On This Day — 26 January

2021

Protesters and farmers storm the Red Fort near Delhi, clashing with police. One protester is killed and more than 80 police officers are injured.

2021 Indian farmers' Republic Day protest

2020

A Sikorsky S-76B flying from John Wayne Airport to Camarillo Airport crashes in Calabasas, 30 miles west of Los Angeles, killing all nine people on board, including five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna Bryant.

Sikorsky S-76

2015

An aircraft crashes at Los Llanos Air Base in Albacete, Spain, killing 11 people and injuring 21 others.

2015 Los Llanos Air Base crash

2015

Syrian civil war: The People's Protection Units (YPG) recaptures the city of Kobanî from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), marking a turning point in the Siege of Kobanî.

Syrian civil war

2009

Rioting breaks out in Antananarivo, Madagascar, sparking a political crisis that will result in the replacement of President Marc Ravalomanana with Andry Rajoelina.

Antananarivo

2009

Nadya Suleman gives birth to the world's first surviving octuplets.

Nadya Suleman

2001

The 7.7 Mw Gujarat earthquake shakes Western India, leaving 13,805–20,023 dead and about 166,800 injured.

Seismic magnitude scales

2001

Diane Whipple, a lacrosse coach, is killed in a dog attack in San Francisco. The resulting court case clarified the meaning of implied malice murder.

Death of Diane Whipple

1998

Lewinsky scandal: On American television, U.S. President Bill Clinton denies having had "sexual relations" with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.

Clinton–Lewinsky scandal

1991

Mohamed Siad Barre is removed from power in Somalia, ending centralized government, and is succeeded by Ali Mahdi.

Siad Barre

1986

The Ugandan government of Tito Okello is overthrown by the National Resistance Army, led by Yoweri Museveni.

Tito Okello

1974

Turkish Airlines Flight 301 crashes during takeoff from Izmir Cumaovası Airport (now İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport), killing 66 of the 73 people on board the Fokker F28 Fellowship.

Turkish Airlines Flight 301

1972

JAT Flight 367 is destroyed by a terrorist bomb, killing 27 of the 28 people on board the DC-9. Flight attendant Vesna Vulović survives with critical injuries.

JAT Flight 367

1966

The three Beaumont children disappear from a beach in Glenelg, South Australia, resulting in one of the country's largest-ever police investigations.

Disappearance of the Beaumont children

1962

Ranger 3 is launched to study the Moon. The space probe later misses the Moon by 22,000 miles (35,400 km).

Ranger 3

1959

The 41-acre (17 ha) Chain Island is listed for sale by the California State Lands Commission, with a minimum bid of $5,226.

Chain Island

1956

Soviet Union cedes Porkkala back to Finland.

Porkkalanniemi

1952

Black Saturday in Egypt: rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses.

Cairo fire

1950

The Constitution of India comes into force, forming a republic. Rajendra Prasad is sworn in as the first President of India. Observed as Republic Day in India.

Constitution of India

1949

The Hale Telescope at Palomar Observatory sees first light under the direction of Edwin Hubble, becoming the largest aperture optical telescope (until BTA-6 is built in 1976).

Hale Telescope

1945

World War II: Audie Murphy displays valor and bravery in action for which he will later be awarded the Medal of Honor.

Audie Murphy

1942

World War II: The first United States forces arrive in Europe, landing in Northern Ireland.

World War II

1939

Spanish Civil War: Catalonia Offensive: Troops loyal to nationalist General Francisco Franco and aided by Italy take Barcelona.

Spanish Civil War

1934

The Apollo Theater reopens in Harlem, New York City.

Apollo Theater

1934

German–Polish declaration of non-aggression is signed.

German–Polish declaration of non-aggression

1930

The Indian National Congress declares 26 January as Independence Day or as the day for Poorna Swaraj ("Complete Independence") which occurred 17 years later.

Indian National Congress

1926

The first demonstration of the television by John Logie Baird.

John Logie Baird

1918

Finnish Civil War: A group of Red Guards hangs a red lantern atop the tower of Helsinki Workers' Hall to symbolically mark the start of the war.

Finnish Civil War

1915

The Rocky Mountain National Park is established by an act of the U.S. Congress.

Rocky Mountain National Park

1905

The world's largest diamond ever, the Cullinan, which weighs 3,106.75 carats (0.621350 kg), is found at the Premier Mine near Pretoria in South Africa.

Diamond

1885

Troops loyal to The Mahdi conquer Khartoum, killing the Governor-General Charles George Gordon.

Muhammad Ahmad

1870

Reconstruction Era: Virginia is readmitted to the Union.

Reconstruction era

1863

American Civil War: General Ambrose Burnside is relieved of command of the Army of the Potomac after the disastrous Fredericksburg campaign. He is replaced by Joseph Hooker.

Ambrose Burnside

1863

American Civil War: Governor of Massachusetts John Albion Andrew receives permission from the Secretary of War to raise a militia organization for men of African descent.

Governor of Massachusetts

1861

American Civil War: The state of Louisiana secedes from the Union.

American Civil War

1856

First Battle of Seattle: Marines from the USS Decatur drive off Native American attackers after all-day battle with settlers.

Battle of Seattle (1856)

1855

Point No Point Treaty is signed in Washington Territory.

Point No Point Treaty

1841

Gordon Bremer takes formal possession of Hong Kong Island at what is now Possession Point, establishing British Hong Kong.

Gordon Bremer

1837

Michigan is admitted as the 26th U.S. state.

Michigan

1808

The Rum Rebellion is the only successful (albeit short-lived) armed takeover of the government in New South Wales.

Rum Rebellion

1788

The British First Fleet, led by Arthur Phillip, sails into Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) to establish Sydney, the first permanent European settlement on Australia. Commemorated as Australia Day.

First Fleet

1765

A British naval expedition arrives at and names Port Egmont in the Falkland Islands, founding a settlement there eight days later. (Arrival was 15 January 1765 O.S.)

Port Egmont

1700

The 8.7–9.2 Mw Cascadia earthquake takes place off the west coast of North America, as evidenced by Japanese records.

Seismic magnitude scales

1699

For the first time, the Ottoman Empire permanently cedes territory to the Christian powers.

Ottoman Empire

1641

Reapers' War: Battle of Montjuïc, decisive victory of the Catalan army (with French support) over the Spanish army.

Reapers' War

1564

The Council of Trent establishes an official distinction between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism.

Council of Trent

1564

The Grand Duchy of Lithuania defeats the Tsardom of Russia in the Battle of Ula during the Livonian War.

Grand Duchy of Lithuania

1531

The 6.4–7.1 Mw Lisbon earthquake kills about thirty thousand people.

Seismic magnitude scales

661

The Rashidun Caliphate is effectively ended with the assassination of Ali, the last caliph.

Rashidun Caliphate