Historical Events on January 26, Facts & Special Events On This Day - CalendarZ

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.

January 26 Birthdays

January 26 Deaths