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A West Virginia housewife, Marian McQuade, had a soft spot in her heart for elderly nursing home patients, and it was she who came up with the idea for National Grandparents Day. In 1978, President Jimmy Carter proclaimed the observance to take place each year on the first Sunday after Labor Day. This year, it falls on September 13.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, Al-Qaeda terrorists highjacked four commercial airlines in a coordinated suicide attack. The first two planes crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City. The first one, American Airlines Flight 11, crashed into the North Tower at 8:46, and moments later, at 9:03, United Airlines Flight 175 hit the South Tower. At 9:37, in Washington, D.C., American Airlines Flight 67 crashed into the Pentagon. Passengers on United Airlines Flight 93 fought the highjackers of their plane in an attempt to seize control of it, and it crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania at 10:03. According to one of the self-admitted mastermind of the attacks, the target of that airplane was the Capitol Building of the United States where Congress was in session. A total of 2,993 people died in the attacks, including the 19 highjackers, 246 passengers on the four planes, 2,603 people in the Twin Towers including more than 200 who reportedly jumped, and 55 military men and women in the Pentagon. Twenty-four people remain missing.

In the aftermath of the attacks, all civilian air traffic was stopped, and planes could not land on U.S. soil for the next three days. Flights which were in progress were redirected to airports in Mexico or Canada or returned from whence they came.

In the days after the tragedy, the American people by and large showed solidarity and a great amount of charity to other citizens. Scores of rescue workers, firemen, and policemen took leaves of absence from as far away as California to volunteer in the recovery process. Support from the international community were almost overwhelming, and the United States Congress even set aside their differences and came together to sing "God Bless America" on the steps of the Capitol.

Roald Dahl Day is observed on September 13, the anniversary of Dahl's birth. The author of "James and the Giant Peach" and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," was also an inventor, a World War II ace pilot, and a covert agent for MI-6, Britain's intelligence agency. He married Patricia Neal, an American actress famous for her roles in "The Fountainhead," "A Face in the Crowd," and "Breakfast at Tiffany's," and they had five children. The eldest, Olivia, died of measles encephalitis when she was seven, and his son Theo was in a carriage which was hit by a taxi cab when he was four months old. As a result of the taxi accident, Theo had hydrocephalus, which inspired Roald to team up with a neurosurgeon and a hydraulic engineer and invent the "Wade-Dahl-TIll valve," a cerebral shunt to relieve pressure on the brain of patients with the condition. Although Theo had recovered before the invention was finished, it has benefitted thousands of patients since then. Daughter Tessa is an author, Ophelia is a prominent health care advocate, and Lucy is a British screenwriter.

In 1965, his wife Patricia was pregnant with Lucy and was bathing one of her children when she suffered a three burst cerebral aneurysms. She was in a coma for nearly a month, and Roald stayed with her throughout her rehabilitation, was instrumental in teaching her to walk and talk again. They were divorced in 1983. He died of a rare blood disease, myelodysplastic anemia, in 1990 when he was 74 years old and was buried with some fine burgundy, chocolates, his snooker cues, a power saw, and wooden pencils.

On September 17, the United States observes Constitution Day, honoring the signing of that document, the foundation upon which the country was founded. Signed by thirty-nine of the founding fathers on September 17, 1787, it lays out the framework of the nation, including the three branches of government and their obligations and limitations.

It was adopted on that day in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in what is now known as Independence Hall, which is where the Declaration of Independence was signed and where George Washington received his commission as Commander of the Continental Army. Prepared in secrecy and behind locked and guarded doors, it was not signed by Thomas Jefferson, who was in France at the time, or by John Adams, who was in England. The signers included Benjamin Franklin who, at 81 was the oldest delegate at the Constitutional Convention, James Madison who was the principal author, George Washington, and Alexander Hamilton. The first 10 amendments of the Constitution, collectively known as the "Bill of Rights," addresses individual freedoms, and it has been amended twenty-seven times in total. As he left the room where the document was signed, Benjamin Franklin was asked by a woman named Mrs. Powel, "Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?" Franklin replied, "A republic if you can keep it."

The High Holy Day of Yom Kippur, the Jewish "Day of Atonement," is the most solemn of all Jewish holy days. Many Jews who observe no other religious custom will observe this one. It occurs on the 10th day of Tishri, which this year falls on Sunday, September 27, beginning at sundown and ending with nightfall on Monday, September 28. The observation includes repentance, prayer, and fasting. Repentance, known in Hebrew as teshuva, actually begins ten days prior to Yom Kippur with the onset of Rosh Hashanah and Jews make amends with people they have offended throughout the year, asking sincerely for forgiveness. The service on the day of Yom Kippur lasts all day, with the prayer, called the Al Khet, being repeated throughout. Additionally, the biblical book of Jonah is read, reminding the people that God is willing to forgive any who are sincerely sorry. A 24-hour fast is also included in the observance.

Famous people with September birthdays include Keanu Reeves, Charlie Sheen, Adam Sandler, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Roger Maris, Jesse Owens, and William H. Taft. Also celebrating birthdays this month are Stephen King, and B.B. King, who are not related to one another.

Check out the following resources for more information:

• National Grandparents Day - Learn about the founder of Grandparent's Day and obtain activities and resources to help celebrate the national holiday.
• Roald Dahl Day - Find information, photos, and a schedule of events celebrating Roald Dahl Day.
• Constitution Day - Provides audio and visual resources, books, lesson plans, and a list of activities for celebrating the birthday of the US Government.
• September 11 Digital Archive - Vast collection of electronic media preserving the history of the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York, Virginia, and Pennsylvania.