September 23
Today in America's Present Past
1779 | War of Independence: John Paul Jones defeats a British frigate and makes his well-known quip, “I have Not Yet Begun to Fight.”
1780 | War of Independence: Major John Andre reveals Benedict Arnold's plot to betray West Point.
1789 | Politician John Rogers died.
1795 | Alexander Twilight, the first African American to hold public office, was born.
1800 | Academic and author William Holmes McGuffey was born.
1806 | Explorers Lewis and Clark return from the Northwest.
1830 | First Lady Elizabeth Kortright Monroe died.
1838 | Activist Victoria Woodhull was born.
1845 | Likely the first baseball team, the NY Knickerbockers formed and adopted game codes.
1863 | Activist Mary Church Terrell was born.
1870 | Ethnomusicologist John Lomax was born.
1875 | Criminal Billy the Kid was arrested for the first time.
1869 | Patient Mary Mallon, known as Typhoid Mary, was born.
1884 | Inventor Herman Hollerith patents a mechanical calculator, launching data processing.
1889 | Journalist Walter Lippmann was born.
1900 | Chemist and entrepreneur Fred Koch was born.
1900 | Entrepreneur and university founder William Marsh Rice died.
1910 | General Elliot Roosevelt was born.
1911 | Pilot Earl Ovington becomes the first airmail pilot.
1913 | Civil Rights: Colorado Coalfield war starts.
1920 | Actor Mickey Rooney was born.
1926 | Boxer Gene Tunney defeats champion Jack Dempsey in the “Upset of the Decade.”
1926 | Composer John Coltrane was born.
1930 | Musician Ray Charles was born.
1949 | Musician Bruce Springsteen was born.
1950 | Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Ralph Bunche.
1950 | Korean War: US Air Force accidentally bombs British on Hill 282, Korea.
1952 | Republican Vice-President Richard Nixon gives his “Checkers” speech.
1952 | Boxer Rocky Marciano KOs defending champion Jersey Joe Walcott.
1954 | Playwright George C. Wolfe was born.
1955 | Murders of Emmet Till were found not guilty by a jury.
1957 | POTUS: Republican President Eisenhower orders U.S. troops to support the integration of Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas.
1962 | TV: The “Jetsons” debuted.
1969 | Film: "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" debuted.
1970 | Musician Ani DiFranco was born.
1971 | Author Rebecca Roanhorse was born.
1985 | Comedian Hasan Minhaj was born.
1992 | General James Van Fleet died.
1992 | Air & Space Museum founder Paul E. Garber died.
1994 | Film: “The Shawshank Redemption” debuted.
2009 | TV: “Modern Family” debuted.