On This Day — 26 December

2025

Israel recognises Somaliland as an independent state, becoming the first country to do so.

Israel

2021

Three people are killed when a 14-year-old opens fire on civilians at a Texaco convenience store in Garland, Texas.

2021 Garland shooting

2015

A violent EF-4 tornado hits Garland, Texas, killing nine and injuring almost 500 others.

2015 Garland tornado

2013

An Irkut-Avia Antonov An-12 crashes on approach to Irkutsk Northwest Airport, killing all nine people on board.

Yakovlev Corporation

2012

China opens the world's longest high-speed rail route, which links Beijing and Guangzhou.

High-speed rail in China

2006

Two earthquakes in Hengchun, Taiwan measuring 7.0 and 6.9 on the moment magnitude scale kill two and disrupt telecommunications across Asia.

2006 Hengchun earthquakes

2004

The 9.1–9.3 Mw  Indian Ocean earthquake shakes northern Sumatra with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). One of the largest observed tsunamis, it affected coastal and partially mainland areas of Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Malaysia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Indonesia; death toll is estimated at 227,898.

2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami

2004

Orange Revolution: The final run-off election in Ukraine is held under heavy international scrutiny.

Orange Revolution

2003

The 6.6 Mw  Bam earthquake shakes southeastern Iran with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), leaving more than 26,000 dead and 30,000 injured.

2003 Bam earthquake

1999

The storm Lothar sweeps across Central Europe, killing 137 and causing US$1.3 billion in damage.

Cyclone Lothar

1998

Iraq announces its intention to fire upon U.S. and British warplanes that patrol the northern and southern no-fly zones.

Ba'athist Iraq

1994

Four Armed Islamic Group hijackers seize control of Air France Flight 8969. When the plane lands at Marseille, a French Gendarmerie assault team boards the aircraft and kills the hijackers.

Armed Islamic Group of Algeria

1993

Kuban Airlines Flight 5719 crashes during a go-around at Gyumri Shirak International Airport, killing 35 of the 36 people on board.

Kuban Airlines Flight 5719

1991

The Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union meets and formally dissolves the Soviet Union, ending the Cold War.

Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union

1989

United Express Flight 2415 crashes on approach to the Tri-Cities Airport in Pasco, Washington, killing all six people on board.

United Express Flight 2415

1980

Witnesses report the first of several sightings of unexplained lights near RAF Woodbridge, in Rendlesham Forest, Suffolk, England, United Kingdom, an incident called "Britain's Roswell".

Rendlesham Forest incident

1978

The inaugural Paris-Dakar Rally begins.

Dakar Rally

1975

Tu-144, the world's first commercial supersonic aircraft, surpassing Mach 2, goes into service.

Tupolev Tu-144

1972

Vietnam War: As part of Operation Linebacker II, 120 American B-52 Stratofortress bombers attacked Hanoi, including 78 launched from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, the largest single combat launch in Strategic Air Command history.

Vietnam War

1968

The Communist Party of the Philippines is established by Jose Maria Sison, breaking away from the Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas-1930.

Communist Party of the Philippines

1968

Pan Am Flight 799 crashes during takeoff from Elmendorf Air Force Base, killing three.

Pan Am Flight 799

1966

The first Kwanzaa is celebrated by Maulana Karenga, the chair of Black Studies at California State University, Long Beach.

Kwanzaa

1963

The Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "I Saw Her Standing There" are released in the United States, marking the beginning of Beatlemania on an international level.

The Beatles

1948

Cardinal József Mindszenty is arrested in Hungary and accused of treason and conspiracy.

József Mindszenty

1948

The last Soviet troops withdraw from North Korea.

Soviet Union

1944

World War II: George S. Patton's Third Army breaks the encirclement of surrounded U.S. forces at Bastogne, Belgium.

George S. Patton

1943

World War II: German warship Scharnhorst is sunk off Norway's North Cape after a battle against major Royal Navy forces.

World War II

1941

U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs a bill establishing the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day in the United States.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

1941

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill addresses a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress.

Winston Churchill's address to the United States Congress (1941)

1926

World premiere of Sibelius's tone poem Tapiola.

Jean Sibelius

1919

Babe Ruth of the Boston Red Sox is sold to the New York Yankees by owner Harry Frazee, allegedly establishing the Curse of the Bambino superstition.

Babe Ruth

1898

Marie and Pierre Curie announce the isolation of radium.

Marie Curie

1871

Thespis, the first Gilbert and Sullivan collaboration, debuts.

Thespis (opera)

1862

American Civil War: The Battle of Chickasaw Bayou begins as Union General William T. Sherman starts landing his troops in an attempt to advance on Vicksburg, Mississippi.

Battle of Chickasaw Bayou

1862

Dakota War of 1862: The largest mass-hanging in U.S. history takes place in Mankato, Minnesota, where 38 Native American prisoners are hanged.

Dakota War of 1862

1861

American Civil War: The Trent Affair: Confederate diplomatic envoys James Murray Mason and John Slidell are freed by the United States government, thus easing tensions between the U.S. and the United Kingdom.

American Civil War

1860

First Rules derby is held between Sheffield F.C. and Hallam F.C., the oldest football fixture in the world.

Rules derby

1843

The discovery of octonions by John T. Graves, who denoted them with a boldface O, was announced to his mathematician friend William Hamilton, discoverer of quaternions, in a letter on this date.

Octonion

1825

Advocates of liberalism in Russia rise up against Czar Nicholas I in the Decembrist revolt, but are later suppressed.

Liberalism

1811

A theater fire in Richmond, Virginia kills 72 people, including the Governor of Virginia George William Smith and the president of the First National Bank of Virginia Abraham B. Venable.

Richmond Theatre fire

1806

Battles of Pultusk and Golymin: Russian forces hold French forces under Napoleon.

Battle of Pułtusk (1806)

1805

Austria and France sign the Treaty of Pressburg.

Peace of Pressburg (1805)

1799

Henry Lee III's eulogy to George Washington in congress declares him as "first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen".

Henry Lee III

1793

Second Battle of Wissembourg: France defeats Austria.

Second Battle of Wissembourg

1790

Louis XVI of France gives his public assent to Civil Constitution of the Clergy during the French Revolution.

Louis XVI

1776

American Revolutionary War: In the Battle of Trenton, the Continental Army under General George Washington executes a successful surprise attack and defeats a garrison of Hessian forces serving Great Britain.

American Revolutionary War

1723

Bach led the first performance of Darzu ist erschienen der Sohn Gottes, BWV 40, his first Christmas Cantata composed for Leipzig.

Johann Sebastian Bach

1709

The opera Agrippina by George Frideric Handel premiered in Venice.

Agrippina (opera)

1704

Second Battle of Anandpur: In the Second Battle of Anandpur, Aurangzeb's two generals, Wazir Khan and Zaberdast Khan executed two children of Guru Gobind Singh, Zorawar Singh aged eight and Fateh Singh aged five, by burying them alive into a wall.

Second siege of Anandpur

1481

Battle of Westbroek: An army of 4,000 to 5,000 soldiers raised by David of Burgundy, Bishop of Utrecht, attacks an armed mob of people from nearby Utrecht who were trying to avenge the massacre of the inhabitants of Westbroek.

Battle of Westbroek

887

Berengar I is elected as king of Italy by the lords of Lombardy. He is crowned with the Iron Crown of Lombardy at Pavia.

Berengar I of Italy

795

Election of Pope Leo III.

Pope Leo III