This day in history: 26 march

1026: Conrad II was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope John XIX, marking the beginning of the Salian dynasty’s rule over the empire.
1793: The Holy Roman Empire formally declared war on France during the French Revolutionary Wars.
1902: British imperialist Cecil Rhodes, who played a key role in establishing British influence in southern Africa and controlled much of the world’s diamond production, died in Cape Town.
1945: The Battle of Iwo Jima concluded with an American victory during World War II. On the same day, German submarine U-399 was sunk off Land’s End by a British frigate.
1995: The Schengen Agreement came into effect, abolishing border checks between participating European countries and laying the foundation for modern European integration.

1804: The Louisiana Purchase was divided into the District of Louisiana and the Territory of Orleans, shaping the future expansion of the United States.
1872: Thomas J. Martin patented the fire extinguisher, an invention still recognized today.
1937: Spinach growers in Crystal City, Texas, erected a statue of Popeye, celebrating the cartoon character’s impact on promoting spinach consumption.
1951: President Harry S. Truman officially adopted the United States Air Force flag, symbolizing the establishment of the Air Force as a separate branch of the military.
1953: Dr. Jonas Salk announced his successful testing of a polio vaccine, a groundbreaking achievement in medical science that helped eradicate polio.
1997: Police discovered 39 victims of mass suicide in Rancho Santa Fe, California, involving members of the Heaven’s Gate cult.

1126: During the Jin–Song Wars, Jin dynasty forces captured Tianzuo, marking a critical moment in the conflict between the Jin and Song dynasties in China.
1931: The Sino-Tibetan War escalated as Chiang Kai-shek’s forces clashed with Tibetan troops, reflecting ongoing territorial disputes in the region during the early 20th century.
2020: In Afghanistan, a bomb exploded near a Sikh crematorium in Kabul, disrupting funerals for victims of a prior attack on a gurdwara. This tragic event highlighted the ongoing violence faced by minority communities in the country.

1960: Nelson Mandela burned his passbook in protest against apartheid laws in South Africa. This act of defiance occurred during the Sharpeville Massacre, where police killed 67 protesters opposing the oppressive “pass laws,” which restricted the movement of Black South Africans.
1979: The Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty was signed, marking the end of 30 years of war between the two nations. Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin agreed to peace terms based on the Camp David Accords, mediated by U.S. President Jimmy Carter.
1991: A military coup led by General Amadou Toumani Touré overthrew Mali’s President Moussa Traoré. This followed the violent suppression of student protests in Bamako, which resulted in an estimated 300 deaths. Touré headed a transitional government until democratic elections in 1992.