Today in History - September 16th

  • 1630 –  The Massachusetts village of Shawmut changes its name to Boston
  • 1810 – Mexicans begin a successful revolt against Spanish rule
  • 1893 – Hundreds of thousands of settlers take part in a land run in Oklahoma's "Cherokee Strip”
  • 1908 – General Motors is formed in Flint, Mich., by William Durant
  • 1919 – The American Legion is incorporated by an act of Congress
  • 1940 –  President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs into law the Selective Training and Service Act, which set up the first peacetime military draft in U.S. history
  • 1966 – The Metropolitan Opera opens its new home at New York City's Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
  • 1972 –"The Bob Newhart Show" premieres on CBS
  • 1987 – Two dozen countries sign the Montreal Protocol, a treaty designed to save the Earth's ozone layer by calling on nations to reduce emissions of harmful chemicals
  • 1988 –Tom Browning of the Cincinnati Reds pitchsd a perfect game in a 1-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers
  • 2004 – Hurricane Ivan plows into the Gulf Coast with 130 mph wind and a major storm surge; Ivan was blamed for at least 115 deaths, 43 in the United States
  • 2006 – The Vatican says Pope Benedict XVI "sincerely" regrets offending Muslims with his reference to an obscure medieval text characterizing some of the teachings of Islam's founder as "evil and inhuman," but the statement stopped short of the apology demanded by Islamic leaders
  • 2007 – A deadly shooting in Baghdad involving the U.S. security firm Blackwater USA left 17 Iraqi civilians dead

Famous and Historical Birthdays - Say Happy Birthday to . . .

  • Lauren Bacall (Actress)
  • BB King (Musician)
  • David Copperfield (Magician)
  • Mickey Rourke (Actor)
  • Molly Shannon (Comedian)
  • Marc Anthony (Singer)
  • Alexis Bledel (Actress)
  • Madeline Zima (Actress)
  • Nick Jonas (Singer)