This Day in History for September 9 – California Gains Statehood and More

Here’s a look at some interesting events that took place on this day in history:

1776 – The Second Continental Congress changes the name of the nation from the United Colonies to the United States of America (More info)

1850 – California is admitted as the 31st US state, bypassing the usual waiting period of being a territory first (More info)

1956 – Elvis Presley appears on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' for the first time (More info)

1971 – The four-day riot at New York's Attica prison begins (More info)

1976 – Chinese revolutionary and statesman Mao Zedong dies in Beijing at the age of 82 (More info)