The Clash — a band that prided itself on its punktuality.
We know that you know that we know that you know just how great a month is September — it’s The. Greatest. Month. Ever. — but just to drum it home, here’s a list of some vitally important world events that took place between September 1-8. Look for a weekly series of “Transitional Picks” sales (starting Wednesday, Sept. 4 at noon ET), designed to help you ease back into the season in style; and — best of all — a weekly chance to score $150 in Gilt credit. How? Post a shot of yourself living that September Lifestyle to Instagram, tag it #SeptemberSelfie, and let those “likes” start rolling in. (Click for more on how to enter.) Without further ado…
1983: Mick Jones was fired from the Clash by Paul Simonon and Joe Strummer, following several years of in-fighting. One reason given: He was always late.
1972: America’s Bobby Fischer beat Russia’s Boris Spassky to become world chess champion, inspiring one hundred million “Nyets!”, and a musical by the guys from Abba.
1985: The Titanic was found 73 years after it sunk. The Leonardo DiCaprio film was released on the same day 12 years later.
1923: Rocky Marciano was born.
1957: Gloria Estefan was born.
1946: Barry Gibb was born.
September 2.
1666: The Great Fire of London broke out. It burned for three days and destroyed 10,000 buildings — including St. Paul’s Cathedral — but miraculously, only six people were killed.
1969: NBC-TV canceled Star Trek.
1964: Keanu Reeves was born.
1966: Salma Hayek was born.
September 3.
1967: In Sweden, motorists stopped driving on the left side of the road and began driving on the right. Road deaths dropped almost instantly due to the insanely high levels of perceived risk, and motor insurance claims went down by 40% over the following months.
1998: While in Ireland, President Clinton said the words “I’m sorry” for the first time about his affair with Monica Lewinsky.
1965: A certain Carlos Irwin Estevez was born (he later became the artist commonly known as Charlie Sheen).
September 4.
1609: English navigator Henry Hudson began exploring the tiny isle of Manhattan. Not a bad call.
1833: Barney Flaherty answered an ad in The New York Sun and became America’s first paperboy at the ripe old age of 10.
1981: Beyonce was born. ‘Nuff said.
September 5.
1698: Russia’s Peter the Great imposed a tax on beards.
1957: Jack Kerouac’s On the Road was first published.
1946: Queen’s Freddie Mercury was born.
1939: Also, future 007 George Lazenby was born.
September 6.
1989: The Pittsburgh Steelers were banned from practicing on their own field, Three Rivers Stadium, because The Rolling Stones were rehearsing for their upcoming concert.
1992: A 35-year old man died ten weeks after receiving a transplanted baboon liver.
1943: Roger Waters of Pink Floyd fame was born.
September 7.
1813: The nickname “Uncle Sam” was first used as a symbolic reference to the United States. The reference appeared in an editorial in the New York‘s Troy Post.
1880: George Ligowsky was granted a patent for his device that threw clay pigeons for trapshooters; future generations of Southern gents rejoiced.
1996: Tupac Shakur and Suge Knight were shot in Las Vegas after a Mike Tyson fight. Shakur died six days later. RIP.
1936: Buddy Holly was born.
September 8.
1664: The Dutch surrendered New Amsterdam to the British, who chose to rename it New York.
1893: In New Zealand, the Electoral Act 1893 was passed by the Legislative Council, giving all women in New Zealand the right to vote — the first country in the world to do so. Go the Kiwis!
1157: Richard the Lionhearted was born.
1981: So was Jonathan Taylor Thomas.