June 26

Events

• 363 – Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire. General Jovian is proclaimed Emperor by the troops on the battlefield.
• 1284 – the legendary Pied Piper leads 130 children out of Hamelin, Germany
• 1409 – Western Schism: the Roman Catholic church is led into a double schism as Petros Philargos is crowned Pope Alexander V after the Council of Pisa, joining Pope Gregory XII in Rome and Pope Benedict XII in Avignon.
• 1483 – Richard III is crowned king of England.
• 1541 – Francisco Pizarro is assassinated in Lima by the son of his former companion and later antagonist, Diego Almagro the younger. Almagro is later caught and executed.
• 1718 – Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich of Russia, Peter the Great's son, mysteriously dies after being sentenced to death by his father for plotting against him.
• 1723 – After a siege and bombardment by cannon, Baku surrenders to the Russians.
• 1848 – End of the June Days Uprising in Paris.
• 1857 – The first investiture of the Victoria Cross in Hyde Park, London.
• 1870 – The Christian holiday of Christmas is declared a federal holiday in the United States.
• 1909 – The Science Museum in London comes into existence as an independent entity.
• 1917 – The first U.S. troops arrive in France to fight alongside Britain, France, Italy, and Russia against Germany, and Austria-Hungary in World War I.
• 1918 – World War I, Western Front: Battle for Belleau Wood – Allied Forces under John J. Pershing and James Harbord defeat Imperial German Forces under Wilhelm, German Crown Prince.
• 1924 – American occupying forces leave the Dominican Republic.
• 1927 – The Cyclone roller coaster opens on Coney Island.
• 1934 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Federal Credit Union Act, which establishes credit unions.
• 1936 – Initial flight of the Focke-Wulf Fw 61, the first practical helicopter.
• 1940 – World War II: under the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the Soviet Union presents an ultimatum to Romania requiring it to cede Bessarabia and the northern part of Bukovina.
• 1942 – The first flight of the Grumman F6F Hellcat.
• 1945 – The United Nations Charter is signed in San Francisco.
• 1948 – The Western allies begin an airlift to Berlin after the Soviet Union blockades West Berlin.
• 1948 – William Shockley files the original patent for the grown junction transistor, the first bipolar junction transistor.
• 1948 – Shirley Jackson's short story The Lottery is published in The New Yorker magazine.
• 1952 – The Pan-Malayan Labour Party is founded in Malaya, as a union of statewise labour parties.
• 1959 – The Saint Lawrence Seaway opens, opening North America's Great Lakes to ocean-going ships.
• 1960 – The former British Protectorate of British Somaliland gains its independence as Somaliland .
• 1960 – Madagascar gains its independence from France.
• 1963 – John F. Kennedy speaks the famous words "Ich bin ein Berliner" on a visit to West Berlin.
• 1973 – At Plesetsk Cosmodrome 9 people are killed in an explosion of a Cosmos 3-M rocket.
• 1974 – The Universal Product Code is scanned for the first time to sell a package of Wrigley's chewing gum at the Marsh Supermarket in Troy, Ohio
• 1975 – Indira Gandhi establishes emergency rule in India.
• 1975 – Two FBI agents and a member of the American Indian Movement are killed in a shootout on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota; Leonard Peltier is later convicted of the murders in a controversial trial.
• 1976 – The CN Tower, the world's tallest free-standing structure on land, is opened to general public.
• 1977 – The Yorkshire Ripper kills 16 year old shop assistant Jayne MacDonald in Leeds, changing public perception of the killer as she is the first victim who is not a prostitute.
• 1978 – Air Canada Flight 189 to Toronto overruns the runway and crashes into the Etobicoke Creek ravine. Two of 107 passengers on board perish.
• 1991 – Ten-Day War: the Yugoslav people's army begins the Ten-Day War in Slovenia.
• 1993 – The United States launches a missile attack targeting Baghdad intelligence headquarters in retaliation for a thwarted assassination attempt against former President George H.W. Bush in April in Kuwait.
• 1994 – Microsoft no longer supports MS-DOS and the development of FreeDOS begins.
• 1995 – Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani deposes his father Khalifa bin Hamad al-Thani, the Emir of Qatar, in a bloodless coup.
• 1996 – Irish Journalist Veronica Guerin is shot in her car while in traffic in the outskirts of Dublin
• 1997 – The U.S. Supreme Court rules that the Communications Decency Act violates the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
• 2003 – The U.S. Supreme Court rules in Lawrence v. Texas that gender-based sodomy laws are unconstitutional.
• 2008 – The U.S. Supreme Court rules in District of Columbia v. Heller that the ban on handguns in the District of Columbia is unconstitutional.

Births

• 1575 – Anne Catherine of Brandenburg, queen of Denmark and Norway (d. 1612)
• 1681 – Hedwig Sophia, duchess of Holstein-Gottorp, Swedish writer (d. 1708)
• 1689 – Edward Holyoke, American academic (d. 1769)
• 1694 – Georg Brandt, Swedish chemist and mineralogist (d. 1768)
• 1702 – Philip Doddridge, English religious leader (d. 1751)
• 1703 – Thomas Clap, American academic (d. 1767)
• 1730 – Charles Messier, French Astronomer (d. 1817)
• 1798 – Wolfgang Menzel, German writer (d. 1873)
• 1817 – Branwell Bronte, British painter and poet (d. 1848)
• 1819 – Abner Doubleday, American Major General (d. 1893)
• 1821 – Bartolome Mitre, Argentine historian and politician (d. 1906)
• 1824 – Lord Kelvin, Irish-born physicist (d. 1907)
• 1835 – Thomas W. Knox, American author (d. 1896)
• 1838 – Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, Bengali novelist (d. 1894)
• 1854 – Robert Laird Borden, Canadian politician (d. 1937)
• 1865 – Bernard Berenson, American art historian (d. 1959)
• 1866 – George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon, English financier of Egyptian excavations (d. 1923)
• 1869 – Martin Andersen Nexø, Danish writer (d. 1954)
• 1880 – Natalia, Princess Brassova (d. 1952)
• 1881 – Ya'akov Cohen, Israeli poet (d. 1960)
• 1892 – Pearl S. Buck, American writer, Nobel laureate (d. 1973)
• 1895 – George Hainsworth, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1950)
• 1898 – Willy Messerschmitt, German aircraft designer (d. 1978)
• 1898 – Chesty Puller, American military officer (d. 1971)
• 1899 – Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna of Russia (d. 1918)
• 1901 – Stuart Symington, American politician (d. 1988)
• 1902 – Hugues Cuénod, Swiss Tenor
• 1904 – Frank Scott Hogg, Canadian astronomer (d. 1951)
• 1904 – Peter Lorre, Hungarian actor (d. 1964)
• 1906 – Alberto Rabagliati, Italian singer (d. 1974)
• 1906 – Viktor Schreckengost, American industrial designer (d. 2008)
• 1907 – Debs Garms, American baseball player (d. 1984)
• 1908 – Salvador Allende, Former President of Chile (1970-1973) (d. 1973)
• 1909 – Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis Presley's manager (d. 1997)
• 1911 – Babe Didrikson Zaharias, American athlete (d. 1956)
• 1913 – Aimé Césaire, French Martinican poet and politician (d. 2008)
• 1913 – Maurice Wilkes, British computer scientist
• 1914 – Kathryn Johnston, American police shooting victim (d. 2006)
• 1914 – Laurie Lee, British writer (d. 1997)
• 1915 – Paul Castellano, American organized crime figure (d. 1985)
• 1915 – Charlotte Zolotow, American author
• 1916 – Giuseppe Taddei, Italian opera singer
• 1919 – Richard Neustadt, American political historian (d. 2003)
• 1921 – Violette Szabo, French WWII secret agent (d. 1945)
• 1922 – Eleanor Parker, American actress
• 1923 – Barbara Graham, American murderer (d. 1955)
• 1924 – Kostas Axelos, Greek philosopher
• 1925 – Pavel Belyayev, Soviet cosmonaut (d. 1970)
• 1928 – Jacob Druckman, American composer (d. 1996)
• 1928 – Yoshiro Nakamatsu, Japanese inventor
• 1929 – Milton Glaser, American Designer
• 1931 – Colin Wilson, British writer
• 1933 – Claudio Abbado, Italian conductor
• 1933 – Gene Green, American baseball player (d. 1981)
• 1934 – Jeremy Wolfenden, British journalist (d. 1965)
• 1934 – Dave Grusin, American jazz pianist
• 1936 – Robert Maclennan, British politician
• 1936 – Jean-Claude Cardinal Turcotte, Archbishop of Montreal
• 1937 – Sombat Metanee, Thai film actor
• 1937 – Robert Coleman Richardson, American physicist, Nobel laureate
• 1938 – Gerald North, American climatologist
• 1940 – Billy Davis, Jr., American singer (The 5th Dimension)
• 1941 – Yves Beauchemin, Canadian novelist
• 1942 – Gilberto Gil, Brazilian singer and Minister of Culture
• 1942 – James J. Dillon, American professional wrestling manager
• 1943 – John Beasley, American actor
• 1943 – Georgie Fame, British singer
• 1943 – Warren Farrell, American author
• 1945 – Malachi York, Nuwaubian leader
• 1951 – Gary Gilmour, Australian cricketer
• 1953 – Robert Davi, American actor
• 1954 – Steve Barton, American actor (d. 2001)
• 1955 – Mick Jones, British guitarist (The Clash, Big Audio Dynamite)
• 1956 – Chris Isaak, American singer
• 1957 – Patty Smyth, American singer (Scandal)
• 1957 – Philippe Couillard, Quebec neurosurgeon and politician
• 1959 – Mark McKinney, Canadian actor
• 1960 – Zachary Breaux, American jazz guitarist (d. 1997)
• 1961 – Greg LeMond, American cyclist
• 1961 – Terri Nunn, American singer (Berlin)
• 1962 – Jerome Kersey, American basketball player
• 1962 – Preston A. Whitmore II, American screenwriter and film director
• 1963 – Harriet Wheeler, British singer (The Sundays)
• 1963 – Mikhail B. Khodorkovsky, Russian businessman
• 1963 – Richard Garfield, American game designer
• 1963 – Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Russian oligarch and convicted felon
• 1966 – Minaguchi Yuko, Japanese voice actress
• 1966 – Jürgen Reil, American drummer (Kreator)
• 1967 – Todd Pletcher, American horse trainer
• 1968 – Paolo Maldini, Italian footballer
• 1968 – Shannon Sharpe, American football player
• 1969 – Colin Greenwood, British musician
• 1969 – Ingrid Lempereur, Belgian swimmer
• 1969 – Mike Myers, American baseball player
• 1970 – Paul Thomas Anderson, American filmmaker
• 1970 – Irv Gotti, American record producer
• 1970 – Sean Hayes, American actor
• 1970 – Matt Letscher, American actor
• 1970 – Chris O'Donnell, American actor
• 1970 – Nick Offerman, American actor
• 1971 – Max Biaggi, Italian motorcycle racer
• 1972 – Garou, Canadian singer
• 1972 – Jai Taurima, Australian long jumper
• 1973 – Gretchen Wilson, American singer
• 1973 – Rebecca Budig, American actress
• 1973 – PaweÅ‚ MaÅ‚aszyÅ„ski, Polish actor
• 1973 – Jussi Sydänmaa, Finnish musician (Lordi)
• 1974 – Matt Striker, American professional wrestler
• 1974 – Derek Jeter, American baseball player
• 1974 – Jeff Frankenstein, American musician (Newsboys)
• 1974 – Jason Kendall, American baseball player
• 1974 – Nicole Saba, Lebanese singer
• 1975 – Jonah Sorrentino, American hip hop artist
• 1975 – Terry Skiverton, English football player
• 1976 – Ed Jovanovski, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1976 – Chad Pennington, American football player
• 1977 – Kubo Tite, Japanese cartoonist
• 1977 – Mark Jindrak, American Professional Wrestler
• 1978 – Alexandra, French singer, L5's singer
• 1979 – Wálter Herrmann, Argentinian basketball player
• 1979 – Andy O'Brien, English footballer
• 1979 – Ryo Fukuda, Japanese racing driver
• 1979 – Ryan Tedder, American Musician
• 1980 – Jason Schwartzman, American actor
• 1980 – Michael Vick, American football player
• 1980 – Chris Shelton, American baseball player
• 1980 – Sinik, French singer and rapper
• 1980 – Hamílton, naturalized Togolese footballer
• 1981 – Damien Sargue, French singer
• 1984 – Elijah Dukes, American baseball player
• 1984 – Raymond Felton, American basketball player
• 1984 – Deron Williams, American basketball player
• 1984 – Jose Juan Barea, American basketball player
• 1984 – Aubrey Plaza, American comedian, writer and actress
• 1984 – Gabrielle Walcott, winner of Miss Trinidad & Tobago World 2008
• 1985 – Urgyen Trinley Dorje, Tibetan spiritual leader
• 1987 – Carlos Iaconelli, Brazilian racing driver
• 1987 – Samir Nasri, French footballer
• 1992 – Jennette McCurdy, American actress
• 2001 – Tristan Dowse, child of controversial international adoption case involving Ireland and Indonesia
• 2005 – Princess Alexia of the Netherlands

Deaths

• 363 – Julian the Apostate, Roman Emperor (b. 331)
• 1291 – Eleanor of Provence, wife of Henry III of England
• 1541 – Francisco Pizarro, Spanish conqueror of Peru
• 1688 – Ralph Cudworth, English philosopher (b. 1617)
• 1784 – Caesar Rodney, American signer of the Declaration of Independence (b. 1728)
• 1793 – Gilbert White, English ornithologist (b. 1720)
• 1810 – Joseph Michel Montgolfier, French inventor (b. 1740)
• 1836 – Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle, French composer (La Marseillaise) (b. 1760)
• 1856 – Max Stirner, German philosopher (b. 1806)
• 1878 – Mercedes of Orleans, queen of Spain (b. 1860)
• 1918 – Peter Rosegger, Austrian poet (b. 1843)
• 1922 – Albert I, Prince of Monaco (b. 1848)
• 1939 – Ford Madox Ford, English writer (b. 1873)
• 1943 – Karl Landsteiner, Austrian biologist and physician, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1868)
• 1945 – Emil Hácha, President of Czechoslovakia (b. 1872)
• 1946 – Yosuke Matsuoka, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan (b. 1880)
• 1946 – Max Kögel, SS officer (b. 1895)
• 1947 – Richard Bedford Bennett, eleventh Prime Minister of Canada (b. 1870)
• 1948 – Lilian Velez, Filipino actress (b. 1924)
• 1949 – Kim Gu, President of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea (b. 1876)
• 1955 – Engelbert Zaschka, German helicopter pioneer (b. 1895)
• 1956 – Clifford Brown, American jazz trumpeter (b. 1930)
• 1957 – Alfred Döblin, German writer (b. 1878)
• 1958 – George Orton, Canadian athlete (b. 1873)
• 1958 – Andrija Å tampar, Croatian physician and United Nations diplomat (b. 1888)
• 1964 – Leo Dandurand, American-born Canadian sports executive (b. 1889)
• 1964 – Gerrit Rietveld, Dutch architect (b. 1888)
• 1967 – Françoise Dorléac, French actress (b. 1942)
• 1975 – St. Josemaría Escrivá, Spanish Catholic priest (b. 1902)
• 1990 – Anni Blomqvist, Finnish novelist (b. 1909)
• 1992 – Herman Rohde, professional wrestler (b. 1921)
• 1993 – William H. Riker, American political scientist (b. 1920)
• 1993 – Roy Campanella, American baseball player (b. 1921)
• 1994 – Jahanara Imam, Bangladeshi writer and activist (b. 1929)
• 1996 – Veronica Guerin, Irish journalist (b. 1958)
• 1997 – Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, Hawaiian singer (b. 1959)
• 2001 – Soccer (dog actor) (b. 1988)
• 2002 – Arnold Brown, the 11th General of The Salvation Army (b. 1913)
• 2002 – Jay Berwanger, American football player (b. 1914)
• 2003 – Marc-Vivien Foé, Cameroon footballer (b. 1975)
• 2003 – Denver Randleman, U.S. Army Seargent (b. 1920)
• 2003 – Strom Thurmond, U.S. Senator (b. 1902)
• 2003 – Sir Dennis Thatcher MBE, husband of Margaret Thatcher (b. 1915)
• 2004 – Yash Johar, Indian film producer (b. 1929)
• 2004 – Naomi Shemer, Israeli singer and song-writer (b. 1930)
• 2005 – Richard Whiteley, British television game show host (b. 1943)
• 2006 – Tommy Wonder, Dutch magician (b. 1953)
• 2007 – Liz Claiborne, Belgian-born American fashion designer (b. 1929)
• 2007 – Joey Sadler, All Black rugby player (b. 1914)
• 2007 – Natasja Saad, Danish Reggae singer (b. 1974)

Holidays and observances

• International Day in Support of Torture Victims
• International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking
• Madagascar: Independence Day
• Thailand: Sunthorn Phu Day
• Romania: Flag Day
• Mar Abhai
• Anthelm of Belley
• Saint Hermogius
• Saints John and Paul
• Saint Josemaría Escrivá (d. 1975)
• St. Vigilius of Trent

External links

• »BBC: On This Day
• »On This Day in Canada