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Historical events & facts — May 26
What happened on May 26?
On May 26, 1953, climbers Edmund Hillary (New Zealander) and Tenzing Norgay (Nepali Sherpa) descended from Everest and told the world that two days earlier, on May 29, they had reached the summit of Mount Everest (8,849 m) — the world's highest mountain — becoming the first human beings to do so. The news reached London just on the day of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation.
On May 26, 1940, Operation Dynamo began — the evacuation of Allied troops trapped on the beach at Dunkirk in northern France, surrounded by the German army. For nine days, a fleet of 861 vessels — from warships to pleasure boats — evacuated 338,226 soldiers. Churchill called the evacuation "a miracle of deliverance". It allowed Britain to continue in the war.
On May 26, 1966, Guyana proclaimed independence from the United Kingdom, becoming the only English-speaking country in South America. Guyana, known for its tropical forests and waterfalls, was colonised by the Netherlands, France and Britain before being proclaimed independent as the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. Its mineral wealth — gold, diamonds and bauxite — has historically been exploited by foreign companies.
Notable birthdays — May 26
Famous people born on May 26
Mamie Smith
Mamie Smith was an American singer. As a vaudeville singer, she performed in multiple styles, including jazz and blues. In 1920, she entered blues history as the first African-American artist to make vocal blues recordings. Willie "The Lion" Smith described the background of these recordings in his autobiography Music on My Mind (1964).
Necip Fazıl Kısakürek
Ahmet Necip Fazıl Kısakürek was a Turkish poet, novelist, playwright, Islamist ideologue, and conspiracy theorist. He is also known simply by his initials NFK. He was noticed by the French philosopher Henri Bergson, who later became his teacher.
Henry Ephron
Henry Ephron was an American playwright, screenwriter and film producer. He often worked with his wife, Phoebe and was active as a writer from the early 1940s through the early 1960s.
Peggy Lee
Norma Deloris Egstrom, known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, and actress whose career spanned seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman's big band, Lee created a sophisticated persona, writing music for films, acting, and recording conceptual record albums combining poetry and music.
Catherine Sauvage
Catherine Sauvage was a French singer and actress.
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