Years Ago

Today is Friday, Sept. 18, the 261st day of 2009. There are 104 days left in the year. The Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashana, begins at sunset. On this date in 1709 (New Style date), author, critic, lexicographer and wit Samuel Johnson is born in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England.

In 1759, the French formally surrender Quebec to the British. In 1793, President George Washington lays the cornerstone of the U.S. Capitol. In 1810, Chile makes its initial declaration of independence from Spain. In 1850, Congress passes the Fugitive Slave Act, which creates a force of federal commissioners charged with returning escaped slaves to their owners.

September 18, 1984: The Liberty Board of Education goes to court to seek a limit on picketing by nonteaching employees as their strike enters its second week. Teachers have joined noncertificated employees on the picket lines, carrying signs that urge students to stay home.

Forbes magazine declares Gordon Peter Getty the richest man in the world with a fortune of $4 billion, and says developer Edward J. DeBartolo of Youngstown is the richest man in Ohio with assets valued at $550 million.

September 18, 1969: Youngs-town police arrest two projectionists and seize two film prints at the State Theater of the movie “I Am Curious (Yellow)” after the theater operators ignored pleas that the film, previously seen only in New York, New Jersey and Columbus, not be show in Youngstown. The projectionists were charged with violating a new antiobscenity ordinance that passed hours before the scheduled showing.

Twenty Youngstown policemen are assigned to patrol city football games and arrest any young troublemakers, who have been warned they will spend the night at the Juvenile Research Center if they misbehave.

Three Youngstown Diocesan priests, the Rt. Rev. Msgr. Joseph E. Koch, the Rev. Henry C. Cibulka and the Rev. John P. Gallagher celebrate the 25th anniversary of their ordinations.

September 18, 1959: General Motors Corp. announces there will be no increase in the list prices of the firm’s 1960 models.

The Rev. Henry J. McAnuity, acting president of Duquesne University, will appear at an areawide Knights of Columbus banquet at Holy Family Church Auditorium in Poland.

Columbiana County Probate Judge Louis Tobin emphasizes the need for a new county home during a meeting with county commissioners and representatives of the Mental Health Association.

September 18, 1934: Youngs-town City Council passes a surprise ordinance that eliminates the city hall jobs of 52 people, including some of Mayor Mark E. Moore’s closest friends and puts the rest of the city’s employees on a five-day week.

New Methodist ministers are assigned to three Youngstown churches, Indianola, Brown Memorial and Belmont, and churches in Struthers, Canfield and Niles.

Compulsory military service for Italians beginning at the age of eight and continuing to the age of 33, is decreed by Italy’s council of ministers, which declares “the functions of a citizen and of a soldier are not dividable in the Fascist state.”