15th September 1959: Nikita Khrushchev became the first Soviet leader to visit the United States
At the end of the visit Khrushchev and Eisenhower agreed to continue discussions, signalling a temporary improvement in relations that becam...
Radio and PodcastLive Radio & PodcastsSociety & Culture
HistoryPod
Episodes
20 of 386 episodes14th September 1814: USA’s national anthem lyrics written as the poem “Defence of Fort M’Henry”
On the 14th September 1814, the poem that was to provide the lyrics for the United States’ national anthem was written by 35 year-old Franci...
13th September 1501: Michelangelo begins work on his statue of David
Michelangelo’s David is considered to be one of the greatest examples of Renaissance ...
12th September 1940: Prehistoric cave paintings discovered at Lascaux, in the Dordogne region of southwestern France
The walls of the Lascaux cave contained numerous representations of animals, including horses, bulls, bison and deer that were painted appro...
11th September 1978: Janet Parker becomes the last recorded person in the world to die from smallpox
Janet Parker first became ill on 11 August, but nine days passed before she was admitted to hospital and her infection was identified as ...
10th September 1919: Austria signs the Treaty of Saint-Germain at the end of the First World War
The Austrian delegation to Paris was led by the Social Democrat minister Karl Renner who had little choice but to agree to the redrawing of...
9th September 1513: Battle of Flodden marks the largest battle to ever take place between Scotland and England
Around 10,000 Scots are thought to have died including twelve earls, fifteen lords and numerous other nobles and clan chiefs, removing much...
8th September 1941: Start of the Siege of Leningrad
The Siege of Leningrad, one of the longest and most destructive sieges in history, ...
7th September 1940: The Nazi German Luftwaffe launches The Blitz
The Nazi German Luftwaffe launched the first of 57 consecutive days and nights of bombing raids on London in what became known as the ...
6th September 1914: First Battle of the Marne begins with a French counter-offensive against the advancing German army
On the morning of 6 September, the French Sixth Army attacked the German First Army near the River Ourcq while the French Fifth Army and Bri...
5th September 1698: Peter the Great of Russia imposes a tax on beards
Peter the Great's decision to ban beards was unpopular, not only because it was a significant challenge to tradition but also because s...
4th September 476: End of the Western Roman Empire when Romulus Augustulus is overthrown by the barbarian general Odoacer
Romulus’ overthrow facilitated Odoacer’s rise and the transition to the Ostrogothic ...
3rd September 1260: Battle of Ain Jalut allows the Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt to permanently halt the Mongol advance
The victory halted the Mongol advance into the Levant and Egypt, preserving the Mamluks as the dominant power in the eastern Mediterranean a...
1st September 1604: The Sikh Adi Granth first installed at the Golden Temple
The Adi Granth, the original holy scripture of Sikhism now known as Guru Granth Sahib, was first installed at the Harmandir Sahib Golden ...
31st August 1907: The Anglo-Russian Entente is signed, forming the Triple Entente
Britain and Russia signed the Anglo-Russian Entente, which led to the formation of the Triple ...
30th August 1813: Red Stick Creek warriors attack Fort Mims in the Mississippi Territory
Approximately 700 Red Stick warriors led by William Weatherford attacked the fort. Around 250 people were killed, while at least 100 others...
29th August 1842: The First Opium War ends when Britain and China sign the Treaty of Nanking
The First Opium War formally ended when Britain and China signed the Treaty of Nanking, the first of the ‘unequal ...
28th August 1955: The murder of black teenager Emmett Till in Mississippi
Black teenager Emmett Till was murdered for allegedly flirting with and offending a white woman in ...
27th August 1916: Romania enters the First World War by declaring war on Austria-Hungary
By 1916, the Allied governments had promised Romania control of Transylvania and other territories if the Central Powers were defeated. Enco...
26th August 1789: Adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of Man in France
The National Constituent Assembly of France adopted the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the ...