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On This Day in History — September 19

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Highlights of September 19

2023 — Chinese authorities cancelled a run of performances of The Mongol Khan, the first Mongolian play to be performed internationally, forty minutes before its planned premiere in Hohhot. Read more
2017 — An earthquake struck central Mexico, killing 370 people and injuring more than 6,000, exactly 32 years after the 1985 Mexico City earthquake, which killed at least 9,000 people. Read more
2011 — Mariano Rivera surpassed Trevor Hoffman to become Major League Baseball's all-time career leader in saves. Read more
1995 — Industrial Society and Its Future, the manifesto of American domestic terrorist Ted Kaczynski, was published in The Washington Post almost three months after it was submitted. Read more
1991 — Ötzi, a well-preserved natural mummy of a man dating from about 3300 BC, was discovered by two German tourists in the Alps. Read more
1989 — UTA Flight 772 was bombed up over Niger by the Libyan government while flying from Chad to France, killing all 170 people on board. Read more
1985 — An earthquake registering Mw 8.0 struck Mexico City, killing at least 9,000 people and leaving up to 100,000 homeless. Read more
1976 — An unidentified flying object over Tehran in Iran was observed by multiple civilians and military personnel, which has been described as one of the most credible cases in ufology. Read more
1970 — The first Glastonbury Festival was held at Michael Eavis's farm in Glastonbury, England. Read more
1970 — Greek student Kostas Georgakis set himself on fire in Genoa, Italy, as a protest against the military junta of Georgios Papadopoulos. Read more
1950 — Korean War: A North Korean attack was repelled by Allied forces at the Battle of Nam River. Read more
1944 — World War II: Finland, the Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom signed the Moscow Armistice to end the Continuation War. Read more
1940 — World War II: Polish resistance leader Witold Pilecki allowed himself to be captured by German forces and sent to Auschwitz to gather intelligence. Read more
1893 — New Zealand became the first country to introduce universal suffrage following the women's suffrage movement led by Kate Sheppard. Read more
1863 — American Civil War: The Battle of Chickamauga began in northwestern Georgia and would end in the most significant Union defeat in the Western Theater. Read more
1846 — Near La Salette-Fallavaux in southeastern France, shepherd children Mélanie Calvat and Maximin Giraud reported a Marian apparition, now known as Our Lady of La Salette (statue pictured). Read more
1692 — Salem witch trials: Giles Corey was crushed to death for refusing to enter a plea to charges of witchcraft, reportedly asking the sheriff for "more weight" during his execution. Read more
1356 — Hundred Years' War: English forces led by Edward the Black Prince decisively won the Battle of Poitiers and captured John II of France. Read more

Events

2023 — Azerbaijan launches a military offensive against the Republic of Artsakh in the Nagorno-Karabakh region; this leads to the flight of the Armenian population. Read more
2022 — The state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom is held at Westminster Abbey, London. Read more
2022 — A strong earthquake kills 2 and injures over 30 in Mexico's state of Michoacán. Read more
2021 — The Cumbre Vieja volcano, on the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands, erupts. The eruption lasts for almost three months, ending on December 13. Read more
2017 — The 2017 Puebla earthquake strikes Mexico, causing 370 deaths and over 6,000 injuries, as well as extensive damage. Read more
2016 — In the wake of a manhunt, the suspect in a series of bombings in New York and New Jersey is apprehended after a shootout with police. Read more
2011 — Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees surpasses Trevor Hoffman to become Major League Baseball's all-time career saves leader with 602. Read more
2010 — The leaking oil well in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill is sealed. Read more
2008 — A Learjet 60 carrying musicians Travis Barker and Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein crashes during a rejected takeoff from Colombia Metropolitan Airport in West Columbia, South Carolina, killing four of the six people on board. Barker and Goldstein both survive. Read more
2006 — The Thai army stages a coup. The Constitution is revoked and martial law is declared. Read more
1997 — The Guelb El-Kebir massacre in Algeria kills 53 people. Read more
1995 — The Washington Post and The New York Times publish the Unabomber Manifesto. Read more
1991 — Ötzi the Iceman is discovered in the Alps on the border between Italy and Austria. Read more
1989 — A bomb destroys UTA Flight 772 in mid-air above the Tùnùrù Desert, Niger, killing all 170 passengers and crew. Read more
1985 — A strong earthquake kills thousands and destroys about 400 buildings in Mexico City. Read more
1985 — Tipper Gore and other political wives form the Parents Music Resource Center as Frank Zappa, John Denver, and other musicians testify at U.S. Congressional hearings on obscenity in rock music. Read more
1983 — Saint Kitts and Nevis gains its independence. Read more
1982 — Scott Fahlman posts the first documented emoticons :-) and :-( on the Carnegie Mellon University bulletin board system. Read more
1978 — The Solomon Islands join the United Nations. Read more
1976 — Turkish Airlines Flight 452 hits the Taurus Mountains, outskirt of Karatepe, Turkey, killing all 154 passengers and crew. Read more
1976 — Two Imperial Iranian Air Force F-4 Phantom II jets fly out to investigate an unidentified flying object. Read more
1970 — Michael Eavis hosts the first Glastonbury Festival. Read more
1970 — Kostas Georgakis, a Greek student of geology, sets himself ablaze in Matteotti Square in Genoa, Italy, as a protest against the dictatorial regime of Georgios Papadopoulos. Read more
1960 — Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistani President Ayub Khan sign the Indus Waters Treaty for the control and management of the Indus, Chenab, Jhelum, Ravi, Sutlej and Beas rivers. Read more
1950 — Korean War: An attack by North Korean forces was repelled at the Battle of Nam River. Read more
1946 — The Council of Europe is founded following a speech by Winston Churchill at the University of Zurich. Read more
1944 — World War II: The Battle of Hürtgen Forest begins. It will become the second-longest individual battle that the U.S. Army has ever fought. Read more
1944 — World War II: The Moscow Armistice between Finland and the Soviet Union is signed, which officially ended the Continuation War. Read more
1940 — World War II: Witold Pilecki is voluntarily captured and sent to Auschwitz concentration camp to gather and smuggle out information for the resistance movement. Read more
1939 — World War II: The Battle of Kępa Oksywska concludes, with Polish losses reaching roughly 14% of all the forces engaged. Read more
1926 — Football stadium San Siro is inaugurated in Milan, Italy Read more
1918 — The battle of Megiddo begins in which British forces attack the right flank of the Ottoman army during World War I. Read more
1916 — World War I: During the East African Campaign, colonial forces of the Belgian Congo (Force Publique) under the command of Charles Tombeur capture the town of Tabora after heavy fighting. Read more
1902 — A stampede at Shiloh Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, leads to the death of 115 attendees. Read more
1893 — In New Zealand, the Electoral Act of 1893 is consented to by the governor, giving all women in New Zealand the right to vote. Read more
1870 — Franco-Prussian War: The siege of Paris begins. The city held out for over four months before surrendering. Read more
1868 — La Gloriosa begins in Spain. Read more
1864 — American Civil War: Union troops under Philip Sheridan defeat a Confederate force commanded by Jubal Early. With over 50,000 troops engaged, it was the largest battle fought in the Shenandoah Valley. Read more
1863 — American Civil War: The first day of the Battle of Chickamauga, in northwestern Georgia, the bloodiest two-day battle of the conflict, and the only significant Confederate victory in the war's Western Theater. Read more
1862 — American Civil War: Union troops under William Rosecrans defeat a Confederate force commanded by Sterling Price. Read more
1852 — Annibale de Gasparis discovers the asteroid Massalia from the north dome of the Astronomical Observatory of Capodimonte. Read more
1846 — Two French shepherd children, Mélanie Calvat and Maximin Giraud, experience a Marian apparition on a mountaintop near La Salette, France, now known as Our Lady of La Salette. Read more
1799 — French Revolutionary Wars: French-Dutch victory against the Russians and British in the Battle of Bergen. Read more
1796 — George Washington's Farewell Address is printed across America as an open letter to the public. Read more
1778 — The Continental Congress passes the first United States federal budget. Read more
1777 — American Revolutionary War: British forces win a tactically expensive victory over the Continental Army in the First Battle of Saratoga. Read more
1676 — Jamestown is burned to the ground by the forces of Nathaniel Bacon during Bacon's Rebellion. Read more
1622 — Imperial-Spanish forces under the count of Tilly and Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba capture Heidelberg, the capital of the Palatinate during the Thirty Years' War. Read more
1410 — End of the Siege of Marienburg: The State of the Teutonic Order repulses the joint Polish—Lithuanian forces. Read more
1356 — Battle of Poitiers: An English army under the command of Edward the Black Prince defeats a French army and captures King John II. Read more
634 — Siege of Damascus: The Rashidun Arabs under Khalid ibn al-Walid capture Damascus from the Byzantine Empire. Read more
96 — Nerva, suspected of complicity of the death of Domitian, is declared emperor by Senate. The Senate then annuls laws passed by Domitian and orders his statues to be destroyed. Read more

Born on September 19

1999 — Precious Achiuwa, Nigerian basketball player Read more
1998 — Nolan Patrick, Canadian ice hockey player Read more
1998 — Trae Young, American basketball player Read more
1996 — Brandon Clarke, Canadian-American basketball player (died 2026) Read more
1996 — Dejounte Murray, American basketball player Read more
1996 — Chris Silva, Gabonese basketball player Read more
1995 — Brent Faiyaz, American singer Read more
1995 — Rachel Sennott, American actress Read more
1993 — Pi'erre Bourne, American record producer and rapper Read more
1992 — Jiro Kuroshio, Japanese wrestler Read more
1992 — Palmer Luckey, American entrepreneur Read more
1992 — Diego Antonio Reyes, Mexican footballer Read more
1991 — CJ McCollum, American basketball player Read more
1990 — Saki Fukuda, Japanese actress and singer Read more
1990 — Savvas Gentsoglou, Greek footballer Read more
1990 — Stephon Gilmore, American football player Read more
1990 — Kieran Trippier, English footballer Read more
1989 — George Springer, American baseball player Read more
1987 — Carlos Quintero, Colombian footballer Read more
1986 — Leon Best, English footballer Read more
1986 — Sally Pearson, Australian athlete and hurdler Read more
1985 — Alun Wyn Jones, Welsh rugby player Read more
1985 — Song Joong-ki, South Korean actor Read more
1985 — Nathanael Liminski, German politician Read more
1985 — Renee Paquette, Canadian-American television personality Read more
1984 — Eva Marie, American wrestler Read more
1984 — Ángel Reyna, Mexican footballer Read more
1983 — Katharina Kucharowits, Austrian politician Read more
1983 — Carl Landry, American basketball player Read more
1983 — Joni Pitkänen, Finnish ice hockey player Read more
1982 — Eduardo Carvalho, Portuguese footballer Read more
1982 — Eleni Daniilidou, Greek tennis player Read more
1981 — Damiano Cunego, Italian cyclist Read more
1980 — J. R. Bremer, American-Bosnian basketball player Read more
1980 — James Ellison, English motorcycle racer Read more
1980 — Twin sisters Tegan and Sara Quin, Canadian indie pop duo Read more
1980 — Dimitri Yachvili, French rugby player Read more
1979 — Mikael Tellqvist, Swedish ice hockey player Read more
1978 — Nick Johnson, American baseball player Read more
1978 — Brett Keisel, American football player Read more

Died on September 19

2026 — Sandro Mazzola, Italian footballer and sportscaster (born 1942) Read more
2026 — Nathaniel Waena, Solomon Islands diplomat, 5th Governor-General of Solomon Islands (born 1945) Read more
2021 — John Challis, English actor (born 1942) Read more
2021 — Jimmy Greaves, English footballer (born 1940) Read more
2021 — Dinky Soliman, Filipino politician, 23rd Secretary of Social Welfare and Development (born 1953) Read more
2020 — John Turner, Canadian politician, 17th Prime Minister of Canada (born 1929) Read more
2019 — Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Tunisian soldier, politician, 2nd President of Tunisia (born 1936) Read more
2018 — Arthur Mitchell, American ballet dancer & choreographer (born 1934) Read more
2018 — Bernard "Bunny" Carr, Irish TV presenter (born 1927) Read more
2017 — Leonid Kharitonov, Russian bass-baritone (born 1933) Read more
2015 — Jackie Collins, English novelist (born 1937) Read more
2015 — Todd Ewen, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (born 1966) Read more
2015 — Masajuro Shiokawa, Japanese economist and politician, 63rd Japanese Minister of Finance (born 1921) Read more
2014 — Audrey Long, American actress (born 1922) Read more
2013 — Robert Barnard, English author and critic (born 1936) Read more
2013 — John Reger, American football player (born 1931) Read more
2013 — William Ungar, Polish-American author and philanthropist, founded the National Envelope Corporation (born 1913) Read more
2013 — John D. Vanderhoof, American banker and politician, 37th Governor of Colorado (born 1922) Read more
2013 — Hiroshi Yamauchi, Japanese businessman (born 1927) Read more
2012 — Rino Ferrario, Italian footballer (born 1926) Read more
2012 — Itamar Singer, Romanian-Israeli historian and author (born 1946) Read more
2012 — Earl R. Fox, U.S. Navy and Coast Guard veteran; last active U.S. servicemember to serve in World War II (born 1919) Read more
2011 — Thomas Capano, American lawyer and politician, and convicted murderer (born 1949) Read more
2011 — Dolores Hope, American singer (born 1909) Read more
2011 — George Cadle Price, 1st Prime Minister of Belize (born 1919) Read more
2009 — Milton Meltzer, American historian and author (born 1915) Read more
2009 — Eduard Zimmermann, German journalist (born 1929) Read more
2008 — Earl Palmer, American rhythm and blues drummer (born 1924) Read more
2006 — Elizabeth Allen, American actress (born 1929) Read more
2006 — Danny Flores, American singer-songwriter and saxophonist (born 1929) Read more
2006 — Martha Holmes, American photographer and journalist (born 1923) Read more
2006 — Roy Schuiten, Dutch cyclist and manager (born 1950) Read more
2004 — Eddie Adams, American photographer and journalist (born 1933) Read more
2004 — Skeeter Davis, American singer-songwriter (born 1931) Read more
2004 — Damayanti Joshi, Indian dancer and choreographer (born 1928) Read more
2004 — Ellis Marsalis Sr., American businessman and activist (born 1908) Read more
2003 — Slim Dusty, Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (born 1927) Read more
2002 — Robert Guéï, Ivorian politician, 3rd President of Côte d'Ivoire (born 1941) Read more
2001 — Rhys Jones, Welsh-Australian archaeologist and academic (born 1941) Read more
2000 — Ann Doran, American actress (born 1911) Read more

Holidays & observances

Christian feast day: Alonso de Orozco Mena; Christian feast day: Emilie de Rodat; Christian feast day: Blessed Francisca Cualladó Baixauli; Christian feast day: Goeric of Metz; Christian feast day: Januarius (Western Christianity) Feast of San Gennaro; Christian feast day: Maria de Cervelló; Christian feast day: Our Lady of La Salette; Christian feast day: Theodore of Tarsus (Anglican Communion, Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church); Christian feast day: Trophimus, Sabbatius, and Dorymedon; Christian feast day: September 19 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); Armed Forces Day (Chile); Day of the First Public Appearance of the Slovak National Council; Second day of Fiestas Patrias (Chile); Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Saint Kitts and Nevis from the United Kingdom in 1983.; International Talk Like a Pirate Day

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Events, births and deaths from Wikipedia contributors, “September 19”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Lists are selections; the full record lives at the source.