On This Day: 26 August

26 August in Indian history

• 1955Pather Panchali, the first film in The Apu Trilogy by Satyajit Ray, was released and went on to win many Indian and international film awards.India
• 1833The great 1833 Kathmandu–Bihar earthquake causes major damage in Nepal, northern India and Tibet, killing a total of 500 people.India

26 August in world history

• 2026A series of large flash floods and debris flows along the Nepal–Tibet border and the Trishuli River, believed to have been caused by glacier collapse, stuck and destroyed numerous settlements, including the Gyirong checkpoint, and killed over 1,400 people, wit
• 2011The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Boeing's all-new composite airliner, receives certification from the EASA and the FAA.
• 1980A bomb was planted at Harvey's Resort Hotel in Stateline, Nevada, which the FBI later described as the most complex improvised explosive device ever created.
• 1959The Coatzacoalcos earthquake struck near the Mexican state of Veracruz, killing 25 people.
• 1940The 1940 New England hurricane formed over the Atlantic Ocean; it would go on to cause widespread damage despite never making landfall in the United States.
• 1940World War II: Chad becomes the first French colony to join the Allies under the administration of Félix Éboué, France's first black colonial governor.
• 1936Spanish Civil War: Santander falls to the Nationalists and the Republican Interprovincial Council is dissolved.
• 1920The 19th amendment to United States Constitution, giving women the right to vote, is certified.
• 1914World War I: As the British Expeditionary Force and French Fifth Army began their retreat from Mons, the British II Corps delayed the pursuing Germans at the Battle of Le Cateau long enough for the main force to escape.
• 1767Jesuits all over Chile are arrested as the Spanish Empire suppresses the Society of Jesus.
• 1648The Fronde: First Fronde: In the wake of the successful Battle of Lens, Cardinal Mazarin, Chief Minister of France, suddenly orders the arrest of the leaders of the Parlement of Paris, provoking the rest of Paris to break into insurrection and barricade the st
• 1642Dutch–Portuguese War: Second Battle of San Salvador: The Dutch force the Spanish garrison at San Salvador (modern day Keelung, Taiwan) to surrender, ending the short-lived Spanish colony on Formosa and replacing it with a new Dutch administration.
• 1542A year and a half after leaving Guayaquil on the Pacific coast, Francisco de Orellana finishes his overland journey across South America and reaches the mouth of the Amazon River on the Atlantic coast.
• 1346Hundred Years' War: At the Battle of Crécy, English forces established the military supremacy of English longbows over the French combination of crossbows and armoured knights.
• 1071Byzantine–Seljuk wars: Seljuk Turks led by Alp Arslan captured Byzantine emperor Romanos IV at the Battle of Manzikert, marking a decline in Byzantine fortunes.
• 683Second Fitna: The Battle of al-Harra was fought between Umayyad forces and the rebel defenders of Medina at a lava field northeast of the city.

Born on 26 August

• 1951Edward Witten, American physicist and academic
• 1928Om Prakash Munjal, Indian businessman and philanthropist, co-founded Hero Cycles (died 2015)India
• 1910Mother Teresa, Albanian-Indian nun, missionary, Catholic saint, and Nobel Prize laureate (died 1997)India
• 1903Caroline Pafford Miller, American author (died 1992)
• 1891Acharya Chatursen Shastri, Indian author and playwright (died 1960)India
• 1797Saint Innocent of Alaska, Russian Orthodox missionary priest, then the first Orthodox bishop and archbishop in the Americas, and finally the Metropolitan of Moscow and all Russia (died 1879)

Died on 26 August

• 2026Péter Nádas, Hungarian author and playwright (born 1942)
• 2013Hélie de Saint Marc, French soldier (born 1922)
• 2006Clyde Walcott, Barbadian cricketer and coach (born 1926)
• 1974Charles Lindbergh, American pilot and explorer (born 1902)

Frequently asked questions

What happened on 26 August in history?

2026: A series of large flash floods and debris flows along the Nepal–Tibet border and the Trishuli River, believed to have been caused by glacier collapse, stuck and destroyed numerous settlements, including the Gyirong checkpoint, and killed over 1,400 people, wit. 2011: The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Boeing's all-new composite airliner, receives certification from the EASA and the FAA. 1980: A bomb was planted at Harvey's Resort Hotel in Stateline, Nevada, which the FBI later described as the most complex improvised explosive device ever created. 1959: The Coatzacoalcos earthquake struck near the Mexican state of Veracruz, killing 25 people.

What happened on 26 August in Indian history?

1955: Pather Panchali, the first film in The Apu Trilogy by Satyajit Ray, was released and went on to win many Indian and international film awards. 1833: The great 1833 Kathmandu–Bihar earthquake causes major damage in Nepal, northern India and Tibet, killing a total of 500 people.

Which famous people were born on 26 August?

Edward Witten, American physicist and academic (1951); Om Prakash Munjal, Indian businessman and philanthropist, co-founded Hero Cycles (died 2015) (1928); Mother Teresa, Albanian-Indian nun, missionary, Catholic saint, and Nobel Prize laureate (died 1997) (1910); Caroline Pafford Miller, American author (died 1992) (1903).

Which day is observed on 26 August?

Heroes' Day (Namibia); International Dog Day, an observance promoting dog adoption and animal welfare (2004).; Repentance Day (Papua New Guinea); Women's Equality Day (United States).