September 5th


1698: Tsar Peter I of Russia imposes a tax on all beards except for the clergy, the peasantry, and his mother.


1793: The French National Convention initiates the Reign of Terror. No one is sure why they decided to call it that, but it was definitely the worst case of marketing ever.


1906: The first legal forward pass in American football is thrown by Bradbury Robinson of St. Louis University to teammate Jack Schneider in a 22–0 victory over Carroll College. After the game, Robinson attempts an illegal forward pass on another teammate in the shower.