March 26

Template:This date in recent years/validate

Template:Short descriptionMarch 26 is the day of the year ( in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 280 days remain until the end of the year.

Events

Pre-1600

• 590 – Emperor Maurice proclaims his son Theodosius as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire.
• 624 – First Eid al-Fitr celebration.
• 1021 – The death of the Fatimid caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, kept secret for six weeks, is announced, along with the succession of his son, al-Zahir li-i'zaz Din Allah.
• 1027 – Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor.
• 1169 – Saladin becomes the emir of Egypt.
• 1244 – The crown of Aragon and the crown of Castile agree in the Treaty of Almizra on the limits of their respective expansion into al-Andalus.
• 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.

1601–1900

• 1636 – Utrecht University is founded in the Netherlands.
• 1640 – The Royal Academy of Turku, the first university of Finland, is founded in the city of Turku by Queen Christina of Sweden at the proposal of Count Per Brahe.
• 1651 – The Silver-loaded Spanish ship San José, pushed south by strong winds, is wrecked on the coast of southern Chile and its surviving crew members are killed by indigenous Cuncos.
• 1697 – Safavid government troops take control of Basra.
• 1700 – William Dampier is the first European to circumnavigate New Britain, discovering it is an island (which he names Nova Britannia) rather than part of New Guinea.
• 1812 – An earthquake devastates 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.
• 1885 – The Métis people of the District of Saskatchewan under Louis Riel begin the North-West Rebellion against Canada.
• 1896 – An explosion at the Brunner Mine near Greymouth, New Zealand, kills 65 coal miners in the country's worst industrial accident.

1901–present

• 1913 – First Balkan War: Bulgarian forces capture Adrianople.
• 1915 – The Vancouver Millionaires 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.
• 1955 – Pan Am Flight 845/26 ditches in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Oregon, killing four.
• 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, then province of Pakistan, declares its independence from Pakistan to form Bangladesh; the Bangladesh's War of Independence 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.
• 1979 – An Interflug Ilyushin Il-18 crashes at Quatro de Fevereiro Airport during a rejected takeoff, killing 10.
• 1981 – Social Democratic Party (UK) is 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.
• 1991 – Singapore Airlines Flight 117 is hijacked by four Pakistani terrorists and diverted to Changi Airport.
• 1997 – Thirty-nine bodies are found in the Heaven's Gate mass suicides.
• 1998 – During the Algerian Civil War, the Oued Bouaicha massacre sees fifty-two people, mostly infants, killed with axes and knives.
• 2005 – Around 200,000 to 300,000 Taiwanese demonstrate in Taipei in opposition to the Anti-Secession Law of China.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 6 people.

Births

Pre-1600

• 1516 – Conrad Gessner, Swiss botanist and zoologist (died 1565)
• 1554 – Charles of Lorraine, duke of Mayenne (died 1611)
• 1584 – John II, duke of Zweibrücken (died 1635)

1601–1900

• 1633 – Mary Beale, British artist (died 1699)
• 1634 – Domenico Freschi, Italian priest and composer (died 1710)
• 1656 – Nicolaas Hartsoeker, Dutch mathematician and physicist (died 1725)
• 1687 – Sophia Dorothea of Hanover, queen consort of Prussia (died 1757)
• 1698 – Prokop Diviš, Czech priest, scientist and inventor (died 1765)
• 1749 – William Blount, American politician (died 1800)
• 1753 – Benjamin Thompson, American-French physicist and politician, Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies (died 1814)
• 1773 – Nathaniel Bowditch, American mathematician and navigator (died 1838)
• 1794 – Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, German painter (died 1872)
• 1804 – David Humphreys Storer, American physician and academic (died 1891)
• 1824 – Julie-Victoire Daubié, French journalist (died 1874)
• 1829 – Théodore Aubanel, French poet (died 1886)
• 1829 – Georg Andreas Bull, Norwegian architect (died 1917)
• 1830 – Dewitt Clinton Senter, American politician, 18th Governor of Tennessee (died 1898)
• 1842 – Alexandre Saint-Yves d'Alveydre, French occultist (died 1909)
• 1850 – Edward Bellamy, American author, socialist, and utopian visionary (died 1898)
• 1852 – Élémir Bourges, French author (died 1925)
• 1854 – Maurice Lecoq, French target shooter (died 1925)
• 1856 – William Massey, Irish-New Zealand farmer and politician, 19th Prime Minister of New Zealand (died 1925)
• 1857 – Théodore Tuffier, French surgeon (died 1929)
• 1859 – A. E. Housman, English poet and scholar (died 1936)
• 1859 – Adolf Hurwitz, German-Swiss mathematician and academic (died 1919)
• 1860 – André Prévost, French tennis player (died 1919)
• 1866 – Fred Karno, English producer and manager (died 1941)
• 1868 – King Fuad I of Egypt (died 1936)
• 1873 – Dorothea Bleek, South African-German anthropologist and philologist (died 1948)
• 1874 – Robert Frost, American poet and playwright (died 1963)
• 1875 – Max Abraham, Polish-German physicist and academic (died 1922)
• 1875 – Syngman Rhee, South Korean journalist and politician, 1st President of South Korea (died 1965)
• 1876 – William of Wied, prince of Albania (died 1945)
• 1876 – Kate Richards O'Hare, American Socialist Party activist and editor (died 1948)
• 1879 – Othmar Ammann, Swiss-American engineer, designed the George Washington Bridge and Verrazzano–Narrows Bridge (died 1965)
• 1879 – Waldemar Tietgens, German rower (died 1917)
• 1881 – Guccio Gucci, Italian fashion designer, founded Gucci (died 1953)
• 1882 – Hermann Obrecht, Swiss politician (died 1940)
• 1884 – Wilhelm Backhaus, German pianist and educator (died 1969)
• 1884 – Georges Imbert, French chemical engineer and inventor (died 1950)
• 1886 – Hugh Mulzac, Vincentian-American soldier and politician (died 1971)
• 1888 – Elsa Brändström, Swedish nurse and philanthropist (died 1948)
• 1893 – James Bryant Conant, American chemist, academic, and diplomat, 1st United States Ambassador to West Germany (died 1978)
• 1893 – Palmiro Togliatti, Italian journalist and politician, Italian Minister of Justice (died 1964)
• 1894 – Viorica Ursuleac, Ukrainian-Romanian soprano and actress (died 1985)
• 1895 – Vilho Tuulos, Finnish triple jumper (died 1967)
• 1898 – Rudolf Dassler, German businessman, founded Puma SE (died 1974)
• 1898 – Charles Shadwell, English conductor and bandleader (died 1979)
• 1900 – Angela Maria Autsch, German nun, died in Auschwitz helping Jewish prisoners (died 1941)

1901–present

• 1904 – Joseph Campbell, American mythologist and author (died 1987)
• 1904 – Emilio Fernández, Mexican actor, director, and screenwriter (died 1986)
• 1904 – Attilio Ferraris, Italian footballer (died 1947)
• 1904 – Xenophon Zolotas, Greek economist and Prime Minister of Greece (died 2004)
• 1905 – Monty Berman, English cinematographer and producer (died 2006)
• 1905 – André Cluytens, Belgian-French conductor and director (died 1967)
• 1905 – Viktor Frankl, Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist (died 1997)
• 1905 – Mona Williams, American novelist, short story writer and poet (died 1991)
• 1906 – Rafael Méndez, Mexican trumpet player and composer (died 1981)
• 1906 – H. Radclyffe Roberts, American entomologist and museum administrator (died 1982)
• 1907 – Azellus Denis, Canadian lawyer and politician, Postmaster General of Canada (died 1991)
• 1907 – Mahadevi Varma, Indian poet and activist (died 1987)
• 1908 – Franz Stangl, Austrian-German SS officer (died 1971)
• 1909 – Chips Rafferty, Australian actor (died 1971)
• 1909 – Héctor José Cámpora, former President of Argentina (died 1980)
• 1910 – K. W. Devanayagam, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician, 10th Sri Lankan Minister of Justice (died 2002)
• 1911 – Lennart Atterwall, Swedish javelin thrower (died 2001)
• 1911 – J. L. Austin, English philosopher and academic (died 1960)
• 1911 – Bernard Katz, German-English biophysicist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2003)
• 1911 – Tennessee Williams, American playwright, and poet (died 1983)
• 1913 – Jacqueline de Romilly, Franco-Greek philologist, author, and scholar (died 2010)
• 1913 – Paul Erdős, Hungarian-Polish mathematician and academic (died 1996)
• 1914 – Toru Kumon, Japanese mathematician and academic (died 1995)
• 1914 – William Westmoreland, American general (died 2005)
• 1915 – Lennart Strandberg, Swedish sprinter (died 1989)
• 1915 – Hwang Sun-won, North Korean author and poet (died 2000)
• 1916 – Christian B. Anfinsen, American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1995)
• 1916 – Bill Edrich, English cricketer and footballer (died 1986)
• 1916 – Sterling Hayden, American actor and author (died 1986)
• 1917 – Rufus Thomas, American R&B singer-songwriter (died 2001)
• 1919 – Strother Martin, American actor (died 1980)
• 1919 – Roger Leger, Canadian ice hockey player (died 1965)
• 1920 – Sergio Livingstone, Chilean footballer and journalist (died 2012)
• 1922 – William Milliken, American politician, 44th Governor of Michigan (died 2019)
• 1922 – Oscar Sala, Italian-Brazilian physicist and academic (died 2010)
• 1922 – Guido Stampacchia, Italian mathematician and academic (died 1978)
• 1923 – Gert Bastian, German general and politician (died 1992)
• 1923 – Bob Elliott, American comedian, actor, and screenwriter (died 2016)
• 1925 – Maqsood Ahmed, Pakistani cricketer (died 1999)
• 1925 – Pierre Boulez, French pianist, composer, and conductor (died 2016)
• 1925 – Vesta Roy, American politician, Governor of New Hampshire (died 2002)
• 1925 – Edward Graham, Baron Graham of Edmonton, English soldier and politician (died 2020)
• 1925 – Ben Mondor, Canadian-American businessman (died 2010)
• 1925 – James Moody, American saxophonist and composer (died 2010)
• 1927 – Harold Chapman, English photographer (died 2022)
• 1929 – Charles Dumont, French singer and composer (died 2024)
• 1929 – Edward Sorel, American illustrator and caricaturist
• 1929 – Edwin Turney, American businessman, co-founded Advanced Micro Devices (died 2008)
• 1930 – Gregory Corso, American poet (died 2001)
• 1930 – Sandra Day O'Connor, American lawyer and jurist (died 2023)
• 1931 – Leonard Nimoy, American actor (died 2015)
• 1932 – Leroy Griffith, American businessman
• 1932 – James Andrew Harris, American chemist and academic (died 2000)
• 1933 – Tinto Brass, Italian director and screenwriter
• 1934 – Alan Arkin, American actor (died 2023)
• 1934 – Edvaldo Alves de Santa Rosa, Brazilian footballer (died 2002)
• 1937 – Wayne Embry, American basketball player and manager
• 1937 – Barbara Jones, American sprinter
• 1937 – James Lee, Canadian businessman and politician, 26th Premier of Prince Edward Island (died 2023)
• 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 (died 2022)
• 1940 – Nancy Pelosi, American lawyer and politician, 52nd Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
• 1941 – Richard Dawkins, Kenyan-English ethologist, biologist, and academic
• 1940 – Jörg Streli, Austrian architect
• 1941 – Lella Lombardi, Italian racing driver (died 1992)
• 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 – Diana Ross, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
• 1945 – Paul Bérenger, Mauritian politician, Prime Minister of Mauritius
• 1945 – Mikhail Voronin, Russian gymnast and coach (died 2004)
• 1946 – Johnny Crawford, American actor and singer (died 2021)
• 1946 – Alain Madelin, French politician, French Minister of Finance
• 1947 – Subhash Kak, Indian-American professor and author
• 1947 – John Rowles, New Zealand-Australian singer-songwriter
• 1948 – Kyung-wha Chung, South Korean violinist and educator
• 1948 – Richard Tandy, English pianist and keyboard player (died 2024)
• 1948 – Steven Tyler, American singer-songwriter and actor
• 1949 – Jon English, English-Australian singer-songwriter and actor (died 2016)
• 1949 – Rudi Koertzen, South African cricketer and umpire (died 2022)
• 1949 – Vicki Lawrence, American actress, comedian, talk show host, and singer
• 1949 – Fran Sheehan, American bass player
• 1949 – Patrick Süskind, German author and screenwriter
• 1949 – Ernest Lee Thomas, American actor
• 1950 – Teddy Pendergrass, American singer-songwriter (died 2010)
• 1950 – Graham Barlow, English cricketer
• 1950 – Martin Short, Canadian-American actor, screenwriter, and producer
• 1950 – Alan Silvestri, American composer and conductor
• 1951 – Željko Pavličević, Croatian professional basketball coach and former professional player
• 1951 – Carl Wieman, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
• 1952 – Didier Pironi, French racing driver (died 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
• 1954 – Clive Palmer, Australian businessman and politician
• 1954 – Curtis Sliwa, American talk show host and activist, founded Guardian Angels
• 1954 – Dorothy Porter, Australian poet and playwright (died 2008)
• 1956 – Charly McClain, American country music singer
• 1956 – Park Won-soon, South Korean lawyer and politician, 35th Mayor of Seoul (died 2020)
• 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
• 1957 – Shirin Neshat, Iranian visual artist
• 1958 – Elio de Angelis, Italian racing driver (died 1986)
• 1960 – Marcus Allen, American football player and sportscaster
• 1960 – Jennifer Grey, American actress and dancer
• 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
• 1962 – Eric Allan Kramer, American-Canadian actor
• 1963 – Natsuhiko Kyogoku, Japanese author
• 1964 – Martin Bella, Australian rugby league player
• 1964 – Martin Donnelly, Irish racing 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 – Michael Imperioli, American actor and screenwriter
• 1967 – Jason Chaffetz, American politician
• 1968 – Laurent Brochard, French cyclist
• 1968 – Kenny Chesney, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1968 – James Iha, American guitarist and songwriter
• 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-born Irish playwright, screenwriter, and director
• 1971 – Martyn Day, Scottish politician
• 1971 – Erick Morillo, Colombian-American disc jockey, record label owner, and music producer (died 2020)
• 1971 – Rennae Stubbs, Australian tennis player and sportscaster
• 1971 – Paul Williams, English footballer and manager
• 1972 – Leslie Mann, American actress
• 1972 – Jason Maxwell, American baseball player
• 1973 – Larry Page, American computer scientist and businessman, co-founder of Google
• 1973 – T. R. Knight, American actor
• 1974 – Irina Spîrlea, Romanian tennis player
• 1974 – Vadimas Petrenko, Lithuanian footballer
• 1974 – Michael Peca, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
• 1976 – Amy Smart, American actress and former model
• 1976 – Alex Varas, Chilean footballer
• 1976 – Eirik Verås Larsen, Norwegian sprint kayaker
• 1977 – Kevin Davies, English footballer
• 1977 – Bianca Kajlich, American actress
• 1977 – Sylvain Grenier, Canadian wrestler
• 1978 – Anastasia Kostaki, Greek basketball player
• 1979 – Nacho Novo, Spanish footballer
• 1979 – Ben Blair, New Zealand rugby union footballer
• 1979 – Hiromi Uehara, Japanese pianist and composer
• 1979 – Pierre Womé, Cameroonian footballer
• 1979 – Juliana Paes, Brazilian actress
• 1980 – Margaret Brennan, American journalist
• 1980 – Son Ho-young, South Korean singer
• 1980 – Richie Wellens, English footballer
• 1981 – Sébastien Centomo, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1981 – Zayar Thaw, Burmese rapper and politician (died 2022)
• 1981 – Baruch Dego, Ethiopian-Israeli footballer
• 1981 – Massimo Donati, Italian footballer
• 1981 – Josh Wilson, American baseball player
• 1982 – Mikel Arteta, Spanish footballer
• 1982 – Brendan Ryan, American baseball player
• 1982 – Nate Kaeding, American football player
• 1983 – Andreas Hinkel, German footballer
• 1983 – Floriana Lima, American actress
• 1983 – Roman Bednář, Czech footballer
• 1983 – Mike Mondo, American wrestler
• 1984 – Jimmy Howard, American ice hockey player
• 1984 – Drew Mitchell, Australian rugby player
• 1984 – Felix Neureuther, German skier
• 1984 – Marco Stier, German footballer
• 1984 – Gregory Strydom, Zimbabwean cricketer
• 1984 – Sara Jean Underwood, American model, television host, and actress
• 1985 – Keira Knightley, English actress
• 1985 – Matt Grevers, American swimmer
• 1985 – Jonathan Groff, American actor and singer
• 1985 – Prosper Utseya, Zimbabwean cricketer
• 1986 – Maxime Biset, Belgian footballer
• 1986 – Rob Kearney, Irish rugby player
• 1986 – Emma Laine, Finnish tennis player
• 1987 – Kim Dong-suk, South Korean footballer
• 1987 – Jermichael Finley, American football player
• 1987 – Steven Fletcher, Scottish footballer
• 1989 – Simon Kjær, Danish footballer
• 1989 – Von Miller, American football player
• 1990 – Choi Woo-shik, South Korean actor
• 1990 – Matteo Guidicelli, Filipino actor, model, singer and former kart racer
• 1990 – Patrick Ekeng, Cameroonian footballer (died 2016)
• 1990 – Yuya Takaki, Japanese idol, singer, dancer, model and actor
• 1990 – Xiumin, South Korean singer and actor
• 1991 – Matt Davidson, American baseball player
• 1991 – Ramy Youssef, American actor and comedian
• 1992 – Nina Agdal, Danish model
• 1992 – Stoffel Vandoorne, Belgian racing driver
• 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
• 1994 – Marcela Zacarías, Mexican tennis player
• 1995 – Ibai Llanos, Spanish internet personality
• 1996 – Zane Musgrove, New Zealand rugby league player
• 1996 – Kathryn Bernardo, Filipino actress
• 1998 – Satoko Miyahara, Japanese figure skater
• 2000 – Gefen Primo, Israeli judoka
• 2000 – Andrei Svechnikov, Russian ice hockey player
• 2001 – Jameson Williams, American football player
• 2003 – Bhad Bhabie, American rapper and social media personality
• 2004 – Awra Briguela, Filipino actor and comedian
• 2005 – Ella Anderson, American actress

Deaths

Pre-1600

• 752 – Pope-elect Stephen
• 809 – Ludger, Frisian missionary
• 903 – Sugawara no Michizane, Japanese poet
• 908 – Ai, emperor of the Tang Dynasty (born 892)
• 922 – Mansur Al-Hallaj, Persian mystic and poet (born 858)
• 929 – Wang Du, Chinese warlord and governor (jiedushi)
• 973 – Guntram ("the Rich"), Frankish nobleman
• 983 – 'Adud al-Dawla, Iranian ruler (born 936)
• 1091 – Wallada bint al-Mustakfi, Andalusian poet
• 1130 – Sigurd the Crusader, Norwegian king (born 1090)
• 1132 – Geoffrey of Vendôme, French cardinal and theologian (born 1065)
• 1212 – Sancho I of Portugal (born 1154)
• 1242 – William de Forz, 3rd Earl of Albemarle
• 1324 – Marie de Luxembourg, Queen of France (born 1304)
• 1326 – Alessandra Giliani, anatomist (born c. 1307)
• 1350 – Alfonso XI of Castile (born 1312)
• 1402 – David Stewart, Duke of Rothesay, heir to the throne of Scotland (born 1378)
• 1437 – Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl, Scottish nobleman and regicide
• 1517 – Heinrich Isaac, Flemish composer (born 1450)
• 1535 – Georg Tannstetter, Austrian mathematician, astronomer, and cartographer (born 1482)
• 1546 – Thomas Elyot, English scholar and diplomat (born 1490)
• 1566 – Antonio de Cabezón, Spanish organist and composer (born 1510)

1601–1900

• 1625 – Giambattista Marini, Italian poet (born 1569)
• 1649 – John Winthrop, English lawyer and politician, 2nd Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony
• 1679 – Johannes Schefferus, Swedish historian and author (born 1621)
• 1697 – Godfrey McCulloch, Scottish politician (born 1640)
• 1726 – John Vanbrugh, English playwright and architect, designed Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard (born 1664)
• 1772 – Charles Pinot Duclos, French author and politician (born 1704)
• 1776 – Samuel Ward, American politician, 31st and 33rd Governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (born 1725)
• 1780 – Charles I, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (born 1713)
• 1793 – John Mudge, English physician and engineer (born 1721)
• 1797 – James Hutton, Scottish geologist and physician (born 1726)
• 1814 – Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, French physician and politician (born 1738)
• 1827 – Ludwig van Beethoven, German pianist and composer (born 1770)
• 1858 – John Addison Thomas, American lieutenant, engineer, and politician, 3rd United States Assistant Secretary of State (born 1811)
• 1862 – Uriah P. Levy, American commander (born 1792)
• 1881 – Roman Sanguszko, Polish general and activist (born 1800)
• 1881 – Old Abe, 8th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment Mascot (born 1861)
• 1885 – Anson Stager, American general and businessman, co-founded Western Union (born 1825)
• 1888 – Barghash bin Said of Zanzibar (born 1837)
• 1892 – Walt Whitman, American poet, essayist, and journalist (born 1819)

1901–present

• 1902 – Cecil Rhodes, English-South African colonialist, businessman and politician, 6th Prime Minister of the Cape Colony (born 1853)
• 1905 – Maurice Barrymore, American actor (born 1849)
• 1910 – Auguste Charlois, French astronomer (born 1864)
• 1920 – William Chester Minor, American surgeon and lexicographer (born 1834)
• 1923 – Sarah Bernhardt, French actress and screenwriter (born 1844)
• 1926 – Constantin Fehrenbach, German lawyer and politician, Chancellor of Germany (born 1852)
• 1931 – Joseph Dutton, assisted Father Damien on the island of Molokai for 45 years.
• 1932 – Henry M. Leland, American machinist, inventor, engineer, automotive entrepreneur and founder of Cadillac and Lincoln (born 1843)
• 1934 – John Biller, American jumper and discus thrower (born 1877)
• 1940 – Wilhelm Anderson, German-Estonian astrophysicist (born 1880)
• 1940 – Spyridon Louis, Greek runner (born 1873)
• 1942 – Jimmy Burke, American baseball player and manager (born 1874)
• 1942 – Carolyn Wells, American novelist and poet (born 1862)
• 1945 – David Lloyd George, English-Welsh lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (born 1863)
• 1951 – James F. Hinkle, American banker and politician, 6th Governor of New Mexico (born 1864)
• 1954 – Charles Perrin, French rower (born 1875)
• 1957 – Édouard Herriot, French politician, Prime Minister of France (born 1872)
• 1957 – Max Ophüls, German-American director and screenwriter (born 1902)
• 1958 – Phil Mead, English cricketer and footballer (born 1887)
• 1959 – Raymond Chandler, American crime novelist and screenwriter (born 1888)
• 1965 - Alice Herz, German peace activist who self-immolated in protest of U.S. imperialism (born 1882) 1
• 1966 – Victor Hochepied, French swimmer (born 1883)
• 1966 – Cyril Hume, American novelist and screenwriter (born 1900)
• 1969 – John Kennedy Toole, American novelist (born 1937)
• 1973 – Noël Coward, English playwright, actor, and composer (born 1899)
• 1973 – Johnny Drake, American football player (born 1916)
• 1979 – Beauford Delaney, American-French painter (born 1901)
• 1979 – Jean Stafford, American author and academic (born 1915)
• 1980 – Roland Barthes, French linguist and critic (born 1915)
• 1983 – Anthony Blunt, English historian and spy (born 1907)
• 1984 – Ahmed Sékou Touré, Guinean politician, 1st President of Guinea (born 1922)
• 1987 – Eugen Jochum, German conductor (born 1902)
• 1987 – Walter Abel, American actor (born 1898)
• 1990 – Halston, American fashion designer (born 1932)
• 1992 – Barbara Frum, American-Canadian journalist and radio host (born 1937)
• 1993 – Louis Falco, American dancer and choreographer (born 1942)
• 1995 – Eazy-E, American rapper and producer (born 1964)
• 1996 – Edmund Muskie, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician, 58th United States Secretary of State (born 1914)
• 1996 – David Packard, American engineer and businessman, co-founded Hewlett-Packard (born 1912)
• 1996 – John Snagge, English journalist (born 1904)
• 2000 – Alex Comfort, English physician and author (born 1920)
• 2002 – Randy Castillo, American drummer and songwriter (born 1950)
• 2003 – Daniel Patrick Moynihan, American sociologist and politician, 12th United States Ambassador to the United Nations (born 1927)
• 2004 – Jan Sterling, American actress (born 1921)
• 2005 – James Callaghan, English lieutenant and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (born 1912)
• 2005 – Frederick Rotimi Williams, Nigerian lawyer and politician (born 1920)
• 2006 – Anil Biswas, Indian journalist and politician (born 1944)
• 2006 – Paul Dana, American racing driver (born 1975)
• 2006 – Nikki Sudden, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1956)
• 2008 – Robert Fagles, American poet and academic (born 1933)
• 2008 – Manuel Marulanda, Colombian rebel leader (born 1930)
• 2009 – Shane McConkey, Canadian skier and BASE jumper (born 1969)
• 2009 – Arne Bendiksen, Norwegian singer and composer (born 1926)
• 2010 – Charles Ryskamp, American art collector and curator (born 1928)
• 2011 – Roger Abbott, English-Canadian actor, producer, and screenwriter (born 1946)
• 2011 – Geraldine Ferraro, American lawyer and politician (born 1935)
• 2011 – Diana Wynne Jones, English author (born 1934)
• 2012 – Sisto Averno, American football player (born 1925)
• 2012 – Michael Begley, Irish carpenter and politician (born 1932)
• 2012 – Thomas M. Cover, American theorist and academic (born 1938)
• 2012 – David Craighead, American organist and educator (born 1924)
• 2012 – Manik Godghate, Indian poet and educator (born 1937)
• 2012 – Helmer Ringgren, Swedish theologian and academic (born 1917)
• 2013 – Tom Boerwinkle, American basketball player and sportscaster (born 1945)
• 2013 – Krzysztof Kozłowski, Polish journalist and politician, Polish Minister of Interior (born 1931)
• 2013 – Dave Leggett, American baseball player (born 1933)
• 2013 – Don Payne, American screenwriter and producer (born 1964)
• 2014 – Roger Birkman, American psychologist and author (born 1919)
• 2014 – Dick Guidry, American businessman and politician (born 1929)
• 2014 – Marcus Kimball, Baron Kimball, English politician (born 1928)
• 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)
• 2016 – Jim Harrison, American novelist, essayist, and poet (born 1937)
• 2018 – Fabrizio Frizzi, Italian television presenter (born 1958)
• 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)
• 2024 – Esther Coopersmith, American diplomat, UNESCO goodwill ambassador (born 1930)

Holidays and observances

• Christian feast days:
  • Castulus
  • Emmanuel and companions
  • Felicitas
  • Harriet Monsell (Church of England)
  • Larissa
  • Ludger
  • 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)
• National Science Appreciation Day (United States)
• 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
• Historical Events on March 26