Today in History

September 19th1852 – Discovery of the Asteroid MassaliaOn September 19, 1852, Annibale de Gasparis, an Italian astronomer, discovered the asteroid Massalia from the north dome of the Astronomical Observatory of Capodimonte in Naples, Italy. Massalia, also known as 20 Massalia, was the twentieth asteroid to be identified and is one of the largest in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. De Gasparis’ discovery contributed to the growing understanding of the composition and dynamics of the solar system. The asteroid was named after the ancient Greek name for the city of Marseille, France.




1879 The famous illuminations in Blackpool were switched on for the first time, a month before electricity was generally available in London. The first display was known as 'Artificial sunshine', and consisted of just eight Arc lamps which bathed the Promenade.



1975 The first episode of comedy show Fawlty Towers was broadcast by the BBC.
 

On This Day In History, September 20th

2011 – The official US military policy of "don't ask, don't tell" ends
The policy was instituted by the administration of Bill Clinton in 1994. Under the policy, openly gay personnel were not allowed to serve in the United States military, but they could serve as long as they did not reveal their LGBT status.

2001 – American President, George W. Bush, Declares War on Terror
The global military campaign against terrorism was first declared in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks in the United States. The phrase was used by President Bush in a speech given to the United States Congress.

1984 – The Cosby Show Airs for the First Time
The popular television sitcom followed the lives of a Brooklyn-based African-American family called the Huxtables. The show ran for 8 years on NBC and was largely based on the stand-up comedy of Bill Cosby, who played the role of Heathcliff "Cliff" Huxtable, the father in the show.

1973 – Billie Jean King Wins the Battle of the Sexes
The mixed gender tennis match between top tennis player Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King was held in Houston, Texas, after Riggs won another mixed gender match against Margaret Court earlier in the year. The matches were prompted by Riggs’ comments that even at the age of 55, he could beat any female tennis player. King beat Riggs and took home the $100,000 prize money. The match was and still is one of the most viewed tennis matches on television - it was watched by about 90 million people around the world.

1904 – Wilbur Wright Makes the First Circular Flight
Wright, who, with his brother Orville, is credited for inventing the first airplane, made a complete circle in 1 minute and 16 seconds on the Wright Flyer II.
 


Births on the 20th of September 🎂

1984 – Brian Joubert
French figure skater

1975 – Juan Pablo Montoya
Colombian race car driver

1948 – George R. R. Martin
American screenwriter, author

1934 – Sophia Loren
Italian actress

1899 – Leo Strauss
German/American philosopher

Deaths on the 20th of September 🪦

2005 – Simon Wiesenthal
Austrian Holocaust survivor

2004 – Brian Clough
English footballer, manager

1973 – Jim Croce
American singer-songwriter

1933 – Annie Besant
English activist, author

1930 – Gombojab Tsybikov
Russian explorer
 
September 20th


1498
The 1498 Nankai earthquake generates a tsunami that washes away the building housing the statue of the Great Buddha at Kōtoku-in in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan; since then the Buddha has sat in the open air.








1904 – Wilbur Wright Makes the First Circular Flight
Wright, who with his brother Orville, is credited for inventing the first airplane, made a complete circle in 1 minute and 16 seconds on the Wright Flyer II.




1964 The Beatles' first US tour ended with a charity concert in New York.
 
20th September

1066 The Battle of Fulford, Yorkshire. Harald III Hardrada of Norway defeated the Northern Saxon Earls Edwin and Morcar.

1643 The First Battle of Newbury (English civil war). The battle of Newbury was fought between parliament's main field army under the Earl of Essex and the main Royalist army in the south, with both Charles I and Prince Rupert present.

1967 The liner Queen Elizabeth II (QE2) was launched at Clydebank, Scotland by ...... Queen Elizabeth II. The ship's anchor was donated to Southampton by Cunard in March 2010.

1970 The Russian space probe, Luna 16, landed on the Moon to collect samples from its surface.

1984 A suicide bomber attacked the United States embassy in the Lebanese capital, Beirut.

1999 UN force arrived in East Timor. A multinational peacekeeping force landed in East Timor in an attempt to restore law and order to the territory.
 
On This Day In History, September 21st

2013 – The Westgate Mall is attacked in Nairobi, Kenya
In a daring siege, militants of the extremist group al-Shabaab took over the Mall. 63 shoppers were killed during the attack that lasted a few hours, and before the Kenyan security forces rescued the hostages, 4 terrorists were also killed. Al-Shabaab declared that it had undertaken the attack as retaliation for the presence of Kenyan armed forces in Somalia.

1964, Malta gained its independence from the UK
The southern European island country came under British control in 1814 as part of the Treaty of Paris. The country initially retained the Queen of England as its head of state but declared itself a republic on December 13, 1974.

1961 – Boeing CH-47 Chinook takes flight for the first time
The American-made helicopter has been used by the US military in a variety of conflict-related operations, including during the recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. It has also been often used for medical evacuation and search and rescue operations during natural disasters around the world.

1942 – Boeing B-29 Superfortress flies for the first time
The bomber was used extensively by the US in World War II and the Korean War. The two planes – Enola Gay and Bockscar – that dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were from the silverplate series of Boeing B-29s.

1937 – J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit is published for the first time.
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, is a young adult fantasy novel that follows the adventures of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins as he traverses through Middle-earth to find treasure guarded by a dragon named Smaug.
 
Births on 21st September 🎂

1957 – Kevin Rudd
Australian politician, 26th Prime Minister of Australia

1947 – Stephen King
American author

1902 – Luis Cernuda
Spanish poet

1867 – Henry L. Stimson
American statesman, lawyer, politician

1866 – H. G. Wells
English author

Deaths on 21st September

2011 – Troy Davis
American murderer

1982 – Ivan Bagramyan
Soviet military leader

1860 – Arthur Schopenhauer
German philosopher

1832 – Walter Scott
Scottish novelist, poet

1558 – Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor, King of Spain, Sicily, and Naples
 
On This Day - 21st September


1327 Deposed King Edward II of England was murdered, with a red hot poker in Berkeley Castle, Gloucestershire by order of his wife, to ensure the succession of his son Edward III.


Galileo's Telescope: In 1609, Galileo Galilei demonstrated his first telescope to Venetian lawmakers. This invention revolutionized astronomy, allowing for unprecedented observations of the cosmos



1962 Bamber Gascoigne's University Challenge was screened for the first time.
 
1897
NY Sun newspaper runs famous' Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus' editorial in response from a letter the paper received from 8yr old Virginia O'Hanlon
1930
Johann Ostermeyer patents flashbulb
1957
legal drama' Perry Mason' based on character by detective writer, Erle Stanley Gardner debuts on CBS Raymond Burr stars as 'Mason, Barbara Hale' Della Street' his devoted secretary, William Hopper' Paul Drake- Perry's investigator, William Talman as DA' Hamilton Burger. The show ended May 1966
1981
U.S. Senate confirms Sandra Day O'Connor 99-0, she becomes the 1st female Supreme Court Justice
2016
3 genetic studies published in 'Nature' conclude all non-Africans descend from 1 migration out of Africa 50,000-80,000 yrs ago
 
September 22nd


1499 Switzerland becomes an independent state


1896 Queen Victoria surpassed her grandfather King George III as the longest reigning monarch in British history. The record stood until 9th September 2015 when Queen Elizabeth II became the longest serving monarch of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand

1910 The Duke of York's Picture House opened in Brighton. It is now the oldest continually operating cinema in Britain.




1955 Independent Television (ITV) began operating. Only six minutes of advertisements were allowed each hour and there was no Sunday morning TV permitted. The first advertisement screened was for Gibbs SR toothpaste.
Can we go back to six minutes of adverts?
 
Last edited:
22nd September

1598 The English playwright Ben Jonson, a contemporary of William Shakespeare, killed the actor, Gabriel Spencer, in a duel and was put on trial. Jonson confessed to the killing, but escaped capital punishment by pleading 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.

1934 A deadly explosion ripped through the Gresford coal mine in North Wales, claiming over 260 lives.

1975 A day of IRA bombings across Northern Ireland placed the ceasefire it declared in serious doubt.

1989 A devastating explosion at an army barracks in Kent killed 10 young soldiers.The republican group IRA said it planted the bomb
 
September 23rd





1387 One of the most extravagant of the early Medieval English feasts was recorded. It was held in honour of King Richard II and the Duke of Lancaster (John of Gaunt). The feast included 14 salted oxen, 2 fresh oxen, 120 sheep, 12 boar, 14 calves, 140 pigs, 144 poultry, 1200 pigeons, 144 partridge, 96 rabbits, 120 gallons of milk, 11,000 eggs ..... and much more!



1846 – Neptune is discoveredThe planet Neptune was discovered on September 23rd by German astronomer Johann Galle, with the assistance of Heinrich d’Arrest, at the Berlin Observatory. The discovery was a significant achievement in the field of astronomy, as it was the first planet located through mathematical predictions rather than direct observation.


1978 – The number one single in the UK on this day September 23 was ‘Dreadlock Holiday’ by 10 C.C. The song was a chart-topper in Belgium, the Netherlands, and New Zealand as well that year.
 

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