TODAY’S HISTORY LESSON: SEPT 4
476 Romulus Augustulus, last Western Roman Emperor, abdicates after forces led by Odoacer invade Rome. Traditional End of the Western Roman Empire
1479 After four years of war, Spain agrees to allow a Portuguese monopoly of trade along Africa’s west coast and Portugal acknowledges Spain’s rights in the Canary Islands.
1609 Navigator Henry Hudson first European to discover island of Manhattan [or Sep 11]
1781 Los Angeles, first an Indian village Yangma, is founded by Spanish decree.
1804 USS Intrepid explodes while entering Tripoli harbor on a mission to destroy the enemy fleet there during the First Barbary War.
1820 Czar Alexander declares that Russian influence in North America extends as far south as Oregon and closes Alaskan waters to foreigners.
1833 1st newsboy hired (Barney Flaherty-NY Sun)
1864 Bread riots in Mobile, Alabama
1881 The Edison electric lighting system goes into operation as a generator serving 85 paying customers is switched on.
1885 The Exchange Buffet opened in New York City. It was the first self-service cafeteria in the U.S.
1886 Elusive Apache leader Geronimo surrenders to General Nelson A. Miles at Skeleton Canyon, Ariz.
1888 Printing and imaging company Kodak, also known as Eastman Kodak Company, was founded by inventor George Eastman
1893 Beatrix Potter sends a note to her governess’ son with the first drawing of Peter Rabbit, Cottontail and others. The Tale of Petter Rabbit is published eight years later.
1945 The American flag is raised on Wake Island after surrender ceremonies there.
1951 President Harry S. Truman inaugurated transcontinental television service in the U.S. when AT&T carried his address to the opening session of the Japanese Peace Convention in San Francisco.
1957 Nine black students attempted to enter Little Rock’s Central High School but were blocked by the National Guard. Arkansas governor Orval Faubus had summoned the federal troops.
1957 Ford Motor Co introduces the Edsel
1967 Michigan Gov. George Romney said during a TV interview that he had undergone “brainwashing” by U.S. officials while visiting Vietnam in 1965.
1972 Mark Spitz becomes first Olympic competitor to win 7 medals during a single Olympics Games.
1975 Sinai II Agreement between Egypt and Israel pledges that conflicts between the two countries “shall not be resolved by military force but by peaceful means.”
1998 In Mexico, bankers stopped approving personal loans and mortgages.
1998 Google founded by Stanford University students Larry Page and Sergey Brin.
1998 While in Ireland, U.S. President Clinton said the words “I’m sorry” for the first time about his affair with Monica Lewinsky and described his behavior as indefensible.
REFERENCE: HISTORY.NET, ONTHISDAY.COM, TIMEANDDATE.COM, INFOPLEASE.COM, FACTMONSTER.COM, SCOPESYS.COM, ON-THIS-DAY.COM, THEPEOPLEHISTORY.COM
