A Brief History
This article presents a chronological list of notable events that happened on October 26th. For each date below, please click on the date to be taken to an article covering that date’s event.
Digging Deeper
On October 26, 1689, Austrian General Piccolomini burned down the Macedonian city of Skopje to prevent the spread of cholera.
On October 26, 1881, Tombstone, Arizona saw the Earp brothers and Doc Holliday faced off with the Clantons and the Cowboys in perhaps the most famous gunfight in US history, The Gunfight at The O.K. Corral.
On October 26, 1881, Tombstone, Arizona was the site of what became known as “The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral,” probably the most famous shootout in the history of the Wild West.
On October 26, 1917, a force of only 100 German Army soldiers led by Oberleutnant (First Lieutenant in American talk) Erwin Rommel took Mt. Matajur from an Italian defensive force of 7,000 men, a key part of the German/Austro-Hungarian victory at the Battle of Caporetto (aka The 12th Battle of the Isonzo).
On October 26, 1943, what could have been a fantastic advantage in the German air war against Allied bombers in World War II first took to the air, with the first flight of the Dornier Do 335 Pfeil (Arrow).
On October 26, 1943, the aptly named Dornier Do 335 Pfeil, or Arrow, made its first flight.
On October 26, 1977, Ali Maow Maalin, the last natural case of smallpox, developed a rash in Somalia.
On October 26, 1979, Kim Jae-kyu, the head of the South Korean CIA, assassinated the country’s president, Park Chung Hee.
On October 26, 2001, President George W. Bush signed a new law into effect known familiarly as “The Patriot Act” or “The USA Patriot Act.”
On October 26, 2020, we took a quick look at a Quibi horror series of which we watched a pair of episodes, namely 50 States of Fright, an anthology series with the excellent premise of giving us a terrifying tale from each of our (at least currently) 50 states.
Psychological horror fans had their chance to be among the first in Cleveland, Ohio to see Last Night in Soho on Tuesday, October 26, 2021 at 7:00 PM at AMC Ridge Park Square 8 in Brooklyn, Ohio!
On October 26, 2024, we celebrated another National Pumpkin Day, noting those orange gourds that make delicious pies, cheesecakes, and iconic Fall decorations.
Question for students (and subscribers) to ponder: Which event that occurred on today’s date would you like to learn more about?
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Andrews, John and Matt Baker. Timeline of World History. Thunder Bay Press, 2020.
You can also watch video versions of this article on YouTube.