* On Sept. 19, 1827, Jim Bowie nearly kills a banker in Louisiana with an early version of his famous Bowie knife. The actual inventor of the Bowie knife, however, probably was his equally belligerent brother, Rezin Bowie, who reportedly came up with the design after nearly being killed in a vicious knife fight.

* On Sept. 23, 1875, Billy the Kid is arrested for the first time after stealing a basket of laundry. He later broke out of jail and roamed the American West, eventually compiling a rap sheet that allegedly included 21 murders.

* On Sept. 20, 1881, Chester Arthur is inaugurated, bec...