Historical anniversaries in 2026 (USA edition) • ideas4writers

The Date-A-Base Book 2026: 3,700 historical anniversaries in 2026

Now includes a free Excel spreadsheet
Sort, group and search the
anniversaries however you like!

Download the 2023 edition for free!

Editions for
2024, 2025, 2027 and 2028
are also available.

More than 3,700 historical anniversaries in 2026.

Includes significant historical events, inventions, discoveries, and famous births and deaths.

Fully cross-checked for accuracy.

Perfect for writers, journalists, broadcasters, producers, production companies, and event planners.

Packed with ideas for newspaper and magazine articles, TV and radio features, films and documentaries, and more.

Ideal for “On This Day in History” features and historical anniversary tie-ins.

Size: 11.5″ x 8.5″ (Letter). 302 pages.

E-book: $16.45 (approx.)
PDF format + free Excel spreadsheet.
(View or print with the free Adobe Reader.)

Paperback: $14.99 (approx.)

Product details

This book gives details of more than 3,700 newsworthy and notable historical anniversaries in 2026.

Every entry has been fully cross-checked with official sources for complete accuracy.

We only list significant anniversaries (for example 10, 25, 50, 75, 100, 150, 200 years ago) not 17, 54 or 101 years ago.

NOTE:

If you buy the e-book edition you will receive two volumes: the anniversaries listed in chronological order and sorted by date. (See the sample pages below.)

You will also receive a free Excel spreadsheet so you can sort, group and search the anniversaries however you like.
If you buy the printed edition the anniversaries are only listed in chronological order.

We will be happy to send you the e-book version of the sorted-by-date edition plus the spreadsheet too,
for no extra charge. Just send us a message (mail@ideas4writers.com) with your proof of purchase.

19th annual edition.

Sample pages
(please view on a larger screen)

Sample page (chronological order)

Anniversary	Date	Event
1100	Jan 8, 926	Death of Athelm, Archbishop of Canterbury and first Bishop of Wells.
900	Jan 18, 1126	Emperor Huizong of the Song dynasty in China abdicated in favor of his son, Emperor Qinzong, took the title Taishang Huang (Retired Emperor) and fled to the countryside after forces from the Jin Empire invaded the Song Empire.
750	Jan 10, 1276	Death of Pope Gregory X. Succeeded by Innocent V (who died in June).
500	Jan 14, 1526	The Treaty of Madrid was signed by the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, and his prisoner, Francis I, King of France. France renounced its claims in Italy, surrendered Burgundy, and abandoned its sovereignty over Flanders and Artois. Once the treaty was signed, the King was released (on March 6^th) and allowed to return to France.
500	Jan 19, 1526	Death of Isabella of Austria, Queen consort of Denmark. Wife of King Christian II.
500	Jan 20, 1526 ?	Birth of Rafael Bombelli, Italian mathematician. Best known for his work on the understanding of imaginary numbers. (Baptized on this date.)
500	Jan 25, 1526	Birth of Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp. Son of King Frederick I of Denmark.
400	Jan 24, 1626	Death of Samuel Argall, English adventurer and naval officer. He discovered the shorter northern route across the Atlantic Ocean from England to Virginia, and was Governor of the Virginia Colony. He also kidnapped Pocohontas, daughter of the Chief of the Powhatan Confederacy.
300	Jan 25, 1726	Death of Guillaume Delisle, French cartographer. Noted for his accurate maps of Europe and the Americas.
250	Jan 1, 1776	American Revolution: according to tradition, George Washington raised the first American flag, the Grand Union Flag, at Prospect Hill in Charlestown, Somerville, Massachusetts on this date.
250	Jan 1, 1776	American Revolutionary War: British ships shelled Norfolk, Virginia while British forces and Patriots started fires in the city. More than 800 buildings were destroyed – around two-thirds of the city at that time.
250	Jan 5, 1776	New Hampshire adopted the first state constitution in what would become the USA.
250	Jan 10, 1776	American Revolution: political activist Thomas Paine published Common Sense, a 47-page pamphlet that called for the thirteen colonies’ complete independence from Great Britain. It was hugely influential, and inspired the patriots to declare independence.
250	Jan 10, 1776	Birth of George Birkbeck, British physician, academic and philanthropist. A pioneer of adult education. Founder of Birkbeck, University of London. He helped create one of the first chemistry laboratories for students, and created mechanics’ institutes.
250	Jan 14, 1776	Death of Edward Cornwallis, British military officer and politician. Governor of Nova Scotia (1749–52), Governor of Gibraltar (1761–76).

Sample page (sorted by date)

Anniversary	Date	Event
250	Jan 1, 1776	American Revolution: according to tradition, George Washington raised the first American flag, the Grand Union Flag, at Prospect Hill in Charlestown, Somerville, Massachusetts on this date.
250	Jan 1, 1776	American Revolutionary War: British ships shelled Norfolk, Virginia while British forces and Patriots started fires in the city. More than 800 buildings were destroyed – around two-thirds of the city at that time.
125	Jan 1, 1901	The Commonwealth of Australia was established when the six British colonies of New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, and Western Australia were federated.
125	Jan 1, 1901	The first official Mummers Parade was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
80	Jan 1, 1946	The first civil flight took off from London’s Heathrow Airport, heading to Buenos Aires, Argentina.
80	Jan 1, 1946	Emperor Hirohito of Japan released the Imperial Rescript, declaring that he was not a living god.
75	Jan 1, 1951	Phonevision, the first pay television service in the USA, was launched by the Zenith Radio Corporation in Chicago, Illinois. Three hundred subscribers could order Hollywood films over the phone, then watch them for $1 each using a de-scrambling device connected to their TVs. The service was not financially sustainable, and was discontinued when the three-month trial ended.
70	Jan 1, 1956	Sudan gained its independence from the United Kingdom and Egypt.
70	Jan 1, 1956	Birth of Mark Reynolds Hughes, American entrepreneur. Founder of Herbalife. (Died 2000.)
60	Jan 1, 1966	Jean-Bédel Bokassa became President of the Central African Republic after seizing power from David Dacko in a coup. He was also the self-proclaimed Emperor of Central Africa (1976–79), though this was not recognized internationally.
60	Jan 1, 1966	The Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act came into effect in the USA. It established national standards for cigarette packaging and labeling, and forced manufacturers to include the statement “Caution: cigarette smoking may be hazardous to your health” on packaging.
60	Jan 1, 1966	Death of Vincent Auriol, President of France (1947–54) – the first president of the French Fourth Republic.
50	Jan 1, 1976	Middle East Airlines Flight 438 was destroyed by a terrorist bomb over Saudi Arabia while flying from Beirut, Lebanon to Muscat, Oman. All 66 passengers and fifteen crew were killed. The perpetrators were never identified.
50	Jan 1, 1976	Venezuela nationalized its oil industry. All foreign oil companies were replaced by Venezuelan ones, and the state-owned petroleum company Petróleos de Venezuela was established.

Reminder: the e-book edition includes both versions: chronological and sorted by date, plus a free Excel spreadsheet.

Customer reviews

Browse through the dates and names and let your imagination go in to overdrive. These are “must have” lists for you reference library. The allure of these people, places and times are indeed a Pandora’s Box for the enquiring mind of storytellers everywhere. Just the gift for a fellow writer.
Frances Johnson, Gold Coast Writers’ Association, Queensland, Australia.

What a magnificent tool. It’s easy to find out what happened on a particular day or month. Or you can dip straight in and find something to write about and, with your own added research, submit your work well ahead of the game. The information can also be used for quizzes, authenticating historical articles, and a multitude of other formats. Go for it!
Dee Watson, Writer, Editor, Proofreader and Reviewer

Magazines have notoriously long lead-in times, so if you’re an aspiring (or indeed successful) writer of articles you need to be looking well ahead for that all-important “hook” to get the editor interested. That’s where The Date-A-Base Book comes in. Hundreds of notable events, births, deaths, anniversaries of myriad kind from 10 years ago to 1000 years ago. Whatever your area of interest you’ll find something in here to get you started, or to flesh out your background or your characters, or to use in your marketing. The only problem with it is that you might get too engrossed in the who, what, where, and when to actually do any writing.
Lesley Mason