September 15
Activity of the day
Today is . . .
- International Day of Democracy
- Independence Day in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica
- Battle of Britain Day
On this day . . .
- British forces occupy New York City during the American Revolution (1776)
- The first ascent in a hydrogen balloon in England (1784)
- Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador become independent from Spain (1821)
- During the opening ceremony of the Manchester and Liverpool railway, William Huskisson becomes the first person to be killed by a train (1830)
- First mail order business starts operating (1871)
- The Nuremburg laws are passed in Germany, outlawing Jews and making the swastika the country's official flag (1935)
- The Lone Ranger TV series is first broadcast (1949)
- USA Today newspaper is first published (1982)
Births
- Agatha Christie, English crime writer (1891)
- Jean Renoir, French film director (1894)
- Fay Wray, American actress (1907)
- Jessye Norman, American concert and opera singer (1945)
- Tommy Lee Jones, American actor (1946)
- Oliver Stone, American film actor (1946)
- Prince Henry of Wales, Charles and Diana's second son (1984)
Deaths
- Isambard Kingdom Brunel, British engineer (1859)
- John Hanning Speke, British explorer (1864)
- Victor Jara, Chilean musician (1973)
- Robert Penn Warren, American novelist (1989)