• On Sept. 2, 31 B.C., at the Battle of Actium, Roman leader Octavian wins a decisive victory against the forces of Mark Antony and Cleopatra, queen of Egypt. Antony and Cleopatra broke through the enemy lines and fled to Egypt, where they would later commit suicide. • On Sept. 5, 1666, firefighters in London begin blowing up homes in a desperate attempt to halt the spread of a great fire in the city. By the time the fire was finally extinguished, more than 100,000 people had been left homeless. • On Sept. 3, 1935, a new land-speed record is set by ...