Today is Saturday, September 28, the 272nd day of 2024. There are 94 days left in the year.
Today in History:
On September 28, 1928, Scottish medical scientist Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin, the first effective antibiotic.
Also this date:
In 1781, American Revolutionary War forces, supported by a French fleet, began their successful siege of Yorktown, Virginia.
In 1924, three US Army planes landed in Seattle, having completed the first round-the-world trip by air in 175 days.
In 1941, Ted Williams became the last American League baseball player to hit over .400 in a season, hitting .406 for the Boston Red Sox.
In 1962, a federal appeals court found Mississippi Governor Ross Barnett in civil contempt for blocking the admission of James Meredith, a black student, to the University of Mississippi.
In 1995, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat signed an agreement at the White House ending Israel’s military occupation of West Bank cities and laying the foundation for a Palestinian state.
In 2000, the US government approved the use of the abortion pill RU-486, ending a 12-year battle.
In 2020, the global death toll from the coronavirus pandemic reached 1 million, according to a count from Johns Hopkins University.
In 2022, Hurricane Ian made landfall in Southwest Florida as a massive Category 4 storm. About 2.5 million people were ordered to evacuate before the storm hit the coast with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph (241 km/h).
Today’s birthdays:
- Actress Brigitte Bardot is 90 years old.
- Filmmaker John Sayles is 74 years old.
- Football Hall of Famer Steve Largent is 70 years old.
- Zydeco musician CJ Chenier (sheh-NEER’) is 67.
- Hockey Hall of Famer Grant Fuhr is 62 years old.
- Actress-comedian Janeane Garofalo (juh-NEEN’ guh-RAH’-fuh-loh) is 60.
- The actress Maria Canals-Barrera is 58 years old.
- The actor Mira Sorvino is 57 years old.
- The actress Naomi Watts is 56 years old.
- Olympic gold swimmer Lenny Krayzelburg is 49.
- Rapper Jeezy is 47.
- Golf Hall of Famer Se Ri Pak is 47.
- Pop rock singer St. Vincent is 42 years old.
- Actress Hilary Duff is 37.
- Boxer Terence “Bud” Crawford is 37.
- Tennis player Marin Čilić is 36 years old.
- Actor Keir Gilchrist is 32.