January 26 in history — What Happened Today in History

JAT Flight 367 is destroyed by a terrorist bomb, killing 27 of the 28 people on board the DC-9. Flight attendant Vesna Vulović survives with critical injuries.

The three Beaumont children disappear from a beach in Glenelg, South Australia, resulting in one of the country's largest-ever police investigations.

Ranger 3 is launched to study the Moon. The space probe later misses the Moon by 22,000 miles (35,400 km).

The 41-acre (17 ha) Chain Island is listed for sale by the California State Lands Commission, with a minimum bid of $5,226.

Soviet Union cedes Porkkala back to Finland.

Black Saturday in Egypt: rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses.

The Constitution of India comes into force, forming a republic. Rajendra Prasad is sworn in as the first President of India. Observed as Republic Day in India.

The Hale Telescope at Palomar Observatory sees first light under the direction of Edwin Hubble, becoming the largest aperture optical telescope (until BTA-6 is built in 1976).

World War II: Audie Murphy displays valor and bravery in action for which he will later be awarded the Medal of Honor.

World War II: The first United States forces arrive in Europe, landing in Northern Ireland.

Spanish Civil War: Catalonia Offensive: Troops loyal to nationalist General Francisco Franco and aided by Italy take Barcelona.

The Apollo Theater reopens in Harlem, New York City.

German–Polish declaration of non-aggression is signed.

The Indian National Congress declares 26 January as Independence Day or as the day for Poorna Swaraj ("Complete Independence") which occurred 17 years later.

The first demonstration of the television by John Logie Baird.

Finnish Civil War: A group of Red Guards hangs a red lantern atop the tower of Helsinki Workers' Hall to symbolically mark the start of the war.

The Rocky Mountain National Park is established by an act of the U.S. Congress.

The world's largest diamond ever, the Cullinan, which weighs 3,106.75 carats (0.621350 kg), is found at the Premier Mine near Pretoria in South Africa.

Troops loyal to The Mahdi conquer Khartoum, killing the Governor-General Charles George Gordon.

Reconstruction Era: Virginia is readmitted to the Union.

American Civil War: General Ambrose Burnside is relieved of command of the Army of the Potomac after the disastrous Fredericksburg campaign. He is replaced by Joseph Hooker.

American Civil War: Governor of Massachusetts John Albion Andrew receives permission from the Secretary of War to raise a militia organization for men of African descent.

American Civil War: The state of Louisiana secedes from the Union.

First Battle of Seattle: Marines from the USS Decatur drive off Native American attackers after all-day battle with settlers.

Point No Point Treaty is signed in Washington Territory.

Gordon Bremer takes formal possession of Hong Kong Island at what is now Possession Point, establishing British Hong Kong.

Michigan is admitted as the 26th U.S. state.

The Rum Rebellion is the only successful (albeit short-lived) armed takeover of the government in New South Wales.

Hwang Hee-chan, South Korean football player

Jean-Charles Castelletto, Cameroonian footballer

Sione Katoa, New Zealand rugby league player

Montrezl Harrell, American basketball player

Miguel Borja, Colombian footballer

Lana Clelland, Scottish footballer

Kevin Pangos, Canadian-Slovenian basketball player

Alice Powell, British racing driver

Florian Thauvin, French footballer

Mercedes Moné, American wrestler

Esteban Andrada, Argentine footballer

Nicolò Melli, Italian-American basketball player

Alex Sandro, Brazilian footballer

Tom Uren, Australian politician (born 1921)

Tom Gola, American basketball player, coach, and politician (born 1933)

Paula Gruden, Slovenian-Australian poet and translator (born 1921)

José Emilio Pacheco, Mexican poet and author (born 1939)

Christine M. Jones, American educator and politician (born 1929)

Stefan Kudelski, Polish-Swiss engineer, inventor of the Nagra (born 1929)

Padma Kant Shukla, Indian physicist and academic (born 1950)

Shōtarō Yasuoka, Japanese author (born 1920)

Roberto Mieres, Argentinian race car driver (born 1924)

David Kato Kisule, Ugandan teacher and LGBT rights activist, considered a father of Uganda's gay rights movement (born 1964)

Charlie Louvin, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1927)

Louis Auchincloss, American novelist and essayist (born 1917)

Viktor Schreckengost, American sculptor and designer (born 1906)