January 26 facts for kids

January 26 is a special day each year, filled with many important events, births, and deaths throughout history. From big earthquakes and major discoveries to the birth of famous people, this day has seen a lot! It's also a day for celebrations in different parts of the world.

Historical Events

Early History (Before 1600)

• 661 – The Rashidun Caliphate, an early Islamic empire, effectively ended with the assassination of Ali, who was the last leader.
• 1531 – A powerful earthquake hit Lisbon, Portugal, causing the deaths of about 30,000 people.
• 1564 – The Council of Trent officially created a clear difference between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism.
• 1564 – The Grand Duchy of Lithuania won a battle against the Tsardom of Russia in the Battle of Ula during the Livonian War.

Later History (1601–1900)

• 1699 – For the first time, the Ottoman Empire permanently gave up some of its land to Christian countries in the Treaty of Karlowitz.
• 1700 – A massive earthquake happened off the west coast of North America. We know about it from old Japanese records.
• 1788 – The British First Fleet, led by Arthur Phillip, sailed into Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) to start Sydney. This was the first lasting European settlement in Australia and is now celebrated as Australia Day.
• 1808 – The Rum Rebellion was the only successful, though short-lived, armed takeover of the government in New South Wales, Australia.
• 1837 – Michigan became the 26th state in the United States.
• 1841 – James Bremer officially took control of Hong Kong Island for Britain at what is now Possession Point, starting British Hong Kong.
• 1855 – The Point No Point Treaty was signed in Washington Territory in the United States.
• 1856 – In the first Battle of Seattle, Marines from the USS Decatur helped settlers fight off American Indian attackers after a long day of battle.
• 1861 – During the American Civil War, the state of Louisiana decided to leave the Union.
• 1863 – In the American Civil War, General Ambrose Burnside was removed from leading the Army of the Potomac after the very difficult Fredericksburg campaign. Joseph Hooker took his place.
• 1863 – The Governor of Massachusetts, John Albion Andrew, received permission to create a military group for men of African descent.
• 1870 – During the Reconstruction Era, Virginia was officially allowed back into the Union.

Modern History (1901–present)

• 1905 – The Cullinan, the largest diamond ever found, was discovered in South Africa. It weighed over 3,100 carats (about 0.6 kilograms)!
• 1915 – The Rocky Mountain National Park was created by the U.S. Congress.
• 1918 – The Finnish Civil War began when a group called the Red Guards hung a red lantern on the Helsinki Workers' Hall tower.
• 1926 – The first public demonstration of the television was given by John Logie Baird.
• 1930 – The Indian National Congress declared January 26 as Independence Day, or the day for Poorna Swaraj ("Complete Independence"), which happened 17 years later.
• 1934 – The famous Apollo Theater reopened in Harlem, New York City.
• 1934 – The German–Polish declaration of non-aggression was signed.
• 1939 – During the Spanish Civil War, troops loyal to General Francisco Franco, helped by Italy, took control of Barcelona.
• 1942 – In World War II, the first United States soldiers arrived in Europe, landing in Northern Ireland.
• 1945 – During World War II, Audie Murphy showed incredible bravery, for which he later received the Medal of Honor.
• 1949 – The Hale telescope at Palomar Observatory saw its first light (meaning it was used for the first time) under the guidance of Edwin Hubble. It was the largest optical telescope until 1976.
• 1950 – The Constitution of India officially came into force, making India a republic. Rajendra Prasad became the first President of India. This day is celebrated as Republic Day in India.
• 1952 – On "Black Saturday" in Egypt, rioters burned down parts of Cairo's business district, targeting British and wealthy Egyptian businesses.
• 1956 – The Soviet Union gave Porkkala back to Finland.
• 1959 – Chain Island in California was put up for sale by the state.
• 1962 – Ranger 3 was launched to study the Moon, but it unfortunately missed the Moon by a large distance.
• 1966 – The three Beaumont children disappeared from a beach in Australia, leading to one of the country's biggest police investigations ever.
• 1986 – The Ugandan government was overthrown by the National Resistance Army, led by Yoweri Museveni.
• 1991 – Siad Barre was removed from power in Somalia, ending the central government there.
• 2001 – A strong earthquake hit Western India, causing many deaths and injuries.
• 2009 – Riots broke out in Antananarivo, Madagascar, starting a political crisis that led to a change in leadership.
• 2009 – Nadya Suleman gave birth to the world's first surviving octuplets (eight babies at once).
• 2015 – During the Syrian civil war, the People's Protection Units (YPG) took back the city of Kobanî from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which was a major turning point in the Siege of Kobanî.
• 2020 – A helicopter crashed in Calabasas, California, killing all nine people on board, including former five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna Bryant.

Famous Births

Born Before 1900

• 183 – Lady Zhen, a famous wife of Cao Pi.
• 1541 – Florent Chrestien, a French poet and translator.
• 1582 – Giovanni Lanfranco, an Italian painter.
• 1657 – William Wake, who became the Archbishop of Canterbury.
• 1715 – Claude Adrien Helvétius, a French philosopher.
• 1763 – Charles XIV John of Sweden, who became a king.
• 1781 – Ludwig Achim von Arnim, a German poet and author.
• 1813 – Juan Pablo Duarte, a philosopher and poet, known as a founding father of the Dominican Republic.
• 1842 – François Coppée, a French poet and author.
• 1852 – Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza, an Italian-French explorer.
• 1861 – Louis Anquetin, a French painter.
• 1877 – Kees van Dongen, a Dutch painter.
• 1880 – Douglas MacArthur, a famous American general and Medal of Honor recipient.
• 1885 – Harry Ricardo, an English engineer and academic.
• 1887 – Bessie Coleman, a pioneering American pilot.
• 1891 – Wilder Penfield, an American-Canadian neurosurgeon.
• 1899 – Günther Reindorff, a Russian-Estonian graphic designer.

Born After 1900

• 1904 – Ancel Keys, an American physiologist and nutritionist.
• 1904 – Seán MacBride, an Irish lawyer and politician who won the Nobel Peace Prize.
• 1905 – Charles Lane, a long-lived American actor.
• 1905 – Maria von Trapp, an Austrian-American singer, whose family story inspired "The Sound of Music."
• 1908 – Stéphane Grappelli, a famous French violinist.
• 1911 – Polykarp Kusch, a German-American physicist who won a Nobel Prize.
• 1917 – Louis Zamperini, an American runner and captain, whose life story was told in the book and movie "Unbroken."
• 1921 – Akio Morita, a Japanese businessman who co-founded Sony.
• 1924 – Alice Babs, a Swedish singer and actress.
• 1925 – Paul Newman, a famous American actor, director, and businessman who co-founded Newman's Own.
• 1929 – Jules Feiffer, an American cartoonist and playwright.
• 1934 – Bob Uecker, an American baseball player, sportscaster, and actor.
• 1935 – Paula Rego, a Portuguese-born British visual artist.
• 1944 – Angela Davis, an American activist and academic.
• 1945 – Jacqueline du Pré, a talented English cellist.
• 1946 – Gene Siskel, a well-known American film critic.
• 1948 – Ellen DeGeneres, an American comedian, actress, and talk show host.
• 1953 – Anders Fogh Rasmussen, a Danish politician who became the Prime Minister of Denmark.
• 1953 – Lucinda Williams, an American singer-songwriter.
• 1955 – Eddie Van Halen, a Dutch-American guitarist and songwriter, famous for the band Van Halen.
• 1961 – Wayne Gretzky, a legendary Canadian ice hockey player and coach.
• 1963 – José Mourinho, a famous Portuguese football manager.
• 1970 – Kirk Franklin, an American gospel singer and producer.
• 1977 – Vince Carter, a well-known American basketball player.
• 1978 – Sara Rue, an American actress.
• 1981 – Gustavo Dudamel, a Venezuelan violinist, composer, and conductor.
• 1986 – Kim Jae-joong, a South Korean singer, actor, and director.
• 1990 – Sergio Pérez, a Mexican race car driver.
• 1990 – Peter Sagan, a Slovak professional cyclist.
• 1992 – Sasha Banks, an American wrestler.
• 1998 – Moonbin, a South Korean singer and actor.
• 2000 – Ester Expósito, a Spanish actress.
• 2000 – Darius Garland, an American basketball player.
• 2009 – The Suleman octuplets were born.

Notable Deaths

Died Before 1900

• 738 – John of Dailam, a Syrian monk and saint.
• 1567 – Nicholas Wotton, an English courtier and diplomat.
• 1630 – Henry Briggs, an English mathematician and astronomer.
• 1795 – Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach, a German composer.
• 1823 – Edward Jenner, an English physician who created the smallpox vaccine.
• 1824 – Théodore Géricault, a French painter.
• 1855 – Gérard de Nerval, a French poet.
• 1885 – Charles George Gordon, a famous English general.
• 1887 – Anandi Gopal Joshi, one of the first female Indian physicians.
• 1891 – Nicolaus Otto, a German engineer who invented the Internal combustion engine.
• 1893 – Abner Doubleday, an American general.
• 1895 – Arthur Cayley, an English mathematician.

Died After 1900

• 1920 – Jeanne Hébuterne, a French painter.
• 1932 – William Wrigley, Jr., an American businessman who founded the Wrigley Company.
• 1943 – Nikolai Vavilov, a Russian botanist and geneticist.
• 1947 – Grace Moore, an American opera singer and actress.
• 1962 – Lucky Luciano, an Italian-American mob boss.
• 1973 – Edward G. Robinson, a Romanian-American actor.
• 1979 – Nelson Rockefeller, an American businessman and politician who was the 41st Vice President of the United States.
• 1983 – Bear Bryant, a famous American football coach.
• 1990 – Lewis Mumford, an American sociologist and historian.
• 1992 – José Ferrer, a Puerto Rican-American actor.
• 1993 – Jeanne Sauvé, a Canadian journalist and politician who was the Governor General of Canada.
• 1997 – Jeane Dixon, an American astrologer.
• 2000 – Don Budge, an American tennis player.
• 2003 – Hugh Trevor-Roper, an English historian.
• 2007 – Gump Worsley, a Canadian ice hockey player.
• 2011 – David Kato Kisule, a Ugandan teacher and activist for LGBT rights.
• 2014 – José Emilio Pacheco, a Mexican poet and author.
• 2016 – Abe Vigoda, an American actor.
• 2017 – Mike Connors, an American actor.
• 2017 – Barbara Hale, an American actress.
• 2020 – Kobe Bryant, a legendary American basketball player.

Holidays and Observances

• Christian feast day:

* Saint Alberic of Cîteaux * Blessed Gabriele Allegra * Saint Paula of Rome * Saint Timothy and Saint Titus * January 26 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

• Australia Day (Australia)
• Duarte Day (Dominican Republic)
• Engineer's Day (Panama)
• Liberation Day (Uganda)
• Republic Day (India)

Images for kids

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  A friendly robot