Pakistan
The government of Pakistan declares "open war" against the Taliban in Afghanistan, initiating the 2026 Afghanistan–Pakistan War.
What happened on February 26
32 events · 20 births · 20 deaths · 8 observances. From 747 BCE to 2026.
Standout on February 26
2026
Pakistan
The government of Pakistan declares "open war" against the Taliban in Afghanistan, initiating the 2026 Afghanistan–Pakistan War.
About February 26
February 26 is the 57th day of the year. These facts are computed from the calendar, not copied from anywhere.
- Day of the year
- Day 57 of 365 (57 in leap years)308 days left in the year (309 in leap years)
- Falls on
- Thursday in 2026, Friday in 2027, Saturday in 2028, Monday in 2029, Tuesday in 2030
- Week
- ISO week 9 of 2026 · Q1
- Zodiac sign
- ♓ Pisces (February 19 – March 20)
- Season
- Winter in the north · Summer in the south
- February birthstone
- Amethystcalm, clarity and courage
- February birth flower
- Violet / Primrosefaithfulness and young love
- Next occurrence
- In 122 days
- Roman numerals
- XXVI.IIday.month — see the Roman numeral date tool
Anniversaries in 2026
- 90thFebruary 26 incident1936
- 90thImperial Japanese Army1936
- 60thApollo program1966
- 40thHannah Kearney1986
- 40thMārtiņš Karsums1986
- 10thAndy Bathgate2016
- 10thDon Getty2016
- 5th2021 Zamfara school kidnapping2021
February 26 through the years
- 10 years ago2016
- Don Getty · Andy Bathgate
- 25 years ago2001
- Nothing recorded
- 50 years ago1976
- Nothing recorded
- 100 years ago1926
- Nothing recorded
- 200 years ago1826
- Nothing recorded
Born on February 26 — ages this year
- 2004Bibisara Assaubayevaturns 22
- 2003Jamal Musialaturns 23
- 2002Gerard Martín (footballer)turns 24
- 2002César Tárregaturns 24
- 2000Yeatturns 26
- 1997Jessie Batesturns 29
Historical events 32
A dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
2021 Zamfara school kidnapping
A total of 279 female students aged between 10 and 17 are kidnapped by bandits in the Zamfara kidnapping in Zamfara State, Nigeria.
Indian Air Force
Indian Air Force fighter-jets target Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training camps in Balakot, Pakistan.
Ming Pao
Former editor-in-chief of Hong Kong newspaper Ming Pao Kevin Lau was stabbed, prompting concerns and protests about media freedom.
2013 Luxor hot air balloon crash
A hot air balloon crashed near Luxor, Egypt, killing 19 people in the deadliest ballooning disaster in history.
Hot air balloon
A hot air balloon crashes near Luxor, Egypt, killing 19 people.
2012 Burlington Via derailment
A train derails in Burlington, Ontario, Canada killing at least three people and injuring 45.
Trayvon Martin
African-American teenager Trayvon Martin was killed by neighborhood-watch coordinator George Zimmerman in Sanford, Florida, prompting a nationwide controversy.
Korean War
In the first significant cultural visit from the United States to North Korea since the Korean War, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra performed in Pyongyang.
New York Philharmonic
The New York Philharmonic performs in Pyongyang, North Korea; this was the first such event to take place in North Korea.
Barings Bank
Barings Bank, the oldest merchant bank in London, was declared insolvent after its head derivatives trader in Singapore, Nick Leeson, lost £827 million while making unauthorised trades on futures contracts.
1993 World Trade Center bombing
World Trade Center bombing: In New York City, a truck bomb parked below the North Tower of the World Trade Center explodes, killing six and injuring over a thousand people.
First Nagorno-Karabakh War
First Nagorno-Karabakh War: Khojaly Massacre: Armenian armed forces open fire on Azeri civilians at a military post outside the town of Khojaly leaving hundreds dead.
Iran–Contra affair
Iran–Contra affair: The Tower Commission rebukes President Ronald Reagan for not controlling his national security staff.
Egypt–Israel relations
Egypt and Israel establish full diplomatic relations.
Superliner (railcar)
The Superliner railcar entered revenue service with Amtrak.
Secretary-General of the United Nations
U.N. Secretary-General U Thant signs United Nations proclamation of the vernal equinox as Earth Day.
Apollo program
Apollo program: Launch of AS-201, the first flight of the Saturn IB rocket.
Kyiv
A Kyiv-bound Aeroflot airliner crashes on approach to Snilow Airport in Lviv, killing 32 of the 33 people on board.
Alitalia
A New York-bound Alitalia airliner crashes into a cemetery in Shannon, Ireland, shortly after takeoff, killing 34 of the 52 persons on board.
Vincent Massey
Vincent Massey is sworn in as the first Canadian-born Governor General of Canada.
World War II
World War II: US troops reclaim the Philippine island of Corregidor from the Japanese.
Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army troops attempted a coup d'etat, occupying parts of Tokyo, and killing several politicians, including finance minister Takahashi Korekiyo.
February 26 incident
In the February 26 Incident, young nationalist Japanese military officers assassinate multiple cabinet statesmen and start a rebellion in downtown Tokyo, which is ended 3 days later.
Daventry
With the aid of a radio station in Daventry, England, and two receiving antennae, Scottish engineer and inventor Robert Watson-Watt first demonstrated the use of radar.
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler ordered the Luftwaffe reinstated, violating the Treaty of Versailles signed at the end of World War I.
Original Dixieland Jass Band
The Original Dixieland Jass Band recorded "Livery Stable Blues", the first jazz single ever released.
HMHS Britannic
RMS Britannic, the third and largest Olympic-class ocean liner of the White Star Line after RMS Olympic and RMS Titanic, was launched at the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast.
Storm Ulysses
Storm Ulysses struck Ireland, felling thousands of trees and causing damage to up to a quarter of all houses in Dublin.
Napoleon
Napoleon escaped from the Italian island of Elba (depicted), to which he had been exiled after the signing of the Treaty of Fontainebleau.
Willem Janszoon
Dutch explorer Willem Janszoon made the first recorded European landing in Australia, although he believed that he was on New Guinea.
740s BC
According to Ptolemy, the reign of the Babylonian king Nabonassar (name in Akkadian pictured) began, marking a new era characterized by the systematic maintenance of chronologically precise historical records.
Births 20
A notable person born on this day. Each links to a person page with their dates and story.
Deaths 20
A notable person who died on this day.
Don Getty
Don Getty, Canadian football player and politician, 11th Premier of Alberta (born 1933)
Andy Bathgate
Andy Bathgate, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager (born 1932)
Tom Schweich
Tom Schweich, American lawyer and politician, 36th State Auditor of Missouri (born 1960)
Theodore Hesburgh
Theodore Hesburgh, American priest, theologian, educator, and academic (born 1917)
Sorel Etrog
Sorel Etrog, Romanian-Canadian sculptor, painter, and illustrator (born 1933)
Richard Carpenter (screenwriter)
Richard Carpenter, English actor and screenwriter (born 1929)
Nujabes
Jun Seba, also known as "Nujabes", Japanese record producer, DJ, composer and arranger (born 1974)
Norm Van Lier
Norm Van Lier, American basketball player, coach, and sportscaster (born 1947)
Johnny Kerr
Johnny Kerr, American basketball player, coach, and sportscaster (born 1932)
Holidays & observances 8
A holiday, feast day, awareness day or national day observed every year on this date.
Khojaly massacre
Day of Remembrance for Victims of Khojaly Massacre (Azerbaijan)
Florence Li Tim-Oi
Christian feast day: Li Tim-Oi (Anglican Church of Canada)
February 26 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Christian feast day: February 26 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Saint Isabelle of France
Christian feast day: Isabelle of France
Emily Malbone Morgan
Christian feast day: Emily Malbone Morgan (Episcopal Church (USA))
Saint Porphyrius
Christian feast day: Porphyry of Gaza
Paula Montal Fornés
Christian feast day: Paula Montal Fornés
Pope Alexander I of Alexandria
Christian feast day: Alexander of Alexandria
Spread across the centuries
- 8th century BCE1
- 17th century1
- 19th century1
- 20th century35
- 21st century34
What the categories mean, and how the standout is chosen
- Historical events
- A dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
- Births
- A notable person born on this day. Each links to a person page with their dates and story.
- Deaths
- A notable person who died on this day.
- Milestones
- A first, a founding or a turning point our editors flagged as a landmark moment.
- Holidays & observances
- A holiday, feast day, awareness day or national day observed every year on this date.
- Standout / notable
- Editor-written entries come first, then entries covered by the most Wikipedia language editions. For the standout tile we prefer an entry that has a picture.
Dates before the year 1 are given on the proleptic Julian calendar. Day-level precision for ancient events is traditional rather than documented.
Nearby and related
Questions about February 26
What day of the year is February 26?
February 26 is the 57th day of the year, with 308 days left after it.
What star sign is February 26?
February 26 falls under Pisces (February 19 – March 20), a water sign ruled by Neptune (traditionally Jupiter). The birthstone for the month is Amethyst.
How many things happened on February 26?
We record 80 entries for February 26: 32 events · 20 births · 20 deaths · 8 observances. From 747 BCE to 2026.
Who was born on February 26?
Bibisara Assaubayeva (2004) is among the notable births on February 26. The births section lists the rest.
How often is the February 26 page updated?
The day is filled the first time anyone opens it and then re-checked for new entries about every 90 days. Computed facts such as the weekday and the anniversaries update every year.
Get a daily entry like February 26
One short email a day from this calendar. Kept for this site only.
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