September 10 carries a rich history of discoveries, diplomacy, and turning points in world affairs. From particle physics to peace talks, this day showcases humanity’s drive to understand, connect, and change.
Major Events
- 1846 – Elias Howe Patents the Sewing Machine American inventor Elias Howe is granted the first U.S. patent for the lockstitch sewing machine, revolutionizing the textile industry.
- 1898 – Empress Elisabeth of Austria Assassinated Known as “Sisi,” the beloved Empress is stabbed by an anarchist in Geneva, Switzerland.
- 1960 – OPEC Formed in Baghdad Oil-producing nations, including Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela, create the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
- 1977 – Last Guillotine Execution in France Hamida Djandoubi becomes the last person executed by guillotine, and the last legal execution in Western Europe.
- 1990 – U.S. President George H.W. Bush Addresses Joint Session on Gulf Crisis Bush outlines the stakes of Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait and begins rallying international support for military intervention.
- 2002 – Switzerland Joins the United Nations After a national referendum, Switzerland becomes the 190th member of the UN, ending centuries of formal neutrality in international organizations.
- 2008 – Large Hadron Collider Powered Up for the First Time CERN activates the LHC near Geneva, launching the world’s largest particle physics experiment.
Famous Birthdays
- Mary Wollstonecraft (1759–1797) – English writer and feminist, best known for A Vindication of the Rights of Woman.
- Franz Werfel (1890–1945) – Austrian-Bohemian novelist, author of The Song of Bernadette.
- Arnold Palmer (1929–2016) – American golf legend, known for popularizing the sport in the TV era.
- Karl Lagerfeld (1933–2019) – German fashion designer and creative director of Chanel and Fendi.
- Colin Firth (1960) – British actor, winner of an Academy Award for The King’s Speech.
- Joe Perry (1950) – Lead guitarist of Aerosmith.
- Ryan Phillippe (1974) – American actor, known for Cruel Intentions and Shooter.
Notable Deaths
- Empress Elisabeth of Austria (1898) – Assassinated by an Italian anarchist, born in 1837.
- Huey Long (1935) – Louisiana governor and U.S. senator, assassinated at age 42, born in 1893.
- Jane Wyman (2007) – American actress and former wife of Ronald Reagan, born in 1917.
- Elias Howe (1867) – Sewing machine pioneer, born in 1819.
Holidays
- World Suicide Prevention Day (Global) Organized by the World Health Organization and the International Association for Suicide Prevention to promote awareness and prevention efforts worldwide.
- Gibraltar National Day Commemorates the 1967 referendum in which Gibraltarians overwhelmingly voted to remain under British sovereignty.
Fun Facts
- The guillotine remained France’s method of capital punishment until it was abolished in 1981.
- The LHC has led to major physics discoveries, including evidence of the Higgs boson particle in 2012.
- Switzerland’s UN membership was controversial due to its long-standing neutrality but was supported by a majority of Swiss voters.
- Mary Wollstonecraft is considered one of the founding feminist philosophers, and mother to Frankenstein author Mary Shelley.