604 Saint Augustine of Canterbury died on May 26, 604. He was the first Archbishop of Canterbury and made Canterbury the seat of authority for the church in England. Augustine provided the basis from which the Church of England parish system has grown. After his death, his body was originally buried in the portico of what is now St Augustine's, Canterbury, but it was later exhumed and placed in a tomb within the abbey church, which became a place of pilgrimage and veneration.
735 The Venerable Bede, writer of the first English history, died on May 26, 735 (Ascension Day) on the floor of his cell, chanting "Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit" and was buried at Jarrow. When Bede died his estate was made up of some peppercorns, incense and handkerchiefs. Bede's remains were moved to Durham Cathedral’s Galilee Chapel in 1370 and lie within a tomb chest sealed by a black marble slab.
1538 The Protestant Reformation reached the Swiss city of Geneva in the 1530s. John Calvin arrived in the city in July 1536. Calvin demanded that every Geneva citizen swear to the Confession of Faith on pain of banishment. The Geneva Council rejected this reform and banned the would-be-bannee and his followers from the city on May 26, 1538. Calvin lived in exile in Strasbourg for the next three years, returning to Geneva in 1541.
1583 On May 26, 1583 William Shakespeare's first child, Susanna, was baptized at Stratford. Susanna was thought to have been illiterate, though she could scrawl her signature. She married a Dr John Hall and they lived happily ever after at Halls Croft, Stratford
1650 John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, was born on May 26, 1650 at Ash House, near Axminster, Devon. He yearned to be a courtier and in 1662 Churchill became a page at the court of the House of Stuart. He earned military and political advancement through his courage and diplomatic skill. His victories at Blenheim, Ramillies Oudenarde, and Malplaquet during the War of the Spanish Succession, ensured his place in history as one of Europe's great generals.
1851 The first international chess tournament opened in London on May 26, 1851. The tournament was conceived and organised by English player Howard Staunton, and marked the first time that the best chess players in Europe would meet in a single event. German chess master Adolf Anderssen won the sixteen-player tournament, earning him the status of the best player in Europe.
1864 White settlers began populating the area that is now the state of Montana from the 1850s. Montana became a United States territory (Montana Territory) on May 26, 1864 and 25 years later President Benjamin Harrison proclaimed Montana the union's 41st state. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges and the state's name is derived from the Spanish word montaña (mountain).
1896 Nicholas II's formal coronation as Russian Tsar was held in Uspensky Cathedral located within the Kremlin on May 26, 1896. At the festivities surrounding Nicholas' coronation in Moscow over 1,300 people were trampled to death trying to get presents from the new Emperor. The Tsar learned of the catastrophe later that day and wished to cancel all later festivities, but was persuaded not to by relatives and advisors. Many saw the deaths as a bad omen.
1896 Wall Street Journal editor and Dow Jones & Company founder Charles Dow published the first edition of the Dow Jones Industrial Average for stocks on May 26, 1896. There are 30 companies, all from the USA, and traded on either the NYSE or the NASDAQ, that make up the Industrial Average.
1897 Bram Stoker was working as manager of the Lyceum Theatre in London. and writing in his spare time. Inspired by a trip to Whitby on the North Yorkshire coast in 1890, his vampire fantasy novel Dracula was published on May 26, 1897. The novel tells the story of Count Dracula's attempt to move from Transylvania to England so that he may find new blood and spread the undead curse, Stoker never visited Transylvania. He simply read travel books for details about the country.
1907 Ida McKinley, the widow of assassinated President William McKinley, died on May 26, 1907.
After the assassination of her husband in 1901, Ida McKinley lost much of her will to live. Her health eroded as she withdrew to the safety of her home where she was cared for by her younger sister.
1907 John Wayne, the archetypal Western star, was born Marion Morrison on May 26, 1907 at 224 South Second Street in Winterset, Iowa. Wayne's college buddy, director Raoul Walsh, saw him moving studio furniture while working as a prop boy and cast him in his first starring role in The Big Trail (1930). It was during this time that Marion Morrison became "John Wayne," when Raoul Walsh didn't think Marion was a good name for an actor playing a tough western hero.
1910 George S Patton married Beatrice Banning Ayer, the daughter of Boston industrialist Frederick Ayer, on May 26, 1910 in Beverly Farms, Massachusetts. They had three children, Beatrice Smith (born March 1911), Ruth Ellen (born February 1915), and George Patton IV (born December 1923).
1923 The actor Roy Dotrice was born on May 26, 1923. He made an international reputation with his solo adaptation of John Aubrey's Brief Lives. Dotrice's one-man show saw him on stage for more than two-and-a-half hours (including the interval, during which he would feign sleep). Premiering in 1967 at the Hampstead Theatre in London, the play earned Dotrice a place in the Guinness Book of Records for the greatest number of solo performances (1,782).
1951 Born May 26, 1951, astronaut Dr. Sally K. Ride became the first American woman to be sent into space when she was selected to serve on a six- day flight of the orbiter Challenger in 1983. At the time, she was the youngest American to enter outer space.
1966 The country Of British Guiana gained independence from the United Kingdom on May 26, 1966 becoming Guyana. The name Guyana means "land of many waters" in a native American language referring to the many rivers running through the country. The country's flag (see below) was adopted the same day.
1969 Princess Anne made her first public speech on May 26, 1969 — and she wrote it herself. The 18-year-old royal talked about her taste in clothes at a lunch to open the Festival of London Stores. She said: "I think I can claim to have supported almost all the stores represented here at some time or other. But I dislike macs so intensely, my Burberry is going to last me a good many years."
1978 The first legal casino outside of Nevada was opened in Atlantic City on May 26, 1978. Resorts Casino Hotel opened its doors at 10:00am; however initial gaming laws in New Jersey only allowed casinos to operate for 18 hours during the week and 20 hours during the weekends.
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| Portrait labelled "AUGUSTINUS" from the mid 8th century |
735 The Venerable Bede, writer of the first English history, died on May 26, 735 (Ascension Day) on the floor of his cell, chanting "Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit" and was buried at Jarrow. When Bede died his estate was made up of some peppercorns, incense and handkerchiefs. Bede's remains were moved to Durham Cathedral’s Galilee Chapel in 1370 and lie within a tomb chest sealed by a black marble slab.
1538 The Protestant Reformation reached the Swiss city of Geneva in the 1530s. John Calvin arrived in the city in July 1536. Calvin demanded that every Geneva citizen swear to the Confession of Faith on pain of banishment. The Geneva Council rejected this reform and banned the would-be-bannee and his followers from the city on May 26, 1538. Calvin lived in exile in Strasbourg for the next three years, returning to Geneva in 1541.
1583 On May 26, 1583 William Shakespeare's first child, Susanna, was baptized at Stratford. Susanna was thought to have been illiterate, though she could scrawl her signature. She married a Dr John Hall and they lived happily ever after at Halls Croft, Stratford
1650 John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, was born on May 26, 1650 at Ash House, near Axminster, Devon. He yearned to be a courtier and in 1662 Churchill became a page at the court of the House of Stuart. He earned military and political advancement through his courage and diplomatic skill. His victories at Blenheim, Ramillies Oudenarde, and Malplaquet during the War of the Spanish Succession, ensured his place in history as one of Europe's great generals.
1851 The first international chess tournament opened in London on May 26, 1851. The tournament was conceived and organised by English player Howard Staunton, and marked the first time that the best chess players in Europe would meet in a single event. German chess master Adolf Anderssen won the sixteen-player tournament, earning him the status of the best player in Europe.
1864 White settlers began populating the area that is now the state of Montana from the 1850s. Montana became a United States territory (Montana Territory) on May 26, 1864 and 25 years later President Benjamin Harrison proclaimed Montana the union's 41st state. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges and the state's name is derived from the Spanish word montaña (mountain).
1896 Nicholas II's formal coronation as Russian Tsar was held in Uspensky Cathedral located within the Kremlin on May 26, 1896. At the festivities surrounding Nicholas' coronation in Moscow over 1,300 people were trampled to death trying to get presents from the new Emperor. The Tsar learned of the catastrophe later that day and wished to cancel all later festivities, but was persuaded not to by relatives and advisors. Many saw the deaths as a bad omen.
1896 Wall Street Journal editor and Dow Jones & Company founder Charles Dow published the first edition of the Dow Jones Industrial Average for stocks on May 26, 1896. There are 30 companies, all from the USA, and traded on either the NYSE or the NASDAQ, that make up the Industrial Average.
1897 Bram Stoker was working as manager of the Lyceum Theatre in London. and writing in his spare time. Inspired by a trip to Whitby on the North Yorkshire coast in 1890, his vampire fantasy novel Dracula was published on May 26, 1897. The novel tells the story of Count Dracula's attempt to move from Transylvania to England so that he may find new blood and spread the undead curse, Stoker never visited Transylvania. He simply read travel books for details about the country.
1907 Ida McKinley, the widow of assassinated President William McKinley, died on May 26, 1907.
After the assassination of her husband in 1901, Ida McKinley lost much of her will to live. Her health eroded as she withdrew to the safety of her home where she was cared for by her younger sister.
 |
| Ida McKinley |
1907 John Wayne, the archetypal Western star, was born Marion Morrison on May 26, 1907 at 224 South Second Street in Winterset, Iowa. Wayne's college buddy, director Raoul Walsh, saw him moving studio furniture while working as a prop boy and cast him in his first starring role in The Big Trail (1930). It was during this time that Marion Morrison became "John Wayne," when Raoul Walsh didn't think Marion was a good name for an actor playing a tough western hero.
1910 George S Patton married Beatrice Banning Ayer, the daughter of Boston industrialist Frederick Ayer, on May 26, 1910 in Beverly Farms, Massachusetts. They had three children, Beatrice Smith (born March 1911), Ruth Ellen (born February 1915), and George Patton IV (born December 1923).
 |
| George and Beatrice Patton wedding photo |
1923 The actor Roy Dotrice was born on May 26, 1923. He made an international reputation with his solo adaptation of John Aubrey's Brief Lives. Dotrice's one-man show saw him on stage for more than two-and-a-half hours (including the interval, during which he would feign sleep). Premiering in 1967 at the Hampstead Theatre in London, the play earned Dotrice a place in the Guinness Book of Records for the greatest number of solo performances (1,782).
1951 Born May 26, 1951, astronaut Dr. Sally K. Ride became the first American woman to be sent into space when she was selected to serve on a six- day flight of the orbiter Challenger in 1983. At the time, she was the youngest American to enter outer space.
1966 The country Of British Guiana gained independence from the United Kingdom on May 26, 1966 becoming Guyana. The name Guyana means "land of many waters" in a native American language referring to the many rivers running through the country. The country's flag (see below) was adopted the same day.
1969 Princess Anne made her first public speech on May 26, 1969 — and she wrote it herself. The 18-year-old royal talked about her taste in clothes at a lunch to open the Festival of London Stores. She said: "I think I can claim to have supported almost all the stores represented here at some time or other. But I dislike macs so intensely, my Burberry is going to last me a good many years."
1978 The first legal casino outside of Nevada was opened in Atlantic City on May 26, 1978. Resorts Casino Hotel opened its doors at 10:00am; however initial gaming laws in New Jersey only allowed casinos to operate for 18 hours during the week and 20 hours during the weekends.
1986 The European Community adopted the European flag on May 26, 1986. The flag appears on the euro banknotes and Euro coins also display the twelve stars of the flag on both the national and common side. The flag appears also on many driving licences and vehicle registration plates issued in the Union.
1991 Zviad Gamsakhurdia became the first elected President of the Republic of Georgia in the post-Soviet era on May 26, 1991. In 1992, a violent coup d'état took place, forcing Gamsakhurdia into exile. He remained in opposition and attempted to regain power until his death in 1993 under disputed circumstances.
1994 Michael Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley in a private ceremony in the Dominican Republic on May 26, 1994. The marriage between Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, and Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis Presley, garnered significant media attention at the time. The marriage lasted two years.
1994 The Metromover is a free mass transit automated people mover train system operated by Miami-Dade Transit in Miami, It originally began service to the Downtown/Inner Loop in 1986. Miami's Metromover was expanded with the Omni and Brickell Loop extensions on May 26, 1994. The Metromover is one of the largest and most used public people movers in the United States.
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