Wikipedia:Selected anniversaries/August 26
This is a list of selected August 26 anniversaries that appear in the "On this day" section of the Main Page. To suggest a new item, in most cases, you can be bold and edit this page. Please read the selected anniversaries guidelines before making your edit. However, if your addition might be controversial or on a day that is or will soon be on the Main Page, please post your suggestion on the talk page instead.
Please note that the events listed on the Main Page are chosen based more on relative article quality and to maintain a mix of topics, not based solely on how important or significant their subjects are. Only four to five events are posted at a time and thus not everything that is "most important and significant" can be listed. In addition, an event is generally not posted this year if it is also the subject of the scheduled featured article or picture of the day.
To report an error when this appears on the Main Page, see Main Page errors. Please remember that this list defers to the supporting articles, so it is best to achieve consensus and make any necessary changes there first.
August 26: Namibia Day; Women's Equality Day in the United States
- 1071 – Byzantine–Seljuk wars: Seljuk Turks led by Alp Arslan captured Byzantine Emperor Romanos IV at the Battle of Manzikert (pictured).
- 1346 – Hundred Years' War: English forces established the military supremacy of the English longbow over the French combination of crossbow and armoured knights at the Battle of Crécy.
- 1768 – HMS Endeavour departed Plymouth, England, marking the start of the first voyage of explorer James Cook.
- 1966 – SWAPO guerrilla forces launched an attack against the South African Defence Force at Omugulugwombashe, starting the Namibian War of Independence.
- 1978 – Aboard the Soviet Soyuz 31 spacecraft, Sigmund Jähn became the first German cosmonaut to fly in space.
- 2008 – More than a week after a ceasefire was reached in the South Ossetia war, Russia unilaterally recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.