September 19

This Date In History

1356

The Battle of Poitiers is fought during the Hundred Years' War, with Edward the Black Prince's English troops thoroughly routing the French.

The first Battle of Saratoga is fought during the American Revolution. Forces led by General Mad Anthony Wayne and Benedict Arnold fought off British general John Burgoyne and his regulars. One month later Burgoyne and his men would surrenderat Fort Ticonderoga, a major turning point in the war.

George Washington delivers his famous Farewell Address, warning of "entangling alliances."

President James Garfield succumbs to infection suffered from poor doctor's practices three months after he was shot by Charles Guiteau.

New Zealand woman are given the right to vote under the Electoral Act of 1893.

Ferdinand Porsche, whose automotive engineering gave birth to the car that shares his name, is born.

Frances Farmer, a part-time actress whose plight with alcoholism and mental illness led to the 1982 film Frances and a song by Nirvana, is born.

Baseball Hall of Famer Duke Snider is born.

Isadora Duncan, the mother of modern dance, dies.

Actor William Hickey (The Nightmare Before Christmas, Prizzi's Honor) is born.
Actor Adam West, most famous for his stint as TV's "Batman" in the late 60s, is born.

Quirky Chicago columnist Mike Royko is born.

Bruno Hauptmann is arrested for the kidnapping and murder of the Lindbergh baby. Though evidence against him is slight, his German immigrant status and lack of an alibi condemn him to death two years later.
"Fifth Beatle" and band manager Brian Epstein is born.

Olympic gold medalist Al Oerter, whose discus throws set world records for nearly 30 years, is born.

Diminituve actor and singer Paul Williams, whose starring roles in movies such as Smokey and the Bandit and The Phantom of the Paradise is only exceeded by his famous songs "We've Only Just Begun" and "The Rainbow Connection", is born.

Ill-fated singer Mama Cass Elliott (The Mamas and the Papas) is born.

Baseball Hall of Famer and two-time National League Most Valuable Player Joe Morgan is born.

William Joyce, the infamous New York-born Nazi propagandist known as Lord Haw Haw on the airwaves, was executed in Britain.

Oscar-winning actor Jeremy Irons (Dead Ringer, The Lion King) is born.

Infamously skinny model Twiggy is born.

Television personality and journalist Joan Lunden is born.

Highly touted rock producer Daniel Lanois (Peter Gabriel, U2, Emmylou Harris) is born.

Producer and composer Nile Rodgers ("Let's Dance", "I'm Coming Out") is born.

Juan Peron is deposed in Argentina, bringing an end to his dictatorial rule.

ACtor and Broadway star Rex Smith, most famous for his role as Frederic in the movie The Pirates of Penzance, is born.

World boxing champion Azumah Nelson is born.
R&B singer Lita Ford is born.

Jarvis Cocker, lead singer for the Britpop band Pulp, is born.

COuntry singer Trisha Yearwood is born.

"Saturday Night Live" maven Cheri Oteri is born.

CNN weekend anchor Soledad O'Brien is born.

Jim Abbott, who rose to pitch in the major leagues despite having only one hand, is born.

Carl XVI Gustaf is named king of the Swedish throne.
Country rock legend Gram Parsons dies at the tender age of 26.

Comedian and actor Jimmy Fallon ("Saturday Night Live") is born.

Saint Kitts and Nevis gains its independence from Britain.

A bomb aboard a DC-10 flying over Niger goes off, destroying the plane and killing 171 people.

Acclaimed Christian singer Rich Mullins dies in a car accident.

8 years after its invention, International Talk Like A Pirate Day becomes truly international, when a Dave Barry column touting the event is picked up by Australians, who hold a pirate impersonation contest.