What Happened on May 26

Historical Events

  • 1896 Dow Jones index begins with an average of 12 industrial stocks (closing is 40.94)
  • 1908 At Masjed Soleyman (مسجد سليمان) in southwest Persia, the first major commercial oil strike in the Middle East is made, rights acquired by the United Kingdom
  • 1927 Henry Ford and the Ford Motor Company produce the last (and 15th million) Model T Ford / Tin Lizzie
  • 1948 South Africa elects a nationalist government under D. F. Malan with an apartheid policy
  • 2004 The United States Army veteran Terry Nichols is found guilty of 161 state murder charges for helping carry out the Oklahoma City bombing.
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May 26 in Film & TV

  • 1913 US Actors' Equity Association forms (NYC)

May 26 in Music

  • 1967 EMI rush releases The Beatles' album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" in London and select markets in the UK, prior to nation-wide release; it would go to number one for 15 weeks in the US and 22 weeks in the UK

May 26 in Sport

  • 1923 Inaugural 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race for cars starts through public roads around Le Mans, France; inaugural winners: André Lagache and René Léonard (France) for Chenard & Walcker

Did You Know?

"Dracula" by Irish author Bram Stoker is published by Archibald Constable and Company in London

On May 26, 1897

Would You Believe?

George Willig climbs the South Tower of NYC's World Trade Center, famously fined 1 cent for each of 110 stories he climbed

On May 26, 1977

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