January 26 in History

49 events 661 – 2021

January 26 spans 49 recorded events across recorded history — from 661 – 2021. Below is a curated digest of the most significant moments tied to this date.

By · Wikipedia

Syrian civil war: The People's Protection Units (YPG) recaptures the city of Kob

2015 — Syrian civil war: The People's Protection Units (YPG) recaptures the city of Kobanî from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), marking a turning point in the Siege of Kobanî

Did you know

The People's Protection Units (YPG) were formed in 2012 as the military wing of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD).

Did you know

The YPG is primarily active in the Rojava region of Syria.

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The group has received support from the United States, particularly in its fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

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The YPG has been involved in several key battles, including the Siege of Kobanî and the Battle of Raqqa.

Did you know

The YPG is a key component of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a US-backed alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias.


The Rashidun Caliphate is effectively ended with the assassination of Ali, the last caliph.
First Islamic caliphate (632–661)
The Rashidun Caliphate is the early Islamic polity led by the first four successive caliphs (lit. "successors") Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali, collectively known as the Rashidun, or "Rightly Guided" caliphs. These early caliphs led the Muslim community from the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad in 632 CE to the foundation of the Umayyad Caliphate in 661 CE.
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661
The 6.4–7.1 Mw Lisbon earthquake kills about thirty thousand people.
Scales to describe earthquake strength
Seismic magnitude scales are used to describe the overall strength or "size" of an earthquake. These are distinguished from seismic intensity scales that categorize the intensity or severity of ground shaking (quaking) caused by an earthquake at a given location. Magnitudes are usually determined from measurements of an earthquake's seismic waves as recorded on a seismogram. Magnitude scales vary based on what aspect of the seismic waves are measured and how they are measured. Different magnitude scales are necessary because of differences in earthquakes, the information available, and the purposes for which the magnitudes are used.
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1531
The Council of Trent establishes an official distinction between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism.
Roman Catholic Church ecumenical council 1545–1563
The Council of Trent, held between 1545 and 1563 in Trent, in northern Italy, was the 19th ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. Prompted by the Protestant Reformation at the time, it has been described as the "most impressive embodiment of the ideals of the Counter-Reformation." It was the last time a Catholic ecumenical council was organized outside the city of Rome, and the second time a council was convened in the territory of the Holy Roman Empire.
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1564
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania defeats the Tsardom of Russia in the Battle of Ula during the Livonian War.
European state (c. 1236–1795)
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 partitions of Poland–Lithuania. The state was founded by Lithuanians, who were at the time a polytheistic nation of several united Baltic tribes from Aukštaitija. By 1440 the grand duchy had become the largest European state, controlling an area from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Black Sea in the south.
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1564
Reapers' War: Battle of Montjuïc, decisive victory of the Catalan army (with French support) over the Spanish army.
1640–1659 rebellion to restore an independent Catalonia
The Reapers' War, also known as the Catalan Revolt or Catalan Revolution, was a conflict that affected the Principality of Catalonia between 1640 and 1659, in the context of the Franco-Spanish War of 1635–1659. Incited by an unrest among the Catalan peasantry and institutions, as well as French diplomatic movements, the war resulted in the establishment of the short-lived Catalan Republic and the subsequent clash of Spanish and French armies on Catalan soil for over a decade.
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1641
For the first time, the Ottoman Empire permanently cedes territory to the Christian powers.
Turkish Empire (c. 1299–1922)
The Ottoman Empire, historically also known as the Turkish Empire, was a state that spanned much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th century to the early 20th century, centered in modern-day Turkey. It also controlled parts of southeastern Central Europe between the early 16th and early 18th centuries.
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1699
The 8.7–9.2 Mw Cascadia earthquake takes place off the west coast of North America, as evidenced by Japanese records.
Scales to describe earthquake strength
Seismic magnitude scales are used to describe the overall strength or "size" of an earthquake. These are distinguished from seismic intensity scales that categorize the intensity or severity of ground shaking (quaking) caused by an earthquake at a given location. Magnitudes are usually determined from measurements of an earthquake's seismic waves as recorded on a seismogram. Magnitude scales vary based on what aspect of the seismic waves are measured and how they are measured. Different magnitude scales are necessary because of differences in earthquakes, the information available, and the purposes for which the magnitudes are used.
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1700
A British naval expedition arrives at and names Port Egmont in the Falkland Islands, founding a settlement there eight days later.
(Arrival was 15 January 1765 O.S.)
Port Egmont was the first British settlement in the Falkland Islands, on Saunders Island off West Falkland, and is named after John Perceval, 2nd Earl of Egmont, who was First Lord of the Admiralty at the time of its founding.
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1765
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.
The First Fleet were eleven British ships which transported a group of settlers to mainland Australia, marking the beginning of the European colonisation of Australia. It consisted of two Royal Navy vessels, three storeships and six convict transports under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip. On 13 May 1787, the ships, with over 1,400 convicts, marines, sailors, colonial officials, and free settlers onboard, left Portsmouth and travelled over 24,000 kilometres and over 250 days before arriving in Botany Bay, New South Wales, on 18 January 1788. Governor Arthur Phillip rejected Botany Bay, choosing instead Port Jackson to the north as the site for the new colony; the Fleet arrived there on 26 January 1788. The Fleet established the Colony of New South Wales as a penal colony; the first British settlement in Australia.
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1788
The Rum Rebellion is the only successful (albeit short-lived) armed takeover of the government in New South Wales.
1808 coup in Britain's New South Wales Colony
The Rum Rebellion of 1808 was a coup d'état in the British penal colony of New South Wales, staged by the New South Wales Corps in order to depose Governor William Bligh. Australia's first and only military coup to date, its name derives from the illicit rum trade of early Sydney, over which the 'Rum Corps', as it became known, maintained a monopoly. During the first half of the 19th century, it was widely referred to in Australia as the Great Rebellion.
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1808
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Born on January 26

20 people 1993 – 2009
YaYa Gosselin
YaYa Gosselin
American actress
Felisita Leon "YaYa" Gosselin is an American actress. She began her career modelling for commercials and made her acting debut in After Omelas (2017). Following this, she made minor appearances in Peppermint (2018), The…
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2009
The Suleman octuplets
The Suleman octuplets are six males and two females, conceived via in vitro fertilization (IVF) and subsequently born to Nadya Suleman on January 26, 2009, in Bellflower, California. Residing in Lancaster, California,…
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2009
Darya Astakhova
Darya Astakhova
Russian tennis player
Darya Igorevna Astakhova is a Russian tennis player.
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2002
Latalia Bevan
Welsh artistic gymnast
Latalia Rene Bevan is a Welsh retired artistic gymnast. She won a silver medal on the floor exercise at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. She is a six-time Northern European Championships gold medalist.
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2001
Isaac Okoro
Isaac Okoro
American basketball player
Isaac Nnamdi Okoro is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Auburn Tigers. Listed at 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m)…
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2001
Ester Expósito
Ester Expósito
Spanish actress
Ester Expósito Gayoso is a Spanish actress. She is best known for her starring role as Carla Rosón Caleruega in the Netflix teen drama series Élite.
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2000
Darius Garland
Darius Garland
American basketball player
Darius Kinnard Garland is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Vanderbilt Commodores. Born in Gary,…
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2000
Leonardo Balerdi
Leonardo Balerdi
Argentine footballer
Leonardo Julián Balerdi Rosa is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Ligue 1 club Marseille and the Argentina national team.
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1999
Travis Etienne
Travis Etienne
American football player
Travis Etienne Jr. is an American professional football running back for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Clemson Tigers and was selected by the…
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1999
Moonbin
Moonbin
South Korean singer and actor. (died 2023)
Moon Bin, also known professionally as Moonbin, was a South Korean singer, actor, and dancer under the label Fantagio. He was a member of the South Korean boy group Astro and its sub-unit Moonbin & Sanha.
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1998
Gedion Zelalem
Gedion Zelalem
German-born American soccer player
Gedion Zelalem is a professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for USL Championship club New Mexico United. Born in Germany, he has represented the United States at youth level.
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1997
Zakaria Bakkali
Zakaria Bakkali
Belgian footballer
Zakaria Bakkali is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a winger for IR Tanger.
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1996
Hwang Hee-chan
Hwang Hee-chan
South Korean football player
Hwang Hee-chan is a South Korean professional footballer who plays as a forward for Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers and the South Korea national team.
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1996
Jean-Charles Castelletto
Jean-Charles Castelletto
Cameroonian footballer
Jean-Charles Victor Castelletto is a professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Qatar Stars League club Al Duhail. Born in France, he plays for the Cameroon national team.
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1995
Sione Katoa
Sione Katoa
New Zealand rugby league player
Sione Katoa is a Tonga international rugby league footballer who last played for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in the NRL.
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1995
Montrezl Harrell
Montrezl Harrell
American basketball player
Montrezl Dashay Harrell is an American professional basketball player for Atléticos de San Germán of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). He played college basketball for the Louisville Cardinals, winning the Karl…
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1994
Miguel Borja
Miguel Borja
Colombian footballer
Miguel Ángel Borja Hernández is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as a forward for the UAE Pro League club Al Wasl and the Colombia national team.
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1993
Lana Clelland
Lana Clelland
Scottish footballer
Lana Clelland is a Scottish professional footballer who plays for Sassuolo in the Italian women's Serie A as well as the Scotland women's national team. She is the highest foreign goalscorer in the history of Italian…
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1993
Kevin Pangos
Kevin Pangos
Canadian-Slovenian basketball player
Kevin Joseph Pangos is a Canadian-Slovenian professional basketball player for Esenler Erokspor of the Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL). He played college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs. He was named the 2015 WCC Player…
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1993
Alice Powell
Alice Powell
British racing driver
Alice Elizabeth Fraser Powell is a British racing driver and commentator. In 2010, she became the first woman to win a Formula Renault championship and in 2012 became the first woman to score points in the GP3 Series.…
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1993
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Died on January 26

20 people 2013 – 2025
Suzanne Massie
Suzanne Massie
American historian (born 1931)
Suzanne Liselotte Marguerite Massie was an American scholar of Russian history who played an important role in the relations between Ronald Reagan and the Soviet Union in the final years of the Cold War. On December 30,…
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2025
John Altobelli
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. During his career, he led the Pirates to four California state junior college…
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2020
Gianna Bryant
Gianna Bryant
American student-athlete (born 2006)
Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant, also known as Gigi Bryant and Mambacita, was an American student-athlete and the daughter of professional basketball player Kobe Bryant. Along with her father and seven others, Bryant died in…
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2020
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant
American basketball player (born 1978)
Kobe Bean Bryant was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regarded as one of…
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2020
Mike Connors
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. This role…
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2017
Tam Dalyell
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. A member of the Labour Party, he was best known for formulating…
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2017
Lindy Delapenha
Jamaican footballer and sports journalist (born 1927)
Lloyd Lindbergh "Lindy" Delapenha was a Jamaican footballer and sports journalist. He was the first Jamaican to play professional football in England. Between 1948 and 1960, he played league football for Portsmouth,…
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2017
Barbara Hale
Barbara Hale
American actress (born 1922)
Barbara Hale was an American actress who portrayed legal secretary Della Street in the dramatic television series Perry Mason (1957–1966), earning her a 1959 Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama…
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2017
Barbara Howard
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…
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2017
Sahabzada Yaqub Khan
Sahabzada Yaqub Khan
Pakistani military leader, foreign minister, and diplomat (born 1920)
Sahabzada Mohammad Yaqub Ali Khan SPk was a Pakistani politician, diplomat, military figure, linguist, and a retired 3-Star Officer in the Pakistani Army. "He was Pakistan's public face in international affairs for…
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2016
Abe Vigoda
Abe Vigoda
American actor (born 1921)
Abraham Vigoda was an American actor, known for his portrayals of Salvatore Tessio in The Godfather (1972) and Phil Fish in both Barney Miller and Fish (1977–1978). His career as an actor began in 1947 performing with…
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2016
Cleven "Goodie" Goudeau
Cleven "Goodie" Goudeau
American art director and cartoonist (born 1932)
Cleven "Goodie" Goudeau was an art director and cartoonist, credited as originator of the first line of African American contemporary greeting cards. He held the record at one time for the longest card, and produced the…
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2015
Tom Uren
Tom Uren
Australian politician (born 1921)
Thomas Uren was an Australian politician and Deputy Leader of the Australian Labor Party from 1975 to 1977. Uren served as the Member for Reid in the Australian House of Representatives from 1958 to 1990, being…
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2015
Tom Gola
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. Gola was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame…
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2014
Paula Gruden
Paula Gruden
Slovenian-Australian poet and translator (born 1921)
Paula Gruden or Pavla Gruden was an Australian poet, translator, and editor of Slovene descent.
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2014
José Emilio Pacheco
José Emilio Pacheco
Mexican poet and author (born 1939)
José Emilio Pacheco Berny was a Mexican poet, essayist, novelist and short story writer. He is regarded as one of the major Mexican poets of the second half of the 20th century. The Berlin International Literature…
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2014
Christine M. Jones
Christine M. Jones
American educator and politician (born 1929)
Christine M. Jones was an American politician who represented District 26 in the Maryland House of Delegates.
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2013
Stefan Kudelski
Stefan Kudelski
Polish-Swiss engineer, inventor of the Nagra (born 1929)
Stefan Kudelski was a Polish audio engineer known for creating the Nagra series of professional audio recorders.
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2013
Padma Kant Shukla
Padma Kant Shukla
Indian physicist and academic (born 1950)
Padma Kant Shukla was a distinguished Professor and first International Chair of the Physics and Astronomy Department of Ruhr-University Bochum in Germany. He was also the director of the International Centre for…
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2013
Shōtarō Yasuoka
Shōtarō Yasuoka
Japanese author (born 1920)
Shōtarō Yasuoka was a Japanese writer.
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2013
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Related questions

More questions about January 26

What happened on January 26?

A featured event on this date is 2015: Syrian civil war: The People's Protection Units (YPG) recaptures the city of Kobanî from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), marking a turning point in the Siege of Kobanî. This page also lists 49 events from other years on the same day.

Why is January 26 remembered in history?

January 26 brings together events, births, and deaths across many eras, which makes it useful for seeing how one calendar date connects different historical turning points.

Who was born on January 26?

Notable birthdays on this date include YaYa Gosselin, The Suleman octuplets, Darya Astakhova.

See birthdays

Who died on January 26?

Notable deaths on this date include Suzanne Massie, John Altobelli, Gianna Bryant.

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Short answer

What happened on January 26 in history?

On January 26, one notable event in history was 2015: Syrian civil war: The People's Protection Units (YPG) recaptures the city of Kobanî from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), marking a turning point in the Siege of Kobanî..

This date currently highlights 49 recorded events on thisDay.info, spanning 661 – 2021.

DateJanuary 26
Featured year2015
Locationthe Siege of Koban
Events listed49

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