Somerville Public Library Blog

Once again, to meet information needs our patrons didn’t even know they had, here are some of the many important historic events that occurred in September:

September 3, 36 B.C.: Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, admiral of Octavianus, defeats Sextus Pompeius Magnus Pius in the Battle of Naulochus, ending Pompeian resistance to the Second Triumvirate and winning the Roman military’s coveted Medal for Polysyllabic Achievements in Warfare.

September 5, 1698: In an attempt to force Russian men to modernize their appearance, Tsar Peter I imposes a beard tax. Unfortunately it never occurs to the U.S. government to try the same tactic with hairstyles in the 1980s.

September 16, 1858: First transcontinental delivery of mail to California. Packages marked “perishable” arrived while people were out of town. Magazines got delivered to the wrong addresses.

September 17, 1630: City of Boston founded.

September 18, 1630: Bostonians complain about lack of parking.

September 23, 1122: Pope Calixtus II and Holy Roman Emperor Henry V sign an agreement known as the Concordat of Worms. Grey areas of the Concordat are later clarified in the Covenant of Slugs and the Pact of Snails.

September 24, 1493: Columbus embarks on his second expedition to the New World. He later complains that it wasn’t as much fun as the first time: the prices were higher and the place had gotten all touristy.

September 25, 1981: Sandra Day O’Connor sworn in as the first female justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. William Rhenquist complains about no longer being able to walk around the Court in his underwear.

September 29, 1789: The first U.S. Congress adjourns. Members go home to town hall meetings where people scream that they don’t want a government-run plan controlling their access to leeches and amputations. They also demand to see George Washington’s birth certificate.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 1st, 2009 at 9:59 am and is filed under Historic Dates.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.