The “Great Fire of London” burned down more than 13,000 buildings, including St. Paul’s Cathedral. (1666) The fire burned for three days and destroyed more than 400 acres (about 1.6 square kilometers) — nearly the entire city. The fire started in home of the baker who worked for King Charles II.
Japan signed official surrender documents, ending World War II. (1945) Mamoru Shigemitsu, the Japanese Foreign Minister, signed the documents while on board the USS Missouri while his aides stood by weeping.
The Titanic wreckage was found. (1985) The sunken ship from 1912 was located by an expedition led by US and French explorers almost 600 miles (about 965 kilometers) off the coast of Newfoundland.
An agreement was made between the US and Russia to build a space station. (1992) The agreement between the two countries to combine space exploration efforts led to the construction of the International Space Station, which began in 1998.
The first ATM in the US began handing out cash. (1969) The ATM was located in the Rockville center in New York City, at Chemical Bank.
The US Congress established the US Treasury Department. (1789) The department produces and circulates all US currency and manages the US government’s revenues.
Bomber pilot George H.W. Bush was shot down by the Japanese military. (1944) Bush, who would later become the 41st President of the United States, was shot down by anti-aircraft guns while serving in World War II. A US submarine rescued him.
Catholic Bishops and priests were slaughtered in the “September Massacres.” (1792) During the French Revolution, an angry mob killed three Roman Catholic Bishops, more than 200 priests and several hundred prisoners. All told, more than 1,200 people were killed because the mob suspected they were royal sympathizers.
The CBS television network aired the first 30-minute newscast in the United States. (1963) The network, which began broadcasting the CBS Evening News in 1948, increased the show’s airtime from 15 to 30 minutes.
The “Labor Day Hurricane” hit Florida, causing 423 deaths. (1935) The Category 5 hurricane was one of the most severe in US history, with wind speeds of 185 miles per hour (about 295 kilometers per hour). It caused more than $6 million US Dollars (USD) in damages — more than $95 million 2010 USD.