The 2026 anniversaries to mark on your calendar Ten years since the death of David Bowie, one hundred years since the birth of Marilyn Monroe, and the return of The Devil Wears Prada after twenty years
A new year has begun, and there are many days to remember. From the ten-year anniversaries of the deaths of David Bowie, Prince, and George Michael, to the centenaries of Marilyn Monroe and Miles Davis, passing through the 90th anniversary of Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times to the 20th of The Devil Wears Prada with Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep returning to their old roles for the long-awaited sequel. 2026 is a year of anniversaries and milestones to celebrate. Grab a pen and paper and mark these dates on your calendar.
January 10: 10 years since David Bowie's death
We can be heroes, just for one day. While the fifth and final season of Stranger Things closes with David Bowie’s Hero, tears rise both because we must say goodbye to Eleven and her friends and because ten years have passed since the death of the most alien singer to ever set foot on this planet. A Martian who sang about men from the stars and daydreams. The most human hero ever to grace the stage, in any of his personas. In 2026, other anniversaries connected to the icon also occur: fifty years ago, in 1976, Bowie made his film debut in The Man Who Fell to Earth, and in 1986, the cult film Labyrinth starring him and Jennifer Connelly was released.
January 12: 50 years since Agatha Christie's death
The writer of classic mysteries. A pen known worldwide, loved and admired. Agatha Christie was born on September 15, 1890, and passed away fifty years ago on January 12, 1976. She remains a master of the genre, honored through cinema, books, and TV series.
January 27: 270 years since Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s birth
While the miniseries Amadeus, based on Miloš Forman’s 1984 film of the same name, premiered on Sky at the end of 2025, January 27, 2026, marks 270 years since the birth of musician and composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. A genius of his time whose talent has transcended decades and centuries to reach us today.
January 15: One year since David Lynch's death
One year without David Lynch. Without cherry pies and hot black coffee, without rabbit protagonists in TV series or actresses dreaming of Hollywood. Worlds that, however, continue to live on in his filmography and in our imagination.
February 5: 90 years of Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times
Consumerism and productivity. What Charlie Chaplin depicted in Modern Times seems more relevant than ever. Yet, ninety years have passed since the release of one of the most famous films by the actor, comedian, and director. A work that has become a manifesto and continues to speak to contemporary audiences, in any decade.
February 8: 50 years of Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver
Much water has passed under the bridge since Paul Schrader went through a deep personal crisis that he fortunately overcame with the creation of a masterpiece like Taxi Driver. The more the screenwriter described Travis Bickle, the more he distanced him from himself. Fifty years later, the film directed by Martin Scorsese remains a milestone worldwide, with one of the most influential screenplays in global cinema.
February 25: 10 years of Gabriele Mainetti’s They Call Me Jeeg
Although the premiere of They Call Me Jeeg, Gabriele Mainetti’s debut film, took place in October 2025, the movie reached theaters a few months later, becoming a true phenomenon in the Italian film scene. A title that proved the genre could still exist in Italy, even when criminals falling into the Tiber suddenly turn into superheroes.
March 5: 20 years since the Oscar for Paul Haggis’ Crash
Twenty years ago, the Oscar for Best Picture awarded to Paul Haggis’ Crash was considered one of the most undeserved in Academy history, a sentiment that still resonates today. The film surpassed favorites like Brokeback Mountain (for which Ang Lee won Best Director) and sparked strong controversy following its recognition.
March 21: 50 years since the TV series Charlie’s Angels
It all started with Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, and Jaclyn Smith. In 1976, the first season of Charlie’s Angels premiered, running for five seasons until 1981. The series left a lasting cultural impact, inspiring everything from the teen animated show Totally Spies! to the film adaptations by McG and Elizabeth Banks.
April 21: 10 years since Prince’s death
While the final season of Stranger Things features Prince’s Purple Rain, April 21 marks the ten-year anniversary of the icon’s passing. A unique and inimitable figure in music and entertainment, his voice still echoes today, resonating even through audiovisual media.
May 16: 40 years of Tony Scott’s Top Gun
With four years already passed since the release of Top Gun: Maverick, it’s no surprise that the original film reaches its fortieth anniversary on May 16, 2026. The 1986 film remains a cult classic entrenched in cinematic memory, revitalized years later thanks to its sequel, cementing its mythology even further.
May 26: 100 years since Miles Davis’ birth
One hundred years since the birth of Miles Davis, one of the most important musicians of the 20th century. Composer and trumpeter, the talent born in Alton in 1926 mastered the art of jazz and made it his own, becoming a beacon for all artists who came after, in music and beyond.
June 1: 100 years since Marilyn Monroe’s birth
Another illustrious centenary. Born Norma Jeane, she quickly became Marilyn Monroe, icon of beauty, style, and diva of classic Hollywood. A fragile talent, a life broken several times. An artist who lives beyond legend, admired for resilience and the drive to prove her abilities at any cost.
June 1 and September 1: Tom Holland and Zendaya turn 30
We group them together for three reasons: they are a couple, they were born the same year, and both turn 30 in 2026. Tom Holland and Zendaya, among the freshest faces in cinema and television, continue to grow. This year, with the return of a franchise like Spider-Man and a series like Euphoria, exciting things are coming.
June 12: 45 years since Raiders of the Lost Ark
The beginning of a franchise that continued until 2023, Raiders of the Lost Ark turns forty-five on June 12. Forty-five years of fedora hats, whips, and leather jackets. A protagonist who remains part of the enviable roster of iconic characters played by Harrison Ford, and originally, the role was offered to Tom Selleck.
June 30: 20 years since The Devil Wears Prada
While its sequel will arrive this year, 2026 also celebrates the twentieth anniversary of one of the most famous mainstream films worldwide, a movie that successfully combined big names, a simple yet effective story, and the fashion world. The Devil Wears Prada returns to cinemas, honoring these two decades since its release. We can’t wait to celebrate with Miranda Priestly and Andrea Sachs.
July 15: 10 years since the first season of Stranger Things
While we said goodbye to the series on January 1, July 15 marks ten years since the Netflix phenomenon first arrived. No one could have imagined how Stranger Things would change the world, turning it literally upside down.
July 25: 40 years since Vincente Minnelli’s death
He was the director of the most danceable cinema ever. July 25 marks forty years since Vincente Minnelli passed away, the filmmaker who guided us gracefully through the musical streets of Meet Me in St. Louis and An American in Paris.
August 1: 90 years since Yves Saint-Laurent’s birth
In 1980, he became the first living fashion personality to receive a retrospective at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Yves Saint-Laurent was one of the most influential designers of the 20th century, who passed away in 2008. On August 1, he would have turned ninety.
August 31: La La Land opens the 73rd Venice Film Festival
La La Land, directed and written by Damien Chazelle, enchanted the entire Venice Film Festival when it premiered. Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling danced among the stars, while the audience felt the magic dedicated to all the dreamers and eccentrics the film celebrates. A work with cultural impact across generations, it’s amazing that ten years have already passed.
September 5: 80 years since Freddie Mercury’s birth
Prominent teeth, unforgettable mustache, tight jumpsuits, and a stage presence few have ever matched. On September 5, 2026, Freddie Mercury would have turned eighty. A stage animal who forever changed the way performers captivate an audience.
September 6: 80 years since Alfred Hitchcock’s Notorious premiere
The longest kiss in cinema history is considered the one shared by Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman in Alfred Hitchcock’s Notorious, which premiered on September 6, 1946. For François Truffaut, the film represents the quintessence of the master of suspense’s cinema.
September 27: 30 years since the first episode of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
Witches may seem popular now, but they always have been. In 1996, the first episode of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch aired, starring Melissa Joan Hart and, of course, the ever-present black cat Salem.
November 2: 15 years since Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano’s Intouchables
Over time, Intouchables may have lost some of its fame, but fifteen years ago, when it first premiered, it was a phenomenon that swept its home country, France, and the entire film market. Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano’s film became the highest-grossing French film for a while and cemented Omar Sy’s career.
November 4: 10 years since the first season of The Crown
A remarkable year for Netflix. Not only did Stranger Things premiere in the summer of 2016, but a few months later The Crown arrived, a dramatized series exploring the life of the royal family, blending reality and fiction across episodes. The series changes its lead actors every two seasons to follow different eras of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign.
November 12: Daniel Craig first plays James Bond
Initially criticized and not fully embraced by fans, Daniel Craig donned his finest suit and appeared on the big screen for the first time as James Bond. He went on to become one of the most beloved actors in the role. And who knows—twenty years after the release of Casino Royale, his successor may finally be announced.
November 16 & December 19: 25 years since Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
2001 must have been a remarkable year for fans of epic sagas. Within a month, both Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring hit the screen. Blockbuster epicness. Two fantasy universes that made history, both in cinema and in their respective genres.
November 21: 130 years since Filippo Tommaso Marinetti’s birth
We owe Filippo Tommaso Marinetti the speed in art. His work was unstoppable, fragmented, and mobile. The founder of the Futurist movement, the first historical Italian avant-garde of the 20th century, was born in Alexandria, Egypt, on November 21, 1896—130 years ago.
December 10: Grazia Deledda wins the Nobel Prize for Literature & Luigi Pirandello dies at 69
One date, two events a decade apart. On December 10, 1926, Sardinian writer Grazia Deledda received the Nobel Prize for Literature, the second woman ever and the first (and still only) Italian to do so. Ten years later, on the same date in 1936, writer and playwright Luigi Pirandello passed away, whose 90th anniversary of death is marked in 2026.
December 19: 80 years since the release of Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life
It’s a Wonderful Life premiered on December 19, 1946, with public screenings starting the following day. However, the film’s popular success came much later, in 1974, when a copyright mishap led it to become public domain, allowing it to be broadcast on TV every year during the holiday season.
December 25: 10 years since George Michael’s death
Life sometimes surpasses cinema, and in this case, music. December 25, 2016, marks the death of George Michael, pop icon and British composer, whose notes and lyrics of Last Christmas are still heard every holiday season.
