All times in UTC ·
Dashed edge = started before, or continues beyond, this day
Events on Monday 26 October 1440 1
1405 – 1440Gilles de Rais (1405-1440)Died 26 October 1440, aged 35A French knight who fought alongside Joan of Arc during the Hundred Years' War, Gilles de Rais was later tried and executed for the torture and murder of numerous children at his estates. His case became notorious in French legend and is widely cited as an inspiration for the Bluebeard folktale.