What Happened on May 26?
May 26 is National Paper Airplane Day — and the day the Dunkirk evacuation began in 1940, Bram Stoker's Dracula was published in 1897, and Apollo 10 splashed down ahead of the Moon landing.
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1864 — Montana Territory is organized as the Civil War rages
Congress organized Montana Territory on May 26, 1864, amid gold rushes and westward expansion — years before the land would become a state and home to America's first national park. Read the full story →
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1897 — Bram Stoker's novel Dracula is published in London
Irish author Bram Stoker's Gothic horror novel Dracula appeared in bookshops on May 26, 1897 — creating the template for modern vampire stories from movies to Halloween costumes. Read the full story →
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1908 — Explorers strike oil at Masjed Soleiman — the first major Middle East petroleum discovery
On May 26, 1908, a British-led team struck oil in Persia (today Iran) at Masjed Soleiman — the first big petroleum find in the Middle East, transforming global energy and politics. Read the full story →
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1924 — President Coolidge signs the Immigration Act of 1924
On May 26, 1924, Calvin Coolidge signed a law that sharply limited immigration to the United States using national-origin quotas — favoring northern Europeans and excluding many others for decades. Read the full story →
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1940 — Operation Dynamo begins evacuating Allied soldiers from Dunkirk
On May 26, 1940, Britain launched Operation Dynamo — a desperate rescue pulling more than 338,000 trapped Allied troops off the beaches of Dunkirk, France, using warships and civilian boats. Read the full story →
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1969 — Apollo 10 astronauts splash down after rehearsing for the Moon landing
The Apollo 10 crew returned safely to Earth on May 26, 1969, after orbiting the Moon and testing the lunar module within nine miles of the surface — the final dress rehearsal before Apollo 11. Read the full story →
Famous birthdays
John Wayne (1907–1979) · Sally Ride (1951–2012) · Stevie Nicks (1948) · Helena Bonham Carter (1966)
Days & observances
National Paper Airplane Day · National Blueberry Cheesecake Day · National Don't Fry Day · World Redhead Day