September 15 is the 258th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 107 days remain until the end of the year. Numerous remarkable occurrences, both big and small, have shaped the world we live in today. From historical milestones and scientific discoveries to cultural moments and notable birthdays, this day has a rich tapestry of stories to uncover.
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Today In History - Events
Event of Note
1556: Charles V and Maria of Hungary return to Spain and retire to the Monastery of Yuste in Extremadura.
Event of Significance
1644: Giambattista Pamfili supplants Pope Urban VIII, becoming Pope Innocent X.
Noteworthy Accord
1707: Ferenc Rákóczi II, Prince of Transylvania, and Tsar Peter the Great ink a social security agreement.
Event of Consequence
1777: George Washington, acting under the Congress's mandate, designates Casimir Pulaski as a brigadier general in the Continental Army's cavalry.
Historical Literary Publication
1795: "Lyrical Ballads," the inaugural work of the English Romantic movement, was published by Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth (probable date).
Event of Interest
1812: The French army, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, reaches the Kremlin in Moscow.
Event of Note
1835: HMS Beagle, carrying Charles Darwin, arrives at the Galapagos Islands.
Event of Consequence
1903: Queen Wilhelmina denounces railroad strikers as "criminals."
Inaugural Use of Tanks in Warfare
1916: "Little Willies," the first tanks in warfare, are employed during the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, a segment of the Battle of the Somme.
Catholic Encyclical
1921: Pope Benedict XV releases the encyclical "Alcohol Paraclitus."
Event of Significance
1923: Military officer Miguel Primo de Rivera assumes dictatorship and Prime Ministership of Spain following a coup d'état.
Scientific Discovery
1928: Scottish bacteriologist Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin while investigating influenza.
Event of Interest
1938: British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain visits Adolf Hitler at Berchtesgaden.
Pinnacle of the Battle of Britain
1940: Battle of Britain Day marks the turning point in the Battle of Britain, as the Royal Air Force successfully repels a substantial Luftwaffe assault, despite suffering 29 aircraft losses to the Germans 57-61.
Aviation History
1940: UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill visits the 11th Fighter Group of the Royal Air Force on the most intense day of the Battle of Britain.
Event of Interest
1943: Benito Mussolini established a rival fascist government in Italy.
Catholic Encyclical
1951: Pope Pius XII publishes the encyclical "Ingruentium Malorum."
Pivotal Election
1957: Konrad Adenauer's CDU secured victory in the parliamentary election in West Germany.
Event of Interest
1959: Soviet Premier Khrushchev embarks on a 13-day visit to the United States.
Event of Interest
1966: In response to a sniper attack at the University of Texas at Austin, U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson writes a letter to the United States Congress, advocating for gun control legislation.
Notable Meeting
1977: U.S. President Jimmy Carter convenes with 15 record company executives.
Catholic Encyclical
1981: Pope John Paul II published the encyclical "Laborem Exercises," criticizing capitalism and Marxism.
Event of Significance
1981: The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approves Sandra Day O'Connor for the U.S. Supreme Court.
Event of Interest
1985: Olof Palme forms a minority government in Sweden.
Soros' Market Impact
1992: George Soros' Quantum Fund commences a substantial sale of the pound sterling, earning him the moniker "the man who broke the Bank of England" as the pound plummets out of the ERM the following day.
Event of Interest
2020: The family of Breonna Taylor announces a $12 million wrongful death settlement with the city of Louisville, Kentucky, following her tragic death in a botched police raid on March 13.
Event of Interest
2020: Scientific American, after 175 years, issues its first-ever presidential endorsement, backing Joe Biden.
Event of Significance
2021: SpaceX launches the first all-civilian spaceflight from Cape Canaveral, Florida, embarking on a three-day orbit around Earth.
Notable Summit
2022: Chinese leader Xi Jinping convenes with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other regional leaders at a summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
Event of Significance
2022: The European Parliament declares that Hungary can no longer be considered a full democracy, citing Viktor Orbán's government as a "hybrid regime of electoral autocracy."
Today In History - Sports
US Men's Tennis Open
1923: U.S. National Championship Men's Tennis at Germantown CC, Philadelphia: Bill Tilden secures his fourth consecutive U.S. singles title, defeating Bill Johnston 6-4, 6-1, 6-4.
NHL Record
1960: Maurice Richard announces his retirement, concluding his career with 544 goals, an NHL record at the time.
Sports History
1969: MLB's St. Louis Cardinals' Steve Carlton sets a record by striking out 19 NY Mets in a single game.
World Record
1973: Secretariat claims victory in the Marlboro Cup, setting a world record for 1¼ miles with a time of 1:45 2/5.
Sports History
1977: The Orioles forfeit to the Blue Jays when manager Earl Weaver removes the team from the field in the 5th inning, citing hazardous conditions due to a small tarpaulin on the bullpen mound.
Sports History
1995: St. Louis Cardinals' shortstop Ozzie Smith sets a record with 1,554 double plays.
Sports History
1996: The Texas Rangers retire their first number, Nolan Ryan's #34.
NFL Record
2002: Oakland quarterback Rich Gannon embarks on an NFL record-tying streak (alongside Kurt Warner and Steve Young) of six consecutive 300-yard passing games, throwing for 403 yards in the Raiders' 30-17 victory at Pittsburgh.
Golf Major
2013: Evian Championship Women's Golf at Evian Resort GC: Suzann Pettersen of Norway clinches victory, winning by two strokes over New Zealand amateur Lydia Ko. This event attains major title status for the first time.
Sports History
2018: Russian boxer Gennady Golovkin (38-1-1, 34 KOs) experiences his first professional defeat in his record 20th title defence, losing the undisputed world middleweight crown when outpointed by Mexican Canelo Álvarez (50-1-2, 34 KOs) in Las Vegas.
Sports History
2022: Tennis great Roger Federer announces his retirement from professional tennis at the age of 41, boasting 20 grand slam wins and 103 ATP titles.
On This Day In History - TV, Music, And Film
Music History
1963: The Beatles headline The Great Prop Prom at Royal Albert Hall, London, with The Rolling Stones among the opening acts.
Musical Release
1965: Volt/Stax Records releases Otis Redding's third studio album, "Otis Blue - Otis Redding Sings Soul," in the U.S., while Atlantic releases it in the UK. The album frequently ranks atop lists of great albums.
Music Recording Achievement
1970: Decca awards Bing Crosby a second platinum disc for selling 300 million records.
Music Recording
1972: Apple Records releases John Lennon and Yoko Ono's political album "Sometime in NYC" in the UK, following a delay due to a publishing rights dispute. The album includes live tracks from a 1971 concert featuring Frank Zappa.
Musical Release
1980: Paul McCartney releases the single "Temporary Secretary."
Chart-Topping Single
1993: The single "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)," performed by Meat Loaf and composed by Jim Steinman, is released. It goes on to top the charts in 28 countries.
Toronto Film Festival Recognition
2013: At the 38th Toronto International Film Festival, "12 Years a Slave," directed by Steve McQueen, wins the People's Choice Award.
Musical Finale
2015: Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus' musical "Mamma Mia!", featuring the songs of ABBA, concludes its run at The Broadhurst Theatre, NYC, after an impressive 5,733 performances.
On This Day - Birthdays
Marco Polo
(1254-1324)
Distinguished Italian explorer (known for "Il Milione"), born in the illustrious city of Venice, within the Venetian Republic.
James Fenimore Cooper
(1789-1851)
Esteemed as the first major American novelist (acclaimed for "The Last of the Mohicans"), born in Burlington, New Jersey.
William Howard Taft
(1857-1930)
The 27th President of the United States, a prominent figure in the Republican Party (served from 1909 to 1913), and later Chief Justice of the United States, hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio.
Agatha Christie
(1890-1976)
Renowned English crime writer celebrated for masterpieces like "Murder on the Orient Express" and "The Mousetrap," born in the picturesque Torquay, Devon.
Fay Wray
(1907-2004)
A Canadian-American actress celebrated for her iconic role in "King Kong," originally hailing from Alberta, Canada.
Jean Batten
(1909-1982)
Distinguished New Zealand aviator who accomplished the first-ever solo flight from England to New Zealand in 1936, born in Rotorua, New Zealand.
Fausto Coppi
(1919-1960)
Eminent Italian cyclist, notable for his victories in the Giro d'Italia (1940, 1947, 1949, 1952-1953) and the Tour de France (1949, 1952), and crowned with gold in the World Championship individual pursuit (1947) and road race (1953), originating from Castellania, Italy.
Ashley Cooper
(1936-2020)
An accomplished Australian tennis player who claimed victory in the Australian Championships in 1957 and 1958, as well as Wimbledon and the US Championships in 1958, hailing from Melbourne, Victoria.
Gaylord Perry
(1938-2022)
Inducted into the American Baseball Hall of Fame, a celebrated pitcher with numerous accolades including five MLB All-Star selections, two Cy Young Awards (1972, 1978), a memorable no-hitter in 1968, and a storied career spanning the SF Giants, Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, and SD Padres. He was born in Williamston, North Carolina.
Emmerson Mnangagwa
(80 years old)
A prominent Zimbabwean politician who assumed the presidency in 2017, born in Zvishavane, South Rhodesia.
Oliver Stone
(76 years old)
Distinguished American screenwriter and film director, an Academy Award-winning luminary renowned for cinematic gems like "Wall Street," "Born On The Fourth of July," "Platoon," and "JFK," born in the bustling metropolis of NYC, New York.
Tommy Lee Jones
(76 years old)
Eminent American actor known for his remarkable roles in productions such as "The Executioner's Song," "Bloody Monday," and "The Fugitive," originally from San Saba, Texas.
Abdul Qadir
(1955-2019)
A legendary Pakistani cricket spin bowler who left a lasting legacy with 67 Tests and 236 wickets, including his stellar performance of 9/56 in 1987. He was born in Lahore, Punjab.
Dan Marino
(61 years old)
An iconic American football quarterback enshrined in the College Football and Pro Football Halls of Fame. Marino's illustrious career includes nine Pro Bowl selections, NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year honours in 1984, and multiple First Team All-Pro distinctions. He was associated with the University of Pittsburgh and the Miami Dolphins and was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Prince Harry
(38 years old)
The Duke of Sussex and the fifth in line to the British throne was born in the vibrant city of London, England.
Today In History - Deaths
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
(1806-1859)
A pioneering British engineer acclaimed for projects like the SS Great Britain and the Great Western Railway passed away at the age of 53 due to a stroke.
Thomas Wolfe
(1900-1938)
An American novelist renowned for his literary masterpiece "Look Homeward, Angel," succumbed to tuberculosis at the young age of 37.
Johnny Ramone
(1948-2004)
A prominent American punk rock guitarist and songwriter, known for his role in the iconic band Ramones, particularly famous for the track "I Wanna Be Sedated." He lost his battle with prostate cancer at the age of 55.
Harry Dean Stanton
(1926-2017)
An acclaimed American actor with an extensive filmography including "Lucky," "Alien," "Cool Hand Luke," and "The Godfather Part II." Stanton was also a musician and singer. He passed away at the age of 91.
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