On this day: September 11

Britain Hit by Mass Fuel Protests Disrupting Transport Nationwide

On 11 September 2000, widespread protests over fuel prices and taxes brought much of Britain’s road and rail networks to a standstill as blockades at refineries, fuel depots and major junctions caused fuel shortages and travel chaos.

Soviet Forces Withdraw from Eastern Europe, Marking a Turning Point in the Cold War

In September 1989 Soviet military units began leaving Eastern European countries, a major step in the unraveling of Soviet control that accelerated political change across the region and contributed to the end of the Cold War.

Military Coup Overthrows Elected Government on September 11, 1973

On September 11, 1973, a military coup toppled Chile’s democratically elected president, ending a period of polarized reform and triggering a long-lasting authoritarian regime and widespread repression.

Nearly 3,000 killed as hijacked planes destroy New York’s World Trade Center

On September 11, 2001, two hijacked airliners were flown into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan; attacks that day, including a third plane strike and a fourth crash, killed nearly 3,000 people and reshaped U.S. security and foreign policy.