#TodayInHistory – May 26
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May 26 – Some important events on this day.
451 ππΌ The Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place. The Armenians are defeated militarily but are guaranteed freedom to openly practice Christianity.
1637 ππΌ Mystic Massacre: in 1st battle of Pequot War in Connecticut about 500 Pequot Native Americans are killed by Colonial forces
1647 ππΌ Alse Young becomes the first person executed as a witch in the American colonies, when she is hanged in Hartford, Connecticut
1868 ππΌ US President Andrew Johnson avoids impeachment by 1 vote
1896 ππΌ Dow Jones begins an index of 12 industrial stocks (closing is 40.94)
1897 ππΌ “Dracula” goes on sale in London.1908 ππΌ At Masjed Soleyman (Ω Ψ³Ψ¬Ψ― Ψ³ΩΩΩ Ψ§Ω) in southwest Persia, the first major commercial oil strike in the Middle East is made, rights acquired by the United Kingdom.
The first copies of the classic vampire novel, by Irish writer Bram Stoker, appear in London bookshops on this day. Considered a masterpiece of Victorian-era Gothic literature, it was written in the form of diaries and journals of its main characters, and it is the story of a vampire who makes his way from Transylvania to Yorkshire, England, and preys on innocents there to get the blood he needs to live.
1927 ππΌ Henry Ford and the Ford Motor Company produce the last (and 15th million) Model T Ford.1948 ππΌ South Africa elects a nationalist government under D. F. Malan with an apartheid policy.
On this day, Henry Ford and his son Edsel drive the 15 millionth Model T Ford out of their factory, marking the famous automobileβs official last day of production.
More than any other vehicle, the relatively affordable and efficient Model T was responsible for accelerating the automobileβs introduction into American society during the first quarter of the 20th century. Introduced in October 1908, the Model Tβalso known as the βTin Lizzieββhad a 20-horsepower, four-cylinder engine.
1991 ππΌ Plane crashes in Thai jungle.
On this day, a Boeing 767 crashes into the jungle near Bangkok, Thailand, and kills all 223 people on board. The plane, owned and operated by the Austrian company Lauda-Air, was the nationβs largest charter operation and famed race car driver Niki Laudaβs first foray into business after his retirement from racing.
The flight originated in Hong Kong and was ultimately headed to Vienna. After a brief stop in Bangkok, the plane was climbing out of Bangkok Airport when a computer malfunctioned. The thrust reverser on the port engine, which essentially puts the engine in reverse, deployed suddenly. Though pilots fought to override it, they were not able to do so. The planeβs black box was destroyed, making the cause of the crash difficult to determine. Niki Lauda immediately went to the site of the crash, where it was reported that he personally went through the strewn bodies and aircraft parts searching for evidence. Eventually, the mechanical evidence and a voice recorder pointed to a serious problem with the jetβs thrust reverser.
2004 ππΌ The United States Army veteran Terry Nichols is found guilty of 161 state murder charges for helping carry out the Oklahoma City bombing.