Wednesday, September 9, 2026, brings us National Wiener Schnitzel Day—which still sounds more like a dachshund-shaped food truck than a breaded veal cutlet.

Why did America declare independence before officially choosing its name, and how did a wartime bombing lead to an extraordinary friendship?

Today we explore the moment the United Colonies became the United States, a Japanese pilot’s failed attempt to ignite an Oregon forest, and the U2 album Apple placed into more than 500 million music libraries.

Along the way, we celebrate Colonel Harland Sanders, whose worldwide fried-chicken business began when he was 65, nearly broke, and driving around with a pressure cooker in his car.

A gift can build a friendship, launch a business, or irritate half a billion people—and sometimes the difference is whether anyone asked first.