History of Today 26 June: Important Events, Births and Deaths

Welcome to History of Today 26 June. On this page, you can read important historical events, famous births, notable deaths and general knowledge facts related to 26 June. This information is useful for UPSC, SSC, Banking, Railway, State PSC and other competitive exams.

Last updated on 26 June 2026, 01:00 AM

Important Events on 26 June in History

26 Jun 2024: Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, returns to Australia after pleading guilty to one charge of espionage in a Saipan court and subsequently being released by the United States Department of Justice. Read more
26 Jun 2015: Five different terrorist attacks in France, Tunisia, Somalia, Kuwait, and Syria occurred on what was dubbed Bloody Friday by international media. Upwards of 750 people were either killed or injured in these uncoordinated attacks. Read more
26 Jun 2015: The U.S. Supreme Court rules, 5–4, that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marriage under the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution. Read more
26 Jun 2013: Riots in China's Xinjiang region kill at least 36 people and injure 21 others. Read more
26 Jun 2013: The U.S. Supreme Court rules, 5–4, that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional and in violation of the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Read more
26 Jun 2012: The Waldo Canyon fire descends into the Mountain Shadows neighborhood in Colorado Springs, burning 347 homes in a matter of hours and killing two people. Read more
26 Jun 2008: A suicide bomber dressed as an Iraqi policeman detonates an explosive vest, killing 25 people. Read more
26 Jun 2007: Pope Benedict XVI reinstates the traditional laws of papal election in which a successful candidate must receive two-thirds of the votes. Read more
26 Jun 2006: Mari Alkatiri, the first Prime Minister of East Timor, resigns after weeks of political unrest. Read more
26 Jun 2003: The U.S. Supreme Court rules in Lawrence v. Texas that sex-based sodomy laws are unconstitutional. Read more
26 Jun 2000: The Human Genome Project announces the completion of a "rough draft" sequence. Read more
26 Jun 1997: The U.S. Supreme Court rules that the Communications Decency Act violates the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Read more
26 Jun 1997: J. K. Rowling publishes the first of her Harry Potter novel series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in United Kingdom. Read more
26 Jun 1995: Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani deposes his father Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, in a bloodless coup d'état. Read more
26 Jun 1991: Yugoslav Wars: The Yugoslav People's Army begins the Ten-Day War in Slovenia. Read more
26 Jun 1988: The first crash of an Airbus A320 occurs when Air France Flight 296Q crashes at Mulhouse–Habsheim Airfield in Habsheim, France, during an air show, killing three of the 136 people on board. Read more
26 Jun 1981: Dan-Air Flight 240, flying to East Midlands Airport, crashes in Nailstone, Leicestershire. All three crew members perish. Read more
26 Jun 1978: Air Canada Flight 189, flying to Toronto, overruns the runway and crashes into the Etobicoke Creek ravine. Two of the 107 passengers on board perish. Read more
26 Jun 1977: Elvis Presley holds what will prove to be his final concert at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, Indiana. Read more
26 Jun 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. Read more
26 Jun 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. Read more
26 Jun 1967: Karol Wojtyła (later John Paul II) is made a cardinal by Pope Paul VI. Read more
26 Jun 1963: Cold War: U.S. President John F. Kennedy gives his "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech, underlining the support of the United States for democratic West Germany shortly after Soviet-supported East Germany erected the Berlin Wall. Read more
26 Jun 1960: The former British Protectorate of British Somaliland gains its independence as Somaliland. Read more
26 Jun 1960: Madagascar gains its independence from France. Read more
26 Jun 1959: Swedish boxer Ingemar Johansson becomes world champion of heavy weight boxing, by defeating American Floyd Patterson on technical knockout after two minutes and three seconds in the third round at Yankee Stadium. Read more
26 Jun 1955: The South African Congress Alliance adopts the Freedom Charter at the Congress of the People in Kliptown. Read more
26 Jun 1953: Lavrentiy Beria, head of MVD, is arrested by Nikita Khrushchev and other members of the Politburo. Read more
26 Jun 1952: The Pan-Malayan Labour Party is founded in Malaya, as a union of statewide labour parties. Read more
26 Jun 1948: Cold War: The first supply flights are made in response to the Berlin Blockade. Read more
26 Jun 1948: William Shockley files the original patent for the grown-junction transistor, the first bipolar junction transistor. Read more
26 Jun 1948: Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery" is published in The New Yorker magazine. Read more
26 Jun 1945: The United Nations Charter is signed by 50 Allied nations in San Francisco, California. Read more
26 Jun 1944: World War II: San Marino, a neutral state, is mistakenly bombed by the RAF based on faulty information, leading to 35 civilian deaths. Read more
26 Jun 1944: World War II: The Battle of Osuchy in Osuchy, Poland, one of the largest battles between Nazi Germany and Polish resistance forces, ends with the defeat of the latter. Read more
26 Jun 1942: The first flight of the Grumman F6F Hellcat. Read more
26 Jun 1941: World War II: Soviet planes bomb Kassa, Hungary (now Košice, Slovakia), giving Hungary the impetus to declare war the next day. Read more
26 Jun 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. Read more
26 Jun 1936: Initial flight of the Focke-Wulf Fw 61, the first practical helicopter. Read more
26 Jun 1934: United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Federal Credit Union Act, which establishes credit unions. Read more
26 Jun 1927: The Cyclone roller coaster opens on Coney Island. Read more
26 Jun 1924: The American occupation of the Dominican Republic ends after eight years. Read more
26 Jun 1918: World War I: Allied forces under John J. Pershing and James Harbord defeat Imperial German forces under Wilhelm, German Crown Prince in the Battle of Belleau Wood. Read more
26 Jun 1917: World War I: The American Expeditionary Forces begin to arrive in France. They will first enter combat in the Battle of Hamel on July 4. Read more
26 Jun 1909: The Science Museum in London comes into existence as an independent entity. Read more
26 Jun 1906: The first Grand Prix motor race is held at Le Mans. Read more
26 Jun 1889: Bangui is founded by Albert Dolisie and Alfred Uzac in what was then the upper reaches of the French Congo. Read more
26 Jun 1886: Henri Moissan isolated elemental Fluorine for the first time. Read more
26 Jun 1857: The first investiture of the Victoria Cross in Hyde Park, London. Read more
26 Jun 1848: End of the June Days Uprising in Paris. Read more
26 Jun 1843: Treaty of Nanking comes into effect, Hong Kong Island is ceded to the British "in perpetuity". Read more
26 Jun 1830: William IV becomes king of Britain and Hanover following the death without surviving legitimate issue of his older brother George IV. Read more

Famous Births on 26 June

26 Jun 2005: Princess Alexia of the Netherlands Princess Alexia of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau is the second daughter of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima. Princess Alexia is a member of the Dutch royal house and second in the line of succession to the Dutch throne. Read more
26 Jun 2004: Mikey Williams, American basketball player Michael Anthony Williams is an American college basketball player in the NCAA transfer portal. He previously played for the UCF Knights and Sacramento State Hornets. Read more
26 Jun 2002: Chandler Smith, American race car driver Chandler Michael Smith Sr. is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 38 Ford F-150 for Front Row Motorsports, part-time in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series driving the No. 5 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Hettinger Racing and part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 36 Ford Mustang Dark Horse also for Front Row Motorsports. Read more
26 Jun 2002: Manon Bannerman, Swiss singer and dancer Meret Manon Sarpong Bannerman, also known mononymously as Manon, is a Swiss singer. She began her career through her social media presence on Instagram and TikTok. As a singer, she became the first Black artist to sign with a Hybe label, debuting as a member of the girl group Katseye in 2024, formed through the 2023 competition reality show Dream Academy. Read more
26 Jun 2000: Ann Li, American tennis player Ann Li is an American tennis player. She has a career-high singles singles ranking by the WTA of world No. 29, achieved on 4 May 2026 and a doubles ranking of No. 134, achieved on 30 March 2026. Li has won two singles titles on the WTA Tour, one singles title on the WTA Challenger Tour, and three titles on the ITF Women's Circuit.
Li was a finalist at the 2017 Junior Wimbledon in a first all-American girls' final since 1979. Read more
26 Jun 1997: Baek Ye-rin, South Korean singer Baek Ye-rin, anglicized as Yerin Baek, is a South Korean singer-songwriter. A former member of South Korean duo 15&, she debuted as a solo artist with her extended play, Frank, in 2015. Baek is credited with writing and composition for the majority of her songs, often touching on personal topics and real-life experiences. In addition to her solo career, she is also the lead vocalist and guitarist for the South Korean rock band The Volunteers and has been performing with them since 2018. Read more
26 Jun 1997: Jacob Elordi, Australian actor Jacob Nathaniel Elordi is an Australian actor. His accolades include a Critics' Choice Award and three AACTA Awards, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award, three British Academy Film Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. Read more
26 Jun 1997: Callum Taylor, English cricketer Callum John Taylor is an English cricketer who played for Essex County Cricket Club. Primarily a right-handed batsman, he also bowls right-arm medium. He made his Twenty20 debut for Essex against Hampshire in May 2015. In December 2015 he was named in England's squad for the 2016 Under-19 Cricket World Cup. Read more
26 Jun 1994: Hollie Arnold, English javelin thrower Hollie Beth Arnold is a British parasport athlete competing in category F46 javelin. Although born in Grimsby, she now lives and trains in Loughborough. She represents Wales in the Commonwealth Games. Read more
26 Jun 1994: Leonard Carow, German actor Leonard Carow is a German actor. He has appeared in several German television films and series, and in Steven Spielberg's 2011 film, War Horse. Read more
26 Jun 1993: Ariana Grande, American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress Ariana Grande-Butera is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her four-octave vocal range, which extends into the whistle register, she is an influential figure in popular music. Publications such as Rolling Stone and Billboard have deemed Grande one of the greatest artists in history, while Time included her on its list of the world's 100 most influential people in 2016 and 2019. Read more
26 Jun 1992: Joel Campbell, Costa Rican footballer Joel Nathaniel Campbell Samuels is a Costa Rican professional footballer who plays as a winger or forward for Liga FPD club Alajuelense and the Costa Rica national team. Read more
26 Jun 1992: Rudy Gobert, French basketball player Rudy Gobert-Bourgarel is a French professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previously played for the Utah Jazz who acquired him during the 2013 NBA draft. Gobert also represents the French national team in its international competitions. Standing at 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) tall with a wingspan of 7 ft 9 in (2.36 m) long, he plays the center position. Nicknamed "the Stifle Tower", he is regarded as one of the best defensive players of all time. Read more
26 Jun 1992: Jennette McCurdy, American actress and singer-songwriter Jennette McCurdy is an American writer and former actress. Her breakthrough role as Sam Puckett in the Nickelodeon sitcom iCarly (2007–2012) won her four Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. She reprised the character in the iCarly spin-off series Sam & Cat (2013–2014) before leaving Nickelodeon. She also appeared in the television series Malcolm in the Middle (2003–2005), Zoey 101 (2005), Lincoln Heights (2007), True Jackson, VP (2009–2010), and Victorious (2012). She produced, wrote, and starred in her own webseries, What's Next for Sarah? (2014), and led the science-fiction series Between (2015–2016). Read more
26 Jun 1991: Houssem Chemali, French footballer Houssem Chemali is an Algerian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Namur. Read more
26 Jun 1991: Diego Falcinelli, Italian footballer Diego Falcinelli is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Serie C Group A club Cittadella. Read more
26 Jun 1991: Dustin Martin, Australian rules footballer Dustin Martin is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Martin was drafted by Richmond with the third pick in the 2009 national draft, and made his AFL debut in the opening round of the 2010 season. He is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time and considered by many to be the greatest finals player of all time. Read more
26 Jun 1990: Belaynesh Oljira, Ethiopian runner Belaynesh Oljira Jemama is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who competes mainly in 10K and half marathon races. She represented her country at the 2012 Summer Olympics, the 2013 World Championships and the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in 2011 and 2013. Read more
26 Jun 1990: Iman Shumpert, American basketball player Iman Asante Shumpert is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and was selected by the New York Knicks with the 17th overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft. Shumpert was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2015 and won an NBA championship with them in 2016. He also had stints with the Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, and Brooklyn Nets. Read more
26 Jun 1990: Igor Subbotin, Estonian footballer Igor Subbotin is an Estonian international footballer who plays as a midfielder for Estonian Esiliiga club Nõmme Kalju U21. Read more
26 Jun 1988: Oliver Stang, German footballer Oliver Stang is a retired German footballer who was a defender and last played for SV Elversberg in the Regionalliga Südwest. Read more
26 Jun 1988: King Bach, Canadian-American actor, comedian, director, producer, writer and social media personality Andrew Byron Bachelor, better known by his stage name King Bach, is a Canadian-American Internet comedian and actor who rose to fame on the now-defunct video sharing service Vine, on which he was the most-followed user with 16.2 million followers. Read more
26 Jun 1987: Carlos Iaconelli, Brazilian race car driver Carlos "Iaco" Iaconelli is a Brazilian former racing car driver. Read more
26 Jun 1987: Samir Nasri, French footballer Samir Nasri is a French former professional footballer. He primarily played as an attacking midfielder and a winger, although he was also deployed in the central midfield. Nasri was known for his dribbling, ball control and passing ability. His playing style, ability and cultural background drew comparisons to former French player Zinedine Zidane. Read more
26 Jun 1986: Duvier Riascos, Colombian footballer Duvier Riascos is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as a forward. He is known as the "Snake" mainly due to his celebration when he scores. Read more
26 Jun 1985: Ogyen Trinley Dorje, Tibetan spiritual leader, 17th Karmapa Lama Ogyen Trinley Dorje, also written as Urgyen Trinley Dorje is a claimant to the title of 17th Karmapa. Read more
26 Jun 1984: J. J. Barea, Puerto Rican-American basketball player José Juan Barea Mora is a Puerto Rican basketball coach and former player. He played college basketball for the Northeastern Huskies before joining the Dallas Mavericks in 2006 and becoming the seventh Puerto Rican to play in the NBA. He went on to win an NBA championship with the Mavericks in 2011 before signing with the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he played for the next three seasons before returning to Dallas. He has also played in the NBA Development League and the Baloncesto Superior Nacional. Read more
26 Jun 1984: Yankuba Ceesay, Gambian footballer Yankuba Ceesay, also known as Maal, is a Gambian football coach and former player
A midfielder, he made seven appearances for the Gambia national team. Read more
26 Jun 1984: Elijah Dukes, American baseball player Elijah David Dukes, Jr. is an American former professional baseball player. A right-handed outfielder, he played in Major League Baseball for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Washington Nationals. Read more
26 Jun 1984: Raymond Felton, American basketball player Raymond Bernard Felton Jr. is an American former professional basketball player who played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Felton played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels under head coach Roy Williams. Read more
26 Jun 1984: Indila, French singer Adila Sedraïa, known professionally as Indila, is a French singer, songwriter and record producer. She collaborated with many musicians on vocals and lyrics prior to releasing her first single, "Dernière danse", in December 2013, which reached SNEP second in France and became in December 2023, 10 years after its release, the first French-language song to exceed one billion views on YouTube. She released her debut album, Mini World, in February 2014, which met commercial success. Read more
26 Jun 1984: Priscah Jeptoo, Kenyan runner Priscah Jeptoo is a Kenyan professional long-distance runner who specialises in the marathon. She has won marathons in New York, Paris, Turin, and London and has a best time of 2:20:14 for the distance. She was the runner-up in the marathon at both the World Championships in Athletics in 2011 and the 2012 London Olympics. She ranks third all-time over the half marathon distance with her best of 66 minutes and 11 seconds. Read more
26 Jun 1984: Aubrey Plaza, American actress Aubrey Christina Plaza is an American actress, comedian, writer, and producer. She began performing improv and sketch comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. After graduating from New York University Tisch School of the Arts, Plaza gained wide recognition for her role as April Ludgate on the NBC political satire sitcom Parks and Recreation (2009–2015). Read more
26 Jun 1984: Preslava, Bulgarian singer Preslava Koleva Ivanova, better known mononymously as Preslava, is a Bulgarian singer. She is considered one of the key names in Bulgarian contemporary music, and has won more than 60 awards since her debut in 2004. As of 2025, she has won the Bulgarian Singer of the Year award 13 times since the start of her music career in 2005. Read more
26 Jun 1984: Jūlija Tepliha, Latvian figure skater The Latvian Figure Skating Championships are an annual figure skating competition organized by the Latvian Skating Association to crown the national champions of Latvia. The first national championships held after Latvia's independence from the Soviet Union were held in Riga in 1992. On three occasions, Latvia has hosted an international competition, and on two occasions, Latvia and Lithuania co-hosted joint competitions; all of which served as Latvia's national championships. Read more
26 Jun 1984: Deron Williams, American basketball player Deron Michael Williams is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Illinois Fighting Illini before being drafted third overall in the 2005 NBA draft by the Utah Jazz. A three-time NBA All-Star with the Jazz and Brooklyn Nets, Williams also played for Beşiktaş of the Turkish Basketball League during the 2011 NBA lockout, and was a two-time gold medalist for the United States men's national basketball team, participating in the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics. Read more
26 Jun 1983: Vinícius Rodrigues Almeida, Brazilian footballer Vinícius Rodrigues Tomaz da Silva Almeida is a Brazilian former footballer. Read more
26 Jun 1983: Nick Compton, South African-English cricketer Nicholas Richard Denis Compton is a South African-born English former Test and first-class cricketer who most recently played for Middlesex County Cricket Club. The grandson of Denis Compton, he represented England in 16 Test matches. Read more
26 Jun 1983: Toyonoshima Daiki, Japanese sumo wrestler Toyonoshima Daiki is a former professional sumo wrestler from Sukumo, Kōchi, Japan. He made his professional debut in January 2002, reaching the top makuuchi division in September 2004. He was a runner-up in five tournaments, and earned ten special prizes. His highest rank was sekiwake, which he first reached in September 2008 and held for five tournaments in total. Following a suspension in July 2010 he was demoted to the jūryō division, but upon his return to makuuchi in November 2010 he took part in a playoff for the championship. He won four kinboshi or gold stars awarded for yokozuna upsets, three of them earned by defeating Harumafuji from 2013 to 2015. He wrestled for Tokitsukaze stable. He retired in 2020 and was an elder of the Japan Sumo Association under the name of Izutsu-oyakata until his departure from the association in January 2023. Read more
26 Jun 1983: Felipe Melo, Brazilian footballer Felipe Melo de Carvalho, known as Felipe Melo, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder or centre-back. Read more
26 Jun 1983: Antonio Rosati, Italian footballer Antonio Rosati is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Read more
26 Jun 1982: Zuzana Kučová, Slovak tennis player Zuzana Kučová is a former Slovak tennis player. Read more
26 Jun 1981: Natalya Antyukh, Russian sprinter and hurdler Natalya Nikolayevna Antyukh is a Russian sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres and 400 metres hurdles. She won the bronze medal in the 400 metres and a silver for the 4 × 400 m relay at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. Read more
26 Jun 1981: Paolo Cannavaro, Italian footballer Paolo Cannavaro is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a centre-back and most recently was the head coach of Serie C club Pro Vercelli. Read more
26 Jun 1981: Kanako Kondō, Japanese voice actress and singer Kanako Kondō is a Japanese voice actress and singer. She voiced Noel Vermillion in BlazBlue. Read more
26 Jun 1981: Takashi Toritani, Japanese baseball player Takashi Toritani is a Japanese former professional baseball shortstop, commentator, critic, and coach. Read more
26 Jun 1980: Hamílton Hênio Ferreira Calheiros, Togolese footballer Hamílton Hênio Ferreira Calheiros, known simply as Hamílton, is a retired professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Born in Brazil, he was a member, as a naturalized citizen, of the Togo national team. Read more
26 Jun 1980: Michael Jackson, English footballer Michael Jackson is an English former footballer who plays as a midfielder. He played in the Football League for both Cheltenham Town and Swansea City. He retired in Bishop's Cleeve in 2013. Read more
26 Jun 1980: Jason Schwartzman, American singer-songwriter, drummer, and actor Jason Schwartzman is an American actor and musician. A member of the Coppola family, Schwartzman made his film debut in Wes Anderson's 1998 film Rushmore, and has since appeared in six other Anderson films: The Darjeeling Limited (2007), Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009), Moonrise Kingdom (2012), The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), The French Dispatch (2021), and Asteroid City (2023). He also has a co-writing credit on The Darjeeling Limited. Read more
26 Jun 1980: Chris Shelton, American baseball player Christopher Bob Shelton is an American former professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers, and Seattle Mariners over his five-year major league career. Read more
26 Jun 1980: Michael Vick, American football player Michael Dwayne Vick is an American college football coach and former professional football player who is the head coach for the Norfolk State Spartans. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons and was the all-time leader in quarterback rushing yards at the time of his retirement. Vick played college football at Virginia Tech, winning the Archie Griffin Award as a freshman, and was selected first overall by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2001 NFL draft. During his six years with the Falcons, he was named to three Pro Bowls and led the team to two playoff runs, one division title, and an NFC Championship Game appearance. Read more
26 Jun 1979: Ryō Fukuda, Japanese race car driver Ryō Fukuda is a Japanese former racing driver. He was a Formula One test driver. In the 2005–2006 season, he raced in A1 Grand Prix Japan Team. Read more
26 Jun 1979: Walter Herrmann, Argentinian basketball player Walter Herrmann Heinrich is an Argentine former professional basketball player. He is listed at 6'9" and 225 lbs. He was a key member of the senior men's Argentine national basketball team that won the gold medal during the 2004 Summer Olympic Games. Read more
26 Jun 1979: Ryan Tedder, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer Ryan Benjamin Tedder is an American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. He is the co-founder and frontman of the pop rock band OneRepublic, and has a concurrent career in production and songwriting for other artists. Read more
26 Jun 1977: Quincy Lewis, American basketball player Quincy Lavell Lewis is an American former professional basketball player who last played with the pro club Iurbentia Bilbao Basket in Spain. He is currently the Director of Alumni Relations for the Utah Jazz. Read more
26 Jun 1976: Ed Jovanovski, Canadian ice hockey player Edward Jovanovski, nicknamed "JovoCop", is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Read more
26 Jun 1976: Pommie Mbangwa, Zimbabwean cricketer and sportscaster Mpumelelo "Pommie" Mbangwa is a Zimbabwean cricket commentator and former cricketer. A right-arm fast bowler, he played 15 Test matches and 29 One Day Internationals for Zimbabwe between 1996 and 2002. After being dropped from the international side after the 2002 Champions Trophy, he took up work as a cricket commentator for television, and he has remained in that line of work since. He holds the unique distinction of being the only batsman to have scored exactly the same amount of career runs in two formats with 34 runs each apiece in ODIs and Tests. Read more
26 Jun 1976: Chad Pennington, American football player and sportscaster James Chadwick Pennington is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football for the Marshall Thundering Herd, winning the Sammy Baugh Trophy as a senior, and was selected by the New York Jets in the first round of the 2000 NFL draft. Pennington spent his first eight seasons with the Jets and was a member of the Miami Dolphins in his last three. Read more
26 Jun 1976: Dave Rubin, American political commentator David Joshua Rubin is an American conservative political commentator, talk show host, YouTuber, and author. He is the host of The Rubin Report, a talk show on YouTube and the BlazeTV network. The program was first launched in 2013 as part of the TYT Network; Rubin left in 2015, citing ideological differences. He previously co-hosted LGBTQ-themed talk shows, including The Ben and Dave Show (2007–2008) and The Six Pack (2009–2012), both with Ben Harvey. Read more
26 Jun 1975: Chris Armstrong, Canadian ice hockey player Christopher Ryan Armstrong is a former Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, but grew up in Whitewood, Saskatchewan. Read more
26 Jun 1975: Terry Skiverton, English footballer and manager Terence John Skiverton is an English former footballer who enjoyed a long playing career at Yeovil Town for 11 years that led him to appear 382 times in all competitions. He then became their manager and subsequently, assistant manager, manager and then assistant manager again. He is currently assistant manager at EFL League One club AFC Wimbledon. Read more
26 Jun 1974: Derek Jeter, American baseball player Derek Sanderson Jeter, nicknamed "the Captain", is an American former professional baseball player, businessman, and baseball executive. A shortstop, Jeter spent his entire 20-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the New York Yankees. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2020; he received 396 of 397 possible votes, the second-highest percentage in MLB history and the highest by a position player. He was the chief executive officer (CEO) and part owner of the league's Miami Marlins from September 2017 to February 2022. Read more
26 Jun 1974: Jason Kendall, American baseball player Jason Daniel Kendall is an American former professional baseball catcher who played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He also played for the Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers and Kansas City Royals. He is the son of former catcher Fred Kendall, who played in the majors from 1969 to 1980. Read more
26 Jun 1973: Gretchen Wilson, American singer-songwriter and guitarist Gretchen Frances Wilson is an American country music singer and songwriter. She made her debut in March 2004 with the Grammy Award-winning single "Redneck Woman", a number-one hit on the Billboard country charts. The song served as the lead-off single of her debut album, Here for the Party. Wilson followed this album one year later with All Jacked Up, the title track of which became the highest-debuting single for a female country artist upon its 2005 release. A third album, One of the Boys, was released in 2007. Read more
26 Jun 1972: Jai Taurima, Australian long jumper and police officer Jai Desmond Taurima is an Australian retired athlete who competed in the long jump. Read more
26 Jun 1971: Max Biaggi, Italian motorcycle racer Massimiliano "Max" Biaggi is an Italian former professional Grand Prix and Superbike motorcycle road racer who achieved six World Championships. With four 250 cc road race titles and two in World Superbikes, he is one of only two riders to score championships across both disciplines. Read more
26 Jun 1970: Paul Thomas Anderson, American director, producer, and screenwriter Paul Thomas Anderson, also known by his initials PTA, is an American filmmaker. Often described as one of the preeminent filmmakers of his generation, he is the recipient of three Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards and four BAFTA Awards, as well as a nomination for a Grammy Award. He is the only person to have won the Academy Award for Best Director and directorial prizes at Europe's three major film festivals: Cannes Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, and the Berlin International Film Festival. In addition to those accolades, he won the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival. Read more
26 Jun 1970: Paul Bitok, Kenyan runner Paul Bitok is a Kenyan long-distance runner, who won two silver medals at consecutive Summer Olympics over 5000 metres. Read more
26 Jun 1970: Irv Gotti, American record producer, co-founded Murder Inc Records (died 2025) Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr., known professionally as Irv Gotti or DJ Irv, was an American record producer and record executive. Gotti started off as a New York hip-hop DJ in the 1980s, then becoming an A&R talent scout for TVT Records in 1995 and moved to Def Jam Recordings in 1997. He co-founded the record label Murder Inc. Records with his brother Chris in 1999, which was an imprint of Def Jam. Gotti is credited with having helped discover or sign rappers Jay-Z, DMX, Vita and Ja Rule, as well as singers Ashanti and Lloyd. Read more
26 Jun 1970: Sean Hayes, American actor Sean Patrick Hayes is an American actor, comedian, and producer. Known for his performances on stage and screen, he gained acclaim for his role as Jack McFarland on the NBC sitcom Will & Grace, for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award and four Actor Awards, in addition to nominations for six Golden Globe Awards. Read more
26 Jun 1970: Matt Letscher, American actor and playwright Matt Letscher is an American actor, director, and playwright, known for his roles as Captain Harrison Love in The Mask of Zorro and Colonel Adelbert Ames in Gods and Generals. He co-starred in 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi. He was also Eobard Thawne / Reverse-Flash in The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow. Read more
26 Jun 1970: Adam Ndlovu, Zimbabwean footballer (died 2012) Adam Ndlovu was a footballer, who played as a striker. Read more
26 Jun 1970: Chris O'Donnell, American actor Christopher Eugene O'Donnell is an American actor. After modeling and acting in numerous commercials as a teenager, he made his film debut in the comedy-drama film Men Don't Leave (1990). Following supporting roles in the films Fried Green Tomatoes (1991) and School Ties (1992), O'Donnell had his breakout with a starring role in the drama film Scent of a Woman (1992), which earned him a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture. Read more
26 Jun 1970: Nick Offerman, American actor Nicholas David Offerman is an American actor, comedian, carpenter, and writer. He became known for his role as Ron Swanson in the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation (2009–2015), for which he received the Television Critics Association Award for Individual Achievement in Comedy and was twice nominated for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. Read more
26 Jun 1969: Colin Greenwood, English bass player and songwriter Colin Charles Greenwood is an English bassist and a member of the rock band Radiohead. Along with bass guitar, Greenwood plays upright bass and electronic instruments. Read more
26 Jun 1969: Ingrid Lempereur, Belgian swimmer Ingrid Lempereur is a former international swimmer from Belgium. She won the bronze medal in the 200 m breaststroke race at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles at the age of 15. Read more
26 Jun 1969: Geir Moen, Norwegian sprinter Geir Moen is a former sprinter from Moss, Norway who specialized in the 200 metres. He represented Moss IL. Read more
26 Jun 1969: Mike Myers, American baseball player Michael Stanley Myers is an American former professional left-handed relief pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1995 to 2007. Read more
26 Jun 1968: Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, Icelandic lecturer and politician, 6th President of Iceland Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson is an Icelandic historian and politician who served as the sixth president of Iceland from 2016 to 2024. Read more
26 Jun 1968: Paolo Maldini, Italian footballer Paolo Cesare Maldini is an Italian football executive and former professional footballer who spent his entire career playing as a left-back or as a centre-back for AC Milan and the Italy national team. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders and players of all time. As the Milan and Italy captain for many years, he was nicknamed "Il Capitano". Maldini held the record for appearances in Serie A (647), until he was surpassed by Gianluigi Buffon in 2020. He also holds the joint-record for most European Cup/UEFA Champions League final appearances (8) alongside Paco Gento. From 2018 to 2023 he worked at AC Milan as sporting director and is a co-owner of USL Championship club Miami FC. Read more
26 Jun 1968: Shannon Sharpe, American football player Shannon Sharpe is an American former professional football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons, primarily with the Denver Broncos. He is considered one of the greatest tight ends of all time. Read more
26 Jun 1967: Inha Babakova, Ukrainian high jumper Inha Babakova, née Inha Butkus, is a former Ukrainian high jumper who represented the Soviet Union and later Ukraine. She was born in Asgabat, Turkmen SSR. Her personal best is 2.05 metres. Read more
26 Jun 1967: Olivier Dahan, French director and screenwriter Olivier Dahan is a French film director and screenwriter. His third directed film, La Vie en Rose, was one of the only French cinema films to win two Academy Awards, including the first acting Oscar in the French language. Read more
26 Jun 1966: Dany Boon, French actor, director, and screenwriter Dany Boon is a French actor, film director, screenwriter and producer. Read more
26 Jun 1966: Kirk McLean, Canadian ice hockey player Kirk Alan McLean is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who was a goaltender in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New Jersey Devils, Vancouver Canucks, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers. He played in the style of a stand-up goaltender. Read more
26 Jun 1966: Jürgen Reil, American drummer Jürgen "Ventor" Reil is a German musician, best known as the drummer for the thrash metal band Kreator. He is one of the only two original members left in the band, although he has left "at least twice" due to personal differences. Read more
26 Jun 1964: Tommi Mäkinen, Finnish race car driver Tommi Antero Mäkinen is a Finnish racing executive and former rally driver. Mäkinen was the team principal of Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT from 2016 until his departure at the end of 2020, to become Toyota's motorsport advisor. Read more
26 Jun 1963: Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Russian-Swiss businessman and philanthropist Mikhail Borisovich Khodorkovsky, sometimes known by his initials MBK, is an exiled Russian businessman, oligarch, and opposition activist, now residing in London. In 2003, Khodorkovsky was believed to be the wealthiest man in Russia, with a fortune estimated to be worth $15 billion, and was ranked 16th on Forbes list of billionaires. He had worked his way up the Komsomol apparatus, during the Soviet years, and started several businesses during the period of glasnost and perestroika in the late 1980s. In 1989, he became chairman of the Board of Bank Menatep, which he founded. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, in the mid-1990s, he accumulated considerable wealth by obtaining control of a number of Siberian oil fields unified under the name Yukos, one of the major companies to emerge from the privatization of state assets during the 1990s. Read more
26 Jun 1963: Mark McClellan, American economist and politician Mark Barr McClellan is the director of the Robert J Margolis Center for Health Policy and the Margolis Professor of Business, Medicine and Health Policy at Duke University. Formerly, he was a senior fellow and director of the Health Care Innovation and Value Initiative at the Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform at The Brookings Institution, in Washington, D.C. McClellan served as commissioner of the United States Food and Drug Administration under President George W. Bush from 2002 through 2004, and subsequently as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services from 2004 through 2006. Read more
26 Jun 1963: Harriet Wheeler, English singer-songwriter The Sundays were an English alternative rock band. The band's lineup consisted of lead vocalist Harriet Wheeler, guitarist David Gavurin, bassist Paul Brindley, and drummer Patrick Hannan. Read more
26 Jun 1962: Jerome Kersey, American basketball player and coach (died 2015) Jerome Kersey was an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played for the Portland Trail Blazers (1984–1995), Golden State Warriors (1995–96), Los Angeles Lakers (1996–97), Seattle SuperSonics (1997–98), San Antonio Spurs (1998–2000), and Milwaukee Bucks (2000–01). Read more
26 Jun 1961: Greg LeMond, American cyclist Gregory James LeMond is an American former road racing cyclist. He won the Tour de France three times, and the Road Race World Championship twice, becoming the only American male to win the former. Read more
26 Jun 1961: Terri Nunn, American singer-songwriter and actress Terri Kathleen Nunn is an American singer and actress. She is known as the vocalist of the 1980s new wave and synth-pop band Berlin. Read more
26 Jun 1960: Mark Durkan, Irish politician Mark Durkan is a retired Irish nationalist politician from Northern Ireland. Durkan was the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland from November 2001 to October 2002, and the Leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) from 2001 to 2010. He contested the Dublin constituency for Fine Gael at the 2019 European Parliament election. Read more
26 Jun 1959: Mark McKinney, Canadian actor and screenwriter Mark Douglas Brown McKinney is a Canadian actor and comedian. He is best known as a member of the sketch comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall, which includes starring in the 1989 to 1995 TV series The Kids in the Hall and 1996 feature film Brain Candy. He was a writer on Saturday Night Live from 1985 to 1986, and returned as a cast member from 1995 to 1997; and from 2003 to 2006, he co-created, wrote and starred in the series Slings & Arrows. He also appeared as Tom in FXX's Man Seeking Woman. From 2015 to 2021, he appeared as store manager Glenn Sturgis on NBC's Superstore. Read more
26 Jun 1957: Al Hunter Ashton, English actor and screenwriter (died 2007) Al Hunter Ashton, born Alan Hunter, was a British actor and script writer. Read more
26 Jun 1957: Philippe Couillard, Canadian surgeon and politician, 31st Premier of Quebec Philippe Couillard is a Canadian business advisor and former neurosurgeon, university professor and politician who served as 31st premier of Quebec from 2014 to 2018. Between 2003 and 2008, he was Quebec's Minister of Health and Social Services in Jean Charest's Liberal government and was MNA for Mont-Royal until he resigned in 2008. In the 2014 election, Couillard moved to the riding of Roberval, where he resides. He was the leader of the Quebec Liberal Party from 2013 to 2018. He resigned as Liberal leader and MNA on October 4, 2018. Read more
26 Jun 1957: Patty Smyth, American singer-songwriter and musician Patricia Smyth, also known as Patty Smyth-McEnroe, is an American singer and songwriter. She gained national attention as the lead vocalist of rock band Scandal and went on to record and perform as a solo artist. Her distinctive voice and new wave image gained broad exposure through video recordings aired on cable music video channels such as MTV. Her debut solo album Never Enough was well received, and generated a pair of Top 100 hits. In 1992, her hit single "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough," a duet with Don Henley of the Eagles, peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. She performed and co-wrote "Look What Love Has Done" with James Ingram for the 1994 film Junior. The work earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Song Written for Visual Media, as well as an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song. Read more
26 Jun 1956: Chris Isaak, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor Christopher Joseph Isaak is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional actor. Noted for his reverb-laden rockabilly revivalist style and wide vocal range, he is widely known for his breakthrough hit and signature song "Wicked Game" as well as international hits "Blue Hotel", "Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing", and "Somebody's Crying". Read more
26 Jun 1956: Catherine Samba-Panza, interim president of the Central African Republic Catherine Samba-Panza is a Central African politician who served as Transitional President of the Central African Republic from 2014 to 2016. She was the first woman to serve as head of state in the Central African Republic. Prior to her tenure as acting president, she was the Mayor of Bangui from 2013 to 2014. Read more
26 Jun 1956: Patrick Mercer, English colonel and politician Patrick John Mercer is an English author and former politician. He was elected as a Conservative in the 2001 general election, until resigning the party's parliamentary whip in May 2013 following questions surrounding paid advocacy, and was an Independent MP representing the constituency of Newark in Parliament until his resignation at the end of April 2014 when a Standards Committee report recommended suspending him for six months for "sustained and pervasive breach of the house's rules". He was Conservative shadow homeland security minister from 2003 to 2007, when David Cameron forced him to resign after he had made remarks about racism which Cameron found unacceptable. Read more
26 Jun 1955: Mick Jones, English singer-songwriter and guitarist Michael Geoffrey Jones is a British musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer best known as co-founder and lead guitarist of punk rock band the Clash, until his dismissal by frontman Joe Strummer in 1983. In 1984, he formed Big Audio Dynamite with Don Letts. Jones has played with the band Carbon/Silicon along with Tony James since 2002 and was part of the Gorillaz live band for a world tour in 2010. In late 2011, Jones collaborated with Pete Wylie and members of the Farm to form the Justice Tonight Band. Read more
26 Jun 1955: Gedde Watanabe, American actor Gary "Gedde" Watanabe is an American actor. He is known for voicing the character of Ling in the animated film Mulan (1998) and its sequel Mulan II (2004), as well as playing Long Duk Dong in the film Sixteen Candles (1984), Takahara "Kaz" Kazihiro in Gung Ho (1986), and Nurse Yosh Takata in the NBC medical drama ER from 1997 to 2003. He was also an original cast member of the Stephen Sondheim musical Pacific Overtures. Read more
26 Jun 1954: Luis Arconada, Spanish footballer Luis Miguel Arconada Etxarri is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Read more
26 Jun 1952: Gordon McQueen, Scottish footballer and manager (died 2023) Gordon McQueen was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a centre-back for St Mirren, Leeds United and Manchester United, in addition to the Scotland national team. Read more
26 Jun 1952: Olive Morris, Jamaican-English civil rights activist (died 1979) Olive Elaine Morris was a Jamaican-born British-based community leader and activist in the feminist, black nationalist, and squatters' rights campaigns of the 1970s. At the age of 17, she claimed she was assaulted by Metropolitan Police officers following an incident involving a Nigerian diplomat in Brixton, South London. She joined the British Black Panthers, becoming a Marxist–Leninist communist and a radical feminist. She squatted buildings on Railton Road in Brixton; one hosted Sabarr Books and later became the 121 Centre, another was used as offices by the Race Today collective. Morris became a key organiser in the Black Women's Movement in the United Kingdom, co-founding the Brixton Black Women's Group and the Organisation of Women of African and Asian Descent in London. Read more
26 Jun 1952: Simon Mann, British military officer and mercenary (died 2025) Simon Francis Mann was a British officer in the Special Air Service (SAS), and later a mercenary. He trained to be an officer at Sandhurst and was commissioned into the Scots Guards. He later became a member of the SAS, and on leaving the military, he co-founded Sandline International with fellow ex-Scots Guards colonel Tim Spicer in 1996. Sandline operated mostly in Angola and Sierra Leone, but public protests against a contract with the government of Papua New Guinea led to the resignation of the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, in what became known as the Sandline affair. Read more
26 Jun 1951: Gary Gilmour, Australian cricketer and manager (died 2014) Gary John Gilmour was an Australian cricketer who played in 15 test matches and five One Day Internationals (ODIs) between 1973 and 1977. He was a part of the Australian squad that finished as runners-up at the 1975 Cricket World Cup. Read more
26 Jun 1949: Fredric Brandt, American dermatologist and author (died 2015) Fredric Sheldon Brandt was an American physician, researcher, lecturer, author, and radio host specializing in cosmetic dermatology. Among the first to use botulinum toxin ("botox") and fillers, Brandt was noted for his role in the FDA approval of numerous fillers and botulinum toxins for cosmetic use in the United States. Read more
26 Jun 1949: Adrian Gurvitz, English singer-songwriter and producer Adrian Israel Gurvitz is an English singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. His prolific songwriting ability has gained him hits with Eddie Money's No. 1 Billboard Mainstream Rock hit "The Love in Your Eyes" and with his own song "Classic", a No. 8 UK hit single, as well as the top 10 UK Rock Chart single "Race with the Devil", with his band the Gun. He also co-wrote the track "Even If My Heart Would Break" from the Grammy Award-winning soundtrack The Bodyguard. His early bands the Gun, Three Man Army and the Baker Gurvitz Army were major influences to the first wave of the British hard rock circuit. Gurvitz also gained notability as a lead guitarist, known for his intricate, hard-driving solos. Gurvitz was placed at No. 9 by Chris Welch of Melody Maker’s "Best Guitarists in the World" list. Read more
26 Jun 1949: Mary Styles Harris, American biologist and geneticist Mary Styles Harris is an American biologist and geneticist, president of Harris & Associates in Atlanta, Georgia, and owner of BioTechnical Communications, which produced the television documentary "To My Sister…A Gift for Life." Read more
26 Jun 1946: Candace Pert, American neuroscientist and pharmacologist (died 2013) Candace Beebe Pert was an American neuroscientist and pharmacologist who discovered the opioid receptor, the cellular binding site for endorphins in the brain. Read more
26 Jun 1945: Issa al-Haadi al-Mahdi (Dwight York), American criminal, black supremacist, pedophile, convicted child molester, and musician Dwight York, also known as Malachi Z. York, Issa al-Haadi al-Mahdi, et alii, is an American religious leader, best known as the founder of the Nuwaubian Nation, a new religious movement that has existed in some form and under various different names since the 1960s. The Nuwaubian Nation is identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group advocating black supremacy. Other observers describe the Nuwaubian Nation as "an African-American spiritual movement" that had taken different forms since its inception. Read more
26 Jun 1944: Gennady Zyuganov, Russian politician Gennady Andreyevich Zyuganov is a Russian politician who has been the general secretary of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation since 1993 and a member of the State Duma since 1994. He is also the chair of the Union of Communist Parties – Communist Party of the Soviet Union (UCP-CPSU) since 2001. Zyuganov ran for President of Russia four times, most controversially in 1996, when he lost in the second round to Boris Yeltsin. Read more
26 Jun 1943: Georgie Fame, English singer, pianist, and keyboard player Georgie Fame is an English R&B and jazz musician. Fame, who had a string of 1960s hits, is still performing, often working with contemporaries such as Alan Price, Van Morrison and Bill Wyman. Fame is the only British music act to have achieved three UK No. 1 hits with his only top 10 chart entries: "Yeh, Yeh" in 1964, "Get Away" in 1966 and "The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde" in 1968. Read more
26 Jun 1943: Warren Farrell, American author and educator Warren Thomas Farrell is an American author, educator, and activist who has written about gender, particularly men's issues. Initially active in the second wave feminist movement of the late 1960s and 1970s, Farrell was a board member of the National Organization for Women in New York City and authored The Liberated Man (1974), which explored how traditional gender roles constrained both men and women. He obtained his doctorate in political science on the topic in 1974. His role-reversal workshops in the 1970s and early 1980s brought him mainstream attention. Over time, he grew critical of feminism and shifted his focus toward highlighting the disadvantages and challenges faced by men. Read more
26 Jun 1942: J. J. Dillon, American wrestler and manager James Morrison is an American retired professional wrestler and manager, better known by his ring name, J. J. Dillon. Read more
26 Jun 1942: Gilberto Gil, Brazilian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and politician, Brazilian Minister of Culture Gilberto Passos Gil Moreira is a Brazilian singer-songwriter and politician, known for both his musical innovation and political activism. From 2003 to 2008, he served as Brazil's Minister of Culture in the administration of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Gil's musical style incorporates an eclectic range of influences, including rock, Brazilian genres including samba, African music, and reggae. Read more
26 Jun 1941: Yves Beauchemin, Canadian author and academic Yves Beauchemin is a Québécois novelist. Read more
26 Jun 1939: Chuck Robb, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 64th Governor of Virginia Charles Spittal Robb is an American former U.S. Marine Corps officer and politician who served as the 64th governor of Virginia from 1982 to 1986 and a United States senator representing Virginia from 1989 until 2001. A member of the Democratic Party, Robb sought a third term in the U.S. Senate in 2000, but was defeated by Republican George Allen, another former governor. Read more
26 Jun 1939: Zainuddin Maidin, Malaysian politician (died 2018) Zainuddin bin Maidin was a Malaysian politician and the former Information Minister in the Malaysian cabinet representing United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) in the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition government. He was the member of the Parliament of Malaysia for the Merbok constituency for one term, from 24 March 2004 to 8 March 2008. In 2018, he quit UMNO and joined Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition government. He was also the former Chief Editor of Utusan Melayu-turned-fierce critic, the oldest Malay language newspaper in Malaysia. Read more
26 Jun 1938: Neil Abercrombie, American sociologist and politician, 7th Governor of Hawaii Neil Abercrombie is an American politician who served as the seventh governor of Hawaii from 2010 to 2014. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Read more
26 Jun 1938: Billy Davis Jr., American pop-soul singer Billy Davis Jr. is an American singer and musician, best known as a member of the 5th Dimension. Along with his wife Marilyn McCoo, he had hit records during the 1960's and 1970's with "Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In", "I Hope We Get to Love in Time", "Your Love", and "You Don't Have to Be a Star ". Davis and McCoo were married in 1969. They became the first African-American married couple to host a network television series, titled The Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. Show, on CBS in the summer of 1977, the year "You Don't Have to Be a Star " won a Grammy Award. Read more
26 Jun 1938: Gerald North, American climatologist and academic Gerald R. North is Distinguished Professor and Holder of the Harold J. Haynes Endowed Chair in Geosciences at Texas A&M University, and previous Head of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences. His interests include climate change using simplified climate models. Read more
26 Jun 1937: Robert Coleman Richardson, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2013) Robert Coleman Richardson was an American experimental physicist whose area of research included sub-millikelvin temperature studies of helium-3. Richardson, along with David Lee, as senior researchers, and then graduate student Douglas Osheroff, shared the 1996 Nobel Prize in Physics for their 1972 discovery of the property of superfluidity in helium-3 atoms in the Cornell University Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics. Read more
26 Jun 1937: Reggie Workman, American bassist and composer Reginald "Reggie" Workman is an American avant-garde jazz and hard bop double bassist, recognized for his work with both John Coltrane and Art Blakey, in addition to Alice Coltrane, Mal Waldron, Max Roach, Archie Shepp, Trio Three, Trio Transition, the Reggie Workman Ensemble, and collaborative projects with dance, poetry and drama. Read more
26 Jun 1936: Benjamin Adekunle, Nigerian general (died 2014) Benjamin Adesanya Maja Adekunle was a Nigerian military officer and prominent military figure during the Nigerian Civil War. Read more
26 Jun 1936: Hal Greer, American basketball player (died 2018) Harold Everett Greer was an American professional basketball player and coach. He played for the Syracuse Nationals / Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1958 through 1973. A guard, Greer was a 10-time NBA All-Star and was named to the All-NBA Second Team seven times. He was named to the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, and his uniform number was among Philadelphia 76ers retired numbers. Greer is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. Read more
26 Jun 1936: Robert Maclennan, Baron Maclennan of Rogart, Scottish politician (died 2020) Robert Adam Ross "Bob" Maclennan, Baron Maclennan of Rogart, was a British Liberal Democrat politician and life peer. Read more
26 Jun 1936: Edith Pearlman, American short story writer (died 2023) Edith Ann Pearlman was an American short story writer. Read more
26 Jun 1936: Jean-Claude Turcotte, Canadian cardinal (died 2015) Jean-Claude Turcotte was a Canadian Roman Catholic cardinal who served as the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Montreal from 1990 to 2012. Read more
26 Jun 1936: Nancy Willard, American author and poet (died 2017) Nancy Willard was an American writer: novelist, poet, author and occasional illustrator of children's books. She won the 1982 Newbery Medal for A Visit to William Blake's Inn. Read more
26 Jun 1935: Carlo Facetti, Italian race car driver Carlo Giovanni Facetti is a former racing driver from Italy, mainly known for his success in touring car and sports car racing. In his single attempt at Formula One he failed to qualify for the 1974 Italian Grand Prix with a Brabham BT42 run by the Scuderia Finotto team. Read more
26 Jun 1935: Sandro Riminucci, Italian basketball player Alessandro "Sandro" Riminucci is a retired Italian professional basketball player. His nickname as a player, was "The Blonde Angel", due to his leaping ability. In 2006, he was inducted into the Italian Basketball Hall of Fame. Read more
26 Jun 1934: Dave Grusin, American pianist and composer Robert David Grusin is an American composer, arranger, producer, jazz pianist, and band leader. He has composed many scores for feature films and television, and has won numerous awards for his soundtrack and record work, including an Academy Award and 10 Grammy Awards. Grusin was also a frequent collaborator with director Sydney Pollack, scoring many of his films like Three Days of the Condor (1975), Absence of Malice (1981), Tootsie (1982), The Firm (1993), and Random Hearts (1999). In 1978, Grusin founded GRP Records with Larry Rosen, and was an early pioneer of digital recording. Read more
26 Jun 1934: Toru Goto, Japanese swimmer Toru Goto is a former freestyle swimmer from Japan, who represented his native country at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. There he won a silver medal as a member of the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay team, alongside Yoshihiro Hamaguchi, Hiroshi Suzuki and Teijiro Tanikawa. Read more
26 Jun 1933: Claudio Abbado, Italian conductor (died 2014) Claudio Abbado was an Italian conductor who was one of the leading conductors of his generation. He served as music director of the La Scala opera house in Milan, principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic, principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, principal guest conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, music director of the Vienna State Opera, founder and director of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, founder and director of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, founding artistic director of the Orchestra Mozart and music director of the European Union Youth Orchestra. He was recipient of the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize and Senator for life in Italy. Read more
26 Jun 1933: Gene Green, American baseball player (died 1981) Gene Leroy Green was an American Major League Baseball outfielder and catcher who played all or portions of seven MLB seasons for the St. Louis Cardinals (1957–1959), Baltimore Orioles (1960), Washington Senators (1961), Cleveland Indians (1962–1963) and Cincinnati Reds (1963). A right-handed batter and thrower, he stood 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall and weighed 200 pounds (91 kg). Read more
26 Jun 1933: David Winnick, English politician (died 2026) David Julian Winnick was a British Labour Party politician who served 42 years as a Member of Parliament (MP), for Walsall North between 1979 and 2017, he was also the MP for Croydon South from 1966 to 1970. Read more
26 Jun 1932: Dame Marguerite Pindling, Bahamian politician; Governor-General of the Bahamas Dame Marguerite Pindling, Lady Pindling, is a former diplomat who served as the tenth governor-general of the Bahamas, from 8 July 2014 to 28 June 2019. She is the second female governor-general of the Bahamas after Dame Ivy Dumont. Read more
26 Jun 1932: Don Valentine, American venture capitalist (died 2019) Donald Thomas Valentine was an American venture capitalist who concentrated mainly on technology companies in the United States. Valentine was born and educated in New York City, and first came to California during military service, an experience that led him to remain in the region where he would later shape the venture capital industry. Read more
26 Jun 1931: Colin Wilson, English philosopher and author (died 2013) Colin Henry Wilson was an English existentialist philosopher-novelist. He also wrote widely on true crime, mysticism and the paranormal, eventually writing more than a hundred books. Wilson called his philosophy "new existentialism" or "phenomenological existentialism", and maintained his life work was "that of a philosopher, and (his) purpose to create a new and optimistic existentialism". Read more
26 Jun 1930: Jackie Fargo, American wrestler and trainer (died 2013) Henry Faggart was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Jackie Fargo. He competed in Southeastern regional promotions and the National Wrestling Alliance during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Read more
26 Jun 1930: Wolfgang Schwanitz, East German secret police (died 2022) Wolfgang Schwanitz was a German intelligence official, who was the last head of the Stasi, the East German secret police. It was officially renamed the "Office for National Security" on 17 November 1989. Unlike his predecessor, Erich Mielke, he did not hold the title "Minister of State Security", but held the title of "Leader of the Office for National Security". Following the German reunification, he was active as an author of works that sought to portray the Stasi in a positive light. Read more
26 Jun 1929: June Bronhill, Australian soprano and actress (died 2005) June Mary Bronhill, also known as June Gough, was an Australian coloratura soprano opera singer, performer and actress, Read more
26 Jun 1929: Fred Bruemmer, Latvian-Canadian photographer and author (died 2013) Fred Bruemmer, D.Litt. was a Latvian Canadian nature photographer and researcher. He spent his life travelling extensively throughout the circumpolar regions and to other remote parts of the globe. His works have been centered mostly on the Arctic, its people and its animals. He also conducted research and published on animals in many other areas of the globe. He spoke nine languages and wrote more than a thousand articles for publications around the world, including Canadian Geographic, Natural History, National Geographic and Smithsonian. Fred Bruemmer lived in Montreal, Quebec. Read more
26 Jun 1929: Milton Glaser, American illustrator and graphic designer (died 2020) Milton Glaser was an American graphic designer whose most recognized works include the I ❤ NY logo, the 1966 Bob Dylan poster, as well as late 1960s publicity posters for the introduction of the Olivetti Valentine typewriter, and logos for DC Comics, Stony Brook University, Brooklyn Brewery Read more
26 Jun 1928: Jacob Druckman, American composer and academic (died 1996) Jacob Raphael Druckman was an American composer. Read more
26 Jun 1928: Yoshiro Nakamatsu, Japanese inventor Yoshiro Nakamatsu , also known as Dr. NakaMats , is a Japanese inventor. He regularly appears on Japanese talk shows demonstrating his inventions. Nakamatsu is known as a perennial candidate in Japanese politics, having contested elections regularly since the early 1990s. Read more
26 Jun 1928: Bill Sheffield, American politician; 5th Governor of Alaska (died 2022) William Jennings Sheffield Jr. was an American Democratic politician who was the fifth governor of Alaska from 1982 to 1986. Sheffield's term in the governor's mansion was marked by controversy including attempts to have him impeached. Read more
26 Jun 1928: Samuel Belzberg, Canadian businessman and philanthropist (died 2018) Samuel Belzberg, was a Canadian businessman and philanthropist. Read more
26 Jun 1927: Robert Kroetsch, Canadian author and poet (died 2011) Robert Paul Kroetsch was a Canadian novelist, poet and nonfiction writer. In his fiction and critical essays, as well as in the journal he co-founded, boundary 2, he was an influential figure in Canada in introducing ideas about postmodernism. Read more
26 Jun 1926: Kenny Baker, American fiddler (died 2011) Kenneth Clayton Baker was an American fiddle player best known for his 25-year tenure with Bill Monroe and his group The Blue Grass Boys. Read more
26 Jun 1926: Mahendra Bhatnagar, Indian poet (died 2020) Mahendra Bhatnagar was an Indian Hindi and English poet. He is seen as one of the significant post-independence voices in his field of poetry, who expressed lyricism and pathos, as well as aspirations and yearnings of the modern Indian intellect. Read more
26 Jun 1926: Fernando Mönckeberg Barros, Chilean surgeon Fernando Rafael Mönckeberg Barros is a Chilean surgeon, doctor of medicine specializing in nutrition, professor, researcher, and economist at the University of Chile. He is the founder of the Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology of the University of Chile (INTA) and president of the Corporation for Child Nutrition (CONIN). Read more
26 Jun 1926: Dinu Zamfirescu, Romanian politician Gabriel Toma Nicolae Constantin "Dinu" Zamfirescu is a Romanian politician, former political prisoner during Communism, BBC reporter, human rights activist, researcher of Communist archives, founder of the National Institute for the Memory of Romanian Exile, and one of the 12 founding members of the Romanian National Liberal Party (PNL) after the 1989 Revolution. Read more
26 Jun 1925: Pavel Belyayev, Soviet soldier, pilot and cosmonaut (died 1970) Pavel Ivanovich Belyayev was a Soviet cosmonaut who commanded the historic 1965 Voskhod 2 space mission which saw the first space walk. He had been a fighter pilot with extensive experience in piloting different types of aircraft, and was the first commander of the cosmonaut corps. Read more
26 Jun 1925: Wolfgang Unzicker, German chess player (died 2006) Wolfgang Unzicker was one of the strongest German chess Grandmasters from 1945 to about 1970.
He decided against making chess his profession, choosing law instead.
Unzicker was at times the world's strongest amateur chess player, and World Champion Anatoly Karpov called him the "world champion of amateurs". Read more
26 Jun 1925: Jean Frydman, French resistant and businessman (died 2021) Jean Frydman was a French-Israeli businessman, film and television producer, and a decorated member of the French Resistance during the Second World War. He received the Légion d'honneur for his wartime efforts. Read more
26 Jun 1924: Kostas Axelos, Greek-French philosopher and author (died 2010) Kostas Axelos was a Greek-French philosopher. Read more
26 Jun 1924: James W. McCord Jr., CIA officer (died 2017) James Walter McCord Jr. was an American CIA officer, later head of security for President Richard Nixon's 1972 reelection campaign. He was involved as an electronics expert in the burglaries which precipitated the Watergate scandal. Read more
26 Jun 1923: Franz-Paul Decker, German conductor (died 2014) Franz-Paul Decker was a German-born conductor. Read more
26 Jun 1923: Ed Bearss, American military historian and author (died 2020) Edwin Cole Bearss was an American historian of the American Civil War, tour guide, and United States Marine Corps veteran of World War II. Read more
26 Jun 1922: Walter Farley, American author (died 1989) Walter Farley was an American author, primarily of horse stories for children. His first and most famous work was The Black Stallion (1941), the success of which led to many sequels over decades; the series has been continued since his death by his son Steven. Read more
26 Jun 1922: Eleanor Parker, American actress (died 2013) Eleanor Jean Parker was an American actress. She was nominated for three Academy Awards for her roles in the films Caged (1950), Detective Story (1951), and Interrupted Melody (1955), the first of which won her the Volpi Cup for Best Actress. She was also known for her roles in the films Of Human Bondage (1946), Scaramouche (1952), The Naked Jungle (1954), The Man with the Golden Arm (1955), A Hole in the Head (1959), The Sound of Music (1965), and The Oscar (1966). Read more
26 Jun 1922: Enzo Apicella, English artist, cartoonist, designer, and restaurateur (died 2018) Vincenzo "Enzo" Apicella, FCSD was an Italian London-based artist, cartoonist, designer, and restaurateur. Read more
26 Jun 1921: Violette Szabo, French-British secret agent (died 1945) Violette Reine Elizabeth Szabo, GC was a British-French Special Operations Executive (SOE) agent during the Second World War and a posthumous recipient of the George Cross. On her second mission into occupied France, Szabo was captured by the German army, interrogated, tortured, and deported to Ravensbrück concentration camp in Germany, where she was executed. Read more
26 Jun 1921: Robert Everett, American computer scientist (died 2018) Robert Rivers Everett was an American computer scientist. He was an honorary board member of the MITRE Corporation. He was born in Yonkers, New York. Read more
26 Jun 1920: Jean-Pierre Roy, Canadian-American baseball player, manager, and sportscaster (died 2014) Jean-Pierre Roy was a Canadian pitcher in Major League Baseball. He pitched in three games during the 1946 season for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was born in Montreal, Quebec. Read more
26 Jun 1919: Richard Neustadt, American political scientist and academic (died 2003) Richard Elliott Neustadt was an American political scientist specializing in the United States presidency. He served as adviser to several presidents. His book Presidential Power has been described as "one of the most influential books ever written about political leadership." Thinking In Time: The Uses Of History For Decision Makers won the Grawemeyer Award. His other books include Alliance Politics, Preparing to be President, and, with Harvey V. Fineberg, The Swine Flu Affair: Decision-Making on a Slippery Disease. Read more
26 Jun 1919: Jimmy Newberry, American pitcher (died 1983) James Lee Newberry, nicknamed "Schoolboy", was an American pitcher in the Negro leagues and in the Japanese Pacific League. Read more
26 Jun 1919: George Athan Billias, American historian (died 2018) George Athan Billias was an American historian. Read more
26 Jun 1919: Donald M. Ashton, English art director (died 2004) Donald M. Ashton was an Academy Award-nominated and BAFTA-winning English art director most noted for his work on such films as Billy Budd (1962), The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), Oh! What a Lovely War (1969) and Young Winston (1972). Read more
26 Jun 1918: Leo Rosner, Polish-born Austrian Jewish musician (died 2008) Leopold Rosner was a Polish-born Australian musician. Rosner, who was Jewish, survived the Holocaust in Nazi concentration camps during World War II by playing his accordion for Nazi officials. This earned the attention of Oskar Schindler, who saved his life by having him placed on his famous list. His story became known after Australian author Thomas Keneally's 1982 novel, Schindler's Ark, was adapted into Steven Spielberg's Oscar-winning film, Schindler's List. He appeared in the epilogue of the film at the Schindler's grave on Mount Zion. Read more
26 Jun 1918: Raleigh Rhodes, American combat fighter pilot (died 2007) Raleigh Ernest Rhodes, who often went by the nickname of Raleigh "Dusty" Rhodes, was an American World War II combat fighter pilot and the third leader of the Blue Angels flight team. Read more
26 Jun 1918: J. B. Fuqua, American entrepreneur and philanthropist (died 2006) John Brooks Fuqua was an American businessman, philanthropist, and chairman of The Fuqua Companies and Fuqua Enterprises. The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University is named after him, as is the Fuqua School in Farmville, Virginia. He was active in politics for the Democratic Party, serving in both houses of the Georgia General Assembly and serving four years as the state party chair. Read more
26 Jun 1917: Idriz Ajeti, Albanian albanologist (died 2019) Idriz Ajeti was an Albanologist from Kosovo and one of the main researchers and authorities on the Albanian language studies of post World War II. He was involved for a long period in the academic life of the University of Pristina, and was a member of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo, serving as its chairman for seven years. Read more
26 Jun 1916: Virginia Satir, American psychotherapist and author (died 1988) Virginia Satir was an American author, clinical social worker and psychotherapist, recognized for her approach to family therapy. Her pioneering work in the field of family reconstruction therapy honored her with the title "Mother of Family Therapy". Her best known books are Conjoint Family Therapy, 1964, Peoplemaking, 1972, and The New Peoplemaking, 1988. Read more
26 Jun 1916: Giuseppe Taddei, Italian actor and singer (died 2010) Giuseppe Taddei was an Italian baritone, who, during his career, performed multiple operas composed by numerous composers. Read more
26 Jun 1915: Paul Castellano, American gangster (died 1985) Constantino Paul Castellano was an American crime boss who succeeded Carlo Gambino as head of the Gambino crime family of New York City. Castellano ran the organization from 1976 until his murder on December 16, 1985. Read more
26 Jun 1915: George Haigh, English professional footballer (died 2019) George Haigh was an English professional footballer, mainly known for his association with Stockport County. At the age of 103, he was the oldest surviving former County player, and had been widely attributed for being the oldest surviving former professional footballer, although Arthur Smith was one month older at the time of Haigh's death. Read more
26 Jun 1915: Charlotte Zolotow, American author and poet (died 2013) Charlotte Zolotow was an American writer, poet, editor, and publisher of many books for children. She wrote about 70 picture book texts. Read more
26 Jun 1914: Laurie Lee, English author and poet (died 1997) Laurence Edward Alan Lee, was an English poet, novelist and screenwriter, who was brought up in the small village of Slad in Gloucestershire. Read more
26 Jun 1914: Sultan Ahmad Nanupuri, Bangladeshi Islamic scholar and teacher (died 1997) Shah Sultan Ahmad Nanupuri, also known by his daak naam Badshah, was a Bangladeshi Islamic scholar, teacher and author. He established numerous madrasas in Bangladesh and was the founding principal of Al-Jamiah Al-Islamiah Obaidia Nanupur for seventeen years. Read more
26 Jun 1914: Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark, European royalty (died 2001) Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark was by birth a Greek and Danish princess, as well as a princess of Hesse-Kassel and a princess of Hanover through her successive marriages to Prince Christoph of Hesse and Prince George William of Hanover. An elder sister of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, she was, for a time, linked to the Nazi regime. Read more
26 Jun 1913: Aimé Césaire, French poet, author, and politician (died 2008) Aimé Fernand David Césaire was an Afro-Martinican French poet, author, and politician. He was one of the founders of the Négritude movement in Francophone literature and coined the word "négritude" in French. He founded the Parti progressiste martiniquais in 1958, and served in the French National Assembly from 1945 to 1993 and as President of the Regional Council of Martinique from 1983 to 1988. He was also the Mayor of Fort-de-France for 56 years, from 1945 to 2001. Read more
26 Jun 1913: Maurice Wilkes, English computer scientist and physicist (died 2010) Sir Maurice Vincent Wilkes was an English computer scientist who designed and helped build the Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator (EDSAC), one of the earliest stored-program computers, and who invented microprogramming, a method for using stored-program logic to operate the control unit of a central processing unit's circuits. In 1967 he won the ACM Turing Award. At the time of his death, Wilkes was an Emeritus Professor at the University of Cambridge. Read more
26 Jun 1911: Babe Didrikson Zaharias, American golfer and basketball player (died 1956) Mildred Ella "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias was an American athlete who excelled in golf, basketball, baseball, and track and field. She won two gold medals and a silver in track and field at the 1932 Summer Olympics before turning to professional golf and winning 10 LPGA major championships. Read more
26 Jun 1911: Bronisław Żurakowski, Polish pilot and engineer (died 2009) Bronisław Żurakowski was a Polish engineer, aeroplane constructor, and glider test pilot. Read more
26 Jun 1909: Colonel Tom Parker, Dutch-American talent manager, manager and promoter of Elvis Presley (died 1997) Colonel Thomas Andrew Parker was a Dutch talent manager and concert promoter, best known for having been the manager of Elvis Presley. Read more
26 Jun 1909: Wolfgang Reitherman, German-American animator, director, and producer (died 1985) Wolfgang Reitherman, also known and sometimes credited as Woolie Reitherman, was a German-American animator, director and producer. As a member of the "Nine Old Men" at Walt Disney Productions, Reitherman was known for his action-oriented animation. Read more
26 Jun 1908: Salvador Allende, Chilean physician and politician, 29th President of Chile (died 1973) Salvador Guillermo Allende Gossens was a Chilean socialist politician who served as the 29th president of Chile from 1970 until his suicide in 1973. As a socialist committed to democracy, he has been described as the first Marxist to be elected president in a liberal democracy in Latin America. Read more
26 Jun 1907: Debs Garms, American baseball player (died 1984) Debs C. Garms was an American professional baseball player for 12 seasons as an outfielder and third baseman for the St. Louis Browns, Boston Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates, and St. Louis Cardinals. Garms broke up Johnny Vander Meer's streak of hitless innings in 1938. He won the National League batting title in 1940, hitting .355 for the Pirates despite having played in only 103 games and garnering 358 at bats. Garms' batting title proved very controversial because of his limited playing time. In 1941, he set a then-major league record for consecutive pinch hits with seven, which stood until Dave Philley broke it in 1958. Read more
26 Jun 1906: Alberto Rabagliati, Italian singer (died 1974) Alberto Rabagliati was an Italian jazz singer. Read more
26 Jun 1906: Viktor Schreckengost, American sculptor and educator (died 2008) Viktor Schreckengost was an American industrial designer as well as a teacher, sculptor, and artist. His wide-ranging work included noted pottery designs, industrial design, bicycle design and seminal research on radar feedback. Schreckengost's peers included designers Raymond Loewy, Norman Bel Geddes, Eva Zeisel, and Russel Wright. Read more
26 Jun 1905: Lynd Ward, American author and illustrator (died 1985) Lynd Kendall Ward was an American artist and novelist, known for his series of wordless novels using woodcuts, and his illustrations for juvenile and adult books. His wordless novels have influenced the development of the graphic novel. Although strongly associated with his wood engravings, he also worked in watercolor, oil, brush and ink, lithography and mezzotint. Ward was a son of Methodist minister, political organizer and radical social activist Harry F. Ward, the first chairman of the American Civil Liberties Union on its founding in 1920. Read more
26 Jun 1904: Peter Lorre, Slovak-American actor and singer (died 1964) Peter Lorre was a Hungarian and American actor, active first in Europe and later in the United States. Known for his timidly devious characters, appearance, and accented voice, he was frequently typecast as a sinister foreigner. He was caricatured throughout his life and his cultural legacy remains in the media today. Read more
26 Jun 1903: Big Bill Broonzy, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 1958) Big Bill Broonzy, later known as William Lee Broonzy, was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. His career began in the 1920s, when he played country music to mostly African-American audiences. In the 1930s and 1940s, he navigated a change in style to a more urban blues sound popular with working-class black audiences. In the 1950s, a return to his traditional folk-blues roots made him one of the leading figures of the emerging American folk music revival and an international star. His long and varied career marks him as one of the key figures in the development of blues music in the 20th century. Read more
26 Jun 1902: Hugues Cuénod, Swiss tenor and educator (died 2010) Hugues-Adhémar Cuénod was a Swiss classical tenore di grazia, sometimes placed in the haute-contre category, and music educator known for his performances in international opera, operetta, both traditional and musical theatre, and on the concert stage, in character roles where he was particularly known for his clear, light, romantic and expressive poised interpretation of mélodie. Read more
26 Jun 1901: Stuart Symington, American lieutenant and politician, 1st United States Secretary of the Air Force (died 1988) William Stuart Symington III was an American businessman and Democratic politician from Missouri. He served as the first secretary of the Air Force from 1947 to 1950 and was a United States senator from Missouri from 1953 to 1976. Read more
26 Jun 1899: Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna of Russia (died 1918) Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna of Russia
26 June [O.S. 14 June] 1899 – 17 July 1918) was the third daughter of Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna. Her murder following the Russian Revolution of 1917 resulted in her canonization as a passion bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church. Read more
26 Jun 1898: Willy Messerschmitt, German engineer and businessman (died 1978) Wilhelm Emil "Willy" Messerschmitt was a German aircraft designer and manufacturer who designed a number of prominent aircraft for the Luftwaffe and civil aviation. Read more
26 Jun 1898: Chesty Puller, US general (died 1971) Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller was a United States Marine Corps officer. Beginning his career fighting guerillas in Haiti and Nicaragua as part of the Banana Wars, he later served with distinction in World War II and the Korean War as a senior officer. By the time of his retirement in 1955, he had reached the rank of lieutenant general. Read more
26 Jun 1895: George Hainsworth, Canadian ice hockey player and politician (died 1950) George Henry Hainsworth was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs in the National Hockey League, and the Saskatoon Crescents in the Western Canada Hockey League. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Read more
26 Jun 1893: Dorothy Fuldheim, American journalist and news anchor (died 1989) Dorothy Fuldheim was an American journalist and news anchor who spent the majority of her career at The Cleveland Press and WEWS-TV, both based in Cleveland, Ohio. Read more
26 Jun 1892: Pearl S. Buck, American novelist, essayist, short story writer, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1973) Pearl Comfort Sydenstricker Buck was an American writer and humanitarian. She is best known for The Good Earth, the best-selling novel in the United States in 1931 and 1932, which won her the Pulitzer Prize in 1932. In 1938, Buck became the first American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature "for her rich and truly epic descriptions of peasant life in China" and for her "masterpieces", two memoir-biographies of her missionary parents. Read more
26 Jun 1881: Ya'akov Cohen, Israeli linguist, poet, and playwright (died 1960) Ya'akov Cahan or Kahan was an Israeli poet, playwright, translator, writer and Hebrew linguist. Read more
26 Jun 1880: Mitchell Lewis, American actor (died 1956) Mitchell Joseph Lewis was an American film actor whose career as a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract player encompassed both silent and sound films. Read more
26 Jun 1878: Leopold Löwenheim, German mathematician and logician (died 1957) Leopold Löwenheim [ˈle:o:pɔl̩d ˈlø:vɛnhaɪm] was a German mathematician doing work in mathematical logic. The Nazi regime forced him to retire because under the Nuremberg Laws he was considered only three quarters Aryan. In 1943 much of his work was destroyed during a bombing raid on Berlin. Nevertheless, he survived the Second World War, after which he resumed teaching mathematics. Read more
26 Jun 1869: Martin Andersen Nexø, Danish journalist and author (died 1954) Martin Andersen Nexø was a Danish writer. He was one of the authors in the Modern Breakthrough movement in Danish art and literature. He was a socialist throughout his life and during the Second World War moved to the Soviet Union, and afterwards to Dresden in East Germany. Read more
26 Jun 1866: George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon, English archaeologist and banker, backer in the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb (died 1923) George Edward Stanhope Molyneux Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon, styled Lord Porchester until 1890, was an English peer and aristocrat best known as the financial backer of the search for and excavation of Tutankhamun's tomb in the Valley of the Kings. Read more
26 Jun 1865: Bernard Berenson, Lithuanian-American historian and author (died 1959) Bernard Berenson was an American art historian specializing in the Renaissance. His book The Drawings of the Florentine Painters was an international success. His wife Mary is thought to have had a large hand in some of the writings. Read more
26 Jun 1854: Robert Laird Borden, Canadian lawyer and politician, 8th Prime Minister of Canada (died 1937) Sir Robert Laird Borden was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the eighth prime minister of Canada from 1911 to 1920. He is best known for his leadership of Canada during World War I. Read more
26 Jun 1852: Daoud Corm, Lebanese painter (died 1930) Daoud Corm, also known as David Corm in English, was an influential Lebanese painter and the father of writer, industrialist, and philanthropist Charles Corm. He was a teacher and mentor to the young Khalil Gibran as well as Khalil Saleeby and Habib Srour. Read more
26 Jun 1839: Sam Watkins, American soldier and author (died 1901) Samuel Rush Watkins was an American writer and humorist. He fought through the entire American Civil War and saw action in many battles in the western theater. Today, he is best known for his memoir Co. Aytch (1882), which recounts his life as a soldier in the 1st Tennessee Infantry Regiment. Read more
26 Jun 1835: Thomas W. Knox, American journalist and author (died 1896) Thomas Wallace Knox was an American journalist, author, and world traveler, known primarily for his work as a New York Herald correspondent during the American Civil War. As an author, Knox wrote over 45 books, including a popular series of travel adventure books for boys. Read more
26 Jun 1824: William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin, Irish-Scottish physicist and engineer (died 1907) William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin was a Scottish mathematician, mathematical physicist and engineer. Read more
26 Jun 1821: Bartolomé Mitre, Argentinian soldier, journalist, and politician, 6th President of Argentina (died 1906) Bartolomé Mitre was an Argentine general, statesman and author. He was President of Argentina from 1862 to 1868 and the first president of unified Argentina. Read more
26 Jun 1819: Abner Doubleday, American general (died 1893) Abner Doubleday was a career United States Army officer and Union major general in the American Civil War. He fired the first shot in defense of Fort Sumter, the opening battle of the war, and had a pivotal role in the early fighting at the Battle of Gettysburg. Gettysburg was his finest hour, but his relief by Maj. Gen. George G. Meade caused lasting enmity between the two men. In San Francisco, after the war, he obtained a patent on the cable car railway that still runs there. In his final years in New Jersey, he was a prominent member and later president of the Theosophical Society. Read more
26 Jun 1817: Branwell Brontë, English painter and poet (died 1848) Patrick Branwell Brontë was an English poet and artist. He was the only son of the Brontë literary family, and brother of the writers Charlotte, Emily, and Anne. Read more

Notable Deaths on 26 June

26 Jun 2025: Carolyn McCarthy, American nurse and politician (born 1944) Carolyn McCarthy was an American politician who served as a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, representing New York's 4th congressional district from 1997 to 2015. A native of the suburban Long Island community of Mineola, New York, she worked as a nurse and was a registered Republican. However, she was motivated to enter politics after her husband was killed and her son was wounded in the 1993 Long Island Rail Road shooting. She became an advocate for gun control legislation, and in 1996, she was elected to the House as a Democrat, defeating a Republican incumbent. She served a total of nine terms. Read more
26 Jun 2025: Bill Moyers, American journalist, 13th White House Press Secretary (born 1934) Billy Don Moyers was an American journalist and political commentator who served as the eleventh White House Press Secretary from 1965 to 1967 during the Lyndon B. Johnson administration. He also served as the de facto White House Chief of Staff for a brief period from 1964 until 1965. Read more
26 Jun 2025: Lalo Schifrin, Argentinian pianist, composer, and conductor (born 1932) Boris Claudio "Lalo" Schifrin was an Argentine and American pianist, composer, arranger and conductor. Initially prominent as a jazz composer, he was best known for his large body of film and television scores, which incorporates jazz and Latin American musical elements alongside traditional orchestration. Read more
26 Jun 2025: Takutai Tarsh Kemp, New Zealand politician (born 1975) Takutai Moana Natasha Kemp was a New Zealand politician, community health leader and hip hop dance director. She won the Tāmaki Makaurau electorate in the 2023 New Zealand general election and was a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives for Te Pāti Māori until her death. Read more
26 Jun 2024: Taiki Matsuno, Japanese voice actor (born 1967) Taiki Matsuno was a Japanese actor and voice actor from Shinagawa, Tokyo. He was attached to Aoni Production. His real name, as well as his former stage name, was Tatsuya Matsuno. Matsuno is most known for the role of Hajime Kindaichi in Kindaichi Case Files, Kōga in Inuyasha, SpongeBob in the Japanese dub of SpongeBob SquarePants, Tart in Fresh Pretty Cure!, Ling Tong and Liu Shan from Dynasty Warriors and Warriors Orochi series, Agumon in Digimon Savers, and Shurikenger in Ninpu Sentai Hurricanger. Matsuno died of a cerebral hemorrhage on June 26, 2024. Read more
26 Jun 2022: Margaret Keane, American artist (born 1927) Margaret D. H. Keane was an American artist known for her paintings of subjects with big eyes. She mainly painted women, children, or animals in oil or mixed media. The work achieved commercial success through inexpensive reproductions on prints, plates, and cups. The artwork was originally attributed to Keane's then-husband, Walter Keane. Soon after their divorce in the 1960s, Margaret claimed credit, which was established after a courtroom "paint-off" in Hawaii, in which Walter refused to participate. Read more
26 Jun 2021: Mike Gravel, American politician (born 1930) Maurice Robert "Mike" Gravel was an American politician and writer who represented Alaska in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1981 as a member of the Democratic Party. He ran for president twice: in 2008 and 2020. He was the fourth U.S. Senator in Alaska's history. Read more
26 Jun 2020: Milton Glaser, American graphic designer (born 1929) Milton Glaser was an American graphic designer whose most recognized works include the I ❤ NY logo, the 1966 Bob Dylan poster, as well as late 1960s publicity posters for the introduction of the Olivetti Valentine typewriter, and logos for DC Comics, Stony Brook University, Brooklyn Brewery Read more
26 Jun 2019: Beth Chapman, American reality Television star, Bounty Hunter (born 1967) Alice Elizabeth Chapman was an American bounty hunter and reality star who co-starred with her husband, Duane "Dog" Chapman, on the reality television shows Dog the Bounty Hunter, Dog and Beth: On the Hunt, and Dog's Most Wanted. Read more
26 Jun 2015: Yevgeny Primakov, Ukrainian-Russian journalist and politician, 32nd Prime Minister of Russia (born 1929) Yevgeny Maksimovich Primakov was a Russian politician and diplomat who served as Prime Minister of Russia from 1998 to 1999. During his long career, he also served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1996 to 1998, the Director of Foreign Intelligence from 1991 to 1996, and Speaker of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union from 1990 to 1991. Primakov was an academician (Arabist) and a member of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Read more
26 Jun 2015: Chris Thompson, American screenwriter and producer (born 1952) Chris Thompson was an American television writer and producer. Beginning in 1977, he wrote and produced for the television series Laverne & Shirley and The Larry Sanders Show. He had also created, written and produced Bosom Buddies, The Naked Truth, Action, Ladies Man and the Disney Channel original series, Shake It Up, as well co-written the feature films Jumpin' Jack Flash and Back to the Beach. Read more
26 Jun 2014: Howard Baker, American lawyer, politician, and diplomat, 12th White House Chief of Staff (born 1925) Howard Henry Baker Jr. was an American politician, diplomat and photographer who served as a United States senator from Tennessee from 1967 to 1985. During his tenure, he rose to the rank of Senate minority leader and then Senate majority leader. A member of the Republican Party, Baker was the first Republican to be elected to the U.S. Senate in Tennessee since the Reconstruction era. Read more
26 Jun 2014: Bill Frank, American-Canadian football player (born 1938) William B. Frank, Jr. was a Canadian football offensive tackle in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the BC Lions, Toronto Argonauts and Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He also was a member of the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Colorado. He is a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. Read more
26 Jun 2014: Rollin King, American businessman, co-founded Southwest Airlines (born 1931) Rollin W. King was an American businessman and investment consultant. He is best known as the co-founder and former director of Southwest Airlines. Read more
26 Jun 2014: Bob Mischak, American football player and coach (born 1932) Robert Michael Mischak (Pronounced: MIH-shak) was a college and professional American football guard and tight end who played six seasons in the American Football League (AFL), from 1960 to 1965. He was selected by his peers as a Sporting News AFL All-League guard in 1960 and 1961. He was an AFL Eastern Division All-Star in 1962. He also played in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Giants and was a starting guard in the famed 1958 "Greatest Game Ever Played". In addition, Mischak was a 3-time Super Bowl champion coach with the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders. Read more
26 Jun 2014: Julius Rudel, Austrian-American conductor (born 1921) Julius Rudel was an Austrian-born American opera and orchestra conductor. He was born in Vienna and was a student at the city's Academy of Music. He immigrated to the United States at the age of 17 in 1938 after the country was annexed by Germany. Read more
26 Jun 2014: Mary Rodgers, American composer and author (born 1931) Mary Rodgers was an American composer, screenwriter, and author. She wrote the 1972 novel Freaky Friday, which served as the basis of a 1976 film starring Jodie Foster, for which she wrote the screenplay, as well as three other versions. Her best-known musicals were Once Upon a Mattress and The Mad Show, and she contributed songs to Marlo Thomas' successful 1972 children's album Free to Be… You and Me. Read more
26 Jun 2013: Henrik Otto Donner, Finnish trumpet player and composer (born 1939) Henrik Otto Donner was a Finnish composer, musician and all-round music personality. His musical styles varied from pop and rock music to jazz, electronic music and contemporary classical music. Donner's personal instrument was trumpet. He was a member of the famous Finland Swedish Donner family. Read more
26 Jun 2013: Edward Huggins Johnstone, Brazilian-American sergeant and judge (born 1922) Edward Huggins Johnstone was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. Read more
26 Jun 2013: Byron Looper, American politician (born 1964) Byron Looper was a Democratic turned Republican politician in Tennessee and convicted murderer. To advance his political career, he legally changed his middle name from "Anthony" to "(Low Tax)", including the parentheses. After being convicted for the October 1998 assassination of his election opponent, incumbent Tennessee State Senator Tommy Burks, he was given a life sentence in prison. He died in prison in 2013. Read more
26 Jun 2013: Justin Miller, American baseball player (born 1977) Justin Mark Miller was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, Florida Marlins, San Francisco Giants, and Los Angeles Dodgers. He also played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Chiba Lotte Marines. Miller was the inspiration for the "Justin Miller rule" requiring pitchers with arm tattoos to wear long-sleeved shirts. Read more
26 Jun 2013: Marc Rich, Belgian-American businessman (born 1934) Marc Rich was a Belgian-American commodities trader, financier, and businessman. He founded the commodities company Glencore and was later indicted in the United States on federal charges of tax evasion, wire fraud, racketeering, and selling Iranian oil to Israel during the Iran hostage crisis. He fled to Switzerland at the time of the indictment and never returned to the United States. Read more
26 Jun 2012: Sverker Åström, Swedish diplomat, Swedish Permanent Representative to the United Nations (born 1915) Carl Sverker Åström was a Swedish diplomat. After completing his studies, Åström began his career as an attaché at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Stockholm. He served in the Soviet Union during World War II and later held posts in Washington, D.C., and London, rising to key leadership roles at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. From 1964 to 1970, he served as Sweden's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, followed by leading Sweden's EEC treaty negotiations. He later became State Secretary for Foreign Affairs and ambassador to France before retiring in 1982. Read more
26 Jun 2012: Pat Cummings, American basketball player (born 1956) Pat Cummings was an American professional basketball player. Read more
26 Jun 2012: Nora Ephron, American director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1941) Nora Ephron was an American writer, playwright, journalist, and filmmaker. Known for writing and directing romantic comedy films, she received numerous accolades including a BAFTA Award as well as nominations for three Academy Awards, a Tony Award, a Golden Globe Award, and three Writers Guild of America Awards. Read more
26 Jun 2012: Mario O'Hara, Filipino director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1944) Mario Herrero O'Hara was a Filipino film director, film producer and screenwriter known for his sense of realism often with dark but realistic social messages. Read more
26 Jun 2012: Doris Singleton, American actress (born 1919) Dorthea "Doris" Singleton was an American actress, perhaps best remembered as Lucy Ricardo's frenemy, Carolyn Appleby, in I Love Lucy. Read more
26 Jun 2011: Edith Fellows, American actress (born 1923) Edith Marilyn Fellows was an American actress who became a child star in the 1930s. Best known for playing orphans and street urchins, Fellows was an expressive actress with a good singing voice. She made her screen debut at the age of five in Charley Chase's film short Movie Night (1929). Her first credited role in a feature film was The Rider of Death Valley (1932). By 1935, she had appeared in over twenty films. Her performance opposite Claudette Colbert and Melvyn Douglas in She Married Her Boss (1935) won her a seven-year contract with Columbia Pictures, the first such contract offered to a child. Read more
26 Jun 2011: Jan van Beveren, Dutch footballer and coach (born 1948) Jan van Beveren was a Dutch footballer and coach, who played as a goalkeeper. Read more
26 Jun 2010: Algirdas Brazauskas, Lithuanian engineer and politician, 4th President of Lithuania (born 1932) Algirdas Mykolas Brazauskas was the fourth president of Lithuania, in office from 1993 to 1998. He also served as Prime Minister of Lithuania from 2001 to 2006. Brazauskas was the first democratically elected president of post-Soviet Lithuania. Read more
26 Jun 2010: Harald Keres, Estonian physicist and academic (born 1912) Harald Keres was an Estonian physicist considered to be the father of the Estonian school of relativistic gravitation theory. In 1961 Keres became a member of the Estonian Academy of Sciences in the field of theoretical physics. In 1996 Keres was awarded the Order of the National Coat of Arms, Class III. Read more
26 Jun 2007: Liz Claiborne, Belgian-American fashion designer, founded Liz Claiborne (born 1929) Anne Elisabeth Jane Claiborne was an American fashion designer and businesswoman. Her success was built upon stylish yet affordable apparel for career women featuring colorfully tailored separates that could be mixed and matched. Claiborne co-founded Liz Claiborne Inc., which in 1986 became the first company founded by a woman to make the Fortune 500 list. Claiborne was the first woman to become chair and CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Read more
26 Jun 2007: Joey Sadler, New Zealand rugby player (born 1914) Bernard Sydney "Joey" Sadler was a New Zealand rugby union player who played at halfback for the All Blacks in 1935–36. Read more
26 Jun 2006: Tommy Wonder, Dutch magician (born 1953) Tommy Wonder was the stage name of Jacobus Maria Bemelman, a Dutch magician who performed both close-up and stage magic. Wonder performed in Las Vegas, Monte Carlo and on Fox television. Read more
26 Jun 2005: Tõnno Lepmets, Estonian basketball player (born 1938) Tõnno Lepmets was an Estonian professional basketball player, who competed for the Soviet Union. He won gold with the Soviet basketball team at the 1963 and 1967 EuroBasket.
Elected to the Hall of fame of Estonian basketball in 2010. He was he long-time center (194 cm) of Estonian national team. Read more
26 Jun 2005: Richard Whiteley, English journalist and game show host (born 1943) John Richard Whiteley was an English presenter and journalist, best known for his 23 years as host of the game show Countdown. Countdown was the launch programme for Channel 4 at 4:45 pm on 2 November 1982, and Whiteley was the first person to be seen on the channel. Whiteley enjoyed projecting the image of an absent-minded eccentric. His trademarks were his jolly, avuncular manner, his fondness for puns, and his bold, sometimes garish wardrobe. Read more
26 Jun 2004: Ott Arder, Estonian poet and translator (born 1950) Ott Arder was an Estonian poet, children's writer and translator. He was also the author of several popular songs and written texts. Read more
26 Jun 2004: Yash Johar, Indian film producer, founded Dharma Productions (born 1929) Yash Johar was an Indian film producer and the founder of Dharma Productions. His films were known for their lavish sets, exotic locations, and emphasis on Indian traditions and family values. He was the father of Karan Johar, a prominent filmmaker who founded Dharma Productions. Read more
26 Jun 2004: Naomi Shemer, Israeli singer-songwriter (born 1930) Naomi Shemer was an Israeli songwriter, composer, and performer, widely described as the "first lady of Israeli song". She became one of the most influential figures in modern Hebrew music, writing numerous songs that became cultural touchstones, most notably "Yerushalayim Shel Zahav", which gained prominence after the Six-Day War and is often regarded as a second national anthem. Over a career spanning several decades, Shemer created music for adults and children, contributed to major festivals and cultural events, and became widely recognized for shaping the Israeli songbook. Read more
26 Jun 2003: Marc-Vivien Foé, Cameroon footballer (born 1975) Marc-Vivien Foé was a Cameroonian professional footballer, who played as a defensive midfielder. Read more
26 Jun 2003: Denis Thatcher, English soldier and businessman (born 1915) Sir Denis Thatcher, 1st Baronet, was an English businessman and the husband of Margaret Thatcher, who served as the first female British prime minister from 1979 to 1990; thus, he became the first male prime ministerial spouse. Read more
26 Jun 2003: Strom Thurmond, American general, lawyer, and politician, 103rd Governor of South Carolina (born 1902) James Strom Thurmond Sr. was an American politician who represented South Carolina in the United States Senate from late 1954 to early 2003, with a seven-month break in 1956. Before his 47 years as a senator, he served as the 103rd governor of South Carolina from 1947 to 1951. Thurmond was officially a member of the Democratic Party in the Senate until 1964, when he joined the Republican Party. He had earlier run for president in 1948 as the Dixiecrat candidate in opposition to Democratic president Harry S. Truman, receiving over a million votes and winning four states. Read more
26 Jun 2002: Jay Berwanger, American football player (born 1914) John Jacob "Jay" Berwanger was an American college football player and referee. In 1935, Berwanger was the first recipient of the Downtown Athletic Club Trophy, renamed the Heisman Trophy the following year. At its inception, the award was given to "the most valuable player east of the Mississippi." In 1936, Berwanger became the first player drafted into the National Football League in its inaugural 1936 NFL draft, although he did not play professionally due to a salary dispute. Read more
26 Jun 2002: Arnold Brown, English-Canadian 11th General of The Salvation Army (born 1913) Arnold Brown was the 11th General of The Salvation Army (1977–1981). Read more
26 Jun 2001: Gina Cigna, French-Italian soprano (born 1900) Gina Cigna was a French-Italian dramatic soprano. Read more
26 Jun 1998: Hacı Sabancı, Turkish businessman and philanthropist (born 1935) Hacı Sabancı was a Turkish businessman, philanthropist, and second-generation member of the renowned Sabancı family. Read more
26 Jun 1997: Don Hutson, American football player and coach (born 1913) Donald Montgomery Hutson, nicknamed "the Alabama Antelope", was an American professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). In the era of the one-platoon football, he played as an end and spent his entire 11-year career with the Green Bay Packers. Under head coach Curly Lambeau, Hutson led the Packers to four NFL Championship Games, winning three in 1936, 1939, and 1944. Read more
26 Jun 1996: Veronica Guerin, Irish journalist (born 1958) Veronica Guerin Turley was an Irish investigative journalist focusing on organised crime in Ireland, who was murdered in a contract killing believed to have been ordered by a South Dublin-based drug cartel. Born in Dublin, she was an athlete in school and later played on the Irish national teams for both Association football and basketball. After studying accountancy she ran a public-relations firm for seven years, before working for Fianna Fáil and as an election agent for Seán Haughey. She became a reporter in 1990, writing for the Sunday Business Post and Sunday Tribune. In 1994 she began writing articles about the Irish criminal underworld for the Sunday Independent. In 1996, after pressing charges for assault against major organised crime figure John Gilligan, Guerin was ambushed and fatally shot in her vehicle while waiting at a traffic light. The shooting caused national outrage in Ireland. Investigation into her death led to a number of arrests and convictions. Read more
26 Jun 1996: Necmettin Hacıeminoğlu, Turkish linguist and academic (born 1932) Necmettin Hacıeminoğlu was a Turkish poet, linguist and writer. Read more
26 Jun 1994: Jahanara Imam, Bangladeshi author and activist (born 1929) Jahanara Imam was a Bangladeshi writer and political activist. She is known for her efforts to bring war criminals to trial for war crimes during the Bangladesh Liberation War. She has been called "Shaheed Janani". Read more
26 Jun 1993: Roy Campanella, American baseball player and coach (born 1921) Roy Campanella, nicknamed "Campy", was an American professional baseball player, primarily as a catcher. The Philadelphia native played in the Negro leagues and Mexican League for nine years before entering the minor leagues in 1946. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut in 1948 for the Brooklyn Dodgers, for whom he played until 1957. His playing career ended when he was paralyzed in an automobile crash in January 1958. A three-time MVP, he is considered one of the greatest catchers in the history of the game. Read more
26 Jun 1993: William H. Riker, American political scientist and academic (born 1920) William Harrison Riker was an American political scientist known for applying game theory and mathematics to political science. He helped establish University of Rochester as a center of the behavioral revolution in political science. Read more
26 Jun 1992: Buddy Rogers, American wrestler (born 1921) Buddy Rogers, better known by the ring name "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers, was an American professional wrestler who was one of the biggest professional wrestling stars in the beginning of the television era. His performances influenced future professional wrestlers, including "Nature Boy" Ric Flair, who used Rogers's nickname, as well as his look, attitude and finishing hold, the figure-four leglock. He was also known for his rivalry with Lou Thesz, both in and out of the ring. Read more
26 Jun 1990: Anni Blomqvist, Finnish author (born 1909) Anni Viktoria Blomqvist was a Finland-Swedish novelist. Read more
26 Jun 1989: Howard Charles Green, Canadian lawyer and politician, 27th Canadian Minister of Public Works (born 1895) Howard Charles Green was a Canadian federal politician. Read more
26 Jun 1982: Alexander Mitscherlich, German psychiatrist and psychoanalyst (born 1908) Alexander Harbord Mitscherlich was a German psychiatrist and psychoanalyst. Read more
26 Jun 1979: Akwasi Afrifa, Ghanaian soldier and politician, 3rd Head of State of Ghana (born 1936) Lieutenant General Akwasi Amankwaa Afrifa was a Ghanaian soldier, farmer, traditional ruler and politician. He was the head of state of Ghana and leader of the military government in 1969 and then chairman of the Presidential Commission between 1969 and 1970. He continued as a farmer and political activist. He was elected a member of Parliament in 1979, but he was executed before he could take his seat. He was executed together with two other former heads of state, General Kutu Acheampong and General Fred Akuffo, and five other generals, in June 1979. He was also popularly referred to by his title Okatakyie Akwasi Amankwaa Afrifa and was in addition the abakomahene of Krobo in the Asante-Mampong Traditional Area of the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Read more
26 Jun 1975: Josemaría Escrivá, Spanish priest and saint (born 1902) Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer y Albás was a Spanish Catholic priest who founded Opus Dei, an organization of laypeople and priests dedicated to the principle of everyday holiness. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2002. Read more
26 Jun 1967: Françoise Dorléac, French actress and singer (born 1942) Françoise Paulette Louise Dorléac was a French actress. She was the elder sister of Sylvie Dorléac and Catherine Deneuve, with whom she starred in the musical comedy film, The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967). Her other films include Philippe de Broca's That Man from Rio, François Truffaut's The Soft Skin, Val Guest's Where the Spies Are (1965), and Roman Polanski's Cul-de-sac (1966). Read more
26 Jun 1964: Léo Dandurand, American-Canadian businessman (born 1889) Joseph Viateur "Léo" Dandurand, was an American-Canadian sportsman and businessman. He was the owner and coach of the Montreal Canadiens ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL). He also was an owner of race tracks and of the Montreal Alouettes football team in the league that evolved into the Canadian Football League. Read more
26 Jun 1958: George Orton, Canadian runner and hurdler (born 1873) George Washington F. Orton was a Canadian middle and long-distance runner. In 1900, he became the first Canadian to win a medal at an Olympic Games. He won a bronze in the 400 metre hurdles, and then, forty-five minutes later, won the gold medal in the 2500 metre steeplechase. He was the first athlete with a disability to win an Olympic gold medal. At the University of Pennsylvania, for whom he competed while earning his Masters and Doctorate and completed his ability to speak 9 languages, he was captain of Penn's track and field team in 1896 and was a founder and captain of its ice hockey team in 1896–1897, and was known as "The Father of Philadelphia Hockey". He won seventeen U.S. National Track and Field titles. Read more
26 Jun 1958: Andrija Štampar, Croatian physician and scholar (born 1888) Andrija Štampar was a distinguished scholar in the field of social medicine from Croatia. Read more
26 Jun 1957: Alfred Döblin, Polish-German physician and author (born 1878) Bruno Alfred Döblin was a German novelist, essayist, and doctor, best known for his novel Berlin Alexanderplatz (1929). A prolific writer whose œuvre spans more than half a century and a wide variety of literary movements and styles, Döblin is one of the most important figures of German literary modernism. His complete works comprise over a dozen novels ranging in genre from historical novels to science fiction to novels about the modern metropolis; several dramas, radio plays, and screenplays; a true crime story; a travel account; two book-length philosophical treatises; scores of essays on politics, religion, art, and society; and numerous letters—his complete works, republished by Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag and Fischer Verlag, span more than thirty volumes. His first published novel, Die drei Sprünge des Wang-lung, appeared in 1915 and his final novel, Hamlet oder Die lange Nacht nimmt ein Ende was published in 1956, one year before his death. Read more
26 Jun 1957: Malcolm Lowry, English novelist and poet (born 1909) Clarence Malcolm Lowry was an English poet and novelist who is best known for his 1947 novel Under the Volcano, which was voted No. 11 in the Modern Library's 100 Best Novels list. Read more
26 Jun 1956: Clifford Brown, American trumpet player and composer (born 1930) Clifford Benjamin Brown was an American jazz trumpeter, pianist, and composer. He died at the age of 25 in a car crash, leaving behind four years' worth of recordings. His compositions "Sandu", "Joy Spring", and "Daahoud" have become jazz standards. Brown won the DownBeat magazine Critics' Poll for New Star of the Year in 1954; he was inducted into the DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame in 1972. Read more
26 Jun 1956: Richie Powell, American pianist (born 1931) Richard Powell was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. He was not assisted in his musical development by Bud, his older and better known brother, but both played predominantly in the bebop style. Read more
26 Jun 1955: Engelbert Zaschka, German engineer (born 1895) Engelbert Zaschka was a German chief engineer, chief designer and inventor. Zaschka is one of the first German helicopter pioneers and he is a pioneer of flying with muscle power and the folding car. Zaschka devoted himself primarily to aviation and automotive topics, but his work was not limited to them. Read more
26 Jun 1949: Kim Koo, South Korean educator and politician, 13th President of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea (born 1876) Kim Ku, also known by his art name Paekpŏm, was a Korean independence activist and statesman. He was a leader of the Korean independence movement against the Empire of Japan, head of the Korean Provisional Government from 1926 to 1927 and from 1940 to 1945, and a Korean reunification activist after 1945. Kim is revered in South Korea, where he is considered one of the greatest figures in Korean history; his legacy is also somewhat less enthusiastically celebrated in North Korea, due to his anti-communist views. Read more
26 Jun 1947: R. B. Bennett, Canadian lawyer and politician, 11th Prime Minister of Canada (born 1870) Richard Bedford Bennett, 1st Viscount Bennett was a Canadian lawyer, businessman, philanthropist, and politician who served as the 11th prime minister of Canada from 1930 to 1935. Read more
26 Jun 1946: Max Kögel, German SS officer (born 1895) Otto Max Koegel was a Nazi officer who served as a commander at Lichtenburg, Ravensbrück, Majdanek and Flossenbürg concentration camps. In 1946 he was arrested for his role in The Holocaust, but hanged himself in prison before he could stand trial. Read more
26 Jun 1946: Yōsuke Matsuoka, Japanese politician, Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs (born 1880) Yōsuke Matsuoka was a Japanese diplomat and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Empire of Japan during the early stages of World War II. He is best known for his defiant speech at the League of Nations in February 1933, ending Japan's participation in the organization. He was also one of the architects of the Tripartite Pact and the Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact in the years immediately prior to the outbreak of war. Read more
26 Jun 1945: Emil Hácha, Czech lawyer and politician, 3rd President of Czechoslovakia (born 1872) Emil Dominik Josef Hácha was a Czech lawyer, serving as the president of Czechoslovakia from November 1938 to March 1939. In March 1939, after the breakup of Czechoslovakia, Hácha was the nominal president of the newly proclaimed German Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. Read more
26 Jun 1943: Karl Landsteiner, Austrian biologist and physician, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1868) Karl Landsteiner was an Austrian-American biologist, physician, and immunologist. He emigrated with his family to New York in 1923 at the age of 55 for professional opportunities, working for the Rockefeller Institute. Read more
26 Jun 1939: Ford Madox Ford, English novelist, poet, and critic (born 1873) Ford Madox Ford was an English novelist, poet, critic and editor whose journals The English Review and The Transatlantic Review were important in the development of early 20th-century English and American literature. Read more
26 Jun 1938: James Weldon Johnson, American poet, lawyer and politician (born 1871) James Weldon Johnson was an American writer and civil rights activist. He was married to civil rights activist Grace Nail Johnson. Johnson was a leader of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), where he started working in 1917. In 1920, he was chosen as executive secretary of the organization, effectively the operating officer. He served in that position from 1920 to 1930. In 1928 and then again in 1930 he received Rosenwald fellowships from the Rosenwald Fund to write Black Manhattan. Read more
26 Jun 1938: Daria Pratt, American golfer (born 1859) Myra Abigail Pratt née Pankhurst and formerly Wright, later Daria, Princess Karageorgevich was an American golfer who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics representing France. She won the bronze medal in the women's competition. By virtue of her third marriage, she was member of the House of Karađorđević. Read more
26 Jun 1932: Adelaide Ames, American astronomer and academic (born 1900) Adelaide Ames was an American astronomer and research assistant at Harvard University. She was best known for her work on detailed surveys of the brightest extra-galactic spiral nebulae. She contributed to the study of galaxies with her co-authorship of A Survey of the External Galaxies Brighter Than the Thirteenth Magnitude, which was later known as the Shapley-Ames catalog. Ames was a member of the American Astronomical Society. She was a contemporary of Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin and her closest friend at the observatory. Read more
26 Jun 1927: Armand Guillaumin, French painter (born 1841) Armand Guillaumin was a French Impressionist painter and lithographer. Read more
26 Jun 1922: Albert I, Prince of Monaco (born 1848) Albert I was Prince of Monaco from 10 September 1889 until his death in 1922. He devoted much of his life to oceanography, exploration and science. Alongside his expeditions, Albert I's reign oversaw major reforms on political, social, and economic levels, with the Monégasque Revolution leading to the end of absolute monarchy and his promulgation of a constitution in 1911. Read more
26 Jun 1918: Peter Rosegger, Austrian poet and author (born 1843) Peter Rosegger was an Austrian writer and poet from Krieglach in the province of Styria. He was a son of a mountain farmer and grew up in the woodlands and mountains of Alpl. Rosegger went on to become a most prolific poet and author as well as an insightful teacher and visionary. Read more
26 Jun 1883: Edward Sabine, Irish-English astronomer, geophysicist, and ornithologist (born 1788) Sir Edward Sabine was an Irish physicist, geodesist,astronomer, geophysicist, ornithologist, polar explorer, soldier, and the 30th president of the Royal Society. Read more
26 Jun 1879: Richard H. Anderson, American general (born 1821) Richard Heron Anderson was a career U.S. Army officer, fighting with distinction in the Mexican–American War. He also served as a Confederate general during the American Civil War, fighting in the Eastern Theater of the conflict and most notably during the 1864 Battle of Spotsylvania Court House. Anderson was also noted for his humility. Read more
26 Jun 1878: Mercedes of Orléans, Queen Consort of King Alfonso XII of Spain (born 1860) María de las Mercedes of Orléans was Queen of Spain as the first wife of King Alfonso XII. She was born in Madrid, the daughter of Prince Antoine, Duke of Montpensier, and Infanta Luisa Fernanda of Spain. Read more
26 Jun 1870: Armand Barbès, French lawyer and politician (born 1809) Armand Barbès was a French Republican revolutionary and an opponent of the July Monarchy (1830–1848). Read more
26 Jun 1860: George Montgomery White, American politician (born 1828) George Montgomery White was an American politician in North Carolina who was a two-term member of the North Carolina House of Commons from Bladen County. Read more
26 Jun 1856: Max Stirner, German philosopher and author (born 1806) Johann Caspar Schmidt, known by the pen name Max Stirner, was a German philosopher, dealing mainly with the Hegelian notion of social alienation and self-consciousness. Stirner is often seen as one of the forerunners of nihilism, existentialism, psychoanalytic theory, postmodernism, individualist anarchism, and egoism. Read more
26 Jun 1836: Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle, French soldier and composer (born 1760) Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle was a French army officer of the French Revolutionary Wars. Lisle is known for writing La Marseillaise and it became the French national anthem. Read more
26 Jun 1830: George IV of the United Kingdom (born 1762) George IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 29 January 1820 until his death in 1830. At the time of his accession to the throne, he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III, having done so since 5 February 1811 during his father's final mental illness. Read more
26 Jun 1810: Joseph-Michel Montgolfier, French inventor, co-invented the hot air balloon (born 1740) The Montgolfier brothers – Joseph-Michel Montgolfier and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier – were aviation pioneers, balloonists and paper manufacturers from the commune Annonay in Ardèche, France. They invented the Montgolfière-style hot air balloon, globe aérostatique, which launched the first confirmed piloted ascent by humans in 1783, carrying Jacques-Étienne. Read more
26 Jun 1808: Ludwik Tyszkiewicz, Polish poet and politician (born 1748) Ludwik Skumin Tyszkiewicz was a Polish–Lithuanian nobleman (szlachcic) and Field Lithuanian Hetman from 1780 to 1791, Grand Treasurer of Lithuania from 1791, Great Lithuanian Marshal from 1793. Member of the Targowica Confederation. Read more

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