^{“John Paul Jones,” attributed to Louis-Philibert Debucourt, merged with “The Battle of Flamborough Head” by Thomas Mitchell}

Today in History

• American Revolutionary War: John Paul Jones says, “I have not yet begun to fight” after his ship Bonhomme Richard crashes into HMS Serapis during the Battle of Flamborough Head (1779)
• American Revolutionary War: A captured British spy reveals that Benedict Arnold had changed sides (1780)
• Lewis and Clark complete their expedition by returning to St. Louis (1806)
• Neptune is discovered (1846)
• Nintendo is founded (1889)
• Bob Marley plays his last concert (1980)

Birthdays

• Augustus, Roman emperor (63 BCE)
• Kublai Khan, Mongol emperor (1215)
• William Holmes McGuffey, created the McGuffey Readers (1800)
• Victoria Woodhull, suffrage leader (1838)
• Baroness Orczy, created the Scarlet Pimpernel (1865)
• Walter Lippmann, journalist (1889)
• Walter Pidgeon, actor (1897)
• Mickey Rooney, entertainer (1920)
• John Coltrane, jazz saxophonist (1926)
• Ray Charles, singer-songwriter (1930)
• Romy Schneider, actress (1938)
• Julio Iglesias, singer-songwriter (1943)
• Eric Bogle, singer-songwriter (1944)
• Mary Kay Place, actress (1947)
• Bruce Springsteen, singer-songwriter (1949)

Deaths

• Wilkie Collins, novelist (1889)
• Werner Voss, German fighter ace (1917)
• Sigmund Freud, psychiatrist (1939)
• Pablo Neruda, poet (1973)
• Cliff Arquette, actor (1974)
• Chief Dan George, actor (1981)
• Bob Fosse, dancer and choreographer (1987)
• Robert Bloch, author (1994)
• Etta Baker, singer (2006)

Holidays and Observances

• Grito de Lares (Puerto Rico)
• Holocaust Memorial Day (Lithuania)
• Krygyz Language Day (Kyrgyzstan)
• National Day (Saudi Arabia)
• Teacher’s Day (Brunei)

September 23 is the 266th day of the year (267th in leap years). There are 99 days remaining until the end of the year.