Fun On this date in history...

If I may...

ON SEPTEMBER 19th:

In 1676, Jamestown, in the Virginia colony, was burned to the ground by the forces of Nathaniel Bacon during Bacon’s Rebellion.

In 1777, the first Battle of Saratoga was fought during the Revolutionary War; although British forces succeeded in driving out the American troops, the Americans prevailed in a second battle the following month.

In 1778, the Continental Congress passed the first U.S. federal budget.

In 1796, President George Washington's farewell address was published.

In 1863, during the Civil War, the first day of the Battle of Chickmauga, in northwestern Georgia, took place. It was the bloodiest two-day battle of the conflict, and the only significant Confederate victory in the war's Western Theater.

In 1881, James A. Garfield, the 20th president of the U.S., died 2½ months after being shot by Charles Guiteau; Chester Alan Arthur became president.

In 1915, vaudeville performer W.C. Fields made his movie debut as "Pool Sharks," a one-reel silent comedy, was released.

In 1928, actor Adam West was born in Walla Walla, WA. His residency at Stately Wayne Manor would come later.

In 1931, the Marx Brothers comedy “Monkey Business” was released in the U.S.

In 1933, actor David McCallum was born in Glasgow, Scotland. I’m not sure whether birthday greetings should be sent c/o NCIS or UNCLE.

In 1934, Bruno Hauptmann was arrested in New York and charged with the kidnap-murder of Charles A. Lindbergh Jr.

In 1940, actress Caroline John was born in York, North Yorkshire, England. It’s still a bit unclear when exactly she worked with UNIT; the dating protocols on the files are a bit variable.

In 1944, the Battle of Hurtgen Forest, between the U.S. and Nazi Germany, began.

In 1945, Nazi radio propagandist William Joyce, known as "Lord Haw-Haw," was convicted of treason and sentenced to death by a British court.

In 1959, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, visiting Los Angeles, reacted angrily upon being told that, for security reasons, he wouldn't get to visit Disneyland.

In 1963, filming began for “An Unearthly Child”, the first episode of “Doctor Who”, consisting of the final moments of the episode.

In 1970, the situation comedy "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" debuted on CBS-TV.

In 1973, the action movie “Doll Squad” was released in the U.S. It would later be one of the last movies (to date) riffed on by Cinematic Titanic.

In1975, the Brit-com “Fawlty Towers”, starring and co-written by John Cleese, premiered on BBC 2.

In 1985, the Mexico City area was struck by a devastating earthquake that killed at least 9,500 people.

Also In 1985, Frank Zappa appeared before a Senate panel to protest a proposal to rate the lyrics of rock music based on sexual and violent content.

In 1989, a Paris-bound DC-10 belonging to French airline UTA was destroyed by a bomb over Niger, killing all 170 people on board. (A French court later convicted six Libyans in absentia for the bombing; Libya agreed in 2004 to pay $170 million in compensation, although it stopped short of acknowledging responsibility.)

Also in 1989, the Library of Congress announced the first 25 of 75 films named to the new national film registry. The registry was established to get high-quality copies of films to make sure they would be preserved. The first group included "Gone With The Wind," "The Maltese Falcon" and "Citizen Kane."

In 1994, during the making of the “Star Trek: Voyager” episode “Caretaker”, Kate Mulgrew filmed her first scenes as Capt. Janeway.

In 1995, The New York Times and The Washington Post published the manifesto of Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, which proved instrumental in identifying and capturing him.

In 2010, the leaking oil well in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill was sealed.

In 2017, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Mexico, causing the collapse of 29 buildings in Mexico City, widespread evacuations and at least 139 deaths. Ironically, it occurred hours after an annual earthquake drill in commemoration of the 1985 Mexico earthquake.

 

If I may...

ON SEPTEMBER 20th:

In 1519, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and his crew set out from Spain on five ships to find a western passage to the Spice Islands. (Magellan was killed en route, but one of his ships eventually circled the world.)

In 1870, Italian troops took control of the Papal States, leading to the unification of Italy.

In 1881, U.S. President Chester A. Arthur was sworn in, the morning after becoming President upon James A. Garfield’s death.

In 1884, the National Equal Rights Party was formed during a convention of suffragists in San Francisco; the convention nominated Belva Ann Bennett Lockwood for president.

In 1911, the British liner RMS Olympic collided with the Royal Navy cruiser HMS Hawke off the Isle of Wight; although seriously damaged, the Olympic was able to return to Southampton under its own power.

In 1920, writer/animator/producer Jay Ward was born in San Francisco. He’s best-known for creating Frostbite Falls’ favorite sons, Rocket J. Squirrel and Bullwinkle J. Moose, and their many associates.

In 1925, composer James Bernard was born in India. Best-known for his film scores for Hammer Films, he was co-winner of an Oscar for Best Screen Story for “Seven Days to Noon”. During World War II, he also worked with the team assigned to break the German “Enigma” code.

In 1946, the first Cannes Film Festival was held, having been delayed seven years due to World War II.

In 1958, Martin Luther King Jr. was seriously wounded during a book signing at a New York City department store when Izola Curry stabbed him in the chest. (Curry was later found mentally incompetent.)

In 1962, James Meredith, an African-American student, was blocked from enrolling at the University of Mississippi by Democratic Gov. Ross R. Barnett. (Meredith was later admitted.)

In 1968, on the original series “Star Trek”, the show’s third season opened on NBC-TV. The episode “Spock’s Brain” was broadcast; it would later be generally considered one of the worst episodes in the franchise’s history.

In 1973, singer/songwriter/musician Jim Croce died in Natchitoches, LA at age 30.

Also in 1973, in their so-called "battle of the sexes," tennis star Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3, at the Houston Astrodome.

In 1975, on “Doctor Who”, part four of “Terror of the Zygons” was broadcast on BBC 1. It featured the last regular appearances of Ian Marter as Harry Sullivan, and Nicholas Courtney as Brigadier Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart.

Also in 1975, the variety series “Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell” premiered on ANC-TV. The first episode featured the U.S. premiere of the song “Saturday Night” by the Bay City Rollers.

In 1979, the science fiction series “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century” premiered on NBC-TV.

In 1980, Spectacular Bid, ridden by Bill Shoemaker, ran as the only entry in the Woodward Stakes at Belmont Park in New York after three potential challengers dropped out in horse racing's first walkover since 1949.

In 1982, the first episode of the mini-series “Smiley’s People” premiered on BBC2. Based on John LeCarre’s novel, it starred Alec Guinness as George Smiley.

In 1984, a suicide car bomber attacked the U.S. Embassy annex in north Beirut, killing at least 14 people, including two Americans and 12 Lebanese.

In 2000, Independent Counsel Robert Ray announced the end of the Whitewater investigation, saying there was insufficient evidence to warrant charges against President and Mrs. Clinton.

Also in 2000, The UK’s MI6 Secret Intelligence Service building was attacked by unidentified individuals using a Russian-built RPG-22 anti-tank missile.

In addition in 2000, Soviet cosmonaut Gherman Titov, the second man to orbit the Earth, died in Moscow at age 65.

Also in addition in 2000, principal photography was completed for “Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones”.

In 2001, in an address to a joint session of Congress and the American people, President George W. Bush declared a "War on Terror".

In 2003, Alfred H. Perkins passed away in Honesdale, PA at age 82. His career included serving as Wayne County Treasurer, as a Wayne County Commissioner, director of the Wayne County Agricultural Society, and presiding judge for harness racing at Wayne County Fair. And he was very glad I videotaped the first time the two-minute mark was broken at the track.

In 2011, The United States military ended its “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, allowing gay men and women to serve openly for the first time.

In 2015, actor/producer/screenwriter Jack Larson, best-known for playing Jimmy Olsen on the “Adentures of Superman” TV series, died in Los Angeles at age 87.

In 2017, Hurricane Maria made landfall on Puerto Rico as a Category 4 hurricane, knocking out power to the entire island and causing heavy damage. The death toll was later estimated at nearly 3000, though that number has been disputed.

 

If I may...

ON SEPTEMBER 21st:

In 1792, the French National Convention voted to abolish the monarchy.

In 1866, author/journalist/teacher H.G. Wells was born in Bromley, Kent, England.

In 1874, composer/educator Gustav Holst was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.

In 1893, one of America's first horseless carriages was taken for a short test drive in Springfield, MA by Frank Duryea, who had designed the vehicle with his brother, Charles.

In 1897, the New York Sun ran its famous editorial, written anonymously by Francis P. Church, which declared, "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus."

In 1912, magician Harry Houdini first publicly performed his "Water Torture Cell" trick at the Circus Busch in Berlin.

Also in 1912, animator/screenwriter/producer/director Chuck Jones was born in Spokane, WA.

In 1937, J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy story The Hobbit was published by George Allen & Unwin.

In 1938, a hurricane struck parts of New York and New England, causing widespread damage and claiming some 700 lives.

In 1948, Milton Berle made his debut as permanent host of "The Texaco Star Theater" on NBC-TV.

In 1950, actor/comedian/Not Ready For Prime Time Player/Ghostbuster Bill Murray was born in Evanston, IL.

In 1957, the legal mystery-drama "Perry Mason," starring Raymond Burr, premiered on CBS-TV.

In 1968, the police drama "Adam-12" debuted on NBC-TV.

In 1970, "NFL Monday Night Football" made its debut on ABC-TV as the Cleveland Browns defeated the visiting New York Jets, 31-21. The trio in the booth for the first game were Howard Cosell, Don Meredith and Keith Jackson.

In 1975, the fact-based crime drama "Dog Day Afternoon," starring Al Pacino, opened in New York City.

In 1981, Sandra Day O’Connor was unanimously approved by the U.S. Congress as the first female Supreme Court Justice.

In 1982, National Football League (NFL) players began a 57-day strike. It was their first regular-season walkout.

In 1989, Hurricane Hugo crashed into Charleston, South Carolina (the storm was blamed for 56 deaths in the Caribbean and 29 in the United States).

Also in 1989, twenty-one students in Alton, Texas, died when their school bus, hit by a soft-drink delivery truck, careened into a water-filled pit.

In 1993, Russian President Boris Yeltsin suspended parliament and discarded the then-functioning constitution, triggering the Russian Constitutional Crisis of 1993.

In 1996, the U.S. Congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act, which prohibited Federal recognition of same-sex marriages.

In 2001, the telethon “America: A Tribute to Heroes” was broadcast by over 35 network and cable channels, raising over $200 million for the victims of the September 11th attacks.

In 2013, al-Shabaab terrorists attacked the Westgate Shopping Mall in Nairobi, Kenya, killing at least 67 people.

 

If I may...

ON SEPTEMBER 22nd:

In 1776, during the Revolutionary War, Capt. Nathan Hale, age 21, was hanged as a spy by the British in New York.

In 1789, the office of U.S. Postmaster General was established.

In 1792, the first French Republic was proclaimed.

In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, declaring all slaves in rebel states should be free as of January 1, 1863.

In 1902, actor/writer/producer John Houseman was born in Bucharest, Hungary.

In 1911, pitcher Cy Young, age 44, gained his 511th and final career victory as he hurled a 1-0 shutout for the Boston Rustlers against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Forbes Field.

In 1927, Gene Tunney successfully defended his heavyweight boxing title against Jack Dempsey in the famous "long-count" fight in Chicago.

In 1934, an explosion took place at Gresford Colliery in Wales, leading to the deaths of 266 miners and rescuers.

Also in 1944, actor Frazer Hines was born in Horsforth, West Riding of Yorkshire, England. His travels with the Second Doctor would come later.

In 1949, the Soviet Union exploded its first atomic bomb.

In 1950, Omar N. Bradley was promoted to the rank of five-star general, joining an elite group that included Dwight D. Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur, George C. Marshall and Henry H. "Hap" Arnold.

In 1955, in the U.K., the television channel ITV began broadcasting.

In 1960, the horror/suspense movie “Tormented”, co-produced and directed by Bert I. Gordon (from his original story), was released in the U.S.

In 1964, the musical "Fiddler on the Roof," starring Zero Mostel, opened on Broadway, beginning a run of 3,242 performances.

Also in 1964, the secret agent series "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.," starring Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, premiered on NBC-TV.

In 1966, on the original series “Star Trek”, “Where No Man Has Gone Before”, the series’ second pilot, was broadcast on NBC-TV, as the series’ third broadcast episode.

In 1975, Sara Jane Moore attempted to shoot President Gerald R. Ford outside a San Francisco hotel, but missed. (Moore served 32 years in prison before being paroled on December 31, 2007.)

In 1980, Iraq launched a full-scale invasion of Iran.

In 1981, actress/voice artist Ashley Eckstein was born. She’s well-known to “Star Wars” fans for providing the voice of Ahsoka Tano on “The Clone Wars”.

In 1982, actress/singer/dancer Billie Piper was born in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. She’d later play the superweapon’s interface that looked like someone from the Doctor’s past. Or his future; she always got those two confused.

In 1985, rock and country music artists participated in "Farm Aid," a concert staged in Champaign, Illinois, to help the nation's farmers.

In 1990, on MST3K, the series’ second season premiere was broadcast on Comedy Central. Featuring the movie “Rocketship X-M”, it also featured the debut of Frank Conniff as TV’s Frank, and Kevin Murphy as Tom Servo, as well as the first on-screen appearance of head writer Mike Nelson.

In 1995, an AWACS plane carrying U.S. and Canadian military personnel crashed on takeoff from Elmendorf Air Force Base near Anchorage, Alaska, killing all 24 people aboard.

In 2005, Hurricane Rita, weakened to Category 4 status, closed in on the Texas coast, sending hundreds of thousands of people fleeing on a frustratingly slow, bumper-to-bumper exodus.

In 2010, Rutgers University freshman Tyler Clementi committed suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge into the Hudson River after an intimate gay encounter in his dormitory room was allegedly captured by a webcam and streamed online by his roommate without his knowledge. (Dharun Ravi was convicted of invasion of privacy, bias intimidation and other counts; the conviction was overturned by the appeals court in 2016.)

In 2015, baseball player/manager/coach Yogi Berra died in West Caldwell, NJ at age 90.

 

If I may...

ON SEPTEMBER 23rd:

In 1779, during the Revolutionary War, the American warship Bon Homme Richard, commanded by John Paul Jones, defeated the HMS Serapis in battle off Yorkshire, England; however, the seriously damaged Bon Homme Richard sank two days later.

In 1780, British spy John Andre was captured along with papers revealing Benedict Arnold's plot to surrender West Point to the British.

In 1806, the Lewis and Clark expedition returned to St. Louis more than two years after setting out for the Pacific Northwest.

In 1845, The Knickerbocker Base Ball Club of New York was formed by Alexander Joy Cartwright. It was the first baseball team in America.

In 1846, Neptune was identified as a planet by German astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle.

In 1908, an apparent baserunning error by Fred Merkle of the New York Giants cost his team a victory against the Chicago Cubs and left the game tied 1-1. The Cubs won a rematch and with it, the National League pennant.

In 1930, singer/songwriter/musician Ray Charles was born in Albany, GA.

I am required by Article XXXII, Section I, Paragraph 12b of the New Jersey State Constitution to note that on this date in 1949, singer/songwriter/musician Bruce Springsteen was born in Long Branch, NJ.

In 1950, the radio drama series “Unshackled” premiered. Produced by Pacific Garden Mission of Chicago, it is the longest-running radio drama series in history.

In 1952, in what became known as the "Checkers" speech, Sen. Richard M. Nixon, R-Calif., salvaged his vice-presidential nomination by appearing live on television to refute allegations of improper campaign fundraising.

In 1955, a jury in Sumner, Mississippi, acquitted two white men, Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam, of murdering black teenager Emmett Till. (The two men later admitted to the crime in an interview with Look magazine.)

In 1957, nine black students who'd entered Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas were forced to withdraw because of a white mob outside.

In 1962, New York's Philharmonic Hall (later renamed Avery Fisher Hall) formally opened as the first unit of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

Also in 1962, the Hanna-Barbera cartoon series "The Jetsons," premiered as ABC-TV’s first program in color.

In 1969, the "Paul is Dead" rumor, alleging that Beatle Paul McCartney had been killed in a car accident and replaced by a lookalike, began with a story in the Illinois University newspaper with the headline, "Clues Hint At Beatle Death."

In 1970, the fact-based war drama “Tora Tora Tora” was released in the U.S.

In 1973, former Argentine president Juan Peron won a landslide election victory that returned him to power; his wife, Isabel, was elected vice president.

In 1986, the mystery series "Matlock", starring Andy Griffith, premiered on NBC-TV.

In 1994, the biopic “Ed Wood” premiered at the New York Film Festival.

In 1999, the NASA unmanned probe Mars Climate Orbiter apparently burned up as it attempted to go into orbit around the planet. Speculation that Marvin was involved in the disappearance remains unproven.

In 2002, the crime drama "CSI: Miami" premiered on CBS-TV. And the rest…(sunglasses on)…is history. YEEEEEEAAAAAAH!

In 2003, the crime drama "NCIS" premiered on CBS-TV.

In 2010, the U.S. delegation walked out of a U.N. speech by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad after he said some in the world had speculated that the U.S. staged the September 11, 2001 attacks in an attempt to assure Israel's survival.

In 2011, after a run of 41 years, the soap opera "All My Children" aired its last episode on ABC-TV.

 

If I may...

ON SEPTEMBER 24th:

In 1789, President George Washington signed a Judiciary Act establishing America's federal court system and creating the post of Attorney General.

In 1869, thousands of businessmen were ruined in a Wall Street panic known as "Black Friday" after financiers Jay Gould and James Fisk attempted to corner the gold market.

In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed Devil’s Tower in Wyoming as the nation's first National Monument. Its selection as an alien landing site happened decades later.

In 1929, Lt. James H. Doolittle guided a Consolidated NY-2 Biplane over Mitchel Field in New York in the first all-instrument flight.

In 1930, astronaut/aviator/engineer John W. Young was born in San Francisco. He is the first man to make six flights in NASA service (Gemini 3, Gemini 10, Apollo 10, Apollo 16, STS-1 and STS-9), and the first to fly to the Moon twice.

In 1934, Babe Ruth made his farewell appearance as a player with the New York Yankees in a game against the Boston Red Sox. (The Sox won, 5-0.)

In 1936, writer/producer/director/original Muppeteer Jim Henson was born in Greenville, MS.

In 1945, the motion picture drama "Mildred Pierce," starring Joan Crawford, opened in New York.

In 1948, Mildred Gillars, accused of being Nazi wartime radio propagandist "Axis Sally," pleaded not guilty in Washington D.C. to charges of treason. (Gillars, later convicted, ended up serving 12 years in prison.)

Also in 1948, actor/comedian/screenwriter Phil Hartman was born in Brantford, Ontario, Canada.

In 1951, actor/author/playwright David Banks was born in Hull, England. He’s well-known to Whovians for playing several ill-fated Cyberleaders.

In 1955, President Dwight D. Eisenhower suffered a heart attack while on vacation in Denver.

In 1957, the Los Angeles-bound Brooklyn Dodgers played their last game at Ebbets Field, defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-0.

In 1959, Muppeteer Steve Whitmire was born in Atlanta, GA.

In 1960, the USS Enterprise, the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, was launched at Newport News, VA.

Also in 1960, "The Howdy Doody Show" ended a nearly 13-year run with its final telecast on NBC-TV.

In 1964, the cartoon series "The Bullwinkle Show", a re-titled version of “Rocky & Bullwinkle” (which aired on ABC), premiered on NBC.

Also in 1964, actress/writer/comedienne Bridget Jones Nelson was born in Sauk Rapids, MN. Her visit to the S.O.L. as Nuveena, Woman of the Future came later.

In 1968, the newsmagazine series "60 Minutes" made its debut on CBS-TV, with reporters Harry Reasoner and Mike Wallace.

Also in 1969, the “Chicago Eight” trial began in Chicago. (Facing charges in connection with events surrounding the 1968 Democratic National Convention, the group later became the “Chicago Seven” after defendant Bobby Seale had his trial severed from the others.)

In 1970, the TV version of “The Odd Couple”, starring Tony Randall and Jack Klugman, premiered on ABC.

In 1976, former hostage Patricia Hearst was sentenced to seven years in prison for her part in a 1974 bank robbery in San Francisco carried out by the Symbionese Liberation Army. (Hearst was released after 22 months after receiving clemency from President Jimmy Carter.)

In 1979, principal photography was completed for “Star Wars: Episode V- The Empire Strikes Back”.

In 1988, Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson won the men's 100-meter dash at the Seoul Summer Olympics — but he was disqualified three days later for using anabolic steroids.

In 1991, author/illustrator Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as "Dr. Seuss," died in La Jolla, CA at age 87.

In 1995, Israel and the PLO agreed to sign a pact at the White House ending nearly three decades of Israeli occupation of West Bank cities.

In 1996, representatives of 71 nations signed the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty at the U.N.

In 2007, the first series of the “Doctor Who” spin-off “The Sarah Jane Adventures” was first officially broadcast over CBBC. (The premiere episode was broadcast on January 1st.)

In 2014, The Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), a Mars orbiter launched into Earth orbit by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), was successfully inserted into orbit of Mars.

In 2015, at least 1,100 people were killed and another 934 wounded after a stampede during the Hajj in Saudi Arabia.

 

If I may...

ON SEPTEMBER 25th:

In 1513, Spanish explorer Vasco Nunez de Balboa crossed the Isthmus of Panama and sighted the Pacific Ocean.

In 1690, one of the earliest American newspapers, “Publick Occurrences”, published its first — and last — edition in Boston.

In 1775, American Revolutionary War hero Ethan Allen was captured by the British as he led an attack on Montreal. (Allen was released by the British in 1778.)

In 1789, the first United States Congress adopted 12 amendments to the Constitution and sent them to the states for ratification. (Ten of the amendments became the Bill of Rights.)

In 1890, President Benjamin Harrison signed a measure establishing Sequoia National Park.

In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson collapsed after a speech in Pueblo, CO during a national speaking tour in support of the Treaty of Versailles.

In 1932, the Spanish region of Catalonia received a Charter of Autonomy (however, the Charter was revoked by Francisco Franco at the end of the Spanish Civil War).

In 1944, surviving elements of the British 1st Airborne Div. withdrew from Arnhem in the Netherlands, thus ending the Battle of Arnhem and Operation Market Garden.

In 1951, actor/voice artist/writer/producer/director Mark Hamill was born in Oakland, CA.

In 1952, actor/director/producer/writer Christopher Reeve was born in New York City.

In 1957, nine black students who'd been forced to withdraw from Central High School in Little Rock, AR because of unruly white crowds were escorted to class by members of the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division.

In 1959, the Hammer Horror movie “The Mummy”, starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, was released in the UK.

In 1961, the drama “The Hustler”, starring Paul Newman, Piper Laurie, George C. Scott and Jackie Gleason, was released in the U.S. It would premiere in New York City the following day.

In 1964, Beatles manager Brian Epstein turned down an offer from a group of U.S. businessmen to buy out his management contract with The Beatles.

In 1965, the first installment of "In Cold Blood," Truman Capote's account of the 1959 murders of the Clutter family in Holcomb, KS appeared in The New Yorker. (The work was published in book form the following year.)

In 1970, the musical sit-com “The Partridge Family” premiered on ABC-TV.

In 1974, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tommy John underwent an experimental graft reconstruction of the ulnar collateral ligament in the elbow of his throwing arm to repair a career-ending injury; the procedure, which proved successful, is now referred to as "Tommy John surgery."

In 1978, 144 people were killed when a Pacific Southwest Airlines Boeing 727 and a private plane collided over San Diego.

In 1981, Sandra Day O'Connor was sworn in as the first female justice on the Supreme Court.

In 1983, thirty-eight republican prisoners, armed with six handguns, hijacked a prison meals lorry and smash their way out of the Maze prison in Northern Ireland. It was the largest prison escape since World War II and in British history.

In 1998, it was announced that the upcoming film “Star Wars: Episode I” would be subtitled “The Phantom Menace”.

In 2016, golfer Arnold Palmer died in Pittsburgh, PA at age 87.

 

If I may...

ON SEPTEMBER 26th:

In 1580, Sir Francis Drake finished his circumnavigation of the Earth.

In 1777, British troops occupied Philadelphia during the American Revolution.

In 1789, Thomas Jefferson was confirmed by the Senate to be the first United States secretary of state; John Jay, the first chief justice; Edmund Randolph, the first attorney general.

In 1892, John Philip Sousa and his newly formed band performed publicly for the first time, at the Stillman Music Hall in Plainfield, NJ.

In 1914, the Federal Trade Commission was established.

In 1918, the Meuse-Argonne offensive, resulting in an Allied victory against the Germans, began during World War I.

Also in 1918, TV host/radio personality/voice artist/Cool Ghoul John Zacherle was born in Philadelphia, PA.

In 1937, the revised version of the radio drama “The Shadow”, with the title character now portrayed as a crime fighter, premiered over the Mutual Broadcasting System. It starred Orson Welles in the title role.

In 1941, the cartoon short “Superman” was released in the U.S. It was the first of a series of Superman cartoons released by Paramount, and initially produced by Fleischer Studios.

In 1950, U.N. troops recaptured Seoul from North Korean forces.

In 1957, the original production of "West Side Story" opened on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theater.

In 1960, the first-ever debate between presidential nominees took place as Democrat John F. Kennedy and Republican Richard M. Nixon faced off before a national TV audience from Chicago.

In 1962, "The Beverly Hillbillies", a story about a man named Jed, premiered on CBS-TV.

Also in 1962, the horror movie “Carnival of Souls” premiered in Lawrence, KS.

In 1964, "Gilligan's Island", the story of the longest three-hour tour in history, premiered on CBS-TV.

In 1968, the original series “Hawaii Five-O”, starring Jack Lord, premiered on CBS-TV.

In 1969, “Abbey Road”, the last recorded album by The Beatles, was released in the UK.

In 1984, The UK and China agreed to a transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong, to take place in 1997.

In 1990, the Motion Picture Association of America announced it had created a new rating, NC-17, to replace the X rating. (The first movie to receive the new rating was "Henry & June.")

In 1991, four men and four women began a two-year stay inside a sealed-off structure in Oracle, AZ called Biosphere 2. (They emerged from Biosphere on this date in 1993.)

In 2001, the prequel spin-off “Star Trek: Enterprise” premiered on UPN.

In 2003, the BBC announced that it would produce a revived version of “Doctor Who”.

In 2016, filmmaker Herschell Gordon Lewis died in Fort Lauderdale at age 87.

 

Taking advantage of the hour being earlier here, if I may

On September 27th...

1066 - Duke Guillaume de Normandie, the future William the Conqueror, sets sail from the estuary of the Somme River and heads for England with a fleet regrouping about 600 embarkations and 7,000 men - Normans for the better part, but also Britons, Flemish, Manceaux and Boulonnais.

1529 - The First Siege of Vienna by the Ottomans begins; the armies of Suleiman the Magnificent, vastly superior in numbers, were however crippled by a severe lack of supplies and artillery, and disease-stricken after crossing Eastern Europe during a dreary early autumn, and abandoned the siege after only one assault fourteen days later.

1540 - The Societas Iesu, or Jesuit Order, receives its charter from Pope Paul III; the current reigning Pope, Francis, is the first who hails from their ranks, although he is largely estranged with them.

1669 - The Venetians surrender the fortress of Candia, in Crete, after a 21-year siege, the second-longest in history. In effect, the besieged city largely stayed supplied by sea, where the decisive actions would be fought, until the disastrous failure of a French land/sea expedition which constitued the city's last serious hope of relief failed dramatically.

1777 - Lancaster, Pennsylvania, becomes the third city which will be a non-official capitol of the United States of America, succeeding Baltimore, which was threatened by British forces; the distinction comes from the Second Continental Congress meeting in the city's court house on that day.

1791 - A few days before its dissolution and replacement by the first fully elected parliament in the history of the country, the French Assemblée Nationale grants citizenship to all French Jews, citing equality of every man before law. Jewish emancipation will then be spread in Europe by Napoléon during his first Empire, although full equality will only exist in France in 1831.

1822 - Jean-François Champollion announces he has deciphered the Rosetta Stone, paving the way to translating the ancient egyptian language.

1825 - The world's first railway using steam locomotives is ceremonially opened by the Stockton and Darlington Railway company in north-east England, connecting collieries. Only coal waggons are hauled by steam locomotives at first; until 1833, passengers will still be carried in coaches drawn by horses. Railways actually existed since the 6th century BC at least, evidence of man/animal-hauled railway transportation existing all the way back then in Korinthos.

1903 - The Wreck of the Old 97, involving the Southern Railway mail train; while nowhere near the most dramatic incident of its kind, the wreck will inspire a ballad which became seminal in the genre of country music... and in copyright lawsuits.

1908 - Production of the Model T automobile begins at the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant in Detroit; the first mass-produced car goes for sale at a price of $825 (~$22.5k today), but only 11 cars are built during the first month out of the 14,689,525 which will be produced between 1908 and 1927, when the model was finally discontinued, and will also be the first automobile built by various countries simultaneously, starting in 1911.

1940 - The Tripartite Pact between Germany, Italy and Japan is signed in Berlin. On paper, the Pact's six articles outline the principles of a new order, dominated by Germany and Italy in Europe and by Japan in Greater East Asia. In effect, the pact is a defensive military alliance directed primarily at the United states, and specifically excludes the Soviet Union from its scope. In the end, it would only be actioned after Yugoslavia's signing of the pact on March 25th resulted in a coup.

1941 - The SS Patrick Henry is launched on a day USA President F. D. Roosevelt designated as Liberty Fleet Day to combat the then-vastly unpopular effort undertaken to assist the Allies against Germany; the first of 2,700 ships in the Liberty Ship series, she displaced 14,474 tons. Her maiden voyage sent her to the Middle East; she made 12 trips during World War II, including that of convoy PQ 18, which broke the back of the German ability to seriously contest lend-lease efforts to the Soviet Union. She was scrapped in 1958.

1944 - The Kassel Mission conducted by the USAAF targetted the Henschel & Sohn factories, which notably built Tiger and Panther tanks. 35 of its bombers went astray as a result of a navigational error. The group which went astray was attacked by the Luftwaffe in one of its then-rare responses and lost in total 31 of the 35 bombers, the single most costly action to the USAAF in the entirety of WWII.

1956 - USAF test pilot Captain Milburn G. Apt becomes the first person to exceed Mach 3 on the Bell X-2 rocket-powered planen reaching a speed of Mach 3.2 at a height of 65,000 ft. Born in 1924, Captain Apt joined the USAF in 1942 and was commissionned in 1944, serving with the Caribbean Defense Command. It was his first, and unfortunately, his last rocket-plane flight, as his rocket burnout took him beyond the safe gliding range and his turning maneuver, begun above Mach 3 to compensate instead of at a speed around Mach 2.4, led Apt to lose control of the aircraft. His escape capsule's larger parachute failed to open.

1960 - Death of Sylvia Pankhurst. One of the leading English Suffragettes in the 1910s, a movement which succeeded through two laws passed in 1918 and 1928, and became a Communist in the 1920s; she drifted away from the International in the early years of Stalinism. From 1936 onwards she became a supporter of Ethiopia's Emperor Haile Selassie, and moved there in 1956 at the Emperor's invitation. She is the only foreigner buried in front of the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Addis Ababa, in a section normally reserved for Ethiopian patriots of the Italian war.

1962 - Establishment of the Yemen Arab Republic, also known as North Yemen. Borne out of a coup against the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen executed by tenants of Nasser's Arab Nationalism, it was formally established in 1968 and recognized concurrently with a southern Communist neighbor which emerged, for its part, in 1967, the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen. Both republics merged in 1990, although the process wasn't finalized until 1996.

1962 - Rachel Carson's Silent Spring is published. Her work is the result of research on the effects of pesticides, notably DDT, undertaken since 1957. The published book will spur a grassroots environmentalist movement, which eventually resulted in the nationwide ban of DDT for agricultural uses, and the fallout eventually resulted in fhe creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA.

1975 - The last use of capital punishment occurs in Spain. At the time, Spain was the only remaining dictatorship in Western Europe, led by Francisco Franco. The five men executed were ETA (Basque separatist) members and FRAP (a Marxist-Leninist revolutionary organization), in all cases as a result of condemnations for killing policemen or civil guards. Their executions prompted widespread international condemnation and Europe-wide demonstrations, although a UN resolution called by Mexico to suspend Spain's membership was vetoed. 20 of the people sitting on the various tribunals are nowadays sought after for crimes against humanity by the Kingdom of Spain, which finally and formally abolished the death penalty in 1995.

1983 - Richard Stallman (RMS) launches the GNU project by an announcement on Usenet, seeking to create a Unix-like computer operating system composed entirely of free software, starting the free software movement in the process. As of present, the GNU project has not released a version of its operating system suitable to production environments; it did, however, result in the release of Linus Torvalds' Linux operating system, developed independently and released under the GNU General Public License in 1992.

1988 - Formation of the National League for Democracy in Burma (now Myanmar) by Aung San Suu Kyi. Advocating the non-violent establishment of a multi-party democracy, the NLD won the first openly contested general elections held in Myanmar in 1990, a result suppressed by the military rulers of the country. It also won the second such elections, held after a transition in 2015, a result celebrated by an international community which has since largely cooled off, with the renewal of attacks targetted at the Muslim Rohingyas.

1996 - The Battle of Kabul ends in a Taliban victory, paving the way for the establishment of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Although the Emirate eventually came to rule over 90% of the country, it was formally dissolved after the US-led invasion by the Northern Alliance in December 2001, a war borne of the fallout of the September 11 attacks. Although no longer formally recognized, the Taliban consider the Emirate still exists; the movement has resurged in 2016, currently controls 10% of Afghani territory, and contests another quarter of the country against its successor state, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

1998 - Creation of the Google search engine - a retroactive claim, as development occurred in 1997, and the google.com domain was registered on the 15th of September in 1997, but a date which is posterior to the foundation of Google Inc by the search engine developers. Google is nowadays used as a search engine for 90.17% of queries worldwide, and is capitalized over 800 billion dollars.

2008 - CNSA astronaut Zhai Zhigang becomes the first Chinese person to perform a spacewalk, as part of the Shenzhou 7 mission, making China the third country capable of independently carrying out spatial Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA). The other two countries were, in order, the Soviet Union (now Russia) and the United States of America. Nationals of another five countries have carried out an EVA as part of a multinational program, in order French, Japanese, Swedish, Italian and British. The first woman to perform an EVA was the Soviet Svetlana Savitskaya, in 1984.

 

If I may...

ALSO ON SEPTEMBER 27th:

In 1590, Pope Urban VII died 13 days after being chosen as the Pope, making his reign the shortest papacy in history.

In 1854, the first great disaster involving an Atlantic Ocean passenger vessel occurred when the steamship SS Arctic sank off Newfoundland; of the more than 400 people on board, only 86 survived.

In 1917, magician/actor/comedian Carl Ballantine was born in Chicago, IL.

In 1920, actor/producer/director/voice artist William Conrad was born in Louisville, KY. Space limitations prevent a full list of his roles in TV, movies and, especially, radio drama.

In 1921, writer/producer Milton Subotsky, co-founder of Amicus Productions, was born in New York City.

In 1928, the United States said it was recognizing the Nationalist Chinese government.

In 1933, actor Greg Morris was born in Cleveland, OH. In spite of official denials, rumors persist regarding his involvement with the so-called IMF.

In 1939, Warsaw, Poland, surrendered after weeks of resistance to invading forces from Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union during World War II.

Also in 1939, actor Garrick Hagon was born in London, England. For many “Star Wars” fans, the restoration of one of his scenes as Biggs was the real reason to see the Special Edition of the original film.

In 1942, Glenn Miller and his Orchestra performed together for the last time, at the Central Theater in Passaic, New Jersey, prior to Miller's entry into the Army.

In 1947, actor/director Denis Lawson was born in Crieff, Perthshire, Scotland. “Star Wars” fans are very familiar with his later service with Red and Rogue squadrons.

In 1952, the swashbuckling adventure “The Crimson Pirate”, starring Burt Lancaster, was released in the U.S.

In 1954, "Tonight!," hosted by Steve Allen, made its debut on NBC-TV.

In 1964, the U.S. government publicly released the report of the Warren Commission, which concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald had acted alone in assassinating President John F. Kennedy.

In 1972, the Hammer Horror movie “Dracula, A.D. 1972”, starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, was released in the UK.

In 1979, Congress gave its final approval to forming the U.S. Department of Education.

In 1993, aviator/Medal of Honor recipient Gen. James H. “Jimmy” Doolittle died in Pebble Beach, CA at age 96.

In 1994, more than 350 Republican congressional candidates gathered on the steps of the U.S. Capitol to sign the "Contract with America," a 10-point platform they pledged to try to get enacted if voters sent a GOP majority to the House.

In 1995, the government unveiled its redesigned $100 bill, featuring a larger, off-center portrait of Benjamin Franklin. (Yet another redesign, featuring a high-tech makeover aimed at thwarting counterfeiters, was announced in April 2010.)

In 1997, communications were suddenly lost with the Mars Pathfinder space probe. Reports that the Ice Warriors were involved remain classified.

 

If I may...

ON SEPTEMBER 28th:
In 1066, William the Conqueror invaded England to claim the English throne.

In 1542, Portuguese navigator Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo arrived at present-day San Diego.

In 1781, American forces backed by a French fleet begin the siege of Yorktown, VA, during the Revolutionary War.

In 1787, the Congress of the Confederation voted to send the just-completed Constitution of the United States to state legislatures for their approval.

In 1850, flogging was abolished as a form of punishment in the U.S. Navy.

In 1892, the first nighttime football game in the U.S. took place under electric lights. The game was between the Mansfield State Normal School and the Wyoming Seminary.

In 1901, there was a rrreally big shew when TV host/reporter/columnist Ed Sullivan was born in Harlem, New York City, NY.

In 1914, the First Battle of the Aisne during World War I ended inconclusively.

In 1918, actor/voice artist Arnold Stang was born in New York City.

In 1928, Scottish medical researcher Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin, the first effective antibiotic.

In 1935, actor Ronald Lacey was born in Harrow, London, England. He’s best-known for the grisly fate his character suffers in “Raiders of the Lost Ark”.

In 1939, during World War II, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed a treaty calling for the partitioning of Poland, which the two countries had invaded.

In 1955, the Hammer sci-fi movie “The Quatermass Xperiment”, starring Brian Donlevy, was released in the UK. Re-titled “The Creeping Unknown”, it would be released in the U.S. the following June.

In 1958, voters in the African country of Guinea overwhelmingly favored independence from France.

In 1964, actor/comedian/musician Harpo Marx died in Los Angles at age 75.

In 1967, Walter E. Washington was sworn in as the first mayor-commissioner of the District of Columbia (he'd been appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson).

In 1971, the comedy “And Now for Something Completely Different” premiered in London. The first movie from Monty Python, it mainly consisted of re-filmed sketches from the first and second seasons of “Monty Python’s Flying Circus”.

In 1974, first lady Betty Ford underwent a mastectomy at Bethesda Naval Medical Center in Maryland, following discovery of a cancerous lump in her breast.

In 1987, “Encounter at Farpoint”, the premiere episode of “Star Trek: The Next Generation”, was broadcast in syndication.

In 1995, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO chairman Yasser Arafat signed an accord at the White House ending Israel's military occupation of West Bank cities and laying the foundation for a Palestinian state.

In 2008, SpaceX launched the first private spacecraft, the Falcon 1 into orbit.

In 2016, statesman Shimon Peres died in Tel HaShomer, Ramat Gan, Israel at age 93. He’d served in the Israeli government in several capacities, including President and Prime Minister.

 

If I may...

ON SEPTEMBER 29th:
In 1789, the U.S. War Department established a regular army with a strength of several hundred men.

In 1829, London's reorganized police force, which became known as Scotland Yard, went on duty.

In 1907, the foundation stone was laid for the Washington National Cathedral.

In 1910, the National Urban League, which had its beginnings as The Committee on Urban Conditions Among Negroes, was established in New York.

In 1923, author/illustrator Stan Berenstain, co-creator of the Berenstain Bears, was born in West Philadelphia, PA.

In 1935, singer/songwriter/musician Jerry Lee Lewis was born in Ferriday, LA.

In 1938, British, French, German and Italian leaders concluded the Munich Agreement, which was aimed at appeasing Adolf Hitler by allowing Nazi annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland.

In 1943, General Dwight D. Eisenhower and Italian Marshal Pietro Badoglio signed an armistice aboard the British ship HMS Nelson off Malta.

In 1957, The New York Giants played their last game at the Polo Grounds. The next year the Giants were in San Francisco, CA.


In 1960, stunt coordinator/stunt performer Dennis Madalone was born. Later noted for his work in the “Star Trek” TV franchise, he would attend South Plainfield High School in NJ, where one of his teachers was William C. Morgan, the father of your humble correspondent.

In 1961, actor/writer/director Nicholas Briggs was born in Lyndhurst, Hampshire, England. Among other things, he’s recently been providing the voices of the Daleks and Cybermen on “Doctor Who”.

In 1962, Canada joined the space age as it launched the Alouette 1 satellite from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

In 1963, the sit-com “My Favorite Martian”, starring Ray Walston and Bill Bixby, premiered on CBS-TV.

In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965, creating the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts; during the signing ceremony, the president said the measure would create an American Film Institute.

In 1978, Pope John Paul I was found dead in his Vatican apartment just over a month after becoming head of the Roman Catholic Church. It was determined that he most likely died the previous night of a heart attack.

In 1979, on “Doctor Who”, part one of “City of Death” was broadcast on BBC 1. The Paris-set story was the first “Doctor Who” serial filmed outside of the UK.

In 1982, Extra-Strength Tylenol capsules laced with deadly cyanide claimed the first of seven victims in the Chicago area. (To date, the case remains unsolved.)

In 1988, NASA launched STS-26, the first manned mission, after the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.

In 1990, the Washington National Cathedral, begun in 1907, was formally completed with President George H.W. Bush overseeing the laying of the final stone atop the southwest pinnacle of the cathedral's St. Paul Tower.

In 2007, actress Lois Maxwell died in Fremantle, Western Australia at age 80.

In 2008, following the bankruptcies of Lehman Brothers and Washington Mutual, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fells 777.68 points, the largest single-day point loss, to date, in its history.

In 2009, cosmonaut Pavel R. Popovich, pilot of Vostok 4 and commander of Soyuz 14, died in Girzuf, Crimea in the Ukraine.

In 2012, on “Doctor Who”, the episode “The Angels Take Manhattan” was broadcast on BBC 1. It featured the last regular appearance of the Karen Gillian as Amy Pond, and Arthur Darvill as Rory Williams.

In 2013, over 42 people were killed by members of Boko Haram at the College of Agriculture in Gujba, Nigeria.

In 2016, a fast-moving NJ Transit train crashed into the Hoboken Terminal train station. By the end of the day, one person had been confirmed killed, with at least 108 people injured and the station suffering severe damage.

 

If I may...

ON SEPTEMBER 30th:
In 1399, England's King Richard II was deposed by Parliament; he was succeeded by his cousin, Henry of Bolingbroke, who was crowned as King Henry IV.

In 1777, the Continental Congress — forced to flee in the face of advancing British forces — moved to York, PA.

In 1791, Mozart's opera "The Magic Flute" premiered in Vienna, Austria.

In 1846, Boston dentist William Morton used ether as an anesthetic for the first time as he extracted an ulcerated tooth from merchant Eben Frost.

In 1918, Lewis Nixon was born in New York City. He’d later serve, during World War II, with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th PIR, 101st Airborne. His service would be recounted in the book and later mini-series “Band of Brothers”.

In 1927, George Herman "Babe" Ruth hit his 60th homerun of the season. He broke his own record with the homerun. The record stood until 1961 when Roger Maris broke the record.

In 1935, The Hoover Dam, astride the border between the Arizona and Nevada was dedicated.

Also in 1935, singer/songwriter Johnny Mathis was born in Gilmer, TX.

In 1938, after co-signing the Munich Agreement allowing Nazi annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain said, "I believe it is peace for our time." (No one has confirmed if Hitler responded with, “Sucker!”)

Also in 1938, The League of Nations unanimously outlawed "intentional bombings of civilian populations".

In 1939, the first college football game to be televised was shown on experimental station W2XBS in New York as Fordham University defeated Waynesburg College, 34-7.

In 1949, the Berlin Airlift came to an end.

In 1953, the sci-fi movie “Donovan’s Brain” was released in the U.S..

In 1954, the first nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus, was commissioned by the U.S. Navy.

In 1955, actor James Dean was killed in a two-car collision near Cholame, CA at age 24.

Yabba Dabba Doo! In 1960, the Hanna-Barbera cartoon “The Flintstones” premiered on ABC-TV.

In 1962, James Meredith, a black student, was escorted by federal marshals to the campus of the University of Mississippi, where he enrolled for classes the next day; Meredith's presence sparked rioting that claimed two lives.

Also in 1962, over CBS Radio, the series “Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar” and “Suspense” broadcast their final episodes. Aficionados cite this as the end of the Golden Age of Radio.

In 1963, BBC Head of Drama Sydney Newman, after watching the original pilot episode for “Doctor Who”, rejected it and ordered it re-shot.

In 1965, the Supermarionation series “Thunderbirds” premiered in the UK over ATV.

In 1971, The Washington Senators played their last game in Washington before moving to Arlington, TX. They were forced to forfeit the game to the New York Yankees when fans stormed the field in an effort to take souvenirs.

In 1982, the sit-com “Cheers” premiered on NBC-TV.

In 1984, the mystery series “Murder She Wrote”, starring Angela Lansbury, premiered on CBS-TV.

In 1988, Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev retired President Andrei A. Gromyko from the Politburo and fired other old-guard leaders in a Kremlin shake-up.

In 1997, France's Roman Catholic Church apologized for its silence during the systematic persecution and deportation of Jews by the pro-Nazi Vichy regime.

Also in 1997, principal photography was completed for “Star Wars: Episode I- The Phantom Menace”.

 

If I may...

ON OCTOBER 1st:

In 1730, lawyer/legislator Richard Stockton was born near Princeton, NJ. He’d later serve as a New Jersey delegate to the Continental Congress, and was a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

In 1890, Congress passed the McKinley Tariff Act, which raised tariffs to a record level.

Also in 1890, Yosemite National Park was established by the U.S. Congress.

In 1908, Henry Ford introduced his Model T automobile to the market.

In 1924, Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the U.S., was born in Plains, GA.

In 1931, The George Washington Bridge linking New Jersey and New York opened.

In 1932, Babe Ruth of the New York Yankees made his supposed called shot, hitting a home run against Chicago's Charlie Root in the fifth inning of Game 3 of the World Series, won by the New York Yankees 7-5 at Wrigley Field.

In 1935, actress/singer/author Julie Andrews was born in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, England.

In 1938, Germany annexed the Sudetenland.

In 1939, Winston Churchill described Russia as "a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma" during a radio address on the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.

In 1940, the first section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike — described as America's first superhighway — opened to the public, stretching 160 miles from Carlisle to Irwin.

In 1944, producer Phillip Hinchcliffe was born. He’s best-known for producing “Doctor Who” during the early part of Tom Baker’s run on the show.

In 1949, The People's Republic of China was established and declared by Mao Zedong.

In 1955, the half-hour version of "The Honeymooners," starring Jackie Gleason, Art Carney, Audrey Meadows and Joyce Randolph, premiered on CBS-TV.

In 1957, the motto "In God We Trust" began appearing on U.S. paper currency.

In 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was activated, replacing the NACA.

In 1961, Roger Maris of the New York Yankees hit his 61st home run during a 162-game season, compared to Babe Ruth's 60 home runs during a 154-game season.

In 1962, Johnny Carson began hosting “The Tonight Show” on NBC-TV, with Ed McMahon as his announcer.

In 1964, the Free Speech Movement began at the University of California, Berkeley.

Also in 1964, Japan's first high-speed "bullet train," the Tokaido Shinkansen, went into operation between Tokyo and Osaka.

In 1965, the science-fiction novel Dune by Frank Herbert was published by Chilton Books.

In 1968, the horror movie “Night of the Living Dead” was released in the U.S.

In 1971, Walt Disney World opened near Orlando, FL.

In 1975, in their third and last boxing match, Muhammad Ali defeated Joe Frazier in the “Thrilla in Manilla” in the Philippines.

In 1979, The United States returned sovereignty of the Panama Canal to Panama.

In 1987, eight people were killed when an earthquake measuring magnitude 5.9 struck the Los Angeles area.

In 1992, Cartoon Network began broadcasting.

In 1995, Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman and nine other defendants were convicted in New York of conspiring to attack the United States through bombings, assassinations and kidnappings.

In 2017, Nevada prison authorities released former NFL player O.J. Simpson on parole after serving nine years for a 2007 Las Vegas armed robbery.

Also in 2017, the government of Catalonia held a public referendum on whether their region should gain independence from Spain, despite the Spanish courts and government declaring the vote illegal and deploying police to deter voters.