Historical Events on September 28

  • 1542: Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo of Portugal lands on the spot on the West Coast of North America that would eventually become San Diego, California.
  • 1779: Samuel Huntington becomes the next elected President of the Continental Congress on this day.
  • 1781: Supported by a French fleet, American forces begin the Siege of Yorktown.
  • 1787: The United States Congress votes on the newly minted U.S Constitution; The next step in its ratification is to be sent down to the state legislatures for their approval.
  • 1867: Toronto becomes the capital of the Canadian province Ontario.
  • 1901: During the Philippine-American War, more than 40 American soldiers are killed by Filipino guerrillas on an attack in Balangiga, Eastern Samar.
  • 1912: Corporal Frank S. Scott receives the distinction of being the first enlisted man of the United States Army to be killed in an airplane crash.
  • 1918: During WWI, the Fifth Battle of Ypres starts.
  • 1919: Race riots erupt in Omaha, Nebraska.
  • 1928: Sir Alexander Fleming discovers what would late become penicillin when he examines bacteria-killing mold that’s growing in his lab.
  • 1939: Warsaw surrenders to the Nazis during WWII.
  • 1939: During World War II, the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany divide Poland after their dual invasion.
  • 1951: The first color televisions for sale to the general public are made by CBS, but these TVs would be discontinued in less than a month.
  • 1971: The U.K Parliament bans the medicinal use of cannabis when they pass the Misuse of Drugs Act of 1971.

Famous Birthdays on September 28

  • Chinese philosopher, teacher and politician Confucius is born in 551 B.C.
  • Italian playwright and poet Agnolo Firezuola is born in 1494.
  • English plumber Thomas Crapper is born in 1836.
  • French chemist and Nobel Prize laureate Henri Moissan is born in 1852.
  • American screenwriter and director Stanner E.V Taylor is born in 1877.
  • English actor Peter Finch is born in 1916.
  • American actor Arnold Stang is born in 1918.
  • American actress Doris Singleton is born in 1919.