January 26 in History

Historical Events on January 26

1500

Vicente Yáñez Pinzón becomes the first European to set foot on Brazil.
1531

The Lisbon earthquake kills about thirty thousand people.
1564

The Council of Trent establishes an official distinction between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism.
1564

The Grand Duchy of Lithuania defeats the Tsardom of Russia in the Battle of Ula during the Livonian War.
1565

Battle of Talikota, fought between the Vijayanagara Empire and the Deccan sultanates, leads to the subjugation, and eventual destruction of the last Hindu kingdom in India, and the consolidation of Islamic rule over much of the Indian subcontinent.
1699

For the first time, the Ottoman Empire permanently cedes territory to the Christian powers.
1700

The Cascadia earthquake takes place off the west coast of North America, as evidenced by Japanese records.
1736

Stanislaus I of Poland abdicates his throne.
1788

The British First Fleet, led by Arthur Phillip, sails into Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) to establish Sydney, the first permanent European settlement on the continent. Commemorated as Australia Day.
1808

The Rum Rebellion is the only successful (albeit short-lived) armed takeover of the government in Australia.
1837

Michigan is admitted as the 26th U.S. state.
1838

Tennessee enacts the first prohibition law in the United States
1841

James Bremer takes formal possession of Hong Kong Island at what is now Possession Point, establishing British Hong Kong.
1855

Point No Point Treaty is signed in Washington Territory.
1856

First Battle of Seattle. Marines from the USS Decatur drive off American Indian attackers after all day battle with settlers.
1861

American Civil War: The state of Louisiana secedes from the Union.
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.
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.
1870

Reconstruction Era: Virginia rejoins the Union.
1885

Troops loyal to The Mahdi conquer Khartoum, killing the Governor-General Charles George Gordon.
1905

The world's largest diamond ever, the Cullinan weighing 3,106.75 carats (0.621350 kg), is found at the Premier Mine near Pretoria in South Africa.
1911

Glenn H. Curtiss flies the first successful American seaplane.
1915

The Rocky Mountain National Park is established by an act of the U.S. Congress.
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.
1920

Former Ford Motor Company executive Henry Leland launches the Lincoln Motor Company which he later sold to his former employer.
1926

The first demonstration of the television by John Logie Baird.
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.
1934

The Apollo Theater reopens in Harlem, New York City.
1934

German-Polish Non-Aggression Pact is signed.
1939

Spanish Civil War: Catalonia Offensive: Troops loyal to nationalist General Francisco Franco and aided by Italy take Barcelona.
1942

World War II: The first United States forces arrive in Europe landing in Northern Ireland.
1945

World War II: The Red Army begins encircling the German Fourth Army near Heiligenbeil in East Prussia, which will end in destruction of the 4th Army two months later.
1945

World War II: Audie Murphy displays valor and bravery in action for which he will later be awarded the Medal of Honor.
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).
1950

The Constitution of India comes into force, forming a republic. Rajendra Prasad is sworn in as its first President of India. Observed as Republic Day in India.
1952

Black Saturday in Egypt: rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses.
1956

Soviet Union cedes Porkkala back to Finland.
1961

John F. Kennedy appoints Janet G. Travell to be the first woman Physician to the President.
1962

Ranger 3 is launched to study the Moon. The space probe later misses the moon by 22,000 miles (35,400 km).
1965

Hindi becomes the official language of India.
1980

Israel and Egypt establish diplomatic relations.
1986

The Ugandan government of Tito Okello is overthrown by the National Resistance Army, led by Yoweri Museveni.
1991

Mohamed Siad Barre is removed from power in Somalia, ending centralized government, and is succeeded by Ali Mahdi.
1992

Boris Yeltsin announces that Russia will stop targeting United States cities with nuclear weapons.
1998

Lewinsky scandal: On American television, U.S. President Bill Clinton denies having had "sexual relations" with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
2001

The 7.7 Mw Gujarat earthquake shakes Western India with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme), leaving 13,805-20,023 dead and about 166,800 injured.
2009

Rioting breaks out in Antananarivo, Madagascar, sparking a political crisis that will result in the replacement of President Marc Ravalomanana with Andry Rajoelina.
2015

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

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