Tukuk-OS📅 January 26
24 events · 12 births · 12 deaths
Advertisement
What happened on January 26? Below are the notable events chosen by Wikipedia’s editors for this date, followed by celebrated births, deaths and the observances recognised around the world.
Events
- 2020 — A Sikorsky S-76 helicopter crashed in Calabasas, California, killing all nine people on board, including former basketball player Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna.
Sikorsky S-762020 Calabasas helicopter crashCalabasas, California
- 2015 — A jet fighter crashed at Los Llanos Air Base in Albacete, Spain, killing 11 people and injuring 21 others.
- 2009 — Rioting broke out in Antananarivo, Madagascar, sparking a political crisis that led to the deposal of President Marc Ravalomanana.
- 2001 — An earthquake in the Indian state of Gujarat killed at least 20,000 people, injured 167,000 others and destroyed nearly 400,000 homes.
- 1998 — In a nationally televised press conference, U.S. president Bill Clinton denied having "sexual relations" with intern Monica Lewinsky.
- 1991 — Somali Rebellion: Factions led by the warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid and his rebel group, the United Somali Congress, ousted President Siad Barre.
- 1974 — Turkish Airlines Flight 301 crashed while taking off from İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport, killing 67 people.
- 1972 — JAT Flight 367 exploded in mid-air over Czechoslovakia; the only survivor of the 28 on board, flight attendant Vesna Vulović, fell 10,160 m (33,330 ft), setting the record for surviving the highest fall without a parachute.
- 1966 — The three Beaumont children disappeared from a beach in Glenelg, South Australia, resulting in one of the country's largest-ever police investigations.
Disappearance of the Beaumont childrenGlenelg, South Australia
- 1952 — Spontaneous anti-British riots erupted in Cairo following the killings of 50 Egyptian auxiliary police officers the previous day.
- 1950 — Indian independence movement: India became a republic under a new constitution, with Rajendra Prasad as president and Jawaharlal Nehru as prime minister.
Indian independence movementConstitution of IndiaRajendra Prasad
- 1949 — The Hale Telescope at Palomar Observatory in California, the largest aperture optical telescope in the world for 28 years, saw first light.
- 1945 — Audie Murphy engaged in action at the Colmar Pocket that won him a Medal of Honor and made him one of the most famous and decorated U.S. soldiers of World War II.
- 1934 — Hurtig & Seamon's New Burlesque Theater in New York City reopened as the Apollo Theater, becoming one of the nation's premier venues for African-American performers.
- 1926 — Oliver Hutchinson (pictured) appeared on television in inventor John Logie Baird's first successful demonstration of using the technology to show humans.
- 1918 — A group of Red Guards hung a red lantern atop the tower of the Helsinki Workers' House, symbolically marking the start of the Finnish Civil War.
- 1905 — The 3,106-carat (621 g) Cullinan Diamond (pictured), the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found, was discovered at the Premier Mine in Gauteng, South Africa.
- 1885 — Mahdist War: The siege of Khartoum ended as Mahdist forces defeated the Egyptian garrison and captured the city.
- 1841 — Commodore Gordon Bremer took formal possession of Hong Kong Island for the United Kingdom at Possession Point.
- 1808 — William Bligh, the governor of New South Wales, was deposed in the only military coup in Australian history.
- 1788 — Captain Arthur Phillip and the British First Fleet landed at Sydney Cove on the shore of Port Jackson, establishing the first permanent European settlement in Australia.
- 1700 — An earthquake with a moment magnitude of around 9.0 occurred off the Pacific Northwest coast of North America, as evidenced by Japanese records of tsunamis.
1700 Cascadia earthquakeMoment magnitude scalePacific Northwest
- 1564 — Livonian War: A Lithuanian surprise attack resulted in a decisive defeat of numerically superior Russian forces.
- 661 — Ali, the fourth Rashidun caliph, was assassinated (depicted) by Ibn Muljim, leading to the end of the caliphate.
Births
- 2009 — YaYa Gosselin, American actress
- 2009 — The Suleman octuplets
- 2002 — Darya Astakhova, Russian tennis player
- 2001 — Latalia Bevan, Welsh artistic gymnast
- 2001 — Isaac Okoro, American basketball player
- 2000 — Ester Expósito, Spanish actress
- 2000 — Darius Garland, American basketball player
- 1999 — Leonardo Balerdi, Argentine footballer
- 1999 — Travis Etienne, American football player
- 1998 — Moonbin, South Korean singer and actor. (died 2023)
- 1997 — Gedion Zelalem, German-born American soccer player
- 1996 — Zakaria Bakkali, Belgian footballer
Deaths
- 2025 — Suzanne Massie, American historian (born 1931)
- 2020 — John Altobelli, American college baseball coach (born 1963)
- 2020 — Gianna Bryant, American student-athlete (born 2006)
- 2020 — Kobe Bryant, American basketball player (born 1978)
- 2017 — Mike Connors, American actor (born 1925)
- 2017 — Tam Dalyell, Scottish politician (born 1932)
- 2017 — Lindy Delapenha, Jamaican footballer and sports journalist (born 1927)
- 2017 — Barbara Hale, American actress (born 1922)
- 2017 — Barbara Howard, Canadian sprinter and educator (born 1920)
- 2016 — Sahabzada Yaqub Khan, Pakistani military leader, foreign minister, and diplomat (born 1920)
- 2016 — Abe Vigoda, American actor (born 1921)
- 2015 — Cleven "Goodie" Goudeau, American art director and cartoonist (born 1932)
Observances & holidays
- Christian feast day: Saint Alberic of Cîteaux
- Christian feast day: Blessed Gabriele Allegra
- Christian feast day: Saint Paula of Rome
- Christian feast day: Saint Timothy
- Christian feast day: Saint Titus
- Christian feast day: January 26 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Australia Day (Australia)
- Republic Day (India)
Advertisement
Advertisement