A Timeline of Famous Historical Events in September

Aug 23, 2010
Sara McGrath

Talk Like a Pirate Day - Wikimedia Commons

Hook children's attention by linking history lessons to the current month, and provide an environmental context to help them imagine events.

What important events happened in Autumns past? Why does Oktoberfest happen in September? What do Jim Henson and Ken Kesey have in common?

About September

September is the ninth month of the year in the internationally-accepted Gregorian calendar (named after Pope Gregory XIII who introduced the reformed calendar in 1582). September, from the Latin septem "seven", gets its name from its place as the seventh month in the earlier Roman calendar.

September was called "harvest month" during King and Emperor Charlemagne, or Charles the Great's, reign (768 – 814) when he renamed all the months after their agricultural features. In Switzerland, September is still known as Herbstmonat, meaning "harvest month."

The month of September is associated with the birthstone sapphire and the flowers forget-me-not, morning glory, and aster.

Holidays and Observances in September

September 5 – Regata Storica Parade (Venice)
September 6 – Labor Day (Labour Day in Canada)
September 11 – National Grandparents' Day (U.S. and Canada)
September 11 – Patriot Day (U.S.)
September 15 – First Day of Hispanic Heritage Month (U.S.)
September 15 – German-American Heritage Month (U.S.)
September 18 – Oktoberfest (Germany)
September 19 – International Talk Like A Pirate Day
September 20 – Respect for the Aged Day (Japan)
September 21 – International Day of Peace
September 23 – Autumnal Equinox Day (Northern Hemisphere)
September 24 – Heritage Day (South Africa)
September 24 – American Indian Day

Historical Events in September

September 16, 1810 – Mexico's Independence Day
September 18, 1810 – Chile's Independence Day
September 7, 1822 – Brazil's Independence Day
September 1, 1857 – Birth of Tarzan author Edgar Rice Burroughs
September 1, 1859 – First solar flare observed
September 15, 1890 – Birth of Agatha Christie, mystery author
September 15, 1928 – Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin
September 18, 1931 – Shenyang Incident (Japan invaded China)
September 15, 1935 – Nazi Party imposed the Nuremberg Race Laws
September 24, 1936 – Birth of Muppets creator Jim Henson
September 17, 1935 – Birth of Ken Kesey, author and leading figure in 1960s counterculture
September 1, 1939 – World War II began, Germany invaded Poland
September 24, 1952 – Explosion of Myojin-Sho volcano in Japan
September 1, 1957 – Birth of singer and songwriter Gloria Estefan
September 12, 1959 – Soviet Luna 2 Moon Landing (the first spacecraft to land on the moon)
September 17, 1976 – NASA unveiled the first space shuttle, the Enterprise
September 19, 1983– Saint Kitts and Nevis Independence Day (the smallest sovereign nation in the Americas)

Imagine a cool Autumn day, perhaps still a bit warm from summer. Most kids are back to school after a seasonal break. What happened years and years ago on a day like today? Note the similar observances across the world, i.e., various heritage celebrations and Respect for the Aged in Japan and Grandparents' Day in the U.S. and Canada. How long have people around the world been talking like a pirate on September 19?

Next Month: Get ready for October History, Columbus Day and Day of the Dead and Halloween.