Today in History for 1st September 2018:
Historical Events
1864 – Skirmish at Hood evacuated confederates from Atlanta GA
1873 – Cetshwayo ascends to the throne as king of the Zulu nation following the death of his father Mpande.
1972 – American chess grandmaster Bobby Fischer beats Russian champion Boris Spassky 12.5-8.5 in Reykjavik, Iceland; most publicised world title match ever played; Fischer 1st American to win title
1973 – Libya nationalizes 51 percent of nine other oil companies’ concessions
2007 – In one of the biggest upsets in college football history, 109,218 fans see Appalachian State’s Corey Lynch block a Jason Gingell 37-yard field goal attempt with 6 seconds remaining to inspire an epic 34-32 win v Michigan at Ann Arbor
2012 – Grenade injures 41 festival celebrants in Paquibato, Philippines
Famous Birthdays
1922 – Melvin Laird, politician (Rep-R-Mich), US Secretary of Defense (1969-73), born in Omaha, Nebraska (d. 2016)
1931 – Cecil Parkinson, British politician (C), born in Carnforth, North Lancashire (d. 2016)
1953 – Ted Petty, American professional wrestler (d. 2002)
1955 – Bruce Foxton, rock guitarist (Jam)
1976 – Sebastián Rozental, Chilean footballer
1981 – Clinton Portis, American football player
Famous Deaths
1648 – Marin Mersenne, French mathematician (Number of Mersenne), dies at 59
1687 – Henry More, English philosopher (b. 1614)
1896 – Johannes Habert, composer, dies at 62
1947 – Frederick Russell Burnham, father of the international Scouting movement (b. 1861)
1989 – A Bartlett Giamatti, American President of Yale University and baseball commissioner, dies of heart attack at 51
1998 – Vere Harmsworth, 3rd Viscount Rothermere, English press magnate (The Mail on Sunday), dies of a heart attack at 73