September 19: Holidays, Historical Events, Famous Birthdays & Zodiac Sign
On September 19, 1982, a Carnegie Mellon professor typed 🙂 and 🙁 on a bulletin board, giving the world its first documented emoticons—and a new way to communicate online.
About September 19
September 19 brings a wonderfully odd mix of the playful and the profound. It's International Talk Like a Pirate Day, born in 1995 as a private joke between friends and now a global phenomenon. But beneath the "Arrrs" and eye patches, this date has witnessed genuinely world-changing moments. In 1893, New Zealand's governor signed the Electoral Act, making it the first country in the world where women could vote in national elections—a full 27 years before the United States followed suit.
The digital age also traces roots here. In 1982, Scott Fahlman posted the first documented emoticons 🙂 and 🙁 on a university bulletin board, pioneering the visual shorthand that evolved into today's emojis. Nearly three decades earlier, in 1952, Annibale de Gasparis spotted the asteroid Massalia from his Naples observatory, adding to our celestial maps. And in 1970, Michael Eavis welcomed visitors to a farm in Somerset for the very first Glastonbury Festival—now one of the most famous music events on Earth.
More solemn milestones anchor the day as well. In 1796, George Washington's Farewell Address appeared in newspapers across America, warning against political factionalism and foreign entanglements. In 1944, the Moscow Armistice ended the Continuation War between Finland and the Soviet Union. And in 1991, hikers in the Ötztal Alps stumbled upon a mummified body that turned out to be over 5,000 years old—Ötzi the Iceman, one of archaeology's greatest discoveries.
Holidays & Observances on September 19
- Armed Forces Day (Chile)
- Day of the First Public Appearance of the Slovak National Council
- Second day of Fiestas Patrias (Chile)
- Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Saint Kitts and Nevis from the United Kingdom in 1983.
- International Talk Like a Pirate Day
Fun & National Days on September 19
- Batman Day — Don the cape and cowl—or at least binge a Batman film—to honor Gotham's legendary Dark Knight.
- International Eat an Apple Day — Keep the doctor away with a crisp, juicy apple and maybe try a new variety you've never tasted.
- International Red Panda Day — Celebrate the adorable, rust-furred forest dweller by learning about conservation efforts to protect them.
- Locate An Old Friend Day — Dig through your contacts and reach out to someone you've lost touch with—you'll both be glad you did.
- Astronomy Day
- Big Whopper Liar Day
- Boys' and Girls' Club Day for Kids
- International Coastal Cleanup Day
- Meow Like a Pirate Day
On This Day in History
- 96 — The Roman Senate declared Nerva emperor and ordered the destruction of Domitian's statues, annulments of his laws following his assassination.
- 1356 — At the Battle of Poitiers, Edward the Black Prince's English forces defeated the French and captured King John II, reshaping the Hundred Years' War.
- 1778 — The Continental Congress approved the first federal budget of the United States, establishing a foundational practice of national financial governance.
- 1796 — George Washington's Farewell Address appeared as an open letter across America, cautioning citizens against partisan divisions and foreign alliances.
- 1893 — New Zealand's governor signed the Electoral Act, granting all women the right to vote nationally—a global first that inspired suffrage movements worldwide.
- 1944 — Finland and the Soviet Union signed the Moscow Armistice, formally ending the Continuation War and reshaping Finland's borders and foreign policy.
- 1946 — Inspired by Winston Churchill's Zurich speech, the Council of Europe was founded to promote cooperation and protect human rights across the continent.
- 1960 — India's Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan's Ayub Khan signed the Indus Waters Treaty, a landmark water-sharing agreement that endures to this day.
- 1970 — Michael Eavis hosted the inaugural Glastonbury Festival on his Somerset farm, launching what would become one of the world's most iconic music gatherings.
- 1982 — Scott Fahlman posted the first documented emoticons 🙂 and 🙁 on a Carnegie Mellon bulletin board, giving rise to the language of digital expression.
- 1991 — Hikers discovered Ötzi the Iceman preserved in the Alps on the Italy–Austria border, a 5,000-year-old mummy who transformed archaeological understanding.
- 2022 — Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral was held at Westminster Abbey, concluding a period of national mourning that drew leaders from around the globe.
Famous Birthdays on September 19
- 86 — Antoninus Pius, Roman emperor who presided over a peaceful, prosperous era and strengthened the empire's administration from 138 to 161 AD.
- 1551 — Henry III of France, French monarch whose reign was consumed by the Wars of Religion, ending with his assassination in 1589.
- 1802 — Lajos Kossuth, Hungarian journalist and Governor-President who led the 1848 revolution and became a symbol of European independence.
- 1867 — Arthur Rackham, English illustrator whose haunting, intricate artwork defined children's literature classics from Grimm's Fairy Tales to Alice in Wonderland.
- 1922 — Emil Zátopek, Czech distance runner who won three golds at the 1952 Olympics and revolutionized distance training with interval running.
- 1926 — Masatoshi Koshiba, Japanese physicist who shared the 2002 Nobel Prize for detecting cosmic neutrinos, opening a new window onto the universe.
- 1926 — James Lipton, American actor and producer who created and hosted Inside the Actors Studio, conducting famously intimate interviews for over two decades.
- 1934 — Brian Epstein, English manager who discovered and guided The Beatles to global stardom, shaping pop music history before his 1967 death.
- 1945 — Kate Adie, English journalist renowned for fearless war reporting from conflicts in the Middle East, Tiananmen Square, and the Persian Gulf.
- 1963 — Jarvis Cocker, English singer-songwriter who fronted Pulp and became a defining voice of 1990s Britpop with wry, observational lyrics.