Today in History: The African Union was launched

The following are some of the major events to have occurred on July 9:

1900 – Commonwealth of Australia founded.

1932 – King Camp Gillette, U.S. inventor and manufacturer of the safety razor, died.

1993 – British scientists using genetic fingerprinting identified the bones of the Russian Tsar Nicholas II and members of his family, executed by Bolsheviks at Yekaterinburg in 1918.

1997 – The American heavyweight Mike Tyson was banned from boxing for a year and fined $3 million for biting opponent Evander Holyfield’s ear during a world title fight.

2002 – The African Union was launched by at least 40 of the continent’s 53 presidents and monarchs.

2005 – Danny Way becomes first person to jump over the Great Wall of China on a skateboard.

2005 – Former rebel chief John Garang took his place in the Sudanese leadership, swearing the oath of office as first vice president. He was killed in a helicopter crash six months later.

2006 – A Russian airliner crashed on landing and burst into flames in Siberia, killing up to 128 people.

2006 – Italy defeats France to win soccer World Cup in Berlin.

2011 – South Sudan formally declares independence from north.

2015 – U.S. Army announces 40,000 troop reduction.

(Reuters)