What Happened in September?

A military coup takes effect effect in Turkey headed by General Kenan Evren. The event and following actions created a climate of fear in Turkey with widespread repression, mass arrests of over 600,000 people, torture, and executions.  Expand +

The Iraq - Iran war begins on September 22, 1980 as Iraq invades western Iran along the countries join border. The war resulted in significant loss of life and economic damage. lasting for eight years when a cease fire was declared on September, 5 1988. More

The Ethernet specifications are published by Xerox in collaboration with Intel and Digital Equipment Corporation. Manufacturers had been skeptical of building LAN connections into their products because the lack of industrywide standards meant the networks may not work with equipment from other companies. The Ethernet standard created a uniform network protocol companies could share. More

Pablo Picasso’s 1937 masterpiece “Guernica” arrives in Spain, on September 10, 1981, after more than 40 years of being in the custody of New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Picasso had strongly requested that Guernica remains at the Met, until Spain re-established a democratic republic. It would not be until 1981, after both the artist's and Franco's deaths, that Spanish negotiators were finally able to bring the mural home. Expand +

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.  Expand +

Belize Independence day from the UK (Effective day of the Belize Act of 1981). Belize is a country on the north-eastern coast of Central America. It's northern border is with Mexico, Guatemala to the west and south and the Caribbean Sea to the east. Belize is a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Caribbean Commonwealth (the historical British West Indies). It has an estimated 2024 population of 400,000

The massacre of Sabra and Shatila, during the Lebanese Civil War takes place in Beirut, Lebanon, where Lebanese Christian militia, supported by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) that had surrounded Beirut's Sabra neighborhood and the adjacent Shatila refugee camp, killed between 1,300 and 3,500 civilians, mostly Palestinians and Lebanese Shias between the 16–18 September 1982.

Korean Air Flight 007 is shot down by Soviet Union forces after it strays significantly into restricted Soviet airspace due to navigation errors where it was mistakenly identified as a hostile reconnaissance aircraft during a period of high Cold War tension. The South Korean airliner eventually crashed in in the Sea of Japan killing all 269 passengers and crew on board. More

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

The Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act is passed by the United States Congress, imposing economic sanctions against South Africa in protest against its apartheid policies.

The "Star Trek: The Next Generation" television series premieres, becoming a highly successful continuation of the Star Trek franchise.

The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is signed, aiming to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of ozone-depleting substances.

United Farm Workers Vice President Dolores Huerta, 58 years old, is beaten by San Francisco Police, in front of the St. Francis Hotel in Union Square during a peaceful and lawful protest of the policies/platform of then candidate George H. W.  Bush, who was holding a fundraiser in the hotel.  Expand +

Hungary opens its border with Austria, allowing thousands of East German refugees to flee to the West. This event contributed to the eventual fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany.

Uzbekistan, officially the Republic of Uzbekistan Independence Day from the Soviet Union. It is located in Central Asia and has a population of more than 37.6 million, making it the most populous country in Central Asia.  Expand +

North Macedonia, officially the Republic of North Macedonia, Independence Day from Yugoslavia. It commemorates the country's September 8, 1991 referendum and declaration of independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.  Expand +

Tajikistan Independence Day from the Soviet Union is celebrated on September 9, marking the historic 1991 resolution and declaration passed by the Supreme Soviet of the Tajik SSR, which established the Republic of Tajikistan as an independent, sovereign state

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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. Expand +

Turkmenistan Independence Day from the Soviet Union. Independence was actually declared on October 27, 1991, the date was moved to September 27 by a constitutional amendment in 2017.

The day before Black Wednesday, Soros' Quantum Fund began selling large amounts of pounds on the market, causing the price to plummet further. The Bank of England took steps to stem the sell-off but it was unsuccessful. On Black Wednesday, the Bank of England declared that the U.K. would leave the European ERM. More