On this day: January 26
Unusual 2–0 Score Ends 1977 Illinois High School Basketball Game
On January 26, 1977, a high school varsity basketball game in Illinois concluded with a rare 2–0 final score after both teams struggled offensively and a single second-half free throw provided the margin.
High School Game Ends 2–0 in Rare Defensive Standoff
On January 26, 1977, a high school basketball game concluded with an unusually low final score of 2–0, a result reflecting an extreme defensive struggle and an era before modern shot-clock rules at the scholastic level.
Man Survives Fall From Airliner Without Parachute in 1972
On January 26, 1972, a man reportedly survived a fall from a commercial airliner without a parachute after being blown out of the aircraft; accounts and details have varied in subsequent retellings, but the incident is part of documented aviation anomaly reports from that era.
College basketball game halted as arena ceiling begins dripping water
On January 26, 1994, a college basketball game was stopped after water started leaking from the arena ceiling, forcing officials to suspend play and address safety and court conditions.
Referee John Brodie Knocked Unconscious by Spectator at 1897 Match
During a football match on January 26, 1897, referee John Brodie was struck and knocked unconscious by a spectator who rushed onto the field; reports from the period describe a violent intrusion that raised questions about crowd control at sporting events.
Pentagon Confirms 1983 Near-Nuclear Crisis During NATO Exercise
On Jan. 26, 1983, U.S. defense officials later acknowledged that a NATO exercise and Soviet misperceptions brought U.S. and Soviet forces close to triggering a nuclear response, highlighting Cold War escalation risks.
John Logie Baird Gives First Public Demonstration of Television
On January 26, 1926, Scottish inventor John Logie Baird conducted the first publicly demonstrated working television system in London, showing moving grayscale images transmitted mechanically between rooms at the Royal Institution.
Pentagon Declassifies Photos of 1957 Nuclear Fallout Victims
The Pentagon released photographs tied to fallout exposure from a January 26, 1957, nuclear test, documenting medical conditions and recovery settings for affected service members and civilians; the images add visual evidence to previously classified records of Cold War testing.
Supreme Court Invalidates State Sodomy Laws in Landmark 2003 Ruling
On January 26, 2003, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Lawrence v. Texas that state laws criminalizing private, consensual same-sex sexual activity violate the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, overturning prior precedent and decriminalizing sodomy nationwide.
Kobe Bryant, daughter Gianna and seven others killed in California helicopter crash
On Jan. 26, 2020, NBA legend Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others died when their helicopter crashed in foggy conditions near Calabasas, California. The accident prompted investigations into pilot decision-making and helicopter flight rules in poor visibility.