View source for September 1911

{{short description|Month of 1911}}
{{events by month|1911}}
{{calendar|year=1911|month=September}}
[[File:Battleship Liberté1.png|300px|thumb|left|September 25, 1911: 300 killed in explosion of French battleship ''Liberté'']]
[[File:Austin Dam 2163739414 2af8ec49ea o.jpg|250px|thumb|right|September 30, 1911: 78 killed by damburst at Austin, Pennsylvania]]
[[File:Italoturca1.jpg|300px|thumb|left|September 29, 1911: Italy goes to war with Turkey, invades Libya]]
[[File:Pyotr Stolypin LOC 07327.jpg|150px|thumb|right|September 14, 1911: Russian Premier Stolypin assassinated]]

The following events occurred in '''September 1911''':

==September 1, 1911 (Friday)==
*Dutch aviation pioneer [[Anton Fokker]], whose aircraft factory would produce many of the aircraft used by [[Germany]] during [[World War I]], made a successful public demonstration of his very first airplane model, the [[Fokker Spin]].  Taking off from a field near his home in the [[Netherlands]] city of [[Haarlem]], he took ''de Spin'' (Dutch for "the spider"), Fokker demonstrated the Spin's maneuverability by flying a circle around the town's tallest structure, the steeple of the [[Grote Kerk, Haarlem|''Sint Bavokerk'']], the Church of [[Bavo of Ghent|Saint Bavo of Ghent]].{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}
*[[Emilio Estrada]] was inaugurated as the 23rd [[President of Ecuador]].<ref name="AROR Oct 1911">{{cite journal |title=Record of Current Events |journal=[[The American Monthly Review of Reviews]] |date=October 1911 |pages=415–419}}</ref> He would die less than four months into his term.  
*'''Died:''' [[Bradford Lee Gilbert]], 58, architect who designed the 13-story tall [[Tower Building (New York City)|Tower Building]], [[New York City|New York]]'s first [[skyscraper]].{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}

==September 2, 1911 (Saturday)==
*The Russian icebreaker ships {{ship||Taymyr|icebreaker|2}} and {{ship||Vaygach|icebreaker|2}} landed at [[Wrangel Island]] as part of the coast of Antarctica, and claimed it for the [[Russian Empire]].<ref>William J. Mills, ''Exploring Polar Frontiers: A - L.'', Volume 1 (ABC-CLIO, 2003). p. 720.</ref>
*[[João Pinheiro Chagas]] became the new Prime Minister of [[Portugal]].<ref name="AROR Oct 1911"/><ref>"New Portuguese Cabinet". ''New York Times''. September 3, 1911.</ref>
*A statue of [[Baron von Steuben]], [[Prussia]]n leader during the [[American Revolutionary War]], was presented by U.S. Congressman [[Richard Bartholdt]] from the United States to Germany, and was unveiled at [[Potsdam]] by [[Kaiser Wilhelm II]].<ref name="AROR Oct 1911"/><ref>"Kaiser Unveils Steuben Statute", ''New York Times'', September 3, 1911</ref>
*Self-taught aviation pioneer [[Albin K. Longren]] of [[Kansas]] flew the first successful trial of his handmade aircraft.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Lambertson |first=Giles |date=July 22, 2015 |title=The Birdman of Topeka |journal=[[Air & Space]] |publisher=Smithsonian |url=http://www.airspacemag.com/history-of-flight/birdman-topeka-180956005/?no-ist }}</ref>
*'''Born:'''
**[[William F. Harrah]], founder of [[Harrah's Entertainment|Harrah]]'s casino empire; in [[South Pasadena, California]] (d. 1978).{{citation needed|date=July 2024}} 
**[[Romare Bearden]], African-American painter; in [[Charlotte, North Carolina]] (d. 1988).{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}

==September 3, 1911 (Sunday)==
*As the [[Agadir Crisis]] continued, the Kaiser and the Chancellor departed for Kiel for a display of German naval might, a crowd of 200,000 turned out for an anti-war rally at [[Treptower Park]] in [[Berlin]].  Speakers from the [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democrats]], included [[August Bebel]] and [[Karl Liebknecht]], who criticized Germany's aggressive moves in [[Morocco]].<ref>"Berlin Anti-War Protest". ''New York Times''. September 4, 1911.</ref><ref>"Berlin, 1871-1920", by Dick Geary, in ''Radical Cultures and Local Identities'' (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2010). p. 16.</ref><ref>Jay Brunhouse, ''Maverick Guide to Berlin'' (Pelican Publishing, 2007). p. 300.</ref>

==September 4, 1911 (Monday)==
*A [[professional wrestling]] match at [[Chicago]]'s [[Comiskey Park]] attracted a sellout crowd of 30,000 people, pitting world champion [[Frank Gotch]] against [[George Hackenschmidt]], from whom Gotch had won the title on April 3, 1908.  The original bout had taken 2 hours.  In the rematch, Gotch kept his title, defeating Hackenschmidt in 30 minutes.<ref>"Gotch, Frank Alvin", in ''The Biographical Dictionary of Iowa'' (University of Iowa Press, 2009). p. 194.</ref><ref>"Gotch Champion Wrestler of World". ''New York Times''. September 5, 1911.</ref>
*[[Harriet Quimby]] won her first air race, receiving $1,500 at the Richmond County Fair on New York's [[Staten Island]].<ref>Margo McLoone, Jacquelyn L. Beyer, ''Women Explorers of the Air: Harriet Quimby, Bessie Coleman, Amelia Earhart, Beryl Markham, Jacqueline Cochran'' (Capstone Press, 1999). p. 13.</ref><ref>"Girl Flies by Night at Richmond Fair". ''New York Times''. September 5, 1911.</ref>
*[[Delray Beach, Florida]], population 250, became a city after its charter was approved by the 56 voters participating.<ref>William E. McGoun, ''Southeast Florida Pioneers: The Palm and Treasure Coasts'' (Pineapple Press Inc, 1998). p. 64.</ref> A century later, the city population had grown to 65,000.<ref>[http://www.mydelraybeach.com/Delray/default.htm MyDelrayBeach.com]</ref>
*[[France]]'s most powerful naval fleet ever, with 50 warships, was reviewed by President [[Armand Fallières]] at [[Toulon]].  [[Théophile Delcassé]], the French Minister of the [[French Navy|Navy]], declared in a speech that "Their powder magazines are full, and all of them could be mobilized immediately."<ref name="AROR Oct 1911"/><ref>"French Fleet Ready, Salutes President". ''New York Times''. September 5, 1911.</ref>
*[[Roland Garros (aviator)|Roland G. Garros]] broke the altitude record, flying to  4,250 meters (13,943 feet) at [[Parame]], France.<ref name="AROR Oct 1911"/><ref>"Garros Ascends 13,943 Feet". ''New York Times''. September 5, 1911.</ref>

==September 5, 1911 (Tuesday)==
*Reports of the [[1911 Yangtze river flood|flood that would drown 200,000 people]] were relayed to the world by Western missionaries, after [[China]]'s [[Yangtze River]] overflowed its banks.  The American Mission at [[Wuhu]] initially reported that 100,000 people had drowned in the [[Ngan-hwei]] (now [[Anhui]] province) and that 95% of crops along the banks had been destroyed.<ref>[https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1911/09/05/104836263.pdf "100,000 Chinese Drowned?"]. ''New York Times''. September 5, 1911.</ref>  Follow-up reports were that the destruction extended from I-Chang ([[Yichang]]) in the Hu-peh ([[Hubei]]) province and down to [[Shanghai]] for 700 miles.<ref>"Floods, Famines, Revolts in China". ''New York Times''. September 6, 1911.</ref>  Estimates of the number of people who died have been as high as 200,000 who drowned and another 100,000 who starved or were murdered during the subsequent famine.<ref>Stephen J. Spignesi, ''The 100 Greatest Disasters of All Time'' (Citadel Press, Nov 1, 2002). pp. 35-36.</ref>
*The day after France showed off its 50 warships, Kaiser Wilhelm II reviewed a fleet of 99 warships of the [[Imperial German Navy|German Navy]] at [[Kiel]].  The procession, which did not include three of the four {{sclass|Helgoland|battleship|2}}s, was seen by American observers as proof that Germany had displaced the [[United States]] as having the second most powerful navy in the world (after the [[Royal Navy|British Navy]]).<ref name="AROR Oct 1911"/><ref>"Kaiser Reviews His Fleet— Experts Believe Germany Is Now World's Second Naval Power". ''New York Times''. September 6, 1911.</ref>
*At the Battle of [[Imamzadeh Ja'far, Borujerd|Imamzadeh Ja'far]], Persian troops successfully routed rebels seeking to restore the deposed [[Shah]], Mohammed Ali Mirza, to the throne.  The outcome was reported later to have been as a result of superior weapons, with the government forces using machine guns under the direction of German adviser Major Haas.<ref>"Machine guns Won Battle". ''New York Times''. September 9, 1911.</ref>  Rebel leader Arshad ed Dowleh was captured, and executed the next day.  Seized with him was a large amount of gold used by the ex-Shah, who fled with his remaining 7 followers to Gumesh Tepe at the border.<ref>"Persian Rebel Leader Executed". ''New York Times''. September 7, 1911.</ref><ref>"Ex-Shah in Full Flight". ''New York Times''. September 13, 1911.</ref><ref>Edward G. Browne, ''The Press and Poetry of Modern Persia'' (Kalimat Press, 1983). p. 248.</ref><ref>Steven R. Ward, ''Immortal: A Military History of Iran and its Armed Forces'' (Georgetown University Press, 2009). p. 104.</ref>
*The first [[adult literacy]] program in the United States, when [[Cora Wilson Stewart]], the school superintendent in [[Rowan County, Kentucky]], began a program that she called the [[Moonlight School]].  The night classes at the county's 50 schools would take place as long as the Moon was bright enough for students to safely travel.  She had expected that 150 adults might want to learn to read.  Instead, 1,200 men and women signed up.<ref>Carol Crowe-Carraco, ''Women Who Made a Difference'' (University Press of Kentucky, 1989). p. 38.</ref><ref>William A. Link, ''The Paradox of Southern Progressivism, 1880–1930'' (UNC Press Books, 1997). pp. 138-140.</ref>

==September 6, 1911 (Wednesday)==
*[[Thomas W. Burgess]] became only the second person to swim across the [[English Channel]], and the first in 36 years, after [[Matthew Webb]] had crossed on August 25, 1875.  Burgess, who had failed in 15 prior attempts, arrived at [[Cape Grisnez]] on the French coast at 9:50&nbsp;a.m., 22 hours and 35 minutes after setting off from [[South Foreland]] the day before.<ref>"Burgess Swims English Channel". ''New York Times''. September 8, 1911.</ref><ref>Glenn Stout, ''Young Woman and the Sea: How Trudy Ederle Conquered the English Channel and Inspired the World'' (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009).</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rotherhamweb.co.uk/h/burgess.htm |title=Thomas William Burgess |website=Rotherhamweb.co.uk |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924092204/http://www.rotherhamweb.co.uk/h/burgess.htm |archive-date=24 September 2015}}</ref>
*Recently released from prison and exiled to [[Vologda Oblast|Vologda]], [[Joseph Stalin]] (at the time Josif Dzhugashvili) made an illegal trip to [[Saint Petersburg]] to link up with the [[Bolsheviks|Bolshevik]] organization.  Stalin boarded a train with the identity papers of Pyotr Chizhikov, but the [[Okhrana]] police, arrested Chizhikov and alerted the Russian capital that Stalin was on the way.  Stalin was captured three days later.<ref>Roman Brackman, ''The Secret File of Joseph Stalin: A Hidden Life'' (Taylor & Francis, 2003). p. 66.</ref>
*'''Born:''' [[Harry Danning]], Jewish [[Major League Baseball|MLB]] player nicknamed "Harry the Horse"; in [[Los Angeles]] (d. 2004).{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}
*'''Died:''' 
**[[Katherine Cecil Thurston]], 37, Irish American novelist famous for ''[[The Masquerader (novel)|The Masquerader]]'', died of a seizure.{{citation needed|date=July 2024}} 
**Armand Cochefort, 61, French chief of detectives during the [[Dreyfus Affair]].<ref name="AROR Oct 1911"/>

==September 7, 1911 (Thursday)==
*French poet [[Guillaume Apollinaire]] was arrested in [[Paris]] and charged with the theft of the [[Mona Lisa]], but released after a week.  [[Pablo Picasso]] was brought in for questioning by the police, but not detained.<ref>Eric Hanson, ''A Book of Ages: An Eccentric Miscellany of Great and Offbeat Moments in the Lives of the Famous and Infamous, Ages 1 to 100'' (Random House, 2010).</ref>
*The first [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]] aviation unit was organized, with Lt. [[Theodore Gordon Ellyson]] as its commanding officer.<ref>Walter J. Boyne, ''Air Warfare: An International Encyclopedia: M-Z'' (ABC-CLIO, 2002). p. 193.</ref>
*Portugal assembled 12,000 troops at its northern border to fend off a monarchist invasion.  Airplane reconnaissance estimated that 5,000 rebels were concentrated at [[Ourense]].<ref name="AROR Oct 1911"/><ref>"Portugal Menaced by Royalist Army". ''New York Times''. September 11, 1911.</ref>
*'''Born:''' [[Todor Zhivkov]], First Secretary of [[Bulgarian Communist Party]] (1954–1989) and President (1971–1989); in [[Pravets]] (d. 1998).{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}
*'''Died:''' Professor [[Shimose powder|Masuchika Shimose]], 52, Japanese chemist who invented "Shimose powder", a powerful explosive successfully used in shells and torpedoes by the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]].{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}

==September 8, 1911 (Friday)==
*A day after the temperature at his Antarctic camp at [[Framheim]] rose to -7.6&nbsp;°F, Norwegian explorer [[Roald Amundsen]], seven men and 86 dogs began the journey toward the [[South Pole]].  Four days later, the temperature dropped to -68&nbsp;°F, forcing Amundsen's return.<ref>
Paul Simpson-Housley, ''Antarctica: exploration, perception, and metaphor'' (Routledge, 1992). p. 26.</ref>
*General [[John J. Pershing]], serving in the [[Philippines]] as U.S. Military Governor of the [[Moro Province]] issued Executive Order No. 24 to disarm the [[Moro people|Moro]] residents.  The rule made it unlawful for anyone in the province "to acquire, possess, or have the custody of any rifle, musket, carbine, shotgun, revolve, pistol or other deadly weapon from which a bullet, ball, shot, shell or other missile or missiles may be discharged by means of gunpowder or other explosive" and prohibited people from carrying "any bowie knife, dirk, dagger, kris, campilan, spear, or other deadly cutting or thrusting weapon, except tools used exclusively for working purposes having blades less than 15 inches in length."<ref>Arthur Stanwood Pier, ''American apostles to the Philippines'' (Ayer Publishing, 1971). p. 122.</ref>
*The collapse of the El Dorado Theatre at [[Nice]] killed 11 construction workers.<ref>"Nice Restaurant Crash Kills Eleven". ''New York Times''. September 9, 1911.</ref>
*Lt. Col. [[Henry Galway]] was appointed as the British colonial [[Governor of The Gambia]].<ref name=Britannica>''The Britannica Year-Book 1913: A Survey of the World's Progress Since the Completion in 1910 of the Encyclopædia Britannica'' (Encyclopædia Britannica, 1913). p. xi.</ref>

==September 9, 1911 (Saturday)==
*The first test of air mail service in [[United Kingdom|Britain]] was done by an airplane flight between [[Hendon Aerodrome]] and [[Windsor, Berkshire|Windsor]].<ref name=Britannica/>
*Governor [[Judson Harmon]] of [[Ohio]] opposed President [[William Howard Taft]] at a campaign speech in [[Boston]],<ref name="AROR Oct 1911"/><ref>"Harmon Criticises Taft's Tariff Stand", ''New York Times'', September 10, 1911</ref>  and did not rule out a run for the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nomination in 1912, with [[New Jersey]] Governor [[Woodrow Wilson]] as his running mate.<ref>"Harmon and Wilson Boomed for 1912". ''New York Times''. September 16, 1911.</ref> 
*Fourteen people were killed in a motorboat accident on [[Lake Trasimene]] in Italy.<ref name=Britannica/>
*'''Born:''' 
**Sir [[John Gorton]], [[Prime Minister of Australia]] from 1968 to 1971; in [[Melbourne]] (d. 2002).{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}
**[[Paul Goodman (writer)|Paul Goodman]], American social critic; in [[New York City]] (d. 1972).{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}

==September 10, 1911 (Sunday)==
*The [[Lakeview Gusher]], which had erupted in [[California]] on [[March 1910|March 14, 1910]], ceased as suddenly as it started, as oil stopped flowing from it in the early morning hours.<ref>W. O. Durham, ''From Kittyhawk to the Moon: The Life, Times and Heritage of a Texas Oilman'' (Vantage Press, Inc, 2007). p. 315.</ref><ref>"LAKEVIEW GUSHER STOPS FLOWING". ''Bakersfield Californian''. September 11, 1911. p. 1.</ref>
*[[`Abdu'l-Bahá]], leader of the [[Baháʼí Faith]] since 1892, gave his first lecture in the West, speaking at the [[City Temple, London|City Temple]] in [[London]] at the request of the pastor, the Reverend John Campbell.<ref>Jack McLean and Anthony A. Lee, ''Revisioning the Sacred: New Perspectives on a Baháʼí Theology'' (Kalimat Press, 1997). p. xviii.</ref><ref>K. Paul Johnson, ''Initiates of Theosophical Masters'' (SUNY Press, 1995). p. 98.</ref>
*'''Died:''' 
**[[Bottoms Gang#History|Ed Butler]], 73, [[St. Louis]] political boss and owner of a chain of blacksmith shops.<ref name="AROR Oct 1911"/>
**Samantha Breniholz, chief telegrapher for [[Union Army]] at [[Battle of Gettysburg]].<ref name="AROR Oct 1911"/>

==September 11, 1911 (Monday)==
*[[California State University, Fresno]], popularly known as Fresno State, began classes as the Fresno State Normal School.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fresnostate100.com/history.htm |title=Fresno State Centennial: Our History |website=FresnoState100.com |date=2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111203182647/http://www.fresnostate100.com/history.htm |archive-date=3 December 2011}}</ref>
*The [[Pittsburgh Pirates]], on the way from St. Louis to [[Cincinnati]], stopped in [[West Baden, Indiana]], and played an exhibition game against a local African-American team, the [[West Baden Sprudels]].  The all-white Pirates, third place in the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] at the time with a record of 76-56, lost to the all-black Sprudels, 2-1.<ref>
Paul Debono, ''The Indianapolis ABCs: History of a Premier Team in the Negro Leagues'' (McFarland, 1997). p. 33.</ref><ref>"Still Josh Keene About His Defeat". ''Pittsburgh Press''.  September 13, 1911. p. 20.</ref>
*[[Richard Walton Tully|''The Bird of Paradise'']], a musical credited with introducing [[Music of Hawaii|Hawaiian music]] to the mainland United States, was first performed.<ref>Charles Hiroshi Garrett, ''Struggling to Define a Nation: American Music and the Twentieth Century'' (University of California Press, 2008). p. 178.</ref>
*With 900,000 men on the battlefield, the German Army began the largest maneuvers in history, drilling at [[Prenzlau]] at [[Pomerania]].  Exceeding any war games that had ever been done, the demonstration of German military might concluded on September 13.<ref name="AROR Oct 1911"/><ref>"900,000 Under Arms". ''New York Times''. September 10, 1911.</ref>  
*The eruption of [[Mount Etna]] in [[Italy]] sent a lava stream 2000 feet wide and four feet deep, and leaving 20,000 homeless, between [[Linguaglossa]] and [[Randazzo]].<ref name="AROR Oct 1911"/><ref>"Havoc from Etna Volcano". ''New York Times''. September 13, 1911.</ref>
*After a ten-day voyage from [[England]], the {{ship|Chinese cruiser|Hai Chi||2}} became the first Chinese warship to visit the United States, sailing into the port of New York City.  The ship, with Rear Admiral Chin Pih Kwang on board, and anchored in the Hudson River.<ref>"Chinese Cruiser Welcomed to Port". ''New York Times''. September 12, 1911.</ref>
*'''Born:''' [[Lala Amarnath]], first captain of [[India national cricket team|Indian National cricket team]] after [[Indian independence movement|India's independence]] from the United Kingdom (d. 2000).{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}

==September 12, 1911 (Tuesday)==
*The [[Viceroy of Sichuan]] was ordered to suppress labor unrest there and "to destroy the rebels to the last man."<ref name="AROR Oct 1911"/><ref>"General Rebellion Is Feared in China". ''New York Times''. September 13, 1911.</ref>
*[[Empire of Japan|Japan]] abandoned its naval station at [[Port Arthur naval base]], [[Manchuria]].<ref name="AROR Oct 1911"/>
*'''Died:''' The Most Rev. [[William Alexander (bishop)|William Alexander]], 87, Anglican [[Primate of All Ireland]] and [[Archbishop of Armagh]] since 1896.{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}

==September 13, 1911 (Wednesday)==
*In [[Late Imperial China|Imperial China]], a new constitution with 19 articles was promulgated, providing for some democratic reforms, as well as the legal authority for emergency power to issue orders.  The document was only in use for a month before the [[Qing dynasty]] failed and the [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|Republic of China]] was declared.<ref>Shao-chuan Leng, ed., ''Coping with Crises: How Governments Deal with Emergencies'' (University Press of America, 1990). p. 175.</ref>
*The "Third Attack Group", the first [[close air support]] unit for the [[United States Army]], was established with four attack squadrons of flyers.<ref>Williamson Murray and Allan R. Millett, ''Military innovation in the interwar period'' (Cambridge University Press, 1998). p. 175.</ref>
*'''Born:''' [[Bill Monroe]], American musician nicknamed the "Father of [[Bluegrass music|Bluegrass Music]];" in [[Rosine, Kentucky]] (d. 1996).{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}

==September 14, 1911 (Thursday)==
*[[Pyotr Stolypin]], the [[Prime Minister of Russia]] was assassinated.  Stolypin was shot in the stomach by [[Dmitry Bogrov]] while attending ''[[The Tale of Tsar Saltan]]'' at the opera house in [[Kiev]], and died of his wounds four days later.<ref>"Stolypin Shot; Czar Present". ''New York Times''. September 15, 1911.</ref>
*[[Timeline of Latino civil rights in the United States|El Primer Congreso Mexicanista]], with 400 Mexican American residents of [[Texas]] in attendance, was convened at [[Laredo, Texas|Laredo]] under the leadership of [[Jovita Idar|Nicasio Idar]] to advocate civil rights for Hispanic citizens.  The convention approved the formation of La Gran Liga de Beneficincia y Proteccion (The Grand League for Benefits and Protection).<ref>"Idar, Nicasio" in Matt S. Meier and Margo Gutiérrez, ''Encyclopedia of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement''  (Greenwood Publishing Group, 2000). p. 113.</ref>

==September 15, 1911 (Friday)==
*In the largest bank robbery at the time, three safecrackers broke into a branch of the [[Bank of Montreal]] in [[New Westminster, British Columbia]], and stole $251,161 in Canadian currency and $20,560 worth of American double eagle gold coins, with a worth in U.S. dollars of $320,000.  A janitor who had happened by at 4:00&nbsp;a.m. was tied up by the robbers, and the bank's caretaker did not discover the theft until two hours later.  The culprits left behind another $100,000 worth of small bills and silver and escaped without notice, despite the bank being located only 25 yards away from the city police station.<ref>[https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1911/09/16/104875089.pdf "Bank Robbers Get More than $320,000]. ''New York Times''. September 16, 1911.</ref><ref>"Old Bank Robbery Case". ''Montreal Gazette''. July 18, 1916. p. 5.</ref>  "Australian Jack" McNamara and Charles Dean were both tried for the theft, and both acquitted, although McNamara was convicted of stealing an automobile believed to have been used as a getaway car.  Bills from the robbery continued to be spotted a decade after the robbery.;<ref>"Stolen Money in Circulation- After More Than 10 Years, Loot From New Westminster Bank Shows Up". ''Spokane Daily Chronicle''. February 23, 1922. p. 2.</ref><ref>Fred Thirkell and Bob Scullion, ''Philip Timms' Vancouver: 1900–1910'' (Heritage House Publishing Co, 2006). p. 163.</ref>
*U.S. President Taft finished the vacation at [[Beverly, Massachusetts]], that had begun on August 11.  Rather than returning to the [[White House]], he began a 15,000 mile tour of 30 of the nation's 46 states.<ref>"Taft Holiday Near End", ''New York Times'', September 12, 1911</ref>  After spending three months away from [[Washington, D.C.]], Taft returned to the White House on November 12.<ref>"President Taft Ends His 15,000 Mile Tour". ''New York Times''. November 12, 1911.</ref> 
*'''Born:'''
**[[Joseph Pevney]], American television and film director; in [[New York City]] (d. 2008).{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}
**[[Luther L. Terry]], [[Surgeon General of the United States|U.S. Surgeon General]] (1961–1965), whose 1964 report on cigarette smoking was the first American acknowledgment of the link between tobacco and lung cancer; in [[Red Level, Alabama]] (d. 1985).{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}
*'''Died:''' [[Akai Kutsu|Iwisaki Kimi]], 9, subject of the Japanese children's song "The Girl in Red Shoes".  Adopted by American missionary Charles Huit at the age of 3, she was abandoned to a church orphanage in [[Azabu-Jūban Station|Azabu-Juban]] after the Huits returned to the U.S., due to her having tuberculosis.  Statues of Kimi were erected in several sites in Japan after her story was retold in 1973, including one at Azabu-Juban.<ref>Jay Navok-Rudranath, ''Warriors of Legend: Reflections of Japan in Sailor Moon'' (Booksurge Llc, 2005). p. 40.</ref>

==September 16, 1911 (Saturday)==
*Ten auto race fans were killed, and 13 others seriously injured in [[Syracuse, New York]], when a car driven by Lee Oldfield, brother of [[Barney Oldfield]], blew a tire, lost control, and crashed through a fence at the [[New York State Fair]].  President Taft had left the fair only a few minutes earlier.<ref>"9 Die, 14 Hurt at Auto Race". ''New York Times''. September 17, 1911.</ref><ref>"Auto Race Dead Now Number Ten". ''New York Times''. September 18, 1911.</ref>
*'''Born:''' [[Wilfred Burchett]], leftist Australian journalist; in [[Clifton Hill, Victoria]] (d. 1983).{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}
*'''Died:'''
**[[Edward Whymper]], 71, English mountaineer who became, on July 14, 1865, the first man to climb the [[Matterhorn]].{{citation needed|date=July 2024}} 
**[[Édouard de Nieuport]], 36, French aircraft pilot and designer; in a plane crash.{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}

==September 17, 1911 (Sunday)==
*[[Calbraith Perry Rodgers]] took off from the airstrip at [[Sheepshead Bay]] near New York City with the goal of winning the $50,000 [[Hearst Transcontinental Prize]] for the first person to fly across the United States in an airplane within 30 days and before October 10, 1911.  Sponsored by the Armour Company and flying the ''Vin Fiz'', Rodgers made 69 landings, including 19 crashes.  When the deadline for the prize expired on October 10, he had only reached [[Marshall, Missouri]], but he continued until landing in [[Pasadena, California|Pasadena]] on November 5, 1911, having covered 4,231 miles in 49 days.<ref>Fred Culick and Spencer Dunmore, ''On Great White Wings: The Wright Brothers and the Race for Flight'' (Hyperion, 2001). pp. 151-153.</ref>

==September 18, 1911 (Monday)==
*[[Osman Ali Khan]] was formally enthroned as the new [[Nizam of Hyderabad]] in an elaborate [[Durbar (court)#British Empire|durbar]] attended by the nobility across his Indian princely state.<ref>Benjamin B. Cohen, ''Kingship and Colonialism in India's Deccan, 1850–1948'' (Macmillan, 2007). p. 81.</ref>
*The value of reconnaissance by airplane was first demonstrated to the [[French Army]], conducted for the [[Grand Quartier Général|Grand Quartier General]] of the  [[French Army]], as Captain Eteve and Captain Pichot-Duclas flew from [[Verdun]] to [[Etraye]] and [[Romagne-sous-Montfaucon|Romagne]] and provided in-depth information of their observations.<ref>[http://www.ndic.edu/press/pdf/6211a.pdf Terrence J. Finnegan, ''Shooting the Front: Allied Aerial Reconnaissance and Photographic Interpretation on the Western Front in World War I''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005033104/http://www.ndic.edu/press/pdf/6211a.pdf |date=2011-10-05 }} (U.S. Center for Strategic Intelligence Research, 2006) p9</ref>
*'''Died:''' [[Pyotr Stolypin]], 49, Prime Minister of Russia, four days after being shot by assassins.{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}

==September 19, 1911 (Tuesday)==
*Labor unions across Spain called for a walkout, and martial law was proclaimed.<ref name="AROR Oct 1911"/> 
*'''Born:''' [[William Golding]], British novelist most famous for ''[[Lord of the Flies]]'' and winner of 1983 [[Nobel Prize in Literature]]; in [[Newquay]], Cornwall, England. (d. 1993).{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}

==September 20, 1911 (Wednesday)==
*[[HMS Hawke (1891)#Collision with the liner Olympic|The massive White Star ocean liner RMS ''Olympic'' collided]] with the British cruiser {{HMS|Hawke|1891|6}} at the [[Solent]], the narrow strait near Southampton, and was badly damaged.<ref>"Olympic Hit by a Cruiser; Badly Damaged". ''New York Times''. September 21, 1911.</ref>  The captain of the ''Olympic'' was [[Edward Smith (sea captain)|Edward J. Smith]], who would later be assigned to the White Star liner {{RMS|Titanic}}, died after the ''Titanic'' hit an [[iceberg]] and sank during its maiden voyage on April 15, 1912.  The [[White Star Line]] was successfully sued for damages to the ''Hawke'' after investigators determined that the ''Olympic'' had failed to yield the right of way to the smaller ship.  In repairing the ''Olympic'', the White Star Line delayed the completion and scheduled March 20, 1912, maiden voyage of the ''Titanic'' by 20 days.<ref>Richard Howells, ''The Myth of the Titanic'' (Palgrave Macmillan, 1999). pp. 19-20.</ref><ref>Bill Fawcett and Brian Thomsen, eds., ''You Did What?: Mad Plans and Great Historical Disasters'' (HarperCollins, 2004).</ref> One historian speculated later that, "If the ''Hawke'' and the ''Olympic'' had never met, neither would the iceberg and the ''Titanic''."<ref>Steve Turner, ''The Band That Played on: The Extraordinary Story of the 8 Musicians Who Went Down With the Titanic'' (Thomas Nelson Inc, 2011). pp. 86-89.</ref>
*'''Born:''' 
**[[Shriram Sharma]], Indian religious leader; in [[Agra]] (d. 1990).{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}
**[[Frank De Vol]], American composer for film and television; in [[Moundsville, West Virginia]] (d. 1999).{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}
*'''Died:''' [[Anna Parnell]], 59, Irish political journalist, drowned while swimming at the English seaside resort of [[Ilfracombe]].{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}

==September 21, 1911 (Thursday)==
[[File:Robert Laird Borden cph.3b31281.jpg|150px|thumb|New Canadian Premier Borden]]
*In [[1911 Canadian federal election|elections in Canada]], Prime Minister [[Wilfrid Laurier]] was swept out of office and his [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal Party]] lost its 133-85 majority in the 221 seat [[House of Commons of Canada|House of Commons]].  The [[Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942)|Conservative Party]], led by [[Robert Borden]], picked up 47 seats for a 132-85 advantage, as voters made it clear that they did not support the proposal for full trade reciprocity with the United States.<ref>Ross King, ''Defiant Spirits: The Modernist Revolution of the Group of Seven'' (Douglas & McIntyre, 2010).</ref><ref>"Reciprocity Thrown out by Canadians". ''New York Times''. September 22, 1911.</ref><ref name="AROR Nov 1911">"Record of Current Events", ''The American Monthly Review of Reviews'' (November 1911). pp. 543-546.</ref>
*Chinese troops relieved the besieged city of [[Chengdu]] and found that no foreigners had been harmed.<ref>"Cheng-Tu Relieved". ''New York Times''. September 22, 1911.</ref>
*'''Died: '''[[Ahmed Arabi Pasha]], 70, exiled Egyptian rebel leader of the 1881 rebellion against British rule.{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}

==September 22, 1911 (Friday)==
*[[Cy Young]] pitched his 511th and final win, leading the [[Boston Rustlers]] (who would be renamed the [[Boston Braves]] in 1912) to a  1-0 while visiting the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]].  The 511 wins is a record that remains unapproached a century later.<ref>Rich Westcott, ''Winningest Pitchers: Baseball's 300-game Winners'' (Temple University Press, 2002). p. 56.</ref><ref>"Old Cy Young Whitewashes Buccaneers". ''Pittsburgh Press''. September 23, 1911. p. 8.</ref>  [[Walter Johnson]] is second with 417 career wins, and the career record for a pitcher active in 2011 was around 200 for [[Tim Wakefield]].  Young pitched two more games in 1911, finishing with 313 losses, also a record.{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}

==September 23, 1911 (Saturday)==
*In the first major demonstration by [[Protestantism in Ireland|Protestant Irishmen]] against "[[Irish Home Rule movement|Home Rule]]" and the separation of all of [[Ireland]] from the United Kingdom, [[Sir Edward Carson|Edward Carson]] led the march of 50,000 [[Unionism in Ireland|Unionists]] in [[Northern Ireland]] from [[Belfast]] to [[Craigavon]], the home of [[James Craig, 1st Viscount Craigavon]], and addressed the crowd, declaring, "We must be prepared.. the morning Home Rule passes, ourselves to become responsible for the government of the Protestant Province of Ulster."<ref name=Plowright>John Plowright, ''The Routledge Dictionary of Modern British History'' (Taylor & Francis, 2006). p. 52-53.</ref>
*[[Vladimir Kokovtsov]], [[Ministry of Finance (Russia)|Finance Minister]], became the new Prime Minister of Russia<ref name="AROR Nov 1911"/>  
*The Argentine battleship {{ship|ARA|Moreno||6}}, joining the ''Rivadavia'' as larger than any other warship in the world, was launched from a shipyard in [[Camden, New Jersey]].<ref>"Moreno Launched For Argentine Navy". ''New York Times''. September 24, 1911.</ref>
*[[Jack Donaldson (athlete)|Jack Donaldson]] of [[Australia]], nicknamed "The Blue Streak," ran 130 yards in 12 seconds in a foot race against American challenger C.E. "Bullet" Holway, setting a new world record.<ref>Edward S. Sears, ''Running through the Ages'' (McFarland, 2001). p. 170.</ref>
*Pilot [[Earle Ovington]] made the first official [[airmail]] flight in American under the authority of the [[United States Post Office Department]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://airandspace.si.edu/exhibitions/america-by-air/online/early_years/early_years02.cfm |accessdate=4 November 2021 |title=The Post Office Begins Flying the Mail |website=Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | date=2007 }}</ref>
*'''Died: '''[[Charles Battell Loomis]], 50, American humorist, died of stomach cancer <ref>"Charles Battell Loomis Dead— Humorist and Author Dies in Hartford, Conn., Hospital of Cancer of the Stomach". ''Chicago Sunday Tribune''. September 24, 1911. p. 2</ref>

==September 24, 1911 (Sunday)==
*Thirteen people were killed, and eight seriously injured, when a train struck a group of people on a hayride at [[Neenah, Wisconsin]]. The group had been returning to [[Menasha, Wisconsin|Menasha]] from a late night wedding anniversary celebration in a fog, when it was struck by the No. 121 train of the [[Chicago & Northwestern Railroad]].  The crossing, whose view was blocked by a billboard, had been the scene of several other fatal accidents in the previous eight years.<ref>"13 Dead, 8 Injured as Train Hits Wagon". ''New York Times''. September 25, 1911.</ref>
*As war between Italy and the [[Ottoman Empire]] appeared imminent, [[Count Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf|Conrad von Hötzendorf]], Chief of the [[Austro-Hungarian Army]]'s General Staff, sent a proposal to the Austro-Hungarian Foreign Minister [[Count Alois Lexa von Aehrenthal]], proposing that [[Austria]] attack Italy or conquer the [[Balkans|Balkan territories]].<ref>Luciano Monzali, ''The Italians of Dalmatia: From Italian Unification to World War I'' (University of Toronto Press, 2009). p. 280.</ref>
[[File:KonstantinChernenko2.jpg|100px|thumb|Konstantin Chernenko]]
*'''Born:''' 
**[[Konstantin Chernenko]], [[General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union]] and head of state (as [[Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet]]) from 1984 until his death in 1985; in [[Novosyolovsky District|Bolshaya Tes]], [[Russian Empire]].{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}
**[[Ed Kretz]], American motorcycle racer; in [[San Diego]] (d. 1996).{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}

==September 25, 1911 (Monday)==
*The {{ship|French battleship|Liberté}} exploded at anchor in [[Toulon]], France, killing 235 on the ship and another 65 on other ships, in the worst disaster to have hit the French Navy.  At 4:00 in the morning, a fire broke out on the ship, and at 5:35 it reached magazines of gunpowder.  The largest blast happened at 5:53.<ref>"The Liberte Is Blown Up; Over 350 Dead". ''New York Times''. September 26, 1911.</ref>
*The [[Houston Press (Scripps Howard)|''Houston Press'']] published its first issue as a daily newspaper in [[Houston, Texas]].  It would later be acquired by the [[E. W. Scripps Company|Scripps-Howard]], but would cease publication on [[March 1964|March 20, 1964]], shortly after observing its 50th anniversary.<ref>Hank Moore, ''Houston Legends: History and Heritage of Dynamic Global Capitol'' (Morgan James Publishing, 2015). p. 97.</ref> 
*'''Born:''' 
**[[Eric Williams]], first [[Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago]], from 1962 until his death; in [[Port of Spain]] (d. 1981).{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}
**[[Lilian Ngoyi]], South African [[Internal resistance to apartheid|anti-apartheid activist]]; in [[Pretoria]], [[South Africa]] (d. 1980).{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}
*'''Died:''' [[Dmitri Bogrov]], 24, who had fatally wounded Premier Stolypin on September 14, was hanged.{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}

==September 26, 1911 (Tuesday)==
*The government of Italy prepared an ultimatum and [[Italo-Turkish War|threat of war]] to Turkey, demanding cession of the Ottoman Empire's North African territory in modern-day [[Libya]], on grounds that Muslim fanatics in [[Tripoli, Libya|Tripoli]] were endangering Italian lives.  Because Germany had been attempting to mediate the crisis between the two kingdoms, delivery of the ultimatum was held off for two days.<ref>"Italy's Ultimatum". ''New York Times''. September 27, 1911.</ref>

==September 27, 1911 (Wednesday)==
*In the [[1911 Swedish general election|first parliamentary elections in Sweden]] since the introduction of universal male suffrage, the [[Liberal Coalition Party|Liberal Party]], led by [[Karl Staaf]], won 102 of the 230 seats in the [[Parliament of Sweden|Riksdag]], bringing an end to the Conservative government of Prime Minister [[Arvid Lindman]].<ref>"Sweden", in ''The Britannica Year-Book 1913'', p. 1143.</ref><ref>"Swedish Cabinet Resigns". ''New York Times''. October 1, 1911.</ref>
*'''Born:''' [[John Harvey (actor)|John Harvey]], British character actor; in [[London]] (d. 1982).{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}

==September 28, 1911 (Thursday)==
*The [[Italo-Turkish War]] commenced as Italy's ultimatum served upon Turkish Grand Vizier [[Ibrahim Hakki Pasha]]  at noon by [[Giacomo De Martino]], the Italian Chargé d'affaires at [[Constantinople]] after negotiations by Baron Marschall von Bieberstein, the German Ambassador, had failed, giving Turkey 24 hours to give up Libya or to go to war.<ref>[https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1911/09/29/104837867.pdf "Italy to Act at Noon To-Day"]. ''New York Times''. September 29, 1911.</ref>
*Five days after the appeal in [[Belfast]] by Edward Carson, "Ulster Day" was set aside for residents of the Irish province to sign a covenant to resist rule from [[Dublin]] in the event that Ireland was granted Home Rule.  The pledge was signed by 237,368 men and 234,046 women.<ref name=Plowright/>

==September 29, 1911 (Friday)==
*After its ultimatum to Turkey expired at noon, the Italian destroyer ''[[List of destroyers of Italy#World War I|Garibaldino]]'' sailed into the harbor at [[Tripoli, Libya|Tripoli]], and an officer from the ship approached the commander of the [[Ottoman Army (1861–1922)|Turkish Army]] to formally demand the city's surrender, which was refused.  At 2:30 pm, Italy declared war on [[Ottoman Empire]] after Turkey declined to surrender Tripoli.<ref>[https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1911/09/30/104876789.pdf "ITALY BEGINS WAR ON TURKEY; WINS FIRST NAVAL BATTLE"]. ''New York Times''. September 30, 1911.</ref><ref>"Tripoli Refuses Surrender". ''New York Times''. September 30, 1911.</ref><ref>"Italy Declares War". ''New York Times''. September 30, 1911.</ref>  Having failed to prepare Turkey for war, Grand Vizier Hakkı Pasha resigned and was succeeded by [[Mehmed Said Pasha]].<ref name="AROR Nov 1911"/><ref>"Will Not Defend Tripoli- Turkish Government So Decides- Said Pasha Heads New Cabinet". ''New York Times''. September 30, 1911.</ref>  The landing of Italian troops took place simultaneously at [[Tripoli, Libya|Tripoli]], [[Benghazi]], [[Derna, Libya|Derna]] and [[Tobruk]], "accompanied by the first air raids in history, with the pilots of early biplanes flying low over their targets and lobbing small bombs out by hand."<ref>John Julius Norwich, ''The Middle Sea: A History of the Mediterranean'' (Random House Digital, Inc., 2007).</ref>  Within a year, Libya would become a [[protectorate]] of Italy.{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}
*'''Died: '''[[Henry Northcote, 1st Baron Northcote]], 65, who served from 1904 to 1908 as the [[Governor-General of Australia]].{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}

==September 30, 1911 (Saturday)==
*[[Austin Dam|A concrete dam]], maintained by the Bayless Pulp and Paper Mill, burst at 2:30 in the afternoon, sending 4,500,000 gallons of water through the town of [[Austin, Pennsylvania]], and the smaller localities of Costello and Wharton.  Officially, 78 people were killed, although the initial estimate of death was almost 1,000.<ref>[https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1911/10/01/104838075.pdf "Nearly 1,000 Dead in Austin, Pa., Devastated by Flood and Fire"]. ''New York Times''. October 1, 1911. p. 1.</ref><ref>Ben Gelber, ''The Pennsylvania Weather Book'' (Rutgers University Press, 2002). p. 194.</ref>`
*The U.S. Army became the first army in the world to make vaccinations against [[typhoid]] mandatory.  Within 9 months, the whole army had been immunized against typhoid.<ref>Vincent J. Cirillo, ''Bullets and Bacilli: The Spanish–American War and Military Medicine'' (Rutgers University Press, 2004). p. 125.</ref>
*'''Born:''' [[Ruth Gruber]], American humanitarian, in [[New York City]] (d. 2016).{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}
*'''Died:''' [[Wilhelm Dilthey]], 77, German philosopher.{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

{{Events by month links}}

[[Category:September|1911]]
[[Category:1911|*1911-09]]
[[Category:Months in the 1910s|*1911-09]]