September 1st: Did You Know

Recently I wrote about Labor Day as the new New Years’ Day.  Turns out September 1st is quite an interesting day in history, LOTS of  firsts, and auspicious new beginnings. For example-did you know:

–It’s Hero’s Day in Tanzania, Revolution Day in Libya (!!), and Independence Day in Viet Nam

-The first yacht race took place (1661), between England’s King Charles, and his brother James

– Phillis Wheatly became the first African-American poet to be published (“Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral”, 1773)

-William Becknell left Independence, MO with other traders, for Santa Fe, creating what would be known as the Santa Fe Trail (1821)

-First American settlement was established in the northern Oregon Territory by Marcus Whitman, and his wife, Narcissa. She was also the first woman to have made that trip.

–Joseph Lister performed the first surgery using antiseptics (1865)

-Emma Nutt of Boston became the first female telephone operator (1878)

On September 1st-the first Pullman sleeping railroad car was put into service (1859), first Labor Day was observed in NYC (1882) by Carpenters and Joiners Union, then declared a national holiday by Congress (1894).

September 1st also saw the first triple-header was played (1890, Boston vs. Pittsburgh).  Helen Keller graduated with honors from Radcliffe (1904), WWII ended with Japan’s surrender (1945).

VERY INTERESTINGLY,   Mommar Gaddafi deposed then-Libyan ruler Kind Idris (1969),  Bobby Fischer of the US defeated Boris Spasky ofRussia for the world chess title (1972), and the wreck of the Titanic was found, 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland (1985).

All this courtesy of a daily email drop called On This Day, from  Reference.com. You can subscribe for free, they don’t spam you, and in about 45 seconds you can be smarter, every day.