We share “This Day in History” every day to help make our readers well-rounded and informed. It offers a chance to learn, appreciate our culture, make better decisions, and see the world from a wider perspective. Through understanding past events, we aim to help readers engage more with the present and future.
  • 26th January, 1788
    The first European settlers, led by Captain Arthur Phillip, land in Sydney Cove, Australia, marking the foundation of Sydney and the first European settlement in Australia.
  • 26th January, 1808
    The Rum Rebellion takes place in New South Wales, Australia, the only successful armed takeover of government in Australian history.
  • 26th January, 1837
    Michigan is admitted as the 26th U.S. state.
  • 26th January, 1863
    The War Governors' Conference is held during the American Civil War, showing support for President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.
  • 26th January, 1870
    The Reconstruction era Virginia General Assembly refuses to seat elected African American legislators.
  • 26th January, 1905
    The world's largest diamond, the Cullinan weighing 3,106 carats, is found in South Africa.
  • 26th January, 1926
    John Logie Baird demonstrates the first working television system.
  • 26th January, 1934
    The Apollo Theater reopens in Harlem, New York City as a showcase for African-American talent.
  • 26th January, 1950
    India becomes a republic, and Rajendra Prasad is sworn in as its first President.
  • 26th January, 1956
    Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev denounces the policies of Joseph Stalin in a "Secret Speech."
  • 26th January, 1962
    "Ranger 3" is launched to study the Moon; it misses the Moon by 22,000 miles.
  • 26th January, 1978
    The Great Blizzard of 1978, one of the worst Nor'easters in New England history, hits the region, with sustained winds of 65 mph and snowfall of four inches an hour.
  • 26th January, 1980
    Israel and Egypt establish diplomatic relations.
  • 26th January, 1988
    Australia celebrates its bicentenary, marking 200 years since the arrival of the First Fleet of British convict ships at Sydney in 1788.
  • 26th January, 1992
    Boris Yeltsin announces that Russia will stop targeting United States cities with nuclear weapons.
  • 26th January, 1998
    President Bill Clinton denies having "sexual relations" with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky, stating "I did not have sexual relations with that woman."
  • 26th January, 2001
    A 7.7 magnitude earthquake hits Gujarat, India, resulting in over 20,000 deaths.
  • 26th January, 2005
    Condoleezza Rice is sworn in as U.S. Secretary of State, becoming the first African American woman to hold the post.
  • 26th January, 2009
    Icelandic government and banking system collapse; Prime Minister Geir Haarde resigns.
  • 26th January, 2020
    NBA legend Kobe Bryant dies in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.

NOTE: WHILE THE EVENTS LISTED ABOVE ARE FACTUAL, SOME SPECIFICS ARE ADDED BASED ON GENERALIZED KNOWLEDGE AND MAY NOT HAVE OCCURRED EXACTLY ON THAT DATE.
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