September 26 marks International Day for Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons

International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons is observed every year on September 26. The day's main aim is to completely destroy nuclear weapons worldwide and build peace and security. Nuclear weapons are considered one of the biggest threats to human existence, since the consequences of their use can be extremely destructive. The United Nations observes the day to raise awareness about nuclear disarmament and to bring countries around the world together against this threat.

The day's key objectives are to halt the arms race, prevent the spread of these weapons and build a world free of nuclear weapons. It calls for highlighting the severe consequences of using nuclear weapons and resolving disputes through peaceful means.

September 26 has also been the date of several events in history, in India and abroad. In 46 BC, Julius Caesar dedicated a temple to his legendary ancestor Venus Genetrix. In 1777, during the American Revolution, British troops entered the city of Philadelphia. In 1905, Albert Einstein published his first paper on the special theory of relativity. In 1910, Indian journalist Swadeshabhimani Ramakrishna Pillai was arrested and exiled for criticising the Travancore government. In 1950, Indonesia became a member of the United Nations.

In 1954, the ferry Toya Maru sank in a storm in Japan, killing 1,172 people. In 1959, Typhoon Vera, the most powerful typhoon on record to hit Japan, struck the country, killing 4,580 people and leaving about 1.6 million homeless. In 1960, Fidel Castro declared his support for the USSR. In 1973, the supersonic aircraft Concorde crossed the Atlantic Ocean non-stop in record time. In 1984, the United Kingdom approved the handover of Hong Kong.

In 1990, Ranganath Misra took charge as India's 21st Chief Justice. In 1997, a Garuda Indonesia plane crashed near Medan, killing 234 people. In 2001, Pratap Pawar, director and managing editor of the Sakal newspaper, was elected president of the Indian Newspaper Society. In 2009, Typhoon Ketsana struck the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand, killing 700 people.

The day also marks the birth anniversaries of several notable figures. Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was born in 1820 (died July 29, 1891). Nobel laureate Russian scientist Ivan Petrovich Pavlov was born in 1849 (died February 27, 1936). American-born British poet, playwright, critic and Nobel laureate T. S. Eliot was born in 1888 (died January 4, 1965). Scholar and philosopher Acharya Shankar Dattatreya Javadekar was born in 1894 (died December 10, 1955). Indian Hindi film actor, producer and director Dev Anand was born in 1923 (died December 3, 2011). Indian cricketer Vijay Manjrekar was born in 1931 (died October 18, 1983). Former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was born in 1932. Actor Chunky Pandey was born in 1962, and American tennis player Serena Williams was born in 1981.

Among those who died on this date: Levi Strauss, founder of the Levi Strauss company, died in 1902 (born February 26, 1829). Indian Marathi industrialist Laxmanrao Kirloskar died in 1956 (born June 20, 1869). Indian dancer Uday Shankar died in 1977 (born December 8, 1900). Singer, composer and producer Hemant Kumar died in 1989 (born June 16, 1920). Marathi playwright and journalist Vidyadhar Gokhale died in 1996 (born January 4, 1924). Marathi composer and singer Ram Phatak died in 2002 (born October 21, 1917), and American actor Paul Newman died in 2008 (born January 26, 1925).