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Historical events on December 26

DECEMBER 26, 1811
Seventy-two people died when a theater in Richmond, Virginia, was destroyed by fire, becoming the worst urban disaster in American history at the time.
Richmond is the capital city of the U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city since 1871. Read More
DECEMBER 26, 1709
The opera Agrippina by George Frideric Handel premiered in Venice.
Agrippina is an opera seria in three acts by George Frideric Handel with a libretto by Cardinal Vincenzo Grimani. Composed for the Read More
DECEMBER 26, 1723
Johann Sebastian Bach (pictured) directed the premiere of Darzu ist erschienen der Sohn Gottes, his first Christmas cantata composed in Leipzig.
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across Read More
DECEMBER 26, 2015
A violent tornado moves through several suburbs of Dallas, Texas, killing ten and injuring almost 500 others. It was the deadliest tornado to ever hit Texas during the month of December.
On the night of December 26, 2015, a violent EF4 tornado struck the Dallas suburbs of Sunnyvale, Garland, and Rowlett, located in Read More
DECEMBER 26, 1871
Thespis, the first comic opera by Gilbert and Sullivan, premiered at the Gaiety Theatre in London.
Thespis, or The Gods Grown Old, is an operatic extravaganza that was the first collaboration between dramatist W. S. Gilbert and composer Read More
DECEMBER 26, 1776
American Revolutionary War: George Washington led a Continental Army column across the Delaware River to launch a surprise attack against Hessian forces at the Battle of Trenton (painting shown).
The American Revolutionary War, also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the Read More
DECEMBER 26, 1862
American Civil War: The Battle of Chickasaw Bayou began with Confederate defenders engaging Union forces who were attempting to capture the city of Vicksburg, Mississippi.
The American Civil War was a civil war in the United States between the Union and the Confederacy, which was formed in Read More
DECEMBER 26, 1825
Imperial Russian Army officers led about 3,000 soldiers in protest against Nicholas I's assumption of the throne after his elder brother Konstantin removed himself from the line of succession.
The Imperial Russian Army was the army of the Russian Empire, active from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was Read More
DECEMBER 26, 1946
American gangster Bugsy Siegel opened The Flamingo Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, the oldest casino still in operation on the Las Vegas Strip.
Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel was an American mobster who was a driving force behind the development of the Las Vegas Strip. Siegel was Read More
DECEMBER 26, 1898
At the French Academy of Sciences, physicists Pierre and Marie Curie announced the discovery of a new element, naming it radium.
The French Academy of Sciences is a learned society, founded in 1666 by Louis XIV at the suggestion of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, to encourage Read More
DECEMBER 26, 1943
World War II: In the Battle of Cape Gloucester, American and Australian forces bombarded Japanese positions on New Britain in the Territory of New Guinea while U.S. Marines invaded from two sides of the island.
World War II or the Second World War was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all Read More
DECEMBER 26, 1919
American baseball player Babe Ruth was sold by the Boston Red Sox to their rivals, the New York Yankees, beginning the 84-year-long "Curse of the Bambino".
George Herman "Babe" Ruth was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through Read More
DECEMBER 26, 2006
Two earthquakes off the southwest coast of Taiwan damaged submarine communications cables, disrupting Internet services in Asia and affecting financial transactions.
The 2006 Hengchun earthquakes occurred on December 26 at 20:26 and 20:34 local time off the southwest coast of Taiwan in the Read More
DECEMBER 26, 1606
The first known performance of King Lear, a tragedy written by William Shakespeare (pictured) and based on the legend of Leir of Britain, took place before King James I.
The Tragedy of King Lear, often shortened to King Lear, is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is loosely based on Read More
DECEMBER 26, 1800
Philip Gidley King, Governor of New South Wales, ordered the formation of the Governor's Body Guard of Light Horse, described as the first full-time military unit raised in Australia.
Captain Philip Gidley King was a Royal Navy officer and colonial administrator who served as the governor of New South Wales from Read More
DECEMBER 26, 2004
A major earthquake and tsunami devastated communities around the Indian Ocean, killing an estimated 227,898 people in 14 countries.
On 26 December 2004, at 07:58:53 local time (UTC+7), a major earthquake with a magnitude of 9.2–9.3 Mw struck with an epicentre Read More
DECEMBER 26, 1943
Second World War: The German battleship Scharnhorst was sunk at the Battle of the North Cape during an attempt to attack Arctic convoys.
World War II or the Second World War was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all Read More

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