Washington’s Farewell Address
On September 19, 1796, the American Daily Advertiser published President George Washington’s Farewell Address for the first time. It’s considered one of the most important documents in United States history.
This Day in History
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Birth of Greta Garbo
Greta Garbo was born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson on September 18, 1905, in Stockholm, Sweden. Rising from a poor working-class neighborhood to become one of Hollywood’s most private and magnetic stars, she made only 28 films before leaving the screen at age 36.
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Birth of Baron von Steuben
On September 17, 1730, Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben was born in Magdeburg, Prussia, long before he became the drillmaster who brought order and consistency to the Continental Army at Valley Forge. His training methods did not win the American Revolution by themselves, but they gave inexperienced troops a clearer system for fighting, marching, camping, and working as an army.
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Largest Land Run in Oklahoma
On September 16, 1893, some 100,000 people raced to claim 6 million acres of land in former Indian Territory in Oklahoma. It was the largest land run into Oklahoma and resulted in the establishment of 40,000 homesteads.
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First Use of Tanks in World War I
On September 15, 1916, strange armored machines lumbered across the shell-torn ground near Flers, France, as British forces introduced tanks to combat for the first time. Their debut at the Battle of the Somme did not break the stalemate, but it revealed the potential of a weapon that would reshape warfare.
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Death of John Harvard
Clergyman John Harvard died on September 14, 1638, in Charlestown, Massachusetts Bay Colony. He was only about 30 years old, but his final gift gave a struggling colonial college the money and books it needed to continue.
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Birth of Milton Hershey
Businessman and philanthropist Milton Snavely Hershey was born on September 13, 1857, in Derry Township, Pennsylvania. After several failed attempts at business, he built a profitable caramel company, then used its sale to pursue a larger goal: making milk chocolate affordable for ordinary Americans.
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Wedding of John and Jackie Kennedy
On September 12, 1953, John F. Kennedy married Jacqueline Bouvier in Newport, Rhode Island. Their wedding drew national attention, but it came years before either could know how closely their partnership would become linked with American public life.
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9/11 Terrorist Attacks And The Fate Of The Ground Zero Flag
Today marks the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks on America. It was an event that changed our world forever. From that day forward, the term “9/11” would symbolize both disaster and heroics.
