FOR THE WAUSAU TIMES

The month of September has been home to many historical events over the years. Here’s a look at some that helped to shape the world in September 1923.

• Half of Tokyo is destroyed when an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9 strikes Japan just before midday on September 1. More than 120,000 people are killed and an additional two million are homeless in the aftermath of the earthquake.
• New York Yankees pitcher “Sad Sam” Jones pitches a no-hitter against the Philadelphia Athletics on September 4. In addition to getting no hits, the Athletics players also went the entire game without striking out. The Athletics also would be no-hit by Boston Red Sox pitcher Howard Ehmke on September 7.
• The International Criminal Police Commission is founded on September 7 in Vienna. Later known as Interpol, the organization maintains a presence in much of the world today.
• On September 8, Greece and Italy agree to terms to settle the Corfu dispute. The dispute arose over an issue regarding the border between Albania and Greece. Tensions escalated when an Italian general sent to resolve the dispute was murdered in Greek territory.
• Hyperinflation in Germany prompts a parade of housewives to march through Berlin carrying empty baskets on September 8. The empty baskets are chosen to symbolize the women’s inability to buy food.
• The Irish Free State, established in December 1922, is admitted to the League of Nations on September 10.
• More than 2,500 communists are arrested in Bulgaria on September 12. The government suspects those arrested of plotting an uprising.
• Oklahoma governor Jack C. Walton declares martial law on September 15 in an effort to combat the Ku Klux Klan. Walton also suspends the writ of habeas corpus in Tulsa County. Walton is ultimately impeached on October 23 before being removed from office on November 18.
• Nearly 600 houses and 56 additional buildings are destroyed by a wildfire in Berkeley, California, on September 17. Remarkably, no one dies as a result of the fast-moving fire, though the National Board of Fire Underwriters estimates total property losses of $10,000,000.
• Production of New York City newspapers grinds to a halt when a pressman’s strike begins on September 18. The strike ends on September 21.
• A citywide raid on Windy City speakeasies fills the jail cells of Chicago on September 22.
• The first film adaptation of Jack London’s “The Call of the Wild” premieres in the United States on September 23. Later adaptations of the novel would feature legendary actors, including Clark Gable, Charlton Heston and Rutger Hauer.
• The German government officially ends its campaign of passive resistance against occupying forces on September 25, prompting various extremist groups to meet and discuss overthrowing the government. One such group includes the Nazi Party, then fronted by 34-year-old Adolf Hitler.
• The first U.S. Track & Field championships for women are held at Weequahic Park in Newark, New Jersey on September 29.