- Sep 1 Fast bowler Terry Alderman takes his 42nd wicket of the series on the last day of the 5th cricket Test vs England at The Oval; haul remains record by an Australian bowler in England; England wins series 3-1
- Sep 1 Fiona Brothers sets women's propeller boat speed record (116.279 MPH)
- Sep 1 Mike Brearley's last day as England cricket captain in 6th Test draw v Australia at The Oval; maintains his unbeaten record at home as England's 3-1 series win confirmed
- Sep 1 Military coup under general Kolingba in Central African Republic, President Dacko flees
- Sep 1 Northern Ireland’s first religiously integrated secondary school opens
- Sep 1 RKO radio network premieres America Overnight talk show
Appointment of Interest
Sep 1 Uruguay's Ruling Council names Gregorio Álvarez as transitional President (he rules till 1985)
- Sep 2 38th Venice Film Festival: "Die bleierne Zeit" directed by Margarethe von Trotta wins Golden Lion
- Sep 2 USSR performs underground nuclear test
- Sep 3 Longest MLB game in Fenway Park history is suspended after 19 innings at Seattle Mariners 7, Boston Red Sox 7; Mariners win 8-7 in 20 the following morning
- Sep 4 Longest MLB game at Fenway Park ends in 20 innings; Seattle Mariners beat Boston Red Sox, 8-7
Film & TV History
Sep 4 Newscaster David Brinkley is released by NBC
- Sep 4 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
- Sep 6 Albert Innaurato's stage comedy "Gemini" closes at the Little Theatre, NYC, after1,819 performances
They're Playing Our Song
Sep 6 Marvin Hamlisch, Carole Bayer Sager, and Neil Simon's musical "They're Playing Our Song", starring Robert Klein and Lucie Arnaz, closes at Imperial Theatre, NYC, after 1082 performances
- Sep 6 Robert Granville "Bob" Lemon named NY Yankee manager for 2nd time
- Sep 7 Cleveland Browns' Brian Sipe sets club record with 57 pass attempts
Telethon
Sep 7 Jerry Lewis' 16th Muscular Dystrophy telethon raises $31,500,000
- Sep 7 West Tampa Fl defeats Rich Va, 6-4 to win American Legion World Series
- Sep 8 British TV comedy "Only Fools and Horses" created by John Sullivan, starring David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst and Lennard Pearce premieres on BBC One
- Sep 9 Vernon E. Jordan resigns as president of National Urban League in the US
- Sep 10 "Guernica" painting by Pablo Picasso returns to Spain
- Sep 11 Second government of Dries van Agt forms in the Netherlands
The Smurfs TV Debut
Sep 12 "The Smurfs" animated cartoon series by Hanna-Barbera first broadcasts in North America
- Sep 12 1981 Springbok tour of New Zealand: "All hell breaks loose" as anti-tour supporters fight police and planes flour-bomb the deciding third match won by the All Blacks 25-22 [1]
- Sep 12 Elizabeth Ward (Arkansas), 20, crowned 54th Miss America 1982
Sports History
Sep 12 Red Sox rookie Bob Ojeda no-hits Yanks for 8 innings before Rick Cerone & Dave Winfield lead off 9th with back-to-back doubles
US Open Women's Tennis
Sep 12 US Open Women's Tennis: Tracy Austin wins her second US title; beats Martina Navratilova 1-6, 7-6, 7-6
Emmy Awards
Sep 13 33rd Emmy Awards: "Taxi", "Hill Street Blues"; Judd Hirsch and Isabel Sanford win
- Sep 13 April Moon sets women's handbow distance record of 1,039 yds & 13"
- Sep 13 Atlanta Falcons tie record of 31 points in 4th quarter (vs Green Bay)
US Men's Tennis Open
Sep 13 US Open Men's Tennis: John McEnroe wins 3rd straight US title; beats Björn Borg 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-3 in Borg's last Grand Slam match
- Sep 13 USSR performs nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in northeast Kazakhstan
- Sep 14 Entertainment Tonight premieres on TV
- Sep 14 Judge Wapner & People's Court premiere on TV
Catholic Encyclical
Sep 15 Pope John Paul II publishes encyclical "Laborem exercens" against capitalism/Marxism
- Sep 15 The John Bull becomes the oldest operable steam locomotive in the world when the Smithsonian Institution operates it under its own power outside Washington, D.C.
Event of Interest
Sep 15 US Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approves Sandra Day O'Connor for the US Supreme Court
- Sep 15 Vanuatu becomes a member of the United Nations.
Sports History
Sep 17 Fernando Valenzuela sets NL rookie record with 8th shutout of season
- Sep 18 Assemblée Nationale votes to abolish capital punishment in France.
- Sep 19 6th Toronto International Film Festival: "Chariots of Fire" directed by Hugh Hudson wins the People's Choice Award
- Sep 19 Satellites China 10 & 11 launched into Earth orbit by B-1 rocket
- Sep 19 Simon & Garfunkel reunite for a concert in Central Park, NYC,
- Sep 20 Joe Danelo kicks then NY Giant record 55 yard field goal
Ryder Cup
Sep 20 Ryder Cup Golf, Walton Heath GC: US wins 18½-9½; 6th and final Ryder Cup for Jack Nicklaus as a player; wins all 4 of his matches
- Sep 21 Belize (British Honduras) gains independence from UK
- Sep 21 Enterprise Radio (all sports) goes off the air
Baseball Record
Sep 21 MLB Philadelphia Phillies lefthander Steve Carlton strikes out NL record 3,118th (Andre Dawson)
- Sep 21 US Senate confirms Sandra Day O'Conner to Supreme Court (99-0)
- Sep 24 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
Sports History
Sep 25 Nolan Ryan's 5th career no-hitter as Astros beat Dodgers 5-0
- Sep 25 Rolling Stones begin their 6th US tour (JFK Stadium, Philadelphia)
- Sep 25 Sandra Day O'Connor sworn in as the 1st female US Supreme Court Justice
- Sep 26 USSR performs underground nuclear test
- Sep 27 Frank Lazarus and Dick Vosburgh's musical double feature "A Day in Hollywood / A Night in the Ukraine" closes at Royale Theatre, NYC, after 588 performances and 2 Tony Awards
- Sep 27 Iran defends its besieged port of Abadan, driving back Iraqi forces
- Sep 28 Joseph Paul Franklin, avowed racist, sentenced to life imprisonment for killing 2 black joggers in Salt Lake City
Physical
Sep 28 Olivia Newton-John releases single "Physical" (Billboard Song of the Year 1982)
- Sep 30 French parliament votes to abolish the death penalty, led by Minister of Justice Robert Badinter
- Sep 30 International Olympic Committee votes to award Seoul, South Korea as host of the 1988 Summer Olympic Games
- Sep 30 Last game at Minn's Metropolitan Stadium, lose to KC 5-2
Authors
Civil Rights Activists
Inventors
Kings
Revolutionaries
Scientists