September 2
1666 - The Great Fire of London broke out, destroying much of the city, including St. Paul's Cathedral.
1789 - The U.S. Treasury Department was established.
1864 - Union Gen. William T. Sherman's forces occupied Atlanta during the Civil War.
1901 - Vice President Theodore Roosevelt gave his "speak softly and carry a big stick" speech, regarding foreign policy, at the Minnesota State Fair.
1935 - A hurricane slammed into the Florida Keys, claiming 423 lives.
1944 - Navy pilot George H.W. Bush was shot down by Japanese forces as he completed a bombing run over the Bonin Islands.
1945 - Japan formally surrendered in ceremonies aboard the USS Missouri, officially bringing an end to World War II; the day was celebrated as Victory over Japan (V-J) Day.
1945 - Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam an independent republic.
1963 - "The CBS Evening News" was lengthened from 15 to 30 minutes.
1963 - Alabama Gov. George Wallace prevented the racial integration of Tuskegee High School by encircling the building with state troopers.
1969 - North Vietnamese president Ho Chi Minh died.
1969 - The first automatic teller machine to use magnetic-striped cards opened to the public at Chemical Bank in Rockville Centre, New York.
1969 - In what some regard as the birth of the Internet, two connected computers at UCLA passed test data through a 15-foot communications cable.
1983 - Tom Brokaw took over as anchor of NBC's "Nightly News".
2004 - President George W. Bush accepted his party's nomination for a second term at the Republican National Convention in New York City.
2005 - President George W. Bush told Michael Brown, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job" during a tour of Hurricane Katrina damage in Alabama.
2008 - Republicans assailed Barack Obama as the most liberal, least experienced White House nominee in history at their convention in St. Paul, Minnesota, and enthusiastically extolled their own man, John McCain, as ready to lead the nation.
2011 - In a dramatic reversal, President Barack Obama scrubbed a proposed clean-air regulation aimed at reducing smog, yielding to bitterly protesting businesses and congressional Republicans who complained the rule would kill jobs in America’s ailing economy.
2018 - Sen. John McCain was laid to rest on a grassy hill at the U.S. Naval Academy, after a horse-drawn caisson carrying the senator’s casket led a procession of mourners from the academy’s chapel to its cemetery.
2019 - A fire swept a boat carrying recreational scuba divers that was anchored near an island off the Southern California coast; the captain and four other crew members were able to escape the flames, but 34 people who were trapped below died.
Birthdays
21 - Lilyan Cole (model)
31 - Lala Kent (reality star)
36 - Allison Miller (actress)
37 - Joshua Henry (actor)
42 - Jonathan Kite (actor)
44 - Tiffany Hines (actress)
47 - Michael Lombardi (actor)
48 - Nicholas Pinnock (actor)
48 - Katt Williams (actor/comedian)
53 - Cynthia Watros (actress)
53 - Kristen Cloke (actress)
54 - Tamra Barney (reality star)
55 - Salma Hayek (actress)
56 - Lennox Lewis (boxer)
57 - Keanu Reeves (actor)
60 - Eugenio Derbez (actor)
61 - Eric Dickerson (football player)
66 - Linda Purl (actress)
69 - Jimmy Connors (tennis player)
70 - Mark Harmon (actor)
73 - Nate Archibald (basketball player)
73 - Terry Bradshaw (football player/broadcaster)
78 - Joe Simon (singer)
=========================================
Today in Sports History - September 2
1917 - Grover Cleveland Alexander (Philadelphia Phillies) pitched and won two entire games of a doubleheader versus Brooklyn (5-0 and 9-3).
1924 - Bill Tilden won his fifth straight U.S. Open men's singles title.
1957 - Warren Spahn (Milwaukee Braves) set a record for left-handed pitchers when he recorded his 41st shutout.
1966 - The Miami Dolphins played their first regular-season game in franchise history, a 23-14 loss to the Oakland Raiders.
1973 - Billy Martin was fired as manager of the Detroit Tigers. Martin was relieved of his duties three days after ordering his pitchers to throw spitballs against Cleveland Indians batters.
1977 - 43-year-old transsexual Rene Richards, who fought for over a year to play in a major event is defeated in the first round of the U.S. Open 6-1, 6-4 by Virginia Wade.
1978 - #10 Nebraska opens the season on the road with a 20-3 loss to #1 Alabama.
1990 - Bobby Thigpen (Chicago Whitesox) set a major league record with his 47th save.
1996 - Mike Greenwall (Boston Red Sox) set a major league record when he drove in all nine runs in a 9-8 win over the Seattle Mariners.
1998 - Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals continued his march to the single-season major league home run record with his 58th and 59th home runs of the year; Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs was in hot pursuit, hitting his 56th home run of the season.
1998 - Nomar Garciaparra (Boston Red Sox) hit his 30th home run of the season. He joined Mark McGwire, Rudy York, Ron Kittle and Jose Canseco as a player that hit 30+ home runs in his first two years.
1998 - Jerry Rice (San Francisco 49ers) signed a six-year contract for $36 million. The deal made him the highest paid wide receiver in the league.
2000 - #1 Nebraska opens the season with a 49-13 win over San Jose State.
2003 - Eric Gagne (Los Angeles) established a major league record with his 55th consecutive save.
2006 - Nebraska opens the season with a 49-10 win over Louisiana Tech.
2017 - Nebraska opens the season with a 43-36 win over Arkansas State.
1666 - The Great Fire of London broke out, destroying much of the city, including St. Paul's Cathedral.
1789 - The U.S. Treasury Department was established.
1864 - Union Gen. William T. Sherman's forces occupied Atlanta during the Civil War.
1901 - Vice President Theodore Roosevelt gave his "speak softly and carry a big stick" speech, regarding foreign policy, at the Minnesota State Fair.
1935 - A hurricane slammed into the Florida Keys, claiming 423 lives.
1944 - Navy pilot George H.W. Bush was shot down by Japanese forces as he completed a bombing run over the Bonin Islands.
1945 - Japan formally surrendered in ceremonies aboard the USS Missouri, officially bringing an end to World War II; the day was celebrated as Victory over Japan (V-J) Day.
1945 - Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam an independent republic.
1963 - "The CBS Evening News" was lengthened from 15 to 30 minutes.
1963 - Alabama Gov. George Wallace prevented the racial integration of Tuskegee High School by encircling the building with state troopers.
1969 - North Vietnamese president Ho Chi Minh died.
1969 - The first automatic teller machine to use magnetic-striped cards opened to the public at Chemical Bank in Rockville Centre, New York.
1969 - In what some regard as the birth of the Internet, two connected computers at UCLA passed test data through a 15-foot communications cable.
1983 - Tom Brokaw took over as anchor of NBC's "Nightly News".
2004 - President George W. Bush accepted his party's nomination for a second term at the Republican National Convention in New York City.
2005 - President George W. Bush told Michael Brown, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job" during a tour of Hurricane Katrina damage in Alabama.
2008 - Republicans assailed Barack Obama as the most liberal, least experienced White House nominee in history at their convention in St. Paul, Minnesota, and enthusiastically extolled their own man, John McCain, as ready to lead the nation.
2011 - In a dramatic reversal, President Barack Obama scrubbed a proposed clean-air regulation aimed at reducing smog, yielding to bitterly protesting businesses and congressional Republicans who complained the rule would kill jobs in America’s ailing economy.
2018 - Sen. John McCain was laid to rest on a grassy hill at the U.S. Naval Academy, after a horse-drawn caisson carrying the senator’s casket led a procession of mourners from the academy’s chapel to its cemetery.
2019 - A fire swept a boat carrying recreational scuba divers that was anchored near an island off the Southern California coast; the captain and four other crew members were able to escape the flames, but 34 people who were trapped below died.
Birthdays
21 - Lilyan Cole (model)
31 - Lala Kent (reality star)
36 - Allison Miller (actress)
37 - Joshua Henry (actor)
42 - Jonathan Kite (actor)
44 - Tiffany Hines (actress)
47 - Michael Lombardi (actor)
48 - Nicholas Pinnock (actor)
48 - Katt Williams (actor/comedian)
53 - Cynthia Watros (actress)
53 - Kristen Cloke (actress)
54 - Tamra Barney (reality star)
55 - Salma Hayek (actress)
56 - Lennox Lewis (boxer)
57 - Keanu Reeves (actor)
60 - Eugenio Derbez (actor)
61 - Eric Dickerson (football player)
66 - Linda Purl (actress)
69 - Jimmy Connors (tennis player)
70 - Mark Harmon (actor)
73 - Nate Archibald (basketball player)
73 - Terry Bradshaw (football player/broadcaster)
78 - Joe Simon (singer)
=========================================
Today in Sports History - September 2
1917 - Grover Cleveland Alexander (Philadelphia Phillies) pitched and won two entire games of a doubleheader versus Brooklyn (5-0 and 9-3).
1924 - Bill Tilden won his fifth straight U.S. Open men's singles title.
1957 - Warren Spahn (Milwaukee Braves) set a record for left-handed pitchers when he recorded his 41st shutout.
1966 - The Miami Dolphins played their first regular-season game in franchise history, a 23-14 loss to the Oakland Raiders.
1973 - Billy Martin was fired as manager of the Detroit Tigers. Martin was relieved of his duties three days after ordering his pitchers to throw spitballs against Cleveland Indians batters.
1977 - 43-year-old transsexual Rene Richards, who fought for over a year to play in a major event is defeated in the first round of the U.S. Open 6-1, 6-4 by Virginia Wade.
1978 - #10 Nebraska opens the season on the road with a 20-3 loss to #1 Alabama.
1990 - Bobby Thigpen (Chicago Whitesox) set a major league record with his 47th save.
1996 - Mike Greenwall (Boston Red Sox) set a major league record when he drove in all nine runs in a 9-8 win over the Seattle Mariners.
1998 - Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals continued his march to the single-season major league home run record with his 58th and 59th home runs of the year; Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs was in hot pursuit, hitting his 56th home run of the season.
1998 - Nomar Garciaparra (Boston Red Sox) hit his 30th home run of the season. He joined Mark McGwire, Rudy York, Ron Kittle and Jose Canseco as a player that hit 30+ home runs in his first two years.
1998 - Jerry Rice (San Francisco 49ers) signed a six-year contract for $36 million. The deal made him the highest paid wide receiver in the league.
2000 - #1 Nebraska opens the season with a 49-13 win over San Jose State.
2003 - Eric Gagne (Los Angeles) established a major league record with his 55th consecutive save.
2006 - Nebraska opens the season with a 49-10 win over Louisiana Tech.
2017 - Nebraska opens the season with a 43-36 win over Arkansas State.