Year 1498
First toothbrush made in China.
JUNE 26
Daily Historical Chronicle
UPSC CSE • State PSC • SSC CGL Matrix
26 June: 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 June.
Observances & Special Days
World Refrigeration Day (International)
Year 1906
First ever Grand Prix motor race was held at the Le Mans circuit of France.
Year 1960
Madagascar gained its independence from France.
Year 1975
Two FBI agents and a member of the American Indian Movement are killed in a shootout on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota; Leonard Peltier is later convicted of the murders in a controversial trial.
Year 1977
Elvis Presley performed the last concert of his life in Indiana, USA.
Year 1979
Boxer Muhammad Ali retirded.
Year 1997
The first book of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, was first published.
Year 2000
P Bandopadhyay became the first woman Air Commodore in the Air Force.
Year 1740
A combined force of Spanish, free blacks and allied Indians defeat a British garrison at the Siege of Fort Mose near St. Augustine during the War of Jenkins' Ear.
Born 1564
Ahmad Sirhindi, an Indian Islamic scholar
Born 1838
Bankimchandra Chatterjee, an Indian novelist, poet, and journalist.
Born 1873
Gauhar Jaan, an Indian singer, and dancer.
Born 1874
Shahu Maharaj, the first Maharaja of the Indian princely state of Kolhapur.
Born 1888
Bal Gandharva, a Marathi singer and stage actor.
Born 1926
Mahendra Bhatnagar, Indian poet
Born 1946
Aruna Roy, an Indian political and social activist.
Born 1958
Suresh Gopi, an Indian actor, politician, playback singer, and television presenter.
Born 1994
Leonard Carow, German actor
Born 1997
Baek Ye-rin, South Korean singer
Born 1997
Callum Taylor, English cricketer
Born 2002
Chandler Smith, American racing driver
Born 2009
Yesha Camile, Filipino child actress
Died 1810
Joseph Michel Montgolfier, a French inventor of the hot-air balloon.
Died 2001
Vasant Purushottam Kale, an Indian-Marathi writer.
Died 2004
Yash Johar, Indian film producer, founded Dharma Productions (b. 1929)
Died 2014
Bob Mischak, American football player and coach (b. 1932)
Died 2014
Julius Rudel, Austrian-American conductor (b. 1921)
Died 2014
Mary Rodgers, American composer and author (b. 1931)
Died 2015
Yevgeny Primakov, Ukrainian-Russian journalist and politician, 32nd Prime Minister of Russia (b. 1929)
Died 2015
Chris Thompson, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1952)