1709

  • February 24 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    For superstitious reasons, when the Romans began to intercalate to bring their calendar into line with the solar year, they chose not to place their extra month of Mercedonius after February but within it. February 24 — known in the Roman calendar as “the sixth day before the Kalends of March” — was replaced by the first day of this month since it followed Terminalia, the festival of the Roman god of boundaries. After the end of Mercedonius, the rest of the days of February were observed and the new year began with the first day of March. The overlaid religious festivals of February were so complicated that Julius Caesar opted not to change it at all during his 46 bc calendar reform. The extra day of his system’s leap years was located in the same place as the old intercalary month but he opted to ignore it as a date. Instead, the sixth day before the Kalends of March was simply said to last for 48 hours and all the other days continued to bear their original names. (The Roman practice of inclusive counting initially caused the priests in charge of the calendar to add the extra hours every three years instead of every four and Augustus was obliged to omit them for a span of decades until the system was back to where it should have been.) When the extra hours finally began to be reckoned as two separate days instead of a doubled sixth (“bissextile”) one, the leap day was still taken to be the one following hard on the February 23 Terminalia. Although February 29 has been popularly understood as the leap day of leap years since the beginning of sequential reckoning of the days of months in the late Middle Ages, in Britain and most other countries, no formal replacement of February 24 as the leap day of the Julian and Gregorian calendars has occurred. The exceptions include Sweden and Finland, who enacted legislation to move the day to February 29. This custom still has some effect around the world, for example with respect to name days in Hungary.

    February 24 in History

    • 484 – King Huneric of the Vandals replaces Nicene bishops with Arian ones, and banishes some to Corsica.
    • 1303 – Battle of Roslin, of the First War of Scottish Independence.
    • 1386 – King Charles III of Naples and Hungary is assassinated at Buda.
    • 1525 – A Spanish-Austrian army defeats a French army at the Battle of Pavia.
    • 1538 – Treaty of Nagyvárad between Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I and King John Zápolya of Hungary and Croatia.
    • 1582 – With the papal bull Inter gravissimas, Pope Gregory XIII announces the Gregorian calendar.
    • 1607 – L’Orfeo by Claudio Monteverdi, one of the first works recognized as an opera, receives its première performance.
    • 1711 – The London première of Rinaldo by George Frideric Handel, the first Italian opera written for the London stage.
    • 1739 – Battle of Karnal: The army of Iranian ruler Nader Shah defeats the forces of the Mughal emperor of India, Muhammad Shah.
    • 1803 – In Marbury v. Madison, the Supreme Court of the United States establishes the principle of judicial review.
    • 1809 – London’s Drury Lane Theatre burns to the ground, leaving owner Richard Brinsley Sheridan destitute.
    • 1821 – Final stage of the Mexican War of Independence from Spain with Plan of Iguala.
    • 1822 – The first Swaminarayan temple in the world, Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Ahmedabad, is inaugurated.
    • 1826 – The signing of the Treaty of Yandabo marks the end of the First Anglo-Burmese War.
    • 1831 – The Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek, the first removal treaty in accordance with the Indian Removal Act, is proclaimed. The Choctaws in Mississippi cede land east of the river in exchange for payment and land in the West.
    • 1848 – King Louis-Philippe of France abdicates the throne.
    • 1854 – A Penny Red with perforations was the first perforated postage stamp to be officially issued for distribution.
    • 1863 – Arizona is organized as a United States territory.
    • 1868 – Andrew Johnson becomes the first President of the United States to be impeached by the United States House of Representatives. He is later acquitted in the Senate.
    • 1875 – The SS Gothenburg hits the Great Barrier Reef and sinks off the Australian east coast, killing approximately 100, including a number of high-profile civil servants and dignitaries.
    • 1881 – China and Russia sign the Sino-Russian Ili Treaty.
    • 1895 – Revolution breaks out in Baire, a town near Santiago de Cuba, beginning the Cuban War of Independence, that ends with the Spanish–American War in 1898.
    • 1916 – The Governor-General of Korea establishes a clinic called Jahyewon in Sorokdo to segregate Hansen’s disease patients.
    • 1917 – World War I: The U.S. ambassador Walter Hines Page to the United Kingdom is given the Zimmermann Telegram, in which Germany pledges to ensure the return of New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona to Mexico if Mexico declares war on the United States.
    • 1918 – Estonian Declaration of Independence.
    • 1920 – Nancy Astor becomes the first woman to speak in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom following her election as a Member of Parliament (MP) three months earlier.
    • 1920 – The Nazi Party (NSDAP) was founded by Adolf Hitler in the Hofbräuhaus beer hall in Munich, Germany
    • 1942 – The Battle of Los Angeles: A false alarm led to an anti-aircraft barrage that lasted into the early hours of February 25.
    • 1942 – An order-in-council passed under the Defence of Canada Regulations of the War Measures Act gives the Canadian federal government the power to intern all “persons of Japanese racial origin”.
    • 1944 – Merrill’s Marauders: The Marauders begin their 1,000-mile journey through Japanese-occupied Burma.
    • 1945 – Egyptian Premier Ahmad Mahir Pasha is killed in Parliament after reading a decree.
    • 1946 – Colonel Juan Perón, founder of the political movement that became known as Peronism, is elected to his first term as President of Argentina.
    • 1949 – The Armistice Agreements are signed, to formally end the hostilities of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.
    • 1968 – Vietnam War: The Tet Offensive is halted; South Vietnam recaptures Hué.
    • 1971 – The All India Forward Bloc holds an emergency central committee meeting after its chairman, Hemantha Kumar Bose, is killed three days earlier. P.K. Mookiah Thevar is appointed as the new chairman.
    • 1976 – The current constitution of Cuba is formally proclaimed.
    • 1978 – The Yuba County Five disappear in California. Four of their bodies are found four months later.
    • 1980 – The United States Olympic hockey team completes its Miracle on Ice by defeating Finland 4–2 to win the gold medal.
    • 1981 – The 6.7 Ms Gulf of Corinth earthquake affected Central Greece with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). Twenty-two people were killed, 400 were injured, and damage totaled $812 million.
    • 1983 – A special commission of the United States Congress condemns the Japanese American internment during World War II.
    • 1984 – Tyrone Mitchell perpetrates the 49th Street Elementary School shooting in Los Angeles, killing two children and injuring 12 more.
    • 1989 – United Airlines Flight 811, bound for New Zealand from Honolulu, rips open during flight, blowing nine passengers out of the business-class section.
    • 1991 – Gulf War: Ground troops cross the Saudi Arabian border and enter Iraq, thus beginning the ground phase of the war.
    • 1996 – Two civilian airplanes operated by the Miami-based group Brothers to the Rescue are shot down in international waters by the Cuban Air Force.
    • 1999 – China Southwest Airlines Flight 4509, a Tupolev Tu-154 aircraft, crashes on approach to Wenzhou Longwan International Airport in Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China. All 61 people on board are killed.
    • 2004 – The 6.3 Mw Al Hoceima earthquake strikes northern Morocco with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). At least 628 people are killed, 926 are injured, and up to 15,000 are displaced.
    • 2006 – Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declares Proclamation 1017 placing the country in a state of emergency in attempt to subdue a possible military coup.
    • 2007 – Japan launches its fourth spy satellite, stepping up its ability to monitor potential threats such as North Korea.
    • 2008 – Fidel Castro retires as the President of Cuba and the Council of Ministers after 32 years. He remains as head of the Communist Party for another three years.
    • 2015 – A Metrolink train derails in Oxnard, California following a collision with a truck, leaving more than 30 injured.
    • 2016 – Tara Air Flight 193, a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft, crashed, with 23 fatalities, in Solighopte, Myagdi District, Dhaulagiri Zone, while en route from Pokhara Airport to Jomsom Airport.

    Births on February 24

    • 1103 – Emperor Toba of Japan (d. 1156)
    • 1304 – Ibn Battuta, Moroccan jurist
    • 1413 – Louis, Duke of Savoy (d. 1465)
    • 1463 – Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, Italian philosopher (d. 1494)
    • 1494 – Johan Friis, Danish statesman (d. 1570)
    • 1500 – Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1558)
    • 1536 – Pope Clement VIII (d. 1605)
    • 1545 – John of Austria (d. 1578)
    • 1553 – Cherubino Alberti, Italian engraver and painter (d. 1615)
    • 1557 – Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1619)
    • 1593 – Henry de Vere, 18th Earl of Oxford, English soldier and courtier (d. 1625)
    • 1595 – Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski, Polish author and poet (d. 1640)
    • 1604 – Arcangela Tarabotti, Venetian nun and feminist (d. 1652)
    • 1619 – Charles Le Brun, French painter and theorist (d. 1690)
    • 1622 – Johannes Clauberg, German theologian and philosopher (d. 1665)
    • 1709 – Jacques de Vaucanson, French engineer (d. 1782)
    • 1721 – John McKinly, Irish-American physician and politician, 1st Governor of Delaware (d. 1796)
    • 1723 – John Burgoyne, English general and politician (d. 1792)
    • 1736 – Charles Alexander, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach (d. 1806)
    • 1743 – Joseph Banks, English botanist and explorer (d. 1820)
    • 1762 – Charles Frederick Horn, German-English composer and educator (d. 1830)
    • 1767 – Rama II of Siam (d. 1824)
    • 1774 – Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge (d. 1850)
    • 1786 – Martin W. Bates, American lawyer and politician (d. 1869)
    • 1786 – Wilhelm Grimm, German anthropologist, author, and academic (d. 1859)
    • 1788 – Johan Christian Dahl, Norwegian-German painter (d. 1857)
    • 1827 – Lydia Becker, English-French activist (d. 1890)
    • 1831 – Leo von Caprivi, German general and politician, Chancellor of Germany (d. 1899)
    • 1835 – Julius Vogel, English-New Zealand journalist and politician, 8th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1899)
    • 1836 – Winslow Homer, American painter and illustrator (d. 1910)
    • 1837 – Rosalía de Castro, Spanish poet (d. 1885)
    • 1842 – Arrigo Boito, Italian journalist, author, and composer (d. 1918)
    • 1848 – Andrew Inglis Clark, Australian engineer, lawyer, and politician (d. 1907)
    • 1852 – George Moore, Irish author, poet, and playwright (d. 1933)
    • 1868 – Édouard Alphonse James de Rothschild, French financier and polo player (d. 1949)
    • 1869 – Zara DuPont, American suffragist (d. 1946)
    • 1874 – Honus Wagner, American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 1955)
    • 1877 – Rudolph Ganz, Swiss pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1972)
    • 1877 – Ettie Rout, Australian-New Zealand educator and activist (d. 1936)
    • 1885 – Chester W. Nimitz, American admiral (d. 1966)
    • 1885 – Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, Polish author, poet, and painter (d. 1939)
    • 1890 – Marjorie Main, American actress (d. 1975)
    • 1896 – Richard Thorpe, American director and screenwriter (d. 1991)
    • 1898 – Kurt Tank, German pilot and engineer (d. 1983)
    • 1900 – Irmgard Bartenieff, German-American dancer and physical therapist, leading pioneer of dance therapy (d. 1981)
    • 1903 – Vladimir Bartol, Italian-Slovene author and playwright (d. 1967)
    • 1908 – Telford Taylor, American general, lawyer, and historian (d. 1998)
    • 1909 – August Derleth, American anthologist and author (d. 1971)
    • 1914 – Ralph Erskine, English-Swedish architect, designed The Ark and Byker Wall (d. 2005)
    • 1914 – Weldon Kees, American author, poet, painter, and pianist (d. 1955)
    • 1915 – Jim Ferrier, Australian golfer (d. 1986)
    • 1919 – John Carl Warnecke, American architect (d. 2010)
    • 1921 – Abe Vigoda, American actor (d. 2016)
    • 1922 – Richard Hamilton, English painter and academic (d. 2011)
    • 1922 – Steven Hill, American actor (d. 2016)
    • 1924 – Hal Herring, American football player and coach (d. 2014)
    • 1924 – Erik Nielsen, Canadian lawyer and politician, 3rd Deputy Prime Minister of Canada (d. 2008)
    • 1925 – Bud Day, American colonel and pilot, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 2013)
    • 1927 – Emmanuelle Riva, French actress (d. 2017)
    • 1929 – Kintaro Ohki, South Korean wrestler (d. 2006)
    • 1930 – Barbara Lawrence, American model and actress (d. 2013)
    • 1931 – Dominic Chianese, American actor and singer
    • 1931 – Brian Close, English cricketer and coach (d. 2015)
    • 1932 – Michel Legrand, French pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 2019)
    • 1932 – Zell Miller, American sergeant and politician, 79th Governor of Georgia (d. 2018)
    • 1932 – John Vernon, Canadian-American actor (d. 2005)
    • 1933 – Judah Folkman, American physician and biologist (d. 2008)
    • 1933 – Ali Mazrui, Kenyan-American political scientist, philosopher, and academic (d. 2014)
    • 1933 – David “Fathead” Newman, American saxophonist and composer (d. 2009)
    • 1934 – Bettino Craxi, Italian lawyer and politician, 45th Prime Minister of Italy (d. 2000)
    • 1934 – Johnny Hills, English footballer, full-back
    • 1934 – Renata Scotto, Italian soprano
    • 1935 – Ryhor Baradulin, Belarusian poet, essayist, and translator (d. 2014)
    • 1936 – Guillermo O’Donnell, Argentine political scientist (d. 2011)
    • 1938 – James Farentino, American actor (d. 2012)
    • 1938 – Phil Knight, American businessman and philanthropist, co-founded Nike, Inc.
    • 1939 – Jamal Nazrul Islam, Bangladeshi physicist and cosmologist (d. 2013)
    • 1940 – Pete Duel, American actor (d. 1971)
    • 1940 – Jimmy Ellis, American boxer (d. 2014)
    • 1940 – Denis Law, Scottish footballer and sportscaster
    • 1941 – Joanie Sommers, American singer and actress
    • 1942 – Colin Bond, Australian race car driver
    • 1942 – Paul Jones, English singer, harmonica player, and actor
    • 1942 – Joe Lieberman, American lawyer and politician
    • 1942 – Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Indian philosopher, theorist, and academic
    • 1943 – Kent Haruf, American novelist (d. 2014)
    • 1943 – Gigi Meroni, Italian footballer (d. 1967)
    • 1943 – Pablo Milanés, Cuban singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1943 – Terry Semel, American businessman
    • 1944 – Nicky Hopkins, English keyboard player (d. 1994)
    • 1944 – Ivica Račan, Croatian lawyer and politician, 7th Prime Minister of Croatia (d. 2007)
    • 1945 – Barry Bostwick, American actor and singer
    • 1946 – Grigory Margulis, Russian mathematician and academic
    • 1947 – Mike Fratello, American basketball player, coach, and sportscaster
    • 1947 – Rupert Holmes, English-American singer-songwriter and playwright
    • 1947 – Edward James Olmos, American actor and director
    • 1948 – Jayalalithaa, Indian actress and politician, 16th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu (d. 2016)
    • 1948 – Walter Smith, Scottish footballer and manager
    • 1948 – Tim Staffell, English singer and guitarist
    • 1948 – Dennis Waterman, English actor
    • 1950 – Steve McCurry, American photographer and journalist
    • 1951 – David Ford, Northern Irish social worker and politician
    • 1951 – Derek Randall, English cricketer
    • 1951 – Debra Jo Rupp, American actress
    • 1951 – Helen Shaver, Canadian actress and director
    • 1951 – Laimdota Straujuma, Latvian economist and politician, 12th Prime Minister of Latvia
    • 1953 – Anatoli Kozhemyakin, Soviet footballer (d. 1974)
    • 1954 – Plastic Bertrand, Belgian singer-songwriter and producer
    • 1954 – Judith Ortiz Cofer, Puerto Rican American award-winning author (d. 2016)
    • 1954 – Aurora Levins Morales, Puerto Rican Jewish writer and activist
    • 1954 – Sid Meier, Canadian-American game designer and programmer, created the Civilization series
    • 1954 – Mike Pickering, English DJ and saxophonist
    • 1955 – Steve Jobs, American businessman, co-founded Apple Inc. and Pixar (d. 2011)
    • 1955 – Eddie Johnson, American basketball player
    • 1955 – Alain Prost, French race car driver
    • 1956 – Judith Butler, American philosopher, theorist, and author
    • 1956 – Eddie Murray, American baseball player and coach
    • 1956 – Paula Zahn, American journalist and producer
    • 1958 – Sammy Kershaw, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1958 – Mark Moses, American actor
    • 1959 – Beth Broderick, American actress and director
    • 1959 – Mike Whitney, Australian cricketer and television host
    • 1963 – Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro
    • 1963 – Mike Vernon, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1963 – Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Gujarati family, most versatile filmmaker of Hindi cinema.
    • 1964 – Russell Ingall, British-Australian race car driver and sportscaster
    • 1965 – Paul Gruber, American football player
    • 1965 – Jane Swift, American businesswoman and politician, Governor of Massachusetts
    • 1966 – Billy Zane, American actor and producer
    • 1967 – Brian Schmidt, Australian astrophysicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1968 – Mitch Hedberg, American comedian and actor (d. 2005)
    • 1969 – Kim Seung-woo, South Korean actor
    • 1970 – Jeff Garcia, American football player and coach
    • 1970 – Neil Sullivan, English born Scottish international footballer, goalkeeper and coach
    • 1970 – Jonathan Ward, American actor
    • 1971 – Josh Bernstein, American anthropologist, explorer, and author
    • 1971 – Pedro de la Rosa, Spanish race car driver
    • 1971 – Brian Savage, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1972 – Teodor Currentzis, Greek conductor and composer
    • 1972 – Manon Rhéaume, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1973 – Stubby Clapp, Canadian baseball player and coach
    • 1973 – Chris Fehn, American drummer
    • 1973 – Alexei Kovalev, Russian ice hockey player and pilot
    • 1974 – Chad Hugo, American keyboard player, songwriter, and producer
    • 1974 – Mike Lowell, American baseball player and sportscaster
    • 1974 – Bonnie Somerville, American actress
    • 1975 – Ashley MacIsaac, Canadian singer-songwriter and fiddler
    • 1976 – Crista Flanagan, American actress and screenwriter
    • 1976 – Zach Johnson, American golfer
    • 1976 – Bradley McGee, Australian cyclist and coach
    • 1976 – Matt Skiba, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1976 – Marco Campos, Brazilian Formula 3000 race car driver (d. 1995)
    • 1977 – Jason Akermanis, Australian footballer and coach
    • 1977 – Bronson Arroyo, American baseball player and singer
    • 1977 – Floyd Mayweather, Jr., American boxer
    • 1978 – Gary, South Korean rapper and producer
    • 1978 – Shinya, Japanese drummer and songwriter
    • 1978 – John Nolan, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1978 – DeWayne Wise, American baseball player
    • 1978 – Leon Constantine, English footballer
    • 1980 – Shinsuke Nakamura, Japanese wrestler and mixed martial artist
    • 1981 – Felipe Baloy, Panamanian footballer
    • 1981 – Lleyton Hewitt, Australian tennis player
    • 1981 – Mauro Rosales, Argentinian footballer
    • 1981 – Mohammad Sami, Pakistani cricketer
    • 1982 – Nick Blackburn, American baseball player
    • 1982 – Emanuel Villa, Argentinian footballer
    • 1982 – Klára Koukalová, Czech tennis player
    • 1982 – Fala Chen, Chinese actress and singer
    • 1984 – Corey Graves, American wrestler and sportscaster
    • 1985 – Nakash Aziz, Indian playback singer and music composer
    • 1987 – Kim Kyu-jong, South Korean singer, dancer, and actor
    • 1988 – Mathieu Baudry, French footballer
    • 1989 – Trace Cyrus, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1991 – Madison Hubbell, American ice dancer
    • 1991 – Semih Kaya, Turkish footballer
    • 1996 – Royce Freeman, American football player

    Deaths on February 24

    • 616 – Æthelberht of Kent (b. 560)
    • 951 – Liu Yun, Chinese governor (jiedushi)
    • 1018 – Borrell, bishop of Vic
    • 1114 – Thomas, archbishop of York
    • 1386 – Charles III of Naples (b. 1345)
    • 1496 – Eberhard I, Duke of Württemberg (b. 1445)
    • 1525 – Jacques de La Palice, French nobleman and military officer (b. 1470)
    • 1525 – Guillaume Gouffier, seigneur de Bonnivet, French soldier (b. c. 1488)
    • 1525 – Richard de la Pole, last Yorkist claimant to the English throne (b. 1480)
    • 1563 – Francis, Duke of Guise (b. 1519)
    • 1580 – Henry FitzAlan, 19th Earl of Arundel, English nobleman (b. 1511)
    • 1588 – Johann Weyer, Dutch physician and occultist (b. 1515)
    • 1666 – Nicholas Lanier, English composer and painter (b. 1588)
    • 1685 – Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Carlisle, English general and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Cumberland (b. 1629)
    • 1704 – Marc-Antoine Charpentier, French composer (b. 1643)
    • 1714 – Edmund Andros, English courtier and politician, 4th Colonial Governor of New York (b. 1637)
    • 1721 – John Sheffield, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Normanby, English poet and politician, Lord President of the Council (b. 1648)
    • 1732 – Francis Charteris, Scottish soldier (b. 1675)
    • 1777 – Joseph I of Portugal (b. 1714)
    • 1785 – Carlo Buonaparte, Corsican lawyer and politician (b. 1746)
    • 1799 – Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, German physicist and academic (b. 1742)
    • 1810 – Henry Cavendish, French-English physicist and chemist (b. 1731)
    • 1812 – Étienne-Louis Malus, French physicist and mathematician (b. 1775)
    • 1815 – Robert Fulton, American engineer (b. 1765)
    • 1825 – Thomas Bowdler, English physician and philanthropist (b. 1754)
    • 1856 – Nikolai Lobachevsky, Russian mathematician and academic (b. 1792)
    • 1876 – Joseph Jenkins Roberts, American-Liberian politician, 1st President of Liberia (b. 1809)
    • 1879 – Shiranui Kōemon, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 11th Yokozuna (b. 1825)
    • 1910 – Osman Hamdi Bey, Greek archaeologist and painter (b. 1842)
    • 1914 – Joshua Chamberlain, American general and politician, 32nd Governor of Maine (b. 1828)
    • 1925 – Hjalmar Branting, Swedish journalist and politician, 16th Prime Minister of Sweden, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1860)
    • 1927 – Edward Marshall Hall, English lawyer and politician (b. 1858)
    • 1929 – André Messager, French pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1853)
    • 1930 – Hermann von Ihering, German-Brazilian zoologist (b. 1850)
    • 1953 – Robert La Follette Jr., American politician, senator of Wisconsin (b. 1895)
    • 1953 – Gerd von Rundstedt, German field marshal (b. 1875)
    • 1967 – Mir Osman Ali Khan, Last Nizam of Hyderabad State (b. 1886)
    • 1970 – Conrad Nagel, American actor (b. 1897)
    • 1974 – Margaret Leech, American historian and author (b. 1895)
    • 1975 – Hans Bellmer, German artist (b. 1902)
    • 1975 – Nikolai Bulganin, Russian marshal and politician, 6th Premier of the Soviet Union (b. 1895)
    • 1978 – Alma Thomas, American painter and educator (b.1891)
    • 1982 – Virginia Bruce, American actress (b. 1910)
    • 1986 – Rukmini Devi Arundale, Indian Bharatnatyam dancer (b. 1904)
    • 1986 – Tommy Douglas, Scottish-Canadian minister and politician, 7th Premier of Saskatchewan (b. 1904)
    • 1990 – Tony Conigliaro, American baseball player (b. 1945)
    • 1990 – Malcolm Forbes, American sergeant and publisher (b. 1917)
    • 1990 – Sandro Pertini, Italian journalist and politician, 7th President of Italy (b. 1896)
    • 1990 – Johnnie Ray, American singer-songwriter and pianist (b. 1927)
    • 1991 – John Daly, American journalist and game show host (b. 1914)
    • 1991 – George Gobel, American actor (b. 1919)
    • 1991 – Webb Pierce, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1921)
    • 1993 – Danny Gallivan, Canadian sportscaster (b. 1917)
    • 1993 – Bobby Moore, English footballer and manager (b. 1941)
    • 1994 – Jean Sablon, French singer and actor (b. 1906)
    • 1994 – Dinah Shore, American actress and singer (b. 1916)
    • 1998 – Antonio Prohías, Cuban-American cartoonist (b. 1921)
    • 1998 – Henny Youngman, English-American comedian and violinist (b. 1906)
    • 1999 – Andre Dubus, American short story writer, essayist, and memoirist (b. 1936)
    • 2001 – Theodore Marier, American composer and educator, founded the Boston Archdiocesan Choir School (b. 1912)
    • 2001 – Claude Shannon, American mathematician, cryptographer, and engineer (b. 1916)
    • 2002 – Leo Ornstein, Ukrainian-American pianist and composer (b. 1893)
    • 2004 – John Randolph, American actor (b. 1915)
    • 2005 – Coşkun Kırca, Turkish diplomat, journalist and politician (b. 1927)
    • 2006 – Octavia E. Butler, American author and educator (b. 1947)
    • 2006 – Don Knotts, American actor and comedian (b. 1924)
    • 2006 – John Martin, Canadian broadcaster, co-founded MuchMusic (b. 1947)
    • 2006 – Dennis Weaver, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1924)
    • 2007 – Bruce Bennett, American shot putter and actor (b. 1906)
    • 2007 – Damien Nash, American football player (b. 1982)
    • 2008 – Larry Norman, American singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1947)
    • 2010 – Dawn Brancheau, senior animal trainer at SeaWorld (b. 1969)
    • 2011 – Anant Pai, Indian author and illustrator (b. 1929)
    • 2012 – Agnes Allen, American baseball player and therapist (b. 1930)
    • 2012 – Oliver Wrong, English nephrologist and academic (b. 1925)
    • 2013 – Virgil Johnson, American singer (b. 1935)
    • 2013 – Con Martin, Irish footballer and manager (b. 1923)
    • 2014 – Franny Beecher, American guitarist (b. 1921)
    • 2014 – Alexis Hunter, New Zealand-English painter and photographer (b. 1948)
    • 2014 – Carlos Páez Vilaró, Uruguayan painter and sculptor (b. 1923)
    • 2014 – Harold Ramis, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1944)
    • 2015 – Mefodiy, Ukrainian metropolitan (b. 1949)
    • 2015 – Rakhat Aliyev, Kazakh politician and diplomat (b. 1962)
    • 2016 – Peter Kenilorea, Solomon Islands politician, 1st Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands (b. 1943)
    • 2016 – Nabil Maleh, Syrian director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1936)
    • 2016 – George C. Nichopoulos, American soldier and physician (b. 1927)
    • 2018 – Sridevi, Indian actress (b. 1963)
    • 2020 – Katherine Johnson, American physicist and mathematician (b. 1918)

    Holidays and observances on February 24

    • Christian feast day:
      • Blessed Ascensión Nicol y Goñi
      • Lindel Tsen and Paul Sasaki (Anglican Church of Canada)
      • Modest (bishop of Trier)
      • Sergius of Cappadocia
      • February 24 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Dragobete (Romania)
    • Engineer’s Day (Iran)
    • Flag Day in Mexico
    • Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Estonia from the Russian Empire in 1918; the Soviet period is considered to have been an illegal annexation.
    • National Artist Day (Thailand)

  • February 23 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 303 – Roman emperor Diocletian orders the destruction of the Christian church in Nicomedia, beginning eight years of Diocletianic Persecution.
    • 532 – Byzantine emperor Justinian I orders the building of a new Orthodox Christian basilica in Constantinople – the Hagia Sophia.
    • 1455 – Traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western book printed with movable type.
    • 1554 – Mapuche forces, under the leadership of Lautaro, score a victory over the Spanish at the Battle of Marihueñu in Chile.
    • 1653 – The Ballet Royal de la Nuit is first performed at the Salle du Petit-Bourbon in Paris
    • 1739 – At York Castle, the outlaw Dick Turpin is identified by his former schoolteacher. Turpin had been using the name Richard Palmer.
    • 1778 – American Revolutionary War: Baron von Steuben arrives at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania to help to train the Continental Army.
    • 1820 – Cato Street Conspiracy: A plot to murder all the British cabinet ministers is exposed.
    • 1836 – Texas Revolution: The Siege of the Alamo (prelude to the Battle of the Alamo) begins in San Antonio, Texas.
    • 1847 – Mexican–American War: Battle of Buena Vista: In Mexico, American troops under future president General Zachary Taylor defeat Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna.
    • 1854 – The official independence of the Orange Free State is declared.
    • 1861 – President-elect Abraham Lincoln arrives secretly in Washington, D.C., after the thwarting of an alleged assassination plot in Baltimore, Maryland.
    • 1870 – Reconstruction Era: Post-U.S. Civil War military control of Mississippi ends and it is readmitted to the Union.
    • 1883 – Alabama becomes the first U.S. state to enact an anti-trust law.
    • 1885 – Sino-French War: French Army gains an important victory in the Battle of Đồng Đăng in the Tonkin region of Vietnam.
    • 1886 – Charles Martin Hall produced the first samples of aluminium from the electrolysis of aluminium oxide, after several years of intensive work. He was assisted in this project by his older sister, Julia Brainerd Hall.
    • 1887 – The French Riviera is hit by a large earthquake, killing around 2,000.
    • 1898 – Émile Zola is imprisoned in France after writing J’Accuse…!, a letter accusing the French government of antisemitism and wrongfully imprisoning Captain Alfred Dreyfus.
    • 1900 – Second Boer War: During the Battle of the Tugela Heights, the first British attempt to take Hart’s Hill fails.
    • 1903 – Cuba leases Guantánamo Bay to the United States “in perpetuity”.
    • 1905 – Chicago attorney Paul Harris and three other businessmen meet for lunch to form the Rotary Club, the world’s first service club.
    • 1909 – The AEA Silver Dart makes the first powered flight in Canada and the British Empire.
    • 1917 – First demonstrations in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The beginning of the February Revolution (March 8 in the Gregorian calendar).
    • 1927 – U.S. President Calvin Coolidge signs a bill by Congress establishing the Federal Radio Commission (later replaced by the Federal Communications Commission) which was to regulate the use of radio frequencies in the United States.
    • 1927 – German theoretical physicist Werner Heisenberg writes a letter to fellow physicist Wolfgang Pauli, in which he describes his uncertainty principle for the first time.
    • 1934 – Leopold III becomes King of Belgium.
    • 1941 – Plutonium is first produced and isolated by Dr. Glenn T. Seaborg.
    • 1942 – World War II: Japanese submarines fire artillery shells at the coastline near Santa Barbara, California.
    • 1943 – A fire breaks out at Saint Joseph’s Orphanage, County Cavan, Ireland, killing 35 children and one adult.
    • 1943 – Greek Resistance: The United Panhellenic Organization of Youth is founded in Greece.
    • 1944 – The Soviet Union begins the forced deportation of the Chechen and Ingush people from the North Caucasus to Central Asia.
    • 1945 – World War II: During the Battle of Iwo Jima, a group of United States Marines reach the top of Mount Suribachi on the island and are photographed raising the American flag.
    • 1945 – World War II: The 11th Airborne Division, with Filipino guerrillas, free all 2,147 captives of the Los Baños internment camp, in what General Colin Powell later would refer to as “the textbook airborne operation for all ages and all armies.”
    • 1945 – World War II: The capital of the Philippines, Manila, is liberated by combined Filipino and American forces.
    • 1945 – World War II: Capitulation of German garrison in Poznań. The city is liberated by Soviet and Polish forces.
    • 1945 – World War II: The German town of Pforzheim is annihilated in a raid by 379 British bombers.
    • 1947 – International Organization for Standardization is founded.
    • 1954 – The first mass inoculation of children against polio with the Salk vaccine begins in Pittsburgh.
    • 1966 – In Syria, Ba’ath Party member Salah Jadid leads an intra-party military coup that replaces the previous government of General Amin al-Hafiz, also a Baathist.
    • 1974 – The Symbionese Liberation Army demands $4 million more to release kidnap victim Patty Hearst.
    • 1980 – Iran hostage crisis: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini states that Iran’s parliament will decide the fate of the American embassy hostages.
    • 1981 – In Spain, Antonio Tejero attempts a coup d’état by capturing the Spanish Congress of Deputies.
    • 1983 – The United States Environmental Protection Agency announces its intent to buy out and evacuate the dioxin-contaminated community of Times Beach, Missouri.
    • 1987 – Supernova 1987a is seen in the Large Magellanic Cloud.
    • 1991 – In Thailand, General Sunthorn Kongsompong leads a bloodless coup d’état, deposing Prime Minister Chatichai Choonhavan.
    • 1998 – In the United States, tornadoes in central Florida destroy or damage 2,600 structures and kill 42 people.
    • 1999 – Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Öcalan is charged with treason in Ankara, Turkey.
    • 2007 – A train derails on an evening express service near Grayrigg, Cumbria, England, killing one person and injuring 88. This results in hundreds of points being checked over the UK after a few similar accidents.
    • 2008 – A United States Air Force B-2 Spirit bomber crashes on Guam, marking the first operational loss of a B-2.
    • 2010 – Unknown criminals pour more than 2​1⁄2 million liters of diesel oil and other hydrocarbons into the river Lambro, in northern Italy, sparking an environmental disaster.
    • 2012 – A series of attacks across Iraq leave at least 83 killed and more than 250 injured.
    • 2017 – The Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army captures Al-Bab from ISIL.
    • 2019 – Atlas Air Flight 3591, a Boeing 767 freighter, crashes into Trinity Bay near Anahuac, Texas, killing all three people on board.

    Births on February 23

    • 1417 – Pope Paul II (d. 1471)
    • 1417 – Louis IX, Duke of Bavaria (d. 1479)
    • 1443 – Matthias Corvinus, Hungarian king (d. 1490)
    • 1529 – Onofrio Panvinio, Italian historian (d. 1568)
    • 1539 – Henry XI of Legnica, thrice Duke of Legnica (d. 1588)
    • 1539 – Salima Sultan Begum, Empress of the Mughal Empire (d. 1612)
    • 1583 – Jean-Baptiste Morin, French mathematician, astrologer, and astronomer (d. 1656)
    • 1592 – Balthazar Gerbier, Dutch painter (d. 1663)
    • 1633 – Samuel Pepys, English diarist and politician (d. 1703)
    • 1646 – Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, Japanese shōgun (d. 1709)
    • 1680 – Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville, Canadian politician, 2nd Colonial Governor of Louisiana (d. 1767)
    • 1685 – George Frideric Handel, German-English organist and composer (d. 1759)
    • 1723 – Richard Price, Welsh-English minister and philosopher (d. 1791)
    • 1744 – Mayer Amschel Rothschild, German banker and businessman (d. 1812)
    • 1792 – José Joaquín de Herrera, Mexican politician and general. President three times (1844–1854) (d. 1854)
    • 1831 – Hendrik Willem Mesdag, Dutch painter (d. 1915)
    • 1840 – Carl Menger, Austrian economist and educator (d. 1921)
    • 1842 – Karl Robert Eduard von Hartmann, German philosopher and author (d. 1906)
    • 1850 – César Ritz, Swiss businessman, founded The Ritz Hotel, London and Hôtel Ritz Paris (d. 1918)
    • 1868 – W. E. B. Du Bois, American sociologist, historian, and activist (d. 1963)
    • 1868 – Anna Hofman-Uddgren, Swedish actress, singer, and director (d. 1947)
    • 1873 – Liang Qichao, Chinese journalist, philosopher, and scholar (d. 1929)
    • 1874 – Konstantin Päts, Estonian lawyer and politician, 1st President of Estonia (d. 1956)
    • 1878 – Kazimir Malevich, Ukrainian painter and theorist (d. 1935)
    • 1883 – Karl Jaspers, German-Swiss psychiatrist and philosopher (d. 1969)
    • 1883 – Guy C. Wiggins, American painter (d. 1962)
    • 1889 – Musidora, French actress and director (d. 1957)
    • 1889 – Cyril Delevanti, English-American actor (d. 1975)
    • 1889 – Victor Fleming, American director, cinematographer, and producer (d. 1949)
    • 1889 – John Gilbert Winant, American captain, pilot, and politician, 60th Governor of New Hampshire (d. 1947)
    • 1892 – Kathleen Harrison, English actress (d. 1995)
    • 1892 – Agnes Smedley, American journalist and writer (d. 1950)
    • 1894 – Harold Horder, Australian rugby league player and coach (d. 1978)
    • 1899 – Erich Kästner, German author and poet (d. 1974)
    • 1899 – Norman Taurog, American director and screenwriter (d. 1981)
    • 1904 – Terence Fisher, English director and screenwriter (d. 1980)
    • 1904 – William L. Shirer, American journalist and historian (d. 1993)
    • 1908 – William McMahon, Australian lawyer and politician, 20th Prime Minister of Australia (d. 1988)
    • 1915 – Jon Hall, American actor and director (d. 1979)
    • 1915 – Paul Tibbets, American general and pilot (d. 2007)
    • 1919 – Johnny Carey, Irish footballer and manager (d. 1995)
    • 1920 – Paul Gérin-Lajoie, Canadian lawyer and politician (d. 2018)
    • 1923 – Rafael Addiego Bruno, Uruguayan jurist and politician, President of Uruguay (d. 2014)
    • 1923 – Harry Clarke, English international footballer, defender (d. 2000)
    • 1923 – Ioannis Grivas, Greek judge and politician, 176th Prime Minister of Greece (d. 2016)
    • 1923 – Dante Lavelli, American football player (d. 2009)
    • 1923 – Clarence D. Lester, African-American fighter pilot (d.1986)
    • 1923 – Mary Francis Shura, American author (d. 1991)
    • 1924 – Allan McLeod Cormack, South-African-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1998)
    • 1925 – Louis Stokes, American lawyer and politician (d. 2015)
    • 1927 – Régine Crespin, French soprano and actress (d. 2007)
    • 1928 – Hans Herrmann, German race car driver
    • 1928 – Vasily Lazarev, Russian colonel, physician, and astronaut (d. 1990)
    • 1929 – Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow (d. 2008)
    • 1929 – Elston Howard, American baseball player and coach (d. 1980)
    • 1930 – Paul West, English-American author, poet, and academic (d. 2015)
    • 1931 – Tom Wesselmann, American painter and sculptor (d. 2004)
    • 1932 – Majel Barrett, American actress and producer (d. 2008)
    • 1937 – Tom Osborne, American football player, coach, and politician
    • 1938 – Sylvia Chase, American broadcast journalist (d. 2019)
    • 1938 – Paul Morrissey, American director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1938 – Diane Varsi, American actress (d. 1992)
    • 1940 – Peter Fonda, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2019)
    • 1940 – Jackie Smith, American football player
    • 1941 – Ron Hunt, American baseball player
    • 1943 – Fred Biletnikoff, American football player and coach
    • 1943 – Bobby Mitchell, American golfer (d. 2018)
    • 1944 – Bernard Cornwell, English author and educator
    • 1944 – Florian Fricke, German keyboard player and composer (d. 2001)
    • 1944 – Johnny Winter, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (d. 2014)
    • 1945 – Allan Boesak, South African cleric and politician
    • 1946 – Rusty Young, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1947 – Pia Kjærsgaard, Danish politician, Speaker of the Danish Parliament
    • 1947 – Anton Mosimann, Swiss chef and author
    • 1948 – Bill Alexander, English director and producer
    • 1948 – Trevor Cherry, English footballer (d. 2020)
    • 1948 – Steve Priest, English singer-songwriter and bass player
    • 1949 – César Aira, Argentinian author and translator
    • 1949 – Marc Garneau, Canadian engineer, astronaut, and politician
    • 1950 – Rebecca Goldstein, American philosopher and author
    • 1951 – Eddie Dibbs, American tennis player
    • 1951 – Debbie Friedman, American singer-songwriter of Jewish melodies (d. 2011)
    • 1951 – Ed “Too Tall” Jones, American football player and boxer
    • 1951 – Patricia Richardson, American actress
    • 1952 – Brad Whitford, American guitarist and songwriter
    • 1953 – Kenny Bee, Hong Kong singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
    • 1953 – Satoru Nakajima, Japanese race car driver
    • 1954 – Rajini Thiranagama, Sri Lankan physician and academic (d. 1989)
    • 1954 – Viktor Yushchenko, Ukrainian captain and politician, 3rd President of Ukraine
    • 1955 – Howard Jones, English singer-songwriter
    • 1955 – Flip Saunders, American basketball player and coach (d. 2015)
    • 1956 – Sandra Osborne, Scottish politician
    • 1958 – David Sylvian, English singer-songwriter
    • 1959 – Clayton Anderson, American engineer and astronaut
    • 1959 – Nick de Bois, English politician
    • 1959 – Ian Liddell-Grainger, Scottish soldier and politician
    • 1959 – Linda Nolan, Irish singer and actress
    • 1960 – Naruhito, Emperor of Japan
    • 1962 – Michael Wilton, American guitarist
    • 1963 – Bobby Bonilla, American baseball player
    • 1963 – Radosław Sikorski, Polish journalist and politician, 11th Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland
    • 1964 – John Norum, Norwegian guitarist and songwriter
    • 1965 – Michael Dell, American businessman
    • 1965 – Helena Suková, Czech-Monacan tennis player
    • 1967 – Steve Stricker, American golfer
    • 1967 – Chris Vrenna, American drummer, songwriter, and producer
    • 1969 – Michael Campbell, New Zealand golfer
    • 1969 – Martine Croxall, English journalist and television news presenter
    • 1969 – Daymond John, American fashion designer and businessman, founded FUBU
    • 1970 – Niecy Nash, American actress and producer
    • 1971 – Carin Koch, Swedish golfer
    • 1971 – Melinda Messenger, English model and television host
    • 1971 – Joe-Max Moore, American soccer player
    • 1972 – Alessandro Sturba, Italian footballer
    • 1972 – Rondell White, American baseball player
    • 1973 – Jeff Nordgaard, American-Polish basketball player
    • 1974 – Herschelle Gibbs, South African cricketer
    • 1974 – Robbi Kempson, South African rugby player
    • 1975 – Michael Cornacchia, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1975 – Ryan McCourt, Canadian artist
    • 1976 – Scott Elarton, American baseball player and coach
    • 1976 – Kelly Macdonald, Scottish actress
    • 1976 – Jeff O’Neill, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
    • 1977 – Kristina Šmigun-Vähi, Estonian skier
    • 1978 – Residente, Puerto Rican-American singer-songwriter
    • 1978 – Dan Snyder, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2003)
    • 1979 – S. E. Cupp, American journalist and author
    • 1981 – Gareth Barry, English footballer
    • 1981 – Josh Gad, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1981 – Charles Tillman, American football player
    • 1982 – Adam Hann-Byrd, American actor and screenwriter
    • 1983 – Mido, Egyptian footballer, striker, manager and sportscaster
    • 1983 – Aziz Ansari, American comedian, actor, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1983 – Emily Blunt, English actress
    • 1986 – Emerson Conceição, Brazilian footballer
    • 1986 – Skylar Grey, American singer-songwriter
    • 1986 – Kazuya Kamenashi, Japanese singer-songwriter and actor
    • 1986 – Jerod Mayo, American football player
    • 1986 – Ola Svensson, Swedish singer-songwriter
    • 1987 – Ab-Soul, American rapper
    • 1987 – Theophilus London, Trinidadian-American singer-songwriter and producer
    • 1987 – Zak Kirkup, Member of the Parliament of Western Australia
    • 1988 – Nicolás Gaitán, Argentinian footballer
    • 1989 – Evan Bates, American ice dancer
    • 1989 – Jérémy Pied, French footballer
    • 1990 – Kevin Connauton, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1990 – Terry Hawkridge, English footballer
    • 1990 – Marco Scandella, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1992 – Casemiro, Brazilian footballer
    • 1992 – Kyriakos Papadopoulos, Greek footballer
    • 1993 – Chris Grevsmuhl, Australian rugby league player
    • 1994 – Dakota Fanning, American actress
    • 1995 – Andrew Wiggins, Canadian basketball player
    • 1996 – D’Angelo Russell, American basketball player
    • 1997 – Jamal Murray, Canadian basketball player

    Deaths on February 23

    • 715 – Al-Walid I, Umayyad caliph (b. 668)
    • 908 – Li Keyong, Shatuo military governor during the Tang Dynasty in China (b. 856)
    • 943 – Herbert II, Count of Vermandois, (b. 884)
    • 943 – David I, prince of Tao-Klarjeti (Georgia)
    • 1011 – Willigis, German archbishop (b. 940)
    • 1100 – Emperor Zhezong of Song (b. 1076)
    • 1270 – Isabel of France (b. 1225)
    • 1447 – Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester (b. 1390)
    • 1447 – Pope Eugene IV (b. 1383)
    • 1464 – Emperor Yingzong of Ming (b. 1427)
    • 1473 – Arnold, Duke of Gelderland (b. 1410)
    • 1526 – Diego Colón, Spanish Viceroy of the Indies (b. c. 1479)
    • 1554 – Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk, English politician, Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire (b. 1515)
    • 1603 – Andrea Cesalpino, Italian philosopher, physician, and botanist (b. 1519)
    • 1603 – Franciscus Vieta, French mathematician (b. 1540)
    • 1620 – Nicholas Fuller, English politician (b. 1543)
    • 1704 – Georg Muffat, French organist and composer (b. 1653)
    • 1766 – Stanisław Leszczyński, Polish king (b. 1677)
    • 1781 – George Taylor, Irish-American blacksmith and politician (b. 1716)
    • 1792 – Joshua Reynolds, English painter and academic (b. 1723)
    • 1821 – John Keats, English poet (b. 1795)
    • 1848 – John Quincy Adams, American politician, 6th President of the United States (b. 1767)
    • 1855 – Carl Friedrich Gauss, German mathematician, astronomer, and physicist (b. 1777)
    • 1859 – Zygmunt Krasiński, Polish poet and playwright (b. 1812)
    • 1879 – Albrecht von Roon, Prussian soldier and politician, 10th Minister President of Prussia (b. 1803)
    • 1897 – Woldemar Bargiel, German composer and educator (b. 1828)
    • 1900 – Ernest Dowson, English poet, novelist, and short story writer (b. 1867)
    • 1908 – Friedrich von Esmarch, German surgeon and academic (b. 1823)
    • 1918 – Adolphus Frederick VI, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (b. 1882)
    • 1930 – Horst Wessel, German SA officer (b. 1907)
    • 1931 – Nellie Melba, Australian soprano and actress (b. 1861)
    • 1934 – Edward Elgar, English composer and academic (b. 1857)
    • 1944 – Leo Baekeland, Belgian-American chemist and engineer (b. 1863)
    • 1946 – Tomoyuki Yamashita, Japanese general (b. 1885)
    • 1948 – John Robert Gregg, Irish-American publisher and educator (b. 1866)
    • 1955 – Paul Claudel, French poet and playwright (b. 1868)
    • 1965 – Stan Laurel, English actor and comedian (b. 1890)
    • 1969 – Madhubala, Indian actress and producer (b. 1933)
    • 1969 – Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, 2nd King of Saudi Arabia (b. 1902)
    • 1973 – Dickinson W. Richards, American physician and physiologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1895)
    • 1974 – Harry Ruby, American composer and screenwriter (b. 1895)
    • 1976 – L. S. Lowry, English painter (b. 1887)
    • 1979 – W. A. C. Bennett, Canadian businessman and politician, 25th Premier of British Columbia (b. 1900)
    • 1983 – Herbert Howells, English organist and composer (b. 1892)
    • 1990 – José Napoleón Duarte, Salvadoran engineer and politician, President of El Salvador (b. 1925)
    • 1995 – James Herriot, English veterinarian and author (b. 1916)
    • 1997 – Tony Williams, American drummer, composer, and producer (b. 1945)
    • 1998 – Philip Abbott, American actor and director (b. 1924)
    • 1999 – The Renegade, American wrestler (b. 1965)
    • 2000 – Ofra Haza, Israeli singer-songwriter and actress (b. 1957)
    • 2000 – Stanley Matthews, English footballer and manager (b. 1915)
    • 2003 – Howie Epstein, American bass player, songwriter, and producer (b. 1955)
    • 2003 – Robert K. Merton, American sociologist and academic (b. 1910)
    • 2004 – Vijay Anand, Indian director, producer, screenwriter, and actor (b. 1934)
    • 2004 – Sikander Bakht, Indian politician, Indian Minister of External Affairs (b. 1918)
    • 2006 – Telmo Zarra, Spanish footballer (b. 1921)
    • 2007 – John Ritchie, English footballer (b. 1941)
    • 2008 – Janez Drnovšek, Slovenian economist and politician, 2nd President of Slovenia (b. 1950)
    • 2008 – Paul Frère, Belgian race car driver and journalist (b. 1917)
    • 2010 – Orlando Zapata, Cuban plumber and activist (b. 1967)
    • 2011 – Nirmala Srivastava, Indian religious leader, founded Sahaja Yoga (b. 1923)
    • 2012 – William Raggio, American lawyer and politician (b. 1926)
    • 2012 – David Sayre, American physicist and mathematician (b. 1924)
    • 2012 – Kazimierz Żygulski, Polish sociologist and activist (b. 1919)
    • 2013 – Eugene Bookhammer, American soldier and politician, 18th Lieutenant Governor of Delaware (b. 1918)
    • 2013 – Joseph Friedenson, Holocaust survivor, Holocaust historian, Yiddish writer, lecturer and editor (b. 1922)
    • 2013 – Julien Ries, Belgian cardinal (b. 1920)
    • 2013 – Lotika Sarkar, Indian lawyer and academic (b. 1945)
    • 2014 – Alice Herz-Sommer, Czech-English Holocaust survivor, pianist and educator (b. 1903)
    • 2014 – Roger Hilsman, American soldier, academic, and politician (b. 1919)
    • 2015 – James Aldridge, Australian-English journalist and author (b. 1918)
    • 2015 – Rana Bhagwandas, Pakistani lawyer and judge, Chief Justice of Pakistan (b. 1942)
    • 2015 – W. E. “Bill” Dykes, American soldier and politician (b. 1925)
    • 2016 – Peter Lustig, German television host and author (b. 1937)
    • 2016 – Jacqueline Mattson, American baseball player (b. 1928)
    • 2019 – Katherine Helmond, American actress (b. 1929)

    Holidays and observances on February 23

    • Christian feast day:
      • Polycarp of Smyrna
      • Serenus the Gardener
      • February 23 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • The Emperor’s Birthday, birthday of Naruhito, the current Emperor of Japan (Japan)
    • Mashramani-Republic Day (Guyana)
    • Meteņi (Latvia)
    • National Day (Brunei)
    • Red Army Day or Day of Soviet Army and Navy in the former Soviet Union, also held in various former Soviet republics:
      • Defender of the Fatherland Day (Russia)
      • Defender of the Fatherland and Armed Forces day (Belarus)
      • Armed Forces Day (Tajikistan) (Tajikistan)

  • February 19 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 197 – Emperor Septimius Severus defeats usurper Clodius Albinus in the Battle of Lugdunum, the bloodiest battle between Roman armies.
    • 356 – Emperor Constantius II issues a decree closing all pagan temples in the Roman Empire.
    • 1594 – Having already been elected to the throne of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1587, Sigismund III of the House of Vasa is crowned King of Sweden, having succeeded his father John III of Sweden in 1592.
    • 1600 – The Peruvian stratovolcano Huaynaputina explodes in the most violent eruption in the recorded history of South America.
    • 1649 – The Second Battle of Guararapes takes place, effectively ending Dutch colonization efforts in Brazil.
    • 1674 – England and the Netherlands sign the Treaty of Westminster, ending the Third Anglo-Dutch War. A provision of the agreement transfers the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam to England, and it is renamed New York.
    • 1726 – The Supreme Privy Council is established in Russia.
    • 1807 – Former Vice President of the United States Aaron Burr is arrested for treason in Wakefield, Alabama and confined to Fort Stoddert.
    • 1819 – British explorer William Smith discovers the South Shetland Islands and claims them in the name of King George III.
    • 1836 – King William IV signs Letters Patent establishing the Province of South Australia.
    • 1846 – In Austin, Texas the newly formed Texas state government is officially installed. The Republic of Texas government officially transfers power to the State of Texas government following the annexation of Texas by the United States.
    • 1847 – The first group of rescuers reaches the Donner Party.
    • 1859 – Daniel E. Sickles, a New York Congressman, is acquitted of murder on grounds of temporary insanity.
    • 1878 – Thomas Edison patents the phonograph.
    • 1884 – More than sixty tornadoes strike the Southern United States, one of the largest tornado outbreaks in U.S. history.
    • 1913 – Pedro Lascuráin becomes President of Mexico for 45 minutes; this is the shortest term to date of any person as president of any country.
    • 1915 – World War I: The first naval attack on the Dardanelles begins when a strong Anglo-French task force bombards Ottoman artillery along the coast of Gallipoli.
    • 1937 – Yekatit 12: During a public ceremony at the Viceregal Palace (the former Imperial residence) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, two Ethiopian nationalists of Eritrean origin attempt to kill viceroy Rodolfo Graziani with a number of grenades.
    • 1942 – World War II: Nearly 250 Japanese warplanes attack the northern Australian city of Darwin, killing 243 people.
    • 1942 – World War II: United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs executive order 9066, allowing the United States military to relocate Japanese Americans to internment camps.
    • 1943 – World War II: Battle of Kasserine Pass in Tunisia begins.
    • 1945 – World War II: Battle of Iwo Jima: About 30,000 United States Marines land on the island of Iwo Jima.
    • 1948 – The Conference of Youth and Students of Southeast Asia Fighting for Freedom and Independence convenes in Calcutta.
    • 1949 – Ezra Pound is awarded the first Bollingen Prize in poetry by the Bollingen Foundation and Yale University.
    • 1953 – Book censorship in the United States: The Georgia Literature Commission is established.
    • 1954 – Transfer of Crimea: The Soviet Politburo of the Soviet Union orders the transfer of the Crimean Oblast from the Russian SFSR to the Ukrainian SSR.
    • 1959 – The United Kingdom grants Cyprus independence, which is formally proclaimed on August 16, 1960.
    • 1960 – China successfully launches the T-7, its first sounding rocket.
    • 1963 – The publication of Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique reawakens the feminist movement in the United States as women’s organizations and consciousness raising groups spread.
    • 1965 – Colonel Phạm Ngọc Thảo of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam, and a communist spy of the North Vietnamese Viet Minh, along with Generals Lâm Văn Phát and Trần Thiện Khiêm, all Catholics, attempt a coup against the military junta of the Buddhist Nguyễn Khánh.
    • 1976 – Executive Order 9066, which led to the relocation of Japanese Americans to internment camps, is rescinded by President Gerald Ford’s Proclamation 4417.
    • 1978 – Egyptian forces raid Larnaca International Airport in an attempt to intervene in a hijacking, without authorisation from the Republic of Cyprus authorities. The Cypriot National Guard and Police forces kill 15 Egyptian commandos and destroy the Egyptian C-130 transport plane in open combat.
    • 1985 – William J. Schroeder becomes the first recipient of an artificial heart to leave the hospital.
    • 1985 – Iberia Airlines Boeing 727 crashes into Mount Oiz in Spain, killing 148.
    • 1986 – Akkaraipattu massacre: the Sri Lankan Army massacres 80 Tamil farm workers in eastern Sri Lanka.
    • 1989 – Flying Tiger Line flight 66 crashes into a hill near Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Malaysia, killing four.
    • 2002 – NASA’s Mars Odyssey space probe begins to map the surface of Mars using its thermal emission imaging system.
    • 2003 – An Ilyushin Il-76 military aircraft crashes near Kerman, Iran, killing 275.
    • 2006 – A methane explosion in a coal mine near Nueva Rosita, Mexico, kills 65 miners.
    • 2011 – The debut exhibition of the Belitung shipwreck, containing the largest collection of Tang dynasty artifacts found in one location, begins in Singapore.
    • 2012 – Forty-four people are killed in a prison brawl in Apodaca, Nuevo León, Mexico.

    Births on February 19

    • 1461 – Domenico Grimani, Italian cardinal (d. 1523)
    • 1473 – Nicolaus Copernicus, Polish mathematician and astronomer (d. 1543)
    • 1497 – Matthäus Schwarz, German fashion writer (d. 1574)
    • 1519 – Froben Christoph of Zimmern, German author of the Zimmern Chronicle (d. 1566)
    • 1526 – Carolus Clusius, Flemish botanist and academic (d. 1609)
    • 1532 – Jean-Antoine de Baïf, French poet (d. 1589)
    • 1552 – Melchior Klesl, Austrian cardinal (d. 1630)
    • 1594 – Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales (d. 1612)
    • 1611 – Andries de Graeff, Dutch politician (d. 1678)
    • 1630 – Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Indian warrior king and the founder of Maratha Empire
    • 1660 – Friedrich Hoffmann, German physician and chemist (d. 1742)
    • 1717 – David Garrick, English actor, playwright, and producer (d. 1779)
    • 1743 – Luigi Boccherini, Italian cellist and composer (d. 1805)
    • 1798 – Allan MacNab, Canadian soldier, lawyer, and politician, Premier of Canada West (d. 1862)
    • 1800 – Émilie Gamelin, Canadian nun and social worker, founded the Sisters of Providence (d. 1851)
    • 1804 – Carl von Rokitansky, German physician, pathologist, and philosopher (d. 1878)
    • 1821 – August Schleicher, German linguist and academic (d. 1868)
    • 1833 – Élie Ducommun, Swiss journalist and activist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1906)
    • 1838 – Lydia Thompson, British burlesque performer (d. 1908)
    • 1841 – Elfrida Andrée, Swedish organist, composer, and conductor (d. 1929)
    • 1855 – Nishinoumi Kajirō I, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 16th Yokozuna (d. 1908)
    • 1859 – Svante Arrhenius, Swedish physicist and chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1927)
    • 1865 – Sven Hedin, Swedish geographer and explorer (d. 1952)
    • 1869 – Hovhannes Tumanyan, Armenian-Russian poet and author (d. 1923)
    • 1872 – Johan Pitka, Estonian admiral (d. 1944)
    • 1876 – Constantin Brâncuși, Romanian-French sculptor, painter, and photographer (d. 1957)
    • 1877 – Gabriele Münter, German painter (d. 1962)
    • 1878 – Harriet Bosse, Swedish–Norwegian actress (d. 1961)
    • 1880 – Álvaro Obregón, Mexican general and politician, 39th President of Mexico (d. 1928)
    • 1886 – José Abad Santos, Filipino lawyer and jurist, 5th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines (d. 1942)
    • 1888 – José Eustasio Rivera, Colombian lawyer and poet (d. 1928)
    • 1893 – Cedric Hardwicke, English actor and director (d. 1964)
    • 1895 – Louis Calhern, American actor (d. 1956)
    • 1896 – André Breton, French poet and author (d. 1966)
    • 1897 – Alma Rubens, American actress (d. 1931)
    • 1899 – Lucio Fontana, Argentinian-Italian painter and sculptor (d. 1968)
    • 1902 – Kay Boyle, American novelist, short story writer, and educator (d. 1992)
    • 1904 – Havank, Dutch journalist and author (d. 1964)
    • 1904 – Elisabeth Welch, American-English singer and actress (d. 2003)
    • 1911 – Merle Oberon, Indian-American actress (d. 1979)
    • 1912 – Dorothy Janis, American actress (d. 2010)
    • 1912 – Saul Chaplin, American composer (d. 1997)
    • 1913 – Prince Pedro Gastão of Orléans-Braganza (d. 2007)
    • 1913 – Frank Tashlin, American animator and screenwriter (d. 1972)
    • 1914 – Thelma Kench, New Zealand Olympic sprinter (d. 1985)
    • 1915 – John Freeman, English lawyer, politician, and diplomat, British Ambassador to the United States (d. 2014)
    • 1916 – Eddie Arcaro, American jockey and sportscaster (d. 1997)
    • 1917 – Carson McCullers, American novelist, short story writer, playwright, and essayist (d. 1967)
    • 1918 – Fay McKenzie, American actress (d. 2019)
    • 1920 – C. Z. Guest, American actress, fashion designer, and author (d. 2003)
    • 1920 – Jaan Kross, Estonian author and poet (d. 2007)
    • 1920 – George Rose, English actor and singer (d. 1988)
    • 1922 – Władysław Bartoszewski, Polish journalist and politician, Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 2015)
    • 1924 – David Bronstein, Ukrainian chess player and theoretician (d. 2006)
    • 1924 – Lee Marvin, American actor (d. 1987)
    • 1926 – György Kurtág, Hungarian composer and academic
    • 1927 – Philippe Boiry, French journalist (d. 2014)
    • 1929 – Jacques Deray, French director and screenwriter (d. 2003)
    • 1930 – John Frankenheimer, American director and producer (d. 2002)
    • 1930 – Kasinathuni Viswanath, Indian actor, director, and screenwriter
    • 1932 – Joseph P. Kerwin, American captain, physician, and astronaut
    • 1935 – Dave Niehaus, American sportscaster (d. 2010)
    • 1935 – Russ Nixon, American MLB catcher and coach (d. 2016)
    • 1936 – Sam Myers, American singer-songwriter (d. 2006)
    • 1936 – Frederick Seidel, American poet
    • 1937 – Terry Carr, American author and educator (d. 1987)
    • 1937 – Norm O’Neill, Australian cricketer and sportscaster (d. 2008)
    • 1938 – Choekyi Gyaltsen, 10th Panchen Lama (d. 1989)
    • 1939 – Erin Pizzey, English activist and author, founded Refuge
    • 1940 – Saparmurat Niyazov, Turkmen engineer and politician, 1st President of Turkmenistan (d. 2006)
    • 1940 – Smokey Robinson, American singer-songwriter and producer
    • 1940 – Bobby Rogers, American singer-songwriter (d. 2013)
    • 1941 – David Gross, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1941 – Jenny Tonge, Baroness Tonge, English politician
    • 1942 – Cyrus Chothia, English biochemist and emeritus scientist at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology (d. 2019)
    • 1942 – Paul Krause, American football player and politician
    • 1942 – Howard Stringer, Welsh businessman
    • 1942 – Will Provine, American biologist, historian, and academic (d. 2015)
    • 1943 – Lou Christie, American singer-songwriter
    • 1943 – Homer Hickam, American author and engineer
    • 1943 – Tim Hunt, English biochemist and academic, Nobel laureate
    • 1944 – Les Hinton, English-American journalist and businessman
    • 1945 – Yuri Antonov, Uzbek-Russian singer-songwriter
    • 1946 – Paul Dean, Canadian guitarist
    • 1946 – Peter Hudson, Australian footballer and coach
    • 1946 – Karen Silkwood, American technician and activist (d. 1974)
    • 1947 – Jackie Curtis, American actress and playwright (d. 1985)
    • 1947 – Tim Shadbolt, New Zealand businessman and politician, 42nd Mayor of Invercargill
    • 1948 – Mark Andes, American singer-songwriter and bass player
    • 1948 – Pim Fortuyn, Dutch sociologist, academic, and politician (d. 2002)
    • 1948 – Tony Iommi, English guitarist and songwriter
    • 1949 – Danielle Bunten Berry, American game designer and programmer (d. 1998)
    • 1949 – Eddie Hardin, English singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 2015)
    • 1949 – Barry Lloyd, English footballer, midfielder and manager
    • 1949 – William Messner-Loebs, American author and illustrator
    • 1950 – Juice Leskinen, Finnish singer-songwriter (d. 2006)
    • 1950 – Andy Powell, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1951 – Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, Pakistani scholar and politician, founder of Minhaj-ul-Quran
    • 1952 – Ryū Murakami, Japanese novelist and filmmaker
    • 1952 – Rodolfo Neri Vela, Mexican engineer and astronaut
    • 1952 – Gary Seear, New Zealand rugby player (d. 2018)
    • 1952 – Dave Cheadle, American baseball player (d. 2012)
    • 1952 – Amy Tan, American novelist, essayist, and short story writer
    • 1952 – Danilo Türk, Slovene academic and politician, 3rd President of Slovenia
    • 1953 – Corrado Barazzutti, Italian tennis player
    • 1953 – Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, Argentine lawyer and politician, former President of Argentina and current Vice President of Argentina
    • 1953 – Massimo Troisi, Italian actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1994)
    • 1954 – Sócrates, Brazilian footballer and manager (d. 2011)
    • 1954 – Francis Buchholz, German bass player
    • 1954 – Michael Gira, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
    • 1955 – Jeff Daniels, American actor and playwright
    • 1956 – Kathleen Beller, American actress
    • 1956 – Peter Holsapple, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1956 – Roderick MacKinnon, American biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1956 – Dave Wakeling, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1957 – Falco, Austrian singer-songwriter, rapper, and musician (d. 1998)
    • 1957 – Dave Stewart, American baseball player and coach
    • 1957 – Ray Winstone, English actor
    • 1958 – Tommy Cairo, American wrestler
    • 1958 – Helen Fielding, English author and screenwriter
    • 1958 – Steve Nieve, English keyboard player and composer
    • 1959 – Roger Goodell, American businessman
    • 1960 – Prince Andrew, Duke of York
    • 1960 – John Paul Jr., American race car driver
    • 1961 – Justin Fashanu, English footballer (d. 1998)
    • 1961 – Ernie Gonzalez, American golfer
    • 1962 – Hana Mandlíková, Czech-Australian tennis player and coach
    • 1963 – Seal, English singer-songwriter
    • 1963 – Jessica Tuck, American actress
    • 1964 – Doug Aldrich, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1964 – Jonathan Lethem, American novelist, essayist, and short story writer
    • 1965 – Jon Fishman, American drummer
    • 1965 – Clark Hunt, American businessman
    • 1965 – Leroy, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
    • 1966 – Justine Bateman, American actress and producer
    • 1966 – Paul Haarhuis, Dutch tennis player and coach
    • 1966 – Eduardo Xol, American designer and author
    • 1967 – Benicio del Toro, Puerto Rican-American actor, director, and producer
    • 1968 – Frank Watkins, American bass player (d. 2015)
    • 1968 – Prince Markie Dee, American rapper and actor
    • 1969 – Burton C. Bell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1969 – Helena Guergis, Canadian businesswoman and politician
    • 1970 – Joacim Cans, Swedish singer-songwriter
    • 1971 – Miguel Batista, Dominican baseball player and poet
    • 1971 – Richard Green, Australian golfer
    • 1971 – Jeff Kinney, American author and illustrator
    • 1972 – Francine Fournier, American wrestler and manager
    • 1972 – Sunset Thomas, American pornographic actress
    • 1975 – Daniel Adair, Canadian drummer and producer
    • 1975 – Daewon Song, South Korean-American skateboarder, co-founded Almost Skateboards
    • 1977 – Ola Salo, Swedish singer-songwriter and keyboard player
    • 1977 – Andrew Ross Sorkin, American journalist and author
    • 1977 – Gianluca Zambrotta, Italian footballer and manager
    • 1978 – Ben Gummer, English scholar and politician
    • 1978 – Immortal Technique, Peruvian-American rapper
    • 1979 – Steve Cherundolo, American soccer player and manager
    • 1980 – Dwight Freeney, American football player
    • 1980 – Ma Lin, Chinese table tennis player
    • 1980 – Mike Miller, American basketball player
    • 1981 – Beth Ditto, American singer
    • 1983 – Kotoōshū Katsunori, Bulgarian sumo wrestler
    • 1983 – Mika Nakashima, Japanese singer and actress
    • 1983 – Ryan Whitney, American ice hockey player
    • 1984 – Chris Richardson, American singer-songwriter
    • 1985 – Haylie Duff, American actress and singer
    • 1986 – Kyle Chipchura, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1986 – Marta, Brazilian footballer
    • 1986 – Maria Mena, Norwegian singer-songwriter
    • 1986 – Michael Schwimer, American baseball player
    • 1987 – Anna Cappellini, Italian ice dancer
    • 1988 – Shawn Matthias, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1988 – Seth Morrison, American guitarist
    • 1989 – Sone Aluko, Anglo-Nigerian international footballer, forward/winger
    • 1991 – Christoph Kramer, German national footballer
    • 1991 – Trevor Bayne, American race car driver
    • 1992 – Camille Kostek, American model
    • 1993 – Mauro Icardi, Argentinian footballer
    • 1993 – Victoria Justice, American actress and singer
    • 1994 – Sam Lisone, New Zealand-Samoan rugby league player
    • 1994 – Tiina Trutsi, Estonian footballer
    • 1995 – Nikola Jokić, Serbian basketball player
    • 1998 – Katharina Gerlach, German tennis player
    • 2001 – David Mazouz, American actor
    • 2004 – Millie Bobby Brown, English actress

    Deaths on February 19

    • 197 – Clodius Albinus, Roman usurper (b. 150)
    • 446 – Leontius of Trier, Bishop of Trier
    • 1133 – Irene Doukaina, Byzantine wife of Alexios I Komnenos (b. 1066)
    • 1275 – Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, Sufi philosopher and poet (b. 1177)
    • 1300 – Munio of Zamora, General of the Dominican Order
    • 1408 – Thomas Bardolf, 5th Baron Bardolf, English rebel
    • 1414 – Thomas Arundel, Archbishop of Canterbury (b. 1353)
    • 1445 – Leonor of Aragon, queen of Portugal (b. 1402)
    • 1491 – Enno I, Count of East Frisia, German noble (b. 1460)
    • 1553 – Erasmus Reinhold, German astronomer and mathematician (b. 1511)
    • 1602 – Philippe Emmanuel, Duke of Mercœur (b. 1558)
    • 1605 – Orazio Vecchi, Italian composer (b. 1550)
    • 1622 – Henry Savile, English scholar and politician (b. 1549)
    • 1672 – Charles Chauncy, English-American minister, theologian, and academic (b. 1592)
    • 1709 – Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, Japanese shōgun (b. 1646)
    • 1716 – Dorothe Engelbretsdatter, Norwegian author and poet (b. 1634)
    • 1785 – Mary, Countess of Harold, English aristocrat and philanthropist (b. 1701)
    • 1789 – Nicholas Van Dyke, American lawyer and politician, 7th Governor of Delaware (b. 1738)
    • 1799 – Jean-Charles de Borda, French mathematician, physicist, and sailor (b. 1733)
    • 1806 – Elizabeth Carter, English poet and translator (b. 1717)
    • 1837 – Georg Büchner, German-Swiss poet and playwright (b. 1813)
    • 1837 – Thomas Burgess, English bishop and philosopher (b. 1756)
    • 1887 – Multatuli, Dutch-German author and civil servant (b. 1820)
    • 1897 – Karl Weierstrass, German mathematician and academic (b. 1815)
    • 1915 – Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Indian philosopher and politician (b. 1866)
    • 1916 – Ernst Mach, Austrian-Czech physicist and philosopher (b. 1838)
    • 1927 – Robert Fuchs, Austrian composer and educator (b. 1847)
    • 1928 – George Howard Earle Jr., American lawyer and businessman (b. 1856)
    • 1936 – Billy Mitchell, American general and pilot (b. 1879)
    • 1945 – John Basilone, American sergeant, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1916)
    • 1951 – André Gide, French novelist, essayist, and dramatist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1869)
    • 1952 – Knut Hamsun, Norwegian novelist, poet, and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1859)
    • 1953 – Richard Rushall, British businessman (b. 1864)
    • 1957 – Maurice Garin, Italian-French cyclist (b. 1871)
    • 1959 – Willard Miller, American sailor, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1877)
    • 1962 – Georgios Papanikolaou, Greek-American pathologist, invented the Pap smear (b. 1883)
    • 1969 – Madge Blake, American actress (b. 1899)
    • 1970 – Ralph Edward Flanders, (b. 1890) US Senator from Vermont.
    • 1972 – John Grierson, Scottish director and producer (b. 1898)
    • 1972 – Lee Morgan, American trumpet player and composer (b. 1938)
    • 1973 – Joseph Szigeti, Hungarian violinist (b. 1892)
    • 1977 – Anthony Crosland, English captain and politician, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (b. 1918)
    • 1977 – Mike González, Cuban baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1890)
    • 1980 – Bon Scott, Scottish-Australian singer-songwriter (b. 1946)
    • 1983 – Alice White, American actress (b. 1904)
    • 1988 – André Frédéric Cournand, French-American physician and physiologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1895)
    • 1992 – Tojo Yamamoto, American wrestler and manager (b. 1927)
    • 1994 – Derek Jarman, English director and set designer (b. 1942)
    • 1996 – Charlie Finley, American businessman (b. 1918)
    • 1997 – Leo Rosten, Polish-American author and academic (b. 1908)
    • 1997 – Deng Xiaoping, Chinese politician, 1st Vice Premier of the People’s Republic of China (b. 1904)
    • 1998 – Grandpa Jones, American singer-songwriter and banjo player (b. 1913)
    • 1999 – Mohammad Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr, Iraqi cleric (b. 1943)
    • 2000 – Friedensreich Hundertwasser, Austrian-New Zealand painter and illustrator (b. 1928)
    • 2001 – Stanley Kramer, American director and producer (b. 1913)
    • 2001 – Charles Trenet, French singer-songwriter (b. 1913)
    • 2002 – Sylvia Rivera, American transgender LGBT activist (b. 1951)
    • 2003 – Johnny Paycheck, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1938)
    • 2007 – Janet Blair, American actress and singer (b. 1921)
    • 2007 – Celia Franca, English-Canadian dancer and director, founded the National Ballet of Canada (b. 1921)
    • 2008 – Yegor Letov, Russian singer-songwriter (b. 1964)
    • 2008 – Lydia Shum, Chinese-Hong Kong actress and singer (b. 1945)
    • 2009 – Kelly Groucutt, English singer and bass player (b. 1945)
    • 2011 – Ollie Matson, American sprinter and football player (b. 1930)
    • 2012 – Ruth Barcan Marcus, American philosopher and logician (b. 1921)
    • 2012 – Jaroslav Velinský, Czech author and songwriter (b. 1932)
    • 2012 – Vitaly Vorotnikov, Russian politician, 27th Prime Minister of Russia (b. 1926)
    • 2013 – Armen Alchian, American economist and academic (b. 1914)
    • 2013 – Park Chul-soo, South Korean director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1948)
    • 2013 – Robert Coleman Richardson, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1937)
    • 2013 – Donald Richie, American-Japanese author and critic (b. 1924)
    • 2013 – Eugene Whelan, Canadian farmer and politician, 22nd Canadian Minister of Agriculture (b. 1924)
    • 2014 – Kresten Bjerre, Danish footballer and manager (b. 1946)
    • 2014 – Dale Gardner, American captain and astronaut (b. 1948)
    • 2014 – Valeri Kubasov, Russian engineer and astronaut (b. 1935)
    • 2015 – Harold Johnson, American boxer (b. 1928)
    • 2015 – Nirad Mohapatra, Indian director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1947)
    • 2015 – Harris Wittels, American actor, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1984)
    • 2016 – Umberto Eco, Italian novelist, literary critic, and philosopher (b. 1932)
    • 2016 – Harper Lee, American author (b. 1926)
    • 2016 – Chiaki Morosawa, Japanese anime screenwriter (b. 1959)
    • 2016 – Samuel Willenberg, Polish-Israeli sculptor and painter (b. 1923)
    • 2017 – Larry Coryell, American jazz guitarist (b. 1943)
    • 2019 – Clark Dimond, American musician and author (b. 1941)
    • 2019 – Karl Lagerfeld, German fashion designer (b. 1933)
    • 2020 – José Mojica Marins, Brazilian filmmaker, actor, composer, screenwriter, and television horror host Coffin Joe. (b. 1936)
    • 2020 – Pop Smoke, American rapper (b. 1999)

    Holidays and observances on February 19

    • Armed Forces Day (Mexico)
    • Brâncuși Day (Romania)
    • Christian feast day:
      • Barbatus of Benevento
      • Boniface of Brussels
      • Conrad of Piacenza
      • Lucy Yi Zhenmei (one of Martyrs of Guizhou)
      • February 19 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Commemoration of Vasil Levski (Bulgaria)
    • Flag Day (Turkmenistan)
    • Shivaji Jayanti (Maharashtra, India)9

  • February 9 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    February 9 in History

    • 474 – Zeno is crowned as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire.
    • 1003 – Boleslaus III is restored to authority with armed support from Bolesław I the Brave of Poland.
    • 1555 – Bishop of Gloucester John Hooper is burned at the stake.
    • 1621 – Gregory XV becomes Pope, the last Pope elected by acclamation.
    • 1654 – The Capture of Fort Rocher takes place during the Anglo-Spanish War.
    • 1775 – American Revolutionary War: The British Parliament declares Massachusetts in rebellion.
    • 1778 – Rhode Island becomes the fourth US state to ratify the Articles of Confederation.
    • 1788 – The Habsburg Empire joins the Russo-Turkish War in the Russian camp.
    • 1825 – After no candidate receives a majority of electoral votes in the US presidential election of 1824, the United States House of Representatives elects John Quincy Adams as President of the United States.
    • 1849 – The new Roman Republic is declared.
    • 1861 – American Civil War: Jefferson Davis is elected the Provisional President of the Confederate States of America by the Confederate convention at Montgomery, Alabama.
    • 1870 – US president Ulysses S. Grant signs a joint resolution of Congress establishing the U.S. Weather Bureau.
    • 1889 – US president Grover Cleveland signs a bill elevating the United States Department of Agriculture to a Cabinet-level agency.
    • 1895 – William G. Morgan creates a game called Mintonette, which soon comes to be referred to as volleyball.
    • 1900 – The Davis Cup competition is established.
    • 1904 – Russo-Japanese War: Battle of Port Arthur concludes.
    • 1907 – The Mud March is the first large procession organised by the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS).
    • 1913 – A group of meteors is visible across much of the eastern seaboard of North and South America, leading astronomers to conclude the source had been a small, short-lived natural satellite of the Earth.
    • 1920 – Under the terms of the Svalbard Treaty, international diplomacy recognizes Norwegian sovereignty over Arctic archipelago Svalbard, and designates it as demilitarized.
    • 1922 – Brazil becomes a member of the Berne Convention copyright treaty.
    • 1934 – The Balkan Entente is formed.
    • 1941 – World War II: The Cathedral of San Lorenzo in Genoa, Italy, is struck by a bomb which fails to detonate.
    • 1942 – World War II: Top United States military leaders hold their first formal meeting to discuss American military strategy in the war.
    • 1942 – Year-round Daylight saving time (aka War Time) is re-instated in the United States as a wartime measure to help conserve energy resources.
    • 1943 – World War II: Allied authorities declare Guadalcanal secure after Imperial Japan evacuates its remaining forces from the island, ending the Battle of Guadalcanal.
    • 1945 – World War II: Battle of the Atlantic: HMS Venturer sinks U-864 off the coast of Fedje, Norway, in a rare instance of submarine-to-submarine combat.
    • 1945 – World War II: A force of Allied aircraft unsuccessfully attacked a German destroyer in Førdefjorden, Norway.
    • 1950 – Second Red Scare: US Senator Joseph McCarthy accuses the United States Department of State of being filled with Communists.
    • 1951 – Korean War: The two-day Geochang massacre begins as a battalion of the 11th Division of the South Korean Army kills 719 unarmed citizens in Geochang, in the South Gyeongsang district of South Korea
    • 1959 – The R-7 Semyorka, the first intercontinental ballistic missile, becomes operational at Plesetsk, USSR.
    • 1964 – The Beatles make their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, performing before a “record-busting” audience of 73 million viewers across the USA.
    • 1965 – The United States Marine Corps sends a MIM-23 Hawk missile battalion to South Vietnam, the first American troops in-country without an official advisory or training mission.
    • 1971 – The 6.5–6.7 Mw  Sylmar earthquake hits the Greater Los Angeles Area with a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme), killing 64 and injuring 2,000.
    • 1971 – Satchel Paige becomes the first Negro League player to be voted into the USA’s Baseball Hall of Fame.
    • 1971 – Apollo program: Apollo 14 returns to Earth after the third manned Moon landing.
    • 1975 – The Soyuz 17 Soviet spacecraft returns to Earth.
    • 1976 – Aeroflot Flight 3739, a Tupolev Tu-104, crashes during takeoff from Irkutsk Airport, killing 24.
    • 1978 – The Budd Company unveils its first SPV-2000 self-propelled railcar in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
    • 1986 – Halley’s Comet last appeared in the inner Solar System.
    • 1991 – Voters in Lithuania vote for independence.
    • 1996 – The Provisional Irish Republican Army declares the end to its 18-month ceasefire and explodes a large bomb in London’s Canary Wharf, killing two people.
    • 1996 – Copernicium is discovered, by Sigurd Hofmann, Victor Ninov et al.
    • 2016 – Two passenger trains collided in the German town of Bad Aibling in the state of Bavaria. Twelve people died, and 85 others were injured.
    • 2018 – Winter Olympics: Opening ceremony is performed in Pyeongchang County in South Korea.

    Births on February 9

    • 1060 – Honorius II, pope of the Catholic Church (d. 1130)
    • 1274 – Louis of Toulouse, French bishop (d. 1297)
    • 1313 – Maria of Portugal, Queen of Castile, Portuguese infanta (d. 1357)
    • 1344 – Meinhard III, count of Tyrol (d. 1363)
    • 1441 – Ali-Shir Nava’i, Turkic poet, linguist, and painter (d. 1501)
    • 1533 – Shimazu Yoshihisa, Japanese daimyō (d. 1611)
    • 1579 – Johannes Meursius, Dutch classical scholar (d. 1639)
    • 1651 – Procopio Cutò, French entrepreneur (d. 1727)
    • 1666 – George Hamilton, 1st Earl of Orkney, Scottish field marshal (d. 1737)
    • 1711 – Luis Vicente de Velasco e Isla, Spanish sailor and commander (d. 1762)
    • 1737 – Thomas Paine, English-American philosopher, author, and activist (d. 1809)
    • 1741 – Henri-Joseph Rigel, German-French composer (d. 1799)
    • 1748 – Sir John Duckworth, 1st Baronet, English admiral and politician, Commodore Governor of Newfoundland (d. 1817)
    • 1763 – Louis I, Grand Duke of Baden (d. 1830)
    • 1769 – George W. Campbell, Scottish-American lawyer and politician, 5th United States Secretary of the Treasury (d. 1848)
    • 1773 – William Henry Harrison, American general and politician, 9th President of the United States (d. 1841)
    • 1775 – Farkas Bolyai, Hungarian mathematician and academic (d. 1856)
    • 1781 – Johann Baptist von Spix, German biologist and explorer (d. 1826)
    • 1783 – Vasily Zhukovsky, Russian poet and translator (d. 1852)
    • 1789 – Franz Xaver Gabelsberger, German engineer, invented Gabelsberger shorthand (d. 1849)
    • 1800 – Hyrum Smith, American religious leader (d. 1844)
    • 1814 – Samuel J. Tilden, American lawyer and politician, 28th Governor of New York (d. 1886)
    • 1815 – Federico de Madrazo, Spanish painter (d.1894)
    • 1834 – Felix Dahn, German lawyer, historian, and author (d. 1912)
    • 1826 – Keʻelikōlani, Hawaiian royal and governor (d. 1883)
    • 1837 – José Burgos, Filipino priest and revolutionary (d. 1872)
    • 1839 – Silas Adams, American colonel, lawyer, and politician (d. 1896)
    • 1846 – Wilhelm Maybach, German engineer and businessman, founded Maybach (d. 1929)
    • 1846 – Whitaker Wright, English businessman and financier (d. 1904)
    • 1847 – Hugh Price Hughes, Welsh-English clergyman and theologian (d. 1902)
    • 1854 – Aletta Jacobs, Dutch physician and suffrage activist (d. 1929)
    • 1856 – Hara Takashi, Japanese politician, 10th Prime Minister of Japan (d. 1921)
    • 1859 – Akiyama Yoshifuru, Japanese general (d. 1930)
    • 1863 – Anthony Hope, English author and playwright (d. 1933)
    • 1864 – Miina Härma, Estonian organist, composer, and conductor (d. 1941)
    • 1865 – Mrs. Patrick Campbell, English-French actress (d. 1940)
    • 1865 – Erich von Drygalski, German geographer and geophysicist (d. 1949)
    • 1867 – Natsume Sōseki, Japanese author and poet (d. 1916)
    • 1871 – Howard Taylor Ricketts, American pathologist and physician (d. 1910)
    • 1874 – Amy Lowell, American poet, critic, and educator (d. 1925)
    • 1876 – Arthur Edward Moore, New Zealand-Australian politician, 23rd Premier of Queensland (d. 1963)
    • 1878 – Jack Kirwan, Irish international footballer (d. 1959)
    • 1880 – Lipót Fejér, Hungarian mathematician and academic (d. 1959)
    • 1883 – Jules Berry, French actor and director (d. 1951)
    • 1885 – Alban Berg, Austrian composer and educator (d. 1935)
    • 1885 – Clarence H. Haring, American historian and author (d. 1960)
    • 1889 – Larry Semon, American actor, producer, director and screenwriter (d. 1928)
    • 1891 – Ronald Colman, English-American actor (d. 1958)
    • 1892 – Peggy Wood, American actress (d. 1978)
    • 1893 – Georgios Athanasiadis-Novas, Greek lawyer and politician, 163rd Prime Minister of Greece (d. 1987)
    • 1895 – Hermann Brill, German lawyer and politician, 8th Minister-President of Thuringia (d. 1959)
    • 1896 – Alberto Vargas, Peruvian-American painter and illustrator (d. 1982)
    • 1897 – Charles Kingsford Smith, Australian captain and pilot (d. 1935)
    • 1898 – Jūkichi Yagi, Japanese poet and educator (d. 1927)
    • 1901 – Brian Donlevy, American actor (d. 1972)
    • 1901 – James Murray, American actor (d. 1936)
    • 1905 – David Cecil, 6th Marquess of Exeter, English hurdler and politician (d. 1981)
    • 1906 – André Kostolany, Hungarian-French economist and journalist (d. 1999)
    • 1907 – Trường Chinh, Vietnamese politician, 4th President of Vietnam (d. 1988)
    • 1907 – Harold Scott MacDonald Coxeter, English-Canadian mathematician and academic (d. 2003)
    • 1909 – Heather Angel, English-American actress (d. 1986)
    • 1909 – Carmen Miranda, Portuguese-Brazilian actress, singer, and dancer (d. 1955)
    • 1909 – Dean Rusk, American colonel and politician, 54th United States Secretary of State (d. 1994)
    • 1910 – Jacques Monod, French biochemist and geneticist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1976)
    • 1911 – William Orlando Darby, American general (d. 1945)
    • 1912 – Futabayama Sadaji, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 35th Yokozuna (d. 1968)
    • 1912 – Ginette Leclerc, French actress (d. 1992)
    • 1914 – Ernest Tubb, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1984)
    • 1916 – Tex Hughson, American baseball player (d. 1993)
    • 1918 – Lloyd Noel Ferguson, African American chemist (d. 2011)
    • 1920 – Fred Allen, New Zealand rugby player and coach (d. 2012)
    • 1922 – Kathryn Grayson, American actress and soprano (d. 2010)
    • 1922 – Jim Laker, English cricketer and sportscaster (d. 1986)
    • 1922 – C. P. Krishnan Nair, Indian businessman, founded The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts (d. 2014)
    • 1922 – Robert E. Ogren, American zoologist (d. 2005)
    • 1923 – Brendan Behan, Irish rebel, poet, and playwright (d. 1964)
    • 1923 – Tonie Nathan, American radio host, producer, and politician (d. 2014)
    • 1925 – John B. Cobb, American philosopher and theologian
    • 1925 – Burkhard Heim, German physicist and academic (d. 2001)
    • 1926 – Garret FitzGerald, Irish lawyer and politician, 7th Taoiseach of Ireland (d. 2011)
    • 1927 – Richard A. Long, American historian and author (d. 2013)
    • 1928 – Frank Frazetta, American painter and illustrator (d. 2010)
    • 1928 – Rinus Michels, Dutch footballer and coach (d. 2005)
    • 1928 – Roger Mudd, American journalist
    • 1929 – A. R. Antulay, Indian social worker and politician, 8th Chief Minister of Maharashtra (d. 2014)
    • 1929 – Clement Meadmore, Australian-American sculptor (d. 2005)
    • 1930 – Garner Ted Armstrong, American evangelist and author (d. 2003)
    • 1931 – Thomas Bernhard, Austrian author, poet, and playwright (d. 1989)
    • 1931 – Josef Masopust, Czech footballer and coach (d. 2015)
    • 1931 – Robert Morris, American sculptor and painter (d. 2018)
    • 1932 – Tatsuro Hirooka, Japanese baseball player and manager
    • 1932 – Gerhard Richter, German painter and photographer
    • 1935 – Lionel Fanthorpe, English-Welsh priest, journalist, and author
    • 1936 – Clive Swift, English actor and singer-songwriter (d. 2019)
    • 1937 – Clete Boyer, American baseball player and manager (d. 2007)
    • 1938 – Ron Logan, Disney theatrical producer and professor
    • 1939 – Mahala Andrews, British vertebrae palaeontologist (d. 1997)
    • 1939 – Barry Mann, American pianist, songwriter, and producer
    • 1939 – Janet Suzman, South African-British actress and director
    • 1940 – Brian Bennett, English drummer and songwriter
    • 1940 – J. M. Coetzee, South African-Australian novelist, essayist, and linguist, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1941 – Kermit Gosnell, American abortionist and serial killer
    • 1941 – Sheila Kuehl, American actress, lawyer, gay rights activist, and politician
    • 1942 – Carole King, American singer-songwriter and pianist
    • 1943 – Barbara Lewis, American soul/R&B singer-songwriter
    • 1943 – Joe Pesci, American actor
    • 1943 – Joseph Stiglitz, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1944 – Derryn Hinch, New Zealand-Australian radio and television host and politician
    • 1944 – Alice Walker, American novelist, short story writer, and poet
    • 1945 – Mia Farrow, American actress, activist, and former fashion model
    • 1945 – Yoshinori Ohsumi, Japanese cell biologist, 2016 Nobel Prize Laureate in Physiology or Medicine
    • 1945 – Carol Wood, American mathematician and academic
    • 1946 – Bob Eastwood, American golfer
    • 1946 – Vince Papale, American football player and sportscaster
    • 1946 – Jim Webb, American captain and politician, 18th United States Secretary of the Navy
    • 1947 – Carla Del Ponte, Swiss lawyer and diplomat
    • 1947 – Joe Ely, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1947 – Major Harris, American R&B singer (d. 2012)
    • 1947 – Alexis Smirnoff, Canadian-American wrestler and actor (d. 2019)
    • 1948 – Guy Standing, English economist and academic
    • 1949 – Bernard Gallacher, Scottish golfer and journalist
    • 1949 – Judith Light, American actress
    • 1950 – Richard F. Colburn, American sergeant and politician
    • 1951 – David Pomeranz, American singer, musician, and composer
    • 1952 – Danny White, American football player and sportscaster
    • 1953 – Ciarán Hinds, Irish actor
    • 1953 – Ezechiele Ramin, Italian missionary, priest, and martyr (d. 1985)
    • 1953 – Gabriel Rotello, American journalist and author, founded OutWeek
    • 1954 – Jo Duffy, American author
    • 1954 – Chris Gardner, American businessman and philanthropist
    • 1954 – Kevin Warwick, English cybernetics scientist
    • 1955 – Jerry Beck, American historian and author
    • 1955 – Jimmy Pursey, English singer-songwriter and producer
    • 1955 – Charles Shaughnessy, English actor
    • 1956 – Mookie Wilson, American baseball player and coach
    • 1957 – Terry McAuliffe, American businessman and politician, 72nd Governor of Virginia
    • 1957 – Gordon Strachan, Scottish footballer and manager
    • 1958 – Sandy Lyle, Scottish golfer
    • 1958 – Chris Nilan, American ice hockey player, coach, and radio host
    • 1960 – Holly Johnson, English singer-songwriter and bass player
    • 1960 – David Simon, American journalist, author, screenwriter, and television producer
    • 1960 – Peggy Whitson, American biochemist and astronaut
    • 1961 – John Kruk, American baseball player and sportscaster
    • 1962 – Anik Bissonnette, Canadian ballerina
    • 1963 – Brian Greene, American physicist
    • 1963 – Peter Rowsthorn, Australian comedian and actor
    • 1963 – Travis Tritt, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
    • 1964 – Debrah Miceli, Italian-American wrestler and manager
    • 1964 – Dewi Morris, English rugby player
    • 1964 – Ernesto Valverde, Spanish footballer and manager
    • 1964 – Alejandro Ávila, Mexican telenovela actor
    • 1964 – Ernesto Valverde, Spanish footballer and manager
    • 1965 – Dieter Baumann, German runner
    • 1966 – Harald Eia, Norwegian comedian, actor, and screenwriter
    • 1967 – Todd Pratt, American baseball player and coach
    • 1967 – Dan Shulman, Canadian sportscaster
    • 1967 – Gaston Browne, Antiguan and Barbudan Prime Minister
    • 1968 – Alejandra Guzmán, Mexican singer-songwriter and actress
    • 1968 – Derek Strong, American basketball player and race car driver
    • 1968 – Gloria Trevi, Mexican singer and actress
    • 1969 – Jimmy Smith, American football player
    • 1970 – Glenn McGrath, Australian cricketer and sportscaster
    • 1971 – Matt Gogel, American golfer
    • 1971 – Johan Mjällby, Swedish footballer and manager
    • 1972 – Darren Ferguson, Scottish footballer and manager
    • 1973 – Svetlana Boginskaya, Belarusian gymnast
    • 1973 – Colin Egglesfield, American actor
    • 1973 – Makoto Shinkai, Japanese animator, director, and screenwriter
    • 1974 – Jordi Cruyff, Dutch footballer and manager
    • 1974 – Brad Maynard, American football player
    • 1974 – Amber Valletta, American model
    • 1974 – John Wallace, American basketball player and coach
    • 1975 – Kurt Asle Arvesen, Norwegian cyclist and coach
    • 1975 – Clinton Grybas, Australian journalist and sportscaster (d. 2008)
    • 1975 – Vladimir Guerrero, Dominican-American baseball player
    • 1976 – Charlie Day, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1978 – A. J. Buckley, Irish-Canadian actor, director, and screenwriter
    • 1979 – Akinori Iwamura, Japanese baseball player
    • 1979 – Irina Slutskaya, Russian figure skater
    • 1980 – Angelos Charisteas, Greek footballer
    • 1980 – Margarita Levieva, Russian-American actress
    • 1980 – Manu Raju, American journalist
    • 1981 – Tom Hiddleston, English actor, producer, and musical performer
    • 1981 – Daisuke Sekimoto, Japanese wrestler
    • 1982 – Domingo Cisma, Spanish footballer
    • 1982 – Jameer Nelson, American basketball player
    • 1982 – Ami Suzuki, Japanese singer-songwriter and actress
    • 1982 – Chris Weale, English footballer and manager
    • 1983 – Mikel Arruabarrena, Spanish footballer
    • 1984 – Maurice Ager, American basketball player, singer, and producer
    • 1984 – Shōhōzan Yūya, Japanese sumo wrestler
    • 1985 – David Gallagher, American actor
    • 1987 – Sam Coulson, English guitarist
    • 1987 – Michael B. Jordan, American actor
    • 1987 – Davide Lanzafame, Italian footballer
    • 1987 – Magdalena Neuner, German biathlete
    • 1988 – Lotte Friis, Danish swimmer
    • 1989 – Maxime Dufour-Lapointe, Canadian skier
    • 1990 – Tariq Sims, Australian-Fijian rugby league player
    • 1991 – Logan Ryan, American football player
    • 1992 – Kyle Feldt, Australian rugby league player
    • 1992 – Mitchell Frei, Australian rugby league player
    • 1992 – Avan Jogia, Canadian actor
    • 1993 – Niclas Füllkrug, German footballer
    • 1995 – André Burakovsky, Swedish ice hockey player
    • 1995 – Mario Pašalić, Croatian footballer
    • 1997 – Saquon Barkley, American football player

    Deaths on February 9

    • 966 – Ono no Michikaze, Japanese calligrapher (b. 894)
    • 967 – Sayf al-Dawla, emir of Aleppo (b. 916)
    • 978 – Luitgarde, duchess consort of Normandy
    • 1011 – Bernard I, Duke of Saxony
    • 1014 – Yang Yanzhao, Chinese general
    • 1135 – Tai Zong, Chinese emperor (b. 1075)
    • 1199 – Minamoto no Yoritomo, Japanese shōgun (b. 1147)
    • 1251 – Matthias II, duke of Lorraine
    • 1407 – William I, margrave of Meissen (b. 1343)
    • 1450 – Agnès Sorel, French mistress of Charles VII of France (b. 1421)
    • 1555 – John Hooper, English bishop and martyr (b. 1495)
    • 1555 – Rowland Taylor, English priest and martyr (b. 1510)
    • 1588 – Álvaro de Bazán, 1st Marquis of Santa Cruz, Spanish admiral (b. 1526)
    • 1600 – John Frederick, Duke of Pomerania (b. 1542)
    • 1619 – Lucilio Vanini, Italian physician and philosopher (b. 1585)
    • 1640 – Murad IV, Ottoman Sultan (b. 1612)
    • 1670 – Frederick III of Denmark (b. 1609)
    • 1675 – Gerrit Dou, Dutch painter (b. 1613)
    • 1709 – François Louis, Prince of Conti (b. 1664)
    • 1777 – Seth Pomeroy, American general and gunsmith (b. 1706)
    • 1803 – Jean François de Saint-Lambert, French soldier, poet, and philosopher (b. 1716)
    • 1857 – Dionysios Solomos, Greek poet and translator (b. 1798)
    • 1874 – Jules Michelet, French historian, philosopher, and academic (b. 1798)
    • 1881 – Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Russian novelist, short story writer, essayist, and philosopher (b. 1821)
    • 1891 – Johan Jongkind, Dutch painter (b. 1819)
    • 1903 – Charles Gavan Duffy, Irish-Australian politician, 8th Premier of Victoria (b. 1816)
    • 1906 – Paul Laurence Dunbar, American author, poet, and playwright (b. 1872)
    • 1928 – William Gillies, Australian politician, 21st Premier of Queensland (b. 1868)
    • 1930 – Richard With, Norwegian captain and businessman, founded Hurtigruten (b. 1846)
    • 1932 – Junnosuke Inoue, Japanese businessman and banker (b. 1869)
    • 1932 – A.K. Golam Jilani, Bangladeshi soldier and activist (b. 1904)
    • 1945 – Ella D. Barrier, American educator (b. 1852)
    • 1950 – Ted Theodore, Australian politician, 20th Premier of Queensland (b. 1884)
    • 1951 – Eddy Duchin, American pianist, bandleader, and actor (b. 1910)
    • 1957 – Miklós Horthy, Hungarian admiral and politician, Regent of Hungary (b. 1868)
    • 1960 – Alexandre Benois, Russian painter and critic (b. 1870)
    • 1960 – Ernő Dohnányi, Hungarian pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1877)
    • 1965 – Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah, Bangladeshi theologian and educator (b. 1874)
    • 1966 – Sophie Tucker, Russian-born American singer (b. 1884)
    • 1969 – George “Gabby” Hayes, American actor and singer (b. 1885)
    • 1976 – Percy Faith, Canadian composer and conductor (b. 1908)
    • 1977 – Sergey Ilyushin, Russian engineer and businessman, founded the Ilyushin Design Company (b. 1894)
    • 1978 – Costante Girardengo, Italian cyclist and coach (b. 1893)
    • 1979 – Allen Tate, American poet and academic (b. 1899)
    • 1980 – Tom Macdonald, Welsh journalist and author (b. 1900)
    • 1981 – M. C. Chagla, Indian jurist and politician, Indian Minister of External Affairs (b. 1900)
    • 1981 – Bill Haley, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1925)
    • 1984 – Yuri Andropov, Russian lawyer and politician (b. 1914)
    • 1989 – Osamu Tezuka, Japanese illustrator, animator, and producer (b. 1928)
    • 1994 – Howard Martin Temin, American geneticist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1934)
    • 1995 – J. William Fulbright, American lawyer and politician (b. 1905)
    • 1995 – David Wayne, American actor (b. 1914)
    • 1998 – Maurice Schumann, French journalist and politician, French Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1911)
    • 2001 – Herbert A. Simon, American political scientist, economist, and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1916)
    • 2002 – Isabelle Holland, Swiss-American author (b. 1920)
    • 2002 – Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon (b. 1930)
    • 2003 – Masatoshi Gündüz Ikeda, Japanese-Turkish mathematician and academic (b. 1926)
    • 2004 – Claude Ryan, Canadian journalist and politician (b. 1925)
    • 2005 – Robert Kearns, American engineer, invented the windscreen wiper (b. 1927)
    • 2006 – Freddie Laker, English pilot and businessman, founded Laker Airways (b. 1922)
    • 2007 – Hank Bauer, American baseball player and manager (b. 1922)
    • 2007 – Ian Richardson, Scottish actor (b. 1934)
    • 2008 – Christopher Hyatt, American occultist and author (b. 1943)
    • 2008 – Jazeh Tabatabai, Iranian painter, poet, and sculptor (b. 1931)
    • 2009 – Orlando “Cachaíto” López, Cuban bassist and composer (b. 1933)
    • 2010 – Walter Frederick Morrison, American businessman, invented the Frisbee (b. 1920)
    • 2011 – Miltiadis Evert, Greek lawyer and politician, 69th Mayor of Athens (b. 1939)
    • 2012 – O. P. Dutta, Indian director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1922)
    • 2012 – John Hick, English philosopher and academic (b. 1922)
    • 2012 – Joe Moretti, Scottish-South African guitarist and songwriter (b. 1938)
    • 2013 – Richard Artschwager, American painter, illustrator, and sculptor (b. 1923)
    • 2013 – Keiko Fukuda, Japanese-American martial artist and trainer (b. 1913)
    • 2013 – Jimmy Smyth, Irish hurler (b. 1931)
    • 2014 – Gabriel Axel, Danish actor, director, and producer (b. 1918)
    • 2014 – Hal Herring, American football player and coach (b. 1924)
    • 2014 – Logan Scott-Bowden, English general (b. 1920)
    • 2015 – Liu Han, Chinese businessman and philanthropist (b. 1965)
    • 2015 – Ed Sabol, American film producer, co-founded NFL Films (b. 1916)
    • 2016 – Sushil Koirala, Nepalese politician, 37th Prime Minister of Nepal (b. 1939)
    • 2016 – Zdravko Tolimir, Bosnian Serb military commander (b. 1948)
    • 2017 – André Salvat, French Army colonel (b. 1920)
    • 2018 – Reg E. Cathey, American actor of stage, film, and television (b. 1958)
    • 2018 – Nebojša Glogovac, Serbian actor (b. 1969)
    • 2018 – Jóhann Jóhannsson, Icelandic composer (b. 1969)
    • 2018 – John Gavin, American actor and United States ambassador to Mexico (b. 1931)
    • 2020 – Sergiy Vilkomir, Ukrainian-born computer scientist (b. 1956)

    Holidays and observances on February 9

    • Christian feast day:
      • Alto of Altomünster
      • Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich
      • Ansbert of Rouen
      • Apollonia
      • Bracchio
      • Blessed Leopold of Alpandeire
      • Maron (Maronite Church)
      • Miguel Febres Cordero
      • Nebridius
      • Sabinus of Canosa
      • Teilo (Wales)
      • February 9 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Earliest day on which Clean Monday can fall, while March 15 is the latest; celebrated on the first Monday of Great Lent. (Eastern Christianity)
    • Earliest day on which People’s Sunday can fall, while March 15 is the latest; celebrated on the first Sunday of Lent. (Malta)
    • St. Maroun’s Day (public holiday in Lebanon)

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

    February 8 in History

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

    Births on February 8

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

    Deaths on February 8

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

    Holidays and observances on February 8

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

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

    • 506 – Alaric II, eighth king of the Visigoths promulgates the Breviary of Alaric (Breviarium Alaricianum or Lex Romana Visigothorum), a collection of “Roman law”.
    • 880 – Battle of Lüneburg Heath: King Louis III is defeated by the Norse Great Heathen Army at Lüneburg Heath in Saxony.
    • 962 – Translatio imperii: Pope John XII crowns Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, the first Holy Roman Emperor in nearly 40 years.
    • 1032 – Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor becomes king of Burgundy.
    • 1141 – The Battle of Lincoln, at which Stephen, King of England is defeated and captured by the allies of Empress Matilda.
    • 1207 – Terra Mariana, eventually comprising present-day Latvia and Estonia, is established.
    • 1438 – Nine leaders of the Transylvanian peasant revolt are executed at Torda.
    • 1461 – Wars of the Roses: The Battle of Mortimer’s Cross is fought in Herefordshire, England.
    • 1536 – Spaniard Pedro de Mendoza founds Buenos Aires, Argentina.
    • 1645 – Scotland in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms: Battle of Inverlochy.
    • 1653 – New Amsterdam (later renamed The City of New York) is incorporated.
    • 1709 – Alexander Selkirk is rescued after being shipwrecked on a desert island, inspiring Daniel Defoe’s adventure book Robinson Crusoe.
    • 1848 – Mexican–American War: The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is signed.
    • 1850 – Brigham Young declares war on Timpanogos in the Battle at Fort Utah.
    • 1868 – Pro-Imperial forces captured Osaka Castle from the Tokugawa shogunate and burned it to the ground.
    • 1876 – The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs of Major League Baseball is formed.
    • 1887 – In Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania the first Groundhog Day is observed.
    • 1899 – The Australian Premiers’ Conference held in Melbourne decides to locate Australia’s capital city, Canberra, between Sydney and Melbourne.
    • 1901 – Funeral of Queen Victoria.
    • 1909 – The Paris Film Congress opens. An attempt by European producers to form an equivalent to the MPCC cartel in the United States.
    • 1913 – Grand Central Terminal is opened in New York City.
    • 1920 – The Tartu Peace Treaty is signed between Estonia and Russia.
    • 1922 – Ulysses by James Joyce is published.
    • 1925 – Serum run to Nome: Dog sleds reach Nome, Alaska with diphtheria serum, inspiring the Iditarod race.
    • 1934 – The Export-Import Bank of the United States is incorporated.
    • 1935 – Leonarde Keeler administers polygraph tests to two murder suspects, the first time polygraph evidence was admitted in U.S. courts.
    • 1942 – The Osvald Group is responsible for the first, active event of anti-Nazi resistance in Norway, to protest the inauguration of Vidkun Quisling.
    • 1943 – World War II: The Battle of Stalingrad comes to an end when Soviet troops accept the surrender of the last organized German troops in the city.
    • 1959 – Nine experienced ski hikers in the northern Ural Mountains in the Soviet Union die under mysterious circumstances.
    • 1966 – Pakistan suggests a six-point agenda with Kashmir after the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.
    • 1971 – Idi Amin replaces President Milton Obote as leader of Uganda.
    • 1971 – The international Ramsar Convention for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands is signed in Ramsar, Mazandaran, Iran.
    • 1980 – Reports surface that the FBI is targeting allegedly corrupt Congressmen in the Abscam operation.
    • 1982 – Hama massacre: The government of Syria attacks the town of Hama.
    • 1987 – After the 1986 People Power Revolution, the Philippines enacts a new constitution.
    • 1989 – Soviet–Afghan War: The last Soviet armoured column leaves Kabul.
    • 1990 – Apartheid: F. W. de Klerk announces the unbanning of the African National Congress and promises to release Nelson Mandela.
    • 2000 – First digital cinema projection in Europe (Paris) realized by Philippe Binant with the DLP CINEMA technology developed by Texas Instruments.
    • 2002 – Wedding of Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange, and Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti
    • 2004 – Swiss tennis player Roger Federer becomes the No. 1 ranked men’s singles player, a position he will hold for a record 237 weeks.
    • 2005 – The Government of Canada introduces the Civil Marriage Act. This legislation would become law on July 20, 2005, legalizing same-sex marriage.
    • 2007 – Police officer Filippo Raciti is killed when a clash breaks out in the Sicily derby between Catania and Palermo, in the Serie A, the top flight of Italian football. This event led to major changes in stadium regulations in Italy.
    • 2012 – The ferry MV Rabaul Queen sinks off the coast of Papua New Guinea near the Finschhafen District, with an estimated 146-165 dead.

    Births on February 2

    • 1208 – James I of Aragon (d. 1276)
    • 1282 – Maud Chaworth, Countess of Leicester (d. 1322).
    • 1425 (or 1426) – Eleanor of Navarre, Queen regnant of Navarre (d. 1479)
    • 1443 – Elisabeth of Bavaria, Electress of Saxony (d. 1486)
    • 1455 – John, King of Denmark (d. 1513)
    • 1457 – Peter Martyr d’Anghiera, Italian-Spanish historian and author (d. 1526)
    • 1467 – Columba of Rieti, Italian Dominican sister (d. 1501)
    • 1494 – Bona Sforza, queen of Sigismund I of Poland (d. 1557)
    • 1502 – Damião de Góis, Portuguese philosopher and historian (d. 1574)
    • 1506 – René de Birague, Italian-French cardinal and politician (d. 1583)
    • 1509 – John of Leiden, Dutch Anabaptist leader (d. 1536)
    • 1522 – Lodovico Ferrari, Italian mathematician and academic (d. 1565)
    • 1536 – Piotr Skarga, Polish writer (d. 1612)
    • 1551 – Nicolaus Reimers, German astronomer (d. 1600)
    • 1576 – Alix Le Clerc, French Canoness Regular and foundress (d. 1622)
    • 1585 – Judith Quiney, William Shakespeare’s youngest daughter (d. 1662)
    • 1585 – Hamnet Shakespeare, William Shakespeare’s only son (baptised; d. 1596)
    • 1588 – Georg II of Fleckenstein-Dagstuhl, German nobleman (d. 1644)
    • 1600 – Gabriel Naudé, French librarian and scholar (d. 1653)
    • 1611 – Ulrik of Denmark, Danish prince-bishop (d. 1633)
    • 1613 – Noël Chabanel, French missionary and saint (d. 1649)
    • 1621 – Johannes Schefferus, Swedish author and hymn-writer (d. 1679)
    • 1650 – Pope Benedict XIII (d. 1730)
    • 1650 – Nell Gwyn, English actress, mistress of King Charles II of England (d. 1687)
    • 1651 – William Phips, Royal governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay (d. 1695)
    • 1669 – Louis Marchand, French organist and composer (d. 1732)
    • 1677 – Jean-Baptiste Morin, French composer (d. 1745)
    • 1695 – William Borlase, English geologist and archaeologist (d. 1772)
    • 1695 – François de Chevert, French general (d. 1769)
    • 1700 – Johann Christoph Gottsched, German author and critic (d. 1766)
    • 1711 – Wenzel Anton, Prince of Kaunitz-Rietberg (d. 1794)
    • 1714 – Gottfried August Homilius, German organist and composer (d. 1785)
    • 1717 – Ernst Gideon von Laudon, Austrian field marshal (d. 1790)
    • 1754 – Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, French general and politician, Prime Minister of France (d. 1838)
    • 1782 – Henri de Rigny, French admiral and politician, French Minister of War (d. 1835)
    • 1786 – Jacques Philippe Marie Binet, French mathematician, physicist, and astronomer (d. 1856)
    • 1802 – Jean-Baptiste Boussingault, French chemist and academic (d. 1887)
    • 1803 – Albert Sidney Johnston, American general (d. 1862)
    • 1829 – Alfred Brehm, German zoologist and illustrator (d. 1884)
    • 1829 – William Stanley, English engineer and philanthropist (d. 1909)
    • 1841 – François-Alphonse Forel, Swiss limnologist and hydrologist (d. 1912)
    • 1842 – Julian Sochocki, Polish-Russian mathematician and academic (d. 1927)
    • 1849 – Pavol Országh Hviezdoslav, Slovak poet and playwright (d. 1921)
    • 1851 – José Guadalupe Posada, Mexican illustrator and engraver (d. 1913)
    • 1856 – Frederick William Vanderbilt, American railway magnate (d. 1938)
    • 1856 – Makar Yekmalyan, Armenian composer (d. 1905)
    • 1857 – Jan Drozdowski, Polish pianist and music teacher (d. 1918)
    • 1860 – Curtis Guild, Jr., American journalist and politician, 43rd Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1915)
    • 1861 – Solomon R. Guggenheim, American businessman and philanthropist, founded the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (d. 1949)
    • 1862 – Émile Coste, French fencer (d. 1927)
    • 1862 – Cornelius McKane, American physician, educator, and hospital founder (d. 1912)
    • 1866 – Enrique Simonet, Spanish painter and academic (d. 1927)
    • 1873 – Leo Fall, Austrian composer (d. 1925)
    • 1873 – Konstantin von Neurath, German politician and diplomat, 13th German Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 1956)
    • 1875 – Fritz Kreisler, Austrian-American violinist and composer (d. 1962)
    • 1877 – Frank L. Packard, Canadian author (d. 1942)
    • 1878 – Joe Lydon, American boxer (d. 1937)
    • 1880 – Frederick Lane, Australian swimmer (d. 1969)
    • 1881 – Orval Overall, American baseball player and manager (d. 1947)
    • 1882 – Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark (d. 1944)
    • 1882 – James Joyce, Irish novelist, short story writer, and poet (d. 1941)
    • 1883 – Johnston McCulley, American author and screenwriter, created Zorro (d. 1958)
    • 1883 – Julia Nava de Ruisánchez, Mexican activist and writer (d. 1964)
    • 1886 – William Rose Benét, American poet and author (d. 1950)
    • 1887 – Ernst Hanfstaengl, German businessman (d. 1975)
    • 1889 – Jean de Lattre de Tassigny, French general (d. 1952)
    • 1890 – Charles Correll, American actor and screenwriter (d. 1972)
    • 1892 – Tochigiyama Moriya, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 27th Yokozuna (d. 1959)
    • 1893 – Cornelius Lanczos, Hungarian mathematician and physicist (d. 1974)
    • 1893 – Raoul Riganti, Argentinian race car driver (d. 1970)
    • 1893 – Damdin Sükhbaatar, Mongolian soldier and politician (d. 1924)
    • 1895 – George Halas, American football player and coach (d. 1983)
    • 1895 – Robert Philipp, American painter (d. 1981)
    • 1895 – George Sutcliffe, Australian public servant (d. 1964)
    • 1896 – Kazimierz Kuratowski, Polish mathematician and logician (d. 1980)
    • 1897 – Howard Deering Johnson, American businessman, founded Howard Johnson’s (d. 1972)
    • 1897 – Gertrude Blanch, Russian-American mathematician (d. 1996)
    • 1900 – Anni Frind, German lyric soprano (d. 1987)
    • 1900 – Willie Kamm, American baseball player and manager (d. 1988)
    • 1901 – Jascha Heifetz, Lithuanian-born American violinist and educator (d. 1987)
    • 1902 – Newbold Morris, American lawyer and politician (d. 1966)
    • 1902 – John Tonkin, Australian politician, 20th Premier of Western Australia (d. 1995)
    • 1904 – Bozorg Alavi, Iranian author and activist (d. 1997)
    • 1905 – Ayn Rand, Russian-born American novelist and philosopher (d. 1982)
    • 1908 – Wes Ferrell, American baseball player and manager (d. 1976)
    • 1909 – Frank Albertson, American actor (d. 1964)
    • 1911 – Jack Pizzey, Australian politician, 29th Premier of Queensland (d. 1968)
    • 1912 – Millvina Dean, English civil servant and cartographer (d. 2009)
    • 1912 – Burton Lane, American songwriter and composer (d. 1997)
    • 1913 – Poul Reichhardt, Danish actor and singer (d. 1985)
    • 1914 – Eric Kierans, Canadian economist and politician, 1st Canadian Minister of Communications (d. 2004)
    • 1915 – Abba Eban, South African-Israeli politician and diplomat, 1st Israel Ambassador to the United Nations (d. 2002)
    • 1915 – Stan Leonard, Canadian golfer (d. 2005)
    • 1915 – Khushwant Singh, Indian journalist and author (d. 2014)
    • 1916 – Xuân Diệu, Vietnamese poet and author (d. 1985)
    • 1917 – Mary Ellis, British World War II ferry pilot (d. 2018)
    • 1917 – Đỗ Mười, Vietnamese politician, 5th Prime Minister of Vietnam (d. 2018)
    • 1918 – Hella Haasse, Indonesian-Dutch author (d. 2011)
    • 1919 – Lisa Della Casa, Swiss soprano and actress (d. 2012)
    • 1919 – Georg Gawliczek, German footballer and manager (d. 1999)
    • 1920 – George Hardwick, English footballer and coach (d. 2004)
    • 1920 – John Russell, American Olympic equestrian
    • 1920 – Arthur Willis, English footballer, full-back, player-manager (d. 1987)
    • 1922 – Kunwar Digvijay Singh, Indian field hockey player (d. 1978)
    • 1922 – Robert Chef d’Hôtel, French athlete (d. 2019)
    • 1922 – James L. Usry, American politician, first African-American mayor of Atlantic City, New Jersey (d. 2002)
    • 1922 – Stoyanka Mutafova, Bulgarian actress (d. 2019)
    • 1923 – Jean Babilée, French dancer and choreographer (d. 2014)
    • 1923 – James Dickey, American poet and novelist (d. 1997)
    • 1923 – Svetozar Gligorić, Serbian and Yugoslav chess grandmaster (d.2012)
    • 1923 – Bonita Granville, American actress and producer (d. 1988)
    • 1923 – Red Schoendienst, American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 2018)
    • 1923 – Liz Smith, American journalist and author (d. 2017)
    • 1923 – Clem Windsor, Australian rugby player and surgeon (d. 2007)
    • 1924 – Elfi von Dassanowsky, Austrian-American singer, pianist, producer (d. 2007)
    • 1924 – Sonny Stitt, American saxophonist and composer (d. 1982)
    • 1925 – Elaine Stritch, American actress and singer (d. 2014)
    • 1926 – Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, French academic and politician, 20th President of France
    • 1927 – Stan Getz, American saxophonist (d. 1991)
    • 1927 – Doris Sams, American baseball player (d. 2012)
    • 1928 – Ciriaco De Mita, 47th Prime minister of Italy
    • 1928 – Jay Handlan, American basketball player and engineer (d. 2013)
    • 1928 – Tommy Harmer, English footballer, inside forward, youth team coach (d. 2007)
    • 1929 – Sheila Matthews Allen, American actress and producer (d. 2013)
    • 1929 – George Band, English engineer and mountaineer (d. 2011)
    • 1929 – Věra Chytilová, Czech actress, director, and screenwriter (d. 2014)
    • 1929 – John Henry Holland, American computer scientist and academic (d. 2015)
    • 1929 – Waldemar Kmentt, Austrian operatic tenor (d. 2015)
    • 1931 – Dries van Agt, Dutch politician, diplomat and jurist, Prime Minister of the Netherlands
    • 1931 – Les Dawson, English comedian and author (d. 1993)
    • 1931 – Glynn Edwards, Malaysian-English actor (d. 2018)
    • 1931 – John Paul Harney, Canadian educator and politician
    • 1931 – Judith Viorst, American journalist and author
    • 1932 – Arthur Lyman, American jazz vibraphone and marimba player (d. 2002)
    • 1932 – Robert Mandan, American actor (d. 2018)
    • 1933 – M’el Dowd, American actress and singer (d. 2012)
    • 1933 – Tony Jay, English-American actor (d. 2006)
    • 1933 – Orlando “Cachaíto” López, Cuban bassist and composer (d. 2009)
    • 1933 – Than Shwe, Burmese general and politician, 8th Prime Minister of Burma
    • 1935 – Pete Brown, American golfer (d. 2015)
    • 1935 – Evgeny Velikhov, Russian physicist and academic
    • 1936 – Duane Jones, American actor (d. 1988)
    • 1936 – Metin Oktay, Turkish footballer and manager (d. 1991)
    • 1937 – Don Buford, American baseball player and coach
    • 1937 – Eric Arturo Delvalle, Panamanian lawyer and politician, President of Panama (d. 2015)
    • 1937 – Anthony Haden-Guest, British journalist, poet, and critic
    • 1937 – Remak Ramsay, American actor
    • 1937 – Tom Smothers, American comedian, actor, and activist
    • 1937 – Alexandra Strelchenko, Russian Singer (d. 2019)
    • 1938 – Norman Fowler, English journalist and politician, Secretary of State for Transport
    • 1938 – Gene MacLellan, Canadian singer-songwriter (d. 1995)
    • 1939 – Jackie Burroughs, English-born Canadian actress (d. 2010)
    • 1939 – Mary-Dell Chilton, American chemist and inventor and one of the founders of modern plant biotechnology
    • 1939 – Dale T. Mortensen, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2014)
    • 1940 – Alan Caddy, English guitarist and producer (d. 2000)
    • 1940 – Thomas M. Disch, American author and poet (d. 2008)
    • 1940 – Wayne Fontes, American football player and coach
    • 1940 – David Jason, English actor, director, and producer
    • 1941 – Terry Biddlecombe, English jockey (d. 2014)
    • 1942 – Bo Hopkins, American actor
    • 1942 – Graham Nash, English-American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1944 – Andrew Davis, English organist and conductor
    • 1944 – Geoffrey Hughes, English actor (d. 2012)
    • 1944 – Ursula Oppens, American pianist and educator
    • 1945 – John Eatwell, Baron Eatwell, English economist and academic
    • 1946 – John Armitt, English engineer and businessman
    • 1946 – Alpha Oumar Konaré, Malian academic and politician, 3rd President of Mali
    • 1946 – Constantine Papadakis, Greek-American businessman and academic (d. 2009)
    • 1947 – Greg Antonacci, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2017)
    • 1947 – Farrah Fawcett, American actress and producer (d. 2009)
    • 1948 – Ina Garten, American chef and author
    • 1948 – Al McKay, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer
    • 1948 – Roger Williamson, English race car driver (d. 1973)
    • 1949 – Duncan Bannatyne, Scottish businessman and philanthropist
    • 1949 – Yasuko Namba, Japanese mountaineer (d. 1996)
    • 1949 – Brent Spiner, American actor and singer
    • 1949 – Ross Valory, American rock bass player and songwriter
    • 1950 – Osamu Kido, Japanese wrestler
    • 1950 – Libby Purves, British journalist and author
    • 1950 – Barbara Sukowa, German actress
    • 1950 – Genichiro Tenryu, Japanese wrestler
    • 1951 – Vangelis Alexandris, Greek basketball player and coach
    • 1951 – Ken Bruce, Scottish radio host
    • 1952 – John Cornyn, American lawyer and politician, 49th Attorney General of Texas
    • 1952 – Rick Dufay, French-American guitarist and songwriter
    • 1952 – Park Geun-hye, South Korean politician, 11th President of South Korea
    • 1952 – Ralph Merkle, American computer scientist and academic
    • 1952 – Carol Ann Susi, American actress (d. 2014)
    • 1953 – Duane Chapman, American bounty hunter
    • 1953 – Jerry Sisk, Jr., American gemologist, co-founded Jewelry Television (d. 2013)
    • 1954 – Christie Brinkley, American actress, model, and businesswoman
    • 1954 – Hansi Hinterseer, Austrian skier and actor
    • 1954 – Nelson Ne’e, Solomon Islander politician (d. 2013)
    • 1954 – John Tudor, American baseball player
    • 1955 – Leszek Engelking, Polish poet and author
    • 1955 – Bob Schreck, American author
    • 1955 – Michael Talbott, American actor
    • 1955 – Kim Zimmer, American actress
    • 1956 – Adnan Oktar, Turkish theorist and author
    • 1957 – Phil Barney, Algerian-French singer-songwriter
    • 1958 – Michel Marc Bouchard, Canadian playwright
    • 1961 – Abraham Iyambo, Namibian politician (d. 2013)
    • 1961 – Lauren Lane, American actress and academic
    • 1962 – Philippe Claudel, French author, director, and screenwriter
    • 1962 – Andy Fordham, English darts player
    • 1962 – Paul Kilgus, American baseball player
    • 1962 – Kate Raison, Australian actress
    • 1962 – Michael T. Weiss, American actor
    • 1963 – Eva Cassidy, American singer and guitarist (d. 1996)
    • 1963 – Kjell Dahlin, Swedish ice hockey player
    • 1963 – Andrej Kiska, Slovak entrepreneur and philanthropist, President of Slovakia
    • 1963 – Philip Laats, Belgian martial artist
    • 1963 – Vigleik Storaas, Norwegian pianist
    • 1965 – Carl Airey, English footballer
    • 1965 – Naoki Sano, Japanese wrestler and mixed martial artist
    • 1966 – Andrei Chesnokov, Russian tennis player and coach
    • 1966 – Robert DeLeo, American bass player, songwriter, and producer
    • 1966 – Adam Ferrara, American actor and comedian
    • 1966 – Michael Misick, Caicos Islander politician, Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands
    • 1967 – Artūrs Irbe, Latvian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1967 – Laurent Nkunda, Congolese general
    • 1968 – Sean Elliott, American basketball player and sportscaster
    • 1968 – Scott Erickson, American baseball player and coach
    • 1969 – Dana International, Israeli singer-songwriter
    • 1969 – Valeri Karpin, Estonian-Russian footballer and manager
    • 1970 – Roar Strand, Norwegian footballer
    • 1970 – Jennifer Westfeldt, American actress and singer
    • 1971 – Michelle Gayle, English singer-songwriter and actress
    • 1971 – Arly Jover, Spanish actress
    • 1971 – Isaac Kungwane, South African footballer and sportscaster (d. 2014)
    • 1971 – Jason Taylor, Australian rugby league player and coach
    • 1971 – Hwang Seok-jeong, South Korean actress
    • 1972 – Melvin Mora, Venezuelan baseball player
    • 1972 – Aleksey Naumov, Russian footballer
    • 1973 – Andrei Luzgin, Estonian tennis player and coach
    • 1973 – Aleksander Tammert, Estonian discus thrower
    • 1973 – Marissa Jaret Winokur, American actress and singer
    • 1975 – Todd Bertuzzi, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1975 – Donald Driver, American football player
    • 1975 – Ieroklis Stoltidis, Greek footballer
    • 1976 – Ryan Farquhar, Northern Irish motorcycle racer
    • 1976 – James Hickman, English swimmer
    • 1976 – Ana Roces, Filipino actress
    • 1977 – Shakira, Colombian singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
    • 1977 – Libor Sionko, Czech footballer
    • 1978 – Adam Christopher, New Zealand writer
    • 1978 – Eden Espinosa, American actress and singer
    • 1978 – Annabel Ellwood, Australian tennis player
    • 1978 – Barry Ferguson, Scottish footballer and manager
    • 1978 – Rich Sommer, American actor
    • 1978 – Faye White, English footballer
    • 1979 – Urmo Aava, Estonian race car driver
    • 1979 – Fani Chalkia, Greek hurdler and sprinter
    • 1979 – Christine Lampard, Irish television host
    • 1979 – Klaus Mainzer, German rugby player
    • 1979 – Shamita Shetty, Indian actress
    • 1979 – Irini Terzoglou, Greek shot putter
    • 1980 – Angela Finger-Erben, German journalist
    • 1980 – Teddy Hart, Canadian wrestler
    • 1980 – Oleguer Presas, Spanish footballer
    • 1981 – Emre Aydın, Turkish singer-songwriter
    • 1981 – Michelle Bass, English model and singer
    • 1981 – Salem al-Hazmi, Saudi Arabian terrorist, hijacker of American Airlines Flight 77 (d. 2001)
    • 1982 – Sergio Castaño Ortega, Spanish footballer
    • 1982 – Kelly Mazzante, American basketball player
    • 1982 – Kan Mi-youn, South Korean singer, model, and host
    • 1983 – Ronny Cedeño, Venezuelan baseball player
    • 1983 – Carolina Klüft, Swedish heptathlete and jumper
    • 1983 – Jordin Tootoo, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1983 – Vladimir Voskoboinikov, Estonian footballer
    • 1983 – Alex Westaway, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1984 – Brian Cage, American wrestler
    • 1984 – Mao Miyaji, Japanese actress
    • 1984 – Rudi Wulf, New Zealand rugby player
    • 1985 – Masoud Azizi, Afghan sprinter
    • 1985 – Renn Kiriyama, Japanese actor
    • 1985 – Kristo Saage, Estonian basketball player
    • 1985 – Silvestre Varela, Portuguese footballer
    • 1986 – Gemma Arterton, English actress and singer
    • 1986 – Miwa Asao, Japanese volleyball player
    • 1987 – Anthony Fainga’a, Australian rugby player
    • 1987 – Saia Fainga’a, Australian rugby player
    • 1987 – Faydee, Australian singer
    • 1987 – Athena Imperial, Filipino journalist, Miss Earth-Water 2011
    • 1987 – Mimi Page, American singer-songwriter and composer
    • 1987 – Gerard Piqué, Spanish footballer
    • 1987 – Javon Ringer, American football player
    • 1987 – Jill Scott, English footballer
    • 1987 – Victoria Song, Chinese singer and actress
    • 1987 – Martin Spanjers, American actor and producer
    • 1988 – Zosia Mamet, American actress
    • 1989 – Harrison Smith, American football player
    • 1989 – Southside, American record producer
    • 1991 – Nathan Delfouneso, English footballer
    • 1991 – Gregory Mertens, Belgian footballer (d. 2015)
    • 1991 – Shohei Nanba, Japanese actor
    • 1992 – Lammtarra, American race horse (d. 2014)
    • 1992 – Joonas Tamm, Estonian footballer
    • 1993 – Ravel Morrison, English footballer
    • 1993 – Bobby Decordova-Reid, English born Jamaican international footballer, forward
    • 1995 – Paul Digby, English footballer
    • 1995 – Aleksander Jagiełło, Polish footballer
    • 1995 – Arfa Karim, Pakstani student and computer prodigy (d. 2012)
    • 1996 – Harry Winks, English international footballer, midfielder

    Deaths on February 2

    • 619 – Laurence of Canterbury, English archbishop and saint
    • 880 – Bruno, duke of Saxony
    • 1124 – Bořivoj II, Duke of Bohemia (b. 1064)
    • 1218 – Konstantin of Rostov (b. 1186)
    • 1237 – Joan, Lady of Wales
    • 1250 – Eric XI of Sweden (b. 1216)
    • 1294 – Louis II, Duke of Bavaria (b. 1229)
    • 1347 – Thomas Bek, Bishop of Lincoln, was the bishop of Lincoln (b. 1282)
    • 1348 – Narymunt, Prince of Pinsk
    • 1435 – Joan II of Naples, Queen of Naples (b. 1371)
    • 1446 – Vittorino da Feltre, Italian humanist (b. 1378)
    • 1448 – Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Egyptian jurist and scholar (b. 1372)
    • 1461 – Owen Tudor, Welsh founder of the Tudor dynasty (b. c. 1400)
    • 1512 – Hatuey, Caribbean tribal chief
    • 1529 – Baldassare Castiglione, Italian soldier and diplomat (b. 1478)
    • 1580 – Bessho Nagaharu, Japanese daimyō (b. 1558)
    • 1594 – Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Italian composer and educator (b. 1525)
    • 1648 – George Abbot, English author and politician (b. 1603)
    • 1660 – Gaston, Duke of Orléans (b. 1608)
    • 1660 – Govert Flinck, Dutch painter (b. 1615)
    • 1661 – Lucas Holstenius, German geographer and historian (b. 1596)
    • 1675 – Ivan Belostenec, Croatian linguist and lexicographer (b. 1594)
    • 1688 – Abraham Duquesne, French admiral (b. 1610)
    • 1704 – Guillaume de l’Hôpital, French mathematician and academic (b. 1661)
    • 1712 – Martin Lister, English physician and geologist (b. 1639)
    • 1714 – John Sharp, English archbishop (b. 1643)
    • 1723 – Antonio Maria Valsalva, Italian anatomist and physician (b. 1666)
    • 1768 – Robert Smith, English mathematician and theorist (b. 1689)
    • 1769 – Pope Clement XIII (b. 1693)
    • 1802 – Welbore Ellis, 1st Baron Mendip, English politician, Secretary of State for the Colonies (b. 1713)
    • 1804 – George Walton, American lawyer and politician, Governor of Georgia (b. 1749)
    • 1831 – Vincenzo Dimech, Maltese sculptor (b. 1768)
    • 1836 – Letizia Ramolino, Italian noblewoman (b. 1750)
    • 1861 – Théophane Vénard, French Catholic missionary (b. 1829)
    • 1881 – Henry Parker, English-Australian politician, 3rd Premier of New South Wales (b. 1808)
    • 1904 – Ernest Cashel, American-Canadian criminal (b. 1882)
    • 1904 – William Collins Whitney, American financier and politician, 31st United States Secretary of the Navy (b. 1841)
    • 1905 – Henri Germain, French banker and politician, founded Le Crédit Lyonnais (b. 1824)
    • 1907 – Dmitri Mendeleev, Russian chemist and academic (b. 1834)
    • 1909 – Carlo Acton, Italian pianist and composer (b. 1829)
    • 1913 – Gustaf de Laval, Swedish engineer (b. 1845)
    • 1918 – John L. Sullivan, American boxer (b. 1858)
    • 1919 – Julius Kuperjanov, Estonian lieutenant (b. 1894)
    • 1925 – Antti Aarne, Finnish historian and academic (b. 1867)
    • 1925 – Jaap Eden, Dutch speed skater and cyclist (b. 1873)
    • 1926 – Vladimir Sukhomlinov, Russian general and politician (b. 1848)
    • 1932 – Agha Petros, Assyrian general and politician (b. 1880)
    • 1939 – Bernhard Gregory, Estonian-German chess player (b. 1879)
    • 1942 – Ado Birk, Estonian lawyer and politician, 3rd Prime Minister of Estonia (b. 1883)
    • 1942 – Daniil Kharms, Russian poet and playwright (b. 1905)
    • 1942 – Hugh D. McIntosh, Australian businessman (b. 1876)
    • 1945 – Alfred Delp, German priest and philosopher (b. 1907)
    • 1945 – Carl Friedrich Goerdeler, German economist and politician (b. 1884)
    • 1945 – Johannes Popitz, German lawyer and politician (b. 1884)
    • 1948 – Thomas W. Lamont, American banker and philanthropist (b. 1870)
    • 1948 – Bevil Rudd, South African runner and journalist (b. 1894)
    • 1950 – Constantin Carathéodory, Greek mathematician and academic (b. 1873)
    • 1952 – Callistratus of Georgia, Georgian patriarch (b. 1866)
    • 1954 – Hella Wuolijoki, Estonian-Finnish author and politician (b. 1886)
    • 1956 – Charley Grapewin, American actor (b. 1869)
    • 1956 – Truxtun Hare, American football player and hammer thrower (b. 1878)
    • 1956 – Pyotr Konchalovsky, Russian painter (b. 1876)
    • 1957 – Grigory Landsberg, Russian physicist and academic (b. 1890)
    • 1962 – Shlomo Hestrin, Canadian-Israeli biochemist and academic (b. 1914)
    • 1966 – Hacı Ömer Sabancı, Turkish businessman (b. 1906)
    • 1968 – Tullio Serafin, Italian conductor and director (b. 1878)
    • 1969 – Boris Karloff, English actor (b. 1887)
    • 1970 – Lawrence Gray, American actor (b. 1898)
    • 1970 – Bertrand Russell, English mathematician and philosopher, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1872)
    • 1972 – Natalie Clifford Barney, American author, poet, and playwright (b. 1876)
    • 1973 – Hendrik Elias, Belgian academic and politician, 9th Mayor of Ghent (b. 1902)
    • 1974 – Imre Lakatos, Hungarian-English mathematician and philosopher (b. 1922)
    • 1975 – Gustave Lanctot, Canadian historian and academic (b. 1883)
    • 1979 – Jim Burke, Australian cricketer (b. 1930)
    • 1979 – Sid Vicious, English singer and bass player (b. 1957)
    • 1980 – William Howard Stein, American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1911)
    • 1982 – Paul Desruisseaux, Canadian lawyer and politician (b. 1905)
    • 1983 – Sam Chatmon, American singer and guitarist (b. 1897)
    • 1986 – Anita Cobby, Australian murder victim (b. 1959)
    • 1986 – Gino Hernandez, American wrestler (b. 1957)
    • 1987 – Carlos José Castilho, Brazilian footballer and manager (b. 1927)
    • 1987 – Alistair MacLean, Scottish novelist and screenwriter (b. 1922)
    • 1988 – Marcel Bozzuffi, French actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1929)
    • 1989 – Ondrej Nepela, Slovak figure skater and coach (b. 1951)
    • 1989 – Arnold Nordmeyer, New Zealand minister and politician, 30th New Zealand Minister of Finance (b. 1901)
    • 1990 – Paul Ariste, Estonian linguist and academic (b. 1905)
    • 1990 – Joe Erskine, Welsh boxer (b. 1934)
    • 1992 – Bert Parks, American actor, singer, television personality; Miss America telecast presenter (b. 1914)
    • 1993 – François Reichenbach, French director and screenwriter (b. 1921)
    • 1994 – Marija Gimbutas, Lithuanian-American archeologist (b. 1921)
    • 1995 – Thomas Hayward, American tenor and actor (b. 1917)
    • 1995 – Fred Perry, English-Australian tennis player (b. 1909)
    • 1995 – Donald Pleasence, English-French actor (b. 1919)
    • 1996 – Gene Kelly, American actor, singer, dancer, and director (b. 1912)
    • 1997 – Erich Eliskases, Austrian chess player (b. 1913)
    • 1997 – Sanford Meisner, American actor and coach (b. 1904)
    • 1998 – Haroun Tazieff, German-French geologist and cinematographer (b. 1914)
    • 1999 – David McComb, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1962)
    • 2002 – Paul Baloff, American singer-songwriter (b. 1960)
    • 2002 – Claude Brown, American author (b. 1937)
    • 2003 – Lou Harrison, American composer and educator (b. 1917)
    • 2004 – Bernard McEveety, American director and producer (b. 1924)
    • 2005 – Birgitte Federspiel, Danish actress (b. 1925)
    • 2005 – Max Schmeling, German boxer (b. 1905)
    • 2007 – Vijay Arora, Indian actor (b. 1944)
    • 2007 – Billy Henderson, American singer (b. 1939)
    • 2007 – Joe Hunter, American pianist (b. 1927)
    • 2007 – Filippo Raciti, Italian police officer (b. 1967)
    • 2007 – Eric Von Schmidt, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1931)
    • 2007 – Masao Takemoto, Japanese gymnast (b. 1919)
    • 2008 – Barry Morse, Canadian actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1918)
    • 2008 – Katoucha Niane, Guinean model and author (b. 1960)
    • 2011 – Edward Amy, Canadian general (b. 1918)
    • 2011 – Defne Joy Foster, Turkish actress (b. 1975)
    • 2011 – Margaret John, Welsh actress (b. 1926)
    • 2012 – Joyce Barkhouse, Canadian author (b. 1913)
    • 2012 – Frederick William Danker, American lexicographer and scholar (b. 1920)
    • 2012 – George Esper, American journalist and academic (b. 1932)
    • 2012 – Dorothy Gilman, American author (b. 1923)
    • 2012 – James F. Lloyd, American pilot and politician (b. 1922)
    • 2013 – Abraham Iyambo, Namibian politician (b. 1961)
    • 2013 – John Kerr, American actor and lawyer (b. 1931)
    • 2013 – Chris Kyle, American soldier and sniper (b. 1974)
    • 2013 – Lino Oviedo, Paraguayan general and politician (b. 1943)
    • 2013 – Pepper Paire, American baseball player (b. 1924)
    • 2013 – P. Shanmugam, Indian politician, 13th Chief Minister of Puducherry (b. 1927)
    • 2013 – Walt Sweeney, American football player (b. 1941)
    • 2013 – Guy F. Tozzoli, American architect (b. 1922)
    • 2014 – Gerd Albrecht, German conductor (b. 1935)
    • 2014 – Tommy Aquino, American motorcycle racer (b. 1992)
    • 2014 – Nicholas Brooks, English historian (b. 1941)
    • 2014 – Eduardo Coutinho, Brazilian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1933)
    • 2014 – Philip Seymour Hoffman, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1967)
    • 2014 – Luis Raúl, Puerto Rican comedian and actor (b. 1962)
    • 2014 – Bunny Rugs, Jamaican singer (b. 1948)
    • 2014 – Nigel Walker, English footballer (b. 1959)
    • 2015 – Joseph Alfidi, American pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1949)
    • 2015 – Dave Bergman, American baseball player (b. 1953)
    • 2015 – Andriy Kuzmenko, Ukrainian singer-songwriter and actor (b. 1968)
    • 2015 – Molade Okoya-Thomas, Nigerian businessman and philanthropist (b. 1935)
    • 2015 – Stewart Stern, American screenwriter (b. 1922)
    • 2015 – The Jacka, American rapper and producer (b. 1977)
    • 2016 – Bob Elliott, American comedian, actor, and screenwriter (b. 1923)

    Holidays and observances on February 2

    • Anniversary of Treaty of Tartu (Estonia)
    • Christian Feast Day:
      • Adalbard
      • Cornelius the Centurion
      • Martyrs of Ebsdorf
      • February 2 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Constitution Day (Philippines)
    • Day of Youth (Azerbaijan)
    • Earliest day on which Shrove Monday can fall, while March 8 is the latest; celebrated on Monday before Ash Wednesday (Christianity), and its related observances:
      • Bun Day (Iceland)
      • Fastelavn (Denmark/Norway)
      • Nickanan Night (Cornwall)
      • Rosenmontag (Germany)
    • Feast of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple or Candlemas (Western Christianity), and its related observances:
      • A quarter day in the Christian calendar (due to Candlemas). (Scotland)
      • Celebration of Yemanja or Our Lady of Navigators (Candomblé)
      • Le Jour des Crêpes (France)
      • Our Lady of the Candles (Filipino Catholics)
      • Virgin of Candelaria (Tenerife, Spain)
    • Groundhog Day (United States and Canada), and its related observances:
      • Marmot Day (Alaska)
    • Inventor’s Day (Thailand)
    • Trader’s Day (Poland)
    • Victory of the Battle of Stalingrad (Russia)
    • World Wetlands Day

  • January 24 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • AD 41 – Claudius is proclaimed Roman Emperor by the Praetorian Guard after they assassinate the previous emperor, his nephew Caligula.
    • 914 – Start of the First Fatimid invasion of Egypt.
    • 1438 – The Council of Basel suspends Pope Eugene IV.
    • 1458 – Matthias Corvinus is elected King of Hungary.
    • 1536 – King Henry VIII of England suffers an accident while jousting, leading to a brain injury that historians say may have influenced his later erratic behaviour and possible impotence.
    • 1679 – King Charles II of England dissolves the Cavalier Parliament.
    • 1742 – Charles VII Albert becomes Holy Roman Emperor.
    • 1758 – During the Seven Years’ War the leading burghers of Königsberg submit to Elizabeth of Russia, thus forming Russian Prussia (until 1763).
    • 1817 – Crossing of the Andes: Many soldiers of Juan Gregorio de las Heras are captured during the Action of Picheuta.
    • 1835 – Slaves in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil, stage a revolt, which is instrumental in ending slavery there 50 years later.
    • 1848 – California Gold Rush: James W. Marshall finds gold at Sutter’s Mill near Sacramento.
    • 1857 – The University of Calcutta is formally founded as the first fully fledged university in South Asia.
    • 1859 – The United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia (later named Romania) is formed as a personal union under the rule of Domnitor Alexandru Ioan Cuza.
    • 1900 – Second Boer War: Boers stop a British attempt to break the Siege of Ladysmith in the Battle of Spion Kop.
    • 1908 – The first Boy Scout troop is organized in England by Robert Baden-Powell.
    • 1915 – World War I: British Grand Fleet battle cruisers under Vice-Admiral Sir David Beatty engage Rear-Admiral Franz von Hipper’s battle cruisers in the Battle of Dogger Bank.
    • 1916 – In Brushaber v. Union Pacific Railroad Co., the Supreme Court of the United States declares the federal income tax constitutional.
    • 1918 – The Gregorian calendar is introduced in Russia by decree of the Council of People’s Commissars effective February 14 (New Style).
    • 1933 – The 20th Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, changing the beginning and end of terms for all elected federal offices.
    • 1939 – The deadliest earthquake in Chilean history strikes Chillán, killing approximately 28,000 people.
    • 1942 – World War II: The Allies bombard Bangkok, leading Thailand, then under Japanese control, to declare war against the United States and United Kingdom.
    • 1943 – World War II: Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill conclude a conference in Casablanca.
    • 1946 – The United Nations General Assembly passes its first resolution to establish the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission.
    • 1960 – Algerian War: Some units of European volunteers in Algiers stage an insurrection known as the “barricades week”, during which they seize government buildings and clash with local police.
    • 1961 – Goldsboro B-52 crash: A bomber carrying two H-bombs breaks up in mid-air over North Carolina. The uranium core of one weapon remains lost.
    • 1968 – Vietnam War: The 1st Australian Task Force launches Operation Coburg against the North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong during wider fighting around Long Bình and Biên Hòa.
    • 1972 – Japanese Sgt. Shoichi Yokoi is found hiding in a Guam jungle, where he had been since the end of World War II.
    • 1977 – The Atocha massacre occurs in Madrid during the Spanish transition to democracy.
    • 1978 – Soviet satellite Kosmos 954, with a nuclear reactor on board, burns up in Earth’s atmosphere, scattering radioactive debris over Canada’s Northwest Territories. Only 1% is recovered.
    • 1984 – Apple Computer places the Macintosh personal computer on sale in the United States.
    • 1989 – Notorious serial killer Ted Bundy, with over 30 known victims, is executed by the electric chair at the Florida State Prison.
    • 1990 – Japan launches Hiten, the country’s first lunar probe, the first robotic lunar probe since the Soviet Union’s Luna 24 in 1976, and the first lunar probe launched by a country other than Soviet Union or the United States.
    • 2003 – The United States Department of Homeland Security officially begins operation.
    • 2009 – Cyclone Klaus makes landfall near Bordeaux, France, causing 26 deaths as well as extensive disruptions to public transport and power supplies.
    • 2011 – At least 35 are killed and 180 injured in a bombing at Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport.

    Births on January 24

    • AD 76 – Hadrian, Roman emperor (d. 138)
    • 1287 – Richard de Bury, English bishop and politician, Lord Chancellor of Great Britain (d. 1345)
    • 1444 – Galeazzo Maria Sforza, Duke of Milan (d. 1476)
    • 1540 – Edmund Campion, English priest and martyr (d. 1581)
    • 1547 – Joanna of Austria, Grand Duchess of Tuscany, Austrian Archduchess (d. 1578)
    • 1602 – Mildmay Fane, 2nd Earl of Westmorland, English politician (d. 1666)
    • 1619 – Yamazaki Ansai, Japanese philosopher (d. 1682)
    • 1643 – Charles Sackville, 6th Earl of Dorset, English poet and politician, Lord Chamberlain of Great Britain (d. 1706)
    • 1664 – John Vanbrugh, English architect and dramatist (d. 1726)
    • 1670 – William Congreve, English playwright and poet (d. 1729)
    • 1672 – Margrave Albert Frederick of Brandenburg-Schwedt, German Lieutenant General (d. 1731)
    • 1674 – Thomas Tanner, English bishop (d. 1735)
    • 1679 – Christian Wolff, German philosopher and academic (d. 1754)
    • 1684 – Charles Alexander, Duke of Württemberg, German noble (d. 1737)
    • 1705 – Farinelli, Italian castrato singer (d. 1782)
    • 1709 – Dom Bédos de Celles, French monk and organist (d. 1779)
    • 1712 – Frederick the Great, Prussian king (d. 1786)
    • 1732 – Pierre Beaumarchais, French playwright and financier (d. 1799)
    • 1739 – Jean Nicolas Houchard, French General of the French Revolution (d. 1793)
    • 1746 – Gustav III of Sweden (d. 1792)
    • 1749 – Charles James Fox, English businessman and politician, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (d. 1806)
    • 1754 – Andrew Ellicott, American soldier and surveyor (d. 1820)
    • 1761 – Louis Klein, French general (d. 1845)
    • 1763 – Louis Alexandre Andrault de Langeron, French-Ukrainian general and politician (d. 1831)
    • 1776 – E. T. A. Hoffmann, German jurist, author, and composer (d. 1822)
    • 1787 – Christian Ludwig Brehm, German pastor and ornithologist (d. 1864)
    • 1804 – Delphine de Girardin, French author (d. 1855)
    • 1814 – Duchess Helene of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, French Crown Princess (d. 1858)
    • 1814 – John Colenso, British mathematician (d. 1883)
    • 1816 – Wilhelm Henzen, German philologist and epigraphist (d. 1887)
    • 1828 – Ferdinand Cohn, German biologist (d. 1898)
    • 1829 – Yechiel Michel Epstein, Rabbi and posek (d. 1908)
    • 1836 – Signe Rink, Greenland-born Danish writer and ethnologist (d. 1909)
    • 1843 – Josip Stadler, Croatian archbishop (d. 1918)
    • 1848 – Vasily Surikov, Russian painter (d. 1916)
    • 1850 – Hermann Ebbinghaus, German psychologist (d. 1909)
    • 1853 – Sigbert Josef Maria Ganser, German psychiatrist (d. 1931)
    • 1856 – Friedrich Grünanger, Transylvanian Hungarian-German architect (d. 1929)
    • 1858 – Constance Naden, English poet and philosopher (d. 1889)
    • 1862 – Edith Wharton, American novelist and short story writer (d. 1937)
    • 1863 – August Adler, Czech and Austrian mathematician (d. 1923)
    • 1864 – Marguerite Durand, French actress, journalist, and activist (d. 1936)
    • 1864 – Gaetano Giardino, Italian soldier and Marshal of Italy (d. 1935)
    • 1866 – Jaan Poska, Estonian lawyer and politician, 1st Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 1920)
    • 1870 – Herbert Kilpin, English footballer (d. 1916)
    • 1871 – Jiří Karásek ze Lvovic, Czech poet, writer and literary critic (d. 1951)
    • 1871 – Thomas Jaggar, American volcanologist (d. 1953)
    • 1872 – Yuly Aykhenvald, Russian literary critic (d. 1928)
    • 1872 – Konstantin Bogaevsky, Russian painter (d. 1943)
    • 1872 – Morris Travers, English chemist and academic (d. 1961)
    • 1873 – Dmitry Ushakov, Russian philologist and lexicographer (d. 1942)
    • 1882 – Harold D. Babcock, American astronomer (d. 1968)
    • 1882 – Ödön Bodor, Hungarian athlete (d. 1927)
    • 1886 – Henry King, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1982)
    • 1887 – Jean-Henri Humbert, French botanist (d. 1967)
    • 1888 – Vicki Baum, Austrian author and screenwriter (d. 1960)
    • 1888 – Ernst Heinkel, German engineer and businessman, founded the Heinkel Aircraft Manufacturing Company (d. 1958)
    • 1889 – Victor Eftimiu, Romanian poet and playwright (d. 1972)
    • 1889 – Charles Hawes, American historian and author (d. 1923)
    • 1889 – Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke, German general of paratroop forces during World War II (d. 1968)
    • 1891 – Walter Model, German field marshal (d. 1945)
    • 1892 – Franz Aigner, Austrian weightlifter (d. 1970)
    • 1895 – Eugen Roth, German poet and songwriter (d. 1976)
    • 1897 – Paul Fejos, Hungarian-born American director (d. 1963)
    • 1899 – Hoyt Vandenberg, U.S. Air Force general (d. 1954)
    • 1900 – René Guillot, French writer (d. 1969)
    • 1901 – Harry Calder, South African cricketer (d. 1995)
    • 1901 – Cassandre, French painter (d. 1968)
    • 1901 – Edward Turner, English engineer (d. 1973)
    • 1905 – J. Howard Marshall, American lawyer and businessman (d. 1995)
    • 1906 – Wilfred Jackson, American animator and composer (d. 1988)
    • 1907 – Ismail Nasiruddin of Terengganu, fourth Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia (d. 1979)
    • 1907 – Maurice Couve de Murville, French soldier and politician, Prime Minister of France (d. 1999)
    • 1907 – Jean Daetwyler, Swiss composer and musician (d. 1994)
    • 1909 – Martin Lings, English author and scholar (d. 2005)
    • 1910 – Doris Haddock, American political activist (d. 2010)
    • 1912 – Frederick Ashworth, American admiral (d. 2005)
    • 1913 – Norman Dello Joio, American organist and composer (d. 2008)
    • 1913 – Ray Stehr, Australian rugby league player and coach (d. 1983)
    • 1915 – Vítězslava Kaprálová, Czech composer and conductor (d. 1940)
    • 1915 – Robert Motherwell, American painter and academic (d. 1991)
    • 1916 – Rafael Caldera, Venezuelan lawyer and politician, 65th President of Venezuela (d. 2009)
    • 1916 – Gene Mako, Hungarian-American tennis player and actor (d. 2013)
    • 1917 – Ernest Borgnine, American actor (d. 2012)
    • 1917 – Wilhelmus Demarteau, Dutch prelate of the Roman Catholic Church (d. 2012)
    • 1918 – Gottfried von Einem, Austrian pianist and composer (d. 1996)
    • 1918 – Oral Roberts, American evangelist, founded Oral Roberts University and Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association (d. 2009)
    • 1919 – Coleman Francis, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1973)
    • 1919 – Leon Kirchner, American composer and educator (d. 2009)
    • 1920 – Jimmy Forrest, American saxophonist (d. 1980)
    • 1920 – Jerry Maren, American actor (d. 2018)
    • 1922 – Daniel Boulanger, French actor and screenwriter (d. 2014)
    • 1922 – Neil Franklin, English footballer (d. 1996)
    • 1923 – Geneviève Asse, French painter
    • 1925 – Gus Mortson, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 2015)
    • 1925 – Maria Tallchief, American ballerina and actress (d. 2013)
    • 1926 – Ruth Asawa, American sculptor (d. 2013)
    • 1926 – Georges Lautner, French director and screenwriter (d. 2013)
    • 1927 – Sir Patrick Macnaghten, 11th Baronet, Scottish lieutenant (d. 2007)
    • 1927 – Paula Hawkins, American politician (d. 2009)
    • 1928 – Desmond Morris, English zoologist, ethologist, and painter
    • 1928 – Michel Serrault, French actor (d. 2007)
    • 1930 – Terence Bayler, New Zealand actor (d. 2016)
    • 1930 – Mahmoud Farshchian, Iranian-Persian painter and academic
    • 1930 – John Romita Sr., American comic book artist
    • 1931 – Lars Hörmander, Swedish mathematician and academic (d. 2012)
    • 1931 – Ib Nørholm, Danish composer and organist
    • 1932 – Éliane Radigue, French electronic music composer
    • 1933 – Kamran Baghirov, the 12th First Secretary of Azerbaijan Communist Party (d. 2000)
    • 1933 – Asim Ferhatović, Bosnian footballer (d. 1987)
    • 1934 – Leonard Goldberg, American producer (d. 2019)
    • 1934 – Stanisław Grochowiak, Polish poet and dramatist (d. 1976)
    • 1935 – Eric Ashton, English rugby player and coach (d. 2008)
    • 1935 – Shivabalayogi, Indian religious leader (d. 1994)
    • 1936 – Doug Kershaw, American fiddle player and singer
    • 1937 – Trevor Edwards, Welsh footballer
    • 1938 – Julius Hemphill, American saxophonist and composer (d. 1995)
    • 1939 – Renate Garisch-Culmberger, German shot putter
    • 1939 – Ray Stevens, American singer-songwriter and actor
    • 1940 – Vito Acconci, American designer (d. 2017)
    • 1940 – Joachim Gauck, German pastor and politician, 11th President of Germany
    • 1941 – Neil Diamond, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1941 – Aaron Neville, American singer
    • 1941 – Dan Shechtman, Israeli chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1942 – Ingo Friedrich, German Member of the European Parliament
    • 1942 – Gary Hart, American wrestler and manager (d. 2008)
    • 1943 – Peter Struck, German lawyer and politician, 13th German Federal Minister of Defence (d. 2012)
    • 1943 – Barry Mealand, English footballer, right back (d. 2013)
    • 1943 – Sharon Tate, American model and actress (d. 1969)
    • 1943 – Tony Trimmer, English race car driver
    • 1943 – Manuel Velázquez, Spanish footballer (d. 2016)
    • 1944 – David Gerrold, American science fiction screenwriter and author
    • 1944 – Gian-Franco Kasper, Swiss ski official
    • 1945 – John Garamendi, American football player and politician, 1st United States Deputy Secretary of the Interior
    • 1945 – Subhash Ghai, Indian director, producer and screenwriter
    • 1945 – Eva Janko, Austrian javelin thrower
    • 1946 – Michael Ontkean, Canadian actor
    • 1947 – Giorgio Chinaglia, Italian footballer (d. 2012)
    • 1947 – Michio Kaku, American physicist and academic
    • 1947 – Masashi Ozaki, Japanese baseball player and golfer
    • 1947 – Warren Zevon, American singer-songwriter (d. 2003)
    • 1948 – Elliott Abrams, American diplomat, lawyer and political scientist
    • 1948 – Michael Des Barres, English singer-songwriter and actor
    • 1949 – John Belushi, American actor and screenwriter (d. 1982)
    • 1949 – Bart Gordon, American lawyer
    • 1949 – Nadezhda Ilyina, Russian athlete and mother of Russian tennis player Nadia Petrova (d. 2013)
    • 1949 – Rihoko Yoshida, Japanese voice actress
    • 1950 – Daniel Auteuil, French actor, director, and screenwriter
    • 1951 – Yakov Smirnoff, Ukrainian-American comedian and actor
    • 1953 – Yuri Bashmet, Russian violinist, viola player, and conductor
    • 1953 – Moon Jae-in, 19th President of South Korea
    • 1954 – Jo Gartner, Austrian race car driver (d. 1986)
    • 1955 – Jim Montgomery, American swimmer
    • 1955 – Alan Sokal, American physicist and author
    • 1955 – Lynda Weinman, American businesswoman and author
    • 1956 – Agus Martowardojo, governor of Bank Indonesia
    • 1957 – Mark Eaton, American basketball player and sportscaster
    • 1957 – Ade Edmondson, English comedian and musician
    • 1958 – Kim Eui-kon, Korean wrestler
    • 1958 – Jools Holland, English singer-songwriter and pianist
    • 1958 – Frank Ullrich, German biathlete
    • 1959 – Akira Maeda, Japanese wrestler, mixed martial artist, and actor
    • 1959 – Michel Preud’homme, Belgian footballer and manager
    • 1961 – Jorge Barrios, Uruguayan footballer
    • 1961 – Guido Buchwald, German footballer and manager
    • 1961 – Christa Kinshofer, German ski racer
    • 1961 – Nastassja Kinski, German-American actress and producer
    • 1961 – William Van Dijck, Belgian runner
    • 1963 – Arnold Vanderlyde, Dutch boxer
    • 1964 – Annika Dahlman, Swedish cross country skier
    • 1965 – Robin Dutt, German footballer
    • 1965 – Carlos Saldanha, Brazilian-American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1965 – Margaret Urlich, New Zealand singer-songwriter
    • 1965 – Pagonis Vakalopoulos, Greek footballer and manager
    • 1965 – Kim Sung-moon, South Korean wrestler
    • 1966 – Julie Dreyfus, French actress
    • 1966 – Karin Viard, French actress
    • 1967 – Michael Kiske, German singer
    • 1967 – Mark Kozelek, American singer and musician
    • 1967 – Phil LaMarr, American actor, singer, and screenwriter
    • 1967 – John Myung, American bass player and songwriter
    • 1968 – Fernando Escartín, Spanish cyclist
    • 1968 – Antony Garrett Lisi, American theoretical physicist
    • 1968 – Mary Lou Retton, American gymnast
    • 1968 – Tymerlan Huseynov, Ukrainian footballer
    • 1969 – Yoo Ho-jeong, South Korean actress
    • 1969 – Carlos Rômulo Gonçalves e Silva, bishop of Montenegro
    • 1970 – Roberto Bonano, Argentine footballer
    • 1970 – Neil Johnson, Zimbabwean cricketer
    • 1970 – Matthew Lillard, American actor
    • 1971 – José Carlos Fernandez, Bolivian footballer
    • 1972 – Beth Hart, American blues-rock singer and piano player
    • 1974 – Cyril Despres, French rally racer
    • 1974 – Ed Helms, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1974 – Melissa Tkautz, Australian actress and singer
    • 1974 – Rokia Traoré, Malian singer
    • 1975 – Gianluca Basile, Italian former professional basketball player
    • 1975 – Rónald Gómez, Costa Rican footballer and manager
    • 1975 – Reto Hug, Swiss triathlonist
    • 1975 – Henna Raita, Finnish alpine skier
    • 1976 – Shae-Lynn Bourne, Canadian ice dancer, coach, and choreographer
    • 1976 – Cindy Pieters, Belgian cyclist
    • 1977 – Andrija Gerić, Serbian volleyball player
    • 1977 – Michelle Hunziker, Swiss-Dutch actress, model and singer
    • 1978 – Veerle Baetens, Belgian actress and singer
    • 1978 – Mark Hildreth, Canadian actor and musician
    • 1978 – Kristen Schaal, American actress, voice artist, comedian and writer
    • 1979 – Tatyana Ali, American actress and singer
    • 1979 – Leandro Desábato, Argentinian footballer
    • 1979 – Busy Signal, Jamaican dancehall reggae artist
    • 1979 – Nik Wallenda, American acrobat
    • 1980 – Jofre Mateu, Spanish footballer
    • 1980 – Suzy, Portuguese singer
    • 1981 – Mario Eggimann, Swiss footballer
    • 1981 – Zaur Hashimov, Azerbaijani footballer and manager
    • 1981 – Elena Kolomina, Kazakhstani cross country skier
    • 1982 – Céline Deville, French footballer
    • 1982 – Daveed Diggs, American actor, rapper and singer
    • 1982 – Claudia Heill, Austrian judoka
    • 1982 – Aitor Hernández, Spanish racing cyclist
    • 1983 – Davide Biondini, Italian footballer
    • 1983 – Wyatt Crockett, New Zealand rugby player
    • 1983 – Evgeny Drattsev, Russian swimmer
    • 1983 – Craig Horner, Australian actor and musician
    • 1983 – Shaun Maloney, Scottish footballer
    • 1983 – Scott Speed, American race car driver
    • 1984 – Emerse Faé, French-born Ivorian footballer
    • 1984 – Yotam Halperin, Israeli basketball player
    • 1984 – Jung Jin-sun, South Korean fencer
    • 1984 – Scott Kazmir, American baseball player
    • 1984 – Paulo Sérgio Moreira Gonçalves, Portuguese footballer
    • 1985 – Fabiana Claudino, Brazilian volleyball player
    • 1985 – Trey Gilder, American basketball player
    • 1986 – Cristiano Araújo, Brazilian singer-songwriter (d. 2015)
    • 1986 – Mohammad Bagheri Motamed, Iranian taekwondo practitioner
    • 1986 – Mischa Barton, English-American actress
    • 1986 – Vladislav Ivanov, Russian footballer
    • 1986 – Michael Kightly, English footballer
    • 1986 – Ricky Ullman, Israeli-American actor
    • 1987 – Wayne Hennessey, Welsh footballer
    • 1987 – Luis Suárez, Uruguayan footballer
    • 1987 – Davide Valsecchi, Italian racing driver
    • 1987 – Kia Vaughn, American born Czech basketball player
    • 1987 – Guan Xin, Chinese basketball player
    • 1988 – Selina Jörg, German snowboarder
    • 1989 – Serdar Kesimal, Turkish footballer
    • 1989 – Gong Lijiao, Chinese shot putter
    • 1989 – Ki Sung-yueng, South Korean footballer
    • 1990 – Mao Abe, Japanese singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1991 – Zhan Beleniuk, Ukrainian Greco-Roman wrestler
    • 1991 – Tatiana Kashirina, Russian weightlifter
    • 1991 – Zé Luís, Cape Verdean footballer
    • 1991 – Li Xuerui, Chinese badminton player
    • 1992 – Becky Downie, English gymnast
    • 1992 – Phiwa Nkambule, South African entrepreneur
    • 1992 – Felitciano Zschusschen, Curaçao footballer
    • 1994 – Tommie Hoban, English footballer
    • 1995 – Dylan Everett, Canadian actor
    • 1997 – Nirei Fukuzumi, Japanese racer
    • 1999 – Vitalie Damașcan, Moldovan footballer
    • 2012 – Princess Athena of Denmark, younger child of Prince Joachim and Princess Marie of Denmark

    Deaths onJanuary 24

    • AD 41 – Caligula, Roman emperor (b. 12)
    • 817 – Pope Stephen IV (b. 770)
    • 901 – Liu Jishu, general of the Tang Dynasty
    • 1046 – Eckard II, Margrave of Meissen (b. c. 985)
    • 1125 – David IV of Georgia (b. 1073)
    • 1336 – Alfonso IV of Aragon (b. 1299)
    • 1376 – Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel, English commander (b. 1306)
    • 1473 – Conrad Paumann, German organist and composer (b. 1410)
    • 1525 – Franciabigio, Florentine painter (b. 1482)
    • 1595 – Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria (b. 1529)
    • 1626 – Samuel Argall, English captain and politician, Colonial Governor of Virginia (b. 1572)
    • 1639 – Jörg Jenatsch, Swiss pastor and politician (b. 1596)
    • 1666 – Johann Andreas Herbst, German composer and theorist (b. 1588)
    • 1709 – George Rooke, English admiral and politician (b. 1650)
    • 1877 – Johann Christian Poggendorff, German physicist and journalist (b. 1796)
    • 1881 – James Collinson, English painter (b. 1825)
    • 1883 – Friedrich von Flotow, German composer (b. 1812)
    • 1895 – Lord Randolph Churchill, English lawyer and politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (b. 1849)
    • 1920 – Amedeo Modigliani, Italian painter and sculptor (b. 1884)
    • 1939 – Maximilian Bircher-Benner, Swiss physician, created Muesli (b. 1867)
    • 1943 – John Burns, English trade union leader and politician, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (b. 1858)
    • 1960 – Edwin Fischer, Swiss pianist and conductor (b. 1886)
    • 1961 – Alfred Carlton Gilbert, American pole vaulter and businessman, founded the A. C. Gilbert Company (b. 1884)
    • 1962 – André Lhote, French sculptor and painter (b. 1885)
    • 1962 – Stanley Lord, English naval captain (b. 1877)
    • 1962 – Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar, Turkish author, poet, and scholar (b. 1901)
    • 1965 – Winston Churchill, English colonel and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1874)
    • 1966 – Homi J. Bhabha, Indian physicist and academic (b. 1909)
    • 1970 – Caresse Crosby, American fashion designer and publisher, co-founded the Black Sun Press (b. 1891)
    • 1971 – Bill W., American activist, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous (b. 1895)
    • 1973 – J. Carrol Naish, American actor (b. 1896)
    • 1975 – Larry Fine, American comedian (b. 1902)
    • 1982 – Alfredo Ovando Candía, Bolivian general and politician, 56th President of Bolivia (b. 1918)
    • 1983 – George Cukor, American director and producer (b. 1899)
    • 1986 – L. Ron Hubbard, American religious leader and author, founded the Church of Scientology (b. 1911)
    • 1986 – Gordon MacRae, American actor and singer (b. 1921)
    • 1988 – Werner Fenchel, German-Danish mathematician and academic (b. 1905)
    • 1989 – Ted Bundy, American serial killer (b. 1946)
    • 1990 – Madge Bellamy, American actress (b. 1899)
    • 1991 – Jack Schaefer, American journalist and author (b. 1907)
    • 1992 – Ken Darby, American composer and conductor (b. 1909)
    • 1993 – Gustav Ernesaks, Estonian composer and conductor (b. 1908)
    • 1993 – Thurgood Marshall, American lawyer and jurist, 32nd United States Solicitor General (b. 1908)
    • 2002 – Elie Hobeika, Lebanese commander and politician (b. 1956)
    • 2003 – Gianni Agnelli, Italian businessman (b. 1921)
    • 2004 – Leônidas, Brazilian footballer and manager (b. 1913)
    • 2006 – Schafik Handal, Salvadoran politician (b. 1930)
    • 2007 – Krystyna Feldman, Polish actress (b. 1916)
    • 2007 – İsmail Cem İpekçi, Turkish journalist and politician, 45th Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1940)
    • 2007 – Guadalupe Larriva, Ecuadorian academic and politician (b. 1956)
    • 2007 – Emiliano Mercado del Toro, Puerto Rican-American soldier (b. 1891)
    • 2010 – Pernell Roberts, American actor (b. 1928)
    • 2011 – Bernd Eichinger, German director and producer (b. 1949)
    • 2014 – Shulamit Aloni, Israeli lawyer and politician, 11th Israeli Minister of Education (b. 1928)
    • 2014 – Rafael Pineda Ponce, Honduran academic and politician (b. 1930)
    • 2015 – Otto Carius, German lieutenant and pharmacist (b. 1922)
    • 2016 – Fredrik Barth, German-Norwegian anthropologist and academic (b. 1928)
    • 2016 – Marvin Minsky, American computer scientist and academic (b. 1927)
    • 2016 – Henry Worsley, English colonel and explorer (b. 1960)
    • 2017 – Butch Trucks, American drummer (b. 1947)
    • 2018 – Mark E. Smith, British singer-songwriter (b. 1957)
    • 2019 – Rosemary Bryant Mariner, American United States Naval Aviator (b. 1953)

    Holidays and observances on January 24

    • Christian feast day:
      • Babylas of Antioch
      • Cadoc (Wales)
      • Exuperantius of Cingoli
      • Felician of Foligno
      • Francis de Sales
      • Pratulin Martyrs (Greek Catholic Church)
      • January 24 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Earliest day on which Saturday of Souls can fall, while February 27 (or 28 during Leap Year) is the latest; observed 57 days before Easter. (Eastern Orthodox)
    • Feast of Our Lady of Peace (Roman Catholic Church), and its related observances:
      • Feria de Alasitas (La Paz)
    • Unification Day (Romania)
    • Uttar Pradesh Day (Uttar Pradesh, India)

  • January 23 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 393 – Roman Emperor Theodosius I proclaims his eight-year-old son Honorius co-emperor.
    • 971 – Using crossbows, Song dynasty troops soundly defeat a war elephant corps of the Southern Han at Shao.
    • 1264 – In the conflict between King Henry III of England and his rebellious barons led by Simon de Montfort, King Louis IX of France issues the Mise of Amiens, a one-sided decision in favour of Henry that later leads to the Second Barons’ War.
    • 1368 – In a coronation ceremony, Zhu Yuanzhang ascends the throne of China as the Hongwu Emperor, initiating Ming dynasty rule over China that would last for three centuries.
    • 1546 – Having published nothing for eleven years, François Rabelais publishes the Tiers Livre, his sequel to Gargantua and Pantagruel.
    • 1556 – The deadliest earthquake in history, the Shaanxi earthquake, hits Shaanxi province, China. The death toll may have been as high as 830,000.
    • 1570 – James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray, regent for the infant King James VI of Scotland, is assassinated by firearm, the first recorded instance of such.
    • 1571 – The Royal Exchange opens in London.
    • 1579 – The Union of Utrecht forms a Protestant republic in the Netherlands.
    • 1656 – Blaise Pascal publishes the first of his Lettres provinciales.
    • 1719 – The Principality of Liechtenstein is created within the Holy Roman Empire.
    • 1789 – Georgetown College, the first Catholic university in the United States, is founded in Georgetown, Maryland (now a part of Washington, D.C.).
    • 1793 – Second Partition of Poland.
    • 1795 – After an extraordinary charge across the frozen Zuiderzee, the French cavalry captured 14 Dutch ships and 850 guns, in a rare occurrence of a battle between ships and cavalry.
    • 1846 – Slavery in Tunisia is abolished.
    • 1849 – Elizabeth Blackwell is awarded her M.D. by the Geneva Medical College of Geneva, New York, becoming the United States’ first female doctor.
    • 1870 – In Montana, U.S. cavalrymen kill 173 Native Americans, mostly women and children, in what becomes known as the Marias Massacre.
    • 1879 – Anglo-Zulu War: the Battle of Rorke’s Drift ends.
    • 1899 – The Malolos Constitution is inaugurated, establishing the First Philippine Republic. Emilio Aguinaldo is sworn in as its first President.
    • 1900 – Second Boer War: The Battle of Spion Kop between the forces of the South African Republic and the Orange Free State and British forces ends in a British defeat.
    • 1904 – Ålesund Fire: the Norwegian coastal town Ålesund is devastated by fire, leaving 10,000 people homeless and one person dead. Kaiser Wilhelm II funds the rebuilding of the town in Jugendstil style.
    • 1909 – RMS Republic, a passenger ship of the White Star Line, becomes the first ship to use the CQD distress signal after colliding with another ship, the SS Florida, off the Massachusetts coastline, an event that kills six people. The Republic sinks the next day.
    • 1912 – The International Opium Convention is signed at The Hague.
    • 1920 – The Netherlands refuses to surrender the exiled Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany to the Allies.
    • 1937 – The trial of the anti-Soviet Trotskyist center sees seventeen mid-level Communists accused of sympathizing with Leon Trotsky and plotting to overthrow Joseph Stalin’s regime.
    • 1941 – Charles Lindbergh testifies before the U.S. Congress and recommends that the United States negotiate a neutrality pact with Adolf Hitler.
    • 1942 – World War II: The Battle of Rabaul commences Japan’s invasion of Australia’s Territory of New Guinea.
    • 1943 – World War II: Troops of the British Eighth Army capture Tripoli in Libya from the German–Italian Panzer Army.
    • 1945 – World War II: German admiral Karl Dönitz launches Operation Hannibal.
    • 1950 – The Knesset resolves that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel.
    • 1957 – American inventor Walter Frederick Morrison sells the rights to his flying disc to the Wham-O toy company, which later renames it the “Frisbee”.
    • 1958 – After a general uprising and rioting in the streets, President Marcos Pérez Jiménez leaves Venezuela.
    • 1960 – The bathyscaphe USS Trieste breaks a depth record by descending to 10,911 metres (35,797 ft) in the Pacific Ocean.
    • 1961 – The Portuguese luxury cruise ship Santa Maria is hijacked by opponents of the Estado Novo regime with the intention of waging war until dictator António de Oliveira Salazar is overthrown.
    • 1963 – The Guinea-Bissau War of Independence officially begins when PAIGC guerrilla fighters attack the Portuguese army stationed in Tite.
    • 1964 – The 24th Amendment to the United States Constitution, prohibiting the use of poll taxes in national elections, is ratified.
    • 1967 – Diplomatic relations between the Soviet Union and Ivory Coast are established.
    • 1967 – Milton Keynes (England) is founded as a new town by Order in Council, with a planning brief to become a city of 250,000 people. Its initial designated area enclosed three existing towns and twenty one villages. The area to be developed was largely farmland, with evidence of continuous settlement dating back to the Bronze Age.
    • 1968 – USS Pueblo (AGER-2) is attacked and seized by naval forces of North Korea.
    • 1973 – United States President Richard Nixon announces that a peace accord has been reached in Vietnam.
    • 1986 – The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducts its first members: Little Richard, Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Fats Domino, The Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley.
    • 1997 – Madeleine Albright becomes the first woman to serve as United States Secretary of State.
    • 1998 – Netscape announced Mozilla, with the intention to release Communicator code as open source.
    • 2001 – Five people attempt to set themselves on fire in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, an act that many people later claim is staged by the Communist Party of China to frame Falun Gong and thus escalate their persecution.
    • 2002 – U.S. journalist Daniel Pearl is kidnapped in Karachi, Pakistan and subsequently murdered.
    • 2003 – A very weak signal from Pioneer 10 is detected for the last time, but no usable data can be extracted.
    • 2018 – A 7.9 Mw  earthquake occurs in the Gulf of Alaska. It is tied as the sixth-largest earthquake ever recorded in the United States, but there are no reports of significant damage or fatalities.
    • 2018 – A double car bombing in Benghazi, Libya, kills at least 33 people and wounds “dozens” of others. The victims include both military personnel and civilians, according to local officials.

    Births on January 23

    • 599 – Tai Zong, emperor of the Tang Dynasty (d. 649)
    • 1350 – Vincent Ferrer, Spanish missionary and saint (d. 1419)
    • 1378 – Louis III, Elector Palatine (d. 1436)
    • 1514 – Hai Rui, Chinese politician (d. 1587)
    • 1585 – Mary Ward, English Catholic Religious Sister (d. 1645)
    • 1622 – Abraham Diepraam, Dutch painter (d. 1670)
    • 1719 – John Landen, English mathematician and theorist (d. 1790)
    • 1737 – John Hancock, American general and politician, 1st Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1793)
    • 1745 – William Jessop, English engineer, built the Cromford Canal (d. 1814)
    • 1752 – Muzio Clementi, Italian pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1832)
    • 1780 – Georgios Karaiskakis, Greek general (d. 1827)
    • 1783 – Stendhal, French novelist (d. 1842)
    • 1786 – Auguste de Montferrand, French-Russian architect, designed Saint Isaac’s Cathedral and Alexander Column (d. 1858)
    • 1799 – Alois Negrelli, Tyrolean engineer and railroad pioneer active in the Austrian Empire (d. 1858)
    • 1809 – Surendra Sai, Indian activist (d. 1884)
    • 1813 – Camilla Collett, Norwegian novelist and activist (d. 1895)
    • 1828 – Saigō Takamori, Japanese samurai (d. 1877)
    • 1832 – Édouard Manet, French painter (d. 1883)
    • 1833 – Muthu Coomaraswamy, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician (d. 1879)
    • 1838 – Marianne Cope, German-American nun and saint (d. 1918)
    • 1840 – Ernst Abbe, German physicist and engineer (d. 1905)
    • 1846 – Nikolay Umov, Russian physicist and mathematician (d. 1915)
    • 1855 – John Browning, American weapons designer, founded the Browning Arms Company (d. 1926)
    • 1857 – Andrija Mohorovičić, Croatian meteorologist and seismologist (d. 1936)
    • 1862 – David Hilbert, Russian-German mathematician and academic (d. 1943)
    • 1862 – Frank Shuman, American inventor and engineer (d. 1918)
    • 1872 – Paul Langevin, French physicist and academic (d. 1946)
    • 1872 – Jože Plečnik, Slovenian architect, designed Plečnik Parliament (d. 1957)
    • 1876 – Otto Diels, German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1954)
    • 1878 – Rutland Boughton, English composer (d. 1960)
    • 1880 – Antonio Díaz Soto y Gama, Mexican politician (d. 1967)
    • 1889 – Claribel Kendall, American mathematician (d.1965)
    • 1894 – Jyotirmoyee Devi, Indian author (d. 1988)
    • 1896 – Alf Blair, Australian rugby league player and coach (d. 1944)
    • 1896 – Alf Hall, English-South African cricketer (d. 1964)
    • 1897 – Subhas Chandra Bose, Indian activist and politician (d. 1945)
    • 1897 – Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, Austrian architect (d. 2000)
    • 1897 – Ieva Simonaitytė, Lithuanian author (d. 1978)
    • 1897 – William Stephenson, Canadian captain and spy (d. 1989)
    • 1898 – Georg Kulenkampff, German violinist (d. 1948)
    • 1898 – Randolph Scott, American actor (d. 1987)
    • 1898 – Freda Utley, English scholar and author (d. 1978)
    • 1899 – Glen Kidston, English race car driver and pilot (d. 1931)
    • 1900 – William Ifor Jones, Welsh organist and conductor (d. 1988)
    • 1901 – Arthur Wirtz, American businessman (d. 1983)
    • 1903 – Jorge Eliécer Gaitán, Colombian lawyer and politician, 16th Minister of National Education of Colombia (d. 1948)
    • 1905 – Erich Borchmeyer, German sprinter (d. 2000)
    • 1907 – Dan Duryea, American actor and singer (d. 1968)
    • 1907 – Hideki Yukawa, Japanese physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1981)
    • 1910 – Django Reinhardt, Belgian guitarist and composer (d. 1953)
    • 1912 – Boris Pokrovsky, Russian director and manager (d. 2009)
    • 1913 – Jean-Michel Atlan, Algerian-French painter (d. 1960)
    • 1913 – Wally Parks, American businessman, founded the National Hot Rod Association (d. 2007)
    • 1915 – Herma Bauma, Austrian javelin thrower and handball player (d. 2003)
    • 1915 – W. Arthur Lewis, Saint Lucian-Barbadian economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1991)
    • 1915 – Potter Stewart, American lawyer and judge (d. 1985)
    • 1916 – David Douglas Duncan, American photographer and journalist (d. 2018)
    • 1916 – Airey Neave, English colonel, lawyer, and politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (d. 1979)
    • 1918 – Gertrude B. Elion, American biochemist and pharmacologist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1999)
    • 1918 – Florence Rush, American social worker and theorist (d. 2008)
    • 1919 – Frances Bay, Canadian-American actress (d. 2011)
    • 1919 – Hans Hass, Austrian biologist and diver (d. 2013)
    • 1919 – Ernie Kovacs, American actor and game show host (d. 1962)
    • 1919 – Bob Paisley, English footballer and manager (d. 1996)
    • 1920 – Gottfried Böhm, German architect
    • 1920 – Henry Eriksson, Swedish runner (d. 2000)
    • 1920 – Walter Frederick Morrison, American businessman, invented the Frisbee (d. 2010)
    • 1922 – Leon Golub, American painter and academic (d. 2004)
    • 1922 – Tom Lewis, Australian politician, 33rd Premier of New South Wales (d. 2016)
    • 1923 – Horace Ashenfelter, American runner (d. 2018)
    • 1923 – Cot Deal, American baseball player and coach (d. 2013)
    • 1923 – Walter M. Miller, Jr., American soldier and author (d. 1996)
    • 1924 – Frank Lautenberg, American soldier, businessman, and politician (d. 2013)
    • 1925 – Marty Paich, American pianist, composer, producer, and conductor (d. 1995)
    • 1926 – Bal Thackeray, Indian journalist, cartoonist, and politician (d. 2012)
    • 1927 – Lars-Eric Lindblad, Swedish-American businessman and explorer (d. 1994)
    • 1927 – Fred Williams, Australian painter (d. 1982)
    • 1928 – Chico Carrasquel, Venezuelan baseball player and manager (d. 2005)
    • 1928 – Jeanne Moreau, French actress (d. 2017)
    • 1929 – Myron Cope, American journalist and sportscaster (d. 2008)
    • 1929 – Phillip Knightley, Australian journalist, author, and critic (d. 2016)
    • 1929 – John Polanyi, German-Canadian chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1930 – Filaret, Patriarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyivan
    • 1930 – Mervyn Rose, Australian tennis player (d. 2017)
    • 1930 – Derek Walcott, Saint Lucian poet and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2017)
    • 1932 – George Allen, English footballer (d. 2016)
    • 1932 – Larri Thomas, American actress and dancer (d. 2013)
    • 1933 – Bill Hayden, Australian politician, 21st Governor General of Australia
    • 1933 – Chita Rivera, American actress, singer, and dancer
    • 1934 – Pierre Bourgault, Canadian journalist and politician (d. 2003)
    • 1935 – Mike Agostini, Trinidadian sprinter (d. 2016)
    • 1935 – Tom Reamy, American author (d. 1977)
    • 1935 – Teresa Żylis-Gara, Polish operatic soprano
    • 1936 – Brian Howe, Australian minister and politician, 8th Deputy Prime Minister of Australia
    • 1936 – Jerry Kramer, American football player and sportscaster
    • 1936 – Cécile Ousset, French pianist
    • 1938 – Giant Baba, Japanese wrestler and promoter, founded All Japan Pro Wrestling (d. 1999)
    • 1938 – Georg Baselitz, German painter and sculptor
    • 1939 – Ed Roberts, American disability rights activist (d. 1995)
    • 1940 – Alan Cheuse, American writer and critic (d. 2015)
    • 1940 – Joe Dowell, American pop singer (d. 2016)
    • 1941 – Jock R. Anderson, Australian economist and academic
    • 1941 – João Ubaldo Ribeiro, Brazilian journalist, author, and academic (d. 2014)
    • 1942 – Laurie Mayne, Australian cricketer
    • 1942 – Herman Tjeenk Willink, Dutch judge and politician
    • 1942 – Phil Clarke, New Zealand rugby union player
    • 1943 – Gary Burton, American vibraphone player and composer
    • 1943 – Özhan Canaydın, Turkish basketball player and businessman (d. 2010)
    • 1943 – Gil Gerard, American actor and producer
    • 1944 – Rutger Hauer, Dutch actor, director, and producer (d. 2019)
    • 1945 – Mike Harris, Canadian politician, 22nd Premier of Ontario
    • 1946 – Arnoldo Alemán, Nicaraguan lawyer and politician, President of Nicaragua
    • 1946 – Boris Berezovsky, Russian-English businessman and mathematician (d. 2013)
    • 1946 – Zvonko Bušić, Croatian terrorist, hijacker of TWA Flight 355 (d. 2013)
    • 1946 – Don Whittington, American race car driver
    • 1947 – Tom Carper, American captain and politician, 71st Governor of Delaware
    • 1947 – Megawati Sukarnoputri, Indonesian politician, 5th President of Indonesia
    • 1948 – Anita Pointer, American R&B/soul singer-songwriter
    • 1950 – Richard Dean Anderson, American actor, producer, and composer
    • 1950 – Bill Cunningham, American bass and keyboard player
    • 1950 – Guida Maria, Portuguese actress (d. 2018)
    • 1950 – Suzanne Scotchmer, American economist and academic (d. 2014)
    • 1950 – Luis Alberto Spinetta, Argentinian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and poet (d. 2012)
    • 1951 – Margaret Bailes, American sprinter
    • 1951 – Chesley Sullenberger, American captain and pilot
    • 1952 – Omar Henry, South African cricketer
    • 1953 – John Luther Adams, American composer
    • 1953 – Alister McGrath, Irish priest, historian, and theologian
    • 1953 – Antonio Villaraigosa, American politician, 41st Mayor of Los Angeles
    • 1953 – Robin Zander, American rock singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1954 – Trevor Hohns, Australian cricketer
    • 1957 – Caroline, Princess of Hanover
    • 1958 – Sergey Litvinov, Russian hammer thrower (d. 2018)
    • 1959 – Clive Bull, English radio host
    • 1960 – Jean-François Sauvé, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1960 – Greg Ritchie, Australian cricketer
    • 1961 – Neil Henry, Australian rugby league player and coach
    • 1961 – Yelena Sinchukova, Russian long jumper
    • 1962 – David Arnold, English composer
    • 1962 – Aivar Lillevere, Estonian footballer and coach
    • 1962 – Elvira Lindo, Spanish journalist and author
    • 1964 – Jonatha Brooke, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1964 – Mariska Hargitay, American actress and producer
    • 1964 – Bharrat Jagdeo, Guyanese economist and politician, 7th President of Guyana
    • 1964 – Mario Roberge, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1965 – Louie Clemente, American drummer
    • 1966 – Damien Hardman, Australian surfer
    • 1966 – Haywoode Workman, American basketball player and referee
    • 1967 – Owen Cunningham, Australian rugby league player
    • 1968 – Taro Hakase, Japanese violinist and composer
    • 1968 – Petr Korda, Czech-Monacan tennis player
    • 1969 – Andrei Kanchelskis, Ukrainian-Russian footballer and manager
    • 1969 – Brendan Shanahan, Canadian ice hockey player and actor
    • 1969 – Susen Tiedtke, German long jumper
    • 1970 – Spyridon Vasdekis, Greek long jumper
    • 1971 – Scott Gibbs, Welsh-South African rugby player and sportscaster
    • 1971 – Kevin Mawae, American football player and coach
    • 1971 – Marc Nelson, American singer-songwriter
    • 1971 – Adam Parore, New Zealand cricketer and mountaineer
    • 1971 – Claire Rankin, Canadian actress
    • 1971 – Lisa Snowdon, English television and radio presenter and fashion model
    • 1972 – Ewen Bremner, Scottish actor
    • 1973 – Tomas Holmström, Swedish ice hockey player
    • 1974 – Glen Chapple, English cricketer
    • 1974 – Rebekah Elmaloglou, Australian actress
    • 1974 – Yosvani Pérez, Cuban baseball player
    • 1974 – Richard T. Slone, English painter
    • 1974 – Tiffani Thiessen, American actress
    • 1975 – Nick Harmer, German musician
    • 1975 – Phil Dawson, American football player
    • 1976 – Brandon Duckworth, American baseball player and scout
    • 1976 – Anne Margrethe Hausken, Norwegian orienteering competitor
    • 1976 – Alex Shaffer, American skier
    • 1979 – Larry Hughes, American basketball player
    • 1979 – Dawn O’Porter, Scottish-English fashion designer and journalist
    • 1979 – Juan Rincón, Venezuelan baseball player and coach
    • 1981 – Rob Friend, Canadian soccer player
    • 1982 – Wily Mo Peña, Dominican baseball player
    • 1982 – Oceana Mahlmann, German singer and songwriter
    • 1982 – Andrew Rock, American sprinter
    • 1983 – Irving Saladino, Panamanian long jumper
    • 1984 – Robbie Farah, Australian rugby league player
    • 1984 – Arjen Robben, Dutch footballer
    • 1985 – Dong Fangzhuo, Chinese footballer
    • 1985 – Doutzen Kroes, Dutch model and actress
    • 1985 – Yevgeny Lukyanenko, Russian pole vaulter
    • 1985 – Aselefech Mergia, Ethiopian runner
    • 1985 – Jeff Samardzija, American baseball player
    • 1985 – San E, South Korean rapper
    • 1986 – Gelete Burka, Ethiopian runner
    • 1986 – Marc Laird, Scottish footballer
    • 1986 – José Enrique, Spanish footballer
    • 1986 – Michael Stevens, American YouTuber and educator
    • 1986 – Steven Taylor, English footballer
    • 1986 – Sandro Viletta, Swiss skier
    • 1987 – Leo Komarov, Finnish ice hockey player
    • 1988 – Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Australian-New Zealand rugby league player
    • 1990 – Şener Özbayraklı, Turkish footballer
    • 1990 – Alex Silva, Canadian wrestler
    • 1990 – Martyn Waghorn, English footballer
    • 1992 – Reina Triendl, Japanese model and actress
    • 1994 – Addison Russell, American baseball player
    • 1995 – Luke Bateman, Australian rugby league player
    • 1995 – Tuimoala Lolohea, New Zealand rugby league player
    • 1998 – XXXTentacion, American rapper (d. 2018)

    Deaths on January 23

    • 667 – Ildefonsus, bishop of Toledo
    • 989 – Adalbero, archbishop of Reims
    • 1002 – Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 980)
    • 1199 – Abu Yusuf Yaqub al-Mansur, Moroccan caliph (b. 1160)
    • 1252 – Isabella, Queen of Armenia
    • 1297 – Florent of Hainaut, Prince of Achaea (b. c. 1255)
    • 1423 – Margaret of Bavaria, Burgundian regent (b. 1363)
    • 1516 – Ferdinand II of Aragon (b. 1452)
    • 1548 – Bernardo Pisano, Italian priest, scholar, and composer (b. 1490)
    • 1549 – Johannes Honter, Romanian-Hungarian cartographer and theologian (b. 1498)
    • 1567 – Jiajing Emperor of China (b. 1507)
    • 1570 – James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray, Scottish politician (b. 1531)
    • 1620 – John Croke, English politician and judge (b. 1553)
    • 1622 – William Baffin, English explorer and navigator (b. 1584)
    • 1650 – Philip Herbert, 4th Earl of Pembroke (b. 1584)
    • 1744 – Giambattista Vico, Italian historian and philosopher (b. 1668)
    • 1785 – Matthew Stewart, Scottish mathematician and academic (b. 1717)
    • 1789 – Frances Brooke, English author and playwright (b. 1724)
    • 1789 – John Cleland, English author (b. 1709)
    • 1800 – Edward Rutledge, American captain and politician, 39th Governor of South Carolina (b. 1749)
    • 1803 – Arthur Guinness, Irish brewer, founded Guinness (b. 1725)
    • 1805 – Claude Chappe, French engineer (b. 1763)
    • 1806 – William Pitt the Younger, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1759)
    • 1810 – Johann Wilhelm Ritter, German chemist and physicist (b. 1776)
    • 1812 – Robert Craufurd, Scottish general and politician (b. 1764)
    • 1820 – Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn (b. 1767)
    • 1833 – Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth, English admiral and politician (b. 1757)
    • 1837 – John Field, Irish pianist and composer (b. 1782)
    • 1866 – Thomas Love Peacock, English author and poet (b. 1785)
    • 1875 – Charles Kingsley English priest and author (b. 1819)
    • 1883 – Gustave Doré, French engraver and illustrator (b. 1832)
    • 1893 – Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar II, American lawyer and politician, 16th United States Secretary of the Interior (b. 1825)
    • 1893 – José Zorrilla, Spanish poet and playwright (b. 1817)
    • 1921 – Mykola Leontovych, Ukrainian composer and conductor (b. 1877)
    • 1922 – René Beeh, Alsatian painter and draughtsman (b. 1886)
    • 1922 – Arthur Nikisch, Hungarian conductor and academic (b. 1855)
    • 1923 – Max Nordau, Austrian physician and author (b. 1849)
    • 1931 – Anna Pavlova, Russian-English ballerina (b. 1881)
    • 1937 – Orso Mario Corbino, Italian physicist and politician (b. 1876)
    • 1939 – Matthias Sindelar, Austrian footballer and manager (b. 1903)
    • 1943 – Alexander Woollcott, American actor, playwright, and critic (b. 1887)
    • 1944 – Edvard Munch, Norwegian painter and illustrator (b. 1863)
    • 1947 – Pierre Bonnard, French painter (b. 1867)
    • 1956 – Alexander Korda, Hungarian-English director and producer (b. 1893)
    • 1963 – Józef Gosławski, Polish sculptor (b. 1908)
    • 1966 – T. M. Sabaratnam, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician (d. 1895)
    • 1971 – Fritz Feigl, Austrian-Brazilian chemist and academic (b. 1871)
    • 1973 – Alexander Onassis, American-Greek businessman (b. 1948)
    • 1973 – Kid Ory, American trombonist, composer, and bandleader (b. 1886)
    • 1976 – Paul Robeson, American actor, singer, and activist (b. 1898)
    • 1977 – Toots Shor, American businessman, founded Toots Shor’s Restaurant (b. 1903)
    • 1978 – Terry Kath, American guitarist and songwriter (b. 1946)
    • 1978 – Jack Oakie, American actor (b. 1903)
    • 1980 – Giovanni Michelotti, Italian engineer (b. 1921)
    • 1981 – Samuel Barber, American pianist and composer (b. 1910)
    • 1983 – Fred Bakewell, English cricketer and coach (b. 1908)
    • 1984 – Muin Bseiso, Palestinian-Egyptian poet and critic (b. 1926)
    • 1985 – James Beard, American chef and cookbook author for whom the James Beard Foundation Awards are named (b.1905)
    • 1986 – Joseph Beuys, German sculptor and painter (b. 1921)
    • 1988 – Charles Glen King, American biochemist and academic (b. 1896)
    • 1989 – Salvador Dalí, Spanish painter and sculptor (b. 1904)
    • 1989 – Lars-Erik Torph, Swedish race car driver (b. 1961)
    • 1990 – Allen Collins, American guitarist and songwriter (b. 1952)
    • 1991 – Northrop Frye, Canadian author and critic (b. 1912)
    • 1992 – Freddie Bartholomew, American actor (b. 1924)
    • 1993 – Keith Laumer, American soldier, author, and diplomat (b. 1925)
    • 1994 – Nikolai Ogarkov, Russian field marshal (b. 1917)
    • 1994 – Brian Redhead, English journalist and author (b. 1929)
    • 1999 – Joe D’Amato, Italian director and cinematographer (b. 1936)
    • 1999 – Jay Pritzker, American businessman, co-founded the Hyatt Corporation (b. 1922)
    • 2002 – Paul Aars, American race car driver (b. 1934)
    • 2002 – Pierre Bourdieu, French sociologist, anthropologist, and philosopher (b. 1930)
    • 2002 – Robert Nozick, American philosopher, author, and academic (b. 1938)
    • 2003 – Nell Carter, American actress and singer (b. 1948)
    • 2004 – Bob Keeshan, American television personality and producer (b. 1927)
    • 2004 – Helmut Newton, German-Australian photographer (b. 1920)
    • 2005 – Morys Bruce, 4th Baron Aberdare, English lieutenant and politician (b. 1921)
    • 2005 – Johnny Carson, American talk show host, television personality, and producer (b. 1925)
    • 2007 – Syed Hussein Alatas, Malaysian sociologist and politician (b. 1928)
    • 2007 – E. Howard Hunt, American CIA officer (b. 1918)
    • 2007 – Ryszard Kapuściński, Polish journalist and author (b. 1932)
    • 2009 – Robert W. Scott, American farmer and politician, 67th Governor of North Carolina (b. 1929)
    • 2010 – Kermit Tyler, American colonel and pilot (b. 1913)
    • 2010 – Earl Wild, American pianist and composer (b. 1915)
    • 2011 – Jack LaLanne, American fitness instructor, author, and television host (b. 1914)
    • 2012 – Wesley E. Brown, American lawyer and jurist (b. 1907)
    • 2012 – Maurice Meisner, American historian, author, and academic (b. 1931)
    • 2012 – Bingham Ray, American businessman, co-founded October Films (b. 1954)
    • 2013 – Józef Glemp, Polish cardinal (b. 1929)
    • 2013 – Peter van der Merwe, South African cricketer and referee (b. 1937)
    • 2013 – Jean-Félix-Albert-Marie Vilnet, French bishop (b. 1922)
    • 2014 – Yuri Izrael, Russian meteorologist and journalist (b. 1930)
    • 2014 – Riz Ortolani, Italian composer and conductor (b. 1926)
    • 2015 – Ernie Banks, American baseball player and coach (b. 1931)
    • 2015 – Prosper Ego, Dutch activist, founded the Oud-Strijders Legioen (b. 1927)
    • 2015 – Abdullah of Saudi Arabia (b. 1924)
    • 2016 – Jimmy Bain, Scottish bassist (b. 1947)
    • 2016 – Bobby Wanzer, American basketball player and coach (b. 1921)
    • 2017 – Bobby Freeman, American singer, songwriter and record producer (b. 1940)
    • 2017 – Gorden Kaye, English actor (b. 1941)
    • 2018 – Hugh Masekela, South African trumpeter, composer and singer (b. 1939)
    • 2018 – Nicanor Parra, Chilean poet (b. 1914)
    • 2018 – Wyatt Tee Walker, American civil rights activist and pastor (b. 1928)

    Holidays and observances on January 23

    • Bounty Day (Pitcairn Islands)
    • Christian feast day:
      • Abakuh
      • Marianne of Molokai
      • Emerentiana
      • Espousals of the Blessed Virgin Mary
      • Ildefonsus of Toledo
      • Phillips Brooks (Episcopal Church (USA))
      • January 23 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s Jayanti (Orissa, Tripura, and West Bengal, India)
    • World Freedom Day (Taiwan and South Korea)

  • January 20 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 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)

  • January 12 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 1528 – Gustav I of Sweden is crowned King of Sweden, having already reigned since his election in June 1523.
    • 1554 – Bayinnaung, who would go on to assemble the largest empire in the history of Southeast Asia, is crowned King of Burma.
    • 1616 – The city of Belém, Brazil is founded on the Amazon River delta, by Portuguese captain Francisco Caldeira Castelo Branco.
    • 1808 – John Rennie’s scheme to defend St Mary’s Church, Reculver, founded in 669, from coastal erosion is abandoned in favour of demolition, despite the church being an exemplar of Anglo-Saxon architecture and sculpture.
    • 1808 – The organizational meeting leading to the creation of the Wernerian Natural History Society, a former Scottish learned society, is held in Edinburgh.
    • 1848 – The Palermo rising takes place in Sicily against the Bourbon Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
    • 1866 – The Royal Aeronautical Society is formed in London.
    • 1872 – Yohannes IV is crowned Emperor of Ethiopia in Axum, the first imperial coronation in that city in over 200 years.
    • 1895 – The National Trust is founded in the United Kingdom.
    • 1911 – The University of the Philippines College of Law is formally established; three future Philippine presidents are among the first enrollees.
    • 1915 – The United States House of Representatives rejects a proposal to require states to give women the right to vote.
    • 1916 – Both Oswald Boelcke and Max Immelmann, for achieving eight aerial victories each over Allied aircraft, receive the German Empire’s highest military award, the Pour le Mérite as the first German aviators to earn it.
    • 1918 – The Minnie Pit Disaster coal mining accident occurs in Halmer End, Staffordshire, in which 155 men and boys die.
    • 1921 – Acting to restore confidence in baseball after the Black Sox Scandal, Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis is elected as Major League Baseball’s first commissioner.
    • 1932 – Hattie Caraway becomes the first woman elected to the United States Senate.
    • 1942 – World War II: United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt creates the National War Labor Board.
    • 1945 – World War II: The Red Army begins the Vistula–Oder Offensive.
    • 1962 – Vietnam War: Operation Chopper, the first American combat mission in the war, takes place.
    • 1964 – Rebels in Zanzibar begin a revolt known as the Zanzibar Revolution and proclaim a republic.
    • 1966 – Lyndon B. Johnson states that the United States should stay in South Vietnam until Communist aggression there is ended.
    • 1967 – Dr. James Bedford becomes the first person to be cryonically preserved with intent of future resuscitation.
    • 1969 – The New York Jets of the American Football League defeat the Baltimore Colts of the National Football League to win Super Bowl III in what is considered to be one of the greatest upsets in sports history.
    • 1970 – Biafra capitulates, ending the Nigerian Civil War.
    • 1971 – The Harrisburg Seven: Rev. Philip Berrigan and five other activists are indicted on charges of conspiring to kidnap Henry Kissinger and of plotting to blow up the heating tunnels of federal buildings in Washington, D.C.
    • 1976 – The United Nations Security Council votes 11–1 to allow the Palestine Liberation Organization to participate in a Security Council debate (without voting rights).
    • 1986 – Space Shuttle program: Congressman Bill Nelson lifts off from Kennedy Space Center aboard Columbia on mission STS-61-C as a payload specialist.
    • 1990 – A seven-day pogrom breaks out against the Armenian civilian population of Baku, Azerbaijan, during which Armenians were beaten, tortured, murdered, and expelled from the city.
    • 1991 – Persian Gulf War: An act of the U.S. Congress authorizes the use of American military force to drive Iraq out of Kuwait.
    • 1998 – Nineteen European nations agree to forbid human cloning.
    • 2001 – Downtown Disney opens to the public as part of the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California.
    • 2004 – The world’s largest ocean liner, RMS Queen Mary 2, makes its maiden voyage.
    • 2005 – Deep Impact launches from Cape Canaveral on a Delta II rocket.
    • 2006 – A stampede during the Stoning of the Devil ritual on the last day at the Hajj in Mina, Saudi Arabia, kills at least 362 Muslim pilgrims.
    • 2010 – An earthquake in Haiti occurs, killing between 220,000 and 300,000 people and destroying much of the capital Port-au-Prince.
    • 2012 – Violent protests occur in Bucharest, Romania, as two-day-old demonstrations continue against President Traian Băsescu’s economic austerity measures. Clashes are reported in numerous Romanian cities between protesters and law enforcement officers.
    • 2015 – Government raids kill 143 Boko Haram fighters in Kolofata, Cameroon.
    • 2016 – Ten people are killed and 15 wounded in a bombing near the Blue Mosque in Istanbul.
    • 2020 – Taal Volcano in the Philippines erupts, and kills 39 people.

    Births on January 12

    • 1483 – Henry III of Nassau-Breda (d. 1538)
    • 1562 – Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy (d. 1630)
    • 1576 – Petrus Scriverius, Dutch historian and scholar (d. 1660)
    • 1577 – Jan Baptist van Helmont, Flemish chemist and physician (d. 1644)
    • 1588 – John Winthrop, English lawyer and politician, 2nd Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony (d. 1649)
    • 1591 – Jusepe de Ribera, Spanish painter (d. 1652)
    • 1597 – François Duquesnoy, Flemish sculptor and educator (d. 1643)
    • 1598 – Jijabai Shahaji Bhosale, venerated mother of Indian king Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (d. 1674)
    • 1628 – Charles Perrault, French author and academic (d. 1703)
    • 1673 – Rosalba Carriera, Italian painter (d. 1757)
    • 1711 – Gaetano Latilla, Italian composer (d. 1788)
    • 1715 – Jacques Duphly, French organist and composer (d. 1789)
    • 1716 – Antonio de Ulloa, Spanish general and politician, 1st Spanish Governor of Louisiana (d. 1795)
    • 1721 – Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Prussian field marshal (d. 1792)
    • 1723 – Samuel Langdon, American minister, theologian, and academic (d. 1797)
    • 1724 – Frances Brooke, English author and playwright (d. 1789)
    • 1729 – Edmund Burke, Irish philosopher, academic, and politician (d. 1797)
    • 1746 – Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, Swiss philosopher and educator (d. 1827)
    • 1751 – Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies (d. 1825)
    • 1772 – Mikhail Speransky, Russian academic and politician (d. 1839)
    • 1786 – Sir Robert Inglis, 2nd Baronet, English politician (d. 1855)
    • 1792 – Johan August Arfwedson, Swedish chemist and academic (d. 1841)
    • 1797 – Gideon Brecher, Austrian physician and author (d. 1873)
    • 1799 – Priscilla Susan Bury, British botanist (d. 1872)
    • 1822 – Étienne Lenoir, Belgian engineer, designed the internal combustion engine (d. 1900)
    • 1837 – Adolf Jensen, German pianist and composer (d. 1879)
    • 1849 – Jean Béraud, Russian-French painter and academic (d. 1935)
    • 1853 – Gregorio Ricci-Curbastro, Italian mathematician (d. 1925)
    • 1856 – John Singer Sargent, American painter and academic (d. 1925)
    • 1863 – Swami Vivekananda, Indian monk and philosopher (d. 1902)
    • 1869 – Bhagwan Das, Indian philosopher, academic, and politician (d. 1958)
    • 1873 – Spyridon Louis, Greek runner (d. 1940)
    • 1874 – Laura Adams Armer, American author and photographer (d. 1963)
    • 1876 – Fevzi Çakmak, Turkish field marshal and politician, Prime Minister of the Turkish Provisional Government (d. 1950)
    • 1876 – Jack London, American novelist and journalist (d. 1916)
    • 1876 – Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari, Italian composer and educator (d. 1948)
    • 1877 – Frank J. Corr, American lawyer and politician, 45th Mayor of Chicago (d. 1934)
    • 1878 – Ferenc Molnár, Hungarian-American author and playwright (d. 1952)
    • 1879 – Ray Harroun, American race car driver and engineer (d. 1968)
    • 1879 – Anton Uesson, Estonian engineer and politician, 17th Mayor of Tallinn (d. 1942)
    • 1882 – Milton Sills, American actor and screenwriter (d. 1930)
    • 1884 – Texas Guinan, American entertainer and bootlegger (d. 1933)
    • 1889 – Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad, Indian-Pakistani spiritual leader (d. 1965)
    • 1890 – Johannes Vares, Estonian poet, physician, and politician (d. 1946)
    • 1892 – Mikhail Gurevich, Russian engineer and businessman, co-founded the Russian Aircraft Corporation (d. 1976)
    • 1893 – Hermann Göring, German commander, pilot, and politician, Minister President of Prussia (d. 1946)
    • 1893 – Alfred Rosenberg, Estonian-German architect and politician, Reich Minister for the Occupied Eastern Territories (d. 1946)
    • 1894 – Georges Carpentier, French boxer and actor (d. 1975)
    • 1895 – Leo Aryeh Mayer, Polish-Israeli scholar and academic (d. 1959)
    • 1896 – David Wechsler, Romanian-American psychologist and author (d. 1981)
    • 1899 – Pierre Bernac, French opera singer and educator (d. 1979)
    • 1899 – Paul Hermann Müller, Swiss chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1965)
    • 1901 – Karl Künstler, German SS officer (d. 1945)
    • 1903 – Igor Kurchatov, Russian physicist and academic (d. 1960)
    • 1903 – Andrew J. Transue, American politician and attorney (Morissette v. United States) (d. 1995)
    • 1904 – Mississippi Fred McDowell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1972)
    • 1905 – Nihal Atsız, Turkish author, poet, and philosopher (d. 1975)
    • 1905 – James Bennett Griffin, American archaeologist and academic (d. 1997)
    • 1905 – Tex Ritter, American actor and singer (d. 1974)
    • 1906 – Emmanuel Levinas, Lithuanian-French historian, philosopher, and academic (d. 1995)
    • 1907 – Sergei Korolev, Russian colonel and engineer (d. 1966)
    • 1908 – Jean Delannoy, French actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2008)
    • 1908 – Clement Hurd, American illustrator (d. 1988)
    • 1910 – Patsy Kelly, American actress and comedian (d. 1981)
    • 1910 – Luise Rainer, German-English actress (d. 2014)
    • 1912 – Richard Kuremaa, Estonian footballer (d. 1991)
    • 1914 – Mieko Kamiya, Japanese psychiatrist and psychologist (d. 1979)
    • 1915 – Paul Jarrico, American screenwriter and producer (d. 1997)
    • 1915 – Joseph-Aurèle Plourde, Canadian archbishop and academic (d. 2013)
    • 1916 – Ruth R. Benerito, American chemist and inventor (d. 2013)
    • 1916 – Mary Wilson, Baroness Wilson of Rievaulx, British poet and Spouse of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 2018)
    • 1916 – P. W. Botha, South African politician, 8th Prime Minister of South Africa (d. 2006)
    • 1917 – Walter Hendl, American pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 2007)
    • 1917 – Jimmy Skinner, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 2007)
    • 1920 – James Farmer, American activist, and politician, co-founded Congress of Racial Equality (d. 1999)
    • 1920 – Jerzy Zubrzycki, Polish-Australian sociologist and academic (d. 2009)
    • 1922 – Tadeusz Żychiewicz, Polish journalist and historian (d. 1994)
    • 1923 – Ira Hayes, American marine who raised the U.S. flag on Iwo Jima (d. 1955)
    • 1924 – Olivier Gendebien, Belgian racing driver and businessman (d. 1998)
    • 1925 – Bill Burrud, American television host, producer, and actor (d. 1990)
    • 1926 – Morton Feldman, American composer and academic (d. 1987)
    • 1926 – Ray Price, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2013)
    • 1928 – Ruth Brown, American R&B singer-songwriter and actress (d. 2006)
    • 1929 – Alasdair MacIntyre, Scottish-American philosopher and academic
    • 1929 – Jaakko Hintikka, Finnish philosopher and logician (d. 2015)
    • 1930 – Tim Horton, Canadian ice hockey player and businessman, founded Tim Hortons (d. 1974)
    • 1930 – Jennifer Johnston, Irish author and playwright
    • 1930 – Glenn Yarbrough, American singer and actor (d. 2016)
    • 1933 – Pavlos Matesis, Greek author and playwright (d. 2013)
    • 1934 – Alan Sharp, Scottish-American author and screenwriter (d. 2013)
    • 1934 – Mick Sullivan, English rugby player and coach (d. 2016)
    • 1935 – Teresa del Conde, Mexican historian and critic (d. 2017)
    • 1935 – Kreskin, American mentalist
    • 1936 – Jennifer Hilton, Baroness Hilton of Eggardon, English police officer and politician
    • 1936 – Raimonds Pauls, Latvian pianist and composer
    • 1936 – Brajanath Ratha, Indian poet and activist (d. 2014)
    • 1936 – Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Indian lawyer and politician, Indian Minister of Home Affairs (d. 2016)
    • 1937 – Shirley Eaton, English actress
    • 1938 – Qazi Hussain Ahmad, Pakistani scholar and politician (d. 2013)
    • 1940 – Bob Hewitt, Australian-South African tennis player
    • 1940 – Ronald Shannon Jackson, American drummer and composer (d. 2013)
    • 1940 – Dick Motz, New Zealand cricketer (d. 2007)
    • 1941 – Long John Baldry, English-Canadian singer-songwriter and voice actor (d. 2005)
    • 1941 – Fiona Caldicott, English psychiatrist and psychotherapist
    • 1941 – Chet Jastremski, American swimmer and physician (d. 2014)
    • 1942 – Bernardine Dohrn, American domestic terrorist, political activist and academic
    • 1944 – Hans Henning Atrott, German author and theorist
    • 1944 – Joe Frazier, American boxer (d. 2011)
    • 1944 – Cynthia Robinson, American R&B trumpet player and singer (d 2015)
    • 1945 – Maggie Bell, Scottish singer-songwriter
    • 1946 – Hazel Cosgrove, Lady Cosgrove, Scottish lawyer and judge
    • 1946 – George Duke, American keyboard player, composer, and educator (d. 2013)
    • 1947 – Richard Carwardine, English historian and academic
    • 1947 – Tom Dempsey, American football player and educator
    • 1947 – Sally Hamwee, Baroness Hamwee, English politician
    • 1948 – Kenny Allen, English footballer
    • 1948 – Anthony Andrews, English actor and producer
    • 1948 – Gordon Campbell, Canadian educator and politician, 34th Premier of British Columbia
    • 1948 – Brendan Foster, English runner and sportscaster
    • 1948 – William Nicholson, English author and screenwriter
    • 1949 – Kentarō Haneda, Japanese pianist and composer (d. 2007)
    • 1949 – Ottmar Hitzfeld, German footballer and manager
    • 1949 – Hamadi Jebali, Tunisian engineer, journalist, and politician, 19th Prime Minister of Tunisia
    • 1949 – Haruki Murakami, Japanese novelist, short-story writer, and essayist
    • 1950 – Sheila Jackson Lee, American lawyer, judge, and politician
    • 1950 – Göran Lindblad, Swedish dentist and politician
    • 1950 – Bob McEwen, American businessman and politician
    • 1950 – Dorrit Moussaieff, Israeli-Icelandic jewelry designer and businesswoman, 5th First Lady of Iceland
    • 1951 – Kirstie Alley, American actress and producer
    • 1951 – Chris Bell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1978)
    • 1951 – Rush Limbaugh, American talk show host and author
    • 1951 – Drew Pearson, American football player and sportscaster
    • 1952 – Phil Perry, American singer-songwriter and producer
    • 1952 – Ricky Van Shelton, American country singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1952 – John Walker, New Zealand runner and politician
    • 1952 – Walter Mosley, American novelist
    • 1953 – Mary Harron, Canadian director and screenwriter
    • 1954 – Howard Stern, American radio host, actor, and author
    • 1954 – Martin Kylhammar, Swedish professor of culture and society
    • 1955 – Tom Ardolino, American rock drummer (NRBQ) (d. 2012)
    • 1956 – Nikolai Noskov, Russian rock singer and singer-songwriter
    • 1957 – John Lasseter, American animator, director, and producer
    • 1957 – Jeremy Sams, English director, playwright, and composer
    • 1958 – Christiane Amanpour, English-born Iranian-American journalist
    • 1958 – Curt Fraser, American-Canadian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1959 – B. Brian Blair, American wrestler and politician
    • 1959 – Per Gessle, Swedish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
    • 1960 – Oliver Platt, Canadian-American actor
    • 1960 – Dominique Wilkins, French-American basketball player and manager
    • 1961 – Simon Russell Beale, Malaysia-born English actor and historian
    • 1962 – Joe Quesada, American author and illustrator
    • 1962 – Richie Richardson, Antiguan cricketer
    • 1962 – Luna Vachon, American-Canadian wrestler and manager (d. 2010)
    • 1963 – François Girard, Canadian director and screenwriter
    • 1963 – Nando Reis, Brazilian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
    • 1964 – Jeff Bezos, American computer scientist and businessman, founded Amazon.com
    • 1965 – Raekwon, American rapper
    • 1965 – Rob Zombie, American singer-songwriter, producer, actor, and director
    • 1966 – Olivier Martinez, French actor
    • 1966 – Craig Parry, Australian golfer
    • 1967 – Vendela Kirsebom, Norwegian-Swedish model and actress
    • 1968 – Junichi Masuda, Japanese director, producer, and composer
    • 1968 – Heather Mills, English businesswoman, activist and model
    • 1968 – Mauro Silva, Brazilian footballer
    • 1969 – David Mitchell, English novelist
    • 1969 – Margaret Nagle, American screenwriter and producer
    • 1970 – Zack de la Rocha, American singer-songwriter
    • 1971 – Scott Burrell, American basketball player and coach
    • 1972 – Priyanka Gandhi, Indian politician
    • 1972 – Espen Knutsen, Norwegian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1972 – Paul Wilson, Australian cricketer and umpire
    • 1973 – Brian Culbertson, American pianist and producer
    • 1973 – Hande Yener, Turkish singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
    • 1974 – Melanie C, English singer-songwriter and actress
    • 1974 – Tor Arne Hetland, Norwegian skier
    • 1975 – Jason Freese, American saxophonist, songwriter, and producer
    • 1975 – Jocelyn Thibault, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1977 – Yoandy Garlobo, Cuban baseball player
    • 1978 – Luis Ayala, Mexican baseball player
    • 1978 – Maurizio Zaffiri, Italian rugby player
    • 1979 – Marián Hossa, Slovak ice hockey player
    • 1979 – Lee Bo-young, South Korean actress and model
    • 1979 – Grzegorz Rasiak, Polish footballer
    • 1979 – David Zabriskie, American cyclist
    • 1980 – Bobby Crosby, American baseball player
    • 1981 – Amerie, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
    • 1981 – João Paulo Daniel, Brazilian footballer
    • 1981 – Dan Klecko, American football player
    • 1981 – Angus Macdonald, New Zealand rugby player
    • 1981 – Luis Ernesto Pérez, Mexican footballer
    • 1982 – Paul-Henri Mathieu, French tennis player
    • 1982 – Hans Van Alphen, Belgian decathlete
    • 1982 – Dean Whitehead, English footballer
    • 1982 – Dontrelle Willis, American baseball player
    • 1984 – Daniel Sepulveda, American football player
    • 1984 – Jonathan Zydko, French footballer
    • 1985 – Artem Milevskiy, Ukrainian footballer
    • 1985 – Issa Rae, American actress, writer, director, producer and web series creator
    • 1985 – Borja Valero, Spanish footballer
    • 1986 – Kehoma Brenner, German rugby player
    • 1986 – Miguel Ángel Nieto, Spanish footballer
    • 1987 – Naya Rivera, American actress and singer
    • 1987 – Salvatore Sirigu, Italian footballer
    • 1988 – Claude Giroux, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1989 – Thiemo-Jérôme Kialka, German footballer
    • 1989 – Axel Witsel, Belgian footballer
    • 1991 – Pixie Lott, English singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress
    • 1991 – Matt Srama, Australian rugby league player
    • 1992 – Ishak Belfodil, Algerian footballer
    • 1992 – Samuele Longo, Italian footballer
    • 1993 – Zayn Malik, English singer-songwriter
    • 1993 – Simone Pecorini, Italian footballer
    • 1993 – Do Kyungsoo, South Korean singer and member of boy band EXO
    • 1995 – Sarah Mehain, Canadian Paralympic swimmer
    • 1995 – Alessio Romagnoli, Italian footballer

    Deaths of January 12

    • 690 – Benedict Biscop, English scholar and saint, founded the Monkwearmouth–Jarrow Abbey (b. 628)
    • 914 – Ahmad Samani, Samanid emir
    • 947 – Sang Weihan, Chinese chief of staff (b. 898)
    • 1140 – Louis I, Landgrave of Thuringia
    • 1167 – Aelred of Rievaulx, English monk and saint (b. 1110)
    • 1320 – John Dalderby, bishop of Lincoln
    • 1321 – Marie of Brabant, Queen of France (b. 1256)
    • 1405 – Eleanor Maltravers, English noblewoman (b. 1345)
    • 1519 – Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1459)
    • 1665 – Pierre de Fermat, French mathematician and lawyer (b. 1601)
    • 1674 – Giacomo Carissimi, Italian priest and composer (b. 1605)
    • 1700 – Marguerite Bourgeoys, French-Canadian nun and saint, founded the Congregation of Notre Dame of Montreal (b. 1620)
    • 1720 – William Ashhurst, English banker and politician, Lord Mayor of London (b. 1647)
    • 1732 – John Horsley, English-Scottish historian and author (b. 1685)
    • 1735 – John Eccles, English composer (b. 1668)
    • 1759 – Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange (b. 1709)
    • 1765 – Johann Melchior Molter, German violinist and composer (b. 1696)
    • 1777 – Hugh Mercer, Scottish-American general and physician (b. 1726)
    • 1778 – François Bigot, French politician (b. 1703)
    • 1781 – Richard Challoner, English bishop (b. 1691)
    • 1829 – Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel, German philosopher, poet, and critic (b. 1772)
    • 1833 – Marie-Antoine Carême, French chef (b. 1784)
    • 1834 – William Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville, English academic and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1759)
    • 1856 – Ľudovít Štúr, Slovak philologist and politician (b. 1815)
    • 1861 – Václav Hanka, Czech philologist and author (b. 1791)
    • 1892 – James Caulfeild, 3rd Earl of Charlemont, Irish politician, Lord Lieutenant of Tyrone (b. 1820)
    • 1892 – William Reeves, Irish bishop and historian (b. 1815)
    • 1899 – Hiram Walker, American businessman, founded Canadian Club (b. 1816)
    • 1909 – Hermann Minkowski, Lithuanian-German mathematician and academic (b. 1864)
    • 1911 – Andreas Papagiannakopoulos, Greek journalist, judge, and politician (b. 1845)
    • 1916 – Georgios Theotokis, Greek lawyer and politician, 80th Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1844)
    • 1921 – Gervase Elwes, English tenor and actor (b. 1866)
    • 1926 – Austin Chapman, Australian businessman and politician, 4th Australian Minister for Defence (b. 1864)
    • 1934 – Paul Kochanski, Polish violinist and composer (b. 1887)
    • 1938 – Oscar Florianus Bluemner, German-American painter and illustrator (b. 1867)
    • 1940 – Ralph Hitz, Austrian-American hotelier (b. 1891)
    • 1940 – Edward Smith, English lieutenant, Victoria Cross recipient (b. 1898)
    • 1943 – Jan Campert, Dutch journalist and critic (b. 1902)
    • 1944 – Lance C. Wade, American commander and pilot (b. 1915)
    • 1958 – Charles Hatfield, American meteorologist (b. 1875)
    • 1960 – Nevil Shute, English engineer and author (b. 1899)
    • 1962 – Ariadna Tyrkova-Williams, Russian journalist and activist (b. 1869)
    • 1965 – Lorraine Hansberry, American author, playwright, and director (b. 1936)
    • 1967 – Burhan Asaf Belge, Turkish diplomat (b. 1887)
    • 1971 – John Tovey, 1st Baron Tovey, English admiral (b. 1885)
    • 1973 – Roy Franklin Nichols, American historian and academic (b. 1896)
    • 1974 – Princess Patricia of Connaught (b. 1886)
    • 1976 – Agatha Christie, English crime novelist, short story writer, and playwright (b. 1890)
    • 1977 – Henri-Georges Clouzot, French director and screenwriter (b. 1907)
    • 1983 – Nikolai Podgorny, Ukrainian engineer and politician (b. 1903)
    • 1988 – Connie Mulder, South African politician (b. 1925)
    • 1988 – Piero Taruffi, Italian racing driver and motorcycle racer (b. 1906)
    • 1990 – Laurence J. Peter, Canadian-American author and educator (b. 1919)
    • 1991 – Robert Jackson, Australian public servant and diplomat (b. 1911)
    • 1992 – Kumar Gandharva, a Hindustani classical singer (b. 1924)
    • 1994 – Gustav Naan, Estonian physicist and philosopher (b. 1919)
    • 1996 – Joachim Nitsche, German mathematician and academic (b. 1926)
    • 1997 – Jean-Edern Hallier, French author (b. 1936)
    • 1997 – Charles Brenton Huggins, Canadian-American physician and physiologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1901)
    • 1998 – Roger Clark, English racing driver (b. 1939)
    • 1999 – Doug Wickenheiser, Canadian-American ice hockey player (b. 1961)
    • 2000 – Marc Davis, American animator and screenwriter (b. 1913)
    • 2000 – Bobby Phills, American basketball player (b. 1969)
    • 2001 – Luiz Bonfá, Brazilian guitarist and composer (b. 1922)
    • 2001 – William Redington Hewlett, American engineer and businessman, co-founded Hewlett-Packard (b. 1913)
    • 2002 – Cyrus Vance, American lawyer and politician, 57th U.S. Secretary of State (b. 1917)
    • 2003 – Dean Amadon, American ornithologist and author (b. 1912)
    • 2003 – Kinji Fukasaku, Japanese actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1930)
    • 2003 – Leopoldo Galtieri, Argentine general and politician, 44th President of Argentina (b. 1926)
    • 2003 – Maurice Gibb, Manx-Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (b. 1949)
    • 2003 – Alan Nunn May, English physicist and spy (b. 1911)
    • 2004 – Olga Ladyzhenskaya, Russian mathematician and academic (b. 1921)
    • 2005 – Amrish Puri, Indian actor (b. 1932)
    • 2006 – Pablita Velarde, Santa Clara Pueblo (Native American) painter (b. 1918)
    • 2007 – Alice Coltrane, American pianist and composer (b. 1937)
    • 2007 – James Killen, Australian soldier, lawyer, and politician, 38th Australian Minister for Defence (b. 1925)
    • 2008 – Max Beck, American intersex advocate (b. 1966)
    • 2009 – Claude Berri, French actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1934)
    • 2010 – Daniel Bensaïd, French philosopher and author (b. 1946)
    • 2010 – Hasib Sabbagh, Palestinian businessman and philanthropist, co-founded Consolidated Contractors Company (b. 1920)
    • 2012 – Bjørn G. Andersen, Norwegian geologist and academic (b. 1924)
    • 2012 – Glenda Dickerson, American director, choreographer, and educator (b. 1945)
    • 2012 – Bill Janklow, American lawyer and politician, 27th Governor of South Dakota (b. 1939)
    • 2012 – Charles H. Price II, American businessman and diplomat, United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom (b. 1931)
    • 2012 – Jim Stanley, American football player and coach (b. 1935)
    • 2013 – Precious Bryant, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1942)
    • 2013 – Eugene Patterson, American journalist and activist (b. 1923)
    • 2014 – Alexandra Bastedo, English actress (b. 1946)
    • 2014 – Connie Binsfeld, American educator and politician, 58th Lieutenant Governor of Michigan (b. 1924)
    • 2014 – George Dement, American soldier, businessman, and politician (b. 1922)
    • 2015 – Trevor Colbourn, American historian and academic (b. 1927)
    • 2015 – Robert Gover, American journalist and author (b. 1929)
    • 2015 – Carl Long, American baseball player (b. 1935)
    • 2015 – Elena Obraztsova, Russian soprano and actress (b. 1939)
    • 2015 – Inge Vermeulen, Brazilian-Dutch field hockey player (b. 1985)
    • 2017 – William Peter Blatty, American writer and filmmaker (b. 1928)
    • 2017 – Graham Taylor, former Grimsby Town player and former manager of the England football team. (b. 1944)
    • 2018 – Keith Jackson, American sports commentator and journalist (b. 1928)
    • 2020 – Sir Roger Scruton, English philosopher, and writer (b. 1944)

    Holidays and observances on January 12

    • Christian feast day:
      • Aelred of Rievaulx
      • Benedict Biscop
      • Bernard of Corleone
      • Marguerite Bourgeoys
      • Tatiana
      • January 12 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Earliest day on which Lee–Jackson Day can fall while January 18 is the latest, celebrated on the Friday before Martin Luther King Day. (Commonwealth of Virginia)
    • Memorial Day (Turkmenistan)
    • National Youth Day (India)
    • Prosecutor General’s Day (Russia)
    • Zanzibar Revolution Day (Tanzania)