Today In History – Sept. 2 – Great Fire Of London Begins

31 BC Battle of Actium: decisive naval battle that effectively ends the Roman Republic. Octavian’s forces defeat those under Mark Antony and Cleopatra off the western coast of Greece.

1192 Sultan Saladin and King Richard the Lionheart of England sign treaty over Jerusalem, at end of the Third Crusade

1666 Great Fire of London begins at 2am in Pudding Lane, 80% of London is destroyed

1792 September Massacres of the French Revolution: In Paris rampaging mobs slaughter 3 Roman Catholic bishops, more than two hundred priests, and prisoners believed to be royalist sympathizers.

1864 Union General William T. Sherman captures and burns Atlanta during Savannah Campaign (US Civil War)

1944 Holocaust diarist Anne Frank sent to Auschwitz concentration camp

1945 V-J Day, formal Surrender of Japan aboard USS Missouri marks the end of World War II (Japanese date, 1st September in US)

Sep 2 in Film & TV
1931 Bing Crosby makes his solo radio debut

1949 “The Third Man”, directed by Carol Reed, starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli and Orson Welles, is released in the United Kingdom (Academy Awards Best Cinematography 1950)

Sep 2 in Music
1972 Rod Stewart’s 1st #1 hit single in the UK, “You Wear it Well”

Sep 2 in Sport
1965 Cubs slugger Ernie Banks hits his MLB 400th career HR (off Curt Simmons) in Chicago’s 5-3 win v St. Louis at Wrigley Field; Simmons also gave up Willie Mays’ 400th HR in 1963

Do you know this fact about today? Did You Know?
The first automatic teller machine in the United States is installed in Rockville Center, New York.

Would you believe this fact about today? Would You Believe?
“A Trip To The Moon”, the first sci-fi film, released