Sunday, September 15th
- Today in 1776,British forcesoccupied New York City during the American Revolution.
- Today in 1858,the first mail servicebegan to the Pacific Coast of the U.S. under government contract. Coaches from the Butterfield Overland Mail Company took 12 days to make the journey between Tipton, Missouri and San Francisco, California.
- Today in 1916,during the Battle of the Somme, in France,tanks were first used in warfarewhen the British rolled them onto the battlefields.
- Today in 1923,Oklahoma was placed under martial lawby Gov. John Calloway Walton due to terrorist activity by the Ku Klux Klan. After this declaration national newspapers began to expose the Klan and its criminal activities.
- Today in 1935,the Nuremberg Lawswere enacted by the Nazis. The act stripped all German Jews of their civil rights and the swastika was made the official symbol of Nazi Germany.
- Today in 1949,"The Lone Ranger"premiered on ABC-TVwith Clayton Moore as the masked hero and Jay Silverheels as Tonto.
- Today in 1952,the classic “I Love Lucy” episode, "Lucy in the Candy Factory,"hit the airwaves.
- Today in 1954,a blast of air from a vent at 51st Street and Lexington Avenue in Manhattanlifted Marilyn Monroe's dresswhile she was filming a scene from "The Seven Year Itch." The resulting photo remains one of Monroe’s most enduring images.
- Today in 1956,the movie, "Lust For Life," starring Kirk Douglasas famed artist Vincent Van Gogh, premiered.
- Today in 1961,the USresumed underground testing of nuclear weapons.
- Today in 1963,four black schoolgirls, ages 11 and 14,were killed when a bomb exploded at a Baptist church in Birmingham, Alabama. Former Ku Klux Klan member Bobby Frank Cherry, who reportedly bragged about the crime, went to trial on charges related to the event in 2002 – and was convicted. While he appealed the conviction, it was upheld. Cherry died in the Kilby prison's hospital unit, on November 18, 2004 at the age of 74.
- Today in 1964,"Peyton Place"debuted on ABC-TV.
- Today in 1965,"I Spy,"the first dramatic series to co-star a black actor– Bill Cosby – debuted on NBC-TV.
- Today in 1965,"Lost In Space"officially debuted on CBS-TV. “Big Valley” and “Green Acres” also debuted on ABC-TV.
- Today in 1971,"Columbo," starring Peter Falk,officially debuted on NBC-TVas part of their fall schedule (following a one-off presentation the previous March).
- Today in 1977,"CHiPs," starring Erik Estrada and Larry Wilcox,debuted on NBC-TV.
- Today in 1978,Muhammad Aliregained the heavyweight boxing title for an unprecedented third timewith a victory over Leon Spinks.
- Today in 1980,the classic miniseries, "Shogun,"began on NBC.
- Today in 1982,“USA Today”printed its first edition.
- Today in 1986,"L.A. Law"debuted on NBC-TV.
- Today in 1991,Troy Aikmanwas sacked 11 times as Dallastook on Philadelphia, who won 24-0.
- Today 1993,the FBI announceda new national campaign concerning the crime of carjacking.
- Today in 1997,Britain's Queen Elizabethissued a rare public statement denying she and Prince Charles had arguedover funeral arrangements for Princess Diana.
- Today in 1998,on "The Late Show with David Letterman," martial arts superstar Jackie Chanshowed Letterman how he'd learned to speak English so well – through singing. To prove his point, Chan belted out the Elvis Presley classic, “Can't Help Falling in Love with You."
- Today in 1998,Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinalshit his 63rdhome run of the season.
- Today in 2000,theopening ceremony of the XXVII Olympicswas in Sydney, Australia.
- Today in 2013,Japan switched off its last working nuclear reactorfor maintenance, leaving the country with no nuclear power supply for the second time in 40 years. All of Japan's nuclear plants were gradually shut down after a series of meltdowns at the Fukushima plant sparked by the tsunami and earthquake. But after passing stringent new safety tests, Kyushu Electric Power restarted the number one reactor at its Sendai plant August 2015.
- Today in 2014,President Obamaannounced the US would send 3,000 troopsto help combat spread of the Ebola virus.
- Today in 2015,Hungarysealed its border with Serbiawith a razor-wire fence, stranding thousands of migrants.
- Today in 2015,a terrorist bombpartially exploded in attack at Parsons Greentube station, London, injuring 29.
- Today in2018,a swimmer was killed by shark at Newcomb Hollow Beach,the first fatal shark attack in Massachusetts in 80 years.