Wednesday, September 2, 2026

Trump Illegally Cutting Historical Trees in D.C. Without Court Approval

Sometimes, it is still shocking to think that one man can do so much damage to an entire country in such a short amount of time, and with such impunity. It sure was shocking at first to see it early on in Trump's second term, even though we had already had his first term to get used to certain levels of idiocy. But he did not do quite as much damage then as he has been doing now in his second term.

A lot of that damage has been with his intent to remake the nation's capital to his liking. Think about all that he managed to change just in the short time since he assumed the Oval Office for a second time. In the White House itself, he destroyed the Rose Garden, demolished the East Wing, and then installed a museum-like hall of presidential plaques, only with his own idiotic commentary tacked on to it. Now it seems the Supreme Court has given him the green light to build his ridiculous ballroom. Of course that's not enough, as he wants an underground bunker to be built. You know, like Hitler had in Berlin. 

The damage was not restricted merely to the White House, though. Trump drained the Reflecting Pool and painted it "American flag blue" (whatever that is supposed to be for a pool) and then filled it with scummy water before it needed to be drained. Of course he blamed Obama for that fiasco, and also claimed that people had effectively destroyed the Reflecting Pool, thus justifying an ugly fence to block access to it. Trump has also started to lay the ground for an arch, which many are calling the "Arc de Trump." After all, he seems to want to build it in honor of himself. Who else?

Now, Trump is tearing out some historical trees in Washington, as well. This he is doing despite not having the proper permission. But when has that ever stopped him before?

Indeed, Trump has ordered the removal of cherry blossoms along the Potomac, as well as trees planted right next to the Kennedy Center. Those trees are historical and should be valued as a national treasure, frankly. The blossoms were a gift from Japan early in the 20th century. As for the trees at the Kennedy Center, they were planted shortly after Kennedy was assassinated to commemorate the memory of the late president. That those trees were on the grounds of the Kennedy Center is significant, of course, because Trump briefly and illegally renamed it after himself before being ordered to remove his name. That apparently pissed off Trump something fierce, because now, he is threatening to tear the building down unless he gets to have his name on it again.

Once again, as if any more proof were needed, Trump is proving that he does not build anything as much as he destroys things. True, one could argue that he is building the ballroom or the "Arc de Trump." But those things are vanity projects to himself, to glorify him. They are selfish and literally very costly ambitions that actually say more about how tone deaf this presidency is, focusing on these expensive monuments to a mediocre man rather than actually helping Americans out at a time when most are struggling. Plus, he needs to destroy things in order to build these monuments to himself. He did not hesitate to destroy the Rose Garden, the East Wing of the White House, or the Reflecting Pool. And he is now literally threatening to destroy the Kennedy Center. 

This man is not just an awful human being, but a historically horrendous president. Whether it is lawful or not, regardless of whether he has received approval from the necessary authorities or not, he just does things because he wants to. If the law stands in the way, he just ignores it. He acts like he has total impunity, and that his actions are always going to come to fruition. That there will never be a reckoning.

Of course, in that regard, he is going by what he sees. And what he has seen now throughout his life is a country that accommodates his bullshit and never, ever seems  to have the stomach to actually hold him accountable for his crimes. 

Now, he continues to almost literally scar the city of Washington as he desires. Never mind the public good and the interest of ordinary Americans coming to visit the nation's capital. Trump wants yet another golf course for elites like him (if not for him privately, perhaps) and specifically to his liking. If he does not like those historical cherry blossoms which were given to the nation as a gift from Japan over a century ago, he simply tears them down. And what are the odds that Trump will not seek to privatize this course for himself and his friends? Because all we need is yet one more Trump golf course. And this one will come at the expense of beauty and history. 

Truly, this all feels symbolic of the Trump presidency as a whole. Or perhaps it would be more appropriate to describe it as an A-hole.

Everything is always about Trump, forever and after. Everything so that he is catered to, everything to his specifications. His presidency has and will be defined by one thing: he always comes first, and the country, and the world, comes second. A distant second. Never one does he think about possibly sacrificing even the least bit of self-indulgence for the good of the country. It's always about him. And tens of millions of pathetic cult members validate his selfishness by supporting him throughout all of this crap.

The result in a very real sense has been that the country has grown smaller and poorer. And I mean that in every sense of those words.

Trump is worse than worthless, and is actively sucking all of the good that this country has, trying to make it and everyone here as miserable as he is.

Seriously, this needs to come to an end.




Dozens of Trees Quietly Toppled in D.C. Without Court Approval Ahead of Trump’s New Golf Course Makeover: Report by Charlotte Phillipp  Published on August 28, 2026:

The Trump administration did not release any design plans, construction schedule or budget for the golf course by the time the trees were cut, The Washington Post reported  

https://people.com/dozens-trees-quietly-toppled-dc-without-court-approval-ahead-trumps-new-golf-course-makeover-report-12072010

Dozens of Trees Quietly Toppled in D.C. Without Court Approval Ahead of Trump’s New Golf Course Makeover: Report

Today Marks the Anniversary of V-J Day in 1945, When Japan Officially Surrendered, Officially Ending World War II

 


Statue of an American Soldier at the World War II Memorial in Trenton, New Jersey





Sep 2, 1945: Allies celebrate V-J Day

On this day in 1945, the USS Missouri hosts the formal surrender of the Japanese government to the Allies. Victory over Japan was celebrated back in the States.

As Japanese troops finally surrendered to Americans on the Caroline, Mariana, and Palau islands, representatives of their emperor and prime minister were preparing to formalize their capitulation. In Tokyo Bay, aboard the Navy battleship USS Missouri, the Japanese foreign minister, Mamoru Shigemitsu, and the chief of staff of the Japanese army, Yoshijiro Umezu, signed the "instrument of surrender." Representing the Allied victors was Gen. Douglas MacArthur, commander of the U.S. Army forces in the Pacific, and Adm. Chester Nimitz, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, now promoted to the newest and highest Navy rank, fleet admiral. Among others in attendance was Lt. Gen. Jonathan Wainwright, who had taken command of the forces in the Philippines upon MacArthur's departure and had been recently freed from a Japanese POW camp in Manchuria.

Shigemitsu would be found guilty of war crimes and sentenced to seven years in prison subsequent to the surrender. The grand irony is that he had fought for concessions on the Japanese side in order to secure an early peace. He was paroled in 1950 and went on to become chairman of Japan's Progressive Party. MacArthur would fight him again when he was named commander in chief of the United Nations forces in Korea in 1950.


1945 Japan surrenders, bringing an end to WWII HISTORY.com Editors This Day In History: Japan surrenders, bringing an end to WWII  Published: February 09, 2010 Last Updated: May 28, 2025:

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/september-2/japan-surrenders



So yes, today if the 80th anniversary of V-J Day. That was the day when Japan officially surrendered (although they had, in principle, surrendered earlier). This surrender marked the official end of World War II.

Japan had arguably begun World War II well before the conflict erupted in Europe, and even before Hitler ever ascended to power in Europe. They invaded Manchuria in 1931. This conflict escalated in 1937, and became the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937. Eventually, this became part of World War II, which is why it seems to me that World War II actually began earlier than September 1, 1939, when Hitler invaded Poland. 

Of course, these were two different theaters of war. Hitler and Nazi Germany invaded numerous countries and basically took over almost all of Europe for a while, but eventually were beaten back to the borders of the Reich and then into the capital city of Berlin. Once Berlin fell and Hitler committed suicide, it was a matter of days before the top-ranking Nazis officially surrendered on May 8, 1045, although it is celebrated on May 9, 1945 in Russia. 

It was Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on December 7, 1941, which forcibly brought the United States into the conflict. The United States declared war on Japan the next day, and then Germany declared war on the United States days after that. Thus, all of the world's major powers at that point were engaged in the conflict, which was and still is the biggest war the world has ever seen. 

However, it ended on this day in 1945 with the official surrender of Japan, on what has come to be known as V-J Day.

September 2nd: This Day in History

   



Once again, it should be reiterated, that this does not pretend to be a very extensive history of what happened on this day (nor is it the most original - the links can be found down below). If you know something that I am missing, by all means, shoot me an email or leave a comment, and let me know!



On this day in 44 BCE, Pharaoh Cleopatra VII of Egypt declared her son the co-ruler as Ptolemy XV Caesarion. Also on this day in 44 BCE came the first of Cicero's Philippics (oratorical attacks) on Mark Antony. Ultimately, he made 14 of them in the following months. On this day in 31 BCE during the final war of the Roman Republic, the Battle of Actium was fought off the western coast of Greece, with the forces of Octavian defeating troops under Mark Antony and Cleopatra. Octavian, as Augustus Caesar, became the first Roman emperor. On this day in 1519 was fought the first Battle of Tehuacingo, San Salvador vs Mexico. King Christian III published "Ordinance on the Danish Church" on this day in 1537. The Battle at Lostwithiel was fought on this day in 1644, when Robert Devereux's infantry surrendered. Habsburg armies occupied Buda on Turks on this day in 1686. On this day in 1789, the US Treasury Department was established by Congress. On this day in 1792, the September Massacres of the French Revolution broke out: In 1807 on this day, the Royal Navy bombarded Copenhagen with fire bombs and phosphorus rockets to prevent Denmark from surrendering its fleet to Napoleon. In 1856 on this day, Tianjing's struggle Incident in Nanjing, China. French Emperor Napoleon III surrendered to Prussian armies on this day in 1870. On this day in 1898, the machine gun was first used in battle. The Battle of Omdurman was fought on this day in 1898, with Lord Kitchener retaking Sudan for Britain. On this day in 1901, American Vice-President Theodore Roosevelt famously stated, "Speak softly & carry a big stick." King Edward VII signed the South Africa Act on this day in 1909. This Act created the Union of South Africa from the British colonies of the Cape of Good Hope and Natal, as well as the conquered former Boer Republics of the Orange Free State and Transvaal. It also made provisions for Rhodesia possibly to join the union at some point in the future, although that never actually came to pass. Weimar German President Friedrich Ebert declared that "Deutschland uber alles" as German national anthem on this day in 1922. V-J Day, the day recognizing the formal surrender of Japan and with it the official end of World War II, occurred on this day in 1945. The official peace terms were signed aboard the USS Missouri. In 1958 on this day, Hendrik Verwoerd was appointed as Prime Minister of South Africa. In 1991 on this day, the United States officially recognized the independence of the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania. They had formerly been part of the Soviet Union. Central African Republic ex-Emperor Bokassa was freed on this day in 1993. On this day in 1996, a peace agreement was signed between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Moro National Liberation Front in MalacaƱang Palace.


Here's a more detailed look at events that transpired on this date throughout history:


On this day in 44 BCE, Pharaoh Cleopatra VII of Egypt declared her son the co-ruler as Ptolemy XV Caesarion. Also on this day in 44 BCE came the first of Cicero's Philippics (oratorical attacks) on Mark Antony. Ultimately, he made 14 of them in the following months. 

On this day in 31 BCE during the final war of the Roman Republic, the Battle of Actium was fought off the western coast of Greece, with the forces of Octavian defeating troops under Mark Antony and Cleopatra. Octavian, as Augustus Caesar, became the first Roman emperor. 

In 911 on this day, Viking-monarch Oleg of Kiev-Russia signed treaty with the Byzantines. 

Sultan Saladin & King Richard the Lionheart signed a cease fire on this day in 1192. 

On this day in 1519 was fought the first Battle of Tehuacingo, San Salvador vs Mexico. 

King Christian III published "Ordinance on the Danish Church" on this day in 1537. 

The Battle at Lostwithiel was fought on this day in 1644, when Robert Devereux's infantry surrendered. 

On this day in 1649, the Italian city of Castro was completely destroyed by the forces of Pope Innocent X, ending the Wars of Castro. 

The Great Fire of London began at 2am in Pudding Lane on this day in 1666. As a result, 80% of London was destroyed. 

Habsburg armies occupied Buda on Turks on this day in 1686. 

In 1732 on this day, Pope Clement XII renewed anti-Jewish laws of Rome. 

On this day in 1743, England/Austria/Savoye-Sardinia signed the Treaty of Worms. 

In 1752 on this day, the last Julian calendar day in US & Britain/British colonies (no Sept 3-Sept 13th).  

On this day in 1789, the US Treasury Department was established by Congress.









The tricolore flag of France (above) which originated during the French Revolution. Below, another symbol of the French Revolution was the guillotine.



On this day in 1792, the September Massacres of the French Revolution broke out: In Paris rampaging mobs slaughtered 3 Roman Catholic Bishops, more than two hundred priests, and prisoners believed to be royalist sympathizers. 







In 1796 on this day, Jews of the Netherlands are emancipated. 

A side of Rossberg Peak collapsed into Goldau Valley, Switzerland, killing 500 people on this day in 1806. 

In 1807 on this day, the Royal Navy bombarded Copenhagen with fire bombs and phosphorus rockets to prevent Denmark from surrendering its fleet to Napoleon. 

In 1839 on this day, the Salon of Varietes opens in Amsterdam. 

In 1856 on this day, Tianjing's struggle Incident in Nanjing, China. 

Gas lighting was introduced to Hawaii on this day in 1859. A solar super storm affected electrical telegraph service on this day in 1859.

On this day in 1864 during the American Civil War, Union General William T Sherman captured and burned Atlanta, Georgia. The first Girl School opened in Haarlem, Netherlands, on this day in 1867. 



Painting of Napoleon III, which hangs in the Napoleon III Apartment in the Louvre Museum, Paris, France. 

 French Emperor Napoleon III surrendered to Prussian armies on this day in 1870. In 1885 on this day in Rock Springs, Wyoming, 150 white miners, who were struggling to unionize so they could strike for better wages and work conditions, attacked their Chinese fellow workers, killing 28, wounding 15, and forcing several hundred more out of town. 







On this day in 1894, the Amsterdam Municipal theater opened. 

Forest fires destroyed Hinckley, Minnesota, killing about 600, on this day in 1894. "McCall-magazine was first published on this day in 1897. 

The Battle of Omdurman was fought on this day in 1898, with Lord Kitchener retaking Sudan for Britain. 

On this day in 1898, the machine gun was first used in battle. 

Telegraph use between Germany & US began on this day in 1900. 

On this day in 1901, American Vice-President Theodore Roosevelt famously stated, "Speak softly & carry a big stick."


1902 - "A Trip To The Moon," the 1st science fiction film released
1908 - Tommy Burns KOs Bill Lang in 6 for heavyweight boxing title


1909 - English King Edward VII signed the South Africa Bill

King Edward VII signed the South Africa Act on this day in 1909. This Act created the Union of South Africa from the British colonies of the Cape of Good Hope and Natal, as well as the conquered former Boer Republics of the Orange Free State and Transvaal. It also made provisions for Rhodesia possibly to join the union at some point in the future, although that never actually came to pass. 




1911 - Joao Chagas forms Portuguese government
1913 - Amsterdam reroutes sewage of canals to South Seas
1914 - -3] Gen von Hausen & countess of France regime flees to Bordeaux
1917 - Deutsche Vaterlands Party forms (by admiral Tirpitz)
1919 - Communist Party of America organizes in Chicago
1919 - Italy agress to general voting right/proportional representation
1919 - National Commission recommends a best-of-9 World Series
1920 - W Somerset Maugham's "East of Suez," premieres in London




• Weimar German President Friedrich Ebert declared that "Deutschland uber alles" as German national anthem on this day in 1922. 


1924 - 44th US Mens Tennis: William Tilden beats William Johnston (61 97 62)
1924 - Rudolf Friml's "Rose Marie" opens to rave reviews in NYC
1925 - The U.S. Zeppelin the USS Shenandoah crashes, killing 14.
1926 - Italy signs treaty with Yemen
1927 - Rumour starts that Yankee Lou Gehrig will be traded to Tigers
1929 - Unilever forms by merger of Margarine Union & Lever Bros
1929 - WOR (NYC) ends affiliation with CBS radio network
1930 - 1st non-stop airplane flight from Europe to US (37 hrs)
1935 - A hurricane slams Florida Keys killing 423
1936 - 1st transatlantic round-trip air flight
1937 - US Housing Authority created by National Housing Act

1940 - Great Smoky Mountains National Park dedicated

1941 - Academy copyrights Oscar statuette
1942 - German troops enter Stalingrad
1944 - Belgium's Emissie bank closes
US President George H. W. BushUS President George H. W. Bush 

On this day in 1944 during World War II, future American President George H. W. Bush  ejected from a burning plane.







1944 - Holocaust diarist Anne Frank was sent to Auschwitz







1944 - US leaders meet in Belgium
1945 - 59th US Womens Tennis: Sarah P Cooke beats Pauline Betz (36 86 64)


1945 - Ho Chi Minh declares Vietnam independence from France (National Day)







Statue of an American Soldier at the World War II Memorial in Trenton, New Jersey


V-J Day, the day recognizing the formal surrender of Japan and with it the official end of World War II, occurred on this day in 1945. The official peace terms were signed aboard the USS Missouri.



1946 - Johnny Neun replaces Bill Dickey as Yankee manager
1946 - Nehru forms government in India
1949 - Fire in riverfront area kills 1,700 (Chungking China)
1951 - Australia, NZ & US sign ANZUS-pact
1952 - Dr Floyd J Lewis 1st uses deep freeze technique in heart surgery
1954 - Hurricane Edna batters NE US, killing 20
1954 - WTVD TV channel 11 in Raleigh-Durham, NC (ABC) begins broadcasting
1955 - KCRA TV channel 3 in Sacramento, CA (NBC) begins broadcasting
1956 - Collapse of a RR bridge under a train kills 120 (India)
Jewish Victim & Diarist of the Holocaust Anne FrankJewish Victim & Diarist of the Holocaust Anne Frank 1956 - Orioles trailing Red Sox 8-0 come back to win 11-10 in 9 innings
1956 - Washington-Jackson cable line replaced by bus service
1957 - 1st edition newspaper the Ware Time (in Suriname), 1,700 die
1957 - Milwaukee Braves' Frank Torre scores 6 runs in 1 game
1957 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1958 - Great Britain performs atmospheric nuclear test at Christmas Island







Flag of South Africa during the apartheid era

In 1958 on this day, Hendrik Verwoerd was appointed as Prime Minister of South Africa. Verwoerd would come to be very powerful and influential, even to the point where he came to be known as the architect of apartheid, having been responsible for many of the racial policies during his tenure. Also, he attempted to make intellectual arguments justifying the strict racial segregation policies of South Africa, which won him the loyalty of many supporters.






1958 - KAYS TV channel 7 in Hays, KS (CBS) begins broadcasting
1958 - Minn announces $9 million bond issue to improve Metropolitan Stadium
1958 - National Defense Education Act was signed
1958 - U.S. Air Force C-130A-II is shot down by fighters over Yerevan, Armenia when it strays into Soviet airspace while conducting a sigint mission. All crew lost.



General Dwight Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States

1959 - US President Eisenhower arrived in Paris





1960 - Tamara & Irina Press (USSR) become 1st sisters to win olympic gold
1960 - William Walton's 2nd Symphony, premieres
1960 - The first election of the Parliament of the Central Tibetan Administration, in history of Tibet. The Tibetan community observes this date as the Democracy Day.
1962 - Stan Musial's 3,516th hit moves over Tris Speaker into 2nd place
1962 - USSR performs nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya USSR





1963 - Alabama Gov George C Wallace prevents integration of Tuskegee HS



1963 - CBS & NBC expand network news from 15 to 30 minutes
1963 - Mickey Wright wins LPGA Idaho Centennia Golf Tournament


1964 - Indonesian paratroopers lands in Malaysia


1965 - Cubs slugger Ernie Banks hits his 400th HR (off Curt Simmons)






1965 - Treblinka trial in Dusseldorf ends



1966 - Mickey Wright wins LPGA Ladies' World Series of Golf
1967 - KUHI (now KSNF) TV channel 16 in Joplin, MO (CBS) begins broadcasting
1967 - The Principality of Sealand is established, ruled by Prince Paddy Roy Bates.
1968 - Jerry Lewis' 3rd Muscular Dystrophy telethon
1969 - NY Yankee Joe Pepitone is reinstated
1969 - Ralph Houk signs 3-year contract to manage Yankees at $65,000 a season
1969 - The first automatic teller machine in the United States is installed in Rockville Center, New York.
1970 - 1st tennis tie break at a Grand Slam (US Open) (9 pt sudden death)
1971 - Cesar Cedeno hits an inside-the-park grand slammer
1971 - Chris Evert & Jimmy Connors win their 1st US Open tennis matches
1971 - NY's Electric Circus Club goes out of business
1972 - Chicago White Sox Milt Pappas no-hits SD Padres, 1-0
1972 - Renate Stecher runs 100m European female record (11.07 sec)
1972 - Rod Stewart's 1st #1 hit (You Wear it Well)
1972 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR
1973 - Billy Martin fired as manager of Tigers
1973 - Netherlands wins hockey world's championship
1973 - Sandra Haynie wins LPGA Charity Golf Classic
Singer Rod StewartSinger Rod Stewart 1974 - Jerry Lewis' 9th Muscular Dystrophy telethon


1974 - Prest Gerald Ford signs Employee Retirement Income Security Act

1978 - Graham Salmon set worlds record for 100 meters by a blind man
1978 - John McClain performs 180 outside loops in an airplane over Houston
1978 - Reggie Jackson is 19th player to hit 20 HR in 11 straight years
1979 - "I Remember Mama" closes at Majestic Theater NYC after 108 perfs
1979 - 79th US Golf Amateur Championship won by Mark O'Meara
1980 - John Arlott calls his last game, England v Australia at Lord's
1981 - USSR performs underground nuclear test
1982 - Rolling Stone Keith Richard's house burns down
1983 - Yitzhak Shamir (Herut) endorsed by Menachem Begin for Israeli PM
1984 - "Zorba" closes at Broadway Theater NYC after 362 performances
1985 - Betsy King wins LPGA Rail Charity Golf Classic
1985 - Jerry Lewis' 20th Muscular Dystrophy telethon raises $33,100,000
1986 - Cathy Evelyn Smith sentenced to 3 years for death of John Belushi


1987 - Donald Trump takes out a full page NY Times ad lambasting Japan
1987 - Kevin Bass is 1st NLer to switch hit HRs in a game twice in 1 season
1987 - Philips introduces CD-video
1987 - West German pilot Mathias Rust, who flew a private plane from Helsinki Finland, to Moscow's Red Square, forms trial in Russia
1988 - Amnesty International's Human Rights Now! tour begins in Wembley
1989 - Rev Al Sharpton leads a civil rights march through Bensonhurst
1990 - "Grapes of Wrath" closes at Cort Theater NYC after 188 performances
1990 - Steve Allen, installed as a new abbot of Hartford St Zen Center, SF
1991 - Jerry Lewis' 26th Muscular Dystrophy telethon raises $45,071,657




 In 1991 on this day, the United States officially recognized the independence of the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania. They had formerly been part of the Soviet Union.


 


1992 - Nicaragua struck by earthquake/floodings; 118 die

1992 - US dollar valued at 156.50 guilder (record)
1993 - 10th MTV Awards: Pearl Jam, En Vogue wins


Central African Republic ex-Emperor Bokassa was freed on this day in 1993.


Minister and Civil Rights Activist Al SharptonMinister and Civil Rights Activist Al Sharpton 


1993 - Day of Peace in South Africa

1995 - Southern California begins using new area code 562

1996 - Soyuz TM-24, lands

 On this day in 1996, a peace agreement was signed between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Moro National Liberation Front in MalacaƱang Palace.


1998 - Swissair Flight 111 crashes near Peggys Cove, Nova Scotia. All 229 people on board are killed.
1998 - The UN's International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda finds Jean-Paul Akayesu, the former mayor of a small town in Rwanda, guilty of nine counts of genocide.
2012 - A decades-long ban on veiled female news presenters is lifted from State television in Egypt
2012 - 15 people are killed by a car bomb attack at a refugee camp in Sbeineh, Palestine




   1666 - The Great Fire of London broke out. The fire burned for three days destroying 10,000 buildings including St. Paul's Cathedral. Only 6 people were killed.   1775 - Hannah, the first American war vessel was commissioned by General George Washington.   1789 - The U.S. Treasury Department was established.   1864 - During the U.S. Civil War Union forces led by Gen. William T. Sherman occupied Atlanta following the retreat of the Confederates.   1897 - The first issue of "McCall’s" magazine was published. The magazine had been known previously as "Queens Magazine" and "Queen of Fashion."   1901 - Theodore Roosevelt, then Vice President, said "Speak softly and carry a big stick" in a speech at the Minnesota State Fair.   1930 - The "Question Mark" made the first non-stop flight from Europe to the U.S. The plane was flown by Captain Dieudonne Coste and Maurice Bellonte.   1935 - A hurricane hit the Florida Keys killing 423 people.   1938 - The first railroad car to be equipped with fluorescent lighting was put into operation on the New York Central railroad.   1945 - Japan surrendered to the U.S. aboard the USS Missouri, ending World War II. The war ended six years and one day after it began.   1945 - Ho Chi Minh declared the independence the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.   1961 - The U.S.S.R. resumed nuclear weapons testing. Test ban treaty negotiations had failed with the U.S. and Britain when the three nations could not agree upon the nature and frequency of on-site inspections.   1962 - Ken Hubbs, of the Chicago Cubs, set a major-league baseball fielding record when he played errorless for his 74th consecutive game.   1963 - The integration of Tuskegee High School was prevented by state troopers assigned by Alabama Gov. George Wallace. Wallace had the building surrounded by state troopers.   1963 - "The CBS Evening News" was lengthened from 15 to 30 minutes.   1969 - Ho Chi Minh died. He was the president of North Vietnam.   1969 - NBC-TV canceled "Star Trek." The show had debuted on September 8, 1966.   1973 - Billy Martin was fired as manager of the Detroit Tigers. Martin was relieved of his duties three days after ordering his pitchers to throw spitballs against Cleveland Indians batters.   1985 - It was announced that the Titanic had been found on September 1 by a U.S. and French expedition 560 miles off Newfoundland. The luxury liner had been missing for 73 years.   1986 - Cathy Evelyn Smith was sentenced to three years in prison for involuntary manslaughter in connection with the overdose death of John Belushi.   1991 - The U.S. formally recognized the independence of Lithuania, Lativa and Estonia.   1992 - The U.S. and Russia agreed to a joint venture to build a space station.   1996 - Muslim rebels and the Philippine government signed a pact formally ending 26-years of insurgency that had killed more than 120,000 people.   1998 - In Canada, pilots for Canada's largest airline launch their first strike in Air Canada's history.   1998 - 229 people were killed when a Swissair jetliner crashed into the Atlantic near Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia. The pilot had reported smoke in the cockpit a few minutes before the crash.


1666 The great fire of London broke out, destroying much of the city, including St. Paul's Cathedral. 1789 The U.S. Treasury Department was established. 1901 Vice President Theodore Roosevelt gave his "speak softly and carry a big stick" speech, regarding foreign policy, at the Minnesota State Fair. 1945 Japan's formal surrender in World War II was celebrated as Victory over Japan (V-J) Day. 1945 Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam an independent republic. 1963 Alabama governor George Wallace prevented the racial integration of Tuskegee High School by encircling the building with state troopers. 1969 North Vietnamese president Chi Minh died.

The following links are to web sites that were used to complete this blog entry:

Tuesday, September 1, 2026

September 1st - The Anniversary of the Beginning of World War II in Europe

   Hitler and Rohm, leader of the Nazi SA


Phot courtesy of Rupert Colley's Flickr Page - Hitler and Rohm, leader of the Nazi SA: https://www.flickr.com/photos/historyinanhour/4810258592





Today marks the anniversary of the beginning of the European part of World War II, even though it could certainly be argued that the war was already being waged in Asia, with considerable Japanese aggression.

Hitler and the Nazis had risen to power in Germany, and once there, they quickly went to work setting up anti-Semitic laws and policies, as well as building up their war machine. Step by step, Hitler calculated (correctly) how the Western democratic powers would react. He took gambles and, at least early on, won each and every one of them, correctly diagnosing that the West would collectively do everything possible to avoid war, and allow Germany all sorts of liberties. He essentially tore up the Treaty of Versailles (which was ill-advised, in any case), and rearmed Germany. Then, he occupied the Rhineland in 1936. Then came the Anschluss with Austria in March of 1938. Hitler wanted more, and he claimed to be fighting for the rights of the Germans in Czechoslovakia during the summer of 1938, leading to the Munich Agreement in September of 1938, giving Hitler the Sudetenland. The Western powers, particularly Britain and France, essentially appeased Hitler, giving him what he wanted, and essentially betraying their ally, Czechoslovakia. Infamously, British Prime Minister held up the paper agreement and declared to supporters back home that this was "peace in our time." That clearly was not the case when Hitler went ahead and occupied all of Czechoslovakia shortly thereafter.

Then came August of 1939, and Hitler took another gamble. He wanted Poland, but this time, the Western powers promised war if he should pursue it. But Hitler found a back way, making a deal with Stalin and the Soviet Union, agreeing to a nonaggression pact, often known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. What it amounted to was a Soviet promise not to get involved when (as opposed to if) the Germans invaded Poland. This they did on this day, 76 years ago, and it led to World War II. The Germans quickly took over Poland, while the Soviets took over what was left of Poland shortly thereafter.

In the meantime, the Western powers of Britain and France officially declared war on Germany. Yet, essentially, they still did nothing, as Poland fought alone against the encroaching Germans, and were powerless to prevent a Nazi takeover. Although the countries were officially at war, the next phase is commonly referred to as the sitztkrieg, or "phony war." Germany took over Poland, and the British and French essentially stood by, officially at war, but with no armed conflicts to show for it. William Shirer even describes how the French troops along the German border would play soccer, and the Germans would watch and cheer them along. That would end soon enough, as the Germans stepped up their aggression again in the spring, and took over most of western Europe. The next year, they would invade much of the rest of Europe to the east, including the western Soviet Union, despite the nonaggression pact that existed between the two countries.

Of all Hitler's gambles, this in my opinion is the one he got dead wrong, and his country and empire paid the ultimate price for it. Essentially, Hitler sealed his own doom with the Soviet invasion. I know that this is difficult for many Americans to understand, let alone accept. But Vice-President Harry Truman, soon enough to ascend to the presidency himself before the war would be done, advocated a policy known as "bait and bleed." Truman insisted that the two warring countries should be allowed to fight "so that they bleed each other white."

Truman elaborated on this a bit more:

"If we see that Germany is winning we ought to help Russia, and if Russia is winning we ought to help Germany, and that way let them kill as many as possible."
(Source of quotes used above: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bait_and_bleed)

The only problem with this policy is that the Soviet Union were our allies in the war effort against Nazi Germany. They lost 20 million people in the eastern war against Nazi Germany, in what is often described as the most brutal war in history.

Little by little, the German war machine, which up until then had enjoyed only good fortune and scored successes, were stopped dead in their tracks and began to be pounded back westward, eventually back to the borders of the Reich itself, and eventually towards Berlin, the final scene of the European war. The city went to street to street fighting, as the last Nazis held out following the death by suicide of their Führer. Nazi Germany, which only a few years before had ruled over most of Europe, now lay in ruins, with streets of rubble in German cities. There was an unconditional surrender, thus ending the bloodiest war in history.

It was the Soviets who paid the biggest price of the war, and it was the Soviets who essentially sacrificed the most, and contributed the most, towards eventual Nazi defeat. I know a lot of Americans who would have a hard time swallowing that fact, but not liking a fact does not prevent it from being a fact.

A lot of mistakes were made, and it seems safe to say that this is true across the boards. But the major mistake was to allow Hitler and the Nazis to keep winning all of those early gambles and gain ever more confidence and hunger. When not kept in check, the Nazis were allowed to let their war machine grow, and to make war inevitable.

So on this, the anniversary of the bloodiest war in history that they started, it is fitting to remember what happened, and to dissect a bit how they came to power in the first place, and were allowed to grow to the level that they became such a threat. Here are some links that I believe will be useful in doing so:





A Brutal Pageantry: The Third Reich’s Myth-Making Machinery, in Color by Ben Cosgrove  Aug. 5, 2014:





September 1, 1939: Germany Invades Poland, Beginning World War II      





World War II Erupts: Color Photos From the Invasion of Poland, 1939





World War II: The Invasion of Poland and the Winter War by Alan Taylor, June 26, 2011:


Despite the Systematic Repetition That the United States is the Wealthy Country in the World, Americans Actually Might Not Fair Too Well When Compared With Citizens of Other Countries

Not too long ago, I encountered an article published by The Wall Street Journal earlier this year. In it, it also claimed that Europeans were significantly poorer than Americans.

Funny, because I have been to Europe numerous times in my life, and at least one in each decade that I have been alive. 

And you know what?

It has been my experience that Europeans are hardly much poorer than Americans. In fact in some important ways, they tend to be on much firmer financial footing than the average American is, particularly when you include the risk of healthcare costs and the absence of other social safety nets which Europeans tend to take for granted, but which Americans tend not to have. 

Let's be frank: If most Americans actually understood the things which Europeans can afford to take for granted, things like at least four weeks guaranteed of paid vacation, long paid maternity and family leave, and zero individuals going bankrupt because they cannot afford their medical bills, they might think twice about dismissing Europeans as "poor." In fact, if the vast majority of Americans truly understood the sense of security that most Europeans have regarding those things in contrast to Americans, who are forced to do without, maybe the country would begin to really change politically.

However, it is because well-paid talking heads - apparently including Joseph Sternberg of the Wall Street Journal - leave a lot of that kind of stuff out or demonize it as "socialist" or "communist" (as if those terms were easily interchangeable), then Americans vote based on fear of the unknown. Someone tells them it's much worse in Europe - and they already want to believe in their own superiority - and so they go ahead and believe it.

That's how you get a nation like the United States to have the people of the country vote against their own best interests time after time. 

Recognize that it's propaganda. That strongest voices opposed to these kinds of things stand to benefit greatly by government benefits being minimized. People who want the corporation to profit more at the expense of workers by not providing living wages or decent vacation or other benefits that could really help ordinary people. 

You know, like they have in every other industrialized nation in the world? 

Does that not count as quality of life and raise the overall standard of living for most "poor" Europeans, and other countries where the citizens have these kinds of things? 

Maybe not according to the Wall Street Journal, or Donald Trump, or other elites.

But I can tell you that the vast majority of Europeans, specifically, whom I have met and interacted with sure appreciated having those things. And they tend to very much prefer those things over what Americans have or, in this case, do not have. Things like affordable healthcare, a decent amount of paid vacation, guaranteed paid maternity leave and family leave.

Instead of always turning to FOX News or Trump or the Wall Street Journal, I would encourage Americans to reach out to people in those other countries for a better understanding of how these things actually work and how they feel it benefits them. Don't just take my word for it, and certainly don't simply read an article by Joseph C. Sternberg or others at The Wall Street Journal and take their word for it that these are bad things. 


The US is NOT a wealthy country: This is the real data Geopolitical Economy Report Geopolitical Economy Report

https://youtu.be/kzFUd8uj7pA?si=I1aDVA2A-iVz5nPr

The US is NOT a wealthy country: This is the real data







Below is the link to the Wall Street Journal article which I posted something about last month, and which also shows a skewed, Americentric attitude of superiority towards Europeans. Take a look at the article, and see how he words things, how he makes his arguments. More specifically, see the things which he conveniently leaves out:

What Happens When Europeans Find Out How Poor They Are? by Joseph C. Sternberg April 30, 2026:

The Continent trails far behind U.S. economic output. Politics is bound to catch up sooner or later. 

https://www.wsj.com/opinion/what-happens-when-europeans-find-out-how-poor-they-are-270cff5d?mod=e2fb&fbclid=IwY2xjawSjYGBleHRuA2FlbQEwAGFkaWQBqzKsH86kunNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR4D6EExy73A-dRJTBSqzwTL4SZnm1WdignJTLNTPL7_1EqCY5vLh_Mcu2F2TQ_aem_yc4iotThqkF7j9eAyuWQ3Q&utm_campaign=120207446090830106&utm_content=120244863657060106&utm_id=120207446090830106&utm_medium=paid&utm_source=fb&utm_term=120233532115630106

What Happens When Europeans Find Out How Poor They Are? - WSJ

September 1st: This Day in History

 



Once again, it should be reiterated, that this does not pretend to be a very extensive history of what happened on this day (nor is it the most original - the links can be found down below). If you know something that I am missing, by all means, shoot me an email or leave a comment, and let me know!




Here's a more detailed look at events that transpired on this date throughout history:

Today is the anniversary of the beginning of World War II (at least the European part of it, although it should be noted that Japan had invaded mainland China many years earlier, and so it could be seen to have begun somewhat earlier than that). Still, the European theater of World War II started on this day when Hitler's Nazi Germany invaded Poland, setting off chain events that ultimately led to the Second World War. 

Otherwise, King Louis XIV of France, also known as the "Sun King," died on this day in 1715 after a reign of 72 years—the longest of any major European monarch.  On this day in 1752, the Liberty Bell arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1785 on this day, Mozart published a six string quartet opus 10 in Vienna, Austria. AIn 1807 on this date, Aaron Burr was acquitted of treason. On this day in 1831 while in Shrewsbury, England, botanist Charles Darwin accepted the position to be the naturalist aboard the HMS Beagle, although it would not sail until late December of that same year. This decision would have major ramifications later, as Darwin's findings - particularly on the Galapagos Islands west of Ecuador, South America, would lead him to develop his theory on natural selection, or evolution. It would prove to be a historical finding which rocked not just the scientific community, but the world. In another war less than a century earlier, Atlanta fell to Union forces on this day, and was completely ravaged and mostly destroyed. On this day in 1870, Emperor Napoleon III and his French army surrendered to Prussian forces at the Battle of Sedan. This was a massive and decisive defeat that effectively ended the Second French Empire, and led to the establishment of the Third French Republic on September 4, 1870.


Here's a more detailed look at events that transpired on this date throughout history:

This day in the year 69 marks the traditional date of the destruction of Jerusalem. This day in 462 marks the possible start of the first Byzantine indiction cycle. 

On this day in 891, the Northmen (Vikings) were defeated near Louvaine, France. Baldwin VI became the Count of Flanders on this day in 1067. 

Ubaldo Allucingoli replaced Alexander III as Pope Lucius III on this day in 1181. 

Rabbi Moses Ben Nachman established a Jewish community in Jerusalem on this day in 1267. 

On this day in 1355, Tvrtko I wrote in castro nostro Vizoka vocatum from old town Visoki. Krim-Tataren plundered Kiev on this day in 1482. 

Council to Pisa opened on this day in 1511. 

On this day in 1547, Charles demanded the creation of Imperial League (German state). 

In 1598 on this day, Spanish King Philip II received sacraments. 

On this day in 1609, Pieter Both was sworn in as the first Governor-General of the East Indies.

1614 - Vincent Fettmich expels Jews from Frankfurt-on-Main, Germany
1632 - Battle at Castelnaudary: Henri de Montmorency's rebellion army loses
1638 - -4] French queen-mother Maria de' Medici visits Amsterdam

1647 - French Cardinal Mazarin &the Duke of Modena signed a treaty against Milan

1661 - 1st Yacht race, England's King Charles vs his brother James


1689 - Russia began taxing men's beards

1695 - Dutch/English army under king Willem III occupies Names




Louis XIV, the "Sun King" of France



King Louis XIV of France, also known as the "Sun King," died on this day in 1715 after a reign of 72 years—the longest of any major European monarch.









1739 - 35 Jews sentenced to life in prison in Lisbon Portugal







On this day in 1752, the Liberty Bell arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.








1763 - Catherine II of Russia endorses Ivan Betskoy's plans for a Foundling Home in Moscow
1772 - Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa forms in California




Bust of Composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

In 1785 on this day, Mozart published a six string quartet opus 10 in Vienna, Austria.





1797 - 2nd National Meeting in Hague
1798 - England signs treaty with nizam of Hyderabad, India
1799 - Bank of Manhattan Company opens in NYC (forerunner to Chase Manhattan)

1799 - The Bank of Manhattan Company opened in New York City, NY. It was the forerunner of Chase Manhattan.  

1804 - Juno, one of the largest main belt asteroids, was discovered by German astronomer Karl Ludwig Harding.

1807 - Aaron Burr acquitted of charges of plotting to set up an empire

1807 - Former U.S. Vice President Aaron Burr was found innocent of treason.

1821 - 1st colonies along Santa Fe Trail







British Botanist Charles Darwin

On this day in 1831 while in Shrewsbury, England, botanist Charles Darwin accepted the position to be the naturalist aboard the HMS Beagle, although it would not sail until late December of that same year. This decision would have major ramifications later, as Darwin's findings - particularly on the Galapagos Islands west of Ecuador, South America, would lead him to develop his theory on natural selection, or evolution. It would prove to be a historical finding which rocked not just the scientific community, but the world.










1836 - Reconstruction begins on Synagogue of Rabbi Judah Hasid in Jerusalem
1836 - Narcissa Whitman, one of the first white women to settle west of the Rocky Mountains, arrives at Walla Walla, Washington.
Naturalist Charles DarwinNaturalist Charles Darwin 1849 - California Constitutional Convention held in Monterey
1858 - 1st transatlantic cable fails after less than 1 month
1859 - 1st Pullman sleeping car in service
1859 - R C Carrington & R Hodgson make 1st observation of solar flare
1859 - A solar superstorm affects electrical telegraph service.
1861 - Grant assumes command of Federal forces at Cape Girardeau MI
1861 - Skirmish at Boone Court House WV & Blue Creek WV
1862 - Battle at Chantilly (Ox Hill) Virginia (2100 casualties)
1862 - Federal tax levied on tobacco
1863 - 6th Ohio Cavalry ambush at Barbees Crossroads Virginia
1863 - Federal troops reconquer Fort Smith Arkansas
1863 - RR & ferry connection between SF & Oakland inaugurated
1864 - 2nd day of battle at Jonesboro Georgia, about 3,000 casualties
1864 - Battle of Petersburg VA
1864 - Skirmish at Hood evacuated confederates from Atlanta GA
1866 - Last Navaho chief Manuelito, turns self in at Fort Wingate
1867 - Robert T Freeman is 1st black to graduate from Harvard Dental School





Painting of Napoleon III, which hangs in the Napoleon III Apartment in the Louvre Museum, Paris, France

On this day in 1870, Emperor Napoleon III and his French army surrendered to Prussian forces at the Battle of Sedan. This was a massive and decisive defeat that effectively ended the Second French Empire, and led to the establishment of the Third French Republic on September 4, 1870.









1873 - Cetshwayo ascends to the throne as king of the Zulu nation following the death of his father Mpande.








1874 - 28th Postmaster General: Marshall Jewell of Conn takes office
1874 - Sydney General Post Office opens in Australia
1875 - A murder conviction effectively forces the violent Irish anti-owner coal miners, the "Molly Maguires", to disband.
1878 - 1st female telephone operator starts work (Emma Nutt in Boston)
1886 - Neth's New Code of Criminal law enforced
1887 - Dutch Amateur Photography Cooperation established
1888 - Dutch Railway Deventer-Almelo opens
1890 - 1st baseball tripleheader-Boston vs Pittsburgh

1897 - The Boston subway opens, becoming the first underground rapid transit system in North America.


1898 - Dutch soccer team Receiver forms


1898 - Lord Kitcheners army bombs Omdurman Sudan



1901 - Construction begins on NY Stock Exchange
1902 - Tinker, Evers, & Chance appear together for 1st time
1905 - Alberta & Saskatchewan become 8th & 9th Canadian provinces
1906 - Alberta adopts Mountain Standard Time
1906 - British New Guinea becomes Australian Papua New Guinea
1906 - Joseph Harris (Boston) & Jack Coombs (A's) pitch complete 24 inn game
1906 - NY Highlanders win 6th game in 3 days from Wash (3 straight DHs)
1906 - Papua placed under Australian administration
1906 - The International Federation of Intellectual Property Attorneys (FICPI) is established.
1911 - M Fourny sets world aircraft distance record of 720 km
Playwright George Bernard ShawPlaywright George Bernard Shaw 1913 - George Bernard Shaws "Androcles & the Lion," premieres in London
1913 - Yuan Shikai captures Nanjing "2nd Chinese revolution"
1914 - 34th US Mens Tennis: R Norris W III beats M E McLoughlin (63 86 10-8)
1914 - Lord Kitchener arrives in Paris
1914 - St Petersburg, Russia changes name to Petrograd
1914 - Von Glucks army meets up with British expeditionary army
1914 - The last passenger pigeon, a female named Martha, dies in captivity in the Cincinnati Zoo.
1916 - Bulgaria declares war on Romania
1916 - Keating-Owen Act (child labor banned from interstate commerce)
1918 - Baseball season ends due to WW I
1918 - Ty Cobb pitches 2 innings against Browns
1918 - US troops land in Vladivostok, Siberia, stay until 1920
1919 - Frank Wedekind's "Herakles," premieres in Munich
1920 - France creates Lebanon
1920 - New townhall of Rotterdam opens
1921 - Nederlander Theater opens at 208 W 41 St NYC (Billy Rose, Trafalgar)
1922 - NYC law requires all "pool" rooms to change name to "billiards"
1923 - 18th Davis Cup: USA beats Australia in New York (4-1)
1923 - 7.9 earthquake strikes Tokyo & Yokohama, kills 142,000
1923 - US beats Australia in tennis, for their 4th straight Davis Cup
1924 - Kenchoji Rinzai temple in Kamakur Japan, heavily damaged by earthquake
1925 - Pierre de Coubertin steps down as chairman of Intl Olympic Committee
1926 - British Columbia Rugby Football Union forms
1926 - Turkey allows civil marriage

1928 - Albania becomes a kingdom, with Zogu I as king
1930 - NY World reports disappearance of supreme court justice Joseph Crater
1931 - Gehrig hits his 3rd grand slam in 4 days & his 6th HR in consec games
1932 - NYC Mayor James J "Gentleman Jimmy" Walker resigns (graft charges)
1933 - Soccer team DVS '33 forms
1934 - Spelling-Marchand Laws enforced
1934 - SMJK Sam Tet was founded by Father Fourgs from the St. Michael Church, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.
1936 - Middleweight Staff Roth KOs Heinz Lazek
1937 - 4th NFL Chicago All-Star Game: All-Stars 6, Green Bay 0 (84,560)
1937 - Battle of Gijon in Spain begins


1938 - Benito Mussolini cancels civil rights of Italian Jews

1939 - Hitler orders extermination of mentally ill

1939 - Last day of 1st-class cricket in England for 6 years
1939 - Physical Review publishes 1st paper to deal with "black holes"
1939 - Switzerland proclaims neutrality





Statue of an American Soldier at the World War II Memorial in Trenton, New Jersey

1939 - WW II starts, Germany invades Poland, takes Danzig









1939 - The Wound Badge for Wehrmacht, SS, Kriegsmarine, and Luftwaffe soldiers is instituted. The final version of the Iron Cross was also instituted on this date.
1939 - Switzerland mobilizes its forces and the Swiss Parliament elects Henri Guisan to head the Swiss Army (an event that can happen only during war or mobilization).

1940 - Gen George Marshall sworn in as chief of staff of US army

1941 - Jews living in Germany are required to wear a yellow Jewish star
Military Leader George MarshallMilitary Leader George Marshall 1942 - Fed judge upholds detention of Japanese-Americans
1942 - German troops land on Taman peninsula
1944 - Bulgaria government of Bagrjanow, resigns

1944 - King George VI promotes Montgomery to field marshal

1945 - Japan surrenders ending WW II (US date, 9/2 in Japan)


1946 - Greece votes for monarchy

1947 - NY Giants 183-185 HR of year breaks Yankee mark of 182 in 1936
1948 - Bradman scores 143 Aust v South of England, 17 fours 1 six

1948 - Communist form North China People's Republic

1948 - UN's World Health Organization forms
1949 - 1st network detective series-Private Eyes-premieres
1949 - KMTV TV channel 3 in Omaha, NB (CBS/NBC) begins broadcasting
1949 - Viljo Heino runs world record 10k (29:27.2)
1950 - 13 North Korean divisions open assault on UN lines
1950 - West Berlin granted a constitution
1951 - PM Ben-Gurion orders establishment of Israeli secret service Mossad

1951 - US, Australia & New Zealand sign ANZUS treaty
1952 - Sutro Baths, SF purchased by George Whitney
1952 - Willem Drees forms new Dutch government
1953 - 101°F highest temperature ever recorded in Cleveland in Sept
1953 - Fokker begins building F-27 Fokker Friendship

1954 - Hurricane Carol strikes Long Island/New England, kills 68
1954 - Ted Kluszewski is 1st Cin Red to hit 40 HRs en route to 49
1955 - 2 Egyptian fighters shot down over Israel

1956 - Indian state of Tripura becomes a territory

1957 - Excursion train crashed into a ravine killing 175, injuring 400

1961 - 1st conference of neutral countries held in Belgrade
1961 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR



Flag of Ethiopia

The Lion of Judah Emblem of the Ethiopian Empire
1961 - The Eritrean War of Independence officially begins with the shooting of the Ethiopian police by Hamid Idris Awate









1962 - 12,000 die in an earthquake in western Iran
1962 - KATC TV channel 3 in Lafayette, LA (ABC) begins broadcasting
1962 - UN announces Earth population has hit 3 billion
1962 - USSR performs nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya USSR
1962 - Channel Television launches to 54,000 households in the Channel Islands.
1963 - Language laws in Belgium goes into effect causing a riot
1963 - St Louis Cards pitcher Curt Simmons steals home plate
1963 - WCTI TV channel 12 in New Bern, NC (ABC) begins broadcasting
1964 - Masanori Murakami is 1st Japanese player in majors (NY Mets)

1965 - India & Pakistan border fights

1968 - Earthquake destroys Ferdows Persia, 2,000 killed
1968 - Pirate Radio Marina (Netherlands) begins transmitting
Comedian Jerry LewisComedian Jerry Lewis 1969 - Jerry Lewis' 4th Muscular Dystrophy telethon

1969 - Libyan revolution, Col Moammar Gadhafi deposes King Idris

1969 - A revolution in Libya brings Col. Muammar al-Gaddafi to power, which was later transferred to the People's Committees.


1970 - Failed assassination attempt on Jordanian king Hussain
1970 - Jose Velasco Ibarra re-elected president of Ecuador
1971 - John Newcombe is 1st top-seed man to lose in 1st round of US Open


1971 - Qatar declares independence from Britain




1971 - Rolling Stones sue manager Allen Klein










1972 - Bobby Fischer (US) defeats Boris Spassky (USSR) for world chess title








1972 - Egypt & Libya form federation
1973 - 74-year-old Hafnia Hotel burns, killing 35 (Copenhagen, Denmark)
1973 - George Foreman KOs Jose "King" Roman in 1 for heavyweight boxing title
1974 - Dutch law against pirate radio goes into effect
1974 - Jane Blalock/Sue Roberts wins LPGA Southgate Ladies Golf Open
1974 - Train accident at Zagreb Yugoslavia, 121 killed
Boxing Champ George ForemanBoxing Champ George Foreman 1974 - The SR-71 Blackbird sets (and holds) the record for flying from New York to London: 1 hour 54 minutes and 56.4 seconds.
1975 - All political parties forbidden in Bangladesh
1975 - Gunsmoke resigns the air
1975 - Jerry Lewis' 10th Muscular Dystrophy telethon
1975 - KOL-AM in Seattle Wash changes call letters to KMPS
1975 - NY Met Tom Seaver is 1st to strike out 200 in 8 consecutive seasons
1975 - NYC transit fare rises from 35 cents to 50 cents
1976 - NASA launches space vehicle S-197
1976 - NJ Meadowlands racetrack opens
1976 - Wayne L Hays, (Rep-D-Oh), resigns (scandal with Elizabeth Ray)
1977 - 1st TRS-80 Model I computer sold
1977 - USSR performs nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya USSR
1978 - Indians' Sammy Stewart tosses 7 consecutive strikeouts (vs Balt)
1978 - Last broadcast of "Columbo" on NBC TV
1978 - Jacqueline Smith of Great Britain scores 10 straight dead center strikes on a 4" disk in World Parachute Championships in Yugoslavia
1978 - #4655 Marjoriika, #4814 Casacci, #5344 Ryabov, #6262 Javid & #8064
1979 - Debbie Boone & Gabriel Ferrer wed in LA
1979 - LA Court orders Clayton Moore to stop wearing Lone Ranger mask
1979 - Pioneer 11 makes 1st fly-by of Saturn, discovers new moon, rings
1980 - Dutch embassy in Israel moves from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv
1980 - Jerry Lewis' 15th Muscular Dystrophy telethon raises $31,103,787
1980 - Nancy Lopez wins LPGA Rail Charity Golf Classic
1980 - Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope ends in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
1981 - Fiona Brothers sets women's propeller boat speed record (116.279 MPH)
1981 - Milt coup under general Kolingba in Cent Afr Rep, Pres Dacko flees
Comedian Jerry LewisComedian Jerry Lewis 1981 - RKO radio network is 1st to offer 2 separate overnight services
1981 - RKO radio network premieres America Overnight talk show
1982 - Caryl Churchill's "Top Girls," premieres in London
1982 - Max speedometer reading mandated at 85 MPH
1982 - Mexico President Lopez Portillo nationalizes banks
1982 - Palestinian Liberation Organization leaves Lebanon
1982 - The United States Air Force Space Command is founded.
1983 - Korean Airlines flight 007 shot down by Soviets in Russian airspace
1983 - Korean Boeing 747 strays into Siberia & is shot down by a Soviet jet
1983 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1983 - WGH-AM in Newport News VA changes call letters to WNSY
1985 - Cyclist Joop Zoetemelk becomes world champion
1985 - US-French expedition locates wreckage of Titanic off Newfoundland
1986 - Betsy King wins LPGA Rail Charity Golf Classic
1986 - Jerry Lewis' 21st Muscular Dystrophy telethon raises $34,096,733
Pop Star & Beatle Paul McCartneyPop Star & Beatle Paul McCartney 1986 - Paul McCartney releases "Press to Play" album
1986 - Texas Rangers O McDowell & Porter are 7th to hit consecutive pinch HRs
1987 - 15 yr old Michael Chang is youngest man to win US Tennis Open match
1987 - Smoking forbidden in public buildings in Belgium
1988 - Timberlake Westenbaker's "Our Country's Good," premieres in London
1989 - "Anything Goes" closes at Beaumont Theater NYC after 804 performances
1989 - Princess Anne & Mark Phillips announce their separation
1990 - "Heidi Chronicles" closes at Plymouth Theater NYC after 621 perfs
1990 - "Jerome Robbins' Broadway" closes at Imperial NYC after 634 perfs
1990 - Gelindo Bordin sets European marathon record (2:14:02)
1990 - Highest combined CFL score (111), Toronto Argonauts beat BC 68-43
1991 - Hiromi Taniguchi wins 3rd world championship marathon (2:14:57)
1991 - Richard J Kerr, serves as acting director of CIA
1992 - NYC police commisioner Brown resigns
1992 - Tommy Smothers undergoes arthroscopic surgery
1993 - "White Liars/Black Comedy" opens at Criterion NYC for 38 perfs
1993 - Goran Ivanisevic & Daniel Nestor play longest tie-break in US Tennis
1995 - Infinity Radio agrees to voluntarily pay $1.7 million to US Treasury
1995 - NYC reinstates the death penalty
1995 - Rock & Roll Hall of Fame opens in Cleveland Ohio
1996 - Balt Ravens (Cleveland Browns) 1st NFL game, beat Oakland Raiders, 17-14
1997 - "Doll's House," closes at Belasco Theater
1997 - Cartoon Channel premieres in Japan
1997 - Cindy Figg-Currier wins LPGA State Farm Rail Classic
1997 - Jerry Lewis' 32nd Muscular Dystrophy telethon raises $50,500,000
2004 - The Beslan school hostage crisis begins when armed terrorists take hundreds of school children and adults hostage in the Russian town of Beslan in North Ossetia.
2005 - Seven members and former members of the AFL-CIO form a new trade union organization, the Change to Win Federation.
2006 - Luxembourg became the first country to complete the move to all digital television broadcasting.
2012 - Islamist rebels seize Douentza, Mali
2012 - Grenade injures 41 festival celebrants in Paquibato, Philippines
2012 - Two suicide bombings kill 12 people and wound 50 in a NATo base in Afghanistan's Sayed Abad district
2012 - US drone strike kills 5 people in North Waristan, Pakistan


1799 - The Bank of Manhattan Company opened in New York City, NY. It was the forerunner of Chase Manhattan.   1807 - Former U.S. Vice President Aaron Burr was found innocent of treason.   1810 - The first plow with interchangeable parts was patented by John J. Wood.   1859 - The Pullman sleeping car was placed into service.   1878 - Emma M. Nutt became the first female telephone operator in the U.S. The company was the Telephone Dispatch Company of Boston.   1884 - The Thomas A. Edison Construction Department and the Edison Company for Isolated Lighting merged.   1887 - Emile Berliner filed for a patent for his invention of the lateral-cut, flat-disk gramophone. It is a device that is better known as a record player. Thomas Edison made the idea work.   1894 - A forest fire in Hinckley, MN, killed more than 400 people.   1897 - The first section of Boston's subway system was opened.   1905 - Saskatchewan and Alberta became the ninth and tenth provinces of Canada.   1906 - Jack Coombs of the American League’s Philadelphia Athletics pitched 24 innings against the Boston Red Sox. (MLB)   1922 - The first daily news program on radio was "The Radio Digest," on WBAY radio in New York City, NY.   1923 - About 100,000 people were killed when an earthquake hit Tokyo and Yokohama, Japan.   1939 - World War II began when Germany invaded Poland.   1942 - A federal judge in Sacramento, CA, upheld the wartime detention of Japanese-Americans as well as Japanese nationals.   1945 - The U.S. received official word of Japan's formal surrender that ended World War II. In Japan, it was actually September 2nd.   1949 - "Martin Kane, Private Eye" debuted on NBC-TV.   1951 - The ANZUS Treaty, a mutual defense pact, was signed by the U.S., Australia and New Zealand.   1969 - Col. Moammar Gadhafi came into power in Libya after the government was overthrown.   1970 - The last episode of "I Dream of Jeannie" aired on NBC-TV. The show premiered was on September 18, 1965.   1971 - Danny Murtaugh of the Pittsburgh Pirates gave his lineup card to the umpire with the names of nine black baseball players on it. This was a first for Major League Baseball.   1972 - America’s Bobby Fischer beat Russia’s Boris Spassky to become world chess champion. The chess match took place in Reykjavik, Iceland.   1979 - The U.S. Pioneer 11 became the first spacecraft to visit Saturn.   1982 - J.R. Richard returned to major league baseball after a two-year absence following a near-fatal stroke.   1982 - Mexican President Jose Lopez Portillo closed all the country's private banks.   1983 - A Soviet jet fighter shot down a Korean Air Lines Boeing 747 when it entered Soviet airspace. 269 people were killed.   1985 - The Titanic was found by Dr. Robert Ballard and Jean Louis Michel in a joint U.S. and French expedition. The wreck site is located 963 miles northeast of New York and 453 miles southeast of the Newfoundland coast.   1986 - The Soviet Union announced the accident involving the Admiral Nakhimov the night before. 448 people died in the ship collision.   1986 - Jerry Lewis raised a record $34 million for Muscular Dystrophy during his annual telethon for Jerry’s kids over the Labor Day weekend.   1993 - Louis Freeh was sworn in as the director of the FBI.   1995 - Illinois Congressman Mel Reynolds announced his resignation. He had been convicted of having sex with an underage campaign volunteer.   1997 - In France, the prosecutor's office announced that the driver of the car, in which Britain's Princess Diana was killed, was over the legal alcohol limit.   1998 - The movie "Titanic" went on sale across North America.   1998 - Mark McGwire, of the St. Louis Cardinals, hit his 56th and 57th homeruns to set a new National League record. He would eventually reach a total of 70 for the season on September 27.   1998 - Vietnam released 5,000 prisoners, including political dissidents, on National Day.   1999 - Twenty-two of major league baseball's 68 permanent umpires were replaced. The problem arose from their union's failed attempt to force an early start to negotiations for a new labor contract.


1807 Former U.S. vice president Aaron Burr was found innocent of treason. 1923 A devastating earthquake struck the Japanese cities of Tokyo and Yokohama. Nearly 150,000 people were killed and more than two million left homeless. 1939 World War II began when Nazi Germany invaded Poland. 1969 A coup in Libya toppled the monarchy of King Idris and brought Muammar al-Qaddafi to power. 1983 A Korean Air Lines Boeing 747 was shot down by a Soviet jet fighter, killing all 269 people aboard. 1985 A joint U. S.-French expedition located the wreck of the Titanic 560 miles off the coast of Newfoundland. 2004 Chechen terrorists took about 1,200 schoolchildren and others hostage in Beslan, Russia. Commandos stormed the school on Sept. 3.

The following links are to web sites that were used to complete this blog entry:

http://www.historyorb.com/today/events.php

http://on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/alldays/sep01.htm

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory