What Happened in September?

The Great Siege of Malta ends, as the Ottoman Empire lifts its siege of the island after several months of intense fighting.

The Spanish Colonial Settlement of St. Augustine in Florida is inaugurated by the Spanish Admiral Don Pedro Menéndez de Avilés with 600 voyagers cheering; Menéndez named the colonial settlement St. Augustine in honor of the saint whose feast day fell on the day he first sighted land.  Expand +

The Battle of Lepanto takes place, where a Holy League fleet defeats the Ottoman Empire in a major naval battle, halting Ottoman expansion in the Mediterranean.

The Truce of Bergerac, also known as the Peace of Bergerac, is signed, temporarily halting the Sixth French War of Religion between the Catholic King Henry III and the Huguenot (Protestant) princes. The subsequent Edict of Poitiers, which confirmed the treaty, was issued just three days later, on September 17. 

Sir Francis Drake completes his circumnavigation of the globe aboard the Golden Hind, bringing back an an enormous amount of treasure to the Crown and trip investors More

Philip III of Spain is crowned king of Spain and Portugal. He was much less diligent than his father and showed only moderate gifts for governance. He ruled the Spanish Empire at the height of its power. He was extravagant in his spending, exacerbating Spain's growing economic problems. More

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.

John Smith is elected president of the governing council of Jamestown, making him the leader of the colony. His leadership focused on imposing discipline, particularly the "he that will not work shall not eat" policy, and improving the fort and food supply, which helped the colony survive its early, difficult years including establishing trade with the Powhatan Indians.

Henry Hudson’s party aboard the ship Half Moon arrives at what would be called the Hudson River on a trip funded by the Dutch East India Company to discover a water passage to the east. He stopped to trade with the local natives, and proceeded as far as present-day Albany. Expand +

English explorer Henry Hudson discovers Manhattan Island and sails up the river that would later bear his name. More

The New River, an artificial waterway built by Sir Hugh Myddelton to bring fresh, clean water to London, is opened in a ceremony at the reservoir in Islington called New River Head. The 28-mile-long New River supplied London with water from Hertfordshire and solved the city's prior water supply issues, which were often contaminated.

The first free public school in Europe opens its doors to children on this day in 1616 in Frascati, a town in Lazio just a few kilometers from Rome. The school was founded by a Spanish Catholic priest, José de Calasanz, who was originally from Aragon but who moved to Rome in 1592 at the age of 35. More

The Mayflower ship departs from Plymouth, England, with a group of English Pilgrims on September 16, 1620 (Gregorian calendar), bound for the New World in search of a new life – some seeking religious freedom, others a fresh start in a different land.  Expand +

The Spanish galleon "Nuestra Señora de Atocha" sinks off the coast of Florida during a hurricane with a significant cargo of treasure. Of the 265 people on board, only five survived. The wreck was lost for over three centuries.  Expand +

The Treaty of Sztumska Wieś is signed, ending the Polish-Swedish War and recognizing Sweden's control over Livonia.

The Battle of Dunbar takes place during the English Civil War, resulting in a decisive victory for the English Parliamentarians over the Scottish Covenanters. More

English Parliamentarian forces under Oliver Cromwell decisively defeat the Royalists at the Battle of Worcester.

New Amsterdam becomes New York as, Peter Stuyvesant, Director-general of the Dutch colony of New Netherland surrenders to the overwhelming larger and more powerful English forces. Following its capture, the name of New Amsterdam, the successful Dutch settlement on the southern tip of Manhattan, was changed to New York, in honor of the Duke of York.  Expand +

The Great Fire of London starts at a bakery in Pudding Lane shortly and spreads rapidly. It swept through central London for four days gutting the medieval City of London inside the old Roman city wall, while also extending past the wall to the west. More

Astronomer Edmond Halley observes the comet that bears his name. September 1682