This Day in History – September 27, 2011

1290 Earthquake in Gulf of Chili China, reportedly kills 100,000 1540 Society of Jesus (Jesuits) founded by Ignatius Loyola 1777 Lancaster, Pennsylvania is the capital of the United States, for one day. 1777 Battle of Germantown; Washington defeated by the British 1779 John Adams negotiates Revolutionary War peace terms with Britain 1787 Constitution submitted to the states for ratification 1821 Revolutionary forces occupy Mexico City as Spanish withdraw 1822 Jean-François Champollion announces that he has deciphered the Rosetta stone. 1825 Railroad transportation is born with 1st track in England 1854 The steamship SS Arctic sinks with 300 people on board. This marks the first great disaster in the Atlantic Ocean. 1881 Chicago Cubs beat Troy 10-8 before record small “crowd” of 12 1905 1st published blues composition goes on sale, WC Handy Memphis Blues 1905 The physics journal Annalen der Physik published Albert Einstein’s paper “Does the Inertia of a Body Depend Upon Its Energy Content?”, introducing the equation E=mc². 1908 The first production of the Ford Model T automobile was built at the Piquette Plant in Detroit, Michigan. 1919 Democratic National Committee votes to admit women 1923 Lou Gehrig’s 1st homer 1928 US recognizes Nationalist Chinese government 1930 Bobby Jones wins the U.S. Amateur Championship to complete the Grand Slam of golf. The old structure of the grand slam was the U.S. Open, British Open, U.S. Amateur, and British Amateur. 1937 1st Santa Claus school opens (Albion NY) 1941 1st WW II liberty ship, freighter Patrick Henry, launched 1941 The SS Patrick Henry is launched becoming the first of more than 2,700 Liberty ships. 1942 NY Giants beat Wash Redskins 14-7 without making a 1st down 1944 The Kassel Mission results in the largest loss by a USAAF group on any mission in World War II. 1954 Steve Allen’s “Tonight Show” premiers 1956 USAF Captain Milburn G. Apt becomes the first man to exceed Mach 3 while flying the Bell X-2. Shortly thereafter, the craft goes out of control and Captain Apt is killed. 1959 Nearly 5000 people die on the main Japanese island of Honshū as the result of a typhoon. 1961 Sierra Leone joins the United Nations. 1963 At 10:59 AM the census clock, records US population at 190,000,000 1964 The Warren Commission releases its report, concluding that Lee Harvey Oswald, acting alone, assassinated President John F. Kennedy. 1968 The stage musical Hair opens at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London, where it played 1,998 performances until its closure was forced by the roof collapsing in July 1973. 1970 Ken Boswell sets 2nd baseman record of 85 games without an error 1979 The United States Department of Education receives final approval from the U.S. Congress to become the 13th US Cabinet agency. 1983 Richard Stallman announces the GNU project to develop a free Unix-like operating system. 1986 Senate joins House of Reps voting for sweeping tax reforms 1987 NFL players’ strike 1988 Lab tests reportedly show Shroud of Turin not Christ`s burial cloth 1988 Senate votes for major federal tax code changes 1989 Sony purchases Columbia Pictures for $3.4 billion cash 1990 A gunman holds 33 people (killing 1) hostage in Berkley Calif 1990 Senate Judiciary committee approves Souter’s Supreme Court nomination 1991 1st scheduled NHL exhibition game in St Petersburg Fla, is cancelled due to poor ice conditions (NY Islanders vs Boston Bruins) 1995 The Government of the United States unveils the first of its redesigned bank notes with the $100 bill featuring a larger portrait of Benjamin Franklin slightly off-center. 1996 The Julie N. tanker ship crashes into the Million Dollar Bridge in Portland, Maine spilling thousands of gallons of oil. 1997 Communications are suddenly lost with the Mars Pathfinder space probe. 2002 Timor-Leste (East Timor) joins the United Nations. 2003 Smart 1 satellite is launched. 2008 CNSA astronaut Zhai Zhigang becomes the first Chinese person to perform a spacewalk while flying on Shenzhou 7.]]]]> ]]>