Charles of Anjou defeats the Hohenstaufen forces led by King Manfred of Sicily (son of Frederick II) on February 26, 1266 at the Battle of Benevento. Manfred was killed and the Hohenstaufen rule in Italy came to an end with the French gaining control over southern Italy.
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On This Day in History: February 26
Explore the historical events that shaped our world on February 26th. From major milestones to cultural achievements, see what happened on this day in history. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
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Alfonso V of Aragon takes control of the Kingdom of Naples after his victory over René of Anjou; culminating in his triumphal entry into the city on February 26, 1443. This victory reunited the kingdoms of Naples and Sicily under his rule, and he then styled himself "King of the Two Sicilies".
Napoleon's escapes from Elba on February 26, 1815, where he was exiled after his forced abdication as French emperor in 1814, and begins his "Hundred Days" rule.
Napoleon gathered support in route to Paris, retook power on March 20 as ruler of France and wage war against the English and Prussian armies. All ending in his final defeat at the Battle of Waterloo on June 18 1815. More
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The HMHS Britannic was launched on February 26, 1914, at a shipyard in Belfast, about two years after her sister ship, the Titanic, sank on April 15, 1912.
The Britannic incorporated a number of improved safety features including a double hull and superior watertight bulkheads. The Britannic sank on November 21, 1916 after striking a German mine in the Aegean Sea. Most of the 1,136 people on board were saved with thirty facilities.
President Woodrow Wilson learns on February 26, 1917 of a Telegram message from the German Foreign Secretary Arthur Zimmermann to the German ambassador to Mexico proposing a Mexican-German alliance in the event of a war between the U.S. and Germany.
The telegram, which came to be known as "The "Zimmermann Telegram", had been intercepted and deciphered by British intelligence on January 17, 1917 and provided to the US Ambassador to Britain on February 24, 1917. The communication stated that the Germans would provide Mexico with aid and support for Mexico to reconquer Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. He further suggested that the Mexican President invite Japan, nominally an Allied nation but of great strategic concern to the United States, to join the German-Mexican pact. President Wilson authorized the State Department to publish the telegram which appeared on the front pages of American newspapers on March 1. Altering the American view of Germany rapidly and profoundly. The telegram, combined with t,he renewed German submarine warfare, shifted American public opinion. Within five weeks on April 2, 1917, the U.S. declared war on Germany.
Congress establishes the Grand Canyon National Park on February 26, 1919 and President Wilson signs the Bill. The park spans over 1 million acres and protects the 277 mile gorge in northwestern Arizona It had previously been designated as a national monument by Theodore Roosevelt in 1908.
The Grand Teton National Park was officially established on February 26, 1929, by President Calvin Coolidge, protecting the Teton Range and several major lakes. The park was expanded in 1950 to include the valley of Jackson Hole, incorporating lands donated by John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
A bomb planted by terrorists explodes beneath the World Trade Center in New York City on February 26, 1993, killing six and injuring over 1,000 people. The World Trade Center building suffered more than $500 million in damage. The attack was carried out by Ramzi Yousef and 6 conspirators. One of them was never captured. More