The first week of September, spanning from the 1st to the 7th, is a period filled with pivotal moments that have profoundly shaped world history. This span has witnessed the start of major conflicts, the birth of groundbreaking technology, and both triumphs and tragedies that have left a lasting impact on humanity.
Table of Contents
The First Week of September in History
Let’s explore the key events, inventions, and incidents that define these seven days.
September 1st-2nd: The Start of World War II and the End of a War
These two days are heavily marked by the beginning of a global conflict and the formal conclusion of another.
- September 1, 1939: World War II began when Germany invaded Poland. This invasion triggered a chain reaction, leading France and the United Kingdom to declare war on Germany two days later. It’s an event that plunged the world into a devastating conflict.
- September 1, 1983: A Korean Air Lines passenger jet, Flight 007, was shot down by a Soviet interceptor aircraft after it strayed into Soviet airspace. All 269 people on board were killed, including a U.S. Congressman. The incident heightened Cold War tensions.
- September 2, 1945: World War II officially ended when Japan signed the instrument of surrender on the deck of the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. This day is celebrated as V-J Day (Victory over Japan Day).
- September 2, 1969: The world’s first automated teller machine (ATM) was installed by Chemical Bank in Rockville Centre, New York, ushering in a new era of personal banking.
- September 2, 1998: A Swissair McDonnell Douglas MD-11 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia, killing all 229 people on board.
September 3rd-4th: A Day of Breakthroughs and Beginnings
This period is remembered for both devastating incidents and intellectual breakthroughs.
- September 3, 1939: Great Britain and France declared war on Germany in response to its invasion of Poland, formally beginning the Western Front of World War II.
- September 3, 1976: The American Viking 2 spacecraft successfully landed on Mars, sending back the first detailed color images of the Martian surface from a soft landing.
- September 3, 2017: Hurricane Irma, a Category 5 storm, made landfall on the Florida Keys and parts of Florida, causing widespread devastation.
- September 4, 1888: George Eastman, the founder of Kodak, received a patent for his roll-film camera, which he named the “Kodak.” The slogan, “You press the button, we do the rest,” made photography accessible to the average person.
- September 4, 1998: The company that would become Google was officially founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin.
September 5th-7th: Moments of Tragedy and Technological Leaps
The final days of the first week of September are filled with both heartbreaking moments and scientific progress.
- September 5, 1972: The Munich Massacre occurred at the Summer Olympics. Palestinian terrorists took 11 Israeli Olympic team members hostage; all were eventually killed in a tragic standoff with German police.
- September 5, 1975: U.S. President Gerald Ford survived an assassination attempt by Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme in Sacramento, California.
- September 6, 1991: The Soviet Union officially recognized the independence of the Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. This was a major step in the breakup of the Soviet Union.
- September 6, 1901: U.S. President William McKinley was shot by an anarchist at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. He died eight days later.
- September 7, 1940: The London Blitz began as Nazi Germany initiated a sustained bombing campaign against British cities, primarily London, during World War II. This marked a brutal phase of the Battle of Britain.
- September 7, 1978: The famous American rock band, The Eagles, released their hit album Hotel California, which would go on to be one of the best-selling albums of all time.
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