26 August

Across recorded history, 1,386 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 26 August. Below are the 24 most widely documented — ranked by how many language editions of Wikipedia carry an article about them.

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William James

1842–1910

American philosopher, psychologist, and pragmatist

William James was an American philosopher who developed the school of pragmatism.

Charles Lindbergh

1902–1974

American aviator, author, inventor, explorer, and social activist

Charles Lindbergh was an aviator who completed the first solo nonstop transatlantic flight.

Louis-Philippe I

1773–1850

King of the French from 1830 to 1848

Louis-Philippe I was the King of the French who reigned from 1830 until 1848.

Frederick Reines

1918–1998

American physicist

Frederick Reines was a physicist who conducted research leading to the detection of the neutrino.

Franz Werfel

1890–1945

Austrian-Bohemian novelist, playwright and poet

Franz Werfel was an Austrian-Bohemian writer who authored numerous novels, plays, and poems.

Mika Waltari

1908–1979

Finnish writer

Mika Waltari was a Finnish writer known for his extensive body of work as a novelist.

Sven-Göran Eriksson

1948–2024

Swedish football manager

Sven-Göran Eriksson was a Swedish football manager who coached several professional clubs and national teams throughout his career.

Laura Branigan

1952–2004

American singer and actress

Laura Branigan was an American singer and actress known for her work as a recording artist.

Georg Wittig

1897–1987

German chemist (1979 Nobel Prize)

Georg Wittig was a chemist who received the Nobel Prize for his development of the Wittig reaction.

Charles Boyer

1899–1978

French actor

Charles Boyer was a French actor who appeared in numerous film and television productions throughout his career.

Ralph Vaughan Williams

1872–1958

English composer

Ralph Vaughan Williams was an English composer known for his extensive body of orchestral and choral works.

Johann Franz Encke

1791–1865

German astronomer

Johann Franz Encke was an astronomer who calculated the orbital period of the comet that now bears his name.

Neil Simon

1927–2018

American playwright, writer, academic

Neil Simon was an American playwright who wrote numerous successful stage plays and screenplays.

Bob Barker

1923–2023

American game show host

Bob Barker was an American game show host who served as a long-term presenter and advocate for animal rights.

Irving Stone

1903–1989

American writer

Irving Stone was an American writer known for his biographical novels about the lives of famous historical figures.

Gaston Thorn

1928–2007

Luxembourgish politician

Gaston Thorn was a Luxembourgish politician who served as the Prime Minister of Luxembourg and President of the European Commission.

Tobe Hooper

1943–2017

American film director, screenwriter and producer

Tobe Hooper was an American film director known for his work in the horror genre.

Friedrich Miescher

1844–1895

Swiss biochemist

Friedrich Miescher was a biochemist who first identified the substance later known as DNA.

Tex Avery

1908–1980

American animator and director

Tex Avery was an American animator and director known for his work on animated cartoons.

Anna German

1936–1982

Polish singer, popular in Poland and in the Soviet Union

Anna German was a singer who achieved popularity in Poland and the Soviet Union.

Theodor Körner

1791–1813

German poet

Theodor Körner was a German poet known for his literary contributions.

Andrew W. Mellon

1855–1937

American diplomat, banker, businessman, industrialist, philanthropist, and art collector

Andrew W. Mellon was a banker and diplomat who served as a prominent art collector.

Hamaguchi Osachi

1870–1931

Japanese politician

Hamaguchi Osachi was a Japanese politician who served as the Prime Minister of Japan.

Alejandro Agustín Lanusse

1918–1996

38th President of the Argentine Republic

Alejandro Agustín Lanusse was a military officer who served as the President of the Argentine Republic.

Source: Wikidata, released into the public domain under CC0. Snapshot: 2026-07. Names, dates and roles come from Wikidata; summaries are condensed from it. Nothing here is generated to fill a gap.