Today in History for 26th May 2026

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Historical Events

1896 - James Dunham murders six people in Campbell, California
1943 - British PM Winston Churchill and US General George C. Marshall fly from the US to North Africa
1977 - George Willig climbs the South Tower of NYC's World Trade Center, famously fined 1 cent for each of 110 stories he climbed
1982 - 26th European Cup: Aston Villa beats Bayern Munich 1-0 at Rotterdam
2004 - 12th UEFA Champions League Final: Porto beats AS Monaco 3-0 at Gelsenkirchen

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Famous Birthdays

1893 - Eugene Goossens, British conductor and composer (Perseus), born in London, England (d. 1962)
1895 - Paul Lukas, Hungarian actor (Watch on the Rhine, Sphynx), born in Budapest, Hungary (d. 1971)
1895 - Dorothea Lange, American documentary photographer, born in Hoboken, New Jersey (d. 1965)
1913 - Peter Cushing, English actor (Dracula, Star Wars, Dr Who), born in Kenley, Surrey, England (d. 1994)
1946 - Neshka Robeva, Bulgarian rhythmic gymnast (World C'ship 3 x silver, 1 x bronze 1969) and coach (World, European and Olympic competition, 294 medals), born in Rousse, Bulgaria

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Famous Deaths

1944 - Cyril Francois, South African cricket all-rounder (5 Tests, 252 runs, 6 wickets), dies in a motor accident at 46
1947 - Nellie Neilson, PhD, American historian, first woman published in the American Historical Review, and the first female president of the American Historical Association, dies at 74
2002 - Mamo Wolde, Ethiopian marathoner (Olympic gold 1968), dies at 69
2017 - Zbigniew Brzezinski, Polish-American national security advisor to President Carter (1977-1981), dies at 89
2020 - Richard Herd, American actor (V: The Final Battle), dies of cancer at 87

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