March 26

March 26 is the 85th day of the year (86th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 280 days remaining until the end of the year.

Events

• 1026 - Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor.
• 1484 - William Caxton printed his translation of Aesop's Fables.
• 1552 - Guru Amar Das becomes the Third Sikh Guru.
• 1636 - Utrecht University is founded in The Netherlands.
• 1808 - Charles IV of Spain abdicates in favor of his son, Ferdinand VII.
• 1812 - An earthquake destroys Caracas, Venezuela.
• 1830 - The Book of Mormon is published in Palmyra, New York.
• 1839 - The first Henley Royal Regatta is held.
• 1852 - Decree regarding streets of Paris passed
• 1881 - Thessaly is freed and becomes part of Greece again.
• 1913 - Balkan War: Bulgarian forces take Adrianople.
• 1917 - World War I: First Battle of Gaza - British troops are halted after 17,000 Turks block their advance.
• 1934 - Driving test introduced in the United Kingdom.
• 1942 - World War II: In Poland, Auschwitz receives its first female prisoners.
• 1945 - World War II: In Iwo Jima, US forces declare Iwo Jima "secure."
• 1953 - Jonas Salk announces his polio vaccine.
• 1958 - The United States Army launches Explorer 3.
• 1958 - The African Regroupment Party (PRA) is launched at a meeting in Paris.
• 1965 - A truck loses control down Moosic Street, Scranton, Pennsylvania, killing the driver. This accident later inspired the 1974 Harry Chapin song, "30,000 Pounds of Bananas."
• 1967 - Ten thousand people gather for the Central Park Be-In.
• 1971 - East Pakistan declares its independence from Pakistan to form People's Republic of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Liberation War begins.
• 1975 - The Biological Weapons Convention enters into force.
• 1976 - Queen Elizabeth II sent out the first royal email, from the Royal Signals and Radar Establishment.
• 1977 - Focus on the Family is founded by Dr. James Dobson
• 1979 - Anwar al-Sadat, Menachem Begin and Jimmy Carter sign the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty in Washington, DC.
• 1982 - A groundbreaking ceremony for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is held in Washington, DC.
• 1995 - The Schengen Treaty goes into effect.
• 1996 - The International Monetary Fund approves a $10.2 billion loan for Russia.
• 1997 - Thirty-nine bodies found in the Heaven's Gate cult suicides.
• 1998 - Oued Bouaicha massacre in Algeria; 52 people killed with axes and knives, 32 of them babies under the age of 2.
• 1999 - The "Melissa worm" infects Microsoft word processing and e-mail systems around the world.
• 1999 - A jury in Michigan finds Dr. Jack Kevorkian guilty of second-degree murder for administering a lethal injection to a terminally ill man.
• 2005 - The Taiwanese government calls on 1 million Taiwanese to demonstrate in Taipei, in opposition to the Anti-Secession Law of the People's Republic of China. Around 200,000 to 300,000 attend the walk.
• 2006 - In Scotland, the prohibition of smoking in all substantially enclosed public places comes into force.
• 2006 - The military junta ruling Burma officially named Naypyidaw, a new city in Mandalay Division, as the new capital. Yangon had formerly been the nation's capital.

Births

• 603 - Pacal II ruler of the Maya polity of Palenque
• 1516 - Conrad Gessner, Swiss naturalist (d. 1565)
• 1554 - Charles of Lorraine, Duke of Mayenne, French military leader (d. 1611)
• 1698 - Václav Prokop Diviš, Czech theologian and natural scientist (d. 1765)
• 1749 - William Blount, American Statesman (d. 1800)
• 1753 - Benjamin Thompson, American physicist and inventor (d. 1814)
• 1773 - Nathaniel Bowditch, American mathematician and navigation expert (d. 1838)
• 1794 - Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, German painter (d. 1872)
• 1859 - Alfred Edward Housman, English poet (d. 1936)
• 1859 - Adolf Hurwitz, German mathematician (d. 1919)
• 1868 - King Fuad I of Egypt (d. 1936)
• 1871 - Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalaniana‘ole of the Kingdom of Hawaii (d. 1922)
• 1874 - Robert Frost, American poet (d. 1963)
• 1875 - Max Abraham, German physicist (d. 1922)
• 1875 - Syngman Rhee, President of South Korea (d. 1965)
• 1876 - Prince William of Wied (d. 1945)
• 1879 - Othmar Ammann, Swiss bridge engineer (d. 1965)
• 1882 - Hermann Obrecht, Swiss jurist (d. 1940)
• 1884 - Wilhelm Backhaus, German pianist (d. 1969)
• 1886 - Hugh Mulzac, America military officer (d. 1971)
• 1894 - Viorica Ursuleac, Romanian soprano (d. 1985)
• 1896 - Rudolf Dassler, Founder of PUMA AG (d. 1974)
• 1898 - Charles Shadwell, English conductor and bandleader (d. 1979)
• 1888 - Elsa Brändström, Swedish nurse (d. 1948)
• 1893 - Palmiro Togliatti, Italian communist leader (d. 1964)
• 1904 - Joseph Campbell, American author (d. 1987)
• 1904 - Emilio Fernández, Mexican actor, screenwriter and film director (d. 1986)
• 1904 - Xenophon Zolotas, Greek economist, Prime Minister of Greece (d. 2004)

• 1905 - Viktor Frankl, Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist (d. 1997)
• 1905 - Monty Berman, British film and television producer (d. 2006)
• 1906 - Rafael Mendez, Mexican trumpetist (d. 1981)
• 1908 - Franz Stangl, German concentration camp commandant (d. 1971)
• 1911 - Bernard Katz, German-born biophysicist, Nobel laureate (d. 2003)
• 1911 - Tennessee Williams, American dramatist (d. 1983)
• 1911 - T. Hee, American animator (d. 1988)
• 1913 - Paul Erdős, Hungarian mathematician (d. 1996)
• 1914 - Toru Kumon, Japanese educator (d. 1995)
• 1914 - William Westmoreland, U.S. general (d. 2005)
• 1916 - Christian B. Anfinsen, American chemist, Nobel laureate (d. 1995)
• 1916 - Bill Edrich, English cricketer (d. 1986)
• 1916 - Sterling Hayden, American actor (d. 1986)
• 1917 - Rufus Thomas, American musician (d. 2001)
• 1919 - Roger Leger, Quebec ice hockey player (d. 1965)
• 1919 - Strother Martin, American actor (d. 1980)
• 1922 - Oscar Sala, Italian-born physicist
• 1923 - Gert Bastian, German politician (d. 1992)
• 1923 - Bob Elliott, American comedian
• 1925 - Pierre Boulez, French composer and conductor
• 1925 - James Moody, American jazz musician, composer, and actor
• 1929 - Edwin Turney, American businessman
• 1929 - Tom Foley, American politician, former Speaker of the House
• 1930 - Gregory Corso, American poet (d. 2001)
• 1930 - Sandra Day O'Connor, U.S. Supreme Court Justice
• 1931 - Leonard Nimoy, American actor and director
• 1934 - Alan Arkin, American actor
• 1935 - Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestine National Authority
• 1937 - Wayne Embry, American basketball player
• 1938 - Anthony James Leggett, American physicist, Nobel laureate
• 1940 - James Caan, American actor
• 1940 - Nancy Pelosi, American politician and 60th Speaker of the House
• 1941 - Richard Dawkins, British evolutionary biologist
• 1941 - Yvon Marcoux, Quebec politician
• 1942 - Erica Jong, American author
• 1943 - Bob Woodward, American journalist
• 1944 - Diana Ross, American singer (Supremes)
• 1945 - Mikhail Voronin, Soviet gymnast (d. 2004)
• 1946 - Johnny Crawford, American actor
• 1946 - Alain Madelin, French politician
• 1947 - Dar Robinson, American stuntman (d. 1986)
• 1948 - Richard Tandy, British keyboardist (Electric Light Orchestra)
• 1948 - Steven Tyler, American singer (Aerosmith)
• 1949 - Vicki Lawrence, American actress and singer
• 1949 - Patrick Süskind, German writer
• 1950 - Teddy Pendergrass, American singer
• 1950 - Martin Short, Canadian comedian
• 1950 - Ernest Thomas, American actor
• 1950 - Alan Silvestri, American film score composer
• 1951 - Carl Wieman, American physicist, Nobel laureate
• 1952 - Didier Pironi, French Formula One driver (d. 1987)
• 1953 - Elaine Chao, U.S. Secretary of Labor
• 1953 - Lincoln Chafee, American Senator from Rhode Island
• 1953 - Youssouf Togoïmi, Chadian rebel (d. 2002)
• 1954 - Kazuhiko Inoue, Japanese seiyu (voice actor)
• 1954 - Curtis Sliwa, American founder of the Guardian Angels
• 1955 - Danny Arndt, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1956 - Charly McClain, American singer
• 1957 - Leeza Gibbons, American television host
• 1957 - Paul Morley, English music journalist and musician
• 1958 - Chris Codiroli, American baseballer
• 1958 - Elio de Angelis, Italian racing driver (d. 1986)
• 1959 - Chris Hansen, American reporter and correspondent
• 1960 - Marcus Allen, American football player
• 1960 - Jennifer Grey, American actress
• 1961 - Leigh Bowery, Australian-born English fashion performance artist (d. 1994)
• 1961 - William Hague, British politician
• 1962 - John Stockton, American basketball player
• 1962 - Paul de Leeuw, Dutch television host
• 1963 - Natsuhiko Kyogoku, Japanese writer
• 1963 - Amparo Larrañaga, Spanish actress
• 1963 - Roch Voisine, Canadian singer and songwriter
• 1964 - Martin Donnelly, Irish racecar driver
• 1964 - Ulf Samuelsson, Swedish ice hockey player
• 1964 - Baz Warne, English Guitarist (The Stranglers)
• 1966 - Nick Wirth, British engineer
• 1966 - Michael Imperioli, American actor
• 1967 - Mark Carroll, Australian rugby league footballer
• 1968 - Kenny Chesney, American singer
• 1968 - James Iha, American musician (The Smashing Pumpkins and A Perfect Circle)
• 1968 - Laurent Brochard, French cyclist
• 1970 - Paul Bosvelt, Dutch football player
• 1970 - Martin McDonagh, Anglo-Irish playwright and film director
• 1971 - Behzad Ghorbani, Iranian zoologist and sociobiologist
• 1972 - Jon Reep, American comedian and actor
• 1972 - Jason Maxwell, Retired American Baseball Player
• 1973 - Heather Goldenhersh, American actress
• 1973 - Lawrence E. Page, American search engine pioneer
• 1973 - T.R. Knight, American actor
• 1973 - Matt Burke, Australian rugby player
• 1974 - Mike Peca, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1976 - Joachim Alcine, Haitian-born Quebec boxer
• 1976 - Amy Smart, American actress
• 1976 - Natalia Livingston, American actress
• 1976 - Nurgül Yeşilçay, Turkish actress
• 1976 - Ufuk Talay, Australian soccer player
• 1977 - Kevin Davies, English footballer
• 1977 - Sylvain Grenier, Canadian professional wrestler
• 1978 - Anastasia Kostaki, Greek basketball player
• 1979 - Hiromi Uehara, Japanese jazz pianist
• 1979 - Pierre Wome, Cameroonian footballer
• 1979 - Nacho Novo, Spanish footballer
• 1980 - Son Ho Young, Korean singer
• 1981 - Baruch Dego, Israeli football player
• 1981 - Jay Sean, British Asian R&B singer
• 1981 - Josh Wilson, American baseball player
• 1982 - Mikel Arteta, Spanish footballer
• 1983 - David Bennett, Canadian powerlifter and steamfitter
• 1983 - Michael Brendli, American professional wrestler
• 1984 - Gregory Strydom, Zimbabwean crickaeter
• 1984 - Stéphanie Lapointe, French-Canadian singer
• 1984 - Sara Jean Underwood, American model
• 1985 - Keira Knightley, English actress
• 1985 - Prosper Utseya, Zimbabwean cricket captain
• 1985 - Jonathan Groff, American stage actor
• 1987 - Yui, Japanese musician
• 1988 - Suvi Koponen, Finnish supermodel
• 1990 - Yuya Takaki, Japanese Actor and Singer

Deaths

• 304 - Saint Emmanuel, Christian martyr killed under Diocletian
• 922 - Al-Hallaj, Persian Sufi teacher and writer
• 1130 - King Sigurd I of Norway (b. c. 1090)
• 1212 - King Sancho I of Portugal (b. 1154)
• 1517 - Heinrich Isaac, Flemish composer
• 1535 - Georg Tannstetter, Austrian scientist (b. 1482)
• 1546 - Thomas Elyot, English diplomat
• 1566 - Antonio de Cabezón, Spanish composer (b. 1510)
• 1649 - John Winthrop, second governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony
• 1679 - Johannes Schefferus, Alsatian-born humanist (b. 1621)
• 1697 - Godfrey McCulloch, Scottish politician and murderer (executed) (b. 1640)
• 1726 - Sir John Vanbrugh, English dramatist (b. 1664)
• 1772 - Charles Pinot Duclos, French writer (b. 1704)
• 1776 - Samuel Ward, American politician (b. 1725)
• 1780 - Charles I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (b. 1713)
• 1793 - John Mudge, English physician (b. 1721)
• 1797 - James Hutton, Scottish geologist (b. 1726)
• 1814 - Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, namesake of the guillotine (b. 1738)
• 1827 - Ludwig van Beethoven, German composer (b. 1770)
• 1858 - John Addison Thomas, American soldier (b. 1811)
• 1881 - Roman Sanguszko, Polish aristocrat (b. 1800)
• 1885 - Anson Stager, American telegraphist (b. 1825)
• 1888 - Barghash bin Said, second Sultan of Zanzibar (b. 1837)
• 1892 - Walt Whitman, American poet (b. 1819)
• 1902 - Cecil Rhodes, English explorer (b. 1853)
• 1905 - Maurice Barrymore, actor; patriarch of the Barrymore family (b. 1849)
• 1910 - Auguste Charlois, French astronomer (b. 1864)
• 1910 - An Jung-geun, Korean assassin of Ito Hirobumi (executed) (b. 1879)
• 1920 - William Chester Minor, American surgeon and contributor to the Oxford English Dictionary (b. 1834)
• 1923 - Sarah Bernhardt, French actress (b. 1844)
• 1926 - Konstantin Fehrenbach, Chancellor of Germany (b. 1852)
• 1929 - Katharine Lee Bates, American poet (b. 1859)
• 1933 - Eddie Lang, American musician (b. 1902)
• 1940 - Spiridon Louis, Greek runner, winner of the first modern Olympics marathon (b. 1873)
• 1942 - Jimmy Burke, American baseball player (b. 1874)
• 1945 - David Lloyd George, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1863)
• 1951 - James F. Hinkle, American politician, sixth Governor of New Mexico (d. 1864)
• 1957 - Édouard Herriot, French politician (b. 1872)
• 1958 - Phil Mead, English cricketer (b. 1887)
• 1959 - Raymond Chandler, American-born novelist (b. 1888)
• 1969 - John Kennedy Toole, American author (b. 1937)
• 1973 - Noel Coward, English composer and playwright (b. 1899)
• 1973 - Johnny Drake, American football player (b. 1916)
• 1973 - Don Messer, Canadian fiddler (b. 1909)
• 1973 - George Sisler, American baseball player (b. 1893)
• 1976 - Josef Albers, German artist (b. 1888)
• 1976 - Lin Yutang, Chinese writer (b. 1895)
• 1978 - Wilfred Pickles, English actor and broadcaster (b. 1904)
• 1983 - Anthony Blunt, British art historian and spy (b. 1907)
• 1984 - Ahmed Sékou Touré, President of Guinea (b. 1922)
• 1987 - Eugen Jochum, German conductor (b. 1902)
• 1990 - Halston, American fashion designer (b. 1932)
• 1992 - Barbara Frum, Canadian journalist (b. 1937)
• 1995 - Eazy-E, American rapper (N.W.A) (b. 1963)
• 1996 - Edmund Muskie, American politician (b. 1914)
• 1996 - David Packard, American engineer and businessman (b. 1912)
• 1997 - Marshall Applewhite, American cult leader (b. 1931)
• 2000 - Alex Comfort, American author (b. 1920)
• 2002 - Randy Castillo, American drummer (Ozzy Osbourne, Mötley Crüe) (b. 1950)
• 2003 - Daniel Patrick Moynihan, U.S. Senator (b. 1927)
• 2004 - Jan Berry, American musician (Jan and Dean) (b. 1941)
• 2004 - Jan Sterling, American actress (b. 1921)
• 2005 - James Callaghan, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1912)
• 2005 - Gérard Filion, Quebec businessman and journalist (b. 1909)
• 2005 - Paul Hester, Australian drummer (Split Enz and Crowded House) (b. 1959)
• 2005 - Marius Russo, American baseball player (b. 1914)
• 2006 - Anil Biswas, Indian politician (b. 1944)
• 2006 - Paul Dana, American race car driver (b. 1975)
• 2006 - Nikki Sudden, British singer/songwriter (b. 1956)
• 2008 - Heath Benedict, American Football Player (b. 1983)
• 2008 - Robert Fagles, American translator and professor (b. 1933)
• 2008 - Wally Phillips, American radio personality (b. 1925)
• 2008 - Manuel Marulanda Velez aka Tirofijo, founder and lifelong leader of Colombian rebel group FARC-EP (b. 1930)

Holidays and observances

• Independence Day - Bangladesh
• Zoroastrianism - Prophet Zoroaster's Birthday.
• Prince Kuhio Day in Hawaii
• Saint Larissa
• Eastern (Byzantine) Catholic Church: Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel
• Orthodox Christian liturgical calendar - Synaxis of St. Gabriel the Archangel
• Roman Catholic Church:
  • Margaret Clitherow
  • Saint Emmanuel
  • Saint Ludger

External links

• BBC: On This Day
• The New York Times: On This Day
• On This Day in Canada