783day.year
The Asturian queen Adosinda is held at a monastery to prevent her nephew from retaking the throne from Mauregatus.
Queen Adosinda of Asturias is confined to a monastery in 783 to secure her nephew Mauregatus's hold on the throne.
Queen Adosinda of Asturias, widow of King Silo, was a key figure in the succession crisis following the death of King Bermudo I.
Adosinda supported her nephew Alfonso II's claim to the throne but was deposed by her brother-in-law Mauregatus.
To eliminate her influence and consolidate his power, Mauregatus ordered Adosinda to be held under monastic confinement.
Her imprisonment at a convent removed her from political affairs, ensuring there would be no rallying point for opposition.
This event highlights the intense dynastic struggles and the use of religion as a tool of political control in early medieval Spain.
783
Asturian
Adosinda
Mauregatus
1161day.year
Battle of Caishi: A Song dynasty fleet fights a naval engagement with Jin dynasty ships on the Yangtze river during the Jin–Song Wars.
During the Jin–Song Wars in 1161, the Song naval forces repelled the Jin fleet at Caishi on the Yangtze River.
On November 26, 1161, a Song dynasty fleet clashed with the Jin dynasty navy on the Yangtze River, seeking to defend southern China.
The Song forces, led by skilled admirals, deployed innovative paddle-wheel warships and used incendiary bombs to great effect.
Jin commanders sought to secure a water route for invasion, but were caught off guard by the more maneuverable Song vessels.
Fierce close-quarters fighting in the narrow river channels allowed the Song navy to gain the upper hand.
The Jin fleet suffered heavy losses and was forced into retreat, halting their southern advance.
The Battle of Caishi remains a landmark in naval warfare and showcases the strategic and technological prowess of the Song dynasty.
1161
Battle of Caishi
Song dynasty
Jin dynasty
Yangtze
Jin–Song Wars
1476day.year
Vlad the Impaler defeats Basarab Laiota with the help of Stephen the Great and Stephen V Báthory and becomes the ruler of Wallachia for the third time.
Vlad the Impaler, aided by Stephen the Great and Stephen V Báthory, reclaims the Wallachian throne for a third time in 1476.
Facing internal rivalries and external threats, Vlad III of Wallachia sought to regain his father's legacy in the region.
In November 1476, he allied with Stephen the Great of Moldavia and Hungarian prince Stephen V Báthory to confront rival claimant Basarab Laiota.
The combined forces engaged Laiota’s supporters in a decisive campaign, culminating in Vlad’s victory and reinstatement.
His return to power marked the third time Vlad would rule Wallachia, solidifying his reputation as a fierce and determined leader.
This episode exemplifies the complex alliances and power struggles of Eastern European principalities during the 15th century.
1476
Vlad the Impaler
Basarab Laiota
Stephen the Great
Stephen V Báthory
Wallachia
1778day.year
In the Hawaiian Islands, Captain James Cook becomes the first European to visit Maui.
In 1778, British explorer Captain James Cook became the first European to land on the Hawaiian island of Maui during his third Pacific voyage.
On November 26, 1778, Captain James Cook and his crew reached Maui, marking the first recorded European encounter with the island.
Cook’s visit followed his earlier landfalls at Kauai and Oahu, as he charted the uncharted Hawaiian archipelago for the British Crown.
His crew documented local customs, natural resources, and geography, laying the groundwork for future Western contact.
Interactions with the native Hawaiians were initially peaceful, though cultural misunderstandings would later have consequences.
Cook’s landing on Maui expanded European knowledge of the Pacific and heralded a new era of exploration and eventual colonization in Hawaii.
1778
Hawaiian Islands
James Cook
Maui
1789day.year
A national Thanksgiving Day is observed in the United States as proclaimed by President George Washington at the request of Congress.
President George Washington proclaimed the first national Thanksgiving Day in the United States in 1789 at Congress's request.
On November 26, 1789, President George Washington issued a proclamation designating a national day of thanksgiving.
This observance was intended to offer gratitude for the new nation’s Constitution and to seek divine favor for its future.
Washington’s proclamation called on Americans to acknowledge peaceful relations with Native Americans and the rule of law.
He urged citizens to express thanks through prayer and acts of charity, establishing a precedent for national holidays.
This inaugural Thanksgiving set the stage for a tradition that would evolve into a central celebration of American cultural identity.
1789
Thanksgiving Day
George Washington
Congress
1805day.year
Official opening of Thomas Telford's Pontcysyllte Aqueduct.
Thomas Telford’s Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, a marvel of civil engineering in Wales, officially opened in 1805.
Designed by renowned engineer Thomas Telford, the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct carries the Llangollen Canal across the River Dee valley.
Spanning 307 meters in length and standing 38 meters above the river, it was the tallest and longest aqueduct of its time.
Constructed using cast iron troughs supported by slender stone piers, it exemplifies innovative use of materials during the Industrial Revolution.
The official opening on November 26, 1805, marked a triumph of canal-era infrastructure, improving transport links in North Wales.
Today, the aqueduct is celebrated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and remains an enduring symbol of 19th-century engineering excellence.
1805
Thomas Telford
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
1812day.year
The Battle of Berezina begins during Napoleon's retreat from Russia.
During Napoleon’s disastrous retreat from Moscow in 1812, the Grande Armée began its perilous crossing at the Berezina River.
In late November 1812, Napoleon’s retreating forces reached the frozen banks of the Berezina River in present-day Belarus.
Outnumbered and demoralized, the Grande Armée faced Russian troops under Generals Chichagov and Wittgenstein.
Rapidly constructed pontoon bridges allowed sections of the army to cross, while rear-guard units held off pursuing forces.
Harsh winter conditions, chaotic fighting, and logistical breakdowns inflicted heavy casualties on both sides.
Despite the colossal losses, Napoleon’s army managed to escape encirclement, but the battle marked a turning point in the Napoleonic Wars.
1812
Battle of Berezina
Napoleon
Russia
1852day.year
An earthquake as high as magnitude 8.8 rocks the Banda Sea, triggering a tsunami and killing at least 60 in the Dutch East Indies.
A magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck the Banda Sea in 1852, generating a tsunami that killed over 60 people in the Dutch East Indies.
On November 26, 1852, a powerful undersea earthquake registering up to magnitude 8.8 occurred in the Banda Sea.
The seismic event triggered a destructive tsunami that swept across nearby islands and coastal settlements.
Villages in the Dutch East Indies (modern-day Indonesia) suffered extensive damage as waves inundated homes and infrastructure.
Historical records report at least 60 fatalities, though the true toll may have been higher due to limited documentation.
The 1852 Banda Sea earthquake remains one of the largest seismic events recorded in the region and highlights Indonesia’s vulnerability to tsunamis.
1852
magnitude 8.8 rocks the Banda Sea
Dutch East Indies
1863day.year
United States President Abraham Lincoln proclaims November 26 as a national Thanksgiving Day, to be celebrated annually on the final Thursday of November. Following the Franksgiving controversy from 1939 to 1941, it has been observed on the fourth Thursday in 1942 and subsequent years.
In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln established Thanksgiving as an annual national holiday on the final Thursday of November.
Amid the Civil War, President Lincoln issued a proclamation on November 26, 1863, declaring a national Thanksgiving Day.
Drawing on the persistent campaign of writer Sarah Josepha Hale, he called for Americans to unite in gratitude.
The proclamation recognized the country’s blessings and sought to heal divisions by encouraging prayer and reflection.
Lincoln fixed the holiday on the last Thursday of November, setting a precedent for future observances.
Decades later, the Franksgiving controversy arose when the date was temporarily shifted, but in 1941 Congress reaffirmed the fourth Thursday as the official date.
1863
Abraham Lincoln
Thanksgiving Day
Franksgiving
1865day.year
Battle of Papudo: A Spanish navy schooner is defeated by a Chilean corvette north of Valparaíso, Chile.
In 1865, the Chilean navy scored a victory over a Spanish schooner off the coast of Valparaíso during the Chincha Islands War.
On November 26, 1865, Chilean naval forces intercepted and defeated the Spanish schooner Covadonga near Valparaíso.
The engagement was part of the Chincha Islands War, where Spain sought to reassert influence in South America.
Commanded by Captain Juan Williams Rebolledo, the Chilean corvette Esmeralda used superior tactics and firepower to capture the enemy vessel.
The victory boosted Chilean morale and disrupted Spanish naval operations in the Pacific.
The Battle of Papudo remains a celebrated episode in Chile’s maritime history and symbol of national resilience.
1865
Battle of Papudo
Valparaíso
1914day.year
HMS Bulwark is destroyed by a large internal explosion with the loss of 741 men while at anchor near Sheerness.
On November 26, 1914, the British battleship HMS Bulwark was tragically destroyed by a catastrophic internal explosion while anchored near Sheerness, resulting in the loss of 741 crew members.
HMS Bulwark, a King Edward VII-class battleship of the Royal Navy, was at anchor in the Thames estuary when a sudden internal explosion ripped through her magazines. The blast was so powerful that it shattered the hull and sent debris flying onto the shore at Sheerness. An inquiry attributed the disaster to a probable accidental ignition of cordite charges. Out of a crew of over 700, only a handful survived. The tragedy highlighted dangers of early 20th-century naval munitions and led to reviews of ammunition storage procedures. Memorials were erected to honor the fallen sailors. The incident remains one of the Royal Navy’s worst peacetime losses.
1914
HMS Bulwark
Sheerness
1917day.year
The Manchester Guardian publishes the 1916 secret Sykes-Picot Agreement between the United Kingdom and France.
On November 26, 1917, The Manchester Guardian published the secret 1916 Sykes-Picot Agreement, exposing the British-French plan to divide Ottoman territories.
The secret Sykes-Picot Agreement, named after diplomats Sir Mark Sykes and François Georges-Picot, outlined British and French spheres of influence in the Ottoman Empire. Kept hidden for over a year, its terms were revealed by The Manchester Guardian to widespread shock. The treaty proposed dividing territories that became modern-day Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine. The disclosure fueled Arab distrust of Western powers and had lasting effects on regional politics. Critics viewed the agreement as a betrayal of earlier promises made during the Arab Revolt. Publication of the agreement marked a turning point in public awareness of imperial diplomacy during World War I.
1917
The Manchester Guardian
Sykes-Picot Agreement