What Happened on March 26
Important Events
- 1027 Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II Holy Roman Emperor, founder of the Salian dynasty
- 1812 Earthquake measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale destroys 90% of Caracas, Venezuela and kills an estimated 15,000–20,000 people
- 1871 Municipal elections bring revolutionaries to power in Paris to form Commune government
- 1909 In support of Mohammed Ali Shah's coup d'etat against the constitutional government in Persia, a Russian military force invades northern Persia to relieve the siege of Tabriz
- 1942 First "Eichmann transport" to Auschwitz & Birkenau concentration camps
- 1953 Dr Jonas Salk announces that he has successfully tested a vaccine to prevent Polio, clinical trials began the next year
- 1966 Large-scale anti-Vietnam War protests take place in the United States, including in New York, Washington, D.C. and Chicago
- 1971 Bangladesh (East Pakistan) under Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declares its independence from Pakistan
Mar 26 in Film & TV
- 1953 "Ugetsu", Japanese film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi, starring Masayuki Mori, Machiko Kyō and Kinuyo Tanaka, is released
Mar 26 in Music
- 1982 Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder release the single "Ebony & Ivory" in the UK
Mar 26 in Sport
- 1972 LA Lakers break NBA wins record by winning 69 of 82 games (69-13), record will stand for 24 years
Did You Know?
1st free elections in USSR; 190 million votes cast; Boris Yeltsin wins
On March 26, 1989
Famous Birthdays
Robert Frost
(1874 - 1963)- Tennessee Williams
(1911 - 1983) - William Westmoreland
(1914 - 2005) - Leonard Nimoy
(1931 - 2015) - Nancy Pelosi
80 Years Old - Diana Ross
76 Years Old
Robert Frost
Tennessee Williams
William Westmoreland
Leonard Nimoy
Nancy Pelosi
Diana RossWould You Believe?
Richard III of England (1452-1485) is reburied at Leicester Cathedral in England, after being discovered under a carpark in Leicester in 2012
On March 26, 2015
Famous Weddings
- 1771 Political activist Thomas Paine (34) weds second wife Elizabeth Ollive
- 1842 Italian general Giuseppe Garibaldi (34) weds Ana Maria de Jesus Ribeiro (20) in Montevideo
- 1938 Writer Walter Lippmann (48) weds second wife Helen Byrne Armstrong
Famous Divorces
- 1960 Academy award-winning actor Yul Brynner (39) divorces actress Virginia Gilmore (40) after 15 years of marriage
John Winthrop
James Hutton
Ludwig van Beethoven
Walt Whitman
Cecil Rhodes
Noël CowardArticles, Photos and Quiz
Murder Most Foul in Olde England
Few murders were so horrific as the one that came to light on this day in history. And few punishments so grisly as that which befell Catherine Hayes.
March 26, 1726Massive Earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela
Caracas lies in ruins after the deadly 1812 earthquake
March 26, 1812Weekly Quiz for March 23 - 29
What infectious disease did Dr Jonas Salk announce a vaccine for in 1953? What was the original purpose of the Terracotta Army, discovered in China in 1974?
March in History
John Manningham Notes the Passing of Queen Elizabeth I
John Manningham was an English lawyer and diarist who wrote this especially moving entry on the passing of Queen Elizabeth I.
March 24, 1603Rebel With a Cause: The Life of Shameless Shelley
A born rebel, the celebrated poet Percy Bysshe Shelley was expelled on this day from the University of Oxford. He would go on to lead a short and tragic life.
March 25, 1811Albert's Monumental Legacy
Architect George Gilbert Scott, who designed the Albert Memorial in honour of Queen Victoria's beloved husband, Prince Albert died on this day.
March 27, 1878Gucci Chief Falls Prey to the Black Widow
The world of design and fashion was shocked when Maurizio Gucci was shot dead in 1995. His execution would lead to an even greater sensation three years later.
March 27, 1995
