April 9 belongs to Roser Puigdomènech

On April 9, 1865, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, ending the American Civil War after four years of conflict that caused more than 600,000 deaths. The surrender meant the end of the Confederacy and the preservation of the Union, as well as paving the way for the abolition of slavery.

On April 9, 2003, American troops entered Baghdad and the statue of Saddam Hussein in Al-Firdos Square was toppled before the cameras of the world — the image that symbolised the fall of the Baathist regime. However, the image of the square, amplified by cameras, concealed that there were only a few dozen people present. The Iraq war and occupation continued for years with disastrous consequences.

On April 9, 1940, Nazi Germany simultaneously invaded Denmark and Norway in Operation Weserübung. Denmark surrendered within hours to avoid the bombing of its cities. Norway resisted until June 10. The Norwegian occupation was crucial for the German navy, which used the fjords as naval bases to attack Allied convoys in the North Atlantic.