On This Day: 26 March

26 March in Indian history

• 1974A group of peasant women in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, India, surrounded trees in order to prevent loggers from felling them, giving rise to the Chipko movement.India
• 1552Guru Amar Das becomes the Third Sikh guru.India

26 March in world history

• 2010An explosion, allegedly caused by a North Korean torpedo, sank the South Korean warship ROKS Cheonan near Baengnyeongdo in the Yellow Sea, killing 46 sailors.
• 2005Around 200,000 to 300,000 Taiwanese demonstrate in Taipei in opposition to the Anti-Secession Law of China.
• 1991Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay sign the Treaty of Asunción, establishing Mercosur, the South Common Market.
• 1979An Interflug Ilyushin Il-18 crashes at Quatro de Fevereiro Airport during a rejected takeoff, killing 10.
• 1971East Pakistan, then a province of Pakistan, declares its independence from Pakistan to form Bangladesh; the Bangladesh War of Independence begins.
• 1970South Vietnamese President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu implements a land reform program to solve the problem of land tenancy.
• 1954Nuclear weapons testing: The Romeo shot of Operation Castle is detonated at Bikini Atoll. Yield: 11 megatons.
• 1942The American tanker Dixie Arrow is torpedoed and sunk off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, by the German U-boat U-71.
• 1942The Holocaust: The first female prisoners arrive at Auschwitz concentration camp in German-occupied Poland.
• 1939Spanish Civil War: Nationalists begin their final offensive of the war.
• 1917First World War: Attempting to advance into Palestine, the British were defeated by Ottoman troops at the First Battle of Gaza.
• 1885Perceiving that the Canadian government was failing to protect their rights, the Métis people led by Louis Riel began the North-West Rebellion.
• 1873A Dutch military expedition was launched to bombard Banda Aceh, the capital of the Aceh Sultanate in present-day Indonesia, beginning the Aceh War.
• 1697The Safavid Empire began a four-year occupation of the Ottoman city of Basra on the Persian Gulf.
• 1640The Royal Academy of Turku, the first university of Finland, is founded in the city of Turku by Queen Christina of Sweden at the proposal of Count Per Brahe.
• 1344Reconquista: The Muslim city of Algeciras surrendered after a 21-month siege and was incorporated into the Kingdom of Castile.

Born on 26 March

• 1947Subhash Kak, Indian-American professor and authorIndia
• 1940Nancy Pelosi, American lawyer and politician, 52nd Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
• 1922William Milliken, American politician, 44th Governor of Michigan (died 2019)
• 1907Mahadevi Varma, Indian poet and activist (died 1987)India
• 1893Palmiro Togliatti, Italian journalist and politician, Italian Minister of Justice (died 1964)
• 1554Charles of Lorraine, duke of Mayenne (died 1611)

Died on 26 March

• 2026Epeli Nailatikau, Fijian chief, President of Fiji (born 1941)
• 2023Innocent Vareed Thekkethala, Indian actor and politician (born 1948)India
• 2012Manik Godghate, Indian poet and educator (born 1937)India
• 1958Phil Mead, English cricketer and footballer (born 1887)

Frequently asked questions

What happened on 26 March in history?

2010: An explosion, allegedly caused by a North Korean torpedo, sank the South Korean warship ROKS Cheonan near Baengnyeongdo in the Yellow Sea, killing 46 sailors. 2005: Around 200,000 to 300,000 Taiwanese demonstrate in Taipei in opposition to the Anti-Secession Law of China. 1991: Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay sign the Treaty of Asunción, establishing Mercosur, the South Common Market. 1979: An Interflug Ilyushin Il-18 crashes at Quatro de Fevereiro Airport during a rejected takeoff, killing 10.

What happened on 26 March in Indian history?

1974: A group of peasant women in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, India, surrounded trees in order to prevent loggers from felling them, giving rise to the Chipko movement. 1552: Guru Amar Das becomes the Third Sikh guru.

Which famous people were born on 26 March?

Subhash Kak, Indian-American professor and author (1947); Nancy Pelosi, American lawyer and politician, 52nd Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (1940); William Milliken, American politician, 44th Governor of Michigan (died 2019) (1922); Mahadevi Varma, Indian poet and activist (died 1987) (1907).

Which day is observed on 26 March?

Independence Day and National Day (Bangladesh), celebrates the declaration of independence from Pakistan in 1971.; Martyr's Day or Day of Democracy (Mali); National Science Appreciation Day (United States); Prince Kūhiō Day (Hawaii, United States); Purple Day (Canada and United States).