26 February

Across recorded history, 1,656 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 26 February. Below are the 24 most widely documented — ranked by how many language editions of Wikipedia carry an article about them.

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Karl Jaspers

1883–1969

German-Swiss psychiatrist and philosopher

Karl Jaspers was a philosopher who contributed to the development of existentialism and influenced modern psychiatry through his academic work.

Fernandel

1903–1971

French actor and singer

Fernandel was a French actor and singer known for his extensive career in film and on stage.

Otto Wallach

1847–1931

German chemist

Otto Wallach was a chemist who conducted research on alicyclic compounds.

Joseph de Maistre

1753–1821

Savoyard philosopher, writer, lawyer, and diplomat

Joseph de Maistre was a Savoyard philosopher who served as a diplomat and writer.

Levi Eshkol

1895–1969

Israeli politician, a founder of the Israeli Labor Party and Prime Minister

Levi Eshkol was an Israeli politician who served as Prime Minister and helped found the Israeli Labor Party.

Carl Menger

1840–1921

founder of the Austrian School of economics

Economist Carl Menger is recognized as the founder of the Austrian School of economics.

Theodore Schultz

1902–1998

American economist

Theodore Schultz was an American economist who conducted research on agricultural economics and human capital.

Michelle Trachtenberg

1985–2025

American actress

Michelle Trachtenberg is an American actress known for her work in television and film.

Mohammed V of Morocco

1909–1961

King of Morocco

Mohammed V of Morocco was the King of Morocco who served as the country's monarch.

Tjalling Koopmans

1910–1985

Dutch American economist

Tjalling Koopmans was an economist who contributed to the development of linear programming and the theory of optimal allocation of resources.

Hermann Ebbinghaus

1850–1909

German psychologist

Hermann Ebbinghaus was a psychologist who pioneered the experimental study of memory.

Bill Hicks

1961–1994

American comedian

Bill Hicks was an American stand-up comedian known for his satirical social commentary.

Boris Trajkovski

1956–2004

President of Macedonia

Boris Trajkovski was a politician who served as the President of Macedonia.

Anandi Gopal Joshi

1865–1887

One of the first Indian woman doctor

Anandi Gopal Joshi was a physician and one of the first women from India to earn a medical degree.

Angelo Secchi

1818–1878

Italian astronomer

Angelo Secchi was an astronomer who conducted pioneering research in the field of stellar spectroscopy.

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar

1883–1966

Indian politician

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was an Indian politician who advocated for the ideology of Hindutva.

Theodor Eicke

1892–1943

German SS general, commander of concentration camp Dachau and inspector of the concentration camps

Theodor Eicke was an SS general who served as the inspector of concentration camps and commander of the Dachau concentration camp.

Alois Senefelder

1771–1834

German actor and inventor of lithography

Alois Senefelder was an inventor who developed the printing process known as lithography.

Michael Hainisch

1858–1940

President of Austria

Michael Hainisch was an Austrian politician who served as the President of Austria.

Saitō Makoto

1858–1936

Prime Minister of Japan

Saitō Makoto was a Japanese politician who served as the Prime Minister of Japan.

Takahashi Korekiyo

1854–1936

Japanese politician

Takahashi Korekiyo was a Japanese politician who served as a prominent economist and government official.

Richard Jordan Gatling

1818–1903

American firearm designer

Richard Jordan Gatling was an inventor who designed the rapid-fire weapon system that bears his name.

Ladislas Starevich

1882–1965

Polish-Russian stop-motion animator

Ladislas Starevich was a stop-motion animator known for his pioneering work in puppet animation.

Roy Eldridge

1911–1989

American trumpeter

Roy Eldridge was an American trumpeter who performed as a prominent jazz musician.

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.