This Day In History: September 24th, 1890 In 1890, Mormon leaders were forced to issue the “Mormon Manifesto,” in which they admonish all church members to obey the U.S. anti-polygamy laws. The church leaders had been left with little choice in the matter – their temples would be seized by the government and Mormons risked serious penalties if they did […]

This Day In History: September 23, 1949 During a deliberately calm and measured statement to the American people, President Harry S. Truman announced that the Soviets had successfully exploded a nuclear device. They managed to accomplish this much earlier than U.S. officials had estimated, which caused ripples of panic to spread through the government. By the time two bombs were […]

This Day In History: September 20, 2012 Amish Group Convicted of Beard Cutting Hate Crimes (Yep, that’s a thing.) A year ago today, 16 members of a dissident Amish group from Ohio were found guilty of both federal hate crimes and conspiracy, for forcibly cutting the hair and beards of other Amish with whom they had religious differences. The ruthless […]

This Day In History: September 19th, 1995 The Unabomber, nicknamed such from the FBI’s title for him “UNABOM” (UNiversity and Airline BOMber), in a series of 16 total bombings from May 25, 1978 to April 14, 1995 spanning across the U.S., killed three people and injured 23 more, yet somehow managed to avoid getting caught. Then, on September 19, 1995, […]

Today in History: September 18, 1975 On February 4, 1974, Patty Hearst, the 19-year-old heiress to the Hearst newspaper empire, was abducted from her apartment in Berkeley, California by three armed assailants. Her fiancé, Stephen Weed and a neighbor who rushed to the scene to help the girl were both tied up and beaten by the kidnappers. Onlookers observed a […]

On this day in history, September 17, 1862, the Battle of Antietam in the American Civil War was fought. In the early morning hours, about 75,000 Union and 38,000 Confederate troops faced off near Maryland’s Antietam Creek in the deadliest single day of battle America had ever seen. The Battle of Antietam was the culmination Confederate Commander Robert E. Lee’s […]

Today In History: September 16, 1620 On this day in history, 1620, the Mayflower set sail from Plymouth, England heading for the New World with 102 souls aboard- some religious dissenters, many others adventurous entrepreneurs. The colonists, who were headed for Virginia, had been given official authorization to settle there by royal authority. As fate would have it, rough seas […]

This Day In History: September 13 On this day in history, 1940, the Luftwaffe bombed Buckingham Palace. In World War II during the London Blitz, the Nazi German Air Force made an air strike on Buckingham Palace while King George VI and his consort Queen Elizabeth were both in residence. During the attack, the palace was hit by five explosives, […]

Today in History: September 12th On this day in history, 1951, John F. Kennedy wedded Jacqueline Bouvier. The foundation for what would later be fondly remembered as Camelot was laid on a crisp and clear September day at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Newport Rhode Island. The petite and doe-eyed 24-year-old bride possessed a natural elegance and grace that far […]

This Day In History: September 11, 1921 On this day in history, 1921, silent film star Fatty Arbuckle was arrested for murder, in Hollywood’s first major scandal. Over Labor Day weekend in 1921, Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, the first in a long line of overweight and over-the-top comedians beloved by movie goers, decided to take a break from his hectic filming […]

Today in History: September 10th This Day In History, 1608: John Smith Becomes President of Jamestown The first permanent English settlement of the American colonies, Jamestown, Virginia, elected the larger-than-life John Smith to be their first council president, thanks to his superior organizational abilities and his diplomatic skills when dealing with the indigenous tribes of the area. Around 100 English […]

Today in History: September 9th This Day In History, 1513: James IV of Scotland is Slain at Flodden Field In 1513, as King Henry VIII of England was waging one of his many invasions on the kingdom of France, the French King Louis XII asked his fellow Henry-hater James IV of Scotland if he wouldn’t mind heading south and causing […]

This Day In History: September 6, 1997 On this day in history, 1997, Princess Diana’s funeral took place. Lady Diana Spencer married Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, on July 29, 1981 at the tender age of 20. She immediately captivated not only those living in the UK, but also soon evolved into a global sensation, becoming the most […]

This Day In History: September 5, 1774 On this day in history, 1774, the first Continental Congress convened. At Carpenter’s Hall in Philadelphia, the Continental Congress met for the first time to address the British Parliament’s enactment of the Coercive Acts, a legislative measure intended to quell rebellion in Massachusetts and teach those Bostonians a lesson for that whole Tea […]

This Day In History, September 4, 1962: The Beatles’ “Love Me Do” Sessions On an early September day a band from Liverpool, England called the Beatles, provincial and a bit rough around the edges, entered EMI studios at Abbey Road in London for what some consider to be their first official recording session, as it was the first time Ringo […]

Today in History: September 3rd This Day In History, 1189 : Richard the Lionheart Crowned King of England Richard I, an iconic medieval symbol of chivalry, didn’t ascend the English throne until the age of 31, but had been boldly leading armies since his teens and was an indispensable figure during the Crusades. He’s one of the best known rulers […]