On This Day for January 26 - First European settlement in Australia, Wayne Gretzky is featured, and more

This message contains graphics. If you do not see the graphics, click here to view. January 26 FEATURED BIOGRAPHY Wayne Gretzky READ MORE   FEATURED EVENT 1788 First European settlement in Australia READ MORE   Advertisement Advertisement   MORE EVENTS ON THIS DAY 2020: American basketball player Kobe Bryant—who was considered one of the sport's greatest players, winning five NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers—died in a helicopter crash at the age of 41. [ Read our list of the 10 greatest basketball players of all time.] 2001: A massive earthquake struck near Bhuj, Gujarat, India, killing more than 20,000 people and causing extensive damage. [Take our natural disasters quiz.] 1988: Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera, a musical version of Gaston Leroux's melodramatic novel, opened in New York City and went on to become the longest-running show in Broadway history. [ How much do you know about the theatre?] 1962: Lucky Luciano, who was the most powerful chief of American organized crime in the early 1930s and was deported to his native Italy in 1946, died at the age of 65. [Test your knowledge of mobster names.] 1958: American comedian and television host Ellen DeGeneres, who was known for her quirky observational humour, was born. [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about pop culture.] 1925: American actor Paul Newman , whose good looks and charisma helped make him an enduring screen presence in the second half of the 20th century, was born. [How much do you know about Paul Newman?] SEE ALL EVENTS ON THIS DAY ALSO BORN ON THIS DAY 1958 Ellen DeGeneres American comedian and television host 1925 Paul Newman American actor and philanthropist 1961 Wayne Gretzky Canadian ice hockey player 1880 Douglas MacArthur United States general 1918 Nicolae Ceaușescu president of Romania 1944 Angela Davis American activist SEE ALL BIOS ON THIS DAY   Advertisement   FOLLOW: To unsubscribe from Britannica e-mails, click here. Encyclopædia Britannica 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 Chicago, Illinois 60654 United States © 2021 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Privacy Policy • Help