Today, September 26th
- Today in1774, John Chapman was born. Betterknown as Johnny Appleseed, he planted orchards, befriended wild animals, and was considered at great “medicine man” by Native Americans.
- Today in 1789,Thomas Jeffersonwas appointed America's first Secretary of State. John Jay was appointed the first chief justice of the U.S. Samuel Osgood was appointed the first Postmaster-General. Edmund Jennings Randolph was appointed the first Attorney General.
- Today in1820, Daniel Boone (yes, he was an ACTUAL person)died in Missouri at the age of 85.
- Today in 1914,the US Federal Trade Commissionwas established.
- Today in 1950,UN troopsrecaptured the South Korean capital of Seoulfrom the North Koreans during the Korean Conflict.
- Today in 1955,the New York Stock Exchangesuffered its worst decline since 1929 when the word was releasedconcerning U.S. President Eisenhower's heart attack.
- Today in 1960,the first televised debate between presidential candidatesRichard M. NixonandJohn F. Kennedytook place in Chicago. Nixon's mostglaring problem was flop-sweat. He repeatedly had to wipe beads of perspiration off his lip. Even his chin grew noticeably moist. Kennedy, however, looked cool and poised.
- Today in 1962,the Clampetts struck oil as “The Beverly Hillbillies”TV show debuted on CBS. Bluegrass stars, Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, composed and recorded the theme song "The Ballad of Jed Clampett.”
- Today in1964the TV show, "Gilligan's Island,"officially premiered on CBS-TV and ran until 1967.
- Today in 1969, the TV show, "The Brady Bunch," premiered on ABC TV.
- Today in 1981, the Boeing 767made its maiden flight in Everett, Washington.
- Today in1982, the TV show, “Knight Rider," starring David Hasselhoff,debuted on NBC-TV.
- Today in1982, the TV show, "Matt Houston,"debuted on ABC.
- Today in 1983,we almost went nuclear with Russia as a Soviet military officer, Stanislav Petrov,averted a potential worldwide nuclear war. He declared a false alarm after a U.S. attack was detected by a Soviet early warning system. It was later discovered the alarms had been set off when the satellite warning system mistakenly interpreted sunlight reflections off clouds as the presence of enemy missiles.
- Today in1985, the first "Baby Shamu"was born at Sea World in Orlando. Kalina was the first surviving orca born in captivity.
- Today in 1986, the episode of "Dallas"that featured Bobby Ewing returning from the dead aired.
- Today in1990, the Motion Picture Association of Americaannounced it had created the new "NC-17" rating. This was designed to bar moviegoers under the age of 17 from certain films without the commercial stigma of the old "X" rating.
- Today in1991,four men and four women began a two-year stay insidea sealed-off structure in Oracle, Arizona called "Biosphere Two." The project was intended to develop technology for future space colonies. On this day in 1993, those same eight people who had stayed in "Biosphere II" emerged from their sealed off environment.
- Today in1995, the prosecutionbegan its closing argumentsin the murder trial of O.J. Simpson.
- Today in 1995,Ross Perot announced he would form anew Independent Party that would field its own White House candidateand would try to be the swing vote in congressional races.
- Today in1996, Shannon Lucidreturned to Earth after being in space for 188 days. The time set a record for Shannon as a US astronaut and as a woman.
- Today in1996, the notorious Richard Allen Davis, the killer of 12-year-old Polly Klaas,was sentenced to death in San Jose, California. And before he was taken away, Davisdisrupted the proceedingsby accusing Polly’s father, Mark, of abusing her.
- Today in1997, the movie, "The Peacemaker,"opened in theaters nationwide.
- Today in1998, the new version of "Fantasy Island," starring Malcolm McDowell,premiered on ABC-TV.
- Today in 1999, Americawon its first Ryder Cup since 1993 after trailing the European team 10-to-6 going into the final round. To the anger of the Europeans, the US players, along with caddies, officials and wives, stormed the green to congratulate Justin Leonard for a 45-foot putt that all but won the tournament for the Americans.
- Today in 2000,the U.S. House of Representatives passed theBorn-Alive Infants Protection Act.The act states that an infant would be considered to have been born alive if he or she is completely extracted or expelled from the mother and breathes and has a beating heart and definite movement of the voluntary muscles. It was signed into law in August 2002.
- Today in 2001,protestorsstormed the abandoned U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. It was the largest anti-American protest since the terror attacks on of September 11th.
- Today in 2001,in New York City,hundreds of people began the process of filing for death certificatesfor family members still missing in the ruins of the World Trade Center. At the time more than 6,300 people were listed as “missing.”
- Today in 2006,Paris Hiltonwas arrested in Hollywood and chargedwith suspicion of misdemeanor D-U-I.
- Today in 2008,legendary actorPaul Newmandied at his home in Connecticutat age 83 following a valiant – and very private – battle with cancer.
- Today in 2010,Georgia (as in the European country)changed its second language to English; Russian was originally their second language.
- Today in 2012,the Syrian armymassacred more than 100 civilians in Thiabieh, Damascus.
- Today in 2014,the World Health Organizationestimated that Ebola death toll had reached 3,091– with Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone hit hardest.
- Today in 2016,Democratic nominee Hillary Clintonfaced off against Republican nominee Donald Trump at Hofstra Universityin the first US Presidential debate.
- Today in 2017,Saudi Arabiaannounced plans to overturn its ban on women driving– they were the last country in the world to do so.
- Today in 2017,the world's second-largest gem-quality diamond, the "Lesedi La Rona,"sold for $53-million.