What is so special about September 6?
Every date on the calendar has a story. Some dates are remembered for important events, remarkable achievements and moments that changed the world. Others become special because of the people and memories we associate with them.
September 6 is one of those dates for me.
As I looked at some of the events, achievements and milestones connected to this day throughout history, I found myself appreciating just how much meaning a single date can hold.
🌍 September 6, 1522 — A journey around the world
On September 6, 1522, the Victoria, the only surviving ship of Ferdinand Magellan’s expedition, returned to Spain, completing the first recorded circumnavigation of the globe.
It was an extraordinary journey of courage, uncertainty and perseverance.
Magellan did not survive the expedition, but Juan Sebastián Elcano continued the voyage and brought the Victoria home.
Sometimes, the greatest journeys are completed because someone chooses to keep going.
⛵ September 6, 1620 — A new journey begins
On September 6, 1620, the Mayflower departed Plymouth, England, beginning the voyage that would become one of the most famous journeys in American history.
It is another reminder that every great journey begins with a first step into the unknown.
👩🏽 September 6, 1870 — A step forward
On this date in 1870, Louisa Ann Swain became the first woman recorded as legally casting a vote in a U.S. election under Wyoming’s new women’s suffrage law.
Her vote became part of the much larger story of women’s political rights.
Progress often begins with one small but significant step.
🛒 September 6, 1916 — An everyday revolution
On September 6, 1916, Piggly Wiggly opened in Memphis, Tennessee, widely recognized as the first self-service grocery store.
Something that seems completely ordinary today was once an innovative idea.
It reminds us that what we take for granted today was once someone’s vision of a better way.
❤️ September 6 — A day of love
September 6 has also been a special day for couples beginning their lives together.
Among those who married on this date are Theresa May and Philip May in 1980, Trinidad and Tobago-born actress and singer Heather Headley and Brian Musso in 2003, and Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka in 2014.
Different couples. Different stories. One date.
And then there is a September 6 love story that is especially meaningful to me.
On September 6, my parents got married and began a new chapter in their lives.
That day became the beginning of a journey that would eventually include a family, countless memories, laughter, challenges, celebrations and a lifetime of moments that could never be captured by a photograph or recorded in a history book.
Their wedding may not appear in the pages of world history, but it is part of my history.
And sometimes, the most important history is personal.
There are dates that millions of people may know, but there are also dates that belong quietly and profoundly to individual families.
September 6 is one of those dates for me.
🌸 The people born on September 6
September 6 has also given the world many remarkable people, including social reformer and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Jane Addams, inventor Wilson Greatbatch, barcode co-inventor Norman Joseph Woodland, musician Roger Waters, actress Jane Curtin and actor Idris Elba.
Their lives remind us that there are countless ways to make a difference.
Through science.
Through creativity.
Through service.
Through art.
Through perseverance.
Through simply touching the lives of others.
🤍 What September 6 means to me
Perhaps that is what makes September 6 so beautiful.
It is a date connected to journeys, beginnings, progress, innovation, achievement and love.
But beyond everything recorded in history books, it carries something far more personal for me.
It reminds me that before I was here, there was a beginning.
Two people chose each other.
They started a journey.
And from that journey came a family and the life I know today.
I can look at September 6 and see not only an ending, but a beginning.
And perhaps that is the beauty of memory.
Love does not stop being part of our story simply because someone is no longer here to tell their side of it.
Some stories continue through the people who remember.
Some love continues through the lives that grew from it.
And some dates remain forever in our hearts.
✨ September 6, 2026
Today, September 6, is another chapter.
It is a day we are fortunate enough to live.
One day, it too will become history.
Someone will remember this day because of something that happened.
A decision.
A celebration.
A new beginning.
A conversation.
A kindness.
A moment with someone they love.
So today, I choose gratitude.
For journeys completed.
For journeys begun.
For progress.
For innovation.
For love.
For family.
For memories.
For the people who came before us.
And for the privilege of being here to write another chapter.
Every date has a story.
Some are written in history books.
Some are written in the hearts of families.
And some are written in both.
September 6 will always be one of those dates for me. 🤍🕊️🙏🏽
