Moments in Time: B-29 Superfortress
The History Channel
On Sept. 21, 1942, the U.S. B-29 Superfortress, the largest bomber used in the war by any nation, performed its debut flight in Seattle, Washington. The craft was capable of carrying loads nearly equal to its own weight at altitudes of 30,000 to 40,000 feet and featured the first radar bombing system of any U.S. bomber.
On Sept. 22, 1776, Continental Army captain Nathan Hale was executed by the British for spying. Disguised as a Dutch schoolmaster, he had sneaked behind British lines on Long Island and successfully gathered information about British troop movements for the next several weeks but was captured while attempting to return to American-controlled territory.
On Sept. 23, 2016, a small box containing half of author Truman Capote's cremated remains, which was part of the estate of his friend Joanne Carson (ex-wife of TV host Johnny Carson), was auctioned in California, 32 years after his death. It received 12 bids and sold for $43,750.
On Sept. 24, 1988, Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson completed the 100-meter dash in 9.79 seconds to win gold at the Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, but his victory was temporary, as he tested positive for steroids three days later and was stripped of the medal.
On Sept. 25, 2015, a California judge approved former Olympic athlete Caitlyn Jenner's request to legally change her name and gender designation.
On Sept. 26, 1996, U.S. astronaut and biochemist Shannon Lucid returned to Earth in the U.S. Space Shuttle Atlantis following six months in orbit aboard the Russian space station Mir. She was the first American woman to live in a space station and set a new space endurance record for an American as well as a world endurance record for a woman.
On Sept. 27, 1960, British suffragette and international socialist Sylvia Pankhurst, who in her 50s shifted her focus from suffrage to opposing racism and the rise of fascism in Europe, died in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, at age 78. She was given a state funeral by the Ethiopian government in recognition of her service to the country.
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