What Happened in September 1896

Historical Events

  • Sep 7 A. H. Whiting wins the 1st automobile race held on a closed-circuit track in Cranston, Rhode Island
  • Sep 19 Beginning of the Bombay plague epidemic when Dr.Acacio Gabriel Viegas detects the first case in Mandvi. Goes on to spread and kill 12 million in India.

Event of Interest

Sep 21 British General Kitchener's army occupies Dongola, Sudan

Victoria's Record Reign

Sep 22 Queen Victoria surpasses her grandfather King George III as the (then) longest reigning monarch in British history


1896 History

Famous Birthdays

  • Sep 1 A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Indian guru, founder of International Society for Krishna Consciousness, born in Calcutta, British India (d. 1977)
  • Sep 2 Amanda Randolph, American jazz and blues piano player and singer; stage, radio, and screen actress (The Laytons; Amos 'n Andy - "Ramona"; Danny Thomas Show - "Louise"), born in Louisville, Kentucky (d. 1967)
  • Sep 4 Antonin Artaud, French songwriter and director (Theatre Seraphin), born in Marseille, France (d. 1948)
  • Sep 6 Mario Praz, Italian literary critic and scholar (La carne, la morte, e il diavolo), born in Rome, Italy (d. 1982)
  • Sep 8 Elmer Schoebel, American jazz pianist, arranger (New Orleans Rhythm Kings; Isham Jones), and composer ("Farewell Blues"; "Prince Of Wails"), born in East St. Louis, Illinois (d. 1970)
  • Sep 8 Howard Dietz, American lyricist and librettist ("Dancing In The Dark"; "I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plans"), born in New York City (d. 1983)
  • Sep 9 Fritz Reutter, German composer and pedagogue, born in Löbtau, Saxony, German Empire (d. 1963)
  • Sep 10 Adele Astaire [Lady Charles Cavendish], American dancer and entertainer, sister of Fred Astaire (Last Man on Earth; Millie), born in Omaha, Nebraska (d. 1981)
  • Sep 10 Robert Taschereau, Canadian judge and politician (d. 1970)
  • Sep 10 Ye Ting, Chinese military leader (d. 1946)
  • Sep 12 Giuseppe Zoppi, Swiss writer (Il Libro Dell'Alpe), born in Broglio, Switzerland (d. 1952)
  • Sep 13 Morris Kirksey, American 4 X 100m (Olympic gold 1920), born in Waxahachie, Texas (d. 1981)
  • Sep 13 Tadeusz Szeligowski, Polish composer (The Peacock and the Girl), born in Lemberg, Austro-Hungarian Galicia (now Lviv, Ukraine) (d. 1963)
  • Sep 16 André Chéron, French chess player (French Champion, 1926, 1927 & 1929) and endgame theorist, born in Colombes, France (d. 1980)
  • Sep 17 Denise Grey [Jeanne Marie Laurentine Edouardine Verthuy], Italian actress (Julietta), born in Chatillon, Valle d'Aosta, Italy (d. 1996)
  • Sep 20 Fjodor Panfjorov, Russian author (Volga), born in Pavlovka, Russia (d. 1960) [NS=Oct 2]
  • Sep 22 Henry Segrave, British racing driver (d. 1930)

F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940)

Sep 24 American author (Great Gatsby, Zelda), born in St. Paul, Minnesota

  • Sep 25 Elsa Triolet [Ella Kagan], Russian-French writer and Resistance fighter, born in Moscow (d. 1970)
  • Sep 25 Roberto Gerhard, Spanish Catalan composer (the Plague), born in Valls, Catalonia, Spain (d. 1970)
  • Sep 25 Sandro Pertini, 7th President of Italy (1978-85), born in Rome (d. 1990)
  • Sep 27 Sam Ervin, American politician (U.S. Senator from North Carolina) and Watergate committee chairman, born in Morganton, North Carolina (d. 1985)
  • Sep 29 Štefan Németh-Šamorínsky, Slovak organist, choirmaster, composer and pedagogue (Birch Trees), born in Šamorín, Slovakia, Kingdom of Hungary (d. 1975)
  • Sep 30 Jolie Gabor [Janka Tilleman], Hungarian-American jeweler and mother of Magda, Zsa Zsa, & Eva, born in Budapest, Hungary (d. 1997) [birth date disputed]
Born in 1896

Famous Deaths

  • Sep 1 Johannes Habert, composer, dies at 62
  • Sep 2 Nat Thomson, Australian cricket all-rounder (2 Tests, 1st batsman dismissed in first Test match 1877), dies at 57
  • Sep 11 Francis James Child, American ballad collector (b. 1825)
  • Sep 16 Antônio Carlos Gomes, Brazilian opera composer, first from outside of Europe have a successful career in Italy, dies at 60
  • Sep 18 Armand-Hippolyte-Louis Fizeau, French physicist, dies at 75
  • Sep 20 Gottfried Conradi, Norwegian composer, dies at 76
  • Sep 23 Gilbert Duprez, French composer, dies at 89
  • Sep 23 Ivar A Aasen, Norwegian linguistic/poet, dies at 83
  • Sep 24 Louis Gerhard De Geer, 1st Swedish Prime Minister (1876-80), dies at 78
  • Sep 24 Percy McDonnell, Australian cricket batsman (19 Tests, 3 x 100s; Victoria CA, NSW CA, Queensland CA), dies of cardiac failure at 35