DAILY ALMANAC
Today is Saturday, Sept. 4, the 247th day of 2021. There are 118 days left in the year.
On this date:
1781: Los Angeles was founded by Spanish settlers under the leadership of Governor Felipe de Neve.
1862: During the Civil War, Confederate forces led by Gen. Robert E. Lee began invading Maryland.
1893: English author Beatrix Potter first told the story of Peter Rabbit in the form of a “picture letter” to Noel Moore, the son of Potter’s former governess.
1944: During World War II, British troops liberated Antwerp, Belgium.
1957: Arkansas Gov. Orval Faubus used Arkansas National Guardsmen to prevent nine Black students from entering all-white Central High School in Little Rock.
1969: The Food and Drug Administration
issued a report calling birth control pills “safe,” despite a slight risk of fatal blood-clotting disorders linked to the pills.
1972: U.S. swimmer Mark Spitz won a seventh gold medal at the Munich Olympics in the 400-meter medley relay.
1974: The United States established diplomatic relations with East Germany.
1998: Internet services company Google filed for incorporation in California.
1999: Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat signed a breakthrough land-for-security agreement during a ceremony in Sharm El-sheikh, Egypt.
2006: “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin, 44, died after a stingray’s barb pierced his chest.
2014: Comedian Joan Rivers died at a New York hospital at age 81, a week after going into cardiac arrest in a doctor’s office during a routine medical procedure.
2018: Amazon became the second publicly-traded company to reach $1 trillion in market value, following closely behind Apple.
Actor Mitzi Gaynor is 90. Singer Sonny Charles of the Checkmates, Ltd. Is 81. Actor Kenneth Kimmins
(“Coach”) is 80. Singer Merald “Bubba” Knight of Gladys Knight and the Pips is 79. TV personality Dr. Jan (“The Incredible Dr. Pol”) is 79. Actor Jennifer Salt
(“Soap”) is 77. Bassist Ronald Lapread
(The Commodores) is 71. Actor Judith Ivey is 70. Drummer Martin Chambers
of The Pretenders is 70. Actor Lawrence Hilton-jacobs (“Welcome Back, Kotter”) is 68. Actor Khandi Alexander (“ER,” “Newsradio”) is 64. Actor-comedian Damon Wayans is 61. Guitarist
Kim Thayil of Soundgarden is 61. Actor
Richard Speight Jr. (“The Agency”) is 52. Actor Noah Taylor (2005’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Game of Thrones”) is 52. Actor Ione Skye is 51. Dj-music producer
Mark Ronson is 46. Singer Richard Wingo of Jagged Edge is 46. Bassist Ian Grushka of New Found Glory is 44. Actor
Wes Bentley (“American Beauty”) is 43. Actor Max Greenfield (“New Girl”) is 42. Country singer Granger Smith is 42. Singer Dan Miller of O-town is 41. Singer Beyoncé Knowles (Destiny’s Child) is 40. Singer-guitarist Tom Gossin of Gloriana is 40. Actor Whitney Cummings (“Whitney”) is 39.