Year 1739
Afghanistan was separated from the Indian empire as a result of a treaty signed between Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah and Nadir Shah.
MAY 26
Daily Historical Chronicle
UPSC CSE • State PSC • SSC CGL Matrix
26 May: 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 May.
Observances & Special Days
Mother's Day (Poland)
National Paper Airplane Day (United States)
Year 1896
Nicholas II became Tsar of Russia.
Year 1946
Gandhiji considers the 'Plan' the best document produced by the British Government under the circumstances.
Year 1948
First-ever trade agreement with Pakistan.
Year 1957
Janta Insurance Scheme was inaugurated in Bombay.
Year 1986
European Union (EU) adopted a new flag.
Year 1993
The Centre decides to implement the Mandal Commission recommendation to provide 27\% reservation for the socially and educationally backward classes in the Central Services from 15th June.
Year 1997
Government decides to allow the use of environment-friendly LPG as a motor vehicle fuel.
Year 1998
Prof. Jagdish Bhagwati, an economist, was awarded the 1998 Freedom Prize of the Max Schmidmeiny Foundation.
Year 1999
PSLV-C2, a polar satellite carrier from Sriharikota, successfully launched India’s ISSP4 (OceanSat), Korea’s Kitsat, and Germany’s DLR-Tubsat.
Year 1999
In a World Cup match against Sri Lanka, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid notched a mesmerizing partnership of 318 runs for the second wicket in Taunton.
Year 1998
S. Chandrasekar, the scientist, was selected for the Niels Bohr-UNESCO gold medal.
Year 2000
In a significant development, the Government decides to allow disinvestment up to 60 per cent equity of Air India.
Born 1885
Govindagraj (Ram Ganesh Gadkari), great Marathi playwright, comedy author, and poet, was born.
Born 1902
Sadashiv Anant Shukla (Kumudbandhav), an Indian playwright and writer.
Born 1906
Benjamin Peary Pal, internationally famous scientist of Indian agriculture, was born at Mukundpur, Punjab. In 1929, he went to Cambridge to do research on wheat and he returned to Burma with a Ph.D. five years later. In 1933, he got a research job with what is now known as the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in New Delhi. In 1965, Pal became Director General of the newly founded Indian Council of Agricultural Research in New Delhi. He has written several books on roses, the most popular being "The Rose in India".
Born 1916
Rangnath Manohar Joshi (Nirmal Guruji), the Marathi author, was born.
Born 1926
Kankalta, freedom fighter, was born in Bargawadi village at Assam. She was shot when she tried to flur the Indian National Flag in Gopur, Assam.
Born 1930
Karim Emami, a highly regarded Iranian translator, editor, lexicographer, and literary critic.
Born 1935
Swami Mrigendra Channaya, great Social Scientist in Maharashtra, was born.
Born 1937
Manorama, an Indian actress, playback singer, and comedian.
Born 1938
K. Bikram Singh, Indian director, and producer (d. 2013)
Born 1945
Vilasrao Deshmukh, an Indian politician and former Chief Minister of the state of Maharashtra.
Born 1961
Tarsem Singh, Indian-American director, producer, and screenwriter
Born 1968
Dilip Joshi, an Indian film and television actor.
Born 1983
Sushil Kumar, an Indian freestyle wrestler.
Died 1703
Samuel Pepys, famous for the diary he kept for a decade while still a relatively young man.
Died 1908
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Indian religious leader, founded the Ahmadiyya movement (b. 1835)
Died 1943
Edsel Ford, an American business executive, and philanthropist.
Died 1983
R. V. Marathe, father of Postal Index, passed away.
Died 2000
Prabhakar G. Surur (93) died in Mumbai.
Died 2014
Baselios Thoma Didymos I, Indian metropolitan (b. 1921)