On March 26, 1776, Samuel Ward, a colonial Governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and a delegate to the Continental Congress, died. Ward was the only colonial governor to oppose the Stamp Act, threatening his position, but bringing him recognition as a great patriot.
On March 26, 1929, Tom Foley was born in Spokane, Washington. Foley would serve in Congress for 30 years and become Speaker in the House. But after suing the people of his Washington state to overturn the term limits initiative they passed in 1992, Foley became the first House Speaker in 132 years, since 1862, to be defeated for re-election.