September 1919

[September 1], 1919 (Monday)

• American communist leaders C. E. Ruthenberg and Louis C. Fraina formed the Communist Party of America after splintering from the Socialist Labor Party of America during the national convention in Chicago.
• Edward, Prince of Wales opened the third parliamentary session of the 13th Canadian Parliament.
• The 59th Infantry Division of the British Army was disbanded along with its mortar brigade.
• The Royal Air Force disbanded air group No. 15.
• The Baku State University was established in Baku, Azerbaijan.
• The Forestry Commission was established in the United Kingdom.
• Russian filmmaker Vladimir Gardin founded the Moscow Film School, which continues to be the longest-running active film school in the world.
• United Artists released their first film, His Majesty, the American starring Douglas Fairbanks and directed by Joseph Henabery.
• New subway stations were added to the BMT Broadway Line in New York City, including Fifth Avenue and Lexington Avenue.
• The Norwegian newspaper Agder Tidend began publishing in Kristiansand, Norway.
• Sports club Vidar was established in Oslo, where it is known for its track and field, triathlon and archery programs.
• Born:
• * Gladys Davis, Canadian baseball player, shortstop and outfielder of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League from 1943 to 1946; as Gladys Victoria Anthony, in Toronto, Canada
• * Mahmud Ali, Pakistani politician, founder of the Ganatantri Dal political party; in Sunamganj, British India

  [September 2], 1919 (Tuesday)

• A tropical cyclone formed east of Guadeloupe in the Atlantic Ocean.
• Stagehands with theatrical companies across the United States joined in support of the actors' strike.
• The Danish-Baltic Auxiliary Corps, a military volunteer unit to assist Estonia and Latvia achieve independence from Russia, was officially disbanded.
• Born: Marge Champion, American actress and choreographer, known for her collaboration with husband Gower Champion on film musicals including Mr. Music and Show Boat, and her work on the 1970s television miniseries The Awakening Land; as Marjorie Celeste Belcher, in Los Angeles, United States

  [September 3], 1919 (Wednesday)

• Jan Smuts became the second Prime Minister of South Africa.
• Axeman of New Orleans - Nineteen-year old Sarah Laumann was attacked while she slept in her home. Neighbors discovered her lying unconscious on her bed with head injuries and a bloody ax was found in front of her house. Laumann recovered but could not recall any details from the attack.
• The German Social Democratic Workers' Party in the Czechoslovak Republic was established during a political convention in Teplice, Czechoslovakia.
• American economist Roger Babson founded a private business school later referred to as Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

  [September 4], 1919 (Thursday)

• The Turkish National Movement assembled in Sivas, Turkey to discuss formation of a future Turkish government following the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire.
• Bill Johnston defeated Bill Tilden 6–4, 6–4, 6–3 in the men's singles at the U.S. National Championships while Norman Brookes and Gerald Patterson defeated Tilden and Vincent Richards 8–6, 6–3, 4–6, 4–6, 6–2 in the men's doubles.
• The football club Kapfenberger SV was established in Kapfenberg, Austria.
• Born:
• * Howard Morris, American actor, best known for the role of Ernest T. Bass in the 1960s television comedy The Andy Griffith Show; in New York City, United States
• * Émile Bouchard, Canadian hockey player, defenceman for the Montreal Canadiens from 1941 to 1956, four-time Stanley Cup champion; as Joseph Émile Alcide Bouchard, in Montreal, Canada
• * Phil Terranova, American boxer, World Featherweight Champion in 1943; in New York City, United States

  [September 5], 1919 (Friday)

• Born: Tom Jordan, American baseball player who was catcher for the Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians and St. Louis Browns
• Died: Joseph Ivess, 75, Irish-New Zealand politician, member of the New Zealand House of Representatives for Wakanui from 1882 to 1887

  [September 6], 1919 (Saturday)

• A United States Army motor convoy arrived in San Francisco to complete a nearly two-month continental journey by vehicle across the United States. Information collected during the trek contributed to the development of the U.S. Highway System.
• The actors' strike ended with the Producing Managers' Association signing a new basic agreement with the Actors' Equity Association and dropping all lawsuits.
• The Socialist Party of Transylvania was established in Sibiu, Romania.
• The George-Étienne Cartier Monument, sculpted by George William Hill, was unveiled in Mount Royal, Montreal.
• Born: Lee Archer, American air force officer, commander of the 332d Fighter Group, also known as the Tuskegee Airmen, during World War II, recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross, nine Air Medals, and two Commendation Medals; in Yonkers, New York, United States
• Died: Lord Charles Beresford, 73, British naval officer, recipient of the Victoria Cross for action during the Anglo-Zulu War, Order of the Bath and Royal Victorian Order

  [September 7], 1919 (Sunday)

• The first Waldorf school opened in Stuttgart, Germany with 256 students enrolled. The school's curriculum was based on anthroposophy developed by German philosopher Rudolf Steiner. The independent school has grown to its present size of 1,150 schools in 75 countries.
• Fairmount Bagel, the first bagel bakery in Montreal, opened in the Mile End neighbourhood of the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough on Saint-Laurent Boulevard. It moved to its current location on 74 Fairmount Avenue West in 1949.
• Popular comic duo Roscoe Arbuckle and Buster Keaton released their next film hit Back Stage through Paramount Pictures.
• Born:
• * Louise Bennett-Coverley, Jamaican poet, promoter of Jamaican Patois; in Kingston, Jamaica
• * Johanna von Trapp, sixth child of Georg von Trapp and member of the Trapp Family Singers; in Zell am See, Austria

  [September 8], 1919 (Monday)

• A hurricane struck the Caribbean, resulting in the sinking of Spanish steamship Valbanera with the loss of all 488 passengers and crew on-board off Cuba, while British steamer Corydon ran aground and sank off The Bahamas with 27 crew killed.
• Minnesota ratified the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution which gave voting rights to women.
• British soldiers rioted in Fermoy, Ireland following an inquest on the previous death of a British soldier that failed to produce any murder charges.
• Chemical manufacturer Daicel was established in Osaka from a merger of eight regional companies.
• Born:
• * Manfred Meurer, German air force officer, commander of Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 for the Luftwaffe during World War II, recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross; in Hamburg, Weimar Republic
• * Lyudmila Tselikovskaya, Russian actress, known for her film roles including Ivan the Terrible, recipient of the People's Artist; in Astrakhan, Russian SFSR
• * Maria Lassnig, Austrian painter, member of the Hundsgruppe, first female recipient of the Grand Austrian State Prize and the Austrian Decoration for Science and Art; in Kappel am Krappfeld, Austria

  [September 9], 1919 (Tuesday)

• The majority of the 1,500 officers with the Boston Police Department went on strike after Police Commissioner Edwin Upton Curtis denied them the right to form a union.
• John Howatt Bell became Premier of Prince Edward Island, replacing Aubin-Edmond Arsenault following his defeat by Bell in provincial elections held in July.
• Born:
• * Barbara Fiske Calhoun, American comic book artist, pioneer female artist during the Golden Age of Comic Books, co-founder of the Quarry Hill Creative Center; as Isabelle Daniel Hall, in Tucson, Arizona, United States
• * John Ljunggren, Swedish speed walker, gold medalist at the 1948 Summer Olympics, bronze medalist at the 1956 Summer Olympics, and silver medalist at the 1960 Summer Olympics; in Forsheda, Sweden
• Died: John Mitchell, 49, American labor leader, president of the United Mine Workers of America from 1898 to 1908; died of pneumonia

  [September 10], 1919 (Wednesday)

• The Treaty of Saint-Germain was signed, formally ending World War I for Austria-Hungary and dissolving the Austrian Empire. The borders of Austria were reduced further with articles forbidding the country from unifying with Germany, leading to the establishment of the First Austrian Republic. It also granted sovereignty to Carpathian Ruthenia using territory in what is now western Ukraine and eastern Slovakia.
• A hurricane struck Goulds, Florida before moving through the Florida Keys, killing 600 people in the Florida Keys and Corpus Christi, Texas. Most of the casualties, roughly 500, were caught in one of 10 boats caught out at sea during the hurricane.
• Boston experienced an overnight spike in crime at the onset of the police strike, forcing Massachusetts Governor Calvin Coolidge to order 5,000 State Guards to retain order in the city.
• The New Hampshire Senate ratified the 19th amendment with a vote of 14 for and 10 against.
• The first Veterans Day Parade was held in New York City, with General John J. Pershing of the American Expeditionary Forces in attendance.
• Public sympathy for five sailors convicted of mutiny while serving on Royal Australian Navy battlecruiser in June forced the navy to reduce sentences for the participants.
• The 1919 Schneider Trophy race, the first since 1914, was flown at Bournemouth, England. However, poor weather conditions forced many of the competing planes to ground for safety, including Schneider Cup favorite Harry Hawker who was forced to land his Sopwith seaplane due to heavy fog. Other planes making debuts at the competition but were grounded that day included the Avro 539, Grahame-White Bantam, and the Sea Lion.
• Football and sports clubs were established in the following cities: Spartak Pleven in Pleven, Bulgaria, and Desamparados in San Juan, Argentina which currently plays in Torneo Argentino B.