The CIA officially began operations on 18 September 1947, created by President Truman to centralise intelligence efforts during the Cold War

The 1812 Great Fire of Moscow destroyed 75% of the city over five days, killing 12,000 people and severely disrupting Napoleon’s invasion plans

On 17 September 1916, Manfred von Richthofen won his first aerial combat, beginning his legendary career as the Red Baron

In 1683, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek became the first to report the discovery of bacteria, revolutionising microbiology with his observations using homemade microscopes

Arab forces, under Amr ibn al-'As, conquered the pivotal city of Alexandria on 17 September 642, marking the decline of Byzantine control and the rise of Arab influence in Egypt

On 15 September 1992, George Soros’ Quantum Fund began shorting the pound sterling, leading to Britain’s exit from the ERM and earning him over £1 billion

On 15 September 1928, Scottish bacteriologist Alexander Fleming unintentionally discovered penicillin, a groundbreaking antibiotic, while sorting through petri dishes containing Staphylococcus bacteria, forever revolutionising the field of medicine

On 15 September 1916, Britain deployed its first-ever tanks, the Mark I "Little Willies," during the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, marking a revolutionary shift in warfare

On 13 September 1845, English chemist Michael Faraday discovered that a magnetic field could influence polarized light, a phenomenon later termed the "Faraday Effect," which marked a significant advancement in the understanding of electromagnetism

The British garrison decisively defeated the combined French and Spanish assault on Gibraltar on 13 September 1782, destroying all ten floating batteries and inflicting 1,473 casualties on the allies while losing only 83 men

Michelangelo began sculpting "David" on 13 September 1501, transforming a block of marble into one of the most celebrated masterpieces of the Renaissance, symbolizing both Florence’s pride and Michelangelo’s artistic genius

While waiting at a crosswalk on Southampton Row in 1933, Leó Szilárd conceived the idea of a nuclear chain reaction, a breakthrough that would revolutionise science and the future of energy

On 12 September 1909, Fritz Hofmann was granted the world’s first patent for synthetic rubber, an invention that became essential in the industrial and technological advancements of the 20th century

French astronomer Charles Messier's mistaken identification of the Crab Nebula on 12 September 1758 led to the creation of his famed Messier Catalogue, revolutionising the study of nebulae and deep space objects

On 11 September 2001, two passenger planes hijacked by Al Qaeda terrorists crashed into New York's World Trade Towers, leading to their collapse and causing the deaths of 2,606 people

In 1916, Clarence Saunders launched the first self-service supermarket, Piggly Wiggly, transforming grocery shopping by introducing the concept of customer self-selection and centralised checkout