September 26 has brought presidential debates, historic discoveries, and moments of international cooperation.
John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon squared off in the first televised presidential debate, watched by 70 million Americans. Kennedy's confident appearance contrasted with Nixon's pale, sweating image, changing politics forever.
Sir Francis Drake returned to England after circumnavigating the globe, becoming the first Englishman to do so. Queen Elizabeth I knighted him aboard his ship, the Golden Hind.
Soviet Lt. Colonel Stanislav Petrov correctly identified a nuclear missile warning as a false alarm, averting potential nuclear war. His decision not to report the alarm may have saved millions of lives.
Julius Caesar dedicated the Temple of Venus Genetrix in Rome, claiming divine ancestry through the goddess. The temple stood in Caesar's new forum and demonstrated his political power.
New Zealand officially became a Dominion within the British Empire, gaining greater self-governance. The status marked an important step toward full independence.
A Venetian mortar bomb hit the Parthenon in Athens, which the Ottomans were using as an ammunition dump. The explosion severely damaged the 2,100-year-old temple, one of the greatest losses in architectural history.
Hollywood legend and philanthropist Paul Newman died at age 83. Known for films like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, he donated over $600 million to charity through his Newman's Own brand.