DID YOU KNOW?
- September Astrological Signs:
- Virgo: August 23-September 22
- Libra: September
23-October 22
- September
Birthstone:
- September Flower
- According to the Georgian calendar, September is the ninth month. But, on the Roman
calendar, it was the seventh month.
- September has had 29 days, and 31 days; but, since the
time of the emperor Augustus, it has had only 30 days.
- September is one of the warmest months in the Southern United States. Northern states
have warm September days, but the nights get much cooler. It is also harvest time for
crops. And, in Switzerland, it's called Harvest Month.
- Labor Day is the only legal holiday in September. It comes on the first Monday, and is celebrated in both the United States and Canada.
- Five Jewish holidays are celebrated in September or early October. They are Rosh
Ha-Shanah, or New Year; Tzom Gedaliah, a fast day; Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement;
Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles; and Simhat Torah, a day of rejoicing.
- On September 17th, both Citizenship Day and Consititution Day are observed in the United
States. Mexicans and many Mexican-Americans will celebrate the Mexican Independence
days on September 15 and 16.
- German troops invaded Poland, starting World War II in Europe, September 1,
1939.
- U.S. Department of the Treasury established, September 2, 1789.
- Queen Liliuokalani of Hawaii born September 2, 1838.
- Japan's surrender in World War II first celebrated as Victory over Japan
(V-J) Day, September 2, 1945.
- First Labor Day celebrated as a legal public holiday, September 3, 1894.
- Great Britain signed Treaty of Paris, ending the Revolutionary War in America,
September 3,1783.
- First Continental Congress assembled in Philadelphia, September 5, 1774.
- Jesse James, American desperado, born September 5, 1847.
- Massachusetts Bay Colony established, September 6, 1628.
- Jane
Addams, founder of Hull House, born September 6, 1860.
- President McKinley shot by an assassin, September 6, 1901.
- American financier J. P. Morgan, Jr., born September 7, 1867.
- Queen Elizabeth I of England born September 7, 1533.
- Blitz of London in World War II began, September 7, 1940.
- First permanent white settlement in what is now America founded in St.
Augustine, Fla., September 8,1565.
- Robert A. Taft, senator from Ohio, born September 8, 1889.
- Italy announced its surrender in World War II, September 8, 1943.
- California became the 31st state, September 9, 1850.
- Oliver Hazard Perry defeated the British in the Battle of Lake Erie, September
10, 1813.
- Elias Howe patented his sewing machine, September 10, 1846.
- Battle of Brandywine in Revolutionary War, September 11, 1777.
- Henry Hudson entered the river named for him, September 12, 1609.
- Russians launched first rocket to the moon, September 12, 1959.
- Great Britain and its American colonies adopted the Gregorian calendar,
September 14, 1752.
- Francis Scott Key wrote "The Star-Spangled Banner" during the attack on Fort
McHenry, September 14, 1814.
- Novelist James Fenimore Cooper born September 15, 1789.
- Mexico's War of Independence began, September 15, 1810.
- William Howard Taft, 27th President of the United States, born in Cincinnati,
Ohio, September 15, 1857.
- Pilgrims sailed from England in the Mayflower, September 16, 1620.
- Selective Service Act establishing military draft passed by U.S. Congress,
September 16, 1940.
- Constitution of the United States signed, September 17, 1787.
- Constitution Day and Citizenship Day in the U.S. September 17.
- Washington laid cornerstone of the Capitol, September 18, 1793.
- Chile declared its independence from Spain, September 18, 1810.
- First Battle of Freeman's Farm in the Revolutionary War began, September 19,
1777.
- George Washington's Farewell Address published, September 19, 1796.
- Battle of Chickamauga in Civil War began, September 19, 1863.
- President James A. Garfield died of assassin's shot, September 19,1881.
- Sister Elizabeth Kenny, Australian nurse who developed a method of treating
poliomyelitis, born September 20, 1886.
- Great hurricane swept the Atlantic Coast, September 21, 1938.
- Revolutionary War patriot Nathan Hale put to death as a spy by British,
September 22,1776.
- President Abraham Lincoln issued preliminary Emancipation Proclamation,
September 22, 1862.
- Augustus, first Roman emperor, born September 23, 63 B.C.
- John Marshall, chief justice of the United States, born September 24, 1755.
- F. Scott Fitzgerald, American writer, born September 24, 1896.
- Columbus sailed on second voyage to America, September 25, 1493.
- Spanish explorer Vasco Nunez de Balboa sighted the Pacific Ocean, September
25, 1513.
- Publick Occurrences, first American newspaper, appeared in Boston,
September 25, 1690.
- Amendment 12 to the U.S. Constitution, changing details of presidential
elections, proclaimed, September 25, 1804.
- William Faulkner, American novelist, born September 25, 1897.
- T. S. Eliot, American-born poet, born September 26, 1888.
- George
Gershwin, American composer, born September 26, 1898.
- Samuel Adams, American patriot, born September 27, 1722.
- Thomas
Nast, American cartoonist, born September 27, 1840.
- The British ocean liner Queen Elizabeth launched at Glasgow, September 27,
1938.
- William the Conqueror landed in England, September 28, 1066.
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LAST MONTH'S BLACKOUT
Here is a personal account from the Chief of the Maps
Division for NYPL. Submitted by Dawn Youngblood
Dear Mapsters,
NYPL is open for business as usual today. Thursday, after
the lights, computers and a.c. went out, we all left
for various treks home, and one of us
did not get home until 10:30, or was that ll:30? Anyway, once we left
the Library building, it was a lot like Sept. 11, [and
therefore verrrry stressful for some folk] people just
calmly, in huge crowds walking north, east,
south or west, just to get home, hopefully before dark, and before anything
else happened. I made a pit stop at my church at 73d and B'way, 1
1/2 miles from the Library. Met the office manager, and he
was headed uptown anyway, so we walked the 1 1/2 miles
uptown to 96th and Columbus where we saw an open restaurant, with table
service outside. The woman manager, who herself had
just walked up from 8th Avenue and 42nd street, [3
miles] was hauling tables out from inside, and would not let
us help her.
We plunked down and I had the best tasting grilled salmon
ever, while Bruce had two
Coronas and some sort of steak. My two Jack Daniels' [no carbs!] helped
me forget my aching puppies [shoes off!! It's the Southerner in me].
By now it is 9:30 or so, and pitch black except for car
headlights which seem awfully bright, and candles in
windows. The lady at the next table to us
went across the street to her apartment and brought down her sterling
silver candlesticks and Scrabble game, and they were still
playing when we gave up and
left. There was cheering at some point, and the word floated around that
"New Jersey had lights!"
On the way uptown earlier, while it was still daylight, I
saw lots of people selling and giving away bottled
water. Zabars was not giving anything away, I don't
think, but they were on the street, outside their doors,
selling milk and bread!! Many stores, because their electricity was out,
closed out their cash registers, and were dealing in cash on the sidewalk,
and controlling who could get in the store. One place would only let
you in to buy if you had a flashlight. We saw icecream bars and cones
being given away and sold. Busses were running, and they were
free, but can you spell, sardine
can? Packed to the gills. So I kept walking. I got a big
laugh out of one salon where the Asian ladies were sitting in
a semi-circle just inside the
doors, trying to keep cool, and they had a mountain of flip-flops
on the floor in front of them to sell to the ladies of fashion
with their 3" spiked heels who were trudging uptown!! I
heard on the news that Modell's
Sporting Goods gave away thousands of pairs of sneakers. Great
p.r. move! When I stopped to buy water at one deli up on Broadway, the
lights were out, the a.c. was out, and the temperature was waaaay up,
in the 90s inside and out. One guy wandered in waving a
newspaper as a fan, and cried out in the dark,
"OOOOO, it's hot in HERE! I sure never wanna go
to Hell!!!" We all laughed, it lightened the mood!!
I got home around 10:00, and my friend Bruce gave up and
went home. He was not just being
friendly, and a gentleman, he was also avoiding as long as
possible his 17-flight walk up to get to his apartment!!
So now it is back to work. Sigh. All is well again in the Big
Apple. But my feet still hurt!
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