September 23
1779
John Paul Jones declared “I have not yet begun to fight!” aboard the American warship Bonhomme Richard in the battle against the British man-of-war Serapis.
1806
After a three-year journey to the Pacific Northwest, the Lewis and Clark expedition returned to St. Louis.
1846
German astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle discovered the planet Neptune.
1939
Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, died in London.
1952
Vice presidential candidate Richard Nixon delivered his “Checkers speech” rebutting charges of improper campaign financing.
1973
Former Argentine president Juan Perón returned to power.
2011
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas officially requests a bid for statehood at the UN Security Council.
Birthdays
Euripides
480 or 485—406 B.C., Greek tragic dramatist, ranking with Aeschylus and Sophocles.
Augustus
Roman emperor (63)
William Holmes McGuffey
educator (1800)
Mary Eliza Church Terrell
activist (1863)
Walter Lippmann
essayist and editor (1889)
Harriet Hardy
physician (1906)
Mickey Rooney
actor (1920)
John Coltrane
jazz musician (1926)
Ray Charles
musician (1930)
Bruce Springsteen
singer (1949)