TODAY IN HISTORY: JUNE 9

June 9 1901
Hajj Muhammad bin Abdullah Hassan, known to the British as the Mad Mullah, was defeated by British forces under the command of Colonel Swane.

June 9 1904
The British House of Commons held a debate on reported atrocities in the Belgian Congo.

June 9 1911
The Italian foreign minister announced that his countries interests in Africa were limited to Tripolitania and Cyrenaica - the only territories in North Africa which were not under European control.

June 9 1915: William Jennings Bryan resigned as U.S. secretary of state

On June 9, 1915, United States Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan resigned due to his concerns over President Woodrow Wilson’s handling of the crisis generated by a German submarine’s sinking of the British cruiser Lusitania the previous month, in which 1,201 people including 128 Americans died.

Germany’s announcement in early 1915 that its navy was adopting a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare concerned many within the government and civilian population of the United Stateswhich maintained a policy of strict neutrality during the first two years of World War I. The sinking of the Lusitania on May 7, 1915, caused an immediate uproar, as many believed Germany had sunk the British cruiser deliberately as a provocation to Wilson and the U.S.

Bryan, as secretary of state, sent a note to the German government from the Wilson administration, lauding the ties of friendship and diplomacy between the two nations and expressing the desire that they come to a clear and full understanding as to the grave situation which has resulted from the sinking of the Lusitania. When the German government responded by justifying their navy’s action on the basis that the Lusitania was carrying munitions (which it was, a small amount), Wilson himself penned a strongly worded note, insisting that the sinking had been an illegal action and demanding that Germany cease unrestricted submarine warfare against unarmed merchantmen.

The Government of the United States is contending for something much greater than mere rights of property or privileges of commerce, Wilson wrote. It is contending for nothing less high and sacred than the rights of humanity, which every Government honours itself in respecting and which no Government is justified in resigning on behalf of those under its care and authority.

Objecting to the strong position taken by Wilson in this second Lusitania note, and believing it could be taken as a precursor to a war declaration, Bryan tendered his resignation on June 9, 1915, rather than sign it. The note and two more similar ones were sent to Germany, which was persuaded to curb the submarine policy over the course of 1916 rather than risk further antagonizing the U.S.

Bryan’s resignation marked a significant turning point, as the Lusitania crisis had convinced his successor, Robert Lansing, that the U.S. could not remain neutral forever, and would indeed eventually have to enter the war against Germany. As it unfolded, Germany resumed its policy of unrestricted submarine warfare in February 1917; two months later, Wilson went before Congress to ask for a declaration of war.

June 1972: Flash flood hit Rapid City

A flash flood in Rapid City, South Dakota, killed more than 200 people on this day in 1972. This flood demonstrated the danger of building homes and businesses in a floodplain region. The native Sioux called the river Minnelusa when European settlers overtook the Black Hills region in 1876 as part of one of the last gold rushes in North American history. The settlers built the town of Rapid City well south of the floodplain and for 75 years there were few flooding problems for the residents.

In 1952, the Pactola Dam was built 10 miles from the city. The new dam controlled the floods, setting off a boom in development of the floodplain area. Eventually, the Rapid City area became home to 50,000 people.

In the spring of 1972, torrential rains battered the Black Hills. Warm moist air from the Gulf of Mexico collided with a Canadian cold front, causing 15 inches of rain to come down in only six hours. The spillway for the Pactola Dam got clogged with debris during the storm, leading to the total collapse of the dam and a devastating wave of water crushed most of the nearby buildings and swept away 238 people. Residents, most of whom were not insured for flood damage, suffered $160 million in damages.

In the wake of this tragedy, it was decided that the floodplain should no longer be used as a residential area. It is now a golf course and a park with several ponds.

Source: history.com, africanhistory.about.com