Just Plain Fun
This Day in History – September 7, 2011
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70 A Roman army under Titus occupies and plunders Jerusalem. 1776 World’s first submarine attack: the American submersible craft Turtle attempts to attach a time bomb to the hull of British Admiral Richard Howe’s flagship HMS Eagle in New York Harbor. 1876 In Northfield, Minnesota, Jesse James and the James-Younger Gang attempt to rob the town’s bank but are driven off by armed citizens. 1880 Geo Ligowsky patents device to throw clay pigeons for trapshooters 1895 The first game of what would become known as rugby league football is played, in England, starting the 1895–96 Northern Rugby Football Union season. 1903 Federation of American Motorcyclists organized in NY 1907 Cunard Line’s RMS Lusitania sets sail on her maiden voyage from Liverpool, England to New York City. 1909 Eugene Lefebvre (1878–1909), while test piloting a new French-built Wright biplane, crashes at Juvisy, France when his controls jam. Lefebvre dies, becoming the first ‘pilot’ in the world to lose his life in a powered heavier-than-air craft. 1911 French poet Guillaume Apollinaire is arrested and put in jail on suspicion of stealing the Mona Lisa from the Louvre museum. 1914 New York Post Office Building opens to the public 1916 Federal employees win the right to Workers’ compensation by Federal Employers Liability Act (39 Stat. 742; 5 U.S.C. 751) 1921 In Atlantic City, New Jersey, the first Miss America Pageant, a two-day event, is held. 1927 Philo Farnsworth demonstrates 1st use of TV in SF 1936 Boulder Dam (now Hoover Dam) begins operation 1936 The last surviving member of the thylacine species, Benjamin, dies alone in her cage at the Hobart Zoo in Tasmania. 1940 World War II: The Blitz Nazi Germany begins to rain bombs on London. This will be the first of 57 consecutive nights of bombing. 1948 1st use of synthetic rubber in asphaltic concrete, Akron Oh 1952 Outfielder Don Grate throws a baseball a record 434’1″ (Tenn) 1963 1st US TV appearance of the Beatles (Big Night Out-ABC) 1963 The Pro Football Hall of Fame opens in Canton, Ohio with 17 charter members. 1970 Donald Boyles sets record for highest paracute jump from a bridge, by leaping off of the 1,053′ Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado 1976 US courts find George Harrison guilty of plagarism (He’s So Fine) 1977 The Torrijos-Carter Treaties between Panama and the United States on the status of the Panama Canal are signed. The United States agrees to transfer control of the canal to Panama at the end of the 20th century. 1979 The Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, better known as ESPN, makes its debut. 1979 The Chrysler Corporation asks the United States government for USD $1.5 billion to avoid bankruptcy. 1980 Earnest Gray becomes 2nd NY Giant to score 4 TDs (vs St Louis) 1981 Judge Wapner & the People’s Court premier on TV 1983 Drury Gallagher sets fastest swim around Manhattan (6h41m35s) 1986 Desmond Tutu installed to lead south African Anglican Church 1996 American Hip-Hop star Tupac Shakur is fatally shot four times on the Las Vegas strip after leaving the Tyson-Seldon boxing match. 2004 Hurricane Ivan, a Category 5 hurricane hits Grenada, killing 39 and damaging 90% of its buildings. 2005 First presidential election is held in Egypt. 2008 The US Government takes control of the two largest mortgage financing companies in the US, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.]]]]> ]]>
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