Special Sub-Topic: On the Fourth of September... Click Here To Play: On the Fourth of September...

The creator of Maigret, Georges Simenon, was born on February 13th, 1903. In which year, on the 4th of September, did he die?

1989. Born in Liege, France, Georges Simenon wrote approximately 450 novels and short stories. He is probably best remembered for his detective series featuring Inspector Maigret. His personal life was a far cry from that of his famous character - he was a sex addict who claimed to require nooky three times a day. He died of a brain tumour while in Lausanne in 1986.

In Lakehurst, NJ, the first airship took to the air on September 4th. What was it called?

Shenandoah. The Akron and Macon were built to carry Navy aircraft, and each held up to three Sparrowhawk scout biplanes. The Los Angeles was built by Luftschiffbau Zeppelin in 1924 and remained in service to the Navy until 1932. The Shenandoah was lost in a storm on September 3, 1925 somewhere over Ohio. Some of the crew survived by using the detached bow section as a balloon to slow their fall.

The first live transcontinental television broadcast took place from San Francisco, showing the Japanese Peace Treaty Conference on September 4, 1951.

t. It was the treaty resulting from this conference which absolved Japan of responsibility for its war crimes, damages, reparations and restoration of plundered goods and money.

The Ford Motor Company introduced this car to the public on the fourth of September, 1957. What was it called?

Edsel. After a contest brought forward over 8000 suggestions for a name, later pared down to 6000, the Ford executives were getting desperate to name their new vehicle. At the November 1956 Executive Committee meeting, Ford's Chairman, Ernest Breech, suggested calling the car the Edsel, after the first Henry Ford's son. All three of Edsel Ford's sons objected, but the name stuck.

At the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany, Mark Spitz won a number of gold medals for swimming, a record which remains unbroken in 2004. His last medal was won on September 4th. In which race was he competing for his final gold?

4x100m medley relay, men. The next day, at 4.30 in the morning, 11 Israeli athletes were taken captive and then murdered by the Palestinian terrorist group, Black September. Spitz, who is Jewish, was hastily flown back to the States.

Okay, here's one for you ancient history fans: on the 4th of September, 476 AD, who was deposed by Odoacer?

Romulus Augustus. Romulus Augustus was proclaimed emperor on 31 October 475 AD after his father, Orestes, deposed the previous emperor, Julius Nepos. After being deposed, he was allowed to live with relatives and even given a pension. He is believed to have died in 511 AD. Olybrius became emperor in April or May of 472 and died in late October or early November from dropsy. His reign was so short, almost nothing is known of his accomplishments. Theodosius II reigned from 408 - 450 CE. He was the son of the emperor Arcadius, and his birth was a matter of great joy to the people of Constantinople, as his parents had produced three daughters but no sons until then. His reign was notable for the work he did in codifying the law and in February of 438, the Codex Theodosianus was published and presented to the Senates in Rome and Constantinople. In July, 450, he fell from his horse and died shortly afterwards. Caecilius Bassus of Tyre became the leader of Syria after murdering Sextus Caesar around 47 BCE.

This famous composer was born on September 4, 1824.

Anton Bruckner. Bruckner was so proficient on the organ, that he became assistant organist at his church at the age of 10. His Symphony #4, the Romantic Symphony, is particularly haunting with its use of brass and repetition. Mahler was a student of Bruckner's at Vienna University. His works include 10 symphonies. He was born in 1860 and died in 1911. Frranz Liszt (1811-1886) was a virtuoso pianist and composer whose Hungarian Rhapsodies are beloved by everyone who ever watched cartoons! Richard Wagner was born in 1813 and studied music at the University of Leipzig. He is best known for his operatic Ring Cycle, as well for the famous Bridal March from the opera Lohengrin. He died in 1883.

Staying on a musical note, Edvard Grieg was born on this date. For those not familiar with this Norwegian composer's work, once again check out the cartoons: his "In the Hall of the Mountain King" from Peer Gynt has children all over the world tapping their toes. In which year was he born and did he die?

1843, 1907. Much of Grieg's work was inspired by Norwegian folk music. Scraping the bottom of my memory, sometime in the 1950s his music was set to words and used for a musical, The Song of Norway (I may be the only person to still have the soundtrack on a 33!) Other famous works are the Piano Concerto in A Minor and the Holberg Suite.

This author, born on September 4, 1905, died in 1983. Her works include a fictional trilogy about Alexander the Great.

Mary Renault. Her real name was Mary Challans. Born in London, she later emigrated to South Africa, where she became an activist against apartheid. Many of her books were set in ancient times, and are still wonderful books to read.

On 4 September 1939, the USS Greer became the first ship ever to be fired upon by a German submarine in WWII, heightening tensions between the two nations.

f. It did happen, but in 1940. America was still neutral at the time.