September 29

John D. Rockefeller becomes world’s first billionaire (1916); Pope John Paul II is first pope to visit Ireland (1979); Stacy Allison becomes first American woman to climb Mount Everest (1988); Basketball star Kevin Durant born (1988). 

September 28

Chinese philosopher Confucius born (551 BCE); Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin (1928); Ted Williams is last major league baseball player to bat over .400 (1941); Jazz legend Miles Davis dies (1991); American tennis great and color barrier breaker Althea Gibson dies (2003).

September 27

Samuel Adams born (1722); Rosetta Stone is first deciphered (1822); First Black US senator Hiram Revels born (1827); Production of Ford Model T begins (1908); Legendary athlete "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias dies (1956). 

September 26

Thomas Jefferson is appointed the first US secretary of state (1789); Albert Einstein publishes paper on the special theory of relativity (1905); Last recorded album by The Beatles, "Abbey Road," is released (1969); Serena Williams born (1981); Actor Paul Newman dies (2008).

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).

September 23

American civil rights activist Victoria Woodhull born (1838); Nintendo is founded as a playing card company (1889); Musician Ray Charles is born (1930); Neurologist Sigmund Freud dies (1939); Hurricane Jeanne kills more than 3,000 people in Haiti (2004).

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); 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-ever 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 17

US Constitution is signed (1787); Harriet Tubman escapes from slavery for the first time (1849); Actress Anne Bancroft born (1931); Camp David Accords signed providing framework for Egypt–Israel peace treaty (1978); Vanessa Williams becomes first Black woman crowned Miss America (1983).

September 16

Pilgrims depart from England on the Mayflower (1620); Actress Lauren Bacall born (1924); American musician BB King born (1925); Historian and author Henry Louis Gates Jr. born (1950); Singer Nick Jonas born (1992).

September 15

Mystery writer Agatha Christie born (1890); Muhammad Ali defeats Leon Spinks to win heavyweight title for the third time (1978); Prince Harry born (1984); Google.com registered as domain name (1997).

September 14

President William McKinley dies of gunshot wounds (1901); Soviet probe Luna 2 becomes the first human-made object to reach the moon (1959); OPEC, Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, is founded (1960); Actress and Princess of Monaco Grace Kelly dies (1982); Singer Amy Winehouse born (1983).

September 13

Francis Scott Key writes America’s national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner" (1814); Actor and producer Tyler Perry born (1969); Israel and Palestine sign peace accord (1993); Rapper Tupac Shakur dies six days following drive-by shooting (1996); Ann Richards, educator and former governor of Texas, dies (2006).

September 12

Henry Hudson begins exploration of what will become known as the Hudson River (1609); Iconic track and field athlete Jesse Owens born (1913); Singer Barry White born (1944); Mae Jemison becomes first Black woman in space (1992); Johnny Cash dies (2003).

Queen Elizabeth

The life of Queen Elizabeth II was remarkable in more ways than one. Born on April 21 in 1926, she was the longest-reigning British monarch in history upon her death on September 8, 2022, at age 96. She also holds the distinction of being the fourth-longest reigning monarch of all time worldwide, having spent 70 years on the throne.

In 1945, before she became queen, Elizabeth joined the women's Auxiliary Territorial Service (a branch of the British Army) and trained as a truck driver and mechanic. She was only 18 years old. Just under 10 years later, she was crowned as Queen Elizabeth II, beginning a reign that for most citizens of Britain and the Commonwealth is the only one they’ve ever known. And in her time as monarch, she worked with 14 British prime ministers, from Winston Churchill to Boris Johnson.

The monarch’s life was marked with moments of great joy and fanfare, but also great tragedy. In times of crisis, she never wavered. Even the staunchest anti-royalist might begrudgingly agree that Elizabeth showed a fierce and unfaltering dedication in her role as queen. As the following quotes show, she was always ready to show support in times of need with words of wisdom and empathy, or with witty remarks that showed that even the Queen of England can have a sense of humor.

September 9

United States of America officially gets its name (1776); Actor Hugh Grant born (1960); Actor Adam Sandler born (1966); People's Republic of China founding father Mao Zedong dies (1976); Queen Elizabeth II becomes longest-reigning monarch of the UK at more than 63 years with crown (2015).

September 10

Golfing legend Arnold Palmer born (1929); Jack Ma, Chinese billionaire and cofounder of Alibaba, born (1964); Jane Wyman, actress and first wife of former President Ronald Reagan, dies (2007); Large Hadron Collider is tested for first time (2008); Hurricane Irma makes landfall in Florida (2017).

September 7

Uncle Sam first used as nickname for the US (1813); Rock and roll pioneer Buddy Holly born (1936); "I Will Survive" singer Gloria Gaynor born (1943); Pro Football Hall of Fame opens in Canton, Ohio (1963); Rapper Tupac Shakur is shot, dies six days later (1996).

September 6

Magellan’s ship Victoria completes circumnavigation of the globe (1522); Social work pioneer Jane Addams born (1860); Munich massacre takes places at Munich Olympic Games; 11 Israeli athletes and coaches killed by terrorist group (1972); Idris Elba born (1972); Actor Burt Reynolds dies (2018).

September 2

US Treasury Department is founded (1789); Japan surrenders, ending World War II (1945); Astronaut and teacher Christa McAuliffe born (1948); Keanu Reeves born (1964); Vietnamese president and revolutionary Hồ Chí Minh dies (1969).

September 1

Lewis and Clark explorer William Clark dies (1838); Singer Gloria Estefan born (1957); Bobby Fischer wins “Match of the Century” and becomes first American-born world chess champion (1972); Wreckage of the Titanic found at the bottom of North Atlantic (1985); Actress and singer Zendaya born (1996).