On this day: September 27

South African government publishes Nelson Mandela’s prison writings

South Africa’s government has released a collection of Nelson Mandela’s writings from his years on Robben Island and other prisons, offering new access to documents that trace his political development and personal reflections during apartheid incarceration.

Spanish Civil War Enters Brutal Final Phase

By late September 1938, Republican and Nationalist forces clash across shrinking fronts as international support wanes and civilian suffering intensifies, signaling a decisive turn toward the conflict's end.