1. In 1861, Kansas was admitted as the 34th state of the United States. This followed a long and often contentious struggle for statehood that began in 1854 with the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which allowed for the possibility of slavery in new territories.

2. On September 26, 1955, William Allen White, a prominent Kansas journalist and editor, died in Emporia at the age of 76. White was a Pulitzer Prize winner and a vocal advocate for progressive causes, including women's suffrage and opposition to the Ku Klux Klan.

3. In 1983, the Kansas City Royals clinched the American League West division title on September 26 by beating the Oakland A's. This marked the fourth time the Royals had won their division since their founding in 1969.

4. On September 26, 1918, the deadliest train wreck in Kansas history occurred near the town of Wellington. Two trains collided head-on, killing over 50 people and injuring many more. The accident was caused in part by miscommunication between train crews and dispatchers.

5. In 1935, the U.S. government established the Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge in Kansas. The refuge covers more than 18,000 acres of grasslands and wetlands in the Flint Hills region, which is known for its unique ecology and scenic beauty.