January 26
Events
Pre-1600
- 661 - The Rashidun Caliphate is effectively ended with the assassination of Ali, the last caliph.
- 1531 - The 6.4–7.1 Lisbon earthquake kills about thirty thousand people.
- 1564 - The Council of Trent establishes an official distinction between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism.
- 1564 - The Grand Duchy of Lithuania defeats the Tsardom of Russia in the Battle of Ula during the Livonian War.
1601–1900
- 1641 - Reapers' War: Battle of Montjuïc, decisive victory of the Catalan army over the Spanish army.
- 1699 - For the first time, the Ottoman Empire permanently cedes territory to the Christian powers.
- 1700 - The 8.7–9.2 Cascadia earthquake takes place off the west coast of North America, as evidenced by Japanese records.
- 1765 - A British naval expedition arrives at and names Port Egmont in the Falkland Islands, founding a settlement there eight days later.
- 1788 - The British First Fleet, led by Arthur Phillip, sails into Port Jackson to establish Sydney, the first permanent European settlement on Australia. Commemorated as Australia Day.
- 1808 - The Rum Rebellion is the only successful armed takeover of the government in New South Wales.
- 1837 - Michigan is admitted as the 26th U.S. state.
- 1841 - Gordon Bremer takes formal possession of Hong Kong Island at what is now Possession Point, establishing British Hong Kong.
- 1855 - Point No Point Treaty is signed in Washington Territory.
- 1856 - First Battle of Seattle: Marines from the drive off Native American attackers after all-day battle with settlers.
- 1861 - American Civil War: The state of Louisiana secedes from the Union.
- 1863 - American Civil War: General Ambrose Burnside is relieved of command of the Army of the Potomac after the disastrous Fredericksburg campaign. He is replaced by Joseph Hooker.
- 1863 - American Civil War: Governor of Massachusetts John Albion Andrew receives permission from the Secretary of War to raise a militia organization for men of African descent.
- 1870 - Reconstruction Era: Virginia is readmitted to the Union.
- 1885 - Troops loyal to The Mahdi conquer Khartoum, killing the Governor-General Charles George Gordon.
1901–present
- 1905 - The world's largest diamond ever, the Cullinan, which weighs, is found at the Premier Mine near Pretoria in South Africa.
- 1915 - The Rocky Mountain National Park is established by an act of the U.S. Congress.
- 1918 - Finnish Civil War: A group of Red Guards hangs a red lantern atop the tower of Helsinki Workers' Hall to symbolically mark the start of the war.
- 1926 - The first demonstration of the television by John Logie Baird.
- 1930 - The Indian National Congress declares 26 January as Independence Day or as the day for Poorna Swaraj which occurred 17 years later.
- 1934 - The Apollo Theater reopens in Harlem, New York City.
- 1934 - German–Polish declaration of non-aggression is signed.
- 1939 - Spanish Civil War: Catalonia Offensive: Troops loyal to nationalist General Francisco Franco and aided by Italy take Barcelona.
- 1942 - World War II: The first United States forces arrive in Europe, landing in Northern Ireland.
- 1945 - World War II: Audie Murphy displays valor and bravery in action for which he will later be awarded the Medal of Honor.
- 1949 - The Hale Telescope at Palomar Observatory sees first light under the direction of Edwin Hubble, becoming the largest aperture optical telescope.
- 1950 - The Constitution of India comes into force, forming a republic. Rajendra Prasad is sworn in as the first President of India. Observed as Republic Day in India.
- 1952 - Black Saturday in Egypt: rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses.
- 1956 - Soviet Union cedes Porkkala back to Finland.
- 1959 - The Chain Island is listed for sale by the California State Lands Commission, with a minimum bid of $5,226.
- 1962 - Ranger 3 is launched to study the Moon. The space probe later misses the Moon by 22,000 miles.
- 1966 - The three Beaumont children disappear from a beach in Glenelg, South Australia, resulting in one of the country's largest-ever police investigations.
- 1972 - JAT Flight 367 is destroyed by a terrorist bomb, killing 27 of the 28 people on board the DC-9. Flight attendant Vesna Vulović survives with critical injuries.
- 1974 - Turkish Airlines Flight 301 crashes during takeoff from Izmir Cumaovası Airport, killing 66 of the 73 people on board the Fokker F28 Fellowship.
- 1986 - The Ugandan government of Tito Okello is overthrown by the National Resistance Army, led by Yoweri Museveni.
- 1991 - Mohamed Siad Barre is removed from power in Somalia, ending centralized government, and is succeeded by Ali Mahdi.
- 1998 - Lewinsky scandal: On American television, U.S. President Bill Clinton denies having had "sexual relations" with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
- 2001 - The 7.7 Gujarat earthquake shakes Western India, leaving 13,805–20,023 dead and about 166,800 injured.
- 2001 - Diane Whipple, a lacrosse coach, is killed in a dog attack in San Francisco. The resulting court case clarified the meaning of implied malice murder.
- 2009 - Rioting breaks out in Antananarivo, Madagascar, sparking a political crisis that will result in the replacement of President Marc Ravalomanana with Andry Rajoelina.
- 2009 - Nadya Suleman gives birth to the world's first surviving octuplets.
- 2015 - An aircraft crashes at Los Llanos Air Base in Albacete, Spain, killing 11 people and injuring 21 others.
- 2015 - Syrian civil war: The People's Protection Units recaptures the city of Kobanî from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, marking a turning point in the Siege of Kobanî.
- 2020 - A Sikorsky S-76B flying from John Wayne Airport to Camarillo Airport crashes in Calabasas, 30 miles west of Los Angeles, killing all nine people on board, including five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna Bryant.
- 2021 - Protesters and farmers storm the Red Fort near Delhi, clashing with police. One protester is killed and more than 80 police officers are injured.
Births
Pre-1600
- 183 - Lady Zhen, wife of Cao Pi
- 1541 - Florent Chrestien, French poet and translator
- 1549 - Jakob Ebert, German theologian
- 1582 - Giovanni Lanfranco, Italian painter
1601–1900
- 1657 - William Wake, Archbishop of Canterbury
- 1714 - Jean-Baptiste Pigalle, French sculptor and educator
- 1715 - Claude Adrien Helvétius, French philosopher
- 1716 - George Germain, 1st Viscount Sackville, English general and politician, Secretary of State for the Colonies
- 1722 - Alexander Carlyle, Scottish minister and author
- 1763 - Charles XIV John of Sweden
- 1781 - Ludwig Achim von Arnim, German poet and author
- 1813 - Juan Pablo Duarte, Dominican philosopher and poet, founding father of the Dominican Republic
- 1824 - Emil Czyrniański, Polish chemist
- 1832 - George Shiras Jr., American lawyer and Supreme Court justice
- 1842 - François Coppée, French poet and author
- 1852 - Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza, Italian-French explorer
- 1861 - Louis Anquetin, French painter
- 1863 - Charles Wade, Australian politician, 17th Premier of New South Wales
- 1864 - József Pusztai, Slovene-Hungarian poet and journalist
- 1866 - John Cady, American golfer
- 1877 - Kees van Dongen, Dutch painter
- 1880 - Douglas MacArthur, American general, Medal of Honor recipient
- 1885 - Harry Ricardo, English engineer and academic
- 1885 - Per Thorén, Swedish figure skater
- 1887 - François Faber, French-Luxembourgish cyclist
- 1887 - Marc Mitscher, American admiral and pilot
- 1891 - Frank Costello, Italian-American mob boss
- 1891 - August Froehlich, German priest and martyr
- 1891 - Wilder Penfield, American-Canadian neurosurgeon and academic
- 1892 - Bessie Coleman, American pilot
- 1893 - Giuseppe Genco Russo, Italian mob boss
- 1899 - Günther Reindorff, Russian-Estonian graphic designer and illustrator
- 1900 - Karl Ristenpart, German conductor
1901–present
- 1902 - Menno ter Braak, Dutch author
- 1904 - Ancel Keys, American physiologist and nutritionist
- 1904 - Seán MacBride, Irish lawyer and politician, Irish Minister for External Affairs Nobel Prize laureate
- 1905 - Charles Lane, American actor and singer
- 1905 - Maria von Trapp, Austrian-American singer
- 1907 - Rex Connor, Australian politician
- 1907 - Dimitrios Holevas, Greek priest and philologist
- 1908 - Jill Esmond, English actress
- 1908 - Rupprecht Geiger, German painter and sculptor
- 1908 - Stéphane Grappelli, French violinist
- 1908 - Robert Halperin, American yachtsman
- 1910 - Jean Image, Hungarian-French animator, director, and screenwriter
- 1911 - Polykarp Kusch, German-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1911 - Norbert Schultze, German composer and conductor
- 1913 - Jimmy Van Heusen, American pianist and composer
- 1914 - Dürrüşehvar Sultan, Imperial Princess of the Ottoman Empire
- 1915 - William Hopper, American actor
- 1917 - Louis Zamperini, American runner and captain
- 1918 - Philip José Farmer, American author
- 1919 - Valentino Mazzola, Italian footballer
- 1919 - Bill Nicholson, English footballer and manager
- 1919 - Hyun Soong-jong, South Korean politician, 24th Prime Minister of South Korea
- 1920 - Hans Holzer, Austrian-American paranormal researcher and author
- 1921 - Eddie Barclay, French record producer, founded Barclay Records
- 1921 - Akio Morita, Japanese businessman, co-founded Sony
- 1921 - Veikko Uusimäki, Finnish actor and theater councilor
- 1922 - Michael Bentine, English actor and screenwriter
- 1922 - Seán Flanagan, Irish footballer and politician, 7th Irish Minister for Health
- 1922 - Gil Merrick, English footballer
- 1923 - Patrick J. Hannifin, American admiral
- 1923 - Anne Jeffreys, American actress and singer
- 1924 - Alice Babs, Swedish singer and actress
- 1924 - Anahid Ajemian, American violinist
- 1924 - Annette Strauss, American philanthropist and politician, Mayor of Dallas
- 1925 - David Jenkins, English bishop and theologian
- 1925 - Joan Leslie, American actress
- 1925 - Paul Newman, American actor, activist, director, race car driver, and businessman, co-founded Newman's Own
- 1925 - Ben Pucci, American football player and sportscaster
- 1925 - Claude Ryan, Canadian journalist and politician
- 1926 - Farman Fatehpuri, Pakistani linguist and scholar
- 1926 - Joseph Bacon Fraser Jr., American architect and businessman, co-founded the Sea Pines Company
- 1927 - José Azcona del Hoyo, Honduran businessman and politician, President of Honduras
- 1927 - Bob Nieman, American baseball player and scout
- 1927 - Hubert Schieth, German footballer and manager
- 1928 - Roger Vadim, French actor and director
- 1929 - Jules Feiffer, American cartoonist, playwright, screenwriter, and educator
- 1933 - Donald Sarason, American mathematician
- 1934 - Roger Landry, Canadian businessman and publisher
- 1934 - Charles Marowitz, American director, playwright, and critic
- 1934 - Huey "Piano" Smith, American pianist and songwriter
- 1934 - Bob Uecker, American baseball player, sportscaster and actor
- 1934 - Oldo Hlaváček, Slovak actor and screenwriter
- 1935 - Corrado Augias, Italian journalist and politician
- 1935 - Henry Jordan, American football player
- 1935 - Paula Rego, Portuguese-born British visual artist
- 1936 - Sal Buscema, American comics artist
- 1937 - Joseph Saidu Momoh, Sierra Leonean soldier and politician, 2nd President of Sierra Leone
- 1938 - Henry Jaglom, English-American director and screenwriter
- 1940 - Séamus Hegarty, Irish bishop
- 1940 - Frank Large, English footballer and cricketer
- 1943 - César Gutiérrez, Venezuelan baseball player and manager
- 1943 - Jack Warner, Trinidadian businessman and politician
- 1944 - Angela Davis, American activist, academic, and author
- 1944 - Jerry Sandusky, American football coach and criminal
- 1945 - Jacqueline du Pré, English cellist
- 1945 - David Purley, English race car driver
- 1946 - Susan Friedlander, American mathematician
- 1946 - Christopher Hampton, Portuguese-English director, screenwriter, and playwright
- 1946 - Gene Siskel, American journalist and film critic
- 1947 - Patrick Dewaere, French actor and composer
- 1947 - Les Ebdon, English chemist and academic
- 1947 - Redmond Morris, 4th Baron Killanin, Irish director, producer, and production manager
- 1947 - Richard Portnow, American actor
- 1947 - Michel Sardou, French singer-songwriter and actor
- 1948 - Alda Facio, Costa Rican jurist, writer and teacher
- 1948 - Corky Laing, Canadian rock drummer
- 1949 - Jonathan Carroll, American author
- 1949 - David Strathairn, American actor
- 1950 - Jörg Haider, Austrian lawyer and politician, Governor of Carinthia
- 1950 - Ivan Hlinka, Czech ice hockey player and coach
- 1950 - Jack Youngblood, American football player
- 1951 - David Briggs, Australian guitarist, songwriter, and producer
- 1951 - Andy Hummel, American singer-songwriter and bass player
- 1951 - Anne Mills, English economist and academic
- 1952 - Tom Henderson, American basketball player
- 1953 - Alik L. Alik, Micronesian politician, 7th Vice President of the Federated States of Micronesia
- 1953 - Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Danish politician and diplomat, 39th Prime Minister of Denmark
- 1953 - Lucinda Williams, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1954 - Kim Hughes, Australian cricketer
- 1955 - Eddie Van Halen, Dutch-American guitarist, songwriter, and producer
- 1957 - Road Warrior Hawk, American wrestler
- 1958 - Anita Baker, American singer-songwriter
- 1958 - Ellen DeGeneres, American comedian, actress, and talk show host
- 1960 - Charlie Gillingham, American musician
- 1961 - Wayne Gretzky, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
- 1961 - Tom Keifer, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1962 - Guo Jian, Chinese-Australian painter, sculptor, and photographer
- 1962 - Tim May, Australian cricketer
- 1962 - Oscar Ruggeri, Argentine footballer and manager
- 1963 - Jazzie B, British DJ and music producer
- 1963 - José Mourinho, Portuguese footballer and manager
- 1963 - Simon O'Donnell, Australian footballer, cricketer, and sportscaster
- 1963 - Tony Parks, English footballer and manager
- 1963 - Andrew Ridgeley, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1964 - Adam Crozier, Scottish businessman
- 1964 - Paul Johansson, American-Canadian actor
- 1965 - Kevin McCarthy, American politician, 55th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
- 1965 - Thomas Östros, Swedish businessman and politician
- 1965 - Natalia Yurchenko, Russian gymnast and coach
- 1966 - Kazushige Nagashima, Japanese baseball player and sportscaster
- 1967 - Bryan Callen, American comedian, actor, and writer
- 1967 - Anatoly Komm, Russian chef and businessman
- 1967 - Col Needham, English businessman, co-founded Internet Movie Database
- 1968 - Jupiter Apple, Brazilian singer-songwriter, film director, and actor
- 1969 - George Dikeoulakos, Greek-Romanian basketball player and coach
- 1970 - Kirk Franklin, American singer-songwriter and producer
- 1972 - Nate Mooney, American actor
- 1973 - Jennifer Crystal Foley, American actress
- 1973 - Larissa Lowing, Canadian artistic gymnast
- 1973 - Melvil Poupaud, French actor, director, and screenwriter
- 1973 - Brendan Rodgers, Northern Irish footballer and manager
- 1973 - Mayu Shinjo, Japanese author and illustrator
- 1976 - Gilles Marini, French actor
- 1977 - Vince Carter, American basketball player
- 1977 - Justin Gimelstob, American tennis player and coach
- 1978 - Esteban Germán, Dominican baseball player
- 1978 - Corina Morariu, American tennis player and sportscaster
- 1978 - Andrés Torres, American baseball player
- 1979 - Sara Rue, American actress
- 1981 - José de Jesús Corona, Mexican footballer
- 1981 - Gustavo Dudamel, Venezuelan violinist, composer, and conductor
- 1981 - Juan José Haedo, Argentine cyclist
- 1981 - Colin O'Donoghue, Irish actor
- 1983 - Petri Oravainen, Finnish footballer
- 1983 - Eric Werner, American ice hockey player
- 1984 - Ryan Hoffman, Australian rugby league player
- 1984 - Iain Turner, Scottish footballer
- 1984 - Luo Xuejuan, Chinese swimmer
- 1985 - Heather Stanning, English rower
- 1986 - Gerald Green, American basketball player
- 1986 - Kim Jae-joong, South Korean singer, songwriter, actor, and director
- 1986 - Mustapha Yatabaré, French-Malian footballer
- 1987 - Sebastian Giovinco, Italian footballer
- 1987 - Héctor Noesí, Dominican baseball player
- 1988 - Dan Bailey, American football player
- 1988 - Dimitrios Chondrokoukis, Greek high jumper
- 1989 - MarShon Brooks, American basketball player
- 1989 - Emily Hughes, American figure skater
- 1989 - Torrey Smith, American football player
- 1990 - Brandon Bolden, American football player
- 1990 - Sergio Pérez, Mexican race car driver
- 1990 - Peter Sagan, Slovak professional cyclist
- 1991 - Esteban Andrada, Argentine footballer
- 1991 - Nicolò Melli, Italian-American basketball player
- 1991 - Alex Sandro, Brazilian footballer
- 1991 - Manti Te'o, American football player
- 1992 - Mercedes Moné, American wrestler
- 1993 - Miguel Borja, Colombian footballer
- 1993 - Lana Clelland, Scottish footballer
- 1993 - Kevin Pangos, Canadian-Slovenian basketball player
- 1993 - Alice Powell, British racing driver
- 1993 - Florian Thauvin, French footballer
- 1994 - Montrezl Harrell, American basketball player
- 1995 - Jean-Charles Castelletto, Cameroonian footballer
- 1995 - Sione Katoa, New Zealand rugby league player
- 1996 - Zakaria Bakkali, Belgian footballer
- 1996 - Hwang Hee-chan, South Korean football player
- 1997 - Gedion Zelalem, German-born American soccer player
- 1998 - Moonbin, South Korean singer and actor.
- 1999 - Leonardo Balerdi, Argentine footballer
- 1999 - Travis Etienne, American football player
- 2000 - Ester Expósito, Spanish actress
- 2000 - Darius Garland, American basketball player
- 2001 - Latalia Bevan, Welsh artistic gymnast
- 2001 - Isaac Okoro, American basketball player
- 2002 - Darya Astakhova, Russian tennis player
- 2009 - YaYa Gosselin, American actress
- 2009 - The Suleman octuplets