What happened today in history
May
What happened on May 26
On May 26 history recorded 61 notable events. 160 people who left a mark were born on this day, and 112 died. Here is the full almanac.
- 61events
- 160births
- 112deaths
- 15observances
Highlights
Highlights
946King Edmund I (pictured) of England was murdered at Pucklechurch on the feast day of St Augustine.
Edmund I or Eadmund I was King of the English from 27 October 939 until his death in 946. He was the elder son of King Edward the Elder and his third wife, Queen Eadgifu, and a grandson of King Alfred the Great. Edmund was crowned king after his eldest half-br
1328English friar William of Ockham, who popularised the methodological principle known as Occam's razor, secretly left Avignon under threat from Pope John XXII.
A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders in the Catholic Church. There are also friars outside of the Catholic Church, such as within the Evangelical-Lutheran Churches and Anglican Communion. The term, first used in the 12th or 13th century, distingu
1644Portuguese Restoration War: Portuguese and Spanish forces both claimed victory at the Battle of Montijo.
The Restoration War between Portugal and Spain began in 1641 and ended with the Treaty of Lisbon in 1668, bringing a formal end to the Iberian Union. The period from 1640 to 1668 was marked by periodic skirmishes between Portugal and Spain, as well as short ep
May 26
On this day
I century
- 17
17Germanicus celebrates a triumph in Rome for his victories over the Cherusci, Chatti, and other German tribes west of the Elbe.
V century
IX century
X century
- 946
946England is left temporarily without a monarch after the death of King Edmund I in a street fight, resulting in Edmund's brother Eadred assuming the throne for the minority of Edmund's two sons. - 961
961King Otto I elects his six-year-old son Otto II as heir apparent and co-ruler of the East Frankish Kingdom. He is crowned at Aachen, and placed under the tutelage of his grandmother Matilda.
XII century
XIII century
XIV century
XVI century
XVII century
XVIII century
- 1736
1736The Battle of Ackia is fought near the present site of Tupelo, Mississippi. British and Chickasaw soldiers repel a French and Choctaw attack on the then-Chickasaw village of Ackia. - 1783
1783A Great Jubilee Day held at North Stratford, Connecticut, celebrates the end of fighting in the American Revolutionary War.
XIX century
- 1805
1805Napoléon Bonaparte assumes the title of King of Italy and is crowned with the Iron Crown of Lombardy in Milan Cathedral, the gothic cathedral in Milan. - 1821
1821Establishment of the Peloponnesian Senate by the Greek rebels. - 1822
1822At least 113 people die in the Grue Church fire, the biggest fire disaster in Norway's history. - 1864
1864President Abraham Lincoln signs legislation organizing the Montana Territory. - 1865
1865Conclusion of the American Civil War: The Confederate General Edmund Kirby Smith, commander of the Trans-Mississippi division, is the last full general of the Confederate Army to surrender, at Galveston, Texas. - 1868
1868Impeachment of Andrew Johnson: President Andrew Johnson is acquitted by one vote in the United States Senate. - 1869
1869Boston University is chartered by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. - 1879
1879Russia and the United Kingdom sign the Treaty of Gandamak establishing an Afghan state. - 1896
1896Nicholas II is crowned as the last Tsar of Imperial Russia. - 1896
1896Charles Dow publishes the first edition of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. - 1900
1900Thousand Days' War: The Colombian Conservative Party turns the tide of war in their favor with victory against the Colombian Liberal Party in the Battle of Palonegro.
XX century
- 1903
1903Românul de la Pind, the longest-running newspaper by and about Aromanians until World War II, is founded. - 1908
1908The first major commercial oil strike in the Middle East is made at Masjed Soleyman in southwest Persia. The rights to the resource were quickly acquired by the Anglo-Persian Oil Company. - 1918
1918The Democratic Republic of Georgia is established. - 1923
1923The first 24 Hours of Le Mans is held in France. Run annually in June thereafter, it became the oldest endurance racing event in the world. - 1926
1926Abd el-Krim ends surrenders to the French, bringing an end to the Rif War. - 1927
1927The last Ford Model T rolls off the assembly line after a production run of 15,007,003 vehicles. - 1936
1936In the House of Commons of Northern Ireland, Tommy Henderson begins speaking on the Appropriation bill. By the time he sits down in the early hours of the following morning, he had spoken for ten hours. - 1937
1937Walter Reuther and members of the United Auto Workers (UAW) clash with Ford Motor Company security guards at the River Rouge Complex in Dearborn, Michigan, during the Battle of the Overpass. - 1938
1938In the United States, the House Un-American Activities Committee begins its first session. - 1940
1940World War II: Operation Dynamo: In northern France, Allied forces begin a massive evacuation from Dunkirk, France. The Battle of Dunkirk begins simultaneously as Allied defenders fight to slow down the German offensive. - 1940
1940World War II: The Siege of Calais ends with the surrender of the British and French garrison. - 1942
1942World War II: The Battle of Gazala begins, in present-day Libya. - 1948
1948The U.S. Congress passes Public Law 80-557, which permanently establishes the Civil Air Patrol as an auxiliary of the United States Air Force. - 1966
1966British Guiana gains independence, becoming Guyana. - 1967
1967The Beatles' album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is released. - 1968
1968H-dagurinn in Iceland: Traffic changes from driving on the left to driving on the right overnight. - 1969
1969Apollo program: Apollo 10 returns to Earth after a successful eight-day test of all the components needed for the forthcoming first crewed Moon landing. - 1970
1970The Soviet Tupolev Tu-144 becomes the first commercial transport to exceed Mach 2. - 1971
1971Bangladesh Liberation War: The Pakistan Army slaughters at least 71 Hindus in Burunga, Sylhet, Bangladesh. - 1972
1972Cold War: The United States and the Soviet Union sign the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. - 1981
1981Italian Prime Minister Arnaldo Forlani and his coalition cabinet resign following a scandal over membership of the pseudo-masonic lodge P2 (Propaganda Due). - 1981
1981An EA-6B Prowler crashes on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, killing 14 crewmen and injuring 45 others. - 1983
1983The 7.8 Mw Sea of Japan earthquake shakes northern Honshu with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). A destructive tsunami is generated that leaves about 100 people dead. - 1986
1986The European Community adopts the European flag. - 1991
1991Zviad Gamsakhurdia becomes the first elected President of the Republic of Georgia in the post-Soviet era. - 1991
1991Lauda Air Flight 004 breaks apart in mid-air and crashes in the Phu Toei National Park in the Suphan Buri province of Thailand, killing all 223 people on board. - 1998
1998The Supreme Court of the United States rules in New Jersey v. New York that Ellis Island, the historic gateway for millions of immigrants, is mainly in the state of New Jersey, not New York. - 1998
1998The first "National Sorry Day" is held in Australia. Reconciliation events are held nationally, and attended by over a million people. - 1998
1998A MIAT Mongolian Airlines Harbin Y-12 crashes near Erdenet, Orkhon Province, Mongolia, resulting in 28 deaths.
XXI century
- 2002
2002The tugboat Robert Y. Love collides with a support pier of Interstate 40 on the Arkansas River near Webbers Falls, Oklahoma, resulting in 14 deaths and 11 others injured. - 2003
2003Ukrainian-Mediterranean Airlines Flight 4230 crashes in the Turkish town of Maçka, killing 75. - 2008
2008Severe flooding begins in eastern and southern China that will ultimately cause 148 deaths and force the evacuation of 1.3 million. - 2014
2014Narendra Modi takes oath as the 15th Prime Minister of India. - 2020
2020Protests triggered by the murder of George Floyd erupt in Minneapolis–Saint Paul, later becoming widespread across the United States and around the world. - 2021
2021Ten people are killed in a shooting at a VTA rail yard in San Jose, California, United States. - 2025
202565 people are injured when a car rams into a crowd on Water Street, near Liverpool F.C.'s Premier League trophy parade.
Best known
Born on May 26
Best known
Died on May 26
604Augustine of Canterbury
Missionary, archbishop, and saint (died 604)
735Bede
Anglo-Saxon monk, writer and saint (672/3–735)
818Ali al-Rida
Eighth of the Twelve Shia Imams
946Edmund I
King of the English from 939 to 946
1035Berenguer Ramon I
Count of Barcelona, Girona and Ausona (1005-1035) (r.1018-1035)
1055Adalbert, Margrave of Austria
Margrave of Austria from 1018 to 1055
Holidays and observances
- Christian feast day: Andrew Kaggwa
- Christian feast day: Augustine of Canterbury (Anglican Communion and Eastern Orthodox)
- Christian feast day: Lambert of Vence
- Christian feast day: Mariana de Jesús de Paredes
- Christian feast day: Martyrs of the Paris Commune
- Christian feast day: Peter Sanz (one of Martyr Saints of China)
- Christian feast day: Philip Neri
- Christian feast day: Pope Eleutherius
- Christian feast day: Zachary, Bishop of Vienne
- Christian feast day: May 26 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Independence Day, commemorates the declaration of independence of the Democratic Republic of Georgia in 1918 (Georgia)
- Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Guyana from the United Kingdom in 1966.
- Mother's Day (Poland)
- National Paper Airplane Day (United States)
Frequently asked questions
What happened on May 26?
61 documented historical events happened on May 26, from antiquity to the present day. The best known is this: King Edmund I (pictured) of England was murdered at Pucklechurch on the feast day of St Augustine. On the same day, in another year: English friar William of Ockham, who popularised the methodological principle known as Occam's razor, secretly left Avignon under threat from Pope John XXII. On Almanaccolo every event is listed in chronological order, grouped by century, and links to the Wikipedia article it comes from, so you can always read further or check the source. Alongside the events you find who was born and who died on this date, and which observances are celebrated around the world.
Who was born on May 26?
160 people with a Wikipedia article were born on May 26, including Adolfo de la Huerta, Peter Kürten, Mamie Smith. The list spans every era and every field — art, science, politics, sport, entertainment — ordered by year of birth, from the earliest to the most recent. The six featured people are those most has been written about: the ordering uses the length of their Wikipedia article as an indicator of prominence. For each one you find their occupation, year of birth and a link to the full biography.
Who died on May 26?
112 people with a Wikipedia article died on May 26, including Augustine of Canterbury, Bede, Ali al-Rida. The list is in chronological order by year of death and spans all of documented history, from antiquity to the present day. For each person you find their occupation, the year and a link to the Wikipedia biography, where the full story and its sources can be read.
What is celebrated on May 26?
15 observances are celebrated on May 26 around the world: Christian feast day: Andrew Kaggwa, Christian feast day: Augustine of Canterbury (Anglican Communion and Eastern Orthodox), Christian feast day: Lambert of Vence, Christian feast day: Mariana de Jesús de Paredes, Christian feast day: Martyrs of the Paris Commune, Christian feast day: Peter Sanz (one of Martyr Saints of China). The list gathers national holidays, international days and religious or civil observances falling on this date in different countries, as recorded on Wikipedia. Some are fixed and recur on the same day every year; others depend on the local calendar. Each links to the article explaining its origin and meaning.
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Source: Wikipedia · Calendar