TODAY IN HISTORY: SEPTEMBER 14

 

September 14

 September 14th is a significant day in history, as various events of cultural, political, and scientific importance have occurred on this date. It is a day that has witnessed revolutionary changes, influential figures, and moments that have shaped the world we live in. Let's delve into some of the most notable events and occurrences on September 14th.

One of the most influential events in modern history took place on September 14, 1901, when President William McKinley succumbed to his wounds after being shot by anarchist Leon Czolgosz eight days earlier. This tragic event marked the beginning of a new era, as Vice President Theodore Roosevelt became the youngest president in American history and initiated progressive reforms that would reshape the political landscape for years to come.

Another monumental event on September 14th was the signing of the Treaty of San Stefano in 1878, which ended the Russo-Turkish War. This treaty, between Russia and the Ottoman Empire, redrew the map of Eastern Europe and significantly influenced the geopolitical landscape of the region. It led to the creation of an independent Bulgaria and intensified tensions between great powers, setting the stage for future conflicts and power struggles in the Balkans.

On a cultural note, renowned author and playwright, H.G. Wells, was born on September 14, 1866. Wells' imaginative works, such as \The Time Machine\ and \The War of the Worlds,\ revolutionized the science fiction genre and continue to captivate readers to this day. His contributions to literature and popular culture are extraordinary, turning him into a literary icon whose influence extends far beyond his time.

In the world of science, September 14th is associated with numerous breakthroughs and discoveries. One such discovery occurred in 1964 when the German physician, Gerhard Domagk, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his development of the first commercially available antibiotic, Prontosil. This groundbreaking achievement paved the way for the mass production and widespread use of antibiotics, revolutionizing modern medicine and dramatically improving the prospects for treating infectious diseases.

Furthermore, September 14th saw an important achievement in the field of space exploration in 1959. The Soviet spacecraft, Luna 2, became the first man-made object to reach the Moon, impacting its surface. This milestone marked a major step forward in human exploration beyond Earth, inspiring further lunar missions and paving the way for future achievements, such as the successful Apollo moon landings.

Lastly, September 14th bears cultural significance as it is celebrated as Hindi Diwas in India. This day commemorates the adoption of Hindi as one of India's official languages by the Constituent Assembly in 1949. It reflects the rich linguistic diversity of the country while promoting national unity through the recognition of Hindi as a unifying force.

In conclusion, September 14th holds immense historical, cultural, and scientific significance. From the assassination of a president to the birth of influential figures, groundbreaking scientific discoveries, and cultural celebrations, this day has shaped the world we live in today. It serves as a reminder of our collective achievements, the impact of historical events, and the progress we continue to make as a global society.

Here are more events on this day:

AD 81 – Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus.

629 – Emperor Heraclius enters Constantinople in triumph after his victory over the Persian Empire.

786 – "Night of the three Caliphs": Harun al-Rashid becomes the Abbasid caliph upon the death of his brother al-Hadi. Birth of Harun's son al-Ma'mun.

919 – Battle of Islandbridge: High King Niall Glúndub is killed while leading an Irish coalition against the Vikings of Uí Ímair, led by King Sitric Cáech.

1180 – Genpei War: Battle of Ishibashiyama in Japan.

1226 – The first recorded instance of the Catholic practice of perpetual Eucharistic adoration formally begins in Avignon, France.

1402 – Battle of Homildon Hill results in an English victory over Scotland.

1607 – Flight of the Earls from Lough Swilly, Donegal, Ireland.

1682 – Bishop Gore School, one of the oldest schools in Wales, is founded.

1723 – Grand Master António Manoel de Vilhena lays down the first stone of Fort Manoel in Malta.

1741 – George Frideric Handel completes his oratorio Messiah.

1752 – The British Empire adopts the Gregorian calendar, skipping eleven days (the previous day was September 2).

1763 – Seneca warriors defeat British forces at the Battle of Devil's Hole during Pontiac's War.

1782 – American Revolutionary War: Review of the French troops under General Rochambeau by General George Washington at Verplanck's Point, New York.

1791 – The Papal States lose Avignon to Revolutionary France.

1808 – Finnish War: Russians defeat the Swedes at the Battle of Oravais.

1812 – Napoleonic Wars: The French Grande Armée enters Moscow. The Fire of Moscow begins as soon as Russian troops leave the city.

1814 – Battle of Baltimore: The poem Defence of Fort McHenry is written by Francis Scott Key. The poem is later used as the lyrics of The Star-Spangled Banner.

1829 – The Ottoman Empire signs the Treaty of Adrianople with Russia, thus ending the Russo-Turkish War.

1846 – Jang Bahadur and his brothers massacre about 40 members of the Nepalese palace court.

1862 – American Civil War: The Battle of South Mountain, part of the Maryland Campaign, is fought.

1901 – U.S. President William McKinley dies after being mortally wounded on September 6 by anarchist Leon Czolgosz and is succeeded by Vice President Theodore Roosevelt.

1911 – Russian Premier Pyotr Stolypin is shot by Dmitry Bogrov while attending a performance of Rimsky-Korsakov's The Tale of Tsar Saltan at the Kiev Opera House, in the presence of Tsar Nicholas II.

1914 – HMAS AE1, the Royal Australian Navy's first submarine, is lost at sea with all hands near East New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

1917 – The Russian Empire is formally replaced by the Russian Republic.

1936 – Raoul Villain, who assassinated the French Socialist Jean Jaurès, is himself killed by Spanish Republicans in Ibiza.

1939 – World War II: The Estonian military boards the Polish submarine ORP Orzeł in Tallinn, sparking a diplomatic incident that the Soviet Union will later use to justify the annexation of Estonia.

1940 – Ip massacre: The Hungarian Army, supported by local Hungarians, kill 158 Romanian civilians in Ip, Sălaj, a village in Northern Transylvania, an act of ethnic cleansing.

1943 – World War II: The Wehrmacht starts a three-day retaliatory operation targeting several Greek villages in the region of Viannos, whose death toll would eventually exceed 500 persons.

1944 – World War II: Maastricht becomes the first Dutch city to be liberated by allied forces.

1948 – The Indian Army captures the city of Aurangabad as part of Operation Polo.

1954 – In a top secret nuclear test, a Soviet Tu-4 bomber drops a 40 kiloton atomic weapon just north of Totskoye village.

1958 – The first two German post-war rockets, designed by the German engineer Ernst Mohr, reach the upper atmosphere.

1960 – The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is founded.

1960 – Congo Crisis: Mobutu Sese Seko seizes power in a military coup, suspending parliament and the constitution.

1975 – The first American saint, Elizabeth Ann Seton, is canonized by Pope Paul VI.

1979 – Afghan leader Nur Muhammad Taraki is assassinated upon the order of Hafizullah Amin, who becomes the new General Secretary of the People's Democratic Party.

1982 – President-elect of Lebanon Bachir Gemayel is assassinated.

1984 – Joe Kittinger becomes the first person to fly a gas balloon alone across the Atlantic Ocean.

1985 – Penang Bridge, the longest bridge in Malaysia, connecting the island of Penang to the mainland, opens to traffic.

1989 – The Standard Gravure shooting where Joseph T. Wesbecker, a 47-year-old pressman, killed eight people and injured 12 people at his former workplace, Standard Gravure, before committing suicide.

1992 – The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina declares the breakaway Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia to be illegal.

1993 – Lufthansa Flight 2904, an Airbus A320, crashes into an embankment after overshooting the runway at Okęcie International Airport (now Warsaw Chopin Airport), killing two people.

1994 – The rest of the Major League Baseball season is canceled because of a strike.

1997 – Eighty-one killed as five bogies of the Ahmedabad–Howrah Express plunge into a river in Bilaspur district of Madhya Pradesh, India.

1998 – Telecommunications companies MCI Communications and WorldCom complete their $37 billion merger to form MCI WorldCom.

1999 – Kiribati, Nauru and Tonga join the United Nations.

2000 – Microsoft releases Windows Me.

2001 – Historic National Prayer Service held at Washington National Cathedral for victims of the September 11 attacks. A similar service is held in Canada on Parliament Hill, the largest vigil ever held in the nation's capital.

2002 – Total Linhas Aéreas Flight 5561 crashes near Paranapanema, Brazil, killing both pilots on board.

2003 – In a referendum, Estonia approves joining the European Union.

2003 – Bissau-Guinean President Kumba Ialá is ousted from power in a bloodless military coup led by General Veríssimo Correia Seabra.

2007 – Financial crisis of 2007–2008: The Northern Rock bank experiences the first bank run in the United Kingdom in 150 years.

2008 – Aeroflot Flight 821, a Boeing 737-500, crashes into a section of the Trans-Siberian Railway while on approach to Perm International Airport, in Perm, Russia, killing all 88 people on board.

2015 – The first observation of gravitational waves is made, announced by the LIGO and Virgo collaborations on 11 February 2016.

2019 – Yemen's Houthi rebels claim responsibility for an attack on Saudi Arabian oil facilities.

2022 – Death of Queen Elizabeth II: The Queen's coffin is taken from Buckingham Palace, placed on a gun carriage of The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery and moved in a procession to Westminster Hall for her lying in state over the next four days with queues of up to 30 hours stretching for miles along the River Thames.