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September 28CalendarSeptember 30
This Day
29September

27 indexed achievements across recorded history.


1810
Elizabeth Gaskell
Literature

Birth of Elizabeth Gaskell

Elizabeth Gaskell was born in Chelsea, London.

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Elizabeth Gaskell·Britannica: Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
1848
Caroline Yale
Medicine

Birth of Caroline Yale

Caroline Ardelia Yale was born on September 29, 1848.

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Caroline Yale·Caroline Yale - American educator
1922
Emma Goldman
Literature

Publication of My Disillusionment in Russia

Goldman publishes her critique of Bolshevik policies in Russia.

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Emma Goldman·Emma Goldman - Wikipedia
1935
Winifred Holtby
Literature

Death of Winifred Holtby in London

Winifred Holtby died on 29 September 1935 in London at age 37 from kidney disease (Bright's disease), shortly before her masterwork South Riding was published.

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Winifred Holtby·Winifred Holtby - Wikipedia
1935
Janet Powell
Politics

Birth of Janet Frances Powell

Janet Frances Powell was born on September 29, 1935, in Nhill, Victoria.

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Janet Powell·The Australian Women's Register
1949
Edna Lewis
Arts

Featured in The New Yorker for Café Nicholson cooking

A New Yorker profile spotlighted Edna Lewis's cooking at Café Nicholson, an early major national showcase for a Black woman chef in New York City.

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Edna Lewis·Encyclopedia Virginia: Edna Lewis
1955
Ann Bancroft
Exploration

Born in Mendota Heights, Minnesota

Ann Bancroft was born on September 29, 1955, in Mendota Heights, Minnesota, later becoming a pioneering polar explorer.

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Ann Bancroft·Wikipedia - Ann Bancroft
1964
Tatyana Afanasyeva
Science

Died in Leiden, Netherlands

Tatyana Afanasyeva-Ehrenfest died on September 29, 1964, in Leiden, Netherlands, after a long career in mathematics and physics.

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Tatyana Afanasyeva·MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive - Afanassjeva
1967
Katherine Dunham
Arts

Opening of Performing Arts Training Center in East St. Louis

Dunham opened the Performing Arts Training Center in East St. Louis, Illinois on September 29, 1967, providing arts education to local youth.

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Katherine Dunham·Katherine Dunham Timeline - Library of Congress
1974
Kathrine Switzer
Sports

Wins New York City Marathon women's title

Switzer won the New York City Marathon in 3:07:29, becoming the women's champion during the era when the race looped through Central Park.

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Kathrine Switzer·Fifty Years After Being Banned, Kathrine Switzer Will Run Boston Again - The New York Times
1987
Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner
Science

Patent for back washer and massager

Mary Kenner patented a mounted back washer and massager for bathing convenience.

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Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner·Mary Kenner's Patented Inventions: Analysis and Impact
1988
Jackie Joyner Kersee
Sports

First American woman to win Olympic gold in the long jump

Joyner-Kersee becomes the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in the long jump.

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Jackie Joyner Kersee·Team USA Hall of Fame
1988
Jackie Joyner Kersee
Sports

First athlete to surpass 7,000 heptathlon points at the Olympics

Joyner-Kersee is the first athlete ever to score more than 7,000 points in the heptathlon at the Olympics.

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Jackie Joyner Kersee·Britannica
1988
Jackie Joyner Kersee
Sports

Olympic long jump gold and Olympic record at Seoul 1988

Joyner-Kersee wins Olympic gold in the women’s long jump with a leap of 7.40 m, setting an Olympic record.

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Jackie Joyner Kersee·Olympics.com
1988
Florence Griffith Joyner
Science

200m World Record and Olympic Gold in Final, Seoul 1988

Later the same day, Griffith Joyner ran 21.34 seconds in the 200m final, breaking her own world record and winning Olympic gold—a mark still unbeaten.

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Florence Griffith Joyner·World Athletics: Florence Griffith Joyner
1988
Florence Griffith Joyner
Science

200m World Record in Seoul Olympic Semifinal

In the semifinal of the women's 200m at the Seoul Olympics, Griffith Joyner broke the world record with a time of 21.56 seconds.

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Florence Griffith Joyner·Olympedia: Florence Griffith Joyner
1993
Vera Rubin
Science

Awarded U.S. National Medal of Science

On September 29, 1993, Vera Rubin received the U.S. National Medal of Science.

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Vera Rubin·Vera Rubin found a lifetime of wonder in the dark skies - Astronomy Magazine
1993
Marjory Stoneman Douglas
Activism

Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded to Marjory Stoneman Douglas

On Sept. 29, 1993, President Bill Clinton awarded Douglas the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her lifetime of Everglades advocacy.

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Marjory Stoneman Douglas·Wikipedia – Presidential Medal of Freedom (Douglas entry)
1994
Barbara Jordan
Politics

Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom

Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton on September 29, 1994, for her contributions to civil rights and public service.

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Barbara Jordan·Barbara Jordan Legacy - LBJ School
1995
Madalyn Murray O'Hair
Activism

Disappearance of Madalyn Murray O'Hair

Madalyn Murray O'Hair disappeared from her Austin, Texas home on September 29, 1995, along with her son Jon Garth Murray and granddaughter Robin Murray O'Hair.

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Madalyn Murray O'Hair·Madalyn Murray O'Hair - Wikipedia
2002
Giuliana Tesoro
Science

Death of Giuliana Cavaglieri Tesoro

Giuliana Cavaglieri Tesoro died on September 29, 2002, leaving a legacy of over 125 patents in chemistry.

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Giuliana Tesoro·Paid Notice: Deaths TESORO, GIULIANA - The New York Times
2005
May-Britt Moser
Science

W. Alden Spencer Award 2005 Ceremony

W. Alden Spencer Award ceremony at Columbia University honoring May-Britt and Edvard Moser for outstanding research in neuroscience.

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May-Britt Moser·W. Alden Spencer Award – Columbia University Alumni News
2006
Carolyn Greider
Science

Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research

Greider, Blackburn, and Szostak received the Lasker Award on September 29, 2006.

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Carolyn Greider·Lasker Foundation - Going Her Own Way
2007
Katsuko Saruhashi
Science

Death of Katsuko Saruhashi

Katsuko Saruhashi died in Tokyo, Japan, leaving a lasting legacy in geochemistry and advocacy for women scientists.

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Katsuko Saruhashi·Katsuko Saruhashi - Wikipedia
2020
Helen Reddy
Science

Death of Helen Reddy

Helen Reddy died at age 78 in a Los Angeles care facility after living with Addison's disease and dementia.

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Helen Reddy·NPR: 'I Am Woman' Singer Helen Reddy Is Dead At 78
2022
Kathleen Booth
Science

Death of Kathleen Booth at age 100

Kathleen Hylda Valerie Booth died at age 100, closing a century-spanning career at the foundations of computer science.

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Kathleen Booth·Kathleen Booth, computer pioneer, bows out at 100
2023
Dianne Feinstein
Politics

Death in office as U.S. senator from California

Feinstein died in Washington, D.C., ending her record-breaking Senate tenure.

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Dianne Feinstein·The Guardian - Dianne Feinstein: Senator Dies