Did you know
Marlowe is among the most famous of the Elizabethan playwrights.
Famous Birthdays on February 26
1564 — Christopher Marlowe
English playwright, poet and translator (died 1593)
February 26 has 173 recorded notable births across history, from 1361 to 2004. This focused page highlights 20 people with the strongest available profile context.
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
Famous Birthdays
173 source records
1361 – 2004
Pisces
Today in history
Major events on February 26
See what else happened on this day in history.
- 1929 President Calvin Coolidge signs legislation establishing the 96,000 acres (390 km2) Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. Source
- 1966 Apollo program: Launch of AS-201, the first flight of the Saturn IB rocket. Source
- 1919 President Woodrow Wilson signs an act of Congress establishing the Grand Canyon National Park. Source
- 1606 The Janszoon voyage of 1605–06 becomes the first European expedition to set foot on Australia, although it is mistaken as a part of New Guinea. Source
Did you know
Although cornflakes were not new, they had never before been presented as a breakfast food [...
Did you know
Fats Domino's first single "The Fat Man" is cited by some historians as the first rock and roll single and the first to sell more than 1 million copies.
Did you know
One of the most successful British female singers of the 1960s, she had three UK number one singles with "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me" (1964), "Long Live Love" (1965) and "Puppet on a String" (1967).
Did you know
2NE1 became one of the most popular South Korean girl groups worldwide and one of the best-selling girl groups.
More major people born on February 26
Notable people are ranked by substantive profile depth and public notability.
1852
John Harvey Kellogg
American surgeon, co-created Corn flakes (died 1943)
John Harvey Kellogg was an American businessman, inventor, physician, and advocate of the health reforms advocated by the Battle Creek Progressive Friends movement and the eugenics policies espoused by many in the…
1928
Fats Domino
American singer-songwriter and pianist (died 2017)
Antoine Caliste "Fats" Domino Jr. was an American singer-songwriter and pianist. One of the pioneers of rock and roll music, Domino sold more than 65 million records.
1947
Sandie Shaw
English singer and psychotherapist
Sandra Ann Goodrich, known professionally as Sandie Shaw, is an English retired singer.
1991
Lee Chae-rin
South Korean singer
Lee Chae-rin, better known by her stage name CL, is a South Korean rapper, singer, and songwriter. Born in Seoul, South Korea, she spent much of her early life in Japan and France.
1945
Peter Brock
Australian racing driver (died 2006)
Peter Geoffrey Brock, known as "Peter Perfect", "The King of the Mountain", or simply "Brocky", was an Australian motor racing driver.
1982
Matt Prior
South African-English cricketer
Matthew James Prior is a South African-born English former cricketer, who played for England in Test cricket and for Sussex County Cricket Club in domestic cricket.
1925
Everton Weekes
Barbadian cricketer and referee (died 2020)
Sir Everton DeCourcy Weekes, KCMG, GCM, OBE was a cricketer from Barbados. A right-handed batsman, he was known as one of the hardest hitters in world cricket.
1808
Honoré Daumier
French painter, illustrator, and sculptor (died 1879)
Honoré-Victorin Daumier was a French painter, sculptor, and printmaker, whose many works offer commentary on the social and political life in France, from the Revolution of 1830 to the fall of the Second French Empire…
1981
Robert Mathis
American football player
Robert Nathan Mathis is an American former professional football player who spent his entire 14-year career as a defensive end and linebacker with the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL).
1922
Bill Johnston
Australian cricketer and businessman (died 2007)
William Arras Johnston was an Australian cricketer who played in forty Test matches from 1947 to 1955.
1962
Ahn Cheol-soo
South Korean physician, academic, and politician
Ahn Cheol-soo is a South Korean politician, medical doctor, businessperson, and software entrepreneur. He is a member of the National Assembly as part of the conservative People Power Party.
1918
Pyotr Masherov
Leader of Soviet Belarus (died 1980)
Pyotr Mironovich Masherov was a Soviet partisan, statesman, and one of the leaders of the Belarusian resistance during World War II who governed the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic as First Secretary of the…
1922
Margaret Leighton
English actress (died 1976)
Margaret Leighton was an English actress. Known for her work on stage and screen, her film appearances included Anthony Asquith's The Winslow Boy, Alfred Hitchcock's Under Capricorn, Powell and Pressburger's The Elusive…
1946
Ahmed Zewail
Egyptian-American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2016)
Ahmed Hassan Zewail was an Egyptian-American chemist, known as the "father of femtochemistry".
1977
Tim Thomas
American basketball player
Timothy Mark Thomas is an American basketball coach and former professional player. He was a highly ranked prospect while playing at Paterson Catholic High School in his hometown of Paterson, New Jersey.
1882
Husband E. Kimmel
American admiral (died 1968)
Husband Edward Kimmel was a United States Navy four-star admiral who was the commander in chief of the United States Pacific Fleet (CINCPACFLT) during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
1903
Giulio Natta
Italian chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1979)
Giulio Natta was an Italian chemical engineer and Nobel laureate. Natta's work at Politecnico di Milano led to the improvement of earlier work by Karl Ziegler and to the development of the Ziegler–Natta catalyst.
1959
Ahmet Davutoğlu
Turkish political scientist, academic, and politician, 37th Prime Minister of Turkey
Ahmet Davutoğlu is a Turkish academic, politician and former diplomat who served as the 26th Prime Minister of Turkey and Leader of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) from 2014 to 2016.
1974
Sébastien Loeb
French racing driver
Sébastien Loeb is a French professional rally, racing and rallycross driver.