Today in History for 27th June 2026

Historical Events

1914 – US signs treaty of commerce with Ethiopia
1999 – Tony Hawk is the first skateboarder to land a “900” (a 2½-revolution aerial spin) at the X Games in San Francisco, California
2003 – Glastonbury Festival in Pilton, England opens: Radiohead, Moby, and R.E.M. headline; other performers include David Gray, The Polyphonic Spree; Jimmy Cliff, Sigur Rós, Los Lobos, and Yes
2018 – Democrat Representative Joseph Crowley is defeated in New York Primary election by liberal challenger Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
2023 – Archaeologists in Roman city of Pompeii uncover a “pizza” painting in a fresco from house next to a bakery (more likely flatbread as lacks essential ingredients tomatoes and mozzarella)

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Famous Birthdays

1884 – Gaston Bachelard, French philosopher (La psychanalyse du feu), born in Bar-sur-Aube, France (d. 1962)
1889 – Alfred Courtens, Belgian sculptor, born in Brussels, Belgium (d. 1967)
1905 – Ruby Middleton Forsythe, African-American teacher who taught for 50 years in one-room schoolhouse in South Carolina, born in Charleston, South Carolina (d. 1992)
1959 – Dan Jurgens, American comic book writer (The Death of Superman), born in Ortonville, Minnesota
1966 – J. J. Abrams, American writer, producer and director (Lost; Star Wars: the Force Awakens; Mission Impossible III), born in New York City

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Famous Deaths

1917 – Karl Allmenröder, German World War I flying Ace, dies at 21
2010 – Dolph Briscoe, American businessman and 41st Governor of Texas (1973-79), dies at 87
2011 – Elaine Stewart, American actress and model (The Bad and the Beautiful, Take the High Ground), dies at 81
2016 – Alvin Toffler, American author (Future Shock, Power Shift, The Third Wave), dies at 87
2025 – Audrey Shakir, American jazz vocalist (Jazz at the Lincoln Center Big Band), dies at 73

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Famous Deaths for 26th June 2026

1810 – Joseph Michel Montgolfier, French inventor (b. 1740)
1827 – Christian A Vulpius, German writer (Ornaldo Ornaldini), dies
1836 – Claude-Joseph Rouget de Lisle, French author and composer (Marseillaise), dies at 76
1964 – Léo Dandurand, American-Canadian hockey executive, dies at 74
1967 – Françoise Dorléac, French actress, sister of Catherine Deneuve dies in a car accident at 25
1982 – Sandy Powell, English comedian, dies at 82
1997 – Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, Native Hawaiian singer, songwriter (“Somewhere Over The Rainbow/What A Wonderful World”), and Hawaiian sovereignty advocate, dies from respiratory failure at 38
2001 – William Bryant, American character actor (King Dinosaur, Hell Squad), dies of cancer at 77
2020 – Milton Glaser, American graphic designer (founder of New York Magazine; creator of “I ♥ NY” logo), dies at 91
2020 – William Negri, Italian soccer goalkeeper (12 caps; Mantova, Bologna), dies at 84

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Historical Events for 26th June 2026

1243 – Battle of Köse Dağ: Mongols under Baiju defeat Seljuk army of Sultan Kaykhusraw II during Mongol attacks in north east Turkey
1927 – Comet 7P/Pons-Winnecke approaches within 0.0394 AUs of Earth
1934 – US President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the National Firearms Act into law, requiring registration and imposition of excise tax on firearms including machine guns. short-barreled shotguns and rifles, and silencers; exceptions made for pistol, revolvers, and long guns
1937 – Test cricket debut of all-time great English batsman Len Hutton v New Zealand in 1st Tests at Lord’s; scores 0 and 1
1972 – The Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) kill two British Army soldiers in separate attacks during the day and at midnight begins a “bi-lateral truce”
1974 – The Universal Product Code (UPC) is scanned for the first time to sell a package of Wrigley’s chewing gum at Marsh Supermarket in Troy, Ohio
1992 – NYC’s MTA votes to ban cigarette ads on Jan 1, 1993
2015 – Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras calls for a referendum on new bailout terms during the Greek Credit Crisis

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Today in History for 26th June 2026

Historical Events

1929 – ENKA/Vereinigte Glanzstoff Factory merge AKU (Genl Kunstzijde Union)
1946 – Fred Allen’s last radio show, his guest is Jack Benny
1994 – 107°F (41.6°C) at Albuquerque, New Mexico
2019 – Two US Florida towns pay hackers considerable ransom to unfreeze their computer systems; Riviera Beach $600,00 and Lake City $500,000
2024 – Outgoing Dutch PM Mark Rutte is appointed as the next NATO Secretary General

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Famous Birthdays

1873 – George Walker, American vaudevillian, stage actor, and producer, born in Lawrence, Kansas (d. 1911)
1888 – Paul Niggli, Swiss mineralogist (crystal structures), born in Zonfingen, Switzerland (d. 1953)
1929 – Francesco Cossiga, Italian politician and 8th President of the Italian Republic (1985-92), born in Sassari, Kingdom of Italy (d. 2010)
1945 – Dwight York, Nuwaubian leader (Nuwaubian Nation), born in Boston, Massachusetts
1971 – Carlton Gray, American NFL cornerback (Seattle Seahawks, Indianapolis Colts), born in Cincinnati, Ohio

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Famous Deaths

1960 – Henrik Shipstead, American Senator (1923-1947), who opposed foreign intervention, dies at 79
1994 – Bob den Doolaard, Dutch author and journalist (Inn with the horseshoe), dies at 93
1997 – William Turnbull Jr., American architect who helped design the Sea Ranch, dies of cancer at 62
2000 – Logan Ramsey, American actor (Head, Joy Sticks, Say Yes), dies of a heart attack at 79
2020 – Theo Foley, Irish soccer defender (9 caps, Republic of Ireland; Burnley, Charlton Athletic) and manager (Northampton Town), dies at 83

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Famous Deaths for 25th June 2026

1634 – John Marston, English poet and playwright known for “The Malcontent”, dies at 57
1671 – Giovanni Riccioli, Italian astronomer (Almagestum Novum), dies at 73
1673 – Charles de Batz-Castelmore, Comte d’Artagnan, Captain of the Musketeers under Louis XIV of France (b. 1611)
1822 – Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann, German Romantic writer, judge and composer (Undine), dies at 46
1876 – John Patton, American trumpeter, dies at the Battle of the Little Bighorn at 24 or 25
1884 – Hans Rott, Austrian composer, dies at 25
1984 – Michel Foucault, French philosopher and historian (History of Sexuality), dies of AIDS at 57
1988 – Hillel Slovak, Israeli musician (Anthym/What Is This?, Red Hot Chili Peppers) (b. 1962)
2023 – John B. Goodenough, American materials scientist (lithium-ion battery), solid-state physicist and Nobel laureate in chemistry, dies at 100
2024 – Jewel Brown, American jazz and blues singer (Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong’s All-Stars), dies of colon cancer at 86

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Historical Events for 25th June 2026

1483 – The House of Lords and Commons declares King Edward V of England as illegitimate based on his parent’s alleged bigamous marriage
1788 – Virginia becomes 10th state to ratify US constitution
1950 – Israeli airline El Al begins transatlantic service form Israel to New York City’s Idlewild Airport
1962 – İnönü government forms in Turkey
1978 – First use of the rainbow flag, symbol of gay pride, made by Gilbert Baker at a march in San Francisco
1982 – Greece abolishes headshaving of recruits in the military
1984 – Lydia Garrett, 24, crowned 17th Miss Black America
2018 – Californian Governor Jerry Brown declares State of Emergency for wildfire spread over 8,200 acres in Lake County

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Today in History for 25th June 2026

Historical Events

1912 – British Open Men’s Golf, Muirfield: Ted Ray wins wire-to-wire by 4 shots from defending champion Harry Vardon
1919 – Revolt of Spartacus in Hamburg
1934 – NY Yankee Lou Gehrig hits for the cycle beating White Sox 11-2
2018 – Californian Governor Jerry Brown declares State of Emergency for wildfire spread over 8,200 acres in Lake County
2023 – Greek voters re-elect Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ New Democracy Party by a landslide

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Famous Birthdays

1612 – John Albert Vasa, Polish bishop, born in Warsaw, Poland (d. 1634)
1863 – Émile Francqui, Belgian soldier and diplomat, born in Brussels, Belgium (d. 1935)
1942 – Joe Chambers, American jazz drummer, vibraphonist, and composer, born in Chester, Pennsylvania
1964 – Dell Curry, American basketball guard and broadcaster (NBA Sixth Man of The Year 1994; Charlotte Hornets all-time points leader [9,839]), born in Harrisonburg, Virginia
2004 – Mikhail Shaidorov, Kazakhstani figure skater (2026 Olympic Champion, World silver medalist, Four Continents champion), second Kazakhstani athlete to win gold at a Winter Olympics, born in Almaty, Kazakhstan

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Famous Deaths

1514 – Berta Jacobsdr [Suster Bertken], Dutch hermit, dies at 87
1960 – Tommy Corcoran, American baseball shortstop (MLB shortstop game assist record 14), dies at 91
1978 – Barry Brown, American actor (Frederick Winterbourne-Daisy Miller), dies at 27
2009 – Michael Jackson, American recording artist, dancer and King of Pop (“Thriller”; “Billie Jean”; “Bad”), dies of cardiac arrest at 50
2022 – Bill Woolsey, American swimmer (Olympic gold men’s 4×200m freestyle relay 1952, silver 1956), dies at 87

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Famous Deaths for 24th June 2026

1707 – Kaspar von Stieler, German poet (Teutsche Wolredner), dies at 74
1798 – Archduchess Maria Christina, Duchess of Teschen and Governor of the Austrian Netherlands, dies at 56
1817 – Thomas McKean, American attorney and politician (signed US Declaration of Independence), dies at 83
1846 – Jan Frans Willems, Flemish writer and philologist, dies at 53
1882 – Joseph Joachim Raff, German opera composer (Cavatine), dies at 60
1970 – Man Singh II, Maharajah of Jaipur State, dies at 57
1973 – Mary Carr, American actress (Forbidden Trail, 2nd Wife), dies at 99
1995 – Inshan Ali, West Indian cricketer (WI chinaman bowler 1971-77), dies at 45
1999 – Jim Allen, British socialist, screenwriter and playwright (Days of Hope, Perdition), dies at 72
2008 – Viktor Kuzkin, Soviet ice hockey player (Olympic gold 1964, 68, 72), dies at 67

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Historical Events for 24th June 2026

1396 – Crusaders under Earl of Nevers reach Vienna
1472 – Byzantine princess Sophia Palaiologina departs Rome with a large entourage for Moscow to marry Ivan III
1497 – John Cabot claims parts of North America for England in what is now Eastern Canada, believing he has found Asia in Newfoundland
1894 – Marie François Sadi Carnot is assassinated in Lyon by Italian anarchist Sante Geronimo Caserio
1968 – Australia all out for 78 v England at Lord’s
1970 – Bobby Murcer ties record of four consecutive home runs
2004 – Christie’s Auction House in New York City conducts sale of 80 of Eric Clapton and friends’ guitars to benefit Crossroads Centre at Antigua, a drug and alcohol residential rehabilitation facility he co-founded in 1997, raising over $5M; “Blackie”, a 1956-57 composite Fender Stratocaster used as his primary instrument form the mid 70s until 1985 sells for a then record $959,500
2020 – NY Governor Andrew Cuomo announces people arriving from nine states hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic will have to isolate for two weeks

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Today in History for 24th June 2026

Historical Events

1396 – Crusaders under Earl of Nevers reach Vienna
1472 – Byzantine princess Sophia Palaiologina departs Rome with a large entourage for Moscow to marry Ivan III
1619 – Tsar Michail’s father Filaret becomes patriarch of Moscow
1947 – Flying saucers sighted over Mount Rainier by pilot Ken Arnold
1963 – First demonstration of a home video recorder at BBC Studios in London

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Famous Birthdays

1788 – Thomas Blanchard, American machinist and inventor, born in Sutton, Massachusetts (d. 1864)
1916 – Saloua Raouda Choucair, Lebanese abstract artist (Movement of the Angle; Infinite Module), born in Beirut, Lebanon (d. 2017)
1939 – Brigitte Fontaine, French pop and avant-garde singer-songwriter, playwright, and novelist, born in Morlaix, France
1960 – Juli Inkster, American golfer (7 LPGA major titles; US Open 1999, 2002), born in Santa Cruz, California
1985 – Yukina Shirakawa, Japanese gravure idol, born in Shizuoka, Japan

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Famous Deaths

1572 – Cornelis van Diest, Dutch lay brother of Enkhuizen, hanged
1913 – Frank Lynes, American composer, dies at 55
1962 – Volfgangs Dārziņš, Latvian composer, pianist, folklorist, and music critic, dies at 54
2005 – Paul Winchell (Wilchinsky), American ventriloquist (Jerry Mahoney, Knucklehead Smiff), inventor (mechanical artificial human heart,1963), voice actor (Winnie the Pooh – “Tigger”; Dick Dastardly; The Banana Splits -“Fleegle”), and acupuncturist, dies at 82
2009 – Roméo LeBlanc, Canadian politician, 25th Governor General of Canada (1995-99), dies at 81

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