September 26
Today in America's Present Past
1772 | New Jersey passed a bill requiring a license to practice medicine.
1774 | Pioneer Johnny Appleseed (John Chapman) was born.
1777 | War of Independence: British General Howe occupied Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1789 | Thomas Jefferson became the first U.S. Secretary of State; Edmund Randolph became the first U.S. Attorney General; and John Jay became the first U.S. Supreme Court Justice.
1820 | Daniel Boone died.
1861 | Cartoonist Thomas Nast weds Sarah Edwards.
1862 | Indian Wars: America’s victory in the Dakota War.
1888 | Poet T.S. Eliot was born.
1892 | Composer John Philip Sousa debuts the new Marine Marching Band.
1898 | Composer George Gershwin was born.
1902 | Entrepreneur Levi Strauss died.
1914 | POTUS: Democrat Wilson signs the Federal Trade Commission into law.
1927 | Inventor Robert Cade was born.
1936 | Poet Harriet Monroe died.
1937 | Musician Bessie Smith died.
1949 | The Hollywood sign was reconfigured to replace the original Hollywoodland sign.
1957 | Broadway musical “West Side Story” debuts.
1958 | Actress Linda Hamilton was born.
1962 | TV: “The Beverly Hillbillies” debuted.
1964 | TV: “Gilligan’s Island” debuted.
1968 | Actor Jim Caviezel was born.
1968 | Journalist Anthony Shadid was born.
1969 | TV: “Brady Bunch” debuted.
1973 | The Airplane “Concorde” makes its first nonstop Atlantic (Washington, D.C. to Paris) trip in record-breaking time.
1981 | Tennis professional Serena Williams was born.
1982 | TV: “Knight Rider” debuted.
1983 | A nuclear war with the U.S.S.R. is avoided when Soviet officer Petrov realizes a computer error suggesting the U.S. was attacking is an error.
1986 | SCOTUS: Justice Antonin Scalia was sworn in.
2006 | Film: “The Departed” debuted.
2008 | Actor Paul Newman died.
2010 | Actress Gloria Stuart died.