September 16, 1976 - Shavarsh Karapetyan, a 13-time European Champion, and seven-time Soviet Union Champion finswimmer, risked his life to save passengers onboard a trolleybus, which had gone out of control and driven into the Yerevan reservoir in Armenia. Karapetyan had just completed a 12-mile training run with his brother when he heard the sound of the crash and saw the sinking trolleybus some 80 feet from the shore. Without hesitation Karapetyan and his brother jumped into the water and swam to the trolley, which was now resting at the bottom, 33 feet below the surface. Karapetyan dove down and was able to kick out the back window of the bus and begin hauling people to the surface where he would hand them off to his brother, who helped them to the shore. His efforts were hindered by conditions of almost zero visibility due to the silt kicked up by the bus; nevertheless, over the course of approximately 15 minutes Karapetyan was able to rescue 20 of the 92 passengers onboard. His heroic efforts took a toll on Karapetyan and marked the end of his athletic career. The combined effects of the cold water and multiple cuts he received from the broken glass of the window left him in a coma for 45 days after the accident. Furthermore, he developed sepsis from the raw sewage that was in the water. Due to the secretive nature of the Soviet Union, Karapetyan's achievement was not recognized immediately. The photos and details of the accident were not released for two years.  Karapetyan was later awarded the Order of the Badge of Honor for his heroics.  

September 17, 1862 - The Battle of Antietam, during the American Civil War, was fought near Sharpsburg, Maryland. Antietam proved to be the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with a total of 3,654 killed and additional 17,292 wounded. The battle pitted the Union troops of General George B. McClellan against a much smaller Confederate force of General Robert E. Lee. However, rather than press the advantage of superior numbers in the battle, General McClellan was cautious and never deployed his entire force. As a result the battle proved to be a draw with neither side able to claim a tactical victory; although, the battle did give a strategic advantage to the Union by putting an end to the Confederate invasion of Maryland. Despite this strategic victory, President Lincoln was frustrated with General McClellan's failure to destroy General Lee's army when he had the opportunity. General McClellan's temerity during the battle led to dismissal from his command and the end of his military career.

September 20, 1973 - In one of the most famous tennis matches ever played, Billie Jean King, a 10-time Women's Grand Slam Champion, defeated former top-ranked Men's player, Bobby Riggs in the Battle of the Sexes. Although Riggs was 26 years older than King, he claimed that the female tennis game was inferior, and that even at the age of 55 he could beat the top female tennis player in the world. Riggs played the first such match on May 13, 1973 against Margaret Court, who at the time was the ranked number one. Riggs was easily able to defeat Court, dropping her in two sets (6-2, 6-1). The victory launched the retired Riggs back into the limelight and landed him on the cover of Sports Illustrated and Time. Four months later Riggs faced King, this time in front of a packed house at Houston's Astrodome and a national television audience. However, Riggs was outplayed by King, who had him running back-and-forth across the court chasing balls. King won the best-of-five match in three consecutive sets (6-4, 6-3, 6-3). Despite King's victory, some critics claimed that it was really a battle of age versus youth, and that had Riggs been younger or in better shape he would have defeated King. Nevertheless, King was the player who walked out with bragging rights and the $100,000 prize. A news broadcast about the match can be viewed here. 

-- Shavarsh Karapetyan

The sport of Finswimming is primarily an underwater discipline, wherein competitors use a monofin to propel themselves, dolphin-like, through the water. Athletes often carry an oxygen tank or some other type of breathing apparatus to enable them to stay underwater continuously. A promotional video for the Russian finswimming organization can be viewed here.