Tidbits of History

September 22 is:

Autumnal equinox
The word equinox comes from the Latin words for “equal night.” The fall and spring equinoxes are the only days of the year in which the Sun crosses the celestial equator.

Business Women’s Day
National Ice Cream Cone Day

Elephant Appreciation Day

• The African elephant is the largest land mammal on Earth.
• African elephant ears are the shape of Africa. It’s one of the ways you can tell them apart from the Asian elephant. Also, the African elephant lives longer than the Asian elephant and is heavier.
• A female elephant’s pregnancy is the longest of any mammal; full-term is 22 months. Elephants can also live to the age of 70.
• Elephants can reach speeds of up to 35 miles per hour.
• People assume that elephants are noisy, but they sometimes make sounds we can’t hear. The pitch of their calls can be below the range of human hearing. Low sounds from the trunk are a growl, snort or roar, and high sounds are trump, bark and cry.
• Their trunks have 40,000 muscles and tendons, and it takes about a year for them to learn how to use it. Adam Stone, director of elephant husbandry at the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, says that “with a baby elephant, you will see that its trunk looks like a worm on the end of a hook, even when they’re nursing. They’ll trip over it; it’s really complex.”

The last people hanged for witchcraft in Massachusetts colony. In 1692, several accused “witches” confessed and named still others, and the trials soon began to overwhelm the local justice system. In May 1692, the newly appointed governor of Massachusetts, William Phips, ordered the establishment of a special Court of Oyer (to hear) and Terminer (to decide) on witchcraft cases for Suffolk, Essex and Middlesex counties. Presided over by judges including Hathorne, Samuel Sewall and William Stoughton, the court handed down its first conviction, against Bridget Bishop, on June 2; she was hanged eight days later on what would become known as Gallows Hill in Salem Town. Five more people were hanged that July; five in August and eight more in September. In addition, seven other accused witches died in jail, while the elderly (80-year-old) Giles Corey (Martha’s husband) was pressed to death by stones after he refused to enter a plea at his arraignment

The office of United States Postmaster General was established in 1789.

Birthday of Michael Faraday (September 22, 1791), English scientist who discovered the generation of electricity by means of magnetism.

The first issue of National Geographic Magazine was published in 1888.

Sara Jane Moore tried to assassinate U.S. President Gerald Ford, but was foiled by Oliver Sipple, a Marine, in 1975. Sipple grabbed Moore’s arm and then pulled her to the ground. She was given a life sentence for the attempted assassination and was released from prison on December 31, 2007, after serving 32 years. She was re-arrested in 2019 for parole violation.

The F-14 Tomcat retired from the United States Navy on September 22, 2006. As of 2014, the F-14 was in service with only the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, having been exported to Iran in 1976, when the U.S. had amicable diplomatic relations with Iran.

September 20 is:

Oktoberfest, date varies (Due to start September 19, 2020 – has been cancelled this year due to Coronavirus). The Oktoberfest is the world’s largest Volksfest (beer festival and travelling funfair). Held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, it is a 16- to 18-day folk festival running from mid- or late September to the first Sunday in October, with more than six million people from around the world attending the event every year.

National Rum Punch Day

Rum was manufactured, distilled, and made long before any other spirit. It’s history is a vast one filled with stories, and fables. It was the first branded spirit made.
Rations of rum were given to sailors in the British Army to be mixed with lime juice because it fought off the scurvy.
When wealthy titles were given to parsons, they were thanked with a glass of rum.

Ferdinand Magellan (born Fernão de Magalhães) set sail from Sanlúcar de Barrameda in southern Spain with about 270 men on his expedition to circumnavigate the globe in 1519. Magellan’s expedition of 1519–1522 became the first expedition to sail from the Atlantic Ocean into the Pacific Ocean (then named “peaceful sea” by Magellan; the passage being made via the Strait of Magellan), and the first to cross the Pacific. His expedition completed the first circumnavigation of the Earth. Magellan did not complete the entire voyage, as he was killed during the Battle of Mactan in the Philippines in 1521.

Diego de Montemayor founded the city of Monterrey in New Spain (Mexico). Thirteen families founded Ciudad Metropolitana de Nuestra Señora de Monterrey (“Metropolitan City of Our Lady of Monterrey”) on September 20, 1596, next to a water spring called Ojos de Agua de Santa Lucia,

The American Association for the Advancement of Science was created September 20, 1848.

Chester A. Arthur was inaugurated as the 21st President of the United States following the assassination of James Garfield in 1881.

Facts about Chester A. Arthur:
He did not make an inaugural address and he never selected a vice-president.
He did not immediately move into the White House – he insisted on it being redecorated. Arthur then hired Louis Comfort Tiffany to redecorate and furnish the White House. He had 24 wagonloads of furniture and artifacts hauled off and sold at public auction. It is rumored to include a pair of Lincoln’s pants and one of John Quncy Adams’ hats.
His wife died of pneumonia the year before he became president. Arthur honored her by having flowers placed in front of her portrait at the White House every single day.
He was diagnosed with Bright’s disease (a kidney ailment) shortly after becoming President and did not seek a second term. He left office in 1885 and died the following year at age 57. Prior to his death he ordered all his papers be destroyed. He is quoted as having said: “I may be president of the United States, but my private life is nobody’s damned business.”

In 1891, the first gasoline-powered car debuted in Springfield, Massachusetts

September 20, 2001 – In an address to a joint session of Congress and the American people, U.S. President George W. Bush declared a “War on Terror”.

In 2011, the United States ended its “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, allowing gay men and women to serve openly for the first time.

September 16 has been selected by many organizations as “their day”:

National Cinnamon Raisin Bread Day
Guacamole Day
Avocados are native to Central and South America. They have been cultivated for over 10,000 years.
Avocados are also known as “alligator pears”.
The Aztec word for avocado was ahuacatl, which means “testicle tree”.
Spanish explorers could not pronounce ahuacatl, so they called the avocado, “aguacate.” This is the origin of the word guacamole.

Collect Rocks Day
Step-Family Day
Working Parents’ Day
National Stay Away From Seattle Day, an anti-tourism sentiment observed worldwide, except in Seattle, to give America’s ‘Best Place to Live’ city a break from the influx of people moving to the area. Not a problem in 2020.

Anne Bradstreet Day
Anne Bradstreet, née Dudley, was the most prominent of early English poets of North America and first female writer in England’s North American colonies to be published. She was also a prominent Puritan figure in American Literature. Quotes from Anne Bradstreet:

Youth is the time of getting, middle age of improving, and old age of spending.
If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.
Authority without wisdom is like a heavy axe without an edge, fitter to bruise than polish.
If ever two were one, then surely we. If ever man were loved by wife, then thee.

Mayflower Day – Anniversary of the sailing of the Pilgrims on the Mayflower from Plymouth England in 1620

Mexican Independence Day
September 16 is one of Mexico’s most important holidays. Every year, local mayors and politicians re-enact the famous Grito de Dolores. It marks the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence. The “grito” or cry by Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a Roman Catholic priest. On September 16, 1810, Hidalgo ordered the church bells to be rung and gathered his congregation. He addressed the people in front of his church, encouraging them to revolt.

1630 – The village of Shawmut changed its name to Boston.

The Land Run of 1893, also known as the Cherokee Strip Land Run, marked the opening to settlement of the Cherokee Outlet, in what would become the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The run began at noon on September 16, 1893, with more than 100,000 participants hoping to claim land. The land offices for the run were set up in Perry, Enid, Woodward, and Alva with over 6.5 million acres (26,000 km²) of land. It was the largest land run in United States history.

1908 – General Motors was founded by William Crapo “Billy” Durant. The company was formed by merging the Buick and Olds car companies.

1940 – U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed into law the Selective Training and Service Act, which set up the first peacetime military draft in U.S. history.

1953 – The St. Louis Browns of the American League were given permission to move to Baltimore, MD, where they became the Baltimore Orioles.

September 15 was chosen by many organizations as “their day”:

Make a Hat Day

National Cheese Toast Day

National Linguine Day Linguine means “little tongues” in Italian.

National Creme de Menthe Day

Greenpeace Day

National Double Cheeseburger Day
Per foodimentary.com:
The oldest fast food restaurant in the world is the White Castle franchise, which opened in 1921.
The people of America eat more burgers out at restaurants or on the go than they do at home.
The largest hamburger ever created was over 8,000 pounds and was cooked for a burger festival in Wisconsin.
The hamburger in its current form, with ground beef and a bun, is a decidedly American creation.
Hamburgers are made of beef, not ham, and there is much debate over whether they actually originated in Hamburg.

The United States Department of State was established in 1789 (formerly known as the “Department of Foreign Affairs”).

James Madison married Dolly Payne Todd on this day in 1794 at Harewood, Virginia.

Birthday of William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857), twenty-seventh President of the United States. (President 1909-1913). He was the first American president to throw the ceremonial first pitch at a baseball game, at Griffith Stadium, Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1910. He became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in 1921. He is the only person to have served in both of these offices.

Birthday of James Fenimore Cooper (September 15. 1789), American novelist famous for the “Leather Stocking Tales” which include “The Last of the Mohicans” and “The Deerslayer”.

Map of Central America September 15, 1821: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua declared independence from Spain.

1916 – During the Battle of the Somme, in France, tanks were first used in warfare when the British rolled them onto the battlefields.

Nazi Germany adopted a new national flag with the swastika on this date in 1935. The Nuremberg Laws were enacted which stripped all German Jews of their civil rights.

1965 CBS-TV introduced two new shows: “Lost in Space” and “Green Acres”

The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved Sandra Day O’Connor to become the first female justice of the Supreme Court of the United States in 1981. She had been nominated by President Ronald Reagan. She retired in 2006.

And from reader Christy Stone:
September 15th is “Roberto Clemente Day”.
My annual request to mention a baseball player who exemplified character both on and off the field (It cost him his life on Dec. 31, 1972) —
(Roberto Clemente died on December 31, 1972, when the overloaded airplane he was on crashed shortly after takeoff from San Juan, Puerto Rico, while delivering humanitarian aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. The plane plunged into the ocean, and Clemente, along with the other four people on board, perished in the accident. His body was never recovered.)
#21 Roberto Clemente of the Pittsburgh Pirates is being honored in Pittsburgh (And all of baseball) this Monday, September 15th as “Roberto Clemente Day”.
If they can permanently retire #42 in honor of Jackie Robinson and for what he did for Black baseball players, then they can also retire #21 for Mr. Clemente’s contributions to all Latin American baseball players (Who make up 30% of MLB rosters). Thank you.

September 14 is:

National Live Creative Day
National Eat a Hoagie Day (A submarine sandwich, also known as a sub, hoagie, hero, or grinder)

National Cream-Filled Donut Day
In the U.S. alone, more than 10 billion donuts are made every year.

Anniversary of the death of Dante Alighieri (September 14, 1321), Italian poet known throughout the world for his “Divine Comedy”

September 14, 1752: Great Britain switched from the Julian calendar (named for Julius Caesar) to the Gregorian calendar, (named for Pope Gregory) skipping eleven days (the previous day was September 2).
The Julian calendar has two types of year: a normal year of 365 days and a leap year of 366 days. It followed a simple cycle of three normal years and one leap year, giving an average year that is 365.25 days long. That is more than the actual solar year value of 365.24219 days, which means the Julian calendar gains one day every 128 years.

The Gregorian calendar was introduced in 1582. It changed the extra day in leap year by the following rule:

Every year that is exactly divisible by four is a leap year, except for years that are exactly divisible by 100, but these centurial years are leap years if they are exactly divisible by 400. For example, the years 1700, 1800, and 1900 are not leap years, but the years 1600 and 2000 are.

To deal with the drift, since the Julian calendar was fixed, the date was advanced 10 days; In Great Britain September 2 was followed by September 14, 1752.

The poem Defense of Fort McHenry was written by Francis Scott Key in 1814. The poem is later used as the lyrics of The Star-Spangled Banner.

1849 Ivan Petrovich Pavlov was born. Pavlov’s work with dogs actually started as a study of digestion. He theorized that digestion was controlled in part by sensory inputs of sight, smell and taste – and as he discovered, sound. The concept for which Pavlov is famous is the “conditioned reflex”.

1901 – Death of William McKinley, twenty-fifth President of the United States. He was shot on September 6, 1901 by Leon Czolgosz, an anarchist at the grounds of the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. He is succeeded by Theodore Roosevelt.
Following McKinley’s murder, the U.S. Congress passed legislation to officially charge the Secret Service with the responsibility for protecting the president.

Points of Interest about McKinley:

• He was supposedly the inspiration for the Wizard of Oz.
• He was 5 foot 7 inches tall
• He had a pet parrot named “Washington Post” who could whistle to the tune of Yankee Doodle.
• His portrait appeared on the U.S. $500 bill from 1928 to 1946
• McKinley’s wife, Ida, disliked the color yellow so much she had all things yellow removed from the White House, including the yellow flowers in the garden.

1963 –Andrew and Mary Ann Fischer, Aberdeen, SD,became parents to America’s 1st surviving quintuplets, 4 girls & a boy – Mary Ann, Mary Catherine, Mary Magdalene, Mary Margaret and James Andrew. The Fischers already had five children. All five quints survived to adulthood, celebrating their 62nd birthdays in 2025.

September 14, 1982: Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco, died after a car crash the previous day.

1994 – The Major League Baseball season was canceled because of a strike.

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