Historical events on May 26

MAY 26, 2002
Barges being towed destroyed part of a bridge (aftermath pictured) near Webbers Falls, Oklahoma, causing vehicles to fall into the Robert S. Kerr Reservoir on the Arkansas River.
The I-40 bridge disaster was a bridge collapse that occurred southeast of Webbers Falls, Oklahoma, United States at 7:45 a.m. on May 26, Read More
MAY 26, 946
King Edmund I of England was murdered at Pucklechurch on the feast day of St Augustine.
Edmund I or Eadmund I was King of the English from 27 October 939 until his death in 946. He was the Read More
MAY 26, 1868
The impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson adjourned after the second and third articles of impeachment did not obtain enough votes from the U.S. Senate to convict.
The impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson, 17th president of the United States, was held in the United States Senate and concluded with Read More
MAY 26, 1897
The Church of England returned the original manuscript of William Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation, an account of the Pilgrims and the early years of the Plymouth Colony, to the state of Massachusetts.
The Church of England is the established Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Read More
MAY 26, 1938
The House Un-American Activities Committee was established to investigate alleged disloyalty and subversive activities by people or organizations in the U.S. suspected of having communist or fascist ties.
The House Committee on Un-American Activities (HCUA), popularly the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), was an investigative committee of the United States Read More
MAY 26, 1989
Tropical Storm Cecil dissipated over Laos after devastating Quảng Nam province, Vietnam, and causing the deaths of 751 people.
Severe Tropical Storm Cecil in May of 1989 caused devastating floods in central Vietnam, killing 751 people. The storm developed as a tropical depression Read More
MAY 26, 1940
Second World War: The Allies began a mass evacuation of British, French and Belgian troops cut off by the German army during the Battle of Dunkirk.
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
MAY 26, 1822
The deadliest fire in Norwegian history occurred at a church in Grue, killing at least 113 people.
On 26 May 1822, during the Pentecost service, the church at Grue, Norway, caught fire and at least 113 people were killed. Read More
MAY 26, 1933
American singer Jimmie Rodgers (pictured) died at the Taft Hotel in New York City.
James Charles Rodgers was an American singer, songwriter, and musician who rose to popularity in the late 1920s. Widely regarded as the Read More
MAY 26, 1932
Donoghue v Stevenson is decided, ultimately establishing the foundation for negligence in common law jurisdictions worldwide.
Donoghue v Stevenson [1932] AC 562 was a landmark court decision in Scots delict law and English tort law by the House Read More
MAY 26, 1906
Vauxhall Bridge in London opened, crossing the River Thames between Vauxhall and Westminster.
Vauxhall Bridge is a Grade II* listed steel and granite deck arch bridge in central London. It crosses the River Thames in Read More
MAY 26, 1328
English friar William of Ockham, who popularised the methodological principle known as Occam's razor, secretly left Avignon under threat from Pope John XXII.
A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders in the Catholic Church. There are also friars outside of the Read More
MAY 26, 1894
Germany's Emanuel Lasker defeated Wilhelm Steinitz to become the world chess champion, beginning a record 27-year reign.
Emanuel Lasker was a German chess player, mathematician, and philosopher. He was the second World Chess Champion, holding the title for 27 Read More
MAY 26, 1644
Portuguese Restoration War: Portuguese and Spanish forces both claimed victory at the Battle of Montijo.
The Restoration War, historically known as the Acclamation War, was the war between Portugal and Spain that began with the Portuguese revolution Read More
MAY 26, 1865
American Civil War: General Edmund Kirby Smith negotiated the surrender of his army, the only significant Confederate Army force remaining in the war.
The American Civil War was a civil war in the United States between the Union and the Confederacy, which was formed in Read More
MAY 26, 1888
The comic novel The Diary of a Nobody by brothers George and Weedon Grossmith first appeared in serial form in Punch.
The Diary of a Nobody is an 1892 English comic novel written by the brothers George and Weedon Grossmith, with illustrations by Read More
MAY 26, 1967
The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, one of the first progressive rock albums, was released.
The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul Read More

Showing selected events of May 26

May Events

© 2025 — Bold History. All Rights Reserved.