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  • February 8 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    February 8 in History

    • 421 – Constantius III becomes co-Emperor of the Western Roman Empire.
    • 1238 – The Mongols burn the Russian city of Vladimir.
    • 1250 – Seventh Crusade: Crusaders engage Ayyubid forces in the Battle of Al Mansurah.
    • 1347 – The Byzantine civil war of 1341–47 ends with a power-sharing agreement between John VI Kantakouzenos and John V Palaiologos.
    • 1575 – Leiden University is founded, and given the motto Praesidium Libertatis.
    • 1587 – Mary, Queen of Scots, is executed on suspicion of having been involved in the Babington Plot to murder her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I.
    • 1590 – Luis de Carvajal y de la Cueva is tortured by the Inquisition in Mexico, charged with concealing the practice Judaism of his sister and her children.
    • 1601 – Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, rebels against Queen Elizabeth I and the revolt is quickly crushed.
    • 1693 – The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, is granted a charter by King William III and Queen Mary II.
    • 1807 – After two days of bitter fighting, the Russians under Bennigsen and the Prussians under L’Estocq concede the Battle of Eylau to Napoleon.
    • 1817 – Las Heras crosses the Andes with an army to join San Martín and liberate Chile from Spain.
    • 1837 – Richard Johnson becomes the first Vice President of the United States chosen by the United States Senate.
    • 1865 – Delaware refuses to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Slavery was outlawed in the United States, including Delaware, when the Amendment was ratified by the requisite number of states on December 6, 1865. Delaware ratified the Thirteenth Amendment on February 12, 1901, which was the ninety-second anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln.
    • 1879 – Sandford Fleming first proposes adoption of Universal Standard Time at a meeting of the Royal Canadian Institute.
    • 1879 – The England cricket team led by Lord Harris is attacked in a riot during a match in Sydney.
    • 1885 – The first government-approved Japanese immigrants arrived in Hawaii.
    • 1887 – The Dawes Act authorizes the President of the United States to survey Native American tribal land and divide it into individual allotments.
    • 1904 – Battle of Port Arthur: A surprise torpedo attack by the Japanese at Port Arthur, China starts the Russo-Japanese War.
    • 1904 – Aceh War: Dutch Colonial Army’s Marechaussee regiment led by General G.C.E. van Daalen launch military campaign to capture Gayo Highland, Alas Highland, and Batak Highland in Dutch East Indies’ Northern Sumatra region, which ends with genocide to Acehnese and Bataks people.
    • 1910 – The Boy Scouts of America is incorporated by William D. Boyce.
    • 1915 – D. W. Griffith’s controversial film The Birth of a Nation premieres in Los Angeles.
    • 1922 – United States President Warren G. Harding introduces the first radio set in the White House.
    • 1924 – Capital punishment: The first state execution in the United States by gas chamber takes place in Nevada.
    • 1942 – World War II: Japan invades Singapore.
    • 1942 – World War II: Dutch Colonial Army General Destruction Unit (AVC, Algemene Vernielings Corps) burns Banjarmasin, South Borneo to avoid Japanese capture.
    • 1945 – World War II: The United Kingdom and Canada commence Operation Veritable to occupy the west bank of the Rhine.
    • 1945 – World War II: Mikhail Devyataev escapes with nine other Soviet inmates from a Nazi concentration camp in Peenemünde on the island of Usedom by hijacking the camp commandant’s Heinkel He 111.
    • 1946 – The first portion of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, the first serious challenge to the popularity of the Authorized King James Version, is published.
    • 1946 – The People’s Republic of Korea is dissolved in the North, establishing the communist-controlled Provisional People’s Committee of North Korea.
    • 1950 – Cold War: The Stasi, the secret police of East Germany, is established.
    • 1955 – The Government of Sindh, Pakistan, abolishes the Jagirdari system in the province. One million acres (4000 km2) of land thus acquired is to be distributed among the landless peasants.
    • 1960 – Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom issues an Order-in-Council, stating that she and her family would be known as the House of Windsor, and that her descendants will take the name Mountbatten-Windsor.
    • 1962 – Charonne massacre. Nine trade unionists are killed by French police at the instigation of Nazi collaborator Maurice Papon, then chief of the Paris Prefecture of Police.
    • 1963 – Travel, financial and commercial transactions by United States citizens to Cuba are made illegal by the John F. Kennedy administration.
    • 1963 – The regime of Prime Minister of Iraq, Brigadier General Abd al-Karim Qasim is overthrown by the Ba’ath Party.
    • 1965 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 663 crashes into the Atlantic Ocean and explodes, killing everyone aboard.
    • 1968 – American civil rights movement: The Orangeburg massacre: An attack on black students from South Carolina State University who are protesting racial segregation at the town’s only bowling alley, leaves three or four dead in Orangeburg, South Carolina.
    • 1971 – The NASDAQ stock market index opens for the first time.
    • 1971 – South Vietnamese ground troops launch an incursion into Laos to try to cut off the Ho Chi Minh trail and stop communist infiltration.
    • 1974 – After 84 days in space, the crew of Skylab 4, the last crew to visit American space station Skylab, returns to Earth.
    • 1978 – Proceedings of the United States Senate are broadcast on radio for the first time.
    • 1981 – Twenty-one association football spectators are trampled to death at Karaiskakis Stadium in Neo Faliro, Greece, after a football match between Olympiacos F.C. and AEK Athens F.C.
    • 1983 – The Melbourne dust storm hits Australia’s second largest city. The result of the worst drought on record and a day of severe weather conditions, a 320 metres (1,050 ft) deep dust cloud envelops the city, turning day to night.
    • 1986 – Hinton train collision: Twenty-three people are killed when a VIA Rail passenger train collides with a 118-car Canadian National freight train near the town of Hinton, Alberta, west of Edmonton. It is the worst rail accident in Canada until the Lac-Mégantic, Quebec derailment in 2013 which killed forty-seven people.
    • 1989 – Independent Air Flight 1851 strikes Pico Alto mountain while on approach to Santa Maria Airport (Azores) killing all 144 passengers on board.
    • 1993 – General Motors sues NBC after Dateline NBC allegedly rigs two crashes intended to demonstrate that some GM pickups can easily catch fire if hit in certain places. NBC settles the lawsuit the next day.
    • 1993 – An Iran Air Tours Tupolev Tu-154 and an Iranian Air Force Sukhoi Su-24 collide in mid-air near Qods, Iran, killing all 133 people on board both aircraft.
    • 1996 – The U.S. Congress passes the Communications Decency Act.
    • 2005 – Sri Lankan Civil War: Sri Lankan Tamil politician and former MP A. Chandranehru dies of injuries sustained in an ambush the previous day.
    • 2010 – A freak storm in the Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan triggers a series of at least 36 avalanches, burying over two miles of road, killing at least 172 people and trapping over 2,000 travelers.
    • 2013 – A blizzard disrupts transportation and leaves hundreds of thousands of people without electricity in the Northeastern United States and parts of Canada.
    • 2014 – A hotel fire in Medina, Saudi Arabia kills 15 Egyptian pilgrims with 130 others injured.

    Births on February 8

    • 120 – Vettius Valens, Greek astronomer, mathematician, and astrologer (probable; d. 175)
    • 412 – Proclus, Greek mathematician and philosopher (probable; d. 485)
    • 882 – Muhammad ibn Tughj al-Ikhshid, Egyptian commander and politician, Abbasid Governor of Egypt (d. 946)
    • 1191 – Yaroslav II of Vladimir (d. 1246)
    • 1291 – Afonso IV of Portugal (d. 1357)
    • 1405 – Constantine XI Palaiologos, Byzantine emperor (d. 1453)
    • 1487 – Ulrich, Duke of Württemberg (d. 1550)
    • 1514 – Daniele Barbaro, Venetian churchman, diplomat and scholar (d. 1570)
    • 1552 – Agrippa d’Aubigné, French poet and soldier (d. 1630)
    • 1577 – Robert Burton, English priest, physician, and scholar (d. 1640)
    • 1591 – Guercino, Italian painter (d. 1666)
    • 1685 – Charles-Jean-François Hénault, French historian and author (d. 1770)
    • 1700 – Daniel Bernoulli, Dutch-Swiss mathematician and physicist (d. 1782)
    • 1720 – Emperor Sakuramachi of Japan (d. 1750)
    • 1741 – André Grétry, Belgian-French organist and composer (d. 1813)
    • 1762 – Gia Long, Vietnamese emperor (d. 1820)
    • 1764 – Joseph Leopold Eybler, Austrian composer and conductor (d. 1846)
    • 1792 – Caroline Augusta of Bavaria (d. 1873)
    • 1798 – Grand Duke Michael Pavlovich of Russia (d. 1849)
    • 1807 – Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins, English sculptor and zoologist (d. 1889)
    • 1817 – Richard S. Ewell, American general (d. 1872)
    • 1819 – John Ruskin, English author, critic, and academic (d. 1900)
    • 1820 – William Tecumseh Sherman, American general (d. 1891)
    • 1822 – Maxime Du Camp, French photographer and journalist (d. 1894)
    • 1825 – Henry Walter Bates, English geographer, biologist, and explorer (d. 1892)
    • 1828 – Jules Verne, French author, poet, and playwright (d. 1905)
    • 1829 – Vital-Justin Grandin, French-Canadian bishop and missionary (d. 1902)
    • 1830 – Abdülaziz of the Ottoman Empire (d. 1876)
    • 1834 – Dmitri Mendeleev, Russian chemist and academic (d. 1907)
    • 1850 – Kate Chopin, American author (d. 1904)
    • 1860 – Adella Brown Bailey, American politician and suffragist (d. 1937)
    • 1866 – Moses Gomberg, Ukrainian-American chemist and academic (d. 1947)
    • 1876 – Paula Modersohn-Becker, German painter (d. 1907)
    • 1878 – Martin Buber, Austrian-Israeli philosopher and academic (d. 1965)
    • 1880 – Franz Marc, German soldier and painter (d. 1916)
    • 1880 – Viktor Schwanneke, German actor and director (d. 1931)
    • 1882 – Thomas Selfridge, American lieutenant and pilot (d. 1908)
    • 1883 – Joseph Schumpeter, Czech-American economist and political scientist (d. 1950)
    • 1884 – Snowy Baker, Australian boxer, rugby player, and actor (d. 1953)
    • 1886 – Charlie Ruggles, American actor (d. 1970)
    • 1888 – Edith Evans, English actress (d. 1976)
    • 1888 – Giuseppe Ungaretti, Egyptian-Italian soldier, journalist, and poet (d. 1970)
    • 1890 – Claro M. Recto, Filipino lawyer, jurist, and politician (d. 1960)
    • 1893 – Ba Maw, Burmese lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of Burma (d. 1977)
    • 1894 – King Vidor, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1982)
    • 1897 – Zakir Hussain, Indian academic and politician, 3rd president of India (d. 1969)
    • 1899 – Lonnie Johnson, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1970)
    • 1903 – Greta Keller, Austrian-American singer and actress (d. 1977)
    • 1903 – Tunku Abdul Rahman, 1st Prime Minister of Malaysia (d. 1990)
    • 1906 – Chester Carlson, American physicist and lawyer, invented Xerography (d. 1968)
    • 1909 – Elisabeth Murdoch, Australian philanthropist (d. 2012)
    • 1911 – Elizabeth Bishop, American poet and author (d. 1979)
    • 1913 – Betty Field, American actress (d. 1973)
    • 1913 – Danai Stratigopoulou, Greek singer-songwriter (d. 2009)
    • 1914 – Bill Finger, American author and screenwriter, co-created Batman (d. 1974)
    • 1915 – Georges Guétary, Egyptian-French singer, dancer, and actor (d. 1997)
    • 1918 – Freddie Blassie, American wrestler and manager (d. 2003)
    • 1921 – Barney Danson, Canadian colonel and politician, 21st Canadian Minister of National Defence (d. 2011)
    • 1921 – Nexhmije Hoxha, Albanian politician (d. 2020)
    • 1921 – Lana Turner, American actress (d. 1995)
    • 1922 – Audrey Meadows, American actress and banker (d. 1996)
    • 1925 – Jack Lemmon, American actor (d. 2001)
    • 1926 – Neal Cassady, American author and poet (d. 1968)
    • 1926 – Birgitte Reimer, Danish film actress
    • 1930 – Alejandro Rey, Argentinian-American actor and director (d. 1987)
    • 1931 – James Dean, American actor (d. 1955)
    • 1932 – Cliff Allison, English racing driver and businessman (d. 2005)
    • 1932 – John Williams, American pianist, composer, and conductor
    • 1933 – Elly Ameling, Dutch soprano
    • 1937 – Joe Raposo, American pianist and composer (d. 1989)
    • 1937 – Harry Wu, Chinese human rights activist (d. 2016)
    • 1939 – Jose Maria Sison, Filipino activist and theorist
    • 1940 – Sophie Lihau-Kanza, Congolese politician (d. 1999)
    • 1940 – Ted Koppel, English-American journalist
    • 1941 – Nick Nolte, American actor and producer
    • 1941 – Tom Rush, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
    • 1941 – Jagjit Singh, Indian singer-songwriter (d. 2011)
    • 1942 – Robert Klein, American comedian, actor, and singer
    • 1942 – Terry Melcher, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2004)
    • 1944 – Roger Lloyd-Pack, English actor (d. 2014)
    • 1944 – Sebastião Salgado, Brazilian photographer and journalist
    • 1947 – J. Richard Gott, American astronomer and academic
    • 1948 – Dan Seals, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2009)
    • 1949 – Brooke Adams, American actress, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1949 – Niels Arestrup, French actor, director, and screenwriter
    • 1952 – Marinho Chagas, Brazilian footballer and coach (d. 2014)
    • 1953 – Mary Steenburgen, American actress
    • 1954 – Joe Maddon, American baseball coach and manager
    • 1955 – John Grisham, American lawyer and author
    • 1955 – Jim Neidhart, American wrestler (d. 2018)
    • 1956 – Marques Johnson, American basketball player and sportscaster
    • 1957 – Karine Chemla, French historian of mathematics and sinologist
    • 1958 – Sherri Martel, American wrestler and manager (d. 2007)
    • 1958 – Marina Silva, Brazilian environmentalist and politician
    • 1959 – Heinz Gunthardt, Swiss tennis player
    • 1959 – Andrew Hoy, Australian equestrian rider
    • 1959 – Mauricio Macri, Argentinian businessman and politician, President of Argentina
    • 1960 – Benigno Aquino III, Filipino politician, 15th President of the Philippines
    • 1960 – Dino Ciccarelli, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1961 – Vince Neil, American singer-songwriter and actor
    • 1963 – Mohammad Azharuddin, Indian cricketer and politician
    • 1964 – Arlie Petters, Belizean-American mathematical physicist and academic
    • 1964 – Santosh Sivan, Indian director, cinematographer, producer, and actor
    • 1964 – Trinny Woodall, English fashion designer and author
    • 1966 – Kirk Muller, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1966 – Hristo Stoichkov, Bulgarian footballer and manager
    • 1968 – Gary Coleman, American actor (d. 2010)
    • 1969 – Pauly Fuemana, New Zealand-Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2010)
    • 1969 – Mary Robinette Kowal, American puppeteer and author
    • 1969 – Mary McCormack, American actress and producer
    • 1970 – Stephanie Courtney, American actress and comedian
    • 1970 – John Filan, Australian footballer and coach
    • 1970 – Alonzo Mourning, American basketball player and executive
    • 1971 – Aidy Boothroyd, English footballer and manager
    • 1971 – Mika Karppinen, Swedish-Finnish drummer and songwriter
    • 1972 – Big Show, American wrestler and actor
    • 1974 – Seth Green, American actor, voice artist, comedian, producer, writer, and director
    • 1976 – Khaled Mashud, Bangladeshi cricketer
    • 1976 – Nicolas Vouilloz, French rally driver and mountain biker
    • 1977 – Roman Kostomarov, Russian ice dancer
    • 1978 – Mick de Brenni, Australian politician
    • 1979 – Aaron Cook, American baseball player
    • 1980 – William Jackson Harper, American actor
    • 1981 – Steve Gohouri, Ivorian footballer (d. 2015)
    • 1981 – Myriam Montemayor Cruz, Mexican singer
    • 1983 – Jermaine Anderson, Canadian basketball player
    • 1983 – Cory Jane, New Zealand rugby player
    • 1983 – Jim Verraros, American singer and actor
    • 1984 – Manuel Osborne-Paradis, Canadian skier
    • 1984 – Cecily Strong, American actress
    • 1984 – Panagiotis Vasilopoulos, Greek basketball player
    • 1985 – Petra Cetkovská, Czech tennis player
    • 1985 – Jeremy Davis, American bass player and songwriter
    • 1987 – Javi García, Spanish footballer
    • 1987 – Carolina Kostner, Italian figure skater
    • 1988 – Keegan Meth, Zimbabwean cricketer
    • 1989 – Zac Guildford, New Zealand rugby player
    • 1989 – Julio Jones, American football player
    • 1989 – Courtney Vandersloot, American basketball player
    • 1990 – Emily Scarratt, English rugby union player
    • 1990 – Klay Thompson, American professional basketball player
    • 1991 – Aristidis Soiledis, Greek footballer
    • 1991 – Roberto Soriano, Italian footballer
    • 1991 – Nam Woo-hyun, South Korean singer and actor with the boy band Infinite.
    • 1992 – Bruno Martins Indi, Portuguese-Dutch footballer
    • 1992 – Carl Jenkinson, English-Finnish footballer
    • 1994 – Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Turkish footballer
    • 1994 – Nikki Yanofsky, Canadian singer-songwriter
    • 1995 – Joshua Kimmich, German footballer
    • 1996 – Kenedy, Brazilian footballer

    Deaths on February 8

    • 538 – Severus of Antioch, patriarch of Antioch
    • 1135 – Elvira of Castile, Queen of Sicily (b.c. 1100)
    • 1204 – Alexios IV Angelos, Byzantine emperor (b. 1182)
    • 1229 – Ali ibn Hanzala, sixth Dāʿī al-Muṭlaq of Tayyibi Isma’ilism
    • 1250 – Robert I, Count of Artois (b. 1216)
    • 1250 – William II Longespée, English martyr (b. 1212)
    • 1265 – Hulagu Khan, Mongol ruler (b. 1217)
    • 1285 – Theodoric of Landsberg (b. 1242)
    • 1296 – Przemysł II of Poland (b. 1257)
    • 1314 – Helen of Anjou, queen of Serbia (b. 1236)
    • 1382 – Blanche of France, Duchess of Orléans (b. 1328)
    • 1537 – Saint Gerolamo Emiliani, Italian humanitarian (b. 1481)
    • 1587 – Mary, Queen of Scots (b. 1542)
    • 1599 – Robert Rollock, Scottish theologian and academic (b. 1555)
    • 1623 – Thomas Cecil, 1st Earl of Exeter, English soldier and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire (b. 1546)
    • 1676 – Alexis of Russia (b. 1629)
    • 1696 – Ivan V of Russia (b. 1666)
    • 1709 – Giuseppe Torelli, Italian violinist and composer (b. 1658)
    • 1725 – Peter the Great, Russian emperor (b. 1672)
    • 1749 – Jan van Huysum, Dutch painter (b. 1682)
    • 1750 – Aaron Hill, English playwright and poet (b. 1685)
    • 1768 – George Dance the Elder, English architect, designed St Leonard’s and St Botolph’s Aldgate (b. 1695)
    • 1772 – Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha (b. 1719)
    • 1849 – François Habeneck, French violinist and conductor (b. 1781)
    • 1849 – France Prešeren, Slovenian poet and lawyer (b. 1800)
    • 1856 – Agostino Bassi, Italian entomologist and academic (b. 1773)
    • 1907 – Hendrik Willem Bakhuis Roozeboom, Dutch chemist and academic (b. 1854)
    • 1910 – Hans Jæger, Norwegian philosopher and activist (b. 1854)
    • 1914 – Dayrolles Eveleigh-de-Moleyns, 4th Baron Ventry, Irish hereditary peer (b. 1828)
    • 1915 – François Langelier, Canadian journalist, lawyer, and politician, 10th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec (b. 1838)
    • 1921 – George Formby Sr, English actor and singer (b. 1876)
    • 1921 – Peter Kropotkin, Russian zoologist, geographer, and philologist (b. 1842)
    • 1928 – Theodor Curtius, German chemist (b. 1857)
    • 1932 – Yordan Milanov, Bulgarian architect, designed the Sveti Sedmochislenitsi Church (b. 1867)
    • 1935 – Eemil Nestor Setälä, Finnish linguist and politician, Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs (b. 1864)
    • 1936 – Charles Curtis, American lawyer and politician, 31st Vice President of the United States (b. 1860)
    • 1945 – Italo Santelli, Italian fencer and coach (b. 1866)
    • 1956 – Connie Mack, American baseball player and manager (b. 1862)
    • 1957 – Walther Bothe, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1891)
    • 1957 – John von Neumann, Hungarian-American mathematician and physicist (b. 1903)
    • 1959 – William J. Donovan, American head of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) (b. 1883)
    • 1960 – J. L. Austin, English philosopher and academic (b. 1911)
    • 1960 – Giles Gilbert Scott, English architect and engineer, designed the Red telephone box and Liverpool Cathedral (b. 1880)
    • 1963 – George Dolenz, Italian-American actor (b. 1908)
    • 1964 – Ernst Kretschmer, German psychiatrist and author (b. 1888)
    • 1968 – Maurice Maillot, French actor (b. 1906)
    • 1972 – Markos Vamvakaris, Greek singer-songwriter and bouzouki player (b. 1905)
    • 1975 – Robert Robinson, English chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1886)
    • 1977 – Eivind Groven, Norwegian composer and theorist (b. 1901)
    • 1979 – Dennis Gabor, Hungarian-English physicist and engineer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1900)
    • 1980 – Nikos Xilouris, Greek singer-songwriter (b. 1936)
    • 1982 – John Hay Whitney, American financier and diplomat, United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom (b. 1904)
    • 1985 – William Lyons, English businessman, co-founded Swallow Sidecar Company (b. 1901)
    • 1987 – Harriet E. MacGibbon, American actress (b. 1905)
    • 1990 – Del Shannon, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1934)
    • 1992 – Stanley Armour Dunham, American sergeant (b. 1918)
    • 1992 – Denny Wright, British guitarist (b. 1924)
    • 1994 – Raymond Scott, American pianist and composer (b. 1908)
    • 1996 – Del Ennis, American baseball player (b. 1925)
    • 1997 – Corey Scott, American motorcycle stunt rider (b. 1968)
    • 1998 – Halldór Laxness, Icelandic author, poet, and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1902)
    • 1998 – Enoch Powell, English soldier and politician, Secretary of State for Health (b. 1912)
    • 1998 – Julian Simon, American economist and author (b. 1932)
    • 1999 – Iris Murdoch, Irish-born British novelist and philosopher (b. 1919)
    • 2000 – Sid Abel, Canadian-American ice hockey player, coach, and sportscaster (b. 1918)
    • 2000 – Derrick Thomas, American football player (b. 1967)
    • 2001 – Ivo Caprino, Norwegian director and screenwriter (b. 1920)
    • 2002 – Ong Teng Cheong, Singaporean architect and politician, 5th President of Singapore (b. 1936)
    • 2004 – Julius Schwartz, American journalist and author (b. 1915)
    • 2005 – A. Chandranehru, Sri Lankan sailor and politician (b. 1944)
    • 2006 – Elton Dean, English saxophonist, songwriter, and producer (b. 1945)
    • 2006 – Thierry Fortineau, French actor (b. 1953)
    • 2006 – Akira Ifukube, Japanese composer (b. 1914)
    • 2007 – Anna Nicole Smith, American model and actress (b. 1967)
    • 2007 – Ian Stevenson, Canadian-American psychiatrist and academic (b. 1918)
    • 2008 – Ruby Garrard Woodson, American educator and cultural historian (b. 1931)
    • 2010 – John Murtha, American colonel and politician (b. 1932)
    • 2011 – Tony Malinosky, American baseball player and soldier (b. 1909)
    • 2012 – Wando, Brazilian singer-songwriter (b. 1945)
    • 2012 – Gunther Plaut, German-Canadian rabbi and author (b. 1912)
    • 2012 – Luis Alberto Spinetta, Argentinian singer-songwriter (b. 1950)
    • 2013 – Giovanni Cheli, Italian cardinal (b. 1918)
    • 2013 – James DePreist, American conductor and educator (b. 1936)
    • 2013 – Maureen Dragone, American journalist and author (b. 1920)
    • 2013 – Nevin Scrimshaw, American scientist (b. 1918)
    • 2014 – Els Borst, Dutch physician and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands (b. 1932)
    • 2014 – Maicon Pereira de Oliveira, Brazilian footballer (b. 1988)
    • 2014 – Nancy Holt, American sculptor and painter (b. 1938)
    • 2015 – Rauni-Leena Luukanen-Kilde, Finnish physician and parapsychologist (b. 1939)
    • 2016 – Amelia Bence, Argentine actress (b. 1914)
    • 2016 – Nida Fazli, Indian poet and songwriter (b. 1938)
    • 2016 – Margaret Forster, English historian, author, and critic (b. 1938)
    • 2016 – Violette Verdy, French ballerina (b. 1933)
    • 2017 – Peter Mansfield, English physicist, Nobel laureate (b. 1933)
    • 2017 – Rina Matsuno, Japanese idol singer (Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku) (b. 1998)
    • 2017 – Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, English socialite, television presenter, model, and charity patron (b. 1971)
    • 2017 – Alan Simpson, English scriptwriter (b. 1929)

    Holidays and observances on February 8

    • Christian feast day:
      • Cuthmann of Steyning
      • Elffled of Whitby
      • Gerolamo Emiliani
      • Josephine Bakhita
      • Juventius of Pavia
      • Meingold of Huy
      • Stephen of Muret
      • February 8 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Earliest day on which Feast of Orthodoxy can fall, while March 14 is the latest; celebrated 42 days before Easter. (Orthodoxy)
    • Parinirvana Day (some Mahayana Buddhism traditions, most celebrate on February 15)
    • Prešeren Day (Slovenia)
    • Propose Day

  • February 6 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    February 6 in History

    • AD 60 – The earliest date for which the day of the week is known. A graffito in Pompeii identifies this day as a dies Solis (Sunday). In modern reckoning, this date would have been a Wednesday.
    • 1579 – The Archdiocese of Manila is made a diocese by a papal bull with Domingo de Salazar being its first bishop.
    • 1685 – James II of England and VII of Scotland is proclaimed King upon the death of his brother Charles II.
    • 1694 – The warrior queen Dandara, leader of the runaway slaves in Quilombo dos Palmares, Brazil, is captured and commits suicide rather than be returned to a life of slavery.
    • 1778 – American Revolutionary War: In Paris the Treaty of Alliance and the Treaty of Amity and Commerce are signed by the United States and France signaling official recognition of the new republic.
    • 1778 –New York became the third state to ratify the Articles of Confederation.
    • 1788 – Massachusetts becomes the sixth state to ratify the United States Constitution.
    • 1806 – Battle of San Domingo: British naval victory against the French in the Caribbean.
    • 1819 – Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles founds Singapore.
    • 1820 – The first 86 African American immigrants sponsored by the American Colonization Society depart New York to start a settlement in present-day Liberia.
    • 1833 – Otto becomes the first modern King of Greece.
    • 1840 – Signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, establishing New Zealand as a British colony.
    • 1843 – The first minstrel show in the United States, The Virginia Minstrels, opens (Bowery Amphitheatre in New York City).
    • 1851 – The largest Australian bushfires in a populous region in recorded history take place in the state of Victoria.
    • 1862 – American Civil War: Forces under the command of Ulysses S. Grant and Andrew H. Foote give the Union its first victory of the war, capturing Fort Henry, Tennessee in the Battle of Fort Henry.
    • 1899 – Spanish–American War: The Treaty of Paris, a peace treaty between the United States and Spain, is ratified by the United States Senate.
    • 1900 – The Permanent Court of Arbitration, an international arbitration court at The Hague, is created when the Senate of the Netherlands ratifies an 1899 peace conference decree.
    • 1918 – British women over the age of 30 who meet minimum property qualifications, get the right to vote when Representation of the People Act 1918 is passed by Parliament.
    • 1919 – The American Legion is founded.
    • 1919 – The five-day Seattle General Strike begins, as more than 65,000 workers in the city of Seattle, Washington, walk off the job.
    • 1922 – The Washington Naval Treaty is signed in Washington, D.C., limiting the naval armaments of United States, Britain, Japan, France, and Italy.
    • 1934 – Far-right leagues rally in front of the Palais Bourbon in an attempted coup against the French Third Republic, creating a political crisis in France.
    • 1951 – The Canadian Army enters combat in the Korean War.
    • 1951 – The Broker, a Pennsylvania Railroad passenger train derails near Woodbridge Township, New Jersey. The accident kills 85 people and injures over 500 more. The wreck is one of the worst rail disasters in American history.
    • 1952 – Elizabeth II becomes Queen of the United Kingdom and her other Realms and Territories and Head of the Commonwealth upon the death of her father, George VI. At the exact moment of succession, she was in a tree house at the Treetops Hotel in Kenya.
    • 1958 – Eight Manchester United F.C. players and 15 other passengers are killed in the Munich air disaster.
    • 1959 – Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments files the first patent for an integrated circuit.
    • 1959 – At Cape Canaveral, Florida, the first successful test firing of a Titan intercontinental ballistic missile is accomplished.
    • 1976 – In testimony before a United States Senate subcommittee, Lockheed Corporation president Carl Kotchian admits that the company had paid out approximately $3 million in bribes to the office of Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka.
    • 1978 – The Blizzard of 1978, one of the worst Nor’easters in New England history, hit the region, with sustained winds of 65 mph and snowfall of four inches an hour.
    • 1981 – The National Resistance Army of Uganda launches an attack on a Ugandan Army installation in the central Mubende District to begin the Ugandan Bush War.
    • 1987 – Justice Mary Gaudron becomes the first woman to be appointed to the High Court of Australia.
    • 1988 – Michael Jordan makes his signature slam dunk from the free throw line inspiring Air Jordan and the Jumpman logo.
    • 1989 – The Round Table Talks start in Poland, thus marking the beginning of the overthrow of communism in Eastern Europe.
    • 1996 – Willamette Valley Flood: Floods in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, United States, causes over US$500 million in property damage throughout the Pacific Northwest.
    • 1996 – Birgenair Flight 301 crashed off the coast of the Dominican Republic, killing all 189 people on board. This is the deadliest aviation accident involving a Boeing 757.
    • 1998 – Washington National Airport is renamed Ronald Reagan National Airport.
    • 2000 – Second Chechen War: Russia captures Grozny, Chechnya, forcing the separatist Chechen Republic of Ichkeria government into exile.
    • 2006 – Stephen Harper becomes Prime Minister of Canada.
    • 2016 – An earthquake of magnitude 6.6 strikes southern Taiwan, killing 117 people.
    • 2018 – SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy, a super heavy launch vehicle, makes its maiden flight.

    Births on February 6

    • 885 – Emperor Daigo of Japan (d. 930)
    • 1402 – Louis I, Landgrave of Hesse, Landgrave of Hesse (d. 1458)
    • 1452 – Joanna, Princess of Portugal (d. 1490)
    • 1453 – Girolamo Benivieni, Florentine poet (d. 1542)
    • 1465 – Scipione del Ferro, Italian mathematician and theorist (d. 1526)
    • 1536 – Sassa Narimasa, Japanese samurai (d. 1588)
    • 1577 – Beatrice Cenci, Italian murderer (d. 1599)
    • 1582 – Mario Bettinus, Italian mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher (d. 1657)
    • 1608 – António Vieira, Portuguese priest and philosopher (d. 1697)
    • 1611 – Chongzhen Emperor of China (d. 1644)
    • 1612 – Antoine Arnauld, French mathematician, theologian, and philosopher (d. 1694)
    • 1643 – Johann Kasimir Kolbe von Wartenberg, Prussian politician, 1st Minister President of Prussia (d. 1712)
    • 1649 – Augusta Marie of Holstein-Gottorp, German noblewoman (d. 1728)
    • 1664 – Mustafa II, Ottoman sultan (d. 1703)
    • 1665 – Anne, Queen of Great Britain, Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland (d. 1714)
    • 1665 – Anne, Queen of Great Britain (d. 1714)
    • 1695 – Nicolaus II Bernoulli, Swiss-Russian mathematician and theorist (d. 1726)
    • 1719 – Alberto Pullicino, Maltese painter (d. 1759)
    • 1726 – Patrick Russell, Scottish surgeon and zoologist (d. 1805)
    • 1732 – Charles Lee, English-American general (d. 1782)
    • 1736 – Franz Xaver Messerschmidt, German-Austrian sculptor (d. 1783)
    • 1744 – Pierre-Joseph Desault, French anatomist and surgeon (d. 1795)
    • 1748 – Adam Weishaupt, German philosopher and academic, founded the Illuminati (d. 1830)
    • 1753 – Évariste de Parny, French poet and author (d. 1814)
    • 1756 – Aaron Burr, American colonel and politician, 3rd Vice President of the United States (d. 1836)
    • 1758 – Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz, Belarusian-Polish poet, playwright, and politician (d. 1841)
    • 1769 – Ludwig von Wallmoden-Gimborn, Austrian general (d. 1862)
    • 1772 – George Murray, Scottish general and politician, Secretary of State for War and the Colonies (d. 1830)
    • 1778 – Ugo Foscolo, Italian author and poet (d. 1827)
    • 1781 – John Keane, 1st Baron Keane, Irish general and politician, Governor of Saint Lucia (d. 1844)
    • 1796 – John Stevens Henslow, English botanist and geologist (d. 1861)
    • 1797 – Joseph von Radowitz, Prussian general and politician, Foreign Minister of Prussia (d. 1853)
    • 1799 – Imre Frivaldszky, Hungarian botanist and entomologist (d. 1870)
    • 1800 – Achille Devéria, French painter and lithographer (d. 1857)
    • 1802 – Charles Wheatstone, English-French physicist and cryptographer (d. 1875)
    • 1811 – Henry Liddell, English priest, author, and academic (d. 1898)
    • 1814 – Auguste Chapdelaine, French missionary and saint (d. 1856)
    • 1818 – William M. Evarts, American lawyer and politician, 27th United States Secretary of State (d. 1901)
    • 1820 – Thomas C. Durant, American railroad tycoon (d. 1885)
    • 1829 – Joseph Auguste Émile Vaudremer, French architect, designed the La Santé Prison and Saint-Pierre-de-Montrouge (d. 1914)
    • 1832 – John Brown Gordon, American general and politician, 53rd Governor of Georgia (d. 1904)
    • 1833 – José María de Pereda, Spanish author and academic (d. 1906)
    • 1833 – J. E. B. Stuart, American general (d. 1864)
    • 1834 – Edwin Klebs, German-Swiss pathologist and academic (d. 1913)
    • 1834 – Ema Pukšec, Croatian-German soprano (d. 1889)
    • 1834 – Wilhelm von Scherff, German general and author (d. 1911)
    • 1838 – Henry Irving, English actor and manager (d. 1905)
    • 1838 – Israel Meir Kagan, Lithuanian-Polish rabbi and author (d. 1933)
    • 1839 – Eduard Hitzig, German neurologist and psychiatrist (d. 1907)
    • 1842 – Alexandre Ribot, French academic and politician, Prime Minister of France (d. 1923)
    • 1843 – Inoue Kowashi, Japanese scholar and politician (d. 1895)
    • 1843 – Frederic William Henry Myers, English poet and philologist, co-founded the Society for Psychical Research (d. 1901)
    • 1845 – Isidor Straus, German-American businessman and politician (d. 1912)
    • 1847 – Henry Janeway Hardenbergh, American architect, designed the Plaza Hotel (d. 1918)
    • 1852 – C. Lloyd Morgan, English zoologist and psychologist (d. 1936)
    • 1852 – Vasily Safonov, Russian pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1918)
    • 1861 – Nikolay Zelinsky, Russian chemist and academic (d. 1953)
    • 1864 – John Henry Mackay, Scottish-German philosopher and author (d. 1933)
    • 1866 – Karl Sapper, German linguist and explorer (d. 1945)
    • 1872 – Robert Maillart, Swiss engineer, designed the Salginatobel Bridge and Schwandbach Bridge (d. 1940)
    • 1874 – Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, Indian religious leader, founded the Gaudiya Math (d. 1937)
    • 1875 – Leonid Gobyato, Russian general (d. 1915)
    • 1876 – Henry Blogg, English fisherman and sailor (d. 1954)
    • 1879 – Othon Friesz, French painter (d. 1949)
    • 1879 – Magnús Guðmundsson, Icelandic lawyer and politician, 3rd Prime Minister of Iceland (d. 1937)
    • 1879 – Edwin Samuel Montagu, English politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (d. 1924)
    • 1879 – Carl Ramsauer, German physicist and author (d. 1955)
    • 1880 – Nishinoumi Kajirō II, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 25th Yokozuna (d. 1931)
    • 1884 – Marcel Cohen, French linguist and scholar (d. 1974)
    • 1887 – Josef Frings, German cardinal (d. 1978)
    • 1890 – Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Pakistani activist and politician (d. 1988)
    • 1890 – James McGirr, Australian politician, 28th Premier of New South Wales (d. 1957)
    • 1892 – Maximilian Fretter-Pico, German general (d. 1984)
    • 1892 – William P. Murphy, American physician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1987)
    • 1893 – Muhammad Zafarullah Khan, Pakistani politician and diplomat, 1st Minister of Foreign Affairs for Pakistan (d. 1985)
    • 1894 – Eric Partridge, New Zealand-English lexicographer and academic (d. 1979)
    • 1894 – Kirpal Singh, Indian spiritual master (d. 1974)
    • 1895 – Robert La Follette Jr., American politician (d. 1953)
    • 1895 – María Teresa Vera, Cuban singer, guitarist and composer (d. 1965)
    • 1895 – Babe Ruth, American baseball player and coach (d. 1948)
    • 1898 – Harry Haywood, American soldier and politician (d. 1985)
    • 1899 – Ramon Novarro, Mexican-American actor, singer, and director (d. 1968)
    • 1901 – Ben Lyon, American actor (d. 1979)
    • 1902 – George Brunies, American trombonist (d. 1974)
    • 1903 – Claudio Arrau, Chilean pianist and composer (d. 1991)
    • 1905 – Władysław Gomułka, Polish politician (d. 1982)
    • 1905 – Jan Werich, Czech actor and playwright (d. 1980)
    • 1906 – Joseph Schull, Canadian playwright and historian (d. 1980)
    • 1908 – Amintore Fanfani, Italian journalist and politician, 32nd Prime Minister of Italy (d. 1999)
    • 1908 – Edward Lansdale, American general and CIA agent (d. 1987)
    • 1908 – Geo Bogza, Romanian poet and journalist (d. 1993)
    • 1908 – Michael Maltese, American actor, screenwriter, and composer (d. 1981)
    • 1910 – Roman Czerniawski, Polish air force officer and spy (d. 1985)
    • 1910 – Irmgard Keun, German author (d. 1982)
    • 1910 – Carlos Marcello, Tunisian-American gangster (d. 1993)
    • 1911 – Ronald Reagan, American actor and politician, 40th President of the United States (d. 2004)
    • 1912 – Eva Braun, German wife of Adolf Hitler (d. 1945)
    • 1912 – Christopher Hill, English historian and author (d. 2003)
    • 1913 – Mary Leakey, English-Kenyan archaeologist and anthropologist (d. 1996)
    • 1914 – Thurl Ravenscroft, American voice actor and singer (d. 2005)
    • 1915 – Kavi Pradeep, Indian poet and songwriter (d. 1998)
    • 1916 – John Crank, English mathematician and physicist (d. 2006)
    • 1917 – Louis-Philippe de Grandpré, Canadian lawyer and jurist (d. 2008)
    • 1917 – Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hungarian-American actress and socialite (d. 2016)
    • 1918 – Lothar-Günther Buchheim, German author and painter (d. 2007)
    • 1919 – Takashi Yanase, Japanese poet and illustrator, created Anpanman (d. 2013)
    • 1921 – Carl Neumann Degler, American historian and author (d. 2014)
    • 1921 – Bob Scott, New Zealand rugby player (d. 2012)
    • 1922 – Patrick Macnee, English-American actor and costume designer (d. 2015)
    • 1922 – Denis Norden, English actor, screenwriter, and television host (d. 2018)
    • 1922 – Haskell Wexler, American director, producer, and cinematographer (d. 2015)
    • 1923 – Gyula Lóránt, Hungarian footballer and manager (d. 1981)
    • 1924 – Billy Wright, English footballer and manager (d. 1994)
    • 1924 – Jin Yong, Hong Kong author and publisher, founded Ming Pao (d. 2018)
    • 1925 – Walker Edmiston, American actor and puppeteer (d. 2007)
    • 1927 – Gerard K. O’Neill, American physicist and astronomer (d. 1992)
    • 1928 – Allan H. Meltzer, American economist and academic (d. 2017)
    • 1929 – Colin Murdoch, New Zealand pharmacist and veterinarian, invented the tranquilliser gun (d. 2008)
    • 1929 – Oscar Sambrano Urdaneta, Venezuelan author and critic (d. 2011)
    • 1929 – Valentin Yanin, Russian historian and author (d. 2020)
    • 1930 – Jun Kondo, Japanese physicist and academic
    • 1931 – Rip Torn, American actor (d. 2019)
    • 1931 – Fred Trueman, English cricketer (d. 2006)
    • 1931 – Mamie Van Doren, American actress and model
    • 1931 – Ricardo Vidal, Filipino cardinal (d. 2017)
    • 1932 – Camilo Cienfuegos, Cuban soldier and anarchist (d. 1959)
    • 1932 – François Truffaut, French actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1984)
    • 1933 – Leslie Crowther, English comedian, actor, and game show host (d. 1996)
    • 1936 – Kent Douglas, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 2009)
    • 1938 – Fred Mifflin, Canadian admiral and politician, 19th Minister of Veterans Affairs (d. 2013)
    • 1939 – Jean Beaudin, Canadian director and screenwriter (d. 2019)
    • 1939 – Mike Farrell, American actor, director, producer, activist and public speaker
    • 1939 – Jair Rodrigues, Brazilian singer (d. 2014)
    • 1940 – Tom Brokaw, American journalist and author
    • 1940 – Petr Hájek, Czech mathematician and academic (d. 2016)
    • 1940 – Jimmy Tarbuck, English comedian and actor
    • 1941 – Stephen Albert, American pianist and composer (d. 1992)
    • 1941 – Dave Berry, English pop singer
    • 1941 – Gigi Perreau, American actress and director
    • 1942 – Sarah Brady, American activist and author (d. 2015)
    • 1942 – Charlie Coles, American basketball player and coach (d. 2013)
    • 1942 – Ahmad-Jabir Ahmadov Ismail oghlu, Azerbaijani philosopher and academic
    • 1942 – James Loewen, American sociologist and historian
    • 1942 – Tommy Roberts, English fashion designer (d. 2012)
    • 1943 – Fabian Forte, American pop singer and actor
    • 1943 – Gayle Hunnicutt, American actress
    • 1944 – Christine Boutin, French politician, French Minister of Housing and Urban Development
    • 1944 – Willie Tee, American singer-songwriter, keyboard player, and producer (d. 2007)
    • 1944 – Michael Tucker, American actor and producer
    • 1945 – Bob Marley, Jamaican singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1981)
    • 1946 – Richie Hayward, American drummer and songwriter (d. 2010)
    • 1946 – Kate McGarrigle, Canadian musician and singer-songwriter (d. 2010)
    • 1946 – Jim Turner, American captain and politician
    • 1947 – Bill Staines, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1947 – Charlie Hickcox, American swimmer (d .2010)
    • 1949 – Mike Batt, English singer-songwriter and producer
    • 1949 – Manuel Orantes, Spanish tennis player
    • 1949 – Jim Sheridan, Irish director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1950 – Natalie Cole, American singer-songwriter and actress (d. 2015)
    • 1950 – Timothy M. Dolan, American cardinal
    • 1950 – Punky Meadows, American rock guitarist and songwriter
    • 1952 – Ric Charlesworth, Australian cricketer, coach, and politician
    • 1952 – Viktor Giacobbo, Swiss actor, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1952 – Ricardo La Volpe, Argentinian footballer, manager, and coach
    • 1955 – Avram Grant, Israeli football manager
    • 1955 – Michael Pollan, American journalist, author, and academic
    • 1955 – Bruno Stolorz, French rugby player and coach
    • 1956 – Jerry Marotta, American drummer
    • 1957 – Andres Lipstok, Estonian economist and politician, Estonian Minister of Economic Affairs
    • 1957 – Kathy Najimy, American actress and comedian
    • 1957 – Simon Phillips, English drummer and producer
    • 1957 – Robert Townsend, American actor and director
    • 1958 – Cecily Adams, American actress and casting director (d. 2004)
    • 1960 – Jeremy Bowen, Welsh journalist
    • 1960 – Megan Gallagher, American actress
    • 1961 – Michael Bolt, Australian rugby league player
    • 1961 – Cam Cameron, American football player and coach
    • 1961 – Bill Lester, American race car driver
    • 1961 – Yury Onufriyenko, Ukrainian-Russian colonel, pilot, and astronaut
    • 1962 – Stavros Lambrinidis, Greek lawyer and politician, Minister of Foreign Affairs for Greece
    • 1962 – Axl Rose, American singer-songwriter and producer
    • 1963 – David Capel, English cricketer
    • 1963 – Scott Gordon, American ice hockey player and coach
    • 1963 – Quentin Letts, English journalist and critic
    • 1964 – Laurent Cabannes, French rugby player
    • 1964 – Gordon Downie, Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (d. 2017)
    • 1964 – Colin Miller, Australian cricketer and sportscaster
    • 1964 – Andrey Zvyagintsev, Russian actor and director
    • 1965 – Jan Svěrák, Czech actor, director, and screenwriter
    • 1966 – Rick Astley, English singer-songwriter
    • 1967 – Anita Cochran, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
    • 1967 – Izumi Sakai, Japanese singer-songwriter (d. 2007)
    • 1968 – Adolfo Valencia, Colombian footballer
    • 1968 – Akira Yamaoka, Japanese composer and producer
    • 1969 – David Hayter, American actor and screenwriter
    • 1969 – Masaharu Fukuyama, Japanese singer-songwriter, producer, and actor
    • 1969 – Tim Sherwood, English international footballer midfielder and manager
    • 1969 – Bob Wickman, American baseball player
    • 1970 – Per Frandsen, Danish footballer and manager
    • 1970 – Tim Herron, American golfer
    • 1971 – Brad Hogg, Australian cricketer
    • 1971 – Carlos Rogers, American basketball player
    • 1972 – Stefano Bettarini, Italian footballer
    • 1972 – David Binn, American football player
    • 1974 – Aljo Bendijo, Filipino journalist
    • 1975 – Chad Allen, American baseball player and coach
    • 1975 – Orkut Büyükkökten, Turkish computer scientist and engineer, created Orkut
    • 1975 – Tomoko Kawase, Japanese singer-songwriter and producer
    • 1976 – Tanja Frieden, Swiss snowboarder and educator
    • 1976 – Kim Zmeskal, American gymnast and coach
    • 1977 – Josh Stewart, American actor
    • 1978 – Yael Naim, French-Israeli singer-songwriter
    • 1979 – Dan Bălan, Moldovan singer-songwriter and producer
    • 1980 – Kerry Jeremy, Antiguan cricketer
    • 1980 – Kim Poirier, Canadian actress, singer, and producer
    • 1980 – Luke Ravenstahl, American politician, 58th Mayor of Pittsburgh
    • 1981 – Ricky Barnes, American golfer
    • 1981 – Calum Best, American-English model and actor
    • 1981 – Shim Eun-jin, South Korean singer and actress
    • 1981 – Alison Haislip, American actress and producer
    • 1981 – Jens Lekman, Swedish singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1981 – Ty Warren, American football player
    • 1982 – Tank, Taiwanese singer-songwriter
    • 1982 – Alice Eve, English actress
    • 1982 – Elise Ray, American gymnast
    • 1983 – Melrose Bickerstaff, American model and fashion designer
    • 1983 – Brodie Croyle, American football player
    • 1983 – Dimas Delgado, Spanish footballer
    • 1983 – S. Sreesanth, Indian cricketer
    • 1983 – Jamie Whincup, Australian race car driver
    • 1984 – Darren Bent, English international footballer, forward
    • 1984 – Piret Järvis, Estonian singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1984 – Antoine Wright, American basketball player
    • 1985 – Ben Creagh, Australian rugby league player
    • 1985 – Kris Humphries, American basketball player
    • 1986 – Dane DeHaan, American actor
    • 1986 – Yunho, South Korean singer and actor
    • 1988 – Bailey Hanks, American actress, singer, and dancer
    • 1989 – Craig Cathcart, Northern Irish footballer
    • 1989 – Jonny Flynn, American basketball player
    • 1990 – Adam Henrique, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1990 – Jermaine Kearse, American football player
    • 1990 – Aida Rybalko, Lithuanian figure skater
    • 1991 – Tobias Eisenbauer, Austrian ice dancer
    • 1991 – Ida Njåtun, Norwegian speed skater
    • 1991 – Eva Wacanno, Dutch tennis player
    • 1991 – Fei Yu, Chinese footballer
    • 1992 – Víctor Mañón, Mexican footballer
    • 1993 – Teresa Scanlan, Miss America 2011
    • 1993 – Tinashe, American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress
    • 1994 – Charlie Heaton, British actor and musician
    • 1995 – Leon Goretzka, German footballer
    • 1995 – Sam McQueen, English footballer

    Deaths on February 6

    • 743 – Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik, Umayyad caliph (b. 691)
    • 797 – Donnchad Midi, Irish king (b. 733)
    • 891 – Photios I of Constantinople (b. 810)
    • 1140 – Thurstan, Archbishop of York
    • 1155 – King Sigurd II of Norway (b. 1133)
    • 1215 – Hōjō Tokimasa, Japanese shikken of the Kamakura bakufu (b. 1138)
    • 1378 – Joanna of Bourbon (b. 1338)
    • 1411 – Esau de’ Buondelmonti, ruler of Epirus
    • 1497 – Johannes Ockeghem, Flemish composer and educator (b. 1410)
    • 1515 – Aldus Manutius, Italian publisher, founded the Aldine Press (b. 1449)
    • 1519 – Lorenz von Bibra, Prince-Bishop of the Bishopric of Würzburg (b. 1459)
    • 1539 – John III, Duke of Cleves (b. 1491)
    • 1585 – Edmund Plowden, English lawyer and scholar (b. 1518)
    • 1593 – Jacques Amyot, French author and translator (b. 1513)
    • 1593 – Emperor Ōgimachi of Japan (b. 1517)
    • 1597 – Franciscus Patricius, Italian philosopher and scientist (b. 1529)
    • 1612 – Christopher Clavius, German mathematician and astronomer (b. 1538)
    • 1617 – Prospero Alpini, Italian physician and botanist (b. 1553)
    • 1625 – Philipp Julius, Duke of Pomerania (b. 1584)
    • 1685 – Charles II of England (b. 1630)
    • 1695 – Ahmed II, Ottoman sultan (b. 1643)
    • 1740 – Pope Clement XII (b. 1652)
    • 1775 – William Dowdeswell, English politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (b. 1721)
    • 1783 – Capability Brown, English gardener and architect (b. 1716)
    • 1793 – Carlo Goldoni, Italian-French playwright (b. 1707)
    • 1804 – Joseph Priestley, English chemist and theologian (b. 1733)
    • 1807 – John Reid, Scottish general (b. 1721)
    • 1833 – Pierre André Latreille, French zoologist and entomologist (b. 1762)
    • 1834 – Richard Lemon Lander, English explorer (b. 1804)
    • 1865 – Isabella Beeton, English author of Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management (b. 1836)
    • 1899 – Alfred, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (b. 1874)
    • 1899 – Leo von Caprivi, German general and politician, Chancellor of Germany (b. 1831)
    • 1902 – John Colton, English-Australian politician, 13th Premier of South Australia (b. 1823)
    • 1916 – Rubén Darío, Nicaraguan poet, journalist, and diplomat (b. 1867)
    • 1918 – Gustav Klimt, Austrian painter and illustrator (b. 1862)
    • 1929 – Maria Christina of Austria (b. 1858)
    • 1931 – Motilal Nehru, Indian lawyer and politician, President of the Indian National Congress (b. 1861)
    • 1932 – John Earle, Australian politician, 22nd Premier of Tasmania (b. 1865)
    • 1938 – Marianne von Werefkin, Russian-Swiss painter (b. 1860)
    • 1942 – Jaan Soots, Estonian general and politician, 7th Estonian Minister of War (b. 1880)
    • 1951 – Gabby Street, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1882)
    • 1952 – George VI of the United Kingdom (b. 1895)
    • 1958 – victims of the Munich air disaster
      • – Geoff Bent, English footballer (b. 1932)
      • – Roger Byrne, English footballer (b. 1929)
      • – Eddie Colman, English footballer (b. 1936)
      • – Walter Crickmer, English footballer and manager (b. 1900)
      • – Mark Jones, English footballer (b. 1933)
      • – David Pegg, English footballer (b. 1935)
      • – Frank Swift, English footballer and journalist (b. 1913)
      • – Tommy Taylor, English footballer (b. 1932)
    • 1963 – Piero Manzoni, Italian painter and sculptor (b. 1933)
    • 1964 – Emilio Aguinaldo, Filipino general and politician, 1st President of the Philippines (b. 1869)
    • 1967 – Martine Carol, French actress (b. 1920)
    • 1972 – Julian Steward, American anthropologist (b. 1902)
    • 1976 – Ritwik Ghatak, Bangladeshi-Indian director and screenwriter (b. 1925)
    • 1976 – Vince Guaraldi, American singer-songwriter and pianist (b. 1928)
    • 1981 – Hugo Montenegro, American composer and conductor (b. 1925)
    • 1982 – Ben Nicholson, British painter (b. 1894)
    • 1985 – James Hadley Chase, English-Swiss soldier and author (b. 1906)
    • 1986 – Frederick Coutts, Scottish 8th General of The Salvation Army (b. 1899)
    • 1986 – Dandy Nichols, English actress (b. 1907)
    • 1986 – Minoru Yamasaki, American architect, designed the World Trade Center (b. 1912)
    • 1987 – Julien Chouinard, Canadian lawyer and jurist (b. 1929)
    • 1989 – Barbara W. Tuchman, American historian and author (b. 1912)
    • 1990 – Jimmy Van Heusen, American pianist and composer (b. 1913)
    • 1991 – Salvador Luria, Italian biologist and physician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1912)
    • 1991 – Danny Thomas, American actor, producer, and humanitarian (b. 1914)
    • 1993 – Arthur Ashe, American tennis player and sportscaster (b. 1943)
    • 1994 – Joseph Cotten, American actor (b. 1905)
    • 1994 – Jack Kirby, American author and illustrator (b. 1917)
    • 1995 – James Merrill, American poet and playwright (b. 1926)
    • 1998 – Falco, Austrian pop-rock musician (b. 1957)
    • 1999 – Don Dunstan, Australian lawyer and politician, 35th Premier of South Australia (b. 1926)
    • 1999 – Jimmy Roberts, American tenor (b. 1924)
    • 2000 – Phil Walters, American race car driver (b. 1916)
    • 2001 – Filemon Lagman, Filipino theoretician and activist (b. 1953)
    • 2002 – Max Perutz, Austrian-English biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1914)
    • 2004 – Gerald Bouey, Canadian lieutenant and economist (b. 1920)
    • 2005 – Karl Haas, German-American pianist, conductor, and radio host (b. 1913)
    • 2007 – Lew Burdette, American baseball player and coach (b. 1926)
    • 2007 – Frankie Laine, American singer-songwriter and actor (b. 1913)
    • 2007 – Willye White, American runner and long jumper (b. 1939)
    • 2008 – Tony Rolt, English race car driver and engineer (b. 1918)
    • 2009 – Philip Carey, American actor (b. 1925)
    • 2009 – James Whitmore, American actor (b. 1921)
    • 2011 – Gary Moore, Irish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (b. 1952)
    • 2012 – David Rosenhan, American psychologist and academic (b. 1929)
    • 2012 – Antoni Tàpies, Spanish painter and sculptor (b. 1923)
    • 2012 – Janice E. Voss, American engineer and astronaut (b. 1956)
    • 2013 – Chokri Belaid, Tunisian lawyer and politician (b. 1964)
    • 2013 – Menachem Elon, German-Israeli academic and jurist (b. 1923)
    • 2014 – Vasiľ Biľak, Slovak politician (b. 1917)
    • 2014 – Ralph Kiner, American baseball player and sportscaster (b. 1922)
    • 2014 – Maxine Kumin, American author and poet (b. 1925)
    • 2014 – Vaçe Zela, Albanian-Swiss singer and guitarist (b. 1939)
    • 2015 – André Brink, South African author and playwright (b. 1935)
    • 2015 – Alan Nunnelee, American lawyer and politician (b. 1958)
    • 2015 – Pedro León Zapata, Venezuelan cartoonist (b. 1929)
    • 2016 – Dan Gerson, American screenwriter (b. 1966)
    • 2016 – Dan Hicks, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1941)
    • 2017 – Irwin Corey, American comedian and actor (b. 1914)
    • 2017 – Inge Keller, German actress (b. 1923)
    • 2017 – Alec McCowen, English actor (b. 1925)
    • 2017 – Joost van der Westhuizen, South African rugby union footballer (b. 1971)

    Holidays and observances on February 6

    • Christian feast day:
      • Amand
      • Dorothea of Caesarea
      • Hildegund, O.Praem.
      • Jacut
      • Mateo Correa Magallanes (one of Saints of the Cristero War)
      • Mél of Ardagh
      • Paul Miki and Twenty-six Martyrs of Japan
      • Relindis (Renule) of Maaseik
      • Vedastus
      • February 6 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (United Nations)
    • Ronald Reagan Day (California, United States)
    • Sami National Day (Russia, Finland, Norway and Sweden)
    • Waitangi Day, celebrates the founding of New Zealand in 1840.

  • February 1 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 1327 – The teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Isabella and her lover Roger Mortimer.
    • 1411 – The First Peace of Thorn is signed in Thorn (Toruń), Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights (Prussia).
    • 1662 – The Chinese general Koxinga seizes the island of Taiwan after a nine-month siege.
    • 1713 – The Kalabalik or Skirmish at Bender results from the Ottoman sultan’s order that his unwelcome guest, King Charles XII of Sweden, be seized.
    • 1793 – French Revolutionary Wars: France declares war on the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
    • 1796 – The capital of Upper Canada is moved from Newark to York.
    • 1814 – Mayon in the Philippines erupts, killing around 1,200 people, the most devastating eruption of the volcano.
    • 1835 – Slavery is abolished in Mauritius.
    • 1861 – American Civil War: Texas secedes from the United States.
    • 1864 – Second Schleswig War: Prussian forces crossed the border into Schleswig, starting the war.
    • 1865 – President Abraham Lincoln signs the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
    • 1884 – The first volume (A to Ant) of the Oxford English Dictionary is published.
    • 1893 – Thomas A. Edison finishes construction of the first motion picture studio, the Black Maria in West Orange, New Jersey.
    • 1895 – Fountains Valley, Pretoria, the oldest nature reserve in Africa, is proclaimed by President Paul Kruger.
    • 1896 – La bohème premieres in Turin at the Teatro Regio (Turin), conducted by the young Arturo Toscanini.
    • 1897 – Shinhan Bank, the oldest bank in South Korea, opens in Seoul.
    • 1908 – Lisbon Regicide: King Carlos I of Portugal and Infante Luis Filipe are shot dead in Lisbon.
    • 1918 – Russia adopts the Gregorian calendar.
    • 1924 – Russia–United Kingdom relations are restored, over six years after the Communist revolution.
    • 1942 – World War II: Josef Terboven, Reichskommissar of German-occupied Norway, appoints Vidkun Quisling the Minister President of the National Government.
    • 1942 – World War II: U.S. Navy conducts Marshalls–Gilberts raids, the first offensive action by the United States against Japanese forces in the Pacific Theater.
    • 1942 – Voice of America, the official external radio and television service of the United States government, begins broadcasting with programs aimed at areas controlled by the Axis powers.
    • 1942 – Mao Zedong makes a speech on “Reform in Learning, the Party and Literature”, which puts into motion the Yan’an Rectification Movement.
    • 1946 – Trygve Lie of Norway is picked to be the first United Nations Secretary-General.
    • 1946 – The Parliament of Hungary abolishes the monarchy after nine centuries, and proclaims the Hungarian Republic.
    • 1960 – Four black students stage the first of the Greensboro sit-ins at a lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina.
    • 1964 – The Beatles have their first number one hit in the United States with “I Want to Hold Your Hand”.
    • 1968 – Vietnam War: The execution of Viet Cong officer Nguyễn Văn Lém by South Vietnamese National Police Chief Nguyễn Ngọc Loan is recorded on motion picture film, as well as in an iconic still photograph taken by Eddie Adams.
    • 1968 – Canada’s three military services, the Royal Canadian Navy, the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force, are unified into the Canadian Forces.
    • 1968 – The New York Central Railroad and the Pennsylvania Railroad are merged to form Penn Central Transportation.
    • 1972 – Kuala Lumpur becomes a city by a royal charter granted by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.
    • 1974 – A fire in the 25-story Joelma Building in São Paulo, Brazil kills 189 and injures 293.
    • 1979 – Iranian Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returns to Tehran after nearly 15 years of exile.
    • 1989 – The Western Australian towns of Kalgoorlie and Boulder amalgamate to form the City of Kalgoorlie–Boulder.
    • 1991 – A runway collision between USAir Flight 1493 and SkyWest Flight 5569 at Los Angeles International Airport results in the deaths of 34 people, and injuries to 30 others.
    • 1992 – The Chief Judicial Magistrate of Bhopal court declares Warren Anderson, ex-CEO of Union Carbide, a fugitive under Indian law for failing to appear in the Bhopal disaster case.
    • 1996 – The Communications Decency Act is passed by the U.S. Congress.
    • 1998 – Rear Admiral Lillian E. Fishburne becomes the first female African American to be promoted to rear admiral.
    • 2002 – Daniel Pearl, American journalist and South Asia Bureau Chief of the Wall Street Journal, kidnapped January 23, 2002, is beheaded and mutilated by his captors.
    • 2003 – Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during the reentry of mission STS-107 into the Earth’s atmosphere, killing all seven astronauts aboard.
    • 2004 – Hajj pilgrimage stampede: In a stampede at the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, 251 people are trampled to death and 244 injured.
    • 2005 – King Gyanendra of Nepal carries out a coup d’état to capture the democracy, becoming Chairman of the Councils of ministers.
    • 2009 – The first cabinet of Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir was formed in Iceland, making her the country’s first female prime minister and the world’s first openly gay head of government.
    • 2012 – Seventy-four people are killed and over 500 injured as a result of clashes between fans of Egyptian football teams Al Masry and Al Ahly in the city of Port Said.
    • 2013 – The Shard, the sixth-tallest building in Europe, is opened to the public.

    Births on February 1

    • 1261 – Walter de Stapledon, English bishop and politician, Lord High Treasurer (d. 1326)
    • 1435 – Amadeus IX, Duke of Savoy (d. 1472)
    • 1447 – Eberhard II, Duke of Württemberg (d. 1504)
    • 1459 – Conrad Celtes, German poet and scholar (d. 1508)
    • 1462 – Johannes Trithemius, German lexicographer, historian, and cryptographer (d. 1516)
    • 1552 – Edward Coke, English lawyer, judge, and politician, Attorney General for England and Wales (d. 1634)
    • 1561 – Henry Briggs, British mathematician (d. 1630)
    • 1635 – Marquard Gude, German archaeologist and scholar (d. 1689)
    • 1648 – Elkanah Settle, English poet and playwright (d. 1724)
    • 1659 – Jacob Roggeveen, Dutch explorer (d. 1729)
    • 1663 – Ignacia del Espíritu Santo, Filipino nun, founded the Religious of the Virgin Mary (d. 1748)
    • 1666 – Marie Thérèse de Bourbon, Princess of Conti and titular queen of Poland (d.1732)
    • 1687 – Johann Adam Birkenstock, German violinist and composer (d. 1733)
    • 1690 – Francesco Maria Veracini, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1768)
    • 1701 – Johan Agrell, Swedish-German pianist and composer (d. 1765)
    • 1761 – Christiaan Hendrik Persoon, South African-French mycologist and academic (d. 1836)
    • 1763 – Thomas Campbell, Irish minister and theologian (d. 1854)
    • 1796 – Abraham Emanuel Fröhlich, Swiss minister, poet, and educator (d. 1865)
    • 1801 – Émile Littré, French lexicographer and philosopher (d. 1881)
    • 1820 – George Hendric Houghton, American clergyman and theologian (d. 1897)
    • 1836 – Emil Hartmann, Danish organist and composer (d. 1898)
    • 1844 – G. Stanley Hall, American psychologist and academic (d. 1924)
    • 1851 – Durham Stevens, American lawyer and diplomat (d. 1908)
    • 1858 – Ignacio Bonillas, Mexican diplomat (d. 1942)
    • 1859 – Victor Herbert, Irish-American cellist, composer, and conductor (d. 1924)
    • 1866 – Agda Meyerson, Swedish nurse and healthcare activist (d. 1924)
    • 1868 – Ștefan Luchian, Romanian painter and illustrator (d. 1917)
    • 1870 – Erik Adolf von Willebrand, Finnish physician (d. 1949)
    • 1872 – Clara Butt, English opera singer (d. 1936)
    • 1872 – Jerome F. Donovan, American lawyer and politician (d. 1949)
    • 1873 – John Barry, Irish soldier, Victoria Cross recipient (d. 1901)
    • 1874 – Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Austrian author, poet, and playwright (d. 1929)
    • 1878 – Alfréd Hajós, Hungarian swimmer and architect, designed the Grand Hotel Aranybika (d. 1955)
    • 1878 – Milan Hodža, Slovak journalist and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia (d. 1944)
    • 1881 – Tip Snooke, South African cricketer (d. 1966)
    • 1882 – Louis St. Laurent, Canadian lawyer and politician, 12th Prime Minister of Canada (d. 1973)
    • 1884 – Bradbury Robinson, American football player and physician (d. 1949)
    • 1884 – Yevgeny Zamyatin, Russian journalist and author (d. 1937)
    • 1887 – Charles Nordhoff, English-American lieutenant, pilot, and author (d. 1947)
    • 1890 – Nikolai Reek, Estonian general and politician, 11th Estonian Minister of War (d. 1942)
    • 1894 – John Ford, American director and producer (d. 1973)
    • 1894 – James P. Johnson, American pianist and composer (d. 1955)
    • 1895 – Conn Smythe, Canadian businessman (d. 1980)
    • 1897 – Denise Robins, English journalist and author (d. 1985)
    • 1898 – Leila Denmark, American pediatrician and author (d. 2012)
    • 1901 – Frank Buckles, American soldier (d. 2011)
    • 1901 – Clark Gable, American actor (d. 1960)
    • 1902 – Therese Brandl, German concentration camp guard (d. 1947)
    • 1902 – Langston Hughes, American poet, social activist, novelist, and playwright (d. 1967)
    • 1904 – S.J. Perelman, American humorist and screenwriter (d. 1979)
    • 1905 – Emilio G. Segrè, Italian-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1989)
    • 1906 – Adetokunbo Ademola, Nigerian lawyer and jurist, 2nd Chief Justice of Nigeria (d. 1993)
    • 1907 – Günter Eich, German author and songwriter (d. 1972)
    • 1907 – Camargo Guarnieri, Brazilian pianist and composer (d. 1993)
    • 1908 – George Pal, Hungarian-American animator and producer (d. 1980)
    • 1908 – Louis Rasminsky, Canadian economist and banker (d. 1998)
    • 1909 – George Beverly Shea, Canadian-American singer-songwriter (d. 2013)
    • 1910 – Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme, Chinese general and politician (d. 2009)
    • 1915 – Stanley Matthews, English footballer and manager (d. 2000)
    • 1917 – José Luis Sampedro, Spanish economist and author (d. 2013)
    • 1917 – Eiji Sawamura, Japanese baseball player and soldier (d. 1944)
    • 1918 – Muriel Spark, Scottish playwright and poet (d. 2006)
    • 1918 – Ignacy Tokarczuk, Polish archbishop (d. 2012)
    • 1920 – Mike Scarry, American football player and coach (d. 2012)
    • 1920 – Zao Wou-Ki, Chinese-French painter (d. 2013)
    • 1921 – Teresa Mattei, Italian feminist partisan and politician (d. 2013)
    • 1921 – Peter Sallis, English actor (d. 2017)
    • 1921 – Patricia Robins, British writer and WAAF officer (d. 2016).
    • 1922 – Renata Tebaldi, Italian soprano and actress (d. 2004)
    • 1923 – Ben Weider, Canadian businessman, co-founded the International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness (d. 2008)
    • 1924 – Richard Hooker, American novelist (d. 1997)
    • 1924 – Emmanuel Scheffer, German-Israeli footballer, coach, and manager (d. 2012)
    • 1927 – Galway Kinnell, American poet and academic (d. 2014)
    • 1928 – Sam Edwards, Welsh physicist and academic (d. 2015)
    • 1928 – Tom Lantos, Hungarian-American academic and politician (d. 2008)
    • 1930 – Shahabuddin Ahmed, Bangladeshi judge and politician, 12th President of Bangladesh
    • 1930 – Hussain Muhammad Ershad, Indian-Bangladeshi general and politician, 10th President of Bangladesh (d. 2019)
    • 1931 – Boris Yeltsin, Russian politician, 1st President of Russia (d. 2007)
    • 1932 – Hassan Al-Turabi, Sudanese activist and politician (d. 2016)
    • 1934 – Nicolae Breban, Romanian author, poet, and playwright
    • 1936 – Tuncel Kurtiz, Turkish actor, playwright, and director (d. 2013)
    • 1936 – Azie Taylor Morton, American educator and politician, 36th Treasurer of the United States (d. 2003)
    • 1937 – Don Everly, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1937 – Garrett Morris, American actor and comedian
    • 1938 – Jimmy Carl Black, American drummer and singer (d. 2008)
    • 1938 – Jacky Cupit, American golfer
    • 1938 – Sherman Hemsley, American actor and singer (d. 2012)
    • 1939 – Fritjof Capra, Austrian physicist, author, and academic
    • 1939 – Claude François, Egyptian-French singer-songwriter and dancer (d. 1978)
    • 1939 – Paul Gillmor, American lawyer and politician (d. 2007)
    • 1939 – Ekaterina Maximova, Russian ballerina (d. 2009)
    • 1939 – Joe Sample, American pianist and composer (d. 2014)
    • 1941 – Jerry Spinelli, American author
    • 1942 – Bibi Besch, Austrian-American actress (d. 1996)
    • 1942 – Terry Jones, Welsh actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2020)
    • 1942 – David Sincock, Australian cricketer
    • 1944 – Petru Popescu, Romanian-American director, producer, and author
    • 1944 – Burkhard Ziese, German footballer and manager (d. 2010)
    • 1945 – Serge Joyal, Canadian lawyer and politician, 50th Secretary of State for Canada
    • 1945 – Ferruccio Mazzola, Italian footballer and manager (d. 2013)
    • 1945 – Mary Jane Reoch, American cyclist (d. 1993)
    • 1946 – Elisabeth Sladen, English actress (d. 2011)
    • 1946 – Karen Krantzcke, Australian tennis player (d. 1977)
    • 1947 – Adam Ingram, Scottish computer programmer and politician, Minister of State for the Armed Forces
    • 1947 – Normie Rowe, Australian singer-songwriter and actor
    • 1947 – Jessica Savitch, American journalist (d. 1983)
    • 1948 – Rick James, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2004)
    • 1950 – Mike Campbell, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer
    • 1950 – Ali Haydar Konca, Turkish politician, 4th Turkish Minister of European Union Affairs
    • 1950 – Rich Williams, American guitarist and songwriter
    • 1951 – Sonny Landreth, American guitarist and songwriter
    • 1952 – Owoye Andrew Azazi, Nigerian general (d. 2012)
    • 1954 – Chuck Dukowski, American singer-songwriter and bass player
    • 1956 – Exene Cervenka, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1957 – Mohammed Jamal Khalifa, Saudi Arabian businessman (d. 2007)
    • 1957 – Gilbert Hernandez, American author and illustrator
    • 1958 – Luther Blissett, Jamaican-English footballer and manager
    • 1958 – Eleanor Laing, Scottish lawyer and politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland
    • 1961 – Volker Fried, German field hockey player and coach
    • 1961 – Daniel M. Tani, American engineer and astronaut
    • 1961 – Kaduvetti Guru, Indian politician (d. 2018)
    • 1962 – José Luis Cuciuffo, Argentinian footballer (d. 2004)
    • 1962 – Tomoyasu Hotei, Japanese singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1962 – Takashi Murakami, Japanese painter and sculptor
    • 1964 – Jani Lane, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2011)
    • 1964 – Mario Pelchat, Canadian singer-songwriter
    • 1964 – Linus Roache, English actor
    • 1965 – Stéphanie of Monaco, designer, singer and princess
    • 1965 – Brandon Lee, American actor and martial artist (d. 1993)
    • 1965 – Sherilyn Fenn, American actress
    • 1966 – Michelle Akers, American soccer player
    • 1967 – Meg Cabot, American author and screenwriter
    • 1968 – Lisa Marie Presley, American singer-songwriter and actress
    • 1968 – Mark Recchi, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1969 – Gabriel Batistuta, Argentinian footballer
    • 1969 – Andrew Breitbart, American journalist, author, and publisher (d. 2012)
    • 1969 – Brian Krause, American actor and screenwriter
    • 1969 – Franklyn Rose, Jamaican cricketer
    • 1969 – Patrick Wilson, American drummer
    • 1970 – Yasuyuki Kazama, Japanese racing driver
    • 1970 – Malik Sealy, American basketball player and actor (d. 2000)
    • 1971 – Harald Brattbakk, Norwegian footballer and pilot
    • 1971 – Michael C. Hall, American actor and producer
    • 1972 – Christian Ziege, German footballer
    • 1973 – Andrew DeClercq, American basketball player and coach
    • 1973 – Óscar Pérez Rojas, Mexican footballer
    • 1974 – Walter McCarty, American basketball player and coach
    • 1975 – Martijn Reuser, Dutch footballer
    • 1976 – Phil Ivey, American poker player
    • 1976 – Mat Rogers, Australian rugby player
    • 1977 – Lari Ketner, American basketball player (d. 2014)
    • 1977 – Robert Traylor, American basketball player (d. 2011)
    • 1978 – Tim Harding, Australian singer and actor
    • 1978 – K’naan, Somali-Canadian hip-hop artist
    • 1979 – Valentín Elizalde, Mexican singer-songwriter (d. 2006)
    • 1979 – Jason Isbell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1979 – Juan Silveira dos Santos, Brazilian footballer
    • 1980 – Héctor Luna, Dominican baseball player
    • 1980 – Moisés Muñoz, Mexican footballer
    • 1980 – Otilino Tenorio, Ecuadorian footballer (d. 2005)
    • 1981 – Hins Cheung, Hong Kong singer-songwriter
    • 1981 – Christian Giménez, Argentinian footballer
    • 1981 – Graeme Smith, South African cricketer
    • 1982 – Gavin Henson, Welsh rugby player
    • 1982 – Shoaib Malik, Pakistani cricketer
    • 1983 – Heather DeLoach, American actress
    • 1983 – Kevin Martin, American basketball player
    • 1983 – Jurgen Van den Broeck, Belgian cyclist
    • 1984 – Darren Fletcher, Scottish footballer
    • 1985 – Dean Shiels, Irish footballer
    • 1986 – Jorrit Bergsma, Dutch speed skater
    • 1986 – Lauren Conrad, American fashion designer and author
    • 1987 – Sebastian Boenisch, Polish footballer
    • 1987 – Moises Henriques, Portuguese-Australian cricketer
    • 1987 – Austin Jackson, American baseball player
    • 1987 – Ronda Rousey, American mixed martial artist and actress
    • 1987 – Giuseppe Rossi, Italian footballer
    • 1988 – Brett Anderson, American baseball player
    • 1989 – Ricky Pinheiro, Portuguese footballer
    • 1991 – Kyle Palmieri, American hockey player
    • 1993 – Diego Mella, Italian footballer
    • 1994 – Joe Boyce, Australian rugby league player
    • 1994 – Harry Styles, English singer-songwriter

    Deaths on February 1

    • 583 – Kan B’alam I, ruler of Palenque (b. 524)
    • 772 – Pope Stephen III (b. 720)
    • 850 – Ramiro I, king of Asturias
    • 992 – Jawhar as-Siqilli, Fatimid statesman
    • 1222 – Alexios Megas Komnenos, first Emperor of Trebizond
    • 1248 – Henry II, Duke of Brabant (b. 1207)
    • 1328 – Charles IV of France (b. 1294)
    • 1501 – Sigismund of Bavaria (b. 1439)
    • 1542 – Girolamo Aleandro, Italian cardinal (b. 1480)
    • 1563 – Menas of Ethiopia
    • 1590 – Lawrence Humphrey, English theologian and academic (b. 1527)
    • 1691 – Pope Alexander VIII (b. 1610)
    • 1718 – Charles Talbot, 1st Duke of Shrewsbury, English politician, Lord High Treasurer (b. 1660)
    • 1733 – Augustus II the Strong, Polish king (b. 1670)
    • 1734 – John Floyer, English physician and author (b. 1649)
    • 1743 – Giuseppe Ottavio Pitoni, Italian organist and composer (b. 1657)
    • 1750 – Bakar of Georgia (b. 1699)
    • 1761 – Pierre François Xavier de Charlevoix, French priest and historian (b. 1682)
    • 1768 – Sir Robert Rich, 4th Baronet, English field marshal and politician (b. 1685)
    • 1793 – William Barrington, 2nd Viscount Barrington, English politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (b. 1717)
    • 1832 – Archibald Murphey, American judge and politician (b. 1777)
    • 1851 – Mary Shelley, English novelist and playwright (b. 1797)
    • 1871 – Alexander Serov, Russian composer and critic (b. 1820)
    • 1893 – George Henry Sanderson, American lawyer and politician, 22nd Mayor of San Francisco (b. 1824)
    • 1897 – Constantin von Ettingshausen, Austrian geologist and botanist (b. 1826)
    • 1903 – Sir George Stokes, Anglo-Irish physicist, mathematician, and politician (b. 1819)
    • 1907 – Léon Serpollet, French businessman (b. 1858)
    • 1908 – Carlos I of Portugal (b. 1863)
    • 1922 – William Desmond Taylor, American actor and director (b. 1872)
    • 1924 – Maurice Prendergast, American painter (b. 1858)
    • 1928 – Hughie Jennings, American baseball player and manager (b. 1869)
    • 1936 – Georgios Kondylis, Greek general and politician, 128th Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1878)
    • 1940 – Philip Francis Nowlan, American author, created Buck Rogers (b. 1888)
    • 1940 – Zacharias Papantoniou, Greek journalist and critic (b. 1877)
    • 1944 – Piet Mondrian, Dutch-American painter (b. 1872)
    • 1949 – Nicolae Dumitru Cocea, Romanian journalist, author, and activist (b. 1880)
    • 1949 – Herbert Stothart, American conductor and composer (b. 1885)
    • 1957 – Friedrich Paulus, German general (b. 1890)
    • 1958 – Clinton Davisson, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1888)
    • 1959 – Madame Sul-Te-Wan, American actress (b. 1873)
    • 1966 – Hedda Hopper, American actress and journalist (b. 1885)
    • 1966 – Buster Keaton, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1895)
    • 1968 – Echol Cole and Robert Walker – sparking the Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike
    • 1970 – Alfréd Rényi, Hungarian mathematician and academic (b. 1921)
    • 1976 – Werner Heisenberg, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1901)
    • 1976 – George Whipple, American physician and pathologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1878)
    • 1979 – Abdi İpekçi, Turkish journalist and activist (b. 1929)
    • 1981 – Donald Wills Douglas, Sr., American engineer and businessman, founded the Douglas Aircraft Company (b. 1892)
    • 1981 – Geirr Tveitt, Norwegian pianist and composer (b. 1908)
    • 1986 – Alva Myrdal, Swedish sociologist and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1902)
    • 1987 – Alessandro Blasetti, Italian director and screenwriter (b. 1900)
    • 1989 – Elaine de Kooning, American painter and academic (b. 1918)
    • 1992 – Jean Hamburger, French physician and surgeon (b. 1909)
    • 1996 – Ray Crawford, American race car driver, pilot, and businessman (b. 1915)
    • 1997 – Herb Caen, American journalist and author (b. 1916)
    • 1999 – Paul Mellon, American art collector and philanthropist (b. 1907)
    • 2001 – André D’Allemagne, Canadian political scientist and academic (b. 1929)
    • 2002 – Aykut Barka, Turkish geologist and academic (b. 1951)
    • 2002 – Hildegard Knef, German actress and singer (b. 1925)
    • 2003 – Space Shuttle Columbia crew
      • Michael P. Anderson, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1959)
      • David M. Brown, American captain, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1956)
      • Kalpana Chawla, Indian-American engineer and astronaut (b. 1961)
      • Laurel Clark, American captain, surgeon, and astronaut (b. 1961)
      • Rick Husband, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1957)
      • William C. McCool, American commander, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1961)
      • Ilan Ramon, Israeli colonel, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1954)
    • 2003 – Mongo Santamaría, Cuban-American drummer and bandleader (b. 1922)
    • 2004 – Suha Arın, Turkish director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1942)
    • 2005 – John Vernon, Canadian-American actor (b. 1932)
    • 2007 – Gian Carlo Menotti, Italian-American playwright and composer (b. 1911)
    • 2008 – Beto Carrero, Brazilian actor and businessman (b. 1937)
    • 2012 – Don Cornelius, American television host and producer (b. 1936)
    • 2012 – Wisława Szymborska, Polish poet and translator, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1923)
    • 2013 – Helene Hale, American politician (b. 1918)
    • 2013 – Ed Koch, American lawyer, judge, and politician, 105th Mayor of New York City (b. 1924)
    • 2013 – Shanu Lahiri, Indian painter and educator (b. 1928)
    • 2013 – Cecil Womack, American singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1947)
    • 2014 – Luis Aragonés, Spanish footballer and manager (b. 1938)
    • 2014 – Vasily Petrov, Russian marshal (b. 1917)
    • 2014 – Rene Ricard, American poet, painter, and critic (b. 1946)
    • 2014 – Maximilian Schell, Austrian-Swiss actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1930)
    • 2015 – Aldo Ciccolini, Italian-French pianist (b. 1925)
    • 2015 – Udo Lattek, German footballer, manager, and sportscaster (b. 1935)
    • 2015 – Monty Oum, American animator, director, and screenwriter (b. 1981)
    • 2016 – Óscar Humberto Mejía Victores, Guatemalan general and politician, 27th President of Guatemala (b. 1930)
    • 2017 – Desmond Carrington, British actor and broadcaster (b. 1926)
    • 2018 – Barys Kit, Belarusian rocket scientist (b. 1910)
    • 2018 – Mowzey Radio, Ugandan singer and songwriter (b. 1985)
    • 2019 – Jeremy Hardy, English comedian, radio host and panelist (b. 1961)
    • 2019 – Clive Swift, English actor (b. 1936)
    • 2019 – Wade Wilson, American football player and coach (b. 1959)

    Holidays and observances on February 1

    • Abolition of Slavery Day (Mauritius)
    • Air Force Day (Nicaragua)
    • Christian feast day:
      • Astina (Syrian Church)
      • Blessed Candelaria of San José
      • Brigid, patron saint of Ireland (Saint Brigid’s Day)
      • Verdiana
      • February 1 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Earliest day on which Constitution Day can fall, while February 7 is the latest; celebrated on the first Monday in February. (Mexico)
    • Federal Territory Day (Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya, Malaysia)
    • Heroes Day (Rwanda)
    • Imbolc (Ireland, Scotland, Isle of Man, and some Neopagan groups in the Northern hemisphere)
    • Memorial Day of the Republic (Hungary)
    • National Freedom Day (United States)
    • The start of Black History Month (United States and Canada)

  • January 5 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 1477 – Battle of Nancy: Charles the Bold is defeated and killed in a conflict with René II, Duke of Lorraine; the Burgundy subsequently becomes part of France.
    • 1675 – Battle of Colmar: The French army beats Brandenburg.
    • 1757 – Louis XV of France survives an assassination attempt by Robert-François Damiens, the last person to be executed in France by drawing and quartering, the traditional and gruesome form of capital punishment used for regicides.
    • 1781 – American Revolutionary War: Richmond, Virginia, is burned by British naval forces led by Benedict Arnold.
    • 1875 – The Palais Garnier, one of the most famous opera houses in the world, is inaugurated in Paris.
    • 1895 – Dreyfus affair: French army officer Alfred Dreyfus is stripped of his rank and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil’s Island.
    • 1911 – Kappa Alpha Psi, the world’s third oldest and largest black fraternity, is founded at Indiana University.
    • 1912 – The 6th All-Russian Conference of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (Prague Party Conference) opens. In the course of the conference, Vladimir Lenin and his supporters break from the rest of the party to form the Bolshevik movement.
    • 1913 – First Balkan War: The Battle of Lemnos begins; Greek admiral Pavlos Kountouriotis forces the Turkish fleet to retreat to its base within the Dardanelles, from which it did not venture for the rest of the war.
    • 1914 – The Ford Motor Company announces an eight-hour workday and minimum daily wage of $5 in salary plus bonuses.
    • 1919 – The German Workers’ Party, which would become the Nazi Party, is founded in Munich.
    • 1925 – Nellie Tayloe Ross of Wyoming becomes the first female governor in the United States.
    • 1933 – Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge begins in San Francisco Bay.
    • 1941 – 37-year-old pilot Amy Johnson, the first woman to fly solo from London to Australia, disappears after bailing out of her plane over the River Thames, and is presumed dead.
    • 1944 – The Daily Mail becomes the first major London newspaper to be published on both sides of the Atlantic.
    • 1945 – The Soviet Union recognizes the new pro-Soviet Provisional Government of the Republic of Poland.
    • 1949 – In his “State of the Union” address, United States President Harry S. Truman unveils his Fair Deal program.
    • 1950 – In the Sverdlovsk air disaster, all 19 of those on board are killed, including almost the entire national ice hockey team (VVS Moscow) of the Soviet Air Force – 11 players, as well as a team doctor and a masseur.
    • 1953 – The play Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett receives its première in Paris.
    • 1957 – In a speech given to the United States Congress, United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces the establishment of what will later be called the Eisenhower Doctrine
    • 1968 – Alexander Dubček comes to power in Czechoslovakia, effectively beginning the “Prague Spring”
    • 1969 – The Venera 5 space probe is launched at 06:28:08 UTCfrom Baikonur.
    • 1970 – The 7.1 Mw  Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme). Between 10,000 and 15,000 people are known to have been killed and about another 26,000 are injured.
    • 1974 – The warmest reliably measured temperature within the Antarctic Circle, of +59 °F (+15 °C), is recorded at Vanda Station.
    • 1975 – The Tasman Bridge in Tasmania, Australia, is struck by the bulk ore carrier Lake Illawarra, killing twelve people.
    • 1976 – The Khmer Rouge proclaim the Constitution of Democratic Kampuchea.
    • 1976 – The Troubles: Gunmen shoot dead ten Protestant civilians after stopping their minibus at Kingsmill in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, UK, allegedly as retaliation for a string of attacks on Catholic civilians in the area by Loyalists, particularly the killing of six Catholics the night before.
    • 1991 – Georgian forces enter Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia, Georgia, opening the 1991–92 South Ossetia War.
    • 1991 – Somali Civil War: The United States Embassy to Somalia in Mogadishu is evacuated by helicopter airlift days after the outbreak of violence in Mogadishu.
    • 1993 – The oil tanker MV Braer runs aground on the coast of the Shetland Islands, spilling 84,700 tons of crude oil.
    • 2014 – A launch of the communication satellite GSAT-14 aboard the GSLV MK.II D5 marks the first successful flight of an Indian cryogenic engine.

    Births on January 5

    • 1209 – Richard, 1st Earl of Cornwall, English prince, nominal King of Germany (d. 1272)
    • 1530 – Gaspar de Bono, monk of the Order of the Minims (d. 1571)
    • 1548 – Francisco Suárez, Spanish priest, philosopher, and theologian (d. 1617)
    • 1587 – Xu Xiake, Chinese geographer and explorer (d. 1641)
    • 1592 – Shah Jahan, Mughal emperor (d. 1666)
    • 1620 – Miklós Zrínyi, Croatian military commander (d. 1664)
    • 1640 – Paolo Lorenzani, Italian composer (d. 1713)
    • 1735 – Claude Martin, French-English general and explorer (d. 1800)
    • 1767 – Jean-Baptiste Say, French economist and academic (d. 1832)
    • 1779 – Stephen Decatur, American commander (d. 1820)
    • 1779 – Zebulon Pike, American general and explorer (d. 1813)
    • 1781 – Gaspar Flores de Abrego, three terms mayor of San Antonio, in Spanish Texas (d. 1836)
    • 1793 – Harvey Putnam, American lawyer and politician (d. 1855)
    • 1808 – Anton Füster, Austrian priest and activist (d. 1881)
    • 1834 – William John Wills, English surgeon and explorer (d. 1861)
    • 1838 – Camille Jordan, French mathematician and academic (d. 1922)
    • 1846 – Rudolf Christoph Eucken, German philosopher and author, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1926)
    • 1846 – Mariam Baouardy, Syrian Roman Catholic nun; later canonized (d. 1878)
    • 1855 – King Camp Gillette, American businessman, founded the Gillette Company (d. 1932)
    • 1864 – Bob Caruthers, American baseball player and manager (d. 1911)
    • 1867 – Dimitrios Gounaris, Greek lawyer and politician, 94th Prime Minister of Greece (d. 1922)
    • 1871 – Frederick Converse, American composer and academic (d. 1940)
    • 1874 – Joseph Erlanger, American physiologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1965)
    • 1876 – Konrad Adenauer, German lawyer and politician, Chancellor of West Germany (d. 1967)
    • 1879 – Hans Eppinger, Austrian physician and academic (d. 1946)
    • 1880 – Nikolai Medtner, Russian pianist and composer (d. 1951)
    • 1881 – Pablo Gargallo, Spanish sculptor and painter (d. 1934)
    • 1882 – Herbert Bayard Swope, American journalist (d. 1958)
    • 1885 – Humbert Wolfe, Italian-English poet and civil servant (d. 1940)
    • 1886 – Markus Reiner, Israeli physicist and engineer (d. 1976)
    • 1892 – Agnes von Kurowsky, American nurse (d. 1984)
    • 1893 – Paramahansa Yogananda, Indian-American guru and philosopher (d. 1952)
    • 1897 – Kiyoshi Miki, Japanese philosopher and author (d. 1945)
    • 1900 – Yves Tanguy, French-American painter (d. 1955)
    • 1902 – Hubert Beuve-Méry, French journalist (d. 1989)
    • 1902 – Stella Gibbons, English journalist and author (d. 1989)
    • 1903 – Harold Gatty, Australian pilot and navigator (d. 1957)
    • 1904 – Jeane Dixon, American astrologer and psychic (d. 1997)
    • 1904 – Erika Morini, Austrian violinist (d. 1995)
    • 1906 – Kathleen Kenyon, English archaeologist and academic (d. 1978)
    • 1907 – Volmari Iso-Hollo, Finnish athlete (d. 1969)
    • 1908 – George Dolenz, Italian-American actor (d. 1963)
    • 1909 – Lucienne Bloch, Swiss-American sculptor, painter, and photographer (d. 1995)
    • 1909 – Stephen Cole Kleene, American mathematician and computer scientist (d. 1994)
    • 1910 – Jack Lovelock, New Zealand runner and journalist (d. 1949)
    • 1911 – Jean-Pierre Aumont, French actor and screenwriter (d. 2001)
    • 1914 – Nicolas de Staël, Russian-French painter and illustrator (d. 1955)
    • 1914 – George Reeves, American actor and director (d. 1959)
    • 1915 – Arthur H. Robinson, Canadian geographer and cartographer (d. 2004)
    • 1917 – Francis L. Kellogg, American businessman and diplomat (d. 2006)
    • 1917 – Wieland Wagner, German director and producer (d. 1966)
    • 1917 – Jane Wyman, American actress (d. 2007)
    • 1919 – Hector Abhayavardhana, Sri Lankan theorist and politician (d. 2012)
    • 1919 – Severino Gazzelloni, Italian flute player (d. 1992)
    • 1920 – Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Italian pianist and educator (d. 1995)
    • 1921 – Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Swiss author and playwright (d. 1990)
    • 1921 – Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Luxembourgish soldier and aristocrat (d. 2019)
    • 1921 – John H. Reed, American politician and diplomat, 67th Governor of Maine (d. 2012)
    • 1922 – Anthony Synnot, Australian admiral (d. 2001)
    • 1923 – Sam Phillips, American radio host and producer, founded Sun Records (d. 2003)
    • 1926 – Veikko Karvonen, Finnish runner (d. 2007)
    • 1926 – W. D. Snodgrass, American poet (d. 2009)
    • 1926 – Hosea Williams, American businessman and activist (d. 2000)
    • 1927 – Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, American guru and author, founded Iraivan Temple (d. 2001)
    • 1928 – Imtiaz Ahmed, Pakistani cricketer (d. 2016)
    • 1928 – Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Pakistani lawyer and politician, 4th President of Pakistan (d. 1979)
    • 1928 – Walter Mondale, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 42nd Vice President of the United States
    • 1929 – Aulis Rytkönen, Finnish footballer and manager (d. 2014)
    • 1931 – Alvin Ailey, American dancer and choreographer, founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (d. 1989)
    • 1931 – Alfred Brendel, Austrian pianist, poet, and author
    • 1931 – Robert Duvall, American actor and director
    • 1932 – Umberto Eco, Italian novelist, literary critic, and philosopher (d. 2016)
    • 1932 – Chuck Noll, American football player and coach (d. 2014)
    • 1934 – Phil Ramone, South African-American songwriter and producer, co-founded A & R Recording (d. 2013)
    • 1934 – Murli Manohar Joshi, Indian politician
    • 1936 – Florence King, American journalist and memoirist (d. 2016)
    • 1938 – Juan Carlos I of Spain
    • 1938 – Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, Kenyan author and playwright
    • 1939 – M. E. H. Maharoof, Sri Lankan politician (d. 1997)
    • 1940 – Athol Guy, Australian singer-songwriter and bassist
    • 1941 – Bob Cunis, New Zealand cricketer (d. 2008)
    • 1941 – Chuck McKinley, American tennis player (d. 1986)
    • 1941 – Hayao Miyazaki, Japanese animator, director, and screenwriter
    • 1941 – Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, Indian cricketer and coach (d. 2011)
    • 1942 – Maurizio Pollini, Italian pianist and conductor
    • 1942 – Charlie Rose, American journalist and talk show host
    • 1943 – Mary Gaudron, Australian lawyer and judge
    • 1943 – Murtaz Khurtsilava, Georgian footballer and manager
    • 1944 – Ed Rendell, American politician, 45th Governor of Pennsylvania
    • 1946 – Diane Keaton, American actress, director, and businesswoman
    • 1947 – Mike DeWine, American lawyer and politician, 70th Governor of Ohio
    • 1950 – Ioan P. Culianu, Romanian historian, philosopher, and author (d. 1991)
    • 1950 – Peter Goldsmith, Baron Goldsmith, English lawyer and politician, Attorney General for England and Wales
    • 1950 – John Manley, Canadian lawyer and politician, 8th Deputy Prime Minister of Canada
    • 1950 – Chris Stein, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer
    • 1952 – Uli Hoeneß, German footballer and manager
    • 1953 – Pamela Sue Martin, American actress
    • 1953 – Mike Rann, English-Australian journalist and politician, 44th Premier of South Australia
    • 1953 – George Tenet, American civil servant and academic, 18th Director of Central Intelligence
    • 1954 – Alex English, American basketball player and coach
    • 1954 – László Krasznahorkai, Hungarian author and screenwriter
    • 1955 – Mamata Banerjee, Indian lawyer and politician, Chief Minister of West Bengal
    • 1956 – Frank-Walter Steinmeier, German academic and politician, 14th Vice-Chancellor of Germany
    • 1958 – Ron Kittle, American baseball player and manager
    • 1959 – Nancy Delahunt, Canadian curler
    • 1960 – Glenn Strömberg, Swedish footballer and sportscaster
    • 1961 – Iris DeMent, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1962 – Suzy Amis, American actress and model
    • 1962 – Danny Jackson, American baseball player and manager
    • 1963 – Jeff Fassero, American baseball player and coach
    • 1965 – Vinnie Jones, English/Welsh footballer and actor
    • 1965 – Patrik Sjöberg, Swedish high jumper
    • 1968 – Carrie Ann Inaba, American actress, dancer, and choreographer
    • 1968 – Joé Juneau, Canadian ice hockey player and engineer
    • 1969 – Marilyn Manson, American singer-songwriter, actor, and director
    • 1969 – Shaun Micheel, American golfer
    • 1971 – Stian Carstensen, Norwegian multi-instrumentalist and composer
    • 1972 – Sakis Rouvas, Greek singer-songwriter, producer, and actor
    • 1973 – Uday Chopra, Bollywood actor and filmmaker
    • 1974 – Iwan Thomas, Welsh sprinter and coach
    • 1975 – Bradley Cooper, American actor and producer
    • 1975 – Warrick Dunn, American football player
    • 1975 – Mike Grier, American ice hockey player and scout
    • 1976 – Diego Tristán, Spanish footballer
    • 1978 – January Jones, American actress
    • 1979 – Kyle Calder, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1979 – Giuseppe Gibilisco, Italian pole vaulter
    • 1981 – Deadmau5 (Joel Thomas Zimmerman), Canadian musician
    • 1982 – Janica Kostelić, Croatian skier
    • 1984 – Derrick Atkins, Bahamian sprinter
    • 1985 – Diego Vera, Uruguayan footballer
    • 1986 – Deepika Padukone, Indian actress
    • 1988 – Azizulhasni Awang, Malaysian track cyclist
    • 1988 – Luke Daniels, English footballer
    • 1989 – Krisztián Németh, Hungarian footballer
    • 1990 – Mark Nicholls, Australian rugby league player

    Deaths on January 5

    • 842 – Al-Mu’tasim, Abbasid caliph (b. 796)
    • 941 – Zhang Yanhan, Chinese chancellor (b. 884)
    • 1066 – Edward the Confessor, English king (b. 1004)
    • 1173 – Bolesław IV the Curly, High Duke of Poland (b. 1120)
    • 1382 – Philippa Plantagenet, Countess of Ulster (b. 1355)
    • 1400 – John Montacute, 3rd Earl of Salisbury, English politician (b. 1350)
    • 1430 – Philippa of England, Queen of Denmark, Norway and Sweden (b. 1394)
    • 1477 – Charles, Duke of Burgundy (b. 1433)
    • 1524 – Marko Marulić, Croatian poet (b. 1450)
    • 1527 – Felix Manz, Swiss martyr (b. 1498)
    • 1578 – Giulio Clovio, Dalmatian painter (b. 1498)
    • 1580 – Anna Sibylle of Hanau-Lichtenberg, German noblewoman (b. 1542)
    • 1589 – Catherine de’ Medici, queen of Henry II of France (b. 1519)
    • 1713 – Jean Chardin, French explorer and author (b. 1643)
    • 1740 – Antonio Lotti, Italian composer and educator (b. 1667)
    • 1762 – Empress Elizabeth of Russia (b. 1709)
    • 1771 – John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford, English politician, Secretary of State for the Southern Department (b. 1710)
    • 1796 – Samuel Huntington, American jurist and politician, 18th Governor of Connecticut (b. 1731)
    • 1823 – George Johnston, Scottish-Australian colonel and politician, Lieutenant Governor of New South Wales (b. 1764)
    • 1845 – Robert Smirke, English painter and illustrator (b. 1753)
    • 1846 – Alfred Thomas Agate, American painter and illustrator (b. 1812)
    • 1858 – Joseph Radetzky von Radetz, Austrian field marshal (b. 1766)
    • 1860 – John Neumann, Czech-American bishop and saint (b. 1811)
    • 1883 – Charles Tompson, Australian poet and public servant (b. 1806)
    • 1885 – Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, Norwegian author and scholar (b. 1812)
    • 1888 – Henri Herz, Austrian pianist and composer (b. 1803)
    • 1899 – Ezra Otis Kendall, American professor, astronomer and mathematician (b. 1818)
    • 1904 – Karl Alfred von Zittel, German paleontologist and geologist (b. 1839)
    • 1910 – Léon Walras, French-Swiss economist and academic (b. 1834)
    • 1917 – Isobel Lilian Gloag, English painter (b. 1865)
    • 1922 – Ernest Shackleton, Anglo-Irish sailor and explorer (b. 1874)
    • 1933 – Calvin Coolidge, American lawyer and politician, 30th President of the United States (b. 1872)
    • 1942 – Tina Modotti, Italian photographer, model, actress, and activist (b. 1896)
    • 1943 – George Washington Carver, American botanist, educator, and inventor (b. 1864)
    • 1951 – Soh Jaipil, South Korean-American journalist and activist (b. 1864)
    • 1951 – Andrei Platonov, Russian journalist and author (b. 1899)
    • 1952 – Victor Hope, 2nd Marquess of Linlithgow, Scottish colonel and politician, 46th Governor-General of India (b. 1887)
    • 1952 – Hristo Tatarchev, Bulgarian-Italian physician and activist (b. 1869)
    • 1954 – Rabbit Maranville, American baseball player and manager (b. 1891)
    • 1956 – Mistinguett, French actress and singer (b. 1875)
    • 1963 – Rogers Hornsby, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1896)
    • 1970 – Max Born, German physicist and mathematician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1882)
    • 1970 – Roberto Gerhard, Catalan composer and scholar (b. 1896)
    • 1971 – Douglas Shearer, Canadian-American sound designer and engineer (b. 1899)
    • 1972 – Tevfik Rüştü Aras, Turkish physician and politician, 6th Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1883)
    • 1974 – Lev Oborin, Russian pianist and educator (b. 1907)
    • 1976 – John A. Costello, Irish lawyer and politician, 3rd Taoiseach of Ireland (b. 1891)
    • 1978 – Wyatt Emory Cooper, American author and screenwriter (b. 1927)
    • 1979 – Billy Bletcher, American actor, singer, and screenwriter (b. 1894
    • 1979 – Charles Mingus, American bassist, composer, bandleader (b. 1922)
    • 1981 – Harold Urey, American chemist and astronomer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1893)
    • 1981 – Lanza del Vasto, Italian poet and philosopher (b. 1901)
    • 1982 – Hans Conried, American actor (b. 1917)
    • 1982 – Edmund Herring, Australian general and politician, 7th Chief Justice of Victoria (b. 1892)1985 – Robert L. Surtees, American cinematographer (b. 1906)1987 – Margaret Laurence, Canadian author and academic (b. 1926)
    • 1987 – Herman Smith-Johannsen, Norwegian-Canadian skier (b. 1875)
    • 1990 – Arthur Kennedy, American actor (b. 1914)
    • 1991 – Vasko Popa, Serbian poet and academic (b. 1922)
    • 1994 – Tip O’Neill, American lawyer and politician, 55th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (b. 1912)
    • 1997 – André Franquin, Belgian author and illustrator (b. 1924)
    • 1997 – Burton Lane, American composer and songwriter (b. 1912)
    • 1998 – Sonny Bono, American singer-songwriter, producer, actor, and politician (b. 1935)
    • 2000 – Kumar Ponnambalam, Sri Lankan Tamil lawyer and politician (b. 1938)
    • 2003 – Roy Jenkins, Welsh politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (b. 1920)
    • 2004 – Norman Heatley, English biologist and chemist, co-developed penicillin (b. 1911)
    • 2006 – Merlyn Rees, Welsh educator and politician, Home Secretary (b. 1920)
    • 2007 – Momofuku Ando, Taiwanese-Japanese businessman, founded Nissin Foods (b. 1910)
    • 2009 – Griffin Bell, American lawyer and politician, 72nd United States Attorney General (b. 1918)
    • 2010 – Willie Mitchell, American singer-songwriter, trumpet player, and producer (b. 1928)
    • 2010 – Kenneth Noland, American painter (b. 1924)
    • 2012 – Isaac Díaz Pardo, Spanish painter and sculptor (b. 1920)
    • 2012 – Frederica Sagor Maas, American author, playwright, and screenwriter (b. 1900)
    • 2014 – Eusébio, Mozambican-Portuguese footballer and manager (b. 1942)
    • 2014 – Carmen Zapata, American actress (b. 1927)
    • 2015 – Jean-Pierre Beltoise, French racing driver and motorcycle racer (b. 1937)
    • 2015 – Bernard Joseph McLaughlin, American bishop (b. 1912)
    • 2016 – Pierre Boulez, French pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1925)
    • 2017 – Jill Saward, English rape victim and activist (b. 1965)
    • 2018 – Asghar Khan, Pakistani three star general and politician (b. 1921)
    • 2018 – Thomas Bopp, American astronomer best known as the co-discoverer of comet Hale–Bopp (b. 1949)
    • 2018 – Karin von Aroldingen, German ballerina (b. 1941)
    • 2019 – Bernice Sandler, American women’s rights activist (b. 1928)
    • 2019 – Dragoslav Šekularac, Serbian footballer and manager (b. 1937)

    Holidays and observances on January 5

    • Christian Feast day:
      • Charles of Mount Argus
      • John Neumann (Catholic Church)
      • Pope Telesphorus
      • Simeon Stylites (Latin Church)
      • January 5 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival (Harbin, China
    • Joma Shinji (Japan)
    • National Bird Day (United States)
    • The Twelfth day of Christmas and the Twelfth Night of Christmas. (Western Christianity)