December 26
December 26 is the 361st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 5 days remain until the year's end. It falls in winter (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Capricorn.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On December 26 the Sun's declination is approximately -23.3°. At this latitude the Sun is south of the celestial equator, giving the Northern Hemisphere shorter days than nights.
For specific rise/set times at your location, see the U.S. Naval Observatory, or the NASA APOD archive for any imagery published on a December 26.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
- Boxing Day, except when December 26 is a Sunday. If it is a Sunday, Boxing Day is transferred to December 27 by Royal Proclamation. (Commonwealth of Nations), and its related observances: Day of Good Will (South Africa and Namibia)
- Boxing Day, except when December 26 is a Sunday. If it is a Sunday, Boxing Day is transferred to December 27 by Royal Proclamation. (Commonwealth of Nations), and its related observances: Family Day (Vanuatu)
- Boxing Day, except when December 26 is a Sunday. If it is a Sunday, Boxing Day is transferred to December 27 by Royal Proclamation. (Commonwealth of Nations), and its related observances: Thanksgiving (Solomon Islands)
- Christian feast day: Abadiu of Antinoe (Coptic Church)
- Christian feast day: Pope Dionysius
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
2025 — Israel recognises Somaliland as an independent state, becoming the first country to do so. ↗(1 years ago)more
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. It is bordered by Lebanon to the north, Syria to the northeast, Jordan to the east, and Egypt to the southwest. Israel illegally occupies the West Bank and the Gaza Strip of the Palestinian territories, as well as the Syrian Golan Heights.
2021 — Three people are killed when a 14-year-old opens fire on civilians at a Texaco convenience store in Garland, Texas. ↗(5 years ago)more
On December 26, 2021, a mass shooting took place at a Texaco convenience store in Garland, Texas. 14-year-old Abel Acosta, armed with a .40-caliber pistol, opened fire on several teenagers, killing three and seriously injuring one other.
2015 — A violent EF-4 tornado hits Garland, Texas, killing nine and injuring almost 500 others. ↗(11 years ago)more
On the night of December 26, 2015, a violent EF4 tornado struck the Dallas suburbs of Sunnyvale, Garland, and Rowlett, located in Texas. It caused $20–26 million in damages, killed 10 people, making it the deadliest tornado in the United States in 2015, and injured 468 others.
- 2013 — An Irkut-Avia Antonov An-12 crashes on approach to Irkutsk Northwest Airport, killing all nine people on board. ↗(13 years ago)
more
The JSC Yakovlev Corporation is a Russian aircraft manufacturer, headquartered in the Aeroport District, Northern Administrative Okrug, Moscow. It is the manufacturer of the Sukhoi Su-30 family of interceptor/ground-attack aircraft. The company was founded in 1932 in the Transbaykal region of the Soviet Union as the Irkutsk Aviation Plant (IAP).
2012 — China opens the world's longest high-speed rail route, which links Beijing and Guangzhou. ↗(14 years ago)more
The high-speed rail network in the People's Republic of China (PRC) is almost entirely owned and operated by the China State Railway Group Co. under the brand China Railway High-speed (CRH), including HSR trains, tracks, and services.
2006 — Two earthquakes in Hengchun, Taiwan measuring 7.0 and 6.9 on the moment magnitude scale kill two and disrupt telecommunications across Asia. ↗(20 years ago)more
The 2006 Hengchun earthquakes occurred on December 26 at 20:26 and 20:34 local time off the southwest coast of Taiwan in the Luzon Strait, which connects the South China Sea with the Philippine Sea. The International Seismological Centre measured the shocks at 7.0 and 6.9 on the moment magnitude scale.
2004 — The 9.1–9.3 Mw Indian Ocean earthquake shakes northern Sumatra with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). One of the largest observed tsunamis, it affected coastal and partially mainland areas of Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Malaysia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Indonesia; death toll is estimated at 227,898. ↗(22 years ago)more
On 26 December 2004, at 07:58:53 local time (UTC+7), a Mw 9.2–9.3 earthquake struck with its epicenter off the west coast of Aceh, in northern Sumatra, Indonesia. The undersea megathrust earthquake, known in the scientific community as the Sumatra–Andaman earthquake, was caused by a rupture along the fault boundary between the Burma plate and the Indian p...
2004 — Orange Revolution: The final run-off election in Ukraine is held under heavy international scrutiny. ↗(22 years ago)more
The Orange Revolution was a series of protests that led to political upheaval in Ukraine from late November 2004 to January 2005. It gained momentum primarily due to the initiative of the general population, sparked by the aftermath of the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election run-off which was claimed to be marred by massive corruption, voter intimidation...
2003 — The 6.6 Mw Bam earthquake shakes southeastern Iran with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), leaving more than 26,000 dead and 30,000 injured. ↗(23 years ago)more
An earthquake struck the Kerman province of southeastern Iran at 01:56 UTC on December 26, 2003. The Mw 6.6 strike-slip shock had a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme). The earthquake was particularly destructive in Bam and Baravat, with 34,000 fatalities and 200,000 injuries officially reported.
1999 — The storm Lothar sweeps across Central Europe, killing 137 and causing US$1.3 billion in damage. ↗(27 years ago)more
Cyclone Lothar is regarded as the worst European windstorm recorded during the 20th century. Crossing France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany between 25 December and 27 December 1999, Cyclone Lothar's average winds reached up to 115 km/h inland (Orly), but with gusts exceeding 150 km/h, almost equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane, resulting in 110 deaths ...
1998 — Iraq announces its intention to fire upon U.S. and British warplanes that patrol the northern and southern no-fly zones. ↗(28 years ago)more
Ba'athist Iraq, officially the Iraqi Republic (1968–1992) and later the Republic of Iraq (1992–2003), was the Iraqi state between 1968 and 2003 under the one-party rule of the Iraqi regional branch of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party.
1994 — Four Armed Islamic Group hijackers seize control of Air France Flight 8969. When the plane lands at Marseille, a French Gendarmerie assault team boards the aircraft and kills the hijackers. ↗(32 years ago)more
The Armed Islamic Group was one of the two main Islamist insurgent groups that fought the Algerian government and army in the Algerian Civil War.
Notable births
2002 — Josh Wilson-Esbrand, English footballer ↗(24 years ago)more
Joshua Darius Kamani Wilson-Esbrand is an English professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Ekstraklasa club Radomiak Radom, on loan from Premier League club Manchester City.
2001 — Aleksej Pokuševski, Serbian basketball player ↗(25 years ago)more
Aleksej Pokuševski is a Serbian professional basketball player and the vice-captain for Partizan Belgrade of the Basketball League of Serbia (KLS), the ABA League and the EuroLeague. Standing at 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) and weighing 210 pounds (95 kg), he plays at the power forward position.
1997 — Tamara Zidanšek, Slovenian tennis player ↗(29 years ago)more
Tamara Zidanšek is a Slovenian professional tennis player. She has career-high rankings of world No. 22 in singles and No. 47 in doubles. She has won one singles title, as well as four doubles titles on the WTA Tour and three singles titles along with one doubles title on the WTA Challenger Tour.
1994 — Colby Cave, Canadian ice hockey player (died 2020) ↗(32 years ago)more
Colby Alexander Cave was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He was a centre in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Boston Bruins and the Edmonton Oilers.
- 1994 — Souleymane Coulibaly, Ivorian footballer ↗(32 years ago)
more
Souleymane Coulibaly is an Ivorian professional footballer who plays as a striker for English non-league club Pickering Town.
Notable deaths
2025 — Pate Mustajärvi, Finnish rock singer (born 1956) ↗(1 years ago)more
Pauli Antero "Pate" Mustajärvi was a Finnish rock singer. He was known as the vocalist, frontman and until his death in late 2025 the only original member of Popeda as well as a solo artist. In his birthplace of Tampere he was known as "Ikurin turbiini".
2024 — Richard Parsons, American business executive (born 1948) ↗(2 years ago)more
Richard Dean Parsons was an American business executive, notably the chairman of Citigroup and the chairman and CEO of Time Warner. He had also been the interim CEO of the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the interim chairman of the board for CBS.
2024 — Manmohan Singh, Indian economist and politician, 13th Prime Minister of India (born 1932) ↗(2 years ago)more
Manmohan Singh was an Indian economist, bureaucrat, academician and statesman who served as the prime minister of India from 2004 to 2014. He was the fourth longest-serving prime minister after Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and Narendra Modi. A member of the Indian National Congress, Singh was the first and remains the only Sikh prime minister of India.
2023 — Lukas Enembe, Indonesian politician, Governor of Papua from 2013 to 2023 (born1967) ↗(3 years ago)more
Lukas Enembe was an Indonesian politician from West Papua, who served as the 13th Governor of Papua Province from April 2013 to January 2023. He had previously served as Regent of Puncak Jaya Regency between 2007 and 2012, and Vice Regent of the same regency from 2001 until 2006.
2023 — Tom Smothers, American comedian, actor, and activist (born 1937) ↗(3 years ago)more
Thomas Bolyn Smothers III was an American comedian, actor, composer, and musician, widely known as half of the musical comedy duo the Smothers Brothers, alongside his younger brother Dick. In the 1960s they were known for their network comedy and variety shows, The Smothers Brothers Show and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (361) | 19^2 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (5) | 5 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 26122026 · next palindrome year: 2162 |
| Sun declination | -23.30° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 6 days |