Today in History: September 5, Munich Olympics massacre

Friday, Sept. 5, 2026 marks the 248th day of the year, with 117 days remaining. The historical spotlight falls on Sept. 5, 1972, when Palestinian militants attacked the Israeli Olympic delegation at the Munich Games, killing two and taking nine others hostage. Within the next 24 hours, five militants, all nine hostages, and a German police officer were killed. The day also recalls milestones such as the first Continental Congress meeting in 1774 in Philadelphia, Sam Houston winning the first presidential election of the Republic of Texas in 1836, and the signing of the Treaty of Portsmouth in 1905 ending the Russo-Japanese war.