September 14 has seen Star-Spangled Banners inspired, tragic disasters, and pivotal political assassinations.
Francis Scott Key wrote the poem that became the US national anthem after witnessing the British bombardment of Fort McHenry in Baltimore. The sight of the American flag still flying at dawn inspired the iconic verses.
Napoleon's Grande Armée entered Moscow to find the city largely deserted and soon ablaze. The burning of Moscow denied Napoleon his expected triumph and marked the beginning of his catastrophic retreat.
Vice President Theodore Roosevelt was sworn in as the 26th President following the assassination of William McKinley. At 42, he became the youngest person to assume the presidency.
The British Empire adopted the Gregorian calendar, and September 2 was followed by September 14. The adjustment brought Britain in line with most of continental Europe's calendar system.
Five oil-producing nations—Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela—founded the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries in Baghdad. OPEC would become one of the most powerful cartels in the world.
American troops under General Winfield Scott captured Mexico City, effectively ending the Mexican-American War. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo would cede vast territories including California to the United States.
Scientists at LIGO detected gravitational waves for the first time, confirming Einstein's 100-year-old prediction. The waves came from two black holes merging 1.3 billion light-years away.