Today in History for 12th September 2025

[CoM Moderators]

Historical Events

2001 - Ansett Australia, Australia's first commercial interstate airline, collapses due to increased strain on the international airline industry, leaving 10,000 people unemployed
2004 - US Open Men's Tennis: Roger Federer of Switzerland wins his first US title, outclassing Australian Lleyton Hewitt 6-0, 7-6, 6-0
2017 - A monster fatberg, 250 meters long, the size of 11 buses, and weighing 130 tons, is found in sewers under East London
2021 - 40th MTV Video Music Awards: Lil Nas X, Justin Bieber, and Olivia Rodrigo win
2024 - Crew of SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission takes the first commercial spacewalk during a five-day journey through Earth's orbit, traveling the farthest in space of any human since NASA’s Apollo program

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Famous Birthdays

1894 - Billy Gilbert, American actor (Great Dictator, His Gal Friday), born in Louisville, Kentucky (d. 1971)
1934 - Edward Wistenberg, Dutch concert harpist and pedagogue, born in Amsterdam, Netherlands
1961 - Christiane Jolissaint, Swiss tennis star, born in Vevey, Switzerland
1968 - Paul F. Tompkins, American comedian and actor (BoJack Horseman, Mr. Show with Bob and David), born in Mount Airy, Pennsylvania
1969 - Shigeki Maruyama, Japanese golfer (3 PGA Tour titles; Presidents Cup 1998, 2000), born in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture

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Famous Deaths

1591 - Richard Grenville, English privateer, explorer, politician and vice-admiral (established Roanoke colony), dies fighting a rearguard action as a result of the naval Battle of Flores at 49
1732 - Jean Philippe Eugène de Mérode, Belgian nobleman (Marquis of Westerloo), dies at 58
1806 - Christian Gottfried Thomas, German composer, publisher, and musicologist, dies at 58
1869 - Peter Mark Roget, British lexicographer (Roget's Thesaurus) and inventor (slide rule, pocket chessboard), dies at 90
1977 - Steven Biko, South African anti-apartheid activist, dies in police custody at 30

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