Local

2018: Two underground passes on the EM Bypass are inaugurated in September — one at Beleghata Connector and the other near Hyatt Regency.

National

1914: A Japanese ship Komagata Maru arrives in Calcutta from Canada on September 27 carrying hundreds of Indians who had wanted to migrate but were refused entry by the Canadians. The British government believes those returning are political agitators and tries to arrest those like Baba Gurdit Singh on board, who they believe are the leaders. Chaos ensues, shots are fired and 19 passengers are killed. Canada Post releases a stamp to commemorate the Komagata Maru incident on its 100th anniversary (in picture).

1932: As per Masterda Surya Sen’s plan, freedom fighter Pritilata Waddedar leads a team to attack the Pahartali European Club in Chittagong that bears a signboard “Dogs and Indians not allowed”. Pritilata is shot by police during the September 23 attack and later swallows cyanide to resist arrest. After Independence, a statue of the lady would be installed adjacent to the club where she died.

2009: Chief minister of Andhra Pradesh Y.S.R. Reddy dies after a helicopter he is flying in crashes in a forested area on September 2. YSR, as he was popularly known, was a doctor before joining active politics in 1978. He became chief minister in 2004 and was sworn in a second time months before his death in 2019. Over a hundred of his supporters are reported to have committed suicide on hearing the news of his death.

Global

1846: American dentist William Morton publicly demonstrates the use of ether as an anaesthetic during a tooth extraction on September 30. Before this, patients used to be conscious during surgery and suffer excruciating pain. Morton, however, tries to patent the chemical under a different name but the truth comes to light and he receives much flak. He remains embroiled in controversy for the rest of his life.

Bermuda Triangle Sourced by the Telegraph

1950: An article in The Miami Herald on September 17 describes mysterious disappearances in the Atlantic ocean between Florida, Puerto Rico and Bermuda. More reports follow about missing planes and ships and soon a triangular area is demarcated to show where in the sea they are all going missing. Even though no pattern or explanation is ever established, the Bermuda Triangle captures public imagination.

1999: Communication is lost with Mars Climate Orbiter, a robotic probe launched by American space organisation Nasa on September 1999. The probe had been launched in December 1998 to study the Martian atmosphere and climate. Investigation reveals that the failure had happened as the ground-based software had calculated some figures in the non-SI units pound-force seconds instead of the SI units of newton-seconds that they were using.

Sports & entertainment

1916: M.S. Subbulakshmi is born in Madurai to a family of musicians on September 16. She learns both Carnatic and Hindustani classical, and at the age of 13 manages to impress the selection committee of the prestigious Madras Music Academy, which breaks tradition and hosts a child as key performer. The audience hails her as a prodigy and she embarks on a lifelong career of music, winning the greatest of laurels across the world.

Steve Irwin Sourced by the Telegraph

2006: Steve Irwin, popular Australian zookeeper, television personality and wildlife expert dies on September 4 after being attacked by a stingray while filming in the Great Barrier Reef. Famous for his documentaries with animals, Irvin was fondly known as “The Crocodile Hunter” and news of this death shocked fans as well as heads of states.

2007: Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh hits six sixes in an over off English bowler Stuart Broad in a World T20 tournament game on September 19. In the same match in South Africa, Singh scores the fastest 50 in any format of international cricket, in just 12 balls. He finishes his innings with 58 off 16 balls, winning the man of the match award. India wins the game and eventually the tournament.

What is your most treasured personal memory of September?
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