Today in History

1928 Okeechobee Hurricane
The Okeechobee Hurricane strikes Lake Okeechobee, Florida with winds of around 140 mph a major levee broke with the resulting flood covering an area of hundreds of square miles with water that in some places was over 20 ft (6 m) deep and some 2,500 people drowned.
My great uncle had a ranch on the north shore of the lake. The flood was a storm surge and it hit the south shore, so he was alright. However he joined the rescue effort, took his boat across the lake and mostly recovered lots of bodies. I grew up on his stories, it put the real fear of hurricanes and storm surges in me. He always claimed, and he was not the only one, that the death toll was much higher...

September 16 is the mid-point of hurricane season in the Atlantic, as many storms before as after, historically.
 

16th September

1400 Owain Glyndŵr, Welsh ruler and the last native Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales, instigated the Welsh Revolt against the rule of Henry IV of England.

1485 Yeomen Warders, the bodyguard of the English Crown - popularly known as 'Beefeaters' - was established by King Henry VII. Yeoman Warders work full time at the Tower of London. They are retired from the Armed Forces, have at least 22 years of service and must also hold the Long Service and Good Conduct medal.

1859 British explorer Dr. David Livingstone discovered Lake Nyasa - now Lake Malawi, in central Africa.

1915 The opening of Britain’s first Women’s Institute, (regularly referred to as simply the WI) at Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, Anglesey, Wales.

1945 World War II: Japanese troops in Hong Kong surrendered. The surrender was accepted by Royal Navy Admiral Sir Cecil Harcourt.
 
1830
Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote poem,'Old Ironsides' a tribute to 18th century USS Constitution
1976
American Episcopal Church approves women as priests and bishops
1991
U.S. trial of Manuel Noreiga, ex Panamean dictator/general begins. He was convicted of drug trafficking,sentenced to 40 yrs in prison
1997
Apple Computer,Co names co-founder Steve Jobs as interim CEO
2015
a report published in 'Nature Journal' 3 million people die each yr of air pollution more than malaria&HIV/Aids combined
 

My great uncle had a ranch on the north shore of the lake. The flood was a storm surge and it hit the south shore, so he was alright. However he joined the rescue effort, took his boat across the lake and mostly recovered lots of bodies. I grew up on his stories, it put the real fear of hurricanes and storm surges in me. He always claimed, and he was not the only one, that the death toll was much higher...

September 16 is the mid-point of hurricane season in the Atlantic, as many storms before as after, historically.
How dreadful.:cry:
 
1787
The U.S. Constitution is signed by delegates at Philadelphia Convention
1872
Phillip Pratt patents his sprinker system for extinguishing fires
1920
In Canton,Ohio 12 teams pay $100 to join the American Professional Football Association. Its renamed the National Football League in 1922
1978
At Camp David,Pres Jimmy Carter,Amwar Sadat,Mencheim Begin sign the'Camp David Peace Accords' which became framework for peace in Middle East between Egypt&Israel
 
This day in History September 18th

1851 The New York Times Founded

First published by Henry Jarvis Raymond and George Jones on September 18th, 1851, under the name of the New York Daily Times.

1933 Citrus Crop Damage

With the number of very heavy tropical storms, this season the Citrus crops in Texas and Florida have now suffered losses ranging from 85% of the grapefruit crop in Texas to 25% of the orange and tangerine crops in Florida. Many are hoping and praying that we have seen the last of this year's tropical storms.

1942 Subs Sinks 4 Japanese Ships

The fight for supremacy in the Pacific Ocean is being won by Submarines from the US as yesterday they sank 4 more Japanese Ships and damaged 4 more Japanese Ships.

1956 U.S.A. Gas Price Wars

Many towns and cities across the US are seeing price wars in filling Stations with prices changing hourly by stations wishing to increase business, the prices during a price war can range between 24.6 cents per gallon and 30.2 cents per gallon.
 
1837
Charles Lewis Tiffany &John B.Young co founders of a stationary&fancy goods emporium in New York City.Its later renamed "Tiffany &Co'
1851
The New York Times begins publishing,cost was 2 cents.The daily paper Mon-Sat costs $3,Sun edition is $6
1899
rag time composer, Scott Joplin is granted copyright for his "Maple Leaf Rag' by the U. S. Copyright office.Its his most famous ragtime composition
1947
CIA{Central Intelligence Agency} offically exists after being established by Pres. Harry Truman
 
This day in History September 19th

1928 West Palm Beach Hurricane

As Red Cross workers help in the stricken area of West Palm Beach in Florida by distributing food, healthcare and clothing after the hurricane the count of those who lost their lives continues to grow to over 400 in Palm Beach County alone. This is the worst hurricane to hit the area in many years and the loss of property in the area mounts daily.

1934 Charles Lindbergh Jr. Kidnapper Arrested
Bruno Hauptmann is arrested in New York after a gold certificate from the ransom money is found and traced back to Hauptmann, he was charged with the kidnap/murder of the Lindbergh baby. On February 13th 1935 he was sentenced to death and executed on April 3rd 1936 for the abduction and murder of Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr.

1942 Russia World War II
German troops and tanks have broken into Stalingrad for the third time and crack German commandos are being dropped in by aircraft in a bloody battle for control of the city.
 
1838
Ephraim Morris patents railroad brake
1893
New Zealand is 1st country to grant all women the right to vote
1982
streetcars stop running on Market St in San Francisco after 122 yrs of service
2014
Columbia Records releases 'Cheek to Cheek' a duet album of jazz standards with Tony Bennett& Lady Gaga. It debut # 1 on both jazz&traditional jazz album charts
 
1933 Citrus Crop Damage
With the number of very heavy tropical storms, this season the Citrus crops in Texas and Florida have now suffered losses ranging from 85% of the grapefruit crop in Texas to 25% of the orange and tangerine crops in Florida. Many are hoping and praying that we have seen the last of this year's tropical storms.
1933 was a really bad weather year in North America, the beginning of the dust bowl, and probably the worst hurricane year in history. Hope we don't see another one like it any time soon...
 
This day in History September 20th

1933 Cuba Civil War

The civil war in Cuba is causing Americans to seek protection from US warships as the fighting continues to intensify, also to make matters worse Malaria is breaking out in Havana and other cities with the number of cases growing daily. Many American owned businesses are under siege from the rebels including their own workers.

1933 The Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers make their first appearance in the National Football League. In their first game, they played the New York Giants and lost with a score of 23-2.

UK Water Restrictions
As part of the British war effort to conserve fuel every household is asked to bathe in no more than 5 inches of water, the royal family is leading the way with black lines painted on all baths in the royal household at a depth of 5 inches with posters all over the palace reminding all of the need to conserve energy.

1946 First Cannes Film Festival
The first annual Cannes Film Festival opens at the resort city of Cannes on the French Riviera.

1967 Egypt Israeli Tanks Sink Egyptian Patrol Boats
Israeli Tank gunners sank three Egyptian patrol boats carrying armed soldiers travelling down the blocked Suez Canal heightening tension in the area.
 
1814
Star Spangled Banner is published as a song,lyrics by Francis Scott Key,music by John Stafford Smith
1859
George Simpson patents electric range
1988
at the Seoul Summer Olympic Games, U.S. spring board diver, Greg Louganis won the Gold Medal.The day before he famously hit his head on the 3 meter board during the semi finals
 
This day in History September 21st

1921 Germany Chemical Plant Explosion

An explosion at a chemical products plant in Oppau, Germany, killed an estimated 800 people.

1922 Canada Harvest Returns To Pre-War Levels
Following a number of poor harvests in Canada and the interruption of the war, Canada will have its best harvest for over a decade and it is hoped that in the next couple of years harvests will return to pre-war levels.

1931 US Banking System Problems
As well as being the low point in the 1930s depression years also was a testing time for the US banking system as Americans lost faith in the banking system meaning they decided to draw money out of their local banks which in turn caused over 800 banks to close by the end of the year.

1937 Great Britain The Hobbit Published
J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit," is first published which follows the quest of home-loving Bilbo Baggins.

1949 China Mao Tse Tung
The Communist People’s Republic of China is proclaimed under Mao Tse Tung.
 
1930
Johann Ostermeyer patents the flashbulb
1964
Malta becomes independent from United Kingdom
1964
The world's 1st Mach 3 bomber,XB 70'Valkyrie' makes its maiden voyage from Palmdale,Calif. It was the protyped planned B-70 nuclear armed supersonic stragetic bomber to be used by U.S. Airforce,NASA It had 6 engines,crusing for thousands of miles at Mach 3 while flying at 70,000 ft. Two were built
 
This day in History September 22nd

1914 German U-Boat Submarine

For the first time in wartime, the capabilities of Submarine warfare is seen when a German U-Boat submarine sinks three British cruisers, the Aboukir, the Hogue, and the Cressy, in just over one hour.

1922 Bootleggers Winning
In the ongoing war against bootleggers, 125 Prohibition agents have been killed against 50 bootleggers and Rum Runners.

1927 U.S.A. Dempsey - Tunney Fight

The long-awaited re-match between ex-champion Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney is watched by 150,000 Chicago fans at Soldier Field for this 10 round World Heavyweight Championship Match. Tunney won but only after a hard fight and fans wondering if he did get up before the count in the seventh round after Dempsey knocked him out.

1949 Soviet Union Nuclear Bomb
The Soviet Union explodes its first Nuclear Bomb 4 yrs after America.

22 Sept 1953 North Korea Pilot Defects With MIG15
The communist pilot who defected to the west yesterday landing in Seoul and bringing with him the latest MIG15 or MIG17 will not only obtain his freedom from the communist regime but will also collect the $100,000 reward offered by the Air Force for the first MIG delivered intact to the US Air Force.
 
22nd September

1598 The English playwright Ben Jonson, a contemporary of William Shakespeare, killed an actor in a duel and was put on trial for manslaughter. Jonson pleaded guilty but was released by benefit of clergy, a legal ploy through which he gained leniency by reciting a brief bible verse, forfeiting his 'goods and chattels' and being branded on his left thumb.

1735 Sir Robert Walpole became the first prime minister to occupy 10 Downing Street.

1761 The coronation of George III. In the later part of his life, George III suffered from mental illness. After a final relapse in 1810, a regency was established, and George III's eldest son, George, Prince of Wales, ruled as Prince Regent until his father's death in 1820.

1967 The liner Queen Mary began her last Atlantic crossing. A New York docks strike meant that passengers had to carry their own luggage aboard.
 
1910
The Duke of York's Cinema opened in Brighton,its still operating today, the oldest cinema in Britain
1920
Chicago grand jury starts to investigate 8 Chicago White Sox players who conspired to rig the 1919 World Series
1961
Pres. John F Kennedy signs legislation for the Peace Corps to become a permanent government agency. The purpose of the corps to send volunteers e.g scientists,engineers,teachers to underdeveloped countries,to improve the lives of people in those countries there.It continues to this day
2003
David Hempleman-Adams becomes the 1st person to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a open air wicker basket hot air balloon. He started from New Brunswick,Canada,took him 83 hrs.He was planning to land in Ireland,but strong winds pushed him to England
 
23rd September

1338 The first naval battle of the Hundred Years' War between England and France took place On This Day. It was the first naval battle using artillery, as the English ship Christofer had three cannons and one hand gun.

1641 The Merchant Royal, a 17th century English merchant ship was lost at sea off Land's End. On board were at least 100,000 pounds of gold (nearly one billion pounds in today's money), 400 bars of Mexican silver and nearly 500,000 pieces of eight and other coins, making it one of the most valuable wrecks of all times. The wreck remains undiscovered.

1779 During the American Revolution, John Paul Jones on board the USS Bonhomme Richard beat British forces at the Battle of Flamborough Head (Yorkshire).

1952 The star of the silent movies, Charlie Chaplin, returned to his native England after 21 years in the US.
 
1642
Harvard University in Cambridge,Mass held its 1st commencement
1806
William Clark&Meriweather Lewis return to St. Louis after exploring the Mississippi River to the Pacific Coast
1955
an all white jury acquits, Roy Brant,John William Milay in the brutal slaying of teenager, Emmit Till in Sumner,Miss This landmark case would inspire U.S. civil rights movement
1986
U.S. Congress selects the rose as our national flower
 


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