September 19th in History

Michael Dobson | September 19

An illustration of the first balloon ascent carrying living beings

Today in History

  • The Continental Congress passes the first US federal budget (1778)
  • George Washington’s Farewell Address is published (1796)
  • The Montgolfier brothers send up the first balloon carrying live passengers, a sheep, a duck, and a rooster. (1783)
  • American Civil War: The Battle of Chickamauga begins (1863)
  • New Zealand women get the right to vote (1893)
  • The US bars Charlie Chaplin from re-entering the country (1952)
  • The US conducts its first underground nuclear bomb test (1957)
  • The first emoticons are published (1982)
  • The Unabomber manifesto is published (1995)
  • The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is sealed (2010)

Birthdays

  • Arthur Rackham, artist (1867)
  • Leon Jaworski, Watergate special prosecutor (1905)
  • William Golding, writer (1911)
  • Frances Farmer, actress (1913)
  • Adam West, actor (1928)
  • David McCallum, actor (1933)
  • Brian Epstein, manager of The Beatles (1934)
  • Paul Williams, musician and actor (1940)
  • Cass Elliot, singer (1941)
  • Jeremy Irons, actor (1948)
  • Twiggy, model (1949)
  • Joan Lunden, television journalist and anchor (1950)
  • Lita Ford, musician (1958)
  • Trisha Yearwood, musician (1964)

Deaths

  • Mayer Rothschild, banker (1812)
  • James Garfield, 20th US President (1881)
  • Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, rocket scientist (1935)
  • Condé Nast, magazine publisher (1942)
  • Red Foley, country musician (1968)
  • Gram Parsons, musician (1973)
  • Hermes Pan, choreographer (1990)
  • Orville Redenbacher, popcorn magnate (1995)
  • Skeeter Davis, country musician (2004)
  • Dolores Hope, wife of Bob Hope (2011)
  • Jackie Collins, novelist (2015)

Holidays and Celebrations

  • Day of the Glories of the Army (Chile)
  • Feast of San Gennaro (Italian communities in the US)
  • Independence Day (Saint Kitts and Nevis)
  • International Talk Like a Pirate Day
  • National Butterscotch Pudding Day (US)
  • Remembrance Day (Slovakia)

September 19 is the 262nd day of the year (263rd in leap years). There are 103 days remaining until the end of the year.