September 22 Through History

Explanation: 22 September 1792 marks the birth of the First French Republic, the day after the victory of Valmy against the Prussians. This date also became the 1st day of year I of the Republican calendar, with the first month being Vendémiaire, named in reference to the grape harvest.

Explanation: The U-9, commanded by Otto Weddigen, successively sank the cruisers HMS Aboukir, Hogue and Cressy in less than an hour. This action demonstrated for the first time the formidable effectiveness of submarines in warfare, revolutionizing naval strategy in the XX century.

Explanation: The Paris-Lyon TGV line, inaugurated in 1981, was France's first high-speed rail line. It connected the two cities in two hours, compared to nearly four before. This iconic project made France a world pioneer in high-speed rail transport.

Explanation: Friends, created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, became one of the most watched series in television history. It takes place in New York and follows six friends in their daily lives. The series ran for ten seasons, until 2004, and remains very popular around the world today.

Explanation: Michael Faraday, the son of a blacksmith, was largely self-taught. His discoveries on electromagnetic induction paved the way for dynamos and electric motors. He also invented the concept of the electromagnetic field, which James Clerk Maxwell later formalized mathematically.

Explanation: Lincoln signed the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862, which announced the liberation of enslaved people in the Confederate states starting January 1, 1863. The total and definitive abolition of slavery in the United States was only enacted with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, ratified in December 1865.

Explanation: Saudi Arabia was created on 22 September 1932 by Abdulaziz ibn Saud, who unified the Nejd and the Hejaz under his authority. The Hejaz, a coastal region on the Red Sea, is notably the birthplace of Islam, home to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. The country later became the world's largest oil producer.

Explanation: Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima, known as Ronaldo, is considered one of the greatest strikers in football history. He was a two-time World Cup champion with Brazil (1994 and 2002) and won the Ballon d'Or three times. His performances at the 2002 World Cup, where he scored 8 goals, remain legendary.

Explanation: The Republican calendar was officially adopted in October 1793, but its era began retroactively on September 22, 1792. Its 12 months had names evoking the seasons and agricultural work: Vendémiaire (grape harvest), Brumaire (mists), Frimaire (frost), etc. It was abolished by Napoleon on January 1st, 1806.

Explanation: Alexandre Yersin discovered the bubonic plague bacillus in Hong Kong in 1894, during a devastating epidemic. In his honor, the bacterium was named Yersinia pestis. A passionate explorer, he settled in Indochina where he also introduced rubber tree cultivation in Vietnam and founded a medical school in Hanoi.