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
Browse Historical Events by Month:
What Happened in September?
King John II Casimir of Poland-Lithuania abdicates the throne on September 16, 1668, after the death of his wife and years of political turmoil and wars. He was the last Polish monarch from the Vasa dynasty.
1682 CE, Circa September
English astronomer Edmond Halley (1656–1742) observed the bright comet that now bears his name in September 1682 from his home in England. He was not the first person to see it, but he was the first to recognize its significance and its periodicity; leading to the first-ever successful prediction of a comet's return.
In his 1705 publication, Synopsis Astronomia Cometicae, Halley used Newton's laws of gravity to argue that previous sightings were the same object returning periodically, roughly every 76 years. He predicted its return in 1758. Halley died in 1742, but the comet returned in late 1758, confirming his theory and that comets were indeed in orbit around the Sun, rather than transient atmospheric phenomena.
The Holy League forces defeat the Ottoman Empire at The Battle of Vienna on September 12, 1683 ending their two-month siege of Vienna and stopping the Ottoman advance in Central Europe. The decisive European victory halted Ottoman expansion into Central Europe and led to a major shift in the balance of power in favor of the European powers.
The last hangings of the Salem Witch Trials takes place as six women and two men are hanged on September 22. The court was disbanded by Governor William Phipps on October 29, 1692. 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
Spanish King Charles II ratifies the Treaty of Ryswick, ending the Nine Years' War.between France and the Grand Alliance, (Spain, England, the Dutch Republic, and the Holy Roman Empire).
The treaty returned territories like Luxembourg and Kortrijk to Spain, securing peace, though issues like the Spanish succession remained unresolved, leading to future conflict.
The signing of the Treaties of Ryswick begins on September 20, 1697 bringing an end to the Nine Years' War between France and the Grand Alliance of European powers (which included England, Spain, the Dutch Republic, and the Holy Roman Empire). The last treaty was signed on October 30th 1697, with the Holy Roman Empire
These were some of the most significant agreements reflected on the treaties:
- Louis XIV officially recognized William III as the King of England and withdrew support for the Jacobite claimant, James II.
- Most territories captured since the 1679 Treaty of Nijmegen were returned to their pre-war status.
- France retained Strasbourg and Alsace.
- Spain formally ceded the western third of the island of Hispaniola (renamed Saint-Domingue, now Haiti) to France.
- The Dutch Republic gained favorable commercial concessions and the right to garrison "barrier fortresses" in the Spanish Netherlands to protect against future French aggression.
More
Tsar Peter I of Russia ("Peter the Great") imposes a tax on beards as part of his efforts to modernize and Westernize the country. Officials were empowered to publicly and forcibly shave anyone who refused to pay. The tax was formally repealed in 1772 by Catherine the Great.
The Battle of Rio de Janeiro starts on September 12, 1711, as a raid on the port of Rio de Janeiro by a French squadron under René Duguay-Trouin, during the War of Spanish Succession.
Despite heavy defense from the Portuguese forts, the French occupied the city on September 22, 1711, looting it and demanding a significant ransom of gold and goods, which was paid to avoid more destruction of the city and its defenses.
The South Sea Company, formed in 1711 in London to supply slaves to Spanish America, collapses, c. September 15, 1720, leading to a financial crisis in England and affecting the stock market.
The company had bought from the British government, the rights to supply slaves to Spanish America (acquired by Britain at the Treaty of Utrecht), for a significant amount of money and went on to sell stock to the public. Speculators paid inflated prices for the stock, leading eventually to the company’s spectacular financial collapse. A large number of people were ruined by the share collapse, and the national economy was greatly reduced as a result. A parliamentary inquiry held afterwards, found that many had profited unlawfully from the company and had their assets confiscated.
The Treaty of Belgrade also known as the Belgrade Peace, between the Habsburg Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire was signed on September 18, 1739, in Belgrade (modern Serbia). It ended the Austro-Turkish War, with Austria ceding Belgrade and other territories to the Ottoman Empire.
The Battle of Soor takes place during the Second Silesian War (part of the War of the Austrian Succession), between Frederick the Great's Prussian army and an Austro-Saxon army led by Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine. The battle occurred in the vicinity of Soor, also known as Hajnice, in the modern day Czech Republic. The Prussian army managed to defeat the Austrians.
Charles Edward Stuart, known as Bonnie Prince Charlie, flees to France on September 20, 1746, following the final defeat of the Jacobite Rising in Scotland at the Battle of Culloden in April of that year. His exit marked the end of serious Stuart efforts to reclaim the British throne.
The British Empire adopts the Gregorian calendar, skipping 11 days to correct the discrepancy with the Julian calendar.
The pivotal Battle of Quebec (Battle of Plains of Abraham) takes place during the Seven Years' War, leading to the British capture of Quebec City from the French and ultimately changing the course of Canadian history.
British General James Wolfe and French General Louis-Joseph, Marquis de Montcalm, were both, mortally wounded during the battle. More
British forces capture Montreal during the French and Indian War on September 8, 1760, The capture was led by General Jeffery Amherst, with an 18,000-strong British force surrounding the city and leading to the surrender of 2,100 French soldiers effectively ending French rule in North America.and sealing British dominance in Canada.
The first session of the Continental Congress convenes at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Delegates from twelve of the thirteen American colonies, except for Georgia, convened to discuss their future under growing British aggression and to formulate a unified colonial response.
Georgia did not attend because it was in a conflict with Native American nations and relied on British military support, which it feared jeopardizing by joining the other colonies in protest of British policies. The colony had many Loyalists and was hesitant to break from Great Britain. The meeting was organized by the delegates after the British Navy implemented a blockade of Boston Harbor and the Parliament of Great Britain passed the punitive Intolerable Acts in response to the Boston Tea Party. The Congress session lasted until October 26, 1774. More
During the Revolutionary War, the American submersible craft Turtle attempts to attach a time bomb to the hull of British Admiral Richard Howe’s flagship Eagle in New York Harbor. It was the first use of a submarine in warfare. Historical Timeline
The Second Continental Congress formally declares, on September 9, 1776, the name of the new nation to be the “United States” of America, replacing the term “United Colonies.” Historical Timeline
John Paul Jones, commanding the U.S. ship Bonhomme Richard, an armed former French East India Company trading vessel which had been adapted for military use, wins the naval Battle of Flamborough Head, against the British ships of war Countess of Scarborough and Serapis, off the the coast of Yorkshire, England. The Americans suffered approximately 170 casualties, while the British suffered approximately 117 casualties and 2 captured ships. More