September 21, 2020
Day 265 of 366

 

September 21st is the 265th day of the year. It is Independence Day in multiple locations, including Armenia (separated from the Soviet Union in 1991), Belize (from the United Kingdom in 1981), and Malta (from the United Kingdom in 1964).

 

In the United States, today is “celebrated” as National Chai Day, National Pecan Cookie Day, and National New York Day.

 

Historical items of note:

• In 1780, Benedict Arnold provided the British with the plans to West Point.
• In 1792, the National Convention abolishes the monarchy during the French Revolution.
• In 1866, novelist, historian, and critic H. G. Wells was born.
• In 1874, composer and educator Gustav Holst was born.
• In 1912, animator, producer, and screenwriter Chuck Jones was born.
• In 1933, Salvador Lutteroth established Mexican professional wrestling.
• In 1937, J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit was published by George Allen and Unwin in London, England.
• In 1942, the Boeing B-29 Superfortress made its maiden flight.
• In 1943, film and television producer Jerry Bruckheimer was born.
• In 1947, author and screenwriter Stephen King was born.
• In 1950, actor, comedian, producer, and screenwriter Bill Murray was born.
• In 1957, Perry Mason premiered on television. The series was based on a character created by author Erle Stanley Gardner.
• In 1960, Canadian-American actor and director David James Elliott was born.
• In 1968, actress, producer, and talk show host Ricki Lake was born.
• In 1981, Sandra Day O’Connor was unanimously approved by the United States Senate as the first female Supreme Court justice.
• In 1990, actress Allison Scagliotti was born.
• In 2003, the Galileo spacecraft was terminated by sending it into Jupiter’s atmosphere.

 

September 21st is the International Day of Peace, sometimes unofficially known as World Peace Day.

The United Nations-sanctioned holiday is dedicated to world peace, and specifically the absence of war and violence, especially temporary ceasefires in a combat zone for humanitarian aid access. The day was first celebrated in 1981, and is kept by many nations, political groups, military groups, and people.

To inaugurate the day, the United Nations Peace Bell is rung at UN Headquarters in New York City. The bell is cast from coins donated by children from all continents except Africa, and was a gift from the United Nations Association of Japan, as “a reminder of the human cost of war”. The inscription on its side reads, “Long live absolute world peace”.

 

The Thing About Today is an effort to look at each day of 2020 with respect to its historical context.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.