2026 NFL Season Opening Weekend Preview

  

Two games already have been played in this still brand-new NFL season.

However, the real first glimpses are about to be played, with the remainder of the 14 games involving 28 franchises about to play.

Below is my preview of the upcoming games for NFL 2026 opening weekend:

NY Jets at Tennessee - Remember when Jets fans were thinking Super Bowl just a few seasons ago, because Aaron Rodgers was insisting? And they got nowhere near even the playoffs either season he got there? Well, nobody is thinking Super Bowl this time among fans of Gang Green. They head to Tennessee for the season opener and will face their old coach. Expect the Titans to be fired up and uniquely ready to give the Jets a hard time. The home team should win this one, possibly very comfortably. My pick: Tennessee

Buffalo at Houston - The Bills begin their 2026 campaign today, still trying to exorcise the demons of their past. The team's legacy not only includes those four straight Super Bowl appearances, which all ended in defeat, but also more recently, with playoff failures to numerous teams which ended promising seasons. The team that has haunted them the most in recent seasons would be the Kansas City Chiefs, but it was the Denver Broncos who best them in last year's playoffs. They also once lost to Joe Burrow and the Bengals. If Buffalo can get past all of those ghosts and get back to the Super Bowl, they cannot take any game for granted, because home field advantage could be huge. It always seems like they lose two or three games per season that leave you scratching your head, so every game could potentially be crucial this year. They have a tough start, on the road against the Texans, with that tough defense. This is the first test for the Bills, and it is a big one. I will give the Bills the benefit of the doubt and predict them to emerge with a win after a tightly contested opening game. My pick: Buffalo   

New Orleans at Detroit - Expect the Saints to be an improved team overall this season. Quite possibly, they may win the NFC South, although admittedly, that is a uniquely weak division. However, improved or not, going on the road to face the Lions is a very tough prospect, because Detroit also seems ready to bounce back from disappointment last season. Expect the Lions offense to be roaring and the defense to be improved, and for the home crowd to be rocking and, at the end, happy after this game.  My pick: Detroit    

Tampa Bay at Cincinnati - This is an interesting season opener. Both teams have made noise in the playoffs in recent seasons. Yet both teams also have known disappointment in other recent seasons. Both also figure that they could contend for the playoffs, and even a division title, right now. The Bucs only missed yet another division title with a near complete collapse late last season. And the Bengals saw their star quarterback Joe Burrow go out. With him, they always seem like an elite team. Without him, it sometimes feels like they are a basket case. This game should reveal some things about which direction both teams may be heading in. Personally, with Burrow back in the lineup, it feels like this should be a Bengals win. My pick: Cincinnati    

Baltimore at Indianapolis - Two more teams who seemed to look promising at points last season, only to miss out on the playoffs. For the Ravens, they barely missed out after a failed field goal attempt in the regular season finale. For the Colts, they raced out to an awesome 8-2 start and appeared to rank among the elites, before there was a complete collapse, as they failed to win a single game again all season. Baltimore has a new coach and is trying for a fresh start. They will be tough, but I expect the Colts to come up with the goods in this one. My pick: Indianapolis    

Chicago at Carolina - The Panthers won the NFC South last year. That is the good news. The bad news was that they were one of those relatively rare teams to do so with a losing record. Then they got bounced from the postseason immediately. And that is why most people do not take them too seriously. Meanwhile, the Bears won the NFC North and had some people raving. Some expect them to rank among the elites this season. If that is to happen, than they likely need to show it immediately by winning a game that they should be able to take, even on the road. Da Bears are a better overall team than Carolina, and they should be able to show it in this one. My pick: Chicago    

Atlanta at Pittsburgh - Some people never learn their lesson. Aaron Rodgers talked big when he became the starting QB for the Jets, claiming that they would surely be in the Super Bowl. Gang Green never came close, and Rodgers himself sometimes is faulted as the major reason why. Yet here he goes again, predicting huge things for the Steelers, claiming that they are a Super Bowl-bound team. Personally, I don't believe that for a minute. But if they are, they need to prove it week in and week out. The Falcons should be an improved team, but I have to expect that the Steelers, whether or not they reach the big game, should have enough to win this one. My pick: Pittsburgh    

Cleveland at Jacksonville - The Jaguars put together a mighty impressive season last year. They had a decent defense, plus they had Trevor Lawrence bringing a little bit of explosiveness potential to the offense. Yet despite that, they were knocked out in their very first playoff game against Buffalo. Meanwhile, the Browns had another disappointing year last season. Clearly, they want to bounce back. Maybe the Browns improve this season, but a road game against the Jaguars feels like a very tall order. My pick: Jax    

Green Bay at Minnesota - The Packers figured to rank among the elites last season. And while they did reach the playoffs, they hardly looked like a team that met expectations. And in the playoffs, they built a solid lead against the Bears, only to collapse and lose right at the end. Now, doubters are starting to have their say. Meanwhile, the Vikings went from 14-3 in 2024 to a losing season last year and last place in the NFC North. They are unpredictable, and may either be surprisingly good or bad, or anywhere in between. They are a hard team to figure out, frankly. But expect them to beat the Pack in this home opener. My pick: Minnesota    

Arizona at LA Chargers - The Cardinals started last season 2-0. Then they went 1-14 the rest of the way. They had one of the worst defenses in the entire league, and their offense just could not keep up with an extremely leaky defense. The Chargers, meanwhile, flirted with being an elite team. Yet they finished second and lost immediately in the postseason. Still, it was a promising start for the new Jim Harbaugh era. Expect them to keep building and improving from there, including what should be a win for them in this home opener. My pick: LA Chargers    

Miami at Las Vegas - The Fins recovered a bit from a dismal start to the season last year. Yet, they were never a serious contender or anything. However, the team they are facing on the road today were serious contenders for being the worst team in the entire league last year. That means that this would be a good opportunity for the Dolphins to notch their first win right away. Of course, the Raiders have had time to prepare and may have something to say about it. Still, expect the Fins to do enough to pull it off and get that important first win under their belts. My pick: Miami    

Washington at Philadelphia - Both of these teams are trying to bounce back from disappointing seasons last year, where they did not meet expectations. Washington was in the NFC Championship Game the year before, but never recovered from a bad start last season. Meanwhile, the Eagles were defending champions last season, and did manage to get off to a decent start, and even won the NFC East division title. But they got bounced out of the playoffs right away, making that Super Bowl run feel like a distant memory. If Philly hopes to recover, it needs to start with an important divisional win today. A loss would really not send the right message. The Commanders should be better than last year, but a road game against the Eagles is probably a little bit too much to ask of them. My pick: Philly    

Sunday Night Football: Dallas at NY Giants - For many years, the NFL seemed to think that this was one of the games which they should should open the season with on a nationally televised game. And it made fans of the G-Men sick, because they just could not beat the 'Boys for years. Well, they got a win - exactly one win - last season. Still, the Cowboys feel like the better of the two teams. As a Giants fan, I would like to believe. But history has told me differently in recent years. And I'm sticking with that My pick: Dallas    

Monday Night Football: Denver at Kansas City - This game should begin to provide some answers as to how Patrick Mahomes is and if he will return to his elite form, or if the diminished status he seemed to play with last season is more permanent. I suspect that KC will be tougher overall against the Broncos than they have been in their last three meetings against the Broncos, all of which were won by Denver. That means that this is a big test, but KC has had time to prepare. Not sure that I expect the Chiefs to return to elite level and be back in the Super Bowl. But they should win this one. My pick: Kansas City

Weekend Humor: Taking Care of Yourself

Ran into this the other day and thought that it was quite amusing.

In fact, it seemed worth sharing here.

Very difficult to do the right thing sometimes, isn't it?

Enjoy. 

Pamela June Facebook post, September 9, 2026:

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10168696576309062&set=a.10151576837334062

Facebook

Weekend Humor: Trump as Anton Chigurh From "No Country For Old Men"

Not too long ago, Trump was mocked when he appeared to have changed his hair color.

It's strange. This guy's hair seems to make the headlines all of the time lately. To me, it's one of the least important things about Trump and the damage that he is doing to the country. Yet, it also is symbolic of how fake this man and his entire image really is.

One social media post which I recently saw (see link below) showed Trump as the villain Anton Chigurh from the movie "No Country For Old Men," which is based on the Cormac McCarthy novel by the same name. Indeed, it feels like Trump is about that level of a threat to the country, and indeed the world, as Chigurh posed to individuals in that movie.

Anyway, here it is:      

Mary Crider Facebook, September 6, 2026  · “What’s the most you ever lost on a coin toss friendo?”

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1076610391437746&set=a.152536833845111

(1) Facebook

The First Sunrise Over the Lake In Months

Since they changed our hours at my main job, coming to the lake to take pictures of the sunrise has gotten to be increasingly rare. Sometimes I can get out there with enough time. Most of the time, however, it feels a little too close for comfort.

Yesterday morning, however, I happened to have plenty of time. Not having worked, and having left home early, I in fact had time to kill.

So it seemed like a good idea to me to go back to the lake, which I was going to almost every weekend for a while there, in order to take some pictures.

These ones came out pretty well.

What do you guys thing?

Anyway, here they are. Enjoy. 

September 13th: This Day in History

 

Once again, it should be reiterated, that this does not pretend to be a very extensive history of what happened on this day (nor is it the most original - the links can be found down below). If you know something that I am missing, by all means, shoot me an email or leave a comment, and let me know!

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

Today marks the anniversary of one of the most decisive battles n history, and especially of North American history. On this day in 1759, the British scaled the cliffs in the cloak of darkness of night, and surprised the French in Québec City. Québec City had been the capital of what was close to a French Empire in North America, stretching from the mouth of the St. Lawrence, through the Great Lakes region, and down the Mississippi River to Louisiana and New Orleans. But the French lost their possessions in North America with this quick battle (it was over in roughly twenty minutes), during which, both British General Wolfe and French General Montcalm were killed. The British were triumphant, and took the city. Before long, they had taken pretty much all of Canada. France was granted permission to keep a few possessions in the Caribbean, and two tiny islands (St. Pierre & Miquelon) off the coast of Newfoundland, which remain French to this day. Of course, Francophone culture did not die with nthe defeat of the French, and a sentimental remembrance of this past can be scene on Québec license plates, which offer the provincial slogan, "Je me souviens ("I remember").

Here's a more detailed look at events that transpired on this date throughout history:

• On this day in 509 BC, the temple of Jupiter on Rome's Capitoline Hill was dedicated on the ides of September. 

• Construction started on Hadrian's Wall in Britain on this day in 122, which is the second longest wall in the world, after the Great Wall of China. On this day in 533, General Belisarius of the Byzantine Empire defeated Gelimer and the Vandals at the Battle of Ad Decimium, near Carthage, North Africa. Sabinian began his reign as Pope, replacing Pope Gregory the Great on this day in 604. Duke Lotharius of Supplinburg was crowned as German King Lotharius III on this day in 1125. On this day in 1224, Francis of Assisi was afflicted with stigmata. 

• In 1440, Gilles de Rais was finally taken into custody upon an accusation brought against him by the Bishop of Nantes. Michelangelo commenced his work on his statue of David on this day in 1503. It is now considered a masterpiece. Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand issued a Royal Warrant for the construction of a Royal Chapel (Capilla Real) to be built on this day in 1504. In 1515 on this day (and lasting until the 14th, the Battle at Marignano was fought, with France ultimately defeating the  Habsburgs and Pope Leo X.  Pope Paul III signed the Council of Bologna on this day in 1549. English Hugh Latimer was arrested on this day in 1553. In 1556 on this day, Charles V & Maria of Hungary marched into Spain. On this day in 1574, the Ottoman fleet recaptured Tunis (in modern day Tunisia). Breda formed the Union of Utrecht on this day in 1579. On this day in 1625, 16 Rabbis (including Isiah Horowitz) were imprisoned in Jerusalem.  In 1631 on this day, Admiral Tholen conquered over 30 Spanish frigates. The first serious slave conspiracy in colonial America (Virginia) occurred on this day in 1663. On this day in 1743, England, Austria & Savoye-Sardinia signed the Treaty of Worms. In 1751 on this day, England signed an alliance with Austria & Russia.

Picture of a monument on the Plains of Abraham in Québec City commemorating the death of General Montcalm during the Battle of Québec 13 September 13, 1759. Both French General Montcalm and English General Wolff died during this short yet decisive battle.

• On this day in 1759 during the French and Indian War (known as the Seven Years War in Europe), the British defeated French forces at the Plains of Abrahams in Québec City (Ville de Québec), forcing the city to capitulate to the British. This battle effectively led to the inevitable fall of the French possessions in North America, save for some small islands in the Caribbean and St Pierre & Miquelon, off the coast of southeastern Newfoundland. 

• In 1775 on this day, Gotthold Lessing's "Die Juden," premiered in Frankfurt-am-Main, in modern day Germany. 

• The Prussian army moved into Netherlands on this day in 1787. 

• In 1788 on this day, the Constitutional Convention decided that the first federal election was to be held on Wednesday the following February. On that day George Washington was elected as the first president of the United States. In addition, New York City was named the temporary national capital. 

• On this day in 1789, the first loan to the US government was issued (from NYC banks).

   

• On this day in 1791 during the days of the French Revolution, King Louis XVI accepted the new national constitution.

• In 1800 on this day, Curacao fell into English hands (until Jan 1803). On this day in 1808 during the Finnish War, in the Battle of Jutas, Swedish forces under Lieutenant General Georg Carl von Döbeln beat the Russians, which made von Döbeln a Swedish war hero. 

• In 1847 on this day during the American-Mexican War, American General Winfield Scott captured Mexico City. The first US prize fight fatality (Tom McCoy) occurred on this day in 1849. In 1858 on this day, Hamburg-US ship Austria caught fire & sank, killing 471. 

• On this day in 1861 was the first naval battle of the American Civil War, when the Union frigate "Colorado" sank privateer "Judah" off Pensacola, Florida. 

• In 1867 on this day, General E R S Canby ordered South Carolina courts to impanel blacks jurors. 

• Jay Gould & James Fisk attempted to control the US gold market on this day in 1869. 

• In 1881 on this day, Lewis Latimer invented & patented the electric lamp with a carbon filament.

• On this day in 1882, the Battle at Count el-Kebir was fought, when British troops invaded Egypt. 

• Cecil Rhodes' colonies hoisted the Union Jack in Mashonaland & Salisbury on this day in 1890. 

• An estimated 20,000 Paris construction workers went on strike on this day in 1898. In 1898 on this day, Hannibal Goodwin patented celluloid photographic film. On this day in 1899, Mackinder, Ollier and Brocherel made the first ascent of Batian (5,199m - 17,058 ft), the highest peak of Mount Kenya. 

• On this day in 1900, Filipino resistance fighters defeated a small American column in the Battle of Pulang Lupa, during the Philippine-American War.

• 1906 - 1st airplane flight in Europe

1907 - Interprovincial Rugby Football union (Big Four) forms with Hamilton Tigers, Toronto Argonauts, Ottawa Rough Riders & Montreal Foot Ball

1909 - Ty Cobb clinches AL HR title with his 9th HR (all inside-the-park)

1910 - Regina Rugby Club forms

1918 - Train accident at Weesp Neth, kills 42

1919 - Guy Bolton & George Middleton's "Adam & Eve," premieres in NYC

1922 - 136.4°F (58°C), El Aziziyah, Libya in shade (world record)

• 1923 - With Spain's king Alfonso XIII assist, army coup under de Rivera

1924 - 19th Davis Cup: USA beats Australia in Philadelphia (5-0)

1925 - 1st US University for Blacks, Xavier University, opens in New Orleans

1925 - Bkln Dodger Dazzy Vance no-hits Phillies, 10-1

1927 - Yanks clinch pennant, Ruth hits 2 HRs (52 en route to 60)

1927 - Waite Hoyt became only 20 game winner of 1927 Yankees

1928 - KOH-AM in Reno NV begins radio transmissions

1930 - 50th US Mens Tennis: J H Doeg beats Francis Shields (10-8 16 64 16-14)

1930 - Paavo Nurmi runs world record 20,000m (1:04:38.4)

1930 - Tommy Armour wins PGA golf tournament

1930 - Winnipeg Rugby Football Club 1st game, loses to St John's Rugby, 7-3

1931 - Capt G H Stainworth flies world speed record (655 kph)

1931 - Right-radical coup of Dr Pfrimer fails in Austria

1932 - NY Yankees clinch their 7th AL pennant

1934 - Judge Landis sells World Series broadcast rights to Ford for $100,000

1935 - Rockslide near Whirlpool Rapids Bridge ends the Great Gorge and International Railway.

1936 - Cleve Bob Feller strikes out then record 17 in a game (vs Phila A's)

1938 - Alexander Cartwright selects to Baseball's Hall of Fame

Aviator Igor SikorskyAviator Igor Sikorsky 1939 - First (tethered) flight of the Vought-Sikorsky VS-300, one of the first viable American helicopters, flown by Igor Sikorsky

Buckingham Palace, London 

• 1940 - Buckingham Palace destroyed by German bombs

1940 - Italian troops under Marshal Graziani attack Egypt

1942 - Battle of Edson's Ridge (2nd Japanese assault) at Guadalcanal

1942 - Cubs shortstop Leonard Merullo makes 4 errors in 1 inning

• 1942 - German forces attack Stalingrad

• 1943 - Chiang Kai-shek became president of China

• 1943 - German counter attack at Salerno

• 1943 - Having been Generalissimo since 1928, Chiang Kai-shek elected pres

1943 - The Municipal Theatre of Corfu is destroyed during an aerial bombardment by Luftwaffe.

1944 - 30th Infantry division of US 1st Army frees Margraten

1944 - Last transport out camp Westerbork to Bergen Belsen

1944 - US 28th Infantry division opens assault on Siegfried line/Westwall

1946 - Boston Red Sox clinch AL pennant

1947 - WPVI TV channel 6 in Philadelphia, PA (ABC) begins broadcasting

1948 - Margaret Chase Smith (R-Me) elected senator, 1st woman to serve in both houses of Congress

1949 - Ladies Pro Golf Association of America formed in NYC

1951 - St Louis Cards beat NY Giants 6-4 (rescheduled from 9/12) then at night lose to Boston Braves 2-0

1952 - Adolfo Ruiz Cortinez elected president of Mexico

1953 - Pitcher Bob Trice is 1st black to play on Phila A's

1954 - Reds Ted Kluszewski scores a run in record 17 consecutive games

1954 - WPBN TV channel 7 in Traverse City, MI (NBC) begins broadcasting

1956 - Dike around Dutch polder Eastern Flevoland closes

• 1956 - Stravinsky's "Canticum Sacrum," premieres in Venice

1956 - IBM introduces the first computer disk storage unit, the RAMAC 305.

1958 - Braves Warren Spahn is 1st lefty to win 20 or more games 9 times

1958 - Queen Juliana christens passenger ship Rotterdam

1959 - 73rd US Womens Tennis: Maria Fraser beats Christine Truman (61 64)

1959 - 79th US Mens Tennis: Neale Fraser beats Alejandro Olmedo (63 57 62 64)

1959 - Marilynn Smith wins LPGA Memphis Golf Open

1959 - USSR's Luna 2 becomes 1st probe to contact another celestial body

1960 - Dutch 1st Chamber condemns soccer-law

1961 - "Car 54 Where are You?" premieres on TV

• 1961 - Battles between UN & Katanga troops in Congo

1961 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR

1961 - USSR performs nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya USSR

1961 - Unmanned Mercury-Atlas 4 launched into Earth orbit

1963 - "Outer Limits" premieres on ABC TV

1963 - Jim Bouton's 20th win clinches Yanks 28th pennant

1963 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

1964 - 3rd sitting of 2nd Vatican council opens in Rome

1964 - 78th US Womens Tennis: Maria Fraser beats Carole Graebner (61 60)

1964 - 84th US Mens Tennis: Roy Emerson beats Frederick S Stolle (64 62 64)

1964 - Mary Mills wins LPGA Eugene Ladies' Golf Open

1964 - St Louis is 1st NL to score runs in every game since 1923, win 15-2

1964 - WKEF TV channel 22 in Dayton, OH (NBC) begins broadcasting

• 1965 - Beatles release "Yesterday"

1965 - Beatles win 1st Grammy, for Best Group of 1964

1965 - Today Show's 1st totally color broadcast

1965 - Willie Mays's 500th HR (off Don Nottebart), Giants 11th straight win

• 1966 - Johannes Balthazar Vorster sworn in as premier of South Africa

1968 - Albania leaves Warsaw pact

1969 - Baltimore Orioles, win earliest AL Eastern division title

1969 - Bobby Bonds is baseballs 4th 30-HR, 30-steal player

1969 - Plastic Ono Band's (John, Yoko & Eric Clapton) 1st live performance

1970 - 1st NYC Marathon won by Gary Muhrcke in 2:31:38

1970 - 84th US Womens Tennis: M Smith Court beats Rosemary Casals (62 26 61)

1970 - 90th US Mens Tennis: Ken Rosewall beats Tony Roche (26 64 76 63)

1970 - IBM announces System 370 computer

1970 - Joanne Carner wins LPGA Wendell-West Golf Open

1970 - Palestine guerillas conquer Irbid Jordania

• 1971 - 11 guards & 31 prisoners die in take over at Attica State Prison

The flag of the USSR (Soviet Union)

• 1971 - Nikita Krushchev, Soviet premier, buried in Moscow

1971 - WIIQ TV channel 41 in Demopolis, AL (PBS) begins broadcasting

1971 - World Hockey Association forms

1972 - 1st TV broadcast of "Waltons" on CBS

1973 - ABC announces it obtained TV rights for 1976 Olympics

1973 - Congress passes & sends a bill to Nixon to lift football's blackout

1973 - Syrian/Israeli dogfight over Mediterranean Sea

1974 - -17] 3 Japanese kidnap French ambassador in Hague

1974 - 1st broadcast of "Rockford Files" on NBC-TV

1974 - Phillies set NL record, using 27 players in a game, St Louis uses 24, tying record of 51. Phils win 7-3 in 17

1974 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR

1975 - -27] Hurricane Eloise, kills 71 in Caribbean & US

1976 - 2nd Enterprise, approach & lands Test Cricket (ALT) flight (5m28s)

1977 - 1st TV viewer discretion warning-Soap

1977 - 2nd Test Cricket of Space Shuttle Enterprise

1977 - General Motors introduces 1st US diesel auto (Oldsmobile 88)

1978 - 1st flight of McDonnell Douglas F-18A Hornet

1978 - NY Yanks win to gain sole possession of 1st place from 14 games back

1979 - China PR performs nuclear test

Flag of South Africa during the apartheid era

• On this day in 1979, the white minority government of apartheid South Africa granted the Venda "homeland" independence. However, the independence of Venda was not recognized by any country other than South Africa.

1980 - 1st United Negro College Fund

Tennis Player John McEnroeTennis Player John McEnroe 1981 - 101st US Mens Tennis: John McEnroe beats Bjorn Borg (46 62 64 63)

1981 - 33rd Emmy Awards: Taxi, Hill St Blue, Judd Hirsh& amp; Isabel Sanford wins

1981 - April Moon sets women's handbow distance record of 1,039 yds & 13"

1981 - Atlanta Falcons tie record of 31 points in 4th quarter (vs Green Bay)

1981 - Jan Stephenson wins LPGA United Virginia Bank Golf Classic

1981 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR

1982 - 50 die in Spantax Airlines DC-10 on takeoff from Malaga, Spain

1982 - Joe Lefevre gets 6 hits in one baseball game

1983 - Dan Quisenberry record 39th season save

1983 - Emmy Creative Arts Award presentation

1983 - Oakland's Rickey Henderson 3rd straight 100 steals for season

1983 - Steve O'Shaughnessy scores 100 in 35 mins, Lancs v Leics

1983 - US mint strikes 1st gold coin in 50 years (Olympic Eagle)

1984 - STS 41-G launch vehicle moves to launch pad

1984 - Simon Peres forms Israeli government with Likoed

1985 - 2nd MTV Awards: Bruce Springsteen

1985 - John Williams introduces new Today Show theme

1986 - Bert Blyleven gives up a record 44 HRs in a season

1986 - Kellye Cash (Tenn), 21, crowned 60th Miss America 1987

1987 - Cesium-137 stolen from abandoned hospital in Rio de Janeiro

1987 - Nancy Lopez wins LPGA Cellular One-Ping Golf Championship

1987 - Paul Lynch of Great Britain does 32,573 push-ups in 24 hours

1988 - 10th time, 4 players hit baseball major-league record grand slams

1988 - 9 hard/software manufacturers announce EISA computer bus in NY

1988 - Gilbert is strongest (26.13 barometer) hurricane in Western Hemisphere

1989 - "Les Miserables," opens at Fisher Theatre, Detroit

Statue of Archbishop Desmond Tutu in Cape Town, South Africa

• In 1989 on this day, Archbishop Desmond Tutu led the biggest anti-apartheid protest march in South Africa.

1989 - Fay Vincent elected baseball's 8th commissioner

• A commuter train at Johannesburg South Africa was attacked on this day in 1990. 36 people were killed.

• 1990 - Iraqi troops storm residence of French ambassador in Kuwait

1990 - Robert E Nederlander appointed NY Yankee managing general partner

1990 - Senate Judiciary Com opens hearing on confirmation of David Souter

1991 - 55 ton concrete beam falls in Montreal's Olympic Stadium

1991 - Joe Carter is 1st to have 3 consec 100-RBI seasons with 3 differ teams

1991 - Joe Coleman 3rd 100 RBI season in a row 3 teams (Cleve, SD & Toronto)

1991 - Kim Zmeskal is 1st American to win a medal at World Gymnastics Championships, she wins the gold with 39.848 pts

Tennis Player Pete SamprasTennis Player Pete Sampras 

• 1992 - 112th US Mens Tennis: Stefan Edberg beats Pete Sampras (36 64 76 62)

1992 - NY Giants trailing Dallas Cowboys 34-0 in 3rd, lose 34-28

1992 - Nancy Lopez wins Ping-Cellular One LPGA Golf Championship

1992 - Steffan Edberg beats Pete Sampress to win US Open

1993 - Israeli min of Foreign affairs Peres & PLO-Abu Mazen sign peace accord

1993 - Junxia Cheek runs ladies world record 3000m (8:06.11)

1993 - Queens NY begins required recycling

1993 - Public unveiling of the Oslo Accords, an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement initiated by Norway.

1994 - George Burns, undergoes surgery to drain fluid from his brain

1994 - Space probe Ulyssus passes south pole of Sun

1996 - Phil Simmons scores 171 & takes 6-14 for Leics v Durham

1997 - Carolina Hurricane's 1st exhibition game beat NY Islanders 4-1

1997 - Katherine Shindle (Ill), 24, crowned 71st Miss America 1998

1998 - 112th US Womens Tennis

1998 - 118th US Mens Tennis

1998 - SAFECO Golf Classic

• 1999 - Bomb explodes in Moscow, Russia. At least 119 people are killed.

• 2001 - Civilian aircraft traffic resumes in the U.S. after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

2006 - At Dawson College (Montreal), Kimveer Gill kills one student and wounds 19 others before committing suicide.

2008 - Hurricane Ike makes landfall on the Texas Gulf Coast of the United States, causing heavy damage to Galveston Island, Houston and surrounding areas.

2012 - 19 people are killed after a freight elevator crashes from 100 meters in Wuhan, China

2012 - 33,000 people are evacuated after Guatemala's Volcano of Fire erupts

• 2012 - Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev calls for Russian punk band Pussy Riot to be freed

2012 - Dr Mustafa Abushagur is elected as Prime Minister of Libya

1759 - The French were defeated by the British on the Plains of Abraham in the final French and Indian War.   1788 - The Constitutional Convention decided that the first federal election was to be held on Wednesday the following February. On that day George Washington was elected as the first president of the United States. In addition, New York City was named the temporary national capital.   

1789 - The United States Government took out its first loan.   1847 - U.S. forces took the hill Chapultepec during the Mexican-American War.   1862 - During the American Civil War General Lee's Order No. 191 was found by federal soldiers in Maryland.   1898 - Hannibal Williston Goodwin patented celluloid photographic film, which is used to make movies.   1922 - In El Azizia, Libya, the highest shade temperature was recorded at 136.4 degrees Fahrenheit.   1937 - The first broadcast of "Kitty Keene, Incorporated" was heard on the NBC Red network.   1943 - Chiang Kai-shek became the president of China.   1948 - The School of Performing Arts opened in New York City. It was the first public school to specialize in performing arts.   1948 - Margaret Chase Smith was elected to the U.S. Senate and became the first woman to serve in both houses of the U.S. Congress.   1949 - The Ladies Professional Golf Association of America was formed.   1959 - The Soviet Union's Luna 2 became the first space probe to reach the moon. It was launched the day before.   1960 - The U.S. Federal Communications Commission banned payola.   1970 - The first New York City Marathon took place. Fireman Gary Muhrucke won the race.   1971 - In New York, National Guardsmen stormed the Attica Correctional Facility and put an end to the four-day revolt. A total of 43 people were killed in the final assault. A committee was organized to investigate the riot on September 30, 1971.   1971 - The World Hockey Association was formed.   1977 - The first diesel automobiles were introduced by General Motors.   1981 - U.S. Secretary of State Alexander M. Haig said the U.S. had physical evidence that Russia and its allies used poisonous biological weapons in Laos, Cambodia and Afghanistan.   1988 - Forecasters reported that Hurricane Gilbert's barometric pressure measured 26.13. It was the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Western Hemisphere.   1993 - "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" premiered on NBC.   1993 - Israel and Palestine signed their first major agreement. Palestine was granted limited self-government in the Gaza Strip and in Jericho.   1994 - U.S. President Bill Clinton signed a $30 billion crime bill into law.   1998 - The New York Times closed its Web site after hackers added offensive material.   2001 - U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell named Osama bin Laden as the prime suspect in the terror attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001. Limited commercial flights resumed in the U.S. for the first time in two days.

1943 Chiang Kai-Shek became president of China. 1948 Republican Margaret Chase Smith of Maine was elected to the U.S. Senate, becoming the first woman to have served in both houses of Congress. 1971 The four-day revolt at the maximum security prison in Attica, New York, ended when state police and National Guardsmen stormed the facility. Forty-two people died. 1993 Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO Chairman Yasir Arafat shook hands after signing an historic peace agreement.  

The following links are to web sites that were used to complete this blog entry:

http://www.historyorb.com/today/events.php

http://on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/alldays/sep13.htm

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory

Sept 13

Battle of Québec 13 September 13, 1759 Montcalm and Wolff both die

Lower Canada Rebellion - The Lower Canada Rebellion (French: rébellion du 

Pictures From a Drive in Rural New York State

I decided to take a drive in the countryside while visiting family in western New York.

Not surprisingly,  it was both beautiful and peaceful.

Here are some pictures from that afternoon. 

Enjoy. 

The Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton

The highlight of our abbreviated trip to Canada on Wednesday was a visit to Hamilton, Ontario. Specifically, we went to the Royal Botanical Gardens.

Now, I had been there once before, the better part of two decades ago with a former girlfriend. Back then, I did not have a cell phone, and so there were no pictures which I took from that trip. She probably gave me some pictures, but who knows what ever happened to those?

This was my second ever visit to these gardens, but the first for my brother. 

There was a rich assortment of different plants and fauna. Part of the gardens are indoors in glasshouses, so that there can be visits during the generally brutal Canadian winters. 

Unfortunately, we arrived too late to be able to visit the rock garden. 

Next time.

Anyway, it was interesting. There were cacti and a whole section on Mediterranean plants. There was a medicinal garden. One tree resembled a banana tree, although neither my brother nor I are informed enough about these matters to know conclusively.

Of course, there were decorative gardens, as well. 

It was a soggy day. But sometimes, I feel rainy, wet conditions actually may enhance pictures. Hopefully, that was the case for this day.

Enjoy.