On This Day in History – September 25

Major Events

• 1066 – Battle of Stamford Bridge: English forces under King Harold II defeat an invading Norwegian army led by King Harald Hardrada.
• 1513 – Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa reaches the Pacific Ocean, becoming the first European to see it from the New World.
• 1789 – The U.S. Congress passes the Bill of Rights, sending it to the states for ratification.
• 1906 – Leonardo Torres Quevedo demonstrates the first radio-controlled device in Bilbao, Spain.
• 1911 – Groundbreaking ceremony for Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts.
• 1957 – Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, is integrated by the “Little Rock Nine” under protection of U.S. federal troops.
• 1972 – Norway votes against joining the European Economic Community in a national referendum.
• 1981 – Sandra Day O’Connor is sworn in as the first female U.S. Supreme Court Justice.
• 2003 – The Magnitude 8.0 Tokachi-Oki earthquake strikes Hokkaido, Japan.
• 2015 – NASA announces the discovery of liquid water on Mars.
• 2021 – Germany holds federal elections to determine Angela Merkel’s successor as Chancellor.

Famous Birthdays

• 1644 – Ole Rømer, Danish astronomer (d. 1710)
• 1694 – Henry Pelham, British Prime Minister (d. 1754)
• 1906 – Dmitri Shostakovich, Russian composer (d. 1975)
• 1926 – Paul Newman, American actor and philanthropist (d. 2008)
• 1930 – Shel Silverstein, American poet and songwriter (d. 1999)
• 1931 – Barbara Walters, American journalist (d. 2022)
• 1944 – Michael Douglas, American actor
• 1951 – Mark Hamill, American actor
• 1961 – Heather Locklear, American actress
• 1968 – Will Smith, American actor and rapper
• 1984 – Donald Glover, American actor, musician, and writer
• 1985 – Scottie Pippen Jr., American basketball player
• 1991 – Harvard Hu, Chinese-American artist

Notable Deaths

• 1534 – Pope Clement VII (b. 1478)
• 1777 – Johann Heinrich Lambert, Swiss mathematician and physicist (b. 1728)
• 1849 – Johann Strauss I, Austrian composer (b. 1804)
• 1896 – Garnet Wolseley, British Army officer (b. 1833)
• 1958 – John Bardeen, American physicist, Nobel laureate (b. 1908)
• 1970 – Erich Maria Remarque, German author (b. 1898)
• 1980 – John Bonham, English drummer for Led Zeppelin (b. 1948)
• 1998 – Mary Frann, American actress (b. 1943)
• 2003 – Donald O’Connor, American dancer and actor (b. 1925)
• 2012 – Andy Williams, American singer (b. 1927)
• 2020 – Gale Sayers, American football player (b. 1943)

Holidays

• Armed Forces Day in Mozambique
• National Comic Book Day (USA)
• Revolution Day in Mozambique

Fun Facts

1. The Battle of Stamford Bridge effectively ended Viking invasions of England.
2. Paul Newman’s philanthropy through “Newman’s Own” has donated over $500 million to charity.
3. Sandra Day O’Connor’s appointment marked a milestone in U.S. legal history.
4. NASA’s 2015 announcement about water on Mars reignited discussions about life beyond Earth.