The first American C-47 transport aircraft land at Tempelhof Airport in West Berlin, launching Operation Vittles, the unprecedented aerial supply of an entire city besieged by the Soviet blockade.
French Revolutionary forces defeat an Austrian and Dutch army at Fleurus, with the tethered observation balloon L'Entreprenant providing the first battlefield reconnaissance by air in history.
Elements of the American Expeditionary Forces land at Saint-Nazaire, France, the first American combat troops on European soil in World War I.
U.S. Marines finally secure Belleau Wood after three weeks of savage fighting against entrenched German forces, earning the nickname "Devil Dogs" from their German opponents.
The prototype XF6F-1 Hellcat takes to the air at Bethpage, Long Island, beginning the flight test program for the carrier fighter that would dominate the Pacific air war.
U.S. VII Corps under General J. Lawton Collins fights to capture the port of Cherbourg, essential for supplying the Allied breakout from Normandy.
Representatives of 50 nations sign the United Nations Charter in San Francisco, establishing the international organization dedicated to maintaining peace and collective security.
The first American C-47 transport aircraft land at Tempelhof Airport in West Berlin, launching Operation Vittles, the unprecedented aerial supply of an entire city besieged by the Soviet blockade.
The United Nations Security Council passes Resolution 83, recommending that member states furnish assistance to South Korea to repel the North Korean invasion and authorizing the UN military response.
President Kennedy addresses a massive crowd at the Berlin Wall, declaring "Ich bin ein Berliner" in a powerful statement of American solidarity with West Berlin during the Cold War.
A truck bomb destroys the Khobar Towers housing complex in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, killing 19 U.S. Air Force personnel and wounding nearly 500 in an attack attributed to Iranian-backed Hezbollah Al-Hejaz.
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10 military events occurred on June 26, spanning multiple centuries. Key events include: Berlin Airlift Begins (1948), United Nations Charter Signed (1945), First U.S. Troops Arrive in France (1917), Kennedy's "Ich Bin Ein Berliner" Speech (1963), UN Security Council Resolution 83 on Korea (1950).
The most significant military event on June 26 is Berlin Airlift Begins (1948). The first American C-47 transport aircraft land at Tempelhof Airport in West Berlin, launching Operation Vittles, the unprecedented aerial supply of an entire city besieged by the Soviet blockade.
Notable military figures born on June 26 include William Thomson, Lord Kelvin (1824–1907), Abner Doubleday (1819–1893).
Events on June 26 span the Cold War, World War II, World War I, the Colonial & Revolutionary era, the Modern Era, covering 10 events across 2 centuries of military history.
Events on June 26 involve 4 branches of the U.S. and allied armed forces, reflecting the global scope of military operations throughout history.
Explore military history from the day you were born.
June 6
The Allied invasion of Normandy, the largest amphibious assault in history.
December 7
Japan attacks the U.S. Pacific Fleet, bringing America into World War II.
September 11
The deadliest terrorist attack in history transforms U.S. national security.
August 6
The first atomic bomb is dropped on a city, ushering in the nuclear age.
May 8
Nazi Germany surrenders unconditionally, ending World War II in Europe.
November 11
Armistice Day marks the end of World War I and honors all who served.
June 4
The turning point of the Pacific War as the U.S. Navy destroys four Japanese carriers.
July 4
The Declaration of Independence is adopted, sparking the American Revolution.
The FIM-92 Stinger helped win the Cold War by turning Afghan mujahideen into a credible anti-aircraft threat. By 2023, the United States almost ran out of them, because Raytheon stopped making them for 13 years, and the first 10 months of Ukraine support burned through the remaining stockpile.
These weapons were built to fight a war that everyone prayed would never happen. The Minuteman III has been on alert since 1970. The Typhoon-class carried enough nuclear warheads to destroy a continent. The Davy Crockett could be fired by three soldiers. Most of them have been waiting for 40 years. Here are 10 Cold War weapons built exclusively for World War III.
The MiG-31 was designed to catch the SR-71 Blackbird. It is still the fastest fighter in any air force. The Foxhound's Zaslon phased-array radar, the first ever installed in a fighter, can track 10 targets and engage 4 simultaneously at ranges exceeding 200 miles. Here is why Russia still flies a 1980s interceptor, and why the MiG-31BM carrying a Kinzhal hypersonic missile has changed what the aircraft means to modern warfare.
Nineteen armies on four continents chose the Leopard 2. No other Western tank comes close to this export record, and the reasons go far beyond German engineering.
