On This Day for September 12 - Death of French composer Rameau, Jesse Owens is featured, and more

This message contains graphics. If you do not see the graphics, click here to view. September 12 FEATURED BIOGRAPHY Jesse Owens READ MORE   FEATURED EVENT 1764 Death of French composer Rameau READ MORE   Advertisement Advertisement   MORE EVENTS ON THIS DAY 2014: Politician Ian Paisley—who was a militant Protestant leader in the factional conflict that divided Northern Ireland from the 1960s until the early 21st century—died in Belfast. 2003: Country music legend Johnny Cash—whose craggy baritone, simple poetics, hard-won integrity, and advocacy of the dispossessed transformed him into an American icon—died in Nashville. [Test your knowledge of musicians.] 1980: The senior command of the Turkish army, led by General Kenan Evren, carried out a bloodless coup in their homeland. [Take our Turkish and Ottoman history quiz.] 1977: South African activist Steve Biko died from injuries suffered while in police custody; he subsequently became an international martyr for South African Black nationalism. [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about South Africa.] 1974: Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia was deposed by the Derg, a committee of revolutionary soldiers. [Test your knowledge of African leaders.] 1959: The TV series Bonanza premiered on NBC, and it became one of the longest-running westerns in broadcast history. [Sort fact from fiction in our pop culture quiz.] SEE ALL EVENTS ON THIS DAY ALSO BORN ON THIS DAY 1967 Louis C.K. American comedian, writer, director, and producer 1980 Yao Ming Chinese basketball player 1981 Jennifer Hudson American actress and singer 1913 Jesse Owens American athlete 1880 H.L. Mencken American writer 1494 Francis I king of France SEE ALL BIOS ON THIS DAY   Advertisement   FOLLOW: To unsubscribe from Britannica e-mails, click here. Encyclopædia Britannica 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 Chicago, Illinois 60654 United States © 2020 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Privacy Policy • Help