Almanac

September 17 - September 23

Birthdays

September 17

• In 1934 Maureen "Little Mo" Connolly, the first woman to win the tennis grand slam (1953).
  

September 19

• In 1915, Elizabeth Stern, her studies of cervical cancers have made this disease one of the most easily diagnosed and treatable.
  

September 20

• In 1886, Sister Elizabeth Kenny, Australian nurse who
  exercised the limbs of polio victims instead of immobilizing them (the accepted practice of the day) and had remarkable success in preventing or limiting the paralysis.
  
• In 1934, Sophia Loren, actor.
  

September 21

• In 1855, Etta Semple, US writer who became the
  target of an assassin for her freethought views.
  
• In 1907, Helen Snow, British journalist and author (Red Dust).

September 23

• In 1838, Victoria Chaflin Woodhull, the first female presidential candidate (Radical Reformers Party).
  

Happenings

September 17

• In 1179, Hildegard died. Often called a saint although never formally canonized, she wrote Scavias, the record of her first 25 visions. She also wrote music for women's voices, performed primarily by nuns.
  
• In 1983, Vanessa Williams of NY became the first black Miss America.
  

September 19

• In 1992, 300 years after they were excommunicated
  and executed, Rebecca Nurse and Giles Corey, victims of the Salem witchcraft hysteria, were readmitted to the First Church in Salem, Massachusetts.
  

September 20

• In 1884, the Equal Rights Party nominated female candidates for President and Vice-President (Belva Ann Bennett Lockwood and Marietta Lizzie Bell Stow).
  
• In 1973, Billy Jean King beat Bobby Riggs in the "battle-of-sexes" tennis match.