This Day In History : September 4

1998 United States

Google founded

Google was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin on September 4, 1998. They were both students at Stanford University at the time. The company began as a research project aimed at organizing and making sense of the vast amount of information on the Internet using a novel algorithm called PageRank. This algorithm formed the basis of Google's search engine, which quickly became the most popular and widely used search tool worldwide.

Also on This Day in History September 4

Discover what happened on September 4 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries,
famous births and notable deaths.

Births on This Day, September 4

1901 William Lyons

English businessman who co-founded Jaguar Cars
1927 John McCarthy

American computer scientist (coined the term "artificial intelligence," created the Lisp programming language)
1848 Lewis Latimer

American inventor (carbon filament lightbulbs)
1801 Cullen Whipple

American inventor (pointed screw machine)
1893 Henry Schultz

American economist (econometrics)

Deaths on This Day, September 4

1784 César-François Cassini de Thury

French astronomer (geodesic labor)
1970 James M. Taylor

American USAF officer and astronaut
1977 E. F. Schumacher

German economist and statistician
1997 Hans Eysenck

German-born British psychologist
1980 Wolfgang Gentner

German nuclear physicist

1781

Los Angeles founded

Los Angeles was founded on September 4, 1781, by 44 Spanish settlers known as the "Los Pobladores." They established the settlement near the banks of the Los Angeles River, in what is now downtown Los Angeles, California. This event marked the beginning of the city's history and its growth into one of the largest and most culturally diverse cities in the United States.

1882

Thomas Edison's light bulb is used to light NY's Pearl Street Station

In its first large-scale test, Thomas Edison's light bulb was used to light New York's Pearl Street Station on September 4, 1882. This event marked the beginning of the practical use of electric lighting for commercial and public purposes. The Pearl Street Station, located in lower Manhattan, was the world's first central power plant designed specifically to supply electricity for widespread use in urban areas.

1933

1st airplane to exceed 300 mph (483 kph)

The first airplane to exceed 300 mph (483 kph) was the Hughes H-1 Racer, piloted by Howard Hughes. On September 13, 1933, Hughes flew the H-1 Racer to a speed of 352 mph (566 kph) near Santa Ana, California, setting a new world record. This achievement marked a significant milestone in aviation history, demonstrating advancements in aircraft design and speed capabilities.

1957

Ford Motor Co. introduces Edsel automobile range

Ford Motor Company introduced the Edsel automobile range on September 4, 1957. The Edsel was named after Edsel Ford, the son of Henry Ford and the company's former president. It was marketed as a mid-priced car positioned between Ford and Mercury in the company's lineup. Despite significant marketing efforts and anticipation, the Edsel was not well-received by the public and became known for its perceived design flaws and marketing missteps.