On this day

26 March in history.

5 moments from 1484 to 1974: discovery, creativity and courage, each with a source to read more.

5 moments

Jonas Salk

1953

Salk's polio vaccine works. Jonas Salk announced that his polio vaccine had passed its first small test in adults and children without harm. He chose not to patent it.

Wikipedia: Jonas Salk

Photo: SAS Scandinavian Airlines / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

More from 26 March

  1. frontispiece woodcut depicting William Caxton handing two volumes to Margaret of York

    1484

    Aesop's Fables in English

    William Caxton, England's first printer, published Aesop's Fables in English for the first time.

    Wikipedia: Aesop's FablesWikipedia: William Caxton

    Photo: Raoul Lefèvre / William Caxton / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

  2. Utrecht

    1636

    Utrecht University is founded

    Utrecht University opened in the Netherlands. It is now one of the largest universities in the country.

    Wikipedia: Utrecht University

    Photo: Sebastiaan ter Burg from Utrecht, The Netherlands / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

  3. A race taking place during the Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames , England

    1839

    The first Henley Royal Regatta

    Rowers raced on the River Thames at Henley for the first time. The regatta is still held every summer.

    Wikipedia: Henley Royal Regatta

    Photo: Johnteslade / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

  4. Surviving Members of the Original Reni Squad at the Chipko 30th Anniversary 2004 http://nandadevi.org

    1974

    Hugging the trees

    Village women in the Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, India, put their arms around trees to stop them being cut down. The Chipko movement spread across India.

    Wikipedia: Chipko movement

    Photo: Ceti at English Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Moments chosen for discovery, creativity and courage. Each one links to a source where you can read more; photos are credited to their owners.