1754

  • January 15 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 69 – Otho seizes power in Rome, proclaiming himself Emperor of Rome, beginning a reign of only three months.
    • 1541 – King Francis I of France gives Jean-François Roberval a commission to settle the province of New France (Canada) and provide for the spread of the “Holy Catholic faith”.
    • 1559 – Elizabeth I is crowned Queen of England in Westminster Abbey, London.
    • 1582 – Truce of Yam-Zapolsky: Russia cedes Livonia to the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.
    • 1759 – The British Museum opens to the public.
    • 1777 – American Revolutionary War: New Connecticut (present day Vermont) declares its independence.
    • 1782 – Superintendent of Finance Robert Morris addresses the U.S. Congress to recommend establishment of a national mint and decimal coinage.
    • 1815 – War of 1812: American frigate USS President, commanded by Commodore Stephen Decatur, is captured by a squadron of four British frigates.
    • 1818 – A paper by David Brewster is read to the Royal Society, belatedly announcing his discovery of what we now call the biaxial class of doubly-refracting crystals. On the same day, Augustin-Jean Fresnel signs a “supplement” (submitted four days later) on reflection of polarized light.
    • 1822 – Greek War of Independence: Demetrios Ypsilantis is elected president of the legislative assembly.
    • 1865 – American Civil War: Fort Fisher in North Carolina falls to the Union, thus cutting off the last major seaport of the Confederacy.
    • 1867 – Forty people die when ice covering the boating lake at Regent’s Park, London, collapses.
    • 1870 – A political cartoon for the first time symbolizes the Democratic Party with a donkey (“A Live Jackass Kicking a Dead Lion” by Thomas Nast for Harper’s Weekly).
    • 1876 – The first newspaper in Afrikaans, Die Afrikaanse Patriot, is published in Paarl.
    • 1889 – The Coca-Cola Company, then known as the Pemberton Medicine Company, is incorporated in Atlanta.
    • 1892 – James Naismith publishes the rules of basketball.
    • 1908 – The Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority becomes the first Greek-letter organization founded and established by African American college women.
    • 1910 – Construction ends on the Buffalo Bill Dam in Wyoming, United States, which was the highest dam in the world at the time, at 325 ft (99 m).
    • 1911 – Palestinian Arabic-language Falastin newspaper founded.
    • 1919 – Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht, two of the most prominent socialists in Germany, are tortured and murdered by the Freikorps at the end of the Spartacist uprising.
    • 1919 – Great Molasses Flood: A wave of molasses released from an exploding storage tank sweeps through Boston, Massachusetts, killing 21 and injuring 150.
    • 1934 – The 8.0 Mw  Nepal–Bihar earthquake strikes Nepal and Bihar with a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme), killing an estimated 6,000–10,700 people.
    • 1936 – The first building to be completely covered in glass, built for the Owens-Illinois Glass Company, is completed in Toledo, Ohio.
    • 1937 – Spanish Civil War: Nationalists and Republican both withdraw after suffering heavy losses, ending the Second Battle of the Corunna Road.
    • 1943 – World War II: The Soviet counter-offensive at Voronezh begins.
    • 1943 – The Pentagon is dedicated in Arlington, Virginia.
    • 1947 – The Black Dahlia murder: the dismembered corpse of Elizabeth Short was found in Los Angeles.
    • 1949 – Chinese Civil War: The Communist forces take over Tianjin from the Nationalist Government.
    • 1962 – The Derveni papyrus, Europe’s oldest surviving manuscript dating to 340 BC, is found in northern Greece.
    • 1962 – Netherlands New Guinea Conflict: Indonesian Navy fast patrol boat RI Macan Tutul commanded by Commodore Yos Sudarso sunk in Arafura Sea by the Dutch Navy.
    • 1966 – The First Nigerian Republic, led by Abubakar Tafawa Balewa is overthrown in a military coup d’état.
    • 1967 – The first Super Bowl is played in Los Angeles. The Green Bay Packers defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 35–10.
    • 1969 – The Soviet Union launches Soyuz 5.
    • 1970 – Nigerian Civil War: Biafran rebels surrender following an unsuccessful 32-month fight for independence from Nigeria.
    • 1970 – Muammar Gaddafi is proclaimed premier of Libya.
    • 1973 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, President Richard Nixon announces the suspension of offensive action in North Vietnam.
    • 1975 – The Alvor Agreement is signed, ending the Angolan War of Independence and giving Angola independence from Portugal.
    • 1976 – Gerald Ford’s would-be assassin, Sara Jane Moore, is sentenced to life in prison.
    • 1981 – Pope John Paul II receives a delegation from Solidarity (Polish trade union) at the Vatican led by Lech Wałęsa.
    • 1991 – The United Nations deadline for the withdrawal of Iraqi forces from occupied Kuwait expires, preparing the way for the start of Operation Desert Storm.
    • 1991 – Elizabeth II, in her capacity as Queen of Australia, signs letters patent allowing Australia to become the first Commonwealth realm to institute its own Victoria Cross in its honours system.
    • 2001 – Wikipedia, a free wiki content encyclopedia, goes online.
    • 2005 – ESA’s SMART-1 lunar orbiter discovers elements such as calcium, aluminum, silicon, iron, and other surface elements on the Moon.
    • 2007 – Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, former Iraqi intelligence chief and half-brother of Saddam Hussein, and Awad Hamed al-Bandar, former chief judge of the Revolutionary Court, are executed by hanging in Iraq.
    • 2009 – US Airways Flight 1549 ditches safely in the Hudson River after the plane collides with birds less than two minutes after take-off.
    • 2013 – A train carrying Egyptian Army recruits derails near Giza, Greater Cairo, killing 19 and injuring 120 others.
    • 2015 – The Swiss National Bank abandons the cap on the franc’s value relative to the euro, causing turmoil in international financial markets
    • 2016 – The Kenyan Army suffers its worst defeat ever in a battle with Al-Shabaab Islamic insurgents in El-Adde, Somalia. An estimated 150 Kenyan soldiers are killed in the battle.
    • 2019 – Somali militants attack the DusitD2 hotel in Nairobi, Kenya killing at least 21 people and injuring 19.
    • 2019 – Theresa May’s UK government suffers the biggest government defeat in modern times, when 432 MPs voting against the proposed European Union withdrawal agreement, giving her opponents a majority of 230.

    Births on January 15

    • 961 – Seongjong of Goryeo, Korean ruler (d. 997)
    • 1432 – Afonso V of Portugal (d. 1481)
    • 1462 – Edzard I, Count of East Frisia, German noble (d. 1528)
    • 1481 – Ashikaga Yoshizumi, Japanese shōgun (d. 1511)
    • 1538 – Maeda Toshiie, Japanese general (d. 1599)
    • 1595 – Henry Carey, 2nd Earl of Monmouth, English politician (d. 1661)
    • 1622 – Molière, French actor and playwright (d. 1673)
    • 1623 – Algernon Sidney, British philosopher (d. 1683)
    • 1671 – Abraham de la Pryme, English archaeologist and historian (d. 1704)
    • 1674 – Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon, French poet and playwright (d. 1762)
    • 1716 – Philip Livingston, American merchant and politician (d. 1778)
    • 1747 – John Aikin, English surgeon and author (d. 1822)
    • 1754 – Richard Martin, Irish activist and politician, co-founded the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (d. 1834)
    • 1791 – Franz Grillparzer, Austrian author, poet, and playwright (d. 1872)
    • 1795 – Alexander Griboyedov, Russian playwright, composer, and poet (d. 1829)
    • 1803 – Marjorie Fleming, Scottish poet and author (d. 1811)
    • 1809 – Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, French economist and politician (d. 1865)
    • 1812 – Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, Norwegian author and scholar (d. 1885)
    • 1815 – William Bickerton, English-American religious leader, 3rd President of the Church of Jesus Christ (d. 1905)
    • 1834 – Samuel Arza Davenport, American lawyer and politician (d. 1911)
    • 1841 – Frederick Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby, English captain and politician, 6th Governor General of Canada (d. 1908)
    • 1842 – Josef Breuer, Austrian physician and psychiatrist (d. 1925)
    • 1842 – Mary MacKillop, Australian nun and saint, co-founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart (d. 1909)
    • 1850 – Leonard Darwin, English soldier, eugenicist, and politician (d. 1943)
    • 1850 – Mihai Eminescu, Romanian journalist, author, and poet (d. 1889)
    • 1850 – Sofia Kovalevskaya, Russian-Swedish mathematician and physicist (d. 1891)
    • 1855 – Jacques Damala, Greek-French soldier and actor (d. 1889)
    • 1858 – Giovanni Segantini, Italian painter (d. 1899)
    • 1859 – Archibald Peake, English-Australian politician, 25th Premier of South Australia (d. 1920)
    • 1863 – Wilhelm Marx, German lawyer and politician, 17th Chancellor of Germany (d. 1946)
    • 1866 – Nathan Söderblom, Swedish archbishop, historian, and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1931)
    • 1869 – Ruby Laffoon, American lawyer and politician, 43rd Governor of Kentucky (d. 1941)
    • 1869 – Stanisław Wyspiański, Polish poet, playwright, and painter (d. 1907)
    • 1870 – Pierre S. du Pont, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 1954)
    • 1872 – Arsen Kotsoyev, Russian author and translator (d. 1944)
    • 1875 – Thomas Burke, American sprinter, coach, and journalist (d. 1929)
    • 1877 – Lewis Terman, American psychologist, eugenicist, and academic (d. 1956)
    • 1878 – Johanna Müller-Hermann, Austrian composer (d. 1941)
    • 1879 – Mazo de la Roche, Canadian author and playwright (d. 1961)
    • 1882 – Henry Burr, Canadian singer, radio performer, and producer (d. 1941)
    • 1885 – Lorenz Böhler, Austrian physician and author (d. 1973)
    • 1885 – Grover Lowdermilk, American baseball player (d. 1968)
    • 1890 – Michiaki Kamada, Japanese admiral (d. 1947)
    • 1891 – Ray Chapman, American baseball player (d. 1920)
    • 1891 – Osip Mandelstam, Russian poet and translator (d. 1938)
    • 1893 – Ivor Novello, Welsh singer-songwriter and actor (d. 1951)
    • 1895 – Artturi Ilmari Virtanen, Finnish chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1973)
    • 1896 – Marjorie Bennett, Australian-American actress (d. 1982)
    • 1902 – Nâzım Hikmet, Greek-Turkish author, poet, and playwright (d. 1963)
    • 1902 – Saud of Saudi Arabia (d. 1969)
    • 1903 – Paul A. Dever, American lieutenant and politician, 58th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1958)
    • 1907 – Janusz Kusociński, Polish runner and soldier (d. 1940)
    • 1908 – Edward Teller, Hungarian-American physicist and academic (d. 2003)
    • 1909 – Jean Bugatti, German-French engineer (d. 1939)
    • 1909 – Gene Krupa, American drummer, composer, and actor (d. 1973)
    • 1912 – Michel Debré, French lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of France (d. 1996)
    • 1913 – Eugène Brands, Dutch painter (d. 2002)
    • 1913 – Lloyd Bridges, American actor (d. 1998)
    • 1913 – Miriam Hyde, Australian pianist and composer (d. 2005)
    • 1913 – Alexander Marinesko, Ukrainian-Russian lieutenant (d. 1963)
    • 1914 – Stefan Bałuk, Polish general (d. 2014)
    • 1914 – Hugh Trevor-Roper, English historian and academic (d. 2003)
    • 1917 – K. A. Thangavelu, Indian film actor and comedian (d. 1994)
    • 1918 – João Figueiredo, Brazilian general and politician, 30th President of Brazil (d. 1999)
    • 1918 – Édouard Gagnon, Canadian cardinal (d. 2007)
    • 1918 – Gamal Abdel Nasser, Egyptian colonel and politician, 2nd President of Egypt (d. 1970)
    • 1919 – Maurice Herzog, French mountaineer and politician, French Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports (d. 2012)
    • 1919 – George Cadle Price, Belizean politician, 1st Prime Minister of Belize (d. 2011)
    • 1920 – Bob Davies, American basketball player and coach (d. 1990)
    • 1920 – Steve Gromek, American baseball player (d. 2002)
    • 1920 – John O’Connor, American cardinal (d. 2000)
    • 1921 – Babasaheb Bhosale, Indian lawyer and politician, 8th Chief Minister of Maharashtra (d. 2007)
    • 1921 – Frank Thornton, English actor (d. 2013)
    • 1922 – Sylvia Lawler, English geneticist (d. 1996)
    • 1922 – Eric Willis, Australian sergeant and politician, 34th Premier of New South Wales (d. 1999)
    • 1923 – Ivor Cutler, Scottish pianist, songwriter, and poet (d. 2006)
    • 1923 – Lee Teng-hui, Taiwanese-Chinese economist and politician, 4th President of the Republic of China
    • 1924 – George Lowe, New Zealand-English mountaineer and explorer (d. 2013)
    • 1925 – Ruth Slenczynska, American pianist and composer
    • 1925 – Ignacio López Tarso, Mexican actor
    • 1926 – Maria Schell, Austrian-Swiss actress (d. 2005)
    • 1927 – Phyllis Coates, American actress
    • 1928 – W. R. Mitchell, English journalist and author (d. 2015)
    • 1929 – Earl Hooker, American guitarist (d. 1970)
    • 1929 – Martin Luther King, Jr., American minister and activist, Nobel Prize laureate (assassinated in 1968)
    • 1930 – Eddie Graham, American wrestler and promoter (d. 1985)
    • 1931 – Lee Bontecou, American painter and sculptor
    • 1932 – Lou Jones, American sprinter (d. 2006)
    • 1933 – Frank Bough, English journalist and radio host
    • 1933 – Ernest J. Gaines, American author and academic (d. 2019)
    • 1933 – Peter Maitlis, English chemist and academic
    • 1934 – V. S. Ramadevi, Indian civil servant and politician, 13th Governor of Karnataka (d. 2013)
    • 1937 – Margaret O’Brien, American actress and singer
    • 1938 – Ashraf Aman, Pakistani engineer and mountaineer
    • 1938 – Estrella Blanca, Mexican wrestler
    • 1938 – Chuni Goswami, Indian footballer and cricketer
    • 1939 – Per Ahlmark, Swedish journalist and politician, 1st Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden (d. 2018)
    • 1939 – Tony Bullimore, British sailor
    • 1941 – Captain Beefheart, American singer-songwriter, musician, and artist (d. 2010)
    • 1942 – Frank Joseph Polozola, American academic and judge (d. 2013)
    • 1943 – George Ambrum, Australian rugby league player (d. 1986)
    • 1943 – Margaret Beckett, English metallurgist and politician, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
    • 1943 – Stuart E. Eizenstat, American lawyer and diplomat, United States Ambassador to the European Union
    • 1943 – Mike Marshall, American baseball player
    • 1944 – Jenny Nimmo, English author
    • 1945 – Ko Chun-hsiung, Taiwanese actor, director, and politician (d. 2015)
    • 1945 – Vince Foster, American lawyer and political figure (d. 1993)
    • 1945 – William R. Higgins, American colonel (d. 1990)
    • 1945 – Princess Michael of Kent
    • 1945 – David Pleat, English footballer, manager, and sportscaster
    • 1946 – Charles Brown, American actor (d. 2004)
    • 1947 – Mary Hogg, English lawyer and judge
    • 1947 – Andrea Martin, American-Canadian actress, singer, and screenwriter
    • 1948 – Ronnie Van Zant, American singer-songwriter (d. 1977)
    • 1949 – Luis Alvarado, Puerto Rican-American baseball player (d. 2001)
    • 1949 – Alasdair Liddell, English businessman (d. 2012)
    • 1949 – Ian Stewart, Scottish runner
    • 1949 – Howard Twitty, American golfer
    • 1950 – Marius Trésor, French footballer and coach
    • 1952 – Boris Blank, Swiss singer-songwriter
    • 1952 – Andrzej Fischer, Polish footballer
    • 1953 – Randy White, American football player
    • 1954 – Jose Dalisay, Jr., Filipino poet, author, and screenwriter
    • 1955 – Nigel Benson, English author and illustrator
    • 1955 – Andreas Gursky, German photographer
    • 1955 – Khalid Islambouli, Egyptian lieutenant (d. 1982)
    • 1956 – Vitaly Kaloyev, Russian architect
    • 1956 – Mayawati, Indian educator and politician, 23rd Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh
    • 1956 – Marc Trestman, American football player and coach
    • 1957 – David Ige, American politician
    • 1957 – Marty Lyons, American football player and sportscaster
    • 1957 – Andrew Tyrie, English journalist and politician
    • 1957 – Mario Van Peebles, American actor and director
    • 1958 – Ken Judge, Australian footballer and coach (d. 2016)
    • 1958 – Boris Tadić, Serbian psychologist and politician, 16th President of Serbia
    • 1959 – Greg Dowling, Australian rugby league player
    • 1959 – Pavle Kozjek, Slovenian mountaineer and photographer (d. 2008)
    • 1959 – Pete Trewavas, English bass player and songwriter
    • 1961 – Serhiy N. Morozov, Ukrainian footballer and coach
    • 1961 – Yves Pelletier, Canadian actor and director
    • 1963 – Conrad Lant, English singer-songwriter and bass player
    • 1963 – Bruce Schneier, American cryptographer and author
    • 1964 – Osmo Tapio Räihälä, Finnish composer
    • 1965 – Maurizio Fondriest, Italian cyclist
    • 1965 – Bernard Hopkins, American boxer and coach
    • 1965 – James Nesbitt, Northern Irish actor
    • 1966 – Lisa Lisa, American R&B singer
    • 1967 – Ted Tryba, American golfer
    • 1968 – Chad Lowe, American actor, director, and producer
    • 1969 – Delino DeShields, American baseball player and manager
    • 1970 – Shane McMahon, American wrestler and businessman
    • 1971 – Regina King, American actress
    • 1972 – Shelia Burrell, American heptathlete
    • 1972 – Christos Kostis, Greek footballer
    • 1972 – Claudia Winkleman, English journalist and critic
    • 1973 – Essam El Hadary, Egyptian footballer
    • 1973 – Suparno Satpathy, Indian socio-political leader
    • 1974 – Séverine Deneulin, international development academic
    • 1974 – Ray King, American baseball player
    • 1975 – Mary Pierce, Canadian-American tennis player and coach
    • 1976 – Doug Gottlieb, American basketball player and sportscaster
    • 1976 – Iryna Lishchynska, Ukrainian runner
    • 1976 – Scott Murray, Scottish rugby player
    • 1976 – Florentin Petre, Romanian footballer and manager
    • 1978 – Eddie Cahill, American actor
    • 1978 – Franco Pellizotti, Italian cyclist
    • 1978 – Ryan Sidebottom, English cricketer
    • 1979 – Drew Brees, American football player
    • 1979 – Michalis Morfis, Cypriot footballer
    • 1979 – Martin Petrov, Bulgarian footballer
    • 1980 – Matt Holliday, American baseball player
    • 1981 – El Hadji Diouf, Senegalese football player
    • 1981 – Pitbull, American rapper and producer
    • 1981 – Dylan Armstrong, Canadian shot putter and hammer thrower
    • 1981 – Vanessa Henke, German tennis player
    • 1981 – Sean Lamont, Scottish rugby player
    • 1982 – Benjamin Agosto, American skater
    • 1982 – Armando Galarraga, Venezuelan baseball player
    • 1982 – Brett Lebda, American ice hockey player
    • 1982 – Ari Pulkkinen, Finnish pianist and composer
    • 1982 – Francis Zé, Cameroonian footballer
    • 1983 – Jermaine Pennant, English footballer
    • 1983 – Hugo Viana, Portuguese footballer
    • 1984 – Ben Shapiro, American author and commentator
    • 1985 – René Adler, German footballer
    • 1985 – Enrico Patrizio, Italian rugby player
    • 1985 – Kenneth Emil Petersen, Danish footballer
    • 1986 – Fred Davis, American football player
    • 1987 – Greg Inglis, Australian rugby league player
    • 1987 – Tsegaye Kebede, Ethiopian runner
    • 1987 – David Knight, English footballer
    • 1987 – Kelleigh Ryan, Canadian fencer
    • 1987 – Michael Seater, Canadian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1988 – Daniel Caligiuri, German footballer
    • 1988 – Skrillex, American DJ and producer
    • 1989 – Alexei Cherepanov, Russian ice hockey player (d. 2008)
    • 1990 – Paul Blake, English sprinter
    • 1990 – Fernando Forestieri, Italian footballer
    • 1990 – Robert Trznadel, Polish footballer
    • 1991 – Marc Bartra, Spanish footballer
    • 1991 – Nicolai Jørgensen, Danish footballer
    • 1991 – Darya Klishina, Russian long jumper
    • 1991 – James Mitchell, Australian basketball player
    • 1992 – Joël Veltman, Dutch footballer
    • 1994 – Eric Dier, English footballer
    • 1998 – Alexandra Eade, Australian artistic gymnast
    • 2004 – Grace VanderWaal, American singer-songwriter

    Deaths on January 15

    • AD 69 – Galba, Roman emperor (b. 3 BC)
    • 378 – Chak Tok Ich’aak I, Mayan ruler
    • 570 – Íte of Killeedy, Irish nun and saint (b. 475)
    • 849 – Theophylact, Byzantine emperor (b. 793)
    • 936 – Rudolph of France (b. 880)
    • 950 – Wang Jingchong, Chinese general
    • 1149 – Berengaria of Barcelona, queen consort of Castile (b. 1116)
    • 1568 – Nicolaus Olahus, Romanian archbishop (b. 1493)
    • 1569 – Catherine Carey, lady-in-waiting to Elizabeth I of England (b. 1524)
    • 1584 – Martha Leijonhufvud, Swedish noblewoman (b. 1520)
    • 1595 – Murad III, Ottoman Sultan (b. 1546)
    • 1623 – Paolo Sarpi, Italian lawyer, historian, and scholar (b. 1552)
    • 1672 – John Cosin, English bishop and academic (b. 1594)
    • 1683 – Philip Warwick, English politician (b. 1609)
    • 1775 – Giovanni Battista Sammartini, Italian organist and composer (b. 1700)
    • 1790 – John Landen, English mathematician and theorist (b. 1719)
    • 1804 – Dru Drury, English entomologist and author (b. 1725)
    • 1813 – Anton Bernolák, Slovak linguist and priest (b. 1762)
    • 1815 – Emma, Lady Hamilton, English-French mistress of Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson (b. 1761)
    • 1855 – Henri Braconnot, French chemist and pharmacist (b. 1780)
    • 1864 – Isaac Nathan, English-Australian composer and journalist (b. 1792)
    • 1866 – Massimo d’Azeglio, Piedmontese-Italian statesman, novelist and painter (b. 1798)
    • 1876 – Eliza McCardle Johnson, American wife of Andrew Johnson, 18th First Lady of the United States (b. 1810)
    • 1885 – Leopold Damrosch, German-American composer and conductor (b. 1832)
    • 1893 – Fanny Kemble, English actress (b. 1809)
    • 1896 – Mathew Brady, American photographer and journalist (b. 1822)
    • 1905 – George Thorn, Australian politician, 6th Premier of Queensland (b. 1838)
    • 1909 – Arnold Janssen, German priest and missionary (b. 1837)
    • 1916 – Modest Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Russian playwright and translator (b. 1850)
    • 1919 – Karl Liebknecht, German politician (b. 1871)
    • 1919 – Rosa Luxemburg, German economist, theorist, and philosopher (b. 1871)
    • 1926 – Enrico Toselli, Italian pianist and composer (b. 1883)
    • 1929 – George Cope, American painter (b. 1855)
    • 1936 – Henry Forster, 1st Baron Forster, English cricketer and politician, 7th Governor-General of Australia (b. 1866)
    • 1937 – Anton Holban, Romanian author, theoretician, and educator (b. 1902)
    • 1945 – Wilhelm Wirtinger, Austrian-German mathematician and theorist (b. 1865)
    • 1948 – Josephus Daniels, American publisher and diplomat, 41st United States Secretary of the Navy (b. 1862)
    • 1950 – Henry H. Arnold, American general (b. 1886)
    • 1951 – Ernest Swinton, British Army officer (b. 1868)
    • 1951 – Nikolai Vekšin, Estonian-Russian captain and sailor (b. 1887)
    • 1952 – Ned Hanlon, Australian sergeant and politician, 26th Premier of Queensland (b. 1887)
    • 1955 – Yves Tanguy, French-American painter (b. 1900)
    • 1959 – Regina Margareten, Hungarian businesswoman (b. 1863)
    • 1964 – Jack Teagarden, American singer-songwriter and trombonist (b. 1905)
    • 1967 – David Burliuk, Ukrainian author and illustrator (b. 1882)
    • 1968 – Bill Masterton, Canadian-American ice hockey player (b. 1938)
    • 1970 – Frank Clement, English race car driver (b. 1886)
    • 1970 – William T. Piper, American engineer and businessman, founded Piper Aircraft (b. 1881)
    • 1972 – Daisy Ashford, English author (b. 1881)
    • 1973 – Coleman Francis, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1919)
    • 1973 – Ivan Petrovsky, Russian mathematician and academic (b. 1901)
    • 1974 – Harold D. Cooley, American lawyer and politician (b. 1897)
    • 1981 – Graham Whitehead, English race car driver (b. 1922)
    • 1982 – Red Smith, American journalist (b. 1905)
    • 1983 – Armin Öpik, Estonian-Australian paleontologist and geologist (b. 1898)
    • 1983 – Shepperd Strudwick, American actor (b. 1907)
    • 1984 – Fazıl Küçük, Cypriot journalist and politician (b. 1906)
    • 1987 – Ray Bolger, American actor, singer, and dancer (b. 1904)
    • 1988 – Seán MacBride, Irish republican activist and politician, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1904)
    • 1990 – Gordon Jackson, Scottish-English actor (b. 1923)
    • 1990 – Peggy van Praagh, English ballerina, choreographer, and director (b. 1910)
    • 1993 – Sammy Cahn, American songwriter (b. 1913)
    • 1994 – Georges Cziffra, Hungarian-French pianist and composer (b. 1921)
    • 1994 – Harry Nilsson, American singer-songwriter (b. 1941)
    • 1994 – Harilal Upadhyay, Indian author, poet, and astrologist (b. 1916)
    • 1996 – Les Baxter, American pianist and composer (b. 1922)
    • 1996 – Moshoeshoe II of Lesotho (b. 1938)
    • 1998 – Gulzarilal Nanda, Indian economist and politician, Prime Minister of India (b. 1898)
    • 1998 – Junior Wells, American singer-songwriter and harmonica player (b. 1934)
    • 1999 – Betty Box, English composer and producer (b. 1915)
    • 2000 – Georges-Henri Lévesque, Canadian-Dominican priest and sociologist (b. 1903)
    • 2001 – Leo Marks, English cryptographer, playwright, and screenwriter (b. 1920)
    • 2002 – Michael Anthony Bilandic, American politician, 49th Mayor of Chicago (b. 1923)
    • 2002 – Eugène Brands, Dutch painter (b. 1913)
    • 2003 – Doris Fisher, American singer-songwriter (b. 1915)
    • 2004 – Olivia Goldsmith, American author (b. 1949)
    • 2005 – Victoria de los Ángeles, Spanish soprano and actress (b. 1923)
    • 2005 – Walter Ernsting, German author (b. 1920)
    • 2005 – Elizabeth Janeway, American author and critic (b. 1913)
    • 2005 – Ruth Warrick, American actress (b. 1916)
    • 2006 – Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti ruler (b. 1926)
    • 2007 – Awad Hamed al-Bandar, Iraqi lawyer and judge (b. 1945)
    • 2007 – Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, Iraqi intelligence officer (b. 1951)
    • 2007 – James Hillier, Canadian-American computer scientist and academic, co-invented the electron microscope (b. 1915)
    • 2007 – Pura Santillan-Castrence, Filipino educator and diplomat (b. 1905)
    • 2007 – Bo Yibo, Chinese commander and politician, Vice Premier of the People’s Republic of China (b. 1908)
    • 2008 – Robert V. Bruce, American historian, author, and academic (b. 1923)
    • 2008 – Brad Renfro, American actor (b. 1982)
    • 2009 – Lincoln Verduga Loor, Ecuadorian journalist and politician (b. 1917)
    • 2011 – Nat Lofthouse, English footballer and manager (b. 1925)
    • 2011 – Pierre Louis-Dreyfus, French soldier, race car driver, and businessman (b. 1908)
    • 2011 – Susannah York, English actress and activist (b. 1939)
    • 2012 – Ed Derwinski, American soldier and politician, 1st United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs (b. 1926)
    • 2012 – Manuel Fraga Iribarne, Spanish lawyer and politician, 3rd President of the Xunta of Galicia (b. 1922)
    • 2012 – Carlo Fruttero, Italian journalist and author (b. 1926)
    • 2012 – Samuel Jaskilka, American general (b. 1919)
    • 2012 – Ib Spang Olsen, Danish author and illustrator (b. 1921)
    • 2012 – Hulett C. Smith, American lieutenant and politician, 27th Governor of West Virginia (b. 1918)
    • 2013 – Nagisa Oshima, Japanese director and screenwriter (b. 1932)
    • 2013 – John Thomas, American high jumper (b. 1941)
    • 2014 – Curtis Bray, American football player and coach (b. 1970)
    • 2014 – John Dobson, Chinese-American astronomer and author (b. 1915)
    • 2014 – Roger Lloyd-Pack, English actor (b. 1944)
    • 2015 – Ervin Drake, American songwriter and composer (b. 1919)
    • 2015 – Kim Fowley, American singer-songwriter, producer, and manager (b. 1939)
    • 2015 – Ray Nagel, American football player and coach (b. 1927)
    • 2016 – Francisco X. Alarcón, American poet and educator (b. 1954)
    • 2016 – Ken Judge, Australian footballer and coach (b. 1958)
    • 2016 – Manuel Velázquez, Spanish footballer (b. 1943)
    • 2017 – Jimmy Snuka, Fijian professional wrestler (b. 1943)
    • 2018 – Dolores O’Riordan, Irish pop singer (b. 1971)
    • 2019 – Carol Channing, American actress (b. 1921)
    • 2019 – Ida Kleijnen, Dutch chef (b. 1936)

    Holidays and observances on January 15

    • Arbor Day (Egypt)
    • Armed Forces Day (Nigeria)
    • Army Day (India)
    • Christian feast day:
      • Abeluzius (Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church)
      • Arnold Janssen
      • Francis Ferdinand de Capillas (one of Martyr Saints of China)
      • Ita
      • Our Lady of the Poor
      • Macarius of Egypt (Western Christianity)
      • Maurus and Placidus (Order of Saint Benedict)
      • Paul the Hermit
      • January 15 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Earliest day on which Martin Luther King Jr. Day can fall (the 15th being his birthday), while January 21 is the latest; celebrated on the third Monday in January. (United States)
    • Earliest day on which Sinulog Festival can fall, while January 21 is the latest; celebrated on the third Sunday in January. (Philippines)
    • John Chilembwe Day (Malawi)
    • Korean Alphabet Day (North Korea)
    • Ocean Duty Day (Indonesia)
    • Sagichō at Tsurugaoka Hachimangū. (Kamakura, Japan)
    • Teacher’s Day (Venezuela)
    • The second day of the sidereal winter solstice festivals in India (see January 14):
      • Thai Pongal, Tamil harvest festival

  • January 10 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 49 BC – Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signalling the start of civil war.
    • AD 9 – The Western Han dynasty ends when Wang Mang claims that the divine Mandate of Heaven called for the end of the dynasty and the beginning of his own, the Xin dynasty.
    • AD 69 – Lucius Calpurnius Piso Licinianus is appointed by Galba as deputy Roman Emperor.
    • 236 – Pope Fabian succeeds Anterus to become the twentieth pope of Rome.
    • 1072 – Robert Guiscard conquers Palermo in Sicily for the Normans.
    • 1430 – Philip the Good, the Duke of Burgundy, establishes the Order of the Golden Fleece, the most prestigious, exclusive, and expensive order of chivalry in the world.
    • 1475 – Stephen III of Moldavia defeats the Ottoman Empire at the Battle of Vaslui.
    • 1645 – Archbishop William Laud is beheaded for treason at the Tower of London.
    • 1776 – American Revolution: Thomas Paine publishes his pamphlet Common Sense.
    • 1791 – The Siege of Dunlap’s Station begins near Cincinnati during the Northwest Indian War.
    • 1806 – Two British brigades occupy Cape Town after the Battle of Blaauwberg.
    • 1812 – The first steamboat on the Ohio River or the Mississippi River arrives in New Orleans, 82 days after departing from Pittsburgh.
    • 1861 – American Civil War: Florida becomes the third state to secede from the Union.
    • 1863 – The Metropolitan Railway, the world’s oldest underground railway, opens between Paddington and Farringdon, marking the beginning of the London Underground.
    • 1870 – John D. Rockefeller incorporates Standard Oil.
    • 1901 – The first great Texas oil gusher is discovered at Spindletop in Beaumont, Texas.
    • 1916 – World War I: In the Erzurum Offensive, Russia defeats the Ottoman Empire.
    • 1920 – The Treaty of Versailles takes effect, officially ending World War I.
    • 1920 – League of Nations Covenant enters into force. On January 16 the organization holds its first council meeting, in Paris.
    • 1927 – Fritz Lang’s futuristic film Metropolis is released in Germany.
    • 1941 – World War II: The Greek army captures Kleisoura.
    • 1946 – The first General Assembly of the United Nations opens in London. Fifty-one nations are represented.
    • 1946 – The United States Army Signal Corps successfully conducts Project Diana, bouncing radio waves off the Moon and receiving the reflected signals.
    • 1954 – BOAC Flight 781, a de Havilland DH.106 Comet 1, explodes and falls into the Tyrrhenian Sea killing 35 people.
    • 1962 – Apollo program: NASA announces plans to build the C-5 rocket launch vehicle, which became known as the Saturn V Moon rocket, which launched every Apollo Moon mission.
    • 1966 – Tashkent Declaration, a peace agreement between India and Pakistan signed that resolved the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.
    • 1972 – Sheikh Mujibur Rahman returns to the newly independent Bangladesh as president after spending over nine months in prison in Pakistan.
    • 1981 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensive, gaining control of most of Morazán and Chalatenango departments
    • 1984 – Holy See–United States relations: The United States and Holy See (Vatican City) re-establish full diplomatic relations after almost 117 years, overturning the United States Congress’s 1867 ban on public funding for such a diplomatic envoy.
    • 1985 – Sandinista Daniel Ortega becomes president of Nicaragua and vows to continue the transformation to socialism and alliance with the Soviet Union and Cuba; American policy continues to support the Contras in their revolt against the Nicaraguan government.
    • 1990 – Time Warner is formed by the merger of Time Inc. and Warner Communications.
    • 2007 – A general strike begins in Guinea in an attempt to get President Lansana Conté to resign.
    • 2012 – A bombing in Khyber Agency, Pakistan, kills at least 30 people and 78 others injured.
    • 2013 – More than 100 people are killed and 270 injured in several bomb blasts in Pakistan.
    • 2015 – A traffic accident between an oil tanker truck and passenger coach en route to Shikarpur from Karachi on the Pakistan National Highway Link Road near Gulshan-e-Hadeed, Karachi, killing at least 62 people.

    Births on January 10

    • 626 – Husayn ibn Ali the third Shia Imam (d. 680)
    • 1392 – Johanna van Polanen, Dutch noblewoman (d. 1445)
    • 1480 – Margaret of Austria, Duchess of Savoy (d. 1530)
    • 1538 – Louis of Nassau (d. 1574)
    • 1607 – Isaac Jogues, French priest and missionary (d. 1646)
    • 1644 – Louis François, duc de Boufflers, French general (d. 1711)
    • 1654 – Joshua Barnes, English historian and scholar (d. 1712)
    • 1702 – Johannes Zick, German painter (d. 1762)
    • 1715 – Christian August Crusius, German philosopher and theologian (d. 1775)
    • 1729 – Lazzaro Spallanzani, Italian priest, biologist, and physiologist (d. 1799)
    • 1745 – Isaac Titsingh, Dutch surgeon, scholar, and diplomat (d. 1812)
    • 1750 – Thomas Erskine, 1st Baron Erskine, Scottish-English lawyer and politician, Lord Chancellor of Great Britain (d. 1823)
    • 1760 – Johann Rudolf Zumsteeg, German composer and conductor (d. 1802)
    • 1769 – Michel Ney, French general (d. 1815)
    • 1776 – George Birkbeck, English physician and academic, founded Birkbeck, University of London (d. 1841)
    • 1780 – Martin Lichtenstein, German physician and explorer (d. 1857)
    • 1802 – Carl Ritter von Ghega, Italian-Austrian engineer, designed the Semmering railway (d. 1860)
    • 1810 – Ferdinand Barbedienne, French engineer (d. 1892)
    • 1810 – Jeremiah S. Black, American jurist and politician, 23rd United States Secretary of State (d. 1883)
    • 1810 – William Haines, English-Australian politician, 1st Premier of Victoria (d. 1866)
    • 1812 – Georg Hermann Nicolai, German architect and academic (d. 1881)
    • 1828 – Herman Koeckemann, German bishop and missionary (d. 1892)
    • 1829 – Epameinondas Deligeorgis, Greek lawyer, journalist and politician, Prime Minister of Greece (d. 1879)
    • 1834 – John Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton, Italian-English historian and politician (d. 1902)
    • 1836 – Charles Ingalls, American farmer and carpenter (d. 1902)
    • 1840 – Louis-Nazaire Bégin, Canadian cardinal (d. 1925)
    • 1842 – Luigi Pigorini, Italian paleontologist, archaeologist, and ethnographer (d. 1925)
    • 1843 – Frank James, American soldier and criminal (d. 1915)
    • 1848 – Reinhold Sadler, American merchant and politician, 9th Governor of Nevada (d. 1906)
    • 1849 – Robert Crosbie, Canadian theosophist, founded the United Lodge of Theosophists (d. 1919)
    • 1850 – John Wellborn Root, American architect, designed the Rookery Building and Monadnock Building (d. 1891)
    • 1854 – Ramón Corral, Mexican general and politician, 6th Vice President of Mexico (d. 1912)
    • 1858 – Heinrich Zille, German illustrator and photographer (d. 1929)
    • 1859 – Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia, Spanish philosopher and academic (d. 1909)
    • 1860 – Charles G. D. Roberts, Canadian poet and author (d. 1943)
    • 1864 – Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich of Russia (d. 1931)
    • 1873 – Algernon Maudslay, English sailor (d. 1948)
    • 1873 – Jack O’Neill, Irish-American baseball player (d. 1935)
    • 1873 – George Orton, Canadian runner and hurdler (d. 1958)
    • 1875 – Issai Schur, German mathematician and academic (d. 1941)
    • 1877 – Frederick Gardner Cottrell, American physical chemist, inventor and philanthropist (d. 1948)
    • 1878 – John McLean, American hurdler, football player, and coach (d. 1955)
    • 1880 – Manuel Azaña, Spanish jurist and politician, 7th President of Spain (d. 1940)
    • 1883 – Francis X. Bushman, American actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1966)
    • 1883 – Aleksey Nikolayevich Tolstoy, Russian journalist, author, and poet (d. 1945)
    • 1887 – Robinson Jeffers, American poet and philosopher (d. 1962)
    • 1890 – Pina Menichelli, Italian actress (d. 1984)
    • 1891 – Heinrich Behmann, German mathematician and academic (d. 1970)
    • 1891 – Ann Shoemaker, American actress (d. 1978)
    • 1892 – Dumas Malone, American historian and author (d. 1986)
    • 1892 – Melchior Wańkowicz, Polish soldier, journalist, and author (d. 1974)
    • 1893 – Albert Jacka, Australian captain, Victoria Cross recipient (d. 1932)
    • 1894 – Pingali Lakshmikantam, Indian poet and author (d. 1972)
    • 1895 – Percy Cerutty, Australian athletics coach (d. 1975)
    • 1896 – Yong Mun Sen, Malaysian watercolour painter (d. 1962)
    • 1898 – Katharine Burr Blodgett, American physicist and engineer (d. 1979)
    • 1900 – Violette Cordery, English racing driver (d. 1983)
    • 1902 – Dobriša Cesarić, Croatian poet and translator (d. 1980)
    • 1903 – Barbara Hepworth, English sculptor (d. 1975)
    • 1903 – Pud Thurlow, Australian cricketer (d. 1975)
    • 1903 – Voldemar Väli, Estonian wrestler (d. 1997)
    • 1904 – Ray Bolger, American actor and dancer (d. 1987)
    • 1905 – Albert Arlen, Australian pianist, composer, actor, and playwright (d. 1993)
    • 1907 – Gordon Kidd Teal, American engineer and inventor (d. 2003)
    • 1908 – Paul Henreid, Italian-American actor and director (d. 1992)
    • 1910 – Jean Martinon, French conductor and composer (d. 1976)
    • 1911 – Binod Bihari Chowdhury, Bangladeshi activist (d. 2013)
    • 1911 – Norman Heatley, English biologist and chemist (d. 2004)
    • 1912 – Maria Mandl, Austrian SS guard (d. 1948)
    • 1913 – Franco Bordoni, Italian racing driver and pilot (d. 1975)
    • 1913 – Gustáv Husák, Slovak politician, 9th President of Czechoslovakia (d. 1991)
    • 1913 – Mehmet Shehu, Albanian soldier and politician, 22nd Prime Minister of Albania (d. 1981)
    • 1914 – Pierre Cogan, French cyclist (d. 2013)
    • 1914 – Yu Kuo-hwa, Chinese politician, 23rd Premier of the Republic of China (d. 2000)
    • 1915 – Dean Dixon, American-Swiss conductor (d. 1976)
    • 1915 – Cynthia Freeman, American author (d. 1988)
    • 1916 – Sune Bergström, Swedish biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2004)
    • 1916 – Eldzier Cortor, American painter (d. 2015)
    • 1916 – Don Metz, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2007)
    • 1917 – Jerry Wexler, American journalist and producer (d. 2008)
    • 1918 – Les Bennett, English footballer and manager (d. 1999)
    • 1918 – Arthur Chung, Guyanese lawyer and politician, 1st President of Guyana (d. 2008)
    • 1918 – Harry Merkel, German racing driver (d. 1995)
    • 1919 – Terukuni Manzō, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 38th Yokozuna (d. 1977)
    • 1919 – Milton Parker, American businessman, co-founded the Carnegie Deli (d. 2009)
    • 1920 – Rosella Hightower, American ballerina (d. 2008)
    • 1920 – Roberto M. Levingston, Argentinian general and politician, 36th President of Argentina (d. 2015)
    • 1920 – Max Patkin, American baseball player and clown (d. 1999)
    • 1921 – Rodger Ward, American aviator, race car driver and sportscaster (d. 2004)
    • 1922 – Billy Liddell, Scottish-English footballer (d. 2001)
    • 1924 – Earl Bakken, American inventor (d. 2018)
    • 1924 – Ludmilla Chiriaeff, Canadian ballerina, choreographer, and director (d. 1996)
    • 1925 – Billie Sol Estes, American financier and businessman (d. 2013)
    • 1926 – Musallam Bseiso, Palestinian journalist and politician (d. 2017)
    • 1927 – Gisele MacKenzie, Canadian-American singer and actress (d. 2003)
    • 1927 – Johnnie Ray, American singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 1990)
    • 1927 – Otto Stich, Swiss lawyer and politician, 140th President of the Swiss Confederation (d. 2012)
    • 1928 – Philip Levine, American poet and academic (d. 2015)
    • 1928 – Peter Mathias, English historian and academic (d. 2016)
    • 1929 – Tony Soper, English ornithologist and author
    • 1930 – Roy E. Disney, American businessman (d. 2009)
    • 1931 – Peter Barnes, English playwright and screenwriter (d. 2004)
    • 1931 – Rosalind Howells, Baroness Howells of St Davids, Grenadian-English academic and politician
    • 1931 – Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, Malaysian cleric and politician, 12th Menteri Besar of Kelantan (d. 2015)
    • 1931 – John Zizioulas, Greek metropolitan
    • 1934 – Leonid Kravchuk, Ukrainian politician, 1st President of Ukraine
    • 1935 – Ronnie Hawkins, American rockabilly singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1935 – Sherrill Milnes, American opera singer and educator
    • 1936 – Stephen E. Ambrose, American historian and author (d. 2002)
    • 1936 – Walter Bodmer, German-English geneticist and academic
    • 1936 – Robert Woodrow Wilson, American physicist and astronomer, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1937 – Daniel Walker Howe, American historian and academic
    • 1937 – Thomas Penfield Jackson, American soldier, lawyer, and judge (d. 2013)
    • 1938 – Donald Knuth, American computer scientist and mathematician
    • 1938 – Frank Mahovlich, Canadian ice hockey player and politician
    • 1938 – Willie McCovey, American baseball player (d. 2018)
    • 1939 – Jared Carter, American poet and author
    • 1939 – David Horowitz, American activist and author
    • 1939 – William Levy, American-Dutch journalist, author, and poet
    • 1939 – Scott McKenzie, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2012)
    • 1939 – Sal Mineo, American actor (d. 1976)
    • 1940 – K. J. Yesudas, Indian singer and music director
    • 1940 – Godfrey Hewitt, English geneticist and academic (d. 2013)
    • 1941 – Tom Clarke, Scottish politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland
    • 1942 – Graeme Gahan, Australian footballer and coach
    • 1943 – Jim Croce, American singer-songwriter (d. 1973)
    • 1944 – Jeffrey Catherine Jones, American comics and fantasy artist (d. 2011)
    • 1944 – Frank Sinatra, Jr., American singer and actor (d. 2016)
    • 1945 – John Fahey, New Zealand-Australian lawyer and politician, 38th Premier of New South Wales
    • 1945 – Rod Stewart, British singer-songwriter
    • 1945 – Gunther von Hagens, German anatomist, invented plastination
    • 1946 – Aynsley Dunbar, English drummer and songwriter
    • 1947 – George Alec Effinger, American author (d. 2002)
    • 1947 – James Morris, American opera singer
    • 1947 – Peer Steinbrück, German politician, German Minister of Finance
    • 1947 – Tiit Vähi, Estonian engineer and politician, 11th Prime Minister of Estonia
    • 1948 – Donald Fagen, American singer-songwriter and musician
    • 1948 – Bernard Thévenet, French cyclist and sportscaster
    • 1949 – Kemal Derviş, Turkish economist and politician, Turkish Minister of Economy
    • 1949 – George Foreman, American boxer, actor, and businessman
    • 1949 – Linda Lovelace, American porn actress and activist (d. 2002)
    • 1950 – Roy Blunt, American academic and politician
    • 1952 – Scott Thurston, American guitarist and songwriter
    • 1953 – Pat Benatar, American singer-songwriter
    • 1953 – Bobby Rahal, American race car driver
    • 1955 – Michael Schenker, German guitarist, songwriter, and producer
    • 1956 – Shawn Colvin, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1956 – Antonio Muñoz Molina, Spanish author
    • 1958 – Eddie Cheever, American race car driver
    • 1958 – Anatoly Pisarenko, Ukrainian weightlifter and trainer
    • 1959 – Chandra Cheeseborough, American sprinter and coach
    • 1959 – Chris Van Hollen, American lawyer and politician
    • 1959 – Fran Walsh, New Zealand screenwriter and producer
    • 1960 – Gurinder Chadha, Kenyan-English director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1960 – Brian Cowen, Irish lawyer and politician, 12th Taoiseach of Ireland
    • 1960 – John Mann, English lawyer and politician
    • 1960 – Benoît Pelletier, Canadian lawyer and politician
    • 1961 – Janet Jones, American actress
    • 1961 – Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Italian-American violinist, author, and educator
    • 1962 – Michael Fortier, Canadian lawyer and politician
    • 1962 – Kathryn S. McKinley, American computer scientist and academic
    • 1963 – Malcolm Dunford, New Zealand-Australian footballer
    • 1963 – Kira Ivanova, Russian figure skater (d. 2001)
    • 1964 – Brad Roberts, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1967 – Maciej Śliwowski, Polish footballer
    • 1969 – Simone Bagel-Trah, German businessperson
    • 1970 – Buff Bagwell, American wrestler and actor
    • 1970 – Alisa Marić, Serbian chess player and politician, Serbian Minister of Youth and Sports
    • 1972 – Mohammed Benzakour, Moroccan-Dutch journalist, poet, and author
    • 1973 – Glenn Robinson, American basketball player
    • 1973 – Félix Trinidad, Puerto Rican-American boxer
    • 1974 – Jemaine Clement, New Zealand comedian, actor, and musician
    • 1974 – Davide Dionigi, Italian footballer and manager
    • 1974 – Steve Marlet, French footballer, forward and coach
    • 1974 – Bob Peeters, Belgian footballer and manager
    • 1974 – Hrithik Roshan, Indian actor
    • 1975 – Jake Delhomme, American football player
    • 1976 – Adam Kennedy, American baseball player
    • 1976 – Ian Poulter, English golfer
    • 1978 – Johan van der Wath, South African cricketer
    • 1979 – Simone Cavalli, Italian footballer
    • 1980 – Sarah Shahi, American actress
    • 1980 – DeShaun Foster, American football player
    • 1981 – James Coppinger, English footballer
    • 1981 – Jared Kushner, American real estate investor and political figure
    • 1982 – Julien Brellier, French footballer
    • 1982 – Tomasz Brzyski, Polish footballer
    • 1984 – Marouane Chamakh, Moroccan footballer
    • 1984 – Trent Cutler, Australian rugby league player
    • 1984 – Ariane Friedrich, German high jumper
    • 1984 – Kalki Koechlin, Indian actress
    • 1986 – Kirsten Flipkens, Belgian tennis player
    • 1986 – Hideaki Ikematsu, Japanese footballer
    • 1986 – Kenneth Vermeer, Dutch footballer
    • 1987 – César Cielo, Brazilian swimmer
    • 1988 – Leonard Patrick Komon, Kenyan runner
    • 1988 – Vladimir Zharkov, Russian ice hockey player
    • 1989 – Emily Meade, American actress
    • 1989 – Kyle Reimers, Australian footballer
    • 1990 – Mirko Bortolotti, Italian racing driver
    • 1990 – Ishiura Masakatsu, Japanese sumo wrestler
    • 1990 – Cody Walker, Australian rugby league player
    • 1990 – John Carlson, American ice hockey player
    • 1991 – Chad Townsend, Australian rugby league player

    Deaths on January 10

    • 259 – Polyeuctus, Roman saint
    • 314 – Miltiades, pope of the Catholic Church
    • 681 – Agatho, pope of the Catholic Church
    • 976 – John I Tzimiskes, Byzantine emperor (b. 925)
    • 987 – Pietro I Orseolo, doge of Venice (b. 928)
    • 1055 – Bretislav I, duke of Bohemia
    • 1094 – Al-Mustansir Billah, Egyptian caliph (b. 1029)
    • 1218 – Hugh I, king of Cyprus
    • 1276 – Gregory X, pope of the Catholic Church (b. 1210)
    • 1322 – Petrus Aureolus, scholastic philosopher
    • 1358 – Abu Inan Faris, Marinid ruler of Morocco (b. 1329)
    • 1552 – Johann Cochlaeus, German humanist and controversialist (b. 1479)
    • 1645 – William Laud, English archbishop and academic (b. 1573)
    • 1654 – Nicholas Culpeper, English botanist, physician, and astrologer (b. 1616)
    • 1698 – Louis-Sébastien Le Nain de Tillemont, French priest and historian (b. 1637)
    • 1754 – Edward Cave, English publisher, founded The Gentleman’s Magazine (b. 1691)
    • 1761 – Edward Boscawen, English admiral and politician (b. 1711)
    • 1778 – Carl Linnaeus, Swedish botanist and physician (b. 1707)
    • 1794 – Georg Forster, German-Polish ethnologist and journalist (b. 1754)
    • 1811 – Joseph Chénier, French poet, playwright, and politician (b. 1764)
    • 1824 – Victor Emmanuel I, duke of Savoy and king of Sardinia (b. 1759)
    • 1828 – François de Neufchâteau, French poet, academic, and politician, French Minister of the Interior (b. 1750)
    • 1829 – Gregorio Funes, Argentinian clergyman, historian, and educator (b. 1749)
    • 1833 – Adrien-Marie Legendre, French mathematician and theorist (b. 1752)
    • 1843 – Dimitrie Macedonski, Greek-Romanian captain and politician (b. 1780)
    • 1851 – Karl Freiherr von Müffling, Prussian field marshal (b. 1775)
    • 1855 – Mary Russell Mitford, English author and playwright (b. 1787)
    • 1862 – Samuel Colt, American engineer and businessman, founded Colt’s Manufacturing Company (b. 1814)
    • 1863 – Lyman Beecher, American minister and activist, co-founded the American Temperance Society (b. 1775)
    • 1895 – Eli Whitney Blake, Jr., American chemist, physicist, and academic (b. 1836)
    • 1895 – Benjamin Godard, French violinist and composer (b. 1849)
    • 1901 – James Robert Dickson, English-Australian businessman and politician, 1st Australian Minister for Defence (b. 1832)
    • 1904 – Jean-Léon Gérôme, French painter and sculptor (b. 1824)
    • 1905 – Kārlis Baumanis, Latvian composer (b. 1835)
    • 1917 – Buffalo Bill, American soldier and hunter (b. 1846)
    • 1917 – Feliks Leparsky, Russian fencer and captain (b. 1875)
    • 1920 – Sali Nivica, Albanian journalist and politician (b. 1890)
    • 1922 – Frank Tudor, Australian politician, 6th Australian Minister for Trade and Investment (b. 1866)
    • 1926 – Eino Leino, Finnish poet and journalist (b. 1878)
    • 1935 – Edwin Flack, Australian tennis player and runner (b. 1873)
    • 1935 – Charlie McGahey, English cricketer and footballer (b. 1871)
    • 1941 – Frank Bridge, English viola player and composer (b. 1879)
    • 1941 – John Lavery, Irish painter and academic (b. 1856)
    • 1941 – Joe Penner, Hungarian-American actor (b. 1904)
    • 1941 – Issai Schur, Belarusian-German mathematician and academic (b. 1875)
    • 1949 – Erich von Drygalski, German geographer and geophysicist (b. 1865)
    • 1951 – Sinclair Lewis, American novelist, short-story writer, and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1885)
    • 1951 – Yoshio Nishina, Japanese physicist and academic (b. 1890)
    • 1954 – Chester Wilmot, American journalist and historian (b. 1911)
    • 1956 – Zonia Baber, American geographer and geologist (b. 1862)
    • 1957 – Gabriela Mistral, Chilean poet and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1889)
    • 1957 – Laura Ingalls Wilder, American novelist (b. 1867)
    • 1959 – Şükrü Kaya, Turkish jurist and politician, Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1883)
    • 1960 – Jack Laviolette, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager (b. 1879)
    • 1961 – Dashiell Hammett, American detective novelist and screenwriter (b. 1894)
    • 1967 – Charles E. Burchfield, American painter (b. 1893)
    • 1968 – Ali Fuat Cebesoy, Turkish general and politician, 6th Speaker of the Parliament of Turkey (b. 1882)
    • 1969 – Sampurnanand, Indian educator and politician, 2nd Governor of Rajasthan (b. 1891)
    • 1970 – Pavel Belyayev, Russian pilot and astronaut (b. 1925)
    • 1971 – Coco Chanel, French fashion designer, founded Chanel (b. 1883)
    • 1971 – Ignazio Giunti, Italian race car driver (b. 1941)
    • 1972 – Aksel Larsen, Danish lawyer and politician (b. 1897)
    • 1976 – Howlin’ Wolf, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1910)
    • 1978 – Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Cardenal, Nicaraguan journalist and author (b. 1924)
    • 1978 – Don Gillis, American composer and conductor (b. 1912)
    • 1978 – Hannah Gluckstein, British painter (b. 1895)
    • 1980 – Hughie Critz, American baseball player and scout (b. 1900)
    • 1980 – George Meany, American plumber and trade union leader (b. 1894)
    • 1980 – Bo Rein, American football player and coach (b. 1945)
    • 1981 – Fawn M. Brodie, American historian and author (b. 1915)
    • 1984 – Souvanna Phouma, Laotian politician, 8th Prime Minister of Laos (b. 1901)
    • 1986 – Jaroslav Seifert, Czech journalist and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1901)
    • 1987 – Marion Hutton, American singer (b. 1919)
    • 1987 – David Robinson, English businessman and philanthropist (b. 1904)
    • 1989 – Herbert Morrison, American journalist and producer (b. 1905)
    • 1990 – Tochinishiki Kiyotaka, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 44th Yokozuna (b. 1925)
    • 1992 – Roberto Bonomi, Argentinian race car driver (b. 1919)
    • 1995 – Kathleen Tynan, Canadian-English journalist, author, and screenwriter (b. 1937)
    • 1997 – Elspeth Huxley, Kenyan-English journalist and author (b. 1907)
    • 1997 – Sheldon Leonard, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1907)
    • 1997 – Alexander R. Todd, Baron Todd, Scottish-English biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1907)
    • 1999 – Edward Williams, Australian lieutenant, pilot, and judge (b. 1921)
    • 2000 – Sam Jaffe, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1901)
    • 2004 – Spalding Gray, American actor and screenwriter (b. 1941)
    • 2005 – Wasyly, Ukrainian-Canadian bishop (b. 1909)
    • 2005 – Jack Horner, American journalist (b. 1912)
    • 2005 – Princess Joséphine Charlotte of Belgium (b. 1927)
    • 2007 – Carlo Ponti, Italian film producer (b. 1912)
    • 2007 – Bradford Washburn, American explorer, photographer, and cartographer (b. 1910)
    • 2008 – Christopher Bowman, American figure skater and actor (b. 1967)
    • 2008 – Maila Nurmi, Finnish-American actress, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1922)
    • 2010 – Patcha Ramachandra Rao, Indian metallurgist, educator and administrator (b. 1942)
    • 2011 – Margaret Whiting, American singer (b. 1924)
    • 2012 – Jean Pigott, Canadian businesswoman and politician (b. 1924)
    • 2012 – Gevork Vartanian, Russian intelligence agent (b. 1924)
    • 2013 – George Gruntz, Swiss pianist and composer (b. 1932)
    • 2013 – Claude Nobs, Swiss businessman, founded the Montreux Jazz Festival (b. 1936)
    • 2014 – Petr Hlaváček, Czech shoemaker and academic (b. 1950)
    • 2014 – Zbigniew Messner, Polish economist and politician, 9th Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland (b. 1929)
    • 2014 – Larry Speakes, American journalist, 16th White House Press Secretary (b. 1939)
    • 2015 – Junior Malanda, Belgian footballer (b. 1994)
    • 2015 – Taylor Negron, American actor, playwright, and painter (b. 1957)
    • 2015 – Francesco Rosi, Italian director and screenwriter (b. 1922)
    • 2015 – Robert Stone, American novelist and short story writer (b. 1937)
    • 2016 – Wim Bleijenberg, Dutch footballer and manager (b. 1930)
    • 2016 – David Bowie, English singer-songwriter, producer, and actor (b. 1947)
    • 2016 – George Jonas, Hungarian-Canadian journalist, author, and poet (b. 1935)
    • 2017 – Buddy Greco, American jazz and pop singer and pianist (b. 1926)
    • 2017 – Clare Hollingworth, English journalist (b. 1911)
    • 2020 – Qaboos bin Said, Ruler Of Oman (b. 1940)

    Holidays and observances on January 10

    • Christian feast day:
      • Gregory of Nyssa
      • Leonie Aviat
      • Obadiah (Coptic Church)
      • Peter Orseolo
      • Pope Agatho (Roman Catholic)
      • William Laud (Anglican Communion)
      • William of Donjeon
      • January 10 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Fête du Vodoun (Benin)
    • Margaret Thatcher Day (Falkland Islands)
    • Majority Rule Day (Bahamas)