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July 31 in History
- 30 BC – Battle of Alexandria: Mark Antony achieves a minor victory over Octavian’s forces, but most of his army subsequently deserts, leading to his suicide.
- 781 – The oldest recorded eruption of Mount Fuji (Traditional Japanese date: 6th day of the 7th month of the 1st year of the Ten’o (天応) era).
- 1009 – Pope Sergius IV becomes the 142nd pope, succeeding Pope John XVIII.
- 1201 – Attempted usurpation by John Komnenos the Fat for the throne of Alexios III Angelos.
- 1423 – Hundred Years’ War: Battle of Cravant: The French army is defeated by the English at Cravant on the banks of the river Yonne.
- 1451 – Jacques Cœur is arrested by order of Charles VII of France.
- 1492 – The Jews are expelled from Spain when the Alhambra Decree takes effect.
- 1498 – On his third voyage to the Western Hemisphere, Christopher Columbus becomes the first European to discover the island of Trinidad.
- 1588 – The Spanish Armada is spotted off the coast of England.
- 1618 – Maurice, Prince of Orange disbands the waardgelders militia in Utrecht, a pivotal event in the Remonstrant/Counter-Remonstrant tensions.
- 1655 – Russo-Polish War (1654–67): The Russian army enters the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Vilnius, which it holds for six years.
- 1658 – Aurangzeb is proclaimed Mughal emperor of India.
- 1703 – Daniel Defoe is placed in a pillory for the crime of seditious libel after publishing a politically satirical pamphlet, but is pelted with flowers.
- 1712 – Action of 31 July 1712 (Great Northern War): Danish and Swedish ships clash in the Baltic Sea; the result is inconclusive.
- 1715 – Seven days after a Spanish treasure fleet of 12 ships left Havana, Cuba for Spain, 11 of them sink in a storm off the coast of Florida. A few centuries later, treasure is salvaged from these wrecks.
- 1741 – Charles Albert of Bavaria invades Upper Austria and Bohemia.
- 1763 – Odawa Chief Pontiac’s forces defeat British troops at the Battle of Bloody Run during Pontiac’s War.
- 1777 – The U.S. Second Continental Congress passes a resolution that the services of Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette “be accepted, and that, in consideration of his zeal, illustrious family and connexions, he have the rank and commission of major-general of the United States.”
- 1790 – The first U.S. patent is issued, to inventor Samuel Hopkins for a potash process.
- 1856 – Christchurch, New Zealand is chartered as a city.
- 1865 – The first narrow-gauge mainline railway in the world opens at Grandchester, Queensland, Australia.
- 1874 – Dr. Patrick Francis Healy became the first African-American inaugurated as president of a predominantly white university, Georgetown University.
- 1904 – Russo-Japanese War: Battle of Hsimucheng: Units of the Imperial Japanese Army defeat units of the Imperial Russian Army in a strategic confrontation.
- 1913 – The Balkan States sign an armistice in Bucharest.
- 1917 – World War I: The Battle of Passchendaele begins near Ypres in West Flanders, Belgium.
- 1919 – German national assembly adopts the Weimar Constitution, which comes into force on August 14.
- 1932 – The NSDAP (Nazi Party) wins more than 38% of the vote in German elections.
- 1938 – Bulgaria signs a non-aggression pact with Greece and other states of Balkan Antanti (Turkey, Romania, Yugoslavia).
- 1938 – Archaeologists discover engraved gold and silver plates from King Darius the Great in Persepolis.
- 1941 – The Holocaust: Under instructions from Adolf Hitler, Nazi official Hermann Göring, orders SS General Reinhard Heydrich to “submit to me as soon as possible a general plan of the administrative material and financial measures necessary for carrying out the desired Final Solution of the Jewish question.”
- 1941 – World War II: The Battle of Smolensk concludes with Germany capturing about 300,000 Soviet Red Army prisoners.
- 1945 – Pierre Laval, the fugitive former leader of Vichy France, surrenders to Allied soldiers in Austria.
- 1948 – At Idlewild Field in New York, New York International Airport (later renamed John F. Kennedy International Airport) is dedicated.
- 1948 – USS Nevada is sunk by an aerial torpedo after surviving hits from two atomic bombs (as part of post-war tests) and being used for target practice by three other ships.
- 1964 – Ranger program: Ranger 7 sends back the first close-up photographs of the moon, with images 1,000 times clearer than anything ever seen from earth-bound telescopes.
- 1970 – Black Tot Day: The last day of the officially sanctioned rum ration in the Royal Navy.
- 1971 – Apollo program: Apollo 15 astronauts become the first to ride in a lunar rover.
- 1972 – The Troubles: In Operation Motorman, the British Army re-takes the urban no-go areas of Northern Ireland. It is the biggest British military operation since the Suez Crisis of 1956, and the biggest in Ireland since the Irish War of Independence. Later that day, nine civilians are killed by car bombs in the village of Claudy.
- 1973 – A Delta Air Lines jetliner, flight DL 723 crashes while landing in fog at Logan International Airport, Boston, Massachusetts killing 89.
- 1975 – The Troubles: three members of a popular cabaret band and two gunmen are killed during a botched paramilitary attack in Northern Ireland.
- 1987 – A tornado occurs in Edmonton, Canada.
- 1988 – Thirty-two people are killed and 1,674 injured when a bridge at the Sultan Abdul Halim ferry terminal collapses in Butterworth, Penang, Malaysia.
- 1991 – The United States and Soviet Union both sign the START I Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, the first to reduce (with verification) both countries’ stockpiles.
- 1992 – The nation of Georgia joins the United Nations.
- 1992 – Thai Airways International Flight 311 crashes into a mountain north of Kathmandu, Nepal killing all 113 people on board.
- 1999 – Discovery Program: Lunar Prospector: NASA intentionally crashes the spacecraft into the Moon, thus ending its mission to detect frozen water on the Moon’s surface.
- 2006 – Fidel Castro hands over power to his brother, Raúl.
- 2007 – Operation Banner, the presence of the British Army in Northern Ireland, and the longest-running British Army operation ever, comes to an end.
- 2012 – Michael Phelps breaks the record set in 1964 by Larisa Latynina for the most medals won at the Olympics.
- 2014 – Gas explosions in the southern Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung kill at least 20 people and injure more than 270.
Births on July 31
- 1143 – Emperor Nijō of Japan (d. 1165)
- 1396 – Philip III, Duke of Burgundy (d. 1467)
- 1526 – Augustus, Elector of Saxony (d. 1586)
- 1527 – Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1576)
- 1595 – Philipp Wolfgang, Count of Hanau-Lichtenberg (d. 1641)
- 1598 – Alessandro Algardi, Italian sculptor (d. 1654)
- 1686 – Charles of France, Duke of Berry (d. 1714)
- 1702 – Jean Denis Attiret, French missionary and painter (d. 1768)
- 1704 – Gabriel Cramer, Swiss mathematician and physicist (d. 1752)
- 1718 – John Canton, English physicist and academic (d. 1772)
- 1724 – Noël François de Wailly, French lexicographer and author (d. 1801)
- 1759 – Ignaz Anton von Indermauer, Austrian nobleman and government official (d. 1796)
- 1777 – Pedro Ignacio de Castro Barros, Argentinian priest and politician (d. 1849)
- 1796 – Jean-Gaspard Deburau, Czech-French actor and mime (d. 1846)
- 1800 – Friedrich Wöhler, German chemist and academic (d. 1882)
- 1803 – John Ericsson, Swedish-American engineer, co-designed the USS Princeton and the Novelty Locomotive (d. 1889)
- 1816 – George Henry Thomas, American general (d. 1870)
- 1826 – William S. Clark, American colonel and politician (d. 1886)
- 1835 – Henri Brisson, French lawyer and politician, 50th Prime Minister of France (d. 1912)
- 1835 – Paul Du Chaillu, French-American anthropologist and explorer (d. 1903)
- 1836 – Vasily Sleptsov, Russian author and activist (d. 1878)
- 1837 – William Quantrill, American captain (d. 1865)
- 1839 – Ignacio Andrade, Venezuelan general and politician, 25th President of Venezuela (d. 1925)
- 1843 – Peter Rosegger, Austrian poet and author (d. 1918)
- 1847 – Ignacio Cervantes, Cuban pianist and composer (d. 1905)
- 1854 – José Canalejas, Spanish academic and politician, Prime Minister of Spain (d. 1912)
- 1858 – Richard Dixon Oldham, English seismologist and geologist (d. 1936)
- 1858 – Marion Talbot, influential American educator (d. 1948)
- 1860 – Mary Vaux Walcott, American painter and illustrator (d. 1940)
- 1867 – S. S. Kresge, American businessman, founded Kmart (d. 1966)
- 1875 – Jacques Villon, French painter (d. 1963)
- 1877 – Louisa Bolus, South African botanist and taxonomist (d. 1970)
- 1880 – Premchand, Indian author and playwright (d. 1936)
- 1883 – Ramón Fonst, Cuban fencer (d. 1959)
- 1884 – Carl Friedrich Goerdeler, Polish-German economist and politician (d. 1945)
- 1886 – Salvatore Maranzano, Italian-American mob boss (d. 1931)
- 1886 – Fred Quimby, American animation producer (d. 1965)
- 1887 – Hans Freyer, German sociologist and philosopher (d. 1969)
- 1892 – Herbert W. Armstrong, American evangelist and publisher, founded Worldwide Church of God (d. 1986)
- 1892 – Joseph Charbonneau, Canadian archbishop (d. 1959)
- 1894 – Fred Keenor, Welsh footballer (d. 1972)
- 1901 – Jean Dubuffet, French painter and sculptor (d. 1985)
- 1902 – Gubby Allen, Australian-English cricketer and soldier (d. 1989)
- 1904 – Brett Halliday, American engineer, surveyor, and author (d. 1977)
- 1909 – Erik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn, Austrian theorist and author (d. 1999)
- 1911 – George Liberace, American violinist (d. 1983)
- 1912 – Bill Brown, Australian cricketer (d. 2008)
- 1912 – Milton Friedman, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2006)
- 1912 – Irv Kupcinet, American football player and journalist (d. 2003)
- 1913 – Bryan Hextall, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1984)
- 1914 – Paul J. Christiansen, American conductor and composer (d. 1997)
- 1914 – Louis de Funès, French actor and screenwriter (d. 1983)
- 1916 – Sibte Hassan, Pakistani journalist, scholar, and activist (d. 1986)
- 1916 – Billy Hitchcock, American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 2006)
- 1916 – Bill Todman, American screenwriter and producer (d. 1979)
- 1918 – Paul D. Boyer, American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2018)
- 1918 – Hank Jones, American pianist, composer, and bandleader (d. 2010)
- 1918 – Frank Renouf, New Zealand businessman and financier (d. 1998)
- 1919 – Hemu Adhikari, Indian cricketer (d. 2003)
- 1919 – Curt Gowdy, American sportscaster and actor (d. 2006)
- 1919 – Primo Levi, Italian chemist and author (d. 1987)
- 1920 – James E. Faust, American religious leader, lawyer, and politician (d. 2007)
- 1921 – Peter Benenson, English lawyer and activist, founded Amnesty International (d. 2005)
- 1921 – Donald Malarkey, American sergeant and author (d. 2017)
- 1921 – Whitney Young, American activist (d. 1971)
- 1922 – Hank Bauer, American baseball player and manager (d. 2007)
- 1923 – Ahmet Ertegun, Turkish-American songwriter and producer, founded Atlantic Records (d. 2006)
- 1923 – Stephanie Kwolek, American chemist and engineer, invented Kevlar (d. 2014)
- 1924 – Jimmy Evert, American tennis player and coach (d. 2015)
- 1925 – Carmel Quinn, Irish singer, actress and writer
- 1925 – John Swainson, Canadian-American jurist and politician, 42nd Governor of Michigan (d. 1994)
- 1926 – Bernard Nathanson, American physician and activist (d. 2011)
- 1926 – Hilary Putnam, American mathematician, computer scientist, and philosopher (d. 2016)
- 1927 – Peter Nichols, English author and playwright (d. 2019)
- 1928 – Bill Frenzel, American lieutenant and politician (d. 2014)
- 1929 – Lynne Reid Banks, English author
- 1929 – Gilles Carle, Canadian director and screenwriter (d. 2009)
- 1929 – Don Murray, American actor
- 1929 – José Santamaría, Uruguayan footballer and manager
- 1931 – Nick Bollettieri, American tennis player and coach
- 1931 – Kenny Burrell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1932 – Ted Cassidy, American actor and screenwriter (d. 1979)
- 1932 – John Searle, American philosopher and academic
- 1933 – Cees Nooteboom, Dutch journalist, author, and poet
- 1935 – Yvon Deschamps, Canadian comedian, actor, and producer
- 1935 – Geoffrey Lewis, American actor and screenwriter (d. 2015)
- 1939 – Steuart Bedford, English pianist and conductor
- 1939 – Susan Flannery, American actress
- 1939 – France Nuyen, Vietnamese-French actress
- 1941 – Amarsinh Chaudhary, Indian politician, 8th Chief Minister of Gujarat (d. 2004)
- 1943 – William Bennett, American journalist and politician, 3rd United States Secretary of Education
- 1943 – Lobo, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1944 – Geraldine Chaplin, American actress and screenwriter
- 1944 – Jonathan Dimbleby, English journalist and author
- 1944 – Sherry Lansing, American film producer
- 1944 – Robert C. Merton, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1944 – David Norris, Irish scholar and politician
- 1945 – William Weld, American lawyer and politician, 68th Governor of Massachusetts
- 1946 – Gary Lewis, American pop-rock musician
- 1947 – Karl Green, English bass player and songwriter (Herman’s Hermits)
- 1947 – Richard Griffiths, English actor (d. 2013)
- 1947 – Mumtaz, Indian actress
- 1947 – Hubert Védrine, French politician, French Minister of Foreign Affairs
- 1947 – Ian Beck, English children’s illustrator and author
- 1948 – Russell Morris, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1949 – Mike Jackson, American basketball player
- 1949 – Alan Meale, English journalist and politician
- 1950 – Richard Berry, French actor, director, and screenwriter
- 1951 – Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Australian tennis player
- 1952 – Chris Ahrens, American ice hockey player
- 1952 – Alan Autry, American football player, actor, and politician, 23rd Mayor of Fresno, California
- 1952 – Helmuts Balderis, Latvian ice hockey player and coach
- 1952 – João Barreiros, Portuguese author and critic
- 1952 – Faye Kellerman, American author
- 1953 – Ted Baillieu, Australian architect and politician, 46th Premier of Victoria
- 1953 – Jimmy Cook, South African cricketer and coach
- 1953 – Hugh McDowell, English cellist
- 1954 – Derek Smith, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1956 – Michael Biehn, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1956 – Bill Callahan, American football player and coach
- 1956 – Ron Kuby, American lawyer and radio host
- 1956 – Deval Patrick, American lawyer and politician, 71st Governor of Massachusetts
- 1956 – Lynne Rae Perkins, American author and illustrator
- 1957 – Daniel Ash, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1957 – Mark Thompson, English business executive
- 1958 – Bill Berry, American drummer and songwriter
- 1958 – Mark Cuban, American businessman and television personality
- 1958 – Suzanne Giraud, French music editor and composer
- 1959 – Stanley Jordan, American guitarist, pianist, and songwriter
- 1959 – Andrew Marr, Scottish journalist and author
- 1959 – Kim Newman, English journalist and author
- 1960 – Dale Hunter, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
- 1960 – Malcolm Ross, Scottish guitarist and songwriter
- 1961 – Frank Gardner, English captain and journalist
- 1961 – Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Nigerian banker, royal
- 1962 – John Chiang, American lawyer and politician, 31st California State Controller
- 1962 – Kevin Greene, American football player and coach
- 1962 – Wesley Snipes, American actor and producer
- 1963 – Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim), English DJ and musician
- 1963 – Fergus Henderson, English chef and author
- 1963 – Brian Skrudland, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
- 1964 – Jim Corr, Irish singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1964 – Urmas Hepner, Estonian footballer and coach
- 1965 – Scott Brooks, American basketball player and coach
- 1965 – John Laurinaitis, American wrestler and producer
- 1965 – Ian Roberts, English-Australian rugby league player and actor
- 1965 – J. K. Rowling, English author and film producer
- 1966 – Dean Cain, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
- 1967 – Tony Massenburg, American basketball player
- 1967 – Tim Wright, Welsh composer
- 1968 – Saeed-Al-Saffar, Emirati cricketer
- 1968 – Julian Richards, Welsh director and producer
- 1969 – Antonio Conte, Italian footballer and manager
- 1969 – Loren Dean, American actor
- 1969 – Kenneth D. Schisler, American lawyer and politician
- 1970 – Ahmad Akbarpour, Iranian author and poet
- 1970 – Ben Chaplin, English actor
- 1970 – Andrzej Kobylański, Polish footballer and manager
- 1970 – Giorgos Sigalas, Greek basketball player, coach, and sportscaster
- 1971 – Gus Frerotte, American football player and coach
- 1973 – Nathan Brown, Australian rugby league player and coach
- 1974 – Emilia Fox, English actress
- 1974 – Leona Naess, American-English singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1974 – Jonathan Ogden, American football player
- 1975 – Randy Flores, American baseball player and coach
- 1975 – Andrew Hall, South African cricketer
- 1975 – Gabe Kapler, American baseball player and manager
- 1976 – Joshua Cain, American guitarist and producer
- 1976 – Paulo Wanchope, Costa Rican footballer and manager
- 1978 – Zac Brown, American country singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1978 – Nick Sorensen, American football player and sportscaster
- 1978 – Justin Wilson, English race car driver (d. 2015)
- 1979 – Jaco Erasmus, South African-Italian rugby player
- 1979 – J.J. Furmaniak, American baseball player
- 1979 – Per Krøldrup, Danish footballer
- 1979 – Carlos Marchena, Spanish footballer
- 1979 – B.J. Novak, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1980 – Mikko Hirvonen, Finnish race car driver
- 1980 – Mils Muliaina, New Zealand rugby player
- 1981 – Titus Bramble, English footballer
- 1981 – Vernon Carey, American football player
- 1981 – Paul Whatuira, New Zealand rugby league player
- 1981 – M. Shadows, American musician, lead singer of Avenged Sevenfold
- 1982 – Anabel Medina Garrigues, Spanish tennis player
- 1982 – DeMarcus Ware, American football player
- 1985 – Daniel Ciofani, Italian footballer
- 1985 – Rémy Di Gregorio, French cyclist
- 1986 – Evgeni Malkin, Russian ice hockey player
- 1986 – Brian Orakpo, American football player
- 1987 – Michael Bradley, American soccer player
- 1988 – Alex Glenn, New Zealand rugby league player
- 1989 – Victoria Azarenka, Belorussian tennis player
- 1991 – Réka Luca Jani, Hungarian tennis player
- 1992 – José Fernández, Cuban baseball player (d. 2016)
- 1992 – Ryan Johansen, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1992 – Kyle Larson, American race car driver
- 1994 – Lil Uzi Vert, American hip hop artist
Deaths on July 31
- 54 BC – Aurelia Cotta, Roman mother of Gaius Julius Caesar (b. 120 BC)
- 450 – Peter Chrysologus, Italian bishop and saint (b. 380)
- 910 – Feng Xingxi, Chinese warlord
- 975 – Fu Yanqing, Chinese general (b. 898)
- 1098 – Hugh of Montgomery, 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury
- 1358 – Étienne Marcel, French rebel leader (b. 1302)
- 1396 – William Courtenay, English archbishop and politician, Lord Chancellor of the United Kingdom (b. 1342)
- 1508 – Na’od, Ethiopian emperor
- 1556 – Ignatius of Loyola, Spanish priest and theologian, founded the Society of Jesus (b. 1491)
- 1616 – Roger Wilbraham, Solicitor-General for Ireland (b. 1553)
- 1638 – Sibylla Schwarz, German poet (b. 1621)
- 1653 – Thomas Dudley, English soldier and politician, 3rd Governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony (b. 1576)
- 1693 – Willem Kalf, Dutch still life painter (b. 1619)
- 1726 – Nicolaus II Bernoulli, Swiss mathematician and theorist (b. 1695)
- 1750 – John V, king of Portugal (b. 1689)
- 1762 – Luis Vicente de Velasco e Isla, Spanish sailor and commander (b. 1711)
- 1781 – John Bligh, 3rd Earl of Darnley, British parliamentarian (b. 1719)
- 1784 – Denis Diderot, French philosopher and critic (b. 1713)
- 1805 – Dheeran Chinnamalai, Indian soldier (b. 1756)
- 1864 – Louis Christophe François Hachette, French publisher (b. 1800)
- 1875 – Andrew Johnson, American general and politician, 17th President of the United States (b. 1808)
- 1884 – Kiến Phúc, Vietnamese emperor (b. 1869)
- 1886 – Franz Liszt, Hungarian pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1811)
- 1891 – Jean-Baptiste Capronnier, Belgian stained glass painter (b. 1814)
- 1913 – John Milne, British geologist and mining engineer. (b. 1850)
- 1914 – Jean Jaurès, French journalist and politician (b. 1859)
- 1917 – Hedd Wyn, Welsh language poet (b. 1887)
- 1917 – Francis Ledwidge, Irish soldier and poet (b. 1881)
- 1920 – Ion Dragoumis, Greek philosopher and diplomat (b. 1878)
- 1940 – Udham Singh, Indian activist (b. 1899)
- 1943 – Hedley Verity, English cricketer and soldier (b. 1905)
- 1942 – Francis Younghusband, British Army Officer, explorer and spiritual writer (b.1863)
- 1944 – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, French pilot and poet (b. 1900)
- 1953 – Robert A. Taft, American soldier and politician (b. 1889)
- 1954 – Onofre Marimón, Argentinian race car driver (b. 1923)
- 1958 – Eino Kaila, Finnish philosopher and psychologist, attendant of the Vienna circle (b. 1890)
- 1964 – Jim Reeves, American singer-songwriter (b. 1923)
- 1966 – Bud Powell, American pianist (b. 1924)
- 1968 – Jack Pizzey, Australian politician, 29th Premier of Queensland (b. 1911)
- 1971 – Walter P. Carter, American soldier and activist (b. 1923)
- 1972 – Paul-Henri Spaak, Belgian lawyer and politician, 40th Prime Minister of Belgium (b. 1899)
- 1973 – Azumafuji Kin’ichi, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 40th Yokozuna (b. 1921)
- 1979 – Beatrix Lehmann, English actress and director (b. 1903)
- 1980 – Pascual Jordan, German physicist, author, and academic (b. 1902)
- 1980 – Mohammed Rafi, Indian playback singer (b. 1924)
- 1981 – Omar Torrijos, Panamanian general and politician, Military Leader of Panama (b. 1929)
- 1985 – Eugene Carson Blake, American religious leader (b. 1906)
- 1986 – Chiune Sugihara, Japanese diplomat (b. 1900)
- 1987 – Joseph E. Levine, American film producer (b, 1905)
- 1990 – Albert Leduc, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1902)
- 1992 – Leonard Cheshire, English captain and pilot (b. 1917)
- 1992 – Md. Abdul Wajed Chowdhury, Bangladeshi politician.
- 1993 – Baudouin, King of Belgium (b. 1930)
- 2000 – William Keepers Maxwell Jr., American editor, novelist, short story writer, and essayist (b. 1908)
- 2001 – Francisco da Costa Gomes, Portuguese general and politician, 15th President of Portugal (b. 1914)
- 2001 – Friedrich Franz, Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (b. 1910)
- 2003 – Guido Crepax, Italian author and illustrator (b. 1933)
- 2004 – Virginia Grey, American actress (b. 1917)
- 2005 – Wim Duisenberg, Dutch economist and politician, 1st President of the European Central Bank (b. 1935)
- 2009 – Bobby Robson, English footballer and manager (b. 1933)
- 2009 – Harry Alan Towers, English-Canadian screenwriter and producer (b. 1920)
- 2012 – Mollie Hunter, Scottish author and playwright (b. 1922)
- 2012 – Alfredo Ramos, Brazilian footballer and coach (b. 1924)
- 2012 – Gore Vidal, American novelist, screenwriter, and critic (b. 1925)
- 2012 – Tony Sly, American musician, singer-songwriter (b. 1970)
- 2013 – Michael Ansara, Syrian-American actor (b. 1922)
- 2013 – Michel Donnet, English-Belgian general and pilot (b. 1917)
- 2013 – John Graves, American captain and author (b. 1920)
- 2013 – Trevor Storer, English businessman, founded Pukka Pies (b. 1930)
- 2014 – Warren Bennis, American scholar, author, and academic (b. 1925)
- 2014 – Nabarun Bhattacharya, Indian journalist and author (b. 1948)
- 2014 – Jeff Bourne, English footballer (b. 1948)
- 2014 – Wilfred Feinberg, American lawyer and judge (b. 1920)
- 2015 – Alan Cheuse, American writer and critic (b. 1940)
- 2015 – Howard W. Jones, American surgeon and academic (b. 1910)
- 2015 – Billy Pierce, American baseball player and sportscaster (b. 1927)
- 2015 – Roddy Piper, Canadian wrestler and actor (b. 1954)
- 2015 – Richard Schweiker, American soldier and politician, 14th United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (b. 1926)
- 2016 – Chiyonofuji Mitsugu, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 58th Yokozuna (b. 1955)
- 2016 – Seymour Papert, South African mathematician (b. 1928)
- 2017 – Jeanne Moreau, French actress (b. 1928)
- 2018 – Tony Bullimore, British sailor & businessman (b. 1939)
- 2019 – Harold Prince, noted Broadway producer and director, who received more Tony awards than anyone else in history (b. 1928)
Holidays and observances on July 31
- Christian feast day:
- Abanoub
- Germanus of Auxerre
- Ignatius of Loyola
- Neot
- July 31 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Earliest day on which the Feast of Kamál (Perfection) can fall, while August 1 is the latest; observed on the first day of the eighth month of the Bahá’í calendar. (Bahá’í Faith)
- End of the Trinity term (sitting of the High Court of Justice of England)
- Ka Hae Hawaiʻi Day (Hawaii, United States), and its related observance:
- Sovereignty Restoration Day (Hawaiian sovereignty movement)
- Martyrdom Day of Shahid Udham Singh (Haryana and Punjab, India)
- Treasury Day (Poland)
- Warriors’ Day (Malaysia)
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July 27 in History
- 1054 – Siward, Earl of Northumbria, invades Scotland and defeats Macbeth, King of Scotland somewhere north of the Firth of Forth.
- 1189 – Friedrich Barbarossa arrives at Niš, the capital of Serbian King Stefan Nemanja, during the Third Crusade.
- 1202 – Georgian–Seljuk wars: At the Battle of Basian the Kingdom of Georgia defeats the Sultanate of Rum.
- 1214 – Battle of Bouvines: Philip II of France decisively defeats Imperial, English and Flemish armies, effectively ending John of England’s Angevin Empire.
- 1299 – According to Edward Gibbon, Osman I invades the territory of Nicomedia for the first time, usually considered to be the founding day of the Ottoman state.
- 1302 – Battle of Bapheus: Decisive Ottoman victory over the Byzantines opening up Bithynia for Turkish conquest.
- 1549 – The Jesuit priest Francis Xavier’s ship reaches Japan.
- 1663 – The English Parliament passes the second Navigation Act requiring that all goods bound for the American colonies have to be sent in English ships from English ports. After the Acts of Union 1707, Scotland would be included in the Act.
- 1689 – Glorious Revolution: The Battle of Killiecrankie is a victory for the Jacobites.
- 1694 – A Royal charter is granted to the Bank of England.
- 1775 – Founding of the U.S. Army Medical Department: The Second Continental Congress passes legislation establishing “an hospital for an army consisting of 20,000 men.”
- 1778 – American Revolution: First Battle of Ushant: British and French fleets fight to a standoff.
- 1789 – The first U.S. federal government agency, the Department of Foreign Affairs, is established (it will be later renamed Department of State).
- 1794 – French Revolution: Maximilien Robespierre is arrested after encouraging the execution of more than 17,000 “enemies of the Revolution”.
- 1816 – Battle of Negro Fort: The battle ends when a hot shot cannonball fired by US Navy Gunboat No. 154 explodes the Fort’s Powder Magazine, killing approximately 275. It is considered the deadliest single cannon shot in US history.
- 1857 – Siege of Arrah begins: Sixty-eight men hold out for eight days against a force of 2,500 to 3,000 mutinying sepoys and 8,000 irregular forces.
- 1865 – Welsh settlers arrive at Chubut in Argentina.
- 1866 – The first permanent transatlantic telegraph cable is successfully completed, stretching from Valentia Island, Ireland, to Heart’s Content, Newfoundland.
- 1880 – Second Anglo-Afghan War: Battle of Maiwand: Afghan forces led by Mohammad Ayub Khan defeat the British Army in battle near Maiwand, Afghanistan.
- 1890 – Vincent van Gogh shoots himself and dies two days later.
- 1900 – Kaiser Wilhelm II makes a speech comparing Germans to Huns; for years afterwards, “Hun” would be a disparaging name for Germans.
- 1917 – World War I: The Allies reach the Yser Canal at the Battle of Passchendaele.
- 1919 – The Chicago Race Riot erupts after a racial incident occurred on a South Side beach, leading to 38 fatalities and 537 injuries over a five-day period.
- 1921 – Researchers at the University of Toronto, led by biochemist Frederick Banting, prove that the hormone insulin regulates blood sugar.
- 1929 – The Geneva Convention of 1929, dealing with treatment of prisoners-of-war, is signed by 53 nations.
- 1940 – The animated short A Wild Hare is released, introducing the character of Bugs Bunny.
- 1942 – World War II: Allied forces successfully halt the final Axis advance into Egypt.
- 1949 – Initial flight of the de Havilland Comet, the first jet-powered airliner.
- 1953 – Cessation of hostilities is achieved in the Korean War when the United States, China, and North Korea sign an armistice agreement. Syngman Rhee, President of South Korea, refuses to sign but pledges to observe the armistice.
- 1955 – The Austrian State Treaty restores Austrian sovereignty.
- 1955 – El Al Flight 402 is shot down by two fighter jets after straying into Bulgarian air space. All 58 people onboard are killed.
- 1959 – The Continental League is announced as baseball’s “3rd major league” in the United States.
- 1964 – Vietnam War: Five thousand more American military advisers are sent to South Vietnam bringing the total number of United States forces in Vietnam to 21,000.
- 1974 – Watergate scandal: The House of Representatives Judiciary Committee votes 27 to 11 to recommend the first article of impeachment (for obstruction of justice) against President Richard Nixon.
- 1975 – Mayor of Jaffna and former MP Alfred Duraiappah is shot dead.
- 1976 – Former Japanese prime minister Kakuei Tanaka is arrested on suspicion of violating foreign exchange and foreign trade laws in connection with the Lockheed bribery scandals.
- 1981 – While landing at Chihuahua International Airport, Aeromexico Flight 230 overshoots the runway. Thirty-two of the 66 passengers and crew on board the DC-9 are killed.[2]
- 1983 – Black July: Eighteen Tamil political prisoners at the Welikada high security prison in Colombo are massacred by Sinhalese prisoners, the second such massacre in two days.
- 1987 – RMS Titanic Inc. begins the first expedited salvage of wreckage of the RMS Titanic.
- 1989 – While attempting to land at Tripoli International Airport in Libya, Korean Air Flight 803 crashes just short of the runway. Seventy-five of the 199 passengers and crew and four people on the ground are killed, in the second accident involving a DC-10 in less than two weeks, the first being United Airlines Flight 232.
- 1990 – The Supreme Soviet of the Belarusian Soviet Republic declares independence of Belarus from the Soviet Union. Until 1996 the day is celebrated as the Independence Day of Belarus; after a referendum held that year the celebration of independence is moved to June 3.
- 1990 – The Jamaat al Muslimeen attempt a coup d’état in Trinidad and Tobago.
- 1995 – The Korean War Veterans Memorial is dedicated in Washington, D.C..
- 1996 – In Atlanta, United States, a pipe bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park during the 1996 Summer Olympics.
- 1997 – About 50 people are killed in the Si Zerrouk massacre in Algeria.
- 2002 – Ukraine airshow disaster: A Sukhoi Su-27 fighter crashes during an air show at Lviv, Ukraine killing 77 and injuring more than 500 others, making it the deadliest air show disaster in history.
- 2005 – After an incident during STS-114, NASA grounds the Space Shuttle, pending an investigation of the continuing problem with the shedding of foam insulation from the external fuel tank.
- 2015 – At least seven people are killed and many injured after gunmen attack an Indian police station in Punjab.
- 2016 – At a news conference in Florida, U.S. Presidential Candidate Donald Trump publicly appealed to Russia to find and release private emails from Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton; a Special Counsel investigation (2017–2019) later alleged that Russian operatives began hacking into servers at the Democratic National Committee on that same day, leading to the July 13, 2018 indictment of 12 Russian intelligence officers.[3]
Births on July 27
- 1452 – Ludovico Sforza, Italian son of Francesco I Sforza (d. 1508)
- 1452 – Lucrezia Crivelli, mistress of Ludovico Sforza (d. 1508)
- 1502 – Francesco Corteccia, Italian composer (d. 1571)
- 1578 – Frances Howard, Duchess of Richmond (d. 1639)
- 1612 – Murad IV, Ottoman Sultan (d. 1640)
- 1625 – Edward Montagu, 1st Earl of Sandwich (d. 1672)
- 1667 – Johann Bernoulli, Swiss mathematician and academic (d. 1748)
- 1733 – Jeremiah Dixon, English surveyor and astronomer (d. 1779)
- 1740 – Jeanne Baré, French explorer (d. 1803)
- 1741 – François-Hippolyte Barthélémon, French-English violinist and composer (d. 1808)
- 1752 – Samuel Smith, American general and politician (d. 1839)
- 1768 – Charlotte Corday, French assassin of Jean-Paul Marat (d. 1793)
- 1768 – Joseph Anton Koch, Austrian painter (d. 1839)
- 1773 – Jacob Aall, Norwegian economist and politician (d. 1844)
- 1777 – Thomas Campbell, Scottish-French poet and academic (d. 1844)
- 1777 – Henry Trevor, 21st Baron Dacre, English general (d. 1853)
- 1781 – Mauro Giuliani, Italian singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1828)
- 1784 – Denis Davydov, Russian general and poet (d. 1839)
- 1812 – Thomas Lanier Clingman, American general and politician (d. 1897)
- 1818 – Agostino Roscelli, Italian priest and saint (d. 1902)
- 1824 – Alexandre Dumas, fils, French novelist and playwright (d. 1895)
- 1833 – Thomas George Bonney, English geologist, mountaineer, and academic (d. 1923)
- 1834 – Miguel Grau Seminario, Peruvian admiral (d. 1879)
- 1835 – Giosuè Carducci, Italian poet and educator, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1907)
- 1848 – Loránd Eötvös, Hungarian physicist and politician, Minister of Education of Hungary (d. 1919)
- 1848 – Friedrich Ernst Dorn, German physicist (d.1916)
- 1853 – Vladimir Korolenko, Ukrainian journalist, author, and activist (d. 1921)
- 1853 – Elizabeth Plankinton, American philanthropist (d. 1923)
- 1854 – Takahashi Korekiyo, Japanese accountant and politician, 20th Prime Minister of Japan (d. 1936)
- 1857 – José Celso Barbosa, Puerto Rican physician, sociologist, and politician (d. 1921)
- 1857 – Ernest Alfred Thompson Wallis Budge, English Egyptologist, Orientalist, and philologist (d.1934)
- 1858 – George Lyon, Canadian golfer and cricketer (d. 1938)
- 1866 – António José de Almeida, Portuguese physician and politician, 6th President of Portugal (d. 1929)
- 1867 – Enrique Granados, Spanish pianist and composer (d. 1916)
- 1870 – Hilaire Belloc, French-born British writer and historian (d. 1953)
- 1872 – Stanislav Binički, Serbian composer, conductor, and pedagogue. (d. 1942)
- 1879 – Francesco Gaeta, Italian poet (d. 1927)
- 1877 – Ernő Dohnányi, Hungarian pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1960)
- 1881 – Hans Fischer, German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1945)
- 1882 – Geoffrey de Havilland, English pilot and engineer, founded the de Havilland Aircraft Company (d. 1965)
- 1886 – Ernst May, German architect and urban planner (d. 1970)
- 1889 – Vera Karalli, Russian ballerina, choreographer, and actress (d. 1972)
- 1890 – Benjamin Miessner, American radio engineer and inventor (d. 1976)
- 1890 – Armas Taipale, Finnish discus thrower and shot putter (d. 1976)
- 1891 – Jacob van der Hoeden, Dutch-Israeli veterinarian and academic (d. 1968)
- 1893 – Ugo Agostoni, Italian cyclist (d. 1941)
- 1894 – Mientje Kling, Dutch actress (d. 1966)
- 1896 – Robert George, Scottish air marshal and politician, 24th Governor of South Australia (d. 1967)
- 1896 – Henri Longchambon, French lawyer and politician (d. 1969)
- 1899 – Percy Hornibrook, Australian cricketer (d. 1976)
- 1902 – Yaroslav Halan, Ukrainian playwright and publicist (d. 1949)
- 1903 – Nikolay Cherkasov, Russian actor (d. 1966)
- 1903 – Michail Stasinopoulos, Greek jurist and politician, President of Greece (d. 2002)
- 1903 – Mārtiņš Zīverts, Latvian playwright (d. 1990)
- 1904 – Lyudmila Rudenko, Soviet chess player (d. 1986)
- 1905 – Leo Durocher, American baseball player and manager (d. 1991)
- 1906 – Jerzy Giedroyc, Polish author and activist (d. 2000)
- 1906 – Herbert Jasper, Canadian psychologist and neurologist (d. 1999)
- 1907 – Ross Alexander, American stage and film actor (d. 1937)
- 1907 – Carl McClellan Hill, African American educator and academic administrator (d. 1995)
- 1907 – Irene Fischer, Austrian-American geodesist and mathematician (d. 2009)
- 1908 – Joseph Mitchell, American journalist and author (d. 1996)
- 1910 – Julien Gracq, French author and critic (d. 2007)
- 1910 – Lupita Tovar, Mexican-American actress (d. 2016)
- 1911 – Rayner Heppenstall, English author and poet (d. 1981)
- 1912 – Vernon Elliott, English bassoon player, composer, and conductor (d. 1996)
- 1913 – George L. Street III, American captain, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 2000)
- 1914 – August Sang, Estonian poet and translator (d. 1969)
- 1915 – Mario Del Monaco, Italian tenor (d. 1982)
- 1915 – Josef Priller, German colonel and pilot (d. 1961)
- 1916 – Elizabeth Hardwick, American literary critic, novelist, and short story writer (d. 2007)
- 1916 – Skippy Williams, American saxophonist and arranger (d. 1994)
- 1916 – Keenan Wynn, American actor (d. 1986)
- 1918 – Leonard Rose, American cellist and educator (d. 1984)
- 1920 – Henry D. “Homer” Haynes, American comedian and musician (Homer and Jethro) (d. 1971)
- 1921 – Garry Davis, American pilot and activist, created the World Passport (d. 2013)
- 1921 – Émile Genest, Canadian-American actor (d. 2003)
- 1922 – Adolfo Celi, Italian actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1986)
- 1922 – Norman Lear, American screenwriter and producer
- 1923 – Mas Oyama, South Korean-Japanese martial artist (d. 1994)
- 1924 – Vincent Canby, American historian and critic (d. 2000)
- 1924 – Otar Taktakishvili, Georgian composer and conductor (d. 1989)
- 1927 – Guy Carawan, American singer and musicologist (d. 2015)
- 1927 – Pierre Granier-Deferre, French director and screenwriter (d. 2007)
- 1927 – Will Jordan, American comedian and actor (d. 2018)
- 1927 – C. Rajadurai, Sri Lankan journalist and politician, 1st Mayor of Batticaloa
- 1927 – John Seigenthaler, American journalist and academic (d. 2014)
- 1928 – Joseph Kittinger, American colonel and pilot
- 1929 – Jean Baudrillard, French sociologist and philosopher (d. 2007)
- 1929 – Harvey Fuqua, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2010)
- 1929 – Jack Higgins, English author and academic
- 1929 – Marc Wilkinson, French-Australian composer and conductor
- 1930 – Joy Whitby, English director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1930 – Shirley Williams, English academic and politician, Secretary of State for Education
- 1931 – Khieu Samphan, Cambodian academic and politician, 28th Prime Minister of Cambodia
- 1931 – Jerry Van Dyke, American actor (d. 2018)
- 1932 – Forest Able, American basketball player
- 1932 – Diane Webber, American model, dancer and actress
- 1933 – Nick Reynolds, American singer and bongo player (d. 2008)
- 1933 – Ted Whitten, Australian footballer and journalist (d. 1995)
- 1935 – Hillar Kärner, Estonian chess player
- 1935 – Billy McCullough, Northern Irish footballer
- 1936 – J. Robert Hooper, American businessman and politician (d. 2008)
- 1937 – Anna Dawson, English actress and singer
- 1937 – Don Galloway, American actor (d. 2009)
- 1937 – Robert Holmes à Court, South African-Australian businessman and lawyer (d. 1990)
- 1938 – Gary Gygax, American game designer, co-created Dungeons & Dragons (d. 2008)
- 1939 – William Eggleston, American photographer and academic
- 1939 – Michael Longley, Northern Irish poet and academic
- 1939 – Paulo Silvino, Brazilian comedian, composer and actor (d. 2017)
- 1940 – Pina Bausch, German dancer and choreographer (d. 2009)
- 1941 – Christian Boesch, Austrian opera singer
- 1941 – Johannes Fritsch, German viola player and composer (d. 2010)
- 1942 – Édith Butler, Canadian singer-songwriter
- 1942 – John Pleshette, American actor, director, and screenwriter
- 1942 – Dennis Ralston, American tennis player
- 1943 – Jeremy Greenstock, English diplomat, British Ambassador to the United Nations
- 1944 – Bobbie Gentry, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1944 – Jean-Marie Leblanc, French cyclist and journalist
- 1944 – Barbara Thomson, English saxophonist and composer
- 1945 – Edmund M. Clarke, American computer scientist
- 1946 – Peter Reading, English poet and author (d. 2011)
- 1947 – Kazuyoshi Miura, Japanese businessman (d. 2008)
- 1947 – Betty Thomas, American actress, director, and producer
- 1948 – Peggy Fleming, American figure skater and sportscaster
- 1948 – James Munby, English lawyer and judge
- 1948 – Henny Vrienten, Dutch singer-songwriter and bass player
- 1949 – Maury Chaykin, American-Canadian actor (d. 2010)
- 1949 – André Dupont, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
- 1949 – Rory MacDonald, Scottish singer-songwriter and bass player
- 1949 – Maureen McGovern, American singer and actress
- 1949 – Robert Rankin, English author and illustrator
- 1950 – Simon Jones, English actor
- 1951 – Roseanna Cunningham, Scottish lawyer and politician, Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs
- 1951 – Bob Diamond, American-English banker and businessman
- 1951 – Rolf Thung, Dutch tennis player
- 1952 – Marvin Barnes, American basketball player (d. 2014)
- 1952 – Roxanne Hart, American actress
- 1953 – Chung Dong-young, South Korean journalist and politician, 31st South Korean Minister of Unification
- 1953 – Yahoo Serious, Australian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1954 – Philippe Alliot, French race car driver and sportscaster
- 1954 – G. S. Bali, Indian lawyer and politician
- 1954 – Ricardo Uceda, Peruvian journalist and author
- 1954 – Mark Stanway, English keyboard player Magnum
- 1955 – Cat Bauer, American journalist, author, and playwright
- 1955 – Allan Border, Australian cricketer and coach
- 1955 – John Howell, English journalist and politician
- 1955 – Bobby Rondinelli, American drummer
- 1956 – Carol Leifer, American actress, comedian, screenwriter, and producer
- 1957 – Bill Engvall, American comedian, actor, and producer
- 1958 – Christopher Dean, English figure skater and choreographer
- 1958 – Kimmo Hakola, Finnish composer
- 1959 – Joe DeSa, American baseball player (d. 1986)
- 1959 – Hugh Green, American football player
- 1959 – Yiannos Papantoniou, French-Greek economist and politician, Greek Minister of National Defence
- 1960 – Jo Durie, English tennis player and sportscaster
- 1960 – Conway Savage, Australian singer-songwriter and keyboard player (d. 2018)
- 1960 – Emily Thornberry, English lawyer and politician
- 1961 – Ed Orgeron, American football coach[4]
- 1962 – Neil Brooks, Australian swimmer
- 1962 – Karl Mueller, American bass player (d. 2005)
- 1963 – Donnie Yen, Chinese-Hong Kong actor, director, producer, and martial artist
- 1964 – Rex Brown, American bass player and songwriter
- 1965 – José Luis Chilavert, Paraguayan footballer
- 1966 – Steve Tilson, English footballer and manager
- 1967 – Rahul Bose, Indian journalist, actor, director, and screenwriter
- 1967 – Juliana Hatfield, American singer-songwriter and musician
- 1967 – Hans Mathisen, Norwegian guitarist and composer
- 1967 – Neil Smith, English cricketer
- 1967 – Craig Wolanin, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1968 – Maria Grazia Cucinotta, Italian actress and producer
- 1968 – Tom Goodwin, American baseball player and coach
- 1968 – Sabina Jeschke, Swedish-German engineer and academic
- 1968 – Julian McMahon, Australian actor and producer
- 1968 – Ricardo Rosset, Brazilian race car driver
- 1969 – Triple H, American wrestler and actor
- 1969 – Jonty Rhodes, South African cricketer and coach
- 1970 – Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Danish actor and producer
- 1970 – David Davies, English-Welsh politician
- 1971 – Matthew Johns, Australian rugby league player, sportscaster and television host
- 1972 – Clint Robinson, Australian kayaker[5]
- 1972 – Maya Rudolph, American actress
- 1972 – Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, Malaysian surgeon and astronaut
- 1973 – Cassandra Clare, American journalist and author
- 1973 – Erik Nys, Belgian long jumper
- 1973 – Gorden Tallis, Australian rugby league player and coach
- 1974 – Eason Chan, Hong Kong singer, actor, and producer
- 1974 – Pete Yorn, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1975 – Serkan Çeliköz, Turkish keyboard player and songwriter
- 1975 – Shea Hillenbrand, American baseball player
- 1975 – Fred Mascherino, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1975 – Alessandro Pistone, Italian footballer
- 1975 – Alex Rodriguez, American baseball player
- 1976 – Demis Hassabis, English computer scientist and academic
- 1976 – Scott Mason, Australian cricketer (d. 2005)
- 1977 – Foo Swee Chin, Singaporean illustrator
- 1977 – Björn Dreyer, German footballer
- 1977 – Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Irish actor
- 1978 – Diarmuid O’Sullivan, Irish hurler and manager
- 1979 – Marielle Franco, Brazilian politician, feminist, and human rights activist (d. 2018)
- 1979 – Jorge Arce, Mexican boxer
- 1979 – Sidney Govou, French footballer
- 1979 – Shannon Moore, American wrestler and singer
- 1980 – Allan Davis, Australian cyclist
- 1980 – Wesley Gonzales, Filipino basketball player
- 1981 – Susan King Borchardt, American basketball player
- 1981 – Collins Obuya, Kenyan cricketer
- 1981 – Dash Snow, American painter and photographer (d. 2009)
- 1981 – Christopher Weselek, German rugby player
- 1982 – Neil Harbisson, English-Catalan painter, composer, and activist
- 1983 – Lorik Cana, Albanian footballer
- 1983 – Martijn Maaskant, Dutch cyclist
- 1983 – Goran Pandev, Macedonian footballer
- 1983 – Soccor Velho, Indian footballer (d. 2013)
- 1984 – Antoine Bethea, American football player
- 1984 – Tsuyoshi Nishioka, Japanese baseball player
- 1984 – Max Scherzer, American baseball player
- 1984 – Taylor Schilling, American actress
- 1984 – Kenny Wormald, American actor, dancer, and choreographer
- 1985 – Husain Abdullah, American football player
- 1985 – Matteo Pratichetti, Italian rugby player
- 1985 – Ajmal Shahzad, English cricketer
- 1986 – DeMarre Carroll, American basketball player
- 1986 – Ryan Flaherty, American baseball player
- 1986 – Ryan Griffen, Australian footballer
- 1987 – Jacoby Ford, American football player
- 1987 – Marek Hamšík, Slovak footballer
- 1987 – Jordan Hill, American basketball player
- 1987 – Sarah Parsons, American ice hockey player
- 1988 – Adam Biddle, Australian footballer
- 1988 – Yoervis Medina, Venezuelan baseball player
- 1988 – Ryan Tannehill, American football player
- 1989 – Maya Ali, Pakistani actress
- 1990 – Nick Hogan, American race car driver and actor
- 1990 – Paolo Hurtado, Peruvian footballer
- 1990 – Cheyenne Kimball, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1990 – Stephen Li-Chung Kuo, Taiwanese-American figure skater
- 1990 – Kriti Sanon, Indian actress
- 1991 – Rena Matsui, Japanese actress and singer
- 1993 – Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Australian rugby league player
- 1993 – Max Power, English footballer
- 1993 – Jordan Spieth, American golfer
- 2001 – Shin Ki-joon, South Korean actor
Deaths on July 27
- 903 – Abdallah II of Ifriqiya, Aghlabid emir
- 959 – Chai Rong, emperor of Later Zhou
- 1144 – Salomea of Berg, High Duchess consort of Poland[6]
- 1061 – Nicholas II, pope of the Catholic Church
- 1101 – Conrad II, king of Italy (b. 1074)
- 1101 – Hugh d’Avranches, Earl of Chester (b. c. 1047)
- 1158 – Geoffrey VI, Count of Anjou (b. 1134)
- 1276 – James I of Aragon (b. 1208)
- 1365 – Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria (b. 1339)
- 1382 – Joanna I of Naples (b. 1326)
- 1510 – Giovanni Sforza, Italian condottiere (b. 1466)
- 1469 – William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke (b. 1423)
- 1656 – Salomo Glassius, German theologian and critic (b. 1593)
- 1675 – Henri de la Tour d’Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne, French general (b. 1611)
- 1689 – John Graham, 1st Viscount Dundee, Scottish general (b. c. 1648)[7]
- 1759 – Pierre Louis Maupertuis, French mathematician and philosopher (b. 1698)
- 1770 – Robert Dinwiddie, Scottish merchant and politician, Colonial Governor of Virginia (b. 1693)
- 1841 – Mikhail Lermontov, Russian poet and painter (b. 1814)
- 1844 – John Dalton, English physicist, meteorologist, and chemist (b. 1776)
- 1863 – William Lowndes Yancey, American journalist and politician (b. 1813)
- 1865 – Jean-Joseph Dassy, French painter and lithographer (b. 1791)
- 1875 – Aleksander Kunileid, Estonian composer and educator (b. 1845)
- 1876 – Albertus van Raalte, Dutch-born American minister and author (b. 1811)
- 1883 – Montgomery Blair, American lieutenant and politician, 20th United States Postmaster General (b. 1813)
- 1916 – Charles Fryatt, English captain (b. 1872)
- 1916 – William Jonas, English footballer (d. 1890)
- 1917 – Emil Theodor Kocher, Swiss physician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1841)
- 1921 – Myrddin Fardd, Welsh writer and antiquarian scholar (b. 1836)
- 1924 – Ferruccio Busoni, Italian pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1866)
- 1931 – Auguste Forel, Swiss neuroanatomist and psychiatrist (b. 1848)
- 1938 – Tom Crean, Irish seaman and explorer (b. 1877)
- 1941 – Alfred Henry O’Keeffe, New Zealand painter and educator (b. 1858)
- 1942 – Karl Pärsimägi, Estonian painter (b. 1902)
- 1946 – Gertrude Stein, American novelist, poet, and playwright (b. 1874)
- 1948 – Woolf Barnato, English race car driver and businessman (b. 1898)
- 1948 – Joe Tinker, American baseball player and manager (b. 1880)
- 1948 – Dorothea Bleek, South African anthropologist and philologist (b. 1873)
- 1951 – Paul Kogerman, Estonian chemist and politician, 22nd Estonian Minister of Education (b. 1891)
- 1958 – Claire Lee Chennault, American general and pilot (b. 1893)
- 1960 – Julie Vinter Hansen, Danish-Swiss astronomer and academic (b. 1890)
- 1962 – Richard Aldington, English poet and author (b. 1892)
- 1962 – James H. Kindelberger, American pilot and businessman (b. 1895)
- 1963 – Hooks Dauss, American baseball player (b. 1889)
- 1963 – Garrett Morgan, African-American inventor (b. 1877)
- 1964 – Winifred Lenihan, American actress, writer, and director (b. 1898)
- 1965 – Daniel-Rops, French historian and author (b. 1901)
- 1968 – Babe Adams, American baseball player and manager (b. 1882)
- 1970 – António de Oliveira Salazar, Portuguese economist and politician, 100th Prime Minister of Portugal (b. 1889)
- 1971 – Charlie Tully, Irish footballer and manager (b. 1924)
- 1975 – Alfred Duraiappah, Sri Lankan Tamil lawyer and politician (d. 1926)
- 1978 – Bob Heffron, New Zealand-Australian miner and politician, 30th Premier of New South Wales (b. 1890)
- 1978 – Willem van Otterloo, Dutch cellist, composer, and conductor (b. 1907)
- 1980 – Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Iranian king (b. 1919)
- 1981 – William Wyler, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1902)
- 1984 – James Mason, English actor (b. 1909)
- 1985 – Smoky Joe Wood, American baseball player and coach (b. 1889)
- 1987 – Travis Jackson, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1903)
- 1988 – Frank Zamboni, American inventor and businessman, founded the Zamboni Company (b. 1901)
- 1990 – Bobby Day, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer (b. 1928)
- 1990 – René Toribio, Guadeloupean politician (b. 1912)
- 1991 – John Friedrich, German-Australian engineer and conman (b. 1950)
- 1992 – Max Dupain, Australian photographer and educator (b. 1911)
- 1992 – Tzeni Karezi, Greek actress and screenwriter
- 1993 – Reggie Lewis, American basketball player (b. 1965)
- 1994 – Kevin Carter, South African photographer and journalist (b. 1960)
- 1995 – Melih Esenbel, Turkish politician and diplomat, 20th Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1915)
- 1995 – Rick Ferrell, American baseball player and coach (b. 1905)
- 1995 – Miklós Rózsa, Hungarian-American composer and conductor (b. 1907)
- 1998 – Binnie Barnes, English-American actress (b. 1903)
- 1999 – Aleksandr Danilovich Aleksandrov, Russian mathematician, physicist, and mountaineer (b. 1912)
- 1999 – Harry Edison, American trumpet player (b. 1915)
- 2000 – Gordon Solie, American sportscaster (b. 1929)
- 2001 – Rhonda Sing, Canadian wrestler (b. 1961)
- 2001 – Leon Wilkeson, American bass player and songwriter (b. 1952)
- 2003 – Vance Hartke, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician (b. 1919)
- 2003 – Bob Hope, English-American actor, comedian, television personality, and businessman (b. 1903)
- 2005 – Al Held, American painter and academic (b. 1928)
- 2005 – Marten Toonder, Dutch author and illustrator (b. 1912)
- 2006 – Maryann Mahaffey, American academic and politician (b. 1925)
- 2007 – James Oyebola, Nigerian-English boxer (b. 1961)
- 2008 – Youssef Chahine, Egyptian director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1926)
- 2008 – Horst Stein, German-born Swiss conductor (b. 1928)
- 2008 – Isaac Saba Raffoul, Mexican businessman (b. 1923)
- 2010 – Maury Chaykin, American-Canadian actor (b. 1949)
- 2010 – Jack Tatum, American football player (b. 1948)
- 2012 – Norman Alden, American actor (b. 1924)
- 2012 – R. G. Armstrong, American actor and playwright (b. 1917)
- 2012 – Darryl Cotton, Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (b. 1949)
- 2012 – Geoffrey Hughes, English actor (b. 1944)
- 2012 – Tony Martin, American actor and singer (b. 1913)
- 2012 – Jack Taylor, English footballer and referee (b. 1930)
- 2013 – Fernando Alonso, Cuban dancer, co-founded the Cuban National Ballet (b. 1914)
- 2013 – Lindy Boggs, American politician and diplomat, 5th United States Ambassador to the Holy See (b. 1916)
- 2013 – Bud Day, American colonel and pilot, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1925)
- 2013 – Kidd Kraddick, American radio host (b. 1959)
- 2013 – Ilya Segalovich, Russian businessman, co-founded Yandex (b. 1964)
- 2014 – Richard Bolt, New Zealand air marshal and pilot (b. 1923)
- 2014 – George Freese, American baseball player and coach (b. 1926)
- 2014 – Wallace Jones, American basketball player and coach (b. 1926)
- 2014 – Francesco Marchisano, Italian cardinal (b. 1929)
- 2014 – Paul Schell, American lawyer and politician, 50th Mayor of Seattle (b. 1937)
- 2015 – Rickey Grundy, American singer-songwriter (b. 1959)
- 2015 – A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, Indian engineer, academic, and politician, 11th President of India (b. 1931)
- 2015 – Samuel Pisar, Polish-born American lawyer and author (b. 1929)
- 2015 – Anthony Shaw, English general (b. 1930)
- 2016 – Einojuhani Rautavaara, Finnish composer (b.1928)[8]
- 2016 – James Alan McPherson, American short story writer and essayist (b. 1943)[9]
- 2016 – Jerry Doyle, American actor and talk show host (b. 1956)[10]
- 2016 – Piet de Jong, Dutch politician and naval officer, Minister of Defence (1963–67), Prime Minister of the Netherlands (1967–71) (b. 1915)[11]
- 2017 – Sam Shepard, American playwright, actor, author, screenwriter, and director (b.1943)[12]
- 2018 – Marco Aurelio Denegri, Peruvian literature critic, television host and sexologist[13]
- 2018 – Rahim Uddin Bharosha, Bangladeshi politician (b. 1934)
Holidays and observances on July 27
- Christian feast day:
- Arethas (Western Christianity)
- Aurelius and Natalia and companions of the Martyrs of Córdoba.
- Maurus, Pantalemon, and Sergius
- Pantaleon
- Seven Sleepers of Ephesus (Roman Martyrology)
- National Sleepy Head Day (Finland)
- Theobald of Marly
- Blessed Titus Brandsma, O.Carm.
- July 27 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Day of Victory in the Great Fatherland Liberation War (North Korea)
- Iglesia ni Cristo Day (the Philippines)
- José Celso Barbosa Day (Puerto Rico)
- Martyrs and Wounded Soldiers Day (Vietnam)
- National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day (United States)
-
July 6 in History
- 371 BC – The Battle of Leuctra shatters Sparta’s reputation of military invincibility.
- 640 – Battle of Heliopolis: The Muslim Arab army under ‘Amr ibn al-‘As defeat the Byzantine forces near Heliopolis (Egypt).
- 1253 – Mindaugas is crowned King of Lithuania.
- 1348 – Pope Clement VI issues a papal bull protecting the Jews accused of having caused the Black Death.
- 1411 – Ming China’s Admiral Zheng He returns to Nanjing after the third treasure voyage and presents the Sinhalese king, captured during the Ming–Kotte War, to the Yongle Emperor.
- 1415 – Jan Hus is condemned by the assembly of the council in the cathedral as a heretic and sentenced to be burned at the stake. (See Deaths section.)
- 1438 – A temporary compromise between the rebellious Transylvanian peasants and the noblemen is signed in Kolozsmonostor Abbey.
- 1483 – Richard III is crowned King of England.
- 1484 – Portuguese sea captain Diogo Cão finds the mouth of the Congo River.
- 1495 – First Italian War: Battle of Fornovo: Charles VIII defeats the Holy League.
- 1535 – Sir Thomas More is executed for treason against King Henry VIII of England.
- 1557 – King Philip II of Spain, consort of Queen Mary I of England, sets out from Dover to war with France, which eventually resulted in the loss of the City of Calais, the last English possession on the continent, and Mary I never seeing her husband again.
- 1560 – The Treaty of Edinburgh is signed by Scotland and England.
- 1573 – Córdoba, Argentina, is founded by Jerónimo Luis de Cabrera.
- 1573 – French Wars of Religion: Siege of La Rochelle ends.
- 1614 – Raid on Żejtun: The south east of Malta, and the town of Żejtun, suffer a raid from Ottoman forces. This was the last unsuccessful attempt by the Ottomans to conquer the island of Malta.
- 1630 – Thirty Years’ War: Four thousand Swedish troops under Gustavus Adolphus land in Pomerania, Germany.
- 1685 – Battle of Sedgemoor: Last battle of the Monmouth Rebellion. troops of King James II defeat troops of James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth.
- 1751 – Pope Benedict XIV suppresses the Patriarchate of Aquileia and establishes from its territory the Archdiocese of Udine and Gorizia.
- 1777 – American Revolutionary War: Siege of Fort Ticonderoga: After a bombardment by British artillery under General John Burgoyne, American forces retreat from Fort Ticonderoga, New York.
- 1779 – Battle of Grenada: The French defeat British naval forces during the American Revolutionary War.
- 1801 – First Battle of Algeciras: Outnumbered French Navy ships defeat the Royal Navy in the fortified Spanish port of Algeciras.
- 1809 – The second day of the Battle of Wagram; France defeats the Austrian army in the largest battle to date of the Napoleonic Wars.
- 1854 – In Jackson, Michigan, the first convention of the United States Republican Party is held.
- 1885 – Louis Pasteur successfully tests his vaccine against rabies on Joseph Meister, a boy who was bitten by a rabid dog.
- 1887 – David Kalākaua, monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii, is forced to sign the Bayonet Constitution, which transfers much of the king’s authority to the Legislature of the Kingdom of Hawaii.
- 1892 – Three thousand eight hundred striking steelworkers engage in a day-long battle with Pinkerton agents during the Homestead Strike, leaving ten dead and dozens wounded.
- 1917 – World War I: Arabian troops led by T. E. Lawrence (“Lawrence of Arabia”) and Auda ibu Tayi capture Aqaba from the Ottoman Empire during the Arab Revolt.
- 1918 – The Left SR uprising in Russia starts with the assassination of German ambassador Wilhelm von Mirbach by Cheka members.
- 1919 – The British dirigible R34 lands in New York, completing the first crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by an airship.
- 1933 – The first Major League Baseball All-Star Game is played in Chicago’s Comiskey Park. The American League defeated the National League 4–2.
- 1936 – A major breach of the Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal in England sends millions of gallons of water cascading 200 feet (61 m) into the River Irwell.
- 1937 – Spanish Civil War: Battle of Brunete: The battle begins with Spanish Republican troops going on the offensive against the Nationalists to relieve pressure on Madrid.
- 1939 – Anti-Jewish legislation in prewar Nazi Germany closes the last remaining Jewish enterprises.
- 1940 – Story Bridge, a major landmark in Brisbane, as well as Australia’s longest cantilever bridge is formally opened.
- 1941 – The German army launches its offensive to encircle several Soviet armies near Smolensk.
- 1942 – Anne Frank and her family go into hiding in the “Secret Annexe” above her father’s office in an Amsterdam warehouse.
- 1944 – Jackie Robinson refuses to move to the back of a bus, leading to a court-martial.
- 1944 – The Hartford circus fire, one of America’s worst fire disasters, kills approximately 168 people and injures over 700 in Hartford, Connecticut.
- 1947 – Referendum held in Sylhet to decide its fate in the Partition of India.
- 1947 – The AK-47 goes into production in the Soviet Union.
- 1957 – Althea Gibson wins the Wimbledon championships, becoming the first black athlete to do so.
- 1957 – John Lennon and Paul McCartney meet for the first time, as teenagers at Woolton Fete, three years before forming the Beatles.
- 1962 – As a part of Operation Plowshare, the Sedan nuclear test takes place.
- 1962 – The Late Late Show, the world’s longest-running chat show by the same broadcaster, airs on RTÉ One for the first time.
- 1964 – Malawi declares its independence from the United Kingdom.
- 1966 – Malawi becomes a republic, with Hastings Banda as its first President.
- 1967 – Nigerian Civil War: Nigerian forces invade Biafra, beginning the war.
- 1975 – The Comoros declares independence from France.
- 1986 – Davis Phinney becomes the first American cyclist to win a road stage of the Tour de France.
- 1988 – The Piper Alpha drilling platform in the North Sea is destroyed by explosions and fires. One hundred sixty-seven oil workers are killed, making it the world’s worst offshore oil disaster in terms of direct loss of life.
- 1989 – The Tel Aviv–Jerusalem bus 405 suicide attack: Sixteen bus passengers are killed when a member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad took control of the bus and drove it over a cliff.
- 1990 – The Electronic Frontier Foundation is founded.
- 1995 – In the Bosnian War, under the command of General Ratko Mladić, Serbia begins its attack on the Bosnian town of Srebrenica.
- 1997 – The Troubles: In response to the Drumcree dispute, five days of mass protests, riots and gun battles begin in Irish nationalist districts of Northern Ireland.
- 1998 – Hong Kong International Airport opens in Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong, replacing Kai Tak Airport as the city’s international airport.
- 2003 – The 70-metre Yevpatoria Planetary Radar sends a METI message (Cosmic Call 2) to five stars: Hip 4872, HD 245409, 55 Cancri (HD 75732), HD 10307 and 47 Ursae Majoris (HD 95128). The messages will arrive to these stars in 2036, 2040, 2044, and 2049, respectively.
- 2006 – The Nathu La pass between India and China, sealed during the Sino-Indian War, re-opens for trade after 44 years.
- 2013 – At least 42 people are killed in a shooting at a school in Yobe State, Nigeria.
- 2013 – A Boeing 777 operating as Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crashes at San Francisco International Airport, killing three and injuring 181 of the 307 people on board.
- 2013 – A 73-car oil train derails in the town of Lac-Mégantic, Quebec and explodes into flames, killing at least 47 people and destroying more than 30 buildings in the town’s central area.
Births on July 6
- 1387 – Queen Blanche I of Navarre (d. 1441)
- 1423 – Antonio Manetti, Italian mathematician and architect (d. 1497)
- 1580 – Johann Stobäus, German lute player and composer (d. 1646)
- 1623 – Jacopo Melani, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1676)
- 1678 – Nicola Francesco Haym, Italian cellist and composer (d. 1729)
- 1686 – Antoine de Jussieu, French biologist and academic (d. 1758)
- 1701 – Mary, Countess of Harold, English aristocrat and philanthropist (d. 1785)
- 1736 – Daniel Morgan, American general and politician (d. 1802)
- 1747 – John Paul Jones, Scottish-American captain (d. 1792)
- 1766 – Alexander Wilson, Scottish-American poet, ornithologist, and illustrator (d. 1813)
- 1781 – Stamford Raffles, English politician, founded Singapore (d. 1826)
- 1782 – Maria Luisa of Spain (d. 1824)
- 1785 – William Hooker, English botanist and academic (d. 1865)
- 1789 – María Isabella of Spain (d. 1846)
- 1796 – Nicholas I of Russia (d. 1855)
- 1797 – Henry Paget, 2nd Marquess of Anglesey (d. 1869)
- 1799 – Louisa Caroline Huggins Tuthill, American author (d. 1879)
- 1817 – Albert von Kölliker, Swiss anatomist and physiologist (d. 1905)
- 1818 – Adolf Anderssen, German chess player (d. 1879)
- 1823 – Sophie Adlersparre, Swedish publisher, writer, and women’s rights activist (d. 1895)
- 1829 – Frederick VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein (d. 1880)
- 1831 – Sylvester Pennoyer, American lawyer and politician, 8th Governor of Oregon (d. 1902)
- 1832 – Maximilian I of Mexico (d. 1867)
- 1837 – R. G. Bhandarkar, Indian orientalist and scholar (d. 1925)
- 1838 – Vatroslav Jagić, Croatian philologist and scholar (d. 1923)
- 1840 – José María Velasco Gómez, Mexican painter and academic (d. 1912)
- 1843 – John Downer, Australian politician, 16th Premier of South Australia (d. 1915)
- 1856 – George Howard Earle, Jr., American lawyer and businessman (d. 1928)
- 1858 – William Irvine, Irish-Australian politician, 21st Premier of Victoria (d. 1943)
- 1865 – Émile Jaques-Dalcroze, Swiss composer and educator (d. 1950)
- 1868 – Princess Victoria of the United Kingdom (d. 1935)
- 1873 – Dimitrios Maximos, Greek banker and politician, 140th Prime Minister of Greece (d. 1955)
- 1877 – Arnaud Massy, French golfer (d. 1950)
- 1878 – Eino Leino, Finnish poet and journalist (d. 1926)
- 1883 – Godfrey Huggins, Prime Minister of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (d. 1971)
- 1884 – Harold Stirling Vanderbilt, American businessman and sailor (d. 1970)
- 1885 – Ernst Busch, German field marshal (d. 1945)
- 1886 – Marc Bloch, French historian and academic (d. 1944)
- 1887 – Marc Chagall, Belarusian-French painter and poet (d. 1985)
- 1887 – Annette Kellerman, Australian swimmer and actress (d. 1975)
- 1890 – Dhan Gopal Mukerji, Indian-American author and scholar (d. 1936)
- 1892 – Will James, American author and illustrator (d. 1942)
- 1897 – Richard Krautheimer, German-American historian and scholar (d. 1994)
- 1898 – Hanns Eisler, German-Austrian soldier and composer (d. 1962)
- 1899 – Susannah Mushatt Jones, American supercentarian (d. 2016)
- 1900 – Frederica Sagor Maas, American author and screenwriter (d. 2012)
- 1900 – Elfriede Wever, German Olympic runner (d. 1941)
- 1903 – Hugo Theorell, Swedish biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1982)
- 1904 – Robert Whitney, American conductor and composer (d. 1986)
- 1904 – Erik Wickberg, Swedish 9th General of The Salvation Army (d. 1996)
- 1905 – Juan O’Gorman, Mexican painter and architect (d. 1982)
- 1907 – Frida Kahlo, Mexican painter and educator (d. 1954)
- 1907 – George Stanley, Canadian soldier, historian, and author, designed the flag of Canada (d. 2002)
- 1908 – Anton Muttukumaru, Sri Lankan general and diplomat (d. 2001)
- 1909 – Eric Reece, Australian politician, 32nd Premier of Tasmania (d. 1999)
- 1910 – René Le Grèves, French cyclist (d. 1946)
- 1911 – June Gale, American actress (d. 1996)
- 1912 – Heinrich Harrer, Austrian geographer and mountaineer (d. 2006)
- 1912 – Molly Yard, American feminist (d. 2005)
- 1913 – Vance Trimble, American journalist and author
- 1914 – Vince McMahon Sr., American wrestling promoter, founded WWE (d. 1984)
- 1914 – Ernest Kirkendall, American chemist and metallurgist (d. 2005)
- 1915 – Leonard Birchall, Royal Canadian Air Force pilot (d. 2004)
- 1916 – Harold Norse, American poet and author (d. 2009)
- 1916 – Don R. Christensen, American animator, cartoonist, illustrator, writer and inventor (d. 2006)
- 1917 – Arthur Lydiard, New Zealand runner and coach (d. 2004)
- 1918 – Sebastian Cabot, English-Canadian actor (d. 1977)
- 1918 – Herm Fuetsch, American professional basketball player (d. 2010)
- 1918 – Francisco Moncion, Dominican-American ballet dancer, charter member of the New York City Ballet (d.1995)
- 1919 – Ernst Haefliger, Swiss tenor and educator (d. 2007)
- 1919 – Edward Kenna, Australian Second World War recipient of the Victoria Cross (d. 2009)
- 1919 – Ray Dowker, New Zealand cricketer (d. 2004)
- 1921 – Allan MacEachen, Canadian economist and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Canada (d. 2017)
- 1921 – Billy Mauch, American actor (d. 2006)
- 1921 – Bobby Mauch, American actor (d. 2007)
- 1921 – Nancy Reagan, American actress and activist, 42nd First Lady of the United States (d. 2016)
- 1922 – William Schallert, American actor; president (1979–81) of the Screen Actors Guild (d. 2016)
- 1923 – Wojciech Jaruzelski, Polish general and politician, 1st President of Poland (d. 2014)
- 1924 – Mahim Bora, Indian writer and educationist, recipients of the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian honour (d. 2016)
- 1924 – Louie Bellson, American drummer, composer, and bandleader (d. 2009)
- 1925 – Merv Griffin, American actor, singer, and producer, created Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! (d. 2007)
- 1925 – Bill Haley, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1981)
- 1925 – Gazi Yaşargil, Turkish neurosurgeon and academic
- 1926 – Sulev Vahtre, Estonian historian and academic (d. 2007)
- 1926 – Armando Silvestre, Mexican-American actor
- 1927 – Jan Hein Donner, Dutch chess player and journalist (d. 1988)
- 1927 – Janet Leigh, American actress and author (d. 2004)
- 1928 – Bernard Malgrange, French mathematician
- 1929 – Hélène Carrère d’Encausse, French politician historian
- 1930 – George Armstrong, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
- 1930 – Ian Burgess, English racing driver (d. 2012)
- 1931 – Della Reese, American actress and singer (d. 2017)
- 1931 – László Tábori, Hungarian runner and coach (d. 2018)
- 1932 – Herman Hertzberger, Dutch architect and academic
- 1935 – Candy Barr, American model, dancer, and actress (d. 2005)
- 1935 – Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
- 1936 – Dave Allen, Irish comedian, actor, and screenwriter (d. 2005)
- 1937 – Vladimir Ashkenazy, Russian-Icelandic pianist and conductor
- 1937 – Ned Beatty, American actor
- 1937 – Gene Chandler, American singer-songwriter and producer
- 1937 – Bessie Head, Botswanan writer
- 1937 – Michael Sata, Zambian police officer and politician, 5th President of Zambia (d. 2014)
- 1939 – Jet Harris, English bass player (d. 2011)
- 1939 – Mary Peters, English-Irish pentathlete and shot putter
- 1939 – Bruce Hunter, American swimmer (d. 2018)
- 1940 – Jeannie Seely, Grammy Award-winning country music singer-songwriter and Grand Ole Opry member
- 1940 – Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kazakh politician, 1st President of Kazakhstan
- 1941 – David Crystal, British linguist, author, and academic
- 1941 – Reinhard Roder, German footballer and manager
- 1943 – Tamara Sinyavskaya, Russian soprano
- 1944 – Gunhild Hoffmeister, German runner
- 1946 – George W. Bush, American businessman and politician, 43rd President of the United States
- 1946 – Fred Dryer, American football player and actor
- 1946 – Peter Singer, Australian philosopher and academic
- 1946 – Sylvester Stallone, American actor, director, and screenwriter
- 1947 – Roy Señeres, Filipino diplomat and politician (d. 2016)
- 1948 – Nathalie Baye, French actress
- 1948 – Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Canadian academic and politician, 26th Canadian Minister of Veterans Affairs
- 1948 – Brad Park, Canadian-American ice hockey player and coach
- 1949 – Noli de Castro, Filipino journalist and politician, 14th Vice President of the Philippines
- 1949 – Phyllis Hyman, American singer-songwriter and actress (d. 1995)
- 1949 – Michael Shrieve, American composer, drummer, and percussionist
- 1950 – John Byrne, English-American author and illustrator
- 1951 – Lorna Golding, Former First Lady of Jamaica
- 1951 – Geoffrey Rush, Australian actor and producer
- 1952 – Hilary Mantel, English author and critic
- 1953 – Nanci Griffith, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1953 – Kaiser Kalambo, Zambian footballer and manager (d. 2014)
- 1953 – Robert Ménard, French politician and former journalist
- 1954 – Allyce Beasley, American actress
- 1954 – Willie Randolph, American baseball player and manager
- 1958 – Jennifer Saunders, English actress, comedian and screenwriter
- 1959 – Richard Dacoury, French basketball player
- 1960 – Maria Wasiak, Polish businesswoman and politician, Polish Minister of Infrastructure and Development
- 1961 – Robin Antin, American dancer, choreographer, and businesswoman
- 1962 – Todd Bennett, English runner and coach (d. 2013)
- 1962 – Peter Hedges, American author, screenwriter, and director
- 1967 – Heather Nova, Bermudian singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1970 – Inspectah Deck, American rapper and producer
- 1970 – Martin Smith, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1972 – Daniel Andrews, Australian politician, 48th Premier of Victoria
- 1972 – Laurent Gaudé, French author and playwright
- 1972 – Greg Norton, American baseball player and coach
- 1972 – Zhanna Pintusevich-Block, Ukrainian sprinter
- 1974 – Zé Roberto, Brazilian footballer
- 1975 – 50 Cent, American rapper, producer, and actor
- 1975 – Sebastián Rulli, Argentine-Mexican actor and model
- 1975 – Amir-Abbas Fakhravar, Iranian journalist and activist
- 1976 – Rory Delap, English-Irish footballer
- 1976 – Ioana Dumitriu, Romanian-American mathematician and academic
- 1977 – Max Mirnyi, Belarusian tennis player
- 1977 – Makhaya Ntini, South African cricketer
- 1978 – Adam Busch, American actor, director, and producer
- 1978 – Tamera Mowry, American actress and producer
- 1978 – Tia Mowry, American actress and producer
- 1978 – Kevin Senio, New Zealand rugby player
- 1979 – Nic Cester, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1979 – Kevin Hart, American comedian, actor, producer, and screenwriter
- 1980 – Joell Ortiz, American rapper
- 1980 – Eva Green, French actress and model
- 1981 – Nnamdi Asomugha, American football player
- 1981 – Roman Shirokov, Russian footballer
- 1982 – Brandon Jacobs, American football player
- 1982 – Misty Upham, American actress (d. 2014)
- 1983 – Gregory Smith, Canadian actor, director, and producer
- 1984 – Zhang Hao, Chinese figure skater
- 1985 – Ranveer Singh, Indian film actor
- 1986 – David Karp, American businessman, founded Tumblr
- 1987 – Sophie Auster, American singer-songwriter and actress
- 1987 – Manteo Mitchell, American runner
- 1987 – Kate Nash, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress
- 1987 – Caroline Trentini, Brazilian model
- 1988 – Kevin Fickentscher, Swiss footballer
- 1990 – Magaye Gueye, French footballer
- 1992 – Manny Machado, Dominican-American baseball player
Deaths on July 6
- 371 BC – Cleombrotus I, Spartan king
- 649 – Goar of Aquitaine, French bishop
- 887 – Wang Chongrong, Chinese warlord
- 918 – William I, duke of Aquitaine (b. 875)
- 1017 – Genshin, Japanese scholar (b. 942)
- 1070 – Godelieve, Flemish saint (b. 1049)
- 1189 – Henry II, king of England (b. 1133)
- 1218 – Odo III, duke of Burgundy (b. 1166)
- 1249 – Alexander II, king of Scotland (b. 1198)
- 1415 – Jan Hus, Czech priest, philosopher, and reformer (b. 1369)
- 1476 – Regiomontanus, German mathematician and astrologer (b. 1436)
- 1480 – Antonio Squarcialupi, Italian composer (b. 1416)
- 1533 – Ludovico Ariosto, Italian poet and playwright (b. 1474)
- 1535 – Thomas More, English lawyer and politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (b. 1478)
- 1553 – Edward VI, king of England and Ireland (b. 1537)
- 1583 – Edmund Grindal, English archbishop (b. 1519)
- 1585 – Thomas Aufield, English priest and martyr (b. 1552)
- 1614 – Man Singh I, Rajput Raja of Amer (b. 1550)
- 1684 – Peter Gunning, English bishop (b. 1614)
- 1758 – George Howe, 3rd Viscount Howe, English general and politician (b. 1725)
- 1768 – Conrad Beissel, German-American religious leader (b. 1690)
- 1802 – Daniel Morgan, American general and politician (b. 1736)
- 1809 – Antoine Charles Louis de Lasalle, French general (b. 1775)
- 1813 – Granville Sharp, English activist (b. 1735)
- 1815 – Samuel Whitbread, English politician (b. 1764)
- 1835 – John Marshall, American captain and politician, 4th United States Secretary of State (b. 1755)
- 1854 – Georg Ohm, German physicist and mathematician (b. 1789)
- 1868 – Harada Sanosuke, Japanese captain (b. 1840)
- 1893 – Guy de Maupassant, French short story writer, novelist, and poet (b. 1850)
- 1901 – Chlodwig Carl Viktor, German prince and chancellor (b. 1819)
- 1902 – Maria Goretti, Italian martyr and saint (b. 1890)
- 1904 – Abai Qunanbaiuly, Kazakh poet and philosopher (b. 1845)
- 1907 – August Johann Gottfried Bielenstein, German linguist and theologian (b. 1826)
- 1916 – Odilon Redon, French painter and illustrator (b. 1840)
- 1918 – Wilhelm von Mirbach, German diplomat (b. 1871)
- 1922 – Maria Teresia Ledóchowska, Polish-Austrian nun and missionary (b. 1863)
- 1932 – Kenneth Grahame, Scottish-English author (b. 1859)
- 1934 – Nestor Makhno, Ukrainian commander (b. 1888)
- 1946 – Horace Pippin, American painter (b. 1888)
- 1947 – Adolfo Müller-Ury, Swiss-American painter (b. 1862)
- 1952 – Louis-Alexandre Taschereau, Canadian lawyer and politician, 14th Premier of Quebec (b. 1867)
- 1959 – George Grosz, German painter and illustrator (b. 1893)
- 1960 – Aneurin Bevan, Welsh-English politician, Secretary of State for Health (b. 1897)
- 1961 – Scott LaFaro, American bassist (b. 1936)
- 1961 – Woodall Rodgers, American lawyer and politician, Mayor of Dallas (b. 1890)
- 1962 – Paul Boffa, Maltese soldier and politician, 5th Prime Minister of Malta (b. 1890)
- 1962 – William Faulkner, American novelist and short story writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1897)
- 1962 – Joseph August, archduke of Austria (b. 1872)
- 1963 – George, duke of Mecklenburg (b. 1899)
- 1964 – Claude V. Ricketts, American admiral (b. 1906)
- 1966 – Sad Sam Jones, American baseball player and manager (b. 1892)
- 1967 – Hilda Taba, Estonian architect and educator (b. 1902)
- 1971 – Louis Armstrong, American singer and trumpet player (b. 1901)
- 1973 – Otto Klemperer, German-American conductor and composer (b. 1885)
- 1975 – Reşat Ekrem Koçu, Turkish historian, scholar, and poet (b. 1905)
- 1976 – Zhu De, Chinese general and politician, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (b. 1886)
- 1976 – Fritz Lenz, German geneticist and physician (b. 1887)
- 1977 – Ödön Pártos, Hungarian-Israeli viola player and composer (b. 1907)
- 1978 – Babe Paley, American socialite and fashion style icon (b. 1915)
- 1979 – Van McCoy, American singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1940)
- 1986 – Jagjivan Ram, Indian lawyer and politician, 4th Deputy Prime Minister of India (b. 1908)
- 1989 – János Kádár, Hungarian mechanic and politician, Hungarian Minister of the Interior (b. 1912)
- 1991 – Mudashiru Lawal, Nigerian footballer (b. 1954)
- 1992 – Marsha P. Johnson, American drag queen performer and activist (b. 1945)
- 1994 – Ahmet Haxhiu, Kosovan activist (b. 1932)
- 1995 – Aziz Nesin, Turkish author and poet (b. 1915)
- 1997 – Chetan Anand, Indian director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1921)
- 1998 – Roy Rogers, American cowboy, actor, and singer (b. 1911)
- 1999 – Joaquín Rodrigo, Spanish pianist and composer (b. 1901)
- 2000 – Władysław Szpilman, Polish pianist and composer (b. 1911)
- 2002 – Dhirubhai Ambani, Indian businessman, founded Reliance Industries (b. 1932)
- 2002 – John Frankenheimer, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1930)
- 2003 – Buddy Ebsen, American actor, singer, and dancer (b. 1908)
- 2003 – Çelik Gülersoy, Turkish lawyer, historical preservationist, writer and poet (b. 1930)
- 2004 – Thomas Klestil, Austrian politician, 10th President of Austria (b. 1932)
- 2004 – Syreeta Wright, American singer-songwriter (b. 1946)
- 2005 – Ed McBain, American author and screenwriter (b. 1926)
- 2005 – Claude Simon, Malagasy-French novelist and critic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1913)
- 2006 – Kasey Rogers, American actress (b. 1925)
- 2007 – Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, American author (b. 1939)
- 2009 – Vasily Aksyonov, Russian author and academic (b. 1932)
- 2009 – Robert McNamara, American businessman and politician, 8th United States Secretary of Defense (b. 1916)
- 2010 – Harvey Fuqua, American singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1929)
- 2011 – Carly Hibberd, Australian road racing cyclist (b. 1985)
- 2012 – Hani al-Hassan, Palestinian engineer and politician (b. 1939)
- 2013 – Lo Hsing Han, Burmese businessman, co-founded Asia World (b. 1935)
- 2014 – Alan J. Dixon, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 34th Illinois Secretary of State (b. 1927)
- 2015 – Jerry Weintraub, American film producer, and talent agent (b. 1937)
- 2018 – Shoko Asahara, founder of Japanese cult group Aum Shinrikyo (b. 1955)
- 2019 – João Gilberto, Brazilian singer-songwriter and guitarist, pioneer of bossa nova music style (b. 1931)
- 2020 – Charlie Daniels, American singer-songwriter, fiddle-player and guitarist (b. 1936)
- 2020 – Ennio Morricone, Italian composer, orchestrator, conductor, and trumpet player (b. 1928)
Holidays and observances on July 6
- The first day of San Fermín, which lasts until July 14. (Pamplona)
- Christian feast day:
- Maria Goretti
- Romulus of Fiesole
- July 6 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Constitution Day (Cayman Islands)
- Day of the Capital (Kazakhstan)
- Independence Day (Comoros), celebrates the independence of the Comoros from France in 1975.
- Independence Day (Malawi), celebrates the independence of Malawi from United Kingdom in 1964.
- International Kissing Day (informally observed)
- Jan Hus Day (Czech Republic)
- Kupala Night (Poland, Russia, Belarus and Ukraine)
- National Fried Chicken Day (United States)
- Statehood Day (Lithuania)
- Teachers’ Day (Peru)
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July 3 in History
- 324 – Battle of Adrianople: Constantine I defeats Licinius, who flees to Byzantium.
- 987 – Hugh Capet is crowned King of France, the first of the Capetian dynasty that would rule France until the French Revolution in 1792.
- 1035 – William the Conqueror becomes the Duke of Normandy, reigns until 1087.
- 1608 – Québec City is founded by Samuel de Champlain.
- 1754 – French and Indian War: George Washington surrenders Fort Necessity to French forces.
- 1767 – Pitcairn Island is discovered by Midshipman Robert Pitcairn on an expeditionary voyage commanded by Philip Carteret.
- 1767 – Norway’s oldest newspaper still in print, Adresseavisen, is founded and the first edition is published.
- 1775 – American Revolutionary War: George Washington takes command of the Continental Army at Cambridge, Massachusetts.
- 1778 – American Revolutionary War: Iroquois allied to Britain kill 360 people in the Wyoming Valley massacre.
- 1819 – The Bank for Savings in the City of New-York, the first savings bank in the United States, opens.
- 1839 – The first state normal school in the United States, the forerunner to today’s Framingham State University, opens in Lexington, Massachusetts with three students.
- 1844 – The last pair of great auks is killed.
- 1848 – Governor-General Peter von Scholten emancipates all remaining slaves in the Danish West Indies.
- 1849 – France invades the Roman Republic and restores the Papal States.
- 1852 – Congress establishes the United States’ 2nd mint in San Francisco.
- 1863 – American Civil War: The final day of the Battle of Gettysburg culminates with Pickett’s Charge.
- 1866 – Austro-Prussian War is decided at the Battle of Königgrätz, resulting in Prussia taking over as the prominent German nation from Austria.
- 1884 – Dow Jones & Company publishes its first stock average.
- 1886 – Karl Benz officially unveils the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, the first purpose-built automobile.
- 1886 – The New-York Tribune becomes the first newspaper to use a linotype machine, eliminating typesetting by hand.
- 1890 – Idaho is admitted as the 43rd U.S. state.
- 1898 – A Spanish squadron, led by Pascual Cervera y Topete, is defeated by an American squadron under William T. Sampson in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba.
- 1913 – Confederate veterans at the Great Reunion of 1913 reenact Pickett’s Charge; upon reaching the high-water mark of the Confederacy they are met by the outstretched hands of friendship from Union survivors.
- 1938 – World speed record for a steam locomotive is set in England, by the Mallard, which reaches a speed of 125.88 miles per hour (202.58 km/h).
- 1938 – United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicates the Eternal Light Peace Memorial and lights the eternal flame at Gettysburg Battlefield.
- 1940 – World War II: The Royal Navy attacks the French naval squadron in Algeria, to ensure that it will not fall under German control. Of the four French battleships present, one is sunk, two are damaged, and one escapes back to France.
- 1944 – World War II: The Minsk Offensive clears German troops from the city.
- 1952 – The Constitution of Puerto Rico is approved by the United States Congress.
- 1952 – The SS United States sets sail on her maiden voyage to Southampton. During the voyage, the ship takes the Blue Riband away from the RMS Queen Mary.
- 1967 – The Aden Emergency: The Battle of the Crater in which the British Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders retake the Crater district following the Arab Police mutiny.
- 1969 – Space Race: The biggest explosion in the history of rocketry occurs when the Soviet N-1 rocket explodes and subsequently destroys its launchpad.
- 1970 – The Troubles: The “Falls Curfew” begins in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
- 1970 – Dan-Air Flight 1903 crashes into the Les Agudes mountain in the Montseny Massif near the village of Arbúcies in Catalonia, Spain, killing all 112 people aboard.
- 1979 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs the first directive for secret aid to the opponents of the pro-Soviet regime in Kabul.
- 1988 – United States Navy warship USS Vincennes shoots down Iran Air Flight 655 over the Persian Gulf, killing all 290 people aboard.
- 1988 – The Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge in Istanbul, Turkey is completed, providing the second connection between the continents of Europe and Asia over the Bosphorus.
- 1996 – British Prime Minister John Major announced the Stone of Scone would be returned to Scotland.
- 2013 – Egyptian coup d’état: President of Egypt Mohamed Morsi is overthrown by the military after four days of protests all over the country calling for Morsi’s resignation, to which he did not respond. President of the Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt Adly Mansour is declared acting president.
Births on July 3
- 321 – Valentinian I, Roman emperor (d. 375)
- 1423 – Louis XI of France (d. 1483)
- 1442 – Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado of Japan (d. 1500)
- 1518 – Li Shizhen, Chinese physician and mineralogist (d. 1593)
- 1530 – Claude Fauchet, French historian and author (d. 1601)
- 1534 – Myeongjong of Joseon, Ruler of Korea (d. 1567)
- 1550 – Jacobus Gallus, Slovenian composer (d. 1591)
- 1569 – Thomas Richardson, English politician and judge (d. 1635)
- 1683 – Edward Young, English poet, dramatist and literary critic (Night-Thoughts) (d. 1765)
- 1685 – Sir Robert Rich, 4th Baronet, English field marshal and politician (d. 1768)
- 1728 – Robert Adam, Scottish-English architect, designed Culzean Castle (d. 1792)
- 1738 – John Singleton Copley, American painter (d. 1815)
- 1778 – Carl Ludvig Engel, German architect (d. 1840)
- 1789 – Johann Friedrich Overbeck, German-Italian painter and engraver (d. 1869)
- 1814 – Ferdinand Didrichsen, Danish botanist and physicist (d. 1887)
- 1823 – Ahmed Vefik Pasha, Greek-Ottoman statesman, diplomat, playwright, and translator (d. 1891)
- 1844 – Dankmar Adler, German-born American architect and engineer (d. 1900)
- 1846 – Achilles Alferaki, Russian composer and politician, Governor of Taganrog (d. 1919)
- 1851 – Charles Bannerman, English-Australian cricketer and umpire (d. 1930)
- 1854 – Leoš Janáček, Czech composer and theorist (d. 1928)
- 1860 – Charlotte Perkins Gilman, American sociologist and author (d. 1935)
- 1866 – Albert Gottschalk, Danish painter (d. 1906)
- 1869 – Svend Kornbeck, Danish actor (d. 1933)
- 1870 – R. B. Bennett, Canadian lawyer and politician, 11th Prime Minister of Canada (d. 1947)
- 1871 – William Henry Davies, Welsh poet and writer (d.1940)
- 1874 – Jean Collas, French rugby player and tug of war competitor (d. 1928)
- 1875 – Ferdinand Sauerbruch, German surgeon and academic (d. 1951)
- 1876 – Ralph Barton Perry, American philosopher and academic (d. 1957)
- 1878 – George M. Cohan, American songwriter, actor, singer, and dancer (d. 1942)
- 1879 – Alfred Korzybski, Polish-American mathematician, linguist, and philosopher (d. 1950)
- 1880 – Carl Schuricht, Polish-German conductor (d. 1967)
- 1883 – Franz Kafka, Czech-Austrian author (d. 1924)
- 1886 – Raymond A. Spruance, American admiral and diplomat, United States Ambassador to the Philippines (d. 1969)
- 1888 – Ramón Gómez de la Serna, Spanish author and playwright (d. 1963)
- 1889 – Richard Cramer, American actor (d. 1960)
- 1893 – Sándor Bortnyik, Hungarian painter and graphic designer (d. 1976)
- 1896 – Doris Lloyd, English actress (d. 1968)
- 1897 – Jesse Douglas, American mathematician and academic (d. 1965)
- 1898 – Stefanos Stefanopoulos, Greek politician, Prime Minister of Greece (d. 1982)
- 1900 – Alessandro Blasetti, Italian director and screenwriter (d. 1987)
- 1901 – Ruth Crawford Seeger, American composer (d. 1953)
- 1903 – Ace Bailey, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 1992)
- 1905 – Johnny Gibson, American hurdler and coach (d. 2006)
- 1906 – George Sanders, Russian-born British actor (d. 1972)
- 1908 – M. F. K. Fisher, American author (d. 1992)
- 1908 – Robert B. Meyner, American lawyer and politician, 44th Governor of New Jersey (d. 1990)
- 1909 – Stavros Niarchos, Greek shipping magnate (d.1996)
- 1910 – Fritz Kasparek, Austrian mountaineer (d. 1954)
- 1911 – Joe Hardstaff Jr., English cricketer (d. 1990)
- 1913 – Dorothy Kilgallen, American journalist, actress, and author (d. 1965)
- 1916 – John Kundla, American basketball player and coach (d. 2017)
- 1917 – João Saldanha, Brazilian footballer, manager, and journalist (d. 1990)
- 1918 – S. V. Ranga Rao, Indian actor, director, and producer (d. 1974)
- 1918 – Johnny Palmer, American golfer (d. 2006)
- 1919 – Cecil FitzMaurice, 8th Earl of Orkney (d. 1998)
- 1919 – Gerald W. Thomas, American soldier and academic (d. 2013)
- 1920 – Eddy Paape, Belgian illustrator (d. 2012)
- 1920 – Paul O’Dea, American baseball player and manager (d. 1978)
- 1921 – Susan Peters, American actress (d. 1952)
- 1921 – François Reichenbach, French director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1993)
- 1922 – Guillaume Cornelis van Beverloo, Belgian painter and sculptor (d. 2010)
- 1922 – Theo Brokmann Jr., Dutch football player (d. 2003)
- 1924 – Amalia Aguilar, Cuban-Mexican film actress and dancer
- 1924 – S. R. Nathan, 6th President of Singapore (d. 2016)
- 1925 – Terry Moriarty, Australian rules footballer (d. 2011)
- 1925 – Danny Nardico, American professional boxer (d. 2010)
- 1925 – Philip Jamison, American artist
- 1926 – Johnny Coles, American trumpet player (d. 1997)
- 1926 – Rae Allen, American actress, singer, and director
- 1926 – Laurence Street, Australian jurist and former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales (d. 2018)
- 1927 – Ken Russell, English actor, director, and producer (d. 2011)
- 1927 – Tim O’Connor, American actor (d. 2018)
- 1928 – Evelyn Anthony, English author (d. 2018)
- 1929 – Clément Perron, Canadian director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1999)
- 1929 – Joanne Herring, American socialite, businesswoman, political activist, philanthropist, diplomat, and television talk show host
- 1930 – Pete Fountain, American clarinet player (d. 2016)
- 1930 – Carlos Kleiber, German-Austrian conductor (d. 2004)
- 1930 – Tommy Tedesco, American guitarist (d. 1997)
- 1932 – Richard Mellon Scaife, American businessman (d. 2014)
- 1933 – Edward Brandt, Jr., American physician and mathematician (d. 2007)
- 1935 – Cheo Feliciano, Puerto Rican-American singer-songwriter (d. 2014)
- 1935 – Harrison Schmitt, American geologist, astronaut, and politician
- 1936 – Anthony Lester, Baron Lester of Herne Hill, English lawyer and politician
- 1936 – Baard Owe, Norwegian-Danish actor
- 1937 – Nicholas Maxwell, English philosopher and academic
- 1937 – Tom Stoppard, Czech-English playwright and screenwriter
- 1938 – Jean Aitchison, English linguist and academic
- 1939 – Brigitte Fassbaender, German soprano and director
- 1939 – László Kovács, Hungarian politician and diplomat, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs
- 1939 – Coco Laboy, Puerto Rican baseball player
- 1940 – Lamar Alexander, American lawyer and politician, 5th United States Secretary of Education
- 1940 – Jerzy Buzek, Polish engineer and politician, 9th Prime Minister of Poland
- 1940 – Lance Larson, American swimmer
- 1940 – César Tovar, Venezuelan baseball player (d. 1994)
- 1941 – Gloria Allred, American lawyer and activist
- 1941 – Liamine Zéroual, Algerian politician, 4th President of Algeria
- 1942 – Eddy Mitchell, French singer-songwriter
- 1943 – Gary Waldhorn, British actor
- 1943 – Judith Durham, Australian folk-pop singer-songwriter and musician
- 1943 – Kurtwood Smith, American actor
- 1943 – Norman E. Thagard, American astronaut
- 1945 – Michael Cole, American actor
- 1945 – Michael Martin, Baron Martin of Springburn, Scottish politician, Speaker of the House of Commons (d. 2018)
- 1946 – Johnny Lee, American singer and guitarist
- 1946 – Leszek Miller, Polish political scientist and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Poland
- 1946 – Michael Shea, American author (d. 2014)
- 1947 – Dave Barry, American journalist and author
- 1947 – Betty Buckley, American actress and singer
- 1947 – Mike Burton, American swimmer
- 1948 – Paul Barrere, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1948 – Tarmo Koivisto, Finnish author and illustrator
- 1949 – Susan Penhaligon, English actress
- 1949 – John Verity, English guitarist
- 1949 – Johnnie Wilder, Jr., American singer (d. 2006)
- 1949 – Bo Xilai, Chinese politician, Chinese Minister of Commerce
- 1950 – Ewen Chatfield, New Zealand cricketer
- 1950 – James Hahn, American judge and politician, 40th Mayor of Los Angeles
- 1951 – Jean-Claude Duvalier, Haitian politician, 41st President of Haiti (d. 2014)
- 1951 – Richard Hadlee, New Zealand cricketer and footballer
- 1952 – Laura Branigan, American singer-songwriter (d. 2004)
- 1952 – Lu Colombo, Italian singer
- 1952 – Andy Fraser, English singer-songwriter and bass player (d. 2015)
- 1952 – Carla Olson, American singer-songwriter and music producer
- 1952 – Wasim Raja, Pakistani cricketer (d. 2006)
- 1952 – Amit Kumar, Indian film playback singer, actor, director, music director and musician
- 1953 – Lotta Sollander, Swedish alpine skier
- 1954 – Les Cusworth, English rugby player
- 1955 – Claude Rajotte, Canadian radio and television host
- 1956 – Montel Williams, American talk show host and television personality
- 1957 – Poly Styrene, British musician (d. 2011)
- 1958 – Matthew Fraser, Canadian-English journalist and academic
- 1958 – Charlie Higson, English actor, singer, and author
- 1958 – Siân Lloyd, Welsh meteorologist and journalist
- 1958 – Didier Mouron, Swiss-Canadian painter
- 1958 – Aaron Tippin, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
- 1959 – Julie Burchill, English journalist and author
- 1959 – Ian Maxtone-Graham, American screenwriter and producer
- 1959 – Stephen Pearcy, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1959 – David Shore, Canadian screenwriter and producer
- 1960 – Vince Clarke, English singer-songwriter, keyboard player, and producer
- 1962 – Scott Borchetta, American record executive and entrepreneur
- 1962 – Tom Cruise, American actor and producer
- 1964 – Yeardley Smith, American actress, voice actress, comedian and writer
- 1965 – Shinya Hashimoto, Japanese wrestler (d. 2005)
- 1965 – Connie Nielsen, Danish-American actress
- 1965 – Komsan Pohkong, Thai lawyer and academic
- 1965 – Christophe Ruer, French pentathlete (d. 2007)
- 1966 – Moisés Alou, American baseball player
- 1967 – Katy Clark, Scottish lawyer and politician
- 1968 – Ramush Haradinaj, Kosovo-Albanian soldier and politician, 4th Prime Minister of Kosovo
- 1970 – Serhiy Honchar, Ukrainian cyclist
- 1970 – Audra McDonald, American actress and singer
- 1970 – Teemu Selänne, Finnish ice hockey player
- 1971 – Julian Assange, Australian journalist, publisher, and activist, founded WikiLeaks
- 1973 – Paul Rauhihi, New Zealand rugby league player
- 1973 – Ólafur Stefánsson, Icelandic handball player
- 1973 – Fyodor Tuvin, Russian footballer (d. 2013)
- 1976 – Wade Belak, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2011)
- 1976 – Henry Olonga, Zimbabwean cricketer and sportscaster
- 1976 – Wanderlei Silva, Brazilian-American mixed martial artist
- 1976 – Bobby Skinstad, Zimbabwean-South African rugby union player
- 1977 – David Bowens, American football player
- 1978 – Mizuki Noguchi, Japanese runner
- 1979 – Jamie Grove, English cricketer
- 1980 – Mazharul Haque, Bangladeshi cricketer (d. 2013)
- 1980 – Roland Schoeman, South African swimmer
- 1980 – Harbhajan Singh, Indian cricketer
- 1983 – Edinson Vólquez, Dominican baseball player
- 1984 – Manny Lawson, American football player
- 1984 – Churandy Martina, Dutch sprinter
- 1984 – Corey Sevier, Canadian actor and producer
- 1986 – Marco Antônio de Mattos Filho, Brazilian footballer
- 1986 – Kisenosato Yutaka, Japanese sumo wrestler
- 1987 – Sebastian Vettel, German race car driver
- 1988 – Winston Reid, New Zealand-Danish footballer
- 1988 – Vladislav Sesganov, Russian figure skater
- 1988 – James Troisi, Australian footballer
- 1989 – Mitchell Dodds, Australian rugby league player
- 1989 – Elle King, American singer, songwriter, and actress
- 1990 – Nathan Gardner, Australian rugby league player
- 1990 – Bobby Hopkinson, English footballer
- 1990 – Lucas Mendes, Brazilian footballer
- 1991 – Alison Howie, Scottish field hockey player
- 1991 – Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Russian tennis player
- 1992 – Will Smith, Australian rugby league player
- 1994 – Ben Winchell, American actor
Deaths on July 3
- 458 – Anatolius of Constantinople, Byzantine patriarch and saint (b. 449)
- 710 – Emperor Zhongzong of Tang (b. 656)
- 896 – Dong Chang, Chinese warlord
- 964 – Henry I, Frankish nobleman and archbishop
- 1090 – Egbert II, Margrave of Meissen (b. c. 1060)
- 1288 – Stephen de Fulbourn, English-born Irish cleric and politician
- 1503 – Pierre d’Aubusson, Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes (b. 1423)
- 1570 – Aonio Paleario, Italian academic and reformer (b. 1500)
- 1642 – Marie de’ Medici, French queen consort and regent (b. 1573)
- 1672 – Francis Willughby, English ornithologist and ichthyologist (b. 1635)
- 1749 – William Jones, Welsh-English mathematician and academic (b. 1675)
- 1790 – Jean-Baptiste L. Romé de l’Isle, French geologist and mineralogist (b. 1736)
- 1795 – Louis-Georges de Bréquigny, French scholar and author (b. 1714)
- 1795 – Antonio de Ulloa, Spanish general, astronomer, and politician, 1st Colonial Governor of Louisiana (b. 1716)
- 1809 – Joseph Quesnel, French-Canadian composer and playwright (b. 1746)
- 1863 – George Hull Ward, American general (b. 1826)
- 1863 – Little Crow, American tribal leader (b. 1810)
- 1881 – Hasan Tahsini, Albanian astronomer, mathematician, and philosopher (b. 1811)
- 1887 – Clay Allison, American rancher (b. 1841)
- 1888 – Nguyễn Đình Chiểu, Vietnamese poet and author (b. 1822)
- 1904 – Édouard Beaupré, Canadian giant and strongman (b. 1881)
- 1904 – Theodor Herzl, Austrian journalist and playwright (b. 1860)
- 1908 – Joel Chandler Harris, American journalist and author (b. 1845)
- 1916 – Hetty Green, American businesswoman and financier (b. 1834)
- 1918 – Mehmed V, Ottoman sultan (b. 1844)
- 1921 – James Mitchel, Irish-American weight thrower (b. 1864)
- 1927 – Gérard de Courcelles, French race car driver
- 1933 – Hipólito Yrigoyen, Argentinian educator and politician, 19th President of Argentina (b. 1852)
- 1935 – André Citroën, French engineer and businessman, founded the Citroën Company (b. 1878)
- 1937 – Jacob Schick, American-Canadian captain and businessman, invented the electric razor (b. 1877)
- 1940 – Nicolae Bivol, Moldovan businessman and politician, Mayor of Chișinău (b. 1882)
- 1941 – Friedrich Akel, Estonian physician and politician, Head of State of Estonia (b. 1871)
- 1954 – Siegfried Handloser, German physician and general (b. 1895)
- 1954 – Reginald Marsh, French-American painter, illustrator, and academic (b. 1898)
- 1957 – Dolf Luque, Cuban baseball player and manager (b. 1890)
- 1957 – Richard Mohaupt, German composer and Kapellmeister (b. 1904)
- 1958 – Charles Bathurst, 1st Viscount Bledisloe, English politician, 4th Governor-General of New Zealand (b. 1867)
- 1969 – Brian Jones, English guitarist, songwriter, and producer (b. 1942)
- 1971 – Jim Morrison, American singer-songwriter (b. 1943)
- 1974 – John Crowe Ransom, American poet and critic (b. 1888)
- 1977 – Alexander Volkov, Russian mathematician and author (b. 1891)
- 1978 – James Daly, American actor (b. 1918)
- 1979 – Louis Durey, French pianist and composer (b. 1888)
- 1981 – Ross Martin, American actor and director (b. 1920)
- 1985 – Frank J. Selke, Canadian ice hockey player and manager (b. 1893)
- 1986 – Rudy Vallée, American singer, saxophonist, and actor (b. 1901)
- 1989 – Jim Backus, American actor and voice artist (b. 1913)
- 1993 – Don Drysdale, American baseball player and sportscaster (b. 1936)
- 1994 – Lew Hoad, Australian tennis player and coach (b. 1934)
- 1995 – Pancho Gonzales, American tennis player (b. 1928)
- 1995 – Eddie Mazur, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1929)
- 1998 – Danielle Bunten Berry, American game designer and programmer (b. 1949)
- 1999 – Mark Sandman, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (b. 1952)
- 1999 – Pelageya Polubarinova-Kochina, Russian mathematician (b. 1899)
- 1999 – Manoj Kumar Pandey,Param Vir ChakraIndian army personnel
- 2001 – Mordecai Richler, Canadian author and screenwriter (b. 1931)
- 2001 – Johnny Russell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1940)
- 2004 – Andriyan Nikolayev, Russian general, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1929)
- 2005 – Alberto Lattuada, Italian actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1914)
- 2005 – Gaylord Nelson, American lawyer and politician, 35th Governor of Wisconsin (b. 1916)
- 2006 – Joseph Goguen, American computer scientist, developed the OBJ programming language (b. 1941)
- 2007 – Boots Randolph, American saxophonist (b. 1927)
- 2008 – Clive Hornby, English actor and drummer (b. 1944)
- 2008 – Oliver Schroer, Canadian fiddler, composer, and producer (b. 1956)
- 2009 – Alauddin Al-Azad, Bangladeshi author and poet (b.1932)
- 2009 – John Keel, American journalist and author (b. 1930)
- 2010 – Abu Daoud, Palestinian terrorist, planned the Munich massacre (b. 1937)
- 2011 – Ali Bahar, Bahraini singer and guitarist (b. 1960)
- 2012 – Nguyễn Hữu Có, Vietnamese general and politician (b. 1925)
- 2012 – Andy Griffith, American actor, singer, and producer (b. 1926)
- 2012 – Yvonne B. Miller, American educator and politician (b. 1934)
- 2012 – Sergio Pininfarina, Italian engineer and politician (b. 1926)
- 2012 – Richard Alvin Tonry, American lawyer and politician (b. 1935)
- 2013 – Roman Bengez, Slovenian footballer and manager (b. 1964)
- 2013 – Francis Ray, American author (b. 1944)
- 2013 – PJ Torokvei, Canadian actress and screenwriter (b. 1951)
- 2013 – Radu Vasile, Romanian historian and politician, 57th Prime Minister of Romania (b. 1942)
- 2013 – Bernard Vitet, French trumpet player and composer (b. 1934)
- 2013 – Snoo Wilson, English playwright and screenwriter (b. 1948)
- 2014 – Jini Dellaccio, American photographer (b. 1917)
- 2014 – Tim Flood, Irish hurler and coach (b. 1927)
- 2014 – Volkmar Groß, German footballer (b. 1948)
- 2014 – Ira Ruskin, American politician (b. 1943)
- 2014 – Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, Ukrainian-American rabbi and author (b. 1924)
- 2015 – Diana Douglas, British-American actress (b. 1923)
- 2015 – Boyd K. Packer, American religious leader and educator (b. 1924)
- 2015 – Wayne Townsend, American farmer and politician (b. 1926)
- 2015 – Phil Walsh, Australian footballer and coach (b. 1960)
- 2020 – Saroj Khan, Indian dance choreographer, known as “The Mother of Dance/Choreography in India”.(b. 1948)
Holidays and observances on July 3
- Christian feast day:
- Anatolius of Constantinople
- Anatolius of Laodicea
- Dathus
- Germanus of Man
- Gurthiern
- Heliodorus of Altino
- Mucian
- Peregrina Mogas Fontcuberta
- Pope Leo II
- Thomas the Apostle
- July 3 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Emancipation Day (United States Virgin Islands)
- Independence Day, celebrates the liberation of Minsk from Nazi occupation by Soviet troops in 1944 (Belarus)
- The start of the Dog Days according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac but not according to established meaning in most European cultures
- Women’s Day (Myanmar)
-
June 2 in History
- 455 – Sack of Rome: Vandals enter Rome, and plunder the city for two weeks.
- 1098 – First Crusade: The first Siege of Antioch ends as Crusader forces take the city; the second siege began five days later.
- 1615 – The first Récollet missionaries arrive at Quebec City, from Rouen, France.
- 1676 – Franco-Dutch War: France ensured the supremacy of its naval fleet for the remainder of the war with its victory in the Battle of Palermo.
- 1692 – Bridget Bishop is the first person to be tried for witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts; she was found guilty and later hanged.
- 1763 – Pontiac’s Rebellion: At what is now Mackinaw City, Michigan, Chippewas capture Fort Michilimackinac by diverting the garrison’s attention with a game of lacrosse, then chasing a ball into the fort.
- 1774 – Intolerable Acts: The Quartering Act is enacted, allowing a governor in colonial America to house British soldiers in uninhabited houses, outhouses, barns, or other buildings if suitable quarters are not provided.
- 1793 – French Revolution: François Hanriot, leader of the Parisian National Guard, arrests 22 Girondists selected by Jean-Paul Marat, setting the stage for the Reign of Terror.
- 1805 – Napoleonic Wars: A Franco-Spanish fleet recaptures Diamond Rock, an uninhabited island at the entrance to the bay leading to Fort-de-France, from the British.
- 1835 – P. T. Barnum and his circus start their first tour of the United States.
- 1848 – The Slavic congress in Prague begins.
- 1866 – The Fenians defeat Canadian forces at Ridgeway and Fort Erie, but the raids end soon after.
- 1896 – Guglielmo Marconi applies for a patent for his wireless telegraph.
- 1909 – Alfred Deakin becomes Prime Minister of Australia for the third time.
- 1910 – Charles Rolls, a co-founder of Rolls-Royce Limited, becomes the first man to make a non-stop double crossing of the English Channel by plane.
- 1919 – Anarchists simultaneously set off bombs in eight separate U.S. cities.
- 1924 – U.S. President Calvin Coolidge signs the Indian Citizenship Act into law, granting citizenship to all Native Americans born within the territorial limits of the United States.
- 1941 – World War II: German paratroopers murder Greek civilians in the villages of Kondomari and Alikianos.
- 1946 – Birth of the Italian Republic: In a referendum, Italians vote to turn Italy from a monarchy into a Republic. After the referendum, King Umberto II of Italy is exiled.
- 1953 – The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, who is crowned Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Her Other Realms and Territories & Head of the Commonwealth, the first major international event to be televised.
- 1955 – The USSR and Yugoslavia sign the Belgrade declaration and thus normalize relations between both countries, discontinued since 1948.
- 1962 – During the FIFA World Cup, police had to intervene multiple times in fights between Chilean and Italian players in one of the most violent games in football history.
- 1964 – The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) is formed.
- 1966 – Surveyor program: Surveyor 1 lands in Oceanus Procellarum on the Moon, becoming the first U.S. spacecraft to soft-land on another world.
- 1967 – Luis Monge is executed in Colorado’s gas chamber, in the last pre-Furman execution in the United States.
- 1967 – Protests in West Berlin against the arrival of the Shah of Iran turn into riots, during which Benno Ohnesorg is killed by a police officer. His death results in the founding of the terrorist group Movement 2 June.
- 1979 – Pope John Paul II starts his first official visit to his native Poland, becoming the first Pope to visit a Communist country.
- 1983 – After an emergency landing because of an in-flight fire, twenty-three passengers aboard Air Canada Flight 797 are killed when a flashover occurs as the plane’s doors open. Because of this incident, numerous new safety regulations are put in place.
- 1990 – The Lower Ohio Valley tornado outbreak spawns 66 confirmed tornadoes in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio, killing 12.
- 1997 – In Denver, Timothy McVeigh is convicted on 15 counts of murder and conspiracy for his role in the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, in which 168 people died. He was executed four years later.
- 2003 – Europe launches its first voyage to another planet, Mars. The European Space Agency’s Mars Express probe launches from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan.
- 2012 – Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in the killing of demonstrators during the 2011 Egyptian revolution.
- 2014 – Telangana officially becomes the 29th state of India, formed from ten districts of northwestern Andhra Pradesh.
Births on June 2
- 1305 – Abu Sa’id Bahadur Khan, ruler of Ilkhanate (d. 1335)
- 1423 – Ferdinand I of Naples (d. 1494)
- 1489 – Charles, Duke of Vendôme (d. 1537)
- 1535 – Pope Leo XI (d. 1605)
- 1602 – Rudolf Christian, Count of East Frisia, Ruler of East Frisia (d. 1628)
- 1621 – Rutger von Ascheberg, Courland-born soldier in Swedish service (d. 1693)
- 1621 – (baptized) Isaac van Ostade, Dutch painter (d. 1649)
- 1638 – Henry Hyde, 2nd Earl of Clarendon (d. 1709)
- 1644 – William Salmon, English medical writer (d. 1713)
- 1739 – Jabez Bowen, American colonel and politician, 45th Deputy Governor of Rhode Island (d. 1815)
- 1740 – Marquis de Sade, French philosopher and politician (d. 1814)
- 1743 – Alessandro Cagliostro, Italian occultist and explorer (d. 1795)
- 1773 – John Randolph of Roanoke, American planter and politician, 8th United States Ambassador to Russia (d. 1833)
- 1774 – William Lawson, English-Australian explorer and politician (d. 1850)
- 1813 – Daniel Pollen, Irish-New Zealand politician, 9th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1896)
- 1823 – Gédéon Ouimet, Canadian lawyer and politician, 2nd Premier of Quebec (d. 1905)
- 1835 – Pope Pius X (d. 1914)
- 1838 – Duchess Alexandra Petrovna of Oldenburg (d. 1900)
- 1840 – Thomas Hardy, English novelist and poet (d. 1928)
- 1840 – Émile Munier, French artist (d. 1895)
- 1857 – Edward Elgar, English composer and educator (d. 1934)
- 1857 – Karl Adolph Gjellerup, Danish author and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1919)
- 1861 – Concordia Selander, Swedish actress and manager (d. 1935)
- 1863 – Felix Weingartner, Croatian-Austrian pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1942)
- 1865 – George Lohmann, English cricketer (d. 1901)
- 1865 – Adelaide Casely-Hayford, Sierra Leone Creole advocate and activist for cultural nationalism (d. 1960)
- 1869 – Jack O’Connor, American baseball player and manager (d. 1937)
- 1875 – Charles Stewart Mott, American businessman and politician, 50th Mayor of Flint, Michigan (d. 1973)
- 1878 – Wallace Hartley, English violinist and bandleader (d. 1912)
- 1881 – Walter Egan, American golfer (d. 1971)
- 1891 – Thurman Arnold, American lawyer and judge (d. 1969)
- 1891 – Takijirō Ōnishi, Japanese admiral and pilot (d. 1945)
- 1899 – Lotte Reiniger, German animator and director (d. 1981)
- 1899 – Edwin Way Teale, American environmentalist and photographer (d. 1980)
- 1904 – Frank Runacres, English painter and educator (d. 1974)
- 1904 – Johnny Weissmuller, Hungarian-American swimmer and actor (d. 1984)
- 1907 – Dorothy West, American journalist and author (d. 1998)
- 1907 – John Lehmann, English poet and publisher (d. 1987)
- 1910 – Hector Dyer, American sprinter (d. 1990)
- 1911 – Joe McCluskey, American runner (d. 2002)
- 1913 – Barbara Pym, English author (d. 1980)
- 1913 – Elsie Tu, English-Hong Kong educator and politician (d. 2015)
- 1914 – Johnny Bulla, American golfer (d. 2003)
- 1915 – Alexandru Nicolschi, Romanian spy (d. 1992)
- 1917 – Heinz Sielmann, German photographer and director (d. 2006)
- 1918 – Ruth Atkinson, Canadian-American illustrator (d. 1997)
- 1918 – Kathryn Tucker Windham, American journalist and author (d. 2011)
- 1919 – Nat Mayer Shapiro, American painter (d. 2005)
- 1920 – Frank G. Clement, American lawyer and politician, 41st Governor of Tennessee (d. 1969)
- 1920 – Yolande Donlan, American-English actress (d. 2014)
- 1920 – Marcel Reich-Ranicki, Polish-German author and critic (d. 2013)
- 1920 – Tex Schramm, American businessman (d. 2003)
- 1920 – Johnny Speight, English screenwriter and producer (d. 1998)
- 1921 – Betty Freeman, American photographer and philanthropist (d. 2009)
- 1921 – Ernie Royal, American trumpet player (d. 1983)
- 1921 – Sigmund Sternberg, Hungarian-English businessman and philanthropist (d. 2016)
- 1921 – András Szennay, Hungarian priest (d. 2012)
- 1922 – Juan Antonio Bardem, Spanish director and screenwriter (d. 2002)
- 1922 – Carmen Silvera, Canadian-English actress (d. 2002)
- 1923 – Lloyd Shapley, American mathematician and economist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2016)
- 1924 – June Callwood, Canadian journalist, author, and activist (d. 2007)
- 1926 – Chiyonoyama Masanobu, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 41st Yokozuna (d. 1977)
- 1926 – Milo O’Shea, Irish-American actor (d. 2013)
- 1927 – W. Watts Biggers, American author, screenwriter, and animator (d. 2013)
- 1927 – Colin Brittan, English footballer (d. 2013)
- 1927 – Christopher Slade, English lawyer and judge
- 1928 – Erzsi Kovács, Hungarian singer (d. 2014)
- 1928 – Rafael A. Lecuona, Cuban-American gymnast and academic (d. 2014)
- 1928 – Ron Reynolds, English footballer (d. 1999)
- 1929 – Norton Juster, American architect, author, and academic
- 1929 – Ken McGregor, Australian tennis player (d. 2007)
- 1930 – Pete Conrad, American captain, pilot, and astronaut (d. 1999)
- 1933 – Jerry Lumpe, American baseball player and coach (d. 2014)
- 1933 – Lew “Sneaky Pete” Robinson, drag racer (d. 1971)
- 1934 – Johnny Carter, American singer (d. 2009)
- 1935 – Carol Shields, American-Canadian novelist and short story writer (d. 2003)
- 1935 – Dimitri Kitsikis, Greek poet and educator
- 1936 – Volodymyr Holubnychy, Ukrainian race walker
- 1937 – Rosalyn Higgins, English lawyer and judge
- 1937 – Sally Kellerman, American actress
- 1937 – Jimmy Jones, American singer-songwriter (d. 2012)
- 1937 – Robert Paul, Canadian figure skater and choreographer
- 1937 – Deric Washburn, American screenwriter and playwright
- 1938 – Kevin Brownlow, English historian and author
- 1938 – George William Penrose, Lord Penrose, Scottish lawyer and judge
- 1939 – Charles Miller, American musician (d. 1980)
- 1939 – John Schlee, American golfer (d. 2000)
- 1940 – Constantine II of Greece
- 1941 – Ünal Aysal, Turkish businessman
- 1941 – Stacy Keach, American actor
- 1941 – Lou Nanne, Canadian-American ice hockey player and manager
- 1941 – Charlie Watts, English drummer, songwriter, and producer
- 1942 – Mike Ahern, Australian politician, 32nd Premier of Queensland
- 1943 – Charles Haid, American actor and director
- 1943 – Crescenzio Sepe, Italian cardinal
- 1944 – Robert Elliott, American actor (d. 2004)
- 1944 – Marvin Hamlisch, American composer and conductor (d. 2012)
- 1945 – Richard Long, English painter, sculptor, and photographer
- 1945 – Bonnie Newman, American businesswoman and politician
- 1946 – Lasse Hallström, Swedish director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1946 – Peter Sutcliffe, UK serial killer
- 1948 – Jerry Mathers, American actor
- 1949 – Heather Couper, English astronomer and physicist (d. 2020)
- 1949 – Frank Rich, American journalist and critic
- 1950 – Jonathan Evans, Welsh lawyer and politician
- 1950 – Joanna Gleason, Canadian actress and singer
- 1950 – Anne Phillips, English theorist and academic
- 1950 – Momčilo Vukotić, Serbian footballer and manager
- 1951 – Gilbert Baker, American artist, gay rights activist, and designer of the rainbow flag (d. 2017)
- 1951 – Arnold Mühren, Dutch footballer and manager
- 1951 – Larry Robinson, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
- 1951 – Alexander Wylie, Lord Kinclaven, Scottish lawyer, judge, and educator
- 1952 – Gary Bettman, American commissioner of the National Hockey League
- 1953 – Vidar Johansen, Norwegian saxophonist
- 1953 – Craig Stadler, American golfer
- 1953 – Cornel West, American philosopher, author, and academic
- 1954 – Dennis Haysbert, American actor and producer
- 1955 – Dana Carvey, American comedian and actor
- 1955 – Nandan Nilekani, Indian businessman, co-founded Infosys
- 1955 – Mani Ratnam, Indian director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1955 – Michael Steele, American singer-songwriter and bass player
- 1956 – Jan Lammers, Dutch race car driver
- 1957 – Mark Lawrenson, English footballer and manager
- 1958 – Lex Luger, American wrestler and football player
- 1959 – Rineke Dijkstra, Dutch photographer
- 1959 – Lydia Lunch, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress
- 1959 – Erwin Olaf, Dutch photographer
- 1960 – Olga Bondarenko, Russian runner
- 1960 – Tony Hadley, English singer-songwriter and actor
- 1960 – Kyle Petty, American race car driver and sportscaster
- 1961 – Dez Cadena, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1962 – Mark Plaatjes, South African-American runner and coach
- 1963 – Anand Abhyankar, Indian actor (d. 2012)
- 1964 – Caroline Link, German director and screenwriter
- 1965 – Russ Courtnall, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1965 – Mark Waugh, Australian cricketer and journalist
- 1965 – Steve Waugh, Australian cricketer
- 1966 – Dayana Cadeau, Haitian born Canadian-American professional bodybuilder
- 1966 – Candace Gingrich, American activist
- 1966 – Pedro Guerra, Spanish singer-songwriter
- 1966 – Petra van Staveren, Dutch swimmer
- 1967 – Remigija Nazarovienė, Lithuanian heptathlete and coach
- 1967 – Mike Stanton, American baseball player
- 1968 – Merril Bainbridge, Australian singer-songwriter
- 1968 – Andy Cohen, American television host
- 1969 – Kurt Abbott, American baseball player
- 1969 – Paulo Sérgio, Brazilian footballer
- 1969 – David Wheaton, American tennis player, radio host, and author
- 1970 – B Real, American rapper and actor
- 1971 – Kateřina Jacques, Czech translator and politician
- 1972 – Wayne Brady, American actor, comedian, game show host, and singer
- 1972 – Raúl Ibañez, American baseball player
- 1972 – Wentworth Miller, American actor and screenwriter
- 1973 – Marko Kristal, Estonian footballer and manager
- 1973 – Neifi Pérez, Dominican-American baseball player
- 1974 – Gata Kamsky, Russian-American chess player
- 1974 – Matt Serra, American mixed martial artist
- 1975 – Salvatore Scibona, American author
- 1976 – Earl Boykins, American basketball player
- 1976 – Martin Čech, Czech ice hockey player (d. 2007)
- 1976 – Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira, Brazilian mixed martial artist and boxer
- 1976 – Tim Rice-Oxley, English singer-songwriter and keyboard player
- 1977 – Teet Allas, Estonian footballer
- 1977 – A.J. Styles, American wrestler
- 1977 – Zachary Quinto, American actor and producer
- 1978 – Dominic Cooper, English actor
- 1978 – Nikki Cox, American actress
- 1978 – Justin Long, American actor
- 1978 – Yi So-yeon, biotechnologist and astronaut, the first Korean in space
- 1978 – Luke Williamson, Australian rugby league player
- 1979 – Morena Baccarin, Brazilian-American actress
- 1979 – Butterfly Boucher, Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
- 1979 – Natalia Rodríguez, Spanish runner
- 1980 – Fabrizio Moretti, Brazilian-American drummer
- 1980 – Bobby Simmons, American basketball player
- 1980 – Richard Skuse, English rugby player
- 1980 – Abby Wambach, American soccer player and coach
- 1980 – Tomasz Wróblewski, Polish bass player and songwriter
- 1981 – Nikolay Davydenko, Russian tennis player
- 1981 – Chin-hui Tsao, Taiwanese baseball player
- 1982 – Jewel Staite, Canadian actress
- 1983 – Chris Higgins, American ice hockey player
- 1983 – Leela James, American singer-songwriter
- 1983 – Toni Livers, Swiss skier
- 1983 – Brooke White, American singer-songwriter and actress
- 1984 – Jack Afamasaga, New Zealand rugby league player
- 1984 – Max Boyer, Canadian wrestler
- 1984 – Feleti Mateo, Australian-Tongan rugby league player
- 1985 – Miyuki Sawashiro, Japanese voice actress and singer
- 1985 – Maggie Thrash, American graphic novelist and writer
- 1986 – Todd Carney, Australian rugby league player
- 1987 – Maryka Holtzhausen, South African netball player
- 1987 – Yoann Huget, French rugby player
- 1987 – Matthew Koma, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1987 – Angelo Mathews, Sri Lankan cricketer
- 1987 – Darin Zanyar, Swedish singer-songwriter
- 1987 – Sonakshi Sinha, Indian actress
- 1988 – Sergio Agüero, Argentinian footballer
- 1988 – Patrik Berglund, Swedish ice hockey player
- 1988 – Staniliya Stamenova, Bulgarian canoeist
- 1989 – Freddy Adu, Ghanaian-American footballer
- 1989 – Steve Smith, Australian cricketer
- 1990 – Jack Lowden, Scottish actor
- 1992 – Pajtim Kasami, Swiss footballer
- 1993 – Adam Taggart, Australian footballer
- 1994 – Mike Grzesiek, Esports player and streamer
- 1999 – Campbell Graham, Australian rugby league player
- 2000 – Lilimar Hernandez, Venezuelan actress
Deaths on June 2
- 657 – Pope Eugene I
- 891 – Al-Muwaffaq, Abbasid general (b. 842)
- 910 – Richilde of Provence (b. 845)
- 1200 – Bishop John of Oxford
- 1258 – Peter I, Count of Urgell
- 1292 – Rhys ap Maredudd, Welsh nobleman and rebel leader
- 1418 – Katherine of Lancaster, queen of Henry III of Castile
- 1453 – Álvaro de Luna, Duke of Trujillo, Constable of Castile
- 1567 – Shane O’Neill, head of the O’Neill dynasty in Ireland (b. 1530)
- 1572 – Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk (b. 1536)
- 1581 – James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton, Scottish soldier and politician, Lord Chancellor of Scotland (b. 1525)
- 1603 – Bernard of Wąbrzeźno, Roman Catholic priest (b. 1575)
- 1693 – John Wildman, English soldier and politician, Postmaster General of the United Kingdom (b. 1621)
- 1701 – Madeleine de Scudéry, French author (b. 1607)
- 1716 – Ogata Kōrin, Japanese painter and educator (b. 1658)
- 1754 – Ebenezer Erskine, Scottish minister and theologian (b. 1680)
- 1761 – Jonas Alströmer, Swedish businessman (b. 1685)
- 1785 – Jean Paul de Gua de Malves, French mathematician and academic (b. 1713)
- 1806 – William Tate, English painter (b. 1747)
- 1853 – Henry Trevor, 21st Baron Dacre, English general (b. 1777)
- 1865 – Ner Middleswarth, American judge and politician (b. 1783)
- 1875 – Józef Kremer, Polish psychologist, historian, and philosopher (b. 1806)
- 1881 – Émile Littré, French lexicographer and philosopher (b. 1801)
- 1882 – Giuseppe Garibaldi, Italian general and politician (b. 1807)
- 1901 – George Leslie Mackay, Canadian missionary and author (b. 1844)
- 1927 – Hüseyin Avni Lifij, Turkish painter (b. 1886)
- 1929 – Enrique Gorostieta, Mexican general (b. 1889)
- 1933 – Frank Jarvis, American runner and triple jumper (b. 1878)
- 1937 – Louis Vierne, French organist and composer (b. 1870)
- 1941 – Lou Gehrig, American baseball player (b. 1903)
- 1942 – Bunny Berigan, American singer and trumpet player (b. 1908)
- 1947 – John Gretton, 1st Baron Gretton, English sailor and politician (b. 1867)
- 1948 – Viktor Brack, German physician (b. 1904)
- 1948 – Karl Brandt, German SS officer (b. 1904)
- 1948 – Karl Gebhardt, German physician (b. 1897)
- 1948 – Waldemar Hoven, German physician (b. 1903)
- 1948 – Wolfram Sievers, German SS officer (b. 1905)
- 1952 – Naum Torbov, Bulgarian architect, designed the Central Sofia Market Hall (b. 1880)
- 1956 – Jean Hersholt, Danish-American actor and director (b. 1886)
- 1959 – Lyda Borelli, Italian actress (b. 1884)
- 1961 – George S. Kaufman, American director, producer, and playwright (b. 1889)
- 1962 – Vita Sackville-West, English author and poet (b. 1892)
- 1967 – Benno Ohnesorg, German student and activist (b. 1940)
- 1968 – André Mathieu, Canadian pianist and composer (b. 1929)
- 1969 – Leo Gorcey, American actor (b. 1917)
- 1970 – Orhan Kemal, Turkish author (b. 1914)
- 1970 – Albert Lamorisse, French director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1922)
- 1970 – Bruce McLaren, New Zealand race car driver and engineer, founded the McLaren racing team (b. 1937)
- 1970 – Giuseppe Ungaretti, Italian soldier, journalist, and academic (b. 1888)
- 1974 – Hiroshi Kazato, Japanese race car driver (b. 1949)
- 1976 – Kenneth Mason, English soldier and geographer (b. 1887)
- 1976 – Juan José Torres, Bolivian general and politician, 61st President of Bolivia (b. 1920)
- 1977 – Albert Bittlmayer, German footballer (b. 1952)
- 1977 – Stephen Boyd, Northern Irish-born American actor (b. 1931)
- 1978 – Santiago Bernabéu Yeste, Spanish footballer and coach (b. 1895)
- 1979 – Jim Hutton, American actor (b. 1934)
- 1982 – Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry, Pakistani lawyer and politician, 5th President of Pakistan (b. 1904)
- 1983 – Stan Rogers, Canadian singer-songwriter (b. 1949)
- 1983 – Ray Stehr, Australian rugby league player and coach (b. 1913)
- 1986 – Aurèle Joliat, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1901)
- 1987 – Anthony de Mello, Indian-American priest and psychotherapist (b. 1931)
- 1987 – Sammy Kaye, American bandleader and songwriter (b. 1910)
- 1987 – Andrés Segovia, Spanish guitarist (b. 1893)
- 1988 – Raj Kapoor, Indian actor, director, and producer (b. 1924)
- 1989 – Ted a’Beckett, Australian cricketer and footballer (b. 1907)
- 1990 – Jack Gilford, American actor and comedian (b. 1908)
- 1990 – Rex Harrison, English actor (b. 1908)
- 1991 – Ahmed Arif, Turkish poet and author (b. 1927)
- 1992 – Philip Dunne, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1908)
- 1993 – Johnny Mize, American baseball player, coach, and sportscaster (b. 1913)
- 1993 – Tahar Djaout, Algerian journalist, writer and poet (b. 1954)
- 1994 – David Stove, Australian philosopher, author, and academic (b. 1927)
- 1996 – John Alton, Hungarian-American cinematographer and director (b. 1901)
- 1996 – Leon Garfield, English author (b. 1921)
- 1996 – Ray Combs, American game show host (b. 1956)
- 1997 – Doc Cheatham, American trumpet player, singer, and bandleader (b. 1905)
- 1999 – Junior Braithwaite, Jamaican singer (b. 1949)
- 2000 – Svyatoslav Fyodorov, Russian ophthalmologist, academic, and politician (b. 1927)
- 2000 – John Schlee, American golfer (b. 1939)
- 2000 – Gerald James Whitrow, English mathematician, cosmologist, and historian (b. 1912)
- 2001 – Imogene Coca, American actress and comedian (b. 1908)
- 2001 – Joey Maxim, American boxer (b. 1922)
- 2002 – Hugo van Lawick, Dutch director and photographer (b. 1937)
- 2003 – Freddie Blassie, American wrestler and manager (b. 1918)
- 2003 – Alma Ricard, Canadian broadcaster and philanthropist (b. 1906)
- 2005 – Lucien Cliche, Canadian lawyer and politician (b. 1916)
- 2005 – Gunder Gundersen, Norwegian skier (b. 1930)
- 2005 – Samir Kassir, Lebanese journalist and educator (b. 1950)
- 2005 – Melita Norwood, English civil servant and spy (b. 1912)
- 2006 – Keith Smith, English rugby player and coach (b. 1952)
- 2007 – Kentarō Haneda, Japanese pianist and composer (b. 1949)
- 2007 – Huang Ju, Chinese engineer and politician, 1st Vice Premier of the People’s Republic of China (b. 1938)
- 2008 – Bo Diddley, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1928)
- 2008 – Mel Ferrer, American actor (b. 1917)
- 2008 – Cevher Özden, Turkish banker and businessman (b. 1933)
- 2009 – David Eddings, American author (b. 1931)
- 2012 – Avraham Botzer, Polish-Israeli commander (b. 1929)
- 2012 – Adolfo Calero, Nicaraguan businessman and political activist (b. 1931)
- 2012 – Richard Dawson, English-American soldier, actor, television personality, and game show host (b. 1932)
- 2012 – LeRoy Ellis, American basketball player (b. 1940)
- 2012 – Kathryn Joosten, American actress (b. 1939)
- 2012 – Jan Gmelich Meijling, Dutch commander and politician (b. 1943)
- 2013 – Mario Bernardi, Canadian pianist and conductor (b. 1930)
- 2013 – Chen Xitong, Chinese politician, 8th Mayor of Beijing (b. 1930)
- 2013 – Mandawuy Yunupingu, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1956)
- 2014 – Ivica Brzić, Serbian footballer and manager (b. 1941)
- 2014 – Anjan Das, Indian director and producer (b. 1951)
- 2014 – Gennadi Gusarov, Russian footballer and manager (b. 1937)
- 2014 – Nikolay Khrenkov, Russian bobsledder (b. 1984)
- 2014 – Duraisamy Simon Lourdusamy, Indian cardinal (b. 1924)
- 2014 – Kuaima Riruako, Namibian politician (b. 1935)
- 2014 – Alexander Shulgin, American pharmacologist and chemist (b. 1925)
- 2015 – Fernando de Araújo, East Timorese politician, President of East Timor (b. 1963)
- 2015 – Irwin Rose, American biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1926)
- 2017 – Peter Sallis, English actor (b. 1921)
Holidays and observances on June 2
- Children’s Day (North Korea)
- Christian feast day:
- Alexander (martyr)
- Elmo
- Felix of Nicosia
- Marcellinus and Peter
- Martyrs of Lyon, including Blandina
- Pope Eugene I
- Pothinus
- June 2 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Civil Aviation Day (Azerbaijan)
- Coronation of King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, also Social Forestry Day (Bhutan)
- Day of Hristo Botev (Bulgaria)
- Decoration Day (Canada)
- Festa della Repubblica (Italy)
- International Sex Workers Day
- Telangana Day (Telangana, India)
-
May 30 in History
- AD 70 – Siege of Jerusalem: Titus and his Roman legions breach the Second Wall of Jerusalem. Jewish defenders retreat to the First Wall. The Romans build a circumvallation, cutting down all trees within fifteen kilometers.
- 1381 – Beginning of the Peasants’ Revolt in England.
- 1416 – The Council of Constance, called by Emperor Sigismund, a supporter of Antipope John XXIII, burns Jerome of Prague following a trial for heresy.
- 1431 – Hundred Years’ War: In Rouen, France, the 19-year-old Joan of Arc is burned at the stake by an English-dominated tribunal. The Roman Catholic Church remembers this day as the celebration of Saint Joan of Arc.
- 1434 – Hussite Wars: Battle of Lipany: Effectively ending the war, Utraquist forces led by Diviš Bořek of Miletínek defeat and almost annihilate Taborite forces led by Prokop the Great.
- 1510 – During the reign of the Zhengde Emperor, Ming dynasty rebel leader Zhu Zhifan is defeated by commander Qiu Yue, ending the Prince of Anhua rebellion.
- 1536 – King Henry VIII of England marries Jane Seymour, a lady-in-waiting to his first two wives.
- 1539 – In Florida, Hernando de Soto lands at Tampa Bay with 600 soldiers with the goal of finding gold.
- 1574 – Henry III becomes King of France.
- 1588 – The last ship of the Spanish Armada sets sail from Lisbon heading for the English Channel.
- 1631 – Publication of Gazette de France, the first French newspaper.
- 1635 – Thirty Years’ War: The Peace of Prague is signed.
- 1642 – From this date all honors granted by Charles I of England are retroactively annulled by Parliament.
- 1806 – Future U.S. President Andrew Jackson kills Charles Dickinson in a duel.
- 1814 – The First Treaty of Paris is signed, returning the French frontiers to their 1792 extent, and restoring the House of Bourbon to power.
- 1815 – The East Indiaman Arniston is wrecked during a storm at Waenhuiskrans, near Cape Agulhas, in present-day South Africa, with the loss of 372 lives.
- 1834 – Minister of Justice Joaquim António de Aguiar issues a law seizing “all convents, monasteries, colleges, hospices and any other houses” from the Catholic religious orders in Portugal, earning him the nickname of “The Friar-Killer”.
- 1842 – John Francis attempts to murder Queen Victoria as she drives down Constitution Hill in London with Prince Albert.
- 1845 – The Fatel Razack coming from India, lands in the Gulf of Paria in Trinidad and Tobago carrying the first Indians to the country.
- 1854 – The Kansas–Nebraska Act becomes law establishing the US territories of Kansas and Nebraska.
- 1868 – Decoration Day (the predecessor of the modern “Memorial Day”) is observed in the United States for the first time after a proclamation by John A. Logan, head of the Grand Army of the Republic (a veterans group).
- 1876 – Ottoman sultan Abdülaziz is deposed and succeeded by his nephew Murad V.
- 1883 – In New York City, a stampede on the recently opened Brooklyn Bridge killed twelve people.
- 1899 – Pearl Hart, a female outlaw of the Old West, robs a stage coach 30 miles southeast of Globe, Arizona.
- 1911 – At the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the first Indianapolis 500 ends with Ray Harroun in his Marmon Wasp becoming the first winner of the 500-mile auto race.
- 1913 – The Treaty of London is signed, ending the First Balkan War; Albania becomes an independent nation.
- 1914 – The new, and then the largest, Cunard ocean liner RMS Aquitania, 45,647 tons, sets sails on her maiden voyage from Liverpool, England, to New York City.
- 1922 – The Lincoln Memorial is dedicated in Washington, D.C..
- 1925 – May Thirtieth Movement: Shanghai Municipal Police Force shoot and kill 13 protesting workers.
- 1937 – Memorial Day massacre: Chicago police shoot and kill ten labor demonstrators.
- 1941 – World War II: Manolis Glezos and Apostolos Santas climb the Athenian Acropolis and tear down the German flag.
- 1942 – World War II: One thousand British bombers launch a 90-minute attack on Cologne, Germany.
- 1943 – The Holocaust: Josef Mengele becomes chief medical officer of the Zigeunerfamilienlager (Romani family camp) at Auschwitz concentration camp.
- 1948 – A dike along the flooding Columbia River breaks, obliterating Vanport, Oregon within minutes. Fifteen people die and tens of thousands are left homeless.
- 1958 – Memorial Day: The remains of two unidentified American servicemen, killed in action during World War II and the Korean War respectively, are buried at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery.
- 1959 – The Auckland Harbour Bridge, crossing the Waitematā Harbour in Auckland, New Zealand, is officially opened by Governor-General Charles Lyttelton, 10th Viscount Cobham.
- 1961 – The long-time Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo is assassinated in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
- 1963 – A protest against pro-Catholic discrimination during the Buddhist crisis is held outside South Vietnam’s National Assembly, the first open demonstration during the eight-year rule of Ngo Dinh Diem.
- 1966 – Former Congolese Prime Minister, Évariste Kimba, and several other politicians are publicly executed in Kinshasa on the orders of President Joseph Mobutu.
- 1967 – The Nigerian Eastern Region declares independence as the Republic of Biafra, sparking a civil war.
- 1968 – Charles de Gaulle reappears publicly after his flight to Baden-Baden, Germany, and dissolves the French National Assembly by a radio appeal. Immediately after, less than one million of his supporters march on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. This is the turning point of May 1968 events in France.
- 1971 – Mariner program: Mariner 9 is launched to map 70% of the surface, and to study temporal changes in the atmosphere and surface, of Mars.
- 1972 – The Angry Brigade goes on trial over a series of 25 bombings throughout the United Kingdom.
- 1972 – In Ben Gurion Airport (at the time: Lod Airport), Israel, members of the Japanese Red Army carry out the Lod Airport massacre, killing 24 people and injuring 78 others.
- 1974 – The Airbus A300 passenger aircraft first enters service.
- 1979 – Downeast Flight 46 crashes on approach to Knox County Regional Airport in Rockland, Maine, killing 17.
- 1975 – European Space Agency is established.
- 1982 – Cold War: Spain joins NATO.
- 1989 – Tiananmen Square protests of 1989: The 10-metre high “Goddess of Democracy” statue is unveiled in Tiananmen Square by student demonstrators.
- 1990 – Croatian Parliament is constituted after the first free, multi-party elections, today celebrated as the National Day of Croatia.
- 1998 – The 6.5 Mw Afghanistan earthquake shook the Takhar Province of northern Afghanistan with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VII (Very strong), killing around 4,000–4,500.
- 1998 – Nuclear Testing: Pakistan conducts an underground test in the Kharan Desert. It is reported to be a plutonium device with yield of 20kt TNT equivalent.
- 2003 – Depayin massacre: At least 70 people associated with the National League for Democracy are killed by government-sponsored mob in Burma. Aung San Suu Kyi flees the scene, but is arrested soon afterwards.
- 2008 – Convention on Cluster Munitions is adopted.
- 2008 – TACA Flight 390 overshoots the runway at Toncontín International Airport, killing five people.
- 2012 – Former Liberian president Charles Taylor is sentenced to 50 years in prison for his role in atrocities committed during the Sierra Leone Civil War.
- 2013 – Nigeria passes a law banning same-sex marriage.
- 2020 – The Crew Dragon Demo-2 launches from the Kennedy Space Center, becoming the first crewed rocket to launch from the United States since 2011.
Births on May 30
- 1010 – Ren Zong, Chinese emperor (d. 1063)
- 1201 – Theobald IV, count of Champagne (d. 1253)
- 1423 – Georg von Peuerbach, German mathematician and astronomer (d. 1461)
- 1464 – Barbara of Brandenburg, Bohemian queen (d. 1515)
- 1580 – Fadrique de Toledo, 1st Marquis of Villanueva de Valdueza (d. 1634)
- 1599 – Samuel Bochart, French Protestant biblical scholar (d. 1667)
- 1623 – John Egerton, 2nd Earl of Bridgewater, English politician, Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire (d. 1686)
- 1686 – Antonina Houbraken, Dutch illustrator (d. 1736)
- 1718 – Wills Hill, 1st Marquess of Downshire, English politician, Secretary of State for the Colonies (d. 1793)
- 1719 – Roger Newdigate, English politician (d. 1806)
- 1757 – Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1844)
- 1768 – Étienne Marie Antoine Champion de Nansouty, French general (d. 1815)
- 1797 – Georg Amadeus Carl Friedrich Naumann, German mineralogist and geologist (d. 1873)
- 1800 – Henri-Marie-Gaston Boisnormand de Bonnechose, French cardinal (d. 1883)
- 1814 – Mikhail Bakunin, Russian philosopher and theorist (d. 1876)
- 1814 – Eugène Charles Catalan, Belgian-French mathematician and academic (d. 1894)
- 1819 – William McMurdo, English general (d. 1894)
- 1820 – Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau, Canadian lawyer and politician, 1st Premier of Quebec (d. 1890)
- 1835 – Alfred Austin, English author, poet, and playwright (d. 1913)
- 1844 – Félix Arnaudin, French poet and photographer (d. 1921)
- 1845 – Amadeo I, Spanish king (d. 1890)
- 1846 – Peter Carl Fabergé, Russian goldsmith and jeweler (d. 1920)
- 1862 – Mirza Alakbar Sabir, Azerbaijani philosopher and poet (d. 1911)
- 1869 – Grace Andrews, American mathematician (d. 1951)
- 1874 – Ernest Duchesne, French physician (d. 1912)
- 1875 – Giovanni Gentile, Italian philosopher and academic (d. 1944)
- 1879 – Colin Blythe, English cricketer and soldier (d. 1917)
- 1879 – Konstantin Ramul, Estonian psychologist and academic (d. 1975)
- 1881 – Georg von Küchler, German field marshal (d. 1968)
- 1882 – Wyndham Halswelle, English runner and soldier (d. 1915)
- 1883 – Sandy Pearce, Australian rugby league player (d. 1930)
- 1884 – Siegmund Glücksmann, German soldier and politician (d. 1942)
- 1885 – Villem Grünthal-Ridala, Estonian poet and linguist (d. 1942)
- 1886 – Laurent Barré, Canadian lawyer and politician (d. 1964)
- 1886 – Randolph Bourne, American theorist and author (d. 1918)
- 1887 – Alexander Archipenko, Ukrainian-American sculptor and illustrator (d. 1964)
- 1887 – Emil Reesen, Danish pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1964)
- 1890 – Roger Salengro, French soldier and politician, French Minister of the Interior (d. 1936)
- 1892 – Fernando Amorsolo, Filipino painter (d. 1972)
- 1894 – Hubertus van Mook, Dutch politician, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies (d. 1965)
- 1895 – Maurice Tate, English cricketer (d. 1956)
- 1896 – Howard Hawks, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1977)
- 1897 – Frank Wise, Australian politician, 16th Premier of Western Australia (d. 1986)
- 1898 – John Gilroy, English artist and illustrator (d. 1985)
- 1899 – Irving Thalberg, American screenwriter and producer (d. 1936)
- 1901 – Alfred Karindi, Estonian pianist and composer (d. 1969)
- 1901 – Cornelia Otis Skinner, American actress and author (d. 1979)
- 1902 – Stepin Fetchit, American actor and dancer (d. 1985)
- 1903 – Countee Cullen, American poet and author (d. 1946)
- 1906 – Bruno Gröning, German mystic and author (d. 1959)
- 1907 – Germaine Tillion, French anthropologist and academic (d. 2008)
- 1908 – Hannes Alfvén, Swedish physicist and engineer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1995)
- 1908 – Mel Blanc, American voice actor (d. 1989)
- 1909 – Jacques Canetti, French music executive and talent agent (d. 1997)
- 1909 – Freddie Frith, English motorcycle road racer (d. 1988)
- 1909 – Benny Goodman, American clarinet player, songwriter, and bandleader (d. 1986)
- 1910 – Harry Bernstein, English-American journalist and author (d. 2011)
- 1912 – Julius Axelrod, American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2004)
- 1912 – Erich Bagge, German physicist and academic (d. 1996)
- 1912 – Hugh Griffith, Welsh actor (d. 1980)
- 1912 – Millicent Selsam, American author and academic (d. 1996)
- 1912 – Joseph Stein, American playwright and author (d. 2010)
- 1914 – Akinoumi Setsuo, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 37th Yokozuna (d. 1979)
- 1915 – Len Carney, English footballer and soldier (d. 1996)
- 1916 – Justin Catayée, French soldier and politician (d. 1962)
- 1916 – Mort Meskin, American illustrator (d. 1995)
- 1918 – Pita Amor, Mexican poet and author (d. 2000)
- 1918 – Bob Evans, American businessman, founded Bob Evans Restaurants (d. 2007)
- 1919 – René Barrientos, Bolivian general and politician, 55th President of Bolivia (d. 1969)
- 1920 – Franklin J. Schaffner, Japanese-American director and producer (d. 1989)
- 1922 – Hal Clement, American author and educator (d. 2003)
- 1924 – Anthony Dryden Marshall, American CIA officer and diplomat (d. 2014)
- 1925 – John Henry Marks, English physician and author
- 1926 – Johnny Gimble, American country/western swing musician (Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys) (d. 2015)
- 1927 – Joan Birman, American mathematician
- 1927 – Clint Walker, American actor and singer (d. 2018)
- 1927 – Billy Wilson, Australian rugby league player and coach (d. 1993)
- 1928 – Pro Hart, Australian painter (d. 2006)
- 1928 – Agnès Varda, Belgian-French director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2019)
- 1929 – Georges Gilson, French archbishop
- 1930 – Mark Birley, English businessman, founded Annabel’s (d. 2007)
- 1930 – Robert Ryman, American painter (d. 2019)
- 1931 – Larry Silverstein, American real estate magnate
- 1932 – Ray Cooney, English actor and playwright
- 1932 – Pauline Oliveros, American accordion player and composer (d. 2016)
- 1932 – Ivor Richard, Baron Richard, Welsh politician and diplomat, British Ambassador to the United Nations (d. 2018)
- 1934 – Alexei Leonov, Russian general, pilot, and cosmonaut (d. 2019)
- 1934 – Alketas Panagoulias, Greek footballer and manager (d. 2012)
- 1935 – Ruta Lee, Canadian-American actress and dancer
- 1935 – Guy Tardif, Canadian academic and politician (d. 2005)
- 1936 – Keir Dullea, American actor
- 1937 – Christopher Haskins, Anglo-Irish businessman, life peer, and British politician
- 1937 – Rick Mather, American-English architect (d. 2013)
- 1938 – Billie Letts, American author and educator (d. 2014)
- 1939 – Michael J. Pollard, American actor (d. 2019)
- 1939 – Dieter Quester, Austrian race car driver
- 1939 – Tim Waterstone, Scottish businessman, founded Waterstones
- 1940 – Jagmohan Dalmiya, Indian cricket administrator (d. 2015)
- 1940 – Gilles Villemure, Canadian-American ice hockey player
- 1942 – John Gladwin, English bishop
- 1942 – Carole Stone, English journalist and author
- 1943 – Anders Michanek, Swedish motorcycle racer
- 1943 – Gale Sayers, American football player and philanthropist
- 1944 – Lenny Davidson, English guitarist and songwriter (The Dave Clark Five)
- 1944 – Meredith MacRae, American actress (d. 2000)
- 1944 – Stav Prodromou, Greek-American engineer and businessman
- 1945 – Gladys Horton, American singer (d. 2011)
- 1946 – Allan Chapman, English historian and author
- 1946 – Dragan Džajić, Serbian and Yugoslav footballer
- 1947 – Jocelyne Bourassa, Canadian golfer
- 1948 – Johan De Muynck, Belgian former professional road racing cyclist
- 1948 – Michael Piller, American screenwriter and producer (d. 2005)
- 1948 – David Thorpe, Australian rules footballer
- 1949 – P.J. Carlesimo, American basketball player and coach
- 1949 – Paul Coleridge, English lawyer and judge
- 1949 – Bob Willis, English cricketer and sportscaster (d. 2019)
- 1950 – Bertrand Delanoë, French politician, 14th Mayor of Paris
- 1950 – Paresh Rawal, Indian actor, producer, and politician
- 1950 – Joshua Rozenberg, English lawyer, journalist, and author
- 1951 – Zdravko Čolić, Bosnian Serb singer-songwriter
- 1951 – Fernando Lugo, Paraguayan bishop and politician, President of Paraguay
- 1951 – Stephen Tobolowsky, American actor, singer, and director
- 1952 – Daniel Grodnik, American screenwriter and producer
- 1952 – Kerry Fraser, Canadian ice hockey player, referee, and sportscaster
- 1953 – Jim Hunter, Canadian skier
- 1953 – Colm Meaney, Irish actor
- 1955 – Topper Headon, English drummer and songwriter (The Clash)
- 1955 – Jacqueline McGlade, English-Canadian biologist, ecologist, and academic
- 1955 – Caroline Swift, English lawyer and judge
- 1955 – Colm Tóibín, Irish novelist, poet, playwright, and critic
- 1956 – Tim Lucas, American author, screenwriter, and critic
- 1957 – Michael Clayton, Australian golfer
- 1958 – Eugene Belliveau, Canadian football player
- 1958 – Marie Fredriksson, Swedish singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 2019)
- 1958 – Steve Israel, American lawyer and politician
- 1958 – Michael López-Alegría, Spanish-American captain, pilot, and astronaut
- 1958 – Ted McGinley, American actor
- 1959 – Phil Brown, English footballer, coach, and manager
- 1959 – Randy Ferbey, Canadian curler
- 1959 – Frank Vanhecke, Belgian politician
- 1961 – Harry Enfield, English actor, director, and screenwriter
- 1961 – Bob Yari, Iranian-American director and producer
- 1962 – Kevin Eastman, American author and illustrator, co-created the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
- 1962 – Richard Fuller, English lawyer and politician
- 1962 – Tim Loughton, English businessman and politician
- 1962 – Tonya Pinkins, American actress and singer
- 1963 – Michel Langevin, Canadian drummer and songwriter
- 1963 – Élise Lucet, French journalist
- 1963 – Helen Sharman, English chemist and astronaut
- 1964 – Wynonna Judd, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress
- 1964 – Andrea Montermini, Italian race car driver
- 1964 – Tom Morello, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
- 1965 – Troy Coker, Australian rugby player
- 1965 – Billy Donovan, American basketball player and coach
- 1965 – Iginio Straffi, Italian animator and producer, founded Rainbow S.r.l.
- 1966 – Thomas Häßler, German footballer and manager
- 1966 – Stephen Malkmus, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1967 – Tim Burgess, English singer-songwriter
- 1967 – Rechelle Hawkes, Australian hockey player
- 1967 – Sven Pipien, German-American bass player
- 1968 – Jason Kenney, Canadian lawyer and politician, 40th Canadian Minister of National Defence
- 1968 – Zacarias Moussaoui, French citizen, sentenced to life in prison related to September 11 attacks
- 1969 – Naomi Kawase, Japanese director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1969 – Ryuhei Kitamura, Japanese director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1971 – Paul Grayson, English rugby player and coach
- 1971 – Duncan Jones, English director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1971 – Idina Menzel, American singer-songwriter and actress
- 1971 – Jiří Šlégr, Czech ice hockey player and politician
- 1971 – Adrian Vowles, Australian rugby league player and sportscaster
- 1972 – Manny Ramirez, Dominican-American baseball player and coach
- 1974 – Big L, American rapper (d. 1999)
- 1974 – Kostas Chalkias, Greek footballer
- 1974 – CeeLo Green, American singer-songwriter, pianist, producer, and actor
- 1974 – David Wilkie, American ice hockey player and coach
- 1975 – Evan Eschmeyer, American basketball player
- 1975 – Brian Fair, American singer-songwriter
- 1975 – Andy Farrell, English rugby player and coach
- 1975 – Marissa Mayer, American computer scientist and businesswoman
- 1976 – Radoslav Nesterović, Slovenian-Greek basketball player
- 1976 – Magnus Norman, Swedish tennis player and coach
- 1976 – Margaret Okayo, Kenyan runner
- 1977 – Rachael Stirling, English actress
- 1977 – Federico Vilar, Argentinian-Italian footballer
- 1979 – Mike Bishai, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1979 – Clint Bowyer, American race car driver
- 1979 – Francis Lessard, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1980 – Steven Gerrard, English international footballer, midfielder and manager
- 1980 – Ilona Korstin, Russian basketball player
- 1980 – Ryōgo Narita, Japanese author
- 1981 – Devendra Banhart, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1981 – Gianmaria Bruni, Italian race car driver
- 1981 – Ahmad Elrich, Australian footballer
- 1981 – Remy Ma, American rapper
- 1981 – Lars Møller Madsen, Danish handball player
- 1981 – Hisanori Takada, Japanese footballer
- 1982 – Eddie Griffin, American basketball player (d. 2007)
- 1982 – James Simpson-Daniel, English rugby player
- 1984 – Sham Kwok Fai, Hong Kong footballer
- 1984 – Matt Maguire, Australian footballer
- 1984 – Alexander Sulzer, German ice hockey player
- 1985 – Igor Kurnosov, Russian chess player (d. 2013)
- 1985 – Igor Lewczuk, Polish footballer
- 1985 – Aaron Volpatti, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1986 – Nikolay Bodurov, Bulgarian international footballer, centre-back
- 1989 – Ailee, Korean-American singer and songwriter
- 1989 – Lesia Tsurenko, Ukrainian tennis player
- 1990 – Andrei Loktionov, Russian ice hockey player
- 1991 – Jonathan Fox, English swimmer
- 1992 – Harrison Barnes, American basketball player
- 1992 – Danielle Harold, English actress
- 1994 – Scott Laughton, Canadian ice hockey player
Deaths on May 30
- 531 – Xiao Tong, prince of the Liang Dynasty (b. 501)
- 727 – Hubertus, bishop Liège
- 947 – Ma Xifan, king of Chu (b. 899)
- 1035 – Baldwin IV, count of Flanders (b. 980)
- 1159 – Władysław II the Exile, High Duke of Poland and Duke of Silesia (b. 1105)
- 1252 – Ferdinand III, king of Castile and León (b. 1199)
- 1347 – John Darcy, 1st Baron Darcy de Knayth, English peer (b. 1290)
- 1376 – Joan of Ponthieu, Dame of Epernon, French noblewoman
- 1416 – Jerome of Prague, Czech martyr and theologian (b. 1379)
- 1431 – Joan of Arc, French martyr and saint (b. 1412)
- 1434 – Prokop the Great, Czech general (b. 1380)
- 1469 – Lope de Barrientos, Castilian bishop (b. 1389)
- 1472 – Jacquetta of Luxembourg, daughter of Pierre de Luxembourg (b. 1416)
- 1574 – Charles IX of France (b. 1550)
- 1593 – Christopher Marlowe, English poet and playwright (b. 1564)
- 1606 – Guru Arjan Dev, fifth of the Sikh gurus (executed) (b. 1563)
- 1640 – Peter Paul Rubens, German-Belgian painter (b. 1577)
- 1696 – Henry Capell, 1st Baron Capell of Tewkesbury, English politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (b. 1638)
- 1670 – John Davenport, English minister, co-founded the New Haven Colony (b. 1597)
- 1712 – Andrea Lanzani, Italian painter (b. 1645)
- 1718 – Arnold van Keppel, 1st Earl of Albemarle, Dutch-English general (b. 1670)
- 1744 – Alexander Pope, English poet, essayist, and translator (b. 1688)
- 1770 – François Boucher, French painter and set designer (b. 1703)
- 1778 – Voltaire, French philosopher and author (b. 1694)
- 1778 – José de la Borda, French/Spanish mining magnate in colonial Mexico (b. ca. 1700)
- 1829 – Philibert Jean-Baptiste Curial, French general (b. 1774)
- 1832 – James Mackintosh, Scottish historian, jurist, and politician (b. 1765)
- 1855 – Mary Reibey, Australian businesswoman, (b. 1777)
- 1892 – Mary Hannah Gray Clarke, American author, correspondent, and poet (b. 1835)
- 1865 – John Catron, American lawyer and judge (b. 1786)
- 1901 – Victor D’Hondt, Belgian mathematician, lawyer, and jurist (b. 1841)
- 1911 – Milton Bradley, American businessman, founded the Milton Bradley Company (b. 1836)
- 1912 – Wilbur Wright, American pilot and businessman, co-founded the Wright Company (b. 1867)
- 1918 – Georgi Plekhanov, Russian philosopher and theorist (b. 1856)
- 1925 – Arthur Moeller van den Bruck, German historian and author (b. 1876)
- 1926 – Vladimir Steklov, Russian mathematician and physicist (b. 1864)
- 1934 – Tōgō Heihachirō, Japanese admiral (b. 1848)
- 1939 – Floyd Roberts, American race car driver (b. 1904)
- 1941 – Prajadhipok, Thai king (b. 1893)
- 1946 – Louis Slotin, Canadian physicist and chemist (b. 1910)
- 1947 – Georg von Trapp, Austrian captain (b. 1880)
- 1948 – József Klekl, Slovene-Hungarian priest and politician (b. 1874)
- 1949 – Emmanuel Célestin Suhard, French cardinal (b. 1874)
- 1951 – Hermann Broch, Austrian-American author (b. 1886)
- 1953 – Dooley Wilson, American actor and singer (b. 1886)
- 1955 – Bill Vukovich, American race car driver (b. 1918)
- 1957 – Piero Carini, Italian race car driver (b. 1921)
- 1960 – Boris Pasternak, Russian poet, novelist, and literary translator, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1890)
- 1961 – Rafael Trujillo, Dominican soldier and politician, 36th President of the Dominican Republic (b. 1891)
- 1964 – Isaac Babalola Akinyele, Nigerian king (b. 1882)
- 1964 – Eddie Sachs, American race car driver (b. 1927)
- 1964 – Leó Szilárd, Hungarian-American physicist and engineer (b. 1898)
- 1965 – Louis Hjelmslev, Danish linguist and academic (b. 1899)
- 1967 – Claude Rains, English-American actor (b. 1889)
- 1967 – Georg Wilhelm Pabst, Austrian director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1885)
- 1971 – Marcel Dupré, French organist and composer (b. 1886)
- 1975 – Steve Prefontaine, American runner (b. 1951)
- 1975 – Tatsuo Shimabuku, Japanese martial artist, founded Isshin-ryū (b. 1908)
- 1975 – Michel Simon, Swiss-born French actor (b. 1895)
- 1976 – Max Carey, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1890)
- 1976 – Mitsuo Fuchida, Japanese captain (b. 1902)
- 1978 – Jean Deslauriers, Canadian violinist, composer, and conductor (b. 1909)
- 1980 – Carl Radle, American bass player and producer (b. 1942)
- 1981 – Don Ashby, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1955)
- 1981 – Ziaur Rahman, Bangladeshi general and politician, 7th President of Bangladesh (b. 1936)
- 1982 – Albert Norden, German journalist and politician (b. 1904)
- 1986 – Perry Ellis, American fashion designer, founded his own eponymous fashion brand (b. 1940)
- 1993 – Sun Ra, American pianist, composer, and bandleader (b. 1914)
- 1994 – Ezra Taft Benson, American religious leader, 13th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (b. 1899)
- 1994 – Marcel Bich, Italian-French businessman, co-founded Société Bic (b. 1914)
- 1994 – Agostino Di Bartolomei, Italian footballer (b. 1955)
- 1995 – Ted Drake, English footballer and manager (b. 1912)
- 1995 – Lofty England, English-Austrian engineer (b. 1911)
- 1995 – Bobby Stokes, English footballer (b. 1951)
- 1996 – Léon-Étienne Duval, French cardinal (b. 1903)
- 1996 – Alo Mattiisen, Estonian composer (b. 1961)
- 1999 – Kalju Lepik, Estonian poet and author (b. 1920)
- 2000 – Tex Beneke, American saxophonist and bandleader (b. 1914)
- 2001 – Denis Whitaker, Canadian general and historian (b. 1915)
- 2005 – Gérald Leblanc, Acadian poet (b. 1945)
- 2005 – Tomasz Pacyński, Polish journalist and author (b. 1958)
- 2005 – Alma Ziegler, American baseball player and stenographer (b. 1918)
- 2006 – Shohei Imamura, Japanese director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1926)
- 2006 – David Lloyd, New Zealand biologist and academic (b. 1938)
- 2006 – Robert Sterling, American actor (b. 1917)
- 2007 – Jean-Claude Brialy, Algerian-French actor and director (b. 1933)
- 2007 – Birgit Dalland, Norwegian politician (b. 1907)
- 2007 – Gunturu Seshendra Sarma, Indian poet and critic (b. 1927)
- 2009 – Torsten Andersson, Swedish painter and illustrator (b. 1926)
- 2009 – Susanna Haapoja, Finnish politician (b. 1966)
- 2009 – Ephraim Katzir, Israeli biophysicist and politician, 4th President of Israel (b. 1916)
- 2010 – Yuri Chesnokov, Russian volleyball player and coach (b. 1933)
- 2010 – Dufferin Roblin, Canadian commander and politician, 14th Premier of Manitoba (b. 1917)
- 2011 – Isikia Savua, Fijian police officer and diplomat (b. 1952)
- 2011 – Saleem Shahzad, Pakistani journalist (b. 1970)
- 2011 – Marek Siemek, Polish philosopher and historian (b. 1942)
- 2011 – Clarice Taylor, American actress (b. 1917)
- 2011 – Rosalyn Sussman Yalow, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1921)
- 2012 – John Fox, American comedian, actor, and screenwriter (b. 1957)
- 2012 – Andrew Huxley, English physiologist and biophysicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1917)
- 2012 – Gerhard Pohl, German economist and politician (b. 1937)
- 2012 – Jack Twyman, American basketball player and sportscaster (b. 1934)
- 2013 – Jayalath Jayawardena, Sri Lankan physician and politician (b. 1953)
- 2013 – Larry Jones, American football player and coach (b. 1933)
- 2014 – Hienadz Buraukin, Belarusian poet, journalist, and diplomat (b. 1936)
- 2014 – Henning Carlsen, Danish director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1927)
- 2014 – Joan Lorring, British actress (b. 1926)
- 2014 – Leonidas Vasilikopoulos, Greek admiral (b. 1932)
- 2015 – Beau Biden, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 44th Attorney General of Delaware (b. 1969)
- 2015 – Joël Champetier, Canadian author and screenwriter (b. 1957)
- 2015 – L. Tom Perry, American religious leader and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (b. 1922)
- 2016 – Tom Lysiak, Polish-Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1953)
- 2016 – Rick MacLeish, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1950)
- 2019 – Jason Marcano, Trinidadian footballer (b. 1983)
Holidays and observances on May 30
- Anguilla Day, commemorates the beginning of the Anguillian Revolution in 1967. (Anguilla)
- Canary Islands Day (Spain)
- Christian feast day:
- Earliest day on which Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary can fall, while July 3 is the latest; celebrated 20 days after Pentecost. (Catholic Church)
- Ferdinand III of Castile
- Isaac of Dalmatia
- Joan of Arc
- Joseph Marello
- May 30 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Indian Arrival Day (Trinidad and Tobago)
- Lod Massacre Remembrance Day (Puerto Rico)
- Mother’s Day (Nicaragua)
- Statehood Day (Croatia)
-
May 29 in History
- 363 – The Roman emperor Julian defeats the Sasanian army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the Sasanian capital, but is unable to take the city.
- 1108 – Battle of Uclés: Almoravid troops under the command of Tamim ibn Yusuf defeat a Castile and León alliance under the command of Prince Sancho Alfónsez.
- 1167 – Battle of Monte Porzio: A Roman army supporting Pope Alexander III is defeated by Christian of Buch and Rainald of Dassel.
- 1176 – Battle of Legnano: The Lombard League defeats Emperor Frederick I.
- 1328 – Philip VI is crowned King of France.
- 1416 – Battle of Gallipoli: The Venetians under Pietro Loredan defeat a much larger Ottoman fleet off Gallipoli.
- 1453 – Fall of Constantinople: Ottoman armies under Sultan Mehmed II Fatih capture Constantinople after a 53-day siege, ending the Byzantine Empire.
- 1658 – Battle of Samugarh: decisive battle in the struggle for the throne during the Mughal war of succession (1658–1659).
- 1660 – English Restoration: Charles II is restored to the throne of England, Scotland and Ireland.
- 1733 – The right of settlers in New France to enslave natives is upheld at Quebec City.
- 1780 – American Revolutionary War: At the Battle of Waxhaws, the British continue attacking after the Continentals lay down their arms, killing 113 and critically wounding all but 53 that remained.
- 1790 – Rhode Island becomes the last of North America’s original Thirteen Colonies to ratify the Constitution and become one of the United States.
- 1798 – United Irishmen Rebellion: Between 300 and 500 United Irishmen are executed as rebels by the British Army in County Kildare, Ireland.
- 1807 – Mustafa IV became Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and Caliph of Islam.
- 1848 – Wisconsin is admitted as the 30th U.S. state.
- 1852 – Jenny Lind leaves New York after her two-year American tour.
- 1861 – The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce is founded, in Hong Kong.
- 1864 – Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico arrives in Mexico for the first time.
- 1867 – The Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 (“the Compromise”) is born through Act 12, which establishes the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
- 1868 – Mihailo Obrenović III, Prince of Serbia is assassinated.
- 1886 – The pharmacist John Pemberton places his first advertisement for Coca-Cola, which appeared in The Atlanta Journal.
- 1900 – N’Djamena is founded as Fort-Lamy by the French commander Émile Gentil.
- 1903 – In the May Coup, Alexander I, King of Serbia, and Queen Draga, are assassinated in Belgrade by the Black Hand (Crna Ruka) organization.
- 1913 – Igor Stravinsky’s ballet score The Rite of Spring receives its premiere performance in Paris, France, provoking a riot.
- 1914 – The Ocean liner RMS Empress of Ireland sinks in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence with the loss of 1,012 lives.
- 1918 – Armenia defeats the Ottoman Army in the Battle of Sardarabad.
- 1919 – Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity is tested (later confirmed) by Arthur Eddington and Andrew Claude de la Cherois Crommelin
- 1920 – The Louth flood of 1920 was a severe flash flooding in the Lincolnshire market town of Louth which occurred 29 May 1920, resulting in 23 fatalities in 20 minutes. It has been described as one of the most significant flood disasters in Britain during the 20th century.
- 1931 – Michele Schirru, a citizen of the United States, is executed by Italian military firing squad for intent to kill Benito Mussolini.
- 1932 – World War I veterans begin to assemble in Washington, D.C., in the Bonus Army to request cash bonuses promised to them to be paid in 1945.
- 1935 – First flight of the Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter aeroplane.
- 1945 – First combat mission of the Consolidated B-32 Dominator heavy bomber.
- 1948 – United Nations Truce Supervision Organization is founded.
- 1950 – The St. Roch, the first ship to circumnavigate North America, arrives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
- 1953 – Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay become the first people to reach the summit of Mount Everest, on Tenzing Norgay’s (adopted) 39th birthday.
- 1964 – The Arab League meets in East Jerusalem to discuss the Palestinian question, leading to the formation of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
- 1973 – Tom Bradley is elected the first black mayor of Los Angeles, California.
- 1982 – Pope John Paul II becomes the first pontiff to visit Canterbury Cathedral.
- 1982 – Falklands War: British forces defeat the Argentines at the Battle of Goose Green.
- 1985 – Heysel Stadium disaster: Thirty-nine association football fans die and hundreds are injured when a dilapidated retaining wall collapses.
- 1985 – Amputee Steve Fonyo completes cross-Canada marathon at Victoria, British Columbia, after 14 months.
- 1988 – The U.S. President Ronald Reagan begins his first visit to the Soviet Union when he arrives in Moscow for a superpower summit with the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
- 1989 – Signing of an agreement between Egypt and the United States, allowing the manufacture of parts of the F-16 jet fighter plane in Egypt.
- 1990 – The Russian parliament elects Boris Yeltsin as president of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.
- 1993 – The Miss Sarajevo beauty pageant is held in war-torn Sarajevo drawing global attention to the plight of its citizens.
- 1999 – Olusegun Obasanjo takes office as President of Nigeria, the first elected and civilian head of state in Nigeria after 16 years of military rule.
- 1999 – Space Shuttle Discovery completes the first docking with the International Space Station.
- 2001 – The U.S. Supreme Court rules that the disabled golfer Casey Martin can use a cart to ride in tournaments.
- 2004 – The National World War II Memorial is dedicated in Washington, D.C.
- 2008 – A doublet earthquake, of combined magnitude 6.1, strikes Iceland near the town of Selfoss, injuring 30 people.
- 2012 – A 5.8-magnitude earthquake hits northern Italy near Bologna, killing at least 24 people.
- 2015 – One World Observatory at One World Trade Center opens.
Births on May 29
- 1421 – Charles, Prince of Viana (d. 1461)
- 1439 – Pope Pius III (d. 1503)
- 1443 – Victor, Duke of Münsterberg, Reichsgraf, Duke of Münsterberg and Opava, Count of Glatz (d. 1500)
- 1504 – Antun Vrančić, Croatian archbishop (d. 1573)
- 1555 – George Carew, 1st Earl of Totnes, English Earl, general and administrator (d. 1629)
- 1568 – Virginia de’ Medici, Italian princess (d. 1615)
- 1594 – Gottfried Heinrich Graf zu Pappenheim, Bavarian field marshal (d. 1632)
- 1627 – Anne, Duchess of Montpensier, French princess (d. 1693)
- 1630 – Charles II of England (d. 1685)
- 1675 – Humphry Ditton, English mathematician and philosopher (d. 1715)
- 1716 – Louis-Jean-Marie Daubenton, French zoologist and mineralogist (d. 1800)
- 1722 – James FitzGerald, 1st Duke of Leinster, Irish soldier and politician (d. 1773)
- 1730 – Jackson of Exeter, English organist and composer (d. 1803)
- 1736 – Patrick Henry, American lawyer and politician, 1st Governor of Virginia (d. 1799)
- 1780 – Henri Braconnot, French chemist and pharmacist (d. 1855)
- 1794 – Johann Heinrich von Mädler, German astronomer and selenographer (d. 1874)
- 1797 – Louise-Adéone Drölling, French painter (d. 1836)
- 1823 – John H. Balsley, American carpenter and inventor (d. 1895)
- 1860 – Isaac Albéniz, Spanish pianist and composer (d. 1909)
- 1871 – Clark Voorhees, American painter (d. 1933)
- 1873 – Rudolf Tobias, Estonian organist and composer (d. 1918)
- 1874 – G. K. Chesterton, English essayist, poet, and playwright (d. 1936)
- 1880 – Oswald Spengler, German historian and philosopher (d. 1936)
- 1892 – Alfonsina Storni, Swiss-Argentinian poet and author (d. 1938)
- 1893 – Max Brand, American journalist and author (d. 1944)
- 1894 – Beatrice Lillie, Canadian-English actress, singer and writer (d. 1989)
- 1894 – Josef von Sternberg, Austrian-American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1969)
- 1897 – Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Czech-American pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1957)
- 1899 – Douglas Abbott, Canadian lawyer and politician, 10th Canadian Minister of Defence (d. 1987)
- 1902 – Harry Kadwell, Australian rugby league player and coach (d. 1999)
- 1903 – Bob Hope, English-American actor, singer, and producer (d. 2003)
- 1904 – Hubert Opperman, Australian cyclist and politician (d. 1996)
- 1905 – Sebastian Shaw, English actor, director, and playwright (d. 1994)
- 1906 – T. H. White, Indian-English author (d. 1964)
- 1907 – Hartland Molson, Canadian captain and politician (d. 2002)
- 1908 – Diana Morgan, Welsh-English playwright and screenwriter (d. 1996)
- 1910 – Ralph Metcalfe, American sprinter and politician (d. 1978)
- 1913 – Tony Zale, American boxer (d. 1997)
- 1914 – Stacy Keach Sr., American actor (d. 2003)
- 1914 – Tenzing Norgay, Nepalese-Indian mountaineer (d. 1986)
- 1915 – Karl Münchinger, German conductor and composer (d. 1990)
- 1917 – John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States (d. 1963)
- 1917 – Marcel Trudel, Canadian historian, author, and academic (d. 2011)
- 1919 – Jacques Genest, Canadian physician and academic (d. 2018)
- 1920 – John Harsanyi, Hungarian-American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2000)
- 1920 – Clifton James, American actor (d. 2017)
- 1921 – Norman Hetherington, Australian cartoonist and puppeteer (d. 2010)
- 1922 – Joe Weatherly, American race car driver (d. 1964)
- 1922 – Iannis Xenakis, Greek-French composer, engineer, and theorist (d. 2001)
- 1923 – Bernard Clavel, French author (d. 2010)
- 1923 – John Parker, 6th Earl of Morley, English colonel and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Devon (d. 2015)
- 1923 – Eugene Wright, American jazz bassist
- 1924 – Lars Bo, Danish author and illustrator (d. 1999)
- 1924 – Miloslav Kříž, Czech basketball player and coach (d. 2013)
- 1924 – Pepper Paire, American baseball player (d. 2013)
- 1926 – Katie Boyle, Italian-English actress and television host (d. 2018)
- 1926 – Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe, Queen Consort of Tonga (d. 2017)
- 1926 – Abdoulaye Wade, Senegalese academic and politician, 3rd President of Senegal
- 1927 – Jean Coutu, Canadian pharmacist and businessman, founded the Jean Coutu Group
- 1929 – Harry Frankfurt, American philosopher and academic
- 1929 – Peter Higgs, English-Scottish physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1929 – Roberto Vargas, Puerto Rican-American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 2014)
- 1932 – Paul R. Ehrlich, American biologist and author
- 1932 – Richie Guerin, American basketball player and coach
- 1933 – Helmuth Rilling, German conductor and educator
- 1933 – Tarquinio Provini, Italian motorcycle racer (d. 2005)
- 1934 – Bill Vander Zalm, Dutch-Canadian businessman and politician, 28th Premier of British Columbia
- 1935 – André Brink, South African author and playwright (d. 2015)
- 1935 – Sylvia Robinson, American singer and producer (d. 2011)
- 1937 – Charles W. Pickering, American lawyer and judge
- 1937 – Irmin Schmidt, German keyboard player and composer
- 1937 – Alwin Schockemöhle, German show-jumper
- 1937 – Harry Statham, American basketball player and coach
- 1938 – Christopher Bland, English businessman and politician (d. 2017)
- 1938 – Fay Vincent, American lawyer and businessman
- 1939 – Pete Smith, Australian radio and television announcer
- 1939 – Al Unser, American race car driver
- 1940 – Taihō Kōki, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 48th Yokozuna (d. 2013)
- 1940 – Farooq Leghari, Pakistani politician, 8th President of Pakistan (d. 2010)
- 1941 – Doug Scott, English mountaineer and author
- 1941 – Bob Simon, American journalist (d. 2015)
- 1942 – Pierre Bourque, Canadian businessman and politician, 40th Mayor of Montreal
- 1942 – Kevin Conway, American actor and director (d. 2020)
- 1943 – Robert W. Edgar, American educator and politician (d. 2013)
- 1944 – Bob Benmosche, American businessman (d. 2015)
- 1944 – Quentin Davies, English soldier and politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
- 1945 – Gary Brooker, English singer-songwriter and pianist
- 1945 – Peter Fraser, Baron Fraser of Carmyllie, Scottish lawyer and politician, Solicitor General for Scotland (d. 2013)
- 1945 – Julian Le Grand, English economist and author
- 1945 – Martin Pipe, English jockey and trainer
- 1945 – Joyce Tenneson, American photographer
- 1945 – Jean-Pierre Van Rossem, Belgian scholar and author (d. 2018)
- 1946 – Fernando Buesa, Spanish politician (d. 2000)
- 1947 – Anthony Geary, American actor
- 1948 – Michael Berkeley, English composer and radio host
- 1948 – Keith Gull, English microbiologist and academic
- 1949 – Robert Axelrod, American actor and screenwriter (d. 2019)
- 1949 – Brian Kidd, English footballer and manager
- 1949 – Francis Rossi, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1950 – Rebbie Jackson, American singer and actress
- 1953 – Danny Elfman, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor
- 1954 – Robert Beaser, American composer and educator
- 1954 – Jerry Moran, American lawyer and politician
- 1955 – Frank Baumgartl, German runner (d. 2010)
- 1955 – John Hinckley Jr., American attempted assassin of Ronald Reagan
- 1955 – David Kirschner, American animator, producer, and author
- 1955 – Gordon Rintoul, Scottish historian and curator
- 1955 – Ken Schrader, American race car driver and sportscaster
- 1956 – Mark Lyall Grant, English diplomat, British Ambassador to the United Nations
- 1956 – La Toya Jackson, American singer-songwriter and actress
- 1957 – Steven Croft, English bishop and theologian
- 1957 – Jeb Hensarling, American lawyer and politician
- 1957 – Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Iranian film director
- 1958 – Annette Bening, American actress
- 1958 – Juliano Mer-Khamis, Israeli actor, director, and activist (d. 2011)
- 1958 – Uwe Rapolder, German footballer and coach
- 1958 – Mike Stenhouse, American baseball player and sportscaster
- 1959 – Rupert Everett, English actor and novelist
- 1959 – Mel Gaynor, English drummer
- 1959 – Steve Hanley, Irish-English bass player and songwriter
- 1960 – Thomas Baumer, Swiss economist and academic
- 1960 – Mike Freer, English politician
- 1961 – Melissa Etheridge, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and activist
- 1961 – John Miceli, American drummer
- 1962 – Fandi Ahmad, Singaporean footballer, coach, and manager
- 1962 – Eric Davis, American baseball player
- 1962 – Carol Kirkwood, Scottish journalist
- 1962 – Chloé Sainte-Marie, Canadian actress and singer
- 1963 – Blaze Bayley, English singer-songwriter
- 1963 – Zhu Jianhua, Chinese high jumper
- 1963 – Ukyo Katayama, Japanese race car driver
- 1963 – Claude Loiselle, Canadian ice hockey player and manager
- 1964 – Howard Mills III, American academic and politician
- 1964 – Oswaldo Negri Jr., Brazilian race car driver
- 1966 – Natalie Nougayrède, French journalist
- 1967 – Noel Gallagher, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1967 – Mike Keane, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
- 1967 – Steven Levitt, American economist, author, and academic
- 1968 – Torquhil Campbell, 13th Duke of Argyll, Scottish politician
- 1968 – Tate George, American basketball player
- 1968 – Jessica Morden, English politician
- 1968 – Hida Viloria, American activist
- 1970 – Natarsha Belling, Australian journalist
- 1970 – Roberto Di Matteo, Italian footballer and manager
- 1971 – Éric Lucas, Canadian boxer
- 1971 – Bernd Mayländer, German race car driver
- 1971 – Jo Beth Taylor, Australian television host and actress
- 1971 – Rob Womack, English shot putter and discus thrower
- 1972 – Bill Curley, American basketball player and coach
- 1972 – Simon Jones, English singer and bass player
- 1973 – Tomoko Kaneda, Japanese voice actress, singer, and radio personality
- 1973 – Mark Lee, American guitarist and songwriter
- 1973 – Alpay Özalan, Turkish footballer
- 1974 – Steve Cardenas, American martial artist and retired actor
- 1974 – Stephen Larkham, Australian rugby player and coach
- 1974 – Aaron McGruder, American author and cartoonist
- 1974 – Myf Warhurst, Australian radio and television host
- 1974 – Jenny Willott, English politician
- 1975 – Jason Allison, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1975 – Mel B, English singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress
- 1975 – Sven Kubis, German footballer
- 1975 – Sarah Millican, English comedian
- 1975 – Anthony Wall, English golfer
- 1975 – Daniel Tosh, American comedian, television host, actor, writer, and executive producer
- 1976 – Caçapa, Brazilian footballer and manager
- 1976 – Jerry Hairston Jr., American baseball player and sportscaster
- 1976 – Raef LaFrentz, American basketball player
- 1976 – Yegor Titov, Russian footballer
- 1977 – Massimo Ambrosini, Italian footballer
- 1977 – Marco Cassetti, Italian footballer
- 1977 – António Lebo Lebo, Angolan footballer
- 1978 – Pelle Almqvist, Swedish singer-songwriter
- 1978 – Sébastien Grosjean, French tennis player
- 1978 – Lorenzo Odone, Italian-American adrenoleukodystrophy patient who inspired the 1992 film, Lorenzo’s Oil (d. 2008)
- 1978 – Adam Rickitt, English singer
- 1979 – Arne Friedrich, German footballer
- 1979 – Brian Kendrick, American wrestler
- 1979 – John Rheinecker, American baseball player (d. 2017)
- 1980 – Ernesto Farías, Argentinian footballer
- 1981 – Andrey Arshavin, Russian footballer
- 1982 – Nataliya Dobrynska, Ukrainian heptathlete
- 1982 – Matt Macri, American baseball player
- 1982 – Kim Tae-kyun, South Korean baseball player
- 1984 – Carmelo Anthony, American basketball player
- 1984 – Nia Jax, Australian-American professional wrestler
- 1984 – Funmi Jimoh, American long jumper
- 1984 – Andreas Schäffer, German footballer
- 1984 – Ina Wroldsen, Norwegian singer and songwriter
- 1985 – Nathan Horton, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1987 – Lina Andrijauskaitė, Lithuanian long jumper
- 1987 – Issac Luke, New Zealand rugby league player
- 1987 – Kelvin Maynard, Dutch footballer (d. 2019)
- 1987 – Noah Reid, Canadian actor, producer, and screenwriter
- 1987 – Rui Sampaio, Portuguese footballer
- 1988 – Muath Al-Kasasbeh, Jordanian captain and pilot (d. 2015)
- 1988 – Cheng Fei, Chinese gymnast
- 1988 – Steve Mason, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1989 – Ezekiel Ansah, Ghanaian-American football player
- 1989 – Diego Barisone, Argentinian footballer (d. 2015)
- 1989 – Riley Keough, American model and actress
- 1990 – Joe Biagini, American baseball pitcher
- 1992 – Sarah Moundir, Swiss tennis player
- 1993 – Jana Čepelová, Slovak tennis player
- 1993 – Maika Monroe, American actress and kiteboarder
- 1993 – Grete Šadeiko, Estonian heptathlete
- 1998 – Markelle Fultz, American basketball player
- 1999 – Park Ji-hoon, South Korean singer and actor
Deaths on May 29
- 931 – Jimeno Garcés of Pamplona
- 1040 – Renauld I, Count of Nevers
- 1259 – Christopher I of Denmark (b. 1219)
- 1311 – James II of Majorca (b. 1243)
- 1320 – Pope John VIII of Alexandria, Coptic pope
- 1327 – Jens Grand, Danish archbishop (b. c. 1260)
- 1379 – Henry II of Castile (b. 1334)
- 1405 – Philippe de Mézières, French soldier and author (b. 1327)
- 1425 – Hongxi Emperor of China (b. 1378)
- 1453 – Ulubatlı Hasan, Ottoman commander (b. 1428)
- 1453 – Constantine XI Palaiologos, Byzantine emperor (b. 1404)
- 1500 – Bartolomeu Dias, Portuguese explorer and navigator (b. 1451)
- 1500 – Thomas Rotherham, English cleric and minister (b. 1423)
- 1546 – David Beaton, Scottish cardinal and politician, Lord Chancellor of Scotland (b. 1494)
- 1593 – John Penry, Welsh martyr (b. 1559)
- 1660 – Frans van Schooten, Dutch mathematician and academic (b. 1615)
- 1691 – Cornelis Tromp, Dutch admiral (b. 1629)
- 1790 – Israel Putnam, American general (b. 1718)
- 1796 – Carl Fredrik Pechlin, Swedish general and politician (b. 1720)
- 1814 – Joséphine de Beauharnais, first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte (b. 1763)
- 1829 – Humphry Davy, English-Swiss chemist and academic (b. 1778)
- 1847 – Emmanuel de Grouchy, Marquis de Grouchy, French general (b. 1766)
- 1862 – Franz Mirecki, Polish composer, music conductor, and music teacher (b. 1791)
- 1866 – Winfield Scott, American general, lawyer, and politician (b. 1786)
- 1873 – Prince Friedrich of Hesse and by Rhine (b. 1870)
- 1892 – Bahá’u’lláh, Persian religious leader, founded the Bahá’í Faith (b. 1817)
- 1896 – Gabriel Auguste Daubrée, French geologist and academic (b. 1814)
- 1903 – Bruce Price, American architect, designed the Château Frontenac and American Surety Building (b. 1845)
- 1910 – Mily Balakirev, Russian pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1837)
- 1911 – W. S. Gilbert, English playwright and poet (b. 1836)
- 1914 – Laurence Sydney Brodribb Irving, English author and playwright (b. 1871)
- 1914 – Henry Seton-Karr, English explorer, hunter, and author (b. 1853)
- 1917 – Kate Harrington, American poet and educator (b. 1831)
- 1919 – Robert Bacon, American colonel and politician, 39th United States Secretary of State (b. 1860)
- 1920 – Carlos Deltour, French rower (b. 1864)
- 1921 – Abbott Handerson Thayer, American painter and educator (b. 1849)
- 1935 – Josef Suk, Czech violinist and composer (b. 1874)
- 1939 – Ursula Ledóchowska, Austrian-Polish nun and saint, founded the Congregation of the Ursulines of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus (b. 1865)
- 1941 – Léo-Pol Morin, Canadian pianist, composer, and educator (b. 1892)
- 1942 – John Barrymore, American actor (b. 1882)
- 1946 – Martin Gottfried Weiss, German SS officer (b. 1905)
- 1948 – May Whitty, English actress (b. 1865)
- 1951 – Fanny Brice, American singer and comedian (b. 1891)
- 1951 – Dimitrios Levidis, Greek-French soldier and composer (b. 1885)
- 1953 – Morgan Russell, American painter and educator (b. 1886)
- 1957 – James Whale, English director (b. 1889)
- 1958 – Juan Ramón Jiménez, Spanish poet and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1881)
- 1963 – Netta Muskett, English author (b. 1887)
- 1966 – Ignace Lepp, Estonian-French priest and psychologist (b. 1909)
- 1968 – Arnold Susi, Estonian lawyer and politician, Estonian Minister of Education (b. 1896)
- 1970 – John Gunther, American journalist and author (b. 1901)
- 1970 – Eva Hesse, American artist (b. 1936)
- 1972 – Moe Berg, American baseball player, coach, and spy (b. 1902)
- 1972 – Stephen Timoshenko, Ukrainian-American engineer and academic (b. 1878)
- 1973 – George Harriman, English businessman (b. 1908)
- 1977 – Ba Maw, Burmese politician, Prime Minister of Burma (b. 1893)
- 1979 – Mary Pickford, Canadian-American actress, producer, and screenwriter, co-founded United Artists (b. 1892)
- 1979 – John H. Wood Jr., American lawyer and judge (b. 1916)
- 1982 – Romy Schneider, Austrian actress (b. 1938)
- 1983 – Arvīds Pelše, Latvian-Russian historian and politician (b. 1899)
- 1987 – Charan Singh, Indian politician, 5th Prime Minister of India (b. 1902)
- 1988 – Salem bin Laden, Saudi Arabian businessman (b. 1946)
- 1989 – George C. Homans, American sociologist and academic (b. 1910)
- 1991 – Margaret Barr (choreographer), Australian choreographer and teacher of dance-drama (b. 1904)
- 1993 – Billy Conn, American boxer (b. 1917)
- 1994 – Erich Honecker, German lawyer and politician (b. 1912)
- 1994- Lady May Abel Smith, member of the British Royal Family (b. 1906)
- 1996 – Tamara Toumanova, American ballerina and actress (b. 1919)
- 1997 – Jeff Buckley, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1966)
- 1998 – Barry Goldwater, American general, activist, and politician (b. 1909)
- 2003 – David Jefferies, English motorcycle racer (b. 1972)
- 2004 – Archibald Cox, American lawyer and politician, 31st United States Solicitor General (b. 1912)
- 2004 – Samuel Dash, American academic and politician (b. 1925)
- 2005 – John D’Amico, Canadian ice hockey player and referee (b. 1937)
- 2005 – Hamilton Naki, South African surgeon (b. 1926)
- 2005 – George Rochberg, American soldier and composer (b. 1918)
- 2006 – Jacques Bouchard, Canadian businessman (b. 1930)
- 2007 – Dave Balon, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1938)
- 2007 – Lois Browne-Evans, Bermudian lawyer and politician (b. 1927)
- 2008 – Paula Gunn Allen, Native American writer (b. 1939)
- 2008 – Luc Bourdon, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1987)
- 2008 – Harvey Korman, American actor and comedian (b. 1927)
- 2010 – Dennis Hopper, American actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1936)
- 2011 – Sergei Bagapsh, Abkhazian politician, 2nd President of Abkhazia (b. 1949)
- 2011 – Bill Clements, American soldier and politician, 42nd Governor of Texas (b. 1917)
- 2011 – Ferenc Mádl, Hungarian academic and politician, 14th President of Hungary (b. 1931)
- 2012 – Mark Minkov, Russian composer (b. 1944)
- 2012 – Kaneto Shindo, Japanese director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1912)
- 2012 – Doc Watson, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1923)
- 2013 – Richard Ballantine, American-English journalist and author (b. 1940)
- 2013 – Françoise Blanchard, French actress (b. 1954)
- 2013 – Andrew Greeley, American priest, sociologist, and author (b. 1928)
- 2013 – Mulgrew Miller, American pianist and composer (b. 1955)
- 2013 – Henry Morgentaler, Polish-Canadian physician and activist (b. 1923)
- 2013 – Franca Rame, Italian actress and playwright (b. 1928)
- 2013 – Ludwig G. Strauss, German physician and academic (b. 1949)
- 2013 – Wali-ur-Rehman, Pakistani commander (b. 1970)
- 2014 – Christine Charbonneau, Canadian singer-songwriter (b. 1943)
- 2014 – Walter Jakob Gehring, Swiss biologist and academic (b. 1939)
- 2014 – Peter Glaser, Czech-American scientist and engineer (b. 1923)
- 2014 – Miljenko Prohaska, Croatian composer and conductor (b. 1925)
- 2014 – William M. Roth, American businessman (b. 1916)
- 2015 – Henry Carr, American football player and sprinter (b. 1942)
- 2015 – Doris Hart, American tennis player (b. 1925)
- 2015 – Betsy Palmer, American actress (b. 1926)
- 2017 – Manuel Noriega, Panamanian general and politician, Military Leader of Panama (b. 1934)
- 2017 – Mordechai Tzipori, Israeli Lieutenant General and minister (b. 1924)
- 2017 – Konstantinos Mitsotakis, Greek politician and prime minister (b. 1918)
- 2020 – Maikanti Baru, Nigerian engineer, former chief of state oil firm. (b. 1959)
Holidays and observances on May 29
- Army Day (Argentina)
- Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh (Bahá’í Faith) (Only if Bahá’í Naw-Rúz falls on March 21 of the Gregorian calendar)
- Christian feast day:
- Bona of Pisa
- Hypomone (Eastern Orthodox Church)
- Maximin of Trier
- Pope Alexander of Alexandria (Eastern Orthodox Church)
- Theodosia of Constantinople (Eastern Orthodox Church)
- Ursula Ledóchowska
- May 29 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Earliest day on which Feast of the Sacred Heart can fall, while July 2 is the latest; celebrated 19 days after Pentecost. (Catholic Church)
- International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers (International)
- National Elderly Day (Indonesia)
- Oak Apple Day (England), and its related observance:
- Castleton Garland Day (Castleton)
- Statehood Day (Rhode Island and Wisconsin)
- Veterans Day (Sweden)
- World Digestive Health Day
-
May 23 in History
- 1430 – Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to raise the Siege of Compiègne.
- 1498 – Girolamo Savonarola is burned at the stake in Florence, Italy.
- 1533 – The marriage of King Henry VIII to Catherine of Aragon is declared null and void.
- 1568 – Dutch rebels led by Louis of Nassau, defeat Jean de Ligne, Duke of Arenberg, and his loyalist troops in the Battle of Heiligerlee, opening the Eighty Years’ War.
- 1609 – Official ratification of the Second Virginia Charter takes place.
- 1618 – The Second Defenestration of Prague precipitates the Thirty Years’ War.
- 1701 – After being convicted of piracy and of murdering William Moore, Captain William Kidd is hanged in London.
- 1706 – John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, defeats a French army under Marshal François de Neufville, duc de Villeroy at the Battle of Ramillies.
- 1788 – South Carolina ratifies the United States Constitution as the eighth American state.
- 1793 – Battle of Famars during the Flanders Campaign of the War of the First Coalition.
- 1829 – Accordion patent granted to Cyrill Demian in Vienna, Austrian Empire.
- 1844 – Declaration of the Báb the evening before the 23rd: A merchant of Shiraz announces that he is a Prophet and founds a religious movement that would later be brutally crushed by the Persian government. He is considered to be a forerunner of the Bahá’í Faith; Bahá’ís celebrate the day as a holy day.
- 1846 – Mexican–American War: President Mariano Paredes of Mexico unofficially declares war on the United States.
- 1863 – The General German Workers’ Association, a precursor of the modern Social Democratic Party of Germany, is founded in Leipzig, Kingdom of Saxony.
- 1873 – The Canadian Parliament establishes the North-West Mounted Police, the forerunner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
- 1900 – American Civil War: Sergeant William Harvey Carney is awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism in the Assault on the Battery Wagner in 1863.
- 1907 – The unicameral Parliament of Finland gathers for its first plenary session.
- 1911 – The New York Public Library is dedicated.
- 1915 – World War I: Italy joins the Allies, fulfilling its part of the Treaty of London.
- 1932 – In Brazil, four students are shot and killed during a manifestation against the Brazilian dictator Getúlio Vargas, which resulted in the outbreak of the Constitutionalist Revolution several weeks later.
- 1934 – Infamous American bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde are ambushed by police and killed in Bienville Parish, Louisiana.
- 1934 – The Auto-Lite strike culminates in the “Battle of Toledo”, a five-day melée between 1,300 troops of the Ohio National Guard and 6,000 picketers.
- 1939 – The U.S. Navy submarine USS Squalus sinks off the coast of New Hampshire during a test dive, causing the death of 24 sailors and two civilian technicians. The remaining 32 sailors and one civilian naval architect are rescued the following day.
- 1945 – World War II: Heinrich Himmler, head of the Schutzstaffel, commits suicide while in Allied custody.
- 1945 – World War II: Germany’s Flensburg Government under Karl Dönitz is dissolved when its members are arrested by British forces.
- 1948 – Thomas C. Wasson, the US Consul-General, is assassinated in Jerusalem, Israel.
- 1949 – Cold War: The Western occupying powers approve the Basic Law and establish a new German state, the Federal Republic of Germany.
- 1951 – Tibetans sign the Seventeen Point Agreement with China.
- 1960 – A tsunami caused by an earthquake in Chile the previous day kills 61 people in Hilo, Hawaii.
- 1992 – Italy’s most prominent anti-mafia judge Giovanni Falcone, his wife and three body guards are killed by the Corleonesi clan with a half-ton bomb near Capaci, Sicily. His friend and colleague Paolo Borsellino will be assassinated less than two months later, making 1992 a turning point in the history of Italian Mafia prosecutions.
- 1995 – The first version of the Java programming language is released.
- 1998 – The Good Friday Agreement is accepted in a referendum in Northern Ireland with roughly 75% voting yes.
- 2002 – The “55 parties” clause of the Kyoto Protocol is reached after its ratification by Iceland.
- 2006 – Alaskan stratovolcano Mount Cleveland erupts.
- 2008 – The International Court of Justice (ICJ) awards Middle Rocks to Malaysia and Pedra Branca (Pulau Batu Puteh) to Singapore, ending a 29-year territorial dispute between the two countries.
- 2013 – A freeway bridge carrying Interstate 5 over the Skagit River collapses in Mount Vernon, Washington.
- 2014 – Seven people, including the perpetrator, are killed and another 14 injured in a killing spree near the campus of University of California, Santa Barbara.
- 2015 – At least 46 people are killed as a result of floods caused by a tornado in Texas and Oklahoma.
- 2016 – Two suicide bombings, conducted by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, killed at least 45 potential army recruits in Aden, Yemen.
- 2016 – Eight bombings were carried out by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria in Jableh and Tartus, coastline cities in Syria. One hundred eighty-four people were killed and at least 200 people injured.
- 2017 – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law in Mindanao, following the Maute’s attack in Marawi.
Births on May 23
- 635 – K’inich Kan Bahlam II, Mayan king (d. 702)
- 675 – Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar II, King of Mutharaiyar dynasty, Tamil Nadu, India
- 1052 – Philip I of France (d. 1108)
- 1100 – Emperor Qinzong of Song (d. 1161)
- 1127 – Uijong of Goryeo, Korean monarch of the Goryeo dynasty (d. 1173)
- 1330 – Gongmin of Goryeo, Korean ruler (d. 1374)
- 1586 – Paul Siefert, German composer and organist (d. 1666)
- 1606 – Juan Caramuel y Lobkowitz, Spanish mathematician and philosopher (d. 1682)
- 1614 – Bertholet Flemalle, Flemish Baroque painter (d. 1675)
- 1617 – Elias Ashmole, English astrologer and politician (d. 1692)
- 1629 – William VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, noble of Hesse-Kassel (d. 1663)
- 1707 – Carl Linnaeus, Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist (d. 1778)
- 1718 – William Hunter, Scottish-English anatomist and physician (d. 1783)
- 1729 – Giuseppe Parini, Italian poet and educator (d. 1799)
- 1730 – Prince Augustus Ferdinand of Prussia, Prussian prince and general (d. 1813)
- 1734 – Franz Mesmer, German physician and astrologer (d. 1815)
- 1741 – Andrea Luchesi, Italian organist and composer (d. 1801)
- 1789 – Franz Schlik, Austrian earl and general (d. 1862)
- 1790 – Jules Dumont d’Urville, French admiral and explorer (d. 1842)
- 1790 – James Pradier, French neoclassical sculptor (d. 1852)
- 1794 – Ignaz Moscheles, Czech pianist and composer (d. 1870)
- 1795 – Charles Barry, English architect, designed the Upper Brook Street Chapel and Halifax Town Hall (d. 1860)
- 1800 – Rómulo Díaz de la Vega, Mexican general and president (1855) (d. 1877)
- 1810 – Margaret Fuller, American journalist and critic (d. 1850)
- 1817 – Manuel Robles Pezuela, Unconstitutional Mexican interim president (d. 1862)
- 1820 – James Buchanan Eads, American engineer, designed the Eads Bridge (d. 1887)
- 1820 – Lorenzo Sawyer, American lawyer and judge (d. 1891)
- 1824 – Ambrose Burnside, American general and politician, 30th Governor of Rhode Island (d. 1881)
- 1834 – Jānis Frīdrihs Baumanis, Latvian architect (d. 1891)
- 1834 – Carl Bloch, Danish painter and academic (d. 1890)
- 1837 – Anatole Mallet, Swiss mechanical engineer and inventor (d. 1919)
- 1837 – Józef Wieniawski, Polish pianist and composer (d. 1912)
- 1838 – Amaldus Nielsen, Norwegian painter (d. 1932)
- 1840 – George Throssell, Irish-Australian politician, 2nd Premier of Western Australia (d. 1910)
- 1844 – `Abdu’l-Bahá, Iranian religious leader (d. 1921)
- 1848 – Otto Lilienthal, German pilot and engineer (d. 1896)
- 1855 – Isabella Ford, English author and activist (d. 1924)
- 1861 – József Rippl-Rónai, Hungarian painter (d. 1927)
- 1863 – Władysław Horodecki, Polish architect (d. 1930)
- 1864 – William O’Connor, American fencer (d. 1939)
- 1865 – Epitácio Pessoa, Brazilian jurist and politician, 11th President of Brazil (d. 1942)
- 1875 – Alfred P. Sloan, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 1966)
- 1882 – William Halpenny, Canadian pole vaulter (d. 1960)
- 1883 – Douglas Fairbanks, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1939)
- 1884 – Corrado Gini, Italian sociologist and demographer (d. 1965)
- 1887 – Thoralf Skolem, Norwegian mathematician and theorist (d. 1963)
- 1887 – Nikolai Vekšin, Estonian-Russian sailor and captain (d. 1951)
- 1888 – Adriaan Roland Holst, Dutch writer (d. 1976)
- 1888 – Zack Wheat, American baseball player and police officer (d. 1972)
- 1889 – Ernst Niekisch, German educator and politician (d. 1967)
- 1890 – Herbert Marshall, English-American actor and singer (d. 1966)
- 1891 – Pär Lagerkvist, Swedish novelist, playwright, and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1974)
- 1892 – Albert Spencer, 7th Earl Spencer, British peer and grandfather of Diana Spencer (d. 1975)
- 1896 – Felix Steiner, Russian-German SS officer (d. 1966)
- 1897 – Jimmie Guthrie, Scottish motorcycle racer (d. 1937)
- 1898 – Scott O’Dell, American soldier, journalist, and author (d. 1989)
- 1898 – Josef Terboven, German soldier and politician (d. 1945)
- 1899 – Jeralean Talley, American super-centenarian (d. 2015)
- 1900 – Hans Frank, German lawyer and politician (d. 1946)
- 1900 – Franz Leopold Neumann, German lawyer and theorist (d. 1954)
- 1908 – John Bardeen, American physicist and engineer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1991)
- 1908 – Hélène Boucher, French pilot (d. 1934)
- 1910 – Margaret Wise Brown, American author and educator (d. 1952)
- 1910 – Hugh Casson, English architect and academic (d. 1999)
- 1910 – Scatman Crothers, American actor and comedian (d. 1986)
- 1910 – Franz Kline, American painter and academic (d. 1962)
- 1910 – Artie Shaw, American clarinet player, composer, and bandleader (d. 2004)
- 1911 – Lou Brouillard, Canadian boxer (d. 1984)
- 1911 – Paul Augustin Mayer, German cardinal (d. 2010)
- 1911 – Betty Nuthall, English tennis player (d. 1983)
- 1912 – Jean Françaix, French pianist and composer (d. 1997)
- 1912 – John Payne, American actor (d. 1989)
- 1914 – Harold Hitchcock, English visionary landscape artist (d. 2009)
- 1914 – Celestine Sibley, American journalist and author (d. 1999)
- 1914 – Barbara Ward, Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth, English economist, journalist, and prominent Catholic layperson (d. 1981)
- 1915 – S. Donald Stookey, American physicist and chemist, invented CorningWare (d. 2014)
- 1917 – Edward Norton Lorenz, American mathematician and meteorologist (d. 2008)
- 1918 – Denis Compton, English cricketer and sportscaster (d. 1997)
- 1919 – Robert Bernstein, American author and playwright (d. 1988)
- 1919 – Ruth Fernández, Puerto Rican contralto and a member of the Puerto Rican Senate (d. 2012)
- 1919 – Betty Garrett, American actress, singer, and dancer (d. 2011)
- 1920 – Helen O’Connell, American singer (d. 1993)
- 1923 – Alicia de Larrocha, Catalan-Spanish pianist (d. 2009)
- 1923 – Irving Millman, American virologist and microbiologist (d. 2012)
- 1924 – Karlheinz Deschner, German author and activist (d. 2014)
- 1925 – Joshua Lederberg, American biologist and geneticist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2008)
- 1926 – Basil Salvadore D’Souza, Indian bishop (d. 1996)
- 1926 – Joe Slovo, Lithuanian-South African activist and politician (d. 1995)
- 1928 – Rosemary Clooney, American singer and actress (d. 2002)
- 1928 – Nigel Davenport, English actor (d. 2013)
- 1928 – Nina Otkalenko, Russian runner (d. 2015)
- 1929 – Ulla Jacobsson, Swedish-Austrian actress (d. 1982)
- 1930 – Friedrich Achleitner, German poet and critic (d. 2019)
- 1931 – Barbara Barrie, American actress
- 1932 – Kevork Ajemian, Syrian-French journalist and author (d. 1998)
- 1933 – Joan Collins, English actress
- 1933 – Ove Fundin, Swedish motorcycle racer
- 1934 – Robert Moog, electronic engineer and inventor of the Moog synthesizer (d. 2005)
- 1935 – Lasse Strömstedt, Swedish author (d. 2009)
- 1936 – Ingeborg Hallstein, German soprano and actress
- 1936 – Charles Kimbrough, American actor
- 1939 – Michel Colombier, French-American composer and conductor (d. 2004)
- 1939 – Reinhard Hauff, German director and screenwriter
- 1940 – Bjorn Johansen, Norwegian saxophonist (d. 2002)
- 1940 – Gérard Larrousse, French race car driver
- 1940 – Cora Sadosky, Argentinian mathematician and academic (d. 2010)
- 1941 – Zalman King, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2012)
- 1941 – Rod Thorn, American basketball player, coach, and executive
- 1942 – Gabriel Liiceanu, Romanian philosopher, author, and academic
- 1942 – Kovelamudi Raghavendra Rao, Indian director, screenwriter, and choreographer
- 1943 – Peter Kenilorea, Solomon Islands politician, 1st Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands (d. 2016)
- 1944 – John Newcombe, Australian tennis player and sportscaster
- 1945 – Padmarajan, Indian director, screenwriter, and author (d. 1991)
- 1946 – David Graham, Australian golfer
- 1947 – Jane Kenyon, American poet and translator (d. 1995)
- 1948 – Myriam Boyer, French actress, director, and producer
- 1949 – Daniel DiNardo, American cardinal
- 1949 – Alan García, Peruvian lawyer and politician, 61st and 64th President of Peru (d. 2019)
- 1950 – Martin McGuinness, Irish republican and Sinn Féin politician, Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland (d. 2017)
- 1951 – Anatoly Karpov, Russian chess player
- 1951 – Antonis Samaras, Greek economist and politician, 185th Prime Minister of Greece
- 1952 – Martin Parr, English photographer and journalist
- 1954 – Gerry Armstrong, Northern Irish international footballer, striker
- 1954 – Marvelous Marvin Hagler, American boxer and actor
- 1955 – Luka Bloom, Irish singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1956 – Andrea Pazienza, Italian illustrator and painter (d. 1988)
- 1956 – Ursula Plassnik, Austrian politician and diplomat, Foreign Minister of Austria
- 1956 – Buck Showalter, American baseball player, coach, and manager
- 1958 – Mitch Albom, American journalist, author, and screenwriter
- 1958 – Drew Carey, American actor, game show host, and entrepreneur
- 1958 – Lea DeLaria, American actress and singer
- 1959 – Marcella Mesker, Dutch tennis player and sportscaster
- 1960 – Linden Ashby, American actor
- 1961 – Daniele Massaro, Italian footballer and manager
- 1961 – Norrie May-Welby, Scottish Australian gender activist
- 1962 – Karen Duffy, American actress
- 1963 – Viviane Baladi, Swiss mathematician
- 1964 – Ruth Metzler, Swiss lawyer and politician
- 1965 – Manuel Sanchís Hontiyuelo, Spanish footballer
- 1965 – Tom Tykwer, German director, producer, screenwriter, and composer
- 1965 – Melissa McBride, American actress
- 1965 – Paul Sironen, Australian rugby league player
- 1966 – Graeme Hick, Zimbabwean-English cricketer and coach
- 1966 – Gary Roberts, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
- 1967 – Luís Roberto Alves, Mexican footballer
- 1967 – Anna Ibrisagic, Swedish politician
- 1968 – Guinevere Turner, American actress and screenwriter
- 1970 – Bryan Herta, American race car driver and businessman, co-founded Bryan Herta Autosport
- 1971 – George Osborne, English journalist and politician, former Chancellor of the Exchequer
- 1972 – Rubens Barrichello, Brazilian race car driver
- 1972 – Martin Saggers, English cricketer and umpire
- 1973 – Maxwell, American singer-songwriter and producer
- 1974 – Jewel, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, actress, and poet
- 1974 – Manuela Schwesig, German politician, German Federal Minister of Family Affairs
- 1976 – Ricardinho, Brazilian footballer and manager
- 1977 – Ilia Kulik, Russian figure skater
- 1978 – Scott Raynor, American drummer
- 1979 – Rasual Butler, American basketball player (d. 2018)
- 1979 – Brian Campbell, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1980 – Theofanis Gekas, Greek footballer
- 1980 – Ben Ross, Australian rugby league player
- 1983 – Silvio Proto, Belgian-Italian footballer
- 1984 – Hugo Almeida, Portuguese footballer
- 1985 – Sebastián Fernández, Uruguayan footballer
- 1985 – Teymuraz Gabashvili, Russian tennis player
- 1985 – Wim Stroetinga, Dutch cyclist
- 1985 – Ross Wallace, Scottish footballer
- 1986 – Ryan Coogler, American film director and screenwriter
- 1986 – Alexei Sitnikov, Russian-Azerbaijani figure skater
- 1986 – Alice Tait, Australian swimmer
- 1986 – Ruben Zadkovich, Australian footballer
- 1987 – Gracie Otto, Australian actress, director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1987 – Bray Wyatt, American wrestler
- 1988 – Rosanna Crawford, Canadian biathlete
- 1988 – Angelo Ogbonna, Italian footballer
- 1988 – Morgan Pressel, American golfer
- 1989 – Ezequiel Schelotto, Italian footballer
- 1990 – Dan Evans, British tennis player
- 1990 – Kristina Kucova, Slovakian tennis player
- 1990 – Oliver Venno, Estonian volleyball player
- 1991 – Aaron Donald, American football player
- 1991 – Lena Meyer-Landrut, German singer-songwriter
- 1991 – César Pinares, Chilean footballer
- 1996 – Katharina Althaus, German ski jumper
- 1996 – Emmanuel Boateng, Ghanaian footballer
- 1996 – Razvan Marin, Romanian footballer
- 1997 – Pedro Chirivella, Spanish footballer
- 1997 – Coy Craft, American footballer
- 1997 – Joe Gomez, English footballer
- 1997 – Gustaf Nilsson, Swedish footballer
- 1997 – Sam Timmins, New Zealand basketball player
- 1998 – Sérgio Sette Câmara, Brazilian race car driver
- 1998 – Ross Cunningham, Scottish footballer
- 1998 – Salwa Eid Naser, Bahraini track and field sprinter
- 1998 – Luca De La Torre, American footballer
- 1998 – Steve Lacy, American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer
- 2000 – Felipe Drugovich, Brazilian race car driver
- 2000 – Jaxson Hayes, American basketball player
Deaths on May 23
- 230 – Urban I, pope of the Catholic Church
- 922 – Li Sizhao, Chinese general and governor
- 962 – Guibert of Gembloux, Frankish abbot (b. 892)
- 1125 – Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1081)
- 1304 – Jehan de Lescurel, French poet and composer
- 1338 – Alice de Warenne, Countess of Arundel, English noble (b. 1287)
- 1370 – Toghon Temür, Mongol emperor (b. 1320)
- 1423 – Antipope Benedict XIII (b. 1328)
- 1498 – Girolamo Savonarola, Italian friar and preacher (b. 1452)
- 1523 – Ashikaga Yoshitane, Japanese shōgun (b. 1466)
- 1524 – Ismail I, First Emperor of Safavid Empire (b. 1487)
- 1591 – John Blitheman, English organist and composer (b. 1525)
- 1662 – John Gauden, English bishop (b. 1605)
- 1670 – Ferdinando II de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (b. 1610)
- 1691 – Adrien Auzout, French astronomer and instrument maker (b. 1622)
- 1701 – William Kidd, Scottish pirate (b. 1645)
- 1749 – Abraham ben Abraham, Polish martyr (b. 1700)
- 1752 – William Bradford, English-American printer (b. 1663)
- 1754 – John Wood, the Elder, English architect, designed The Circus and Queen Square (b. 1704)
- 1783 – James Otis, Jr., American lawyer and politician (b. 1725)
- 1813 – Géraud Duroc, French general and diplomat (b. 1772)
- 1815 – Gotthilf Heinrich Ernst Muhlenberg, American clergyman and botanist (b. 1753)
- 1841 – Franz Xaver von Baader, German philosopher and theologian (b. 1765)
- 1855 – Charles Robert Malden, English lieutenant and explorer (b. 1797)
- 1857 – Augustin-Louis Cauchy, French mathematician and academic (b. 1789)
- 1868 – Kit Carson, American general (b. 1809)
- 1886 – Leopold von Ranke, German historian and academic (b. 1795)
- 1893 – Anton von Schmerling, Austrian politician (b. 1805)
- 1895 – Franz Ernst Neumann, German mineralogist, physicist, and mathematician (b. 1798)
- 1906 – Henrik Ibsen, Norwegian director, playwright, and poet (b. 1828)
- 1908 – François Coppée, French poet and author (b. 1842)
- 1920 – Svetozar Boroević, Croatian-Austrian field marshal (b. 1856)
- 1921 – August Nilsson, Swedish shot putter and tug of war competitor (b. 1872)
- 1934 – Clyde Barrow, American criminal (b. 1909)
- 1934 – Mihkel Martna, Estonian journalist and politician (b. 1860)
- 1934 – Bonnie Parker, American criminal (b. 1910)
- 1937 – John D. Rockefeller, American businessman and philanthropist, founded the Standard Oil Company and Rockefeller University (b. 1839)
- 1938 – Frederick Ruple, Swiss-American painter (b. 1871)
- 1942 – Panagiotis Toundas, Greek composer and conductor (b. 1886)
- 1945 – Heinrich Himmler, German commander and politician, Reich Minister of the Interior (b. 1900)
- 1947 – Charles-Ferdinand Ramuz, Swiss author and poet (b. 1878)
- 1949 – Jan Frans De Boever, Belgian painter and illustrator (b. 1872)
- 1956 – Gustav Suits, Latvian-Estonian poet and politician (b. 1883)
- 1960 – Georges Claude, French engineer and inventor, created Neon lighting (b. 1870)
- 1962 – Louis Coatalen, French engineer (b. 1879)
- 1963 – August Jakobson, Estonian author and politician (b. 1904)
- 1965 – David Smith, American sculptor (b. 1906)
- 1975 – Moms Mabley, American comedian and actor (b. 1894)
- 1979 – S. Selvanayagam, Sri Lankan geographer and academic (b. 1932)
- 1981 – Gene Green, American baseball player (b. 1933)
- 1981 – Rayner Heppenstall, English author and poet (b. 1911)
- 1981 – George Jessel, American actor, singer, and producer (b. 1898)
- 1981 – David Lewis, Belarusian-Canadian lawyer and politician (b. 1909)
- 1986 – Sterling Hayden, American actor (b. 1916)
- 1989 – Georgy Tovstonogov, Russian director and producer (b. 1915)
- 1989 – Karl Koch, German computer hacker (b. 1965)
- 1991 – Wilhelm Kempff, German pianist and composer (b. 1895)
- 1991 – Jean Van Houtte, Belgian academic and politician, 50th Prime Minister of Belgium (b. 1907)
- 1991 – Fletcher Markle, Canadian director, screenwriter, and producer (b. 1921)
- 1992 – Kostas Davourlis, Greek footballer (b. 1948)
- 1992 – Giovanni Falcone, Italian lawyer and judge (b. 1939)
- 1994 – Olav Hauge, Norwegian poet (b. 1908)
- 1996 – Kronid Lyubarsky, Russian journalist and activist (b. 1934)
- 1998 – Telford Taylor, American general and lawyer (b. 1908)
- 1999 – Owen Hart, Canadian-American wrestler (b. 1965)
- 2002 – Sam Snead, American golfer and journalist (b. 1912)
- 2006 – Lloyd Bentsen, American colonel and politician, 69th United States Secretary of the Treasury (b. 1921)
- 2006 – Kazimierz Górski, Polish footballer and manager (b. 1921)
- 2008 – Iñaki Ochoa de Olza, Spanish mountaineer (b. 1967)
- 2008 – Utah Phillips, American singer-songwriter and poet (b. 1935)
- 2009 – Roh Moo-hyun, South Korean soldier and politician, 9th President of South Korea (b. 1946)
- 2010 – José Lima, Dominican-American baseball player (b. 1972)
- 2010 – Simon Monjack, English director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1970)
- 2011 – Xavier Tondo, Spanish cyclist (b. 1978)
- 2012 – Paul Fussell, American historian, author, and academic (b. 1924)
- 2013 – Epy Guerrero, Dominican baseball player, coach, and scout (b. 1942)
- 2013 – Hayri Kozakçıoğlu, Turkish police officer and politician, 15th Governor of Istanbul Province (b. 1938)
- 2013 – Georges Moustaki, Egyptian-French singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1934)
- 2013 – Flynn Robinson, American basketball player (b. 1941)
- 2014 – Mikhail Egorovich Alekseev, Russian linguist and academic (b. 1949)
- 2014 – Madhav Mantri, Indian cricketer (b. 1921)
- 2015 – Anne Meara, American actress, comedian and playwright (b. 1929)
- 2015 – Aleksey Mozgovoy, Ukrainian sergeant (b. 1975)
- 2015 – Alicia Nash, Salvadoran-American physicist and engineer (b. 1933)
- 2015 – John Forbes Nash, Jr., American mathematician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1928)
- 2017 – Roger Moore, English actor (b. 1927)
- 2020 – Hana Kimura, Japanese professional wrestler (b. 1997)
Holidays and observances on May 23
- Christian feast day:
- Aaron the Illustrious (Syriac Orthodox Church)
- Desiderius of Vienne
- Giovanni Battista de’ Rossi
- Julia of Corsica
- Nicolaus Copernicus and Johannes Kepler (Episcopal Church (USA))
- Quintian, Lucius and Julian
- William of Perth
- May 23 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Constitution Day (Germany)
- Earliest day on which Declaration of the Báb can fall, while May 24 is the latest; observed on ‘Aẓamat 8 (Bahá’í Faith)
- Earliest day on which National Heroes’ Day can fall, while May 31 is the latest; celebrated on last Monday of May. (Turks and Caicos Islands)
- Labour Day (Jamaica)
- Students’ Day (Mexico)
- World Turtle Day
-
April 8 in History
- 217 – Roman Emperor Caracalla is assassinated. He is succeeded by his Praetorian Guard prefect, Marcus Opellius Macrinus.
- 632 – King Charibert II is assassinated at Blaye (Gironde), along with his infant son Chilperic.
- 876 – The Battle of Dayr al-‘Aqul saves Baghdad from the Saffarids.
- 1093 – The new Winchester Cathedral is dedicated by Walkelin.
- 1139 – Roger II of Sicily is excommunicated.
- 1149 – Pope Eugene III takes refuge in the castle of Ptolemy II of Tusculum.
- 1232 – Mongol–Jin War: The Mongols begin their siege on Kaifeng, the capital of the Jin dynasty.
- 1271 – In Syria, sultan Baibars conquers the Krak des Chevaliers.
- 1665 – English colonial patents are granted for the establishment of the Monmouth Tract, for what would eventually become Monmouth County in northeastern New Jersey.
- 1730 – Shearith Israel, the first synagogue in New York City, is dedicated.
- 1740 – War of Jenkins’ Ear: Three British ships capture the Spanish third-rate Princesa, taken into service as HMS Princess.
- 1808 – The Roman Catholic Diocese of Baltimore is promoted to an archdiocese, with the founding of the dioceses of New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and Bardstown (now Louisville) by Pope Pius VII.
- 1820 – The Venus de Milo is discovered on the Aegean island of Milos.
- 1832 – Black Hawk War: Around three-hundred United States 6th Infantry troops leave St. Louis, Missouri to fight the Sauk Native Americans.
- 1864 – American Civil War: Battle of Mansfield: Union forces are thwarted by the Confederate army at Mansfield, Louisiana.
- 1866 – Italy and Prussia ally against the Austrian Empire.
- 1886 – William Ewart Gladstone introduces the first Irish Home Rule Bill into the British House of Commons.
- 1895 – In Pollock v. Farmers’ Loan & Trust Co. the Supreme Court of the United States declares unapportioned income tax to be unconstitutional.
- 1904 – The French Third Republic and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland sign the Entente cordiale.
- 1904 – Longacre Square in Midtown Manhattan is renamed Times Square after The New York Times.
- 1906 – Auguste Deter, the first person to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, dies.
- 1908 – H. H. Asquith of the Liberal Party takes office as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, succeeding Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman.
- 1908 – Harvard University votes to establish the Harvard Business School.
- 1911 – Dutch physicist Heike Kamerlingh Onnes discovers superconductivity.
- 1913 – The 17th Amendment to the United States Constitution, requiring direct election of Senators, becomes law.
- 1916 – In Corona, California, race car driver Bob Burman crashes, killing three (including himself), and badly injuring five spectators.
- 1918 – World War I: Actors Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin sell war bonds on the streets of New York City’s financial district.
- 1924 – Sharia courts are abolished in Turkey, as part of Atatürk’s Reforms.
- 1929 – Indian independence movement: At the Delhi Central Assembly, Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt throw handouts and bombs to court arrest.
- 1935 – The Works Progress Administration is formed when the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935 becomes law.
- 1942 – World War II: Siege of Leningrad: Soviet forces open a much-needed railway link to Leningrad.
- 1942 – World War II: The Japanese take Bataan in the Philippines.
- 1943 – U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in an attempt to check inflation, freezes wages and prices, prohibits workers from changing jobs unless the war effort would be aided thereby, and bars rate increases by common carriers and public utilities.
- 1943 – Otto and Elise Hampel are executed in Berlin for their anti-Nazi activities.
- 1945 – World War II: After an air raid accidentally destroys a train carrying about 4,000 Nazi concentration camp internees in Prussian Hanover, the survivors are massacred by Nazis.
- 1946 – Électricité de France, the world’s largest utility company, is formed as a result of the nationalisation of a number of electricity producers, transporters and distributors.
- 1950 – India and Pakistan sign the Liaquat–Nehru Pact.
- 1952 – U.S. President Harry Truman calls for the seizure of all domestic steel mills in an attempt to prevent the 1952 steel strike.
- 1953 – Mau Mau leader Jomo Kenyatta is convicted by British Kenya’s rulers.
- 1954 – A Royal Canadian Air Force Canadair Harvard collides with a Trans-Canada Airlines Canadair North Star over Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, killing 37 people.
- 1954 – South African Airways Flight 201 A de Havilland DH.106 Comet 1 crashes into the sea during night killing 21 people.
- 1959 – A team of computer manufacturers, users, and university people led by Grace Hopper meets to discuss the creation of a new programming language that would be called COBOL.
- 1959 – The Organization of American States drafts an agreement to create the Inter-American Development Bank.
- 1960 – The Netherlands and West Germany sign an agreement to negotiate the return of German land annexed by the Dutch in return for 280 million German marks as Wiedergutmachung.
- 1961 – A large explosion on board the MV Dara in the Persian Gulf kills 238.
- 1964 – The Gemini 1 test flight is conducted.
- 1968 – BOAC Flight 712 catches fire shortly after takeoff. As a result of her actions in the accident, Barbara Jane Harrison is awarded a posthumous George Cross, the only GC awarded to a woman in peacetime.
- 1970 – Bahr El-Baqar primary school bombing: Israeli bombers strike an Egyptian school. Forty-six children are killed.
- 1974 – At Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium, Hank Aaron hits his 715th career home run to surpass Babe Ruth’s 39-year-old record.
- 1975 – Frank Robinson manages the Cleveland Indians in his first game as major league baseball’s first African American manager.
- 1987 – Los Angeles Dodgers executive Al Campanis resigns amid controversy over racially charged remarks he had made while on Nightline.
- 1992 – Retired tennis great Arthur Ashe announces that he has AIDS, acquired from blood transfusions during one of his two heart surgeries.
- 1993 – The Republic of North Macedonia joins the United Nations.
- 1999 – Haryana Gana Parishad, a political party in the Indian state of Haryana, merges with the Indian National Congress.
- 2004 – War in Darfur: The Humanitarian Ceasefire Agreement is signed by the Sudanese government and two rebel groups.
- 2006 – Shedden massacre: The bodies of eight men, all shot to death, are found in a field in Shedden, Elgin County, Ontario. The murders are soon linked to the Bandidos Motorcycle Club.
- 2008 – The construction of the world’s first skyscraper to integrate wind turbines is completed in Bahrain.
- 2013 – The Islamic State of Iraq enters the Syrian Civil War and begins by declaring a merger with the Al-Nusra Front under the name Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham.
Births on April 8
- 1320 – Peter I of Portugal (d. 1367)
- 1408 – Jadwiga of Lithuania, Polish princess (d. 1431)
- 1435 – John Clifford, 9th Baron de Clifford, English noble (d. 1461)
- 1533 – Claudio Merulo, Italian organist and composer (d. 1604)
- 1536 – Barbara of Hesse (d. 1597)
- 1541 – Michele Mercati, Italian physician and archaeologist (d. 1593)
- 1580 – William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke, English noble, courtier and patron of the arts (d. 1630)
- 1596 – Juan van der Hamen, Spanish artist (d. 1631)
- 1605 – Philip IV of Spain (d. 1665)
- 1605 – Mary Stuart, English-Scottish princess (d. 1607)
- 1641 – Henry Sydney, 1st Earl of Romney, English general and politician, Secretary of State for the Northern Department (d. 1704)
- 1692 – Giuseppe Tartini, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1770)
- 1726 – Lewis Morris, American judge and politician (d. 1798)
- 1732 – David Rittenhouse, American astronomer and mathematician (d. 1796)
- 1761 – William Joseph Chaminade, French priest, founded the Society of Mary (d. 1850)
- 1770 – John Thomas Campbell, Irish-Australian banker and politician (d. 1830)
- 1798 – Dionysios Solomos, Greek poet and author (d. 1857)
- 1818 – Christian IX of Denmark (d. 1906)
- 1818 – August Wilhelm von Hofmann, German chemist and academic (d. 1892)
- 1826 – Pancha Carrasco, Costa Rican soldier (d. 1890)
- 1827 – Ramón Emeterio Betances, Puerto Rican ophthalmologist, journalist, and politician (d. 1898)
- 1842 – Elizabeth Bacon Custer, American author and educator (d. 1933)
- 1859 – Edmund Husserl, German Jewish-Austrian mathematician and philosopher (d. 1938)
- 1864 – Carlos Deltour, French rower and rugby player (d. 1920)
- 1867 – Allen Butler Talcott, American painter and educator (d. 1908)
- 1869 – Harvey Cushing, American surgeon and academic (d. 1939)
- 1871 – Clarence Hudson White, American photographer and educator (d. 1925)
- 1874 – Manuel Díaz, Cuban fencer (d. 1929)
- 1874 – Stanisław Taczak, Polish general (d. 1960)
- 1875 – Albert I of Belgium (d. 1934)
- 1882 (O.S. 27 March) – Dmytro Doroshenko, Lithuanian-Ukrainian historian and politician, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and Prime Minister of Ukraine (d. 1951)
- 1883 – R. P. Keigwin, English cricketer and academic (d. 1972)
- 1883 – Julius Seljamaa, Estonian journalist and politician, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia (d. 1936)
- 1885 – Dimitrios Levidis, Greek-French soldier, composer, and educator (d. 1951)
- 1886 – Margaret Ayer Barnes, American author and playwright (d. 1967)
- 1888 – Dennis Chávez, American journalist and politician (d. 1962)
- 1889 – Adrian Boult, English conductor (d. 1983)
- 1892 – Richard Neutra, Austrian-American architect, designed the Los Angeles County Hall of Records (d. 1970)
- 1892 – Mary Pickford, Canadian-American actress, producer, and screenwriter, co-founded United Artists (d. 1979)
- 1896 – Yip Harburg, American composer (d. 1981)
- 1900 – Marie Byles, Australian solicitor (d. 1979)
- 1902 – Andrew Irvine, English mountaineer and explorer (d. 1924)
- 1902 – Maria Maksakova Sr., Russian soprano (d. 1974)
- 1904 – John Hicks, English economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1989)
- 1904 – Hirsch Jacobs, American horse trainer (d. 1970)
- 1905 – Joachim Büchner, German sprinter and graphic designer (d. 1978)
- 1905 – Helen Joseph, English-South African activist (d. 1992)
- 1905 – Erwin Keller, German field hockey player (d. 1971)
- 1906 – Raoul Jobin, Canadian tenor and educator (d. 1974)
- 1908 – Hugo Fregonese, Argentinian director and screenwriter (d. 1987)
- 1909 – John Fante, American author and screenwriter (d. 1983)
- 1910 – George Musso, American football player and police officer (d. 2000)
- 1911 – Melvin Calvin, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1997)
- 1911 – Emil Cioran, Romanian-French philosopher and academic (d. 1995)
- 1912 – Alois Brunner, Austrian-German SS officer (d. 2001 or 2010)
- 1912 – Sonja Henie, Norwegian-American figure skater and actress (d. 1969)
- 1914 – María Félix, Yaqui/Basque-Mexican actress (d. 2002)
- 1915 – Ivan Supek, Croatian physicist, philosopher and writer (d. 2007)
- 1917 – Winifred Asprey, American mathematician and computer scientist (d. 2007)
- 1917 – Lloyd Bott, Australian public servant (d. 2004)
- 1917 – Hubertus Ernst, Dutch bishop (d. 2017)
- 1917 – Grigori Kuzmin, Russian-Estonian astronomer (d. 1988)
- 1918 – Betty Ford, American wife of Gerald Ford, 40th First Lady of the United States (d. 2011)
- 1918 – Glendon Swarthout, American author and academic (d. 1992)
- 1919 – Ian Smith, Zimbabwean lieutenant and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Rhodesia (d. 2007)
- 1921 – Franco Corelli, Italian tenor and actor (d. 2003)
- 1921 – Jan Novák, Czech composer (d. 1984)
- 1921 – Herman van Raalte, Dutch footballer (d. 2013)
- 1922 – Carmen McRae, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress (d. 1994)
- 1923 – George Fisher, American cartoonist (d. 2003)
- 1923 – Edward Mulhare, Irish-American actor (d. 1997)
- 1924 – Frédéric Back, German-Canadian animator, director, and screenwriter (d. 2013)
- 1924 – Anthony Farrar-Hockley, English general and historian (d. 2006)
- 1924 – Kumar Gandharva, Hindustani classical singer (d. 1992)
- 1924 – Sara Northrup Hollister, American occultist (d. 1997)
- 1926 – Henry N. Cobb, American architect and academic, co-founded Pei Cobb Freed & Partners (d. 2020)
- 1926 – Shecky Greene, American actor
- 1926 – Jürgen Moltmann, German theologian and academic
- 1927 – Tilly Armstrong, English author (d. 2010)
- 1927 – Ollie Mitchell, American trumpet player and bandleader (d. 2013)
- 1928 – Fred Ebb, American lyricist (d. 2004)
- 1929 – Jacques Brel, Belgian singer-songwriter and actor (d. 1978)
- 1929 – Renzo De Felice, Italian historian and author (d. 1996)
- 1930 – Carlos Hugo, Duke of Parma (d. 2010)
- 1931 – John Gavin, American actor and diplomat, United States Ambassador to Mexico (d. 2018)
- 1932 – Iskandar of Johor (d. 2010)
- 1933 – James Lockhart, American scholar of colonial Latin America, especially Nahua peoples (d. 2014)
- 1934 – Kisho Kurokawa, Japanese architect, designed the Nakagin Capsule Tower and Singapore Flyer (d. 2007)
- 1935 – Oscar Zeta Acosta, American lawyer and politician (d. 1974)
- 1935 – Albert Bustamante, American soldier, educator, and politician
- 1937 – Tony Barton, English footballer, outside right and manager (d. 1993)
- 1937 – Seymour Hersh, American journalist and author
- 1937 – Momo Kapor, Serbian author and painter (d. 2010)
- 1938 – Kofi Annan, Ghanaian economist and diplomat, 7th Secretary-General of the United Nations (d. 2018)
- 1938 – John Hamm, Canadian physician and politician, 25th Premier of Nova Scotia
- 1938 – Mary W. Gray, American mathematician, statistician, and lawyer
- 1939 – John Arbuthnott, Scottish microbiologist and academic
- 1939 – Trina Schart Hyman, American author and illustrator (d. 2004)
- 1940 – John Havlicek, American basketball player (d. 2019)
- 1941 – J. J. Jackson, American soul/R&B singer, songwriter, and arranger
- 1941 – Vivienne Westwood, English fashion designer
- 1942 – Tony Banks, Baron Stratford, Northern Irish politician, Minister for Sport and the Olympics (d. 2006)
- 1942 – Roger Chapman, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1942 – Douglas Trumbull, American director, producer, and special effects artist
- 1943 – Michael Bennett, American dancer, choreographer, and director (d. 1987)
- 1943 – Miller Farr, American football player
- 1943 – James Herbert, English author and illustrator (d. 2013)
- 1943 – Chris Orr, English painter and illustrator
- 1944 – Hywel Bennett, Welsh actor (d. 2017)
- 1944 – Odd Nerdrum, Swedish-Norwegian painter and illustrator
- 1945 – Derrick Walker, Scottish businessman
- 1945 – Jang Yong, South Korean actor
- 1946 – Catfish Hunter, American baseball player (d. 1999)
- 1946 – Tim Thomerson, American actor and producer
- 1947 – Tom DeLay, American lawyer and politician
- 1947 – Steve Howe, English guitarist, songwriter, and producer
- 1947 – Robert Kiyosaki, American businessman, co-founded Cashflow Technologies
- 1947 – Pascal Lamy, French businessman and politician, European Commissioner for Trade
- 1947 – Larry Norman, American singer-songwriter, and producer (d. 2008)
- 1948 – Barbara Young, Baroness Young of Old Scone, Scottish academic and politician
- 1949 – K. C. Kamalasabayson, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician, 39th Attorney General of Sri Lanka (d. 2007)
- 1949 – John Madden, English director and producer
- 1949 – Brenda Russell, African-American-Canadian singer-songwriter and keyboard player
- 1949 – John Scott, English sociologist and academic
- 1950 – Grzegorz Lato, Polish footballer and coach
- 1951 – Gerd Andres, German politician
- 1951 – Geir Haarde, Icelandic economist, journalist, and politician, 23rd Prime Minister of Iceland
- 1951 – Mel Schacher, American bass player
- 1951 – Joan Sebastian, Mexican singer-songwriter and actor (d. 2015)
- 1952 – Ahmet Piriştina, Turkish politician (d. 2004)
- 1954 – Gary Carter, American baseball player and coach (d. 2012)
- 1954 – Princess Lalla Amina of Morocco (d. 2012)
- 1954 – G.V. Loganathan, Indian-American engineer and academic (d. 2007)
- 1955 – Ricky Bell, American football player (d. 1984)
- 1955 – Gerrie Coetzee, South African boxer
- 1955 – Ron Johnson, American businessman and politician
- 1955 – Barbara Kingsolver, American novelist, essayist and poet
- 1955 – David Wu, Taiwanese-American lawyer and politician
- 1956 – Michael Benton, Scottish-English paleontologist and academic
- 1956 – Christine Boisson, French actress
- 1956 – Roman Dragoun, Czech singer-songwriter and keyboard player
- 1956 – Jim Piddock, English actor, producer, and screenwriter
- 1957 – Fred Smerlas, American football player and radio host
- 1958 – Detlef Bruckhoff, German footballer
- 1958 – Tom Petranoff, American javelin thrower and coach
- 1959 – Alain Bondue, French cyclist
- 1960 – John Schneider, American actor and country singer
- 1961 – Richard Hatch, American reality contestant
- 1961 – Brian McDermott, English footballer and manager
- 1962 – Paddy Lowe, English engineer
- 1962 – Izzy Stradlin, American guitarist and songwriter
- 1963 – Tine Asmundsen, Norwegian bassist
- 1963 – Julian Lennon, English singer-songwriter
- 1963 – Terry Porter, American basketball player and coach
- 1963 – Donita Sparks, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1963 – Alec Stewart, English cricketer
- 1963 – Seth Tobias, American businessman (d. 2007)
- 1964 – Biz Markie, American rapper, producer, and actor
- 1964 – John McGinlay, Scottish footballer and manager
- 1965 – Steven Blaney, Canadian businessman and politician, 5th Canadian Minister of Public Safety
- 1965 – Michael Jones, New Zealand rugby player and coach
- 1966 – Iveta Bartošová, Czech singer and actress (d. 2014)
- 1966 – Mark Blundell, English race car driver
- 1966 – Andy Currier, English rugby league player
- 1966 – Charlotte Dawson, New Zealand-Australian television host (d. 2014)
- 1966 – Dalton Grant, English high jumper
- 1966 – Mazinho, Brazilian footballer, coach, and manager
- 1966 – Harri Rovanperä, Finnish race car driver
- 1966 – Evripidis Stylianidis, Greek lawyer and politician, Greek Minister for the Interior
- 1966 – Robin Wright, American actress, director, producer
- 1967 – Kenny Benjamin, Antiguan cricketer
- 1968 – Patricia Arquette, French-Canadian Russian/Polish Jewish-American actress and director
- 1968 – Patricia Girard, French runner and hurdler
- 1968 – Tracy Grammer, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1971 – Darren Jessee, American singer-songwriter and drummer
- 1972 – Paul Gray, American bass player and songwriter (d. 2010)
- 1972 – Sergei Magnitsky, Russian lawyer and accountant (d. 2009)
- 1973 – Khaled Badra, Tunisian footballer
- 1973 – Emma Caulfield, American actress
- 1974 – Toutai Kefu, Tongan-Australian rugby player
- 1974 – Nnedi Okorafor, Nigerian-American author and educator
- 1975 – Anouk, Dutch singer
- 1975 – Francesco Flachi, Italian footballer
- 1975 – Timo Pérez, Dominican-American baseball player
- 1975 – Funda Arar, Turkish singer
- 1977 – Ana de la Reguera, Mexican actress
- 1977 – Mehran Ghassemi, Iranian journalist and author (d. 2008)
- 1977 – Mark Spencer, American computer programmer and engineer
- 1978 – Daigo, Japanese singer-songwriter, actor, and voice actor
- 1978 – Bernt Haas, Austrian-Swiss footballer
- 1978 – Rachel Roberts, Canadian model and actress
- 1978 – Jocelyn Robichaud, Canadian tennis player and coach
- 1978 – Evans Rutto, Kenyan runner
- 1979 – Alexi Laiho, Finnish singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1979 – Amit Trivedi, Indian singer-songwriter
- 1980 – Manuel Ortega, Austrian singer
- 1980 – Katee Sackhoff, American actress
- 1980 – Mariko Seyama, Japanese announcer, photographer, and model
- 1981 – Frédérick Bousquet, French swimmer
- 1981 – Ofer Shechter, Israeli model, actor, and screenwriter
- 1982 – Gennady Golovkin, Kazakhstani boxer
- 1982 – Brett White, Australian rugby league player
- 1983 – Tatyana Petrova Arkhipova, Russian runner
- 1984 – Michelle Donelan, British politician
- 1984 – Ezra Koenig, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1984 – Pablo Portillo, Mexican singer and actor
- 1984 – Taran Noah Smith, American actor
- 1985 – Patrick Schliwa, German rugby player
- 1985 – Yemane Tsegay, Ethiopian runner
- 1986 – Igor Akinfeev, Russian footballer
- 1986 – Félix Hernández, Venezuelan-American baseball player
- 1987 – Royston Drenthe, Dutch footballer
- 1987 – Jeremy Hellickson, American baseball player
- 1987 – Sam Rapira, New Zealand rugby league player
- 1988 – Jenni Asserholt, Swedish ice hockey player
- 1988 – Kim Myung-sung, South Korean baseball player
- 1990 – Kim Jong-hyun, South Korean singer (d. 2017)
- 1993 – Viktor Arvidsson, Swedish ice hockey player
- 1993 – Zac Santo, Australian rugby league player
- 1994 – Josh Chudleigh, Australian rugby league player
- 1995 – Cedi Osman, Turkish professional basketball player
- 1997 – Saygrace, Australian singer and songwriter
- 1997 – Arno Verschueren, Belgian professional football player
Deaths on April 8
- 217 – Caracalla, Roman emperor (b. 188)
- 622 – Shōtoku, Japanese prince (b. 572)
- 632 – Charibert II, Frankish king (b. 607)
- 894 – Adalelm, Frankish nobleman
- 944 – Wang Yanxi, Chinese emperor
- 956 – Gilbert, Frankish nobleman
- 967 – Mu’izz al-Dawla, Buyid emir (b. 915)
- 1143 – John II Komnenos, Byzantine emperor (b. 1087)
- 1150 – Gertrude of Babenberg , duchess of Bohemia (b. 1118)
- 1321 – Thomas of Tolentino, Italian-Franciscan missionary (b. c. 1255)
- 1338 – Stephen Gravesend, bishop of London
- 1364 – John II, French king (b. 1319)
- 1450 – Sejong the Great, Korean king (b. 1397)
- 1461 – Georg von Peuerbach, German mathematician and astronomer (b. 1423)
- 1492 – Lorenzo de’ Medici, Italian ruler (b. 1449)
- 1551 – Oda Nobuhide, Japanese warlord (b. 1510)
- 1586 – Martin Chemnitz, Lutheran theologian and reformer (b. 1522)
- 1608 – Magdalen Dacre, English noble (b. 1538)
- 1612 – Anne Catherine of Brandenburg (b. 1575)
- 1691 – Carlo Rainaldi, Italian architect, designed the Santa Maria dei Miracoli and Santa Maria in Montesanto (b. 1611)
- 1697 – Niels Juel, Norwegian-Danish admiral (b. 1629)
- 1704 – Hiob Ludolf, German orientalist and philologist (b. 1624)
- 1704 – Henry Sydney, 1st Earl of Romney, English colonel and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (b. 1641)
- 1709 – Wolfgang Dietrich of Castell-Remlingen, German nobleman (b. 1641)
- 1725 – John Wise, American minister (b. 1652)
- 1735 – Francis II Rákóczi, Hungarian prince (b. 1676)
- 1848 – Gaetano Donizetti, Italian composer (b. 1797)
- 1860 – István Széchenyi, Hungarian statesman and reformer (b.1791)
- 1861 – Elisha Otis, American businessman, founded the Otis Elevator Company (b. 1811)
- 1870 – Charles Auguste de Bériot, Belgian violinist and composer (b. 1802)
- 1894 – Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Indian journalist, author, and poet (b. 1838)
- 1906 – Auguste Deter, German woman, first person diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease (b. 1850)
- 1919 – Loránd Eötvös, Hungarian physicist, academic, and politician, Hungarian Minister of Education (b. 1848)
- 1920 – Charles Griffes, American pianist and composer (b. 1884)
- 1931 – Erik Axel Karlfeldt, Swedish poet Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1864)
- 1936 – Róbert Bárány, Austrian physician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1876)
- 1936 – Božena Benešová, Czech poet and novelist (b. 1873)
- 1941 – Marcel Prévost, French novelist and playwright (b. 1862)
- 1942 – Kostas Skarvelis, Greek guitarist and composer (b. 1880)
- 1947 – Olaf Frydenlund, Norwegian target shooter (b. 1862)
- 1950 – Vaslav Nijinsky, Polish dancer and choreographer (b. 1890)
- 1959 – Marios Makrionitis, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Athens (b. 1913)
- 1961 – Joseph Carrodus, Australian public servant (b. 1885)
- 1962 – Juan Belmonte, Spanish bullfighter (b. 1892)
- 1965 – Lars Hanson, Swedish actor (b. 1886)
- 1969 – Zinaida Aksentyeva, Ukrainian astronomer (b. 1900)
- 1973 – Pablo Picasso, Spanish painter and sculptor (b. 1881)
- 1974 – James Charles McGuigan, Canadian cardinal (b. 1894)
- 1979 – Breece D’J Pancake, American short story writer (b. 1952)
- 1981 – Omar Bradley, American general (b. 1893)
- 1983 – Isamu Kosugi, Japanese actor and director (b. 1904)
- 1984 – Pyotr Kapitsa, Russian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1894)
- 1985 – John Frederick Coots, American pianist and composer (b. 1897)
- 1990 – Ryan White, American activist, inspired the Ryan White Care Act (b. 1971)
- 1991 – Per Ohlin, Swedish musician (b. 1969)
- 1992 – Daniel Bovet, Swiss-Italian pharmacologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1907)
- 1993 – Marian Anderson, American operatic singer (b. 1897)
- 1994 – François Rozet, French-Canadian actor (b. 1899)
- 1996 – Ben Johnson, American actor and stuntman (b. 1918)
- 1996 – León Klimovsky, Argentinian-Spanish actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1906)
- 1996 – Mick Young, Australian politician (b. 1936)
- 1997 – Laura Nyro, American singer-songwriter and pianist (b. 1947)
- 2000 – František Šťastný, Czech motorcycle racer (b. 1927)
- 2000 – Claire Trevor, American actress (b. 1910)
- 2002 – María Félix, Mexican actress (b. 1914)
- 2002 – Harvey Quaytman, American painter (b. 1937)
- 2004 – Werner Schumacher, German actor (b. 1921)
- 2005 – Onna White, Canadian choreographer and dancer (b. 1922)
- 2006 – Gerard Reve, Dutch author and poet (b. 1923)
- 2007 – Sol LeWitt, American painter and sculptor (b. 1928)
- 2008 – Kazuo Shiraga, Japanese painter (b. 1924)
- 2009 – Richard de Mille, American Scientologist, author, investigative journalist, and psychologist (b. 1922)
- 2009 – Piotr Morawski, Polish mountaineer (b. 1976)
- 2010 – Malcolm McLaren, English singer-songwriter (b. 1946)
- 2010 – Teddy Scholten, Dutch singer (b. 1926)
- 2011 – Hedda Sterne, Romanian-American painter and photographer (b. 1910)
- 2012 – Blair Kiel, American football player and coach (b. 1961)
- 2012 – Jack Tramiel, Polish-American businessman, founded Commodore International (b. 1928)
- 2012 – Janusz K. Zawodny, Polish-American soldier, historian, and political scientist (b. 1921)
- 2013 – Mikhail Beketov, Russian journalist (b. 1958)
- 2013 – Annette Funicello, American actress and singer (b. 1942)
- 2013 – Sara Montiel, Spanish-Mexican actress and singer (b. 1928)
- 2013 – José Luis Sampedro, Spanish economist and author (b. 1917)
- 2013 – Margaret Thatcher, English lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1925)
- 2014 – Emmanuel III Delly, Iraqi patriarch (b. 1927)
- 2014 – Karlheinz Deschner, German author and activist (b. 1924)
- 2014 – Ivan Mercep, New Zealand architect, designed the Te Papa Tongarewa Museum (b. 1930)
- 2015 – Jayakanthan, Indian journalist and author (b. 1934)
- 2015 – Rayson Huang, Hong Kong chemist and academic (b. 1920)
- 2015 – Sergei Lashchenko, Ukrainian kick-boxer (b. 1987)
- 2015 – David Laventhol, American journalist and publisher (b. 1933)
- 2015 – Jean-Claude Turcotte, Canadian cardinal (b. 1936)
Holidays and observances on April 8
- Buddha’s Birthday, also known as Hana Matsuri, “Flower Festival” (Japan)
- Christian feast day:
- Anne Ayres (Episcopal Church (USA))
- Constantina
- Julie Billiart of Namur
- Perpetuus
- Walter of Pontoise
- William Augustus Muhlenberg (Episcopal Church (USA))
- April 8 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Earliest day on which Fast and Prayer Day can fall, while April 14 is the latest; celebrated on the second Friday in April (Liberia)
- International Romani Day
-
January 25 in History
- AD 41 – After a night of negotiation, Claudius is accepted as Roman Emperor by the Senate.
- 750 – In the Battle of the Zab, the Abbasid rebels defeat the Umayyad Caliphate, leading to overthrow of the dynasty.
- 1348 – A strong earthquake strikes the South Alpine region of Friuli in modern Italy, causing considerable damage to buildings as far away as Rome.
- 1494 – Alfonso II becomes King of Naples.
- 1515 – Coronation of Francis I of France takes place at Reims Cathedral, where the new monarch is anointed with the oil of Clovis and girt with the sword of Charlemagne.
- 1533 – Henry VIII of England secretly marries his second wife Anne Boleyn.
- 1554 – São Paulo, Brazil, is founded by Jesuit priests.
- 1573 – Battle of Mikatagahara: In Japan, Takeda Shingen defeats Tokugawa Ieyasu.
- 1575 – Luanda, the capital of Angola, is founded by the Portuguese navigator Paulo Dias de Novais.
- 1704 – The Battle of Ayubale results in the destruction of most of the Spanish missions in Florida.
- 1755 – Moscow University is established on Tatiana Day.
- 1765 – Port Egmont, the first British settlement in the Falkland Islands near the southern tip of South America, is founded.
- 1787 – Shays’s Rebellion: The rebellion’s largest confrontation, outside the Springfield Armory, results in the killing of four rebels and the wounding of twenty.
- 1791 – The British Parliament passes the Constitutional Act of 1791 and splits the old Province of Quebec into Upper Canada and Lower Canada.
- 1792 – The London Corresponding Society is founded.
- 1858 – The Wedding March by Felix Mendelssohn is played at the marriage of Queen Victoria’s daughter, Victoria, and Friedrich of Prussia, and becomes a popular wedding processional.
- 1879 – The Bulgarian National Bank is founded.
- 1881 – Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell form the Oriental Telephone Company.
- 1890 – Nellie Bly completes her round-the-world journey in 72 days.
- 1909 – Richard Strauss’s opera Elektra receives its debut performance at the Dresden State Opera.
- 1915 – Alexander Graham Bell inaugurates U.S. transcontinental telephone service, speaking from New York to Thomas Watson in San Francisco.
- 1918 – The Ukrainian People’s Republic declares independence from Soviet Russia.
- 1924 – The 1924 Winter Olympics opens in Chamonix, in the French Alps, inaugurating the Winter Olympic Games.
- 1932 – Second Sino-Japanese War: The Chinese National Revolutionary Army begins the defense of Harbin.
- 1937 – The Guiding Light debuts on NBC radio from Chicago. In 1952 it moves to CBS television, where it remains until September 18, 2009.
- 1941 – Pope Pius XII elevates the Apostolic Vicariate of the Hawaiian Islands to the dignity of a diocese. It becomes the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu.
- 1942 – World War II: Thailand declares war on the United States and United Kingdom.
- 1945 – World War II: The Battle of the Bulge ends.
- 1946 – The United Mine Workers rejoins the American Federation of Labor.
- 1946 – United Nations Security Council Resolution 1 relating to Military Staff Committee is adopted.
- 1947 – Thomas Goldsmith Jr. files a patent for a “Cathode Ray Tube Amusement Device”, the first ever electronic game.
- 1949 – The first Emmy Awards are presented; the venue is the Hollywood Athletic Club.
- 1960 – The National Association of Broadcasters reacts to the “payola” scandal by threatening fines for any disc jockeys who accept money for playing particular records.
- 1961 – In Washington, D.C., President John F. Kennedy delivers the first live presidential television news conference.
- 1961 – 101 Dalmatians premiered from Walt Disney Productions.
- 1964 – Blue Ribbon Sports, which would later become Nike, is founded by University of Oregon track and field athletes.
- 1969 – Brazilian Army captain Carlos Lamarca deserts in order to fight against the military dictatorship, taking with him ten machine guns and 63 rifles.
- 1971 – Charles Manson and three female “Family” members are found guilty of the 1969 Tate–LaBianca murders.
- 1971 – Idi Amin leads a coup deposing Milton Obote and becomes Uganda’s president.
- 1979 – Pope John Paul II starts his first official papal visits outside Italy to The Bahamas, Dominican Republic, and Mexico.
- 1980 – Mother Teresa is honored with India’s highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna.
- 1986 – The National Resistance Movement topples the government of Tito Okello in Uganda.
- 1993 – Five people are shot outside the CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia. Two are killed and three wounded.
- 1994 – The spacecraft Clementine by BMDO and NASA is launched.
- 1995 – The Norwegian rocket incident: Russia almost launches a nuclear attack after it mistakes Black Brant XII, a Norwegian research rocket, for a US Trident missile.
- 1996 – Billy Bailey becomes the last person to be hanged in the U.S.A.
- 1998 – During a historic visit to Cuba, Pope John Paul II demands political reforms and the release of political prisoners while condemning US attempts to isolate the country.
- 1998 – A suicide attack by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam on Sri Lanka’s Temple of the Tooth kills eight and injures 25 others.
- 1999 – A 6.0 magnitude earthquake hits western Colombia killing at least 1,000.
- 2003 – Invasion of Iraq: A group of people leave London, England, for Baghdad, Iraq, to serve as human shields, intending to prevent the U.S.-led coalition troops from bombing certain locations.
- 2005 – A stampede at the Mandhradevi temple in Maharashtra, India kills at least 258.
- 2006 – Mexican professional wrestler Juana Barraza is arrested in connection with the serial killing of at least ten elderly women.
- 2010 – Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409 crashes into the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Na’ameh, Lebanon, killing 90.
- 2011 – The first wave of the Egyptian revolution begins throughout the country, marked by street demonstrations, rallies, acts of civil disobedience, riots, labour strikes, and violent clashes.
- 2013 – At least 50 people are killed and 120 people are injured in a prison riot in Barquisimeto, Venezuela.
- 2015 – A clash in Mamasapano, Maguindanao in the Philippines killing 44 members of Special Action Force (SAF), at least 18 from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and five from the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.
- 2019 – A mining company’s dam collapses in Brumadinho, Brazil, a south-eastern city, killing at least 7 people and leaving 200 missing.
Births on January 25
- 750 – Leo IV the Khazar, Byzantine emperor (d. 780)
- 1408 – Katharina of Hanau, German countess regent (d. 1460)
- 1459 – Paul Hofhaimer, Austrian organist and composer (d. 1537)
- 1477 – Anne of Brittany (probable;d. 1514)
- 1509 – Giovanni Morone, Italian cardinal (d. 1580)
- 1526 – Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp (d. 1586)
- 1615 – Govert Flinck, Dutch painter (d. 1660)
- 1618 – Nicolaes Visscher I, Dutch engraver and cartographer (d. 1679)
- 1627 – Robert Boyle, Irish-English chemist and physicist (d. 1691)
- 1634 – Gaspar Fagel, Dutch politician and diplomat (d. 1688)
- 1635 – Daniel Casper von Lohenstein, German writer, diplomat and lawyer (d. 1683)
- 1640 – William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Devonshire, English soldier and politician, Lord Steward of the Household (d. 1707)
- 1736 – Joseph-Louis Lagrange, Italian-French mathematician and astronomer (d. 1813)
- 1739 – Charles François Dumouriez, French general and politician, French Minister of Defence (d. 1823)
- 1743 – Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi, German philosopher and author (d. 1819)
- 1750 – Johann Gottfried Vierling, German organist and composer (d. 1813)
- 1755 – Paolo Mascagni, Italian physician and anatomist (probable;d. 1815)
- 1759 – Robert Burns, Scottish poet and songwriter (d. 1796)
- 1783 – William Colgate, English-American businessman and philanthropist, founded Colgate-Palmolive (d. 1857)
- 1794 – François-Vincent Raspail, French chemist, physician, physiologist, and lawyer (d. 1878)
- 1796 – William MacGillivray, Scottish ornithologist and biologist (d. 1852)
- 1813 – J. Marion Sims, American gynecologist and physician (d. 1883)
- 1816 – Anna Gardner, American abolitionist and teacher (d. 1901)
- 1822 – Charles Reed Bishop, American businessman, philanthropist, and politician, founded the Bishop Museum (d. 1915)
- 1822 – William McDougall, Canadian lawyer and politician, Lieutenant Governor of the Northwest Territories (d. 1905)
- 1823 – José María Iglesias, Mexican politician and interim President (1876–1877) (d. 1891)
- 1824 – Michael Madhusudan Dutt, Indian poet and playwright (d. 1873)
- 1841 – John Fisher, 1st Baron Fisher, English admiral (d. 1920)
- 1858 – Mikimoto Kōkichi, Japanese businessman (d. 1954)
- 1860 – Charles Curtis, American lawyer and politician, 31st Vice President of the United States (d. 1936)
- 1864 – Julije Kempf, Croatian historian and author (d. 1934)
- 1868 – Juventino Rosas, Mexican violinist and composer (d. 1894)
- 1874 – W. Somerset Maugham, British playwright, novelist, and short story writer (d. 1965)
- 1878 – Ernst Alexanderson, Swedish-American engineer (d. 1975)
- 1882 – Virginia Woolf, English novelist, essayist, short story writer, and critic (d. 1941)
- 1885 – Kitahara Hakushū, Japanese poet and author (d. 1942)
- 1886 – Wilhelm Furtwängler, German conductor and composer (d. 1954)
- 1895 – Florence Mills, American singer, dancer, and actress (d. 1927)
- 1899 – Sleepy John Estes, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1977)
- 1899 – Paul-Henri Spaak, Belgian lawyer and politician, 46th Prime Minister of Belgium (d. 1972)
- 1900 – István Fekete, Hungarian author (d. 1970)
- 1900 – Yōjirō Ishizaka, Japanese author and educator (d. 1986)
- 1900 – Theodosius Dobzhansky, Ukrainian geneticist and pioneer of evolutionary biology (d. 1975)
- 1901 – Martín de Álzaga, Argentinian race car driver and pilot (d. 1982)
- 1901 – Mildred Dunnock, American actress (d. 1991)
- 1905 – Maurice Roy, Canadian cardinal (d. 1985)
- 1905 – Margery Sharp, English author and educator (d. 1991)
- 1906 – Toni Ulmen, German race car driver and motorcycle racer (d. 1976)
- 1908 – Hsieh Tung-min, Taiwanese politicians and Vice President of the Republic of China (d. 2001)
- 1910 – Edgar V. Saks, Estonian historian, author, and politician, Estonian Minister of Education (d. 1984)
- 1913 – Huang Hua, Chinese translator and politician, 5th Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China (d. 2010)
- 1913 – Witold Lutosławski, Polish composer and conductor (d. 1994)
- 1913 – Luis Marden, American photographer and journalist (d. 2003)
- 1914 – William Strickland, American conductor and organist (d. 1991)
- 1915 – Ewan MacColl, English singer-songwriter, actor and producer (d. 1989)
- 1916 – Pop Ivy, American football player and coach (d. 2003)
- 1917 – Ilya Prigogine, Russian-Belgian chemist and physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2003)
- 1917 – Jânio Quadros, Brazilian lawyer and politician, 22nd President of Brazil (d. 1992)
- 1919 – Edwin Newman, American journalist and author (d. 2010)
- 1921 – Samuel T. Cohen, American physicist and academic (d. 2010)
- 1921 – Josef Holeček, Czechoslovakian canoeist (d. 2005)
- 1922 – Raymond Baxter, English television host and pilot (d. 2006)
- 1923 – Arvid Carlsson, Swedish pharmacologist and physician, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2018)
- 1923 – Shirley Ardell Mason, American psychiatric patient (d. 1998)
- 1923 – Sally Starr, American actress and television host (d. 2013)
- 1923 – Jean Taittinger, French politician, French Minister of Justice (d. 2012)
- 1924 – Lou Groza, American football player and coach (d. 2000)
- 1924 – Husein Mehmedov, Bulgarian-Turkish wrestler and coach (d. 2014)
- 1924 – Speedy West, American guitarist and producer (d. 2003)
- 1925 – Gordy Soltau, American football player and sportscaster (d. 2014)
- 1925 – Giorgos Zampetas, Greek bouzouki player and songwriter (d. 1992)
- 1926 – Dick McGuire, American basketball player and coach (d. 2010)
- 1927 – Antônio Carlos Jobim, Brazilian singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 1994)
- 1928 – Jérôme Choquette, Canadian lawyer and politician (d. 2017)
- 1928 – Eduard Shevardnadze, Georgian general and politician, 2nd President of Georgia (d. 2014)
- 1928 – Cor van der Hart, Dutch footballer and manager (d. 2006)
- 1929 – Elizabeth Allen, American actress and singer (d. 2006)
- 1929 – Robert Faurisson, English-French author and academic (d. 2018)
- 1929 – Benny Golson, American saxophonist and composer
- 1930 – Tanya Savicheva, Russian child diarist (d. 1944)
- 1931 – Dean Jones, American actor and singer (d. 2015)
- 1933 – Corazon Aquino, Filipino politician, 11th President of the Philippines (d. 2009)
- 1935 – Conrad Burns, American soldier, journalist, and politician (d. 2016)
- 1935 – António Ramalho Eanes, Portuguese general and politician, 16th President of Portugal
- 1936 – Diana Hyland, American actress (d. 1977)
- 1936 – Onat Kutlar, Turkish author and poet (d. 1995)
- 1937 – Ange-Félix Patassé, Central African engineer and politician, President of the Central African Republic (d. 2011)
- 1938 – Shotaro Ishinomori, Japanese author and illustrator (d. 1998)
- 1938 – Etta James, American singer (d. 2012)
- 1938 – Leiji Matsumoto, Japanese author, illustrator, and animator
- 1938 – Vladimir Vysotsky, Russian singer-songwriter, actor, and poet (d. 1980)
- 1941 – Buddy Baker, American race car driver and sportscaster (d. 2015)
- 1942 – Carl Eller, American football player and sportscaster
- 1942 – Eusébio, Mozambican-Portuguese footballer (d. 2014)
- 1943 – Tobe Hooper, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2017)
- 1945 – Leigh Taylor-Young, American actress
- 1945 – Dave Walker, English singer and guitarist
- 1946 – Doc Bundy, American race car driver and technician
- 1947 – Ángel Nieto, Spanish motorcycle racer (d. 2017)
- 1947 – Tostão, Brazilian footballer, journalist, and physician
- 1948 – Ros Kelly, Australian educator and politician, 1st Australian Minister for Defence Science and Personnel
- 1948 – Georgy Shishkin, Russian painter and illustrator
- 1949 – John Cooper Clarke, English poet and critic
- 1949 – Paul Nurse, English geneticist and biologist, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1950 – Gloria Naylor, American novelist (d. 2016)
- 1951 – Steve Prefontaine, American runner (d. 1975)
- 1952 – Peter Tatchell, Australian-English journalist and activist
- 1952 – Timothy White, American journalist, author, and critic (d. 2002)
- 1954 – Ricardo Bochini, Argentinian footballer and manager
- 1954 – Kay Cottee, Australian sailor
- 1954 – Renate Dorrestein, Dutch journalist and author (d. 2018)
- 1956 – Andy Cox, English guitarist
- 1956 – Dinah Manoff, American actress
- 1957 – Eskil Erlandsson, Swedish technologist and politician, Swedish Minister for Rural Affairs
- 1957 – Andrew Harris, American politician
- 1957 – Jenifer Lewis, American actress and singer
- 1958 – Franco Pancheri, Italian footballer and manager
- 1961 – Vivian Balakrishnan, Singaporean ophthalmologist and politician, Singaporean Ministry of National Development
- 1962 – Chris Chelios, American ice hockey player and manager
- 1963 – Fernando Haddad, Brazilian academic and politician, 61st Mayor of São Paulo
- 1963 – Molly Holzschlag, American computer scientist and author
- 1964 – Billy Andrade, American golfer
- 1964 – Stephen Pate, Australian cyclist
- 1965 – Esa Tikkanen, Finnish ice hockey player and coach
- 1966 – Chet Culver, American educator and politician, 41st Governor of Iowa
- 1966 – Yiannos Ioannou, Cypriot footballer and manager
- 1967 – Nelson Asaytono, Filipino basketball player
- 1967 – David Ginola, French footballer, forward
- 1967 – Randy McKay, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
- 1968 – Eric Orie, Dutch footballer and manager
- 1969 – Sergei Ovchinnikov, Russian volleyball player and coach (d. 2012)
- 1970 – Stephen Chbosky, American author, screenwriter, and director
- 1970 – Chris Mills, American basketball player
- 1970 – Milt Stegall, American football player and sportscaster
- 1971 – Luca Badoer, Italian race car driver
- 1971 – Philip Coppens, Belgian journalist and author (d. 2012)
- 1971 – Ana Ortiz, American actress
- 1972 – Shinji Takehara, Japanese boxer
- 1973 – Geoff Johns, American author, screenwriter, and producer
- 1974 – Robert Budreau, Canadian director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1974 – Emily Haines, Canadian singer-songwriter and keyboard player
- 1974 – Attilio Nicodemo, Italian footballer
- 1975 – Duncan Jupp, Anglo-Scottish footballer, defender
- 1975 – Mia Kirshner, Canadian actress
- 1976 – Stephanie Bellars, American wrestler and manager
- 1976 – Mário Haberfeld, Brazilian race car driver
- 1976 – Dimitris Nalitzis, Greek footballer
- 1977 – Michael Brown, English footballer, midfielder, manager and pundit
- 1978 – Ahmet Dursun, Turkish footballer
- 1978 – Denis Menchov, Russian cyclist
- 1978 – Derrick Turnbow, American baseball player
- 1979 – Rodrigo Ribeiro, Brazilian race car driver
- 1980 – Alayna Burns, Australian track cyclist
- 1980 – Xavi, Spanish footballer
- 1981 – Francis Jeffers, English footballer
- 1981 – Alicia Keys, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress
- 1981 – Toše Proeski, Macedonian singer (d. 2007)
- 1984 – Stefan Kießling, German footballer
- 1984 – Robinho, Brazilian footballer
- 1984 – Fara Williams, English footballer
- 1985 – Brent Celek, American football player
- 1985 – Patrick Willis, American football player
- 1985 – Hwang Jung-eum, South Korean actress
- 1986 – Chris O’Grady, English footballer
- 1987 – Maria Kirilenko, Russian tennis player
- 1988 – Tatiana Golovin, French tennis player
- 1988 – Ryota Ozawa, Japanese actor
- 1990 – Apostolos Giannou, Greek-Australian footballer
- 1990 – Lee Jun-ho, South Korean singer and actor (2PM)
- 1991 – Nigel Melker, Dutch race car driver
Deaths onJanuary 25
- 390 – Gregory Nazianzus, theologian and Patriarch of Constantinople (b. 329)
- 477 – Gaiseric, king of the Vandals (b. 389)
- 750 – Ibrahim ibn al-Walid, Umayyad caliph
- 844 – Pope Gregory IV (b. 795)
- 863 – Charles of Provence, Frankish king (b. 845)
- 951 – Ma Xiguang, ruler of Chu (Ten Kingdoms)
- 1003 – Lothair I, Margrave of the Nordmark
- 1067 – Emperor Yingzong of Song (b. 1032)
- 1138 – Antipope Anacletus II
- 1139 – Godfrey I, Count of Louvain and Duke of Lower Lorraine (as Godfrey VI)
- 1366 – Henry Suso, German priest and mystic (b. 1300)
- 1413 – Maud de Ufford, Countess of Oxford (b. 1345)
- 1431 – Charles II, Duke of Lorraine (b. 1364)
- 1492 – Ygo Gales Galama, Frisian warlord and rebel (b. 1443)
- 1494 – Ferdinand I of Naples (b. 1423)
- 1559 – Christian II of Denmark (b. 1481)
- 1578 – Mihrimah Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (b. 1522)
- 1586 – Lucas Cranach the Younger, German painter (b. 1515)
- 1640 – Robert Burton, English physician and scholar (b. 1577)
- 1670 – Nicholas Francis, Duke of Lorraine (b. 1612)
- 1726 – Guillaume Delisle, French cartographer (b. 1675)
- 1733 – Sir Gilbert Heathcote, 1st Baronet, English banker and politician, Lord Mayor of London (b. 1652)
- 1751 – Paul Dudley, American lawyer, jurist, and politician (b. 1675)
- 1852 – Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen, Russian admiral, cartographer, and explorer (b. 1778)
- 1872 – Richard S. Ewell, American general (b. 1817)
- 1881 – Konstantin Thon, Russian architect, designed the Grand Kremlin Palace and Cathedral of Christ the Saviour (b. 1794)
- 1884 – Périclès Pantazis, Greek-Belgian painter (b. 1849)
- 1891 – Theo van Gogh, Art dealer, the brother of Vincent van Gogh (b. 1857)
- 1900 – Princess Adelheid of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, German Duchess of Schleswig-Holstein (b. 1835)
- 1907 – René Pottier, French cyclist (b. 1879)
- 1908 – Ouida, English-Italian author (b. 1839)
- 1908 – Mikhail Chigorin, Russian chess player and theoretician (b. 1850)
- 1910 – W. G. Read Mullan, American Jesuit and academic (1860)
- 1912 – Dmitry Milyutin, Russian field marshal and politician (b. 1816)
- 1925 – Juan Vucetich, Croatian-Argentinian anthropologist and police officer (b. 1858)
- 1939 – Charles Davidson Dunbar, Scottish soldier and bagpipe player (b. 1870)
- 1947 – Al Capone, American gangster and mob boss (b. 1899)
- 1949 – Makino Nobuaki, Japanese politician, 15th Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs (b. 1861)
- 1957 – Ichizō Kobayashi, Japanese businessman, founded Hankyu Hanshin Holdings (b. 1873)
- 1957 – Kiyoshi Shiga, Japanese physician and bacteriologist (b. 1871)
- 1958 – Cemil Topuzlu, Turkish surgeon and politician, Mayor of Istanbul (b. 1866)
- 1958 – Robert R. Young, American businessman and financier (b. 1897)
- 1960 – Diana Barrymore, American actress (b. 1921)
- 1966 – Saul Adler, Belarusian-English microbiologist and parasitologist (b. 1895)
- 1968 – Louie Myfanwy Thomas, Welsh writer (b. 1908)
- 1970 – Jane Bathori, French soprano (b. 1877)
- 1970 – Eiji Tsuburaya, Japanese director and producer (b. 1901)
- 1971 – Barry III, Guinean lawyer and politician (b. 1923)
- 1972 – Erhard Milch, German field marshal (b. 1892)
- 1975 – Charlotte Whitton, Canadian journalist and politician, 46th Mayor of Ottawa (b. 1896)
- 1978 – Skender Kulenović, Bosnian author, poet, and playwright (b. 1910)
- 1981 – Adele Astaire, American actress, singer, and dancer (b. 1896)
- 1982 – Mikhail Suslov, Russian economist and politician (b. 1902)
- 1985 – Ilias Iliou, Greek jurist and politician (b. 1904)
- 1987 – Frank J. Lynch, American lawyer, judge, and politician (b. 1922)
- 1988 – Colleen Moore, American actress (b. 1899)
- 1990 – Ava Gardner, American actress (b. 1922)
- 1991 – Frank Soo, English footballer and manager (b. 1914)
- 1992 – Mir Khalil ur Rehman, Founder and editor of the Jang Group of Newspapers (b. 1927)
- 1994 – Stephen Cole Kleene, American mathematician, computer scientist, and academic (b. 1909)
- 1996 – Jonathan Larson, American playwright and composer (b. 1960)
- 1997 – Dan Barry, American author and illustrator (b. 1923)
- 1999 – Sarah Louise Delany, American author and educator (b. 1889)
- 1999 – Robert Shaw, American conductor (b. 1916)
- 2001 – Alice Ambrose, American philosopher and logician (b. 1906)
- 2002 – Cliff Baxter, employee at Enron (b. 1958)
- 2003 – Sheldon Reynolds, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1923)
- 2003 – Samuel Weems, American lawyer and author (b. 1936)
- 2004 – Fanny Blankers-Koen, Dutch runner and hurdler (b. 1918)
- 2004 – Miklós Fehér, Hungarian footballer (b. 1979)
- 2005 – Stanisław Albinowski, Polish economist and journalist (b. 1923)
- 2005 – William Augustus Bootle, American lawyer and judge (b. 1902)
- 2005 – Philip Johnson, American architect, designed the PPG Place and Crystal Cathedral (b. 1906)
- 2005 – Manuel Lopes, Cape Verdean author and poet (b. 1907)
- 2005 – Netti Witziers-Timmer, Dutch runner (b. 1923)
- 2009 – Eleanor F. Helin, American astronomer (b. 1932)
- 2009 – Ewald Kooiman, Dutch organist and educator (b. 1938)
- 2009 – Kim Manners, American director and producer (b. 1951)
- 2010 – Ali Hassan al-Majid, Iraqi general and politician, Iraqi Minister of Defence (b. 1941)
- 2011 – Vassilis C. Constantakopoulos Greek captain and businessman (b. 1935)
- 2011 – Vincent Cronin, Welsh historian and author (b. 1924)
- 2012 – Paavo Berglund, Finnish violinist and conductor (b. 1929)
- 2012 – Jacques Maisonrouge, French businessman (b. 1924)
- 2012 – Franco Pacini, Italian astrophysicist and academic (b. 1939)
- 2012 – Robert Sheran, American lawyer, judge, and politician (b. 1916)
- 2013 – Martial Asselin, Canadian lawyer and politician, 25th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec (b. 1924)
- 2013 – Kevin Heffernan, Irish footballer and manager (b. 1929)
- 2013 – Aase Nordmo Løvberg, Norwegian soprano and actress (b. 1923)
- 2014 – Arthur Doyle, American singer-songwriter, saxophonist, and flute player (b. 1944)
- 2014 – Heini Halberstam, Czech-English mathematician and academic (b. 1926)
- 2014 – Dave Strack, American basketball player and coach (b. 1923)
- 2015 – John Leggett, American author and academic (b. 1917)
- 2015 – Richard McBrien, American priest, theologian, and academic (b. 1936)
- 2015 – Bill Monbouquette, American baseball player and coach (b. 1936)
- 2015 – Demis Roussos, Egyptian-Greek singer (b. 1946)
- 2017 – Stephen P. Cohen, Canadian academic (b. 1945)
- 2017 – Robert Garcia, American politician (b. 1933)
- 2017 – John Hurt, English actor (b. 1940)
- 2017 – Harry Mathews, American novelist and poet (b. 1930)
- 2017 – Marcel Prud’homme, Canadian politician (b. 1934)
- 2017 – Mary Tyler Moore, American actress, dancer, and producer (b. 1936)
- 2018 – Neagu Djuvara, Romanian historian, essayist, philosopher, journalist, novelist and diplomat (b. 1916)
Holidays and observances on January 25
- Burns Night (Scotland and Scottish community)
- Christian feast day:
- Dydd Santes Dwynwen (Wales)
- Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul (Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran churches, which concludes the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity)
- Gregory the Theologian (Eastern (Byzantine) Catholic Church)
- The last day of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Christian ecumenism)
- January 25 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Earliest day on which the first day of Carnival of Cádiz can fall, while February 28 is the latest; celebrated two Sundays before Ash Wednesday until Ash Wednesday (Cádiz)
- Earliest day on which the Liberation of Auschwitz Memorial can fall, while January 31 is the latest; observed on the last Sunday in January (Netherlands)
- National Nutrition Day (Indonesia)
- National Police Day (Egypt)
- National Voters’ Day (India)
- Revolution Day 2011 (Egypt)
- Tatiana Day or Russian Students Day (Russia, Eastern Orthodox)