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- 48 BC – Pompey is assassinated by order of King Ptolemy upon arriving in Egypt.
- 235 – Pope Pontian resigns. He is exiled to the mines of Sardinia, along with Hippolytus of Rome.
- 351 – Constantius II defeats the usurper Magnentius.
- 365 – Roman usurper Procopius bribes two legions passing by Constantinople, and proclaims himself emperor.
- 935 – Duke Wenceslaus I of Bohemia is murdered by a group of nobles led by his brother Boleslaus I, who succeeds him.
- 995 – Boleslaus II, Duke of Bohemia, kills most members of the rival Slavník dynasty.
- 1066 – William the Conqueror lands in England, beginning the Norman conquest.
- 1106 – King Henry I of England defeats his brother, Robert Curthose.
- 1238 – King James I of Aragon conquers Valencia from the Moors. Shortly thereafter, he proclaims himself king of Valencia.
- 1322 – Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor, defeats Frederick I of Austria in the Battle of Mühldorf.
- 1538 – Ottoman–Venetian War: The Ottoman Navy scores a decisive victory over a Holy League fleet in the Battle of Preveza.
- 1542 – Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo of Portugal arrives at what is now San Diego, California.
- 1779 – American Revolution: Samuel Huntington is elected President of the Continental Congress, succeeding John Jay.
- 1781 – American Revolution: American forces backed by a French fleet begin the siege of Yorktown.
- 1787 – The Congress of the Confederation votes to send the newly-written United States Constitution to the state legislatures for approval.
- 1821 – The Declaration of Independence of the Mexican Empire is drafted. It will be made public on 13 October.
- 1844 – Oscar I of Sweden–Norway is crowned king of Sweden.
- 1867 – Toronto becomes the capital of Ontario, having also been the capital of Ontario’s predecessors since 1796.
- 1868 – The Battle of Alcolea causes Queen Isabella II of Spain to flee to France.
- 1871 – The Brazilian Parliament passes a law that frees all children thereafter born to slaves, and all government-owned slaves.
- 1889 – The General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) defines the length of a meter.
- 1892 – The first night game for American football takes place in a contest between Wyoming Seminary and Mansfield State Normal.
- 1893 – Foundation of the Portuguese football club FC Porto.
- 1901 – Philippine–American War: Filipino guerrillas kill more than forty American soldiers while losing 28 of their own.
- 1912 – The Ulster Covenant is signed by some 500,000 Ulster Protestant Unionists in opposition to the Third Irish Home Rule Bill.
- 1912 – Corporal Frank S. Scott of the United States Army becomes the first enlisted man to die in an airplane crash.
- 1918 – World War I: The Fifth Battle of Ypres begins.
- 1919 – Race riots begin in Omaha, Nebraska.
- 1924 – The first aerial circumnavigation is completed by a team from the US Army.
- 1928 – Alexander Fleming notices a bacteria-killing mold growing in his laboratory, discovering what later became known as penicillin.
- 1939 – World War II: Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union agree on a division of Poland.
- 1939 – World War II: The siege of Warsaw comes to an end.
- 1941 – World War II: The Drama uprising against the Bulgarian occupation in northern Greece begins.
- 1941 – Ted Williams achieves a .406 batting average for the season, and becomes the last major league baseball player to bat .400 or better.
- 1944 – World War II: Soviet Army troops liberate Klooga concentration camp in Estonia.
- 1951 – CBS makes the first color televisions available for sale to the general public, but the product is discontinued less than a month later.
- 1961 – A military coup in Damascus effectively ends the United Arab Republic, the union between Egypt and Syria.
- 1970 – Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser dies of a heart attack in Cairo.
- 1971 – The Parliament of the UK passes the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, banning the medicinal use of cannabis.
- 1973 – The ITT Building in New York City is bombed in protest at ITT’s alleged involvement in the coup d’état in Chile.
- 1975 – The Spaghetti House siege, in which nine people are taken hostage, takes place in London.
- 1986 – The Democratic Progressive Party becomes the first opposition party in Taiwan.
- 1991 – The Strategic Air Command stands down from alert all ICBMs scheduled for deactivation under START I, as well as its strategic bomber force.
- 1992 – A Pakistan International Airlines flight crashes into a hill in Nepal, killing all 167 passengers and crew.
- 1994 – The cruise ferry MS Estonia sinks in the Baltic Sea, killing 852 people.
- 1995 – Bob Denard and a group of mercenaries take the islands of the Comoros in a coup.
- 1995 – Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat sign the Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
- 2000 – Al-Aqsa Intifada: Ariel Sharon visits Al-Aqsa Mosque known to Jews as the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
- 2008 – Falcon 1 becomes the first privately developed liquid-fuel ground-launched vehicle to put a payload into orbit.
- 2009 – The military junta leading Guinea attacks a protest rally, killing or wounding 1400 people.
- 2012 – Somali and African Union forces launch a coordinated assault on the Somali port of Kismayo to take back the city from al-Shabaab militants.
- 2014 – The 2014 Hong Kong protests begin in response to restrictive political reforms imposed by the NPC in Beijing.
- 2016 – The 2016 South Australian blackout occurs, lasting up to three days in some areas.
- 2018 – The 7.5 Mw 2018 Sulawesi earthquake, which triggered a large tsunami, leaves 4,340 dead and 10,679 injured.
- 2018 – On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War, the international project Tree of Peace was established (September, 28). One of the trees was planted personally by Zuzana Čaputová, President of the Slovak Republic.
Births on September 28
- 551 BC – Confucius, Chinese teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher of the Spring and Autumn period of Chinese history. (d. 479 BC)
- 616 – Javanshir, King of Caucasian Albania (d. 680)
- 1494 – Agnolo Firenzuola, Italian poet and playwright (d. 1545)
- 1555 – Henri de La Tour d’Auvergne, Marshal of France (d. 1623)
- 1573 – Théodore de Mayerne, Swiss physician (d. 1654)
- 1605 – Ismaël Bullialdus, French astronomer and mathematician (d. 1694)
- 1681 – Johann Mattheson, German composer, lexicographer, and diplomat (d. 1764)
- 1705 – Henry Fox, 1st Baron Holland, English politician, Secretary of State for the Southern Department (d. 1774)
- 1705 – Johann Peter Kellner, German organist and composer (d. 1772)
- 1735 – Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton, English academic and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1811)
- 1746 – William Jones, English-Welsh philologist and scholar (d. 1794)
- 1765 – Frederick Christian II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg (d. 1814)
- 1803 – Prosper Mérimée, French archaeologist, historian, and author (d. 1870)
- 1809 – Alvan Wentworth Chapman, American physician and botanist (d. 1899)
- 1819 – Narcís Monturiol, Spanish engineer and publisher (d. 1885)
- 1821 – Jonathan Clarkson Gibbs, American minister and politician (d. 1874)
- 1823 – Alexandre Cabanel, French painter and educator (d. 1889)
- 1824 – Francis Turner Palgrave, English poet and critic (d. 1897)
- 1836 – Thomas Crapper, English plumber, invented the ballcock (d. 1910)
- 1838 – Sai Baba of Shirdi, Indian national saint (d. 1918)
- 1841 – Georges Clemenceau, French journalist, physician, and politician, 85th Prime Minister of France (d. 1929)
- 1844 – Robert Stout, Scottish-New Zealand lawyer and politician, 13th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1930)
- 1852 – Henri Moissan, French chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1907)
- 1852 – Isis Pogson, British astronomer and meteorologist (d. 1945)
- 1856 – Kate Douglas Wiggin, American author and educator (d. 1923)
- 1860 – Paul Ulrich Villard, French chemist and physicist (d. 1934)
- 1861 – Amélie of Orléans, queen consort of Portugal (d. 1951)
- 1867 – Hiranuma Kiichirō, Japanese lawyer and politician, 35th Prime Minister of Japan (d. 1952)
- 1867 – James Edwin Campbell, American poet, editor, short story writer and educator (d. 1896)
- 1868 – Evelyn Beatrice Hall, English writer best known for her biography of Voltaire, and wrote under the pseudonym S. G. Tallentyre (d. 1956)
- 1877 – Albert Young, American boxer and promoter (d. 1940)
- 1878 – Joseph Ruddy, American swimmer and water polo player (d. 1962)
- 1870 – Florent Schmitt, French composer and critic (d. 1958)
- 1881 – Pedro de Cordoba, American actor (d. 1950)
- 1882 – Mart Saar, Estonian organist and composer (d. 1963)
- 1885 – Emil Väre, Finnish wrestler, coach, and referee (d. 1974)
- 1887 – Avery Brundage, American businessman, 5th President of the International Olympic Committee (d. 1975)
- 1889 – Jack Fournier, American baseball player and coach (d. 1973)
- 1890 – Florence Violet McKenzie, Australian electrical engineer (d. 1982)
- 1892 – Elmer Rice, American playwright (d. 1967)
- 1893 – Hilda Geiringer, Austrian mathematician (d. 1973)
- 1893 – Giannis Skarimpas, Greek author, poet, and playwright (d. 1984)
- 1898 – Carl Clauberg, German Nazi physician (d. 1957)
- 1900 – Isabel Pell, American socialite, fought as part of the French Resistance during WWII (d. 1951)
- 1901 – William S. Paley, American broadcaster, founded CBS (d. 1990)
- 1901 – Ed Sullivan, American television host (d. 1974)
- 1903 – Haywood S. Hansell, American general (d. 1988)
- 1905 – Max Schmeling, German boxer (d. 2005)
- 1907 – Heikki Savolainen, Finnish gymnast and physician (d. 1997)
- 1907 – Bhagat Singh, Indian activist (d. 1931)
- 1909 – Al Capp, American author and illustrator (d. 1979)
- 1910 – Diosdado Macapagal, Filipino lawyer and politician, 9th President of the Philippines (d. 1997)
- 1910 – Wenceslao Vinzons, Filipino lawyer and politician (d. 1942)
- 1913 – Warja Honegger-Lavater, Swiss illustrator (d. 2007)
- 1913 – Alice Marble, American tennis player (d. 1990)
- 1914 – Maria Franziska von Trapp, Austrian-American refugee and singer (d. 2014)
- 1915 – Ethel Rosenberg, American spy (d. 1953)
- 1916 – Peter Finch, English-Australian actor (d. 1977)
- 1916 – Olga Lepeshinskaya, Ukrainian-Russian ballerina and educator (d. 2008)
- 1918 – Ángel Labruna, Argentinian footballer and manager (d. 1983)
- 1918 – Arnold Stang, American actor (d. 2009)
- 1919 – Doris Singleton, American actress (d. 2012)
- 1922 – Larry Munson, American sportscaster (d. 2011)
- 1923 – Tuli Kupferberg, American singer, poet, and writer (d. 2010)
- 1923 – John Scott, 9th Duke of Buccleuch, Scottish captain and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Selkirkshire (d. 2007)
- 1923 – William Windom, American actor (d. 2012)
- 1924 – Rudolf Barshai, Russian-Swiss viola player and conductor (d. 2010)
- 1924 – Marcello Mastroianni, Italian-French actor and singer (d. 1996)
- 1925 – Seymour Cray, American computer scientist, founded the CRAY Computer Company (d. 1996)
- 1925 – Cromwell Everson, South African composer (d. 1991)
- 1925 – Martin David Kruskal, American physicist and mathematician (d. 2006)
- 1926 – Jerry Clower, American soldier, comedian, and author (d. 1998)
- 1928 – Koko Taylor, American singer (d. 2009)
- 1929 – Lata Mangeshkar, Indian playback singer and composer
- 1930 – Tommy Collins, American country music singer-songwriter (d. 2000)
- 1930 – Immanuel Wallerstein, American sociologist, author, and academic (d. 2019)
- 1932 – Jeremy Isaacs, Scottish screenwriter and producer
- 1932 – Víctor Jara, Chilean singer-songwriter, poet, and director (d. 1973)
- 1933 – Joe Benton, English soldier and politician
- 1933 – Miguel Ortiz Berrocal, Spanish sculptor and educator (d. 2006)
- 1933 – Johnny “Country” Mathis, American singer-songwriter (d. 2011)
- 1934 – Brigitte Bardot, French actress
- 1935 – Bruce Crampton, Australian golfer
- 1935 – David Hannay, Baron Hannay of Chiswick, English diplomat, British Permanent Representative to the United Nations
- 1935 – Ronald Lacey, English actor (d. 1991)
- 1936 – Emmett Chapman, American guitarist, invented the Chapman Stick
- 1936 – Eddie Lumsden, Australian rugby league player (d. 2019)
- 1936 – Robert Wolders, Dutch television actor (d. 2018)
- 1937 – Alice Mahon, English trade union leader and politician
- 1937 – Glenn Sutton, American country music songwriter and record producer (d. 2007)
- 1938 – Ben E. King, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2015)
- 1939 – Stuart Kauffman, American biologist and academic
- 1941 – David Lewis, American philosopher and academic (d. 2001)
- 1941 – Edmund Stoiber, German lawyer and politician, Minister President of Bavaria
- 1942 – Pierre Clémenti, French actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1999)
- 1942 – Edward “Little Buster” Forehand, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2006)
- 1943 – Warren Lieberfarb, American businessman
- 1943 – George W. S. Trow, American novelist, playwright, and critic (d. 2006)
- 1943 – Nick St. Nicholas, German-Canadian bass player
- 1944 – Richie Karl, American golfer
- 1944 – Marcia Muller, American journalist and author
- 1945 – Marielle Goitschel, French skier
- 1945 – Manolis Rasoulis, Greek singer-songwriter and journalist (d. 2011)
- 1945 – Fusako Shigenobu, Japanese activist, founded the Japanese Red Army
- 1946 – Tom Bower, English journalist and author
- 1946 – Majid Khan, Indian-Pakistani cricketer
- 1947 – Bob Carr, Australian journalist and politician, 37th Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs
- 1947 – Sheikh Hasina, Bangladeshi politician, 10th Prime Minister of Bangladesh
- 1947 – Jon Snow, English journalist and academic
- 1947 – Rhonda Hughes, American mathematician and academic
- 1949 – Jim Henshaw, Canadian actor, producer, and screenwriter
- 1950 – Paul Burgess, English drummer
- 1950 – Christina Hoff Sommers, American author and philosopher
- 1950 – John Sayles, American novelist, director, and screenwriter
- 1951 – Jim Diamond, Scottish singer-songwriter and musician (d. 2015)
- 1952 – Christopher Buckley, American satirical novelist
- 1952 – Efthimis Kioumourtzoglou, Greek basketball player and coach
- 1952 – Sylvia Kristel, Dutch model and actress (d. 2012)
- 1952 – Andy Ward, English drummer
- 1953 – Otmar Hasler, Liechtensteiner educator and politician, 11th Prime Minister of Liechtenstein
- 1954 – Steve Largent, American football player and politician
- 1954 – George Lynch, American guitarist and songwriter
- 1954 – John Scott, English rugby player
- 1954 – Margot Wallström, Swedish politician and diplomat, 42nd Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs
- 1955 – Stéphane Dion, Canadian sociologist and politician, 15th Canadian Minister of the Environment
- 1955 – Mercy Manci, Xhosa sangoma and HIV activist from South Africa
- 1955 – Kenny Kirkland, American pianist (d. 1998)
- 1956 – Martha Isabel Fandiño Pinilla, Colombian-Italian mathematician and author
- 1957 – Bill Cassidy, American politician and physician
- 1959 – Ron Fellows, Canadian race car driver
- 1959 – Laura Bruce, American artist
- 1960 – Gary Ayres, Australian footballer and coach
- 1960 – Tom Byrum, American golfer
- 1960 – Frank Hammerschlag, German footballer and manager
- 1960 – Gus Logie, Trinidadian cricketer
- 1960 – Kamlesh Patel, Baron Patel of Bradford, English politician
- 1960 – Jennifer Rush, American singer-songwriter
- 1960 – Socrates Villegas, Filipino archbishop
- 1961 – Helen Grant, English lawyer and politician, Minister for Sport and the Olympics
- 1961 – Gregory Jbara, American actor and singer
- 1961 – Quentin Kawānanakoa, American lawyer and politician
- 1961 – Anne White, American tennis player
- 1962 – Grant Fuhr, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
- 1962 – Laurie Rinker, American golfer
- 1962 – Dietmar Schacht, German footballer and manager
- 1962 – Chuck Taylor, American journalist
- 1963 – Steve Blackman, American wrestler and martial artist
- 1963 – Érik Comas, French race car driver
- 1963 – Greg Weisman, American voice actor, producer, and screenwriter
- 1964 – Claudio Borghi, Argentinian footballer and manager
- 1964 – Gregor Fisken, Scottish race car driver
- 1964 – Janeane Garofalo, American comedian, actress, and screenwriter
- 1964 – Paul Jewell, English footballer and manager
- 1964 – Mārtiņš Roze, Latvian lawyer and politician (d. 2012)
- 1966 – Scott Adams, American football player (d. 2013)
- 1966 – Maria Canals-Barrera, Cuban-American actress
- 1966 – Puri Jagannadh, Indian director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1967 – Mira Sorvino, American actress
- 1967 – Moon Zappa, American actress and author
- 1968 – Francois Botha, South African boxer and mixed martial artist
- 1968 – Mika Häkkinen, Finnish race car driver
- 1968 – Trish Keenan, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2011)
- 1968 – Sean Levert, American R&B singer-songwriter and actor (d. 2008)
- 1968 – Rob Moroso, American race car driver (d. 1990)
- 1968 – Naomi Watts, English-Australian actress and producer
- 1969 – Kerri Chandler, electronic music producer and DJ
- 1969 – Marcel Dost, Dutch decathlete
- 1969 – Ben Greenman, American journalist and author
- 1969 – Piper Kerman, American author and memoirist
- 1969 – Éric Lapointe, Canadian singer-songwriter and keyboard player
- 1969 – Sascha Maassen, German race car driver
- 1969 – Angus Robertson, Scottish politician
- 1969 – Nico Vaesen, Belgian footballer
- 1970 – Kimiko Date-Krumm, Japanese tennis player
- 1970 – Mike DeJean, American baseball player
- 1970 – Gualter Salles, Brazilian race car driver
- 1971 – Joseph Arthur, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1971 – George Eustice, English lawyer and politician
- 1971 – Braam van Straaten, South African rugby player
- 1971 – Alan Wright, English footballer and manager
- 1972 – Dita Von Teese, American model and dancer
- 1973 – Brian Rafalski, American ice hockey player
- 1974 – Marco Di Loreto, Italian footballer and manager
- 1974 – Mariya Kiselyova, Russian swimmer
- 1974 – Joonas Kolkka, Finnish footballer and coach
- 1974 – Shane Webcke, Australian rugby league player and coach
- 1975 – Stuart Clark, Australian cricketer and manager
- 1975 – Isamu Jordan, American journalist and academic (d. 2013)
- 1975 – Lenny Krayzelburg, Russian-American swimmer
- 1976 – Fedor Emelianenko, Russian mixed martial artist and politician
- 1977 – Ireneusz Marcinkowski, Polish footballer
- 1977 – Pak Se-ri, South Korean golfer
- 1977 – Young Jeezy, American rapper
- 1978 – Ben Edmondson, Australian cricketer
- 1979 – Bam Margera, American skateboarder, actor, and stuntman
- 1979 – Taki Tsan, American-Greek rapper and producer
- 1980 – Marlon Parmer, American basketball player
- 1981 – Greg Anderson, American pianist and composer
- 1981 – Willy Caballero, Argentine footballer
- 1981 – José Calderón, Spanish basketball player
- 1981 – Jorge Guagua, Ecuadorian footballer
- 1981 – Iracema Trevisan, Brazilian bass player
- 1982 – Aleksandr Anyukov, Russian footballer
- 1982 – Abhinav Bindra, Indian target shooter
- 1982 – Ray Emery, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2018)
- 1982 – Ranbir Kapoor, Indian actor and director
- 1982 – Nolwenn Leroy, French singer-songwriter and actress
- 1982 – Emeka Okafor, American basketball player
- 1982 – Dustin Penner, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1982 – Aivar Rehemaa, Estonian skier
- 1982 – Anderson Varejão, Brazilian basketball player
- 1982 – St. Vincent, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1983 – Stefan Moore, English footballer
- 1983 – John Schwalger, New Zealand rugby player
- 1984 – Jenny Omnichord, Canadian singer-songwriter
- 1984 – Luke Pomersbach, Australian cricketer
- 1984 – Naim Terbunja, Kosovan-Swedish boxer
- 1984 – Melody Thornton, American singer-songwriter and dancer
- 1984 – Mathieu Valbuena, French footballer
- 1984 – Ryan Zimmerman, American baseball player
- 1985 – Shindong, South Korean singer-songwriter and dancer
- 1985 – Alina Ibragimova, Russian-English violinist
- 1986 – Andrés Guardado, Mexican footballer
- 1986 – Meskerem Legesse, Ethiopian runner (d. 2013)
- 1986 – Dominic Waters, American basketball player
- 1987 – Pierre Becken, German footballer
- 1987 – Gary Deegan, Irish footballer
- 1987 – Hilary Duff, American singer-songwriter and actress
- 1987 – Chloë Hanslip, English violinist
- 1987 – Viktoria Leks, Estonian high jumper
- 1988 – Marin Čilić, Croatian tennis player
- 1988 – Esmée Denters, Dutch singer-songwriter
- 1988 – Aleks Vrteski, Australian footballer
- 1988 – Worakls, French DJ and electronic musician
- 1989 – Çağla Büyükakçay, Turkish tennis player
- 1989 – Darius Johnson-Odom, American basketball player
- 1989 – Mark Randall, English footballer
- 1990 – Phoenix Battye, Australian rugby player
- 1992 – Khem Birch, Canadian professional basketball player
- 1992 – Adam Thompson, English-Northern Irish footballer
- 1992 – Kōko Tsurumi, Japanese gymnast
- 1993 – Jodie Williams, English sprinter
- 1995 – Jason Williams, English footballer
Deaths on September 28
- 48 BC – Pompey, Roman general and politician (b. 106 BC)
- 782 – Leoba, Anglo-Saxon nun
- 935 – Wenceslaus I, duke of Bohemia
- 980 – Minamoto no Hiromasa, Japanese nobleman (b. 918)
- 1197 – Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1165)
- 1213 – Gertrude of Merania, queen consort of Hungaria (b. 1185)
- 1330 – Elizabeth of Bohemia, queen consort of Bohemia (b. 1292)
- 1429 – Cymburgis of Masovia, duchess consort of Austria (b. 1394)
- 1582 – George Buchanan, Scottish historian and scholar (b. 1506)
- 1596 – Margaret Clifford, countess of Derby (b. 1540)
- 1618 – Josuah Sylvester, English poet and translator (b. 1563)
- 1687 – Francis Turretin, Swiss-Italian theologian and academic (b. 1623)
- 1694 – Gabriel Mouton, French mathematician and theologian (b. 1618)
- 1702 – Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland, French-English lawyer and politician, Lord President of the Council (b. 1640)
- 1742 – Jean Baptiste Massillon, French bishop (b. 1663)
- 1829 – Nikolay Raevsky, Russian general and politician (b. 1771)
- 1844 – Pyotr Aleksandrovich Tolstoy, Russian general and politician (b. 1769)
- 1859 – Carl Ritter, German geographer and academic (b. 1779)
- 1873 – Émile Gaboriau, French journalist and author (b. 1832)
- 1891 – Herman Melville, American author and poet (b. 1819)
- 1895 – Louis Pasteur, French chemist and microbiologist (b. 1822)
- 1899 – Giovanni Segantini, Austrian painter (b. 1858)
- 1914 – Richard Warren Sears, American businessman, co-founded Sears (b. 1863)
- 1915 – Saitō Hajime, Japanese samurai (b. 1844)
- 1918 – Georg Simmel, German sociologist and philosopher (b. 1858)
- 1918 – Freddie Stowers, American soldier, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1896)
- 1925 – Paul Vermoyal, French actor (b. 1888)
- 1935 – William Kennedy Dickson, French-Scottish actor, director, and producer, invented the Kinetoscope (b. 1860)
- 1938 – Charles Duryea, American engineer and businessman, founded the Duryea Motor Wagon Company (b. 1861)
- 1943 – Sam Ruben, American chemist and academic (b. 1913)
- 1943 – Filippo Illuminato, Italian partisan, Gold Medal of Military Valour (b. 1930)
- 1949 – Archbishop Chrysanthus of Athens (b. 1881)
- 1953 – Edwin Hubble, American astronomer and scholar (b. 1889)
- 1956 – William Boeing, American businessman, founded the Boeing Company (b. 1881)
- 1957 – Luis Cluzeau Mortet, Uruguayan violinist and composer (b. 1888)
- 1959 – Rudolf Caracciola, German race car driver (b. 1901)
- 1962 – Roger Nimier, French soldier and author (b. 1925)
- 1964 – Harpo Marx, American comedian, actor, and singer (b. 1888)
- 1966 – André Breton, French author and poet (b. 1896)
- 1970 – John Dos Passos, American novelist, poet, essayist, and playwright (b. 1896)
- 1970 – Gamal Abdel Nasser, Egyptian colonel and politician, 2nd President of Egypt (b. 1918)
- 1978 – Pope John Paul I (b. 1912)
- 1979 – John Herbert Chapman, Canadian physicist and engineer (b. 1921)
- 1981 – Rómulo Betancourt, Venezuelan journalist and politician, President of Venezuela (b. 1908)
- 1982 – Mabel Albertson, American actress (b. 1901)
- 1984 – Cihad Baban, Turkish journalist, author, and politician (b. 1911)
- 1989 – Ferdinand Marcos, Filipino lawyer and politician, 10th President of the Philippines (b. 1917)
- 1990 – Larry O’Brien, American businessman and politician, 57th United States Postmaster General (b. 1917)
- 1991 – Miles Davis, American trumpet player, composer, and bandleader (b. 1926)
- 1993 – Peter De Vries, American editor and novelist (b. 1910)
- 1993 – Alexander A. Drabik, American sergeant (b. 1910)
- 1994 – Urmas Alender, Estonian singer (b. 1953)
- 1994 – José Francisco Ruiz Massieu, Mexican lawyer and politician, 6th Governor of Guerrero (b. 1946)
- 1994 – Harry Saltzman, Canadian production manager and producer (b. 1915)
- 1994 – K. A. Thangavelu, Indian film actor and comedian (b. 1917)
- 1999 – Escott Reid, Canadian academic and diplomat (b. 1905)
- 2000 – Pierre Trudeau, Canadian journalist, lawyer, and politician, 15th Prime Minister of Canada (b. 1919)
- 2002 – Patsy Mink, American lawyer and politician (b. 1927)
- 2002 – Hartland Molson, Canadian captain and politician (b. 1907)
- 2003 – Althea Gibson, American tennis player and golfer (b. 1927)
- 2003 – Elia Kazan, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1909)
- 2003 – George Odlum, Saint Lucian politician and diplomat (b. 1934)
- 2004 – Geoffrey Beene, American fashion designer (b. 1924)
- 2005 – Constance Baker Motley, American lawyer, judge, and politician (b. 1921)
- 2007 – René Desmaison, French mountaineer (b. 1930)
- 2007 – Wally Parks, American businessman, founded the National Hot Rod Association (b. 1913)
- 2009 – Guillermo Endara, Panamanian lawyer and politician, 32nd President of Panama (b. 1936)
- 2009 – Ulf Larsson, Swedish actor and director (b. 1956)
- 2010 – Kurt Albert, German mountaineer and photographer (b. 1954)
- 2010 – Arthur Penn, American director and producer (b. 1922)
- 2010 – Dolores Wilson, American soprano and actress (b. 1928)
- 2012 – Avraham Adan, Israeli general (b. 1926)
- 2012 – Chris Economaki, American journalist and sportscaster (b. 1920)
- 2012 – Brajesh Mishra, Indian politician and diplomat, 1st Indian National Security Advisor (b. 1928)
- 2013 – James Emanuel, American-French poet and scholar (b. 1921)
- 2013 – Jonathan Fellows-Smith, South African cricketer and rugby player (b. 1932)
- 2013 – George Amon Webster, American singer and pianist (b. 1945)
- 2014 – Dannie Abse, Welsh physician, poet, and author (b. 1923)
- 2014 – Joseph H. Alexander, American colonel and historian (b. 1938)
- 2014 – Sheila Faith, English dentist and politician (b. 1928)
- 2014 – Tim Rawlings, English footballer and manager (b. 1932)
- 2014 – Petr Skoumal, Czech pianist and composer (b. 1938)
- 2015 – Alexander Faris, Irish composer and conductor (b. 1921)
- 2015 – Walter Dale Miller, American rancher and politician, 29th Governor of South Dakota (b. 1925)
- 2015 – Ignacio Zoco, Spanish footballer (b. 1939)
- 2016 – Agnes Nixon, American television writer and director (b. 1922)
- 2016 – Gary Glasberg, American television writer and producer (b. 1966)
- 2016 – Shimon Peres, Polish-Israeli statesman and politician, 9th President of Israel (b. 1923)
- 2016 – Gloria Naylor, American novelist (b. 1950)
- 2017 – Daniel Pe’er, Israeli television host and newsreader (b. 1943)
- 2018 – Predrag Ejdus, Serbian actor (b. 1947)
- 2019 – José José, 71, Mexican singer (El Principe de la Canción or The Prince of Song), pancreas cancer (b. 1948)
Holidays and observances on September 28
- Christian feast day:
- Aaron of Auxerre
- Annemund
- Conval
- Eustochium
- Exuperius
- Faustus of Riez
- John of Dukla
- Leoba
- Lorenzo Ruiz
- Paternus of Auch
- Richard Rolle, Walter Hilton and Margery Kempe (Episcopal Church (USA))
- Simón de Rojas
- Wenceslas
- September 28 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics).
- Czech Statehood Day (Czech Republic)
- Freedom from Hunger Day
- International Day for Universal Access to Information
- National Day of Awareness and Unity against Child Pornography (Philippines)
- Teachers’ Day (Taiwan and Chinese-Filipino schools in the Philippines), ceremonies dedicated to Confucius are also observed.
- World Rabies Day (International)
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July 31 in History
- 30 BC – Battle of Alexandria: Mark Antony achieves a minor victory over Octavian’s forces, but most of his army subsequently deserts, leading to his suicide.
- 781 – The oldest recorded eruption of Mount Fuji (Traditional Japanese date: 6th day of the 7th month of the 1st year of the Ten’o (天応) era).
- 1009 – Pope Sergius IV becomes the 142nd pope, succeeding Pope John XVIII.
- 1201 – Attempted usurpation by John Komnenos the Fat for the throne of Alexios III Angelos.
- 1423 – Hundred Years’ War: Battle of Cravant: The French army is defeated by the English at Cravant on the banks of the river Yonne.
- 1451 – Jacques Cœur is arrested by order of Charles VII of France.
- 1492 – The Jews are expelled from Spain when the Alhambra Decree takes effect.
- 1498 – On his third voyage to the Western Hemisphere, Christopher Columbus becomes the first European to discover the island of Trinidad.
- 1588 – The Spanish Armada is spotted off the coast of England.
- 1618 – Maurice, Prince of Orange disbands the waardgelders militia in Utrecht, a pivotal event in the Remonstrant/Counter-Remonstrant tensions.
- 1655 – Russo-Polish War (1654–67): The Russian army enters the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Vilnius, which it holds for six years.
- 1658 – Aurangzeb is proclaimed Mughal emperor of India.
- 1703 – Daniel Defoe is placed in a pillory for the crime of seditious libel after publishing a politically satirical pamphlet, but is pelted with flowers.
- 1712 – Action of 31 July 1712 (Great Northern War): Danish and Swedish ships clash in the Baltic Sea; the result is inconclusive.
- 1715 – Seven days after a Spanish treasure fleet of 12 ships left Havana, Cuba for Spain, 11 of them sink in a storm off the coast of Florida. A few centuries later, treasure is salvaged from these wrecks.
- 1741 – Charles Albert of Bavaria invades Upper Austria and Bohemia.
- 1763 – Odawa Chief Pontiac’s forces defeat British troops at the Battle of Bloody Run during Pontiac’s War.
- 1777 – The U.S. Second Continental Congress passes a resolution that the services of Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette “be accepted, and that, in consideration of his zeal, illustrious family and connexions, he have the rank and commission of major-general of the United States.”
- 1790 – The first U.S. patent is issued, to inventor Samuel Hopkins for a potash process.
- 1856 – Christchurch, New Zealand is chartered as a city.
- 1865 – The first narrow-gauge mainline railway in the world opens at Grandchester, Queensland, Australia.
- 1874 – Dr. Patrick Francis Healy became the first African-American inaugurated as president of a predominantly white university, Georgetown University.
- 1904 – Russo-Japanese War: Battle of Hsimucheng: Units of the Imperial Japanese Army defeat units of the Imperial Russian Army in a strategic confrontation.
- 1913 – The Balkan States sign an armistice in Bucharest.
- 1917 – World War I: The Battle of Passchendaele begins near Ypres in West Flanders, Belgium.
- 1919 – German national assembly adopts the Weimar Constitution, which comes into force on August 14.
- 1932 – The NSDAP (Nazi Party) wins more than 38% of the vote in German elections.
- 1938 – Bulgaria signs a non-aggression pact with Greece and other states of Balkan Antanti (Turkey, Romania, Yugoslavia).
- 1938 – Archaeologists discover engraved gold and silver plates from King Darius the Great in Persepolis.
- 1941 – The Holocaust: Under instructions from Adolf Hitler, Nazi official Hermann Göring, orders SS General Reinhard Heydrich to “submit to me as soon as possible a general plan of the administrative material and financial measures necessary for carrying out the desired Final Solution of the Jewish question.”
- 1941 – World War II: The Battle of Smolensk concludes with Germany capturing about 300,000 Soviet Red Army prisoners.
- 1945 – Pierre Laval, the fugitive former leader of Vichy France, surrenders to Allied soldiers in Austria.
- 1948 – At Idlewild Field in New York, New York International Airport (later renamed John F. Kennedy International Airport) is dedicated.
- 1948 – USS Nevada is sunk by an aerial torpedo after surviving hits from two atomic bombs (as part of post-war tests) and being used for target practice by three other ships.
- 1964 – Ranger program: Ranger 7 sends back the first close-up photographs of the moon, with images 1,000 times clearer than anything ever seen from earth-bound telescopes.
- 1970 – Black Tot Day: The last day of the officially sanctioned rum ration in the Royal Navy.
- 1971 – Apollo program: Apollo 15 astronauts become the first to ride in a lunar rover.
- 1972 – The Troubles: In Operation Motorman, the British Army re-takes the urban no-go areas of Northern Ireland. It is the biggest British military operation since the Suez Crisis of 1956, and the biggest in Ireland since the Irish War of Independence. Later that day, nine civilians are killed by car bombs in the village of Claudy.
- 1973 – A Delta Air Lines jetliner, flight DL 723 crashes while landing in fog at Logan International Airport, Boston, Massachusetts killing 89.
- 1975 – The Troubles: three members of a popular cabaret band and two gunmen are killed during a botched paramilitary attack in Northern Ireland.
- 1987 – A tornado occurs in Edmonton, Canada.
- 1988 – Thirty-two people are killed and 1,674 injured when a bridge at the Sultan Abdul Halim ferry terminal collapses in Butterworth, Penang, Malaysia.
- 1991 – The United States and Soviet Union both sign the START I Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, the first to reduce (with verification) both countries’ stockpiles.
- 1992 – The nation of Georgia joins the United Nations.
- 1992 – Thai Airways International Flight 311 crashes into a mountain north of Kathmandu, Nepal killing all 113 people on board.
- 1999 – Discovery Program: Lunar Prospector: NASA intentionally crashes the spacecraft into the Moon, thus ending its mission to detect frozen water on the Moon’s surface.
- 2006 – Fidel Castro hands over power to his brother, Raúl.
- 2007 – Operation Banner, the presence of the British Army in Northern Ireland, and the longest-running British Army operation ever, comes to an end.
- 2012 – Michael Phelps breaks the record set in 1964 by Larisa Latynina for the most medals won at the Olympics.
- 2014 – Gas explosions in the southern Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung kill at least 20 people and injure more than 270.
Births on July 31
- 1143 – Emperor Nijō of Japan (d. 1165)
- 1396 – Philip III, Duke of Burgundy (d. 1467)
- 1526 – Augustus, Elector of Saxony (d. 1586)
- 1527 – Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1576)
- 1595 – Philipp Wolfgang, Count of Hanau-Lichtenberg (d. 1641)
- 1598 – Alessandro Algardi, Italian sculptor (d. 1654)
- 1686 – Charles of France, Duke of Berry (d. 1714)
- 1702 – Jean Denis Attiret, French missionary and painter (d. 1768)
- 1704 – Gabriel Cramer, Swiss mathematician and physicist (d. 1752)
- 1718 – John Canton, English physicist and academic (d. 1772)
- 1724 – Noël François de Wailly, French lexicographer and author (d. 1801)
- 1759 – Ignaz Anton von Indermauer, Austrian nobleman and government official (d. 1796)
- 1777 – Pedro Ignacio de Castro Barros, Argentinian priest and politician (d. 1849)
- 1796 – Jean-Gaspard Deburau, Czech-French actor and mime (d. 1846)
- 1800 – Friedrich Wöhler, German chemist and academic (d. 1882)
- 1803 – John Ericsson, Swedish-American engineer, co-designed the USS Princeton and the Novelty Locomotive (d. 1889)
- 1816 – George Henry Thomas, American general (d. 1870)
- 1826 – William S. Clark, American colonel and politician (d. 1886)
- 1835 – Henri Brisson, French lawyer and politician, 50th Prime Minister of France (d. 1912)
- 1835 – Paul Du Chaillu, French-American anthropologist and explorer (d. 1903)
- 1836 – Vasily Sleptsov, Russian author and activist (d. 1878)
- 1837 – William Quantrill, American captain (d. 1865)
- 1839 – Ignacio Andrade, Venezuelan general and politician, 25th President of Venezuela (d. 1925)
- 1843 – Peter Rosegger, Austrian poet and author (d. 1918)
- 1847 – Ignacio Cervantes, Cuban pianist and composer (d. 1905)
- 1854 – José Canalejas, Spanish academic and politician, Prime Minister of Spain (d. 1912)
- 1858 – Richard Dixon Oldham, English seismologist and geologist (d. 1936)
- 1858 – Marion Talbot, influential American educator (d. 1948)
- 1860 – Mary Vaux Walcott, American painter and illustrator (d. 1940)
- 1867 – S. S. Kresge, American businessman, founded Kmart (d. 1966)
- 1875 – Jacques Villon, French painter (d. 1963)
- 1877 – Louisa Bolus, South African botanist and taxonomist (d. 1970)
- 1880 – Premchand, Indian author and playwright (d. 1936)
- 1883 – Ramón Fonst, Cuban fencer (d. 1959)
- 1884 – Carl Friedrich Goerdeler, Polish-German economist and politician (d. 1945)
- 1886 – Salvatore Maranzano, Italian-American mob boss (d. 1931)
- 1886 – Fred Quimby, American animation producer (d. 1965)
- 1887 – Hans Freyer, German sociologist and philosopher (d. 1969)
- 1892 – Herbert W. Armstrong, American evangelist and publisher, founded Worldwide Church of God (d. 1986)
- 1892 – Joseph Charbonneau, Canadian archbishop (d. 1959)
- 1894 – Fred Keenor, Welsh footballer (d. 1972)
- 1901 – Jean Dubuffet, French painter and sculptor (d. 1985)
- 1902 – Gubby Allen, Australian-English cricketer and soldier (d. 1989)
- 1904 – Brett Halliday, American engineer, surveyor, and author (d. 1977)
- 1909 – Erik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn, Austrian theorist and author (d. 1999)
- 1911 – George Liberace, American violinist (d. 1983)
- 1912 – Bill Brown, Australian cricketer (d. 2008)
- 1912 – Milton Friedman, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2006)
- 1912 – Irv Kupcinet, American football player and journalist (d. 2003)
- 1913 – Bryan Hextall, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1984)
- 1914 – Paul J. Christiansen, American conductor and composer (d. 1997)
- 1914 – Louis de Funès, French actor and screenwriter (d. 1983)
- 1916 – Sibte Hassan, Pakistani journalist, scholar, and activist (d. 1986)
- 1916 – Billy Hitchcock, American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 2006)
- 1916 – Bill Todman, American screenwriter and producer (d. 1979)
- 1918 – Paul D. Boyer, American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2018)
- 1918 – Hank Jones, American pianist, composer, and bandleader (d. 2010)
- 1918 – Frank Renouf, New Zealand businessman and financier (d. 1998)
- 1919 – Hemu Adhikari, Indian cricketer (d. 2003)
- 1919 – Curt Gowdy, American sportscaster and actor (d. 2006)
- 1919 – Primo Levi, Italian chemist and author (d. 1987)
- 1920 – James E. Faust, American religious leader, lawyer, and politician (d. 2007)
- 1921 – Peter Benenson, English lawyer and activist, founded Amnesty International (d. 2005)
- 1921 – Donald Malarkey, American sergeant and author (d. 2017)
- 1921 – Whitney Young, American activist (d. 1971)
- 1922 – Hank Bauer, American baseball player and manager (d. 2007)
- 1923 – Ahmet Ertegun, Turkish-American songwriter and producer, founded Atlantic Records (d. 2006)
- 1923 – Stephanie Kwolek, American chemist and engineer, invented Kevlar (d. 2014)
- 1924 – Jimmy Evert, American tennis player and coach (d. 2015)
- 1925 – Carmel Quinn, Irish singer, actress and writer
- 1925 – John Swainson, Canadian-American jurist and politician, 42nd Governor of Michigan (d. 1994)
- 1926 – Bernard Nathanson, American physician and activist (d. 2011)
- 1926 – Hilary Putnam, American mathematician, computer scientist, and philosopher (d. 2016)
- 1927 – Peter Nichols, English author and playwright (d. 2019)
- 1928 – Bill Frenzel, American lieutenant and politician (d. 2014)
- 1929 – Lynne Reid Banks, English author
- 1929 – Gilles Carle, Canadian director and screenwriter (d. 2009)
- 1929 – Don Murray, American actor
- 1929 – José Santamaría, Uruguayan footballer and manager
- 1931 – Nick Bollettieri, American tennis player and coach
- 1931 – Kenny Burrell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1932 – Ted Cassidy, American actor and screenwriter (d. 1979)
- 1932 – John Searle, American philosopher and academic
- 1933 – Cees Nooteboom, Dutch journalist, author, and poet
- 1935 – Yvon Deschamps, Canadian comedian, actor, and producer
- 1935 – Geoffrey Lewis, American actor and screenwriter (d. 2015)
- 1939 – Steuart Bedford, English pianist and conductor
- 1939 – Susan Flannery, American actress
- 1939 – France Nuyen, Vietnamese-French actress
- 1941 – Amarsinh Chaudhary, Indian politician, 8th Chief Minister of Gujarat (d. 2004)
- 1943 – William Bennett, American journalist and politician, 3rd United States Secretary of Education
- 1943 – Lobo, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1944 – Geraldine Chaplin, American actress and screenwriter
- 1944 – Jonathan Dimbleby, English journalist and author
- 1944 – Sherry Lansing, American film producer
- 1944 – Robert C. Merton, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1944 – David Norris, Irish scholar and politician
- 1945 – William Weld, American lawyer and politician, 68th Governor of Massachusetts
- 1946 – Gary Lewis, American pop-rock musician
- 1947 – Karl Green, English bass player and songwriter (Herman’s Hermits)
- 1947 – Richard Griffiths, English actor (d. 2013)
- 1947 – Mumtaz, Indian actress
- 1947 – Hubert Védrine, French politician, French Minister of Foreign Affairs
- 1947 – Ian Beck, English children’s illustrator and author
- 1948 – Russell Morris, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1949 – Mike Jackson, American basketball player
- 1949 – Alan Meale, English journalist and politician
- 1950 – Richard Berry, French actor, director, and screenwriter
- 1951 – Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Australian tennis player
- 1952 – Chris Ahrens, American ice hockey player
- 1952 – Alan Autry, American football player, actor, and politician, 23rd Mayor of Fresno, California
- 1952 – Helmuts Balderis, Latvian ice hockey player and coach
- 1952 – João Barreiros, Portuguese author and critic
- 1952 – Faye Kellerman, American author
- 1953 – Ted Baillieu, Australian architect and politician, 46th Premier of Victoria
- 1953 – Jimmy Cook, South African cricketer and coach
- 1953 – Hugh McDowell, English cellist
- 1954 – Derek Smith, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1956 – Michael Biehn, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1956 – Bill Callahan, American football player and coach
- 1956 – Ron Kuby, American lawyer and radio host
- 1956 – Deval Patrick, American lawyer and politician, 71st Governor of Massachusetts
- 1956 – Lynne Rae Perkins, American author and illustrator
- 1957 – Daniel Ash, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1957 – Mark Thompson, English business executive
- 1958 – Bill Berry, American drummer and songwriter
- 1958 – Mark Cuban, American businessman and television personality
- 1958 – Suzanne Giraud, French music editor and composer
- 1959 – Stanley Jordan, American guitarist, pianist, and songwriter
- 1959 – Andrew Marr, Scottish journalist and author
- 1959 – Kim Newman, English journalist and author
- 1960 – Dale Hunter, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
- 1960 – Malcolm Ross, Scottish guitarist and songwriter
- 1961 – Frank Gardner, English captain and journalist
- 1961 – Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Nigerian banker, royal
- 1962 – John Chiang, American lawyer and politician, 31st California State Controller
- 1962 – Kevin Greene, American football player and coach
- 1962 – Wesley Snipes, American actor and producer
- 1963 – Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim), English DJ and musician
- 1963 – Fergus Henderson, English chef and author
- 1963 – Brian Skrudland, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
- 1964 – Jim Corr, Irish singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1964 – Urmas Hepner, Estonian footballer and coach
- 1965 – Scott Brooks, American basketball player and coach
- 1965 – John Laurinaitis, American wrestler and producer
- 1965 – Ian Roberts, English-Australian rugby league player and actor
- 1965 – J. K. Rowling, English author and film producer
- 1966 – Dean Cain, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
- 1967 – Tony Massenburg, American basketball player
- 1967 – Tim Wright, Welsh composer
- 1968 – Saeed-Al-Saffar, Emirati cricketer
- 1968 – Julian Richards, Welsh director and producer
- 1969 – Antonio Conte, Italian footballer and manager
- 1969 – Loren Dean, American actor
- 1969 – Kenneth D. Schisler, American lawyer and politician
- 1970 – Ahmad Akbarpour, Iranian author and poet
- 1970 – Ben Chaplin, English actor
- 1970 – Andrzej Kobylański, Polish footballer and manager
- 1970 – Giorgos Sigalas, Greek basketball player, coach, and sportscaster
- 1971 – Gus Frerotte, American football player and coach
- 1973 – Nathan Brown, Australian rugby league player and coach
- 1974 – Emilia Fox, English actress
- 1974 – Leona Naess, American-English singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1974 – Jonathan Ogden, American football player
- 1975 – Randy Flores, American baseball player and coach
- 1975 – Andrew Hall, South African cricketer
- 1975 – Gabe Kapler, American baseball player and manager
- 1976 – Joshua Cain, American guitarist and producer
- 1976 – Paulo Wanchope, Costa Rican footballer and manager
- 1978 – Zac Brown, American country singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1978 – Nick Sorensen, American football player and sportscaster
- 1978 – Justin Wilson, English race car driver (d. 2015)
- 1979 – Jaco Erasmus, South African-Italian rugby player
- 1979 – J.J. Furmaniak, American baseball player
- 1979 – Per Krøldrup, Danish footballer
- 1979 – Carlos Marchena, Spanish footballer
- 1979 – B.J. Novak, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1980 – Mikko Hirvonen, Finnish race car driver
- 1980 – Mils Muliaina, New Zealand rugby player
- 1981 – Titus Bramble, English footballer
- 1981 – Vernon Carey, American football player
- 1981 – Paul Whatuira, New Zealand rugby league player
- 1981 – M. Shadows, American musician, lead singer of Avenged Sevenfold
- 1982 – Anabel Medina Garrigues, Spanish tennis player
- 1982 – DeMarcus Ware, American football player
- 1985 – Daniel Ciofani, Italian footballer
- 1985 – Rémy Di Gregorio, French cyclist
- 1986 – Evgeni Malkin, Russian ice hockey player
- 1986 – Brian Orakpo, American football player
- 1987 – Michael Bradley, American soccer player
- 1988 – Alex Glenn, New Zealand rugby league player
- 1989 – Victoria Azarenka, Belorussian tennis player
- 1991 – Réka Luca Jani, Hungarian tennis player
- 1992 – José Fernández, Cuban baseball player (d. 2016)
- 1992 – Ryan Johansen, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1992 – Kyle Larson, American race car driver
- 1994 – Lil Uzi Vert, American hip hop artist
Deaths on July 31
- 54 BC – Aurelia Cotta, Roman mother of Gaius Julius Caesar (b. 120 BC)
- 450 – Peter Chrysologus, Italian bishop and saint (b. 380)
- 910 – Feng Xingxi, Chinese warlord
- 975 – Fu Yanqing, Chinese general (b. 898)
- 1098 – Hugh of Montgomery, 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury
- 1358 – Étienne Marcel, French rebel leader (b. 1302)
- 1396 – William Courtenay, English archbishop and politician, Lord Chancellor of the United Kingdom (b. 1342)
- 1508 – Na’od, Ethiopian emperor
- 1556 – Ignatius of Loyola, Spanish priest and theologian, founded the Society of Jesus (b. 1491)
- 1616 – Roger Wilbraham, Solicitor-General for Ireland (b. 1553)
- 1638 – Sibylla Schwarz, German poet (b. 1621)
- 1653 – Thomas Dudley, English soldier and politician, 3rd Governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony (b. 1576)
- 1693 – Willem Kalf, Dutch still life painter (b. 1619)
- 1726 – Nicolaus II Bernoulli, Swiss mathematician and theorist (b. 1695)
- 1750 – John V, king of Portugal (b. 1689)
- 1762 – Luis Vicente de Velasco e Isla, Spanish sailor and commander (b. 1711)
- 1781 – John Bligh, 3rd Earl of Darnley, British parliamentarian (b. 1719)
- 1784 – Denis Diderot, French philosopher and critic (b. 1713)
- 1805 – Dheeran Chinnamalai, Indian soldier (b. 1756)
- 1864 – Louis Christophe François Hachette, French publisher (b. 1800)
- 1875 – Andrew Johnson, American general and politician, 17th President of the United States (b. 1808)
- 1884 – Kiến Phúc, Vietnamese emperor (b. 1869)
- 1886 – Franz Liszt, Hungarian pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1811)
- 1891 – Jean-Baptiste Capronnier, Belgian stained glass painter (b. 1814)
- 1913 – John Milne, British geologist and mining engineer. (b. 1850)
- 1914 – Jean Jaurès, French journalist and politician (b. 1859)
- 1917 – Hedd Wyn, Welsh language poet (b. 1887)
- 1917 – Francis Ledwidge, Irish soldier and poet (b. 1881)
- 1920 – Ion Dragoumis, Greek philosopher and diplomat (b. 1878)
- 1940 – Udham Singh, Indian activist (b. 1899)
- 1943 – Hedley Verity, English cricketer and soldier (b. 1905)
- 1942 – Francis Younghusband, British Army Officer, explorer and spiritual writer (b.1863)
- 1944 – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, French pilot and poet (b. 1900)
- 1953 – Robert A. Taft, American soldier and politician (b. 1889)
- 1954 – Onofre Marimón, Argentinian race car driver (b. 1923)
- 1958 – Eino Kaila, Finnish philosopher and psychologist, attendant of the Vienna circle (b. 1890)
- 1964 – Jim Reeves, American singer-songwriter (b. 1923)
- 1966 – Bud Powell, American pianist (b. 1924)
- 1968 – Jack Pizzey, Australian politician, 29th Premier of Queensland (b. 1911)
- 1971 – Walter P. Carter, American soldier and activist (b. 1923)
- 1972 – Paul-Henri Spaak, Belgian lawyer and politician, 40th Prime Minister of Belgium (b. 1899)
- 1973 – Azumafuji Kin’ichi, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 40th Yokozuna (b. 1921)
- 1979 – Beatrix Lehmann, English actress and director (b. 1903)
- 1980 – Pascual Jordan, German physicist, author, and academic (b. 1902)
- 1980 – Mohammed Rafi, Indian playback singer (b. 1924)
- 1981 – Omar Torrijos, Panamanian general and politician, Military Leader of Panama (b. 1929)
- 1985 – Eugene Carson Blake, American religious leader (b. 1906)
- 1986 – Chiune Sugihara, Japanese diplomat (b. 1900)
- 1987 – Joseph E. Levine, American film producer (b, 1905)
- 1990 – Albert Leduc, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1902)
- 1992 – Leonard Cheshire, English captain and pilot (b. 1917)
- 1992 – Md. Abdul Wajed Chowdhury, Bangladeshi politician.
- 1993 – Baudouin, King of Belgium (b. 1930)
- 2000 – William Keepers Maxwell Jr., American editor, novelist, short story writer, and essayist (b. 1908)
- 2001 – Francisco da Costa Gomes, Portuguese general and politician, 15th President of Portugal (b. 1914)
- 2001 – Friedrich Franz, Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (b. 1910)
- 2003 – Guido Crepax, Italian author and illustrator (b. 1933)
- 2004 – Virginia Grey, American actress (b. 1917)
- 2005 – Wim Duisenberg, Dutch economist and politician, 1st President of the European Central Bank (b. 1935)
- 2009 – Bobby Robson, English footballer and manager (b. 1933)
- 2009 – Harry Alan Towers, English-Canadian screenwriter and producer (b. 1920)
- 2012 – Mollie Hunter, Scottish author and playwright (b. 1922)
- 2012 – Alfredo Ramos, Brazilian footballer and coach (b. 1924)
- 2012 – Gore Vidal, American novelist, screenwriter, and critic (b. 1925)
- 2012 – Tony Sly, American musician, singer-songwriter (b. 1970)
- 2013 – Michael Ansara, Syrian-American actor (b. 1922)
- 2013 – Michel Donnet, English-Belgian general and pilot (b. 1917)
- 2013 – John Graves, American captain and author (b. 1920)
- 2013 – Trevor Storer, English businessman, founded Pukka Pies (b. 1930)
- 2014 – Warren Bennis, American scholar, author, and academic (b. 1925)
- 2014 – Nabarun Bhattacharya, Indian journalist and author (b. 1948)
- 2014 – Jeff Bourne, English footballer (b. 1948)
- 2014 – Wilfred Feinberg, American lawyer and judge (b. 1920)
- 2015 – Alan Cheuse, American writer and critic (b. 1940)
- 2015 – Howard W. Jones, American surgeon and academic (b. 1910)
- 2015 – Billy Pierce, American baseball player and sportscaster (b. 1927)
- 2015 – Roddy Piper, Canadian wrestler and actor (b. 1954)
- 2015 – Richard Schweiker, American soldier and politician, 14th United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (b. 1926)
- 2016 – Chiyonofuji Mitsugu, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 58th Yokozuna (b. 1955)
- 2016 – Seymour Papert, South African mathematician (b. 1928)
- 2017 – Jeanne Moreau, French actress (b. 1928)
- 2018 – Tony Bullimore, British sailor & businessman (b. 1939)
- 2019 – Harold Prince, noted Broadway producer and director, who received more Tony awards than anyone else in history (b. 1928)
Holidays and observances on July 31
- Christian feast day:
- Abanoub
- Germanus of Auxerre
- Ignatius of Loyola
- Neot
- July 31 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Earliest day on which the Feast of Kamál (Perfection) can fall, while August 1 is the latest; observed on the first day of the eighth month of the Bahá’í calendar. (Bahá’í Faith)
- End of the Trinity term (sitting of the High Court of Justice of England)
- Ka Hae Hawaiʻi Day (Hawaii, United States), and its related observance:
- Sovereignty Restoration Day (Hawaiian sovereignty movement)
- Martyrdom Day of Shahid Udham Singh (Haryana and Punjab, India)
- Treasury Day (Poland)
- Warriors’ Day (Malaysia)
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July 29 in History
- 587 BC – The Neo-Babylonian Empire sacks Jerusalem and destroys the First Temple.
- 238 – The Praetorian Guard storm the palace and capture Pupienus and Balbinus. They are dragged through the streets of Rome and executed. On the same day, Gordian III, age 13, is proclaimed emperor.
- 615 – Pakal ascends the throne of Palenque at the age of 12.
- 904 – Sack of Thessalonica: Saracen raiders under Leo of Tripoli sack Thessaloniki, the Byzantine Empire’s second-largest city, after a short siege, and plunder it for a week.
- 923 – Battle of Firenzuola: Lombard forces under King Rudolph II and Adalbert I, margrave of Ivrea, defeat the dethroned Emperor Berengar I of Italy at Firenzuola (Tuscany).
- 1014 – Byzantine–Bulgarian wars: Battle of Kleidion: Byzantine emperor Basil II inflicts a decisive defeat on the Bulgarian army, and his subsequent treatment of 15,000 prisoners reportedly causes Tsar Samuil of Bulgaria to die of a heart attack less than three months later, on October 6.
- 1018 – Count Dirk III defeats an army sent by Emperor Henry II in the Battle of Vlaardingen.
- 1030 – Ladejarl-Fairhair succession wars: Battle of Stiklestad: King Olaf II fights and dies trying to regain his Norwegian throne from the Danes.
- 1148 – The Siege of Damascus ends in a decisive crusader defeat and leads to the disintegration of the Second Crusade.
- 1565 – The widowed Mary, Queen of Scots marries Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, Duke of Albany, at Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh, Scotland.
- 1567 – James VI is crowned King of Scotland at Stirling.
- 1588 – Anglo-Spanish War: Battle of Gravelines: English naval forces under the command of Lord Charles Howard and Sir Francis Drake defeat the Spanish Armada off the coast of Gravelines, France.
- 1693 – War of the Grand Alliance: Battle of Landen: France wins a Pyrrhic victory over Allied forces in the Netherlands.
- 1775 – Founding of the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps: General George Washington appoints William Tudor as Judge Advocate of the Continental Army.
- 1818 – French physicist Augustin Fresnel submits his prizewinning “Memoir on the Diffraction of Light”, precisely accounting for the limited extent to which light spreads into shadows, and thereby demolishing the oldest objection to the wave theory of light.
- 1836 – Inauguration of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France.
- 1848 – Irish Potato Famine: Tipperary Revolt: In County Tipperary, Ireland, then in the United Kingdom, an unsuccessful nationalist revolt against British rule is put down by police.
- 1851 – Annibale de Gasparis discovers asteroid 15 Eunomia.
- 1858 – United States and Japan sign the Harris Treaty.
- 1864 – American Civil War: Confederate spy Belle Boyd is arrested by Union troops and detained at the Old Capitol Prison in Washington, D.C.
- 1871 – The Connecticut Valley Railroad opens between Old Saybrook, Connecticut and Hartford, Connecticut in the United States.
- 1899 – The First Hague Convention is signed.
- 1900 – In Italy, King Umberto I of Italy is assassinated by the anarchist Gaetano Bresci.
- 1907 – Sir Robert Baden-Powell sets up the Brownsea Island Scout camp in Poole Harbour on the south coast of England. The camp runs from August 1 to August 9, 1907, and is regarded as the foundation of the Scouting movement.
- 1914 – The Cape Cod Canal opened.
- 1920 – Construction of the Link River Dam begins as part of the Klamath Reclamation Project.
- 1921 – Adolf Hitler becomes leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party.
- 1932 – Great Depression: In Washington, D.C., troops disperse the last of the “Bonus Army” of World War I veterans.
- 1937 – Tōngzhōu Incident: In Tōngzhōu, China, the East Hopei Army attacks Japanese troops and civilians.
- 1945 – The BBC Light Programme radio station is launched for mainstream light entertainment and music.
- 1948 – Olympic Games: The Games of the XIV Olympiad: After a hiatus of 12 years caused by World War II, the first Summer Olympics to be held since the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, open in London.
- 1950 – Korean War: After four days, the No Gun Ri Massacre ends when the US Army 7th Cavalry Regiment is withdrawn.
- 1957 – The International Atomic Energy Agency is established.
- 1958 – U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs into law the National Aeronautics and Space Act, which creates the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
- 1959 – First United States Congress elections in Hawaii as a state of the Union.
- 1965 – Vietnam War: The first 4,000 101st Airborne Division paratroopers arrive in Vietnam, landing at Cam Ranh Bay.
- 1967 – Vietnam War: Off the coast of North Vietnam the USS Forrestal catches on fire in the worst U.S. naval disaster since World War II, killing 134.
- 1967 – During the fourth day of celebrating its 400th anniversary, the city of Caracas, Venezuela is shaken by an earthquake, leaving approximately 500 dead.
- 1973 – Greeks vote to abolish the monarchy, beginning the first period of the Metapolitefsi.
- 1973 – During the Dutch Grand Prix driver Roger Williamson was killed in the race, after a suspected tire failure caused the car to pitch into the barriers at high speed.
- 1976 – In New York City, David Berkowitz (a.k.a. the “Son of Sam”) kills one person and seriously wounds another in the first of a series of attacks.
- 1980 – Iran adopts a new “holy” flag after the Islamic Revolution.
- 1981 – A worldwide television audience of over 700 million people watch the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer at St Paul’s Cathedral in London.
- 1981 – After impeachment on June 21, Abolhassan Banisadr flees with Massoud Rajavi to Paris, in an Iranian Air Force Boeing 707, piloted by Colonel Behzad Moezzi, to form the National Council of Resistance of Iran.
- 1987 – British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and President of France François Mitterrand sign the agreement to build a tunnel under the English Channel (Eurotunnel).
- 1987 – Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi and President of Sri Lanka J. R. Jayewardene sign the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord on ethnic issues.
- 1993 – The Supreme Court of Israel acquits alleged Nazi death camp guard John Demjanjuk of all charges and he is set free.
- 1996 – The child protection portion of the Communications Decency Act is struck down by a U.S. federal court as too broad.
- 2005 – Astronomers announce their discovery of the dwarf planet Eris.
- 2010 – An overloaded passenger ferry capsizes on the Kasai River in Bandundu Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, resulting in at least 80 deaths.
- 2013 – Two passenger trains collide in the Swiss municipality of Granges-près-Marnand near Lausanne injuring 25 people.
- 2019 – Prison riot between rival gangs broke out in Brazil, at least 57 people have been killed.
Births on July 29
- 869 – Muhammad al-Mahdi, Iraqi 12th Imam (d. 941)
- 996 – Fujiwara no Norimichi, Japanese nobleman (d. 1075)
- 1166 – Henry II, French nobleman and king of Jerusalem (d. 1197)
- 1356 – Martin the Elder, king of Aragon, Valencia and Majorca (d. 1410)
- 1537 – Pedro Téllez-Girón, Spanish nobleman (d. 1590)
- 1573 – Philip II, duke of Pomerania-Stettin (d. 1618)
- 1580 – Francesco Mochi, Italian sculptor (d. 1654)
- 1605 – Simon Dach, German poet and hymn-writer (d. 1659)
- 1646 – Johann Theile, German organist and composer (d. 1724)
- 1744 – Giulio Maria della Somaglia, Italian cardinal (d. 1830)
- 1763 – Philip Charles Durham, Scottish admiral and politician (d. 1845)
- 1797 – Daniel Drew, American businessman and financier (d. 1879)
- 1801 – George Bradshaw, English cartographer and publisher (d. 1853)
- 1805 – Alexis de Tocqueville, French historian and philosopher (d. 1859)
- 1806 – Horace Abbott, American businessman and banker (d. 1887)
- 1817 – Ivan Aivazovsky, Armenian-Russian painter and illustrator (d. 1900)
- 1817 – Martin Körber, Baltic German pastor, composer, and conductor (d. 1893)
- 1841 – Gerhard Armauer Hansen, Norwegian physician (d. 1912)
- 1843 – Johannes Schmidt, German linguist and academic (d. 1901)
- 1846 – Sophie Menter, German pianist and composer (d. 1918)
- 1846 – Isabel, Brazilian princess (d. 1921)
- 1849 – Max Nordau, Hungarian physician, author, and critic, co-founded the World Zionist Organization (d. 1923)
- 1860 – Charles Cochrane-Baillie, 2nd Baron Lamington, English politician, 8th Governor of Queensland (d. 1940)
- 1867 – Berthold Oppenheim, Moravian rabbi (d. 1942)
- 1869 – Booth Tarkington, American novelist and dramatist (d. 1946)
- 1871 – Jakob Mändmets, Estonian writer and journalist (d. 1930)
- 1872 – Eric Alfred Knudsen, American author, lawyer, and politician (d. 1957)
- 1874 – J. S. Woodsworth, Canadian minister and politician (d. 1942)
- 1876 – Maria Ouspenskaya, Russian-American actress and acting teacher (d. 1949)
- 1878 – Don Marquis, American author, poet, and playwright (d. 1937)
- 1883 – Porfirio Barba-Jacob, Colombian poet and author (d. 1942)
- 1883 – Benito Mussolini, Italian fascist revolutionary and politician, 27th Prime Minister of Italy (d. 1945)
- 1884 – Ralph Austin Bard, American financier and politician, 2nd Under Secretary of the Navy (d. 1975)
- 1885 – Theda Bara, American actress (d. 1955)
- 1887 – Sigmund Romberg, Hungarian-American pianist and composer (d. 1951)
- 1888 – Vladimir K. Zworykin, Russian-American engineer, invented the Iconoscope (d. 1982)
- 1891 – Bernhard Zondek, German-Israeli gynecologist and academic (d. 1966)
- 1892 – William Powell, American actor and singer (d. 1984)
- 1896 – Maria L. de Hernández, Mexican-American rights activist (d. 1986)
- 1897 – Neil Ritchie, Guyanese-English general (d. 1983)
- 1898 – Isidor Isaac Rabi, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize Laureate (d. 1988)
- 1899 – Walter Beall, American baseball player (d. 1959)
- 1900 – Mary V. Austin, Australian community worker and political activist (d. 1986)
- 1900 – Eyvind Johnson, Swedish novelist and short story writer, Nobel Prize Laureate (d. 1976)
- 1900 – Teresa Noce, Italian labor leader, activist, and journalist (d. 1980)
- 1900 – Don Redman, American composer, and bandleader (d. 1964)
- 1904 – Mahasi Sayadaw, Burmese monk and philosopher (d. 1982)
- 1904 – J. R. D. Tata, French-Indian pilot and businessman, founded Tata Motors and Tata Global Beverages (d. 1993)
- 1905 – Clara Bow, American actress (d. 1965)
- 1905 – Dag Hammarskjöld, Swedish economist and diplomat, 2nd Secretary-General of the United Nations, Nobel Prize Laureate (d. 1961)
- 1905 – Stanley Kunitz, American poet and translator (d. 2006)
- 1906 – Thelma Todd, American actress and singer (d. 1935)
- 1907 – Melvin Belli, American lawyer (d. 1996)
- 1909 – Samm Sinclair Baker, American author (d. 1997)
- 1909 – Chester Himes, American-Spanish author (d. 1984)
- 1910 – Gale Page, American actress (d. 1983)
- 1911 – Foster Furcolo, American lawyer and politician, 60th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1995)
- 1911 – Archbishop Iakovos of America (d. 2005)
- 1913 – Erich Priebke, German war criminal, leader of the 1944 Ardeatine massacre (d. 2013)
- 1914 – Irwin Corey, American actor and activist (d. 2017)
- 1915 – Bruce R. McConkie, American colonel and religious leader (d. 1985)
- 1915 – Francis W. Sargent, American soldier and politician, 64th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1998)
- 1916 – Budd Boetticher, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2001)
- 1916 – Charlie Christian, American guitarist (d. 1942)
- 1916 – Rupert Hamer, Australian politician, 39th Premier of Victoria (d. 2004)
- 1917 – Rochus Misch, German SS officer (d. 2013)
- 1918 – Don Ingalls, American writer and producer (d. 2014)
- 1918 – Edwin O’Connor, American journalist and author (d. 1968)
- 1918 – Mary Lee Settle, American novelist, essayist, and memoirist (d. 2005)
- 1920 – Neville Jeffress, Australian businessman (d. 2007)
- 1921 – Richard Egan, American actor (d. 1987)
- 1921 – Chris Marker, French photographer and journalist (d. 2012)
- 1923 – George Burditt, American screenwriter and producer (d. 2013)
- 1923 – Edgar Cortright, American scientist and engineer (d. 2014)
- 1923 – Jim Marshall, English businessman, founded Marshall Amplification (d. 2012)
- 1923 – Gordon Mitchell, American bodybuilder and actor (d. 2003)
- 1924 – Lloyd Bochner, Canadian-American actor (d. 2005)
- 1924 – Robert Horton, American actor (d. 2016)
- 1925 – Harold W. Kuhn, American mathematician and academic (d. 2014)
- 1925 – Ted Lindsay, Canadian ice hockey player, manager, and sportscaster (d. 2019)
- 1925 – Mikis Theodorakis, Greek composer
- 1926 – Robert Kilpatrick, Baron Kilpatrick of Kincraig, Scottish physician, academic, and politician (d. 2015)
- 1927 – Harry Mulisch, Dutch author, poet, and playwright (d. 2010)
- 1930 – Paul Taylor, American dancer and choreographer (d. 2018)
- 1931 – Kjell Karlsen, Norwegian pianist, composer, and bandleader (d. 2020)
- 1932 – Leslie Fielding, English diplomat
- 1932 – Nancy Kassebaum, American businesswoman and politician
- 1933 – Lou Albano, Italian-American wrestler, manager, and actor (d. 2009)
- 1933 – Colin Davis, English race car driver (d. 2012)
- 1933 – Robert Fuller, American actor and rancher
- 1933 – Randy Sparks, American folk singer-songwriter and musician (The New Christy Minstrels)
- 1935 – Peter Schreier, German tenor and conductor (d. 2019)
- 1936 – Elizabeth Dole, American lawyer and politician, 20th United States Secretary of Labor
- 1937 – Daniel McFadden, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize Laureate
- 1938 – Peter Jennings, Canadian-American journalist and author (d. 2005)
- 1938 – Jean Rochon, Canadian physician and politician
- 1940 – Betty Harris, American chemist
- 1940 – Winnie Monsod, Filipina economist and political commentator
- 1941 – Jennifer Dunn, American engineer and politician (d. 2007)
- 1941 – Goenawan Mohamad, Indonesian poet and playwright
- 1941 – David Warner, English actor
- 1942 – Doug Ashdown, Australian singer-songwriter
- 1943 – David Taylor, English snooker player and sportscaster
- 1944 – Jim Bridwell, American rock climber and mountaineer
- 1945 – Sharon Creech, American author and educator
- 1945 – Mircea Lucescu, Romanian footballer, coach, and manager
- 1946 – Ximena Armas, Chilean painter
- 1946 – Stig Blomqvist, Swedish race car driver
- 1946 – Neal Doughty, American keyboard player, songwriter, and producer
- 1946 – Alessandro Gogna, Italian mountaineer and adventurer
- 1946 – Diane Keen, English actress
- 1946 – Aleksei Tammiste, Estonian basketball player
- 1947 – Dick Harmon, American golfer and coach (d. 2006)
- 1948 – John Clarke, New Zealand-Australian comedian, actor, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2017)
- 1949 – Leslie Easterbrook, American actress
- 1949 – Jamil Mahuad, Ecuadorian lawyer and politician, 51st President of Ecuador
- 1950 – Jenny Holzer, American painter, author, and dancer
- 1951 – Susan Blackmore, English psychologist and theorist
- 1951 – Dan Driessen, American baseball player and coach
- 1951 – Dean Pitchford, American actor, director, screenwriter, and composer
- 1952 – Norman Blackwell, Baron Blackwell, English businessman and politician
- 1952 – Joe Johnson, English snooker player and sportscaster
- 1952 – Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou, Greek politician
- 1953 – Ken Burns, American director and producer
- 1953 – Geddy Lee, Canadian musician
- 1953 – Frank McGuinness, Irish poet and playwright
- 1953 – Tim Gunn, American television host and actor
- 1954 – Patti Scialfa, American musician
- 1955 – Jean-Hugues Anglade, French actor, director, and screenwriter
- 1955 – Dave Stevens, American illustrator (d. 2008)
- 1955 – Stephen Timms, English politician, Minister of State for Competitiveness
- 1956 – Teddy Atlas, American boxer, trainer, and sportscaster
- 1956 – Ronnie Musgrove, American lawyer and politician, 62nd Governor of Mississippi
- 1956 – Faustino Rupérez, Spanish cyclist
- 1957 – Liam Davison, Australian author and educator (d. 2014)
- 1957 – Viktor Gavrikov, Lithuanian-Swiss chess player (d. 2016)
- 1957 – Nellie Kim, Russian gymnast and coach
- 1958 – Gail Dines, English-American author, activist, and academic
- 1958 – Simon Nye, English screenwriter and producer
- 1958 – Cynthia Rowley, American fashion designer
- 1959 – Sanjay Dutt, Indian actor, singer, and producer
- 1959 – Ruud Janssen, Dutch blogger and illustrator
- 1959 – Dave LaPoint, American baseball player and manager
- 1959 – John Sykes, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1960 – Didier Van Cauwelaert, French author
- 1962 – Carl Cox, English DJ and producer
- 1962 – Frank Neubarth, German footballer and manager
- 1962 – Scott Steiner, American wrestler
- 1962 – Vincent Rousseau, Belgian runner
- 1963 – Hans-Holger Albrecht, Belgian-German businessman
- 1963 – Jim Beglin, Irish footballer and sportscaster
- 1963 – Julie Elliott, English politician
- 1963 – Azeem Hafeez, Pakistani cricketer
- 1963 – Alexandra Paul, American actress and producer
- 1963 – Graham Poll, English footballer, referee, and journalist
- 1964 – Jaanus Veensalu, Estonian footballer
- 1965 – Luis Alicea, Puerto Rican-American baseball player and coach
- 1965 – Dean Haglund, Canadian actor, producer, and screenwriter
- 1965 – Adam Holloway, English captain and politician
- 1965 – Stan Koziol, American soccer player (d. 2014)
- 1965 – Chang-Rae Lee, South Korean-American author and academic
- 1965 – Xavier Waterkeyn, Australian author
- 1965 – Woody Weatherman, American guitarist and songwriter
- 1966 – Sally Gunnell, English hurdler and sportscaster
- 1966 – Stuart Lampitt, English cricketer
- 1966 – Martina McBride, American singer-songwriter and producer
- 1968 – Gideon Henderson, English geologist and academic
- 1968 – Paavo Lötjönen, Finnish cellist and educator
- 1970 – Adele Griffin, American author
- 1970 – Andi Peters, English journalist, actor, and producer
- 1970 – John Rennie, Zimbabwean cricketer
- 1971 – Andrea Philipp, German sprinter
- 1972 – Wil Wheaton, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
- 1973 – Stephen Dorff, American actor and producer
- 1973 – Denis Urubko, Kazakh mountaineer
- 1975 – Yoshihiro Akiyama, Japanese mixed martial artist
- 1975 – Lanka de Silva, Sri Lankan cricketer
- 1975 – Corrado Grabbi, Italian footballer
- 1975 – Jaanus Sirel, Estonian footballer
- 1978 – Mike Adams, American baseball player
- 1978 – Marina Lazarovska, Macedonian tennis player
- 1979 – Karim Essediri, Tunisian footballer
- 1979 – Ronald Murray, American basketball player
- 1979 – Juris Umbraško, Latvian basketball player
- 1980 – Ryan Braun, Canadian-American baseball player
- 1980 – Fernando González, Chilean tennis player
- 1980 – Ben Koller, American drummer
- 1980 – John Morris, Australian rugby league player
- 1981 – Fernando Alonso, Spanish race car driver
- 1981 – Andrés Madrid, Argentinian footballer
- 1981 – Troy Perkins, American soccer player
- 1982 – Janez Aljančič, Slovenian footballer
- 1982 – Jônatas Domingos, Brazilian footballer
- 1982 – Allison Mack, American actress and criminal
- 1983 – Jason Belmonte, Australian bowler
- 1983 – Inés Gómez Mont, Mexican journalist and actress
- 1983 – Alexei Kaigorodov, Russian ice hockey player
- 1983 – Jerious Norwood, American football player
- 1983 – Elise Testone, American singer-songwriter
- 1984 – Oh Beom-seok, South Korean footballer
- 1984 – Chad Billingsley, American baseball player
- 1984 – Wilson Palacios, Honduran footballer
- 1985 – Besart Berisha, Albanian footballer
- 1985 – Okinoumi Ayumi, Japanese sumo wrestler
- 1985 – Simon Santoso, Indonesian badminton player
- 1988 – Tarjei Bø, Norwegian biathlete
- 1989 – Grit Šadeiko, Estonian heptathlete
- 1991 – Dale Copley, Australian rugby league player
- 1991 – Irakli Logua, Russian footballer
- 1992 – Karen Torrez, Bolivian swimmer
- 1993 – Nicole Melichar, American tennis player
- 1994 – Liam O’Brien, Canadian ice hockey player
Deaths on July 29
- 238 – Balbinus, Roman emperor (b. 165)
- 238 – Pupienus, Roman emperor (b. 178)
- 451 – Tuoba Huang, prince of Northern Wei (b. 428)
- 796 – Offa of Mercia (b. 730)
- 846 – Li Shen, chancellor of the Tang Dynasty
- 1030 – Olaf II of Norway (b. 995)
- 1095 – Ladislaus I of Hungary (b. 1040)
- 1099 – Pope Urban II (b. 1042)
- 1108 – Philip I of France (b. 1052)
- 1236 – Ingeborg of Denmark, Queen of France (b. 1175)
- 1326 – Richard Óg de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster (b. 1259)
- 1504 – Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby (b. 1435)
- 1507 – Martin Behaim, German-Bohemian geographer and astronomer (b. 1459)
- 1573 – John Caius, English physician and academic (b. 1510)
- 1612 – Jacques Bongars, French scholar and diplomat (b. 1554)
- 1644 – Pope Urban VIII (b. 1568)
- 1752 – Peter Warren, Irish admiral and politician (b. 1703)
- 1781 – Johann Kies, German astronomer and mathematician (b. 1713)
- 1792 – René Nicolas Charles Augustin de Maupeou, French lawyer and politician, Chancellor of France (b. 1714)
- 1813 – Jean-Andoche Junot, French general (b. 1771)
- 1833 – William Wilberforce, English philanthropist and politician (b. 1759)
- 1839 – Gaspard de Prony, French mathematician and engineer (b. 1755)
- 1844 – Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart, Austrian pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1791)
- 1856 – Robert Schumann, German composer and critic (b. 1810)
- 1857 – Thomas Dick, Scottish minister, astronomer, and author (b. 1774)
- 1887 – Agostino Depretis, Italian politician, 9th Prime Minister of Italy (d. 1813)
- 1890 – Vincent van Gogh, Dutch painter and illustrator (b. 1853)
- 1895 – Floriano Peixoto, Brazilian general and politician, 2nd President of Brazil (b. 1839)
- 1900 – Umberto I of Italy (b. 1844)
- 1908 – Marie Adam-Doerrer (b. 1838)
- 1913 – Tobias Asser, Dutch lawyer and jurist, Nobel Prize Laureate (b. 1838)
- 1918 – Ernest William Christmas, Australian-American painter (b. 1863)
- 1924 – Sotirios Krokidas, Greek educator and politician, 110th Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1852)
- 1934 – Didier Pitre, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1883)
- 1938 – Nikolai Krylenko, Russian lawyer, jurist, and politician, Prosecutor General of the Russian SFSR (b. 1885)
- 1950 – Joe Fry, English race car driver (b. 1915)
- 1951 – Ali Sami Yen, Turkish footballer and manager, founded Galatasaray S.K. (b. 1886)
- 1954 – Coen de Koning, Dutch speed skater (b. 1879)
- 1960 – Hasan Saka, Turkish politician, 7th Prime Minister of Turkey (b. 1885)
- 1962 – Ronald Fisher, English biologist and statistician (b. 1890)
- 1962 – Leonardo De Lorenzo, Italian-American flute player and educator (b. 1875)
- 1964 – Vean Gregg, American baseball player (b. 1885)
- 1966 – Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, Nigerian general and politician, 2nd Head of State of Nigeria (b. 1924)
- 1966 – Adekunle Fajuyi, Nigerian colonel (b. 1926)
- 1970 – John Barbirolli, English cellist and conductor (b. 1899)
- 1973 – Norm Smith, Australian footballer and coach (b. 1915)
- 1973 – Roger Williamson, English race car driver (b. 1948)
- 1974 – Cass Elliot, American singer (b. 1941)
- 1974 – Erich Kästner, German author and poet (b. 1899)
- 1976 – Mickey Cohen, American gangster (b. 1913)
- 1978 – Andrzej Bogucki, Polish actor, operetta singer, and songwriter (b. 1904)
- 1979 – Herbert Marcuse, German sociologist and philosopher (b. 1898)
- 1979 – Bill Todman, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1916)
- 1981 – Robert Moses, American urban planner, designed the Northern State Parkway and Southern State Parkway (b. 1888)
- 1982 – Harold Sakata, American wrestler and actor (b. 1920)
- 1982 – Vladimir K. Zworykin, Russian-American engineer, invented the Iconoscope (b. 1889)
- 1983 – Luis Buñuel, Spanish actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1900)
- 1983 – Raymond Massey, Canadian-American actor and screenwriter (b. 1896)
- 1983 – David Niven, English military officer and actor (b. 1910)
- 1984 – Fred Waring, American television host and bandleader (b. 1900)
- 1987 – Bibhutibhushan Mukhopadhyay, Indian author, poet, and playwright (b. 1894)
- 1990 – Bruno Kreisky, Austrian academic and politician, 22nd Chancellor of Austria (b. 1911)
- 1992 – Michel Larocque, Canadian ice hockey player and manager (b. 1952)
- 1994 – John Britton, American physician (b. 1925)
- 1994 – Dorothy Hodgkin, Egyptian-English biochemist and biophysicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1910)
- 1995 – Les Elgart, American trumpet player and bandleader (b. 1917)
- 1996 – Ric Nordman, Canadian businessman and politician (b. 1919)
- 1996 – Marcel-Paul Schützenberger, French mathematician and theorist (b. 1920)
- 1996 – Jason Thirsk, American singer and bass player (b. 1967)
- 1998 – Jerome Robbins, American director, producer, and choreographer (b. 1918)
- 2001 – Edward Gierek, Polish soldier and politician (b. 1913)
- 2001 – Wau Holland, German computer scientist, co-founded Chaos Computer Club (b. 1951)
- 2003 – Foday Sankoh, Sierra Leonean soldier, founded the Revolutionary United Front (b. 1937)
- 2004 – Rena Vlahopoulou, Greek actress and singer (b. 1923)
- 2007 – Mike Reid, English comedian, actor, and author (b. 1940)
- 2007 – Michel Serrault, French actor (b. 1928)
- 2007 – Tom Snyder, American journalist and talk show host (b. 1936)
- 2007 – Marvin Zindler, American journalist (b. 1921)
- 2008 – Bruce Edward Ivins, American scientist and bio-defense researcher (b. 1946)
- 2010 – Charles E. Wicks, American chemist and academic (b. 1925)
- 2012 – Tatiana Egorova, Russian footballer and manager (b. 1970)
- 2012 – August Kowalczyk, Polish actor and director (b. 1921)
- 2012 – Chris Marker, French photographer and journalist (b. 1921)
- 2012 – James Mellaart, English archaeologist and author (b. 1925)
- 2012 – John Stampe, Danish footballer and coach (b. 1957)
- 2013 – Christian Benítez, Ecuadorian footballer (b. 1986)
- 2013 – Peter Flanigan, American banker and civil servant (b. 1923)
- 2013 – Tony Gaze, Australian soldier, pilot, and race car driver (b. 1920)
- 2013 – Munir Hussain, Indian cricketer and sportscaster (b. 1929)
- 2014 – M. Caldwell Butler, American soldier, lawyer, and politician (b. 1925)
- 2014 – Jon R. Cavaiani, English-American sergeant, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1943)
- 2014 – Giorgio Gaslini, Italian pianist and composer (b. 1929)
- 2014 – María Antonia Iglesias, Spanish journalist and author (b. 1945)
- 2014 – Péter Kiss, Hungarian engineer and politician (b. 1959)
- 2014 – Idris Muhammad, American drummer and composer (b. 1939)
- 2014 – Thomas R. St. George, American soldier and author (b. 1919)
- 2015 – Antony Holland, English-Canadian actor, director, and playwright (b. 1920)
- 2015 – Peter O’Sullevan, Anglo-Irish sportscaster (b. 1918)
- 2015 – Mike Pyle, American football player and sportscaster (b. 1939)
- 2015 – Franklin H. Westervelt, American computer scientist, engineer, and academic (b. 1930)
- 2018 – Oliver Dragojević, a Croatian recording artist (b. 1947)
- 2018 – Josip Peruzovic, Yugoslav-born American professional wrestler (b. 1947)
Holidays and observances on July 29
- Christian feast day:
- Lupus of Troyes
- Martha of Bethany (Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran Church)
- Mary of Bethany
- Olaf II of Norway
- Simplicius, Faustinus and Beatrix
- July 29 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Earliest day on which Somer’s Day can fall, while August 4 is the latest; celebrated on Friday before the first Monday in August. (Bermuda)
- International Tiger Day
- Mohun Bagan Day (India)
- National Anthem Day (Romania)
- National Thai Language Day (Thailand)
- Ólavsøka or Olsok, opening of the Løgting session. (Faroe Islands and the Nordic countries)
-
July 25 in History
- 306 – Constantine I is proclaimed Roman emperor by his troops.
- 315 – The Arch of Constantine is completed near the Colosseum in Rome to commemorate Constantine I’s victory over Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge.
- 677 – Climax of the Siege of Thessalonica by the Slavs in a three-day assault on the city walls.
- 864 – The Edict of Pistres of Charles the Bald orders defensive measures against the Vikings.
- 1137 – Eleanor of Aquitaine marries Prince Louis, later King Louis VII of France, at the Cathedral of Saint-André in Bordeaux.
- 1139 – Battle of Ourique: The Almoravids, led by Ali ibn Yusuf, are defeated by Prince Afonso Henriques who is proclaimed King of Portugal.
- 1261 – The city of Constantinople is recaptured by Nicaean forces under the command of Alexios Strategopoulos, re-establishing the Byzantine Empire.
- 1278 – The naval Battle of Algeciras takes place in the context of the Spanish Reconquista resulting in a victory for the Emirate of Granada and the Maranid Dynasty over the Kingdom of Castile.
- 1467 – The Battle of Molinella: The first battle in Italy in which firearms are used extensively.
- 1536 – Sebastián de Belalcázar on his search of El Dorado founds the city of Santiago de Cali.
- 1538 – The city of Guayaquil is founded by the Spanish Conquistador Francisco de Orellana and given the name Muy Noble y Muy Leal Ciudad de Santiago de Guayaquil.
- 1547 – Henry II of France is crowned.
- 1554 – Mary I marries Philip II of Spain at Winchester Cathedral.
- 1567 – Don Diego de Losada founds the city of Santiago de Leon de Caracas, modern-day Caracas, the capital city of Venezuela.
- 1593 – Henry IV of France publicly converts from Protestantism to Roman Catholicism.
- 1603 – James VI of Scotland is crowned king of England (James I of England), bringing the Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Scotland into personal union. Political union would occur in 1707.
- 1609 – The English ship Sea Venture, en route to Virginia, is deliberately driven ashore during a storm at Bermuda to prevent its sinking; the survivors go on to found a new colony there.
- 1693 – Ignacio de Maya founds the Real Santiago de las Sabinas, now known as Sabinas Hidalgo, Nuevo León, Mexico.
- 1722 – Dummer’s War begins along the Maine-Massachusetts border.
- 1755 – British governor Charles Lawrence and the Nova Scotia Council order the deportation of the Acadians.
- 1759 – French and Indian War: In Western New York, British forces capture Fort Niagara from the French, who subsequently abandon Fort Rouillé.
- 1783 – American Revolutionary War: The war’s last action, the Siege of Cuddalore, is ended by a preliminary peace agreement.
- 1788 – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart completes his Symphony No. 40 in G minor (K550).
- 1792 – The Brunswick Manifesto is issued to the population of Paris promising vengeance if the French royal family is harmed.
- 1797 – Horatio Nelson loses more than 300 men and his right arm during the failed conquest attempt of Tenerife (Spain).
- 1799 – At Abu Qir in Egypt, Napoleon I of France defeats 10,000 Ottomans under Mustafa Pasha.
- 1814 – War of 1812: An American attack on Canada is repulsed.
- 1824 – Costa Rica annexes Guanacaste from Nicaragua.
- 1837 – The first commercial use of an electrical telegraph is successfully demonstrated in London by William Cooke and Charles Wheatstone.
- 1853 – Joaquin Murrieta, the famous Californio bandit known as the “Robin Hood of El Dorado”, is killed.
- 1861 – American Civil War: The United States Congress passes the Crittenden–Johnson Resolution, stating that the war is being fought to preserve the Union and not to end slavery.
- 1866 – The United States Congress passes legislation authorizing the rank of General of the Army. Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant becomes the first to be promoted to this rank.
- 1868 – The Wyoming Territory is established.
- 1869 – The Japanese daimyōs begin returning their land holdings to the emperor as part of the Meiji Restoration reforms. (Traditional Japanese Date: June 17, 1869).
- 1894 – The First Sino-Japanese War begins when the Japanese fire upon a Chinese warship.
- 1898 – In the Puerto Rican Campaign, the United States seizes Puerto Rico from Spain.
- 1908 – Ajinomoto is founded. Kikunae Ikeda of the Tokyo Imperial University discovers that a key ingredient in kombu soup stock is monosodium glutamate (MSG), and patents a process for manufacturing it.
- 1909 – Louis Blériot makes the first flight across the English Channel in a heavier-than-air machine from Calais to Dover, England, United Kingdom in 37 minutes.
- 1915 – RFC Captain Lanoe Hawker becomes the first British pursuit aviator to earn the Victoria Cross.
- 1917 – Sir Robert Borden introduces the first income tax in Canada as a “temporary” measure (lowest bracket is 4% and highest is 25%).
- 1925 – Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union (TASS) is established.
- 1934 – The Nazis assassinate Austrian Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss in a failed coup attempt.
- 1940 – General Henri Guisan orders the Swiss Army to resist German invasion and makes surrender illegal.
- 1942 – The Norwegian Manifesto calls for nonviolent resistance to the German occupation.
- 1943 – World War II: Benito Mussolini is forced out of office by the Grand Council of Fascism and is replaced by Pietro Badoglio.
- 1944 – World War II: Operation Spring is one of the bloodiest days for the First Canadian Army during the war.
- 1946 – Nuclear weapons testing: Operation Crossroads: An atomic bomb is detonated underwater in the lagoon of Bikini Atoll.
- 1956 – Forty-five miles south of Nantucket Island, the Italian ocean liner SS Andrea Doria collides with the MS Stockholm in heavy fog and sinks the next day, killing 51.
- 1957 – The Republic of Tunisia is proclaimed, under President Habib Bourguiba.
- 1958 – The African Regroupment Party (PRA) holds its first congress in Cotonou.
- 1961 – Cold War: In a speech John F. Kennedy emphasizes that any attack on Berlin is an attack on NATO.
- 1965 – Bob Dylan goes electric at the Newport Folk Festival, signaling a major change in folk and rock music.
- 1969 – Vietnam War: U.S. President Richard Nixon declares the Nixon Doctrine, stating that the United States now expects its Asian allies to take care of their own military defense. This is the start of the “Vietnamization” of the war.
- 1973 – Soviet Mars 5 space probe is launched.
- 1976 – Viking program: Viking 1 takes the famous Face on Mars photo.
- 1978 – Puerto Rican police shoot two nationalists in the Cerro Maravilla murders.
- 1978 – Birth of Louise Joy Brown, the first human to have been born after conception by in vitro fertilisation, or IVF.
- 1979 – Another section of the Sinai Peninsula is peacefully returned by Israel to Egypt.
- 1983 – Black July: Thirty-seven Tamil political prisoners at the Welikada high security prison in Colombo are massacred by the fellow Sinhalese prisoners.
- 1984 – Salyut 7 cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya becomes the first woman to perform a space walk.
- 1993 – Israel launches a massive attack against Lebanon in what the Israelis call Operation Accountability, and the Lebanese call the Seven-Day War.
- 1993 – The Saint James Church massacre occurs in Kenilworth, Cape Town, South Africa.
- 1994 – Israel and Jordan sign the Washington Declaration, that formally ends the state of war that had existed between the nations since 1948.
- 1995 – A gas bottle explodes in Saint Michel station of line B of the RER (Paris regional train network). Eight are killed and 80 wounded.
- 1996 – In a military coup in Burundi, Pierre Buyoya deposes Sylvestre Ntibantunganya.
- 2000 – Concorde Air France Flight 4590 crashes at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, killing 113 people.
- 2007 – Pratibha Patil is sworn in as India’s first female president.
- 2010 – WikiLeaks publishes classified documents about the War in Afghanistan, one of the largest leaks in U.S. military history.
- 2018 – As-Suwayda attacks: Coordinated attacks occur in Syria.
- 2019 – National extreme heat records set this day in the UK, Belgium and Germany during the July 2019 European heatwave.
Births on July 25
- 975 – Thietmar, bishop of Merseburg (d. 1018)
- 1016 – Casimir I the Restorer, duke of Poland (d. 1058)
- 1109 – Afonso I, king of Portugal (d. 1185)
- 1165 – Ibn Arabi, Andalusian Sufi mystic, poet, and philosopher (d. 1240)
- 1261 – Arthur II, Duke of Brittany (d. 1312)
- 1291 – Hawys Gadarn, Welsh noblewoman (d. 1353)
- 1336 – Albert I, Duke of Bavaria (d. 1404)
- 1394 – James I, king of Scotland (d. 1437)
- 1404 – Philip I, Duke of Brabant (d. 1430)
- 1421 – Henry Percy, 3rd Earl of Northumberland, English politician (d. 1461)
- 1450 – Jakob Wimpfeling, Renaissance humanist (d. 1528)
- 1486 – Albrecht VII, Duke of Mecklenburg (d. 1547)
- 1498 – Hernando de Aragón, Archbishop of Zaragoza (d. 1575)
- 1532 – Alphonsus Rodriguez, Jesuit lay brother and saint (d. 1617)
- 1556 – George Peele, English translator, poet, and dramatist (d. 1596)
- 1562 – Katō Kiyomasa, Japanese warlord (d. 1611)
- 1573 – Christoph Scheiner, German astronomer and Jesuit (d. 1650)
- 1581 – Brian Twyne, English archivist (d. 1644)
- 1605 – Theodore Haak, German scholar (d. 1690)
- 1633 – Joseph Williamson, English politician (d. 1701)
- 1654 – Agostino Steffani, Italian composer and diplomat (d. 1728)
- 1657 – Philipp Heinrich Erlebach, German composer (d. 1714)
- 1658 – Archibald Campbell, 1st Duke of Argyll, Scottish general (d. 1703)
- 1683 – Pieter Langendijk, Dutch playwright and poet (d. 1756)
- 1750 – Henry Knox, American general and politician, 1st United States Secretary of War (d. 1806)
- 1753 – Santiago de Liniers, 1st Count of Buenos Aires, French-Spanish captain and politician, 10th Viceroy of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata (d. 1810)
- 1797 – Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel (d. 1889)
- 1806 – Maria Weston Chapman, American abolitionist (d. 1885)
- 1839 – Francis Garnier, French captain and explorer (d. 1873)
- 1844 – Thomas Eakins, American painter, sculptor, and photographer (d. 1916)
- 1847 – Paul Langerhans, German pathologist, physiologist and biologist (d. 1888)
- 1848 – Arthur Balfour, Scottish-English lieutenant and politician, 33rd Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1930)
- 1857 – Frank J. Sprague, American naval officer and inventor (d. 1934)
- 1865 – Jac. P. Thijsse, Dutch botanist and conservationist (d. 1945)
- 1866 – Frederick Blackman, English physiologist and academic (d. 1947)
- 1867 – Max Dauthendey, German author and painter (d. 1918)
- 1867 – Alexander Rummler, American painter (d. 1959)
- 1869 – Platon, Estonian bishop and saint (d. 1919)
- 1870 – Maxfield Parrish, American painter and illustrator (d. 1966)
- 1875 – Jim Corbett, Indian hunter, environmentalist, and author (d. 1955)
- 1878 – Masaharu Anesaki, Japanese philosopher and scholar (d. 1949)
- 1882 – George S. Rentz, American commander (d. 1942)
- 1883 – Alfredo Casella, Italian pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1947)
- 1886 – Edward Cummins, American golfer (d. 1926)
- 1894 – Walter Brennan, American actor (d. 1974)
- 1894 – Gavrilo Princip, Bosnian Serb revolutionary (d. 1918)
- 1895 – Ingeborg Spangsfeldt, Danish actress (d. 1968)
- 1896 – Jack Perrin, American actor and stuntman (d. 1967)
- 1896 – Josephine Tey, Scottish author and playwright (d. 1952)
- 1901 – Ruth Krauss, American author and poet (d. 1993)
- 1901 – Mohammed Helmy, Egyptian physician and Righteous Among the Nations (d.1982)
- 1901 – Lila Lee, American actress and singer (d. 1973)
- 1902 – Eric Hoffer, American philosopher and author (d. 1983)
- 1905 – Elias Canetti, Bulgarian-Swiss novelist, playwright, and memoirist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1994)
- 1905 – Georges Grignard, French race car driver (d. 1977)
- 1905 – Denys Watkins-Pitchford, English author and illustrator (d. 1990)
- 1906 – Johnny Hodges, American saxophonist and clarinet player (d. 1970)
- 1908 – Bill Bowes, English cricketer (d. 1987)
- 1908 – Ambroise-Marie Carré, French priest and author (d. 2004)
- 1908 – Jack Gilford, American actor (d. 1990)
- 1914 – Woody Strode, American football player and actor (d. 1994)
- 1915 – S. U. Ethirmanasingham, Sri Lankan businessman and politician
- 1915 – Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., American lieutenant and pilot (d. 1944)
- 1916 – Lucien Saulnier, Canadian lawyer and politician (d. 1989)
- 1917 – Fritz Honegger, Swiss lawyer and politician (d. 1999)
- 1918 – Jane Frank, American painter and sculptor (d. 1986)
- 1920 – Rosalind Franklin, English biophysicist, chemist, and academic (d. 1958)
- 1921 – Adolph Herseth, American soldier and trumpet player (d. 2013)
- 1921 – Lionel Terray, French mountaineer (d. 1965)
- 1923 – Estelle Getty, American actress (d. 2008)
- 1923 – Edgar Gilbert, American mathematician and theorist (d. 2013)
- 1923 – Maria Gripe, Swedish journalist and author (d. 2007)
- 1924 – Frank Church, American lawyer and politician (d. 1984)
- 1924 – Scotch Taylor, South African cricketer and hockey player (d. 2004)
- 1925 – Benny Benjamin, American R&B drummer (The Funk Brothers) (d. 1969)
- 1925 – Jerry Paris, American actor and director (d. 1986)
- 1925 – Dick Passwater, American race car driver
- 1925 – Jutta Zilliacus, Finnish journalist and politician
- 1926 – Whitey Lockman, American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 2009)
- 1926 – Bernard Thompson, British television producer and director (d. 1998)
- 1926 – Beatriz Segall, Brazilian actress (d. 2018)
- 1927 – Daniel Ceccaldi, French actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2003)
- 1927 – Midge Decter, American journalist and author
- 1927 – Sadiq Hussain Qureshi, Pakistani politician, 10th Governor of Punjab (d. 2000)
- 1927 – Jean-Marie Seroney, Kenyan activist and politician (d. 1982)
- 1928 – Dolphy, Filipino actor, singer, and producer (d. 2012)
- 1928 – Mario Montenegro, Filipino actor (d. 1988)
- 1928 – Nils Taube, Estonian-English businessman (d. 2008)
- 1929 – Judd Buchanan, Canadian businessman and politician, 36th Canadian Minister of Public Works
- 1929 – Somnath Chatterjee, Indian lawyer and politician, 14th Speaker of the Lok Sabha (d. 2018)
- 1929 – Eddie Mazur, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1995)
- 1930 – Murray Chapple, New Zealand cricketer and manager (d. 1985)
- 1930 – Maureen Forrester, Canadian actress and singer (d. 2010)
- 1930 – Alice Parizeau, Polish-Canadian journalist and criminologist (d. 1990)
- 1930 – Herbert Scarf, American economist and academic (d. 2015)
- 1930 – Annie Ross, Scottish-American singer and actress
- 1931 – James Butler, English sculptor and educator
- 1932 – Paul J. Weitz, American captain, pilot, and astronaut (d. 2017)
- 1934 – Don Ellis, American trumpet player and composer (d. 1978)
- 1934 – Claude Zidi, French director and screenwriter
- 1935 – Barbara Harris, American actress and singer (d. 2018)
- 1935 – Adnan Khashoggi, Saudi Arabian businessman (d. 2017)
- 1935 – Gilbert Parent, Canadian educator and politician, 33rd Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada (d. 2009)
- 1935 – John Robinson, American football player and coach
- 1935 – Larry Sherry, American baseball player and coach (d. 2006)
- 1935 – Lars Werner, Swedish lawyer and politician (d. 2013)
- 1936 – Gerry Ashmore, English race car driver
- 1936 – Glenn Murcutt, English-Australian architect and academic
- 1937 – Colin Renfrew, Baron Renfrew of Kaimsthorn, English archaeologist and academic
- 1940 – Richard Ballantine, American-English journalist and author (d. 2013)
- 1941 – Manny Charlton, Spanish-born Scottish rock musician and songwriter
- 1941 – Nate Thurmond, American basketball player (d. 2016)
- 1941 – Emmett Till, American lynching victim (d. 1955)
- 1942 – Bruce Woodley, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1943 – Jim McCarty, English singer and drummer
- 1943 – Erika Steinbach, Polish-German politician
- 1944 – Sally Beauman, English journalist and author (d. 2016)
- 1946 – José Areas, Nicaraguan drummer
- 1946 – Nicole Farhi, French fashion designer and sculptor
- 1946 – John Gibson, American radio host
- 1946 – Rita Marley, Cuban-Jamaican singer
- 1946 – P. Selvarasa, Sri Lankan politician
- 1946 – Ljupka Dimitrovska, Macedonian-Croatian pop singer (d. 2016)
- 1948 – Steve Goodman, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1984)
- 1950 – Mark Clarke, English singer-songwriter and bass player
- 1951 – Jack Thompson, American lawyer and activist
- 1951 – Verdine White, American bass player and producer
- 1952 – Eduardo Souto de Moura, Portuguese architect, designed the Estádio Municipal de Braga
- 1953 – Joseph A. Tunzi, Chicago based author, foremost expert on Elvis Presley
- 1953 – Robert Zoellick, American banker and politician, 14th United States Deputy Secretary of State
- 1954 – Ken Greer, Canadian guitarist, keyboard player, and producer
- 1954 – Sheena McDonald, Scottish journalist
- 1954 – Walter Payton, American football player and race car driver (d. 1999)
- 1954 – Jochem Ziegert, German footballer and manager
- 1955 – Iman, Somalian-English model and actress
- 1955 – Randall Bewley, American guitarist and songwriter (d. 2009)
- 1956 – Andy Goldsworthy, English-Scottish sculptor and photographer
- 1956 – Frances Arnold, American scientist and engineer
- 1957 – Mark Hunter, English politician
- 1957 – Steve Podborski, Canadian skier
- 1958 – Alexei Filippenko, American astrophysicist and academic
- 1958 – Thurston Moore, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
- 1959 – Fyodor Cherenkov, Russian footballer and manager (d. 2014)
- 1959 – Geoffrey Zakarian, American chef and author
- 1960 – Alain Robidoux, Canadian snooker player
- 1960 – Justice Howard, American photographer
- 1960 – Māris Martinsons, Latvian film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor
- 1962 – Carin Bakkum, Dutch tennis player
- 1962 – Doug Drabek, American baseball player and coach
- 1963 – Denis Coderre, Canadian politician, 44th Mayor of Montreal
- 1963 – Julian Hodgson, Welsh chess player
- 1964 – Anne Applebaum, American journalist and author
- 1964 – Tony Granato, American ice hockey player and coach
- 1964 – Breuk Iversen, American designer and journalist
- 1965 – Marty Brown, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1965 – Illeana Douglas, American actress, director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1965 – Dale Shearer, Australian rugby league player
- 1966 – Daryl Halligan, New Zealand rugby player and sportscaster
- 1966 – Maureen Herman, American bass player
- 1966 – Diana Johnson, English politician
- 1967 – Matt LeBlanc, American actor and producer
- 1967 – Ruth Peetoom, Dutch minister and politician
- 1967 – Tommy Skjerven, Norwegian footballer and referee
- 1968 – Rudi Bryson, South African cricketer
- 1968 – Shi Tao, Chinese journalist and poet
- 1969 – Jon Barry, American basketball player and sportscaster
- 1969 – Annastacia Palaszczuk, Australian politician, 39th Premier of Queensland
- 1971 – Roger Creager, American singer-songwriter
- 1971 – Tracy Murray, American basketball player
- 1971 – Billy Wagner, American baseball player and coach
- 1972 – David Penna, Australian rugby league player and coach
- 1973 – Dani Filth, English singer-songwriter
- 1973 – Kevin Phillips, English footballer
- 1973 – Igli Tare, Albanian footballer
- 1974 – Lauren Faust, American animator, producer, and screenwriter
- 1974 – Julia Laffranque, Estonian lawyer and judge
- 1974 – Kenzo Suzuki, Japanese rugby player and wrestler
- 1975 – Jody Craddock, English footballer and coach
- 1975 – Jean-Claude Darcheville, Guianan-French footballer
- 1975 – El Zorro, Mexican wrestler
- 1975 – Brian Gibson, American bass player
- 1975 – Evgeni Nabokov, Russian ice hockey player
- 1976 – Marcos Assunção, Brazilian footballer
- 1976 – Jovica Tasevski-Eternijan, Macedonian poet and critic
- 1976 – Javier Vázquez, Puerto Rican-American baseball player
- 1977 – Kenny Thomas, American basketball player
- 1978 – Gerard Warren, American football player
- 1978 – Louise Brown, first human to be born via IVF
- 1979 – Ali Carter, English snooker player
- 1979 – Tom Lungley, English cricketer and umpire
- 1980 – Shawn Riggans, American baseball player
- 1980 – Toni Vilander, Finnish race car driver
- 1980 – David Wachs, American actor and producer
- 1980 – Scott Waldrom, New Zealand rugby player
- 1981 – Conor Casey, American soccer player
- 1981 – Constantinos Charalambidis, Cypriot footballer
- 1981 – Yūichi Komano, Japanese footballer
- 1981 – Mac Lethal, American rapper and producer
- 1981 – Jani Rita, Finnish ice hockey player
- 1982 – Brad Renfro, American actor and musician (d. 2008)
- 1982 – Jason Dundas, Australian TV host
- 1983 – Nenad Krstić, Serbian basketball player
- 1984 – Loukas Mavrokefalidis, Greek basketball player
- 1985 – James Lafferty, American actor and athlete
- 1985 – Nelson Piquet Jr., Brazilian race car driver
- 1985 – Hugo Rodallega, Colombian footballer
- 1986 – Abraham Gneki Guié, Ivorian footballer
- 1986 – Hulk, Brazilian footballer
- 1987 – Richard Bachman, American ice hockey player
- 1987 – Mitchell Burgzorg, Dutch footballer and rapper
- 1987 – Fernando, Brazilian footballer
- 1987 – Jax Jones, English DJ, singer and songwriter
- 1987 – Eran Zahavi, Israeli footballer
- 1988 – John Goossens, Dutch footballer
- 1988 – Tom Hiariej, Dutch footballer
- 1988 – Stacey Kemp, English skater
- 1988 – Paulinho, Brazilian footballer
- 1988 – Anthony Stokes, Irish footballer
- 1989 – Natalia Vieru, Russian basketball player
- 1990 – Thodoris Karapetsas, Greek footballer
- 1991 – Toni Duggan, English footballer
- 1992 – Sergei Simonov, Russian ice hockey player (d. 2016)
- 1997 – Nat Butcher, Australian rugby league player
Deaths on July 25
- 306 – Constantius Chlorus, Roman emperor (b. 250)
- 885 – Ragenold, margrave of Neustria
- 1011 – Ichijō, emperor of Japan (b. 980)
- 1190 – Sibylla, queen of Jerusalem
- 1409 – Martin I, king of Sicily (b. 1376)
- 1471 – Thomas à Kempis, German priest and mystic
- 1472 – Charles of Artois, French nobleman (b. 1394)
- 1492 – Innocent VIII, pope of the Catholic Church (b. 1432)
- 1564 – Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1503)
- 1572 – Isaac Luria, Ottoman rabbi and mystic (b. 1534)
- 1608 – Pomponio Nenna, Italian composer (b. 1556)
- 1616 – Andreas Libavius, German physician and chemist (b. 1550)
- 1643 – Robert Pierrepont, 1st Earl of Kingston-upon-Hull, English general and politician (b. 1584)
- 1681 – Urian Oakes, English-American minister and educator (b. 1631)
- 1790 – Johann Bernhard Basedow, German educator and reformer (b. 1723)
- 1790 – William Livingston, American soldier and politician, 1st Governor of New Jersey (b. 1723)
- 1791 – Isaac Low, American merchant and politician (b. 1735)
- 1794 – André Chénier, Greek-French poet and author (b. 1762)
- 1794 – Jean-Antoine Roucher, French poet and author (b. 1745)
- 1794 – Friedrich von der Trenck, Prussian adventurer and author (b. 1726)
- 1826 – Kondraty Ryleyev, Russian poet and publisher (b. 1795)
- 1831 – Maria Szymanowska, Polish composer and pianist (b. 1789)
- 1834 – Samuel Taylor Coleridge, English philosopher, poet, and critic (b. 1772)
- 1842 – Dominique Jean Larrey, French physician and surgeon (b. 1766)
- 1843 – Charles Macintosh, Scottish chemist and engineer (b. 1766)
- 1861 – Jonas Furrer, Swiss lawyer and politician, President of the Swiss Confederation (b. 1805)
- 1865 – James Barry, English soldier and surgeon (b. 1799)
- 1887 – John Taylor, American religious leader, 3rd President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (b. 1808)
- 1934 – François Coty, French businessman, founded Coty, Inc. (b. 1874)
- 1934 – Engelbert Dollfuss, Austrian politician, 14th Chancellor of Austria (b. 1892)
- 1942 – Fred Englehardt, American triple jumper (b. 1879)
- 1952 – Herbert Murrill, English organist and composer (b. 1909)
- 1958 – Otto Lasanen, Finnish wrestler (b. 1891)
- 1959 – Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog, Polish-born Irish rabbi and author (b. 1888)
- 1962 – Thibaudeau Rinfret, Canadian lawyer and jurist, 9th Chief Justice of Canada (b. 1879)
- 1963 – Ugo Cerletti, Italian neurologist and academic (b. 1877)
- 1966 – Frank O’Hara, American poet and critic (b. 1926)
- 1967 – Konstantinos Parthenis, Egyptian-Greek painter (b. 1878)
- 1971 – John Meyers, American swimmer and water polo player (b. 1880)
- 1971 – Leroy Robertson, American composer and educator (b. 1896)
- 1973 – Amy Jacques Garvey, Jamaican-American journalist and activist (b. 1895)
- 1973 – Louis St. Laurent, Canadian lawyer and politician, 12th Prime Minister of Canada (b. 1882)
- 1980 – Vladimir Vysotsky, Russian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (b. 1938)
- 1981 – Rosa A. González, Puerto Rican nurse, author, feminist, and activist (b. 1889)
- 1982 – Hal Foster, Canadian-American author and illustrator (b. 1892)
- 1984 – Bryan Hextall, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1913)
- 1984 – Big Mama Thornton, American singer-songwriter (b. 1926)
- 1986 – Vincente Minnelli, American director and screenwriter (b. 1903)
- 1988 – Judith Barsi, American child actress (b. 1978)
- 1989 – Steve Rubell, American businessman, co-owner of Studio 54 (b. 1943)
- 1991 – Lazar Kaganovich, Soviet politician (b. 1893)
- 1992 – Alfred Drake, American actor and singer (b. 1914)
- 1995 – Charlie Rich, American singer-songwriter (b. 1932)
- 1997 – Ben Hogan, American golfer (b. 1912)
- 1998 – Evangelos Papastratos, Greek businessman, co-founded Papastratos (b. 1910)
- 2000 – Rudi Faßnacht, German footballer, coach, and manager (b. 1934)
- 2002 – Abdel Rahman Badawi, Egyptian philosopher and poet (b. 1917)
- 2003 – Ludwig Bölkow, German engineer (b. 1912)
- 2003 – John Schlesinger, English actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1926)
- 2004 – John Passmore, Australian philosopher and academic (b. 1914)
- 2005 – Albert Mangelsdorff, German trombonist (b. 1928)
- 2006 – Ezra Fleischer, Romanian-Israeli poet and philologist (b. 1928)
- 2007 – Bernd Jakubowski, German footballer and manager (b. 1952)
- 2008 – Jeff Fehring, Australian footballer (b. 1955)
- 2008 – Tracy Hall, American chemist and academic (b. 1919)
- 2008 – Randy Pausch, American computer scientist and educator (b. 1960)
- 2009 – Vernon Forrest, American boxer (b. 1971)
- 2009 – Stanley Middleton, English author (b. 1919)
- 2009 – Harry Patch, English soldier (b. 1898)
- 2011 – Michael Cacoyannis, Cypriot-Greek director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1922)
- 2012 – B. R. Ishara, Indian director and screenwriter (b. 1934)
- 2012 – Barry Langford, English director and producer (b. 1926)
- 2012 – Greg Mohns, American-Canadian football player and coach (b. 1950)
- 2012 – Franz West, Austrian painter and sculptor (b. 1947)
- 2013 – Walter De Maria, American sculptor, illustrator, and composer (b. 1935)
- 2013 – William J. Guste, American lawyer and politician (b. 1922)
- 2013 – Hugh Huxley, English-American biologist and academic (b. 1924)
- 2014 – Bel Kaufman, German-American author and academic (b. 1911)
- 2014 – Richard Larter, Australian painter and illustrator (b. 1929)
- 2015 – Jacques Andreani, French diplomat, French ambassador to the United States (b. 1929)
- 2015 – R. S. Gavai, Indian lawyer and politician, 18th Governor of Kerala (b. 1929)
- 2015 – Bob Kauffman, American basketball player and coach (b. 1946)
- 2017 – Michael Johnson, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1944)
- 2018 – Sergio Marchionne, Italian-Canadian businessman(b. 1952)
- 2019 – Beji Caid Essebsi , 4th President and 9th Prime Minister of Tunisia (b. 1926)
Holidays and observances on July 25
- Christian feast day:
- Anne (Eastern Christianity)
- Christopher (Western Christianity)
- Cucuphas
- Glodesind
- James the Great (Western Christianity)
- John I Agnus
- Julian of Le Mans (translation)
- Magnerich of Trier
- July 25 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Earliest day on which Father’s Day can fall, while July 31 is the latest; celebrated on last Sunday in July. (Dominican Republic)
- Earliest day on which National Tree Planting Day can fall, while July 31 is the latest; celebrated on last Sunday in July. (Australia)
- Earliest day on which Navy Day can fall, while July 31 is the latest; celebrated on last Sunday in July. (Russia)
- Guanacaste Day (Costa Rica)
- National Baha’i Day (Jamaica)
- National Day of Galicia (Galicia)
- Puerto Rico Constitution Day (Puerto Rico)
- Republic Day (Tunisia)
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July 21 in History
- 356 BC – The Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, is destroyed by arson.
- 230 – Pope Pontian succeeds Urban I as the eighteenth pope.
- 285 – Diocletian appoints Maximian as Caesar and co-ruler.
- 365 – The 365 Crete earthquake affects the Greek island of Crete with a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme), causing a destructive tsunami that affects the coasts of Libya and Egypt, especially Alexandria. Many thousands were killed.
- 905 – King Berengar I of Italy and a hired Hungarian army defeats the Frankish forces at Verona. King Louis III is captured and blinded for breaking his oath (see 902).
- 1242 – Battle of Taillebourg: Louis IX of France puts an end to the revolt of his vassals Henry III of England and Hugh X of Lusignan.
- 1403 – Battle of Shrewsbury: King Henry IV of England defeats rebels to the north of the county town of Shropshire, England.
- 1545 – The first landing of French troops on the coast of the Isle of Wight during the French invasion of the Isle of Wight.
- 1568 – Eighty Years’ War: Battle of Jemmingen: Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alva defeats Louis of Nassau.
- 1645 – Qing dynasty regent Dorgon issues an edict ordering all Han Chinese men to shave their forehead and braid the rest of their hair into a queue identical to those of the Manchus.
- 1656 – The Raid on Málaga takes place during the Anglo-Spanish War.
- 1718 – The Treaty of Passarowitz between the Ottoman Empire, Austria and the Republic of Venice is signed.
- 1774 – Russo-Turkish War (1768–74): Russia and the Ottoman Empire sign the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca ending the war.
- 1798 – French campaign in Egypt and Syria: Napoleon’s forces defeat an Ottoman-Mamluk army near Cairo in the Battle of the Pyramids.
- 1831 – Inauguration of Leopold I of Belgium, first king of the Belgians.
- 1861 – American Civil War: First Battle of Bull Run: At Manassas Junction, Virginia, the first major battle of the war begins and ends in a victory for the Confederate army.
- 1865 – In the market square of Springfield, Missouri, Wild Bill Hickok shoots and kills Davis Tutt in what is regarded as the first western showdown.
- 1873 – At Adair, Iowa, Jesse James and the James–Younger Gang pull off the first successful train robbery in the American Old West.
- 1877 – After rioting by Baltimore and Ohio Railroad workers and the deaths of nine rail workers at the hands of the Maryland militia, workers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, stage a sympathy strike that is met with an assault by the state militia.
- 1904 – Louis Rigolly, a Frenchman, becomes the first man to break the 100 mph (161 km/h) barrier on land. He drove a 15-liter Gobron-Brillié in Ostend, Belgium.
- 1907 – The passenger steamer SS Columbia sinks after colliding with the steam schooner San Pedro off Shelter Cove, California, killing 88 people.
- 1919 – The dirigible Wingfoot Air Express crashes into the Illinois Trust and Savings Building in Chicago, killing 12 people.
- 1925 – Scopes Trial: In Dayton, Tennessee, high school biology teacher John T. Scopes is found guilty of teaching evolution in class and fined $100.
- 1925 – Malcolm Campbell becomes the first man to exceed 150 mph (241 km/h) on land. At Pendine Sands in Wales, he drives Sunbeam 350HP built by Sunbeam at a two-way average speed of 150.33 mph (242 km/h).
- 1944 – World War II: Battle of Guam: American troops land on Guam, starting a battle that will end on August 10.
- 1944 – World War II: Claus von Stauffenberg and fellow conspirators are tortured and executed in Berlin, Germany, for the July 20 plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler.
- 1949 – The United States Senate ratifies the North Atlantic Treaty.
- 1952 – The 7.3 Mw Kern County earthquake strikes Southern California with a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme), killing 12 and injuring hundreds.
- 1954 – First Indochina War: The Geneva Conference partitions Vietnam into North Vietnam and South Vietnam.
- 1959 – NS Savannah, the first nuclear-powered cargo-passenger ship, is launched as a showcase for Dwight D. Eisenhower’s “Atoms for Peace” initiative.
- 1959 – Elijah Jerry “Pumpsie” Green becomes the first African-American to play for the Boston Red Sox, the last team to integrate. He came in as a pinch runner for Vic Wertz and stayed in as shortstop in a 2–1 loss to the Chicago White Sox.
- 1960 – Sirimavo Bandaranaike is elected Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, becoming the world’s first female head of government
- 1961 – Mercury program: Mercury-Redstone 4 Mission: Gus Grissom piloting Liberty Bell 7 becomes the second American to go into space (in a suborbital mission).
- 1969 – Apollo program: At 02:56 UTC, astronaut Neil Armstrong becomes the first person to walk on the Moon.
- 1970 – After 11 years of construction, the Aswan High Dam in Egypt is completed.
- 1972 – The Troubles: Bloody Friday: The Provisional IRA detonate 22 bombs in central Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom in the space of 80 minutes, killing nine and injuring 130.
- 1973 – In Lillehammer, Norway, Mossad agents kill a waiter whom they mistakenly thought was involved in the 1972 Munich Olympics Massacre.
- 1976 – Christopher Ewart-Biggs, the British ambassador to the Republic of Ireland, is assassinated by the Provisional IRA.
- 1977 – The start of the four-day-long Libyan–Egyptian War.
- 1979 – Jay Silverheels, a Mohawk actor, becomes the first Native American to have a star commemorated in the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- 1983 – The world’s lowest temperature in an inhabited location is recorded at Vostok Station, Antarctica at −89.2 °C (−128.6 °F).
- 1990 – Taiwan’s military police forces mainland Chinese illegal immigrants into sealed holds of a fishing boat Min Ping Yu No. 5540 for repatriation to Fujian, causing 25 people to die from suffocation.
- 1995 – Third Taiwan Strait Crisis: The People’s Liberation Army begins firing missiles into the waters north of Taiwan.
- 2001 – At the conclusion of a fireworks display on Okura Beach in Akashi, Hyōgo, Japan, 11 people are killed and more than 120 are injured when a pedestrian footbridge connecting the beach to JR Asagiri Station becomes overcrowded and people leaving the event fall down in a domino effect.
- 2005 – July 2005 London bombings occur.
- 2008 – Ram Baran Yadav is declared the first president of Nepal.
- 2011 – NASA’s Space Shuttle program ends with the landing of Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-135 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
- 2012 – Erden Eruç completes the first solo human-powered circumnavigation of the world.
Births on July 21
- 541 – Emperor Wen of Sui, emperor of the Sui Dynasty (d. 604)
- 1030 – Kyansittha, King of Burma (d. 1112)
- 1414 – Pope Sixtus IV (d. 1484)
- 1462 – Queen Jeonghyeon, Korean royal consort (d. 1530)
- 1476 – Alfonso I d’Este, Duke of Ferrara (d. 1534)
- 1476 – Anna Sforza, Italian noble (d. 1497)
- 1515 – Philip Neri, Italian Roman Catholic saint (d. 1595)
- 1535 – García Hurtado de Mendoza, 5th Marquis of Cañete, Royal Governor of Chile (d. 1609)
- 1616 – Anna de’ Medici, Archduchess of Austria (d. 1676)
- 1620 – Jean Picard, French astronomer (d. 1682)
- 1648 – John Graham, 1st Viscount Dundee, Scottish general (d. 1689)
- 1654 – Pedro Calungsod, Filipino catechist and sacristan; later canonized (d. 1672)
- 1664 – Matthew Prior, English poet and diplomat, British Ambassador to France (d. 1721)
- 1693 – Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1768)
- 1710 – Paul Möhring, German physician, botanist, and zoologist (d. 1792)
- 1783 – Charles Tristan, marquis de Montholon, French general (d. 1853)
- 1808 – Simion Bărnuțiu, Romanian historian, academic, and politician (d. 1864)
- 1810 – Henri Victor Regnault, French chemist and physicist (d. 1878)
- 1811 – Robert Mackenzie, Scottish-Australian politician, 3rd Premier of Queensland (d. 1873)
- 1816 – Paul Reuter, German-English journalist, founded Reuters (d. 1899)
- 1858 – Maria Christina of Austria (d. 1929)
- 1858 – Lovis Corinth, German painter (d. 1925)
- 1858 – Alfred Henry O’Keeffe, New Zealand painter and educator (d. 1941)
- 1863 – C. Aubrey Smith, English-American cricketer and actor (d. 1948)
- 1866 – Carlos Schwabe, Swiss Symbolist painter and printmaker (d. 1926)
- 1870 – Emil Orlík, Czech painter, etcher, and lithographer (d. 1932)
- 1875 – Charles Gondouin, French rugby player and tug of war competitor (d. 1947)
- 1880 – Milan Rastislav Štefánik, Slovak astronomer, general, and politician (d. 1919)
- 1882 – David Burliuk, Ukrainian author and illustrator (d. 1967)
- 1885 – Jacques Feyder, Belgian actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1948)
- 1891 – Julius Saaristo, Finnish javelin thrower and soldier (d. 1969)
- 1893 – Hans Fallada, German author (d. 1947)
- 1896 – Sophie Bledsoe Aberle, Native American anthropologist, physician and nutritionist (d. 1996)
- 1898 – Sara Carter, American singer-songwriter (d. 1979)
- 1899 – Hart Crane, American poet (d. 1932)
- 1899 – Ernest Hemingway, American novelist, short story writer, and journalist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1961)
- 1900 – Isadora Bennett, American theatre manager and modern dance publicity agent (d. 1980)
- 1903 – Russell Lee, American photographer and journalist (d. 1986)
- 1903 – Roy Neuberger, American businessman and financier, co-founded Neuberger Berman (d. 2010)
- 1908 – Jug McSpaden, American golfer and architect (d. 1996)
- 1911 – Marshall McLuhan, Canadian author and theorist (d. 1980)
- 1911 – Umashankar Joshi, Indian author, poet, and scholar (d. 1988)
- 1914 – Aleksander Kreek, Estonian shot putter and discus thrower (d. 1977)
- 1917 – Alan B. Gold, Canadian lawyer and jurist (d. 2005)
- 1920 – Constant Nieuwenhuys, Dutch painter, sculptor, and illustrator (d. 2005)
- 1920 – Isaac Stern, Polish violinist and conductor (d. 2001)
- 1920 – Jean Daniel, Algerian-French-Jewish journalist and author (d. 2020)
- 1921 – James Cooke Brown, American sociologist and author (d. 2000)
- 1921 – John Horsley, English actor (d. 2014)
- 1921 – Vusamazulu Credo Mutwa, Zulu sangoma (d. 2020)
- 1922 – Kay Starr, American singer (d. 2016)
- 1922 – Mollie Sugden, English actress (d. 2009)
- 1923 – Rudolph A. Marcus, Canadian-American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1923 – Queenie Watts, English actress and singer (d. 1980)
- 1924 – Rahimuddin Khan, Pakistani general and politician, 7th Governor of Balochistan
- 1924 – Don Knotts, American actor and screenwriter (d. 2006)
- 1926 – Paul Burke, American actor (d. 2009)
- 1925 – Johnny Peirson, Canadian hockey player
- 1926 – Norman Jewison, Canadian actor, director, and producer
- 1926 – Bill Pertwee, English actor (d. 2013)
- 1926 – Karel Reisz, Czech-English director and producer (d. 2002)
- 1928 – Sky Low Low, Canadian wrestler (d. 1998)
- 1929 – Bob Orton, American wrestler (d. 2006)
- 1930 – Anand Bakshi, Indian poet and songwriter (d. 2002)
- 1930 – Helen Merrill, American singer
- 1931 – Sonny Clark, American pianist and composer (d. 1963)
- 1931 – Plas Johnson, American saxophonist
- 1931 – Leon Schidlowsky, Chilean-Israeli painter and composer
- 1932 – Kaye Stevens, American singer and actress (d. 2011)
- 1933 – John Gardner, American novelist, essayist, and critic (d. 1982)
- 1934 – Chandu Borde, Indian cricketer and manager
- 1934 – Jonathan Miller, English actor, director, and author (d. 2019)
- 1935 – Norbert Blüm, German businessman and politician
- 1935 – Moe Drabowsky, Polish-American baseball player and coach (d. 2006)
- 1937 – Eduard Streltsov, Soviet footballer (d. 1990)
- 1938 – Les Aspin, American captain and politician, 18th United States Secretary of Defense (d. 1995)
- 1938 – Anton Kuerti, Austrian-Canadian pianist, composer, and conductor
- 1938 – Janet Reno, American lawyer and politician, 79th United States Attorney General (d. 2016)
- 1939 – Jamey Aebersold, American saxophonist and educator
- 1939 – Kim Fowley, American singer-songwriter, producer, and manager (d. 2015)
- 1939 – John Negroponte, English-American diplomat, 23rd United States Ambassador to the United Nations
- 1943 – Fritz Glatz, Austrian race car driver (d. 2002)
- 1943 – Edward Herrmann, American actor (d. 2014)
- 1943 – Henry McCullough, Northern Irish guitarist, singer and songwriter (d. 2016)
- 1944 – John Atta Mills, Ghanaian lawyer and politician, 3rd President of Ghana (d. 2012)
- 1944 – Buchi Emecheta, Nigerian author and academic (d. 2017)
- 1944 – Paul Wellstone, American academic and politician (d. 2002)
- 1945 – Wendy Cope, English poet, critic, and educator
- 1945 – Geoff Dymock, Australian cricketer
- 1945 – Barry Richards, South African cricketer
- 1946 – Ken Starr, American lawyer and judge, 39th Solicitor General of the United States
- 1946 – Timothy Harris, American author, screenwriter and producer
- 1947 – Chetan Chauhan, Indian cricketer and politician
- 1948 – Art Hindle, Canadian actor and director
- 1948 – Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam), English singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1948 – Garry Trudeau, American cartoonist
- 1949 – Christina Hart, American playwright and actress
- 1949 – Hirini Melbourne, New Zealand singer-songwriter and poet (d. 2003)
- 1950 – Ubaldo Fillol, Argentinian footballer and coach
- 1950 – Susan Kramer, Baroness Kramer, English politician, Minister of State for Transport
- 1951 – Richard Gozney, English politician and diplomat, 30th Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man, 139th Governor of Bermuda
- 1951 – Robin Williams, American actor, singer, and producer (d. 2014)
- 1952 – John Barrasso, American physician and politician
- 1952 – Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah, Malaysian economist
- 1953 – Eric Bazilian, American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger, and producer (The Hooters)
- 1953 – Jeff Fatt, Australian keyboard player and actor
- 1953 – Bernie Fraser, New Zealand rugby player
- 1953 – Brian Talbot, English footballer and manager
- 1955 – Howie Epstein, American bass player, songwriter, and producer (d. 2003)
- 1955 – Dannel Malloy, American lawyer and politician, 88th Governor of Connecticut
- 1955 – Henry Priestman, English singer-songwriter, keyboard player, and producer
- 1955 – Taco, Indonesian-born Dutch singer and entertainer
- 1955 – Béla Tarr, Hungarian director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1956 – Michael Connelly, American author
- 1957 – Stefan Löfven, Swedish trade union leader and politician, 33rd Prime Minister of Sweden
- 1957 – Jon Lovitz, American comedian, actor, and producer
- 1958 – Dave Henderson, American baseball player and sportscaster (d. 2015)
- 1959 – Gene Miles, Australian rugby league player and sportscaster
- 1959 – Reha Muhtar, Turkish journalist
- 1959 – Paul Vautin, Australian rugby league player, coach, and sportscaster
- 1960 – Amar Singh Chamkila, Indian singer-songwriter (d. 1988)
- 1960 – Veselin Matić, Serbian basketball player and coach
- 1960 – Fritz Walter, German footballer
- 1961 – Morris Iemma, Australian politician, 40th Premier of New South Wales
- 1961 – Jim Martin, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1962 – Victor Adebowale, Baron Adebowale, English businessman
- 1963 – Kevin Poole, English footballer and manager
- 1963 – Giant Silva, Brazilian basketball player, mixed martial artist, and wrestler
- 1964 – Steve Collins, Irish boxer and actor
- 1964 – Ross Kemp, English actor and producer
- 1964 – Jens Weißflog, German ski jumper and journalist
- 1965 – Guðni Bergsson, Icelandic footballer and lawyer
- 1965 – Mike Bordick, American baseball player, coach, and sportscaster
- 1966 – Arija Bareikis, American actress
- 1966 – Sarah Waters, Welsh author and academic
- 1968 – Brandi Chastain, American soccer player and sportscaster
- 1968 – Aditya Srivastava, Indian actor
- 1968 – Lyle Odelein, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1969 – Godfrey, American comedian and actor
- 1969 – Klaus Graf, German race car driver
- 1969 – Emerson Hart, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
- 1969 – Isabell Werth, German equestrian
- 1970 – Michael Fitzpatrick, American singer-songwriter
- 1971 – Emmanuel Bangué, French long jumper
- 1971 – Charlotte Gainsbourg, English-French actress and singer
- 1971 – Nitzan Shirazi, Israeli footballer and manager (d. 2014)
- 1972 – Korey Cooper, American singer and guitarist
- 1972 – Catherine Ndereba, Kenyan marathon runner
- 1974 – Geoff Jenkins, American baseball player and coach
- 1974 – René Reinumägi, Estonian actor, director, and screenwriter
- 1975 – Christopher Barzak, American author and educator
- 1975 – Cara Dillon, Irish singer-songwriter
- 1975 – Ravindra Pushpakumara, Sri Lankan cricketer
- 1975 – Mike Sellers, American football player
- 1976 – Jaime Murray, English actress
- 1977 – Paul Casey, English golfer
- 1978 – Justin Bartha, American actor
- 1978 – Anderson da Silva Gibin, Brazilian footballer
- 1978 – Josh Hartnett, American actor
- 1978 – Julian Huppert, English academic and politician
- 1978 – Damian Marley, Jamaican singer-songwriter and producer
- 1978 – Gary Teale, Scottish footballer
- 1979 – David Carr, American football player
- 1979 – Tamika Catchings, American basketball player
- 1979 – Luis Ernesto Michel, Mexican footballer
- 1979 – Andriy Voronin, Ukrainian footballer
- 1980 – Justin Griffith, American football player
- 1980 – Sandra Laoura, French skier
- 1980 – CC Sabathia, American baseball player
- 1980 – Yvonne Sampson, Australian journalist and sportscaster
- 1981 – Paloma Faith, English singer-songwriter and actress
- 1981 – Anabelle Langlois, Canadian figure skater
- 1981 – Joaquín, Spanish footballer
- 1981 – Romeo Santos, American singer-songwriter
- 1981 – Stefan Schumacher, German cyclist
- 1982 – Jason Cram, Australian swimmer
- 1982 – Mao Kobayashi, Japanese newscaster and actress (d. 2017)
- 1984 – Jurrick Juliana, Dutch footballer
- 1984 – Liam Ridgewell, English footballer
- 1985 – Mati Lember, Estonian footballer
- 1985 – Von Wafer, American basketball player
- 1986 – Anthony Annan, Ghanaian footballer
- 1986 – Rebecca Ferguson, American-English singer-songwriter
- 1986 – Jason Thompson, American basketball player
- 1987 – Bilel Mohsni, French footballer
- 1987 – Jesús Zavala, Mexican footballer
- 1988 – KB, American rapper
- 1988 – DeAndre Jordan, American basketball player
- 1988 – Chris Mitchell, Scottish footballer (d. 2016)
- 1989 – Marco Fabián, Mexican footballer
- 1989 – Juno Temple, English actress
- 1990 – Chris Martin, English footballer
- 1990 – Jason Roy, English cricketer
- 1990 – Erislandy Savón, Cuban amateur heavyweight boxer
- 1990 – Franck Elemba, Congolese athlete
- 1991 – Sara Sampaio, Portuguese model
- 1992 – Rachael Flatt, American figure skater
- 1996 – Mikael Ingebrigtsen, Norwegian footballer
- 1998 – Thomas Preining, Austrian racing driver
Deaths on July 21
- 658 – K’an II, Mayan ruler (b. 588)
- 710 – Li Guo’er, princess of the Tang dynasty
- 710 – Wei, empress of the Tang Dynasty
- 710 – Shangguan Wan’er, Chinese poet (b. 664)
- 987 – Geoffrey I, Count of Anjou
- 1259 – Gojong of Goryeo
- 1403 – Henry Percy, English soldier (b. 1364)
- 1403 – Sir Walter Blount, English soldier, standard-bearer of Henry IV
- 1403 – Edmund Stafford, 5th Earl of Stafford, English soldier
- 1425 – Manuel II Palaiologos, Byzantine emperor (b. 1350)
- 1552 – Antonio de Mendoza, Spanish politician, 1st Viceroy of New Spain (b. 1495)
- 1688 – James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde, English soldier and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (b. 1610)
- 1793 – Antoine Bruni d’Entrecasteaux, French admiral, explorer, and politician (b. 1739)
- 1796 – Robert Burns, Scottish poet and songwriter (b. 1759)
- 1798 – François Sébastien Charles Joseph de Croix, Count of Clerfayt, Austrian field marshal (b. 1733)
- 1798 – Anthony Perry, Irish rebel leader (b. ca. 1760)
- 1868 – William Bland, Australian surgeon and politician (b. 1789)
- 1878 – Sam Bass, American outlaw (b. 1851)
- 1880 – Hiram Walden, American general and politician (b. 1800)
- 1889 – Nelson Dewey, American lawyer and politician, 1st Governor of Wisconsin (b. 1813)
- 1899 – Robert G. Ingersoll, American soldier, lawyer, and politician (b. 1833)
- 1920 – Fiammetta Wilson, English astronomer and educator (b. 1864)
- 1932 – Bill Gleason, American baseball player (b. 1858)
- 1934 – Hubert Lyautey, French general and politician, French Minister of Defence (b. 1854)
- 1938 – Owen Wister, American lawyer and author (b. 1860)
- 1941 – Bohdan Lepky, Ukrainian poet and scholar (b. 1872)
- 1943 – Charley Paddock, American runner and actor (b. 1900)
- 1943 – Louis Vauxcelles, French Jewish art critic (b. 1870)
- 1944 – Claus von Stauffenberg, German soldier (b. 1907)
- 1946 – Gualberto Villarroel, Bolivian soldier and politician, 45th President of Bolivia (b. 1908)
- 1948 – Arshile Gorky, Armenian-American painter and illustrator (b. 1904)
- 1952 – Pedro Lascuráin, Mexican politician, president for 45 minutes on February 13, 1913. (b. 1856)
- 1966 – Philipp Frank, Austrian-American physicist, mathematician, and philosopher, Vienna Circle member (b. 1884)
- 1967 – Jimmie Foxx, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1907)
- 1967 – Albert Lutuli, South African academic and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1898)
- 1967 – Basil Rathbone, South African-American actor and singer (b. 1892)
- 1968 – Ruth St. Denis, American dancer and choreographer (b. 1878)
- 1970 – Mikhail Mikhaylovich Gerasimov, Russian anthropologist and sculptor (b. 1907)
- 1970 – Bob Kalsu, American football player and lieutenant (b. 1945)
- 1972 – Ralph Craig, American sprinter and sailor (b. 1889)
- 1972 – Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, Bhutanese king (b. 1928)
- 1977 – Lee Miller, American model and photographer (b. 1907)
- 1982 – Dave Garroway, American journalist and actor (b. 1913)
- 1991 – Paul Warwick, English race car driver (b. 1969)
- 1994 – Marijac, French author and illustrator (b. 1908)
- 1997 – Olaf Kopvillem, Estonian-Canadian conductor and composer (b. 1926)
- 1998 – Alan Shepard, American admiral, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1923)
- 1998 – Robert Young, American actor and singer (b. 1907)
- 2000 – Marc Reisner, American environmentalist and author (b. 1948)
- 2002 – Esphyr Slobodkina, Russian-American author and illustrator (b. 1908)
- 2003 – John Davies, English-New Zealand runner and coach (b. 1938)
- 2004 – Jerry Goldsmith, American composer and conductor (b. 1929)
- 2004 – Edward B. Lewis, American geneticist and biologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1918)
- 2005 – Long John Baldry, English-Canadian singer and actor (b. 1941)
- 2005 – Lord Alfred Hayes, English-American wrestler and manager (b. 1928)
- 2006 – Mako Iwamatsu, Japanese-American actor and singer (b. 1933)
- 2006 – Ta Mok, Cambodian soldier and monk (b. 1926)
- 2007 – Dubravko Škiljan, Croatian linguist and academic (b. 1949)
- 2008 – Donald Stokes, English businessman (b. 1914)
- 2010 – Luis Corvalán, Chilean educator and politician (b. 1916)
- 2010 – Ralph Houk, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1919)
- 2010 – John E. Irving, Canadian businessman (b. 1932)
- 2012 – Alexander Cockburn, Scottish-American journalist and author (b. 1941)
- 2012 – Marie Kruckel, American baseball player (b. 1924)
- 2012 – Ali Podrimja, Albanian poet and author (b. 1942)
- 2012 – James D. Ramage, American admiral and pilot (b. 1916)
- 2012 – Angharad Rees, English-born Welsh actress (b. 1944)
- 2012 – Don Wilson, English cricketer and coach (b. 1937)
- 2013 – Andrea Antonelli, Italian motorcycle racer (b. 1988)
- 2013 – Lourembam Brojeshori Devi, Indian martial artist (b. 1981)
- 2013 – Det de Beus, Dutch field hockey player (b. 1958)
- 2013 – Luis Fernando Rizo-Salom, Colombian-French composer and educator (b. 1971)
- 2013 – Fred Taylor, American football player and coach (b. 1920)
- 2014 – Louise Abeita, Isleta Pueblo (Native American) writer, poet, and educator (b. 1926)
- 2014 – Dan Borislow, American businessman, invented the magicJack (b. 1961)
- 2014 – Lettice Curtis, English engineer and pilot (b. 1915)
- 2014 – Hans-Peter Kaul, German lawyer and judge (b. 1943)
- 2014 – Rilwanu Lukman, Nigerian engineer and politician (b. 1938)
- 2014 – Kevin Skinner, New Zealand rugby player and boxer (b. 1927)
- 2015 – Robert Broberg, Swedish singer-songwriter (b. 1940)
- 2015 – E. L. Doctorow, American novelist, short story writer, and playwright (b. 1931)
- 2015 – Nicholas Gonzalez, American physician (b. 1947)
- 2015 – Czesław Marchaj, Polish-English sailor and academic (b. 1918)
- 2015 – Dick Nanninga, Dutch footballer (b. 1949)
- 2016 – Dennis Green, American football player and coach (b. 1949)
- 2017 – John Heard, American film and television actor (b. 1946)
- 2018 – Alene Duerk, U.S. Navy first female admiral (b. 1920)
Holidays and observances on July 21
- Christian feast day:
- Albert John Luthuli (Episcopal Church)
- Arbogast
- Barhadbesciabas
- Carlos of Brazil (Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church)
- Daniel (Catholic Church)
- Lawrence of Brindisi
- Praxedes
- Victor of Marseilles
- July 21 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Liberation Day in 1944 (Guam)
- Belgian National Day (Belgium)
- Racial Harmony Day (Singapore)
- Summer Kazanskaya (Russia)
-
July 9 in History
- 491 – Odoacer makes a night assault with his Heruli guardsmen, engaging Theoderic the Great in Ad Pinetam. Both sides suffer heavy losses, but in the end Theodoric forces Odoacer back into Ravenna.
- 551 – A major earthquake strikes Beirut, triggering a devastating tsunami that affected the coastal towns of Byzantine Phoenicia, causing thousands of deaths.
- 660 – Korean forces under general Kim Yu-sin of Silla defeat the army of Baekje in the Battle of Hwangsanbeol.
- 869 – The 8.4–9.0 Mw Sanriku earthquake strikes the area around Sendai in northern Honshu, Japan. Inundation from the tsunami extended several kilometers inland.
- 969 – The Fatimid general Jawhar leads the Friday prayer in Fustat in the name of Caliph al-Mu’izz li-Din Allah, thereby symbolically completing the Fatimid conquest of Egypt.
- 1357 – Emperor Charles IV assists in laying the foundation stone of Charles Bridge in Prague.
- 1386 – The Old Swiss Confederacy makes great strides in establishing control over its territory by soundly defeating the Archduchy of Austria in the Battle of Sempach.
- 1401 – Timur attacks the Jalairid Sultanate and destroys Baghdad.
- 1540 – King Henry VIII of England annuls his marriage to his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves.
- 1572 – Nineteen Catholics suffer martyrdom for their beliefs in the Dutch town of Gorkum.
- 1609 – Bohemia is granted freedom of religion through the Letter of Majesty by the Holy Roman Emperor, Rudolf II.
- 1701 – A Bourbon force under Nicolas Catinat withdraws from a smaller Habsburg force under Prince Eugene of Savoy in the Battle of Carpi.
- 1745 – French victory in the Battle of Melle allows them to capture Ghent in the days after.
- 1755 – The Braddock Expedition is soundly defeated by a smaller French and Native American force in its attempt to capture Fort Duquesne in what is now downtown Pittsburgh.
- 1762 – Catherine the Great becomes Empress of Russia following the coup against her husband, Peter III.
- 1776 – George Washington orders the Declaration of Independence to be read out to members of the Continental Army in Manhattan, while thousands of British troops on Staten Island prepare for the Battle of Long Island.
- 1789 – In Versailles, the National Assembly reconstitutes itself as the National Constituent Assembly and begins preparations for a French constitution.
- 1790 – The Swedish Navy captures one third of the Russian Baltic fleet.
- 1793 – The Act Against Slavery in Upper Canada bans the importation of slaves and will free those who are born into slavery after the passage of the Act at 25 years of age.
- 1807 – The Treaties of Tilsit are signed by Napoleon I of France and Alexander I of Russia.
- 1810 – Napoleon annexes the Kingdom of Holland as part of the First French Empire.
- 1811 – Explorer David Thompson posts a sign near what is now Sacajawea State Park in Washington state, claiming the Columbia District for the United Kingdom.
- 1815 – Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord becomes the first Prime Minister of France.
- 1816 – Argentina declares independence from Spain.
- 1821 – Four hundred and seventy prominent Cypriots including Archbishop Kyprianos are executed in response to Cypriot aid to the Greek War of Independence.
- 1850 – U.S. President Zachary Taylor dies after eating raw fruit and iced milk; he is succeeded in office by Vice President Millard Fillmore.
- 1850 – Persian prophet Báb is executed in Tabriz, Persia.
- 1863 – American Civil War: The Siege of Port Hudson ends, giving the Union complete control of the Mississippi River.
- 1868 – The 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, guaranteeing African Americans full citizenship and all persons in the United States due process of law.
- 1875 – The Herzegovina Uprising against Ottoman rule begins, which would last until 1878 and have far-reaching implications throughout the Balkans.
- 1877 – The inaugural Wimbledon Championships begins.
- 1893 – Daniel Hale Williams, American heart surgeon, performs the first successful open-heart surgery in United States without anesthesia.
- 1896 – William Jennings Bryan delivers his Cross of Gold speech advocating bimetallism at the 1896 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
- 1900 – The Federation of Australia is given royal assent.
- 1900 – The Governor of Shanxi province in North China orders the execution of 45 foreign Christian missionaries and local church members, including children.
- 1918 – In Nashville, Tennessee, an inbound local train collides with an outbound express, killing 101 and injuring 171 people, making it the deadliest rail accident in United States history.
- 1922 – Johnny Weissmuller swims the 100 meters freestyle in 58.6 seconds breaking the world swimming record and the ‘minute barrier’.
- 1932 – The state of São Paulo revolts against the Brazilian Federal Government, starting the Constitutionalist Revolution.
- 1937 – The silent film archives of Fox Film Corporation are destroyed by the 1937 Fox vault fire.
- 1943 – World War II: The Allied invasion of Sicily soon causes the downfall of Mussolini and forces Hitler to break off the Battle of Kursk.
- 1944 – World War II: American forces take Saipan, bringing the Japanese archipelago within range of B-29 raids, and causing the downfall of the Tojo government.
- 1944 – World War II: Continuation War: Finland wins the Battle of Tali-Ihantala, the largest battle ever fought in northern Europe. The Red Army withdraws its troops from Ihantala and digs into a defensive position, thus ending the Vyborg–Petrozavodsk Offensive.
- 1955 – The Russell–Einstein Manifesto calls for a reduction of the risk of nuclear warfare.
- 1956 – The 7.7 Mw Amorgos earthquake shakes the Cyclades island group in the Aegean Sea with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). The shaking and the destructive tsunami that followed left fifty-three people dead. A damaging M7.2 aftershock occurred minutes after the mainshock.
- 1958 – A 7.8 Mw strike-slip earthquake in Alaska causes a landslide that produces a megatsunami. The runup from the waves reached 525 m (1,722 ft) on the rim of Lituya Bay; five people were killed.
- 1962 – Starfish Prime tests the effects of a nuclear test at orbital altitudes.
- 1979 – A car bomb destroys a Renault motor car owned by “Nazi hunters” Serge and Beate Klarsfeld outside their home in France in an unsuccessful assassination attempt.
- 1982 – Pan Am Flight 759 crashes in Kenner, Louisiana, killing all 145 people on board and eight others on the ground.
- 1986 – The New Zealand Parliament passes the Homosexual Law Reform Act legalising homosexuality in New Zealand.
- 1993 – The Parliament of Canada passes the Nunavut Act leading to the 1999 creation of Nunavut, dividing the Northwest Territories into arctic (Inuit) and sub-arctic (Dene) lands based on a plebiscite.
- 1995 – The Navaly church bombing is carried out by the Sri Lanka Air Force killing 125 Tamil civilian refugees.
- 1999 – Days of student protests begin after Iranian police and hardliners attack a student dormitory at the University of Tehran.
- 2002 – The African Union is established in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, replacing the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). The organization’s first chairman is Thabo Mbeki, President of South Africa.
- 2006 – One hundred and twenty-five people are killed when S7 Airlines Flight 778, an Airbus A310 passenger jet, veers off the runway while landing in wet conditions at Irkutsk Airport in Siberia.
- 2011 – South Sudan gains independence and secedes from Sudan.
Births on July 9
- 1249 – Emperor Kameyama of Japan (d. 1305)
- 1455 – Frederick IV of Baden, Dutch bishop (d. 1517)
- 1511 – Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg (d. 1571)
- 1526 – Elizabeth of Austria, Polish noble (d. 1545)
- 1577 – Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, English-American soldier and politician, Colonial Governor of Virginia (d. 1618)
- 1578 – Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1637)
- 1654 – Emperor Reigen of Japan (d. 1732)
- 1686 – Philip Livingston, American merchant and politician (d. 1749)
- 1689 – Alexis Piron, French epigrammatist and playwright (d. 1773)
- 1721 – Johann Nikolaus Götz, German poet and author (d. 1781)
- 1753 – William Waldegrave, 1st Baron Radstock, English admiral and politician, 34th Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland (d. 1825)
- 1764 – Ann Ward, English author and poet (d. 1823)
- 1775 – Matthew Lewis, English author and playwright (d. 1818)
- 1800 – Friedrich Gustav Jakob Henle, German physician, pathologist, and anatomist (d. 1885)
- 1808 – Alexander William Doniphan, American lawyer and colonel (d. 1887)
- 1819 – Elias Howe, American inventor, invented the sewing machine (d. 1867)
- 1825 – A. C. Gibbs, American lawyer and politician, 2nd Governor of Oregon (d. 1886)
- 1828 – Luigi Oreglia di Santo Stefano, Italian cardinal (d. 1913)
- 1834 – Jan Neruda, Czech journalist and poet (d. 1891)
- 1836 – Camille of Renesse-Breidbach (d. 1904)
- 1848 – Robert I, Duke of Parma (d. 1907)
- 1853 – William Turner Dannat, American painter (d. 1929)
- 1856 – John Verran, English-Australian politician, 26th Premier of South Australia (d. 1932)
- 1858 – Franz Boas, German-American anthropologist and linguist (d. 1942)
- 1867 – Georges Lecomte, French author and playwright (d. 1958)
- 1879 – Carlos Chagas, Brazilian physician and parasitologist (d. 1934)
- 1879 – Ottorino Respighi, Italian composer and conductor (d. 1936)
- 1887 – James Ormsbee Chapin, American-Canadian painter and illustrator (d. 1975)
- 1887 – Saturnino Herrán, Mexican painter (d. 1918)
- 1887 – Samuel Eliot Morison, American admiral and historian (d. 1976)
- 1889 – Léo Dandurand, American-Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and referee (d. 1964)
- 1893 – George Geary, English cricketer and coach (d. 1981)
- 1901 – Barbara Cartland, prolific English author (d. 2000)
- 1902 – Peter Acland, English soldier (d. 1993)
- 1905 – Clarence Campbell, Canadian ice hockey player and referee (d. 1984)
- 1907 – Eddie Dean, American singer-songwriter (d. 1999)
- 1908 – Allamah Rasheed Turabi, Pakistani philosopher and scholar (d. 1973)
- 1908 – Minor White, American photographer, critic, and educator (d. 1976)
- 1909 – Basil Wolverton, American author and illustrator (d. 1978)
- 1910 – Govan Mbeki, South African anti-apartheid and ANC leader and activist (d. 2001)
- 1911 – Mervyn Peake, English author and illustrator (d. 1968)
- 1911 – John Archibald Wheeler, American physicist and author (d. 2008)
- 1914 – Willi Stoph, German engineer and politician, 4th Prime Minister of East Germany (d. 1999)
- 1914 – Mac Wilson, Australian rules footballer (d. 2017)
- 1915 – David Diamond, American composer and educator (d. 2005)
- 1915 – Lee Embree, American sergeant and photographer (d. 2008)
- 1916 – Dean Goffin, New Zealand composer (d. 1984)
- 1916 – Edward Heath, English colonel and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 2005)
- 1917 – Krystyna Dańko, Polish orphan, survivor of Holocaust (d. 2019)
- 1918 – Nicolaas Govert de Bruijn, Dutch mathematician and academic (d. 2012)
- 1918 – Jarl Wahlström, Finnish 12th General of The Salvation Army (d. 1999)
- 1921 – David C. Jones, American general (d. 2013)
- 1922 – Angelines Fernández, Spanish-Mexican actress (d. 1994)
- 1922 – Jim Pollard, American basketball player and coach (d. 1993)
- 1924 – Pierre Cochereau, French organist and composer (d. 1984)
- 1925 – Guru Dutt, Indian actor, director, and producer (d. 1964)
- 1925 – Charles E. Wicks, American engineer, author, and academic (d. 2010)
- 1925 – Ronald I. Spiers, American ambassador
- 1926 – Murphy Anderson, American illustrator (d. 2015)
- 1926 – Ben Roy Mottelson, American-Danish physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1926 – Pedro Dellacha, Argentine football defender and coach (d. 2010)
- 1926 – Mathilde Krim, Italian-American medical researcher and health educator (d. 2018)
- 1927 – Ed Ames, American singer and actor
- 1927 – Red Kelly, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and politician (d. 2019)
- 1928 – Federico Bahamontes, Spanish cyclist
- 1928 – Vince Edwards, American actor, singer, and director (d. 1996)
- 1929 – Lee Hazlewood, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2007)
- 1929 – Jesse McReynolds, American singer and mandolin player
- 1929 – Chi Haotian, Chinese general
- 1929 – Hassan II of Morocco (d. 1999)
- 1930 – K. Balachander, Indian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2014)
- 1930 – Buddy Bregman, American composer and conductor (d. 2017)
- 1930 – Janice Lourie, American computer scientist and graphic artist
- 1930 – Elsa Lystad, Norwegian actress
- 1930 – Roy McLean, South African cricketer and rugby player (d. 2007)
- 1931 – Haynes Johnson, American journalist and author (d. 2013)
- 1931 – Sylvia Bacon, American judge
- 1932 – Donald Rumsfeld, American captain and politician, 13th United States Secretary of Defense
- 1932 – Amitzur Shapira, Israeli sprinter and long jumper (d. 1972)
- 1933 – Oliver Sacks, English-American neurologist, author, and academic (d. 2015)
- 1934 – Michael Graves, American architect, designed the Portland Building and the Humana Building (d. 2015)
- 1935 – Wim Duisenberg, Dutch economist and politician, Dutch Minister of Finance (d. 2005)
- 1935 – Mercedes Sosa, Argentinian singer and activist (d. 2009)
- 1935 – Michael Williams, English actor (d. 2001)
- 1936 – June Jordan, American poet and educator (d. 2002)
- 1936 – David Zinman, American violinist and conductor
- 1937 – David Hockney, English painter and photographer
- 1938 – Brian Dennehy, American actor (d. 2020)
- 1938 – Sanjeev Kumar, Indian film actor (d. 1985)
- 1940 – David B. Frohnmayer, American lawyer and politician, 12th Oregon Attorney General (d. 2015)
- 1940 – Eugene Victor Wolfenstein, American psychoanalyst and theorist (d. 2010)
- 1941 – Mac MacLeod, English musician
- 1942 – David Chidgey, Baron Chidgey, English engineer and politician
- 1942 – Richard Roundtree, American actor
- 1943 – John Casper, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut
- 1944 – Judith M. Brown, Indian-English historian and academic
- 1944 – John Cunniff, American ice hockey player and coach (d. 2002)
- 1945 – Dean Koontz, American author and screenwriter
- 1945 – Root Boy Slim, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1993)
- 1946 – Bon Scott, Scottish-Australian singer-songwriter (d. 1980)
- 1947 – Haruomi Hosono, Japanese singer-songwriter, bass player, and producer
- 1947 – Mitch Mitchell, English drummer (d. 2008)
- 1947 – O. J. Simpson, American football player and actor
- 1947 – Patrick Wormald, English historian (d. 2004)
- 1948 – Hassan Wirajuda, Indonesian lawyer and politician, 15th Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs
- 1949 – Raoul Cédras, Haitian military officer and politician
- 1950 – Amal ibn Idris al-Alami, Moroccan physician and neurosurgeon
- 1950 – Adriano Panatta, Italian tennis player and sailor
- 1950 – Viktor Yanukovych, Ukrainian engineer and politician, 4th President of Ukraine
- 1951 – Chris Cooper, American actor
- 1951 – Māris Gailis, Latvian politician, businessman, and former Prime Minister of Latvia
- 1952 – John Tesh, American pianist, composer, and radio and television host
- 1953 – Margie Gillis, Canadian dancer and choreographer
- 1953 – Thomas Ligotti, American author
- 1954 – Théophile Abega, Cameroonian footballer and politician (d. 2012)
- 1954 – Kevin O’Leary, Canadian journalist and businessman
- 1955 – Steve Coppell, English footballer and manager
- 1955 – Lindsey Graham, American colonel, lawyer, and politician
- 1955 – Jimmy Smits, American actor and producer
- 1955 – Willie Wilson, American baseball player and manager
- 1956 – Tom Hanks, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1956 – Michael Lederer, American author, poet, and playwright
- 1957 – Marc Almond, English singer-songwriter
- 1957 – Tim Kring, American screenwriter and producer
- 1957 – Kelly McGillis, American actress
- 1957 – Paul Merton, English comedian, actor, and screenwriter
- 1958 – Abdul Latiff Ahmad, Malaysian politician
- 1958 – Jacob Joseph, Malaysian football coach
- 1959 – Jim Kerr, Scottish singer-songwriter and keyboard player
- 1959 – Kevin Nash, American wrestler
- 1959 – Clive Stafford Smith, English lawyer and author
- 1960 – Yūko Asano, Japanese actress and singer
- 1960 – Wally Fullerton Smith, Australian rugby league player
- 1960 – Eduardo Montes-Bradley, Argentinian journalist, photographer, and author
- 1963 – Klaus Theiss, German footballer
- 1964 – Courtney Love, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress
- 1964 – Gianluca Vialli, Italian footballer and coach
- 1965 – Frank Bello, American bass player
- 1965 – Thomas Jahn, German director and screenwriter
- 1965 – Jason Rhoades, American sculptor (d. 2006)
- 1966 – Pamela Adlon, American actress and voice artist
- 1966 – Zheng Cao, Chinese-American soprano and actress (d. 2013)
- 1966 – Gary Glasberg, American television writer and producer (d. 2016)
- 1966 – Marco Pennette, American screenwriter and producer
- 1967 – Gunnar Axén, Swedish politician
- 1967 – Yordan Letchkov, Bulgarian footballer
- 1967 – Mark Stoops, American football player and coach
- 1968 – Paolo Di Canio, Italian footballer and manager
- 1968 – Lars Gyllenhaal, Swedish historian and author
- 1969 – Nicklas Barker, Swedish singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1969 – Jason Kearton, Australian footballer and coach
- 1970 – Trent Green, American football player and sportscaster
- 1970 – Masami Tsuda, Japanese author and illustrator
- 1971 – Marc Andreessen, American software developer, co-founded Netscape
- 1972 – Ara Babajian, American drummer and songwriter
- 1973 – Kelly Holcomb, American football player and sportscaster
- 1974 – Siân Berry, English environmentalist and politician
- 1974 – Ian Bradshaw, Barbadian cricketer
- 1974 – Gary Kelly, Irish footballer
- 1974 – Nikola Šarčević, Swedish singer-songwriter and bass player
- 1975 – Shelton Benjamin, American wrestler
- 1975 – Isaac Brock, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1975 – Robert Koenig, American director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1975 – Craig Quinnell, Welsh rugby player
- 1975 – Jack White, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
- 1976 – Thomas Cichon, Polish-German footballer and manager
- 1976 – Fred Savage, American actor, director, and producer
- 1976 – Radike Samo, Fijian-Australian rugby player
- 1978 – Kara Goucher, American runner
- 1978 – Nuno Santos, Portuguese footballer
- 1979 – Gary Chaw, Malaysian Chinese singer-songwriter
- 1981 – Lee Chun-soo, South Korean footballer
- 1981 – Junauda Petrus, American author and performance artist
- 1982 – Alecko Eskandarian, American soccer player and manager
- 1982 – Sakon Yamamoto, Japanese race car driver
- 1984 – Chris Campoli, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1984 – Gianni Fabiano, Italian footballer
- 1984 – Jacob Hoggard, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1984 – Ave Pajo, Estonian footballer
- 1984 – Piia Suomalainen, Finnish tennis player
- 1984 – LA Tenorio, Filipino basketball player
- 1985 – Paweł Korzeniowski, Polish swimmer
- 1985 – Ashley Young, English footballer
- 1986 – Sébastien Bassong, Cameroonian footballer
- 1986 – Simon Dumont, American skier
- 1986 – Kiely Williams, American singer-songwriter and dancer
- 1987 – Gert Jõeäär, Estonian cyclist
- 1987 – Rebecca Sugar, American animator, composer, and screenwriter
- 1988 – Raul Rusescu, Romanian footballer
- 1990 – Earl Bamber, New Zealand race car driver
- 1990 – Fábio, Brazilian footballer
- 1990 – Rafael, Brazilian footballer
- 1991 – Mitchel Musso, American actor and singer
- 1993 – Mitch Larkin, Australian swimmer
- 1993 – DeAndre Yedlin, American footballer
- 1999 – Claire Corlett, American voice actress
Deaths on July 9
- 230 – Empress Dowager Bian, Cao Cao’s wife (b. 159)
- 518 – Anastasius I Dicorus, Byzantine emperor (b. 430)
- 715 – Naga, Japanese prince
- 880 – Ariwara no Narihira, Japanese poet (b. 825)
- 981 – Ramiro Garcés, king of Viguera
- 1169 – Guido of Ravenna, Italian cartographer, entomologist and historian
- 1228 – Stephen Langton, English cardinal and theologian (b. 1150)
- 1270 – Stephen Báncsa, Hungarian cardinal (b. c. 1205)
- 1386 – Leopold III, Duke of Austria (b. 1351)
- 1441 – Jan van Eyck, Dutch painter
- 1546 – Robert Maxwell, 5th Lord Maxwell, Scottish statesman (b. c. 1493)
- 1553 – Maurice, Elector of Saxony (b. 1521)
- 1654 – Ferdinand IV, King of the Romans (b. 1633)
- 1706 – Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville, Canadian captain and explorer (b. 1661)
- 1737 – Gian Gastone de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (b. 1671)
- 1742 – John Oldmixon, English historian, poet, and playwright (b. 1673)
- 1746 – Philip V of Spain (b. 1683)
- 1747 – Giovanni Bononcini, Italian cellist and composer (b. 1670)
- 1766 – Jonathan Mayhew, American minister (b. 1720)
- 1795 – Henry Seymour Conway, English general and politician, Secretary of State for the Northern Department (b. 1721)
- 1797 – Edmund Burke, Irish-English philosopher, academic, and politician (b. 1729)
- 1828 – Cathinka Buchwieser, German operatic singer and actress (b. 1789)
- 1850 – Báb, Persian religious leader, founded Bábism (b. 1819)
- 1850 – Zachary Taylor, American general and politician, 12th President of the United States (b. 1784)
- 1852 – Thomas McKean Thompson McKennan, American lawyer and politician, 2nd United States Secretary of the Interior (b. 1794)
- 1856 – Amedeo Avogadro, Italian chemist and academic (b. 1776)
- 1856 – James Strang, American religious leader and politician (b. 1813)
- 1880 – Paul Broca, French physician and anatomist (b. 1824)
- 1882 – Ignacio Carrera Pinto, Chilean captain (b. 1848)
- 1903 – Alphonse François Renard, Belgian geologist and photographer (b. 1842)
- 1927 – John Drew, Jr., American actor (b. 1853)
- 1932 – King Camp Gillette, American businessman, founded the Gillette Company (b. 1855)
- 1937 – Oliver Law, American commander (b. 1899)
- 1938 – Benjamin N. Cardozo, American lawyer and jurist (b. 1870)
- 1947 – Lucjan Żeligowski, Polish-Lithuanian general and politician (b. 1865)
- 1949 – Fritz Hart, English-Australian composer and conductor (b. 1874)
- 1951 – Harry Heilmann, American baseball player and sportscaster (b. 1894)
- 1955 – Don Beauman, English race car driver (b. 1928)
- 1955 – Adolfo de la Huerta, Mexican politician and provisional president, 1920 (b. 1881)
- 1959 – Ferenc Talányi, Slovene journalist and painter (b. 1883)
- 1962 – Georges Bataille, French philosopher, novelist, and poet (b. 1897)
- 1961 – Whittaker Chambers, American spy and witness in Hiss case(b. 1901)
- 1967 – Eugen Fischer, German physician and academic (b. 1874)
- 1967 – Fatima Jinnah, Pakistani dentist and politician (b. 1893)
- 1970 – Sigrid Holmquist, Swedish actress (b. 1899)
- 1971 – Karl Ast, Estonian author and politician (b. 1886)
- 1972 – Robert Weede, American opera singer (b. 1903)
- 1974 – Earl Warren, American jurist and politician, 14th Chief Justice of the United States (b. 1891)
- 1977 – Alice Paul, American activist (b. 1885)
- 1979 – Cornelia Otis Skinner, American actress and author (b. 1899)
- 1980 – Vinicius de Moraes, Brazilian poet, playwright, and composer (b. 1913)
- 1984 – Edna Ernestine Kramer, American mathematician (b. 1902)
- 1985 – Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg (b. 1896)
- 1985 – Jimmy Kinnon, Scottish-American activist, founded Narcotics Anonymous (b. 1911)
- 1986 – Patriarch Nicholas VI of Alexandria (b. 1915)
- 1992 – Kelvin Coe, Australian ballet dancer (b. 1946)
- 1992 – Eric Sevareid, American journalist (b. 1912)
- 1993 – Metin Altıok, Turkish poet and educator (b. 1940)
- 1994 – Bill Mosienko, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1921)
- 1996 – Melvin Belli, American lawyer (b. 1907)
- 1999 – Robert de Cotret, Canadian politician, 56th Secretary of State for Canada (b. 1944)
- 2000 – Doug Fisher, English actor (b. 1941)
- 2002 – Mayo Kaan, American bodybuilder (b. 1914)
- 2002 – Rod Steiger, American actor (b. 1925)
- 2004 – Paul Klebnikov, American journalist and historian (b. 1963)
- 2004 – Isabel Sanford, American actress (b. 1917)
- 2005 – Chuck Cadman, Canadian engineer and politician (b. 1948)
- 2005 – Yevgeny Grishin, Russian speed skater (b. 1931)
- 2005 – Alex Shibicky, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1914)
- 2006 – Milan Williams, American keyboard player and producer (b. 1948)
- 2007 – Charles Lane, American actor (b. 1905)
- 2008 – Séamus Brennan, Irish accountant and politician, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (b. 1948)
- 2010 – Jessica Anderson, Australian author and playwright (b. 1916)
- 2011 – Don Ackerman, American basketball player (b. 1930)
- 2011 – Facundo Cabral, Argentinian singer-songwriter (b. 1937)
- 2012 – Shin Jae-chul, South Korean-American martial artist (b. 1936)
- 2012 – Chick King, American baseball player (b. 1930)
- 2012 – Terepai Maoate, Cook Islander physician and politician, 6th Prime Minister of the Cook Islands (b. 1934)
- 2012 – Eugênio Sales, Brazilian cardinal (b. 1920)
- 2013 – Markus Büchel, Liechtensteiner politician, 9th Prime Minister of Liechtenstein (b. 1959)
- 2013 – Andrew Nori, Solomon lawyer and politician (b. 1952)
- 2013 – Kiril of Varna, Bulgarian metropolitan (b. 1954)
- 2013 – Barbara Robinson, American author and poet (b. 1927)
- 2013 – Toshi Seeger, American activist, co-founded the Clearwater Festival (b. 1922)
- 2014 – Lorenzo Álvarez Florentín, Paraguayan violinist and composer (b. 1926)
- 2014 – David Azrieli, Polish-Canadian businessman and philanthropist (b. 1922)
- 2014 – Eileen Ford, American businesswoman, co-founded Ford Models (b. 1922)
- 2014 – John Spinks, English guitarist and songwriter (b. 1953)
- 2015 – Christian Audigier, French fashion designer (b. 1958)
- 2015 – Saud bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Arabian economist and politician, Saudi Arabian Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1940)
- 2019 – William E. Dannemeyer, American politician (b. 1929)
- 2019 – Ross Perot, American businessman and politician (b. 1930)
- 2019 – Fernando de la Rúa, 43rd President of Argentina (b. 1937)
- 2019 – Rip Torn, American actor (b. 1931)
- 2019 – Freddie Jones, English actor (b. 1927)
Holidays and observances on July 9
- Arbor Day (Cambodia)
- Christian Feast Day:
- Agilulfus of Cologne
- Amandina of Schakkebroek (one of Martyrs of Southern Hunan)
- Blessed Marija Petković
- Everilda
- Gregorio Grassi (one of Martyrs of Shanxi)
- Martyr Saints of China
- Martyrs of Gorkum
- Our Lady of Itatí
- Our Lady of Peace, Octave of the Visitation
- Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá
- Pauline of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus
- Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury (Anglican commemoration)
- Veronica Giuliani
- July 9 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Constitution Day (Australia)
- Constitution Day (Palau)
- Constitutionalist Revolution Day (São Paulo)
- Day of the Employees of the Diplomatic Service (Azerbaijan)
- Earliest day on which Martyrdom of the Báb can fall, while July 10 is the latest; observed on the 17th of Raḥmat (Bahá’í Faith)
- Independence Day, celebrates the declaration of independence of the United Provinces of South America by the Congress of Tucumán in 1816. (Argentina)
- Independence Day, celebrates the independence of South Sudan from Sudan in 2011.
- Nunavut Day (Nunavut)
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June 27 in History
- 1358 – The Republic of Ragusa is founded.
- 1497 – Cornish rebels Michael An Gof and Thomas Flamank are executed at Tyburn, London, England.
- 1556 – The thirteen Stratford Martyrs are burned at the stake near London for their Protestant beliefs.
- 1743 – In the Battle of Dettingen, George II becomes the last reigning British monarch to participate in a battle.
- 1760 – Anglo-Cherokee War: Cherokee warriors defeat British forces at the Battle of Echoee near present-day Otto, North Carolina.
- 1806 – British forces take Buenos Aires during the first of the British invasions of the River Plate.
- 1844 – Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, and his brother Hyrum Smith, are killed by a mob at the Carthage, Illinois jail.
- 1864 – American Civil War: Confederate forces defeat Union forces during the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain during the Atlanta Campaign.
- 1869 – The Republic of Ezo on the island of Hokkaido ends after being defeated by Japanese Imperial troops.
- 1895 – The inaugural run of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad’s Royal Blue from Washington, D.C., to New York City, the first U.S. passenger train to use electric locomotives.
- 1898 – The first solo circumnavigation of the globe is completed by Joshua Slocum from Briar Island, Nova Scotia.
- 1905 – During the Russo-Japanese War, sailors start a mutiny aboard the Russian battleship Potemkin.
- 1908 – A group of Vietnamese tirailleurs conducts a failed attempt to poison the entire French army’s garrison in the Hanoi Citadel with the aim to make way for Hoàng Hoa Thám’s rebel army to capture Hanoi.
- 1923 – Capt. Lowell H. Smith and Lt. John P. Richter perform the first ever aerial refueling in a DH.4B biplane.
- 1927 – Prime Minister of Japan Tanaka Giichi convenes an eleven-day conference to discuss Japan’s strategy in China. The Tanaka Memorial, a forged plan for world domination, is later claimed to be a secret report leaked from this conference.
- 1941 – Romanian authorities launch one of the most violent pogroms in Jewish history in the city of Iași, resulting in the murder of at least 13,266 Jews.
- 1941 – World War II: German troops capture the city of Białystok during Operation Barbarossa.
- 1946 – In the Canadian Citizenship Act, the Parliament of Canada establishes the definition of Canadian citizenship.
- 1950 – The United States decides to send troops to fight in the Korean War.
- 1954 – The Obninsk Nuclear Power Plant, the Soviet Union’s first nuclear power station, opens in Obninsk, near Moscow.
- 1954 – The FIFA World Cup quarterfinal match between Hungary and Brazil, highly anticipated to be exciting, instead turns violent, with three players ejected and further fighting continuing after the game.
- 1957 – Hurricane Audrey makes landfall near the Texas–Louisiana border, killing over 400 people, mainly in and around Cameron, Louisiana.
- 1973 – The President of Uruguay Juan María Bordaberry dissolves Parliament and establishes a dictatorship.
- 1974 – U.S. president Richard Nixon visits the Soviet Union.
- 1976 – Air France Flight 139 (Tel Aviv-Athens-Paris) is hijacked en route to Paris by the PLO and redirected to Entebbe, Uganda.
- 1977 – France grants independence to Djibouti.
- 1980 – The ‘Ustica massacre’: Itavia Flight 870 crashes in the sea while en route from Bologna to Palermo, Italy, killing all 81 on board.
- 1981 – The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China issues its “Resolution on Certain Questions in the History of Our Party Since the Founding of the People’s Republic of China”, laying the blame for the Cultural Revolution on Mao Zedong.
- 1982 – Space Shuttle Columbia launched from the Kennedy Space Center on the final research and development flight mission, STS-4.
- 1988 – The Gare de Lyon rail accident in Paris, France, kills 56 people.
- 1991 – Slovenia, after declaring independence two days before is invaded by Yugoslav troops, tanks, and aircraft starting the Ten-Day War.
- 1994 – Members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult release sarin gas in Matsumoto, Japan. Seven people are killed, 660 injured.
- 2007 – Tony Blair resigns as British Prime Minister, a position he had held since 1997. His Chancellor, Gordon Brown succeeds him.
- 2007 – The Brazilian Military Police invades the favelas of Complexo do Alemão in an episode which is remembered as the Complexo do Alemão massacre.
- 2008 – In a highly scrutinized election President of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe is re-elected in a landslide after his opponent Morgan Tsvangirai had withdrawn a week earlier, citing violence against his party’s supporters.
- 2013 – NASA launches the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, a space probe to observe the Sun.
- 2014 – At least fourteen people are killed when a Gas Authority of India Limited pipeline explodes in the East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, India.
- 2015 – Formosa Fun Coast fire: A dust fire occurs at a recreational water park in Taiwan, killing 15 people and injuring 497 others, 199 critically.
- 2017 – A series of powerful cyberattacks using the Petya malware target websites of Ukrainian organizations and counterparts with Ukrainian connections around the globe.
Births on June 27
- 850 – Ibrahim II of Ifriqiya, Aghlabid emir (d. 902)
- 1350 – Manuel II Palaiologos, Byzantine emperor (d. 1425)
- 1430 – Henry Holland, 3rd Duke of Exeter, Lancastrian leader (d. 1475)
- 1462 – Louis XII, king of France (d. 1515)
- 1464 – Ernst II of Saxony, Archbishop of Magdeburg (1476–1513) (d. 1513)
- 1497 – Ernest I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (d. 1546)
- 1550 – Charles IX, king of France (d. 1574)
- 1596 – Maximilian, Prince of Dietrichstein (d. 1655)
- 1696 – William Pepperrell, American merchant and soldier (d. 1759)
- 1717 – Louis-Guillaume Le Monnier, French botanist and physicist (d. 1799)
- 1767 – Alexis Bouvard, French astronomer and academic (d. 1843)
- 1805 – Napoléon Coste, French guitarist and composer (d. 1883)
- 1806 – Augustus De Morgan, English mathematician and logician (d. 1871)
- 1812 – Anna Cabot Lowell Quincy Waterston, American writer (d. 1899)
- 1817 – Louise von François, German author (d. 1893)
- 1828 – Bryan O’Loghlen, Irish-Australian politician, 13th Premier of Victoria (d. 1905)
- 1838 – Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Indian journalist, author, and poet (d. 1894)
- 1838 – Paul Mauser, German weapon designer, designed the Gewehr 98 (d. 1914)
- 1846 – Charles Stewart Parnell, Irish politician (d. 1891)
- 1850 – Jørgen Pedersen Gram, Danish mathematician and academic (d. 1919)
- 1850 – Lafcadio Hearn, Greek-Japanese historian and author (d. 1904)
- 1862 – May Irwin, Canadian-American actress and singer (d. 1938)
- 1865 – John Monash, Australian engineer and general (d. 1931)
- 1869 – Kate Carew, American illustrator and journalist (d. 1961)
- 1869 – Emma Goldman, Lithuanian-Canadian philosopher and activist (d. 1940)
- 1869 – Hans Spemann, German embryologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1941)
- 1870 – Frank Rattray Lillie, American zoologist and embryologist (d. 1947)
- 1872 – Heber Doust Curtis, American astronomer (d. 1942)
- 1872 – Paul Laurence Dunbar, American author, poet, and playwright (d. 1906)
- 1880 – Helen Keller, American author, academic, and activist (d. 1968)
- 1882 – Eduard Spranger, German philosopher and academic (d. 1963)
- 1884 – Gaston Bachelard, French philosopher and poet (d. 1962)
- 1885 – Pierre Montet, French historian and academic (d. 1966)
- 1885 – Guilhermina Suggia, Portuguese cellist (d. 1950)
- 1886 – Charlie Macartney, Australian cricketer and soldier (d. 1958)
- 1888 – Lewis Bernstein Namier, Polish-English historian and academic (d. 1960)
- 1888 – Antoinette Perry, American actress and director (d. 1946)
- 1892 – Paul Colin, French illustrator (d. 1985)
- 1899 – Juan Trippe, American businessman, founded Pan American World Airways (d. 1981)
- 1900 – Dixie Brown, British boxer (d. 1957)
- 1901 – Merle Tuve, American geophysicist and academic (d. 1982)
- 1905 – Armand Mondou, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1976)
- 1906 – Catherine Cookson, English author and philanthropist (d. 1998)
- 1906 – Vernon Watkins, Welsh-American poet and painter (d. 1967)
- 1907 – John McIntire, American actor (d. 1991)
- 1908 – João Guimarães Rosa, Brazilian physician and author (d. 1967)
- 1911 – Marion M. Magruder, American Marine officer, commander of the VMF(N)-533 squadron. (d. 1997)
- 1912 – E. R. Braithwaite, Guyanese novelist, writer, teacher, and diplomat (d. 2016)
- 1913 – Elton Britt, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1972)
- 1913 – Philip Guston, American painter and academic (d. 1980)
- 1913 – Willie Mosconi, American pool player (d. 1993)
- 1914 – Robert Aickman, English author and activist, co-founded the Inland Waterways Association (d. 1981)
- 1914 – Helena Benitez, Filipina academic and administrator (d. 2016)
- 1914 – Margaret Ekpo, Nigerian women’s rights activist, social mobilizer and politician (d. 2006)
- 1914 – Giorgio Almirante, Italian journalist and politician (d. 1988)
- 1915 – Grace Lee Boggs, American philosopher, author, and activist (d. 2015)
- 1915 – Aideu Handique, Indian actress (d. 2002)
- 1915 – John Alexander Moore, American zoologist and academic (d. 2002)
- 1916 – Robert Normann, Norwegian guitarist (d. 1998)
- 1918 – Adolph Kiefer, American swimmer (d. 2017)
- 1919 – M. Carl Holman, American author, educator, poet, and playwright (d. 1988)
- 1919 – Amala Shankar, Indian danseuse
- 1920 – Fernando Riera, Chilean football player and manager (d. 2010)
- 1921 – Muriel Pavlow, English actress (d. 2019)
- 1922 – George Walker, American composer (d. 2018)
- 1923 – Jacques Berthier, French organist and composer (d. 1994)
- 1923 – Elmo Hope, American pianist and composer (d. 1967)
- 1924 – Bob Appleyard, English cricketer and businessman (d. 2015)
- 1925 – Leonard Lerman, American geneticist and biologist (d. 2012)
- 1925 – Doc Pomus, American singer-songwriter (d. 1991)
- 1925 – Wayne Terwilliger, American second baseman, coach, and manager
- 1927 – Bob Keeshan, American actor and producer (d. 2004)
- 1928 – James Lincoln Collier, American journalist and author
- 1928 – Rudy Perpich, American dentist and politician, 34th Governor of Minnesota (d. 1995)
- 1929 – Dick the Bruiser, American football player and wrestler (d. 1991)
- 1929 – Peter Maas, American journalist and author (d. 2001)
- 1930 – Ross Perot, American businessman and politician (d. 2019)
- 1931 – Charles Bronfman, Canadian-American businessman and philanthropist
- 1931 – Martinus J. G. Veltman, Dutch physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1932 – Eddie Kasko, American baseball player and manager (d. 2020)
- 1932 – Anna Moffo, American operatic soprano (d. 2006)
- 1932 – Hugh Wood, English composer
- 1936 – Lucille Clifton, American author and poet (d. 2010)
- 1936 – Shirley Anne Field, English actress
- 1937 – Joseph P. Allen, American physicist and astronaut
- 1937 – Otto Herrigel, Namibian lawyer and politician (d. 2013)
- 1937 – Kirkpatrick Sale, American author and scholar
- 1938 – Bruce Babbitt, American lawyer and politician, 47th United States Secretary of the Interior
- 1938 – David Hope, Baron Hope of Craighead, Scottish lieutenant and judge
- 1938 – Konrad Kujau, German illustrator (d. 2000)
- 1939 – R. D. Burman, Indian singer-songwriter (d. 1994)
- 1939 – Neil Hawke, Australian cricketer and footballer (d. 2000)
- 1940 – Ian Lang, Baron Lang of Monkton, Scottish politician, Secretary of State for Scotland
- 1941 – Bill Baxley, American lawyer and politician, 24th Lieutenant Governor of Alabama
- 1941 – James P. Hogan, English-Irish author (d. 2010)
- 1941 – Krzysztof Kieślowski, Polish director and screenwriter (d. 1996)
- 1942 – Bruce Johnston, American singer-songwriter and producer
- 1942 – Frank Mills, Canadian pianist and composer
- 1942 – Danny Schechter, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2015)
- 1943 – Ravi Batra, Indian-American economist and academic
- 1944 – Angela King, English environmentalist and author, co-founded Common Ground
- 1944 – Patrick Sercu, Belgian cyclist (d. 2019)
- 1945 – Joey Covington, American drummer, songwriter, and producer (d. 2013)
- 1945 – Norma Kamali, American fashion designer
- 1945 – Ragnar Søderlind, Norwegian composer
- 1948 – Camile Baudoin, American guitarist
- 1949 – Vera Wang, American fashion designer
- 1951 – Ulf Andersson, Swedish chess player
- 1951 – Julia Duffy, American actress
- 1951 – Gilson Lavis, English drummer and portrait artist
- 1951 – Mary McAleese, Irish academic and politician, 8th President of Ireland
- 1952 – Madan Bhandari, Nepalese politician (d. 1993)
- 1953 – Igor Gräzin, Estonian academic and politician
- 1953 – Alice McDermott, American novelist
- 1954 – Richard Ibbotson, English admiral
- 1955 – Isabelle Adjani, French actress
- 1956 – Heiner Dopp, German field hockey player and politician
- 1957 – Gabriella Dorio, Italian runner
- 1958 – Lisa Germano, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1958 – Jeffrey Lee Pierce, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1996)
- 1959 – Dan Jurgens, American author and illustrator
- 1959 – Lorrie Morgan, American singer
- 1960 – Craig Hodges, American basketball player and coach
- 1960 – Robert King, English harpsichordist and conductor
- 1960 – Jeremy Swift, English actor
- 1962 – Michael Ball, English actor and singer
- 1962 – Sunanda Pushkar, India-born Canadian businesswoman (d. 2014)
- 1963 – Wendy Alexander, Scottish politician, Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning
- 1963 – Johnny Benson Jr., American race car driver
- 1964 – Stephan Brenninkmeijer, Dutch director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1964 – Chuck Person, American basketball player and coach
- 1965 – Simon Sebag Montefiore, English journalist, historian, and author
- 1965 – S. Manikavasagam, Malaysian politician and social activist
- 1965 – Óscar Vega, Spanish boxer
- 1966 – J.J. Abrams, American director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1966 – Jörg Bergen, German footballer and manager
- 1966 – Jeff Conine, American baseball player and sportscaster
- 1966 – Aigars Kalvītis, Latvian politician, businessman, and former Prime Minister of Latvia
- 1967 – Sylvie Fréchette, Canadian swimmer and coach
- 1967 – George Hamilton, Northern Irish police officer
- 1967 – Vasiliy Kaptyukh, Belarusian discus thrower
- 1967 – Phil Kearns, Australian rugby player and sportscaster
- 1968 – Kelly Ayotte, American lawyer and politician, New Hampshire Attorney General
- 1969 – Viktor Petrenko, Ukrainian figure skater
- 1970 – Régine Cavagnoud, French skier (d. 2001)
- 1970 – John Eales, Australian rugby player and businessman
- 1970 – Jim Edmonds, American baseball player and sportscaster
- 1971 – Jo Frost, English nanny, television personality, and author
- 1971 – Serginho, Brazilian footballer
- 1972 – Dawud Wharnsby, Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
- 1973 – Abbath Doom Occulta, Norwegian musician
- 1973 – Simon Archer, English badminton player
- 1974 – Christian Kane, American singer-songwriter and actor
- 1974 – Christopher O’Neill, English-American businessman
- 1975 – Ace Darling, American wrestler
- 1975 – Bianca Del Rio, American drag queen & comedian
- 1975 – Sarah Evanetz, Canadian swimmer
- 1975 – Tobey Maguire, American actor
- 1975 – Daryle Ward, American baseball player
- 1976 – Johnny Estrada, American baseball player
- 1976 – Leigh Nash, American singer-songwriter
- 1977 – Arkadiusz Radomski, Polish footballer
- 1978 – Apparat, German musician
- 1980 – Hugo Campagnaro, Argentinian footballer
- 1980 – Jennifer Goodridge, American keyboard player
- 1980 – Alexander Peya, Austrian tennis player
- 1980 – Kevin Pietersen, South African-English cricketer
- 1980 – Craig Terrill, American football player
- 1981 – Andrew Embley, Australian footballer
- 1983 – Jim Johnson, American baseball player
- 1983 – Dale Steyn, South African cricketer
- 1983 – Nikola Rakočević, Serbian actor
- 1984 – Khloé Kardashian, American model, businesswoman, and radio host
- 1984 – D.J. King, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1984 – Jose Holebas, German-Greek footballer
- 1984 – Gökhan Inler, Swiss footballer
- 1985 – James Hook, Welsh rugby player
- 1985 – Svetlana Kuznetsova, Russian tennis player
- 1985 – Nico Rosberg, German race car driver
- 1986 – Sam Claflin, British actor
- 1986 – Drake Bell, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
- 1986 – Bryan Fletcher, American skier
- 1986 – LaShawn Merritt, American sprinter
- 1987 – India de Beaufort, English actress
- 1987 – Ed Westwick, English actor
- 1988 – Stefani Bismpikou, Greek gymnast
- 1988 – Matthew Spiranovic, Australian footballer
- 1988 – Kate Ziegler, American swimmer
- 1989 – Hana Birnerová, Czech tennis player
- 1989 – Matthew Lewis, English actor
- 1992 – Ahn So-hee, South Korean singer and actress
- 1992 – Karthika Nair, Indian film actress
- 1993 – Johanna Talihärm, Estonian biathlete
- 1993 – Alberto Campbell-Staines, Australian athlete
- 1994 – Anita Husarić, Bosnian tennis player
- 1995 – Monté Morris, American basketball player
Deaths on June 27
- 992 – Conan I of Rennes, Duke of Brittany
- 1162 – Odo II, Duke of Burgundy (b. 1118)
- 1194 – King Sancho VI of Navarre (b. 1132)
- 1296 – Floris V, Count of Holland (b. 1254)
- 1458 – Alfonso V of Aragon (b. 1396)
- 1497 – Michael An Gof, rebel leader
- 1497 – Thomas Flamank, rebel leader
- 1574 – Giorgio Vasari, Italian historian, painter, and architect (b. 1511)
- 1601 – Henry Norris, 1st Baron Norreys (b. 1525)
- 1603 – Jan Dymitr Solikowski, Polish archbishop (b. 1539)
- 1627 – John Hayward, English historian, journalist, and politician (b. 1564)
- 1636 – Date Masamune, Japanese strongman (b. 1567)
- 1654 – Johannes Valentinus Andreae, German theologian (b. 1586)
- 1655 – Eleonora Gonzaga, Holy Roman Empress (b. 1598)
- 1672 – Roger Twysden, English historian and politician (b. 1597)
- 1720 – Guillaume Amfrye de Chaulieu, French poet and author (b. 1639)
- 1794 – Wenzel Anton, Prince of Kaunitz-Rietberg (b. 1711)
- 1794 – Philippe de Noailles, French general (b. 1715)
- 1827 – Johann Gottfried Eichhorn, German theologian and academic (b. 1754)
- 1829 – James Smithson, English chemist and mineralogist (b. 1765)
- 1831 – Sophie Germain, French mathematician and physicist (b. 1776)
- 1839 – Ranjit Singh, founder of the Sikh Empire (b. 1780)
- 1844 – Hyrum Smith, American religious leader (b. 1800)
- 1844 – Joseph Smith, American religious leader, founded the Latter Day Saint movement (b. 1805)
- 1878 – Sidney Breese, American jurist and politician (b. 1800)
- 1894 – Giorgio Costantino Schinas, Maltese architect and civil engineer (b. 1834)
- 1896 – John Berryman, English soldier, Victoria Cross recipient (b. 1825)
- 1905 – Harold Mahony, Scottish-Irish tennis player (b. 1867)
- 1907 – Elizabeth Cabot Agassiz, American educator, co-founded Radcliffe College (b. 1822)
- 1911 – Victor Surridge, English motorcycle racer (b. 1882)
- 1912 – George Bonnor, Australian cricketer (b. 1855)
- 1917 – Karl Allmenröder, German soldier and pilot (b. 1896)
- 1919 – Peter Sturholdt, American boxer (b. 1885)
- 1920 – Adolphe-Basile Routhier, Canadian lawyer and judge (b. 1839)
- 1934 – Francesco Buhagiar, Maltese politician, 2nd Prime Minister of Malta (b. 1876)
- 1935 – Eugene Augustin Lauste, French-American inventor (b. 1857)
- 1944 – Milan Hodža, Czech journalist and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia (b. 1878)
- 1946 – Wanda Gág, American author and illustrator (b. 1893)
- 1949 – Frank Smythe, English botanist and mountaineer (b. 1900)
- 1950 – Milada Horáková, Czech politician, victim of judicial murder (b. 1901)
- 1952 – Max Dehn, German-American mathematician and academic (b. 1878)
- 1957 – Hermann Buhl, Austrian soldier and mountaineer (b. 1924)
- 1960 – Lottie Dod, English tennis player, golfer, and archer (b. 1871)
- 1962 – Paul Viiding, Estonian author, poet, and critic (b. 1904)
- 1967 – Jaan Lattik, Estonian pastor and politician, 9th Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia (b. 1878)
- 1970 – Daniel Kinsey, American hurdler and scholar (b. 1902)
- 1975 – G.I. Taylor, English mathematician and physicist (b. 1886)
- 1986 – George Nepia, New Zealand rugby player and referee (b. 1905)
- 1987 – Billy Snedden, Australian lawyer and politician, 17th Attorney-General for Australia (b. 1926)
- 1989 – A. J. Ayer, English philosopher and academic (b. 1910)
- 1991 – Milton Subotsky, American-English screenwriter and producer (b. 1921)
- 1996 – Albert R. Broccoli, American film producer (b. 1909)
- 1998 – Gilles Rocheleau, Canadian businessman and politician (b. 1935)
- 1999 – Georgios Papadopoulos, Greek colonel and politician, 169th Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1919)
- 2000 – Pierre Pflimlin, French lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of France (b. 1907)
- 2001 – Tove Jansson, Finnish author, illustrator, and painter (b. 1914)
- 2001 – Jack Lemmon, American actor (b. 1925)
- 2001 – Joan Sims, English actress (b. 1930)
- 2002 – John Entwistle, English singer-songwriter, bass guitarist, and producer (b. 1944)
- 2002 – Robert L. J. Long, American admiral (b. 1920)
- 2003 – David Newman, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1937)
- 2004 – George Patton IV, American general (b. 1923)
- 2004 – Darrell Russell, American race car driver (b. 1968)
- 2005 – Shelby Foote, American historian and author (b. 1917)
- 2005 – Ray Holmes, English lieutenant and pilot (b. 1914)
- 2005 – John T. Walton, American businessman, co-founded the Children’s Scholarship Fund (b. 1946)
- 2006 – Ángel Maturino Reséndiz, Mexican serial killer (b. 1959)
- 2007 – William Hutt, Canadian actor (b. 1920)
- 2008 – Sam Manekshaw, Indian field marshal (b. 1914)
- 2009 – Gale Storm, American actress (b. 1922)
- 2010 – Corey Allen, American film and television actor, writer, director, and producer (b. 1934)
- 2011 – Mike Doyle, English footballer (b. 1946)
- 2012 – Stan Cox, English runner (b. 1918)
- 2012 – Rosemary Dobson, Australian poet and illustrator (b. 1920)
- 2013 – Stefano Borgonovo, Italian footballer (b. 1964)
- 2013 – Ian Scott, English-New Zealand painter (b. 1945)
- 2014 – Edmond Blanchard, Canadian jurist and politician (b. 1954)
- 2014 – Allen Grossman, American poet, critic, and academic (b. 1932)
- 2014 – Leslie Manigat, Haitian educator and politician, 43rd President of Haiti (b. 1930)
- 2014 – Violet Milstead, Canadian World War II aviator and bush pilot (b. 1919)
- 2014 – Rachid Solh, Lebanese politician, 48th Prime Minister of Lebanon (b. 1926)
- 2015 – Zvi Elpeleg, Polish-Israeli diplomat, author, and academic (b. 1926)
- 2015 – Knut Helle, Norwegian historian and professor (b. 1930)
- 2015 – Chris Squire, English musician (bass guitarist), singer and songwriter, member of the rock band Yes (b. 1948)
- 2016 – Bud Spencer, Italian swimmer, actor, and screenwriter (b. 1929)
- 2017 – Peter L. Berger, Austrian sociologist (b. 1929)
- 2018 – Joe Jackson, American manager, father of Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson (b. 1928)
- 2018 – Liz Jackson, Australian journalist and former barrister (b. 1951)
- 2018 – William McBridge, Australian obstetrician (b. 1927)
Holidays and observances on June 27
- Christian feast day:
- Arialdo
- Crescens, one of the Seventy disciples
- Cyril of Alexandria (Coptic Church, Roman Catholic Church, Anglican Communion and Lutheran Church)
- Ladislaus I of Hungary
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help
- Sampson the Hospitable
- Zoilus
- June 27 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Canadian Multiculturalism Day (Canada)
- Commemoration Day for the Victims of the Communist Regime (Czech Republic)
- Day of Turkmen Workers of Culture and Art (Turkmenistan)
- Helen Keller Day (United States)
- Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Djibouti from France in 1977.
- Mixed Race Day (Brazil)
- National HIV Testing Day (United States)
- National PTSD Awareness Day (United States)
- Seven Sleepers’ Day or Siebenschläfertag (Germany)
- Unity Day (Tajikistan)
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June 26 in History
- 4 AD – Augustus adopts Tiberius.
- 221 – Roman emperor Elagabalus adopts his cousin Alexander Severus as his heir and receives the title of Caesar.
- 363 – Roman emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sasanian Empire.
- 684 – Pope Benedict II is chosen.
- 699 – En no Ozuno, a Japanese mystic and apothecary who will later be regarded as the founder of a folk religion Shugendō, is banished to Izu Ōshima.
- 1243 – Mongols defeat the Seljuk Turks at the Battle of Köse Dağ.
- 1295 – Przemysł II crowned king of Poland, following Ducal period. The white eagle is added to the Polish coat of arms.
- 1407 – Ulrich von Jungingen becomes Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights.
- 1409 – Western Schism: The Roman Catholic Church is led into a double schism as Petros Philargos is crowned Pope Alexander V after the Council of Pisa, joining Pope Gregory XII in Rome and Pope Benedict XII in Avignon.
- 1460 – Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, and Edward, Earl of March, land in England with a rebel army and march on London.
- 1483 – Richard III becomes King of England.
- 1522 – Ottomans begin the second Siege of Rhodes.
- 1541 – Francisco Pizarro is assassinated in Lima by the son of his former companion and later antagonist, Diego de Almagro the younger. Almagro is later caught and executed.
- 1579 – Livonian campaign of Stephen Báthory begins.
- 1718 – Alexei Petrovich, Tsarevich of Russia, Peter the Great’s son, mysteriously dies after being sentenced to death by his father for plotting against him.
- 1723 – After a siege and bombardment by cannon, Baku surrenders to the Russians.
- 1740 – A combined force of Spanish, free blacks and allied Indians defeat a British garrison at the Siege of Fort Mose near St. Augustine during the War of Jenkins’ Ear.
- 1794 – French Revolutionary Wars: Battle of Fleurus marked the first successful military use of aircraft.
- 1830 – William IV becomes king of Britain and Hanover.
- 1843 – Treaty of Nanking comes into effect, Hong Kong Island is ceded to the British “in perpetuity”.
- 1848 – End of the June Days Uprising in Paris.
- 1857 – The first investiture of the Victoria Cross in Hyde Park, London.
- 1870 – The Christian holiday of Christmas is declared a federal holiday in the United States.
- 1886 – Henri Moissan isolated elemental Fluorine for the first time.
- 1889 – Bangui is founded by Albert Dolisie and Alfred Uzac in what was then the upper reaches of the French Congo.
- 1906 – The first Grand Prix motor race is held at Le Mans.
- 1909 – The Science Museum in London comes into existence as an independent entity.
- 1917 – World War I: The American Expeditionary Forces begin to arrive in France. They will first enter combat four months later.
- 1918 – World War I: Allied forces under John J. Pershing and James Harbord defeat Imperial German forces under Wilhelm, German Crown Prince in the Battle of Belleau Wood.
- 1924 – The American occupation of the Dominican Republic ends after eight years.
- 1927 – The Cyclone roller coaster opens on Coney Island.
- 1934 – United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Federal Credit Union Act, which establishes credit unions.
- 1936 – Initial flight of the Focke-Wulf Fw 61, the first practical helicopter.
- 1940 – World War II: Under the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, the Soviet Union presents an ultimatum to Romania requiring it to cede Bessarabia and the northern part of Bukovina.
- 1941 – World War II: Soviet planes bomb Kassa, Hungary (now Košice, Slovakia), giving Hungary the impetus to declare war the next day.
- 1942 – The first flight of the Grumman F6F Hellcat.
- 1944 – World War II: San Marino, a neutral state, is mistakenly bombed by the RAF based on faulty information, leading to 35 civilian deaths.
- 1944 – World War II: The Battle of Osuchy in Osuchy, Poland, one of the largest battles between Nazi Germany and Polish resistance forces, ends with the defeat of the latter.
- 1945 – The United Nations Charter is signed by 50 Allied nations in San Francisco, California.
- 1948 – Cold War: The first supply flights are made in response to the Berlin Blockade.
- 1948 – William Shockley files the original patent for the grown-junction transistor, the first bipolar junction transistor.
- 1948 – Shirley Jackson’s short story The Lottery is published in The New Yorker magazine.
- 1952 – The Pan-Malayan Labour Party is founded in Malaya, as a union of statewide labour parties.
- 1953 – Lavrentiy Beria, head of MVD, is arrested by Nikita Khrushchev and other members of the Politburo.
- 1955 – The South African Congress Alliance adopts the Freedom Charter at the Congress of the People in Kliptown.
- 1959 – Swedish boxer Ingemar Johansson becomes world champion of heavy weight boxing, by defeating American Floyd Patterson on technical knockout after two minutes and three seconds in the third round at Yankee Stadium.
- 1960 – The former British Protectorate of British Somaliland gains its independence as Somaliland.
- 1960 – Madagascar gains its independence from France.
- 1963 – Cold War: U.S. President John F. Kennedy gave his “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech, underlining the support of the United States for democratic West Germany shortly after Soviet-supported East Germany erected the Berlin Wall.
- 1967 – Karol Wojtyła (later John Paul II) made a cardinal by Pope Paul VI.
- 1974 – The Universal Product Code is scanned for the first time to sell a package of Wrigley’s chewing gum at the Marsh Supermarket in Troy, Ohio.
- 1975 – Two FBI agents and a member of the American Indian Movement are killed in a shootout on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota; Leonard Peltier is later convicted of the murders in a controversial trial.
- 1977 – Elvis Presley held his final concert in Indianapolis, Indiana at Market Square Arena.
- 1978 – Air Canada Flight 189, flying to Toronto, overruns the runway and crashes into the Etobicoke Creek ravine. Two of the 107 passengers on board perish.
- 1991 – Yugoslav Wars: The Yugoslav People’s Army begins the Ten-Day War in Slovenia.
- 1995 – Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani deposes his father Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, in a bloodless coup d’état.
- 1997 – The U.S. Supreme Court rules that the Communications Decency Act violates the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
- 2000 – The Human Genome Project announces the completion of a “rough draft” sequence.
- 2003 – The U.S. Supreme Court rules in Lawrence v. Texas that gender-based sodomy laws are unconstitutional.
- 2006 – Mari Alkatiri, the first Prime Minister of East Timor, resigns after weeks of political unrest.
- 2007 – Pope Benedict XVI reinstates the traditional laws of papal election in which a successful candidate must receive two-thirds of the votes.
- 2008 – A suicide bomber dressed as an Iraqi policeman detonates an explosive vest, killing 25 people.
- 2012 – The Waldo Canyon fire descends into the Mountain Shadows neighborhood in Colorado Springs burning 347 homes in a matter of hours and killing two people.
- 2013 – Riots in China’s Xinjiang region kill at least 36 people and injure 21 others.
- 2013 – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled, 5–4, that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional and in violation of the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
- 2015 – Five different terrorist attacks in France, Tunisia, Somalia, Kuwait, and Syria occurred on what was dubbed Bloody Friday by international media. Upwards of 750 people were either killed or injured in these uncoordinated attacks.
- 2015 – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled, 5–4, that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marriage under the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Births on June 26
- 12 BC – Agrippa Postumus, Roman son of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa and Julia the Elder (d. 14)
- 1399 – John, Count of Angoulême (d. 1467)
- 1575 – Anne Catherine of Brandenburg (d. 1612)
- 1581 – San Pedro Claver, Spanish Jesuit saint (d. 1654)
- 1600 – Juan de Palafox y Mendoza, Spanish-born bishop and viceroy of New Spain (d. 1659)
- 1681 – Hedvig Sophia of Sweden (d. 1708)
- 1689 – Edward Holyoke, American pastor and academic (d. 1769)
- 1694 – Georg Brandt, Swedish chemist and mineralogist (d. 1768)
- 1699 – Marie Thérèse Rodet Geoffrin, French businesswoman (d. 1777)
- 1702 – Philip Doddridge, English hymn-writer and educator (d. 1751)
- 1703 – Thomas Clap, American minister and academic (d. 1767)
- 1726 – Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia (d. 1796)
- 1730 – Charles Messier, French astronomer and academic (d. 1817)
- 1764 – Jan Paweł Łuszczewski, Polish politician (d. 1812)
- 1796 – Jan Paweł Lelewel, Polish painter and engineer (d. 1847)
- 1798 – Wolfgang Menzel, German poet and critic (d. 1873)
- 1817 – Branwell Brontë, English painter and poet (d. 1848)
- 1819 – Abner Doubleday, American general (d. 1893)
- 1821 – Bartolomé Mitre, Argentinian soldier, journalist, and politician, 6th President of Argentina (d. 1906)
- 1824 – William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin, Irish-Scottish physicist and engineer (d. 1907)
- 1835 – Thomas W. Knox, American journalist and author (d. 1896)
- 1839 – Sam Watkins, American soldier and author (d. 1901)
- 1852 – Daoud Corm, Lebanese painter (d. 1930)
- 1854 – Robert Laird Borden, Canadian lawyer and politician, 8th Prime Minister of Canada (d. 1937)
- 1865 – Bernard Berenson, Lithuanian-American historian and author (d. 1959)
- 1866 – George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon, English archaeologist and banker (d. 1923)
- 1869 – Martin Andersen Nexø, Danish journalist and author (d. 1954)
- 1878 – Leopold Löwenheim, German mathematician and logician (d. 1957)
- 1880 – Mitchell Lewis, American actor (d. 1956)
- 1881 – Ya’akov Cohen, Israeli linguist, poet, and playwright (d. 1960)
- 1892 – Pearl S. Buck, American novelist, essayist, short story writer Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1973)
- 1893 – Dorothy Fuldheim, American journalist and news anchor(d. 1989)
- 1895 – George Hainsworth, Canadian ice hockey player and politician (d. 1950)
- 1898 – Willy Messerschmitt, German engineer and businessman (d. 1978)
- 1898 – Chesty Puller, US general (d. 1971)
- 1899 – Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna of Russia (d. 1918)
- 1901 – Stuart Symington, American lieutenant and politician, 1st United States Secretary of the Air Force (d. 1988)
- 1902 – Hugues Cuénod, Swiss tenor and educator (d. 2010)
- 1903 – Big Bill Broonzy, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1958)
- 1904 – Frank Scott Hogg, Canadian astronomer and academic (d. 1951)
- 1904 – Peter Lorre, Slovak-American actor and singer (d. 1964)
- 1905 – Lynd Ward, American author and illustrator (d. 1985)
- 1906 – Alberto Rabagliati, Italian singer (d. 1974)
- 1906 – Viktor Schreckengost, American sculptor and educator (d. 2008)
- 1907 – Debs Garms, American baseball player (d. 1984)
- 1908 – Salvador Allende, Chilean physician and politician, 29th President of Chile (d. 1973)
- 1909 – Colonel Tom Parker, Dutch-American talent manager (d. 1997)
- 1909 – Wolfgang Reitherman, German-American animator, director, and producer (d. 1985)
- 1911 – Babe Didrikson Zaharias, American golfer and basketball player (d. 1956)
- 1911 – Bronisław Żurakowski, Polish pilot and engineer (d. 2009)
- 1913 – Aimé Césaire, French poet, author, and politician (d. 2008)
- 1913 – Maurice Wilkes, English computer scientist and physicist (d. 2010)
- 1914 – Laurie Lee, English author and poet (d. 1997)
- 1914 – Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark, European royalty (d. 2001)
- 1915 – Paul Castellano, American gangster (d. 1985)
- 1915 – George Haigh, English professional footballer (d. 2019)
- 1915 – Charlotte Zolotow, American author and poet (d. 2013)
- 1916 – Virginia Satir, American psychotherapist and author (d. 1988)
- 1916 – Giuseppe Taddei, Italian actor and singer (d. 2010)
- 1917 – Idriz Ajeti, Albanian albanologist (d. 2019)
- 1918 – Leo Rosner, Polish-born Austrian Jewish musician (d. 2008)
- 1918 – Raleigh Rhodes, American combat fighter pilot (d. 2007)
- 1918 – J. B. Fuqua, American entrepreneur and philanthropist (d. 2006)
- 1919 – Richard Neustadt, American political scientist and academic (d. 2003)
- 1919 – Jimmy Newberry, American pitcher (d. 1983)
- 1919 – George Athan Billias, American historian (d. 2018)
- 1919 – Donald M. Ashton, English art director (d. 2004)
- 1920 – Jean-Pierre Roy, Canadian-American baseball player, manager, and sportscaster (d. 2014)
- 1921 – Violette Szabo, French-British secret agent (d. 1945)
- 1921 – Robert Everett, American computer scientist (d. 2018)
- 1922 – Walter Farley, American author (d. 1989)
- 1922 – Eleanor Parker, American actress (d. 2013)
- 1922 – Enzo Apicella, English artist, cartoonist, designer, and restaurateur (d. 2018)
- 1923 – Franz-Paul Decker, German conductor (d. 2014)
- 1923 – Ed Bearss, American veteran of World War II
- 1924 – Kostas Axelos, Greek-French philosopher and author (d. 2010)
- 1924 – James W. McCord Jr., CIA officer (d. 2017)
- 1925 – Pavel Belyayev, Russian soldier, pilot, and astronaut (d. 1970)
- 1925 – Wolfgang Unzicker, German chess player (d. 2006)
- 1925 – Jean Frydman, French resistant and businessman
- 1926 – Kenny Baker, American fiddler (d.2011)
- 1926 – Mahendra Bhatnagar, Indian poet
- 1926 – Fernando Mönckeberg Barros, Chilean surgeon
- 1926 – Dinu Zamfirescu, Romanian politician
- 1927 – Robert Kroetsch, Canadian author and poet (d. 2011)
- 1928 – Jacob Druckman, American composer and academic (d. 1996)
- 1928 – Yoshiro Nakamatsu, Japanese inventor
- 1928 – Bill Sheffield, American politician; 5th Governor of Alaska
- 1928 – Samuel Belzberg, Canadian businessman and philanthropist (d. 2018)
- 1929 – June Bronhill, Australian soprano and actress (d. 2005)
- 1929 – Fred Bruemmer, Latvian-Canadian photographer and author (d. 2013)
- 1929 – Milton Glaser, American illustrator and graphic designer
- 1930 – Jackie Fargo, American wrestler and trainer (d. 2013)
- 1930 – Wolfgang Schwanitz, East German secret police
- 1931 – Colin Wilson, English philosopher and author (d. 2013)
- 1931 – Robert Colbert, American actor
- 1932 – Dame Marguerite Pindling, Bahamian politician; Governor-General of the Bahamas
- 1932 – Don Valentine, American venture capitalist (d. 2019)
- 1933 – Claudio Abbado, Italian conductor (d. 2014)
- 1933 – Gene Green, American baseball player (d. 1981)
- 1933 – David Winnick, English politician
- 1934 – Dave Grusin, American pianist and composer
- 1934 – Toru Goto, Japanese swimmer
- 1935 – Carlo Facetti, Italian race car driver
- 1935 – Sandro Riminucci, Italian basketball player
- 1935 – Dwight York, American singer
- 1936 – Benjamin Adekunle, Nigerian general (d. 2014)
- 1936 – Hal Greer, American basketball player (d. 2018)
- 1936 – Robert Maclennan, Baron Maclennan of Rogart, Scottish politician (d. 2020)
- 1936 – Edith Pearlman, American short story writer
- 1936 – Jean-Claude Turcotte, Canadian cardinal (d. 2015)
- 1936 – Nancy Willard, American author and poet (d. 2017)
- 1937 – Robert Coleman Richardson, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2013)
- 1937 – Reggie Workman, American bassist and composer
- 1938 – Neil Abercrombie, American sociologist and politician, 7th Governor of Hawaii
- 1938 – Billy Davis Jr., American pop-soul singer
- 1938 – Gerald North, American climatologist and academic
- 1939 – Chuck Robb, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 64th Governor of Virginia
- 1939 – Zainuddin Maidin, Malaysian politician (d. 2018)
- 1941 – Yves Beauchemin, Canadian author and academic
- 1942 – J.J. Dillon, American wrestler and manager
- 1942 – Gilberto Gil, Brazilian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and politician, Brazilian Minister of Culture
- 1943 – Georgie Fame, English singer, pianist, and keyboard player
- 1943 – Warren Farrell, American author and educator
- 1944 – Gennady Zyuganov, Russian colonel and politician
- 1946 – Candace Pert, American neuroscientist and pharmacologist (d. 2013)
- 1949 – Fredric Brandt, American dermatologist and author (d. 2015)
- 1949 – Adrian Gurvitz, English singer-songwriter and producer
- 1949 – Mary Styles Harris, American biologist and geneticist
- 1951 – Gary Gilmour, Australian cricketer and manager (d. 2014)
- 1952 – Gordon McQueen, Scottish footballer and manager
- 1952 – Olive Morris, Jamaican-English civil rights activist (d. 1979)
- 1954 – Luis Arconada, Spanish footballer
- 1955 – Mick Jones, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1955 – Gedde Watanabe, American actor
- 1956 – Chris Isaak, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
- 1956 – Catherine Samba-Panza, interim president of the Central African Republic
- 1956 – Patrick Mercer, English colonel and politician
- 1957 – Al Hunter Ashton, English actor and screenwriter (d. 2007)
- 1957 – Philippe Couillard, Canadian surgeon and politician, 31st Premier of Quebec
- 1957 – Patty Smyth, American singer-songwriter and musician
- 1959 – Mark McKinney, Canadian actor and screenwriter
- 1960 – Mark Durkan, Irish politician
- 1961 – Greg LeMond, American cyclist
- 1961 – Terri Nunn, American singer-songwriter and actress
- 1962 – Jerome Kersey, American basketball player and coach (d. 2015)
- 1963 – Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Russian-Swiss businessman and philanthropist
- 1963 – Mark McClellan, American economist and politician
- 1963 – Harriet Wheeler, English singer-songwriter
- 1964 – Tommi Mäkinen, Finnish race car driver
- 1966 – Dany Boon, French actor, director, and screenwriter
- 1966 – Kirk McLean, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1966 – Jürgen Reil, American drummer
- 1967 – Inha Babakova, Ukrainian high jumper
- 1967 – Olivier Dahan, French director and screenwriter
- 1968 – Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, Icelandic lecturer and politician, 6th President of Iceland
- 1968 – Paolo Maldini, Italian footballer
- 1968 – Shannon Sharpe, American football player and sportscaster
- 1969 – Colin Greenwood, English bass player and songwriter
- 1969 – Ingrid Lempereur, Belgian swimmer
- 1969 – Geir Moen, Norwegian sprinter
- 1969 – Mike Myers, American baseball player
- 1970 – Paul Thomas Anderson, American director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1970 – Paul Bitok, Kenyan runner
- 1970 – Irv Gotti, American record producer, co-founded Murder Inc Records
- 1970 – Sean Hayes, American actor
- 1970 – Adam Ndlovu, Zimbabwean footballer
- 1970 – Chris O’Donnell, American actor
- 1970 – Nick Offerman, American actor
- 1971 – Max Biaggi, Italian motorcycle racer
- 1972 – Jai Taurima, Australian long jumper and police officer
- 1973 – Gretchen Wilson, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1974 – Derek Jeter, American baseball player
- 1974 – Jason Kendall, American baseball player
- 1975 – Chris Armstrong, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1975 – Terry Skiverton, English footballer and manager
- 1976 – Ed Jovanovski, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1976 – Pommie Mbangwa, Zimbabwean cricketer and sportscaster
- 1976 – Chad Pennington, American football player and sportscaster
- 1976 – Dave Rubin, American political commentator
- 1977 – Quincy Lewis, American basketball player
- 1979 – Ryō Fukuda, Japanese race car driver
- 1979 – Walter Herrmann, Argentinian basketball player
- 1979 – Ryan Tedder, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer
- 1980 – Hamílton Hênio Ferreira Calheiros, Togolese footballer
- 1980 – Michael Jackson, English footballer
- 1980 – Jason Schwartzman, American singer-songwriter, drummer, and actor
- 1980 – Chris Shelton, American baseball player
- 1980 – Michael Vick, American football player
- 1981 – Natalya Antyukh, Russian sprinter and hurdler
- 1981 – Paolo Cannavaro, Italian footballer
- 1981 – Kanako Kondō, Japanese voice actress and singer
- 1981 – Takashi Toritani, Japanese baseball player
- 1982 – Zuzana Kučová, Slovak tennis player
- 1983 – Vinícius Rodrigues Almeida, Brazilian footballer
- 1983 – Nick Compton, South African-English cricketer
- 1983 – Toyonoshima Daiki, Japanese sumo wrestler
- 1983 – Felipe Melo, Brazilian footballer
- 1983 – Antonio Rosati, Italian footballer
- 1984 – Indila, French singer
- 1984 – José Juan Barea, Puerto Rican-American basketball player
- 1984 – Yankuba Ceesay, Gambian footballer
- 1984 – Elijah Dukes, American baseball player
- 1984 – Raymond Felton, American basketball player
- 1984 – Priscah Jeptoo, Kenyan runner
- 1984 – Jūlija Tepliha, Latvian figure skater
- 1984 – Deron Williams, American basketball player
- 1984 – Preslava, Bulgarian singer
- 1985 – Ogyen Trinley Dorje, Tibetan spiritual leader, 17th Karmapa Lama
- 1986 – Duvier Riascos, Colombian footballer
- 1987 – Carlos Iaconelli, Brazilian race car driver
- 1987 – Samir Nasri, French footballer
- 1988 – Oliver Stang, German footballer
- 1990 – Belaynesh Oljira, Ethiopian runner
- 1990 – Igor Subbotin, Estonian footballer
- 1991 – Houssem Chemali, French footballer
- 1991 – Diego Falcinelli, Italian footballer
- 1991 – Dustin Martin, Australian rules footballer
- 1992 – Joel Campbell, Costa Rican footballer
- 1992 – Rudy Gobert, French basketball player
- 1992 – Jennette McCurdy, American actress and singer-songwriter
- 1993 – Ariana Grande, American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress
- 1994 – Hollie Arnold, English javelin thrower
- 1994 – Leonard Carow, German actor
- 1997 – Baek Ye-rin, South Korean singer
- 1997 – Callum Taylor, English cricketer
- 2002 – Chandler Smith, American racing driver
- 2009 – Yesha Camile, Filipino child actress
Deaths on June 26
- 116 BC – Ptolemy VIII, king of Egypt
- 363 – Julian the Apostate, Roman emperor (b. 332)
- 405 – Vigilius, bishop of Trent (b. 353)
- 822 – Saichō, Japanese Buddhist monk (b. 767)
- 969 – George El Mozahem, Egyptian martyr (b. 940)
- 985 – Ramiro III, king of León
- 1090 – Jaromír, bishop of Prague
- 1095 – Robert, bishop of Hereford
- 1265 – Anne of Bohemia, duchess of Silesia (b. 1203 or 1204)
- 1274 – Nasir al-Din al-Tusi, Persian scientist and writer (b. 1201)
- 1487 – John Argyropoulos, Byzantine philosopher and scholar (b. 1415)
- 1541 – Francisco Pizarro, Spanish explorer and politician, Governor of New Castile (b. c. 1471)
- 1574 – Gabriel, comte de Montgomery, captain of the Scottish Guard of Henry II of France (b. 1530)
- 1688 – Ralph Cudworth, English philosopher and academic (b. 1617)
- 1752 – Giulio Alberoni, Spanish cardinal (b. 1664)
- 1757 – Maximilian Ulysses Browne, Austrian field marshal (b. 1705)
- 1784 – Caesar Rodney, American lawyer and politician, 4th Governor of Delaware (b. 1728)
- 1793 – James Dickey, Irish revolutionary (b. 1776)
- 1793 – Gilbert White, English ornithologist and ecologist (b. 1720)
- 1795 – Johannes Jährig, German linguist and translator (b. 1747)
- 1808 – Ludwik Tyszkiewicz, Polish poet and politician (b. 1748)
- 1810 – Joseph-Michel Montgolfier, French inventor, co-invented the hot air balloon (b. 1740)
- 1830 – George IV of the United Kingdom (b. 1762)
- 1836 – Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle, French soldier and composer (b. 1760)
- 1856 – Max Stirner, German philosopher and author (b. 1806)
- 1870 – Armand Barbès, French lawyer and politician (b. 1809)
- 1878 – Mercedes of Orléans (b. 1860)
- 1879 – Richard H. Anderson, American general (b. 1821)
- 1883 – Edward Sabine, Irish-English astronomer, geophysicist, and ornithologist (b. 1788)
- 1918 – Peter Rosegger, Austrian poet and author (b. 1843)
- 1922 – Albert I, Prince of Monaco (b. 1848)
- 1927 – Armand Guillaumin, French painter (b. 1841)
- 1932 – Adelaide Ames, American astronomer and academic (b. 1900)
- 1932 – William Murray McPherson, Australian politician, 31st Premier of Victoria (b. 1865)
- 1938 – James Weldon Johnson, American poet, lawyer and politician (b. 1871)
- 1938 – Daria Pratt, American golfer (b. 1859)
- 1939 – Ford Madox Ford, English novelist, poet, and critic (b. 1873)
- 1943 – Karl Landsteiner, Austrian biologist and physician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1868)
- 1945 – Emil Hácha, Czech lawyer and politician, 3rd President of Czechoslovakia (b. 1872)
- 1946 – Max Kögel, German SS officer (b. 1895)
- 1946 – Yōsuke Matsuoka, Japanese politician, Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1880)
- 1947 – R. B. Bennett, Canadian lawyer and politician, 11th Prime Minister of Canada (b. 1870)
- 1949 – Kim Koo, South Korean educator and politician, 13th President of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea (b. 1876)
- 1955 – Engelbert Zaschka, German engineer (b. 1895)
- 1956 – Clifford Brown, American trumpet player and composer (b. 1930)
- 1956 – Richie Powell, American pianist (b. 1931)
- 1957 – Alfred Döblin, Polish-German physician and author (b. 1878)
- 1957 – Malcolm Lowry, English novelist and poet (b. 1909)
- 1958 – George Orton, Canadian runner and hurdler (b. 1873)
- 1958 – Andrija Štampar, Croatian physician and scholar (b. 1888)
- 1964 – Léo Dandurand, American-Canadian businessman (b. 1889)
- 1967 – Françoise Dorléac, French actress and singer (b. 1942)
- 1975 – Josemaría Escrivá, Spanish priest and saint (b. 1902)
- 1979 – Akwasi Afrifa, Ghanaian soldier and politician, 3rd Head of State of Ghana (b. 1936)
- 1989 – Howard Charles Green, Canadian lawyer and politician, 27th Canadian Minister of Public Works (b. 1895)
- 1990 – Anni Blomqvist, Finnish author (b. 1909)
- 1992 – Buddy Rogers, American wrestler (b. 1921)
- 1993 – Roy Campanella, American baseball player and coach (b. 1921)
- 1993 – William H. Riker, American political scientist and academic (b. 1920)
- 1994 – Jahanara Imam, Bangladeshi author and activist (b. 1929)
- 1996 – Veronica Guerin, Irish journalist (b. 1958)
- 1996 – Necmettin Hacıeminoğlu, Turkish linguist and academic (b. 1932)
- 1997 – Don Hutson, American football player and coach (b. 1913)
- 1998 – Hacı Sabancı, Turkish businessman and philanthropist (b. 1935)
- 2002 – Jay Berwanger, American football player (b. 1914)
- 2002 – Arnold Brown, English-Canadian 11th General of The Salvation Army (b. 1913)
- 2003 – Marc-Vivien Foé, Cameroon footballer (b. 1975)
- 2003 – Denis Thatcher, English soldier and businessman (b. 1915)
- 2003 – Strom Thurmond, American general, lawyer, and politician, 103rd Governor of South Carolina (b. 1902)
- 2004 – Ott Arder, Estonian poet and translator (b. 1950)
- 2004 – Yash Johar, Indian film producer, founded Dharma Productions (b. 1929)
- 2004 – Naomi Shemer, Israeli singer-songwriter (b. 1930)
- 2005 – Tõnno Lepmets, Estonian basketball player (b. 1938)
- 2005 – Richard Whiteley, English journalist and game show host (b. 1943)
- 2006 – Tommy Wonder, Dutch magician (b. 1953)
- 2007 – Liz Claiborne, Belgian-American fashion designer, founded Liz Claiborne (b. 1929)
- 2007 – Joey Sadler, New Zealand rugby player (b. 1914)
- 2010 – Algirdas Brazauskas, Lithuanian engineer and politician, 2nd President of Lithuania (b. 1932)
- 2010 – Harald Keres, Estonian physicist and academic (b. 1912)
- 2011 – Edith Fellows, American actress (b. 1923)
- 2011 – Jan van Beveren, Dutch footballer and coach (b. 1948)
- 2012 – Sverker Åström, Swedish diplomat, Swedish Permanent Representative to the United Nations (b. 1915)
- 2012 – Pat Cummings, American basketball player (b. 1956)
- 2012 – Nora Ephron, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1941)
- 2012 – Mario O’Hara, Filipino director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1944)
- 2012 – Doris Singleton, American actress (b. 1919)
- 2012 – Risley C. Triche, American lawyer and politician (b. 1927)
- 2013 – Henrik Otto Donner, Finnish trumpet player and composer (b. 1939)
- 2013 – Edward Huggins Johnstone, Brazilian-American sergeant and judge (b. 1922)
- 2013 – Byron Looper, American politician (b. 1964)
- 2013 – Justin Miller, American baseball player (b. 1977)
- 2013 – Marc Rich, Belgian-American businessman (b. 1934)
- 2014 – Howard Baker, American lawyer, politician, and diplomat, 12th White House Chief of Staff (b. 1925)
- 2014 – Bill Frank, American-Canadian football player (b. 1938)
- 2014 – Rollin King, American businessman, co-founded Southwest Airlines (b. 1931)
- 2014 – Bob Mischak, American football player and coach (b. 1932)
- 2014 – Julius Rudel, Austrian-American conductor (b. 1921)
- 2014 – Mary Rodgers, American composer and author (b. 1931)
- 2015 – Yevgeny Primakov, Ukrainian-Russian journalist and politician, 32nd Prime Minister of Russia (b. 1929)
- 2015 – Chris Thompson, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1952)
Holidays and observances on June 26
- Day of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan
- Christian feast day:
- Anthelm of Belley
- David the Dendrite
- Hermogius
- Isabel Florence Hapgood (Episcopal Church)
- Jeremiah (Lutheran)
- John and Paul
- José María Robles Hurtado (one of Saints of the Cristero War)
- Josemaría Escrivá
- Mar Abhai (Syriac Orthodox Church)
- Pelagius of Córdoba
- Vigilius of Trent
- June 26 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Flag Day (Romania)
- Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Madagascar from France in 1960. (Madagascar)
- Independence Day, celebrates the independence of British Somaliland from the British in 1960. (Somalia)
- International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking (International)
- International Day in Support of Victims of Torture (International)
- Ratcatcher’s Day (Hamelin, Germany)
- Sunthorn Phu Day (Thailand)
- World Refrigeration Day (International)
-
June 16 in History
- 363 – Emperor Julian marches back up the Tigris and burns his fleet of supply ships. During the withdrawal, Roman forces suffer several attacks from the Persians.
- 632 – Yazdegerd III ascends the throne as king (shah) of the Persian Empire. He becomes the last ruler of the Sasanian dynasty (modern Iran).
- 1407 – Ming–Hồ War: Retired King Hồ Quý Ly and his son King Hồ Hán Thương of Hồ dynasty are captured by the Ming armies.
- 1487 – Battle of Stoke Field: King Henry VII of England defeats the leaders of a Yorkist rebellion in the final engagement of the Wars of the Roses.
- 1586 – Mary, Queen of Scots, recognizes Philip II of Spain as her heir and successor.
- 1745 – War of the Austrian Succession: New England colonial troops under the command of William Pepperrell capture the Fortress of Louisbourg in Louisbourg, New France (Old Style date).
- 1746 – War of the Austrian Succession: Austria and Sardinia defeat a Franco-Spanish army at the Battle of Piacenza.
- 1755 – French and Indian War: The French surrender Fort Beauséjour to the British, leading to the expulsion of the Acadians.
- 1779 – Spain declares war on the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Great Siege of Gibraltar begins.
- 1795 – French Revolutionary Wars: In what became known as Cornwallis’s Retreat, a British Royal Navy squadron led by Vice Admiral William Cornwallis strongly resists a much larger French Navy force and withdraws largely intact, setting up the French Navy defeat at the Battle of Groix six days later.
- 1811 – Survivors of an attack the previous day by Tla-o-qui-aht on board the Pacific Fur Company’s ship Tonquin, intentionally detonate a powder magazine on the ship, destroying it and killing about 100 attackers.
- 1815 – Battle of Ligny and Battle of Quatre Bras, two days before the Battle of Waterloo.
- 1819 – A major earthquake strikes the Kutch district of western India, killing over 1,543 people and raising a 6 m high, 6 km wide, ridge, extending for at least 80 km, that was known as the Allah Bund (“Dam of God”).
- 1836 – The formation of the London Working Men’s Association gives rise to the Chartist Movement.
- 1846 – The Papal conclave of 1846 elects Pope Pius IX, beginning the longest reign in the history of the papacy.
- 1858 – Abraham Lincoln delivers his House Divided speech in Springfield, Illinois.
- 1871 – The Universities Tests Act 1871 allows students to enter the universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Durham without religious tests (except for those intending to study theology).
- 1883 – The Victoria Hall theatre panic in Sunderland, England, kills 183 children.
- 1884 – The first purpose-built roller coaster, LaMarcus Adna Thompson’s “Switchback Railway”, opens in New York’s Coney Island amusement park.
- 1897 – A treaty annexing the Republic of Hawaii to the United States is signed; the Republic would not be dissolved until a year later.
- 1903 – The Ford Motor Company is incorporated.
- 1903 – Roald Amundsen leaves Oslo, Norway, to commence the first east-west navigation of the Northwest Passage.
- 1904 – Eugen Schauman assassinates Nikolay Bobrikov, Governor-General of Finland.
- 1904 – Irish author James Joyce begins a relationship with Nora Barnacle and subsequently uses the date to set the actions for his novel Ulysses; this date is now traditionally called “Bloomsday”.
- 1911 – IBM founded as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company in Endicott, New York.
- 1922 – General election in the Irish Free State: The pro-Treaty Sinn Féin party wins a large majority.
- 1925 – The most famous Young Pioneer camp of the Soviet Union, Artek, is established.
- 1930 – Sovnarkom establishes decree time in the USSR.
- 1933 – The National Industrial Recovery Act is passed in the United States, allowing businesses to avoid antitrust prosecution if they establish voluntary wage, price, and working condition regulations on an industry-wide basis.
- 1940 – World War II: Marshal Henri Philippe Pétain becomes Chief of State of Vichy France (Chef de l’État Français).
- 1940 – A Communist government is installed in Lithuania.
- 1944 – In a gross miscarriage of justice, George Junius Stinney Jr., age 14, becomes the youngest person executed in the United States in the 20th century after being convicted in a two-hour trial for the rape and murder of two teenage white girls.
- 1948 – Members of the Malayan Communist Party kill three British plantation managers in Sungai Siput; in response, British Malaya declares a state of emergency.
- 1955 – In a futile effort to topple Argentine President Juan Perón, rogue aircraft pilots of the Argentine Navy drop several bombs upon an unarmed crowd demonstrating in favor of Perón in Buenos Aires, killing 364 and injuring at least 800. At the same time on the ground, some soldiers attempt to stage a coup but are suppressed by loyal forces.
- 1958 – Imre Nagy, Pál Maléter and other leaders of the 1956 Hungarian Uprising are executed.
- 1961 – While on tour with the Kirov Ballet in Paris, Rudolf Nureyev defects from the Soviet Union.
- 1963 – Soviet Space Program: Vostok 6 mission: Cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman in space.
- 1972 – The largest single-site hydroelectric power project in Canada is inaugurated at Churchill Falls Generating Station.
- 1976 – Soweto uprising: A non-violent march by 15,000 students in Soweto, South Africa, turns into days of rioting when police open fire on the crowd.
- 1977 – Oracle Corporation is incorporated in Redwood Shores, California, as Software Development Laboratories (SDL), by Larry Ellison, Bob Miner and Ed Oates.
- 1981 – US President Ronald Reagan awards the Congressional Gold Medal to Ken Taylor, Canada’s former ambassador to Iran, for helping six Americans escape from Iran during the hostage crisis of 1979–81; he is the first foreign citizen bestowed the honor.
- 1989 – Revolutions of 1989: Imre Nagy, the former Hungarian prime minister, is reburied in Budapest following the collapse of Communism in Hungary.
- 1997 – Fifty people are killed in the Daïat Labguer (M’sila) massacre in Algeria.
- 2000 – The Secretary-General of the UN reports that Israel has complied with United Nations Security Council Resolution 425, 22 years after its issuance, and completely withdrew from Lebanon. The Resolution does not encompass the Shebaa farms, which is claimed by Israel, Syria and Lebanon.
- 2010 – Bhutan becomes the first country to institute a total ban on tobacco.
- 2012 – China successfully launches its Shenzhou 9 spacecraft, carrying three astronauts, including the first female Chinese astronaut Liu Yang, to the Tiangong-1 orbital module.
- 2012 – The United States Air Force’s robotic Boeing X-37B spaceplane returns to Earth after a classified 469-day orbital mission
- 2013 – A multi-day cloudburst, centered on the North Indian state of Uttarakhand, causes devastating floods and landslides, becoming the country’s worst natural disaster since the 2004 tsunami.
- 2016 – Shanghai Disneyland Park, the first Disney Park in Mainland China, opens to the public.
- 2019 – Upwards of 2,000,000 people participate in the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests, the largest in Hong Kong’s history.
Births on June 16
- 1139 – Emperor Konoe of Japan (d. 1155)
- 1332 – Isabella de Coucy, English daughter of Edward III of England (d. 1379)
- 1454 – Joanna of Aragon, Queen of Naples (d. 1517)
- 1514 – John Cheke, English academic and politician, English Secretary of State (d. 1557)
- 1516 – Yang Jisheng, Ming dynasty official and Confucian martyr (d. 1555)
- 1583 – Axel Oxenstierna, Swedish politician, Lord High Chancellor of Sweden (d. 1654)
- 1591 – Joseph Solomon Delmedigo, Greek-Italian physician, mathematician, and theorist (d. 1655)
- 1606 – Arthur Chichester, 1st Earl of Donegall, Irish soldier and politician (d. 1675)
- 1613 – John Cleveland, English poet and educator (d. 1658)
- 1625 – Samuel Chappuzeau, French scholar (d. 1701)
- 1633 – Jean de Thévenot, French linguist and botanist (d. 1667)
- 1644 – Henrietta Anne Stuart, Princess of Scotland, England and Ireland (d. 1670)
- 1653 – James Bertie, 1st Earl of Abingdon, English nobleman (d. 1699)
- 1713 – Meshech Weare, American farmer, lawyer, and politician, 1st Governor of New Hampshire (d. 1786)
- 1723 – Adam Smith, Scottish philosopher and economist (d. 1790)
- 1738 – Mary Katherine Goddard, American publisher (d. 1816)
- 1754 – Salawat Yulayev, Russian poet (d. 1800)
- 1792 – John Linnell, English painter and engraver (d. 1882)
- 1801 – Julius Plücker, German mathematician and physicist (d. 1868)
- 1806 – Edward Davy, English physician and chemist (d. 1885)
- 1813 – Otto Jahn, German archaeologist and philologist (d. 1869)
- 1820 – Athanase Josué Coquerel, Dutch-French preacher and theologian (d. 1875)
- 1821 – Old Tom Morris, Scottish golfer and architect (d. 1908)
- 1826 – Constantin von Ettingshausen, Austrian geologist and botanist (d. 1897)
- 1829 – Geronimo, American tribal leader (d. 1909)
- 1836 – Wesley Merritt, American general and politician, Military Governor of the Philippines (d. 1910)
- 1837 – Ernst Laas, German philosopher and academic (d. 1885)
- 1838 – Frederic Archer, English organist, composer, and conductor (d. 1901)
- 1838 – Cushman Kellogg Davis, American lieutenant and politician, 7th Governor of Minnesota (d. 1900)
- 1840 – Ernst Otto Schlick, German engineer and author (d. 1913)
- 1850 – Max Delbrück, German chemist and academic (d. 1919)
- 1857 – Arthur Arz von Straußenburg, Austrian-Hungarian general (d. 1935)
- 1858 – Gustaf V of Sweden (d. 1950)
- 1863 – Francisco León de la Barra, Mexican politician and diplomat (d. 1939)
- 1866 – Germanos Karavangelis, Greek-Austrian metropolitan (d. 1935)
- 1874 – Arthur Meighen, Canadian lawyer and politician, 9th Prime Minister of Canada (d. 1960)
- 1880 – Otto Eisenschiml, Austrian-American chemist and author (d. 1963)
- 1882 – Mohammad Mosaddegh, Iranian educator and politician, 60th Prime Minister of Iran (d. 1967)
- 1885 – Erich Jacoby, Estonian-Polish architect (d. 1941)
- 1888 – Alexander Friedmann, Russian physicist and mathematician (d. 1925)
- 1888 – Peter Stoner, American mathematician and astronomer (d. 1980)
- 1890 – Stan Laurel, English actor and comedian (d. 1965)
- 1896 – Murray Leinster, American author and screenwriter (d. 1976)
- 1897 – Georg Wittig, German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1987)
- 1899 – Helen Traubel, American operatic soprano (d. 1972)
- 1902 – Barbara McClintock, American geneticist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1992)
- 1902 – George Gaylord Simpson, American paleontologist and author (d. 1984)
- 1906 – Alan Fairfax, Australian cricketer (d. 1955)
- 1907 – Jack Albertson, American actor (d. 1981)
- 1909 – Archie Carr, American ecologist and zoologist (d. 1987)
- 1910 – Juan Velasco Alvarado, Peruvian general and politician, 1st President of Peru (d. 1977)
- 1912 – Albert Chartier, Canadian illustrator (d. 2004)
- 1912 – Enoch Powell, English soldier and politician, Secretary of State for Health (d. 1998)
- 1914 – Eleanor Sokoloff, American pianist and teacher
- 1915 – John Tukey, American mathematician and academic (d. 2000)
- 1915 – Marga Faulstich, German glass chemist (d. 1998)
- 1917 – Phaedon Gizikis, Greek general and politician, President of Greece (d. 1999)
- 1917 – Katharine Graham, American publisher (d. 2001)
- 1917 – Aurelio Lampredi, Italian automobile and aircraft engine designer (d. 1989)
- 1917 – Irving Penn, American photographer (d. 2009)
- 1920 – Isabelle Holland, Swiss-American author (d. 2002)
- 1920 – Raymond Lemieux, Canadian chemist and academic (d. 2002)
- 1920 – José López Portillo, Mexican lawyer and politician, 31st President of Mexico (d. 2004)
- 1920 – Hemanta Mukharjee, Indian singer and music director
- 1922 – Ilmar Kullam, Estonian basketball player and coach (d. 2011)
- 1923 – Ron Flockhart, Scottish race car driver (d. 1962)
- 1924 – Faith Domergue, American actress (d. 1999)
- 1925 – Jean d’Ormesson, French journalist and author (d. 2017)
- 1925 – Otto Muehl, Austrian-Portuguese painter and director (d. 2013)
- 1926 – Efraín Ríos Montt, Guatemalan general and politician, 26th President of Guatemala (d. 2018)
- 1927 – Tom Graveney, English cricketer and sportscaster (d. 2015)
- 1927 – Herbert Lichtenfeld, German author and screenwriter (d. 2001)
- 1927 – Ariano Suassuna, Brazilian author and playwright (d. 2014)
- 1929 – Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait
- 1930 – Vilmos Zsigmond, Hungarian-American cinematographer and producer (d. 2016)
- 1934 – Eileen Atkins, English actress and screenwriter
- 1934 – Roger Neilson, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 2003)
- 1935 – Jim Dine, American painter and illustrator
- 1937 – Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Bulgarian politician, 48th Prime Minister of Bulgaria
- 1937 – Erich Segal, American author and screenwriter (d. 2010)
- 1938 – Thomas Boyd-Carpenter, English general
- 1938 – Torgny Lindgren, Swedish author and poet (d. 2017)
- 1938 – Joyce Carol Oates, American novelist, short story writer, critic, and poet
- 1939 – Billy “Crash” Craddock, American singer-songwriter
- 1940 – Māris Čaklais, Latvian poet, writer, and journalist (d. 2003)
- 1940 – Neil Goldschmidt, American lawyer and politician, 33rd Governor of Oregon
- 1941 – Rosalind Baker, Australian author
- 1941 – Lamont Dozier, American songwriter and producer
- 1941 – Tommy Horton, English golfer (d. 2017)
- 1941 – Mumtaz Hamid Rao, Pakistani journalist (d. 2011)
- 1942 – Giacomo Agostini, Italian motorcycle racer and manager
- 1942 – Eddie Levert, American R&B/soul singer-songwriter, musician, and actor
- 1944 – Henri Richelet, French painter and etcher
- 1945 – Claire Alexander, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
- 1945 – Lucienne Robillard, Canadian social worker and politician, 59th Secretary of State for Canada
- 1946 – Rick Adelman, American basketball player and coach
- 1946 – John Astor, 3rd Baron Astor of Hever, English businessman and politician
- 1946 – Karen Dunnell, English statistician and academic
- 1946 – Tom Harrell, American trumpet player and composer
- 1946 – Neil MacGregor, Scottish historian and curator
- 1946 – Iain Matthews, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1946 – Jodi Rell, American politician, 87th Governor of Connecticut
- 1946 – Mark Ritts, American actor, puppeteer, and producer (d. 2009)
- 1946 – Derek Sanderson, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
- 1946 – Simon Williams, English actor and playwright
- 1947 – Tom Malone, American trombonist, composer, and producer
- 1947 – Buddy Roberts, American wrestler (d. 2012)
- 1947 – Al Cowlings, American ex-NFL player and close friend of O.J. Simpson and Nicole Brown Simpson
- 1947 – Tom Wyner, English-American voice actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1948 – Ron LeFlore, American baseball player and manager
- 1949 – Paulo Cézar Caju, Brazilian footballer
- 1949 – Ralph Mann, American hurdler and author
- 1950 – Mithun Chakraborty, Indian actor and politician
- 1950 – Michel Clair, Canadian lawyer and politician
- 1950 – Jerry Petrowski, American politician and farmer
- 1951 – Charlie Dominici, American singer and guitarist
- 1951 – Roberto Durán, Panamanian boxer
- 1952 – George Papandreou, Greek sociologist and politician, 182nd Prime Minister of Greece
- 1952 – Gino Vannelli, Canadian singer-songwriter
- 1953 – Valerie Mahaffey, American actress
- 1953 – Ian Mosley, English drummer
- 1954 – Matthew Saad Muhammad, American boxer and trainer (d. 2014)
- 1954 – Garry Roberts, Irish guitarist
- 1955 – Grete Faremo, Norwegian politician, Norwegian Minister of Defence
- 1955 – Laurie Metcalf, American actress
- 1955 – Artemy Troitsky, Russian journalist and critic
- 1957 – Ian Buchanan, Scottish-American actor
- 1957 – Leeona Dorrian, Lady Dorrian, Scottish lawyer and judge
- 1958 – Darrell Griffith, American basketball player
- 1958 – Ulrike Tauber, German swimmer
- 1958 – Warren Rodwell, Australian soldier, educator and musician
- 1959 – The Ultimate Warrior, American wrestler (d. 2014)
- 1960 – Peter Sterling, Australian rugby league player and sportscaster
- 1961 – Can Dündar, Turkish journalist and author
- 1961 – Robbie Kerr, Australian cricketer
- 1961 – Steve Larmer, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1961 – Margus Metstak, Estonian basketball player and coach
- 1962 – Wally Joyner, American baseball player and coach
- 1962 – Arnold Vosloo, South African-American actor
- 1962 – Anthony Wong, Hong Kong singer
- 1963 – The Sandman, American wrestler
- 1964 – Danny Burstein, American actor and singer
- 1965 – Michael Richard Lynch, Irish computer scientist and entrepreneur; co-founded HP Autonomy
- 1965 – Richard Madaleno, American politician
- 1966 – Mark Occhilupo, Australian surfer
- 1966 – Olivier Roumat, French rugby player
- 1966 – Phil Vischer, American voice actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, co-created VeggieTales
- 1966 – Jan Železný, Czech javelin thrower and coach
- 1967 – Charalambos Andreou, Cypriot footballer
- 1967 – Jürgen Klopp, German footballer and manager
- 1968 – Adam Schmitt, American singer-songwriter, musician, and producer
- 1969 – Shami Chakrabarti, English lawyer and academic
- 1969 – Mark Crossley, English-Welsh footballer and manager
- 1970 – Younus AlGohar, Pakistani poet and academic, co-founded Messiah Foundation International
- 1970 – Clifton Collins Jr., American actor
- 1970 – Cobi Jones, American soccer player and manager
- 1970 – Phil Mickelson, American golfer
- 1971 – Tupac Shakur, American rapper and producer (d. 1996)
- 1972 – Kiko Loureiro, Brazilian guitarist
- 1973 – Eddie Cibrian, American actor
- 1974 – Glenicia James, Saint Lucian cricketer
- 1975 – Anthony Carter, American basketball player and coach
- 1977 – Craig Fitzgibbon, Australian rugby league player and coach
- 1977 – Duncan Hames, English accountant and politician
- 1977 – Kerry Wood, American baseball player
- 1978 – Daniel Brühl, Spanish-German actor
- 1978 – Dainius Zubrus, Lithuanian ice hockey player
- 1978 – Fish Leong, Malaysian singer
- 1980 – Brandon Armstrong, American basketball player
- 1980 – Phil Christophers, German-English rugby player
- 1980 – Henry Perenara, New Zealand rugby league player and referee
- 1980 – Martin Stranzl, Austrian footballer
- 1980 – Joey Yung, Hong Kong singer
- 1981 – Benjamin Becker, German tennis player
- 1981 – Kevin Bieksa, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1981 – Alexandre Giroux, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1981 – Ola Kvernberg, Norwegian violinist
- 1981 – Miguel Villalta, Peruvian footballer
- 1982 – May Andersen, Danish model and actress
- 1982 – Missy Peregrym, Canadian model and actress
- 1983 – Armend Dallku, Albanian footballer
- 1984 – Rick Nash, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1984 – Dan Ryckert, American writer and entertainer
- 1984 – Steven Whittaker, Scottish footballer
- 1986 – Rodrigo Defendi, Brazilian footballer
- 1986 – Urby Emanuelson, Dutch footballer
- 1986 – Fernando Muslera, Uruguayan footballer
- 1987 – Diana DeGarmo, American singer-songwriter and actress
- 1987 – Per Ciljan Skjelbred, Norwegian footballer
- 1987 – Christian Tshimanga Kabeya, Belgian footballer
- 1988 – Keshia Chante, Canadian singer
- 1988 – Jermaine Gresham, American football player
- 1990 – John Newman, English musician, singer, songwriter and record producer
- 1991 – Joe McElderry, English singer-songwriter
- 1991 – Siya Kolisi, South African rugby player
- 1991 – Matt Moylan, Australian rugby league player
- 1992 – Vladimir Morozov, Russian swimmer
- 1993 – Park Bo-gum, South Korean actor
- 1993 – Gnash, American singer, songwriter, rapper, DJ and record producer
- 1994 – Grete-Lilijane Küppas, Estonian footballer
- 1994 – Rezar, Albanian professional wrestler
- 1995 – Euan Aitken, Australian rugby league player
- 1995 – Joseph Schooling, Singaporean swimmer
- 1995 – Akira Ioane, New Zealand rugby Union player
- 2000 – Bianca Andreescu, Canadian tennis player
Deaths on June 16
- 840 – Rorgon I, Frankish nobleman (or 839)
- 924 – Li Cunshen, general of Later Tang (b. 862)
- 956 – Hugh the Great, Frankish nobleman (b. 898)
- 1185 – Richeza of Poland, queen of León (b. c. 1140)
- 1286 – Hugh de Balsham, English bishop
- 1332 – Adam de Brome, founder of Oriel College, Oxford
- 1361 – Johannes Tauler, German mystic theologian
- 1397 – Philip of Artois, Count of Eu, French soldier (b. 1358)
- 1424 – Johannes Ambundii, archbishop of Riga
- 1468 – Jean Le Fèvre de Saint-Remy, Burgundian historian and author (b. 1395)
- 1487 – John de la Pole, 1st Earl of Lincoln (b. c. 1463)
- 1540 – Konrad von Thüngen, German nobleman (b. c. 1466)
- 1622 – Alexander Seton, 1st Earl of Dunfermline, Scottish lawyer, judge, and politician, Lord Chancellor of Scotland (b. 1555)
- 1626 – Christian, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg-Wolfenbüttel, German Protestant military leader (b. 1599)
- 1666 – Sir Richard Fanshawe, 1st Baronet, English poet and diplomat, English Ambassador to Spain (b. 1608)
- 1722 – John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, English general and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire (b. 1650)
- 1743 – Louise-Françoise de Bourbon, eldest daughter of King Louis XIV of France (b. 1673)
- 1752 – Joseph Butler, English bishop and philosopher (b. 1692)
- 1762 – Anne Russell, Countess of Jersey (formerly Duchess of Bedford) (b. c.1705)
- 1777 – Jean-Baptiste-Louis Gresset, French poet and playwright (b. 1709)
- 1779 – Sir Francis Bernard, 1st Baronet, English lawyer and politician, Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay (b. 1712)
- 1804 – Johann Adam Hiller, German composer and conductor (b. 1728)
- 1824 – Charles-François Lebrun, duc de Plaisance, French lawyer and politician (b. 1739)
- 1849 – Wilhelm Martin Leberecht de Wette, German theologian and scholar (b. 1780)
- 1850 – William Lawson, English-Australian explorer and politician (b. 1774)
- 1858 – John Snow, English epidemiologist and physician (b. 1813)
- 1862 – Hidenoyama Raigorō, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 9th Yokozuna (b. 1808)
- 1869 – Charles Sturt, Indian-English botanist and explorer (b. 1795)
- 1872 – Norman MacLeod, Scottish minister and author (b. 1812)
- 1878 – Crawford Long, American surgeon and pharmacist (b. 1815)
- 1878 – Kikuchi Yōsai, Japanese painter (b. 1781)
- 1881 – Josiah Mason, English businessman and philanthropist (b. 1795)
- 1885 – Wilhelm Camphausen, German painter and academic (b. 1818)
- 1886 – Alexander Stuart, Scottish-Australian politician, 9th Premier of New South Wales (b. 1824)
- 1902 – Ernst Schröder, German mathematician and academic (b. 1841)
- 1918 – Bazil Assan, Romanian engineer and explorer (b. 1860)
- 1925 – Chittaranjan Das, Indian lawyer and politician (b. 1870)
- 1929 – Bramwell Booth, English 2nd General of The Salvation Army (b. 1856)
- 1929 – Vernon Louis Parrington, American historian and scholar (b. 1871)
- 1930 – Ezra Fitch, American lawyer and businessman, co-founded Abercrombie & Fitch (b. 1866)
- 1930 – Elmer Ambrose Sperry, American inventor, co-invented the gyrocompass (b. 1860)
- 1939 – Chick Webb, American drummer and bandleader (b. 1905)
- 1940 – DuBose Heyward, American author (b. 1885)
- 1944 – Marc Bloch, French historian and academic (b. 1886)
- 1945 – Aris Velouchiotis, Greek general (b. 1905)
- 1946 – Gordon Brewster, Irish cartoonist (b 1889)
- 1952 – Andrew Lawson, Scottish-American geologist and academic (b. 1861)
- 1953 – Margaret Bondfield, English politician, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (b. 1873)
- 1955 – Ozias Leduc, Canadian painter (b. 1864)
- 1958 – Pál Maléter, Hungarian general and politician, Minister of Defence of Hungary (b. 1917)
- 1958 – Imre Nagy, Hungarian politician, 3rd Prime Minister of Hungary (b. 1895)
- 1959 – George Reeves, American actor and director (b. 1914)
- 1961 – Marcel Junod, Swiss physician and anesthesiologist (b. 1904)
- 1967 – Reginald Denny, English actor (b. 1891)
- 1969 – Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis, English field marshal and politician, 17th Governor General of Canada (b. 1891)
- 1970 – Sydney Chapman, English mathematician and geophysicist (b. 1888)
- 1970 – Brian Piccolo, American football player (b. 1943)
- 1971 – John Reith, 1st Baron Reith, Scottish broadcaster, co-founded BBC (b. 1889)
- 1974 – Amalie Sara Colquhoun, Australian landscape and portrait painter (b. 1894)
- 1977 – Wernher von Braun, German-American physicist and engineer (b. 1912)
- 1979 – Ignatius Kutu Acheampong, Ghanaian general and politician, 6th Head of state of Ghana (b. 1931)
- 1979 – Nicholas Ray, American actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1911)
- 1981 – Thomas Playford IV, Australian politician, 33rd Premier of South Australia (b. 1896)
- 1982 – James Honeyman-Scott, English guitarist and songwriter (b. 1956)
- 1984 – Lew Andreas, American football player and coach (b. 1895)
- 1984 – Erni Krusten, Estonian author and poet (b. 1900)
- 1986 – Maurice Duruflé, French organist and composer (b. 1902)
- 1987 – Marguerite de Angeli, American author and illustrator (b. 1889)
- 1988 – Miguel Piñero, Puerto Rican-American actor and playwright (b. 1946)
- 1993 – Lindsay Hassett, Australian cricketer and soldier (b. 1913)
- 1994 – Kristen Pfaff, American bass player and songwriter (b. 1967)
- 1996 – Mel Allen, American sportscaster and game show host (b. 1913)
- 1997 – Dal Stivens, Australian soldier and author (b. 1911)
- 1998 – Fred Wacker, American race car driver and engineer (b. 1918)
- 1999 – Screaming Lord Sutch, English singer and activist (b. 1940)
- 2003 – Pierre Bourgault, Canadian journalist and politician (b. 1934)
- 2003 – Georg Henrik von Wright, Finnish–Swedish philosopher and author (b. 1916)
- 2004 – Thanom Kittikachorn, Thai field marshal and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Thailand (b. 1911)
- 2004 – Jacques Miquelon, Canadian lawyer and judge (b. 1911)
- 2005 – Enrique Laguerre, Puerto Rican-American author and critic (b. 1906)
- 2008 – Mario Rigoni Stern, Italian soldier and author (b. 1921)
- 2010 – Marc Bazin, Haitian lawyer and politician, 49th President of Haiti (b. 1932)
- 2010 – Maureen Forrester, Canadian singer and academic (b. 1930)
- 2010 – Ronald Neame, English director, producer, cinematographer, and screenwriter (b. 1911)
- 2011 – Östen Mäkitalo, Swedish engineer and academic (b. 1938)
- 2012 – Nils Karlsson, Swedish skier (b. 1917)
- 2012 – Jorge Lankenau, Mexican banker and businessman (b. 1944)
- 2012 – Sławomir Petelicki, Polish general (b. 1946)
- 2012 – Susan Tyrrell, American actress (b. 1945)
- 2013 – Sam Farber, American businessman, co-founded OXO (b. 1924)
- 2013 – Hans Hass, Austrian biologist and diver (b. 1919)
- 2013 – Khondakar Ashraf Hossain, Bangladesh poet and academic (b. 1950)
- 2013 – Norman Ian MacKenzie, English journalist and author (b. 1921)
- 2013 – Ottmar Walter, German footballer (b. 1924)
- 2014 – Tony Gwynn, American baseball player and coach (b. 1960)
- 2014 – Cándido Muatetema Rivas (b. 1960), Equatoguinean politician and diplomat, Prime Minister of Equatorial Guinea
- 2015 – Charles Correa, Indian architect and urban planner (b. 1930)
- 2015 – Jean Vautrin, French director, screenwriter, and critic (b. 1933)
- 2016 – Jo Cox, English political activist and MP (b. 1974)
- 2017 – Helmut Kohl, German politician, 6th Chancellor of Germany (b. 1930)
- 2020 – Eduardo Cojuangco Jr. (b. 1935), Filipino businessman and politician
Holidays and observances on June 16
- Juneteenth (United States)
- Birthday of Leonard P. Howell (Rastafari)
- Bloomsday (Dublin, Ireland)
- Christian feast days:
- Aurelianus of Arles
- Aureus of Mainz (and his sister Justina)
- Benno
- Cettin of Oran
- Curig of Llanbadarn
- Ferreolus and Ferrutio
- George Berkeley and Joseph Butler (Episcopal Church)
- Lutgardis
- Quriaqos and Julietta
- June 16 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Engineer’s Day (Argentina)
- Father’s Day (Seychelles)
- International Day of the African Child (Organisation of African Unity)
- Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev (Sikhism)
- Sussex Day (Sussex)
- Youth Day (South Africa)
-
June 11 in History
- 1184 BC – Trojan War: Troy is sacked and burned, according to calculations by Eratosthenes.
- 173 – Marcomannic Wars: The Roman army in Moravia is encircled by the Quadi, who have broken the peace treaty (171). In a violent thunderstorm emperor Marcus Aurelius defeats and subdues them in the so-called “miracle of the rain”.
- 631 – Emperor Taizong of Tang sends envoys to the Xueyantuo bearing gold and silk in order to seek the release of Chinese prisoners captured during the transition from Sui to Tang.
- 786 – A Hasanid Alid uprising in Mecca is crushed by the Abbasids at the Battle of Fakhkh.
- 980 – Vladimir the Great consolidates the Kievan realm from Ukraine to the Baltic Sea. He is proclaimed ruler (knyaz) of all Kievan Rus’.
- 1011 – Lombard Revolt: Greek citizens of Bari rise up against the Lombard rebels led by Melus and deliver the city to Basil Mesardonites, Byzantine governor (catepan) of the Catepanate of Italy.
- 1118 – Roger of Salerno, Prince of Antioch, captures Azaz from the Seljuk Turks.
- 1157 – Albert I of Brandenburg, also called The Bear (Ger: Albrecht der Bär), becomes the founder of the Margraviate of Brandenburg, Germany and the first margrave.
- 1345 – The megas doux Alexios Apokaukos, chief minister of the Byzantine Empire, is lynched by political prisoners.
- 1429 – Hundred Years’ War: Start of the Battle of Jargeau.
- 1488 – Battle of Sauchieburn: Fought between rebel Lords and James III of Scotland, resulting in the death of the king.
- 1509 – Henry VIII of England marries Catherine of Aragon.
- 1594 – Philip II recognizes the rights and privileges of the local nobles and chieftains in the Philippines, which paved way to the stabilization of the rule of the Principalía (an elite ruling class of native nobility in Spanish Philippines).
- 1748 – Denmark adopts the characteristic Nordic Cross flag later taken up by all other Scandinavian countries.
- 1770 – British explorer Captain James Cook runs aground on the Great Barrier Reef.
- 1775 – The American Revolutionary War’s first naval engagement, the Battle of Machias, results in the capture of a small British naval vessel.
- 1776 – The Continental Congress appoints Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston to the Committee of Five to draft a declaration of independence.
- 1788 – Russian explorer Gerasim Izmailov reaches Alaska.
- 1805 – A fire consumes large portions of Detroit in the Michigan Territory.
- 1825 – The first cornerstone is laid for Fort Hamilton in New York City.
- 1837 – The Broad Street Riot occurs in Boston, fueled by ethnic tensions between Yankees and Irish.
- 1865 – The Naval Battle of the Riachuelo is fought on the rivulet Riachuelo (Argentina), between the Paraguayan Navy on one side and the Brazilian Navy on the other. The Brazilian victory was crucial for the later success of the Triple Alliance (Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina) in the Paraguayan War.
- 1892 – The Limelight Department, one of the world’s first film studios, is officially established in Melbourne, Australia.
- 1895 – Paris–Bordeaux–Paris, sometimes called the first automobile race in history or the “first motor race”, takes place.
- 1898 – The Hundred Days’ Reform, a planned movement to reform social, political, and educational institutions in China, is started by the Guangxu Emperor, but is suspended by Empress Dowager Cixi after 104 days. (The failed reform led to the abolition of the Imperial examination in 1905.)
- 1901 – The boundaries of the Colony of New Zealand are extended by the UK to include the Cook Islands.
- 1903 – A group of Serbian officers stormed the royal palace and assassinated King Alexander Obrenović and his wife, Queen Draga.
- 1917 – King Alexander assumes the throne of Greece after his father, Constantine I, abdicates under pressure from allied armies occupying Athens.
- 1919 – Sir Barton wins the Belmont Stakes, becoming the first horse to win the U.S. Triple Crown.
- 1920 – During the U.S. Republican National Convention in Chicago, U.S. Republican Party leaders gathered in a room at the Blackstone Hotel to come to a consensus on their candidate for the U.S. presidential election, leading the Associated Press to coin the political phrase “smoke-filled room”.
- 1935 – Inventor Edwin Armstrong gives the first public demonstration of FM broadcasting in the United States at Alpine, New Jersey.
- 1936 – The London International Surrealist Exhibition opens.
- 1937 – Great Purge: The Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin executes eight army leaders.
- 1938 – Second Sino-Japanese War: The Battle of Wuhan starts.
- 1940 – World War II: The Siege of Malta begins with a series of Italian air raids.
- 1942 – World War II: The United States agrees to send Lend-Lease aid to the Soviet Union.
- 1942 – Free French Forces retreat from Bir Hakeim after having successfully delayed the Axis advance.
- 1944 – USS Missouri, the last battleship built by the United States Navy and future site of the signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, is commissioned.
- 1955 – Eighty-three spectators are killed and at least 100 are injured after an Austin-Healey and a Mercedes-Benz collide at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the deadliest ever accident in motorsports.
- 1956 – Start of Gal Oya riots, the first reported ethnic riots that target minority Sri Lankan Tamils in the Eastern Province. The total number of deaths is reportedly 150.
- 1962 – Frank Morris, John Anglin and Clarence Anglin allegedly become the only prisoners to escape from the prison on Alcatraz Island.
- 1963 – American Civil Rights Movement: Governor of Alabama George Wallace defiantly stands at the door of Foster Auditorium at the University of Alabama in an attempt to block two black students, Vivian Malone and James Hood, from attending that school. Later in the day, accompanied by federalized National Guard troops, they are able to register.
- 1963 – Buddhist monk Thích Quảng Đức burns himself with gasoline in a busy Saigon intersection to protest the lack of religious freedom in South Vietnam.
- 1963 – John F. Kennedy addresses Americans from the Oval Office proposing the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which would revolutionize American society by guaranteeing equal access to public facilities, ending segregation in education, and guaranteeing federal protection for voting rights.
- 1964 – World War II veteran Walter Seifert attacks an elementary school in Cologne, Germany, killing at least eight children and two teachers and seriously injuring several more with a home-made flamethrower and a lance.
- 1968 – Lloyd J. Old identified the first cell surface antigens that could differentiate among different cell types.
- 1970 – After being appointed on May 15, Anna Mae Hays and Elizabeth P. Hoisington officially receive their ranks as U.S. Army Generals, becoming the first women to do so.
- 1971 – The U.S. Government forcibly removes the last holdouts to the Native American Occupation of Alcatraz, ending 19 months of control.
- 1978 – Altaf Hussain founds the student political movement All Pakistan Muhajir Students Organisation (APMSO) in Karachi University.
- 1981 – A magnitude 6.9 earthquake at Golbaf, Iran, kills at least 2,000.
- 1987 – Diane Abbott, Paul Boateng and Bernie Grant are elected as the first black MPs in Great Britain.
- 1998 – Compaq Computer pays US$9 billion for Digital Equipment Corporation in the largest high-tech acquisition.
- 2001 – Timothy McVeigh is executed for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing.
- 2002 – Antonio Meucci is acknowledged as the first inventor of the telephone by the United States Congress.
- 2004 – Cassini–Huygens makes its closest flyby of the Saturn moon Phoebe.
- 2007 – Mudslides in Chittagong, Bangladesh, kill 130 people.
- 2008 – Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper makes a historic official apology to Canada’s First Nations in regard to abuses at a Canadian Indian residential school.
- 2008 – The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope is launched into orbit.
- 2010 – The first African FIFA World Cup kicks off in South Africa.
- 2012 – More than 80 people die in a landslide triggered by two earthquakes in Afghanistan; an entire village is buried.
- 2013 – Greece’s public broadcaster ERT is shut down by then-prime minister Antonis Samaras. It reopened exactly two years later by then-prime minister Alexis Tsipras.
- 2018 – 3 World Trade Center officially opens.
Births on June 11
- 1403 – John IV, Duke of Brabant (d. 1427)
- 1431 – Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond (d. 1456)
- 1456 – Anne Neville, Princess of Wales and Queen of England (d. 1485)
- 1540 – Barnabe Googe, English poet and translator (d. 1594)
- 1555 – Lodovico Zacconi, Italian composer and theorist (d. 1627)
- 1572 – Ben Jonson, English poet, playwright, and critic (d. 1637)
- 1585 – Evert Horn, Swedish soldier (d. 1615)
- 1588 – George Wither, English poet (d. 1667)
- 1620 – John Moore, English businessman and politician, Lord Mayor of London (d. 1702)
- 1655 – Antonio Cifrondi, Italian painter (d. 1730)
- 1662 – Tokugawa Ienobu, Japanese shōgun (d. 1712)
- 1672 – Francesco Antonio Bonporti, Italian priest and composer (d. 1749)
- 1690 – Giovanni Antonio Giay, Italian composer (d. 1764)
- 1696 – James Francis Edward Keith, Scottish-Prussian field marshal (d. 1758)
- 1697 – Francesco Antonio Vallotti, Italian organist and composer (d. 1780)
- 1704 – Carlos Seixas, Portuguese harpsichord player and composer (d. 1742)
- 1709 – Joachim Martin Falbe, German painter (d. 1782)
- 1712 – Benjamin Ingham, American missionary (d. 1772)
- 1723 – Johann Georg Palitzsch, German astronomer (d. 1788)
- 1726 – Infanta Maria Teresa Rafaela of Spain (d. 1746)
- 1741 – Joseph Warren, American physician and general (d. 1775)
- 1776 – John Constable, English painter and academic (d. 1837)
- 1797 – José Trinidad Reyes, Honduran philosopher and theorist (d. 1855)
- 1807 – James F. Schenck, American admiral (d. 1882)
- 1815 – Julia Margaret Cameron, Indian-Sri Lankan photographer (d. 1879)
- 1818 – Alexander Bain, Scottish philosopher and academic (d. 1903)
- 1829 – Edward Braddon, English-Australian politician, 18th Premier of Tasmania (d. 1904)
- 1832 – Lucy Pickens, American wife of Francis Wilkinson Pickens (d. 1899)
- 1842 – Carl von Linde, German engineer and academic (d. 1934)
- 1846 – William Louis Marshall, American general and engineer (d. 1920)
- 1847 – Millicent Fawcett, English academic and activist (d. 1929)
- 1861 – Alexander Peacock, Australian politician, 20th Premier of Victoria (d. 1933)
- 1864 – Richard Strauss, German composer and conductor (d. 1949)
- 1867 – Charles Fabry, French physicist and academic (d. 1945)
- 1871 – Stjepan Radić, Croatian lawyer and politician (d. 1928)
- 1876 – Alfred L. Kroeber, American-French anthropologist and ethnologist (d. 1960)
- 1877 – Renée Vivien, English-French poet and author (d. 1909)
- 1879 – Roger Bresnahan, American baseball player and manager (d. 1944)
- 1880 – Jeannette Rankin, American social worker and politician (d. 1973)
- 1881 – Spiros Xenos, Greek-Swedish painter (d. 1963)
- 1881 – Mordecai Kaplan, Lithuanian rabbi, founded Reconstructionist Judaism (d. 1983)
- 1888 – Bartolomeo Vanzetti, Italian-American anarchist and convicted criminal (d. 1927)
- 1889 – Hugo Wieslander, Swedish decathlete (d. 1976)
- 1894 – Kiichiro Toyoda, Japanese businessman, founded Toyota (d. 1952)
- 1895 – Nikolai Bulganin, Soviet politician (d. 1975)
- 1897 – Ram Prasad Bismil, Indian activist, founded the Hindustan Republican Association (d. 1927)
- 1897 – Reg Latta, Australian rugby league player (d. 1970)
- 1899 – Yasunari Kawabata, Japanese novelist and short story writer Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1972)
- 1901 – Cap Fear, Canadian football player and rower (d. 1978)
- 1901 – Benny Wearing, Australian rugby league player (d. 1968)
- 1902 – Eric Fraser, British illustrator and graphic designer (d. 1983)
- 1903 – Ernie Nevers, American football player and coach (d. 1976)
- 1908 – Karl Hein, German hammer thrower (d. 1982)
- 1908 – Francisco Marto, Portuguese saint (d. 1919)
- 1909 – Natascha Artin Brunswick, German-American mathematician and photographer (d. 2003)
- 1910 – Carmine Coppola, American flute player and composer (d. 1991)
- 1910 – Jacques Cousteau, French biologist, author, and inventor, co-developed the aqua-lung (d. 1997)
- 1912 – James Algar, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1998)
- 1912 – William Baziotes, American painter and academic (d. 1963)
- 1912 – Mohammad Hassan Ganji, Iranian meteorologist and academic (d. 2012)
- 1913 – Vince Lombardi, American football player, coach, and manager (d. 1970)
- 1913 – Risë Stevens, American soprano and actress (d. 2013)
- 1914 – Jan Hendrik van den Berg, Dutch psychiatrist and academic (d. 2012)
- 1915 – Magda Gabor, Hungarian-American actress (d. 1997)
- 1915 – Nicholas Metropolis, American mathematician and physicist (d. 1999)
- 1917 – Joseph B. Wirthlin, American businessman and religious leader (d. 2008)
- 1918 – Ruth Aarons, American table tennis player and manager (d. 1980)
- 1919 – Suleiman Mousa, Jordanian historian and author (d. 2008)
- 1919 – Richard Todd, Irish-English actor (d. 2009)
- 1920 – Shelly Manne, American drummer, composer, and bandleader (d. 1984)
- 1920 – Hazel Scott, Trinidadian-American singer, actress, and pianist (d. 1981)
- 1920 – Keith Seaman, Australian lawyer and politician, 29th Governor of South Australia (d. 2013)
- 1922 – Jean Sutherland Boggs, Peruvian-Canadian historian, academic, and civil servant (d. 2014)
- 1922 – Michael Cacoyannis, Greek Cypriot director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2011)
- 1925 – Johnny Esaw, Canadian sportscaster (d. 2013)
- 1925 – William Styron, American novelist and essayist (d. 2006)
- 1926 – Carlisle Floyd, American composer and educator
- 1927 – Beryl Grey, English ballerina
- 1927 – John W. O’Malley, American Catholic historian, academic and Jesuit priest
- 1927 – Kit Pedler, English parapsychologist and author (d. 1981)
- 1928 – Queen Fabiola of Belgium (d. 2014)
- 1929 – Ayhan Şahenk, Turkish businessman (d. 2001)
- 1930 – Charles Rangel, American soldier, lawyer, and politician
- 1932 – Athol Fugard, South African-American actor, director, and playwright
- 1932 – Tim Sainsbury, English businessman and politician, Minister of State for Trade
- 1933 – Gene Wilder, American actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2016)
- 1937 – Chad Everett, American actor and director (d. 2012)
- 1937 – Robin Warren, Australian pathologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1939 – Rachael Heyhoe Flint, Baroness Heyhoe Flint, English cricketer and journalist (d. 2017)
- 1939 – Jackie Stewart, Scottish race car driver and sportscaster
- 1942 – Parris Glendening, American politician, 59th Governor of Maryland
- 1943 – Henry Hill, American mobster (d. 2012)
- 1945 – Adrienne Barbeau, American actress
- 1947 – Richard Palmer-James, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1948 – Dave Cash, American baseball player and coach
- 1948 – Lalu Prasad Yadav, Indian politician, 20th Chief Minister of Bihar
- 1949 – Frank Beard, American drummer and songwriter
- 1950 – Lynsey de Paul, English singer-songwriter, pianist, producer, cartoonist and actress (d. 2014)
- 1950 – Graham Russell, English-Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1951 – Matthew Engel, English journalist and author
- 1951 – Yasumasa Morimura, Japanese painter and photographer
- 1952 – Yekaterina Podkopayeva, Russian runner
- 1952 – Donnie Van Zant, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1953 – Steve Bassam, Baron Bassam of Brighton, English politician
- 1953 – José Bové, French farmer and politician
- 1953 – Barbara Minty, American model
- 1954 – John Dyson, Australian cricketer
- 1954 – Johnny Neel, American singer-songwriter and keyboard player
- 1955 – Yuriy Sedykh, Ukrainian hammer thrower
- 1955 – Duncan Steel, English-Australian astronomer and author
- 1956 – Joe Montana, American football player and sportscaster
- 1956 – Simon Plouffe, Canadian mathematician and academic
- 1956 – Arthur Porter, Canadian physician and academic (d. 2015)
- 1956 – Jamaaladeen Tacuma, American bass player and bandleader
- 1958 – Barry Adamson, English singer and bass player
- 1959 – Hugh Laurie, English actor and screenwriter
- 1960 – Mehmet Oz, American surgeon, author, and television host
- 1962 – Mano Menezes, Brazilian footballer and coach
- 1963 – Gioia Bruno, American singer-songwriter
- 1963 – Sandra Schmirler, Canadian curler and sportscaster (d. 2000)
- 1964 – Jean Alesi, French race car driver
- 1964 – Kim Gallagher, American runner (d. 2002)
- 1965 – Georgios Bartzokas, Greek former professional basketball player
- 1965 – Gavin Hill, New Zealand rugby player
- 1966 – Bruce Robison, American country music singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1967 – Graeme Bachop, New Zealand rugby player
- 1967 – João Garcia, Portuguese mountaineer
- 1968 – Alois, Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein
- 1968 – Manoa Thompson, Fijian rugby player
- 1969 – Peter Dinklage, American actor and producer
- 1969 – Bryan Fogarty, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2002)
- 1969 – Olaf Kapagiannidis, German footballer
- 1971 – Vladimir Gaidamașciuc, Moldovan footballer
- 1971 – Liz Kendall, British politician
- 1971 – Mark Richardson, New Zealand cricketer
- 1971 – Kenjiro Tsuda, Japanese voice actor
- 1972 – Stephen Kearney, New Zealand rugby league player and coach
- 1973 – José Manuel Abundis, Mexican footballer and coach
- 1974 – Fragiskos Alvertis, Greek basketball player, coach, and manager
- 1976 – Reiko Tosa, Japanese runner
- 1977 – Geoff Ogilvy, Australian golfer
- 1978 – Joshua Jackson, Canadian-American actor
- 1978 – Daryl Tuffey, New Zealand cricketer
- 1979 – Ali Boussaboun, Moroccan-Dutch footballer
- 1979 – Amy Duggan, Australian footballer and sportscaster
- 1980 – Yhency Brazoban, Dominican baseball player
- 1981 – Emiliano Moretti, Italian footballer
- 1981 – Kristo Tohver, Estonian footballer and referee
- 1982 – Vanessa Boslak, French pole vaulter
- 1982 – Jacques Freitag, South African high jumper
- 1982 – Joey Graham, American basketball player
- 1982 – Stephen Graham, American basketball player
- 1982 – Reni Maitua, Australian rugby league player
- 1982 – Eldar Rønning, Norwegian skier
- 1982 – Diana Taurasi, American basketball player
- 1983 – Chuck Hayes, American basketball player
- 1983 – José Reyes, Dominican baseball player
- 1984 – Andy Lee, Irish boxer
- 1984 – Vágner Love, Brazilian footballer
- 1985 – Tim Hoogland, German footballer
- 1986 – Sebastian Bayer, German long jumper
- 1986 – Shia LaBeouf, American actor
- 1987 – Marsel İlhan, Turkish tennis player
- 1987 – Didrik Solli-Tangen, Norwegian singer
- 1988 – Jesús Fernández Collado, Spanish footballer
- 1988 – Yui Aragaki, Japanese actress, voice actress, singer-songwriter, model, radio host
- 1989 – Maya Moore, American basketball player
- 1990 – Christophe Lemaitre, French sprinter
- 1991 – Daniel Howell, English internet celebrity
- 1993 – Brittany Boyd, American basketball player
- 1994 – Ivana Baquero, Spanish actress
- 1996 – Ayaka Sasaki, Japanese singer
- 1998 – Charlie Tahan, American actor
- 1999 – Eartha Cumings, Scottish footballer
Deaths on June 11
- 323 BC – Alexander the Great, Macedonian king (b. 356 BC)
- 573 – Emilian of Cogolla, Iberic saint (b. 472)
- 840 – Junna, emperor of Japan (b. 785)
- 884 – Shi Jingsi, general of the Tang Dynasty
- 888 – Rimbert, archbishop of Bremen (b. 830)
- 1183 – Henry the Young King of England (b. 1155)
- 1216 – Henry of Flanders, emperor of the Latin Empire (b. c. 1174)
- 1248 – Adachi Kagemori, Japanese samurai
- 1253 – Amadeus IV, count of Savoy (b. 1197)
- 1298 – Yolanda of Poland (b. 1235)
- 1323 – Bérenger Fredoli, French lawyer and bishop (b. 1250)
- 1345 – Alexios Apokaukos, chief minister of the Byzantine Empire
- 1347 – Bartholomew of San Concordio, Italian Dominican canonist and man of letters (b. 1260)
- 1446 – Henry de Beauchamp, 1st Duke of Warwick (b. 1425)
- 1479 – John of Sahagun, hermit and saint (b. 1419)
- 1488 – James III of Scotland (b. 1451)
- 1557 – John III of Portugal (b. 1502)
- 1560 – Mary of Guise, queen of James V of Scotland (b. 1515)
- 1683 – Nikita Pustosvyat, a leader of the Russian Old Believers, beheaded (b. unknown)
- 1695 – André Félibien, French historian and author (b. 1619)
- 1712 – Louis Joseph, Duke of Vendôme (b. 1654)
- 1727 – George I of Great Britain (b. 1660)
- 1748 – Felice Torelli, Italian painter (b. 1667)
- 1796 – Samuel Whitbread, English brewer and politician, founded the Whitbread Company (b. 1720)
- 1847 – John Franklin, English admiral and politician (b. 1786)
- 1852 – Karl Bryullov, Russian painter (b. 1799)
- 1859 – Klemens von Metternich, German-Austrian politician, 1st State Chancellor of the Austrian Empire (b. 1773)
- 1879 – William, Prince of Orange (b. 1840)
- 1882 – Louis Désiré Maigret, French bishop (b. 1804)
- 1885 – Matías Ramos Mejía, Argentinian colonel (b. 1810)
- 1897 – Henry Ayers, English-Australian politician, 8th Premier of South Australia (b. 1821)
- 1903 – Nikolai Bugaev, Russian mathematician and philosopher (b. 1837)
- 1903 – Alexander I of Serbia (b. 1876)
- 1903 – Draga Mašin, Serbian wife of Alexander I of Serbia (b. 1864)
- 1911 – James Curtis Hepburn, American physician and missionary (b. 1815)
- 1913 – Mahmud Shevket Pasha, Ottoman general and politician, 279th Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire (b. 1856)
- 1914 – Adolphus Frederick V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (b. 1848)
- 1920 – William F. Halsey, Sr., American captain (b. 1853)
- 1924 – Théodore Dubois, French organist, composer, and educator (b. 1837)
- 1927 – William Attewell, English cricketer (b. 1861)
- 1934 – Lev Vygotsky, Belarusian-Russian psychologist and theorist (b. 1896)
- 1936 – Robert E. Howard, American author and poet (b. 1906)
- 1937 – R. J. Mitchell, English engineer, designed the Supermarine Spitfire (b. 1895)
- 1941 – Daniel Carter Beard, American author and illustrator, founded the Boy Scouts of America (b. 1850)
- 1955 – Pierre Levegh, French race car driver (b. 1905)
- 1962 – Chhabi Biswas, Indian actor and director (b. 1900)
- 1963 – Thích Quảng Đức, Vietnamese monk and martyr (b. 1897)
- 1965 – Paul B. Coremans, Belgian chemist and academic (b. 1908)
- 1965 – José Mendes Cabeçadas, Portuguese admiral and politician, 9th President of Portugal (b. 1883)
- 1970 – Frank Laubach, American missionary and mystic (b. 1884)
- 1974 – Eurico Gaspar Dutra, Brazilian general and politician, 16th President of Brazil (b. 1883)
- 1974 – Julius Evola, Italian philosopher and author (b. 1898)
- 1976 – Jim Konstanty, American baseball player (b. 1917)
- 1979 – Alice Dalgliesh, Trinidadian-American author and publisher (b. 1893)
- 1979 – John Wayne, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1907)
- 1983 – Ghanshyam Das Birla, Indian businessman and politician (b. 1894)
- 1984 – Enrico Berlinguer, Italian politician (b. 1922)
- 1986 – Chesley Bonestell, American painter and illustrator (b. 1888)
- 1991 – Cromwell Everson, South African composer (b. 1925)
- 1993 – Ray Sharkey, American actor (b. 1952)
- 1994 – A. Thurairajah, Sri Lankan engineer and academic (b. 1934)
- 1995 – Rodel Naval, Filipino singer-songwriter and actor (b. 1953)
- 1996 – George Hees, Canadian politician (b. 1910)
- 1996 – Brigitte Helm, German-Swiss actress (b. 1908)
- 1998 – Catherine Cookson, English author (b. 1906)
- 1999 – DeForest Kelley, American actor and screenwriter (b. 1920)
- 2001 – Timothy McVeigh, American terrorist (b. 1968)
- 2001 – Amalia Mendoza, Mexican singer and actress (b. 1923)
- 2003 – David Brinkley, American journalist and author (b. 1920)
- 2004 – Egon von Fürstenberg, Swiss fashion designer (b. 1946)
- 2005 – Vasco Gonçalves, Portuguese general and politician, 103rd Prime Minister of Portugal (b. 1922)
- 2005 – Anne-Marie Alonzo, Canadian playwright, poet, novelist, critic and publisher (b. 1951)
- 2006 – Neroli Fairhall, New Zealand archer (b. 1944)
- 2006 – Bruce Shand, English soldier (b. 1917)
- 2007 – Imre Friedmann, American biologist and academic (b. 1921)
- 2007 – Mala Powers, American actress (b. 1931)
- 2008 – Ove Andersson, Swedish race car driver (b. 1938)
- 2008 – Võ Văn Kiệt, Vietnamese soldier and politician, 5th Prime Minister of Vietnam (b. 1922)
- 2011 – Eliyahu M. Goldratt, Israeli physicist and engineer (b. 1947)
- 2011 – Seth Putnam, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1968)
- 2012 – Ann Rutherford, Canadian-American actress (b. 1917)
- 2012 – Teófilo Stevenson, Cuban boxer and engineer (b. 1952)
- 2013 – Miller Barber, American golfer (b. 1931)
- 2013 – Carl W. Bauer, American lawyer and politician (b. 1933)
- 2013 – Robert Fogel, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1926)
- 2013 – James Grimsley, Jr., American general (b. 1921)
- 2013 – Rory Morrison, English journalist (b. 1964)
- 2013 – Kristiāns Pelšs, Latvian ice hockey player (b. 1992)
- 2013 – Vidya Charan Shukla, Indian politician, Indian Minister of External Affairs (b. 1929)
- 2014 – Ruby Dee, American actress (b. 1922)
- 2014 – Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Spanish conductor and composer (b. 1933)
- 2014 – Susan B. Horwitz, American computer scientist, engineer, and academic (b. 1955)
- 2014 – Mipham Chokyi Lodro, Tibetan lama and educator (b. 1952)
- 2014 – Benjamin Mophatlane, South African businessman (b. 1973)
- 2014 – Carlton Sherwood, American soldier and journalist (b. 1947)
- 2015 – Jim Ed Brown, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1934)
- 2015 – Ornette Coleman, American saxophonist, violinist, trumpet player, and composer (b. 1930)
- 2015 – Ian McKechnie, Scottish footballer and manager (b. 1941)
- 2015 – Ron Moody, English actor and singer (b. 1924)
- 2015 – Dusty Rhodes, American wrestler (b. 1945)
- 2016 – Rudi Altig, German track and road racing cyclist (b. 1937)
- 2020 – Stella Pevsner, children’s author (b. 1921)
Holidays and observances on June 11
- American Evacuation Day (Libya)
- Brazilian Navy commemorative day (Brazil)
- Christian feast day:
- Barnabas the Apostle
- Bartholomew the Apostle (Eastern Christianity)
- Blessed Ignatius Maloyan (Armenian Catholic Church)
- Paula Frassinetti
- Riagail of Bangor
- June 11 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Davis Day (Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada)
- Kamehameha Day (Hawaii, United States)
- Student Day (Honduras)