Today in history 26

Here are some historical events that occurred on February 26:

  1. 1863 - The Battle of Chancellorsville begins during the American Civil War.
  2. 1917 - The United States declares war on Germany, entering World War I.
  3. 1945 - The Soviet Union captures the German city of Budapest, Hungary, during World War II.
  4. 1965 - The United States launches the Ranger 8 spacecraft, which impacts the Moon's surface.
  5. 1971 - The United States launches the Mariner 9 spacecraft, which becomes the first spacecraft to orbit Mars.
  6. 1987 - The United States launches the Space Shuttle Discovery on its STS-26 mission, the first shuttle flight since the Challenger disaster in 1986.
  7. 1991 - The United States launches the Space Shuttle Atlantis on its STS-42 mission, which carries a crew of seven astronauts to the Space Station Mir.
  8. 2003 - The United States launches the Space Shuttle Columbia on its STS-107 mission, which carries a crew of seven astronauts to the International Space Station.

Some notable birthdays on February 26 include:

  1. 1812 - Samuel Morse, American inventor and artist, was born.
  2. 1862 - John Philip Sousa, American composer and conductor, was born.
  3. 1887 - George S. Patton, American general, was born.
  4. 1920 - John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States, was born.
  5. 1947 - Stevie Nicks, American singer-songwriter, was born.
  6. 1952 - Michael Jackson, American singer-songwriter, was born.

Some notable deaths on February 26 include:

  1. 1863 - Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States, was assassinated.
  2. 1945 - Adolf Hitler, German dictator, committed suicide.
  3. 1964 - Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister, died.
  4. 1984 - Frank Zappa, American musician, died.
  5. 2016 - David Bowie, British singer-songwriter, died.