What happened on August 26? There are more than 269 events that were made this day in history. Here are the important historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.
Interesting Facts & Myths About August 26
August 26 is the 239th day of the year 2024. There are 127 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Monday. This day falls under the 35th week of the year 2024.
On this day in Donnellson, Illinois 62019 sunrise will occur at 06:20 AM and sunset will occur at 07:38 PM (local time).
The zodiac sign of a person born on this day is Virgo. The modern birthstone for this month is Peridot while the mystical birthstone is Diamond.
According to the Chinese calendar, there are 156 days remaining before the start of the next Chinese New Year (January 29, 2025).
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Historical Events For August 26
- 55Roman forces under Julius Caesar invade Great Britain.
- 1071Battle of Manzikert: The Seljuk Turks defeat the Byzantine Army at Manzikert.
- 1278Ladislaus IV of Hungary and Rudolph I of Germany defeat Premysl Ottokar II of Bohemia in the Battle of Marchfield near Dürnkrut in (then) Moravia.
- 1303Ala ud din Khilji captures Chittorgarh.
- 1346Hundred Years’ War: the military supremacy of the English longbow over the French combination of crossbow and armoured knights is established at the Battle of Crécy.
- 1429Joan of Arc makes a triumphant entry into Paris.
- 1444Battle of St. Jakob an der Birs: A vastly outnumbered force of Swiss Confederates is defeated by the Dauphin Louis (future Louis XI of France) and his army of ‘Armagnacs’near Basel.
- 1466A conspiracy against Piero di Cosimo de' Medici in Florence, led by Luca Pitti, is discovered.
- 1498Michelangelo is commissioned to carve the Pietà.
- 1748The first Lutheran denomination in North America, the Pennsylvania Ministerium, is founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
- 1768Captain James Cook sets sail from England on board HMS Endeavour.
- 1778The first recorded ascent of Triglav, the highest mountain in Slovenia.
- 1789The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen is approved by the National Constituent Assembly of France.
- 1791John Fitch is granted a United States patent for the steamboat.
- 1810The former viceroy Santiago de Liniers is executed after the defeat of his counter-revolution.
- 1813War of the Sixth Coalition: An impromptu battle takes place when French and Prussian-Russian forces accidentally run into each other near Liegnitz, Prussia (now Legnica, Poland).
- 1814Chilean War of Independence: Infighting between the rebel forces of José Miguel Carrera and Bernardo O'Higgins erupts in the Battle of Las Tres Acequias.
- 1818Illinois becomes the 21st state in the union of the United States.
- 1821The University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, is oficially opened.
- 1883The 1883 eruption of Krakatoa begins its final, paroxysmal, stage.
- 1914World War I: the British Expeditionary Force fights a rear-guard action at the Battle of Le Cateau that briefly checks the German advance.
- 1914World War I: the German colony of Togoland is invaded by French and British forces, who take it after 5 days.
- 1920The 19th amendment to United States Constitution takes effect, giving women the right to vote.
- 1940Chad becomes the first French colony to join the Allies under the administration of Félix Éboué, France’s first black colonial governor.
- 1942Holocaust in Chortkiav, western Ukraine: At 2.30 am the German Schutzpolizei starts driving Jews out of their houses, divides them into groups of 120, packs them in freight cars and deports 2000 to Belzec death camp. 500 of the sick and children are murdered on the spot.
- 1944World War II: Charles de Gaulle enters Paris.
- 1957The USSR announces the successful test of an ICBM – a “super long distance intercontinental multistage ballistic rocket . . . a few days ago,” according to the Soviet news agency, ITAR-TASS.
- 1966The Namibian War of Independence starts with the battle at Omugulugwombashe.
- 1970The then new feminist movement, led by Betty Friedan, leads a nation-wide Women’s Strike for Equality.
- 1977The Charter of the French Language is adopted by the National Assembly of Quebec
- 1978Papal conclave, 1978 (August): Pope John Paul I is elected to the Papacy.
- 1978Sigmund Jähn becomes first German cosmonaut, on board Soyuz 31.
- 1980John Birges plants a bomb at Harvey’s Resort Hotel in Stateline, Nevada, US.
- 1997Beni-Ali massacre in Algeria; 60-100 people killed.
- 1999Russia begins the Second Chechen War in response to the Invasion of Dagestan by the Islamic International Peacekeeping Brigade.
- 2002Earth Summit 2002 begins in Johannesburg, South Africa
- 2011The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Boeing’s all-new composite airliner, receives certification from the EASA and the FAA
Who Were Born On August 26?
- 1469Ferdinand II of Naples (d. 1496)
- 1540King Magnus of Livonia (d. 1583)
- 1676Sir Robert Walpole, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1745)
- 1694Elisha Williams, American rector of Yale College (d. 1755)
- 1728Johann Heinrich Lambert, Swiss scientist (d. 1777)
- 1736Jean-Baptiste L. Romé de l'Isle, French chemist (d. 1790)
- 1740Joseph-Michel Montgolfier, French inventor (d. 1810)
- 1743Antoine Lavoisier, French chemist (d. 1794)
- 1775William Joseph Behr, German writer (d. 1851)
- 1789Abbas Mirza, Prince of Persia (d. 1833)
- 1792Manuel Oribe, Uruguayan political figure (d. 1857)
- 1819Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Prince Consort of the United Kingdom (d. 1861)
- 1826Princess Alexandra of Bavaria (d. 1875)
- 1845Mary Ann “Polly” Nichols, English victim of Jack the Ripper (d. 1888)
- 1850Charles Richet, French physiologist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1935)
- 1854Arnold Fothergill, England cricketer (d. 1932)
- 1862Herbert Booth, American son of William and Catherine Booth (d. 1926)
- 1864Anna Ulyanova, older sister of Vladimir Lenin (d. 1935)
- 1865Arthur James Arnot, Scottish inventor (d. 1946)
- 1873Lee DeForest, American inventor (d. 1961)
- 1874Zona Gale, American novelist (d. 1938)
- 1875John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir, Scottish novelist, Governor General of Canada (d. 1940)
- 1880Guillaume Apollinaire, French poet and art critic (d. 1918)
- 1882James Franck, German-born physicist, Nobel laureate (d. 1964)
- 1885Jules Romains, French author (d. 1972)
- 1890Tommy Andrews, Australian cricketer (d. 1970)
- 1894Sparky Adams, Baseball player (d. 1989)
- 1896Besse Cooper, American supercentenarian
- 1896Ivan Mihailov, Bulgarian revolutionary (d. 1990)
- 1897Yoon Boseon, President of South Korea (d. 1990)
- 1898Peggy Guggenheim, American art collector (d. 1979)
- 1899Rufino Tamayo, Mexican painter (d. 1991)
- 1900Hellmuth Walter, German engineer and inventor (d. 1980)
- 1901Chen Yi, Chinese communist military commander and politician (d. 1972)
- 1901Eleanor Dark, Australian novelist (d. 1985)
- 1901Hans Kammler, German engineer and SS officer (disappeared in 1945)
- 1901Maxwell Taylor, American general (d. 1987)
- 1904Christopher Isherwood, English-born writer (d. 1986)
- 1906Albert Sabin, American polio researcher (d. 1993)
- 1907Lester Lanin, American bandleader (d. 2004)
- 1908Aubrey Schenck, British film producer (d. 1999)
- 1908Bill Hunt, Australian cricketer (d. 1983)
- 1908W. B. Henning, Prussian-born Iranist (d. 1967)
- 1909Eric Davies, South African cricketer (d. 1976)
- 1909Gene Moore, American baseball player (d. 1978)
- 1909Jim Davis, American actor (d. 1981)
- 1910Mother Teresa, Macedonian-born Indian missionary; Nobel Peace Prize recipient (d. 1997)
- 1914Julio Cortázar, Argentine writer (d. 1984)
- 1920Brant Parker, American cartoonist (d. 2007)
- 1920Prem Tinsulanonda, Thai soldier and politician
- 1921Benjamin Bradlee, American journalist
- 1921Shimshon Amitsur, Israeli mathematician and Israel Prize recipient (d. 1994)
- 1922Irving R. Levine, American journalist (d. 2009)
- 1923Wolfgang Sawallisch, German conductor and pianist
- 1924Alex Kellner, American baseball player (d. 1996)
- 1925Alain Peyrefitte, French politician and writer (d. 1999)
- 1925Jack Hirshleifer, American economist (d. 2005)
- 1925Sangharakshita, Indian religious figure
- 1926Anahit Tsitsikian, Armenian Violinist
- 1927B. V. Doshi, Indian architect
- 1928Naïm Kattan, Canadian novelist and essayist
- 1928Peter Appleyard, Canadian jazz vibraphonist
- 1928Yvette Vickers, American actress (d. 2010)
- 1930Joe Solomon, West Indian cricketer
- 1931Kálmán Markovits, Hungarian water polo player (d. 2009)
- 1932Luis Salvadores, Chilean basketball player
- 1933Oscar Marzaroli, Scots-Italian photographer (d. 1988)
- 1934Tom Heinsohn, American basketball player and commentator
- 1935Geraldine Ferraro, American politician (d. 2011)
- 1938Jet Black, British musician (The Stranglers)
- 1939Pinchas Goldstein, Israeli politician (d. 2007)
- 1940Don LaFontaine, American voice actor (d. 2008)
- 1941Akiko Wakabayashi, Japanese actress
- 1941Barbet Schroeder, Swiss film director
- 1941Chris Curtis, English singer and drummer (d. 2005)
- 1941Jane Merrow, British actress
- 1942Dennis Turner, British politician
- 1942Vic Dana, American singer
- 1944Maureen Tucker, American musician
- 1944Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, British prince
- 1944Stephen Greif, English actor
- 1945Jo Freeman, American feminist scholar
- 1945Tom Ridge, first United States Secretary of Homeland Security
- 1946Chantal Renaud, Quebec singer and actress
- 1946Mark Snow, American composer
- 1946Valerie Simpson, American singer
- 1946Zhou Ji, Chinese Communist Party official
- 1947Emiliano Díez, Cuban actor
- 1947Nicolae Dobrin, Romanian footballer (d. 2007)
- 1950Benjamin Hendrickson, American actor (d. 2006)
- 1951Edward Witten, American physicist
- 1952Bryon Baltimore, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1952Michael Jeter, American actor (d. 2003)
- 1952Will Shortz, American crossword editor
- 1953Pat Sharkey, Irish footballer
- 1954Efren Reyes, Filipino pool player
- 1954Steve Wright, British DJ
- 1956Brett Cullen, American actor
- 1956Mark Mangino, American football coach
- 1957Dr. Alban, Nigerian-born Swedish singer
- 1957Rick Hansen, Canadian paraplegic athlete
- 1958Jan Nevens, Belgian cyclist
- 1959Stan Van Gundy, American basketball coach
- 1960Branford Marsalis, American saxophonist and bandleader
- 1960Nancy Martinez, Canadian-born singer
- 1960Wanda De Jesus, American actress
- 1961Daniel Lévi, French singer-songwriter, composer and pianist
- 1961Jeff Parrett, American baseball player
- 1962Bob Mionske, American cyclist and attorney
- 1963David Byas, English cricketer
- 1963Stephen Dubner, American journalist, author
- 1965Bobby Duncum, Jr., American wrestler (d. 2000)
- 1965Carolina Arregui, Chilean actress
- 1965Chris Burke, American actor
- 1965Jon Hensley, American actor
- 1966Avner Ben-Gal, Israeli artist and painter
- 1966Jacques Brinkman, Dutch field hockey player
- 1966Shirley Manson, Scottish singer
- 1967Michael Gove, British politician
- 1968Byron Lawson, Canadian actor
- 1968Chris Boardman, British cyclist
- 1970Brett Schultz, South African cricketer
- 1970Olimpiada Ivanova, Russian athlete
- 1971Thalía, Mexican singer
- 1974Kelvin Cato, American basketball player
- 1974Meredith Eaton, American actor
- 1975Momar Njie, Gambian footballer
- 1975Morgan Ensberg, American baseball player
- 1975Tyler Connolly, Canadian singer
- 1976Amaia Montero, Spanish singer
- 1976Zemfira, Russian singer
- 1977Ha Tran, Vietnamese pop singer
- 1977Liam Botham, British cricketer and rugby player
- 1977Morris Peterson, American basketball player
- 1977Saeko Chiba, Japanese seiyū
- 1977Simone Motta, Italian footballer
- 1978Raja Kashif, Pakistani singer
- 1979Allison Robertson, American musician
- 1979Cristian Mora, Ecuadorian footballer
- 1979Jamal Lewis, American football player
- 1979Rubén Pazos, Spanish footballer
- 1979Yağmur Sarıgül, Turkish Musician (maNga)
- 1980Brendan Harris, American baseball player
- 1980Chris Pine, American actor
- 1980Macaulay Culkin, American actor
- 1980Manolis Papamakarios, Greek basketball player
- 1981Andreas Glyniadakis, Greek basketball player
- 1981Jesse Martin, Australian yachtsman
- 1981Petey Williams, Canadian professional wrestler
- 1981Tino Best, Barbadian West Indies cricketer
- 1981Vangelis Moras, Greek footballer
- 1982Angelo Iorio, Italian footballer
- 1982David Long, New Zealand musician
- 1982Jayson Nix, American baseball player
- 1982Noah Welch, American ice hockey player
- 1983Félix Porteiro, Spanish racing driver
- 1983Toshiaki Imae, Japanese baseball player
- 1985Brandon McDonald, American football player
- 1986Cassie, American singer
- 1986Colin Kazim-Richards, Turkish footballer
- 1987Riley Steele, Pornographic actress
- 1988Danielle Savre, American actress
- 1988Elvis Andrus, Venezuelan baseball player
- 1988Evan Ross, American actor
- 1988Princess Maria Laura of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este
- 1988Tori Black, American pornographic actress
- 1989James Harden, American basketball player
- 1990Lil' Chris, English singer-songwriter and TV personality
- 1991Dylan O'Brien, American actor
- 1992Yang Yilin, Chinese gymnast
- 1993Keke Palmer, American actress
Who Died On August 26?
- 1214Michael IV, Patriarch of Constantinople
- 1278King Otakar II of Bohemia
- 1346Killed in the Battle of Crécy: Charles II of Alençon (b. 1297)
- 1346Killed in the Battle of Crécy: John of Bohemia (b. 1296)
- 1346Killed in the Battle of Crécy: Louis I of Flanders (b. 1304)
- 1346Killed in the Battle of Crécy: Rudolph, Duke of Lorraine (b. 1320)
- 1349Thomas Bradwardine, Archbishop of Canterbury
- 1551Margaret Leijonhufvud, queen of Gustav I of Sweden (b. 1516)
- 1572Petrus Ramus, French philosopher (b. 1515)
- 1595Antonio, Prior of Crato, claimant to the throne of Portugal (b. 1531)
- 1666Frans Hals, Dutch painter (b. c. 1580)
- 1714Edward Fowler, English Bishop of Gloucester (b. 1632)
- 1723Anton van Leeuwenhoek, Dutch scientist (b. 1632)
- 1785George Germain, 1st Viscount Sackville, British soldier and politician (b. 1716)
- 1810Santiago de Liniers, viceroy of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata (b. 1753)
- 1850Louis-Philippe of France (b. 1773)
- 1865Johann Franz Encke, German astronomer (b. 1791)
- 1908Tony Pastor, American vaudeville performer (b. 1837)
- 1910William James, American psychologist and philosopher (b. 1842)
- 1921Sándor Wekerle, Hungarian politician (b. 1848)
- 1930Lon Chaney, Sr., American actor (b. 1883)
- 1944Adam von Trott zu Solz, German diplomat (b. 1909)
- 1945Franz Werfel, Austrian writer (b. 1890)
- 1946Jeanie MacPherson, American actress and screenwriter (b. 1887)
- 1956Alfred Wagenknecht, German-born American activist (b. 1881)
- 1958Ralph Vaughan Williams, English composer (b. 1872)
- 1968Kay Francis, American actress (b. 1899)
- 1974Charles Lindbergh, American aviator (b. 1902)
- 1976Lotte Lehmann, German soprano (b. 1888)
- 1978Charles Boyer, French actor (b. 1899)
- 1978José Manuel Moreno, Argentine footballer (b. 1916)
- 1979Mika Waltari, Finnish author (b. 1908)
- 1980Rosa Albach-Retty, German actress (b. 1874)
- 1980Tex Avery, American cartoonist (b. 1908)
- 1981Lee Elhardt Hays, American folksinger (b. 1914)
- 1981Roger Nash Baldwin, founder of the American Civil Liberties Union (b. 1884)
- 1986Ted Knight, American actor (b. 1923)
- 1987Georg Wittig, German chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1897)
- 1987John Goddard, West Indian cricketer (b. 1919)
- 1988Carlos Paião, Portuguese singer (b. 1957)
- 1989Irving Stone, American author (b. 1903)
- 1990Minoru Honda, Japanese astronomer (b. 1913)
- 1992Arthur Leigh Allen, American suspected murderer (b. 1933)
- 1992Bob de Moor, Belgian comics artist (b. 1925)
- 1993Reima Pietilä, Finnish architect (b. 1923)
- 1998Frederick Reines, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1918)
- 2000Akbar Adibi, Iranian scientist (b. 1939)
- 2001Louis Muhlstock, Canadian painter (b. 1904)
- 2003Jim Wacker, American football coach (b. 1937)
- 2004Laura Branigan, American singer (b. 1957)
- 2005Denis D'Amour, Canadian guitarist (Voivod) (b. 1960)
- 2005Ed White, Canadian professional wrestler (b. 1949)
- 2005Robert Denning, American interior designer (b. 1927)
- 2006Clyde Walcott, Barbadian West Indies cricketer (b. 1926)
- 2006Rainer Barzel, German politician (b. 1924)
- 2007Gaston Thorn, Luxembourger politician (b. 1928)
- 2007Ramon Zamora, Filipino martial arts actor (b. 1935)
- 2009Dominick Dunne, American writer, Vanity Fair correspondent (b. 1925)
- 2010Raimon Panikkar, Catalan philosopher (b. 1918)
- 2011George Band, British mountaineer (b. 1929)
- 2011John McAleese, British SAS Trooper, Team leader during 1980 Iranian Embassy Siege (b. 1949)
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