On This Day in History

December 26

Historical Events

1492 First Spanish settlement, La Navidad, in the New World is founded by Christopher Columbus (modern-day Môle-Saint-Nicolas in Haiti).

1792 Trial of French King Louis XVI, court hears the King’s defense brought by Raymond Desèze.

1825 Decembrist uprising in Russia against Tsar Nicholas I begins [O.S. 14 December].

The tsunami hits the tourist town of Ao Nang in Thailand

2004 A 9.3 magnitude earthquake creates a tsunami, causing devastation in Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, the Maldives, and the edges of the Indian Ocean, killing 230,000 people

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Famous Birthdays

Calico Jack 1682 - 1720  Charles Babbage 1791 - 1871

George Dewey 1837 - 1917  Kit Harington 38th Birthday

Also Mao Zedong and Steve Allen.

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Famous Deaths

Harry Truman 1884 - 1972  Desmond Tutu 1931 - 2021

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Will There Be a Yacht In Boxing Day Sale?

Black Friday triggers a global online hunt for bargains. But nothing, it seems, compares with the excitement of joining the crush at a physical Boxing Day sale.

The Origins of Boxing Day