September 22 marks the autumnal equinox and has seen emancipation proclaimed and independence declared.
President Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, declaring that enslaved people in Confederate states would be free as of January 1, 1863. The proclamation transformed the Civil War into a fight for human freedom.
Iraq invaded Iran, beginning an eight-year war that killed over one million people. The conflict, one of the longest conventional wars of the 20th century, devastated both nations.
The last eight people convicted of witchcraft during the Salem witch trials were hanged. The hysteria that gripped Salem resulted in 20 executions and remains a dark chapter in American history.
Continental Army Captain Nathan Hale was hanged by the British for espionage. His famous last words, 'I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country,' made him an American patriot icon.
The first issue of National Geographic Magazine was published by the National Geographic Society. The magazine became famous for its stunning photography and coverage of nature, science, and world cultures.
King Ferdinand III of Castile captured the city of Córdoba from the Moors during the Reconquista. The fall of this center of Islamic culture in Spain was a major milestone in the Christian reconquest.
Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico as a Category 4 storm, causing catastrophic damage. The disaster killed nearly 3,000 people and left the island without power for months.