This Day in History
On Sept. 10, 1813, an American naval force commanded by Oliver H. Perry defeated the British in the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. (Afterward, Perry sent the message, “We have met the enemy and they are ours.”).
On this date:
In 1912, the jungle character Tarzan made his debut as “Tarzan of the Apes” by Edgar Rice Burroughs was first published in The All-Story magazine.
In 1919, New York City welcomed home Gen. John J. Pershing and 25,000 soldiers who’d served in the U.S. First Division during World War I.
In 1935, Sen. Huey P. Long died in Baton Rouge two days after being shot in the Louisiana state Capitol, allegedly by Dr. Carl Weiss.
In 1960, Hurricane Donna, a dangerous Category 4 storm eventually blamed for 364 deaths, struck the Florida Keys.
In 1962, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered the University of Mississippi to admit James Meredith, a black student.
In 1963, 20 black students entered Alabama public schools following a standoff between federal authorities and Gov. George C. Wallace.
In 1979, four Puerto Rican nationalists imprisoned for a 1954 attack on the U.S. House of Representatives and a 1950 attempt on the life of President Harry S. Truman were freed from prison after being granted clemency by President Jimmy Carter.
In 1987, Pope John Paul II arrived in Miami, where he was welcomed by President Ronald Reagan and first lady Nancy Reagan as he began a 10-day tour of the United States.
In 1991, the Senate Judiciary Committee opened hearings on the nomination of Clarence Thomas to the U.S. Supreme Court.
In 1998, President Clinton met with members of his Cabinet to apologize, ask forgiveness and promise to improve as a person in the wake of the Monica Lewinsky scandal.
In 2000, controversial basketball coach Bob Knight was fired by Indiana University for what was called a pattern of unacceptable behavior. Marat Safin beat Pete Sampras 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 to become the first Russian to win the U.S. Open. Tiger Woods won the Canadian Open by one stroke over Grant Waite. The musical “Cats” closed on Broadway after 7,485 performances.