On September 29, 1690 William Rittenhouse leased property from a Philadelphia merchant named Samuel Carpenter along a branch of Wissahickon Creek in southeastern Pennsylvania. The lease’s term was for 990 years with a payment of 5 Shillings Sterling made payable on the 29th of September, each year. William Rittenhouse, William Bradford a printer from Philadelphia and others established the first paper mill in the United States at this location. Image: a sketch from the 1920s titled “Where American paper was first made” via Library of Congress, no known restrictions

A drawing of St. Michael The Archangel fighting Lucifer by American born artist Benjamin West that was created sometime before 1820. September 29th is the Feast Day of Saint Michael The Archangel. The day is also known as Michaelmas. Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

Jerry Lee Lewis, born September 29, 1935, pounded out rock-n-roll/rockabilly hits like “Great Balls of Fire” and “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On.” Lewis was part of the Sun Records Million Dollar Quartet along with Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, and Roy Orbison. Image by Maurice Seymour, CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication via Wikimedia Commons.

On today’s date September 29, 1954: Willie Mays of the New York Giants made that incredible defensive play known as “The Catch” during Game 1 of the World Series at the Polo Grounds in Manhattan, NY. Image from Davidm8985 via Wikimedia Commons CC-BY-SA-3.0

“Return To Flight” Space Shuttle Discovery taking off from Kennedy Space Center on September 29, 1988. The first shuttle mission after the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. Image from NASA and rawpixel.com CC BY SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Gene Autry (left) meeting with Vice President John Garner (center) c. 1940 Gene Autry was born on September 29, 1907 in Tioga, Texas. Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

A portrait of Johnny Cash taken in Owings Mills, Maryland on September 29, 1977 via Library of Congress, no known restrictions

Female athletes make their mark at Weequahic Park in Newark, New Jersey to train for the 1922 Women’s World Games in Paris. The following year on September 29, 1923 the first American track and field championships for women were held at Weequahic Park in Newark, New Jersey. Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

The front door of the Captain Henry Hodge House in Wiscasset, Maine. Captain Hodge was a privateer during the Revolutionary War who became owner of this property in the late 1780s. Image dated September 29, 1936 via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

On September 29, 1907 the cornerstone for the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. was laid. In the 1980s a grotesque of Darth Vader was installed high up on the cathedral’s north side. The gargoyle was inspired by one of the winning entries that was submitted during a children’s competition. Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

First Lieutenant Charles Augustus Kimberly of Co. E, 112th New York Infantry Regiment in uniform Charles was wounded at the Battle of Chaffin’s Farm in Virginia on September 29, 1864. He would later have his leg amputated. The Battle of Chaffin’s Farm resulted in Union victory and was led by Ulysses S. Grant over Robert E. Lee. via LOC, no known restrictions