Discover what happened on September 30 in history as record-setting achievements made headlines, technological innovations pushed new boundaries, television favorites made their debuts, and remarkable events helped shape the world we know today.
What Happened on September 30 in History?
On this day, Babe Ruth hit his record-setting 60th home run, USS Nautilus became the world’s first nuclear-powered submarine, The Flintstones debuted in prime time, and Roberto Clemente recorded the 3,000th and final regular-season hit of his career.
SEPTEMBER 30 – TODAY IN HISTORY:
1846 – Dentist William T. G. Morton successfully used ether to provide anesthesia while extracting a patient’s tooth. Weeks later, he publicly demonstrated ether anesthesia during surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital.
1882 – The Vulcan Street Plant began operating on Wisconsin’s Fox River in Appleton, becoming one of the world’s first hydroelectric central power stations and using an Edison electric generating system.
1907 – The McKinley National Memorial was dedicated in Canton, OH, as the final resting place of assassinated President William McKinley, his wife Ida and their two young daughters.
1927 – Babe Ruth hit his 60th home run of the season, establishing a Major League record that stood for 34 years until Roger Maris hit 61 in 1961.
1935 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated Boulder Dam, later officially named Hoover Dam, one of the largest engineering projects of its era.
1939 – NBC televised the first American football game, as Fordham defeated Waynesburg 34–7 at Triborough Stadium in New York.
1947 – The World Series was televised for the first time as the New York Yankees faced the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Series also marked Jackie Robinson’s first appearance in the Fall Classic.
1949 – The Berlin Airlift officially ended after more than a year of Allied aircraft supplying West Berlin during the Soviet blockade. More than 250,000 flights had delivered food, fuel and other necessities to the city.
1951 – The Red Skelton Show debuted on NBC television, beginning a television run that would last two decades.
1954 – The U.S. Navy commissioned USS Nautilus at Groton, CT, the world’s first nuclear-powered submarine. The vessel had been launched earlier that year and would get underway under nuclear power in January 1955.
1955 – Actor James Dean was killed in an automobile crash in California at age 24. Only one of his three major films had been released at the time of his death, helping turn the young actor into an enduring cultural icon.
1960 – The Flintstones premiered on ABC, becoming television’s first animated series produced specifically for a prime-time network audience.
1965 – The British science-fiction television series Thunderbirds premiered, using an elaborate form of electronic marionette puppetry its producers called “Supermarionation.”
1968 – Boeing unveiled the first 747 at its Everett, WA, factory. The massive “jumbo jet” would transform long-distance commercial air travel.
1972 – Pittsburgh Pirates star Roberto Clemente recorded his 3,000th career hit, becoming the first Latino player to reach the milestone. It proved to be the final regular-season hit of his career before his death three months later. He died in a plane crash while attempting to deliver earthquake relief supplies to Nicaragua.
1975 – The prototype Hughes YAH-64 attack helicopter made its first flight. The aircraft was later developed into the AH-64 Apache, which entered production during the following decade.
1976 – California enacted the Natural Death Act of California. The law was the first example of right-to-die legislation in the U.S.
1982 – Cheers, starring Ted Danson and Shelley Long, premiered on NBC. Despite poor ratings during its first season, the sitcom survived and became one of television’s most acclaimed series during its 11-year run.
1984 – The “Doonesbury” comic strip by Garry Trudeau returned. The comic had not been printed in nearly 20 months.
1984 – Murder, She Wrote, starring Angela Lansbury as mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher, premiered on CBS.
1991 – The Jerry Springer Show debuted. Originally conceived as a relatively conventional talk show, it later transformed into the outrageous conflict-driven format that made it a pop-culture phenomenon.
1993 – Gen. Colin Powell retired as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff after serving four years in the nation’s highest-ranking military position.
1993 – Boblo Island Amusement Park closed after operating for nearly a century on Bois Blanc Island in the Detroit River, ending a summertime tradition for generations of Michigan and Ontario families.
1994 – Space Shuttle Endeavour launched on STS-68, an 11-day mission using sophisticated radar instruments to study Earth’s environment.
2016 – The European Space Agency ended its historic Rosetta mission with a controlled descent onto Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, concluding the spacecraft’s 12½-year journey.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS ON SEPTEMBER 30:
Angie Dickinson – 94 years old (1931) – Actress
Johnny Mathis – 90 years old (1935) – Singer and actor
Samuel F. Pickering Jr. – 84 years old (1941) – Author and educator
Johann Deisenhofer – 82 years old (1943) – German-American biochemist and biophysicist, Nobel Prize laureate
Marilyn McCoo – 82 years old (1943) – Singer
Ian Ogilvy – 82 years old (1943) – English-American actor, playwright, and author
Fran Brill – 79 years old (1946) – Actress, singer, and puppeteer
John Finn – 73 years old (1952) – Actor
John Lombardo – 73 years old (1952) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist
Matt Abts – 72 years old (1953) – Drummer
Deborah Allen – 72 years old (1953) – Country music singer-songwriter, author, and actress
Scott Fields – 71 years old (1954) – Guitarist and composer
Patrice Rushen – 71 years old (1954) – Singer-songwriter and producer
Barry Williams – 71 years old (1954) – Actor
Fran Drescher – 68 years old (1957) – Actress, producer, and screenwriter
Marty Stuart – 67 years old (1958) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist
Nicola Griffith – 65 years old (1960) – English-American author
Miki Howard – 65 years old (1960) – Singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
Blanche Lincoln – 65 years old (1960) – Politician
Crystal Bernard – 64 years old (1961) – Actress and singer-songwriter
Eric Stoltz – 64 years old (1961) – Actor, director, and producer
Marley Marl – 63 years old (1962) – Record producer and rapper
David Barbe – 62 years old (1963) – Bass player and producer
Trey Anastasio – 61 years old (1964) – Singer-songwriter, guitarist, and composer
Gibby Haynes – 58 years old (1967) – Musician, radio personality and painter
Amy Landecker – 56 years old (1969) – Actress
Silas Weir Mitchell – 56 years old (1969) – Actor
Tony Hale – 55 years old (1970) – Actor and producer
Eric Piatkowski – 55 years old (1970) – Basketball player
Jenna Elfman – 54 years old (1971) – Actress and producer
Jamal Anderson – 53 years old (1972) – Football player and sportscaster
John Campbell – 53 years old (1972) – Bass player and songwriter
Ashley Hamilton – 51 years old (1974) – Actor and singer-songwriter
Daniel Wu – 51 years old (1974) – American–born Hong Kong actor, director, and producer
Jay Asher – 50 years old (1975) – Author
Ta-Nehisi Coates – 50 years old (1975) – Author and journalist
Christopher Jackson – 50 years old (1975) – Actor, singer, musician, and composer
Candice Michelle – 47 years old (1978) – Wrestler
Daniel Grossberg – 47 years old (1978) – Politician
Toni Trucks – 45 years old (1980) – Actress
Dominique Moceanu – 44 years old (1981) – Gymnast
Lacey Chabert – 43 years old (1982) – Actress
Kieran Culkin – 43 years old (1982) – Actor
Seth Smith – 43 years old (1982) – Baseball player
Yan Stastny – 43 years old (1982) – Canadian-American ice hockey player
Adam Jones – 42 years old (1983) – Football player and analyst
T-Pain – 41 years old (1984) – Rapper, producer, and actor
Téa Obreht – 40 years old (1985) – Serbian-American author
Ki Hong Lee – 39 years old (1986) – Actor
Jasmine Thomas – 36 years old (1989) – Basketball player
David Bakhtiari – 34 years old (1991) – Football player
Bria Hartley – 33 years old (1992) – French-American basketball player
Ezra Miller – 33 years old (1992) – Actor and singer
Wayne Selden Jr. – 31 years old (1994) – Basketball player
Aaron Holiday – 29 years old (1996) – Basketball player
Landon Dickerson – 27 years old (1998) – Football player
Trevi Moran – 27 years old (1998) – YouTuber and singer
Maddie Ziegler – 23 years old (2002) – Dancer and actress
DAYS OF THE YEAR FOR SEPTEMBER 30:
- Orange Shirt Day: Sporting vibrant orange, a united statement against discrimination, and fostering inclusivity in our shared human journey.
- National Extra Virgin Olive Oil Day: Go to an olive oil tasting, try out a few kinds, or try your hand at any number of delicious recipes that use extra virgin olive oil for a healthy, tasty cuisine.
- International Thunderbirds Day: Watch the classic British puppet show Thunderbirds, or join a Thunderbirds event to geek out over this culturally influential show.
- International Podcast Day: Explore new options for entertainment and education in podcasts, or even consider starting your own on a topic you’re passionate about and interested in.
- National Women’s Health and Fitness Day: National Women’s Health and Fitness Day is a nationwide event dedicated to inspiring women of all ages to make health and fitness a priority. It encourages women to engage in activities that boost their physical and mental well-being, with a strong focus on physical activity and healthy lifestyle choices. This day...
- Dog Separation Anxiety Awareness Day: Navigating canine unease when alone, understanding their emotions, and creating a supportive environment for tranquility.
- World Stroopwafel Day: World Stroopwafel Day is a celebration that brings people together to enjoy one of the Netherlands' most beloved treats: the stroopwafel. This day invites everyone, whether they are long-time fans or newcomers, to indulge in the crispy, caramel-filled delight that has captured hearts globally. The stroopwafel, with its unique combination...
- Rumi Day: Dive into one of history’s greatest wordsmiths, the 13th Century Persian poet Rumi who has become one of the most widely-read and oldest artists of all time.
- National Mud Pack Day: Take a trip to your local spa and treat yourself to an age-defying, skin-clearing mud pack facial experience, sure to leave you feeling refreshed and beautiful.
- International Translation Day: Join any of the events, seminars, or symposiums about translation and play your part in the globalization of trade and languages of all kinds.
- National Pet Tricks Day: Watching clever pets perform amazing feats brings joy, showcasing their intelligence and the incredible bond between animals and humans.
- National Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools: Exploring historical approaches to Native American education unveils impactful narratives and perspectives worth remembering.
- National Hot Mulled Cider Day: A base of apple cider, mulled over heat with delicious spices like cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar to a perfect Autumn-evoking smell and taste.
- National Love People Day: Did you know that love has a unique power to bring people together? It creates strong bonds between friends, family, and partners. Through shared experiences and mutual care, love fosters a sense of unity. It's the glue that keeps relationships strong, even in tough times. Love encourages us to support...
- National Puppy Mill Survivor Day: National Puppy Mill Survivor Day is a special occasion celebrated each September 30th. This day honors the dogs rescued from puppy mills and highlights their journeys from hardship to happiness. Puppy mills often have harsh conditions, and dogs often live in cramped cages without proper care. The day also reminds...
- World Dense Breast Day: Most people don’t think twice about what shows up on a mammogram. But for many women, one detail can change everything—breast density. World Dense Breast Day shines a light on this often-overlooked issue. It raises awareness about how dense tissue can make cancer harder to spot. Tumors and dense tissue both...
- Blasphemy Day: Think of a day that boldly protects open speech—even when that speech stirs discomfort. Blasphemy Day gives space for people to speak their minds about religion, no matter how unpopular their views. It's not an attack on belief. It's a defense of the right to question, debate, and disagree. In...
- Fairtrade Fortnight: Supporting Fairtrade, means contributing to a more sustainable and equitable global market. Plus, you get to enjoy some delicious products!
- National Chewing Gum Day: Use chewing gum to reduce stress, lose weight, or just enjoy the flavor in your mouth on National Chewing Gum Day! How to Celebrate National Chewing Gum Day Enjoy the fun and celebration of National Chewing Gum Day with some of these ideas: Grab and Share Some Chewing Gum This...
- Rtveli: Rtveli is a vibrant grape harvest festival celebrated across Georgia. It is a joyful blend of hard work and celebration. It's a time when people unite to collect the fruits of their labor and honor the cultural heritage of winemaking that has been cherished for generations. The festival extends beyond...
- Fiesta de San Pacho: Fiesta de San Pacho is a vibrant celebration that fills the streets of Quibdó with music, dance, and color. The festival honors Saint Francis of Assisi, blending Catholic traditions with Afro-Colombian culture uniquely and joyfully. As the day unfolds, the city becomes a stage where people showcase their rich heritage...
- Hispanic Heritage Month: Join an event, forum, or exhibition for Hispanic Heritage Month, and appreciate the art, history, and cultural offerings of this rich and expansive heritage.
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