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Kevin O'Halloran was an Australian freestyle swimmer who won a gold medal in the 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay at the 1956 Summer Olympics. The first Western Australian to win Olympic gold, O'Halloran learnt to swim in his hometown of Katanning. He moved to Perth to attend secondary school where he became more committed to swimming. Competitive swimming was not well developed in Western Australia: races were held in muddy river pools, so O'Halloran moved to the east coast in late 1955 in an attempt to qualify for the Olympics. His new coach, Frank Guthrie, altered his training regimen; within a year, O'Halloran had reduced his times by approximately 10 percent. He gained Olympic selection in the relay and the 400-metre freestyle. O'Halloran led off the Australian quartet when they obtained a new world record, and placed sixth in the 400 metre. Thereafter, O'Halloran's career was beset by ear problems; he retired in 1958 after failing to qualify for the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games. He died in an accidental shooting in 1976. (Full article...)

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In the news

Tilcayo

An attack on a police complex in Kohat, Pakistan, leaves at least 31 people dead.
The tilcayo (pictured), a new species of tiger cat, is formally identified.
Former leader of Kosovo Hashim Thaçi is sentenced to 25 years in prison for war crimes during his leadership of the Kosovo Liberation Army.
At the Primetime Emmy Awards, Widow's Bay wins Outstanding Comedy Series, and The Pitt wins Outstanding Drama Series.
In Turkey, hundreds of people are arrested in a crackdown on LGBTQ expression and subsequent protests.

On this day

September 26: First day of Sukkot (Judaism, 2026)

Yves Rossy

1087 – William II, son of William the Conqueror, was crowned king of England.
1907 – The British colony of New Zealand officially became a dominion to reflect its political independence since the 1850s.
1944 – World War II: The Soviet Red Army completed the Tallinn offensive, driving German forces out of Estonia.
1983 – The racing yacht Australia II, captained by John Bertrand, won the America's Cup and ended the New York Yacht Club's 132-year defence of the trophy.
2008 – Swiss pilot and inventor Yves Rossy (pictured) flew a wingpack powered by jet engines across the English Channel.

Francis Daniel Pastorius (b. 1651)
Alice Harnoncourt (b. 1930)
Andi Ramang (d. 1987)
Gloria Stuart (d. 2010)

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Today's featured picture

The French Polynesian franc is the currency of French Polynesia and has formed part of the CFP franc system since 1945. Before its introduction, the French franc circulated alongside locally issued franc-denominated banknotes. Distinctive French Polynesian coins were first issued in 1949, initially bearing the territory's former name, Établissements français de l'Océanie (French Establishments in Oceania, or French Oceania). From 1985, banknotes were shared with New Caledonia, while separate coinages continued. In 2023, the French Polynesian coins were withdrawn and replaced by a common series for the French Pacific territories, issued by the Institut d'émission d'outre-mer. This 50-centime banknote was part of the 1943 issue of emergency currency in French Oceania during World War II. Measuring 111 mm × 71 mm (4.4 in × 2.8 in), the note is part of the National Numismatic Collection.

Banknote design credit: G. Reboul-Salze; printed by Jean C. Ferrand; scanned by Andrew Shiva

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