26 May in Indian and World History is celebrated, observed, and remembered for various reasons. 26 May is the birth anniversary of Benjamin Peary Pal, Sukumar Azhikode, Vilasrao Deshmukh, V.M Sudheeran, and Dilip Joshi.
26 May is also observed as the death anniversary of Kanwar Pal Singh Gill, and Rajlakshmi Devi.
Birth Anniversary on 26 May
26 May in Indian history is celebrated as the birth anniversary of the following personalities:
Benjamin Peary Pal (26 May 1906 – 14 September 1989), an Indian plant breeder and agronomist who served as a director of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in Delhi and as the first Director-General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. He worked on wheat genetics and breeding but was also known for his interest in rose varieties. He got awarded the Padma Shri in 1959, and Padma Bhushan in 1968. A rose garden from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute library is named in his honor. He was born on 26 May 1906 in Mukandpur, Punjab, British India.
Sukumar Azhikode (26 May 1926 – 24 January 2012), an Indian academic, orator, critic, and writer of Malayalam literature, is known for his contributions to the Malayalam language and perception of Indian philosophy. Sukumar was a scholar in Sanskrit, Malayalam, and English languages and he was known for his work, Tatvamasi, published in 1984, it is a detailed interpretation of Indian philosophy, Vedas, and Upanishads. He got several honors including the Sahitya Akademi Award, Kerala Sahithya Akademi Award, Vayalar Award, Vallathol Award, and Ezhuthachan Puraskaram, the highest literary award of the Government of Kerala. The Government of India awarded him the Padma Shri in 2007, which he refused citing the award was a discrimination. He was born on 12 May 1926 in Azhikode, Kannur, Kerala, India.
Vilasrao Deshmukh (26 May 1945 – 14 August 2012), an Indian politician who served two terms as the Chief Minister of the state of Maharashtra and served in the Union cabinet as the Minister of Science and Technology and Minister of Earth Sciences. He belongs to the Indian National Congress political party. He was born on 26 May 1945 in Babhalgaon, Hyderabad State, British India.
V.M Sudheeran, an Indian politician, who was a former President of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), former Speaker of Kerala Legislative Assembly, Health Minister of Kerala, and a prominent political leader in Kerala. He was a member of the 6th, 11th, 12th and 13th Lok Sabha representing Alappuzha each time. He was born on 26 May 1948 in Anthikad, Kingdom of Cochin, India.
Dilip Joshi, an Indian film and television actor. He has performed mostly in comedy roles and he is famous for his role as Jethalal in the Indian television show Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah. He was born on 26 May 1968 in Gosa Porbandar, Gujarat, India.
Read More: 25 May in Indian and World History
Death Anniversary on 26 May
26 May in Indian history is observed as the death anniversary of the following personalities:
Kanwar Pal Singh Gill (29 December 1934 – 26 May 2017), an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer. He served twice as Director General of Police (DGP) for the state of Punjab, India, where he is credited with having brought the Punjab insurgency under control. Gill was an author, editor, speaker, and consultant on counter-terrorism, and served as president of the Institute for Conflict Management and president of the Indian Hockey Federation. He got Padma Shri in 1989 for his work in the civil service. He died on 26 May 2017 at the age of 82 in New Delhi, India.
Rajlakshmi Devi, an Indian actress known for her role in movies such as Palli Samaj, Puran Bhagat, Mahanisha, Gora, Milan, Meenakshi, Pratibad, Boudi, among many others. She died on 26 May 1972 in Kolkata.
Read More: 24 May in Indian and World History
Notable events on 26 May in Indian and World History
Some of the Notable events on 26 May in World History are mentioned below:
26 May 1822 – 122 people died in a fire in a church in Norway.
26 May 1914 – Frankie Manning – an American dancer, instructor, and choreographer – was born.
26 May 1922 – Aurélia de Souza – a Portuguese painter – died.
26 May 1950 – The limit on purchasing petrol in Britain was abolished in 1950. Before that, every person gets a Ration card to buy petrol.
26 May 1954 – Alan Hollinghurst, a British novelist, and Booker Prize Winner, was born.
26 May 1983 – An earthquake in Japan from a 7.7 reactor scale killed 104 people.
26 May 1993 – Saridjah Niung, an Indonesian musician, music teacher, and children’s songwriter, died.
26 May 1998 – Japan had arrested 50,016 British soldiers during the Second World War, of which 12,433 either died or were imprisoned.
26 May 2000 – Millions of Hezbollah supporters led a victory rally with their leader Sheikh Hasan Nasrallah following the withdrawal of Israeli security forces from South Lebanon.
26 May 2002 – China’s plane crashed into the sea, killing 226 people.
26 May 2006 – According to research in the science world, the AIDS virus is spread by the chipangies found in Cameroon.
26 May 2007 – The Defense Agreement was signed between India and Germany.
26 May 2008 – The government of Uttar Pradesh issued a notification regarding fixing the stock limit of cereals and edible oils.
26 May Historical Significance
May 26th is a day marked by a multitude of significant historical events across various centuries and continents. For instance, in 1538, John Calvin, a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism, was expelled from Geneva. In a more exploratory spirit, on this day in 1805, Lewis and Clark first sighted the majestic Rocky Mountains during their famous expedition across the United States. The same day also saw Napoleon Bonaparte crowned as the King of Italy, expanding his influence throughout Europe. Fast forward to 1860, and Giuseppe Garibaldi occupied Palermo, which was a pivotal moment in the unification of Italy. Additionally, the date marks the publication of Bram Stoker’s influential novel ‘Dracula’ in 1897, which would go on to become a staple of Gothic literature. Each of these events, among others, has contributed to shaping the political, cultural, and social fabric of the world, making May 26 a day to remember in history.
Important Days of 26 May in History
Some of the Notable events on 26 May in History are mentioned below:
- International Plastic Free Day (Worldwide): A day to raise awareness about the impact of plastic pollution and encourage the reduction of plastic use.
- Geek Pride Day (Worldwide): Celebrated by geeks around the world to promote geek culture and to recognize the contributions of geeks to society.
- World Thyroid Day (Worldwide): A day to increase awareness of thyroid health and the advances made in treating thyroid diseases.
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