Miguel de Cervantes is released after five years as a captive in Algiers on September 19, 1580,After being captured by Barbary pirates in 1575. he spent five years as a slave, during which he attempted to escape four times. He was ransomed for 500 gold escudos by Trinitarian Friars just before being transported to Constantinople.
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On This Day in History: September 19
Explore the historical events that shaped our world on September 19th. From major milestones to cultural achievements, see what happened on this day in history. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
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George Washington Farewell address to the nation is published. Washington composed his political statement to the nation with the assistance of Alexander Hamilton and James Madison. It was designed to inspire and guide future generations, and embodied a classic statement of Federalist doctrine.
Washington believed, that the stability of the Republic and the eight year-old Constitution were threatened by the forces of geographical sectionalism, political factionalism, and interference by foreign powers in the nation’s domestic affairs. More
New Zealand governor, Lord Glasgow, signs a new Electoral Act into law which makes New Zealand the first self-governing country in the world in which women had the right to vote in parliamentary elections. Teo months later, on November 28, 1893 Women in New Zealand become the first in the world to vote in a national election. More
The world's first recorded automobile accident occurs in New York City, involving a motor vehicle and a cyclist.
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Argentina's President Peron is deposed after a revolt by the army and navy. He had ben reelected to his second term by a wide margin in 1952. He left Argentina and lived in exile and returned to Argentina in 1973 and was soon elected President for a third time. More
The US Military conducts the first-ever underground nuclear explosion as part of Operation Plumbbob. The test took place in Nevada. More
Saint Kitts and Nevis Independence Day from the UK. Officially the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis is an island country located in the Caribbean consisting of the two islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis, in the Leeward Islands chain of the Lesser Antilles.
With 261 square kilometers (101 sq mi) of territory, and roughly 48,000 inhabitants, The country is a Commonwealth realm, with Charles III as king and head of state. The capital city is Basseterre, located on the larger island of Saint Kitts.
An 8.1 magnitude earthquake strikes Mexico City, causing widespread devastation and resulting in the deaths of 10,000 people, 30,000 injured and thousands left homeless. More
Ötzi the Iceman, is the world's oldest naturally preserved human mummy is found by two hickers in the Ötzal Alps and nicknamed Otzi as a result. Radiocarbon dating of his tissues showed that he died around 3250 BCE making his remains over 5,000 years old.
He died from an arrow shot to the back and his body was naturally mummified by the ice and snow of the glacier where he fell protecting it from decomposition for thousands of years. His body was so well-preserved that the two hikers who found his upper torso poking out of a shallow gully in an ice field assumed he was a recent victim of a mountaineering accident. His body and the artifacts found with him offer unique insights into the Copper Age, including his diet, clothing, sophisticated health care, and the tools he carried, like a copper-bladed axe and bow. A bone analysis indicated he was about 45 when he died—a long life for his time. More
The 35,000-word Unabomber manifesto of Ted Kaczynski' is published by The New York Times and The Washington Post . The manifesto called for revolution against a corrupt industrial-technological society and was instrumental in identifying and capturing him.
Kaczynski entered Harvard University when he was 16-year-old on a scholarship, after skipping the sixth and 11th grades. During Kaczynski’s sophomore year at Harvard, in 1959, he was recruited for a psychological experiment that, unbeknownst to him, would last three years. The Washington Post and others have reported that the experiment run by Harvard psychologist Henry A. Murray was backed by the Central Intelligence Agency. More
A powerful 7.1 Mw earthquake strikes Mexico. close to the city of Puebla. rocking the states of Puebla and Morelos as well as the e Greater Mexico City area and causing significant damage. This earthquake came after another a stronger 8.2 Mw earthquake struck on September 7 off the Pacific coast in the Gulf of Tehuantepec, near the state of Chiapas.