What Happened On
9-11
September 11, 2001
Hijackers from the group al-Qaeda crash two jets into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. Shortly after, both towers collapsed. A third jet was crashed into the Pentagon. A fourth plane crashed into a rural field in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. The official count was 2,997 deaths in the attacks including the hijackers.
Clinton-Lewinsky Affair
September 11, 1998
The Ken Starr report is released by the U.S. Congress, detailing U.S. President Bill Clinton's relationship with Monica Lewinsky. Clinton had previously denied having sexual relations with her.
Nattering Nabobs of Negativism
September 11, 1970
U.S. Vice-President Spiro T. Agnew uses the term "nattering nabobs of negativism" to describe criticism of the Nixon administration.
"In the United States today, we have more than our share of the nattering nabobs of negativism. They have formed their own 4-H Club - the ‘hopeless, hysterical hypochondriacs of history.’"
The Carol Burnett Show
September 11, 1967
The variety/sketch comedy TV show The Carol Burnett Show premieres on CBS. It starred Carol Burnett, Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, and Lyle Waggoner. Tim Conway was a frequent guest and later became a regular cast member. It went on to win 25 primetime Emmy Awards and spawned the spin-off Mama's Family.
Burnett would end each show by tugging her left ear, a message to her grandmother, who raised her, that she loved her.
The Beatles' First Album - Please Please Me
September 11, 1962
The Beatles re-record their hit Love Me Do using session drummer Andy White. Producer George Martinhad been unhappy with drummer Pete Best's work in previous sessions and wanted to use a session drummer for recording, but the group decided to replace Best and eventually brought in Ringo Starr. They would record a sped up version of Please Please Me, along with P.S. I Love You. These songs plus others recorded the following February were used to create the Beatles' first album Please Please Me. The album was released the following March and would top the UK charts for a record-breaking 30 weeks.
The set of the play (left) and a 3-inch TV receiever
The set of the play (left) and a 3-inch TV receiever
First Television Drama
September 11, 1928
The Queen's Messenger is broadcast by WGY of Schenectady, New York. Viewers could watch via 3-inch television sets that were set up in various places in the New York City area. The production was a test of General Electric's 48-line television system and lasted 40 minutes.
The Queen's Messenger was a one act radio drama adapted for television about a British diplomat who has a romantic encounter with a mysterious woman who is secretly trying to obtain the documents he is carrying.
Mormon militia slaughters California-bound settlers
Mormon militia slaughters California-bound settlers
Mormons - Mountain Meadows Massacre
September 11, 1857
More than 120 California-bound settlers from Arkansas, Missouri and other states, including unarmed men, women and children, are killed in Mountain Meadows in Utah by a group of local Mormon militiamen. They first claimed that the settlers were killed by Native Americans, but this was proven to be false. The Mormon militia had assaulted the wagon train five days earlier, having disguised themselves as Native Americans. The settlers fought back and a five-day siege ensued. Fearing that their true identity had been discovered, the militia killed the settlers to hide the crime, sparring only young children. The leader of the militia, John D. Lee, was convicted and executed by Utah firing squad in 1877.
National Hunting and Fishing Day
September 11, 1979
National Hunting and Fishing Day is declared by Presidential proclamation. To be celebrated yearly on the 4th Saturday in September.
Longest Major League Baseball Game
September 11, 1974
The San Francisco Giants beat the New York Mets (8-6) after a 23-inning game lasting 7 hours and 23 minutes.
Dick Tracy
September 11, 1950
The Dick Tracy television series premieres on ABC. It starred Ralph Byrd as Dick Tracy. Byrd had played Tracy in Republic Pictures' Dick Tracy serials since 1937. The series ended when Byrd died suddenly of a heart attack in 1952 at the age of 43.
First U.S. Transcontinental Bus Service
September 11, 1928
The Yellow Bus Line between New York and Los Angeles begins service.
Milwaukee Mile
September 11, 1903
The Milwaukee Mile race track in Wisconsin holds its first race. William Jones of Chicago wins a five lap speed contest. This is the oldest operating motor speedway in the world.
Oh! Susanna
September 11, 1847
First professional performance of Stephen Foster's song Oh! Susanna. It was performed by a local quintet at the Andrews' Eagle Ice Cream Saloon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Due to the popularity of the song, the publishing firm Firth, Pond & Company offered him a royalty rate of two cents per copy of sheet music sold, making him what is considered the first fully professional songwriter in the United States.
The name Susanna may refer to Foster's deceased sister, whose middle name was Susannah.
Tyler's Cabinet Resigns
September 11, 1841
The U.S. President John Tyler's entire cabinet, except the Secretary of State, resigns in protest of his vetoing the Banking Bill.
Birthdays
Dylan Klebold
Born September 11, 1981 d. 1999
American mass murderer. He and Eric Harris perpetrated the Columbine High School Massacre (1999), killing twelve students and a teacher, wounding twenty-four others, before committing suicide.
Kristy McNichol
Born September 11, 1962
American Emmy-winning actress. TV: Family (Buddy) and Empty Nest (Barbara).
Tommy Shaw
Born September 11, 1953
American guitarist, with Styx. Music: Grand Illusion (1977), and Babe (1979, #1).
Lola Falana
Born September 11, 1942
American actress, singer.
Brian De Palma
Born September 11, 1940
American film director. Film: Phantom of the Paradise (1974), Carrie (1976) and The Fury 1978.
Earl Holliman
Born September 11, 1928
American actor. TV: Police Woman (Lt. Crowley).
Tom Landry
Born September 11, 1924 d. 2000
American football player, coach for the Dallas Cowboys. He invented the "4-3 Defense."
Ferdinand Edralin Marcos
Born September 11, 1917 d. 1989
ousted leader of the Philippines.
Bear Bryant (Paul William Bryant)
Born September 11, 1913 d. 1983
American football coach. Head coach of the University of Alabama's Crimson Tide (1958-82), and was at the time the winningest coach in college football history (323 wins), six national championships, and thirteen conference championships.
Jimmie Davis
Born September 11, 1899 d. 2000
American politician, governor of Louisiana (1944-48, 1960-64), and Country Music Hall of Famer. Music: You Are My Sunshine and Where the Old Red River Flows.
Vance DeBar "Pinto" Colvig
Born September 11, 1892 d. 1967
American character actor. Voice of Sleepy and Grumpy in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Disney's Goofy and Pluto, and voice of the original Bozo the Clown.
D.H. Lawrence (David Herbert Lawrence)
Born September 11, 1885 d. 1930
English novelist. Writings: The Rainbow (1915) and Lady Chatterley's Lover (1928).
O. Henry (William Sydney Porter)
Born September 11, 1862 d. 1910
American short story author. He served three years in prison for embezzling bank funds.
Deaths
Lorne Greene (Lyon Himan Green)
Died September 11, 1987 b. 1915
Canadian actor. TV: Bonanza (1959-73, Ben Cartwright), Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (1962-72, co-host with Betty White), Roots (1977, first master of Kunta Kinte), and Battlestar Galactica (1978-79, Commander Adama). Film: Earthquake (1974). Music: Ringo (#1, spoken-word ballad about the real-life Old West outlaw Johnny Ringo).
Nikita Khrushchev
Died September 11, 1971 b. 1894
Soviet Premier (1958-64). Khrushchev was responsible for the de-Stalinization of the Soviet Union.
Kevin McCarthy
Died September 11, 2010 b. 1914
American actor. Film: Death of a Salesman (1951, Biff) and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956, lead role, and the 1978 remake as a man running through the streets shouting a warning in the same fashion as his character did in the original film). TV: The Survivors (Philip Hastings).
Harold Gould
Died September 11, 2010 b. 1923
American actor. TV: Rhoda (1974-78, Rhoda's father) and Golden Girls (1985-92, Miles Webber).
Crystal Lee Sutton
Died September 11, 2009 b. 1940
American union organizer. Due to poor working conditions, she helped unionize the workers at the J.P. Stevens textile plant in North Carolina. The film Norma Rae (1979, starring Sally Field) was based on her efforts.
John Ritter (Jonathan Southworth Ritter)
Died September 11, 2003 b. 1948
American Emmy-winning actor. TV: Three's Company (1976-84, Jack Tripper), The Waltons (1972-76, Rev. Fordwick), and 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter (2002-03, the Father).
Kim Hunter (Janet Cole)
Died September 11, 2002 b. 1922
American Oscar-Emmy-winning actress. Film: A Streetcar Named Desire (1951, Stella, Oscar-winner), Planet of the Apes (1968, Zira). TV: The Edge of Night (Nola Madison).
Johnny Unitas (John Constantine Unitas)
Died September 11, 2002 b. 1933
American football Hall of Famer quarterback, 3-time Player of the Year (1959, 64, 67), and was named greatest player of all time.
Jessica Tandy
Died September 11, 1994 b. 1909
English Oscar-Tony-Emmy winning actress. At age 80, she became the oldest person to receive an Oscar (Driving Miss Daisy). Stage: Streetcar Named Desire (1948, Blanche Dubois). Film: The Birds (1965) and Cocoon (1985).
Peter Tosh (Winston Hubert McIntosh)
Died September 11, 1987 b. 1944
Jamaican reggae musician. With Bob Marley's Wailers (1963-74). Music: Don't Look Back.
The Father of Pinball
Harry Williams
Died September 11, 1983 b. 1906
American inventor, "The Father of Pinball". He created the first electric action pinball feature (1933): it would kick out a ball when a particular hole was hit. The first tilt device for pinball machines: it consisted of a ball which would fall off a pedestal onto a metal ring beneath, thus stopping play. He later invented the electric pendulum tilt as used in modern machines.
Possible Umbrella gun design
Photo Credit: Fred the Oyster
Possible Umbrella gun designPhoto Credit: Fred the Oyster
Umbrella Assassination
Georgi Markov
Died September 11, 1978 b. 1929
Bulgarian dissident. While waiting at a bus stop, he was stabbed with an umbrella that inserted a ricin-filled pellet. He died several days later. It is believed that the KGB was behind the assassination at the request of the Bulgarian Secret Service, but no one has ever been charged with his murder.
Markov had defected from Bulgaria in 1968, eventually relocating to London where he worked as a broadcaster and journalist criticizing the Bulgarian regime.
In 2000, Markov was posthumously awarded the Order of Stara Planina, Bulgaria's most prestigious honor, for his "significant contribution to the Bulgarian literature, drama, and non-fiction and for his exceptional civic position and confrontation to the Communist regime."
Max Fleischer
Died September 11, 1972 b. 1883
Austrian-born American animator. He and his brother Dave Fleischer created Betty Boop and animated Popeye the Sailor. He also created Out of the Inkwell, which was the first popular animated cartoon series.
Betty Boop was based on real-life squeaky-voiced singers Helen Kane and Clara Bow. Kane began mimicking the style black singer Baby Esther after seeing her perform at the Cotton Club in Harlem in 1928. Baby Esther was about nine years old at the time.
Quaid-i-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah
Died September 11, 1948 b. 1876
Indian statesman, founder and first governor (1947-48) of Pakistan.
Graham Cracker
Sylvester W. Graham
Died September 11, 1851 b. 1794
American dietary reformer. For whom graham crackers are named. His followers, called Grahamites, believed in abstinence from alcohol, frequent bathing, daily teeth brushing, vegetarianism, avoided spices and white bread, and practiced sexual abstinence. He regarded masturbation as an evil that inevitably led to insanity. He taught that animal products, such as milk and meat, led to lust and sexual urges.