Thursday, 26th October 1978 in London
Welcome to your daily snapshot of London! Explore 49 historical events, birthdays, deaths, and milestones that shaped this day in London. From remarkable moments in local and world history to the people who left their mark — find out what makes today special. Today's weather in London brings drizzly with temperatures between 12°C and 15°C. Tonight's moon is in its first quarter phase, and the zodiac sign of the day is Scorpio. If you're curious about the history of a day — this page brings together everything worth knowing about this Thursday, 26th October in London, GB.
October 26th marks a date of historical significance across multiple continents and centuries. In 1977, Somali hospital cook Ali Maow Maalin began displaying symptoms of smallpox, an event that would later distinguish him as the last person known to be naturally infected by the disease, a milestone in public health that demonstrated the efficacy of global vaccination campaigns. Further back in 1863, the Football Association was founded in London, establishing the world's first governing body dedicated to standardising association football rules and competition. The city of London, where this pivotal sporting organisation was created, remains the capital and largest metropolitan area of the United Kingdom, serving as the political, economic and cultural heart of the nation. On this particular date in 1978, London experienced drizzly weather conditions typical of late autumn in the British capital. The date falls within the Scorpio zodiac period, a water sign associated with those born between October 23rd and November 21st. The moon was in its first quarter phase, a period when approximately half of the lunar surface appears illuminated from Earth's perspective, traditionally considered a time of growth and development across various cultural and astrological traditions. DayAtlas provides comprehensive historical information for any given date and location, displaying weather patterns, significant events, notable births and deaths to offer users a complete picture of what occurred on specific days throughout history.
Find out what's happening today in London.
What the Weather Had in Store for London on 26th October 1978
Silence is not absence of voices, but space to hear oneself.
Fortune of the Day
26th October in the Stars – Star Sign Scorpio
Personality Profile
Personality Those born on October 26th blend Scorpio intensity with lunar emotional refinement. They are profoundly introspective, mysteriously alluring, and possess natural psychological insight. These individuals navigate reality through layers of meaning and hidden currents.
Strengths & Weaknesses Their greatest strengths include unwavering loyalty, transformative power, and emotional intelligence. However, they can become controlling and tend toward suspicion. Learning to release what no longer serves them remains a lifelong lesson.
Love These Scorpios love with absolute depth, demanding authentic emotional connection. They seek transformative partnerships, not superficial romance. Trust is their currency—those who earn it receive fierce devotion.
Caree & Finance Talents flourish in psychology, investigative work, or transformative fields. They manage resources strategically and recognize hidden opportunities. Financial independence matters deeply to them.
Health These natives benefit from practices nurturing emotional depth—meditation or therapy. They should regulate stress from intense feelings and regularly release what binds them. Water activities support their inner equilibrium.
That night, the moon was in its first quarter phase.
Chinese year of the Horse (Earth).
Fun Facts About 26th October
Name Days in Your Language: Madden, Maddock, Maddox, Mahala, Mahalia, Makenna, Mckenna
Someone born on this day in 1978 would be 47 years old today — just 17,341 days into life, which is roughly 416,192 hours, 24,971,569 minutes, or 1,498,294,153 seconds spent on Earth so far.
It's the 299. day of the year.
There are 66 days still to come.
We’re currently in Week 43 — the year marches on.
Famous Birthdays on 26th October
- Sam Brown, American actor, producer, and screenwriter (1981)
- Martina Schild, Swiss skier (1981)
- Guy Sebastian, Malaysian-Australian singer-songwriter (1981)
- Chou Ssu-Chi, Taiwanese baseball player (1981)
- Cristian Chivu, Romanian footballer (1980)
- Nick Collison, American basketball player (1980)
- Claire Cooper, English actress (1980)
- Koichi Watanabe, Japanese kick-boxer (1980)
- Movsar Barayev, Chechen terrorist (died 2002) (1979)
- Sari Abacha, Nigerian footballer (died 2013) (1978)
Lives Remembered on 26th October
- Park Chung Hee, South Korean general and politician, 3rd President of South Korea (born 1917) (1979)
- Alexander Gerschenkron, Ukrainian-American historian, critic, and academic (born 1904) (1978)
- Deryck Cooke, English musicologist and author (born 1919) (1976)
- Bidia Dandaron, Russian author and educator (born 1914) (1974)
- Semyon Budyonny, Marshal of the Soviet Union (born 1883) (1973)
- Igor Sikorsky, Ukrainian-American engineer and academic, founded Sikorsky Aircraft (born 1889) (1972)
Celebrations & Special Days Worldwide on 26th October
- Accession Day (Jammu and Kashmir, India)
- Angam Day (Nauru)
- Armed Forces Day (Benin)
- Christian feast day: Alfred the Great (Catholic Church, Anglican Church, Eastern Orthodox Church)
- Christian feast day: Amandus of Strasbourg
- Christian feast day: Beóán (Bean) of Mortlach
- Christian feast day: Blessed Celine Borzecka
- Christian feast day: Cedd
- Christian feast day: Cuthbert of Canterbury
- Christian feast day: Demetrius of Thessaloniki
- Christian feast day: Eadfrith of Leominster
- Christian feast day: Eata of Hexham
- Christian feast day: Pope Evaristus (Aristus)
- Christian feast day: Fulk of Pavia (Roman Catholic Church)
- Christian feast day: Philipp Nicolai, Johann Heermann and Paul Gerhardt (Lutheran Church)
- Christian feast day: Quadragesimus
- Christian feast day: Quodvultdeus
- Christian feast day: Rusticus of Narbonne
- Christian feast day: Witta (Albinus) of Büraburg
- Christian feast day: Eastern Orthodox liturgics
- National Day, celebrates the anniversary of the Declaration of Neutrality in 1955. (Austria)
- Intersex Awareness Day
What Happened on 26th October?
- A 7.5 magnitude earthquake strikes in the Hindu Kush mountain range in South Asia, killing 399 people and leaving 2,536 people injured. (2015)
- Microsoft made a public release of Windows 8 and made it available on new PCs. (2012)
- Rockstar Games releases Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas for the PlayStation 2 in North America, which sold 12 million units for the PS2, becoming the console's best-selling video game. (2004)
- The Cedar Fire, the third-largest wildfire in California history, kills 15 people, consumes 250,000 acres (1,000 km2), and destroys 2,200 homes around San Diego. (2003)
- Approximately 50 Chechen terrorists and 150 hostages die when Russian special forces troops storm a theater building in Moscow, which had been occupied by the terrorists during a musical performance three days before. (2002)
- The United States passes the USA PATRIOT Act into law. (2001)
- A wave of protests forces Robert Guéï to step down as president after the Ivorian presidential election. (2000)
- The United Kingdom's House of Lords votes to end the right of most hereditary peers to vote in Britain's upper chamber of Parliament. (1999)
- Mossad agents assassinate Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Fathi Shaqaqi in his hotel in Malta. (1995)
- An avalanche hits the Icelandic village of Flateyri, destroying 29 homes and burying 45 people, and killing 20. (1995)