Year 1565
Battle between the Vijayanagara Empire and the Deccan Sultan at Talikota. Rama Raya was defeated in this battle and unrestricted Muslim rule began in South India.
JANUARY 26
Daily Historical Chronicle
UPSC CSE • State PSC • SSC CGL Matrix
26 January: What Happened On This Day in History
Curated historical timeline of momentous political pacts, freedom struggle uprisings, constitutional developments, scientific breakthroughs, and prominent birthdays recorded on 26 January.
Observances & Special Days
Republic Day (India)
Year 1837
Michigan became the 26th state of the United States.
Year 1856
First Battle of Seattle. Marines from the USS Decatur drive off American Indian attackers after all day battle with settlers.
Year 1876
Railway service between Mumbai and Calcutta began.
Year 1924
St. Petersburg renamed Leningrad in Russia.
Year 1930
The Indian National Congress declares 26 January as Independence Day or as the day for Poorna Swaraj ("Complete Independence") which occurred 17 years later.
Year 1931
Mahatma Gandhi was released for talks with the British government during the āCivil Disobedience Movementā.
Year 1933
The Indian National Congress began celebrating Independence Day on January 26, demanding complete independence instead of colonial independence.
Year 1949
The first draft of the Constitution of India was approved.
Year 1950
With the enactment of the Constitution of India, India became a sovereign republic. Dr. Rajendra Prasad was sworn in as the first President of India. H. J. Kaniya became the first Chief Justice of India.
Year 1950
āJan Gan Manā was recognized as the national anthem of India.
Year 1963
Due to the amazing beauty of the peacock, the Government of India declared it a national bird on 26 January.
Year 1972
The National Memorial Amar Jawan Jyoti was established at India Gate in Delhi.
Year 1981
Keeping in mind the ease of air traffic in Northeast India, the air service Vayudoot started.
Year 2001
A massive earthquake in the Kuchh region of Gujarat kills at least 20,000 people.
Year 2008
NR Narayanamurthy was awarded āThe Officer of the Legion of Oursā, the highest civilian honor of the Government of France.
Born 1874
Kalapi, an Indian-Gujarati poet and the Thakor of Lathi state in Gujarat.
Born 1915
K. S. Narasimhaswamy, an Indian poet in the Kannada language.
Born 1921
Akio Morita, a Japanese businessman and co-founder of Sony along with Masaru Ibuka.
Born 1956
P. C. Sreeram, an Indian cinematographer and film director.
Born 1958
Ellen Lee DeGeneres, an American comedian, television host, actress, writer, and producer.
Born 1968
Ravi Teja, an Indian film actor who predominantly works in Telugu cinema.
Born 1980
Varun Grover, an Indian stand-up comic and poet.
Born 1982
Mamta Kharab, the former captain of the Indian womenās hockey team.
Died 1823
Edward Jenner, an English physician, and scientist who pioneered the concept of vaccines including creating the smallpox vaccine, the worldās first vaccine.
Died 1831
Sangolli Rayanna, Indian soldier (b. 1798)
Died 1875
George Finlay, a Scottish historian.
Died 1887
Anandi Gopal Joshi, One of the first female Indian physicians (b. 1865)
Died 1895
Arthur Cayley, a prolific British mathematician who worked mostly on algebra.
Died 2000
Alfred Elton van Vogt, a Canadian-born science fiction author.
Died 2013
Padma Kant Shukla, Indian physicist and academic (b. 1950)
Died 2015
R. K. Laxman, an Indian cartoonist, illustrator, and humorist.