1940
War & Conflict
London Blitz Begins
The German Luftwaffe launched a massive bombing campaign against London, beginning 57 consecutive nights of aerial bombardment. The Blitz killed over 30,000 Londoners but failed to break British morale.
On This Day in History
1822
Politics
Brazil Declares Independence
Prince Pedro proclaimed Brazil's independence from Portugal with the cry 'Independence or Death!' along the banks of the Ipiranga River. September 7 is celebrated as Brazil's Independence Day.
1533
Politics
Elizabeth I Born
The future Queen Elizabeth I was born at Greenwich Palace. Her 45-year reign, the Elizabethan Era, saw the flowering of English literature, the defeat of the Spanish Armada, and English global expansion.
1813
Culture
Uncle Sam First Used
The term 'Uncle Sam' as a reference to the United States first appeared in a Troy, New York newspaper. The personification, based on meat packer Samuel Wilson, became America's most enduring national symbol.
1977
Politics
Panama Canal Treaties Signed
President Carter and Panamanian leader Omar Torrijos signed treaties transferring control of the Panama Canal to Panama. The agreements ended decades of Panamanian resentment over American control of the Canal Zone.
1812
War & Conflict
Battle of Borodino
Napoleon's Grande Armée fought the Russian army in the bloodiest single day of the Napoleonic Wars, with over 70,000 casualties. Though Napoleon claimed victory, the battle weakened his army fatally.
1936
Science
Last Thylacine Dies
The last known Tasmanian tiger, named Benjamin, died at the Hobart Zoo in Tasmania. The extinction of this unique marsupial carnivore became a powerful symbol of human-caused species loss.