On Jan. 26, 2001, a magnitude-7.9 earthquake struck western India, killing more than 20,000 people, injuring tens of thousands and causing billions of dollars in damage.
Jan. 26 (UPI) -- On this date in history:
In 1788, the first shipload of British convicts arrived in Australia. The establishment of an Australian prison colony was aimed at relieving overcrowding in British prisons.
In 1837, Michigan joined the United States as the 26th state.
In 1861, Louisiana seceded from the United States.
In 1875, the electric dental drill was patented by George Green of Kalamazoo, Mich.
On April 26, 1986, a fire and explosion at the Soviet Union's Chernobyl nuclear reactor north of Kiev, Ukraine, resulted in the…
On Jan. 17, 1995, a powerful earthquake rocked Kobe, Japan, and the surrounding area, killing about 5,500 people.
On Nov. 26, 2005, a 67-year-old textile tycoon in India, Vijaypat Singhania, set the world record for the highest flight in a…
On Feb. 22, 2011, a 6.3-magnitude earthquake severely damaged Christchurch, New Zealand's second largest city, killing 185 people…
On Jan. 2, 2006, 12 men were killed in a methane gas explosion in a coal mine in West Virginia's Upshur County.
On Jan. 9, 2021, an Indonesian plane carrying 62 people crashed into the Java Sea shortly after takeoff, killing all on board.
