Major Events
- Jan 8 Abdulaziz Ibn Saud becomes King of Nejd and Hejaz; forerunner of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- May 3 Britain's Trade Union Congress calls for the country's first ever general strike, begins at 1 minute to midnight in support striking coal miners, lasts 9 days
- Sep 25 Henry Ford announces an 8 hour, 5-day work week for workers at the Ford Motor Company
- Oct 19 Russian Politburo throws out Leon Trotsky and his followers
- Nov 22 Imperial Conference ends, giving autonomy inside British Commonwealth
- More 1926 Events
1926 in Film & TV
- Jan 26 John Logie Baird gives the first public demonstration of television in his laboratory in London
- Aug 6 "Don Juan" starring John Barrymore is released by Warner Bros, the 1st feature-length film to utilize the Vitaphone sound-on-disc sound system with a synchronized musical score and sound effects
- Aug 18 Weather map televised for 1st time
- Oct 9 NBC (National Broadcasting Corporation) forms
- Nov 15 1st formal radio network, RCA takes over AT&T 25 station Network (NBC)
1926 in Music
- Apr 25 Giacomo Puccini's opera "Turandot" premieres in Milan
- Nov 8 George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, and P. G. Wodehouse's musical "Oh, Kay" opens at the Imperial Theatre, NYC; runs for 256 performances
1926 in Sport
- Feb 16 Suzanne Lenglen defeats US champion Helen Wills in influential tennis match in Cannes, France
Did You Know?
Ian Paisley
Elizabeth II
Harper Lee
Efraín Ríos Montt
Leopoldo Galtieri
Fidel Castro
Patricia Neal
Jerry Lewis
David Attenborough
Marilyn Monroe
Mel Brooks
René Goscinny
George Martin
Miles Davis
Tony Bennett
John Coltrane
Chuck Berry
Pete Rozelle
Bill Sharman
Alfredo Di Stéfano
Duke Snider
Bowie KuhnMore People Born in 1926
Fun Fact About 1926
Harry Houdini stays in a coffin under water for 1½ hrs before escaping
Camillo Golgi
Bessie Coleman
Antoni Gaudi
Gertrude Bell
Annie Oakley
Claude Monet
Rudolph Valentino
Harry Houdini
Georges Vezina
Fred Spofforth
William LarnedMore 1926 Deaths
Articles About 1926
Volunteers Help Defeat General Strike
Britain's fist and only General Strike occurred in May 1926 and was quickly defeated by volunteers and a cunning plan by Winston Churchill.May 3
Valentino, The First Screen Sex Symbol
He became known as the ‘Latin lover’ – Hollywood’s first silent screen sex symbol adored by women across the world. But fate would be cruel to Rudolph ValentinoJuly 16
Talking Revolution that Silenced Hollywood Stars
The musical Oh, Kay! began its Broadway run at New York's Imperial Theatre on this day, introducing pop music standards "Someone To Watch Over Me" and "Do-Do-Do".November 8
Real-life Tragedy for Theatrical Family
On this day a tragedy engulfed one of Britain’s noted theatrical families of the early 20th century.December 8
Famous Weddings in 1926
- Jan 4 American songwriter Irving Berlin (37) weds heiress and writer Ellin Mackay (23) in a simple civil ceremony in NYC, until her death in 1988
- Jan 17 American comedian George Burns (28) weds American comedienne Gracie Allen (31), until her death in 1964
- Mar 13 American folk and singer Maybelle Addington (17) weds music manager Ezra Carter (27)
More Weddings in 1926
Calvin Coolidge
Joseph Stalin
Stanley Baldwin