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June 26, 1956

Revisit the news, notable people, and historical moments connected to this date.

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Headlines from June 26, 1956

ANTI-U.S. PARTIES WIN ICELAND VOTE; Washington Says It Would Remove Troops if Asked ANTI-U.S. PARTIES WIN ICELAND VOTE

By Felix Belair Jr. Special To the New York Times

Progressive-Soc Dem coalition, pledged to oust US troops from Keflavik air base, wins 25 seats, but falls short of clear majority; Progressives gets 17 seats, Soc Dems 8; Independence party suffers worst defeat in 20 yrs; loses 2 seats; Communists gain 2; speculation on Communist party role in new Govt; Gudmundsson says Soc Dems will oppose any deal with Communists; Natl Preservation party loses its 2 seats; outlook for Keflavik base discussed

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Notable Births

Chris Isaak

1956Chris Isaak, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor[โ€ ]

Christopher Joseph Isaak is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional actor. Noted for his reverb-laden rockabilly revivalist style and wide vocal range, he is popularly known for his breakthrough hit and signature song "Wicked Game"; as well as international hits such as "Blue Hotel", "Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing", and "Somebody's Crying".

Catherine Samba-Panza

1956Catherine Samba-Panza, interim president of the Central African Republic[โ€ ]

Catherine Samba-Panza is a Central African politician who served as Transitional President of the Central African Republic from 2014 to 2016. She was the first woman to serve as head of state in the Central African Republic. Prior to her tenure as acting president, she was the Mayor of Bangui from 2013 to 2014.

1956Patrick Mercer, English colonel and politician[โ€ ]

Patrick John Mercer is a British author and former politician. He was elected as a Conservative in the 2001 general election, until resigning the party's parliamentary whip in May 2013 following questions surrounding paid advocacy, and was an Independent MP representing the constituency of Newark in Parliament until his resignation at the end of April 2014 when a Standards Committee report recommended suspending him for six months for "sustained and pervasive breach of the house's rules". He was Conservative shadow homeland security minister from 2003 to 2007, when David Cameron forced him to resign after he had made remarks about racism which Cameron found unacceptable.

Notable Deaths

Clifford Brown

1956Clifford Brown, American trumpet player and composer (born 1930)[โ€ ]

Clifford Benjamin Brown was an American jazz trumpeter, pianist and composer. He died at the age of 25 in a car crash, leaving behind four years' worth of recordings. His compositions "Sandu", "Joy Spring", and "Daahoud" have become jazz standards. Brown won the DownBeat magazine Critics' Poll for New Star of the Year in 1954; he was inducted into the DownBeat Hall of Fame in 1972.

Richie Powell

1956Richie Powell, American pianist (born 1931)[โ€ ]

Richard Powell was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. He was not assisted in his musical development by Bud, his older and better known brother, but both played predominantly in the bebop style.

Historical Context for June 26, 1956

In 1956, the world population was approximately 2,795,409,994 people[โ€ ]