February 26 in History

• 1815

  February 26, 1815:

  Napoleon Bonaparte escapes from Elba Island, where he had been sent on exile in 1814.

• 1839

  February 26, 1839:

  The Grand National Steeplechase is held for the first time at the Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England.

• 1919

  February 26, 1919:

  The Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona is established by the United States Congress.

• 1929

  February 26, 1929:

  An act of Congress establishes the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.

• 1951

  February 26, 1951:

  “From Here to Eternity”, a book about the presence of the US Army in Hawaii prior to the Pearl Harbor attack is published by James Jones, an American novelist.

• 1979

  February 26, 1979:

  The short-lived television sitcom, “Flatbush” premieres on CBS.

• 1993

  February 26, 1993:

  The World Trade Centre in New York City is bombed by Islamist terrorists.

• 2009

  February 26, 2009:

  NFL quarterback Tom Brady and supermodel Gisele Bundchen tie the knot in a church ceremony in Santa Monica.

• 2012

  February 26, 2012:

  Unarmed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin is shot to death by George Zimmerman, a Sanford, Florida neighbourhood watch volunteer.

• February 26, 2012:

  The French silent film, “The Artist” grabs five awards at the Oscars.