What Happened Today in History on September 22

The Massacre at Béziers takes place during the Albigensian Crusade, as Crusaders led by Simon de Montfort sack the city of Béziers, resulting in a large number of deaths.

The Edict of Nantes is issued by King Henry IV of France, granting religious freedom to French Protestants and ending the French Wars of Religion.

The last hangings of the Salem Witch Trials takes place as six women and two men are hanged on September 22. On October 29, 1692,  the court was disbanded by Governor William Phipps. He also prohibited more arrests and released many accused witches. By May 1693, Phips had pardoned all those imprisoned on witchcraft charges, effectively ending the trials. More

Congress formally establishes the office of the United States postmaster. The first postmaster General after the formal establishment of the Postmaster Office was Samuel Osgood. who served from 1789 until 1791. Benjamin Franklin had been previously appointed by the Continental Congress as the first postmaster general in 1775 and served until 1776. Before that Franklin served as deputy postmaster for the Thirteen Colonies since 1753. More

President Lincoln issued the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, declaring that as of January 1, 1863 "all persons held as slaves within any State, or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free." More

The first issue of National Geographic Magazine is published, nine months after the founding of the National Geographic Society. The initial publication was a scholarly journal, focusing on geographical topics and lacking photographs. In January 1905 the first photo feature appeared, depicting views of Lhasa, Tibet, leading to the magazine becoming known for its innovative use of photography to document discovery and travel.

Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria Independence day from the Ottoman Empire. Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey to the south, Serbia and North Macedonia to the west, and Romania to the north. Bulgaria's estimated 2025 population is 6.5 Million and its capital city is Sofia. 

The German U-boat U-9 sinks three Royal Navy cruisers of the 7th Cruiser Squadron. The cruisers Aboukir, the Hogue and the Cressy were on patrol on the North Sea. The sinking eroded confidence in the British government and damaged the reputation of the Royal Navy, when many countries were still undecided about taking sides in the war.

General Patton declares during a Press interview ,that he had “never seen the necessity of the denazification program,” asserting that 98 per cent of the Nazis were just camp followers. In October 1945 he was relieved of his duties by the Allied High Command and recalled to the US.

Mali Independence Day It commemorates the day in 1960 when the Sudanese Republic formally declared its independence from the short-lived Mali Federation, becoming the Republic of Mali.

A ceasefire between India and Pakistan goes into effect, ending the second Indo-Pakistani War. More

Sara Jane Moore attempts to assassinate US President Gerald Ford after he had made an address to the World Affairs Council in San Francisco. Moore fired two shots at the President with a .38 Special revolver, both of which missed.  Expand +

The Iraq - Iran war begins as Iraq invades western Iran along the countries join border. The war lasted for eight years and resulted in significant loss of life and economic damage. More