On this day

October 26, 1956

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

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Headlines from October 26, 1956

Notable Births

Stephen Gumley

1956Stephen Gumley, Australian engineer and businessman[†]

Stephen John Gumley, AO was the first Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Defence Materiel Organisation, serving in the role from February 2004 to July 2011.

Rita Wilson

1956Rita Wilson, American actress and producer[†]

Margarita Wilson Hanks is an American actress, singer, and producer. Her film appearances include Volunteers (1985), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), Now and Then (1995), That Thing You Do! (1996), Jingle All the Way (1996), The Story of Us (1999), Runaway Bride (1999), It's Complicated (2009), and Larry Crowne (2011), and she appeared in the television series The Good Wife and Girls. Wilson has also performed on Broadway and produced several films, including My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002). As a singer-songwriter, Wilson has released the albums AM/FM, Rita Wilson, Bigger Picture, and Halfway to Home. In March 2019, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Notable Deaths

Walter Gieseking

1956Walter Gieseking, French-German pianist and composer (born 1895)[†]

Walter Wilhelm Gieseking was a French-born German pianist and composer. Gieseking was renowned for his subtle touch, pedaling, and dynamic control—particularly in the music of Debussy and Ravel; he made integral recordings of all their published works which were extant during his life. He also recorded most of Mozart's solo piano works.

Historical Events

Hungarian Revolution of 1956

1956Hungarian Revolution: In the towns of Mosonmagyaróvár and Esztergom, Hungarian secret police forces massacre civilians. As rebel strongholds in Budapest hold, fighting spreads throughout the country.[†]

The Hungarian Revolution of 1956, also known as the Hungarian Uprising, was an attempted countrywide revolution against the government of the Hungarian People's Republic (1949–1989) and the policies caused by the government's subordination to the Soviet Union (USSR). The uprising lasted 15 days before being crushed by Soviet tanks and troops on 7 November 1956. Thousands were killed or wounded, and nearly a quarter of a million Hungarians fled the country.

Historical Context for October 26, 1956

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