A fire broke out unexpectedly in the kitchen of a bakery owned by King Baker in London. It raged for four days and destroyed much of the city, including the old St. Paul's Cathedral and about 13,000 houses.
SEP - 02 - 1866
Los Angeles was founded
On this day, Spanish colonists lived in the land known as Los Angeles. It is now the second most populous city in the United States and the home of Hollywood, synonymous with the American film industry.
SEP - 04 - 1781
ESPN makes its debut
ESPN began airing the channel's flagship show, SportsCenter, for the first time that day. It was the first all-sports cable network and is now the largest sports channel in the world.
SEP - 07 - 1979
Death of Mao
Marxist leader Mao Zedong died on this day, but became the undisputed leader of the Chinese Communist Party after the Long March (1934-35). After the Communist Party took over China in 1949, he ruled China until his death.
SEP - 09 - 1976
World Trade Center attack
On September 11, terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners in the United States and crashed three into the World Trade Center building, killing 3,000 people. A fourth crashed in a field in Pennsylvania after passengers fought back.
SEP - 11 - 2001
Discovery of Penicillin
Sir Alexander Fleming observed that mold growing in his laboratory killed bacteria. It would later be labeled as penicillin. It was the first step to discover one of the most important pillars of modern medicine: antibiotics.
SEP - 15 - 1928
Camp David Accords Signed
On this day in 1978, the Camp David Accords were concluded, negotiated by US President Jimmy Carter. The agreement resulted in a peace treaty between Egypt and Israel and laid a broader foundation for the search for peace in the Middle East.
SEP - 17 - 1978
Incorporation of Rome to Italy
On this day, the Italian army captured Rome, resulting in Rome being permanently incorporated into the Kingdom of Italy. The Pope's administrative power is limited to the Vatican and a small area around it.
SEP - 20 - 1870
Neptune observed
On this day, astronomer John Gottfried Galle became the first person to observe Neptune. Urbain-Jean-Joseph Le Verrier and John Cooch Adams mathematically predicted the existence of Neptune before Neptune was directly observed.
SEP - 23 - 1846
The Pacific Ocean sighted by BalboaIn September 1513, Balboa led an expedition of 190 Spaniards to the Isthmus of Panama. On September 25, Balboa climbed the mountain and saw the Pacific Ocean, becoming the first European to do so.
SEP - 25 - 1513
Typhoon Vera hits Japan
Typhoon Vera, an unusually powerful tropical cyclone, hit Japan, causing catastrophic damage, killing more than 5,000 people and straining Japan's economy, which is still recovering from World War II.
SEP - 27 - 1959
Munich Pact signed
On this day, British and French Prime Ministers Neville Chamberlain and Edward Daladier signed the Munich Agreement with Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. The treaty allowed Germany to conquer Czechoslovakia to prevent World War II.