History of Today in India – 26 March

Explore the history of today 26 March in India, including important events, famous personalities, and milestones for UPSC SSC,Banking & PSC exams.

Last updated on 26 March 2026, 04:21 AM

📜 Important Events on 26 March in World History

• 26 Mar 2024: The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapses following a collision between the MV Dali container ship and one of the bridge's support pillars, killing 6 people. Read more
• 26 Mar 2017: Russia-wide anti-corruption protests in 99 cities. The Levada Center survey showed that 38% of surveyed Russians supported protests and that 67 percent held Putin personally responsible for high-level corruption. Read more
• 26 Mar 2010: The South Korean Navy corvette Cheonan is torpedoed, killing 46 sailors. After an international investigation, the President of the United Nations Security Council blames North Korea. Read more
• 26 Mar 2005: Around 200,000 to 300,000 Taiwanese demonstrate in Taipei in opposition to the Anti-Secession Law of China. Read more
• 26 Mar 1998: During the Algerian Civil War, the Oued Bouaicha massacre sees fifty-two people, mostly infants, killed with axes and knives. Read more
• 26 Mar 1997: Thirty-nine bodies are found in the Heaven's Gate mass suicides. Read more
• 26 Mar 1991: Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay sign the Treaty of Asunción, establishing Mercosur, the South Common Market. Read more
• 26 Mar 1991: Singapore Airlines Flight 117 is hijacked by four Pakistani terrorists and diverted to Changi Airport. Read more
• 26 Mar 1982: A groundbreaking ceremony for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is held in Washington, D.C. Read more
• 26 Mar 1981: Social Democratic Party (UK) is founded as a party. Read more
• 26 Mar 1979: Anwar al-Sadat, Menachem Begin and Jimmy Carter sign the Egypt–Israel peace treaty in Washington, D.C. Read more
• 26 Mar 1979: An Interflug Ilyushin Il-18 crashes at Quatro de Fevereiro Airport during a rejected takeoff, killing 10. Read more
• 26 Mar 1975: The Biological Weapons Convention comes into force. Read more
• 26 Mar 1971: East Pakistan, then a province of Pakistan, declares its independence from Pakistan to form Bangladesh; the Bangladesh War of Independence begins. Read more
• 26 Mar 1970: South Vietnamese President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu implements a land reform program to solve the problem of land tenancy. Read more
• 26 Mar 1967: Ten thousand people gather for one of many Central Park be-ins in New York City. Read more
• 26 Mar 1958: The United States Army launches Explorer 3. Read more
• 26 Mar 1958: The African Regroupment Party is launched at a meeting in Paris. Read more
• 26 Mar 1955: Pan Am Flight 845/26 ditches in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Oregon, killing four. Read more
• 26 Mar 1954: Nuclear weapons testing: The Romeo shot of Operation Castle is detonated at Bikini Atoll. Yield: 11 megatons. Read more
• 26 Mar 1945: World War II: The Battle of Iwo Jima ends as the island is officially secured by American forces. Read more
• 26 Mar 1942: World War II: The first female prisoners arrive at Auschwitz concentration camp in German-occupied Poland. Read more
• 26 Mar 1939: Spanish Civil War: Nationalists begin their final offensive of the war. Read more
• 26 Mar 1934: The United Kingdom driving test is introduced. Read more
• 26 Mar 1931: Swissair is founded as the national airline of Switzerland. Read more
• 26 Mar 1931: Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union is founded in Vietnam. Read more
• 26 Mar 1922: The German Social Democratic Party is founded in Poland. Read more
• 26 Mar 1917: World War I: First Battle of Gaza: British troops are halted after 17,000 Turks block their advance. Read more
• 26 Mar 1915: The Vancouver Millionaires win the 1915 Stanley Cup Finals, the first championship played between the Pacific Coast Hockey Association and the National Hockey Association. Read more
• 26 Mar 1913: First Balkan War: Bulgarian forces capture Adrianople. Read more
• 26 Mar 1896: An explosion at the Brunner Mine near Greymouth, New Zealand, kills 65 coal miners in the country's worst industrial accident. Read more
• 26 Mar 1885: The Métis people of the District of Saskatchewan under Louis Riel begin the North-West Rebellion against Canada. Read more
• 26 Mar 1871: The elections of Commune council of the Paris Commune are held. Read more
• 26 Mar 1839: The first Henley Royal Regatta is held. Read more
• 26 Mar 1830: The Book of Mormon is published in Palmyra, New York. Read more
• 26 Mar 1812: An earthquake devastates Caracas, Venezuela. Read more
• 26 Mar 1812: A political cartoon in the Boston-Gazette coins the term "gerrymander" to describe oddly shaped electoral districts designed to help incumbents win reelection. Read more

🎂 Important Births on 26 March in World History

• 26 Mar 2007: Jesús Fortea, Spanish footballer Jesús Fortea Tejedo is a Spanish footballer who plays as a right-back for Real Madrid Castilla. Read more
• 26 Mar 2005: Ella Anderson, American actress Ella Aiko Anderson is an American actress and singer. She began her career as a child actress, starring in roles such as Piper Hart on the Nickelodeon television series Henry Danger, and is also known for playing the role of Rachel Rawlings in the 2016 comedy adventure film The Boss. Read more
• 26 Mar 2004: Awra Briguela, Filipino actor and comedian Awra Briguela, is a Filipino actor and comedian who gained recognition after starring in FPJ's Ang Probinsyano (2016–2019), personally chosen for the role by the show's lead actor Coco Martin. Briguela's life was featured in a titular episode of Maalaala Mo Kaya in 2016. In 2017, Awra was declared champion in the first season of the Filipino version of Your Face Sounds Familiar Kids. Read more
• 26 Mar 2003: Bhad Bhabie, American rapper and social media personality Danielle Peskowitz Bregoli, better known by her stage name Bhad Bhabie, is an American rapper, songwriter, and media personality. She gained viral recognition after appearing on the talk show Dr. Phil in 2016, when her one-liners and catchphrases briefly became Internet memes. Read more
• 26 Mar 2001: Jameson Williams, American football player Jameson Demetri Williams, nicknamed "Jamo", is an American professional football wide receiver for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes before transferring to the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2021, where he was named an All-American. Williams was selected by the Lions in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft. Read more
• 26 Mar 2000: Gefen Primo, Israeli judoka Gefen Primo is an Israeli judoka. She competes in the under 52 kg weight category. She won a gold medal at the 2017 European Youth Summer Olympic Festival. She won individual bronze medals in the 2018 European Championships, 2021 World Championships and 2021 European Championships as well as a team bronze at the 2022 World Championships. Primo represented Israel at the 2024 Summer Olympics in judo in the women's 52 kg, in which she came in seventh, and in the mixed team event, in which Team Israel came in ninth. Read more
• 26 Mar 2000: Andrei Svechnikov, Russian ice hockey player Andrei Igorevich Svechnikov is a Russian professional ice hockey player who is a winger for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Hurricanes selected him second overall in the 2018 NHL entry draft. Read more
• 26 Mar 1998: Satoko Miyahara, Japanese figure skater Satoko Miyahara is a retired Japanese figure skater. She is the 2015 World silver medalist, the 2018 World bronze medalist, the 2016 Four Continents champion, a two-time Four Continents silver medalist, a two-time Grand Prix Final silver medalist, a two-time Skate America champion, the 2015 NHK Trophy champion, a four-time CS U.S. Classic champion, the 2014 CS Lombardia Trophy champion, and a four-time Japanese national champion (2014–17). Read more
• 26 Mar 1996: Zane Musgrove, New Zealand rugby league player Zane Musgrove is a Samoan international rugby league footballer who most recently played as a prop for the Bradford Bulls in the RFL Championship via Warrington Wolves & Oldham. Read more
• 26 Mar 1996: Kathryn Bernardo, Filipino actress Kathryn Chandria Manuel Bernardo is a Filipino actress. Known for her work in mainstream productions, she has starred in three of the highest-grossing Filipino films of all time; The Hows of Us (2018), Hello, Love, Goodbye (2019), and Hello, Love, Again (2024). Her accolades include a Seoul International Drama Award, an Asian World Film Festival Award, two FAMAS Awards, and 14 Box Office Entertainment Awards. Read more
• 26 Mar 1995: Ibai Llanos, Spanish internet personality Ibai Llanos Garatea, better known mononymously as Ibai, is a Spanish internet celebrity, streamer, and esports commentator. He was a content creator for G2 Esports from 2020 to 2021. He is the co-founder of the esports organisation KOI. Read more
• 26 Mar 1994: Ryan Arcidiacono, American basketball player Ryan Curran Arcidiacono is an American professional basketball player for the Osos de Manatí of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). Nicknamed "the Arch of Dimes", he is widely considered among the greatest players in Villanova history. Arcidiacono was part of Villanova's 2016 national championship team, where he was awarded the Most Outstanding Player award and assisted on the game-winning basket to Kris Jenkins as time expired in the championship game. Read more
• 26 Mar 1994: Alison Van Uytvanck, Belgian tennis player Alison Van Uytvanck is a Belgian former professional tennis player. In August 2018, she reached her best singles ranking of world No. 37. Read more
• 26 Mar 1994: Paige VanZant, American mixed martial artist and model Paige Michelle VanZant is an American mixed martial artist, bare knuckle boxer, professional wrestler, professional boxer, slap fighter, author, model, and OnlyFans content creator. VanZant was previously signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where she competed in the strawweight and flyweight divisions. Outside of mixed martial arts, VanZant has been involved in professional wrestling with All Elite Wrestling and in boxing with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. Additionally, VanZant has appeared on the television shows Dancing with the Stars and Chopped. Read more
• 26 Mar 1994: Jed Wallace, English footballer Jed Fernley Wallace is an English professional footballer who plays as a right winger for EFL Championship club West Bromwich Albion. Read more
• 26 Mar 1994: Marcela Zacarías, Mexican tennis player Marcela Zacarías Valle, known as Marcela Zacarías, is a former Mexican tennis player.
  She has a career-high singles ranking of 159, and a best doubles ranking of world No. 119, achieved on 24 October 2022. Read more
• 26 Mar 1992: Nina Agdal, Danish model Nina Brohus Agdal Paul is a Danish model. She is known for her appearances in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. In 2014, she appeared on the magazine's 50th anniversary cover alongside Chrissy Teigen and Lily Aldridge. Read more
• 26 Mar 1992: Stoffel Vandoorne, Belgian racing driver Stoffel Jacques Luc Vandoorne is a Belgian racing driver, who competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship for Peugeot and serves as a test and reserve driver for Aston Martin in Formula One. In formula racing, Vandoorne competed in Formula One from 2016 to 2018, and won the 2021–22 Formula E World Championship with Mercedes. He competed further in Formula E with DS Penske in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons and Maserati in the 2024-25 season. Read more
• 26 Mar 1991: Matt Davidson, American baseball player Matthew Glen Davidson is an American professional baseball infielder for the NC Dinos of the KBO League. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds and Oakland Athletics, and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. Read more
• 26 Mar 1991: Ramy Youssef, American actor and comedian Ramy Youssef is an American stand-up comedian, actor and writer. He is known for his role as Ramy Hassan on the Hulu comedy series Ramy (2019–2022), for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy and a Peabody Award in 2020. He was also nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. Read more
• 26 Mar 1990: Choi Woo-shik, South Korean actor Choi Woo-shik is a Canadian actor based in South Korea. He first gained recognition for starring in the film Set Me Free (2014) and the television series Hogu's Love (2015) before coming to international prominence for his roles in the films Train to Busan (2016) and Parasite (2019) both of which were critical and commercial successes with the latter winning the Palme d'Or at Cannes and the Academy Award for Best Picture. He has since starred in the television series Our Beloved Summer (2021–2022) and A Killer Paradox (2024), as well as the films The Policeman's Lineage (2022) and Wonderland (2024). Read more
• 26 Mar 1990: Matteo Guidicelli, Filipino actor, model, singer and former kart racer Gianmatteo Vittorio Fernan Guidicelli is a Filipino actor, businessman, military officer, model, singer and former kart racer. Read more
• 26 Mar 1990: Patrick Ekeng, Cameroonian footballer (died 2016) Patrick Claude Ekeng Ekeng was a Cameroonian professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. He had two international caps for his country's national team, whom he represented at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. Read more
• 26 Mar 1990: Yuya Takaki, Japanese idol, singer, dancer, model and actor Hey! Say! JUMP is a seven-member Japanese boy band under the Japanese talent agency Starto Entertainment. The group is split into two sub-groups: Hey! Say! BEST and Hey! Say! 7. In Japan they sold more than 10 million physical copies. Read more
• 26 Mar 1990: Xiumin, South Korean singer and actor Kim Min-seok, known professionally as Xiumin, is a South Korean singer and actor. He is a member of the South Korean-Chinese boy band Exo, its sub-group Exo-M and leader of its sub-unit Exo-CBX. He debuted as a soloist on September 26, 2022, with the extended play (EP) Brand New. Read more
• 26 Mar 1989: Simon Kjær, Danish footballer Simon Thorup Kjær is a Danish former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. Read more
• 26 Mar 1989: Von Miller, American football player Vonnie B'VSean Miller is an American professional football linebacker. Miller played college football for the Texas A&M Aggies, where he earned consensus All-American honors and the 2010 Butkus Award. He was selected by the Denver Broncos with the second overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft. Miller has been a seven-time All-Pro selection and eight-time Pro Bowl selection during his career. Read more
• 26 Mar 1987: Kim Dong-suk, South Korean footballer Kim Dong-Suk is a South Korean football player who currently plays for Incheon United. Read more
• 26 Mar 1987: Jermichael Finley, American football player Jermichael Decorean Finley is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of the 2008 NFL draft. With the Packers, he won Super Bowl XLV win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, not participating due to injury. He played college football for the Texas Longhorns. Read more
• 26 Mar 1987: Steven Fletcher, Scottish footballer Steven Kenneth Fletcher is a former professional footballer who played as a striker. Read more
• 26 Mar 1986: Maxime Biset, Belgian footballer Maxime Biset is a Belgian football coach and a former midfielder. He works as an assistant coach with Antwerp. Read more
• 26 Mar 1986: Rob Kearney, Irish rugby player Robert Kearney is an Irish former rugby union player. He spent 15 years playing for Leinster, before having a six-month stint in Australia where he played for Perth based side Western Force. Kearney also played over a decade for the Ireland national rugby union team with whom he earned 95 caps, and went on two British & Irish Lions tours in 2009 and 2013. As a youth Kearney also played rugby union for Clongowes Wood College and Gaelic football for Louth in the All-Ireland Minor Championship. Read more
• 26 Mar 1986: Emma Laine, Finnish tennis player Emma Johanna Laine is a former tennis player from Finland. Read more
• 26 Mar 1985: Keira Knightley, English actress Keira Christina Knightley is an English actress. Known for her work in independent films and blockbusters, particularly period dramas, she has received numerous accolades, including nominations for two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, four Golden Globes, and a Laurence Olivier Award. In 2018, she was appointed an OBE at Buckingham Palace for services to drama and charity. Read more
• 26 Mar 1985: Matt Grevers, American swimmer Matthew Grevers is a former American competition swimmer who competed in the backstroke and freestyle events, and is a six-time Olympic medalist. He has won a total of thirty-three medals in major international competition, fourteen gold, twelve silver, and seven bronze spanning the Olympics, World Championships, and the Universiade. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Grevers won gold medals as a member of the U.S. teams in the 4×100-meter freestyle and 4×100-meter medley relays, and a silver medal in the 100-meter backstroke. Four years later, at the 2012 Summer Olympics, he won gold medals in the 100-meter backstroke and the 4×100-meter medley relay, and a silver medal in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. Read more
• 26 Mar 1985: Jonathan Groff, American actor and singer Jonathan Drew Groff is an American actor and singer. Known for his performances on stage and screen, he has received several accolades including a Tony Award and a Grammy Award as well as a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award. Read more
• 26 Mar 1985: Prosper Utseya, Zimbabwean cricketer Prosper Utseya is a retired Zimbabwean cricketer, who plays all formats of the game. He captained Zimbabwe from 2006 to 2010. He bowls right-arm off break and is a useful right-hand batsman. Utseya has not played any form of cricket since 2015. Read more
• 26 Mar 1984: Jimmy Howard, American ice hockey player James Russell Howard III is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender and currently a Detroit Red Wings studio analyst for Bally Sports Detroit. He spent his entire National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Detroit Red Wings, by whom he was drafted in 2003. Read more
• 26 Mar 1984: Drew Mitchell, Australian rugby player Drew Alan Mitchell is a former Australian rugby union professional player. He played on the wing or as fullback. Up to the 2006 season he played for the Queensland Reds. He played for the Western Force for the 2007–09 Super 14 seasons. From 2010 to 2013 he played for the New South Wales Waratahs. Since 2013 he has played for RC Toulon. He made his debut for Australia in 2005 and is Australia's highest try scorer in World Cup history. Read more
• 26 Mar 1984: Felix Neureuther, German skier Felix Neureuther is a German retired World Cup alpine ski racer and former World champion. Read more
• 26 Mar 1984: Marco Stier, German footballer Marco Stier is a German former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He represented Germany internationally at youth levels U17 through U20. Read more
• 26 Mar 1984: Gregory Strydom, Zimbabwean cricketer Gregory Mark Strydom is an international cricketer. He played 12 One Day Internationals (ODIs) for Zimbabwe in 2006, and a number of T20 Internationals (T20Is) for Cayman Islands in 2019. Read more
• 26 Mar 1984: Sara Jean Underwood, American model, television host, and actress Sara Jean Underwood is an American model, television host and actress who was chosen as the Playmate of the Month for the July 2006 issue of Playboy magazine and later became Playmate of the Year in 2007. She is a former host of Attack of the Show! on G4. Read more
• 26 Mar 1983: Andreas Hinkel, German footballer Andreas Hinkel is a German football coach and a former player. Hinkel played as a right-back and earned 21 caps for the Germany national team. He was known for his attacking play on the flanks and defensive solidity. Read more
• 26 Mar 1983: Floriana Lima, American actress Floriana Lima is an American actress. She played Maggie Sawyer on The CW's Supergirl. She began playing recurring character Darcy Cooper in season 2 of the ABC drama A Million Little Things, and was promoted to the main cast for season 3. Read more
• 26 Mar 1983: Roman Bednář, Czech footballer Roman Bednář is a Czech football coach and former player. Read more
• 26 Mar 1983: Mike Mondo, American wrestler Michael Brendli, better known by the ring name Mike Mondo, is an American professional wrestler. He is currently performing on the independent circuit – predominantly for the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), where he is the current NWA National Heavyweight Champion in his first reign.
  He is best known for his time in WWE as Mike Mondo and Mikey as a member of The Spirit Squad. Read more
• 26 Mar 1982: Mikel Arteta, Spanish footballer Mikel Arteta Amatriain is a Spanish professional football manager and former player who is the manager of Premier League club Arsenal. Read more
• 26 Mar 1982: Brendan Ryan, American baseball player Brendan Wood Ryan is an American former professional baseball infielder. He played 10 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels. Read more
• 26 Mar 1982: Nate Kaeding, American football player Nathaniel James Kaeding is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes, earning consensus All-American honors and winning the Lou Groza Award. He was selected in the third round of the 2004 NFL draft by the San Diego Chargers, where he played for nine seasons. Read more
• 26 Mar 1981: Sébastien Centomo, Canadian ice hockey player Sébastien Centomo is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played one game in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 2001–02 season, on March 6, 2002, against the Detroit Red Wings. The rest of his career, which lasted from 2001 to 2010, was spent in the minor leagues. Read more
• 26 Mar 1981: Zayar Thaw, Burmese rapper and politician (died 2022) Phyo Zeya Thaw (Burmese: ဖြိုးဇေယျာသော်; pronounced [pʰjò zèjà θɔ̀], also referred to as Zeya Thaw was a Burmese politician and hip hop recording artist who was unfairly detained and executed due to the perceived anti-junta messages in his lyrics. Amnesty International designated him as a prisoner of conscience. He served as a member of Pyithu Hluttaw, the Lower House of the Burmese parliament. Phyo Zeya Thaw, alongside opposition leader and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, was elected to the lower house on 1 April 2012. Read more
• 26 Mar 1981: Baruch Dego, Ethiopian-Israeli footballer Baruch Dego is an Ethiopian-born Israeli former association footballer, who played for the Israel national team. Read more
• 26 Mar 1981: Massimo Donati, Italian footballer Massimo Donati is an Italian professional football manager, pundit and former player who played as a midfielder. Read more
• 26 Mar 1981: Josh Wilson, American baseball player Joshua Aaron Wilson is an American former professional baseball infielder. Wilson is a Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania native. He was part of the 1998 Pennsylvania state championship baseball team and Pennsylvania Player of the Year. Wilson played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida Marlins, Washington Nationals, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Arizona Diamondbacks, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, Milwaukee Brewers, Texas Rangers, and Detroit Tigers. Read more
• 26 Mar 1980: Margaret Brennan, American journalist Margaret Mary Brennan is an American journalist and moderator of Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan on CBS News, the network's chief foreign affairs correspondent and a fill-in and substitute anchor for CBS Evening News. Brennan was previously a White House correspondent for CBS and has covered Washington since 2012. Read more
• 26 Mar 1980: Son Ho-young, South Korean singer Son Ho-young is a South Korean-American singer and musical actor based in South Korea. Best known as a member of g.o.d, he made his debut in the entertainment industry with the group in 1999 and pursued a solo career as a singer and musical theater actor after the group went on hiatus. He has also regularly appeared on Immortal Songs: Singing the Legend and other music variety shows. Read more
• 26 Mar 1980: Richie Wellens, English footballer Richard Paul Wellens is an English professional football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. He is currently head coach of EFL League One club Leyton Orient. Read more
• 26 Mar 1979: Nacho Novo, Spanish footballer Ignacio Javier Gómez Novo is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a forward. He is currently manager at Scottish 7th tier club Darvel. Read more
• 26 Mar 1979: Ben Blair, New Zealand rugby union footballer Ben Austin Blair is a former rugby union footballer. He played four tests for New Zealand. He scored 37 points on his All Blacks debut against Ireland A in 2001 at Ravenhill in Belfast; however, as this was not a test match he was not capped. His first test match appearance came in November that year against Scotland. Read more
• 26 Mar 1979: Hiromi Uehara, Japanese pianist and composer Hiromi Uehara , often known mononymously as Hiromi, is a Japanese jazz composer and pianist. She is known for her virtuosic technique, energetic live performances and blending of musical genres such as stride, post-bop, progressive rock, classical, nu jazz and fusion in her compositions. In 2021, she performed at the opening ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Read more
• 26 Mar 1979: Pierre Womé, Cameroonian footballer Pierre Nlend Womé is a Cameroonian former professional footballer who played as a left-back. A journeyman, he played for 14 clubs in six countries. At international level, he made 68 FIFA-official appearances scoring 1 goal for the Cameroon national team. Read more
• 26 Mar 1979: Juliana Paes, Brazilian actress Juliana Couto Paes is a Brazilian actress and former model. She became nationally known in telenovelas and modelling. She also starred in a local version of the musical The Producers, as Ulla. Read more
• 26 Mar 1978: Anastasia Kostaki, Greek basketball player Anastasia Kostaki is a former Greek professional basketball player, currently serving as an assistant coach for Panathinaikos. She is 1.72 m in height and 65 kg in weight. Read more
• 26 Mar 1977: Kevin Davies, English footballer Kevin Cyril Davies is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker for Chesterfield, Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Millwall, Bolton Wanderers and Preston North End. He managed Southport in the 2017–18 season, before his contract was terminated on 30 April 2018. Read more
• 26 Mar 1977: Bianca Kajlich, American actress Bianca Kajlich is an American actress. Kajlich has had starring and supporting roles in television and film including the leading role of Jennifer Morgan on the CBS comedy Rules of Engagement (2007–2013). Read more
• 26 Mar 1977: Sylvain Grenier, Canadian wrestler Sylvain Grenier is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Read more
• 26 Mar 1976: Amy Smart, American actress and former model Amy Lysle Smart is an American actress and former model. Her first role in film was in Martin Kunert's anthology horror film Campfire Tales, followed by a minor part in Starship Troopers, directed by Paul Verhoeven. In 1998, Smart played a role in Dee Snider's Strangeland. She garnered widespread recognition after appearing in the mainstream teen drama Varsity Blues (1999), as well as for a recurring role as Ruby on the television series Felicity (1999–2001). Next was a lead role in the college sex comedy Road Trip (2000); she was a co-star in Jerry Zucker's ensemble comedy Rat Race (2001). She had a lead role opposite Ashton Kutcher in the sci-fi drama The Butterfly Effect (2004). Read more
• 26 Mar 1976: Alex Varas, Chilean footballer Alex Fabián Varas Rubio is a retired Chilean Association football goalkeeper. Read more
• 26 Mar 1976: Eirik Verås Larsen, Norwegian sprint kayaker Eirik Verås Larsen is a Norwegian sprint kayaker who has competed internationally since the early 1990s. He has participated in three Summer Olympics, and has won a complete set of medals. Read more
• 26 Mar 1974: Irina Spîrlea, Romanian tennis player Irina Spîrlea is a retired tennis player from Romania who turned professional in 1990. She won four singles and six doubles titles. Spîrlea reached her career-high ranking on the WTA Tour on 13 October 1997, when she became No. 7 in the world. She retired in 2000. Read more
• 26 Mar 1974: Vadimas Petrenko, Lithuanian footballer Vadimas Petrenko is a Lithuanian former professional footballer. He played the position of midfielder and is a former member of the Lithuania national football team. Read more
• 26 Mar 1974: Michael Peca, Canadian ice hockey player and coach Michael Anthony Peca is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Vancouver Canucks, Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Columbus Blue Jackets. After retiring as a player, he began a coaching career culminating in NHL assistant coach positions for the Washington Capitals, New York Rangers, and currently the Chicago Blackhawks. Read more
• 26 Mar 1973: Larry Page, American computer scientist and businessman, co-founder of Google Lawrence Edward Page is an American businessman and computer scientist who co-founded Google with Sergey Brin. Page is a centibillionaire and among the richest people in the world. According to Bloomberg Billionaires Index and Forbes, as of 2026, Page's estimated net worth stood at US$269 billion, making him the second-richest individual in the world. Read more
• 26 Mar 1973: T. R. Knight, American actor Theodore Raymond Knight is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Dr. George O'Malley on the ABC medical drama television series Grey's Anatomy, which earned him a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2007. Read more
• 26 Mar 1972: Leslie Mann, American actress Leslie Mann is an American actress. She has appeared in numerous films, including The Cable Guy (1996), She's the One (1996), George of the Jungle (1997), Big Daddy (1999), Orange County (2002), The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005), Knocked Up (2007), Drillbit Taylor (2008), I Love You Phillip Morris (2009), 17 Again (2009), Funny People (2009), This Is 40 (2012), The Bling Ring (2013), The Other Woman (2014), and Blockers (2018). Read more
• 26 Mar 1972: Jason Maxwell, American baseball player Jason Ramond Maxwell is an American former professional baseball player. Primarily an infielder, Maxwell first played in 1998 for the Chicago Cubs. Maxwell played the 2000 and 2001 seasons with the Minnesota Twins. Maxwell attended Marshall County High School in Lewisburg, TN, where he played high school baseball for the Tigers. Maxwell is now the Head Baseball Coach and Athletic Director for Ensworth High School in Nashville, TN. He has also coached several U15 and U18 teams for USA Baseball. Some of his favorite players from the USA development program include Royce Lewis, Anthony Volpe and Dylan Crews. Maxwell recommended that his former club, the Twins, select Lewis with the first overall pick in the 2017 MLB draft. Read more
• 26 Mar 1971: Martyn Day, Scottish politician Martyn Day is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician, who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Linlithgow and East Falkirk from 2015 until 2024. He served as SNP Spokesperson for Health from December 2021 to September 2023. Read more
• 26 Mar 1971: Erick Morillo, Colombian-American disc jockey, record label owner, and music producer (died 2020) Erick Morillo was a Colombian-American disc jockey, music producer, and record label owner. Having produced under a number of pseudonyms, including Ministers de la Funk, the Dronez, RAW, Smooth Touch, RBM, Deep Soul, Club Ultimate, and Li'l Mo Ying Yang, Morillo was best known for his international work in house music, in particular for the label Strictly Rhythm, and the 1993 hit "I Like to Move It", which he produced under the pseudonym Reel 2 Real, and which was featured in commercials, movies, and ringtones. His label Subliminal Records produced the number-one Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play hit "Fun" by Da Mob, and won the Muzik magazine "Remixer of the Year" award in 1999. Subliminal also brought attention to artists like Eddie Thoneick, Carl Kennedy, and DJ DLG. He was a three-time winner of DJ Awards "Best House DJ" in 1998, 2001, and 2003 and a three-time winner of "Best International DJ" in 2002, 2006, and 2009 receiving a total of 15 nominations in all from 1998 to 2010. Read more
• 26 Mar 1971: Rennae Stubbs, Australian tennis player and sportscaster Rennae Stubbs is an Australian former professional tennis player, coach and television commentator. She was ranked number 1 in the world in doubles, and the winner of 4 major doubles titles and 2 mixed doubles titles as well as 66 WTA doubles titles. She is the host of "The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast". She worked at the Seven Network between 2011 and 2018 as an analyst and is now a full time commentator for ESPN tennis. She was an Australian Institute of Sport scholarship holder. In January 2019, Stubbs received the OLY post-nominal title at the Brisbane International tournament. She is also the longest-serving member of the Australian BJK Cup team. Read more
• 26 Mar 1971: Paul Williams, English footballer and manager Paul Darren Williams is an English professional football coach and former player who was until August 2022 academy director at Birmingham City. Read more
• 26 Mar 1970: Paul Bosvelt, Dutch footballer Paul Bosvelt is a Dutch football coach and former professional footballer who is technical director of Go Ahead Eagles. Read more
• 26 Mar 1970: Jelle Goes, Dutch footballer and coach Jelle Quirinus Goes is a Dutch football manager. Read more
• 26 Mar 1970: Thomas Kyparissis, Greek footballer Thomas Kyparissis is a Greek retired football player. He was a striker, who scored more than 150 goals in his entire career. He was a key player for AEL during the club's hard try to make it back to the first division from the third division from 2003 to 2005, and he continued to serve the team for two more seasons. Due to his strong mentality and passion, he was nicknamed "Psychara" from Larissa's fans. From January 2007 he returned at his very first professional club and the team of his hometown, Pierikos. He retired a year later. Read more
• 26 Mar 1970: Martin McDonagh, English-born Irish playwright, screenwriter, and director Martin Faranan McDonagh is a British-born Irish playwright and filmmaker. Known for his absurdist dark humour and controversial style, he has received numerous accolades including an Academy Award, six BAFTAs, two Golden Globes, and three Laurence Olivier Awards in addition to nominations for five Tony Awards. Read more
• 26 Mar 1969: Alessandro Moscardi, Italian rugby player
  Alessandro Moscardi is an Italian former rugby union player who played as a hooker. Read more
• 26 Mar 1968: Laurent Brochard, French cyclist Laurent Brochard is a retired professional road racing cyclist from France. In 1997 he won a stage of the Tour de France and became world road champion in San Sebastián, Spain. Read more
• 26 Mar 1968: Kenny Chesney, American singer-songwriter and guitarist Kenneth Arnold Chesney is an American country singer. With 30 million albums sold worldwide, he released his debut, In My Wildest Dreams, in 1994, and has since released 19 follow-ups. His albums spawned 27 singles that have peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. Read more
• 26 Mar 1968: James Iha, American guitarist and songwriter James Yoshinobu Iha is an American rock musician. He is best known as a guitarist and co-founder of the alternative rock band the Smashing Pumpkins. He was a member until the band's initial breakup in 2000 and rejoined in 2018. Read more
• 26 Mar 1967: Jason Chaffetz, American politician Jason Edwin Chaffetz is an American retired politician who served as the U.S. representative for Utah's 3rd congressional district from 2009 until his resignation in 2017. He chaired the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform from 2015 until 2017. Read more
• 26 Mar 1966: Michael Imperioli, American actor and screenwriter Michael Imperioli is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Christopher Moltisanti in the HBO crime drama series The Sopranos (1999–2007), which earned him the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2004. Read more
• 26 Mar 1965: Trey Azagthoth, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer Morbid Angel is an American death metal band based in Tampa, Florida, formed in 1983 by guitarist, primary composer and sole remaining original member Trey Azagthoth, vocalist and bassist Dallas Ward, and drummer Mike Browning. It was one of the first bands to incorporate guttural vocals, up-tempo blast beats, multiple tempo changes and a dark atmosphere. Morbid Angel was also the first death metal band to experience mainstream success in connection with being signed to Giant Records in 1992, heavy rotation of its music videos on MTV, and having the music video for the song "God of Emptiness" shown on an episode of Beavis and Butt-Head. The band's first three albums – Altars of Madness (1989), Blessed Are the Sick (1991), and Covenant (1993) – are considered classics in the death metal genre. Read more
• 26 Mar 1965: Violeta Szekely, Romanian runner Violeta Szekely, née Violeta Beclea, is a Romanian former middle distance runner who competed mainly in the 1500 metres. She competed in two Olympic Games, in 1992 and 2000. Read more
• 26 Mar 1964: Martin Bella, Australian rugby league player Martin Bella, nicknamed Munster, is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. A prop, he represented Queensland and Australia, and played his club football for a number of clubs in Australian and England. Read more
• 26 Mar 1964: Martin Donnelly, Irish racing driver Hugh Peter Martin Donnelly is a British former racing driver from Northern Ireland who competed in Formula One at 15 Grands Prix from 1989 and 1990. Read more
• 26 Mar 1964: Maria Miller, English businessman and politician, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Dame Maria Frances Miller is a British politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Basingstoke from 2005 until the 2024 general election. A member of the Conservative Party, she served as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport from 2012 to 2014 under Prime Minister David Cameron. Read more
• 26 Mar 1964: Ulf Samuelsson, Swedish-American ice hockey player and coach Ulf Bo Samuelsson is a Swedish-American former professional ice hockey defenceman who formerly served as assistant coach of the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League. He played several seasons in the NHL with the Hartford Whalers, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, and Philadelphia Flyers. He is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, winning with the Penguins in 1991 and 1992, and the first European-born player to have 2,000 career penalty minutes. Read more
• 26 Mar 1963: Natsuhiko Kyogoku, Japanese author Natsuhiko Kyogoku is a Japanese mystery writer, who is a member of Ōsawa Office. He is a member of the Mystery Writers of Japan and the Honkaku Mystery Writers Club of Japan. Read more
• 26 Mar 1962: Richard Coles, English pianist, saxophonist, and priest Richard Keith Robert Coles is an English writer, radio presenter and Church of England priest. After playing in the 1980s band Bronski Beat, he came to prominence as the multi-instrumentalist who partnered Jimmy Somerville in the band the Communards. They achieved three UK top-10 hits, including the No. 1 record and best-selling single of 1986, a cover version of "Don't Leave Me This Way". Read more
• 26 Mar 1962: Kevin Seitzer, American baseball player and coach Kevin Lee Seitzer is an American former professional baseball third baseman who is currently the hitting coach for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for the Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics, and Cleveland Indians. He has also served as the hitting coach for the Royals, Arizona Diamondbacks, Toronto Blue Jays, and Atlanta Braves. Read more
• 26 Mar 1962: Yuri Gidzenko, Russian pilot and cosmonaut Yuri Pavlovich Gidzenko is a Russian cosmonaut. He was a test cosmonaut of the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (TsPK). Gidzenko has flown into space three times and has lived on board the Mir and the International Space Station. He has also conducted two career spacewalks. Although he retired on July 15, 2001, he continued his employment by a special contract until Soyuz TM-34 concluded. Since 2004 to May 2009, Gidzenko was the Director of the 3rd department within the TsPK. Since May 2009 he has served as the Deputy Chief of Cosmonaut Training Center TsPK. Read more
• 26 Mar 1962: John Stockton, American basketball player and coach John Houston Stockton is an American former professional basketball player. Regarded as one of the greatest point guards of all time, he spent his entire NBA career (1984–2003) with the Utah Jazz. The team made the playoffs in each of his 19 seasons. In 1997 and again in 1998, Stockton and his longtime teammate Karl Malone led the Jazz to the NBA Finals; each time, the team was defeated in six games by the Chicago Bulls. Read more
• 26 Mar 1962: Eric Allan Kramer, American-Canadian actor Eric Allan Kramer is an American actor. He is known to television audiences for his roles as Scott Miller on AMC's Lodge 49, Dave Rogers on The Hughleys, and Bob Duncan on the Disney Channel sitcom Good Luck Charlie. He was the first actor to play the Marvel Comics superhero Thor in live-action, in the made-for-television film The Incredible Hulk Returns (1988). He also appeared as Iron Mike Wilcox in the 2019 video game Days Gone. Read more
• 26 Mar 1961: William Hague, English historian and politician, First Secretary of State William Jefferson Hague, Baron Hague of Richmond is a British politician and life peer who was Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from 1997 to 2001 and Deputy Leader from 2005 to 2010. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Richmond (Yorks) in North Yorkshire from 1989 to 2015. He was in the Cameron government as First Secretary of State from 2010 to 2015, Foreign Secretary from 2010 to 2014, and Leader of the House of Commons from 2014 to 2015. He has been Chancellor of the University of Oxford since February 2025. Read more
• 26 Mar 1960: Marcus Allen, American football player and sportscaster Marcus LeMarr Allen is an American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the Los Angeles Raiders. Considered one of the greatest goal line and short-yard runners in NFL history, he was selected 10th overall by the Raiders in the 1982 NFL draft, following a successful college football career with the USC Trojans. He was a member of the Raiders for 11 seasons and spent his last five seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. Read more
• 26 Mar 1960: Jennifer Grey, American actress and dancer Jennifer Grey is an American actress. She made her acting debut with the film Reckless (1984), and had her breakthrough with the teen comedy film Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986). She earned worldwide fame starring as Frances "Baby" Houseman in the romantic drama film Dirty Dancing (1987), which earned her a Golden Globe Award nomination. Her other feature films include Red Dawn (1984), The Cotton Club (1984), Bloodhounds of Broadway (1989), Bounce (2000), Redbelt (2008), The Wind Rises (2013), In Your Eyes (2014), Bittersweet Symphony (2019), and A Real Pain (2024). Read more
• 26 Mar 1960: Graeme Rutjes, Australian-Dutch footballer Graeme Wayne Rutjes is a former Australian-born Dutch footballer, who played as a defender for Excelsior Rotterdam (1980–85), Y.R. K.V. Mechelen (1985–90) and R.S.C. Anderlecht (1990–96). Read more
• 26 Mar 1958: Elio de Angelis, Italian racing driver (died 1986) Elio de Angelis was an Italian racing driver, who competed in Formula One from 1979 to 1986. Read more
• 26 Mar 1957: Fiona Bruce, Scottish lawyer and politician Fiona Claire Bruce is a British former Conservative Party politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Congleton from 2010 to 2024. Read more
• 26 Mar 1957: Leeza Gibbons, American talk show host and television personality Leeza Kim Gibbons is an American talk show host. She is best known as a correspondent and co-host for Entertainment Tonight (1984–2000) as well as for having her own syndicated daytime talk show, Leeza (1993–2000). In 2013, her book Take 2 became a New York Times bestseller and she won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Host in a Lifestyle or Travel program for the PBS show, My Generation. On February 16, 2015, Gibbons was named the winner of The Celebrity Apprentice; while on the show she raised $714,000 for her charity Leeza's Care Connection. Read more
• 26 Mar 1957: Paul Morley, English journalist, producer, and author Paul Robert Morley is an English music journalist. He wrote for the New Musical Express from 1977 to 1983, and has since written for a wide range of publications and written his own books. He was a co-founder of the record label ZTT Records and was a member of the synthpop group Art of Noise. He has also been a band manager, promoter, and television presenter. Read more
• 26 Mar 1957: Shirin Neshat, Iranian visual artist Shirin Neshat is an Iranian photographer and visual artist who lives in New York City, known primarily for her work in film, video and photography. Her artwork centers on the contrasts between Islam and the West, femininity and masculinity, public life and private life, antiquity and modernity, and bridging the spaces between these subjects. Read more
• 26 Mar 1956: Charly McClain, American country music singer Charlotte Denise "Charly" McClain is a retired American country music singer, best known for a string of hits during the 1980s. McClain's biggest hits include "Who's Cheatin' Who", "Sleepin' with the Radio On", and "Radio Heart". Read more
• 26 Mar 1956: Park Won-soon, South Korean lawyer and politician, 35th Mayor of Seoul (died 2020) Park Won-soon was a South Korean politician, activist, and lawyer. He was the longest-serving mayor of Seoul, from 2011 until his death in July 2020. A member of the Democratic Party of Korea, he was first elected in 2011 and won re-election in 2014 and 2018. He died by suicide in July 2020 following allegations of sexual harassment. Read more
• 26 Mar 1954: Clive Palmer, Australian businessman and politician Clive Frederick Palmer is an Australian billionaire businessman and politician. He has iron ore, nickel, and coal holdings, and owns various mining and resort businesses. Palmer founded the Palmer United Party in 2013, and was the member of parliament (MP) for the Queensland division of Fairfax from 2013 to 2016. Read more
• 26 Mar 1954: Curtis Sliwa, American talk show host and activist, founded Guardian Angels Curtis Anthony Sliwa is an American politician, activist and radio talk show host. He is the founder and chief executive officer of the Guardian Angels, a nonprofit crime-prevention organization headquartered in New York City. Sliwa was twice the unsuccessful Republican nominee for Mayor of New York, being defeated in 2021 by Democratic nominee Eric Adams and in 2025 by Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani. Read more
• 26 Mar 1954: Dorothy Porter, Australian poet and playwright (died 2008) Dorothy Featherstone Porter was an Australian poet. She was a recipient of the Christopher Brennan Award for lifetime achievement in poetry. Read more
• 26 Mar 1953: Lincoln Chafee, American academic and politician, 74th Governor of Rhode Island Lincoln Davenport Chafee is an American politician who served as the 74th governor of Rhode Island from 2011 to 2015 and as United States Senator from 1999 to 2007. Previously, he served as mayor of Warwick, Rhode Island from 1993 to 1999. A member of the Libertarian Party since 2019, he previously was a Republican until 2007, an independent from 2007 to 2013, and a Democrat from 2013 to 2019. He is the last non-Democrat to hold statewide or Congressional office in Rhode Island. Read more
• 26 Mar 1953: Elaine Chao, Taiwanese-American banker and politician, 24th United States Secretary of Labor Elaine Lan Chao is a Taiwanese-American businesswoman and former government official who served as United States secretary of labor in the administration of George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009 and as United States secretary of transportation in the first administration of Donald Trump from 2017 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, Chao was the first Asian American woman to serve in a presidential cabinet. She resigned as transportation secretary after the January 6 United States Capitol attack. Read more
• 26 Mar 1953: Tatyana Providokhina, Russian runner Tatyana Petrovna Providokhina is a former Soviet athlete, who mainly competed in the 800 metres. Read more
• 26 Mar 1952: Didier Pironi, French racing driver (died 1987) Didier Joseph Louis Pironi was a French racing driver and offshore powerboat racer, who competed in Formula One from 1978 to 1982. Pironi was runner-up in the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 1982 with Ferrari, and won three Grands Prix across five seasons. In endurance racing, Pironi won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1978 with Renault. Read more
• 26 Mar 1951: Željko Pavličević, Croatian professional basketball coach and former professional player Željko Pavličević is a Croatian professional basketball coach and former player. He currently serves as the head coach for Eastern in
  ASEAN Basketball League. Read more
• 26 Mar 1951: Carl Wieman, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate Carl Edwin Wieman is an American physicist and educationist at Stanford University, and currently the A. D. White Professor at Large at Cornell University. In 1995, while at the University of Colorado Boulder, he and Eric Allin Cornell produced the first true Bose–Einstein condensate (BEC) an ultracold state of matter; and, in 2001, they and Wolfgang Ketterle were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics. Wieman currently holds a joint appointment as Professor of Physics and Professor in the Stanford Graduate School of Education, as well as the DRC Professor in the Stanford University School of Engineering. In 2020, Wieman was awarded the Yidan Prize in Education Research for "his contribution in developing new techniques and tools in STEM education". Read more
• 26 Mar 1950: Teddy Pendergrass, American singer-songwriter (died 2010) Theodore DeReese Pendergrass was an American soul and R&B singer and songwriter. He was born in Kingstree, South Carolina. Pendergrass lived most of his life in the Philadelphia area, and initially rose to musical fame as the lead singer of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. After leaving the group in 1976, Pendergrass launched a successful solo career under the Philadelphia International label, releasing five consecutive platinum albums. Read more
• 26 Mar 1950: Graham Barlow, English cricketer Graham Derek Barlow is a former cricketer and was a middle-order batsman for Middlesex and, briefly, for England. Read more
• 26 Mar 1950: Martin Short, Canadian-American actor, screenwriter, and producer Martin Hayter Short is a Canadian comedian, actor, and writer. Short is known as an energetic comedian who gained prominence for his roles in sketch comedy. He has also acted in numerous films and television shows. His awards include two Primetime Emmy Awards, two Actor Awards, and a Tony Award. Short was made an officer of the Order of Canada in 2019. Read more
• 26 Mar 1950: Alan Silvestri, American composer and conductor Alan Anthony Silvestri is an American composer, conductor, orchestrator and music producer of film scores. He has received two Grammy Awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards as well as nominations for two Academy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. Read more
• 26 Mar 1949: Jon English, English-Australian singer-songwriter and actor (died 2016) Jonathan James English was an English-born Australian singer, songwriter, musician and actor. He emigrated from England to Australia with his parents in 1961. He was an early vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Sebastian Hardie but left to take on the role of Judas Iscariot in the Australian version of the stage musical Jesus Christ Superstar from May 1972, which was broadcast on television. English was also a solo singer; his Australian top twenty hit singles include "Turn the Page", "Hollywood Seven", "Words are Not Enough", "Six Ribbons" and "Hot Town". Read more
• 26 Mar 1949: Rudi Koertzen, South African cricketer and umpire (died 2022) Rudolf Eric Koertzen was a South African international cricket umpire and former cricketer. A cricket enthusiast since his youth, he played league cricket while working as a clerk for South African Railways. He began umpiring in 1981, before becoming a full-time official eleven years later. In an international career spanning 18 years, he officiated in a record 331 matches and is only behind Aleem Dar in officiating as an umpire in most international matches. Read more
• 26 Mar 1949: Vicki Lawrence, American actress, comedian, talk show host, and singer Vicki Lawrence, sometimes credited as Vicki Lawrence Schultz, is an American actress, comedian, and singer. She is best known for her character Mama. Lawrence also originated many other characters on CBS's The Carol Burnett Show from 1967 to 1978, the variety show's entire series run. Read more
• 26 Mar 1949: Fran Sheehan, American bass player Fran Sheehan is an American rock musician best known for being the bass player in the original incarnation of the rock band Boston. Read more
• 26 Mar 1949: Patrick Süskind, German author and screenwriter Patrick Süskind is a German writer and screenwriter, known best for his novel Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, first published in 1985. Read more
• 26 Mar 1949: Ernest Lee Thomas, American actor Ernest Lee Thomas is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Roger "Rog" Thomas on the 1970s ABC sitcom What's Happening!! and its 1980s syndicated sequel, What's Happening Now!!, and for his recurring role as Mr. Omar on Everybody Hates Chris. Read more
• 26 Mar 1948: Kyung-wha Chung, South Korean violinist and educator Kyung Wha Chung is a South Korean violinist. Read more
• 26 Mar 1948: Richard Tandy, English pianist and keyboard player (died 2024) Richard Tandy was an English musician. He was the full-time keyboardist in the band Electric Light Orchestra ("ELO"). His palette of keyboards was an important ingredient in the group's sound, especially on the albums A New World Record (1976), Out of the Blue (1977), Discovery (1979) and Time (1981). He collaborated musically with ELO frontman Jeff Lynne on many projects, among them songs for the Electric Dreams soundtrack, Lynne's solo album Armchair Theatre and Lynne-produced Dave Edmunds album Information. Read more
• 26 Mar 1948: Steven Tyler, American singer-songwriter and actor Steven Victor Tallarico, known professionally as Steven Tyler, is an American singer and songwriter. Tyler is best known as the lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the keyboards, harmonica and percussion. He has been called the "Demon of Screamin'" due to his powerful high screams and his wide vocal range. He is also known for his on-stage acrobatics. During live performances, Tyler is known for dressing in colorful, sometimes androgynous outfits and makeup with his trademark scarves hanging from his microphone stand. Read more
• 26 Mar 1947: Subhash Kak, Indian-American professor and author Subhash Kak is an Indian-American computer scientist and Hindutva historical revisionist. He is the Regents Professor of the School of Electrical & Computer Engineering at Oklahoma State University–Stillwater, an honorary visiting professor of engineering at Jawaharlal Nehru University, and a member of the Indian Prime Minister's Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC). Read more
• 26 Mar 1947: John Rowles, New Zealand-Australian singer-songwriter Sir John Edward Rowles is a New Zealand singer. He was most popular in the late 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s, and he is best known in New Zealand for his song "If I Only Had Time" and from 1970, "Cheryl Moana Marie", which he wrote about his younger sister Read more
• 26 Mar 1946: Johnny Crawford, American actor and singer (died 2021) John Ernest Crawford was an American actor and singer. He first performed before a national audience as a Mouseketeer. At age 12, Crawford rose to prominence playing Mark McCain in the series The Rifleman, for which he was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Emmy Award at age 13. Read more
• 26 Mar 1946: Alain Madelin, French politician, French Minister of Finance Alain Madelin is a French politician. Read more
• 26 Mar 1945: Paul Bérenger, Mauritian politician, Prime Minister of Mauritius Paul Raymond Bérenger is a Mauritian politician who served as the fourth prime minister of Mauritius from 2003 to 2005. Bérenger previously served as deputy prime minister during three stints: from 1995 to 1997, 2000 to 2003 and 2024 to 2026. Read more
• 26 Mar 1945: Mikhail Voronin, Russian gymnast and coach (died 2004) Mikhail Yakovlevich Voronin was a Soviet and Russian gymnast who competed for the Soviet Union in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He won seven medals, including two gold, at the 1968 Summer Olympics, as well as two silver medals at the 1972 Summer Olympics. Read more
• 26 Mar 1944: Diana Ross, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress Diana Ross is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown", she was the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. They remain the best-charting female group in history, with a total of 12 number-one pop singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Read more
• 26 Mar 1943: Mustafa Kalemli, Turkish physician and politician, Turkish Minister of the Interior Mustafa Kalemli is a Turkish physician and politician, who served as government minister and Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly. Read more
• 26 Mar 1943: Bob Woodward, American journalist and author Robert Upshur Woodward is an American investigative journalist. He started working for The Washington Post as a reporter in 1971 and now holds the honorific title of associate editor there, though the Post no longer employs him. Read more
• 26 Mar 1942: Erica Jong, American novelist and poet Erica Jong is an American novelist, satirist, and poet known particularly for her 1973 novel Fear of Flying. The book became famously controversial for its attitudes towards female sexuality and figured prominently in the development of second-wave feminism. The Washington Post said in 2013 that it had sold more than 20 million copies worldwide, while by 2022, The New York Times reported that worldwide sales of the book had increased to over 37 million copies. Read more
• 26 Mar 1941: Richard Dawkins, Kenyan-English ethologist, biologist, and academic Richard Dawkins is a British evolutionary biologist, zoologist, science communicator and author. He is an emeritus fellow of New College, Oxford. In 1995 he was named the first Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science, a position he held until 2008, and is on the advisory board of the University of Austin. Dawkins has won several academic and writing awards, among them the 2005 Shakespeare Prize and the 2006 Lewis Thomas Prize. Presenting the latter, Paul Nurse said "In eloquent, evocative prose, Richard Dawkins conveys the certainty that, rather than diminishing the myriad beauties of the universe and extinguishing wonderment at its mysteries, science reveals truths that are yet more awe-inspiring than the mysteries they solve." Read more
• 26 Mar 1941: Lella Lombardi, Italian racing driver (died 1992) Maria Grazia "Lella" Lombardi was an Italian racing driver who participated in 17 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix from 1974 to 1976. Lombardi was the second female driver to qualify for Formula One, after Maria Teresa de Filippis, and is the only female driver who finished within the points in Formula One, having scored half a point in the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix. Lombardi was also the first woman to qualify and compete in the Race of Champions at Brands Hatch, and raced in sports cars. She won the 1979 6 Hours of Pergusa, the 1979 6 Hours of Vallelunga and the 1981 6 Hours of Mugello, and finished 2nd in her class at the 1976 24 Hours of Le Mans. Read more
• 26 Mar 1940: James Caan, American actor and singer (died 2022) James Edmund Caan was an American actor. He came to prominence playing Sonny Corleone in The Godfather (1972), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1978. Read more
• 26 Mar 1940: Nancy Pelosi, American lawyer and politician, 52nd Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Patricia Pelosi is an American politician who was the 52nd speaker of the United States House of Representatives, serving from 2007 to 2011 and again from 2019 to 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, she was the first female elected speaker and the first woman to lead a major political party in either chamber of Congress, heading the House Democrats from 2003 to 2023. Her 20 years as a House party leader are tied with Joe Martin's as the second-longest after Sam Rayburn. Pelosi is in her 20th term, having served in the House since 1987, representing California's 11th congressional district, which includes most of San Francisco. She is the dean of California's congressional delegation. Read more
• 26 Mar 1940: Jörg Streli, Austrian architect Jörg Streli was an Austrian architect and academic teacher at the Innsbruck University. With two colleagues, as the firm Heinz & Mathoi & Streli, he built private homes in the alpine landscape of Tyrol, schools, offices and public buildings, among others. He was also president of the architecture section of the Ingenieur- und Architektenkammer für Tirol und Vorarlberg. Read more
• 26 Mar 1938: Norman Ackroyd, English painter and illustrator Norman Ackroyd was an English visual artist known primarily for his etchings and work with aquatint. He lived and was based in Bermondsey, London. Read more
• 26 Mar 1938: Anthony James Leggett, English-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2026) Sir Anthony James Leggett was a British–American theoretical physicist and professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). Leggett was widely recognised as a world leader in the theory of low-temperature physics, and his pioneering work on superfluidity was recognised by the 2003 Nobel Prize in Physics. He shaped the theoretical understanding of normal and superfluid helium liquids and strongly coupled superfluids. He set directions for research in the quantum physics of macroscopic dissipative systems and use of condensed systems to test the foundations of quantum mechanics. Read more
• 26 Mar 1937: Wayne Embry, American basketball player and manager Wayne Richard Embry is an American former professional basketball player and basketball executive. Embry's 11-year playing career as a center spanned from 1958 to 1969 playing for the Cincinnati Royals, Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks, all of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After his playing career, Embry transitioned to a career as a professional basketball executive, becoming the first African American general manager and team president in NBA history. In 1999, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Read more
• 26 Mar 1937: Barbara Jones, American sprinter Barbara Pearl Jones is a retired American sprinter. She was part of the 4 × 100 m relay teams that won gold medals at the 1952 and 1960 Olympics and at the 1955 and 1959 Pan American Games. At the 1952 Olympics she became the youngest woman to win an Olympic gold medal in athletics, aged 15 years 123 days. She later became a member of the U.S. Paralympic Games Committee. Read more
• 26 Mar 1937: James Lee, Canadian businessman and politician, 26th Premier of Prince Edward Island (died 2023) James Matthew Lee was a Canadian politician who was the 26th premier of Prince Edward Island from 1981 to 1986. He was the leader of the PEI Progressive Conservative Party from 1981 to 1987. Read more
• 26 Mar 1934: Alan Arkin, American actor (died 2023) Alan Wolf Arkin was an American actor, filmmaker and musician. In a career spanning seven decades, he received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Tony Award as well as nominations for six Emmy Awards. Read more
• 26 Mar 1934: Edvaldo Alves de Santa Rosa, Brazilian footballer (died 2002) Edvaldo Alves de Santa Rosa, better known as Dida, was a Brazilian footballer who played as a forward or attacking midfielder. Following his retirement, he remained with Flamengo, working for two decades with the club's youth teams. Read more
• 26 Mar 1933: Tinto Brass, Italian director and screenwriter Giovanni "Tinto" Brass is an Italian film director and screenwriter. In the 1960s and 1970s, he directed many critically acclaimed avant-garde films of various genres. Today, he is mainly known for his later work in the erotic genre, with films such as Caligula, Così fan tutte, Paprika, Monella and Trasgredire. Read more
• 26 Mar 1932: Leroy Griffith, American businessman Leroy Charles Griffith is an American theater and nightclub proprietor, former Broadway and off-Broadway theater producer and director, and former burlesque and adult film producer. In a career spanning 75 years, he owned, leased, or operated more than 70 theaters, cinemas, and nightclubs across the United States, dating from the burlesque era of the 1950s to the present. Earl Wilson, among others, nicknamed him "Burlesque King." Read more
• 26 Mar 1932: James Andrew Harris, American chemist and academic (died 2000) James Andrew Harris was an American radiochemist who was involved in the discovery of elements 104 and 105. Harris was the head of the Heavy Isotopes Production Group, part of the Nuclear Chemistry Division of the University of California, Berkeley. Harris is known for being the first African American to contribute to the discovery of new elements. Read more
• 26 Mar 1931: Leonard Nimoy, American actor (died 2015) Leonard Simon Nimoy was an American actor and director, famous for playing Spock in the Star Trek franchise for almost 50 years. This includes originating Spock in the original Star Trek series in 1966, then Star Trek: The Animated Series, the first six Star Trek films, Star Trek: The Next Generation, the 2009 Star Trek film, and Star Trek Into Darkness. Nimoy also directed films, including Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986), and Three Men and a Baby (1987), and his career included roles in music videos and video games. In addition to acting and filmmaking, Nimoy was a photographer, author, singer, and songwriter. Read more
• 26 Mar 1930: Gregory Corso, American poet (died 2001) Gregory Nunzio Corso was an American poet. Along with Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and William S. Burroughs, he was part of the Beat Generation, as well as one of its youngest members. Read more
• 26 Mar 1930: Sandra Day O'Connor, American lawyer and jurist (died 2023) Sandra Day O'Connor was an American attorney, politician, and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1981 to 2006. Nominated by President Ronald Reagan, O'Connor was the first woman to serve as a U.S. Supreme Court justice. A moderate conservative, she was considered a swing vote. Before O'Connor's tenure on the Court, she was an Arizona state judge and earlier an elected legislator in Arizona, serving as the first female majority leader of a state senate as the Republican leader in the Arizona Senate. Upon her nomination to the Court, O'Connor was confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate. Read more
• 26 Mar 1929: Charles Dumont, French singer and composer (died 2024) Charles Gaston Dumont was a French singer and composer. Dumont is best remembered for writing or co-writing more than 30 of the most well-known songs recorded by singer Édith Piaf, including "Non, je ne regrette rien". Read more
• 26 Mar 1929: Edward Sorel, American illustrator and caricaturist Edward Sorel is an American illustrator, caricaturist, cartoonist, graphic designer and author. His work is known for its storytelling, its left-liberal social commentary, and its criticism of right-wing politics and organized religion. Formerly a regular contributor to The Nation, New York Magazine and The Atlantic, his work is today seen more frequently in Vanity Fair. He has been hailed by The New York Times as "one of America's foremost political satirists". As a lifelong New Yorker, a large portion of his work interprets the life, culture and political events of New York City. There is also a large body of work which is nostalgic for the stars of 1930s and 1940s Hollywood when Sorel was a youth. Sorel is noted for his wavy pen-and-ink style, which he describes as "spontaneous direct drawing". Read more
• 26 Mar 1929: Edwin Turney, American businessman, co-founded Advanced Micro Devices (died 2008) Edwin James Turney is best known as one of the founders of Advanced Micro Devices serving as the Vice President of Sales and Administration from 1969 to 1974. Read more
• 26 Mar 1927: Harold Chapman, English photographer (died 2022) Harold Stephen Chapman was a British photographer noted for chronicling the 1950s and 60s in Paris. Read more
• 26 Mar 1925: Maqsood Ahmed, Pakistani cricketer (died 1999) Maqsood Ahmed was a Pakistani cricketer who played in 16 Test matches from 1952 to 1955. He was educated at Islamia College, Lahore. Read more
• 26 Mar 1925: Pierre Boulez, French pianist, composer, and conductor (died 2016) Pierre Louis Joseph Boulez was a French composer, conductor and writer, and the founder of several musical institutions. He was one of the dominant figures of post-war contemporary classical music. Read more
• 26 Mar 1925: Vesta Roy, American politician, Governor of New Hampshire (died 2002) Vesta M. Roy was an American Republican politician. She was the first woman to ever serve as the President of The New Hampshire Senate, Acting Governor, and Governor of New Hampshire. Her brief time as Governor was a complicated New Hampshire Constitutional set of events that unfolded when the sitting, post-election, outgoing governor fell ill and died just prior to the end of his term in January, 1983. Read more
• 26 Mar 1925: Edward Graham, Baron Graham of Edmonton, English soldier and politician (died 2020) Thomas Edward Graham, Baron Graham of Edmonton, was a British Labour and Co-operative politician. He was the Member of Parliament for Edmonton from 1974 to 1983, and became a life peer in 1983. Read more
• 26 Mar 1925: Ben Mondor, Canadian-American businessman (died 2010) Bernard Georges "Ben" Mondor was a Canadian-born American business executive and baseball executive, best known as the owner of the Pawtucket Red Sox from 1977 until his death. Read more
• 26 Mar 1925: James Moody, American saxophonist and composer (died 2010) James Moody was an American jazz saxophone and flute player and very occasional vocalist, playing predominantly in the bebop and hard bop styles. The annual James Moody Jazz Festival is held in Newark, New Jersey. Read more
• 26 Mar 1923: Gert Bastian, German general and politician (died 1992) Gert Bastian was a German military officer and politician with the German Green Party. Read more
• 26 Mar 1923: Bob Elliott, American comedian, actor, and screenwriter (died 2016) Robert Brackett Elliott was an American comedian and actor, one-half of the comedy duo of Bob and Ray. He was the father of comedian/actor Chris Elliott and grandfather of actresses and comedians Abby Elliott and Bridey Elliott. He is most remembered for the character of radio reporter Wally Ballou. Read more
• 26 Mar 1922: William Milliken, American politician, 44th Governor of Michigan (died 2019) William Grawn Milliken was an American businessman and politician who served as the 44th governor of Michigan from 1969 to 1983. A member of the Republican Party, he assumed the governorship following the resignation of George Romney and went on to win three terms in 1970, 1974, and 1978, becoming the longest-serving governor in Michigan history. During this period he dealt with dramatic changes to the state economy, due to industrial restructuring and challenges to the auto industry, resulting in loss of jobs and population from Detroit, the state's largest city. He also oversaw the PBB crisis and adopted a policy of environmental protection and conservation. Read more
• 26 Mar 1922: Oscar Sala, Italian-Brazilian physicist and academic (died 2010) Oscar Sala, Italian-Brazilian nuclear physicist and important scientific leader, Emeritus Professor of the Institute of Physics, University of São Paulo. Read more
• 26 Mar 1922: Guido Stampacchia, Italian mathematician and academic (died 1978) Guido Stampacchia was an Italian mathematician, known for his work on the theory of variational inequalities, the calculus of variation and the theory of elliptic partial differential equations. Read more
• 26 Mar 1920: Sergio Livingstone, Chilean footballer and journalist (died 2012) Serjio Robert "Sergio" Livingstone Pohlhammer was a Chilean goalkeeper, who later became a well-regarded journalist. He was nicknamed "El Sapo" for his typical posture in the goal. From 1938 to 1959 he played primarily for CD Universidad Católica in Santiago. With Chile he took part in seven Copa América and one FIFA World Cup, earning 52 caps. IFFHS rated him as the 9th greatest South American keeper of the 20th century. Read more
• 26 Mar 1919: Strother Martin, American actor (died 1980) Strother Douglas Martin Jr. was an American actor, who appeared in over 170 film and television productions between 1950 and 1980, mainly in character roles. He often appeared in support of John Wayne and Paul Newman, and in Westerns directed by John Ford and Sam Peckinpah. He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for his role on the television legal drama Hawkins (1973–74). Read more
• 26 Mar 1919: Roger Leger, Canadian ice hockey player (died 1965) Joseph Ernest Roger Léger was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played 187 games in the National Hockey League with the Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers from 1943 to 1950. He was born in L'Annonciation, Quebec. Read more
• 26 Mar 1917: Rufus Thomas, American R&B singer-songwriter (died 2001) Rufus C. Thomas, Jr. was an American rhythm-and-blues, funk, soul and blues singer, songwriter, dancer, DJ and comic entertainer from Memphis, Tennessee. He recorded for several labels, including Chess Records and Sun Records in the 1950s, before becoming established in the 1960s and 1970s at Stax Records. His dance records, including "Walking the Dog" (1963), "Do the Funky Chicken" (1969), and "(Do the) Push and Pull" (1970), were some of his most successful songs. According to the Mississippi Blues Commission, "Rufus Thomas embodied the spirit of Memphis music perhaps more than any other artist, and from the early 1940s until his death . . . occupied many important roles in the local scene." Read more
• 26 Mar 1916: Christian B. Anfinsen, American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1995) Christian Boehmer Anfinsen Jr. was an American biochemist. He shared the 1972 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Stanford Moore and William Howard Stein for work on ribonuclease, especially concerning the connection between the amino acid sequence and the biologically active conformation. Read more
• 26 Mar 1916: Bill Edrich, English cricketer and footballer (died 1986) William John Edrich was a first-class cricketer who played for Middlesex, Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), Norfolk and England. Read more
• 26 Mar 1916: Sterling Hayden, American actor and author (died 1986) Sterling Walter Hayden was an American actor. A leading man for most of his career, he specialized in Westerns and film noir throughout the 1950s, in films such as John Huston's The Asphalt Jungle (1950), Nicholas Ray's Johnny Guitar (1954), and Stanley Kubrick's The Killing (1956). In the 1960s, he became noted for supporting roles, perhaps most memorably as General Jack D. Ripper in Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964). Read more
• 26 Mar 1915: Lennart Strandberg, Swedish sprinter (died 1989) Hans Lennart Olofsson Strandberg was a Swedish sprinter. He specialized in the 100 metres event, in which he won a bronze medal at the 1938 European Championships and finished sixth at the 1936 Summer Olympics. In 1938, he also won a silver medal with the Swedish 4 × 100 m relay team. Read more
• 26 Mar 1915: Hwang Sun-won, North Korean author and poet (died 2000) Hwang Sun-wŏn was a Korean short story writer, novelist, and poet. Read more
• 26 Mar 1914: Toru Kumon, Japanese mathematician and academic (died 1995) Toru Kumon was a Japanese mathematics educator. He was born in Kōchi Prefecture, Japan. He graduated from the College of Science at Osaka University with a degree in mathematics and taught high school mathematics in his home town of Osaka. Read more
• 26 Mar 1914: William Westmoreland, American general (died 2005) William Childs Westmoreland was a United States Army general, most notably the commander of United States forces during the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1968. Read more
• 26 Mar 1913: Jacqueline de Romilly, Franco-Greek philologist, author, and scholar (died 2010) Jacqueline Worms de Romilly was a French philologist, classical scholar and fiction writer. She was the first woman nominated to the Collège de France, and in 1988, the second woman to enter the Académie française. Read more
• 26 Mar 1913: Paul Erdős, Hungarian-Polish mathematician and academic (died 1996) Paul Erdős was a Hungarian mathematician. He was one of the most prolific mathematicians and producers of mathematical conjectures of the 20th century. Erdős pursued and proposed problems in discrete mathematics, graph theory, number theory, mathematical analysis, approximation theory, set theory, and probability theory. Much of his work centered on discrete mathematics, cracking many previously unsolved problems in the field. He championed and contributed to Ramsey theory, which studies the conditions in which order necessarily appears. Overall, his work leaned towards solving previously open problems, rather than developing or exploring new areas of mathematics. Read more
• 26 Mar 1911: Lennart Atterwall, Swedish javelin thrower (died 2001) Lennart Folke Alfons Atterwall was a Swedish javelin thrower who competed at the 1936 Summer Olympics. Read more
• 26 Mar 1911: J. L. Austin, English philosopher and academic (died 1960) John Langshaw Austin was an English philosopher of language and leading proponent of ordinary language philosophy, best known for developing the theory of speech acts. Read more
• 26 Mar 1911: Bernard Katz, German-English biophysicist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2003) Sir Bernard Katz, FRS was a German-born British physician and biophysicist, noted for his work on nerve physiology; specifically, for his work on synaptic transmission at the nerve-muscle junction. He shared the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine in 1970 with Julius Axelrod and Ulf von Euler. He was made a Knight Bachelor in 1969. Read more
• 26 Mar 1911: Tennessee Williams, American playwright, and poet (died 1983) Thomas Lanier Williams III, known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the three foremost playwrights of 20th-century American drama. Read more
• 26 Mar 1910: K. W. Devanayagam, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician, 10th Sri Lankan Minister of Justice (died 2002) Deshamanya Kanapathipillai William "Bill" Devanayagam was a Sri Lankan Tamil lawyer, politician, government minister and Member of Parliament. Read more
• 26 Mar 1909: Chips Rafferty, Australian actor (died 1971) John William Pilbean Goffage MBE, known professionally as Chips Rafferty, was an Australian actor. Called "the living symbol of the typical Australian", Rafferty's career stretched from the late 1930s until he died in 1971, and during this time he performed regularly in major Australian feature films such as Wake in Fright, as well as appearing in British and American productions, including The Overlanders and The Sundowners. He appeared in commercials in Britain during the late 1950s, encouraging British emigration to Australia. Read more
• 26 Mar 1909: Héctor José Cámpora, former President of Argentina (died 1980) Héctor José Cámpora was an Argentine politician. A major figure of left-wing Peronism, Cámpora was briefly Argentine president from 25 May to 13 July 1973 and subsequently arranged for Juan Perón to run for president in an election that he subsequently won. The modern left-wing Peronist political youth organization La Cámpora is named after him. Read more
• 26 Mar 1908: Franz Stangl, Austrian-German SS officer (died 1971) Franz Paul Stangl was an Austrian police officer and commandant of the Nazi extermination camps Sobibor and Treblinka in World War II. Read more
• 26 Mar 1907: Azellus Denis, Canadian lawyer and politician, Postmaster General of Canada (died 1991) Azellus Denis, was a Canadian politician who served in the Parliament of Canada as a Member of Parliament and Senator for the longest period of time, 55 years, 10 months and 20 days. Read more
• 26 Mar 1907: Mahadevi Varma, Indian poet and activist (died 1987) Mahadevi Varma was an Indian Hindi-language poetess, essayist, and short-story writer. She is regarded by literary scholars as one of the four known figures of the Chhayavad movement in Hindi literature. Read more
• 26 Mar 1906: Rafael Méndez, Mexican trumpet player and composer (died 1981) Rafael Méndez was a Mexican virtuoso solo trumpeter. He is known as the "Heifetz of the Trumpet." Read more
• 26 Mar 1906: H. Radclyffe Roberts, American entomologist and museum administrator (died 1982) Howard Radclyffe Roberts Jr. was an American entomologist known for his work on grasshoppers. His 1941 University of Pennsylvania Ph.D. dissertation was an early work highlighting the role phallic structures could play in grasshopper taxonomy. While serving in World War II, he and Edward Shearman Ross cowrote The Mosquito Atlas, used by the armed forces to identify malaria-transmitting mosquitos. Roberts worked for the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (ANSP), serving as its managing director from 1947 to 1972. He described dozens of grasshopper species from North and South America, and also is the eponym of several taxa named in his honor. Read more
• 26 Mar 1905: Monty Berman, English cinematographer and producer (died 2006) Nestor Montague "Monty" Berman was a British cinematographer and film and television producer. Read more
• 26 Mar 1905: André Cluytens, Belgian-French conductor and director (died 1967) Augustin Zulma Alphonse "André" Cluytens was a Belgian-born French conductor who was active in the concert hall, opera house and recording studio. His repertoire extended from Viennese classics through French composers to 20th century works. Although much of his career was spent in France, he was the first French conductor at Bayreuth in 1955; he also conducted The Ring and Parsifal at La Scala. Read more
• 26 Mar 1905: Viktor Frankl, Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist (died 1997) Viktor Emil Frankl
  was an Austrian neurologist, psychiatrist, philosopher, and Holocaust survivor, who founded logotherapy, a school of psychotherapy that describes a search for a life's meaning as the central human motivational force. Logotherapy is part of existential and humanistic psychology theories. Read more
• 26 Mar 1905: Mona Williams, American novelist, short story writer and poet (died 1991) Mona Williams was an American novelist and poet, best known as the author of the novelette from which the 1954 feature film, Woman's World, was adapted. She also contributed articles, fiction and poetry to magazines including The Writer, McCall's, Ladies Home Journal and Cosmopolitan. Read more
• 26 Mar 1904: Joseph Campbell, American mythologist and author (died 1987) Joseph John Campbell was an American writer and the husband of Jean Erdman. He was a professor of literature at Sarah Lawrence College who worked in comparative mythology and comparative religion. His work covers many aspects of the human condition. Campbell's best-known work is his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949), in which he discusses his theory of the journey of the archetypal hero shared by world mythologies, termed the monomyth. Read more
• 26 Mar 1904: Emilio Fernández, Mexican actor, director, and screenwriter (died 1986) Emilio Fernández Romo, nicknamed "El Indio", was a Mexican film director, screenwriter, and actor. He was one of the most prolific and acclaimed film directors of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema in the 1940s and '50s. His film María Candelaria (1944) won the Palme d'Or at the 1946 Cannes Film Festival, the first Mexican film to receive the honor. As an actor, he worked in numerous film productions in both Mexico and in Hollywood. Read more
• 26 Mar 1904: Attilio Ferraris, Italian footballer (died 1947) Attilio Ferraris IV was an Italian footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. Read more
• 26 Mar 1904: Xenophon Zolotas, Greek economist and Prime Minister of Greece (died 2004) Xenophon Euthymiou Zolotas was a Greek economist who served as an interim non-party Prime Minister of Greece. Read more
• 26 Mar 1900: Angela Maria Autsch, German nun, died in Auschwitz helping Jewish prisoners (died 1941) Angela Maria Autsch, baptized as Maria Cäcilia Autsch, religious name Angela Maria of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, was a German religious sister of the Congregation Sisters of the Most Holy Trinity. Her beatification process was opened in 1992. Read more
• 26 Mar 1898: Rudolf Dassler, German businessman, founded Puma SE (died 1974) Rudolf "Rudi" Dassler was a German cobbler, inventor and businessman who founded the sportswear company Puma. Read more
• 26 Mar 1898: Charles Shadwell, English conductor and bandleader (died 1979) Charles Murray Winstanley Shadwell was a British conductor and bandleader. Read more
• 26 Mar 1895: Vilho Tuulos, Finnish triple jumper (died 1967) Vilho "Ville" Immanuel Tuulos was a Finnish triple jumper and long jumper, who won a gold medal at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp. Read more
• 26 Mar 1894: Viorica Ursuleac, Ukrainian-Romanian soprano and actress (died 1985) Viorica Ursuleac was a Romanian operatic dramatic soprano. Read more
• 26 Mar 1893: James Bryant Conant, American chemist, academic, and diplomat, 1st United States Ambassador to West Germany (died 1978) James Bryant Conant was an American chemist, a President of Harvard University, and the first U.S. Ambassador to West Germany. Read more
• 26 Mar 1893: Palmiro Togliatti, Italian journalist and politician, Italian Minister of Justice (died 1964) Palmiro Michele Nicola Togliatti was an Italian politician and statesman, who led the Italian Communist Party for nearly forty years, from 1927 until his death. Born into a middle-class family, Togliatti received an education in law at the University of Turin, later served as an officer and was wounded in World War I, and became a tutor. Described as "severe in approach but extremely popular among the Communist base" and "a hero of his time, capable of courageous personal feats", his supporters gave him the nickname il Migliore. In 1930, Togliatti renounced Italian citizenship, and he became a citizen of the Soviet Union. Upon his death, a Soviet city was named after him. Considered one of the founding fathers of the Italian Republic, he led Italy's Communist party from a few thousand members in 1943 to two million members in 1946. Read more
• 26 Mar 1888: Elsa Brändström, Swedish nurse and philanthropist (died 1948) Elsa Brändström was a Swedish nurse and philanthropist. She was known as the "Angel of Siberia". Read more
• 26 Mar 1886: Hugh Mulzac, Vincentian-American soldier and politician (died 1971) Hugh Nathaniel Mulzac was an African-Caribbean member of the United States Merchant Marine. He earned a Master rating in 1918, which should have qualified him to command a ship, but racial discrimination prevented this from occurring until September 29, 1942. Read more
• 26 Mar 1884: Wilhelm Backhaus, German pianist and educator (died 1969) Wilhelm Backhaus was a German pianist and pedagogue. He was particularly well known for his interpretations of Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, Chopin and Brahms. He was also much admired as a chamber musician. Read more
• 26 Mar 1884: Georges Imbert, French chemical engineer and inventor (died 1950) Georges Christian Peter Imbert was a French chemical engineer and inventor. He became famous for the invention of the wood gas generator. Read more
• 26 Mar 1882: Hermann Obrecht, Swiss politician (died 1940) Hermann Obrecht was a Swiss politician and member of the Swiss Federal Council (1935–1940). Read more
• 26 Mar 1881: Guccio Gucci, Italian fashion designer, founded Gucci (died 1953) Guccio Giovanbattista Giacinto Dario Maria Gucci was an Italian businessman and fashion designer and founder of the fashion house Gucci. Read more
• 26 Mar 1879: Othmar Ammann, Swiss-American engineer, designed the George Washington Bridge and Verrazzano–Narrows Bridge (died 1965) Othmar Hermann Ammann was a Swiss-American civil engineer whose bridge designs include the George Washington Bridge, Verrazzano–Narrows Bridge, and Bayonne Bridge. He also directed the planning and construction of the Lincoln Tunnel. Read more
• 26 Mar 1879: Waldemar Tietgens, German rower (died 1917) Oscar Waldemar Tietgens was a German rower who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics. He was part of the German boat Germania Ruder Club, Hamburg, which won the gold medal in the coxed fours final B. Read more
• 26 Mar 1876: William of Wied, prince of Albania (died 1945) Wilhelm, Prince of Albania was sovereign of the Principality of Albania from 7 March to 3 September 1914. His reign officially came to an end on 31 January 1925, when the country was declared an Albanian Republic. Read more
• 26 Mar 1876: Kate Richards O'Hare, American Socialist Party activist and editor (died 1948) Carrie Katherine "Kate" Richards O'Hare was an American socialist activist, editor, and orator best known for her controversial imprisonment during World War I. She was a longtime member of the Socialist Party of America. Read more
• 26 Mar 1875: Max Abraham, Polish-German physicist and academic (died 1922) Max Abraham was a German physicist known for his work on electromagnetism and his opposition to the theory of relativity. Read more
• 26 Mar 1875: Syngman Rhee, South Korean journalist and politician, 1st President of South Korea (died 1965) Syngman Rhee, also known by his art name Unam, was a South Korean politician who served as the first president of South Korea from 1948 until his resignation in 1960. His administration was characterised by authoritarianism, limited economic development, and in the late 1950s growing political instability and public opposition to his rule. Rhee previously was the first president of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea from 1919 until his impeachment in 1925 and again as the last president from 1947 to 1948. Read more
• 26 Mar 1874: Robert Frost, American poet and playwright (died 1963) Robert Lee Frost was an American poet. Known for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech, Frost frequently wrote about settings from rural life in New England in the early 20th century, using them to examine complex social and philosophical themes. Read more
• 26 Mar 1873: Dorothea Bleek, South African-German anthropologist and philologist (died 1948) Dorothea Frances Bleek was a South African-born German anthropologist and philologist known for her research on the Bushmen of Southern Africa. Read more
• 26 Mar 1868: King Fuad I of Egypt (died 1936) Fuad I was the Sultan and later King of Egypt and the Sudan. The ninth ruler of Egypt and Sudan from the Muhammad Ali dynasty, he became Sultan in 1917, succeeding his elder brother Hussein Kamel. He replaced the title of Sultan with King when the United Kingdom unilaterally declared Egyptian independence in 1922. Read more
• 26 Mar 1866: Fred Karno, English producer and manager (died 1941) Frederick John Westcott, best known by his stage name Fred Karno, was an English theatre impresario of the British music hall. As a comedian of slapstick he is credited with popularising the custard-pie-in-the-face gag. During the 1890s, in order to circumvent stage censorship, Karno developed a form of sketch comedy without dialogue. Read more
• 26 Mar 1860: André Prévost, French tennis player (died 1919) André Adrien Hippolyte Prévost was a tennis player competing for France. In 1900, he finished as the runner-up to Paul Aymé in the singles event of the Amateur French Championships. Prévost also competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, where he and Georges de la Chapelle shared the bronze medal with Harold Mahony and Arthur Norris in the men's doubles event. His relative, Yvonne, won silver in the women's singles. Read more
• 26 Mar 1859: A. E. Housman, English poet and scholar (died 1936) Alfred Edward Housman was an English classical scholar and poet. He showed early promise as a student at the University of Oxford, but he failed the final examination in literae humaniores and took employment as a patent examiner in London in 1882. In his spare time he engaged in textual criticism of classical Greek and Latin texts and his publications as an independent researcher earned him a high academic reputation and appointment as a professor of Latin at University College London in 1892. In 1911 he was appointed Kennedy Professor of Latin in the University of Cambridge. He is regarded as one of the foremost classicists of his age and one of the greatest classical scholars. His editions of Juvenal, Manilius, and Lucan are still considered authoritative. Read more
• 26 Mar 1859: Adolf Hurwitz, German-Swiss mathematician and academic (died 1919) Adolf Hurwitz was a German mathematician who worked on algebra, analysis, geometry and number theory. Read more
• 26 Mar 1857: Théodore Tuffier, French surgeon (died 1929) Théodore-Marin Tuffier was a French surgeon. He was a pioneer of pulmonary and cardiovascular surgery and of spinal anaesthesia. Read more
• 26 Mar 1856: William Massey, Irish-New Zealand farmer and politician, 19th Prime Minister of New Zealand (died 1925) William Ferguson Massey was a politician who served as the 19th prime minister of New Zealand from May 1912 to May 1925. He was the founding leader of the Reform Party, New Zealand's second organised political party, from 1909 until his death. Read more
• 26 Mar 1854: Maurice Lecoq, French target shooter (died 1925) Maurice Marie Lecoq was a French sport shooter who competed in the late 19th century and early 20th century. He participated in Shooting at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris and won a silver medal with the French military pistol team and a bronze medal in the military rifle team. He also competed at the 1906 Intercalated Games and the 1908 Summer Olympics. Read more
• 26 Mar 1852: Élémir Bourges, French author (died 1925) Élémir Bourges was a French novelist. A winner of the Goncourt Prize, he was also a member of the Académie Goncourt. Bourges, who accused the Naturalists of having "belittled and deformed man", was closely linked with the Decadent and Symbolist modes in literature. His works, which include the 1884 novel Le Crépuscule des dieux, were informed by both Richard Wagner and the Elizabethan dramatists. Read more
• 26 Mar 1850: Edward Bellamy, American author, socialist, and utopian visionary (died 1898) Edward Bellamy was an American author, journalist, and political activist most famous for his utopian novel Looking Backward. Bellamy's vision of a harmonious future world inspired the formation of numerous "Nationalist Clubs" dedicated to the propagation of state ownership of the main pillars of the economy, achieved through nationalization. Read more
• 26 Mar 1842: Alexandre Saint-Yves d'Alveydre, French occultist (died 1909) Joseph Alexandre Saint-Yves, Marquis d’Alveydre was a French occultist who adapted the works of Fabre d'Olivet (1767–1825) and, in turn, had his ideas adapted by Gérard Encausse alias Papus. His work on L'Archéomètre deeply influenced the young René Guénon. Read more
• 26 Mar 1830: Dewitt Clinton Senter, American politician, 18th Governor of Tennessee (died 1898) Dewitt Clinton Senter was an American politician who served as the 18th governor of Tennessee from 1869 to 1871. He had previously served in the Tennessee House of Representatives (1855–1861), where he opposed secession on the eve of the Civil War. He was elected to the Tennessee Senate following the war, and was chosen as Speaker of the Senate in 1867. As speaker, he became governor upon the resignation of William G. Brownlow in 1869. Read more
• 26 Mar 1829: Théodore Aubanel, French poet (died 1886) Théodore Aubanel was a Provençal poet. He was born in Avignon in a family of printers. Read more
• 26 Mar 1829: Georg Andreas Bull, Norwegian architect (died 1917) Georg Andreas Bull was a Norwegian architect and chief building inspector in Christiania for forty years. He was among the major architects in the country, and performed surveying studies and archeological research. Read more
• 26 Mar 1824: Julie-Victoire Daubié, French journalist (died 1874) Julie-Victoire Daubié was a French journalist. She was the first woman to have graduated from a French university when she obtained a licentiate degree in Lyon in 1871. Read more
• 26 Mar 1804: David Humphreys Storer, American physician and academic (died 1891) David Humphreys Storer was an American physician and naturalist. He served as dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Harvard Medical School from 1855 to 1864. Read more

🕊️ Important Deaths on 26 March in World History

• 26 Mar 2024: Esther Coopersmith, American diplomat, UNESCO goodwill ambassador (born 1930) Esther Lipsen Coopersmith was an American diplomat, philanthropist, political lobbyist, and a champion for women's equality. For over 70 years, she organized gatherings, from small dinners to grand formal ones, across the world. Her guest list varied from politicians and visiting royals to academics and actors. In 2009, UNESCO named her a goodwill ambassador for "fostering intercultural dialogue". Read more
• 26 Mar 2023: María Kodama, Argentine writer and translator (born 1937) María Kodama Schweizer was an Argentine writer and translator. The widow of author Jorge Luis Borges, she was the sole owner of his estate after his death in 1986. Borges had bequeathed to Kodama his rights as author in a will written in 1979, when she was his literary secretary, and bequeathed to her his whole estate in 1985. They were married in 1986, shortly before Borges' death. Read more
• 26 Mar 2023: Innocent Vareed Thekkethala, Indian actor and politician (born 1948) Innocent Vareed Thekkethala, known mononymously as Innocent, was an Indian actor, film producer, writer and politician, who in a career spanning almost five decades has appeared in over 700 films predominantly in Malayalam cinema in addition to a few Tamil, Kannada, Hindi and English films, mostly in comedic roles. Widely regarded as one of the greatest comedians in the history of Malayalam cinema, he is also known for his negative and highly nuanced character roles. He is also the recipient of several awards, including three Kerala State Film Awards, a Kerala Film Critics Award, a Filmfare Awards South and seven Asianet Film Awards. He also won the prestigious Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Humour in 2020, for his book Irinjalakudakku Chuttum. He is noted for his wit and impressive dialogue delivery in the typical Thrissur slang. Read more
• 26 Mar 2023: Jacob Ziv, Israeli electrical engineer, developed the LZ family of compression algorithms (born 1931) Jacob Ziv was an Israeli electrical engineer and information theorist who developed the LZ family of lossless data compression algorithms alongside Abraham Lempel. He is also a namesake of the Ziv–Zakai bound in estimation theory, with Moshe Zakai. Read more
• 26 Mar 2018: Fabrizio Frizzi, Italian television presenter (born 1958) Fabrizio Frizzi was an Italian television presenter and voice actor. He often presented a mixture of variety shows, talent shows and game shows across Italy and he was also known as the Italian voice of Woody from the Toy Story franchise. Read more
• 26 Mar 2016: Jim Harrison, American novelist, essayist, and poet (born 1937) James Harrison was an American poet, novelist, and essayist. He was a prolific and versatile writer publishing over three dozen books in several genres including poetry, fiction, nonfiction, children's literature, and memoir. He wrote screenplays, book reviews, literary criticism, and published essays on food, travel, and sport. Harrison indicated that, of all his writing, his poetry meant the most to him. Read more
• 26 Mar 2015: Dinkha IV, Iraqi patriarch (born 1935) Mar Dinkha IV, born Dinkha Khanania was an Eastern Christian prelate who served as the 120th Catholicos-Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East. He was born in the village of Darbandokeh (Derbendoki), Iraq, and led the Church in exile in Chicago for most of his life. He was the first patriarch in 4 centuries not from the Shimun family. Read more
• 26 Mar 2015: Friedrich L. Bauer, German mathematician, computer scientist, and academic (born 1924) Friedrich Ludwig "Fritz" Bauer was a German pioneer of computer science and professor at the Technical University of Munich. Read more
• 26 Mar 2015: Tomas Tranströmer, Swedish poet, translator, and psychologist Nobel Prize laureate (born 1931) Tomas Gösta Tranströmer was a Swedish poet, psychologist and translator. His poems captured the long winters in Sweden, the rhythm of the seasons and the palpable, atmospheric beauty of nature. Tranströmer's work is also characterized by a sense of mystery and wonder underlying the routine of everyday life, a quality which often gives his poems a religious dimension. He has been described as a Christian poet. Read more
• 26 Mar 2014: Roger Birkman, American psychologist and author (born 1919) Roger Winfred Birkman was an American organizational psychologist. He was the creator of The Birkman Method, a workplace psychological assessment. Birkman received his Ph.D. in psychology in 1961 from the University of Texas at Austin. He was the founder and chairman of the board of Birkman International, Inc. Read more
• 26 Mar 2014: Dick Guidry, American businessman and politician (born 1929) Richard P. Guidry, known as Dick Guidry was an American politician and businessman, who served as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives. Read more
• 26 Mar 2014: Marcus Kimball, Baron Kimball, English politician (born 1928) Marcus Richard Kimball, Baron Kimball was a British Conservative politician. Read more
• 26 Mar 2013: Tom Boerwinkle, American basketball player and sportscaster (born 1945) Thomas F. Boerwinkle was an American National Basketball Association (NBA) center who spent his entire career with the Chicago Bulls. Read more
• 26 Mar 2013: Krzysztof Kozłowski, Polish journalist and politician, Polish Minister of Interior (born 1931) Krzysztof Jan Kozlowski was a Polish journalist and politician. He served as Poland's Minister of the former Interior and Administration with the Cabinet of Prime Minister Tadeusz Mazowiecki from 1990 until 1991.. Kozlowski also served as the first Chief of the Urząd Ochrony Państwa (UOP) from 1990 to 1992 and was elected to the Senate of the Republic of Poland for four terms. Read more
• 26 Mar 2013: Dave Leggett, American baseball player (born 1933) William David Leggett was a National Football League (NFL) quarterback. He played collegiately at Ohio State University from 1952–1954. In 1954, he led Ohio State to an undefeated 10–0 season and a berth in the Rose Bowl, where Ohio State defeated USC and Leggett was named MVP. He was drafted by the Chicago Cardinals in the 7th round of the 1955 NFL draft. Read more
• 26 Mar 2013: Don Payne, American screenwriter and producer (born 1964) William Donald Payne was an American writer and producer. He wrote several episodes of The Simpsons after 2000, many of these with John Frink, whom he met while studying at the University of California, Los Angeles. The duo began their careers writing for the short-lived sitcom Hope and Gloria. Payne later moved into writing feature films, including My Super Ex-Girlfriend (2006), and co-wrote Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), Thor (2011) and its sequel Thor: The Dark World (2013). Payne died from heart failure caused by bone cancer in March 2013. Read more
• 26 Mar 2012: Sisto Averno, American football player (born 1925) Sisto Joseph "Joe" Averno was an American professional football guard and linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the original Baltimore Colts (1950) and the franchises which succeeded it, including the New York Yanks (1951), Dallas Texans (1952), and the second iteration of the Baltimore Colts (1953–1954). Read more
• 26 Mar 2012: Michael Begley, Irish carpenter and politician (born 1932) Michael Begley was an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as Minister of State at the Department of Trade, Commerce and Tourism from 1981 to 1982, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance from 1975 to 1977 and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Local Government from 1973 to 1975. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Kerry South constituency from 1969 to 1989. Read more
• 26 Mar 2012: Thomas M. Cover, American theorist and academic (born 1938) Thomas M. Cover was an American information theorist and professor jointly in the Departments of Electrical Engineering and Statistics at Stanford University. He devoted almost his entire career to developing the relationship between information theory and statistics. Read more
• 26 Mar 2012: David Craighead, American organist and educator (born 1924) David Craighead was a noted American organist. Read more
• 26 Mar 2012: Manik Godghate, Indian poet and educator (born 1937) Manik Godghate, popularly known by his pen name Grace, was a Marathi prose writer and poet. He is most popular as lyricist of the Marathi song "Bhaya Ithale Sampat Nahi", which was sung by Lata Mangeshkar as the title track for the TV serial Mahashweta. His book Vaaryane Halte Raan was awarded the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award in 2011. Read more
• 26 Mar 2012: Helmer Ringgren, Swedish theologian and academic (born 1917) Karl Vilhelm Helmer Ringgren, was a Swedish theologian. Read more
• 26 Mar 2011: Roger Abbott, English-Canadian actor, producer, and screenwriter (born 1946) Roger Abbott was an English-born Canadian sketch comedian who was a founding member of the long-lived Canadian comedy troupe Royal Canadian Air Farce, and remained one of its stars and writers until his death. Read more
• 26 Mar 2011: Geraldine Ferraro, American lawyer and politician (born 1935) Geraldine Anne Ferraro was an American politician, diplomat, and attorney who served in the United States House of Representatives, representing New York's 9th congressional district from 1979 to 1985. She was the Democratic Party nominee for vice president in the 1984 presidential election, running alongside presidential candidate and former vice president Walter Mondale; this made her the first female vice-presidential nominee representing a major American political party. She was also a journalist, author, and businesswoman. Read more
• 26 Mar 2011: Diana Wynne Jones, English author (born 1934) Diana Wynne Jones was a British novelist, poet, academic, literary critic, and short story writer. She principally wrote fantasy and speculative fiction novels for children and young adults. Although usually described as fantasy, some of her work also incorporates science fiction themes and elements of realism. Jones's work often explores themes of time travel and parallel or multiple universes. Some of her better-known works are the Chrestomanci series, the Dalemark series, the three Moving Castle novels, Dark Lord of Derkholm, and The Tough Guide to Fantasyland. Read more
• 26 Mar 2010: Charles Ryskamp, American art collector and curator (born 1928) Charles Ryskamp was an American art director. He headed both the Frick Collection and the Pierpont Morgan Library, was a longtime professor at Princeton University, and collected drawings and prints. He was born in East Grand Rapids, Michigan. At the time of his death the Yale Center for British Art had selections from his collection featured in the exhibition "Varieties of Romantic Experience: Drawings from the Collection of Charles Ryskamp". This exhibition, which was to be up from February 4 until April 25, 2010, included works from Ryskamp's collection by Romantic period artists such as J. M. W. Turner, William Blake, David Wilkie and Caspar David Friedrich. His collection of Danish Golden Age drawings with works by among others Christen Købke and Johan Thomas Lundbye was one of the finest in private hands. Read more
• 26 Mar 2009: Shane McConkey, Canadian skier and BASE jumper (born 1969) Shane McConkey was a professional skier and BASE jumper. He was born in Vancouver, British Columbia and eventually based himself in Olympic Valley, California. Due to an itinerant childhood, he never identified with a single place, but he was said to have come from Boulder, Colorado. It was from here that he started his professional skiing career. He did so after dropping out of the University of Colorado Boulder to pursue his dreams. Read more
• 26 Mar 2009: Arne Bendiksen, Norwegian singer and composer (born 1926) Arne Joachim Bendiksen was a Norwegian singer, composer, and producer, described as "the father of pop music" in Norway. He represented Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 1964. Read more
• 26 Mar 2008: Robert Fagles, American poet and academic (born 1933) Robert Fagles was an American translator, poet, and academic. He was best known for his many translations of ancient Greek and Roman classics, especially his acclaimed translations of the epic poems of Homer and Virgil. He taught English and comparative literature for many years at Princeton University. Read more
• 26 Mar 2008: Manuel Marulanda, Colombian rebel leader (born 1930) Pedro Antonio Marín Marín, known by his "nom de guerre" Manuel Marulanda Vélez, was the founder and main leader of the Marxist–Leninist FARC-EP. Marulanda was born in a coffee-growing region of west-central Colombia in the Quindío Department, to a peasant family politically aligned with the Liberal Party during conflicts in the 1940s and 1950s. Read more
• 26 Mar 2006: Anil Biswas, Indian journalist and politician (born 1944) Anil Biswas, often referred to as Keru, was an Indian communist politician. He was the secretary of the West Bengal State Committee of Communist Party of India (Marxist) and member of the party's politburo beginning in 1998 until his death in 2006. Read more
• 26 Mar 2006: Paul Dana, American racing driver (born 1975) Paul Frederick Dana was an American racing driver who competed in the IndyCar Series. Read more
• 26 Mar 2006: Nikki Sudden, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1956) Adrian Nicholas Godfrey, known professionally as Nikki Sudden, was a prolific English singer-songwriter and guitarist. He co-founded the post-punk band Swell Maps with his brother, Epic Soundtracks, while attending Solihull School in Solihull. Read more
• 26 Mar 2005: James Callaghan, English lieutenant and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (born 1912) Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, was a British statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1976 to 1980. Callaghan is the only person to have held all four Great Offices of State, having also served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1964 to 1967, Home Secretary from 1967 to 1970 and Foreign Secretary from 1974 to 1976. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1945 to 1987. Read more
• 26 Mar 2005: Frederick Rotimi Williams, Nigerian lawyer and politician (born 1920) Chief Frederick Rotimi Alade Williams, QC, SAN was a prominent Nigerian lawyer who was the first Nigerian to become a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. In the 1950s, he was a member of the Action Group and subsequently became the minister for local government and justice. He was the president of the Nigerian Bar Association in 1959. He left politics in the 1960s, as a result of the political crisis in the Western Region of Nigeria. Read more
• 26 Mar 2004: Jan Sterling, American actress (born 1921) Jan Sterling was an American film, television and stage actress. At her most active in films during the 1950s, Sterling received a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in The High and the Mighty (1954) as well as an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination. Her best performance is often considered to be opposite Kirk Douglas, as the opportunistic wife in Billy Wilder's 1951 Ace in the Hole. Although her career declined during the 1960s, she continued to play occasional television and theatre roles. Read more
• 26 Mar 2003: Daniel Patrick Moynihan, American sociologist and politician, 12th United States Ambassador to the United Nations (born 1927) Daniel Patrick Moynihan was an American politician, diplomat and social scientist. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented New York in the United States Senate from 1977 until 2001 after serving as an adviser to President Richard Nixon, and as the United States' ambassador to India and to the United Nations. Read more
• 26 Mar 2002: Randy Castillo, American drummer and songwriter (born 1950) Randolpho Francisco Castillo was an American musician. He was Ozzy Osbourne's drummer during the mid-1980s to the early 1990s, and he was the drummer for Mötley Crüe, from 1999 to 2000. Read more
• 26 Mar 2000: Alex Comfort, English physician and author (born 1920) Alexander Comfort was a British scientist and physician, writer and activist, known best for his nonfiction sex manual, The Joy of Sex (1972). He was a poet and author of both fiction and nonfiction, as well as a gerontologist, geriatrician, sexologist, political theorist and commentator, anarchist, and pacifist. Read more
• 26 Mar 1996: Edmund Muskie, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician, 58th United States Secretary of State (born 1914) Edmund Sixtus Muskie was an American statesman and politician who served as the 58th United States Secretary of State under President Jimmy Carter from 1980 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as a U.S. Senator from Maine from 1959 to 1980, the 64th governor of Maine from 1955 to 1959, and a member of the Maine House of Representatives from 1946 to 1951. Muskie was the Democratic vice presidential nominee in the 1968 presidential election. Read more
• 26 Mar 1996: David Packard, American engineer and businessman, co-founded Hewlett-Packard (born 1912) David Packard was an American electrical engineer and co-founder, with Bill Hewlett, of Hewlett-Packard (1939), serving as president (1947–64), CEO (1964–68), and chairman of the board of HP. He served as U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense from 1969 to 1971 during the Nixon administration. Packard served as president of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) from 1976 to 1981 and chairman of its board of regents from 1973 to 1982.
  He was a member of the Trilateral Commission. Packard was the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1988 and is noted for many technological innovations and philanthropic endeavors. Read more
• 26 Mar 1996: John Snagge, English journalist (born 1904) John Derrick Mordaunt Snagge was a British newsreader and commentator on BBC Radio. Read more
• 26 Mar 1995: Eazy-E, American rapper and producer (born 1964) Eric Lynn Wright, known professionally as Eazy-E, was an American rapper who propelled West Coast rap and gangsta rap by leading the group N.W.A and its label, Ruthless Records. Wright is often referred to as the "Godfather of Gangsta Rap". Read more
• 26 Mar 1993: Louis Falco, American dancer and choreographer (born 1942) Louis Falco was an American dancer and choreographer. Read more
• 26 Mar 1992: Barbara Frum, American-Canadian journalist and radio host (born 1937) Barbara Frum, OC was an American-born Canadian radio and television journalist, acclaimed for her interviews for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Read more
• 26 Mar 1990: Halston, American fashion designer (born 1932) Roy Halston Frowick, known mononymously as Halston, was an American fashion designer. His minimalist, fluid designs helped define the look of 1970s American style. Halston was known for creating a relaxed urban lifestyle for women. Read more
• 26 Mar 1987: Eugen Jochum, German conductor (born 1902) Eugen Jochum was a German conductor, best known for his interpretations of the music of Anton Bruckner and Johannes Brahms, among others. He was principal conductor for the Berlin Radio (1932–1944), Bavarian (1949–1960) and Bamberg (1969–1973) symphony orchestras. Read more
• 26 Mar 1987: Walter Abel, American actor (born 1898) Walter Abel was an American stage, film, and radio actor whose career spanned nearly seven decades. Read more
• 26 Mar 1984: Ahmed Sékou Touré, Guinean politician, 1st President of Guinea (born 1922) Ahmed Sékou Touré was a Guinean political leader and African statesman who was the first president of Guinea from 1958 until his death in 1984. Touré was among the primary Guinean nationalists involved in gaining independence of the country from France. He would later die in the United States in 1984. Read more
• 26 Mar 1983: Anthony Blunt, English historian and spy (born 1907) Anthony Frederick Blunt, styled Sir Anthony Blunt from 1956 until November 1979, was a leading British art historian and a Soviet spy. Read more
• 26 Mar 1980: Roland Barthes, French linguist and critic (born 1915) Roland Gérard Barthes was a French literary theorist, essayist, philosopher, critic, and semiotician. His work engaged in the analysis of a variety of sign systems, mainly derived from Western popular culture. His ideas explored a diverse range of fields, including structuralism, anthropology, literary theory, and post-structuralism, and influenced the development of multiple schools of theory. Read more
• 26 Mar 1979: Beauford Delaney, American-French painter (born 1901) Beauford Delaney was an American modernist painter. He is remembered for his work with the Harlem Renaissance in the 1930s and 1940s, as well as his later works in abstract expressionism following his move to Paris in the 1950s. Beauford's younger brother, Joseph, was also a noted painter. Read more
• 26 Mar 1979: Jean Stafford, American author and academic (born 1915) Jean Stafford was an American short story writer and novelist. She won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for The Collected Stories of Jean Stafford in 1970. Read more
• 26 Mar 1973: Noël Coward, English playwright, actor, and composer (born 1899) Sir Noël Peirce Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise". Read more
• 26 Mar 1973: Johnny Drake, American football player (born 1916) John William "Zero" Drake was an American professional football player who was a running back for the Cleveland Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers. Drake was the first round pick by the Rams, their first ever draft pick, in the 1937 NFL draft. He led the NFL in touchdowns in the 1939 and 1940 seasons. Read more
• 26 Mar 1969: John Kennedy Toole, American novelist (born 1937) John Kennedy Toole was an American novelist from New Orleans, Louisiana, whose posthumously published novel, A Confederacy of Dunces, won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1981. At 16 in 1954, he wrote his first novel, The Neon Bible, which he shelved in the same year, not finding a willing publisher; he later dismissed it as "adolescent". Toole was a successful and popular professor, first at University of Southwestern Louisiana, then Hunter College, and finally St. Mary's Dominican College in New Orleans. Having persuaded Simon & Schuster, however, to accept A Confederacy of Dunces, he was unable to resolve editorial disputes. Due in part to the novel's failure, he suffered from paranoia and depression, dying by suicide at the age of 31. Read more
• 26 Mar 1966: Victor Hochepied, French swimmer (born 1883) Victor Fernand Hochepied was a French freestyle swimmer who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics. Read more
• 26 Mar 1966: Cyril Hume, American novelist and screenwriter (born 1900) Cyril Hume was an American novelist and screenwriter. Hume was a graduate of Yale University, where he edited campus humor magazine The Yale Record. He was an editor of the collection The Yale Record Book of Verse: 1872–1922 (1922). Read more
• 26 Mar 1965: Alice Herz, German peace activist who self-immolated in protest of U.S. imperialism (born 1882) 1 Alice Jeanette Herz was a German feminist, anti-fascist and peace activist. She was the first person in the United States known to have immolated herself in protest of the escalating Vietnam War, following the example of Buddhist monk Thích Quảng Đức who immolated himself in protest of the oppression of Buddhists under the South Vietnamese government of Catholic President Ngo Dinh Diem. Read more
• 26 Mar 1959: Raymond Chandler, American crime novelist and screenwriter (born 1888) Raymond Thornton Chandler was an American-British novelist and screenwriter. In 1932, at the age of forty-four, Chandler became a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive during the Great Depression. His first short story, "Blackmailers Don't Shoot", was published in 1933 in Black Mask, a pulp magazine. His first novel, The Big Sleep, was published in 1939. In addition to his short stories, Chandler published seven novels during his lifetime. All but Playback have been made into motion pictures, some more than once. Read more
• 26 Mar 1958: Phil Mead, English cricketer and footballer (born 1887) Charles Phillip Mead was an English professional cricketer who played in seventeen Test matches for England and had an extensive domestic career with Hampshire in English county cricket, spanning 31 years. Mead was born in Battersea. Overlooked by Surrey, he joined Hampshire in 1903 and made his debut for the county in first-class cricket in 1905. He established himself in the Hampshire team as a left-handed batsman the following season. After passing 2,000 runs in a season for the first time in 1911, Mead was chosen as one of five Wisden Cricketers of the Year. He was subsequently selected to tour Australia in 1911–12, making his Test debut against Australia. After success in the 1912 season, he toured South Africa, scoring his first Test century during the tour. Mead's appearances at Test level were infrequent, spanning seventeen matches across five series between 1911 and 1928. He scored nearly 1,200 runs in Tests, making four centuries. The paucity of his appearances at Test level were attributed to hostility toward his status as a professional batsman by England captain Plum Warner, playing for an "unfashionable" county, and an abundance of strong batsmen in county cricket competing for limited spaces in the England team. Despite the end of his Test career in 1928, Mead continued to play first-class cricket until 1936, when he was released by Hampshire at the age of 49. He then played two seasons of minor counties cricket for Suffolk in 1938 and 1939, whilst employed as a cricket coach at Framlingham College. Read more
• 26 Mar 1957: Édouard Herriot, French politician, Prime Minister of France (born 1872) Édouard Marie Herriot was a French Radical politician of the Third Republic who served three times as Prime Minister and twice as President of the Chamber of Deputies. He led the first Cartel des Gauches. Under the Fourth Republic, he served as President of the National Assembly until 1954. A historian by occupation, Herriot was elected to the Académie Française's eighth seat in 1946. He served as Mayor of Lyon for more than 45 years, from 1905 until his death, except for a brief period from 1940 to 1945, when he saw his movements variously restricted for opposing the Vichy regime. Read more
• 26 Mar 1957: Max Ophüls, German-American director and screenwriter (born 1902) Maximillian Oppenheimer, known as Max Ophüls, was a German and French film director, screenwriter and art director. He was known for his opulent and lyrical visual style, with heavy use of tracking shots, and his melancholic, romantic themes. The Harvard Film Archive has called Ophüls "a supreme stylist of the cinema and a master storyteller". Read more
• 26 Mar 1954: Charles Perrin, French rower (born 1875) Charles Jean Baptiste Perrin was a French rower who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics. Read more
• 26 Mar 1951: James F. Hinkle, American banker and politician, 6th Governor of New Mexico (born 1864) James Fielding Hinkle was an American banker, politician and the sixth governor of New Mexico. Read more
• 26 Mar 1945: David Lloyd George, English-Welsh lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (born 1863) David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. A Liberal Party politician from Wales, he was known for leading the United Kingdom during the First World War, for social-reform policies, for his role in the Paris Peace Conference, and for negotiating the establishment of the Irish Free State. Read more
• 26 Mar 1942: Jimmy Burke, American baseball player and manager (born 1874) James Timothy Burke was an American Major League Baseball third baseman, coach, and manager. He played for the Cleveland Spiders, St. Louis Perfectos, Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago White Stockings, Pittsburgh Pirates, and St. Louis Cardinals. Read more
• 26 Mar 1942: Carolyn Wells, American novelist and poet (born 1862) Carolyn Wells was an American mystery author, poet, humorist, and children's writer. Over her career, she authored more than 170 books, spanning genres including detective fiction, poetry, humor, and young adult literature. Known for her prolific output, Wells was a prominent figure in early 20th-century American literature, particularly in the mystery genre, where she created the long-running Fleming Stone series. Despite her contemporary success, her work fell into obscurity after her death, a phenomenon explored in recent biographies. Read more
• 26 Mar 1940: Wilhelm Anderson, German-Estonian astrophysicist (born 1880) Wilhelm Robert Karl Anderson was a Russian-Estonian astrophysicist of Baltic German descent who studied the physical structure of the stars. Read more
• 26 Mar 1940: Spyridon Louis, Greek runner (born 1873) Spyridon Louis, commonly known as Spyros Louis, was a Greek water carrier who won the first modern-day Olympic marathon at the 1896 Summer Olympics. Following his victory, he was celebrated as a national hero. Read more
• 26 Mar 1934: John Biller, American jumper and discus thrower (born 1877) John Arthur Biller was an American athlete who competed mainly in standing jumps. Read more
• 26 Mar 1932: Henry M. Leland, American machinist, inventor, engineer, automotive entrepreneur and founder of Cadillac and Lincoln (born 1843) Henry Martyn Leland was an American machinist, inventor, engineer, and automotive entrepreneur. He founded the two premier American luxury automotive marques, Cadillac and Lincoln. Read more
• 26 Mar 1931: Joseph Dutton, assisted Father Damien on the island of Molokai for 45 years. Joseph Dutton was an American Civil War veteran and Union Army lieutenant, who converted to Catholicism and later worked as a missionary with Saint Damien of Molokai. He was a Third Order Secular Franciscan. His cause for canonization was opened in 2022. Read more
• 26 Mar 1926: Constantin Fehrenbach, German lawyer and politician, Chancellor of Germany (born 1852) Constantin Fehrenbach, sometimes erroneously Konstantin Fehrenbach,, was a German politician who was one of the major leaders of the Catholic Centre Party. He served as president of the Reichstag in 1918 and then as president of the Weimar National Assembly from 1919 to 1920. In June 1920, Fehrenbach became Chancellor of Germany. During his time in office, the central issue he had to face was German compliance with the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. He resigned in May 1921 when his cabinet was unable to reach a consensus on war reparations payments to the Allies. Fehrenbach remained in the Reichstag and headed the Centre Party's contingent there from 1923 until his death in 1926. Read more
• 26 Mar 1923: Sarah Bernhardt, French actress and screenwriter (born 1844) Sarah Bernhardt was a French stage actress who starred in some of the most popular French plays of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including La Dame aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas fils, Ruy Blas by Victor Hugo, Fédora and La Tosca by Victorien Sardou, and L'Aiglon by Edmond Rostand. She played female and male roles, including Shakespeare's Hamlet. Rostand called her "the queen of the pose and the princess of the gesture", and Hugo praised her "golden voice". She made several theatrical tours worldwide and was one of the early prominent actresses to make sound recordings and act in motion pictures. She was also an accomplished visual artist, as a painter and particularly as a sculptor. Read more
• 26 Mar 1920: William Chester Minor, American surgeon and lexicographer (born 1834) William Chester Minor was an American army surgeon, psychiatric hospital patient, and lexicographical researcher. Read more
• 26 Mar 1910: Auguste Charlois, French astronomer (born 1864) Auguste Honoré Charlois was a French astronomer who discovered 99 asteroids while working at the Nice Observatory in southeastern France. Read more
• 26 Mar 1905: Maurice Barrymore, American actor (born 1849) Herbert Arthur Chamberlayne Blyth, known professionally by his stage name Maurice Barrymore, was an Indian-born British stage actor. He is the patriarch of the Barrymore acting family, and the father of John, Lionel, and Ethel. Read more
• 26 Mar 1902: Cecil Rhodes, English-South African colonialist, businessman and politician, 6th Prime Minister of the Cape Colony (born 1853) Cecil John Rhodes was a British mining magnate and politician in southern Africa who served as Prime Minister of the Cape Colony from 1890 to 1896. He and his British South Africa Company founded the southern African territory of Rhodesia, which the company named after him in 1895. He also devoted much effort to realizing his vision of a Cape to Cairo Railway through British territory. Rhodes set up the Rhodes Scholarship, which is funded by his estate. Read more
• 26 Mar 1892: Walt Whitman, American poet, essayist, and journalist (born 1819) Walter Whitman Jr. was an American poet, essayist, and journalist; he also wrote two novels. He is considered one of the most influential poets in American literature and world literature. Whitman incorporated both transcendentalism and realism in his writings and is often called the father of free verse. His work was controversial in his time, particularly his 1855 poetry collection Leaves of Grass, which was described by some as obscene for its overt sensuality. Read more
• 26 Mar 1888: Barghash bin Said of Zanzibar (born 1837) Sayyid Barghash bin Said al-Busaidi, an Afro-Omani Sultan and the son of Said bin Sultan, was the second Sultan of Zanzibar. He ruled Zanzibar from 7 October 1870 to 26 March 1888. Read more
• 26 Mar 1885: Anson Stager, American general and businessman, co-founded Western Union (born 1825) Anson Stager was the co-founder of Western Union, the first president of Western Electric Manufacturing Company and a Union Army officer, where he was head of the Military Telegraph Department during the American Civil War. Read more
• 26 Mar 1881: Roman Sanguszko, Polish general and activist (born 1800) Prince Roman Adam Stanisław Sanguszko (1800–1881) was a Polish aristocrat, patriot, political and social activist. Read more
• 26 Mar 1881: Old Abe, 8th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment Mascot (born 1861) Old Abe was a bald eagle who was the mascot of the 8th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment in the American Civil War. Later, his image was adopted as the eagle appearing on a globe in Case Corporation's logo and as the screaming eagle on the insignia of the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division. Read more
• 26 Mar 1862: Uriah P. Levy, American commander (born 1792) Uriah Phillips Levy was a naval officer, real estate investor, and philanthropist. He was a veteran of the War of 1812 and the first Jewish Commodore of the United States Navy. He was instrumental in helping to end the Navy's practice of flogging, and during his half-century-long service prevailed against the antisemitism he faced among some of his fellow naval officers. Read more
• 26 Mar 1858: John Addison Thomas, American lieutenant, engineer, and politician, 3rd United States Assistant Secretary of State (born 1811) John Addison Thomas was an American engineer and military officer who served in the United States Army, and later served as United States Assistant Secretary of State. Read more
• 26 Mar 1827: Ludwig van Beethoven, German pianist and composer (born 1770) Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers in the history of classical music, and his symphonies redefined the medium for later musicians. Read more
• 26 Mar 1814: Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, French physician and politician (born 1738) Joseph-Ignace Guillotin was a French physician, politician, and freemason who proposed on 10 October 1789 the use of a device to carry out executions in France, as a less painful method of execution than existing methods. Although he did not invent the guillotine and opposed the death penalty, his name became an eponym for it. The actual inventor of the prototype was a French physician, Antoine Louis. Read more

Why is 26 March Important in World History?

Several significant political, cultural, educational, and sporting events took place on 26 March, making it an important topic for general knowledge and competitive examinations.

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What happened on 26 March in World history?

On 26 March, several important historical events, notable births, and major milestones occurred in World history.

Is History of Today important for competitive exams?

Yes, History of Today is frequently asked in UPSC, SSC, Banking, Railway, and State PSC exams as part of static GK and current awareness sections.