TODAY IN HISTORY: SEPTEMBER 11

 

September 11

 September 11 in History: A Date of Significance and Tragedy

September 11 is a date that carries deep historical significance, marked by both monumental achievements and devastating tragedy. Throughout history, this date has seen events that have shaped the course of nations and left lasting impacts on the world. Here, we explore some key moments from September 11 in history.

The Mayflower Departs (1620):

On September 11, 1620, the Pilgrims set sail from Plymouth, England, aboard the Mayflower, embarking on a historic journey to the New World. This voyage ultimately led to the establishment of the Plymouth Colony in what is now Massachusetts, a critical chapter in the early history of European settlement in North America.

Creation of the United States Army (1789):

On September 11, 1789, the U.S. Congress officially created the United States Army. This momentous decision laid the foundation for the development of one of the world's most powerful and influential military forces. The establishment of the army was a pivotal step in the formation of the newly independent United States.

Pinochet Ousted in Chile (1973):

September 11, 1973, marked a significant political event in Chile. On this day, a military coup led by General Augusto Pinochet resulted in the overthrow of President Salvador Allende's government. Pinochet's regime would go on to rule Chile for nearly two decades, during which time the country experienced a period of authoritarian rule and human rights abuses.

Terrorist Attacks on the United States (2001):

The most tragic and infamous September 11 event in history occurred in 2001. On the morning of September 11, 2001, a group of terrorists hijacked four commercial airplanes. Two of these planes were flown into the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, causing both buildings to collapse. A third plane struck the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, while the fourth plane, United Airlines Flight 93, crashed in a field in Pennsylvania after passengers bravely fought the hijackers. Nearly 3,000 lives were lost in these devastating attacks, making it the deadliest terrorist act in world history.

The 9/11 attacks had profound and far-reaching consequences, both for the United States and the world. They led to significant changes in U.S. domestic and foreign policy, including the launch of the War on Terror and military interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq. Security measures and international cooperation were also significantly altered in response to these attacks.

The National September 11 Memorial & Museum:

In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, a powerful memorial and museum were established to honor the victims and preserve the memory of that tragic day. The National September 11 Memorial & Museum, located at the World Trade Center site in New York City, features two reflecting pools set within the footprints of the Twin Towers. The names of the victims are inscribed around the pools, creating a somber and reflective atmosphere. The museum houses artifacts, stories, and exhibitions that pay tribute to the lives lost and the resilience of survivors.

A Day of Remembrance and Unity:

In the years since the 9/11 attacks, September 11 has become a day of remembrance and unity in the United States and around the world. People gather at memorial services, participate in acts of service, and reflect on the events of that day. It serves as a solemn reminder of the importance of resilience, compassion, and global solidarity in the face of tragedy.

In conclusion, September 11 is a date that encompasses a wide range of historical events, from the founding of the United States Army to the tragic terrorist attacks of 2001. It reminds us of the complex tapestry of human history, with moments of great achievement and devastating loss. While the events of September 11, 2001, continue to shape the world, they also underscore the enduring spirit of resilience and unity that defines humanity in the face of adversity.

Here are more events on this day:

9 – The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends: The Roman Empire suffers the greatest defeat of its history and the Rhine is established as the border between the Empire and the so-called barbarians for the next four hundred years.

1185 – Isaac II Angelos kills Stephen Hagiochristophorites and then appeals to the people, resulting in the revolt that deposes Andronikos I Komnenos and places Isaac on the throne of the Byzantine Empire.

1297 – Battle of Stirling Bridge: Scots jointly led by William Wallace and Andrew Moray defeat the English.

1390 – Lithuanian Civil War (1389–92): The Teutonic Knights begin a five-week siege of Vilnius.

1541 – Santiago, Chile, is attacked by indigenous warriors, led by Michimalonco, to free eight indigenous chiefs held captive by the Spaniards.

1565 – Ottoman forces retreat from Malta ending the Great Siege of Malta.

1609 – Henry Hudson arrives on Manhattan Island and meets the indigenous people living there.

1649 – Siege of Drogheda ends: Oliver Cromwell's Parliamentarian troops take the town and execute its garrison.

1683 – Battle of Vienna: Coalition forces, including the famous winged Hussars, led by Polish King John III Sobieski lift the siege laid by Ottoman forces.

1697 – Battle of Zenta: a major engagement in the Great Turkish War (1683–1699) and one of the most decisive defeats in Ottoman history.

1708 – Charles XII of Sweden stops his march to conquer Moscow outside Smolensk, marking the turning point in the Great Northern War. The army is defeated nine months later in the Battle of Poltava, and the Swedish Empire ceases to be a major power.

1709 – Battle of Malplaquet: Great Britain, Netherlands, and Austria fight against France.

1714 – Siege of Barcelona: Barcelona, capital city of Catalonia, surrenders to Spanish and French Bourbon armies in the War of the Spanish Succession.

1758 – Battle of Saint Cast: France repels British invasion during the Seven Years' War.

1775 – Benedict Arnold's expedition to Quebec leaves Cambridge, Massachusetts.

1776 – British–American peace conference on Staten Island fails to stop nascent American Revolutionary War.

1777 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Brandywine: The British celebrate a major victory in Chester County, Pennsylvania.

1780 – American Revolutionary War: Sugarloaf massacre: A small detachment of militia from Northampton County, Pennsylvania, are attacked by Native Americans and Loyalists near Little Nescopeck Creek.

1786 – The beginning of the Annapolis Convention.

1789 – Alexander Hamilton is appointed the first United States Secretary of the Treasury.

1792 – The Hope Diamond is stolen along with other French crown jewels when six men break into the house where they are stored.

1800 – The Maltese National Congress Battalions are disbanded by British Civil Commissioner Alexander Ball.

1802 – France annexes the Kingdom of Piedmont.

1803 – Battle of Delhi, during the Second Anglo-Maratha War, between British troops under General Lake, and Marathas of Scindia's army under General Louis Bourquin.

1813 – War of 1812: British troops arrive in Mount Vernon and prepare to march to and invade Washington, D.C.

1814 – War of 1812: The climax of the Battle of Plattsburgh, a major United States victory in the war.

1826 – Captain William Morgan, an ex-freemason is arrested in Batavia, New York for debt after declaring that he would publish The Mysteries of Free Masonry, a book against Freemasonry. This sets into motion the events that led to his mysterious disappearance.

1829 – An expedition led by Isidro Barradas at Tampico, sent by the Spanish crown to retake Mexico, surrenders at the Battle of Tampico, marking the effective end of Mexico's campaign for independence.

1830 – Anti-Masonic Party convention; one of the first American political party conventions.

1836 – The Riograndense Republic is proclaimed by rebels after defeating Empire of Brazil's troops in the Battle of Seival, during the Ragamuffin War.

1851 – Christiana Resistance: Escaped slaves led by William Parker fight off and kill a slave owner who, with a federal marshal and an armed party, sought to seize three of his former slaves in Christiana, Pennsylvania, thereby creating a cause célèbre between slavery proponents and abolitionists.

1852 – Outbreak of Revolution of September 11 resulting in the State of Buenos Aires declaring independence as a Republic.

1857 – The Mountain Meadows massacre: Mormon settlers and Paiutes massacre 120 pioneers at Mountain Meadows, Utah.

1881 – In the Swiss state of Glarus, a rockslide buries parts of the village of Elm, destroying 83 buildings and killing 115 people.

1897 – After months of pursuit, generals of Menelik II of Ethiopia capture Gaki Sherocho, the last king of the Kaffa.

1903 – The first race at the Milwaukee Mile in West Allis, Wisconsin is held. It is the oldest major speedway in the world.

1905 – The Ninth Avenue derailment occurs in New York City, killing 13.

1914 – World War I: Australia invades German New Guinea, defeating a German contingent at the Battle of Bita Paka.

1914 – The Second Period of Russification: The teaching of the Russian language and Russian history in Finnish schools is ordered to be considerably increased as part of the forced Russification program in Finland run by Tsar Nicholas II.

1916 – The Quebec Bridge's central span collapses, killing 11 men. The bridge previously collapsed completely on August 29, 1907.

1919 – United States Marine Corps invades Honduras.

1921 – Nahalal, the first moshav in Palestine, is settled as part of a Zionist plan of creating a Jewish state, later to be Israel.

1922 – The Treaty of Kars is ratified in Yerevan, Armenia.

1941 – Construction begins on The Pentagon.

1941 – Charles Lindbergh's Des Moines Speech accusing the British, Jews and FDR's administration of pressing for war with Germany.

1943 – World War II: German troops occupy Corsica and Kosovo-Metohija ending the Italian occupation of Corsica.

1944 – World War II: RAF bombing raid on Darmstadt and the following firestorm kill 11,500.

1945 – World War II: Australian 9th Division forces liberate the Japanese-run Batu Lintang camp, a POW and civilian internment camp on the island of Borneo.

1954 – Hurricane Edna hits New England (United States) as a Category 2 hurricane, causing significant damage and 29 deaths.

1961 – Hurricane Carla strikes the Texas coast as a Category 4 hurricane, the second strongest storm ever to hit the state.

1965 – Indo-Pakistani War: The Indian Army captures the town of Burki, just southeast of Lahore.

1967 – China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) launched an attack on Indian posts at Nathu La, Sikkim, India, which resulted in military clashes.

1968 – Air France Flight 1611 crashes off Nice, France, killing 89 passengers and six crew.

1970 – The Dawson's Field hijackers release 88 of their hostages. The remaining hostages, mostly Jews and Israeli citizens, are held until September 25.

1971 – The Egyptian Constitution becomes official.

1972 – The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit system begins passenger service.

1973 – A coup in Chile, headed by General Augusto Pinochet, topples the democratically elected president Salvador Allende. Pinochet exercises dictatorial power until ousted in a referendum in 1988, staying in power until 1990.

1973 – JAT Airways Flight 769 crashes into the Maganik mountain range while on approach to Titograd Airport, killing 35 passengers and six crew.

1974 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 212 crashes in Charlotte, North Carolina, killing 69 passengers and two crew.

1976 – A bomb planted by a Croatian terrorist, Zvonko Bušić, is found at New York's Grand Central Terminal; one NYPD officer is killed trying to defuse it.

1980 – A new constitution of Chile is established under the influence of then Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, which is subject to controversy in Chile today.

1982 – The international forces that were guaranteeing the safety of Palestinian refugees following Israel's 1982 Invasion of Lebanon leave Beirut. Five days later, several thousand refugees are massacred in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps by Phalange forces.

1989 – Hungary announces that the East German refugees who had been housed in temporary camps were free to leave for West Germany.

1990 – A Faucett Boeing 727 disappears in the Atlantic Ocean while being flown from Malta to Peru.

1991 – Continental Express Flight 2574 crashes in Colorado County, Texas, near Eagle Lake, killing 11 passengers and three crew.

1992 – Hurricane Iniki, one of the most damaging hurricanes in United States history, devastates the Hawaiian Islands of Kauai and Oahu.

1997 – NASA's Mars Global Surveyor reaches Mars.

1997 – Kurkse tragedy: Fourteen Estonian soldiers of the Baltic Battalion are drowned or die of hypothermia during a training exercise in the Kurkse Strait.

1997 – After a nationwide referendum, Scotland votes to establish a devolved parliament within the United Kingdom.

2001 – The September 11 attacks, a series of coordinated terrorist attacks killing 2,996 people using four aircraft hijacked by 19 members of al-Qaeda. Two aircraft crash into the World Trade Center in New York City, a third crashes into The Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia, and a fourth into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

2007 – Russia tests the largest conventional weapon ever, the Father of All Bombs.

2008 – A major Channel Tunnel fire breaks out on a freight train, resulting in the closure of part of the tunnel for six months.

2011 – A dedication ceremony is held at the United States National September 11 Memorial on the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks in New York City, and the memorial opens to family members.

2012 – A total of 315 people are killed in two garment factory fires in Pakistan.

2012 – The U.S. embassy in Benghazi, Libya is attacked, resulting in four deaths.

2015 – A crane collapses onto the Masjid al-Haram mosque in Saudi Arabia, killing 111 people and injuring 394 others.