September 19 Birthday
On September 19, 1985, an 8.0 magnitude earthquake struck Mexico City. The epicenter was 220 miles away, but the soft lakebed sediments beneath the city amplified the shaking. Approximately 10,000 people died, 30,000 were injured, and 250,000 were left homeless. 412 buildings collapsed, including hospitals and schools. The earthquake exposed corruption in the construction industry — buildings with insufficient reinforcement. The government's response was slow, and citizen brigades formed to rescue survivors from the rubble. The disaster transformed Mexico City's building codes. Jeremy Irons, born this day in 1948, won an Oscar for Reversal of Fortune (1990), in which he played Claus von Bülow, accused of attempting to murder his wife. He has a voice so distinctive that he has been described as "the man who sounds like he wants to eat you." He played Humbert Humbert in Lolita and Alfred in the Batman films. People born on September 19 fall under the zodiac sign of Virgo. The birthstone is Sapphire and the birth flower is Aster. Historical events on September 19 include 1957: US conducts first underground nuclear test ("Rainier") in Nevada, 1777: First Battle of Saratoga — first time British army surrenders, 1985: Mexico City earthquake (8.0) kills 10,000. Famous people born on September 19 include Adam West (1928), Jeremy Irons (1948), Twiggy (1949).