The U.S. became the country with the most confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide
MajorAmerica surpassed China and Italy in total coronavirus cases, marking a grim milestone in the pandemic. Within days, cases would exceed 100,000 as sta...
March 26 in History
Significant events that happened on this day.
Historical Events
2020
2000
Vladimir Putin was elected President of Russia for the first time
The former KGB officer won 53% of the vote, beginning what would become one of the longest tenures in Russian leadership. Putin had been serving as ac...
1999
The Melissa virus became one of the fastest-spreading computer viruses in history
This email-based macro virus disrupted computers worldwide by mailing itself to the first 50 contacts in a user's Outlook address book. The virus caus...
1981
The first London Marathon took place with 7,747 runners completing the course
Inspired by the success of the New York City Marathon, organizers created what would become one of the world's most prestigious marathons. American Di...
1979
Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty, ending 30 years of conflict
MajorEgyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin signed the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty at the White House, witnessed by U.S. Pr...
1971
Bangladesh declared independence from Pakistan, sparking a nine-month war
MajorEast Pakistan declared itself the independent nation of Bangladesh after years of political and cultural tensions with West Pakistan. The ensuing Libe...
1962
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that segregated transportation facilities were unconstitutional
In Bailey v. Patterson, the Court unanimously declared that racial segregation in public transit violated the Constitution, building on earlier civil...
1958
The U.S. Army launched Explorer 3, discovering the Van Allen radiation belts
This satellite confirmed James Van Allen's theory about zones of energetic charged particles trapped by Earth's magnetic field. The discovery revoluti...
1953
Jonas Salk announced his polio vaccine was ready for human testing
MajorDr. Jonas Salk revealed that his revolutionary vaccine had successfully immunized children against polio during trials. This breakthrough would eventu...
1937
Spinach growers erected a statue of Popeye in Crystal City, Texas
The town, which billed itself as the 'Spinach Capital of the World,' credited the cartoon character with boosting spinach consumption by 33% during th...
1913
Floods devastated Dayton, Ohio, killing over 360 people and destroying thousands of homes
The Great Dayton Flood became one of the worst natural disasters in Ohio history when the Great Miami River overwhelmed the city. The catastrophe led...
1804
The Louisiana Purchase was officially divided into the Territory of Orleans and the District of Louisiana
Congress organized the massive land acquisition from France, setting the stage for westward expansion. This administrative decision would eventually l...