Today in History

Today is Friday, Sept. 15, the 258th day of 2023. There are 107 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Sept. 15, 1963, four Black girls were killed when a bomb went off during Sunday services at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. (Three Ku Klux Klansmen were eventually convicted for their roles in the blast.)

On this date:

In 1776, British forces occupied New York City during the American Revolution.

In 1789, the U.S. Department of Foreign Affairs was renamed the Department of State.

In 1857, William Howard Taft -- who served as President of the United States and as U.S. chief justice -- was born in Cincinnati, Ohio.

In 1935, the Nuremberg Laws deprived German Jews of their citizenship.

In 1940, during the World War II Battle of Britain, the tide turned as the Royal Air Force inflicted heavy losses upon the Luftwaffe.

In 1955, the novel "Lolita," by Vladimir Nabokov, was first published in Paris.

In 1959, Nikita Khrushchev became the first Soviet head of state to visit the United States as he arrived at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington.

In 1972, a federal grand jury in Washington indicted seven men in connection with the Watergate break-in.

In 1981, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted unanimously to approve the Supreme Court nomination of Sandra Day O'Connor.

In 1985, Nike began selling its "Air Jordan 1" sneaker.

In 2001, President George W. Bush ordered U.S. troops to get ready for war and braced Americans for a long, difficult assault against terrorists to avenge the Sept. 11 attack. Beleaguered Afghans streamed out of Kabul, fearing a U.S. military strike against Taliban rulers harboring Osama bin Laden.

In 2006, Ford Motor Co. took drastic steps to remold itself into a smaller, more competitive company, slashing thousands of jobs and shuttering two additional plants.

In 2021, California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom soundly defeated a recall aimed at kicking him out of office.

In 2022, President Joe Biden said federal mediators had helped foster an agreement that averted a rail strike that would have been devastating to the U.S. economy.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Carmen Maura is 78. Writer-director Ron Shelton is 78. Actor Tommy Lee Jones is 77. Movie director Oliver Stone is 77. Rock musician Kelly Keagy (Night Ranger) is 71. Actor Barry Shabaka Henley is 69. Director Pawel Pawlikowski is 66. Rock musician Mitch Dorge (Crash Test Dummies) is 63. Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino is 62. Actor Danny Nucci is 55. Rap DJ KayGee is 54. Actor Josh Charles is 52. Actor Tom Hardy is 46. Actor Marisa Ramirez is 46. Pop-rock musician Zach Filkins (OneRepublic) is 45. Actor Dave Annable is 44. Actor Amy Davidson is 44. Britain's Prince Harry is 39. TV personality Heidi Montag is 37. Actor Kate Mansi is 36.