1779 – John Paul Jones, commanding the Bonhomme Richard, wins his famous naval victory over HMS Serapis during the American Revolutionary War.
1806 – Lewis and Clark return to St. Louis after their historic expedition to the Pacific Northwest.
1815 – The Great September Gale slams New England, devastating Providence, R.I., and destroying ships and homes across the region.
1846 – German astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle discovers the planet Neptune.
1932 – The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is officially founded.
1952 – Richard Nixon delivers his televised “Checkers Speech,” defending his integrity while running for vice president.
1991 – The Dead Sea Scrolls are made available to the public for the first time.
2019 – British travel giant Thomas Cook collapses, stranding hundreds of thousands of travelers worldwide.