gallons of crude oil into a wetland area near the small town of Mountrail. The spill was quickly contained and no injuries were reported, but it raised concerns about the safety of North Dakota's oil infrastructure.