TODAY IN HISTORY

September 18

1759:French Quebec surrendered to the British after the Sept. 13 battle on the Plains of Abraham, the last battle of the French and Indian Wars. French general Montcalm and British general Wolfe died in the fray.

1810:Chile declared its independence from Spain.

1850:Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act, which required the return of escaped slaves to their owners.

1851:The first edition of The New York Daily Times, which later became The New York Times, was published.

1947:The National Security Act, which unified the Army, Navy, and Air Force, was passed.

1961:Secretary-General of the UN Dag Hammarskjold was killed in a plane crash in Northern Rhodesia (Zambia).

1970:27-year-old rock star, Jimi Hendrix, died in London.

1999:Sammy Sosa became the first player in major league baseball history to hit 60 homers in two seasons.