Timeline Thursday 26 October 1944

Events on Thursday 26 October 1944 2

• 1881 – 1944 William Temple (1881-1944) Died 26 October 1944, aged 63 Archbishop of Canterbury from 1942 and earlier Archbishop of York. He was an influential advocate of Christian social reform and an early promoter of the idea of the welfare state. He was a leading figure in the ecumenical movement.
• 1944 Battle of Leyte Gulf Largest naval battle of the Second World War The US Navy destroyed much of the remaining Japanese fleet in a series of engagements around the Philippines. The battle saw the first organised kamikaze attacks by Japanese aircraft. Afterwards the Imperial Japanese Navy was no longer able to mount major fleet operations.