Aktion T4
Sep 1 Adolf Hitler orders extermination of mentally ill through the "Aktion T4 Euthanasia Program," arguing that wartime "was the best time for the elimination of the incurably ill"
- Sep 1 General George Marshall sworn in as the United States Army Chief of Staff
Scoop of the Century
Sep 1 In the "scoop of the century," Telegraph journalist Clare Hollingworth becomes the first to report the outbreak of World War II
- Sep 1 Last day of 1st-class cricket in England before the declaration of war against Germany; great slow left-armer Hedley Verity finishes with amazing figures of 7 for 9 v Sussex to give Yorkshire the County Championship
- Sep 1 Scientific journal "Physical Review" publishes 1st paper to deal with "black holes"
- Sep 1 Switzerland mobilizes its forces and the Swiss Parliament elects Henri Guisan to head the Swiss Army (an event that can happen only during war or mobilization)
- Sep 1 Switzerland proclaims neutrality at the outbreak of WWII
- Sep 1 The Wound Badge for Wehrmacht, SS, Kriegsmarine, and Luftwaffe soldiers is instituted. The final version of the Iron Cross was also instituted on this date
Start of World War II
Sep 1 World War II starts when Germany invades Poland by attacking the Free City of Danzig
- Sep 3 German submarine U-30, commanded by Oberleutnant Fritz-Julius Lemp, sinks British passenger ship SS Athenia; 117 people die, among them 28 Americans
- Sep 3 Mitford sister and Nazi sympathizer Unity Mitford attempts suicide after Britain declares war on Germany, bullet lodged in her brain eventually kills her in 1948
- Sep 3 World War II: Britain declares war on Germany after invasion of Poland. France follows 6 hours later quickly joined by Australia, New Zealand, South Africa & Canada
- Sep 4 Dutch Second Chamber affirms the Netherlands is in a State of War with Germany
- Sep 4 German troops move into Danzig
- Sep 4 Mir, a Nazi ghetto in occupied Poland, is exterminated
- Sep 4 Netherlands & Belgium declare neutrality
- Sep 4 RAF bombs Wilhelmshafen, Germany
Pioneering Plastic Surgery
Sep 4 Surgeon Archibald McIndoe sets up new Centre for Plastic and Jaw Surgery at Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, England to treat injured airmen
International Lawn Tennis Challenge
Sep 5 International Lawn Tennis Challenge, Haverford, PA: John Bromwich beats American Frank Parker 6-0, 6-3, 6-1 to give Australia the title, 3-2
J. B. M. Hertzog Resigns
Sep 5 J. B. M. Hertzog resigns as South African Prime Minister after losing a vote in parliament on neutrality in WWII
Where She Goes, We Go
Sep 5 New Zealand Prime Minister Michael Joseph Savage declares New Zealand's support for Britain in the war with Germany; Savage famously told the nation 'where she goes, we go. Where she stands, we stand'
Baseball Record
Sep 8 Cleveland Indians Bob Feller, 20, is youngest pitcher to win 20 games
Canada Declares War
Sep 10 Canada, under the leadership of Mackenzie King, declares war on Germany
Churchill Visits Scapa Flow
Sep 14 First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill visits British naval base Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands
1st Helicopter Takes Off
Sep 14 World’s 1st practical helicopter, the VS-300 designed by Igor Sikorsky takes (tethered) flight in Stratford, Connecticut
- Sep 16 NY Yankees clinch their 11th & 4th successive pennant
- Sep 17 German U-29 sinks British aircraft carrier Courageous, 519 die
- Sep 17 Poland's President Ignacy Mościck and Prime Minister Felicjan Sławoj Składkowski flee to Romania
- Sep 17 Soviet Union invades Eastern Poland allowing Germans to advance West, taking 217,000 Poles prisoner, without a formal declaration of war
- Sep 17 Taisto Mäki of Finland becomes first man to run 10,000 metres in under 30 minutes, in a time of 29:52.6 in Helsinki
US Men's Tennis Open
Sep 17 US National Championship Men's Tennis, Forest Hills, NY: Reigning Wimbledon champion Bobby Riggs beats fellow American Welby van Horn 6-4, 6-2, 6-4
US Open Women's Tennis
Sep 17 US National Championship Women's Tennis, Forest Hills, NY: Dual champion Alice Marble beats Helen Jacobs 6-0, 8-10, 6-4
- Sep 18 Polish government of Moscicki flees to Romania
Lord Haw-Haw
Sep 18 William Joyce's (Lord Haw-Haw) first Nazi propaganda broadcast
- Sep 19 British Expeditionary Force reaches France
- Sep 19 Lord Haw-Haw (William Joyce) becomes radio host of Reichsrundfunk Berlin
- Sep 19 Wehrmacht (German regular army) murders 100 Jews in Lukov Poland
- Sep 20 British navy captures German U-27 boat
Jewish Final Solution
Sep 21 Reinhard Heydrich meets in Berlin to discuss final solution of Jews
- Sep 23 Cookie Lavagetto goes 6 for 6-Dodgers get 27 hits & beat Phillies 22-4
- Sep 25 Andorra and Germany sign a treaty ending World War I, as Versailles Peace Treaty forgot to include Andorra
- Sep 25 German Luftwaffe strikes Warsaw with (fire)bombs
- Sep 26 German seaplane shoots KLM-aircraft (1 killed)
- Sep 27 Warsaw surrenders to Germans after 19 days of resistance
- Sep 27 White Sox host 1st "day-night" doubleheader, lose twice to Cleveland, 5-2 & 7-5
- Sep 28 Estonia accepts Soviet military bases
- Sep 28 Final broadcast of The Fleischmann Hour was heard on radio
German-Soviet Frontier Treaty
Sep 28 German–Soviet Boundary and Friendship Treaty is signed by Joachim von Ribbentrop and Vyacheslav Molotov; redraws German and Soviet spheres of influence in central Europe and transfers most of Lithuania to the USSR
- Sep 30 Britain first evacuates citizens in anticipation of war.
- Sep 30 Chicago pitcher Clint Brown sets MLB record with his 61st relief appearance as White Sox beat St. Louis Browns, 7-5
- Sep 30 Germany & Russia agree to partition Poland
- Sep 30 In the first televised college football game, Fordham beats Waynesburg, 34-7 at Randalls Island, NY
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