ON MARCH 9...

IN 1961, the Soviet satellite Sputnik 9 launched, carrying a dummy astronaut called Ivan Ivanovich. That day was the 27th birthday of yuri Gagarin, who became the first man in space a month later.

IN 1974, Hiroo Onoda became the last Japanese World War II soldier to surrender. He had spent 29 years in the jungles of the Philippines not believing the war was over.