# What happened on March 26 in history?

**Date:** March 26  
**Events recorded:** 53  
**Years spanned:** 590 – 2024  
**Full page:** https://thisday.info/events/march/26/

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## Featured Event

**2005** — Around 200,000 to 300,000 Taiwanese demonstrate in Taipei in opposition to the Anti-Secession Law of  China.

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

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## Events on this date

- **590** — Emperor Maurice proclaims his son Theodosius as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_(emperor)))
- **624** — First Eid al-Fitr celebration. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eid_al-Fitr))
- **752** — Election of Pope Stephen II following the death of Pope Zachary. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Stephen_II))
- **1021** — The death of the Fatimid caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, kept secret for six weeks, is announced, along with the succession of his son, al-Zahir li-i'zaz Din Allah. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatimid_Caliphate))
- **1027** — Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_John_XIX))
- **1169** — Saladin becomes the emir of Egypt. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saladin))
- **1244** — The crown of Aragon and the crown of Castile agree in the Treaty of Almizra on the limits of their respective expansion into al-Andalus. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_of_Aragon))
- **1344** — The Siege of Algeciras, one of the first European military engagements where gunpowder was used, comes to an end. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Algeciras_(1342%E2%80%931344)))
- **1351** — Combat of the Thirty: Thirty Breton knights call out and defeat thirty English knights. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combat_of_the_Thirty))
- **1484** — William Caxton prints his translation of Aesop's Fables. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Caxton))
- **1552** — Guru Amar Das becomes the Third Sikh guru. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guru_Amar_Das))
- **1636** — Utrecht University is founded in the Netherlands. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utrecht_University))
- **1640** — The 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. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Academy_of_Turku))
- **1651** — The silver-loaded Spanish ship San José, pushed south by strong winds, is wrecked on the coast of southern Chile and its surviving crew members are killed by indigenous Cuncos. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_Situado))
- **1697** — Safavid government troops take control of Basra. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safavid_Iran))
- **1700** — William Dampier is the first European to circumnavigate New Britain, discovering it is an island (which he names Nova Britannia) rather than part of New Guinea. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Dampier))
- **1812** — An earthquake devastates Caracas, Venezuela. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1812_Caracas_earthquake))
- **1812** — A political cartoon in the Boston-Gazette coins the term "gerrymander" to describe oddly shaped electoral districts designed to help incumbents win reelection. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerrymandering))
- **1830** — The Book of Mormon is published in Palmyra, New York. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Mormon))
- **1839** — The first Henley Royal Regatta is held. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henley_Royal_Regatta))
- **1871** — The elections of Commune council of the Paris Commune are held. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Commune))
- **1885** — The Métis people of the District of Saskatchewan under Louis Riel begin the North-West Rebellion against Canada. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A9tis))
- **1896** — An explosion at the Brunner Mine near Greymouth, New Zealand, kills 65 coal miners in the country's worst industrial accident. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brunner_Mine_disaster))
- **1913** — First Balkan War: Bulgarian forces capture Adrianople. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Balkan_War))
- **1915** — The Vancouver Millionaires win the 1915 Stanley Cup Final, the first championship played between the Pacific Coast Hockey Association and the National Hockey Association. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vancouver_Millionaires))
- **1917** — World War I: First Battle of Gaza: British troops are halted after 17,000 Turks block their advance. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I))
- **1922** — The German Social Democratic Party is founded in Poland. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Social_Democratic_Party_(Poland)))
- **1931** — Swissair is founded as the national airline of Switzerland. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swissair))
- **1931** — Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union is founded in Vietnam. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ho_Chi_Minh_Communist_Youth_Union))
- **1934** — The United Kingdom driving test is introduced. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_driving_test))
- **1939** — Spanish Civil War: Nationalists begin their final offensive of the war. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Civil_War))
- **1942** — The Holocaust: The first female prisoners arrive at Auschwitz concentration camp in German-occupied Poland. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Holocaust))
- **1945** — World War II: The Battle of Iwo Jima ends as the island is officially secured by American forces. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II))
- **1954** — Nuclear weapons testing: The Romeo shot of Operation Castle is detonated at Bikini Atoll. Yield: 11 megatons. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_weapons_testing))
- **1955** — Pan Am Flight 845/26 ditches in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Oregon, killing four. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_Am_Flight_845%2F26))
- **1958** — The United States Army launches Explorer 3. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explorer_3))
- **1958** — The African Regroupment Party is launched at a meeting in Paris. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Regroupment_Party))
- **1967** — Ten thousand people gather for one of many Central Park be-ins in New York City. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Park_be-ins))
- **1970** — South Vietnamese President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu implements a land reform program to solve the problem of land tenancy. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Vietnam))
- **1971** — East Pakistan, then a province of Pakistan, declares its independence from Pakistan to form Bangladesh; the Bangladesh War of Independence begins. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Pakistan))
- **1975** — The Biological Weapons Convention comes into force. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_Weapons_Convention))
- **1979** — Anwar al-Sadat, Menachem Begin and Jimmy Carter sign the Egypt–Israel peace treaty in Washington, D.C. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anwar_Sadat))
- **1979** — An Interflug Ilyushin Il-18 crashes at Quatro de Fevereiro Airport during a rejected takeoff, killing 10. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interflug))
- **1981** — Social Democratic Party (UK) is founded as a party. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Democratic_Party_(UK)))
- **1982** — A groundbreaking ceremony for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is held in Washington, D.C. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_Veterans_Memorial))
- **1991** — Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay sign the Treaty of Asunción, establishing Mercosur, the South Common Market. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentina))
- **1991** — Singapore Airlines Flight 117 is hijacked by four Pakistani terrorists and diverted to Changi Airport. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore_Airlines_Flight_117))
- **1997** — Thirty-nine bodies are found in the Heaven's Gate mass suicides. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heaven's_Gate_(religious_group)))
- **1998** — During the Algerian Civil War, the Oued Bouaicha massacre sees fifty-two people, mostly infants, killed with axes and knives. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algerian_Civil_War))
- **2005** — Around 200,000 to 300,000 Taiwanese demonstrate in Taipei in opposition to the Anti-Secession Law of  China. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwan))
- **2010** — The South Korean Navy corvette Cheonan is torpedoed, killing 46 sailors. After an international investigation, the President of the United Nations Security Council blames North Korea. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ROKS_Cheonan_(PCC-772)))
- **2017** — Russia-wide anti-corruption protests in 99 cities. The Levada Center survey showed that 38% of surveyed Russians supported protests and that 67 percent held Putin personally responsible for high-level corruption. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017%E2%80%932018_Russian_protests))
- **2024** — The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapses following a collision between the MV Dali container ship and one of the bridge's support pillars, killing six people. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Scott_Key_Bridge_(Baltimore)))

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## Notable births on March 26

- **2007** — **Jesús Fortea** — Spanish footballer ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jes%C3%BAs_Fortea))
- **2005** — **Ella Anderson** — American actress ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ella_Anderson))
- **2004** — **Awra Briguela** — Filipino actor and comedian ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Awra_Briguela))
- **2003** — **Bhad Bhabie** — American rapper and social media personality ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhad_Bhabie))
- **2001** — **Jameson Williams** — American football player ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jameson_Williams))
- **2000** — **Gefen Primo** — Israeli judoka ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gefen_Primo))
- **2000** — **Andrei Svechnikov** — Russian ice hockey player ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrei_Svechnikov))
- **1998** — **Satoko Miyahara** — Japanese figure skater ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satoko_Miyahara))
- **1996** — **Zane Musgrove** — New Zealand rugby league player ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zane_Musgrove))
- **1996** — **Kathryn Bernardo** — Filipino actress ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathryn_Bernardo))

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## Notable deaths on March 26

- **2026** — **Noelia Castillo** — Spanish woman who died after receiving euthanasia (born 2000) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noelia_Castillo_euthanasia_case))
- **2026** — **Mary Rand** — English sprinter and long jumper (born 1940) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Rand))
- **2026** — **Epeli Nailatikau** — Fijian chief, President of Fiji (born 1941) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epeli_Nailatikau))
- **2026** — **James Tolkan** — American actor (born 1931) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Tolkan))
- **2024** — **Esther Coopersmith** — American diplomat, UNESCO goodwill ambassador (born 1930) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esther_Coopersmith))
- **2023** — **María Kodama** — Argentine writer and translator (born 1937) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mar%C3%ADa_Kodama))
- **2023** — **Innocent Vareed Thekkethala** — Indian actor and politician (born 1948) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Innocent_(actor)))
- **2023** — **Jacob Ziv** — Israeli electrical engineer, developed the LZ family of compression algorithms (born 1931) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Ziv))
- **2018** — **Fabrizio Frizzi** — Italian television presenter (born 1958) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fabrizio_Frizzi))
- **2016** — **Jim Harrison** — American novelist, essayist, and poet (born 1937) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Harrison))

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## About this page

This is a machine-readable Markdown summary of [thisday.info/events/march/26/](https://thisday.info/events/march/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.