February 26th1233 – Mongol–Jin War: The Mongols capture Kaifeng, the capital of the Jin dynasty, after besieging it for monthsThe Mongol siege of Kaifeng, the capital of the Jin dynasty, concluded with the city's capture on this date. This event was a critical moment in the Mongol–Jin War, significantly weakening the Jin dynasty and showcasing the military prowess of the Mongols under Genghis Khan's leadership.
The Execution of Lord Lovat (1747)On February 26, 1747, Simon Fraser, the 11th Lord Lovat, was executed for his involvement in the Jacobite Rebellion. He was one of the last men to be executed at the Tower of London, and his death marked the end of a tumultuous chapter in British history.
1797The Bank of England issued the first ever one pound note. Printed on watermark paper with a vignette of Britannia on the top left hand corner, the hand-signed white £1 notes were withdrawn in the 1820s.1839The first Grand National Steeplechase was run at Aintree near Liverpool. The winner was 'Lottery' ridden by Jem Mason.
1815 Napoleon Bonaparte escapes from exile on Elba. Sent to the Mediterranean island following his defeat by Russia and its allies in 1814, the former French emperor had agreed to be exiled but changed his mind when he heard rumors of discontent in France. He left the island with an army of loyalists and briefly resumed power, ruling for just 100 days before he was exiled again to the island of Saint Helena.
On February 26, 1852, the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) officially opened its doors to the public in South Kensington, London. The museum would go on to become one of the world's leading institutions for the arts and design.
1909 – Kinemacolor, the first successful color motion picture process, is first shown to the general public at the Palace Theatre in LondonKinemacolor was a groundbreaking two-color film process and the first commercially successful color motion-picture process. It was invented by George Albert Smith and Charles Urban and was first shown to the public at the Palace Theatre in London.
The Welsh Guards came into existence on 26th February 1915.
On Monday, 26th February 1990, the sea wall at Towyn was breached due to a combination of high tides and extreme weather, resulting in flood damage to 2,800 homes, and the evacuation of over 2,000 people.
1987 The Beatles", more commonly called "The White Album", became the first Beatles ' LP to be issued on CD.
2009: A high quality bootlegged version of The Beatles "Revolution 1" appears on the internet. The ten minute long song, known as "Revolution Take 20" was recorded on 4th June 1968, after which John Lennon took away a copy. It's likely that this tape is the source for the bootleg. [media=https://youtu.be/ku6HXL9RqHQ] ‘Tis good!
