Osun Defender History Corner: December 26 In Focus
Today, on the history corner, we take a trip in the realm of flashback and recall some events that marked this day.
December 26 is the International Boxing Day. It is a globally celebrated holiday after Christmas used to present gifts to people and share love among mankind.
December 26, 1620
Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower land at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts.
December 26, 1773
Expatriate English bookseller John Newbery publishes “A Little Pretty Pocket-Book,” considered the first true children’s book.
December 26, 1776
The Battle of Trenton takes place during the American Revolutionary War.
December 26, 1799
Napoleon Bonaparte escapes from Elba to begin his second conquest of France.
December 26, 1825
Advocates of the Erie Canal celebrate the “Wedding of the Waters” as the canal is completed.
December 26, 1862
The 38 Dakota Indians are hanged in Mankato, Minnesota, in the largest mass execution in U.S. history.
December 26, 1862
The largest mass hanging in U.S. history occurs in Mankato, Minnesota, with 38 Dakota Indians executed.
December 26, 1898
Marie and Pierre Curie announce the discovery of radium.
December 26, 1925
Turkey adopts the Gregorian calendar.
December 26, 1941
Winston Churchill addresses the Canadian Parliament, famously stating, “Now is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”
December 26, 1941
Japanese forces capture the Philippine capital, Manila, during World War II.
December 26, 1944
Tennessee Williams’ play “The Glass Menagerie” premieres in Chicago.
December 26, 1972
Former President Harry S. Truman dies in Kansas City, Missouri.
December 26, 1973
The Exorcist, a film directed by William Friedkin and based on the novel by William Peter Blatty, is released in the United States.
December 26, 1979
The Soviet Union invades Afghanistan.
December 26, 1991
The Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union meets for the last time, formally dissolving the Soviet Union.
December 26, 1996
Six-year-old beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey is found murdered in her home in Boulder, Colorado.
December 26, 2004
A massive undersea earthquake triggers a tsunami in the Indian Ocean, killing over 230,000 people in 14 countries.
December 26, 2006
Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is executed.
December 26, 2013
Former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto, is assassinated.
Please note that these are just a few historical events that happened on December 26. History is full of numerous other significant events on this day, ranging from politics and warfare to cultural and scientific milestones.
Sodiq Lawal is a passionate and dedicated journalist with a knack for uncovering captivating stories in the bustling metropolis of Osun State and Nigeria at large. He has a versatile reporting style, covering a wide range of topics, from politics , campus, and social issues to arts and culture, seeking impact in all facets of the society.
