Which event does this 1779 photograph show?

A sinking captain is asked to surrender and refuses (1779). John Paul Jones lashed his failing ship to the British frigate Serapis off Flamborough Head on 23 September 1779 and fought her at point blank range. Asked whether he had struck his colours, he is said to have answered that he had not yet begun to fight. The Serapis surrendered; his own ship sank two days later.

Which event does this 1952 photograph show?

A candidate saves his career on television by talking about his dog (1952). Accused of taking a secret fund, Richard Nixon bought half an hour of television on 23 September 1952 and laid out his finances in public, right down to his wife's cloth coat. He admitted taking one gift he would not give back: a black and white spaniel his daughters had named Checkers. About 60 million people watched, and he stayed on the ticket.

Which event does this 1846 photograph show?

A planet is found by mathematics before anyone looks for it (1846). Urbain Le Verrier worked out where an unseen planet must be from wobbles in the orbit of Uranus, and posted the coordinates to the Berlin Observatory. Johann Galle found it on the night of 23 September 1846, within a degree of the predicted spot, in under an hour. The photograph is from Voyager 2.

Which event does this 1938 photograph show?

A metal cylinder is buried with instructions not to open it for 5,000 years (1938). This alloy cylinder was lowered fifty feet into the ground at the New York World's Fair site on 23 September 1938, packed with a woman's hat, a slide rule, seeds, newsreels and a message from Albert Einstein. It is to be opened in the year 6939. Copies of the finding instructions were sent to libraries and monasteries around the world so somebody would still know where to dig.

Which event does this 1913 photograph show?

A pilot crosses the Mediterranean alone with barely any fuel to spare (1913). Roland Garros flew from the south of France to Tunisia on 23 September 1913, about 500 miles over open water in a single-engined monoplane, and landed with roughly five litres of fuel left. He was later shot down and captured in the First World War, escaped, and was killed in 1918. The Paris tennis stadium is named after him.

What happened on September 23? the Bonhomme Richard and the Serapis, the Checkers speech and 3 more

What happened on September 23

All 5 specimens from this file, spanning 1779 to 1952, with the story behind each photograph.

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Conflict · 1779

A sinking captain is asked to surrender and refuses

John Paul Jones lashed his failing ship to the British frigate Serapis off Flamborough Head on 23 September 1779 and fought her at point blank range. Asked whether he had struck his colours, he is said to have answered that he had not yet begun to fight. The Serapis surrendered; his own ship sank two days later.
Politics · 1952

A candidate saves his career on television by talking about his dog

Accused of taking a secret fund, Richard Nixon bought half an hour of television on 23 September 1952 and laid out his finances in public, right down to his wife's cloth coat. He admitted taking one gift he would not give back: a black and white spaniel his daughters had named Checkers. About 60 million people watched, and he stayed on the ticket.
Science · 1846

A planet is found by mathematics before anyone looks for it

Urbain Le Verrier worked out where an unseen planet must be from wobbles in the orbit of Uranus, and posted the coordinates to the Berlin Observatory. Johann Galle found it on the night of 23 September 1846, within a degree of the predicted spot, in under an hour. The photograph is from Voyager 2.
Culture · 1938

A metal cylinder is buried with instructions not to open it for 5,000 years

This alloy cylinder was lowered fifty feet into the ground at the New York World's Fair site on 23 September 1938, packed with a woman's hat, a slide rule, seeds, newsreels and a message from Albert Einstein. It is to be opened in the year 6939. Copies of the finding instructions were sent to libraries and monasteries around the world so somebody would still know where to dig.
Technology · 1913

A pilot crosses the Mediterranean alone with barely any fuel to spare

Roland Garros flew from the south of France to Tunisia on 23 September 1913, about 500 miles over open water in a single-engined monoplane, and landed with roughly five litres of fuel left. He was later shot down and captured in the First World War, escaped, and was killed in 1918. The Paris tennis stadium is named after him.