Historical Events on June 26
- 1483: Richard III ascends to the throne of England.
- 1522: The Second Siege of Rhodes is begun by the Ottomans.
- 1541: In Lima, Francisco Pizarro is assassinated by Diego de Almagro.
- 1718: Peter the Great’s Son – Alexei Petrovich – dies mysteriously after being sentenced to death for plotting against his father.
- 1723: Baku surrenders to Russian forces.
- 1794: The first successful use of military aircraft that influenced the outcome of a battle occurs at the Battle of Fleurus during the French Revolutionary War.
- 1870: In the United States, Christmas officially becomes a federal holiday.
- 1886: Elemental Fluorine is isolated for the first time by Henri Moissan.
- 1906: The first Gran Prix racing event is held on this date.
- 1909: The Science Museum in London is founded.
- 1936: The first practical helicopter – the Focke Wulf Fw 61 – is flown on this date.
- 1941: Soviet plane drop bombs on Kassa in Hungary.
- 1942: The Grumman F6F Hellcat is flown for the first time.
- 1944: The RAF accidentally bomb San Marino leading to over 30 civilian deaths.
- 1944: The Battle of Osuchy begins in Poland. It’s one of the biggest battles between Polish resistance fighters and Nazi troops during World War 2.
- 1977: The final concert of Elvis Presley is held at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, Indiana.
- 1978: Air Canada Flight 189 crashed into the Etobicoke Creek ravine. Of the 107 passengers on board, only 2 are killed.
- 1997: The United States Supreme Court decides that the Communications Decency Act is a violation of the 1st Amendment of the U.S Constitution.
- 2000: A rough draft is completed in the Human Genome Project.
- 2000: The third secret of Fatima is revealed by Pope John Paul II.
- 2003: The United States Supreme Court decides in the case of Lawrence v. Texas that sodomy laws which are based on gender are unconstitutional.
Famous Birthdays on June 26
- American singer-songwriter and actor, Chris Isaak is born in 1956.
- American actor Chris O’Donnell is born in 1970.
- American actor Nick Offerman is born in 1970.