What Happened in 2026 — Events, Births & Deaths

Bulgaria officially adopts the Euro, becoming the 21st Eurozone country.

A fire at a bar during New Year's Eve celebrations in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, kills 41 people and injures 116 others.

The United States conducts airstrikes across northern Venezuela, including the capital Caracas and captures Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores.

Thirty-two people are killed when a crane falls onto a passenger train in Sikhio district, Thailand.

Indonesia Air Transport ATR 42 crashed near Mount Bulusaraung in South Sulawesi, after losing contact en route to Makassar.

At least 45 people are killed and 292 others injured after two trains collide in Adamuz in the worst railway disaster in over a decade in Spain.

At least 70 people are killed and 10 others missing after major landslides in West Java, Indonesia.

A Learjet 45 crashes on approach to Baramati Airport in Maharashtra, killing all six occupants including the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar.

The Rubaya mine collapse at Rubaya mines in DR Congo causes at least 400 deaths and injured several others.

Storm Kristin causes a catastrophic impact in Portugal and Spain with €6 billion in damage in the central region of Portugal, 15 deaths and 2,000 injuries.

Islamist militants massacred at least 162 while injuring and kidnapping dozens in two villages in Kwara State, Nigeria.

Shootings at a residence and a school in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, Canada, leave nine people dead and 27 injured.

In the first general election since the July Revolution in Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by Tarique Rahman, wins a landslide victory upon returning to power after almost 19 years. A referendum held alongside was also approved by the majority of voters.

The 9th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea officially opens in Pyongyang and lasts for 7 days. (from February 19th to February 25th, 2026)

Four people are killed and several more are injured when Cuban Border Guard Troops confront and open fire on a US-registered speedboat violating Cuban waters.

The government of Pakistan declares "open war" against the Taliban in Afghanistan, initiating the 2026 Afghanistan–Pakistan War.

The United States and Israel launch attacks across Iran, assassinating Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Retaliatory strikes are launched by Iran against US military bases in the Gulf, with explosions reported in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE.

The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah launches several projectiles into northern Israel as a response to the assassination of Ali Khamenei, formally initiating the 2026 Lebanon War.

Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat recorded the second-highest scoring game in NBA history with 83 Points.

Four members of a Palestinian family are shot dead in Tammun by the Israeli military.

A series of Boko Haram bombings leave 26 dead and 146 injured in Maiduguri, Nigeria.

Air Canada Express Flight 8646, a Bombardier CRJ-900 operated by Jazz Aviation, collided with a fire truck while landing at LaGuardia Airport in New York City. Two fatalities were reported, both being the captain and the co-pilot. This marked the first fatal accident involving a CRJ-900.

An Aerospace Force Lockheed C-130 crashes during take-off in Puerto Leguízamo, Colombia, killing 69 people.

OpenAI announces that their flagship Sora app and API are shutting down.

The Artemis II lunar flyby mission launches, marking the first crewed flight above low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972.

The crew of Artemis II makes the first crewed circumlunar flight since Apollo 17 in 1972, returning humanity to the Moon's vicinity and breaking Apollo 13's record by ~4,000 miles as the furthest crewed spaceflight.

Operation Eternal Darkness: Hours after a ceasefire to the Iran war, Israeli attacks on Lebanon kill at least 357 and injures more than 1200 people in the largest airstrikes of the Lebanon war.

The Tisza Party, led by Péter Magyar wins the 2026 Hungarian parliamentary election, defeating Viktor Orbán's Fidesz party, which had ruled the country for 16 years, marking the first change in government in Hungary for over a decade.

Twelve people and the perpetrator are killed and twelve others injured in a mass shooting at a school in Onikişubat, Turkey.

Seven people are killed and fourteen others are injured in a mass shooting in Kyiv, Ukraine

Shots are fired outside of the White House Correspondents' Dinner in the Washington Hilton where U.S. President Donald Trump and members of his cabinet are attending. One injury is reported and a suspect is taken into custody.

A train crash kills at least 15 people and injures 84 others near Jakarta, Indonesia.

After a ransomware attack by the group ShinyHunters, the education platform Canvas operated by private company Instructure, goes offline, affecting thousands of educational institutions.

A shooting carried out by two gunmen at the Islamic Center of San Diego results in the deaths of five people, including the perpetrators.

A gas explosion at a coal mine in Changzhi, Shanxi, leaves at least 82 people dead.

A suicide bombing targeting a shuttle train in Quetta, Balochistan, killed at least 48 people and injured 98 others.

An explosion at a Ta'ang National Liberation Army base kills 46 people.

South African-American businessman Elon Musk becomes the first US$ trillionaire with the initial public offering of SpaceX.

Two helicopters collide mid-air in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, killing all 6 people on board, including American singer-songwriter Oliver Tree, Argentine YouTuber Gaspi, director and screenwriter Lucas A. Vignale, and Brazilian music producer Lucas Frota.

Two earthquakes strike Venezuela, leaving more than 2,200 people dead and dozens of others missing.

A bar fire kills 33 people in Bangkok, Thailand.

Around 50,000 Moroccan nationals storm the borders of Spanish enclaves in Africa, principally the city of Ceuta. As of August 1, 2026, 67 are confirmed to have died while crossing.

Debsirin Nonthaburi school shooting

A series of large flash floods and debris flows along the Nepal–Tibet border and the Trishuli River, believed to have been caused by glacier collapse, stuck and destroyed numerous settlements, including the Gyirong checkpoint, and killed over 1,400 people, with over 5,800 reported missing.

21 Air Flight 7598, a Boeing 767 freighter operating on behalf of Amazon Air, overruns the runway upon landing at Miami International Airport, striking multiple ground vehicles, killing at least five people, and injuring five others.

Two high-speed trains collide in Los Yébenes, south of Madrid, Spain, killing at least 74 passengers and injuring nearly 200.

The S.S. United States is planned to be sunk off of the coast of Okaloosa County, Florida.

Michael Reagan, American political commentator (born 1945)

Glenn Hall, Canadian ice hockey goaltender (born 1931)

Yeison Jiménez, Colombian singer, (born 1991)

Bob Weir, American musician, (born 1947)

Richard Codey, American politician, 53rd Governor of New Jersey (born 1946)

Rick Garcia (activist), American LGBTQ rights activist (born 1956)

Scott Adams, American author and illustrator (born 1957)

David Webb, British activist shareholder (born 1965)

Valentino, Italian fashion designer, founder of Valentino (born 1932)

Virginia Oliver (born 1920), American lobster fisherwoman

Hifumi Katō, Japanese professional shogi player (born 1940)

Ajit Pawar, Indian politician, former Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra (born 1959)

Catherine O'Hara, Canadian-American actress, comedian and screenwriter (born 1954)

Jose de Venecia Jr., Filipino politician and journalist, 17th and 21st Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives (born 1936)

James Van Der Beek, American actor (born 1977)

Tom Noonan, American actor, director, and screenwriter (born 1951)

Robert Duvall, American actor and filmmaker (born 1931)

Billy Steinberg, American songwriter (born 1950)

Frederick Wiseman, American filmmaker (born 1930)

Jesse Jackson, American civil rights leader, activist, and politician (born 1941)

Shinya Yamada, Japanese musician (born 1970)

Borislav Paravac, Bosnian Serb politician, 8th Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (born 1943)

Rondale Moore, American football player (born 2000)

Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes (born 1966)

Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran (born 1939)

Aziz Nasirzadeh, Minister of Defense of the Islamic Republic of Iran (born 1964)

Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of the Islamic Republic of Iran (born 1961)

Jamie Dunn, Australian actor, radio and television host (born 1950)

Chuck Norris, American martial artist and actor (born 1940)

Nicholas Brendon, American actor (born 1971)

Filaret Denysenko, Ukrainian religious leader, Patriarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kyiv Patriarchate (born 1929)

Robert Mueller, American attorney, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (born 1944)

Michael Lyster, Irish radio and television broadcaster (born 1954)

Rhoda Roberts, Australian arts executive (born 1959)

Lionel Jospin, French civil servant and politician, 165th Prime Minister of France (born 1937)

Valerie Perrine, American actress (born 1943)

Chip Taylor, American singer and songwriter (born 1940)

Biruté Galdikas, Canadian primatologist and conservationist (born 1946)

Tracy Kidder, American writer (born 1945)

Mel Schilling, Australian TV personality and coach (born 1972)

Dash Crofts, American musician (born 1938)

Alexander Kluge, German author, film director and public intellectual (born 1932)

Noelia Castillo, Spanish woman who died after receiving euthanasia (born 2000)

Mary Rand, English sprinter and long jumper (born 1940)

Epeli Nailatikau, Fijian chief, President of Fiji (born 1941)

James Tolkan, American actor (born 1931)

Henry Lee, Chinese-American forensic scientist (born 1938)

Marinella, Greek singer (born 1938)

Mary Beth Hurt, American actress (born 1946)

Liamine Zéroual, Algerian politician, 6th President of Algeria (born 1941)

Chan Santokhi, Surinamese politician, 9th President of Suriname (born 1959)

Stephen Lewis, Canadian politician and diplomat, 14th Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations (born 1937)

Fred Curry, Lebanese-American professional wrestler (born 1941)

Nick Pope, British UFO writer (born 1965)

Mircea Lucescu, Romanian football player and manager (born 1945)

Eliot Engel, American politician (born 1947)

Anja Hatakka, Finnish actress and beauty pageant competitor (born 1938)

Sid Krofft, Canadian-American puppeteer and producer (born 1929)

Browning Nagle, American football player (born 1968)

Phil Garner, American baseball player and manager (born 1949)

Asha Bhosle, Indian playback singer, businesswoman, actress and television personality (born 1933)

Chris Payton-Jones American football player (born 1995)

Moya Brennan, Irish singer-songwriter and harp player (born 1952)

Dave McGinnis, American football player and coach (born 1951)

José Santamaría, Uruguayan-Spanish footballer and manager (born 1929)

Justin Fairfax, American lawyer and politician, 41st Lieutenant Governor of Virginia (born 1979)

Alex Manninger, Austrian footballer (born 1977)

George Ariyoshi, American lawyer and politician, 3rd Governor of Hawaii (born 1926)

Luis Brandoni, Argentine actor and politician (born 1940)

Łukasz Litewka, Polish Parliament Member (born 1989)

Dirk Kempthorne, American businessman and politician, 49th United States Secretary of the Interior (born 1951)

Andrzej Olechowski, Polish politician (born 1947)

Chris Phelan, Irish-Australian rugby league player (born 1955)

Ted Turner, American media mogul (born 1938)

Brandon Clarke, Canadian-American basketball player (born 1996)

Jason Collins, American basketball player (born 1978)

Alan Rothwell, English actor (born 1937)

Hans van Houwelingen, Dutch mathematician and professor emeritus of medical statistics (born 1945)

M. J. K. Smith, English cricketer and rugby union player (born 1933)

Tom Kane, American voice actor (born 1962)

Kyle Busch, American race car driver and owner (born 1985)

Richard A. Tapia, American mathematician, National Medal of Science recipient (born 1939)

Sonny Rollins, American jazz musician (born 1930)

Claude Lemieux, heavy-hitting retired NHL forward and four-time Stanley Cup winner (born 1965)

Cyril Karabus, South African paediatric oncologist (born 1935)

Alexander Yanchulev, Bulgarian politician and engineer (born 1938)

Bharathiraja, Indian film and television actor, writer, director, and producer (born 1941)

Bajrakitiyabha, Thai royal, daughter of Vajiralongkorn (born 1978)

Roger Cook, New Zealand-born British investigative journalist (born 1943)

Gaspi, Argentinian YouTuber (born 2002)

Oliver Tree, American singer and songwriter (born 1993)

Daveigh Chase, American actress (born 1990)

Tay Keith, American record producer (born 1996)

Joe Doering, American professional wrestler (born 1982)

K. Bhagyaraj, Indian film and television actor, writer, director, and producer (born 1953)

Wilford Lloyd Baumes, American screenwriter and television producer (born 1939)

Megas, Icelandic musician (born 1945)

Bonnie Tyler, Welsh singer (born 1951)

Derryn Hinch, New Zealand-born Australian radio and television host (born 1944)

Jayden Adams, South African soccer player (born 2001)

Antonio Rattín, Argentine footballer and politician (born 1937)

Ken Bates, English businessman and former owner of Chelsea F.C. and Leeds United F.C. (born 1931)

Lindsey Graham, American politician (born 1955)

Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of Qatar (born 1952)

John Hamm, Canadian politician, 25th Premier of Nova Scotia (born 1938).

Sam Neill, New Zealand actor (born 1947)

Chen Gang, Chinese composer (born 1935)

Zdeněk Chovanec, Czech-Venezuelan-Portuguese racing driver (born 2004)

Chuck Russell, American film director and producer (born 1958)

Glenn A. Baker, Australian journalist and author (born 1952)

Franco Baresi, Italian footballer (born 1960)

Jakob Butturff, American bowler (born 1994)

Prichard Colón, Puerto Rican boxer (born 1992)

Hayden Panettiere, American actress and singer (born 1989)

Bill Rasmussen, American sports director, co-founded ESPN (born 1932)

Sowcar Janaki, Indian actress (born 1931)

Nancy Kassebaum, American businesswoman and politician (born 1932)

Zolani Tete, South African boxer (born 1988)

Shelley Fabares, American actress and singer (born 1944)

Siim Kallas, Estonian politician, Prime Minister of Estonia (born 1948)

Klaus-Michael Kühne, German billionaire and businessman (born 1937)

Billy Boston, Welsh rugby player and soldier (born 1934)

Sliman Mansour, Palestinian painter and sculptor (born 1947)

Jaye P. Morgan, American singer and actress (born 1931)

Tim Curry, English actor and singer (born 1946)

Dolly Parton, American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist and businesswoman (born 1946)

Peter Cullen, Canadian voice actor (born 1941)

Péter Nádas, Hungarian author and playwright (born 1942)

Ratko Mladić, Bosnian Serb military officer and war criminal (born 1942)

Rukidi IV of Tooro, 13th Omukama of Tooro (born 1992)

Harald V of Norway (born 1937)

Carla Jeffery, American actor and singer (born 1993)

Ritu Khullar, Canadian jurist (born 1964)

Tung Chee-hwa, Hong Kong politician and businessman, first Chief Executive of Hong Kong (born 1937)

Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner, Norwegian princess (born 1932)

George Chuvalo, Canadian boxer (born 1937)

Pete Byrne, English singer-songwriter (born 1952)

Bob Mackie, American fashion designer (born 1939)

Peter Max, German-American artist (born 1937)

Luděk Mikloško, Czech footballer (born 1961)

Jodie Allen, American journalist, author, and editor (born 1938)

Annie Dillard, American novelist, essayist, and poet (born 1945)

Gerrit Graham, American stage, television and film actor (born 1948)

Bonnie Greer, American-English playwright and critic (born 1948)

Dakila Cua, Filipino politician (born 1977)

Randy Pedersen, American bowler and sportscaster (born 1962)

Jon Kyl, American politician and lobbyist (born 1942)

Duncan Sheik, American singer-songwriter and composer (born 1969)

Stephanie Cole, English actress (born 1941)

Richard Harrison, American actor (born 1936)

Sandro Mazzola, Italian footballer and sportscaster (born 1942)

Nathaniel Waena, Solomon Islands diplomat, 5th Governor-General of Solomon Islands (born 1945)

Chad Gilbert, American musician, songwriter, and producer (born 1981)

Angry Anderson, Australian singer and actor (born 1947)

Terry Denton, Australian author and illustrator (born 1950)

Bob Pettit, American basketball player and coach (born 1932)

Milan Panić, Serbian businessman and politician, 1st Prime Minister of FR Yugoslavia (born 1929)

Mighty Sparrow, Grenadian calypso musician (born 1935)

Pac, English professional wrestler (born 1986)

Siti Hasmah, Malaysian physician and civil servant (born 1926)

Esther Rantzen, English journalist and television presenter (born 1940)

Jeffrey Archer, English novelist and politician (born 1940)

Eva Marie Saint, American actress (born 1924)

Mike Ditka, American football coach and tight end for the Chicago Bears (born 1939)

Hiroshi Tsuchida, Japanese actor and voice actor (born 1972)

RJ Mitte, American actor and producer (born 1992)

Ken Friar, English businessman and life president of Arsenal Football Club (born 1934)

Eric Bauza, Canadian-American voice actor and comedian (born 1979)

Barbara Barrie, American actress and author (born 1931)

Dolores Huerta, American labor leader (born 1930)

Patrick Stewart, English actor, director, and producer (born 1940)