1462

On This Day

July 21- History, Events, Births, Deaths Holidays and Observances On This Day
July 21 in History
- 356 BC – The Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, is destroyed by arson.
- 230 – Pope Pontian succeeds Urban I as the eighteenth pope.
- 285 – Diocletian appoints Maximian as Caesar and co-ruler.
- 365 – The 365 Crete earthquake affects the Greek island of Crete with a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme), causing a destructive tsunami that affects the coasts of Libya and Egypt, especially Alexandria. Many thousands were killed.
- 905 – King Berengar I of Italy and a hired Hungarian army defeats the Frankish forces at Verona. King Louis III is captured and blinded for breaking his oath (see 902).
- 1242 – Battle of Taillebourg: Louis IX of France puts an end to the revolt of his vassals Henry III of England and Hugh X of Lusignan.
- 1403 – Battle of Shrewsbury: King Henry IV of England defeats rebels to the north of the county town of Shropshire, England.
- 1545 – The first landing of French troops on the coast of the Isle of Wight during the French invasion of the Isle of Wight.
- 1568 – Eighty Years’ War: Battle of Jemmingen: Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alva defeats Louis of Nassau.
- 1645 – Qing dynasty regent Dorgon issues an edict ordering all Han Chinese men to shave their forehead and braid the rest of their hair into a queue identical to those of the Manchus.
- 1656 – The Raid on Málaga takes place during the Anglo-Spanish War.
- 1718 – The Treaty of Passarowitz between the Ottoman Empire, Austria and the Republic of Venice is signed.
- 1774 – Russo-Turkish War (1768–74): Russia and the Ottoman Empire sign the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca ending the war.
- 1798 – French campaign in Egypt and Syria: Napoleon’s forces defeat an Ottoman-Mamluk army near Cairo in the Battle of the Pyramids.
- 1831 – Inauguration of Leopold I of Belgium, first king of the Belgians.
- 1861 – American Civil War: First Battle of Bull Run: At Manassas Junction, Virginia, the first major battle of the war begins and ends in a victory for the Confederate army.
- 1865 – In the market square of Springfield, Missouri, Wild Bill Hickok shoots and kills Davis Tutt in what is regarded as the first western showdown.
- 1873 – At Adair, Iowa, Jesse James and the James–Younger Gang pull off the first successful train robbery in the American Old West.
- 1877 – After rioting by Baltimore and Ohio Railroad workers and the deaths of nine rail workers at the hands of the Maryland militia, workers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, stage a sympathy strike that is met with an assault by the state militia.
- 1904 – Louis Rigolly, a Frenchman, becomes the first man to break the 100 mph (161 km/h) barrier on land. He drove a 15-liter Gobron-Brillié in Ostend, Belgium.
- 1907 – The passenger steamer SS Columbia sinks after colliding with the steam schooner San Pedro off Shelter Cove, California, killing 88 people.
- 1919 – The dirigible Wingfoot Air Express crashes into the Illinois Trust and Savings Building in Chicago, killing 12 people.
- 1925 – Scopes Trial: In Dayton, Tennessee, high school biology teacher John T. Scopes is found guilty of teaching evolution in class and fined $100.
- 1925 – Malcolm Campbell becomes the first man to exceed 150 mph (241 km/h) on land. At Pendine Sands in Wales, he drives Sunbeam 350HP built by Sunbeam at a two-way average speed of 150.33 mph (242 km/h).
- 1944 – World War II: Battle of Guam: American troops land on Guam, starting a battle that will end on August 10.
- 1944 – World War II: Claus von Stauffenberg and fellow conspirators are tortured and executed in Berlin, Germany, for the July 20 plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler.
- 1949 – The United States Senate ratifies the North Atlantic Treaty.
- 1952 – The 7.3 M_w  Kern County earthquake strikes Southern California with a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme), killing 12 and injuring hundreds.
- 1954 – First Indochina War: The Geneva Conference partitions Vietnam into North Vietnam and South Vietnam.
- 1959 – NS Savannah, the first nuclear-powered cargo-passenger ship, is launched as a showcase for Dwight D. Eisenhower’s “Atoms for Peace” initiative.
- 1959 – Elijah Jerry “Pumpsie” Green becomes the first African-American to play for the Boston Red Sox, the last team to integrate. He came in as a pinch runner for Vic Wertz and stayed in as shortstop in a 2–1 loss to the Chicago White Sox.
- 1960 – Sirimavo Bandaranaike is elected Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, becoming the world’s first female head of government
- 1961 – Mercury program: Mercury-Redstone 4 Mission: Gus Grissom piloting Liberty Bell 7 becomes the second American to go into space (in a suborbital mission).
- 1969 – Apollo program: At 02:56 UTC, astronaut Neil Armstrong becomes the first person to walk on the Moon.
- 1970 – After 11 years of construction, the Aswan High Dam in Egypt is completed.
- 1972 – The Troubles: Bloody Friday: The Provisional IRA detonate 22 bombs in central Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom in the space of 80 minutes, killing nine and injuring 130.
- 1973 – In Lillehammer, Norway, Mossad agents kill a waiter whom they mistakenly thought was involved in the 1972 Munich Olympics Massacre.
- 1976 – Christopher Ewart-Biggs, the British ambassador to the Republic of Ireland, is assassinated by the Provisional IRA.
- 1977 – The start of the four-day-long Libyan–Egyptian War.
- 1979 – Jay Silverheels, a Mohawk actor, becomes the first Native American to have a star commemorated in the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- 1983 – The world’s lowest temperature in an inhabited location is recorded at Vostok Station, Antarctica at −89.2 °C (−128.6 °F).
- 1990 – Taiwan’s military police forces mainland Chinese illegal immigrants into sealed holds of a fishing boat Min Ping Yu No. 5540 for repatriation to Fujian, causing 25 people to die from suffocation.
- 1995 – Third Taiwan Strait Crisis: The People’s Liberation Army begins firing missiles into the waters north of Taiwan.
- 2001 – At the conclusion of a fireworks display on Okura Beach in Akashi, Hyōgo, Japan, 11 people are killed and more than 120 are injured when a pedestrian footbridge connecting the beach to JR Asagiri Station becomes overcrowded and people leaving the event fall down in a domino effect.
- 2005 – July 2005 London bombings occur.
- 2008 – Ram Baran Yadav is declared the first president of Nepal.
- 2011 – NASA’s Space Shuttle program ends with the landing of Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-135 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
- 2012 – Erden Eruç completes the first solo human-powered circumnavigation of the world.
Births on July 21
- 541 – Emperor Wen of Sui, emperor of the Sui Dynasty (d. 604)
- 1030 – Kyansittha, King of Burma (d. 1112)
- 1414 – Pope Sixtus IV (d. 1484)
- 1462 – Queen Jeonghyeon, Korean royal consort (d. 1530)
- 1476 – Alfonso I d’Este, Duke of Ferrara (d. 1534)
- 1476 – Anna Sforza, Italian noble (d. 1497)
- 1515 – Philip Neri, Italian Roman Catholic saint (d. 1595)
- 1535 – García Hurtado de Mendoza, 5th Marquis of Cañete, Royal Governor of Chile (d. 1609)
- 1616 – Anna de’ Medici, Archduchess of Austria (d. 1676)
- 1620 – Jean Picard, French astronomer (d. 1682)
- 1648 – John Graham, 1st Viscount Dundee, Scottish general (d. 1689)
- 1654 – Pedro Calungsod, Filipino catechist and sacristan; later canonized (d. 1672)
- 1664 – Matthew Prior, English poet and diplomat, British Ambassador to France (d. 1721)
- 1693 – Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1768)
- 1710 – Paul Möhring, German physician, botanist, and zoologist (d. 1792)
- 1783 – Charles Tristan, marquis de Montholon, French general (d. 1853)
- 1808 – Simion Bărnuțiu, Romanian historian, academic, and politician (d. 1864)
- 1810 – Henri Victor Regnault, French chemist and physicist (d. 1878)
- 1811 – Robert Mackenzie, Scottish-Australian politician, 3rd Premier of Queensland (d. 1873)
- 1816 – Paul Reuter, German-English journalist, founded Reuters (d. 1899)
- 1858 – Maria Christina of Austria (d. 1929)
- 1858 – Lovis Corinth, German painter (d. 1925)
- 1858 – Alfred Henry O’Keeffe, New Zealand painter and educator (d. 1941)
- 1863 – C. Aubrey Smith, English-American cricketer and actor (d. 1948)
- 1866 – Carlos Schwabe, Swiss Symbolist painter and printmaker (d. 1926)
- 1870 – Emil Orlík, Czech painter, etcher, and lithographer (d. 1932)
- 1875 – Charles Gondouin, French rugby player and tug of war competitor (d. 1947)
- 1880 – Milan Rastislav Štefánik, Slovak astronomer, general, and politician (d. 1919)
- 1882 – David Burliuk, Ukrainian author and illustrator (d. 1967)
- 1885 – Jacques Feyder, Belgian actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1948)
- 1891 – Julius Saaristo, Finnish javelin thrower and soldier (d. 1969)
- 1893 – Hans Fallada, German author (d. 1947)
- 1896 – Sophie Bledsoe Aberle, Native American anthropologist, physician and nutritionist (d. 1996)
- 1898 – Sara Carter, American singer-songwriter (d. 1979)
- 1899 – Hart Crane, American poet (d. 1932)
- 1899 – Ernest Hemingway, American novelist, short story writer, and journalist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1961)
- 1900 – Isadora Bennett, American theatre manager and modern dance publicity agent (d. 1980)
- 1903 – Russell Lee, American photographer and journalist (d. 1986)
- 1903 – Roy Neuberger, American businessman and financier, co-founded Neuberger Berman (d. 2010)
- 1908 – Jug McSpaden, American golfer and architect (d. 1996)
- 1911 – Marshall McLuhan, Canadian author and theorist (d. 1980)
- 1911 – Umashankar Joshi, Indian author, poet, and scholar (d. 1988)
- 1914 – Aleksander Kreek, Estonian shot putter and discus thrower (d. 1977)
- 1917 – Alan B. Gold, Canadian lawyer and jurist (d. 2005)
- 1920 – Constant Nieuwenhuys, Dutch painter, sculptor, and illustrator (d. 2005)
- 1920 – Isaac Stern, Polish violinist and conductor (d. 2001)
- 1920 – Jean Daniel, Algerian-French-Jewish journalist and author (d. 2020)
- 1921 – James Cooke Brown, American sociologist and author (d. 2000)
- 1921 – John Horsley, English actor (d. 2014)
- 1921 – Vusamazulu Credo Mutwa, Zulu sangoma (d. 2020)
- 1922 – Kay Starr, American singer (d. 2016)
- 1922 – Mollie Sugden, English actress (d. 2009)
- 1923 – Rudolph A. Marcus, Canadian-American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1923 – Queenie Watts, English actress and singer (d. 1980)
- 1924 – Rahimuddin Khan, Pakistani general and politician, 7th Governor of Balochistan
- 1924 – Don Knotts, American actor and screenwriter (d. 2006)
- 1926 – Paul Burke, American actor (d. 2009)
- 1925 – Johnny Peirson, Canadian hockey player
- 1926 – Norman Jewison, Canadian actor, director, and producer
- 1926 – Bill Pertwee, English actor (d. 2013)
- 1926 – Karel Reisz, Czech-English director and producer (d. 2002)
- 1928 – Sky Low Low, Canadian wrestler (d. 1998)
- 1929 – Bob Orton, American wrestler (d. 2006)
- 1930 – Anand Bakshi, Indian poet and songwriter (d. 2002)
- 1930 – Helen Merrill, American singer
- 1931 – Sonny Clark, American pianist and composer (d. 1963)
- 1931 – Plas Johnson, American saxophonist
- 1931 – Leon Schidlowsky, Chilean-Israeli painter and composer
- 1932 – Kaye Stevens, American singer and actress (d. 2011)
- 1933 – John Gardner, American novelist, essayist, and critic (d. 1982)
- 1934 – Chandu Borde, Indian cricketer and manager
- 1934 – Jonathan Miller, English actor, director, and author (d. 2019)
- 1935 – Norbert Blüm, German businessman and politician
- 1935 – Moe Drabowsky, Polish-American baseball player and coach (d. 2006)
- 1937 – Eduard Streltsov, Soviet footballer (d. 1990)
- 1938 – Les Aspin, American captain and politician, 18th United States Secretary of Defense (d. 1995)
- 1938 – Anton Kuerti, Austrian-Canadian pianist, composer, and conductor
- 1938 – Janet Reno, American lawyer and politician, 79th United States Attorney General (d. 2016)
- 1939 – Jamey Aebersold, American saxophonist and educator
- 1939 – Kim Fowley, American singer-songwriter, producer, and manager (d. 2015)
- 1939 – John Negroponte, English-American diplomat, 23rd United States Ambassador to the United Nations
- 1943 – Fritz Glatz, Austrian race car driver (d. 2002)
- 1943 – Edward Herrmann, American actor (d. 2014)
- 1943 – Henry McCullough, Northern Irish guitarist, singer and songwriter (d. 2016)
- 1944 – John Atta Mills, Ghanaian lawyer and politician, 3rd President of Ghana (d. 2012)
- 1944 – Buchi Emecheta, Nigerian author and academic (d. 2017)
- 1944 – Paul Wellstone, American academic and politician (d. 2002)
- 1945 – Wendy Cope, English poet, critic, and educator
- 1945 – Geoff Dymock, Australian cricketer
- 1945 – Barry Richards, South African cricketer
- 1946 – Ken Starr, American lawyer and judge, 39th Solicitor General of the United States
- 1946 – Timothy Harris, American author, screenwriter and producer
- 1947 – Chetan Chauhan, Indian cricketer and politician
- 1948 – Art Hindle, Canadian actor and director
- 1948 – Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam), English singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1948 – Garry Trudeau, American cartoonist
- 1949 – Christina Hart, American playwright and actress
- 1949 – Hirini Melbourne, New Zealand singer-songwriter and poet (d. 2003)
- 1950 – Ubaldo Fillol, Argentinian footballer and coach
- 1950 – Susan Kramer, Baroness Kramer, English politician, Minister of State for Transport
- 1951 – Richard Gozney, English politician and diplomat, 30th Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man, 139th Governor of Bermuda
- 1951 – Robin Williams, American actor, singer, and producer (d. 2014)
- 1952 – John Barrasso, American physician and politician
- 1952 – Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah, Malaysian economist
- 1953 – Eric Bazilian, American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger, and producer (The Hooters)
- 1953 – Jeff Fatt, Australian keyboard player and actor
- 1953 – Bernie Fraser, New Zealand rugby player
- 1953 – Brian Talbot, English footballer and manager
- 1955 – Howie Epstein, American bass player, songwriter, and producer (d. 2003)
- 1955 – Dannel Malloy, American lawyer and politician, 88th Governor of Connecticut
- 1955 – Henry Priestman, English singer-songwriter, keyboard player, and producer
- 1955 – Taco, Indonesian-born Dutch singer and entertainer
- 1955 – Béla Tarr, Hungarian director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1956 – Michael Connelly, American author
- 1957 – Stefan Löfven, Swedish trade union leader and politician, 33rd Prime Minister of Sweden
- 1957 – Jon Lovitz, American comedian, actor, and producer
- 1958 – Dave Henderson, American baseball player and sportscaster (d. 2015)
- 1959 – Gene Miles, Australian rugby league player and sportscaster
- 1959 – Reha Muhtar, Turkish journalist
- 1959 – Paul Vautin, Australian rugby league player, coach, and sportscaster
- 1960 – Amar Singh Chamkila, Indian singer-songwriter (d. 1988)
- 1960 – Veselin Matić, Serbian basketball player and coach
- 1960 – Fritz Walter, German footballer
- 1961 – Morris Iemma, Australian politician, 40th Premier of New South Wales
- 1961 – Jim Martin, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1962 – Victor Adebowale, Baron Adebowale, English businessman
- 1963 – Kevin Poole, English footballer and manager
- 1963 – Giant Silva, Brazilian basketball player, mixed martial artist, and wrestler
- 1964 – Steve Collins, Irish boxer and actor
- 1964 – Ross Kemp, English actor and producer
- 1964 – Jens Weißflog, German ski jumper and journalist
- 1965 – Guðni Bergsson, Icelandic footballer and lawyer
- 1965 – Mike Bordick, American baseball player, coach, and sportscaster
- 1966 – Arija Bareikis, American actress
- 1966 – Sarah Waters, Welsh author and academic
- 1968 – Brandi Chastain, American soccer player and sportscaster
- 1968 – Aditya Srivastava, Indian actor
- 1968 – Lyle Odelein, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1969 – Godfrey, American comedian and actor
- 1969 – Klaus Graf, German race car driver
- 1969 – Emerson Hart, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
- 1969 – Isabell Werth, German equestrian
- 1970 – Michael Fitzpatrick, American singer-songwriter
- 1971 – Emmanuel Bangué, French long jumper
- 1971 – Charlotte Gainsbourg, English-French actress and singer
- 1971 – Nitzan Shirazi, Israeli footballer and manager (d. 2014)
- 1972 – Korey Cooper, American singer and guitarist
- 1972 – Catherine Ndereba, Kenyan marathon runner
- 1974 – Geoff Jenkins, American baseball player and coach
- 1974 – René Reinumägi, Estonian actor, director, and screenwriter
- 1975 – Christopher Barzak, American author and educator
- 1975 – Cara Dillon, Irish singer-songwriter
- 1975 – Ravindra Pushpakumara, Sri Lankan cricketer
- 1975 – Mike Sellers, American football player
- 1976 – Jaime Murray, English actress
- 1977 – Paul Casey, English golfer
- 1978 – Justin Bartha, American actor
- 1978 – Anderson da Silva Gibin, Brazilian footballer
- 1978 – Josh Hartnett, American actor
- 1978 – Julian Huppert, English academic and politician
- 1978 – Damian Marley, Jamaican singer-songwriter and producer
- 1978 – Gary Teale, Scottish footballer
- 1979 – David Carr, American football player
- 1979 – Tamika Catchings, American basketball player
- 1979 – Luis Ernesto Michel, Mexican footballer
- 1979 – Andriy Voronin, Ukrainian footballer
- 1980 – Justin Griffith, American football player
- 1980 – Sandra Laoura, French skier
- 1980 – CC Sabathia, American baseball player
- 1980 – Yvonne Sampson, Australian journalist and sportscaster
- 1981 – Paloma Faith, English singer-songwriter and actress
- 1981 – Anabelle Langlois, Canadian figure skater
- 1981 – Joaquín, Spanish footballer
- 1981 – Romeo Santos, American singer-songwriter
- 1981 – Stefan Schumacher, German cyclist
- 1982 – Jason Cram, Australian swimmer
- 1982 – Mao Kobayashi, Japanese newscaster and actress (d. 2017)
- 1984 – Jurrick Juliana, Dutch footballer
- 1984 – Liam Ridgewell, English footballer
- 1985 – Mati Lember, Estonian footballer
- 1985 – Von Wafer, American basketball player
- 1986 – Anthony Annan, Ghanaian footballer
- 1986 – Rebecca Ferguson, American-English singer-songwriter
- 1986 – Jason Thompson, American basketball player
- 1987 – Bilel Mohsni, French footballer
- 1987 – Jesús Zavala, Mexican footballer
- 1988 – KB, American rapper
- 1988 – DeAndre Jordan, American basketball player
- 1988 – Chris Mitchell, Scottish footballer (d. 2016)
- 1989 – Marco Fabián, Mexican footballer
- 1989 – Juno Temple, English actress
- 1990 – Chris Martin, English footballer
- 1990 – Jason Roy, English cricketer
- 1990 – Erislandy Savón, Cuban amateur heavyweight boxer
- 1990 – Franck Elemba, Congolese athlete
- 1991 – Sara Sampaio, Portuguese model
- 1992 – Rachael Flatt, American figure skater
- 1996 – Mikael Ingebrigtsen, Norwegian footballer
- 1998 – Thomas Preining, Austrian racing driver
Deaths on July 21
- 658 – K’an II, Mayan ruler (b. 588)
- 710 – Li Guo’er, princess of the Tang dynasty
- 710 – Wei, empress of the Tang Dynasty
- 710 – Shangguan Wan’er, Chinese poet (b. 664)
- 987 – Geoffrey I, Count of Anjou
- 1259 – Gojong of Goryeo
- 1403 – Henry Percy, English soldier (b. 1364)
- 1403 – Sir Walter Blount, English soldier, standard-bearer of Henry IV
- 1403 – Edmund Stafford, 5th Earl of Stafford, English soldier
- 1425 – Manuel II Palaiologos, Byzantine emperor (b. 1350)
- 1552 – Antonio de Mendoza, Spanish politician, 1st Viceroy of New Spain (b. 1495)
- 1688 – James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde, English soldier and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (b. 1610)
- 1793 – Antoine Bruni d’Entrecasteaux, French admiral, explorer, and politician (b. 1739)
- 1796 – Robert Burns, Scottish poet and songwriter (b. 1759)
- 1798 – François Sébastien Charles Joseph de Croix, Count of Clerfayt, Austrian field marshal (b. 1733)
- 1798 – Anthony Perry, Irish rebel leader (b. ca. 1760)
- 1868 – William Bland, Australian surgeon and politician (b. 1789)
- 1878 – Sam Bass, American outlaw (b. 1851)
- 1880 – Hiram Walden, American general and politician (b. 1800)
- 1889 – Nelson Dewey, American lawyer and politician, 1st Governor of Wisconsin (b. 1813)
- 1899 – Robert G. Ingersoll, American soldier, lawyer, and politician (b. 1833)
- 1920 – Fiammetta Wilson, English astronomer and educator (b. 1864)
- 1932 – Bill Gleason, American baseball player (b. 1858)
- 1934 – Hubert Lyautey, French general and politician, French Minister of Defence (b. 1854)
- 1938 – Owen Wister, American lawyer and author (b. 1860)
- 1941 – Bohdan Lepky, Ukrainian poet and scholar (b. 1872)
- 1943 – Charley Paddock, American runner and actor (b. 1900)
- 1943 – Louis Vauxcelles, French Jewish art critic (b. 1870)
- 1944 – Claus von Stauffenberg, German soldier (b. 1907)
- 1946 – Gualberto Villarroel, Bolivian soldier and politician, 45th President of Bolivia (b. 1908)
- 1948 – Arshile Gorky, Armenian-American painter and illustrator (b. 1904)
- 1952 – Pedro Lascuráin, Mexican politician, president for 45 minutes on February 13, 1913. (b. 1856)
- 1966 – Philipp Frank, Austrian-American physicist, mathematician, and philosopher, Vienna Circle member (b. 1884)
- 1967 – Jimmie Foxx, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1907)
- 1967 – Albert Lutuli, South African academic and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1898)
- 1967 – Basil Rathbone, South African-American actor and singer (b. 1892)
- 1968 – Ruth St. Denis, American dancer and choreographer (b. 1878)
- 1970 – Mikhail Mikhaylovich Gerasimov, Russian anthropologist and sculptor (b. 1907)
- 1970 – Bob Kalsu, American football player and lieutenant (b. 1945)
- 1972 – Ralph Craig, American sprinter and sailor (b. 1889)
- 1972 – Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, Bhutanese king (b. 1928)
- 1977 – Lee Miller, American model and photographer (b. 1907)
- 1982 – Dave Garroway, American journalist and actor (b. 1913)
- 1991 – Paul Warwick, English race car driver (b. 1969)
- 1994 – Marijac, French author and illustrator (b. 1908)
- 1997 – Olaf Kopvillem, Estonian-Canadian conductor and composer (b. 1926)
- 1998 – Alan Shepard, American admiral, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1923)
- 1998 – Robert Young, American actor and singer (b. 1907)
- 2000 – Marc Reisner, American environmentalist and author (b. 1948)
- 2002 – Esphyr Slobodkina, Russian-American author and illustrator (b. 1908)
- 2003 – John Davies, English-New Zealand runner and coach (b. 1938)
- 2004 – Jerry Goldsmith, American composer and conductor (b. 1929)
- 2004 – Edward B. Lewis, American geneticist and biologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1918)
- 2005 – Long John Baldry, English-Canadian singer and actor (b. 1941)
- 2005 – Lord Alfred Hayes, English-American wrestler and manager (b. 1928)
- 2006 – Mako Iwamatsu, Japanese-American actor and singer (b. 1933)
- 2006 – Ta Mok, Cambodian soldier and monk (b. 1926)
- 2007 – Dubravko Škiljan, Croatian linguist and academic (b. 1949)
- 2008 – Donald Stokes, English businessman (b. 1914)
- 2010 – Luis Corvalán, Chilean educator and politician (b. 1916)
- 2010 – Ralph Houk, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1919)
- 2010 – John E. Irving, Canadian businessman (b. 1932)
- 2012 – Alexander Cockburn, Scottish-American journalist and author (b. 1941)
- 2012 – Marie Kruckel, American baseball player (b. 1924)
- 2012 – Ali Podrimja, Albanian poet and author (b. 1942)
- 2012 – James D. Ramage, American admiral and pilot (b. 1916)
- 2012 – Angharad Rees, English-born Welsh actress (b. 1944)
- 2012 – Don Wilson, English cricketer and coach (b. 1937)
- 2013 – Andrea Antonelli, Italian motorcycle racer (b. 1988)
- 2013 – Lourembam Brojeshori Devi, Indian martial artist (b. 1981)
- 2013 – Det de Beus, Dutch field hockey player (b. 1958)
- 2013 – Luis Fernando Rizo-Salom, Colombian-French composer and educator (b. 1971)
- 2013 – Fred Taylor, American football player and coach (b. 1920)
- 2014 – Louise Abeita, Isleta Pueblo (Native American) writer, poet, and educator (b. 1926)
- 2014 – Dan Borislow, American businessman, invented the magicJack (b. 1961)
- 2014 – Lettice Curtis, English engineer and pilot (b. 1915)
- 2014 – Hans-Peter Kaul, German lawyer and judge (b. 1943)
- 2014 – Rilwanu Lukman, Nigerian engineer and politician (b. 1938)
- 2014 – Kevin Skinner, New Zealand rugby player and boxer (b. 1927)
- 2015 – Robert Broberg, Swedish singer-songwriter (b. 1940)
- 2015 – E. L. Doctorow, American novelist, short story writer, and playwright (b. 1931)
- 2015 – Nicholas Gonzalez, American physician (b. 1947)
- 2015 – Czesław Marchaj, Polish-English sailor and academic (b. 1918)
- 2015 – Dick Nanninga, Dutch footballer (b. 1949)
- 2016 – Dennis Green, American football player and coach (b. 1949)
- 2017 – John Heard, American film and television actor (b. 1946)
- 2018 – Alene Duerk, U.S. Navy first female admiral (b. 1920)
Holidays and observances on July 21
- Christian feast day:
  
  Albert John Luthuli (Episcopal Church)
  
  Arbogast
  
  Barhadbesciabas
  
  Carlos of Brazil (Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church)
  
  Daniel (Catholic Church)
  
  Lawrence of Brindisi
  
  Praxedes
  
  Victor of Marseilles
  
  July 21 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Liberation Day in 1944 (Guam)
- Belgian National Day (Belgium)
- Racial Harmony Day (Singapore)
- Summer Kazanskaya (Russia)
Read More July 21- History, Events, Births, Deaths Holidays and Observances On This Day
On This Day

June 27 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day
June 27 in History
- 1358 – The Republic of Ragusa is founded.
- 1497 – Cornish rebels Michael An Gof and Thomas Flamank are executed at Tyburn, London, England.
- 1556 – The thirteen Stratford Martyrs are burned at the stake near London for their Protestant beliefs.
- 1743 – In the Battle of Dettingen, George II becomes the last reigning British monarch to participate in a battle.
- 1760 – Anglo-Cherokee War: Cherokee warriors defeat British forces at the Battle of Echoee near present-day Otto, North Carolina.
- 1806 – British forces take Buenos Aires during the first of the British invasions of the River Plate.
- 1844 – Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, and his brother Hyrum Smith, are killed by a mob at the Carthage, Illinois jail.
- 1864 – American Civil War: Confederate forces defeat Union forces during the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain during the Atlanta Campaign.
- 1869 – The Republic of Ezo on the island of Hokkaido ends after being defeated by Japanese Imperial troops.
- 1895 – The inaugural run of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad’s Royal Blue from Washington, D.C., to New York City, the first U.S. passenger train to use electric locomotives.
- 1898 – The first solo circumnavigation of the globe is completed by Joshua Slocum from Briar Island, Nova Scotia.
- 1905 – During the Russo-Japanese War, sailors start a mutiny aboard the Russian battleship Potemkin.
- 1908 – A group of Vietnamese tirailleurs conducts a failed attempt to poison the entire French army’s garrison in the Hanoi Citadel with the aim to make way for Hoàng Hoa Thám’s rebel army to capture Hanoi.
- 1923 – Capt. Lowell H. Smith and Lt. John P. Richter perform the first ever aerial refueling in a DH.4B biplane.
- 1927 – Prime Minister of Japan Tanaka Giichi convenes an eleven-day conference to discuss Japan’s strategy in China. The Tanaka Memorial, a forged plan for world domination, is later claimed to be a secret report leaked from this conference.
- 1941 – Romanian authorities launch one of the most violent pogroms in Jewish history in the city of Iași, resulting in the murder of at least 13,266 Jews.
- 1941 – World War II: German troops capture the city of Białystok during Operation Barbarossa.
- 1946 – In the Canadian Citizenship Act, the Parliament of Canada establishes the definition of Canadian citizenship.
- 1950 – The United States decides to send troops to fight in the Korean War.
- 1954 – The Obninsk Nuclear Power Plant, the Soviet Union’s first nuclear power station, opens in Obninsk, near Moscow.
- 1954 – The FIFA World Cup quarterfinal match between Hungary and Brazil, highly anticipated to be exciting, instead turns violent, with three players ejected and further fighting continuing after the game.
- 1957 – Hurricane Audrey makes landfall near the Texas–Louisiana border, killing over 400 people, mainly in and around Cameron, Louisiana.
- 1973 – The President of Uruguay Juan María Bordaberry dissolves Parliament and establishes a dictatorship.
- 1974 – U.S. president Richard Nixon visits the Soviet Union.
- 1976 – Air France Flight 139 (Tel Aviv-Athens-Paris) is hijacked en route to Paris by the PLO and redirected to Entebbe, Uganda.
- 1977 – France grants independence to Djibouti.
- 1980 – The ‘Ustica massacre’: Itavia Flight 870 crashes in the sea while en route from Bologna to Palermo, Italy, killing all 81 on board.
- 1981 – The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China issues its “Resolution on Certain Questions in the History of Our Party Since the Founding of the People’s Republic of China”, laying the blame for the Cultural Revolution on Mao Zedong.
- 1982 – Space Shuttle Columbia launched from the Kennedy Space Center on the final research and development flight mission, STS-4.
- 1988 – The Gare de Lyon rail accident in Paris, France, kills 56 people.
- 1991 – Slovenia, after declaring independence two days before is invaded by Yugoslav troops, tanks, and aircraft starting the Ten-Day War.
- 1994 – Members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult release sarin gas in Matsumoto, Japan. Seven people are killed, 660 injured.
- 2007 – Tony Blair resigns as British Prime Minister, a position he had held since 1997. His Chancellor, Gordon Brown succeeds him.
- 2007 – The Brazilian Military Police invades the favelas of Complexo do Alemão in an episode which is remembered as the Complexo do Alemão massacre.
- 2008 – In a highly scrutinized election President of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe is re-elected in a landslide after his opponent Morgan Tsvangirai had withdrawn a week earlier, citing violence against his party’s supporters.
- 2013 – NASA launches the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, a space probe to observe the Sun.
- 2014 – At least fourteen people are killed when a Gas Authority of India Limited pipeline explodes in the East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, India.
- 2015 – Formosa Fun Coast fire: A dust fire occurs at a recreational water park in Taiwan, killing 15 people and injuring 497 others, 199 critically.
- 2017 – A series of powerful cyberattacks using the Petya malware target websites of Ukrainian organizations and counterparts with Ukrainian connections around the globe.
Births on June 27
- 850 – Ibrahim II of Ifriqiya, Aghlabid emir (d. 902)
- 1350 – Manuel II Palaiologos, Byzantine emperor (d. 1425)
- 1430 – Henry Holland, 3rd Duke of Exeter, Lancastrian leader (d. 1475)
- 1462 – Louis XII, king of France (d. 1515)
- 1464 – Ernst II of Saxony, Archbishop of Magdeburg (1476–1513) (d. 1513)
- 1497 – Ernest I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (d. 1546)
- 1550 – Charles IX, king of France (d. 1574)
- 1596 – Maximilian, Prince of Dietrichstein (d. 1655)
- 1696 – William Pepperrell, American merchant and soldier (d. 1759)
- 1717 – Louis-Guillaume Le Monnier, French botanist and physicist (d. 1799)
- 1767 – Alexis Bouvard, French astronomer and academic (d. 1843)
- 1805 – Napoléon Coste, French guitarist and composer (d. 1883)
- 1806 – Augustus De Morgan, English mathematician and logician (d. 1871)
- 1812 – Anna Cabot Lowell Quincy Waterston, American writer (d. 1899)
- 1817 – Louise von François, German author (d. 1893)
- 1828 – Bryan O’Loghlen, Irish-Australian politician, 13th Premier of Victoria (d. 1905)
- 1838 – Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Indian journalist, author, and poet (d. 1894)
- 1838 – Paul Mauser, German weapon designer, designed the Gewehr 98 (d. 1914)
- 1846 – Charles Stewart Parnell, Irish politician (d. 1891)
- 1850 – Jørgen Pedersen Gram, Danish mathematician and academic (d. 1919)
- 1850 – Lafcadio Hearn, Greek-Japanese historian and author (d. 1904)
- 1862 – May Irwin, Canadian-American actress and singer (d. 1938)
- 1865 – John Monash, Australian engineer and general (d. 1931)
- 1869 – Kate Carew, American illustrator and journalist (d. 1961)
- 1869 – Emma Goldman, Lithuanian-Canadian philosopher and activist (d. 1940)
- 1869 – Hans Spemann, German embryologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1941)
- 1870 – Frank Rattray Lillie, American zoologist and embryologist (d. 1947)
- 1872 – Heber Doust Curtis, American astronomer (d. 1942)
- 1872 – Paul Laurence Dunbar, American author, poet, and playwright (d. 1906)
- 1880 – Helen Keller, American author, academic, and activist (d. 1968)
- 1882 – Eduard Spranger, German philosopher and academic (d. 1963)
- 1884 – Gaston Bachelard, French philosopher and poet (d. 1962)
- 1885 – Pierre Montet, French historian and academic (d. 1966)
- 1885 – Guilhermina Suggia, Portuguese cellist (d. 1950)
- 1886 – Charlie Macartney, Australian cricketer and soldier (d. 1958)
- 1888 – Lewis Bernstein Namier, Polish-English historian and academic (d. 1960)
- 1888 – Antoinette Perry, American actress and director (d. 1946)
- 1892 – Paul Colin, French illustrator (d. 1985)
- 1899 – Juan Trippe, American businessman, founded Pan American World Airways (d. 1981)
- 1900 – Dixie Brown, British boxer (d. 1957)
- 1901 – Merle Tuve, American geophysicist and academic (d. 1982)
- 1905 – Armand Mondou, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1976)
- 1906 – Catherine Cookson, English author and philanthropist (d. 1998)
- 1906 – Vernon Watkins, Welsh-American poet and painter (d. 1967)
- 1907 – John McIntire, American actor (d. 1991)
- 1908 – João Guimarães Rosa, Brazilian physician and author (d. 1967)
- 1911 – Marion M. Magruder, American Marine officer, commander of the VMF(N)-533 squadron. (d. 1997)
- 1912 – E. R. Braithwaite, Guyanese novelist, writer, teacher, and diplomat (d. 2016)
- 1913 – Elton Britt, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1972)
- 1913 – Philip Guston, American painter and academic (d. 1980)
- 1913 – Willie Mosconi, American pool player (d. 1993)
- 1914 – Robert Aickman, English author and activist, co-founded the Inland Waterways Association (d. 1981)
- 1914 – Helena Benitez, Filipina academic and administrator (d. 2016)
- 1914 – Margaret Ekpo, Nigerian women’s rights activist, social mobilizer and politician (d. 2006)
- 1914 – Giorgio Almirante, Italian journalist and politician (d. 1988)
- 1915 – Grace Lee Boggs, American philosopher, author, and activist (d. 2015)
- 1915 – Aideu Handique, Indian actress (d. 2002)
- 1915 – John Alexander Moore, American zoologist and academic (d. 2002)
- 1916 – Robert Normann, Norwegian guitarist (d. 1998)
- 1918 – Adolph Kiefer, American swimmer (d. 2017)
- 1919 – M. Carl Holman, American author, educator, poet, and playwright (d. 1988)
- 1919 – Amala Shankar, Indian danseuse
- 1920 – Fernando Riera, Chilean football player and manager (d. 2010)
- 1921 – Muriel Pavlow, English actress (d. 2019)
- 1922 – George Walker, American composer (d. 2018)
- 1923 – Jacques Berthier, French organist and composer (d. 1994)
- 1923 – Elmo Hope, American pianist and composer (d. 1967)
- 1924 – Bob Appleyard, English cricketer and businessman (d. 2015)
- 1925 – Leonard Lerman, American geneticist and biologist (d. 2012)
- 1925 – Doc Pomus, American singer-songwriter (d. 1991)
- 1925 – Wayne Terwilliger, American second baseman, coach, and manager
- 1927 – Bob Keeshan, American actor and producer (d. 2004)
- 1928 – James Lincoln Collier, American journalist and author
- 1928 – Rudy Perpich, American dentist and politician, 34th Governor of Minnesota (d. 1995)
- 1929 – Dick the Bruiser, American football player and wrestler (d. 1991)
- 1929 – Peter Maas, American journalist and author (d. 2001)
- 1930 – Ross Perot, American businessman and politician (d. 2019)
- 1931 – Charles Bronfman, Canadian-American businessman and philanthropist
- 1931 – Martinus J. G. Veltman, Dutch physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1932 – Eddie Kasko, American baseball player and manager (d. 2020)
- 1932 – Anna Moffo, American operatic soprano (d. 2006)
- 1932 – Hugh Wood, English composer
- 1936 – Lucille Clifton, American author and poet (d. 2010)
- 1936 – Shirley Anne Field, English actress
- 1937 – Joseph P. Allen, American physicist and astronaut
- 1937 – Otto Herrigel, Namibian lawyer and politician (d. 2013)
- 1937 – Kirkpatrick Sale, American author and scholar
- 1938 – Bruce Babbitt, American lawyer and politician, 47th United States Secretary of the Interior
- 1938 – David Hope, Baron Hope of Craighead, Scottish lieutenant and judge
- 1938 – Konrad Kujau, German illustrator (d. 2000)
- 1939 – R. D. Burman, Indian singer-songwriter (d. 1994)
- 1939 – Neil Hawke, Australian cricketer and footballer (d. 2000)
- 1940 – Ian Lang, Baron Lang of Monkton, Scottish politician, Secretary of State for Scotland
- 1941 – Bill Baxley, American lawyer and politician, 24th Lieutenant Governor of Alabama
- 1941 – James P. Hogan, English-Irish author (d. 2010)
- 1941 – Krzysztof Kieślowski, Polish director and screenwriter (d. 1996)
- 1942 – Bruce Johnston, American singer-songwriter and producer
- 1942 – Frank Mills, Canadian pianist and composer
- 1942 – Danny Schechter, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2015)
- 1943 – Ravi Batra, Indian-American economist and academic
- 1944 – Angela King, English environmentalist and author, co-founded Common Ground
- 1944 – Patrick Sercu, Belgian cyclist (d. 2019)
- 1945 – Joey Covington, American drummer, songwriter, and producer (d. 2013)
- 1945 – Norma Kamali, American fashion designer
- 1945 – Ragnar Søderlind, Norwegian composer
- 1948 – Camile Baudoin, American guitarist
- 1949 – Vera Wang, American fashion designer
- 1951 – Ulf Andersson, Swedish chess player
- 1951 – Julia Duffy, American actress
- 1951 – Gilson Lavis, English drummer and portrait artist
- 1951 – Mary McAleese, Irish academic and politician, 8th President of Ireland
- 1952 – Madan Bhandari, Nepalese politician (d. 1993)
- 1953 – Igor Gräzin, Estonian academic and politician
- 1953 – Alice McDermott, American novelist
- 1954 – Richard Ibbotson, English admiral
- 1955 – Isabelle Adjani, French actress
- 1956 – Heiner Dopp, German field hockey player and politician
- 1957 – Gabriella Dorio, Italian runner
- 1958 – Lisa Germano, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1958 – Jeffrey Lee Pierce, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1996)
- 1959 – Dan Jurgens, American author and illustrator
- 1959 – Lorrie Morgan, American singer
- 1960 – Craig Hodges, American basketball player and coach
- 1960 – Robert King, English harpsichordist and conductor
- 1960 – Jeremy Swift, English actor
- 1962 – Michael Ball, English actor and singer
- 1962 – Sunanda Pushkar, India-born Canadian businesswoman (d. 2014)
- 1963 – Wendy Alexander, Scottish politician, Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning
- 1963 – Johnny Benson Jr., American race car driver
- 1964 – Stephan Brenninkmeijer, Dutch director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1964 – Chuck Person, American basketball player and coach
- 1965 – Simon Sebag Montefiore, English journalist, historian, and author
- 1965 – S. Manikavasagam, Malaysian politician and social activist
- 1965 – Óscar Vega, Spanish boxer
- 1966 – J.J. Abrams, American director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1966 – Jörg Bergen, German footballer and manager
- 1966 – Jeff Conine, American baseball player and sportscaster
- 1966 – Aigars Kalvītis, Latvian politician, businessman, and former Prime Minister of Latvia
- 1967 – Sylvie Fréchette, Canadian swimmer and coach
- 1967 – George Hamilton, Northern Irish police officer
- 1967 – Vasiliy Kaptyukh, Belarusian discus thrower
- 1967 – Phil Kearns, Australian rugby player and sportscaster
- 1968 – Kelly Ayotte, American lawyer and politician, New Hampshire Attorney General
- 1969 – Viktor Petrenko, Ukrainian figure skater
- 1970 – Régine Cavagnoud, French skier (d. 2001)
- 1970 – John Eales, Australian rugby player and businessman
- 1970 – Jim Edmonds, American baseball player and sportscaster
- 1971 – Jo Frost, English nanny, television personality, and author
- 1971 – Serginho, Brazilian footballer
- 1972 – Dawud Wharnsby, Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
- 1973 – Abbath Doom Occulta, Norwegian musician
- 1973 – Simon Archer, English badminton player
- 1974 – Christian Kane, American singer-songwriter and actor
- 1974 – Christopher O’Neill, English-American businessman
- 1975 – Ace Darling, American wrestler
- 1975 – Bianca Del Rio, American drag queen & comedian
- 1975 – Sarah Evanetz, Canadian swimmer
- 1975 – Tobey Maguire, American actor
- 1975 – Daryle Ward, American baseball player
- 1976 – Johnny Estrada, American baseball player
- 1976 – Leigh Nash, American singer-songwriter
- 1977 – Arkadiusz Radomski, Polish footballer
- 1978 – Apparat, German musician
- 1980 – Hugo Campagnaro, Argentinian footballer
- 1980 – Jennifer Goodridge, American keyboard player
- 1980 – Alexander Peya, Austrian tennis player
- 1980 – Kevin Pietersen, South African-English cricketer
- 1980 – Craig Terrill, American football player
- 1981 – Andrew Embley, Australian footballer
- 1983 – Jim Johnson, American baseball player
- 1983 – Dale Steyn, South African cricketer
- 1983 – Nikola Rakočević, Serbian actor
- 1984 – Khloé Kardashian, American model, businesswoman, and radio host
- 1984 – D.J. King, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1984 – Jose Holebas, German-Greek footballer
- 1984 – Gökhan Inler, Swiss footballer
- 1985 – James Hook, Welsh rugby player
- 1985 – Svetlana Kuznetsova, Russian tennis player
- 1985 – Nico Rosberg, German race car driver
- 1986 – Sam Claflin, British actor
- 1986 – Drake Bell, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
- 1986 – Bryan Fletcher, American skier
- 1986 – LaShawn Merritt, American sprinter
- 1987 – India de Beaufort, English actress
- 1987 – Ed Westwick, English actor
- 1988 – Stefani Bismpikou, Greek gymnast
- 1988 – Matthew Spiranovic, Australian footballer
- 1988 – Kate Ziegler, American swimmer
- 1989 – Hana Birnerová, Czech tennis player
- 1989 – Matthew Lewis, English actor
- 1992 – Ahn So-hee, South Korean singer and actress
- 1992 – Karthika Nair, Indian film actress
- 1993 – Johanna Talihärm, Estonian biathlete
- 1993 – Alberto Campbell-Staines, Australian athlete
- 1994 – Anita Husarić, Bosnian tennis player
- 1995 – Monté Morris, American basketball player
Deaths on June 27
- 992 – Conan I of Rennes, Duke of Brittany
- 1162 – Odo II, Duke of Burgundy (b. 1118)
- 1194 – King Sancho VI of Navarre (b. 1132)
- 1296 – Floris V, Count of Holland (b. 1254)
- 1458 – Alfonso V of Aragon (b. 1396)
- 1497 – Michael An Gof, rebel leader
- 1497 – Thomas Flamank, rebel leader
- 1574 – Giorgio Vasari, Italian historian, painter, and architect (b. 1511)
- 1601 – Henry Norris, 1st Baron Norreys (b. 1525)
- 1603 – Jan Dymitr Solikowski, Polish archbishop (b. 1539)
- 1627 – John Hayward, English historian, journalist, and politician (b. 1564)
- 1636 – Date Masamune, Japanese strongman (b. 1567)
- 1654 – Johannes Valentinus Andreae, German theologian (b. 1586)
- 1655 – Eleonora Gonzaga, Holy Roman Empress (b. 1598)
- 1672 – Roger Twysden, English historian and politician (b. 1597)
- 1720 – Guillaume Amfrye de Chaulieu, French poet and author (b. 1639)
- 1794 – Wenzel Anton, Prince of Kaunitz-Rietberg (b. 1711)
- 1794 – Philippe de Noailles, French general (b. 1715)
- 1827 – Johann Gottfried Eichhorn, German theologian and academic (b. 1754)
- 1829 – James Smithson, English chemist and mineralogist (b. 1765)
- 1831 – Sophie Germain, French mathematician and physicist (b. 1776)
- 1839 – Ranjit Singh, founder of the Sikh Empire (b. 1780)
- 1844 – Hyrum Smith, American religious leader (b. 1800)
- 1844 – Joseph Smith, American religious leader, founded the Latter Day Saint movement (b. 1805)
- 1878 – Sidney Breese, American jurist and politician (b. 1800)
- 1894 – Giorgio Costantino Schinas, Maltese architect and civil engineer (b. 1834)
- 1896 – John Berryman, English soldier, Victoria Cross recipient (b. 1825)
- 1905 – Harold Mahony, Scottish-Irish tennis player (b. 1867)
- 1907 – Elizabeth Cabot Agassiz, American educator, co-founded Radcliffe College (b. 1822)
- 1911 – Victor Surridge, English motorcycle racer (b. 1882)
- 1912 – George Bonnor, Australian cricketer (b. 1855)
- 1917 – Karl Allmenröder, German soldier and pilot (b. 1896)
- 1919 – Peter Sturholdt, American boxer (b. 1885)
- 1920 – Adolphe-Basile Routhier, Canadian lawyer and judge (b. 1839)
- 1934 – Francesco Buhagiar, Maltese politician, 2nd Prime Minister of Malta (b. 1876)
- 1935 – Eugene Augustin Lauste, French-American inventor (b. 1857)
- 1944 – Milan Hodža, Czech journalist and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia (b. 1878)
- 1946 – Wanda Gág, American author and illustrator (b. 1893)
- 1949 – Frank Smythe, English botanist and mountaineer (b. 1900)
- 1950 – Milada Horáková, Czech politician, victim of judicial murder (b. 1901)
- 1952 – Max Dehn, German-American mathematician and academic (b. 1878)
- 1957 – Hermann Buhl, Austrian soldier and mountaineer (b. 1924)
- 1960 – Lottie Dod, English tennis player, golfer, and archer (b. 1871)
- 1962 – Paul Viiding, Estonian author, poet, and critic (b. 1904)
- 1967 – Jaan Lattik, Estonian pastor and politician, 9th Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia (b. 1878)
- 1970 – Daniel Kinsey, American hurdler and scholar (b. 1902)
- 1975 – G.I. Taylor, English mathematician and physicist (b. 1886)
- 1986 – George Nepia, New Zealand rugby player and referee (b. 1905)
- 1987 – Billy Snedden, Australian lawyer and politician, 17th Attorney-General for Australia (b. 1926)
- 1989 – A. J. Ayer, English philosopher and academic (b. 1910)
- 1991 – Milton Subotsky, American-English screenwriter and producer (b. 1921)
- 1996 – Albert R. Broccoli, American film producer (b. 1909)
- 1998 – Gilles Rocheleau, Canadian businessman and politician (b. 1935)
- 1999 – Georgios Papadopoulos, Greek colonel and politician, 169th Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1919)
- 2000 – Pierre Pflimlin, French lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of France (b. 1907)
- 2001 – Tove Jansson, Finnish author, illustrator, and painter (b. 1914)
- 2001 – Jack Lemmon, American actor (b. 1925)
- 2001 – Joan Sims, English actress (b. 1930)
- 2002 – John Entwistle, English singer-songwriter, bass guitarist, and producer (b. 1944)
- 2002 – Robert L. J. Long, American admiral (b. 1920)
- 2003 – David Newman, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1937)
- 2004 – George Patton IV, American general (b. 1923)
- 2004 – Darrell Russell, American race car driver (b. 1968)
- 2005 – Shelby Foote, American historian and author (b. 1917)
- 2005 – Ray Holmes, English lieutenant and pilot (b. 1914)
- 2005 – John T. Walton, American businessman, co-founded the Children’s Scholarship Fund (b. 1946)
- 2006 – Ángel Maturino Reséndiz, Mexican serial killer (b. 1959)
- 2007 – William Hutt, Canadian actor (b. 1920)
- 2008 – Sam Manekshaw, Indian field marshal (b. 1914)
- 2009 – Gale Storm, American actress (b. 1922)
- 2010 – Corey Allen, American film and television actor, writer, director, and producer (b. 1934)
- 2011 – Mike Doyle, English footballer (b. 1946)
- 2012 – Stan Cox, English runner (b. 1918)
- 2012 – Rosemary Dobson, Australian poet and illustrator (b. 1920)
- 2013 – Stefano Borgonovo, Italian footballer (b. 1964)
- 2013 – Ian Scott, English-New Zealand painter (b. 1945)
- 2014 – Edmond Blanchard, Canadian jurist and politician (b. 1954)
- 2014 – Allen Grossman, American poet, critic, and academic (b. 1932)
- 2014 – Leslie Manigat, Haitian educator and politician, 43rd President of Haiti (b. 1930)
- 2014 – Violet Milstead, Canadian World War II aviator and bush pilot (b. 1919)
- 2014 – Rachid Solh, Lebanese politician, 48th Prime Minister of Lebanon (b. 1926)
- 2015 – Zvi Elpeleg, Polish-Israeli diplomat, author, and academic (b. 1926)
- 2015 – Knut Helle, Norwegian historian and professor (b. 1930)
- 2015 – Chris Squire, English musician (bass guitarist), singer and songwriter, member of the rock band Yes (b. 1948)
- 2016 – Bud Spencer, Italian swimmer, actor, and screenwriter (b. 1929)
- 2017 – Peter L. Berger, Austrian sociologist (b. 1929)
- 2018 – Joe Jackson, American manager, father of Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson (b. 1928)
- 2018 – Liz Jackson, Australian journalist and former barrister (b. 1951)
- 2018 – William McBridge, Australian obstetrician (b. 1927)
Holidays and observances on June 27
- Christian feast day:
  
  Arialdo
  
  Crescens, one of the Seventy disciples
  
  Cyril of Alexandria (Coptic Church, Roman Catholic Church, Anglican Communion and Lutheran Church)
  
  Ladislaus I of Hungary
  
  Our Lady of Perpetual Help
  
  Sampson the Hospitable
  
  Zoilus
  
  June 27 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Canadian Multiculturalism Day (Canada)
- Commemoration Day for the Victims of the Communist Regime (Czech Republic)
- Day of Turkmen Workers of Culture and Art (Turkmenistan)
- Helen Keller Day (United States)
- Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Djibouti from France in 1977.
- Mixed Race Day (Brazil)
- National HIV Testing Day (United States)
- National PTSD Awareness Day (United States)
- Seven Sleepers’ Day or Siebenschläfertag (Germany)
- Unity Day (Tajikistan)
Read More June 27 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day
On This Day

June 17 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day
June 17 in History
- 653 – Pope Martin I is arrested and taken to Constantinople, due to his opposition to monothelitism.
- 1242 – Following the Disputation of Paris, twenty-four carriage loads of Jewish religious manuscripts were burnt in Paris.
- 1397 – The Kalmar Union is formed under the rule of Margaret I of Denmark.
- 1462 – Vlad III the Impaler attempts to assassinate Mehmed II (The Night Attack at Târgovişte), forcing him to retreat from Wallachia.
- 1497 – Battle of Deptford Bridge: Forces under King Henry VII defeat troops led by Michael An Gof.
- 1565 – Matsunaga Hisahide assassinates the 13th Ashikaga shōgun, Ashikaga Yoshiteru.
- 1579 – Sir Francis Drake claims a land he calls Nova Albion (modern California) for England.
- 1596 – The Dutch explorer Willem Barentsz discovers the Arctic archipelago of Spitsbergen.
- 1631 – Mumtaz Mahal dies during childbirth. Her husband, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan I, will spend the next 17 years building her mausoleum, the Taj Mahal.
- 1665 – Battle of Montes Claros: Portugal definitively secured independence from Spain in the last battle of the Portuguese Restoration War.
- 1673 – French explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet reach the Mississippi River and become the first Europeans to make a detailed account of its course.
- 1767 – Samuel Wallis, a British sea captain, sights Tahiti and is considered the first European to reach the island.
- 1773 – Cúcuta, Colombia, is founded by Juana Rangel de Cuéllar.
- 1775 – American Revolutionary War: Colonists inflict heavy casualties on British forces while losing the Battle of Bunker Hill.
- 1789 – In France, the Third Estate declares itself the National Assembly.
- 1794 – Foundation of Anglo-Corsican Kingdom.
- 1795 – The burghers of Swellendam expel the Dutch East India Company magistrate and declare a republic.
- 1839 – In the Kingdom of Hawaii, Kamehameha III issues the edict of toleration which gives Roman Catholics the freedom to worship in the Hawaiian Islands. The Hawaii Catholic Church and the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace are established as a result.
- 1843 – The Wairau Affray, the first serious clash of arms between Māori and British settlers in the New Zealand Wars, takes place.
- 1861 – American Civil War: Battle of Vienna, Virginia.
- 1863 – American Civil War: Battle of Aldie in the Gettysburg Campaign.
- 1876 – American Indian Wars: Battle of the Rosebud: 1,500 Sioux and Cheyenne led by Crazy Horse beat back General George Crook’s forces at Rosebud Creek in Montana Territory.
- 1877 – American Indian Wars: Battle of White Bird Canyon: The Nez Perce defeat the U.S. Cavalry at White Bird Canyon in the Idaho Territory.
- 1885 – The Statue of Liberty arrives in New York Harbor.
- 1898 – The United States Navy Hospital Corps is established.
- 1900 – Boxer Rebellion: Western Allied and Japanese forces capture the Taku Forts in Tianjin, China.
- 1901 – The College Board introduces its first standardized test, the forerunner to the SAT.
- 1910 – Aurel Vlaicu pilots an A. Vlaicu nr. 1 on its first flight.
- 1922 – Portuguese naval aviators Gago Coutinho and Sacadura Cabral complete the first aerial crossing of the South Atlantic.
- 1929 – The town of Murchison, New Zealand Is rocked by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake killing 17. At the time it was New Zealand’s worst natural disaster.
- 1930 – U.S. President Herbert Hoover signs the Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act into law.
- 1932 – Bonus Army: Around a thousand World War I veterans amass at the United States Capitol as the U.S. Senate considers a bill that would give them certain benefits.
- 1933 – Union Station massacre: In Kansas City, Missouri, four FBI agents and captured fugitive Frank Nash are gunned down by gangsters attempting to free Nash.
- 1939 – Last public guillotining in France: Eugen Weidmann, a convicted murderer, is executed in Versailles outside the Saint-Pierre prison.
- 1940 – World War II: RMS Lancastria is attacked and sunk by the Luftwaffe near Saint-Nazaire, France. At least 3,000 are killed in Britain’s worst maritime disaster.
- 1940 – World War II: The British Army’s 11th Hussars assault and take Fort Capuzzo in Libya, Africa from Italian forces.
- 1940 – The three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania fall under the occupation of the Soviet Union.
- 1944 – Iceland declares independence from Denmark and becomes a republic.
- 1948 – United Airlines Flight 624, a Douglas DC-6, crashes near Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania, killing all 43 people on board.
- 1952 – Guatemala passes Decree 900, ordering the redistribution of uncultivated land.
- 1953 – Cold War: East Germany Workers Uprising: In East Germany, the Soviet Union orders a division of troops into East Berlin to quell a rebellion.
- 1958 – The Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing, in the process of being built to connect Vancouver and North Vancouver (Canada), collapses into the Burrard Inlet killing 18 ironworkers and injuring others.
- 1960 – The Nez Perce tribe is awarded $4 million for 7 million acres (28,000 km²) of land undervalued at four cents/acre in the 1863 treaty.
- 1963 – The United States Supreme Court rules 8–1 in Abington School District v. Schempp against requiring the reciting of Bible verses and the Lord’s Prayer in public schools.
- 1963 – A day after South Vietnamese President Ngô Đình Diệm announced the Joint Communiqué to end the Buddhist crisis, a riot involving around 2,000 people breaks out. One person is killed.
- 1967 – Nuclear weapons testing: China announces a successful test of its first thermonuclear weapon.
- 1972 – Watergate scandal: Five White House operatives are arrested for burgling the offices of the Democratic National Committee during an attempt by members of the administration of President Richard M. Nixon to illegally wiretap the political opposition as part of a broader campaign to subvert the democratic process
- 1985 – Space Shuttle program: STS-51-G mission: Space Shuttle Discovery launches carrying Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the first Arab and first Muslim in space, as a payload specialist.
- 1987 – With the death of the last individual of the species, the dusky seaside sparrow becomes extinct.
- 1991 – Apartheid: The South African Parliament repeals the Population Registration Act which required racial classification of all South Africans at birth.
- 1992 – A “joint understanding” agreement on arms reduction is signed by U.S. President George Bush and Russian President Boris Yeltsin (this would be later codified in START II).
- 1994 – Following a televised low-speed highway chase, O. J. Simpson is arrested for the murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman.
- 2015 – Nine people are killed in a mass shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina.
- 2017 – A series of wildfires in central Portugal kill at least 64 people and injure 204 others.
Births on June 17
- 801 – Drogo of Metz, Frankish bishop (d. 855)
- 1239 – Edward I, English king (d. 1307)
- 1530 – François de Montmorency, French nobleman (d. 1579)
- 1571 – Thomas Mun, English writer on economics (d. 1641)
- 1603 – Joseph of Cupertino, Italian mystic and saint (d. 1663)
- 1604 – John Maurice, Dutch nobleman (d. 1679)
- 1610 – Birgitte Thott, Danish scholar, writer and translator (b. 1662)
- 1631 – Gauharara Begum, Mughal princess (d. 1706)
- 1682 – Charles XII, Swedish king (d. 1718)
- 1691 – Giovanni Paolo Panini, Italian painter and architect (d. 1765)
- 1693 – Johann Georg Walch, German theologian and author (d. 1775)
- 1704 – John Kay, English engineer, invented the Flying shuttle (d. 1780)
- 1714 – César-François Cassini de Thury, French astronomer and cartographer (d. 1784)
- 1718 – George Howard, English field marshal and politician, Governor of Minorca (d. 1796)
- 1778 – Gregory Blaxland, English-Australian explorer (d. 1853)
- 1800 – William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse, English-Irish astronomer and politician (d. 1867)
- 1808 – Henrik Wergeland, Norwegian poet, playwright, and linguist (d. 1845)
- 1810 – Ferdinand Freiligrath, German poet and translator (d. 1876)
- 1811 – Jón Sigurðsson, Icelandic scholar and politician (d. 1879)
- 1818 – Charles Gounod, French composer and academic (d. 1893)
- 1818 – Sophie of Württemberg, queen of the Netherlands (d. 1877)
- 1821 – E. G. Squier, American archaeologist and journalist (d. 1888)
- 1832 – William Crookes, English chemist and physicist (d. 1919)
- 1833 – Manuel González Flores, Mexican general and president (d. 1893)
- 1858 – Eben Sumner Draper, American businessman and politician, 44th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1914)
- 1861 – Pete Browning, American baseball player (d. 1905)
- 1861 – Omar Bundy, American general (d. 1940)
- 1863 – Charles Michael, duke of Mecklenburg (d. 1934)
- 1865 – Susan La Flesche Picotte, Native American physician (d. 1915)
- 1867 – Flora Finch, English-American actress (d. 1940)
- 1867 – John Robert Gregg, Irish-born American educator, publisher, and humanitarian (d. 1948)
- 1867 – Henry Lawson, Australian poet and author (d. 1922)
- 1871 – James Weldon Johnson, American author, journalist, and activist (d. 1938)
- 1876 – William Carr, American rower (d. 1942)
- 1876 – Edward Anthony Spitzka, American anatomist and author (d. 1922)
- 1880 – Carl Van Vechten, American author and photographer (d. 1964)
- 1881 – Tommy Burns, Canadian boxer and promoter (d. 1955)
- 1882 – Adolphus Frederick VI, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (d. 1918)
- 1882 – Igor Stravinsky, Russian pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1971)
- 1888 – Heinz Guderian, German general (d. 1954)
- 1897 – Maria Izilda de Castro Ribeiro, Brazilian girl, popular saint (d. 1911)
- 1898 – M. C. Escher, Dutch illustrator (d. 1972)
- 1898 – Carl Hermann, German physicist and academic (d. 1961)
- 1898 – Harry Patch, English soldier and firefighter (d. 2009)
- 1900 – Martin Bormann, German politician (d. 1945)
- 1900 – Evelyn Irons, Scottish journalist and war correspondent (d. 2000)
- 1902 – Sammy Fain, American pianist and composer (d. 1989)
- 1902 – Alec Hurwood, Australian cricketer (d. 1982)
- 1903 – Ruth Graves Wakefield, American chef, created the chocolate chip cookie (d. 1977)
- 1904 – Ralph Bellamy, American actor (d. 1991)
- 1904 – J. Vernon McGee, American pastor and theologian (d. 1988)
- 1904 – Patrice Tardif, Canadian farmer and politician (d. 1989)
- 1907 – Maurice Cloche, French director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1990)
- 1909 – Elmer L. Andersen, American businessman and politician, 30th Governor of Minnesota (d. 2004)
- 1909 – Ralph E. Winters, Canadian-American film editor (d. 2004)
- 1910 – Red Foley, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1968)
- 1910 – George Hees, Canadian football player and politician (d. 1996)
- 1914 – John Hersey, American journalist and author (d. 1993)
- 1915 – David “Stringbean” Akeman, American singer and banjo player (d. 1973)
- 1915 – Marcel Cadieux, Canadian civil servant and diplomat, Canadian Ambassador to the United States (d. 1981)
- 1916 – Terry Gilkyson, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1999)
- 1917 – Dufferin Roblin, Canadian politician, 14th Premier of Manitoba (d. 2010)
- 1918 – Ajahn Chah, Thai monk and educator (d. 1992)
- 1919 – William Kaye Estes, American psychologist and academic (d. 2011)
- 1919 – John Moffat, Scottish lieutenant and pilot (d. 2016)
- 1919 – Beryl Reid, English actress (d. 1996)
- 1920 – Jacob H. Gilbert, American lawyer and politician (d. 1981)
- 1920 – Setsuko Hara, Japanese actress (d. 2015)
- 1920 – François Jacob, French biologist and geneticist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2013)
- 1920 – Peter Le Cheminant, English air marshal and politician, Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey (d. 2018)
- 1922 – John Amis, English journalist and critic (d. 2013)
- 1923 – Elroy Hirsch, American football player (d. 2004)
- 1923 – Arnold S. Relman, American physician and academic (d. 2014)
- 1923 – Dale C. Thomson, Canadian historian and academic (d. 1999)
- 1925 – Alexander Shulgin, American pharmacologist and chemist (d. 2014)
- 1927 – Martin Böttcher, German composer and conductor (d. 2019)
- 1927 – Wally Wood, American author, illustrator, and publisher (d. 1981)
- 1928 – Juan María Bordaberry, President of Uruguay (d. 2011)
- 1929 – Bud Collins, American journalist and sportscaster (d. 2016)
- 1929 – Tigran Petrosian, Armenian chess player (d. 1984)
- 1930 – Cliff Gallup, American rock & roll guitarist (d. 1988)
- 1930 – Brian Statham, English cricketer (d. 2000)
- 1931 – John Baldessari, American painter and illustrator (d. 2020)
- 1932 – Derek Ibbotson, English runner (d. 2017)
- 1932 – John Murtha, American colonel and politician (d. 2010)
- 1933 – Harry Browne, American soldier and politician (d. 2006)
- 1933 – Christian Ferras, French violinist (d. 1982)
- 1933 – Maurice Stokes, American basketball player (d. 1970)
- 1936 – Vern Harper, Canadian tribal leader and activist (d. 2018)
- 1936 – Ken Loach, English director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1937 – Peter Fitzgerald, Irish footballer and manager (d. 2013)
- 1937 – Ted Nelson, American sociologist and philosopher
- 1937 – Clodovil Hernandes, Brazilian fashion designer, television presenter and politician (d. 2009)
- 1940 – George Akerlof, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1940 – Bobby Bell, American football player
- 1940 – Chuck Rainey, American bassist
- 1941 – Nicholas C. Handy, English chemist and academic (d. 2012)
- 1942 – Mohamed ElBaradei, Egyptian politician, Vice President of Egypt, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1942 – Doğu Perinçek, Turkish lawyer and politician
- 1942 – Roger Steffens, American actor and producer
- 1943 – Newt Gingrich, American historian and politician, 58th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
- 1943 – Barry Manilow, American singer-songwriter and producer
- 1943 – Chantal Mouffe, Belgian theorist and author
- 1943 – Burt Rutan, American engineer and pilot
- 1944 – Randy Johnson, American football player (d. 2009)
- 1944 – Chris Spedding, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1945 – Tommy Franks, American general
- 1945 – Ken Livingstone, English politician, 1st Mayor of London
- 1945 – Eddy Merckx, Belgian cyclist and sportscaster
- 1945 – Art Bell, American broadcaster and author (d. 2018)
- 1946 – Peter Rosei, Austrian author, poet, and playwright
- 1947 – Christopher Allport, American actor (d. 2008)
- 1947 – Timothy Wright, American gospel singer, pastor (d. 2009)
- 1947 – Linda Chavez, American journalist and author
- 1947 – George S. Clinton, American composer and songwriter
- 1947 – Gregg Rolie, American rock singer-songwriter and keyboard player
- 1947 – Paul Young, English singer-songwriter (d. 2000)
- 1948 – Dave Concepción, Venezuelan baseball player and manager
- 1948 – Jacqueline Jones, American historian and academic
- 1948 – Aurelio López, Mexican baseball player and politician (d. 1992)
- 1948 – Karol Sikora, English physician and academic
- 1949 – Snakefinger, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1987)
- 1949 – John Craven, English economist and academic
- 1949 – Russell Smith, American country singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2019)
- 1950 – Lee Tamahori, New Zealand film director
- 1951 – Starhawk, American author and activist
- 1951 – John Garrett, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
- 1951 – Joe Piscopo, American actor, comedian, and screenwriter
- 1952 – Mike Milbury, American ice hockey player, coach, and manager
- 1952 – Estelle Morris, Baroness Morris of Yardley, English educator and politician, Secretary of State for Education
- 1953 – Vernon Coaker, English educator and politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
- 1953 – Juan Muñoz, Spanish sculptor and storyteller (d. 2001)
- 1954 – Mark Linn-Baker, American actor and director
- 1955 – Mati Laur, Estonian historian, author, and academic
- 1955 – Bob Sauvé, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
- 1955 – Cem Hakko, Turkish fashion designer and businessman
- 1956 – Iain Milne, Scottish rugby player
- 1957 – Philip Chevron, Irish singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2013)
- 1957 – Martin Dillon, American tenor and educator (d. 2005)
- 1957 – Uģis Prauliņš, Latvian composer
- 1958 – Pierre Berbizier, French rugby player and coach
- 1958 – Jello Biafra, American singer-songwriter and producer
- 1958 – Bobby Farrelly, American director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1958 – Sam Hamad, Syrian-Canadian academic and politician
- 1958 – Jon Leibowitz, American lawyer and politician
- 1958 – Daniel McVicar, American actor
- 1959 – Carol Anderson, American author and historian
- 1959 – Lawrence Haddad, South African-English economist and academic
- 1959 – Nikos Stavropoulos, Greek basketball player and coach
- 1960 – Adrián Campos, Spanish race car driver
- 1960 – Thomas Haden Church, American actor
- 1961 – Kōichi Yamadera, Japanese actor and singer
- 1962 – Michael Monroe, Finnish singer-songwriter and saxophonist
- 1963 – Greg Kinnear, American actor, television presenter, and producer
- 1964 – Rinaldo Capello, Italian race car driver
- 1964 – Michael Gross, German swimmer
- 1964 – Steve Rhodes, English cricketer and coach
- 1965 – Dermontti Dawson, American football player and coach
- 1965 – Dan Jansen, American speed skater and sportscaster
- 1965 – Dara O’Kearney, Irish runner and poker player
- 1966 – Mohammed Ghazy Al-Akhras, Iraqi journalist and author
- 1966 – Tory Burch, American fashion designer and philanthropist
- 1966 – Ken Clark, American football player (d. 2013)
- 1966 – Diane Modahl, English runner
- 1966 – Jason Patric, American actor
- 1967 – Dorothea Röschmann, German soprano and actress
- 1967 – Eric Stefani, American keyboard player and composer
- 1968 – Steve Georgallis, Australian rugby league player and coach
- 1968 – Minoru Suzuki, Japanese wrestler and mixed martial artist
- 1969 – Paul Tergat, Kenyan runner
- 1969 – Geoff Toovey, Australian rugby league player and coach
- 1969 – Ilya Tsymbalar, Ukrainian-Russian footballer and manager (d. 2013)
- 1970 – Stéphane Fiset, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1970 – Will Forte, American actor, comedian, and screenwriter
- 1970 – Jason Hanson, American football player
- 1970 – Popeye Jones, American basketball player and coach
- 1970 – Michael Showalter, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1970 – Alan Dowson, English football manager and former professional player
- 1971 – Paulina Rubio, Mexican pop singer
- 1971 – Mildred Fox, Irish politician
- 1973 – Leander Paes, Indian tennis player
- 1974 – Evangelia Psarra, Greek archer
- 1975 – Joshua Leonard, American actor, director, and screenwriter
- 1975 – Juan Carlos Valerón, Spanish footballer
- 1975 – Phiyada Akkraseranee, Thai actress and model
- 1976 – Scott Adkins, English actor and martial artist
- 1976 – Sven Nys, Belgian cyclist
- 1977 – Tjaša Jezernik, Slovenian tennis player
- 1977 – Mark Tauscher, American football player and sportscaster
- 1978 – Isabelle Delobel, French ice dancer
- 1978 – Travis Roche, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1979 – Nick Rimando, American soccer player
- 1979 – Tyson Apostol, American television personality
- 1979 – Young Maylay, American rapper, producer, and voice actor
- 1980 – Elisa Rigaudo, Italian race walker
- 1980 – Jeph Jacques, American author and illustrator
- 1980 – Venus Williams, American tennis player
- 1981 – Kyle Boller, American football player
- 1981 – Shane Watson, Australian cricketer
- 1982 – Alex Rodrigo Dias da Costa, Brazilian footballer
- 1982 – Marek Svatoš, Slovak ice hockey player (d. 2016)
- 1982 – Stanislava Hrozenská, Slovak tennis player
- 1982 – Stefan Hodgetts, English racing driver
- 1982 – Arthur Darvill, English actor
- 1982 – Jodie Whittaker, English actress
- 1983 – Lee Ryan, English singer/actor
- 1983 – Vlasis Kazakis, Greek footballer
- 1984 – Michael Mathieu, Bahamian sprinter
- 1984 – Si Tianfeng, Chinese race walker
- 1985 – Özge Akın, Turkish sprinter
- 1985 – Marcos Baghdatis, Cypriot tennis player
- 1985 – Rafael Sóbis, Brazilian footballer
- 1986 – Apoula Edel, Armenian footballer
- 1986 – Helen Glover, English rower
- 1987 – Kendrick Lamar, American rapper
- 1987 – Nozomi Tsuji, Japanese singer and actress
- 1988 – Andrew Ogilvy, Australian basketball player
- 1988 – Shaun MacDonald, Welsh footballer
- 1988 – Stephanie Rice, Australian swimmer
- 1989 – Georgios Tofas, Cypriot footballer
- 1989 – Simone Battle, American singer and actress (d. 2014)
- 1990 – Jordan Henderson, English footballer
- 1990 – Josh Mansour, Australian rugby league player
- 1991 – Daniel Tupou, Australian-Tongan rugby league player
- 1994 – Amari Cooper, American football player
- 1995 – Clément Lenglet, French footballer
Deaths on June 17
- 656 – Uthman, caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate (b. 579)
- 676 – Adeodatus, pope of the Catholic Church
- 811 – Sakanoue no Tamuramaro, Japanese shōgun (b. 758)
- 850 – Tachibana no Kachiko, Japanese empress (b. 786)
- 900 – Fulk, French archbishop and chancellor
- 1025 – Bolesław I the Brave, Polish king (b. 967)
- 1091 – Dirk V, count of Holland (b. 1052)
- 1207 – Daoji, Chinese buddhist monk (b. 1130)
- 1219 – David of Scotland, 8th Earl of Huntingdon
- 1361 – Ingeborg of Norway, princess consort and regent of Sweden (b. 1301)
- 1400 – Jan of Jenštejn, archbishop of Prague (b. 1348)
- 1463 – Catherine of Portugal, Portuguese princess (b. 1436)
- 1501 – John I Albert, Polish king (b. 1459)
- 1565 – Ashikaga Yoshiteru, Japanese shōgun (b. 1536)
- 1631 – Mumtaz Mahal, Mughal princess (b. 1593)
- 1649 – Injo of Joseon, Korean king (b. 1595)
- 1674 – Jijabai, Dowager Queen, mother of Shivaji (b. 1598)
- 1694 – Philip Howard, English cardinal (b. 1629)
- 1696 – John III Sobieski, Polish king (b. 1629)
- 1719 – Joseph Addison, English essayist, poet, playwright, and politician (b. 1672)
- 1734 – Claude Louis Hector de Villars, French general and politician, French Secretary of State for War (b. 1653)
- 1740 – Sir William Wyndham, 3rd Baronet, English politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (b. 1687)
- 1762 – Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon, French poet and playwright (b. 1674)
- 1771 – Daskalogiannis, Greek rebel leader (b. 1722)
- 1775 – John Pitcairn, Scottish-English soldier (b. 1722)
- 1797 – Mohammad Khan Qajar, Persian tribal chief (b. 1742)
- 1813 – Charles Middleton, 1st Baron Barham, Scottish-English admiral and politician (b. 1726)
- 1821 – Martín Miguel de Güemes, Argentinian general and politician (b. 1785)
- 1839 – Lord William Bentinck, English general and politician, 14th Governor-General of India (b. 1774)
- 1866 – Joseph Méry, French poet and author (b. 1798)
- 1889 – Lozen, Chiracaua Apache warrior woman (b. ~1840)
- 1898 – Edward Burne-Jones, English soldier and painter (b. 1833)
- 1904 – Nikolay Bobrikov, Russian soldier and politician, Governor-General of Finland (b. 1839)
- 1936 – Julius Seljamaa, Estonian journalist, politician, and diplomat, Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1883)
- 1939 – Allen Sothoron, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1893)
- 1939 – Eugen Weidmann, German criminal (b. 1908)
- 1940 – Arthur Harden, English biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1865)
- 1941 – Johan Wagenaar, Dutch organist and composer (b. 1862)
- 1942 – Charles Fitzpatrick, Canadian lawyer and politician, 5th Chief Justice of Canada (b. 1853)
- 1952 – Jack Parsons, American chemist and engineer (b. 1914)
- 1954 – Danny Cedrone, American guitarist and bandleader (b. 1920)
- 1956 – Percival Perry, 1st Baron Perry, English businessman (b. 1878)
- 1956 – Paul Rostock, German surgeon and academic (b. 1892)
- 1956 – Bob Sweikert, American race car driver (b. 1926)
- 1957 – Dorothy Richardson, English journalist and author (b. 1873)
- 1957 – J. R. Williams, Canadian-American cartoonist (b. 1888)
- 1961 – Jeff Chandler, American actor (b. 1918)
- 1963 – Aleksander Kesküla, Estonian politician (b. 1882)
- 1968 – José Nasazzi, Uruguayan footballer and manager (b. 1901)
- 1974 – Refik Koraltan, Turkish lawyer and politician, 8th Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (b. 1889)
- 1975 – James Phinney Baxter III, American historian and academic (b. 1893)
- 1979 – Hubert Ashton, English cricketer and politician (b. 1898)
- 1979 – Duffy Lewis, American baseball player and manager (b. 1888)
- 1981 – Richard O’Connor, Indian-English general (b. 1889)
- 1981 – Zerna Sharp, American author and educator (b. 1889)
- 1982 – Roberto Calvi, Italian banker (b. 1920)
- 1983 – Peter Mennin, American composer and educator (b. 1923)
- 1985 – John Boulting, English director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1913)
- 1986 – Kate Smith, American singer (b. 1907)
- 1987 – Dick Howser, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1936)
- 1996 – Thomas Kuhn, American historian and philosopher (b. 1922)
- 1996 – Curt Swan, American illustrator (b. 1920)
- 1999 – Basil Hume, English cardinal (b. 1923)
- 2000 – Ismail Mahomed, South African lawyer and jurist, 17th Chief Justice of South Africa (b. 1931)
- 2001 – Donald J. Cram, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1919)
- 2001 – Thomas Winning, Scottish cardinal (b. 1925)
- 2002 – Willie Davenport, American sprinter and hurdler (b. 1943)
- 2002 – Fritz Walter, German footballer (b. 1920)
- 2004 – Gerry McNeil, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1926)
- 2006 – Bussunda, Brazilian comedian (b. 1962)
- 2007 – Gianfranco Ferré, Italian fashion designer (b. 1944)
- 2007 – Serena Wilson, American dancer and choreographer (b. 1933)
- 2008 – Cyd Charisse, American actress and dancer (b. 1922)
- 2009 – Ralf Dahrendorf, German-English sociologist and politician (b. 1929)
- 2009 – Darrell Powers, American sergeant (b. 1923)
- 2011 – Rex Mossop, Australian rugby player and sportscaster (b. 1928)
- 2012 – Stéphane Brosse, French mountaineer (b. 1971)
- 2012 – Patricia Brown, American baseball player (b. 1931)
- 2012 – Nathan Divinsky, Canadian mathematician and chess player (b. 1925)
- 2012 – Rodney King, American victim of police brutality (b. 1965)
- 2012 – Fauzia Wahab, Pakistani actress and politician (b. 1956)
- 2013 – Michael Baigent, New Zealand-English theorist and author (b. 1948)
- 2013 – Atiqul Haque Chowdhury, Bangladeshi playwright and producer (b. 1930)
- 2013 – Pierre F. Côté, Canadian lawyer and civil servant (b. 1927)
- 2013 – Bulbs Ehlers, American basketball player (b. 1923)
- 2013 – James Holshouser, American politician, 68th Governor of North Carolina (b. 1934)
- 2014 – Patsy Byrne, English actress (b. 1933)
- 2014 – Éric Dewailly, Canadian epidemiologist and academic (b. 1954)
- 2014 – Stanley Marsh 3, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1938)
- 2014 – Arnold S. Relman, American physician and academic (b. 1923)
- 2014 – Larry Zeidel, Canadian-American ice hockey player and sportscaster (b. 1928)
- 2015 – Ron Clarke, Australian runner and politician, Mayor of the Gold Coast (b. 1937)
- 2015 – John David Crow, American football player and coach (b. 1935)
- 2015 – Süleyman Demirel, Turkish engineer and politician, 9th President of Turkey (b. 1924)
- 2015 – Roberto M. Levingston, Argentinian general and politician, 36th President of Argentina (b. 1920)
- 2015 – Clementa C. Pinckney, American minister and politician (b. 1973)
- 2017 – Baldwin Lonsdale, president of Vanuatu (b. 1948)
Holidays and observances on June 17
- Christian feast day:
  
  Albert Chmielowski
  
  Botolph (England and Scandinavia)
  
  Gondulphus of Berry
  
  Hervé
  
  Hypatius of Bithynia (Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic Churches)
  
  Rainerius
  
  Samuel and Henrietta Barnett (Church of England)
  
  June 17 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Father’s Day (El Salvador, Guatemala)
- Icelandic National Day, celebrates the independence of Iceland from Kingdom of Denmark in 1944.
- Occupation of the Latvian Republic Day (Latvia)
- Remembrance to East German uprising of 1953, public holiday in West Germany between 1954 and 1990 (today German Unity Day) is the public holiday day)
- World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought (International)
- Zemla Intifada Day (Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic)
Read More June 17 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day
On This Day | Uncategorized

May 31- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day
May 31 in History
- 455 – Emperor Petronius Maximus is stoned to death by an angry mob while fleeing Rome.
- 1223 – Mongol invasion of the Cumans: Battle of the Kalka River: Mongol armies of Genghis Khan led by Subutai defeat Kievan Rus’ and Cumans.
- 1293 – Mongol invasion of Java was a punitive expedition against King Kertanegara of Singhasari, who had refused to pay tribute to the Yuan and maimed one of its ministers. However, it ended with failure for the Mongols. Regarded as establish City of Surabaya
- 1578 – King Henry III lays the first stone of the Pont Neuf (New Bridge), the oldest bridge of Paris, France.
- 1669 – Citing poor eyesight as a reason, Samuel Pepys records the last event in his diary.
- 1775 – American Revolution: The Mecklenburg Resolves are adopted in the Province of North Carolina.
- 1790 – Manuel Quimper explores the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
- 1790 – The United States enacts its first copyright statute, the Copyright Act of 1790.
- 1795 – French Revolution: The Revolutionary Tribunal is suppressed.
- 1805 – French and Spanish forces begin the assault against British forces occupying Diamond Rock.
- 1813 – In Australia, William Lawson, Gregory Blaxland and William Wentworth reach Mount Blaxland, effectively marking the end of a route across the Blue Mountains.
- 1859 – The clock tower at the Houses of Parliament, which houses Big Ben, starts keeping time.
- 1862 – American Civil War: Peninsula Campaign: Confederate forces under Joseph E. Johnston and G.W. Smith engage Union forces under George B. McClellan outside Richmond, Virginia.
- 1864 – American Civil War: Overland Campaign: Battle of Cold Harbor: The Army of Northern Virginia engages the Army of the Potomac.
- 1879 – Gilmore’s Garden in New York City is renamed Madison Square Garden by William Henry Vanderbilt and is opened to the public at 26th Street and Madison Avenue.
- 1884 – The arrival at Plymouth of Tāwhiao, King of Maoris, to claim the protection of Queen Victoria.
- 1889 – Johnstown Flood: Over 2,200 people die after a dam fails and sends a 60-foot (18-meter) wall of water over the town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
- 1902 – Second Boer War: The Treaty of Vereeniging ends the war and ensures British control of South Africa.
- 1909 – The National Negro Committee, forerunner to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), convenes for the first time.
- 1910 – The South Africa Act comes into force, establishing the Union of South Africa.
- 1911 – The RMS Titanic is launched in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
- 1911 – The President of Mexico Porfirio Díaz flees the country during the Mexican Revolution.
- 1916 – World War I: Battle of Jutland: The British Grand Fleet engages the High Seas Fleet in the largest naval battle of the war, which proves indecisive.
- 1921 – The Tulsa race massacre kills at least 39, but other estimates of black fatalities vary from 55 to about 300.
- 1935 – A 7.7 M_w  earthquake destroys Quetta in modern-day Pakistan killing 40,000.
- 1941 – Anglo-Iraqi War: The United Kingdom completes the re-occupation of Iraq and returns ‘Abd al-Ilah to power as regent for Faisal II.
- 1942 – World War II: Imperial Japanese Navy midget submarines begin a series of attacks on Sydney, Australia.
- 1947 – Ferenc Nagy, the democratically elected Prime Minister of Hungary, resigns from office after blackmail from the Hungarian Communist Party accusing him of being part of a plot against the state. This grants the Communists effective control of the Hungarian government.
- 1961 – The South African Constitution of 1961 becomes effective, thus creating the Republic of South Africa, which remains outside the Commonwealth of Nations until 1 June 1994, when South Africa is returned to Commonwealth membership.
- 1961 – In Moscow City Court, the Rokotov–Faibishenko show trial begins, despite the Khrushchev Thaw to reverse Stalinist elements in Soviet society.
- 1962 – The West Indies Federation dissolves.
- 1970 – The 7.9 M_w  Ancash earthquake shakes Peru with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe) and a landslide buries the town of Yungay, Peru. Between 66,794–70,000 were killed and 50,000 were injured.
- 1971 – In accordance with the Uniform Monday Holiday Act passed by the U.S. Congress in 1968, observation of Memorial Day occurs on the last Monday in May for the first time, rather than on the traditional Memorial Day of May 30.
- 1973 – The United States Senate votes to cut off funding for the bombing of Khmer Rouge targets within Cambodia, hastening the end of the Cambodian Civil War.
- 1977 – The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System is completed.
- 1985 – United States–Canada tornado outbreak: Forty-one tornadoes hit Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Ontario, leaving 76 dead.
- 1991 – Bicesse Accords in Angola lay out a transition to multi-party democracy under the supervision of the United Nations’ UNAVEM II mission.
- 2005 – Vanity Fair reveals that Mark Felt was “Deep Throat”.
- 2008 – Usain Bolt breaks the world record in the 100m sprint, with a wind-legal (+1.7 m/s) 9.72 seconds
- 2010 – Israeli Shayetet 13 commandos boarded the Gaza Freedom Flotilla while still in international waters trying to break the ongoing blockade of the Gaza Strip; nine Turkish citizens on the flotilla were killed in the ensuing violent affray.
- 2013 – The asteroid 1998 QE2 and its moon make their closest approach to Earth for the next two centuries.
- 2013 – A record breaking 2.6 mile wide tornado strikes El Reno, Oklahoma, United States, causing eight fatalities and over 150 injuries.
- 2017 – A car bomb explodes in a crowded intersection in Kabul near the German embassy during rush hour, killing over 90 and injuring 463.
- 2017 – U.S. President Donald Trump tweets the word “covfefe” and quickly becomes a worldwide viral phenomenon.
- 2019 – A shooting occurs inside a municipal building at Virginia Beach, Virginia, leaving 13 people dead, including the shooter, and four others injured.
Births on May 31
- 1443 (or 1441) – Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby (d. 1509)
- 1462 – Philipp II, Count of Hanau-Lichtenberg (d. 1504)
- 1469 – Manuel I of Portugal (d. 1521)
- 1535 – Alessandro Allori, Italian painter (d. 1607)
- 1556 – Jerzy Radziwiłł, Catholic cardinal (d. 1600)
- 1577 – Nur Jahan, Empress consort of the Mughal Empire (d. 1645)
- 1613 – John George II, Elector of Saxony (d. 1680)
- 1640 – Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki, King of Poland (d. 1673)
- 1641 – Patriarch Dositheos II of Jerusalem (d. 1707)
- 1725 – Ahilyabai Holkar, Queen of the Malwa Kingdom under the Maratha Empire (d. 1795)
- 1732 – Count Hieronymus von Colloredo, Austrian archbishop (d. 1812)
- 1753 – Pierre Victurnien Vergniaud, French lawyer and politician (d. 1793)
- 1754 – Andrea Appiani, Italian painter and educator (d. 1817)
- 1773 – Ludwig Tieck, German poet, author, and critic (d. 1853)
- 1801 – Johann Georg Baiter, Swiss philologist and scholar (d. 1887)
- 1815 – Adye Douglas, English-Australian cricketer and politician, 15th Premier of Tasmania (d. 1906)
- 1818 – John Albion Andrew, American lawyer and politician, 25th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1867)
- 1819 – Walt Whitman, American poet, essayist, and journalist (d. 1892)
- 1827 – Kusumoto Ine, first Japanese female doctor of Western medicine (d. 1903)
- 1835 – Hijikata Toshizō, Japanese commander (d. 1869)
- 1838 – Henry Sidgwick, English economist and philosopher (d. 1900)
- 1842 – John Cox Bray, Australian politician, 15th Premier of South Australia (d. 1894)
- 1847 – William Pirrie, 1st Viscount Pirrie, Canadian-Irish businessman and politician, Lord Mayor of Belfast (d. 1924)
- 1852 – Francisco Moreno, Argentinian explorer and academic (d. 1919)
- 1852 – Julius Richard Petri, German microbiologist, invented the Petri dish (d. 1921)
- 1857 – Pope Pius XI (d. 1939)
- 1858 – Graham Wallas, English socialist, social psychologist, and educationalist (d. 1932)
- 1860 – Walter Sickert, English painter (d. 1942)
- 1863 – Francis Younghusband, Indian-English captain and explorer (d. 1942)
- 1866 – John Ringling, American entrepreneur; one of the founders of the Ringling Brothers Circus (d. 1936)
- 1875 – Rosa May Billinghurst, British suffragette and women’s rights activist (d.1953)
- 1879 – Frances Alda, New Zealand-Australian soprano (d. 1952)
- 1882 – Sándor Festetics, Hungarian politician, Hungarian Minister of War (d. 1956)
- 1883 – Lauri Kristian Relander, Finnish politician, 2nd President of Finland (d. 1942)
- 1885 – Robert Richards, Australian politician, 32nd Premier of South Australia (d. 1967)
- 1887 – Saint-John Perse, French poet and diplomat, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1975)
- 1892 – Michel Kikoine, Belarusian-French painter (d. 1968)
- 1892 – Erich Neumann, German lieutenant and politician (d. 1951)
- 1892 – Konstantin Paustovsky, Russian poet and author (d. 1968)
- 1892 – Gregor Strasser, German lieutenant and politician (d. 1934)
- 1894 – Fred Allen, American comedian, radio host, game show panelist, and author (d. 1956)
- 1898 – Norman Vincent Peale, American minister and author (d. 1993)
- 1900 – Lucile Godbold, American Olympic athlete (d. 1981)
- 1901 – Alfredo Antonini, Italian-American conductor and composer (d. 1983)
- 1908 – Don Ameche, American actor (d. 1993)
- 1909 – Art Coulter, Canadian-American ice hockey player (d. 2000)
- 1911 – Maurice Allais, French economist and physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2010)
- 1912 – Chien-Shiung Wu, Chinese-American experimental physicist (d. 1997)
- 1914 – Akira Ifukube, Japanese composer and educator (d. 2006)
- 1916 – Bert Haanstra, Dutch director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1997)
- 1918 – Robert Osterloh, American actor (d. 2001)
- 1918 – Lloyd Quarterman, African American chemist (d. 1982)
- 1919 – Robie Macauley, American editor, novelist and critic (d. 1995)
- 1921 – Edna Doré, English actress (d. 2014)
- 1921 – Andrew Grima, Anglo-Italian jewellery designer (d. 2007)
- 1921 – Howard Reig, American radio and television announcer (d. 2008)
- 1921 – Alida Valli, Austrian-Italian actress and singer (d. 2006)
- 1922 – Denholm Elliott, English-Spanish actor (d. 1992)
- 1923 – Ellsworth Kelly, American painter and sculptor (d. 2015)
- 1923 – Rainier III, Prince of Monaco (d. 2005)
- 1925 – Julian Beck, American actor and director (d. 1986)
- 1927 – James Eberle, English admiral (d. 2018)
- 1927 – Michael Sandberg, Baron Sandberg, English lieutenant and banker (d. 2017)
- 1928 – Pankaj Roy, Indian cricketer (d. 2001)
- 1929 – Menahem Golan, Israeli director and producer (d. 2014)
- 1930 – Clint Eastwood, American actor, director, musician, and producer
- 1931 – John Robert Schrieffer, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2019)
- 1931 – Shirley Verrett, American soprano and actress (d. 2010)
- 1932 – Ed Lincoln, Brazilian pianist, bassist, and composer (d. 2012)
- 1932 – Jay Miner, American computer scientist and engineer (d. 1994)
- 1933 – Henry B. Eyring, American religious leader, educator, and author
- 1934 – Jim Hutton, American actor (d. 1979)
- 1935 – Jim Bolger, New Zealand businessman and politician, 35th Prime Minister of New Zealand
- 1938 – Johnny Paycheck, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2003)
- 1938 – John Prescott, British sailor and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
- 1938 – Peter Yarrow, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
- 1939 – Terry Waite, English humanitarian and author
- 1940 – Anatoliy Bondarchuk, Ukrainian hammer thrower and coach
- 1940 – Augie Meyers, American musician and singer-songwriter
- 1940 – Gilbert Shelton, American illustrator
- 1941 – June Clark, Welsh nurse and educator
- 1941 – Louis Ignarro, American pharmacologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1941 – William Nordhaus, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1943 – Sharon Gless, American actress
- 1943 – Joe Namath, American football player, sportscaster, and actor
- 1945 – Rainer Werner Fassbinder, German actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1982)
- 1945 – Laurent Gbagbo, Ivorian academic and politician, 4th President of Côte d’Ivoire
- 1945 – Bernard Goldberg, American journalist and author
- 1946 – Ted Baehr, American publisher and critic
- 1946 – Steve Bucknor, Jamaican cricketer and umpire
- 1946 – Krista Kilvet, Estonian journalist, politician, and diplomat (d. 2009)
- 1946 – Debbie Moore, English model and businesswoman
- 1947 – Junior Campbell, Scottish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
- 1947 – Gabriele Hinzmann, German discus thrower
- 1948 – Svetlana Alexievich, Belarusian journalist and author, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1948 – John Bonham, English musician, songwriter and drummer (d. 1980)
- 1948 – Martin Hannett, English bass player, guitarist, and record producer (d. 1991)
- 1948 – Duncan Hunter, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician
- 1949 – Tom Berenger, American actor, film producer and television writer
- 1950 – Jean Chalopin, French director, producer, and screenwriter, founded DIC Entertainment
- 1950 – Gregory Harrison, American actor
- 1950 – Edgar Savisaar, Estonian politician, Estonian Minister of the Interior
- 1951 – Karl-Hans Riehm, German hammer thrower
- 1952 – Karl Bartos, German singer-songwriter and keyboard player
- 1953 – Pirkka-Pekka Petelius, Finnish actor and screenwriter
- 1954 – Thomas Mavros, Greek footballer
- 1954 – Vicki Sue Robinson, American actress and singer (d. 2000)
- 1955 – Tommy Emmanuel, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1955 – Susie Essman, American actress, comedian, and screenwriter
- 1956 – Fritz Hilpert, German drummer and composer
- 1956 – John Young, English singer-songwriter and keyboard player
- 1957 – Jim Craig, American ice hockey player
- 1959 – Andrea de Cesaris, Italian racing driver (d. 2014)
- 1959 – Phil Wilson, English politician
- 1960 – Greg Adams, Canadian ice hockey player and businessman
- 1960 – Chris Elliott, American actor, comedian, and screenwriter
- 1960 – Peter Winterbottom, English rugby player
- 1961 – Ray Cote, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1961 – Justin Madden, Australian footballer and politician
- 1961 – Lea Thompson, American actress, director, and producer
- 1962 – Corey Hart, Canadian singer-songwriter and producer
- 1963 – David Leigh, holder of the Sir Samuel Hall Chair of Chemistry at the University of Manchester
- 1963 – Viktor Orbán, Hungarian politician, 38th Prime Minister of Hungary
- 1963 – Wesley Willis, American singer-songwriter and keyboard player (d. 2003)
- 1964 – Leonard Asper, Canadian lawyer and businessman
- 1964 – Stéphane Caristan, French hurdler and coach
- 1964 – Yukio Edano, Japanese politician, Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs
- 1964 – Darryl “D.M.C.” McDaniels, American rapper and producer
- 1965 – Brooke Shields, American model, actress, and producer
- 1966 – Roshan Mahanama, Sri Lankan cricketer and referee
- 1967 – Phil Keoghan, New Zealand television host and producer
- 1967 – Kenny Lofton, American baseball player, coach, and sportscaster
- 1971 – Arun Luthra, Indo-Anglo-American saxophonist, konnakol artist, composer, and arranger
- 1972 – Christian McBride, American bassist and record producer
- 1972 – Archie Panjabi, Indo-British actress
- 1972 – Frode Estil, Norwegian skier
- 1972 – Antti Niemi, Finnish international footballer, goalkeeper and coach
- 1972 – Dave Roberts, American baseball player and coach
- 1974 – Hiroiki Ariyoshi, Japanese comedian and singer
- 1974 – Chad Campbell, American golfer
- 1975 – Mac Suzuki, Japanese baseball player
- 1976 – Colin Farrell, Irish actor
- 1976 – Matt Harpring, American basketball player and sportscaster
- 1977 – Theodoros Baev, Bulgarian-Greek volleyball player
- 1977 – Domenico Fioravanti, Italian swimmer
- 1977 – Eric Christian Olsen, American actor
- 1977 – Moses Sichone, Zambian footballer
- 1977 – Petr Tenkrát, Czech ice hockey player
- 1979 – Jean-François Gillet, Belgian footballer
- 1981 – Mikael Antonsson, Swedish footballer
- 1981 – Daniele Bonera, Italian footballer
- 1981 – Jake Peavy, American baseball player
- 1981 – Marlies Schild, Austrian skier
- 1984 – Andrew Bailey, American baseball player
- 1984 – Milorad Čavić, Serbian swimmer
- 1984 – Nate Robinson, American basketball player
- 1985 – Jordy Nelson, American football player
- 1986 – Robert Gesink, Dutch cyclist
- 1989 – Marco Reus, German footballer
- 1990 – Erik Karlsson, Swedish ice hockey player
- 1992 – Michaël Bournival, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1992 – Laura Ikauniece, Latvian heptathlete
- 1996 – Normani Korde, American singer
- 1998 – Santino Ferrucci, American race car driver
Deaths on May 31
- 455 – Petronius Maximus, Roman emperor (b. 396)
- 930 – Liu Hua, princess of Southern Han (b. 896)
- 960 – Fujiwara no Morosuke, Japanese statesman (b. 909)
- 1076 – Waltheof, Earl of Northumbria, English politician (b. 1050)
- 1089 – Sigwin von Are, archbishop of Cologne
- 1162 – Géza II, king of Hungary (b. 1130)
- 1321 – Birger, king of Sweden (b. 1280)
- 1326 – Maurice de Berkeley, 2nd Baron Berkeley (b. 1271)
- 1329 – Albertino Mussato, Italian statesman and writer (b. 1261)
- 1349 – Thomas Wake, English politician (b. 1297)
- 1370 – Vitalis of Assisi, Italian hermit and monk (b. 1295)
- 1408 – Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, Japanese shōgun (b. 1358)
- 1410 – Martin of Aragon, Spanish king (b. 1356)
- 1504 – Engelbert II of Nassau (b. 1451)
- 1558 – Philip Hoby, English general and diplomat (b. 1505)
- 1567 – Guido de Bres, Belgian pastor and theologian (b. 1522)
- 1594 – Tintoretto, Italian painter and educator (b. 1518)
- 1601 – Gebhard Truchsess von Waldburg, Archbishop-Elector of Cologne (b. 1547)
- 1640 – Zeynab Begum, Safavid princess (date of birth unknown)
- 1665 – Pieter Jansz. Saenredam, Dutch painter (b. 1597)
- 1680 – Joachim Neander, German theologian and educator (b. 1650)
- 1740 – Frederick William I of Prussia (b. 1688)
- 1747 – Andrey Osterman, German-Russian politician, Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1686)
- 1809 – Joseph Haydn, Austrian pianist and composer (b. 1732)
- 1809 – Jean Lannes, French general (b. 1769)
- 1831 – Samuel Bentham, English architect and engineer (b. 1757)
- 1832 – Évariste Galois, French mathematician and theorist (b. 1811)
- 1837 – Joseph Grimaldi, English actor, comedian and dancer, (b. 1779)
- 1846 – Philip Marheineke, German pastor and philosopher (b. 1780)
- 1847 – Thomas Chalmers, Scottish minister and economist (b. 1780)
- 1848 – Eugénie de Guérin, French author (b. 1805)
- 1899 – Stefanos Koumanoudis, Greek archaeologist, teacher and writer (b. 1818)
- 1908 – Louis-Honoré Fréchette, Canadian author, poet, and politician (b. 1839)
- 1909 – Thomas Price, Welsh-Australian politician, 24th Premier of South Australia (b. 1852)
- 1910 – Elizabeth Blackwell, English-American physician and educator (b. 1821)
- 1931 – Felix-Raymond-Marie Rouleau, Canadian cardinal (b. 1866)
- 1931 – Willy Stöwer, German author and illustrator (b. 1864)
- 1945 – Odilo Globocnik, Italian-Austrian SS officer (b. 1904)
- 1954 – Antonis Benakis, Greek art collector and philanthropist, founded the Benaki Museum (b. 1873)
- 1957 – Stefanos Sarafis, Greek general and politician (b. 1890)
- 1957 – Leopold Staff, Polish poet and academic (b. 1878)
- 1960 – Willem Elsschot, Flemish author and poet (b. 1882)
- 1960 – Walther Funk, German economist, journalist, and politician, German Minister of Economics (b. 1890)
- 1962 – Henry F. Ashurst, American lawyer and politician (b. 1874)
- 1967 – Billy Strayhorn, American pianist and composer (b. 1915)
- 1970 – Terry Sawchuk, Canadian-American ice hockey player (b. 1929)
- 1976 – Jacques Monod, French biologist and geneticist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1910)
- 1977 – William Castle, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1914)
- 1978 – József Bozsik, Hungarian footballer and manager (b. 1925)
- 1981 – Barbara Ward, Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth, English economist and journalist (b. 1914)
- 1982 – Carlo Mauri, Italian mountaineer and explorer (b. 1930)
- 1983 – Jack Dempsey, American boxer and lieutenant (b. 1895)
- 1985 – Gaston Rébuffat, French mountaineer and author (b. 1921)
- 1986 – Jane Frank, American painter and sculptor (b. 1918)
- 1986 – James Rainwater, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1917)
- 1987 – John Abraham, Indian director and screenwriter (b. 1937)
- 1989 – Owen Lattimore, American author and academic (b. 1900)
- 1989 – C. L. R. James, Trinidadian journalist and historian (b. 1901)
- 1993 – Honey Tree Evil Eye, or, Spud Mackenzie, a Bull Terrier, dies of kidney failure.
- 1994 – Uzay Heparı, Turkish actor, producer, and composer (b. 1969)
- 1994 – Herva Nelli, Italian-American soprano (b. 1909)
- 1995 – Stanley Elkin, American novelist, short story writer, and essayist (b. 1930)
- 1996 – Timothy Leary, American psychologist and author (b. 1920)
- 1998 – Charles Van Acker, Belgian-American race car driver (b. 1912)
- 2000 – Petar Mladenov, Bulgarian diplomat, 1st President of Bulgaria (b. 1936)
- 2000 – Tito Puente, American jazz musician (b. 1923)
- 2000 – A. Jeyaratnam Wilson, Sri Lankan historian, author, and academic (b. 1928)
- 2001 – Arlene Francis, American actress, talk show host, game show panelist, and television personality (b. 1907)
- 2002 – Subhash Gupte, Indian cricketer (b. 1929)
- 2004 – Aiyathurai Nadesan, Sri Lankan journalist (b. 1954)
- 2004 – Robert Quine, American guitarist (b. 1941)
- 2004 – Étienne Roda-Gil, French screenwriter and composer (b. 1941)
- 2006 – Miguel Ortiz Berrocal, Spanish sculptor (b. 1933)
- 2006 – Raymond Davis, Jr., American physicist and chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1914)
- 2009 – Danny La Rue, Irish-British drag queen performer and singer (b. 1927)
- 2009 – George Tiller, American physician (b. 1941)
- 2010 – Louise Bourgeois, French-American sculptor and painter (b. 1911)
- 2010 – Brian Duffy, English photographer and producer (b. 1933)
- 2010 – William A. Fraker, American director, producer, and cinematographer (b. 1923)
- 2010 – Rubén Juárez, Argentinian singer-songwriter and bandoneón player (b. 1947)
- 2010 – Merata Mita, New Zealand director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1942)
- 2011 – Pauline Betz, American tennis player (b. 1919)
- 2011 – Jonas Bevacqua, American fashion designer, co-founded the Lifted Research Group (b. 1977)
- 2011 – Derek Hodge, Virgin Islander lawyer and politician, Lieutenant Governor of the United States Virgin Islands (b. 1941)
- 2011 – Hans Keilson, German-Dutch psychoanalyst and author (b. 1909)
- 2011 – John Martin, English admiral and politician, Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey (b. 1918)
- 2011 – Andy Robustelli, American football player and manager (b. 1925)
- 2012 – Christopher Challis, English cinematographer (b. 1919)
- 2012 – Randall B. Kester, American lawyer and judge (b. 1916)
- 2012 – Paul Pietsch, German racing driver and publisher (b. 1911)
- 2012 – Orlando Woolridge, American basketball player and coach (b. 1959)
- 2013 – Gerald E. Brown, American physicist and academic (b. 1926)
- 2013 – Frederic Lindsay, Scottish author and educator (b. 1933)
- 2013 – Miguel Méndez, American author and poet (b. 1930)
- 2013 – Tim Samaras, American engineer and storm chaser (b. 1957)
- 2013 – Jairo Mora Sandoval, Costa Rican environmentalist (b. 1987)
- 2013 – Jean Stapleton, American actress (b. 1923)
- 2014 – Marilyn Beck, American journalist (b. 1928)
- 2014 – Marinho Chagas, Brazilian footballer and coach (b. 1952)
- 2014 – Hoss Ellington, American race car driver (b. 1935)
- 2014 – Martha Hyer, American actress (b. 1924)
- 2014 – Lewis Katz, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1942)
- 2014 – Mary Soames, Baroness Soames, English author (b. 1922)
- 2015 – Gladys Taylor, Canadian author and publisher (b. 1917)
- 2016 – Mohamed Abdelaziz, President of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (1976–2016) (b. 1947)
- 2016 – Jan Crouch, American televangelist, co-founder of the Trinity Broadcasting Network (b. 1938)
- 2016 – Carla Lane, English television writer (b. 1928)
- 2016 – Rupert Neudeck, German journalist and humanitarian (b. 1939)
Holidays and observances on May 31
- Anniversary of Royal Brunei Malay Regiment (Brunei)
- Christian feast day:
  
  Camilla Battista da Varano
  
  Hermias
  
  Petronella
  
  Visitation of Mary (Western Christianity)
  
  May 31 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- The beginning of Gawai Dayak (Dayaks in Sarawak, Malaysia and West Kalimantan, Indonesia)
- World No Tobacco Day (International)
Read More May 31- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day
On This Day

May 19 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day
May 19 in History
- 639 – Ashina Jiesheshuai and his tribesmen assaulted Emperor Taizong at Jiucheng Palace.
- 715 – Pope Gregory II is elected.
- 1051 – Henry I of France marries the Russian princess, Anne of Kiev.
- 1445 – John II of Castile defeats the Infantes of Aragon at the First Battle of Olmedo.
- 1499 – Catherine of Aragon is married by proxy to Arthur, Prince of Wales. Catherine is 13 and Arthur is 12.
- 1535 – French explorer Jacques Cartier sets sail on his second voyage to North America with three ships, 110 men, and Chief Donnacona’s two sons (whom Cartier had kidnapped during his first voyage).
- 1536 – Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII of England, is beheaded for adultery, treason, and incest.
- 1542 – The Prome Kingdom falls to the Taungoo Dynasty in present-day Myanmar.
- 1568 – Queen Elizabeth I of England orders the arrest of Mary, Queen of Scots.
- 1643 – Thirty Years’ War: French forces under the duc d’Enghien decisively defeat Spanish forces at the Battle of Rocroi, marking the symbolic end of Spain as a dominant land power.
- 1649 – An Act of Parliament declaring England a Commonwealth is passed by the Long Parliament. England would be a republic for the next eleven years.
- 1655 – The Invasion of Jamaica begins during the Anglo-Spanish War.
- 1743 – Jean-Pierre Christin developed the centigrade temperature scale.
- 1749 – King George II of Great Britain grants the Ohio Company a charter of land around the forks of the Ohio River.
- 1776 – American Revolutionary War: A Continental Army garrison surrenders in the Battle of The Cedars.
- 1780 – New England’s Dark Day, an unusual darkening of the day sky, was observed over the New England states and parts of Canada.
- 1802 – Napoleon Bonaparte founds the Legion of Honour.
- 1828 – U.S. President John Quincy Adams signs the Tariff of 1828 into law, protecting wool manufacturers in the United States.
- 1845 – Captain Sir John Franklin and his ill-fated Arctic expedition depart from Greenhithe, England.
- 1848 – Mexican–American War: Mexico ratifies the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo thus ending the war and ceding California, Nevada, Utah and parts of four other modern-day U.S. states to the United States for US$15 million.
- 1911 – Parks Canada, the world’s first national park service, is established as the Dominion Parks Branch under the Department of the Interior.
- 1917 – The Norwegian football club Rosenborg BK is founded.
- 1919 – Mustafa Kemal Atatürk lands at Samsun on the Anatolian Black Sea coast, initiating what is later termed the Turkish War of Independence.
- 1921 – The United States Congress passes the Emergency Quota Act establishing national quotas on immigration.
- 1922 – The Young Pioneer Organization of the Soviet Union is established.
- 1934 – Zveno and the Bulgarian Army engineer a coup d’état and install Kimon Georgiev as the new Prime Minister of Bulgaria.
- 1942 – World War II: In the aftermath of the Battle of the Coral Sea, Task Force 16 heads to Pearl Harbor.
- 1950 – A barge containing munitions destined for Pakistan explodes in the harbor at South Amboy, New Jersey, devastating the city.
- 1950 – Egypt announces that the Suez Canal is closed to Israeli ships and commerce.
- 1959 – The North Vietnamese Army establishes Group 559, whose responsibility is to determine how to maintain supply lines to South Vietnam; the resulting route is the Ho Chi Minh trail.
- 1961 – Venera program: Venera 1 becomes the first man-made object to fly by another planet by passing Venus (the probe had lost contact with Earth a month earlier and did not send back any data).
- 1961 – At Silchar Railway Station, Assam, 11 Bengalis die when police open fire on protesters demanding state recognition of Bengali language in the Bengali Language Movement.
- 1962 – A birthday salute to U.S. President John F. Kennedy takes place at Madison Square Garden, New York City. The highlight is Marilyn Monroe’s rendition of “Happy Birthday”.
- 1963 – The New York Post Sunday Magazine publishes Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail.
- 1971 – Mars probe program: Mars 2 is launched by the Soviet Union.
- 1986 – The Firearm Owners Protection Act is signed into law by U.S. President Ronald Reagan.
- 1991 – Croatians vote for independence in a referendum.
- 1997 – The Sierra Gorda biosphere, the most ecologically diverse region in Mexico, is established as a result of grassroots efforts.
- 2007 – President of Romania Traian Băsescu survives an impeachment referendum and returns to office from suspension.
- 2010 – The Royal Thai Armed Forces concludes its crackdown on protests by forcing the surrender of United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship leaders.
- 2012 – Three gas cylinder bombs explode in front of a vocational school in the Italian city of Brindisi, killing one person and injuring five others.
- 2012 – A car bomb explodes near a military complex in the Syrian city of Deir ez-Zor, killing nine people.
- 2015 – The Refugio oil spill deposited 142,800 U.S. gallons (3,400 barrels) of crude oil onto an area in California considered one of the most biologically diverse coastlines of the west coast.
- 2016 – EgyptAir Flight 804 crashes into the Mediterranean Sea while traveling from Paris to Cairo, killing all on board.
- 2018 – The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is held at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, with an estimated global audience of 1.9 billion.
Births on May 19
- 1400 – John Stourton, 1st Baron Stourton, English soldier and politician (d. 1462)
- 1462 – Baccio D’Agnolo, Italian woodcarver, sculptor and architect (d. 1543)
- 1476 (or 1474) – Helena of Moscow, Grand Duchess consort of Lithuania and Queen consort of Poland (d. 1513)
- 1593 – Claude Vignon, French painter (d. 1670)
- 1616 – Johann Jakob Froberger, German organist and composer (d. 1667)
- 1639 – Charles Weston, 3rd Earl of Portland, English soldier and noble (d. 1665)
- 1700 – José de Escandón, 1st Count of Sierra Gorda, Spanish sergeant and politician (d. 1770)
- 1724 – Augustus Hervey, 3rd Earl of Bristol, English admiral and politician, Chief Secretary for Ireland (d. 1779)
- 1744 – Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, German-born Queen to George III of the United Kingdom (d. 1818)
- 1762 – Johann Gottlieb Fichte, German philosopher and academic (d. 1814)
- 1773 – Arthur Aikin, English chemist and mineralogist (d. 1854)
- 1795 – Johns Hopkins, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 1873)
- 1827 – Paul-Armand Challemel-Lacour, French academic and politician, French Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 1896)
- 1832 – James Watney, Jr., English politician, brewer and cricketer (d. 1886)
- 1857 – John Jacob Abel, American biochemist and pharmacologist (d. 1938)
- 1861 – Nellie Melba, Australian soprano and actress (d. 1931)
- 1871 – Walter Russell, American painter, sculptor, and author (d. 1963)
- 1874 – Gilbert Jessop, English cricketer and soldier (d. 1955)
- 1878 – Alfred Laliberté, Canadian sculptor and painter (d. 1953)
- 1879 – Nancy Astor, Viscountess Astor, American-English politician (d. 1964)
- 1880 – Albert Richardson, English architect and educator, designed the Manchester Opera House (d. 1964)
- 1881 – Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (official birthday), Turkish field marshal and statesman, 1st President of Turkey (d. 1938)
- 1884 – David Munson, American runner (d. 1953)
- 1886 – Francis Biddle, American lawyer and judge, 58th United States Attorney General (d. 1968)
- 1887 – Ion Jalea, Romanian soldier and sculptor (d. 1983)
- 1889 – Tản Đà, Vietnamese poet and author (d. 1939)
- 1889 – Henry B. Richardson, American archer (d. 1963)
- 1890 – Eveline Adelheid von Maydell, German-American illustrator (d. 1962)
- 1890 – Ho Chi Minh, Vietnamese politician, 1st President of Vietnam (d. 1969)
- 1891 – Oswald Boelcke, German captain and pilot (d. 1916)
- 1893 – H. Bonciu, Romanian author, poet, and journalist (d. 1950)
- 1897 – Frank Luke, American lieutenant and pilot, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1918)
- 1898 – Julius Evola, Italian philosopher and painter (d. 1974)
- 1899 – Lothar Rădăceanu, Romanian journalist, linguist, and politician (d. 1955)
- 1902 – Lubka Kolessa, Ukrainian-Canadian pianist and educator (d. 1997)
- 1903 – Ruth Ella Moore, American scientist (d. 1994)
- 1906 – Bruce Bennett, American shot putter and actor (d. 2007)
- 1908 – Manik Bandopadhyay, Indian author, poet, and playwright (d. 1956)
- 1908 – Merriam Modell, American author (d. 1994)
- 1908 – Percy Williams, Canadian sprinter (d. 1982)
- 1909 – Nicholas Winton, English banker and humanitarian (d. 2015)
- 1910 – Alan Melville, South African cricketer (d. 1983)
- 1913 – Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, Indian lawyer and politician, 6th President of India (d. 1996)
- 1914 – Max Perutz, Austrian-English biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2002)
- 1914 – Alex Shibicky, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2005)
- 1914 – John Vachon, American photographer and journalist (d. 1975)
- 1915 – Renée Asherson, English actress (d. 2014)
- 1918 – Abraham Pais, Dutch-American physicist, historian, and academic (d. 2000)
- 1919 – Georgie Auld, Canadian-American saxophonist, clarinet player, and bandleader (d. 1990)
- 1919 – Mitja Ribičič, Italian-Slovenian soldier and politician, 25th Prime Minister of Yugoslavia (d. 2013)
- 1920 – Tina Strobos, Dutch psychiatrist known for rescuing Jews during World War II (d. 2012)
- 1921 – Leslie Broderick, English lieutenant and pilot (d. 2013)
- 1921 – Harry W. Brown, American colonel and pilot (d. 1991)
- 1921 – Daniel Gélin, French actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2002)
- 1921 – Yuri Kochiyama, American activist (d. 2014)
- 1921 – Karel van het Reve, Dutch historian and author (d. 1999)
- 1922 – Arthur Gorrie, Australian hobby shop proprietor (d. 1992)
- 1924 – Sandy Wilson, English composer and songwriter (d. 2014)
- 1925 – Pol Pot, Cambodian general and politician, 29th Prime Minister of Cambodia (d. 1998)
- 1925 – Malcolm X, American minister and activist (d. 1965)
- 1926 – Edward Parkes, English engineer and academic (d. 2019)
- 1926 – Peter Zadek, German director and screenwriter (d. 2009)
- 1927 – Serge Lang, French-American mathematician, author and academic (d. 2005)
- 1928 – Colin Chapman, English engineer and businessman, founded Lotus Cars (d. 1982)
- 1928 – Thomas Kennedy, English air marshal (d. 2013)
- 1928 – Gil McDougald, American baseball player and coach (d. 2010)
- 1928 – Dolph Schayes, American basketball player and coach (d. 2015)
- 1929 – Helmut Braunlich, German-American violinist and composer (d. 2013)
- 1929 – Richard Larter, Australian painter (d. 2014)
- 1929 – John Stroger, American politician (d. 2008)
- 1930 – Eugene Genovese, American historian and author (d. 2012)
- 1930 – Lorraine Hansberry, American playwright and director (d. 1965)
- 1931 – Bob Anderson, English race car driver (d. 1967)
- 1931 – Trevor Peacock, English actor, screenwriter and songwriter
- 1932 – Alma Cogan, English singer (d. 1966)
- 1932 – Paul Erdman, American economist and author (d. 2007)
- 1932 – Bill Fitch, American basketball player and coach
- 1932 – Elena Poniatowska, Mexican intellectual and journalist
- 1933 – Edward de Bono, Maltese physician, author, and academic
- 1934 – Ruskin Bond, Indian author and poet
- 1934 – Jim Lehrer, American journalist and author (d. 2020)
- 1935 – David Hartman, American journalist and television personality
- 1937 – Pat Roach, English wrestler (d. 2004)
- 1938 – Moisés da Costa Amaral, East Timorese politician (d. 1989)
- 1938 – Herbie Flowers, English musician
- 1938 – Igor Ter-Ovanesyan, Ukrainian long jumper and coach
- 1939 – Livio Berruti, Italian sprinter
- 1939 – James Fox, English actor
- 1939 – Nancy Kwan, Hong Kong-American actress and makeup artist
- 1939 – Jānis Lūsis, Latvian javelin thrower and coach (d. 2020)
- 1939 – Dick Scobee, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut (d. 1986)
- 1940 – Jan Janssen, Dutch cyclist
- 1940 – Mickey Newbury, American country/pop singer-songwriter (d. 2002)
- 1941 – Nora Ephron, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2012)
- 1941 – Igor Judge, Baron Judge, Maltese-English lawyer and judge, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
- 1942 – Gary Kildall, American computer scientist, founded Digital Research Inc. (d. 1994)
- 1942 – Robert Kilroy-Silk, English television host and politician
- 1943 – Eddie May, English footballer and manager (d. 2012)
- 1943 – Shirrel Rhoades, American author, publisher, and academic
- 1944 – Peter Mayhew, English-American actor (d. 2019)
- 1945 – Pete Townshend, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1946 – Claude Lelièvre, Belgian activist
- 1946 – Michele Placido, Italian actor and director
- 1946 – André the Giant, French-American wrestler and actor (d. 1993)
- 1947 – Paul Brady, Irish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
- 1947 – Christopher Chope, English lawyer and politician
- 1947 – David Helfgott, Australian pianist
- 1948 – Grace Jones, Jamaican-American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
- 1949 – Dusty Hill, American singer-songwriter and bass player
- 1949 – Philip Hunt, Baron Hunt of Kings Heath, English politician
- 1949 – Archie Manning, American football player
- 1950 – Tadeusz Ślusarski, Polish pole vaulter (d. 1998)
- 1951 – Joey Ramone, American singer-songwriter (d. 2001)
- 1951 – Dick Slater, American wrestler
- 1952 – Charlie Spedding, English runner
- 1952 – Bert van Marwijk, Dutch footballer, coach, and manager
- 1953 – Patrick Hodge, Lord Hodge, Scottish lawyer and judge
- 1953 – Shavarsh Karapetyan, Armenian finswimmer
- 1953 – Florin Marin, Romanian footballer and manager
- 1953 – Victoria Wood, English actress, singer, director, and screenwriter (d. 2016)
- 1954 – Rick Cerone, American baseball player and sportscaster
- 1954 – Hōchū Ōtsuka, Japanese voice actor
- 1954 – Phil Rudd, Australian-New Zealand drummer
- 1955 – James Gosling, Canadian-American computer scientist, created Java
- 1956 – Oliver Letwin, English philosopher and politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
- 1956 – Martyn Ware, English keyboard player, songwriter, and producer
- 1957 – Bill Laimbeer, American basketball player and coach
- 1957 – James Reyne, Nigerian-Australian singer-songwriter
- 1961 – Vadim Cojocaru, Moldovan politician
- 1961 – Gregory Poirier, American director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1961 – Wayne Van Dorp, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1963 – Filippo Galli, Italian footballer and manager
- 1964 – Peter Jackson, Australian rugby league player and sportscaster (d. 1997)
- 1964 – John Lee, South Korean-American football player
- 1964 – Miloslav Mečíř, Slovak tennis player
- 1965 – Maile Flanagan, American actress, producer, and screenwriter
- 1966 – Marc Bureau, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
- 1966 – Jodi Picoult, American author and educator
- 1966 – Polly Walker, English actress
- 1967 – Alexia, Italian singer
- 1967 – Geraldine Somerville, Irish-born English actress
- 1968 – Kyle Eastwood, American actor and bass player
- 1970 – Stuart Cable, Welsh drummer (d. 2010)
- 1970 – K. J. Choi, South Korean golfer
- 1970 – Regina Narva, Estonian chess player
- 1970 – Nia Zulkarnaen, Indonesian actress, singer and producer
- 1971 – Ross Katz, American director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1971 – Andres Salumets, Estonian biologist, biochemist, and educator
- 1972 – Jenny Berggren, Swedish singer-songwriter
- 1972 – Claudia Karvan, Australian actress, producer, and screenwriter
- 1973 – Dario Franchitti, Scottish race car driver
- 1974 – Andrew Johns, Australian rugby league player, coach, and sportscaster
- 1974 – Emma Shapplin, French soprano
- 1974 – Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Indian actor
- 1975 – Pretinha, Brazilian footballer
- 1975 – London Fletcher, American football player
- 1975 – Josh Paul, American baseball player and manager
- 1975 – Jonas Renkse, Swedish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
- 1976 – Ed Cota, American basketball player
- 1976 – Kevin Garnett, American basketball player
- 1977 – Manuel Almunia, Spanish footballer
- 1977 – Wouter Hamel, Dutch singer and guitarist
- 1977 – Brandon Inge, American baseball player
- 1977 – Natalia Oreiro, Uruguayan singer-songwriter and actress
- 1978 – Marcus Bent, English footballer
- 1978 – Dave Bus, Dutch footballer
- 1979 – Andrea Pirlo, Italian footballer
- 1979 – Diego Forlan, Uruguayan footballer
- 1980 – Tony Hackworth, English footballer
- 1981 – Luciano Figueroa, Argentinian footballer
- 1981 – Yo Gotti, American rapper
- 1981 – Michael Leighton, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1981 – Sina Schielke, German sprinter
- 1981 – Klaas-Erik Zwering, Dutch swimmer
- 1982 – Kevin Amankwaah, English footballer
- 1982 – Pål Steffen Andresen, Norwegian footballer
- 1982 – Klaas Vantornout, Belgian cyclist
- 1983 – Michael Che, American comedian
- 1983 – Jessica Fox, English actress
- 1984 – Marcedes Lewis, American football player
- 1985 – Aleister Black, Dutch professional wrestler
- 1986 – Mario Chalmers, American basketball player
- 1987 – Michael Angelakos, American singer-songwriter and producer
- 1987 – David Edgar, Canadian soccer player
- 1987 – Mariano Torres, Argentinian footballer
- 1987 – Jayne Wisener, Northern Irish actress
- 1991 – Jordan Pruitt, American singer-songwriter
- 1992 – Marshmello, American electronic music producer and DJ
- 1992 – Michele Camporese, Italian footballer
- 1992 – Ola John, Dutch footballer
- 1992 – Felise Kaufusi, New Zealand-Tongan rugby league player
- 1992 – Evgeny Kuznetsov, Russian ice hockey player
- 1992 – Sam Smith, English singer-songwriter
- 1994 – Carlos Guzmán, Mexican footballer
- 1995 – Taane Milne, New Zealand rugby league player
Deaths on May 19
- 804 – Alcuin, English monk and scholar (b. 735)
- 956 – Robert, archbishop of Trier
- 988 – Dunstan, English archbishop and saint (b. 909)
- 1102 – Stephen, Count of Blois (b. 1045)
- 1125 – Vladimir II Monomakh, Grand Duke of Kiev
- 1164 – Saint Bashnouna, Egyptian saint and martyr
- 1218 – Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor
- 1296 – Pope Celestine V (b. 1215)
- 1303 – Saint Ivo of Kermartin, French canon lawyer (b. 1253)
- 1319 – Louis, Count of Évreux (b. 1276)
- 1389 – Dmitry Donskoy, Grand Prince of Muscovy (b. 1350)
- 1396 – John I of Aragon (b. 1350)
- 1526 – Emperor Go-Kashiwabara of Japan (b. 1464)
- 1531 – Jan Łaski, Polish archbishop and diplomat (b. 1456)
- 1536 – Anne Boleyn, Queen of England (1533–1536); second wife of Henry VIII of England (b. c. 1501)
- 1601 – Costanzo Porta, Italian composer (b. 1528)
- 1609 – García Hurtado de Mendoza, 5th Marquis of Cañete (b. 1535)
- 1610 – Thomas Sanchez, Spanish priest and theologian (b. 1550)
- 1623 – Mariam-uz-Zamani, Empress of the Mughal Empire (b. 1542)
- 1637 – Isaac Beeckman, Dutch scientist and philosopher (b. 1588)
- 1715 – Charles Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax, English poet and politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (b. 1661)
- 1786 – John Stanley, English organist and composer (b. 1712)
- 1795 – Josiah Bartlett, American physician and politician, 4th Governor of New Hampshire (b. 1729)
- 1795 – James Boswell, Scottish biographer (b. 1740)
- 1798 – William Byron, 5th Baron Byron, English lieutenant and politician (b. 1722)
- 1821 – Camille Jordan, French lawyer and politician (b. 1771)
- 1825 – Claude Henri de Rouvroy, comte de Saint-Simon, French philosopher and theorist (b. 1760)
- 1831 – Johann Friedrich von Eschscholtz, Estonian-German physician, botanist, and entomologist (b. 1793)
- 1864 – Nathaniel Hawthorne, American novelist and short story writer (b. 1804)
- 1865 – Sengge Rinchen, Mongolian general (b. 1811)
- 1872 – John Baker, English-Australian politician, 2nd Premier of South Australia (b. 1813)
- 1876 – Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer, Dutch historian and politician (b. 1801)
- 1885 – Peter W. Barlow, English engineer (b. 1809)
- 1895 – José Martí, Cuban journalist, poet, and philosopher (b. 1853)
- 1898 – William Ewart Gladstone, English lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1809)
- 1901 – Marthinus Wessel Pretorius, South African general and politician, 1st President of the South African Republic (b. 1819)
- 1903 – Arthur Shrewsbury, English cricketer (b. 1856)
- 1904 – Auguste Molinier, French librarian and historian (b. 1851)
- 1904 – Jamsetji Tata, Indian businessman, founded Tata Group (b. 1839)
- 1906 – Gabriel Dumont, Canadian Métis leader (b. 1837)
- 1907 – Benjamin Baker, English engineer, designed the Forth Bridge (b. 1840)
- 1912 – Bolesław Prus, Polish journalist and author (b. 1847)
- 1915 – John Simpson Kirkpatrick, English-Australian soldier (b. 1892)
- 1918 – Gervais Raoul Lufbery, French-American soldier and pilot (b. 1885)
- 1935 – T. E. Lawrence, British colonel and archaeologist (b. 1888)
- 1936 – Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall, British Islamic scholar (b. 1875)
- 1939 – Ahmet Ağaoğlu, Azerbaijani-Turkish journalist and publicist (b. 1869)
- 1943 – Kristjan Raud, Estonian painter and illustrator (b. 1865)
- 1945 – Philipp Bouhler, German soldier and politician (b. 1889)
- 1946 – Booth Tarkington, American novelist and dramatist (b. 1869)
- 1950 – Daniel Ciugureanu, Romanian physician and politician, Prime Minister of Moldova (b. 1884)
- 1954 – Charles Ives, American composer and educator (b. 1874)
- 1958 – Jadunath Sarkar, Indian historian (b. 1870)
- 1958 – Archie Scott Brown, Scottish race car driver (b. 1927)
- 1958 – Ronald Colman, English actor (b. 1891)
- 1963 – Walter Russell, American painter, sculptor, and author (b. 1871)
- 1969 – Coleman Hawkins, American saxophonist and clarinet player (b. 1901)
- 1971 – Ogden Nash, American poet (b. 1902)
- 1978 – Albert Kivikas, Estonian-Swedish journalist and author (b. 1898)
- 1980 – Joseph Schull, Canadian playwright and historian (b. 1906)
- 1983 – Jean Rey, Belgian lawyer and politician, 2nd President of the European Commission (b. 1902)
- 1984 – John Betjeman, English poet and academic (b. 1906)
- 1986 – Jimmy Lyons, American saxophonist (b. 1931)
- 1987 – James Tiptree, Jr., American psychologist and author (b. 1915)
- 1989 – Yiannis Papaioannou, Greek composer and educator (b. 1910)
- 1994 – Jacques Ellul, French sociologist, philosopher, and academic (b. 1912)
- 1994 – Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, American journalist, 37th First Lady of the United States (b. 1929)
- 1994 – Luis Ocaña, Spanish cyclist (b. 1945)
- 1996 – John Beradino, American baseball player and actor (b. 1917)
- 1998 – Sōsuke Uno, Japanese soldier and politician, 75th Prime Minister of Japan (b. 1922)
- 2001 – Alexey Maresyev, Russian soldier and pilot (b. 1916)
- 2001 – Susannah McCorkle, American singer (b. 1946)
- 2002 – John Gorton, Australian lieutenant and politician, 19th Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1911)
- 2002 – Walter Lord, American historian and author (b. 1917)
- 2004 – Mary Dresselhuys, Dutch actress and screenwriter (b. 1907)
- 2007 – Bernard Blaut, Polish footballer and coach (b. 1940)
- 2007 – Dean Eyre, New Zealand politician (b. 1914)
- 2008 – Vijay Tendulkar, Indian playwright and screenwriter (b. 1928)
- 2009 – Robert F. Furchgott, American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1916)
- 2009 – Nicholas Maw, English composer and academic (b. 1935)
- 2009 – Clint Smith, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1913)
- 2011 – Garret FitzGerald, Irish lawyer and politician, 8th Taoiseach of Ireland (b. 1926)
- 2011 – Jeffrey Catherine Jones, American artist (b.1944)
- 2012 – Bob Boozer, American basketball player (b. 1937)
- 2012 – Tamara Brooks, American conductor and educator (b. 1941)
- 2012 – Ian Burgess, English race car driver (b. 1930)
- 2012 – Gerhard Hetz, German-Mexican swimmer (b. 1942)
- 2012 – Phil Lamason, New Zealand soldier and pilot (b. 1918)
- 2013 – G. Sarsfield Ford, American lawyer and jurist (b. 1933)
- 2013 – Robin Harrison, English-Canadian pianist and composer (b. 1932)
- 2013 – Neil Reynolds, Canadian journalist and politician (b. 1940)
- 2014 – Simon Andrews, English motorcycle racer (b. 1982)
- 2014 – Jack Brabham, Australian race car driver (b. 1926)
- 2014 – Terry W. Gee, American businessman and politician (b. 1940)
- 2014 – Sam Greenlee, American author and poet (b. 1930)
- 2014 – Vincent Harding, American historian and scholar (b. 1931)
- 2014 – Gabriel Kolko, American historian and author (b. 1932)
- 2014 – Zbigniew Pietrzykowski, Polish boxer (b. 1934)
- 2015 – Bruce Lundvall, American businessman (b. 1935)
- 2015 – Ted McWhinney, Australian-Canadian lawyer and politician (b. 1924)
- 2015 – Happy Rockefeller, American philanthropist, socialite; 31st Second Lady of the United States (b. 1926)
- 2015 – Robert S. Wistrich, English historian, author, and academic (b. 1945)
- 2016 – Alan Young, English-born Canadian-American actor (b. 1919)
- 2016 – Morley Safer, Canadian-born American journalist (b. 1931)
- 2017 – Nawshirwan Mustafa, General coordinator of the Movement for Change (Gorran) (b. 1944)
- 2018 – Zhengzhang Shangfang, Chinese linguist (b. 1933)
Holidays and observances on May 19
- Christian feast day:
  
  Calocerus (Eastern Orthodox Church)
  
  Crispin of Viterbo
  
  Dunstan (Roman Catholic Church, Orthodox Church; commemoration, Anglicanism)
  
  Ivo of Kermartin
  
  Joaquina Vedruna de Mas
  
  Maria Bernarda Bütler
  
  Peter Celestine
  
  Pudentiana (Roman Catholic Church, Orthodox Church)
  
  May 19 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day (Turkey, Northern Cyprus)
- Greek Genocide Remembrance Day (Greece)
- Hồ Chí Minh’s Birthday (Vietnam)
- Malcolm X Day (United States of America)
- National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (United States)
- Hepatitis Testing Day (United States)
- Mother’s Day (Kyrgyzstan)
Read More May 19 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day
On This Day

April 23 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day
April 23 in History
- 215 BC – A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Lake Trasimene.
- 599 – Maya king Uneh Chan of Calakmul attacks rival city-state Palenque in southern Mexico, defeating queen Yohl Ik’nal and sacking the city.
- 711 – Dagobert III succeeds his father King Childebert III as King of the Franks.
- 1014 – Battle of Clontarf: High King of Ireland Brian Boru defeats Viking invaders, but is killed in battle.
- 1016 – Edmund Ironside succeeds his father Æthelred the Unready as King of England.
- 1343 – St. George’s Night Uprising commences in the Duchy of Estonia.
- 1348 – The founding of the Order of the Garter by King Edward III is announced on St. George’s Day.
- 1516 – The Munich Reinheitsgebot (regarding the ingredients of beer) takes effect in all of Bavaria.
- 1521 – Battle of Villalar: King Charles I of Spain defeats the Comuneros.
- 1635 – The first public school in the United States, Boston Latin School, is founded in Boston.
- 1655 – The Siege of Santo Domingo begins during the Anglo-Spanish War, and fails seven days later.
- 1660 – Treaty of Oliva is established between Sweden and Poland.
- 1661 – King Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland is crowned in Westminster Abbey.
- 1815 – The Second Serbian Uprising: A second phase of the national revolution of the Serbs against the Ottoman Empire, erupts shortly after the annexation of the country to the Ottoman Empire.
- 1879 – Fire burns down the second main building and dome of the University of Notre Dame, which prompts the construction of the third, and current, Main Building with its golden dome.
- 1914 – First baseball game at Wrigley Field, then known as Weeghman Park, in Chicago.
- 1918 – World War I: The British Royal Navy makes a raid in an attempt to neutralise the Belgian port of Bruges-Zeebrugge.
- 1920 – The Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) is founded in Ankara. The assembly denounces the government of Sultan Mehmed VI and announces the preparation of a temporary constitution.
- 1927 – Cardiff City defeat Arsenal in the FA Cup Final, the only time it has been won by a team not based in England.
- 1935 – The Polish Constitution of 1935 is adopted.
- 1940 – The Rhythm Club fire at a dance hall in Natchez, Mississippi, kills 198 people.
- 1941 – World War II: The Greek government and King George II evacuate Athens before the invading Wehrmacht.
- 1942 – World War II: Baedeker Blitz: German bombers hit Exeter, Bath and York in retaliation for the British raid on Lübeck.
- 1945 – World War II: Adolf Hitler’s designated successor, Hermann Göring, sends him a telegram asking permission to take leadership of the Third Reich. Martin Bormann and Joseph Goebbels advise Hitler that the telegram is treasonous.
- 1946 – Manuel Roxas is elected the last President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines.
- 1949 – Chinese Civil War: Establishment of the People’s Liberation Army Navy.
- 1951 – Cold War: American journalist William N. Oatis is arrested for espionage by the Communist government of Czechoslovakia.
- 1961 – Algiers putsch by French generals.
- 1967 – Soviet space program: Soyuz 1 (Russian: Союз 1, Union 1) a manned spaceflight carrying cosmonaut Colonel Vladimir Komarov is launched into orbit.
- 1968 – Vietnam War: Student protesters at Columbia University in New York City take over administration buildings and shut down the university.
- 1971 – Bangladesh Liberation War: The Pakistan Army and Razakars massacre approximately 3,000 Hindu emigrants in the Jathibhanga area of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).
- 1985 – Coca-Cola changes its formula and releases New Coke. The response is overwhelmingly negative, and the original formula is back on the market in less than three months.
- 1990 – Namibia becomes the 160th member of the United Nations and the 50th member of the Commonwealth of Nations.
- 1993 – Eritreans vote overwhelmingly for independence from Ethiopia in a United Nations-monitored referendum.
- 1993 – Sri Lankan politician Lalith Athulathmudali is assassinated while addressing a gathering, approximately four weeks ahead of the Provincial Council elections for the Western Province.
- 1999 – NATO bombs the headquarters of Radio Television of Serbia, as part of their aerial campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
- 2005 – The first ever YouTube video, titled “Me at the zoo”, was published by co-founder Jawed Karim.
- 2013 – At least 28 people are killed and more than 70 are injured as violence breaks out in Hawija, Iraq.
- 2018 – A vehicle-ramming attack kills 10 people and injures 16 in Toronto. A 25-year-old suspect, Alek Minassian, is arrested.
- 2019 – The 2019 Hpakant jade mine collapse in Myanmar kills four miners and two rescuers.
Births on April 23
- 1141 (probable) – Malcolm IV of Scotland (d. 1165)
- 1185 – Afonso II of Portugal (d. 1223)
- 1408 – John de Vere, 12th Earl of Oxford (d. 1462)
- 1420 – George of Poděbrady, King of Bohemia (d. 1471)
- 1464 – Joan of France, Duchess of Berry (d. 1505)
- 1464 – Robert Fayrfax, English Renaissance composer (d. 1521)
- 1484 – Julius Caesar Scaliger, Italian physician and scholar (d. 1558)
- 1500 – Alexander Ales, Scottish theologian and academic (d. 1565)
- 1500 – Johann Stumpf, Swiss writer (d. 1576)
- 1512 – Henry FitzAlan, 19th Earl of Arundel, Chancellor of the University of Oxford (d. 1580)
- 1516 – Georg Fabricius, German poet, historian, and archaeologist (d. 1571)
- 1598 – Maarten Tromp, Dutch admiral (d. 1653)
- 1621 – William Penn, English admiral and politician (d. 1670)
- 1628 – Johannes Hudde, Dutch mathematician and politician (d. 1704)
- 1661 – Issachar Berend Lehmann, German-Jewish banker, merchant and diplomat (d. 1730)
- 1715 – Johann Friedrich Doles, German composer and conductor (d. 1797)
- 1720 – Vilna Gaon, Lithuanian rabbi and author (d. 1797)
- 1744 – Princess Charlotte Amalie Wilhelmine of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön (d. 1770)
- 1748 – Félix Vicq-d’Azyr, French physician and anatomist (d. 1794)
- 1791 – James Buchanan, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 15th President of the United States (d. 1868)
- 1792 – Thomas Romney Robinson, Irish astronomer and physicist (d. 1882)
- 1794 – Wei Yuan, Chinese scholar and author (d. 1856)
- 1805 – Johann Karl Friedrich Rosenkranz, German philosopher and academic (d. 1879)
- 1812 – Frederick Whitaker, English-New Zealand lawyer and politician, 5th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1891)
- 1813 – Stephen A. Douglas, American educator and politician, 7th Illinois Secretary of State (d. 1861)
- 1813 – Frédéric Ozanam, Italian-French historian and scholar (d. 1853)
- 1818 – James Anthony Froude, English historian, novelist, biographer and editor (d. 1894)
- 1819 – Edward Stafford, Scottish-New Zealand educator and politician, 3rd Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1901)
- 1853 – Winthrop M. Crane, American businessman and politician, 40th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1920)
- 1856 – Granville Woods, American inventor and engineer (d. 1910)
- 1857 – Ruggero Leoncavallo, Italian composer (d. 1919)
- 1858 – Max Planck, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1947)
- 1860 – Justinian Oxenham, Australian public servant (d. 1932)
- 1861 – Edmund Allenby, 1st Viscount Allenby, English field marshal and diplomat, British High Commissioner in Egypt (d. 1936)
- 1861 – John Peltz, American baseball player and manager (d. 1906)
- 1865 – Ali-Agha Shikhlinski, Russian-Azerbaijani general (d. 1943)
- 1867 – Johannes Fibiger, Danish physician and pathologist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1928)
- 1876 – Arthur Moeller van den Bruck, German historian and author (d. 1925)
- 1880 – Michel Fokine, Russian dancer and choreographer (d. 1942)
- 1882 – Albert Coates, English composer and conductor (d. 1953)
- 1888 – Georges Vanier, Canadian general and politician, 19th Governor General of Canada (d. 1967)
- 1889 – Karel Doorman, Dutch admiral (d. 1942)
- 1893 – Frank Borzage, American actor and director (d. 1952)
- 1895 – Ngaio Marsh, New Zealand author and director (d. 1982)
- 1897 – Folke Jansson, American general (d. 1965)
- 1897 – Lester B. Pearson, Canadian historian and politician, 14th Prime Minister of Canada, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1972)
- 1898 – Lucius D. Clay, American general (d. 1978)
- 1899 – Bertil Ohlin, Swedish economist and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1979)
- 1899 – Minoru Shirota, Japanese physician and microbiologist, invented Yakult (d. 1982)
- 1900 – Jim Bottomley, American baseball player and sportscaster (d. 1959)
- 1900 – Joseph Green, Polish-American actor and director (d. 1996)
- 1901 – E. B. Ford, English biologist and geneticist (d. 1988)
- 1902 – Halldór Laxness, Icelandic author and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1998)
- 1903 – Guy Simonds, English-Canadian general (d. 1974)
- 1904 – Clifford Bricker, Canadian long-distance runner (d. 1980)
- 1904 – Louis Muhlstock, Polish-Canadian painter (d. 2001)
- 1904 – Duncan Renaldo, American actor (d. 1985)
- 1907 – Lee Miller, American model and photographer (d. 1977)
- 1907 – Fritz Wotruba, Austrian sculptor, designed the Wotruba Church (d. 1975)
- 1908 – Myron Waldman, American animator and director (d. 2006)
- 1910 – Sheila Scott Macintyre, Scottish mathematician (d. 1960)
- 1910 – Simone Simon, French actress (d. 2005)
- 1911 – Ronald Neame, English-American director, cinematographer, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2010)
- 1913 – Diosa Costello, Puerto Rican-American entertainer, producer and club owner (d. 2013)
- 1915 – Arnold Alexander Hall, English engineer, academic, and businessman (d. 2000)
- 1916 – Yiannis Moralis, Greek painter and educator (d. 2009)
- 1916 – Sinah Estelle Kelley, American chemist (d. 1982)
- 1917 – Dorian Leigh, American model (d. 2008)
- 1917 – Tony Lupien, American baseball player and coach (d. 2004)
- 1918 – Maurice Druon, French author and screenwriter (d. 2009)
- 1919 – Oleg Penkovsky, Russian colonel (d. 1963)
- 1920 – Eric Grant Yarrow, 3rd Baronet, English businessman (d. 2018)
- 1921 – Judy Agnew, Second Lady of the United States (d. 2012)
- 1921 – Cleto Bellucci, Italian archbishop (d. 2013)
- 1921 – Janet Blair, American actress and singer (d. 2007)
- 1921 – Warren Spahn, American baseball player and coach (d. 2003)
- 1923 – Dolph Briscoe, American lieutenant and politician, 41st Governor of Texas (d. 2010)
- 1923 – Avram Davidson, American soldier and author (d. 1993)
- 1924 – Chuck Harmon, American baseball player and scout (d. 2019)
- 1924 – Bobby Rosengarden, American drummer and bandleader (d. 2007)
- 1926 – J.P. Donleavy, American-Irish novelist and playwright (d. 2017)
- 1926 – Rifaat el-Mahgoub, Egyptian politician (d. 1990)
- 1928 – Shirley Temple, American actress, singer, dancer, and diplomat (d. 2014)
- 1929 – George Steiner, French-American philosopher, author, and critic (d. 2020)
- 1932 – Halston, American fashion designer (d. 1990)
- 1932 – Jim Fixx, American runner and author (d. 1984)
- 1933 – Annie Easley, American computer scientist, mathematician, and engineer (d. 2011)
- 1934 – George Canseco, Filipino composer and producer (d. 2004)
- 1936 – Roy Orbison, American singer-songwriter (d. 1988)
- 1937 – Victoria Glendinning, English author and critic
- 1937 – David Mills, English cricketer (d. 2013)
- 1937 – Barry Shepherd, Australian cricketer (d. 2001)
- 1939 – Jorge Fons, Mexican director and screenwriter
- 1939 – Bill Hagerty, English journalist
- 1939 – Lee Majors, American actor
- 1939 – Ray Peterson, American pop singer (d. 2005)
- 1940 – Michael Copps, American academic and politician
- 1940 – Dale Houston, American singer-songwriter (d. 2007)
- 1940 – Michael Kadosh, Israeli footballer and manager (d. 2014)
- 1941 – Jacqueline Boyer, French singer and actress
- 1941 – Arie den Hartog, Dutch road bicycle racer (d. 2018)
- 1941 – Paavo Lipponen, Finnish journalist and politician, 38th Prime Minister of Finland
- 1941 – Michael Lynne, American film producer, co-founded New Line Cinema
- 1941 – Ed Stewart, English radio and television host (d. 2016)
- 1941 – Ray Tomlinson, American computer programmer and engineer (d. 2016)
- 1942 – Sandra Dee, American model and actress (d. 2005)
- 1943 – Gail Goodrich, American basketball player and coach
- 1943 – Tony Esposito, Canadian-American ice hockey player, coach, and manager
- 1943 – Frans Koppelaar, Dutch painter
- 1943 – Hervé Villechaize, French actor (d. 1993)
- 1944 – Jean-François Stévenin, French actor and director
- 1946 – Blair Brown, American actress
- 1946 – Carlton Sherwood, American soldier and journalist (d. 2014)
- 1947 – Robert Burgess, English sociologist and academic
- 1947 – Glenn Cornick, English bass player (d. 2014)
- 1947 – Bernadette Devlin McAliskey, Irish civil rights leader and politician
- 1948 – Pascal Quignard, French author and screenwriter
- 1948 – Serge Thériault, Canadian actor
- 1949 – Paul Collier, English economist and academic
- 1949 – David Cross, English violinist
- 1949 – John Miles, British rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist
- 1950 – Rowley Leigh, English chef and journalist
- 1950 – Barbara McIlvaine Smith, Sac and Fox Nation Native American politician
- 1951 – Martin Bayerle, American treasure hunter
- 1952 – Narada Michael Walden, American singer-songwriter, drummer, and producer
- 1953 – James Russo, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1954 – Stephen Dalton, English air marshal
- 1954 – Michael Moore, American director, producer, and activist
- 1955 – Judy Davis, Australian actress
- 1955 – Tony Miles, English chess player (d. 2001)
- 1955 – Urmas Ott, Estonian journalist and author (d. 2008)
- 1957 – Neville Brody, English graphic designer, typographer, and art director
- 1957 – Jan Hooks, American actress and comedian (d. 2014)
- 1958 – Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, Icelandic composer and producer
- 1958 – Ryan Walter, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
- 1959 – Unity Dow, Botswanan judge, author, and rights activist
- 1960 – Valerie Bertinelli, American actress
- 1960 – Steve Clark, English guitarist and songwriter (d. 1991)
- 1960 – Barry Douglas, Irish pianist and conductor
- 1960 – Léo Jaime, Brazilian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
- 1960 – Claude Julien, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
- 1961 – George Lopez, American comedian, actor, and talk show host
- 1961 – Pierluigi Martini, Italian race car driver
- 1962 – John Hannah, Scottish actor and producer
- 1962 – Shaun Spiers, English businessman and politician
- 1963 – Paul Belmondo, French race car driver
- 1963 – Robby Naish, American windsurfer
- 1964 – Gianandrea Noseda, Italian pianist and conductor
- 1965 – Leni Robredo, Filipina human rights lawyer, 14th Vice President of the Philippines
- 1966 – Jörg Deisinger, German bass player
- 1966 – Matt Freeman, American bass player
- 1966 – Lembit Oll, Estonian chess Grandmaster (d. 1999)
- 1967 – Rheal Cormier, Canadian baseball player
- 1967 – Melina Kanakaredes, American actress
- 1968 – Bas Haring, Dutch philosopher, writer, television presenter and professor.
- 1968 – Ken McRae, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
- 1968 – Timothy McVeigh, American terrorist, Oklahoma City bombing co-perpetrator (d. 2001)
- 1969 – Martín López-Zubero, American-Spanish swimmer and coach
- 1969 – Yelena Shushunova, Russian gymnast
- 1970 – Egemen Bağış, Turkish politician, 1st Minister of European Union Affairs
- 1970 – Dennis Culp, American singer-songwriter and trombonist
- 1970 – Andrew Gee, Australian rugby league player and manager
- 1970 – Hans Välimäki, Finnish chef and author
- 1970 – Tayfur Havutçu, Turkish international footballer and manager
- 1971 – Uli Herzner, German-American fashion designer
- 1972 – Pierre Labrie, Canadian poet and playwright
- 1972 – Peter Dench, English photographer and journalist
- 1972 – Amira Medunjanin, singer from Bosnia and Herzegovina
- 1973 – Patrick Poulin, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1974 – Carlos Dengler, American bass player
- 1974 – Michael Kerr, New Zealand-German rugby player
- 1975 – Bobby Shaw, American football player
- 1976 – Aaron Dessner, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer
- 1977 – John Cena, American professional wrestler and actor
- 1977 – David Kidwell, New Zealand rugby league player and coach
- 1977 – Willie Mitchell, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1977 – John Oliver, English comedian, actor, producer, and screenwriter
- 1977 – Kal Penn, Indian-American actor
- 1977 – Bram Schmitz, Dutch cyclist
- 1977 – Lee Young-pyo, South Korean international footballer
- 1978 – Gezahegne Abera, Ethiopian runner
- 1979 – Barry Hawkins, English snooker player
- 1979 – Jaime King, American actress and model
- 1979 – Joanna Krupa, Polish-American model and television personality
- 1979 – Samppa Lajunen, Finnish skier
- 1982 – Tony Sunshine, American singer-songwriter
- 1983 – Leon Andreasen, Danish international footballer
- 1983 – Daniela Hantuchová, Slovak tennis player
- 1983 – Ian Henderson, English rugby league player
- 1984 – Alexandra Kosteniuk, Russian chess player
- 1984 – Jesse Lee Soffer, American actor
- 1985 – Angel Locsin, Filipino actress, producer, and fashion designer
- 1986 – Sven Kramer, Dutch speed skater
- 1986 – Alysia Montaño, American runner
- 1986 – Rafael Fernandes, Brazilian baseball player
- 1987 – Michael Arroyo, Ecuadorian footballer
- 1987 – John Boye, Ghanaian footballer
- 1987 – Emily Fox, American basketball player
- 1988 – Victor Anichebe, Nigerian footballer
- 1988 – Alistair Brownlee, English triathlete
- 1988 – Signe Ronka, Canadian figure skater
- 1988 – Lenka Wienerová, Slovak tennis player
- 1989 – Nicole Vaidišová, Czech tennis player
- 1990 – Rui Fonte, Portuguese footballer, winger
- 1990 – Dev Patel, English actor
- 1991 – Nathan Baker, English footballer
- 1991 – Caleb Johnson, American singer-songwriter
- 1991 – Paul Vaughan, Australian-Italian rugby league player
- 1994 – Patrick Olsen, Danish footballer
- 1994 – Song Kang, South Korean actor
- 1995 – Gigi Hadid, American fashion model and television personality
- 1997 – Zach Apple, American swimmer
Deaths on April 23
- 303 – Saint George, Roman soldier and martyr (b. 275)
- 711 – Childebert III, Frankish king (b. 670)
- 725 – Wihtred of Kent (b. 670)
- 871 – Æthelred of Wessex (b. 837)
- 915 – Yang Shihou, Chinese general
- 944 – Wichmann the Elder, Saxon nobleman
- 990 – Ekkehard II, Swiss monk and abbot
- 997 – Adalbert of Prague, Czech bishop, missionary, and saint (b. 956)
- 1014 – Brian Boru, Irish king (b. 941)
- 1014 – Domnall mac Eimín, Mormaer of Mar
- 1016 – Æthelred the Unready, English son of Edgar the Peaceful (b. 968)
- 1124 – Alexander I of Scotland (b. 1078)
- 1151 – Adeliza of Louvain (b. 1103)
- 1170 – Minamoto no Tametomo, Japanese samurai (b. 1139)
- 1196 – Béla III of Hungary (b. c.1148)
- 1200 – Zhu Xi, Chinese philosopher (b. 1130)
- 1217 – Inge II of Norway (b. 1185)
- 1262 – Aegidius of Assisi, companion of Saint Francis of Assisi
- 1307 – Joan of Acre (b. 1272)
- 1400 – Aubrey de Vere, 10th Earl of Oxford, English politician and nobleman (b. c. 1338)
- 1407 – Olivier de Clisson, French soldier (b. 1326)
- 1501 – Domenico della Rovere, Catholic cardinal (b. 1442)
- 1554 – Gaspara Stampa, Italian poet (b. 1523)
- 1605 – Boris Godunov, Russian ruler (b. 1551)
- 1616 – William Shakespeare, English playwright and poet (b. 1564)
- 1625 – Maurice, Prince of Orange (b. 1567)
- 1695 – Henry Vaughan, Welsh poet and author (b. 1621)
- 1702 – Margaret Fell, English religious leader, founded the Religious Society of Friends (b. 1614)
- 1781 – James Abercrombie, Scottish general and politician (b. 1706)
- 1784 – Solomon I of Imereti (b. 1735)
- 1792 – Karl Friedrich Bahrdt, German theologian and author (b. 1741)
- 1794 – Guillaume-Chrétien de Lamoignon de Malesherbes, French lawyer and politician (b. 1721)
- 1827 – Georgios Karaiskakis, Greek general (b. 1780)
- 1839 – Jacques Félix Emmanuel Hamelin, French admiral and explorer (b. 1768)
- 1850 – William Wordsworth, English poet and author (b. 1770)
- 1889 – Jules Amédée Barbey d’Aurevilly, French author and critic (b. 1808)
- 1895 – Carl Ludwig, German physician and physiologist (b. 1815)
- 1905 – Gédéon Ouimet, Canadian politician, 2nd Premier of Quebec (b. 1823)
- 1907 – Alferd Packer, American prospector (b. 1842)
- 1915 – Rupert Brooke, English poet (b. 1887)
- 1936 – Teresa de la Parra, French-Venezuelan author (b. 1889)
- 1951 – Jules Berry, French actor and director (b. 1883)
- 1951 – Charles G. Dawes, American banker and politician, 30th Vice President of the United States, Nobel Peace Prize laureate (b. 1865)
- 1959 – Bak Jungyang, Korean politician
- 1965 – George Adamski, Polish-American ufologist and author (b. 1891)
- 1966 – George Ohsawa, Japanese founder of the Macrobiotic diet (b. 1893)
- 1981 – Josep Pla, Catalan journalist and author (b. 1897)
- 1983 – Buster Crabbe, American swimmer and actor (b. 1908)
- 1984 – Red Garland, American pianist (b. 1923)
- 1985 – Sam Ervin, American lawyer and politician (b. 1896)
- 1985 – Frank Farrell, Australian rugby league player and policeman (b. 1916)
- 1986 – Harold Arlen, American composer (b. 1905)
- 1986 – Jim Laker, English cricketer and sportscaster (b. 1922)
- 1986 – Otto Preminger, Ukrainian-American actor, director, and producer (b. 1906)
- 1990 – Paulette Goddard, American actress (b. 1910)
- 1991 – Johnny Thunders, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1952)
- 1992 – Satyajit Ray, Indian director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1921)
- 1992 – Tanka Prasad Acharya, Nepalese politician, 27th Prime Minister of Nepal (b. 1912)
- 1993 – Cesar Chavez, American activist, co-founded the United Farm Workers (b. 1927)
- 1995 – Douglas Lloyd Campbell, Canadian farmer and politician, 13th Premier of Manitoba (b. 1895)
- 1995 – Howard Cosell, American lawyer and journalist (b. 1918)
- 1995 – Riho Lahi, Estonian journalist (b. 1904)
- 1995 – John C. Stennis, American lawyer and politician (b. 1904)
- 1996 – Jean Victor Allard, Canadian general (b. 1913)
- 1996 – P. L. Travers, Australian-English author and actress (b. 1899)
- 1997 – Denis Compton, English cricketer and footballer (b. 1918)
- 1998 – Konstantinos Karamanlis, Greek lawyer and politician, 172nd Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1907)
- 1998 – James Earl Ray, American assassin of Martin Luther King, Jr. (b. 1928)
- 1998 – Thanassis Skordalos, Greek singer-songwriter and lyra player (b. 1920)
- 2003 – Fernand Fonssagrives, French-American photographer (b. 1910)
- 2004 – Herman Veenstra, Dutch water polo player (b. 1911)
- 2005 – Joh Bjelke-Petersen, New Zealand-Australian politician, 31st Premier of Queensland (b. 1911)
- 2005 – Robert Farnon, Canadian-English trumpet player, composer and conductor (b. 1917)
- 2005 – Al Grassby, Australian journalist and politician (b. 1928)
- 2005 – John Mills, English actor (b. 1908)
- 2005 – Romano Scarpa, Italian author and illustrator (b. 1927)
- 2005 – Earl Wilson, American baseball player, coach and educator (b. 1934)
- 2006 – Phil Walden, American record producer and manager, co-founder of Capricorn Records (b. 1940)
- 2007 – Paul Erdman, Canadian-American economist and author (b. 1932)
- 2007 – David Halberstam, American journalist, historian and author (b. 1934)
- 2007 – Peter Randall, English sergeant (b. 1930)
- 2007 – Boris Yeltsin, Russian politician, 1st President of Russia (b. 1931)
- 2010 – Peter Porter, Australian-born British poet (b. 1929)
- 2011 – James Casey, English comedian, radio scriptwriter and producer (b. 1922)
- 2011 – Tom King, American guitarist and songwriter (b. 1943)
- 2011 – Geoffrey Russell, 4th Baron Ampthill, English businessman and politician (b. 1921)
- 2011 – Max van der Stoel, Dutch politician and Minister of State (b. 1924)
- 2011 – John Sullivan, English screenwriter and producer (b. 1946)
- 2012 – Lillemor Arvidsson, Swedish trade union leader and politician, 34th Governor of Gotland (b. 1943)
- 2012 – Billy Bryans, Canadian drummer, songwriter and producer (b. 1947)
- 2012 – Chris Ethridge, American bass player and songwriter (b. 1947)
- 2012 – Raymond Thorsteinsson, Canadian geologist and paleontologist (b. 1921)
- 2012 – LeRoy T. Walker, American football player and coach (b. 1918)
- 2013 – Bob Brozman, American guitarist (b. 1954)
- 2013 – Robert W. Edgar, American educator and politician (b. 1943)
- 2013 – Tony Grealish, English footballer (b. 1956)
- 2013 – Antonio Maccanico, Italian banker and politician (b. 1924)
- 2013 – Frank W. J. Olver, English-American mathematician and academic (b. 1924)
- 2013 – Kathryn Wasserman Davis, American philanthropist and scholar (b. 1907)
- 2014 – Benjamín Brea, Spanish-Venezuelan saxophonist, clarinet player, and conductor (b. 1946)
- 2014 – Michael Glawogger, Austrian director, screenwriter, and cinematographer (b. 1959)
- 2014 – Jaap Havekotte, Dutch speed skater and producer of ice skates (b. 1912)
- 2014 – Connie Marrero, Cuban baseball player and coach (b. 1911)
- 2014 – F. Michael Rogers, American general (b. 1921)
- 2014 – Mark Shand, English conservationist and author (b. 1951)
- 2014 – Patric Standford, English composer and educator (b. 1939)
- 2015 – Richard Corliss, American journalist and critic (b. 1944)
- 2015 – Ray Jackson, Australian activist (b. 1941)
- 2015 – Pierre Claude Nolin, Canadian lawyer and politician, Speaker of the Canadian Senate (b. 1950)
- 2015 – Jim Steffen, American football player (b. 1936)
- 2015 – Francis Tsai, American author and illustrator (b. 1967)
- 2016 – Inge King, German-born Australian sculptor (b. 1915)
- 2016 – Banharn Silpa-archa, Thai politician, Prime Minister from 1995–1996 (b. 1932)
- 2019 – Charity Sunshine Tillemann-Dick, American soprano singer and presenter (b.1983)
Holidays and observances on April 23
- Castile and León Day (Castile and León)
- Christian feast day:
  
  Adalbert of Prague
  
  Felix, Fortunatus, and Achilleus
  
  George
  
  Blessed Giles of Assisi
  
  Gerard of Toul
  
  Ibar of Beggerin (Meath)
  
  Toyohiko Kagawa (Episcopal and Lutheran Church)
  
  April 23 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Earliest day on which the first day of Children’s Day can fall, while April 29 is the latest; celebrated on the last Saturday of April. (Colombia)
- Independence Day (Conch Republic, Key West, Florida)
- International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Day
- Khongjom Day (Manipur)
- National Sovereignty and Children’s Day (Turkey and Northern Cyprus)
- Navy Day (China)
- St George’s Day (England) and its related observances:
  
  Canada Book Day (Canada)
  
  La Diada de Sant Jordi (Catalonia, Spain)
  
  World Book Day
- UN English Language Day (United Nations)
Read More April 23 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day
On This Day

April 12 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day
April 12 in History
- 240 – Shapur I becomes co-emperor of the Sasanian Empire with his father Ardashir I.
- 467 – Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire.
- 627 – King Edwin of Northumbria is converted to Christianity by Paulinus, bishop of York.
- 1012 – Duke Oldřich of Bohemia deposes and blinds his brother Jaromír who flees to Poland.
- 1204 – The Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade breach the walls of Constantinople and enter the city, which they completely occupy the following day.
- 1606 – The Union Flag is adopted as the flag of English and Scottish ships.
- 1776 – American Revolution: With the Halifax Resolves, the North Carolina Provincial Congress authorizes its Congressional delegation to vote for independence from Britain.
- 1807 – The Froberg mutiny ends when the remaining mutineers blow up the magazine of Fort Ricasoli.
- 1820 – Alexander Ypsilantis is declared leader of Filiki Eteria, a secret organization to overthrow Ottoman rule over Greece.
- 1831 – Soldiers marching on the Broughton Suspension Bridge in Manchester, England, cause it to collapse.
- 1861 – American Civil War: Battle of Fort Sumter. The war begins with Confederate forces firing on Fort Sumter, in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina.
- 1862 – American Civil War: The Andrews Raid (the Great Locomotive Chase) occurs, starting from Big Shanty, Georgia (now Kennesaw).
- 1864 – American Civil War: The Battle of Fort Pillow: Confederate forces kill most of the African American soldiers that surrendered at Fort Pillow, Tennessee.
- 1865 – American Civil War: Mobile, Alabama, falls to the Union Army.
- 1877 – The United Kingdom annexes the Transvaal.
- 1910 – SMS Zrínyi, one of the last pre-dreadnought battleships built by the Austro-Hungarian Navy, is launched.
- 1917 – World War I: Canadian forces successfully complete the taking of Vimy Ridge from the Germans.
- 1927 – Shanghai massacre of 1927: Chiang Kai-shek orders the Communist Party of China members executed in Shanghai, ending the First United Front.
- 1927 – Rocksprings, Texas was hit by an F5 tornado that destroyed 235 of the 247 buildings in the town and killed 72 townspeople and injured 205; third deadliest tornado in Texas history.
- 1928 – The Bremen, a German Junkers W 33 type aircraft, takes off for the first successful transatlantic aeroplane flight from east to west.
- 1934 – The strongest surface wind gust in the world at the time of 231 mph, is measured on the summit of Mount Washington, New Hampshire. It has since been surpassed.
- 1934 – The U.S. Auto-Lite strike begins, culminating in a five-day melee between Ohio National Guard troops and 6,000 strikers and picketers.
- 1937 – Sir Frank Whittle ground-tests the first jet engine designed to power an aircraft, at Rugby, England.
- 1945 – U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies in office; Vice President Harry S. Truman becomes President upon Roosevelt’s death.
- 1945 – World War II: The U.S. Ninth Army under General William H. Simpson crosses the Elbe River astride Magdeburg, and reached Tangermünde—only 50 miles from Berlin.
- 1955 – The polio vaccine, developed by Dr. Jonas Salk, is declared safe and effective.
- 1961 – Cold War: Space Race: The Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human to travel into outer space and perform the first manned orbital flight, Vostok 1.
- 1963 – The Soviet nuclear-powered submarine K-33 collides with the Finnish merchant vessel M/S Finnclipper in the Danish straits.
- 1970 – Soviet submarine K-8, carrying four nuclear torpedoes, sinks in the Bay of Biscay four days after a fire on board.
- 1980 – The Americo-Liberian government of Liberia is violently deposed.
- 1980 – Transbrasil Flight 303, a Boeing 727, crashes on approach to Hercílio Luz International Airport, in Florianópolis, Brazil. Fifty-five out of the 58 people on board are killed.
- 1981 – The first launch of a Space Shuttle (Columbia) takes place: The STS-1 mission.
- 1983 – Harold Washington is elected as the first black mayor of Chicago.
- 1990 – Jim Gary’s “Twentieth Century Dinosaurs” exhibition opens at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. He is the only sculptor ever invited to present a solo exhibition there.
- 1992 – The Euro Disney Resort officially opens with its theme park Euro Disneyland; the resort and its park’s name are subsequently changed to Disneyland Paris.
- 1999 – United States President Bill Clinton is cited for contempt of court for giving “intentionally false statements” in a civil lawsuit; he is later fined and disbarred.
- 2002 – A suicide bomber blows herself up at the entrance to Jerusalem’s Mahane Yehuda Market, killing seven people and wounding 104.
- 2007 – A suicide bomber penetrates the Green Zone and detonates in a cafeteria within a parliament building, killing Iraqi MP Mohammed Awad and wounding more than twenty other people.
- 2009 – Zimbabwe officially abandons the Zimbabwean dollar as its official currency.
- 2010 – Merano derailment: A rail accident in South Tyrol kills nine people and injures a further 28.
- 2013 – Two suicide bombers kill three Chadian soldiers and injure dozens of civilians at a market in Kidal, Mali.
- 2014 – The Great Fire of Valparaíso ravages the Chilean city of Valparaíso, killing 16 people, displacing nearly 10,000, and destroying over 2,000 homes.
Births on April 12
- 811 – Muhammad al-Jawad, the ninth Imam of Shia Islam (d. 835)
- 959 – En’yū, emperor of Japan (d. 991)
- 1116 – Richeza of Poland, queen of Sweden and Grand Princess of Minsk (d. 1156)
- 1432 – Anne of Austria, Landgravine of Thuringia (d. 1462)
- 1484 – Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, Italian architect, designed the Apostolic Palace and St. Peter’s Basilica (d. 1546)
- 1484 – Maharana Sangram Singh, Rana of Mewar (d. 1527)
- 1500 – Joachim Camerarius, German scholar and translator (d. 1574)
- 1526 – Muretus, French philosopher and author (d. 1585)
- 1550 – Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, English courtier and politician, Lord Great Chamberlain (d. 1604)
- 1577 – Christian IV of Denmark (d. 1648)
- 1612 – Simone Cantarini, Italian painter and engraver (d. 1648)
- 1639 – Martin Lister, English naturalist and physician (d. 1712)
- 1656 – Benoît de Maillet, French diplomat and natural historian (d. 1738)
- 1705 – William Cookworthy, English minister and pharmacist (d. 1780)
- 1710 – Caffarelli, Italian actor and singer (d. 1783)
- 1713 – Guillaume Thomas François Raynal, French historian and author (d. 1796)
- 1716 – Felice Giardini, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1796)
- 1722 – Pietro Nardini, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1793)
- 1724 – Lyman Hall, American physician, clergyman, and politician, 16th Governor of Georgia (d. 1790)
- 1748 – Antoine Laurent de Jussieu, French botanist and author (d. 1836)
- 1777 – Henry Clay, American lawyer and politician, 9th United States Secretary of State (d. 1852)
- 1792 – John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, English soldier and politician, Lord Privy Seal (d. 1840)
- 1794 – Germinal Pierre Dandelin, Belgian mathematician and engineer (d. 1847)
- 1796 – George N. Briggs, American lawyer and politician, 19th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1861)
- 1799 – Henri Druey, Swiss lawyer and politician, 2nd President of the Swiss Confederation (d. 1855)
- 1801 – Joseph Lanner, Austrian composer and conductor (d. 1843)
- 1816 – Charles Gavan Duffy, Irish-Australian politician, 8th Premier of Victoria (d. 1903)
- 1823 – Alexander Ostrovsky, Russian playwright and translator (d. 1886)
- 1839 – Nikolay Przhevalsky, Russian geographer and explorer (d. 1888)
- 1845 – Gustaf Cederström, Swedish painter (d. 1933)
- 1851 – José Gautier Benítez, Puerto Rican soldier and poet (d. 1880)
- 1851 – Edward Walter Maunder, English astronomer and author (d. 1928)
- 1852 – Ferdinand von Lindemann, German mathematician and academic (d. 1939)
- 1856 – Martin Conway, 1st Baron Conway of Allington, English mountaineer, cartographer, and politician (d. 1937)
- 1863 – Raul Pompeia, Brazilian writer (d. 1895)
- 1868 – Akiyama Saneyuki, Japanese admiral (d. 1918)
- 1869 – Henri Désiré Landru, French serial killer (d. 1922)
- 1871 – Ioannis Metaxas, Greek general and politician, 130th Prime Minister of Greece (d. 1941)
- 1874 – William B. Bankhead, American lawyer and politician, 47th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (d. 1940)
- 1880 – Addie Joss, American baseball player and journalist (d. 1911)
- 1883 – Imogen Cunningham, American photographer and educator (d. 1976)
- 1883 – Dally Messenger, Australian rugby player, cricketer, and sailor (d. 1959)
- 1884 – Tenby Davies, Welsh runner (d. 1932)
- 1884 – Otto Meyerhof, German physician and biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1951)
- 1885 – Robert Delaunay, French painter (d. 1941)
- 1887 – Harold Lockwood, American actor and director (d. 1918)
- 1888 – Dan Ahearn, Irish-American long jumper and police officer (d. 1942)
- 1888 – Cecil Kimber, English automobile engineer (d. 1945)
- 1892 – Henry Darger, American writer and artist (d. 1973)
- 1894 – Dorothy Cumming, Australian-American actress (d. 1983)
- 1894 – Francisco Craveiro Lopes, Portuguese field marshal and politician, 13th President of Portugal (d. 1964)
- 1898 – Lily Pons, French-American soprano and actress (d. 1976)
- 1901 – Lowell Stockman, American farmer and politician (d. 1962)
- 1902 – Louis Beel, Dutch academic and politician, 36th Prime Minister of the Netherlands (d. 1977)
- 1903 – Jan Tinbergen, Dutch economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1994)
- 1907 – Zawgyi, Burmese poet, author, literary historian, critic, scholar and academic (d. 1990)
- 1907 – Felix de Weldon, Austrian-American sculptor, designed the Marine Corps War Memorial (d. 2003)
- 1908 – Ida Pollock, English author and painter (d. 2013)
- 1908 – Robert Lee Scott, Jr., American pilot and general (d. 2006)
- 1910 – Gillo Dorfles, Italian art critic, painter and philosopher (d. 2018)
- 1910 – Irma Rapuzzi, French politician (d. 2018)
- 1911 – Mahmoud Younis, Egyptian engineer (d. 1976)
- 1912 – Frank Dilio, Canadian businessman (d. 1997)
- 1912 – Hamengkubuwono IX, Indonesian politician, 2nd Vice President of Indonesia (d. 1988)
- 1912 – Hound Dog Taylor, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1975)
- 1913 – Keiko Fukuda, Japanese-American martial artist (d. 2013)
- 1914 – Armen Alchian, American economist and academic (d. 2013)
- 1916 – Beverly Cleary, American author
- 1916 – Russell Garcia, American-New Zealander composer and conductor (d. 2011)
- 1916 – Benjamin Libet, American neuropsychologist and academic (d. 2007)
- 1917 – Helen Forrest, American singer and actress (d. 1999)
- 1917 – Vinoo Mankad, Indian cricketer (d. 1978)
- 1917 – Robert Manzon, French racing driver (d. 2015)
- 1919 – István Anhalt, Hungarian-Canadian composer and educator (d. 2012)
- 1919 – Billy Vaughn, American musician and bandleader (d. 1991)
- 1921 – Robert Cliche, Canadian lawyer, judge, and politician (d. 1978)
- 1922 – Simon Kapwepwe, Zambian politician, 2nd Vice President of Zambia (d. 1980)
- 1923 – Ann Miller, American actress, singer, and dancer (d. 2004)
- 1924 – Raymond Barre, French economist and politician, Prime Minister of France (d. 2007)
- 1924 – Peter Safar, Austrian physician and academic (d. 2003)
- 1924 – Curtis Turner, American race car driver (d. 1970)
- 1925 – Evelyn Berezin, American computer scientist and engineer (d. 2018)
- 1925 – Ned Miller, American country music singer and songwriter (d. 2016)
- 1925 – Oliver Postgate, English animator, puppeteer, and screenwriter (d. 2008)
- 1926 – Jane Withers, American actress
- 1927 – Thomas Hemsley, English baritone (d. 2013)
- 1927 – Alvin Sargent, two-time Academy-Award-winning American screenwriter (d. 2019)
- 1928 – Hardy Krüger, German actor
- 1928 – Jean-François Paillard, French conductor (d. 2013)
- 1929 – Elspet Gray, Scottish actress (d. 2013)
- 1929 – Mukhran Machavariani, Georgian poet and educator (d. 2010)
- 1930 – John Landy, Australian runner and politician, 26th Governor of Victoria
- 1930 – Bryan Magee, English philosopher and politician (d. 2019)
- 1930 – Manuel Neri, American sculptor and painter
- 1930 – Michał Życzkowski, Polish technician and educator (d. 2006)
- 1931 – Leonid Derbenyov, Russian poet and songwriter (d. 1995)
- 1932 – Lakshman Kadirgamar, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician, 5th Sri Lankan Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 2005)
- 1932 – Jean-Pierre Marielle, French actor (d. 2019)
- 1932 – Tiny Tim, American singer and ukulele player (d. 1996)
- 1933 – Montserrat Caballé, Spanish soprano and actress (d. 2018)
- 1934 – Heinz Schneiter, Swiss footballer and manager (d. 2017)
- 1936 – Charles Napier, American actor (d. 2011)
- 1936 – Kennedy Simmonds, Kittitian politician, 4th Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis
- 1937 – Dennis Banks, American author and activist (d. 2017)
- 1937 – Igor Volk, Ukrainian-Russian colonel, pilot, and astronaut (d. 2017)
- 1939 – Alan Ayckbourn, English director and playwright
- 1939 – Johnny Raper, Australian rugby league player and coach
- 1940 – Woodie Fryman, American baseball player (d. 2011)
- 1940 – Herbie Hancock, American pianist, composer, and bandleader
- 1941 – Bobby Moore, English footballer and manager (d. 1993)
- 1942 – Bill Bryden, Scottish actor, director, and screenwriter
- 1942 – Carlos Reutemann, Argentinian race car driver and politician
- 1942 – Jacob Zuma, South African politician, 4th President of South Africa
- 1943 – Sumitra Mahajan, Indian politician, 16th Speaker of the Lok Sabha
- 1944 – Lisa Jardine, English historian, author, and academic (d. 2015)
- 1944 – John Kay, German-Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
- 1945 – Lee Jong-wook, South Korean physician and diplomat (d. 2006)
- 1946 – Ed O’Neill, American actor and comedian
- 1946 – George Robertson, Baron Robertson of Port Ellen, Scottish politician and diplomat, 10th Secretary General of NATO
- 1947 – Roy M. Anderson, English epidemiologist, zoologist, and academic
- 1947 – Martin Brasier, English palaeontologist, biologist, and academic (d. 2014)
- 1947 – Alex Briley, American disco singer
- 1947 – Tom Clancy, American historian and author (d. 2013)
- 1947 – Woody Johnson, American businessman and philanthropist
- 1947 – Dan Lauria, American actor
- 1947 – David Letterman, American comedian and talk show host
- 1948 – Jeremy Beadle, English television host and producer (d. 2008)
- 1948 – Joschka Fischer, German academic and politician
- 1948 – Marcello Lippi, Italian footballer, manager, and coach
- 1949 – Scott Turow, American lawyer and author
- 1950 – Flavio Briatore, Italian businessman
- 1950 – David Cassidy, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2017)
- 1950 – Joyce Banda, Malawian politician, 4th president of Malawi
- 1950 – Nick Sackman, English composer and educator
- 1951 – Tom Noonan, American actor
- 1952 – Reuben Gant, American football player
- 1952 – Leicester Rutledge, New Zealand rugby player
- 1952 – Gary Soto, American poet, novelist, and memoirist
- 1952 – Ralph Wiley, American journalist (d. 2004)
- 1953 – Tanino Liberatore, Italian author and illustrator
- 1954 – John Faulkner, Australian educator and politician, 52nd Australian Minister for Defence
- 1954 – Steve Stevaert, Belgian businessman and politician (d. 2015)
- 1954 – Pat Travers, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1955 – Fabian Hamilton, English graphic designer, engineer, and politician
- 1956 – Andy Garcia, Cuban-American actor, director, and producer
- 1956 – Herbert Grönemeyer, German singer-songwriter and actor
- 1957 – Greg Child, Australian mountaineer and author
- 1957 – Vince Gill, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1957 – Tama Janowitz, American novelist and short story writer
- 1958 – Will Sergeant, English guitarist
- 1958 – Klaus Tafelmeier, German javelin thrower
- 1958 – Ginka Zagorcheva, Bulgarian hurdler
- 1959 – Howard Stableford, English radio and television host
- 1961 – Corrado Fabi, Italian racing driver
- 1961 – Charles Mann, American football player and sportscaster
- 1961 – Magda Szubanski, English-Australian actress, comedian and writer
- 1962 – Art Alexakis, American singer-songwriter and musician
- 1962 – Carlos Sainz, Spanish racing driver
- 1962 – Nobuhiko Takada, Japanese mixed martial artist and wrestler, founded Hustle
- 1963 – Lydia Cacho, Mexican journalist and author
- 1964 – Chris Fairclough, English footballer and coach
- 1965 – Amy Ray, American folk-rock singer-songwriter, musician, and music producer
- 1965 – Kim Bodnia, Danish actor and director
- 1965 – Chi Onwurah, English politician
- 1965 – Gervais Rufyikiri, Burundian politician
- 1965 – Mihai Stoica, Romanian footballer and manager
- 1966 – Nils-Olav Johansen, Norwegian guitarist and singer
- 1966 – Lorenzo White, American football player
- 1967 – Sarah Cracknell, English singer-songwriter
- 1968 – Alicia Coppola, American actress
- 1968 – Toby Gad, German songwriter and producer
- 1968 – Adam Graves, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1969 – Jörn Lenz, German footballer and manager
- 1969 – Lucas Radebe, South African footballer and sportscaster
- 1969 – Michael Jackson, American football player and politician (d. 2017)
- 1970 – Sylvain Bouchard, Canadian speed skater
- 1971 – Nicholas Brendon, American actor
- 1971 – Shannen Doherty, American actress, director, and producer
- 1972 – Paul Lo Duca, American baseball player and sportscaster
- 1973 – J. Scott Campbell, American author and illustrator
- 1973 – Ryan Kisor, American trumpet player and composer
- 1973 – Antonio Osuna, Mexican-American baseball player
- 1973 – Christian Panucci, Italian footballer and manager
- 1974 – Belinda Emmett, Australian actress (d. 2006)
- 1974 – Bryan Fletcher, Australian rugby league player and sportscaster
- 1974 – Roman Hamrlík, Czech ice hockey player
- 1974 – Marley Shelton, American actress
- 1974 – Sylvinho, Brazilian footballer and manager
- 1976 – Olga Kotlyarova, Russian runner
- 1976 – Brad Miller, American basketball player
- 1977 – Giovanny Espinoza, Ecuadorian footballer
- 1977 – Sarah Monahan, Australian actress
- 1977 – Jason Price, Welsh footballer
- 1977 – Glenn Rogers, Australian-Scottish cricketer
- 1978 – Guy Berryman, Scottish bass player and producer
- 1978 – Scott Crary, American director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1978 – Svetlana Lapina, Russian high jumper
- 1978 – Robin Walker, English businessman and politician
- 1979 – Claire Danes, American actress
- 1979 – Elena Grosheva, Russian gymnast
- 1979 – Mateja Kežman, Serbian footballer
- 1979 – Jennifer Morrison, American actress
- 1979 – Cristian Ranalli, Italian footballer
- 1979 – Lee Soo-young, South Korean singer
- 1980 – Sara Head, Welsh Paralympic table tennis champion
- 1980 – Brian McFadden, Irish singer-songwriter
- 1981 – Yuriy Borzakovskiy, Russian runner
- 1981 – Nicolás Burdisso, Argentinian footballer
- 1981 – Tulsi Gabbard, American politician
- 1981 – Grant Holt, English footballer and professional wrestler
- 1981 – Hisashi Iwakuma, Japanese baseball pitcher
- 1983 – Jelena Dokic, Serbian-Australian tennis player
- 1983 – Luke Kibet, Kenyan runner
- 1984 – Aleksey Dmitrik, Russian high jumper
- 1985 – Brennan Boesch, American baseball player
- 1985 – Hitomi Yoshizawa, Japanese singer
- 1986 – Brad Brach, American baseball pitcher
- 1986 – Blerim Džemaili, Swiss footballer
- 1986 – Marcel Granollers, Spanish tennis player
- 1986 – Jonathan Pitroipa, Burkinabé footballer
- 1987 – Brooklyn Decker, American model and actress
- 1987 – Shawn Gore, Canadian football player
- 1987 – Josh McCrone, Australian rugby league player
- 1987 – Luiz Adriano, Brazilian professional footballer
- 1987 – Brendon Urie, American singer, songwriter, musician and multi-instrumentalist
- 1988 – Ricardo Gabriel Álvarez, Argentinian footballer
- 1988 – Stephen Brogan, English footballer
- 1988 – Amedeo Calliari, Italian footballer
- 1988 – Jessie James Decker, American singer-songwriter
- 1989 – Bethan Dainton, Welsh rugby union player
- 1989 – Miguel Ángel Ponce, American-Mexican footballer
- 1989 – Ádám Hanga, Hungarian basketball player
- 1989 – Kaitlyn Weaver, Canadian-American ice dancer
- 1989 – Valentin Stocker, Swiss footballer
- 1990 – Francesca Halsall, English swimmer
- 1990 – Hiroki Sakai, Japanese footballer
- 1991 – Torey Krug, American ice hockey player
- 1991 – Lionel Carole, French professional footballer
- 1991 – Oliver Norwood, English born Northern Irish international footballer
- 1991 – Magnus Pääjärvi, Swedish ice hockey player
- 1991 – Jazz Richards, Welsh international footballer
- 1992 – Chad le Clos, South African swimmer
- 1993 – Jordan Archer, English-Scottish footballer
- 1993 – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1994 – Isabelle Drummond, Brazilian actress and singer
- 1994 – Saoirse Ronan, American-born Irish actress
- 1994 – Oh Sehun, South Korean musician
- 1994 – Eric Bailly, Ivorian professional footballer
- 1994 – Guido Rodríguez, Argentine footballer
- 1995 – Pedro Cachín, Argentine tennis player
- 1996 – Elizaveta Kulichkova, Russian tennis player
Deaths on April 12
- 45 BC – Gnaeus Pompeius, Roman general and politician (b. 75 BC)
- 352 – Julius I, pope of the Catholic Church
- 434 – Maximianus, archbishop of Constantinople
- 901 – Eudokia Baïana, Byzantine empress and wife of Leo VI
- 1125 – Vladislaus I, Duke of Bohemia (b. 1065)
- 1167 – Charles VII, king of Sweden (b. c. 1130)
- 1212 – Vsevolod the Big Nest, Grand Prince of Vladimir (b. 1154)
- 1256 – Margaret of Bourbon, Queen of Navarre, regent of Navarre (b. c. 1217)
- 1443 – Henry Chichele, English archbishop (b. 1364)
- 1500 – Leonhard of Gorizia, Count of Gorz (b. 1440)
- 1530 – Joanna La Beltraneja, Princess of Castile (b. 1462)
- 1550 – Claude, Duke of Guise (b. 1496)
- 1555 – Joanna of Castile (b. 1479)
- 1675 – Richard Bennett, English politician, colonial Governor of Virginia (b. 1609)
- 1684 – Nicola Amati, Italian instrument maker (b. 1596)
- 1687 – Ambrose Dixon, English-American soldier (b. 1619)
- 1704 – Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet, French bishop and theologian (b. 1627)
- 1748 – William Kent, English architect, designed Holkham Hall and Chiswick House (b. 1685)
- 1782 – Metastasio, Italian-Austrian poet and composer (b. 1698)
- 1788 – Carlo Antonio Campioni, French-Italian composer (b. 1719)
- 1795 – Johann Kaspar Basselet von La Rosée, Bavarian general (b. 1710)
- 1814 – Charles Burney, English composer and historian (b. 1726)
- 1817 – Charles Messier, French astronomer and academic (b. 1730)
- 1850 – Adoniram Judson, American lexicographer and missionary (b. 1788)
- 1866 – Peter Hesketh-Fleetwood, English politician, founded Fleetwood (b. 1801)
- 1872 – Nikolaos Mantzaros, Greek composer and theorist (b. 1795)
- 1878 – William M. Tweed, American lawyer and politician (b. 1823)
- 1879 – Richard Taylor, American general (b. 1826)
- 1885 – William Crowther, Dutch-Australian politician, 14th Premier of Tasmania (b. 1817)
- 1898 – Elzéar-Alexandre Taschereau, Canadian cardinal (b. 1820)
- 1902 – Marie Alfred Cornu, French physicist and academic (b. 1842)
- 1906 – Mahesh Chandra Nyayratna Bhattacharyya, Indian scholar, academic, and philanthropist (b. 1836)
- 1912 – Clara Barton, American nurse and humanitarian, founded the American Red Cross (b. 1821)
- 1933 – Adelbert Ames, American general and politician, 30th Governor of Mississippi (b. 1835)
- 1937 – Abdülhak Hâmid Tarhan, Turkish playwright and poet (b. 1852)
- 1938 – Feodor Chaliapin, Russian opera singer (b. 1873)
- 1943 – Viktor Puskar, Estonian colonel (b. 1889)
- 1945 – Franklin D. Roosevelt, American lawyer and politician, 32nd President of the United States (b. 1882)
- 1953 – Lionel Logue, Australian actor and therapist (b. 1880)
- 1962 – Ron Flockhart, Scottish racing driver (b. 1923)
- 1966 – Sydney Allard, English racing driver and founder of the Allard car company (b. 1910)
- 1968 – Heinrich Nordhoff, German engineer (b. 1899)
- 1971 – Ed Lafitte, American baseball player and dentist (b. 1886)
- 1973 – Arthur Freed, American songwriter and producer (b. 1894)
- 1975 – Josephine Baker, French actress, activist, and humanitarian (b. 1906)
- 1977 – Philip K. Wrigley, American businessman, co-founded Lincoln Park Gun Club (b. 1894)
- 1980 – William R. Tolbert, Jr., Liberian politician, 20th President of Liberia (b. 1913)
- 1981 – Prince Yasuhiko Asaka of Japan (b. 1887)
- 1981 – Joe Louis, American boxer and wrestler (b. 1914)
- 1983 – Jørgen Juve, Norwegian football player and journalist (b. 1906)
- 1983 – Carl Morton, American baseball player (b. 1944)
- 1984 – Edwin T. Layton, American admiral and cryptanalyst (b. 1903)
- 1986 – Valentin Kataev, Russian author and playwright (b. 1897)
- 1988 – Colette Deréal, French singer and actress (b. 1927)
- 1988 – Alan Paton, South African historian and author (b. 1903)
- 1989 – Abbie Hoffman, American activist, co-founded Youth International Party (b. 1936)
- 1989 – Sugar Ray Robinson, American boxer (b. 1921)
- 1992 – Ilario Bandini, Italian racing driver and businessman (b. 1911)
- 1997 – George Wald, American neurologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
- 1998 – Robert Ford, Canadian poet and diplomat (b. 1915)
- 1999 – Boxcar Willie, American singer-songwriter (b. 1931)
- 2001 – Harvey Ball, American illustrator, created the smiley (b. 1921)
- 2002 – George Shevelov, Ukrainian-American linguist and philologist (b. 1908)
- 2004 – Moran Campbell, Canadian physician and academic, invented the venturi mask (b. 1925)
- 2006 – William Sloane Coffin, American minister and activist (b. 1924)
- 2007 – Kevin Crease, Australian journalist (b. 1936)
- 2008 – Cecilia Colledge, English-American figure skater and coach (b. 1920)
- 2008 – Patrick Hillery, Irish physician and politician, 6th President of Ireland (b. 1923)
- 2008 – Jerry Zucker, Israeli-American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1949)
- 2010 – Michel Chartrand, Canadian trade union leader (b. 1916)
- 2010 – Werner Schroeter, German director and screenwriter (b. 1945)
- 2011 – Karim Fakhrawi, Bahraini journalist, co-founded Al-Wasat (b. 1962)
- 2012 – Mohit Chattopadhyay, Indian poet and playwright (b. 1934)
- 2012 – Rodgers Grant, American pianist and composer (b. 1935)
- 2013 – Robert Byrne, American chess player and author (b. 1928)
- 2013 – Johnny du Plooy, South African boxer (b. 1964)
- 2013 – Michael France, American screenwriter (b. 1962)
- 2013 – Brennan Manning, American priest and author (b. 1934)
- 2013 – Annamária Szalai, Hungarian journalist and politician (b. 1961)
- 2013 – Ya’akov Yosef, Israeli rabbi and politician (b. 1946)
- 2014 – Pierre Autin-Grenier, French author and poet (b. 1947)
- 2014 – Pierre-Henri Menthéour, French cyclist (b. 1960)
- 2014 – Maurício Alves Peruchi, Brazilian footballer (b. 1990)
- 2014 – Hal Smith, American baseball player and coach (b. 1931)
- 2014 – Billy Standridge, American race car driver (b. 1953)
- 2015 – Paulo Brossard, Brazilian jurist and politician (b. 1924)
- 2015 – Patrice Dominguez, Algerian-French tennis player and trainer (b. 1950)
- 2015 – Alfred Eick, German commander (b. 1916)
- 2015 – André Mba Obame, Gabonese politician (b. 1957)
- 2016 – Anne Jackson, American actress (b. 1925)
- 2016 – Mohammad Al Gaz, Emirati politician & diplomat (b. 1930)
- 2017 – Charlie Murphy, American actor and comedian (b. 1959)
- 2020 – Tarvaris Jackson, American football player (b. 1983)
Holidays and observances on April 12
- Children’s Day (Bolivia)
- Christian feast day:
  
  Adoniram Judson (Episcopal Church)
  
  Alferius
  
  Blessed Angelo Carletti di Chivasso
  
  Erkembode
  
  Pope Julius I
  
  Teresa of the Andes
  
  Zeno of Verona
  
  April 12 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Commemoration of first human in space by Yuri Gagarin:
  
  Cosmonautics Day (Russia)
  
  International Day of Human Space Flight
  
  Yuri’s Night (International observance)
- Halifax Day (North Carolina)
- National Redemption Day (Liberia)
Read More April 12 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day
On This Day

March 31 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day
It is the last day of the first quarter of the year.

March 31 in History
- 307 – After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, daughter of the retired Roman Emperor Maximian.
- 1146 – Bernard of Clairvaux preaches his famous sermon in a field at Vézelay, urging the necessity of a Second Crusade. Louis VII is present, and joins the Crusade.
- 1492 – Queen Isabella of Castile issues the Alhambra Decree, ordering her 150,000 Jewish and Muslim subjects to convert to Christianity or face expulsion.
- 1561 – The city of San Cristóbal, Táchira is founded.
- 1717 – A sermon on “The Nature of the Kingdom of Christ” by Benjamin Hoadly, the Bishop of Bangor, preached in the presence of King George I of Great Britain, provokes the Bangorian Controversy.
- 1774 – American Revolutionary War: The Kingdom of Great Britain orders the port of Boston, Massachusetts closed pursuant to the Boston Port Act.
- 1854 – Commodore Matthew Perry signs the Convention of Kanagawa with the Tokugawa Shogunate, opening the ports of Shimoda and Hakodate to American trade.
- 1885 – The United Kingdom establishes the Bechuanaland Protectorate.
- 1889 – The Eiffel Tower is officially opened.
- 1899 – Malolos, capital of the First Philippine Republic, is captured by American forces.
- 1906 – The Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States (later the National Collegiate Athletic Association) is established to set rules for college sports in the United States.
- 1909 – Serbia formally withdraws its opposition to Austro-Hungarian actions in the Bosnian Crisis.
- 1913 – The Vienna Concert Society rioted during a performance of modernist music by Arnold Schoenberg, Alban Berg, Alexander von Zemlinsky, and Anton von Webern, causing a premature end to the concert due to violence; this concert became known as the Skandalkonzert.
- 1917 – According to the terms of the Treaty of the Danish West Indies, the islands become American possessions.
- 1918 – Massacre of ethnic Azerbaijanis is committed by allied armed groups of Armenian Revolutionary Federation and Bolsheviks. Nearly 12,000 Azerbaijani Muslims are killed.
- 1918 – Daylight saving time goes into effect in the United States for the first time.
- 1921 – The Royal Australian Air Force is formed.
- 1930 – The Motion Picture Production Code is instituted, imposing strict guidelines on the treatment of sex, crime, religion and violence in film, in the U.S., for the next thirty-eight years.
- 1931 – An earthquake in Nicaragua destroys Managua; killing 2,000.
- 1931 – A Transcontinental & Western Air airliner crashes near Bazaar, Kansas, killing eight, including University of Notre Dame head football coach Knute Rockne.
- 1933 – The Civilian Conservation Corps is established with the mission of relieving rampant unemployment in the United States.
- 1942 – World War II: Japanese forces invade Christmas Island, then a British possession.
- 1945 – World War II: A defecting German pilot delivers a Messerschmitt Me 262A-1, the world’s first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft, to the Americans, the first to fall into Allied hands.
- 1949 – The Dominion of Newfoundland joins the Canadian Confederation and becomes the 10th Province of Canada.
- 1951 – Remington Rand delivers the first UNIVAC I computer to the United States Census Bureau.
- 1957 – Elections to the Territorial Assembly of the French colony Upper Volta are held. After the elections PDU and MDV form a government.
- 1958 – In the Canadian federal election, the Progressive Conservatives, led by John Diefenbaker, win the largest percentage of seats in Canadian history, with 208 seats of 265.
- 1959 – The 14th Dalai Lama, crosses the border into India and is granted political asylum.
- 1964 – Brazilian General Olímpio Mourão Filho orders his troops to move towards Rio de Janeiro, beginning the coup d’état.
- 1966 – The Soviet Union launches Luna 10 which later becomes the first space probe to enter orbit around the Moon.
- 1968 – American President Lyndon B. Johnson speaks to the nation of “Steps to Limit the War in Vietnam” in a television address. At the conclusion of his speech, he announces: “I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your President.”
- 1970 – Explorer 1 re-enters the Earth’s atmosphere after 12 years in orbit.
- 1980 – The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad operates its final train after being ordered to liquidate its assets because of bankruptcy and debts owed to creditors.
- 1985 – The first WrestleMania, the biggest wrestling event from the WWE (then the WWF), takes place in Madison Square Garden in New York City.
- 1990 – Approximately 200,000 protesters take to the streets of London to protest against the newly introduced Poll Tax.
- 1991 – Georgian independence referendum: Nearly 99 percent of the voters support the country’s independence from the Soviet Union.
- 1992 – The USS Missouri, the last active United States Navy battleship, is decommissioned in Long Beach, California.
- 1992 – The Treaty of Federation is signed in Moscow.
- 1995 – TAROM Flight 371, an Airbus A310-300, crashes near Balotesti, Romania, killing all 60 people on board.
- 1995 – Selena is murdered by her fan club’s president Yolanda Saldívar at a Days Inn in Corpus Christi, Texas after accusations of Saldívar embezzling money from Selena’s fan club.
- 1998 – Netscape releases Mozilla source code under an open source license.
- 2004 – Iraq War in Anbar Province: In Fallujah, Iraq, four American private military contractors working for Blackwater USA, are killed after being ambushed.
- 2018 – Start of the 2018 Armenian revolution.
Births on March 31
- 1360 – Philippa of Lancaster (d. 1415)
- 1499 – Pope Pius IV (d. 1565)
- 1504 – Guru Angad, Indian religious leader (d. 1552)
- 1519 – Henry II of France (d. 1559)
- 1536 – Ashikaga Yoshiteru, Japanese shōgun (d. 1565)
- 1596 – René Descartes, French mathematician and philosopher (d. 1650)
- 1601 – Jakov Mikalja, Italian linguist and lexicographer (d. 1654)
- 1621 – Andrew Marvell, English poet and politician (d. 1678)
- 1651 – Charles II, Elector Palatine, German husband of Princess Wilhelmine Ernestine of Denmark (d. 1685)
- 1675 – Pope Benedict XIV (d. 1758)
- 1718 – Mariana Victoria of Spain (d. 1781)
- 1723 – Frederick V of Denmark (d. 1766)
- 1730 – Étienne Bézout, French mathematician and theorist (d. 1783)
- 1732 – Joseph Haydn, Austrian pianist and composer (d. 1809)
- 1740 – Panoutsos Notaras, Greek politician (d. 1849)
- 1747 – Johann Abraham Peter Schulz, German pianist and composer (d. 1800)
- 1777 – Charles Cagniard de la Tour, French physicist and engineer (d. 1859)
- 1778 – Coenraad Jacob Temminck, Dutch zoologist and ornithologist (d. 1858)
- 1794 – Thomas McKean Thompson McKennan, American lawyer and politician, 2nd United States Secretary of the Interior (d. 1852)
- 1809 – Edward FitzGerald, English poet and translator (d. 1883)
- 1809 – Nikolai Gogol, Ukrainian-Russian short story writer, novelist, and playwright (d. 1852)
- 1809 – Otto Lindblad, Swedish composer (d. 1864)
- 1813 – Félix María Zuloaga, Mexican general and unconstitutional interim president (1858 and 1860–1862) (d. 1898)
- 1819 – Chlodwig, Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst (d. 1901)
- 1823 – Mary Boykin Chesnut, American author (d. 1886)
- 1833 – Mary Abigail Dodge, American writer and essayist (d. 1896)
- 1835 – John La Farge, American artist (d. 1910)
- 1847 – Hermann de Pourtalès, Swiss sailor (d. 1904)
- 1847 – Yegor Ivanovich Zolotarev, Russian mathematician and theorist (d. 1878)
- 1851 – Francis Bell, Jewish New Zealand lawyer and politician, 20th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1936)
- 1855 – Alfred E. Hunt, American businessman (d. 1899)
- 1859 – Emil Fenyvessy, Hungarian actor and screenwriter (d. 1924)
- 1865 – Anandi Gopal Joshi, Indian physician (d. 1887)
- 1871 – Arthur Griffith, Irish journalist and politician, 3rd President of Dáil Éireann (d. 1922)
- 1872 – Sergei Diaghilev, Russian ballet manager and critic, founded the Ballets Russes (d. 1929)
- 1874 – Benjamín G. Hill, Mexican revolutionary general, governor of Sonora (d. 1920)
- 1874 – Henri Marteau, French violinist and composer (d. 1934)
- 1876 – Borisav Stanković, Serbian author (d. 1927)
- 1878 – Jack Johnson, American boxer (d. 1946)
- 1884 – Adriaan van Maanen, Dutch-American astronomer and academic (d. 1946)
- 1885 – Pascin, Sephardi Jewish Bulgarian-American painter and illustrator (d. 1930)
- 1890 – Ben Adams, American jumper (d. 1961)
- 1890 – William Lawrence Bragg, Australian-English physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1971)
- 1891 – Victor Varconi, Hungarian-American actor and director (d. 1976)
- 1893 – Clemens Krauss, Austrian conductor and manager (d. 1954)
- 1893 – Herbert Meinhard Mühlpfordt, German physician and historian (d. 1982)
- 1895 – Vardis Fisher, American author and academic (d. 1968)
- 1900 – Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester (d. 1974)
- 1905 – Robert Stevenson, English director and screenwriter (d. 1986)
- 1905 – George Treweek, Australian rugby league player (d. 1991)
- 1906 – Sin-Itiro Tomonaga, Japanese physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1979)
- 1908 – Red Norvo, American vibraphone player and composer (d. 1999)
- 1911 – Freddie Green, American guitarist (d. 1987)
- 1911 – Elisabeth Grümmer, German soprano (d. 1986)
- 1912 – William Lederer, American soldier and author (d. 2009)
- 1913 – Etta Baker, African-American singer and guitarist (d. 2006)
- 1914 – Octavio Paz, Mexican poet and diplomat, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1998)
- 1914 – Dagmar Lange, Swedish author (d. 1991)
- 1915 – Albert Hourani, English historian and author (d. 1993)
- 1915 – Shoichi Yokoi, Japanese sergeant (d. 1997)
- 1916 – Lucille Bliss, American voice actress (d. 2012)
- 1916 – Tommy Bolt, American golfer (d. 2008)
- 1916 – John H. Wood, Jr., American lawyer and judge (d. 1979)
- 1917 – Dorothy DeLay, American violinist and educator (d. 2002)
- 1918 – Ted Post, American director (d. 2013)
- 1919 – Frank Akins, American football player (d. 1993)
- 1920 – Deborah Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, British aristocrat, socialite and author (d. 2014)
- 1921 – Lowell Fulson, African-American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1999)
- 1921 – Peggy Rea, American actress and casting director (d. 2011)
- 1922 – Richard Kiley, American actor and singer (d. 1999)
- 1922 – Patrick Magee, Irish actor (d. 1982)
- 1923 – Don Barksdale, American basketball player (d. 1993)
- 1923 – François Sermon, Belgian footballer (d. 2013)
- 1924 – Leo Buscaglia, American author and academic (d. 1998)
- 1924 – Charles Guggenheim, American director and producer (d. 2002)
- 1925 – Jean Coutu, Canadian actor and director (d. 1999)
- 1926 – John Fowles, English novelist (d. 2005)
- 1926 – Beni Montresor, Italian director, set designer, author, and illustrator (d. 2001)
- 1926 – Rocco Petrone, American colonel and engineer (d. 2006)
- 1927 – Cesar Chavez, American labor union leader and activist (d. 1993)
- 1927 – William Daniels, American actor
- 1927 – Eduardo Martínez Somalo, Spanish cardinal
- 1927 – Vladimir Ilyushin, Russian pilot (d. 2010)
- 1927 – Elmer Diedtrich, American businessman and politician (d. 2013)
- 1927 – Bud MacPherson, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1988)
- 1928 – Lefty Frizzell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1975)
- 1928 – Gordie Howe, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2016)
- 1929 – Liz Claiborne, Belgian-American fashion designer, founded Liz Claiborne Inc. (d. 2007)
- 1929 – Bert Fields, American lawyer and author
- 1930 – Yehuda Nir, Polish Jewish-American psychiatrist (d. 2014)
- 1930 – Jim Mutscheller, American football player and coach (d. 2015)
- 1931 – Miller Barber, American golfer (d. 2013)
- 1931 – Tamara Tyshkevich, Belarusian shot putter (d. 1997)
- 1932 – John Jakes, American author
- 1932 – Nagisa Oshima, Japanese director and screenwriter (d. 2013)
- 1933 – Anita Carter, American singer-songwriter and bassist (d. 1999)
- 1933 – Nichita Stănescu, Romanian poet (d. 1983)
- 1934 – Richard Chamberlain, American actor
- 1934 – Shirley Jones, American actress and singer
- 1934 – John D. Loudermilk, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2016)
- 1934 – Carlo Rubbia, Italian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1934 – Kamala Surayya, Indian poet and author (d. 2009)
- 1935 – Herb Alpert, American singer-songwriter, trumpet player, and producer
- 1935 – Judith Rossner, Jewish-American author (d. 2005)
- 1936 – Marge Piercy, American poet and novelist
- 1936 – Walter E. Williams, American economist and academic
- 1938 – Patrick Bateson, English biologist and academic (d. 2017)
- 1938 – Sheila Dikshit, Indian politician, 22nd Governor of Kerala (d. 2019)
- 1938 – Antje Gleichfeld, German runner
- 1938 – Bill Hicke, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager (d. 2005)
- 1938 – Tõnno Lepmets, Estonian basketball player (d. 2005)
- 1938 – Arthur B. Rubinstein, American pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 2018)
- 1938 – David Steel, Scottish academic and politician
- 1939 – Zviad Gamsakhurdia, Georgian anthropologist and politician, 1st President of Georgia (d. 1993)
- 1939 – Israel Horovitz, American actor, director, and screenwriter
- 1939 – Walker David Miller, American lawyer and judge (d. 2013)
- 1939 – Volker Schlöndorff, German director and producer
- 1939 – Karl-Heinz Schnellinger, German footballer
- 1940 – Brian Ackland-Snow, English production designer and art director (d. 2013)
- 1940 – Barney Frank, American lawyer and politician
- 1940 – Patrick Leahy, American lawyer and politician
- 1941 – Franco Bonvicini, Italian author and illustrator (d. 1995)
- 1941 – Faith Leech, Australian swimmer (d. 2013)
- 1942 – Ulla Hoffmann, Swedish politician
- 1942 – Hugh McCracken, American guitarist and producer (d. 2013)
- 1942 – Michael Savage, far-right American radio host and author
- 1943 – Roy Andersson, Swedish director and screenwriter
- 1943 – Deirdre Clancy, English costume designer
- 1943 – Christopher Walken, American actor
- 1944 – Pascal Danel, French singer-songwriter
- 1944 – Angus King, American politician
- 1944 – Mick Ralphs, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1945 – Edwin Catmull, American computer scientist and engineer
- 1945 – Gabe Kaplan, American actor and comedian
- 1945 – Myfanwy Talog, Welsh actress (d. 1995)
- 1946 – Gonzalo Márquez, Venezuelan baseball player (d. 1984)
- 1946 – Bob Russell, English politician
- 1947 – Augustin Banyaga, Rwandan-American mathematician and academic
- 1947 – Wendy Overton, American tennis player
- 1947 – Kristian Blak, Danish-Faroese pianist, composer, and producer
- 1947 – Don Foster, English academic and politician
- 1947 – César Gaviria, Colombian economist and politician, 36th President of Colombia
- 1947 – Eliyahu M. Goldratt, Israeli physicist and economist (d. 2011)
- 1948 – Gary Doer, Canadian politician and diplomat, 20th Premier of Manitoba
- 1948 – Al Gore, American soldier and politician, 45th Vice President of the United States and Nobel Prize laureate
- 1948 – Rhea Perlman, American actress
- 1948 – Gustaaf Van Cauter, Belgian cyclist
- 1949 – Gilles Gilbert, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1950 – András Adorján, Hungarian chess player and author
- 1950 – Ed Marinaro, American football player and actor
- 1950 – Sandra Morgen, American anthropologist and academic (d. 2016)
- 1953 – Dennis Kamakahi, American guitarist and composer (d. 2014)
- 1955 – Svetozar Marović, President of Serbia and Montenegro
- 1955 – Angus Young, Scottish-Australian guitarist and songwriter
- 1957 – Alan Duncan, English businessman and politician, former Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
- 1959 – Markus Hediger, Swiss poet and translator
- 1959 – Anita Dillen, Dutch socialite and member of wealthy Dillen family, niece of Cor Dillen, Coen Dillen
- 1961 – Ron Brown, American sprinter and football player
- 1961 – Howard Gordon, American screenwriter and producer
- 1962 – Olli Rehn, Finnish footballer and politician
- 1963 – Paul Mercurio, Australian actor and dancer
- 1964 – Mark Hoban, English accountant and politician
- 1965 – Tom Barrasso, American ice hockey player and coach
- 1965 – Patty Fendick, American tennis player and coach
- 1965 – Jean-Christophe Lafaille, French mountaineer (d. 2006)
- 1965 – William McNamara, American actor and producer
- 1965 – Steven T. Seagle, American author and screenwriter
- 1966 – Roger Black, English runner and journalist
- 1966 – Nick Firestone, American race car driver
- 1968 – César Sampaio, Brazilian footballer
- 1969 – Nyamko Sabuni, Burundian-Swedish politician
- 1969 – Steve Smith, American basketball player and sportscaster
- 1970 – Alenka Bratušek, Slovenian politician, 7th Prime Minister of Slovenia
- 1971 – Demetris Assiotis, Cypriot footballer
- 1971 – Martin Atkinson, English footballer and referee
- 1971 – Pavel Bure, Russian ice hockey player
- 1971 – Craig McCracken, American animator, producer, and screenwriter
- 1971 – Ewan McGregor, Scottish actor
- 1972 – Alejandro Amenábar, Chilean-Spanish director and screenwriter
- 1972 – Andrew Bowen, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
- 1972 – Luca Gentili, Italian footballer and coach
- 1972 – Evan Williams, American businessman, co-founded Twitter and Pyra Labs
- 1973 – Christopher Hampson, English ballet dancer and choreographer
- 1974 – Benjamin Eicher, German director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1974 – Natali, Russian singer, composer and songwriter
- 1974 – Stefan Olsdal, Swedish bass player
- 1974 – Jani Sievinen, Finnish swimmer
- 1975 – Adam Green, American director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1975 – Nathan Grey, Australian rugby player and coach
- 1975 – Cameron Murray, Scottish rugby player
- 1975 – Ryan Rupe, American baseball player
- 1976 – Howard Frier, American basketball player
- 1976 – Igors Sļesarčuks, Latvian-Russian footballer
- 1976 – Graeme Smith, Scottish swimmer
- 1977 – Toshiya, Japanese bass player, songwriter, and producer
- 1977 – Garth Tander, Australian race car driver
- 1978 – Michael Clark, Australian cricketer and footballer
- 1978 – Stephen Clemence, English footballer, midfeider and manager
- 1978 – Jarrod Cooper, American football player
- 1978 – Jérôme Rothen, French footballer
- 1979 – Omri Afek, Israeli footballer
- 1979 – Euan Burton, Scottish martial artist and coach
- 1979 – Alexis Ferrero, Argentinian footballer
- 1979 – Charlie Manning, American baseball player
- 1979 – Jonna Mendes, American skier
- 1979 – Rhys Wesser, Australian rugby league player
- 1980 – Martin Albrechtsen, Danish footballer
- 1980 – Karolina Lassbo, Swedish lawyer and blogger
- 1980 – Matias Concha, Swedish footballer
- 1980 – Kate Micucci, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress
- 1980 – Michael Ryder, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1981 – Ryan Bingham, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1981 – Thomas Chatelle, Belgian footballer
- 1981 – Han Tae-you, South Korean footballer
- 1981 – Pa Dembo Touray, Gambian footballer
- 1981 – Maarten van der Weijden, Dutch swimmer
- 1982 – Tal Ben Haim, Israeli footballer
- 1982 – Bam Childress, American football player
- 1982 – Audrey Kawasaki, American painter
- 1983 – Hashim Amla, South African cricketer
- 1983 – Ashleigh Ball, Canadian voice actress and musician
- 1983 – Sophie Hunger, Swiss-German musician
- 1983 – Vlasios Maras, Greek gymnast
- 1983 – Nigel Plum, Australian rugby league player
- 1984 – David Clarkson, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1984 – Eddie Johnson, American soccer player
- 1984 – James Jones, American football player
- 1984 – Martins Dukurs, Latvian sled racer
- 1984 – Kaie Kand, Estonian heptathlete
- 1984 – Alberto Junior Rodríguez, Peruvian footballer
- 1984 – Ed Williamson, English rugby player
- 1985 – Steve Bernier, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1985 – Jo-Lonn Dunbar, American football player
- 1985 – Jesper Hansen, Danish footballer
- 1985 – Ivan Mishyn, Ukrainian race car driver
- 1985 – Kory Sheets, American football player
- 1985 – Jalmar Sjöberg, Swedish wrestler
- 1986 – Andreas Dober, Austrian footballer
- 1986 – James King, Scottish rugby player
- 1986 – Paulo Machado, Portuguese footballer
- 1987 – Nordin Amrabat, Dutch footballer
- 1987 – Hugo Ayala, Mexican footballer
- 1987 – Amaury Bischoff, Portuguese footballer
- 1987 – Humpy Koneru, Indian chess player
- 1987 – Kirill Starkov, Danish ice hockey player
- 1987 – Nelli Zhiganshina, Russian figure skater
- 1988 – Thomas De Corte, Belgian footballer
- 1988 – Conrad Sewell, Australian singer and songwriter
- 1988 – Dorin Dickerson, American football player
- 1988 – DeAndre Liggins, American basketball player
- 1988 – Louis van der Westhuizen, Namibian cricketer
- 1989 – Alberto Martín Romo García Adámez, Spanish footballer
- 1989 – Nejc Vidmar, Slovenian footballer
- 1989 – Liu Zige, Chinese swimmer
- 1990 – George Iloka, American football player
- 1990 – Sandra Roma, Swedish tennis player
- 1990 – Bang Yong-guk, South Korean rapper
- 1991 – Milan Milanović, Serbian footballer
- 1991 – Rodney Sneijder, Dutch footballer
- 1992 – Stijn de Looijer, Dutch footballer
- 1992 – Adam Zampa, Australian cricketer
- 1993 – Mikael Ishak, Swedish footballer
- 1994 – Samira Asghari, Afghan member of the International Olympic Committee
- 1994 – Tyler Wright, Australian surfer
- 1994 – Mads Würtz Schmidt, Danish road cyclist
- 1995 – Fiona Brown, footballer
- 1998 – Jakob Chychrun, American-born Canadian ice hockey player
- 1999 – Japhet Tanganga, English footballer
Deaths on March 31
- 32 BC – Titus Pomponius Atticus, Roman nobleman of the Equestrian order (b. 109 BC)
- 528 – Xiaoming, emperor of Northern Wei (b. 510)
- 963 – Abu Ja’far Ahmad ibn Muhammad, Saffarid emir (b. 906)
- 1241 – Pousa, voivode of Transylvania
- 1251 – William of Modena, Italian bishop and diplomat
- 1340 – Ivan I of Moscow, Russian Grand Duke (b. 1288)
- 1342 – Dionigi di Borgo San Sepolcro, Italian Augustinian monk
- 1462 – Isidore II of Constantinople, patriarch of Constantinople
- 1491 – Bonaventura Tornielli, Italian Roman Catholic priest (b. 1411)
- 1547 – Francis I, French king (b. 1494)
- 1567 – Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse (b. 1504)
- 1621 – Philip III, Spanish king (b. 1578)
- 1622 – Gonzalo Méndez de Canço, Royal Governor of La Florida (b. 1554)
- 1631 – John Donne, English lawyer and poet (b. 1572)
- 1671 – Anne Hyde, wife of James II of England (b. 1637)
- 1723 – Edward Hyde, 3rd Earl of Clarendon, English soldier and politician, 14th Colonial Governor of New York (b. 1661)
- 1741 – Pieter Burman the Elder, Dutch scholar and author (b. 1668)
- 1751 – Frederick, Prince of Wales, Hanoverian-born heir to the British throne (b. 1707)^{better source needed}
- 1797 – Olaudah Equiano, Nigerian merchant, author, and activist (b.1745)
- 1837 – John Constable, English painter and educator (b. 1776)
- 1850 – John C. Calhoun, American lawyer and politician, 7th Vice President of the United States (b. 1782)
- 1855 – Charlotte Brontë, English novelist and poet (b. 1816)
- 1877 – Antoine Augustin Cournot, French mathematician and philosopher (b. 1801)
- 1880 – Henryk Wieniawski, Polish violinist and composer (b. 1835)
- 1885 – Franz Abt, German composer and conductor (b. 1819)
- 1907 – Galusha A. Grow, American lawyer and politician, 28th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (b. 1823)
- 1910 – Jean Moréas, Greek poet, essayist and art critic (b. 1856)
- 1913 – J. P. Morgan, American banker and financier (b. 1837)
- 1915 – Wyndham Halswelle, English-Scottish runner and captain (b. 1882)
- 1917 – Emil von Behring, German physiologist and immunologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1854)
- 1924 – George Charles Haité, English painter and illustrator (b. 1855)
- 1927 – Kang Youwei, Chinese scholar and political reformer (b. 1858)
- 1930 – Ludwig Schüler, German politician, Mayor of Marburg (b. 1836)
- 1931 – Knute Rockne, American football player and coach (b. 1888)
- 1935 – Georges V. Matchabelli, Georgian-American businessman and diplomat, founded Prince Matchabelli perfume (b. 1885)
- 1939 – Ioannis Tsangaridis, Greek general (b. 1887)
- 1944 – Mineichi Koga, Japanese admiral (b. 1885)
- 1945 – Frank Findlay, New Zealand banker and politician (b. 1884)
- 1945 – Hans Fischer, German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1881)
- 1950 – Robert Natus, Estonian architect (b. 1890)
- 1952 – Wallace H. White, Jr., American lawyer and politician (b. 1877)
- 1956 – Ralph DePalma, Italian-American race car driver and actor (b. 1884)
- 1968 – Grover Lowdermilk, American baseball player (b. 1885)
- 1970 – Semyon Timoshenko, Soviet Commander during the Winter War and the Eastern Front of World War II (b. 1894)
- 1975 – Percy Alliss, English golfer (b. 1897)
- 1976 – Paul Strand, American photographer and director (b. 1890)
- 1978 – Astrid Allwyn, American actress (b. 1905)
- 1978 – Charles Herbert Best, American-Canadian physiologist and biochemist, co-discovered Insulin (b. 1899)
- 1980 – Vladimír Holan, Czech poet and author (b. 1905)
- 1980 – Jesse Owens, American sprinter and long jumper (b. 1913)
- 1981 – Enid Bagnold, English author and playwright (b. 1889)
- 1983 – Christina Stead, Australian author and academic (b. 1902)
- 1986 – Jerry Paris, American actor and director (b. 1925)
- 1988 – William McMahon, Australian lawyer and politician, 20th Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1908)
- 1993 – Brandon Lee, American actor and martial artist (b. 1965)
- 1993 – Mitchell Parish, Lithuanian-American songwriter (b. 1900)
- 1995 – Selena, American singer-songwriter (b. 1971)
- 1996 – Dante Giacosa, Italian automobile designer and engineer (b. 1905)
- 1996 – Jeffrey Lee Pierce, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1958)
- 1998 – Bella Abzug, American lawyer, activist, and politician (b. 1920)
- 1998 – Tim Flock, American race car driver (b. 1924)
- 1998 – Joel Ryce-Menuhin, American pianist (b. 1933)
- 1999 – Yuri Knorozov, Russian linguist and ethnographer (b. 1922)
- 2001 – David Rocastle, English footballer (b. 1967)
- 2001 – Clifford Shull, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1915)
- 2002 – Barry Took, English comedian, actor, and screenwriter (b. 1928)
- 2002 – Moturu Udayam, Indian activist and politician (b. 1924)
- 2003 – Harold Scott MacDonald Coxeter, English-Canadian mathematician and academic (b. 1907)
- 2003 – Anne Gwynne, American actress (b. 1918)
- 2003 – Tommy Seebach, Danish singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer (b. 1949)
- 2004 – Scott Helvenston, American soldier (b. 1965)
- 2005 – Stanley J. Korsmeyer, American oncologist and academic (b. 1951)
- 2005 – Justiniano Montano, Filipino lawyer and politician (b. 1905)
- 2005 – Frank Perdue, American businessman (b. 1920)
- 2006 – Jackie McLean, American saxophonist and composer (b. 1931)
- 2007 – Paul Watzlawick, Austrian-American psychologist and philosopher (b. 1921)
- 2008 – Jules Dassin, American director, producer, screenwriter, and actor (b. 1911)
- 2008 – Bill Keightley, American equipment manager (b. 1926)
- 2009 – Raúl Alfonsín, Argentinian lawyer and politician, 46th President of Argentina (b. 1927)
- 2009 – Choor Singh, Indian-Singaporean lawyer and judge (b. 1911)
- 2011 – Gil Clancy, American boxer and trainer (b. 1922)
- 2011 – Alan Fitzgerald, Australian journalist and author (b. 1935)
- 2011 – Mary Greyeyes, the first First Nations woman to join the Canadian Armed Forces (b. 1920)
- 2011 – Oddvar Hansen, Norwegian footballer and coach (b. 1921)
- 2011 – Ishbel MacAskill, Scottish singer and actress (b. 1941)
- 2011 – Henry Taub, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1927)
- 2012 – Judith Adams, New Zealand-Australian nurse and politician (b. 1943)
- 2012 – Dale R. Corson, American physicist and academic (b. 1914)
- 2012 – Bernard O. Gruenke, American stained glass artist (b. 1914)
- 2012 – Jerry Lynch, American baseball player (b. 1930)
- 2012 – Alberto Sughi, Italian painter (b. 1928)
- 2012 – Halbert White, American economist and academic (b. 1950)
- 2013 – Charles Amarin Brand, French archbishop (b. 1920)
- 2013 – Ernie Bridge, Australian singer and politician (b. 1936)
- 2013 – Bob Clarke, American illustrator (b. 1926)
- 2013 – Ahmad Sayyed Javadi, Iranian lawyer and politician, Iranian Minister of Interior (b. 1917)
- 2013 – Dmitri Uchaykin, Russian ice hockey player (b. 1980)
- 2014 – Gonzalo Anes, Spanish economist, historian, and academic (b. 1931)
- 2014 – Roger Somville, Belgian painter (b. 1923)
- 2015 – Betty Churcher, Australian painter, historian, and curator (b. 1931)
- 2015 – Cocoa Fujiwara, Japanese author and illustrator (b. 1983)
- 2015 – Carlos Gaviria Díaz, Colombian lawyer and politician (b. 1937)
- 2015 – Dalibor Vesely, Czech-English historian, author, and academic (b. 1934)
- 2016 – Ronnie Corbett, Scottish comedian, actor and screenwriter (b. 1930)
- 2016 – Hans-Dietrich Genscher, German politician (b. 1927)
- 2016 – Zaha Hadid, Iraqi-born English architect and academic, designed the Bridge Pavilion (b. 1950)
- 2016 – Imre Kertész, Hungarian author, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1929)
- 2016 – Denise Robertson, British writer and television broadcaster (b. 1932)
- 2017 – Gilbert Baker, American artist and LGBT rights activist (b. 1951)
- 2017 – James Rosenquist, American artist (b. 1933)
- 2019 – Nipsey Hussle, American rapper (b. 1985)
Holidays and observances on March 31
- Cesar Chavez Day (United States)
- Christian feast day
  
  Abdas of Susa
  
  Acathius of Melitene (Eastern Orthodox Church)
  
  Anesius and companions
  
  Benjamin
  
  Balbina
  
  John Donne (Anglican Communion, Lutheran)
  
  March 31 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Day of Genocide of Azerbaijanis (Azerbaijan)
- Freedom Day (Malta)
- International Transgender Day of Visibility
- King Nangklao Memorial Day (Thailand)
- Thomas Mundy Peterson Day (New Jersey, United States)
- Transfer Day (US Virgin Islands)
- World Backup Day
Read More March 31 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day
On This Day

March 27 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day
March 27 in History
- 1309 – Pope Clement V imposes excommunication and interdiction on Venice, and a general prohibition of all commercial intercourse with Venice, which had seized on Ferrara, a papal fiefdom.
- 1329 – Pope John XXII issues his In Agro Dominico condemning some writings of Meister Eckhart as heretical.
- 1513 – Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León reaches the northern end of The Bahamas on his first voyage to Florida.
- 1625 – Charles I becomes King of England, Scotland and Ireland as well as claiming the title King of France.
- 1782 – Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham becomes Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
- 1794 – The United States Government establishes a permanent navy and authorizes the building of six frigates.
- 1809 – Peninsular War: A combined Franco-Polish force defeats the Spanish in the Battle of Ciudad Real.
- 1814 – War of 1812: In central Alabama, U.S. forces under General Andrew Jackson defeat the Creek at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend.
- 1836 – Texas Revolution: On the orders of General Antonio López de Santa Anna, the Mexican army massacres 342 Texas POWs at Goliad, Texas.
- 1866 – President of the United States of America Andrew Johnson vetoes the Civil Rights Act of 1866. His veto is overridden by Congress and the bill passes into law on April 9.
- 1871 – The first international rugby football match, when Scotland defeats England in Edinburgh at Raeburn Place.
- 1884 – A mob in Cincinnati, Ohio, attacks members of a jury which had returned a verdict of manslaughter in what was seen as a clear case of murder; over the next few days the mob would riot and eventually destroy the courthouse.
- 1886 – Geronimo, Apache warrior, surrenders to the U.S. Army, ending the main phase of the Apache Wars.
- 1899 – Emilio Aguinaldo leads Filipino forces for the only time during the Philippine–American War at the Battle of Marilao River.
- 1915 – Typhoid Mary, the first healthy carrier of disease ever identified in the United States is put in quarantine for the second time, where she would remain for the rest of her life.
- 1918 – The National Council of Bessarabia proclaims union with the Kingdom of Romania.
- 1938 – Second Sino-Japanese War: The Battle of Taierzhuang begins, resulting several weeks later in the war’s first major Chinese victory over Japan.
- 1941 – World War II: Yugoslav Air Force officers topple the pro-Axis government in a bloodless coup.
- 1943 – World War II: Battle of the Komandorski Islands: In the Aleutian Islands the battle begins when United States Navy forces intercept Japanese attempting to reinforce a garrison at Kiska.
- 1945 – World War II: Operation Starvation, the aerial mining of Japan’s ports and waterways begins. Argentina declares war on the Axis Powers.
- 1958 – Nikita Khrushchev becomes Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union.
- 1964 – The Good Friday earthquake, the most powerful earthquake recorded in North American history at a magnitude of 9.2 strikes Southcentral Alaska, killing 125 people and inflicting massive damage to the city of Anchorage.
- 1975 – Construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System begins.
- 1977 – Tenerife airport disaster: Two Boeing 747 airliners collide on a foggy runway on Tenerife in the Canary Islands, killing 583 (all 248 on KLM and 335 on Pan Am). Sixty-one survived on the Pan Am flight. This is the deadliest aviation accident in history.
- 1980 – The Norwegian oil platform Alexander L. Kielland collapses in the North Sea, killing 123 of its crew of 212.
- 1980 – Silver Thursday: A steep fall in silver prices, resulting from the Hunt Brothers attempting to corner the market in silver, leads to panic on commodity and futures exchanges.
- 1981 – The Solidarity movement in Poland stages a warning strike, in which at least 12 million Poles walk off their jobs for four hours.
- 1986 – A car bomb explodes outside Russell Street Police HQ in Melbourne, Australia, killing one police officer and injuring 21 people.
- 1990 – The United States begins broadcasting anti-Castro propaganda to Cuba on TV Martí.
- 1993 – Jiang Zemin is appointed President of the People’s Republic of China.
- 1993 – Italian former minister and Christian Democracy leader Giulio Andreotti is accused of mafia allegiance by the tribunal of Palermo.
- 1998 – The Food and Drug Administration approves Viagra for use as a treatment for male impotence, the first pill to be approved for this condition in the United States.
- 1999 – Kosovo War: An American Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk is shot down by a Yugoslav SAM, the first and only Nighthawk to be lost in combat.
- 2000 – A Phillips Petroleum plant explosion in Pasadena, Texas kills one person and injures 71 others.
- 2002 – Passover massacre: A Palestinian suicide bomber kills 29 people at a Passover seder in Netanya, Israel.
- 2002 – Nanterre massacre: In Nanterre, France, a gunman opens fire at the end of a town council meeting, resulting in the deaths of eight councilors; 19 other people are injured.
- 2004 – HMS Scylla, a decommissioned Leander-class frigate, is sunk as an artificial reef off Cornwall, the first of its kind in Europe.
- 2009 – The dam forming Situ Gintung, an artificial lake in Indonesia, fails, killing at least 99 people.
- 2014 – Philippines signs a peace accord with the largest Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, ending decades of conflict.
- 2015 – Al-Shabab militants attack and temporarily occupy a Mogadishu hotel leaving at least 20 people dead.
- 2016 – A suicide blast in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park, Lahore claims over 70 lives and leaves almost 300 others injured. The target of the bombing are Christians celebrating Easter.
- 2020 – North Macedonia becomes the 30th member of NATO.
Births on March 27
- 972 – Robert II, king of France (d. 1031)
- 1401 – Albert III, duke of Bavaria (d. 1460)
- 1416 – Francis of Paola, Italian friar and saint, founded Order of the Minims (d. 1507)
- 1546 – Johannes Piscator, German theologian (d. 1625)
- 1627 – Stephen Fox, English politician (d. 1716)
- 1676 – Francis II Rákóczi, Hungarian prince (b. 1676)
- 1679 – Domenico Lalli, Italian poet and librettist (d. 1741)
- 1681 – Joaquín Fernández de Portocarrero, Spanish-Italian cardinal (d. 1760)
- 1702 – Johann Ernst Eberlin, German organist and composer (d. 1762)
- 1710 – Joseph Abaco, Belgian cellist and composer (d. 1805)
- 1712 – Claude Bourgelat, French surgeon and author (d. 1779)
- 1714 – Francesco Antonio Zaccaria, Italian historian and theologian (d. 1795)
- 1724 – Jane Colden, American botanist and author (d. 1766)
- 1745 – Lindley Murray, American-English Quaker and grammarian (d. 1826)
- 1746 – Michael Bruce, Scottish poet and composer (d. 1767)
- 1746 – Carlo Buonaparte, Corsican-French lawyer and politician (d. 1785)
- 1765 – Franz Xaver von Baader, German philosopher and theologian (d. 1841)
- 1781 – Alexander Vostokov, Estonian-Russian philologist and academic (d. 1864)
- 1784 – Sándor Kőrösi Csoma, Hungarian philologist, orientalist, and author (d. 1842)
- 1785 – Louis XVII of France (d. 1795)
- 1797 – Alfred de Vigny, French author, poet, and playwright (d. 1863)
- 1801 – Alexander Barrow, American lawyer and politician (d. 1846)
- 1802 – Charles-Mathias Simons, German-Luxembourger jurist and politician, 3rd Prime Minister of Luxembourg (d. 1874)
- 1809 – Georges-Eugène Haussmann, French engineer, urban planner, and politician (d. 1891)
- 1811 – Edward William Cooke, English painter and illustrator (d. 1880)
- 1814 – Charles Mackay, Scottish journalist, anthologist, and author (d. 1889)
- 1820 – Edward Augustus Inglefield, English admiral and explorer (d. 1894)
- 1822 – Henri Murger, French novelist and poet (d. 1861)
- 1824 – Virginia Minor, American women’s suffrage activist (d. 1894)
- 1839 – John Ballance, Irish-New Zealand journalist and politician, 14th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1893)
- 1843 – George Frederick Leycester Marshall, English colonel and entomologist (d. 1934)
- 1844 – Adolphus Greely, American general and explorer, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1935)
- 1845 – Wilhelm Röntgen, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1923)
- 1845 – Jakob Sverdrup, Norwegian bishop and politician, Norwegian Minister of Education and Church Affairs (d. 1899)
- 1847 – Otto Wallach, German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1931)
- 1851 – Ruperto Chapí, Spanish composer, co-founded Sociedad General de Autores y Editores (d. 1909)
- 1851 – Vincent d’Indy, French composer and educator (d. 1931)
- 1852 – Jan van Beers, Belgian painter and illustrator (d. 1927)
- 1854 – Giovanni Battista Grassi, Italian physician, zoologist, and entomologist (d. 1925)
- 1855 – William Libbey, American target shooter, colonel, mountaineer, geographer, geologist, and archaeologist (d. 1927)
- 1857 – Karl Pearson, English mathematician, eugenicist, and academic (d. 1936)
- 1859 – George Giffen, Australian cricketer and footballer (d. 1927)
- 1860 – Frank Frost Abbott, American-Swiss scholar and academic (d. 1924)
- 1862 – Jelena Dimitrijević, Serbian short story writer, novelist, poet, traveller, social worker, feminist and polyglot (d. 1945)
- 1862 – Arturo Berutti, Argentinian composer (d. 1938)
- 1863 – Henry Royce, English engineer and businessman, founded Rolls-Royce Limited (d. 1933)
- 1866 – John Allan, Australian politician, 29th Premier of Victoria (d. 1936)
- 1868 – Patty Hill, American songwriter and educator (d. 1946)
- 1869 – James McNeill, Irish politician, 2nd Governor-General of the Irish Free State (d. 1938)
- 1869 – J. R. Clynes, English trade unionist and politician, Home Secretary (d. 1949)
- 1871 – Heinrich Mann, German author and poet (d. 1950)
- 1871 – Joseph G. Morrison, American captain and Nazarene minister (d. 1939)
- 1871 – Piet Aalberse, Dutch politician, Minister of Labour (d. 1948)
- 1875 – Albert Marquet, French painter (d. 1947)
- 1877 – Oscar Grégoire, Belgian water polo player and swimmer (d. 1947)
- 1878 – Kathleen Scott, British sculptor (d. 1947)
- 1879 – Sándor Garbai, Hungarian politician, 19th Prime Minister of Hungary (d. 1947)
- 1879 – Miller Huggins, American baseball player and manager (d. 1929)
- 1879 – Edward Steichen, Luxembourger-American painter and photographer (d. 1973)
- 1881 – Arkady Averchenko, Russian playwright and satirist (d. 1925)
- 1882 – Thomas Graham Brown, Scottish mountaineer and physiologist (d. 1965)
- 1883 – Marie Under, Estonian author and poet (d. 1980)
- 1884 – Gordon Thomson, English rower and lieutenant (d. 1953)
- 1885 – Julio Lozano Díaz, Honduran accountant and politician, 40th President of Honduras (d. 1957)
- 1885 – Reginald Fletcher, 1st Baron Winster, English navy officer and politician, Secretary of State for Transport (d. 1961)
- 1886 – Sergey Kirov, Russian politician (d. 1934)
- 1886 – Wladimir Burliuk, Ukrainian painter and illustrator (d. 1917)
- 1886 – Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, German-American architect, designed IBM Plaza and Seagram Building (d. 1969)
- 1887 – Väinö Siikaniemi, Finnish javelin thrower, poet, and translator (d. 1932)
- 1888 – George Alfred Lawrence Hearne, English-South African cricketer (d. 1978)
- 1889 – Yakup Kadri Karaosmanoğlu, Egyptian-Turkish journalist, author, and politician (d. 1974)
- 1889 – Leonard Mociulschi, Romanian general (d. 1979)
- 1890 – Harald Julin, Swedish swimmer and water polo player (d. 1967)
- 1890 – Frederick Dalrymple-Hamilton, Scottish admiral (d. 1974)
- 1891 – Lajos Zilahy, Hungarian novelist and playwright (d. 1974)
- 1891 – Klawdziy Duzh-Dushewski, Belarusian-Lithuanian architect, journalist, and diplomat, created the Flag of Belarus (d. 1959)
- 1892 – Ferde Grofé, American pianist and composer (d. 1972)
- 1892 – Thorne Smith, American author (d. 1934)
- 1893 – Karl Mannheim, Hungarian-English sociologist and academic (d. 1947)
- 1893 – G. Lloyd Spencer, American lieutenant and politician (d. 1981)
- 1893 – George Beranger, Australian-American actor and director (d. 1973)
- 1894 – René Fonck, French colonel and pilot (d. 1953)
- 1895 – Roland Leighton, English soldier and poet (d. 1915)
- 1897 – Douglas Hartree, English mathematician and physicist (d. 1958)
- 1897 – Fred Keating, American magician, stage and film actor (d. 1961)
- 1899 – Francis Ponge, French poet and author (d. 1988)
- 1899 – Herbert Arthur Stuart, German-Swiss physicist and academic (d. 1974)
- 1899 – Gloria Swanson, American actress and producer (d. 1983)
- 1901 – Carl Barks, American illustrator and screenwriter (d. 2000)
- 1901 – Erich Ollenhauer, German politician (d. 1963)
- 1901 – Eisaku Satō, Japanese politician, 61st Prime Minister of Japan, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1975)
- 1901 – Kenneth Slessor, Australian journalist and poet (d. 1971)
- 1902 – Sidney Buchman, American screenwriter and producer (d. 1975)
- 1902 – Charles Lang, American cinematographer (d. 1998)
- 1903 – Xavier Villaurrutia, Mexican poet and playwright (d. 1950)
- 1905 – Leroy Carr, American singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 1935)
- 1905 – Rudolf Christoph Freiherr von Gersdorff, German general (d. 1980)
- 1905 – Elsie MacGill, Canadian-American author and engineer (d. 1980)
- 1906 – Pee Wee Russell, American clarinet player, saxophonist, and composer (d. 1969)
- 1909 – Golo Mann, German historian and author (d. 1994)
- 1909 – Ben Webster, American saxophonist (d. 1973)
- 1909 – Valery Marakou, Belarusian poet and translator (d. 1937)
- 1910 – Ai Qing, Chinese poet and author (d. 1996)
- 1911 – Veronika Tushnova, Russian poet and physician (d. 1965)
- 1912 – James Callaghan, English lieutenant and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 2005)
- 1913 – Theodor Dannecker, German SS officer (d. 1945)
- 1914 – Richard Denning, American actor (d. 1998)
- 1914 – Budd Schulberg, American author, screenwriter, and producer (d. 2009)
- 1915 – Robert Lockwood, Jr., American guitarist (d. 2006)
- 1917 – Cyrus Vance, American lawyer and politician, 57th United States Secretary of State (d. 2002)
- 1920 – Colin Rowe, English-American architect, theorist and academic (d. 1999)
- 1921 – Phil Chess, Czech-American record producer, co-founded Chess Records (d. 2016)
- 1921 – Moacir Barbosa Nascimento, Brazilian footballer and coach (d. 2000)
- 1921 – Harold Nicholas, American actor and dancer (d. 2000)
- 1922 – Dick King-Smith, English author (d. 2011)
- 1922 – Stefan Wul, French author and surgeon (d. 2003)
- 1922 – Jules Olitski, Ukrainian-American painter, printmaker, and sculptor (d. 2007)
- 1923 – Shūsaku Endō, Japanese author (d. 1996)
- 1923 – Louis Simpson, Jamaican-American poet, translator, and academic (d. 2012)
- 1924 – Sarah Vaughan, American singer (d. 1990)
- 1924 – Ian Black, Scottish international footballer, goalkeeper and lawn bowls player (d. 2012)
- 1924 – Margaret K. Butler, American mathematician and computer programmer (d. 2013)
- 1926 – Frank O’Hara, American writer (d. 1966)
- 1927 – Sylvia Anderson, English voice actress, screenwriter, and producer (d. 2016)
- 1927 – Anthony Lewis, American journalist and academic (d. 2013)
- 1927 – Mstislav Rostropovich, Russian cellist and conductor (d. 2007)
- 1928 – Jean Dotto, French cyclist (d. 2000)
- 1929 – Anne Ramsey, American actress (d. 1988)
- 1929 – Reg Evans, Australian actor (d. 2009)
- 1930 – Daniel Spoerri, Romanian-Swiss photographer, writer and artist
- 1931 – David Janssen, American actor and screenwriter (d. 1980)
- 1932 – Junior Parker, American singer and harmonica player (d. 1971)
- 1932 – Bailey Olter, Micronesian politician, 3rd President of the Federated States of Micronesia (d. 1999)
- 1933 – Lê Văn Hưng, South Vietnamese Brigadier general (d. 1975)
- 1934 – István Csurka, Hungarian journalist, author, and politician (d. 2012)
- 1935 – Stanley Rother, American Roman Catholic priest and missionary (d. 1981)
- 1935 – Julian Glover, English actor
- 1936 – Malcolm Goldstein, American violinist and composer
- 1937 – Alan Hawkshaw, English keyboard player and songwriter
- 1939 – Jay Kim, South Korean-American engineer and politician
- 1939 – Cale Yarborough, American race car driver and businessman
- 1940 – Sandro Munari, Italian race car driver
- 1940 – Austin Pendleton, American actor, director, and playwright
- 1941 – Ivan Gašparovič, Slovak lawyer and politician, 3rd President of Slovakia
- 1941 – Liese Prokop, Austrian pentathlete and politician, Austrian Minister of the Interior (d. 2006)
- 1942 – Michael Jackson, English journalist and author (d. 2007)
- 1942 – John Sulston, English biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2018)
- 1942 – Michael York, English actor
- 1943 – Mike Curtis, American football player and coach (d. 2020)
- 1944 – Jesse Brown, American marine and politician, 2nd United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs (d. 2002)
- 1944 – Bryan Campbell, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1946 – Michael Aris, Cuban-English author and academic (d. 1999)
- 1947 – Oliver Friggieri, Maltese author, critic, poet and philosopher
- 1947 – Brian Jones, English balloonist and pilot
- 1947 – Walt Mossberg, American journalist
- 1948 – Jens-Peter Bonde, Danish lawyer and politician
- 1950 – Tony Banks, English keyboardist and songwriter
- 1950 – Petros Efthymiou, Greek academic and politician, Greek Minister of Culture, Education and Religious Affairs
- 1950 – Maria Ewing, African-American soprano
- 1950 – Chris Stewart, English musician and author
- 1950 – Terry Yorath, Welsh international footballer, Midfielder and international manager
- 1951 – Andrei Kozyrev, Belgian-Russian politician and diplomat, Minister of Foreign Affairs for Russia
- 1952 – Annemarie Moser-Pröll, Austrian skier
- 1952 – Maria Schneider, French actress (d. 2011)
- 1953 – Herman Ponsteen, Dutch cyclist
- 1954 – Gerard Batten, English lawyer and politician
- 1955 – Patrick McCabe, Irish writer
- 1955 – Mariano Rajoy, Spanish lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of Spain
- 1955 – Susan Neiman, Jewish American-German philosopher and author
- 1956 – Leung Kwok-hung, Hong Kong activist and politician
- 1956 – Thomas Wassberg, Swedish cross country skier
- 1957 – Kostas Vasilakakis, Greek footballer and manager
- 1957 – Stephen Dillane, English actor
- 1958 – Didier de Radiguès, Belgian race car driver and motorcycle racer
- 1959 – Andrew Farriss, Australian rock musician and multi-instrumentalist
- 1960 – Hans Pflügler, German footballer
- 1960 – Renato Russo, Brazilian singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1996)
- 1961 – Ellery Hanley, English rugby league player and coach
- 1961 – Tony Rominger, Swiss professional cyclist
- 1962 – Jann Arden, Canadian singer-songwriter
- 1962 – Brett French, Australian rugby league player
- 1962 – Rob Hollink, Dutch poker player
- 1962 – John O’Farrell, English journalist and author
- 1962 – Brad Wright, American-Spanish basketball player
- 1962 – Kevin J. Anderson, American science fiction writer
- 1963 – Cory Blackwell, American basketball player
- 1963 – Randall Cunningham, American football player, coach, and pastor
- 1963 – Filippos Sachinidis, Greek-Canadian economist and politician
- 1963 – Gary Stevens, English-Australian footballer and physiotherapist
- 1963 – Quentin Tarantino, American director, producer, screenwriter and actor
- 1963 – Xuxa, Brazilian actress, singer, businesswoman and television presenter
- 1965 – Gregor Foitek, Swiss race car driver
- 1966 – Žarko Paspalj, Serbian basketball player
- 1967 – Talisa Soto, American actress
- 1968 – Irina Belova, Russian heptathlete
- 1969 – Gianluigi Lentini, Italian footballer and manager
- 1969 – Pauley Perrette, American actress
- 1970 – Leila Pahlavi, Princess of Iran (d. 2001)
- 1970 – Derek Aucoin, Canadian baseball player
- 1970 – Mariah Carey, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
- 1970 – Brent Fitz, Canadian-American multi-instrumentalist and recording artist
- 1970 – Jarrod McCracken, New Zealand rugby league player
- 1970 – Elizabeth Mitchell, American actress
- 1970 – Uwe Rosenberg, German game designer, created Bohnanza
- 1971 – David Coulthard, Scottish race car driver and sportscaster
- 1971 – Nathan Fillion, Canadian actor
- 1972 – Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Surinamese-Dutch footballer, coach, and manager
- 1972 – Charlie Haas, American professional wrestler
- 1973 – Roger Telemachus, South African cricketer
- 1974 – Marek Citko, Polish footballer and manager
- 1974 – George Koumantarakis, Greek-South African footballer
- 1974 – Gaizka Mendieta, Spanish footballer
- 1975 – Andrew Blowers, New Zealand rugby player
- 1975 – Kim Felton, Australian golfer
- 1975 – Jeff Palmer, American gay porn actor and singer-songwriter
- 1975 – Fergie, American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress
- 1975 – Christian Fiedler, German footballer and manager
- 1976 – Roberta Anastase, Romanian politician, 57th President of the Chamber of Deputies of Romania
- 1976 – Danny Fortson, American basketball player
- 1976 – Adrian Anca, Romanian footballer
- 1977 – Vítor Meira, Brazilian race car driver
- 1978 – Gabriel Paraschiv, Romanian footballer
- 1978 – Marius Bakken, Norwegian runner
- 1978 – Amélie Cocheteux, French tennis player
- 1979 – Tom Palmer, English rugby union player
- 1979 – Mohsen Moeini, Iranian author and director
- 1979 – Imran Tahir, Pakistani-South African cricketer
- 1979 – Jennifer Wilson, Zimbabwean-South African field hockey player
- 1980 – Sean Ryan, American football player
- 1980 – Michaela Paštiková, Czech tennis player
- 1980 – Maksim Shevchenko, Kazakhstani footballer
- 1981 – Terry McFlynn, Irish footballer
- 1981 – Akhil Kumar, Indian boxer
- 1981 – Jukka Keskisalo, Finnish runner
- 1981 – Hilda Kibet, Kenyan runner
- 1982 – Shawn Beveney, Guyanese footballer
- 1983 – Yuliya Golubchikova, Russian pole vaulter
- 1983 – Vasily Koshechkin, Russian ice hockey player
- 1983 – Román Martínez, Argentinian footballer
- 1984 – Adam Ashley-Cooper, Australian rugby player
- 1984 – Ben Franks, Australian-born New Zealand rugby player
- 1984 – Brett Holman, Australian footballer
- 1985 – Dustin Byfuglien, American ice hockey player
- 1985 – Danny Vukovic, Australian footballer
- 1986 – Manuel Neuer, German footballer
- 1987 – Jefferson Bernárdez, Honduran footballer
- 1987 – Samuel Francis, Nigerian-Qatari sprinter
- 1987 – Polina Gagarina, Russian singer-songwriter
- 1987 – Buster Posey, American baseball player
- 1988 – Jessie J, English singer-songwriter
- 1988 – Atsuto Uchida, Japanese footballer
- 1988 – Brenda Song, American actress
- 1988 – Mauro Goicoechea, Uruguayan footballer
- 1988 – Holliday Grainger, English actress
- 1989 – Matt Harvey, American baseball player
- 1989 – Camilla Lees, New Zealand netball player
- 1990 – Erdin Demir, Swedish-Turkish footballer
- 1990 – Ben Hunt, Australian rugby league player
- 1990 – Nicolas Nkoulou, Cameroonian footballer
- 1990 – Luca Zuffi, Swiss footballer
- 1990 – Kimbra, New Zealand musician
- 1990 – Brodha V, Indian Rapper and Music Producer
- 1992 – Marc Muniesa, Spanish footballer
- 1995 – Bill Tuiloma, New Zealand footballer
Deaths on March 27
- 710 – Rupert of Salzburg, Austrian bishop and saint (b. 660)
- 853 – Haymo of Halberstadt, German bishop and author (b. 778)
- 913 – Du Xiao, chancellor of Later Liang
- 913 – Zhang empress of Later Liang
- 916 – Alduin I, Frankish nobleman
- 965 – Arnulf I, Count of Flanders (born c. 890)
- 973 – Hermann Billung, Frankish lieutenant (b. 900)
- 1045 – Ali ibn Ahmad al-Jarjara’i, Fatimid vizier
- 1184 – Giorgi III, King of Georgia
- 1248 – Maud Marshal, English countess (b. 1192)
- 1350 – Alfonso XI of Castile (b. 1312)
- 1378 – Pope Gregory XI (b. 1336)
- 1462 – Vasily II of Moscow (b. 1415)
- 1472 – Janus Pannonius, Hungarian bishop and poet (b. 1434)
- 1482 – Mary of Burgundy, Sovereign Duchess regnant of Burgundy, married to Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1457)
- 1564 – Lütfi Pasha, Turkish historian and politician, Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire (b. 1488)
- 1572 – Girolamo Maggi, Italian polymath (b. c. 1523)
- 1598 – Theodor de Bry, Belgian-German engraver, goldsmith, and publisher (b. 1528)
- 1613 – Sigismund Báthory (b. 1573)
- 1615 – Margaret of Valois (b. 1553)
- 1621 – Benedetto Giustiniani, Italian cardinal (b. 1554)
- 1624 – Ulrik of Denmark, Danish prince-bishop (b. 1578)
- 1625 – James VI and I of the United Kingdom (b. 1566)
- 1635 – Robert Naunton, English politician (b. 1563)
- 1676 – Bernardino de Rebolledo, Spanish poet, soldier, and diplomat (b. 1597)
- 1679 – Abraham Mignon, Dutch painter (b. 1640)
- 1697 – Simon Bradstreet, English businessman and politician, 20th Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony (b. 1603)
- 1729 – Leopold, Duke of Lorraine (b. 1679)
- 1757 – Johann Stamitz, Czech violinist and composer (b. 1717)
- 1770 – Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Italian painter (b. 1696)
- 1848 – Gabriel Bibron, French zoologist and herpetologist (b. 1805)
- 1849 – Archibald Acheson, 2nd Earl of Gosford, Irish-Canadian politician, 35th Governor General of Canada (b. 1776)
- 1850 – Wilhelm Beer, Prussian astronomer and banker (b. 1797)
- 1864 – Jean-Jacques Ampère, French philologist and academic (b. 1800)
- 1869 – James Harper, American publisher and politician, 65th Mayor of New York City (b. 1795)
- 1875 – Juan Crisóstomo Torrico, Peruvian soldier and politician, President of Peru (b. 1808)
- 1875 – Edgar Quinet, French historian and academic (b. 1803)
- 1878 – George Gilbert Scott, English architect, designed the Albert Memorial and St Mary’s Cathedral (b. 1811)
- 1886 – Henry Taylor, English poet and playwright (b. 1800)
- 1889 – John Bright, English politician, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (b. 1811)
- 1890 – Carl Jacob Löwig, German chemist and academic (b. 1803)
- 1898 – Syed Ahmad Khan, Indian philosopher and activist (b. 1817)
- 1900 – Joseph A. Campbell, American businessman, founded the Campbell Soup Company (b. 1817)
- 1910 – Alexander Emanuel Agassiz, Swiss-American ichthyologist, zoologist, and engineer (b. 1835)
- 1913 – Richard Montgomery Gano, American minister, physician, and general (b. 1830)
- 1918 – Henry Adams, American journalist, historian, and author (b. 1838)
- 1918 – Martin Sheridan, Irish-American discus thrower and jumper (b. 1881)
- 1921 – Harry Barron, English general and politician, 16th Governor of Western Australia (b. 1847)
- 1922 – Nikolay Sokolov, Russian composer and educator (b. 1859)
- 1923 – James Dewar, Scottish chemist and physicist (b. 1842)
- 1925 – Carl Neumann, German mathematician and academic (b. 1832)
- 1926 – Kick Kelly, American baseball player, manager, and umpire (b. 1856)
- 1926 – Georges Vézina, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1887)
- 1927 – Joe Start, American baseball player and manager (b. 1842)
- 1927 – Klaus Berntsen, Danish politician, Prime Minister of Denmark (b. 1844)
- 1928 – Leslie Stuart, English organist and composer (b. 1863)
- 1931 – Arnold Bennett, English author and playwright (b. 1867)
- 1934 – Francis William Reitz, South African lawyer and politician, 5th State President of the Orange Free State (b. 1844)
- 1938 – William Stern, German-American psychologist and philosopher (b. 1871)
- 1940 – Michael Joseph Savage, Australian-New Zealand politician, 23rd Prime Minister of New Zealand (b. 1872)
- 1942 – Julio González, Catalan sculptor and painter (b. 1876)
- 1943 – George Monckton-Arundell, 8th Viscount Galway, English politician, 5th Governor-General of New Zealand (b. 1882)
- 1945 – Vincent Hugo Bendix, American engineer and businessman, founded Bendix Corporation (b. 1881)
- 1945 – Halid Ziya Uşaklıgil, Turkish author, poet, and playwright (b. 1866)
- 1946 – Karl Groos, German psychologist and philosopher (b. 1861)
- 1949 – Elisheva Bikhovski, Israeli-Russian poet (b. 1888)
- 1952 – Kiichiro Toyoda, Japanese businessman, founded Toyota (b. 1894)
- 1956 – Évariste Lévi-Provençal, French orientalist and historian (b. 1894)
- 1958 – Leon C. Phillips, American lawyer and politician, 11th Governor of Oklahoma (b. 1890)
- 1960 – Gregorio Marañón, Spanish physician, philosopher, and author (b. 1887)
- 1967 – Jaroslav Heyrovský, Czech chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1890)
- 1968 – Yuri Gagarin, Russian colonel, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1934)
- 1968 – Vladimir Seryogin, Russian soldier and pilot (b. 1922)
- 1973 – Mikhail Kalatozov, Georgian-Russian director, screenwriter, and cinematographer (b. 1903)
- 1974 – Eduardo Santos, Colombian journalist, lawyer, and politician, 15th President of Colombia (b. 1888)
- 1975 – Arthur Bliss, English conductor and composer (b. 1891)
- 1976 – Georg August Zinn, German lawyer and politician, Minister President of Hesse (b. 1901)
- 1977 – Shirley Graham Du Bois, American author, playwright, and composer (b. 1896)
- 1977 – Diana Hyland, American actress (b. 1936)
- 1977 – Jacob Veldhuyzen van Zanten, Dutch airline pilot (b. 1927)
- 1978 – Nat Bailey, Canadian businessman, founded the White Spot (b. 1902)
- 1978 – Kunwar Digvijay Singh, Indian field hockey (b. 1922)
- 1978 – Sverre Farstad, Norwegian speed skater (b. 1920)
- 1980 – Steve Fisher, American author and screenwriter (b. 1912)
- 1981 – Jakob Ackeret, Swiss engineer and academic (b. 1898)
- 1982 – Fazlur Khan, Bangladeshi-American engineer and architect, designed the John Hancock Center and Willis Tower (b. 1929)
- 1987 – William Bowers, American journalist and screenwriter (b. 1916)
- 1988 – Charles Willeford, American author, poet, and critic (b. 1919)
- 1989 – May Allison, American actress (b. 1890)
- 1989 – Malcolm Cowley, American novelist, poet, and literary critic (b. 1898)
- 1990 – Percy Beard, American hurdler and coach (b. 1908)
- 1991 – Aldo Ray, American actor (b. 1926)
- 1992 – Colin Gibson, English footballer (b. 1923)
- 1992 – Lang Hancock, Australian businessman (b. 1909)
- 1992 – James E. Webb, American colonel and politician, 16th Under Secretary of State (b. 1906)
- 1993 – Kamal Hassan Ali, Egyptian general and politician, Prime Minister of Egypt (b. 1921)
- 1993 – Paul László, Hungarian-American architect and interior designer (b. 1900)
- 1994 – Elisabeth Schmid, German archaeologist and osteologist (b. 1912)
- 1994 – Lawrence Wetherby, American lawyer and politician, 48th Governor of Kentucky (b. 1908)
- 1995 – René Allio, French director and screenwriter (b. 1924)
- 1997 – Lane Dwinell, American businessman and politician, 69th Governor of New Hampshire (b. 1906)
- 1997 – Ella Maillart, Swiss skier, sailor, field hockey player, and photographer (b. 1903)
- 1998 – David McClelland, American psychologist and academic (b. 1917)
- 1999 – Michael Aris, Cuban-English author and academic (b. 1946)
- 2000 – George Allen, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1914)
- 2000 – Ian Dury, English singer-songwriter and actor (b. 1942)
- 2002 – Milton Berle, American comedian and actor (b. 1908)
- 2002 – Dudley Moore, English actor (b. 1935)
- 2002 – Billy Wilder, Austrian-born American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1906)
- 2003 – Edwin Carr, New Zealand composer and educator (b. 1926)
- 2004 – Robert Merle, French author (b. 1909)
- 2005 – Wilfred Gordon Bigelow, Canadian soldier and surgeon (b. 1913)
- 2006 – Dan Curtis, American director and producer (b. 1928)
- 2006 – Stanisław Lem, Ukrainian-Polish author (b. 1921)
- 2006 – Rudolf Vrba, Czech Holocaust survivor and educator (b. 1924)
- 2006 – Neil Williams, English cricketer (b. 1962)
- 2007 – Nancy Adams, New Zealand botanist and illustrator (b. 1926)
- 2007 – Paul Lauterbur, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1929)
- 2008 – Jean-Marie Balestre, French businessman (b. 1921)
- 2009 – Irving R. Levine, American journalist and author (b. 1922)
- 2010 – Dick Giordano, American illustrator (b. 1932)
- 2011 – Clement Arrindell, Nevisian judge and politician, 1st Governor-General of Saint Kitts and Nevis (b. 1931)
- 2011 – Farley Granger, American actor (b. 1925)
- 2012 – Adrienne Rich, American poet, essayist and feminist (b. 1929)
- 2013 – Hjalmar Andersen, Norwegian speed skater (b. 1923)
- 2013 – Yvonne Brill, Canadian-American scientist and engineer (b. 1924)
- 2013 – Fay Kanin, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1917)
- 2014 – Richard N. Frye, American scholar and academic (b. 1920)
- 2014 – James R. Schlesinger, American economist and politician, 12th United States Secretary of Defense and first United States Secretary of Energy (b. 1929)
- 2015 – Johnny Helms, American trumpet player, bandleader, and educator (b. 1935)
- 2015 – T. Sailo, Indian soldier and politician, 2nd Chief Minister of Mizoram (b. 1922)
- 2016 – Mother Angelica, American Roman Catholic religious leader and media personality (b. 1923)
Holidays and observances on March 27
- Christian feast day:
  
  Alexander, a Pannonian soldier, martyred in 3rd century.
  
  Amador of Portugal
  
  Augusta of Treviso
  
  Charles Henry Brent (Episcopal Church (USA))
  
  Gelasius, Archbishop of Armagh
  
  John of Egypt
  
  Philetus
  
  Romulus of Nîmes, a Benedictine abbot, martyred c. 730.
  
  Rupert of Salzburg
  
  Zanitas and Lazarus of Persia
  
  March 27 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Armed Forces Day (Myanmar)
- International whisk(e)y day
- World Theatre Day (International)
Read More March 27 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day
On This Day

February 26 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day
February 26 in History
- 747 BC – Epoch (origin) of Ptolemy’s Nabonassar Era.
- 364 – Valentinian I is proclaimed Roman emperor
- 1233 – Mongol–Jin War: The Mongols capture Kaifeng, the capital of the Jin dynasty, after besieging it for months.
- 1266 – Battle of Benevento: An army led by Charles, Count of Anjou, defeats a combined German and Sicilian force led by Manfred, King of Sicily. Manfred is killed in the battle and Pope Clement IV invests Charles as king of Sicily and Naples.
- 1365 – The Ava Kingdom and the royal city of Ava (Inwa) founded by King Thado Minbya
- 1606 – The Janszoon voyage of 1605–06 becomes the first European expedition to set foot on Australia, although it is mistaken as a part of New Guinea.
- 1616 – Galileo Galilei is formally banned by the Roman Catholic Church from teaching or defending the view that the earth orbits the sun.
- 1775 – The British East India Company factory on Balambangan Island is destroyed by Moro pirates
- 1794 – The first Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen burns down.
- 1815 – Napoleon Bonaparte escapes from Elba.
- 1876 – Japan and Korea sign a treaty granting Japanese citizens extraterritoriality rights, opening three ports to Japanese trade, and ending Korea’s status as a tributary state of Qing dynasty China.
- 1909 – Kinemacolor, the first successful color motion picture process, is first shown to the general public at the Palace Theatre in London.
- 1914 – HMHS Britannic, sister to the RMS Titanic, is launched at Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast.
- 1919 – President Woodrow Wilson signs an act of Congress establishing the Grand Canyon National Park.
- 1929 – President Calvin Coolidge signs an executive order establishing the 96,000 acre Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.
- 1935 – Adolf Hitler orders the Luftwaffe to be re-formed, violating the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles.
- 1935 – Robert Watson-Watt carries out a demonstration near Daventry which leads directly to the development of radar in the United Kingdom.
- 1936 – In the February 26 Incident, young Japanese military officers attempt to stage a coup against the government.
- 1952 – Vincent Massey is sworn in as the first Canadian-born Governor General of Canada.
- 1960 – A New York-bound Alitalia airliner crashes into a cemetery in Shannon, Ireland, shortly after takeoff, killing 34 of the 52 persons on board.
- 1966 – Apollo program: Launch of AS-201, the first flight of the Saturn IB rocket
- 1971 – U.N. Secretary-General U Thant signs United Nations proclamation of the vernal equinox as Earth Day.
- 1979 – The Superliner railcar enters revenue service with Amtrak.
- 1980 – Egypt and Israel establish full diplomatic relations.
- 1987 – Iran–Contra affair: The Tower Commission rebukes President Ronald Reagan for not controlling his national security staff.
- 1992 – Nagorno-Karabakh War: Khojaly Massacre: Armenian armed forces open fire on Azeri civilians at a military post outside the town of Khojaly leaving hundreds dead.
- 1993 – World Trade Center bombing: In New York City, a truck bomb parked below the North Tower of the World Trade Center explodes, killing six and injuring over a thousand people.
- 1995 – The UK’s oldest investment banking institute, Barings Bank, collapses after a rogue securities broker Nick Leeson loses $1.4 billion by speculating on the Singapore International Monetary Exchange using futures contracts.
- 2008 – The New York Philharmonic performs in Pyongyang, North Korea; this is the first event of its kind to take place in North Korea.
- 2012 – Trayvon Martin was shot and killed at the age of 17 in Sanford, Florida.
- 2012 – A train derails in Burlington, Ontario, Canada killing at least three people and injuring 45.
- 2013 – A hot air balloon crashes near Luxor, Egypt, killing 19 people.
Births on February 26
- 1361 – Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia (d. 1419)
- 1416 – Christopher of Bavaria (d. 1448)
- 1564 – Christopher Marlowe, English playwright, poet and translator (d. 1593)
- 1584 – Albert VI, Duke of Bavaria (d. 1666)
- 1587 – Stefano Landi, Italian composer and educator (d. 1639)
- 1629 – Archibald Campbell, 9th Earl of Argyll, Scottish peer (d. 1685)
- 1651 – Quirinus Kuhlmann, German Baroque poet and mystic (d. 1689)
- 1671 – Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 3rd Earl of Shaftesbury, English philosopher and politician (d. 1713)
- 1672 – Antoine Augustin Calmet, French monk and theologian (d. 1757)
- 1677 – Nicola Fago, Italian composer and teacher (d. 1745)
- 1718 – Johan Ernst Gunnerus, Norwegian bishop, botanist and zoologist (d. 1773)
- 1720 – Gian Francesco Albani, Italian cardinal (d. 1803)
- 1746 – Maria Amalia, Duchess of Parma (d. 1806)
- 1770 – Anton Reicha, Bohemian composer and flautist (d. 1836)
- 1777 – Matija Nenadović, Serbian priest, historian, and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Serbia (d. 1854)
- 1786 – François Arago, French mathematician and politician, 25th Prime Minister of France (d. 1853)
- 1799 – Benoît Paul Émile Clapeyron, French physicist and engineer (d. 1864)
- 1802 – Victor Hugo, French author, poet, and playwright (d. 1885)
- 1808 – Honoré Daumier, French painter, illustrator, and sculptor (d. 1879)
- 1808 – Nathan Kelley, American architect, designed the Ohio Statehouse (d. 1871)
- 1829 – Levi Strauss, German-American fashion designer, founded Levi Strauss & Co. (d. 1902)
- 1842 – Camille Flammarion, French astronomer and author (d. 1925)
- 1846 – Buffalo Bill, American soldier and hunter (d. 1917)
- 1852 – John Harvey Kellogg, American surgeon, co-created Corn flakes (d. 1943)
- 1857 – Émile Coué, French psychologist and pharmacist (d. 1926)
- 1861 – Ferdinand I of Bulgaria (d. 1948)
- 1861 – Nadezhda Krupskaya, Russian soldier and politician (d. 1939)
- 1866 – Herbert Henry Dow, Canadian-American businessman, founded the Dow Chemical Company (d. 1930)
- 1877 – Henry Barwell, Australian politician, 28th Premier of South Australia (d. 1959)
- 1877 – Rudolph Dirks, German-American illustrator (d. 1968)
- 1879 – Frank Bridge, English viola player and composer (d. 1941)
- 1880 – Kenneth Edgeworth, Irish astronomer (d. 1972)
- 1881 – Janus Djurhuus, Faroese poet (d. 1948)
- 1882 – Husband E. Kimmel, American admiral (d. 1968)
- 1885 – Aleksandras Stulginskis, Lithuanian farmer and politician, 2nd President of Lithuania (d. 1969)
- 1887 – Grover Cleveland Alexander, American baseball player and coach (d. 1950)
- 1887 – William Frawley, American actor and vaudevillian (d. 1966)
- 1887 – Stefan Grabiński, Polish author and educator (d. 1936)
- 1893 – Wallace Fard Muhammad, American religious leader, founded the Nation of Islam (disappeared 1934)
- 1893 – Dorothy Whipple, English novelist (d. 1966)
- 1896 – Andrei Zhdanov, Ukrainian-Russian civil servant and politician (d. 1948)
- 1899 – Max Petitpierre, Swiss jurist and politician, 54th President of the Swiss Confederation (d. 1994)
- 1900 – Halina Konopacka, Polish discus thrower and poet (d. 1989)
- 1900 – Fritz Wiessner, German-American mountaineer (d. 1988)
- 1902 – Jean Bruller, French author and illustrator, co-founded Les Éditions de Minuit (d. 1991)
- 1903 – Giulio Natta, Italian chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1979)
- 1903 – Orde Wingate, English general (d. 1944)
- 1906 – Madeleine Carroll, English actress (d. 1987)
- 1908 – Tex Avery, American animator, producer, and voice actor (d. 1980)
- 1908 – Nestor Mesta Chayres, Mexican operatic tenor and bolero vocalist (d. 1971)
- 1908 – Jean-Pierre Wimille, French race car driver (d. 1949)
- 1909 – Fanny Cradock, English chef, author, and critic (d. 1994)
- 1909 – Talal of Jordan (d. 1972)
- 1910 – Vic Woodley, English footballer (d. 1978)
- 1911 – Tarō Okamoto, Japanese painter and sculptor (d. 1996)
- 1912 – Dane Clark, American actor and director (d. 1998)
- 1913 – George Barker, English author and poet (d. 1991)
- 1914 – Robert Alda, American actor, singer, and director (d. 1986)
- 1916 – Jackie Gleason, American actor and singer (d. 1987)
- 1918 – Otis R. Bowen, American physician and politician, 44th Governor of Indiana (d. 2013)
- 1918 – Pyotr Masherov, Leader of Soviet Belarus (d. 1980)
- 1918 – Theodore Sturgeon, American author and critic (d. 1985)
- 1919 – Mason Adams, American actor (d. 2005)
- 1920 – Danny Gardella, American baseball player and trainer (d. 2005)
- 1920 – Tony Randall, American actor, director, and producer (d. 2004)
- 1920 – Lucjan Wolanowski, Polish journalist and author (d. 2006)
- 1921 – Betty Hutton, American actress and singer (d. 2007)
- 1922 – Bill Johnston, Australian cricketer and businessman (d. 2007)
- 1922 – Margaret Leighton, English actress (d. 1976)
- 1924 – Noboru Takeshita, Japanese soldier and politician, 74th Prime Minister of Japan (d. 2000)
- 1924 – Marc Bucci, American composer, lyricist, and dramatist (d. 2002)
- 1925 – Everton Weekes, Barbadian cricketer and referee
- 1926 – Doris Belack, American actress (d. 2011)
- 1926 – Verne Gagne, American football player, wrestler, and trainer (d. 2015)
- 1927 – Tom Kennedy, American game show host and actor
- 1928 – Fats Domino, American singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 2017)
- 1928 – Ariel Sharon, Israeli general and politician, 11th Prime Minister of Israel (d. 2014)
- 1931 – Ally MacLeod, Scottish footballer and manager (d. 2004)
- 1931 – Robert Novak, American journalist and author (d. 2009)
- 1931 – Josephine Tewson, English actress
- 1932 – Johnny Cash, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (d. 2003)
- 1933 – James Goldsmith, French-British businessman and politician (d. 1997)
- 1934 – Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina, Algerian director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1936 – José Policarpo, Portuguese cardinal (d. 2014)
- 1937 – Paul Dickson, American football player and coach (d. 2011)
- 1939 – Chuck Wepner, American professional boxer
- 1940 – Oldřich Kulhánek, Czech painter, illustrator, and stage designer (d. 2013)
- 1942 – Jozef Adamec, Slovak footballer and manager (d. 2018)
- 1943 – Paul Cotton, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1943 – Bill Duke, American actor and director
- 1943 – Dante Ferretti, Italian art director and costume designer
- 1943 – Bob “The Bear” Hite, American singer-songwriter and musician (d. 1981)
- 1944 – Christopher Hope, South African author and poet
- 1944 – Ronald Lauder, American businessman and diplomat, United States Ambassador to Austria
- 1945 – Peter Brock, Australian race car driver (d. 2006)
- 1945 – Marta Kristen, Norwegian-American actress
- 1945 – Mitch Ryder, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1946 – Colin Bell, English footballer
- 1946 – Ahmed Zewail, Egyptian-American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2016)
- 1947 – Sandie Shaw, English singer and psychotherapist
- 1948 – Sharyn McCrumb, American author
- 1949 – Simon Crean, Australian trade union leader and politician, 14th Australian Minister for the Arts
- 1949 – Elizabeth George, American author and educator
- 1949 – Emma Kirkby, English soprano
- 1950 – Jonathan Cain, American singer-songwriter, keyboard player, and producer
- 1950 – Helen Clark, New Zealand academic and politician, 37th Prime Minister of New Zealand
- 1951 – Steve Bell, English cartoonist
- 1951 – Wayne Goss, Australian lawyer and politician, 34th Premier of Queensland (d. 2014)
- 1953 – Michael Bolton, American singer-songwriter and actor
- 1954 – Prince Ernst August of Hanover
- 1954 – Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkish politician, 12th President of Turkey
- 1955 – Andreas Maislinger, Austrian historian and academic, founded the Austrian Holocaust Memorial Service
- 1956 – Michel Houellebecq, French author, poet, screenwriter, and director
- 1957 – David Beasley, American lawyer and politician, 113th Governor of South Carolina
- 1957 – Joe Mullen, American ice hockey player and coach
- 1957 – Keena Rothhammer, American swimmer
- 1958 – Paul Ackford, English rugby player
- 1958 – Greg Germann, American actor and director
- 1958 – Susan Helms, American general, engineer, and astronaut
- 1958 – Tim Kaine, American lawyer and politician, 70th Governor of Virginia
- 1959 – Rolando Blackman, American basketball player and coach
- 1959 – Ahmet Davutoğlu, Turkish political scientist, academic, and politician, 37th Prime Minister of Turkey
- 1960 – Jaz Coleman, English singer-songwriter, keyboard player, and producer
- 1962 – Ahn Cheol-soo, South Korean physician, academic, and politician
- 1963 – Chase Masterson, American actress, singer, and activist
- 1965 – James Mitchell, American wrestler and manager
- 1966 – Garry Conille, Haitian physician and politician, 14th Prime Minister of Haiti
- 1966 – Marc Fortier, French-Canadian ice hockey player
- 1966 – Najwa Karam, Lebanese singer
- 1967 – Mark Carroll, Australian rugby league player
- 1967 – Kazuyoshi Miura, Japanese footballer
- 1968 – Tim Commerford, American bass player
- 1969 – Hitoshi Sakimoto, Japanese composer and producer
- 1970 – Mark Harper, English accountant and politician, Minister of State for Immigration
- 1970 – Scott Mahon, Australian rugby league player
- 1971 – Erykah Badu, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
- 1971 – Max Martin, Swedish-American record producer and songwriter
- 1971 – Hélène Segara, French singer-songwriter and actress
- 1973 – Marshall Faulk, American football player
- 1973 – Ole Gunnar Solskjær, Norwegian footballer and manager
- 1973 – Jenny Thompson, American swimmer
- 1974 – Sébastien Loeb, French race car driver
- 1974 – Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski, Filipina television actress, host and equestrienne
- 1976 – Nalini Anantharaman, French mathematician
- 1976 – Chad Urmston, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1977 – Marty Reasoner, American ice hockey player and coach
- 1977 – Tim Thomas, American basketball player
- 1977 – Shane Williams, Welsh rugby union player
- 1978 – Abdoulaye Faye, Senegalese footballer
- 1979 – Corinne Bailey Rae, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1979 – Steve Evans, Welsh footballer
- 1979 – Pedro Mendes, Portuguese international footballer, midfielder
- 1980 – Steve Blake, American basketball player
- 1981 – Kertus Davis, American race car driver
- 1981 – Oh Seung-bum, South Korean footballer
- 1982 – Li Na, Chinese tennis player
- 1982 – Matt Prior, South African-English cricketer
- 1982 – Nate Ruess, American singer-songwriter
- 1983 – Jerome Harrison, American football player
- 1983 – Pepe, Brazilian-Portuguese footballer
- 1984 – Emmanuel Adebayor, Togolese international footballer, forward
- 1984 – Natalia Lafourcade, Mexican singer-songwriter
- 1984 – Beren Saat, Turkish actress
- 1985 – Fernando Llorente, Spanish international footballer, striker
- 1986 – Hannah Kearney, American skier
- 1989 – Gabriel Obertan, French footballer
- 1990 – Kateřina Cachová, Czech heptathlete
- 1990 – Takanoiwa Yoshimori, Mongolian sumo wrestler
- 1991 – Lee Chae-rin, South Korean singer
- 1992 – Mikael Granlund, Finnish professional hockey player
- 1992 – Michael Chee Kam, New Zealand rugby league player
- 1997 – Reghan Tumilty, Scottish footballer
Deaths on February 26
- 420 – Porphyry of Gaza, Greek bishop and saint (b. 347)
- 943 – Muirchertach mac Néill, king of Ailech (Ireland)
- 1154 – Roger II of Sicily (b. 1093)
- 1266 – Manfred, King of Sicily (b. 1232)
- 1275 – Margaret of England, Queen consort of Scots (b. 1240)
- 1349 – Fatima bint al-Ahmar, Nasrid princess in the Emirate of Granada (b. c.1260)
- 1360 – Roger Mortimer, 2nd Earl of March, English commander (b. 1328)
- 1462 – John de Vere, 12th Earl of Oxford, English politician (b. 1408)
- 1548 – Lorenzino de’ Medici, Italian writer and assassin (b. 1514)
- 1577 – Eric XIV of Sweden (b. 1533)
- 1603 – Maria of Austria, Holy Roman Empress, spouse of Maximilian II (b. 1528)
- 1608 – John Still, English bishop (b. 1543)
- 1611 – Antonio Possevino, Italian priest and diplomat (b. 1533)
- 1625 – Anna Vasa of Sweden, Polish and Swedish princess (b. 1568)
- 1630 – William Brade, English violinist and composer (b. 1560)
- 1638 – Claude Gaspard Bachet de Méziriac, French mathematician and linguist (b. 1581)
- 1723 – Thomas d’Urfey, English poet and playwright (b. 1653)
- 1726 – Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria (b. 1662)
- 1770 – Giuseppe Tartini, Italian violinist and composer (b. 1692)
- 1790 – Joshua Rowley, English admiral (b. 1730)
- 1802 – Esek Hopkins, American admiral (b. 1718)
- 1806 – Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, Haitian-French general (b. 1762)
- 1813 – Robert R. Livingston, American lawyer and politician, 1st United States Secretary of Foreign Affairs (b. 1746)
- 1815 – Prince Josias of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (b. 1737)
- 1821 – Joseph de Maistre, French lawyer and diplomat (b. 1753)
- 1864 – Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine, Canadian jurist and politician, 3rd Premier of Canada East (b. 1807)
- 1883 – Alexandros Koumoundouros, Greek lawyer and politician, 56th Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1817)
- 1887 – Anandi Gopal Joshi, First Indian women physician (b. 1865)
- 1889 – Karl Davydov, Russian cellist and composer (b. 1838)
- 1903 – Richard Jordan Gatling, American engineer, invented the Gatling gun (b. 1818)
- 1906 – Jean Lanfray, Swiss convicted murderer (b. 1874)
- 1913 – Felix Draeseke, German composer and academic (b. 1835)
- 1921 – Carl Menger, Polish-Austrian economist and academic (b. 1840)
- 1930 – Mary Whiton Calkins, American philosopher and psychologist (b. 1863)
- 1931 – Otto Wallach, German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1847)
- 1936 – February 26 Incident:
  
  Takahashi Korekiyo, Japanese accountant and politician, 20th Prime Minister of Japan (b. 1854)
  
  Saitō Makoto, Japanese admiral and politician, 30th Prime Minister of Japan (b. 1858)
  
  Jōtarō Watanabe, Japanese general (b. 1874)
- 1943 – Theodor Eicke, German general (b. 1892)
- 1945 – Sándor Szurmay, Minister of Defence of the Hungarian portion of Austria-Hungary (b. 1860)
- 1947 – Heinrich Häberlin, Swiss judge and politician, President of the Swiss National Council (b. 1868)
- 1950 – Harry Lauder, Scottish comedian and singer (b. 1870)
- 1951 – Sabiha Kasimati, Albanian ichthyologist (b. 1912) executed with 20 others
- 1952 – Theodoros Pangalos, Greek general and politician, President of Greece (b. 1878)
- 1961 – Karl Albiker, German sculptor, lithographer, and educator (b. 1878)
- 1961 – Mohammed V of Morocco (b. 1909)
- 1966 – Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Indian poet and politician (b. 1883)
- 1969 – Levi Eshkol, Israeli soldier and politician, 3rd Prime Minister of Israel (b. 1895)
- 1969 – Karl Jaspers, German-Swiss psychiatrist and philosopher (b. 1883)
- 1981 – Robert Aickman, English author and activist (b. 1914)
- 1981 – Howard Hanson, American composer, conductor, and educator (b. 1896)
- 1985 – Tjalling Koopmans, Dutch-American economist and mathematician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1910)
- 1989 – Roy Eldridge, American trumpet player (b. 1911)
- 1993 – Constance Ford, American model and actress (b. 1923)
- 1994 – Bill Hicks, American comedian (b. 1961)
- 1995 – Jack Clayton, English director and producer (b. 1921)
- 1997 – David Doyle, American actor (b. 1929)
- 1998 – Theodore Schultz, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1902)
- 2000 – George L. Street III, American captain, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1913)
- 2002 – Lawrence Tierney, American actor (b. 1919)
- 2004 – Adolf Ehrnrooth, Finnish general (b. 1905)
- 2004 – Boris Trajkovski, Macedonian politician, 2nd President of the Republic of Macedonia (b. 1956)
- 2005 – Jef Raskin, American computer scientist, created Macintosh (b. 1943)
- 2006 – Georgina Battiscombe, British biographer (b. 1905)
- 2008 – Bodil Udsen, Danish actress (b. 1925)
- 2009 – Johnny Kerr, American basketball player, coach, and sportscaster (b. 1932)
- 2009 – Wendy Richard, English actress (b. 1943)
- 2009 – Norm Van Lier, American basketball player, coach, and sportscaster (b. 1947)
- 2010 – Jun Seba, also known as “Nujabes”, Japanese record producer, DJ, composer and arranger (b. 1974)
- 2011 – Arnošt Lustig, Czech author, playwright, and screenwriter (b. 1926)
- 2012 – Richard Carpenter, English actor and screenwriter (b. 1929)
- 2013 – Marie-Claire Alain, French organist and educator (b. 1926)
- 2013 – Stéphane Hessel, German-French diplomat and author (b. 1917)
- 2013 – Simon Li, Hong Kong judge and politician (b. 1922)
- 2014 – Sorel Etrog, Romanian-Canadian sculptor, painter, and illustrator (b. 1933)
- 2014 – Phyllis Krasilovsky, American author and academic (b. 1927)
- 2014 – Paco de Lucía, Spanish guitarist, songwriter, and producer (b. 1947)
- 2015 – Sheppard Frere, English historian and archaeologist (b. 1916)
- 2015 – Theodore Hesburgh, American priest, theologian, educator, and academic (b. 1917)
- 2015 – Earl Lloyd, American basketball player and coach (b. 1928)
- 2015 – Tom Schweich, American lawyer and politician, 36th State Auditor of Missouri (b. 1960)
- 2016 – Andy Bathgate, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager (b. 1932)
- 2016 – Don Getty, Canadian football player and politician, 11th Premier of Alberta (b. 1933)
- 2017 – Joseph Wapner, American lieutenant and judge (b. 1919)
Holidays and observances on February 26
- Christian feast day:
  
  Alexander of Alexandria
  
  Emily Malbone Morgan (Episcopal Church (USA))
  
  Isabelle of France
  
  Li Tim-Oi (Anglican Church of Canada)
  
  Porphyry of Gaza
  
  February 26 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- The first day of Ayyám-i-Há (Bahá’í Faith) (Please note that this observance is only locked into this date the Gregorian calendar on this date if Bahá’í Naw-Rúz takes place on March 21, which it doesn’t in all years)
- Day of Remembrance for Victims of Khojaly Massacre (Azerbaijan)
- Liberation Day (Kuwait)
- Saviours’ Day (Nation of Islam)
Read More February 26 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day