Updated September 19, 2012, 2:28 pm
On Sept. 20, 1973, Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in straight sets 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in a $100,000 winner-take-all tennis match.
On Sept. 20, 1878, Upton Sinclair, author of “The Jungle” and passionate crusader for social reform, was born. Following his death on Nov. 25, 1968, his obituary appeared in The Times.
Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »
Historic Birthdays
Upton Sinclair 9/20/1878 – 11/25/1968 American novelist and activist.Go to obituary »
94 Sir Richard Griffith 9/20/1784 – 9/22/1878
Irish geologist and civil engineer58 Sterling Price 9/20/1809 – 9/29/1867
American governor of Missouri and Confederate general80 Sir James Dewar 9/20/1842 – 3/27/1923
English chemist and physicist93 Herbert Putnam 9/20/1861 – 8/14/1955
American librarian; led the Library of Congress (1899-1939)62 Maxwell Perkins 9/20/1884 – 6/17/1947
American editor83 Sue Sophia Dauser 9/20/1888 – 3/8/1972
American nurse; oversaw the Navy Nurse Corps in World War II74 Leo Strauss 9/20/1899 – 10/18/1973
German-born American political philosopher68 Stevie Smith 9/20/1902 – 3/7/1971
English poet, novelist and short story writer69 Sid Chaplin 9/20/1916 – 1/11/1986
English novelist and short story writer
