Today in History: September 5, Munich Olympics massacre

Sept. 5, 2026 is the 248th day of the year, with 117 days remaining. The day’s best-known historical event dates to 1972, when Palestinian militants attacked the Israeli Olympic delegation at the Munich Games, killing two people and taking nine others hostage. Over the next 24 hours, five militants, all nine hostages, and a German police officer were killed. Other notable dates include the 1774 meeting of the first Continental Congress in Philadelphia, the 1905 signing of the Treaty of Portsmouth ending the Russo-Japanese War, and NASA’s 1977 launch of Voyager 1. The article also notes a 1975 assassination attempt on U.S. President Gerald R. Ford in Sacramento, plus several sports and entertainment birthdays.