September 7: The Day the Blitz Began and Other Historical Milestones

On September 7, 1940, Nazi Germany initiated a sustained aerial bombardment of Britain, starting with an attack on London. This campaign, known as The Blitz, would last eight months and claim more than 40,000 civilian lives, marking one of World War II's most harrowing chapters.

Beyond the war, this date holds several other notable moments. In 1813, the Troy Post newspaper in New York first used the term "Uncle Sam" to refer to the United States, a nickname tied to local meatpacker Samuel Wilson, who supplied beef to the U.S. Army. In 1822, Prince Regent Pedro of Braganza declared Brazil's independence from Portugal, a move formally recognized by Portugal three years later.

The early 20th century saw the end of the Boxer Rebellion in 1901, with a protocol requiring reparations to foreign powers, and the first Miss America Pageant in 1921. A tragic fire at Houston's Gulf Hotel in 1943 claimed 55 lives.

Later decades brought cultural and political shifts: the Pro Football Hall of Fame opened in Canton, Ohio, in 1963; the Panama Canal Treaty was signed in 1977, setting the stage for U.S. handover of the waterway by 1999; and Bishop Desmond Tutu became the first Black clergyman to lead the Anglican Church in southern Africa in 1986.

More recent events include the 1996 shooting of rapper Tupac Shakur on the Las Vegas Strip, the 2005 door-to-door evacuation efforts in post-Katrina New Orleans, and in 2021, El Salvador becoming the first nation to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender.

Today also marks the birthdays of several notable figures, including singer Gloria Gaynor, actor Julie Kavner, and rock vocalist Chrissie Hynde.