On September 11, 1941, the foundation was laid for what would become the nerve center of U.S. military operations—the Pentagon. This monumental structure, located across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., serves as the headquarters for the Department of Defense. Built with urgency during World War II, construction was completed in less than two years. Sixty years later, on this same day in 2001, the Pentagon became a target in a coordinated terrorist attack when Al Qaeda hijackers crashed a plane into the building.
Also on this day:
1789: Alexander Hamilton, one of the Founding Fathers and an architect of the American financial system, was appointed as the first Secretary of the U.S. Treasury. His appointment laid the groundwork for a strong national economy, including the establishment of a national bank and a standardized currency.
1814: In the War of 1812, an American naval fleet triumphed over British forces at the Battle of Lake Champlain. This decisive victory secured the northern border of the United States and was pivotal in negotiating peace with Britain.
1936: Boulder Dam, later renamed Hoover Dam, began its operation. This massive engineering feat provided crucial hydroelectric power as President Franklin D. Roosevelt activated the dam’s first generator from Washington. The dam remains a symbol of American ingenuity and resilience during the Great Depression.
1954: The Miss America pageant made its television debut on ABC, forever changing the landscape of American entertainment. The pageant introduced millions of viewers to the glamour and competition that would become a staple in American culture.
1973: Chilean President Salvador Allende, the world’s first democratically elected Marxist leader, died in the midst of a violent military coup. The uprising, led by General Augusto Pinochet, marked the beginning of a brutal dictatorship that lasted for nearly two decades.
1985: Pete Rose, a legendary figure in Major League Baseball, made history by surpassing Ty Cobb’s long-standing career hits record with his 4,192nd hit. This achievement solidified Rose’s place as one of the greatest hitters in the history of the sport.
2001: The deadliest terrorist attack in world history unfolded as 19 Al Qaeda hijackers seized four planes. Two crashed into the World Trade Center towers in New York, a third struck the Pentagon, and the fourth, headed for another target, was brought down in a field in Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000 people perished, reshaping global security and marking a permanent scar on the collective memory of the nation.
2008: In a rare show of unity, presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama visited ground zero on the seventh anniversary of 9/11. Together, they set aside political differences to honor the nearly 3,000 victims of the attacks, reminding the world of the importance of national solidarity in times of tragedy.
2012: A U.S. diplomatic outpost and a CIA annex in Benghazi, Libya, came under a devastating assault by a heavily armed mob. The nightlong attack claimed the lives of U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans, sparking widespread debates over diplomatic security and foreign policy.
2023: In a catastrophic event caused by Storm Daniel, over 4,000 people lost their lives in Derna, Libya, after two dams collapsed due to unprecedented rainfall. The subsequent flooding left thousands more missing, making it one of the deadliest disasters in the region’s history, highlighting the growing impact of extreme weather on global communities.
Today in History: December 20
A Look Back At Today, December 20
The Louisiana Purchase was completed.
“It’s a Wonderful Life” premiered at the Globe Theater.
The United States launched Operation Just Cause.
The United States Space Force was established.
Today in History: December 19
Today in History: December 19
In 1777, General George Washington led an army of more than 12,000 soldiers to Valley Forge.
In 1972, Apollo 17 splashed down in the Pacific, concluding the Apollo program.
In 2011, North Korean announced the death of Kim Jong Il and proclaimed Kim Jong Un as the leader.
In 2022, the House Jan. 6 Committee urged the Justice Department to bring criminal charges against the previous president
Today in History: December 18
Today in History: December 18
In 1865, the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, abolishing slavery, was proclaimed in effect.
In 1892, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s ballet “The Nutcracker” publicly premiered in St. Petersburg, Russia; although now considered a classic, it received a generally negative reception from critics.
In 1957, the Shippingport Atomic Power Station in Pennsylvania, the first nuclear facility to generate electricity in the United States, went on line. (It was taken out of service in 1982.)
In 2011, the last convoy of heavily armored U.S. troops left Iraq, crossing into Kuwait in darkness in the final moments of a nearly nine-year war.
Today in History: December 17
Today in History: December 17
In 1903 The Wright brothers’ flight redefined the possibilities of travel and opened the skies to human exploration.
In 1933 The first NFL championship laid the foundation for professional football’s evolution into a national pastime.
In 1989 “The Simpsons” redefined animated television, blending humor with social commentary to leave an indelible mark on entertainment.
In 1992 NAFTA reshaped North American trade, fostering economic ties while sparking debates on globalization.
In 2014 The U.S.-Cuba rapprochement signaled a pivotal moment in the post-Cold War world, rekindling hopes for reconciliation.
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