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American journalist and feminist activist Gloria Steinem dies at the age of 92.
- Gloria Marie Steinem ( STY-nəm; March 25, 1934 – September 2, 2026) was an American journalist and social movement activist who emerged as a nationally recognized leader of second-wave feminism in the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and who remained particularly prominent in the 1980s and early 1990s.
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Duane Davis is convicted of orchestrating the 1996 murder of American rapper Tupac Shakur.
- On September 7, 1996, at 11:15 p.m. (PDT), Tupac Shakur, a 25-year-old American rapper, was shot in a drive-by shooting in Paradise, Nevada. The shooting occurred when the car carrying Shakur was stopped at a red light at East Flamingo Road and Koval Lane. Shakur was struck by four rounds fired from a .40-caliber Glock 22 pistol: two in the chest, one in the arm and one in the thigh. The driver, Death Row Records mogul Suge Knight, was grazed by a bullet in the shooting. Shakur died from his injuries six days later.
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The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is launched towards its Earth–Sun L2 operating orbit.
- The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is a NASA infrared space telescope that was launched on a trajectory toward a Sun–Earth L2 orbit on 30 August 2026 by a Falcon Heavy launch vehicle. It is named after NASA's first chief of astronomy, Nancy Grace Roman.
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In a referendum, Icelanders reject European Union membership negotiations.
- A referendum on the resumption of European Union membership negotiations by the Icelandic government was held in Iceland on 29 August 2026. Its result was to reject the proposal for resuming accession negotiations with 52.84% voting no and 47.16% voting yes.
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An attempted coup against the military junta in Niger fails.
- On 28–29 August 2026, a mutinous faction of the Niger Armed Forces calling themselves the Armed Forces for the Restoration of the Fatherland attempted a coup against President Abdourahamane Tiani in the country's capital Niamey. Gunfire and explosions were reported near the Diori Hamani International Airport, the Presidential Palace, and headquarters of the Office of Radio and Television of Niger. The coup attempt, which state media said was repelled, is believed to have been carried out by young officers within the Nigerien military opposed to the rule of President Tiani.
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In athletics, Masai Russell and Alison dos Santos break the world records for the 100 metres hurdles and men's 400 metres hurdles, respectively at the Weltklasse Zürich.
- Masai Russell ( mə-SY; born June 17, 2000) is an American track and field sprinter and hurdler. She won the gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in the 100 m hurdles event. Russell is the world record holder in the 100 m hurdles, running a time of 12.09 seconds on August 27, 2026.
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- Alison Brendom Alves dos Santos (born 3 June 2000) is a Brazilian hurdler and sprinter specialising in the 400 metres hurdles. Competing in the 400 metres hurdles, he is the 2022 World Champion and won the bronze medal at the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics. On 27 August 2026, dos Santos broke the world record in the event with a time of 45.80 seconds.
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Iran war (ongoing)
- Since 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel have been at war with Iran and its regional allies. Hostilities broke out after US–Israeli airstrikes killed several Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The strikes were launched amid ongoing US–Iran negotiations regarding Iran's nuclear program.
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Lebanon war (ongoing)
- Since 2 March 2026, there has been an ongoing war in Lebanon between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah, with Israel invading parts of Lebanon. It is a resumption of major fighting in the Hezbollah–Israel conflict, and part of the wider conflict in the Middle East. The war has precipitated a humanitarian crisis, resulted in the deaths of more than 4,000 people from Israeli strikes in Lebanon, and seen the forced displacement of over 1 million.
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Russo-Ukrainian war (ongoing)
- On 24 February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the existing war between the two countries that began when Russia attacked Ukraine in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thousands of military casualties and tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilian casualties. Russian troops
occupy roughly 20% of Ukraine. From a population of 41 million, about 8 million Ukrainians have been internally displaced and 6–7 million have fled the country, creating Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II.
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