February 26

February 26 is the 57th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 308 days remaining, 309 in leap years.

Table of contents

1 Events
2 Births
3 Deaths
4 Holidays and observances

Events

1266 - Battle of Benevento: French forces, under Charles of Anjou, overcome a combined German-Sicilian force.
1797 - The Bank of England issues the first one pound note.
1815 - Napoleon Bonaparte escapes from Elba.
1848 - The second French Republic is proclaimed.
1863 - President of the United States Abraham Lincoln signs the National Currency Act into law.
1870 - In New York City, the first pneumatic-subway is opened.
1919 - An act of the United States Congress establishes most of the Grand Canyon as a United States National Park (see Grand Canyon National Park).
1929 - The Grand Teton National Park is created.
1935 - The Luftwaffe is reformed.
1952 - United Kingdom Prime Minister Winston Churchill announces that his nation has an atomic bomb.
1966 - Apollo Program: Launch of AS-201, the first flight of the Saturn IB rocket
1970 - National Public Radio incorporates as a non-profit corporation.
1986 - After exiled President Ferdinand Marcos leaves the Philippines, Corazon Aquino is inaugurated president.
1986 - Robert Penn Warren is named poet laureate of the United States.
1987 - Iran-Contra affair: The Tower Commission rebukes American President Ronald Reagan for not controlling his national security staff.
1990 - The Sandinistas are defeated in Nicaraguan elections.
1991 - Tim Berners-Lee introduces WorldWideWeb, the first web browser.
1991 - Gulf War: On Baghdad Radio Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein announces the withdrawal of Iraqi troops from Kuwait.
1993 - World Trade Center bombing: In New York City, a van bomb parked below the North Tower of the World Trade Center goes off, killing 6 and injuring over a thousand.
1995 - United Kingdom's oldest investment banking firm, Barings PLC collapses after a securities broker, Nick Leeson, lost $1.4 billion by gambling on the Singapore Monetary Exchange Simex with derivative securities.

Births

1361 - Wenceslaus, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia († 1419)
1802 - Victor Hugo, poet († 1885)
1808 - Honor� Daumier, painter, illustrator, lithograph and sculptor († 1879)
1829 - Levi Strauss, clothing designer († 1902)
1846 - Buffalo Bill, pioneer and officer, hunter and carny († 1917)
1861 - King Ferdinand of Bulgaria († 1948)
1875 - Hans B�ckler, unionist and politician († 1951)
1887 - Grover Cleveland Alexander, Baseball Hall of Famer († 1950)
1908 - Tex Avery, cartoonist († 1980)
1908 - Jean-Pierre Wimille, race car driver († 1949)
1909 - King Talal, King of Jordan († 1972)
1916 - Jackie Gleason, actor, writer, composer, comedian († 1987)
1918 - Theodore Sturgeon, science fiction writer († 1985)
1920 - Tony Randall, actor
1928 - Fats Domino, musician
1928 - Anatoli Filipchenko, cosmonaut
1932 - Johnny Cash, country music singer († 2003)
1933 - Godfrey Cambridge, actor († 1976)
1950 - Helen Clark, Prime Minister of New Zealand
1954 - Michael Bolton, singer
1971 - Erykah Badu, singer
1973 - Jenny Thompson, U.S. Olympic swimmer
1973 - Marshall Faulk, American football star

Deaths

1903 - Richard Jordan Gatling, inventor
1961 - King Mohammed V of Morocco
1971 - Fernandel, actor
1981 - Howard Hanson, composer
2002 - Lawrence Tierney, actor
2003 - Gerhard Czerwensky, economist

Holidays and observances

Purim
Bahá'í Faith - Day 1 of Ayyám-i-Há (Intercalary Days) - days in the Bahá'í calendar devoted to service and gift giving.

See Also:

February 25 - February 27 - January 26 - March 26 -- listing of all days

January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December\n