By: HISTORY.com Editors

1970

Supreme Court refuses to rule on legality of Vietnam War

HISTORY.com Editors

Published: November 16, 2009

Last Updated: January 31, 2025

The Supreme Court refuses to hear a challenge by the state of Massachusetts regarding the constitutionality of the Vietnam War. By a 6-3 vote, the justices rejected the effort of the state to bring a suit in federal court in defense of Massachusetts residents claiming protection under a state law that allowed them to refuse military service in an undeclared war.

Vietnam War Timeline

Whether they volunteered or were drafted, 1 out of 10 soldiers were injured or killed during Vietnam.

Timeline

Also on This Day in History

Discover more of the major events, famous births, notable deaths and everything else history-making that happened on November 9th

1862

Ambrose Burnside assumes command of the Army of the Potomac

On November 9, 1862, General Ambrose Burnside formally assumes command of the Union Army of the Potomac following the removal of George B. McClellan. McClellan was well liked by many soldiers, and had a loyal following among some in the command structure. However, others detested him, and his successor would have a difficult time reconciling […]

1938

Nazis launch Kristallnacht

German Nazis launch a campaign of terror against Jewish people and their homes and businesses in Germany and Austria. The violence, which continued through November 10 and was later dubbed “Kristallnacht,” or “Night of Broken Glass."

Shattered Window of a Store

1956

Jean-Paul Sartre denounces communism

The French philosopher and author Jean-Paul Sartre—long an admirer of the Soviet Union—denounces both the USSR and its communist system following the brutal Soviet invasion of Hungary. Jean-Paul Sartre, born in Paris in 1905, was a leading exponent of existentialism, a philosophical movement that celebrates the freedom of individual human existence while mourning its inherent […]

1965

The Great Northeast Blackout

At dusk on November 9, 1965, one of the biggest power failures in history occurs as all of New York state, portions of seven nearby states, and parts of eastern Canada are plunged into darkness. The Great Northeast Blackout began at the height of rush hour, delaying millions of commuters, trapping 800,000 people in New […]

1965

Antiwar protestor sets himself afire

In the second such antiwar incident within a week, Roger Allen LaPorte, a 22-year-old member of the Catholic Worker movement, immolates himself in front of the United Nations headquarters in New York. Before dying the next day, LaPorte declared, “I’m against wars, all wars. I did this as a religious act.” LaPorte’s act of protest […]

1971

A Sunday school teacher murders his family and goes undercover for 18 years

John Emil List slaughters his entire family in their Westfield, New Jersey, home and then disappears. Though police quickly identified List as the most likely suspect in the murders, it took 18 years for them to locate him and close the case. John List was an outwardly normal and successful father. A Sunday school teacher […]

1989

East Germany opens the Berlin Wall

East German officials open the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989, allowing travel from East to West Berlin. The following day, celebrating Germans began to tear the wall down. One of the ugliest and most infamous symbols of the Cold War was soon reduced to rubble that was quickly snatched up by souvenir hunters. The East […]

1990

Willie Nelson’s assets are seized by the IRS

On November 9, 1990, the federal government seizes all of the assets of country singer Willie Nelson—freezing his bank accounts and padlocking his real estate holdings. The beloved entertainer had been struggling to repay a $16.7 million dollar tax debt. Willie Nelson landed himself in tax trouble as a result of investments he made in […]

2004

Best-selling Millennium trilogy author Stieg Larsson dies at 50

On November 9, 2004, Swedish writer Stieg Larsson dies suddenly of a heart attack at age 50, only months after turning in the manuscripts for three crime thrillers—“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” “The Girl who Played with Fire” and “The Girl who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest”—which would later become international best-sellers. Known collectively as […]

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Citation Information

Article title: Supreme Court refuses to rule on legality of Vietnam War
Author: HISTORY.com Editors
Website Name: History
URL: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/november-9/supreme-court-refuses-to-rule-on-legality-of-vietnam-war

Date Accessed: April 29, 2025
Publisher: A&E Television Networks
Last Updated: January 31, 2025
Original Published Date: November 16, 2009

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