1909 – World’s first patent for synthetic rubber granted to German chemist Fritz Hofmann.
1920 – VII Summer Olympic Games close in Antwerp, Belgium.
1925 – George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin’s 1st collaborative musical “Lady, Be Good!”, featuring siblings Fred Astaire and Adelle Astaire as a brother and sister dance team, closes at the Liberty Theatre in New York City after 330 performances.
1935 – Millionaire Howard Hughes flies his own designed H-1 racer plane at then record 352.46 mph at Santa Ana, California.
1940 – 40 die and 200 injured when Hercules Powder Co. plant explodes in New Jersey.
1944 – US troops enter Germany for the 1st time.
1958 – Supreme Court orders the all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas to integrate.
1959 – American western series “Bonanza” starring Lorne Greene, Dan Blocker, and Michael Landon premieres on NBC-TV.
1964 – American long jumper Ralph Boston sets world record 27-feet, 4 1/4 inches at Los Angeles, California.
1965 – Hurricane Betsy strikes Florida and Louisiana, kills 75.
1966 – Gemini XI with Charles “Pete” and Richard F. Gordon aboard launched for a 71-hour flight.
1976 – Seattle Seahawks play 1st regular season game (St. Louis 30 – Seattle 24)
1979 – Boston Red Sox’ Carl Yastrzemski gets his 3,000th hit off New York Yankees pitcher Jim Beattie.
1981 – “The Smurfs” animated cartoon series by Hanna-Barbera first broadcast in North America.
1988 – Gilbert, strongest hurricane ever (160 mph), devastates Jamaica.
1997 – The United Nation passes a resolution allowing Iraq to reach the $2.14 billion oil sales limit under its oil-for-food program.
2001 – Article V of the NATO agreement is invoked for the first and only time in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks against the United States of America.
2003 – United Nations lifts sanctions against Libya after it agrees to accept responsibility and compensate the families of victims in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103.
2017 – Apple unveils premium iPhone X costing $999, along with iPhone 8.
2021 – World’s largest container ship, the 1,300-foot Ever Ace, carrying 23,992 containers arrives in Felixstowe on its maiden voyage.
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