1730

  • April 16 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • AD 73 – Masada, a Jewish fortress, falls to the Romans after several months of siege, ending the First Jewish–Roman War.
    • 1346 – Stefan Dušan, “the Mighty”, is crowned Emperor of the Serbs at Skopje, his empire occupying much of the Balkans.
    • 1520 – The Revolt of the Comuneros begins in Spain against the rule of Charles V.
    • 1582 – Spanish conquistador Hernando de Lerma founds the settlement of Salta, Argentina.
    • 1746 – The Battle of Culloden is fought between the French-supported Jacobites and the British Hanoverian forces commanded by William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, in Scotland.After the battle many highland traditions were banned and the Highlands of Scotland were cleared of inhabitants.
    • 1780 – Franz Friedrich Wilhelm von Fürstenberg founds the University of Münster.
    • 1799 – French Revolutionary Wars: The Battle of Mount Tabor: Napoleon drives Ottoman Turks across the River Jordan near Acre.
    • 1818 – The United States Senate ratifies the Rush–Bagot Treaty, limiting naval armaments on the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain.
    • 1847 – Shooting of a Māori by an English sailor results in the opening of the Wanganui Campaign of the New Zealand Wars.
    • 1853 – The Great Indian Peninsula Railway opens the first passenger rail in India, from Bori Bunder to Thane.
    • 1858 – The Wernerian Natural History Society, a former Scottish learned society, is wound up.
    • 1862 – American Civil War: Battle at Lee’s Mills in Virginia.
    • 1862 – American Civil War: The District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act, a bill ending slavery in the District of Columbia, becomes law.
    • 1863 – American Civil War: During the Vicksburg Campaign, gunboats commanded by acting Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter run downriver past Confederate artillery batteries at Vicksburg.
    • 1881 – In Dodge City, Kansas, Bat Masterson fights his last gun battle.
    • 1908 – Natural Bridges National Monument is established in Utah.
    • 1910 – The oldest existing indoor ice hockey arena still used for the sport in the 21st century, Boston Arena, opens for the first time.
    • 1912 – Harriet Quimby becomes the first woman to fly an airplane across the English Channel.
    • 1917 – Vladimir Lenin returns to Petrograd, Russia, from exile in Switzerland.
    • 1919 – Mohandas Gandhi organizes a day of “prayer and fasting” in response to the killing of Indian protesters in the Jallianwala Bagh massacre by the British colonial troops three days earlier.
    • 1919 – Polish–Soviet War: The Polish army launches the Vilna offensive to capture Vilnius in modern Lithuania.
    • 1922 – The Treaty of Rapallo, pursuant to which Germany and the Soviet Union re-establish diplomatic relations, is signed.
    • 1925 – During the Communist St Nedelya Church assault in Sofia, Bulgaria, 150 are killed and 500 are wounded.
    • 1941 – World War II: The Italian-German Tarigo convoy is attacked and destroyed by British ships.
    • 1941 – World War II: The Nazi-affiliated Ustaše is put in charge of the Independent State of Croatia by the Axis powers after Operation 25 is effected.
    • 1943 – Albert Hofmann accidentally discovers the hallucinogenic effects of the research drug LSD. He intentionally takes the drug three days later on April 19.
    • 1944 – World War II: Allied forces start bombing Belgrade, killing about 1,100 people. This bombing fell on the Orthodox Christian Easter.
    • 1945 – World War II: The Red Army begins the final assault on German forces around Berlin, with nearly one million troops fighting in the Battle of the Seelow Heights.
    • 1945 – The United States Army liberates Nazi Sonderlager (high security) prisoner-of-war camp Oflag IV-C (better known as Colditz).
    • 1945 – More than 7,000 die when the German refugee ship Goya is sunk by a Soviet submarine.
    • 1947 – An explosion on board a freighter in port causes the city of Texas City, Texas, to catch fire, killing almost 600.
    • 1947 – Bernard Baruch first applies the term “Cold War” to describe the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union.
    • 1961 – In a nationally broadcast speech, Cuban leader Fidel Castro declares that he is a Marxist–Leninist and that Cuba is going to adopt Communism.
    • 1963 – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. pens his Letter from Birmingham Jail while incarcerated in Birmingham, Alabama for protesting against segregation.
    • 1972 – Apollo program: The launch of Apollo 16 from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
    • 1990 – “Doctor Death”, Jack Kevorkian, participates in his first assisted suicide.
    • 2001 – India and Bangladesh begin a five-day border conflict, but are unable to resolve the disputes about their border.
    • 2003 – The Treaty of Accession is signed in Athens admitting ten new member states to the European Union.
    • 2007 – Virginia Tech shooting: Seung-Hui Cho guns down 32 people and injures 17 before committing suicide.
    • 2012 – The trial for Anders Behring Breivik, the perpetrator of the 2011 Norway attacks, begins in Oslo, Norway.
    • 2012 – The Pulitzer Prize winners were announced, it was the first time since 1977 that no book won the Fiction Prize.
    • 2013 – A 7.8-magnitude earthquake strikes Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran, killing at least 35 people and injuring 117 others.
    • 2013 – The 2013 Baga massacre is started when Boko Haram militants engage government soldiers in Baga.
    • 2014 – The South Korean ferry MV Sewol capsizes and sinks near Jindo Island, killing 304 passengers and crew and leading to widespread criticism of the South Korean government, media, and shipping authorities.

    Births on April 16

    • 1435 – Jan II the Mad, Duke of Żagań (1439–1449 and 1461–1468 and again in 1472) (d. 1504)
    • 1488 – Jungjong of Joseon (d. 1544)
    • 1495 – Petrus Apianus, German mathematician and astronomer (d. 1557)
    • 1516 – Tabinshwehti, Burmese king (d. 1550)
    • 1569 – John Davies, English poet and lawyer (d. 1626)
    • 1635 – Frans van Mieris the Elder, Dutch painter (d. 1681)
    • 1646 – Jules Hardouin-Mansart, French architect, designed the Château de Dampierre and Grand Trianon (d. 1708)
    • 1660 – Hans Sloane, Irish-English physician and academic (d. 1753)
    • 1661 – Charles Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax, English poet and politician, First Lord of the Treasury (d. 1715)
    • 1682 – John Hadley, English mathematician, invented the octant (d. 1744)
    • 1697 – Johann Gottlieb Görner, German organist and composer (d. 1778)
    • 1728 – Joseph Black, French-Scottish physician and chemist (d. 1799)
    • 1730 – Henry Clinton, English general and politician (d. 1795)
    • 1755 – Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, French painter (d. 1842)
    • 1786 – John Franklin, English admiral and politician, 4th Lieutenant Governor of Van Diemen’s Land (d. 1847)
    • 1800 – George Bingham, 3rd Earl of Lucan, English field marshal and politician (d. 1888)
    • 1808 – Caleb Blood Smith, American journalist, lawyer, and politician, 6th United States Secretary of the Interior (d. 1864)
    • 1821 – Ford Madox Brown, French-English soldier and painter (d. 1893)
    • 1823 – Gotthold Eisenstein, German mathematician and academic (d. 1852)
    • 1826 – Sir James Corry, 1st Baronet, British politician (d. 1891)
    • 1827 – Octave Crémazie, Canadian poet and bookseller (d. 1879)
    • 1839 – Antonio Starabba, Marchese di Rudinì, Italian politician, 12th Prime Minister of Italy (d. 1908)
    • 1834 – Charles Lennox Richardson, English merchant (d. 1862)
    • 1844 – Anatole France, French journalist, novelist, and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1924)
    • 1847 – Hans Auer, Swiss-Austrian architect, designed the Federal Palace of Switzerland (d. 1906)
    • 1848 – Kandukuri Veeresalingam, Indian author and activist (d. 1919)
    • 1851 – Ponnambalam Ramanathan, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician, 3rd Solicitor General of Sri Lanka (d. 1930)
    • 1864 – Rose Talbot Bullard, American medical doctor and professor (d. 1915)
    • 1865 – Harry Chauvel, Australian general (d. 1945)
    • 1866 – José de Diego, Puerto Rican journalist, lawyer, and politician (d. 1918)
    • 1867 – Wilbur Wright, American inventor (d. 1912)
    • 1871 – John Millington Synge, Irish author, poet, and playwright (d. 1909)
    • 1874 – Jōtarō Watanabe, Japanese general (d. 1936)
    • 1878 – R. E. Foster, English cricketer and footballer (d. 1914)
    • 1882 – Seth Bingham, American organist and composer (d. 1972)
    • 1884 – Ronald Barnes, 3rd Baron Gorell, English cricketer, journalist, and politician (d. 1963)
    • 1885 – Leó Weiner, Hungarian composer and educator (d. 1960)
    • 1886 – Michalis Dorizas, Greek-American football player and javelin thrower (d. 1957)
    • 1886 – Ernst Thälmann, German politician (d. 1944)
    • 1888 – Billy Minter, English footballer and manager (d. 1940)
    • 1889 – Charlie Chaplin, English actor, director, producer, screenwriter, and composer (d. 1977)
    • 1890 – Fred Root, English cricketer and umpire (d. 1954)
    • 1890 – Gertrude Chandler Warner, American author and educator (d. 1979)
    • 1891 – Dorothy P. Lathrop, American author and illustrator (d. 1980)
    • 1892 – Howard Mumford Jones, American author, critic, and academic (d. 1980)
    • 1893 – Germaine Guèvremont, Canadian journalist and author (d. 1968)
    • 1893 – John Norton, American hurdler (d. 1979)
    • 1895 – Ove Arup, English-Danish engineer and businessman, founded Arup (d. 1988)
    • 1896 – Robert Henry Best, American journalist (d. 1952)
    • 1896 – Árpád Weisz, Hungarian footballer (d. 1944)
    • 1899 – Osman Achmatowicz, Polish chemist and academic (d. 1988)
    • 1900 – Polly Adler, Russian-American madam and author (d. 1962)
    • 1903 – Paul Waner, American baseball player and manager (d. 1965)
    • 1904 – Fifi D’Orsay, Canadian-American vaudevillian, actress, and singer (d. 1983)
    • 1905 – Frits Philips, Dutch businessman (d. 2005)
    • 1907 – Joseph-Armand Bombardier, Canadian inventor and businessman, founded Bombardier Inc. (d. 1964)
    • 1907 – August Eigruber, Austrian-German politician (d. 1947)
    • 1908 – Ellis Marsalis, Sr., American businessman and activist (d. 2004)
    • 1908 – Ray Ventura, French jazz bandleader (d. 1979)
    • 1910 – Berton Roueché, American journalist and author (d. 1994)
    • 1911 – Guy Burgess, English-Russian spy (d. 1963)
    • 1913 – Les Tremayne, English actor (d. 2003)
    • 1914 – John Hodiak, American actor (d. 1955)
    • 1915 – Robert Speck, Canadian politician, 1st Mayor of Mississauga (d. 1972)
    • 1916 – Behçet Necatigil, Turkish author, poet, and translator (d. 1979)
    • 1917 – Victoria Eugenia Fernández de Córdoba, 18th Duchess of Medinaceli (d. 2013)
    • 1917 – Barry Nelson, American actor (d. 2007)
    • 1918 – Dick Gibson, English racing driver (d. 2010)
    • 1918 – Hsuan Hua, Chinese-American monk and author (d. 1995)
    • 1918 – Juozas Kazickas, Lithuanian-American businessman and philanthropist (d. 2014)
    • 1918 – Spike Milligan, Irish actor, comedian, and writer (d. 2002)
    • 1919 – Merce Cunningham, American dancer and choreographer (d. 2009)
    • 1919 – Nilla Pizzi, Italian singer (d. 2011)
    • 1919 – Pedro Ramírez Vázquez, Mexican architect, designed the Tijuana Cultural Center and National Museum of Anthropology (d. 2013)
    • 1919 – Thomas Willmore, English geometer and academic (d. 2005)
    • 1920 – Ananda Dassanayake, Sri Lankan politician (d. 2012)
    • 1920 – Prince George Valdemar of Denmark (d. 1986)
    • 1921 – Arlin M. Adams, American lawyer and judge (d. 2015)
    • 1921 – Wolfgang Leonhard, German historian and author (d. 2014)
    • 1921 – Peter Ustinov, English actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2004)
    • 1922 – Kingsley Amis, English novelist, poet, and critic (d. 1995)
    • 1922 – John Christopher, English author (d. 2012)
    • 1922 – Lawrence N. Guarino, American colonel (d. 2014)
    • 1922 – Leo Tindemans, Belgian politician, 43rd Prime Minister of Belgium (d. 2014)
    • 1923 – Warren Barker, American composer (d. 2006)
    • 1923 – Arch A. Moore Jr., American sergeant, lawyer, and politician, 28th Governor of West Virginia (d. 2015)
    • 1924 – John Harvey-Jones, English academic and businessman (d. 2008)
    • 1924 – Henry Mancini, American composer and conductor (d. 1994)
    • 1924 – Rudy Pompilli, American saxophonist (d. 1976)
    • 1924 – Madanjeet Singh, Indian diplomat, author, and philanthropist (d. 2013)
    • 1926 – Pierre Fabre, French pharmacist, founded Laboratoires Pierre Fabre (d. 2013)
    • 1927 – Edie Adams, American actress and singer (d. 2008)
    • 1927 – Pope Benedict XVI
    • 1927 – Rolf Schult, German actor (d. 2013)
    • 1928 – Dick Lane, American football player and soldier (d. 2002)
    • 1929 – Roy Hamilton, American singer (d. 1969)
    • 1929 – Ralph Slatyer, Australian biologist and ecologist (d. 2012)
    • 1929 – Ed Townsend, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2003)
    • 1930 – Doug Beasy, Australian footballer and educator (d. 2013)
    • 1930 – Herbie Mann, American flute player and composer (d. 2003)
    • 1932 – Maury Meyers, American lawyer and politician (d. 2014)
    • 1933 – Marcos Alonso Imaz, Spanish footballer (d. 2012)
    • 1933 – Joan Bakewell, English journalist and author
    • 1933 – Perry Botkin Jr., American composer, arranger and musician
    • 1933 – Vera Krepkina, Russian long jumper
    • 1933 – Ike Pappas, American journalist and actor (d. 2008)
    • 1934 – Vince Hill, English singer-songwriter
    • 1934 – Robert Stigwood, Australian producer and manager (d. 2016)
    • 1934 – Barrie Unsworth, Australian politician, 36th Premier of New South Wales
    • 1934 – Vicar, Chilean cartoonist (d. 2012)
    • 1935 – Marcel Carrière, Canadian director and screenwriter
    • 1935 – Sarah Kirsch, German poet and author (d. 2013)
    • 1935 – Lennart Risberg, Swedish boxer (d. 2013)
    • 1935 – Dominique Venner, French journalist and historian (d. 2013)
    • 1935 – Bobby Vinton, American singer
    • 1936 – Vadim Kuzmin, Russian physicist and academic (d. 2015)
    • 1937 – Gert Potgieter, South African hurdler and coach
    • 1938 – Rich Rollins, American baseball player
    • 1938 – Gordon Wilson, Scottish lawyer and politician (d. 2017)
    • 1939 – John Amabile, American football player and coach (d. 2012)
    • 1939 – Dusty Springfield, English singer and record producer (d. 1999)
    • 1940 – Benoît Bouchard, Canadian academic and politician, 18th Canadian Minister of Transport
    • 1940 – David Holford, Barbadian cricketer
    • 1940 – Queen Margrethe II of Denmark
    • 1940 – Joan Snyder, American painter
    • 1940 – Thomas Stonor, 7th Baron Camoys, English banker and politician, Lord Chamberlain of the United Kingdom
    • 1941 – Allan Segal, American director and producer (d. 2012)
    • 1942 – Jim Lonborg, American baseball pitcher
    • 1942 – Sir Frank Williams, English businessman, founded the Williams F1 Racing Team
    • 1943 – Lonesome Dave Peverett, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2000)
    • 1943 – Petro Tyschtschenko, Austrian-German businessman
    • 1943 – John Watkins, Australian cricketer
    • 1945 – Tom Allen, American lawyer and politician
    • 1946 – Margot Adler, American journalist and author (d. 2014)
    • 1946 – Ernst Bakker, Dutch politician (d. 2014)
    • 1946 – Johnnie Lewis, Liberian lawyer and politician, 18th Chief Justice of Liberia (d. 2015)
    • 1946 – R. Carlos Nakai, American flute player
    • 1947 – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, American basketball player and coach
    • 1947 – Gerry Rafferty, Scottish singer-songwriter (d. 2011)
    • 1948 – Reg Alcock, Canadian businessman and politician, 17th Canadian President of the Treasury Board (d. 2011)
    • 1950 – David Graf, American actor (d. 2001)
    • 1950 – Colleen Hewett, Australian singer and actress
    • 1951 – Ioan Mihai Cochinescu, Romanian author and photographer
    • 1951 – David Nutt, English psychiatrist and academic
    • 1952 – Bill Belichick, American football player and coach
    • 1952 – Michel Blanc, French actor and director
    • 1952 – Esther Roth-Shahamorov, Israeli sprinter and hurdler
    • 1952 – Billy West, American voice actor, singer-songwriter, and comedian
    • 1953 – Peter Garrett, Australian singer-songwriter and politician
    • 1953 – Jay O. Sanders, American actor
    • 1954 – Ellen Barkin, American actress
    • 1954 – John Bowe, Australian racing driver
    • 1954 – Mike Zuke, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1955 – Bruce Bochy, American baseball player and manager
    • 1955 – Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg
    • 1956 – David M. Brown, American captain, pilot, and astronaut (d. 2003)
    • 1956 – T Lavitz, American keyboard player, composer, and producer (d. 2010)
    • 1956 – Lise-Marie Morerod, Swiss skier
    • 1957 – Patricia De Martelaere, Belgian philosopher, author, and academic (d. 2009)
    • 1958 – Tim Flach, English photographer and director
    • 1958 – Ulf Wakenius, Swedish guitarist
    • 1959 – Alison Ramsay, English-Scottish field hockey player and lawyer
    • 1960 – Wahab Akbar, Filipino politician (d. 2007)
    • 1960 – Rafael Benítez, Spanish footballer and manager
    • 1960 – Pierre Littbarski, German footballer and manager
    • 1961 – Jarbom Gamlin, Indian lawyer and politician, 7th Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh (d. 2014)
    • 1961 – Linda Ruth Williams, British film studies academic
    • 1962 – Anna Dello Russo, Italian journalist
    • 1962 – Douglas Elmendorf, American economist and politician
    • 1962 – Ian MacKaye, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
    • 1963 – Saleem Malik, Pakistani cricketer
    • 1963 – Jimmy Osmond, American singer
    • 1964 – David Kohan, American screenwriter and producer
    • 1964 – Dave Pirner, American singer, songwriter and producer
    • 1964 – Esbjörn Svensson, Swedish pianist (d. 2008)
    • 1965 – Yves-François Blanchet, Canadian politician
    • 1965 – Jon Cryer, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1965 – Martin Lawrence, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1966 – Jarle Vespestad, Norwegian drummer
    • 1966 – Jeff Varner, American newscaster and reality television personality
    • 1968 – Vickie Guerrero, American wrestler and manager
    • 1968 – Rüdiger Stenzel, German runner
    • 1969 – Patrik Järbyn, Swedish skier
    • 1969 – Fernando Viña, American baseball player and sportscaster
    • 1970 – Dero Goi, German singer-songwriter and drummer
    • 1970 – Walt Williams, American basketball player
    • 1971 – Cameron Blades, Australian rugby player
    • 1971 – Selena, American singer-songwriter, actress, and fashion designer (d. 1995)
    • 1971 – Seigo Yamamoto, Japanese racing driver
    • 1971 – Natasha Zvereva, Belarusian tennis player
    • 1972 – Conchita Martínez, Spanish-American tennis player
    • 1972 – Tracy K. Smith, American poet and educator
    • 1973 – Akon, Senegalese-American singer, rapper and songwriter
    • 1973 – Charlotta Sörenstam, Swedish golfer
    • 1973 – Teddy Cobeña, Spanish-Ecuadorian expressionist and representational sculptor
    • 1975 – Keon Clark, American basketball player
    • 1976 – Lukas Haas, American actor and musician
    • 1976 – Kelli O’Hara, American actress and singer
    • 1977 – Freddie Ljungberg, Swedish footballer
    • 1979 – Christijan Albers, Dutch racing driver
    • 1979 – Lars Börgeling, German pole vaulter
    • 1979 – Daniel Browne, New Zealand rugby player
    • 1981 – Anestis Agritis, Greek footballer
    • 1981 – Maya Dunietz, Israeli singer-songwriter and pianist
    • 1981 – Matthieu Proulx, Canadian football player
    • 1982 – Gina Carano, American mixed martial artist and actress
    • 1982 – Boris Diaw, French basketball player
    • 1982 – Jonathan Vilma, American football player
    • 1983 – Marié Digby, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress
    • 1983 – Cat Osterman, American softball player
    • 1984 – Teddy Blass, American composer and producer
    • 1984 – Claire Foy, English actress
    • 1984 – Tucker Fredricks, American speed skater
    • 1984 – Paweł Kieszek, Polish footballer
    • 1984 – Kerron Stewart, Jamaican sprinter
    • 1985 – Luol Deng, Sudanese-English basketball player
    • 1985 – Brendon Leonard, New Zealand rugby player
    • 1985 – Benjamín Rojas, Argentinian singer-songwriter and actor
    • 1985 – Taye Taiwo, Nigerian footballer
    • 1986 – Paul di Resta, Scottish racing driver
    • 1986 – Shinji Okazaki, Japanese footballer
    • 1986 – Peter Regin, Danish ice hockey player
    • 1986 – Epke Zonderland, Dutch gymnast
    • 1987 – Cenk Akyol, Turkish basketball player
    • 1987 – Aaron Lennon, English international footballer
    • 1988 – Kyle Okposo, American ice hockey player
    • 1990 – Reggie Jackson, American basketball player
    • 1990 – Vangelis Mantzaris, Greek basketball player
    • 1990 – Tony McQuay, American sprinter
    • 1990 – Travis Shaw, American baseball player
    • 1991 – Nolan Arenado, American baseball player
    • 1991 – Kim Kyung-jung, South Korean footballer
    • 1993 – Mirai Nagasu, American figure skater
    • 1993 – Chance the Rapper, American rapper
    • 1994 – Albert Almora, American baseball player
    • 1994 – Will Fuller, American football player
    • 2002 – Sadie Sink, American actress

    Deaths on April 16

    • AD 69 – Otho, Roman emperor (b. AD 32)
    • 665 – Fructuosus of Braga, French archbishop and saint
    • 1090 – Sikelgaita, duchess of Apulia (b. c. 1040)
    • 1113 – Sviatopolk II of Kiev (b. 1050)
    • 1118 – Adelaide del Vasto, regent of Sicily, mother of Roger II of Sicily, queen of Baldwin I of Jerusalem
    • 1198 – Frederick I, Duke of Austria (b. 1175)
    • 1234 – Richard Marshal, 3rd Earl of Pembroke (b. 1191)
    • 1375 – John Hastings, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, English nobleman and soldier (b. 1347)
    • 1496 – Charles II, Duke of Savoy (b. 1489)
    • 1587 – Anne Seymour, Duchess of Somerset (b. 1497)
    • 1640 – Countess Charlotte Flandrina of Nassau (b. 1579)
    • 1645 – Tobias Hume, Scottish soldier, viol player, and composer (b. 1569)
    • 1687 – George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, English poet and politician, Lord Lieutenant of the West Riding of Yorkshire (b. 1628)
    • 1689 – Aphra Behn, English author and playwright (b. 1640)
    • 1742 – Stefano Benedetto Pallavicino, Italian poet and translator (b. 1672)
    • 1756 – Jacques Cassini, French astronomer (b. 1677)
    • 1783 – Christian Mayer, Czech astronomer and educator (b. 1719)
    • 1788 – Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon, French mathematician, cosmologist, and author (b. 1707)
    • 1828 – Francisco Goya, Spanish-French painter and illustrator (b. 1746)
    • 1846 – Domenico Dragonetti, Italian bassist and composer (b. 1763)
    • 1850 – Marie Tussaud, French-English sculptor, founded the Madame Tussauds Wax Museum (b. 1761)
    • 1859 – Alexis de Tocqueville, French historian and philosopher, French Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1805)
    • 1879 – Bernadette Soubirous, French nun and saint (b. 1844)
    • 1888 – Zygmunt Florenty Wróblewski, Polish physicist and chemist (b. 1845)
    • 1899 – Emilio Jacinto, Filipino journalist and activist (b. 1875)
    • 1904 – Maximilian Kronberger, German poet and author (b. 1888)
    • 1904 – Samuel Smiles, Scottish-English author (b. 1812)
    • 1914 – George William Hill, American astronomer and mathematician (b. 1838)
    • 1915 – Nelson W. Aldrich, American businessman and politician (b. 1841)
    • 1925 – Stefan Nerezov, Bulgarian general (b. 1867)
    • 1928 – Henry Birks, Canadian businessman, founded Henry Birks and Sons (b. 1840)
    • 1928 – Roman Steinberg, Estonian wrestler (b. 1900)
    • 1930 – José Carlos Mariátegui, Peruvian journalist, philosopher, and activist (b. 1894)
    • 1935 – Panait Istrati, Romanian journalist and author (b. 1884)
    • 1937 – Jay Johnson Morrow, American military engineer and politician, 3rd Governor of the Panama Canal Zone (b. 1870)
    • 1938 – Steve Bloomer, English footballer and manager (b. 1874)
    • 1941 – Josiah Stamp, 1st Baron Stamp, English economist and civil servant (b. 1880)
    • 1942 – Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (b. 1878)
    • 1942 – Denis St. George Daly, Irish polo player (b. 1862)
    • 1946 – Arthur Chevrolet, Swiss-American race car driver and engineer (b. 1884)
    • 1947 – Rudolf Höss, German SS officer (b. 1900)
    • 1950 – Eduard Oja, Estonian composer, conductor, and critic (b. 1905)
    • 1950 – Anders Peter Nielsen, Danish target shooter (b. 1867)
    • 1955 – David Kirkwood, Scottish engineer and politician (b. 1872)
    • 1958 – Rosalind Franklin, English biophysicist and academic (b. 1920)
    • 1960 – Mihály Fekete, Hungarian actor, screenwriter and film director (b. 1884)
    • 1961 – Carl Hovland, American psychologist and academic (b. 1912)
    • 1965 – Francis Balfour, English soldier and colonial administrator (b. 1884)
    • 1965 – Sydney Chaplin, English actor, comedian, brother of Charlie Chaplin (b. 1885)
    • 1966 – Eric Lambert, Australian author (b. 1918)
    • 1968 – Fay Bainter, American actress (b. 1893)
    • 1968 – Edna Ferber, American novelist, short story writer, and playwright (b. 1885)
    • 1969 – Hem Vejakorn, Thai illustrator and painter (b. 1904)
    • 1970 – Richard Neutra, Austrian-American architect, designed the Los Angeles County Hall of Records (b. 1892)
    • 1970 – Péter Veres, Hungarian politician, Hungarian Minister of Defence (b. 1897)
    • 1972 – Yasunari Kawabata, Japanese novelist and short story writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1899)
    • 1972 – Frank O’Connor, Australian public servant (b. 1894)
    • 1973 – István Kertész, Hungarian conductor and educator (b. 1929)
    • 1978 – Lucius D. Clay, American officer and military governor in occupied Germany (b. 1898)
    • 1980 – Morris Stoloff, American composer (b. 1898)
    • 1985 – Scott Brady, American actor (b. 1924)
    • 1988 – Khalil al-Wazir, Palestinian commander, founded Fatah (b. 1935)
    • 1988 – Youri Egorov, Russian pianist (b. 1954)
    • 1989 – Jocko Conlan, American baseball player and umpire (b. 1899)
    • 1989 – Kaoru Ishikawa Japanese author and educator (b. 1915)
    • 1989 – Miles Lawrence, English cricketer (b. 1940)
    • 1989 – Hakkı Yeten, Turkish footballer and manager (b. 1910)
    • 1991 – David Lean, English director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1908)
    • 1992 – Neville Brand, American actor (b. 1920)
    • 1992 – Alexandru Nicolschi, Romanian spy and activist (b. 1915)
    • 1992 – Andy Russell, American singer and actor (b. 1919)
    • 1994 – Paul-Émilien Dalpé, Canadian labor unionist (b. 1919)
    • 1994 – Ralph Ellison, American novelist and critic (b. 1913)
    • 1996 – Lucille Bremer, American actress and dancer (b. 1917)
    • 1996 – Stavros Niarchos, Greek-Swiss businessman (b. 1909)
    • 1997 – Esmeralda Arboleda Cadavid, Colombian politician (b. 1921)
    • 1997 – Roland Topor, French actor, director, and painter (b. 1938)
    • 1998 – Alberto Calderón, Argentinian-American mathematician and academic (b. 1920)
    • 1998 – Fred Davis, English snooker player (b. 1913)
    • 1998 – Marie-Louise Meilleur, Canadian super-centenarian (b. 1880)
    • 1999 – Skip Spence, Canadian-American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1946)
    • 2001 – Robert Osterloh, American actor (b. 1918)
    • 2001 – Michael Ritchie, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1938)
    • 2001 – Alec Stock, English footballer and manager (b. 1917)
    • 2002 – Billy Ayre, English footballer and manager (b. 1952)
    • 2002 – Ruth Fertel, American businesswoman, founded Ruth’s Chris Steak House (b. 1927)
    • 2002 – Robert Urich, American actor (b. 1946)
    • 2003 – Graham Jarvis, Canadian actor (b. 1930)
    • 2003 – Graham Stuart Thomas, English horticulturalist and author (b. 1909)
    • 2005 – Kay Walsh, English actress, singer, and dancer (b. 1911)
    • 2007 – Frank Bateson, New Zealand astronomer (b. 1909)
    • 2007 – Gaétan Duchesne, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1962)
    • 2007 – Maria Lenk, Brazilian swimmer (b. 1915)
    • 2007 – Chandrabose Suthaharan, Sri Lankan journalist
    • 2008 – Edward Norton Lorenz, American mathematician and meteorologist (b. 1917)
    • 2010 – Rasim Delić, Bosnian general and convicted war criminal (b. 1949)
    • 2010 – Daryl Gates, American police officer, created the D.A.R.E. Program (b. 1926)
    • 2011 – Gerry Alexander, Jamaican cricketer and veterinarian (b. 1928)
    • 2011 – Allan Blakeney, Canadian scholar and politician, 10th Premier of Saskatchewan (b. 1925)
    • 2011 – Sol Saks, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1910)
    • 2012 – Sári Barabás, Hungarian soprano (b. 1914)
    • 2012 – Marian Biskup, Polish author and academic (b. 1922)
    • 2012 – Alan Hacker, English clarinet player and conductor (b. 1938)
    • 2012 – George Kunda, Zambian lawyer and politician, 11th Vice-President of Zambia (b. 1956)
    • 2012 – Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller, Danish businessman (b. 1913)
    • 2012 – Carlo Petrini, Italian footballer and coach (b. 1948)
    • 2013 – Charles Bruzon, Gibraltarian politician (b. 1938)
    • 2013 – Ali Kafi, Algerian colonel and politician (b. 1928)
    • 2013 – Siegfried Ludwig, Austrian politician, 18th Governor of Lower Austria (b. 1926)
    • 2013 – Pentti Lund, Finnish-Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1925)
    • 2013 – George Beverly Shea, Canadian-American singer-songwriter (b. 1909)
    • 2013 – Pat Summerall, American football player and sportscaster (b. 1930)
    • 2013 – Pedro Ramírez Vázquez, Mexican architect, designed the Tijuana Cultural Center and National Museum of Anthropology (b. 1919)
    • 2014 – Gyude Bryant, Liberian businessman and politician (b. 1949)
    • 2014 – Aulis Rytkönen, Finnish footballer and manager (b. 1929)
    • 2014 – Ernst Florian Winter, Austrian-American historian and political scientist (b. 1923)
    • 2015 – Valery Belousov, Russian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1948)
    • 2015 – Attaphol Buspakom, Thai footballer and manager (b. 1962)
    • 2015 – Oles Buzina, Ukrainian journalist and author (b. 1969)
    • 2015 – Stanislav Gross, Czech lawyer and politician, 5th Prime Minister of the Czech Republic (b. 1969)
    • 2016 – Charlie Hodge, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1933)
    • 2018 – Harry Anderson, American actor and magician (b. 1952)
    • 2018 – Jim Caine, British jazz pianist (b. 1926)

    Holidays and observances on April 16

    • Christian feast day:
      • Benedict Joseph Labre
      • Bernadette Soubirous
      • Drogo
      • Fructuosus of Braga
      • Isabella Gilmore (Church of England)
      • Martyrs of Zaragoza
      • Molly Brant (Konwatsijayenni) (Anglican Church of Canada, Episcopal Church)
      • Turibius of Astorga
      • April 16 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Birthday of José de Diego (Puerto Rico, United States)
    • Birthday of Queen Margrethe II (Denmark)
    • Emancipation Day (Washington, D.C., United States)
    • Foursquare Day (International observance)
    • Memorial Day for the Victims of the Holocaust (Hungary)
    • National Healthcare Decisions Day (United States)
    • Remembrance of Chemical Attack on Balisan and Sheikh Wasan (Iraqi Kurdistan)
    • World Voice Day

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

    • 240 – Shapur I becomes co-emperor of the Sasanian Empire with his father Ardashir I.
    • 467 – Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire.
    • 627 – King Edwin of Northumbria is converted to Christianity by Paulinus, bishop of York.
    • 1012 – Duke Oldřich of Bohemia deposes and blinds his brother Jaromír who flees to Poland.
    • 1204 – The Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade breach the walls of Constantinople and enter the city, which they completely occupy the following day.
    • 1606 – The Union Flag is adopted as the flag of English and Scottish ships.
    • 1776 – American Revolution: With the Halifax Resolves, the North Carolina Provincial Congress authorizes its Congressional delegation to vote for independence from Britain.
    • 1807 – The Froberg mutiny ends when the remaining mutineers blow up the magazine of Fort Ricasoli.
    • 1820 – Alexander Ypsilantis is declared leader of Filiki Eteria, a secret organization to overthrow Ottoman rule over Greece.
    • 1831 – Soldiers marching on the Broughton Suspension Bridge in Manchester, England, cause it to collapse.
    • 1861 – American Civil War: Battle of Fort Sumter. The war begins with Confederate forces firing on Fort Sumter, in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina.
    • 1862 – American Civil War: The Andrews Raid (the Great Locomotive Chase) occurs, starting from Big Shanty, Georgia (now Kennesaw).
    • 1864 – American Civil War: The Battle of Fort Pillow: Confederate forces kill most of the African American soldiers that surrendered at Fort Pillow, Tennessee.
    • 1865 – American Civil War: Mobile, Alabama, falls to the Union Army.
    • 1877 – The United Kingdom annexes the Transvaal.
    • 1910 – SMS Zrínyi, one of the last pre-dreadnought battleships built by the Austro-Hungarian Navy, is launched.
    • 1917 – World War I: Canadian forces successfully complete the taking of Vimy Ridge from the Germans.
    • 1927 – Shanghai massacre of 1927: Chiang Kai-shek orders the Communist Party of China members executed in Shanghai, ending the First United Front.
    • 1927 – Rocksprings, Texas was hit by an F5 tornado that destroyed 235 of the 247 buildings in the town and killed 72 townspeople and injured 205; third deadliest tornado in Texas history.
    • 1928 – The Bremen, a German Junkers W 33 type aircraft, takes off for the first successful transatlantic aeroplane flight from east to west.
    • 1934 – The strongest surface wind gust in the world at the time of 231 mph, is measured on the summit of Mount Washington, New Hampshire. It has since been surpassed.
    • 1934 – The U.S. Auto-Lite strike begins, culminating in a five-day melee between Ohio National Guard troops and 6,000 strikers and picketers.
    • 1937 – Sir Frank Whittle ground-tests the first jet engine designed to power an aircraft, at Rugby, England.
    • 1945 – U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies in office; Vice President Harry S. Truman becomes President upon Roosevelt’s death.
    • 1945 – World War II: The U.S. Ninth Army under General William H. Simpson crosses the Elbe River astride Magdeburg, and reached Tangermünde—only 50 miles from Berlin.
    • 1955 – The polio vaccine, developed by Dr. Jonas Salk, is declared safe and effective.
    • 1961 – Cold War: Space Race: The Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human to travel into outer space and perform the first manned orbital flight, Vostok 1.
    • 1963 – The Soviet nuclear-powered submarine K-33 collides with the Finnish merchant vessel M/S Finnclipper in the Danish straits.
    • 1970 – Soviet submarine K-8, carrying four nuclear torpedoes, sinks in the Bay of Biscay four days after a fire on board.
    • 1980 – The Americo-Liberian government of Liberia is violently deposed.
    • 1980 – Transbrasil Flight 303, a Boeing 727, crashes on approach to Hercílio Luz International Airport, in Florianópolis, Brazil. Fifty-five out of the 58 people on board are killed.
    • 1981 – The first launch of a Space Shuttle (Columbia) takes place: The STS-1 mission.
    • 1983 – Harold Washington is elected as the first black mayor of Chicago.
    • 1990 – Jim Gary’s “Twentieth Century Dinosaurs” exhibition opens at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. He is the only sculptor ever invited to present a solo exhibition there.
    • 1992 – The Euro Disney Resort officially opens with its theme park Euro Disneyland; the resort and its park’s name are subsequently changed to Disneyland Paris.
    • 1999 – United States President Bill Clinton is cited for contempt of court for giving “intentionally false statements” in a civil lawsuit; he is later fined and disbarred.
    • 2002 – A suicide bomber blows herself up at the entrance to Jerusalem’s Mahane Yehuda Market, killing seven people and wounding 104.
    • 2007 – A suicide bomber penetrates the Green Zone and detonates in a cafeteria within a parliament building, killing Iraqi MP Mohammed Awad and wounding more than twenty other people.
    • 2009 – Zimbabwe officially abandons the Zimbabwean dollar as its official currency.
    • 2010 – Merano derailment: A rail accident in South Tyrol kills nine people and injures a further 28.
    • 2013 – Two suicide bombers kill three Chadian soldiers and injure dozens of civilians at a market in Kidal, Mali.
    • 2014 – The Great Fire of Valparaíso ravages the Chilean city of Valparaíso, killing 16 people, displacing nearly 10,000, and destroying over 2,000 homes.

    Births on April 12

    • 811 – Muhammad al-Jawad, the ninth Imam of Shia Islam (d. 835)
    • 959 – En’yū, emperor of Japan (d. 991)
    • 1116 – Richeza of Poland, queen of Sweden and Grand Princess of Minsk (d. 1156)
    • 1432 – Anne of Austria, Landgravine of Thuringia (d. 1462)
    • 1484 – Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, Italian architect, designed the Apostolic Palace and St. Peter’s Basilica (d. 1546)
    • 1484 – Maharana Sangram Singh, Rana of Mewar (d. 1527)
    • 1500 – Joachim Camerarius, German scholar and translator (d. 1574)
    • 1526 – Muretus, French philosopher and author (d. 1585)
    • 1550 – Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, English courtier and politician, Lord Great Chamberlain (d. 1604)
    • 1577 – Christian IV of Denmark (d. 1648)
    • 1612 – Simone Cantarini, Italian painter and engraver (d. 1648)
    • 1639 – Martin Lister, English naturalist and physician (d. 1712)
    • 1656 – Benoît de Maillet, French diplomat and natural historian (d. 1738)
    • 1705 – William Cookworthy, English minister and pharmacist (d. 1780)
    • 1710 – Caffarelli, Italian actor and singer (d. 1783)
    • 1713 – Guillaume Thomas François Raynal, French historian and author (d. 1796)
    • 1716 – Felice Giardini, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1796)
    • 1722 – Pietro Nardini, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1793)
    • 1724 – Lyman Hall, American physician, clergyman, and politician, 16th Governor of Georgia (d. 1790)
    • 1748 – Antoine Laurent de Jussieu, French botanist and author (d. 1836)
    • 1777 – Henry Clay, American lawyer and politician, 9th United States Secretary of State (d. 1852)
    • 1792 – John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, English soldier and politician, Lord Privy Seal (d. 1840)
    • 1794 – Germinal Pierre Dandelin, Belgian mathematician and engineer (d. 1847)
    • 1796 – George N. Briggs, American lawyer and politician, 19th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1861)
    • 1799 – Henri Druey, Swiss lawyer and politician, 2nd President of the Swiss Confederation (d. 1855)
    • 1801 – Joseph Lanner, Austrian composer and conductor (d. 1843)
    • 1816 – Charles Gavan Duffy, Irish-Australian politician, 8th Premier of Victoria (d. 1903)
    • 1823 – Alexander Ostrovsky, Russian playwright and translator (d. 1886)
    • 1839 – Nikolay Przhevalsky, Russian geographer and explorer (d. 1888)
    • 1845 – Gustaf Cederström, Swedish painter (d. 1933)
    • 1851 – José Gautier Benítez, Puerto Rican soldier and poet (d. 1880)
    • 1851 – Edward Walter Maunder, English astronomer and author (d. 1928)
    • 1852 – Ferdinand von Lindemann, German mathematician and academic (d. 1939)
    • 1856 – Martin Conway, 1st Baron Conway of Allington, English mountaineer, cartographer, and politician (d. 1937)
    • 1863 – Raul Pompeia, Brazilian writer (d. 1895)
    • 1868 – Akiyama Saneyuki, Japanese admiral (d. 1918)
    • 1869 – Henri Désiré Landru, French serial killer (d. 1922)
    • 1871 – Ioannis Metaxas, Greek general and politician, 130th Prime Minister of Greece (d. 1941)
    • 1874 – William B. Bankhead, American lawyer and politician, 47th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (d. 1940)
    • 1880 – Addie Joss, American baseball player and journalist (d. 1911)
    • 1883 – Imogen Cunningham, American photographer and educator (d. 1976)
    • 1883 – Dally Messenger, Australian rugby player, cricketer, and sailor (d. 1959)
    • 1884 – Tenby Davies, Welsh runner (d. 1932)
    • 1884 – Otto Meyerhof, German physician and biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1951)
    • 1885 – Robert Delaunay, French painter (d. 1941)
    • 1887 – Harold Lockwood, American actor and director (d. 1918)
    • 1888 – Dan Ahearn, Irish-American long jumper and police officer (d. 1942)
    • 1888 – Cecil Kimber, English automobile engineer (d. 1945)
    • 1892 – Henry Darger, American writer and artist (d. 1973)
    • 1894 – Dorothy Cumming, Australian-American actress (d. 1983)
    • 1894 – Francisco Craveiro Lopes, Portuguese field marshal and politician, 13th President of Portugal (d. 1964)
    • 1898 – Lily Pons, French-American soprano and actress (d. 1976)
    • 1901 – Lowell Stockman, American farmer and politician (d. 1962)
    • 1902 – Louis Beel, Dutch academic and politician, 36th Prime Minister of the Netherlands (d. 1977)
    • 1903 – Jan Tinbergen, Dutch economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1994)
    • 1907 – Zawgyi, Burmese poet, author, literary historian, critic, scholar and academic (d. 1990)
    • 1907 – Felix de Weldon, Austrian-American sculptor, designed the Marine Corps War Memorial (d. 2003)
    • 1908 – Ida Pollock, English author and painter (d. 2013)
    • 1908 – Robert Lee Scott, Jr., American pilot and general (d. 2006)
    • 1910 – Gillo Dorfles, Italian art critic, painter and philosopher (d. 2018)
    • 1910 – Irma Rapuzzi, French politician (d. 2018)
    • 1911 – Mahmoud Younis, Egyptian engineer (d. 1976)
    • 1912 – Frank Dilio, Canadian businessman (d. 1997)
    • 1912 – Hamengkubuwono IX, Indonesian politician, 2nd Vice President of Indonesia (d. 1988)
    • 1912 – Hound Dog Taylor, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1975)
    • 1913 – Keiko Fukuda, Japanese-American martial artist (d. 2013)
    • 1914 – Armen Alchian, American economist and academic (d. 2013)
    • 1916 – Beverly Cleary, American author
    • 1916 – Russell Garcia, American-New Zealander composer and conductor (d. 2011)
    • 1916 – Benjamin Libet, American neuropsychologist and academic (d. 2007)
    • 1917 – Helen Forrest, American singer and actress (d. 1999)
    • 1917 – Vinoo Mankad, Indian cricketer (d. 1978)
    • 1917 – Robert Manzon, French racing driver (d. 2015)
    • 1919 – István Anhalt, Hungarian-Canadian composer and educator (d. 2012)
    • 1919 – Billy Vaughn, American musician and bandleader (d. 1991)
    • 1921 – Robert Cliche, Canadian lawyer, judge, and politician (d. 1978)
    • 1922 – Simon Kapwepwe, Zambian politician, 2nd Vice President of Zambia (d. 1980)
    • 1923 – Ann Miller, American actress, singer, and dancer (d. 2004)
    • 1924 – Raymond Barre, French economist and politician, Prime Minister of France (d. 2007)
    • 1924 – Peter Safar, Austrian physician and academic (d. 2003)
    • 1924 – Curtis Turner, American race car driver (d. 1970)
    • 1925 – Evelyn Berezin, American computer scientist and engineer (d. 2018)
    • 1925 – Ned Miller, American country music singer and songwriter (d. 2016)
    • 1925 – Oliver Postgate, English animator, puppeteer, and screenwriter (d. 2008)
    • 1926 – Jane Withers, American actress
    • 1927 – Thomas Hemsley, English baritone (d. 2013)
    • 1927 – Alvin Sargent, two-time Academy-Award-winning American screenwriter (d. 2019)
    • 1928 – Hardy Krüger, German actor
    • 1928 – Jean-François Paillard, French conductor (d. 2013)
    • 1929 – Elspet Gray, Scottish actress (d. 2013)
    • 1929 – Mukhran Machavariani, Georgian poet and educator (d. 2010)
    • 1930 – John Landy, Australian runner and politician, 26th Governor of Victoria
    • 1930 – Bryan Magee, English philosopher and politician (d. 2019)
    • 1930 – Manuel Neri, American sculptor and painter
    • 1930 – Michał Życzkowski, Polish technician and educator (d. 2006)
    • 1931 – Leonid Derbenyov, Russian poet and songwriter (d. 1995)
    • 1932 – Lakshman Kadirgamar, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician, 5th Sri Lankan Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 2005)
    • 1932 – Jean-Pierre Marielle, French actor (d. 2019)
    • 1932 – Tiny Tim, American singer and ukulele player (d. 1996)
    • 1933 – Montserrat Caballé, Spanish soprano and actress (d. 2018)
    • 1934 – Heinz Schneiter, Swiss footballer and manager (d. 2017)
    • 1936 – Charles Napier, American actor (d. 2011)
    • 1936 – Kennedy Simmonds, Kittitian politician, 4th Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis
    • 1937 – Dennis Banks, American author and activist (d. 2017)
    • 1937 – Igor Volk, Ukrainian-Russian colonel, pilot, and astronaut (d. 2017)
    • 1939 – Alan Ayckbourn, English director and playwright
    • 1939 – Johnny Raper, Australian rugby league player and coach
    • 1940 – Woodie Fryman, American baseball player (d. 2011)
    • 1940 – Herbie Hancock, American pianist, composer, and bandleader
    • 1941 – Bobby Moore, English footballer and manager (d. 1993)
    • 1942 – Bill Bryden, Scottish actor, director, and screenwriter
    • 1942 – Carlos Reutemann, Argentinian race car driver and politician
    • 1942 – Jacob Zuma, South African politician, 4th President of South Africa
    • 1943 – Sumitra Mahajan, Indian politician, 16th Speaker of the Lok Sabha
    • 1944 – Lisa Jardine, English historian, author, and academic (d. 2015)
    • 1944 – John Kay, German-Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
    • 1945 – Lee Jong-wook, South Korean physician and diplomat (d. 2006)
    • 1946 – Ed O’Neill, American actor and comedian
    • 1946 – George Robertson, Baron Robertson of Port Ellen, Scottish politician and diplomat, 10th Secretary General of NATO
    • 1947 – Roy M. Anderson, English epidemiologist, zoologist, and academic
    • 1947 – Martin Brasier, English palaeontologist, biologist, and academic (d. 2014)
    • 1947 – Alex Briley, American disco singer
    • 1947 – Tom Clancy, American historian and author (d. 2013)
    • 1947 – Woody Johnson, American businessman and philanthropist
    • 1947 – Dan Lauria, American actor
    • 1947 – David Letterman, American comedian and talk show host
    • 1948 – Jeremy Beadle, English television host and producer (d. 2008)
    • 1948 – Joschka Fischer, German academic and politician
    • 1948 – Marcello Lippi, Italian footballer, manager, and coach
    • 1949 – Scott Turow, American lawyer and author
    • 1950 – Flavio Briatore, Italian businessman
    • 1950 – David Cassidy, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2017)
    • 1950 – Joyce Banda, Malawian politician, 4th president of Malawi
    • 1950 – Nick Sackman, English composer and educator
    • 1951 – Tom Noonan, American actor
    • 1952 – Reuben Gant, American football player
    • 1952 – Leicester Rutledge, New Zealand rugby player
    • 1952 – Gary Soto, American poet, novelist, and memoirist
    • 1952 – Ralph Wiley, American journalist (d. 2004)
    • 1953 – Tanino Liberatore, Italian author and illustrator
    • 1954 – John Faulkner, Australian educator and politician, 52nd Australian Minister for Defence
    • 1954 – Steve Stevaert, Belgian businessman and politician (d. 2015)
    • 1954 – Pat Travers, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1955 – Fabian Hamilton, English graphic designer, engineer, and politician
    • 1956 – Andy Garcia, Cuban-American actor, director, and producer
    • 1956 – Herbert Grönemeyer, German singer-songwriter and actor
    • 1957 – Greg Child, Australian mountaineer and author
    • 1957 – Vince Gill, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1957 – Tama Janowitz, American novelist and short story writer
    • 1958 – Will Sergeant, English guitarist
    • 1958 – Klaus Tafelmeier, German javelin thrower
    • 1958 – Ginka Zagorcheva, Bulgarian hurdler
    • 1959 – Howard Stableford, English radio and television host
    • 1961 – Corrado Fabi, Italian racing driver
    • 1961 – Charles Mann, American football player and sportscaster
    • 1961 – Magda Szubanski, English-Australian actress, comedian and writer
    • 1962 – Art Alexakis, American singer-songwriter and musician
    • 1962 – Carlos Sainz, Spanish racing driver
    • 1962 – Nobuhiko Takada, Japanese mixed martial artist and wrestler, founded Hustle
    • 1963 – Lydia Cacho, Mexican journalist and author
    • 1964 – Chris Fairclough, English footballer and coach
    • 1965 – Amy Ray, American folk-rock singer-songwriter, musician, and music producer
    • 1965 – Kim Bodnia, Danish actor and director
    • 1965 – Chi Onwurah, English politician
    • 1965 – Gervais Rufyikiri, Burundian politician
    • 1965 – Mihai Stoica, Romanian footballer and manager
    • 1966 – Nils-Olav Johansen, Norwegian guitarist and singer
    • 1966 – Lorenzo White, American football player
    • 1967 – Sarah Cracknell, English singer-songwriter
    • 1968 – Alicia Coppola, American actress
    • 1968 – Toby Gad, German songwriter and producer
    • 1968 – Adam Graves, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1969 – Jörn Lenz, German footballer and manager
    • 1969 – Lucas Radebe, South African footballer and sportscaster
    • 1969 – Michael Jackson, American football player and politician (d. 2017)
    • 1970 – Sylvain Bouchard, Canadian speed skater
    • 1971 – Nicholas Brendon, American actor
    • 1971 – Shannen Doherty, American actress, director, and producer
    • 1972 – Paul Lo Duca, American baseball player and sportscaster
    • 1973 – J. Scott Campbell, American author and illustrator
    • 1973 – Ryan Kisor, American trumpet player and composer
    • 1973 – Antonio Osuna, Mexican-American baseball player
    • 1973 – Christian Panucci, Italian footballer and manager
    • 1974 – Belinda Emmett, Australian actress (d. 2006)
    • 1974 – Bryan Fletcher, Australian rugby league player and sportscaster
    • 1974 – Roman Hamrlík, Czech ice hockey player
    • 1974 – Marley Shelton, American actress
    • 1974 – Sylvinho, Brazilian footballer and manager
    • 1976 – Olga Kotlyarova, Russian runner
    • 1976 – Brad Miller, American basketball player
    • 1977 – Giovanny Espinoza, Ecuadorian footballer
    • 1977 – Sarah Monahan, Australian actress
    • 1977 – Jason Price, Welsh footballer
    • 1977 – Glenn Rogers, Australian-Scottish cricketer
    • 1978 – Guy Berryman, Scottish bass player and producer
    • 1978 – Scott Crary, American director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1978 – Svetlana Lapina, Russian high jumper
    • 1978 – Robin Walker, English businessman and politician
    • 1979 – Claire Danes, American actress
    • 1979 – Elena Grosheva, Russian gymnast
    • 1979 – Mateja Kežman, Serbian footballer
    • 1979 – Jennifer Morrison, American actress
    • 1979 – Cristian Ranalli, Italian footballer
    • 1979 – Lee Soo-young, South Korean singer
    • 1980 – Sara Head, Welsh Paralympic table tennis champion
    • 1980 – Brian McFadden, Irish singer-songwriter
    • 1981 – Yuriy Borzakovskiy, Russian runner
    • 1981 – Nicolás Burdisso, Argentinian footballer
    • 1981 – Tulsi Gabbard, American politician
    • 1981 – Grant Holt, English footballer and professional wrestler
    • 1981 – Hisashi Iwakuma, Japanese baseball pitcher
    • 1983 – Jelena Dokic, Serbian-Australian tennis player
    • 1983 – Luke Kibet, Kenyan runner
    • 1984 – Aleksey Dmitrik, Russian high jumper
    • 1985 – Brennan Boesch, American baseball player
    • 1985 – Hitomi Yoshizawa, Japanese singer
    • 1986 – Brad Brach, American baseball pitcher
    • 1986 – Blerim Džemaili, Swiss footballer
    • 1986 – Marcel Granollers, Spanish tennis player
    • 1986 – Jonathan Pitroipa, Burkinabé footballer
    • 1987 – Brooklyn Decker, American model and actress
    • 1987 – Shawn Gore, Canadian football player
    • 1987 – Josh McCrone, Australian rugby league player
    • 1987 – Luiz Adriano, Brazilian professional footballer
    • 1987 – Brendon Urie, American singer, songwriter, musician and multi-instrumentalist
    • 1988 – Ricardo Gabriel Álvarez, Argentinian footballer
    • 1988 – Stephen Brogan, English footballer
    • 1988 – Amedeo Calliari, Italian footballer
    • 1988 – Jessie James Decker, American singer-songwriter
    • 1989 – Bethan Dainton, Welsh rugby union player
    • 1989 – Miguel Ángel Ponce, American-Mexican footballer
    • 1989 – Ádám Hanga, Hungarian basketball player
    • 1989 – Kaitlyn Weaver, Canadian-American ice dancer
    • 1989 – Valentin Stocker, Swiss footballer
    • 1990 – Francesca Halsall, English swimmer
    • 1990 – Hiroki Sakai, Japanese footballer
    • 1991 – Torey Krug, American ice hockey player
    • 1991 – Lionel Carole, French professional footballer
    • 1991 – Oliver Norwood, English born Northern Irish international footballer
    • 1991 – Magnus Pääjärvi, Swedish ice hockey player
    • 1991 – Jazz Richards, Welsh international footballer
    • 1992 – Chad le Clos, South African swimmer
    • 1993 – Jordan Archer, English-Scottish footballer
    • 1993 – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1994 – Isabelle Drummond, Brazilian actress and singer
    • 1994 – Saoirse Ronan, American-born Irish actress
    • 1994 – Oh Sehun, South Korean musician
    • 1994 – Eric Bailly, Ivorian professional footballer
    • 1994 – Guido Rodríguez, Argentine footballer
    • 1995 – Pedro Cachín, Argentine tennis player
    • 1996 – Elizaveta Kulichkova, Russian tennis player

    Deaths on April 12

    • 45 BC – Gnaeus Pompeius, Roman general and politician (b. 75 BC)
    • 352 – Julius I, pope of the Catholic Church
    • 434 – Maximianus, archbishop of Constantinople
    • 901 – Eudokia Baïana, Byzantine empress and wife of Leo VI
    • 1125 – Vladislaus I, Duke of Bohemia (b. 1065)
    • 1167 – Charles VII, king of Sweden (b. c. 1130)
    • 1212 – Vsevolod the Big Nest, Grand Prince of Vladimir (b. 1154)
    • 1256 – Margaret of Bourbon, Queen of Navarre, regent of Navarre (b. c. 1217)
    • 1443 – Henry Chichele, English archbishop (b. 1364)
    • 1500 – Leonhard of Gorizia, Count of Gorz (b. 1440)
    • 1530 – Joanna La Beltraneja, Princess of Castile (b. 1462)
    • 1550 – Claude, Duke of Guise (b. 1496)
    • 1555 – Joanna of Castile (b. 1479)
    • 1675 – Richard Bennett, English politician, colonial Governor of Virginia (b. 1609)
    • 1684 – Nicola Amati, Italian instrument maker (b. 1596)
    • 1687 – Ambrose Dixon, English-American soldier (b. 1619)
    • 1704 – Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet, French bishop and theologian (b. 1627)
    • 1748 – William Kent, English architect, designed Holkham Hall and Chiswick House (b. 1685)
    • 1782 – Metastasio, Italian-Austrian poet and composer (b. 1698)
    • 1788 – Carlo Antonio Campioni, French-Italian composer (b. 1719)
    • 1795 – Johann Kaspar Basselet von La Rosée, Bavarian general (b. 1710)
    • 1814 – Charles Burney, English composer and historian (b. 1726)
    • 1817 – Charles Messier, French astronomer and academic (b. 1730)
    • 1850 – Adoniram Judson, American lexicographer and missionary (b. 1788)
    • 1866 – Peter Hesketh-Fleetwood, English politician, founded Fleetwood (b. 1801)
    • 1872 – Nikolaos Mantzaros, Greek composer and theorist (b. 1795)
    • 1878 – William M. Tweed, American lawyer and politician (b. 1823)
    • 1879 – Richard Taylor, American general (b. 1826)
    • 1885 – William Crowther, Dutch-Australian politician, 14th Premier of Tasmania (b. 1817)
    • 1898 – Elzéar-Alexandre Taschereau, Canadian cardinal (b. 1820)
    • 1902 – Marie Alfred Cornu, French physicist and academic (b. 1842)
    • 1906 – Mahesh Chandra Nyayratna Bhattacharyya, Indian scholar, academic, and philanthropist (b. 1836)
    • 1912 – Clara Barton, American nurse and humanitarian, founded the American Red Cross (b. 1821)
    • 1933 – Adelbert Ames, American general and politician, 30th Governor of Mississippi (b. 1835)
    • 1937 – Abdülhak Hâmid Tarhan, Turkish playwright and poet (b. 1852)
    • 1938 – Feodor Chaliapin, Russian opera singer (b. 1873)
    • 1943 – Viktor Puskar, Estonian colonel (b. 1889)
    • 1945 – Franklin D. Roosevelt, American lawyer and politician, 32nd President of the United States (b. 1882)
    • 1953 – Lionel Logue, Australian actor and therapist (b. 1880)
    • 1962 – Ron Flockhart, Scottish racing driver (b. 1923)
    • 1966 – Sydney Allard, English racing driver and founder of the Allard car company (b. 1910)
    • 1968 – Heinrich Nordhoff, German engineer (b. 1899)
    • 1971 – Ed Lafitte, American baseball player and dentist (b. 1886)
    • 1973 – Arthur Freed, American songwriter and producer (b. 1894)
    • 1975 – Josephine Baker, French actress, activist, and humanitarian (b. 1906)
    • 1977 – Philip K. Wrigley, American businessman, co-founded Lincoln Park Gun Club (b. 1894)
    • 1980 – William R. Tolbert, Jr., Liberian politician, 20th President of Liberia (b. 1913)
    • 1981 – Prince Yasuhiko Asaka of Japan (b. 1887)
    • 1981 – Joe Louis, American boxer and wrestler (b. 1914)
    • 1983 – Jørgen Juve, Norwegian football player and journalist (b. 1906)
    • 1983 – Carl Morton, American baseball player (b. 1944)
    • 1984 – Edwin T. Layton, American admiral and cryptanalyst (b. 1903)
    • 1986 – Valentin Kataev, Russian author and playwright (b. 1897)
    • 1988 – Colette Deréal, French singer and actress (b. 1927)
    • 1988 – Alan Paton, South African historian and author (b. 1903)
    • 1989 – Abbie Hoffman, American activist, co-founded Youth International Party (b. 1936)
    • 1989 – Sugar Ray Robinson, American boxer (b. 1921)
    • 1992 – Ilario Bandini, Italian racing driver and businessman (b. 1911)
    • 1997 – George Wald, American neurologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
    • 1998 – Robert Ford, Canadian poet and diplomat (b. 1915)
    • 1999 – Boxcar Willie, American singer-songwriter (b. 1931)
    • 2001 – Harvey Ball, American illustrator, created the smiley (b. 1921)
    • 2002 – George Shevelov, Ukrainian-American linguist and philologist (b. 1908)
    • 2004 – Moran Campbell, Canadian physician and academic, invented the venturi mask (b. 1925)
    • 2006 – William Sloane Coffin, American minister and activist (b. 1924)
    • 2007 – Kevin Crease, Australian journalist (b. 1936)
    • 2008 – Cecilia Colledge, English-American figure skater and coach (b. 1920)
    • 2008 – Patrick Hillery, Irish physician and politician, 6th President of Ireland (b. 1923)
    • 2008 – Jerry Zucker, Israeli-American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1949)
    • 2010 – Michel Chartrand, Canadian trade union leader (b. 1916)
    • 2010 – Werner Schroeter, German director and screenwriter (b. 1945)
    • 2011 – Karim Fakhrawi, Bahraini journalist, co-founded Al-Wasat (b. 1962)
    • 2012 – Mohit Chattopadhyay, Indian poet and playwright (b. 1934)
    • 2012 – Rodgers Grant, American pianist and composer (b. 1935)
    • 2013 – Robert Byrne, American chess player and author (b. 1928)
    • 2013 – Johnny du Plooy, South African boxer (b. 1964)
    • 2013 – Michael France, American screenwriter (b. 1962)
    • 2013 – Brennan Manning, American priest and author (b. 1934)
    • 2013 – Annamária Szalai, Hungarian journalist and politician (b. 1961)
    • 2013 – Ya’akov Yosef, Israeli rabbi and politician (b. 1946)
    • 2014 – Pierre Autin-Grenier, French author and poet (b. 1947)
    • 2014 – Pierre-Henri Menthéour, French cyclist (b. 1960)
    • 2014 – Maurício Alves Peruchi, Brazilian footballer (b. 1990)
    • 2014 – Hal Smith, American baseball player and coach (b. 1931)
    • 2014 – Billy Standridge, American race car driver (b. 1953)
    • 2015 – Paulo Brossard, Brazilian jurist and politician (b. 1924)
    • 2015 – Patrice Dominguez, Algerian-French tennis player and trainer (b. 1950)
    • 2015 – Alfred Eick, German commander (b. 1916)
    • 2015 – André Mba Obame, Gabonese politician (b. 1957)
    • 2016 – Anne Jackson, American actress (b. 1925)
    • 2016 – Mohammad Al Gaz, Emirati politician & diplomat (b. 1930)
    • 2017 – Charlie Murphy, American actor and comedian (b. 1959)
    • 2020 – Tarvaris Jackson, American football player (b. 1983)

    Holidays and observances on April 12

    • Children’s Day (Bolivia)
    • Christian feast day:
      • Adoniram Judson (Episcopal Church)
      • Alferius
      • Blessed Angelo Carletti di Chivasso
      • Erkembode
      • Pope Julius I
      • Teresa of the Andes
      • Zeno of Verona
      • April 12 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Commemoration of first human in space by Yuri Gagarin:
      • Cosmonautics Day (Russia)
      • International Day of Human Space Flight
      • Yuri’s Night (International observance)
    • Halifax Day (North Carolina)
    • National Redemption Day (Liberia)

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

    • 217 – Roman Emperor Caracalla is assassinated. He is succeeded by his Praetorian Guard prefect, Marcus Opellius Macrinus.
    • 632 – King Charibert II is assassinated at Blaye (Gironde), along with his infant son Chilperic.
    • 876 – The Battle of Dayr al-‘Aqul saves Baghdad from the Saffarids.
    • 1093 – The new Winchester Cathedral is dedicated by Walkelin.
    • 1139 – Roger II of Sicily is excommunicated.
    • 1149 – Pope Eugene III takes refuge in the castle of Ptolemy II of Tusculum.
    • 1232 – Mongol–Jin War: The Mongols begin their siege on Kaifeng, the capital of the Jin dynasty.
    • 1271 – In Syria, sultan Baibars conquers the Krak des Chevaliers.
    • 1665 – English colonial patents are granted for the establishment of the Monmouth Tract, for what would eventually become Monmouth County in northeastern New Jersey.
    • 1730 – Shearith Israel, the first synagogue in New York City, is dedicated.
    • 1740 – War of Jenkins’ Ear: Three British ships capture the Spanish third-rate Princesa, taken into service as HMS Princess.
    • 1808 – The Roman Catholic Diocese of Baltimore is promoted to an archdiocese, with the founding of the dioceses of New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and Bardstown (now Louisville) by Pope Pius VII.
    • 1820 – The Venus de Milo is discovered on the Aegean island of Milos.
    • 1832 – Black Hawk War: Around three-hundred United States 6th Infantry troops leave St. Louis, Missouri to fight the Sauk Native Americans.
    • 1864 – American Civil War: Battle of Mansfield: Union forces are thwarted by the Confederate army at Mansfield, Louisiana.
    • 1866 – Italy and Prussia ally against the Austrian Empire.
    • 1886 – William Ewart Gladstone introduces the first Irish Home Rule Bill into the British House of Commons.
    • 1895 – In Pollock v. Farmers’ Loan & Trust Co. the Supreme Court of the United States declares unapportioned income tax to be unconstitutional.
    • 1904 – The French Third Republic and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland sign the Entente cordiale.
    • 1904 – Longacre Square in Midtown Manhattan is renamed Times Square after The New York Times.
    • 1906 – Auguste Deter, the first person to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, dies.
    • 1908 – H. H. Asquith of the Liberal Party takes office as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, succeeding Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman.
    • 1908 – Harvard University votes to establish the Harvard Business School.
    • 1911 – Dutch physicist Heike Kamerlingh Onnes discovers superconductivity.
    • 1913 – The 17th Amendment to the United States Constitution, requiring direct election of Senators, becomes law.
    • 1916 – In Corona, California, race car driver Bob Burman crashes, killing three (including himself), and badly injuring five spectators.
    • 1918 – World War I: Actors Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin sell war bonds on the streets of New York City’s financial district.
    • 1924 – Sharia courts are abolished in Turkey, as part of Atatürk’s Reforms.
    • 1929 – Indian independence movement: At the Delhi Central Assembly, Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt throw handouts and bombs to court arrest.
    • 1935 – The Works Progress Administration is formed when the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935 becomes law.
    • 1942 – World War II: Siege of Leningrad: Soviet forces open a much-needed railway link to Leningrad.
    • 1942 – World War II: The Japanese take Bataan in the Philippines.
    • 1943 – U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in an attempt to check inflation, freezes wages and prices, prohibits workers from changing jobs unless the war effort would be aided thereby, and bars rate increases by common carriers and public utilities.
    • 1943 – Otto and Elise Hampel are executed in Berlin for their anti-Nazi activities.
    • 1945 – World War II: After an air raid accidentally destroys a train carrying about 4,000 Nazi concentration camp internees in Prussian Hanover, the survivors are massacred by Nazis.
    • 1946 – Électricité de France, the world’s largest utility company, is formed as a result of the nationalisation of a number of electricity producers, transporters and distributors.
    • 1950 – India and Pakistan sign the Liaquat–Nehru Pact.
    • 1952 – U.S. President Harry Truman calls for the seizure of all domestic steel mills in an attempt to prevent the 1952 steel strike.
    • 1953 – Mau Mau leader Jomo Kenyatta is convicted by British Kenya’s rulers.
    • 1954 – A Royal Canadian Air Force Canadair Harvard collides with a Trans-Canada Airlines Canadair North Star over Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, killing 37 people.
    • 1954 – South African Airways Flight 201 A de Havilland DH.106 Comet 1 crashes into the sea during night killing 21 people.
    • 1959 – A team of computer manufacturers, users, and university people led by Grace Hopper meets to discuss the creation of a new programming language that would be called COBOL.
    • 1959 – The Organization of American States drafts an agreement to create the Inter-American Development Bank.
    • 1960 – The Netherlands and West Germany sign an agreement to negotiate the return of German land annexed by the Dutch in return for 280 million German marks as Wiedergutmachung.
    • 1961 – A large explosion on board the MV Dara in the Persian Gulf kills 238.
    • 1964 – The Gemini 1 test flight is conducted.
    • 1968 – BOAC Flight 712 catches fire shortly after takeoff. As a result of her actions in the accident, Barbara Jane Harrison is awarded a posthumous George Cross, the only GC awarded to a woman in peacetime.
    • 1970 – Bahr El-Baqar primary school bombing: Israeli bombers strike an Egyptian school. Forty-six children are killed.
    • 1974 – At Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium, Hank Aaron hits his 715th career home run to surpass Babe Ruth’s 39-year-old record.
    • 1975 – Frank Robinson manages the Cleveland Indians in his first game as major league baseball’s first African American manager.
    • 1987 – Los Angeles Dodgers executive Al Campanis resigns amid controversy over racially charged remarks he had made while on Nightline.
    • 1992 – Retired tennis great Arthur Ashe announces that he has AIDS, acquired from blood transfusions during one of his two heart surgeries.
    • 1993 – The Republic of North Macedonia joins the United Nations.
    • 1999 – Haryana Gana Parishad, a political party in the Indian state of Haryana, merges with the Indian National Congress.
    • 2004 – War in Darfur: The Humanitarian Ceasefire Agreement is signed by the Sudanese government and two rebel groups.
    • 2006 – Shedden massacre: The bodies of eight men, all shot to death, are found in a field in Shedden, Elgin County, Ontario. The murders are soon linked to the Bandidos Motorcycle Club.
    • 2008 – The construction of the world’s first skyscraper to integrate wind turbines is completed in Bahrain.
    • 2013 – The Islamic State of Iraq enters the Syrian Civil War and begins by declaring a merger with the Al-Nusra Front under the name Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham.

    Births on April 8

    • 1320 – Peter I of Portugal (d. 1367)
    • 1408 – Jadwiga of Lithuania, Polish princess (d. 1431)
    • 1435 – John Clifford, 9th Baron de Clifford, English noble (d. 1461)
    • 1533 – Claudio Merulo, Italian organist and composer (d. 1604)
    • 1536 – Barbara of Hesse (d. 1597)
    • 1541 – Michele Mercati, Italian physician and archaeologist (d. 1593)
    • 1580 – William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke, English noble, courtier and patron of the arts (d. 1630)
    • 1596 – Juan van der Hamen, Spanish artist (d. 1631)
    • 1605 – Philip IV of Spain (d. 1665)
    • 1605 – Mary Stuart, English-Scottish princess (d. 1607)
    • 1641 – Henry Sydney, 1st Earl of Romney, English general and politician, Secretary of State for the Northern Department (d. 1704)
    • 1692 – Giuseppe Tartini, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1770)
    • 1726 – Lewis Morris, American judge and politician (d. 1798)
    • 1732 – David Rittenhouse, American astronomer and mathematician (d. 1796)
    • 1761 – William Joseph Chaminade, French priest, founded the Society of Mary (d. 1850)
    • 1770 – John Thomas Campbell, Irish-Australian banker and politician (d. 1830)
    • 1798 – Dionysios Solomos, Greek poet and author (d. 1857)
    • 1818 – Christian IX of Denmark (d. 1906)
    • 1818 – August Wilhelm von Hofmann, German chemist and academic (d. 1892)
    • 1826 – Pancha Carrasco, Costa Rican soldier (d. 1890)
    • 1827 – Ramón Emeterio Betances, Puerto Rican ophthalmologist, journalist, and politician (d. 1898)
    • 1842 – Elizabeth Bacon Custer, American author and educator (d. 1933)
    • 1859 – Edmund Husserl, German Jewish-Austrian mathematician and philosopher (d. 1938)
    • 1864 – Carlos Deltour, French rower and rugby player (d. 1920)
    • 1867 – Allen Butler Talcott, American painter and educator (d. 1908)
    • 1869 – Harvey Cushing, American surgeon and academic (d. 1939)
    • 1871 – Clarence Hudson White, American photographer and educator (d. 1925)
    • 1874 – Manuel Díaz, Cuban fencer (d. 1929)
    • 1874 – Stanisław Taczak, Polish general (d. 1960)
    • 1875 – Albert I of Belgium (d. 1934)
    • 1882 (O.S. 27 March) – Dmytro Doroshenko, Lithuanian-Ukrainian historian and politician, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and Prime Minister of Ukraine (d. 1951)
    • 1883 – R. P. Keigwin, English cricketer and academic (d. 1972)
    • 1883 – Julius Seljamaa, Estonian journalist and politician, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia (d. 1936)
    • 1885 – Dimitrios Levidis, Greek-French soldier, composer, and educator (d. 1951)
    • 1886 – Margaret Ayer Barnes, American author and playwright (d. 1967)
    • 1888 – Dennis Chávez, American journalist and politician (d. 1962)
    • 1889 – Adrian Boult, English conductor (d. 1983)
    • 1892 – Richard Neutra, Austrian-American architect, designed the Los Angeles County Hall of Records (d. 1970)
    • 1892 – Mary Pickford, Canadian-American actress, producer, and screenwriter, co-founded United Artists (d. 1979)
    • 1896 – Yip Harburg, American composer (d. 1981)
    • 1900 – Marie Byles, Australian solicitor (d. 1979)
    • 1902 – Andrew Irvine, English mountaineer and explorer (d. 1924)
    • 1902 – Maria Maksakova Sr., Russian soprano (d. 1974)
    • 1904 – John Hicks, English economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1989)
    • 1904 – Hirsch Jacobs, American horse trainer (d. 1970)
    • 1905 – Joachim Büchner, German sprinter and graphic designer (d. 1978)
    • 1905 – Helen Joseph, English-South African activist (d. 1992)
    • 1905 – Erwin Keller, German field hockey player (d. 1971)
    • 1906 – Raoul Jobin, Canadian tenor and educator (d. 1974)
    • 1908 – Hugo Fregonese, Argentinian director and screenwriter (d. 1987)
    • 1909 – John Fante, American author and screenwriter (d. 1983)
    • 1910 – George Musso, American football player and police officer (d. 2000)
    • 1911 – Melvin Calvin, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1997)
    • 1911 – Emil Cioran, Romanian-French philosopher and academic (d. 1995)
    • 1912 – Alois Brunner, Austrian-German SS officer (d. 2001 or 2010)
    • 1912 – Sonja Henie, Norwegian-American figure skater and actress (d. 1969)
    • 1914 – María Félix, Yaqui/Basque-Mexican actress (d. 2002)
    • 1915 – Ivan Supek, Croatian physicist, philosopher and writer (d. 2007)
    • 1917 – Winifred Asprey, American mathematician and computer scientist (d. 2007)
    • 1917 – Lloyd Bott, Australian public servant (d. 2004)
    • 1917 – Hubertus Ernst, Dutch bishop (d. 2017)
    • 1917 – Grigori Kuzmin, Russian-Estonian astronomer (d. 1988)
    • 1918 – Betty Ford, American wife of Gerald Ford, 40th First Lady of the United States (d. 2011)
    • 1918 – Glendon Swarthout, American author and academic (d. 1992)
    • 1919 – Ian Smith, Zimbabwean lieutenant and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Rhodesia (d. 2007)
    • 1921 – Franco Corelli, Italian tenor and actor (d. 2003)
    • 1921 – Jan Novák, Czech composer (d. 1984)
    • 1921 – Herman van Raalte, Dutch footballer (d. 2013)
    • 1922 – Carmen McRae, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress (d. 1994)
    • 1923 – George Fisher, American cartoonist (d. 2003)
    • 1923 – Edward Mulhare, Irish-American actor (d. 1997)
    • 1924 – Frédéric Back, German-Canadian animator, director, and screenwriter (d. 2013)
    • 1924 – Anthony Farrar-Hockley, English general and historian (d. 2006)
    • 1924 – Kumar Gandharva, Hindustani classical singer (d. 1992)
    • 1924 – Sara Northrup Hollister, American occultist (d. 1997)
    • 1926 – Henry N. Cobb, American architect and academic, co-founded Pei Cobb Freed & Partners (d. 2020)
    • 1926 – Shecky Greene, American actor
    • 1926 – Jürgen Moltmann, German theologian and academic
    • 1927 – Tilly Armstrong, English author (d. 2010)
    • 1927 – Ollie Mitchell, American trumpet player and bandleader (d. 2013)
    • 1928 – Fred Ebb, American lyricist (d. 2004)
    • 1929 – Jacques Brel, Belgian singer-songwriter and actor (d. 1978)
    • 1929 – Renzo De Felice, Italian historian and author (d. 1996)
    • 1930 – Carlos Hugo, Duke of Parma (d. 2010)
    • 1931 – John Gavin, American actor and diplomat, United States Ambassador to Mexico (d. 2018)
    • 1932 – Iskandar of Johor (d. 2010)
    • 1933 – James Lockhart, American scholar of colonial Latin America, especially Nahua peoples (d. 2014)
    • 1934 – Kisho Kurokawa, Japanese architect, designed the Nakagin Capsule Tower and Singapore Flyer (d. 2007)
    • 1935 – Oscar Zeta Acosta, American lawyer and politician (d. 1974)
    • 1935 – Albert Bustamante, American soldier, educator, and politician
    • 1937 – Tony Barton, English footballer, outside right and manager (d. 1993)
    • 1937 – Seymour Hersh, American journalist and author
    • 1937 – Momo Kapor, Serbian author and painter (d. 2010)
    • 1938 – Kofi Annan, Ghanaian economist and diplomat, 7th Secretary-General of the United Nations (d. 2018)
    • 1938 – John Hamm, Canadian physician and politician, 25th Premier of Nova Scotia
    • 1938 – Mary W. Gray, American mathematician, statistician, and lawyer
    • 1939 – John Arbuthnott, Scottish microbiologist and academic
    • 1939 – Trina Schart Hyman, American author and illustrator (d. 2004)
    • 1940 – John Havlicek, American basketball player (d. 2019)
    • 1941 – J. J. Jackson, American soul/R&B singer, songwriter, and arranger
    • 1941 – Vivienne Westwood, English fashion designer
    • 1942 – Tony Banks, Baron Stratford, Northern Irish politician, Minister for Sport and the Olympics (d. 2006)
    • 1942 – Roger Chapman, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1942 – Douglas Trumbull, American director, producer, and special effects artist
    • 1943 – Michael Bennett, American dancer, choreographer, and director (d. 1987)
    • 1943 – Miller Farr, American football player
    • 1943 – James Herbert, English author and illustrator (d. 2013)
    • 1943 – Chris Orr, English painter and illustrator
    • 1944 – Hywel Bennett, Welsh actor (d. 2017)
    • 1944 – Odd Nerdrum, Swedish-Norwegian painter and illustrator
    • 1945 – Derrick Walker, Scottish businessman
    • 1945 – Jang Yong, South Korean actor
    • 1946 – Catfish Hunter, American baseball player (d. 1999)
    • 1946 – Tim Thomerson, American actor and producer
    • 1947 – Tom DeLay, American lawyer and politician
    • 1947 – Steve Howe, English guitarist, songwriter, and producer
    • 1947 – Robert Kiyosaki, American businessman, co-founded Cashflow Technologies
    • 1947 – Pascal Lamy, French businessman and politician, European Commissioner for Trade
    • 1947 – Larry Norman, American singer-songwriter, and producer (d. 2008)
    • 1948 – Barbara Young, Baroness Young of Old Scone, Scottish academic and politician
    • 1949 – K. C. Kamalasabayson, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician, 39th Attorney General of Sri Lanka (d. 2007)
    • 1949 – John Madden, English director and producer
    • 1949 – Brenda Russell, African-American-Canadian singer-songwriter and keyboard player
    • 1949 – John Scott, English sociologist and academic
    • 1950 – Grzegorz Lato, Polish footballer and coach
    • 1951 – Gerd Andres, German politician
    • 1951 – Geir Haarde, Icelandic economist, journalist, and politician, 23rd Prime Minister of Iceland
    • 1951 – Mel Schacher, American bass player
    • 1951 – Joan Sebastian, Mexican singer-songwriter and actor (d. 2015)
    • 1952 – Ahmet Piriştina, Turkish politician (d. 2004)
    • 1954 – Gary Carter, American baseball player and coach (d. 2012)
    • 1954 – Princess Lalla Amina of Morocco (d. 2012)
    • 1954 – G.V. Loganathan, Indian-American engineer and academic (d. 2007)
    • 1955 – Ricky Bell, American football player (d. 1984)
    • 1955 – Gerrie Coetzee, South African boxer
    • 1955 – Ron Johnson, American businessman and politician
    • 1955 – Barbara Kingsolver, American novelist, essayist and poet
    • 1955 – David Wu, Taiwanese-American lawyer and politician
    • 1956 – Michael Benton, Scottish-English paleontologist and academic
    • 1956 – Christine Boisson, French actress
    • 1956 – Roman Dragoun, Czech singer-songwriter and keyboard player
    • 1956 – Jim Piddock, English actor, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1957 – Fred Smerlas, American football player and radio host
    • 1958 – Detlef Bruckhoff, German footballer
    • 1958 – Tom Petranoff, American javelin thrower and coach
    • 1959 – Alain Bondue, French cyclist
    • 1960 – John Schneider, American actor and country singer
    • 1961 – Richard Hatch, American reality contestant
    • 1961 – Brian McDermott, English footballer and manager
    • 1962 – Paddy Lowe, English engineer
    • 1962 – Izzy Stradlin, American guitarist and songwriter
    • 1963 – Tine Asmundsen, Norwegian bassist
    • 1963 – Julian Lennon, English singer-songwriter
    • 1963 – Terry Porter, American basketball player and coach
    • 1963 – Donita Sparks, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1963 – Alec Stewart, English cricketer
    • 1963 – Seth Tobias, American businessman (d. 2007)
    • 1964 – Biz Markie, American rapper, producer, and actor
    • 1964 – John McGinlay, Scottish footballer and manager
    • 1965 – Steven Blaney, Canadian businessman and politician, 5th Canadian Minister of Public Safety
    • 1965 – Michael Jones, New Zealand rugby player and coach
    • 1966 – Iveta Bartošová, Czech singer and actress (d. 2014)
    • 1966 – Mark Blundell, English race car driver
    • 1966 – Andy Currier, English rugby league player
    • 1966 – Charlotte Dawson, New Zealand-Australian television host (d. 2014)
    • 1966 – Dalton Grant, English high jumper
    • 1966 – Mazinho, Brazilian footballer, coach, and manager
    • 1966 – Harri Rovanperä, Finnish race car driver
    • 1966 – Evripidis Stylianidis, Greek lawyer and politician, Greek Minister for the Interior
    • 1966 – Robin Wright, American actress, director, producer
    • 1967 – Kenny Benjamin, Antiguan cricketer
    • 1968 – Patricia Arquette, French-Canadian Russian/Polish Jewish-American actress and director
    • 1968 – Patricia Girard, French runner and hurdler
    • 1968 – Tracy Grammer, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1971 – Darren Jessee, American singer-songwriter and drummer
    • 1972 – Paul Gray, American bass player and songwriter (d. 2010)
    • 1972 – Sergei Magnitsky, Russian lawyer and accountant (d. 2009)
    • 1973 – Khaled Badra, Tunisian footballer
    • 1973 – Emma Caulfield, American actress
    • 1974 – Toutai Kefu, Tongan-Australian rugby player
    • 1974 – Nnedi Okorafor, Nigerian-American author and educator
    • 1975 – Anouk, Dutch singer
    • 1975 – Francesco Flachi, Italian footballer
    • 1975 – Timo Pérez, Dominican-American baseball player
    • 1975 – Funda Arar, Turkish singer
    • 1977 – Ana de la Reguera, Mexican actress
    • 1977 – Mehran Ghassemi, Iranian journalist and author (d. 2008)
    • 1977 – Mark Spencer, American computer programmer and engineer
    • 1978 – Daigo, Japanese singer-songwriter, actor, and voice actor
    • 1978 – Bernt Haas, Austrian-Swiss footballer
    • 1978 – Rachel Roberts, Canadian model and actress
    • 1978 – Jocelyn Robichaud, Canadian tennis player and coach
    • 1978 – Evans Rutto, Kenyan runner
    • 1979 – Alexi Laiho, Finnish singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1979 – Amit Trivedi, Indian singer-songwriter
    • 1980 – Manuel Ortega, Austrian singer
    • 1980 – Katee Sackhoff, American actress
    • 1980 – Mariko Seyama, Japanese announcer, photographer, and model
    • 1981 – Frédérick Bousquet, French swimmer
    • 1981 – Ofer Shechter, Israeli model, actor, and screenwriter
    • 1982 – Gennady Golovkin, Kazakhstani boxer
    • 1982 – Brett White, Australian rugby league player
    • 1983 – Tatyana Petrova Arkhipova, Russian runner
    • 1984 – Michelle Donelan, British politician
    • 1984 – Ezra Koenig, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1984 – Pablo Portillo, Mexican singer and actor
    • 1984 – Taran Noah Smith, American actor
    • 1985 – Patrick Schliwa, German rugby player
    • 1985 – Yemane Tsegay, Ethiopian runner
    • 1986 – Igor Akinfeev, Russian footballer
    • 1986 – Félix Hernández, Venezuelan-American baseball player
    • 1987 – Royston Drenthe, Dutch footballer
    • 1987 – Jeremy Hellickson, American baseball player
    • 1987 – Sam Rapira, New Zealand rugby league player
    • 1988 – Jenni Asserholt, Swedish ice hockey player
    • 1988 – Kim Myung-sung, South Korean baseball player
    • 1990 – Kim Jong-hyun, South Korean singer (d. 2017)
    • 1993 – Viktor Arvidsson, Swedish ice hockey player
    • 1993 – Zac Santo, Australian rugby league player
    • 1994 – Josh Chudleigh, Australian rugby league player
    • 1995 – Cedi Osman, Turkish professional basketball player
    • 1997 – Saygrace, Australian singer and songwriter
    • 1997 – Arno Verschueren, Belgian professional football player

    Deaths on April 8

    • 217 – Caracalla, Roman emperor (b. 188)
    • 622 – Shōtoku, Japanese prince (b. 572)
    • 632 – Charibert II, Frankish king (b. 607)
    • 894 – Adalelm, Frankish nobleman
    • 944 – Wang Yanxi, Chinese emperor
    • 956 – Gilbert, Frankish nobleman
    • 967 – Mu’izz al-Dawla, Buyid emir (b. 915)
    • 1143 – John II Komnenos, Byzantine emperor (b. 1087)
    • 1150 – Gertrude of Babenberg , duchess of Bohemia (b. 1118)
    • 1321 – Thomas of Tolentino, Italian-Franciscan missionary (b. c. 1255)
    • 1338 – Stephen Gravesend, bishop of London
    • 1364 – John II, French king (b. 1319)
    • 1450 – Sejong the Great, Korean king (b. 1397)
    • 1461 – Georg von Peuerbach, German mathematician and astronomer (b. 1423)
    • 1492 – Lorenzo de’ Medici, Italian ruler (b. 1449)
    • 1551 – Oda Nobuhide, Japanese warlord (b. 1510)
    • 1586 – Martin Chemnitz, Lutheran theologian and reformer (b. 1522)
    • 1608 – Magdalen Dacre, English noble (b. 1538)
    • 1612 – Anne Catherine of Brandenburg (b. 1575)
    • 1691 – Carlo Rainaldi, Italian architect, designed the Santa Maria dei Miracoli and Santa Maria in Montesanto (b. 1611)
    • 1697 – Niels Juel, Norwegian-Danish admiral (b. 1629)
    • 1704 – Hiob Ludolf, German orientalist and philologist (b. 1624)
    • 1704 – Henry Sydney, 1st Earl of Romney, English colonel and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (b. 1641)
    • 1709 – Wolfgang Dietrich of Castell-Remlingen, German nobleman (b. 1641)
    • 1725 – John Wise, American minister (b. 1652)
    • 1735 – Francis II Rákóczi, Hungarian prince (b. 1676)
    • 1848 – Gaetano Donizetti, Italian composer (b. 1797)
    • 1860 – István Széchenyi, Hungarian statesman and reformer (b.1791)
    • 1861 – Elisha Otis, American businessman, founded the Otis Elevator Company (b. 1811)
    • 1870 – Charles Auguste de Bériot, Belgian violinist and composer (b. 1802)
    • 1894 – Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Indian journalist, author, and poet (b. 1838)
    • 1906 – Auguste Deter, German woman, first person diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease (b. 1850)
    • 1919 – Loránd Eötvös, Hungarian physicist, academic, and politician, Hungarian Minister of Education (b. 1848)
    • 1920 – Charles Griffes, American pianist and composer (b. 1884)
    • 1931 – Erik Axel Karlfeldt, Swedish poet Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1864)
    • 1936 – Róbert Bárány, Austrian physician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1876)
    • 1936 – Božena Benešová, Czech poet and novelist (b. 1873)
    • 1941 – Marcel Prévost, French novelist and playwright (b. 1862)
    • 1942 – Kostas Skarvelis, Greek guitarist and composer (b. 1880)
    • 1947 – Olaf Frydenlund, Norwegian target shooter (b. 1862)
    • 1950 – Vaslav Nijinsky, Polish dancer and choreographer (b. 1890)
    • 1959 – Marios Makrionitis, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Athens (b. 1913)
    • 1961 – Joseph Carrodus, Australian public servant (b. 1885)
    • 1962 – Juan Belmonte, Spanish bullfighter (b. 1892)
    • 1965 – Lars Hanson, Swedish actor (b. 1886)
    • 1969 – Zinaida Aksentyeva, Ukrainian astronomer (b. 1900)
    • 1973 – Pablo Picasso, Spanish painter and sculptor (b. 1881)
    • 1974 – James Charles McGuigan, Canadian cardinal (b. 1894)
    • 1979 – Breece D’J Pancake, American short story writer (b. 1952)
    • 1981 – Omar Bradley, American general (b. 1893)
    • 1983 – Isamu Kosugi, Japanese actor and director (b. 1904)
    • 1984 – Pyotr Kapitsa, Russian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1894)
    • 1985 – John Frederick Coots, American pianist and composer (b. 1897)
    • 1990 – Ryan White, American activist, inspired the Ryan White Care Act (b. 1971)
    • 1991 – Per Ohlin, Swedish musician (b. 1969)
    • 1992 – Daniel Bovet, Swiss-Italian pharmacologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1907)
    • 1993 – Marian Anderson, American operatic singer (b. 1897)
    • 1994 – François Rozet, French-Canadian actor (b. 1899)
    • 1996 – Ben Johnson, American actor and stuntman (b. 1918)
    • 1996 – León Klimovsky, Argentinian-Spanish actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1906)
    • 1996 – Mick Young, Australian politician (b. 1936)
    • 1997 – Laura Nyro, American singer-songwriter and pianist (b. 1947)
    • 2000 – František Šťastný, Czech motorcycle racer (b. 1927)
    • 2000 – Claire Trevor, American actress (b. 1910)
    • 2002 – María Félix, Mexican actress (b. 1914)
    • 2002 – Harvey Quaytman, American painter (b. 1937)
    • 2004 – Werner Schumacher, German actor (b. 1921)
    • 2005 – Onna White, Canadian choreographer and dancer (b. 1922)
    • 2006 – Gerard Reve, Dutch author and poet (b. 1923)
    • 2007 – Sol LeWitt, American painter and sculptor (b. 1928)
    • 2008 – Kazuo Shiraga, Japanese painter (b. 1924)
    • 2009 – Richard de Mille, American Scientologist, author, investigative journalist, and psychologist (b. 1922)
    • 2009 – Piotr Morawski, Polish mountaineer (b. 1976)
    • 2010 – Malcolm McLaren, English singer-songwriter (b. 1946)
    • 2010 – Teddy Scholten, Dutch singer (b. 1926)
    • 2011 – Hedda Sterne, Romanian-American painter and photographer (b. 1910)
    • 2012 – Blair Kiel, American football player and coach (b. 1961)
    • 2012 – Jack Tramiel, Polish-American businessman, founded Commodore International (b. 1928)
    • 2012 – Janusz K. Zawodny, Polish-American soldier, historian, and political scientist (b. 1921)
    • 2013 – Mikhail Beketov, Russian journalist (b. 1958)
    • 2013 – Annette Funicello, American actress and singer (b. 1942)
    • 2013 – Sara Montiel, Spanish-Mexican actress and singer (b. 1928)
    • 2013 – José Luis Sampedro, Spanish economist and author (b. 1917)
    • 2013 – Margaret Thatcher, English lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1925)
    • 2014 – Emmanuel III Delly, Iraqi patriarch (b. 1927)
    • 2014 – Karlheinz Deschner, German author and activist (b. 1924)
    • 2014 – Ivan Mercep, New Zealand architect, designed the Te Papa Tongarewa Museum (b. 1930)
    • 2015 – Jayakanthan, Indian journalist and author (b. 1934)
    • 2015 – Rayson Huang, Hong Kong chemist and academic (b. 1920)
    • 2015 – Sergei Lashchenko, Ukrainian kick-boxer (b. 1987)
    • 2015 – David Laventhol, American journalist and publisher (b. 1933)
    • 2015 – Jean-Claude Turcotte, Canadian cardinal (b. 1936)

    Holidays and observances on April 8

    • Buddha’s Birthday, also known as Hana Matsuri, “Flower Festival” (Japan)
    • Christian feast day:
      • Anne Ayres (Episcopal Church (USA))
      • Constantina
      • Julie Billiart of Namur
      • Perpetuus
      • Walter of Pontoise
      • William Augustus Muhlenberg (Episcopal Church (USA))
      • April 8 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Earliest day on which Fast and Prayer Day can fall, while April 14 is the latest; celebrated on the second Friday in April (Liberia)
    • International Romani Day

  • April 7 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 451 – Attila the Hun sacks the town of Metz and attacks other cities in Gaul.
    • 529 – First draft of the Corpus Juris Civilis (a fundamental work in jurisprudence) is issued by Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian I.
    • 611 – Maya king Uneh Chan of Calakmul sacks rival city-state Palenque in southern Mexico.
    • 1141 – Empress Matilda became the first female ruler of England, adopting the title ‘Lady of the English’.
    • 1348 – Charles University is founded in Prague.
    • 1521 – Ferdinand Magellan arrives at Cebu.
    • 1541 – Francis Xavier leaves Lisbon on a mission to the Portuguese East Indies.
    • 1724 – Premiere performance of Johann Sebastian Bach’s St John Passion, BWV 245, at St. Nicholas Church, Leipzig.
    • 1767 – End of Burmese–Siamese War (1765–67).
    • 1776 – Captain John Barry and the USS Lexington captures the Edward.
    • 1788 – American pioneers to the Northwest Territory establish Marietta, Ohio as the first permanent American settlement in the Northwest Territory.
    • 1789 – Selim III became Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and Caliph of Islam.
    • 1798 – The Mississippi Territory is organized from disputed territory claimed by both the United States and Spain. It is expanded in 1804 and again in 1812.
    • 1805 – Lewis and Clark Expedition: The Corps of Discovery breaks camp among the Mandan tribe and resumes its journey West along the Missouri River.
    • 1805 – German composer Ludwig van Beethoven premiered his Third Symphony, at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna.
    • 1827 – John Walker, an English chemist, sells the first friction match that he had invented the previous year.
    • 1829 – Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, commences translation of the Book of Mormon, with Oliver Cowdery as his scribe.
    • 1831 – Emperor Pedro I of Brazil resigns. He goes to his native Portugal to become King Pedro IV.
    • 1862 – American Civil War: The Union’s Army of the Tennessee and the Army of the Ohio defeat the Confederate Army of Mississippi near Shiloh, Tennessee.
    • 1868 – Thomas D’Arcy McGee, one of the Canadian Fathers of Confederation, is assassinated by a Fenian activist.
    • 1890 – Completion of the first Lake Biwa Canal.
    • 1906 – Mount Vesuvius erupts and devastates Naples.
    • 1906 – The Algeciras Conference gives France and Spain control over Morocco.
    • 1922 – The United States Secretary of the Interior leases federal petroleum reserves to private oil companies on excessively generous terms.
    • 1927 – The first long-distance public television broadcast (from Washington, D.C., to New York City, displaying the image of Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover).
    • 1933 – Prohibition in the United States is repealed for beer of no more than 3.2% alcohol by weight, eight months before the ratification of the XXI amendment. (Now celebrated as National Beer Day in the United States.)
    • 1940 – Booker T. Washington becomes the first African American to be depicted on a United States postage stamp.
    • 1943 – The Holocaust in Ukraine: In Terebovlia, Germans order 1,100 Jews to undress and march through the city to the nearby village of Plebanivka, where they are shot and buried in ditches.
    • 1943 – Ioannis Rallis becomes collaborationist Prime Minister of Greece during the Axis Occupation.
    • 1945 – World War II: The battleship Yamato, one of the two largest ever constructed, is sunk by American aircraft during Operation Ten-Go.
    • 1945 – World War II: Visoko is liberated by the 7th, 9th, and 17th Krajina brigades from the Tenth division of Yugoslav Partisan forces.
    • 1948 – The World Health Organization is established by the United Nations.
    • 1949 – The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific opened on Broadway; it would run for 1,925 performances and win ten Tony Awards.
    • 1954 – United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower gives his “domino theory” speech during a news conference.
    • 1955 – Winston Churchill resigns as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom amid indications of failing health.
    • 1964 – IBM announces the System/360.
    • 1964 – A bulldozer kills Rev. Bruce W. Klunder, a civil rights activist, during a school segregation protest in Cleveland, Ohio, sparking a riot.
    • 1965 – Representatives of the National Congress of American Indians testify before members of the US Senate against the termination of the Colville tribe in Washington DC.
    • 1968 – Motor racing world champion Jim Clark is killed in an accident during a Formula Two race at Hockenheim.
    • 1969 – The Internet’s symbolic birth date: Publication of RFC 1.
    • 1971 – President Richard Nixon announces his decision to quicken the pace of Vietnamization.
    • 1976 – Member of Parliament and suspected spy John Stonehouse resigns from the Labour Party (UK) after being arrested for faking his own death.
    • 1977 – German Federal prosecutor Siegfried Buback and his driver are shot by two Red Army Faction members while waiting at a red light.
    • 1978 – Development of the neutron bomb is canceled by President Jimmy Carter.
    • 1980 – During the Iran hostage crisis, the United States severs relations with Iran.
    • 1983 – During STS-6, astronauts Story Musgrave and Don Peterson perform the first Space Shuttle spacewalk.
    • 1989 – Soviet submarine Komsomolets sinks in the Barents Sea off the coast of Norway killing 42 sailors.
    • 1990 – Iran–Contra affair: John Poindexter is found guilty of five charges for his part in the scandal (the conviction is later reversed on appeal).
    • 1990 – A fire breaks out on the passenger ferry Scandinavian Star, killing 159 people.
    • 1994 – Rwandan genocide: Massacres of Tutsis begin in Kigali, Rwanda.
    • 1994 – Auburn Calloway attempts to destroy Federal Express Flight 705 in order to allow his family to benefit from his life insurance policy.
    • 1995 – First Chechen War: Russian paramilitary troops begin a massacre of civilians in Samashki, Chechnya.
    • 1999 – The World Trade Organization rules in favor of the United States in its long-running trade dispute with the European Union over bananas.
    • 2001 – Mars Odyssey is launched.
    • 2003 – U.S. troops capture Baghdad; Saddam Hussein’s regime falls two days later.
    • 2009 – Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori is sentenced to 25 years in prison for ordering killings and kidnappings by security forces.
    • 2009 – Mass protests begin across Moldova under the belief that results from the parliamentary election are fraudulent.
    • 2017 – A man deliberately drives a hijacked truck into a crowd of people, killing five people and injuring fifteen others.

    Births on April 7

    • 1206 – Otto II Wittelsbach, Duke of Bavaria (d. 1253)
    • 1330 – John, 3rd Earl of Kent, English nobleman (d. 1352)
    • 1470 – Edward Stafford, 2nd Earl of Wiltshire (d. 1498)
    • 1506 – Francis Xavier, Spanish missionary and saint, co-founded the Society of Jesus (d. 1552)
    • 1539 – Tobias Stimmer, Swiss painter and illustrator (d. 1584)
    • 1613 – Gerrit Dou, Dutch painter (d. 1675)
    • 1644 – François de Neufville, duc de Villeroy, French general (d. 1730)
    • 1648 – John Sheffield, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Normanby, English poet and politician, Lord President of the Council (d. 1721)
    • 1652 – Pope Clement XII (d. 1740)
    • 1713 – Nicola Sala, Italian composer and theorist (d. 1801)
    • 1718 – Hugh Blair, Scottish minister and author (d. 1800)
    • 1727 – Michel Adanson, French botanist, entomologist, and mycologist (d. 1806)
    • 1763 – Domenico Dragonetti, Italian bassist and composer (d. 1846)
    • 1770 – William Wordsworth, English poet (d. 1850)
    • 1772 – Charles Fourier, French philosopher and author (d. 1837)
    • 1780 – William Ellery Channing, American preacher and theologian (d. 1842)
    • 1803 – James Curtiss, American journalist and politician, 11th Mayor of Chicago (d. 1859)
    • 1803 – Flora Tristan, French author and activist (d. 1844)
    • 1811 – Hasan Tahsini, Albanian astronomer, mathematician, and philosopher (d. 1881)
    • 1817 – Francesco Selmi, Italian chemist and patriot (d. 1881)
    • 1848 – Randall Davidson, Scottish archbishop (d. 1930)
    • 1859 – Walter Camp, American football player and coach (d. 1925)
    • 1860 – Will Keith Kellogg, American businessman, founded the Kellogg Company (d. 1951)
    • 1867 – Holger Pedersen, Danish linguist and academic (d. 1953)
    • 1870 – Gustav Landauer, Jewish-German theorist and activist (d. 1919)
    • 1871 – Epifanio de los Santos, Filipino jurist, historian, and scholar (d. 1927)
    • 1873 – John McGraw, American baseball player and manager (d. 1934)
    • 1874 – Frederick Carl Frieseke, German-American painter (d. 1939)
    • 1876 – Fay Moulton, American sprinter, football player, coach, and lawyer (d. 1945)
    • 1882 – Bert Ironmonger, Australian cricketer (d. 1971)
    • 1882 – Kurt von Schleicher, German general and politician, 23rd Chancellor of Germany (d. 1934)
    • 1883 – Gino Severini, Italian-French painter and author (d. 1966)
    • 1884 – Clement Smoot, American golfer (d. 1963)
    • 1886 – Ed Lafitte, American baseball player and soldier (d. 1971)
    • 1889 – Gabriela Mistral, Chilean poet and educator, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1957)
    • 1890 – Paul Berth, Danish footballer (d. 1969)
    • 1890 – Marjory Stoneman Douglas, American journalist and activist (d. 1998)
    • 1891 – Ole Kirk Christiansen, Danish businessman, founded the Lego Group (d. 1958)
    • 1893 – Allen Dulles, American lawyer and diplomat, 5th Director of Central Intelligence (d. 1969)
    • 1895 – John Flannagan, American soldier and sculptor (d. 1942)
    • 1895 – Margarete Schön, German actress (d. 1985)
    • 1896 – Frits Peutz, Dutch architect, designed the Glaspaleis (d. 1974)
    • 1897 – Erich Löwenhardt, Polish-German lieutenant and pilot (d. 1918)
    • 1897 – Walter Winchell, American journalist and radio host (d. 1972)
    • 1899 – Robert Casadesus, French pianist and composer (d. 1972)
    • 1900 – Adolf Dymsza, Polish actor (d. 1975)
    • 1900 – Tebbs Lloyd Johnson, English race walker (d. 1984)
    • 1902 – Eduard Eelma, Estonian footballer (d. 1941)
    • 1903 – M. Balasundaram, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician (d. 1965)
    • 1903 – Edwin T. Layton, American admiral (d. 1984)
    • 1904 – Roland Wilson, Australian economist and statistician (d. 1996)
    • 1908 – Percy Faith, Canadian composer, conductor, and bandleader (d. 1976)
    • 1908 – Pete Zaremba, American hammer thrower (d. 1994)
    • 1909 – Robert Charroux, French author and critic (d. 1978)
    • 1913 – Louise Currie, American actress (d. 2013)
    • 1913 – Charles Vanik, American soldier, judge, and politician (d. 2007)
    • 1914 – Ralph Flanagan, American pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1995)
    • 1915 – Stanley Adams, American actor and screenwriter (d. 1977)
    • 1915 – Billie Holiday, American singer-songwriter and actress (d. 1959)
    • 1915 – Henry Kuttner, American author (d. 1958)
    • 1916 – Anthony Caruso, American actor (d. 2003)
    • 1917 – R. G. Armstrong, American actor and playwright (d. 2012)
    • 1918 – Bobby Doerr, American baseball player and coach (d. 2017)
    • 1919 – Roger Lemelin, Canadian author and screenwriter (d. 1992)
    • 1919 – Edoardo Mangiarotti, Italian fencer (d. 2012)
    • 1920 – Ravi Shankar, Indian-American sitar player and composer (d. 2012)
    • 1921 – Feza Gürsey, Turkish mathematician and physicist (d. 1992)
    • 1922 – Mongo Santamaría, Cuban-American drummer (d. 2003)
    • 1924 – Johannes Mario Simmel, Austrian-English author and screenwriter (d. 2009)
    • 1925 – Chaturanan Mishra, Indian trade union leader and politician (d. 2011)
    • 1925 – Jan van Roessel, Dutch footballer (d. 2011)
    • 1927 – Babatunde Olatunji, Nigerian-American drummer, educator, and activist (d. 2003)
    • 1927 – Leonid Shcherbakov, Russian triple jumper
    • 1928 – James Garner, American actor, singer, and producer (d. 2014)
    • 1928 – Alan J. Pakula, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1998)
    • 1928 – James White, Northern Irish author and educator (d. 1999)
    • 1929 – Bob Denard, French soldier (d. 2007)
    • 1929 – Joe Gallo, American gangster (d. 1972)
    • 1930 – Jane Priestman, English interior designer
    • 1930 – Yves Rocher, French businessman, founded the Yves Rocher Company (d. 2009)
    • 1930 – Andrew Sachs, German-English actor and screenwriter (d. 2016)
    • 1930 – Roger Vergé, French chef and restaurateur (d. 2015)
    • 1931 – Donald Barthelme, American short story writer and novelist (d. 1989)
    • 1931 – Daniel Ellsberg, American activist and author
    • 1932 – Cal Smith, American singer and guitarist (d. 2013)
    • 1933 – Wayne Rogers, American actor, investor, and producer (d. 2015)
    • 1933 – Sakıp Sabancı, Turkish businessman and philanthropist (d. 2004)
    • 1934 – Ian Richardson, Scottish-English actor (d. 2007)
    • 1935 – Bobby Bare, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1935 – Hodding Carter III, American journalist and politician, Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs
    • 1937 – Charlie Thomas, American singer
    • 1938 – Jerry Brown, American lawyer and politician, 34th and 39th Governor of California
    • 1938 – Spencer Dryden, American drummer (d. 2005)
    • 1938 – Freddie Hubbard, American trumpet player and composer (d. 2008)
    • 1938 – Iris Johansen, American author
    • 1939 – Francis Ford Coppola, American director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1939 – David Frost, English journalist and game show host (d. 2013)
    • 1939 – Gary Kellgren, American record producer, co-founded Record Plant (d. 1977)
    • 1939 – Brett Whiteley, Australian painter (d. 1992)
    • 1940 – Marju Lauristin, Estonian academic and politician, 1st Estonian Minister of Social Affairs
    • 1941 – James Di Pasquale, American composer
    • 1941 – Peter Fluck, English puppet maker and illustrator
    • 1941 – Cornelia Frances, English-Australian actress (d. 2018)
    • 1941 – Gorden Kaye, English actor (d. 2017)
    • 1942 – Jeetendra, Indian actor, TV and film producer
    • 1943 – Mick Abrahams, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1943 – Dennis Amiss, English cricketer and manager
    • 1944 – Shel Bachrach, American insurance broker, investor, businessman and philanthropist
    • 1944 – Warner Fusselle, American sportscaster (d. 2012)
    • 1944 – Oshik Levi, Israeli singer and actor
    • 1944 – Julia Phillips, American film producer and author (d. 2002)
    • 1944 – Gerhard Schröder, German lawyer and politician, 7th Chancellor of Germany
    • 1944 – Bill Stoneman, American baseball player and manager
    • 1945 – Megas, Icelandic singer-songwriter
    • 1945 – Gerry Cottle, English businessman
    • 1945 – Marilyn Friedman, American philosopher and academic
    • 1945 – Martyn Lewis, Welsh journalist and author
    • 1945 – Joël Robuchon, French chef and author (d. 2018)
    • 1945 – Werner Schroeter, German director and screenwriter (d. 2010)
    • 1945 – Hans van Hemert, Dutch songwriter and producer
    • 1946 – Zaid Abdul-Aziz, American basketball player
    • 1946 – Colette Besson, French runner and educator (d. 2005)
    • 1946 – Herménégilde Chiasson, Canadian poet, playwright, and politician, 29th Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick
    • 1946 – Dimitrij Rupel, Slovenian politician and diplomate
    • 1946 – Stan Winston, American special effects designer and makeup artist (d. 2008)
    • 1947 – Patricia Bennett, American singer
    • 1947 – Florian Schneider, German singer and drummer (d. 2020)
    • 1947 – Michèle Torr, French singer and author
    • 1948 – John Oates, American singer-songwriter guitarist, and producer
    • 1949 – Mitch Daniels, American academic and politician, 49th Governor of Indiana
    • 1950 – Brian J. Doyle, American press secretary
    • 1951 – Bruce Gary, American drummer (d. 2006)
    • 1951 – Janis Ian, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1952 – David Baulcombe, English geneticist and academic
    • 1952 – Jane Frederick, American hurdler and heptathlete
    • 1952 – Gilles Valiquette, Canadian actor, singer, and producer
    • 1952 – Dennis Hayden, American actor
    • 1953 – Santa Barraza, American mixed media artist
    • 1953 – Douglas Kell, English biochemist and academic
    • 1954 – Jackie Chan, Hong Kong martial artist, actor, stuntman, director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1954 – Tony Dorsett, American football player
    • 1955 – Tim Cochran, American mathematician and academic (d. 2014)
    • 1955 – Gregg Jarrett, American lawyer and journalist
    • 1956 – Annika Billström, Swedish businesswoman and politician, 16th Mayor of Stockholm
    • 1956 – Christopher Darden, American lawyer and author
    • 1956 – Georg Werthner, Austrian decathlete
    • 1957 – Kim Kap-soo, South Korean actor
    • 1957 – Thelma Walker, British politician
    • 1958 – Brian Haner, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1958 – Hindrek Kesler, Estonian architect
    • 1960 – Buster Douglas, American boxer and actor
    • 1960 – Sandy Powell, English costume designer
    • 1961 – Thurl Bailey, American basketball player and actor
    • 1961 – Pascal Olmeta, French footballer
    • 1961 – Brigitte van der Burg, Tanzanian-Dutch geographer and politician
    • 1962 – Jon Cruddas, English lawyer and politician
    • 1962 – Andrew Hampsten, American cyclist
    • 1963 – Jaime de Marichalar, Spanish businessman
    • 1963 – Nick Herbert, English businessman and politician, Minister for Policing
    • 1963 – Dave Johnson, American decathlete and educator
    • 1964 – Jace Alexander, American actor and director
    • 1964 – Russell Crowe, New Zealand-Australian actor
    • 1964 – Steve Graves, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1965 – Bill Bellamy, American comedian, actor, and producer
    • 1965 – Rozalie Hirs, Dutch composer and poet
    • 1965 – Alison Lapper, English painter and photographer
    • 1965 – Nenad Vučinić, Serbian-New Zealand basketball player and coach
    • 1966 – Richard Gomez, Filipino actor and politician
    • 1966 – Zvika Hadar, Israeli entertainer
    • 1966 – Béla Mavrák, Hungarian tenor singer
    • 1966 – Gary Wilkinson, English snooker player
    • 1967 – Artemis Gounaki, Greek-German singer-songwriter
    • 1967 – Bodo Illgner, German footballer
    • 1967 – Simone Schilder, Dutch tennis player
    • 1968 – Duncan Armstrong, Australian swimmer and sportscaster
    • 1968 – Jennifer Lynch, American actress, director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1968 – Jože Možina, Slovenian historian, sociologist and journalist
    • 1968 – Vasiliy Sokov, Russian triple jumper
    • 1969 – Ricky Watters, American football player
    • 1970 – Leif Ove Andsnes, Norwegian pianist and educator
    • 1971 – Guillaume Depardieu, French actor (d. 2008)
    • 1971 – Victor Kraatz, German-Canadian figure skater
    • 1972 – Tim Peake, British astronaut
    • 1973 – Marco Delvecchio, Italian footballer
    • 1973 – Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, Dutch lawyer and politician, Dutch Minister of Defence
    • 1973 – Carole Montillet, French skier
    • 1973 – Christian O’Connell, British radio DJ and presenter
    • 1973 – Brett Tomko, American baseball player
    • 1975 – Karin Dreijer Andersson, Swedish singer-songwriter and producer
    • 1975 – Ronde Barber, American football player and sportscaster
    • 1975 – Tiki Barber, American football player and journalist
    • 1975 – Ronnie Belliard, American baseball player
    • 1975 – John Cooper, American singer-songwriter and bass player
    • 1975 – Simon Woolford, Australian rugby league player
    • 1976 – Kevin Alejandro, American actor and producer
    • 1976 – Martin Buß, German high jumper
    • 1976 – Jessica Lee, English lawyer and politician
    • 1976 – Aaron Lohr, American actor
    • 1976 – Barbara Jane Reams, American actress
    • 1976 – Gang Qiang, Chinese anchor
    • 1978 – Jo Appleby, English soprano
    • 1978 – Duncan James, English singer-songwriter and actor
    • 1978 – Lilia Osterloh, American tennis player
    • 1979 – Adrián Beltré, Dominican-American baseball player
    • 1979 – Patrick Crayton, American football player
    • 1979 – Pascal Dupuis, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1979 – Danny Sandoval, Venezuelan-American baseball player
    • 1980 – Dragan Bogavac, Montenegrin footballer
    • 1980 – Tetsuji Tamayama, Japanese actor
    • 1981 – Hitoe Arakaki, Japanese singer
    • 1981 – Kazuki Watanabe, Japanese songwriter and guitarist (d. 2000)
    • 1981 – Vanessa Olivarez, American singer-songwriter, and actress
    • 1981 – Suzann Pettersen, Norwegian golfer
    • 1982 – Silvana Arias, Peruvian actress
    • 1982 – Sonjay Dutt, American wrestler
    • 1982 – Kelli Young, English singer
    • 1983 – Hamish Davidson, Australian musician
    • 1983 – Franck Ribéry, French footballer
    • 1983 – Jon Stead, English footballer
    • 1983 – Jakub Smrž, Czech motorcycle rider
    • 1983 – Janar Talts, Estonian basketball player
    • 1984 – Hiroko Shimabukuro, Japanese singer
    • 1985 – KC Concepcion, Filipino actress and singer
    • 1985 – Humza Yousaf, Scottish politician
    • 1986 – Brooke Brodack, American comedian
    • 1986 – Jack Duarte, Mexican actor, singer, and guitarist
    • 1986 – Andi Fraggs, English singer-songwriter and producer
    • 1986 – Christian Fuchs, Austrian footballer
    • 1987 – Martín Cáceres, Uruguayan footballer
    • 1987 – Eelco Sintnicolaas, Dutch decathlete
    • 1987 – Jamar Smith, American football player
    • 1988 – Antonio Piccolo, Italian footballer
    • 1988 – Ed Speleers, English actor and producer
    • 1989 – Alexa Demara, American actress, model and writer
    • 1989 – Franco Di Santo, Argentinian footballer
    • 1989 – Mitchell Pearce, Australian rugby league player
    • 1989 – Teddy Riner, French judoka
    • 1990 – Nickel Ashmeade, Jamaican sprinter
    • 1990 – Anna Bogomazova, Russian-American kick-boxer, martial artist, and wrestler
    • 1990 – Sorana Cîrstea, Romanian tennis player
    • 1990 – Trent Cotchin, Australian footballer
    • 1991 – Luka Milivojević, Serbian footballer
    • 1991 – Anne-Marie, English singer-songwriter
    • 1992 – Andreea Acatrinei, Romanian gymnast
    • 1992 – Guilherme Negueba, Brazilian footballer
    • 1993 – Ichinojō Takashi, Mongolian sumo wrestler
    • 1994 – Johanna Allik, Estonian figure skater
    • 1994 – Aaron Gray, Australian rugby league player
    • 1996 – Emerson Hyndman, American international soccer player[5]
    • 1997 – Rafaela Gómez, Ecuadorian tennis player

    Deaths on April 7

    • AD 30 – Jesus Christ, (possible date of the crucifixion) (b. circa 4 BC)
    • 821 – George the Standard-Bearer, archbishop of Mytilene (b. c. 776)
    • 924 – Berengar I of Italy (b. 845)
    • 1206 – Frederick I, Duke of Lorraine
    • 1340 – Bolesław Jerzy II of Mazovia (b. 1308)
    • 1498 – Charles VIII of France (b. 1470)
    • 1499 – Galeotto I Pico, Duke of Mirandola (b. 1442)
    • 1501 – Minkhaung II, king of Ava (b. 1446)
    • 1606 – Edward Oldcorne, English martyr (b. 1561)
    • 1614 – El Greco, Greek-Spanish painter and sculptor (b. 1541)
    • 1638 – Shimazu Tadatsune, Japanese daimyō (b. 1576)
    • 1651 – Lennart Torstensson, Swedish field marshal and engineer (b. 1603)
    • 1658 – Juan Eusebio Nieremberg, Spanish mystic and philosopher (b. 1595)
    • 1661 – Sir William Brereton, 1st Baronet, English commander and politician (b. 1604)
    • 1663 – Francis Cooke, English-American settler (b. 1583)
    • 1668 – William Davenant, English poet and playwright (b. 1606)
    • 1719 – Jean-Baptiste de La Salle, French priest and saint, founded the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools (b. 1651)
    • 1739 – Dick Turpin, English criminal (b. 1705)
    • 1747 – Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (b. 1676)
    • 1761 – Thomas Bayes, English minister and mathematician (b. 1701)
    • 1766 – Tiberius Hemsterhuis, Dutch philologist and critic (b. 1685)
    • 1767 – Franz Sparry, Austrian composer and director (b. 1715)
    • 1782 – Taksin, Thai king (b. 1734)
    • 1789 – Abdul Hamid I, Ottoman sultan (b. 1725)
    • 1789 – Petrus Camper, Dutch physician, anatomist, and physiologist (b. 1722)
    • 1801 – Noël François de Wailly, French lexicographer and author (b. 1724)
    • 1804 – Toussaint Louverture, Haitian general (b. 1743)
    • 1811 – Garsevan Chavchavadze, Georgian diplomat and politician (b. 1757)
    • 1823 – Jacques Charles, French physicist and mathematician (b. 1746)
    • 1833 – Antoni Radziwiłł, Lithuanian composer and politician (b. 1775)
    • 1836 – William Godwin, English journalist and author (b. 1756)
    • 1849 – Pedro Ignacio de Castro Barros, Argentinian priest and politician (b. 1777)
    • 1850 – William Lisle Bowles, English poet and critic (b. 1762)
    • 1858 – Anton Diabelli, Austrian composer and publisher (b. 1781)
    • 1868 – Thomas D’Arcy McGee, Irish-Canadian journalist, activist, and politician (b. 1825)
    • 1879 – Begum Hazrat Mahal, Begum of Awadh, was the second wife of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah (b. 1820)
    • 1885 – Karl Theodor Ernst von Siebold, German physiologist and zoologist (b. 1804)
    • 1889 – Youssef Bey Karam, Lebanese soldier and politician (b. 1823)
    • 1889 – Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada, Mexican politician and president, 1872-1876 (b. 1823)
    • 1891 – P. T. Barnum, American businessman and politician, co-founded The Barnum & Bailey Circus (b. 1810)
    • 1917 – Spyridon Samaras, Greek composer and playwright (b. 1861)
    • 1918 – David Kolehmainen, Finnish wrestler (b. 1885)
    • 1918 – George E. Ohr, American potter (b. 1857)
    • 1920 – Karl Binding, German lawyer and jurist (b. 1841)
    • 1922 – James McGowen, Australian politician, 18th Premier of New South Wales (b. 1855)
    • 1928 – Alexander Bogdanov, Russian physician, philosopher, and author (b. 1873)
    • 1932 – Grigore Constantinescu, Romanian priest and journalist (b. 1875)
    • 1938 – Suzanne Valadon, French painter (b. 1865)
    • 1939 – Joseph Lyons, Australian educator and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1879)
    • 1943 – Jovan Dučić, Serbian-American poet and diplomat (b. 1871)
    • 1943 – Alexandre Millerand, French lawyer and politician, 12th President of France (b. 1859)
    • 1947 – Henry Ford, American engineer and businessman, founded the Ford Motor Company (b. 1863)
    • 1949 – John Gourlay, Canadian soccer player (b. 1872)
    • 1950 – Walter Huston, Canadian-American actor and singer (b. 1883)
    • 1955 – Theda Bara, American actress (b. 1885)
    • 1956 – Fred Appleby, English runner (b. 1879)
    • 1960 – Henri Guisan, Swiss general (b. 1874)
    • 1965 – Roger Leger, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1919)
    • 1966 – Walt Hansgen, American race car driver (b. 1919)
    • 1968 – Edwin Baker, Canadian co-founder of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) (b. 1893)
    • 1968 – Jim Clark, Scottish race car driver (b. 1936)
    • 1972 – Joe Gallo, American gangster (b. 1929)
    • 1972 – Abeid Karume, Tanzanian politician, 1st President of Zanzibar (b. 1905)
    • 1981 – Kit Lambert, English record producer and manager (b. 1935)
    • 1981 – Norman Taurog, American director and screenwriter (b. 1899)
    • 1982 – Harald Ertl, Austrian race car driver and journalist (b. 1948)
    • 1984 – Frank Church, American soldier, lawyer, and politician (b. 1924)
    • 1985 – Carl Schmitt, German philosopher and jurist (b. 1888)
    • 1986 – Leonid Kantorovich, Russian mathematician and economist (b. 1912)
    • 1990 – Ronald Evans, American captain, engineer, and astronaut (b. 1933)
    • 1991 – Memduh Ünlütürk, Turkish general (b. 1913)
    • 1992 – Ace Bailey, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1903)
    • 1992 – Antonis Tritsis, Greek high jumper and politician, 71st Mayor of Athens (b. 1937)
    • 1994 – Lee Brilleaux, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1952)
    • 1994 – Albert Guðmundsson, Icelandic footballer, manager, and politician (b. 1923)
    • 1994 – Golo Mann, German historian and author (b. 1909)
    • 1994 – Agathe Uwilingiyimana, Rwandan chemist, academic, and politician, Prime Minister of Rwanda (b. 1953)
    • 1995 – Philip Jebb, English architect and politician (b. 1927)
    • 1997 – Luis Aloma, Cuban-American baseball player (b. 1923)
    • 1997 – Georgy Shonin, Ukrainian-Russian general, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1935)
    • 1998 – Alex Schomburg, Puerto Rican-American painter and illustrator (b. 1905)
    • 1999 – Heinz Lehmann, German-Canadian psychiatrist and academic (b. 1911)
    • 2001 – David Graf, American actor (b. 1950)
    • 2001 – Beatrice Straight, American actress (b. 1914)
    • 2002 – John Agar, American actor (b. 1921)
    • 2003 – Cecile de Brunhoff, French pianist and author (b. 1903)
    • 2003 – David Greene, English-American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1921)
    • 2004 – Victor Argo, American actor (b. 1934)
    • 2004 – Konstantinos Kallias, Greek politician (b. 1901)
    • 2005 – Cliff Allison, English race car driver (b. 1932)
    • 2005 – Grigoris Bithikotsis, Greek singer-songwriter (b. 1922)
    • 2005 – Bob Kennedy, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1920)
    • 2005 – Melih Kibar, Turkish composer and educator (b. 1951)
    • 2007 – Johnny Hart, American author and illustrator (b. 1931)
    • 2007 – Barry Nelson, American actor (b. 1917)
    • 2008 – Ludu Daw Amar, Burmese journalist and author (b. 1915)
    • 2009 – Dave Arneson, American game designer, co-created Dungeons & Dragons (b. 1947)
    • 2011 – Pierre Gauvreau, Canadian painter (b. 1922)
    • 2012 – Steven Kanumba, Tanzanian actor and director (b. 1984)
    • 2012 – Satsue Mito, Japanese zoologist and academic (b. 1914)
    • 2012 – Ignatius Moses I Daoud, Syrian cardinal (b. 1930)
    • 2012 – David E. Pergrin, American colonel and engineer (b. 1917)
    • 2012 – Bashir Ahmed Qureshi, Pakistani politician (b. 1959)
    • 2012 – Mike Wallace, American television news journalist (b. 1918)
    • 2013 – Marty Blake, American businessman (b. 1927)
    • 2013 – Les Blank, American director and producer (b. 1935)
    • 2013 – Andy Johns, English-American record producer (b. 1950)
    • 2013 – Lilly Pulitzer, American fashion designer (b. 1931)
    • 2013 – Irma Ravinale, Italian composer and educator (b. 1937)
    • 2013 – Mickey Rose, American screenwriter (b. 1935)
    • 2013 – Carl Williams, American boxer (b. 1959)
    • 2014 – George Dureau, American painter and photographer (b. 1930)
    • 2014 – James Alexander Green, American-English mathematician and academic (b. 1926)
    • 2014 – V. K. Murthy, Indian cinematographer (b. 1923)
    • 2014 – Zeituni Onyango, Kenyan-American computer programmer (b. 1952)
    • 2014 – John Shirley-Quirk, English opera singer (b. 1931)
    • 2014 – George Shuffler, American guitarist (b. 1925)
    • 2014 – Josep Maria Subirachs, Spanish sculptor and painter (b. 1927)
    • 2014 – Royce Waltman, American basketball player and coach (b. 1942)
    • 2015 – Tim Babcock, American soldier and politician, 16th Governor of Montana (b. 1919)
    • 2015 – José Capellán, Dominican-American baseball player (b. 1981)
    • 2015 – Stan Freberg, American puppeteer, voice actor, and singer (b. 1926)
    • 2015 – Richard Henyekane, South African footballer (b. 1983)
    • 2015 – Geoffrey Lewis, American actor (b. 1935)
    • 2016 – Blackjack Mulligan, American professional wrestler (b. 1942)
    • 2019 – Seymour Cassel, American actor (b. 1935)

    Holidays and observances on April 7

    • Christian feast days:
      • Aibert of Crespin
      • Blessed Alexander Rawlins
      • Blessed Edward Oldcorne and Blessed Ralph Ashley
      • Blessed Notker the Stammerer
      • Brynach
      • Hegesippus
      • Henry Walpole
      • Hermann Joseph
      • Jean-Baptiste de La Salle
      • Patriarch Tikhon of Moscow (Eastern Orthodox Church, Episcopal Church (USA))
      • April 7 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Flag Day (Slovenia)
    • Genocide Memorial Day (Rwanda), and its related observance:
      • International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Rwanda Genocide (United Nations)
    • Motherhood and Beauty Day (Armenia)
    • National Beer Day (United States)
    • Sheikh Abeid Amani Karume Day (Tanzania)
    • Women’s Day (Mozambique)
    • World Health Day (International observance)

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

    • 823 – Lothair I is crowned King of Italy by Pope Paschal I.
    • 919 – The second Fatimid invasion of Egypt begins, when the Fatimid heir-apparent, al-Qa’im bi-Amr Allah, sets out from Raqqada at the head of his army.
    • 1081 – Alexios I Komnenos is crowned Byzantine emperor at Constantinople, bringing the Komnenian dynasty to full power.
    • 1242 – During the Battle on the Ice of Lake Peipus, Russian forces, led by Alexander Nevsky, rebuff an invasion attempt by the Teutonic Knights.
    • 1536 – Royal Entry of Charles V into Rome: The last Roman triumph.
    • 1566 – Two hundred Dutch noblemen, led by Hendrick van Brederode, force themselves into the presence of Margaret of Parma and present the Petition of Compromise, denouncing the Spanish Inquisition in the Seventeen Provinces.
    • 1609 – Daimyō (Lord) Shimazu Tadatsune of the Satsuma Domain in southern Kyūshū, Japan, completes his successful invasion of the Ryūkyū Kingdom in Okinawa.
    • 1614 – In Virginia, Native American Pocahontas marries English colonist John Rolfe.
    • 1621 – The Mayflower sets sail from Plymouth, Massachusetts on a return trip to England.
    • 1710 – The Statute of Anne receives the royal assent establishing the Copyright law of the United Kingdom.
    • 1722 – The Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen discovers Easter Island.
    • 1792 – United States President George Washington exercises his authority to veto a bill, the first time this power is used in the United States.
    • 1795 – Peace of Basel between France and Prussia is made.
    • 1818 – In the Battle of Maipú, Chile’s independence movement, led by Bernardo O’Higgins and José de San Martín, win a decisive victory over Spain, leaving 2,000 Spaniards and 1,000 Chilean patriots dead.
    • 1862 – American Civil War: The Battle of Yorktown begins.
    • 1879 – Chile declares war on Bolivia and Peru, starting the War of the Pacific.
    • 1900 – Archaeologists in Knossos, Crete, discover a large cache of clay tablets with hieroglyphic writing in a script they call Linear B.
    • 1904 – The first international rugby league match is played between England and an Other Nationalities team (Welsh and Scottish players) in Central Park, Wigan, England.
    • 1915 – Boxing challenger Jess Willard knocks out Jack Johnson in Havana, Cuba to become the Heavyweight Champion of the World.
    • 1922 – The American Birth Control League, forerunner of Planned Parenthood, is incorporated.
    • 1932 – Dominion of Newfoundland: Ten thousand rioters seize the Colonial Building leading to the end of self-government.
    • 1933 – U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs two executive orders: 6101 to establish the Civilian Conservation Corps, and 6102 “forbidding the Hoarding of Gold Coin, Gold Bullion, and Gold Certificates” by U.S. citizens.
    • 1936 – Tupelo–Gainesville tornado outbreak: An F5 tornado kills 233 in Tupelo, Mississippi.
    • 1942 – World War II: The Imperial Japanese Navy launches a carrier-based air attack on Colombo, Ceylon during the Indian Ocean raid. Port and civilian facilities are damaged and the Royal Navy cruisers HMS Cornwall and HMS Dorsetshire are sunk southwest of the island.
    • 1943 – World War II: American bomber aircraft accidentally cause more than 900 civilian deaths, including 209 children, and 1,300 wounded among the civilian population of the Belgian town of Mortsel. Their target was the Erla factory one kilometer from the residential area hit.
    • 1944 – World War II: Two hundred seventy inhabitants of the Greek town of Kleisoura are executed by the Germans.
    • 1945 – Cold War: Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito signs an agreement with the Soviet Union to allow “temporary entry of Soviet troops into Yugoslav territory”.
    • 1946 – Soviet troops end their year-long occupation of the Danish island of Bornholm.
    • 1946 – A Fleet Air Arm Vickers Wellington crashes into a residential area in Rabat, Malta during a training exercise, killing all 4 crew members and 16 civilians on the ground.
    • 1949 – A fire in a hospital in Effingham, Illinois, kills 77 people and leads to nationwide fire code improvements in the United States.
    • 1951 – Cold War: Ethel and Julius Rosenberg are sentenced to death for spying for the Soviet Union.
    • 1956 – Cuban Revolution: Fidel Castro declares himself at war with Cuban President Fulgencio Batista.
    • 1956 – In Sri Lanka, the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna win the general elections in a landslide and S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike is sworn in as the Prime Minister of Ceylon.
    • 1957 – In India, Communists win the first elections in united Kerala and E. M. S. Namboodiripad is sworn in as the first Chief Minister.
    • 1958 – Ripple Rock, an underwater threat to navigation in the Seymour Narrows in Canada is destroyed in one of the largest non-nuclear controlled explosions of the time.
    • 1969 – Vietnam War: Massive antiwar demonstrations occur in many U.S. cities.
    • 1971 – In Sri Lanka, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna launches a revolt against the United Front government of Sirimavo Bandaranaike.
    • 1976 – In China, the April Fifth Movement leads to the Tiananmen Incident.
    • 1977 – The US Supreme Court rules that congressional legislation that diminished the size of the Sioux people’s reservation thereby destroyed the tribe’s jurisdictional authority over the area in Rosebud Sioux Tribe v. Kneip.
    • 1986 – Three people are killed in the bombing of the La Belle discotheque in West Berlin, Germany.
    • 1991 – An ASA EMB 120 crashes in Brunswick, Georgia, killing all 23 aboard including Sen. John Tower and astronaut Sonny Carter.
    • 1992 – Alberto Fujimori, president of Peru, dissolves the Peruvian congress by military force.
    • 1992 – Peace protesters Suada Dilberovic and Olga Sučić are killed on the Vrbanja Bridge in Sarajevo, becoming the first casualties of the Bosnian War.
    • 1998 – In Japan, the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge opens to traffic, becoming the longest bridge span in the world.
    • 1999 – Two Libyans suspected of bringing down Pan Am Flight 103 in 1988 are handed over for eventual trial in the Netherlands.
    • 2000 – UEFA Cup semi-final violence: Four Galatasaray fans are arrested for the stabbings to death of two Leeds United fans.
    • 2009 – North Korea launches its controversial Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2 rocket. The satellite passed over mainland Japan, which prompted an immediate reaction from the United Nations Security Council, as well as participating states of Six-party talks.
    • 2010 – Twenty-nine coal miners are killed in an explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine in West Virginia.

    Births on April 5

    • 1170 – Isabella of Hainault (d. 1190)
    • 1219 – Wonjong of Goryeo, 24th ruler of Goryeo (d. 1274)
    • 1279 – Al-Nuwayri, Egyptian Muslim historian (d. 1333)
    • 1288 – Emperor Go-Fushimi of Japan (d. 1336)
    • 1315 – James III of Majorca (d. 1349)
    • 1365 – William II, Duke of Bavaria (d. 1417)
    • 1472 – Bianca Maria Sforza, Italian wife of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1510)
    • 1521 – Francesco Laparelli, Italian architect (d. 1570)
    • 1523 – Blaise de Vigenère, French cryptographer and diplomat (d. 1596)
    • 1533 – Giulio della Rovere, Italian Catholic Cardinal (d. 1578)
    • 1539 – George Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach (d. 1603)
    • 1549 – Princess Elizabeth of Sweden, (d. 1597)
    • 1568 – Pope Urban VIII (d. 1644)
    • 1588 – Thomas Hobbes, English philosopher (d. 1679)
    • 1591 – Frederick Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg (d. 1634)
    • 1595 – John Wilson, English composer and educator (d. 1674)
    • 1604 – Charles IV (d. 1675)
    • 1616 – Frederick, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken (d. 1661)
    • 1622 – Vincenzo Viviani, Italian mathematician, astronomer, and physicist (d. 1703)
    • 1649 – Elihu Yale, American-English merchant and philanthropist (d. 1721)
    • 1656 – Nikita Demidov, Russian industrialist (d. 1725)
    • 1664 – Élisabeth Thérèse de Lorraine, French noblewoman and Princess of Epinoy (d. 1748)
    • 1674 – Margravine Elisabeth Sophie of Brandenburg, (d. 1748)
    • 1691 – Louis VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt (d. 1768)
    • 1692 – Adrienne Lecouvreur, French actress (d. 1730)
    • 1719 – Axel von Fersen the Elder, Swedish field marshal and politician, Lord Marshal of Sweden (d. 1794)
    • 1726 – Benjamin Harrison V, American politician, planter and merchant (d. 1791)
    • 1727 – Pasquale Anfossi, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1797)
    • 1729 – Frederick Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (d. 1809)
    • 1730 – Jean Baptiste Seroux d’Agincourt, French archaeologist and historian (d. 1814)
    • 1732 – Jean-Honoré Fragonard, French painter and etcher (d. 1806)
    • 1735 – Franziskus Herzan von Harras, Czech Roman Catholic cardinal (d. 1804)
    • 1739 – Philemon Dickinson, American lawyer and politician (d. 1809)
    • 1752 – Sébastien Érard, French instrument maker (d. 1831)
    • 1761 – Sybil Ludington, American heroine of the American Revolutionary War (d. 1839)
    • 1769 – Sir Thomas Hardy, 1st Baronet, English admiral (d. 1839)
    • 1773 – José María Coppinger, governor of Spanish East Florida (d. 1844)
    • 1773 – Duchess Therese of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, (d. 1839)
    • 1777 – Marie Jules César Savigny, French zoologist (d. 1851)
    • 1782 – Wincenty Krasiński, Polish nobleman (d. 1858)
    • 1784 – Louis Spohr, German violinist, composer, and conductor (d. 1859)
    • 1788 – Franz Pforr, German painter (d. 1812)
    • 1793 – Casimir Delavigne, French poet and dramatist (d. 1843)
    • 1793 – Felix de Muelenaere, Belgian politician (d. 1862)
    • 1795 – Henry Havelock, British general (d. 1857)
    • 1799 – Jacques Denys Choisy, Swiss clergyman and botanist (d. 1859)
    • 1801 – Félix Dujardin, French biologist (d. 1860)
    • 1801 – Vincenzo Gioberti, Italian philosopher, publicist and politician (d. 1852)
    • 1804 – Matthias Jakob Schleiden, German botanist (d. 1881)
    • 1809 – Karl Felix Halm, German scholar and critic (d. 1882)
    • 1810 – Sir Henry Rawlinson, British East India Company army officer and politician (d. 1895)
    • 1811 – Jules Dupré, French painter (d. 1889)
    • 1814 – Felix Lichnowsky, Czech soldier and politician (d. 1848)
    • 1822 – Émile Louis Victor de Laveleye, Belgian economist (d. 1892)
    • 1827 – Joseph Lister, English surgeon and academic (d. 1912)
    • 1832 – Jules Ferry, French lawyer and politician, 44th Prime Minister of France (d. 1893)
    • 1834 – Prentice Mulford, American humorist and author (d. 1891)
    • 1834 – Wilhelm Olbers Focke, German medical doctor and botanist (d. 1922)
    • 1834 – Frank R. Stockton, American writer and humorist (d. 1902)
    • 1835 – Vítězslav Hálek, Czech poet, writer, journalist, dramatist and theatre critic. (d. 1874)
    • 1837 – Algernon Charles Swinburne, English poet, playwright, novelist, and critic (d. 1909)
    • 1839 – Robert Smalls, African-American ship’s pilot, sea captain, and politician (d. 1915)
    • 1840 – Ghazaros Aghayan, Armenian historian and linguist (d. 1911)
    • 1842 – Hans Hildebrand, Swedish archaeologist (d. 1913)
    • 1845 – Friedrich Sigmund Merkel, German anatomist and histopathologist (d. 1919)
    • 1845 – Jules Cambon, French diplomat (d. 1935)
    • 1846 – Sigmund Exner, Austrian physiologist (d. 1926)
    • 1846 – Henry Wellesley, British peer and politician (d. 1900)
    • 1848 – Thure de Thulstrup, American illustrator (d. 1930)
    • 1848 – Ulrich Wille, Swiss army general (d. 1925)
    • 1850 – Enrico Mazzanti, Italian engineer and cartoonist (d. 1910)
    • 1852 – Émile Billard, French sailor (d. 1930)
    • 1852 – Walter W. Winans, American marksman and sculptor (d. 1920)
    • 1852 – Franz Eckert, German composer and musician (d. 1916)
    • 1856 – Booker T. Washington, African-American educator, essayist and historian (d. 1915)
    • 1857 – Alexander of Battenberg (d. 1893)
    • 1858 – Washington Atlee Burpee, Canadian businessman, founded Burpee Seeds (d. 1915)
    • 1859 – Reinhold Seeberg, German theologian (d. 1935)
    • 1860 – Harry S. Barlow, British tennis player (d. 1917)
    • 1862 – Louis Ganne, French conductor (d. 1923)
    • 1862 – Leo Stern, English cellist (d. 1904)
    • 1863 – Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine (d. 1950)
    • 1867 – Ernest Lewis, British tennis player (d. 1930)
    • 1869 – Sergey Chaplygin, Russian physicist, mathematician, and engineer (d. 1942)
    • 1869 – Albert Roussel, French composer (d. 1937)
    • 1870 – Motobu Chōki, Japanese karateka (d. 1944)
    • 1871 – Stanisław Grabski, Polish economist and politician (d. 1949)
    • 1872 – Samuel Cate Prescott, American microbiologist and chemist (d. 1962)
    • 1873 – Joseph Rheden, Austrian astronomer (d. 1946)
    • 1874 – Emmanuel Célestin Suhard, French Cardinal of the Catholic Church (d. 1949)
    • 1874 – Manuel María Ponce Brousset, President of Peru (d. 1966)
    • 1878 – Albert Champion, French cyclist (d. 1927)
    • 1878 – Georg Misch, German philosopher (d. 1965)
    • 1878 – Paul Weinstein, German high jumper (d. 1964)
    • 1879 – Arthur Berriedale Keith, Scottish lawyer (d. 1944)
    • 1879 – Nikolaus zu Dohna-Schlodien, German naval officer and author (d. 1956)
    • 1880 – Eric Carlberg, Swedish Army officer, diplomat, shooter, fencer and modern pentathlete (d. 1963)
    • 1880 – Vilhelm Carlberg, Swedish Army officer and shooter (d. 1970)
    • 1882 – Song Jiaoren, Chinese revolutionary (d. 1913)
    • 1882 – Natalia Sedova, 2nd wife of Leon Trotsky (d. 1962)
    • 1883 – Walter Huston, Canadian-American actor and singer (d. 1950)
    • 1884 – Ion Inculeț, Bessarabian academic and politician, President of Moldova (d. 1940)
    • 1885 – Dimitrie Cuclin, Romanian composer (d. 1978)
    • 1886 – Gotthelf Bergsträsser, German linguist (d. 1933)
    • 1886 – Frederick Lindemann, British physicist (d. 1957)
    • 1886 – Gustavo Jiménez, Peruvian colonel and politician, 73rd President of Peru (d. 1933)
    • 1887 – William Cowhig, British gymnast (d. 1964)
    • 1889 – Vicente Ferreira Pastinha, Brazilian martial artist (d. 1981)
    • 1890 – Karl Kirk, Danish gymnast (d. 1955)
    • 1890 – William Moore, British track and field athlete (d. 1956)
    • 1891 – Arnold Jackson, English runner, soldier, and lawyer (d. 1972)
    • 1891 – Laura Vicuña, Chilean nun (d. 1904)
    • 1892 – Raymond Bonney, American ice hockey player (d. 1964)
    • 1893 – Frithjof Andersen, Norwegian wrestler (d. 1975)
    • 1893 – Clas Thunberg, Finnish speed skater (d. 1973)
    • 1894 – Lawrence Dale Bell, American industrialist and founder of Bell Aircraft Corporation (d. 1956)
    • 1894 – Hans Hüttig, German SS officer (d. 1980)
    • 1894 – Carl Rudolf Florin, Swedish botanist (d. 1965)
    • 1895 – Mike O’Dowd, American boxer (d. 1957)
    • 1896 – Einar Lundborg, Swedish aviator (d. 1931)
    • 1897 – Hans Schuberth, German politician (d. 1976)
    • 1899 – Alfred Blalock, American surgeon and academic (d. 1964)
    • 1900 – Herbert Bayer, Austrian-American graphic designer, painter, and photographer (d. 1985)
    • 1900 – Roman Steinberg, Estonian wrestler (d. 1928)
    • 1900 – Spencer Tracy, American actor (d. 1967)
    • 1901 – Curt Bois, German actor (d. 1991)
    • 1901 – Chester Bowles, American diplomat and ambassador (d. 1986)
    • 1901 – Melvyn Douglas, American actor (d. 1981)
    • 1901 – Doggie Julian, American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach (d. 1967)
    • 1902 – Menachem Mendel Schneerson, Russian-American rabbi (d. 1994)
    • 1903 – Marion Aye, American actress (d. 1951)
    • 1904 – Richard Eberhart, American poet and academic (d. 2005)
    • 1906 – Albert Charles Smith, American botanist (d. 1999)
    • 1906 – Fernando Germani, Italian organist (d. 1998)
    • 1906 – Ted Morgan, New Zealand boxer (d. 1952)
    • 1907 – Sanya Dharmasakti, Thai jurist (d. 2002)
    • 1908 – Bette Davis, American actress (d. 1989)
    • 1908 – Kurt Neumann, German director (d. 1958)
    • 1908 – Jagjivan Ram, Indian politician, 4th Deputy Prime Minister of India (d. 1986)
    • 1908 – Herbert von Karajan, Austrian conductor and manager (d. 1989)
    • 1909 – Albert R. Broccoli, American film producer, co-founded Eon Productions (d. 1996)
    • 1909 – Giacomo Gentilomo, Italian film director and painter (d. 2001)
    • 1909 – Károly Sós, Hungarian footballer and manager (d. 1991)
    • 1909 – Erwin Wegner, German hurdler (d. 1945)
    • 1910 – Sven Andersson, Swedish politician (d. 1987)
    • 1910 – Oronzo Pugliese, Italian football manager (d. 1990)
    • 1911 – Hedi Amara Nouira, Tunisian politician (d. 1993)
    • 1911 – Johnny Revolta, American golfer (d. 1991)
    • 1912 – Jehan Buhan, French fencer (d. 1999)
    • 1912 – Habib Elghanian, Iranian businessman (d. 1979)
    • 1912 – Antonio Ferri, Italian scientist (d. 1975)
    • 1912 – Carlos Guastavino, Argentine composer (d. 2000)
    • 1912 – Makar Honcharenko, Ukrainian footballer and manager (d. 1997)
    • 1912 – John Le Mesurier, English actor (d. 1983)
    • 1912 – István Örkény, Hungarian author and playwright (d. 1979)
    • 1912 – Bill Roberts, English sprinter and soldier (d. 2001)
    • 1913 – Antoni Clavé, Catalan artist (d. 2005)
    • 1913 – Nicolas Grunitzky, 2nd President of Togo (d. 1969)
    • 1913 – Ruth Smith, Faroese artist (d. 1958)
    • 1914 – Felice Borel, Italian footballer (d. 1993)
    • 1916 – Gregory Peck, American actor, political activist, and producer (d. 2003)
    • 1917 – Robert Bloch, American author (d. 1994)
    • 1917 – Frans Gommers, Belgian footballer (d. 1996)
    • 1919 – Lester James Peries, Sri Lankan director, screenwriter, and producer (d. 2018)
    • 1920 – Barend Biesheuvel, Dutch politician, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (d. 2001)
    • 1920 – Arthur Hailey, English-Canadian soldier and author (d. 2004)
    • 1920 – Alfonso Thiele, Turkish-Italian race car driver (d. 1986)
    • 1920 – John Willem Gran, Swedish bishop (d. 2008)
    • 1921 – Christopher Hewett, English actor and theatre director (d. 2001)
    • 1922 – Tom Finney, English footballer (d. 2014)
    • 1922 – Harry Freedman, Polish-Canadian horn player, composer, and educator (d. 2005)
    • 1922 – Andy Linden, American race car driver (d. 1987)
    • 1922 – Gale Storm, American actress and singer (d. 2009)
    • 1923 – Ernest Mandel, German-born Belgian Marxist economist, Trotskyist activist and theorist (d. 1995)
    • 1923 – Michael V. Gazzo, American actor (d. 1995)
    • 1923 – Nguyễn Văn Thiệu, Vietnamese general and politician, 5th President of South Vietnam (d. 2001)
    • 1924 – Igor Borisov, Soviet rower (d. before 2005)
    • 1925 – Janet Rowley, American human geneticist (d. 2013)
    • 1925 – Pierre Nihant, Belgian cyclist (d. 1993)
    • 1926 – Roger Corman, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1926 – Liang Yusheng, Chinese writer (d. 2009)
    • 1927 – Thanin Kraivichien, Thai lawyer and politician
    • 1927 – Arne Hoel, Norwegian ski jumper (d. 2006)
    • 1928 – Enzo Cannavale, Italian actor (d. 2011)
    • 1928 – Tony Williams, American singer (d. 1992)
    • 1929 – Hugo Claus, Belgian author, poet, and painter (d. 2008)
    • 1929 – Ivar Giaever, Norwegian-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1929 – Nigel Hawthorne, English actor and producer (d. 2001)
    • 1929 – Joe Meek, English songwriter and producer (d. 1967)
    • 1929 – Mahmoud Mollaghasemi, Iranian wrestler
    • 1930 – Mary Costa, American singer and actress
    • 1930 – Pierre Lhomme, French director of photography (d. 2019)
    • 1931 – Jack Clement, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2013)
    • 1931 – Héctor Olivera, Argentine director, producer and screenwriter
    • 1933 – Feridun Buğeker, Turkish footballer (d. 2014)
    • 1933 – Frank Gorshin, American actor (d. 2005)
    • 1933 – Barbara Holland, American author (d. 2010)
    • 1933 – K. Kailasapathy, Sri Lankan journalist and academic (d. 1982)
    • 1934 – John Carey, English author and critic
    • 1934 – Roman Herzog, German lawyer and politician, 7th President of Germany (d. 2017)
    • 1934 – Moise Safra, Brazilian businessman and philanthropist, co-founded Banco Safra (d. 2014)
    • 1934 – Stanley Turrentine, American saxophonist and composer (d. 2000)
    • 1935 – Giovanni Cianfriglia, Italian actor
    • 1935 – Peter Grant, English talent manager (d. 1995)
    • 1935 – Donald Lynden-Bell, English astrophysicist and astronomer (d. 2018)
    • 1935 – Frank Schepke, German rower (d. 2017)
    • 1936 – Ronnie Bucknum, American race car driver (d. 1992)
    • 1936 – Glenn Jordan, American director and producer
    • 1936 – Dragoljub Minić, Yugoslavian chess Grandmaster (d. 2005)
    • 1937 – Joseph Lelyveld, American journalist and author
    • 1937 – Jean-Pierre Petit, French scientist
    • 1937 – Colin Powell, American general and politician, 65th United States Secretary of State
    • 1937 – Andrzej Schinzel, Polish mathematician
    • 1937 – Arie Selinger, Israeli volleyball player and manager
    • 1937 – Juan Vicente Lezcano, Paraguayan footballer (d. 2012)
    • 1938 – Colin Bland, Zimbabwean-South African cricketer (d. 2018)
    • 1938 – Mal Colston, Australian educator and politician (d. 2003)
    • 1938 – Nancy Holt, American sculptor and painter (d. 2014)
    • 1938 – Natalya Kustinskaya, Soviet actress (d. 2012)
    • 1939 – Leka I, Crown Prince of Albania (d. 2011)
    • 1939 – Crispian St. Peters, English singer-songwriter (d. 2010)
    • 1939 – Haidar Abu Bakr al-Attas, Prime Minister of Yemen
    • 1939 – Ronald White, American singer-songwriter (d. 1995)
    • 1939 – David Winters, English-American actor, choreographer and producer (d. 2019)
    • 1940 – Tommy Cash, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1940 – Gilles Proulx, Canadian journalist, historian, and radio host
    • 1941 – Michael Moriarty, American-Canadian actor
    • 1941 – Dave Swarbrick, English singer-songwriter and fiddler (d. 2016)
    • 1942 – Allan Clarke, English singer-songwriter
    • 1942 – Pascal Couchepin, Swiss politician
    • 1942 – Juan Gisbert Sr., Spanish tennis player
    • 1942 – Peter Greenaway, Welsh director and screenwriter
    • 1943 – Dean Brown, Australian politician, 41st Premier of South Australia
    • 1943 – Max Gail, American actor and director
    • 1943 – Fighting Harada, Japanese boxer
    • 1943 – Miet Smet, Belgian politician
    • 1943 – Jean-Louis Tauran, French cardinal (d. 2018)
    • 1944 – Willeke van Ammelrooy, Dutch actress and director
    • 1944 – János Martonyi, Hungarian politician
    • 1944 – Evan Parker, British musician
    • 1944 – Douangchay Phichit, Laotian politician (d. 2014)
    • 1944 – Willy Planckaert, Belgian cyclist
    • 1944 – Pedro Rosselló, Puerto Rican physician and politician, 7th Governor of Puerto Rico
    • 1944 – Peter T. King, American soldier, lawyer, and politician
    • 1945 – Ove Bengtson, Swedish tennis player
    • 1945 – Steve Carver, American director and producer
    • 1945 – Cem Karaca, Turkish musician (d. 2004)
    • 1945 – Tommy Smith, English footballer (d. 2019)
    • 1946 – Jane Asher, English actress
    • 1946 – Julio Ángel Fernández, Uruguayan astronomer
    • 1946 – Björn Granath, Swedish actor (d. 2017)
    • 1946 – Georgi Markov, Bulgarian Greco-Roman wrestler
    • 1947 – Đurđica Bjedov, Yugoslav swimmer
    • 1947 – Willy Chirino, Cuban-American musician
    • 1947 – Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Filipino academic and politician, 14th President of the Philippines
    • 1947 – Ramón Mifflin, Peruvian footballer
    • 1947 – Virendra Sharma, Indian-English lawyer and politician
    • 1948 – Pierre-Albert Chapuisat, Swiss footballer
    • 1948 – Dave Holland, English drummer (d. 2018)
    • 1948 – Roy McFarland, English footballer and manager
    • 1949 – Stanley Dziedzic, American wrestler
    • 1949 – Larry Franco, American film producer
    • 1949 – Judith Resnik, Ukrainian-American engineer and astronaut (d. 1986)
    • 1950 – Ann C. Crispin, American writer (d. 2013)
    • 1950 – Franklin Chang Díaz, Costa Rican-Chinese American astronaut and physicist
    • 1950 – Agnetha Fältskog, Swedish singer-songwriter and producer
    • 1950 – Toshiko Fujita, Japanese actress, singer and narrator (d. 2018)
    • 1950 – Miki Manojlović, Serbian actor
    • 1951 – Les Binks, Irish drummer and songwriter
    • 1951 – Yevgeniy Gavrilenko, Belarusian hurdler
    • 1951 – Nedim Gürsel, Turkish writer
    • 1951 – Dean Kamen, American inventor and businessman, founded Segway Inc.
    • 1951 – Dave McArtney, New Zealand singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2013)
    • 1951 – Ubol Ratana, Thai Princess
    • 1952 – Alfie Conn, Scottish international footballer, midfielder
    • 1952 – John C. Dvorak, American author and editor
    • 1952 – Sandy Mayer, American tennis player
    • 1952 – Dennis Mortimer, English footballer
    • 1952 – Mitch Pileggi, American actor
    • 1953 – Frank Gaffney, American journalist and radio host
    • 1953 – Keiko Han, Japanese actress
    • 1953 – Tae Jin-ah, South Korean singer
    • 1953 – Raleb Majadele, Israeli politician
    • 1953 – Ian Swales, English accountant and politician
    • 1954 – Guy Bertrand, Canadian linguist and radio host
    • 1954 – Peter Case, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1954 – Mohamed Ben Mouza, Tunisian footballer
    • 1954 – Stan Ridgway, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1954 – Yoshiichi Watanabe, Japanese footballer
    • 1955 – Charlotte de Turckheim, French actress, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1955 – Ricardo Ferrero, Argentine footballer (d. 2015)
    • 1955 – Christian Gourcuff, French footballer and manager
    • 1955 – Anthony Horowitz, English author and screenwriter
    • 1955 – Bernard Longley, English prelate
    • 1955 – Akira Toriyama, Japanese illustrator
    • 1955 – Takayoshi Yamano, Japanese footballer
    • 1956 – Diamond Dallas Page, American wrestler and actor
    • 1956 – Leonid Fedun, Russian businessman
    • 1956 – Reid Ribble, American politician
    • 1957 – Sebastian Adayanthrath, Indian bishop
    • 1957 – Karin Roßley, German hurdler
    • 1958 – Henrik Dettmann, Finnish basketball coach
    • 1958 – Ryoichi Kawakatsu, Japanese footballer
    • 1958 – Johan Kriek, South African-American tennis player
    • 1958 – Daniel Schneidermann, French journalist
    • 1958 – Lasantha Wickrematunge, Sri Lankan lawyer and journalist (d. 2009)
    • 1959 – Paul Chung, Hong Kong actor and host (d. 1989)
    • 1960 – Asteris Koutoulas, Romanian-German record producer, manager, and author
    • 1960 – Larry McCray, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1960 – Ian Redford, Scottish footballer and manager (d. 2014)
    • 1960 – Hiromi Taniguchi, Japanese long-distance runner
    • 1960 – Adnan Terzić, Bosnian politician
    • 1961 – Andrea Arnold, English filmmaker and actress
    • 1961 – Anna Caterina Antonacci, Italian soprano
    • 1961 – Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, Bahraini-Danish human rights activist
    • 1961 – Lisa Zane, American actress and singer
    • 1962 – Lana Clarkson, American actress and model (d. 2003)
    • 1962 – Sara Danius, Swedish scholar of literature and aesthetics
    • 1962 – Richard Gough, Swedish born Scottish international footballer
    • 1962 – Arild Monsen, Norwegian cross-country skier
    • 1962 – Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, Russian businessman and politician, 1st President of Kalmykia
    • 1963 – Arthur Adams, American comic book artist and writer
    • 1964 – Neil Eckersley, British judoka
    • 1964 – Vakhtang Iagorashvili, Soviet modern pentathlete
    • 1964 – Levon Julfalakyan, Soviet Armenian Greco-Roman wrestler
    • 1964 – Marius Lăcătuș, Romanian footballer and coach
    • 1965 – Aykut Kocaman, Turkish footballer and manager
    • 1965 – Lang Tzu-yun, Taiwanese actress
    • 1965 – Elizabeth McIntyre, American freestyle skier
    • 1965 – Svetlana Paramygina, Belarusian biathlete
    • 1966 – Yoon Hyun, South Korean judoka
    • 1966 – Mike McCready, American guitarist and songwriter
    • 1967 – Troy Gentry, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2017)
    • 1967 – Franck Silvestre, French footballer
    • 1967 – Erland Johnsen, Norwegian footballer
    • 1967 – Laima Zilporytė, Soviet cyclist
    • 1968 – Paula Cole, American singer-songwriter and pianist
    • 1969 – Dinos Angelidis, Greek basketball player
    • 1969 – Viatcheslav Djavanian, Russian cyclist
    • 1969 – Pontus Kåmark, Swedish footballer
    • 1969 – Pavlo Khnykin, Ukrainian swimmer
    • 1969 – Tomislav Piplica, Bosnian footballer and manager
    • 1969 – Ravindra Prabhat, Indian writer and journalist
    • 1970 – Soheil Ayari, French race car driver
    • 1970 – Valérie Bonneton, French actress
    • 1970 – Diamond D, American hip hop producer
    • 1970 – Petar Genov, Bulgarian chess grandmaster
    • 1970 – Thea Gill, Canadian actress
    • 1970 – Miho Hatori, Japanese singer-songwriter
    • 1970 – Irina Timofeyeva, Russian long-distance runner
    • 1971 – Dong Abay, Filipino singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1971 – Austin Berry, Costa Rican footballer
    • 1971 – Simona Cavallari, Italian actress
    • 1971 – Victoria Hamilton, English actress
    • 1971 – Nelson Parraguez, Chilean footballer
    • 1971 – Kim Soo-nyung, South Korean archer
    • 1972 – Krista Allen, American actress
    • 1972 – Nima Arkani-Hamed, American-Canadian theoretical physicist
    • 1972 – Tom Coronel, Dutch race car driver
    • 1972 – Paul Okon, Australian footballer and manager
    • 1972 – Yasuhiro Takemoto, Japanese animator and director (d. 2019)
    • 1972 – Junko Takeuchi, Japanese actress
    • 1973 – Élodie Bouchez, French-American actress
    • 1973 – Lidia Trettel, Italian snowboarder
    • 1973 – Pharrell Williams, American singer, songwriter and rapper
    • 1974 – Sandra Bagarić, Croatian opera singer and actress
    • 1974 – Julien Boutter, French tennis player
    • 1974 – Katja Holanti, Finnish biathlete
    • 1974 – Oleg Khodkov, Russian handball player
    • 1974 – Ariel López, Argentine footballer
    • 1974 – Lukas Ridgeston, Slovak actor and director
    • 1974 – Vyacheslav Voronin, Russian high jumper
    • 1975 – Sarah Baldock, English organist and conductor
    • 1975 – John Hartson, Welsh footballer and coach
    • 1975 – Juicy J, American rapper and producer
    • 1975 – Serhiy Klymentiev, Ukrainian ice hockey player
    • 1975 – Caitlin Moran, English journalist, author, and critic
    • 1975 – Marcos Vales, Spanish footballer
    • 1975 – Shammond Williams, American basketball player and coach
    • 1976 – Luis de Agustini, Uruguayan footballer
    • 1976 – Péter Biros, Hungarian water polo player
    • 1976 – Sterling K. Brown, American actor
    • 1976 – Aleksei Budõlin, Estonian judoka
    • 1976 – Simone Inzaghi, Italian footballer
    • 1976 – Fernando Morientes, Spanish footballer and coach
    • 1976 – Natascha Ragosina, Russian boxer
    • 1976 – Henrik Stenson, Swedish golfer
    • 1976 – Valeria Straneo, Italian long-distance runner
    • 1976 – Indrek Tobreluts, Estonian biathlete
    • 1976 – Anouska van der Zee, Dutch cyclist
    • 1977 – Jonathan Erlich, Israeli tennis player
    • 1977 – Trevor Letowski, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1977 – Daniel Majstorović, Swedish footballer
    • 1978 – Dwain Chambers, British track sprinter
    • 1978 – Marcone Amaral Costa, Qatari footballer
    • 1978 – Tarek El-Said, Egyptian footballer
    • 1978 – Jairo Patiño, Colombian footballer
    • 1978 – Sohyang, South Korean singer
    • 1978 – Stephen Jackson, American basketball player
    • 1978 – Arnaud Tournant, French cyclist
    • 1978 – Franziska van Almsick, German swimmer
    • 1978 – Günther Weidlinger, Austrian long-distance runner
    • 1979 – Vlada Avramov, Serbian footballer
    • 1979 – Josh Boone, American screenwriter and director
    • 1979 – Song Dae-nam, South Korean judoka
    • 1979 – Timo Hildebrand, German footballer
    • 1979 – Imany, French singer
    • 1979 – Barel Mouko, Congolese footballer
    • 1979 – Cesare Natali, Italian footballer
    • 1979 – Mitsuo Ogasawara, Japanese footballer
    • 1979 – Alexander Resch, German luger
    • 1979 – Andrius Velička, Lithuanian footballer
    • 1979 – Dante Wesley, American football player
    • 1979 – Chen Yanqing, Chinese weightlifter
    • 1980 – Matt Bonner, American basketball player
    • 1980 – Alberta Brianti, Italian tennis player
    • 1980 – Rafael Cavalcante, Brazilian mixed martial artist
    • 1980 – David Chocarro, Argentinian baseball player and actor
    • 1980 – Mike Glumac, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1980 – Mario Kasun, Croatian basketball player
    • 1980 – Lee Jae-won, South Korean DJ and singer
    • 1980 – Joris Mathijsen, Dutch footballer
    • 1980 – Rasmus Quist Hansen, Danish rower
    • 1980 – Odlanier Solís, Cuban boxer
    • 1981 – Matthew Emmons, American rifle shooter
    • 1981 – Michael A. Monsoor, American sailor, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 2006)
    • 1981 – Mariqueen Maandig, Filipino-American musician and singer-songwriter
    • 1981 – Daba Modibo Keïta, Malian taekwondo athlete
    • 1981 – Marissa Nadler, American musician
    • 1981 – Tom Riley, English actor and producer
    • 1981 – Mompati Thuma, Botswana footballer
    • 1981 – Pieter Weening, Dutch cyclist
    • 1982 – Hayley Atwell, English-American actress
    • 1982 – Matheus Coradini Vivian, Brazilian footballer
    • 1982 – Thomas Hitzlsperger, German footballer
    • 1982 – Kelly Pavlik, American boxer
    • 1982 – Matt Pickens, American soccer player
    • 1982 – Alexandre Prémat, French race car driver
    • 1982 – Danylo Sapunov, Ukrainian-Kazakhstani triathlete
    • 1982 – Hubert Schwab, Swiss cyclist
    • 1982 – Marcel Seip, Dutch former footballer
    • 1983 – Jaime Castrillón, Colombian footballer
    • 1983 – Jorge Andrés Martínez, Uruguayan footballer
    • 1983 – Brock Radunske, Canadian-South Korean ice hockey player
    • 1983 – Yohann Sangaré, French basketball player
    • 1983 – Cécile Storti, French cross-country skier
    • 1983 – Shikha Uberoi, Indian-American tennis player
    • 1984 – Marshall Allman, American actor
    • 1984 – Aram Mp3, Armenian singer and comedian
    • 1984 – Rune Brattsveen, Norwegian biathlete
    • 1984 – Alexei Glukhov, Russian ice hockey player
    • 1984 – Maartje Goderie, Dutch field hockey player
    • 1984 – Darija Jurak, Croatian tennis player
    • 1984 – Dejan Kelhar, Slovenian footballer
    • 1984 – Dmitry Kozonchuk, Russian cyclist
    • 1984 – Shin Min-a, South Korean actress
    • 1984 – Jess Sum, Hong Kong actress
    • 1984 – Peter Penz, Austrian luger
    • 1984 – Samuele Preisig, Swiss footballer
    • 1984 – Cristian Săpunaru, Romanian footballer
    • 1984 – Fabio Vitaioli, San Marinese footballer
    • 1984 – Kisho Yano, Japanese footballer
    • 1984 – Saba Qamar, Pakistani actress-model
    • 1985 – Daniel Congré, French footballer
    • 1985 – Erwin l’Ami, Dutch chess player
    • 1985 – Jolanda Keizer, Dutch heptathlete
    • 1985 – Sergey Khachatryan, Armenian violinist
    • 1985 – Linas Pilibaitis, Lithuanian footballer
    • 1985 – Jan Smeets, Dutch chess grandmaster
    • 1985 – Kristof Vandewalle, Belgian cyclist
    • 1986 – Anna Sophia Berglund, American model and actress
    • 1986 – Anzor Boltukayev, Chechen wrestler
    • 1986 – Diego Chará, Colombian footballer
    • 1986 – Charlotte Flair, American wrestler, author and actress
    • 1986 – Róbert Kasza, Hungarian Modern pentathlete
    • 1986 – Eetu Muinonen, Finnish footballer
    • 1986 – Manuel Ruz, Spanish footballer
    • 1986 – Albert Selimov, Azerbaijani boxer
    • 1987 – Max Grün, German footballer
    • 1987 – Balázs Hárai, Hungarian water polo player
    • 1987 – Anton Kokorin, Russian sprint athlete
    • 1987 – Fyodor Kudryashov, Russian footballer
    • 1987 – Etiënne Reijnen, Dutch footballer
    • 1988 – Gerson Acevedo, Chilean footballer
    • 1988 – Teresa Almeida, Angolan handball player
    • 1988 – Quade Cooper, New Zealand rugby player and boxer
    • 1988 – Jonathan Davies, Welsh rugby union player
    • 1988 – Gevorg Ghazaryan, Armenian footballer
    • 1988 – Alisha Glass, American ex-indoor volleyball player
    • 1988 – Vurğun Hüseynov, Azerbaijani footballer
    • 1988 – Matthias Jaissle, German footballer and manager
    • 1988 – Jon Kwang-ik, North Korean footballer
    • 1988 – Christopher Papamichalopoulos, Cypriot skier
    • 1988 – Zack Smith, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1988 – Pape Sy, French basketball player
    • 1988 – Alexey Volkov, Russian biathlete
    • 1989 – Kader Amadou, Nigerien footballer
    • 1989 – Yémi Apithy, Beninese fencer
    • 1989 – Liemarvin Bonevacia, Dutch sprinter
    • 1989 – Freddie Fox, English actor
    • 1989 – Emre Güral, Turkish footballer
    • 1989 – Justin Holiday, American basketball player
    • 1989 – Rachel Homan, Canadian curler
    • 1989 – Lily James, English actress
    • 1989 – Trevor Marsicano, American speed skater
    • 1989 – Jonathan Rossini, Swiss footballer
    • 1989 – Kiki Sukezane, Japanese actress
    • 1989 – Sosuke Takatani, Japanese wrestler
    • 1990 – Alex Cuthbert, Welsh rugby player
    • 1990 – Amer Said Al-Shatri, Omani footballer
    • 1990 – Fredy Hinestroza, Colombian footballer
    • 1990 – Chen Huijia, Chinese swimmer
    • 1990 – Haruma Miura, Japanese actor and singer
    • 1990 – Ismaeel Mohammad, Qatari footballer
    • 1990 – Iryna Pamialova, Belarusian canoeist
    • 1990 – Jakub Sedláček, Czech ice hockey player
    • 1990 – Sercan Yıldırım, Turkish footballer
    • 1990 – Género Zeefuik, Dutch footballer
    • 1991 – Yassine Bounou, Moroccan footballer
    • 1991 – Nathaniel Clyne, English footballer
    • 1991 – Adriano Grimaldi, Italian-German footballer
    • 1991 – Joël Mall, Swiss footballer
    • 1991 – Guilherme dos Santos Torres, Brazilian footballer
    • 1992 – Emmalyn Estrada, Canadian singer-songwriter and dancer
    • 1992 – Shintaro Kurumaya, Japanese footballer
    • 1992 – Kaveh Rezaei, Iranian footballer
    • 1992 – Dmytro Ryzhuk, Ukrainian footballer
    • 1993 – Andreas Bouchalakis, Greek footballer
    • 1993 – Maya DiRado, American swimmer
    • 1993 – Laura Feiersinger, Austrian footballer
    • 1993 – Scottie Wilbekin, American-born naturalized Turkish basketball player
    • 1994 – Mateusz Bieniek, Polish volleyball player
    • 1994 – Edem Rjaïbi, Tunisian footballer
    • 1994 – Richard Sánchez, Mexican footballer
    • 1995 – Viliame Kikau, Fijian rugby league player
    • 1995 – Sei Muroya, Japanese footballer
    • 1995 – Gleb Rassadkin, Belarusian footballer
    • 1995 – Sebastian Starke Hedlund, Swedish footballer
    • 1996 – Nicolas Beer, Danish race car driver
    • 1996 – Raouf Benguit, Algerian footballer
    • 1997 – Borja Mayoral, Spanish footballer
    • 1998 – Jeremy Olson
    • 1999 – Andrea Buwalda
    • 2000 – Ayush Mahesh Khedekar, Indian actor
    • 2001 – Thylane Blondeau, French model and actress

    Deaths on April 5

    • 517 – Timothy I, Byzantine patriarch
    • 582 – Eutychius, Byzantine patriarch
    • 584 – Ruadán of Lorrha, Irish abbot
    • 828 – Nikephoros I, Byzantine patriarch
    • 902 – Al-Mu’tadid, Abbasid caliph
    • 1168 – Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester, English politician (b. 1104)
    • 1183 – Ramon Berenguer III, Spanish count of Cerdanya and Provence
    • 1205 – Isabella I of Jerusalem, queen regent of Jerusalem (b. 1172)
    • 1258 – Juliana of Liège, Belgian canoness and saint
    • 1308 – Ivan Kőszegi, Hungarian baron and oligarch
    • 1325 – Ralph de Monthermer, 1st Baron of Monthermer and Earl of Gloucester (b. c.1270)
    • 1419 – Vincent Ferrer, Spanish missionary and saint (b. 1350)
    • 1431 – Bernard I, margrave of Baden-Baden (b. 1364)
    • 1512 – Lazzaro Bastiani, Italian painter (b. 1429)
    • 1534 – Jan Matthys, Dutch anabaptist reformer
    • 1594 – Catherine of Palma, Spanish nun (b. 1533)
    • 1617 – Alonso Lobo, Spanish composer (b. 1555)
    • 1626 – Anna Koltovskaya, Russian tsarina
    • 1673 – François Caron, Belgian-French explorer and politician, 8th Governor of Formosa (b. 1600)
    • 1674 – George Frederick, prince of Nassau-Siegen (b. 1606)
    • 1679 – Anne Geneviève de Bourbon, French princess (b. 1619)
    • 1684 – William Brouncker, English mathematician (b. 1620)
    • 1684 – Karl Eusebius, prince of Liechtenstein (b. 1611)
    • 1693 – Anne Marie Louise d’Orléans, French noblewoman (b. 1627)
    • 1693 – Philip William August, German nobleman (b. 1668)
    • 1695 – George Savile, English politician, Lord President of the Council (b. 1633)
    • 1697 – Charles XI, king of Sweden (b. 1655)
    • 1704 – Christian Ulrich I, German nobleman and Duke of Württemberg-Oels (b. 1652)
    • 1708 – Christian Heinrich, German prince and member of the House of Hohenzollern (b. 1661)
    • 1709 – Roger de Piles, French painter, engraver, art critic and diplomat (b. 1635)
    • 1712 – Jan Luyken, Dutch poet, illustrator and engraver (b. 1649)
    • 1717 – Jean Jouvenet, French painter (b. 1647)
    • 1723 – Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, Austrian architect, sculptor and historian (b. 1656)
    • 1735 – William Derham, English minister and philosopher (b. 1657)
    • 1751 – Frederick I, prince consort and king of Sweden (b. 1676)
    • 1765 – Edward Young, English poet and author (b. 1683)
    • 1767 – Princess Charlotte Wilhelmine of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, German princess of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (b. 1685)
    • 1768 – Egidio Forcellini, Italian philologist (b. 1688)
    • 1769 – Marc-Antoine Laugier, Jesuit priest (b. 1713)
    • 1794 – Georges Danton, French lawyer and politician, French Minister of Justice (b. 1759)
    • 1794 – François Chabot, French politician (b. 1756)
    • 1794 – Camille Desmoulins, French journalist, lawyer, and politician (b. 1760)
    • 1794 – Fabre d’Églantine, French actor, dramatist, poet and politician (b. 1750)
    • 1794 – Marie-Jean Hérault de Séchelles, French judge and politician (b. 1759)
    • 1794 – Pierre Philippeaux, French lawyer (b. 1754)
    • 1794 – François Joseph Westermann, French general (b. 1751)
    • 1799 – Johann Christoph Gatterer, German historian (b. 1727)
    • 1804 – Jean-Charles Pichegru, French general (b. 1761)
    • 1808 – Johann Georg Wille, German engraver (b. 1715)
    • 1830 – Richard Chenevix, Irish chemist and playwright (b. 1774)
    • 1831 – Pierre Léonard Vander Linden, Belgian entomologist (b. 1797)
    • 1842 – Shah Shujah Durrani, 5th Emir of Afghanistan (b. 1785)
    • 1852 – Prince Felix of Schwarzenberg, (b. 1800)
    • 1861 – Ferdinand Joachimsthal, German mathematician (b. 1818)
    • 1862 – Barend Cornelis Koekkoek, Dutch artist (b. 1803)
    • 1865 – Manfredo Fanti, Italian general (b. 1806)
    • 1866 – Thomas Hodgkin, British physician (b. 1798)
    • 1868 – Karel Purkyně, Czech painter (b. 1834)
    • 1871 – Paolo Savi, Italian geologist and ornithologist (b. 1798)
    • 1872 – Paul-Auguste-Ernest Laugier, French astronomer (b. 1812)
    • 1873 – Milivoje Blaznavac, Serbian soldier and politician (b. 1824)
    • 1882 – Pierre Guillaume Frédéric le Play, (b. 1806)
    • 1888 – Vsevolod Garshin, Russian author (b. 1855)
    • 1891 – Johann Hermann Bauer, (b. 1861)
    • 1900 – Joseph Bertrand, French mathematician, economist, and academic (b. 1822)
    • 1900 – Osman Nuri Pasha, Ottoman field marshal and the hero of the Siege of Plevna in 1877 (b. 1832)
    • 1901 – Angelo Messedaglia, Italian social scientist and statistician (b. 1820)
    • 1902 – Hans Ernst August Buchner, German bacteriologist (b. 1850)
    • 1904 – Ernst Leopold, 4th Prince of Leiningen (b. 1830)
    • 1904 – Frances Power Cobbe, Irish writer (b. 1822)
    • 1906 – Eastman Johnson, American painter (b. 1824)
    • 1914 – Bernard Borggreve, German forestry scientist (b. 1836)
    • 1916 – Maksim Kovalevsky, Russian sociologist (b. 1851)
    • 1918 – George Tupou II, King of Tonga (b. 1874)
    • 1918 – Paul Vidal de La Blache, French geographer (b. 1845)
    • 1920 – Laurent Marqueste, French sculptor (b. 1848)
    • 1921 – Alphons Diepenbrock, Dutch composer (b. 1862)
    • 1921 – Sophie Elkan, Swedish-Jewish writer and translator (b. 1853)
    • 1923 – George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon, English archaeologist and businessman (b. 1866)
    • 1924 – Victor Hensen, German zoologist (b. 1835)
    • 1928 – Roy Kilner, English cricketer and soldier (b. 1890)
    • 1928 – Viktor Oliva, Czech painter and illustrator (b. 1861)
    • 1929 – Francis Aidan Gasquet, English Benedictine monk (b. 1846)
    • 1929 – Ludwig von Sybel, German archeologist (b. 1846)
    • 1932 – María Blanchard, Spanish painter (b. 1881)
    • 1933 – Earl Derr Biggers, American novelist and playwright (b. 1884)
    • 1933 – Hjalmar Mellin, Finnish mathematician and functional theorist (b. 1854)
    • 1934 – Salvatore Di Giacomo, Italian poet, playwright, songwriter and fascist intellectual (b. 1860)
    • 1934 – Jiro Sato, Japanese tennis player (b. 1908)
    • 1935 – Achille Locatelli, Roman Catholic cardinal (b. 1856)
    • 1935 – Emil Młynarski, Polish conductor, violinist, composer, and pedagogue (b. 1870)
    • 1935 – Franz von Vecsey, Hungarian violinist and composer (b. 1893)
    • 1936 – Chandler Egan, American golfer and architect (b. 1884)
    • 1937 – Gustav Adolf Deissmann, (b. 1866)
    • 1937 – José Benlliure y Gil, Spanish painter (b. 1858)
    • 1938 – Helena Westermarck, Finnish artist and writer (b. 1857)
    • 1938 – Verner Lehtimäki, Finnish revolutionary (b. 1890)
    • 1940 – Charles Freer Andrews, English-Indian priest, missionary, and educator (b. 1871)
    • 1940 – Robert Maillart, Swiss civil engineer (b. 1872)
    • 1940 – Jay O’Brien, American bobsledder (b. 1883)
    • 1940 – Song Zheyuan, Chinese general (b. 1885)
    • 1941 – Parvin E’tesami, Persian poet (b. 1907)
    • 1941 – Nigel Gresley, Scottish-English engineer (b. 1876)
    • 1941 – Franciszek Kleeberg, Polish general (b. 1888)
    • 1945 – Heinrich Borgmann, German officer (b. 1912)
    • 1945 – Karl-Otto Koch, German SS officer (b. 1897)
    • 1946 – Vincent Youmans, American composer and producer (b. 1898)
    • 1947 – Bernhard Pankok, German painter, artist and architect (b. 1872)
    • 1947 – Elis Strömgren, Swedish-Danish astronomer (b. 1870)
    • 1948 – Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, American socialite and philanthropist (b. 1874)
    • 1949 – Erich Zeigner, Prime Minister of Saxony (b. 1886)
    • 1950 – Hiroshi Yoshida, Japanese painter (b. 1876)
    • 1952 – Agnes Morton, British tennis player (b.
    • 1954 – Princess Märtha of Sweden, (b. 1901)
    • 1954 – Claude Delvincourt, French pianist and composer (b. 1888)
    • 1956 – William Titt, British gymnast (b. 1881)
    • 1958 – Prince Ferdinand of Bavaria, (b. 1884)
    • 1958 – Ásgrímur Jónsson, Icelandic painter (b. 1876)
    • 1958 – Isidora Sekulić, Serbian writer (b. 1877)
    • 1961 – Nikolai Kryukov, Russian composer (b. 1908)
    • 1962 – Boo Kullberg, Swedish gymnast (b. 1889)
    • 1963 – Jacobus Oud, Dutch architect (b. 1890)
    • 1964 – James Chapin, American ornithologist (b. 1889)
    • 1964 – Aloïse Corbaz, Swiss artist (b. 1886)
    • 1964 – Douglas MacArthur, American general (b. 1880)
    • 1965 – Pedro Sernagiotto, Italian-Brazilian footballer (b. 1908)
    • 1965 – Sándor Szalay, Hungarian figure skater (b. 1893)
    • 1967 – Mischa Elman, Ukrainian-American violinist (b. 1891)
    • 1967 – Johan Falkberget, Norwegian author (b. 1879)
    • 1967 – Hermann Joseph Muller, American geneticist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1890)
    • 1967 – Herbert Johnston, British runner (b. 1902)
    • 1968 – Félix Couchoro, Togolese writer (b. 1900)
    • 1968 – Lajos Csordás, Hungarian footballer
    • 1968 – Giuseppe Paris, Italian gymnast (b. 1895)
    • 1969 – Alberto Bonucci, Italian actor and director (b. 1918)
    • 1969 – Rómulo Gallegos, Venezuelan novelist and politician (b. 1917)
    • 1969 – Ain-Ervin Mere, Estonian SS officer (b. 1903)
    • 1970 – Louisa Bolus, South African botanist and taxonomist (b. 1877)
    • 1970 – Alfred Sturtevant, American geneticist and academic (b. 1891)
    • 1970 – Karl von Spreti, German diplomat (b. 1907)
    • 1971 – José Cubiles, Spanish pianist and conductor (b. 1894)
    • 1972 – Brian Donlevy, American actor and producer (b. 1901)
    • 1973 – David Murray, British race car driver (b. 1909)
    • 1973 – Isabel Jewell, American actress and singer (b. 1907)
    • 1973 – Alla Tarasova, Russian ballerina (b. l898)
    • 1974 – Bino Bini, Italian fencer (b. 1900)
    • 1974 – A. Y. Jackson, Canadian painter (b. 1882)
    • 1975 – Tell Berna, American middle and long-distance runner (b. 1891)
    • 1975 – Victor Marijnen, Dutch politician (b. 1917)
    • 1975 – Chiang Kai-shek, Chinese general and politician, 1st President of the Republic of China (b. 1887)
    • 1975 – Harold Osborn, American track and fielder (b. 1899)
    • 1976 – Howard Hughes, American pilot, engineer, and director (b. 1905)
    • 1976 – Wilder Penfield, American-Canadian surgeon and academic (b. 1891)
    • 1976 – Harry Wyld, British cyclist (b. 1900)
    • 1977 – Carlos Prío Socarrás, President of Cuba, (b. 1903)
    • 1977 – Yuri Zavadsky, Russian actor and director (b. 1894)
    • 1981 – Émile Hanse, Belgian footballer (b. 1892)
    • 1981 – Bob Hite, American singer-songwriter (b. 1945)
    • 1981 – Pinchus Kremegne, French artist (b. 1890)
    • 1982 – Abe Fortas, American lawyer and jurist (b. 1910)
    • 1984 – Hans Lunding, Danish military officer (b. 1899)
    • 1984 – Giuseppe Tucci, Italian scholar of oriental cultures (b. 1894)
    • 1986 – Manly Wade Wellman, American writer (b. 1903)
    • 1987 – Leabua Jonathan, 2nd Prime Minister of Lesotho (b. 1914)
    • 1988 – Alf Kjellin, Swedish actor and director (b. 1920)
    • 1989 – Frank Foss, American pole vaulter (b. 1895)
    • 1989 – Karel Zeman, Czech director, artist, production designer and animator (b. 1910)
    • 1991 – Sonny Carter, American soccer player, physician, and astronaut (b. 1947)
    • 1991 – Jay Miller, American basketball player (b. 1943)
    • 1991 – Jiří Mucha, Czech journalist, writer and screenwriter (b. 1915)
    • 1991 – William Sidney, 1st Viscount De L’Isle (b. 1909)
    • 1991 – John Tower, American soldier, academic, and politician (b. 1925)
    • 1992 – Takeshi Inoue, Japanese footballer (b. 1928)
    • 1992 – Molly Picon, American actress (b. 1898)
    • 1992 – Sam Walton, American businessman, founded Walmart and Sam’s Club (b. 1918)
    • 1993 – Divya Bharti, Indian actress (b. 1974)
    • 1994 – Kurt Cobain, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1967)
    • 1995 – Nicolaas Cortlever, Dutch chess player (b. 1915)
    • 1995 – Emilio Greco, Italian sculptor and engraver (b. 1913)
    • 1995 – Christian Pineau, French Resistance fighter (b. 1904)
    • 1996 – Charlene Holt, American actress (b. 1928)
    • 1997 – Allen Ginsberg, American poet (b. 1926)
    • 1998 – Frederick Charles Frank, British theoretical physicist (b. 1911)
    • 1998 – Cozy Powell, English drummer (b. 1947)
    • 1999 – Giulio Einaudi, Italian book publisher (b. 1912)
    • 2000 – Heinrich Müller, Austrian footballer (b. 1909)
    • 2000 – Lee Petty, American race car driver (b. 1914)
    • 2001 – Aldo Olivieri, Italian footballer (b. 1910)
    • 2002 – Layne Staley, American singer-songwriter (b. 1967)
    • 2002 – Kim Won-gyun, North Korean composer and politician (b. 1917)
    • 2003 – Keizo Morishita, Japanese painter (b. 1944)
    • 2004 – Fernand Goyvaerts, Belgian footballer (b. 1938)
    • 2004 – Sławomir Rawicz, Polish lieutenant (b. 1915)
    • 2004 – Heiner Zieschang, German mathematician and academic (b. 1936)
    • 2005 – Saul Bellow, Canadian-American novelist, essayist and short story writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1915)
    • 2005 – Robert Borg, American military officer and equestrian (b. 1913)
    • 2005 – Chung Nam-sik, South Korean footballer (b. 1917)
    • 2006 – Allan Kaprow, American painter and educator (b. 1927)
    • 2006 – Gene Pitney, American singer-songwriter (b. 1941)
    • 2006 – Yevgeny Seredin, Russian swimmer (b. 1958)
    • 2006 – Pasquale Macchi, Roman Catholic archbishop (b. 1923)
    • 2007 – Maria Gripe, Swedish journalist and author (b. 1923)
    • 2007 – Leela Majumdar, Indian author and academic (b. 1908)
    • 2007 – Werner Maser, German historian and journalist (b. 1922)
    • 2007 – Mark St. John, American guitarist (b. 1956)
    • 2007 – Thomas Stoltz Harvey, American pathologist (b. 1912)
    • 2008 – Charlton Heston, American actor, director, and political activist (b. 1923)
    • 2009 – I. J. Good, British mathematician (b. 1916)
    • 2010 – Vitaly Sevastyanov, Soviet cosmonaut and engineer (b. 1935)
    • 2011 – Baruch Samuel Blumberg, American physician and geneticist (b. 1925)
    • 2011 – Ange-Félix Patassé, Central African politician (b. 1937)
    • 2012 – Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, German designer (b. 1935)
    • 2012 – Pedro Bartolomé Benoit, Dominican Republican politician military officer
    • 2012 – Jim Marshall, English businessman, founded Marshall Amplification (b. 1923)
    • 2012 – Barney McKenna, Irish musician (b. 1939)
    • 2012 – Bingu wa Mutharika, Malawian economist and politician, 3rd President of Malawi (b. 1934)
    • 2013 – Regina Bianchi, Italian actress (b. 1921)
    • 2013 – Piero de Palma, Italian tenor and actor (b. 1924)
    • 2014 – Alan Davie, Scottish saxophonist and painter (b. 1920)
    • 2014 – Mariano Díaz, Spanish cyclist (b. 1939)
    • 2014 – Peter Matthiessen, American novelist, short story writer, editor, co-founded The Paris Review (b. 1927)
    • 2014 – John Pinette, American comedian (b. 1964)
    • 2014 – José Wilker, Brazilian actor, director, and producer (b. 1947)
    • 2015 – Fredric Brandt, American dermatologist and author (b. 1949)
    • 2015 – Juan Carlos Cáceres, Argentinian singer and pianist (b. 1936)
    • 2016 – Koço Kasapoğlu, Turkish footballer (b. 1936)
    • 2017 – Attilio Benfatto, Italian cyclist (b. 1943)
    • 2017 – Arthur Bisguier, American chess Grandmaster (b. 1929)
    • 2017 – Paul G. Comba, Italian-American computer scientist and astronomer (b. 1926)
    • 2017 – Makoto Ōoka, Japanese poet and literary critic (b. 1931)
    • 2017 – Paul O’Neill, American rock composer and producer (b. 1956)
    • 2017 – Tim Parnell, British race car driver (b. 1932)
    • 2017 – Memè Perlini, Italian actor and director (b. 1947)
    • 2017 – Atanase Sciotnic, Romanian sprint canoeist (b. 1942)
    • 2017 – Ilkka Sinisalo, Finnish ice hockey player (b. 1958)
    • 2018 – Isao Takahata, Japanese director (b. 1935)
    • 2019 – Sydney Brenner, South African biologist (b. 1927)[16]

    Holidays and observances on April 5

    • Christian feast day:
      • Albert of Montecorvino
      • Derfel Gadarn
      • Æthelburh of Kent
      • Gerald of Sauve-Majeure
      • Juliana of Liège
      • Maria Crescentia Höss
      • Blessed Mariano de la Mata
      • Pandita Mary Ramabai (Episcopal Church (USA))
      • Ruadhán of Lorrha
      • Vincent Ferrer
      • April 5 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Cold Food Festival, held on April 4 if it is a leap year (China); and its related observances:
    • Earliest day on which Sham el-Nessim can fall, while May 9 is the latest; celebrated on Monday after the Orthodox Easter (Egypt)
    • Children’s Day (Palestinian territories)
    • Sikmogil (South Korea)
    • National Maritime Day is observed in India, in commemoration of the first voyage of SS Loyalty of the Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd. in 1919.

  • March 31 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    It is the last day of the first quarter of the year.

    March 31 in History

    • 307 – After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, daughter of the retired Roman Emperor Maximian.
    • 1146 – Bernard of Clairvaux preaches his famous sermon in a field at Vézelay, urging the necessity of a Second Crusade. Louis VII is present, and joins the Crusade.
    • 1492 – Queen Isabella of Castile issues the Alhambra Decree, ordering her 150,000 Jewish and Muslim subjects to convert to Christianity or face expulsion.
    • 1561 – The city of San Cristóbal, Táchira is founded.
    • 1717 – A sermon on “The Nature of the Kingdom of Christ” by Benjamin Hoadly, the Bishop of Bangor, preached in the presence of King George I of Great Britain, provokes the Bangorian Controversy.
    • 1774 – American Revolutionary War: The Kingdom of Great Britain orders the port of Boston, Massachusetts closed pursuant to the Boston Port Act.
    • 1854 – Commodore Matthew Perry signs the Convention of Kanagawa with the Tokugawa Shogunate, opening the ports of Shimoda and Hakodate to American trade.
    • 1885 – The United Kingdom establishes the Bechuanaland Protectorate.
    • 1889 – The Eiffel Tower is officially opened.
    • 1899 – Malolos, capital of the First Philippine Republic, is captured by American forces.
    • 1906 – The Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States (later the National Collegiate Athletic Association) is established to set rules for college sports in the United States.
    • 1909 – Serbia formally withdraws its opposition to Austro-Hungarian actions in the Bosnian Crisis.
    • 1913 – The Vienna Concert Society rioted during a performance of modernist music by Arnold Schoenberg, Alban Berg, Alexander von Zemlinsky, and Anton von Webern, causing a premature end to the concert due to violence; this concert became known as the Skandalkonzert.
    • 1917 – According to the terms of the Treaty of the Danish West Indies, the islands become American possessions.
    • 1918 – Massacre of ethnic Azerbaijanis is committed by allied armed groups of Armenian Revolutionary Federation and Bolsheviks. Nearly 12,000 Azerbaijani Muslims are killed.
    • 1918 – Daylight saving time goes into effect in the United States for the first time.
    • 1921 – The Royal Australian Air Force is formed.
    • 1930 – The Motion Picture Production Code is instituted, imposing strict guidelines on the treatment of sex, crime, religion and violence in film, in the U.S., for the next thirty-eight years.
    • 1931 – An earthquake in Nicaragua destroys Managua; killing 2,000.
    • 1931 – A Transcontinental & Western Air airliner crashes near Bazaar, Kansas, killing eight, including University of Notre Dame head football coach Knute Rockne.
    • 1933 – The Civilian Conservation Corps is established with the mission of relieving rampant unemployment in the United States.
    • 1942 – World War II: Japanese forces invade Christmas Island, then a British possession.
    • 1945 – World War II: A defecting German pilot delivers a Messerschmitt Me 262A-1, the world’s first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft, to the Americans, the first to fall into Allied hands.
    • 1949 – The Dominion of Newfoundland joins the Canadian Confederation and becomes the 10th Province of Canada.
    • 1951 – Remington Rand delivers the first UNIVAC I computer to the United States Census Bureau.
    • 1957 – Elections to the Territorial Assembly of the French colony Upper Volta are held. After the elections PDU and MDV form a government.
    • 1958 – In the Canadian federal election, the Progressive Conservatives, led by John Diefenbaker, win the largest percentage of seats in Canadian history, with 208 seats of 265.
    • 1959 – The 14th Dalai Lama, crosses the border into India and is granted political asylum.
    • 1964 – Brazilian General Olímpio Mourão Filho orders his troops to move towards Rio de Janeiro, beginning the coup d’état.
    • 1966 – The Soviet Union launches Luna 10 which later becomes the first space probe to enter orbit around the Moon.
    • 1968 – American President Lyndon B. Johnson speaks to the nation of “Steps to Limit the War in Vietnam” in a television address. At the conclusion of his speech, he announces: “I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your President.”
    • 1970 – Explorer 1 re-enters the Earth’s atmosphere after 12 years in orbit.
    • 1980 – The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad operates its final train after being ordered to liquidate its assets because of bankruptcy and debts owed to creditors.
    • 1985 – The first WrestleMania, the biggest wrestling event from the WWE (then the WWF), takes place in Madison Square Garden in New York City.
    • 1990 – Approximately 200,000 protesters take to the streets of London to protest against the newly introduced Poll Tax.
    • 1991 – Georgian independence referendum: Nearly 99 percent of the voters support the country’s independence from the Soviet Union.
    • 1992 – The USS Missouri, the last active United States Navy battleship, is decommissioned in Long Beach, California.
    • 1992 – The Treaty of Federation is signed in Moscow.
    • 1995 – TAROM Flight 371, an Airbus A310-300, crashes near Balotesti, Romania, killing all 60 people on board.
    • 1995 – Selena is murdered by her fan club’s president Yolanda Saldívar at a Days Inn in Corpus Christi, Texas after accusations of Saldívar embezzling money from Selena’s fan club.
    • 1998 – Netscape releases Mozilla source code under an open source license.
    • 2004 – Iraq War in Anbar Province: In Fallujah, Iraq, four American private military contractors working for Blackwater USA, are killed after being ambushed.
    • 2018 – Start of the 2018 Armenian revolution.

    Births on March 31

    • 1360 – Philippa of Lancaster (d. 1415)
    • 1499 – Pope Pius IV (d. 1565)
    • 1504 – Guru Angad, Indian religious leader (d. 1552)
    • 1519 – Henry II of France (d. 1559)
    • 1536 – Ashikaga Yoshiteru, Japanese shōgun (d. 1565)
    • 1596 – René Descartes, French mathematician and philosopher (d. 1650)
    • 1601 – Jakov Mikalja, Italian linguist and lexicographer (d. 1654)
    • 1621 – Andrew Marvell, English poet and politician (d. 1678)
    • 1651 – Charles II, Elector Palatine, German husband of Princess Wilhelmine Ernestine of Denmark (d. 1685)
    • 1675 – Pope Benedict XIV (d. 1758)
    • 1718 – Mariana Victoria of Spain (d. 1781)
    • 1723 – Frederick V of Denmark (d. 1766)
    • 1730 – Étienne Bézout, French mathematician and theorist (d. 1783)
    • 1732 – Joseph Haydn, Austrian pianist and composer (d. 1809)
    • 1740 – Panoutsos Notaras, Greek politician (d. 1849)
    • 1747 – Johann Abraham Peter Schulz, German pianist and composer (d. 1800)
    • 1777 – Charles Cagniard de la Tour, French physicist and engineer (d. 1859)
    • 1778 – Coenraad Jacob Temminck, Dutch zoologist and ornithologist (d. 1858)
    • 1794 – Thomas McKean Thompson McKennan, American lawyer and politician, 2nd United States Secretary of the Interior (d. 1852)
    • 1809 – Edward FitzGerald, English poet and translator (d. 1883)
    • 1809 – Nikolai Gogol, Ukrainian-Russian short story writer, novelist, and playwright (d. 1852)
    • 1809 – Otto Lindblad, Swedish composer (d. 1864)
    • 1813 – Félix María Zuloaga, Mexican general and unconstitutional interim president (1858 and 1860–1862) (d. 1898)
    • 1819 – Chlodwig, Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst (d. 1901)
    • 1823 – Mary Boykin Chesnut, American author (d. 1886)
    • 1833 – Mary Abigail Dodge, American writer and essayist (d. 1896)
    • 1835 – John La Farge, American artist (d. 1910)
    • 1847 – Hermann de Pourtalès, Swiss sailor (d. 1904)
    • 1847 – Yegor Ivanovich Zolotarev, Russian mathematician and theorist (d. 1878)
    • 1851 – Francis Bell, Jewish New Zealand lawyer and politician, 20th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1936)
    • 1855 – Alfred E. Hunt, American businessman (d. 1899)
    • 1859 – Emil Fenyvessy, Hungarian actor and screenwriter (d. 1924)
    • 1865 – Anandi Gopal Joshi, Indian physician (d. 1887)
    • 1871 – Arthur Griffith, Irish journalist and politician, 3rd President of Dáil Éireann (d. 1922)
    • 1872 – Sergei Diaghilev, Russian ballet manager and critic, founded the Ballets Russes (d. 1929)
    • 1874 – Benjamín G. Hill, Mexican revolutionary general, governor of Sonora (d. 1920)
    • 1874 – Henri Marteau, French violinist and composer (d. 1934)
    • 1876 – Borisav Stanković, Serbian author (d. 1927)
    • 1878 – Jack Johnson, American boxer (d. 1946)
    • 1884 – Adriaan van Maanen, Dutch-American astronomer and academic (d. 1946)
    • 1885 – Pascin, Sephardi Jewish Bulgarian-American painter and illustrator (d. 1930)
    • 1890 – Ben Adams, American jumper (d. 1961)
    • 1890 – William Lawrence Bragg, Australian-English physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1971)
    • 1891 – Victor Varconi, Hungarian-American actor and director (d. 1976)
    • 1893 – Clemens Krauss, Austrian conductor and manager (d. 1954)
    • 1893 – Herbert Meinhard Mühlpfordt, German physician and historian (d. 1982)
    • 1895 – Vardis Fisher, American author and academic (d. 1968)
    • 1900 – Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester (d. 1974)
    • 1905 – Robert Stevenson, English director and screenwriter (d. 1986)
    • 1905 – George Treweek, Australian rugby league player (d. 1991)
    • 1906 – Sin-Itiro Tomonaga, Japanese physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1979)
    • 1908 – Red Norvo, American vibraphone player and composer (d. 1999)
    • 1911 – Freddie Green, American guitarist (d. 1987)
    • 1911 – Elisabeth Grümmer, German soprano (d. 1986)
    • 1912 – William Lederer, American soldier and author (d. 2009)
    • 1913 – Etta Baker, African-American singer and guitarist (d. 2006)
    • 1914 – Octavio Paz, Mexican poet and diplomat, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1998)
    • 1914 – Dagmar Lange, Swedish author (d. 1991)
    • 1915 – Albert Hourani, English historian and author (d. 1993)
    • 1915 – Shoichi Yokoi, Japanese sergeant (d. 1997)
    • 1916 – Lucille Bliss, American voice actress (d. 2012)
    • 1916 – Tommy Bolt, American golfer (d. 2008)
    • 1916 – John H. Wood, Jr., American lawyer and judge (d. 1979)
    • 1917 – Dorothy DeLay, American violinist and educator (d. 2002)
    • 1918 – Ted Post, American director (d. 2013)
    • 1919 – Frank Akins, American football player (d. 1993)
    • 1920 – Deborah Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, British aristocrat, socialite and author (d. 2014)
    • 1921 – Lowell Fulson, African-American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1999)
    • 1921 – Peggy Rea, American actress and casting director (d. 2011)
    • 1922 – Richard Kiley, American actor and singer (d. 1999)
    • 1922 – Patrick Magee, Irish actor (d. 1982)
    • 1923 – Don Barksdale, American basketball player (d. 1993)
    • 1923 – François Sermon, Belgian footballer (d. 2013)
    • 1924 – Leo Buscaglia, American author and academic (d. 1998)
    • 1924 – Charles Guggenheim, American director and producer (d. 2002)
    • 1925 – Jean Coutu, Canadian actor and director (d. 1999)
    • 1926 – John Fowles, English novelist (d. 2005)
    • 1926 – Beni Montresor, Italian director, set designer, author, and illustrator (d. 2001)
    • 1926 – Rocco Petrone, American colonel and engineer (d. 2006)
    • 1927 – Cesar Chavez, American labor union leader and activist (d. 1993)
    • 1927 – William Daniels, American actor
    • 1927 – Eduardo Martínez Somalo, Spanish cardinal
    • 1927 – Vladimir Ilyushin, Russian pilot (d. 2010)
    • 1927 – Elmer Diedtrich, American businessman and politician (d. 2013)
    • 1927 – Bud MacPherson, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1988)
    • 1928 – Lefty Frizzell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1975)
    • 1928 – Gordie Howe, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2016)
    • 1929 – Liz Claiborne, Belgian-American fashion designer, founded Liz Claiborne Inc. (d. 2007)
    • 1929 – Bert Fields, American lawyer and author
    • 1930 – Yehuda Nir, Polish Jewish-American psychiatrist (d. 2014)
    • 1930 – Jim Mutscheller, American football player and coach (d. 2015)
    • 1931 – Miller Barber, American golfer (d. 2013)
    • 1931 – Tamara Tyshkevich, Belarusian shot putter (d. 1997)
    • 1932 – John Jakes, American author
    • 1932 – Nagisa Oshima, Japanese director and screenwriter (d. 2013)
    • 1933 – Anita Carter, American singer-songwriter and bassist (d. 1999)
    • 1933 – Nichita Stănescu, Romanian poet (d. 1983)
    • 1934 – Richard Chamberlain, American actor
    • 1934 – Shirley Jones, American actress and singer
    • 1934 – John D. Loudermilk, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2016)
    • 1934 – Carlo Rubbia, Italian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1934 – Kamala Surayya, Indian poet and author (d. 2009)
    • 1935 – Herb Alpert, American singer-songwriter, trumpet player, and producer
    • 1935 – Judith Rossner, Jewish-American author (d. 2005)
    • 1936 – Marge Piercy, American poet and novelist
    • 1936 – Walter E. Williams, American economist and academic
    • 1938 – Patrick Bateson, English biologist and academic (d. 2017)
    • 1938 – Sheila Dikshit, Indian politician, 22nd Governor of Kerala (d. 2019)
    • 1938 – Antje Gleichfeld, German runner
    • 1938 – Bill Hicke, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager (d. 2005)
    • 1938 – Tõnno Lepmets, Estonian basketball player (d. 2005)
    • 1938 – Arthur B. Rubinstein, American pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 2018)
    • 1938 – David Steel, Scottish academic and politician
    • 1939 – Zviad Gamsakhurdia, Georgian anthropologist and politician, 1st President of Georgia (d. 1993)
    • 1939 – Israel Horovitz, American actor, director, and screenwriter
    • 1939 – Walker David Miller, American lawyer and judge (d. 2013)
    • 1939 – Volker Schlöndorff, German director and producer
    • 1939 – Karl-Heinz Schnellinger, German footballer
    • 1940 – Brian Ackland-Snow, English production designer and art director (d. 2013)
    • 1940 – Barney Frank, American lawyer and politician
    • 1940 – Patrick Leahy, American lawyer and politician
    • 1941 – Franco Bonvicini, Italian author and illustrator (d. 1995)
    • 1941 – Faith Leech, Australian swimmer (d. 2013)
    • 1942 – Ulla Hoffmann, Swedish politician
    • 1942 – Hugh McCracken, American guitarist and producer (d. 2013)
    • 1942 – Michael Savage, far-right American radio host and author
    • 1943 – Roy Andersson, Swedish director and screenwriter
    • 1943 – Deirdre Clancy, English costume designer
    • 1943 – Christopher Walken, American actor
    • 1944 – Pascal Danel, French singer-songwriter
    • 1944 – Angus King, American politician
    • 1944 – Mick Ralphs, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1945 – Edwin Catmull, American computer scientist and engineer
    • 1945 – Gabe Kaplan, American actor and comedian
    • 1945 – Myfanwy Talog, Welsh actress (d. 1995)
    • 1946 – Gonzalo Márquez, Venezuelan baseball player (d. 1984)
    • 1946 – Bob Russell, English politician
    • 1947 – Augustin Banyaga, Rwandan-American mathematician and academic
    • 1947 – Wendy Overton, American tennis player
    • 1947 – Kristian Blak, Danish-Faroese pianist, composer, and producer
    • 1947 – Don Foster, English academic and politician
    • 1947 – César Gaviria, Colombian economist and politician, 36th President of Colombia
    • 1947 – Eliyahu M. Goldratt, Israeli physicist and economist (d. 2011)
    • 1948 – Gary Doer, Canadian politician and diplomat, 20th Premier of Manitoba
    • 1948 – Al Gore, American soldier and politician, 45th Vice President of the United States and Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1948 – Rhea Perlman, American actress
    • 1948 – Gustaaf Van Cauter, Belgian cyclist
    • 1949 – Gilles Gilbert, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1950 – András Adorján, Hungarian chess player and author
    • 1950 – Ed Marinaro, American football player and actor
    • 1950 – Sandra Morgen, American anthropologist and academic (d. 2016)
    • 1953 – Dennis Kamakahi, American guitarist and composer (d. 2014)
    • 1955 – Svetozar Marović, President of Serbia and Montenegro
    • 1955 – Angus Young, Scottish-Australian guitarist and songwriter
    • 1957 – Alan Duncan, English businessman and politician, former Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
    • 1959 – Markus Hediger, Swiss poet and translator
    • 1959 – Anita Dillen, Dutch socialite and member of wealthy Dillen family, niece of Cor Dillen, Coen Dillen
    • 1961 – Ron Brown, American sprinter and football player
    • 1961 – Howard Gordon, American screenwriter and producer
    • 1962 – Olli Rehn, Finnish footballer and politician
    • 1963 – Paul Mercurio, Australian actor and dancer
    • 1964 – Mark Hoban, English accountant and politician
    • 1965 – Tom Barrasso, American ice hockey player and coach
    • 1965 – Patty Fendick, American tennis player and coach
    • 1965 – Jean-Christophe Lafaille, French mountaineer (d. 2006)
    • 1965 – William McNamara, American actor and producer
    • 1965 – Steven T. Seagle, American author and screenwriter
    • 1966 – Roger Black, English runner and journalist
    • 1966 – Nick Firestone, American race car driver
    • 1968 – César Sampaio, Brazilian footballer
    • 1969 – Nyamko Sabuni, Burundian-Swedish politician
    • 1969 – Steve Smith, American basketball player and sportscaster
    • 1970 – Alenka Bratušek, Slovenian politician, 7th Prime Minister of Slovenia
    • 1971 – Demetris Assiotis, Cypriot footballer
    • 1971 – Martin Atkinson, English footballer and referee
    • 1971 – Pavel Bure, Russian ice hockey player
    • 1971 – Craig McCracken, American animator, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1971 – Ewan McGregor, Scottish actor
    • 1972 – Alejandro Amenábar, Chilean-Spanish director and screenwriter
    • 1972 – Andrew Bowen, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1972 – Luca Gentili, Italian footballer and coach
    • 1972 – Evan Williams, American businessman, co-founded Twitter and Pyra Labs
    • 1973 – Christopher Hampson, English ballet dancer and choreographer
    • 1974 – Benjamin Eicher, German director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1974 – Natali, Russian singer, composer and songwriter
    • 1974 – Stefan Olsdal, Swedish bass player
    • 1974 – Jani Sievinen, Finnish swimmer
    • 1975 – Adam Green, American director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1975 – Nathan Grey, Australian rugby player and coach
    • 1975 – Cameron Murray, Scottish rugby player
    • 1975 – Ryan Rupe, American baseball player
    • 1976 – Howard Frier, American basketball player
    • 1976 – Igors Sļesarčuks, Latvian-Russian footballer
    • 1976 – Graeme Smith, Scottish swimmer
    • 1977 – Toshiya, Japanese bass player, songwriter, and producer
    • 1977 – Garth Tander, Australian race car driver
    • 1978 – Michael Clark, Australian cricketer and footballer
    • 1978 – Stephen Clemence, English footballer, midfeider and manager
    • 1978 – Jarrod Cooper, American football player
    • 1978 – Jérôme Rothen, French footballer
    • 1979 – Omri Afek, Israeli footballer
    • 1979 – Euan Burton, Scottish martial artist and coach
    • 1979 – Alexis Ferrero, Argentinian footballer
    • 1979 – Charlie Manning, American baseball player
    • 1979 – Jonna Mendes, American skier
    • 1979 – Rhys Wesser, Australian rugby league player
    • 1980 – Martin Albrechtsen, Danish footballer
    • 1980 – Karolina Lassbo, Swedish lawyer and blogger
    • 1980 – Matias Concha, Swedish footballer
    • 1980 – Kate Micucci, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress
    • 1980 – Michael Ryder, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1981 – Ryan Bingham, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1981 – Thomas Chatelle, Belgian footballer
    • 1981 – Han Tae-you, South Korean footballer
    • 1981 – Pa Dembo Touray, Gambian footballer
    • 1981 – Maarten van der Weijden, Dutch swimmer
    • 1982 – Tal Ben Haim, Israeli footballer
    • 1982 – Bam Childress, American football player
    • 1982 – Audrey Kawasaki, American painter
    • 1983 – Hashim Amla, South African cricketer
    • 1983 – Ashleigh Ball, Canadian voice actress and musician
    • 1983 – Sophie Hunger, Swiss-German musician
    • 1983 – Vlasios Maras, Greek gymnast
    • 1983 – Nigel Plum, Australian rugby league player
    • 1984 – David Clarkson, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1984 – Eddie Johnson, American soccer player
    • 1984 – James Jones, American football player
    • 1984 – Martins Dukurs, Latvian sled racer
    • 1984 – Kaie Kand, Estonian heptathlete
    • 1984 – Alberto Junior Rodríguez, Peruvian footballer
    • 1984 – Ed Williamson, English rugby player
    • 1985 – Steve Bernier, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1985 – Jo-Lonn Dunbar, American football player
    • 1985 – Jesper Hansen, Danish footballer
    • 1985 – Ivan Mishyn, Ukrainian race car driver
    • 1985 – Kory Sheets, American football player
    • 1985 – Jalmar Sjöberg, Swedish wrestler
    • 1986 – Andreas Dober, Austrian footballer
    • 1986 – James King, Scottish rugby player
    • 1986 – Paulo Machado, Portuguese footballer
    • 1987 – Nordin Amrabat, Dutch footballer
    • 1987 – Hugo Ayala, Mexican footballer
    • 1987 – Amaury Bischoff, Portuguese footballer
    • 1987 – Humpy Koneru, Indian chess player
    • 1987 – Kirill Starkov, Danish ice hockey player
    • 1987 – Nelli Zhiganshina, Russian figure skater
    • 1988 – Thomas De Corte, Belgian footballer
    • 1988 – Conrad Sewell, Australian singer and songwriter
    • 1988 – Dorin Dickerson, American football player
    • 1988 – DeAndre Liggins, American basketball player
    • 1988 – Louis van der Westhuizen, Namibian cricketer
    • 1989 – Alberto Martín Romo García Adámez, Spanish footballer
    • 1989 – Nejc Vidmar, Slovenian footballer
    • 1989 – Liu Zige, Chinese swimmer
    • 1990 – George Iloka, American football player
    • 1990 – Sandra Roma, Swedish tennis player
    • 1990 – Bang Yong-guk, South Korean rapper
    • 1991 – Milan Milanović, Serbian footballer
    • 1991 – Rodney Sneijder, Dutch footballer
    • 1992 – Stijn de Looijer, Dutch footballer
    • 1992 – Adam Zampa, Australian cricketer
    • 1993 – Mikael Ishak, Swedish footballer
    • 1994 – Samira Asghari, Afghan member of the International Olympic Committee
    • 1994 – Tyler Wright, Australian surfer
    • 1994 – Mads Würtz Schmidt, Danish road cyclist
    • 1995 – Fiona Brown, footballer
    • 1998 – Jakob Chychrun, American-born Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1999 – Japhet Tanganga, English footballer

    Deaths on March 31

    • 32 BC – Titus Pomponius Atticus, Roman nobleman of the Equestrian order (b. 109 BC)
    • 528 – Xiaoming, emperor of Northern Wei (b. 510)
    • 963 – Abu Ja’far Ahmad ibn Muhammad, Saffarid emir (b. 906)
    • 1241 – Pousa, voivode of Transylvania
    • 1251 – William of Modena, Italian bishop and diplomat
    • 1340 – Ivan I of Moscow, Russian Grand Duke (b. 1288)
    • 1342 – Dionigi di Borgo San Sepolcro, Italian Augustinian monk
    • 1462 – Isidore II of Constantinople, patriarch of Constantinople
    • 1491 – Bonaventura Tornielli, Italian Roman Catholic priest (b. 1411)
    • 1547 – Francis I, French king (b. 1494)
    • 1567 – Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse (b. 1504)
    • 1621 – Philip III, Spanish king (b. 1578)
    • 1622 – Gonzalo Méndez de Canço, Royal Governor of La Florida (b. 1554)
    • 1631 – John Donne, English lawyer and poet (b. 1572)
    • 1671 – Anne Hyde, wife of James II of England (b. 1637)
    • 1723 – Edward Hyde, 3rd Earl of Clarendon, English soldier and politician, 14th Colonial Governor of New York (b. 1661)
    • 1741 – Pieter Burman the Elder, Dutch scholar and author (b. 1668)
    • 1751 – Frederick, Prince of Wales, Hanoverian-born heir to the British throne (b. 1707)better source needed
    • 1797 – Olaudah Equiano, Nigerian merchant, author, and activist (b.1745)
    • 1837 – John Constable, English painter and educator (b. 1776)
    • 1850 – John C. Calhoun, American lawyer and politician, 7th Vice President of the United States (b. 1782)
    • 1855 – Charlotte Brontë, English novelist and poet (b. 1816)
    • 1877 – Antoine Augustin Cournot, French mathematician and philosopher (b. 1801)
    • 1880 – Henryk Wieniawski, Polish violinist and composer (b. 1835)
    • 1885 – Franz Abt, German composer and conductor (b. 1819)
    • 1907 – Galusha A. Grow, American lawyer and politician, 28th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (b. 1823)
    • 1910 – Jean Moréas, Greek poet, essayist and art critic (b. 1856)
    • 1913 – J. P. Morgan, American banker and financier (b. 1837)
    • 1915 – Wyndham Halswelle, English-Scottish runner and captain (b. 1882)
    • 1917 – Emil von Behring, German physiologist and immunologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1854)
    • 1924 – George Charles Haité, English painter and illustrator (b. 1855)
    • 1927 – Kang Youwei, Chinese scholar and political reformer (b. 1858)
    • 1930 – Ludwig Schüler, German politician, Mayor of Marburg (b. 1836)
    • 1931 – Knute Rockne, American football player and coach (b. 1888)
    • 1935 – Georges V. Matchabelli, Georgian-American businessman and diplomat, founded Prince Matchabelli perfume (b. 1885)
    • 1939 – Ioannis Tsangaridis, Greek general (b. 1887)
    • 1944 – Mineichi Koga, Japanese admiral (b. 1885)
    • 1945 – Frank Findlay, New Zealand banker and politician (b. 1884)
    • 1945 – Hans Fischer, German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1881)
    • 1950 – Robert Natus, Estonian architect (b. 1890)
    • 1952 – Wallace H. White, Jr., American lawyer and politician (b. 1877)
    • 1956 – Ralph DePalma, Italian-American race car driver and actor (b. 1884)
    • 1968 – Grover Lowdermilk, American baseball player (b. 1885)
    • 1970 – Semyon Timoshenko, Soviet Commander during the Winter War and the Eastern Front of World War II (b. 1894)
    • 1975 – Percy Alliss, English golfer (b. 1897)
    • 1976 – Paul Strand, American photographer and director (b. 1890)
    • 1978 – Astrid Allwyn, American actress (b. 1905)
    • 1978 – Charles Herbert Best, American-Canadian physiologist and biochemist, co-discovered Insulin (b. 1899)
    • 1980 – Vladimír Holan, Czech poet and author (b. 1905)
    • 1980 – Jesse Owens, American sprinter and long jumper (b. 1913)
    • 1981 – Enid Bagnold, English author and playwright (b. 1889)
    • 1983 – Christina Stead, Australian author and academic (b. 1902)
    • 1986 – Jerry Paris, American actor and director (b. 1925)
    • 1988 – William McMahon, Australian lawyer and politician, 20th Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1908)
    • 1993 – Brandon Lee, American actor and martial artist (b. 1965)
    • 1993 – Mitchell Parish, Lithuanian-American songwriter (b. 1900)
    • 1995 – Selena, American singer-songwriter (b. 1971)
    • 1996 – Dante Giacosa, Italian automobile designer and engineer (b. 1905)
    • 1996 – Jeffrey Lee Pierce, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1958)
    • 1998 – Bella Abzug, American lawyer, activist, and politician (b. 1920)
    • 1998 – Tim Flock, American race car driver (b. 1924)
    • 1998 – Joel Ryce-Menuhin, American pianist (b. 1933)
    • 1999 – Yuri Knorozov, Russian linguist and ethnographer (b. 1922)
    • 2001 – David Rocastle, English footballer (b. 1967)
    • 2001 – Clifford Shull, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1915)
    • 2002 – Barry Took, English comedian, actor, and screenwriter (b. 1928)
    • 2002 – Moturu Udayam, Indian activist and politician (b. 1924)
    • 2003 – Harold Scott MacDonald Coxeter, English-Canadian mathematician and academic (b. 1907)
    • 2003 – Anne Gwynne, American actress (b. 1918)
    • 2003 – Tommy Seebach, Danish singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer (b. 1949)
    • 2004 – Scott Helvenston, American soldier (b. 1965)
    • 2005 – Stanley J. Korsmeyer, American oncologist and academic (b. 1951)
    • 2005 – Justiniano Montano, Filipino lawyer and politician (b. 1905)
    • 2005 – Frank Perdue, American businessman (b. 1920)
    • 2006 – Jackie McLean, American saxophonist and composer (b. 1931)
    • 2007 – Paul Watzlawick, Austrian-American psychologist and philosopher (b. 1921)
    • 2008 – Jules Dassin, American director, producer, screenwriter, and actor (b. 1911)
    • 2008 – Bill Keightley, American equipment manager (b. 1926)
    • 2009 – Raúl Alfonsín, Argentinian lawyer and politician, 46th President of Argentina (b. 1927)
    • 2009 – Choor Singh, Indian-Singaporean lawyer and judge (b. 1911)
    • 2011 – Gil Clancy, American boxer and trainer (b. 1922)
    • 2011 – Alan Fitzgerald, Australian journalist and author (b. 1935)
    • 2011 – Mary Greyeyes, the first First Nations woman to join the Canadian Armed Forces (b. 1920)
    • 2011 – Oddvar Hansen, Norwegian footballer and coach (b. 1921)
    • 2011 – Ishbel MacAskill, Scottish singer and actress (b. 1941)
    • 2011 – Henry Taub, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1927)
    • 2012 – Judith Adams, New Zealand-Australian nurse and politician (b. 1943)
    • 2012 – Dale R. Corson, American physicist and academic (b. 1914)
    • 2012 – Bernard O. Gruenke, American stained glass artist (b. 1914)
    • 2012 – Jerry Lynch, American baseball player (b. 1930)
    • 2012 – Alberto Sughi, Italian painter (b. 1928)
    • 2012 – Halbert White, American economist and academic (b. 1950)
    • 2013 – Charles Amarin Brand, French archbishop (b. 1920)
    • 2013 – Ernie Bridge, Australian singer and politician (b. 1936)
    • 2013 – Bob Clarke, American illustrator (b. 1926)
    • 2013 – Ahmad Sayyed Javadi, Iranian lawyer and politician, Iranian Minister of Interior (b. 1917)
    • 2013 – Dmitri Uchaykin, Russian ice hockey player (b. 1980)
    • 2014 – Gonzalo Anes, Spanish economist, historian, and academic (b. 1931)
    • 2014 – Roger Somville, Belgian painter (b. 1923)
    • 2015 – Betty Churcher, Australian painter, historian, and curator (b. 1931)
    • 2015 – Cocoa Fujiwara, Japanese author and illustrator (b. 1983)
    • 2015 – Carlos Gaviria Díaz, Colombian lawyer and politician (b. 1937)
    • 2015 – Dalibor Vesely, Czech-English historian, author, and academic (b. 1934)
    • 2016 – Ronnie Corbett, Scottish comedian, actor and screenwriter (b. 1930)
    • 2016 – Hans-Dietrich Genscher, German politician (b. 1927)
    • 2016 – Zaha Hadid, Iraqi-born English architect and academic, designed the Bridge Pavilion (b. 1950)
    • 2016 – Imre Kertész, Hungarian author, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1929)
    • 2016 – Denise Robertson, British writer and television broadcaster (b. 1932)
    • 2017 – Gilbert Baker, American artist and LGBT rights activist (b. 1951)
    • 2017 – James Rosenquist, American artist (b. 1933)
    • 2019 – Nipsey Hussle, American rapper (b. 1985)

    Holidays and observances on March 31

    • Cesar Chavez Day (United States)
    • Christian feast day
      • Abdas of Susa
      • Acathius of Melitene (Eastern Orthodox Church)
      • Anesius and companions
      • Benjamin
      • Balbina
      • John Donne (Anglican Communion, Lutheran)
      • March 31 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Day of Genocide of Azerbaijanis (Azerbaijan)
    • Freedom Day (Malta)
    • International Transgender Day of Visibility
    • King Nangklao Memorial Day (Thailand)
    • Thomas Mundy Peterson Day (New Jersey, United States)
    • Transfer Day (US Virgin Islands)
    • World Backup Day

  • March 28 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • AD 37 – Roman emperor Caligula accepts the titles of the Principate, bestowed on him by the Senate.
    • 193 – After assassinating the Roman Emperor Pertinax, his Praetorian Guards auction off the throne to Didius Julianus.
    • 364 – Roman Emperor Valentinian I appoints his brother Flavius Valens co-emperor.
    • 1566 – The foundation stone of Valletta, Malta’s capital city, is laid by Jean Parisot de Valette, Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.
    • 1737 – The Marathas under Baji Rao I attack and defeat the Mughals in the Battle of Delhi.
    • 1776 – Juan Bautista de Anza finds the site for the Presidio of San Francisco.
    • 1794 – Allies under Prince Josias of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld defeat French forces at Le Cateau.
    • 1795 – Partitions of Poland: The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, a northern fief of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, ceases to exist and becomes part of Imperial Russia.
    • 1801 – Treaty of Florence is signed, ending the war between the French Republic and the Kingdom of Naples.
    • 1802 – Heinrich Wilhelm Matthäus Olbers discovers 2 Pallas, the second asteroid ever to be discovered.
    • 1809 – Peninsular War: France defeats Spain in the Battle of Medellín.
    • 1814 – War of 1812: In the Battle of Valparaíso, two American naval vessels are captured by two Royal Navy vessels of equal strength.
    • 1842 – First concert of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Otto Nicolai.
    • 1854 – Crimean War: France and Britain declare war on Russia.
    • 1860 – First Taranaki War: The Battle of Waireka begins.
    • 1862 – American Civil War: In the Battle of Glorieta Pass, Union forces stop the Confederate invasion of the New Mexico Territory. The battle began on March 26.
    • 1871 – The Paris Commune is formally established in Paris.
    • 1883 – Tonkin Campaign: French victory in the Battle of Gia Cuc.
    • 1910 – Henri Fabre becomes the first person to fly a seaplane, the Fabre Hydravion, after taking off from a water runway near Martigues, France.
    • 1920 – Palm Sunday tornado outbreak of 1920 affects the Great Lakes region and Deep South states.
    • 1933 – The Imperial Airways biplane City of Liverpool is believed to be the first airliner lost to sabotage when a passenger sets a fire on board.
    • 1939 – Spanish Civil War: Generalissimo Francisco Franco conquers Madrid after a three-year siege.
    • 1941 – World War II: Britain’s Mediterranean Fleet sinks three heavy cruisers and two destroyers of Italy’s Regia Marina.
    • 1942 – World War II: A British combined force permanently disables the Louis Joubert Lock in Saint-Nazaire in order to keep the German battleship Tirpitz away from the mid-ocean convoy lanes.
    • 1946 – Cold War: The United States Department of State releases the Acheson–Lilienthal Report, outlining a plan for the international control of nuclear power.
    • 1951 – First Indochina War: In the Battle of Mạo Khê, French Union forces, led by World War II hero Jean de Lattre de Tassigny, inflict a defeat on Việt Minh forces commanded by General Võ Nguyên Giáp.
    • 1959 – The State Council of the People’s Republic of China dissolves the government of Tibet.
    • 1968 – Brazilian high school student Edson Luís de Lima Souto is killed by military police at a protest for cheaper meals at a restaurant for low-income students.
    • 1969 – Greek poet and Nobel Prize laureate Giorgos Seferis makes a famous statement on the BBC World Service opposing the junta in Greece.
    • 1970 – An earthquake strikes western Turkey at about 23:05 local time, killing 1,086 and injuring 1,260.
    • 1978 – The US Supreme Court hands down 5–3 decision in Stump v. Sparkman, a controversial case involving involuntary sterilization and judicial immunity.
    • 1979 – A coolant leak at the Three Mile Island’s Unit 2 nuclear reactor outside Harrisburg, Pennsylvania leads to the core overheating and a partial meltdown.
    • 1979 – The British House of Commons passes a vote of no confidence against James Callaghan’s government by 1 vote, precipitating a general election.
    • 1990 – United States President George H. W. Bush posthumously awards Jesse Owens the Congressional Gold Medal.
    • 1994 – In South Africa, African National Congress security guards kill dozens of Inkatha Freedom Party protesters.
    • 1999 – Kosovo War: Serb paramilitary and military forces kill 146 Kosovo Albanians in Izbica.
    • 2003 – In a friendly fire incident, two American A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft attack British tanks participating in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, killing one soldier.
    • 2005 – An earthquake shakes northern Sumatra with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VI (Strong), leaving 915–1,314 people dead and 340–1,146 injured.
    • 2006 – Massive protests are mounted against France’s First Employment Contract law, meant to reduce youth unemployment.

    Births of March 28

    • 931 – Liu Chengyou, emperor of Later Han (d. 951)
    • 1097 – Atsiz, Abbasid caliph (d. 1156)
    • 1416 – Jodha of Mandore, Ruler of Marwar (d. 1489)
    • 1468 – Charles I, Duke of Savoy (d. 1490)
    • 1472 – Fra Bartolomeo, Italian painter (d. 1517)
    • 1483 – Raphael, Italian painter and architect (d. 1520)
    • 1515 – Teresa of Ávila, Spanish nun and saint (d. 1582)
    • 1522 – Albert the Warlike, German prince (d. 1557)
    • 1527 – Isabella Markham, English courtier (d. 1579)
    • 1591 – William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Salisbury, English earl (d. 1668)
    • 1592 – John Amos Comenius, Czech bishop and educator (d. 1670)
    • 1599 – Witte de With, Dutch captain (d. 1658)
    • 1613 – Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang of China (d. 1688)
    • 1621 – Heinrich Schwemmer, German composer and educator (d. 1696)
    • 1638 – Frederik Ruysch, Dutch botanist and anatomist (d. 1731)
    • 1652 – Samuel Sewall, English judge (d. 1730)
    • 1725 – Andrew Kippis, English minister and author (d. 1795)
    • 1727 – Maximilian III Joseph, Elector of Bavaria, (d. 1777)
    • 1743 – Yekaterina Vorontsova-Dashkova, Russian academic and politician (d. 1810)
    • 1750 – Francisco de Miranda, Venezuelan general and politician, President of Venezuela (d. 1816)
    • 1760 – Thomas Clarkson, English activist (d. 1846)
    • 1773 – Henri Gatien Bertrand, French general (d. 1844)
    • 1793 – Henry Schoolcraft, American geographer, geologist, and ethnologist (d. 1864)
    • 1795 – Georg Heinrich Pertz, German historian and author (d. 1876)
    • 1806 – Thomas Hare, English lawyer and political scientist (d. 1891)
    • 1811 – John Neumann, Czech-American bishop and saint (d. 1860)
    • 1815 – Arsène Houssaye, French author and poet (d. 1896)
    • 1818 – Wade Hampton III, American general and politician, 77th Governor of South Carolina (d. 1902)
    • 1819 – Joseph Bazalgette, English architect and engineer, designed the Hammersmith Bridge and Battersea Bridge (d. 1891)
    • 1828 – Melchior Anderegg, Swiss mountain guide (d. 1914)
    • 1832 – Henry D. Washburn, American politician, general and explorer (d. 1871)
    • 1836 – Frederick Pabst, German-American brewer, founded the Pabst Brewing Company (d. 1904)
    • 1840 – Emin Pasha, German-Jewish Egyptian physician and politician (d. 1892)
    • 1847 – Gyula Farkas, Hungarian mathematician and physicist (d. 1930)
    • 1849 – James Darmesteter, French historian and author (d. 1894)
    • 1850 – Kyrle Bellew, English theatre actor (d. 1911)
    • 1851 – Bernardino Machado, Portuguese academic and politician, 3rd President of Portugal (d. 1944)
    • 1862 – Aristide Briand, French politician, Prime Minister of France, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1932)
    • 1866 – Jimmy Ross, Scottish footballer (d. 1902)
    • 1868 – Maxim Gorky, Russian novelist, short story writer, and playwright (d. 1936)
    • 1871 – Willem Mengelberg, Dutch-Swiss conductor (d. 1951)
    • 1873 – John Geiger, American rower (d. 1956)
    • 1878 – Abraham Walkowitz, Russian-American painter (d. 1965)
    • 1879 – Terence MacSwiney, Irish republican politician and hunger striker; Lord Mayor of Cork (d. 1920)
    • 1881 – Martin Sheridan, Irish-American discus thrower and jumper (d. 1918)
    • 1884 – Angelos Sikelianos, Greek poet and playwright (d. 1951)
    • 1886 – Gustave Mesny, French general (d. 1945)
    • 1890 – Paul Whiteman, American violinist, composer, and bandleader (d. 1967)
    • 1892 – Corneille Heymans, Belgian physiologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1968)
    • 1892 – Tom Maguire, Irish general (d. 1993)
    • 1893 – Spyros Skouras, Greek-American businessman (d. 1971)
    • 1894 – Ernst Lindemann, German captain (d. 1941)
    • 1895 – Ángela Ruiz Robles, Spanish teacher, writer and inventor, pioneer of the electronic book (d. 1975)
    • 1895 – Christian Herter, American politician, 53rd United States Secretary of State (d. 1966)
    • 1895 – Donald Grey Barnhouse, American pastor and theologian (d. 1960)
    • 1895 – Spencer W. Kimball, American religious leader, 12th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (d. 1985)
    • 1897 – Sepp Herberger, German footballer and manager (d. 1977)
    • 1897 – Tillie Voss, American football player (d. 1975)
    • 1899 – Gussie Busch, American businessman (d. 1989)
    • 1899 – Harold B. Lee, American religious leader, 11th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (d. 1973)
    • 1899 – Buck Shaw, American football player and coach (d. 1977)
    • 1900 – Edward Wagenknecht, American critic and educator (d. 2004)
    • 1902 – Flora Robson, English actress (d. 1984)
    • 1902 – Jaromír Vejvoda, Czech fiddler and composer (d. 1988)
    • 1903 – Rudolf Serkin, Czech-American pianist and educator (d. 1991)
    • 1904 – Isabel Cuchí Coll, Puerto Rican author and journalist (d. 1993)
    • 1905 – Pandro S. Berman, American production manager and producer (d. 1996)
    • 1905 – Marlin Perkins, American zoologist and television host (d. 1986)
    • 1906 – Murray Adaskin, Canadian violinist, composer, and conductor (d. 2002)
    • 1906 – Robert Allen, American actor (d. 1998)
    • 1906 – Dorothy Knowles, South African-English author, fencer and academic (d. 2010)
    • 1907 – Lúcia Santos, Portuguese nun (d. 2005)
    • 1907 – Norrey Ford, English author (d. 1985)
    • 1907 – Irving Paul Lazar, American lawyer and talent agent (d. 1993)
    • 1909 – Nelson Algren, American novelist and short story writer (d. 1981)
    • 1910 – Frederick Baldwin Adams, Jr., American librarian and art collector (d. 2001)
    • 1910 – Jimmie Dodd, American actor and singer-songwriter (d. 1964)
    • 1910 – Ingrid of Sweden, (d. 2000)
    • 1911 – Consalvo Sanesi, Italian race car driver (d. 1998)
    • 1912 – A. Bertram Chandler, English-Australian author (d. 1984)
    • 1912 – Marina Raskova, Russian pilot and navigator (d. 1943)
    • 1913 – Kazuo Taoka, Japanese crime boss (d. 1981)
    • 1913 – Toko Shinoda, Japanese artist
    • 1914 – Edward Anhalt, American screenwriter and producer (d. 2000)
    • 1914 – Bohumil Hrabal, Czech author (d. 1997)
    • 1914 – Kenneth Richard Norris, Australian entomologist and academic (d. 2003)
    • 1914 – Edmund Muskie, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician, 58th United States Secretary of State (d. 1996)
    • 1914 – Everett Ruess, American explorer, poet, and painter (d. 1934)
    • 1915 – Jay Livingston, American singer-songwriter (d. 2001)
    • 1917 – Claude Bertrand, Canadian neurosurgeon and scholar (d. 2014)
    • 1918 – Edward Amy, Canadian soldier (d. 2011)
    • 1919 – Jacob Avshalomov, American composer and conductor (d. 2013)
    • 1919 – Tom Brooks, Australian cricket umpire (d. 2007)
    • 1919 – Eileen Crofton, British physician and author (d. 2010)
    • 1919 – Vic Raschi, American baseball player and coach (d. 1988)
    • 1921 – Harold Agnew, American physicist and academic (d. 2013)
    • 1921 – Dirk Bogarde, English actor and author (d. 1999)
    • 1921 – Herschel Grynszpan, German assassin of Ernst vom Rath (d. 1960)
    • 1921 – Walter Neugebauer, Croatian-German author and illustrator (d. 1992)
    • 1922 – Neville Bonner, Australian politician (d. 1999)
    • 1922 – Grace Hartigan, American painter and educator (d. 2008)
    • 1922 – Joey Maxim, American boxer and actor (d. 2001)
    • 1922 – B. Neminathan, Sri Lankan politician
    • 1923 – Paul C. Donnelly, American scientist and engineer (d. 2014)
    • 1923 – Thad Jones, American trumpet player and composer (d. 1986)
    • 1924 – Freddie Bartholomew, American actor (d. 1992)
    • 1924 – Fred Flanagan, Australian footballer (d. 2013)
    • 1925 – Innokenty Smoktunovsky, Russian actor (d. 1994)
    • 1925 – Dorothy DeBorba, American child actress (d. 2010)
    • 1926 – Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart, 18th Duchess of Alba (d. 2014)
    • 1926 – Polly Umrigar, Indian cricketer (d. 2006)
    • 1927 – Theo Colborn, American zoologist and academic (d. 2014)
    • 1927 – Marianne Fredriksson, Swedish journalist and author (d. 2007)
    • 1927 – Vina Mazumdar, Indian academic and activist (d. 2013)
    • 1928 – Zbigniew Brzezinski, Polish-American political activist and analyst; 10th United States National Security Advisor (d. 2017)
    • 1928 – Alexander Grothendieck, German-French mathematician and theorist (d. 2014)
    • 1929 – Paul England, Australian race car driver and engineer (d. 2014)
    • 1930 – Robert Ashley, American soldier and composer (d. 2014)
    • 1930 – Jerome Isaac Friedman, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1930 – Elizabeth Bainbridge, English soprano
    • 1933 – Tete Montoliu, Spanish pianist (d. 1997)
    • 1933 – Frank Murkowski, American soldier, banker, and politician, 8th Governor of Alaska
    • 1934 – Lester R. Brown, American environmentalist, founded the Earth Policy Institute and Worldwatch Institute
    • 1934 – Laurie Taitt, Guyanese-English hurdler (d. 2006)
    • 1935 – Frank Judd, Baron Judd, English politician, Secretary of State for International Development
    • 1935 – Michael Parkinson, English journalist and author
    • 1935 – Józef Szmidt, Polish triple jumper
    • 1936 – Mario Vargas Llosa, Peruvian novelist, playwright, and essayist Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1938 – Hans-Jürgen Bäsler, German footballer (d. 2002)
    • 1939 – Dov Frohman, Israeli electrical engineer and business executive
    • 1940 – Tony Barber, English-Australian television host
    • 1940 – Luis Cubilla, Uruguayan footballer and coach (d. 2013)
    • 1942 – Daniel Dennett, American philosopher and academic
    • 1942 – Kitanofuji Katsuaki, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 52nd Yokozuna
    • 1942 – Neil Kinnock, Welsh politician, Vice-President of the European Commission
    • 1942 – Mike Newell, English director and producer
    • 1942 – Samuel Ramey, American opera singer
    • 1942 – Conrad Schumann, East German border guard (d. 1998)
    • 1942 – Jerry Sloan, American basketball player and coach
    • 1943 – Richard Eyre, English director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1943 – Conchata Ferrell, American actress
    • 1944 – Rick Barry, American basketball player and sportscaster
    • 1944 – Ken Howard, American actor (d. 2016)
    • 1945 – Rodrigo Duterte, Filipino politician, 16th President of the Philippines
    • 1945 – Johnny Famechon, French-Australian boxer
    • 1945 – Björn Hamilton, Swedish engineer and politician
    • 1946 – Wubbo Ockels, Dutch physicist and astronaut (d. 2014)
    • 1946 – Henry Paulson, American banker and politician, 74th United States Secretary of the Treasury
    • 1946 – Alejandro Toledo, Peruvian economist and politician, 48th President of Peru
    • 1947 – Greg Thompson, Canadian educator and politician, 25th Minister of Veterans Affairs (d. 2019)
    • 1948 – John Evan, English keyboard player and songwriter
    • 1948 – Janice Lynde, American actress
    • 1948 – Dianne Wiest, American actress
    • 1948 – Milan Williams, American keyboard player (d. 2006)
    • 1949 – Ronnie Ray Smith, American sprinter (d. 2013)
    • 1952 – Keith Ashfield, Canadian politician (d. 2018)
    • 1952 – Tony Brise, English race car driver (d. 1975)
    • 1953 – Melchior Ndadaye, Burundian banker and politician, 4th President of Burundi (d. 1993)
    • 1953 – Rosemary Ashe, British actress and singer
    • 1954 – Donald Brown, American pianist and educator
    • 1955 – John Alderdice, Baron Alderdice, Northern Irish psychiatrist and politician, 1st Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly
    • 1955 – Reba McEntire, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
    • 1956 – Susan Ershler, American mountaineer and author
    • 1957 – Harvey Glance, American sprinter and coach
    • 1958 – Edesio Alejandro, Cuban composer
    • 1958 – Elisabeth Andreassen, Swedish-Norwegian singer
    • 1958 – Bart Conner, American gymnast and sportscaster
    • 1958 – Curt Hennig, American wrestler, manager, and sportscaster (d. 2003)
    • 1959 – Laura Chinchilla, Costa Rican politician, President of Costa Rica
    • 1959 – Chiaki Morosawa, Japanese anime screenwriter (d. 2016)
    • 1959 – Chris Myers, American journalist and sportscaster
    • 1960 – Chris Barrie, British actor and comedian
    • 1960 – José Maria Neves, Cape Verdeian politician, Prime Minister of Cape Verde
    • 1960 – Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt, French-Belgian author and playwright
    • 1961 – Byron Scott, American basketball player and coach
    • 1962 – Jure Franko, Slovenian skier
    • 1962 – Simon Bazalgette, English businessman
    • 1963 – Jan Masiel, Polish politician
    • 1964 – Karen Lumley, English politician
    • 1966 – Cheryl James, American rapper and actress
    • 1967 – John Ziegler, German-American radio host and director
    • 1968 – Iris Chang, Chinese-American journalist and author (d. 2004)
    • 1968 – Nasser Hussain, Indian-English cricketer and sportscaster
    • 1968 – Colin Brazier, English journalist
    • 1969 – Rodney Atkins, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1969 – Brett Ratner, American director and producer
    • 1970 – Vince Vaughn, American actor
    • 1970 – Jennifer Weiner, American journalist and author
    • 1971 – Christianne Meneses Jacobs, Nicaraguan-American journalist and educator
    • 1971 – Orfeh, American singer, songwriter and actress
    • 1972 – Nick Frost, English actor and screenwriter
    • 1972 – Keith Tkachuk, American ice hockey player
    • 1973 – Björn Kuipers, Dutch footballer and referee
    • 1975 – Fabrizio Gollin, Italian race car driver
    • 1975 – Kate Gosselin, American television personality
    • 1975 – Iván Helguera, Spanish footballer
    • 1975 – Shanna Moakler, American model
    • 1976 – Dave Keuning, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1977 – Lauren Weisberger, American author
    • 1978 – Nathan Cayless, Australian-New Zealand rugby league player
    • 1979 – Shakib Khan, Bangladeshi film actor, producer, singer and media personality
    • 1980 – Cho Seung-woo, South Korean actor
    • 1980 – David Lee, English footballer
    • 1980 – Rasmus Seebach, Danish singer-songwriter and producer
    • 1980 – Luke Walton, American basketball player
    • 1981 – Lindsay Frimodt, American fashion model
    • 1981 – Edwar Ramírez, American baseball player
    • 1981 – Julia Stiles, American actress
    • 1983 – Ladji Doucouré, French sprinter and hurdler
    • 1984 – Shakib Khan, Bangladeshi actor
    • 1984 – Christopher Samba, Congolese footballer
    • 1984 – Nikki Sanderson, English actress
    • 1985 – Stefano Ferrario, Italian footballer
    • 1985 – Sauli Koskinen, Finnish TV host and entertainer
    • 1985 – Steve Mandanda, French footballer
    • 1985 – Stanislas Wawrinka, Swiss tennis player
    • 1986 – Bowe Bergdahl, American sergeant
    • 1986 – Lady Gaga, American singer-songwriter, dancer, producer, and actress
    • 1986 – J-Kwon, American rapper
    • 1986 – Amaia Salamanca, Spanish actress
    • 1986 – Barbora Strýcová, Czech tennis player
    • 1987 – Jean-Paul Adela, Seychellois footballer
    • 1987 – Yohan Benalouane, French-Tunisian footballer
    • 1987 – Simeon Jackson, Canadian soccer player
    • 1987 – Kagney Linn Karter, American pornographic actress
    • 1987 – Yotam Solomon, Israeli/American fashion designer
    • 1987 – Mary Kate Wiles, American actress
    • 1988 – Ryan Kalish, American baseball player
    • 1988 – Lacey Turner, English actress
    • 1989 – Afrikan Boy, English rapper
    • 1989 – David Goodwillie, Scottish footballer
    • 1989 – Lukas Jutkiewicz, English footballer
    • 1989 – Mira Leung, Canadian figure skater
    • 1989 – Marek Suchý, Czech footballer
    • 1990 – Zac Clarke, Australian footballer
    • 1990 – Zoella (Zoe Sugg), English Youtuber
    • 1991 – Amy Bruckner, American actress
    • 1991 – Lisa-Maria Moser, Austrian tennis player
    • 1991 – Marie-Philip Poulin, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1991 – Ondřej Palát, Czech ice hockey player
    • 1992 – Sergi Gómez, Spanish footballer
    • 1992 – Lucho Ayala, Filipino actor
    • 1994 – Jackson Wang, Hong Kong rapper
    • 1995 – Jonathan Drouin, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1996 – Matt Renshaw, English-Australian cricketer
    • 2004 – Anna Shcherbakova, Russian figure skater (two-time Russian National Champion – ’19 & ’20)

    Deaths of March 28

    • 193 – Pertinax, Roman emperor (b. 126)
    • 741 – Hatsusebe, Japanese princess
    • 965 – Arnulf I, count of Flanders
    • 966 – Flodoard, Frankish canon and chronicler
    • 1072 – Ordulf, Duke of Saxony (b. 1022)
    • 1134 – Saint Stephen Harding, founder of the Cistercian order
    • 1239 – Emperor Go-Toba of Japan (b. 1180)
    • 1241 – Valdemar II of Denmark (b. 1170)
    • 1254 – William de Ferrers, 5th Earl of Derby (b. 1193)
    • 1285 – Pope Martin IV (b. 1220)
    • 1346 – Venturino of Bergamo, Dominican preacher (b. 1304)
    • 1461 – John Clifford, 9th Baron de Clifford (b. 1435)
    • 1563 – Heinrich Glarean, Swiss poet and theorist (b. 1488)
    • 1566 – Sigismund von Herberstein, Austrian historian and diplomat (b. 1486)
    • 1583 – Magnus, Duke of Holstein (b. 1540)
    • 1584 – Ivan the Terrible, Russian king (b. 1530)
    • 1687 – Constantijn Huygens, Dutch poet and composer (b. 1596)
    • 1794 – Marquis de Condorcet, French mathematician and philosopher (b. 1743)
    • 1818 – Antonio Capuzzi, Italian violinist and composer (b. 1755)
    • 1865 – Petrus Hofman Peerlkamp, Dutch scholar and critic (b. 1786)
    • 1866 – Solomon Foot, American lawyer and politician (b. 1802)
    • 1868 – James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan, English lieutenant and politician (b. 1797)
    • 1870 – George Henry Thomas, American general (b. 1816)
    • 1874 – Peter Andreas Hansen, Danish-German astronomer and mathematician (b. 1795)
    • 1881 – Modest Mussorgsky, Russian pianist and composer (b. 1839)
    • 1893 – Edmund Kirby Smith, American general (b. 1824)
    • 1900 – Piet Joubert, South African soldier and politician (b. 1831 or 1834)
    • 1910 – Édouard Colonne, French violinist and conductor (b. 1838)
    • 1917 – Albert Pinkham Ryder, American painter (b. 1847)
    • 1923 – Charles Hubbard, American archer (b. 1849)
    • 1927 – Joseph-Médard Émard, Canadian archbishop (b. 1853)
    • 1929 – Katharine Lee Bates, American poet and songwriter (b. 1859)
    • 1929 – Lomer Gouin, Canadian lawyer and politician, 13th Premier of Quebec (b. 1861)
    • 1934 – Mahmoud Mokhtar, Egyptian sculptor and educator (b. 1891)
    • 1941 – Marcus Hurley, American basketball player and cyclist (b. 1883)
    • 1941 – Kavasji Jamshedji Petigara, Indian police officer (b. 1877)
    • 1941 – Virginia Woolf, English novelist, essayist, short story writer, and critic (b. 1882)
    • 1942 – Miguel Hernández, Spanish poet and playwright (b. 1910)
    • 1943 – Sergei Rachmaninoff, Russian pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1873)
    • 1944 – Stephen Leacock, English-Canadian political scientist and author (b. 1869)
    • 1947 – Karol Świerczewski, Polish general (b. 1897)
    • 1949 – Grigoraș Dinicu, Romanian violinist and composer (b. 1889)
    • 1953 – Jim Thorpe, American football player and coach (b. 1887)
    • 1958 – W. C. Handy, American trumpet player and composer (b. 1873)
    • 1962 – Hugo Wast, Argentinian author and screenwriter (b. 1883)
    • 1963 – Antonius Bouwens, Dutch target shooter (b. 1876)
    • 1965 – Clemence Dane, English author and playwright (b. 1888)
    • 1965 – Jack Hoxie, American actor (b. 1885)
    • 1969 – Dwight D. Eisenhower, American general and politician, 34th President of the United States (b. 1890)
    • 1971 – Robert Hunter, American golfer (b. 1886)
    • 1972 – Donie Bush, American baseball player, manager, and team owner (b. 1887)
    • 1974 – Arthur Crudup, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1905)
    • 1974 – Dorothy Fields, American songwriter (b. 1905)
    • 1974 – Françoise Rosay, French actress (b. 1891)
    • 1976 – Richard Arlen, American actor (b. 1898)
    • 1977 – Eric Shipton, Sri Lankan-English mountaineer and explorer (b. 1907)
    • 1980 – Dick Haymes, Argentinian-American actor and singer (b. 1918)
    • 1982 – William Giauque, Canadian chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1895)
    • 1984 – Carmen Dragon, American conductor and composer (b. 1914)
    • 1985 – Marc Chagall, Russian-French painter and poet (b. 1887)
    • 1986 – Virginia Gilmore. American actress (b. 1919)
    • 1987 – Maria von Trapp, Austrian-American singer (b. 1905)
    • 1992 – Nikolaos Platon, Greek archaeologist and academic (b. 1909)
    • 1993 – Scott Cunningham, American author (b. 1956)
    • 1994 – Eugène Ionesco, Romanian-French playwright and critic (b. 1909)
    • 1996 – Shin Kanemaru, Japanese politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Japan (b. 1914)
    • 1999 – Franco Gasparri, Italian actor (b. 1948)
    • 2000 – Anthony Powell, English soldier and author (b. 1905)
    • 2001 – Moe Koffman, Canadian flute player, saxophonist, and composer (b. 1928)
    • 2004 – Peter Ustinov, English-Swiss actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1921)
    • 2005 – Moura Lympany, English-Monacan pianist (b. 1916)
    • 2005 – Robin Spry, Canadian director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1939)
    • 2006 – Pro Hart, Australian painter (b. 1928)
    • 2006 – Vethathiri Maharishi, Indian philosopher and author (b. 1911)
    • 2006 – Charles Schepens, Belgian-American ophthalmologist and author (b. 1912)
    • 2006 – Caspar Weinberger, American captain, lawyer, and politician, 15th United States Secretary of Defense (b. 1917)
    • 2009 – Maurice Jarre, French-American composer and conductor (b. 1924)
    • 2010 – June Havoc, American actress, dancer, and director (b. 1912)
    • 2011 – Wenche Foss, Norwegian actress (b. 1917)
    • 2012 – John Arden, English author and playwright (b. 1930)
    • 2012 – Alexander Arutiunian, Armenian pianist and composer (b. 1920)
    • 2012 – Harry Crews, American novelist, playwright, short story writer, and essayist (b. 1935)
    • 2012 – Addie L. Wyatt, African American labor leader (b. 1924)
    • 2013 – George E. P. Box, English-American statistician and educator (b. 1919)
    • 2013 – Manuel García Ferré, Spanish-Argentinian director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1929)
    • 2013 – Richard Griffiths, English actor (b. 1947)
    • 2013 – Art Malone, American race car driver (b. 1936)
    • 2013 – Hugh McCracken, American guitarist, harmonica player, and producer (b. 1942)
    • 2013 – Heinz Patzig, German footballer and manager (b. 1929)
    • 2013 – Bob Teague, American college football star and television news-reporter (b. 1929)
    • 2013 – Gus Triandos, American baseball player and scout (b. 1930)
    • 2013 – Robert Zildjian, American businessman, founded Sabian (b. 1923)
    • 2014 – Jeremiah Denton, American admiral and politician (b. 1924)
    • 2014 – Lorenzo Semple, Jr., American screenwriter and producer (b. 1923)
    • 2014 – Avraham Yaski, Israeli architect and academic (b. 1927)
    • 2015 – Chuck Brayton, American baseball player and coach (b. 1925)
    • 2015 – Joseph Cassidy, Canadian-English priest and academic (b. 1954)
    • 2015 – Miroslav Ondříček, Czech cinematographer (b. 1934)
    • 2015 – Gene Saks, American actor and director (b. 1921)
    • 2016 – James Noble, American actor (b. 1922)

    Holidays and observances on March 28

    • Christian feast day:
      • Stephen Harding
      • Guntram
      • Priscus
      • Pope Sixtus III
      • Tuotilo
      • March 28 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Commemoration of Sen no Rikyū (Schools of Japanese tea ceremony)
    • Serfs Emancipation Day (Tibet)
    • Teachers’ Day (Czech Republic and Slovakia)

  • March 20- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    Typically the March equinox falls on March 20, marking the vernal point in the Northern Hemisphere and the autumnal point in the Southern Hemisphere.

    • 235 – Maximinus Thrax is proclaimed emperor.
    • 673 – Emperor Tenmu of Japan assumes the Chrysanthemum Throne at the Palace of Kiyomihara in Asuka.
    • 1206 – Michael IV Autoreianos is appointed Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.
    • 1600 – The Linköping Bloodbath takes place on Maundy Thursday in Linköping, Sweden: five Swedish noblemen are publicly beheaded in the aftermath of the War against Sigismund (1598–1599).
    • 1602 – The Dutch East India Company is established.
    • 1616 – Sir Walter Raleigh is freed from the Tower of London after 13 years of imprisonment.
    • 1760 – The Great Boston Fire of 1760 destroys 349 buildings.
    • 1815 – After escaping from Elba, Napoleon enters Paris with a regular army of 140,000 and a volunteer force of around 200,000, beginning his “Hundred Days” rule.
    • 1848 – German revolutions of 1848–49: King Ludwig I of Bavaria abdicates.
    • 1852 – Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin is published.
    • 1854 – The Republican Party of the United States is organized in Ripon, Wisconsin, US.
    • 1861 – An earthquake destroys Mendoza, Argentina.
    • 1883 – The Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property is signed.
    • 1888 – The premiere of the very first Romani language operetta is staged in Moscow, Russia.
    • 1890 – Prime Minister of the German Empire Otto von Bismarck is dismissed by Emperor Wilhelm II.
    • 1896 – With the approval of Emperor Guangxu, the Qing dynasty post office is opened, marking the beginning of a postal service in China.
    • 1913 – Sung Chiao-jen, a founder of the Chinese Nationalist Party, is wounded in an assassination attempt and dies 2 days later.
    • 1915 – Albert Einstein publishes his general theory of relativity.
    • 1921 – The Upper Silesia plebiscite was a plebiscite mandated by the Versailles Treaty to determine a section of the border between Weimar Germany and Poland.
    • 1922 – The USS Langley is commissioned as the first United States Navy aircraft carrier.
    • 1923 – The Arts Club of Chicago hosts the opening of Pablo Picasso’s first United States showing, entitled Original Drawings by Pablo Picasso, becoming an early proponent of modern art in the United States.
    • 1933 – Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler ordered the creation of Dachau concentration camp as Chief of Police of Munich and appointed Theodor Eicke as the camp commandant.
    • 1942 – World War II: General Douglas MacArthur, at Terowie, South Australia, makes his famous speech regarding the fall of the Philippines, in which he says: “I came out of Bataan and I shall return”.
    • 1948 – With a Musicians Union ban lifted, the first telecasts of classical music in the United States, under Eugene Ormandy and Arturo Toscanini, are given on CBS and NBC.
    • 1951 – Fujiyoshida, a city located in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, in the center of the Japanese main island of Honshū is founded.
    • 1952 – The US Senate ratifies the Security Treaty Between the United States and Japan.
    • 1956 – Tunisia gains independence from France.
    • 1964 – The precursor of the European Space Agency, ESRO (European Space Research Organisation) is established per an agreement signed on June 14, 1962.
    • 1972 – The Troubles: The first Provisional IRA car bombing in Belfast kills seven people and injures 148 others in Northern Ireland.
    • 1985 – Libby Riddles becomes the first woman to win the 1,135-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.
    • 1985 – Canadian paraplegic athlete and humanitarian Rick Hansen begins his circumnavigation of the globe in a wheelchair in the name of spinal cord injury medical research.
    • 1987 – The Food and Drug Administration approves the anti-AIDS drug, AZT.
    • 1988 – Eritrean War of Independence: Having defeated the Nadew Command, the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front enters the town of Afabet, victoriously concluding the Battle of Afabet.
    • 1990 – Ferdinand Marcos’s widow, Imelda Marcos, goes on trial for bribery, embezzlement, and racketeering.
    • 1993 – The Troubles: A Provisional IRA bomb kills two children in Warrington, England. It leads to mass protests in both Britain and Ireland.
    • 1995 – The Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo carries out a sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway, killing 13 and wounding over 6,200 people.
    • 1999 – Legoland California, the first Legoland outside of Europe, opens in Carlsbad, California, US.
    • 2000 – Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, a former Black Panther once known as H. Rap Brown, is captured after murdering Georgia sheriff’s deputy Ricky Kinchen and critically wounding Deputy Aldranon English.
    • 2003 – Invasion of Iraq: In the early hours of the morning, the United States and three other countries (the UK, Australia and Poland) begin military operations in Iraq.
    • 2006 – Over 150 Chadian soldiers are killed in eastern Chad by members of the rebel UFDC. The rebel movement sought to overthrow Chadian president Idriss Déby.
    • 2012 – At least 52 people are killed and more than 250 injured in a wave of terror attacks across ten cities in Iraq.
    • 2014 – Four suspected Taliban members attack the Kabul Serena Hotel, killing at least nine people.
    • 2015 – A Solar eclipse, equinox, and a supermoon all occur on the same day.

    Births on March 20

    • 43 BC – Ovid, Roman poet (d. 17)
    • 1253 – Magadu, renamed Wareru, founder of Ramanya Kingdom, renamed Hanthawady Kingdom of Pegu (b. a commoner; d. on a Saturday in January 1307)
    • 1319 – Laurence Hastings, 1st Earl of Pembroke (d. 1348)
    • 1469 – Cecily of York (d. 1507)
    • 1477 – Jerome Emser, German theologian and scholar (d. 1527)
    • 1479 – Ippolito d’Este, Italian cardinal (d. 1520)
    • 1502 – Pierino Belli, Italian soldier and jurist (d. 1575)
    • 1532 – Juan de Ribera, Roman Catholic archbishop (d. 1611)
    • 1612 – Anne Bradstreet, Puritan American poet (d. 1672)
    • 1615 – Dara Shikoh, Indian prince (d. 1659)
    • 1639 – Ivan Mazepa, Ukrainian diplomat, Hetman of Ukraine (d. 1709)
    • 1725 – Abdul Hamid I, Ottoman sultan (d. 1789)
    • 1737 – Rama I, Thai king (d. 1809)
    • 1771 – Heinrich Clauren, German author (d. 1854)
    • 1796 – Edward Gibbon Wakefield, English politician (d. 1862)
    • 1799 – Karl August Nicander, Swedish poet and author (d. 1839)
    • 1800 – Braulio Carrillo Colina, Costa Rican lawyer and politician, President of Costa Rica (d. 1845)
    • 1805 – Thomas Cooper, British poet (d. 1892)
    • 1811 – Napoleon II, French emperor (d. 1832)
    • 1811 – George Caleb Bingham, American painter and politician, State Treasurer of Missouri (d. 1879)
    • 1821 – Ned Buntline, American journalist, author, and publisher (d. 1886)
    • 1824 – Theodor von Heuglin, German explorer and ornithologist (d. 1876)
    • 1828 – Henrik Ibsen, Norwegian poet, playwright, and director (d. 1906)
    • 1831 – Patrick Jennings, Northern Irish-Australian politician, 11th Premier of New South Wales (d. 1897)
    • 1831 – Solomon L. Spink, American lawyer and politician (d. 1881)
    • 1834 – Charles William Eliot, American mathematician and academic (d. 1926)
    • 1836 – Ferris Jacobs, Jr., American general, lawyer, and politician (d. 1886)
    • 1836 – Edward Poynter, English painter, illustrator, and curator (d. 1919)
    • 1840 – Illarion Pryanishnikov, Russian painter (d. 1894)
    • 1851 – Ismail Gasprinski, Ukrainian educator, publisher, and politician (d. 1914)
    • 1856 – John Lavery, Irish painter (d. 1941)
    • 1856 – Frederick Winslow Taylor, American tennis player and engineer (d. 1915)
    • 1870 – Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, German general (d. 1964)
    • 1874 – Börries von Münchhausen, German poet and activist (d. 1945)
    • 1876 – Payne Whitney, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 1927)
    • 1879 – Maud Menten, Canadian physician and biochemist (d. 1960)
    • 1882 – René Coty, French lawyer and politician, 17th President of France (d. 1962)
    • 1882 – Harold Weber, American golfer (d. 1933)
    • 1884 – Philipp Frank, Austrian-American physicist, mathematician, and philosopher (d. 1966)
    • 1884 – John Jensen, Australian public servant (d. 1970)
    • 1885 – Vernon Ransford, Australian cricketer (d. 1958)
    • 1888 – Amanda Clement, American baseball player, umpire, and educator (d. 1971)
    • 1890 – Lauritz Melchior, Danish-American tenor and actor (d. 1973)
    • 1894 – Amalie Sara Colquhoun, Australian landscape and portrait painter (d. 1974)
    • 1895 – Fredric Wertham, German-American psychologist and author (d. 1981)
    • 1898 – Eduard Wiiralt, Estonian artist (d. 1954)
    • 1900 – Amelia Chopitea Villa, Bolivia’s first female physician (d. 1942)
    • 1903 – Edgar Buchanan, American actor (d. 1979)
    • 1904 – B. F. Skinner, American psychologist and author (d. 1990)
    • 1905 – Jean Galia, French rugby player and boxer (d. 1949)
    • 1906 – Abraham Beame, American accountant and politician, 104th Mayor of New York City (d. 2001)
    • 1906 – Ozzie Nelson, American actor and bandleader (d. 1975)
    • 1907 – Hugh MacLennan, Canadian author and educator (d. 1990)
    • 1908 – Michael Redgrave, English actor and director (d. 1985)
    • 1910 – Erwin Blask, German hammer thrower (d. 1999)
    • 1911 – Alfonso García Robles, Mexican lawyer and diplomat, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1991)
    • 1912 – Ralph Hauenstein, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 2016)
    • 1913 – Nikolai Stepulov, Russian-Estonian boxer (d. 1968)
    • 1914 – Wendell Corey, American actor and politician (d. 1968)
    • 1915 – Rudolf Kirchschläger, Austrian judge and politician, 8th President of Austria (d. 2000)
    • 1915 – Sviatoslav Richter, Ukrainian pianist and composer (d. 1997)
    • 1915 – Sister Rosetta Tharpe, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1973)
    • 1916 – Pierre Messmer, French lieutenant and politician, Prime Minister of France (d. 2007)
    • 1917 – Vera Lynn, English singer, songwriter and actress (d. 2020)
    • 1917 – Yigael Yadin, Israeli archaeologist, general, and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Israel (d. 1984)
    • 1918 – Jack Barry, American game show host and producer, co-founded Barry & Enright Productions (d. 1984)
    • 1918 – Donald Featherstone, English soldier and author (d. 2013)
    • 1918 – Marian McPartland, English-American pianist and composer (d. 2013)
    • 1918 – Bernd Alois Zimmermann, German composer (d. 1970)
    • 1919 – Gerhard Barkhorn, German fighter ace (d. 1983)
    • 1920 – Pamela Harriman, English-American diplomat, 58th United States Ambassador to France (d. 1997)
    • 1920 – Rosemary Timperley, English author and screenwriter (d. 1988)
    • 1921 – Usmar Ismail, Indonesian filmmaker (d. 1971)
    • 1921 – Dušan Pirjevec, Slovenian historian and philosopher (d. 1977)
    • 1921 – Alfréd Rényi, Hungarian mathematician and theorist (d. 1970)
    • 1922 – Larry Elgart, American saxophonist and bandleader (d. 2017)
    • 1922 – Ray Goulding, American actor and screenwriter (d. 1990)
    • 1922 – Carl Reiner, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2020)
    • 1923 – Con Martin, Irish footballer and manager (d. 2013)
    • 1923 – Shaukat Siddiqui, Pakistani journalist, author, and activist (d. 2006)
    • 1925 – John Ehrlichman, American lawyer, 12th White House Counsel (d. 1999)
    • 1927 – John Joubert, South African-English composer and academic (d. 2019)
    • 1928 – Jerome Biffle, American long jumper and coach (d. 2002)
    • 1928 – James P. Gordon, American physicist and engineer (d. 2013)
    • 1928 – Fred Rogers, American television host and producer (d. 2003)
    • 1929 – William Andrew MacKay, Canadian lawyer and judge (d. 2013)
    • 1929 – Germán Robles, Spanish-Mexican actor and director (d. 2015)
    • 1930 – S. Arasaratnam, Sri Lankan historian, author, and academic (d. 1998)
    • 1931 – Hal Linden, American actor, singer, and director
    • 1931 – Rein Raamat, Estonian director and screenwriter
    • 1933 – Lateef Adegbite, Nigerian lawyer and politician (d. 2012)
    • 1933 – George Altman, American baseball player
    • 1933 – Ian Walsh, Australian rugby league player and coach (d. 2013)
    • 1934 – Willie Brown, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 41st Mayor of San Francisco
    • 1934 – David Malouf, Australian author and playwright
    • 1935 – Ted Bessell, American actor and director (d. 1996)
    • 1935 – Bettye Washington Greene, American chemist (d. 1995)
    • 1936 – Lee “Scratch” Perry, Jamaican singer, songwriter, music producer, and inventor
    • 1936 – Mark Saville, Baron Saville of Newdigate, English lieutenant, lawyer, and judge
    • 1937 – Lois Lowry, American author
    • 1937 – Jerry Reed, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (d. 2008)
    • 1938 – Sergei Novikov, Russian mathematician and academic
    • 1939 – Gerald Curran, American lawyer and politician (d. 2013)
    • 1939 – Don Edwards, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1939 – Walter Jakob Gehring, Swiss biologist and academic (d. 2014)
    • 1939 – Brian Mulroney, Canadian lawyer and politician, 18th Prime Minister of Canada
    • 1940 – Stathis Chaitas, Greek footballer and manager
    • 1940 – Mary Ellen Mark, American photographer and journalist (d. 2015)
    • 1940 – Giampiero Moretti, Italian race car driver and businessman, founded the Momo company (d. 2012)
    • 1941 – Pat Corrales, American baseball player and manager
    • 1941 – Kenji Kimihara, Japanese runner
    • 1943 – Gerard Malanga, American poet and photographer
    • 1943 – Douglas Tompkins, American businessman, co-founded The North Face and Esprit Holdings (d. 2015)
    • 1943 – Paul Junger Witt, American director and producer (d. 2018)
    • 1944 – John Cameron, English composer and conductor
    • 1944 – Camille Cosby, American author, producer, and philanthropist
    • 1944 – Alan Harper, English-Irish archbishop
    • 1945 – Henry Bartholomay, American soldier and pilot (d. 2015)
    • 1945 – Jay Ingram, Canadian television host and author
    • 1945 – Pat Riley, American basketball player and coach
    • 1945 – Tim Yeo, English politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Health
    • 1946 – Douglas B. Green, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1946 – Malcolm Simmons, English motorcycle racer (d. 2014)
    • 1947 – John Boswell, American historian, philologist, and academic (d. 1994)
    • 1948 – John de Lancie, American actor
    • 1948 – Bobby Orr, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1948 – Nikos Papazoglou, Greek singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2011)
    • 1949 – Marcia Ball, American blues singer-songwriter and pianist
    • 1949 – Richard Dowden, English journalist and educator
    • 1950 – William Hurt, American actor
    • 1950 – Carl Palmer, English drummer, percussionist, and songwriter
    • 1951 – Jimmie Vaughan, American blues-rock singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1952 – Geoff Brabham, Australian race car driver
    • 1952 – David Greenaway, English economist and academic
    • 1953 – Phil Judd, New Zealand singer-songwriter, guitarist and painter
    • 1954 – Mike Francesa, American radio talk show host and television commentator
    • 1954 – Liana Kanelli, Greek journalist and politician
    • 1954 – Paul Mirabella, American baseball player
    • 1955 – Nina Kiriki Hoffman, American author
    • 1955 – Ian Moss, Australian guitarist and singer-songwriter
    • 1955 – Mariya Takeuchi, Japanese singer-songwriter
    • 1956 – Catherine Ashton, English politician, Vice-President of the European Commission
    • 1956 – Anne Donahue, American lawyer and politician
    • 1956 – Naoto Takenaka, Japanese actor, comedian, singer, and director
    • 1957 – Vanessa Bell Calloway, American actress
    • 1957 – David Foster, Australian woodchopper
    • 1957 – Spike Lee, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1957 – Theresa Russell, American actress
    • 1957 – Chris Wedge, American animator, producer, screenwriter, and voice actor
    • 1958 – Holly Hunter, American actress and producer
    • 1958 – Rickey Jackson, American football player
    • 1958 – Joe Reaiche, Australian rugby player
    • 1959 – Dave Beasant, English footballer and coach
    • 1959 – Mary Roach, American author
    • 1959 – Sting, American wrestler
    • 1959 – Peter Truscott, Baron Truscott, British Labour Party politician and peer
    • 1960 – Norm Magnusson, American painter and sculptor
    • 1960 – Norbert Pohlmann, German computer scientist and academic
    • 1960 – Yuri Shargin, Russian colonel, engineer, and astronaut
    • 1961 – Ingrid Arndt-Brauer, German politician
    • 1961 – Jesper Olsen, Danish footballer and manager
    • 1961 – Sara Wheeler, English author and journalist
    • 1962 – Stephen Sommers, American director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1963 – Paul Annacone, American tennis player and coach
    • 1963 – Kathy Ireland, American model, actress, and furniture designer
    • 1963 – Yelena Romanova, Russian runner (d. 2007)
    • 1963 – David Thewlis, English-French actor, director, and screenwriter
    • 1964 – Natacha Atlas, Belgian singer-songwriter
    • 1965 – William Dalrymple, Scottish historian and author
    • 1967 – Xavier Beauvois, French actor, director, and screenwriter
    • 1967 – Mookie Blaylock, American basketball player
    • 1968 – Carlos Almeida, Cape Verdean runner
    • 1968 – A. J. Jacobs, American journalist and author
    • 1968 – Paul Merson, English footballer and manager
    • 1968 – Ultra Naté, American singer, songwriter, record producer, DJ, and promoter
    • 1969 – Yvette Cooper, English economist and politician, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
    • 1969 – Fabien Galthie, French rugby player
    • 1970 – Edoardo Ballerini, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1970 – Josephine Medina, Filipino Paralympic table tennis player
    • 1970 – sj Miller, American academic, public speaker, and social justice activist
    • 1970 – Michael Rapaport, American actor, podcast host, and director
    • 1971 – Manny Alexander, Dominican baseball player
    • 1971 – Touré, American journalist and author
    • 1972 – Chilly Gonzales, Canadian-German singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer
    • 1972 – Alex Kapranos, English-Scottish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
    • 1972 – Greg Searle, English rower
    • 1972 – Marco Sejna, German footballer
    • 1972 – Cristel Vahtra, Estonian skier
    • 1973 – Nicky Boje, South African cricketer
    • 1973 – Natalya Khrushcheleva, Russian runner
    • 1973 – Talal Khalifa Aljeri, Kuwaiti businessman
    • 1974 – Carsten Ramelow, German footballer
    • 1975 – Ramin Bahrani, American director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1975 – Isolde Kostner, Italian skier
    • 1976 – Chester Bennington, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor (d. 2017)
    • 1978 – Kevin Betsy, English born Seychelles international footballer, midfielder and manager
    • 1978 – Brent Sherwin, Australian rugby league player
    • 1979 – Shinnosuke Abe, Japanese baseball player
    • 1979 – Freema Agyeman, English actress
    • 1979 – Keven Mealamu, New Zealand rugby player
    • 1980 – Jamal Crawford, American basketball player
    • 1980 – Robertas Javtokas, Lithuanian basketball player
    • 1981 – Ian Murray, Scottish footballer
    • 1981 – Carl Webb, Australian rugby league player
    • 1982 – Terrence Duffin, Zimbabwean cricketer
    • 1982 – Tomasz Kuszczak, Polish footballer
    • 1982 – José Moreira, Portuguese footballer
    • 1983 – Carolina Padrón, Venezuelan journalist
    • 1983 – Jenni Vartiainen, Finnish singer
    • 1984 – Vikram Banerjee, English cricketer
    • 1984 – Christy Carlson Romano, American actress and singer
    • 1984 – Fernando Torres, Spanish footballer
    • 1985 – Morgan Amalfitano, French footballer
    • 1985 – Ronnie Brewer, American basketball player
    • 1985 – Nicolas Lombaerts, Belgian footballer
    • 1986 – Dean Geyer, South African-Australian singer-songwriter and actor
    • 1986 – Julián Magallanes, Argentinian footballer
    • 1986 – Ruby Rose, Australian actress and model
    • 1986 – Román Torres, Panamanian footballer
    • 1987 – Daniel Maa Boumsong, Cameroonian footballer
    • 1987 – Jô, Brazilian footballer
    • 1987 – Pedro Ken, Brazilian footballer
    • 1987 – Sergei Kostitsyn, Belarusian ice hockey player
    • 1989 – Xavier Dolan, Canadian actor and director
    • 1989 – Tamim Iqbal, Bangladeshi Cricketer
    • 1990 – Blake Ferguson, Australian rugby league player
    • 1990 – Marcos Rojo, Argentine footballer
    • 1991 – Mattia Destro, Italian footballer
    • 1991 – Michał Kucharczyk, Polish footballer
    • 1991 – Ethan Lowe, Australian rugby league player
    • 1993 – Sloane Stephens, American tennis player
    • 1995 – Jack Bird, Australian rugby league player

    Deaths on March 20

    • 687 – Cuthbert, Northumbrian (English) monk, bishop, and saint (b. 634)
    • 703 – Wulfram, archbishop of Sens
    • 842 – Alfonso II, king of Asturias (Spain) (b. 759)
    • 851 – Ebbo, archbishop of Reims
    • 1181 – Taira no Kiyomori, Japanese general (b. 1118)
    • 1191 – Pope Clement III (b. 1130)
    • 1239 – Hermann von Salza, German knight and diplomat (b. 1179)
    • 1302 – Ralph Walpole, Bishop of Norwich
    • 1336 – Maurice Csák, Hungarian Dominican friar (b. 1270)
    • 1351 – Muhammad bin Tughluq, Sultan of Delhi
    • 1390 – Alexios III Megas Komnenos, Emperor of Trebizond (b. 1338)
    • 1413 – Henry IV of England (b. 1367)
    • 1440 – Sigismund I of Lithuania
    • 1475 – Georges Chastellain, Burgundian chronicler and poet
    • 1549 – Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley, English general and politician, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports (b. 1508)
    • 1568 – Albert, Duke of Prussia (b. 1490)
    • 1619 – Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1557)
    • 1673 – Augustyn Kordecki, Polish monk (b. 1603)
    • 1688 – Maria of Orange-Nassau, Dutch princess (b. 1642)
    • 1730 – Adrienne Lecouvreur, French actress (b. 1692)
    • 1746 – Nicolas de Largillière, French painter and academic (b. 1656)
    • 1780 – Benjamin Truman, English brewer and businessman (b. 1699)
    • 1793 – William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield, Scottish judge and politician, Attorney General for England and Wales (b. 1705)
    • 1835 – Louis Léopold Robert, French painter (b. 1794)
    • 1849 – James Justinian Morier, Turkish-English author and diplomat (b. 1780)
    • 1855 – Joseph Aspdin, English businessman (b. 1788)
    • 1865 – Yamanami Keisuke, Japanese samurai (b. 1833)
    • 1874 – Hans Christian Lumbye, Danish composer and conductor (b. 1810)
    • 1878 – Julius Robert von Mayer, German physician and physicist (b. 1814)
    • 1894 – Lajos Kossuth, Hungarian lawyer, journalist and politician (b. 1802)
    • 1897 – Apollon Maykov, Russian poet and playwright (b. 1821)
    • 1899 – Franz Ritter von Hauer, Austrian geologist and author (b. 1822)
    • 1909 – Friedrich Amelung, Estonian historian and businessman (b. 1842)
    • 1918 – Lewis A. Grant, American general and lawyer (b. 1828)
    • 1925 – George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston, English politician, 35th Governor-General of India (b. 1859)
    • 1929 – Ferdinand Foch, French field marshal (b. 1851)
    • 1930 – Arthur F. Andrews, American cyclist (b. 1876)
    • 1931 – Hermann Müller, German journalist and politician, 12th Chancellor of Germany (b. 1876)
    • 1933 – Giuseppe Zangara, Italian-American assassin of Anton Cermak (b. 1900; executed)
    • 1940 – Alfred Ploetz, German physician, biologist, and eugenicist (b. 1860)
    • 1945 – Dorothy Campbell, Scottish-American golfer (b. 1883)
    • 1946 – Amadeus William Grabau, American-Chinese geologist, paleontologist, and academic (b. 1870)
    • 1947 – Sigurd Wallén, Swedish actor and director (b. 1884)
    • 1952 – Hjalmar Väre, Finnish cyclist (b. 1892)
    • 1958 – Adegoke Adelabu, Nigerian merchant, journalist, and politician (b. 1915)
    • 1964 – Brendan Behan, Irish republican and playwright (b. 1923)
    • 1965 – Daniel Frank, American long jumper (b. 1882)
    • 1966 – Johnny Morrison, American baseball player (b. 1895)
    • 1968 – Carl Theodor Dreyer, Danish director and screenwriter (b. 1889)
    • 1969 – Henri Longchambon, French politician (b. 1896)
    • 1971 – Falih Rıfkı Atay, Turkish journalist and politician (b. 1894)
    • 1972 – Marilyn Maxwell, American actress (b. 1921)
    • 1974 – Chet Huntley, American journalist (b. 1911)
    • 1977 – Charles Lyttelton, 10th Viscount Cobham, English politician, 9th Governor-General of New Zealand (b. 1909)
    • 1977 – Terukuni Manzō, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 38th Yokozuna (b. 1919)
    • 1978 – Jacques Brugnon, French tennis player (b. 1895)
    • 1981 – Gerry Bertier, American football player (b. 1953)
    • 1983 – Ivan Matveyevich Vinogradov, Russian mathematician and academic (b. 1891)
    • 1990 – Maurice Cloche, French director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1907)
    • 1990 – Lev Yashin, Russian footballer (b. 1929)
    • 1992 – Georges Delerue, French composer (b. 1925)
    • 1993 – Polykarp Kusch, German-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1911)
    • 1994 – Lewis Grizzard, American writer and humorist (b. 1946)
    • 1997 – V. S. Pritchett, English short story writer, essayist, and critic (b. 1900)
    • 1999 – Patrick Heron, British painter (b. 1920)
    • 2000 – Gene Eugene, Canadian-American singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1961)
    • 2001 – Luis Alvarado, Puerto Rican-American baseball player (b. 1949)
    • 2004 – Juliana of the Netherlands (b. 1909)
    • 2004 – Pierre Sévigny, Canadian colonel and politician (b. 1917)
    • 2005 – Armand Lohikoski, American-Finnish director and screenwriter (b. 1912)
    • 2007 – Raynald Fréchette, Canadian lawyer, judge, and politician (b. 1933)
    • 2007 – Taha Yassin Ramadan, Iraqi politician, Vice President of Iraq (b. 1938)
    • 2007 – Hawa Yakubu, Ghanaian politician (b. 1948)
    • 2010 – Ai, American poet and academic (b. 1947)
    • 2010 – Girija Prasad Koirala, Indian-Nepalese politician, 30th Prime Minister of Nepal (b. 1924)
    • 2010 – Stewart Udall, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 37th United States Secretary of the Interior (b. 1920)
    • 2011 – Johnny Pearson, English pianist, conductor, and composer (b. 1925)
    • 2012 – Lincoln Hall, Australian mountaineer and author (b. 1955)
    • 2012 – Noboru Ishiguro, Japanese animator and director (b. 1938)
    • 2012 – Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg, Polish-Israeli rabbi and author (b. 1910)
    • 2012 – Jim Stynes, Irish-Australian footballer (b. 1966)
    • 2013 – James Herbert, English author (b. 1943)
    • 2013 – George Lowe, New Zealand-English mountaineer and explorer (b. 1924)
    • 2013 – Zillur Rahman, Bangladeshi lawyer and politician, 19th President of Bangladesh (b. 1929)
    • 2014 – Hennie Aucamp, South African poet, author, and academic (b. 1934)
    • 2014 – Hilderaldo Bellini, Brazilian footballer (b. 1930)
    • 2014 – Tonie Nathan, American politician (b. 1923)
    • 2014 – Khushwant Singh, Indian journalist and author (b. 1915)
    • 2015 – Eva Burrows, Australian 13th General of The Salvation Army (b. 1929)
    • 2015 – Malcolm Fraser, Australian politician, 22nd Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1930)
    • 2016 – Anker Jørgensen, Danish politician, Prime Minister of Denmark (b. 1922)
    • 2017 – David Rockefeller, American billionaire and philanthropist (b. 1915)
    • 2018 – C. K. Mann, a Ghanaian Highlife musician and producer (b. 1936)
    • 2019 – Mary Warnock, English philosopher & writer (b. 1924)
    • 2020 – Kenny Rogers, American singer (b. 1938)

    Holidays and observances on March 20

    • Christian feast day:
      • Alexandra
      • Blessed John of Parma
      • Clement of Ireland
      • Cuthbert of Lindisfarne
      • Herbert of Derwentwater
      • John of Nepomuk
      • Józef Bilczewski
      • María Josefa Sancho de Guerra
      • Martin of Braga
      • Michele Carcano
      • Wulfram
      • March 20 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Earliest date for the vernal equinox in the Northern hemisphere:
      • Bahá’í Naw-Rúz, started at sunset on March 20. The end of the 19-day sunrise-to-sunset fast. (Bahá’í Faith)
      • Chunfen (China)
      • Earth Equinox Day
      • International Astrology Day
      • New Year (Thelema)
      • Nowruz (Persian, Gilaki, Kurdish, Zoroastrians, and other Iranian people and countries with an Iranian influence)
      • Ostara in the northern hemisphere, Mabon in the southern hemisphere. (Neo-Druidic Wheel of the Year)
      • Shunbun no Hi (Japan)
      • Sun-Earth Day (United States)
      • Vernal Equinox Day/Kōreisai (Japan)
      • World Storytelling Day
    • Earliest day on which Good Friday can fall, while April 23 is the latest; celebrated on Friday before Easter. (Christianity)
    • Great American Meatout (United States)
    • Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Tunisia from France in 1956.
    • International Day of Happiness (United Nations)
    • International Francophonie Day (Organisation internationale de la Francophonie), and its related observances:
      • UN French Language Day (United Nations)
    • National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (United States)
    • World Sparrow Day

  • March 19- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 1277 – The Byzantine–Venetian treaty of 1277 is concluded, stipulating a two-year truce and renewing Venetian commercial privileges in the Byzantine Empire.
    • 1279 – A Mongol victory at the Battle of Yamen ends the Song dynasty in China.
    • 1284 – The Statute of Rhuddlan incorporates the Principality of Wales into England.
    • 1563 – The Edict of Amboise is signed, ending the first phase of the French Wars of Religion and granting certain freedoms to the Huguenots.
    • 1649 – The House of Commons of England passes an act abolishing the House of Lords, declaring it “useless and dangerous to the people of England”.
    • 1687 – Explorer Robert Cavelier de La Salle, searching for the mouth of the Mississippi River, is murdered by his own men.
    • 1812 – The Cortes of Cádiz promulgates the Spanish Constitution of 1812.
    • 1853 – The Taiping reform movement occupies and makes Nanjing its capital until 1864.
    • 1861 – The First Taranaki War ends in New Zealand.
    • 1863 – The SS Georgiana, said to have been the most powerful Confederate cruiser, is destroyed on her maiden voyage with a cargo of munitions, medicines, and merchandise then valued at over $1,000,000.
    • 1865 – American Civil War: The Battle of Bentonville begins. By the end of the battle two days later, Confederate forces had retreated from Four Oaks, North Carolina.
    • 1885 – Louis Riel declares a provisional government in Saskatchewan, beginning the North-West Rebellion.
    • 1895 – Auguste and Louis Lumière record their first footage using their newly patented cinematograph.
    • 1918 – The US Congress establishes time zones and approves daylight saving time.
    • 1920 – The United States Senate rejects the Treaty of Versailles for the second time (the first time was on November 19, 1919).
    • 1921 – Irish War of Independence: One of the biggest engagements of the war takes place at Crossbarry, County Cork. About 100 Irish Republican Army (IRA) volunteers escape an attempt by over 1,300 British forces to encircle them.
    • 1931 – Gambling is legalized in Nevada.
    • 1932 – The Sydney Harbour Bridge is opened.
    • 1943 – Frank Nitti, the Chicago Outfit Boss after Al Capone, commits suicide at the Chicago Central Railyard.
    • 1944 – World War II: The German army occupies Hungary.
    • 1945 – World War II: Off the coast of Japan, a dive bomber hits the aircraft carrier USS Franklin, killing 724 of her crew. Badly damaged, the ship is able to return to the US under her own power.
    • 1945 – World War II: Adolf Hitler issues his “Nero Decree” ordering all industries, military installations, shops, transportation facilities, and communications facilities in Germany to be destroyed.
    • 1946 – French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Réunion become overseas départements of France.
    • 1954 – Joey Giardello knocks out Willie Tory in round seven at Madison Square Garden in the first televised prize boxing fight shown in colour.
    • 1954 – Willie Mosconi sets a world record by running 526 consecutive balls without a miss during a straight pool exhibition at East High Billiard Club in Springfield, Ohio, setting a record that remains unbroken.
    • 1958 – The Monarch Underwear Company fire leaves 24 dead and 15 injured.
    • 1962 – Highly influential artist Bob Dylan releases his first album, Bob Dylan, for Columbia Records.
    • 1962 – The Algerian War of Independence ends.
    • 1964 – Over 500,000 Brazilians attend the March of the Family with God for Liberty, in protest against the government of João Goulart and against communism.
    • 1965 – The wreck of the SS Georgiana, valued at over $50,000,000 and said to have been the most powerful Confederate cruiser, is discovered by teenage diver and pioneer underwater archaeologist E. Lee Spence, exactly 102 years after its destruction.
    • 1966 – 1965–66 Texas Western Miners men’s basketball team wins the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament.
    • 1969 – The 385-metre-tall (1,263 ft) TV-mast at Emley Moor transmitting station, United Kingdom, collapses due to ice build-up.
    • 1979 – The United States House of Representatives begins broadcasting its day-to-day business via the cable television network C-SPAN.
    • 1982 – Falklands War: Argentinian forces land on South Georgia Island, precipitating war with the United Kingdom.
    • 1987 – Televangelist Jim Bakker resigns as head of the PTL Club due to a brewing sex scandal; he hands over control to Jerry Falwell.
    • 1989 – The Egyptian flag is raised at Taba, marking the end of Israeli occupation since the Six Days War in 1967 and the Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty in 1979.
    • 1990 – The ethnic clashes of Târgu Mureș begin four days after the anniversary of the Revolutions of 1848 in the Austrian Empire.
    • 1998 – An Ariana Afghan Airlines Boeing 727 crashes on approach to Kabul International Airport, killing all 45 on board.
    • 2002 – Zimbabwe is suspended from the Commonwealth on charges of human rights abuses and of electoral fraud, following a turbulent presidential election.
    • 2004 – Catalina affair: A Swedish DC-3 shot down by a Soviet MiG-15 in 1952 over the Baltic Sea is finally recovered after years of work.
    • 2004 – March 19 Shooting Incident: The Republic of China(Taiwan) president Chen Shui-bian was shot just before the country’s presidential election on March 20.
    • 2008 – GRB 080319B: A cosmic burst that is the farthest object visible to the naked eye is briefly observed.
    • 2011 – Libyan Civil War: After the failure of Muammar Gaddafi’s forces to take Benghazi, the French Air Force launches Opération Harmattan, beginning foreign military intervention in Libya.
    • 2013 – A series of bombings and shootings kills at least 98 people and injures 240 others across Iraq.
    • 2016 – Flydubai Flight 981 crashes while attempting to land at Rostov-on-Don international airport, killing all 62 on board.
    • 2016 – An explosion occurs in Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkey, killing five people and injuring 36.
    • 2018 – The last male northern white rhinoceros, Sudan, dies, ensuring a chance of extinction for the species.

    Births on March 19

    • 1206 – Güyük Khan, Mongol ruler, 3rd Great Khan of the Mongol Empire (d. 1248)
    • 1434 – Ashikaga Yoshikatsu, Japanese shōgun (d. 1443)
    • 1488 – Johannes Magnus, Swedish archbishop and theologian (d. 1544)
    • 1534 – José de Anchieta, Spanish missionary and saint (d. 1597)
    • 1542 – Jan Zamoyski, Polish nobleman (d. 1605)
    • 1601 – Alonzo Cano, Spanish painter, sculptor, and architect (d. 1667)
    • 1604 – John IV of Portugal (d. 1656)
    • 1641 – Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi, Syrian author and scholar (d. 1731)
    • 1661 – Francesco Gasparini, Italian composer and educator (d. 1727)
    • 1684 – Jean Astruc, French physician and scholar (d. 1766)
    • 1721 – Tobias Smollett, Scottish-Italian poet and author (d. 1771) (baptised on this day)
    • 1734 – Thomas McKean, American lawyer and politician, 2nd Governor of Pennsylvania (d. 1817)
    • 1739 – Charles-François Lebrun, duc de Plaisance, French lawyer and politician (d. 1824)
    • 1742 – Túpac Amaru II, Peruvian rebel leader (d. 1781)
    • 1748 – Elias Hicks, American farmer, minister, and theologian (d. 1830)
    • 1778 – Edward Pakenham, Anglo-Irish general and politician (d. 1815)
    • 1809 – Fredrik Pacius, German composer and conductor (d. 1891)
    • 1813 – David Livingstone, Scottish missionary and explorer (d. 1873)
    • 1816 – Johannes Verhulst, Dutch composer and conductor (d. 1891)
    • 1821 – Richard Francis Burton, English soldier, geographer, and diplomat (d. 1890)
    • 1823 – Arthur Blyth, English-Australian politician, 9th Premier of South Australia (d. 1891)
    • 1824 – William Allingham, Irish poet, author, and scholar (d. 1889)
    • 1829 – Carl Frederik Tietgen, Danish businessman (d. 1901)
    • 1844 – Minna Canth, Finnish journalist, playwright, and activist (d. 1897)
    • 1847 – Albert Pinkham Ryder, American painter (d. 1917)
    • 1848 – Wyatt Earp, American police officer (d. 1929)
    • 1849 – Alfred von Tirpitz, German admiral and politician (d. 1930)
    • 1858 – Kang Youwei, Chinese scholar and politician (d. 1927)
    • 1860 – William Jennings Bryan, American lawyer and politician, 41st United States Secretary of State (d. 1925)
    • 1861 – Lomer Gouin, Canadian lawyer and politician, 13th Premier of Quebec (d. 1929)
    • 1864 – Charles Marion Russell, American painter and sculptor (d. 1926)
    • 1865 – William Morton Wheeler, American entomologist, myrmecologist, and academic (d. 1937)
    • 1868 – Senda Berenson Abbott, Lithuanian-American basketball player and educator (d. 1954)
    • 1871 – Schofield Haigh, English cricketer and coach (d. 1921)
    • 1872 – Anna Held, Polish singer (d. 1918)
    • 1873 – Max Reger, German pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1916)
    • 1875 – Zhang Zuolin, Chinese warlord (d. 1928)
    • 1876 – Felix Jacoby, German philologist (d. 1959)
    • 1880 – Ernestine Rose, American librarian and advocate (d. 1961)
    • 1881 – Edith Nourse Rogers, American social worker and politician (d. 1960)
    • 1882 – Gaston Lachaise, French-American sculptor (d. 1935)
    • 1883 – Norman Haworth, English chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1950)
    • 1883 – Joseph Stilwell, American general (d. 1946)
    • 1885 – Attik, Greek composer (d. 1944)
    • 1888 – Josef Albers, German-American painter and educator (d. 1976)
    • 1888 – Léon Scieur, Belgian cyclist (d. 1969)
    • 1891 – Earl Warren, American lieutenant, jurist, and politician, 14th Chief Justice of the United States (d. 1974)
    • 1892 – Theodore Sizer, American professor of the history of art (d. 1967)
    • 1892 – Ado Vabbe, Estonian painter (d. 1961)
    • 1892 – James Van Fleet, American general and diplomat (d. 1992)
    • 1894 – Moms Mabley, American comedian and singer (d. 1975)
    • 1900 – Carmen Carbonell, Spanish stage and film actress (d. 1988)
    • 1900 – Frédéric Joliot-Curie, French physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1958)
    • 1901 – Jo Mielziner, French-American set designer (d. 1976)
    • 1904 – John Sirica, American lawyer and judge (d. 1992)
    • 1905 – Joe Rollino, American weightlifter and boxer (d. 2010)
    • 1905 – Albert Speer, German architect and politician (d. 1981)
    • 1906 – Adolf Eichmann, German SS officer (d. 1962)
    • 1906 – Clara Breed, American librarian and activist (d. 1994)
    • 1909 – Louis Hayward, South African-born American actor (d. 1985)
    • 1910 – Joseph Carroll, American general (d. 1991)
    • 1912 – Hugh Watt, Australian-New Zealand engineer and politician, Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1980)
    • 1914 – Leonidas Alaoglu, Canadian-American mathematician and theorist (d. 1981)
    • 1914 – Jay Berwanger, American football player and coach (d. 2002)
    • 1915 – Robert G. Cole, American colonel, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1944)
    • 1915 – Patricia Morison, American actress and singer (d. 2018)
    • 1916 – Eric Christmas, English-Canadian actor (d. 2000)
    • 1916 – Irving Wallace, American journalist, author, and screenwriter (d. 1990)
    • 1917 – Laszlo Szabo, Hungarian chess player (d. 1998)
    • 1919 – Lennie Tristano, American pianist, composer, and educator (d. 1978)
    • 1920 – Kjell Aukrust, Norwegian author, poet, and painter (d. 2002)
    • 1921 – Tommy Cooper, British magician and prop comedian (d. 1984)
    • 1922 – Guy Lewis, American basketball player and coach (d. 2015)
    • 1922 – Hiroo Onoda, Japanese lieutenant (d. 2014)
    • 1923 – Pamela Britton, American actress (d. 1974)
    • 1923 – Benito Jacovitti, Italian illustrator (d. 1997)
    • 1923 – Henry Morgentaler, Polish-Canadian physician and activist (d. 2013)
    • 1924 – Joe Gaetjens, Haitian footballer (d. 1964)
    • 1925 – Brent Scowcroft, American general and diplomat, 9th United States National Security Advisor
    • 1927 – Richie Ashburn, American baseball player and sportscaster (d. 1997)
    • 1928 – Hans Küng, Swiss theologian and author
    • 1928 – Patrick McGoohan, Irish-American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2009)
    • 1931 – Emma Andijewska, Ukrainian poet, writer and painter
    • 1932 – Gay Brewer, American golfer (d. 2007)
    • 1932 – Peter Hall, English geographer, author, and academic (d. 2014)
    • 1932 – Gail Kobe, American actress and producer (d. 2013)
    • 1933 – Phyllis Newman, American actress and singer (d. 2019)
    • 1933 – Philip Roth, American novelist (d. 2018)
    • 1933 – Renée Taylor, American actress, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1933 – Richard Williams, Canadian-English animator, director, and screenwriter (d. 2019)
    • 1935 – Nancy Malone, American actress, director, and producer (d. 2014)
    • 1936 – Ursula Andress, Swiss model and actress
    • 1936 – Ben Lexcen, Australian sailor and architect (d. 1988)
    • 1937 – Clarence “Frogman” Henry, American R&B singer and pianist
    • 1937 – Egon Krenz, German politician
    • 1938 – Joe Kapp, American football player, coach, and actor
    • 1942 – Heather Robertson, Canadian journalist and author (d. 2014)
    • 1943 – Mario J. Molina, Mexican chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1943 – Mario Monti, Italian economist and politician, Prime Minister of Italy
    • 1943 – Vern Schuppan, Australian race car driver
    • 1944 – Said Musa, Belizean lawyer and politician, 5th Prime Minister of Belize
    • 1945 – John Holder, English cricketer and umpire
    • 1945 – Modestas Paulauskas, Lithuanian basketball player and coach
    • 1946 – Ruth Pointer, American musician
    • 1947 – Glenn Close, American actress, singer, and producer
    • 1947 – Marinho Peres, Brazilian footballer and coach
    • 1948 – David Schnitter, American saxophonist and educator
    • 1949 – Blase J. Cupich, American theologian and cardinal
    • 1950 – José S. Palma, Filipino archbishop
    • 1952 – Warren Lees, New Zealand cricketer and coach
    • 1952 – Martin Ravallion, Australian economist and academic
    • 1952 – Harvey Weinstein, American director and producer
    • 1953 – Ian Blair, English police officer
    • 1953 – Peter Hendy, English businessman
    • 1953 – Ricky Wilson, American singer-songwriter and musician (d. 1985)
    • 1954 – Cho Kwang-rae, South Korean footballer, coach, and manager
    • 1955 – Bruce Willis, German-American actor and producer
    • 1956 – Yegor Gaidar, Russian economist and politician, First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia (d. 2009)
    • 1958 – Andy Reid, American football player and coach
    • 1960 – Eliane Elias, Brazilian singer-songwriter and pianist
    • 1962 – Iván Calderón, Puerto Rican-American baseball player (d. 2003)
    • 1963 – Neil LaBute, American director and screenwriter
    • 1964 – Yoko Kanno, Japanese pianist and composer
    • 1964 – Jake Weber, English actor
    • 1966 – Michael Crockart, Scottish police officer and politician
    • 1966 – Olaf Marschall, German footballer and manager
    • 1966 – Andy Sinton, English international footballer, midfielder and manager
    • 1967 – Vladimir Konstantinov, Russian-American ice hockey player
    • 1968 – Tyrone Hill, American basketball player and coach
    • 1970 – Harald Johnsen, Norwegian bassist and composer (d. 2011)
    • 1970 – Michael Krumm, German race car driver
    • 1973 – Ashley Giles, English cricketer and coach
    • 1975 – Antonio Daniels, American basketball player
    • 1975 – Matthew Richardson, Australian footballer and sportscaster
    • 1976 – Andre Miller, American basketball player
    • 1976 – Alessandro Nesta, Italian footballer and manager
    • 1978 – Cydonie Mothersille, Jamaican-Caymanian sprinter
    • 1979 – Sheldon Brown, American football player
    • 1979 – Hee-seop Choi, South Korean-American baseball player
    • 1979 – Ivan Ljubičić, Croatian tennis player
    • 1979 – Christos Patsatzoglou, Greek footballer
    • 1979 – Hedo Türkoğlu, Turkish basketball player
    • 1980 – Luca Ferri, Italian footballer
    • 1980 – Taichi Ishikari, Japanese wrestler
    • 1980 – Mikuni Shimokawa, Japanese singer-songwriter
    • 1981 – Steve Cummings, English cyclist
    • 1981 – Kolo Touré, Ivorian footballer
    • 1982 – Jonathan Fanene, American football player
    • 1982 – Brad Jones, Australian footballer
    • 1982 – Eduardo Saverin, Brazilian-Singaporean businessman
    • 1982 – Yoshikaze Masatsugu, Japanese sumo wrestler
    • 1985 – Inesa Jurevičiūtė, Lithuanian figure skater
    • 1986 – Tyler Bozak, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1987 – Michal Švec, Czech footballer
    • 1987 – Miloš Teodosić, Serbian basketball player
    • 1988 – Clayton Kershaw, American baseball player
    • 1991 – Aleksandr Kokorin, Russian footballer
    • 1993 – Mateusz Szwoch, Polish footballer
    • 1993 – Hakim Ziyech, Moroccan footballer
    • 1995 – Alexei Sintsov, Russian figure skater
    • 1995 – Héctor Bellerín, Spanish footballer
    • 1996 – Barbara Haas, Austrian tennis player

    Deaths on March 19

    • 235 – Severus Alexander, Roman emperor (b. 208)
    • 953 – Al-Mansur Billah, caliph of the Fatimid Caliphate (b. 913)
    • 968 – Emma of Paris, duchess of Normandy (b. 943)
    • 1238 – Henry the Bearded, Polish duke and son of Bolesław I the Tall (b. 1163)
    • 1263 – Hugh of Saint-Cher, French cardinal (b. 1200)
    • 1279 – Zhao Bing, Chinese emperor (b. 1271)
    • 1286 – Alexander III, king of Scotland (b. 1241)
    • 1330 – Edmund of Woodstock, 1st Earl of Kent, English politician, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports (b. 1301)
    • 1372 – John II, marquess of Montferrat (b. 1321)
    • 1533 – John Bourchier, 2nd Baron Berners, English baron and statesman (b. 1467)
    • 1534 – Michael Weiße, German theologian (b. c. 1488)
    • 1539 – Lord Edmund Howard, English nobleman (b. c. 1478)
    • 1563 – Arthur Brooke, English poet
    • 1568 – Elizabeth Seymour, Lady Cromwell, English noblewoman (b.c. 1518)
    • 1581 – Francis I, duke of Saxe-Lauenburg (b. 1510)
    • 1612 – Sophia Olelkovich Radziwill, Belarusian saint (b. 1585)
    • 1637 – Péter Pázmány, Hungarian cardinal (b. 1570)
    • 1649 – Gerhard Johann Vossius, German scholar and theologian (b. 1577)
    • 1683 – Thomas Killigrew, English playwright and manager (b. 1612)
    • 1687 – René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, French-American explorer (b. 1643)
    • 1697 – Nicolaus Bruhns, German organist and composer (b. 1665)
    • 1711 – Thomas Ken, English bishop and hymn-writer (b. 1637)
    • 1717 – John Campbell, 1st Earl of Breadalbane and Holland, Scottish soldier (b. 1636)
    • 1721 – Pope Clement XI (b. 1649)
    • 1783 – Frederick Cornwallis, English archbishop (b. 1713)
    • 1790 – Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Pasha, Ottoman general and politician, 182nd Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire (b. 1713)
    • 1797 – Philip Hayes, English organist and composer (b. 1738)
    • 1816 – Philip Mazzei, Italian-American physician and philosopher (b. 1730)
    • 1871 – Wilhelm Karl Ritter von Haidinger, Austrian mineralogist, geologist, and physicist (b. 1795)
    • 1897 – Antoine Thomson d’Abbadie, Irish-French geographer, ethnologist, linguist, and astronomer (b. 1810)
    • 1900 – John Bingham, American lawyer and politician, 7th United States Ambassador to Japan (b. 1815)
    • 1900 – Charles-Louis Hanon, French pianist and composer (b. 1819)
    • 1914 – Giuseppe Mercalli, Italian priest, geologist, and volcanologist (b. 1850)
    • 1919 – Emma Bell Miles, American writer, poet, and artist of Appalachia (b. 1879)
    • 1930 – Arthur Balfour, Scottish-English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1848)
    • 1930 – Henry Lefroy, Australian politician, 11th Premier of Western Australia (b. 1854)
    • 1942 – Clinton Hart Merriam, American zoologist, ornithologist, and entomologist (b. 1855)
    • 1944 – William Hale Thompson, American rancher and politician, 41st Mayor of Chicago (b. 1869)
    • 1949 – James Somerville, English admiral and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Somerset (b. 1882)
    • 1949 – James Newland, Australian soldier and policeman (b. 1881)
    • 1950 – Edgar Rice Burroughs, American soldier and author (b. 1875)
    • 1950 – Norman Haworth, English chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1883)
    • 1951 – Dmytro Doroshenko, Ukrainian historian and politician, Prime Minister of Ukraine (b. 1882)
    • 1976 – Albert Dieudonné, French actor and author (b. 1889)
    • 1976 – Paul Kossoff, English guitarist and songwriter (b. 1950)
    • 1977 – William L. Laurence, Lithuanian-born American journalist and author (b. 1888)
    • 1978 – M. A. Ayyangar, Indian lawyer and politician, 2nd Speaker of the Lok Sabha (b. 1891)
    • 1982 – J. B. Kripalani, Indian lawyer and politician (b. 1888)
    • 1982 – Randy Rhoads, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer (b. 1956)
    • 1984 – Garry Winogrand, American photographer (b. 1928)
    • 1986 – Sabino Barinaga, Spanish footballer and manager (b. 1922)
    • 1987 – Louis de Broglie, French physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1892)
    • 1988 – Bun Cook, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1904)
    • 1990 – Andrew Wood, American singer-songwriter (b. 1966)
    • 1993 – Henrik Sandberg, Danish production manager and producer (b. 1915)
    • 1996 – Lise Østergaard, Danish psychologist and politician (b. 1924)
    • 1996 – Virginia Henderson, American nurse, researcher, theorist and author (b. 1897)
    • 1997 – Willem de Kooning, Dutch-American painter and educator (b. 1904)
    • 1997 – Eugène Guillevic, French poet and author (b. 1907)
    • 1998 – E. M. S. Namboodiripad, Indian theorist and politician, 1st Chief Minister of Kerala (b. 1909)
    • 1999 – Tofilau Eti Alesana, Samoan politician, 5th Prime Minister of Samoa (b. 1924)
    • 2000 – Joanne Weaver, American baseball player (b. 1935)
    • 2000 – Shafiq-ur-Rahman, Pakistani physician and author (b. 1920)
    • 2003 – Michael Mathias Prechtl, German soldier and illustrator (b. 1926)
    • 2004 – Mitchell Sharp, Canadian economist and politician, 23rd Canadian Minister of Finance (b. 1911)
    • 2005 – John DeLorean, American engineer and businessman, founded the DeLorean Motor Company (b. 1925)
    • 2008 – Arthur C. Clarke, British science fiction writer (b. 1917)
    • 2008 – Hugo Claus, Belgian author, poet, and playwright (b. 1929)
    • 2008 – Paul Scofield, English actor (b. 1922)
    • 2009 – Maria Bergson, Austrian-American architect and interior designer (b. 1914)
    • 2011 – Kym Bonython, Australian drummer and radio host (b. 1920)
    • 2012 – Jim Case, American director and producer (b. 1927)
    • 2012 – Ulu Grosbard, Belgian-American director and producer (b. 1929)
    • 2012 – Hugo Munthe-Kaas, Norwegian intelligence agent (b. 1922)
    • 2014 – Patrick Joseph McGovern, American businessman, founded IDG (b. 1937)
    • 2014 – Fred Phelps, American lawyer, pastor, and activist, founded the Westboro Baptist Church (b. 1929)
    • 2014 – Heather Robertson, Canadian journalist and author (b. 1942)
    • 2014 – Robert S. Strauss, American diplomat, United States Ambassador to Russia (b. 1918)
    • 2014 – Lawrence Walsh, Canadian-American lawyer, judge, and politician, 4th United States Deputy Attorney General (b. 1912)
    • 2014 – Joseph F. Weis, Jr., American lawyer and judge (b. 1923)
    • 2015 – Gus Douglass, American farmer and politician (b. 1927)
    • 2015 – Safet Plakalo, Bosnian author and playwright (b. 1950)
    • 2015 – Danny Schechter, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1942)
    • 2016 – Roger Agnelli, Brazilian banker and businessman (b. 1959)
    • 2016 – Jack Mansell, English footballer and manager (b. 1927)
    • 2019 – William Whitfield, British architect (b. 1920)

    Holidays and observances on March 19

    • Christian feast day:
      • Alkmund of Derby
      • Saint Joseph (Western Christianity; if this date falls on Sunday, the feast is moved to Monday March 20)
      • March 19 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Earliest day on which Maundy Thursday can fall, while April 22 is the latest; celebrated on Thursday before Easter (Christianity)
    • Minna Canth’s Birthday (Finland)
    • Kashubian Unity Day (Poland)
    • St Joseph’s Day (Roman Catholicism and Anglican Communion) related observances:
      • Falles, celebrated on the week leading to March 19 (Valencia)
      • Father’s Day (Spain, Portugal, Italy, Honduras, and Bolivia)
      • “Return of the Swallow”, annual observance of the swallows’ return to Mission San Juan Capistrano in California

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

    • 1010 – Ferdowsi completes his epic poem Shahnameh.
    • 1126 – Following the death of his mother Urraca, Alfonso VII is proclaimed king of Castile and León.
    • 1262 – Battle of Hausbergen between bourgeois militias and the army of the bishop of Strasbourg.
    • 1576 – Spanish explorer Diego García de Palacio first sights the ruins of the ancient Mayan city of Copán.
    • 1618 – Johannes Kepler discovers the third law of planetary motion.
    • 1655 – John Casor becomes the first legally-recognized slave in England’s North American colonies where a crime was not committed.
    • 1658 – Treaty of Roskilde: After a devastating defeat in the Northern Wars (1655–1661), Frederick III, the King of Denmark–Norway is forced to give up nearly half his territory to Sweden to save the rest.
    • 1702 – Queen Anne, the younger sister of Mary II, becomes Queen regnant of England, Scotland, and Ireland
    • 1722 – The Safavid Empire of Iran is defeated by an army from Afghanistan at the Battle of Gulnabad, pushing Iran into anarchy.
    • 1736 – Nader Shah, founder of the Afsharid dynasty, is crowned Shah of Iran.
    • 1775 – An anonymous writer, thought by some to be Thomas Paine, publishes “African Slavery in America”, the first article in the American colonies calling for the emancipation of slaves and the abolition of slavery.
    • 1777 – Regiments from Ansbach and Bayreuth, sent to support Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War, mutiny in the town of Ochsenfurt.
    • 1782 – Gnadenhutten massacre: Ninety-six Native Americans in Gnadenhutten, Ohio, who had converted to Christianity, are killed by Pennsylvania militiamen in retaliation for raids carried out by other Indian tribes.
    • 1801 – War of the Second Coalition: At the Battle of Abukir, a British force under Sir Ralph Abercromby lands in Egypt with the aim of ending the French campaign in Egypt and Syria.
    • 1817 – The New York Stock Exchange is founded.
    • 1844 – King Oscar I ascends to the thrones of Sweden and Norway.
    • 1862 – American Civil War: The Naval Battle of Hampton Roads begins.
    • 1868 – Sakai incident: Japanese samurai kill 11 French sailors in the port of Sakai, Osaka.
    • 1910 – French aviator Raymonde de Laroche becomes the first woman to receive a pilot’s license.
    • 1914 – First flights (for the Royal Thai Air Force) at Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok.
    • 1916 – World War I: A British force unsuccessfully attempts to relieve the siege of Kut (present-day Iraq) in the Battle of Dujaila.
    • 1917 – International Women’s Day protests in St. Petersburg mark the beginning of the February Revolution (February 23rd in the Julian calendar).
    • 1917 – The United States Senate votes to limit filibusters by adopting the cloture rule.
    • 1920 – The Arab Kingdom of Syria, the first modern Arab state to come into existence, is established.
    • 1921 – Spanish Prime Minister Eduardo Dato Iradier is assassinated while exiting the parliament building in Madrid.
    • 1924 – A mine disaster kills 172 coal miners near Castle Gate, Utah.
    • 1936 – Daytona Beach and Road Course holds its first oval stock car race.
    • 1937 – Spanish Civil War: The Battle of Guadalajara begins.
    • 1942 – World War II: Imperial Japanese Army forces gave an ultimatum to Dutch East Indies Governor General Jonkheer Tjarda van Starkenborgh Stachouwer and KNIL Commander in Chief Lieutenant General Hein Ter Poorten, to unconditionally surrender.
    • 1942 – World War II: Imperial Japanese Army forces captured Rangoon, Burma from British.
    • 1947 – Thirteen thousand troops of the Republic of China Army arrive in Taiwan after the February 28 Incident and launch crackdowns which kill thousands of people, including many elites. This turns into a major root of the Taiwan independence movement.
    • 1949 – President of France Vincent Auriol and ex-emperor of Annam Bảo Đại sign the Élysée Accords, giving Vietnam greater independence from France and creating the State of Vietnam to oppose Viet Minh-led Democratic Republic of Vietnam.
    • 1957 – Egypt re-opens the Suez Canal after the Suez Crisis.
    • 1957 – The 1957 Georgia Memorial to Congress, which petitions the U.S. Congress to declare the ratification of the 14th and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution null and void, is adopted by the U.S. state of Georgia.
    • 1963 – The Ba’ath Party comes to power in Syria in a coup d’état by a clique of quasi-leftist Syrian Army officers calling themselves the National Council of the Revolutionary Command.
    • 1965 – Thirty-five hundred United States Marines are the first American land combat forces committed during the Vietnam War.
    • 1966 – Nelson’s Pillar in Dublin, Ireland, destroyed by a bomb.
    • 1971 – The Fight of the Century between Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali commences. Frazier wins in 15 rounds via unanimous decision.
    • 1974 – Charles de Gaulle Airport opens in Paris, France.
    • 1979 – Philips demonstrates the compact disc publicly for the first time.
    • 1983 – Cold War: While addressing a convention of Evangelicals, U.S. President Ronald Reagan labels the Soviet Union an “evil empire”.
    • 1985 – A supposed failed assassination attempt on Islamic cleric Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah in Beirut, Lebanon kills at least 45 and injures 175 others.
    • 2004 – A new constitution is signed by Iraq’s Governing Council.
    • 2014 – Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, carrying a total of 239 people, disappears en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
    • 2017 – The Azure Window, a natural arch on the Maltese island of Gozo, collapses in stormy weather.

    Births on March 8

    • 1286 – John III, Duke of Brittany (d. 1341)
    • 1293 – Beatrice of Castile (d. 1359)
    • 1495 – John of God, Portuguese friar and saint (d. 1550)
    • 1514 – Amago Haruhisa, Japanese daimyō (d. 1562)
    • 1518 – Sidonie of Saxony, Duchess of Brunswick-Calenberg (d. 1575)
    • 1550 – William Drury, English politician (d. 1590)
    • 1658 – Thomas Trevor, 1st Baron Trevor, British Baron (d. 1730)
    • 1566 – Carlo Gesualdo, Italian lute player and composer (d. 1613)
    • 1712 – John Fothergill, English physician and botanist (d. 1780)
    • 1714 – Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, German pianist and composer (d. 1788)
    • 1726 – Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe, English admiral and politician, Treasurer of the Navy (d. 1799)
    • 1746 – André Michaux, French botanist and explorer (d. 1802)
    • 1748 – William V, Prince of Orange (d. 1806)
    • 1761 – Jan Potocki, Polish ethnologist, historian, linguist, and author (d. 1815)
    • 1799 – Simon Cameron, American journalist and politician, 26th United States Secretary of War (d. 1889)
    • 1804 – Alvan Clark, American astronomer and optician (d. 1887)
    • 1822 – Ignacy Łukasiewicz, Polish inventor and businessman, invented the Kerosene lamp (d. 1882)
    • 1826 – Johann Köler, Estonian painter and academic (d. 1899)
    • 1827 – Wilhelm Bleek, German linguist and anthropologist (d. 1875)
    • 1830 – João de Deus, Portuguese poet and educator (d. 1896)
    • 1839 – Josephine Cochrane, American inventor (d. 1913)
    • 1841 – Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., American colonel, lawyer, and jurist (d. 1935)
    • 1848 – LaMarcus Adna Thompson, American engineer and businessman, developed the roller coaster (d. 1917)
    • 1856 – Bramwell Booth, English 2nd General of The Salvation Army (d. 1929)
    • 1856 – Colin Campbell Cooper, American painter and academic (d. 1937)
    • 1859 – Kenneth Grahame, Scottish-English banker and author (d. 1932)
    • 1865 – Frederic Goudy, American type designer, created Copperplate Gothic and Goudy Old Style (d. 1947)
    • 1879 – Otto Hahn, German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1968)
    • 1886 – Edward Calvin Kendall, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1972)
    • 1892 – Juana de Ibarbourou, Uruguayan poet and author (d. 1979)
    • 1896 – Charlotte Whitton, Canadian journalist and politician, 46th Mayor of Ottawa (d. 1975)
    • 1899 – Elmer Keith, American gun designer and author (d. 1984)
    • 1900 – Howard H. Aiken, American physicist and computer scientist, created the Harvard Mark I (d. 1973)
    • 1902 – Louise Beavers, American actress and singer (d. 1962)
    • 1902 – Jennings Randolph, American journalist and politician (d. 1998)
    • 1907 – Konstantinos Karamanlis, Greek lawyer and politician, 3rd President of Greece (d. 1998)
    • 1909 – Beatrice Shilling, English motorcycle racer and engineer (d. 1990)
    • 1909 – Paula Strasberg, American actress and acting coach (d. 1966)
    • 1910 – Claire Trevor, American actress (d. 2000)
    • 1911 – Alan Hovhaness, Armenian-American pianist and composer (d. 2000)
    • 1912 – Preston Smith, American businessman and politician, 40th Governor of Texas (d. 2003)
    • 1912 – Meldrim Thomson, Jr., American publisher and politician, 73rd Governor of New Hampshire (d. 2001)
    • 1914 – Yakov Borisovich Zel’dovich, Belarusian-Russian physicist and astronomer (d. 1987)
    • 1918 – Eileen Herlie, Scottish-American actress (d. 2008)
    • 1920 – Douglass Wallop, American author and playwright (d. 1985)
    • 1921 – Alan Hale, Jr., American actor (d. 1990)
    • 1921 – Sahir Ludhianvi, Indian poet and songwriter (d. 1980)
    • 1922 – Ralph H. Baer, German-American video game designer, created the Magnavox Odyssey (d. 2014)
    • 1922 – Cyd Charisse, American actress and dancer (d. 2008)
    • 1922 – Carl Furillo, American baseball player (d. 1989)
    • 1922 – Yevgeny Matveyev, Russian actor and director (d. 2003)
    • 1922 – Shigeru Mizuki, Japanese author and illustrator (d. 2015)
    • 1924 – Anthony Caro, English sculptor and illustrator (d. 2013)
    • 1924 – Georges Charpak, Ukrainian-French physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2010)
    • 1924 – Sean McClory, Irish-American actor and director (d. 2003)
    • 1925 – Warren Bennis, American scholar, author, and academic (d. 2014)
    • 1926 – Francisco Rabal, Spanish actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2001)
    • 1929 – Hebe Camargo, Brazilian actress and singer (d. 2012)
    • 1930 – Bob Grim, American baseball player (d. 1996)
    • 1930 – Douglas Hurd, English politician, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
    • 1931 – Neil Adcock, South African cricketer (d. 2013)
    • 1931 – John McPhee, American author and educator
    • 1931 – Gerald Potterton, English-Canadian animator, director, and producer
    • 1931 – Neil Postman, American author and critic (d. 2003)
    • 1934 – Marv Breeding, American baseball player and scout (d. 2006)
    • 1935 – George Coleman, American saxophonist, composer, and bandleader
    • 1936 – Sue Ane Langdon, American actress and singer
    • 1936 – Gábor Szabó, Hungarian guitarist and composer (d. 1982)
    • 1937 – Richard Fariña, American singer-songwriter and author (d. 1966)
    • 1937 – Juvénal Habyarimana, Rwandan politician, 2nd President of Rwanda (d. 1994)
    • 1938 – Pete Dawkins, American football player, colonel, and politician
    • 1939 – Jim Bouton, American baseball player and journalist (d. 2019)
    • 1939 – Lynn Seymour, Canadian ballerina and choreographer
    • 1939 – Lidiya Skoblikova, Russian speed skater and coach
    • 1939 – Robert Tear, Welsh tenor and conductor (d. 2011)
    • 1941 – Norman Stone, Scottish-English historian, author, and academic (d. 2019)
    • 1942 – Dick Allen, American baseball player and tenor
    • 1942 – Ann Packer, English sprinter, hurdler, and long jumper
    • 1943 – Susan Clark, Canadian actress and producer
    • 1943 – Michael Grade, English businessman
    • 1943 – Lynn Redgrave, English-American actress and singer (d. 2010)
    • 1943 – Dionysis Simopoulos, Greek physicist and astronomer
    • 1944 – Sergey Nikitin, Russian singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1945 – Jim Chapman, American lawyer and politician
    • 1945 – Micky Dolenz, American singer-songwriter, drummer, and actor
    • 1945 – Anselm Kiefer, German painter and sculptor
    • 1945 – Sylvia Wiegand, American mathematician
    • 1946 – Robert Jaworski, Filipino basketball player, coach, and politician
    • 1946 – Randy Meisner, American singer-songwriter and bass player
    • 1947 – Carole Bayer Sager, American singer-songwriter and painter
    • 1947 – Michael S. Hart, American author, founded Project Gutenberg (d. 2011)
    • 1947 – Vladimír Mišík, Czech singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1947 – Florentino Pérez, Spanish engineer and businessman
    • 1948 – Robert W. Boyd, American physicist and academic
    • 1948 – Gyles Brandreth, German-English actor, screenwriter, and politician
    • 1948 – Mel Galley, English rock singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2008)
    • 1948 – Sam Lacey, American basketball player (d. 2014)
    • 1948 – Peggy March, American pop singer
    • 1948 – Jonathan Sacks, English rabbi, philosopher, and scholar
    • 1949 – Teofilo Cubillas, Peruvian footballer
    • 1951 – Phil Edmonds, Zambian-English cricketer and businessman
    • 1951 – Dianne Walker, American tap dancer
    • 1952 – George Allen, American lawyer and politician, 67th Governor of Virginia
    • 1953 – Jim Rice, American baseball player, coach, and sportscaster
    • 1954 – Steve James, American documentary filmmaker
    • 1954 – David Wilkie, Sri Lankan-Scottish swimmer
    • 1956 – Laurie Cunningham, English footballer (d. 1989)
    • 1956 – David Malpass, American economist and government official
    • 1957 – Clive Burr, English rock drummer (d. 2013)
    • 1957 – William Edward Childs, American pianist and composer
    • 1957 – Bob Stoddard, American baseball player
    • 1958 – Andy McDonald, English lawyer and politician
    • 1958 – Gary Numan, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
    • 1959 – Aidan Quinn, Irish-American actor
    • 1960 – Jeffrey Eugenides, American author and academic
    • 1960 – Irek Mukhamedov, Russian ballet dancer
    • 1960 – Buck Williams, American basketball player and coach
    • 1961 – Camryn Manheim, American actress
    • 1961 – Larry Murphy, Canadian ice hockey player and journalist
    • 1962 – Leon Robinson, American actor and producer
    • 1964 – Kate Betts, American journalist and author
    • 1965 – Kenny Smith, American basketball player and sportscaster
    • 1966 – Greg Barker, Baron Barker of Battle, English politician
    • 1966 – Jaime Levy, American computer scientist and academic
    • 1967 – Joel Johnston, American baseball player
    • 1968 – Michael Bartels, German race car driver
    • 1968 – Shawn Mullins, American singer-songwriter
    • 1969 – Juan de Dios Ramírez Perales, Mexican footballer
    • 1970 – Jason Elam, American football player
    • 1971 – Kit Symons, English-Welsh footballer and manager
    • 1972 – Georgios Georgiadis, Greek footballer and manager
    • 1972 – Matthew Nable, Australian rugby player and actor
    • 1972 – Lena Sundström, Swedish journalist and author
    • 1973 – Boris Kodjoe, Austrian-born American actor and producer
    • 1973 – Anneke van Giersbergen, Dutch singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1975 – Mauro Briano, Italian footballer
    • 1976 – Gaz Coombes, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
    • 1976 – Juan Encarnación, Dominican baseball player
    • 1976 – Freddie Prinze, Jr., American actor, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1977 – James Van Der Beek, American actor
    • 1977 – Johann Vogel, Swiss footballer
    • 1978 – Nick Zano, American actor and producer
    • 1979 – Apathy, American rapper and producer
    • 1979 – Tom Chaplin, English singer-songwriter
    • 1979 – Andy Ross, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1980 – Stephen Milne, Australian footballer
    • 1981 – Michael Beauchamp, Australian footballer
    • 1981 – Timothy Jordan II, American guitarist and songwriter (d. 2005)
    • 1981 – Joost Posthuma, Dutch cyclist
    • 1982 – Nicolas Armindo, French racing driver
    • 1982 – Leonidas Kampantais, Greek footballer
    • 1982 – Isak Strand, Norwegian drummer, composer, and producer
    • 1983 – André Santos, Brazilian footballer
    • 1983 – Mark Worrell, American baseball player
    • 1984 – Rafik Djebbour, Algerian footballer
    • 1984 – Ross Taylor, New Zealand cricketer
    • 1984 – Sasha Vujačić, Slovenian basketball player
    • 1987 – Jonathan Wright, Australian rugby league player
    • 1988 – Benny Blanco, American rapper and producer
    • 1990 – Asier Illarramendi, Spanish footballer
    • 1990 – Petra Kvitová, Czech tennis player
    • 1990 – Nico Salva, Filipino basketball player
    • 1990 – Ben Tozer, English footballer
    • 1991 – Miriam Bryant, Swedish-Finnish singer-songwriter
    • 1991 – Tom English, Australian rugby player
    • 1992 – Uki Satake, Japanese singer, actress, and radio host
    • 1994 – Pablo Dyego, Brazilian footballer
    • 1994 – Claire Emslie, Scottish footballer
    • 1994 – Dylan Tombides, Australian footballer (d. 2014)
    • 1996 – Matthew Hammelmann, Australian rules footballer
    • 1998 – Tali Darsigny, Canadian weightlifter

    Deaths on March 8

    • 865 – Rudolf of Fulda, German theologian
    • 1126 – Urraca of León and Castile (b. 1079)
    • 1137 – Adela of Normandy, by marriage countess of Blois (b. c. 1067)
    • 1144 – Pope Celestine II
    • 1223 – Wincenty Kadłubek, Polish bishop and historian (b. 1161)
    • 1365 – Queen Noguk of Korea
    • 1403 – Bayezid I, Ottoman sultan (b. 1360)
    • 1441 – Margaret of Burgundy, Duchess of Bavaria
    • 1466 – Francesco I Sforza, Duke of Milan (b. 1401)
    • 1550 – John of God, Portuguese friar and saint (b. 1495)
    • 1619 – Veit Bach, German baker and miller (b. 1550)
    • 1641 – Xu Xiake, Chinese geographer and explorer (b. 1587)
    • 1702 – William III of England (b. 1650)
    • 1717 – Abraham Darby I, English blacksmith (b. 1678)
    • 1723 – Christopher Wren, English architect, designed St. Paul’s Cathedral (b. 1632)
    • 1731 – Ferdinand Brokoff, Czech sculptor (b. 1688)
    • 1771 – Louis August le Clerc, French-Danish sculptor and academic (b. 1688)
    • 1819 – Benjamin Ruggles Woodbridge, American colonel, lawyer, and politician (b. 1739)
    • 1844 – Charles XIV John of Sweden (b. 1763)
    • 1869 – Hector Berlioz, French composer, conductor, and critic (b. 1803)
    • 1872 – Cornelius Krieghoff, Dutch-Canadian painter (b. 1815)
    • 1874 – Millard Fillmore, American lawyer and politician, 13th President of the United States (b. 1800)
    • 1887 – Henry Ward Beecher, American minister and activist (b. 1813)
    • 1887 – James Buchanan Eads, American engineer, designed the Eads Bridge (b. 1820)
    • 1889 – John Ericsson, Swedish-American engineer, designed the USS Monitor (b. 1803)
    • 1917 – Ferdinand von Zeppelin, German general and businessman, founded the Zeppelin Company (b. 1838)
    • 1923 – Krišjānis Barons, Latvian linguist and author (b. 1835)
    • 1923 – Johannes Diderik van der Waals, Dutch physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1837)
    • 1930 – William Howard Taft, American lawyer, jurist, and politician, 27th President of the United States (b. 1857)
    • 1930 – Edward Terry Sanford, American lawyer, jurist, and politician, United States Assistant Attorney General (b. 1865)
    • 1935 – Hachikō, Japanese dog (b. 1923)
    • 1937 – Howie Morenz, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1902)
    • 1941 – Sherwood Anderson, American novelist and short story writer (b. 1876)
    • 1942 – José Raúl Capablanca, Cuban chess player and theoretician (b. 1888)
    • 1944 – Fredy Hirsch, German Jewish athlete who helped thousands of Jewish children in the Holocaust (b. 1916)
    • 1945 – Frederick Bligh Bond, English archaeologist and architect (b. 1864)
    • 1948 – Hulusi Behçet, Turkish dermatologist and scientist (b. 1889)
    • 1957 – Othmar Schoeck, Swiss composer and conductor (b. 1886)
    • 1961 – Thomas Beecham, English conductor and composer (b. 1879)
    • 1971 – Harold Lloyd, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1893)
    • 1973 – Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, American keyboard player and songwriter (b. 1945)
    • 1975 – George Stevens, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1904)
    • 1976 – Alfons Rebane, Estonian colonel (b. 1908)
    • 1983 – Chabuca Granda, Peruvian-American singer-songwriter (b. 1920)
    • 1983 – Alan Lennox-Boyd, 1st Viscount Boyd of Merton, English lieutenant and politician, Secretary of State for the Colonies (b. 1904)
    • 1983 – William Walton, English composer (b. 1902)
    • 1985 – Edward Andrews, American actor (b. 1914)
    • 1988 – Amar Singh Chamkila, Indian singer-songwriter (b. 1961)
    • 1988 – Werner Hartmann, German physicist and academic (b. 1912)
    • 1991 – John Bellairs, American author and academic (b. 1938)
    • 1993 – Billy Eckstine, American trumpet player (b. 1914)
    • 1996 – Jack Churchill, British colonel (b. 1906)
    • 1997 – Gershon Liebman, French rabbi (b. 1905)
    • 1998 – Ray Nitschke, American football player and actor (b. 1936)
    • 1999 – Adolfo Bioy Casares, Argentinian journalist and author (b. 1914)
    • 1999 – Peggy Cass, American actress and comedian (b. 1924)
    • 1999 – Joe DiMaggio, American baseball player and coach (b. 1914)
    • 2001 – Edward Winter, American actor (b. 1937)
    • 2003 – Adam Faith, English singer (b. 1940)
    • 2003 – Karen Morley, American actress (b. 1909)
    • 2004 – Muhammad Zaidan, Syrian terrorist, founded the Palestine Liberation Front (b. 1948)
    • 2005 – César Lattes, Brazilian physicist and academic (b. 1924)
    • 2005 – Aslan Maskhadov, Chechen commander and politician, 3rd President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria (b. 1951)
    • 2007 – John Inman, English actor (b. 1935)
    • 2007 – John Vukovich, American baseball player and coach (b. 1947)
    • 2009 – Hank Locklin, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1918)
    • 2009 – Zbigniew Religa, Polish surgeon and politician, Polish Minister of Health (b. 1938)
    • 2011 – Mike Starr, American bass player (b. 1966)
    • 2012 – Simin Daneshvar, Iranian author and academic (b. 1921)
    • 2012 – Minoru Mori, Japanese businessman, founded the Mori Art Museum (b. 1934)
    • 2012 – Steven Rubenstein, American anthropologist and academic (b. 1962)
    • 2013 – Haseeb Ahsan, Pakistani cricketer and manager (b. 1939)
    • 2013 – John O’Connell, Irish journalist and politician, 17th Irish Minister of Health (b. 1927)
    • 2013 – Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist-Schmenzin, German soldier and publisher (b. 1922)
    • 2014 – Leo Bretholz, Austrian-American Holocaust survivor and author (b. 1921)
    • 2014 – William Guarnere, American sergeant (b. 1923)
    • 2015 – Tjol Lategan, South African rugby player (b. 1925)
    • 2015 – Sam Simon, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1955)
    • 2016 – Aldo Ferrer, Argentinian economist and diplomat (b. 1927)
    • 2016 – Ross Hannaford, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1950)
    • 2016 – George Martin, English composer, conductor, and producer (b. 1926)
    • 2018 – Kate Wilhelm, American author (b. 1928)
    • 2019 – Marshall Brodien, American actor (b. 1934)
    • 2019 – Cedrick Hardman, American football player and actor (b. 1948)
    • 2020 – Max von Sydow, Swedish actor (b. 1929)

    Holidays and observances on March 8

    • Christian feast day:
      • Edward King (Church of England)
      • Felix of Burgundy
      • Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy (the Church of England, The Episcopal Church (USA))
      • John of God
      • Philemon the actor
      • March 8 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Earliest day on which Canberra Day can fall, while March 14 is the latest; celebrated on the second Monday in March (Australian Capital Territory)
    • Earliest day on which Commonwealth Day can fall, while March 14 is the latest; celebrated on the second Monday in March (Commonwealth of Nations)
    • Earliest day on which Decoration Day can fall, while March 14 is the latest; celebrated on the second Wednesday in March (Liberia)
    • Earliest day on which Passion Sunday can fall, while April 17 is the latest; observed on the fifth Sunday of Lent (Christianity)
    • International Women’s Day, and its related observances:
      • International Women’s Collaboration Brew Day