This Day In History, September 15th.
Five Historical Events That Happened on September 15th
In 1835, the HMS Beagle landed at the Galapagos Islands, where Charles Darwin would later undertake his famous study on evolution.
The Soviet Union's Luna 2 was the first spacecraft to land on the moon in 1959.
In a racially motivated assault in 1963, a bomb exploded at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, killing four young African-American girls and wounding many more.
Muhammad Ali became the first boxer to win the heavyweight boxing championship three times when he defeated Leon Spinks in a rematch in 1978.
In 2008, Lehman Brothers declared bankruptcy, precipitating a financial crisis with worldwide ramifications.
In 1835, the HMS Beagle with Charles Darwin aboard arrived in the Galapagos Islands, where he would later conduct his famous research on evolution
During his five-year voyage aboard the HMS Beagle, Charles Darwin spent five weeks in the Galapagos Islands. During this time, he took numerous observations and collected specimens that would subsequently be used to support his hypothesis of natural selection. He discovered that the beak forms and sizes of the finches on different islands varied, which he subsequently concluded was due to natural selection acting on changes in the birds' food supplies. This was a critical piece of evidence that assisted him in developing his idea.
In 1959, Soviet Union's Luna 2 became the first spacecraft to land on the moon.
The Soviet Union launched the unmanned space mission Luna 2 on September 12, 1959. It was intended to strike the Moon's surface and relay data back to Earth. It successfully entered the Moon's gravitational field and began its fall on September 14. Luna 2 became the first spacecraft to reach the Moon and strike its surface on September 13, 1959. The mission gave important information on the composition of the Moon and paved the basis for future lunar exploration by both the Soviet Union and the United States.
In 1963, a bomb exploded at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, killing four young African-American girls and injuring many others in a racially motivated attack.
On September 15, 1963, a bomb exploded at Birmingham's 16th Street Baptist Church, killing four young African-American girls and wounding many more. The bombing was an act of racial violence, and it served as a devastating reminder of the severe bigotry and segregation that prevailed in many regions of the United States at the time. The incident drew worldwide notice and aided the civil rights movement in galvanizing support. It also prompted increasing attempts to combat racial injustice and prejudice in Alabama and across the country.
In 1978, Muhammad Ali defeated Leon Spinks in a rematch to become the first boxer to win the heavyweight boxing championship three times.
Muhammad Ali defeated Leon Spinks in a rematch on September 15, 1978, to become the first boxer to win the heavyweight boxing championship three times. The battle was held at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, and it was widely anticipated. Ali had previously lost to Spinks, but he came back strong in the rematch, winning by unanimous decision after 15 rounds. The victory was a watershed moment in boxing history, solidifying Ali's position as one of the greatest fighters of all time.
In 2008, Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy, triggering a financial crisis that would have a global impact on the economy.
Lehman Brothers, one of the major investment banks in the United States, declared bankruptcy on September 15, 2008. The bankruptcy was the greatest in American history, and it precipitated a worldwide financial crisis with far-reaching implications. The crisis also had a significant influence on many other banks and financial institutions, resulting in widespread economic insecurity, job losses, and other severe repercussions. The crisis had a huge influence on the global economy, and the aftereffects were felt for many years.