1923
Walter Kohn is born on March 9, 1923. The physicist later won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing density-functional theory, a breakthrough that transformed computational chemistry and materials science.
1934
Yuri Gagarin is born on March 9, 1934. He became the first human in space in 1961 aboard Vostok 1, a defining milestone in the history of crewed spaceflight.
1943
Richard P. Turco is born on March 9, 1943. The atmospheric chemist later co-authored the influential nuclear winter study, showing how smoke from nuclear war could sharply cool Earth’s climate.