What Happened on June 26
Significant Events
- 363 Roman Emperor Julian is killed during retreat from the Sassanid Empire. General Jovian is proclaimed Emperor by troops on the battlefield.
- 1794 Battle of Fleurus: major victory by forces of the First French Republic under General Jean-Baptiste Jourdan over the Coalition Army (Great Britain, Hanover, Dutch Republic, and Habsburgs) first use of reconnaissance balloon
- 1857 The first 62 recipients are awarded the Victoria Cross for valour in the Crimean war by Queen Victoria
- 1917 1st US troops arrive in France during World War I
- 2016 Panama Canal's third set of locks opens for commercial traffic, doubling the Canal’s capacity at an estimated cost of $5.25 billion
June 26 in Film & TV
- 1925 "The Gold Rush", directed, starring and written by Charlie Chaplin, is released
June 26 in Music
- 1870 Richard Wagner's opera "Valkyrie", second in his Ring Cycle premieres in Munich, featuring "Ride of the Valkyries"
June 26 in Sport
- 2017 America's Cup: Emirates Team New Zealand defeat Oracle Team USA 7-1 in Bermuda, Peter Burling (26) youngest ever helmsman
Did You Know?
According to the Lüneburg manuscript, a piper leads 130 children of Hamelin away
On June 26, 1284
Famous Birthdays
William Thomson
(1824 - 1907)
Robert Borden
(1854 - 1937)
Chris Isaak
62 Years Old
Chris O'Donnell
48 Years Old
Derek Jeter
44 Years Old
Ariana Grande
25 Years Old
Would You Believe?
The Universal Product Code is scanned for the first time to sell a package of Wrigley's chewing gum at the Marsh Supermarket in Troy, Ohio
On June 26, 1974
Famous Weddings
- 1739 Taxonomist Carolus Linnaeus (32) weds Sara Elisabeth Moræa
- 1912 US Secretary of State John Foster Dulles (24) weds Janet Pomeroy Avery at Auburn, New York
- 1915 Poet T. S. Eliot (26) weds governess Vivienne Haigh-Wood (27) at Hampstead Register Office in London
Famous Divorces
- 1972 NFL quarterback Johnny Unitas (39) divorces first wife Dorothy Hoelle after nearly 2 decades of marriage
- 1974 Actress Elizabeth Taylor's 5th divorce from actor Richard Burton
- 1975 Cher divorces Sonny Bono
Francisco Pizarro
James Weldon Johnson
Richard Bedford Bennett
Roy Campanella
Don Hutson
Liz ClaiborneJune in History
How the Qwerty Keyboard was Born
A typewriter patent was granted on this day to the man who would go on to produce and inflict on us all the ubiquitous Qwerty keyboard.
June 23, 1868
The Fatal Dance Manias of Medieval Europe
The strange social phenomena of Medieval Europe where people began dancing and simply couldn't stop
June 24, 1374
Kennedy's Clarion Call for Freedom
Former US President John F. Kennedy was renowned for his oratory – typified by his electrifying "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech delivered on this day.
June 26, 1963
Scrabble Creator Stuck for Words
The inventor of a new word game just could not think what to call it. Then a bright friend came up with the name – no points for guessing – Scrabble.
June 28, 1971