1404

  • January 18 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 474 – Seven-year-old Leo II succeeds his maternal grandfather Leo I as Byzantine emperor. He dies ten months later.
    • 532 – Nika riots in Constantinople fail.
    • 1126 – Emperor Huizong abdicates the Chinese throne in favour of his son Emperor Qinzong.
    • 1486 – King Henry VII of England marries Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV uniting the House of Lancaster and the House of York.
    • 1562 – Pope Pius IV reopens the Council of Trent for its third and final session.
    • 1591 – King Naresuan of Siam kills Crown Prince Mingyi Swa of Burma in single combat, for which this date is now observed as Royal Thai Armed Forces day.
    • 1670 – Henry Morgan captures Panama.
    • 1701 – Frederick I crowns himself King of Prussia in Königsberg.
    • 1778 – James Cook is the first known European to discover the Hawaiian Islands, which he names the “Sandwich Islands”.
    • 1788 – The first elements of the First Fleet carrying 736 convicts from Great Britain to Australia arrive at Botany Bay.
    • 1806 – Jan Willem Janssens surrenders the Dutch Cape Colony to the British.
    • 1866 – Wesley College is established in Melbourne, Australia.
    • 1871 – Wilhelm I of Germany is proclaimed Kaiser Wilhelm in the Hall of Mirrors of the Palace of Versailles (France) towards the end of the Franco-Prussian War. Wilhelm already had the title of German Emperor since the constitution of 1 January 1871, but he had hesitated to accept the title.
    • 1886 – Modern field hockey is born with the formation of The Hockey Association in England.
    • 1896 – An X-ray generating machine is exhibited for the first time by H. L. Smith.
    • 1911 – Eugene B. Ely lands on the deck of the USS Pennsylvania anchored in San Francisco Bay, the first time an aircraft landed on a ship.
    • 1913 – First Balkan War: A Greek flotilla defeats the Ottoman Navy in the Naval Battle of Lemnos, securing the islands of the Northern Aegean Sea for Greece.
    • 1915 – Japan issues the “Twenty-One Demands” to the Republic of China in a bid to increase its power in East Asia.
    • 1919 – World War I: The Paris Peace Conference opens in Versailles, France.
    • 1919 – Ignacy Jan Paderewski becomes Prime Minister of the newly independent Poland.
    • 1941 – World War II: British troops launch a general counter-offensive against Italian East Africa.
    • 1943 – Warsaw Ghetto Uprising: The first uprising of Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto.
    • 1945 – World War II: Liberation of Kraków, Poland by the Red Army.
    • 1958 – Willie O’Ree, the first Black Canadian National Hockey League player, makes his NHL debut with the Boston Bruins.
    • 1960 – Capital Airlines Flight 20 crashes into a farm in Charles City County, Virginia, killing all 50 aboard, the third fatal Capital Airlines crash in as many years.
    • 1967 – Albert DeSalvo, the “Boston Strangler”, is convicted of numerous crimes and is sentenced to life imprisonment.
    • 1969 – United Airlines Flight 266 crashes into Santa Monica Bay killing all 32 passengers and six crew members.
    • 1974 – A Disengagement of Forces agreement is signed between the Israeli and Egyptian governments, ending conflict on the Egyptian front of the Yom Kippur War.
    • 1976 – Lebanese Christian militias kill at least 1,000 in Karantina, Beirut.
    • 1977 – Scientists identify a previously unknown bacterium as the cause of the mysterious Legionnaires’ disease.
    • 1977 – Australia’s worst rail disaster occurs at Granville, Sydney killing 83.
    • 1977 – SFR Yugoslavia’s Prime minister, Džemal Bijedić, his wife and six others are killed in a plane crash in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
    • 1978 – The European Court of Human Rights finds the United Kingdom’s government guilty of mistreating prisoners in Northern Ireland, but not guilty of torture.
    • 1981 – Phil Smith and Phil Mayfield parachute off a Houston skyscraper, becoming the first two people to BASE jump from objects in all four categories: buildings, antennae, spans (bridges), and earth (cliffs).
    • 1983 – The International Olympic Committee restores Jim Thorpe’s Olympic medals to his family.
    • 1990 – Washington, D.C. Mayor Marion Barry is arrested for drug possession in an FBI sting.
    • 1993 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is officially observed for the first time in all 50 US states.
    • 2002 – The Sierra Leone Civil War is declared over.
    • 2003 – A bushfire kills four people and destroys more than 500 homes in Canberra, Australia.
    • 2005 – The Airbus A380, the world’s largest commercial jet, is unveiled at a ceremony in Toulouse, France
    • 2007 – The strongest storm in the United Kingdom in 17 years kills 14 people and Germany sees the worst storm since 1999 with 13 deaths. Cyclone Kyrill causes at least 44 deaths across 20 countries in Western Europe.
    • 2008 – The Euphronios Krater is unveiled in Rome after being returned to Italy by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
    • 2018 – A bus catches fire on the Samara–Shymkent road in Yrgyz District, Aktobe, Kazakhstan. The fire kills 52 passengers, with three passengers and two drivers escaping.

    Births on January 18

    • 1404 – Sir Philip Courtenay, British noble (d. 1463)
    • 1457 – Antonio Trivulzio, seniore, Roman Catholic cardinal (d. 1508)
    • 1519 – Isabella Jagiellon, Queen of Hungary (d. 1559)
    • 1540 – Catherine, Duchess of Braganza (d. 1614)
    • 1641 – François-Michel le Tellier, Marquis de Louvois, French politician, Secretary of State for War (d. 1691)
    • 1659 – Damaris Cudworth Masham, English philosopher and theologian (d. 1708)
    • 1672 – Antoine Houdar de la Motte, French author (d. 1731)
    • 1688 – Lionel Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset, English politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (d. 1765)
    • 1689 – Montesquieu, French lawyer and philosopher (d. 1755)
    • 1701 – Johann Jakob Moser, German jurist (d. 1785)
    • 1743 – Louis Claude de Saint-Martin, French mystic and philosopher (d. 1803)
    • 1751 – Ferdinand Kauer, Austrian pianist and composer (d. 1831)
    • 1752 – John Nash, English architect (d. 1835)
    • 1764 – Samuel Whitbread, English politician (d. 1815)
    • 1779 – Peter Mark Roget, English physician, lexicographer, and theologian (d. 1869)
    • 1782 – Daniel Webster, American lawyer and politician, 14th United States Secretary of State (d. 1852)
    • 1793 – Pratap Singh Bhosle, Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire (d. 1847)
    • 1815 – Constantin von Tischendorf, German theologian and scholar (d. 1874)
    • 1835 – César Cui, Russian general, composer, and critic (d. 1918)
    • 1840 – Henry Austin Dobson, English poet and author (d. 1921)
    • 1841 – Emmanuel Chabrier, French pianist and composer (d. 1894)
    • 1842 – A. A. Ames, American physician and politician, Mayor of Minneapolis (d. 1911)
    • 1848 – Ioan Slavici, Romanian journalist and author (d. 1925)
    • 1849 – Edmund Barton, Australian judge and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Australia (d. 1920)
    • 1850 – Seth Low, American academic and politician, 92nd Mayor of New York City (d. 1916)
    • 1853 – Marthinus Nikolaas Ras, South African farmer, soldier, and gun-maker (d. 1900)
    • 1854 – Thomas A. Watson, American assistant to Alexander Graham Bell (d. 1934)
    • 1856 – Daniel Hale Williams, American surgeon and cardiologist (d. 1931)
    • 1867 – Rubén Darío, Nicaraguan poet, journalist, and diplomat (d. 1916)
    • 1868 – Kantarō Suzuki, Japanese admiral and politician, 42nd Prime Minister of Japan (d. 1948)
    • 1877 – Sam Zemurray, Russian-American businessman, founded the Cuyamel Fruit Company (d. 1961)
    • 1879 – Henri Giraud, French general and politician (d. 1949)
    • 1880 – Paul Ehrenfest, Austrian-Dutch physicist and academic (d. 1933)
    • 1880 – Alfredo Ildefonso Schuster, Italian cardinal (d. 1954)
    • 1881 – Gaston Gallimard, French publisher, founded Éditions Gallimard (d. 1975)
    • 1882 – A. A. Milne, English author, poet, and playwright (d. 1956)
    • 1886 – Clara Nordström, Swedish-German author and translator (d. 1962)
    • 1888 – Thomas Sopwith, English ice hockey player, sailor, and pilot (d. 1989)
    • 1892 – Oliver Hardy, American actor and comedian (d. 1957)
    • 1892 – Bill Meanix, American hurdler and coach (d. 1957)
    • 1892 – Paul Rostock, German surgeon and academic (d. 1956)
    • 1893 – Jorge Guillén, Spanish poet, critic, and academic (d. 1984)
    • 1894 – Toots Mondt, American wrestler and promoter (d. 1976)
    • 1896 – C. M. Eddy Jr., American author (d. 1967)
    • 1896 – Ville Ritola, Finnish-American runner (d. 1982)
    • 1898 – Albert Kivikas, Estonian journalist and author (d. 1978)
    • 1901 – Ivan Petrovsky, Russian mathematician and academic (d. 1973)
    • 1903 – Berthold Goldschmidt, German pianist and composer (d. 1996)
    • 1904 – Anthony Galla-Rini, American accordion player and composer (d. 2006)
    • 1904 – Cary Grant, English-American actor (d. 1986)
    • 1905 – Joseph Bonanno, Italian-American mob boss (d. 2002)
    • 1907 – János Ferencsik, Hungarian conductor (d. 1984)
    • 1908 – Jacob Bronowski, Polish-English mathematician, historian, and television host (d. 1974)
    • 1910 – Kenneth E. Boulding, English economist and academic (d. 1993)
    • 1911 – José María Arguedas, Peruvian anthropologist, author, and poet (d. 1969)
    • 1911 – Danny Kaye, American actor, singer, and dancer (d. 1987)
    • 1913 – Carroll Cloar, American artist (d. 1993)
    • 1913 – Giannis Papaioannou, Greek composer (d. 1972)
    • 1914 – Arno Schmidt, German author and translator (d. 1979)
    • 1914 – Vitomil Zupan, Slovene author, poet, and playwright (d. 1987)
    • 1915 – Syl Apps, Canadian pole vaulter, ice hockey player, and politician (d. 1998)
    • 1915 – Santiago Carrillo, Spanish soldier and politician (d. 2012)
    • 1915 – Vassilis Tsitsanis, Greek singer-songwriter and bouzouki player (d. 1984)
    • 1917 – Nicholas Oresko, American sergeant, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 2013)
    • 1917 – Wang Yung-ching, Taiwanese-American businessman (d. 2008)
    • 1918 – Gustave Gingras, Canadian-English physician and educator (d. 1996)
    • 1919 – Toni Turek, German footballer (d. 1984)
    • 1921 – Yoichiro Nambu, Japanese-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2015)
    • 1923 – John Graham, General Officer Commanding (GOC) Wales (d. 2012)
    • 1923 – Gerrit Voorting, Dutch cyclist (d. 2015)
    • 1925 – Gilles Deleuze, French metaphysician and philosopher (d. 1995)
    • 1925 – John V. Evans, American soldier and politician, 27th Governor of Idaho (d. 2014)
    • 1925 – Sol Yurick, American soldier and author (d. 2013)
    • 1926 – Randolph Bromery, American geologist and academic (d. 2013)
    • 1927 – Sundaram Balachander, Indian actor, singer, and veena player (d. 1990)
    • 1928 – Alexander Gomelsky, Soviet and Russian professional basketball coach (d. 2005)
    • 1931 – Chun Doo-hwan, South Korean general and politician, 5th President of South Korea
    • 1932 – Robert Anton Wilson, American psychologist, author, poet, and playwright (d. 2007)
    • 1933 – Emeka Anyaoku, Nigerian politician, 8th Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs
    • 1933 – David Bellamy, English botanist, author and academic (d. 2019)
    • 1933 – John Boorman, English director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1933 – Ray Dolby, American engineer and businessman, founded Dolby Laboratories (d. 2013)
    • 1933 – William Goodhart, Baron Goodhart, English lawyer and politician (d. 2017)
    • 1933 – Frank McMullen, New Zealand rugby player (d. 2004)
    • 1933 – Jean Vuarnet, French ski racer (d. 2017)
    • 1934 – Raymond Briggs, English author and illustrator
    • 1935 – Albert Millaire, Canadian actor and director (d. 2018)
    • 1935 – Jon Stallworthy, English poet, critic, and academic (d. 2014)
    • 1935 – Gad Yaacobi, Israeli academic and diplomat, 10th Israel Ambassador to the United Nations (d. 2007)
    • 1936 – David Howell, Baron Howell of Guildford, English journalist and politician, Secretary of State for Transport
    • 1937 – John Hume, Northern Irish educator and politician, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1938 – Curt Flood, American baseball player and sportscaster (d. 1997)
    • 1938 – Anthony Giddens, English sociologist and academic
    • 1938 – Werner Olk, German footballer and manager
    • 1938 – Hargus “Pig” Robbins, American Country Music Hall of Fame session keyboard and piano player
    • 1940 – Pedro Rodriguez, Mexican race car driver (d. 1971)
    • 1941 – Denise Bombardier, Canadian journalist and author
    • 1941 – Bobby Goldsboro, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
    • 1941 – David Ruffin, American singer (The Temptations) (d. 1991)
    • 1943 – Paul Freeman, English actor
    • 1943 – Kay Granger, American educator and politician
    • 1943 – Dave Greenslade, English keyboard player and composer
    • 1943 – Charlie Wilson, American businessman and politician (d. 2013)
    • 1944 – Paul Keating, Australian economist and politician, 24th Prime Minister of Australia
    • 1944 – Carl Morton, American baseball player (d. 1983)
    • 1944 – Kei Ogura, Japanese singer-songwriter and composer
    • 1944 – Alexander Van der Bellen, President of Austria
    • 1945 – Rocco Forte, English businessman and philanthropist
    • 1946 – Perro Aguayo, Mexican wrestler (d. 2019)
    • 1946 – Joseph Deiss, Swiss economist and politician, 156th President of the Swiss Confederation
    • 1946 – Henrique Rosa, Bissau-Guinean politician, President of Guinea-Bissau (d. 2013)
    • 1947 – Sachio Kinugasa, Japanese baseball player and journalist (d. 2018)
    • 1947 – Takeshi Kitano, Japanese actor and director
    • 1949 – Bill Keller, American journalist
    • 1949 – Philippe Starck, French interior designer
    • 1950 – Gianfranco Brancatelli, Italian race car driver
    • 1950 – Gilles Villeneuve, Canadian race car driver (d. 1982)
    • 1951 – Bram Behr, Surinamese journalist and activist (d. 1982)
    • 1951 – Bob Latchford, English footballer
    • 1952 – Michael Behe, American biochemist, author, and academic
    • 1952 – R. Stevie Moore, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1953 – Brett Hudson, American singer-songwriter and producer
    • 1953 – Peter Moon, Australian comedian and actor
    • 1955 – Kevin Costner, American actor, director, and producer
    • 1956 – Paul Deighton, Baron Deighton, English banker and politician
    • 1960 – Mark Rylance, English actor, director, and playwright
    • 1961 – Peter Beardsley, English footballer and manager
    • 1961 – Bob Hansen, American basketball player and sportscaster
    • 1961 – Mark Messier, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and sportscaster
    • 1961 – Jeff Yagher, American actor and sculptor
    • 1962 – Alison Arngrim, Canadian-American actress
    • 1963 – Maxime Bernier, Canadian lawyer and politician, 7th Minister of Foreign Affairs for Canada
    • 1963 – Ian Crook, English footballer, central midfielder and manager
    • 1963 – Carl McCoy, English singer-songwriter
    • 1963 – Martin O’Malley, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 61st Governor of Maryland
    • 1964 – Brady Anderson, American baseball player
    • 1964 – Richard Dunwoody, Northern Irish jockey and sportscaster
    • 1964 – Virgil Hill, American boxer
    • 1964 – Jane Horrocks, English actress and singer
    • 1966 – Alexander Khalifman, Russian chess player and author
    • 1966 – Kazufumi Miyazawa, Japanese singer
    • 1966 – André Ribeiro, Brazilian race car driver
    • 1967 – Dean Bailey, Australian footballer and coach (d. 2014)
    • 1967 – Iván Zamorano, Chilean footballer
    • 1969 – Dave Bautista, American wrestler, mixed martial artist, and actor
    • 1969 – Jesse L. Martin, American actor and singer
    • 1969 – Jim O’Rourke, American guitarist and producer
    • 1970 – Peter Van Petegem, Belgian cyclist
    • 1971 – Amy Barger, American astronomer
    • 1971 – Jonathan Davis, American singer-songwriter
    • 1971 – Christian Fittipaldi, Brazilian race car driver
    • 1971 – Pep Guardiola, Spanish footballer and manager
    • 1971 – Binyavanga Wainaina, Kenyan writer (d. 2019)
    • 1972 – Vinod Kambli, Indian cricketer, sportscaster, and actor
    • 1972 – Mike Lieberthal, American baseball player
    • 1972 – Kjersti Plätzer, Norwegian race walker
    • 1973 – Burnie Burns, American actor, director, and producer, co-founded Rooster Teeth Productions
    • 1973 – Luke Goodwin, Australian rugby league player and coach
    • 1973 – Benjamin Jealous, American civic leader and activist
    • 1973 – Anthony Koutoufides, Australian footballer
    • 1973 – Crispian Mills, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and director
    • 1973 – Rolando Schiavi, Argentinian footballer and coach
    • 1974 – Christian Burns, English singer-songwriter
    • 1975 – Leslie Knope, Protagonist of Parks and Recreation (fictional)
    • 1976 – Laurence Courtois, Belgian tennis player
    • 1976 – Marcelo Gallardo, Argentinian footballer and coach
    • 1976 – Damien Leith, Irish-Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1977 – Richard Archer, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1978 – Brian Falkenborg, American baseball player
    • 1978 – Thor Hushovd, Norwegian cyclist
    • 1978 – Bogdan Lobonț, Romanian footballer
    • 1979 – Ruslan Fedotenko, Ukrainian ice hockey player
    • 1979 – Paulo Ferreira, Portuguese footballer
    • 1979 – Brian Gionta, American ice hockey player
    • 1979 – Kenyatta Jones, American football player (d. 2018)
    • 1980 – Estelle, English singer-songwriter and producer
    • 1980 – Robert Green, English footballer
    • 1980 – Kert Haavistu, Estonian footballer and manager
    • 1980 – Julius Peppers, American football player
    • 1980 – Jason Segel, American actor and screenwriter
    • 1981 – Otgonbayar Ershuu, Mongolian painter and illustrator
    • 1981 – Olivier Rochus, Belgian tennis player
    • 1981 – Khari Stephenson, Jamaican footballer
    • 1981 – Kang Dong-won, South Korean actor
    • 1982 – Quinn Allman, American guitarist and producer
    • 1982 – Mary Jepkosgei Keitany, Kenyan runner
    • 1983 – Amir Blumenfeld, Israeli-American comedian, actor, director, and screenwriter
    • 1983 – Samantha Mumba, Irish singer-songwriter and actress
    • 1984 – Kristy Lee Cook, American singer-songwriter
    • 1984 – Ioannis Drymonakos, Greek swimmer
    • 1984 – Makoto Hasebe, Japanese footballer
    • 1984 – Michael Kearney, American biochemist and academic
    • 1984 – Seung-Hui Cho, South Korean student who perpetrated the 2007 mass shooting at Virginia Tech (d. 2007)
    • 1984 – Benji Schwimmer, American dancer and choreographer
    • 1984 – Viktoria Shklover, Estonian figure skater
    • 1985 – Dale Begg-Smith, Canadian-Australian skier
    • 1985 – Mark Briscoe, American wrestler
    • 1985 – Riccardo Montolivo, Italian footballer
    • 1985 – Hyun Woo, South Korean actor
    • 1986 – Marya Roxx, Estonian-American singer-songwriter
    • 1986 – Ikusaburo Yamazaki, Japanese actor and singer
    • 1987 – Johan Djourou, Swiss footballer
    • 1987 – Christopher Liebig, German rugby player
    • 1987 – Grigoris Makos, Greek footballer
    • 1988 – Ronnie Day, American singer-songwriter
    • 1988 – Angelique Kerber, German tennis player
    • 1988 – Anastasios Kissas, Greek footballer
    • 1988 – Boy van Poppel, Dutch cyclist
    • 1989 – Rubén Miño, Spanish footballer
    • 1990 – Nacho, Spanish footballer
    • 1990 – Hayle Ibrahimov, Ethiopian-Azerbaijani runner
    • 1990 – Gift Ngoepe, South African baseball player
    • 1991 – Diego Simões, Brazilian footballer
    • 1992 – Francesco Bardi, Italian footballer
    • 1993 – Sean Keenan, Australian actor
    • 1994 – Kang Ji-young, South Korean singer
    • 1994 – Ilona Kremen, Belarusian tennis player
    • 1995 – Bryce Alford, American basketball player
    • 1998 – Aitana Bonmatí, Spanish footballer

    Deaths on January 18

    • 52 BC – Publius Clodius Pulcher, Roman politician (b. 93 BC)
    • 474 – Leo I, Byzantine emperor (b. 401)
    • 748 – Odilo, duke of Bavaria
    • 896 – Khumarawayh ibn Ahmad ibn Tulun, ruler of the Tulunids, murdered (b. 864)
    • 1213 – Tamar of Georgia (b. 1160)
    • 1253 – King Henry I of Cyprus (b. 1217)
    • 1271 – Saint Margaret of Hungary (b. 1242)
    • 1326 – Robert FitzWalter, 1st Baron FitzWalter, English baron (b. 1247)
    • 1357 – Maria of Portugal, infanta (b. 1313)
    • 1367 – Peter I of Portugal (b. 1320)
    • 1411 – Jobst of Moravia, ruler of Moravia, King of the Romans
    • 1425 – Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March, English politician (b. 1391)
    • 1471 – Emperor Go-Hanazono of Japan (b. 1419)
    • 1479 – Louis IX, Duke of Bavaria (b. 1417)
    • 1547 – Pietro Bembo, Italian cardinal and scholar (b. 1470)
    • 1586 – Margaret of Parma (b. 1522)
    • 1589 – Magnus Heinason, Faroese naval hero (b. 1545)
    • 1677 – Jan van Riebeeck, Dutch politician, founded Cape Town (b. 1619)
    • 1756 – Francis George of Schönborn-Buchheim, Archbishop-Elector of Trier (b. 1682)
    • 1783 – Jeanne Quinault, French actress and playwright (b. 1699)
    • 1803 – Ippolit Bogdanovich, Russian poet and academic (b. 1743)
    • 1849 – Panoutsos Notaras, Greek politician (b. 1752)
    • 1862 – John Tyler, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 10th President of the United States (b. 1790)
    • 1873 – Edward Bulwer-Lytton, English author, poet, playwright, and politician, Secretary of State for the Colonies (b. 1803)
    • 1878 – Antoine César Becquerel, French physicist and academic (b. 1788)
    • 1886 – Baldassare Verazzi, Italian painter (b. 1819)
    • 1892 – Anton Anderledy, Swiss religious leader, 23rd Superior General of the Society of Jesus (b. 1819)
    • 1896 – Charles Floquet, French lawyer and politician, 55th Prime Minister of France (b. 1828)
    • 1923 – Wallace Reid, American actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1891)
    • 1936 – Hermanus Brockmann, Dutch rower (b. 1871)
    • 1936 – Rudyard Kipling, English author and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1865)
    • 1940 – Kazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer, Polish author, poet, and playwright (b. 1865)
    • 1951 – Amy Carmichael, Irish missionary and humanitarian (b. 1867)
    • 1952 – Curly Howard, American actor (b. 1903)
    • 1954 – Sydney Greenstreet, English-American actor (b. 1879)
    • 1955 – Saadat Hasan Manto, Pakistani author and screenwriter (b. 1912)
    • 1956 – Makbule Atadan, Turkish lawyer and politician (b. 1885)
    • 1956 – Konstantin Päts, Estonian journalist, lawyer, and politician, 1st President of Estonia (b. 1874)
    • 1963 – Hugh Gaitskell, English academic and politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (b. 1906)
    • 1966 – Kathleen Norris, American journalist and author (b. 1880)
    • 1967 – Goose Tatum, American basketball player and soldier (b. 1921)
    • 1969 – Hans Freyer, German sociologist and philosopher (b. 1887)
    • 1970 – David O. McKay, American religious leader, 9th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (b. 1873)
    • 1971 – Virgil Finlay, American illustrator (b. 1914)
    • 1973 – Irina Nikolaevna Levchenko, Russian tank commander (b. 1924)
    • 1975 – Gertrude Olmstead, American actress (b. 1897)
    • 1978 – Hasan Askari, Pakistani philosopher and author (b. 1919)
    • 1980 – Cecil Beaton, English fashion designer and photographer (b. 1904)
    • 1984 – Panteleimon Ponomarenko, Belarusian general and politician (b. 1902)
    • 1984 – Vassilis Tsitsanis, Greek singer-songwriter and bouzouki player (b. 1915)
    • 1989 – Bruce Chatwin, English-French author (b. 1940)
    • 1990 – Melanie Appleby, English singer (b. 1966)
    • 1990 – Rusty Hamer, American actor (b. 1947)
    • 1993 – Dionysios Zakythinos, Greek historian, academic, and politician (b. 1905)
    • 1995 – Adolf Butenandt, German biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1903)
    • 1995 – Ron Luciano, American baseball player and umpire (b. 1937)
    • 1996 – N. T. Rama Rao, Indian actor, director, producer, and politician, 10th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh (b. 1923)
    • 1997 – Paul Tsongas, American lawyer and politician (b. 1941)
    • 1998 – Dan Georgiadis, Greek footballer and manager (b. 1922)
    • 2000 – Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, Austrian architect (b. 1897)
    • 2003 – Ed Farhat, American wrestler and trainer (b. 1924)
    • 2003 – Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Indian poet and author (b. 1907)
    • 2005 – Lamont Bentley, American actor and rapper (b. 1973)
    • 2006 – Jan Twardowski, Polish priest and poet (b. 1915)
    • 2007 – Brent Liles, American bass player (b. 1963)
    • 2008 – Georgia Frontiere, American businesswoman and philanthropist (b. 1927)
    • 2008 – Frank Lewin, American composer and theorist (b. 1925)
    • 2008 – Lois Nettleton, American actress (b. 1927)
    • 2008 – John Stroger, American politician (b. 1929)
    • 2009 – Tony Hart, English painter and television host (b. 1925)
    • 2009 – Nora Kovach, Hungarian-American ballerina (b. 1931)
    • 2009 – Danai Stratigopoulou, Greek singer-songwriter (b. 1913)
    • 2009 – Grigore Vieru, Romanian poet and author (b. 1935)
    • 2010 – Kate McGarrigle, Canadian musician and singer-songwriter (b. 1946)
    • 2010 – Robert B. Parker, American author and academic (b. 1932)
    • 2011 – Sargent Shriver, American politician and diplomat, 21st United States Ambassador to France (b. 1915)
    • 2012 – Anthony Gonsalves, Indian composer and educator (b. 1927)
    • 2012 – Georg Lassen, German captain (b. 1915)
    • 2012 – Yuri Rasovsky, American playwright and producer, founded The National Radio Theater of Chicago (b. 1944)
    • 2013 – Sean Fallon, Irish footballer and manager (b. 1922)
    • 2013 – Jim Horning, American computer scientist and academic (b. 1942)
    • 2013 – Jon Mannah, Australian rugby league player (b. 1989)
    • 2013 – Lewis Marnell, Australian skateboarder (b. 1982)
    • 2013 – Ron Nachman, Israeli lawyer and politician (b. 1942)
    • 2014 – Kathryn Abbe, American photographer and author (b. 1919)
    • 2014 – Michael Botmang, Nigerian politician, 17th Governor of Plateau State (b. 1938)
    • 2014 – Dennis Frederiksen, American singer-songwriter (b. 1951)
    • 2014 – Andy Graver, English footballer (b. 1927)
    • 2014 – Sarah Marshall, English actress (b. 1933)
    • 2014 – Eugenio Cruz Vargas, Chilean poet and painter (b. 1923)
    • 2015 – Alberto Nisman, Argentinian lawyer and prosecutor (b. 1963)
    • 2015 – Christine Valmy, Romanian cosmetologist and author (b. 1926)
    • 2015 – Piet van der Sanden, Dutch journalist and politician (b. 1924)
    • 2015 – Tony Verna, American director and producer, invented instant replay (b. 1933)
    • 2016 – Johnny Bach, American basketball player and coach (b. 1924)
    • 2016 – Glenn Frey, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (b. 1948)
    • 2016 – T. S. Sinnathuray, Judge of the High Court of Singapore (b. 1930)
    • 2016 – Michel Tournier, French journalist and author (b. 1924)
    • 2017 – Peter Abrahams, South African-Jamaican writer (b. 1919)
    • 2017 – David P. Buckson, American lawyer and politician, Governor of Delaware (b. 1920)
    • 2017 – Rachael Heyhoe Flint, Baroness Heyhoe Flint, English cricketer, businesswoman and philanthropist (b. 1939)
    • 2017 – Roberta Peters, American coloratura soprano (b. 1930)
    • 2019 – John Coughlin, American figure skater (b. 1985)

    Holidays and observances on January 18

    • Christian feast day:
      • Amy Carmichael (Church of England)
      • Athanasius of Alexandria (Eastern Orthodox Church)
      • Confession of Peter (Eastern Orthodox, some Anglican and Lutheran Churches)
      • Cyril of Alexandria
      • Deicolus
      • Margaret of Hungary
      • Prisca
      • Volusianus of Tours
      • January 18 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Royal Thai Armed Forces Day (Thailand)
    • Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (January 18–25) (Christianity)

  • January 17 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 38 BC – Octavian divorces his wife Scribonia and marries Livia Drusilla, ending the fragile peace between the Second Triumvirate and Sextus Pompey.
    • 1362 – Saint Marcellus’ flood kills at least 25,000 people on the shores of the North Sea.
    • 1377 – Pope Gregory XI reaches Rome, after deciding to move the Papacy back to Rome from Avignon.
    • 1524 – Giovanni da Verrazzano sets sail westward from Madeira to find a sea route to the Pacific Ocean.
    • 1562 – France grants religious toleration to the Huguenots in the Edict of Saint-Germain.
    • 1595 – During the French Wars of Religion, Henry IV of France declares war on Spain.
    • 1608 – Emperor Susenyos I of Ethiopia surprises an Oromo army at Ebenat; his army reportedly kills 12,000 Oromo at the cost of 400 of his men.
    • 1648 – England’s Long Parliament passes the “Vote of No Addresses”, breaking off negotiations with King Charles I and thereby setting the scene for the second phase of the English Civil War.
    • 1773 – Captain James Cook leads the first expedition to sail south of the Antarctic Circle.
    • 1781 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Cowpens: Continental troops under Brigadier General Daniel Morgan defeat British forces under Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton at the battle in South Carolina.
    • 1799 – Maltese patriot Dun Mikiel Xerri, along with a number of other patriots, is executed.
    • 1811 – Mexican War of Independence: In the Battle of Calderón Bridge, a heavily outnumbered Spanish force of 6,000 troops defeats nearly 100,000 Mexican revolutionaries.
    • 1852 – The United Kingdom signs the Sand River Convention with the South African Republic.
    • 1873 – A group of Modoc warriors defeats the United States Army in the First Battle of the Stronghold, part of the Modoc War.
    • 1885 – A British force defeats a large Dervish army at the Battle of Abu Klea in the Sudan.
    • 1893 – Lorrin A. Thurston, along with the Citizens’ Committee of Public Safety, led the Overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii and the government of Queen Liliʻuokalani.
    • 1899 – The United States takes possession of Wake Island in the Pacific Ocean.
    • 1903 – El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico becomes part of the United States National Forest System as the Luquillo Forest Reserve.
    • 1904 – Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard receives its premiere performance at the Moscow Art Theatre.
    • 1912 – British polar explorer Captain Robert Falcon Scott reaches the South Pole, one month after Roald Amundsen.
    • 1915 – Russia defeats Ottoman Turkey in the Battle of Sarikamish during the Caucasus Campaign of World War I.
    • 1917 – The United States pays Denmark $25 million for the Virgin Islands.
    • 1918 – Finnish Civil War: The first serious battles take place between the Red Guards and the White Guard.
    • 1920 – Alcohol Prohibition begins in the United States as the Volstead Act goes into effect.
    • 1929 – Popeye the Sailor Man, a cartoon character created by E. C. Segar, first appears in the Thimble Theatre comic strip.
    • 1941 – Franco-Thai War: Vichy French forces inflict a decisive defeat over the Royal Thai Navy.
    • 1943 – World War II: Greek submarine Papanikolis captures the 200-ton sailing vessel Agios Stefanos and mans her with part of her crew.
    • 1944 – World War II: Allied forces launch the first of four assaults on Monte Cassino with the intention of breaking through the Winter Line and seizing Rome, an effort that would ultimately take four months and cost 105,000 Allied casualties.
    • 1945 – World War II: The Vistula–Oder Offensive forces German troops out of Warsaw.
    • 1945 – The SS-Totenkopfverbände begin the evacuation of the Auschwitz concentration camp as Soviet forces close in.
    • 1945 – Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg is taken into Soviet custody while in Hungary; he is never publicly seen again.
    • 1946 – The UN Security Council holds its first session.
    • 1948 – The Renville Agreement between the Netherlands and Indonesia is ratified.
    • 1950 – The Great Brink’s Robbery: Eleven thieves steal more than $2 million from an armored car company’s offices in Boston.
    • 1950 – United Nations Security Council Resolution 79 relating to arms control is adopted.
    • 1961 – U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower delivers a televised farewell address to the nation three days before leaving office, in which he warns against the accumulation of power by the “military–industrial complex” as well as the dangers of massive spending, especially deficit spending.
    • 1961 – Former Congolese Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba is murdered in circumstances suggesting the support and complicity of the governments of Belgium and the United States.
    • 1966 – Palomares incident: A B-52 bomber collides with a KC-135 Stratotanker over Spain, killing seven airmen, and dropping three 70-kiloton nuclear bombs near the town of Palomares and another one into the sea.
    • 1969 – Black Panther Party members Bunchy Carter and John Huggins are killed during a meeting in Campbell Hall on the campus of UCLA.
    • 1977 – Capital punishment in the United States resumes after a ten-year hiatus, as convicted murderer Gary Gilmore is executed by firing squad in Utah.
    • 1981 – President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos lifts martial law eight years and five months after declaring it.
    • 1991 – Gulf War: Operation Desert Storm begins early in the morning as aircraft strike positions across Iraq, it is also the first major combat sortie for the F-117. LCDR Scott Speicher’s F/A-18C Hornet from VFA-81 is shot down by a Mig-25 and is the first American casualty of the War. Iraq fires eight Scud missiles into Israel in an unsuccessful bid to provoke Israeli retaliation.
    • 1991 – Crown prince Harald V of Norway becomes King Harald V, following the death of his father, King Olav V.
    • 1992 – During a visit to South Korea, Japanese Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa apologizes for forcing Korean women into sexual slavery during World War II.
    • 1994 – The 6.7 Mw  Northridge earthquake shakes the Greater Los Angeles Area with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), leaving 57 people dead and more than 8,700 injured.
    • 1995 – The 6.9 Mw  Great Hanshin earthquake shakes the southern Hyōgo Prefecture with a maximum Shindo of VII, leaving 5,502–6,434 people dead, and 251,301–310,000 displaced.
    • 1996 – The Czech Republic applies for membership of the European Union.
    • 1997 – Cape Canaveral Air Force Station: A Delta II carrying the GPS IIR-1 satellite explodes 13 seconds after launch, dropping 250 tons of burning rocket remains around the launch pad.
    • 1998 – Lewinsky scandal: Matt Drudge breaks the story of the Bill Clinton–Monica Lewinsky affair on his Drudge Report website.
    • 2002 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, displacing an estimated 400,000 people.
    • 2007 – The Doomsday Clock is set to five minutes to midnight in response to North Korea’s nuclear testing.
    • 2010 – Rioting begins between Muslim and Christian groups in Jos, Nigeria, results in at least 200 deaths.

    Births on January 17

    • 1342 – Philip II, Duke of Burgundy (d. 1404)
    • 1429 – Antonio del Pollaiolo, Italian artist (d.c. 1498)
    • 1463 – Frederick III, Elector of Saxony (d. 1525)
    • 1463 – Antoine Duprat, French cardinal (d. 1535)
    • 1472 – Guidobaldo da Montefeltro, Italian captain (d. 1508)
    • 1484 – George Spalatin, German priest and reformer (d. 1545)
    • 1501 – Leonhart Fuchs, German physician and botanist (d. 1566)
    • 1504 – Pope Pius V (d. 1572)
    • 1517 – Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk, English Duke (d. 1554)
    • 1560 – Gaspard Bauhin, Swiss botanist, physician, and academic (d. 1624)
    • 1574 – Robert Fludd, English physician, astrologer, and mathematician (d. 1637)
    • 1593 – William Backhouse, English alchemist and astrologer (d. 1662)
    • 1600 – Pedro Calderón de la Barca, Spanish playwright and poet (d. 1681)
    • 1612 – Thomas Fairfax, English general and politician (d. 1671)
    • 1640 – Jonathan Singletary Dunham, American settler (d. 1724)
    • 1659 – Antonio Veracini, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1745)
    • 1666 – Antonio Maria Valsalva, Italian anatomist and physician (d. 1723)
    • 1686 – Archibald Bower, Scottish historian and author (d. 1766)
    • 1706 – Benjamin Franklin, American publisher, inventor, and politician, 6th President of Pennsylvania (d. 1790)
    • 1712 – John Stanley, English organist and composer (d. 1786)
    • 1719 – William Vernon, American businessman (d. 1806)
    • 1728 – Johann Gottfried Müthel, German pianist and composer (d. 1788)
    • 1732 – Stanisław August Poniatowski, Polish-Lithuanian king (d. 1798)
    • 1734 – François-Joseph Gossec, French composer and conductor (d. 1829)
    • 1761 – Sir James Hall, 4th Baronet, Scottish geologist and geophysicist (d. 1832)
    • 1789 – August Neander, German historian and theologian (d. 1850)
    • 1793 – Antonio José Martínez, Spanish-American priest, rancher and politician (d. 1867)
    • 1814 – Ellen Wood, English author (d. 1887)
    • 1820 – Anne Brontë, English author and poet (d. 1849)
    • 1828 – Lewis A. Grant, American lawyer and general, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1918)
    • 1828 – Ede Reményi, Hungarian violinist and composer (d. 1898)
    • 1832 – Henry Martyn Baird, American historian and academic (d. 1906)
    • 1834 – August Weismann, German biologist, zoologist, and geneticist (d. 1914)
    • 1850 – Joaquim Arcoverde de Albuquerque Cavalcanti, Brazilian cardinal (d. 1930)
    • 1850 – Alexander Taneyev, Russian pianist and composer (d. 1918)
    • 1851 – A. B. Frost, American author and illustrator (d. 1928)
    • 1853 – Alva Belmont, American suffragist (d. 1933)
    • 1852 – T. Alexander Harrison, American painter and academic (d. 1930)
    • 1857 – Wilhelm Kienzl, Austrian pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1941)
    • 1857 – Eugene Augustin Lauste, French-American engineer (d. 1935)
    • 1858 – Tomás Carrasquilla, Colombian author (d. 1940)
    • 1860 – Douglas Hyde, Irish academic and politician, 1st President of Ireland (d. 1949)
    • 1863 – David Lloyd George, Welsh lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1945)
    • 1863 – Konstantin Stanislavski, Russian actor and director (d. 1938)
    • 1865 – Sir Charles Fergusson, 7th Baronet, English general and politician, 3rd Governor-General of New Zealand (d. 1951)
    • 1867 – Carl Laemmle, German-born American film producer, co-founded Universal Studios (d. 1939)
    • 1867 – Sir Alfred Rawlinson, 3rd Baronet, English colonel, pilot, and polo player (d. 1934)
    • 1871 – David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty, English admiral (d. 1936)
    • 1871 – Nicolae Iorga, Romanian historian and politician, 34th Prime Minister of Romania (d. 1940)
    • 1875 – Florencio Sánchez, Uruguayan journalist and playwright (d. 1910)
    • 1876 – Frank Hague, American lawyer and politician, 30th Mayor of Jersey City (d. 1956)
    • 1877 – Marie Zdeňka Baborová-Čiháková, Czech botanist and zoologist (d. 1937)
    • 1877 – May Gibbs, English-Australian author and illustrator (d. 1969)
    • 1880 – Mack Sennett, Canadian-American actor, director, and producer (d. 1960)
    • 1881 – Antoni Łomnicki, Polish mathematician and academic (d. 1941)
    • 1881 – Harry Price, English psychologist and author (d. 1948)
    • 1882 – Noah Beery, Sr., American actor (d. 1946)
    • 1883 – Compton Mackenzie, English-Scottish author, poet, and playwright (d. 1972)
    • 1886 – Glenn L. Martin, American pilot and businessman, founded the Glenn L. Martin Company (d. 1955)
    • 1887 – Ola Raknes, Norwegian psychoanalyst and philologist (d. 1975)
    • 1888 – Babu Gulabrai, Indian philosopher and author (d. 1963)
    • 1897 – Marcel Petiot, French physician and serial killer (d. 1946)
    • 1898 – Lela Mevorah, Serbian librarian (d. 1972)
    • 1899 – Al Capone, American mob boss (d. 1947)
    • 1899 – Robert Maynard Hutchins, American philosopher and academic (d. 1977)
    • 1899 – Nevil Shute, English engineer and author (d. 1960)
    • 1901 – Aron Gurwitsch, Lithuanian-American philosopher and author (d. 1973)
    • 1904 – Hem Vejakorn, Thai painter and illustrator (d. 1969)
    • 1905 – Ray Cunningham, American baseball player (d. 2005)
    • 1905 – Peggy Gilbert, American saxophonist and bandleader (d. 2007)
    • 1905 – Eduard Oja, Estonian composer, conductor, educator, and critic (d. 1950)
    • 1905 – Guillermo Stábile, Argentinian footballer and manager (d. 1966)
    • 1905 – Jan Zahradníček, Czech poet and translator (d. 1960)
    • 1907 – Henk Badings, Indonesian-Dutch composer and engineer (d. 1987)
    • 1907 – Alfred Wainwright, British fellwalker, guidebook author and illustrator (d. 1991)
    • 1908 – Cus D’Amato, American boxing manager and trainer (d. 1985)
    • 1911 – Busher Jackson, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1966)
    • 1911 – John S. McCain Jr., American admiral (d. 1981)
    • 1911 – George Stigler, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1991)
    • 1914 – Anacleto Angelini, Italian-Chilean businessman (d. 2007)
    • 1914 – Irving Brecher, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2008)
    • 1914 – Paul Royle, Australian lieutenant and pilot (d. 2015)
    • 1914 – William Stafford, American poet and author (d. 1993)
    • 1916 – Peter Frelinghuysen Jr., American lieutenant and politician (d. 2011)
    • 1917 – M. G. Ramachandran, Indian actor, director, and politician, 5th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu (d. 1987)
    • 1918 – Keith Joseph, English lawyer and politician, Secretary of State for Education (d. 1994)
    • 1918 – George M. Leader, American soldier and politician, 36th Governor of Pennsylvania (d. 2013)
    • 1920 – Georges Pichard, French author and illustrator (d. 2003)
    • 1921 – Asghar Khan, Pakistani general and politician (d. 2018)
    • 1921 – Jackie Henderson, Scottish footballer, forward (d. 2005)
    • 1921 – Charlie Mitten, English footballer, outside forward and manager (d. 2002)
    • 1921 – Antonio Prohías, Cuban cartoonist (d. 1998)
    • 1922 – Luis Echeverría, Mexican academic and politician, 50th President of Mexico
    • 1922 – Nicholas Katzenbach, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 65th United States Attorney General (d. 2012)
    • 1922 – Betty White, American actress, game show panelist, television personality, and animal rights activist
    • 1923 – Rangeya Raghav, Indian author and playwright (d. 1962)
    • 1924 – Rik De Saedeleer, Belgian footballer and journalist (d. 2013)
    • 1924 – Jewel Plummer Cobb, American biologist, cancer researcher, and academic (d. 2017)
    • 1925 – Gunnar Birkerts, Latvian-American architect (d. 2017)
    • 1925 – Robert Cormier, American author and journalist (d. 2000)
    • 1925 – Abdul Hafeez Kardar, Pakistani cricketer and author (d. 1996)
    • 1926 – Newton N. Minow, American lawyer and politician
    • 1926 – Moira Shearer, Scottish-English ballerina and actress (d. 2006)
    • 1926 – Clyde Walcott, Barbadian cricketer (d. 2006)
    • 1927 – Thomas Anthony Dooley III, American physician and humanitarian (d. 1961)
    • 1927 – Eartha Kitt, American actress and singer (d. 2008)
    • 1927 – Harlan Mathews, American lawyer and politician (d. 2014)
    • 1927 – E. W. Swackhamer, American director and producer (d. 1994)
    • 1928 – Jean Barraqué, French composer (d. 1973)
    • 1928 – Vidal Sassoon, English-American hairdresser and businessman (d. 2012)
    • 1929 – Jacques Plante, Canadian-Swiss ice hockey player, coach, and sportscaster (d. 1986)
    • 1929 – Tan Boon Teik, Malaysian-Singaporean lawyer and politician, Attorney-General of Singapore (d. 2012)
    • 1931 – James Earl Jones, American actor
    • 1931 – Douglas Wilder, American sergeant and politician, 66th Governor of Virginia
    • 1931 – Don Zimmer, American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 2014)
    • 1932 – Sheree North, American actress and dancer (d. 2005)
    • 1933 – Dalida, Egyptian-French singer and actress (d. 1987)
    • 1933 – Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, French-Pakistani diplomat, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (d. 2003)
    • 1933 – Shari Lewis, American actress, puppeteer/ventriloquist, and television host (d. 1998)
    • 1934 – Donald Cammell, Scottish-American director and screenwriter (d. 1996)
    • 1935 – Ruth Ann Minner, American businesswoman and politician, 72nd Governor of Delaware
    • 1936 – John Boyd, English academic and diplomat, British ambassador to Japan
    • 1936 – A. Thangathurai, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician (d. 1997)
    • 1937 – Alain Badiou, French philosopher and academic
    • 1938 – John Bellairs, American author and academic (d. 1991)
    • 1938 – Toini Gustafsson, Swedish cross country skier
    • 1939 – Christodoulos of Athens, Greek archbishop (d. 2008)
    • 1939 – Maury Povich, American talk show host and producer
    • 1940 – Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni, Egyptian-Armenian patriarch (d. 2015)
    • 1940 – Kipchoge Keino, Kenyan athlete
    • 1940 – Tabaré Vázquez, Uruguayan physician and politician, 39th President of Uruguay
    • 1941 – István Horthy, Jr., Hungarian physicist and architect
    • 1942 – Muhammad Ali, American boxer and activist (d. 2016)
    • 1942 – Ita Buttrose, Australian journalist and author
    • 1942 – Ulf Hoelscher, German violinist and educator
    • 1942 – Nigel McCulloch, English bishop
    • 1943 – Chris Montez, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1943 – René Préval, Haitian agronomist and politician, 52nd President of Haiti (d. 2017)
    • 1944 – Ann Oakley, English sociologist, author, and academic
    • 1945 – Javed Akhtar, Indian poet, playwright, and composer
    • 1945 – Anne Cutler, Australian psychologist and academic
    • 1948 – Davíð Oddsson, Icelandic politician, 21st Prime Minister of Iceland
    • 1949 – Anita Borg, American computer scientist and academic (d. 2003)
    • 1949 – Gyude Bryant, Liberian businessman and politician (d. 2014)
    • 1949 – Augustin Dumay, French violinist and conductor
    • 1949 – Andy Kaufman, American actor and comedian (d. 1984)
    • 1949 – Mick Taylor, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1950 – Luis López Nieves, Puerto Rican-American author and academic
    • 1952 – Tom Deitz, American author (d. 2009)
    • 1952 – Darrell Porter, American baseball player and sportscaster (d. 2002)
    • 1952 – Ryuichi Sakamoto, Japanese pianist, composer, and producer
    • 1953 – Jeff Berlin, American bass player and educator
    • 1953 – Carlos Johnson, American singer and guitarist
    • 1954 – Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., American lawyer, radio host, activist, and environmentalist
    • 1955 – Steve Earle, American singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, author and actor
    • 1955 – Pietro Parolin, Italian cardinal
    • 1955 – Steve Javie, American basketball player and referee
    • 1956 – Damian Green, English journalist and politician
    • 1956 – Paul Young, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1957 – Steve Harvey, American actor, comedian, television personality and game show host
    • 1957 – Ann Nocenti, American journalist and author
    • 1958 – Tony Kouzarides, English biologist, cancer researcher
    • 1959 – Susanna Hoffs, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress
    • 1960 – John Crawford, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1960 – Chili Davis, Jamaican-American baseball player and coach
    • 1961 – Brian Helgeland, American director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1962 – Jun Azumi, Japanese broadcaster and politician, 46th Japanese Minister of Finance
    • 1962 – Jim Carrey, Canadian-American actor and producer
    • 1962 – Sebastian Junger, American journalist and author
    • 1963 – Kai Hansen, German singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
    • 1963 – Colin Gordon, English footballer, striker, agent, manager, chief executive
    • 1964 – Michelle Obama, American lawyer and activist, 46th First Lady of the United States
    • 1964 – John Schuster, Samoan-New Zealand rugby player
    • 1965 – Sylvain Turgeon, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1966 – Trish Johnson, English golfer
    • 1966 – Joshua Malina, American actor
    • 1967 – Richard Hawley, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
    • 1968 – Rowan Pelling, English journalist and author
    • 1968 – Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer, Dutch author, poet, and scholar
    • 1969 – Naveen Andrews, English actor
    • 1969 – Lukas Moodysson, Swedish director, screenwriter, and author
    • 1969 – Tiësto, Dutch DJ and producer
    • 1970 – Cássio Alves de Barros, Brazilian footballer
    • 1970 – Jeremy Roenick, American ice hockey player and actor
    • 1970 – Genndy Tartakovsky, Russian-American animator, director, and producer
    • 1971 – Giorgos Balogiannis, Greek basketball player
    • 1971 – Richard Burns, English race car driver (d. 2005)
    • 1971 – Kid Rock, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor
    • 1971 – Sylvie Testud, French actress, director, and screenwriter
    • 1973 – Cuauhtémoc Blanco, Mexican footballer and actor
    • 1973 – Chris Bowen, Australian politician, 37th Treasurer of Australia
    • 1973 – Liz Ellis, Australian netball player and sportscaster
    • 1973 – Aaron Ward, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
    • 1974 – Yang Chen, Chinese footballer and manager
    • 1974 – Vesko Kountchev, Bulgarian viola player, composer, and producer
    • 1974 – Derrick Mason, American football player
    • 1975 – Freddy Rodriguez, American actor
    • 1978 – Lisa Llorens, Australian Paralympian
    • 1978 – Ricky Wilson, English singer-songwriter
    • 1980 – Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Ukrainian-American dancer and choreographer
    • 1980 – Zooey Deschanel, American singer-songwriter and actress
    • 1980 – Modestas Stonys, Lithuanian footballer
    • 1981 – Warren Feeney, Northern Irish footballer and manager
    • 1982 – Dwyane Wade, American basketball player
    • 1982 – Amanda Wilkinson, Canadian singer
    • 1983 – Álvaro Arbeloa, Spanish footballer
    • 1983 – Johannes Herber, German basketball player
    • 1983 – Rick Kelly, Australian race car driver
    • 1983 – Marcelo Garcia, Brazilian martial artist
    • 1984 – Calvin Harris, Scottish singer-songwriter, DJ, and producer
    • 1985 – Pablo Barrientos, Argentinian footballer
    • 1985 – Betsy Ruth, American wrestler and manager
    • 1985 – Simone Simons, Dutch singer-songwriter
    • 1987 – Cody Decker, American baseball player
    • 1988 – Andrea Antonelli, Italian motorcycle racer (d. 2013)
    • 1988 – Will Genia, Australian rugby player
    • 1988 – Héctor Moreno, Mexican footballer
    • 1989 – Taylor Jordan, American baseball player
    • 1989 – Kelly Marie Tran, American actress
    • 1990 – Santiago Tréllez, Colombian footballer
    • 1991 – Trevor Bauer, American baseball player
    • 1991 – Esapekka Lappi, Finnish Rally Driver
    • 1991 – Slade Griffin, Australian rugby league player
    • 1991 – Alise Post, American BMX rider
    • 1993 – Frankie Cocozza, British singer
    • 1994 – Mark Steketee, Australian cricketer
    • 1998 – Jeff Reine-Adelaide, French footballer
    • 1998 – Sophie Molineux, Australian cricketer
    • 2000 – Devlin DeFrancesco, Canadian race car driver

    Deaths on January 17

    • 395 – Theodosius I, Roman emperor (b. 347)
    • 644 – Sulpitius the Pious, French bishop and saint
    • 764 – Joseph of Freising, German bishop
    • 1040 – Mas’ud I of Ghazni, Sultan of the Ghaznavid Empire (b. 998)
    • 1156 – André de Montbard, fifth Grand Master of the Knights Templar
    • 1168 – Thierry, Count of Flanders (b. 1099)
    • 1229 – Albert of Riga, German bishop (b. 1165)
    • 1329 – Saint Roseline, Carthusian nun (b. 1263)
    • 1334 – John of Brittany, Earl of Richmond (b. 1266)
    • 1345 – Henry of Asti, Greek patriarch
    • 1345 – Martino Zaccaria, Genoese Lord of Chios
    • 1369 – Peter I of Cyprus (b. 1328)
    • 1456 – Elisabeth of Lorraine-Vaudémont, French translator (b. 1395)
    • 1468 – Skanderbeg, Albanian soldier and politician (b. 1405)
    • 1588 – Qi Jiguang, Chinese general (b. 1528)
    • 1598 – Feodor I of Russia (b. 1557)
    • 1617 – Fausto Veranzio, Croatian bishop and lexicographer (b. 1551)
    • 1705 – John Ray, English botanist and historian (b. 1627)
    • 1718 – Benjamin Church, American colonel (b. 1639)
    • 1737 – Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann, German architect (b. 1662)
    • 1738 – Jean-François Dandrieu, French organist and composer (b. 1682)
    • 1751 – Tomaso Albinoni, Italian violinist and composer (b. 1671)
    • 1826 – Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga, Spanish-French composer (b. 1806)
    • 1834 – Giovanni Aldini, Italian physicist and academic (b. 1762)
    • 1861 – Lola Montez, Irish actress and dancer (b. 1821)
    • 1863 – Horace Vernet, French painter (b. 1789)
    • 1869 – Alexander Dargomyzhsky, Russian composer (b. 1813)
    • 1878 – Edward Shepherd Creasy, English historian and jurist (b. 1812)
    • 1884 – Hermann Schlegel, German ornithologist and herpetologist (b. 1804)
    • 1887 – William Giblin, Australian lawyer and politician, 13th Premier of Tasmania (b. 1840)
    • 1888 – Big Bear, Canadian tribal chief (b. 1825)
    • 1891 – George Bancroft, American historian and politician, 17th United States Secretary of the Navy (b. 1800)
    • 1893 – Rutherford B. Hayes, American general, lawyer, and politician, 19th President of the United States (b. 1822)
    • 1903 – Ignaz Wechselmann, Hungarian architect and philanthropist (b. 1828)
    • 1908 – Ferdinand IV, Grand Duke of Tuscany (b. 1835)
    • 1909 – Francis Smith, Australian lawyer, judge, and politician, 4th Premier of Tasmania (b. 1819)
    • 1911 – Francis Galton, English polymath, anthropologist, and geographer (b. 1822)
    • 1927 – Juliette Gordon Low, American founder of the Girl Scouts of the USA (b. 1860)
    • 1930 – Gauhar Jaan, One of the first performers to record music on 78 rpm records in India. (b. 1873)
    • 1931 – Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich of Russia (b. 1864)
    • 1932 – Ahmet Derviş, Turkish general (b. 1881)
    • 1932 – Albert Jacka, Australian captain, Victoria Cross recipient (b. 1893)
    • 1933 – Louis Comfort Tiffany, American stained glass artist (b. 1848)
    • 1936 – Mateiu Caragiale, Romanian journalist, author, and poet (b. 1885)
    • 1942 – Walther von Reichenau, German field marshal (b. 1884)
    • 1947 – Pyotr Krasnov, Russian historian and general (b. 1869)
    • 1947 – Jean-Marie-Rodrigue Villeneuve, Canadian cardinal (b. 1883)
    • 1951 – Jyoti Prasad Agarwala, Indian poet, playwright, and director (b. 1903)
    • 1952 – Walter Briggs Sr., American businessman (b. 1877)
    • 1961 – Patrice Lumumba, Congolese politician, 1st Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (b. 1925)
    • 1970 – Simon Kovar, Russian-American bassoon player and educator (b. 1890)
    • 1972 – Betty Smith, American author and playwright (b. 1896)
    • 1977 – Dougal Haston, Scottish mountaineer (b. 1940)
    • 1977 – Gary Gilmore, American murderer (b. 1940)
    • 1981 – Loukas Panourgias, Greek footballer and lawyer (b. 1899)
    • 1984 – Kostas Giannidis, Greek pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1903)
    • 1987 – Hugo Fregonese, Argentinian director and screenwriter (b. 1908)
    • 1988 – Percy Qoboza, South African journalist and author (b. 1938)
    • 1991 – Olav V of Norway (b. 1903)
    • 1992 – Frank Pullen, English soldier and businessman (b. 1915)
    • 1993 – Albert Hourani, English-Lebanese historian and academic (b. 1915)
    • 1994 – Yevgeni Ivanov, Russian spy (b. 1926)
    • 1994 – Helen Stephens, American runner, shot putter, and discus thrower (b. 1918)
    • 1996 – Barbara Jordan, American lawyer and politician (b. 1936)
    • 1996 – Sylvia Lawler, English geneticist (b. 1922))
    • 1997 – Bert Kelly, Australian farmer and politician, 20th Australian Minister for the Navy (b. 1912)
    • 1997 – Clyde Tombaugh, American astronomer and academic, discovered Pluto (b. 1906)
    • 2000 – Philip Jones, English trumpet player and educator (b. 1928)
    • 2000 – Ion Rațiu, Romanian journalist and politician (b. 1917)
    • 2002 – Camilo José Cela, Spanish author and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1916)
    • 2002 – Roman Personov, Russian physicist and academic (b. 1932)
    • 2003 – Richard Crenna, American actor and director (b. 1926)
    • 2004 – Raymond Bonham Carter, English banker (b. 1929)
    • 2004 – Harry Brecheen, American baseball player and coach (b. 1914)
    • 2004 – Ray Stark, American film producer (b. 1915)
    • 2004 – Noble Willingham, American actor (b. 1931)
    • 2005 – Charlie Bell, Australian businessman (b. 1960)
    • 2005 – Virginia Mayo, American actress, singer, and dancer (b. 1920)
    • 2005 – Albert Schatz, American microbiologist and academic (b. 1920)
    • 2005 – Zhao Ziyang, Chinese politician, 3rd Premier of the People’s Republic of China (b. 1919)
    • 2006 – Pierre Grondin, Canadian surgeon (b. 1925)
    • 2007 – Art Buchwald, American journalist and author (b. 1925)
    • 2007 – Yevhen Kushnaryov, Ukrainian engineer and politician (b. 1951)
    • 2008 – Bobby Fischer, American chess player and author (b. 1943)
    • 2008 – Ernie Holmes, American football player, wrestler, and actor (b. 1948)
    • 2009 – Anders Isaksson, Swedish journalist and historian (b. 1943)
    • 2010 – Gaines Adams, American football player (b. 1983)
    • 2010 – Jyoti Basu, Indian politician and CM of West Bengal for 23 years (b. 1914)
    • 2010 – Michalis Papakonstantinou, Greek journalist and politician, Foreign Minister of Greece (b. 1919)
    • 2010 – Erich Segal, American author and screenwriter (b. 1937)
    • 2011 – Don Kirshner, American songwriter and producer (b. 1934)
    • 2012 – Ernie Alexander, American educator and politician (b. 1933)
    • 2012 – Julius Meimberg, German soldier and pilot (b. 1917)
    • 2012 – Johnny Otis, American singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1921)
    • 2012 – Marty Springstead, American baseball player and umpire (b. 1937)
    • 2013 – Mehmet Ali Birand, Turkish journalist and author (b. 1941)
    • 2013 – Jakob Arjouni, German author (b. 1964)
    • 2013 – Yves Debay, Belgian journalist (b. 1954)
    • 2013 – John Nkomo, Zimbabwean politician, Vice President of Zimbabwe (b. 1934)
    • 2013 – Lizbeth Webb, English soprano and actress (b. 1926)
    • 2014 – Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, Indian spiritual leader, 52nd Da’i al-Mutlaq (b. 1915)
    • 2014 – Francine Lalonde, Canadian educator and politician (b. 1940)
    • 2014 – Alistair McAlpine, Baron McAlpine of West Green, English businessman and politician (b. 1942)
    • 2014 – John J. McGinty III, American captain, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1940)
    • 2014 – Sunanda Pushkar, Indian-Canadian businesswoman (b. 1962)
    • 2014 – Suchitra Sen, Indian film actress (b. 1931)
    • 2015 – Ken Furphy, English footballer and manager (b. 1931)
    • 2015 – Faten Hamama, Egyptian actress and producer (b. 1931)
    • 2015 – Don Harron, Canadian actor and screenwriter (b. 1924)
    • 2016 – Blowfly, American singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1939)
    • 2016 – Melvin Day, New Zealand painter and historian (b. 1923)
    • 2016 – V. Rama Rao, Indian lawyer and politician, 12th Governor of Sikkim (b. 1935)
    • 2016 – Sudhindra Thirtha, Indian religious leader (b. 1926)
    • 2017 – Tirrel Burton, American football player and coach (b. 1929)
    • 2018 – Jessica Falkholt, Australian actress (b. 1988)
    • 2019 – S. Balakrishnan, Malayalam movie composer (b. 1948)
    • 2020 – Derek Fowlds, British actor (b.1937)

    Holidays and observances on January 17

    • Christian feast day:
      • Anthony the Great
      • Blessed Angelo Paoli
      • Blessed Gamelbert of Michaelsbuch
      • Charles Gore (Church of England)
      • Jenaro Sánchez Delgadillo (one of Saints of the Cristero War)
      • Mildgyth
      • Our Lady of Pontmain
      • Sulpitius the Pious
      • January 17 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • National Day (Menorca, Spain)
    • The opening ceremony of Patras Carnival, celebrated until Clean Monday. (Patras)