On This Day in History — September 10

Highlights of September 10

• 2025 — American political activist Charlie Kirk (pictured) was shot and killed at an event at Utah Valley University. Read more
• 2017 — Hurricane Irma made landfall on Cudjoe Key, Florida, as a Category 4, after causing catastrophic damage throughout the Caribbean. Read more
• 2009 — Members of the Atlanta Police Department conducted a raid on a gay bar, with patrons later alleging that their constitutional rights had been violated and the city agreeing to pay over $1 million in settlements. Read more
• 2000 — British forces freed soldiers and civilians who had been held captive by the militant group the West Side Boys, contributing to the end of the Sierra Leone Civil War. Read more
• 1990 — Pope John Paul II consecrated the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, one of the largest churches in the world, in Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast. Read more
• 1983 — Typhoon Ellen dissipated after destroying hundreds of homes across Hong Kong and the Philippines. Read more
• 1974 — After centuries of Portuguese rule, the country of Guinea-Bissau was formally recognized as independent. Read more
• 1961 — At the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, German driver Wolfgang von Trips's car collided with another, causing it to become airborne and crash into a side barrier, killing him and 15 spectators. Read more
• 1960 — Running barefoot in the marathon event at the Rome Olympics, Abebe Bikila became the first athlete from sub-Saharan Africa to win an Olympic gold medal. Read more
• 1945 — Mike the Headless Chicken was decapitated on a farm in Colorado; he survived another 18 months as part of sideshows before choking to death. Read more
• 1937 — Led by the United Kingdom and France, nine nations met at the Nyon Conference to address international piracy in the Mediterranean Sea. Read more
• 1858 — George Mary Searle discovered the asteroid 55 Pandora (pictured) from the Dudley Observatory near Albany, New York; it was his only asteroid discovery. Read more
• 1845 — John Doubleday completed a "masterly" restoration of the Portland Vase, which had been smashed into hundreds of pieces seven months prior. Read more
• 1779 — American Revolutionary War: Captain William Pickles of the Continental Navy boarded and captured the British sloop HMS West Florida at the Battle of Lake Pontchartrain. Read more
• 1724 — Johann Sebastian Bach led the first performance of Jesu, der du meine Seele, BWV 78, a chorale cantata based on a passion hymn by Johann Rist. Read more
• 1622 — Fifty-five Christians were executed in Nagasaki during the Great Genna Martyrdom, part of persecution towards Christians in Japan by the Tokugawa shogunate. Read more
• 1547 — Anglo-Scottish Wars: English forces defeated the Scots at the Battle of Pinkie near Musselburgh, Lothian, Scotland. Read more
• 1509 — The "Minor Judgement Day" earthquake struck in the Sea of Marmara, devastating much of Constantinople and killing more than 1,000 people. Read more

Events

• 2025 — American right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk is assassinated while onstage at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Read more
• 2025 — A liquefied petroleum gas tank truck overturns and explodes in Iztapalapa, Mexico City, killing 32 people and injuring 90 others. Read more
• 2024 — Polaris Dawn, the first private crewed spaceflight to involve a spacewalk, is launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Read more
• 2017 — Hurricane Irma makes landfall on Cudjoe Key, Florida as a Category 4, after causing catastrophic damage throughout the Caribbean. Irma resulted in 134 deaths and $77.2 billion (2017 USD) in damage. Read more
• 2008 — The Large Hadron Collider at CERN, described as the biggest scientific experiment in history, is powered up in Geneva, Switzerland. Read more
• 2007 — Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif returns to Pakistan after seven years in exile, following a military coup in October 1999. Read more
• 2002 — Switzerland, traditionally a neutral country, becomes a full member of the United Nations. Read more
• 2001 — Antônio da Costa Santos, mayor of Campinas, Brazil is assassinated. Read more
• 2001 — During his appearance on the British TV game show Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, contestant Charles Ingram reaches the £1 million top prize, but it was later revealed that he had cheated to the top prize by listening to coughs from his wife and another contestant. Read more
• 2000 — Operation Barras successfully frees six British soldiers held captive for over two weeks and contributes to the end of the Sierra Leone Civil War. Read more
• 1977 — Hamida Djandoubi, convicted of torture and murder, is the last person to be executed by guillotine in France. Read more
• 1976 — A British Airways Hawker Siddeley Trident and an Inex-Adria DC-9 collide near Zagreb, Yugoslavia, killing 176. Read more
• 1976 — TWA Flight 355 is hijacked by five Croatian nationalists. The hijackers surrender upon landing in Paris. Read more
• 1976 — An Indian Airlines flight is hijacked by six Kashmiri separatists and diverted to Lahore International Airport, where the passengers and crew are released. Read more
• 1974 — Guinea-Bissau gains independence from Portugal. Read more
• 1967 — The people of Gibraltar vote to remain a British dependency rather than becoming part of Spain. Read more
• 1961 — In the Italian Grand Prix, a crash causes the death of German Formula One driver Wolfgang von Trips and 15 spectators who are hit by his Ferrari, the deadliest accident in F1 history. Read more
• 1961 — A President Airlines Douglas DC-6 crashes just after takeoff from Shannon Airport, Ireland. All 83 passengers and crew are killed. Read more
• 1960 — At the Summer Olympics in Rome, Abebe Bikila becomes the first sub-Saharan African to win a gold medal, winning the marathon in bare feet. Read more
• 1943 — World War II: In the course of Operation Achse, German troops begin their occupation of Rome. Read more
• 1942 — World War II: The British Army carries out an amphibious landing on Madagascar to re-launch Allied offensive operations in the Madagascar Campaign. Read more
• 1939 — World War II: The submarine HMS Oxley is mistakenly sunk by the submarine HMS Triton near Norway and becomes the Royal Navy's first loss of a submarine in the war. Read more
• 1939 — World War II: The Canadian declaration of war on Germany receives royal assent. Read more
• 1937 — Nine nations attend the Nyon Conference to address international piracy in the Mediterranean Sea. Read more
• 1936 — The first world individual Speedway World Championship was held at London's Wembley Stadium. Read more
• 1932 — The New York City Subway's third competing subway system, the municipally owned IND, is opened. Read more
• 1919 — The Republic of German-Austria signs the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, ceding significant territories to Italy, Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia. Read more
• 1918 — Russian Civil War: The Red Army captures Kazan. Read more
• 1898 — Empress Elisabeth of Austria is assassinated by Luigi Lucheni. Read more
• 1897 — Lattimer massacre: A sheriff's posse kills 19 unarmed striking immigrant miners in Lattimer, Pennsylvania, United States. Read more
• 1858 — George Mary Searle discovers the asteroid 55 Pandora. Read more
• 1846 — Elias Howe is granted a patent for the sewing machine. Read more
• 1844 — The treaty of Tangier ends the Franco-Moroccan War, which Morocco lost, and forces it to recognise the French possessions in Algeria. Read more
• 1813 — The United States defeats a British Fleet at the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. Read more
• 1798 — At the Battle of St. George's Caye, British Honduras defeats Spain. Read more
• 1776 — American Revolutionary War: Nathan Hale volunteers to spy for the Continental Army. Read more
• 1724 — Johann Sebastian Bach leads the first performance of Jesu, der du meine Seele, BWV 78, a chorale cantata based on a passion hymn by Johann Rist. Read more
• 1640 — Reapers' War: Junta de Braços (Assembly of Estates) of the Principality of Catalonia summoned. It assumes the sovereignty and enacts a series of revolutionary measures which will lead to the Catalan Republic. Read more
• 1622 — Fifty-five Christians are executed in Nagasaki during the Great Genna Martyrdom. Read more
• 1608 — John Smith is elected council president of Jamestown, Virginia. Read more
• 1607 — Edward Maria Wingfield is ousted as first president of the governing council of the Colony of Virginia; he is replaced by John Ratcliffe. Read more
• 1573 — German pirate Klein Henszlein and 33 of his crew are beheaded in Hamburg. Read more
• 1570 — Spanish Jesuit missionaries land in present-day Virginia to establish the short-lived Ajacán Mission. Read more
• 1561 — Fourth Battle of Kawanakajima: Takeda Shingen defeats Uesugi Kenshin in the climax of their ongoing conflicts. Read more
• 1547 — The Battle of Pinkie, the last full-scale military confrontation between England and Scotland, resulting in a decisive victory for the forces of Edward VI. Read more
• 1515 — Thomas Wolsey is invested as a Cardinal. Read more
• 1509 — An earthquake known as "The Lesser Judgment Day" hits Constantinople. Read more
• 1419 — John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy is assassinated by adherents of the Dauphin, the future Charles VII of France. Read more
• 1089 — The first synod of pope Urban II starts in Melfi, with seventy bishops and twelve abbots in attendance. The synod issues several decrees about church law and deals with the relation with the Greek part of the Church. Read more
• 506 — The bishops of Visigothic Gaul meet in the Council of Agde. Read more
• 422 — Election of pope Celestine I following the death of pope Boniface I earlier that month. Read more

Born on September 10

• 2004 — Gabriel Bateman, American actor Read more
• 2001 — Armando Broja, Albanian-born English footballer Read more
• 2001 — Nick Cross, American football player Read more
• 1999 — Laura Taylor, Australian swimmer Read more
• 1999 — jschlatt, American YouTuber and singer Read more
• 1998 — Anna Blinkova, Russian tennis player Read more
• 1998 — Sheck Wes, American rapper Read more
• 1997 — Brooke Henderson, Canadian golfer Read more
• 1997 — Troy Terry, American ice hockey player Read more
• 1995 — Jack Grealish, English footballer Read more
• 1995 — Matt Rife, American comedian and actor Read more
• 1993 — Sam Kerr, Australian footballer Read more
• 1992 — Ricky Ledo, American basketball player Read more
• 1992 — Ayub Masika, Kenyan footballer Read more
• 1991 — Sam Morsy, Egyptian footballer Read more
• 1990 — Corban Knight, Canadian ice hockey player Read more
• 1989 — Manish Pandey, Indian cricketer Read more
• 1989 — Matt Ritchie, English footballer Read more
• 1988 — Bobby Sharp, Canadian wrestler Read more
• 1988 — Jordan Staal, Canadian ice hockey player Read more
• 1988 — Jared Lee Loughner, American mass murderer Read more
• 1987 — Paul Goldschmidt, American baseball player Read more
• 1987 — Alex Saxon, American actor Read more
• 1986 — Angel McCoughtry, American basketball player Read more
• 1986 — Ashley Monroe, American singer-songwriter Read more
• 1986 — Eoin Morgan, Irish- English cricketer Read more
• 1985 — Aleksandrs Čekulajevs, Latvian footballer Read more
• 1985 — James Graham, English rugby league player Read more
• 1985 — Neil Walker, American baseball player Read more
• 1984 — Sander Post, Estonian footballer Read more
• 1984 — Harry Treadaway, English actor Read more
• 1984 — Luke Treadaway, English actor Read more
• 1984 — Drake Younger, American wrestler Read more
• 1983 — Shawn James, Guyanese-American basketball player Read more
• 1983 — Jérémy Toulalan, French footballer Read more
• 1983 — Joey Votto, Canadian baseball player Read more
• 1982 — Misty Copeland, American ballerina and author Read more
• 1982 — Javi Varas, Spanish footballer Read more
• 1981 — Marco Chiudinelli, Swiss tennis player Read more
• 1981 — Germán Denis, Argentinian footballer Read more

Died on September 10

• 2025 — Charlie Kirk, American right-wing political activist (born 1993) Read more
• 2024 — Frankie Beverly, American soul/funk singer-songwriter, musician, and producer (born 1946) Read more
• 2024 — Jim Sasser, American lawyer and politician, 6th United States Ambassador to China (born 1936) Read more
• 2023 — Ian Wilmut, British embryologist (born 1944) Read more
• 2020 — Diana Rigg, British actress (born 1938) Read more
• 2015 — Norman Farberow, American psychologist and academic (born 1918) Read more
• 2015 — Adrian Frutiger, Swiss typeface designer (born 1928) Read more
• 2015 — Antoine Lahad, Lebanese general (born 1927) Read more
• 2014 — Emilio Botín, Spanish banker and businessman (born 1934) Read more
• 2014 — Richard Kiel, American actor (born 1939) Read more
• 2014 — Edward Nelson, American mathematician and academic (born 1932) Read more
• 2014 — George Spencer, American baseball player (born 1926) Read more
• 2014 — Paul K. Sybrowsky, American religious leader and academic (born 1944) Read more
• 2013 — John Hambrick, American journalist and actor (born 1940) Read more
• 2013 — Ibrahim Makhous, Syrian politician, Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs (born 1925) Read more
• 2013 — Josef Němec, Czech boxer (born 1933) Read more
• 2013 — Clay Shaw, American accountant and politician (born 1939) Read more
• 2013 — Jack Vance, Canadian general (born 1933) Read more
• 2012 — Raquel Correa, Chilean journalist (born 1934) Read more
• 2012 — Robert Gammage, American captain, lawyer, and politician (born 1938) Read more
• 2012 — Lance LeGault, American actor and stuntman (born 1935) Read more
• 2012 — Stanley Long, English director, producer, cinematographer, and screenwriter (born 1933) Read more
• 2012 — John Moffatt, English actor and playwright (born 1922) Read more
• 2011 — Cliff Robertson, American actor (born 1923) Read more
• 2008 — Gérald Beaudoin, Canadian lawyer and politician (born 1929) Read more
• 2008 — Vernon Handley, English conductor (born 1930) Read more
• 2007 — Anita Roddick, English businesswoman, founded The Body Shop (born 1942) Read more
• 2007 — Joe Sherlock, Irish politician (born 1930) Read more
• 2007 — Ted Stepien, American businessman (born 1925) Read more
• 2007 — Jane Wyman, American actress (born 1917) Read more
• 2006 — Patty Berg, American golfer (born 1918) Read more
• 2006 — Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV, Tongan king (born 1918) Read more
• 2005 — Hermann Bondi, Austrian mathematician and cosmologist (born 1919) Read more
• 2005 — Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, American singer and guitarist (born 1924) Read more
• 2004 — Brock Adams, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 5th United States Secretary of Transportation (born 1927) Read more
• 2000 — Zaib-un-Nissa Hamidullah, Indian-Pakistani journalist and author (born 1921) Read more
• 1996 — Joanne Dru, American actress (born 1922) Read more
• 1996 — Hans List, Austrian scientist and inventor (born 1896) Read more
• 1994 — Charles Drake, American actor (born 1917) Read more
• 1991 — Jack Crawford, Australian tennis player (born 1908) Read more

Holidays & observances

Amerindian Heritage Day (Guyana); Children's Day (Honduras); Christian feast day: Alexander Crummell (Episcopal Church); Christian feast day: Ambrose Barlow; Christian feast day: Aubert; Christian feast day: Blessed Sebastian Kimura, Charles Spinola, and Martyrs of Nagasaki; Christian feast day: Edmund James Peck (Anglican Church of Canada); Christian feast day: Nicholas of Tolentino; Christian feast day: Theodard of Maastricht; Christian feast day: September 10 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); Gibraltar National Day; Saint George's Caye Day (Belize); Teachers' Day (China); World Suicide Prevention Day

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