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Almanac for Sept. 30, 2026

Today is Wednesday, Sept. 30, the 273rd day of 2026. There are 92 days left in the year. Today in history: On Sept. 30, 1949, the Berlin Airlift came to an end after delivering more than 2.3 million tons of cargo to blockaded residents of West Berlin over 15 months. Also on this date: In 1777, the Continental Congress — forced to flee by advancing British forces — moved to York, Pennsylvania, after briefly meeting in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. In 1791, Mozart's opera "The Magic Flute" premiered in Vienna, Austria. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the Boulder Dam ...

The perfect metaphor

The perfect metaphor to characterize the UN General Assembly delegates who walked out before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke is this: “There are none so blind as those who will not see.” You can’t make people understand the truth if they choose to ignore it. The problem ...

What’s the Matter with Kansas’ Senators?

The home of Dwight Eisenhower and Amelia Earhart is rarely part of the national conversation — but that could be about to change. It is becoming clear that the race for Senate this year could be a huge upset. In the 19th century, Kansas was the scene of violent clashes over slavery, which ...

Almanac for Sept. 28, 2026

Today is Monday, Sept. 28, the 271st day of 2026. There are 94 days left in the year. Today in history: On Sept. 28, 1928, Scottish medical researcher Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin, the first broadly effective antibiotic. Also on this date: In 1781, American forces in the Revolutionary War, backed by a French fleet, began their successful siege of Yorktown, Virginia. In 1924, three U.S. Army planes landed in Seattle, completing the first round-the-world trip by air in 175 days. In 1941, Ted Williams became the last Major League Baseball player to hit over .400 for a ...

Fulton Sheen and Me

History yields people whose influence extends far beyond their earthly lives. They become teachers to generations they never met, spiritual companions to people whose names they never knew, and reminders that faith is not merely a set of propositions to be accepted but a way of life to be ...

Almanac for Sept. 26, 2026

Today is Saturday, Sept. 26, the 269th day of 2026. There are 96 days left in the year. Today in history: On Sept. 26, 1960, the first nationally televised debate between presidential candidates took place as Democrat John F. Kennedy and Republican Richard M. Nixon faced off in Chicago. Also on this date: In 1777, British troops occupied Philadelphia during the American Revolution. In 1954, the Japanese commercial ferry Toya Maru sank during a typhoon in the Tsugaru Strait, claiming more than 1,150 lives. In 1986, William H. Rehnquist was sworn in as the 16th chief justice of the ...