September 26, 1778

1778 The Continental Congress named Gen. Benjamin Lincoln commander of the Southern Department of the U.S. Continental Army.

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September 26, 1889

Georgia cities and towns incorporated by acts approved on Sept. 26:

1889 Mineral Bluff (Fannin County) and Parrott (Terrell County)

September 26, 1891

Georgia cities and towns incorporated by acts approved on Sept. 26:

1891 Lovejoy (Clayton County)

September 26, 1928

1928 In the year he would be elected governor of New York, Franklin D. Roosevelt made his first speech in Atlanta, campaigning on behalf of New York Gov. Alfred E. Smith’s race against Herbert Hoover for president. [For a first-hand account of Roosevelt’s speech, see Sept. 27 "In Their Own Words."]

September 26, 1948

1948 The Boston Braves, precursors of the Atlanta Braves, won their first National League championship since 1914.

September 26, 1961

1961 Enoch Callaway, Jr. died in LaGrange, Georgia. Born on March 22, 1892 in LaGrange, he attended the University of Georgia (1909-12) and obtained his M.D. from Tulane in 1916. Assuming a general practice in LaGrange, Callaway became an early crusader against cancer. He set up the West Georgia Cancer Clinic, helped found Georgia’s affiliate of the American Cancer Society, and fought to alert Georgians to the deadly disease.

September 26, 1976

1976 The Atlanta Constitution began publishing a three part series by Norman Mailer on his view of Jimmy Carter and the town of Plains, Georgia.

September 26, 1979

1979 Atlanta Brave knuckleball pitcher Phil Niekro got his 20th win of the season. The victory over the Houston Astros made him the first National League pitcher since 1905 to both win and lose 20 games in a single season.

September 26, 1997

1997 For the first time since 1993 and only the second time in the 20th century, the Atlanta Braves won 100 games during the regular season.

September 26, 1998

1998 Playing at home, the Atlanta Braves beat the New York Mets 4-0 for their 105th win of the regular season -- a new franchise record.

September 26, 1999

1999 Playing in Montreal, the Atlanta Braves beat the Expos 10-0. More importantly, for the eighth consecutive year, the Braves won the Eastern Division championship over the second-place New York Mets.

September 26, 2000

2000 Playing in New York, the Atlanta Braves beat the New York Mets 7-1. This was the ninth consecutive division championship for the Braves, setting a major league record. The previous record of consecutive division championships by a major league team other than the Braves was five by the New York Yankees.