On this day: June 26th

On this day: June 26th

There are many and several events on this day in history. Read and discover what happened on this day: On this day: June 26th

On this day: June 26th

Events  On this day: June 26th

• 1819: The bicycle is invented.
• 1893: Illinois Gov. John P. Altgeld issued a controversial pardon for three anarchists convicted after the Haymarket Riot. The riot had occurred in Chicago in May of 1886, after 180 police officers advanced on 1,300 persons listening to speeches by labor activists and anarchists. A bomb was thrown. Seven police were killed and over 50 wounded. Four anarchists were then charged with conspiracy to kill, convicted, and hanged, while another committed suicide in jail. Three others were given lengthy jail terms, then pardoned by Gov. Altgeld in a move that likely cost him his political career.
• 1906: The first Grand Prix car race is held. The competition was held on a circuit around Le Mans, France, and organized by the Automobile Club de France (ACF). Renault’s Ferdinand Szisz won the competition.
• 1925: Charlie Chaplin’s film “The Gold Rush” receives its premiere. The comedy featuring Chaplin in his famous Little Tramp role is a classic of the silent film genre. The English star actor repeatedly stated that this is the film he wants to be remembered for.
• 1936: The world’s first practical helicopter lifts off. The twin-rotor Focke-Wulf Fw 61 was first tested in Bremen, Germany. None of the first prototypes survived World War II, but a replica can be seen at the Hubschraubermuseum in Bückeburg, Germany.
• 1945: The United Nations Charter was signed in San Francisco by 50 nations. The Charter was ratified on October 24, 1945.
• 1963: U.S. President John F. Kennedy holds his iconic “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech. The speech was a welcome gesture of support for the people of West Berlin. East Germany had erected the Berlin Wall just two years earlier to stop mass emigration to the West.
• 1977: Elvis Presley gives his last concert.
• 1979: Muhammad Ali retires from boxing.
• 1997: J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is first published.

Birthdays On this day: June 26th

• 1819: Abner Doubleday (Inventor of baseball)
• 1892:Pearl S. Buck (Author)
• 1908: Salvador Allende (Chilean physician, politician)
• 1909: Colonel Tom Parker (Dutch/American talent manager)
• 1914: Champion athlete Mildred “Babe” Didrikson (1914-1952) was born in Port Arthur, Texas
• 1942: Gilberto Gil (Brazilian singer-songwriter, guitarist, politician)
• 1956: Chris Isaak (Singer)
• 1961: Greg LeMond (Cyclist)
• 1970: Chris O’Donnell (Actor)
• 1974: Derek Jeter (Baseball Player)
• 1980: Michael Vick (Football Player)

Deaths On this day: June 26th

• 1810: Joseph-Michel Montgolfier (French inventor, co-invented the hot air balloon)
• 1830: George IV of the United Kingdom
• 1856: Max Stirner (German philosopher)
• 1957: Alfred Döblin (German writer)
• 1975: Josemaría Escrivá (Spanish priest, saint, founded Opus Dei)

Read also: On this day: June 25th