On This Day for September 2 - Great Fire of London , Jimmy Connors is featured, and more

This message contains graphics. If you do not see the graphics, click here to view. September 02 FEATURED BIOGRAPHY Jimmy Connors READ MORE   FEATURED EVENT 1666 Great Fire of London READ MORE   Advertisement Advertisement   MORE EVENTS ON THIS DAY 2005: American actor Bob Denver, who was perhaps best known for portraying the title character in the hit TV series Gilligan's Island (1964–67), died in North Carolina. [Test your knowledge of pop culture.] 1998: Swissair flight 111 crashed off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, killing all 229 on board; it was later determined that faulty wires had caused the plane's flammable insulation to catch fire. 1973: English writer J.R.R. Tolkien, who was best known for the inventive fantasies The Hobbit (1937) and The Lord of the Rings (1954–55), died. [Take our quiz about the life and works of English authors.] 1948: American teacher Christa Corrigan McAuliffe , who was chosen to be the first private citizen in space, was born; she and six other crew members died when the space shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after liftoff in 1986. [Test your knowledge of famous astronauts and cosmonauts.] 1928: American jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader Horace Silver, who was an exemplary performer of what came to be called the hard bop style of the 1950s and '60s, was born. [Take our music quiz.] 1901: American politician Theodore Roosevelt, who was then the Republican vice presidential candidate, gave the first public speech in which he said, "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far." The Big Stick policy later became a central feature of his presidency. [How much do you know about U.S. presidents?] SEE ALL EVENTS ON THIS DAY ALSO BORN ON THIS DAY 1966 Salma Hayek Mexican American actress, director, and producer 1965 Lennox Lewis British boxer 1948 Terry Bradshaw American football player 1960 Eric Dickerson American football player 1948 Christa Corrigan McAuliffe American educator 1838 Liliuokalani queen of Hawaii 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