World War II began on September 1 when Germany invaded Poland. Along with this event, there were many other historical events that occurred on September 1 that Russ Mitchell recaps in this video clip from This Day In History. Also on this day, Bobby Fisher became the first American to win the World Chess Championship, and Mark McGwire hit his 56th and 57th homeruns in a season. William T. Sherman siege Atlanta setting it on fire, which made the Confederates retreat.
Take a journey through the history of science fiction and examine the cultural influences—such as the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement and the Space Race—that shaped Stanley Kubrick's visionary 1968 film, *2001: A Space Odyssey*.