It Happened Today in History

[spidge]

September 11, 2001 - The worst terrorist attack in U.S. History occurred as four large passenger jets were hijacked then crashed, killing nearly 3,000 persons. Four separate teams of Mideast terrorists, operating from inside the U.S., boarded the morning flights posing as passengers, then forcibly commandeered the aircraft. Two fully-fueled jumbo jets, American Airlines Flight 11 carrying 92 people and United Airlines Flight 175 carrying 65 people, had departed Boston for Los Angeles. Both jets were diverted by the hijackers to New York City where they were piloted into the twin towers of the World Trade Center. The impact and subsequent fire caused both 110-story towers to collapse, killing 2,752 persons including hundreds of rescue workers and people employed in the towers. In addition, United Airlines Flight 93, which had departed Newark for San Francisco, and American Airlines Flight 77, which had departed Dulles (Virginia) for Los Angeles, were hijacked. Flight 77 with 64 people on board was diverted to Washington, D.C., then piloted into the Pentagon building, killing everyone on board and 125 military personnel inside the building. Flight 93 with 44 people on board was also diverted toward Washington but crashed into a field in Pennsylvania after passengers attempted to overpower the terrorists on board.

[Kyt]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A716591

[Kyt]

On 11 September 1297, Wallace won the Battle of Stirling Bridge. Although vastly outnumbered, the Scottish forces led by Wallace and Andrew Moray routed the English army. The Earl of Surrey's professional army of 3,000 cavalry and 10,000 infantry met disaster as they crossed over to the north side of the river. The narrowness of the bridge prevented many soldiers from crossing together (possibly as few as three men abreast), so while the English soldiers crossed, the Scots held back until half of them had passed and then killed the English as quickly as they could cross.

A pivotal charge, led by one of Wallace's captains, caused some of the English soldiers to retreat as others pushed forward, and under the overwhelming weight, the bridge collapsed and many English soldiers drowned. Harry claims that the bridge was rigged to collapse by the action of a man hidden beneath the bridge. The Scots won a significant victory which hugely boosted the confidence of their army. Hugh Cressingham, Edward's treasurer in Scotland, died in the fighting. Cressingham's skin was allegedly tanned and used to make trophy belts and sporrans by the Scots. William Crawford led 400 Scottish heavy cavalry to complete the action by running the English out of Scotland. It is widely believed that Moray died of wounds suffered on the battlefield sometime in the winter of 1297-98, but an inquisition into the affairs of his uncle, Sir William Moray of Bothwell, held at Berwick in late November 1300, records he was "slain at Stirling against the king."

Upon his return from the Battle of Stirling Bridge, Wallace was knighted along with his second-in-command John Graham and his third-in-command William Crawford, possibly by Robert the Bruce, and Wallace was named "Guardian of Scotland and Leader of its armies".

In the six months following Stirling Bridge, Wallace led a raid into northern England. His intent was to take the battle to English soil to demonstrate to Edward that Scotland also had the power to inflict the same sort of damage south of the border. Naturally, Edward was infuriated but he refused to be intimidated.

[spidge]

1953 - John F. Kennedy, 36, married Jacqueline Bouvier, 24, in a ceremony before 750 invited guests at St. Mary's Church in Newport, Rhode Island, conducted by Archbishop Richard Cushing of Boston.

1953 - Nikita Khrushchev was elected first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the USSR.

1974 - Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia, was deposed by an army coup after 44 years as ruler.

1977 - Steve Biko, the South African black civil rights leader, died while he was in police detention.

1990 - A treaty was signed by East and West Germany and the World War II Allies allowing for the restoration of sovereignty to a re-united Germany.

Birthday - American Olympic athlete Jesse Owens (1913-1980) was born in Oakville, Alabama (as James Cleveland Owens). He won four medals in track and field at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, defeating Nazi athletes. Nazi leader Adolf Hitler stormed out of the stadium rather than present the medals to Owens, an African American.

[spidge]

From: http://www.brainyhistory.com

1940 4 teens, following their dog down a hole near Lascaux France discover 17,000-year-old drawings now known as Lascaux Cave Paintings

1935 Millionaire Howard Hughes flies his own designed plane at 352.46 mph

1934 Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania signs Baltic Entente, against U.S.S.R.

1933 Alejandro Lerroux forms new Spanish government

1933 Dutch parliament accepts ban on uniforms

1932 German government of Papen falls/Reichstag dissolved

1928 Hurricane in Florida, kills 6,000

1928 Katharine Hepburn's New York stage debut in "Night Hostess"

1923 Britain takes over Southern Rhodesia from British South Africa Co

1920 7th Olympic games close in Antwerp Belgium

1918 During WW I, U.S. forces launch an attack on German-occupied St. Mihiel

1912 Dutch Olympian Committee forms (NOC)

1910 World's 1st female cop, Alice Stebbins Wells, appointed (LAPD)

1908 Winston Churchill marries Clementine Hozier

1907 Lusitania arrives in New York City after 5 day crossing of Atlantic (record)

1901 Arabs attack Gedara, Palestine

1895 Defender (U.S.) beats Valkyrie III (England) in 10th America's Cup

1890 Cecil Rhodes' colonies reach Mashonaland (Ft. Salisbury)

1888 Start of Sherlock Holmes adventure "Greek Interpreter"

1878 Cleopatra Needle installed in London

1862 Battle of Harpers Ferry VA

1857 423 die when "Central America" sinks off Cape Romain SC

1814 Battle of North Point fought near Baltimore during War of 1812

1751 Amsterdam refuses establishment of Jewish ghetto

1733 Polish Landowners select Stanislaw Lesczynski king

1722 Russian troops occupy Baku and Derbent on Persia

1703 English army under arch duke Charles of Austria lands in Portugal

1695 New York Jews petition governor Dongan for religious liberties

1666 Great Fire in London ends, kills 8

1639 Viceroy Thomas Wentworth sails back to England

1635 Sweden and Poland sign ceasefire Treaty of Stuhmsdorf

1624 1st submarine tested (London)

1396 Crusaders under earl of Nevers reaches Nicopolis

1217 French prince Louis and English king Henry III sign peace treaty

1213 Battle at Muret: Crusade of Simon de Montfort beat Pedro II of Aragon

1015 Henry I becomes earl of Leuven

[spidge]

From: http://www.brainyhistory.com

1934 U.S.S.R. admitted to League of Nations
1931 Japan takes Manchuria, renames it Manchukuo
1930 Enterprise (U.S.) beats Shamrock V (England) in 15th America's Cup
1930 New York Yankee pitcher Red Ruffing hits 2 home runs to beat St. Louis Browns, 7-6
1929 Pirates loss to Braves and clinch NL pennant for the Cubs
1929 Preston Sturges' "Strictly Dishonorable," premieres in New York City
1928 Cards beat Phillies for 20th of 22 games in 1928
1928 Juan de la Cierva flies 1st helicopter above Channel
1927 18 station CBS radio network begins, (WOR is New York City affiliate)
1926 46th U.S. Mens Tennis: Rene Lacoste beats Jean Borotra (64 60 64)
1926 Hurricane hits Miami, kills 250
1926 Jean Rene Lacoste wins U.S. Tennis Open
1925 Bill Tilden wins 6th straight U.S. tennis championship
1924 Government routes 7 Provinces to Peking
1922 2nd government of Ruys de Beerenbrouck installed in Neth
1922 Browns George Sisler's 41-game hit streak is stopped by New York's Joe Bush
1922 Hungary admitted to League of Nations
1919 Dutch 2nd Chamber accepts female suffrage
1919 Hurricane tides 16 feet above normal drown 280 along Gulf Coast
1918 Battle of Megiddo (Palestine) starts
1915 Boston Braves trounce St. Louis Cardinals 20-1
1914 Battle of Aisne ends with Germans beating French during WW I
1914 Gen von Hindenburgs named commander of German armies on Eastern Front
1914 Irish home rule bill receive Royal assent
1914 South African troops land in German South West Africa
1911 Britain's 1st twin-engine airplane (Short S.39) test flown
1911 Louis Napoleon Parker's "Disraeli," premieres in New York City
1910 25,000 demonstrate in Amsterdam for general male/female suffrage
1909 Largest paid baseball attendance (35,409), A's beat Tigers, 2-0 in Det
1908 Cleveland Indian Bob "Dusty" Rhoades no-hits Boston, 2-1
1905 Electric tramline opens in Rotterdam
1903 Phillie's Chick Fraser no-hits Chicago Cubs, 10-0
1898 Lord Kitcheners ships reach Fashoda Sudan
1897 Gustave Kecker/Hugh Martin's musical "Belle of New York City," premieres in New York City
1895 Booker T. Washington delivers "Atlanta Compromise" address
1895 D D Palmer of Davenport, Iowa, becomes 1st chiropractor
1891 Harriet Maxwell Converse is 1st white woman to become an Indian chief
1888 Start of Sherlock Holmes adventure "Sign of Four"
1882 Pacific Stock Exchange opens (as Local Security Board)
1873 Government bond agent Jay Cooke and Co collapses, causing panic on Wall St
1862 General Read army pulls out of Antietam Creek Virginia
1851 New York Times starts publishing at 2 cents a copy
1850 Congress passes Fugitive Slave Law as part of Compromise of 1850
1849 De Kempenaer's Dutch government resigns
1848 Baseball rules 1st baseman can tag base for out instead of runner
1846 Elizabeth Barrett and R Browning exchange last letters before eloping
1842 1st edition of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, published
1838 Anti-Corn Law League established by Richard Cobden
1830 Horse beats 1st U.S. made locomotive (near Baltimore)
1812 Fire in Moscow destroys 90% of houses and 1,000 churchs
1811 English expeditionary army conquerors Dutch Indies
1810 Chile declares independence from Spain (National Day)
1809 Royal Opera House in London opens
1793 President Washington lays cornerstone of Capitol building
1789 1st loan is made to pay salaries of the presidents and Congress
1769 John Harris builds 1st spinet piano (U.S.)
1759 Battle of Quebec ends, French surrender to British
1755 Ft. Ticonderoga, New York opens
1739 Turkey and Austria sign peace treaty-Austria cedes Belgrade to Turks
1679 New Hampshire becomes a county Massachusetts Bay Colony
1635 Emperor Ferdinand II declares war on France
1573 Spanish attack Alkmaar
1544 Charles V of Germany and Francis I of France sign Peace of Crepy
1544 English King Henry VIII's troops occupy Boulogne
1544 Peace of Crepy: German emperor Charles V and French king Francois I
1502 Christopher Columbus lands at Costa Rica on his 4th and last voyage
1437 Farmer uprising in Transsylvania
324 Chrysopolis emperor Constantine beats emperor Licinius

[Kitty]

Are you sure you didn't miss something there spidge?

[spidge]

Now you have got me wondering? Just building up the names.

[Kitty]

I know, but the amount there made me go crosseyed! I must dig out that book i compiled of historical events.

[spidge]

1781 : French and Americans cut off British supplies at Gloucester

On this day in 1781, British Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Dundas of the 80th Foot, leading 1,000 British troops, encounters French Brigadier General Marquis de Choisy, leading French troops and a battalion of the Virginia militia totaling 800 men. The action takes place in Gloucester, Virginia, across the York River from British-occupied Yorktown, which was under Patriot siege.

On September 28, 17,000 combined Continental and French forces commanded jointly on land by General George Washington and French Lieutenant General Count de Rochambeau and at sea by French Admiral Count de Grasse had arrived to encircle British General Charles Cornwallis’ camp at Yorktown and began the siege. Prior to the encounter as Gloucester, Dundas and the British had enjoyed complete control of a strategic countryside position on the Gloucester side of the York River. The control of this area allowed the British to forage for nearly unlimited food and supplies, not only for themselves, but for Cornwallis and his British troops located across the river in Yorktown, which limited the success of the Patriot siege.

While returning to camp on the evening of October 3, 1781, Dundas and the British were engaged in battle by General de Choisy. Although the ensuing battle between British and Patriot-allied forces was relatively small, it was nonetheless important, because it cut off supplies to General Cornwallis and the British troops across the river in Yorktown. The capture of Gloucester, Virginia, was one of the final steps toward the eventual Patriot victory at Yorktown just 16 days later.