February 26: Holidays, Historical Events, Famous Birthdays & Zodiac Sign
On February 26, 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte slipped away from his island exile on Elba, setting in motion his dramatic — and brief — return to power known as the Hundred Days.
About February 26
Long before that fateful escape, February 26 had already established itself as a day of royal and imperial consequence. In 320, Chandragupta I was formally crowned the first emperor of the Gupta dynasty, inaugurating a golden age of Indian civilization. Forty-four years later, Valentinian I was proclaimed Roman emperor, and in 1266, Charles of Anjou crushed Manfred's German-Sicilian army at the Battle of Benevento, claiming the throne of Sicily and Naples for himself.
The date also carries a complicated legacy of scientific and geographic breakthroughs. In 1616, Galileo Galilei was officially silenced by the Roman Catholic Church, forbidden from teaching that the Earth orbits the Sun. Conversely, in 1919, President Woodrow Wilson signed legislation creating Grand Canyon National Park, preserving one of the planet's most awe-inspiring landscapes. A decade earlier, Londoners witnessed the first public screening of Kinemacolor, the pioneering color motion picture process, at the Palace Theatre.
February 26 is also the birthday of remarkable creative minds. Victor Hugo, the French literary giant behind Les Misérables, was born in 1802. Levi Strauss, the German immigrant who revolutionized American fashion by inventing blue jeans, arrived in 1829. And in 1928, the legendary New Orleans musician Fats Domino was born — a Pisces whose warm, rolling piano style would help shape the sound of rock and roll.
Holidays & Observances on February 26
- Day of Remembrance for Victims of Khojaly Massacre (Azerbaijan)
- Liberation Day (Kuwait)
- Saviours' Day (Nation of Islam)
Fun & National Days on February 26
- Levi Strauss Day — Slip on your favorite pair of jeans and toast the man who turned durable workwear into an American icon.
- National Chili Day — Grab a steaming bowl, debate beans versus no beans, and celebrate this beloved cold-weather comfort food.
- National Pistachio Day — Crack open a handful of these protein-packed green gems and savor their uniquely buttery flavor.
- Carnival Day — Channel the festive spirit with music, masks, and a touch of pre-Lenten indulgence wherever you are.
- Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day — Inspire a young woman in your life with hands-on STEM fun and open doors to a world of innovation.
- Digital Learning Day
- For Pete's Sake Day
- National Personal Chef Day
- National Set a Good Example Day
- National Toast Day (UK)
On This Day in History
- 320 — Chandragupta I is formally crowned as the inaugural emperor of the Gupta dynasty, launching a celebrated golden age in Indian history.
- 1266 — Charles of Anjou defeats and kills King Manfred of Sicily at the Battle of Benevento, shifting control of southern Italy and Sicily.
- 1606 — Dutch explorer Willem Janszoon's expedition becomes the first recorded European landing on Australian soil, though it was mistaken for New Guinea.
- 1616 — The Roman Catholic Church formally prohibits Galileo Galilei from teaching or defending the heliocentric model of the solar system.
- 1815 — Napoleon Bonaparte escapes from exile on the Mediterranean island of Elba, beginning his dramatic return to French power.
- 1870 — New York City's Beach Pneumatic Transit opens as a working demonstration of a compressed-air-powered subway beneath Broadway.
- 1909 — Kinemacolor, the first commercially successful color film process, debuts to the public at London's Palace Theatre.
- 1919 — President Woodrow Wilson signs a congressional act establishing Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, protecting a natural wonder.
- 1935 — Robert Watson-Watt conducts a pivotal radio detection demonstration near Daventry, England, directly advancing the development of radar.
- 1966 — NASA launches AS-201, the inaugural uncrewed flight of the Saturn IB rocket, a critical stepping stone toward the Apollo Moon missions.
- 1980 — Egypt and Israel formally establish full diplomatic relations, a landmark step following the 1979 Camp David Accords.
- 2008 — The New York Philharmonic performs a historic concert in Pyongyang, North Korea — the first major American cultural visit of its kind.
Famous Birthdays on February 26
- 1802 — Victor Hugo, French literary titan whose novels Les Misérables and The Hunchback of Notre-Dame transformed world literature.
- 1829 — Levi Strauss, German-born American businessman whose denim work pants became the iconic blue jeans worn worldwide.
- 1846 — Buffalo Bill, American frontiersman, soldier, and showman whose Wild West spectacular captivated audiences on two continents.
- 1852 — John Harvey Kellogg, American surgeon and health advocate who co-invented corn flakes, revolutionizing the American breakfast.
- 1908 — Tex Avery, Influential animator whose wild, irreverent style shaped the golden age of Hollywood cartoon shorts at Warner Bros. and MGM.
- 1928 — Fats Domino, New Orleans pianist and singer whose laid-back boogie-woogie classics helped pioneer the birth of rock and roll.
- 1928 — Ariel Sharon, Israeli military commander and statesman who served as the nation's 11th prime minister, shaping decades of policy.
- 1950 — Helen Clark, New Zealand politician who served as the country's 37th prime minister and later led the UN Development Programme.