February 26

1606 On February 26, 1606, Dutch navigator and explorer Willem Janszoon landed on the western coast of Cape York Peninsula in present-day Queensland. He was commanding the ship Duyfken during this expedition. Janszoon's landing predates the better-known landing of Captain James Cook by more than 160 years, making him the first European to set foot on Australia and interact with its indigenous peoples

1701 The Royal Danish Naval Academy was set up on February 26, 1701. Its purpose was to train young men in seamanship, military tactics, and navigation for the purpose of becoming naval officers. It is the oldest still-existing officers' academy in the world.

Danish naval academy. By heb@Wikimedia Commons (mail) -

1802 French poet, novelist and dramatist Victor Hugo  was born on February 26, 1802 in Besançon in eastern France to an army officer father Joseph Léopold Sigisbert Hugo and Sophie Trébuchet. Hugo was the most popular writer of his time and on his 80th birthday there were nationwide celebrations in France. Outside France, his most famous works are the novels The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831) and Les Misérables (1862) In France, Hugo is also renowned for his poetry collections. 

1815 After defeat at the Battle of Leipzig, Napoleon Bonaparte had no choice but to abdicate. The victors exiled him to Elba, an island of 12,000 inhabitants in the Mediterranean. Separated from his son and wife and aware of rumors he was about to be banished to a remote island in the Atlantic Ocean, Napoleon escaped from Elba on February 26, 1815. He made a surprise march to Paris, where he was joined by his former troops. Napoleon again became ruler of France.

Napoleon leaving Elba, painted by Joseph Beaume

1839 It is believed the first Grand National horse race was ran in 1836 and was won by The Duke. This same horse won again in 1837. The first few races were local events. The first official Grand National was held on February 26, 1839, which attracted a larger field of top quality horses and riders, greater press coverage and an increased attendance on race day. It was won by rider Jem Mason on the aptly named, Lottery.

1909 The first successful color motion picture process was Kinemacolor developed by George Albert Smith and Charles Urban in England. On February 26, 1909, the British general public first saw Kinemacolor in a program of twenty-one short films shown at the Palace Theatre in London. Kinemacolor went on to become very popular in the early 1910s, and was used to film a number of notable productions, including a famous documentary about the Delhi Durbar, a grand imperial pageant held in India in 1911.

1917 The Original Dixieland Jass Band were a group of white New Orleanians who were a sensation during a long engagement in New York City in 1917—18 playing Dixieland music at The Paradise Supper Club. The Original Dixieland Jass Band's February 26, 1917 recording of "Livery Stable Blues" was the first jazz single ever issued. It sold a million copies in 1917 and launched jazz as a national phenomenon.

1919 In early January 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt declared the Grand Canyon a national monument, protecting its 800,000 acres from private development. Congress did not officially outlaw private development in the Grand Canyon until February 26, 1919, when President Woodrow Wilson signed the Grand Canyon National Park Act., establishing most of the Grand Canyon as a United States National Park.

1925 The current flag of Oregon became official on February 26, 1925. Oregon is the only state to have a different design on each side of its flag. The front features the escutcheon from the state seal in blue and gold and the reverse pictures a golden beaver.

1926 While recording "Heebie Jeebies" on February 26, 1926, Louis Armstrong momentarily lost his place in the sheet music and began scatting. The recording of "Heebie Jeebies" is considered a landmark moment in the development of jazz and popular music, as it helped to popularize scat singing and showcased Armstrong's incredible talent and improvisational skills.

1932 Country rock and roll and gospel star Johnny Cash was born on February 26, 1932 in Kingsland, Arkansas to Ray Cash and Carrie Cloveree (née Rivers). He was originally born J.R. Cash. The J.R. didn’t stand for anything because his parents couldn't think of a name. He took on the first name John when he joined the Air Force because the military wouldn't accept a name with just initials. Cash is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold more than 90 million records worldwide.

1935 The method of using radar to pinpoint small targets was developed independently in Britain, France, Germany, and the US in the 1930s. Scottish engineer and inventor Robert Watson-Watt carried out a demonstration near Daventry which led directly to the development of RADAR in the United Kingdom on February 26, 1935. Having proved radar detection technology could work Watson-Watt received a patent for his system, on September 1, 1936.

1955 North American test pilot George Smith became the first pilot to eject from a plane during a flight at supersonic speed on February 26, 1955. Smith ejected from his F-100A Super Sabre at 777 MPH as the crippled aircraft passed through 6,500 feet in a near-vertical dive. He needed surgery on his intestines after the massive forces put on them and liver damage left him unable to drink alcohol.

1966 Cary Grant became a father for the first time at age of 62 when his wife Dyan Cannon gave birth to their daughter Jennifer Diane Grant (aka Jennifer Grant) on February 26, 1966. U.S. actress Dyan Cannon was Cary Grant’s fourth wife, despite a 33-year age gap. She described the first time she went for dinner at Grant’s house as ‘the strangest date of my life’. Cannon was told to eat her meal relaxing on his bed in front of TV show Dr Kildare.

1991 On August 2, 1990, Iraqi forces invaded Kuwait, overrunning the Kuwaiti military within two days, and eventually sparking the outbreak of the Gulf War seven months later. After a series of failed diplomatic negotiations, the United States led a coalition to remove the Iraqi forces from Kuwait, in what became known as the Gulf War. On February 26, 1991, during Operation Desert Storm, the coalition succeeded in driving out the Iraqi forces.

2003 For many years the oldest elephant ever was Lin Wang, an Asian elephant who died on February 26, 2003 aged 86, at Taipei Zoo, Taiwan. Lin Wang carried supplies through the jungles of Myanmar (formerly Burma) for the Japanese army, during World War II. He was even taken prisoner by the Chinese in 1943. Lin Wang retired to the Zoo in 1954. The record was broken by Chengalloor Dakshayani, a female Asian elephant, who died in 2-19 aged around 89 years old.