1693

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

    • 1066 – Following the death of Edward the Confessor on the previous day, the Witan meets to confirm Harold Godwinson as the new King of England; Harold is crowned the same day, sparking a succession crisis that will eventually lead to the Norman conquest of England.
    • 1205 – Philip of Swabia undergoes a second coronation as King of the Romans.
    • 1322 – Stephen Uroš III is crowned King of Serbia, having defeated his half-brother Stefan Konstantin in battle. His son is crowned “young king” in the same ceremony.
    • 1355 – Charles IV of Bohemia is crowned with the Iron Crown of Lombardy as King of Italy in Milan.
    • 1449 – Constantine XI is crowned Byzantine Emperor at Mystras.
    • 1492 – The Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella enter Granada at the conclusion of the Granada War.
    • 1536 – The first European school of higher learning in the Americas, Colegio de Santa Cruz de Tlatelolco, is founded by Viceroy Antonio de Mendoza and Bishop Juan de Zumárraga in Mexico City.
    • 1540 – King Henry VIII of England marries Anne of Cleves.
    • 1579 – The Union of Arras unites the southern Netherlands under the Duke of Parma (Ottavio Farnese), governor in the name of King Philip II of Spain.
    • 1641 – Arauco War: The first Parliament of Quillín is celebrated, putting a temporary hold on hostilities between Mapuches and Spanish in Chile.
    • 1661 – English Restoration: The Fifth Monarchists unsuccessfully attempt to seize control of London, England. The revolt is suppressed after a few days.
    • 1721 – The Committee of Inquiry on the South Sea Bubble publishes its findings, revealing details of fraud among company directors and corrupt politicians.
    • 1781 – In the Battle of Jersey, the British defeat the last attempt by France to invade Jersey in the Channel Islands.
    • 1809 – Combined British, Portuguese and colonial Brazilian forces begin the Invasion of Cayenne during the Napoleonic Wars.
    • 1838 – Alfred Vail and colleagues demonstrate a telegraph system using dots and dashes (this is the forerunner of Morse code).
    • 1839 – The Night of the Big Wind, the most damaging storm in 300 years, sweeps across Ireland, damaging or destroying more than 20% of the houses in Dublin.
    • 1847 – Samuel Colt obtains his first contract for the sale of revolver pistols to the United States government.
    • 1870 – The inauguration of the Musikverein in Vienna, Austria.
    • 1893 – The Washington National Cathedral is chartered by Congress. The charter is signed by President Benjamin Harrison.
    • 1900 – Second Boer War: Having already besieged the fortress at Ladysmith, Boer forces attack it, but are driven back by British defenders.
    • 1907 – Maria Montessori opens her first school and daycare center for working-class children in Rome, Italy.
    • 1912 – New Mexico is admitted to the Union as the 47th U.S. state.
    • 1912 – German geophysicist Alfred Wegener first presents his theory of continental drift.
    • 1929 – King Alexander of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes suspends his country’s constitution (the January 6th Dictatorship).
    • 1929 – Mother Teresa arrives by sea in Calcutta, India, to begin her work among India’s poorest and sick people.
    • 1930 – The first diesel-powered automobile trip is completed, from Indianapolis, Indiana, to New York, New York.
    • 1941 – United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivers his Four Freedoms speech in the State of the Union address.
    • 1946 – The first general election ever in Vietnam is held.
    • 1947 – Pan American Airlines becomes the first commercial airline to offer a round-the-world ticket.
    • 1950 – The United Kingdom recognizes the People’s Republic of China. The Republic of China severs diplomatic relations with the UK in response.
    • 1951 – Korean War: Beginning of the Ganghwa massacre, in the course of which an estimated 200–1,300 South Korean communist sympathizers are slaughtered.
    • 1960 – National Airlines Flight 2511 is destroyed in mid-air by a bomb, while en route from New York City to Miami.
    • 1960 – The Associations Law comes into force in Iraq, allowing registration of political parties
    • 1967 – Vietnam War: United States Marine Corps and ARVN troops launch “Operation Deckhouse Five” in the Mekong River delta.
    • 1974 – In response to the 1973 oil crisis, daylight saving time commences nearly four months early in the United States.
    • 1989 – Satwant Singh and Kehar Singh are sentenced to death for conspiracy in the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi; the two men are executed the same day.
    • 1992 – President of Georgia Zviad Gamsakhurdia flees the country as a result of the military coup.
    • 1993 – Indian Border Security Force units kill 55 Kashmiri civilians in Sopore, Jammu and Kashmir, in revenge after militants ambushed a BSF patrol.
    • 1994 – American figure skater Nancy Kerrigan is attacked and injured by an assailant hired by her rival Tonya Harding’s ex-husband during the U.S. Figure Skating Championships that they were both taking part in.
    • 1995 – A chemical fire in an apartment complex in Manila, Philippines, leads to the discovery of plans for Project Bojinka, a mass-terrorist attack.
    • 2005 – American Civil Rights Movement: Edgar Ray Killen is indicted for the 1964 murders of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner.
    • 2005 – A train collision in Graniteville, South Carolina, United States, releases about 60 tons of chlorine gas.
    • 2012 – Twenty-six people are killed and 63 wounded when a suicide bomber blows himself up at a police station in Damascus.
    • 2017 – Five people are killed and six others injured in a mass shooting at Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport in Broward County, Florida.
    • 2019 – Forty people are killed in a gold mine collapse in northern Afghanistan.

    Births on January 6

    • 1256 – Gertrude the Great, German mystic (d. 1302)
    • 1367 – Richard II of England (d. 1400)
    • 1384 – Edmund Holland, 4th Earl of Kent (d. 1408)
    • 1412 – Joan of Arc, French martyr and saint (d. 1431)
    • 1486 – Martin Agricola, German composer and theorist (d. 1556)
    • 1488 – Helius Eobanus Hessus, German poet (d. 1540)
    • 1493 – Olaus Petri, Swedish clergyman (d. 1552)
    • 1500 – John of Ávila, Spanish mystic and saint (d. 1569)
    • 1525 – Caspar Peucer, German physician and scholar (d. 1602)
    • 1538 – Jane Dormer, Duchess of Feria (d. 1612)
    • 1561 – Thomas Fincke, Danish mathematician and physicist (d. 1656)
    • 1587 – Gaspar de Guzmán, Count-Duke of Olivares (d. 1645)
    • 1595 – Claude Favre de Vaugelas, French educator and courtier (d. 1650)
    • 1617 – Christoffer Gabel, Danish politician (d. 1673)
    • 1632 – Anne Hamilton, 3rd Duchess of Hamilton, Scottish peeress (d. 1716)
    • 1655 – Eleonor Magdalene of Neuburg (d. 1720)
    • 1673 – James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos, English academic and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Radnorshire (d. 1744)
    • 1695 – Giuseppe Sammartini, Italian oboe player and composer (d. 1750)
    • 1702 – José de Nebra, Spanish composer (d. 1768)
    • 1714 – Percivall Pott, English surgeon (d. 1788)
    • 1745 – Jacques-Etienne Montgolfier, French co-inventor of the hot air balloon (d. 1799)
    • 1766 – José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia, Paraguayan lawyer and politician, first dictator of Paraguay (d. 1840)
    • 1785 – Andreas Moustoxydis, Greek historian and philologist (d. 1860)
    • 1793 – James Madison Porter, American lawyer and politician, 18th United States Secretary of War (d. 1862)
    • 1795 – Anselme Payen, French chemist and academic (d. 1871)
    • 1799 – Jedediah Smith, American hunter, explorer, and author (d. 1831)
    • 1803 – Henri Herz, Austrian pianist and composer (d. 1888)
    • 1807 – Joseph Petzval, German-Hungarian mathematician and physicist (d. 1891)
    • 1808 – Joseph Pitty Couthouy, American conchologist and paleontologist (d. 1864)
    • 1811 – Charles Sumner, American lawyer and politician (d. 1874)
    • 1822 – Heinrich Schliemann, German archaeologist and businessman (d. 1890)
    • 1832 – Gustave Doré, French painter and sculptor (d. 1883)
    • 1838 – Max Bruch, German composer and conductor (d. 1920)
    • 1842 – Clarence King, American geologist, mountaineer, and critic (d. 1901)
    • 1856 – Giuseppe Martucci, Italian pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1909)
    • 1857 – Hugh Mahon, Irish-Australian publisher and politician, 10th Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs (d. 1931)
    • 1857 – William Russell, American lawyer and politician, 37th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1896)
    • 1859 – Samuel Alexander, Australian-English philosopher and academic (d. 1938)
    • 1861 – Victor Horta, Belgian architect, designed Hôtel van Eetvelde (d. 1947)
    • 1861 – George Lloyd, English-Canadian bishop and theologian (d. 1940)
    • 1870 – Gustav Bauer, German journalist and politician, 11th Chancellor of Germany (d. 1944)
    • 1872 – Alexander Scriabin, Russian pianist and composer (d. 1915)
    • 1874 – Fred Niblo, American actor, director, and producer (d. 1948)
    • 1878 – Adeline Genée, Danish-born British ballerina (d. 1970)
    • 1878 – Carl Sandburg, American poet and historian (d. 1967)
    • 1880 – Tom Mix, American cowboy and actor (d. 1940)
    • 1881 – Ion Minulescu, Romanian author, poet, and critic (d. 1944)
    • 1882 – Fan S. Noli, Albanian-American bishop and politician, 13th Prime Minister of Albania (d. 1965)
    • 1882 – Sam Rayburn, American lawyer and politician, 48th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (d. 1961)
    • 1883 – Kahlil Gibran, Lebanese-American poet, painter, and philosopher (d. 1931)
    • 1898 – James Fitzmaurice, Irish soldier and pilot (d. 1965)
    • 1899 – Heinrich Nordhoff, German engineer (d. 1968)
    • 1900 – Maria of Yugoslavia, Queen of Yugoslavia from 1922 to 1934 (d. 1961)
    • 1903 – Maurice Abravanel, Greek-American pianist and conductor (d. 1993)
    • 1910 – Wright Morris, American author and photographer (d. 1998)
    • 1910 – Yiannis Papaioannou, Greek composer and educator (d. 1989)
    • 1912 – Jacques Ellul, French philosopher and critic (d. 1994)
    • 1912 – Danny Thomas, American actor, comedian, producer and humanitarian (d. 1991)
    • 1913 – Edward Gierek, Polish lawyer and politician (d. 2001)
    • 1913 – Loretta Young, American actress (d. 2000)
    • 1914 – Godfrey Edward Arnold, Austrian-American physician and academic (d. 1989)
    • 1915 – Don Edwards, American soldier, lawyer, and politician (d. 2015)
    • 1915 – John C. Lilly, American psychoanalyst, physician, and philosopher (d. 2001)
    • 1915 – Alan Watts, English-American philosopher and author (d. 1973)
    • 1916 – Park Mok-wol, influential Korean poet and academic (d. 1978)
    • 1917 – Koo Chen-fu, Taiwanese businessman and diplomat (d. 2005)
    • 1920 – John Maynard Smith, English biologist and geneticist (d. 2004)
    • 1920 – Sun Myung Moon, Korean religious leader; founder of the Unification Church (d. 2012)
    • 1920 – Early Wynn, American baseball player, coach, and sportscaster (d. 1999)
    • 1921 – Marianne Grunberg-Manago, Russian-French biochemist and academic (d. 2013)
    • 1921 – Cary Middlecoff, American golfer and sportscaster (d. 1998)
    • 1923 – Vladimir Kazantsev, Russian runner (d. 2007)
    • 1923 – Norman Kirk, New Zealand engineer and politician, 29th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1974)
    • 1923 – Jacobo Timerman, Argentinian journalist and author (d. 1999)
    • 1924 – Kim Dae-jung, South Korean soldier and politician, 8th President of South Korea, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2009)
    • 1924 – Earl Scruggs, American banjo player (d. 2012)
    • 1925 – John DeLorean, American engineer and businessman, founded the DeLorean Motor Company (d. 2005)
    • 1926 – Ralph Branca, American baseball player (d. 2016)
    • 1926 – Mickey Hargitay, Hungarian-American actor and bodybuilder (d. 2006)
    • 1927 – Jesse Leonard Steinfeld, American physician and academic, 11th Surgeon General of the United States (d. 2014)
    • 1928 – Capucine, French actress and model (d. 1990)
    • 1931 – E. L. Doctorow, American novelist, playwright, and short story writer (d. 2015)
    • 1931 – Graeme Hole, Australian cricketer (d. 1990)
    • 1931 – Dickie Moore, Canadian ice hockey player and businessman (d. 2015)
    • 1932 – Stuart A. Rice, American chemist and academic
    • 1933 – Oleg Grigoryevich Makarov, Russian engineer and astronaut (d. 2003)
    • 1934 – Sylvia Syms, English actress
    • 1935 – Nino Tempo, American musician, singer, and actor
    • 1936 – Darlene Hard, American tennis player
    • 1936 – Julio María Sanguinetti, Uruguayan journalist, lawyer and politician, 29th President of Uruguay
    • 1937 – Ludvík Daněk, Czech discus thrower (d. 1998)
    • 1937 – Lou Holtz, American football player, coach, and sportscaster
    • 1937 – Doris Troy, American singer-songwriter (d. 2004)
    • 1938 – Adriano Celentano, Italian singer-songwriter, actor, and director
    • 1938 – Adrienne Clarke, Australian botanist and academic
    • 1938 – Larisa Shepitko, Soviet film director, screenwriter, and actress (d. 1979)
    • 1939 – Valeriy Lobanovskyi, Ukrainian footballer and manager (d. 2002)
    • 1939 – Murray Rose, English-Australian swimmer and sportscaster (d. 2012)
    • 1940 – Van McCoy, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 1979)
    • 1943 – Terry Venables, English footballer and manager
    • 1944 – Bonnie Franklin, American actress and singer (d. 2013)
    • 1944 – Alan Stivell, French singer-songwriter and harp player
    • 1944 – Rolf M. Zinkernagel, Swiss immunologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1945 – Barry John, Welsh rugby player
    • 1946 – Syd Barrett, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2006)
    • 1947 – Sandy Denny, English folk-rock singer-songwriter (d 1978)
    • 1948 – Guy Gardner, American colonel and astronaut
    • 1948 – Dayle Hadlee, New Zealand cricketer
    • 1949 – Mike Boit, Kenyan runner and academic (estimated date)
    • 1949 – Carolyn D. Wright, American poet and academic (d. 2016)
    • 1950 – Louis Freeh, American lawyer and jurist, 10th Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
    • 1951 – Don Gullett, American baseball player and coach
    • 1951 – Kim Wilson, American singer-songwriter and harmonica player
    • 1953 – Malcolm Young, Scottish-Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (d. 2017)
    • 1954 – Anthony Minghella, English director and screenwriter (d. 2008)
    • 1955 – Rowan Atkinson, English actor, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1956 – Elizabeth Strout, American novelist and short story writer
    • 1956 – Justin Welby, English archbishop
    • 1956 – Clive Woodward, English rugby player and coach
    • 1957 – Michael Foale, British-American astrophysicist and astronaut
    • 1957 – Nancy Lopez, American golfer and sportscaster
    • 1959 – Kapil Dev, Indian cricketer
    • 1960 – Paul Azinger, American golfer and sportscaster
    • 1960 – Kari Jalonen, Finnish ice hockey player and coach
    • 1960 – Nigella Lawson, English chef and author
    • 1960 – Howie Long, American football player and sports commentator
    • 1961 – Georges Jobé, Belgian motocross racer (d. 2012)
    • 1961 – Peter Whittle, British politician, author, journalist and broadcaster
    • 1963 – Norm Charlton, American baseball player and coach
    • 1963 – Paul Kipkoech, Kenyan runner (d. 1995)
    • 1964 – Jacqueline Moore, American wrestler and manager
    • 1965 – Bjørn Lomborg, Danish author and academic
    • 1966 – Sharon Cuneta, Filipino singer and actress
    • 1966 – Attilio Lombardo, Italian footballer and manager
    • 1967 – A. R. Rahman, Indian composer, singer-songwriter, music producer, musician and philanthropist
    • 1968 – John Singleton, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2019)
    • 1969 – Norman Reedus, American actor and model
    • 1970 – Julie Chen, American television journalist, presenter, and producer
    • 1970 – Radoslav Látal, Czech footballer and manager
    • 1973 – Vasso Karantasiou, Greek beach volleyball player
    • 1976 – Richard Zedník, Slovak ice hockey player
    • 1981 – Asante Samuel, American football player
    • 1982 – Eddie Redmayne, English actor and model
    • 1984 – Kate McKinnon, American actress and comedian
    • 1986 – Paul McShane, Irish footballer
    • 1986 – Petter Northug, Norwegian skier
    • 1989 – Andy Carroll, English footballer
    • 1991 – Will Barton, American basketball player
    • 1994 – Lim Jae-beom, South Korean singer and actor (Got7)

    Deaths on January 6

    • 786 – Abo of Tiflis, Iraqi martyr and saint (b. 756)
    • 1088 – Berengar of Tours, French scholar and theologian (b. 999)
    • 1148 – Gilbert de Clare, 1st Earl of Pembroke (b. 1100)
    • 1233 – Matilda of Chester, Countess of Huntingdon, Anglo-Norman noblewoman (b. 1171)
    • 1275 – Raymond of Penyafort, Catalan archbishop and saint (b. 1175)
    • 1350 – Giovanni I di Murta, second doge of the Republic of Genoa
    • 1358 – Gertrude van der Oosten, Beguine mystic
    • 1406 – Roger Walden, English bishop
    • 1448 – Christopher of Bavaria, King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden (b. 1418)
    • 1477 – Jean VIII, Count of Vendôme
    • 1481 – Ahmed Khan bin Küchük, Mongolian ruler
    • 1537 – Alessandro de’ Medici, Duke of Florence (b. 1510)
    • 1537 – Baldassare Peruzzi, Italian architect and painter, designed the Palazzo Massimo alle Colonne (b. 1481)
    • 1616 – Philip Henslowe, English impresario (b. 1550)
    • 1646 – Elias Holl, German architect, designed the Augsburg Town Hall (b. 1573)
    • 1689 – Seth Ward, English bishop, mathematician, and astronomer (b. 1617)
    • 1693 – Mehmed IV, Ottoman sultan (b. 1642)
    • 1711 – Philips van Almonde, Dutch admiral (b. 1646)
    • 1718 – Giovanni Vincenzo Gravina, Italian lawyer and jurist (b. 1664)
    • 1725 – Chikamatsu Monzaemon, Japanese actor and playwright (b. 1653)
    • 1731 – Étienne François Geoffroy, French physician and chemist (b. 1672)
    • 1734 – John Dennis, English playwright and critic (b. 1657)
    • 1813 – Louis Baraguey d’Hilliers, French general (b. 1764)
    • 1829 – Josef Dobrovský, Czech philologist and historian (b. 1753)
    • 1831 – Rodolphe Kreutzer, French violinist, composer, and conductor (b. 1766)
    • 1840 – Frances Burney, English author and playwright (b. 1752)
    • 1852 – Louis Braille, French educator, invented Braille (b. 1809)
    • 1855 – Giacomo Beltrami, Italian jurist, explorer, and author (b. 1779)
    • 1882 – Richard Henry Dana, Jr., American lawyer and politician (b. 1815)
    • 1884 – Gregor Mendel, Czech geneticist and botanist (b. 1822)
    • 1885 – Bharatendu Harishchandra, Indian author, poet, and playwright (b. 1850)
    • 1896 – Thomas W. Knox, American journalist and author (b. 1835)
    • 1902 – Lars Hertervig, Norwegian painter (b. 1830)
    • 1913 – Frederick Hitch, English soldier, Victoria Cross recipient (b. 1856)
    • 1917 – Hendrick Peter Godfried Quack, Dutch economist and historian (b. 1834)
    • 1918 – Georg Cantor, German mathematician and philosopher (b. 1845)
    • 1919 – Theodore Roosevelt, American colonel and politician, 26th President of the United States (b. 1858)
    • 1921 – Devil Anse Hatfield, American guerrilla leader (b. 1839)
    • 1922 – Jakob Rosanes, Ukrainian-German mathematician and chess player (b. 1842)
    • 1928 – Alvin Kraenzlein, American hurdler and long jumper (b. 1876)
    • 1933 – Vladimir de Pachmann, Ukrainian-German pianist (b. 1848)
    • 1934 – Herbert Chapman, English footballer and manager (b. 1878)
    • 1937 – André Bessette, Canadian saint (b. 1845)
    • 1939 – Gustavs Zemgals, Latvian journalist and politician, 2nd President of Latvia (b. 1871)
    • 1941 – Charley O’Leary, American baseball player and coach (b. 1882)
    • 1942 – Emma Calvé, French soprano and actress (b. 1858)
    • 1942 – Henri de Baillet-Latour, Belgian businessman, 3rd President of the International Olympic Committee (b. 1876)
    • 1944 – Jacques Rosenbaum, Estonian-German architect (b. 1878)
    • 1944 – Ida Tarbell, American journalist, reformer, and educator (b. 1857)
    • 1945 – Vladimir Vernadsky, Russian mineralogist and chemist (b. 1863)
    • 1949 – Victor Fleming, American director, producer, and cinematographer (b. 1883)
    • 1966 – Jean Lurçat, French painter (b. 1892)
    • 1972 – Chen Yi, Chinese general and politician, 2nd Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China (b. 1901)
    • 1974 – David Alfaro Siqueiros, Mexican painter (b. 1896)
    • 1978 – Burt Munro, New Zealand motorcycle racer (b. 1899)
    • 1981 – A. J. Cronin, Scottish physician and author (b. 1896)
    • 1984 – Ernest Laszlo, Hungarian-American cinematographer (b. 1898)
    • 1990 – Ian Charleson, Scottish-English actor (b. 1949)
    • 1990 – Pavel Cherenkov, Russian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1904)
    • 1993 – Dizzy Gillespie, American singer-songwriter and trumpet player (b. 1917)
    • 1993 – Rudolf Nureyev, Russian-French dancer and choreographer (b. 1938)
    • 1995 – Joe Slovo, Lithuanian-South African lawyer and politician (b. 1926)
    • 1999 – Michel Petrucciani, French-American pianist (b. 1962)2000 – Don Martin, American cartoonist (b. 1931)
    • 2004 – Pierre Charles, Dominican educator and politician, 5th Prime Minister of Dominica (b. 1954)
    • 2004 – Francesco Scavullo, American photographer (b. 1921)
    • 2005 – Eileen Desmond, Irish civil servant and politician, 12th Irish Minister for Health (b. 1932)
    • 2005 – Lois Hole, Canadian academic and politician, 15th Lieutenant Governor of Alberta (b. 1929)
    • 2005 – Tarquinio Provini, Italian motorcycle racer (b. 1933)
    • 2005 – Louis Robichaud, Canadian lawyer and politician, 25th Premier of New Brunswick (b. 1925)
    • 2006 – Lou Rawls, American singer-songwriter (b. 1933)
    • 2007 – Roberta Wohlstetter, American political scientist, historian, and academic (b. 1912)
    • 2008 – Shmuel Berenbaum, Rabbi of Mir Yeshiva (Brooklyn)
    • 2009 – Ron Asheton, American guitarist, songwriter, and actor (probable; b. 1948)
    • 2011 – Uche Okafor, Nigerian footballer, coach, and sportscaster (b. 1967)
    • 2012 – Bob Holness, South African-English radio and television host (b. 1928)
    • 2012 – Spike Pola, Australian footballer and soldier (b. 1914)
    • 2013 – Qazi Hussain Ahmad, Pakistani scholar and politician (b. 1938)
    • 2013 – Ruth Carter Stevenson, American art collector, founded the Amon Carter Museum of American Art (b. 1923)
    • 2013 – Gerard Helders, Dutch jurist and politician (b. 1905)
    • 2013 – Cho Sung-min, South Korean baseball player (b. 1973)
    • 2014 – Marina Ginestà, French Resistance soldier and photographer (b. 1919)
    • 2014 – Nelson Ned, Brazilian singer-songwriter (b. 1947)
    • 2014 – Julian Rotter, American psychologist and academic (b. 1916)
    • 2015 – Arthur Jackson, American lieutenant and target shooter (b. 1918)
    • 2015 – Basil John Mason, English meteorologist and academic (b. 1923)
    • 2016 – Pat Harrington, Jr., American actor and screenwriter (b. 1929)
    • 2016 – Florence King, American journalist and author (b. 1936)
    • 2016 – Christy O’Connor Jnr, Irish golfer and architect (b. 1948)
    • 2016 – Silvana Pampanini, Italian model, actress, and director, Miss Italy 1946 (b. 1925)
    • 2017 – Octavio Lepage, Venezuelan politician, President of Venezuela (b. 1923)
    • 2017 – Om Puri, Indian actor (b. 1950)
    • 2019 – José Ramón Fernández, Cuban revolution leader (b. 1923)
    • 2019 – Lamin Sanneh, Gambian-born American professor (b. 1942)
    • 2019 – W. Morgan Sheppard, British actor (b. 1932)
    • 2019 – Paul Streeten, Austrian-born British economics professor (b. 1917)

    Holidays and observances on January 6

    • Armed Forces Day (Iraq)
    • Christian Feast day:
      • André Bessette (Roman Catholic Church)
      • January 6 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Epiphany or Three Kings’ Day (Western Christianity) or Theophany (Eastern Christianity), and its related observances:
      • Befana Day (Italy)
      • Christmas (Armenian Apostolic Church)
      • Christmas Eve (Russia)
      • Christmas Eve (Ukraine)
      • Christmas Eve (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
      • Christmas Eve (North Macedonia)
      • Little Christmas (Ireland)
      • Þrettándinn (Iceland)
      • Three Wise Men Day
    • Pathet Lao Day (Laos)

  • January 2 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 366 – The Alemanni cross the frozen Rhine in large numbers, invading the Roman Empire.
    • 533 – Mercurius becomes Pope John II, the first pope to adopt a new name upon elevation to the papacy.
    • 1492 – Reconquista: The Emirate of Granada, the last Moorish stronghold in Spain, surrenders.
    • 1680 – Trunajaya rebellion: Amangkurat II of Mataram and his bodyguards execute the rebel leader Trunajaya. a month after the rebel leader was captured by the Dutch East India Company.
    • 1777 – American Revolutionary War: American forces under the command of George Washington repulsed a British attack at the Battle of the Assunpink Creek near Trenton, New Jersey.
    • 1788 – Georgia becomes the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution.
    • 1791 – Big Bottom massacre in the Ohio Country, North America, marking the beginning of the Northwest Indian War.
    • 1818 – The British Institution of Civil Engineers is founded by a group of six engineers; Thomas Telford would later become its first president.
    • 1833 – Captain James Onslow, in the Clio, arrives at Port Egmont to reassert British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.
    • 1865 – Uruguayan War: The Siege of Paysandú ends as the Brazilians and Coloradans capture Paysandú, Uruguay.
    • 1900 – American statesman and diplomat John Hay announces the Open Door Policy to promote trade with China.
    • 1920 – The second Palmer Raid, ordered by the US Department of Justice, results in 6,000 suspected communists and anarchists being arrested and held without trial.
    • 1941 – World War II: German bombing severely damages the Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom.
    • 1942 – The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) obtains the conviction of 33 members of a German spy ring headed by Fritz Joubert Duquesne in the largest espionage case in United States history—the Duquesne Spy Ring.
    • 1942 – World War II: Manila is captured by Japanese forces, enabling them to control the Philippines.
    • 1949 – Luis Muñoz Marín is inaugurated as the first democratically elected Governor of Puerto Rico.
    • 1954 – India establishes its highest civilian awards, the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan.
    • 1955 – Following the assassination of the Panamanian president José Antonio Remón Cantera, his deputy, José Ramón Guizado, takes power, but is quickly deposed after his involvement in Cantera’s death is discovered.
    • 1959 – Luna 1, the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon and to orbit the Sun, is launched by the Soviet Union.
    • 1963 – Vietnam War: The Viet Cong wins its first major victory, at the Battle of Ap Bac.
    • 1967 – Ronald Reagan, past movie actor and future President of the United States, is sworn in as Governor of California.
    • 1971 – The second Ibrox disaster kills 66 fans at a Rangers-Celtic association football (soccer) match.
    • 1974 – United States President Richard Nixon signs a bill lowering the maximum U.S. speed limit to 55 MPH in order to conserve gasoline during an OPEC embargo.
    • 1975 – At the opening of a new railway line, a bomb blast at Samastipur, Bihar, India, fatally wounds Lalit Narayan Mishra, Minister of Railways.
    • 1975 – The Federal Rules of Evidence are approved by the United States Congress.
    • 1976 – The Gale of January 1976 begins, resulting in coastal flooding around the southern North Sea coasts, affecting countries from Ireland to Yugoslavia and causing at least 82 deaths and US$1.3 billion in damage.
    • 1978 – On the orders of the President of Pakistan, Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, paramilitary forces opened fire on peaceful protesting workers in Multan, Pakistan; it is known as 1978 massacre at Multan Colony Textile Mills.
    • 1981 – One of the largest investigations by a British police force ends when serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, the “Yorkshire Ripper”, is arrested in Sheffield, South Yorkshire.
    • 1991 – Sharon Pratt Kelly becomes the first African American woman mayor of a major city and first woman Mayor of the District of Columbia.
    • 1993 – Sri Lankan Civil War: The Sri Lanka Navy kill 35–100 civilians on the Jaffna Lagoon.
    • 2004 – Stardust successfully flies past Comet Wild 2, collecting samples that are returned to Earth.

    Births on January 2

    • 869 – Yōzei, Japanese emperor (d. 949)
    • 1462 – Piero di Cosimo, Italian painter (d. 1522)
    • 1509 – Henry of Stolberg, German nobleman (d. 1572)
    • 1642 – Mehmed IV, Ottoman sultan (d. 1693)
    • 1647 – Nathaniel Bacon, English-American rebel leader (d. 1676)
    • 1699 – Osman III, Ottoman sultan (d. 1757)
    • 1713 – Marie Dumesnil, French actress (d. 1803)
    • 1727 – James Wolfe, English general (d. 1759)
    • 1732 – František Brixi, Czech organist and composer (d. 1771)
    • 1777 – Christian Daniel Rauch, German sculptor and educator (d. 1857)
    • 1803 – Guglielmo Libri Carucci dalla Sommaja, Italian mathematician and academic (d. 1869)
    • 1822 – Rudolf Clausius, Polish-German physicist and mathematician (d. 1888)
    • 1827 – Pyotr Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky, Russian geographer and statistician (d. 1914)
    • 1833 – Frederick A. Johnson, American banker and politician (d. 1893)
    • 1836 – Mendele Mocher Sforim, Russian author (d. 1917)
    • 1836 – Queen Emma of Hawaii (d. 1885)
    • 1837 – Mily Balakirev, Russian pianist and composer (d. 1910)
    • 1857 – M. Carey Thomas, American educator and activist (d. 1935)
    • 1860 – Dugald Campbell Patterson, Canadian engineer (d. 1931)
    • 1860 – William Corless Mills, American historian and curator (d. 1928)
    • 1866 – Gilbert Murray, Australian-English playwright and scholar (d. 1957)
    • 1870 – Ernst Barlach, German sculptor and playwright (d. 1938)
    • 1870 – Tex Rickard, American boxing promoter and businessman (d. 1929)
    • 1873 – Antonie Pannekoek, Dutch astronomer and theorist (d. 1960)
    • 1873 – Thérèse of Lisieux, French nun and saint (d. 1897)
    • 1878 – Mannathu Padmanabha Pillai, Indian activist, founded the Nair Service Society (d. 1970)
    • 1884 – Ben-Zion Dinur, Russian-Israeli historian and politician, 4th Israeli Minister of Education (d. 1973)
    • 1885 – Gordon Flowerdew, Canadian lieutenant, Victoria Cross recipient (d. 1918)
    • 1886 – Apsley Cherry-Garrard, English explorer and author (d. 1959)
    • 1889 – Bertram Stevens, Australian accountant and politician, 25th Premier of New South Wales (d. 1973)
    • 1891 – Giovanni Michelucci, Italian architect and urban planner, designed the Firenze Santa Maria Novella railway station (d. 1990)
    • 1892 – Seiichiro Kashio, Japanese tennis player (d. 1962)
    • 1892 – Artur Rodziński, Polish-American conductor (d. 1958)
    • 1895 – Folke Bernadotte, Swedish diplomat (d. 1948)
    • 1896 – Dziga Vertov, Polish-Russian director and screenwriter (d. 1954)
    • 1896 – Lawrence Wackett, Australian commander and engineer (d. 1982)
    • 1897 – Theodore Plucknett, English legal historian (d. 1965)
    • 1900 – Una Ledingham, British physician, known for research on diabetes in pregnancy (d. 1965)
    • 1901 – Bob Marshall, American activist, co-founded The Wilderness Society (d. 1939)
    • 1902 – Dan Keating, Irish Republican Army volunteer (d. 2007)
    • 1903 – Kane Tanaka, Japanese supercentenarian, oldest verified living person
    • 1904 – Walter Heitler, German physicist and chemist (d. 1981)
    • 1905 – Luigi Zampa, Italian director and screenwriter (d. 1991)
    • 1905 – Michael Tippett, English composer and conductor (d. 1998)
    • 1909 – Barry Goldwater, American politician, businessman, and author (d. 1998)
    • 1909 – Riccardo Cassin, Italian mountaineer and author (d. 2009)[
    • 1913 – Anna Lee, English-American actress (d. 2004)[79]
    • 1913 – Juanita Jackson Mitchell, American lawyer and activist (d. 1992)
    • 1917 – Vera Zorina, German-Norwegian actress and dancer (d. 2003)
    • 1918 – Willi Graf, German physician and activist (d. 1943)
    • 1919 – Beatrice Hicks, American engineer (d. 1979)
    • 1920(probable) – Isaac Asimov, American writer and professor of biochemistry (d. 1992)
    • 1921 – Glen Harmon, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2007)
    • 1926 – Gino Marchetti, American football player (d. 2019)
    • 1928 – Dan Rostenkowski, American politician (d. 2010)
    • 1929 – Tellervo Koivisto, Finnish politician, former First Lady of Finland
    • 1931 – Toshiki Kaifu, Japanese lawyer and politician, 76th Prime Minister of Japan
    • 1934 – John Hollowbread, English footballer, goalkeeper (d. 2007)
    • 1936 – Roger Miller, American singer-songwriter, musician, and actor (d. 1992)
    • 1938 – David Bailey, English photographer and painter
    • 1938 – Lynn Conway, American computer scientist and electrical engineer
    • 1938 – Robert Smithson, American sculptor and photographer (d. 1973)
    • 1940 – Jim Bakker, American televangelist
    • 1940 – Saud bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Arabian economist and politician, Saudi Arabian Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 2015)
    • 1942 – Dennis Hastert, American educator and politician, 59th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
    • 1942 – Thomas Hammarberg, Swedish lawyer and diplomat
    • 1943 – Janet Akyüz Mattei, Turkish-American astronomer (d. 2004)
    • 1944 – Charlie Davis, Trinidadian cricketer
    • 1944 – Norodom Ranariddh, Cambodian field marshal and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Cambodia
    • 1944 – Péter Eötvös, Hungarian composer and conductor
    • 1947 – Calvin Hill, American football player
    • 1947 – David Shapiro, American poet, historian, and critic
    • 1947 – Jack Hanna, American zoologist and author
    • 1949 – Christopher Durang, American playwright and screenwriter
    • 1949 – Iris Marion Young, American political scientist and academic (d. 2006)
    • 1952 – Indulis Emsis, Latvian biologist and politician, 9th Prime Minister of Latvia
    • 1954 – Henry Bonilla, American broadcaster and politician
    • 1954 – Évelyne Trouillot, Haitian playwright and author
    • 1959 – Kirti Azad, Indian cricketer and politician
    • 1961 – Craig James, American football player and sportscaster
    • 1961 – Gabrielle Carteris, American actress
    • 1961 – Paula Hamilton, English model
    • 1961 – Robert Wexler, American lawyer and politician
    • 1963 – David Cone, American baseball player and sportscaster
    • 1963 – Edgar Martínez, American baseball player
    • 1964 – Pernell Whitaker, American boxer (d. 2019)
    • 1965 – Francois Pienaar, South African rugby player
    • 1967 – Jón Gnarr, Icelandic actor and politician; 20th Mayor of Reykjavik City
    • 1967 – Tia Carrere, American actress
    • 1968 – Anky van Grunsven, Dutch dressage champion
    • 1968 – Cuba Gooding, Jr., American actor and producer
    • 1969 – Christy Turlington, American model
    • 1969 – István Bagyula, Hungarian pole vaulter
    • 1969 – William Fox-Pitt, English horse rider and journalist
    • 1970 – Eric Whitacre, American composer and conductor
    • 1971 – Renée Elise Goldsberry, American actress
    • 1971 – Taye Diggs, American actor and singer
    • 1972 – Mattias Norström, Swedish ice hockey player and manager
    • 1972 – Rodney MacDonald, Canadian educator and politician, 26th Premier of Nova Scotia
    • 1972 – Shiraz Minwalla, Indian theoretical physicist and string theorist
    • 1974 – Ludmila Formanová, Czech runner
    • 1974 – Tomáš Řepka, Czech footballer
    • 1975 – Reuben Thorne, New Zealand rugby player
    • 1977 – Brian Boucher, American ice hockey player and sportscaster
    • 1977 – Stefan Koubek, Austrian tennis player
    • 1979 – Jonathan Greening English footballer
    • 1981 – Maxi Rodríguez, Argentinian footballer
    • 1983 – Kate Bosworth, American actress
    • 1987 – Robert Milsom, English footballe
    • 1988 – Damien Tussac, French-German rugby player
    • 1992 – Korbin Sims, Australian-Fijian rugby league player
    • 1992 – Paulo Gazzaniga, Argentinian footballer, goalkeeper
    • 1998 – Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Dutch footballer

    Deaths on January 2

    • 951 – Liu Chengyou, Emperor Yin of the Later Han
    • 951 – Su Fengji, Chinese official and chancellor
    • 1096 – William de St-Calais, Bishop of Durham and chief counsellor of William II of England[
    • 1169 – Bertrand de Blanchefort, sixth Grand Master of the Knights Templar (b. c. 1109)1184 – Theodora Komnene, Duchess of Austria, daughter of Andronikos Komnenos
    • 1298 – Lodomer, Hungarian prelate, Archbishop of Esztergom
    • 1470 – Heinrich Reuß von Plauen, Grand Master of the Teutonic Order
    • 1512 – Svante Nilsson, Sweden politician (b. 1460)
    • 1514 – William Smyth, English bishop and academic (b. 1460)
    • 1543 – Francesco Canova da Milano, Italian composer (b. 1497)
    • 1557 – Pontormo, Italian painter and educator (b. 1494)
    • 1613 – Salima Sultan Begum, Empress of the Mughal Empire (b. 1539)
    • 1614 – Luisa Carvajal y Mendoza, Spanish mystical poet and Catholic martyr (b. 1566)
    • 1726 – Domenico Zipoli, Italian organist and composer (b. 1688)
    • 1763 – John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville, English statesman (b. 1690)
    • 1850 – Manuel de la Peña y Peña, Mexican lawyer and 20th President (1847) (b. 1789)
    • 1861 – Frederick William IV of Prussia (b. 1795)
    • 1892 – George Biddell Airy, English mathematician and astronomer (b. 1801)
    • 1904 – James Longstreet, American general and diplomat (b. 1821)
    • 1913 – Léon Teisserenc de Bort, French meteorologist (b. 1855)
    • 1915 – Karl Goldmark, Hungarian violinist and composer (b. 1830)
    • 1917 – Léon Flameng, French cyclist (b. 1877)
    • 1920 – Paul Adam, French author (b. 1862)
    • 1924 – Sabine Baring-Gould, English author and scholar (b. 1834)
    • 1939 – Roman Dmowski, Polish politician, Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1864)
    • 1941 – Mischa Levitzki, Russian-American pianist and composer (b. 1898)
    • 1946 – Joe Darling, Australian cricketer and politician (b. 1870)
    • 1950 – James Dooley, Irish-Australian politician, 21st Premier of New South Wales (b. 1877)
    • 1951 – William Campion, English colonel and politician, 21st Governor of Western Australia (b. 1870)
    • 1953 – Guccio Gucci, Italian businessman and fashion designer, founder of Gucci (b. 1881)
    • 1960 – Paul Sauvé, Canadian lawyer and politician, 17th Premier of Quebec (b. 1907)
    • 1963 – Dick Powell, American actor, singer, and director (b. 1904)
    • 1963 – Jack Carson, Canadian-American actor (b. 1910)
    • 1974 – Tex Ritter, American actor (b. 1905)
    • 1975 – Siraj Sikder, Bangladesh revolutionary leader (b. 1944)
    • 1977 – Erroll Garner, American pianist and composer (b. 1921)
    • 1986 – Una Merkel, American actress (b. 1903)
    • 1987 – Harekrushna Mahatab, Indian journalist and politician, 1st Chief Minister of Odisha (b. 1899)
    • 1989 – Safdar Hashmi, Indian actor, director, and playwright (b. 1954)
    • 1990 – Alan Hale Jr., American film and television actor (b. 1921)
    • 1990 – Evangelos Averoff, Greek historian and politician, Greek Minister for National Defence (b. 1910)
    • 1994 – Dixy Lee Ray, American biologist and politician; 17th Governor of Washington (b. 1914)
    • 1994 – Pierre-Paul Schweitzer, French lawyer and businessman (b. 1915)
    • 1995 – Nancy Kelly, American actress (b. 1921)
    • 1995 – Siad Barre, Somalian general and politician; 3rd President of Somalia (b. 1919)
    • 1999 – Rolf Liebermann, Swiss-French composer and manager (b. 1910)
    • 1999 – Sebastian Haffner, German journalist and author (b. 1907)[
    • 2000 – Elmo Zumwalt, American admiral (b. 1920)
    • 2000 – Patrick O’Brian, English author and translator (b. 1914)
    • 2001 – William P. Rogers, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician, 55th United States Secretary of State (b. 1913)
    • 2005 – Maclyn McCarty, American geneticist and physician (b. 1911)
    • 2006 – Cecilia Muñoz-Palma, Filipino lawyer and jurist (b. 1913)
    • 2006 – Osa Massen, Danish-American actress (b. 1914)
    • 2007 – A. Richard Newton, Australian-American engineer and academic (b. 1951)
    • 2007 – Elizabeth Fox-Genovese, American historian and author (b. 1941)
    • 2007 – Teddy Kollek, Hungarian-Israeli politician, Mayor of Jerusalem (b. 1911)
    • 2008 – George MacDonald Fraser, Scottish journalist and author (b. 1925)
    • 2008 – Lee S. Dreyfus, American sailor, academic, and politician, 40th Governor of Wisconsin (b. 1926)
    • 2009 – Inger Christensen, Danish poet and author (b. 1935)
    • 2009 – Dnyaneshwar Agashe, Indian businessman and cricketer (b. 1942)
    • 2010 – David R. Ross, Scottish historian and author (b. 1958)
    • 2011 – Anne Francis, American actress (b. 1930)
    • 2011 – Bali Ram Bhagat, Indian politician; 16th Governor of Rajasthan (b. 1922)
    • 2011 – Pete Postlethwaite, English actor (b. 1946)
    • 2012 – Gordon Hirabayashi, American-Canadian sociologist and academic (b. 1918)
    • 2012 – Silvana Gallardo, American actress and producer (b. 1953)
    • 2012 – William P. Carey, American businessman and philanthropist, founded W. P. Carey (b. 1930)
    • 2013 – Gerda Lerner, Austrian-American historian, author, and academic (b. 1920)
    • 2013 – Teresa Torańska, Polish journalist and author (b. 1944)
    • 2014 – Bernard Glasser, American director and producer (b. 1924)
    • 2014 – Elizabeth Jane Howard, English author and screenwriter (b. 1923)
    • 2015 – Tihomir Novakov, Serbian-American physicist and academic (b. 1929)
    • 2016 – Ardhendu Bhushan Bardhan, Indian lawyer and politician (b. 1924)
    • 2016 – Frances Cress Welsing, American psychiatrist and author (b. 1935)
    • 2016 – Nimr al-Nimr, Saudi Arabian religious leader (b. 1959)
    • 2016 – Gisela Mota Ocampo, mayor of Temixco, Morelos, Mexico, assassinated (b. 1982)
    • 2017 – Jean Vuarnet, French ski racer (b. 1933)
    • 2017 – John Berger, English art critic, novelist and painter (b. 1926)
    • 2018 – Guida Maria, Portuguese actress (b. 1950)
    • 2018 – Thomas S. Monson, American religious leader, 16th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (b. 1927)
    • 2019 – Daryl Dragon, American musician (b. 1942)
    • 2019 – Bob Einstein, American actor and comedian (b. 1942)
    • 2019 – Gene Okerlund, American wrestling announcer (b. 1942)

    Holidays and observances on January 2

    • Ancestry Day (Haiti)
    • Berchtold’s Day (Switzerland and Liechtenstein)
    • Carnival Day (Saint Kitts and Nevis)
    • Christian feast day:
      • Basil the Great (Catholic Church and Church of England)
      • Defendens of Thebes
      • Earliest day on which the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus is observed, while January 5 is the latest; celebrated on Sunday between January 2 and 5. (Roman Catholic Church, 1960 calendar)
      • Gregory of Nazianzus (Catholic Church)
      • Johann Konrad Wilhelm Löhe (Lutheran Church)
      • Macarius of Alexandria
      • Seraphim of Sarov (repose) (Eastern Orthodox Church)
      • Vedanayagam Samuel Azariah (Episcopal Church)
      • January 2 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Nyinlong (Bhutan)
    • The first day of Blacks and Whites’ Carnival, celebrated until January 7. (southern Colombia)
    • The first day of the Carnival of Riosucio, celebrated until January 8 every 2 years. (Riosucio)
    • The ninth of the Twelve Days of Christmas (Western Christianity)
    • The second day of New Year (a holiday in Kazakhstan, North Macedonia, Mauritius, Montenegro, New Zealand, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Ukraine):
      • New Year Holiday (Scotland), if it is a Sunday, the day moves to January 3
      • Kaapse Klopse (Cape Town, South Africa)
    • The victory of Armed Forces Day (Cuba)