26 November History


Month:                           Date:     

  • 1688    -    Louis XIV declares war on the Netherlands.
  • 1774    -    A congress of colonial leaders criticizes British influence in the colonies and affirms their right to "Life, liberty and property."
  • 1789    -    George Washington proclaims this a National Thanksgiving Day in honor of the new Constitution. This date was later used to set the date for Thanksgiving.
  • 1812    -    Napoleon Bonaparte's army begins crossing the Beresina River over two hastily constructed bridges.
  • 1825    -    The Kappa Alpha Society, the second American college Greek-letter fraternity, is founded.
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  • 1863    -    The first National Thanksgiving is celebrated.
  • 1901    -    The Hope diamond is brought to New York.
  • 1907    -    The Duma lends support to Czar in St. Petersburg, who claims he has renounced autocracy.
  • 1917    -    The Bolsheviks offer an armistice between Russian and the Central Powers.
  • 1922    -    Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter, archeologists, open King Tut's tomb, undisturbed for 3,000 years.
  • 1938    -    Poland renews nonaggression pact with the Soviet Union to protect against a German invasion.
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  • 1939    -    The Soviet Union charges Finland with artillery attack on border.
  • 1941    -    The Japanese fleet departs from the Kuril Islands en route to its attack on Pearl Harbor.
  • 1947    -    France expels 19 Soviet citizens, charging them with intervention in internal affairs.
  • 1949    -    India becomes a sovereign Democratic republic.
  • 1950    -    North Korean and Chinese troops halt a UN offensive.
  • 1957    -    President Eisenhower suffers a minor stroke.
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  • 1975    -    Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme is found guilty of an attempt on President Gerald Ford's life.
  • 1979    -    Oil deposits equaling OPEC reserves are found in Venezuela.
  • 1982    -    Yasuhiro Nakasone is elected the 71st Japanese prime minister.

  • 26 November Birthdays

  • 1827    -    Ellen Gould White, founder of the Seventh Day Adventists.
  • 1876    -    Willis Haviland Carrier, inventor of the first air conditioning system to control both temperature and humidity.
  • 1894    -    Norbert Weiner, American mathematician, considered the father of automation.
  • 1912    -    Eric Sevareid, American broadcast journalist for CBS News.
  • 1920    -    Cyril Cusack, Irish actor.
  • 1922    -    Charles M. Shultz, American cartoonist who created "Peanuts" starring Charlie Brown.
  • 1924    -    George Segal, sculptor.