January 26 in History

Significant events that happened on this day.

Today

Historical Events

1998

President Bill Clinton wagged his finger at cameras and declared 'I did not have sexual relations with that woman' regarding Monica Lewinsky

Major

This infamous denial came during a White House event, with Hillary Clinton standing nearby. The statement became one of the most memorable presidentia...

1977

The punk rock band The Clash released their self-titled debut album in the UK

The album, recorded in just three weekend sessions for £4,000, became one of the most influential punk albums of all time. It featured raw, politicall...

1972

A Yugoslav flight attendant survived a fall of 33,330 feet after her plane exploded, setting the world record for surviving the highest fall without a parachute

Vesna Vulović was working on JAT Flight 367 when a briefcase bomb detonated over Czechoslovakia. She fell inside a section of the fuselage that crash-...

1961

John F. Kennedy became the first US president to hold a live televised presidential news conference

The innovative format allowed 418 reporters to ask questions directly, and millions of Americans watched from home. Kennedy's telegenic personality an...

1956

The Winter Olympics opened in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, becoming the first Winter Games to be televised

These were the VII Olympic Winter Games, and broadcasts reached 22 countries across Europe. The Soviet Union made its Winter Olympic debut and immedia...

1950

India became a republic and adopted its constitution, transitioning from a dominion to a sovereign democratic republic

Major

Though India gained independence from Britain in 1947, it became a fully sovereign republic on this date when its constitution came into effect. Dr. R...

1926

John Logie Baird demonstrated the first working television system to members of the Royal Institution in London

Major

Baird's mechanical television system successfully transmitted moving images of a ventriloquist's dummy named 'Stooky Bill' in his laboratory. This gro...

1905

The Cullinan Diamond, the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found, was discovered in South Africa

Weighing an astounding 3,106 carats (about 1.37 pounds), the diamond was found at the Premier Mine. It was later cut into nine major stones and 96 sma...

1875

George F. Green patented the electric dental drill in Kalamazoo, Michigan

Before this invention, dentists used hand-cranked drills or even bow drills similar to those used for starting fires. Green's electric drill made dent...

1837

Michigan became the 26th state of the United States on the 26th day of January

This numerical coincidence delights math nerds and trivia enthusiasts to this day. Michigan was admitted as a free state as part of the political bala...

1802

The US Congress approved funding to establish a library, which would become the Library of Congress

The initial appropriation was just $5,000 to purchase books and create a library room in the Capitol. Today, the Library of Congress is the largest li...

1788

The First Fleet arrived in Australia, establishing the first European settlement at Sydney Cove

Major

Captain Arthur Phillip led eleven ships carrying over 1,000 people, including 736 convicts, to establish a British penal colony. This date is now cele...

1784

Benjamin Franklin expressed embarrassment in a letter to his daughter that the bald eagle was chosen as America's national symbol, suggesting the turkey would have been better

Franklin wrote that the eagle had 'bad moral character' and was 'a rank coward' that steals food from other birds. He praised the turkey as 'a much mo...

1700

A massive earthquake off the coast of the Pacific Northwest triggered a tsunami that reached Japan

The Cascadia earthquake, estimated at magnitude 8.7-9.2, struck the Cascadia subduction zone. The resulting tsunami devastated the coast and was so po...

Fun Facts from January 26