NEWS: 2009

As 2009 begins at 12:00 midnight at BWI Marshall Airport, the temperature is 25 degrees F, the sky is clear, and there's a rather strong west-northwest wind at 13 mph gusting to 26 mph.

As of this year, about 50 percent of U.S. television households have at least one HD-compatible television. The HD (high-definition) televisions have flat screens as opposed to the older, CRT (cathode-ray-tube) televisions.

It's the start of the International Year of Reconciliation, the International Year of Natural Fibers, the International Year of Human Rights Learning, the International Year of Astronomy, as declared by the United Nations, and the Year of the Gorilla, as declared by UNEP and UNESCO.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Clear, then partly cloudy, then mostly cloudy; breezy/windy in the early nmorning and at midday (16 mph sustained wind & 28-mph gust at 12:54 pm); High temp. 34° F; Low temp. 19° F; Precipitation: None.  No snow on the ground.

U.S. stock-market indexes fall about 5 percent.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp. 30° F; Low temp. 16° F; Precip.: None.

U.S. stock-market indexes rise about 4 percent.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp. 31° F; Low temp. 16° F; Precip.: None.

James Brady, a celebrity columnist, dies.  Since 1986, he had written the weekly "In Step With" column for Parade magazine in which he interviewed well-known people.  Earlier, he had created the "Page Six" gossip column for the New York Post.  He was born on November 15, 1928.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Light snow (a trace) in the evening; High temp. 30° F; Low temp. 23° F; Precip.: Trace (liquid).  A trace of snow on the ground.

U.S. stock-market indexes rise more than 3 percent.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Snow (0.1") and rain; High temp. 41° F; Low temp. 27° F; Precip.: 0.38 inch (liquid).  2 inches of snow on the ground.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp. 32° F; Low temp. 20° F; Precip.: None.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during January 2009 is 2.73 inches, including melted snow and ice, below the normal amount of 3.08 inches.  The average daily high temperature for Baltimore during January 2009 is 37.1 degrees F, below the normal of 43.2 degrees.  The average daily low temperature for Baltimore during January 2009 is 21.4 degrees F, below the normal of 25.4 degrees.  A total of 2.1 inches of snow falls at Baltimore's official weather station at BWI Airport during January 2009, below the normal amount of 6.4 inches.

U.S. stock-market indexes fall nearly 4 percent.

Baltimore receives 4.7 inches of snow in a morning storm that began the previous evening. Total Baltimore snowfall from this storm is about 6 inches.

Benjamin Netanyahu takes office as Israel's new prime minister, succeeding Ehud Olmert.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during March 2009 is 2.07 inches, including melted snow and ice.

Troy Tulowitzki of the Colorado Rockies gets five base hits, hits for the cycle and drives in a career-high 7 runs to help the Rockies defeat the Chicago Cubs, 11-5.

The high temperature in Baltimore reaches 96 degrees F and Baltimore issues its first Code Red (for poor air quality) this year.  But a strong evening thunderstorm helps clear the air and brings the temperature down to 75 degrees by 9:30 pm. Many parts of the Baltimore region get a half-inch to an inch of rain.

The Orioles beat the Twins, 5-1, at Minnesota.  Jeremy Guthrie pitches 7 innings for the O's, giving up only one run. Felix Pie hits a home run and Chad Moeller gets two runs batted in for the Orioles.

Ellie Greenwich, a singer and songwriter, dies at age 68 of a heart attack in Manhattan, New York, NY. She wrote or co-wrote  "Be My Baby", "Chapel of Love", and many other hit songs in the 1960s.  She was the lead singer on the hit song "The Kind of Boy You Can't Forget" in 1963 as part of the duo The Raindrops. She was born on October 23, 1940 in Brooklyn, New York, NY.

This website, years.mysite.com, is launched.

Jaycee Lee Dugard, kidnapped when she was 11, is reunited with her mother 18 years after her adbuction. (She was kidnapped in Meyers, California, on June 10, 1991, while walking to a school bus stop.)

The Indians beat the Orioles, 5-4, at Oriole Park.  Matt Wieters and Melvin Mora hit home runs for the Orioles, but Cleveland gets two runs in the 9th inning off Jim Johnson, who is the losing pitcher.  Attendance is 13,991.

The Orioles win, 5-2, over the Indians as Felix Pie hits a home run and gets two runs batted in.  Attendance is 20,643.

Sheila Lukins, a cook and food writer, dies at age 66 of brain cancer at her home in Manhattan, New York, NY.  She co-wrote "The Silver Palate" series of cookbooks, and wrote "The New Basics Cookbook." She had been food editor of Parade magazine since 1986, and had her own regular column there.  She was born in 1942 in Philadelphia, PA.

The Orioles lose to the Yankees at Oriole Park, 5-1. The Orioles get only three hits off of Andy Pettitte and two relievers, but one hit is the 6th home run by Melvin Mora.  Attendance is 25,063. 

The total precipitation for Baltimore during August 2009 is 4.76 inches.

Vermont's law allowing same-sex marriage goes into effect.

The Orioles lose to the Yankees at Oriole Park, 9-6.  Luke Scott hits his 21st home run of the season for the Orioles. Attendance is 25,782. The Orioles are now 54-79, which is 25 games below .500 and a season-worst.

The Orioles lose to the Texas Rangers, 5-1, at Oriole Park.  Scott Feldman pitches and wins his 15th game for the Rangers.  Attendance is 15,557.  The Orioles droop to 54-81, a season-high 27 games below .500.

This is the eighth straight day of good weather in Baltimore: sunny or mostly sunny, no rain, and high temperatures in the upper 70s to middle 80s (Fahrenheit).

The Orioles win, 5-4, over the Rangers as Melvin Mora and Nolan Reimold hit home runs.  Attendance is 18,028.

The Duck vehicle tours of Baltimore go out of business. The Ducks were amphibious land/water vehicles that operated as open-air buses on Baltimore streets, but as boats in the Baltimore waterways.

The Orioles lose to the Red Sox, 10-0, at Boston.  David Hernandez is the losing pitcher.  The Orioles get only 5 hits.  The Red Sox hit 6 home runs, and they score 8 runs before they hit a single. This loss clinches the 12th consecutive losing season for the Orioles; they have a 56-82 record. 

A large aluminum number "8" statue erected in front of Oriole Park to honor Cal Ripken Jr., is stolen in the wee small hours.  The pickup truck carrying the 8 statue is discovered on the east side of Patterson Park on Lombard Street, about three miles from the theft site.  Four men--three from Essex and one from Baltimore--are arrested and charged with felony theft.

The Orioles lose to the Red Sox at Boston, 7-5.

U.S. President Barack Obama gives a televised speech about his plan for health-care reform.

Heavy rain of 2 to 5 inches falls in the Baltimore area in the morning and early afternoon.  It is heaviest in northern Baltimore County and in Harford County. Minor flooding occurs in some areas.  High temperatures are mostly in the upper 50s to middle 60s, making this the coolest day in Baltimore in several months.

Larry Gelbart, a television and film writer and author, dies at age 81 in Beverly Hills, CA. He was one of the creators of the M*A*S*H television series, and he wrote and produced many of its episodes in its first four years. He also co-wrote the screenplay of the film "Tootsie" and wrote the screenplay for "Oh, God!"  He was born on February 25, 1928 in Chicago, Illinois.

On the 8th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, memorial observances are held near Ground Zero in New York City.  The names of all of the nearly 2800 people killed there (except those of the hijackers) are read.  Also, memorial observances are held at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., where 184 people were killed by terrorists on September 11, 2001, and near Shanksville, Pa., where a jetliner crashed by terrorists killed everyone on the plane on that date.

The Orioles defeat the Yankees, 10-4, at  New York.  Justin Turner of the Orioles gets his first Major League hit, a single.  There are two rain delays totaling over two hours.  Much of the game is played with rain falling.

The Baltimore Ravens defeat the Kansas City Chiefs in Baltimore, 34-21, in their opening regular-season game of 2009. The Ravens missed a field-goal try and had a punt blocked for a Chiefs touchdown, but they had over 500 yards of total offense.

The Yankees beat the Orioles, 13-3, in New York.

Patrick Swayze, a film and television actor, dies of pancreatic cancer at age 57 in Los Angeles, CA.  He starred in films such as "Dirty Dancing" and "Ghost" and in the A&E television series "The Beast."  He was born on August 18, 1952 in Houston, Texas.

The Orioles lose, 8-4, to the Tampa Bay Rays in Baltimore. Attendance is 10,628.

Mary Travers dies of leukemia at age 72 in Danbury, Connecticut.  She was a member of the folk-singing trio Peter, Paul and Mary, which had several big pop hits in the 1960s including "Puff, the Magic Dragon" and "Leaving On A Jet Plane." She was born on November 9, 1936, in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Orioles defeat the Rays, 4-2.  Matt Wieters hits a homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to win it.  There was a rain delay of one hour and 20 minutes in the 8th inning. Attendance is 10,548.

A 72-inch water main breaks at about 4:00 PM beside Broening Highway in Dundalk, washing out a small section of the highway and flooding about 75 blocks of Dundalk and Turners Station with water that is waist-high in some places.  No one is injured.  The gush of water from the main is stopped at about 6:30 PM, and water begins to recede from the affected areas.  No one can get into or out of the flooded area for several hours, except for emergency workers.

The Orioles lose to the Boston Red Sox at Oriole Park, 3-1. Attendance is 26,812.

The Ravens defeat the Chargers at San Diego, 31-26.  The Ravens are 2-0-0 in 2009.

The Orioles lose to the Red Sox at Oriole Park, 9-3.  Attendance is 27,546.

The Orioles lose  to the Blue Jays at Toronto, 9-2.  The Orioles fall to 60-90 for the season, a season-most 30 games below .500.

Autum begins at 5:19 PM in Baltimore and the eastern part of the U.S.

Heavy rain in Georgia and neighboring states causes extensive flooding today and in the previous few days.  The Atlanta area has received more than 20 inches of rain in the past few days.

The Orioles lose to the Blue Jays, 6-5, in 11 innings at Toronto.  The Orioles have lost 6 games in a row and are 60-91 for the season, a season-most 31 games below .500.

The Orioles lose at Cleveland, 9-8, for their ninth straight loss.

The University of Maryland football team loses at home to Rutgers, 34-13.  Maryland is 1-3 this season.

About an inch of rain falls in Baltimore and vicinity.

The Orioles lose at Cleveland again for the O's tenth loss in a row.

The search-engine company Google celebrates its 11th birthday.

The Orioles lose to the Rays for the O's 13th loss in a row.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during September 2009 is 3.48 inches.

The Baltimore Ravens lose to the New England Patriots.  The Ravens are 3-1 for the season.

The Baltimore Orioles defeat the Toronto Blue Jays in both teams' last game of the season.  Nick Markakis hits a 2-run homer for the Orioles and finishes with 101 RBI for the year.

It is very windy in Baltimore and vicinity, with a wind gust of 50 mph reported at BWI Marshall Airport.  Several trees are blown down.  Hundreds of residents and businesses and several traffic signals lose power.

Baseball division-series playoffs: The Phillies beat the Rockies, 5-1, at Philadelphia in their series opener.  The Yenkees beat the Twins at New York, 7-2, in their series opener.  The Dodgers beat the Cardinals at Los Angeles, 5-2, in their series opener.

Agricultural officials say that some pigs in Minnesota have tested positive for swine flu.

In Game 1 of the American League Championship Series, the Yankees defeat the Angels at New York, 4-1.

The Baltimore Ravens lose to the Minnesota Vikings at Baltimore, on a missed field-goal attempt with two seconds left in the game.  The Ravens are 3-3 entering their bye week (no Ravens game on October 25).

Parade magazine reduces its page height from 10 and a half inches to 9 and a half inches.  Parade, included in The Baltimore Sun on Sundays, downsizes its pages because many newspapers that carry it are also downsizing their pages, and also to save paper and ink and reduce printing costs.   Parade magazine had been 11 and a half inches in height as late as 1995.

U.S. stocks reach their high point for 2009, rising more than 60 percent since March 9.  The S & P 500 index has risen 62% since March 9, 2009.

The Angels beat the Yankees, 5-4, at Anaheim in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series.  The Yankees lead the series 2 games to 1.

The U.S. Supreme Court agrees to decide whether federal courts have the power to order prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay to be released into the country.

Richard Herman resigns as the Chancellor of the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign as a result of an admissions scandal.

Sun Microsystems announces plans to lay off up to 3,000 workers as it prepares for a merger with Oracle Corp.

The U. S. observes the National Day on Writing, sponsored by the National Council of Teachers of English

Jay-Z and Alicia Keys release the song "Empire State of Mind", about New York, making it one of the greatest hits and a symbol of the city.

Afghanistan's election commission orders a run-off election for November 7 in the Afghan presidential election.

Detectives arrest a man in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in connection with the Massereene Barracks shooting in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, in March 2009.

Nearly 100,000 Italian women sign a petition after Silvio Berlusconi says a female politician is "more beautiful than intelligent" on live television.

A court in Yemen sentences 10 Shi'ite Houthi rebels to death and jails five others over clashes which killed hundreds of people last year.

Nine North Koreans who entered the Danish embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam, last month leave for South Korea.

In a set of canon laws, the Vatican welcomes groups of Anglicans as "personal ordinariates" into the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI announces.

The entire government of Kyrgyzstan resigns as President Kurmanbek Bakiyev announces a new reform campaign.

At least four students are killed and many injured in bomb explosions at an Islamic university in Islamabad, Pakistan.

China pledges to rescue the crew aboard the Chinese ship De Xin Hai after it is hijacked by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean. The pirates threaten to kill the crew if there is any attempt to rescue them.

Rare film footage of the abuse of suspected witches causes controversy in India.

Niger is suspended by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) after its President Tandja Mamadou goes ahead with a parliamentary election it had asked to be postponed over boycotts.

Iran buries its dead members of the Revolutionary Guard, killed in a suicide attack two days ago. Thousands of people attend the funerals.

The Yankees defeat the Angels at Anaheim, 10-1, in Game 4 of the Amercian League Championship Series.  The Yankees lead the series 3 games to 1.

Baltimore weather: Partly cloudy to cloudy, High temperature 70 degreees F, Low temperature 35 degrees F, Precipitation: None.

The Angels defeat the Yankees, 7-6, at Anaheim in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series.  The Angels score 4 runs in the first inning, three of them before there is an out recorded.  The Yankees have a 3-games-to-2 advantage in the series.

Soupy Sales, a comedian, dies at age 83 in the Bronx, New York.  He made more than 5,000 live TV appearances, and his career peaked in the 1950s and 60s.  He was known for getting pies thrown in his face. Soupy Sales was born Milton Supman on January 8, 1926, in Franklinton, North Carolina.

The Yankees become American League Champions for the 40th time in franchise history as they defeat the Angels, 5-2, in New York in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series.

In Parade magazine, Marilyn vos Savant repeats a complex word puzzle that she had previously published on June 6, 2004--but with a different reader cited as the contributor this time than the first time.  Suspicions arise that the second reader copied this puzzle from that earlier "Ask Marilyn" column and resubmitted it to Marilyn.

The Philadelphia Phillies defeat the New York Yankees, 6-1, in New York in Game 1 of the World Series.  Chase Utley hits two home runs for the Phillies.

U.S. stocks rise for the first time in five trading sessions, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up more than 2 percent.

In the second game of the World Series, the New York Yankees defeat the Philadelphia Phillies, 3-1,  in New York.  The World Series is tied at one game each.

The New York Yankees defeat the Philadelphia Phillies in Philadelphia in Game 3 of the World Series.  The Yankees lead the Series 2 games to 1.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during October 2009 is 6.24 inches, about double the normal amount for October.

Standard Time begins in the U.S. and Daylight Saving Time ends.  Clocks and watches are set ahead one hour.

The Baltimore Ravens defeat the Denver Broncos, 30-7, in Baltimore.  The Ravens are 3-4 while Denver is defeated for the first time this season and is 6-1.

The New York Yankees beat the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 of the World Series, in Philadelphia.  The Yankees lead the Series, 3 games to 1.

The New York Yankees defeat the Philadelphia Phillies, 7-3, in Game 6 of the 2009 World Series.  The Yankees win the Series, 4 games to 2.  Hideki Matsui has 6 runs batted in during Game 6 and is named the Most Valuable Player of the 2009 World Series.  It is the 27th World Series win for the Yankees franchise.

Tropical Storm Ida becomes a hurricane with maximum 75-mph sustained winds, and threatens Nicaragua.

A gunman in Fort Hood, Texas, kills at least  13 people (12 military and one civilian) and injures 30 others.

Hurricane Ida hits Nicaragua and weakens rapidly to a tropical storm with 40-mph sustained winds by evening.  However, very heavy rain from Ida is falling in parts of Nicaragua and Honduras.

U.S. stocks surge, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average gaining more than 200 points (more than 2 percent) to move above 10,000 once again.

In Orlando, Florida, a gunman kills one person and injures 7 others in an office building.

Tropical Storm Ida is downgraded to a tropical depression as it moves off the coasts of Nicaragua and Honduras and into the Caribbean Sea.

Unemployment in the United States rises to 10.2 percent.  This is the highest unemployment figure in 25 years.  Michigan continues to be the U.S. state with the highest unemployment rate: 15 percent.

The U.S. House of Representatives passes the Affordable Health Care for America Act, 220-215, and passes it on to the Senate for passage.

Baltimore and its suburbs experience the first hard freeze of the season, with the temperature dipping to 25 degrees F at 6:00 AM in Catonsville and 28 degrees F at BWI Marshall Airport.

Ida increases in strength from a tropical depression to a tropical storm once again, with maxiumum sustained winds of 45 miles per hour in the morning.  Then it continues increasing rapidly in strength throughout the rest of the day, becoming a hurricane with 75-mph winds by late evening.  It is moving northward in the western Caribbean Sea, east of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico.

The Baltimore Ravens lose to the Cincinnati Bengals at Cincinnati, 17-7.  The Ravens are now 4-4.

Hurricane Ida increases its winds to 90 mph as it nears the Yucatan Peninsula and the resort city of Cancun.

The Baltimore Ravens lose to Indianapolis at home, 17-15.  The Ravens get five field goals from their new kicker Billy Cundiff, but he does not make the other one of his six attempts.

Northern England (Cumbria county) has the worst flooding in its history as more than a foot of rain falls in a day.  Neighboring Wales and other neighboring areas are also severely flooded.

The Baltimore Ravens defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers at home, 20-17 in overtime, on a field goal by Billy Cundiff.

The New Jersey Nets announce the firing of their coach Lawrence Frank after their 16-game losing streak to start their NBA season. 

Later, the New Jersey Nets lose their 17th straight game to open their season, 106-87, to the defending NBA-champion Los Angeles Lakers at Los Angeles. The Nets'  0-17 start ties them with two other teams for the worst-ever winless streak to open an NBA season.

The weather is rainy and chilly in Baltimore,  Jury deliberations in Baltimore mayor Sheila Dixon's criminal trial continue for the sixth straight day.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during November 2009 is 4.94 inches, including melted snow and ice.

The New Jersey Nets lose their 18th straight game to open their season, 117-101, to the Dallas Mavericks.  This sets the all-time NBA record for longest winless streak to open a season. (But see December 4, 2009.)

Snow begins in Baltimore about 10:00 PM.  The snowstorm lasts nearly 24 hours.

BWI Airport gets 17.0 inches of snow, the greatest snowfall on one day for BWI Airport in 2009.

The last day of 2009 has light snow and light freezing rain, then light rain.  Rain is falling at midnight in Baltimore as 2010 begins.  The BWI-Marshall Airport rainfall total for 2009 is 55.57 inches, more than a foot above the annual average of 41.88 inches.  The temperature in Baltimore as 2010 begins is 32 degrees F.

Baltimore receives a total of 8.06 inches of precipitation this December, making it the wettest December ever recorded in Baltimore (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871. This liquid precipitation includes melted snowfall.