This Day In History, September 6th.
Five Historical Events That Happened on September 6th
Despite Ferdinand Magellan's death during the expedition, the Spanish expedition under his command completed the first circumnavigation of the globe in 1522. The crew members' return to Spain on September 6, 1522, marked the conclusion of the mission, which had started in 1519.
The Pilgrims from England board the Mayflower at Plymouth, England, and set sail for the New World in 1620. The Mayflower sailed for 66 days before docking in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, on November 21, 1620.
1901: Anarchist Leon Czolgosz shoots American President William McKinley at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. Eight days later, McKinley passed away from his wounds.
Swaziland separates from the United Kingdom in 1968. Southern Africa's Swaziland is a tiny landlocked nation.
1991: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are recognized as independent nations by the Soviet Union. This came after the Cold War and the fall of the Soviet Union.
This Day In History, Sept 6th, 1522: The first recorded circumnavigation of the world is completed by the Spanish expedition led by Ferdinand Magellan, though Magellan himself did not survive the journey.
Magellan was chosen to serve as the voyage's leader, and the trip was initially organized and sponsored by the Spanish monarchy. The expedition's main objective was to locate a western sea passage to the Spice Islands, which are now known as Indonesia's Maluku Islands. At the time, these islands were a significant supply of pricey spices. After a perilous voyage that involved mutinies, clashes with native people, and confrontations with other European countries, Magellan and his men set sail from Spain in 1519 and arrived in the Philippines in 1521. Magellan was murdered there while engaged in combat with local warriors. The first documented circumnavigation of the globe was accomplished in 1522 when his party returned to Spain after continuing the expedition and finally circling the planet.
1620: The Mayflower, carrying the Pilgrims from England, sets sail from Plymouth, England, for the New World. The voyage lasted 66 days, and the Mayflower arrived at Cape Cod, Massachusetts, on November 21, 1620.
A group of English Separatists known as the Pilgrims sought to leave the Church of England and form their own ecclesiastical community in the New World. Originally seeking refuge in the Netherlands, they soon discovered that living there was challenging and that their children were becoming overly Dutch. They chose to board the Mayflower in 1620 and set sail for the New World. Storms and choppy seas made the journey challenging, and the ship was blown off course. They arrived on Cape Cod, Massachusetts instead of Virginia, where they had planned to reside. The Plymouth Colony, one of the first English colonies in North America, was finally founded by the Pilgrims. The Pilgrims' journey has contributed significantly to American history and culture, and Thanksgiving is now a recognized holiday in the country.
1901: United States President William McKinley is shot by anarchist Leon Czolgosz at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. McKinley died eight days later from his wounds.
On September 6, 1901, Leon Czolgosz shot William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States, who was in the middle of his second term. Czolgosz approached McKinley while he was taking in the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York, and fired two bullets. While one bullet missed McKinley, the other passed through his stomach and was not discovered right away by medical professionals. Initially appearing to be on the mend, McKinley eventually succumbed to gangrene on September 14, 1901. After being eventually determined to be responsible for the murder, Czolgosz was electrocuted to death. McKinley's murder was a turning point in American history and prompted more robust security measures for succeeding presidents.
1968: Swaziland gains independence from the United Kingdom. Swaziland is a small landlocked country located in southern Africa.
On September 6, 1968, Swaziland, now called Eswatini, won its independence from the United Kingdom. The nation is situated in southern Africa and is bordered to the west by South Africa and to the east by Mozambique. Since the late 19th century, Swaziland had been a protectorate of the British Empire. Swaziland established a monarchy after winning independence, with King Sobhuza II serving as the first head of state. A king serves as the ceremonial head of state and the prime minister is the head of government in Eswatini today, which is still a constitutional monarchy.
1991: The Soviet Union recognizes the independence of the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. This followed the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War.
On September 6, 1991, the Soviet Union formally acknowledged the independence of the Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. This came after the Cold War and the fall of the Soviet Union. Since the end of World War II, the Soviet Union has been occupying the three Baltic states, suppressing their independence. However, pro-independence movements in the Baltic states gathered steam in the late 1980s as the Soviet Union started to experience significant political and economic changes. In 1991, the Soviet authorities finally acknowledged the Baltic republics' independence, and they later developed into democratic nations that are now part of the European Union.