SEPTEMBER 16 | Birthdays and Events

Notable Birthdays for September 16

Squire Whipple (1804-1888) - Engineer who invented the iron truss bridge.

Charles Crocker (1822-1888) - One of the founders of the Central Pacific Railroad.

James Cash Penney (1875-1971) - Founder of the department store J.C. Penney.

Jacob Schick (1877-1937) - Inventor and founder of Schick Razors.

Clara Ayres (1880-1917) - One of the first American nurse's to die during WWI (explosion on USS Mongolia on May 17, 1917).

Claude Albert Barnett (1889-1967) - Journalist and founder of the Associated Negro Press (Chicago, IL).

H. A. Rey (1898-1977) - Author and illustrator who was the co-creator of Curious George.

B.B. King (1925-2015) - Considered one of the most successful and influential blues musicians of all time.

Peter Falk (1927-2011) - Actor fondly remembered for his role as Lieutenant Columbo in the popular t.v. series Columbo.

Henry Louis Gates Jr. (1950-Still Living) - istorian, scholar, and journalist who currently hosts Finding Your Roots.

David Copperfield (1956-Still Living) - Contemporary magician.

Memorable Events for September 16

1782 - The Great Seal of the United States of America used for the first time.

1893 - Settlers claim homesteads by "running" to their chosen area on the Cherokee Land Strip in Oklahoma Territory.

1908 - The General Motors Corporation is founded.

1919 - Congress incorporates the American Legion.

1940 - President Roosevelt signs the first peacetime military draft (Selective Training and Service Act).

1955 - The U.S. Auto Club is formed to oversee four major auto racing categories.

1959 - The first successful photocopier (Xerox 914) is introduced in a demonstration on live television from NY City.