What Happened On
The Day the Earth Stood Still
September 28, 1951
The science-fiction classic is released. "Klaatu barada nikto." It starred Michael Rennie as an alien with his robot Gort and an important message for Earth.
Black Sox Scandal
September 28, 1920
Eight members of the Chicago White Sox are indicted for accepting bribes to throw the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds. They were banned from baseball even though they were eventually acquitted.
They are still currently banned from the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Hitler circa 1918, Henry Tandey, and the painting of Tandey
Hitler circa 1918, Henry Tandey, and the painting of Tandey
Hitler's Life Spared by British Soldier
September 28, 1918
According to World War I lore, British soldier Private Henry Tandey encounters a wounded German soldier and declines to shoot him. That wounded soldier was 29-year-old corporal and future NAZI leader Adolf Hitler.
It was during the final moments of the Third Battle of Ypres and the Germans were retreating when a wounded Hitler entered Tandey's line of fire. Tandey says he couldn't shoot a wounded man, so he let him go. Hitler nodded and left. According to the story, a few months later, Hitler recognized Tandy from a photo in a newspaper article and later obtained a copy of a painting of Tandey carrying a wounded soldier. Years later in 1938 after Hitler had become Chancellor of Germany, Hitler showed British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain the painting of Tandey, telling Chamberlain, "That man came so near to killing me that I thought I should never see Germany again".
Tandey claimed he had let a wounded German soldier go during the battle and there's evidence that Hitler had acquired a copy of the painting of Tandey. A painting of a decorated enemy soldier would be an odd acquisition for Hitler.
Historical evidence, however, seems to dispute the event. Hitler took his second leave from military service on September 10, 1918 for 18 days, which would mean that he was in Germany on the presumed date of the event.
First North American Soccer League Championship
September 28, 1968
The Atlanta chiefs defeat the San Diego Toros.
First World Series Game Televised in Color
September 28, 1955
Broadcast by NBC, the 1955 World Series was the first World Series televised in color. The Brooklyn Dodgers would go on to win the series over the New York Yankees in seven games to capture their first championship in franchise history. Roy Campanella and Yogi Berra were the 1955 MVPs for the National League and American League, respectively.
First U.S. Football Night Game
September 28, 1892
Mansfield State Normal School ties Wyoming Seminary (0-0). The lighting was inadequate and the game was called after 20 minutes.
Flogging Abolished
September 28, 1850
The U.S. abolishes flogging in the Navy and Merchant Marine.
Earlier that year, the Secretary of the Navy sent an inquiry to naval officers asking their opinion on whether flogging should be eliminated. Of the 84 replies, only seven officers thought that flogging should be discontinued.
Also, in March of 1850 Herman Melville (of Moby Dick fame) published White-Jacket; or, The World in a Man-of-War about his fourteen months' service in the United States Navy, with graphic descriptions of flogging and the horrors caused by its arbitrary use in the Navy.
Cabrillo claiming California for the Spanish Empire in 1542
Cabrillo claiming California for the Spanish Empire in 1542
First European to Reach the Pacific Coast
September 28, 1542
Portuguese explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo lands at what is now San Diego Bay, naming it "San Miguel".
Birthdays
Brigitte Bardot
Born September 28, 1934
French actress, animal rights activist, "Sex Kitten." Film: And God Created Woman (1957).
Seymour Cray and a Cray-1
Photo Credit: Michael Hicks
Seymour Cray and a Cray-1Photo Credit: Michael Hicks
Supercomputers Designed by Elves
Seymour Cray
Born September 28, 1925 d. 1996
American supercomputer architect. Seymour Cray designed the supercomputers that were the fastest in the world and founded Cray Research that built many of these. Called the "Father of Supercomputing", he is credited with creating the supercomputer industry. His CDC 6600 was the first commercial supercomputer and with a performance of up to 3 megaflops it was three times faster then the previous fastest computer. It held the record as the fastest computer from 1964-1969.
Cray's pastimes included digging tunnels under his home. He claimed that elves would visit him while digging his tunnels and they would provide solutions to his design problems.
Ed Sullivan
Born September 28, 1901 d. 1974
American Broadway columnist, TV personality. Host of a "Really big shew", The Ed Sullivan Show, for 23 years (1948-71).
Confucius
Born September 28, 551 B.C. d. 479 B.C.
Chinese philosopher, politician. Confucianism, as practiced by the followers of Confucius, emphasizes personal morality, correctness of social relationships, justice, and sincerity.
Jerry Clower
Born September 28, 1926 d. 1998
American comedian, with many jokes about the Ledbetter family.
Marcello Mastroianni (Marcello Mastrojanni)
Born September 28, 1924 d. 1996
Italian actor. Film: La Dolce Vita (1959), 8½ (1963), and Divorce Italian Style (1961).
William Windom
Born September 28, 1923 d. 2012
American actor. TV: Murder, She Wrote (Dr. Seth Hazlitt).
Peter Finch (William Mitchell)
Born September 28, 1916 d. 1977
British Oscar-winning actor. Film: Sunday, Bloody Sunday (1971, British Film Academy Award) and Network (1976, Oscar - the first posthumously-awarded Oscar).
Alice Marble
Born September 28, 1913 d. 1990
American tennis player, winner of four U.S. amateur singles titles.
Al Capp (Alfred Gerald Caplin)
Born September 28, 1909 d. 1979
American cartoonist. Creator of Li'l Abner (1934).
William S. Paley
Born September 28, 1901 d. 1990
American broadcasting pioneer. He grew the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) into one of the foremost radio and television network operations in the United States. Paley's father had originally purchased a chain of radio stations in order to advertise his cigar business.
Kate Douglas Wiggin
Born September 28, 1856 d. 1923
American author. Writings: Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1903).
Deaths
Roy C. Sullivan
Died September 28, 1983 b. 1912
American park ranger, "Human Lightning Rod." He was struck by lightning and survived a record seven times.
Top to bottom: Chico Marx, Harpo, Groucho Marx, and Zeppo Marx
Harpo Marx (Adolph Marx)
Died September 28, 1964 b. 1888
American comedian, the nonspeaking, harp-playing, horn blowing, Marx Brother.
Earl Hurd
Died September 28, 1940 b. 1880
American cartoonist. He patented the cel animation technique (1914), in which characters are drawn on clear plastic which is then placed over a background. The background could then be reused in other frames, saving the animator time. This technique was used in most animated cartoons until the use of CGI in the 1990s began to take over.
Hurd used the technique in his Bobby Bumps cartoons.
Charles (left) and Frank Duryea
Charles (left) and Frank Duryea
Charles Edgar Duryea
Died September 28, 1938 b. 1861
American inventor, "Father of the Automobile." He and his brother Frank Duryea built the first successful gas-powered car in the U.S. and formed the first U.S. automobile company, Duryea Motor Wagon Co. (1895), selling their first car in 1896.
Pasteur in his laboratory
Pasteur in his laboratory
Louis Pasteur
Died September 28, 1895 b. 1822
French chemist, bacteriologist. He discovered a vaccination for rabies (1885) and food preservation by heating (pasteurization). Pasteur refuted the theory of spontaneous generation and supported the germ theory of disease. His theory that many diseases are caused by tiny organisms was met with skepticism by many scientists of the day.
Herman Melville
Died September 28, 1891 b. 1819
American author of Moby-Dick (1851). Although he had success with two previous novels, Moby-Dick was not well received and only sold about 3,200 copies during his lifetime. It wasn't until after Melville's death that Moby-Dick became regarded as a classic. "Call me Ishmael" is one of the most famous opening lines in literature.
Melville drew his inspiration for Moby-Dick from the real-life sinking of the whaling ship Essex, in which the crew was forced into cannibalism in order to survive.
Kris Kristofferson (Kris Carson)
Died September 28, 2024 b. 1936
American Hall of Fame songwriter, singer, actor. Music: Me and Bobby McGee (1969, songwriter). Film: A Star Is Born (1976).
Joe Masteroff
Died September 28, 2018 b. 1919
American Tony-winning playwright. Writings: Cabaret (1966, Tony).
Arthur Penn
Died September 28, 2010 b. 1922
American film director. Film: The Miracle Worker (1962), Bonny and Clyde (1967), and Alice's Restaurant (1969).
First Black Woman Judge of a Federal District Court
Constance Baker Motley
Died September 28, 2005 b. 1921
American judge. The first black woman judge of a federal district court (1966, New York).
Elia Kazan (Elia Kazanjoglou)
Died September 28, 2003 b. 1909
Greek-born Oscar-Tony-winning director. Broadway: A Streetcar Named Desire (1947), Death of a Salesman (1949), and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1955). Film: Gentleman's Agreement (1947, Oscar) and On the Waterfront (1954). His The Arrangement was the best selling book of 1967.
Pierre Elliott Trudeau
Died September 28, 2000 b. 1919
Prime Minister of Canada (1968-79, 1980-84). His son Justin became Prime Minister in 2015, the first father/son prime ministers of Canada.
Ferdinand Edralin Marcos
Died September 28, 1989 b. 1917
ousted leader of the Philippines.
Photo Credit: Sentinelle del mattino International
Photo Credit: Sentinelle del mattino International
John Paul I (Albino Luciani)
Died September 28, 1978 b. 1912
263rd Pope (Aug. - Sept. 1978). Served as Pope for only 34 days before he died of a heart attack.
Mantan Moreland
Died September 28, 1973 b. 1902
American actor. Film: The Charlie Chan movies (Chan's chauffeur Birmingham Brown).
Edwin Powell Hubble
Died September 28, 1953 b. 1889
American astronomer. He is noted for his investigations of nebulae and for creating and developing the concepts of an expanding universe. The Hubble Space Telescope is named after him.
Richard Warren Sears
Died September 28, 1914 b. 1863
American businessman, co-founded Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Saint Pontian
Died September 28, 235 b. ????
Italian religious leader, 18th Pope (230-235).
Pompey the Great
Died September 28, 48 B.C. b. 106 B.C.
Roman general. With Caesar and Crassus, he formed the first triumvirate (60 B.C.). In 49 B.C. he began the civil war against Caesar, in which he was defeated and killed by one of his old centurions while fleeing to Egypt.