Today in History

US consulate in Benghazi, Libya, is attacked and burned down; 4 Americans are killed including the US ambassador, J. Christopher Stevens.

Russia detonates a nano-bomb; dubbed the “Father of All Bombs,” it is the largest non-nuclear weapon developed to date.

Israel completes its unilateral disengagement of all Israeli civilians and military from the Gaza Strip.

In an unprecedented, highly coordinated attack, terrorists hijack four U.S. passenger airliners, flying two into the World Trade Center towers in New York and one into the Pentagon, killing thousands. The fourth airliner, headed toward Washington likely to strike the White House or Capitol, is crashed just over 100 miles away in Pennsylvania after passengers storm the cockpit and overtake the hijackers.

Haile Selassie I is deposed from the Ethiopian throne.

Harry Connick Jr., Grammy and Emmy award-winning singer, musician, actor.

Princess Akishino, nee Kiko Kawashima, wife of Prince Akishino, second son of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan. She is only the second commoner to marry into Japan’s royal family.

Bashar al-Assad, president of Syria since 2000.

Thurgood Marshall is appointed a judge of the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals.

American troops enter Luxembourg.

Theodore Olson, US Solicitor General under Pres. George W. Bush (2001-04).

Charles M. “Chuck” Geschke, co-founder of Adobe Systems, Inc.

Robert L. Crippen, US Navy captain, astronaut; former director of Kennedy Space Center.