April 26

1803 – Thousands of meteor fragments fall from the skies of L'Aigle, France. This event convinces European scientists that meteors exist.
1962 – The British space program launches its first satellite, the Ariel 1.
1981 – Dr. Harrison of the University of California performs the world's first human open fetal surgery.
1986 – The Chernobyl disaster occurs in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.