On This Day - September 23
Image source: The GrayVine
Ready to take a trip down memory lane? Let's look back at some of the most significant events in American history that happened on this day, starting with…
1779: John Paul Jones’ Daring Naval Victory
Off England’s coast, Captain John Paul Jones, commanding the battered Bonhomme Richard, refused to yield to HMS Serapis—reportedly declaring, “I have not yet begun to fight.” He won the engagement and became America’s first celebrated naval hero.
1780: Benedict Arnold’s Treason Exposed
British Major John André was captured with papers revealing General Benedict Arnold’s plot to hand West Point to the British. Arnold fled to British lines; his name became America’s byword for betrayal.
1806: Lewis and Clark Returned to St. Louis
After a 2+ year expedition to the Pacific and back, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark arrived home with maps, specimens, and reports that reshaped America’s understanding of the West.
1862: Emancipation Proclamation Published
President Abraham Lincoln’s preliminary Emancipation Proclamation appeared in northern newspapers, setting January 1, 1863, as the date enslaved people in rebelling states would be declared free and redefining the Union war aim.
1955: Emmett Till’s Killers Acquitted
An all-white Mississippi jury acquitted Roy Bryant and J. W. Milam of murdering 14-year-old Emmett Till despite strong evidence. The outrage helped galvanize the civil rights movement.
1957: Eisenhower Sent Troops to Little Rock
As violence erupted over desegregation at Central High School, President Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered the 101st Airborne Division to Arkansas to protect the Little Rock Nine—an assertive federal defense of civil rights.
2020: Limited Indictment in Breonna Taylor Case
A Kentucky grand jury indicted only one officer—and not for Taylor’s killing—after the fatal police raid in Louisville. The decision fueled nationwide protests and renewed calls for reform.
Do you remember any of these events? Or do you have more events (historical or not!) you'd like to share with the community? Post them below and let's reminisce together!
