September 8, 1966: Star Trek premieres: The crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise takes off on its mission to “boldly go where no man has gone before,” with the premiere of Star Trek. Although Star Trek ran for only three years (starting in 1966) and never placed better than No. 52 in the ratings, Gene Roddenberry’s series became a cult classic and spawned four television series and nine movies. September 9, 1901: Stock Exchange Gets New Home By the turn of the century, the ever-expanding New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) had all but outgrown its old offices. On September 9 workers laid the cornerstone for a new NYSE building at 18 Broad Street. Finished in 1903 (and still open today), the new quarters included a trading floor that was over twice the size of its predecessor. September 10, 1897: First DWI Even without Breathalyzers and line tests, George Smith’s swerving was enough to alarm British police and make him the first person arrested for drunken driving. Unfortunately, Smith’s arrest did nothing to discourage the many other drunk drivers who have taken to the road since. Although drunk driving is illegal in most countries, punished by heavy fines and mandatory jail sentences, it continues to be one of the leading causes of automobile accidents throughout the world. September 11, 1970: The Pinto Cost-Benefit Analysis The Ford Pinto was introduced on this day at a cost of less than $2,000, designed to compete with an influx of compact imports. But it was not the Pinto’s low cost that grabbed headlines. Ford’s new best-selling compact contained a fatal design flaw: because of the placement of the gas tank, the tank was likely to rupture and explode when the car was involved in a rear end collision of over 20mph. September 12, 1974: Violence in Boston over racial busing In Boston, Massachusetts, opposition to court-ordered school “busing” turns violent on the opening day of classes. School buses carrying African American children were pelted with eggs, bricks, and bottles, and police in combat gear fought to control angry white protesters besieging the schools.

September 13, 1968: Large operation begins in the DMZ The largest sustained operation inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) opens when U.S. and South Vietnamese infantry and armored troops, supported by planes, artillery, and U.S. Navy ships, move two miles into the buffer zone to relieve enemy pressure on Allied bases along the 40-mile stretch of South Vietnam’s northern frontier.

September 14, 1974: A song about crime hits the charts “I Shot the Sheriff” hits No. 1 on the music charts. While the song had been written by reggae legend Bob Marley the previous year, it was Eric Clapton’s version that ascended to the top of the charts.