1971⚡ Event
John Lennon's Imagine album released
Imagine, the second solo album by John Lennon, was released. The album has become one of the most famous and influential in music history.
musicarts
This Week in History: Week 37
September 9 – September 15
Over 107 historical moments took place during these 7 days of the calendar year. Explore our curated digest of the most world-changing events, iconic births, and notable deaths.
Explore the Full Daily Timelines
Major Events (September 9 – September 15)(20)
1973⚡ Event
Chilean coup d'état
General Augusto Pinochet leads a military coup against President Salvador Allende in Chile, who dies during the siege.
politicswarmilitary
1983⚡ Event
Typhoon Ellen Dissipates
Typhoon Ellen dissipated after causing widespread destruction, destroying hundreds of homes across Hong Kong and the Philippines.
disaster
1990⚡ Event
Basilica of Our Lady of Peace Consecrated
Pope John Paul II consecrated the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast, one of the largest churches in the world.
religionpolitics
1992⚡ Event
Hurricane Iniki Strikes Hawaii
Hurricane Iniki, the most powerful hurricane on record to strike the Hawaiian Islands, passed directly over the island of Kauai, killing six people and causing around US$1.8 billion dollars in damage.
disaster
1995⚡ Event
Mir EO-19 Returns to Earth
Mir EO-19, the first expedition to the Russian space station Mir launched on an American Space Shuttle, returned to Earth after approximately 75 days in space.
spacesciencetechnology
1995⚡ Event
Hurricane Ismael
Hurricane Ismael formed off the southwest coast of Mexico; it went on to kill over a hundred people in the country.
disaster
1999⚡ Event
Singapore Portrait Series banknotes introduced
The first banknotes of the Portrait Series of the Singapore dollar were introduced. They were issued by the Board of Commissioners of Currency.
economics
2000⚡ Event
Operation Barras
British forces freed soldiers and civilians held captive by the West Side Boys, contributing to the end of the Sierra Leone Civil War.
warpoliticslaw
2001⚡ Event
Assassination of Ahmad Shah Massoud
Two al-Qaeda attackers assassinated Ahmad Shah Massoud, a pivotal Afghan resistance leader. This occurred two days before the September 11 attacks in the United States.
politicswar
2001⚡ Event
September 11 attacks
Terrorists hijack four commercial airplanes, crashing two into the World Trade Center in New York and one into the Pentagon.
wardisastermilitary
2003⚡ Event
Typhoon Maemi
Typhoon Maemi, the strongest recorded typhoon to strike South Korea, made landfall near Busan.
disaster
2003⚡ Event
Steam public release
The first public release of Steam, a distribution service for computer games, was made available for download.
technologyentertainment
2008⚡ Event
Metrolink train collision
A Metrolink train collided head-on with a freight train in Los Angeles, California, resulting in 25 deaths and 135 injuries.
disasterlaw
2009⚡ Event
Atlanta Police Raid
Members of the Atlanta Police Department conducted a raid on a gay bar, leading to allegations of constitutional rights violations and a subsequent $1 million settlement.
lawpolitics
2010⚡ Event
San Bruno pipeline explosion
A natural-gas pipeline in San Bruno, California, exploded, killing eight people. The explosion sent a fireball more than 1,000 feet into the air.
disaster
2012⚡ Event
Benghazi attack
The American consulate and CIA annex in Libya were attacked by a heavily armed group, resulting in the deaths of U.S. ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three others.
politicswar
2015⚡ Event
Elizabeth II becomes longest-reigning UK monarch
Elizabeth II became the longest-reigning monarch of the United Kingdom, surpassing Queen Victoria.
politics
2025⚡ Event
Charlie Kirk Shot
American political activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at an event at Utah Valley University.
politicslaw
2025⚡ Event
Jair Bolsonaro sentenced
Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years in prison for his involvement in a coup plot.
politicslaw
Famous Birthdays This Week(15)
1862🎂 Birth
O. Henry born
American short story writer William Sydney Porter, known by his pen name O. Henry, is born in Greensboro, North Carolina.
literature
Notable Deaths This Week(15)
1973🕊️ Death
Salvador Allende dies
Chilean President Salvador Allende dies during the military coup led by Augusto Pinochet.
politicswarmilitary
2015🕊️ Death
Annemarie Bostroem
Annemarie Bostroem, a German poet, playwright, and songwriter, has died. She was born in 1922.
artsliteraturemusic
2015🕊️ Death
Norman Farberow
American psychologist and academic. He was born in 1918.
sciencephilosophy
2024🕊️ Death
John Cassaday
John Cassaday, an American comic book artist and writer, has died. He was born in 1971.
artsliterature
2024🕊️ Death
James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones, a renowned American actor, has died. He was born in 1931.
artsentertainment
2024🕊️ Death
Caterina Valente
Caterina Valente, an Italian-French singer and dancer, has died. She was born in 1931.
artsmusicentertainment
2024🕊️ Death
Frankie Beverly
American soul/funk singer-songwriter, musician, and producer. He was born in 1946.
musicentertainment
2024🕊️ Death
Jim Sasser
American lawyer and politician, 6th United States Ambassador to China. He was born in 1936.
politicslaw
2024🕊️ Death
Alberto Fujimori
Alberto Fujimori, former President of Peru, passed away. He was also a politician, professor, and engineer.
politics
2025🕊️ Death
Mark Norell
Death of Mark Norell, an American vertebrate paleontologist. He was born in 1957.
science
2025🕊️ Death
John D. Petersen
American chemist, educator, and academic administrator (born 1947).
science
Trending Topics This Week
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