Today In History - September 21

687 Conon ends his reign as Catholic Pope
1348 The Jews in Zurich Switzerland are accused of poisoning wells
1451 Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa orders the Jews of Holland to wear a badge
1776 The Great fire in New York
1776 Nathan Hale (American rebel spy) is hanged
1780 Benedict Arnold gives the British plans to West Point
1784 The first daily newspaper in America: The Pennsylvania Packet and General Advertiser
1792 The first French Republic declared
1863 Union forces retreat to Chattanooga after their defeat at Chickamauga
1872 John Henry Conyers of SC becomes the first black student at Annapolis
1893 Frank Duryea drives the first US made gas propelled vehicle
1895 The first auto manufacturer opens the Duryea Motor Wagon Company
1897 New York Sun runs the famous "Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus," editorial
1913 The first aerobatic maneuver, sustained inverted flight, is performed in France
1915 Stones at Stonehenge, England are sold at auction
1922 President Warren G. Harding signs a joint resolution of approval to establish a Jewish homeland in Palestine
1930 Johann Ostermeyer patents the flashbulb
1931 Britain goes off the gold standard
1934 Typhoon strikes Honshu Island Japan and kills 4,000 people
1937 J.R.R. Tolkien, publishes "The Hobbit"
1938 A hurricane with winds of 183 MPH kills 700 in New England
1943 Lynch Triangle (Square) in the Bronx named
1948 "Texaco Star Theater" with Milton Berle premieres on NBC-TV
1949 People's Republic of China proclaimed
1953 Allied forces form West Germany
1954 The nuclear submarine "Nautilus" is commissioned
1957 "Perry Mason" with Raymond Burr premiers on CBS-TV
1964 Malta gains independence from Britain
1966 5" of rain falls on New York City
1970 "Monday Night Football" on ABC premiers
1970 Luna 16 leaves the Moon
1971 John Lennon and Yoko Ono are Dick Cavett's only guests
1972 Marcos declares martial law in the Philippines
1973 Nate Archibald signs 7 yr contract with NBA KC Kings for $450,000
1974 Actor Walter Brennan dies at 80
1981 Belize gains independence from Britain
1981 Sandra Day O'Connor becomes the first female Supreme Court Justice
1982 San Francisco cable cars cease operations for 2 years during repairs
1985 Michael Spinks becomes first light heavyweight to defeat the reigning heavyweight champion, he defeats Larry Holmes
1988 Mike Tyson threatens a TV reporter in NJ

1415 Frederick III
1756 John Loudon McAdam
1788 Margaret Smith Taylor
1849 Sir Edmund Gosse
1866 Herbert George Wells (H.G. Wells) author, War of the Worlds
1874 Gustav Holst
1884 Hugh (Shorty) Ray
1886 Teiichi Igarashi
1901 Adele Bochner
1902 Limari Salminen
1907 Lloyd Gough
1909 Kwame Nkrumah
1912 Chuck Jones
1918 Rand Brooks
1930 Dawn Addams
1931 Larry Hagman
1932 Melvin Van Peebles
1934 Leonard Cohen
1935 Henry Gibson
1940 Bill Kurtis
1942 Ann Elder
1944 Fannie Flagg
1944 Hamilton Jordan
1947 Stephen King
1948 Artis Gilmore
1948 Michael Finneran
1950 Bill Murray
1953 John Mengatti
1955 Richard J. Hieb
1959 Corrinne Drewery
1959 David Coulier
1962 Grant Fuhr
1968 Ricki Lake
1971 Alfonso Ribeiro