Today in history: A look back on Sept. 21

TORONTO — Today is Friday, Sept. 21, the 264th day of 2018. There are 101 days left in the year.

On this date:

In 1893, one of America’s first horseless carriages was taken for a short test drive in Springfield, Mass., by Frank Duryea, who had designed the vehicle with his brother, Charles.
In 1937, ‘The Hobbit’, by J.R.R. Tolkien, was first published by George Allen & Unwin, Ltd. of London.
In 1938, a hurricane struck parts of New York and New England, causing widespread damage and claiming some 700 lives.
In 1970, ‘NFL Monday Night Football’ made its debut on ABC-TV as the Cleveland Browns defeated the visiting New York Jets, 31-21.
In 1985, In North Korea and South Korea, family members who had been separated for decades were allowed to visit each other as both countries opened their borders in an unprecedented family-reunion program.
In 1989, Hurricane Hugo crashed into Charleston, South Carolina (the storm was blamed for 56 deaths in the Caribbean and 29 in the United States).
In 1996, John F. Kennedy Jr. married Carolyn Bessette in a secret ceremony on Cumberland Island, Georgia. The board of all-male Virginia Military Institute voted to admit women.
In 2001, Congress again opened the federal coffers to those harmed by terrorism, providing $15 billion to the airline industry, which was suffering mounting economic losses since the Sept. 11 attacks.
Ten years ago: South African President Thabo Mbeki announced his resignation. ‘Mad Men’ became the first basic-cable show to win the top series Emmy; ‘30 Rock’ and its stars Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin won comedy awards. The United States took back the Ryder Cup with a 16 1/2-11 1/2 victory over Europe. Baseball said farewell to the original Yankee Stadium as the Bronx Bombers defeated the Baltimore Orioles 7-3.
Five years ago: Days after mass shootings in Washington and Chicago, President Barack Obama urged the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation to help push stalled legislation out of Congress so dangerous people wouldn’t get their hands on guns. Islamic militants attacked an upscale shopping centre in Nairobi, killing at least 67 people in the deadliest terrorist attack in Kenya in 15 years.
One year ago: Millions on Puerto Rico faced the prospect of weeks or months without power in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly to discuss the ongoing crisis involving North Korea. Facebook said it would provide congressional investigators with the contents of 3,000 ads that had been bought by a Russian agency; it had already released the ads to federal authorities investigating Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election.