Just Plain Fun
This Day in History – September 14, 2011
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1716 1st lighthouse in US lit (Boston Harbor) 1752 The British Empire adopts the Gregorian calendar, skipping eleven days (the previous day was September 2). 1814 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. 1847 Mexican-American War: Winfield Scott captures Mexico City. 1848 Alexander Stewart opens the 1st US dept store 1862 American Civil War: The Battle of South Mountain, part of the Maryland Campaign, is fought. 1886 George K Anderson of Memphis, Tennessee patents typewriter ribbon 1891 “Empire State Express” train goes from NYC to East Buffalo, a distance of 436 miles, in a record 7H6M 1901 President of the United States William McKinley dies after an assassination attempt on September 6, and is succeeded by Theodore Roosevelt. 1917 Russia is officially proclaimed a republic. 1948 Groundbreaking for the United Nations headquarters in New York City. 1954 Hurricane Edna (2nd of 1954) hits NYC, $50 million damage 1956 1st prefrontal lobotomy performed, Washington DC 1958 The first two German post-war rockets, designed by the German engineer Ernst Mohr, reach the upper atmosphere. 1959 The Soviet probe Luna 2 crashes onto the Moon, becoming the first man-made object to reach it. 1960 The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is founded. 1964 Walt Disney awarded the Medal of Freedom at the White House 1967 Melville Abrams Ball Field in the Bronx named 1969 The US Selective Service selects September 14th as the First Draft Lottery Date. 1972 “Waltons” TV program premiers 1975 The first American saint, Elizabeth Ann Seton, is canonized by Pope Paul VI. 1981 Entertainment Tonight premiers on TV 1982 36″ snow (Red Lodge, MT) 1983 US House of Representatives votes, 416 to 0, in favor of a resolution condemning Russia for shooting down a Korean jetliner 1984 1st MTV awards-Bette Midler & Dan Aykroyd host 1984 Joe Kittinger becomes the first person to fly a hot air balloon alone across the Atlantic Ocean. 1987 The Toronto Blue Jays set a record for the most home runs in a single game, hitting 10 of them. 1994 The Major League Baseball season is canceled because of a strike. 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. 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. 2003 In a referendum, Estonia approves joining the European Union.]]]]> ]]>
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