1707

On This Day

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

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

March 30 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day
March 30 in History
- 598 – Balkan Campaign: The Avars lift the siege at the Byzantine stronghold of Tomis. Their leader Bayan I retreats north of the Danube River after the Avaro-Slavic hordes are decimated by the plague.
- 1282 – The people of Sicily rebel against the Angevin king Charles I, in what becomes known as the Sicilian Vespers.
- 1296 – Edward I sacks Berwick-upon-Tweed, during armed conflict between Scotland and England.
- 1699 – Guru Gobind Singh establishes the Khalsa in Anandpur Sahib, Punjab.
- 1815 – Joachim Murat issues the Rimini Proclamation which would later inspire Italian unification.
- 1818 – Physicist Augustin Fresnel reads a memoir on optical rotation to the French Academy of Sciences, reporting that when polarized light is “depolarized” by a Fresnel rhomb, its properties are preserved in any subsequent passage through an optically-rotating crystal or liquid.
- 1822 – The Florida Territory is created in the United States.
- 1841 – The National Bank of Greece is founded in Athens.
- 1842 – Ether anesthesia is used for the first time, in an operation by the American surgeon Dr. Crawford Long.
- 1844 – One of the most important battles of the Dominican War of Independence from Haiti takes place near the city of Santiago de los Caballeros.
- 1855 – Origins of the American Civil War: “Border Ruffians” from Missouri invade Kansas and force election of a pro-slavery legislature.
- 1856 – The Treaty of Paris is signed, ending the Crimean War.
- 1861 – Discovery of the chemical elements: Sir William Crookes announces his discovery of thallium.
- 1863 – Danish prince Wilhelm Georg is chosen as King George of Greece.
- 1867 – Alaska is purchased from Russia for $7.2 million, about 2-cent/acre ($4.19/km²), by United States Secretary of State William H. Seward.
- 1870 – Texas is readmitted to the United States Congress following Reconstruction.
- 1885 – The Battle for Kushka triggers the Panjdeh Incident which nearly gives rise to war between the Russian and British Empire.
- 1899 – German Society of Chemistry issues an invitation to other national scientific organizations to appoint delegates to the International Committee on Atomic Weights.
- 1912 – Sultan Abd al-Hafid signs the Treaty of Fez, making Morocco a French protectorate.
- 1918 – Outburst of bloody March Events in Baku and other locations of Baku Governorate.
- 1939 – The Heinkel He 100 fighter sets a world airspeed record of 463 mph (745 km/h).
- 1940 – Second Sino-Japanese War: Japan declares Nanking capital of a new Chinese puppet government, nominally controlled by Wang Jingwei.
- 1944 – World War II: Allied bombers conduct their most severe bombing run on Sofia, Bulgaria.
- 1944 – Out of 795 Lancasters, Halifaxes and Mosquitos sent to attack Nuremberg, 95 bombers do not return, making it the largest RAF Bomber Command loss of the war.
- 1945 – World War II: Soviet forces invade Austria and capture Vienna; Polish and Soviet forces liberate Danzig.
- 1949 – Cold War: A riot breaks out in Austurvöllur square in Reykjavík, when Iceland joins NATO.
- 1959 – Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, flees Tibet for India.
- 1961 – The Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs is signed in New York City.
- 1965 – Vietnam War: A car bomb explodes in front of the United States Embassy, Saigon, killing 22 and wounding 183 others.
- 1972 – Vietnam War: The Easter Offensive begins after North Vietnamese forces cross into the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) of South Vietnam.
- 1976 – Israeli-Palestinian conflict: in the first organized response against Israeli policies by a Palestinian collective since 1948, Palestinians create the first Land Day.
- 1979 – Airey Neave, a British Member of Parliament, is killed by a car bomb as he exits the Palace of Westminster. The Irish National Liberation Army claims responsibility.
- 1981 – U.S. President Ronald Reagan is shot in the chest outside a Washington, D.C., hotel by John Hinckley, Jr.; three others are wounded in the same incident.
- 1982 – Space Shuttle program: STS-3 mission is completed with the landing of Columbia at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.
- 2002 – 2002 Lyon car attack takes place.
- 2009 – Twelve gunmen attack the Manawan Police Academy in Lahore, Pakistan.
- 2017 – SpaceX conducts the world’s first reflight of an orbital class rocket.
Births on March 30
- 892 – Shi Jingtang, founder of the Later Jin Dynasty (d. 942)
- 1135 – Maimonides, Spanish rabbi and philosopher (April 6 also proposed, d. 1204)
- 1326 – Ivan II of Moscow (d. 1359)
- 1432 – Mehmed the Conqueror, Ottoman sultan (d. 1481)
- 1510 – Antonio de Cabezón, Spanish composer and organist (d. 1566)
- 1551 – Salomon Schweigger, German theologian (d. 1622)
- 1606 – Vincentio Reinieri, Italian mathematician and astronomer (d. 1647)
- 1632 – John Proctor, farmer hanged for witchcraft in the Salem witch trials (d. 1692)
- 1640 – John Trenchard, English politician, Secretary of State for the Northern Department (d. 1695)
- 1727 – Tommaso Traetta, Italian composer and educator (d. 1779)
- 1746 – Francisco Goya, Spanish-French painter and sculptor (d. 1828)
- 1750 – John Stafford Smith, English organist and composer (d. 1836)
- 1793 – Juan Manuel de Rosas, Argentinian soldier and politician, 13th Governor of Buenos Aires Province (d. 1877)
- 1805 – Ferdinand Johann Wiedemann, German-Swedish linguist and botanist (d. 1887)
- 1811 – Robert Bunsen, German chemist and academic (d. 1899)
- 1820 – Anna Sewell, English author (d. 1878)
- 1820 – James Whyte, Scottish-Australian politician, 6th Premier of Tasmania (d. 1882)
- 1844 – Paul Verlaine, French poet (d. 1896)
- 1853 – Vincent van Gogh, Dutch-French painter and illustrator (d. 1890)
- 1853 – Arnoldo Sartorio, German composer, pianist, and teacher (d. 1936)
- 1857 – Léon Charles Thévenin, French engineer (d. 1926)
- 1858 – Siegfried Alkan, German composer (d. 1941)
- 1863 – Mary Calkins, American philosopher and psychologist (d. 1930)
- 1864 – Franz Oppenheimer, German-American sociologist and economist (d. 1943)
- 1874 – Charles Lightoller, English 2nd officer on the RMS Titanic (d. 1952)
- 1874 – Josiah McCracken, American hammer thrower, shot putter, and football player (d. 1962)
- 1874 – Nicolae Rădescu, Romanian general and politician, Prime Minister of Romania (d. 1953)
- 1875 – Thomas Xenakis, Greek-American gymnast (d. 1942)
- 1879 – Coen de Koning, Dutch speed skater (d. 1954)
- 1880 – Seán O’Casey, Irish dramatist, playwright, and memoirist (d. 1964)
- 1882 – Melanie Klein, Jewish Austrian-English psychologist and author (d. 1960)
- 1888 – J. R. Williams, Canadian-born cartoonist (d. 1957)
- 1891 – Chunseong, Korean monk, writer and philosopher (d. 1977)
- 1892 – Stefan Banach, Polish mathematician and academic (d. 1945)
- 1892 – Fortunato Depero, Italian painter and sculptor (d. 1960)
- 1892 – Erhard Milch, German field marshal (d. 1972)
- 1892 – Johannes Pääsuke, Estonian photographer and director (d. 1918)
- 1892 – Erwin Panofsky, German historian and academic (d. 1968)
- 1894 – Tommy Green, English race walker (d. 1975)
- 1894 – Sergey Ilyushin, Russian engineer, founded Ilyushin Aircraft Company (d. 1977)
- 1895 – Jean Giono, French author and poet (d. 1970)
- 1895 – Carl Lutz, Swiss vice-consul to Hungary during WWII, credited with saving over 62,000 Jews (d. 1975)
- 1895 – Charlie Wilson, English footballer (d. 1971)
- 1899 – Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay, Indian author, playwright, and screenwriter (d. 1970)
- 1902 – Brooke Astor, American socialite and philanthropist (d. 2007)
- 1902 – Ted Heath, English trombonist and composer (d. 1969)
- 1903 – Joy Ridderhof, American missionary (d. 1984)
- 1904 – Ripper Collins, American baseball player and coach (d. 1970)
- 1905 – Archie Birkin, English motorcycle racer (d. 1927)
- 1905 – Mikio Oda, Japanese triple jumper and academic (d. 1998)
- 1905 – Albert Pierrepoint, English hangman (d. 1992)
- 1907 – Friedrich August Freiherr von der Heydte, German general (d. 1994)
- 1910 – Józef Marcinkiewicz, Polish soldier, mathematician, and academic (d. 1940)
- 1911 – Ekrem Akurgal, Turkish archaeologist and academic (d. 2002)
- 1912 – Jack Cowie, New Zealand cricketer (d. 1994)
- 1912 – Alvin Hamilton, Canadian lieutenant and politician, 18th Canadian Minister of Agriculture (d. 2004)
- 1913 – Marc Davis, American animator (d. 2000)
- 1913 – Richard Helms, American soldier and diplomat, 8th Director of Central Intelligence (d. 2002)
- 1913 – Frankie Laine, American singer-songwriter (d. 2007)
- 1913 – Ċensu Tabone, Maltese general, physician, and politician, 4th President of Malta (d. 2012)
- 1914 – Sonny Boy Williamson I, American singer-songwriter and harmonica player (d. 1948)
- 1915 – Pietro Ingrao, Italian journalist and politician (d. 2015)
- 1917 – Els Aarne, Ukrainian-Estonian pianist, composer, and educator (d. 1995)
- 1919 – McGeorge Bundy, American intelligence officer and diplomat, 6th United States National Security Advisor (d. 1996)
- 1919 – Robin M. Williams, New Zealand mathematician and academic (d. 2013)
- 1921 – André Fontaine, French historian and journalist (d. 2013)
- 1922 – Turhan Bey, American actor (d. 2012)
- 1922 – Arthur Wightman, American physicist and academic (d. 2013)
- 1923 – Milton Acorn, Canadian poet and playwright (d. 1986)
- 1926 – Ingvar Kamprad, Swedish businessman, founded IKEA (d. 2018)
- 1927 – Wally Grout, Australian cricketer (d. 1968)
- 1928 – Robert Badinter, French lawyer and politician, French Minister of Justice
- 1928 – Colin Egar, Australian cricket umpire (d. 2008)
- 1928 – Tom Sharpe, English-Spanish author and educator (d. 2013)
- 1929 – Richard Dysart, American actor (d. 2015)
- 1929 – Ray Musto, American soldier and politician (d. 2014)
- 1929 – István Rózsavölgyi, Hungarian runner (d. 2012)
- 1930 – John Astin, American actor
- 1930 – Rolf Harris, Australian singer-songwriter
- 1933 – Jean-Claude Brialy, French actor and director (d. 2007)
- 1934 – Paul Crouch, American broadcaster, co-founded the Trinity Broadcasting Network (d. 2013)
- 1934 – Hans Hollein, Austrian architect and academic, designed Haas House (d. 2014)
- 1935 – Karl Berger, German pianist and composer
- 1935 – Willie Galimore, American football player (d. 1964)
- 1935 – Gordon Mumma, American composer
- 1937 – Warren Beatty, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1937 – Ian MacLaurin, Baron MacLaurin of Knebworth, English businessman
- 1938 – John Barnhill, American basketball player and coach (d. 2013)
- 1938 – Klaus Schwab, German economist and engineer, founded the World Economic Forum
- 1940 – Norman Gifford, English cricketer
- 1940 – Jerry Lucas, American basketball player and educator
- 1940 – Hans Ragnemalm, Swedish lawyer and judge (d. 2016)
- 1941 – Graeme Edge, English singer-songwriter and drummer
- 1941 – Ron Johnston, English geographer and academic
- 1941 – Wasim Sajjad, Pakistani lawyer and politician, President of Pakistan
- 1941 – Bob Smith, American soldier and politician
- 1942 – Ruben Kun, Nauruan lawyer and politician, 14th President of Nauru (d. 2014)
- 1942 – Tane Norton, New Zealand rugby player
- 1942 – Kenneth Welsh, Canadian actor
- 1943 – Jay Traynor, American pop and doo-wop singer (d. 2014)
- 1944 – Mark Wylea Erwin, American businessman and diplomat
- 1944 – Brian Wilshire, Australian radio host
- 1945 – Eric Clapton, English guitarist and singer-songwriter
- 1947 – Dick Roche, Irish politician, Minister of State for European Affairs
- 1947 – Terje Venaas, Norwegian bassist
- 1948 – Nigel Jones, Baron Jones of Cheltenham, English computer programmer and politician
- 1948 – Eddie Jordan, Irish racing driver and team owner, founded Jordan Grand Prix
- 1948 – Mervyn King, English economist and academic
- 1948 – Jim “Dandy” Mangrum, American rock singer
- 1949 – Liza Frulla, Canadian talk show host and politician, 3rd Minister of Canadian Heritage
- 1949 – Dana Gillespie, English singer-songwriter and actress
- 1949 – Naomi Sims, American model and author (d. 2009)
- 1950 – Janet Browne, English-American historian and academic
- 1950 – Robbie Coltrane, Scottish actor
- 1950 – Grady Little, American baseball player, coach, and manager
- 1950 – Warren Snowdon, Australian educator and politician, 39th Australian Minister for Veterans’ Affairs
- 1951 – Paul Da Vinci, English singer-songwriter
- 1952 – Stuart Dryburgh, English-New Zealand cinematographer
- 1952 – Peter Knights, Australian footballer and coach
- 1955 – Randy VanWarmer, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2004)
- 1956 – Bill Butler, Scottish educator and politician
- 1956 – Juanito Oiarzabal, Spanish mountaineer
- 1956 – Shahla Sherkat, Iranian journalist and author
- 1957 – Marie-Christine Koundja, Chadian author and diplomat
- 1957 – Paul Reiser, American actor and comedian
- 1958 – Maurice LaMarche, Canadian voice actor and stand-up comedian
- 1958 – Joey Sindelar, American golfer
- 1959 – Martina Cole, English television host and author
- 1960 – Laurie Graham, Canadian skier
- 1960 – Bill Johnson, American skier (d. 2016)
- 1961 – Mike Thackwell, New Zealand racing driver
- 1961 – Doug Wickenheiser, Canadian-American ice hockey player (d. 1999)
- 1962 – Mark Begich, American politician
- 1962 – MC Hammer, American rapper and actor
- 1962 – Gary Stevens, English international footballer, defender and manager
- 1963 – Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, Mongolian journalist and politician, 4th President of Mongolia
- 1963 – Eli-Eri Moura, Brazilian composer and conductor
- 1963 – Panagiotis Tsalouchidis, Greek footballer
- 1964 – Vlado Bozinovski, Macedonian-Australian footballer and manager
- 1964 – Tracy Chapman, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1965 – Piers Morgan, English journalist and talk show host
- 1966 – Efstratios Grivas, Greek chess player and author
- 1966 – Dmitry Volkov, Russian swimmer
- 1966 – Leonid Voloshin, Russian triple jumper
- 1967 – Christopher Bowman, American figure skater and coach (d. 2008)
- 1967 – Richard Hutten, Dutch furniture designer
- 1967 – Julie Richardson, New Zealand tennis player
- 1968 – Celine Dion, Canadian singer-songwriter
- 1969 – Troy Bayliss, Australian motorcycle racer
- 1970 – Tobias Hill, English poet and author
- 1970 – Sylvain Charlebois, Canadian food/agriculture researcher and author
- 1971 – Mari Holden, American cyclist
- 1971 – Mark Consuelos, American actor and television personality
- 1972 – Mili Avital, Israeli-American actress
- 1972 – Emerson Thome, Brazilian footballer and scout
- 1972 – Karel Poborský, Czech footballer
- 1973 – Adam Goldstein, American keyboard player, DJ, and producer (d. 2009)
- 1973 – Jan Koller, Czech footballer
- 1973 – Kareem Streete-Thompson, Caymanian-American long jumper
- 1974 – Martin Love, Australian cricketer
- 1975 – Paul Griffen, New Zealand-Italian rugby player
- 1976 – Ty Conklin, American ice hockey player
- 1976 – Obadele Thompson, Barbadian sprinter
- 1976 – Troels Lund Poulsen, Danish politician, Minister for Education of Denmark
- 1977 – Abhishek Chaubey, Indian director and screenwriter
- 1978 – Paweł Czapiewski, Polish runner
- 1978 – Chris Paterson, Scottish rugby player and coach
- 1978 – Bok van Blerk, South African singer-songwriter and actor
- 1979 – Norah Jones, American singer-songwriter and pianist
- 1979 – Anatoliy Tymoshchuk, Ukrainian footballer
- 1980 – Ricardo Osorio, Mexican footballer
- 1981 – Jammal Brown, American football player
- 1981 – Andrea Masi, Italian rugby player
- 1982 – Mark Hudson, English footballer
- 1982 – Philippe Mexès, French footballer
- 1982 – Javier Portillo, Spanish footballer
- 1982 – Jason Dohring, American actor
- 1983 – Jérémie Aliadière, French footballer
- 1984 – Mario Ančić, Croatian tennis player
- 1984 – Samantha Stosur, Australian tennis player
- 1985 – Giacomo Ricci, Italian racing driver
- 1986 – Sergio Ramos, Spanish footballer
- 1987 – Trent Barreta, American wrestler
- 1987 – Calum Elliot, Scottish footballer
- 1987 – Kwok Kin Pong, Hong Kong footballer
- 1987 – Marc-Édouard Vlasic, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1988 – Will Matthews, Australian rugby league player
- 1988 – Thanasis Papazoglou, Greek footballer
- 1988 – Richard Sherman, American football player
- 1988 – Larisa Yurkiw, Canadian alpine skier
- 1989 – Chris Sale, American baseball player
- 1989 – João Sousa, Portuguese tennis player
- 1990 – Thomas Rhett, American country music singer and songwriter
- 1990 – Michal Březina, Czech figure skater
- 1992 – Palak Muchhal, Indian playback singer
- 1993 – Anitta, Brazilian singer and entertainer
- 1994 – Jetro Willems, Dutch footballer
- 1997 – Cha Eun-woo, South Korean singer and actor, A member of the South Korean boy band, Astro
- 1998 – Kalyn Ponga, Australian rugby league player
- 2000 – Colton Herta, American race car driver
Deaths on March 30
- 116 – Quirinus of Neuss, Roman martyr and saint
- 365 – Ai of Jin, emperor of the Jin Dynasty (b. 341)
- 943 – Li Bian, emperor of Southern Tang (b. 889)
- 987 – Arnulf II, Count of Flanders (b. 960)
- 1180 – Al-Mustadi, Caliph (b. 1142)
- 1202 – Joachim of Fiore, Italian mystic and theologian (b. 1135)
- 1465 – Isabella of Clermont, queen consort of Naples (b. c. 1424)
- 1472 – Amadeus IX, Duke of Savoy (b. 1435)
- 1486 – Thomas Bourchier, English cardinal (b. 1404)
- 1526 – Konrad Mutian, German humanist (b. 1471)
- 1540 – Matthäus Lang von Wellenburg, German cardinal (b. 1469)
- 1559 – Adam Ries, German mathematician and academic (b. 1492)
- 1587 – Ralph Sadler, English politician, Secretary of State for England (b. 1507)
- 1662 – François le Métel de Boisrobert, French poet and playwright (b. 1592)
- 1689 – Kazimierz Łyszczyński, Polish atheist and philosopher (b. 1634)
- 1707 – Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban, French general and engineer (b. 1633)
- 1764 – Pietro Locatelli, Italian violinist and composer (b. 1695)
- 1783 – William Hunter, Scottish anatomist and physician (b. 1718)
- 1804 – Victor-François, 2nd duc de Broglie, French general and politician, French Secretary of State for War (b. 1718)
- 1806 – Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire (b. 1757)
- 1830 – Louis I, Grand Duke of Baden (b. 1763)
- 1840 – Beau Brummell, English-French fashion designer (b. 1778)
- 1842 – Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, French painter (b. 1755)
- 1864 – Louis Schindelmeisser, German clarinet player, composer, and conductor (b. 1811)
- 1873 – Bénédict Morel, Austrian-French psychiatrist and physician (b. 1809)
- 1879 – Thomas Couture, French painter and educator (b. 1815)
- 1886 – Joseph-Alfred Mousseau, Canadian judge and politician, 6th Premier of Quebec (b. 1838)
- 1896 – Charilaos Trikoupis, Greek politician, 55th Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1832)
- 1912 – Karl May, German author (b. 1842)
- 1925 – Rudolf Steiner, Austrian philosopher and author (b. 1861)
- 1935 – Romanos Melikian, Armenian composer (b. 1883)
- 1936 – Conchita Supervía, Spanish soprano and actress (b. 1895)
- 1940 – Sir John Gilmour, 2nd Baronet Scottish soldier and politician, Secretary of State for Scotland (b. 1876)
- 1943 – Jan Bytnar, Polish lieutenant; WWII resistance fighter (b. 1921)
- 1943 – Maciej Aleksy Dawidowski, Polish sergeant; WWII resistance fighter (b. 1920)
- 1945 – Béla Balogh, Hungarian actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1885)
- 1949 – Friedrich Bergius, German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1884)
- 1949 – Dattaram Hindlekar, Indian cricketer (b. 1909)
- 1950 – Léon Blum, French lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of France (b. 1872)
- 1952 – Jigme Wangchuck, Bhutanese king (b. 1905)
- 1955 – Harl McDonald, American pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1899)
- 1956 – Edmund Clerihew Bentley, English author and poet (b. 1875)
- 1959 – Daniil Andreyev, Russian mystic and poet (b. 1906)
- 1959 – John Auden, English solicitor, deputy coroner and a territorial soldier (b. 1894)
- 1959 – Riccardo Zanella, Italian politician (b. 1875)
- 1960 – Joseph Haas, German composer and educator (b. 1879)
- 1961 – Philibert Jacques Melotte, English astronomer (b. 1880)
- 1963 – Aleksandr Gauk, Russian conductor and composer (b. 1893)
- 1964 – Nella Larsen, American nurse and author (b. 1891)
- 1965 – Philip Showalter Hench, American physician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1896)
- 1966 – Newbold Morris, American lawyer and politician (b. 1902)
- 1966 – Maxfield Parrish, American painter and illustrator (b. 1870)
- 1966 – Erwin Piscator, German director and producer (b. 1893)
- 1967 – Frank Thorpe, Australian public servant (b. 1885)
- 1967 – Jean Toomer, American poet and novelist (b. 1894)
- 1969 – Lucien Bianchi, Belgian racing driver (b. 1934)
- 1970 – Heinrich Brüning, German economist and politician, Chancellor of Germany (b. 1885)
- 1972 – Mahir Çayan, Turkish politician (b. 1946)
- 1972 – Gabriel Heatter, American radio commentator (b. 1890)
- 1973 – Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 14th Duke of Hamilton, Scottish pilot and politician (b. 1903)
- 1973 – Yves Giraud-Cabantous, French racing driver (b. 1904)
- 1975 – Peter Bamm, German journalist and author (b. 1897)
- 1977 – Levko Revutsky, Ukrainian composer and educator (b. 1889)
- 1978 – George Paine, English cricketer and coach (b. 1908)
- 1978 – Memduh Tağmaç, Turkish general (b. 1904)
- 1979 – Airey Neave, English colonel, lawyer, and politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (b. 1916)
- 1979 – Ray Ventura, French pianist and bandleader (b. 1908)
- 1981 – DeWitt Wallace, American publisher, co-founded Reader’s Digest (b. 1889)
- 1984 – Karl Rahner, German-Austrian priest and theologian (b. 1904)
- 1985 – Harold Peary, American actor and singer (b. 1908)
- 1986 – James Cagney, American actor and dancer (b. 1899)
- 1986 – John Ciardi, American poet and etymologist (b. 1916)
- 1988 – Edgar Faure, French historian and politician, Prime Minister of France (b. 1908)
- 1990 – Harry Bridges, Australian-born American activist and trade union leader (b. 1901)
- 1992 – Manolis Andronikos, Greek archaeologist and academic (b. 1919)
- 1993 – S. M. Pandit, Indian painter (b. 1916)
- 1993 – Richard Diebenkorn, American painter (b. 1922)
- 1995 – Rozelle Claxton, American pianist (b. 1913)
- 1995 – Tony Lock, English-Australian cricketer and coach (b. 1929)
- 1995 – Paul A. Rothchild, American record producer (b. 1935)
- 1996 – Hugh Falkus, English pilot and author (b. 1917)
- 1996 – Ryoei Saito, Japanese businessman (b. 1916)
- 2000 – Rudolf Kirchschläger, Austrian judge and politician, 8th President of Austria (b. 1915)
- 2002 – Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother of the United Kingdom (b. 1900)
- 2002 – Anand Bakshi, Indian poet and lyricist (b. 1930)
- 2003 – Michael Jeter, American actor (b. 1952)
- 2003 – Valentin Pavlov, Russian banker and politician, 11th Prime Minister of the Soviet Union (b. 1937)
- 2004 – Alistair Cooke, English-American journalist and author (b. 1908)
- 2004 – Hubert Gregg, English actor and director (b. 1914)
- 2004 – Michael King, New Zealand historian and author (b. 1945)
- 2004 – Timi Yuro, American singer and songwriter (b. 1940)
- 2005 – Robert Creeley, American novelist, essayist, and poet (b. 1926)
- 2005 – Milton Green, American hurdler and soldier (b. 1913)
- 2005 – Fred Korematsu, American political activist (b. 1919)
- 2005 – O. V. Vijayan, Indian author and illustrator (b. 1930)
- 2005 – Mitch Hedberg, American stand-up comedian (b. 1968)
- 2006 – Red Hickey, American football player and coach (b. 1917)
- 2006 – John McGahern, Irish author and educator (b. 1934)
- 2007 – John Roberts, Canadian political scientist, academic, and politician, 46th Secretary of State for Canada (b. 1933)
- 2008 – Roland Fraïssé, French mathematical logician (b. 1920)
- 2008 – David Leslie, Scottish racing driver (b. 1953)
- 2008 – Richard Lloyd, English racing driver (b. 1945)
- 2008 – Dith Pran, Cambodian-American photographer and journalist (b. 1942)
- 2010 – Jaime Escalante, Bolivian-American educator (b. 1930)
- 2010 – Morris R. Jeppson, American lieutenant and physicist (b. 1922)
- 2010 – Martin Sandberger, German SS officer (b. 1911)
- 2012 – Janet Anderson Perkin, Canadian baseball player and curler (b. 1921)
- 2012 – Aquila Berlas Kiani, Indian-Canadian sociologist and academic (b. 1921)
- 2012 – Francesco Mancini, Italian footballer and coach (b. 1968)
- 2012 – Granville Semmes, American businessman, founded 1-800-Flowers (b. 1928)
- 2012 – Leonid Shebarshin, Russian KGB officer (b. 1935)
- 2013 – Daniel Hoffman, American poet and academic (b. 1923)
- 2013 – Bobby Parks, American basketball player and coach (b. 1962)
- 2013 – Phil Ramone, South African-American songwriter and producer, co-founded A & R Recording (b. 1934)
- 2013 – Edith Schaeffer, Chinese-Swiss religious leader and author, co-founded L’Abri (b. 1914)
- 2013 – Bob Turley, American baseball player and coach (b. 1930)
- 2014 – Ray Hutchison, American lawyer and politician (b. 1932)
- 2014 – Kate O’Mara, English actress (b. 1939)
- 2015 – Helmut Dietl, German director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1944)
- 2015 – Roger Slifer, American author, illustrator, screenwriter, and producer (b. 1954)
- 2015 – Ingrid van Houten-Groeneveld, Dutch astronomer and academic (b. 1921)
- 2018 – Bill Maynard, English actor (b. 1928)
- 2020 – Bill Withers, American musician (b. 1938)
Holidays and observances on March 30
- Christian feast day:
  
  Blessed Amadeus IX, Duke of Savoy
  
  Blessed Maria Restituta Kafka
  
  John Climacus
  
  Mamertinus of Auxerre
  
  Quirinus of Neuss
  
  Thomas Son Chasuhn, Marie-Nicolas-Antoine Daveluy (part of The Korean Martyrs)
  
  Tola of Clonard
  
  March 30 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Earliest day on which the first day of Hocktide can fall, while April 3 is the latest; observed on the second Monday after Easter. (Hungerford, England; popular in medieval England)
- Land Day (Palestine)
- National Doctors’ Day (United States)
- Spiritual Baptist/Shouter Liberation Day (Trinidad and Tobago)
- School Day of Non-violence and Peace (Spain)
Read More March 30 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day
On This Day

March 29 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day
March 29 in History
- 845 – Paris is sacked by Viking raiders, probably under Ragnar Lodbrok, who collects a huge ransom in exchange for leaving.
- 1430 – The Ottoman Empire under Murad II captures Thessalonica from the Republic of Venice.
- 1461 – Battle of Towton: Edward of York defeats Queen Margaret to become King Edward IV of England, bringing a temporary stop to the Wars of the Roses.
- 1500 – Cesare Borgia is given the title of Captain-General and Gonfalonier by his father Rodrigo Borgia after returning from his conquests in the Romagna.
- 1549 – The city of Salvador da Bahia, the first capital of Brazil, is founded.
- 1632 – Treaty of Saint-Germain is signed returning Quebec to French control after the English had seized it in 1629.
- 1792 – King Gustav III of Sweden dies after being shot in the back at a midnight masquerade ball at Stockholm’s Royal Opera 13 days earlier. He is succeeded by Gustav IV Adolf.
- 1806 – Construction is authorized of the Great National Pike, better known as the Cumberland Road, becoming the first United States federal highway.
- 1809 – King Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden abdicates after a coup d’état. At the Diet of Porvoo, Finland’s four Estates pledge allegiance to Alexander I of Russia, commencing the secession of the Grand Duchy of Finland from Sweden.
- 1831 – Great Bosnian uprising: Bosniaks rebel against Turkey.
- 1847 – Mexican–American War: United States forces led by General Winfield Scott take Veracruz after a siege.
- 1849 – The United Kingdom annexes the Punjab.
- 1857 – Sepoy Mangal Pandey of the 34th Regiment, Bengal Native Infantry mutinies against the East India Company’s rule in India and inspires the protracted Indian Rebellion of 1857, also known as the Sepoy Mutiny.
- 1865 – American Civil War: Federal forces under Major General Philip Sheridan move to flank Confederate forces under Robert E. Lee as the Appomattox Campaign begins.
- 1867 – Queen Victoria gives Royal Assent to the British North America Act which establishes Canada on July 1.
- 1871 – Royal Albert Hall is opened by Queen Victoria.
- 1879 – Anglo-Zulu War: Battle of Kambula: British forces defeat 20,000 Zulus.
- 1882 – The Knights of Columbus is established.
- 1886 – John Pemberton brews the first batch of Coca-Cola in a backyard in Atlanta.
- 1911 – The M1911 .45 ACP pistol becomes the official U.S. Army side arm.
- 1927 – Sunbeam 1000hp breaks the land speed record at Daytona Beach, Florida.
- 1930 – Heinrich Brüning is appointed German Reichskanzler.
- 1936 – Adolf Hitler receives 99% of the votes in the 1936 German parliamentary election and referendum.
- 1941 – The North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement goes into effect at 03:00 local time.
- 1941 – World War II: British Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy forces defeat those of the Italian Regia Marina off the Peloponnesian coast of Greece in the Battle of Cape Matapan.
- 1942 – The Bombing of Lübeck in World War II is the first major success for the RAF Bomber Command against Germany and a German city.
- 1945 – World War II: Last day of V-1 flying bomb attacks on England.
- 1945 – World War II: The German 4th Army is almost destroyed by the Soviet Red Army.
- 1946 – Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México, one of Mexico’s leading universities, is founded.
- 1947 – Malagasy Uprising against French colonial rule in Madagascar.
- 1951 – Ethel and Julius Rosenberg are convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage.
- 1957 – The New York, Ontario and Western Railway makes its final run, the first major U.S. railroad to be abandoned in its entirety.
- 1961 – The Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, allowing residents of Washington, D.C., to vote in presidential elections.
- 1962 – Arturo Frondizi, the president of Argentina, is overthrown in a military coup by Argentina’s armed forces, ending an 11¹⁄₂ day constitutional crisis.
- 1971 – My Lai Massacre: Lieutenant William Calley is convicted of premeditated murder and sentenced to life in prison.
- 1973 – Vietnam War: The last United States combat soldiers leave South Vietnam.
- 1973 – Operation Barrel Roll, a covert American bombing campaign in Laos to stop communist infiltration of South Vietnam, ends.
- 1974 – NASA’s Mariner 10 becomes the first space probe to fly by Mercury.
- 1974 – Terracotta Army was discovered in Shaanxi province, China.
- 1982 – The Canada Act 1982 receives the Royal Assent from Queen Elizabeth II, setting the stage for the Queen of Canada to proclaim the Constitution Act, 1982.
- 1984 – The Baltimore Colts load its possessions onto fifteen Mayflower moving trucks in the early morning hours and transfer its operations to Indianapolis.
- 1990 – The Czechoslovak parliament is unable to reach an agreement on what to call the country after the fall of Communism, sparking the so-called Hyphen War.
- 1993 – Catherine Callbeck becomes premier of Prince Edward Island and the first woman to be elected in a general election as premier of a Canadian province.
- 1999 – The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above the 10,000 mark (10,006.78) for the first time, during the height of the dot-com bubble.
- 1999 – A magnitude 6.8 earthquake in India strikes the Chamoli district in Uttar Pradesh, killing 103.
- 2002 – In reaction to the Passover massacre two days prior, Israel launches Operation Defensive Shield against Palestinian militants, its largest military operation in the West Bank since the 1967 Six-Day War.
- 2004 – Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia join NATO as full members.
- 2010 – Two suicide bombers hit the Moscow Metro system at the peak of the morning rush hour, killing 40.
- 2013 – At least 36 people are killed when a 16-floor building collapses in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
- 2014 – The first same-sex marriages in England and Wales are performed.
Births on March 29
- 1001 – Sokkate, king of the Pagan dynasty of Burma (d. 1044)
- 1187 – Arthur I, Duke of Brittany (d. 1203)
- 1373 – Marie d’Alençon, French princess (d. 1417)
- 1517 – Carlo Carafa, Italian cardinal (d. 1561)
- 1553 – Vitsentzos Kornaros, Greek poet and playwright (d. 1614)
- 1561 – Santorio Santorio, Italian biologist (d. 1636)
- 1584 – Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Lord Fairfax of Cameron, English general and politician (d. 1648)
- 1602 – John Lightfoot, English priest, scholar, and academic (d. 1675)
- 1620 – Edward Digges, English barrister and colonist
- 1629 – Alexis of Russia, Tsar of Russia (d. 1676)
- 1713 – John Ponsonby, Irish politician (d. 1789)
- 1735 – Johann Karl August Musäus, German author (d. 1787)
- 1747 – Johann Wilhelm Hässler, German pianist and composer (d. 1822)
- 1769 – Nicolas Jean-de-Dieu Soult, French general and politician, 12th Prime Minister of France (d. 1851)
- 1780 – Jørgen Jørgensen, Danish adventurer (d. 1841)
- 1790 – John Tyler, American lawyer and politician, 10th President of the United States (d. 1862)
- 1799 – Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1869)
- 1802 – Johann Moritz Rugendas, German landscape painter of Spanish America (d. 1858)
- 1816 – 10th Dalai Lama (d. 1837)
- 1824 – Ludwig Büchner, German physiologist, physician, and philosopher (d. 1899)
- 1826 – Wilhelm Liebknecht, German journalist and politician (d. 1900)
- 1862 – Adolfo Müller-Ury, Swiss-American painter (d. 1947)
- 1863 – Walter James, Australian politician, 5th Premier of Western Australia (d. 1943)
- 1867 – Cy Young, American baseball player and manager (d. 1955)
- 1869 – Aleš Hrdlička, Czech-American anthropologist and scholar (d. 1943)
- 1869 – Sir Edwin Lutyens, British architect (d. 1944)
- 1870 – Pavlos Melas, French-Greek captain (d. 1904)
- 1871 – Tom Hayward, English cricketer (d. 1939)
- 1872 – Hal Colebatch, English-Australian politician, 12th Premier of Western Australia (d. 1953)
- 1873 – Tullio Levi-Civita, Jewish-Italian mathematician and academic (d. 1941)
- 1874 – Lou Henry Hoover, American wife of Herbert Hoover, 33rd First Lady of the United States (d. 1944)
- 1876 – Friedrich Traun, German sprinter and tennis player (d. 1908)
- 1884 – Ed Archibald, Canadian pole vaulter (d. 1965)
- 1885 – Dezső Kosztolányi, Hungarian author and poet (d. 1936)
- 1888 – Enea Bossi, Sr., Italian-American engineer, designed the Budd BB-1 Pioneer and Bossi-Bonomi Pedaliante (d. 1963)
- 1889 – Warner Baxter, American actor (d. 1951)
- 1889 – Howard Lindsay, American producer, playwright, librettist, director and actor (d. 1968)
- 1890 – Bert Bliss, English international footballer, inside forward (d. 1968)
- 1891 – Yvan Goll, French-German poet and playwright (d. 1950)
- 1891 – Alfred Neubauer, Austrian race car driver and manager (d. 1980)
- 1892 – József Mindszenty, Hungarian cardinal (d. 1975)
- 1893 – Astrid Holm, Danish actress (d. 1961)
- 1895 – Ernst Jünger, German philosopher and author (d. 1998)
- 1896 – Wilhelm Ackermann, German mathematician (d. 1962)
- 1899 – Lavrentiy Beria, Georgian-Russian general and politician (d. 1953)
- 1900 – Bill Aston, English race car driver (d. 1974)
- 1900 – John McEwen, Australian farmer and politician, 18th Prime Minister of Australia (d. 1980)
- 1902 – Marcel Aymé, French author, playwright, and screenwriter (d. 1967)
- 1902 – Don Miller, American football player and coach (d. 1979)
- 1902 – William Walton, English composer (d. 1983)
- 1903 – Douglas Harkness, Canadian colonel and politician, 14th Canadian Minister of National Defence (d. 1999)
- 1906 – James Bausch, American decathlete and football player (d. 1974)
- 1907 – Braguinha, Brazilian singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2006)
- 1908 – Arthur O’Connell, American actor (d. 1981)
- 1908 – Dennis O’Keefe, American actor and screenwriter (d. 1968)
- 1909 – Moon Mullican, American country and western singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 1967)
- 1912 – Hanna Reitsch, German soldier and pilot (d. 1979)
- 1914 – Phil Foster, American actor (d. 1985)
- 1914 – Chapman Pincher, Indian-English historian, journalist, and author (d. 2014)
- 1916 – Peter Geach, English philosopher and academic (d. 2013)
- 1916 – Eugene McCarthy, American poet and politician (d. 2005)
- 1917 – Tommy Holmes, American baseball player (d. 2008)
- 1918 – Pearl Bailey, American actress and singer (d. 1990)
- 1918 – Lê Văn Thiêm, Vietnamese mathematician and academic (d. 1991)
- 1918 – Sam Walton, American businessman, founded Walmart and Sam’s Club (d. 1992)
- 1919 – Eileen Heckart, American actress (d. 2001)
- 1920 – John M. Belk, American businessman and politician (d. 2007)
- 1920 – Clarke Fraser, American-Canadian geneticist and academic (d. 2014)
- 1920 – Pierre Moinot, French author (d. 2007)
- 1920 – Theodore Trautwein, American lawyer and judge (d. 2000)
- 1921 – Sam Loxton, Australian cricketer, footballer, and politician (d. 2011)
- 1923 – Geoff Duke, English-Manx motorcycle racer (d. 2015)
- 1923 – Betty Binns Fletcher, American lawyer and judge (d. 2012)
- 1923 – Bob Haymes, American singer-songwriter, and actor (d. 1989)
- 1926 – Moshe Sanbar, Hungarian-Israeli banker and economist (d. 2012)
- 1927 – John McLaughlin, American journalist and producer (d. 2016)
- 1927 – John Vane, English pharmacologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2004)
- 1928 – Romesh Bhandari, Pakistani-Indian politician, 13th Foreign Secretary of India (d. 2013)
- 1928 – Keith Botsford, Belgian-American journalist, author, and academic (d. 2018)
- 1928 – Vincent Gigante, American boxer and mobster (d. 2005)
- 1929 – Sheila Kitzinger, English activist, author, and academic (d. 2015)
- 1929 – Richard Lewontin, American biologist, geneticist, and academic
- 1929 – Lennart Meri, Estonian director and politician, 2nd President of Estonia (d. 2006)
- 1929 – Utpal Dutt, Indian Bengali actor, director and playwright (d. 1993)
- 1930 – Anerood Jugnauth, Mauritian lawyer and politician, 4th President of Mauritius
- 1931 – Ștefan Andrei, Romanian politician, 87th Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 2014)
- 1931 – Sopubek Begaliev, Kyrgyzstani economist and politician (d. 2002)
- 1931 – Aleksei Gubarev, Russian general, pilot, and astronaut (d. 2015)
- 1931 – Norman Tebbit, English journalist and politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
- 1933 – Jacques Brault, Canadian poet and academic
- 1934 – Shahryar Khan, Indian-Pakistani politician and diplomat, 20th Foreign Secretary of Pakistan
- 1936 – Richard Rodney Bennett, English-American composer and educator (d. 2012)
- 1936 – Mogens Camre, Danish politician (d. 2016)
- 1936 – John A. Durkin, American lawyer and politician (d. 2012)
- 1936 – Judith Guest, American author and screenwriter
- 1936 – Joseph P. Teasdale, American lawyer and politician, 48th Governor of Missouri (d. 2014)
- 1937 – Roberto Chabet, Filipino painter and sculptor (d. 2013)
- 1937 – Smarck Michel, Haitian businessman and politician, 6th Prime Minister of Haiti (d. 2012)
- 1937 – Gordon Milne, English footballer
- 1938 – Bert de Vries, Dutch politician
- 1939 – Roland Arnall, French-American businessman and diplomat, 63rd United States Ambassador to the Netherlands (d. 2008)
- 1939 – Terence Hill, Italian actor, director, and producer
- 1939 – Hanumant Singh, Indian cricketer (d. 2006)
- 1940 – Ray Davis, American bass singer (d. 2005)
- 1940 – Astrud Gilberto, Brazilian singer-songwriter
- 1940 – John Suchet, English journalist and game show host
- 1941 – Joseph Hooton Taylor Jr., American astrophysicist and astronomer, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1942 – Bob Lurtsema, American football player
- 1942 – Scott Wilson, American actor (d. 2018)
- 1943 – Vangelis, Greek keyboard player and songwriter
- 1943 – Chad Allan, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1943 – Eric Idle, English actor and comedian
- 1943 – John Major, English banker and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
- 1944 – Terry Jacks, Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
- 1944 – Denny McLain, American baseball player and sportscaster
- 1944 – Lynne Segal, Australian-British feminist academic and activist
- 1945 – Walt Frazier, American basketball player and sportscaster
- 1945 – Speedy Keen, English singer-songwriter, keyboard player, and producer (d. 2002)
- 1946 – Billy Thorpe, English-Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (d. 2007)
- 1946 – Segun Bucknor, Nigerian musician and journalist (d. 2017)
- 1947 – Inge Bödding, German sprinter
- 1947 – Robert Gordon, American singer and actor
- 1947 – Bobby Kimball, American singer-songwriter
- 1948 – Bud Cort, American actor, director, and screenwriter
- 1948 – Piet Souer, Dutch record producer, songwriter and arranger
- 1949 – Michael Brecker, American saxophonist and composer (d. 2007)
- 1949 – Dave Greenfield, English musician (d. 2020)
- 1949 – Pauline Marois, Canadian social worker and politician, 30th Premier of Quebec
- 1949 – Keith Simpson, English historian and politician
- 1951 – William Clarke, American harmonica player (d. 1996)
- 1951 – Geoff Howarth, New Zealand cricketer
- 1951 – Tina Monzon-Palma, Filipino journalist
- 1952 – Rainer Bonhof, German footballer
- 1952 – Russell Fairfax, Australian rugby player and coach
- 1952 – John Hendricks, American businessman, founded Discovery Communications
- 1952 – Teófilo Stevenson, Cuban boxer and engineer (d. 2012)
- 1953 – Tõnis Palts, Estonian politician, 39th Mayor of Tallinn
- 1955 – Earl Campbell, American football player
- 1955 – Brendan Gleeson, Irish actor
- 1955 – Marina Sirtis, British-American actress
- 1956 – Patty Donahue, American singer (d. 1996)
- 1957 – Elizabeth Hand, American author
- 1957 – Christopher Lambert, American-born French actor
- 1958 – Pedro Bial, Brazilian journalist and producer
- 1958 – Travis Childers, American businessman and politician
- 1958 – Nouriel Roubini, Turkish-American economist and academic
- 1958 – Victor Salva, American director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1958 – Marc Silvestri, American publisher, founded Top Cow Productions
- 1959 – Barry Blanchard, Canadian mountaineer
- 1959 – Perry Farrell, American singer-songwriter
- 1959 – Brad McCrimmon, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 2011)
- 1960 – Wayne Pearce, Australian rugby league player, coach, and sportscaster
- 1961 – Gary Brabham, English-Australian race car driver
- 1961 – Mike Kingery, American baseball player
- 1961 – Amy Sedaris, American actress and comedian
- 1961 – Michael Winterbottom, English director and producer
- 1962 – Billy Beane, American baseball player and manager
- 1962 – Ted Failon, Filipino journalist and politician
- 1962 – Kirk Triplett, American golfer
- 1964 – Catherine Cortez Masto, American attorney and politician
- 1964 – Jill Goodacre, American model and actress
- 1964 – Elle Macpherson, Australian model and actress
- 1964 – Ming Tsai, American chef and television host
- 1965 – Emilios T. Harlaftis, Greek astrophysicist, astronomer, and academic (d. 2005)
- 1965 – William Oefelein, American commander, pilot, and astronaut
- 1965 – Voula Patoulidou, Greek hurdler, long jumper, and politician
- 1966 – Krasimir Balakov, Bulgarian footballer and manager
- 1966 – Jeroen Dijsselbloem, Dutch politician
- 1966 – Eric Gunderson, American baseball player
- 1966 – Sigrid Kirchmann, Austrian high jumper
- 1967 – Ainars Bagatskis, Latvian basketball player and coach
- 1967 – Michel Hazanavicius, French director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1967 – Brian Jordan, American baseball player and sportscaster
- 1968 – Lucy Lawless, New Zealand actress
- 1969 – Kim Batten, American hurdler
- 1969 – Shinichi Mochizuki, Japanese mathematician
- 1969 – Jimmy Spencer, American football player and coach
- 1971 – Robert Gibbs, American political adviser, 28th White House Press Secretary
- 1971 – Lara Logan, South African television and radio journalist and war correspondent
- 1971 – Hidetoshi Nishijima, Japanese actor
- 1972 – Rui Costa, Portuguese footballer
- 1972 – Piet-Hein Geeris, Dutch field hockey player
- 1972 – Alex Ochoa, Cuban-American baseball player and coach
- 1972 – Priti Patel, British Indian politician, Secretary of State for the Home Department
- 1973 – Marc Overmars, Dutch footballer and coach
- 1973 – Sebastiano Siviglia, Italian footballer
- 1973 – Steve Smith, English high jumper
- 1974 – Miguel Gómez, Colombian-American photographer and educator
- 1976 – Igor Astarloa, Spanish cyclist
- 1976 – Jennifer Capriati, American tennis player
- 1978 – Aaron Persico, New Zealand-Italian rugby player
- 1980 – Bill Demong, American skier
- 1980 – Bruno Silva, Uruguayan footballer
- 1981 – Jlloyd Samuel, Trinidadian footballer (d. 2018)
- 1982 – Jēkabs Rēdlihs, Latvian ice hockey player
- 1983 – Darius Draudvila, Lithuanian decathlete
- 1984 – Juan Mónaco, Argentinian tennis player
- 1985 – Fernando Amorebieta, Venezuelan international footballer, central defender
- 1985 – Maxim Lapierre, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1985 – Mickey Pimentel, American football player
- 1986 – Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, English footballer
- 1986 – Ivan Ukhov, Russian high jumper
- 1987 – Gianluca Freddi, Italian footballer
- 1987 – Dimitri Payet, French footballer
- 1987 – Romain Hamouma, French footballer
- 1988 – Esther Cremer, German runner
- 1988 – Jesús Molina, Mexican footballer
- 1988 – Jürgen Zopp, Estonian tennis player
- 1989 – James Tomkins, English footballer
- 1990 – Carlos Peña, Mexican footballer
- 1990 – Teemu Pukki, Finnish footballer
- 1990 – Lyle Taylor, English footballer
- 1991 – Irene, South Korean idol, actress and television host
- 1991 – Fabio Borini, Italian footballer
- 1991 – N’Golo Kanté, French footballer
- 1993 – Thorgan Hazard, Belgian footballer
Deaths on March 29
- 87 BC – Emperor Wu of Han of China (b. 157 BC)
- AD 57 – Emperor Guangwu of Han (b. 5 BC)
- 500 – Gwynllyw, Welsh king and religious figure
- 1058 – Pope Stephen IX (b. 1020)
- 1075 – Ottokar I of Styria, German noble
- 1368 – Emperor Go-Murakami of Japan (b. 1328)
- 1461 – Henry Percy, 3rd Earl of Northumberland, English politician (b. 1421)
- 1461 – Lionel de Welles, 6th Baron Welles
- 1467 – Matthew Palaiologos Asen, Byzantine aristocrat and official
- 1578 – Louis I, Cardinal of Guise (b. 1527)
- 1578 – Arthur Champernowne, English admiral and politician (b. 1524)
- 1628 – Tobias Matthew, English archbishop and academic (b. 1546)
- 1629 – Jacob de Gheyn II, Dutch painter and engraver (b. 1565)
- 1692 – Nicolaus Bruhns, Danish-German organist, violinist, and composer (b. 1665)
- 1703 – George Frederick II, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach, (b. 1678)
- 1751 – Thomas Coram, English captain and philanthropist, founded Foundling Hospital (b. 1668)
- 1772 – Emanuel Swedenborg, Swedish astronomer, philosopher, and theologian (b. 1688)
- 1788 – Charles Wesley, English missionary and poet (b. 1707)
- 1792 – Gustav III of Sweden (b. 1746)
- 1800 – Marc René, marquis de Montalembert, French general and engineer (b. 1714)
- 1803 – Gottfried van Swieten, Dutch-Austrian librarian and diplomat (b. 1733)
- 1826 – Johann Heinrich Voss, German poet, translator, and academic (b. 1751)
- 1829 – Cornelio Saavedra, Argentinian general and politician (b. 1759)
- 1848 – John Jacob Astor, German-American businessman (b. 1763)
- 1855 – Henri Druey, Swiss politician, 2nd President of the Swiss Confederation (b. 1799)
- 1873 – Francesco Zantedeschi, Italian priest and physicist (b. 1797)
- 1877 – Inazuma Raigorō, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 7th Yokozuna (b. 1802)
- 1888 – Charles-Valentin Alkan, French pianist and composer (b. 1813)
- 1891 – John Plankinton, American businessman and industrialist, also noted for philanthropy (b. 1820)
- 1891 – Georges Seurat, French painter (b. 1859)
- 1900 – Cyrus K. Holliday, American businessman (b. 1826)
- 1905 – William Plankinton, American businessman, industrialist and banker (b. 1843)
- 1906 – Slava Raškaj, Croatian painter (b. 1878)
- 1911 – Alexandre Guilmant, French organist and composer (b. 1837)
- 1912 – Henry Robertson Bowers, Scottish lieutenant and explorer (b. 1883)
- 1912 – Robert Falcon Scott, English lieutenant and explorer (b. 1868)
- 1912 – Edward Adrian Wilson, English physician and explorer (b. 1872)
- 1924 – Charles Villiers Stanford, Irish composer and conductor (b. 1852)
- 1934 – Otto Hermann Kahn, German-American banker and philanthropist (b. 1867)
- 1937 – Karol Szymanowski, Polish pianist and composer (b. 1882)
- 1940 – Alexander Obolensky, Russian-English rugby player and soldier (b. 1916)
- 1948 – Harry Price, English parapsychologist and author (b. 1881)
- 1957 – Joyce Cary, Anglo-Irish novelist (b. 1888)
- 1959 – Barthélemy Boganda, African priest and politician, 1st Prime Minister of the Central African Republic (b. 1910)
- 1963 – Gaspard Fauteux, Canadian dentist and politician, 19th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec (b. 1898)
- 1963 – August Rei, Estonian soldier, journalist, and politician, 12th Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1886)
- 1970 – Anna Louise Strong, American journalist and author (b. 1885)
- 1971 – Dhirendranath Datta, Pakistani lawyer and politician (b. 1886)
- 1972 – J. Arthur Rank, English businessman, founded Rank Organisation (b. 1888)
- 1980 – Mantovani, Italian-English conductor and composer (b. 1905)
- 1981 – Eric Williams, Trinidadian historian and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago (b. 1911)
- 1982 – Walter Hallstein, German academic and politician, 1st President of the European Commission (b. 1901)
- 1982 – Carl Orff, German composer and educator (b. 1895)
- 1982 – Nathan Farragut Twining, American general (b. 1897)
- 1985 – Luther Terry, American physician and academic, 9th Surgeon General of the United States (b. 1911)
- 1988 – Maurice Blackburn, Canadian composer and conductor (b. 1914)
- 1988 – Ted Kluszewski, American baseball player and coach (b. 1924)
- 1991 – Guy Bourdin, French photographer (b. 1928)
- 1992 – Paul Henreid, American actor (b. 1908)
- 1994 – Bill Travers, English actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1922)
- 1995 – Mort Meskin, American illustrator (b. 1916)
- 1995 – Terry Moore, American baseball player and coach (b. 1912)
- 1996 – Frank Daniel, Czech-American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1926)
- 1996 – Bill Goldsworthy, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1944)
- 1997 – Hans-Walter Eigenbrodt, German footballer and coach (b. 1935)
- 1999 – Gyula Zsengellér, Hungarian footballer (b. 1915)
- 1999 – Joe Williams, American jazz singer (b. 1918)
- 2001 – Helge Ingstad, Norwegian lawyer, academic, and explorer (b. 1899)
- 2001 – John Lewis, American pianist and composer (b. 1920)
- 2003 – Carlo Urbani, Italian physician and microbiologist (b. 1956)
- 2004 – Lise de Baissac, Mauritian-born SOE agent, war hero (b. 1905)
- 2004 – Joel Feinberg, American philosopher and academic (b. 1926)
- 2005 – Miltos Sachtouris, Greek poet and author (b. 1919)
- 2006 – Salvador Elizondo, Mexican author and poet (b. 1932)
- 2007 – Larry L’Estrange, English rugby player and soldier (b. 1934)
- 2009 – Vladimir Fedotov, Russian footballer and manager (b. 1943)
- 2009 – Andy Hallett, American actor and singer (b. 1975)
- 2011 – Ângelo de Sousa, Portuguese painter and sculptor (b. 1938)
- 2011 – Iakovos Kambanellis, Greek author, poet, playwright, and screenwriter (b. 1921)
- 2012 – Pap Cheyassin Secka, Gambian lawyer and politician (b. 1942)
- 2012 – Bill Jenkins, American race car driver and engineer (b. 1930)
- 2013 – Reginald Gray, Irish-French painter (b. 1930)
- 2013 – Brian Huggins, English-Canadian journalist and actor (b. 1931)
- 2013 – Liu Kang, Chinese footballer and manager (b. 1961)
- 2013 – Ralph Klein, Canadian journalist and politician, 12th Premier of Alberta (b. 1942)
- 2013 – Art Phillips, Canadian businessman and politician, 32nd Mayor of Vancouver (b. 1930)
- 2014 – Marc Platt, American actor and dancer (b. 1913)
- 2014 – Ruth A. M. Schmidt, American geologist and paleontologist (b. 1916)
- 2015 – William Delafield Cook, Australian-English painter (b. 1926)
- 2015 – Gerry Hardstaff, English cricketer (b. 1940)
- 2016 – Patty Duke, American actress (b. 1946)
- 2017 – Alexei Alexeyevich Abrikosov, Russian physicist (b. 1928)
- 2019 – Agnès Varda, French film director (b. 1928)
Holidays and observances on March 29
- Christian feast day:
  
  Berthold
  
  Eustace of Luxeuil
  
  Gwladys
  
  Gwynllyw
  
  Hans Nielsen Hauge (Lutheran)
  
  John Keble (commemoration, Anglicanism)
  
  March 29 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Earliest day on which the Octave Day of Easter can fall, while May 2 is the latest; observed on the Sunday after Easter. (Christianity)
- Boganda Day (Central African Republic)
- Commemoration of the 1947 Rebellion (Madagascar)
- National Vietnam War Veterans Day (United States of America)
- Day of the Young Combatant (Chile)
- Youth Day (Taiwan)
Read More March 29 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day
On This Day

February 25 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day
February 25 in History
- 138 – Roman emperor Hadrian adopts Antoninus Pius as his son, effectively making him his successor
- 628 – Khosrow II, the last great Shah of the Sasanian Empire (iran), is overthrown by his son Kavadh II
- 1336 – Four thousand defenders of Pilenai commit mass suicide rather than be taken captive by the Teutonic Knights.
- 1797 – Colonel William Tate and his force of 1000–1500 soldiers surrender after the Last invasion of Britain.
- 1831 – Battle of Olszynka Grochowska, part of Polish November Uprising against Russian Empire.
- 1836 – Samuel Colt is granted a United States patent for the Colt revolver.
- 1843 – Lord George Paulet occupies the Kingdom of Hawaii in the name of Great Britain in the Paulet Affair (1843).
- 1848 – Provisional government in revolutionary France, by Louis Blanc’s motion, guarantees workers’ rights.
- 1856 – A Peace conference opens in Paris after the Crimean War.
- 1866 – Miners in Calaveras County, California, discover what is now called the Calaveras Skull – human remains that supposedly indicated that man, mastodons, and elephants had co-existed.
- 1870 – Hiram Rhodes Revels, a Republican from Mississippi, is sworn into the United States Senate, becoming the first African American ever to sit in the U.S. Congress.
- 1875 – Guangxu Emperor of Qing dynasty China begins his reign, under Empress Dowager Cixi’s regency.
- 1901 – J. P. Morgan incorporates the United States Steel Corporation.
- 1912 – Marie-Adélaïde, the eldest of six daughters of Guillaume IV, becomes the first reigning Grand Duchess of Luxembourg.
- 1916 – World War I: The Germans capture Fort Douaumont during the Battle of Verdun.
- 1918 – German occupation of Estonia during World War I: Pernau, Reval, and Pskov are captured.
- 1919 – Oregon places a one cent per U.S. gallon tax on gasoline, becoming the first U.S. state to levy a gasoline tax.
- 1921 – Tbilisi, capital of the Democratic Republic of Georgia, is occupied by Bolshevist Russia.
- 1928 – Charles Jenkins Laboratories of Washington, D.C. becomes the first holder of a broadcast license for television from the Federal Radio Commission.
- 1932 – Adolf Hitler obtains German citizenship by naturalization, which allows him to run in the 1932 election for Reichspräsident.
- 1933 – The USS Ranger is launched. It is the first US Navy ship to be designed from the start of construction as an aircraft carrier.
- 1939 – The first of 2¹⁄₂ million Anderson air raid shelters appeared in North London.
- 1941 – February strike: In the occupied Amsterdam, a general strike is declared in response to increasing anti-Jewish measures instituted by the Nazis.
- 1947 – The formal abolition of Prussia is proclaimed by the Allied Control Council. The Prussian government had already been abolished by the Preußenschlag of 1932.
- 1948 – Cold War: The Communist Party takes control of government in Czechoslovakia and the period of the Third Republic ends.
- 1951 – The first Pan American Games were officially opened in Buenos Aires, Argentina by President Juan Perón.
- 1954 – Gamal Abdel Nasser is made premier of Egypt.
- 1956 – Cold War: In his speech On the Cult of Personality and Its Consequences, Nikita Khrushchev, leader of the Soviet Union denounces the cult of personality of Joseph Stalin.
- 1964 – North Korean Prime Minister Kim Il-sung calls for the removal of feudalistic land ownership aimed at turning all cooperative farms into state-run ones.
- 1968 – Vietnam War: One hundred thirty-five unarmed citizens of Hà My village in South Vietnam’s Qu?ng Nam Province are killed and buried en masse by South Korean troops in what would come to be known as the Hà My massacre.
- 1980 – The government of Suriname is overthrown by a military coup led by Dési Bouterse.
- 1986 – People Power Revolution: President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos flees the nation after 20 years of rule; Corazon Aquino becomes the Philippines’ first woman president.
- 1987 – Southern Methodist University’s football program is the first college football program to be banned from competition by the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions.
- 1991 – Gulf War: An Iraqi scud missile hits an American military barracks in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia killing 28 U.S. Army Reservists from Pennsylvania.
- 1991 – Cold War: The Warsaw Pact is abolished.
- 1992 – Khojaly massacre: About 613 civilians are killed by Armenian armed forces during the conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.
- 1994 – Mosque of Abraham massacre: In the Cave of the Patriarchs in the West Bank city of Hebron, Baruch Goldstein opens fire with an automatic rifle, killing 29 Palestinian worshippers and injuring 125 more before being subdued and beaten to death by survivors.
- 1997 – Yi Han-yong, a North Korean defector, was murdered by unidentified assailants in Bundang, South Korea.
- 2009 – Soldiers of the Bangladesh Rifles mutiny at their headquarters in Pilkhana, Dhaka, Bangladesh, resulting in 74 deaths, including 57 army officials.
- 2009 – Turkish Airlines Flight 1951 crashed during landing at the Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, Netherlands, primarily due to a faulty radio altimeter, resulting in the death of nine passengers and crew including all three pilots.
- 2015 – At least 310 people are killed in avalanches in northeastern Afghanistan.
- 2016 – Three people are killed and fourteen others injured in a series of shootings in the small Kansas cities of Newton and Hesston.
Births on February 25
- 1259 – Infanta Branca of Portugal, daughter of King Afonso III of Portugal and Urraca of Castile (d. 1321)
- 1337 – Wenceslaus I, Duke of Luxembourg (d. 1383)
- 1475 – Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick, last male member of the House of York (d. 1499)
- 1540 – Henry Howard, 1st Earl of Northampton, English aristocrat and courtier (d. 1614)
- 1543 – Sharaf Khan Bidlisi, Emir of Bitlis (d. 1603)
- 1591 – Friedrich Spee, German poet and author (d. 1635)
- 1643 – Ahmed II, Ottoman sultan (d. 1695)
- 1663 – Peter Anthony Motteux, French-English author, playwright and translator (d. 1718)
- 1670 – Maria Margarethe Kirch, German astronomer and mathematician (d. 1720)
- 1682 – Giovanni Battista Morgagni, Italian anatomist and pathologist (d. 1771)
- 1707 – Carlo Goldoni, Italian playwright and composer (d. 1793)
- 1714 – René Nicolas Charles Augustin de Maupeou, French lawyer and politician, Lord Chancellor of France (d. 1792)
- 1728 – John Wood, the Younger, English architect, designed the Royal Crescent (d. 1782)
- 1752 – John Graves Simcoe, English-Canadian general and politician, 1st Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada (d. 1806)
- 1755 – François René Mallarmé, French lawyer and politician (d. 1835)
- 1778 – José de San Martín, Argentinian general and politician, 1st President of Peru (d. 1850)
- 1806 – Emma Catherine Embury, American author and poet (d. 1863)
- 1809 – John Hart, English-Australian politician, 10th Premier of South Australia (d. 1873)
- 1812 – Carl Christian Hall, Danish lawyer and politician, 6th Prime Minister of Denmark (d. 1888)
- 1816 – Giovanni Morelli, Italian historian and critic (d. 1891)
- 1833 – John St. John, American lawyer and politician, 8th Governor of Kansas (d. 1916)
- 1841 – Pierre-Auguste Renoir, French painter and sculptor (d. 1919)
- 1842 – Karl May, German author, poet, and playwright (d. 1912)
- 1845 – George Reid, Scottish-Australian lawyer and politician, 4th Prime Minister of Australia (d. 1918)
- 1855 – Cesário Verde, Portuguese poet and author (d. 1886)
- 1856 – Karl Gotthard Lamprecht, German historian and academic (d. 1915)
- 1856 – Mathias Zdarsky, Czech-Austrian skier, painter, and sculptor (d. 1940)
- 1857 – Robert Bond, Canadian politician; first Prime Minister of Newfoundland (d. 1927)
- 1860 – William Ashley, English historian and academic (d. 1927)
- 1865 – Andranik, Armenian general (d. 1927)
- 1866 – Benedetto Croce, Italian philosopher and politician (d. 1952)
- 1869 – Phoebus Levene, Russian-American biochemist and physician (d. 1940)
- 1873 – Enrico Caruso, Italian-American tenor; the most popular operatic tenor of the early 20th century and the first great recording star. (d. 1921)
- 1877 – Erich von Hornbostel, Austrian musicologist and scholar (d. 1935)
- 1881 – William Z. Foster, American union leader and politician (d. 1961)
- 1881 – Alexei Rykov, Russian politician, Premier of Russia (d. 1938)
- 1883 – Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone (d. 1981)
- 1885 – Princess Alice of Battenberg, mother of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (d. 1969)
- 1888 – John Foster Dulles, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 52nd United States Secretary of State (d. 1959)
- 1890 – Myra Hess, English pianist and educator (d. 1965)
- 1894 – Meher Baba, Indian spiritual master (d. 1969)
- 1898 – William Astbury, physicist and molecular biologist (d. 1961)
- 1901 – Vince Gair, Australian politician, 27th Premier of Queensland (d. 1980)
- 1901 – Zeppo Marx, American comedian (the youngest of the Marx Brothers) and theatrical agent (d. 1979)
- 1903 – King Clancy, Canadian ice hockey player, referee, and coach; rated one of the 100 greatest NHL players (d. 1986)
- 1905 – Perry Miller, American historian, author, and academic (d. 1963)
- 1906 – Mary Coyle Chase, American journalist and playwright; author of Harvey (d. 1981)
- 1907 – Sabahattin Ali, Turkish journalist, author, and poet (d. 1948)
- 1908 – Mary Locke Petermann, cellular biochemist (d. 1975)
- 1908 – Frank G. Slaughter, American physician and author (d. 2001)
- 1910 – Millicent Fenwick, American journalist and politician (d. 1992)
- 1913 – Jim Backus, American actor and screenwriter; the voice of Mr. Magoo (d. 1989)
- 1913 – Gert Fröbe, German actor; title role in Goldfinger (d. 1988)
- 1917 – Anthony Burgess, English author, playwright, and critic (d. 1993)
- 1918 – Bobby Riggs, American tennis player; winner of three major titles, 1939–1941 (d. 1995)
- 1919 – Monte Irvin, American baseball player and executive (d. 2016)
- 1920 – Philip Habib, American academic and diplomat, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs (d. 1992)
- 1921 – Pierre Laporte, Canadian journalist, lawyer, and politician, Deputy Premier of Quebec (d. 1970)
- 1921 – Andy Pafko, American baseball player and manager (d. 2013)
- 1922 – Molly Reilly, Canadian aviator (d. 1980)
- 1924 – Hugh Huxley, English-American biologist and academic (d. 2013)
- 1925 – Shehu Shagari, former President of Nigeria (d. 2018)
- 1925 – Lisa Kirk, American actress and singer (d. 1990)
- 1926 – Masatoshi Gündüz Ikeda, Japanese-Turkish mathematician and academic; noted for contributions to algebraic number theory (d. 2003)
- 1927 – Ralph Stanley, American bluegrass singer and banjo player; member of International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame (d. 2016)
- 1928 – Paul Elvstrøm, Danish yachtsman; winner of four Olympic gold medals, 1948–1960 (d. 2016)
- 1928 – A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr., prominent African-American civil rights advocate, author, and federal court judge (d. 1998)
- 1928 – Larry Gelbart, American author and screenwriter; creator and producer of M*A*S*H TV series (d. 2009)
- 1928 – Richard G. Stern, American author and academic (d. 2013)
- 1932 – Tony Brooks, English racing driver; six Formula One victories, second in 1959 World Championship
- 1932 – Faron Young, American country music singer-songwriter and guitarist; member of Country Music Hall of Fame (d. 1996)
- 1934 – Tony Lema, American golfer; winner of the 1964 Open Championship (d. 1966)
- 1935 – Oktay Sinanoglu, Turkish physical chemist and molecular biophysicist; two-time nominee for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry (d. 2015)
- 1937 – Tom Courtenay, award-winning English actor
- 1937 – Bob Schieffer, American political author, journalist and TV interviewer
- 1938 – Herb Elliott, Australian 1500 metres runner; 1960 Olympic champion and world record holder
- 1938 – Farokh Engineer, Indian international cricketer; successful as batsman and wicketkeeper
- 1940 – Ron Santo, American baseball player and sportscaster (d. 2010)
- 1941 – David Puttnam, English film producer and academic
- 1943 – George Harrison, English singer-songwriter, guitarist and film producer; lead guitarist of The Beatles (d. 2001)
- 1944 – François Cevert, French racing driver (d. 1973)
- 1946 – Jean Todt, French racing driver and team manager; FIA President, 2009–2021
- 1947 – Lee Evans, American sprinter and athletics coach; two gold medals and world 400m record at 1968 Olympics
- 1949 – Amin Maalouf, Lebanese-French journalist and author
- 1950 – Francisco Fernández Ochoa, Spanish skier; 1972 Olympic slalom champion (d. 2006)
- 1950 – Neil Jordan, Irish film director, screenwriter and author
- 1950 – Néstor Kirchner, Argentinian politician; 51st President of Argentina, 2003–2007 (d. 2010)
- 1951 – Don Quarrie, Jamaican sprinter and coach; four Olympic medals and two world records
- 1952 – Joey Dunlop, Northern Irish motorcycle road racing champion; holds record for most wins (26) at the Isle of Man TT (d. 2000)
- 1953 – José María Aznar, Spanish politician; Prime Minister of Spain, 1996–2004
- 1958 – Kurt Rambis, American basketball player and coach; four-time NBA Finals champion
- 1962 – Birgit Fischer, German kayaker; winner of eight Olympic gold medals
- 1963 – Paul O’Neill, American baseball player and sportscaster; five-time World Series champion
- 1967 – Ed Balls, British politician; Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
- 1968 – Oumou Sangaré, Grammy Award-winning Malian Wassoulou musician
- 1971 – Sean Astin, American actor, director and producer
- 1974 – Dominic Raab, British politician; First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
- 1981 – Park Ji-sung, South Korean footballer; the most successful Asian player with 19 career trophies
- 1982 – Flavia Pennetta, Italian tennis player; winner of the 2015 US Open
- 1988 – Tom Marshall, British photo colouriser and artist
- 1999 – Gianluigi Donnarumma, Italian international footballer; youngest goalkeeper to play for Italy
Deaths on February 25
- 806 – Tarasios, patriarch of Constantinople
- 891 – Fujiwara no Mototsune, Japanese regent (b. 836)
- 944 – Lin Ding, Chinese official and chancellor
- 1246 – Dafydd ap Llywelyn, Welsh king (b. 1212)
- 1321 – Beatrice d’Avesnes, consort of Henry VI, Count of Luxembourg
- 1495 – Sultan Cem, Ottoman politician (b. 1459)
- 1522 – William Lily, English scholar and educator (b. 1468)
- 1536 – Berchtold Haller, German-Swiss theologian and reformer (b. 1492)
- 1536 – Jacob Hutter, founder of the Hutterites
- 1547 – Vittoria Colonna, marchioness of Pescara (b. 1490)
- 1558 – Eleanor of Austria (b. 1498)
- 1600 – Sebastian de Aparicio, Spanish colonial industrialist and saint (b. 1502)
- 1601 – Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, English general and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (b. 1566)
- 1634 – Albrecht von Wallenstein, Austrian general and politician (b. 1583)
- 1655 – Daniel Heinsius, Flemish poet and scholar (b. 1580)
- 1682 – Alessandro Stradella, Italian composer (b. 1639)
- 1710 – Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut, French soldier and explorer (b. 1639)
- 1713 – Frederick I of Prussia (b. 1657)
- 1723 – Christopher Wren, English architect, designed St Paul’s Cathedral (b. 1632)
- 1756 – Eliza Haywood, English actress and poet (b. 1693)
- 1796 – Samuel Seabury, American bishop (b. 1729)
- 1798 – Louis Jules Mancini Mazarini, French poet and diplomat (b. 1716)
- 1805 – Thomas Pownall, English politician, Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay (b. 1722)
- 1819 – Francisco Manoel de Nascimento, Portuguese-French poet and educator (b. 1734)
- 1822 – William Pinkney, American politician and diplomat, 7th United States Attorney General (b. 1764)
- 1831 – Friedrich Maximilian Klinger, German author and playwright (b. 1752)
- 1841 – Philip Pendleton Barbour, American lawyer, judge, and politician, 12th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (b. 1783)
- 1850 – Daoguang Emperor of China (b. 1782)
- 1852 – Thomas Moore, Irish poet and lyricist (b. 1779)
- 1865 – Otto Ludwig, German author, playwright, and critic (b. 1813)
- 1870 – Henrik Hertz, Danish poet and playwright (b. 1797)
- 1875 – Thomas Reynolds, English-Australian politician, 5th Premier of South Australia (b. 1818)
- 1877 – Jung Bahadur Rana, Nepalese ruler (b. 1816)
- 1878 – Townsend Harris, American merchant, politician, and diplomat, United States Ambassador to Japan (b. 1804)
- 1888 – Josif Pancic, Serbian botanist and academic (b. 1814)
- 1899 – Paul Reuter, German-English journalist and businessman, founded Reuters (b. 1816)
- 1906 – Anton Arensky, Russian pianist and composer (b. 1861)
- 1910 – Worthington Whittredge, American painter and educator (b. 1820)
- 1911 – Friedrich Spielhagen, German author, theorist, and translator (b. 1829)
- 1912 – William IV, Grand Duke of Luxembourg (b. 1852)
- 1914 – John Tenniel, English illustrator (b. 1820)
- 1915 – Charles Edwin Bessey, American botanist, author, and academic (b. 1845)
- 1916 – David Bowman, Australian politician (b. 1860)
- 1920 – Marcel-Auguste Dieulafoy, French archaeologist and engineer (b. 1844)
- 1922 – Henri Désiré Landru, French serial killer (b. 1869)
- 1928 – William O’Brien, Irish journalist and politician (b. 1852)
- 1934 – Elizabeth Gertrude Britton, American botanist and academic (b. 1857)
- 1934 – John McGraw, American baseball player and manager (b. 1873)
- 1945 – Mário de Andrade, Brazilian author, poet, and photographer (b. 1893)
- 1950 – George Minot, American physician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1885)
- 1953 – Sergei Winogradsky, Ukrainian-Russian microbiologist and ecologist (b. 1856)
- 1957 – Mark Aldanov, Russian author and critic (b. 1888)
- 1957 – Bugs Moran, American mob boss (b. 1893)
- 1963 – Melville J. Herskovits, American anthropologist and academic (b. 1895)
- 1964 – Alexander Archipenko, Ukrainian sculptor and illustrator (b. 1887)
- 1964 – Hinrich Lohse, German politician (b. 1896)
- 1964 – Grace Metalious, American author (b. 1924)
- 1970 – Mark Rothko, Latvian-American painter and academic (b. 1903)
- 1971 – Theodor Svedberg, Swedish chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1884)
- 1972 – Gottfried Fuchs, German-Canadian Olympic soccer player (b. 1889)
- 1975 – Elijah Muhammad, American religious leader (b. 1897)
- 1978 – Daniel James, Jr., American general and pilot (b. 1920)
- 1980 – Robert Hayden, American poet and academic (b. 1913)
- 1983 – Tennessee Williams, American playwright, and poet (b. 1911)
- 1996 – Haing S. Ngor, Cambodian-American physician and author (b. 1940)
- 1997 – Andrei Sinyavsky, Russian journalist and publisher (b. 1925)
- 1998 – W. O. Mitchell, Canadian author and playwright (b. 1914)
- 1999 – Glenn T. Seaborg, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1912)
- 2001 – A. R. Ammons, American poet and critic (b. 1926)
- 2001 – Donald Bradman, Australian international cricketer; holder of world record batting average (b. 1908)
- 2005 – Peter Benenson, English lawyer, founded Amnesty International (b. 1921)
- 2010 – Ihsan Dogramaci, Turkish pediatrician and academic (b. 1915)
- 2012 – Louisiana Red, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1932)
- 2015 – Harve Bennett, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1930)
- 2015 – Eugenie Clark, American biologist and academic; noted ichthyologist (b. 1922)
- 2020 – Dmitry Yazov, last Marshal of the Soviet Union (b. 1924)
Holidays and observance on February 25

Christian feast day

Further information: February 25 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Æthelberht of Kent
- Blessed Ciriaco María Sancha y Hervás
- Gerland of Agrigento
- John Roberts, writer and missionary
- Blessed Maria Adeodata Pisani
- Saint Walpurga (she was canonised on 1 May and Walpurgis Night is celebrated 30 April)
Read More February 25 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day
On This Day

February 6 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day
February 6 in History
- AD 60 – The earliest date for which the day of the week is known. A graffito in Pompeii identifies this day as a dies Solis (Sunday). In modern reckoning, this date would have been a Wednesday.
- 1579 – The Archdiocese of Manila is made a diocese by a papal bull with Domingo de Salazar being its first bishop.
- 1685 – James II of England and VII of Scotland is proclaimed King upon the death of his brother Charles II.
- 1694 – The warrior queen Dandara, leader of the runaway slaves in Quilombo dos Palmares, Brazil, is captured and commits suicide rather than be returned to a life of slavery.
- 1778 – American Revolutionary War: In Paris the Treaty of Alliance and the Treaty of Amity and Commerce are signed by the United States and France signaling official recognition of the new republic.
- 1778 –New York became the third state to ratify the Articles of Confederation.
- 1788 – Massachusetts becomes the sixth state to ratify the United States Constitution.
- 1806 – Battle of San Domingo: British naval victory against the French in the Caribbean.
- 1819 – Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles founds Singapore.
- 1820 – The first 86 African American immigrants sponsored by the American Colonization Society depart New York to start a settlement in present-day Liberia.
- 1833 – Otto becomes the first modern King of Greece.
- 1840 – Signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, establishing New Zealand as a British colony.
- 1843 – The first minstrel show in the United States, The Virginia Minstrels, opens (Bowery Amphitheatre in New York City).
- 1851 – The largest Australian bushfires in a populous region in recorded history take place in the state of Victoria.
- 1862 – American Civil War: Forces under the command of Ulysses S. Grant and Andrew H. Foote give the Union its first victory of the war, capturing Fort Henry, Tennessee in the Battle of Fort Henry.
- 1899 – Spanish–American War: The Treaty of Paris, a peace treaty between the United States and Spain, is ratified by the United States Senate.
- 1900 – The Permanent Court of Arbitration, an international arbitration court at The Hague, is created when the Senate of the Netherlands ratifies an 1899 peace conference decree.
- 1918 – British women over the age of 30 who meet minimum property qualifications, get the right to vote when Representation of the People Act 1918 is passed by Parliament.
- 1919 – The American Legion is founded.
- 1919 – The five-day Seattle General Strike begins, as more than 65,000 workers in the city of Seattle, Washington, walk off the job.
- 1922 – The Washington Naval Treaty is signed in Washington, D.C., limiting the naval armaments of United States, Britain, Japan, France, and Italy.
- 1934 – Far-right leagues rally in front of the Palais Bourbon in an attempted coup against the French Third Republic, creating a political crisis in France.
- 1951 – The Canadian Army enters combat in the Korean War.
- 1951 – The Broker, a Pennsylvania Railroad passenger train derails near Woodbridge Township, New Jersey. The accident kills 85 people and injures over 500 more. The wreck is one of the worst rail disasters in American history.
- 1952 – Elizabeth II becomes Queen of the United Kingdom and her other Realms and Territories and Head of the Commonwealth upon the death of her father, George VI. At the exact moment of succession, she was in a tree house at the Treetops Hotel in Kenya.
- 1958 – Eight Manchester United F.C. players and 15 other passengers are killed in the Munich air disaster.
- 1959 – Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments files the first patent for an integrated circuit.
- 1959 – At Cape Canaveral, Florida, the first successful test firing of a Titan intercontinental ballistic missile is accomplished.
- 1976 – In testimony before a United States Senate subcommittee, Lockheed Corporation president Carl Kotchian admits that the company had paid out approximately $3 million in bribes to the office of Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka.
- 1978 – The Blizzard of 1978, one of the worst Nor’easters in New England history, hit the region, with sustained winds of 65 mph and snowfall of four inches an hour.
- 1981 – The National Resistance Army of Uganda launches an attack on a Ugandan Army installation in the central Mubende District to begin the Ugandan Bush War.
- 1987 – Justice Mary Gaudron becomes the first woman to be appointed to the High Court of Australia.
- 1988 – Michael Jordan makes his signature slam dunk from the free throw line inspiring Air Jordan and the Jumpman logo.
- 1989 – The Round Table Talks start in Poland, thus marking the beginning of the overthrow of communism in Eastern Europe.
- 1996 – Willamette Valley Flood: Floods in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, United States, causes over US$500 million in property damage throughout the Pacific Northwest.
- 1996 – Birgenair Flight 301 crashed off the coast of the Dominican Republic, killing all 189 people on board. This is the deadliest aviation accident involving a Boeing 757.
- 1998 – Washington National Airport is renamed Ronald Reagan National Airport.
- 2000 – Second Chechen War: Russia captures Grozny, Chechnya, forcing the separatist Chechen Republic of Ichkeria government into exile.
- 2006 – Stephen Harper becomes Prime Minister of Canada.
- 2016 – An earthquake of magnitude 6.6 strikes southern Taiwan, killing 117 people.
- 2018 – SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy, a super heavy launch vehicle, makes its maiden flight.
Births on February 6
- 885 – Emperor Daigo of Japan (d. 930)
- 1402 – Louis I, Landgrave of Hesse, Landgrave of Hesse (d. 1458)
- 1452 – Joanna, Princess of Portugal (d. 1490)
- 1453 – Girolamo Benivieni, Florentine poet (d. 1542)
- 1465 – Scipione del Ferro, Italian mathematician and theorist (d. 1526)
- 1536 – Sassa Narimasa, Japanese samurai (d. 1588)
- 1577 – Beatrice Cenci, Italian murderer (d. 1599)
- 1582 – Mario Bettinus, Italian mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher (d. 1657)
- 1608 – António Vieira, Portuguese priest and philosopher (d. 1697)
- 1611 – Chongzhen Emperor of China (d. 1644)
- 1612 – Antoine Arnauld, French mathematician, theologian, and philosopher (d. 1694)
- 1643 – Johann Kasimir Kolbe von Wartenberg, Prussian politician, 1st Minister President of Prussia (d. 1712)
- 1649 – Augusta Marie of Holstein-Gottorp, German noblewoman (d. 1728)
- 1664 – Mustafa II, Ottoman sultan (d. 1703)
- 1665 – Anne, Queen of Great Britain, Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland (d. 1714)
- 1665 – Anne, Queen of Great Britain (d. 1714)
- 1695 – Nicolaus II Bernoulli, Swiss-Russian mathematician and theorist (d. 1726)
- 1719 – Alberto Pullicino, Maltese painter (d. 1759)
- 1726 – Patrick Russell, Scottish surgeon and zoologist (d. 1805)
- 1732 – Charles Lee, English-American general (d. 1782)
- 1736 – Franz Xaver Messerschmidt, German-Austrian sculptor (d. 1783)
- 1744 – Pierre-Joseph Desault, French anatomist and surgeon (d. 1795)
- 1748 – Adam Weishaupt, German philosopher and academic, founded the Illuminati (d. 1830)
- 1753 – Évariste de Parny, French poet and author (d. 1814)
- 1756 – Aaron Burr, American colonel and politician, 3rd Vice President of the United States (d. 1836)
- 1758 – Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz, Belarusian-Polish poet, playwright, and politician (d. 1841)
- 1769 – Ludwig von Wallmoden-Gimborn, Austrian general (d. 1862)
- 1772 – George Murray, Scottish general and politician, Secretary of State for War and the Colonies (d. 1830)
- 1778 – Ugo Foscolo, Italian author and poet (d. 1827)
- 1781 – John Keane, 1st Baron Keane, Irish general and politician, Governor of Saint Lucia (d. 1844)
- 1796 – John Stevens Henslow, English botanist and geologist (d. 1861)
- 1797 – Joseph von Radowitz, Prussian general and politician, Foreign Minister of Prussia (d. 1853)
- 1799 – Imre Frivaldszky, Hungarian botanist and entomologist (d. 1870)
- 1800 – Achille Devéria, French painter and lithographer (d. 1857)
- 1802 – Charles Wheatstone, English-French physicist and cryptographer (d. 1875)
- 1811 – Henry Liddell, English priest, author, and academic (d. 1898)
- 1814 – Auguste Chapdelaine, French missionary and saint (d. 1856)
- 1818 – William M. Evarts, American lawyer and politician, 27th United States Secretary of State (d. 1901)
- 1820 – Thomas C. Durant, American railroad tycoon (d. 1885)
- 1829 – Joseph Auguste Émile Vaudremer, French architect, designed the La Santé Prison and Saint-Pierre-de-Montrouge (d. 1914)
- 1832 – John Brown Gordon, American general and politician, 53rd Governor of Georgia (d. 1904)
- 1833 – José María de Pereda, Spanish author and academic (d. 1906)
- 1833 – J. E. B. Stuart, American general (d. 1864)
- 1834 – Edwin Klebs, German-Swiss pathologist and academic (d. 1913)
- 1834 – Ema Pukšec, Croatian-German soprano (d. 1889)
- 1834 – Wilhelm von Scherff, German general and author (d. 1911)
- 1838 – Henry Irving, English actor and manager (d. 1905)
- 1838 – Israel Meir Kagan, Lithuanian-Polish rabbi and author (d. 1933)
- 1839 – Eduard Hitzig, German neurologist and psychiatrist (d. 1907)
- 1842 – Alexandre Ribot, French academic and politician, Prime Minister of France (d. 1923)
- 1843 – Inoue Kowashi, Japanese scholar and politician (d. 1895)
- 1843 – Frederic William Henry Myers, English poet and philologist, co-founded the Society for Psychical Research (d. 1901)
- 1845 – Isidor Straus, German-American businessman and politician (d. 1912)
- 1847 – Henry Janeway Hardenbergh, American architect, designed the Plaza Hotel (d. 1918)
- 1852 – C. Lloyd Morgan, English zoologist and psychologist (d. 1936)
- 1852 – Vasily Safonov, Russian pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1918)
- 1861 – Nikolay Zelinsky, Russian chemist and academic (d. 1953)
- 1864 – John Henry Mackay, Scottish-German philosopher and author (d. 1933)
- 1866 – Karl Sapper, German linguist and explorer (d. 1945)
- 1872 – Robert Maillart, Swiss engineer, designed the Salginatobel Bridge and Schwandbach Bridge (d. 1940)
- 1874 – Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, Indian religious leader, founded the Gaudiya Math (d. 1937)
- 1875 – Leonid Gobyato, Russian general (d. 1915)
- 1876 – Henry Blogg, English fisherman and sailor (d. 1954)
- 1879 – Othon Friesz, French painter (d. 1949)
- 1879 – Magnús Guðmundsson, Icelandic lawyer and politician, 3rd Prime Minister of Iceland (d. 1937)
- 1879 – Edwin Samuel Montagu, English politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (d. 1924)
- 1879 – Carl Ramsauer, German physicist and author (d. 1955)
- 1880 – Nishinoumi Kajirō II, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 25th Yokozuna (d. 1931)
- 1884 – Marcel Cohen, French linguist and scholar (d. 1974)
- 1887 – Josef Frings, German cardinal (d. 1978)
- 1890 – Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Pakistani activist and politician (d. 1988)
- 1890 – James McGirr, Australian politician, 28th Premier of New South Wales (d. 1957)
- 1892 – Maximilian Fretter-Pico, German general (d. 1984)
- 1892 – William P. Murphy, American physician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1987)
- 1893 – Muhammad Zafarullah Khan, Pakistani politician and diplomat, 1st Minister of Foreign Affairs for Pakistan (d. 1985)
- 1894 – Eric Partridge, New Zealand-English lexicographer and academic (d. 1979)
- 1894 – Kirpal Singh, Indian spiritual master (d. 1974)
- 1895 – Robert La Follette Jr., American politician (d. 1953)
- 1895 – María Teresa Vera, Cuban singer, guitarist and composer (d. 1965)
- 1895 – Babe Ruth, American baseball player and coach (d. 1948)
- 1898 – Harry Haywood, American soldier and politician (d. 1985)
- 1899 – Ramon Novarro, Mexican-American actor, singer, and director (d. 1968)
- 1901 – Ben Lyon, American actor (d. 1979)
- 1902 – George Brunies, American trombonist (d. 1974)
- 1903 – Claudio Arrau, Chilean pianist and composer (d. 1991)
- 1905 – Władysław Gomułka, Polish politician (d. 1982)
- 1905 – Jan Werich, Czech actor and playwright (d. 1980)
- 1906 – Joseph Schull, Canadian playwright and historian (d. 1980)
- 1908 – Amintore Fanfani, Italian journalist and politician, 32nd Prime Minister of Italy (d. 1999)
- 1908 – Edward Lansdale, American general and CIA agent (d. 1987)
- 1908 – Geo Bogza, Romanian poet and journalist (d. 1993)
- 1908 – Michael Maltese, American actor, screenwriter, and composer (d. 1981)
- 1910 – Roman Czerniawski, Polish air force officer and spy (d. 1985)
- 1910 – Irmgard Keun, German author (d. 1982)
- 1910 – Carlos Marcello, Tunisian-American gangster (d. 1993)
- 1911 – Ronald Reagan, American actor and politician, 40th President of the United States (d. 2004)
- 1912 – Eva Braun, German wife of Adolf Hitler (d. 1945)
- 1912 – Christopher Hill, English historian and author (d. 2003)
- 1913 – Mary Leakey, English-Kenyan archaeologist and anthropologist (d. 1996)
- 1914 – Thurl Ravenscroft, American voice actor and singer (d. 2005)
- 1915 – Kavi Pradeep, Indian poet and songwriter (d. 1998)
- 1916 – John Crank, English mathematician and physicist (d. 2006)
- 1917 – Louis-Philippe de Grandpré, Canadian lawyer and jurist (d. 2008)
- 1917 – Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hungarian-American actress and socialite (d. 2016)
- 1918 – Lothar-Günther Buchheim, German author and painter (d. 2007)
- 1919 – Takashi Yanase, Japanese poet and illustrator, created Anpanman (d. 2013)
- 1921 – Carl Neumann Degler, American historian and author (d. 2014)
- 1921 – Bob Scott, New Zealand rugby player (d. 2012)
- 1922 – Patrick Macnee, English-American actor and costume designer (d. 2015)
- 1922 – Denis Norden, English actor, screenwriter, and television host (d. 2018)
- 1922 – Haskell Wexler, American director, producer, and cinematographer (d. 2015)
- 1923 – Gyula Lóránt, Hungarian footballer and manager (d. 1981)
- 1924 – Billy Wright, English footballer and manager (d. 1994)
- 1924 – Jin Yong, Hong Kong author and publisher, founded Ming Pao (d. 2018)
- 1925 – Walker Edmiston, American actor and puppeteer (d. 2007)
- 1927 – Gerard K. O’Neill, American physicist and astronomer (d. 1992)
- 1928 – Allan H. Meltzer, American economist and academic (d. 2017)
- 1929 – Colin Murdoch, New Zealand pharmacist and veterinarian, invented the tranquilliser gun (d. 2008)
- 1929 – Oscar Sambrano Urdaneta, Venezuelan author and critic (d. 2011)
- 1929 – Valentin Yanin, Russian historian and author (d. 2020)
- 1930 – Jun Kondo, Japanese physicist and academic
- 1931 – Rip Torn, American actor (d. 2019)
- 1931 – Fred Trueman, English cricketer (d. 2006)
- 1931 – Mamie Van Doren, American actress and model
- 1931 – Ricardo Vidal, Filipino cardinal (d. 2017)
- 1932 – Camilo Cienfuegos, Cuban soldier and anarchist (d. 1959)
- 1932 – François Truffaut, French actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1984)
- 1933 – Leslie Crowther, English comedian, actor, and game show host (d. 1996)
- 1936 – Kent Douglas, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 2009)
- 1938 – Fred Mifflin, Canadian admiral and politician, 19th Minister of Veterans Affairs (d. 2013)
- 1939 – Jean Beaudin, Canadian director and screenwriter (d. 2019)
- 1939 – Mike Farrell, American actor, director, producer, activist and public speaker
- 1939 – Jair Rodrigues, Brazilian singer (d. 2014)
- 1940 – Tom Brokaw, American journalist and author
- 1940 – Petr Hájek, Czech mathematician and academic (d. 2016)
- 1940 – Jimmy Tarbuck, English comedian and actor
- 1941 – Stephen Albert, American pianist and composer (d. 1992)
- 1941 – Dave Berry, English pop singer
- 1941 – Gigi Perreau, American actress and director
- 1942 – Sarah Brady, American activist and author (d. 2015)
- 1942 – Charlie Coles, American basketball player and coach (d. 2013)
- 1942 – Ahmad-Jabir Ahmadov Ismail oghlu, Azerbaijani philosopher and academic
- 1942 – James Loewen, American sociologist and historian
- 1942 – Tommy Roberts, English fashion designer (d. 2012)
- 1943 – Fabian Forte, American pop singer and actor
- 1943 – Gayle Hunnicutt, American actress
- 1944 – Christine Boutin, French politician, French Minister of Housing and Urban Development
- 1944 – Willie Tee, American singer-songwriter, keyboard player, and producer (d. 2007)
- 1944 – Michael Tucker, American actor and producer
- 1945 – Bob Marley, Jamaican singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1981)
- 1946 – Richie Hayward, American drummer and songwriter (d. 2010)
- 1946 – Kate McGarrigle, Canadian musician and singer-songwriter (d. 2010)
- 1946 – Jim Turner, American captain and politician
- 1947 – Bill Staines, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1947 – Charlie Hickcox, American swimmer (d .2010)
- 1949 – Mike Batt, English singer-songwriter and producer
- 1949 – Manuel Orantes, Spanish tennis player
- 1949 – Jim Sheridan, Irish director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1950 – Natalie Cole, American singer-songwriter and actress (d. 2015)
- 1950 – Timothy M. Dolan, American cardinal
- 1950 – Punky Meadows, American rock guitarist and songwriter
- 1952 – Ric Charlesworth, Australian cricketer, coach, and politician
- 1952 – Viktor Giacobbo, Swiss actor, producer, and screenwriter
- 1952 – Ricardo La Volpe, Argentinian footballer, manager, and coach
- 1955 – Avram Grant, Israeli football manager
- 1955 – Michael Pollan, American journalist, author, and academic
- 1955 – Bruno Stolorz, French rugby player and coach
- 1956 – Jerry Marotta, American drummer
- 1957 – Andres Lipstok, Estonian economist and politician, Estonian Minister of Economic Affairs
- 1957 – Kathy Najimy, American actress and comedian
- 1957 – Simon Phillips, English drummer and producer
- 1957 – Robert Townsend, American actor and director
- 1958 – Cecily Adams, American actress and casting director (d. 2004)
- 1960 – Jeremy Bowen, Welsh journalist
- 1960 – Megan Gallagher, American actress
- 1961 – Michael Bolt, Australian rugby league player
- 1961 – Cam Cameron, American football player and coach
- 1961 – Bill Lester, American race car driver
- 1961 – Yury Onufriyenko, Ukrainian-Russian colonel, pilot, and astronaut
- 1962 – Stavros Lambrinidis, Greek lawyer and politician, Minister of Foreign Affairs for Greece
- 1962 – Axl Rose, American singer-songwriter and producer
- 1963 – David Capel, English cricketer
- 1963 – Scott Gordon, American ice hockey player and coach
- 1963 – Quentin Letts, English journalist and critic
- 1964 – Laurent Cabannes, French rugby player
- 1964 – Gordon Downie, Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (d. 2017)
- 1964 – Colin Miller, Australian cricketer and sportscaster
- 1964 – Andrey Zvyagintsev, Russian actor and director
- 1965 – Jan Svěrák, Czech actor, director, and screenwriter
- 1966 – Rick Astley, English singer-songwriter
- 1967 – Anita Cochran, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
- 1967 – Izumi Sakai, Japanese singer-songwriter (d. 2007)
- 1968 – Adolfo Valencia, Colombian footballer
- 1968 – Akira Yamaoka, Japanese composer and producer
- 1969 – David Hayter, American actor and screenwriter
- 1969 – Masaharu Fukuyama, Japanese singer-songwriter, producer, and actor
- 1969 – Tim Sherwood, English international footballer midfielder and manager
- 1969 – Bob Wickman, American baseball player
- 1970 – Per Frandsen, Danish footballer and manager
- 1970 – Tim Herron, American golfer
- 1971 – Brad Hogg, Australian cricketer
- 1971 – Carlos Rogers, American basketball player
- 1972 – Stefano Bettarini, Italian footballer
- 1972 – David Binn, American football player
- 1974 – Aljo Bendijo, Filipino journalist
- 1975 – Chad Allen, American baseball player and coach
- 1975 – Orkut Büyükkökten, Turkish computer scientist and engineer, created Orkut
- 1975 – Tomoko Kawase, Japanese singer-songwriter and producer
- 1976 – Tanja Frieden, Swiss snowboarder and educator
- 1976 – Kim Zmeskal, American gymnast and coach
- 1977 – Josh Stewart, American actor
- 1978 – Yael Naim, French-Israeli singer-songwriter
- 1979 – Dan Bălan, Moldovan singer-songwriter and producer
- 1980 – Kerry Jeremy, Antiguan cricketer
- 1980 – Kim Poirier, Canadian actress, singer, and producer
- 1980 – Luke Ravenstahl, American politician, 58th Mayor of Pittsburgh
- 1981 – Ricky Barnes, American golfer
- 1981 – Calum Best, American-English model and actor
- 1981 – Shim Eun-jin, South Korean singer and actress
- 1981 – Alison Haislip, American actress and producer
- 1981 – Jens Lekman, Swedish singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1981 – Ty Warren, American football player
- 1982 – Tank, Taiwanese singer-songwriter
- 1982 – Alice Eve, English actress
- 1982 – Elise Ray, American gymnast
- 1983 – Melrose Bickerstaff, American model and fashion designer
- 1983 – Brodie Croyle, American football player
- 1983 – Dimas Delgado, Spanish footballer
- 1983 – S. Sreesanth, Indian cricketer
- 1983 – Jamie Whincup, Australian race car driver
- 1984 – Darren Bent, English international footballer, forward
- 1984 – Piret Järvis, Estonian singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1984 – Antoine Wright, American basketball player
- 1985 – Ben Creagh, Australian rugby league player
- 1985 – Kris Humphries, American basketball player
- 1986 – Dane DeHaan, American actor
- 1986 – Yunho, South Korean singer and actor
- 1988 – Bailey Hanks, American actress, singer, and dancer
- 1989 – Craig Cathcart, Northern Irish footballer
- 1989 – Jonny Flynn, American basketball player
- 1990 – Adam Henrique, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1990 – Jermaine Kearse, American football player
- 1990 – Aida Rybalko, Lithuanian figure skater
- 1991 – Tobias Eisenbauer, Austrian ice dancer
- 1991 – Ida Njåtun, Norwegian speed skater
- 1991 – Eva Wacanno, Dutch tennis player
- 1991 – Fei Yu, Chinese footballer
- 1992 – Víctor Mañón, Mexican footballer
- 1993 – Teresa Scanlan, Miss America 2011
- 1993 – Tinashe, American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress
- 1994 – Charlie Heaton, British actor and musician
- 1995 – Leon Goretzka, German footballer
- 1995 – Sam McQueen, English footballer
Deaths on February 6
- 743 – Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik, Umayyad caliph (b. 691)
- 797 – Donnchad Midi, Irish king (b. 733)
- 891 – Photios I of Constantinople (b. 810)
- 1140 – Thurstan, Archbishop of York
- 1155 – King Sigurd II of Norway (b. 1133)
- 1215 – Hōjō Tokimasa, Japanese shikken of the Kamakura bakufu (b. 1138)
- 1378 – Joanna of Bourbon (b. 1338)
- 1411 – Esau de’ Buondelmonti, ruler of Epirus
- 1497 – Johannes Ockeghem, Flemish composer and educator (b. 1410)
- 1515 – Aldus Manutius, Italian publisher, founded the Aldine Press (b. 1449)
- 1519 – Lorenz von Bibra, Prince-Bishop of the Bishopric of Würzburg (b. 1459)
- 1539 – John III, Duke of Cleves (b. 1491)
- 1585 – Edmund Plowden, English lawyer and scholar (b. 1518)
- 1593 – Jacques Amyot, French author and translator (b. 1513)
- 1593 – Emperor Ōgimachi of Japan (b. 1517)
- 1597 – Franciscus Patricius, Italian philosopher and scientist (b. 1529)
- 1612 – Christopher Clavius, German mathematician and astronomer (b. 1538)
- 1617 – Prospero Alpini, Italian physician and botanist (b. 1553)
- 1625 – Philipp Julius, Duke of Pomerania (b. 1584)
- 1685 – Charles II of England (b. 1630)
- 1695 – Ahmed II, Ottoman sultan (b. 1643)
- 1740 – Pope Clement XII (b. 1652)
- 1775 – William Dowdeswell, English politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (b. 1721)
- 1783 – Capability Brown, English gardener and architect (b. 1716)
- 1793 – Carlo Goldoni, Italian-French playwright (b. 1707)
- 1804 – Joseph Priestley, English chemist and theologian (b. 1733)
- 1807 – John Reid, Scottish general (b. 1721)
- 1833 – Pierre André Latreille, French zoologist and entomologist (b. 1762)
- 1834 – Richard Lemon Lander, English explorer (b. 1804)
- 1865 – Isabella Beeton, English author of Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management (b. 1836)
- 1899 – Alfred, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (b. 1874)
- 1899 – Leo von Caprivi, German general and politician, Chancellor of Germany (b. 1831)
- 1902 – John Colton, English-Australian politician, 13th Premier of South Australia (b. 1823)
- 1916 – Rubén Darío, Nicaraguan poet, journalist, and diplomat (b. 1867)
- 1918 – Gustav Klimt, Austrian painter and illustrator (b. 1862)
- 1929 – Maria Christina of Austria (b. 1858)
- 1931 – Motilal Nehru, Indian lawyer and politician, President of the Indian National Congress (b. 1861)
- 1932 – John Earle, Australian politician, 22nd Premier of Tasmania (b. 1865)
- 1938 – Marianne von Werefkin, Russian-Swiss painter (b. 1860)
- 1942 – Jaan Soots, Estonian general and politician, 7th Estonian Minister of War (b. 1880)
- 1951 – Gabby Street, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1882)
- 1952 – George VI of the United Kingdom (b. 1895)
- 1958 – victims of the Munich air disaster
  
  – Geoff Bent, English footballer (b. 1932)
  
  – Roger Byrne, English footballer (b. 1929)
  
  – Eddie Colman, English footballer (b. 1936)
  
  – Walter Crickmer, English footballer and manager (b. 1900)
  
  – Mark Jones, English footballer (b. 1933)
  
  – David Pegg, English footballer (b. 1935)
  
  – Frank Swift, English footballer and journalist (b. 1913)
  
  – Tommy Taylor, English footballer (b. 1932)
- 1963 – Piero Manzoni, Italian painter and sculptor (b. 1933)
- 1964 – Emilio Aguinaldo, Filipino general and politician, 1st President of the Philippines (b. 1869)
- 1967 – Martine Carol, French actress (b. 1920)
- 1972 – Julian Steward, American anthropologist (b. 1902)
- 1976 – Ritwik Ghatak, Bangladeshi-Indian director and screenwriter (b. 1925)
- 1976 – Vince Guaraldi, American singer-songwriter and pianist (b. 1928)
- 1981 – Hugo Montenegro, American composer and conductor (b. 1925)
- 1982 – Ben Nicholson, British painter (b. 1894)
- 1985 – James Hadley Chase, English-Swiss soldier and author (b. 1906)
- 1986 – Frederick Coutts, Scottish 8th General of The Salvation Army (b. 1899)
- 1986 – Dandy Nichols, English actress (b. 1907)
- 1986 – Minoru Yamasaki, American architect, designed the World Trade Center (b. 1912)
- 1987 – Julien Chouinard, Canadian lawyer and jurist (b. 1929)
- 1989 – Barbara W. Tuchman, American historian and author (b. 1912)
- 1990 – Jimmy Van Heusen, American pianist and composer (b. 1913)
- 1991 – Salvador Luria, Italian biologist and physician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1912)
- 1991 – Danny Thomas, American actor, producer, and humanitarian (b. 1914)
- 1993 – Arthur Ashe, American tennis player and sportscaster (b. 1943)
- 1994 – Joseph Cotten, American actor (b. 1905)
- 1994 – Jack Kirby, American author and illustrator (b. 1917)
- 1995 – James Merrill, American poet and playwright (b. 1926)
- 1998 – Falco, Austrian pop-rock musician (b. 1957)
- 1999 – Don Dunstan, Australian lawyer and politician, 35th Premier of South Australia (b. 1926)
- 1999 – Jimmy Roberts, American tenor (b. 1924)
- 2000 – Phil Walters, American race car driver (b. 1916)
- 2001 – Filemon Lagman, Filipino theoretician and activist (b. 1953)
- 2002 – Max Perutz, Austrian-English biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1914)
- 2004 – Gerald Bouey, Canadian lieutenant and economist (b. 1920)
- 2005 – Karl Haas, German-American pianist, conductor, and radio host (b. 1913)
- 2007 – Lew Burdette, American baseball player and coach (b. 1926)
- 2007 – Frankie Laine, American singer-songwriter and actor (b. 1913)
- 2007 – Willye White, American runner and long jumper (b. 1939)
- 2008 – Tony Rolt, English race car driver and engineer (b. 1918)
- 2009 – Philip Carey, American actor (b. 1925)
- 2009 – James Whitmore, American actor (b. 1921)
- 2011 – Gary Moore, Irish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (b. 1952)
- 2012 – David Rosenhan, American psychologist and academic (b. 1929)
- 2012 – Antoni Tàpies, Spanish painter and sculptor (b. 1923)
- 2012 – Janice E. Voss, American engineer and astronaut (b. 1956)
- 2013 – Chokri Belaid, Tunisian lawyer and politician (b. 1964)
- 2013 – Menachem Elon, German-Israeli academic and jurist (b. 1923)
- 2014 – Vasiľ Biľak, Slovak politician (b. 1917)
- 2014 – Ralph Kiner, American baseball player and sportscaster (b. 1922)
- 2014 – Maxine Kumin, American author and poet (b. 1925)
- 2014 – Vaçe Zela, Albanian-Swiss singer and guitarist (b. 1939)
- 2015 – André Brink, South African author and playwright (b. 1935)
- 2015 – Alan Nunnelee, American lawyer and politician (b. 1958)
- 2015 – Pedro León Zapata, Venezuelan cartoonist (b. 1929)
- 2016 – Dan Gerson, American screenwriter (b. 1966)
- 2016 – Dan Hicks, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1941)
- 2017 – Irwin Corey, American comedian and actor (b. 1914)
- 2017 – Inge Keller, German actress (b. 1923)
- 2017 – Alec McCowen, English actor (b. 1925)
- 2017 – Joost van der Westhuizen, South African rugby union footballer (b. 1971)
Holidays and observances on February 6
- Christian feast day:
  
  Amand
  
  Dorothea of Caesarea
  
  Hildegund, O.Praem.
  
  Jacut
  
  Mateo Correa Magallanes (one of Saints of the Cristero War)
  
  Mél of Ardagh
  
  Paul Miki and Twenty-six Martyrs of Japan
  
  Relindis (Renule) of Maaseik
  
  Vedastus
  
  February 6 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (United Nations)
- Ronald Reagan Day (California, United States)
- Sami National Day (Russia, Finland, Norway and Sweden)
- Waitangi Day, celebrates the founding of New Zealand in 1840.
Read More February 6 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day
On This Day

January 25 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day
January 25 in History
- AD 41 – After a night of negotiation, Claudius is accepted as Roman Emperor by the Senate.
- 750 – In the Battle of the Zab, the Abbasid rebels defeat the Umayyad Caliphate, leading to overthrow of the dynasty.
- 1348 – A strong earthquake strikes the South Alpine region of Friuli in modern Italy, causing considerable damage to buildings as far away as Rome.
- 1494 – Alfonso II becomes King of Naples.
- 1515 – Coronation of Francis I of France takes place at Reims Cathedral, where the new monarch is anointed with the oil of Clovis and girt with the sword of Charlemagne.
- 1533 – Henry VIII of England secretly marries his second wife Anne Boleyn.
- 1554 – São Paulo, Brazil, is founded by Jesuit priests.
- 1573 – Battle of Mikatagahara: In Japan, Takeda Shingen defeats Tokugawa Ieyasu.
- 1575 – Luanda, the capital of Angola, is founded by the Portuguese navigator Paulo Dias de Novais.
- 1704 – The Battle of Ayubale results in the destruction of most of the Spanish missions in Florida.
- 1755 – Moscow University is established on Tatiana Day.
- 1765 – Port Egmont, the first British settlement in the Falkland Islands near the southern tip of South America, is founded.
- 1787 – Shays’s Rebellion: The rebellion’s largest confrontation, outside the Springfield Armory, results in the killing of four rebels and the wounding of twenty.
- 1791 – The British Parliament passes the Constitutional Act of 1791 and splits the old Province of Quebec into Upper Canada and Lower Canada.
- 1792 – The London Corresponding Society is founded.
- 1858 – The Wedding March by Felix Mendelssohn is played at the marriage of Queen Victoria’s daughter, Victoria, and Friedrich of Prussia, and becomes a popular wedding processional.
- 1879 – The Bulgarian National Bank is founded.
- 1881 – Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell form the Oriental Telephone Company.
- 1890 – Nellie Bly completes her round-the-world journey in 72 days.
- 1909 – Richard Strauss’s opera Elektra receives its debut performance at the Dresden State Opera.
- 1915 – Alexander Graham Bell inaugurates U.S. transcontinental telephone service, speaking from New York to Thomas Watson in San Francisco.
- 1918 – The Ukrainian People’s Republic declares independence from Soviet Russia.
- 1924 – The 1924 Winter Olympics opens in Chamonix, in the French Alps, inaugurating the Winter Olympic Games.
- 1932 – Second Sino-Japanese War: The Chinese National Revolutionary Army begins the defense of Harbin.
- 1937 – The Guiding Light debuts on NBC radio from Chicago. In 1952 it moves to CBS television, where it remains until September 18, 2009.
- 1941 – Pope Pius XII elevates the Apostolic Vicariate of the Hawaiian Islands to the dignity of a diocese. It becomes the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu.
- 1942 – World War II: Thailand declares war on the United States and United Kingdom.
- 1945 – World War II: The Battle of the Bulge ends.
- 1946 – The United Mine Workers rejoins the American Federation of Labor.
- 1946 – United Nations Security Council Resolution 1 relating to Military Staff Committee is adopted.
- 1947 – Thomas Goldsmith Jr. files a patent for a “Cathode Ray Tube Amusement Device”, the first ever electronic game.
- 1949 – The first Emmy Awards are presented; the venue is the Hollywood Athletic Club.
- 1960 – The National Association of Broadcasters reacts to the “payola” scandal by threatening fines for any disc jockeys who accept money for playing particular records.
- 1961 – In Washington, D.C., President John F. Kennedy delivers the first live presidential television news conference.
- 1961 – 101 Dalmatians premiered from Walt Disney Productions.
- 1964 – Blue Ribbon Sports, which would later become Nike, is founded by University of Oregon track and field athletes.
- 1969 – Brazilian Army captain Carlos Lamarca deserts in order to fight against the military dictatorship, taking with him ten machine guns and 63 rifles.
- 1971 – Charles Manson and three female “Family” members are found guilty of the 1969 Tate–LaBianca murders.
- 1971 – Idi Amin leads a coup deposing Milton Obote and becomes Uganda’s president.
- 1979 – Pope John Paul II starts his first official papal visits outside Italy to The Bahamas, Dominican Republic, and Mexico.
- 1980 – Mother Teresa is honored with India’s highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna.
- 1986 – The National Resistance Movement topples the government of Tito Okello in Uganda.
- 1993 – Five people are shot outside the CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia. Two are killed and three wounded.
- 1994 – The spacecraft Clementine by BMDO and NASA is launched.
- 1995 – The Norwegian rocket incident: Russia almost launches a nuclear attack after it mistakes Black Brant XII, a Norwegian research rocket, for a US Trident missile.
- 1996 – Billy Bailey becomes the last person to be hanged in the U.S.A.
- 1998 – During a historic visit to Cuba, Pope John Paul II demands political reforms and the release of political prisoners while condemning US attempts to isolate the country.
- 1998 – A suicide attack by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam on Sri Lanka’s Temple of the Tooth kills eight and injures 25 others.
- 1999 – A 6.0 magnitude earthquake hits western Colombia killing at least 1,000.
- 2003 – Invasion of Iraq: A group of people leave London, England, for Baghdad, Iraq, to serve as human shields, intending to prevent the U.S.-led coalition troops from bombing certain locations.
- 2005 – A stampede at the Mandhradevi temple in Maharashtra, India kills at least 258.
- 2006 – Mexican professional wrestler Juana Barraza is arrested in connection with the serial killing of at least ten elderly women.
- 2010 – Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409 crashes into the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Na’ameh, Lebanon, killing 90.
- 2011 – The first wave of the Egyptian revolution begins throughout the country, marked by street demonstrations, rallies, acts of civil disobedience, riots, labour strikes, and violent clashes.
- 2013 – At least 50 people are killed and 120 people are injured in a prison riot in Barquisimeto, Venezuela.
- 2015 – A clash in Mamasapano, Maguindanao in the Philippines killing 44 members of Special Action Force (SAF), at least 18 from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and five from the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.
- 2019 – A mining company’s dam collapses in Brumadinho, Brazil, a south-eastern city, killing at least 7 people and leaving 200 missing.
Births on January 25
- 750 – Leo IV the Khazar, Byzantine emperor (d. 780)
- 1408 – Katharina of Hanau, German countess regent (d. 1460)
- 1459 – Paul Hofhaimer, Austrian organist and composer (d. 1537)
- 1477 – Anne of Brittany (probable;d. 1514)
- 1509 – Giovanni Morone, Italian cardinal (d. 1580)
- 1526 – Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp (d. 1586)
- 1615 – Govert Flinck, Dutch painter (d. 1660)
- 1618 – Nicolaes Visscher I, Dutch engraver and cartographer (d. 1679)
- 1627 – Robert Boyle, Irish-English chemist and physicist (d. 1691)
- 1634 – Gaspar Fagel, Dutch politician and diplomat (d. 1688)
- 1635 – Daniel Casper von Lohenstein, German writer, diplomat and lawyer (d. 1683)
- 1640 – William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Devonshire, English soldier and politician, Lord Steward of the Household (d. 1707)
- 1736 – Joseph-Louis Lagrange, Italian-French mathematician and astronomer (d. 1813)
- 1739 – Charles François Dumouriez, French general and politician, French Minister of Defence (d. 1823)
- 1743 – Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi, German philosopher and author (d. 1819)
- 1750 – Johann Gottfried Vierling, German organist and composer (d. 1813)
- 1755 – Paolo Mascagni, Italian physician and anatomist (probable;d. 1815)
- 1759 – Robert Burns, Scottish poet and songwriter (d. 1796)
- 1783 – William Colgate, English-American businessman and philanthropist, founded Colgate-Palmolive (d. 1857)
- 1794 – François-Vincent Raspail, French chemist, physician, physiologist, and lawyer (d. 1878)
- 1796 – William MacGillivray, Scottish ornithologist and biologist (d. 1852)
- 1813 – J. Marion Sims, American gynecologist and physician (d. 1883)
- 1816 – Anna Gardner, American abolitionist and teacher (d. 1901)
- 1822 – Charles Reed Bishop, American businessman, philanthropist, and politician, founded the Bishop Museum (d. 1915)
- 1822 – William McDougall, Canadian lawyer and politician, Lieutenant Governor of the Northwest Territories (d. 1905)
- 1823 – José María Iglesias, Mexican politician and interim President (1876–1877) (d. 1891)
- 1824 – Michael Madhusudan Dutt, Indian poet and playwright (d. 1873)
- 1841 – John Fisher, 1st Baron Fisher, English admiral (d. 1920)
- 1858 – Mikimoto Kōkichi, Japanese businessman (d. 1954)
- 1860 – Charles Curtis, American lawyer and politician, 31st Vice President of the United States (d. 1936)
- 1864 – Julije Kempf, Croatian historian and author (d. 1934)
- 1868 – Juventino Rosas, Mexican violinist and composer (d. 1894)
- 1874 – W. Somerset Maugham, British playwright, novelist, and short story writer (d. 1965)
- 1878 – Ernst Alexanderson, Swedish-American engineer (d. 1975)
- 1882 – Virginia Woolf, English novelist, essayist, short story writer, and critic (d. 1941)
- 1885 – Kitahara Hakushū, Japanese poet and author (d. 1942)
- 1886 – Wilhelm Furtwängler, German conductor and composer (d. 1954)
- 1895 – Florence Mills, American singer, dancer, and actress (d. 1927)
- 1899 – Sleepy John Estes, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1977)
- 1899 – Paul-Henri Spaak, Belgian lawyer and politician, 46th Prime Minister of Belgium (d. 1972)
- 1900 – István Fekete, Hungarian author (d. 1970)
- 1900 – Yōjirō Ishizaka, Japanese author and educator (d. 1986)
- 1900 – Theodosius Dobzhansky, Ukrainian geneticist and pioneer of evolutionary biology (d. 1975)
- 1901 – Martín de Álzaga, Argentinian race car driver and pilot (d. 1982)
- 1901 – Mildred Dunnock, American actress (d. 1991)
- 1905 – Maurice Roy, Canadian cardinal (d. 1985)
- 1905 – Margery Sharp, English author and educator (d. 1991)
- 1906 – Toni Ulmen, German race car driver and motorcycle racer (d. 1976)
- 1908 – Hsieh Tung-min, Taiwanese politicians and Vice President of the Republic of China (d. 2001)
- 1910 – Edgar V. Saks, Estonian historian, author, and politician, Estonian Minister of Education (d. 1984)
- 1913 – Huang Hua, Chinese translator and politician, 5th Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China (d. 2010)
- 1913 – Witold Lutosławski, Polish composer and conductor (d. 1994)
- 1913 – Luis Marden, American photographer and journalist (d. 2003)
- 1914 – William Strickland, American conductor and organist (d. 1991)
- 1915 – Ewan MacColl, English singer-songwriter, actor and producer (d. 1989)
- 1916 – Pop Ivy, American football player and coach (d. 2003)
- 1917 – Ilya Prigogine, Russian-Belgian chemist and physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2003)
- 1917 – Jânio Quadros, Brazilian lawyer and politician, 22nd President of Brazil (d. 1992)
- 1919 – Edwin Newman, American journalist and author (d. 2010)
- 1921 – Samuel T. Cohen, American physicist and academic (d. 2010)
- 1921 – Josef Holeček, Czechoslovakian canoeist (d. 2005)
- 1922 – Raymond Baxter, English television host and pilot (d. 2006)
- 1923 – Arvid Carlsson, Swedish pharmacologist and physician, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2018)
- 1923 – Shirley Ardell Mason, American psychiatric patient (d. 1998)
- 1923 – Sally Starr, American actress and television host (d. 2013)
- 1923 – Jean Taittinger, French politician, French Minister of Justice (d. 2012)
- 1924 – Lou Groza, American football player and coach (d. 2000)
- 1924 – Husein Mehmedov, Bulgarian-Turkish wrestler and coach (d. 2014)
- 1924 – Speedy West, American guitarist and producer (d. 2003)
- 1925 – Gordy Soltau, American football player and sportscaster (d. 2014)
- 1925 – Giorgos Zampetas, Greek bouzouki player and songwriter (d. 1992)
- 1926 – Dick McGuire, American basketball player and coach (d. 2010)
- 1927 – Antônio Carlos Jobim, Brazilian singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 1994)
- 1928 – Jérôme Choquette, Canadian lawyer and politician (d. 2017)
- 1928 – Eduard Shevardnadze, Georgian general and politician, 2nd President of Georgia (d. 2014)
- 1928 – Cor van der Hart, Dutch footballer and manager (d. 2006)
- 1929 – Elizabeth Allen, American actress and singer (d. 2006)
- 1929 – Robert Faurisson, English-French author and academic (d. 2018)
- 1929 – Benny Golson, American saxophonist and composer
- 1930 – Tanya Savicheva, Russian child diarist (d. 1944)
- 1931 – Dean Jones, American actor and singer (d. 2015)
- 1933 – Corazon Aquino, Filipino politician, 11th President of the Philippines (d. 2009)
- 1935 – Conrad Burns, American soldier, journalist, and politician (d. 2016)
- 1935 – António Ramalho Eanes, Portuguese general and politician, 16th President of Portugal
- 1936 – Diana Hyland, American actress (d. 1977)
- 1936 – Onat Kutlar, Turkish author and poet (d. 1995)
- 1937 – Ange-Félix Patassé, Central African engineer and politician, President of the Central African Republic (d. 2011)
- 1938 – Shotaro Ishinomori, Japanese author and illustrator (d. 1998)
- 1938 – Etta James, American singer (d. 2012)
- 1938 – Leiji Matsumoto, Japanese author, illustrator, and animator
- 1938 – Vladimir Vysotsky, Russian singer-songwriter, actor, and poet (d. 1980)
- 1941 – Buddy Baker, American race car driver and sportscaster (d. 2015)
- 1942 – Carl Eller, American football player and sportscaster
- 1942 – Eusébio, Mozambican-Portuguese footballer (d. 2014)
- 1943 – Tobe Hooper, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2017)
- 1945 – Leigh Taylor-Young, American actress
- 1945 – Dave Walker, English singer and guitarist
- 1946 – Doc Bundy, American race car driver and technician
- 1947 – Ángel Nieto, Spanish motorcycle racer (d. 2017)
- 1947 – Tostão, Brazilian footballer, journalist, and physician
- 1948 – Ros Kelly, Australian educator and politician, 1st Australian Minister for Defence Science and Personnel
- 1948 – Georgy Shishkin, Russian painter and illustrator
- 1949 – John Cooper Clarke, English poet and critic
- 1949 – Paul Nurse, English geneticist and biologist, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1950 – Gloria Naylor, American novelist (d. 2016)
- 1951 – Steve Prefontaine, American runner (d. 1975)
- 1952 – Peter Tatchell, Australian-English journalist and activist
- 1952 – Timothy White, American journalist, author, and critic (d. 2002)
- 1954 – Ricardo Bochini, Argentinian footballer and manager
- 1954 – Kay Cottee, Australian sailor
- 1954 – Renate Dorrestein, Dutch journalist and author (d. 2018)
- 1956 – Andy Cox, English guitarist
- 1956 – Dinah Manoff, American actress
- 1957 – Eskil Erlandsson, Swedish technologist and politician, Swedish Minister for Rural Affairs
- 1957 – Andrew Harris, American politician
- 1957 – Jenifer Lewis, American actress and singer
- 1958 – Franco Pancheri, Italian footballer and manager
- 1961 – Vivian Balakrishnan, Singaporean ophthalmologist and politician, Singaporean Ministry of National Development
- 1962 – Chris Chelios, American ice hockey player and manager
- 1963 – Fernando Haddad, Brazilian academic and politician, 61st Mayor of São Paulo
- 1963 – Molly Holzschlag, American computer scientist and author
- 1964 – Billy Andrade, American golfer
- 1964 – Stephen Pate, Australian cyclist
- 1965 – Esa Tikkanen, Finnish ice hockey player and coach
- 1966 – Chet Culver, American educator and politician, 41st Governor of Iowa
- 1966 – Yiannos Ioannou, Cypriot footballer and manager
- 1967 – Nelson Asaytono, Filipino basketball player
- 1967 – David Ginola, French footballer, forward
- 1967 – Randy McKay, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
- 1968 – Eric Orie, Dutch footballer and manager
- 1969 – Sergei Ovchinnikov, Russian volleyball player and coach (d. 2012)
- 1970 – Stephen Chbosky, American author, screenwriter, and director
- 1970 – Chris Mills, American basketball player
- 1970 – Milt Stegall, American football player and sportscaster
- 1971 – Luca Badoer, Italian race car driver
- 1971 – Philip Coppens, Belgian journalist and author (d. 2012)
- 1971 – Ana Ortiz, American actress
- 1972 – Shinji Takehara, Japanese boxer
- 1973 – Geoff Johns, American author, screenwriter, and producer
- 1974 – Robert Budreau, Canadian director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1974 – Emily Haines, Canadian singer-songwriter and keyboard player
- 1974 – Attilio Nicodemo, Italian footballer
- 1975 – Duncan Jupp, Anglo-Scottish footballer, defender
- 1975 – Mia Kirshner, Canadian actress
- 1976 – Stephanie Bellars, American wrestler and manager
- 1976 – Mário Haberfeld, Brazilian race car driver
- 1976 – Dimitris Nalitzis, Greek footballer
- 1977 – Michael Brown, English footballer, midfielder, manager and pundit
- 1978 – Ahmet Dursun, Turkish footballer
- 1978 – Denis Menchov, Russian cyclist
- 1978 – Derrick Turnbow, American baseball player
- 1979 – Rodrigo Ribeiro, Brazilian race car driver
- 1980 – Alayna Burns, Australian track cyclist
- 1980 – Xavi, Spanish footballer
- 1981 – Francis Jeffers, English footballer
- 1981 – Alicia Keys, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress
- 1981 – Toše Proeski, Macedonian singer (d. 2007)
- 1984 – Stefan Kießling, German footballer
- 1984 – Robinho, Brazilian footballer
- 1984 – Fara Williams, English footballer
- 1985 – Brent Celek, American football player
- 1985 – Patrick Willis, American football player
- 1985 – Hwang Jung-eum, South Korean actress
- 1986 – Chris O’Grady, English footballer
- 1987 – Maria Kirilenko, Russian tennis player
- 1988 – Tatiana Golovin, French tennis player
- 1988 – Ryota Ozawa, Japanese actor
- 1990 – Apostolos Giannou, Greek-Australian footballer
- 1990 – Lee Jun-ho, South Korean singer and actor (2PM)
- 1991 – Nigel Melker, Dutch race car driver
Deaths onJanuary 25
- 390 – Gregory Nazianzus, theologian and Patriarch of Constantinople (b. 329)
- 477 – Gaiseric, king of the Vandals (b. 389)
- 750 – Ibrahim ibn al-Walid, Umayyad caliph
- 844 – Pope Gregory IV (b. 795)
- 863 – Charles of Provence, Frankish king (b. 845)
- 951 – Ma Xiguang, ruler of Chu (Ten Kingdoms)
- 1003 – Lothair I, Margrave of the Nordmark
- 1067 – Emperor Yingzong of Song (b. 1032)
- 1138 – Antipope Anacletus II
- 1139 – Godfrey I, Count of Louvain and Duke of Lower Lorraine (as Godfrey VI)
- 1366 – Henry Suso, German priest and mystic (b. 1300)
- 1413 – Maud de Ufford, Countess of Oxford (b. 1345)
- 1431 – Charles II, Duke of Lorraine (b. 1364)
- 1492 – Ygo Gales Galama, Frisian warlord and rebel (b. 1443)
- 1494 – Ferdinand I of Naples (b. 1423)
- 1559 – Christian II of Denmark (b. 1481)
- 1578 – Mihrimah Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (b. 1522)
- 1586 – Lucas Cranach the Younger, German painter (b. 1515)
- 1640 – Robert Burton, English physician and scholar (b. 1577)
- 1670 – Nicholas Francis, Duke of Lorraine (b. 1612)
- 1726 – Guillaume Delisle, French cartographer (b. 1675)
- 1733 – Sir Gilbert Heathcote, 1st Baronet, English banker and politician, Lord Mayor of London (b. 1652)
- 1751 – Paul Dudley, American lawyer, jurist, and politician (b. 1675)
- 1852 – Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen, Russian admiral, cartographer, and explorer (b. 1778)
- 1872 – Richard S. Ewell, American general (b. 1817)
- 1881 – Konstantin Thon, Russian architect, designed the Grand Kremlin Palace and Cathedral of Christ the Saviour (b. 1794)
- 1884 – Périclès Pantazis, Greek-Belgian painter (b. 1849)
- 1891 – Theo van Gogh, Art dealer, the brother of Vincent van Gogh (b. 1857)
- 1900 – Princess Adelheid of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, German Duchess of Schleswig-Holstein (b. 1835)
- 1907 – René Pottier, French cyclist (b. 1879)
- 1908 – Ouida, English-Italian author (b. 1839)
- 1908 – Mikhail Chigorin, Russian chess player and theoretician (b. 1850)
- 1910 – W. G. Read Mullan, American Jesuit and academic (1860)
- 1912 – Dmitry Milyutin, Russian field marshal and politician (b. 1816)
- 1925 – Juan Vucetich, Croatian-Argentinian anthropologist and police officer (b. 1858)
- 1939 – Charles Davidson Dunbar, Scottish soldier and bagpipe player (b. 1870)
- 1947 – Al Capone, American gangster and mob boss (b. 1899)
- 1949 – Makino Nobuaki, Japanese politician, 15th Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs (b. 1861)
- 1957 – Ichizō Kobayashi, Japanese businessman, founded Hankyu Hanshin Holdings (b. 1873)
- 1957 – Kiyoshi Shiga, Japanese physician and bacteriologist (b. 1871)
- 1958 – Cemil Topuzlu, Turkish surgeon and politician, Mayor of Istanbul (b. 1866)
- 1958 – Robert R. Young, American businessman and financier (b. 1897)
- 1960 – Diana Barrymore, American actress (b. 1921)
- 1966 – Saul Adler, Belarusian-English microbiologist and parasitologist (b. 1895)
- 1968 – Louie Myfanwy Thomas, Welsh writer (b. 1908)
- 1970 – Jane Bathori, French soprano (b. 1877)
- 1970 – Eiji Tsuburaya, Japanese director and producer (b. 1901)
- 1971 – Barry III, Guinean lawyer and politician (b. 1923)
- 1972 – Erhard Milch, German field marshal (b. 1892)
- 1975 – Charlotte Whitton, Canadian journalist and politician, 46th Mayor of Ottawa (b. 1896)
- 1978 – Skender Kulenović, Bosnian author, poet, and playwright (b. 1910)
- 1981 – Adele Astaire, American actress, singer, and dancer (b. 1896)
- 1982 – Mikhail Suslov, Russian economist and politician (b. 1902)
- 1985 – Ilias Iliou, Greek jurist and politician (b. 1904)
- 1987 – Frank J. Lynch, American lawyer, judge, and politician (b. 1922)
- 1988 – Colleen Moore, American actress (b. 1899)
- 1990 – Ava Gardner, American actress (b. 1922)
- 1991 – Frank Soo, English footballer and manager (b. 1914)
- 1992 – Mir Khalil ur Rehman, Founder and editor of the Jang Group of Newspapers (b. 1927)
- 1994 – Stephen Cole Kleene, American mathematician, computer scientist, and academic (b. 1909)
- 1996 – Jonathan Larson, American playwright and composer (b. 1960)
- 1997 – Dan Barry, American author and illustrator (b. 1923)
- 1999 – Sarah Louise Delany, American author and educator (b. 1889)
- 1999 – Robert Shaw, American conductor (b. 1916)
- 2001 – Alice Ambrose, American philosopher and logician (b. 1906)
- 2002 – Cliff Baxter, employee at Enron (b. 1958)
- 2003 – Sheldon Reynolds, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1923)
- 2003 – Samuel Weems, American lawyer and author (b. 1936)
- 2004 – Fanny Blankers-Koen, Dutch runner and hurdler (b. 1918)
- 2004 – Miklós Fehér, Hungarian footballer (b. 1979)
- 2005 – Stanisław Albinowski, Polish economist and journalist (b. 1923)
- 2005 – William Augustus Bootle, American lawyer and judge (b. 1902)
- 2005 – Philip Johnson, American architect, designed the PPG Place and Crystal Cathedral (b. 1906)
- 2005 – Manuel Lopes, Cape Verdean author and poet (b. 1907)
- 2005 – Netti Witziers-Timmer, Dutch runner (b. 1923)
- 2009 – Eleanor F. Helin, American astronomer (b. 1932)
- 2009 – Ewald Kooiman, Dutch organist and educator (b. 1938)
- 2009 – Kim Manners, American director and producer (b. 1951)
- 2010 – Ali Hassan al-Majid, Iraqi general and politician, Iraqi Minister of Defence (b. 1941)
- 2011 – Vassilis C. Constantakopoulos Greek captain and businessman (b. 1935)
- 2011 – Vincent Cronin, Welsh historian and author (b. 1924)
- 2012 – Paavo Berglund, Finnish violinist and conductor (b. 1929)
- 2012 – Jacques Maisonrouge, French businessman (b. 1924)
- 2012 – Franco Pacini, Italian astrophysicist and academic (b. 1939)
- 2012 – Robert Sheran, American lawyer, judge, and politician (b. 1916)
- 2013 – Martial Asselin, Canadian lawyer and politician, 25th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec (b. 1924)
- 2013 – Kevin Heffernan, Irish footballer and manager (b. 1929)
- 2013 – Aase Nordmo Løvberg, Norwegian soprano and actress (b. 1923)
- 2014 – Arthur Doyle, American singer-songwriter, saxophonist, and flute player (b. 1944)
- 2014 – Heini Halberstam, Czech-English mathematician and academic (b. 1926)
- 2014 – Dave Strack, American basketball player and coach (b. 1923)
- 2015 – John Leggett, American author and academic (b. 1917)
- 2015 – Richard McBrien, American priest, theologian, and academic (b. 1936)
- 2015 – Bill Monbouquette, American baseball player and coach (b. 1936)
- 2015 – Demis Roussos, Egyptian-Greek singer (b. 1946)
- 2017 – Stephen P. Cohen, Canadian academic (b. 1945)
- 2017 – Robert Garcia, American politician (b. 1933)
- 2017 – John Hurt, English actor (b. 1940)
- 2017 – Harry Mathews, American novelist and poet (b. 1930)
- 2017 – Marcel Prud’homme, Canadian politician (b. 1934)
- 2017 – Mary Tyler Moore, American actress, dancer, and producer (b. 1936)
- 2018 – Neagu Djuvara, Romanian historian, essayist, philosopher, journalist, novelist and diplomat (b. 1916)
Holidays and observances on January 25
- Burns Night (Scotland and Scottish community)
- Christian feast day:
  
  Dydd Santes Dwynwen (Wales)
  
  Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul (Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran churches, which concludes the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity)
  
  Gregory the Theologian (Eastern (Byzantine) Catholic Church)
  
  The last day of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Christian ecumenism)
  
  January 25 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Earliest day on which the first day of Carnival of Cádiz can fall, while February 28 is the latest; celebrated two Sundays before Ash Wednesday until Ash Wednesday (Cádiz)
- Earliest day on which the Liberation of Auschwitz Memorial can fall, while January 31 is the latest; observed on the last Sunday in January (Netherlands)
- National Nutrition Day (Indonesia)
- National Police Day (Egypt)
- National Voters’ Day (India)
- Revolution Day 2011 (Egypt)
- Tatiana Day or Russian Students Day (Russia, Eastern Orthodox)
Read More January 25 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day
On This Day

January 20 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day
January 20 in History
- 250 – Pope Fabian is martyred during the Decian persecution.
- 649 – King Chindasuinth, at the urging of bishop Braulio of Zaragoza, crowns his son Recceswinth as co-ruler of the Visigothic Kingdom.
- 1265 – The first English parliament to include not only Lords but also representatives of the major towns holds its first meeting in the Palace of Westminster, now commonly known as the “Houses of Parliament”.
- 1320 – Duke Wladyslaw Lokietek becomes king of Poland.
- 1356 – Edward Balliol surrenders his claim to the Scottish throne to Edward III in exchange for an English pension.
- 1523 – Christian II is forced to abdicate as King of Denmark and Norway.
- 1567 – Battle of Rio de Janeiro: Portuguese forces under the command of Estácio de Sá definitively drive the French out of Rio de Janeiro.
- 1576 – The Mexican city of León is founded by order of the viceroy Don Martín Enríquez de Almanza.
- 1649 – The High Court of Justice for the trial of Charles I begins its proceedings.
- 1783 – The Kingdom of Great Britain signed preliminary articles of peace with France, setting the stage to the official end of hostilities in the American Revolutionary War later that year.
- 1785 – Invading Siamese forces attempt to exploit the political chaos in Vietnam, but are ambushed and annihilated at the Mekong river by the Tây Sơn in the Battle of Rạch Gầm-Xoài Mút.
- 1788 – The third and main part of First Fleet arrives at Botany Bay. Arthur Phillip decides that Port Jackson is a more suitable location for a colony.
- 1839 – In the Battle of Yungay, Chile defeats an alliance between Peru and Bolivia.
- 1841 – Hong Kong Island is occupied by the British.
- 1877 – The last day of the Constantinople Conference results in agreement for political reforms in the Balkans.
- 1887 – The United States Senate allows the Navy to lease Pearl Harbor as a naval base.
- 1921 – The British K-class submarine HMS K5 sinks in the English Channel; all 56 on board die.
- 1921 – The first Constitution of Turkey is adopted, making fundamental changes in the source and exercise of sovereignty by consecrating the principle of national sovereignty.
- 1929 – The first full-length talking motion picture filmed outdoors, In Old Arizona, is released.
- 1936 – King George V of the United Kingdom dies. His eldest son succeeds to the throne, becoming Edward VIII. The title Prince of Wales is not used for another 22 years.
- 1937 – Franklin D. Roosevelt and John Nance Garner are sworn in for their second terms as U.S. President and U.S. Vice President; it is the first time a Presidential Inauguration takes place on January 20 since the 20th Amendment changed the dates of presidential terms.
- 1941 – A German officer is killed in Bucharest, Romania, sparking a rebellion and pogrom by the Iron Guard, killing 125 Jews and 30 soldiers.
- 1942 – World War II: At the Wannsee Conference held in the Berlin suburb of Wannsee, senior Nazi German officials discuss the implementation of the “Final Solution to the Jewish question”.
- 1945 – World War II: The provisional government of Béla Miklós in Hungary agrees to an armistice with the Allies.
- 1945 – World War II: Germany begins the evacuation of 1.8 million people from East Prussia, a task which will take nearly two months.
- 1949 – Point Four Program a program for economic aid to poor countries announced by United States President Harry S. Truman in his inaugural address for a full term as President.
- 1953 – Dwight D. Eisenhower is inaugurated as the 34th President of the United States of America.
- 1954 – In the United States, the National Negro Network is established with 40 charter member radio stations.
- 1961 – John F. Kennedy is inaugurated the 35th President of the United States of America, becoming the second youngest man to take the office, and the first Catholic.
- 1969 – Richard Nixon is inaugurated the 37th President of the United States of America.
- 1972 – Pakistan launched its nuclear weapons program, a few weeks after its defeat in the Bangladesh Liberation War, as well as the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.
- 1977 – Jimmy Carter is inaugurated the 39th President of the United States of America.
- 1981 – Ronald Reagan is inaugurated the 40th President of the United States of America. Twenty minutes later, Iran releases 52 American hostages.
- 1986 – In the United States, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is celebrated as a federal holiday for the first time.
- 1989 – George H. W. Bush is inaugurated the 41st President of the United States of America.
- 1990 – Protests in Azerbaijan, part of the Dissolution of the Soviet Union.
- 1991 – Sudan’s government imposes Islamic law nationwide, worsening the civil war between the country’s Muslim north and Christian south.
- 1992 – Air Inter Flight 148, an Airbus A320-111, crashes into a mountain near Strasbourg, France killing 87 of the 96 people on board.
- 1993 – Bill Clinton is inaugurated the 42nd President of the United States of America.
- 2001 – George W. Bush is inaugurated the 43rd President of the United States of America.
- 2001 – President of the Philippines Joseph Estrada is ousted in a nonviolent 4-day revolution, and is succeeded by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
- 2009 – Barack Obama is inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States of America, becoming the first African-American President of the United States.
- 2009 – A protest movement in Iceland culminates as the 2009 Icelandic financial crisis protests start.
- 2017 – Donald Trump is inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States of America, becoming the oldest person to assume the office.
- 2018 – A group of four or five gunmen attack The Inter-Continental Hotel in Kabul, Afghanistan, sparking a 12-hour battle. The attack kills 40 people and injures many others.
Births on January 20
- 225 – Gordian III, Roman emperor (d. 244)
- 1029 – Alp Arslan, Seljuk sultan (probable; d. 1072)
- 1292 – Elizabeth of Bohemia, queen consort of Bohemia (d. 1330)
- 1436 – Ashikaga Yoshimasa, Japanese shōgun (d. 1490)
- 1488 – John George, Marquess of Montferrat, Italian noble (d. 1533)
- 1488 – Sebastian Münster, German scholar, cartographer, and cosmographer (d. 1552)
- 1499 – Sebastian Franck, German humanist (probable; d. 1543)
- 1502 – Sebastian de Aparicio, Spanish-Mexican rancher and missionary (d. 1600)
- 1526 – Rafael Bombelli, Italian mathematician (d. 1572)
- 1554 – Sebastian of Portugal (d. 1578)
- 1569 – Heribert Rosweyde, Jesuit hagiographer (d. 1629)
- 1573 – Simon Marius, German astronomer and academic (d. 1624)
- 1586 – Johann Hermann Schein, German composer (d. 1630)
- 1664 – Giovanni Vincenzo Gravina, Italian lawyer and jurist (d. 1718)
- 1703 – Joseph-Hector Fiocco, Flemish violinist and composer (d. 1741)
- 1716 – Jean-Jacques Barthélemy, French archaeologist and numismatist (d. 1795)
- 1716 – Charles III of Spain (d. 1788)
- 1732 – Richard Henry Lee, American lawyer and politician, President of the Continental Congress (d. 1794)
- 1741 – Carl Linnaeus the Younger, Swedish botanist and author (d. 1783)
- 1755 – Sir Albemarle Bertie, 1st Baronet, English admiral (d. 1824)
- 1762 – Jérôme-Joseph de Momigny, Belgian-French composer and theorist (d. 1842)
- 1775 – André-Marie Ampère, French physicist and mathematician (d. 1836)
- 1781 – Joseph Hormayr, Baron zu Hortenburg, Austrian-German historian and politician (d. 1848)
- 1783 – Friedrich Dotzauer, German cellist and composer (d. 1860)
- 1799 – Anson Jones, American physician and politician, 5th President of the Republic of Texas (d. 1858)
- 1804 – Eugène Sue, French author and politician (d. 1857)
- 1812 – Thomas Meik, Scottish engineer (d. 1896)
- 1814 – David Wilmot, American politician, sponsor of Wilmot Proviso (d. 1868)
- 1834 – George D. Robinson, American lawyer and politician, 34th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1896)
- 1855 – Ernest Chausson, French composer (d. 1899)
- 1856 – Harriot Stanton Blatch, U.S. suffragist and organizer (d. 1940)
- 1865 – Yvette Guilbert, French singer and actress (d. 1944)
- 1870 – Guillaume Lekeu, Belgian pianist and composer (d. 1894)
- 1873 – Johannes V. Jensen, Danish author, poet, and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1950)
- 1874 – Steve Bloomer, English footballer and coach (d. 1938)
- 1876 – Josef Hofmann, Polish-American pianist and composer (d. 1957)
- 1878 – Finlay Currie, Scottish-English actor (d. 1968)
- 1879 – Ruth St. Denis, American dancer and educator (d. 1968)
- 1880 – Walter W. Bacon, American accountant and politician, 60th Governor of Delaware (d. 1962)
- 1882 – Johnny Torrio, Italian-American mob boss (d. 1957)
- 1883 – Enoch L. Johnson, American mob boss (d. 1968)
- 1883 – Forrest Wilson, American journalist and author (d. 1942)
- 1888 – Lead Belly, American folk/blues musician and songwriter (d. 1949)
- 1889 – Allan Haines Loughead, American engineer and businessman, founded the Alco Hydro-Aeroplane Company (d. 1969)
- 1891 – Mischa Elman, Ukrainian-American violinist (d. 1967)
- 1893 – Georg Åberg, Swedish triple jumper (d. 1946)
- 1894 – Harold Gray, American cartoonist, created Little Orphan Annie (d. 1968)
- 1894 – Walter Piston, American composer, theorist, and academic (d. 1976)
- 1895 – Gábor Szegő, Hungarian mathematician and academic (d. 1985)
- 1896 – George Burns, American actor, comedian, and producer (d. 1996)
- 1898 – U Razak, Burmese educator and politician (d. 1947)
- 1899 – Clarice Cliff, English potter (d. 1972)
- 1899 – Kenjiro Takayanagi, Japanese engineer (d. 1990)
- 1900 – Dorothy Annan, English painter, potter, and muralist (d. 1983)
- 1900 – Colin Clive, English actor (d. 1937)
- 1902 – Leon Ames, American actor (d. 1993)
- 1902 – Kevin Barry, Irish Republican Army volunteer (d. 1920)
- 1906 – Aristotle Onassis, Greek shipping magnate (d. 1975)
- 1907 – Paula Wessely, Austrian actress and producer (d. 2000)
- 1908 – Fleur Cowles, American author and illustrator (d. 2009)
- 1909 – Gōgen Yamaguchi, Japanese martial artist (d. 1989)
- 1910 – Joy Adamson, Austria-born Kenyan painter and author (d. 1980)
- 1913 – W. Cleon Skousen, American author and academic (d. 2006)
- 1915 – Ghulam Ishaq Khan, Pakistani businessman and politician, 7th President of Pakistan (d. 2006)
- 1918 – Juan García Esquivel, Mexican pianist, composer, and bandleader (d. 2002)
- 1918 – Nevin Scrimshaw, American scientist (d. 2013)
- 1920 – Federico Fellini, Italian director and screenwriter (d. 1993)
- 1920 – DeForest Kelley, American actor (d. 1999)
- 1920 – Thorleif Schjelderup, Norwegian ski jumper and author (d. 2006)
- 1921 – Telmo Zarra, Spanish footballer (d. 2006)
- 1922 – Ray Anthony, American trumpet player, composer, bandleader, and actor
- 1922 – Don Mankiewicz, American author and screenwriter (d. 2015)
- 1923 – Slim Whitman, American country and western singer-songwriter and musician (d. 2013)
- 1924 – Yvonne Loriod, French pianist and composer (d. 2010)
- 1925 – Jamiluddin Aali, Pakistani poet, playwright, and critic (d. 2015)
- 1925 – Ernesto Cardenal, Nicaraguan priest, poet, and politician (d. 2020)
- 1926 – Patricia Neal, American actress (d. 2010)
- 1926 – David Tudor, American pianist and composer (d. 1996)
- 1927 – Qurratulain Hyder, Indian-Pakistani journalist and academic (d. 2007)
- 1928 – Antonio de Almeida, French conductor and musicologist (d. 1997)
- 1929 – Arte Johnson, American actor and comedian (d. 2019)
- 1929 – Masaharu Kawakatsu, Japanese biologist
- 1929 – Fireball Roberts, American race car driver (d. 1964)
- 1930 – Buzz Aldrin, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut
- 1931 – David Lee, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1931 – Hachidai Nakamura, Japanese pianist and composer (d. 1992)
- 1932 – Lou Fontinato, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2016)
- 1934 – Hennie Aucamp, South African poet, author, and academic (d. 2014)
- 1934 – Tom Baker, English actor
- 1935 – Dorothy Provine, American actress, singer, and dancer (d. 2010)
- 1937 – Bailey Howell, American basketball player
- 1938 – Derek Dougan, Irish-English footballer and journalist (d. 2007)
- 1939 – Paul Coverdell, American captain and politician (d. 2000)
- 1939 – Chandra Wickramasinghe, Sri Lankan-English mathematician, astronomer, and biologist
- 1940 – Carol Heiss, American figure skater and actress
- 1940 – Krishnam Raju, Indian actor and politician
- 1940 – Mandé Sidibé, Malian economist and politician, Prime Minister of Mali (d. 2009)
- 1942 – Linda Moulton Howe, American journalist and producer
- 1944 – José Luis Garci, Spanish director and producer
- 1944 – Farhad Mehrad, Iranian singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2002)
- 1944 – Pat Parker, African American poet
- 1945 – Christopher Martin-Jenkins, English journalist and sportscaster (d. 2013)
- 1945 – Eric Stewart, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
- 1946 – David Lynch, American director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1946 – Vladimír Merta, Czech singer-songwriter, guitarist, and journalist
- 1947 – Cyrille Guimard, French cyclist and sportscaster
- 1948 – Nancy Kress, American author and academic
- 1948 – Natan Sharansky, Ukrainian-Israeli physicist and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Israel
- 1949 – Göran Persson, Swedish lawyer and politician, 31st Prime Minister of Sweden
- 1950 – Daniel Benzali, Brazilian-American actor
- 1950 – William Mgimwa, Tanzanian banker and politician, 13th Tanzanian Minister of Finance (d. 2014)
- 1950 – Mahamane Ousmane, Nigerien politician, President of Niger
- 1951 – Iván Fischer, Hungarian conductor and composer
- 1952 – Nikos Sideris, Greek psychiatrist and poet
- 1952 – Paul Stanley, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
- 1952 – John Witherow, South African-English journalist and author
- 1953 – Jeffrey Epstein, American financier and convicted sex offender (d. 2019)
- 1954 – Alison Seabeck, English lawyer and politician
- 1955 – McKeeva Bush, Caymanian politician, Premier of the Cayman Islands
- 1956 – Maria Larsson, Swedish educator and politician, Swedish Minister of Health and Social Affairs
- 1956 – Bill Maher, American comedian, political commentator, media critic, television host, and producer
- 1956 – John Naber, American swimmer
- 1957 – Andy Sheppard, English saxophonist and composer
- 1958 – Lorenzo Lamas, American actor, director, and producer
- 1959 – Tami Hoag, American author
- 1959 – R. A. Salvatore, American author
- 1960 – Apa Sherpa, Nepalese-American mountaineer
- 1960 – Scott Thunes, American bass player
- 1960 – Will Wright, American video game designer, co-founded Maxis
- 1963 – James Denton, American actor
- 1963 – Mark Ryden, American painter and illustrator
- 1964 – Ozzie Guillén, Venezuelan-American baseball player and manager
- 1964 – Ron Harper, American basketball player and coach
- 1964 – Jack Lewis, American soldier and author
- 1964 – Kazushige Nojima, Japanese screenwriter and songwriter
- 1964 – Aquilino Pimentel III, Filipino lawyer and politician
- 1964 – Fareed Zakaria, Indian-American journalist and author
- 1965 – Colin Calderwood, Scottish footballer defender and manager
- 1965 – Sophie, Countess of Wessex
- 1965 – Warren Joyce, English footballer and manager
- 1965 – John Michael Montgomery, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1965 – Anton Weissenbacher, Romanian footballer
- 1966 – Rainn Wilson, American actor
- 1967 – Stacey Dash, American actress and television journalist
- 1967 – Kellyanne Conway, American political strategist and pundit
- 1968 – Nick Anderson, American basketball player and sportscaster
- 1968 – Junior Murray, Grenadian cricketer
- 1969 – Patrick K. Kroupa, American computer hacker and activist, co-founded MindVox
- 1969 – Nicky Wire, Welsh singer-songwriter and bass player
- 1970 – Edwin McCain, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1970 – Skeet Ulrich, American actor
- 1971 – Derrick Green, American singer
- 1971 – Gary Barlow, English singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer
- 1971 – Ger McDonnell, Irish mountaineer and engineer (d. 2008)
- 1971 – Jung Woong-in, South Korean actor
- 1971 – Questlove, American drummer, DJ, and producer
- 1971 – Wakanohana Masaru, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 66th Yokozuna
- 1972 – Nikki Haley, American accountant and politician, 116th Governor of South Carolina
- 1973 – Stephen Crabb, Scottish-Welsh politician, Secretary of State for Wales
- 1973 – Queen Mathilde of Belgium
- 1974 – David Dei, Italian footballer and coach
- 1975 – Norberto Fontana, Argentinian racing driver
- 1975 – Zac Goldsmith, English journalist and politician
- 1976 – Kirsty Gallacher, Scottish journalist and sportscaster
- 1976 – Michael Myers, American football player
- 1976 – Gretha Smit, Dutch speed skater
- 1977 – Paul Adams, South African cricketer and coach
- 1978 – Salvatore Aronica, Italian footballer
- 1978 – Sonja Kesselschläger, German heptathlete
- 1978 – Allan Søgaard, Danish footballer
- 1979 – Choo Ja-hyun, South Korean actress
- 1979 – Will Young, English singer-songwriter and actor
- 1980 – Karl Anderson, American wrestler
- 1980 – Philippe Cousteau, Jr., American-French oceanographer and journalist
- 1980 – Philippe Gagnon, Canadian swimmer
- 1980 – Kim Jeong-hoon, South Korean singer and actor
- 1980 – Petra Rampre, Slovenian tennis player
- 1980 – Matthew Tuck, Welsh singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1981 – Freddy Guzmán, Dominican baseball player
- 1981 – Owen Hargreaves, English footballer
- 1981 – Jason Richardson, American basketball player
- 1982 – Ruchi Sanghvi, Indian computer engineer
- 1982 – Fredrik Strømstad, Norwegian footballer
- 1983 – Geovany Soto, Puerto Rican-American baseball player
- 1983 – Mari Yaguchi, Japanese singer and actress
- 1984 – Malek Jaziri, Tunisian tennis player
- 1985 – Marina Inoue, Japanese voice actress and singer
- 1985 – Tanel Sokk, Estonian basketball player
- 1987 – Janin Lindenberg, German sprinter
- 1987 – Marco Simoncelli, Italian motorcycle racer (d. 2011)
- 1988 – Uwa Elderson Echiéjilé, Nigerian footballer
- 1988 – Jeffrén Suárez, Spanish footballer
- 1989 – Nick Foles, American football player
- 1989 – Washington Santana da Silva, Brazilian footballer
- 1989 – Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, New Zealand rugby league player
- 1990 – Ray Thompson, Australian rugby league player
- 1991 – Ciara Hanna, American actress and model
- 1991 – Tom Cairney, Scottish footballer, midfielder
- 1991 – Polona Hercog, Slovenian tennis player
- 1991 – Jolyon Palmer, English racing driver
- 1992 – Jorge Zárate, Mexican footballer
- 1993 – Lorenzo Crisetig, Italian footballer
- 1994 – Seán Kavanagh, Irish footballer, defender
- 1994 – Lucas Piazon, Brazilian footballer
- 1995 – Joey Badass, American rapper and actor
- 1995 – Calum Chambers, English footballer, defender
Deaths on January 20
- 820 – Al-Shafi‘i, Arab scholar and jurist (b. 767)
- 842 – Theophilos, Byzantine emperor (b. 813)
- 882 – Louis the Younger, king of the East Frankish Kingdom
- 924 – Li Jitao, Chinese general of Later Tang
- 928 – Zhao Guangfeng, Chinese official and chancellor
- 1029 – Heonae, Korean queen and regent (b. 964)
- 1095 – Wulfstan, bishop of Worcester
- 1156 – Henry, English bishop and saint
- 1189 – Shi Zong, Chinese emperor of Jin (b. 1123)
- 1191 – Frederick VI, duke of Swabia (b. 1167)
- 1191 – Theobald V, count of Blois (b. 1130)
- 1265 – John Maunsell, English Lord Chancellor
- 1336 – John de Bohun, 5th Earl of Hereford (b. 1306)
- 1343 – Robert, king of Naples (b. 1275)
- 1479 – John II, king of Sicily (b. 1398)
- 1568 – Myles Coverdale, English bishop and translator (b. 1488)
- 1612 – Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1552)
- 1663 – Isaac Ambrose, English minister and author (b. 1604)
- 1666 – Anne of Austria, Queen and regent of France (b. 1601)
- 1707 – Humphrey Hody, English scholar and theologian (b. 1659)
- 1709 – François de la Chaise, French priest (b. 1624)
- 1751 – John Hervey, 1st Earl of Bristol, English politician (b. 1665)
- 1770 – Charles Yorke, English lawyer and politician, Lord Chancellor of Great Britain (b. 1722)
- 1779 – David Garrick, English actor, producer, playwright, and manager (b. 1717)
- 1810 – Benjamin Chew, American lawyer and judge (b. 1721)
- 1819 – Charles IV, Spanish king (b. 1748)
- 1837 – John Soane, English architect, designed the Bank of England (b. 1753)
- 1841 – Jørgen Jørgensen, Danish explorer (b. 1780)
- 1841 – Minh Mạng, Vietnamese emperor (b. 1791)
- 1848 – Christian VIII, Danish king (b. 1786)
- 1850 – Adam Oehlenschläger, Danish poet and playwright (b. 1779)
- 1852 – Ōnomatsu Midorinosuke, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 6th Yokozuna (b. 1794)
- 1873 – Basil Moreau, French priest, founded the Congregation of Holy Cross (b. 1799)
- 1875 – Jean-François Millet, French painter and educator (b. 1814)
- 1891 – Kalākaua, king of Hawaii (b. 1836)
- 1900 – John Ruskin, English painter and critic (b. 1819)
- 1901 – Zénobe Gramme, Belgian engineer, invented the Gramme machine (b. 1826)
- 1907 – Agnes Mary Clerke, Irish astronomer and author (b. 1842)
- 1908 – John Ordronaux, American surgeon and academic (b. 1830)
- 1913 – José Guadalupe Posada, Mexican engraver and illustrator (b. 1852)
- 1915 – Arthur Guinness, 1st Baron Ardilaun, Irish businessman, philanthropist, and politician (b. 1840)
- 1920 – Georg Lurich, Estonian-Russian wrestler and strongman (b. 1876)
- 1921 – Mary Watson Whitney, American astronomer and academic (b. 1847)
- 1924 – Henry “Ivo” Crapp, Australian footballer and umpire (b. 1872)
- 1936 – George V of the United Kingdom (b. 1865)
- 1940 – Omar Bundy, American general (b. 1861)
- 1944 – James McKeen Cattell, American psychologist and academic (b. 1860)
- 1947 – Josh Gibson, American baseball player (b. 1911)
- 1947 – Andrew Volstead, American member of the United States House of Representatives (b. 1860)
- 1954 – Warren Bardsley, Australian cricketer (b. 1882)
- 1954 – Fred Root, English cricketer and umpire (b. 1890)
- 1955 – Robert P. T. Coffin, American author and poet (b. 1892)
- 1962 – Robinson Jeffers, American poet and philosopher (b. 1887)
- 1965 – Alan Freed, American radio host (b. 1922)
- 1971 – Broncho Billy Anderson, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1880)
- 1971 – Minanogawa Tōzō, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 34th Yokozuna (b. 1903)
- 1973 – Lorenz Böhler, Austrian physician and surgeon (b. 1885)
- 1973 – Amílcar Cabral, Guinea Bissauan-Cape Verdian engineer and politician (b. 1924)
- 1977 – Dimitrios Kiousopoulos, Greek jurist and politician, 151st Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1892)
- 1980 – William Roberts, English soldier and painter (b. 1895)
- 1983 – Garrincha, Brazilian footballer (b. 1933)
- 1984 – Johnny Weissmuller, American swimmer and actor (b. 1904)
- 1988 – Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Pakistani activist and politician (b. 1890)
- 1988 – Dora Stratou, Greek dancer and choreographer (b. 1903)
- 1989 – Alamgir Kabir, Bangladeshi director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1938)
- 1990 – Barbara Stanwyck, American actress (b. 1907)
- 1993 – Audrey Hepburn, British actress and humanitarian activist (b. 1929)
- 1994 – Matt Busby, Scottish footballer and coach (b. 1909)
- 1994 – Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, first Kenyan Vice-President (b. 1911)
- 1996 – Gerry Mulligan, American saxophonist and composer (b. 1927)
- 2002 – Carrie Hamilton, American actress and singer (b. 1963)
- 2003 – Al Hirschfeld, American painter and illustrator (b. 1903)
- 2003 – Nedra Volz, American actress (b. 1908)
- 2004 – Alan Brown, English racing driver (b. 1919)
- 2004 – T. Nadaraja, Sri Lankan lawyer and academic (b. 1917)
- 2005 – Per Borten, Norwegian lawyer and politician, 18th Prime Minister of Norway (b. 1913)
- 2005 – Jan Nowak-Jeziorański, Polish journalist and politician (b. 1913)
- 2005 – Miriam Rothschild, English zoologist, entomologist, and author (b. 1908)
- 2009 – Stéphanos II Ghattas, Egyptian patriarch (b. 1920)
- 2012 – Etta James, American singer-songwriter (b. 1938)
- 2012 – John Levy, American bassist and manager (b. 1912)
- 2012 – Ioannis Kefalogiannis, Greek politician, Greek Minister of the Interior (b. 1933)
- 2012 – Alejandro Rodriguez, Venezuelan-American pediatrician and psychiatrist (b. 1918)
- 2013 – Pavlos Matesis, Greek author and playwright (b. 1933)
- 2013 – Toyo Shibata, Japanese poet and author (b. 1911)
- 2014 – Claudio Abbado, Italian conductor (b. 1933)
- 2014 – Otis G. Pike, American judge and politician (b. 1921)
- 2014 – Jonas Trinkūnas, Lithuanian ethnologist and academic (b. 1939)
- 2015 – Edgar Froese, Russian-German keyboard player and songwriter (b. 1944)
- 2016 – Mykolas Burokevičius, Lithuanian carpenter and politician (b. 1927)
- 2016 – Edmonde Charles-Roux, French journalist and author (b. 1920)
- 2018 – Paul Bocuse, French chef (b. 1926)
- 2018 – Naomi Parker Fraley, American naval machiner (b. 1921)
- 2020 – Jaroslav Kubera, Czech politician (b. 1947)
- 2020 – Tom Fisher Railsback, American politician, member of the Illinois and U.S. House of Representatives
Holidays and observances on January 20
- Armed Forces Day (Mali)
- Army Day (Laos)
- Christian feast day:
  
  Abadios
  
  Blessed Basil Moreau
  
  Eustochia Smeralda Calafato
  
  Euthymius the Great
  
  Fabian
  
  Manchán of Lemanaghan
  
  Maria Cristina of the Immaculate Conception Brando
  
  Richard Rolle (Church of England)
  
  Sebastian
  
  Stephen Min Kuk-ka (one of The Korean Martyrs)
  
  January 20 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Heroes’ Day (Cape Verde)
- Inauguration Day, held every four years in odd-numbered years immediately following years divisible by 4, except for the public ceremony when January 20 falls on Sunday (the public ceremony is held the following day; however, the terms of offices still begin on the 20th) (United States of America, not a federal holiday for all government employees but only for those working in the Capital region)
- Martyrs’ Day (Azerbaijan)
Read More January 20 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day
On This Day

January 16 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day
January 16 in History
- 27 BCE – Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus is granted the title Augustus by the Roman Senate, marking the beginning of the Roman Empire.
- 378 – General Siyaj K’ak’ conquers Tikal, enlarging the domain of King Spearthrower Owl of Teotihuacán.
- 550 – Gothic War: The Ostrogoths, under King Totila, conquer Rome after a long siege, by bribing the Isaurian garrison.
- 929 – Emir Abd-ar-Rahman III established the Caliphate of Córdoba.
- 1120 – The Council of Nablus is held, establishing the earliest surviving written laws of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem.
- 1362 – Saint Marcellus’s flood kills at least 25,000 people on the shores of the North Sea.
- 1412 – The Medici family is appointed official banker of the Papacy.
- 1492 – The first grammar of the Spanish language (Gramática de la lengua castellana) is presented to Queen Isabella I.
- 1547 – Grand Duke Ivan IV of Muscovy becomes the first Tsar of Russia, replacing the 264-year-old Grand Duchy of Moscow with the Tsardom of Russia.
- 1556 – Philip II becomes King of Spain.
- 1572 – Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk is tried for treason for his part in the Ridolfi plot to restore Catholicism in England.
- 1605 – The first edition of El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha (Book One of Don Quixote) by Miguel de Cervantes is published in Madrid, Spain.
- 1707 – The Scottish Parliament ratifies the Act of Union, paving the way for the creation of Great Britain.
- 1757 – Forces of the Maratha Empire defeat a 5,000-strong army of the Durrani Empire in the Battle of Narela.
- 1780 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Cape St. Vincent.
- 1786 – Virginia enacts the Statute for Religious Freedom authored by Thomas Jefferson.
- 1809 – Peninsular War: The British defeat the French at the Battle of La Coruña.
- 1847 – John C. Frémont is appointed Governor of the new California Territory.
- 1862 – Hartley Colliery disaster: Two hundred and four men and boys killed in a mining disaster, prompting a change in UK law which henceforth required all collieries to have at least two independent means of escape.
- 1878 – Russo-Turkish War (1877–78): Battle of Philippopolis: Captain Aleksandr Burago with a squadron of Russian Imperial army dragoons liberates Plovdiv from Ottoman rule.
- 1883 – The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act, establishing the United States Civil Service, is enacted by Congress.
- 1900 – The United States Senate accepts the Anglo-German treaty of 1899 in which the United Kingdom renounces its claims to the Samoan islands.
- 1909 – Ernest Shackleton’s expedition finds the magnetic South Pole.
- 1919 – Nebraska becomes the 36th state to approve the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. With the necessary three-quarters of the states approving the amendment, Prohibition is constitutionally mandated in the United States one year later.
- 1920 – Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated was founded on the campus of Howard University.
- 1920 – The League of Nations holds its first council meeting in Paris, France.
- 1921 – The Marxist Left in Slovakia and the Transcarpathian Ukraine holds its founding congress in Ľubochňa.
- 1942 – Crash of TWA Flight 3, killing all 22 aboard, including film star Carole Lombard.
- 1945 – Adolf Hitler moves into his underground bunker, the so-called Führerbunker.
- 1964 – Hello, Dolly! opened on Broadway, beginning a run of 2,844 performances.
- 1969 – Czech student Jan Palach commits suicide by self-immolation in Prague, Czechoslovakia, in protest against the Soviets’ crushing of the Prague Spring the year before.
- 1969 – Soviet spacecraft Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5 perform the first-ever docking of manned spacecraft in orbit, the first-ever transfer of crew from one space vehicle to another, and the only time such a transfer was accomplished with a space walk.
- 1979 – The last Iranian Shah flees Iran with his family for good and relocates to Egypt.
- 1991 – Coalition Forces go to war with Iraq, beginning the Gulf War.
- 1992 – El Salvador officials and rebel leaders sign the Chapultepec Peace Accords in Mexico City, Mexico ending the 12-year Salvadoran Civil War that claimed at least 75,000 lives.
- 2001 – Congolese President Laurent-Désiré Kabila is assassinated by one of his own bodyguards.
- 2001 – US President Bill Clinton awards former President Theodore Roosevelt a posthumous Medal of Honor for his service in the Spanish–American War.
- 2002 – The UN Security Council unanimously establishes an arms embargo and the freezing of assets of Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda, and the remaining members of the Taliban.
- 2003 – The Space Shuttle Columbia takes off for mission STS-107 which would be its final one. Columbia disintegrated 16 days later on re-entry.
- 2006 – Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is sworn in as Liberia’s new president. She becomes Africa’s first female elected head of state.
- 2016 – Thirty-three out of 126 freed hostages are injured and 23 killed in terrorist attacks in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso on a hotel and a nearby restaurant.
- 2018 – Myanmar police open fire on a group of ethnic Rakhine protesters, killing seven and wounding twelve.
- 2020 – The impeachment of Donald John Trump formally moves into its trial phase in the United States Senate.
Births on January 16
- 972 – Sheng Zong, emperor of the Liao Dynasty (d. 1031)
- 1093 – Isaac Komnenos, son of Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos (d. 1152)
- 1245 – Edmund Crouchback, English politician, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports (d. 1296)
- 1362 – Robert de Vere, duke of Ireland (d. 1392)
- 1409 – René of Anjou, king of Naples (d. 1480)
- 1477 – Johannes Schöner, German astronomer and cartographer (d. 1547)
- 1501 – Anthony Denny, confidant of Henry VIII of England (d. 1559)
- 1516 – Bayinnaung, king of Burma (d. 1581)
- 1558 – Jakobea of Baden, Margravine of Baden by birth, Duchess of Jülich-Cleves-Berg by marriage (d. 1597)
- 1616 – François de Vendôme, duke of Beaufort (d. 1669)
- 1626 – Lucas Achtschellinck, Belgian painter and educator (d. 1699)
- 1630 – Guru Har Rai, Sikh Guru (d. 1661)
- 1634 – Dorothe Engelbretsdatter, Norwegian author and poet (d. 1716)
- 1675 – Louis de Rouvroy, duc de Saint-Simon, French soldier and diplomat (d. 1755)
- 1691 – Peter Scheemakers, Belgian sculptor and educator (d. 1781)
- 1728 – Niccolò Piccinni, Italian composer and educator (d. 1800)
- 1749 – Vittorio Alfieri, Italian poet and playwright (d. 1803)
- 1757 – Richard Goodwin Keats, English admiral and politician, 3rd Commodore-Governor of Newfoundland (d. 1834)
- 1807 – Charles Henry Davis, American admiral (d. 1877)
- 1815 – Henry Halleck, American lawyer, general, and scholar (d. 1872)
- 1821 – John C. Breckinridge, American general and politician, 14th Vice President of the United States (d. 1875)
- 1834 – Robert R. Hitt, American lawyer and politician, 13th United States Assistant Secretary of State (d. 1906)
- 1836 – Francis II of the Two Sicilies (d. 1894)
- 1838 – Franz Brentano, German philosopher and psychologist (d. 1917)
- 1851 – William Hall-Jones, English-New Zealand politician, 16th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1936)
- 1853 – Johnston Forbes-Robertson, English actor and manager (d. 1937)
- 1853 – Ian Standish Monteith Hamilton, Greek-English general (d. 1947)
- 1853 – André Michelin, French businessman, co-founded the Michelin Tyre Company (d. 1931)
- 1870 – Jüri Jaakson, Estonian businessman and politician, State Elder of Estonia (d. 1942)
- 1872 – Henri Büsser, French organist, composer, and conductor (d. 1973)
- 1874 – Robert W. Service, English-Canadian poet and author (d. 1958)
- 1875 – Leonor Michaelis, German biochemist and physician (d. 1949)
- 1876 – Claude Buckenham, English cricketer and footballer (d. 1937)
- 1878 – Harry Carey, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1947)
- 1880 – Samuel Jones, American high jumper (d. 1954)
- 1882 – Margaret Wilson, American author (d. 1973)
- 1885 – Zhou Zuoren, Chinese author and translator (d. 1967)
- 1888 – Osip Brik, Russian avant garde writer and literary critic (d. 1945)
- 1892 – Homer Burton Adkins, American chemist (d. 1949)
- 1893 – Daisy Kennedy, Australian-English violinist (d. 1981)
- 1894 – Irving Mills, American publisher (d. 1985)
- 1895 – Evripidis Bakirtzis, Greek soldier and politician (d. 1947)
- 1895 – T. M. Sabaratnam, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician (d. 1966)
- 1895 – Nat Schachner, American lawyer, chemist, and author (d. 1955)
- 1897 – Carlos Pellicer, Mexican poet and academic (d. 1977)
- 1898 – Margaret Booth, American producer and editor (d. 2002)
- 1898 – Irving Rapper, American film director and producer (d. 1999)
- 1900 – Kiku Amino, Japanese author and translator (d. 1978)
- 1900 – Edith Frank, German-Dutch mother of Anne Frank (d. 1945)
- 1901 – Fulgencio Batista, Cuban colonel and politician, 9th President of Cuba (d. 1973)
- 1902 – Eric Liddell, Scottish runner, rugby player, and missionary (d. 1945)
- 1903 – William Grover-Williams, English-French race car driver (d. 1945)
- 1905 – Ernesto Halffter, Spanish composer and conductor (d. 1989)
- 1906 – Johannes Brenner, Estonian footballer and pilot (d. 1975)
- 1906 – Diana Wynyard, English actress (d. 1964)
- 1907 – Alexander Knox, Canadian-English actor and screenwriter (d. 1995)
- 1907 – Paul Nitze, American banker and politician, 10th United States Secretary of the Navy (d. 2004)
- 1908 – Sammy Crooks, English footballer (d. 1981)
- 1908 – Ethel Merman, American actress and singer (d. 1984)
- 1908 – Günther Prien, German captain (d. 1941)
- 1909 – Clement Greenberg, American art critic (d. 1994)
- 1910 – Dizzy Dean, American baseball player and sportscaster (d. 1974)
- 1911 – Ivan Barrow, Jamaican cricketer (d. 1979)
- 1911 – Eduardo Frei Montalva, Chilean lawyer and politician, 28th President of Chile (d. 1982)
- 1911 – Roger Lapébie, French cyclist (d. 1996)
- 1914 – Roger Wagner, French-American conductor and educator (d. 1992)
- 1915 – Leslie H. Martinson, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2016)
- 1916 – Eddie Burns, Australian rugby league player and coach (d. 2004)
- 1916 – Philip Lucock, English-Australian minister and politician (d. 1996)
- 1917 – Carl Karcher, American businessman, founded Carl’s Jr. (d. 2008)
- 1918 – Nel Benschop, Dutch poet and educator (d. 2005)
- 1918 – Allan Ekelund, Swedish director, producer, and production manager (d. 2009)
- 1918 – Clem Jones, Australian surveyor and politician, 8th Lord Mayor of Brisbane (d. 2007)
- 1918 – Stirling Silliphant, American screenwriter and producer (d. 1996)
- 1919 – Jerome Horwitz, American chemist and academic (d. 2012)
- 1920 – Alberto Crespo, Argentinian race car driver (d. 1991)
- 1920 – Elliott Reid, American actor and screenwriter (d. 2013)
- 1921 – Francesco Scavullo, American photographer (d. 2004)
- 1923 – Gene Feist, American director and playwright, co-founded the Roundabout Theatre Company (d. 2014)
- 1923 – Anthony Hecht, American poet (d. 2004)
- 1924 – Katy Jurado, Mexican actress (d. 2002)
- 1925 – Peter Hirsch, German-English metallurgist and academic
- 1925 – James Robinson Risner, American general and pilot (d. 2013)
- 1928 – William Kennedy, American novelist and journalist
- 1928 – Pilar Lorengar, Spanish soprano and actress (d. 1996)
- 1929 – Stanley Jeyaraja Tambiah, Sri Lankan anthropologist and academic (d. 2014)
- 1930 – Mary Ann McMorrow, American lawyer and judge (d. 2013)
- 1930 – Norman Podhoretz, American journalist and author
- 1931 – John Enderby, English physicist and academic
- 1931 – Robert L. Park, American physicist and academic
- 1931 – Johannes Rau, German journalist and politician, 8th Federal President of Germany (d. 2006)
- 1932 – Victor Ciocâltea, Romanian chess player (d. 1983)
- 1932 – Dian Fossey, American zoologist and anthropologist (d. 1985)
- 1933 – Susan Sontag, American novelist, essayist, and critic (d. 2004)
- 1934 – Bob Bogle, American rock guitarist and bass player (d. 2009)
- 1934 – Marilyn Horne, American soprano and actress
- 1935 – A. J. Foyt, American race car driver
- 1935 – Udo Lattek, German footballer, manager, and sportscaster (d. 2015)
- 1936 – Michael White, Scottish actor and producer (d. 2016)
- 1937 – Luiz Bueno, Brazilian race car driver (d. 2011)
- 1937 – Francis George, American cardinal (d. 2015)
- 1938 – Marina Vaizey, American journalist and critic
- 1939 – Ralph Gibson, American photographer
- 1941 – Christine Truman, English tennis player and sportscaster
- 1942 – René Angélil, Canadian singer and manager (d. 2016)
- 1942 – Barbara Lynn, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1943 – Gavin Bryars, English bassist and composer
- 1943 – Ronnie Milsap, American singer and pianist
- 1944 – Dieter Moebius, Swiss-German keyboard player and producer (d. 2015)
- 1944 – Jim Stafford, American singer-songwriter and actor
- 1944 – Jill Tarter, American astronomer and biologist
- 1944 – Judy Baar Topinka, American journalist and politician (d. 2014)
- 1945 – Wim Suurbier, Dutch footballer and manager
- 1946 – Kabir Bedi, Indian actor
- 1946 – Katia Ricciarelli, Italian soprano and actress
- 1947 – Elaine Murphy, Baroness Murphy, English academic and politician
- 1947 – Harvey Proctor, English politician
- 1947 – Laura Schlessinger, American physiologist, talk show host, and author
- 1948 – John Carpenter, American director, producer, screenwriter, and composer
- 1948 – Ants Laaneots, Estonian general
- 1948 – Cliff Thorburn, Canadian snooker player
- 1948 – Ruth Reichl, American journalist and critic
- 1949 – Anne F. Beiler, American businesswoman, founded Auntie Anne’s
- 1949 – R. F. Foster, Irish historian and academic
- 1949 – Andrew Refshauge, Australian physician and politician, 13th Deputy Premier of New South Wales
- 1950 – Debbie Allen, American actress, dancer, and choreographer
- 1950 – Robert Schimmel, American comedian, actor, and producer (d. 2010)
- 1952 – Fuad II, King of Egypt
- 1952 – Piercarlo Ghinzani, Italian race car driver and manager
- 1952 – L. Blaine Hammond, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut
- 1952 – Julie Anne Peters, American engineer and author
- 1953 – Robert Jay Mathews, American militant, founded The Order (d. 1984)
- 1954 – Wolfgang Schmidt, German discus thrower
- 1954 – Vasili Zhupikov, Russian footballer and coach (d. 2015)
- 1955 – Jerry M. Linenger, American captain, physician, and astronaut
- 1956 – Wayne Daniel, Barbadian cricketer
- 1956 – Martin Jol, Dutch footballer and manager
- 1956 – Greedy Smith, Australian singer-songwriter and keyboardist (d. 2019)
- 1957 – Jurijs Andrejevs, Latvian footballer and manager
- 1957 – Ricardo Darín, Argentinian actor, director, and screenwriter
- 1957 – Mark Pawsey, English businessman and politician
- 1958 – Anatoli Boukreev, Russian mountaineer and explorer (d. 1997)
- 1958 – Lena Ek, Swedish lawyer and politician, 9th Swedish Minister for the Environment
- 1958 – Andris Šķēle, Latvian businessman and politician, 4th Prime Minister of Latvia
- 1959 – Lisa Milroy, Canadian painter and educator
- 1959 – Sade, Nigerian-English singer-songwriter and producer
- 1961 – Kenneth Sivertsen, Norwegian guitarist and composer (d. 2006)
- 1962 – Joel Fitzgibbon, Australian electrician and politician, 51st Australian Minister of Defence
- 1962 – Maxine Jones, American R&B singer–songwriter and actress
- 1963 – James May, British journalist/co-host of Top Gear
- 1964 – Gail Graham, Canadian golfer
- 1966 – Jack McDowell, American baseball player
- 1968 – Rebecca Stead, American author
- 1969 – Neil Back, English rugby player and coach
- 1969 – Marinus Bester, German footballer
- 1969 – Stevie Jackson, Scottish guitarist and songwriter
- 1969 – Roy Jones Jr., American boxer
- 1970 – Ron Villone, American baseball player and coach
- 1971 – Sergi Bruguera, Spanish tennis player and coach
- 1971 – Josh Evans, American film producer, screenwriter and actor
- 1971 – Jonathan Mangum, American actor
- 1972 – Ruben Bagger, Danish footballer
- 1972 – Ang Christou, Australian footballer
- 1972 – Yuri Alekseevich Drozdov, Russian footballer and manager
- 1972 – Ezra Hendrickson, Vincentian footballer and manager
- 1972 – Joe Horn, American football player and coach
- 1974 – Marlon Anderson, American baseball player and sportscaster
- 1974 – John Hopoate, Tongan-Australian rugby league player and boxer
- 1974 – Kate Moss, English model and fashion designer
- 1976 – Viktor Maslov, Russian race car driver
- 1976 – Martina Moravcová, Slovak swimmer
- 1977 – Jeff Foster, American basketball player
- 1978 – Alfredo Amézaga, Mexican baseball player
- 1979 – Aaliyah, American singer and actress (d. 2001)
- 1979 – Brenden Morrow, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1979 – Jason Ward, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1980 – Lin-Manuel Miranda, American actor, playwright, and composer
- 1980 – Albert Pujols, Dominican-American baseball player
- 1981 – Jamie Lundmark, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1981 – Paul Rofe, Australian cricketer
- 1981 – Bobby Zamora, English footballer, striker
- 1982 – Preston, English singer-songwriter
- 1982 – Tuncay, Turkish footballer
- 1983 – Emanuel Pogatetz, Austrian footballer
- 1983 – Andriy Rusol, Ukrainian footballer
- 1984 – Stephan Lichtsteiner, Swiss footballer
- 1984 – Miroslav Radović, Serbian footballer
- 1985 – Joe Flacco, American football player
- 1985 – Jayde Herrick, Australian cricketer
- 1985 – Gintaras Januševičius, Russian-Lithuanian pianist
- 1985 – Twins Jonathan and Simon Richter, Danish-Gambian footballers
- 1985 – Sidharth Malhotra, Indian actor
- 1986 – Johannes Rahn, German footballer
- 1986 – Mark Trumbo, American baseball player
- 1986 – Reto Ziegler, Swiss footballer, left back
- 1987 – Jake Epstein, Canadian actor
- 1987 – Charlotte Henshaw, English swimmer
- 1988 – Nicklas Bendtner, Danish footballer
- 1988 – Jorge Torres Nilo, Mexican footballer
- 1991 – Matt Duchene, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1993 – Hannes Anier, Estonian footballer
- 1993 – Amandine Hesse, French tennis player
- 1994 – Chris Smith, Australian rugby league player
- 1995 – Mikaela Turik, Australian-Canadian cricketer
- 1998 – Cameron Murray, Australian rugby league player
- 2003 – Adriana Hernández, Mexican rhythmic gymnast
Deaths on January 16
- 654 – Gao Jifu, Chinese politician and chancellor (b. 596)
- 957 – Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ali al-Madhara’i, Tulunid vizier (b. 871)
- 970 – Polyeuctus of Constantinople, Byzantine patriarch (b. 956)
- 1263 – Shinran Shonin, Japanese founder of the Jodo Shinshu branch of Pure Land Buddhism
- 1289 – Buqa, Mongol minister
- 1327 – Nikephoros Choumnos, Byzantine monk, scholar, and politician (b. 1250)
- 1354 – Joanna of Châtillon, duchess of Athens (b. c.1285)
- 1373 – Humphrey de Bohun, 7th Earl of Hereford (b. 1342)
- 1391 – Muhammed V of Granada, Nasrid emir (b. 1338)
- 1400 – John Holland, 1st Duke of Exeter, English politician, Lord Great Chamberlain (b. 1352)
- 1443 – Erasmo of Narni, Italian mercenary (b. 1370)
- 1545 – George Spalatin, German priest and reformer (b. 1484)
- 1547 – Johannes Schöner, German astronomer and cartographer (b. 1477)
- 1554 – Christiern Pedersen, Danish publisher and scholar (b. 1480)
- 1585 – Edward Clinton, 1st Earl of Lincoln, English admiral and politician (b. 1512)
- 1595 – Murad III, Ottoman sultan (b. 1546)
- 1659 – Charles Annibal Fabrot, French lawyer (b. 1580)
- 1710 – Higashiyama, Japanese emperor (b. 1675)
- 1711 – Joseph Vaz, Indian-Sri Lankan priest and saint (b. 1651)
- 1747 – Barthold Heinrich Brockes, German poet and playwright (b. 1680)
- 1748 – Arnold Drakenborch, Dutch lawyer and scholar (b. 1684)
- 1750 – Ivan Trubetskoy, Russian field marshal and politician (b. 1667)
- 1752 – Francis Blomefield, English historian and author (b. 1705)
- 1794 – Edward Gibbon, English historian and politician (b. 1737)
- 1809 – John Moore, Scottish general and politician (b. 1761)
- 1817 – Alexander J. Dallas, Jamaican-American lawyer and politician, 6th United States Secretary of the Treasury (b. 1759)
- 1834 – Jean Nicolas Pierre Hachette, French mathematician and academic (b. 1769)
- 1856 – Thaddeus William Harris, American entomologist and botanist (b. 1795)
- 1864 – Anton Schindler, Austrian secretary and author (b. 1795)
- 1865 – Edmond François Valentin About, French journalist and author (b. 1828)
- 1879 – Octave Crémazie, Canadian-French poet and bookseller (b. 1827)
- 1886 – Amilcare Ponchielli, Italian composer and academic (b. 1834)
- 1891 – Léo Delibes, French pianist and composer (b. 1836)
- 1898 – Charles Pelham Villiers, English lawyer and politician (b. 1802)
- 1901 – Jules Barbier, French poet and playwright (b. 1825)
- 1901 – Arnold Böcklin, Swiss painter and academic (b. 1827)
- 1901 – Hiram Rhodes Revels, American soldier, minister, and politician (b. 1822)
- 1906 – Marshall Field, American businessman and philanthropist, founded Marshall Field’s (b. 1834)
- 1917 – George Dewey, American admiral (b. 1837)
- 1919 – Francisco de Paula Rodrigues Alves, Brazilian lawyer and politician, 5th President of Brazil (b. 1848)
- 1933 – Bekir Sami Kunduh, Turkish politician (b. 1867)
- 1936 – Albert Fish, American serial killer, rapist and cannibal (b. 1870)
- 1938 – Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay Indian author and playwright (b. 1876)
- 1942 – Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn (b. 1850)
- 1942 – Villem Grünthal-Ridala, Estonian poet and linguist (b. 1885)
- 1942 – Carole Lombard, American actress and comedian (b. 1908)
- 1942 – Ernst Scheller, German lawyer and politician, Mayor of Marburg (b. 1899)
- 1957 – Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone, English general and politician, 16th Governor General of Canada (b. 1874)
- 1957 – Arturo Toscanini, Italian cellist and conductor (b. 1867)
- 1959 – Phan Khôi, Vietnamese journalist and author (b. 1887)
- 1960 – Arthur Darby, English rugby player (b. 1876)
- 1961 – Max Schöne, German swimmer (b. 1880)
- 1962 – Frank Hurley, Australian photographer, director, producer, and cinematographer (b. 1885)
- 1962 – Ivan Meštrović, Croatian sculptor and architect, designed the Monument to the Unknown Hero (b. 1883)
- 1967 – Robert J. Van de Graaff, American physicist and academic (b. 1901)
- 1968 – Bob Jones Sr., American evangelist, founded Bob Jones University (b. 1883)
- 1968 – Panagiotis Poulitsas, Greek archaeologist and judge (b. 1881)
- 1969 – Vernon Duke, Russian-American composer and songwriter (b. 1903)
- 1971 – Philippe Thys, Belgian cyclist (b. 1890)
- 1972 – Teller Ammons, American soldier and politician, 28th Governor of Colorado (b. 1895)
- 1972 – Ross Bagdasarian, Sr., American singer-songwriter, pianist, producer, and actor, created Alvin and the Chipmunks (b. 1919)
- 1973 – Edgar Sampson, American musician and composer (b. 1907)
- 1975 – Israel Abramofsky, Russian-American painter (b. 1888)
- 1978 – A. V. Kulasingham, Sri Lankan journalist, lawyer, and politician (b. 1890)
- 1981 – Bernard Lee, English actor (b. 1908)
- 1983 – Virginia Mauret, American musician and dancer
- 1986 – Herbert W. Armstrong, American evangelist, author, and publisher (b. 1892)
- 1987 – Bertram Wainer, Australian physician and activist (b. 1928)
- 1988 – Andrija Artuković, Croatian politician, war criminal, and Porajmos perpetrator, 1st Minister of Interior of the Independent State of Croatia (b. 1899)
- 1995 – Eric Mottram, English poet and critic (b. 1924)
- 1996 – Marcia Davenport, American author and critic (b. 1903)
- 1996 – Kaye Webb, English journalist and publisher (b. 1914)
- 1999 – Jim McClelland, Australian lawyer, jurist, and politician, 12th Minister for Industry and Science (b. 1915)
- 2000 – Robert R. Wilson, American physicist and academic (b. 1914)
- 2001 – Auberon Waugh, English author and journalist (b. 1939)
- 2002 – Robert Hanbury Brown, English astronomer and physicist (b. 1916)
- 2003 – Richard Wainwright, English politician (b. 1918)
- 2004 – Kalevi Sorsa, Finnish politician 34th Prime Minister of Finland (b. 1930)
- 2005 – Marjorie Williams, American journalist and author (b. 1958)
- 2006 – Stanley Biber, American soldier and physician (b. 1923)
- 2007 – Benny Parsons, American race car driver and sportscaster (b. 1941)
- 2009 – Joe Erskine, American boxer and runner (b. 1930)
- 2009 – John Mortimer, English lawyer and author (b. 1923)
- 2009 – Andrew Wyeth, American painter (b. 1917)
- 2010 – Glen Bell, American businessman, founded Taco Bell (b. 1923)
- 2010 – Jyoti Basu, Indian lawyer and politician, 9th Chief Minister of West Bengal (b. 1914)
- 2010 – Takumi Shibano, Japanese author and translator (b. 1926)
- 2012 – Joe Bygraves, Jamaican-English boxer (b. 1931)
- 2012 – Jimmy Castor, American singer-songwriter and saxophonist (b. 1940)
- 2012 – Sigursteinn Gíslason, Icelandic footballer and manager (b. 1968)
- 2012 – Lorna Kesterson, American journalist and politician (b. 1925)
- 2012 – Gustav Leonhardt, Dutch pianist, conductor, and musicologist (b. 1928)
- 2013 – Wayne D. Anderson, American baseball player and coach (b. 1930)
- 2013 – André Cassagnes, French technician and toy maker, created the Etch A Sketch (b. 1926)
- 2013 – Gussie Moran, American tennis player and sportscaster (b. 1923)
- 2013 – Pauline Phillips, American journalist and radio host, created Dear Abby (b. 1918)
- 2013 – Glen P. Robinson, American businessman, founded Scientific Atlanta (b. 1923)
- 2014 – Gary Arlington, American author and illustrator (b. 1938)
- 2014 – Ruth Duccini, American actress (b. 1918)
- 2014 – Dave Madden, Canadian-American actor (b. 1931)
- 2014 – Hiroo Onoda, Japanese lieutenant (b. 1922)
- 2015 – Miriam Akavia, Polish-Israeli author and translator (b. 1927)
- 2015 – Yao Beina, Chinese singer (b. 1981)
- 2016 – Joannis Avramidis, Greek sculptor (b. 1922)
- 2016 – Ted Marchibroda, American football player and coach (b. 1931)
- 2017 – Eugene Cernan, American captain, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1934)
- 2018 – Ed Doolan, British radio presenter (b. 1941)
- 2018 – Oliver Ivanović, Kosovo Serb politician (b. 1953)
- 2019 – John C. Bogle, American businessman, investor, and philanthropist (b. 1929)
- 2019 – Lorna Doom, American musician (b. 1958)
- 2019 – Chris Wilson, Australian musician (b. 1956)
- 2020 – Christopher Tolkien, British academic and editor (died 2020)
Holidays and observances on January 16
- Christian feast day:
  
  Pope Benjamin (Coptic)
  
  Berard of Carbio
  
  Blaise (Armenian Apostolic)
  
  Fursey
  
  Joseph Vaz
  
  Honoratus of Arles
  
  Pope Marcellus I
  
  Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (Coptic Church)
  
  Titian of Oderzo
  
  Eve of Saint Anthony observed with ritual bonfires in San Bartolomé de Pinares
  
  January 16 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- National Religious Freedom Day (United States)
- Teacher’s Day (Myanmar)
- Teachers’ Day (Thailand)
Read More January 16 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day
On This Day

January 10 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day
January 10 in History
- 49 BC – Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signalling the start of civil war.
- AD 9 – The Western Han dynasty ends when Wang Mang claims that the divine Mandate of Heaven called for the end of the dynasty and the beginning of his own, the Xin dynasty.
- AD 69 – Lucius Calpurnius Piso Licinianus is appointed by Galba as deputy Roman Emperor.
- 236 – Pope Fabian succeeds Anterus to become the twentieth pope of Rome.
- 1072 – Robert Guiscard conquers Palermo in Sicily for the Normans.
- 1430 – Philip the Good, the Duke of Burgundy, establishes the Order of the Golden Fleece, the most prestigious, exclusive, and expensive order of chivalry in the world.
- 1475 – Stephen III of Moldavia defeats the Ottoman Empire at the Battle of Vaslui.
- 1645 – Archbishop William Laud is beheaded for treason at the Tower of London.
- 1776 – American Revolution: Thomas Paine publishes his pamphlet Common Sense.
- 1791 – The Siege of Dunlap’s Station begins near Cincinnati during the Northwest Indian War.
- 1806 – Two British brigades occupy Cape Town after the Battle of Blaauwberg.
- 1812 – The first steamboat on the Ohio River or the Mississippi River arrives in New Orleans, 82 days after departing from Pittsburgh.
- 1861 – American Civil War: Florida becomes the third state to secede from the Union.
- 1863 – The Metropolitan Railway, the world’s oldest underground railway, opens between Paddington and Farringdon, marking the beginning of the London Underground.
- 1870 – John D. Rockefeller incorporates Standard Oil.
- 1901 – The first great Texas oil gusher is discovered at Spindletop in Beaumont, Texas.
- 1916 – World War I: In the Erzurum Offensive, Russia defeats the Ottoman Empire.
- 1920 – The Treaty of Versailles takes effect, officially ending World War I.
- 1920 – League of Nations Covenant enters into force. On January 16 the organization holds its first council meeting, in Paris.
- 1927 – Fritz Lang’s futuristic film Metropolis is released in Germany.
- 1941 – World War II: The Greek army captures Kleisoura.
- 1946 – The first General Assembly of the United Nations opens in London. Fifty-one nations are represented.
- 1946 – The United States Army Signal Corps successfully conducts Project Diana, bouncing radio waves off the Moon and receiving the reflected signals.
- 1954 – BOAC Flight 781, a de Havilland DH.106 Comet 1, explodes and falls into the Tyrrhenian Sea killing 35 people.
- 1962 – Apollo program: NASA announces plans to build the C-5 rocket launch vehicle, which became known as the Saturn V Moon rocket, which launched every Apollo Moon mission.
- 1966 – Tashkent Declaration, a peace agreement between India and Pakistan signed that resolved the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.
- 1972 – Sheikh Mujibur Rahman returns to the newly independent Bangladesh as president after spending over nine months in prison in Pakistan.
- 1981 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensive, gaining control of most of Morazán and Chalatenango departments
- 1984 – Holy See–United States relations: The United States and Holy See (Vatican City) re-establish full diplomatic relations after almost 117 years, overturning the United States Congress’s 1867 ban on public funding for such a diplomatic envoy.
- 1985 – Sandinista Daniel Ortega becomes president of Nicaragua and vows to continue the transformation to socialism and alliance with the Soviet Union and Cuba; American policy continues to support the Contras in their revolt against the Nicaraguan government.
- 1990 – Time Warner is formed by the merger of Time Inc. and Warner Communications.
- 2007 – A general strike begins in Guinea in an attempt to get President Lansana Conté to resign.
- 2012 – A bombing in Khyber Agency, Pakistan, kills at least 30 people and 78 others injured.
- 2013 – More than 100 people are killed and 270 injured in several bomb blasts in Pakistan.
- 2015 – A traffic accident between an oil tanker truck and passenger coach en route to Shikarpur from Karachi on the Pakistan National Highway Link Road near Gulshan-e-Hadeed, Karachi, killing at least 62 people.
Births on January 10
- 626 – Husayn ibn Ali the third Shia Imam (d. 680)
- 1392 – Johanna van Polanen, Dutch noblewoman (d. 1445)
- 1480 – Margaret of Austria, Duchess of Savoy (d. 1530)
- 1538 – Louis of Nassau (d. 1574)
- 1607 – Isaac Jogues, French priest and missionary (d. 1646)
- 1644 – Louis François, duc de Boufflers, French general (d. 1711)
- 1654 – Joshua Barnes, English historian and scholar (d. 1712)
- 1702 – Johannes Zick, German painter (d. 1762)
- 1715 – Christian August Crusius, German philosopher and theologian (d. 1775)
- 1729 – Lazzaro Spallanzani, Italian priest, biologist, and physiologist (d. 1799)
- 1745 – Isaac Titsingh, Dutch surgeon, scholar, and diplomat (d. 1812)
- 1750 – Thomas Erskine, 1st Baron Erskine, Scottish-English lawyer and politician, Lord Chancellor of Great Britain (d. 1823)
- 1760 – Johann Rudolf Zumsteeg, German composer and conductor (d. 1802)
- 1769 – Michel Ney, French general (d. 1815)
- 1776 – George Birkbeck, English physician and academic, founded Birkbeck, University of London (d. 1841)
- 1780 – Martin Lichtenstein, German physician and explorer (d. 1857)
- 1802 – Carl Ritter von Ghega, Italian-Austrian engineer, designed the Semmering railway (d. 1860)
- 1810 – Ferdinand Barbedienne, French engineer (d. 1892)
- 1810 – Jeremiah S. Black, American jurist and politician, 23rd United States Secretary of State (d. 1883)
- 1810 – William Haines, English-Australian politician, 1st Premier of Victoria (d. 1866)
- 1812 – Georg Hermann Nicolai, German architect and academic (d. 1881)
- 1828 – Herman Koeckemann, German bishop and missionary (d. 1892)
- 1829 – Epameinondas Deligeorgis, Greek lawyer, journalist and politician, Prime Minister of Greece (d. 1879)
- 1834 – John Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton, Italian-English historian and politician (d. 1902)
- 1836 – Charles Ingalls, American farmer and carpenter (d. 1902)
- 1840 – Louis-Nazaire Bégin, Canadian cardinal (d. 1925)
- 1842 – Luigi Pigorini, Italian paleontologist, archaeologist, and ethnographer (d. 1925)
- 1843 – Frank James, American soldier and criminal (d. 1915)
- 1848 – Reinhold Sadler, American merchant and politician, 9th Governor of Nevada (d. 1906)
- 1849 – Robert Crosbie, Canadian theosophist, founded the United Lodge of Theosophists (d. 1919)
- 1850 – John Wellborn Root, American architect, designed the Rookery Building and Monadnock Building (d. 1891)
- 1854 – Ramón Corral, Mexican general and politician, 6th Vice President of Mexico (d. 1912)
- 1858 – Heinrich Zille, German illustrator and photographer (d. 1929)
- 1859 – Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia, Spanish philosopher and academic (d. 1909)
- 1860 – Charles G. D. Roberts, Canadian poet and author (d. 1943)
- 1864 – Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich of Russia (d. 1931)
- 1873 – Algernon Maudslay, English sailor (d. 1948)
- 1873 – Jack O’Neill, Irish-American baseball player (d. 1935)
- 1873 – George Orton, Canadian runner and hurdler (d. 1958)
- 1875 – Issai Schur, German mathematician and academic (d. 1941)
- 1877 – Frederick Gardner Cottrell, American physical chemist, inventor and philanthropist (d. 1948)
- 1878 – John McLean, American hurdler, football player, and coach (d. 1955)
- 1880 – Manuel Azaña, Spanish jurist and politician, 7th President of Spain (d. 1940)
- 1883 – Francis X. Bushman, American actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1966)
- 1883 – Aleksey Nikolayevich Tolstoy, Russian journalist, author, and poet (d. 1945)
- 1887 – Robinson Jeffers, American poet and philosopher (d. 1962)
- 1890 – Pina Menichelli, Italian actress (d. 1984)
- 1891 – Heinrich Behmann, German mathematician and academic (d. 1970)
- 1891 – Ann Shoemaker, American actress (d. 1978)
- 1892 – Dumas Malone, American historian and author (d. 1986)
- 1892 – Melchior Wańkowicz, Polish soldier, journalist, and author (d. 1974)
- 1893 – Albert Jacka, Australian captain, Victoria Cross recipient (d. 1932)
- 1894 – Pingali Lakshmikantam, Indian poet and author (d. 1972)
- 1895 – Percy Cerutty, Australian athletics coach (d. 1975)
- 1896 – Yong Mun Sen, Malaysian watercolour painter (d. 1962)
- 1898 – Katharine Burr Blodgett, American physicist and engineer (d. 1979)
- 1900 – Violette Cordery, English racing driver (d. 1983)
- 1902 – Dobriša Cesarić, Croatian poet and translator (d. 1980)
- 1903 – Barbara Hepworth, English sculptor (d. 1975)
- 1903 – Pud Thurlow, Australian cricketer (d. 1975)
- 1903 – Voldemar Väli, Estonian wrestler (d. 1997)
- 1904 – Ray Bolger, American actor and dancer (d. 1987)
- 1905 – Albert Arlen, Australian pianist, composer, actor, and playwright (d. 1993)
- 1907 – Gordon Kidd Teal, American engineer and inventor (d. 2003)
- 1908 – Paul Henreid, Italian-American actor and director (d. 1992)
- 1910 – Jean Martinon, French conductor and composer (d. 1976)
- 1911 – Binod Bihari Chowdhury, Bangladeshi activist (d. 2013)
- 1911 – Norman Heatley, English biologist and chemist (d. 2004)
- 1912 – Maria Mandl, Austrian SS guard (d. 1948)
- 1913 – Franco Bordoni, Italian racing driver and pilot (d. 1975)
- 1913 – Gustáv Husák, Slovak politician, 9th President of Czechoslovakia (d. 1991)
- 1913 – Mehmet Shehu, Albanian soldier and politician, 22nd Prime Minister of Albania (d. 1981)
- 1914 – Pierre Cogan, French cyclist (d. 2013)
- 1914 – Yu Kuo-hwa, Chinese politician, 23rd Premier of the Republic of China (d. 2000)
- 1915 – Dean Dixon, American-Swiss conductor (d. 1976)
- 1915 – Cynthia Freeman, American author (d. 1988)
- 1916 – Sune Bergström, Swedish biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2004)
- 1916 – Eldzier Cortor, American painter (d. 2015)
- 1916 – Don Metz, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2007)
- 1917 – Jerry Wexler, American journalist and producer (d. 2008)
- 1918 – Les Bennett, English footballer and manager (d. 1999)
- 1918 – Arthur Chung, Guyanese lawyer and politician, 1st President of Guyana (d. 2008)
- 1918 – Harry Merkel, German racing driver (d. 1995)
- 1919 – Terukuni Manzō, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 38th Yokozuna (d. 1977)
- 1919 – Milton Parker, American businessman, co-founded the Carnegie Deli (d. 2009)
- 1920 – Rosella Hightower, American ballerina (d. 2008)
- 1920 – Roberto M. Levingston, Argentinian general and politician, 36th President of Argentina (d. 2015)
- 1920 – Max Patkin, American baseball player and clown (d. 1999)
- 1921 – Rodger Ward, American aviator, race car driver and sportscaster (d. 2004)
- 1922 – Billy Liddell, Scottish-English footballer (d. 2001)
- 1924 – Earl Bakken, American inventor (d. 2018)
- 1924 – Ludmilla Chiriaeff, Canadian ballerina, choreographer, and director (d. 1996)
- 1925 – Billie Sol Estes, American financier and businessman (d. 2013)
- 1926 – Musallam Bseiso, Palestinian journalist and politician (d. 2017)
- 1927 – Gisele MacKenzie, Canadian-American singer and actress (d. 2003)
- 1927 – Johnnie Ray, American singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 1990)
- 1927 – Otto Stich, Swiss lawyer and politician, 140th President of the Swiss Confederation (d. 2012)
- 1928 – Philip Levine, American poet and academic (d. 2015)
- 1928 – Peter Mathias, English historian and academic (d. 2016)
- 1929 – Tony Soper, English ornithologist and author
- 1930 – Roy E. Disney, American businessman (d. 2009)
- 1931 – Peter Barnes, English playwright and screenwriter (d. 2004)
- 1931 – Rosalind Howells, Baroness Howells of St Davids, Grenadian-English academic and politician
- 1931 – Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, Malaysian cleric and politician, 12th Menteri Besar of Kelantan (d. 2015)
- 1931 – John Zizioulas, Greek metropolitan
- 1934 – Leonid Kravchuk, Ukrainian politician, 1st President of Ukraine
- 1935 – Ronnie Hawkins, American rockabilly singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1935 – Sherrill Milnes, American opera singer and educator
- 1936 – Stephen E. Ambrose, American historian and author (d. 2002)
- 1936 – Walter Bodmer, German-English geneticist and academic
- 1936 – Robert Woodrow Wilson, American physicist and astronomer, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1937 – Daniel Walker Howe, American historian and academic
- 1937 – Thomas Penfield Jackson, American soldier, lawyer, and judge (d. 2013)
- 1938 – Donald Knuth, American computer scientist and mathematician
- 1938 – Frank Mahovlich, Canadian ice hockey player and politician
- 1938 – Willie McCovey, American baseball player (d. 2018)
- 1939 – Jared Carter, American poet and author
- 1939 – David Horowitz, American activist and author
- 1939 – William Levy, American-Dutch journalist, author, and poet
- 1939 – Scott McKenzie, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2012)
- 1939 – Sal Mineo, American actor (d. 1976)
- 1940 – K. J. Yesudas, Indian singer and music director
- 1940 – Godfrey Hewitt, English geneticist and academic (d. 2013)
- 1941 – Tom Clarke, Scottish politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland
- 1942 – Graeme Gahan, Australian footballer and coach
- 1943 – Jim Croce, American singer-songwriter (d. 1973)
- 1944 – Jeffrey Catherine Jones, American comics and fantasy artist (d. 2011)
- 1944 – Frank Sinatra, Jr., American singer and actor (d. 2016)
- 1945 – John Fahey, New Zealand-Australian lawyer and politician, 38th Premier of New South Wales
- 1945 – Rod Stewart, British singer-songwriter
- 1945 – Gunther von Hagens, German anatomist, invented plastination
- 1946 – Aynsley Dunbar, English drummer and songwriter
- 1947 – George Alec Effinger, American author (d. 2002)
- 1947 – James Morris, American opera singer
- 1947 – Peer Steinbrück, German politician, German Minister of Finance
- 1947 – Tiit Vähi, Estonian engineer and politician, 11th Prime Minister of Estonia
- 1948 – Donald Fagen, American singer-songwriter and musician
- 1948 – Bernard Thévenet, French cyclist and sportscaster
- 1949 – Kemal Derviş, Turkish economist and politician, Turkish Minister of Economy
- 1949 – George Foreman, American boxer, actor, and businessman
- 1949 – Linda Lovelace, American porn actress and activist (d. 2002)
- 1950 – Roy Blunt, American academic and politician
- 1952 – Scott Thurston, American guitarist and songwriter
- 1953 – Pat Benatar, American singer-songwriter
- 1953 – Bobby Rahal, American race car driver
- 1955 – Michael Schenker, German guitarist, songwriter, and producer
- 1956 – Shawn Colvin, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1956 – Antonio Muñoz Molina, Spanish author
- 1958 – Eddie Cheever, American race car driver
- 1958 – Anatoly Pisarenko, Ukrainian weightlifter and trainer
- 1959 – Chandra Cheeseborough, American sprinter and coach
- 1959 – Chris Van Hollen, American lawyer and politician
- 1959 – Fran Walsh, New Zealand screenwriter and producer
- 1960 – Gurinder Chadha, Kenyan-English director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1960 – Brian Cowen, Irish lawyer and politician, 12th Taoiseach of Ireland
- 1960 – John Mann, English lawyer and politician
- 1960 – Benoît Pelletier, Canadian lawyer and politician
- 1961 – Janet Jones, American actress
- 1961 – Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Italian-American violinist, author, and educator
- 1962 – Michael Fortier, Canadian lawyer and politician
- 1962 – Kathryn S. McKinley, American computer scientist and academic
- 1963 – Malcolm Dunford, New Zealand-Australian footballer
- 1963 – Kira Ivanova, Russian figure skater (d. 2001)
- 1964 – Brad Roberts, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1967 – Maciej Śliwowski, Polish footballer
- 1969 – Simone Bagel-Trah, German businessperson
- 1970 – Buff Bagwell, American wrestler and actor
- 1970 – Alisa Marić, Serbian chess player and politician, Serbian Minister of Youth and Sports
- 1972 – Mohammed Benzakour, Moroccan-Dutch journalist, poet, and author
- 1973 – Glenn Robinson, American basketball player
- 1973 – Félix Trinidad, Puerto Rican-American boxer
- 1974 – Jemaine Clement, New Zealand comedian, actor, and musician
- 1974 – Davide Dionigi, Italian footballer and manager
- 1974 – Steve Marlet, French footballer, forward and coach
- 1974 – Bob Peeters, Belgian footballer and manager
- 1974 – Hrithik Roshan, Indian actor
- 1975 – Jake Delhomme, American football player
- 1976 – Adam Kennedy, American baseball player
- 1976 – Ian Poulter, English golfer
- 1978 – Johan van der Wath, South African cricketer
- 1979 – Simone Cavalli, Italian footballer
- 1980 – Sarah Shahi, American actress
- 1980 – DeShaun Foster, American football player
- 1981 – James Coppinger, English footballer
- 1981 – Jared Kushner, American real estate investor and political figure
- 1982 – Julien Brellier, French footballer
- 1982 – Tomasz Brzyski, Polish footballer
- 1984 – Marouane Chamakh, Moroccan footballer
- 1984 – Trent Cutler, Australian rugby league player
- 1984 – Ariane Friedrich, German high jumper
- 1984 – Kalki Koechlin, Indian actress
- 1986 – Kirsten Flipkens, Belgian tennis player
- 1986 – Hideaki Ikematsu, Japanese footballer
- 1986 – Kenneth Vermeer, Dutch footballer
- 1987 – César Cielo, Brazilian swimmer
- 1988 – Leonard Patrick Komon, Kenyan runner
- 1988 – Vladimir Zharkov, Russian ice hockey player
- 1989 – Emily Meade, American actress
- 1989 – Kyle Reimers, Australian footballer
- 1990 – Mirko Bortolotti, Italian racing driver
- 1990 – Ishiura Masakatsu, Japanese sumo wrestler
- 1990 – Cody Walker, Australian rugby league player
- 1990 – John Carlson, American ice hockey player
- 1991 – Chad Townsend, Australian rugby league player
Deaths on January 10
- 259 – Polyeuctus, Roman saint
- 314 – Miltiades, pope of the Catholic Church
- 681 – Agatho, pope of the Catholic Church
- 976 – John I Tzimiskes, Byzantine emperor (b. 925)
- 987 – Pietro I Orseolo, doge of Venice (b. 928)
- 1055 – Bretislav I, duke of Bohemia
- 1094 – Al-Mustansir Billah, Egyptian caliph (b. 1029)
- 1218 – Hugh I, king of Cyprus
- 1276 – Gregory X, pope of the Catholic Church (b. 1210)
- 1322 – Petrus Aureolus, scholastic philosopher
- 1358 – Abu Inan Faris, Marinid ruler of Morocco (b. 1329)
- 1552 – Johann Cochlaeus, German humanist and controversialist (b. 1479)
- 1645 – William Laud, English archbishop and academic (b. 1573)
- 1654 – Nicholas Culpeper, English botanist, physician, and astrologer (b. 1616)
- 1698 – Louis-Sébastien Le Nain de Tillemont, French priest and historian (b. 1637)
- 1754 – Edward Cave, English publisher, founded The Gentleman’s Magazine (b. 1691)
- 1761 – Edward Boscawen, English admiral and politician (b. 1711)
- 1778 – Carl Linnaeus, Swedish botanist and physician (b. 1707)
- 1794 – Georg Forster, German-Polish ethnologist and journalist (b. 1754)
- 1811 – Joseph Chénier, French poet, playwright, and politician (b. 1764)
- 1824 – Victor Emmanuel I, duke of Savoy and king of Sardinia (b. 1759)
- 1828 – François de Neufchâteau, French poet, academic, and politician, French Minister of the Interior (b. 1750)
- 1829 – Gregorio Funes, Argentinian clergyman, historian, and educator (b. 1749)
- 1833 – Adrien-Marie Legendre, French mathematician and theorist (b. 1752)
- 1843 – Dimitrie Macedonski, Greek-Romanian captain and politician (b. 1780)
- 1851 – Karl Freiherr von Müffling, Prussian field marshal (b. 1775)
- 1855 – Mary Russell Mitford, English author and playwright (b. 1787)
- 1862 – Samuel Colt, American engineer and businessman, founded Colt’s Manufacturing Company (b. 1814)
- 1863 – Lyman Beecher, American minister and activist, co-founded the American Temperance Society (b. 1775)
- 1895 – Eli Whitney Blake, Jr., American chemist, physicist, and academic (b. 1836)
- 1895 – Benjamin Godard, French violinist and composer (b. 1849)
- 1901 – James Robert Dickson, English-Australian businessman and politician, 1st Australian Minister for Defence (b. 1832)
- 1904 – Jean-Léon Gérôme, French painter and sculptor (b. 1824)
- 1905 – Kārlis Baumanis, Latvian composer (b. 1835)
- 1917 – Buffalo Bill, American soldier and hunter (b. 1846)
- 1917 – Feliks Leparsky, Russian fencer and captain (b. 1875)
- 1920 – Sali Nivica, Albanian journalist and politician (b. 1890)
- 1922 – Frank Tudor, Australian politician, 6th Australian Minister for Trade and Investment (b. 1866)
- 1926 – Eino Leino, Finnish poet and journalist (b. 1878)
- 1935 – Edwin Flack, Australian tennis player and runner (b. 1873)
- 1935 – Charlie McGahey, English cricketer and footballer (b. 1871)
- 1941 – Frank Bridge, English viola player and composer (b. 1879)
- 1941 – John Lavery, Irish painter and academic (b. 1856)
- 1941 – Joe Penner, Hungarian-American actor (b. 1904)
- 1941 – Issai Schur, Belarusian-German mathematician and academic (b. 1875)
- 1949 – Erich von Drygalski, German geographer and geophysicist (b. 1865)
- 1951 – Sinclair Lewis, American novelist, short-story writer, and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1885)
- 1951 – Yoshio Nishina, Japanese physicist and academic (b. 1890)
- 1954 – Chester Wilmot, American journalist and historian (b. 1911)
- 1956 – Zonia Baber, American geographer and geologist (b. 1862)
- 1957 – Gabriela Mistral, Chilean poet and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1889)
- 1957 – Laura Ingalls Wilder, American novelist (b. 1867)
- 1959 – Şükrü Kaya, Turkish jurist and politician, Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1883)
- 1960 – Jack Laviolette, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager (b. 1879)
- 1961 – Dashiell Hammett, American detective novelist and screenwriter (b. 1894)
- 1967 – Charles E. Burchfield, American painter (b. 1893)
- 1968 – Ali Fuat Cebesoy, Turkish general and politician, 6th Speaker of the Parliament of Turkey (b. 1882)
- 1969 – Sampurnanand, Indian educator and politician, 2nd Governor of Rajasthan (b. 1891)
- 1970 – Pavel Belyayev, Russian pilot and astronaut (b. 1925)
- 1971 – Coco Chanel, French fashion designer, founded Chanel (b. 1883)
- 1971 – Ignazio Giunti, Italian race car driver (b. 1941)
- 1972 – Aksel Larsen, Danish lawyer and politician (b. 1897)
- 1976 – Howlin’ Wolf, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1910)
- 1978 – Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Cardenal, Nicaraguan journalist and author (b. 1924)
- 1978 – Don Gillis, American composer and conductor (b. 1912)
- 1978 – Hannah Gluckstein, British painter (b. 1895)
- 1980 – Hughie Critz, American baseball player and scout (b. 1900)
- 1980 – George Meany, American plumber and trade union leader (b. 1894)
- 1980 – Bo Rein, American football player and coach (b. 1945)
- 1981 – Fawn M. Brodie, American historian and author (b. 1915)
- 1984 – Souvanna Phouma, Laotian politician, 8th Prime Minister of Laos (b. 1901)
- 1986 – Jaroslav Seifert, Czech journalist and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1901)
- 1987 – Marion Hutton, American singer (b. 1919)
- 1987 – David Robinson, English businessman and philanthropist (b. 1904)
- 1989 – Herbert Morrison, American journalist and producer (b. 1905)
- 1990 – Tochinishiki Kiyotaka, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 44th Yokozuna (b. 1925)
- 1992 – Roberto Bonomi, Argentinian race car driver (b. 1919)
- 1995 – Kathleen Tynan, Canadian-English journalist, author, and screenwriter (b. 1937)
- 1997 – Elspeth Huxley, Kenyan-English journalist and author (b. 1907)
- 1997 – Sheldon Leonard, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1907)
- 1997 – Alexander R. Todd, Baron Todd, Scottish-English biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1907)
- 1999 – Edward Williams, Australian lieutenant, pilot, and judge (b. 1921)
- 2000 – Sam Jaffe, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1901)
- 2004 – Spalding Gray, American actor and screenwriter (b. 1941)
- 2005 – Wasyly, Ukrainian-Canadian bishop (b. 1909)
- 2005 – Jack Horner, American journalist (b. 1912)
- 2005 – Princess Joséphine Charlotte of Belgium (b. 1927)
- 2007 – Carlo Ponti, Italian film producer (b. 1912)
- 2007 – Bradford Washburn, American explorer, photographer, and cartographer (b. 1910)
- 2008 – Christopher Bowman, American figure skater and actor (b. 1967)
- 2008 – Maila Nurmi, Finnish-American actress, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1922)
- 2010 – Patcha Ramachandra Rao, Indian metallurgist, educator and administrator (b. 1942)
- 2011 – Margaret Whiting, American singer (b. 1924)
- 2012 – Jean Pigott, Canadian businesswoman and politician (b. 1924)
- 2012 – Gevork Vartanian, Russian intelligence agent (b. 1924)
- 2013 – George Gruntz, Swiss pianist and composer (b. 1932)
- 2013 – Claude Nobs, Swiss businessman, founded the Montreux Jazz Festival (b. 1936)
- 2014 – Petr Hlaváček, Czech shoemaker and academic (b. 1950)
- 2014 – Zbigniew Messner, Polish economist and politician, 9th Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland (b. 1929)
- 2014 – Larry Speakes, American journalist, 16th White House Press Secretary (b. 1939)
- 2015 – Junior Malanda, Belgian footballer (b. 1994)
- 2015 – Taylor Negron, American actor, playwright, and painter (b. 1957)
- 2015 – Francesco Rosi, Italian director and screenwriter (b. 1922)
- 2015 – Robert Stone, American novelist and short story writer (b. 1937)
- 2016 – Wim Bleijenberg, Dutch footballer and manager (b. 1930)
- 2016 – David Bowie, English singer-songwriter, producer, and actor (b. 1947)
- 2016 – George Jonas, Hungarian-Canadian journalist, author, and poet (b. 1935)
- 2017 – Buddy Greco, American jazz and pop singer and pianist (b. 1926)
- 2017 – Clare Hollingworth, English journalist (b. 1911)
- 2020 – Qaboos bin Said, Ruler Of Oman (b. 1940)
Holidays and observances on January 10
- Christian feast day:
  
  Gregory of Nyssa
  
  Leonie Aviat
  
  Obadiah (Coptic Church)
  
  Peter Orseolo
  
  Pope Agatho (Roman Catholic)
  
  William Laud (Anglican Communion)
  
  William of Donjeon
  
  January 10 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Fête du Vodoun (Benin)
- Margaret Thatcher Day (Falkland Islands)
- Majority Rule Day (Bahamas)
Read More January 10 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day
On This Day

January 8 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day
January 8 in History
- 307 – Jin Huaidi becomes emperor of China in succession to his father, Jin Huidi, despite a challenge from his uncle, Sima Ying
- 871 – Alfred the Great leads a West Saxon army to repel an invasion by Danelaw Vikings.
- 1297 – François Grimaldi, disguised as a monk, leads his men to capture the fortress protecting the Rock of Monaco, establishing his family as the rulers of Monaco
- 1454 – The papal bull Romanus Pontifex awards the Kingdom of Portugal exclusive trade and colonization rights to all of Africa south of Cape Bojador
- 1499 – Louis XII of France marries Anne of Brittany in accordance with a law set by his predecessor, Charles VIII.
- 1547 – The first Lithuanian-language book, the Catechism of Martynas Mažvydas, is published in Königsberg.
- 1735 – The premiere of George Frideric Handel’s Ariodante takes place at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
- 1746 – Second Jacobite rising: Bonnie Prince Charlie occupies Stirling.
- 1790 – George Washington delivers the first State of the Union address in New York City.
- 1806 – Cape Colony in southern Africa becomes a British colony as a result of the Battle of Blaauwberg.
- 1811 – An unsuccessful slave revolt is led by Charles Deslondes in the north American settlements of St. Charles and St. James, Louisiana.
- 1815 – War of 1812: Battle of New Orleans: Andrew Jackson leads American forces in victory over the British.
- 1828 – The Democratic Party of the United States is organized.
- 1835 – The United States national debt is zero for the only time.
- 1863 – American Civil War: Second Battle of Springfield.
- 1867 – African American men are granted the right to vote in Washington, D.C.
- 1877 – Crazy Horse and his warriors fight their last battle against the United States Cavalry at Wolf Mountain, Montana Territory.
- 1889 – Herman Hollerith is issued US patent #395,791 for the ‘Art of Applying Statistics’ — his punched card calculator.
- 1904 – The Blackstone Library is dedicated, marking the beginning of the Chicago Public Library system.
- 1912 – The African National Congress is founded, under the name South African Native National Congress (SANNC).
- 1918 – U.S. President Woodrow Wilson announces his “Fourteen Points” for the aftermath of World War I.
- 1920 – The steel strike of 1919 ends in failure for the Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers labor union.
- 1926 – Crown Prince Nguyễn Phúc Vĩnh Thuỵ ascends the throne to become the last monarch of Vietnam.
- 1926 – Abdul-Aziz ibn Saud is crowned King of Hejaz.
- 1936 – Kashf-e hijab decree is made and immediately enforced by Reza Shah, Iran’s head of state, banning the wearing of Islamic veils in public.
- 1940 – World War II: Britain introduces food rationing.
- 1945 – World War II: Philippine Commonwealth troops under the Philippine Commonwealth Army units enter the province of Ilocos Sur in Northern Luzon and attack Japanese Imperial forces.
- 1956 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. missionaries are killed by the Huaorani of Ecuador shortly after making contact with them.
- 1959 – Charles de Gaulle is proclaimed as the first President of the French Fifth Republic.
- 1961 – In France a referendum supports Charles de Gaulle’s policies in Algeria.
- 1963 – Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa is exhibited in the United States for the first time, at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
- 1964 – President Lyndon B. Johnson declares a “War on Poverty” in the United States.
- 1972 – Bowing to international pressure, President of Pakistan Zulfikar Ali Bhutto releases Bengali leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from prison, who had been arrested after declaring the independence of Bangladesh.
- 1973 – Soviet space mission Luna 21 is launched.
- 1973 – Watergate scandal: The trial of seven men accused of illegal entry into Democratic Party headquarters at Watergate begins.
- 1975 – Ella T. Grasso becomes Governor of Connecticut, the first woman to serve as a Governor in the United States other than by succeeding her husband.
- 1977 – Three bombs explode in Moscow, Russia, Soviet Union, within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group.
- 1981 – A local farmer reports a UFO sighting in Trans-en-Provence, France, claimed to be “perhaps the most completely and carefully documented sighting of all time”.
- 1982 – Breakup of the Bell System: AT&T agrees to divest itself of twenty-two subdivisions.
- 1989 – Kegworth air disaster: British Midland Flight 92, a Boeing 737-400, crashes into the M1 motorway, killing 47 of the 126 people on board.
- 1994 – Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov on Soyuz TM-18 leaves for Mir. He would stay on the space station until March 22, 1995, for a record 437 days in space.
- 1996 – An Antonov An-32 cargo aircraft crashes into a crowded market in Kinshasa, Zaire, killing up to 223 on the ground; two of six crew members are also killed.
- 2002 – President George W. Bush signs into law the No Child Left Behind Act.
- 2003 – Turkish Airlines Flight 634 crashes near Diyarbakır Airport, Turkey, killing the entire crew and 70 of the 75 passengers.
- 2003 – Air Midwest Flight 5481 crashes at Charlotte-Douglas Airport, Charlotte, North Carolina, killing all 21 people on board.
- 2004 – The RMS Queen Mary 2, then the largest ocean liner ever built, is christened by her namesake’s granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II.
- 2005 – The nuclear sub USS San Francisco collides at full speed with an undersea mountain south of Guam. One man is killed, but the sub surfaces and is repaired.
- 2009 – A 6.1-magnitude earthquake in northern Costa Rica kills 15 people and injures 32.
- 2010 – Gunmen from an offshoot the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda attack a bus carrying the Togo national football team on its way to the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, killing three.
- 2011 – The attempted assassination of Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords and subsequent shooting in Casas Adobes, Arizona, in which five people were shot dead.
- 2016 – Joaquín Guzmán, widely regarded as the world’s most powerful drug trafficker, is recaptured following his escape from a maximum security prison in Mexico.
- 2020 – Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 crashes immediately after takeoff at Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport; all 176 on board are killed. The plane was shot down by an Iranian anti-aircraft missile.
Births on January 8
- 1037 – Su Dongpo, Chinese calligrapher and poet (d. 1101)
- 1345 – Kadi Burhan al-Din, poet, kadi, and ruler of Sivas (d. 1398)
- 1462 – Walraven II van Brederode, Dutch nobleman (d. 1531)
- 1529 – John Frederick II, duke of Saxony (d. 1595)
- 1556 – Uesugi Kagekatsu, Japanese daimyō (d. 1623)
- 1583 – Simon Episcopius, Dutch theologian and academic (d. 1643)
- 1587 – Johannes Fabricius, German astronomer and academic (d. 1616)
- 1587 – Jan Pieterszoon Coen, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies (d. 1629
- 1589 – Ivan Gundulić, Croatian poet and playwright (d. 1638)
- 1601 – Baltasar Gracián, Spanish priest and author (d. 1658)
- 1628 – François-Henri de Montmorency, duc de Luxembourg, French general (d. 1695)
- 1632 – Samuel von Pufendorf, German economist and jurist (d. 1694)
- 1635 – Luis Manuel Fernández de Portocarrero, Spanish cardinal (d. 1709)
- 1638 – Elisabetta Sirani, Italian painter (d. 1665)
- 1735 – John Carroll, American archbishop, founder of Georgetown University (d. 1815)
- 1763 – Edmond-Charles Genêt, French-American translator and diplomat (d. 1834)
- 1786 – Nicholas Biddle, American banker and financier (d. 1844)
- 1788 – Rudolf of Austria, Austrian archduke and archbishop (d. 1831)
- 1792 – Lowell Mason, American composer and educator (d. 1872)
- 1805 – John Bigler, American lawyer, politician, and diplomat, 3rd Governor of California (d. 1871)
- 1805 – Orson Hyde, American religious leader, 3rd President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (d. 1878)
- 1812 – Sigismond Thalberg, Swiss pianist and composer (d. 1871)
- 1817 – Theophilus Shepstone, English-South African politician (d. 1893)
- 1821 – James Longstreet, American general and diplomat, United States Ambassador to Turkey (d. 1904)
- 1823 – Alfred Russel Wallace, Welsh geographer, biologist, and explorer (d. 1913)
- 1824 – Wilkie Collins, English novelist, playwright, and short story writer (d. 1889)
- 1824 – Francisco González Bocanegra, Mexican poet and composer (d. 1861)
- 1830 – Hans von Bülow, German pianist and composer (d. 1894)
- 1836 – Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Dutch-English painter and academic (d. 1912)
- 1843 – Frederick Abberline, English police officer (d. 1929)
- 1843 – Karl Eduard Heusner, German admiral (d. 1891)
- 1852 – James Milton Carroll, American pastor and author (d. 1931)
- 1854 – Fanny Bullock Workman, American mountaineer, geographer, and cartographer (d. 1925)
- 1860 – Emma Booth, English author (d. 1903)
- 1862 – Frank Nelson Doubleday, American publisher, founded the Doubleday Publishing Company (d. 1934)
- 1864 – Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale (d. 1892)
- 1865 – Winnaretta Singer, American philanthropist (d. 1943)
- 1866 – William G. Conley, American educator and politician, 18th Governor of West Virginia (d. 1940)
- 1867 – Emily Greene Balch, American economist and author, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1961)
- 1870 – Miguel Primo de Rivera, Spanish general and politician, Prime Minister of Spain (d. 1930)
- 1871 – James Craig, 1st Viscount Craigavon, Irish captain and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Northern Ireland (d. 1940)
- 1873 – Iuliu Maniu, Romanian lawyer and politician, 32nd Prime Minister of Romania (d. 1953)
- 1876 – Arturs Alberings, Latvian lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of Latvia (d. 1934)
- 1879 – Charles Bryant, English-American actor and director (d. 1948)
- 1881 – Henrik Shipstead, American dentist and politician (d. 1960)
- 1881 – Linnie Marsh Wolfe, American librarian and author (d. 1945)
- 1883 – Pavel Filonov, Russian painter and poet (d. 1941)
- 1883 – Patrick J. Hurley, American general, politician, and diplomat, 51st United States Secretary of War (d. 1963)
- 1885 – John Curtin, Australian journalist and politician, 14th Prime Minister of Australia (d. 1945)
- 1885 – Mór Kóczán, Hungarian javelin thrower and pastor (d. 1972)
- 1885 – A. J. Muste, Dutch-American pastor and activist (d. 1967)
- 1888 – Richard Courant, German-American mathematician and academic (d. 1972)
- 1891 – Walther Bothe, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1957)
- 1891 – Storm Jameson, English journalist and author (d. 1986)
- 1891 – Bronislava Nijinska, Russian dancer and choreographer (d. 1972) name=”Jöckle1995″>Clemens Jöckle (1995). Encyclopedia of Saints. Alpine Fine Arts Collection. p. 319. ISBN 978-0-88168-226-7.</ref>
- 1896 – Jaromír Weinberger, Czech-American composer and academic (d. 1967)
- 1897 – Dennis Wheatley, English soldier and author (d. 1977)
- 1899 – S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician, 4th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (d. 1959)
- 1900 – Dorothy Adams, American character actress (d. 1988)
- 1900 – Merlyn Myer, Australian philanthropist (d. 1982)
- 1902 – Georgy Malenkov, Russian engineer and politician (d. 1988)
- 1902 – Carl Rogers, American psychologist and academic (d. 1987)
- 1904 – Karl Brandt, German physician and SS officer (d. 1948)
- 1904 – Tampa Red, American guitarist and songwriter (d. 1981)
- 1905 – Carl Gustav Hempel, German philosopher from the Vienna and the Berlin Circle (d. 1997)
- 1905 – Giacinto Scelsi, Italian composer and poet (d. 1988)
- 1906 – Serge Poliakoff, Russian-French painter (d. 1969)
- 1907 – Keizō Hayashi, Japanese general and civil servant (d. 1991)
- 1908 – Fearless Nadia, Australian-Indian actress and stuntwoman (d. 1996)
- 1908 – William Hartnell, English actor (d. 1975)
- 1909 – Ashapoorna Devi, Indian author and poet (d. 1995)
- 1909 – Willy Millowitsch, German actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1999)
- 1909 – Bruce Mitchell, South African cricketer (d. 1995)
- 1909 – Evelyn Wood, American author and educator (d. 1995)
- 1910 – Galina Ulanova, Russian actress and ballerina (d. 1998)
- 1911 – Gypsy Rose Lee, American actress, dancer, and author (d. 1970)
- 1912 – José Ferrer, Puerto Rican-American actor and director (d. 1992)
- 1912 – Lawrence Walsh, Canadian-American lawyer, judge, and politician, 4th United States Deputy Attorney General (d. 2014)
- 1915 – Walker Cooper, American baseball player and manager (d. 1991)
- 1917 – Peter Matthew Hillsman Taylor, American novelist, short story writer, and playwright (d. 1994)
- 1922 – Dale D. Myers, American engineer (d. 2015)
- 1923 – Larry Storch, American actor and comedian
- 1923 – Giorgio Tozzi, American opera singer and actor (d. 2011)
- 1923 – Johnny Wardle, English cricketer (d. 1985)
- 1923 – Joseph Weizenbaum, German-American computer scientist and author (d. 2008)
- 1924 – Benjamin Lees, Chinese-American soldier and composer (d. 2010)
- 1924 – Ron Moody, English actor and singer (d. 2015)
- 1925 – Mohan Rakesh, Indian author and playwright (d. 1972)
- 1926 – Evelyn Lear, American operatic soprano (d. 2012)
- 1926 – Lazzaro Donati, Italian artist (d. 1977)
- 1926 – Kerwin Mathews, American actor (d. 2007)
- 1926 – Kelucharan Mohapatra, Indian dancer and choreographer (d. 2004)
- 1926 – Hanae Mori, Japanese fashion designer
- 1926 – Soupy Sales, American comedian and actor (d. 2009)
- 1927 – Charles Tomlinson, English poet and academic (d. 2015)
- 1928 – Slade Gorton, American colonel, lawyer, and politician, 14th Attorney General of Washington
- 1928 – Gaston Miron, Canadian poet and author (d. 1996)
- 1928 – Luther Perkins, American country guitarist (d. 1968)
- 1929 – Saeed Jaffrey, Indian-British actor (d. 2015)
- 1931 – Bill Graham, German-American businessman (d. 1991)
- 1931 – Clarence Benjamin Jones, American lawyer and scholar
- 1933 – Nolan Miller, American fashion and jewelry designer (d. 2012)
- 1933 – Charles Osgood, American soldier and journalist
- 1933 – Jean-Marie Straub, French director and screenwriter
- 1933 – Willie Tasby, American baseball player
- 1934 – Jacques Anquetil, French cyclist (d. 1987)
- 1934 – Gene Freese, American baseball player and manager (d. 2013)
- 1934 – Roy Kinnear, British actor (d. 1988)
- 1934 – Alexandra Ripley, American author (d. 2004)
- 1935 – Lewis H. Lapham, American publisher, founded Lapham’s Quarterly
- 1935 – Elvis Presley, American singer, guitarist, and actor (d. 1977)
- 1936 – Zdeněk Mácal, Czech-American conductor
- 1936 – Robert May, Baron May of Oxford, Australian-English zoologist, ecologist, and academic (d. 2020)
- 1937 – Shirley Bassey, Welsh singer
- 1938 – Bob Eubanks, American game show host and producer
- 1938 – Yevgeny Nesterenko, Russian opera singer and educator
- 1939 – Carolina Herrera, Venezuelan-American fashion designer
- 1939 – Ruth Maleczech, American actress (d. 2013)
- 1939 – Alan Wilson, English mathematician and academic
- 1940 – Mark Bretscher, English biologist and academic
- 1940 – Cristy Lane, American country and gospel singer
- 1941 – Graham Chapman, English actor and screenwriter (d. 1989)
- 1942 – Stephen Hawking, English physicist and author (d. 2018)
- 1942 – Junichirō Koizumi, Japanese politician, 56th Prime Minister of Japan
- 1942 – Yvette Mimieux, American actress
- 1942 – Royce Waltman, American basketball player and coach (d. 2014)
- 1943 – Charles Murray, American political scientist and author
- 1944 – Terry Brooks, American lawyer and author
- 1945 – Nancy Bond, American author and academic
- 1945 – Phil Beal, English footballer, defender
- 1945 – Kadir Topbaş, Turkish architect and politician, 31st Mayor of Istanbul
- 1946 – Robby Krieger, American guitarist and songwriter
- 1946 – Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, Mexican drug lord
- 1947 – Don Bendell, American rancher and author
- 1947 – David Bowie, English singer-songwriter, producer, and actor (d. 2016)
- 1947 – David Gates, American journalist and novelist
- 1947 – Antti Kalliomäki, Finnish pole vaulter and politician
- 1947 – Luke Williams, New Zealand-American wrestler
- 1948 – Gillies MacKinnon, Scottish director and screenwriter
- 1949 – Lawrence Rowe, Jamaican cricketer
- 1951 – Kenny Anthony, Saint Lucian politician, 5th Prime Minister of Saint Lucia
- 1951 – Karen Tei Yamashita, American author and academic
- 1952 – Vladimir Feltsman, Russian-American pianist and educator
- 1952 – Peter McCullagh, Irish mathematician and academic
- 1953 – Bruce Sutter, American baseball player
- 1954 – Konstantinos Kypriotis, Greek martial artist (d. 1995)
- 1955 – Spiros Livathinos, Greek footballer and coach
- 1955 – Mike Reno, Canadian singer and drummer
- 1957 – Nacho Duato, Spanish dancer and choreographer
- 1958 – Betsy DeVos, American businesswoman and politician, 11th Secretary of Education
- 1958 – Rey Misterio, Sr., Mexican wrestler, trainer, and actor
- 1959 – Kim Duk-koo, South Korean boxer (d. 1982)
- 1959 – Paul Hester, Australian drummer (d. 2005)
- 1960 – Dave Weckl, American drummer
- 1961 – Calvin Smith, American sprinter
- 1966 – Willie Anderson, American basketball player
- 1966 – Igor Vyazmikin, Russian ice hockey player (d. 2009)
- 1966 – Andrew Wood, American singer-songwriter (d. 1990)
- 1967 – Torsten Gowitzke, German footballer and manager
- 1967 – Steven Jacobs, Australian television host and actor
- 1967 – R. Kelly, American singer-songwriter, record producer, and former professional basketball player
- 1967 – Tom Watson, English politician
- 1971 – Jason Giambi, American baseball player
- 1971 – Jesper Jansson, Swedish footballer
- 1971 – Pascal Zuberbühler, Swiss footballer and coach
- 1972 – Paul Clement, English footballer, coach, and manager
- 1972 – Giuseppe Favalli, Italian footballer
- 1973 – Mike Cameron, American baseball player
- 1975 – Harris Jayaraj, Indian composer and producer
- 1976 – Kenneth Andam, Ghanaian sprinter and businessman
- 1976 – Carl Pavano, American baseball player
- 1977 – Amber Benson, American actress, writer, director, and producer
- 1977 – Francesco Coco, Italian footballer
- 1979 – Seol Ki-hyeon, South Korean footballer and manager
- 1979 – Adrian Mutu, Romanian footballer
- 1979 – Stipe Pletikosa, Croatian footballer
- 1979 – Sarah Polley, Canadian actress, director, and screenwriter
- 1980 – Adam Goodes, Australian footballer
- 1980 – Rachel Nichols, American actress and producer
- 1981 – Jeff Francis, Canadian baseball player
- 1981 – Trent Waterhouse, Australian rugby league player
- 1982 – Gaby Hoffmann, American actress
- 1983 – Jon Daly, Irish footballer
- 1984 – Jeff Francoeur, American baseball player
- 1984 – Jeon Ji-ae, South Korean actress
- 1984 – Kim Jong-un, North Korean soldier and politician, 3rd Supreme Leader of North Korea (probable)
- 1986 – David Silva, Spanish footballer
- 1988 – Adrián López, Spanish footballer
- 1988 – Michael Mancienne, English footballer
- 1989 – Aaron Cruden, New Zealand rugby player
- 1991 – Josh Hazlewood, Australian cricketer
- 1991 – Stefan Johansen, Norwegian footballer
- 1991 – Stefan Savić, Montenegrin footballer
- 1991 – Shin Ji-min, South Korean singer and rapper
- 1992 – Stefanie Dolson, American basketball player
- 1992 – Koke, Spanish footballer
- 1992 – Apostolos Vellios, Greek footballer
Deaths on January 8
- 307 – Hui of Jin, Chinese emperor (b. 259)
- 482 – Severinus of Noricum, Italian apostle and saint
- 871 – Bagsecg, Viking warrior and leader
- 926 – Athelm, archbishop of Canterbury
- 1079 – Adèle of France, countess of Flanders (b. 1009)
- 1107 – Edgar, king of Scotland (b. 1074)
- 1198 – Celestine III, pope of the Catholic Church (b. 1106)
- 1332 – Andronikos III, emperor of Trebizond
- 1337 – Giotto, Italian painter and architect, designed Scrovegni Chapel and Giotto’s Campanile (b. 1266)
- 1354 – Charles de La Cerda, French nobleman (b. 1327)
- 1424 – Stephen Zaccaria, archbishop of Patras
- 1456 – Lawrence Giustiniani, Italian bishop and saint (b. 1381)
- 1464 – Thomas Ebendorfer, Austrian historian and academic (b. 1385)
- 1538 – Beatrice of Portugal, duchess of Savoy (b. 1504)
- 1557 – Albert Alcibiades, margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach (b. 1522)
- 1570 – Philibert de l’Orme, French sculptor and architect, designed the Château d’Anet (b. 1510)
- 1598 – John George, Elector of Brandenburg (b. 1525)
- 1642 – Galileo Galilei, Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher (b. 1564)
- 1664 – Moses Amyraut, French physician and theologian (b. 1596)
- 1707 – John Dalrymple, 1st Earl of Stair, Scottish soldier and politician, Scottish Secretary of State (b. 1648)
- 1713 – Arcangelo Corelli, Italian violinist and composer (b. 1653)
- 1775 – John Baskerville, English printer and type designer (b. 1706)
- 1789 – Jack Broughton, English boxer (b. 1703)
- 1794 – Justus Möser, German lawyer and jurist (b. 1720)
- 1815 – Edward Pakenham, Anglo-Irish general and politician (b. 1778)
- 1825 – Eli Whitney, American engineer and theorist, invented the cotton gin (b. 1765)
- 1853 – Mihály Bertalanits, Slovene-Hungarian poet and educator (b. 1788)
- 1854 – William Beresford, 1st Viscount Beresford, English field marshal and politician, Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance (b. 1768)
- 1865 – Aimé, duc de Clermont-Tonnerre, French general and politician, French Minister of Defence (b. 1779)
- 1874 – Charles Étienne Brasseur de Bourbourg, French historian and archaeologist (b. 1814)
- 1878 – Nikolay Nekrasov, Russian poet and critic (b. 1821)
- 1878 – Gauchito Gil, Argentinian saint (b. 1847)
- 1880 – Emperor Norton, English-American businessman (b. 1811)
- 1883 – Miska Magyarics, Slovene-Hungarian poet (b. 1825)
- 1896 – William Rainey Marshall, American banker and politician, 5th Governor of Minnesota (b. 1825)
- 1896 – Paul Verlaine, French poet and writer (b. 1844)
- 1901 – John Barry, Irish soldier, Victoria Cross recipient (b. 1873)
- 1912 – Friedrich Schrempf, German journalist and politician (b. 1858)
- 1914 – Simon Bolivar Buckner, American general and 30th Governor of Kentucky (b. 1823)
- 1916 – Rembrandt Bugatti, Italian sculptor (b. 1884)
- 1916 – Ada Rehan, Irish-American actress (b. 1860)
- 1918 – Johannes Pääsuke, Estonian photographer and director (b. 1892)
- 1918 – Ellis H. Roberts, American journalist and politician, 20th Treasurer of the United States (b. 1827)
- 1920 – Josef Josephi, Polish-born singer and actor (b.1852)
- 1925 – George Bellows, American painter (b.1882)
- 1934 – Andrei Bely, Russian novelist, poet, and critic (b. 1880)
- 1934 – Alexandre Stavisky, Ukrainian-French financier (b. 1886)
- 1935 – Rauf Yekta, Turkish musicologist and author (b. 1871)
- 1938 – Johnny Gruelle, American author and illustrator (b. 1880)
- 1941 – Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, English general (b. 1857)
- 1942 – Joseph Franklin Rutherford, American lawyer and religious leader (b. 1869)
- 1943 – Richard Hillary, Australian pilot and author (b. 1919)
- 1943 – Andres Larka, Estonian general and politician, 1st Estonian Minister of War (b. 1879)
- 1944 – William Kissam Vanderbilt II, American lieutenant and sailor (b. 1878)
- 1945 – Karl Ernst Krafft, Swiss astrologer and author (b. 1900)
- 1948 – Kurt Schwitters, German painter and graphic designer (b. 1887)
- 1950 – Joseph Schumpeter, Czech-American economist and academic (b. 1883)
- 1952 – Antonia Maury, American astronomer and astrophysicist (b. 1866)
- 1953 – Hugh Binney, English admiral and politician, 16th Governor of Tasmania (b. 1883)
- 1954 – Eduard Wiiralt, Estonian-French painter and illustrator (b. 1898)
- 1956 – Jim Elliot, American missionary and martyr (b. 1928)
- 1958 – Mary Colter, American architect, designed the Desert View Watchtower (b. 1869)
- 1961 – Schoolboy Rowe, American baseball player and coach (b. 1910)
- 1963 – Kay Sage, American painter (b. 1898)
- 1969 – Albert Hill, English runner and coach (b. 1889)
- 1969 – Elmar Kaljot, Estonian footballer and coach (b. 1901)
- 1970 – Georges Guibourg, French actor, singer, and playwright (b. 1891)
- 1972 – Kenneth Patchen, American poet and author (b. 1911)
- 1975 – Richard Tucker, American tenor (b. 1913)
- 1976 – Zhou Enlai, Chinese soldier and politician, 1st Premier of the People’s Republic of China (b. 1898)
- 1976 – Robert Forgan, Scottish-English physician and politician (b. 1891)
- 1979 – Sara Carter, American singer-songwriter and harp player (b. 1898)
- 1980 – John Mauchly, American physicist and academic (b. 1907)
- 1981 – Matthew Beard, American actor (b. 1925)
- 1982 – Grégoire Aslan, Swiss-English actor and screenwriter (b. 1908)
- 1983 – Gerhard Barkhorn, German general and pilot (b. 1919)
- 1983 – Tom McCall, American journalist and politician, 30th Governor of Oregon (b. 1913)
- 1983 – Gale Page, American actress (b. 1910)
- 1984 – Eerik Kumari, Estonian ornithologist and academic (b. 1912)
- 1986 – Pierre Fournier, French cellist and educator (b. 1906)
- 1990 – Bernard Krigstein, American illustrator (b. 1919)
- 1990 – Terry-Thomas, English actor and comedian (b. 1911)
- 1991 – Steve Clark, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1960)
- 1994 – Pat Buttram, American actor and comedian (b. 1915)
- 1994 – Harvey Haddix, American baseball player and coach (b. 1925)
- 1996 – Metin Göktepe, Turkish photographer and journalist (b. 1968)
- 1996 – François Mitterrand, French sergeant and politician, 21st President of France (b. 1916)
- 1996 – Howard Taubman, American author and critic (b. 1907)
- 1997 – Melvin Calvin, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1911)
- 1998 – Michael Tippett, English composer and conductor (b. 1905)
- 2002 – Alexander Prokhorov, Australian-Russian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1916)
- 2002 – Dave Thomas, American businessman and philanthropist, founded Wendy’s (b. 1932)
- 2003 – Ron Goodwin, English composer and conductor (b. 1925)
- 2004 – John A. Gambling, American radio host (b. 1930)
- 2006 – Tony Banks, Baron Stratford, Northern Irish broadcaster and politician, Minister for Sport and the Olympics (b. 1943)
- 2007 – Jane Bolin, American lawyer and judge (b. 1908)
- 2007 – Arthur Cockfield, Baron Cockfield, English lawyer and politician, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (b. 1916)
- 2007 – Yvonne De Carlo, Canadian-American actress and singer (b. 1922)
- 2007 – David Ervine, Northern Irish politician and activist (b. 1953)
- 2007 – Iwao Takamoto, American animator, director, and producer (b. 1925)
- 2008 – George Moore, Australian jockey and trainer (b. 1923)
- 2009 – Lasantha Wickrematunge, Sri Lankan Journalist (b. 1958)
- 2010 – Art Clokey, American animator, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1921)
- 2011 – Jiří Dienstbier, Czech journalist and politician (b. 1937)
- 2011 – Thorbjørn Svenssen, Norwegian footballer (b. 1924)
- 2012 – Dave Alexander, American singer and pianist (b. 1938)
- 2012 – T. J. Hamblin, English haematologist and academic (b. 1943)
- 2012 – John Madin, English architect, designed the Birmingham Central Library (b. 1924)
- 2012 – Bernhard Schrader, German chemist and academic (b. 1931)
- 2012 – Alexis Weissenberg, Bulgarian-French pianist and educator (b. 1929)
- 2013 – Kenojuak Ashevak, Canadian sculptor and illustrator (b. 1927)
- 2013 – Jeanne Manford, American educator and activist, co-founded PFLAG (b. 1920)
- 2013 – Alasdair Milne, Indian-English director and producer (b. 1930)
- 2014 – Vicente T. Blaz, American general and politician (b. 1928)
- 2014 – Madeline Gins, American poet and architect (b. 1941)
- 2014 – Irma Heijting-Schuhmacher, Dutch-Australian swimmer (b. 1925)
- 2014 – Antonino P. Roman, Filipino lawyer and politician (b. 1939)
- 2015 – Andraé Crouch, American singer-songwriter, producer, and pastor (b. 1942)
- 2015 – Kep Enderby, Australian lawyer, judge, and politician, 23rd Attorney-General for Australia (b. 1926)
- 2015 – Patsy Garrett, American actress and singer (b. 1921)
- 2016 – Maria Teresa de Filippis, Italian racing driver (b. 1926)
- 2016 – German Moreno, Filipino television host, actor, comedian and talent manager (b. 1933)
- 2017 – Nicolai Gedda, Swedish operatic tenor (b. 1925)
- 2017 – James Mancham, Seychellois politician (b. 1939)
- 2017 – Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Iranian politician (b. 1934)
- 2017 – Peter Sarstedt, Indian-British singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1941)
- 2020 – Pat Dalton, Australian rules footballer (b. 1942)
- 2020 – Buck Henry, American actor, screenwriter, and director (b. 1930)
Holidays and observances on January 8
- Babinden (Belarus, Russia)
- Christian feast day:
  
  Abo of Tiflis
  
  Apollinaris Claudius
  
  Blessed Eurosia Fabris
  
  Gauchito Gil (Folk Catholicism)
  
  Gudula
  
  Harriet Bedell (Episcopal Church (USA))
  
  Lawrence Giustiniani
  
  Lucian of Beauvais
  
  Maximus of Pavia
  
  Our Lady of Prompt Succor (Roman Catholic Church)
  
  Pega (Anglican and Roman Catholic churches)
  
  Severinus of Noricum
  
  Thorfinn of Hamar
  
  January 8 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Commonwealth Day (Northern Mariana Islands)
- Earliest day on which Children’s Day can fall, while January 14 is the latest; celebrated on the second Saturday in January. (Thailand)
- Earliest day on which Lee–Jackson Day can fall, while January 14 is the latest; celebrated on Friday before Martin Luther King Jr. Day. (Virginia)
- Typing Day (International observance)
Read More January 8 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day