On This Day: September 16

Updated September 15, 2012, 2:28 pm

On Sept. 16, 1974, President Ford announced a conditional amnesty program for Vietnam War deserters and draft evaders.

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On Sept. 16, 1838, James Jerome Hill, who built a railroad empire in the American northwest, was born. Following his death on May 29, 1916, his obituary appeared in The Times.

Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »

On This Date

By The Associated Press

1630 The Massachusetts village of Shawmut changed its name to Boston.

1638 France’s King Louis XIV was born.

1810 Mexico began a successful revolt against Spanish rule.

1857 The song “Jingle Bells” by James Pierpont was copyrighted under its original title, “One Horse Open Sleigh.”

1893 Hundreds of thousands of settlers took part in a land run in Oklahoma’s “Cherokee Strip.”

1908 General Motors was formed in Flint, Mich., by William Durant.

1919 The American Legion was incorporated by an act of Congress.

1940 Rep. Samuel T. Rayburn, D-Texas, the longest-serving House speaker in history, was first elected to the post.

1940 President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law the first peacetime military draft in U.S. history.

1966 The Metropolitan Opera opened its new home at New York City’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

1972 “The Bob Newhart Show” premiered on CBS.

1974 President Gerald R. Ford announced a conditional amnesty program for Vietnam War deserters and draft-evaders.

2002 U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan announced that Iraq had unconditionally accepted the return of U.N. weapons inspectors.

2004 Hurricane Ivan plowed into the Gulf Coast with 130 mph wind and a major storm surge; Ivan was blamed for at least 115 deaths, 43 in the United States.

2007 A deadly shooting in Baghdad involving the U.S. security firm Blackwater USA left 17 Iraqi civilians dead.

2008 The federal government announced an emergency $85 billion loan to rescue AIG, the world’s largest insurance company.

Current Birthdays

By The Associated Press

Comedian Amy Poehler (“Saturday Night Live”) turns 41 years old today.

AP Photo/Peter Kramer

Actor Mickey Rourke turns 56 years old today.

AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

1924 Lauren Bacall, Actress, turns 88

1925 B.B. King, Blues musician, turns 87

1932 George Chakiris, Actor (“West Side Story”), turns 80

1934 Elgin Baylor, Basketball Hall of Famer, turns 78

1948 Kenney Jones, Rock musician (Small Faces, The Who), turns 64

1948 Susan Ruttan, Actress (“L.A. Law”), turns 64

1949 Ed Begley Jr., Actor, turns 63

1954 Mark McEwen, TV personality, turns 58

1955 Robin Yount, Baseball Hall of Famer, turns 57

1956 David Copperfield, Magician, turns 56

1958 Jennifer Tilly, Actress, turns 54

1963 Richard Marx, Singer, turns 49

1964 Molly Shannon, Actress, comedian (“Saturday Night Live”), turns 48

1968 Marc Anthony, Singer, turns 44

1981 Alexis Bledel, Actress (“Gilmore Girls”), turns 31

1985 Madeline Zima, Actress (“Californication,” “Heroes”), turns 27

1992 Nick Jonas, Rock singer, musician (The Jonas Brothers), turns 20

Historic Birthdays

James Jerome Hill 9/16/1838 – 5/29/1916 American railroad builder.Go to obituary »

83 Squire Whipple 9/16/1804 – 3/15/1888
American civil engineer, inventor and theoretician

73 Albrecht Kossel 9/16/1853 – 7/5/1927
German Nobel Prize-winning chemist (1910)

95 J. C. Penney 9/16/1875 – 2/12/1971
American business leader

83 Clive Bell 9/16/1881 – 9/17/1964
English art critic

67 Karen Horney 9/16/1885 – 12/4/1952
German-born American psychoanalyst

78 Jean Arp 9/16/1887 – 6/7/1966
French sculptor, painter and poet

54 Earl Carroll 9/16/1893 – 6/17/1948
American theatrical producer and director

62 Sir Alexander Korda 9/16/1893 – 1/23/1956
Hungarian-born English film director and producer

70 Laurence Peter 9/16/1919 – 1/12/1990
Canadian author

1630	The Massachusetts village of Shawmut changed its name to Boston.
1638	France’s King Louis XIV was born.
1810	Mexico began a successful revolt against Spanish rule.
1857	The song “Jingle Bells” by James Pierpont was copyrighted under its original title, “One Horse Open Sleigh.”
1893	Hundreds of thousands of settlers took part in a land run in Oklahoma’s “Cherokee Strip.”
1908	General Motors was formed in Flint, Mich., by William Durant.
1919	The American Legion was incorporated by an act of Congress.
1940	Rep. Samuel T. Rayburn, D-Texas, the longest-serving House speaker in history, was first elected to the post.
1940	President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law the first peacetime military draft in U.S. history.
1966	The Metropolitan Opera opened its new home at New York City’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.
1972	“The Bob Newhart Show” premiered on CBS.
1974	President Gerald R. Ford announced a conditional amnesty program for Vietnam War deserters and draft-evaders.
2002	U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan announced that Iraq had unconditionally accepted the return of U.N. weapons inspectors.
2004	Hurricane Ivan plowed into the Gulf Coast with 130 mph wind and a major storm surge; Ivan was blamed for at least 115 deaths, 43 in the United States.
2007	A deadly shooting in Baghdad involving the U.S. security firm Blackwater USA left 17 Iraqi civilians dead.
2008	The federal government announced an emergency $85 billion loan to rescue AIG, the world’s largest insurance company.

1924	Lauren Bacall, Actress, turns 88
1925	B.B. King, Blues musician, turns 87
1932	George Chakiris, Actor (“West Side Story”), turns 80
1934	Elgin Baylor, Basketball Hall of Famer, turns 78
1948	Kenney Jones, Rock musician (Small Faces, The Who), turns 64
1948	Susan Ruttan, Actress (“L.A. Law”), turns 64
1949	Ed Begley Jr., Actor, turns 63
1954	Mark McEwen, TV personality, turns 58
1955	Robin Yount, Baseball Hall of Famer, turns 57
1956	David Copperfield, Magician, turns 56
1958	Jennifer Tilly, Actress, turns 54
1963	Richard Marx, Singer, turns 49
1964	Molly Shannon, Actress, comedian (“Saturday Night Live”), turns 48
1968	Marc Anthony, Singer, turns 44
1981	Alexis Bledel, Actress (“Gilmore Girls”), turns 31
1985	Madeline Zima, Actress (“Californication,” “Heroes”), turns 27
1992	Nick Jonas, Rock singer, musician (The Jonas Brothers), turns 20

83	Squire Whipple 9/16/1804 – 3/15/1888 American civil engineer, inventor and theoretician
73	Albrecht Kossel 9/16/1853 – 7/5/1927 German Nobel Prize-winning chemist (1910)
95	J. C. Penney 9/16/1875 – 2/12/1971 American business leader
83	Clive Bell 9/16/1881 – 9/17/1964 English art critic
67	Karen Horney 9/16/1885 – 12/4/1952 German-born American psychoanalyst
78	Jean Arp 9/16/1887 – 6/7/1966 French sculptor, painter and poet
54	Earl Carroll 9/16/1893 – 6/17/1948 American theatrical producer and director
62	Sir Alexander Korda 9/16/1893 – 1/23/1956 Hungarian-born English film director and producer
70	Laurence Peter 9/16/1919 – 1/12/1990 Canadian author