January 1909 - January 11, 1909 (Monday)

January 11, 1909 (Monday)

• The Boundary Waters Treaty was signed by U.S. Secretary of State Elihu Root and British Ambassador to the United States James Bryce, at Root's home. Ratified by both nations in 1910, the treaty regulated the usage of all waters shared by the United States and Canada, including the Great Lakes and Niagara Falls.
• The death penalty was carried out in France for the first time since the turn of the 20th century, as the four murderers in the Pollet gang died on the guillotine as a crowd in Béthune cheered.
• William Howard Taft was elected President of the United States, receiving 321 of the electoral votes won in the election held on November 3. Challenger William Jennings Bryan got the other 162 votes.