March 26

March 26 is the 85th day of the year (86th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 280 days remaining until the end of the year. This date is slightly more likely to fall on a Monday, Thursday or Saturday (58 in 400 years each) than on Tuesday or Wednesday (57), and slightly less likely to occur on a Friday or Sunday (56).

Events

• 590 – Emperor Maurice proclaims his son Theodosius as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire.
• 1027 – Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor.
• 1169 – Saladin becomes the emir of Egypt.
• 1344 – The Siege of Algeciras, one of the first European military engagements where gunpowder was used, comes to an end.
• 1351 – Combat of the Thirty : Thirty Breton Knights call out and defeat thirty English Knights.
• 1484 – William Caxton prints his translation of Aesop's Fables.
• 1552 – Guru Amar Das becomes the Third Sikh guru.
• 1636 – Utrecht University is founded in the Netherlands.
• 1812 – An earthquake destroys Caracas, Venezuela.
• 1812 – A political cartoon in the Boston Gazette coins the term "gerrymander" to describe oddly shaped electoral districts designed to help incumbents win reelection.
• 1830 – The Book of Mormon is published in Palmyra, New York.
• 1839 – The first Henley Royal Regatta is held.
• 1871 – The elections of Commune council of the Paris Commune are held.
• 1881 – Thessaly is freed and becomes part of Greece again.
• 1885 – The Métis people of the District of Saskatchewan under Louis Riel begin the North-West Rebellion against Canada.
• 1913 – Balkan Wars: Bulgarian forces capture Adrianople.
• 1915 – Ice hockey: The Vancouver Millionaires sweep the Ottawa Senators three-games-to-none to win the 1915 Stanley Cup Finals, the first championship played between the Pacific Coast Hockey Association and the National Hockey Association.
• 1917 – World War I: First Battle of Gaza – British troops are halted after 17,000 Turks block their advance.
• 1922 – The German Social Democratic Party is founded in Poland.
• 1931 – Swissair is founded as the national airline of Switzerland.
• 1931 – Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union is founded in Vietnam.
• 1934 – The United Kingdom driving test is introduced.
• 1939 – Spanish Civil War: Nationalists begin their final offensive of the war.
• 1942 – World War II: The first female prisoners arrive at Auschwitz concentration camp in German-occupied Poland.
• 1945 – World War II: The Battle of Iwo Jima ends as the island is officially secured by American forces.
• 1954 – Nuclear weapons testing: The Romeo shot of Operation Castle is detonated at Bikini Atoll. Yield: 11 megatons.
• 1958 – The United States Army launches Explorer 3.
• 1958 – The African Regroupment Party is launched at a meeting in Paris.
• 1967 – Ten thousand people gather for one of many Central Park be-ins in New York City
• 1970 – South Vietnamese President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu implements a land reform program to solve the problem of land tenancy
• 1971 – East Pakistan declares its independence from Pakistan to form the People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Bangladesh Liberation War begins.
• 1975 – The Biological Weapons Convention comes into force.
• 1979 – Anwar al-Sadat, Menachem Begin and Jimmy Carter sign the Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty in Washington, D.C.
• 1981 – Social Democratic Party (UK) founded as a party.
• 1982 – A groundbreaking ceremony for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is held in Washington, D.C..
• 1991 – Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay sign the Treaty of Asunción, establishing Mercosur, the South Common Market.
• 1995 – The Schengen Treaty comes into effect.
• 1997 – Thirty-nine bodies are found in the Heaven's Gate mass suicides.
• 1998 – Oued Bouaicha massacre in Algeria: Fifty-two people, including 32 babies, are killed with axes and knives.
• 2005 – The Taiwanese government calls on one million Taiwanese to demonstrate in Taipei, in opposition to the Anti-Secession Law of the People's Republic of China. Around 200,000 to 300,000 attend the demonstration.
• 2005 – The BBC broadcasts "Rose" (starring Christopher Eccleston), the first returning episode Doctor Who, after its cancellation in 1989. It is now the world's longest running science fiction drama.
• 2010 – The ROKS Cheonan sinks off the west coast of South Korea near Baengnyeong Island in the Yellow Sea, killing 46 seamen.

Births

• 1031 – Malcolm III of Scotland (d. 1093)
• 1516 – Conrad Gessner, Swiss botanist and zoologist (d. 1565)
• 1554 – Charles, Duke of Mayenne (d. 1611)
• 1584 – John II, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken (d. 1635)
• 1634 – Domenico Freschi, Italian priest and composer (d. 1710)
• 1656 – Nicolaas Hartsoeker, Dutch mathematician and physicist (d. 1725)
• 1687 – Sophia Dorothea of Hanover (d. 1757)
• 1698 – Prokop Diviš, Czech priest, scientist and inventor (d. 1765)
• 1749 – William Blount, American politician (d. 1800)
• 1753 – Benjamin Thompson, American-French physicist and politician, Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies (d. 1814)
• 1773 – Nathaniel Bowditch, American mathematician and navigator (d. 1838)
• 1794 – Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, German painter (d. 1872)
• 1804 – David Humphreys Storer, American physician and academic (d. 1891)
• 1814 – Charles Mackay, Scottish anthologist, journalist, and author (d. 1889)
• 1829 – Théodore Aubanel, French poet (d. 1886)
• 1842 – Alexandre Saint-Yves d'Alveydre, French occultist (d. 1909)
• 1850 – Edward Bellamy, American author, socialist, and utopian visionary (d. 1898)
• 1852 – Élémir Bourges, French author (d. 1925)
• 1854 – Maurice Lecoq, French target shooter (d. 1925)
• 1856 – William Massey, Irish-New Zealand farmer and politician, 19th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1925)
• 1859 – A. E. Housman, English poet and scholar (d. 1936)
• 1859 – Adolf Hurwitz, German-Swiss mathematician and academic (d. 1919)
• 1860 – André Prévost, French tennis player (d. 1919)
• 1866 – Fred Karno, English producer and manager (d. 1941)
• 1868 – Fuad I of Egypt (d. 1936)
• 1874 – Robert Frost, American poet and playwright (d. 1963)
• 1875 – Max Abraham, Polish-German physicist and academic (d. 1922)
• 1875 – Syngman Rhee, South Korean journalist and politician, 1st President of South Korea (d. 1965)
• 1876 – William, Prince of Albania (d. 1945)
• 1879 – Othmar Ammann, Swiss-American engineer, designed the George Washington Bridge and Verrazano–Narrows Bridge (d. 1965)
• 1879 – Waldemar Tietgens, German rower (d. 1917)
• 1881 – Guccio Gucci, Italian fashion designer, founded Gucci (d. 1953)
• 1882 – Hermann Obrecht, Swiss politician (d. 1940)
• 1883 – Poul Reumert, Danish actor (d. 1968)
• 1884 – Wilhelm Backhaus, German pianist and educator (d. 1969)
• 1884 – Georges Imbert, French chemical engineer and inventor (d. 1950)
• 1886 – Hugh Mulzac, Vincentian-American soldier and politician (d. 1971)
• 1888 – Elsa Brändström, Swedish nurse and philanthropist (d. 1948)
• 1893 – James Bryant Conant, American chemist, academic, and diplomat, 1st United States Ambassador to West Germany (d. 1978)
• 1893 – Dhirendra Nath Ganguly, Indian actor and director (d. 1978)
• 1893 – Palmiro Togliatti, Italian journalist and politician, Italian Minister of Justice (d. 1964)
• 1894 – Viorica Ursuleac, Ukrainian-Romanian soprano and actress (d. 1985)
• 1895 – Vilho Tuulos, Finnish triple jumper (d. 1967)
• 1898 – Rudolf Dassler, German businessman, founded Puma SE (d. 1974)
• 1898 – Charles Shadwell, English conductor and bandleader (d. 1979)
• 1904 – Joseph Campbell, American mythologist and author (d. 1987)
• 1904 – Emilio Fernández, Mexican actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1986)
• 1904 – Attilio Ferraris, Italian footballer (d. 1947)
• 1904 – Xenophon Zolotas, Greek economist and politician, 177th Prime Minister of Greece (d. 2004)
• 1905 – Monty Berman, English cinematographer and producer (d. 2006)
• 1905 – André Cluytens, Belgian-French conductor and director (d. 1967)
• 1905 – Viktor Frankl, Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist (d. 1997)
• 1906 – Rafael Méndez, Mexican trumpet player and composer (d. 1981)
• 1907 – Azellus Denis, Canadian lawyer and politician, Postmaster General of Canada (d. 1991)
• 1907 – Mahadevi Varma, Indian poet and activist (d. 1987)
• 1908 – Franz Stangl, Austrian-German SS officer (d. 1971)
• 1908 – Henry (Hank) Sylvern, American organist and composer (d. 1964)
• 1909 – Chips Rafferty, Australian actor (d. 1971)
• 1910 – K. W. Devanayagam, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician, 10th Sri Lankan Minister of Justice (d. 2002)
• 1911 – Lennart Atterwall, Swedish javelin thrower (d. 2001)
• 1911 – J. L. Austin, English philosopher and academic (d. 1960)
• 1911 – Bernard Katz, German-English biophysicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2003)
• 1911 – Tennessee Williams, American playwright, and poet (d. 1983)
• 1913 – Jacqueline de Romilly, French philologist, author, and scholar (d. 2010)
• 1913 – Paul Erdős, Hungarian-Polish mathematician and academic (d. 1996)
• 1913 – Salme Rootare, Estonian chess player (d. 1987)
• 1914 – Toru Kumon, Japanese mathematician and academic (d. 1995)
• 1914 – William Westmoreland, American general (d. 2005)
• 1915 – Lennart Strandberg, Swedish sprinter (d. 1989)
• 1915 – Hwang Sun-won, North Korean author and poet (d. 2000)
• 1916 – Christian B. Anfinsen, American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1995)
• 1916 – Bill Edrich, English cricketer and footballer (d. 1986)
• 1916 – Sterling Hayden, American actor and author (d. 1986)
• 1916 – Harry Rabinowitz, South African-American composer and conductor (d. 2016)
• 1917 – Rufus Thomas, American R&B singer-songwriter (d. 2001)
• 1919 – Roger Leger, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1965)
• 1920 – Sergio Livingstone, Chilean footballer and journalist (d. 2012)
• 1922 – Oscar Sala, Italian-Brazilian physicist and academic (d. 2010)
• 1922 – Guido Stampacchia, Italian mathematician and academic (d. 1978)
• 1923 – Gert Bastian, German general and politician (d. 1992)
• 1923 – Elizabeth Jane Howard, British writer (d. 2014)
• 1923 – Bob Elliott, American comedian, actor, and screenwriter (d. 2016)
• 1925 – Maqsood Ahmed, Pakistani cricketer (d. 1999)
• 1925 – Pierre Boulez, French pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 2016)
• 1925 – Vesta Roy, American politician, Governor of New Hampshire
• 1925 – Edward Graham, Baron Graham of Edmonton, English soldier and politician
• 1925 – Ben Mondor, Canadian-American businessman (d. 2010)
• 1925 – James Moody, American saxophonist and composer (d. 2010)
• 1926 – T. Sivasithamparam, Sri Lankan politician (d. 1992)
• 1927 – Harold Chapman, English photographer
• 1929 – Edward Sorel, American illustrator and caricaturist
• 1929 – Tom Foley, American politician (d. 2013)
• 1929 – Edwin Turney, American businessman, co-founded Advanced Micro Devices (d. 2008)
• 1930 – Gregory Corso, American poet (d. 2001)
• 1930 – Sandra Day O'Connor, American lawyer and jurist
• 1931 – Leonard Nimoy, American actor (d. 2015)
• 1932 – Leroy Griffith, American businessman
• 1933 – Tinto Brass, Italian director and screenwriter
• 1934 – Alan Arkin, American actor
• 1934 – Edvaldo Alves de Santa Rosa, Brazilian footballer (d. 2002)
• 1935 – Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian politician, 2nd President of the State of Palestine
• 1935 – Stig Pettersson, Swedish high jumper
• 1936 – Giora Feidman, Argentinian-Israeli clarinet player
• 1937 – Wayne Embry, American basketball player and manager
• 1937 – Barbara Jones, American sprinter
• 1937 – Ahmed Qurei, Palestinian politician
• 1937 – James Lee, Canadian businessman and politician, 26th Premier of Prince Edward Island
• 1938 – Norman Ackroyd, English painter and illustrator
• 1938 – Anthony James Leggett, English-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
• 1940 – James Caan, American actor and singer
• 1940 – Nancy Pelosi, American lawyer and politician, 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
• 1941 – Richard Dawkins, Kenyan-English ethologist, biologist, and academic
• 1941 – Yvon Marcoux, Canadian lawyer and politician
• 1942 – Erica Jong, American novelist and poet
• 1943 – Mustafa Kalemli, Turkish physician and politician, Turkish Minister of the Interior
• 1943 – Bob Woodward, American journalist and author
• 1944 – Igor Mitoraj, German-Polish sculptor (d. 2014)
• 1944 – Diana Ross, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
• 1945 – Mikhail Voronin, Russian gymnast and coach (d. 2004)
• 1947 – Paul Bérenger, Mauritian politician, Prime Minister of Mauritius
• 1946 – Jiří Kabeš, Czech singer-songwriter and violinist
• 1946 – Alain Madelin, French politician, French Minister of Finance
• 1948 – Kyung-wha Chung, South Korean violinist and educator
• 1948 – Steven Tyler, American singer-songwriter and actor
• 1948 – Nash the Slash, Canadian violinist and mandolin player (d. 2014)
• 1949 – Jon English, English-Australian singer-songwriter and actor (d. 2016)
• 1949 – Rudi Koertzen, South African cricketer and umpire
• 1949 – Vicki Lawrence, American actress, comedian, talk show host, and singer
• 1949 – Jon English, English-Australian singer-songwriter, musician and actor (d. 2013)
• 1949 – Fran Sheehan, American bass player
• 1949 – Patrick Süskind, German author and screenwriter
• 1949 – Ernest Lee Thomas, American actor and producer
• 1950 – Teddy Pendergrass, American singer-songwriter (d. 2010)
• 1950 – Martin Short, Canadian-American actor, screenwriter, and producer
• 1950 – Alan Silvestri, American composer and conductor
• 1951 – Carl Wieman, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
• 1951 – Sam Palatnik, Ukrainian-American chess player
• 1951 – Greg Brough, Australian swimmer (d. 2014)
• 1952 – T. A. Barron, American author
• 1952 – Didier Pironi, French race car driver (d. 1987)
• 1953 – Lincoln Chafee, American academic and politician, 74th Governor of Rhode Island
• 1953 – Elaine Chao, Taiwanese-American banker and politician, 24th United States Secretary of Labor
• 1953 – Tatyana Providokhina, Russian runner
• 1953 – Charis Papageorgiou, Greek basketball player and coach
• 1953 – Youssouf Togoïmi, Chadian politician (d. 2002)
• 1954 – Kazuhiko Inoue, Japanese voice actor and singer
• 1954 – Clive Palmer, Australian businessman and politician
• 1954 – Curtis Sliwa, American talk show host and activist, founded Guardian Angels
• 1955 – Danny Arndt, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1956 – Charly McClain, American singer-songwriter
• 1956 – Park Won-soon, South Korean lawyer and politician, 35th Mayor of Seoul
• 1957 – Fiona Bruce, Scottish lawyer and politician
• 1957 – Leeza Gibbons, American talk show host and television personality
• 1957 – Paul Morley, English journalist, producer, and author
• 1958 – Chris Codiroli, American baseball player
• 1958 – Elio de Angelis, Italian race car driver (d. 1986)
• 1959 – Chris Hansen, American journalist
• 1960 – Marcus Allen, American football player and sportscaster
• 1960 – Jennifer Grey, American actress and dancer
• 1960 – Øystein Mæland, Norwegian psychiatrist and politician
• 1960 – Graeme Rutjes, Australian-Dutch footballer
• 1961 – William Hague, English historian and politician, First Secretary of State
• 1962 – Richard Coles, English pianist, saxophonist, and priest
• 1962 – Kevin Seitzer, American baseball player and coach
• 1962 – Yuri Gidzenko, Russian pilot and cosmonaut
• 1962 – John Stockton, American basketball player and coach
• 1963 – Natsuhiko Kyogoku, Japanese author
• 1964 – Martin Bella, Australian rugby league player
• 1964 – Martin Donnelly, Irish race car driver
• 1964 – Maria Miller, English businessman and politician, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
• 1964 – Ulf Samuelsson, Swedish-American ice hockey player and coach
• 1965 – Trey Azagthoth, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer
• 1965 – Violeta Szekely, Romanian runner
• 1966 – Lilian Greenwood, English politician
• 1966 – Michael Imperioli, American actor and screenwriter
• 1966 – Nick Wirth, English engineer, founded Wirth Research
• 1968 – Laurent Brochard, French cyclist
• 1968 – Kenny Chesney, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1968 – James Iha, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer
• 1969 – Mahsun Kırmızıgül, Turkish singer–songwriter, actor, and producer
• 1969 – Alessandro Moscardi, Italian rugby player
• 1970 – Paul Bosvelt, Dutch footballer
• 1970 – Jelle Goes, Dutch footballer and coach
• 1970 – Thomas Kyparissis, Greek footballer
• 1970 – Martin McDonagh, English-Irish playwright, screenwriter, and director
• 1971 – Behzad Ghorbani, Iranian zoologist
• 1971 – Martyn Day, Scottish politician
• 1971 – Rennae Stubbs, Australian tennis player and sportscaster
• 1971 – Paul Williams, English footballer and manager
• 1972 – Jason Maxwell, American baseball player
• 1973 – Matt Burke, Australian rugby player and sportscaster
• 1973 – Sébastien Charpentier, French motorcycle racer
• 1973 – Larry Page, American computer scientist and businessman, co-founded Google
• 1974 – Kumiko Goto, Japanese singer and actress
• 1974 – Irina Spîrlea, Romanian tennis player
• 1974 – Michael Peca, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
• 1974 – Vadimas Petrenko, Lithuanian footballer
• 1976 – Joachim Alcine, Haitian-Canadian boxer
• 1976 – Alex Varas, Chilean footballer
• 1976 – Natalia Livingston, American actress and producer
• 1976 – Ufuk Talay, Australian footballer and manager
• 1977 – Kevin Davies, English footballer
• 1977 – Bianca Kajlich, American actress
• 1977 – Håvard Stubø, Norwegian guitarist
• 1977 – Seth Lakeman, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1978 – Anastasia Kostaki, Greek basketball player
• 1979 – Nacho Novo, Spanish footballer
• 1979 – Roisin Conaty, English comedienne
• 1979 – Ben Blair, New Zealand rugby union footballer
• 1979 – Hiromi Uehara, Japanese pianist and composer
• 1979 – Pierre Womé, Cameroonian footballer
• 1980 – Ryouhei Abe, Japanese actor
• 1980 – Niina Kelo, Finnish heptathlete
• 1980 – Richie Wellens, English footballer
• 1981 – Baruch Dego, Ethiopian-Israeli footballer
• 1981 – Massimo Donati, Italian footballer
• 1981 – Jay Sean, English singer-songwriter and producer
• 1981 – Ai Shimizu, Japanese voice actress and wrestler
• 1981 – Josh Wilson, American baseball player
• 1982 – Mikel Arteta, Spanish footballer
• 1982 – Brendan Ryan, American baseball player
• 1982 – Nate Kaeding, American football player
• 1983 – Roman Bednář, Czech footballer
• 1983 – Mike Mondo, American wrestler
• 1983 – Salesi Ma'afu, Australian rugby player
• 1983 – Andreas Hinkel, German footballer
• 1983 – Anti Saarepuu, Estonian skier
• 1984 – Jimmy Howard, American ice hockey player
• 1984 – Drew Mitchell, Australian rugby player
• 1984 – Stéphanie Lapointe, Canadian singer-songwriter and actress
• 1984 – David McGowan, English footballer
• 1984 – Felix Neureuther, German skier
• 1984 – Alberto Schettino, Italian footballer
• 1984 – Marco Stier, German footballer
• 1984 – Gregory Strydom, Zimbabwean cricketer
• 1985 – Jonathan Groff, American actor and singer
• 1985 – Keira Knightley, English actress
• 1985 – Prosper Utseya, Zimbabwean cricketer
• 1985 – Matt Grevers, American swimmer
• 1986 – Maxime Biset, Belgian footballer
• 1986 – Jonny Craig, Canadian-American singer-songwriter
• 1986 – Emma Laine, Finnish tennis player
• 1987 – Jermichael Finley, American football player
• 1987 – Steven Fletcher, Scottish footballer
• 1987 – Ondřej Kúdela, Czech footballer
• 1987 – Rob Kearney, Irish rugby player
• 1989 – Simon Kjær, Danish footballer
• 1989 – Josiah Leming, American singer-songwriter
• 1989 – Von Miller, American football player
• 1990 – Choi Woo-shik, South Korean actor
• 1990 – Patrick Ekeng, Cameroonian footballer (d. 2016)
• 1990 – Yuya Takaki, Japanese singer and actor
• 1991 – Matt Davidson, American baseball player
• 1993 – Gráinne Murphy, Irish swimmer
• 1994 – Jed Wallace, English footballer
• 1994 – Alison Van Uytvanck, Belgian tennis player
• 1994 – Gaël Fickou, French rugby player

Deaths

• 752 – Pope-elect Stephen
• 922 – Mansur Al-Hallaj, Persian mystic and poet (b. 858)
• 983 – 'Adud al-Dawla, Iranian ruler (b. 936)
• 1130 – Sigurd the Crusader, Norwegian king (b. 1090)
• 1132 – Geoffrey of Vendôme, French cardinal and theologian (b. 1065)
• 1212 – Sancho I of Portugal (b. 1154)
• 1517 – Heinrich Isaac, Flemish composer (b. 1450)
• 1535 – Georg Tannstetter, Austrian mathematician, astronomer, and cartographer (b. 1482)
• 1546 – Thomas Elyot, English scholar and diplomat (b. 1490)
• 1566 – Antonio de Cabezón, Spanish organist and composer (b. 1510)
• 1649 – John Winthrop, English lawyer and politician, 2nd Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony
• 1679 – Johannes Schefferus, Swedish historian and author (b. 1621)
• 1697 – Godfrey McCulloch, Scottish politician (b. 1640)
• 1726 – John Vanbrugh, English playwright and architect, designed Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard (b. 1664)
• 1772 – Charles Pinot Duclos, French author and politician (b. 1704)
• 1776 – Samuel Ward, American jurist and politician, 31st Governor of the Colony of Rhode Island (b. 1725)
• 1780 – Charles I, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (b. 1713)
• 1793 – John Mudge, English physician and engineer (b. 1721)
• 1797 – James Hutton, Scottish geologist and physician (b. 1726)
• 1814 – Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, French physician and politician (b. 1738)
• 1827 – Ludwig van Beethoven, German pianist and composer (b. 1770)
• 1858 – John Addison Thomas, American lieutenant, engineer, and politician, 3rd United States Assistant Secretary of State (b. 1811)
• 1862 – Uriah P. Levy, American commander (b. 1792)
• 1881 – Roman Sanguszko, Polish general and activist (b. 1800)
• 1885 – Anson Stager, American general and businessman, co-founded Western Union (b. 1825)
• 1888 – Barghash bin Said of Zanzibar (b. 1837)
• 1892 – Walt Whitman, American poet, essayist, and journalist (b. 1819)
• 1902 – Cecil John Rhodes, English-South African colonialist, businessman and politician, 6th Prime Minister of the Cape Colony (b. 1853)
• 1905 – Maurice Barrymore, American actor (b. 1849)
• 1910 – Auguste Charlois, French astronomer (b. 1864)
• 1920 – William Chester Minor, Sri Lankan-American surgeon and lexicographer (b. 1834)
• 1923 – Sarah Bernhardt, French actress and screenwriter (b. 1844)
• 1926 – Constantin Fehrenbach, German lawyer and politician, Chancellor of Germany (b. 1852)
• 1932 – Henry M. Leland, American machinist, inventor, engineer, automotive entrepreneur and founded of Cadillac and Lincoln (b. 1843)
• 1934 – John Biller, American jumper and discus thrower (b. 1877)
• 1940 – Wilhelm Anderson, Belarusian-German astrophysicist and academic (b. 1880)
• 1940 – Spyridon Louis, Greek runner (b. 1873)
• 1942 – Jimmy Burke, American baseball player and manager (b. 1874)
• 1945 – David Lloyd George, English-Welsh lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1863)
• 1951 – James F. Hinkle, American banker and politician, 6th Governor of New Mexico (b. 1864)
• 1954 – Charles Perrin, French rower (b. 1875)
• 1957 – Édouard Herriot, French politician, Prime Minister of France (b. 1872)
• 1958 – Phil Mead, English cricketer and footballer (b. 1887)
• 1959 – Raymond Chandler, American crime novelist and screenwriter (b. 1888)
• 1966 – Victor Hochepied, French swimmer (b. 1883)
• 1969 – John Kennedy Toole, American soldier, author, and academic (b. 1937)
• 1973 – Noël Coward, English playwright, actor, and composer (b. 1899)
• 1973 – Johnny Drake, American football player (b. 1916)
• 1973 – George Sisler, American baseball player and scout (b. 1893)
• 1976 – Lin Yutang, Chinese linguist and author (b. 1895)
• 1978 – Wilfred Pickles, English actor and radio host (b. 1904)
• 1979 – Beauford Delaney, American-French painter (b. 1901)
• 1979 – Jean Stafford, American author and academic (b. 1915)
• 1980 – Roland Barthes, French linguist and critic (b. 1915)
• 1983 – Anthony Blunt, English historian and spy (b. 1907)
• 1984 – Ahmed Sékou Touré, Guinean politician, 1st President of Guinea (b. 1922)
• 1987 – Eugen Jochum, German conductor (b. 1902)
• 1987 – Walter Abel, American actor (b. 1898)
• 1989 – Hai Zi, Chinese poet and educator (b. 1964)
• 1990 – Halston, American fashion designer (b. 1932)
• 1992 – Barbara Frum, American-Canadian journalist and radio host (b. 1937)
• 1993 – Louis Falco, American dancer and choreographer (b. 1942)
• 1995 – Eazy-E, American rapper and producer (b. 1963)
• 1996 – Edmund Muskie, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician, 58th United States Secretary of State (b. 1914)
• 1996 – David Packard, American engineer and businessman, co-founded Hewlett-Packard (b. 1912)
• 2000 – Alex Comfort, English physician and author (b. 1920)
• 2002 – Randy Castillo, American drummer and songwriter (b. 1950)
• 2003 – Daniel Patrick Moynihan, American sociologist and politician, 12th United States Ambassador to the United Nations (b. 1927)
• 2004 – Jan Sterling, American actress (b. 1921)
• 2005 – James Callaghan, English lieutenant and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1912)
• 2005 – Gérard Filion, Canadian journalist and publisher (b. 1909)
• 2005 – Paul Hester, Australian drummer (b. 1959)
• 2005 – Marius Russo, American baseball player and soldier (b. 1914)
• 2005 – Frederick Rotimi Williams Nigerian lawyer and politician (b. 1920)
• 2006 – Anil Biswas, Indian journalist and politician (b. 1944)
• 2006 – Paul Dana, American race car driver (b. 1975)
• 2006 – Nikki Sudden, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1956)
• 2008 – Heath Benedict, Dutch-American football player (b. 1983)
• 2008 – Robert Fagles, American poet and academic (b. 1933)
• 2008 – Manuel Marulanda, Colombian rebel leader (b. 1930)
• 2009 – Shane McConkey, Canadian skier and BASE jumper (b. 1969)
• 2010 – Charles Ryskamp, American art collector and curator (b. 1928)
• 2011 – Roger Abbott, English-Canadian actor, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1946)
• 2011 – Geraldine Ferraro, American lawyer and politician (b. 1935)
• 2011 – Diana Wynne Jones, English author (b. 1934)
• 2012 – Sisto Averno, American football player (b. 1925)
• 2012 – Michael Begley, Irish carpenter and politician (b. 1932)
• 2012 – Thomas M. Cover, American theorist and academic (b. 1938)
• 2012 – David Craighead, American organist and educator (b. 1924)
• 2012 – Manik Godghate, Indian poet and educator (b. 1937)
• 2012 – Helmer Ringgren, Swedish theologian and academic (b. 1917)
• 2013 – Tom Boerwinkle, American basketball player and sportscaster (b. 1945)
• 2013 – Krzysztof Kozłowski, Polish journalist and politician, Polish Minister of Interior (b. 1931)
• 2013 – Dave Leggett, American baseball player (b. 1933)
• 2013 – Patricia McCormick, American bullfighter (b. 1929)
• 2013 – Jerzy Nowak, Polish actor and educator (b. 1923)
• 2013 – Don Payne, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1964)
• 2014 – Roger Birkman, American psychologist and author (b. 1919)
• 2014 – Dick Guidry, American businessman and politician (b. 1929)
• 2014 – Marcus Kimball, Baron Kimball, English politician (b. 1928)
• 2015 – Dinkha IV, Iraqi patriarch (b. 1935)
• 2015 – Friedrich L. Bauer, German mathematician, computer scientist, and academic (b. 1924)
• 2015 – Tomas Tranströmer, Swedish poet, translator, and psychologist Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1931)

Holidays and observances

• Christian feast day:
  • Castulus
  • Emmanuel and companions
  • Felicitas
  • Harriet Monsell (Church of England)
  • Larissa
  • Ludger
  • Margaret Clitherow
  • Richard Allen (Episcopal Church (USA))
  • 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)
• Prince Kūhiō Day (Hawaii, United States)
• Purple Day (Canada and United States)
• Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel (Eastern Christianity)

External links

• BBC: On This Day
• The New York Times: On This Day
• Today in Canadian History