Did you know
Along with her father and seven others, Bryant died in a helicopter crash in January 2020 at the age of 13 while traveling to a youth basketball tournament at the Mamba Sports Academy.
Notable Deaths on January 26
2020 — Gianna Bryant
American student-athlete (born 2006)
January 26 has 89 recorded notable deaths across history, from 738 to 2025. This focused page highlights 20 people with the strongest available profile context.
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
Notable Deaths
89 source records
738 – 2025
Today in history
Major events on January 26
See what else happened on this day in history.
- 1950 The Constitution of India comes into force, forming a republic. Rajendra Prasad is sworn in as the first President of India. Observed as Republic Day in India. Source
- 1788 The British First Fleet, led by Arthur Phillip, sails into Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) to establish Sydney, the first permanent European settlement on Australia. Commemorated as Australia Day. Source
- 1942 World War II: The first United States forces arrive in Europe, landing in Northern Ireland. Source
- 2009 Rioting breaks out in Antananarivo, Madagascar, sparking a political crisis that will result in the replacement of President Marc Ravalomanana with Andry Rajoelina. Source
Did you know
José Ferrer was one of the most celebrated and esteemed Hispanic American actors during his lifetime and after, with a career spanning nearly 60 years between 1935 and 1992.
Did you know
Major-General Charles George Gordon CB, also known as Chinese Gordon, Gordon Pasha, Gordon of Khartoum and General Gordon, was a British Army officer and administrator.
Did you know
Upon his retirement in 1982, he held the record for the most wins (323) as a head coach in collegiate football history.
Did you know
Abner Doubleday fired the first shot in defense of Fort Sumter, the opening battle of the war, and had a pivotal role in the early fighting at the Battle of Gettysburg.
More major people who died on January 26
Notable people are ranked by substantive profile depth and public notability.
1992
José Ferrer
Puerto Rican-American actor (born 1912)
José Vicente Ferrer de Otero y Cintrón was a Puerto Rican actor and director of stage, film and television.
1885
Charles George Gordon
English general and politician (born 1833)
Major-General Charles George Gordon CB, also known as Chinese Gordon, Gordon Pasha, Gordon of Khartoum and General Gordon, was a British Army officer and administrator.
1983
Bear Bryant
American football player and coach (born 1913)
Paul William "Bear" Bryant was an American college football player and coach.
1893
Abner Doubleday
American general (born 1819)
Abner Doubleday was a career United States Army officer and Union major general in the American Civil War.
2000
Don Budge
American tennis player and coach (born 1915)
John Donald Budge was an American tennis player. He is most famous as the first tennis player—male or female—to win all four Grand Slam tournaments in one year and complete the Grand Slam.
1855
Gérard de Nerval
French poet and translator (born 1808)
Gérard de Nerval was the pen name of Gérard Labrunie, a French travel writer, essayist, poet, and translator.
1886
David Rice Atchison
American general and politician (born 1807)
David Rice Atchison was a mid-19th-century Democratic United States Senator from Missouri. He served as president pro tempore of the United States Senate for six years.
1996
Frank Howard
American football player and coach (born 1909)
Frank J. Howard was an American college football player and coach. He played college football for Alabama. After a career-ending injury, Howard joined the staff at Clemson College and became head coach in 1940.
2017
Barbara Howard
Canadian sprinter and educator (born 1920)
Barbara Howard was a Canadian sprinter and educator. Growing up in Vancouver, British Columbia, Howard gained national media attention as a sprinter in high school when she completed a time trial that broke the standing…
1948
Fred Conrad Koch
American biochemist and endocrinologist (born 1876)
Frederick Conrad Koch was an American biochemist and endocrinologist. Born in Chicago, Illinois, Koch graduated from the University of Illinois in 1899.
1869
Duncan Gordon Boyes
English soldier; Victoria Cross recipient (born 1846)
Duncan Gordon Boyes VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
2017
Tam Dalyell
Scottish politician (born 1932)
Sir Thomas Dalyell, 11th Baronet, known as Tam Dalyell, was a Scottish politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Linlithgow from 1962 to 2005.
1962
Lucky Luciano
Italian-American mob boss (born 1897)
Charles "Lucky" Luciano was an Italian mafioso who operated mainly in the United States.
2006
Khan Abdul Wali Khan
Pakistani politician (born 1917)
Khan Abdul Wali Khan was a Pakistani politician who served as president of the National Awami Party from 1967 till its dissolution in 1986, and then of the Awami National Party, a left wing Pashtun nationalist…
2015
Tom Uren
Australian politician (born 1921)
Thomas Uren was an Australian politician and Deputy Leader of the Australian Labor Party from 1975 to 1977.
2020
John Altobelli
American college baseball coach (born 1963)
John Edward Altobelli was an American college baseball coach who worked for 27 seasons at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California.
2014
Tom Gola
American basketball player, coach, and politician (born 1933)
Thomas Joseph Gola was an American basketball player and politician. He is widely considered one of the greatest NCAA basketball players of all time.
1973
Edward G. Robinson
Romanian-American actor (born 1893)
Edward Goldenberg Robinson was an American actor who was popular during Hollywood's Golden Age.
2017
Mike Connors
American actor (born 1925)
Krekor Ohanian, known professionally as Mike Connors, was an American actor and film producer. He was best known for playing private detective Joe Mannix on the CBS television series Mannix from 1967 to 1975.