Summary of the Day ✨ 26 March (26/03)
A container ship collision caused the Francis Scott Key Bridge to collapse, killing six people, while anti-corruption protests swept across Russia and North Korea was blamed for torpedoing a South Korean naval vessel that killed 46 sailors.
Historical Events 📜
- 2024: The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapses following a collision between the MV Dali container ship and one of the bridge’s support pillars, killing six people.
- 2017: Russia-wide anti-corruption protests in 99 cities. The Levada Center survey showed that 38% of surveyed Russians supported protests and that 67 percent held Putin personally responsible for high-level corruption.
- 2010: The South Korean Navy corvette Cheonan is torpedoed, killing 46 sailors. After an international investigation, the President of the United Nations Security Council blames North Korea.
- 2005: Around 200,000 to 300,000 Taiwanese demonstrate in Taipei in opposition to the Anti-Secession Law of China.
- 1998: During the Algerian Civil War, the Oued Bouaicha massacre sees fifty-two people, mostly infants, killed with axes and knives.
- 1997: Thirty-nine bodies are found in the Heaven’s Gate mass suicides.
- 1991: Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay sign the Treaty of Asunción, establishing Mercosur, the South Common Market.
- 1991: Singapore Airlines Flight 117 is hijacked by four Pakistani terrorists and diverted to Changi Airport.
- 1982: A groundbreaking ceremony for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is held in Washington, D.C.
- 1981: Social Democratic Party (UK) is founded as a party.
- 1979: Anwar al-Sadat, Menachem Begin and Jimmy Carter sign the Egypt–Israel peace treaty in Washington, D.C.
- 1979: An Interflug Ilyushin Il-18 crashes at Quatro de Fevereiro Airport during a rejected takeoff, killing 10.
- 1975: The Biological Weapons Convention comes into force.
- 1971: East Pakistan, then a province of Pakistan, declares its independence from Pakistan to form Bangladesh; the Bangladesh War of Independence begins.
- 1970: South Vietnamese President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu implements a land reform program to solve the problem of land tenancy.
Famous Births 👶
- 2007: Jesús Fortea, Spanish footballer
- 2005: Ella Anderson, American actress
- 2004: Awra Briguela, Filipino actor and comedian
- 2003: Bhad Bhabie, American rapper and social media personality
- 2001: Jameson Williams, American football player
- 2000: Gefen Primo, Israeli judoka
- 2000: Andrei Svechnikov, Russian ice hockey player
- 1998: Satoko Miyahara, Japanese figure skater
- 1996: Zane Musgrove, New Zealand rugby league player
- 1996: Kathryn Bernardo, Filipino actress
- 1995: Ibai Llanos, Spanish internet personality
- 1994: Ryan Arcidiacono, American basketball player
- 1994: Alison Van Uytvanck, Belgian tennis player
- 1994: Paige VanZant, American mixed martial artist and model
- 1994: Jed Wallace, English footballer
Notable Deaths 🕊️
- 2026: Noelia Castillo, Spanish woman who died after receiving euthanasia (born 2000)
- 2026: Mary Rand, English sprinter and long jumper (born 1940)
- 2026: Epeli Nailatikau, Fijian chief, President of Fiji (born 1941)
- 2026: James Tolkan, American actor (born 1931)
- 2024: Esther Coopersmith, American diplomat, UNESCO goodwill ambassador (born 1930)
- 2023: María Kodama, Argentine writer and translator (born 1937)
- 2023: Innocent Vareed Thekkethala, Indian actor and politician (born 1948)
- 2023: Jacob Ziv, Israeli electrical engineer, developed the LZ family of compression algorithms (born 1931)
- 2018: Fabrizio Frizzi, Italian television presenter (born 1958)
- 2016: Jim Harrison, American novelist, essayist, and poet (born 1937)
- 2015: Dinkha IV, Iraqi patriarch (born 1935)
- 2015: Friedrich L. Bauer, German mathematician, computer scientist, and academic (born 1924)
- 2015: Tomas Tranströmer, Swedish poet, translator, and psychologist Nobel Prize laureate (born 1931)
- 2014: Roger Birkman, American psychologist and author (born 1919)
- 2014: Dick Guidry, American businessman and politician (born 1929)
Holidays & Observances 🎉
- Christian feast days:
Barontius and Desiderius - Christian feast days:
Castulus - Christian feast days:
Emmanuel and companions - Christian feast days:
Felicitas - Christian feast days:
Harriet Monsell (Church of England) - Christian feast days:
Larissa - Christian feast days:
Ludger - Christian feast days:
Maddalena Caterina Morano - Christian feast days:
Richard Allen (Episcopal Church (USA)) - Christian feast days:
March 26 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) - Independence Day and National Day (Bangladesh), celebrates the declaration of independence from Pakistan in 1971.
- Martyr’s Day or Day of Democracy (Mali)
- National Science Appreciation Day (United States)
- Prince Kūhiō Day (Hawaii, United States)
- Purple Day (Canada and United States)