This Day in History: September 1

1715 King Louis XIV of France passes away

King Louis XIV of France dies concluding a remarkable reign of 72 years—the most extended any major European sovereign has ever ruled.

1878 The inception of the first female telephone operator

Emma Nutt transforms the telecommunications industry by being the first female telephone operator. She started her work at the Edwin Holmes Telephone Despatch Company in Boston.

1905 Alberta and Saskatchewan become part of Confederation of Canada

Under the watch of Wilfrid Laurier, Alberta and Saskatchewan join the Confederation of Canada as its 8th and 9th provinces respectively.

1939 Germany invades Poland marking the initiation of World War II

World War II commences when Germany aggresses Poland by attacking the Free City of Danzig.

1941 Jews in Germany are compelled to wear Yellow Star of David

Under Nazi rule, Jews living in Germany are required to wear a conspicuous yellow star of David as a clear identification.

1951 Signing of ANZUS mutual defense treaty by US, Australia and New Zealand

The United States, Australia, and New Zealand come together to sign the ANZUS mutual defense treaty, designed to bolster peace and security in the Pacific region.

1969 Colonel Muammar Gaddafi overthrows King Idris in the Libyan revolution

In a significant political shift, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi deposes King Idris in the Libyan revolution, drastically altering the nation's political landscape.

2004 Killing of 350 individuals including children in a massacre in North Ossetia's Beslan

An armed group of Chechen rebels seize over 1000 people including school children in Beslan, North Ossetia, demanding international recognition for an independent Chechnya. The hostage crisis lasts for three days, brutally ending when Russian troops storm the school, culminating in the deaths of 350 hostages.

1985 Discovery of the sunken ship Titanic in the North Atlantic Ocean

A French-American expedition group treks the depths of the North Atlantic Ocean to uncover the wreckage of the notorious Titanic. The cruise ship infamously sunk on her maiden voyage from Southampton, UK, to New York City, U.S., on April 14, 1912.

1979 Pioneer 11's closest encounter with Saturn

Pioneer 11, a landmark space probe built by NASA, made its closest approach to Saturn. The probe was the first to encounter Saturn - it flew by the planet at a distance of 13,000 miles (21,000 km). After the flyby, it proceeded on a trajectory to move out of the Solar System, and all contacts with it were lost a few weeks later.

1952 Life magazine features excerpts from 'The Old Man And The Sea'

Life magazine publishes portions of 'The Old Man And The Sea,' one of the most revered works of American author Ernest Hemingway. The novel narrates the tale of an old man and his various fishing escapades. Within days of the publication of the excerpt, a staggering 5 million copies of the magazine had been sold.

1914 Extinction of the Passenger Pigeons

Martha, the last known Passenger Pigeon, dies at the Cincinnati Zoo in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her death symbolizes the extinction of Passenger Pigeons, a tragic result of excessive hunting and habitat destruction.