Nov
December 2026
Jan
On This Day 4 mins Read

December 26: Facts & Historical Events On This Day

Did you know that on this day, December 26, 1996, the largest strike in South Korean history began?

Fact Checked Human Written Verified Sources Regularly Updated
You're On the 2026 version of this page. Click to view Dec 26, 2025.

December 26th is Thank You Note Day and Candy Cane Day.

The countdown to the new year begins! We’re now only 5 days away!

Take some time today to celebrate this day by spending a few moments learning about some important events that happened December 26th in history.

Did you know that on this day, December 26, 1996, the largest strike in South Korean history began? Workers from the automotive and shipbuilding industries were protesting a law that made it easier to fire them.

Keep reading for more fun & interesting facts about December 26th in history!

Historical Events

What memorable events happened on December 26 in history? Keep reading to find out!

The Detroit Pistons NBA team broke records after losing their 27th consecutive basketball game.

A devastating tsunami and earthquake occurred in the Indian Ocean.

OTD in 2004: A devastating tsunami and earthquake occurred in the Indian Ocean.

The earthquake was a 9.3 magnitude which caused a tsunami that hit Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, the Maldives. The destruction killed 230,000 people.

JonBenét Ramsey was found dead.

This six-year-old beauty queen was found beaten and strangled in the basement of her family's home in Boulder, Colorado. The crime remains to be unsolved, and the case remained open.

The largest strike in South Korean history began.

It consisted of auto and shipbuilding employees protesting against an unfair labor law.

Jack Ruby’s gun, which was used to kill Lee Harvey Oswald, sold for $220,000 in an auction.

Mark Messier was suspended for ten games for starting a fight with Jamie Macoun and breaking his cheekbone.

After taking the world of technology by storm, the PC was named TIME’s Man of the Year.

OTD in 1982: After taking the world of technology by storm

A security patrol near RAF Woodbridge in Suffolk, UK, saw what they believed to be a UFO.

This was the first in a series of unexplained lights witnessed in the area. The patrol saw the lights descend into a nearby forest, and when they went to investigate, they found a glowing metallic object covered in lights. It moved further away from them whenever they tried to approach it. The incident has since been referred to as "Britain's Roswell."

The horror film “The Exorcist,” based on book and screenplay by William Peter Blatty, premiered.

OTD in 1973: The horror film "The Exorcist

It was the first horror film to be nominated for Best Picture.

Jimi Hendrix wrote “Purple Haze” backstage at the Upper Cut Club, London.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a bill establishing the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day in the US.

Judy Garland made her show business debut.

At just 2 ½ years old, Judy Garland made her debut singing "Jingle Bells" with her elder sisters on the stage of her father's movie theater.

Jack Johnson became the first African American to win the world heavyweight boxing title.

OTD in 1908: Jack Johnson became the first African American to win the world heavyweight boxing title.

It was challenging for Johnson to even fight the suitable matches in a racially divided world to reach this level. After goading Tommy Burns, the champion at the time, for two years, a match was finally set up in Sydney, Australia. After fourteen rounds, Johnson came away victorious.

Marie and Pierre Curie announced their discovery of radium.

James H Mason patented the first US coffee percolator.

Famous Births

Is today your birthday? If so, you share the same birthday with Jared Leto. Here are a few other famous people born on this day.

1990

Andy Biersack

American Rock Singer

Age

35 years old

Born IN

Ohio, USA

1992

Jade Thirlwall

English Pop Singer

Age

33 years old

Born IN

England, UK

1971

Jared Leto

American Actor

Age

54 years old

Born IN

Louisiana, USA

1986

Kit Harington

English Actor

Age

39 years old

Born IN

England, UK

Birthday & Zodiac

For those of you who were born on this day, your star sign is Capricorn.

Capricorn is the last earth sign of the zodiac. It’s represented by the sea goat – a mythological creature with the body of a goat and the tail of a fish.

Anybody born during December has the Blue Topaz birthstone. This icy-looking gemstone offers prosperity and fortune to the wearer while also protecting them from harm.

If you were lucky enough to be born on this day, you were likely conceived around April 4, the same year.

The due date for a baby conceived on this day is around September 18, 2027.

Famous Deaths

Unfortunately, December 26th has also been a day where we've had to say some goodbyes over the years…

1913 — 2006

Gerald Ford

American President Gerald Ford was born on July 14, 1913. He died on this day in 2006, at age 93 in California, USA.

Quotes

Who said what today throughout history? Here are the most famous things people have said on this day.

1760

“When it is a question of money, everybody is of the same religion.”

Voltaire

(French Writer)

Special Holidays

If you've got a few minutes spare today, why not celebrate these special holidays.

United States

National Thank You Note Day

There’s no better time than the Christmas period to get you in good cheer, so why not share the love with the people you appreciate? You can write a thank you note to anyone, not just to your grandparents - the mailman, your professor, the butcher, anyone that’s done you a good turn.

United States

National Candy Cane Day

Some like to crunch on them, and some want to suck on them until they turn into a sharp stripey spike. It doesn’t really matter how you enjoy candy canes; they’re delicious either way! So don’t forget to stock up on candy canes today and share them with your friends and family.

Fact Of The Day

Days Until

Your countdown to 2026's upcoming special days!

  • Bacon Day

    4 days

  • New Year's Eve

    5 days

  • New Year's Day

    6 days

Your Reaction

Share This

References

About The Author

Luke Ward
Owner

Luke Ward is the owner of FactstoryHub. He has over 14 years of experience in researching, informative writing, fact-checking, SEO & web design. In his spare time, he loves to explore the world, drink coffee & attend trivia nights.

Our Promise

Fact Checked All our articles are reviewed by our amazing team of writers, editors, and our community of fact-entusiasts.
Human Written Our content is written by experienced human writers. We do not use AI to generate facts.
Verified Sources Each fact is checked against multiple reputable sources, which we link to where possible.
Reguarly Updated We update our articles when new information becomes available or corrections are needed.

Help Us Fact Check

Accuracy is a continuous process. While we work hard to keep every detail correct and up to date, information can change and mistakes can happen.

If you notice anything that doesn’t seem right, we’d really appreciate your help. Please let us know using the form below, and our team will review it as soon as possible.

Pinterest