- 590 – Emperor Maurice proclaims his son Theodosius as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire.
- 1027 – Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor.
- 1169 – Saladin becomes the emir of Egypt.
- 1344 – The Siege of Algeciras, one of the first European military engagements where gunpowder was used, comes to an end.
- 1351 – Combat of the Thirty: Thirty Breton knights call out and defeat thirty English knights.
- 1484 – William Caxton prints his translation of Aesop’s Fables.
- 1552 – Guru Amar Das becomes the Third Sikh guru.
- 1636 – Utrecht University is founded in the Netherlands.
- 1697 – Safavid government troops take control of Basra
- 1812 – An earthquake devastates Caracas, Venezuela.
- 1812 – A political cartoon in the Boston Gazette coins the term “gerrymander” to describe oddly shaped electoral districts designed to help incumbents win reelection.
- 1830 – The Book of Mormon is published in Palmyra, New York.
- 1839 – The first Henley Royal Regatta is held.
- 1871 – The elections of Commune council of the Paris Commune are held.
- 1885 – The Métis people of the District of Saskatchewan under Louis Riel begin the North-West Rebellion against Canada.
- 1913 – First Balkan War: Bulgarian forces capture Adrianople.
- 1915 – The Vancouver Millionaires win the 1915 Stanley Cup Finals, the first championship played between the Pacific Coast Hockey Association and the National Hockey Association.
- 1917 – World War I: First Battle of Gaza: British troops are halted after 17,000 Turks block their advance.
- 1922 – The German Social Democratic Party is founded in Poland.
- 1931 – Swissair is founded as the national airline of Switzerland.
- 1931 – Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union is founded in Vietnam.
- 1934 – The United Kingdom driving test is introduced.
- 1939 – Spanish Civil War: Nationalists begin their final offensive of the war.
- 1942 – World War II: The first female prisoners arrive at Auschwitz concentration camp in German-occupied Poland.
- 1945 – World War II: The Battle of Iwo Jima ends as the island is officially secured by American forces.
- 1954 – Nuclear weapons testing: The Romeo shot of Operation Castle is detonated at Bikini Atoll. Yield: 11 megatons.
- 1958 – The United States Army launches Explorer 3.
- 1958 – The African Regroupment Party is launched at a meeting in Paris.
- 1967 – Ten thousand people gather for one of many Central Park be-ins in New York City.
- 1970 – South Vietnamese President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu implements a land reform program to solve the problem of land tenancy.
- 1971 – East Pakistan declares its independence from Pakistan to form Bangladesh and the Bangladesh Liberation War begins.
- 1975 – The Biological Weapons Convention comes into force.
- 1979 – Anwar al-Sadat, Menachem Begin and Jimmy Carter sign the Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty in Washington, D.C.
- 1981 – Social Democratic Party (UK) is founded as a party.
- 1982 – A groundbreaking ceremony for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is held in Washington, D.C.
- 1991 – Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay sign the Treaty of Asunción, establishing Mercosur, the South Common Market.
- 1997 – Thirty-nine bodies are found in the Heaven’s Gate mass suicides.
- 1998 – During the Algerian Civil War, the Oued Bouaicha massacre sees fifty-two people, mostly infants, killed with axes and knives.
- 2005 – Around 200,000 to 300,000 Taiwanese demonstrate in Taipei in opposition to the Anti-Secession Law of China.
- 2010 – The South Korean Navy corvette Cheonan is torpedoed, killing 46 sailors. After an international investigation, the President of the United Nations Security Council blames North Korea.
- 2017 – Russia-wide anti-corruption protests in 99 cities. The Levada Center survey showed that 38% of surveyed Russians supported protests and that 67 percent held Putin personally responsible for high-level corruption.
Births on March 26
- 1031 – Malcolm III, king of Scotland (d. 1093)
- 1516 – Conrad Gessner, Swiss botanist and zoologist (d. 1565)
- 1554 – Charles of Lorraine, duke of Mayenne (d. 1611)
- 1584 – John II, duke of Zweibrücken (d. 1635)
- 1633 – Mary Beale, British artist (d. 1699)
- 1634 – Domenico Freschi, Italian priest and composer (d. 1710)
- 1656 – Nicolaas Hartsoeker, Dutch mathematician and physicist (d. 1725)
- 1687 – Sophia Dorothea of Hanover, queen consort of Prussia (d. 1757)
- 1698 – Prokop Diviš, Czech priest, scientist and inventor (d. 1765)
- 1749 – William Blount, American politician (d. 1800)
- 1753 – Benjamin Thompson, American-French physicist and politician, Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies (d. 1814)
- 1773 – Nathaniel Bowditch, American mathematician and navigator (d. 1838)
- 1794 – Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, German painter (d. 1872)
- 1804 – David Humphreys Storer, American physician and academic (d. 1891)
- 1824 – Julie-Victoire Daubié, French journalist (d. 1874)
- 1829 – Théodore Aubanel, French poet (d. 1886)
- 1842 – Alexandre Saint-Yves d’Alveydre, French occultist (d. 1909)
- 1850 – Edward Bellamy, American author, socialist, and utopian visionary (d. 1898)
- 1852 – Élémir Bourges, French author (d. 1925)
- 1854 – Maurice Lecoq, French target shooter (d. 1925)
- 1856 – William Massey, Irish-New Zealand farmer and politician, 19th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1925)
- 1857 – Théodore Tuffier, French surgeon (d. 1929)
- 1859 – A. E. Housman, English poet and scholar (d. 1936)
- 1859 – Adolf Hurwitz, Jewish German-Swiss mathematician and academic (d. 1919)
- 1860 – André Prévost, French tennis player (d. 1919)
- 1866 – Fred Karno, English producer and manager (d. 1941)
- 1868 – King Fuad I of Egypt (d. 1936)
- 1873 – Dorothea Bleek, South African-German anthropologist and philologist (d. 1948)
- 1874 – Robert Frost, American poet and playwright (d. 1963)
- 1875 – Max Abraham, Polish-German physicist and academic (d. 1922)
- 1875 – Syngman Rhee, South Korean journalist and politician, 1st President of South Korea (d. 1965)
- 1876 – William of Wied, prince of Albania (d. 1945)
- 1876 – Kate Richards O’Hare, American Socialist Party activist and editor (d. 1948)
- 1879 – Othmar Ammann, Swiss-American engineer, designed the George Washington Bridge and Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge (d. 1965)
- 1879 – Waldemar Tietgens, German rower (d. 1917)
- 1881 – Guccio Gucci, Italian fashion designer, founded Gucci (d. 1953)
- 1882 – Hermann Obrecht, Swiss politician (d. 1940)
- 1884 – Wilhelm Backhaus, German pianist and educator (d. 1969)
- 1884 – Georges Imbert, French chemical engineer and inventor (d. 1950)
- 1886 – Hugh Mulzac, Vincentian-American soldier and politician (d. 1971)
- 1888 – Elsa Brändström, Swedish nurse and philanthropist (d. 1948)
- 1893 – James Bryant Conant, American chemist, academic, and diplomat, 1st United States Ambassador to West Germany (d. 1978)
- 1893 – Palmiro Togliatti, Italian journalist and politician, Italian Minister of Justice (d. 1964)
- 1894 – Viorica Ursuleac, Ukrainian-Romanian soprano and actress (d. 1985)
- 1895 – Vilho Tuulos, Finnish triple jumper (d. 1967)
- 1898 – Rudolf Dassler, German businessman, founded Puma SE (d. 1974)
- 1898 – Charles Shadwell, English conductor and bandleader (d. 1979)
- 1900 – Angela Maria Autsch, German nun, died in Auschwitz helping Jewish prisoners (d. 1941)
- 1904 – Joseph Campbell, American mythologist and author (d. 1987)
- 1904 – Emilio Fernández, Mexican actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1986)
- 1904 – Attilio Ferraris, Italian footballer (d. 1947)
- 1905 – Monty Berman, English cinematographer and producer (d. 2006)
- 1905 – André Cluytens, Belgian-French conductor and director (d. 1967)
- 1905 – Viktor Frankl, Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist (d. 1997)
- 1906 – Rafael Méndez, Mexican trumpet player and composer (d. 1981)
- 1907 – Azellus Denis, Canadian lawyer and politician, Postmaster General of Canada (d. 1991)
- 1907 – Mahadevi Varma, Indian poet and activist (d. 1987)
- 1908 – Franz Stangl, Austrian-German SS officer (d. 1971)
- 1909 – Chips Rafferty, Australian actor (d. 1971)
- 1910 – K. W. Devanayagam, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician, 10th Sri Lankan Minister of Justice (d. 2002)
- 1911 – Lennart Atterwall, Swedish javelin thrower (d. 2001)
- 1911 – J. L. Austin, English philosopher and academic (d. 1960)
- 1911 – Bernard Katz, German-English biophysicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2003)
- 1911 – Tennessee Williams, American playwright, and poet (d. 1983)
- 1913 – Jacqueline de Romilly, Jewish Franco-Greek philologist, author, and scholar (d. 2010)
- 1913 – Paul Erdős, Hungarian-Polish mathematician and academic (d. 1996)
- 1914 – Toru Kumon, Japanese mathematician and academic (d. 1995)
- 1914 – William Westmoreland, American general (d. 2005)
- 1915 – Lennart Strandberg, Swedish sprinter (d. 1989)
- 1915 – Hwang Sun-won, North Korean author and poet (d. 2000)
- 1916 – Christian B. Anfinsen, American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1995)
- 1916 – Bill Edrich, English cricketer and footballer (d. 1986)
- 1916 – Sterling Hayden, American actor and author (d. 1986)
- 1917 – Rufus Thomas, American R&B singer-songwriter (d. 2001)
- 1919 – Strother Martin, American actor (d. 1980)
- 1919 – Roger Leger, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1965)
- 1920 – Sergio Livingstone, Chilean footballer and journalist (d. 2012)
- 1922 – William Milliken, American politician, 44th Governor of Michigan (d. 2019)
- 1922 – Oscar Sala, Italian-Brazilian physicist and academic (d. 2010)
- 1922 – Guido Stampacchia, Italian mathematician and academic (d. 1978)
- 1923 – Gert Bastian, German general and politician (d. 1992)
- 1923 – Bob Elliott, American comedian, actor, and screenwriter (d. 2016)
- 1925 – Maqsood Ahmed, Pakistani cricketer (d. 1999)
- 1925 – Pierre Boulez, French pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 2016)
- 1925 – Vesta Roy, American politician, Governor of New Hampshire (d. 2002)
- 1925 – Edward Graham, Baron Graham of Edmonton, English soldier and politician (d. 2020)
- 1925 – Ben Mondor, Canadian-American businessman (d. 2010)
- 1925 – James Moody, American saxophonist and composer (d. 2010)
- 1927 – Harold Chapman, English photographer
- 1929 – Edward Sorel, American illustrator and caricaturist
- 1929 – Edwin Turney, American businessman, co-founded Advanced Micro Devices (d. 2008)
- 1930 – Sandra Day O’Connor, American lawyer and jurist
- 1930 – Gregory Corso, American poet (d. 2001)
- 1931 – Leonard Nimoy, American actor (d. 2015)
- 1932 – Leroy Griffith, American businessman
- 1932 – James Andrew Harris, American chemist and academic (d. 2000)
- 1933 – Tinto Brass, Italian director and screenwriter
- 1934 – Alan Arkin, American actor
- 1934 – Edvaldo Alves de Santa Rosa, Brazilian footballer (d. 2002)
- 1937 – Wayne Embry, American basketball player and manager
- 1937 – Barbara Jones, American sprinter
- 1937 – James Lee, Canadian businessman and politician, 26th Premier of Prince Edward Island
- 1938 – Norman Ackroyd, English painter and illustrator
- 1938 – Anthony James Leggett, English-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1940 – James Caan, American actor and singer
- 1940 – Nancy Pelosi, American lawyer and politician, 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
- 1941 – Richard Dawkins, Kenyan-English ethologist, biologist, and academic
- 1941 – Lella Lombardi, Italian racing driver (d. 1992)
- 1942 – Erica Jong, American novelist and poet
- 1943 – Mustafa Kalemli, Turkish physician and politician, Turkish Minister of the Interior
- 1943 – Bob Woodward, American journalist and author
- 1944 – Diana Ross, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
- 1945 – Paul Bérenger, Mauritian politician, Prime Minister of Mauritius
- 1945 – Mikhail Voronin, Russian gymnast and coach (d. 2004)
- 1946 – Johnny Crawford, American actor and singer
- 1946 – Alain Madelin, French politician, French Minister of Finance
- 1947 – Subhash Kak, Indian-American professor and author
- 1947 – John Rowles, New Zealand-Australian singer-songwriter
- 1948 – Kyung-wha Chung, South Korean violinist and educator
- 1948 – Richard Tandy, English pianist and keyboard player (Electric Light Orchestra)
- 1948 – Steven Tyler, American singer-songwriter and actor
- 1949 – Jon English, English-Australian singer-songwriter and actor (d. 2016)
- 1949 – Rudi Koertzen, South African cricketer and umpire
- 1949 – Vicki Lawrence, American actress, comedian, talk show host, and singer
- 1949 – Fran Sheehan, American bass player
- 1949 – Patrick Süskind, German author and screenwriter
- 1949 – Ernest Lee Thomas, American actor
- 1950 – Teddy Pendergrass, American singer-songwriter (d. 2010)
- 1950 – Graham Barlow, English cricketer
- 1950 – Martin Short, Canadian-American actor, screenwriter, and producer
- 1950 – Alan Silvestri, American composer and conductor
- 1951 – Željko Pavličević, Croatian professional basketball coach and former professional player
- 1951 – Carl Wieman, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1952 – Didier Pironi, French racing driver (d. 1987)
- 1953 – Lincoln Chafee, American academic and politician, 74th Governor of Rhode Island
- 1953 – Elaine Chao, Taiwanese-American banker and politician, 24th United States Secretary of Labor
- 1953 – Tatyana Providokhina, Russian runner
- 1954 – Clive Palmer, Australian businessman and politician
- 1954 – Curtis Sliwa, American talk show host and activist, founded Guardian Angels
- 1954 – Dorothy Porter, Australian poet and playwright (d. 2008)
- 1956 – Charly McClain, American country singer
- 1956 – Park Won-soon, South Korean lawyer and politician, 35th Mayor of Seoul
- 1957 – Fiona Bruce, Scottish lawyer and politician
- 1957 – Leeza Gibbons, American talk show host and television personality
- 1957 – Paul Morley, English journalist, producer, and author
- 1957 – Shirin Neshat, Iranian visual artist
- 1958 – Elio de Angelis, Italian racing driver (d. 1986)
- 1960 – Marcus Allen, American football player and sportscaster
- 1960 – Jennifer Grey, American actress and dancer
- 1960 – Graeme Rutjes, Australian-Dutch footballer
- 1961 – William Hague, English historian and politician, First Secretary of State
- 1962 – Richard Coles, English pianist, saxophonist, and priest
- 1962 – Kevin Seitzer, American baseball player and coach
- 1962 – Yuri Gidzenko, Russian pilot and cosmonaut
- 1962 – John Stockton, American basketball player and coach
- 1962 – Eric Allan Kramer, American-Canadian actor
- 1963 – Natsuhiko Kyogoku, Japanese author
- 1964 – Martin Bella, Australian rugby league player
- 1964 – Martin Donnelly, Irish racing driver
- 1964 – Maria Miller, English businessman and politician, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
- 1964 – Ulf Samuelsson, Swedish-American ice hockey player and coach
- 1965 – Trey Azagthoth, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer
- 1965 – Violeta Szekely, Romanian runner
- 1966 – Michael Imperioli, American actor and screenwriter
- 1967 – Jason Chaffetz, American politician
- 1968 – Laurent Brochard, French cyclist
- 1968 – Kenny Chesney, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1968 – James Iha, American guitarist and songwriter
- 1969 – Alessandro Moscardi, Italian rugby player
- 1970 – Paul Bosvelt, Dutch footballer
- 1970 – Jelle Goes, Dutch footballer and coach
- 1970 – Thomas Kyparissis, Greek footballer
- 1970 – Martin McDonagh, English-born Irish playwright, screenwriter, and director
- 1971 – Behzad Ghorbani, Iranian zoologist
- 1971 – Martyn Day, Scottish politician
- 1971 – Erick Morillo, Colombian-American DJ and producer
- 1971 – Rennae Stubbs, Australian tennis player and sportscaster
- 1971 – Paul Williams, English footballer and manager
- 1972 – Leslie Mann, American actress
- 1972 – Jason Maxwell, American baseball player
- 1973 – Larry Page, American computer scientist and businessman, co-founder of Google
- 1973 – T. R. Knight, American actor
- 1973 – Matt Burke, Australian rugby player and sportscaster
- 1974 – Irina Spîrlea, Romanian tennis player
- 1974 – Vadimas Petrenko, Lithuanian footballer
- 1974 – Michael Peca, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
- 1976 – Amy Smart, American actress and former model
- 1976 – Alex Varas, Chilean footballer
- 1976 – Eirik Verås Larsen, Norwegian sprint kayaker
- 1977 – Kevin Davies, English footballer
- 1977 – Bianca Kajlich, American actress
- 1977 – Sylvain Grenier, Canadian wrestler
- 1978 – Anastasia Kostaki, Greek basketball player
- 1979 – Nacho Novo, Spanish footballer
- 1979 – Ben Blair, New Zealand rugby union footballer
- 1979 – Hiromi Uehara, Japanese pianist and composer
- 1979 – Pierre Womé, Cameroonian footballer
- 1979 – Juliana Paes, Brazilian actress
- 1980 – Margaret Brennan, American journalist
- 1980 – Son Ho-young, South Korean singer
- 1980 – Richie Wellens, English footballer
- 1981 – Sébastien Centomo, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1981 – Baruch Dego, Ethiopian-Israeli footballer
- 1981 – Massimo Donati, Italian footballer
- 1981 – Josh Wilson, American baseball player
- 1982 – Mikel Arteta, Spanish footballer
- 1982 – Brendan Ryan, American baseball player
- 1982 – Nate Kaeding, American football player
- 1983 – Andreas Hinkel, German footballer
- 1983 – Floriana Lima, American actress
- 1983 – Roman Bednář, Czech footballer
- 1983 – Mike Mondo, American wrestler
- 1984 – Jimmy Howard, American ice hockey player
- 1984 – Drew Mitchell, Australian rugby player
- 1984 – Felix Neureuther, German skier
- 1984 – Marco Stier, German footballer
- 1984 – Gregory Strydom, Zimbabwean cricketer
- 1984 – Sara Jean Underwood, American model, television host, and actress
- 1985 – Keira Knightley, English actress
- 1985 – Matt Grevers, American swimmer
- 1985 – Jonathan Groff, American actor and singer
- 1985 – Prosper Utseya, Zimbabwean cricketer
- 1986 – Maxime Biset, Belgian footballer
- 1986 – Rob Kearney, Irish rugby player
- 1986 – Emma Laine, Finnish tennis player
- 1987 – Kim Dong-suk, South Korean footballer
- 1987 – Jermichael Finley, American football player
- 1987 – Steven Fletcher, Scottish footballer
- 1989 – Simon Kjær, Danish footballer
- 1990 – Choi Woo-shik, South Korean actor
- 1990 – Patrick Ekeng, Cameroonian footballer (d. 2016)
- 1990 – Yuya Takaki, Japanese idol, singer, dancer, model and actor
- 1990 – Xiumin, South Korean singer and actor, member of South Korean boy band EXO
- 1991 – Matt Davidson, American baseball player
- 1992 – Nina Agdal, Danish model
- 1992 – Stoffel Vandoorne, Belgian racing driver
- 1994 – Jed Wallace, English footballer
- 1996 – Zane Musgrove, New Zealand rugby league player
- 1996 – Kathryn Bernardo, Filipino actress
- 1998 – Satoko Miyahara, Japanese figure skater
- 2003 – Bhad Bhabie, American rapper and social media personality
Deaths on March 26
- 752 – Pope-elect Stephen
- 809 – Ludger, Frisian missionary
- 903 – Sugawara no Michizane, Japanese poet
- 908 – Ai, emperor of the Tang Dynasty (b. 892)
- 922 – Mansur Al-Hallaj, Persian mystic and poet (b. 858)
- 929 – Wang Du, Chinese warlord and governor (jiedushi)
- 973 – Guntram (“the Rich”), Frankish nobleman
- 983 – ‘Adud al-Dawla, Iranian ruler (b. 936)
- 1091 – Wallada bint al-Mustakfi, Andalusian poet
- 1130 – Sigurd the Crusader, Norwegian king (b. 1090)
- 1132 – Geoffrey of Vendôme, French cardinal and theologian (b. 1065)
- 1212 – Sancho I of Portugal (b. 1154)
- 1242 – William de Forz, 3rd Earl of Albemarle
- 1324 – Marie de Luxembourg, Queen of France (b. 1304)
- 1326 – Alessandra Giliani, anatomist (b. c. 1307)
- 1402 – David Stewart, Duke of Rothesay, heir to the throne of Scotland (b. 1378)
- 1437 – Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl, Scottish nobleman and regicide
- 1517 – Heinrich Isaac, Flemish composer (b. 1450)
- 1535 – Georg Tannstetter, Austrian mathematician, astronomer, and cartographer (b. 1482)
- 1546 – Thomas Elyot, English scholar and diplomat (b. 1490)
- 1566 – Antonio de Cabezón, Spanish organist and composer (b. 1510)
- 1625 – Giambattista Marini, Italian poet (b. 1569)
- 1649 – John Winthrop, English lawyer and politician, 2nd Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony
- 1679 – Johannes Schefferus, Swedish historian and author (b. 1621)
- 1697 – Godfrey McCulloch, Scottish politician (b. 1640)
- 1726 – John Vanbrugh, English playwright and architect, designed Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard (b. 1664)
- 1772 – Charles Pinot Duclos, French author and politician (b. 1704)
- 1776 – Samuel Ward, American jurist and politician, 31st Governor of the Colony of Rhode Island (b. 1725)
- 1780 – Charles I, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (b. 1713)
- 1793 – John Mudge, English physician and engineer (b. 1721)
- 1797 – James Hutton, Scottish geologist and physician (b. 1726)
- 1814 – Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, French physician and politician (b. 1738)
- 1827 – Ludwig van Beethoven, German pianist and composer (b. 1770)
- 1858 – John Addison Thomas, American lieutenant, engineer, and politician, 3rd United States Assistant Secretary of State (b. 1811)
- 1862 – Uriah P. Levy, American commander (b. 1792)
- 1881 – Roman Sanguszko, Polish general and activist (b. 1800)
- 1885 – Anson Stager, American general and businessman, co-founded Western Union (b. 1825)
- 1888 – Barghash bin Said of Zanzibar (b. 1837)
- 1892 – Walt Whitman, American poet, essayist, and journalist (b. 1819)
- 1902 – Cecil Rhodes, English-South African colonialist, businessman and politician, 6th Prime Minister of the Cape Colony (b. 1853)
- 1905 – Maurice Barrymore, American actor (b. 1849)
- 1910 – Auguste Charlois, French astronomer (b. 1864)
- 1920 – William Chester Minor, American surgeon and lexicographer (b. 1834)
- 1923 – Sarah Bernhardt, French actress and screenwriter (b. 1844)
- 1926 – Constantin Fehrenbach, German lawyer and politician, Chancellor of Germany (b. 1852)
- 1932 – Henry M. Leland, American machinist, inventor, engineer, automotive entrepreneur and founded of Cadillac and Lincoln (b. 1843)
- 1934 – John Biller, American jumper and discus thrower (b. 1877)
- 1940 – Wilhelm Anderson, German-Estonian astrophysicist (b. 1880)
- 1940 – Spyridon Louis, Greek runner (b. 1873)
- 1942 – Jimmy Burke, American baseball player and manager (b. 1874)
- 1942 – Carolyn Wells, American novelist and poet (b. 1862)
- 1945 – David Lloyd George, English-Welsh lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1863)
- 1951 – James F. Hinkle, American banker and politician, 6th Governor of New Mexico (b. 1864)
- 1954 – Charles Perrin, French rower (b. 1875)
- 1957 – Édouard Herriot, French politician, Prime Minister of France (b. 1872)
- 1958 – Phil Mead, English cricketer and footballer (b. 1887)
- 1959 – Raymond Chandler, American crime novelist and screenwriter (b. 1888)
- 1966 – Victor Hochepied, French swimmer (b. 1883)
- 1969 – John Kennedy Toole, American novelist (b. 1937)
- 1973 – Noël Coward, English playwright, actor, and composer (b. 1899)
- 1973 – Johnny Drake, American football player (b. 1916)
- 1979 – Beauford Delaney, American-French painter (b. 1901)
- 1979 – Jean Stafford, American author and academic (b. 1915)
- 1980 – Roland Barthes, French linguist and critic (b. 1915)
- 1983 – Anthony Blunt, English historian and spy (b. 1907)
- 1984 – Ahmed Sékou Touré, Guinean politician, 1st President of Guinea (b. 1922)
- 1987 – Eugen Jochum, German conductor (b. 1902)
- 1987 – Walter Abel, American actor (b. 1898)
- 1990 – Halston, American fashion designer (b. 1932)
- 1992 – Barbara Frum, American-Canadian journalist and radio host (b. 1937)
- 1993 – Louis Falco, American dancer and choreographer (b. 1942)
- 1995 – Eazy-E, American rapper and producer (b. 1964)
- 1996 – Edmund Muskie, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician, 58th United States Secretary of State (b. 1914)
- 1996 – David Packard, American engineer and businessman, co-founded Hewlett-Packard (b. 1912)
- 2000 – Alex Comfort, English physician and author (b. 1920)
- 2002 – Randy Castillo, American drummer and songwriter (b. 1950)
- 2003 – Daniel Patrick Moynihan, American sociologist and politician, 12th United States Ambassador to the United Nations (b. 1927)
- 2004 – Jan Sterling, American actress (b. 1921)
- 2005 – James Callaghan, English lieutenant and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1912)
- 2005 – Frederick Rotimi Williams, Nigerian lawyer and politician (b. 1920)
- 2006 – Anil Biswas, Indian journalist and politician (b. 1944)
- 2006 – Paul Dana, American racing driver (b. 1975)
- 2006 – Nikki Sudden, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1956)
- 2008 – Robert Fagles, American poet and academic (b. 1933)
- 2008 – Manuel Marulanda, Colombian rebel leader (b. 1930)
- 2009 – Shane McConkey, Canadian skier and BASE jumper (b. 1969)
- 2009 – Arne Bendiksen, Norwegian singer and composer (b. 1926)
- 2010 – Charles Ryskamp, American art collector and curator (b. 1928)
- 2011 – Roger Abbott, English-Canadian actor, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1946)
- 2011 – Geraldine Ferraro, American lawyer and politician (b. 1935)
- 2011 – Diana Wynne Jones, English author (b. 1934)
- 2012 – Sisto Averno, American football player (b. 1925)
- 2012 – Michael Begley, Irish carpenter and politician (b. 1932)
- 2012 – Thomas M. Cover, American theorist and academic (b. 1938)
- 2012 – David Craighead, American organist and educator (b. 1924)
- 2012 – Manik Godghate, Indian poet and educator (b. 1937)
- 2012 – Helmer Ringgren, Swedish theologian and academic (b. 1917)
- 2013 – Tom Boerwinkle, American basketball player and sportscaster (b. 1945)
- 2013 – Krzysztof Kozłowski, Polish journalist and politician, Polish Minister of Interior (b. 1931)
- 2013 – Dave Leggett, American baseball player (b. 1933)
- 2013 – Don Payne, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1964)
- 2014 – Roger Birkman, American psychologist and author (b. 1919)
- 2014 – Dick Guidry, American businessman and politician (b. 1929)
- 2014 – Marcus Kimball, Baron Kimball, English politician (b. 1928)
- 2015 – Dinkha IV, Iraqi patriarch (b. 1935)
- 2015 – Friedrich L. Bauer, German mathematician, computer scientist, and academic (b. 1924)
- 2015 – Tomas Tranströmer, Swedish poet, translator, and psychologist Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1931)
- 2016 – Jim Harrison, American novelist, essayist, and poet (b. 1937)
- 2018 – Fabrizio Frizzi, Italian television presenter (b. 1958)
Holidays and observances on March 26
- Christian feast days:
- Castulus
- Emmanuel and companions
- Felicitas
- Harriet Monsell (Church of England)
- Larissa
- Ludger
- Richard Allen (Episcopal Church (USA))
- March 26 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Independence Day and National Day (Bangladesh), celebrates the declaration of independence from Pakistan in 1971.
- Martyr’s Day or Day of Democracy (Mali)
- Prince Kūhiō Day (Hawaii, United States)
- Purple Day (Canada and United States)
- Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel (Eastern Christianity)