Czechoslovakia peacefully split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia at midnight
Known as the "Velvet Divorce," this was one of the most amicable national breakups in history. There was no violence, no war, and both countries remai...
February 26 in History
Significant events that happened on this day.
Historical Events
1993
1977
A 1,500-year-old mosaic floor was discovered under a parking lot in Lod, Israel
Construction workers accidentally uncovered one of the most beautiful Roman-era mosaics ever found, depicting exotic animals and hunting scenes. The m...
1971
Secretary-General U Thant signed the United Nations proclamation of the Convention on Psychotropic Substances
This international treaty aimed to control mind-altering drugs like LSD, mescaline, and psilocybin. The timing was ironic—just as the hippie movement...
1970
A strange rain of meat fell from the sky in Olympian Springs, Kentucky
Chunks of fresh meat rained down over an area of several hundred square feet on a clear day, with pieces up to 4 inches square. Scientists later deter...
1936
Adolf Hitler introduced the Volkswagen Beetle as the "people's car" at the Berlin Motor Show
Originally called the KdF-Wagen, the Beetle was designed to be affordable for ordinary German families. Ironically, very few were actually produced be...
1935
Robert Watson-Watt demonstrated the first practical radar system to detect aircraft
MajorIn a field near Daventry, England, Watson-Watt successfully tracked a bomber at a distance of 8 miles using radio waves. This "Death Ray" experiment (...
1929
President Calvin Coolidge signed an executive order establishing Grand Teton National Park
The original park was much smaller than today's version, protecting only the Teton mountain range. Local ranchers opposed the expansion so fiercely th...
1919
The Grand Canyon was established as a national park
President Woodrow Wilson signed the bill creating Grand Canyon National Park, protecting one of the world's most spectacular geological features. The...
1869
The 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed by Congress
MajorThis amendment prohibited denying the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude. It was ratified in 1870, though many sta...
1815
Napoleon Bonaparte escaped from exile on the island of Elba
MajorAfter less than a year in exile, Napoleon slipped past his guards and sailed back to France with about 1,000 men. His return sparked the Hundred Days...
1802
Victor Hugo was born in Besançon, France
Hugo would become one of France's greatest writers, authoring "Les Misérables" and "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame." He was also a politician and human r...
1797
The Bank of England issued the first one-pound note
This paper currency was created during the French Revolutionary Wars when gold became scarce. Before this, a pound was literally a pound of silver coi...
1616
The Catholic Church officially banned Nicolaus Copernicus's book arguing that Earth orbits the Sun
The book "De revolutionibus orbium coelestium" had been published in 1543, but it took 73 years for the Church to get around to banning it. The ban re...