September 24

Author F. Scott Fitzgerald born (1896); American astronomer Charlotte Moore Sitterly born (1898); Devils Tower in Wyoming is proclaimed the first American national monument (1906); "Muppets" creator, Jim Henson, born (1936); More than 2,000 die in crowd crush in Saudi Arabia (2015).

September 23

American suffragist and civil rights activist Victoria Woodhull born (1838); Astronomers discover Neptune (1846); Nintendo is founded as a playing card company (1889); Musician Ray Charles born (1930); Neurologist Sigmund Freud dies (1939); Musician Bruce Springsteen is born (1949). 

September 22

President Abraham Lincoln issues preliminary Emancipation Proclamation (1862); Peace Corps formally authorized by Congress (1961); Iraq invades Iran, beginning the Iran-Iraq War (1980); “Friends” debuts on NBC (1994); Baseball great Yogi Berra dies (2015).

September 21

Science fiction author HG Wells born (1866); "The Hobbit" is published (1937); Actor Bill Murray born (1950); Senate confirms Sandra Day O’Connor as first female Supreme Court justice (1981); Track and field legend Florence Griffith Joyner dies (1998).

September 20

American author Upton Sinclair born (1878); Legendary basketball coach Red Auerbach born (1917); Actress Sophia Loren born (1934); Billie Jean King beats Bobby Riggs in "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match (1973); Hurricane Maria makes landfall in Puerto Rico, resulting in 3,000 deaths and $90B in damage (2017).

September 19

President James Garfield dies from gunshot wounds (1881); British cultural icon and model Twiggy born (1949); First fully contained underground nuclear test takes place in Nevada (1957); Jimmy Fallon born (1974); Deepwater Horizon oil spill is sealed after five-month oil leak (2010).

September 19

"Frankenstein" author Mary Shelley is born (1797); Thurgood Marshall is confirmed as Supreme Court justice (1967); Actress Cameron Diaz is born (1972); John Lennon performs his last full-scale concert (1972); Guion S. Bluford becomes the first African American to travel to space (1983)