On This Day in History – January 26

Major Events

• 1340 – King Edward III of England is proclaimed King of France, intensifying the Hundred Years’ War.
• 1500 – Vicente Yáñez Pinzón becomes the first European to reach Brazil, landing near present-day Pernambuco.
• 1788 – The British First Fleet arrives at Port Jackson, marking the beginning of European settlement in Australia.
• 1837 – Michigan is admitted as the 26th state of the United States.
• 1905 – The world’s largest diamond, the Cullinan Diamond, is discovered in South Africa.
• 1915 – The Rocky Mountain National Park is established in the United States.
• 1934 – German-Polish Non-Aggression Pact is signed, briefly easing tensions in Europe before World War II.
• 1950 – India formally becomes a republic with the adoption of its constitution.
• 1972 – Pakistani leader Zulfikar Ali Bhutto announces sweeping political and economic reforms.
• 2020 – Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others die in a helicopter crash in California.

Famous Birthdays

• 1736 – Joseph-Louis Lagrange, Italian mathematician and astronomer (d. 1813)
• 1880 – Douglas MacArthur, American general (d. 1964)
• 1885 – William Somerset Maugham, English writer (d. 1965)
• 1925 – Paul Newman, American actor and philanthropist (d. 2008)
• 1944 – Angela Davis, American political activist and scholar
• 1952 – Eddie Van Halen, Dutch-American guitarist (d. 2020)
• 1979 – Colin O’Donoghue, Irish actor
• 1980 – Sarah Rue, American actress
• 1986 – Ellen DeGeneres, American comedian and television host

Notable Deaths

• 1823 – Edward Jenner, English physician and pioneer of the smallpox vaccine (b. 1749)
• 1942 – Felix Hausdorff, German mathematician (b. 1868)
• 1966 – Harry Hopper, American film director (b. 1915)
• 1979 – Nelson Rockefeller, American politician (b. 1908)
• 1995 – George Burns, American comedian (b. 1896)
• 2004 – Lila McCann, American singer (b. 1981)
• 2015 – Edgar Froese, German musician (b. 1944)
• 2020 – Kobe Bryant, American basketball player (b. 1978)
• 2021 – Cloris Leachman, American actress (b. 1926)

Holidays

• Australia Day – Australia
• Republic Day – India
• International Customs Day

Fun Facts

• Australia Day commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788.
• India’s Constitution is one of the longest written constitutions in the world.
• The Cullinan Diamond was later cut into several famous gems used in British crown jewels.
• Paul Newman founded a food company that donates all profits to charity.
• Rocky Mountain National Park attracts millions of visitors each year.
• January 26 has marked both national beginnings and moments of global mourning.