May 26 in History: The Dow Jones Debuts, “Sgt. Pepper” Is Released, and Atlantic City Opens Casinos

Discover what happened on May 26 in history, along with notable events that shaped finance, music, entertainment, and Michigan history.

What Happened on May 26 in History?

Important events on this day include the first publication of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the release of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and the opening of Atlantic City’s first legal casino.

MAY 26 – TODAY IN HISTORY:

1865 – Arrangements were made in New Orleans for the surrender of Confederate forces west of the Mississippi.

1868 – President Andrew Johnson was acquitted, by one vote, of all charges in his impeachment trial.

1896 – The Dow Jones Industrial Average appeared for the first time in the “Wall Street Journal”. The average price for the initial 11 stocks was $40.94.

1897 – Bram Stoker’s book, “Dracula”, was sold for the first time in London.

1923 – The first auto race at Le Mans was held. It has since been run annually in June.

1927 – The last Model T (Tin Lizzie) rolled off the assembly line.

1946 – The U.S. government patented the hydrogen bomb.

1959 – The word “Frisbee” became a registered trademark of Wham-O.

1961 – A U.S. Air Force bomber flew across the Atlantic in a record time of just over three hours.

1967 – Kay Whitfield and Noreen Hillary joined the Michigan State Police to become the first female officers.

1967 – “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” by The Beatles was released in the UK.

1969 – The Apollo 10 astronauts returned to Earth after a successful eight-day dress rehearsal for the first crewed moon landing.

1969 – Dick Cavett began hosting a three-night-a-week late night television show on ABC.

1973 – Kathy Schmidt set an American women’s javelin record with a throw of 207 feet, 10 inches.

1975 – American stuntman Evel Knievel suffered severe spinal injuries in Britain when he crashed while attempting to jump 13 buses in his car.

1977 – George H. Willig was arrested after he scaled the South Tower of New York’s World Trade Center. It took him 3-1/2 hours and he was arrested at the top of the 110-story building.

1978 – The first legal casino in the Eastern U.S. opened in Atlantic City, NJ.

1981 – Motown Records announced plans for a yearlong silver anniversary salute in 1982 to mark the 25th year of association between Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson.

1985 – Sylvester Stallone’s movie “Cobra” opened and set a first day box office record of $12.4 million.

1989 – To illustrate the power of radio, at 7:42 am, over 8,000 stations nationwide went silent for 30 seconds.

1994 – Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley were married in the Dominican Republic. They were divorced in January of 1996.

1995 – The live action movie “Casper” premiered in theaters. It was the first film with a computer generated lead character.

1998 – The Supreme Court ruled that Ellis Island was mainly in New Jersey, not New York.

1998 – The Supreme Court ruled that police officers in high-speed chases are liable for bystander injuries only if their “actions shock the conscience.”

1998 – The Grand Princess cruise ship made its inaugural cruise. The ship weighed 109,000 tons and cost approximately $450 million, making it the largest and most expensive cruise ship ever built.

1998 – The United States Senate approved legislation that allowed the U.S. Mint flexibility on how the mandatory inscriptions on the Washington quarter could be placed. H.R. 3301 allowed the mandatory inscriptions to be moved to the front of the quarter for the 50 States Circulating Commemorative Coin Program.

2004 – Fantasia Barrino was crowned the third winner of TV’s “American Idol”.

2004 – Timothy McVeigh’s Oklahoma City bombing accomplice Terry Nichols was found guilty of 161 counts of first degree murder. He was already serving a life sentence for conspiracy and involuntary manslaughter.

2009 – Federal appeals judge Sonia Sotomayer was nominated by President Barak Obama to be the first Hispanic justice on the Supreme Court.

2010 – Lee DeWyze won TV’s “American Idol: Season 9”.

2015 – Hackers stole the personal data for about 100,000 U.S. taxpayers after breaking into an Internal Revenue Service system that allowed taxpayers to retrieve their previous tax returns.

2020 – Protests that were triggered by the murder of George Floyd erupted in Minneapolis–Saint Paul, MN, before becoming widespread across the United States.

2020 – Governor Gretchen Whitmer said her husband was joking when he asked a boat contractor whether his status as Michigan’s “First Gentleman” would help him get his boat in the water ahead of the Memorial Day weekend.

2020 – Protests triggered by the murder of George Floyd erupt in Minneapolis–Saint Paul, later became widespread across the United States and around the world.

2021 – Amazon said it would buy the 97 year old Metro-Goldwyn Mayer film and television studio for $8.45 billion. They closed the deal in March 2022.

CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS ON MAY 26:

Paul E. Patton – 89 years old (1937) – Politician, 59th Governor of Kentucky

William Bolcom – 88 years old (1938) – Pianist and composer

Sam Posey – 82 years old (1944) – Race car driver and journalist

Ward Cunningham – 77 years old (1949) – Computer programmer, developed the first wiki

Pam Grier – 77 years old (1949) – Actress

Philip Michael Thomas – 77 years old (1949) – Actor

Hank Williams Jr. – 77 years old (1949) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist

Margaret Colin – 68 years old (1958) – Actress

Tarsem Singh – 65 years old (1961) – Indian-American director, producer, and screenwriter

Genie Francis – 64 years old (1962) – Canadian-American actress

Caitlín R. Kiernan – 62 years old (1964) – Irish-American paleontologist and author

Lenny Kravitz – 62 years old (1964) – Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and actor

Siri Lindley – 57 years old (1969) – Triathlete and coach

Matt Stone – 55 years old (1971) – Actor, animator, screenwriter, producer, and composer

Naomi Harris – 53 years old (1973) – Canadian-American photographer

Lauryn Hill – 51 years old (1975) – Singer-songwriter, producer, and actress

Kenny Florian – 50 years old (1976) – Mixed martial artist and sportscaster

Raina Telgemeier – 49 years old (1977) – Author and cartoonist

Anthony Ervin – 45 years old (1981) – Swimmer

Ben Zobrist – 45 years old (1981) – Baseball player

Micah Parsons – 27 years old (1999) – Football player

DAYS OF THE YEAR FOR MAY 26:

• World Redhead Day: Celebrate World Redhead Day, honoring the rare beauty, genetics, and culture of red hair with fun events, community pride, and redhead-positive history.
• Sally Ride Day: Sally Ride Day honors the first American woman in space, celebrating her pioneering legacy, STEM advocacy, and enduring inspiration for future explorers.
• World Lindy Hop Day: Celebrate World Lindy Hop Day by honoring Frankie Manning, exploring Harlem’s swing heritage, and enjoying energetic jazz-fueled social dance worldwide.
• National Sorry Day: Discover the meaning of National Sorry Day, honoring the Stolen Generations, promoting reconciliation, and encouraging learning, reflection, and community support.
• World Dracula Day: Host a Gothic party, or watch any of the great adaptations of Bram Stoker’s absolutely iconic piece of Gothic literature, the eponymous Dracula.
• National Paper Airplane Day: Celebrate National Paper Airplane Day by folding fun, creative planes, learning simple aerodynamics, joining contests, and enjoying this timeless, low-cost hobby.
• National Blueberry Cheesecake Day: Celebrate National Blueberry Cheesecake Day by savoring rich, creamy cheesecake, exploring fun blueberry varieties, and sharing creative desserts with loved ones.
• National Children’s Gardening Week: Did you know that children who spend time in gardens often grow up to be more environmentally conscious? National Children’s Gardening Week aims to inspire a love for gardening among kids. Held annually in the late spring, this event is a great opportunity to encourage children to explore nature! How to...
• Garden Wildlife Week: Garden Wildlife Week, observed in the early summer, is a lively celebration of the natural world found in our gardens. This week encourages people to appreciate and protect the birds, insects, and plants in their backyards. The celebration highlights the vital role these creatures play in keeping our environment healthy! How...
• Tracky Dack Day: Tracky Dack Day is a funny name for a serious cause. This annual event, run by TLC for Kids, encourages people to wear their favorite track pants (aka 'tracky dacks'!) to support children in hospitals! The name brings a smile, but the mission is profound. It raises awareness and funds...
• Italian Beef Week: What's better than sinking your teeth into a juicy sandwich piled high with tender beef, topped with sweet peppers?

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