# On this day: August 26

August 26 is the 238th day of the year (239th in leap years), with 127 days left until the end of the year.

## August 26 in one line

Headline entries for August 26, from Wikipedia: in 1883, A massive eruption destroyed the island of Krakatoa, Indonesia, ejecting so much volcanic ash that average global temperatures fell by as much as 1.2 °C (2.2 °F) over the next year; born 1910: Mother Teresa, Albanian-Indian nun, missionary, Catholic saint, and Nobel Prize laureate (died 1997); died 1910: William James, American psychologist and philosopher (born 1842). In 2026 it is a Wednesday, in 2027 a Thursday.

## Events on August 26

- 683 Second Fitna: The Battle of al-Harra was fought between Umayyad forces and the rebel defenders of Medina at a lava field northeast of the city. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_al-Harra)
- 1071 Byzantine–Seljuk wars: Seljuk Turks led by Alp Arslan captured Byzantine emperor Romanos IV at the Battle of Manzikert, marking a decline in Byzantine fortunes. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Manzikert)
- 1346 Hundred Years' War: At the Battle of Crécy, English forces established the military supremacy of English longbows over the French combination of crossbows and armoured knights. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cr%C3%A9cy)
- 1748 The first Lutheran denomination in North America, the Pennsylvania Ministerium, was founded in Philadelphia. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Ministerium)
- 1768 Captain James Cook sets sail from England on board HMS Endeavour, starting his first voyage of discovery. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_voyage_of_James_Cook)
- 1789 French Revolution: The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, defining a set of individual and collective rights of the people, was approved by the National Constituent Assembly. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_of_the_Rights_of_Man_and_of_the_Citizen)
- 1826 Quincy Market in Boston, Massachusetts, opened as a replacement for an overcrowded market in Faneuil Hall. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quincy_Market)
- 1863 The Swedish-language liberal newspaper Helsingfors Dagblad proposes the current blue-and-white cross flag as the flag of Finland. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Finland)
- 1883 A massive eruption destroyed the island of Krakatoa, Indonesia, ejecting so much volcanic ash that average global temperatures fell by as much as 1.2 °C (2.2 °F) over the next year. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1883_eruption_of_Krakatoa)
- 1914 World War I: The German colony of Togoland surrendered to French and British forces after a 20-day campaign. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Togoland_campaign)
- 1914 World War I: As the British Expeditionary Force and French Fifth Army began their retreat from Mons, the British II Corps delayed the pursuing Germans at the Battle of Le Cateau long enough for the main force to escape. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Le_Cateau)
- 1928 At a cafe in Paisley, Scotland, a woman found the remains of a snail in her bottle of ginger beer, giving rise to the landmark civil-action case Donoghue v Stevenson. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donoghue_v_Stevenson)
- 1940 The 1940 New England hurricane formed over the Atlantic Ocean; it would go on to cause widespread damage despite never making landfall in the United States. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1940_New_England_hurricane)
- 1944 World War II: Charles de Gaulle enters Paris. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberation_of_Paris)
- 1955 Pather Panchali, the first film in The Apu Trilogy by Satyajit Ray, was released and went on to win many Indian and international film awards. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pather_Panchali)
- 1959 The Coatzacoalcos earthquake struck near the Mexican state of Veracruz, killing 25 people. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1959_Coatzacoalcos_earthquake)
- 1968 The Beatles released "Hey Jude", which became the then-longest single to top the UK charts. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hey_Jude)
- 1968 The U.S. Democratic Party's National Convention opened in Chicago, sparking four days of clashes between anti-Vietnam War protesters and police. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968_Democratic_National_Convention)
- 1970 Betty Friedan and the National Organization for Women organized the Women's Strike for Equality in New York City, in which 50,000 women protested the continuing lack of gender equality. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women's_Strike_for_Equality)
- 1972 The Games of the XX Olympiad open in Munich, West Germany. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Germany)
- 1978 A conclave elected Albino Luciani as Pope John Paul I, succeeding Paul VI. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_1978_conclave)
- 1980 A bomb was planted at Harvey's Resort Hotel in Stateline, Nevada, which the FBI later described as the most complex improvised explosive device ever created. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey's_Resort_Hotel_bombing)
- 1999 Russia begins the Second Chechen War in response to the Invasion of Dagestan by the Islamic International Peacekeeping Brigade. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Chechen_War)
- 2008 After a ceasefire was reached in the Russo-Georgian War, Russia recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_recognition_of_Abkhazia_and_South_Ossetia)
- 2021 During the 2021 Kabul airlift, a suicide bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport kills 13 US military personnel and at least 169 Afghan civilians. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_Kabul_airlift)
- 2026 A series of large flash floods and debris flows along the Nepal–Tibet border and the Trishuli River, believed to have been caused by glacier collapse, stuck and destroyed numerous settlements, including the Gyirong checkpoint, and killed over 1,400 people, with over 5,800 reported missing. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Nepal%E2%80%93Tibet_floods)

## Born on August 26

- 1676 Robert Walpole, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (died 1745) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Walpole)
- 1728 Johann Heinrich Lambert, Swiss mathematician, physicist, and astronomer (died 1777) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Heinrich_Lambert)
- 1740 Joseph-Michel Montgolfier, French inventor, invented the hot air balloon (died 1810) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montgolfier_brothers)
- 1743 Antoine Lavoisier, French chemist and biologist (died 1794) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoine_Lavoisier)
- 1819 Albert, Prince Consort of the United Kingdom (died 1861) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Albert_of_Saxe-Coburg_and_Gotha)
- 1873 Lee de Forest, American engineer and academic, invented the Audion tube (died 1961) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_de_Forest)
- 1880 Guillaume Apollinaire, Italian-French author, poet, playwright, and critic (died 1918) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillaume_Apollinaire)
- 1882 James Franck, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1964) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Franck)
- 1897 Yun Posun, South Korean activist and politician, 2nd President of South Korea (died 1990) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yun_Po-sun)
- 1910 Mother Teresa, Albanian-Indian nun, missionary, Catholic saint, and Nobel Prize laureate (died 1997) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_Teresa)
- 1914 Julio Cortázar, Belgian-Argentinian author and translator (died 1984) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julio_Cort%C3%A1zar)
- 1918 Katherine Johnson, American physicist and mathematician (died 2020) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katherine_Johnson)
- 1920 Prem Tinsulanonda, Thai general and politician, 16th Prime Minister of Thailand (died 2019) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prem_Tinsulanonda)
- 1936 Benedict Anderson, American political scientist and academic (died 2015) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benedict_Anderson)
- 1951 Edward Witten, American physicist and academic [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Witten)
- 1952 Michael Jeter, American actor (died 2003) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jeter)
- 1964 Mehriban Aliyeva, 1st Vice President of Azerbaijan, goodwill ambassador of UNESCO and ISESCO [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mehriban_Aliyeva)
- 1970 Melissa McCarthy, American actress, comedian, producer, and screenwriter [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melissa_McCarthy)
- 1971 Thalía, Mexican-American singer-songwriter and actress [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thal%C3%ADa)
- 1980 Chris Pine, American actor [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Pine)
- 1980 Macaulay Culkin, American actor [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macaulay_Culkin)
- 1991 Dylan O'Brien, American actor [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dylan_O'Brien)

## Died on August 26

- 1346 John of Bohemia (born 1296) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_of_Bohemia)
- 1666 Frans Hals, Dutch painter and educator (born 1580) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frans_Hals)
- 1723 Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, Dutch microscopist and biologist (born 1632) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonie_van_Leeuwenhoek)
- 1850 Louis Philippe I of France (born 1773) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Philippe_I)
- 1910 William James, American psychologist and philosopher (born 1842) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_James)
- 1945 Franz Werfel, Austrian author and playwright (born 1890) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Werfel)
- 1958 Ralph Vaughan Williams, English composer and educator (born 1872) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Vaughan_Williams)
- 1974 Charles Lindbergh, American pilot and explorer (born 1902) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Lindbergh)
- 1978 Charles Boyer, French-American actor, singer, and producer (born 1899) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Boyer)
- 1979 Mika Waltari, Finnish author, translator, and academic (born 1908) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mika_Waltari)
- 1987 Georg Wittig, German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1897) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Wittig)
- 1998 Frederick Reines, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1918) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Reines)
- 2004 Laura Branigan, American singer-songwriter and actress (born 1952) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Branigan)
- 2024 Sven-Göran Eriksson, Swedish footballer and manager (born 1948) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sven-G%C3%B6ran_Eriksson)

## Holidays and observances

- Christian feast day: Alexander of Bergamo (Roman Catholic Church) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_of_Bergamo)
- Christian feast day: Blessed Ceferino Namuncurá [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceferino_Namuncur%C3%A1)
- Christian feast day: Jeanne-Elisabeth Bichier des Ages [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Elizabeth_Bichier_des_%C3%82ges)
- Christian feast day: Blessed John Paul I [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatification)
- Christian feast day: Blessed Lavrentia Herasymiv [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavrentia_Herasymiv)
- Christian feast day: Mariam Baouardy (Melkite Greek Catholic Church) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariam_Baouardy)
- Christian feast day: Melchizedek [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melchizedek)
- Christian feast day: Our Lady of Częstochowa [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Madonna_of_Cz%C4%99stochowa)
- Christian feast day: Simplicius, Constantius and Victorinus [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplicius%2C_Constantius_and_Victorinus)
- Christian feast day: Teresa Jornet Ibars [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teresa_Jornet_Ibars)
- Christian feast day: August 26 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_26_(Eastern_Orthodox_liturgics))
- Heroes' Day (Namibia) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroes'_Day_(Namibia))
- International Dog Day, an observance promoting dog adoption and animal welfare (2004). [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Dog_Day)
- Repentance Day (Papua New Guinea) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repentance_Day)
- Women's Equality Day (United States) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women's_Equality_Day)

## Sources

- [Wikipedia — “August 26”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_26) — events, births, deaths and observances (text under CC BY-SA 4.0) (checked 2026-10-15)
- [Wikipedia — “Selected anniversaries/August 26”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Selected_anniversaries/August_26) — the anniversaries editors chose for the date and the article each one is about (checked 2026-10-15)
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/) — in how many language editions each entry's own article exists, used to fill the lists (CC0) (checked 2026-10-15)
- [vacanza/holidays (open-source holiday rules, MIT licence)](https://github.com/vacanza/holidays) — holiday rules used to build the lists (checked 2026-10-15)

The events, births, deaths and observances above are from the English Wikipedia article [“August 26”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_26) and the articles it links to ([authors and history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_26?action=history)), retrieved 2026-10-15 through the Wikimedia “On this day” feed. They are licensed under [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/); this selection is shared under the same licence. Every anniversary that Wikipedia's editors selected for August 26 stays on the list; the remaining places, up to 26 events, 22 births and 14 deaths, go to the entries whose own article — about the event itself, or else the person or thing it is about — appears in the most language editions (counted from Wikidata); an article about a person or thing, which covers far more than one day, counts half. An entry with no article of its own counts, also at half, by the least covered article it links, and one that links only places counts for nothing. Each list runs by year, and the wording is unchanged apart from removing references to pictures, audio and video.

## August 26 in the calendar

| Year | Weekday | ISO week | Moon (UTC) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026 | Wednesday | 2026-W35 | 🌔 Waxing Gibbous |
| 2027 | Thursday | 2027-W34 | 🌘 Waning Crescent |
| 2028 | Saturday | 2028-W34 | 🌒 Waxing Crescent |
| 2029 | Sunday | 2029-W34 | 🌖 Waning Gibbous |
| 2030 | Monday | 2030-W35 | 🌘 Waning Crescent |

Moon phases are for the day in UTC; at the edges of a phase your local date can differ.

## Public holidays on August 26

- [🇮🇳 India](https://whathappen.today/holidays/india/): Milad-un-Nabi or Id-e-Milad (Birthday of Prophet Mohammad) (2026)

[Today's holidays in 28 countries →](https://whathappen.today/holidays/)

## Nearby dates

[← August 25](https://whathappen.today/on-this-day/august-25/) · [August 27 →](https://whathappen.today/on-this-day/august-27/)

[All 366 days](https://whathappen.today/on-this-day/)

Last updated: 15 October 2026

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Web page: https://whathappen.today/on-this-day/august-26/