◆ On this day

May 9

3 sourced moments from May 9 in history: Colonel Blood stole the Crown Jewels in 1671 and was pardoned; Byrd Claims the First Flight Over the North Pole (1926); and The FDA approved the first birth control pill in May 1960.

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3 things happened on May 9

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1960 Human Body & Mind · Medicine & Disease

The FDA approved the first birth control pill in May 1960

Enovid was cleared for contraception in May 1960: limited to two years' use, $10.80 a month, and still illegal in many states.

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1926 Geography · Landmarks & Wonders

Byrd Claims the First Flight Over the North Pole

In 1926 a young naval officer said he had conquered the top of the world by air, a claim that still divides historians.

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1671 History · Modern

Colonel Blood stole the Crown Jewels in 1671 and was pardoned

Disguised as a parson, Thomas Blood got the crown as far as the Tower's Iron Gate. Charles II then forgave him and gave him land.

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