September 3, 1783:  Treaty of Paris signed, ending the American Revolutionary War.

September 4, 1908:  Orville Wright makes the first airplane flight in Virginia at Fort Myer in Arlington County. Five days later he takes off from Fort Myer with a companion onboard in the world’s first-ever passenger flight.

September 5, 1972:  Munich Olympics massacre: Heavily armed Palestinian terrorists sneaked into the apartment where Israeli athletes were staying during the Summer Olympics; they killed two athletes and took nine others hostage. All of the terrorists and hostages were ultimately killed.

September 6, 1995:  Cal Ripken Jr. breaks record for consecutive games played (2,131). In 1998 he ended his streak at 2,632 games.

September 8, 1974:  President Gerald Ford pardons Richard Nixon for all Watergate-related crimes.

September 9, 1957:  Civil Rights Act is signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. 

September 9, 1958:  Public schools in Virginia open for the 1958–59 school year in the midst of massive resistance. Schools in Charlottesville, Warren County, and Norfolk face federal court orders to integrate. At the same time, these schools face Virginia state laws that could remove them from the state educational system if they do.

Categories: Issues