Today in History

Today is Saturday, Sept. 11, the 254th day of 2021. There are 111 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Sept. 11, 2001, nearly 3,000 people were killed as 19 al-Qaida hijackers seized control of four jetliners, sending two of the planes into New York's World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon and the fourth into a field in western Pennsylvania.

On this date:

In 1789, Alexander Hamilton was appointed the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.

In 1814, an American fleet scored a decisive victory over the British in the Battle of Lake Champlain in the War of 1812.

In 1936, Boulder Dam (now Hoover Dam) began operation as President Franklin D. Roosevelt pressed a key in Washington to signal the startup of the dam's first hydroelectric generator.

In 1941, groundbreaking took place for the Pentagon. In a speech that drew accusations of anti-Semitism, Charles A. Lindbergh told an America First rally in Des Moines, Iowa, that "the British, the Jewish and the Roosevelt administration" were pushing the United States toward war.

In 1967, the comedy-variety program "The Carol Burnett Show" premiered on CBS.

In 1973, Chilean President Salvador Allende died during a violent military coup.

In 1985, Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds cracked career hit number 4,192 off Eric Show (rhymes with "how") of the San Diego Padres, eclipsing the record held by Ty Cobb. (The Reds won the game, 2-0).

In 2003, actor John Ritter died six days before his 55th birthday at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California -- the same hospital where he was born in 1948.

In 2006, in a prime-time address, President George W. Bush invoked the memory of the victims of the 9/11 attacks as he staunchly defended the war in Iraq, though he acknowledged that Saddam Hussein was not responsible for the attacks.

In 2008, presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama put aside politics as they visited ground zero together on the anniversary of 9/11 to honor its victims.

In 2012, a mob armed with guns and grenades launched a fiery nightlong attack on a U.S. diplomatic outpost and a CIA annex in Benghazi, Libya, killing U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.

In 2015, a crane collapsed onto the Grand Mosque in Mecca, killing 111 people ahead of the annual hajj pilgrimage. Roberta Vinci stunned Serena Williams to end her Grand Slam bid in one of the greatest upsets in tennis history; the 43rd-ranked Italian won 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the U.S. Open semifinals.

Ten years ago: The nation and the world marked the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In New York, a tree-covered memorial plaza at ground zero opened to the families of the victims for the first time. President Barack Obama, after visiting the sites where terrorists struck, declared: "It will be said of us that we kept that faith; that we took a painful blow, and emerged stronger."

Five years ago: The U.S. marked the 15th anniversary of 9/11 with the solemn roll call of the dead at ground zero. Hillary Clinton abruptly left after feeling "overheated," according to her campaign, and hours later her doctor disclosed that the Democratic presidential nominee had pneumonia. Stan Wawrinka wore Novak Djokovic down and beat the defending champion 6-7 (1), 6-4, 7-5, 6-3 for his first U.S. Open title and third Grand Slam trophy overall.

One year ago: President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden observed the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks as commemorations were altered or scaled back by the coronavirus; Biden approached those who'd lost loved ones at ground zero and shared the pain of his own losses, while Trump vowed that "America will always rise up, stand tall and fight back." Bahrain agreed to normalize relations with Israel, becoming the latest Arab nation to do so as part of a broader diplomatic push by the Trump administration to ease the Jewish state's relative isolation in the Middle East. Smoke pollution from wildfires raging in California and across the Pacific Northwest worsened in San Francisco, Seattle and Portland, Oregon, giving those cities and others in the region some of the world's worst air quality. Toots Hibbert, one of reggae's founders and most beloved stars, died in Jamaica at 77.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Earl Holliman is 93. Comedian Tom Dreesen is 82. Movie director Brian De Palma is 81. Singer-actor-dancer Lola Falana is 79. Rock musician Mickey Hart (The Dead) is 78. Guitarist Leo Kottke is 76. Actor Phillip Alford is 73. Actor Amy Madigan is 71. Rock singer-musician Tommy Shaw (Styx) is 68. Sports reporter Lesley Visser is 68. Actor Reed Birney is 67. Former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh (jay) Johnson is 64. Musician Jon Moss (Culture Club) is 64. Actor Scott Patterson is 63. Rock musician Mick Talbot (The Style Council) is 63. Actor/director Roxann Dawson is 63. Actor John Hawkes is 62. Actor Anne Ramsay is 61. Actor Virginia Madsen is 60. Actor Kristy McNichol is 59. Musician-composer Moby is 56. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is 56. Business reporter Maria Bartiromo is 54. Singer Harry Connick Jr. is 54. Actor Taraji P. Henson is 51. Actor Laura Wright is 51. Rock musician Jeremy Popoff (Lit) is 50. Blogger Markos Moulitsas is 50. Singer Brad Fischetti (LFO) is 46. Rock musician Jon Buckland (Coldplay) is 44. Rapper Ludacris is 44. Rock singer Ben Lee is 43. Actor Ryan Slattery is 43. Actor Ariana Richards is 42. Country singer Charles Kelley (Lady A) is 40. Actor Elizabeth Henstridge is 34. Actor Tyler Hoechlin is 34. Actor Mackenzie Aladjem is 20.