Historical eventSeptember 111941

Des Moines, Iowa

In Des Moines, Iowa, American aviator Charles Lindbergh delivered an antisemitic speech (reporting pictured) accusing Jews of controlling the media and manipulating the United States into joining World War II.

Everything on September 11Original source

In context

When
Thursday, September 11 194185 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
20th century · 1940s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 1941.

What happened

History Etymology Des Moines takes its name from Fort Des Moines (1843–46), which was named for the Des Moines River . This was adopted from the name given by French colonists . Des Moines ( pronounced [de mwan] ⓘ ; formerly [de mwɛn] ) translates literally to either "from the monks" or "of the monks" from French. [ 1 ] Moines is an abbreviation used by the French for Moingouena , an Algonquian subgroup. The Native American term is mooyiinkweena ,

Des Moines is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is named after the Des Moines River, likely derived from the French Rivière des Moines meaning 'River of the Monks'. The city was incorporated in 1851 as Fort Des Moines and shortened to Des Moines in 1857. Its population was 214,133 at the 2020 census. The six-county Des Moines metropolitan area has an estimated 750,000 residents, the largest metropolitan area located entirely in Iowa. It is the county seat of Polk County,

September 11 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1941Des Moines, Iowa
  2. 2011National September 11 Memorial & Museum
  3. 20122012 Pakistan factory fires
  4. 2012Central Intelligence Agency
  5. 2012Benghazi
  6. 2015Mecca crane collapse
  7. 2023Derna, Libya
  8. 2024Hurricane Francine
  9. 2024Soyuz MS-26
  10. 2025Jair Bolsonaro
  11. 2025Progress MS-32

Also in 1941

  • November 17World War IIWorld War II: Hjalmar Siilasvuo ordered Finnish forces to halt their assault against Soviet forces near Salla, concluding Operation Arcti…
  • January 3World War IISecond World War: As part of Operation Compass, Australian and United Kingdom forces attacked Italian forces at the Battle of Bardia in E…
  • August 14Dominion of NewfoundlandAfter a secret meeting in Newfoundland, British prime minister Winston Churchill and U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt (both pictured)…
  • September 3Deportation of Soviet Germans (1941–1942)The mass expulsion of Soviet Germans from the Volga German ASSR began.
  • July 31The HolocaustThe Holocaust: Under instructions from Adolf Hitler, Hermann Göring authorised SS officer Reinhard Heydrich to handle preparations for th…
  • December 10World War IISecond World War: The Royal Navy capital ships HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse were sunk by Imperial Japanese Navy torpedo bombers ea…
  • June 8World War IIWorld War II: The Allies commenced the Syria–Lebanon campaign against Vichy French possessions in the Levant.
  • May 1Citizen KaneCitizen Kane, a widely acclaimed film by actor and director Orson Welles, premiered.

Everything we record for 1941 →

Sources

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“Des Moines, Iowa”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/des-moines-iowa-1941-september-11, accessed October 26, 2026.

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Questions about this entry

When did Des Moines, Iowa happen?

September 11 1941 — 85 years ago, on a Thursday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

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