On This Day — 28 September

2023

The 2023 Rotterdam shootings occurred, during which two people were killed in a shooting and arson incident at a residence in Delfshaven, Rotterdam. Additionally, one person lost their life in a classroom at the Erasmus University Medical Center.

2023 Rotterdam shootings

2022

Hurricane Ian makes landfall in Cayo Costa State Park, Florida as a category four hurricane, killing 169 and doing $113 billion in damage, becoming Florida's costliest hurricane and the deadliest in 89 years.

Hurricane Ian

2018

The 7.5 Mw 2018 Sulawesi earthquake, which triggered a large tsunami, leaves 4,340 dead and 10,679 injured.

2018 Sulawesi earthquake and tsunami

2016

The 2016 South Australian blackout occurs, lasting up to three days in some areas.

2016 South Australian blackout

2014

The 2014 Hong Kong protests begin in response to restrictive political reforms imposed by the NPC in Beijing.

2014 Hong Kong protests

2012

Somali and African Union forces launch a coordinated assault on the Somali port of Kismayo to take back the city from al-Shabaab militants.

Battle of Kismayo (2012)

2012

Sita Air Flight 601 crashes in Madhyapur Thimi, Nepal, killing all 19 passengers and crew.

Sita Air Flight 601

2009

The military junta leading Guinea attacks a protest rally, killing or wounding 1,400 people.

2009 Guinean protests

2008

Falcon 1 becomes the first privately developed liquid-fuel ground-launched vehicle to put a payload into orbit by the RatSat mission.

Falcon 1

2008

The Singapore Grand Prix is held as Formula One's inaugural night race, with Fernando Alonso winning the event. Almost a year later it was revealed that Alonso's team-mate Nelson Piquet Jr. had been ordered to crash his car to help bring out the safety car and give Alonso the advantage and win.

2008 Singapore Grand Prix

2006

Typhoon Xangsane passes over Manila after impacting parts of Southern Luzon and Eastern Visayas, becoming the strongest to affect the Philippine capital in 11 years.

Typhoon Xangsane

2000

Al-Aqsa Intifada: Ariel Sharon visits Al-Aqsa Mosque known to Jews as the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

Second Intifada

1995

Bob Denard and a group of mercenaries take the islands of the Comoros in a coup.

Bob Denard

1995

Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat sign the Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Yitzhak Rabin

1994

The cruise ferry MS Estonia sinks in the Baltic Sea, killing 852 people.

MS Estonia

1992

A Pakistan International Airlines flight crashes into a hill in Nepal, killing all 167 passengers and crew.

Pakistan International Airlines Flight 268

1986

The Democratic Progressive Party becomes the first opposition party in Taiwan.

Democratic Progressive Party

1975

The Spaghetti House siege, in which nine people are taken hostage, takes place in London.

Spaghetti House siege

1973

The ITT Building in New York City is bombed in protest at ITT's alleged involvement in the coup d'état in Chile.

ITT Inc.

1970

Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser dies of a heart attack in Cairo.

Gamal Abdel Nasser

1961

A military coup in Damascus effectively ends the United Arab Republic, the union between Egypt and Syria.

1961 Syrian coup d'état

1958

Fernando Rios, a Mexican tour guide in New Orleans, dies of injuries sustained in an incident of gay bashing.

Killing of Fernando Rios

1951

CBS makes the first color televisions available for sale to the general public, but the product is discontinued less than a month later.

Color television

1944

World War II: Soviet Army troops liberate Klooga concentration camp in Estonia.

Klooga concentration camp

1941

World War II: The Drama uprising against the Bulgarian occupation in northern Greece begins.

Drama uprising

1941

Ted Williams achieves a .406 batting average for the season, and becomes the last major league baseball player to bat .400 or better.

Ted Williams

1939

World War II: Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union agree on a division of Poland.

World War II

1939

World War II: The siege of Warsaw comes to an end.

Siege of Warsaw (1939)

1928

Alexander Fleming notices a bacteria-killing mold growing in his laboratory, discovering what later became known as penicillin.

Alexander Fleming

1924

The first aerial circumnavigation is completed by a team from the US Army.

First aerial circumnavigation

1919

Race riots begin in Omaha, Nebraska, United States.

Omaha race riot of 1919

1918

World War I: The Fifth Battle of Ypres begins.

World War I

1912

The Ulster Covenant is signed by some 500,000 Ulster Unionists in opposition to the Third Irish Home Rule Bill.

Ulster Covenant

1912

Corporal Frank S. Scott of the United States Army becomes the first enlisted man to die in an airplane crash.

Frank S. Scott

1901

Philippine–American War: Filipino guerrillas kill more than forty American soldiers while losing 28 of their own.

Philippine–American War

1892

The first night game for American football takes place in a contest between Wyoming Seminary and Mansfield State Normal.

1892 Wyoming Seminary vs. Mansfield Normal football game

1889

The General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) defines the length of a metre.

General Conference on Weights and Measures

1871

The Brazilian Parliament passes a law that frees all children thereafter born to slaves, and all government-owned slaves.

Rio Branco Law

1868

The Battle of Alcolea causes Queen Isabella II of Spain to flee to France.

Battle of Alcolea (1868)

1867

Toronto becomes the capital of Ontario, having also been the capital of Ontario's predecessors since 1796.

History of Toronto

1844

Oscar I of Sweden–Norway is crowned king of Sweden.

Oscar I of Sweden

1821

The Declaration of Independence of the Mexican Empire is drafted. It will be made public on 13 October.

Declaration of Independence (Mexico)

1787

The Congress of the Confederation votes to send the newly written United States Constitution to the state legislatures for approval.

History of the United States Constitution

1781

American Revolution: French and American forces backed by a French fleet begin the siege of Yorktown.

Siege of Yorktown

1779

American Revolution: Samuel Huntington is elected President of the Continental Congress, succeeding John Jay.

American Revolution

1542

Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo of Portugal arrives at what is now San Diego, California. He is the first European in California.

Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo

1538

Ottoman–Venetian War: The Ottoman Navy scores a decisive victory over a Holy League fleet in the Battle of Preveza.

Battle of Preveza

1322

Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor, defeats Frederick I of Austria in the Battle of Mühldorf.

Battle of Mühldorf

1238

King James I of Aragon conquers Valencia from the Moors. Shortly thereafter, he proclaims himself king of Valencia.

James I of Aragon

1213

Queen consort Gertrude of Merania is assassinated by a group of Hungarian lords.

Gertrude of Merania

1106

King Henry I of England defeats his brother Robert Curthose at the Battle of Tinchebray.

Henry I of England

1066

William the Conqueror lands in England, beginning the Norman conquest.

William the Conqueror

995

Boleslaus II, Duke of Bohemia, kills most members of the rival Slavník dynasty.

Boleslaus II, Duke of Bohemia

935

Duke Wenceslaus I of Bohemia is murdered by a group of nobles led by his brother Boleslaus I, who succeeds him.

Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia

365

Roman usurper Procopius bribes two legions passing by Constantinople, and proclaims himself emperor.

AD 365

351

Constantius II defeats the usurper Magnentius.

Battle of Mursa Major

235

Pope Pontian resigns. He is exiled to the mines of Sardinia, along with Hippolytus of Rome.

Pope Pontian

-48

Pompey disembarks at Pelusium upon arriving in Egypt, whereupon he is assassinated by order of King Ptolemy XIII.

Pompey