Discover what happened on September 4 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

September 4

Discover what happened on September 4 with HISTORY&#8217;s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

What Happened on September 4 | History.com

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History

1886

Elizabeth Eckford ignores the hostile screams and stares of fellow students on her first day of school. She was one of the nine negro students whose integration into Little Rock's Central High School was ordered by a Federal Court following legal action by NAACP. (Credit: Bettmann Archive/Getty Images)

2014

1957

1969

1972

1951

2002

1918

America’s Founding Fathers decided that one elected civilian - the U.S. president - would lead the executive branch of the federal government, a governmental structure that has remained in place for more than 200 years.

U.S. Presidents

World War I pitted Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire against Great Britain, the United States, France, Russia, Italy and Japan. New military technology resulted in unprecedented carnage. By the time the war was over and the Allied Powers claimed victory, more than 16 million people—soldiers and civilians alike—were dead.

World War I

Vietnam

Native American history spans an array of diverse groups and leaders like Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse and Tecumseh, and events like the Trail of Tears, the French and Indian War and the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

Native American History

The Vietnam War pitted communist North Vietnam and the Viet Cong against South Vietnam and the United States. The war ended when U.S. forces withdrew in 1973 and Vietnam unified under Communist control two years later.

Vietnam War

The Roman Empire, led by rulers such as Julius Caesar, Augustus Caesar, Caligula and Nero, was a vast and powerful domain that gave rise to the culture, laws, technologies and institutions that continue to define Western civilization.

Ancient Rome

Sports and recreation are an integral part of human history, from the ancient Olympics to the Kentucky Derby, Jackie Robinson, Negro League Baseball, the Super Bowl and more.

Sports

Entertainment

The civil rights movement was a struggle for justice and equality for African Americans that took place mainly in the 1950s and 1960s. It was led by people like Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, the Little Rock Nine and many others.&nbsp;

Civil Rights Movement

Art history tells the complex story of human civilization through art and design. It ranges from prehistoric art of the Neolithic period through Renaissance masterpieces, Impressionism, Modernism, the Bauhaus and contemporary art.

Art, Literature, and Film History

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This Day In History: September 4

Geronimo surrenders

Also on This Day in History September | 4

Comedy legend Joan Rivers dies

Western Roman Empire falls

Arkansas troops block “Little Rock Nine” from entering segregated high school

Radio Hanoi announces the death of Ho Chi Minh

U.S. swimmer Mark Spitz wins 7th gold medal

President Truman makes first transcontinental television broadcast

Kelly Clarkson wins first “American Idol”

American troops land at Archangel

Also on This Day in History September | 4

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