1716 - First lighthouse in US lit on Little Brewster Island in Boston Harbor.
    1752 - England and colonies adopt Gregorian calendar, 11 days disappeared from September 3-13.
    1763 – Seneca warriors defeated British forces at the Battle of Devil’s Hole during Pontiac’s War near Niagara Gorge in New York colony.
   1814 - An attorney in Washington, DC, Frances Scott Key, was aboard a warship that was bombarding Fort McHenry, the outpost guarding the city of Baltimore, Maryland. Key wrote “Defence of Fort McHenry”, what would become "The Star-Spangled Banner", which officially became the national anthem of the United States by an act of Congress in 1931.
   1847 - Gen. Winfield Scott entered Mexico City after the defeated forces of General Santa Anna were forced to abandon the city. A Battalion of U.S. Marines made its presence felt at the “halls of Montezuma.”   The day before, young Mexican cadets had tried unsuccessfully to defend the fortified hill of Chapultepec. With the occupation of Mexico City, the United States-Mexico conflict virtually came to an end.  The United States was later able to claim a large Mexican territory, including what was to become the state of California, in 1850 (following the gold rush fever of 1849).   
    1848 - Alexander Stewart opened the first department store in the US.  Between 1846 and 1848, the construction was completed of one of Stewart's most famous buildings, the Marble Palace at 280 Broadway in NYC.   A. T. Stewart & Company became America's most successful retailer.
    1850 - Big earthquake felt in San Francisco. Fourth Great Fire destroyed 150 buildings in the area bounded by DuPont, Montgomery, Washington and Pacific streets. Loss set at $500,000. The fire broke out in the Philadelphia House on the north side of Jackson between Grant and Kearny. The San Francisco, Empire and Protection fire companies fought the blaze but had no water. It was not the actual earthquake that did all the damage, but the fires that resulted because of the earthquake.
    1861 - The first Civil War Naval Battle took place at Pensacola, FL. Lieutenant John Henry Russell descended upon the Confederate navy yard at Pensacola at 2 a.m. He had sailed the frigate Colorado past shore batteries in the dark, and with a force of 100 sailors and Marines, went for the southern privateer five gun Judah in the shipyard. After hand-to-hand fighting, the contingent burned the vessel to the waterline and left. There were no Confederate casualties. Three of the Union troops were killed and four wounded. President Lincoln thanked Russell personally and the Navy Department honored him.
    1862 - General Robert E. Lee's exhausted Confederate forces hold off the pursuing Yankees by closing two passes through Maryland's South Mountain, allowing Lee time to gather his forces further west along Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg. After the Battle of Second Bull Run on August 29-30, Lee decided to invade Maryland to raise supplies; he also hoped a decisive win would earn the South foreign recognition. As he moved, he split his army into five sections while the hungry Rebels searched for supplies. A copy of the Confederate plans accidentally fell into Union hands when the orders were left in an abandoned campsite outside of Frederick, Maryland. McClellan now knew that Lee's force was in pieces, but he was slow to react. As Lee moved into western Maryland, he left detachments to guard Crampton's Gap and Turner's Gap through South Mountain. If McClellan had penetrated the passes, he would have found Lee's army scattered and vulnerable. South Mountain, a 50-mile long ridge, contained several passes, but Crampton's Gap and Turner's Gap were the most important. The National Road ran through Turner's Gap to the north, and Crampton's Gap connected western Maryland to Harpers Ferry, Virginia. The Union troops drove the Confederates away at Crampton's Gap, but were initially unable to expel the Confederates from Turner's Gap. However, the Rebels did retreat the next morning. Union losses for the day amounted to 2,300 dead and wounded, including the death of Major General Jesse Reno. The Confederates lost 2,700. These engagements were a mere prelude to the Battle of Antietam. Although costly, they allowed Lee time to assemble his scattered bands at Sharpsburg.
    1882 - Birthday of Winnifred Sprague Mason Huck (1882-1936) in Chicago.  Congressional Representative from Illinois, she served out the term of her late father, 1922-23. She broke the rules about freshmen being still and introduced a number of bills including the call for independence for the Philippine Islands. She was an investigative reporter who even went to jail for four months under an assumed name to bring to light the abuses in prison as well as the difficulties in "going straight" afterwards.
    1868 - The first recorded hole-in-one at golf was scored by Tom Morris at Prestwick in Scotland.
    1872 - Britain paid US $15 million for damages during Civil War in compensation for building the Confederate commerce-raider Alabama. The confederate navy‘s Alabama was built at the Birkenhead shipyards. Despite its official neutrality during the American Civil War, Britain allowed the warship to leave port, and it subsequently played havoc with Federal shipping. The U.S. claimed compensation, and a Court of Arbitration at Geneva agreed, setting the amount at £3 million.
    1874 - The White Leagues, paramilitary organizations dedicated to the restoration of lily-white rule in Louisiana, temporarily seized control of the state government in a bloody coup d’état. 38 killed. 79 wounded.
     http://www.jimcrowhistory.org/scripts/jimcrow/map.cgi?
city=new%20orleans&state=louisiana
     http://civilwar.bluegrass.net/AftermathAndReconstruction/raceriots.html
    1879 - Margaret Higgins Sanger (1879-1966) was born Margaret Louise Higgins in Corning, NY.  She was a birth control activist, sex educator, writer, and nurse. Sanger popularized the term "birth control", opened the first birth control clinic in the United States, and established organizations that evolved into the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
    1886 - George K. Anderson of Memphis, TN, received a patent on typewriter ribbon.
    1886 - Birthday of "'Round 'Bout Midnight": Stanley "Midnight Assassin" Ketchel (1896-1910) in Grand Rapids, MI.  Heavyweight boxing champ, considered the middleweight champion of all time.  He was murdered at a ranch in Missouri at the age of 24.  http://www.ibhof.com/ketchel.htm
    1889 - Hull House in Chicago opened its doors. Formed by Jane Addams and Ellen Starr, it was the first major settlement house in the United States. In its first year of operation, it hosted more than 50,000 people. In all, there would be more than 600 residents at various times ranging from some of the most influential social reformers of the day to a future prime minister of Canada - and just about everyone in between. Hull House under Addams, in addition to social work and reform, served as the "mother house" for the meeting and networking of reformers who then went out to change the world.
    1897 - Birthday of Margaret Fogarty Rudkin (1897-1967) in NYC. American businesswoman who started making a healthy bread for one of her sons in 1937 and parlayed those few loaves of bread it into a major commercial company, Pepperidge Farms. The company had sales of $32 million a year when she and husband sold out to Campbell Soup. She stayed as president - supervising the day to day operations personally as she had from the beginning - until a year before her death in 1967 of breast cancer, a disease she had since 1956. Her noted collection of cookbooks was donated to the Pequot Library in Southport, Connecticut.
    1898 - Harold Brent "Hal" Wallis (1898-1986) was born Aaron Blum Wolowicz in Chicago.  He was a film producer, best remembered for producing “Casablanca” (1942) and “True Grit” (1969), along with many other major films for Warner Bros. featuring such film stars as Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis, and Errol Flynn.  Later, he was connected with Paramount Pictures and oversaw films featuring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Elvis, and John Wayne.
    1901 - Twenty-fifth President of the United States William McKinley, Jr. (1843-1901), died from a gunshot on September 6, 1901, inside the Temple of Music on the grounds of the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. McKinley was shaking hands with the public when he was shot by Leon Czolgosz, an anarchist. The President died from gangrene caused by the bullet wounds. McKinley became the third American president to be assassinated, following Abraham Lincoln in 1865 and James A. Garfield in 1881. McKinley’s Vice President, who was sworn in as the 26th President, was former New York Guard Captain and Colonel of the 1st Volunteer Cavalry, “the Rough Riders”, Theodore Roosevelt.
    1914 – Clayton Moore (1914-99) was born Jack Carlton Moore in Chicago.  He is best known for playing “The Lone Ranger” from 1949–1951 and 1954–1957, one of early television’s most popular shows.  The theme song was “William Tell’s Overture” that accompanied the opening lines, “A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty Hi-Yo Silver!!! The Lone Ranger!  With his faithful Indian companion Tonto, the daring and resourceful masked rider of the plains led the fight for law and order in the early western United States. Nowhere in the pages of history can one find a greater champion of justice! Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear! From out of the past come the thundering hoof-beats of the great horse Silver!”
        1918 - MILES, L. WARDLAW, Medal of Honor.
Rank and organization:  Captain, U.S. Army, 308th Infantry, 77th Division. Place and date: Near Revillon, France, 14 September 1918. Entered service at: Princeton, N.J. Born: 23 March 1873, Baltimore, Md. G.O. No.: 44, W.D., 1919. Citation: Volunteered to lead his company in a hazardous attack on a commanding trench position near the Aisne Canal, which other troops had previously attempted to take without success. His company immediately met with intense machinegun fire, against which it had no artillery assistance, but Capt. Miles preceded the first wave and assisted in cutting a passage through the enemy's wire entanglements. In so doing he was wounded 5 times by machinegun bullets, both legs and 1 arm being fractured, whereupon he ordered himself placed on a stretcher and had himself carried forward to the enemy trench in order that he might encourage and direct his company, which by this time had suffered numerous casualties. Under the inspiration of this officer's indomitable spirit his men held the hostile position and consolidated the front line after an action lasting 2 hours, at the conclusion of which Capt. Miles was carried to the aid station against his will.
    1921 - Constance Baker Motley (1921-2005) was born in New Haven, CT. U.S. District judge who framed many of the early civil rights cases. CBM influenced legal desegregation interpretations in nine victories before the U.S. Supreme Court. She was the first African-American woman to become a federal judge (1966) and only woman borough president of Manhattan (1965). http://www.jtbf.org/five_firsts/Motley_C.htm
http://www.toptags.com/aama/bio/women/cmotley.htm
    1926 - Seventeen-year-old Benny Goodman's first recording session, with Ben Pollack and his Californians, Chicago, IL.
    1927 - Gene Austin recorded one of the first million sellers; his composition, "My Blue Heaven", for Victor Records.
    1929 - Ella May Wiggins and other workers are riding in the back of an old pick-up truck to a union meeting, when local vigilantes, thugs, and a sheriff's deputy force the truck off the road and begin shooting at it. Ella May is killed. Labor union organizers appear in Gastonia, Carolina. The textile mill workers there eagerly flock to the union, but when the mill owners refuse to recognize the union, a strike breaks out in June of this year. Prominent on the union picket lines is Ella May Wiggins, a 29-year-old mother of nine children who had been working the night shift at one of the mills. When some of her children come down with whooping cough, Ella May asks the mill foreman to put her on the day shift so she can care for her sick babies. The foreman refuses and Ella May is forced to quit her job. With no money for medicine, four of her children die. From this point on, she becomes a militant in the strike movement. Her songs, with the older melancholy of mountain ballads, help cheer on fellow picketers.
     (See middle of this: http://www.beachonline.com/textile.htm )
     http://www.charleston.net/stories/022904/sta_29slain.shtml
     http://www.ibiblio.org/uncpress/chapters/smith_ncwomen.html
    1937 - The mercury soared to 92 degrees at Seattle, WA, a record for September.
    1938 - Birthday of Niara Sudarkasa, who was born Gloria Albertha Marshall in St. Petersburg, FL was an African-American anthropologist and president of Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. She is an authority on African and African-American women and families and one of the leading scholars of the U.S. and has served on more than 20 boards and task forces in the furtherance of race relations.
     http://www.malaspina.com/site/person_1090.asp
    1939 - In the 1930s Igor Sikorsky (d.1972) turned his attention again to helicopter design and on this day flew the VS-300 on its first test flight.
    1940 – Congress passed the first peacetime draft law.
    1942 - EDSON, MERRITT AUSTIN, Medal of Honor.
Rank and organization: Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: 25 April 1897, Rutland, Vt. Appointed from: Vermont. Other Navy awards: Navy Cross with Gold Star, Silver Star Medal, Legion of Merit with Gold Star. Citation: For extraordinary heroism and conspicuous intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty as Commanding Officer of the 1st Marine Raider Battalion, with Parachute Battalion attached, during action against enemy Japanese forces in the Solomon Islands on the night of 13-14 September 1942. After the airfield on Guadalcanal had been seized from the enemy on 8 August, Col. Edson, with a force of 800 men, was assigned to the occupation and defense of a ridge dominating the jungle on either side of the airport. Facing formidable Japanese attack which, augmented by infiltration, had crashed through our front lines, he, by skillful handling of his troops, successfully withdrew his forward units to a reserve line with minimum casualties. When the enemy, in a subsequent series of violent assaults, engaged our force in desperate hand-to-hand combat with bayonets, rifles, pistols, grenades, and knives, Col. Edson, although continuously exposed to hostile fire throughout the night, personally directed defense of the reserve position against a fanatical foe of greatly superior numbers. By his astute leadership and gallant devotion to duty, he enabled his men, despite severe losses, to cling tenaciously to their position on the vital ridge, thereby retaining command not only of the Guadalcanal airfield, but also of the 1st Division's entire offensive installations in the surrounding area.
    1944 - The Great Atlantic Hurricane passed near Cape Hatteras, NC. A few days before, it was a category 5 hurricane with winds near 160 mph. At Cape Henry, VA sustained winds of 134 mph with gusts to 150 occurred. The storm raced into New England. 46 were killed on land and over 300 were lost at sea. Total damage was $122 million. The hurricane destroyed the Atlantic City boardwalk.
    1944 - SADOWSKI, JOSEPH J., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, 37th Tank Battalion, 4th Armored Division. Place and date: Valhey, France, 14 September 1944. Entered service at: Perth Amboy, N.J. Birth: Perth Amboy, N.J. C o. No.: 32, 23 April 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty at Valhey, France. On the afternoon of 14 September 1944, Sgt. Sadowski as a tank commander was advancing with the leading elements of Combat Command A, 4th Armored Division, through an intensely severe barrage of enemy fire from the streets and buildings of the town of Valhey. As Sgt. Sadowski's tank advanced through the hail of fire, it was struck by a shell from an 88-mm. gun fired at a range of 20 yards. The tank was disabled and burst into flames. The suddenness of the enemy attack caused confusion and hesitation among the crews of the remaining tanks of our forces. Sgt. Sadowski immediately ordered his crew to dismount and take cover in the adjoining buildings. After his crew had dismounted, Sgt. Sadowski discovered that 1 member of the crew, the bow gunner, had been unable to leave the tank. Although the tank was being subjected to a withering hail of enemy small-arms, bazooka, grenade, and mortar fire from the streets and from the windows of adjacent buildings, Sgt. Sadowski unhesitatingly returned to his tank and endeavored to pry up the bow gunner's hatch. While engaged in this attempt to rescue his comrade from the burning tank, he was cut down by a stream of machinegun fire which resulted in his death. The gallant and noble sacrifice of his life in the aid of his comrade, undertaken in the face of almost certain death, so inspired the remainder of the tank crews that they pressed forward with great ferocity and completely destroyed the enemy forces in this town without further loss to themselves. The heroism and selfless devotion to duty displayed by Sgt. Sadowski, which resulted in his death, inspired the remainder of his force to press forward to victory, and reflect the highest tradition of the armed forces.
    1944 - WIGLE, THOMAS W., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company K, 135th Infantry, 34th Infantry Division. Place and date: Monte Frassino, Italy, 14 September 1944. Entered service at: Detroit, Mich. Birth: Indianapolis, Ind. G.O. No.: 8, 7 February 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty in the vicinity of Monte Frassino, Italy. The 3d Platoon, in attempting to seize a strongly fortified hill position protected by 3 parallel high terraced stone walls, was twice thrown back by the withering crossfire. 2d Lt. Wigle, acting company executive, observing that the platoon was without an officer, volunteered to command it on the next attack. Leading his men up the bare, rocky slopes through intense and concentrated fire, he succeeded in reaching the first of the stone walls. Having himself boosted to the top and perching there in full view of the enemy, he drew and returned their fire while his men helped each other up and over. Following the same method, he successfully negotiated the second. Upon reaching the top of the third wall, he faced 3 houses which were the key point of the enemy defense. Ordering his men to cover him, he made a dash through a hail of machine-pistol fire to reach the nearest house. Firing his carbine as he entered, he drove the enemy before him out of the back door and into the second house. Following closely on the heels of the foe, he drove them from this house into the third where they took refuge in the cellar. When his men rejoined him, they found him mortally wounded on the cellar stairs which he had started to descend to force the surrender of the enemy. His heroic action resulted in the capture of 36 German soldiers and the seizure of the strongpoint.
    1945 - KEATHLEY, GEORGE D., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, 85th Infantry Division. Place and date: Mt. Altuzzo, Italy, 14 September 1944. Entered service at: Lamesa, Tex. Birth: Olney, Tex. G.O. No.: 20, 29 March 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty, in action on the western ridge of Mount Altuzzo, Italy. After bitter fighting his company had advanced to within 50 yards of the objective, where it was held up due to intense enemy sniper, automatic, small arms, and mortar fire. The enemy launched 3 desperate counterattacks in an effort to regain their former positions, but all 3 were repulsed with heavy casualties on both sides. All officers and noncommissioned officers of the 2d and 3d platoons of Company B had become casualties, and S/Sgt. Keathley, guide of the 1st platoon, moved up and assumed command of both the 2d and 3d platoons, reduced to 20 men. The remnants of the 2 platoons were dangerously low on ammunition, so S/Sgt. Keathley, under deadly small arms and mortar fire, crawled from 1 casualty to another, collecting their ammunition and administering first aid. He then visited each man of his 2 platoons, issuing the precious ammunition he had collected from the dead and wounded, and giving them words of encouragement. The enemy now delivered their fourth counterattack, which was approximately 2 companies in strength. In a furious charge they attacked from the front and both flanks, throwing hand grenades, firing automatic weapons, and assisted by a terrific mortar barrage. So strong was the enemy counterattack that the company was given up for lost. The remnants of the 2d and 3d platoons of Company B were now looking to S/Sgt. Keathley for leadership. He shouted his orders precisely and with determination and the men responded with all that was in them. Time after time the enemy tried to drive a wedge into S/Sgt. Keathley's position and each time they were driven back, suffering huge casualties. Suddenly an enemy hand grenade hit and exploded near S/Sgt. Keathley, inflicting a mortal wound in his left side. However, hurling defiance at the enemy, he rose to his feet. Taking his left hand away from his wound and using it to steady his rifle, he fired and killed an attacking enemy soldier, and continued shouting orders to his men. His heroic and intrepid action so inspired his men that they fought with incomparable determination and viciousness. For 15 minutes S/Sgt. Keathley continued leading his men and effectively firing his rifle. He could have sought a sheltered spot and perhaps saved his life, but instead he elected to set an example for his men and make every possible effort to hold his position. Finally, friendly artillery fire helped to force the enemy to withdraw, leaving behind many of their number either dead or seriously wounded. S/Sgt. Keathley died a few moments later. Had it not been for his indomitable courage and incomparable heroism, the remnants of 3 rifle platoons of Company B might well have been annihilated by the overwhelming enemy attacking force. His actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service.
    1948 - Milton Berle starts his TV career on “Texaco Star Theater”.
     http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0000926/
     http://www.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/News/03/27/milton.berle.obit/
    1951 - In a 9-6 loss to the Red Sox at Fenway Park, rookie Bob Nieman hits consecutive dingers off Mickey McDermott becoming the first player to hit home runs in his first two career at bats in the Majors. In his third trip to the plate, the St. Louis Browns freshman beats out a bunt for a base hit.
    1951 - GOMEZ, EDWARD, Medal of Honor.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps, Reserve, Company E, 2d Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein.). Place and date: Korea, Hill 749, 14 September 1951. Entered service at: Omaha, Nebr. Born: 10 August 1932, Omaha, Nebr. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an ammunition bearer in Company E, in action against enemy aggressor forces. Bolding advancing with his squad in support of a group of riflemen assaulting a series of strongly fortified and bitterly defended hostile positions on Hill 749, Pfc. Gomez consistently exposed himself to the withering barrage to keep his machine gun supplied with ammunition during the drive forward to seize the objective. As his squad deployed to meet an imminent counterattack, he voluntarily moved down an abandoned trench to search for a new location for the gun and, when a hostile grenade landed between himself and his weapon, shouted a warning to those around him as he grasped the activated charge in his hand. Determined to save his comrades, he unhesitatingly chose to sacrifice himself and, diving into the ditch with the deadly missile, absorbed the shattering violence of the explosion in his body. By his stouthearted courage, incomparable valor, and decisive spirit of self-sacrifice, Pfc. Gomez inspired the others to heroic efforts in subsequently repelling the outnumbering foe, and his valiant conduct throughout sustained and enhanced the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country
    1951 - WALMSLEY, JOHN S., JR., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Air Force, 8th Bombardment Squadron, 3d Bomb Group. Place and date: Near Yangdok, Korea, 14 September 1951. Entered service at: Baltimore, Md. Born. 7 January 1920, Baltimore, Md. Citation: Capt. Walmsley, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. While flying a B-26 aircraft on a night combat mission with the objective of developing new tactics, Capt. Walmsley sighted an enemy supply train which had been assigned top priority as a target of opportunity. He immediately attacked, producing a strike which disabled the train, and, when his ammunition was expended, radioed for friendly aircraft in the area to complete destruction of the target. Employing the searchlight mounted on his aircraft, he guided another B-26 aircraft to the target area, meanwhile constantly exposing himself to enemy fire. Directing an incoming B-26 pilot, he twice boldly aligned himself with the target, his searchlight illuminating the area, in a determined effort to give the attacking aircraft full visibility. As the friendly aircraft prepared for the attack, Capt. Walmsley descended into the valley in a low level run over the target with searchlight blazing, selflessly exposing himself to vicious enemy antiaircraft fire. In his determination to inflict maximum damage on the enemy, he refused to employ evasive tactics and valiantly pressed forward straight through an intense barrage, thus insuring complete destruction of the enemy's vitally needed war cargo. While he courageously pressed his attack Capt. Walmsley's plane was hit and crashed into the surrounding mountains, exploding upon impact. His heroic initiative and daring aggressiveness in completing this important mission in the face of overwhelming opposition and at the risk of his life, reflects the highest credit upon himself and the U.S. Air Force.
    1956 - Top Hits
“Hound Dog/Don't Be Cruel” - Elvis Presley
“Whatever Will Be Will Be (Que Sera Sera)” - Doris Day
“The Flying Saucer (Parts 1 & 2)” - Buchanan & Goodman
“I Walk the Line” - Johnny Cash
    1957 – Debut of  “Have Gun, Will Travel,” so read the business card of Paladin (Richard Boone), a loner whose pro­fessional services were available for a price. This western also featured Kam Tong as his servant, Hey Boy. The show was extremely popular and ranked in the top five for most of its run. My father, Lawrence Menkin, wrote many of the episodes. The half-hour show aired Saturday, at 9:30 p.m., just before another western, Gunsmoke, and ran for six successful seasons. (It opened as the #4 rated show for the year, then followed up with three years ranked #3.) Its dramatic opening had Paladin aiming his gun and his words directly at the audience, and the series always featured a no-nonsense approach and intelligence rarely evident on the small screen.
     http://www.hgwt.com/
    1958 - The 720th Missile Battalion, California National Guard, becomes operational on a 24-hour, seven day a week basis. Manning four batteries of NIKE-AJAX missiles, this is the first Army Guard unit armed with these surface-to-air missiles used to replace anti-aircraft guns in defensive positions. By 1962, a force of 17,000 Guardsmen (combined technicians and traditional) maintained 82 batteries stationed in 15 states. All were located around harbors and large cities important to national strategic interests.
    1959 – “Who Shot JR?”  Kristin Shepherd did.  Mary Crosby, who played the scheming shooter, was born in LA, the youngest daughter of Bing Crosby and second wife, Kathryn.
    1960 - The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries was founded at the Baghdad Conference, established by five core members: Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela. OPEC began as an attempt to organize and unify petroleum policies, securing stable prices for the petroleum producers. The organization grew considerably after its creation, adding eight other members and developing into one of the most influential groups in the world. The first real indication of OPEC's power came with the 1973 oil embargo, during which long lines and soaring gasoline prices quickly convinced Americans of the reach of OPEC's influence. OPEC's member countries currently supply more than 40 percent of the world's oil.
    1963 - The Beach Boys' "Surfer Girl" peaks at #7 on the pop singles chart.
    1963 - The Beatles' "She Loves You" becomes England's best-selling single of all time, a record that wouldn't be broken until 1977, when ex-Beatle Paul McCartney will release "Mull of Kintyre."
    1964 - The ill-fated sitcom “The Bing Crosby Show” debuts on ABC-TV.
    1964 - Top Hits
“The House of the Rising Sun” - The Animals
“Because” - The Dave Clark Five
“Bread and Butter” - The Newbeats
“I Guess I'm Crazy” - Jim Reeves
    1965 - The Television show "F-Troop" premiers
    1967 - “Ironsides.” This crime series starred Raymond Burr as Robert T. Ironside, Chief of Detectives for the San Francisco Police Department (he was in a wheelchair, paralyzed from an assassination attempt).  Also featured were Don Galloway as his assistant, Detective Sergeant Ed Brown, Barbara Anderson as Officer Eve Whitfield, Don Mitchell as Mark Sanger, Ironside's personal assistant, Gene Lyons as Commissioner Dennis Randall, Elizabeth Baur as Officer Fran Belding and Joan Pringle as Diana, Mark's wife.
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0107951/
http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/B/htmlB/burrraymond
/burrraymond.htm
    1968 – The Tigers’ Denny McLain won his 30th game of the season, the first to do so since Dizzy Dean in 1934 and the now the last.  He finished 31-6 with 1.96 ERA.
    1968 - Big Brother and the Holding Company's LP, "Cheap Thrills" enters the LP chart -- where it will stay for 29 weeks, including 8 at #1.
    1968 - The Chambers Brothers' "Time Has Come Today" enters Billboard's Hot 100, where it will climb to number eleven.
    1968 – “The Archies” cartoon show first aired on Saturday mornings on the CBS television network. The songs that were credited to this make-believe group were recorded by Ron Dante, Andy Kim, Jeff Barry and others. Their biggest hit would turn out to be a song called "Sugar, Sugar", that went to number one in 1969, selling over six million copies.
    1969 - SKIDGEL, DONALD SIDNEY, Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Troop D, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division. Place and date: Near Song Be, Republic of Vietnam, 14 September 1969. Entered service at: Bangor, Maine. Born: 13 October 1948, Caribou, Maine. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sgt. Skidgel distinguished himself while serving as a reconnaissance section leader in Troop D. On a road near Song Be in Binh Long Province, Sgt. Skidgel and his section with other elements of his troop were acting as a convoy security and screening force when contact occurred with an estimated enemy battalion concealed in tall grass and in bunkers bordering the road. Sgt. Skidgel maneuvered off the road and began placing effective machinegun fire on the enemy automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenade positions. After silencing at least 1 position, he ran with his machinegun across 60 meters of bullet-swept ground to another location from which he continued to rake the enemy positions. Running low on ammunition, he returned to his vehicle over the same terrain. Moments later he was alerted that the command element was receiving intense automatic weapons, rocket-propelled grenade and mortar fire. Although he knew the road was saturated with enemy fire, Sgt. Skidgel calmly mounted his vehicle and with his driver advanced toward the command group in an effort to draw the enemy fire onto himself. Despite the hostile fire concentrated on him, he succeeded in silencing several enemy positions with his machinegun. Moments later Sgt. Skidgel was knocked down onto the rear fender by the explosion of an enemy rocket-propelled grenade. Ignoring his extremely painful wounds, he staggered back to his feet and placed effective fire on several other enemy positions until he was mortally wounded by hostile small arms fire. His selfless actions enabled the command group to withdraw to a better position without casualties and inspired the rest of his fellow soldiers to gain fire superiority and defeat the enemy. Sgt. Skidgel's gallantry at the cost of his life were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
    1970 - The temperature at Fremont, OR, dipped to 2 above zero to equal the state record for September set on the 24th in 1926.
    1972 - “The Waltons.” This epitome of the family drama spawned nearly a dozen knock-offs during its nine-year run on CBS. The drama was based on creator/writer Earl Hamner Jr's experiences grow­ing up during the Depression in rural Virginia. It began as the TV movie “The Homecoming,” which was so well-received that it was turned into a weekly series covering the years 1933—43. The cast went through numerous changes through the years; the principals were: Michael Learned as Olivia Walton, mother of the clan; Ralph Waite as John Walton, father; Richard Thomas as John-Boy, eldest son; Jon Walmsley as son Jason; Judy Norton Taylor as daughter Mary Ellen; Eric Scott as son Ben; Mary Beth McDonough as daughter Erin; David W. Harper as son Jim-Bob and Kami Cotler as daughter Elizabeth. The Walton grandparents were played by Ellen Corby (Esther) and Will Geer (Zeb). The last telecast aired Aug 20, 1981.
http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/2792/walton1.htm
    1972 - Top Hits
“Alone Again (Naturally)” - Gilbert O'Sullivan
“Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress)” - The Hollies
“Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me” - Mac Davis
“Woman (Sensuous Woman)” - Don Gibson
    1973 - For his hit single "The Twelfth of Never," Donny Osmond received a gold record. Released in March of 1973, the son was one of five that went gold for the young Osmond. His other solo successes were: "Sweet & Innocent", "Go Away Little Girl", "Hey Girl" and "Puppy Love".
    1974 - After a two year battle with heroin, Eric Clapton was back in a big way. His version of Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff" hit the top of the Billboard chart, rejuvenating his career.
    1975 - The first American-born Catholic saint, Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton, (1774-1821) was canonized.  Born into an Episcopalian family in New York City, the mother of five children, she founded the Society for the Relief of Poor Widows with Small Children in 1797. She converted to Roman Catholicism in New York City in 1805 and founded an order of nuns, the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph. She was beatified on March 17, 1963, at the Vatican, Rome, by Pope John XXIII.
    1976 - Bob Dylan's “Hard Rain” concert airs on NBC-TV.
    1978 - The first episode of the television series "Mork & Mindy", starring Robin Williams as Mork and Pam Dawber as Mindy, debuted on ABC-TV. Mork made an earlier appearance in February, 1978, during an episode of "Happy Days".
     http://www.timstvshowcase.com/mork.html
     http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0077053/
     http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/ShowMainServlet/showid-1520
    1979 - Kenny Rogers is awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6666 Hollywood Blvd. Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley also officially declares today "Kenny Rogers Day" in the city.
    1980 - Top Hits
“Upside Down” - Diana Ross
“All Out of Love” - Air Supply
“Fame” - Irene Cara
“Lookin' for Love” - Johnny Lee
    1985 - “Golden Girls” premiere on TV. This comedy starred Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty as four divorced/wid­owed women sharing a house in Florida during their golden years. The last episode aired Sept 14, 1992 but the show remains popu­lar in syndication.
http://timvp.com/goldgirl.html
    1984 - The first MTV Video Music Awards are held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Michael Jackson wins three awards, including Best Overall Performance for "Thriller".
    1985 - The Reverend Benjamin Weir, an American missionary, was released after being held captive for 16 months by Shiite Muslim kidnappers in Lebanon.
    1985 – “The Golden Girls” TV Premiere.  This comedy starred Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty as four divorced/widowed women sharing a house in Florida, during their golden years. The last episode aired Sept. 14, 1992, but the show remains popular in syndication.
    1987 - A record for the skateboard high jump was set when Tony Magnuson went 9.5 feet above the top of the U-ramp.
    1987 - Thunderstorms developing along a cold front produced severe weather from Minnesota to Texas. Thunderstorms in Iowa produced baseball size hail at Laporte City, and 80 mph winds at Laurens. Hail caused more than ten million dollars damage to crops in Iowa. Thunderstorms in Missouri produced wind gusts to 75 mph at Missouri City and Kansas City. A thunderstorm in Texas deluged the town of Fairlie with two inches of rain in just two hours.    
    1987 – “American Bandstand” (1952-89) became the longest running entertainment show in US TV history.  It premiered locally in late March 1950 as “Bandstand” on television station WFIL-TV Channel 6 in Philadelphia, as a replacement for a weekday movie that had shown predominantly British movies. Hosted by Bob Horn, it was a television adjunct to his radio show of the same name on WFIL radio.  On July 9, 1956, Horn was fired after a drunk-driving arrest, as WFIL and dual owner The Philadelphia Inquirer at the time were doing a series on drunken driving. He was also reportedly involved in a prostitution ring and brought up on morals charges.  Horn was temporarily replaced by producer Tony Mammarella before the job went to Dick Clark permanently.  In late spring of 1956, the ABC television network asked for programming suggestions to fill their 3:30 p.m. (ET) time slot (WFIL had been pre-empting the ABC programming with “Bandstand”). Clark decided to pitch the show to ABC and after some badgering, the show was picked up nationally, becoming “American Bandstand” on August 5, 1957.  It is fair to say that American Bandstand was THE seminal television program for Baby Boomers, gave credibility to rock ‘n’ roll as a popular genre, and did as much for racial integration as any movement as it was among the first TV shows that introduced black performers regularly.  We can all remember running home in time to see the show and learn the new dances.
    1987 – The Toronto Blue Jays set a Major League record by hitting 10 HRs in a game. 
    1988 - Top Hits
“Sweet Child o' Mine” - Guns N' Roses
“Simply Irresistible” - Robert Palmer
“Perfect World” - Huey Lewis & The News
“(Do You Love Me) Just Say Yes” - Highway 101
    1988 - Thunderstorms produced severe weather over the Texas panhandle during the evening hours. One thunderstorm spawned a strong (F-2) tornado in the southwest part of Amarillo, and deluged the area with five inches of rain. The heavy rain left roads under as much as five feet of water, and left Lawrence Lake a mile out of its banks. Hurricane Gilbert lost some of its punch crossing the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. Its maximum winds diminished to 120 mph.
    1988 - Hundreds of San Francisco residents gathered for a peaceful and lawful protest of the policies/platform of then-candidate for President George H.W. Bush who was appearing here with his Vice President. In the ensuing police riot in front of the Sir Francis Drake Hotel, 58-year-old legendary labor organizer Dolores Huerta was severely beaten and nearly killed by San Francisco Police officers. The baton-beating caused significant internal injuries to her torso, resulting in several broken ribs and required the removal of her spleen in emergency surgery. The beating including the clear ramming of the butt end of a baton into Huerta's torso by one of the helmeted officers was caught on videotape and broadcast widely on local television news,. Later, Huerta won a large judgment against the SFPD and the City of San Francisco, the proceeds of which were used in benefit of farm workers.  http://bravenation.com/bonnie_raitt_dolores_huerta.php
    1990 - Ken Griffey, Sr., and Ken Griffey, Jr., hit unprecedented back-to-back home runs for the Seattle Mariners in a game against the California Angeles. Kirk McCaskill was the pitcher. The Mariners lost, 7-5.
    1991 - "I Adore Mi Amor" by Color Me Badd topped the charts and stayed there for 2 weeks.
    1994 - Top Hits
“I'll Make Love To You” - Boyz II Men
“Stay (I Missed You)” (From "Reality Bites") - Lisa Loeb
“Stroke You Up” - Changing Faces
“When Can I See You” - Babyface
    1994 - The Temptations are awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7060 Hollywood Blvd
    1994 – A strike by the players that began on August 12, led to the cancellation of the remainder of the Major League season and the World Series.  The issue was the desire of the owners to impose a salary cap on all teams.
    1995 - Paul McCartney's handwritten lyrics for the Beatles' "Getting Better" fetch $249,000 at Sotheby's in London.
    1996 - Mark McGwire hits his 50th home run off Cleveland hurler Chad Ogea, becoming the 13th player in major league history to reach that plateau. The Cardinal first baseman gives the milestone ball to his eight-year-old son, Matthew.
    1998 - A new talk show, “The Roseanne Show”, debuted in syndication in more than 150 stations in the country. It was Roseanne's first major television project since her hit ABC sitcom “Roseanne” ended its 9-year run in May, 1997.
     http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0001683/
     http://abc.go.com/primetime/realroseanne/index.html
    1998 - Telecommunications companies MCI and WorldCom completed their $37 billion merger to form MCI WorldCom.  The corporation was purchased by Verizon Communications with the deal finalizing on January 6, 2006 and is now identified as that company's Verizon Enterprise Solutions.
    1999 - The free "Sheryl Crow and Friends" concert is held in New York's Central Park. She is joined on stage at different times by Keith Richards, Stevie Nicks, The Dixie Chicks, Eric Clapton, Chrissie Hynde and Sarah McLachlan. The second hour of the concert is broadcast live on Fox.
    1999 - Top Hits
“Unpretty” - TLC
“Bailamos” - Enrique Iglesias
“Summer Girls” - LFO
“She’s All I Ever Had” - Ricky Martin
    2000 - Paul Simon, Crosby Stills and Nash, and the Eagles' Don Henley and Glenn Frey perform at the joint VH1/Rolling Stone fundraiser for Al Gore
    2001 - Historic National Prayer Service held at Washington National Cathedral for victims of the September 11 attacks. A similar service is held in Canada on Parliament Hill, the largest vigil ever held in the nation's capital.
    2002 - In San Francisco, some 1,000 marched down Market St. to denounce the Bush administration’s call for war against Iraq.
    2002 - Barry Bonds ties Hank Aaron for the most 100-RBI seasons by a National League player as he drives in his 100th run of the season for the 11th time in his career. The major league record is 13 shared by Jimmie Foxx, Lou Gehrig, and Babe Ruth. Saying his heart has always been in San Francisco, Barry Bonds avoids arbitration by agreeing to a five-year, $90 million deal with the Giants. The contract also calls for 10-year personal services commitment at the end of the 37-year left fielder's playing days.
    2002 - Chin-Feng Chen becomes the first Taiwan-born player to appear in the Majors as he walks and scores as a pinch-hitter for the Dodgers against the Rockies. The 24-year-old first baseman-outfielder played for the 1990 Taiwan team which won the Little League World Series.
    2003 - Top Hits
“Shake Ya Tailfeather” - Nelly, P. Diddy & Murphy Lee
“Baby Boy” - Beyonce Featuring Sean Paul
“Right Thurr” - Chingy
“Into You” - Fabulous Featuring Tamia Or Ashanti
    2011 - NASA reveals its Space Launch System plan, intended to replace the Space Shuttle program with its first flight scheduled for 2017