Today in History

Today is Monday, Sept. 7, the 250th day of 2026. There are 115 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Sept. 7, 1940, Nazi Germany began an intense bombing campaign of Britain during World War II with an air attack on London; known as The Blitz, the eight-month campaign resulted in more than 40,000 civilian deaths.

Also on this date:

In 1813, during the War of 1812, the Troy (New York) Post newspaper first used the term “Uncle Sam” to refer to the United States; the nickname was linked to a local meatpacker, Samuel Wilson, who supplied the U.S. Army with beef.

In 1822, Prince Regent Pedro of Braganza declared Brazil's independence from Portugal (Portugal formally recognized Brazil's independence in 1825).

In 1901, the Boxer Rebellion, an attempt to expel foreigners from China involving clashes with a multinational force that included troops from Japan, Russia, Britain and the U.S., ended with a protocol calling for reparations to the foreign powers.

In 1921, the first Miss America Pageant was held in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

In 1943, a fire at the Gulf Hotel, a rooming house in Houston, claimed 55 lives.

In 1963, the Pro Football Hall of Fame opened in Canton, Ohio, and enshrined its first 17 members.

In 1977, the Panama Canal Treaty, which called for the U.S. to turn over control of the waterway to Panama at the end of 1999, was signed in Washington by U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Panamanian leader Omar Torrijos.

In 1986, Bishop Desmond Tutu was installed as the first Black clergyman to lead the Anglican Church in southern Africa.

In 1996, rapper Tupac Shakur was shot and mortally wounded on the Las Vegas Strip; he died six days later.

In 2005, police and soldiers went house to house in New Orleans to try to coax remaining residents into leaving the city shattered by Hurricane Katrina.

In 2021, El Salvador became the first country in the world to make Bitcoin legal tender.

Today’s Birthdays: Singer Gloria Gaynor is 83. Actor Julie Kavner is 76. Rock singer Chrissie Hynde (The Pretenders) is 75. Actor Corbin Bernsen is 72. Actor Michael Emerson is 72. Pianist-singer Michael Feinstein is 70. Singer/songwriter Diane Warren is 70. Actor J. Smith-Cameron is 69. Actor Toby Jones is 60. Actor-comedian Leslie Jones (TV: “Saturday Night Live”) is 59. Actor Tom Everett Scott is 56. Actor Shannon Elizabeth is 53. Actor Oliver Hudson is 50. Actor Evan Rachel Wood is 39. Olympic gold medal swimmer Ariarne Titmus is 26. Actor Ian Chen (TV: “Fresh Off the Boat”) is 20.