JULY 26 | Birthdays and Events

Notable Birthdays for July 26

George Clinton (1739-1812) - The 4th VP of the US.

George Catlin (1796-1872) - Painter famous for his portraits of Native Americans in the American frontier.

Silas Soule (1838-1856) - Teen conductor on the Underground Railroad and a soldier who became a "whistleblower" after he disobeyed orders to participate in the Sand Creek Massacre.

Jesse Lauriston Livermore (1877-1940) - Investor and security analyst referred to as the "Great Bear of Wall Street."

Roy Castleton (1885-1967) - The first Mormon (Utah) to play MLB.

Paul Gallico (1897-1976) - Author of The Poseidon Adventure, which was later adapted to the big screen in 1972.

Vivian Vance (1909-1979) - Actress widely recognized as the character Ethel in I Love Lucy.

Ralph Blane (1914-1995) - Songwriter who wrote Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.

Jean Shepherd (1921-1999) - Narrator of A Christmas Story (1983).

Jan Berenstain (1923-2012) - Co-creator of the children's book series The Berenstain Bears.

Barbara Holdridge (1929-2025) - Pioneer of the audiobook industry.

Dorothy Hamill (1956-Still Living) - Olympic and World Gold Medalist in figure skating.

Gary Cherone (1961-Still Living) - Musician and lead of the rock band Extreme.

Stuart Long (1963-2014) - Boxer and Catholic priest whose story was portrayed in the movie Father Stu, starring Mark Wahlberg.

Sandra Bullock (1964-Still Living) - Lead actress in blockbuster movies like Speed, Miss Congeniality, The Blind Side, and Gravity.

Tim Schafer (1967-Still Living) Video game designer and founder of Double Fine Productions.

Memorable Events for July 26

1775 - Benjamin Franklin becomes the Postmaster General.

1788 - New York becomes the 11th state to join the Union.

1848 - Governor Nelson Dewey establishes the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

1908 - U.S. Attorney General Charles Joseph Bonaparte issues an order to immediately staff the Office of the Chief Examiner, which later becomes the FBI.

1917 - J. Edgar Hoover gets a job as a clerk in Department of Justice.

1926 - The National Bar Association is created.

1947 - President Truman signs the National Security Act of 1947 into United States law creating the CIA.

1948 - President Truman signs Executive Order 9981, desegregating the military.

1990 - President George H. W. Bush. signs The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 into law.