What’s Happening Today?

World Suicide Prevention Day. World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) is an awareness day observed on September 10 every year, in order to provide worldwide commitment and action to prevent suicides, with various activities around the world since 2003. The International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) collaborates with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) to host World Suicide Prevention Day.

Gibraltar National Day. Celebrated annually on September 10, it is the official national day of the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The day commemorates Gibraltar's first sovereignty referendum of 1967, in which Gibraltarian voters were asked whether they wished to either pass under Spanish sovereignty or remain under British sovereignty, with institutions of self-government.

What Happened Today?

1. In 1846, the patent for the sewing machine was awarded. The United States’ Patent Office awarded a patent for the first sewing machine with a lockstitch design to Elias Howe from Spencer, Massachusetts. While he had little success marketing his machine in the US, machines similar to his design became very successful, especially among women. The similarity of the machine sold by Isaac Singer, founder of the Singer Sewing Machine Company to Howe’s machine prompted Howe to take Singer to court. He won the case.

2. In 1977, Hamida Djandoubi became the last person to be executed in France. Djandoubi was also the last person to be executed by a guillotine. Djandoubi was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of 21-year old Elisabeth Bousquet.

3. In 2009, the Ugandan government prevented Buganda King Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi from travelling to Kayunga, a town near Kampala where National Youth Day festivities were planned. Kingdom loyalists took to the streets, in some instances throwing stones and setting debris alight. 

Birthdays

1. 1964 – Jack Ma, Chinese business magnate, investor and philanthropist and co-founder and former executive chairman of Alibaba Group, a multinational technology conglomerate.  

2. 1997 – Esther Chebet, Ugandan long-distance runner.

Sources: Wikipedia, checkiday, hrw.org & bornglorious.com