# What happened on December 26 in history?

**Date:** December 26  
**Events recorded:** 52  
**Years spanned:** 795 – 2025  
**Full page:** https://thisday.info/events/december/26/

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## Featured Event

**2004** — Orange Revolution: The final run-off election in Ukraine is held under heavy international scrutiny.

[Read more on Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_Revolution)

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## Events on this date

- **795** — Election of Pope Leo III. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Leo_III))
- **887** — Berengar I is elected as king of Italy by the lords of Lombardy. He is crowned with the Iron Crown of Lombardy at Pavia. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berengar_I_of_Italy))
- **1481** — Battle of Westbroek: An army of 4,000 to 5,000 soldiers raised by David of Burgundy, Bishop of Utrecht, attacks an armed mob of people from nearby Utrecht who were trying to avenge the massacre of the inhabitants of Westbroek. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Westbroek))
- **1704** — Second Battle of Anandpur: In the Second Battle of Anandpur, Aurangzeb's two generals, Wazir Khan and Zaberdast Khan executed two children of Guru Gobind Singh, Zorawar Singh aged eight and Fateh Singh aged five, by burying them alive into a wall. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_siege_of_Anandpur))
- **1709** — The opera Agrippina by George Frideric Handel premiered in Venice. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agrippina_(opera)))
- **1723** — Bach led the first performance of Darzu ist erschienen der Sohn Gottes, BWV 40, his first Christmas Cantata composed for Leipzig. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Sebastian_Bach))
- **1776** — American Revolutionary War: In the Battle of Trenton, the Continental Army under General George Washington executes a successful surprise attack and defeats a garrison of Hessian forces serving Great Britain. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Revolutionary_War))
- **1790** — Louis XVI of France gives his public assent to Civil Constitution of the Clergy during the French Revolution. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_XVI))
- **1793** — Second Battle of Wissembourg: France defeats Austria. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Battle_of_Wissembourg))
- **1799** — Henry Lee III's eulogy to George Washington in congress declares him as "first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen". ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Lee_III))
- **1805** — Austria and France sign the Treaty of Pressburg. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_of_Pressburg_(1805)))
- **1806** — Battles of Pultusk and Golymin: Russian forces hold French forces under Napoleon. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Pu%C5%82tusk_(1806)))
- **1811** — A theater fire in Richmond, Virginia kills 72 people, including the Governor of Virginia George William Smith and the president of the First National Bank of Virginia Abraham B. Venable. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richmond_Theatre_fire))
- **1825** — Advocates of liberalism in Russia rise up against Czar Nicholas I in the Decembrist revolt, but are later suppressed. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberalism))
- **1843** — The discovery of octonions by John T. Graves, who denoted them with a boldface O, was announced to his mathematician friend William Hamilton, discoverer of quaternions, in a letter on this date. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octonion))
- **1860** — First Rules derby is held between Sheffield F.C. and Hallam F.C., the oldest football fixture in the world. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rules_derby))
- **1861** — American Civil War: The Trent Affair: Confederate diplomatic envoys James Murray Mason and John Slidell are freed by the United States government, thus easing tensions between the U.S. and the United Kingdom. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_War))
- **1862** — American Civil War: The Battle of Chickasaw Bayou begins as Union General William T. Sherman starts landing his troops in an attempt to advance on Vicksburg, Mississippi. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Chickasaw_Bayou))
- **1862** — Dakota War of 1862: The largest mass-hanging in U.S. history takes place in Mankato, Minnesota, where 38 Native American prisoners are hanged. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakota_War_of_1862))
- **1871** — Thespis, the first Gilbert and Sullivan collaboration, debuts. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thespis_(opera)))
- **1898** — Marie and Pierre Curie announce the isolation of radium. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Curie))
- **1919** — Babe Ruth of the Boston Red Sox is sold to the New York Yankees by owner Harry Frazee, allegedly establishing the Curse of the Bambino superstition. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babe_Ruth))
- **1926** — World premiere of Sibelius's tone poem Tapiola. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Sibelius))
- **1941** — U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs a bill establishing the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day in the United States. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_D._Roosevelt))
- **1941** — British Prime Minister Winston Churchill addresses a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winston_Churchill's_address_to_the_United_States_Congress_(1941)))
- **1943** — World War II: German warship Scharnhorst is sunk off Norway's North Cape after a battle against major Royal Navy forces. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II))
- **1944** — World War II: George S. Patton's Third Army breaks the encirclement of surrounded U.S. forces at Bastogne, Belgium. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_S._Patton))
- **1948** — Cardinal József Mindszenty is arrested in Hungary and accused of treason and conspiracy. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%B3zsef_Mindszenty))
- **1948** — The last Soviet troops withdraw from North Korea. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Union))
- **1963** — The Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "I Saw Her Standing There" are released in the United States, marking the beginning of Beatlemania on an international level. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beatles))
- **1966** — The first Kwanzaa is celebrated by Maulana Karenga, the chair of Black Studies at California State University, Long Beach. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwanzaa))
- **1968** — The Communist Party of the Philippines is established by Jose Maria Sison, breaking away from the Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas-1930. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_Party_of_the_Philippines))
- **1968** — Pan Am Flight 799 crashes during takeoff from Elmendorf Air Force Base, killing three. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_Am_Flight_799))
- **1972** — Vietnam War: As part of Operation Linebacker II, 120 American B-52 Stratofortress bombers attacked Hanoi, including 78 launched from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, the largest single combat launch in Strategic Air Command history. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War))
- **1975** — Tu-144, the world's first commercial supersonic aircraft, surpassing Mach 2, goes into service. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupolev_Tu-144))
- **1978** — The inaugural Paris-Dakar Rally begins. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakar_Rally))
- **1980** — Witnesses report the first of several sightings of unexplained lights near RAF Woodbridge, in Rendlesham Forest, Suffolk, England, United Kingdom, an incident called "Britain's Roswell". ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rendlesham_Forest_incident))
- **1989** — United Express Flight 2415 crashes on approach to the Tri-Cities Airport in Pasco, Washington, killing all six people on board. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Express_Flight_2415))
- **1991** — The Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union meets and formally dissolves the Soviet Union, ending the Cold War. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Soviet_of_the_Soviet_Union))
- **1993** — Kuban Airlines Flight 5719 crashes during a go-around at Gyumri Shirak International Airport, killing 35 of the 36 people on board. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuban_Airlines_Flight_5719))
- **1994** — Four Armed Islamic Group hijackers seize control of Air France Flight 8969. When the plane lands at Marseille, a French Gendarmerie assault team boards the aircraft and kills the hijackers. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armed_Islamic_Group_of_Algeria))
- **1998** — Iraq announces its intention to fire upon U.S. and British warplanes that patrol the northern and southern no-fly zones. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ba'athist_Iraq))
- **1999** — The storm Lothar sweeps across Central Europe, killing 137 and causing US$1.3 billion in damage. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclone_Lothar))
- **2003** — The 6.6 Mw  Bam earthquake shakes southeastern Iran with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), leaving more than 26,000 dead and 30,000 injured. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_Bam_earthquake))
- **2004** — The 9.1–9.3 Mw  Indian Ocean earthquake shakes northern Sumatra with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). One of the largest observed tsunamis, it affected coastal and partially mainland areas of Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Malaysia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Indonesia; death toll is estimated at 227,898. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake_and_tsunami))
- **2004** — Orange Revolution: The final run-off election in Ukraine is held under heavy international scrutiny. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_Revolution))
- **2006** — Two earthquakes in Hengchun, Taiwan measuring 7.0 and 6.9 on the moment magnitude scale kill two and disrupt telecommunications across Asia. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Hengchun_earthquakes))
- **2012** — China opens the world's longest high-speed rail route, which links Beijing and Guangzhou. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-speed_rail_in_China))
- **2013** — An Irkut-Avia Antonov An-12 crashes on approach to Irkutsk Northwest Airport, killing all nine people on board. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakovlev_Corporation))
- **2015** — A violent EF-4 tornado hits Garland, Texas, killing nine and injuring almost 500 others. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Garland_tornado))
- **2021** — Three people are killed when a 14-year-old opens fire on civilians at a Texaco convenience store in Garland, Texas. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_Garland_shooting))
- **2025** — Israel recognises Somaliland as an independent state, becoming the first country to do so. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel))

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## Notable births on December 26

- **2002** — **Josh Wilson-Esbrand** — English footballer ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josh_Wilson-Esbrand))
- **2001** — **Aleksej Pokuševski** — Serbian basketball player ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleksej_Poku%C5%A1evski))
- **1997** — **Tamara Zidanšek** — Slovenian tennis player ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamara_Zidan%C5%A1ek))
- **1994** — **Colby Cave** — Canadian ice hockey player (died 2020) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colby_Cave))
- **1994** — **Souleymane Coulibaly** — Ivorian footballer ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Souleymane_Coulibaly))
- **1992** — **Cecilia Costa Melgar** — Chilean tennis player ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecilia_Costa_Melgar))
- **1992** — **Jade Thirlwall** — English singer ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jade_Thirlwall))
- **1991** — **Brandon Scherff** — American football player ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandon_Scherff))
- **1991** — **Eden Sher** — American actress ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eden_Sher))
- **1991** — **Trevor Siemian** — American football player ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trevor_Siemian))

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## Notable deaths on December 26

- **2025** — **Pate Mustajärvi** — Finnish rock singer (born 1956) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pate_Mustaj%C3%A4rvi))
- **2024** — **Richard Parsons** — American business executive (born 1948) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Parsons_(businessman)))
- **2024** — **Manmohan Singh** — Indian economist and politician, 13th Prime Minister of India (born 1932) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manmohan_Singh))
- **2023** — **Lukas Enembe** — Indonesian politician, Governor of Papua from 2013 to 2023 (born1967) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lukas_Enembe))
- **2023** — **Tom Smothers** — American comedian, actor, and activist (born 1937) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Smothers))
- **2021** — **Giacomo Capuzzi** — Italian Roman Catholic prelate, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lodi (born 1929) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giacomo_Capuzzi))
- **2021** — **Paul B. Kidd** — Australian author, journalist, and radio show host (born 1945) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_B._Kidd))
- **2021** — **Karolos Papoulias** — Greek politician, President of Greece from 2005 to 2015 (born 1929) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karolos_Papoulias))
- **2021** — **Desmond Tutu** — South African Anglican bishop, theologian and anti-apartheid and human rights activist (born 1931) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desmond_Tutu))
- **2021** — **Nell Hall Williams** — American quilter (born 1933) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nell_Hall_Williams))

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## About this page

This is a machine-readable Markdown summary of [thisday.info/events/december/26/](https://thisday.info/events/december/26/).  
Historical data is sourced from [Wikipedia/Wikimedia](https://www.wikipedia.org) under [CC BY-SA](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/).  
Editorial framing and site content © thisday.info.