Happy Birthday September 28

It is generally thought that the Chinese sage Confucius was born on September 28, 551 BC. The son of a once noble family who had recently fled from the State of Song, his father, Kong He, was seventy and his concubine mother, Yan Zhengzai, only fifteen at his birth. Confucius had nine older sisters and a crippled brother. Confucius developed a philosophy called Confucianism, which was a complete system of moral, social, political, and religious thought, and has had a large influence on the history of Chinese civilization.

A portrait of Confucius by the Tang dynasty artist Wu Daozi (680–740)

English plumber Thomas Crapper was born in Thorne, Yorkshire, in 1836; the exact date is unknown, but he was baptized on September 28, 1836. Crapper is best known for perfecting the siphon flush, which, by drawing water uphill through a sealed cistern, is both effective and hygienic. He first demonstrated it in 1863.

Brigitte Bardot was born in Paris on September 28, 1934  to Louis Bardot and Anne-Marie "Toty" Bardot. Bardot together with Marilyn Monroe was the icon of female sexuality in the 1950s and 1960s. Whenever she made public appearances in the United States, her every move was covered by a horde of media.

For more September 28th anniversaries, including the first night football game, Camp Gillette's founding of the American Safety Razor Company and the completion of the longest journey by skateboard, check out OnThatDay.