This Day In History : June 26

1960 Madagascar

Madagascar gains its independence from France

Madagascar gained its independence from France on June 26, 1960. Prior to that, the Malagasy Republic had been proclaimed as an autonomous state within the French Community on October 14, 1958.

Also on This Day in History June 26

Discover what happened on June 26 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries,
famous births and notable deaths.

Births on This Day, June 26
  • 1730 Charles Joseph Messier

    French astronomer who was the first to compile a systematic catalog of nebulae and star clusters

  • 1824 William Thomson Kelvin

    British physicist who invented the Kelvin scale

  • 1902 William Lear

    American engineer and manufacturer, who invented jets and eight-track tape, and founded the Lear Jet company

  • 1913 Maurice Wilkes

    English computer scientist invented the stored program concept for computers

  • 1898 Willy Messerschmitt

    German aircraft designer and manufacturer who invented the Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter plane, the most important fighter in the German Luftwaffe

Deaths on This Day, June 26
  • 1810 Joseph-Michel Montgolfier

    French inventor who co-invented the hot air balloon

  • 2007 Liz Claiborne

    Belgian-American fashion designer and businesswoman, who founded Liz Claiborne Inc.

  • 1975 St. Josemaría Escrivá

    Spanish Roman Catholic priest and founder of Opus Dei

  • 2020 Milton Glaser

    American graphic designer (founded New York Magazine, created the I ♥ NY" logo)

  • 2015 Ash Brownridge

    American conservationist (National Wildlife Federation) creator of Ranger Rick

1934

Credit Unions are established when US President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Federal Credit Union Act

The Federal Credit Union Act was signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on June 26, 19341. The purpose of this legislation was to make credit available and promote thrift through a national system of nonprofit, cooperative credit unions.
1945

United Nations Charter signed by 50 nations in San Francisco

On June 26, 1945, in the Herbst Theater auditorium in San Francisco, delegates from 50 nations signed the United Nations Charter. This historic event established the United Nations (UN) as a means of saving “succeeding generations from the scourge of war.”
1997

The Communications Decency Act is ruled by the US Supreme Court to violate the First Amendment to the US Constitution

The Communications Decency Act (CDA) was ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court on June 26, 1997. The case was Reno v. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The Court found that certain provisions of the CDA, which aimed to regulate indecent and obscene material on the internet, violated the First Amendment's guarantee of free speech.
1974

The UPC (Universal Product Code) is scanned for the first time in Troy, Ohio

On June 26, 1974, a significant moment in retail history occurred when the Universal Product Code (UPC) was scanned for the first time. This milestone took place at a supermarket in Troy, Ohio, where a pack of Wrigley’s chewing gum was rung up using the newly implemented barcode system.
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