Deaths on May 26

Jakob Bernays, German philologist and academic (b. 1824)

Jacob Bernays (11 September 1824 – 26 May 1881) was a German philologist and philosophical writer.

1 Jan

Panama Canal
Ferdinand de Lesseps begins French construction of the Panama Canal.
16 Apr

Bat Masterson
In Dodge City, Kansas, Bat Masterson fights his last gun battle.
21 May

Clara Barton
The American Red Cross is established by Clara Barton in Washington, D.C.
19 Sep

Assassination of James A. Garfield
U.S. President James A. Garfield dies of wounds suffered in a July 2 shooting. Vice President Chester A. Arthur becomes President upon Garfield's death.
19 Nov

Meteorite fall
A meteorite lands near the village of Grossliebenthal, southwest of Odessa, Ukraine.