Date with History: October 9

A revolutionary is executed, and forty-five years later a schoolgirl survives being shot.

One paperback for one calendar date: what happened on October 9, and who was born on it.

What happened on October 9

1967: Che Guevara is executed in a Bolivian schoolhouse

Che Guevara was executed in La Higuera, Bolivia, on October 9, 1967, a day after his capture ended his attempt to spark a South American uprising. His image would go on to become one of the most reproduced symbols of rebellion in the world.

2012: Malala Yousafzai is shot for advocating girls' education

On October 9, 2012, fifteen-year-old Malala Yousafzai was shot by a Taliban gunman on her school bus in Pakistan's Swat Valley for advocating girls' right to education. She survived and, at seventeen, became the youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate in history.

Famous birthdays on October 9

1940 — John Lennon
John Lennon, born 1940, was born in an air raid and grew up to reshape popular music.

1964 — Guillermo del Toro
Guillermo del Toro, born 1964, turned monster stories into meditations on humanity.

Nearby dates

October 8 · October 10 · All October dates

Part of Date with History, a 366-book collection with one book for every date of the year. 5″×8″ paperback, cream paper.

Historical selections are editorially researched. This is a date-specific book, not a personalized or custom-made product.