What Day Is August 26? Declaration of the Rights of Man (1789)
August 26 is the 238th day of the year. In 1789, the French National Constituent Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of Man. In 1883, Krakatoa erupted in the Sunda Strait, killing around 35,000 people and triggering global climate effects.
About August 26
August 26 is the 238th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (239th in a leap year). There are 127 days remaining until the end of the year.
The significance of August 26
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, adopted by France’s National Constituent Assembly on August 26, 1789, laid out 17 articles based on natural law: liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression. Its first article declared that all men are born and remain free and equal in rights. The document drew on Enlightenment thinkers like Rousseau and Locke and shaped later constitutional documents, including the 1948 UN Declaration of Human Rights. The 1883 eruption of Krakatoa was catastrophic on a different scale. The explosion itself was heard 5,000 km away in Australia. Tsunami waves 35 meters high hit the coasts of Java and Sumatra within hours; approximately 35,000 people died. The volcanic ash ejected into the stratosphere lowered global temperatures by over a degree for two years and produced red sunsets visible worldwide.
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On This Day in History
- 1789The French National Constituent Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. Its first article states that 'men are born and remain free and equal in rights.'
- 1883Krakatoa volcano erupted in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra. The explosion was heard 5,000 km away; the resulting tsunami waves up to 30 meters high killed approximately 35,000 people.
Baby Names for This Day
August 26 is Women's Equality Day in the US (19th Amendment certification, 1920) and the day the Declaration of the Rights of Man was adopted (1789). Names connected to this date:
- LibertyGirl
The Declaration of the Rights of Man's opening principle: liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression.
- VoltaireBoy
Voltaire's ideas on natural rights shaped the Declaration; his Philosophical Dictionary was published just decades before.
- KrakatoaUnisex
The 1883 eruption produced the loudest sound in recorded history; heard in Australia and possibly in the Andaman Islands.
- SusanGirl
Susan B. Anthony, leading women's suffrage activist; August 26 is now Women's Equality Day in the US, tied to the 19th Amendment.
- AdaGirl
Ada Lovelace, mathematician and the first computer programmer; Women's Equality Day recognizes all who advanced women's rights in every field.
- EmileBoy
From Rousseau's 'Émile', which shaped Enlightenment thinking about natural rights leading to the 1789 Declaration.
Frequently Asked Questions
What day is August 26?add
August 26 is the day France adopted the Declaration of the Rights of Man (1789) and Krakatoa erupted (1883). In the US it is Women's Equality Day (19th Amendment certification, 1920). The 238th day of the year.
What number day of the year is August 26?add
August 26 is the 238th day of the year, or the 239th in a leap year, with 127 days remaining.
What zodiac sign is August 26?add
August 26 is Virgo, which runs from August 23 to September 22.