Guadeloupe Hurricane of 1776

Notable events for the week of Sept. 4-10 include a Guadeloupe hurricane that kills 6,000, an Argentine president that is overthrown and the recalling of Gran Colombia.

September 6, 1776: On this day in 1776, an unnamed hurricane swept through Guadeloupe, killing 6,000 people.

September 6, 1930: President Hipólito Yrigoyen

of Argentina is overthrown by the military and conservative elements after serving two terms (1916-1922 and 1928-1930). He was placed under house arrest and would later be held on the island of Martin Garcia. Economic instability resulted from the Depression during his second term. By contrast, the country had experienced an unprecedented level of prosperity and wealth during the years 1880-1910, making Argentina one of the world's richest nations at the time.

September 7, 1819: The short-lived Gran Colombia, or Greater Colombia, is formed, which consists of Venezuela, Columbia, Panama and Ecuador. This republic was to last until 1831. With Bogotá as the designated capital, Simón Bolívar, the great liberator of South America, became the republic's first president, presiding over a centralized system of government--a perceived necessity in the war effort against Spain.

Greater Colombia assisted other countries in their independence cause against Spain, notably in Peru, which gained its independence in 1824. Bolívar's grand scheme was to unite all of Latin America, with Greater Colombia being the first step. Other political leaders opposed Bolívar's ambitions, which resulted in his stepping down from the presidency in 1830. With Bolívar gone, divisions intensified, and the republic was dissolved in 1831.