On This Day: January 26

Updated January 25, 2012, 1:28 pm

On Jan. 26, 1950, India proclaimed itself a republic.

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On Jan. 26, 1880, Douglas MacArthur, the American general who achieved acclaim as a grand strategist in World War II and in Korea, was born. Following his death on April 5, 1964, his obituary appeared in The Times.

Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »

On This Date

By The Associated Press

1788 The first European settlers in Australia landed in present-day Sydney.

1802 Congress passed an act calling for a library to be established within the U.S. Capitol.

1837 Michigan became the 26th state.

1861 Louisiana seceded from the Union.

1870 Virginia rejoined the Union.

1925 Actor Paul Newman was born in Cleveland, Ohio.

1950 India proclaimed itself a republic.

1979 Former Vice President Nelson A. Rockefeller died at age 70.

1988 The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical “Phantom of the Opera,” the longest-running show in Broadway history, opened at the Majestic Theater in New York.

1993 Former Czechoslovak President Vaclav Havel was elected president of the new Czech Republic.

1996 First lady Hillary Rodham Clinton testified before a grand jury connected to the Whitewater probe.

2001 An earthquake hit the Indian subcontinent, killing more than 13,000 people.

2005 Condoleezza Rice was sworn in as secretary of state.

2006 Confronted by Oprah Winfrey on her syndicated talk show, author James Frey acknowledged lies in his addiction memoir “A Million Little Pieces.”

2009 “Octomom” Nadya Suleman of Whittier, Calif., gave birth to octuplets conceived by in vitro fertilization. Suleman was already a mother of six.

Current Birthdays

By The Associated Press

Rock musician Eddie Van Halen (Van Halen) turns 57 years old today.

AP Photo/Charles Sykes

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton turns 65 years old today.

AP Photo/Jim Mone

1935 Bob Uecker, Sportscaster-actor, turns 77

1939 Scott Glenn, Actor, turns 73

1949 David Strathairn, Actor (“Good Night, and Good Luck”), turns 63

1950 Jack Youngblood, Football Hall of Famer, turns 62

1953 Lucinda Williams, Country singer, turns 59

1958 Ellen DeGeneres, Talk show host, comedian, turns 54

1961 Wayne Gretzky, Hockey Hall of Famer, turns 51

1963 Andrew Ridgeley, Rock musician (Wham!), turns 49

1977 Vince Carter, Basketball player, turns 35

1978 Sara Rue, Actress, turns 34

1989 Emily Hughes, Figure skater, turns 23

Historic Birthdays

Douglas MacArthur 1/26/1880 – 4/5/1964 American general.Go to obituary »

71 Jean-Baptiste Pigalle 1/26/1714 – 8/21/1785
French sculptor

56 Claude-Adrien Helvatius 1/26/1715 – 12/26/1771
French philosopher

81 Charles XIV John 1/26/1763 – 3/8/1844
French general and later king of Sweden and Norway

68 Benjamin Franklin Keith 1/26/1846 – 3/26/1914
American impresario

87 Samuel Hopkins Adams 1/26/1871 – 11/15/1958
American journalist and author

85 Julia Morgan 1/26/1872 – 2/2/1957
American architect

82 Frank Costello 1/26/1891 – 2/18/1973
American syndicate gangster

33 Bessie Coleman 1/26/1892 – 4/30/1926
American aviator

83 Sean MacBride 1/26/1904 – 1/15/1988
Irish statesman and winner of 1974 Nobel Peace Prize

77 Jimmy Van Heusen 1/26/1913 – 2/7/1990
American songwriter

71 Nicolae Ceausescu 1/26/1918 – 12/25/1989
Romanian dictator

1788	The first European settlers in Australia landed in present-day Sydney.
1802	Congress passed an act calling for a library to be established within the U.S. Capitol.
1837	Michigan became the 26th state.
1861	Louisiana seceded from the Union.
1870	Virginia rejoined the Union.
1925	Actor Paul Newman was born in Cleveland, Ohio.
1950	India proclaimed itself a republic.
1979	Former Vice President Nelson A. Rockefeller died at age 70.
1988	The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical “Phantom of the Opera,” the longest-running show in Broadway history, opened at the Majestic Theater in New York.
1993	Former Czechoslovak President Vaclav Havel was elected president of the new Czech Republic.
1996	First lady Hillary Rodham Clinton testified before a grand jury connected to the Whitewater probe.
2001	An earthquake hit the Indian subcontinent, killing more than 13,000 people.
2005	Condoleezza Rice was sworn in as secretary of state.
2006	Confronted by Oprah Winfrey on her syndicated talk show, author James Frey acknowledged lies in his addiction memoir “A Million Little Pieces.”
2009	“Octomom” Nadya Suleman of Whittier, Calif., gave birth to octuplets conceived by in vitro fertilization. Suleman was already a mother of six.

1935	Bob Uecker, Sportscaster-actor, turns 77
1939	Scott Glenn, Actor, turns 73
1949	David Strathairn, Actor (“Good Night, and Good Luck”), turns 63
1950	Jack Youngblood, Football Hall of Famer, turns 62
1953	Lucinda Williams, Country singer, turns 59
1958	Ellen DeGeneres, Talk show host, comedian, turns 54
1961	Wayne Gretzky, Hockey Hall of Famer, turns 51
1963	Andrew Ridgeley, Rock musician (Wham!), turns 49
1977	Vince Carter, Basketball player, turns 35
1978	Sara Rue, Actress, turns 34
1989	Emily Hughes, Figure skater, turns 23

71	Jean-Baptiste Pigalle 1/26/1714 – 8/21/1785 French sculptor
56	Claude-Adrien Helvatius 1/26/1715 – 12/26/1771 French philosopher
81	Charles XIV John 1/26/1763 – 3/8/1844 French general and later king of Sweden and Norway
68	Benjamin Franklin Keith 1/26/1846 – 3/26/1914 American impresario
87	Samuel Hopkins Adams 1/26/1871 – 11/15/1958 American journalist and author
85	Julia Morgan 1/26/1872 – 2/2/1957 American architect
82	Frank Costello 1/26/1891 – 2/18/1973 American syndicate gangster
33	Bessie Coleman 1/26/1892 – 4/30/1926 American aviator
83	Sean MacBride 1/26/1904 – 1/15/1988 Irish statesman and winner of 1974 Nobel Peace Prize
77	Jimmy Van Heusen 1/26/1913 – 2/7/1990 American songwriter
71	Nicolae Ceausescu 1/26/1918 – 12/25/1989 Romanian dictator