TODAY IN HISTORY
On Sept. 19, 1881, the 20th president of the United States, James A. Garfield, died 2½ months after being shot by Charles Guiteau; Chester Alan Arthur became president.
Also on this date
In 1796, President George Washington’s farewell address was published. In it, America’s first chief executive advised, “Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all.”
In 1934, Bruno Hauptmann was arrested in New York and charged with the kidnap-murder of 20month-old Charles A. Lindbergh Jr.
In 1955, President Juan Peron of Argentina was ousted after a revolt by the army and navy.
In 1984, Britain and China completed a draft agreement on transferring Hong Kong from British to Chinese rule by 1997.
In 1985, the Mexico City area was struck by a devastating earthquake that killed at least 9,500 people.
In 1986, federal health officials announced that the experimental drug AZT would be made available to thousands of AIDS patients.
In 1995, The New York Times and The Washington Post published the manifesto of Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, which proved instrumental in identifying and capturing him.
In 2001, the Pentagon ordered dozens of advanced aircraft to the Persian Gulf region as the hour of military retaliation for deadly terrorist attacks on Sept. 11 drew closer.
In 2008, struggling to stave off financial catastrophe, the Bush administration laid out a radical bailout plan calling for a takeover of a half-trillion dollars or more in worthless mortgages and other bad debt held by tottering institutions.
Ten years ago: The BP oil well at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico was declared “effectively dead” by retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the government’s point man on the blowout disaster, after it was sealed with a permanent cement plug.
Five years ago: Pope Francis, arriving in Havana, hailed detente between Cuba and the United States as a model of reconciliation for the world as he launched a 10-day tour of the former Cold War foes.
One year ago: Under orders from the Trump administration, the intelligence community’s inspector general refused to tell members of a House panel what was in a whistleblower’s complaint about a private conversation between President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s president.