It happened today – this day in history – November 26

1476: Vlad III Dracula defeats Basarab Laiota with the help of Stephen the Great and Stephen V Bathory and becomes the ruler of Wallachia for the third time.

1688: Louis XIV of France declares war on The Netherlands.

1778: Captain James Cook is the first European to visit Maui in the Sandwich Islands (now Hawaii).

1916: Greece declares war on Germany.

1922: Archaeologist Howard Carter opens Tutankhamun’s virtually intact tomb in Egypt.

1942: Premiere of Casablanca starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in New York.

1944: Himmler orders the destruction of Auschwitz & Birkenau crematoria.

1962: The Beatles recorded their second single ‘Please Please Me’ in 18 takes and ‘Ask Me Why’ for the flip side at EMI studios in Abbey Road.

1968: Cream played their farewell concert at the Royal Albert Hall.

1973: John Rostill, former bassist with The Shadows and songwriter, died after being electrocuted at his home recording studio.

1976: The Sex Pistols single Anarchy In The UK was released. On the same day, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme left 10cc.

1998: Tony Blair becomes the first British Prime Minister to address the Republic of Ireland’s parliament.

2008: The parents of missing Manic Street Preachers guitarist and lyricist Richey Edwards were granted a court order for him to be declared presumed dead, after he disappeared nearly 14 years previously.

2012: 10 children are killed and 15 people are injured after a Syrian government jet drops a cluster bomb on a playground.

2017: Lewis Hamilton claims his fourth Formula 1 World Drivers Championship.

2018: Ukraine declares martial law in areas bordering Russia after Russia seizes three of its naval vessels.

BIRTHDAYS: Tina Turner (Annie May Bullock) singer, 80; John McVie, bass player (Fleetwood Mac), 74; Hilary Benn, politician, 66; Natasha Bedingfield, singer, 38; Rita Ora, singer/actress, 29.