So you want to have a drink but you aren't sure why? Here are some GREAT reasons to call your friends over and have a party.

October 26th


- Angam Day (Nauru)
- Christian Feast Day
- National Day, celebrates the anniversary of the Declaration of Neutrality in 1955. (Austria)
- The first day of Ludi Victoriae Sullanae, celebrated until November 1. (Roman Empire)

October 26th


- 2005 - The Chicago White Sox end an 88-year draught to capture their 1st World Series Championship by sweeping the Houston Astros.
- 2003 - The Cedar Fire, the second-largest fire in California history, kills 15 people, consumes 250,000 acres (1,000 km²), and destroys 2,200 homes around San Diego.
- 2002 - Moscow Theatre Siege: Approximately 50 Chechen terrorists and 150 hostages die when Russian Spetsnaz storm a theater building in Moscow, which had been occupied by the terrorists during a musical performance three days before.
- 2001 - The United States passes the USA PATRIOT Act into law.
- 2000 - Laurent Gbagbo takes over as president of Côte d'Ivoire following a popular uprising against President Robert Guéï.
- 1999 - Britain's House of Lords votes to end the right of hereditary peers to vote in Britain's upper chamber of Parliament.
- 1995 - Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Mossad agents assassinate Islamic Jihad leader Fathi Shikaki in his hotel in Malta.
- 1994 - Jordan and Israel sign a peace treaty
- 1992 - The Charlottetown Accord fails to win majority support in a Canada wide referendum.
- 1992 - The London Ambulance Service is thrown into chaos after the implementation of a new CAD, or Computer Aided Dispatch, system which failed.
- 1985 - The Australian government returns ownership of Uluru to the local Pitjantjatjara Aborigines.
- 1984 - "Baby Fae" receives a heart transplant from a baboon.
- 1979 - Park Chung-hee, President of South Korea is assassinated by KCIA head Kim Jae-kyu. Choi Kyu-ha becomes the acting President; Kim is executed the following May.
- 1977 - The last natural case of smallpox is discovered in Merca district, Somalia. The WHO and the CDC consider this date the anniversary of the eradication of smallpox, the most spectacular success of vaccination.
- 1967 - Mohammad Reza Pahlavi crowns himself Emperor of Iran and then crowns his wife Farah Empress of Iran.
- 1964 - Eric Edgar Cooke becomes last person in Western Australia to be executed.
- 1959 - The world sees the far side of the Moon for the first time.
- 1958 - Pan American Airways makes the first commercial flight of the Boeing 707 from New York City to Paris, France.
- 1955 - After the last Allied troops have left the country and following the provisions of the Austrian Independence Treaty, Austria declares permanent neutrality.
- 1955 - Ngô ?ình Di?m declares himself Premier of South Vietnam.
- 1948 - Killer smog settles into Donora, Pennsylvania.
- 1947 - The Maharaja of Kashmir agrees to allow his kingdom to join India.
- 1944 - World War II: The Battle of Leyte Gulf ends with an overwhelming American victory.
- 1943 - World War II: First flight of the Dornier Do 335 "Pfeil".
- 1942 - World War II: In the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands during the Guadalcanal Campaign, one U.S. aircraft carrier, Hornet, is sunk and another aircraft carrier, Enterprise, is heavily damaged.
- 1940 - The P-51 Mustang makes its maiden flight.
- 1936 - The first electric generator at Hoover Dam goes into full operation.
- 1921 - The Chicago Theatre opens.
- 1918 - Erich Ludendorff, quartermaster-general of the Imperial German Army, is dismissed by Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany for refusing to cooperate in peace negotiations.
- 1917 - World War I: Battle of Caporetto; Italy suffers a catastrophic defeat at the forces of Austria-Hungary and Germany. The young unknown Oberleutnant Erwin Rommel captures Mount Matajur with only 100 Germans against a force of over 7000 Italians.
- 1917 - World War I: Brazil declared in state of war with Central Powers.
- 1912 - First Balkan War: The Ottoman occupied city of Thessaloniki, is liberated and unified with Greece on the feast day of its patron Saint Demetrius. On the same day, Serbian troops captured Skopje.
- 1909 - It? Hirobumi, Resident-General of Korea, was shot to death by Korean independence supporter Ahn Jung-geun at the Harbin train station in Manchuria.
- 1905 - Norway becomes independent from Sweden.
- 1881 - The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral takes place at Tombstone, Arizona.
- 1861 - The Pony Express officially ceases operations.
- 1860 - Meeting of Teano. Giuseppe Garibaldi, conqueror of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies, gives it to King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy.
- 1859 - The Royal Charter is wrecked on the coast of Anglesey, north Wales with 459 dead.
- 1825 - The Erie Canal opens – passage from Albany, New York to Lake Erie.
- 1811 - The Argentine government declare the freedom of expression for the press by decree.
- 1795 - The French Directory, a five-man revolutionary government, is created.
- 1776 - Benjamin Franklin departs from America for France on a mission to seek French support for the American Revolution.
- 1775 - King George III goes before Parliament to declare the American colonies in rebellion, and authorized a military response to quell the American Revolution.
- 1774 - The first Continental Congress adjourns in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
- 1689 - General Piccolomini of Austria burned down Skopje to prevent the spread of cholera. He died of cholera himself soon after.
- 1640 - The Treaty of Ripon is signed, restoring peace between Scotland and Charles I of England.
- 1597 - Imjin War: Admiral Yi Sun-sin routs the Japanese Navy of 300 ships with only 13 ships at the Battle of Myeongnyang.
- 306 - Martyrdom of Saint Demetrius of Thessaloniki

October 26th


- 2000 - Ellery Sprayberry, American actress
- 1988 - Greg Zuerlein, American ice dancer
- 1987 - Shawn Lauvao, American football player
- 1985 - Andrea Bargnani, Italian basketball player
- 1985 - Monta Ellis, American basketball player
- 1985 - Asin Thottumkal, Indian actress
- 1985 - Kieran Read, New Zealand rugby player
- 1984 - Sasha Cohen, American figure skater
- 1984 - Martin Burke, Irish actor
- 1984 - Adriano Correia Claro, Brazilian footballer
- 1984 - Jefferson Farfán, Peruvian footballer
- 1984 - Amanda Overmyer, American singer
- 1983 - Dmitri Sychev, Russian footballer
- 1983 - Luke Watson, South African rugby player
- 1983 - Francisco Liriano, Dominican baseball player
- 1982 - Adam Carroll, British racing driver
- 1981 - Sam Brown, American comedian
- 1981 - Guy Sebastian, Australian singer
- 1980 - Cristian Chivu, Romanian footballer
- 1979 - Movsar Barayev, Chechen militant (d. 2002)
- 1978 - Jimmy Aggrey, English footballer
- 1978 - Eva Kaili, Greek TV presenter and politician
- 1978 - CM Punk, American professional wrestler
- 1978 - Dave Zastudil, American football player
- 1977 - Jon Heder, American actor
- 1977 - Bakar Ibor, Comorian footballer
- 1976 - Miikka Kiprusoff, Finnish hockey player
- 1974 - Lisa, Japanese musician
- 1974 - Raveena Tandon, Indian actress
- 1973 - Seth MacFarlane, American animator
- 1973 - Taka Michinoku, Japanese professional wrestler
- 1973 - Austin Healey, English rugby player
- 1971 - Anthony Rapp, American singer and actor
- 1970 - Lisa Ryder, Canadian actress
- 1970 - Dian Bachar, American actor
- 1967 - Keith Urban, New Zealand singer
- 1966 - Jane Hajduk, American actress
- 1966 - Steve Valentine, British actor
- 1966 - Jeanne Zelasko, American sportcaster
- 1966 - Masaharu Iwata, Japanese composer
- 1965 - Aaron Kwok Fu-Shing, Hong Kong singer
- 1965 - Kelly Rowan, Canadian actress and producer.
- 1965 - &ndash The Beatles, receive MBEs
- 1964 - Thomas Cavanagh, Canadian actor
- 1963 - Natalie Merchant, American singer
- 1963 - Ted Demme, American film and television director (d. 2002)
- 1962 - Cary Elwes, British actor
- 1961 - Dylan McDermott, American actor
- 1961 - Gerald Malloy, American politician
- 1960 - June Brigman, American comic book artist
- 1960 - Patrick Breen, American actor
- 1959 - Brian Bovell, British actor
- 1959 - François Chau, Cambodian actor
- 1959 - Paul Farmer, American anthropologist
- 1959 - Andreas Hinze, German footballer
- 1959 - Evo Morales, Bolivian politician
- 1957 - Bob Golic, American football player
- 1957 - Julie Dawn Cole, British actress
- 1956 - Stephen Gumley, Australian businessman
- 1956 - Rita Wilson, American actress
- 1954 - Vassilis Hatzipanagis, Greek footballer
- 1953 - Rosa Monckton, English fundraiser
- 1953 - Keith Strickland, American musician (The B-52's)
- 1952 - Andrew Motion, English poet and Poet Laureate
- 1951 - Bootsy Collins, American musician (P Funk)
- 1951 - Tommy Mars, American keyboard player Frank Zappa
- 1951 - Julian Schnabel, American filmmaker
- 1949 - Steve Rogers, American baseball player
- 1949 - Antonio Carpio, Filipino Supreme Court jurist
- 1949 - Kevin Sullivan, American professional wrestler
- 1948 - Toby Harrah, American baseball player
- 1947 - Hillary Rodham Clinton, 67th United States Secretary of State
- 1947 - Jaclyn Smith, American actress
- 1947 - Trevor Joyce, Irish poet
- 1947 - Ian Ashley, British racing driver
- 1947 - Ricardo Asch, Argentine physician
- 1946 - Holly Woodlawn, Puerto Rican actress
- 1946 - Keith Hopwood, British musician (Herman's Hermits)
- 1946 - Pat Sajak, American game show host
- 1945 - Pat Conroy, American writer
- 1945 - Demetris Th. Gotsis, Greek poet and author
- 1942 - Bob Hoskins, British actor
- 1942 - Zdenko Runji?, Croatian composor (d. 2004)
- 1941 - Charlie Landsborough, Singer/Songwriter
- 1940 - John Horgan, author, professor and politician
- 1936 - Shelley Morrison, American actress
- 1934 - Hans-Joachim Rödelius, German composer and musician (Cluster, Harmonia)
- 1933 - Takis Kanellopoulos, Greek film director and screenwriter (d. 1990)
- 1929 - Neal Matthews, Jr., American singer (The Jordanaires) (d. 2000)
- 1928 - Francisco Solano López, Argentine comics artist
- 1925 - Jan Wolkers, Dutch author (d. 2007)
- 1921 - George Forrest, Northern Irish MP (d. 1968)
- 1919 - Mohammad Reza Pahlavi of Iran, Shah of Iran (d. 1980)
- 1919 - Edward Brooke, American politician
- 1919 - Frank Bourgholtzer, American television correspondent (d. 2010)
- 1916 - François Mitterrand, President of France (d. 1996)
- 1916 - Boyd Wagner, First USAAF fighter ace of WWII (d. 1942)
- 1915 - Joe Fry, British racing driver (d. 1950)
- 1914 - Jackie Coogan, American actor (d. 1984)
- 1913 - Charlie Barnet, American jazz saxophonist and bandleader (d. 1991)
- 1912 - Don Siegel, American director (d. 1991)
- 1911 - Sid Gilman, American football player (d. 2003)
- 1911 - Mahalia Jackson, American singer (d. 1972)
- 1911 - Sorley MacLean, Scottish poet (d. 1996)
- 1909 - Dante Quinterno, Argentine comics artist (d. 2003)
- 1906 - Primo Carnera, Italian boxer (d. 1967)
- 1905 - George Flahiff, Canadian Cardinal (d. 1989)
- 1902 - Beryl Markham, Kenyan horse trainer and author (d. 1986)
- 1902 - Jack Sharkey, American boxer (d. 1994)
- 1899 - Judy Johnson, American baseball player (d. 1989)
- 1888 - Nestor Ivanovich Makhno, Ukrainian anarchist (d. 1934)
- 1883 - Napoleon Hill, American writer and philosopher (d. 1970)
- 1883 - Paul Pilgrim, American athlete (d. 1958)
- 1880 - Andrei Bely, Russian writer (d. 1934)
- 1874 - Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, American socialite and philanthropist (d. 1948)
- 1874 - Martin Lowry, British chemist (d. 1936)
- 1873 - Thorvald Stauning, Prime Minister of Denmark (d. 1942)
- 1873 - A. K. Fazlul Huq, Sher-E-Bangla (Tiger Of Bengal) (d. 1962)
- 1871 - Guillermo Kahlo, father of Frida Kahlo (d. 1941)
- 1869 - Washington Luís Pereira de Sousa, President of Brazil (d. 1957)
- 1865 - Benjamin Guggenheim, American businessman (d. 1912)
- 1854 - C. W. Post, American entrepreneur (d. 1914)
- 1849 - Ferdinand Georg Frobenius, German mathematician (d. 1917)
- 1842 - Vasili Vasilyevich Vereshchagin, Russian painter (d. 1904)
- 1803 - Joseph Hansom, English architect and inventor (d. 1882)
- 1802 - King Miguel of Portugal (d. 1866)
- 1800 - Helmuth von Moltke the Elder, Prussian field marshal (d. 1891)
- 1797 - Giuditta Pasta, Italian soprano (d. 1865)
- 1795 - Nikolaos Mantzaros, Greek composer (d. 1872)
- 1794 - Konstantin Thon, Russian architect (d. 1881)
- 1768 - Eustachy Erazm Sanguszko, Polish general and politician (d. 1844)
- 1759 - Georges Jacques Danton, French Revolutionary leader (d. 1794)
- 1757 - Karl Leonhard Reinhold, Austrian philosopher (d. 1823)
- 1694 - Johan Helmich Roman, Swedish composer (d. 1758)
- 1685 - Domenico Scarlatti, Italian composer (d. 1757)
- 1684 - Kurt Christoph Graf von Schwerin, Prussian field marshal (d. 1757)
- 1673 - Dimitrie Cantemir, Moldavian prince, linguist, and scholar (d. 1723)
- 1609 - William Sprague, English co-founder of Charlestown, Massachusetts (d. 1675)
- 1491 - Emperor Zhengde of China (d. 1521)
- 1473 - Friedrich of Saxony (d. 1510)
- 1427 - Archduke Sigismund of Austria (d. 1496)