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On this day in History Archives
 
At PaulsQuiz.com we aim to provide you with as much information as we possibly can. That's why we have built our On This Day in History section, to do just that. Our database is forever growing, we're adding more and more events from history to help you write your quiz questions.

Simply enter a date using the drop-down boxes below and click the 'Go' button to display events from the past that ocurred on that day.
 

 
26 December, 2004
An earthquake measuring 9.3 on the Richter magnitude scale creates a tsunami causing devastation in Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, The Maldives and many other areas around the rim of the Indian Ocean, killing more than 300,000.
26 December, 2003
A strong magnitude 6.6 earthquake devastates southeast Iranian city of Bam, killing tens of thousands and destroying the citadel of Arg-é Bam.
26 December, 2002
French Raelian scientist Brigitte Boisselier says Clonaid has delivered the first of a supposed five clone babies through cesarean section.
26 December, 1999
Severe weather in France kills over 100 people and causes extensive damage to property and trees and the French national power grid.
26 December, 1998
Iraq announced its intention to fire upon U.S. and British warplanes that patrol the northern and southern no-fly zones.
26 December, 1998
Severe gales over Ireland, northern England, and southern Scotland cause widespread disruption and widespread power outages in Northern Ireland and southern Scotland.
26 December, 1997
The Soufriere Hills volcano on the island of Montserrat explodes, creating a small tsunami offshore.
26 December, 1996
Start of the largest strike in South Korean history.
26 December, 1996
The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification goes into force.
26 December, 1991
Supreme Soviet meets and formally dissolves the USSR.
26 December, 1988
The Nanjing Anti-African protests in Nanjing, the Peoples Republic of China begin.
26 December, 1986
The first long-running American television soap opera, Search for Tomorrow, airs its final episode after thirty-five years on the air.
26 December, 1982
Time Magazines Man of the Year was for the first time given to a non-human, the personal computer.
26 December, 1980
Aeroflot puts the Ilyushin Il-86 into service.
26 December, 1979
Soviet Special forces troops take over presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan.
26 December, 1979
Opening night of the Concerts for the People of Kampuchea at the Hammersmith Odeon; a benefit concert for the citizens of Cambodia who were victims of dictator Pol Pot
26 December, 1976
The Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist-Leninist) is founded.
26 December, 1975
The Tupolev Tu-144 goes into service in Soviet Union.
26 December, 1974
Salyut 4 is launched.
26 December, 1973
Comet Kohoutek reaches perihelion but is not such a display as expected.
26 December, 1973
Soyuz 13 lands on earth after a week in orbit.
26 December, 1966
The first Kwanzaa is celebrated by Maulana Karenga, the chair of Black Studies at California State University, Long Beach.
26 December, 1948
Cardinal Mindszenty is arrested in Hungary and accused of treason and conspiracy.
26 December, 1947
Twenty-six inches of snow falls in 16 hours in New York City.
26 December, 1946
The Flamingo Hotel opens in Las Vegas.
26 December, 1945
CFP franc and CFA franc are created.
26 December, 1944
The play The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams is first publicly performed.
26 December, 1944
World War II: U.S. troops repulse German forces at Bastogne.
26 December, 1943
World War II: The German warship Scharnhorst sinks off the coast of North Cape in Norway after being attacked by the Royal Navy late the previous evening.
26 December, 1933
The Nissan Motor Company is organized in Tokyo, Japan.
26 December, 1933
FM radio is patented.
26 December, 1931
Phi Iota Alpha, the oldest existing Latino fraternity is founded.
26 December, 1925
The Communist Party of India is founded.
26 December, 1925
Turkey adopts the Gregorian Calendar.
26 December, 1919
Babe Ruth sold to the Yankees.
26 December, 1916
Joseph Joffre is made Marshal of France.
26 December, 1908
Jack Johnson becomes the first African American heavyweight boxing champion by defeating Tommy Burns in Sydney, Australia.
26 December, 1906
The Story of the Kelly Gang is released, widely considered to be the worlds first feature film.
26 December, 1898
Marie and Pierre Curie announce the isolation of radium.
26 December, 1871
Gilbert and Sullivan collaborate for the first time, on their lost opera, Thespis. It does modestly well, but the two will not collaborate again for four years.
26 December, 1870
The 12.8-km long Fréjus Rail Tunnel through the Alps is completed.
26 December, 1862
American Civil War: The Battle of Chickasaw Bayou begins.
26 December, 1862
Four nuns who were volunteer nurses on board USS Red Rover were the first female nurses on a U.S. Navy hospital ship.
26 December, 1862
The largest mass-hanging in US history took place in Mankato, Minnesota, killing 39.
26 December, 1861
American Civil War: Confederate diplomatic envoys James M. Mason and John Slidell are freed by the United States government, thus heading off a possible war between the United States and Britain.
26 December, 1860
The first ever inter-club football match takes place between Hallam F.C. and Sheffield F.C. at the Sandygate Road ground in Sheffield, England.
26 December, 1848
The Phi Delta Theta fraternity is founded at Miami University, Oxford, Oh.
26 December, 1825
Several Imperial Russia army officers lead circa 3000 soldiers on the Senate Square in the failed Decembrist uprising.
26 December, 1825
The Erie Canal opens.
26 December, 1811
A theater fire in Richmond, Virginia kills the Governor of Virginia George William Smith and the president of the First National Bank of Virginia Abraham B. Venable.

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