26 September 1964

A Saturday in history

Weekday

Saturday

Season

Autumn (N. Hemisphere)

Century

20th century

Records

418

  1. 2016

    The Ecnomiohyla rabborum became extinct when the last known surviving member died in captivity.

    Source
  2. 2014

    Forty-three students of the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers' College in Iguala, Mexico, were kidnapped and probably later killed.

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  3. 2010

    Scottish aid worker Linda Norgrove and three Afghan colleagues were kidnapped by members of the Taliban in Kunar Province, Afghanistan.

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  4. 2008

    Swiss pilot and inventor Yves Rossy (pictured) flew a wingpack powered by jet engines across the English Channel.

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  5. 1983

    Cold War: Soviet lieutenant colonel Stanislav Petrov averted a potential nuclear war by identifying as a false alarm signals that appeared to indicate an impending U.S. missile attack.

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  6. 1983

    The racing yacht Australia II, captained by John Bertrand, won the America's Cup and ended the New York Yacht Club's 132-year defence of the trophy.

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  7. 1968

    The Beatles completed the recording of John Lennon's song "Happiness Is a Warm Gun", regarded by all the band members as their favourite on the album The Beatles.

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  8. 1959

    The Cambodian–Vietnamese War formally ended with the withdrawal of Vietnamese forces from the People's Republic of Kampuchea, a client state it had implemented to overthrow Democratic Kampuchea and the Khmer Rouge.

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  9. 1959

    Japan was struck by Typhoon Vera, the strongest and deadliest typhoon on record to make landfall on the country, causing damage in excess of US$261 million and more than 5,000 deaths.

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  10. 1944

    World War II: The Soviet Red Army completed the Tallinn offensive, driving German forces out of Estonia.

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  11. 1933

    As gangster Machine Gun Kelly surrendered to the FBI, he supposedly shouted "Don't shoot, G-Men!", which became a nickname for FBI agents.

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  12. 1928

    The Republic of China adopted Gwoyeu Romatzyh (designer pictured) as the official system for romanization of Mandarin Chinese.

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  13. 1919

    The Revolutionary Insurgent Army of Ukraine defeated the White Russian Volunteer Army at the Battle of Peregonovka.

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  14. 1917

    World War I: The Battle of Polygon Wood, part of the Battle of Passchendaele, began near Ypres, Belgium.

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  15. 1907

    The British colony of New Zealand officially became a dominion to reflect its political independence since the 1850s.

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  16. 1580

    English explorer Francis Drake's galleon the Golden Hind (replica pictured) sailed into Plymouth, completing his circumnavigation of the globe.

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  17. 1493

    Pope Alexander VI issued the papal bull Dudum siquidem, one of the Bulls of Donation, marking the beginning of the Spanish colonization of the Americas.

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  18. 1142

    Stephen of Blois's army approached Oxford, beginning the siege of Oxford.

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  19. 1087

    William II, son of William the Conqueror, was crowned king of England.

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  20. -46

    Julius Caesar dedicated the Temple of Venus Genetrix in Rome to Venus, the mythical ancestor of his family.

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Photo archive

24 historic images from this day — tap to open the gallery.

What was life like?

Prices, jobs, food, music and everyday routine — the world as it felt to live in.

Sources & fact check

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