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1796

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

On This Day /

February 7 in History

  • 457 – Leo I the Thracian becomes emperor of the Byzantine Empire.
  • 987 – Bardas Phokas the Younger and Bardas Skleros, Byzantine generals of the military elite, begin a wide-scale rebellion against Emperor Basil II.
  • 1301 – Edward of Caernarvon (later king Edward II of England) becomes the first English Prince of Wales.
  • 1313 – King Thihathu founds the Pinya Kingdom as the de jure successor state of the Pagan Kingdom
  • 1497 – In Florence, Italy, supporters of Girolamo Savonarola burn cosmetics, art, and books, in a “Bonfire of the vanities”.
  • 1783 – American Revolutionary War: French and Spanish forces lift the Great Siege of Gibraltar.
  • 1795 – The 11th Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified.
  • 1807 – Napoleonic Wars: Napoleon finds Bennigsen’s Russian forces taking a stand at Eylau. After bitter fighting, the French take the town, but the Russians resume the battle the next day.
  • 1812 – The strongest in a series of earthquakes strikes New Madrid, Missouri.
  • 1813 – In the action of 7 February 1813 near the Îles de Los, the frigates Aréthuse and Amelia batter each other, but neither can gain the upper hand.
  • 1819 – Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles leaves Singapore after just taking it over, leaving it in the hands of William Farquhar.
  • 1842 – Battle of Debre Tabor: Ras Ali Alula, Regent of the Emperor of Ethiopia defeats warlord Wube Haile Maryam of Semien.
  • 1854 – A law is approved to found the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. Lectures started October 16, 1855.
  • 1863 – HMS Orpheus sinks off the coast of Auckland, New Zealand, killing 189.
  • 1894 – The Cripple Creek miner’s strike, led by the Western Federation of Miners, begins in Cripple Creek, Colorado, United States.
  • 1898 – Dreyfus affair: Émile Zola is brought to trial for libel for publishing J’Accuse…!.
  • 1900 – Second Boer War: British troops fail in their third attempt to lift the Siege of Ladysmith.
  • 1900 – A Chinese immigrant in San Francisco falls ill to bubonic plague in the first plague epidemic in the continental United States.
  • 1904 – A fire begins in Baltimore, Maryland; it destroys over 1,500 buildings in 30 hours.
  • 1940 – The second full-length animated Walt Disney film, Pinocchio, premieres.
  • 1943 – World War II: Imperial Japanese Navy forces complete the evacuation of Imperial Japanese Army troops from Guadalcanal during Operation Ke, ending Japanese attempts to retake the island from Allied forces in the Guadalcanal Campaign.
  • 1944 – World War II: In Anzio, Italy, German forces launch a counteroffensive during the Allied Operation Shingle.
  • 1951 – Korean War: More than 700 suspected communist sympathizers are massacred by South Korean forces.
  • 1962 – The United States bans all Cuban imports and exports.
  • 1974 – Grenada gains independence from the United Kingdom.
  • 1979 – Pluto moves inside Neptune’s orbit for the first time since either was discovered.
  • 1984 – Space Shuttle program: STS-41-B Mission: Astronauts Bruce McCandless II and Robert L. Stewart make the first untethered space walk using the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU).
  • 1986 – Twenty-eight years of one-family rule end in Haiti, when President Jean-Claude Duvalier flees the Caribbean nation.
  • 1990 – Dissolution of the Soviet Union: The Central Committee of the Soviet Communist Party agrees to give up its monopoly on power.
  • 1991 – Haiti’s first democratically elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, is sworn in.
  • 1991 – The Troubles: The Provisional IRA launched a mortar attack on 10 Downing Street in London, the headquarters of the British government.
  • 1992 – The Maastricht Treaty is signed, leading to the creation of the European Union.
  • 1995 – Ramzi Yousef, the mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, is arrested in Islamabad, Pakistan.
  • 1997 – NeXT merges with Apple Computer, starting the path to Mac OS X.
  • 1999 – Crown Prince Abdullah becomes the King of Jordan on the death of his father, King Hussein.
  • 2009 – Bushfires in Victoria leave 173 dead in the worst natural disaster in Australia’s history.
  • 2012 – President Mohamed Nasheed of the Republic of Maldives resigns, after 23 days of anti-governmental protests calling for the release of Chief Judge unlawfully arrested by the military.
  • 2013 – The U.S. state of Mississippi officially certifies the Thirteenth Amendment, becoming the last state to approve the abolition of slavery. The Thirteenth Amendment was formally ratified by Mississippi in 1995.
  • 2014 – Scientists announce that the Happisburgh footprints in Norfolk, England, date back to more than 800,000 years ago, making them the oldest known hominid footprints outside Africa.
  • 2016 – North Korea launches Kwangmyŏngsŏng-4 into outer space violating multiple UN treaties and prompting condemnation from around the world.

Births on February 7

  • 574 – Prince Shōtoku of Japan (d. 622)
  • 1102 – Empress Matilda, Holy Roman Empress, and claimant to the English throne (probable; d. 1167)
  • 1478 – Thomas More, English lawyer and politician, Lord Chancellor of England (d. 1535)
  • 1487 – Queen Dangyeong, Korean royal consort (d. 1557)
  • 1500 – João de Castro, viceroy of Portuguese India (d. 1548)
  • 1612 – Thomas Killigrew, English playwright and manager (d. 1683)
  • 1622 – Vittoria della Rovere, Italian noble (d. 1694)
  • 1693 – Empress Anna of Russia (d. 1740)
  • 1722 – Azar Bigdeli, Iranian anthologist and poet (d. 1781)
  • 1726 – Margaret Fownes-Luttrell, English painter (d. 1766)
  • 1741 – Henry Fuseli, Swiss-English painter and academic (d. 1825)
  • 1758 – Benedikt Schack, Czech tenor and composer (d. 1826)
  • 1796 – Thomas Gregson, English-Australian lawyer and politician, 2nd Premier of Tasmania (baptism date; d. 1874)
  • 1802 – Louisa Jane Hall, American poet, essayist, and literary critic (d. 1892)
  • 1804 – John Deere, American blacksmith and businessman, founded Deere & Company (d. 1886)
  • 1812 – Charles Dickens, English novelist and critic (d. 1870)
  • 1825 – Karl Möbius, German zoologist and ecologist (d. 1908)
  • 1834 – Alfred-Philibert Aldrophe, French architect (d. 1895)
  • 1837 – James Murray, Scottish lexicographer and philologist (d. 1915)
  • 1864 – Arthur Collins, American baritone singer (d. 1933)
  • 1867 – Laura Ingalls Wilder, American author (d. 1957)
  • 1870 – Alfred Adler, Austrian-Scottish psychologist and therapist (d. 1937)
  • 1871 – Wilhelm Stenhammar, Swedish pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1927)
  • 1873 – Thomas Andrews, Irish shipbuilder and businessman, designed the RMS Titanic (d. 1912)
  • 1877 – G. H. Hardy, English mathematician and geneticist (d. 1947)
  • 1878 – Ossip Gabrilowitsch, Russian-American pianist and conductor (d. 1936)
  • 1885 – Sinclair Lewis, American novelist, short-story writer, and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1951)
  • 1885 – Hugo Sperrle, German field marshal (d. 1953)
  • 1887 – Eubie Blake, American pianist and composer (d. 1983)
  • 1889 – Harry Nyquist, Swedish-American engineer and theorist (d. 1976)
  • 1893 – Joseph Algernon Pearce, Canadian astrophysicist and astronomer (d. 1988)
  • 1893 – Nicanor Abelardo, Filipino pianist, composer and teacher (d. 1934)
  • 1895 – Anita Stewart, American actress (d. 1961)
  • 1901 – Arnold Nordmeyer, New Zealand minister and politician, 30th New Zealand Minister of Finance (d. 1989)
  • 1904 – Ernest E. Debs, American politician, California State Assembly member, Los Angeles city councilman, and a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (d. 2002)
  • 1905 – Paul Nizan, French philosopher and author (d. 1940)
  • 1905 – Ulf von Euler, Swedish physiologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1983)
  • 1906 – Puyi, Chinese emperor (d. 1967)
  • 1906 – Oleg Konstantinovich Antonov, Russian engineer, founded the Antonov Aircraft Company (d. 1984)
  • 1908 – Buster Crabbe, American swimmer and actor (d. 1983)
  • 1908 – Manmath Nath Gupta, Indian journalist and author (d. 2000)
  • 1909 – Hélder Câmara, Brazilian archbishop (d. 1999)
  • 1909 – Amedeo Guillet, Italian soldier (d. 2010)
  • 1912 – Russell Drysdale, English-Australian painter (d. 1981)
  • 1915 – Teoctist Arăpașu, Romanian patriarch (d. 2007)
  • 1915 – Eddie Bracken, American actor and singer (d. 2002)
  • 1916 – Frank Hyde, Australian rugby player, coach, and sportscaster (d. 2007)
  • 1919 – Jock Mahoney, American actor and stuntman (d. 1989)
  • 1919 – Desmond Doss, American army corporal and combat medic, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 2006)
  • 1920 – Oscar Brand, Canadian-American singer-songwriter and author (d. 2016)
  • 1920 – An Wang, Chinese-American engineer and businessman, founded Wang Laboratories (d. 1990)
  • 1921 – Athol Rowan, South African cricketer (d. 1998)
  • 1922 – Hattie Jacques, English actress (d. 1980)
  • 1923 – Dora Bryan, English actress and restaurateur (d. 2014)
  • 1925 – Hans Schmidt, Canadian wrestler (d. 2012)
  • 1926 – Konstantin Feoktistov, Russian engineer and astronaut (d. 2009)
  • 1926 – Bill Hoest, American cartoonist (d. 1988)
  • 1927 – Juliette Gréco, French singer and actress
  • 1927 – Vladimir Kuts, Ukrainian-Russian runner and coach (d. 1975)
  • 1927 – Lalo Ríos, Mexican actor (d. 1973)
  • 1928 – Lincoln D. Faurer, American general (d. 2014)
  • 1929 – Jim Langley, English international footballer, full back and manager (d. 2007)
  • 1932 – Gay Talese, American journalist and memoirist
  • 1932 – Alfred Worden, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut (d. 2020)
  • 1933 – K. N. Choksy, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician, Sri Lankan Minister of Finance (d. 2015)
  • 1934 – Eddie Fenech Adami, Maltese lawyer and politician, 7th President of Malta
  • 1934 – King Curtis, American saxophonist and producer (d. 1971)
  • 1934 – Earl King, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (d. 2003)
  • 1935 – Cliff Jones, Welsh international footballer, winger
  • 1935 – Herb Kohl, American businessman and politician
  • 1935 – Jörg Schneider, Swiss actor and author (d. 2015)
  • 1936 – Jas Gawronski, Italian journalist and politician
  • 1937 – Peter Jay, English economist, journalist, and diplomat, British Ambassador to the United States
  • 1937 – Juan Pizarro, Puerto Rican baseball player
  • 1940 – Tony Tan, Singaporean academic and politician, 7th President of Singapore
  • 1941 – Kevin Crossley-Holland, English author and poet
  • 1943 – Eric Foner, American historian, author, and academic
  • 1943 – Gareth Hunt, English actor (d. 2007)
  • 1945 – Gerald Davies, Welsh rugby player and journalist
  • 1946 – Héctor Babenco, Argentinian-Brazilian director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2016)
  • 1946 – Sammy Johns, American country music singer-songwriter (d. 2013)
  • 1946 – Pete Postlethwaite, English actor (d. 2011)
  • 1946 – Gérard Jean-Juste, Haitian priest and activist (d. 2009)
  • 1949 – Jacques Duchesneau, Canadian police officer and politician
  • 1949 – Joe English, American drummer and songwriter
  • 1950 – Karen Joy Fowler, American author
  • 1953 – Dan Quisenberry, American baseball player and poet (d. 1998)
  • 1954 – Dieter Bohlen, German singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1955 – Rolf Benirschke, American football player and game show host
  • 1955 – Miguel Ferrer, American actor and director (d. 2017)
  • 1956 – John Nielsen, Danish racing driver
  • 1956 – Mark St. John, American guitarist (d. 2007)
  • 1957 – Carney Lansford, American baseball player and coach
  • 1958 – Giuseppe Baresi, Italian footballer and manager
  • 1958 – Terry Marsh, English boxer and politician
  • 1958 – Matt Ridley, English journalist, author, and politician
  • 1959 – Mick McCarthy, English footballer, manager, and sportscaster
  • 1960 – Robert Smigel, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1960 – James Spader, American actor and producer
  • 1962 – Garth Brooks, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1962 – David Bryan, American keyboard player and songwriter
  • 1962 – Eddie Izzard, English comedian, actor, and producer
  • 1963 – Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, American Naval officer and astronaut
  • 1964 – Ashok Banker, Indian journalist, author, and screenwriter
  • 1965 – Chris Rock, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1966 – Kristin Otto, German swimmer
  • 1968 – Peter Bondra, Ukrainian-Slovak ice hockey player and manager
  • 1968 – Sully Erna, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1968 – Mark Tewksbury, Canadian swimmer and sportscaster
  • 1969 – Andrew Micallef, Maltese painter and musician
  • 1971 – Anita Tsoy, Russian singer-songwriter
  • 1972 – Robyn Lively, American actress
  • 1973 – Juwan Howard, American basketball player and coach
  • 1974 – J Dilla, American rapper and producer (d. 2006)
  • 1974 – Nujabes, Japanese record producer, DJ, composer and arranger (d. 2010)
  • 1974 – Steve Nash, South African-Canadian basketball player
  • 1975 – Wes Borland, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1975 – Alexandre Daigle, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1975 – Rémi Gaillard, French comedian and actor
  • 1976 – Chito Miranda, Filipino singer-songwriter
  • 1977 – Tsuneyasu Miyamoto, Japanese footballer
  • 1978 – David Aebischer, Swiss ice hockey player
  • 1978 – Endy Chávez, Venezuelan baseball player
  • 1978 – Ashton Kutcher, American model, actor, producer, and entrepreneur
  • 1978 – Daniel Van Buyten, Belgian football player
  • 1979 – Daniel Bierofka, German footballer and coach
  • 1979 – Tawakkol Karman, Yemeni journalist and activist, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1979 – Sam J. Miller, American author
  • 1981 – Darcy Dolce Neto, Brazilian footballer
  • 1981 – Lee Ok-sung, South Korean boxer
  • 1982 – Osamu Mukai, Japanese actor
  • 1982 – Mickaël Piétrus, French basketball player
  • 1983 – Sho Kamogawa, Japanese footballer
  • 1983 – Christian Klien, Austrian race car driver
  • 1983 – Federico Marchetti, Italian footballer
  • 1984 – Trey Hardee, American decathlete
  • 1985 – Tina Majorino, American actress
  • 1988 – Ai Kago, Japanese singer and actress
  • 1989 – Nick Calathes, Greek basketball player
  • 1989 – Elia Viviani, Italian cyclist
  • 1989 – Isaiah Thomas, American basketball player
  • 1990 – Gianluca Lapadula, Italian footballer
  • 1990 – Dalilah Muhammad, American hurdler
  • 1990 – Steven Stamkos, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1991 – Ryan O’Reilly, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1992 – Sergi Roberto, Spanish footballer
  • 1992 – Ksenia Stolbova, Russian figure skater
  • 1992 – Maimi Yajima, Japanese singer and actress
  • 1993 – Chris Mears, English diver
  • 1994 – Riley Barber, American ice hockey player
  • 1995 – Roberto Osuna, Mexican baseball player
  • 1996 – Pierre Gasly, French racing driver
  • 1997 – Nicolò Barella, Italian footballer

Deaths on February 7

  • 199 – Lü Bu, Chinese warlord
  • 318 – Jin Mindi, emperor of the Jin Dynasty (b. 300)
  • 999 – Boleslaus II the Pious, Duke of Bohemia (b. 932)
  • 1045 – Emperor Go-Suzaku of Japan (b. 1009)
  • 1065 – Siegfried I, Count of Sponheim (b. c. 1010)
  • 1127 – Ava, German poet (b. 1060)
  • 1165 – Marshal Stephen of Armenia
  • 1259 – Thomas, Count of Flanders
  • 1317 – Robert, Count of Clermont (b. 1256)
  • 1320 – Jan Muskata, Bishop of Kraków (b. 1250)
  • 1333 – Nikko, Japanese priest, founder of Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism (b. 1246)
  • 1520 – Alfonsina de’ Medici, Regent of Florence (b. 1472)
  • 1560 – Bartolommeo Bandinelli, Florentine sculptor (b. 1493)
  • 1603 – Bartholomäus Sastrow, German politician (b. 1520)
  • 1626 – William V, Duke of Bavaria (b. 1548)
  • 1642 – William Bedell, English bishop and academic (b. 1571)
  • 1693 – Paul Pellisson, French lawyer and author (b. 1624)
  • 1736 – Stephen Gray, English astronomer and physicist (b. 1666)
  • 1779 – William Boyce, English organist and composer (b. 1711)
  • 1799 – Qianlong Emperor of China (b. 1711)
  • 1801 – Daniel Chodowiecki, Polish-German painter and academic (b. 1726)
  • 1819 – August Wilhelm Hupel, German-Estonian linguist and author (b. 1737)
  • 1823 – Ann Radcliffe, English author (b. 1764)
  • 1837 – Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden (b. 1778)
  • 1849 – Mariano Paredes, Mexican general and 16th president (1845-1846) (b. 1797)
  • 1862 – Francisco de Paula Martínez de la Rosa y Berdejo, Spanish playwright and politician, Prime Minister of Spain (b. 1787)
  • 1864 – Vuk Karadžić, Serbian philologist and linguist (b. 1787)
  • 1871 – Henry E. Steinway, German-American businessman, founded Steinway & Sons (b. 1797)
  • 1873 – Sheridan Le Fanu, Irish author (b. 1814)
  • 1878 – Pope Pius IX (b. 1792)
  • 1891 – Marie Louise Andrews, American story writer and journalist (b. 1849)
  • 1897 – Galileo Ferraris, Italian physicist and engineer (b. 1847)
  • 1919 – William Halford, English-American lieutenant, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1841)
  • 1920 – Alexander Kolchak, Russian admiral and explorer (b. 1874)
  • 1920 – Charles Langelier, Canadian journalist, judge, and politician (b. 1850)
  • 1921 – John J. Gardner, American politician (b. 1845)
  • 1937 – Elihu Root, American lawyer and politician, 38th United States Secretary of State, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1845)
  • 1938 – Harvey Samuel Firestone, American businessman, founded the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company (b. 1868)
  • 1939 – Boris Grigoriev, Russian painter and illustrator (b. 1886)
  • 1942 – Ivan Bilibin, Russian illustrator and stage designer (b. 1876)
  • 1944 – Lina Cavalieri, Italian soprano and actress (b. 1874)
  • 1959 – Nap Lajoie, American baseball player and manager (b. 1874)
  • 1959 – Daniel François Malan, South African minister and politician, 5th Prime Minister of South Africa (b. 1874)
  • 1959 – Guitar Slim, American singer and guitarist (b. 1926)
  • 1960 – Igor Kurchatov, Russian physicist and academic (b. 1903)
  • 1963 – Learco Guerra, Italian cyclist and manager (b. 1902)
  • 1964 – Sofoklis Venizelos, Greek captain and politician, 133rd Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1894)
  • 1968 – Nick Adams, American actor and screenwriter (b. 1931)
  • 1972 – Walter Lang, American director and screenwriter (b. 1896)
  • 1979 – Josef Mengele, German SS officer and physician (b. 1911)
  • 1986 – Cheikh Anta Diop, Senegalese historian, anthropologist, and physicist (b. 1923)
  • 1990 – Alan Perlis, American computer scientist and academic (b. 1922)
  • 1990 – Alfredo M. Santos, Filipino general (b. 1905)
  • 1991 – Amos Yarkoni, Israeli colonel (b. 1920)
  • 1994 – Witold Lutosławski, Polish composer and conductor (b. 1913)
  • 1996 – Phillip Davidson, American general (b. 1915)
  • 1999 – King Hussein of Jordan (b. 1935)
  • 1999 – Bobby Troup, American actor, pianist, and composer (b. 1918)
  • 2000 – Doug Henning, Canadian magician and politician (b. 1947)
  • 2001 – Dale Evans, American singer-songwriter and actress (b. 1912)
  • 2001 – Anne Morrow Lindbergh, American author and pilot (b. 1906)
  • 2003 – Augusto Monterroso, Guatemalan author (b. 1921)
  • 2005 – Atli Dam, Faroese engineer and politician, 5th Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands (b. 1932)
  • 2006 – Princess Durru Shehvar of the Ottoman Empire (b. 1914)
  • 2009 – Blossom Dearie, American singer and pianist (b. 1924)
  • 2010 – Franco Ballerini, Italian cyclist and coach (b. 1964)
  • 2012 – Harry Keough, American soccer player and coach (b. 1927)
  • 2013 – Krsto Papić, Croatian director and screenwriter (b. 1933)
  • 2014 – Doug Mohns, Canadian-American ice hockey player (b. 1933)
  • 2015 – Billy Casper, American golfer and architect (b. 1931)
  • 2015 – Marshall Rosenberg, American psychologist and author (b. 1934)
  • 2015 – Dean Smith, American basketball player and coach (b. 1931)
  • 2015 – John C. Whitehead, American banker and politician, 9th United States Deputy Secretary of State (b. 1922)
  • 2017 – Richard Hatch, American actor (b. 1945)
  • 2017 – Hans Rosling, Swedish academic (b. 1948)
  • 2017 – Tzvetan Todorov, Bulgarian philosopher (b. 1939)
  • 2019 – John Dingell, American politician (b. 1926)
  • 2019 – Albert Finney, English actor (b. 1936)
  • 2019 – Jan Olszewski, Polish politician, 3rd Prime Minister (b. 1930)
  • 2019 – Frank Robinson, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1935)

Holidays and observances on February 7

  • Christian feast day:
    • Richard the Pilgrim
    • Blessed Eugénie Smet
    • Blessed Pope Pius IX
    • Chrysolius
    • Egidio Maria of Saint Joseph
    • Colette of Corbie
    • February 7 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Orthodox Church Typically observed on the Sunday closest to January 25 (O.S.)/February 7 (N.S.)
  • Independence Day (Grenada), celebrates the independence of Grenada from the United Kingdom in 1974.
  • National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (United States)

February 7 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

On This Day /

February 6 in History

  • AD 60 – The earliest date for which the day of the week is known. A graffito in Pompeii identifies this day as a dies Solis (Sunday). In modern reckoning, this date would have been a Wednesday.
  • 1579 – The Archdiocese of Manila is made a diocese by a papal bull with Domingo de Salazar being its first bishop.
  • 1685 – James II of England and VII of Scotland is proclaimed King upon the death of his brother Charles II.
  • 1694 – The warrior queen Dandara, leader of the runaway slaves in Quilombo dos Palmares, Brazil, is captured and commits suicide rather than be returned to a life of slavery.
  • 1778 – American Revolutionary War: In Paris the Treaty of Alliance and the Treaty of Amity and Commerce are signed by the United States and France signaling official recognition of the new republic.
  • 1778 –New York became the third state to ratify the Articles of Confederation.
  • 1788 – Massachusetts becomes the sixth state to ratify the United States Constitution.
  • 1806 – Battle of San Domingo: British naval victory against the French in the Caribbean.
  • 1819 – Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles founds Singapore.
  • 1820 – The first 86 African American immigrants sponsored by the American Colonization Society depart New York to start a settlement in present-day Liberia.
  • 1833 – Otto becomes the first modern King of Greece.
  • 1840 – Signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, establishing New Zealand as a British colony.
  • 1843 – The first minstrel show in the United States, The Virginia Minstrels, opens (Bowery Amphitheatre in New York City).
  • 1851 – The largest Australian bushfires in a populous region in recorded history take place in the state of Victoria.
  • 1862 – American Civil War: Forces under the command of Ulysses S. Grant and Andrew H. Foote give the Union its first victory of the war, capturing Fort Henry, Tennessee in the Battle of Fort Henry.
  • 1899 – Spanish–American War: The Treaty of Paris, a peace treaty between the United States and Spain, is ratified by the United States Senate.
  • 1900 – The Permanent Court of Arbitration, an international arbitration court at The Hague, is created when the Senate of the Netherlands ratifies an 1899 peace conference decree.
  • 1918 – British women over the age of 30 who meet minimum property qualifications, get the right to vote when Representation of the People Act 1918 is passed by Parliament.
  • 1919 – The American Legion is founded.
  • 1919 – The five-day Seattle General Strike begins, as more than 65,000 workers in the city of Seattle, Washington, walk off the job.
  • 1922 – The Washington Naval Treaty is signed in Washington, D.C., limiting the naval armaments of United States, Britain, Japan, France, and Italy.
  • 1934 – Far-right leagues rally in front of the Palais Bourbon in an attempted coup against the French Third Republic, creating a political crisis in France.
  • 1951 – The Canadian Army enters combat in the Korean War.
  • 1951 – The Broker, a Pennsylvania Railroad passenger train derails near Woodbridge Township, New Jersey. The accident kills 85 people and injures over 500 more. The wreck is one of the worst rail disasters in American history.
  • 1952 – Elizabeth II becomes Queen of the United Kingdom and her other Realms and Territories and Head of the Commonwealth upon the death of her father, George VI. At the exact moment of succession, she was in a tree house at the Treetops Hotel in Kenya.
  • 1958 – Eight Manchester United F.C. players and 15 other passengers are killed in the Munich air disaster.
  • 1959 – Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments files the first patent for an integrated circuit.
  • 1959 – At Cape Canaveral, Florida, the first successful test firing of a Titan intercontinental ballistic missile is accomplished.
  • 1976 – In testimony before a United States Senate subcommittee, Lockheed Corporation president Carl Kotchian admits that the company had paid out approximately $3 million in bribes to the office of Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka.
  • 1978 – The Blizzard of 1978, one of the worst Nor’easters in New England history, hit the region, with sustained winds of 65 mph and snowfall of four inches an hour.
  • 1981 – The National Resistance Army of Uganda launches an attack on a Ugandan Army installation in the central Mubende District to begin the Ugandan Bush War.
  • 1987 – Justice Mary Gaudron becomes the first woman to be appointed to the High Court of Australia.
  • 1988 – Michael Jordan makes his signature slam dunk from the free throw line inspiring Air Jordan and the Jumpman logo.
  • 1989 – The Round Table Talks start in Poland, thus marking the beginning of the overthrow of communism in Eastern Europe.
  • 1996 – Willamette Valley Flood: Floods in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, United States, causes over US$500 million in property damage throughout the Pacific Northwest.
  • 1996 – Birgenair Flight 301 crashed off the coast of the Dominican Republic, killing all 189 people on board. This is the deadliest aviation accident involving a Boeing 757.
  • 1998 – Washington National Airport is renamed Ronald Reagan National Airport.
  • 2000 – Second Chechen War: Russia captures Grozny, Chechnya, forcing the separatist Chechen Republic of Ichkeria government into exile.
  • 2006 – Stephen Harper becomes Prime Minister of Canada.
  • 2016 – An earthquake of magnitude 6.6 strikes southern Taiwan, killing 117 people.
  • 2018 – SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy, a super heavy launch vehicle, makes its maiden flight.

Births on February 6

  • 885 – Emperor Daigo of Japan (d. 930)
  • 1402 – Louis I, Landgrave of Hesse, Landgrave of Hesse (d. 1458)
  • 1452 – Joanna, Princess of Portugal (d. 1490)
  • 1453 – Girolamo Benivieni, Florentine poet (d. 1542)
  • 1465 – Scipione del Ferro, Italian mathematician and theorist (d. 1526)
  • 1536 – Sassa Narimasa, Japanese samurai (d. 1588)
  • 1577 – Beatrice Cenci, Italian murderer (d. 1599)
  • 1582 – Mario Bettinus, Italian mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher (d. 1657)
  • 1608 – António Vieira, Portuguese priest and philosopher (d. 1697)
  • 1611 – Chongzhen Emperor of China (d. 1644)
  • 1612 – Antoine Arnauld, French mathematician, theologian, and philosopher (d. 1694)
  • 1643 – Johann Kasimir Kolbe von Wartenberg, Prussian politician, 1st Minister President of Prussia (d. 1712)
  • 1649 – Augusta Marie of Holstein-Gottorp, German noblewoman (d. 1728)
  • 1664 – Mustafa II, Ottoman sultan (d. 1703)
  • 1665 – Anne, Queen of Great Britain, Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland (d. 1714)
  • 1665 – Anne, Queen of Great Britain (d. 1714)
  • 1695 – Nicolaus II Bernoulli, Swiss-Russian mathematician and theorist (d. 1726)
  • 1719 – Alberto Pullicino, Maltese painter (d. 1759)
  • 1726 – Patrick Russell, Scottish surgeon and zoologist (d. 1805)
  • 1732 – Charles Lee, English-American general (d. 1782)
  • 1736 – Franz Xaver Messerschmidt, German-Austrian sculptor (d. 1783)
  • 1744 – Pierre-Joseph Desault, French anatomist and surgeon (d. 1795)
  • 1748 – Adam Weishaupt, German philosopher and academic, founded the Illuminati (d. 1830)
  • 1753 – Évariste de Parny, French poet and author (d. 1814)
  • 1756 – Aaron Burr, American colonel and politician, 3rd Vice President of the United States (d. 1836)
  • 1758 – Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz, Belarusian-Polish poet, playwright, and politician (d. 1841)
  • 1769 – Ludwig von Wallmoden-Gimborn, Austrian general (d. 1862)
  • 1772 – George Murray, Scottish general and politician, Secretary of State for War and the Colonies (d. 1830)
  • 1778 – Ugo Foscolo, Italian author and poet (d. 1827)
  • 1781 – John Keane, 1st Baron Keane, Irish general and politician, Governor of Saint Lucia (d. 1844)
  • 1796 – John Stevens Henslow, English botanist and geologist (d. 1861)
  • 1797 – Joseph von Radowitz, Prussian general and politician, Foreign Minister of Prussia (d. 1853)
  • 1799 – Imre Frivaldszky, Hungarian botanist and entomologist (d. 1870)
  • 1800 – Achille Devéria, French painter and lithographer (d. 1857)
  • 1802 – Charles Wheatstone, English-French physicist and cryptographer (d. 1875)
  • 1811 – Henry Liddell, English priest, author, and academic (d. 1898)
  • 1814 – Auguste Chapdelaine, French missionary and saint (d. 1856)
  • 1818 – William M. Evarts, American lawyer and politician, 27th United States Secretary of State (d. 1901)
  • 1820 – Thomas C. Durant, American railroad tycoon (d. 1885)
  • 1829 – Joseph Auguste Émile Vaudremer, French architect, designed the La Santé Prison and Saint-Pierre-de-Montrouge (d. 1914)
  • 1832 – John Brown Gordon, American general and politician, 53rd Governor of Georgia (d. 1904)
  • 1833 – José María de Pereda, Spanish author and academic (d. 1906)
  • 1833 – J. E. B. Stuart, American general (d. 1864)
  • 1834 – Edwin Klebs, German-Swiss pathologist and academic (d. 1913)
  • 1834 – Ema Pukšec, Croatian-German soprano (d. 1889)
  • 1834 – Wilhelm von Scherff, German general and author (d. 1911)
  • 1838 – Henry Irving, English actor and manager (d. 1905)
  • 1838 – Israel Meir Kagan, Lithuanian-Polish rabbi and author (d. 1933)
  • 1839 – Eduard Hitzig, German neurologist and psychiatrist (d. 1907)
  • 1842 – Alexandre Ribot, French academic and politician, Prime Minister of France (d. 1923)
  • 1843 – Inoue Kowashi, Japanese scholar and politician (d. 1895)
  • 1843 – Frederic William Henry Myers, English poet and philologist, co-founded the Society for Psychical Research (d. 1901)
  • 1845 – Isidor Straus, German-American businessman and politician (d. 1912)
  • 1847 – Henry Janeway Hardenbergh, American architect, designed the Plaza Hotel (d. 1918)
  • 1852 – C. Lloyd Morgan, English zoologist and psychologist (d. 1936)
  • 1852 – Vasily Safonov, Russian pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1918)
  • 1861 – Nikolay Zelinsky, Russian chemist and academic (d. 1953)
  • 1864 – John Henry Mackay, Scottish-German philosopher and author (d. 1933)
  • 1866 – Karl Sapper, German linguist and explorer (d. 1945)
  • 1872 – Robert Maillart, Swiss engineer, designed the Salginatobel Bridge and Schwandbach Bridge (d. 1940)
  • 1874 – Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, Indian religious leader, founded the Gaudiya Math (d. 1937)
  • 1875 – Leonid Gobyato, Russian general (d. 1915)
  • 1876 – Henry Blogg, English fisherman and sailor (d. 1954)
  • 1879 – Othon Friesz, French painter (d. 1949)
  • 1879 – Magnús Guðmundsson, Icelandic lawyer and politician, 3rd Prime Minister of Iceland (d. 1937)
  • 1879 – Edwin Samuel Montagu, English politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (d. 1924)
  • 1879 – Carl Ramsauer, German physicist and author (d. 1955)
  • 1880 – Nishinoumi Kajirō II, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 25th Yokozuna (d. 1931)
  • 1884 – Marcel Cohen, French linguist and scholar (d. 1974)
  • 1887 – Josef Frings, German cardinal (d. 1978)
  • 1890 – Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Pakistani activist and politician (d. 1988)
  • 1890 – James McGirr, Australian politician, 28th Premier of New South Wales (d. 1957)
  • 1892 – Maximilian Fretter-Pico, German general (d. 1984)
  • 1892 – William P. Murphy, American physician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1987)
  • 1893 – Muhammad Zafarullah Khan, Pakistani politician and diplomat, 1st Minister of Foreign Affairs for Pakistan (d. 1985)
  • 1894 – Eric Partridge, New Zealand-English lexicographer and academic (d. 1979)
  • 1894 – Kirpal Singh, Indian spiritual master (d. 1974)
  • 1895 – Robert La Follette Jr., American politician (d. 1953)
  • 1895 – María Teresa Vera, Cuban singer, guitarist and composer (d. 1965)
  • 1895 – Babe Ruth, American baseball player and coach (d. 1948)
  • 1898 – Harry Haywood, American soldier and politician (d. 1985)
  • 1899 – Ramon Novarro, Mexican-American actor, singer, and director (d. 1968)
  • 1901 – Ben Lyon, American actor (d. 1979)
  • 1902 – George Brunies, American trombonist (d. 1974)
  • 1903 – Claudio Arrau, Chilean pianist and composer (d. 1991)
  • 1905 – Władysław Gomułka, Polish politician (d. 1982)
  • 1905 – Jan Werich, Czech actor and playwright (d. 1980)
  • 1906 – Joseph Schull, Canadian playwright and historian (d. 1980)
  • 1908 – Amintore Fanfani, Italian journalist and politician, 32nd Prime Minister of Italy (d. 1999)
  • 1908 – Edward Lansdale, American general and CIA agent (d. 1987)
  • 1908 – Geo Bogza, Romanian poet and journalist (d. 1993)
  • 1908 – Michael Maltese, American actor, screenwriter, and composer (d. 1981)
  • 1910 – Roman Czerniawski, Polish air force officer and spy (d. 1985)
  • 1910 – Irmgard Keun, German author (d. 1982)
  • 1910 – Carlos Marcello, Tunisian-American gangster (d. 1993)
  • 1911 – Ronald Reagan, American actor and politician, 40th President of the United States (d. 2004)
  • 1912 – Eva Braun, German wife of Adolf Hitler (d. 1945)
  • 1912 – Christopher Hill, English historian and author (d. 2003)
  • 1913 – Mary Leakey, English-Kenyan archaeologist and anthropologist (d. 1996)
  • 1914 – Thurl Ravenscroft, American voice actor and singer (d. 2005)
  • 1915 – Kavi Pradeep, Indian poet and songwriter (d. 1998)
  • 1916 – John Crank, English mathematician and physicist (d. 2006)
  • 1917 – Louis-Philippe de Grandpré, Canadian lawyer and jurist (d. 2008)
  • 1917 – Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hungarian-American actress and socialite (d. 2016)
  • 1918 – Lothar-Günther Buchheim, German author and painter (d. 2007)
  • 1919 – Takashi Yanase, Japanese poet and illustrator, created Anpanman (d. 2013)
  • 1921 – Carl Neumann Degler, American historian and author (d. 2014)
  • 1921 – Bob Scott, New Zealand rugby player (d. 2012)
  • 1922 – Patrick Macnee, English-American actor and costume designer (d. 2015)
  • 1922 – Denis Norden, English actor, screenwriter, and television host (d. 2018)
  • 1922 – Haskell Wexler, American director, producer, and cinematographer (d. 2015)
  • 1923 – Gyula Lóránt, Hungarian footballer and manager (d. 1981)
  • 1924 – Billy Wright, English footballer and manager (d. 1994)
  • 1924 – Jin Yong, Hong Kong author and publisher, founded Ming Pao (d. 2018)
  • 1925 – Walker Edmiston, American actor and puppeteer (d. 2007)
  • 1927 – Gerard K. O’Neill, American physicist and astronomer (d. 1992)
  • 1928 – Allan H. Meltzer, American economist and academic (d. 2017)
  • 1929 – Colin Murdoch, New Zealand pharmacist and veterinarian, invented the tranquilliser gun (d. 2008)
  • 1929 – Oscar Sambrano Urdaneta, Venezuelan author and critic (d. 2011)
  • 1929 – Valentin Yanin, Russian historian and author (d. 2020)
  • 1930 – Jun Kondo, Japanese physicist and academic
  • 1931 – Rip Torn, American actor (d. 2019)
  • 1931 – Fred Trueman, English cricketer (d. 2006)
  • 1931 – Mamie Van Doren, American actress and model
  • 1931 – Ricardo Vidal, Filipino cardinal (d. 2017)
  • 1932 – Camilo Cienfuegos, Cuban soldier and anarchist (d. 1959)
  • 1932 – François Truffaut, French actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1984)
  • 1933 – Leslie Crowther, English comedian, actor, and game show host (d. 1996)
  • 1936 – Kent Douglas, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 2009)
  • 1938 – Fred Mifflin, Canadian admiral and politician, 19th Minister of Veterans Affairs (d. 2013)
  • 1939 – Jean Beaudin, Canadian director and screenwriter (d. 2019)
  • 1939 – Mike Farrell, American actor, director, producer, activist and public speaker
  • 1939 – Jair Rodrigues, Brazilian singer (d. 2014)
  • 1940 – Tom Brokaw, American journalist and author
  • 1940 – Petr Hájek, Czech mathematician and academic (d. 2016)
  • 1940 – Jimmy Tarbuck, English comedian and actor
  • 1941 – Stephen Albert, American pianist and composer (d. 1992)
  • 1941 – Dave Berry, English pop singer
  • 1941 – Gigi Perreau, American actress and director
  • 1942 – Sarah Brady, American activist and author (d. 2015)
  • 1942 – Charlie Coles, American basketball player and coach (d. 2013)
  • 1942 – Ahmad-Jabir Ahmadov Ismail oghlu, Azerbaijani philosopher and academic
  • 1942 – James Loewen, American sociologist and historian
  • 1942 – Tommy Roberts, English fashion designer (d. 2012)
  • 1943 – Fabian Forte, American pop singer and actor
  • 1943 – Gayle Hunnicutt, American actress
  • 1944 – Christine Boutin, French politician, French Minister of Housing and Urban Development
  • 1944 – Willie Tee, American singer-songwriter, keyboard player, and producer (d. 2007)
  • 1944 – Michael Tucker, American actor and producer
  • 1945 – Bob Marley, Jamaican singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1981)
  • 1946 – Richie Hayward, American drummer and songwriter (d. 2010)
  • 1946 – Kate McGarrigle, Canadian musician and singer-songwriter (d. 2010)
  • 1946 – Jim Turner, American captain and politician
  • 1947 – Bill Staines, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1947 – Charlie Hickcox, American swimmer (d .2010)
  • 1949 – Mike Batt, English singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1949 – Manuel Orantes, Spanish tennis player
  • 1949 – Jim Sheridan, Irish director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1950 – Natalie Cole, American singer-songwriter and actress (d. 2015)
  • 1950 – Timothy M. Dolan, American cardinal
  • 1950 – Punky Meadows, American rock guitarist and songwriter
  • 1952 – Ric Charlesworth, Australian cricketer, coach, and politician
  • 1952 – Viktor Giacobbo, Swiss actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1952 – Ricardo La Volpe, Argentinian footballer, manager, and coach
  • 1955 – Avram Grant, Israeli football manager
  • 1955 – Michael Pollan, American journalist, author, and academic
  • 1955 – Bruno Stolorz, French rugby player and coach
  • 1956 – Jerry Marotta, American drummer
  • 1957 – Andres Lipstok, Estonian economist and politician, Estonian Minister of Economic Affairs
  • 1957 – Kathy Najimy, American actress and comedian
  • 1957 – Simon Phillips, English drummer and producer
  • 1957 – Robert Townsend, American actor and director
  • 1958 – Cecily Adams, American actress and casting director (d. 2004)
  • 1960 – Jeremy Bowen, Welsh journalist
  • 1960 – Megan Gallagher, American actress
  • 1961 – Michael Bolt, Australian rugby league player
  • 1961 – Cam Cameron, American football player and coach
  • 1961 – Bill Lester, American race car driver
  • 1961 – Yury Onufriyenko, Ukrainian-Russian colonel, pilot, and astronaut
  • 1962 – Stavros Lambrinidis, Greek lawyer and politician, Minister of Foreign Affairs for Greece
  • 1962 – Axl Rose, American singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1963 – David Capel, English cricketer
  • 1963 – Scott Gordon, American ice hockey player and coach
  • 1963 – Quentin Letts, English journalist and critic
  • 1964 – Laurent Cabannes, French rugby player
  • 1964 – Gordon Downie, Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (d. 2017)
  • 1964 – Colin Miller, Australian cricketer and sportscaster
  • 1964 – Andrey Zvyagintsev, Russian actor and director
  • 1965 – Jan Svěrák, Czech actor, director, and screenwriter
  • 1966 – Rick Astley, English singer-songwriter
  • 1967 – Anita Cochran, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1967 – Izumi Sakai, Japanese singer-songwriter (d. 2007)
  • 1968 – Adolfo Valencia, Colombian footballer
  • 1968 – Akira Yamaoka, Japanese composer and producer
  • 1969 – David Hayter, American actor and screenwriter
  • 1969 – Masaharu Fukuyama, Japanese singer-songwriter, producer, and actor
  • 1969 – Tim Sherwood, English international footballer midfielder and manager
  • 1969 – Bob Wickman, American baseball player
  • 1970 – Per Frandsen, Danish footballer and manager
  • 1970 – Tim Herron, American golfer
  • 1971 – Brad Hogg, Australian cricketer
  • 1971 – Carlos Rogers, American basketball player
  • 1972 – Stefano Bettarini, Italian footballer
  • 1972 – David Binn, American football player
  • 1974 – Aljo Bendijo, Filipino journalist
  • 1975 – Chad Allen, American baseball player and coach
  • 1975 – Orkut Büyükkökten, Turkish computer scientist and engineer, created Orkut
  • 1975 – Tomoko Kawase, Japanese singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1976 – Tanja Frieden, Swiss snowboarder and educator
  • 1976 – Kim Zmeskal, American gymnast and coach
  • 1977 – Josh Stewart, American actor
  • 1978 – Yael Naim, French-Israeli singer-songwriter
  • 1979 – Dan Bălan, Moldovan singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1980 – Kerry Jeremy, Antiguan cricketer
  • 1980 – Kim Poirier, Canadian actress, singer, and producer
  • 1980 – Luke Ravenstahl, American politician, 58th Mayor of Pittsburgh
  • 1981 – Ricky Barnes, American golfer
  • 1981 – Calum Best, American-English model and actor
  • 1981 – Shim Eun-jin, South Korean singer and actress
  • 1981 – Alison Haislip, American actress and producer
  • 1981 – Jens Lekman, Swedish singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1981 – Ty Warren, American football player
  • 1982 – Tank, Taiwanese singer-songwriter
  • 1982 – Alice Eve, English actress
  • 1982 – Elise Ray, American gymnast
  • 1983 – Melrose Bickerstaff, American model and fashion designer
  • 1983 – Brodie Croyle, American football player
  • 1983 – Dimas Delgado, Spanish footballer
  • 1983 – S. Sreesanth, Indian cricketer
  • 1983 – Jamie Whincup, Australian race car driver
  • 1984 – Darren Bent, English international footballer, forward
  • 1984 – Piret Järvis, Estonian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1984 – Antoine Wright, American basketball player
  • 1985 – Ben Creagh, Australian rugby league player
  • 1985 – Kris Humphries, American basketball player
  • 1986 – Dane DeHaan, American actor
  • 1986 – Yunho, South Korean singer and actor
  • 1988 – Bailey Hanks, American actress, singer, and dancer
  • 1989 – Craig Cathcart, Northern Irish footballer
  • 1989 – Jonny Flynn, American basketball player
  • 1990 – Adam Henrique, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1990 – Jermaine Kearse, American football player
  • 1990 – Aida Rybalko, Lithuanian figure skater
  • 1991 – Tobias Eisenbauer, Austrian ice dancer
  • 1991 – Ida Njåtun, Norwegian speed skater
  • 1991 – Eva Wacanno, Dutch tennis player
  • 1991 – Fei Yu, Chinese footballer
  • 1992 – Víctor Mañón, Mexican footballer
  • 1993 – Teresa Scanlan, Miss America 2011
  • 1993 – Tinashe, American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress
  • 1994 – Charlie Heaton, British actor and musician
  • 1995 – Leon Goretzka, German footballer
  • 1995 – Sam McQueen, English footballer

Deaths on February 6

  • 743 – Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik, Umayyad caliph (b. 691)
  • 797 – Donnchad Midi, Irish king (b. 733)
  • 891 – Photios I of Constantinople (b. 810)
  • 1140 – Thurstan, Archbishop of York
  • 1155 – King Sigurd II of Norway (b. 1133)
  • 1215 – Hōjō Tokimasa, Japanese shikken of the Kamakura bakufu (b. 1138)
  • 1378 – Joanna of Bourbon (b. 1338)
  • 1411 – Esau de’ Buondelmonti, ruler of Epirus
  • 1497 – Johannes Ockeghem, Flemish composer and educator (b. 1410)
  • 1515 – Aldus Manutius, Italian publisher, founded the Aldine Press (b. 1449)
  • 1519 – Lorenz von Bibra, Prince-Bishop of the Bishopric of Würzburg (b. 1459)
  • 1539 – John III, Duke of Cleves (b. 1491)
  • 1585 – Edmund Plowden, English lawyer and scholar (b. 1518)
  • 1593 – Jacques Amyot, French author and translator (b. 1513)
  • 1593 – Emperor Ōgimachi of Japan (b. 1517)
  • 1597 – Franciscus Patricius, Italian philosopher and scientist (b. 1529)
  • 1612 – Christopher Clavius, German mathematician and astronomer (b. 1538)
  • 1617 – Prospero Alpini, Italian physician and botanist (b. 1553)
  • 1625 – Philipp Julius, Duke of Pomerania (b. 1584)
  • 1685 – Charles II of England (b. 1630)
  • 1695 – Ahmed II, Ottoman sultan (b. 1643)
  • 1740 – Pope Clement XII (b. 1652)
  • 1775 – William Dowdeswell, English politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (b. 1721)
  • 1783 – Capability Brown, English gardener and architect (b. 1716)
  • 1793 – Carlo Goldoni, Italian-French playwright (b. 1707)
  • 1804 – Joseph Priestley, English chemist and theologian (b. 1733)
  • 1807 – John Reid, Scottish general (b. 1721)
  • 1833 – Pierre André Latreille, French zoologist and entomologist (b. 1762)
  • 1834 – Richard Lemon Lander, English explorer (b. 1804)
  • 1865 – Isabella Beeton, English author of Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management (b. 1836)
  • 1899 – Alfred, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (b. 1874)
  • 1899 – Leo von Caprivi, German general and politician, Chancellor of Germany (b. 1831)
  • 1902 – John Colton, English-Australian politician, 13th Premier of South Australia (b. 1823)
  • 1916 – Rubén Darío, Nicaraguan poet, journalist, and diplomat (b. 1867)
  • 1918 – Gustav Klimt, Austrian painter and illustrator (b. 1862)
  • 1929 – Maria Christina of Austria (b. 1858)
  • 1931 – Motilal Nehru, Indian lawyer and politician, President of the Indian National Congress (b. 1861)
  • 1932 – John Earle, Australian politician, 22nd Premier of Tasmania (b. 1865)
  • 1938 – Marianne von Werefkin, Russian-Swiss painter (b. 1860)
  • 1942 – Jaan Soots, Estonian general and politician, 7th Estonian Minister of War (b. 1880)
  • 1951 – Gabby Street, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1882)
  • 1952 – George VI of the United Kingdom (b. 1895)
  • 1958 – victims of the Munich air disaster
    • – Geoff Bent, English footballer (b. 1932)
    • – Roger Byrne, English footballer (b. 1929)
    • – Eddie Colman, English footballer (b. 1936)
    • – Walter Crickmer, English footballer and manager (b. 1900)
    • – Mark Jones, English footballer (b. 1933)
    • – David Pegg, English footballer (b. 1935)
    • – Frank Swift, English footballer and journalist (b. 1913)
    • – Tommy Taylor, English footballer (b. 1932)
  • 1963 – Piero Manzoni, Italian painter and sculptor (b. 1933)
  • 1964 – Emilio Aguinaldo, Filipino general and politician, 1st President of the Philippines (b. 1869)
  • 1967 – Martine Carol, French actress (b. 1920)
  • 1972 – Julian Steward, American anthropologist (b. 1902)
  • 1976 – Ritwik Ghatak, Bangladeshi-Indian director and screenwriter (b. 1925)
  • 1976 – Vince Guaraldi, American singer-songwriter and pianist (b. 1928)
  • 1981 – Hugo Montenegro, American composer and conductor (b. 1925)
  • 1982 – Ben Nicholson, British painter (b. 1894)
  • 1985 – James Hadley Chase, English-Swiss soldier and author (b. 1906)
  • 1986 – Frederick Coutts, Scottish 8th General of The Salvation Army (b. 1899)
  • 1986 – Dandy Nichols, English actress (b. 1907)
  • 1986 – Minoru Yamasaki, American architect, designed the World Trade Center (b. 1912)
  • 1987 – Julien Chouinard, Canadian lawyer and jurist (b. 1929)
  • 1989 – Barbara W. Tuchman, American historian and author (b. 1912)
  • 1990 – Jimmy Van Heusen, American pianist and composer (b. 1913)
  • 1991 – Salvador Luria, Italian biologist and physician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1912)
  • 1991 – Danny Thomas, American actor, producer, and humanitarian (b. 1914)
  • 1993 – Arthur Ashe, American tennis player and sportscaster (b. 1943)
  • 1994 – Joseph Cotten, American actor (b. 1905)
  • 1994 – Jack Kirby, American author and illustrator (b. 1917)
  • 1995 – James Merrill, American poet and playwright (b. 1926)
  • 1998 – Falco, Austrian pop-rock musician (b. 1957)
  • 1999 – Don Dunstan, Australian lawyer and politician, 35th Premier of South Australia (b. 1926)
  • 1999 – Jimmy Roberts, American tenor (b. 1924)
  • 2000 – Phil Walters, American race car driver (b. 1916)
  • 2001 – Filemon Lagman, Filipino theoretician and activist (b. 1953)
  • 2002 – Max Perutz, Austrian-English biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1914)
  • 2004 – Gerald Bouey, Canadian lieutenant and economist (b. 1920)
  • 2005 – Karl Haas, German-American pianist, conductor, and radio host (b. 1913)
  • 2007 – Lew Burdette, American baseball player and coach (b. 1926)
  • 2007 – Frankie Laine, American singer-songwriter and actor (b. 1913)
  • 2007 – Willye White, American runner and long jumper (b. 1939)
  • 2008 – Tony Rolt, English race car driver and engineer (b. 1918)
  • 2009 – Philip Carey, American actor (b. 1925)
  • 2009 – James Whitmore, American actor (b. 1921)
  • 2011 – Gary Moore, Irish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (b. 1952)
  • 2012 – David Rosenhan, American psychologist and academic (b. 1929)
  • 2012 – Antoni Tàpies, Spanish painter and sculptor (b. 1923)
  • 2012 – Janice E. Voss, American engineer and astronaut (b. 1956)
  • 2013 – Chokri Belaid, Tunisian lawyer and politician (b. 1964)
  • 2013 – Menachem Elon, German-Israeli academic and jurist (b. 1923)
  • 2014 – Vasiľ Biľak, Slovak politician (b. 1917)
  • 2014 – Ralph Kiner, American baseball player and sportscaster (b. 1922)
  • 2014 – Maxine Kumin, American author and poet (b. 1925)
  • 2014 – Vaçe Zela, Albanian-Swiss singer and guitarist (b. 1939)
  • 2015 – André Brink, South African author and playwright (b. 1935)
  • 2015 – Alan Nunnelee, American lawyer and politician (b. 1958)
  • 2015 – Pedro León Zapata, Venezuelan cartoonist (b. 1929)
  • 2016 – Dan Gerson, American screenwriter (b. 1966)
  • 2016 – Dan Hicks, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1941)
  • 2017 – Irwin Corey, American comedian and actor (b. 1914)
  • 2017 – Inge Keller, German actress (b. 1923)
  • 2017 – Alec McCowen, English actor (b. 1925)
  • 2017 – Joost van der Westhuizen, South African rugby union footballer (b. 1971)

Holidays and observances on February 6

  • Christian feast day:
    • Amand
    • Dorothea of Caesarea
    • Hildegund, O.Praem.
    • Jacut
    • Mateo Correa Magallanes (one of Saints of the Cristero War)
    • Mél of Ardagh
    • Paul Miki and Twenty-six Martyrs of Japan
    • Relindis (Renule) of Maaseik
    • Vedastus
    • February 6 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (United Nations)
  • Ronald Reagan Day (California, United States)
  • Sami National Day (Russia, Finland, Norway and Sweden)
  • Waitangi Day, celebrates the founding of New Zealand in 1840.

February 6 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

February 1 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 1327 – The teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Isabella and her lover Roger Mortimer.
  • 1411 – The First Peace of Thorn is signed in Thorn (Toruń), Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights (Prussia).
  • 1662 – The Chinese general Koxinga seizes the island of Taiwan after a nine-month siege.
  • 1713 – The Kalabalik or Skirmish at Bender results from the Ottoman sultan’s order that his unwelcome guest, King Charles XII of Sweden, be seized.
  • 1793 – French Revolutionary Wars: France declares war on the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
  • 1796 – The capital of Upper Canada is moved from Newark to York.
  • 1814 – Mayon in the Philippines erupts, killing around 1,200 people, the most devastating eruption of the volcano.
  • 1835 – Slavery is abolished in Mauritius.
  • 1861 – American Civil War: Texas secedes from the United States.
  • 1864 – Second Schleswig War: Prussian forces crossed the border into Schleswig, starting the war.
  • 1865 – President Abraham Lincoln signs the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
  • 1884 – The first volume (A to Ant) of the Oxford English Dictionary is published.
  • 1893 – Thomas A. Edison finishes construction of the first motion picture studio, the Black Maria in West Orange, New Jersey.
  • 1895 – Fountains Valley, Pretoria, the oldest nature reserve in Africa, is proclaimed by President Paul Kruger.
  • 1896 – La bohème premieres in Turin at the Teatro Regio (Turin), conducted by the young Arturo Toscanini.
  • 1897 – Shinhan Bank, the oldest bank in South Korea, opens in Seoul.
  • 1908 – Lisbon Regicide: King Carlos I of Portugal and Infante Luis Filipe are shot dead in Lisbon.
  • 1918 – Russia adopts the Gregorian calendar.
  • 1924 – Russia–United Kingdom relations are restored, over six years after the Communist revolution.
  • 1942 – World War II: Josef Terboven, Reichskommissar of German-occupied Norway, appoints Vidkun Quisling the Minister President of the National Government.
  • 1942 – World War II: U.S. Navy conducts Marshalls–Gilberts raids, the first offensive action by the United States against Japanese forces in the Pacific Theater.
  • 1942 – Voice of America, the official external radio and television service of the United States government, begins broadcasting with programs aimed at areas controlled by the Axis powers.
  • 1942 – Mao Zedong makes a speech on “Reform in Learning, the Party and Literature”, which puts into motion the Yan’an Rectification Movement.
  • 1946 – Trygve Lie of Norway is picked to be the first United Nations Secretary-General.
  • 1946 – The Parliament of Hungary abolishes the monarchy after nine centuries, and proclaims the Hungarian Republic.
  • 1960 – Four black students stage the first of the Greensboro sit-ins at a lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina.
  • 1964 – The Beatles have their first number one hit in the United States with “I Want to Hold Your Hand”.
  • 1968 – Vietnam War: The execution of Viet Cong officer Nguyễn Văn Lém by South Vietnamese National Police Chief Nguyễn Ngọc Loan is recorded on motion picture film, as well as in an iconic still photograph taken by Eddie Adams.
  • 1968 – Canada’s three military services, the Royal Canadian Navy, the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force, are unified into the Canadian Forces.
  • 1968 – The New York Central Railroad and the Pennsylvania Railroad are merged to form Penn Central Transportation.
  • 1972 – Kuala Lumpur becomes a city by a royal charter granted by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.
  • 1974 – A fire in the 25-story Joelma Building in São Paulo, Brazil kills 189 and injures 293.
  • 1979 – Iranian Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returns to Tehran after nearly 15 years of exile.
  • 1989 – The Western Australian towns of Kalgoorlie and Boulder amalgamate to form the City of Kalgoorlie–Boulder.
  • 1991 – A runway collision between USAir Flight 1493 and SkyWest Flight 5569 at Los Angeles International Airport results in the deaths of 34 people, and injuries to 30 others.
  • 1992 – The Chief Judicial Magistrate of Bhopal court declares Warren Anderson, ex-CEO of Union Carbide, a fugitive under Indian law for failing to appear in the Bhopal disaster case.
  • 1996 – The Communications Decency Act is passed by the U.S. Congress.
  • 1998 – Rear Admiral Lillian E. Fishburne becomes the first female African American to be promoted to rear admiral.
  • 2002 – Daniel Pearl, American journalist and South Asia Bureau Chief of the Wall Street Journal, kidnapped January 23, 2002, is beheaded and mutilated by his captors.
  • 2003 – Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during the reentry of mission STS-107 into the Earth’s atmosphere, killing all seven astronauts aboard.
  • 2004 – Hajj pilgrimage stampede: In a stampede at the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, 251 people are trampled to death and 244 injured.
  • 2005 – King Gyanendra of Nepal carries out a coup d’état to capture the democracy, becoming Chairman of the Councils of ministers.
  • 2009 – The first cabinet of Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir was formed in Iceland, making her the country’s first female prime minister and the world’s first openly gay head of government.
  • 2012 – Seventy-four people are killed and over 500 injured as a result of clashes between fans of Egyptian football teams Al Masry and Al Ahly in the city of Port Said.
  • 2013 – The Shard, the sixth-tallest building in Europe, is opened to the public.

Births on February 1

  • 1261 – Walter de Stapledon, English bishop and politician, Lord High Treasurer (d. 1326)
  • 1435 – Amadeus IX, Duke of Savoy (d. 1472)
  • 1447 – Eberhard II, Duke of Württemberg (d. 1504)
  • 1459 – Conrad Celtes, German poet and scholar (d. 1508)
  • 1462 – Johannes Trithemius, German lexicographer, historian, and cryptographer (d. 1516)
  • 1552 – Edward Coke, English lawyer, judge, and politician, Attorney General for England and Wales (d. 1634)
  • 1561 – Henry Briggs, British mathematician (d. 1630)
  • 1635 – Marquard Gude, German archaeologist and scholar (d. 1689)
  • 1648 – Elkanah Settle, English poet and playwright (d. 1724)
  • 1659 – Jacob Roggeveen, Dutch explorer (d. 1729)
  • 1663 – Ignacia del Espíritu Santo, Filipino nun, founded the Religious of the Virgin Mary (d. 1748)
  • 1666 – Marie Thérèse de Bourbon, Princess of Conti and titular queen of Poland (d.1732)
  • 1687 – Johann Adam Birkenstock, German violinist and composer (d. 1733)
  • 1690 – Francesco Maria Veracini, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1768)
  • 1701 – Johan Agrell, Swedish-German pianist and composer (d. 1765)
  • 1761 – Christiaan Hendrik Persoon, South African-French mycologist and academic (d. 1836)
  • 1763 – Thomas Campbell, Irish minister and theologian (d. 1854)
  • 1796 – Abraham Emanuel Fröhlich, Swiss minister, poet, and educator (d. 1865)
  • 1801 – Émile Littré, French lexicographer and philosopher (d. 1881)
  • 1820 – George Hendric Houghton, American clergyman and theologian (d. 1897)
  • 1836 – Emil Hartmann, Danish organist and composer (d. 1898)
  • 1844 – G. Stanley Hall, American psychologist and academic (d. 1924)
  • 1851 – Durham Stevens, American lawyer and diplomat (d. 1908)
  • 1858 – Ignacio Bonillas, Mexican diplomat (d. 1942)
  • 1859 – Victor Herbert, Irish-American cellist, composer, and conductor (d. 1924)
  • 1866 – Agda Meyerson, Swedish nurse and healthcare activist (d. 1924)
  • 1868 – Ștefan Luchian, Romanian painter and illustrator (d. 1917)
  • 1870 – Erik Adolf von Willebrand, Finnish physician (d. 1949)
  • 1872 – Clara Butt, English opera singer (d. 1936)
  • 1872 – Jerome F. Donovan, American lawyer and politician (d. 1949)
  • 1873 – John Barry, Irish soldier, Victoria Cross recipient (d. 1901)
  • 1874 – Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Austrian author, poet, and playwright (d. 1929)
  • 1878 – Alfréd Hajós, Hungarian swimmer and architect, designed the Grand Hotel Aranybika (d. 1955)
  • 1878 – Milan Hodža, Slovak journalist and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia (d. 1944)
  • 1881 – Tip Snooke, South African cricketer (d. 1966)
  • 1882 – Louis St. Laurent, Canadian lawyer and politician, 12th Prime Minister of Canada (d. 1973)
  • 1884 – Bradbury Robinson, American football player and physician (d. 1949)
  • 1884 – Yevgeny Zamyatin, Russian journalist and author (d. 1937)
  • 1887 – Charles Nordhoff, English-American lieutenant, pilot, and author (d. 1947)
  • 1890 – Nikolai Reek, Estonian general and politician, 11th Estonian Minister of War (d. 1942)
  • 1894 – John Ford, American director and producer (d. 1973)
  • 1894 – James P. Johnson, American pianist and composer (d. 1955)
  • 1895 – Conn Smythe, Canadian businessman (d. 1980)
  • 1897 – Denise Robins, English journalist and author (d. 1985)
  • 1898 – Leila Denmark, American pediatrician and author (d. 2012)
  • 1901 – Frank Buckles, American soldier (d. 2011)
  • 1901 – Clark Gable, American actor (d. 1960)
  • 1902 – Therese Brandl, German concentration camp guard (d. 1947)
  • 1902 – Langston Hughes, American poet, social activist, novelist, and playwright (d. 1967)
  • 1904 – S.J. Perelman, American humorist and screenwriter (d. 1979)
  • 1905 – Emilio G. Segrè, Italian-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1989)
  • 1906 – Adetokunbo Ademola, Nigerian lawyer and jurist, 2nd Chief Justice of Nigeria (d. 1993)
  • 1907 – Günter Eich, German author and songwriter (d. 1972)
  • 1907 – Camargo Guarnieri, Brazilian pianist and composer (d. 1993)
  • 1908 – George Pal, Hungarian-American animator and producer (d. 1980)
  • 1908 – Louis Rasminsky, Canadian economist and banker (d. 1998)
  • 1909 – George Beverly Shea, Canadian-American singer-songwriter (d. 2013)
  • 1910 – Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme, Chinese general and politician (d. 2009)
  • 1915 – Stanley Matthews, English footballer and manager (d. 2000)
  • 1917 – José Luis Sampedro, Spanish economist and author (d. 2013)
  • 1917 – Eiji Sawamura, Japanese baseball player and soldier (d. 1944)
  • 1918 – Muriel Spark, Scottish playwright and poet (d. 2006)
  • 1918 – Ignacy Tokarczuk, Polish archbishop (d. 2012)
  • 1920 – Mike Scarry, American football player and coach (d. 2012)
  • 1920 – Zao Wou-Ki, Chinese-French painter (d. 2013)
  • 1921 – Teresa Mattei, Italian feminist partisan and politician (d. 2013)
  • 1921 – Peter Sallis, English actor (d. 2017)
  • 1921 – Patricia Robins, British writer and WAAF officer (d. 2016).
  • 1922 – Renata Tebaldi, Italian soprano and actress (d. 2004)
  • 1923 – Ben Weider, Canadian businessman, co-founded the International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness (d. 2008)
  • 1924 – Richard Hooker, American novelist (d. 1997)
  • 1924 – Emmanuel Scheffer, German-Israeli footballer, coach, and manager (d. 2012)
  • 1927 – Galway Kinnell, American poet and academic (d. 2014)
  • 1928 – Sam Edwards, Welsh physicist and academic (d. 2015)
  • 1928 – Tom Lantos, Hungarian-American academic and politician (d. 2008)
  • 1930 – Shahabuddin Ahmed, Bangladeshi judge and politician, 12th President of Bangladesh
  • 1930 – Hussain Muhammad Ershad, Indian-Bangladeshi general and politician, 10th President of Bangladesh (d. 2019)
  • 1931 – Boris Yeltsin, Russian politician, 1st President of Russia (d. 2007)
  • 1932 – Hassan Al-Turabi, Sudanese activist and politician (d. 2016)
  • 1934 – Nicolae Breban, Romanian author, poet, and playwright
  • 1936 – Tuncel Kurtiz, Turkish actor, playwright, and director (d. 2013)
  • 1936 – Azie Taylor Morton, American educator and politician, 36th Treasurer of the United States (d. 2003)
  • 1937 – Don Everly, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1937 – Garrett Morris, American actor and comedian
  • 1938 – Jimmy Carl Black, American drummer and singer (d. 2008)
  • 1938 – Jacky Cupit, American golfer
  • 1938 – Sherman Hemsley, American actor and singer (d. 2012)
  • 1939 – Fritjof Capra, Austrian physicist, author, and academic
  • 1939 – Claude François, Egyptian-French singer-songwriter and dancer (d. 1978)
  • 1939 – Paul Gillmor, American lawyer and politician (d. 2007)
  • 1939 – Ekaterina Maximova, Russian ballerina (d. 2009)
  • 1939 – Joe Sample, American pianist and composer (d. 2014)
  • 1941 – Jerry Spinelli, American author
  • 1942 – Bibi Besch, Austrian-American actress (d. 1996)
  • 1942 – Terry Jones, Welsh actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2020)
  • 1942 – David Sincock, Australian cricketer
  • 1944 – Petru Popescu, Romanian-American director, producer, and author
  • 1944 – Burkhard Ziese, German footballer and manager (d. 2010)
  • 1945 – Serge Joyal, Canadian lawyer and politician, 50th Secretary of State for Canada
  • 1945 – Ferruccio Mazzola, Italian footballer and manager (d. 2013)
  • 1945 – Mary Jane Reoch, American cyclist (d. 1993)
  • 1946 – Elisabeth Sladen, English actress (d. 2011)
  • 1946 – Karen Krantzcke, Australian tennis player (d. 1977)
  • 1947 – Adam Ingram, Scottish computer programmer and politician, Minister of State for the Armed Forces
  • 1947 – Normie Rowe, Australian singer-songwriter and actor
  • 1947 – Jessica Savitch, American journalist (d. 1983)
  • 1948 – Rick James, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2004)
  • 1950 – Mike Campbell, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer
  • 1950 – Ali Haydar Konca, Turkish politician, 4th Turkish Minister of European Union Affairs
  • 1950 – Rich Williams, American guitarist and songwriter
  • 1951 – Sonny Landreth, American guitarist and songwriter
  • 1952 – Owoye Andrew Azazi, Nigerian general (d. 2012)
  • 1954 – Chuck Dukowski, American singer-songwriter and bass player
  • 1956 – Exene Cervenka, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1957 – Mohammed Jamal Khalifa, Saudi Arabian businessman (d. 2007)
  • 1957 – Gilbert Hernandez, American author and illustrator
  • 1958 – Luther Blissett, Jamaican-English footballer and manager
  • 1958 – Eleanor Laing, Scottish lawyer and politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland
  • 1961 – Volker Fried, German field hockey player and coach
  • 1961 – Daniel M. Tani, American engineer and astronaut
  • 1961 – Kaduvetti Guru, Indian politician (d. 2018)
  • 1962 – José Luis Cuciuffo, Argentinian footballer (d. 2004)
  • 1962 – Tomoyasu Hotei, Japanese singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1962 – Takashi Murakami, Japanese painter and sculptor
  • 1964 – Jani Lane, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2011)
  • 1964 – Mario Pelchat, Canadian singer-songwriter
  • 1964 – Linus Roache, English actor
  • 1965 – Stéphanie of Monaco, designer, singer and princess
  • 1965 – Brandon Lee, American actor and martial artist (d. 1993)
  • 1965 – Sherilyn Fenn, American actress
  • 1966 – Michelle Akers, American soccer player
  • 1967 – Meg Cabot, American author and screenwriter
  • 1968 – Lisa Marie Presley, American singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1968 – Mark Recchi, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1969 – Gabriel Batistuta, Argentinian footballer
  • 1969 – Andrew Breitbart, American journalist, author, and publisher (d. 2012)
  • 1969 – Brian Krause, American actor and screenwriter
  • 1969 – Franklyn Rose, Jamaican cricketer
  • 1969 – Patrick Wilson, American drummer
  • 1970 – Yasuyuki Kazama, Japanese racing driver
  • 1970 – Malik Sealy, American basketball player and actor (d. 2000)
  • 1971 – Harald Brattbakk, Norwegian footballer and pilot
  • 1971 – Michael C. Hall, American actor and producer
  • 1972 – Christian Ziege, German footballer
  • 1973 – Andrew DeClercq, American basketball player and coach
  • 1973 – Óscar Pérez Rojas, Mexican footballer
  • 1974 – Walter McCarty, American basketball player and coach
  • 1975 – Martijn Reuser, Dutch footballer
  • 1976 – Phil Ivey, American poker player
  • 1976 – Mat Rogers, Australian rugby player
  • 1977 – Lari Ketner, American basketball player (d. 2014)
  • 1977 – Robert Traylor, American basketball player (d. 2011)
  • 1978 – Tim Harding, Australian singer and actor
  • 1978 – K’naan, Somali-Canadian hip-hop artist
  • 1979 – Valentín Elizalde, Mexican singer-songwriter (d. 2006)
  • 1979 – Jason Isbell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1979 – Juan Silveira dos Santos, Brazilian footballer
  • 1980 – Héctor Luna, Dominican baseball player
  • 1980 – Moisés Muñoz, Mexican footballer
  • 1980 – Otilino Tenorio, Ecuadorian footballer (d. 2005)
  • 1981 – Hins Cheung, Hong Kong singer-songwriter
  • 1981 – Christian Giménez, Argentinian footballer
  • 1981 – Graeme Smith, South African cricketer
  • 1982 – Gavin Henson, Welsh rugby player
  • 1982 – Shoaib Malik, Pakistani cricketer
  • 1983 – Heather DeLoach, American actress
  • 1983 – Kevin Martin, American basketball player
  • 1983 – Jurgen Van den Broeck, Belgian cyclist
  • 1984 – Darren Fletcher, Scottish footballer
  • 1985 – Dean Shiels, Irish footballer
  • 1986 – Jorrit Bergsma, Dutch speed skater
  • 1986 – Lauren Conrad, American fashion designer and author
  • 1987 – Sebastian Boenisch, Polish footballer
  • 1987 – Moises Henriques, Portuguese-Australian cricketer
  • 1987 – Austin Jackson, American baseball player
  • 1987 – Ronda Rousey, American mixed martial artist and actress
  • 1987 – Giuseppe Rossi, Italian footballer
  • 1988 – Brett Anderson, American baseball player
  • 1989 – Ricky Pinheiro, Portuguese footballer
  • 1991 – Kyle Palmieri, American hockey player
  • 1993 – Diego Mella, Italian footballer
  • 1994 – Joe Boyce, Australian rugby league player
  • 1994 – Harry Styles, English singer-songwriter

Deaths on February 1

  • 583 – Kan B’alam I, ruler of Palenque (b. 524)
  • 772 – Pope Stephen III (b. 720)
  • 850 – Ramiro I, king of Asturias
  • 992 – Jawhar as-Siqilli, Fatimid statesman
  • 1222 – Alexios Megas Komnenos, first Emperor of Trebizond
  • 1248 – Henry II, Duke of Brabant (b. 1207)
  • 1328 – Charles IV of France (b. 1294)
  • 1501 – Sigismund of Bavaria (b. 1439)
  • 1542 – Girolamo Aleandro, Italian cardinal (b. 1480)
  • 1563 – Menas of Ethiopia
  • 1590 – Lawrence Humphrey, English theologian and academic (b. 1527)
  • 1691 – Pope Alexander VIII (b. 1610)
  • 1718 – Charles Talbot, 1st Duke of Shrewsbury, English politician, Lord High Treasurer (b. 1660)
  • 1733 – Augustus II the Strong, Polish king (b. 1670)
  • 1734 – John Floyer, English physician and author (b. 1649)
  • 1743 – Giuseppe Ottavio Pitoni, Italian organist and composer (b. 1657)
  • 1750 – Bakar of Georgia (b. 1699)
  • 1761 – Pierre François Xavier de Charlevoix, French priest and historian (b. 1682)
  • 1768 – Sir Robert Rich, 4th Baronet, English field marshal and politician (b. 1685)
  • 1793 – William Barrington, 2nd Viscount Barrington, English politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (b. 1717)
  • 1832 – Archibald Murphey, American judge and politician (b. 1777)
  • 1851 – Mary Shelley, English novelist and playwright (b. 1797)
  • 1871 – Alexander Serov, Russian composer and critic (b. 1820)
  • 1893 – George Henry Sanderson, American lawyer and politician, 22nd Mayor of San Francisco (b. 1824)
  • 1897 – Constantin von Ettingshausen, Austrian geologist and botanist (b. 1826)
  • 1903 – Sir George Stokes, Anglo-Irish physicist, mathematician, and politician (b. 1819)
  • 1907 – Léon Serpollet, French businessman (b. 1858)
  • 1908 – Carlos I of Portugal (b. 1863)
  • 1922 – William Desmond Taylor, American actor and director (b. 1872)
  • 1924 – Maurice Prendergast, American painter (b. 1858)
  • 1928 – Hughie Jennings, American baseball player and manager (b. 1869)
  • 1936 – Georgios Kondylis, Greek general and politician, 128th Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1878)
  • 1940 – Philip Francis Nowlan, American author, created Buck Rogers (b. 1888)
  • 1940 – Zacharias Papantoniou, Greek journalist and critic (b. 1877)
  • 1944 – Piet Mondrian, Dutch-American painter (b. 1872)
  • 1949 – Nicolae Dumitru Cocea, Romanian journalist, author, and activist (b. 1880)
  • 1949 – Herbert Stothart, American conductor and composer (b. 1885)
  • 1957 – Friedrich Paulus, German general (b. 1890)
  • 1958 – Clinton Davisson, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1888)
  • 1959 – Madame Sul-Te-Wan, American actress (b. 1873)
  • 1966 – Hedda Hopper, American actress and journalist (b. 1885)
  • 1966 – Buster Keaton, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1895)
  • 1968 – Echol Cole and Robert Walker – sparking the Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike
  • 1970 – Alfréd Rényi, Hungarian mathematician and academic (b. 1921)
  • 1976 – Werner Heisenberg, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1901)
  • 1976 – George Whipple, American physician and pathologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1878)
  • 1979 – Abdi İpekçi, Turkish journalist and activist (b. 1929)
  • 1981 – Donald Wills Douglas, Sr., American engineer and businessman, founded the Douglas Aircraft Company (b. 1892)
  • 1981 – Geirr Tveitt, Norwegian pianist and composer (b. 1908)
  • 1986 – Alva Myrdal, Swedish sociologist and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1902)
  • 1987 – Alessandro Blasetti, Italian director and screenwriter (b. 1900)
  • 1989 – Elaine de Kooning, American painter and academic (b. 1918)
  • 1992 – Jean Hamburger, French physician and surgeon (b. 1909)
  • 1996 – Ray Crawford, American race car driver, pilot, and businessman (b. 1915)
  • 1997 – Herb Caen, American journalist and author (b. 1916)
  • 1999 – Paul Mellon, American art collector and philanthropist (b. 1907)
  • 2001 – André D’Allemagne, Canadian political scientist and academic (b. 1929)
  • 2002 – Aykut Barka, Turkish geologist and academic (b. 1951)
  • 2002 – Hildegard Knef, German actress and singer (b. 1925)
  • 2003 – Space Shuttle Columbia crew
    • Michael P. Anderson, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1959)
    • David M. Brown, American captain, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1956)
    • Kalpana Chawla, Indian-American engineer and astronaut (b. 1961)
    • Laurel Clark, American captain, surgeon, and astronaut (b. 1961)
    • Rick Husband, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1957)
    • William C. McCool, American commander, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1961)
    • Ilan Ramon, Israeli colonel, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1954)
  • 2003 – Mongo Santamaría, Cuban-American drummer and bandleader (b. 1922)
  • 2004 – Suha Arın, Turkish director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1942)
  • 2005 – John Vernon, Canadian-American actor (b. 1932)
  • 2007 – Gian Carlo Menotti, Italian-American playwright and composer (b. 1911)
  • 2008 – Beto Carrero, Brazilian actor and businessman (b. 1937)
  • 2012 – Don Cornelius, American television host and producer (b. 1936)
  • 2012 – Wisława Szymborska, Polish poet and translator, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1923)
  • 2013 – Helene Hale, American politician (b. 1918)
  • 2013 – Ed Koch, American lawyer, judge, and politician, 105th Mayor of New York City (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – Shanu Lahiri, Indian painter and educator (b. 1928)
  • 2013 – Cecil Womack, American singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1947)
  • 2014 – Luis Aragonés, Spanish footballer and manager (b. 1938)
  • 2014 – Vasily Petrov, Russian marshal (b. 1917)
  • 2014 – Rene Ricard, American poet, painter, and critic (b. 1946)
  • 2014 – Maximilian Schell, Austrian-Swiss actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1930)
  • 2015 – Aldo Ciccolini, Italian-French pianist (b. 1925)
  • 2015 – Udo Lattek, German footballer, manager, and sportscaster (b. 1935)
  • 2015 – Monty Oum, American animator, director, and screenwriter (b. 1981)
  • 2016 – Óscar Humberto Mejía Victores, Guatemalan general and politician, 27th President of Guatemala (b. 1930)
  • 2017 – Desmond Carrington, British actor and broadcaster (b. 1926)
  • 2018 – Barys Kit, Belarusian rocket scientist (b. 1910)
  • 2018 – Mowzey Radio, Ugandan singer and songwriter (b. 1985)
  • 2019 – Jeremy Hardy, English comedian, radio host and panelist (b. 1961)
  • 2019 – Clive Swift, English actor (b. 1936)
  • 2019 – Wade Wilson, American football player and coach (b. 1959)

Holidays and observances on February 1

  • Abolition of Slavery Day (Mauritius)
  • Air Force Day (Nicaragua)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Astina (Syrian Church)
    • Blessed Candelaria of San José
    • Brigid, patron saint of Ireland (Saint Brigid’s Day)
    • Verdiana
    • February 1 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest day on which Constitution Day can fall, while February 7 is the latest; celebrated on the first Monday in February. (Mexico)
  • Federal Territory Day (Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya, Malaysia)
  • Heroes Day (Rwanda)
  • Imbolc (Ireland, Scotland, Isle of Man, and some Neopagan groups in the Northern hemisphere)
  • Memorial Day of the Republic (Hungary)
  • National Freedom Day (United States)
  • The start of Black History Month (United States and Canada)

February 1 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

January 25 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • AD 41 – After a night of negotiation, Claudius is accepted as Roman Emperor by the Senate.
  • 750 – In the Battle of the Zab, the Abbasid rebels defeat the Umayyad Caliphate, leading to overthrow of the dynasty.
  • 1348 – A strong earthquake strikes the South Alpine region of Friuli in modern Italy, causing considerable damage to buildings as far away as Rome.
  • 1494 – Alfonso II becomes King of Naples.
  • 1515 – Coronation of Francis I of France takes place at Reims Cathedral, where the new monarch is anointed with the oil of Clovis and girt with the sword of Charlemagne.
  • 1533 – Henry VIII of England secretly marries his second wife Anne Boleyn.
  • 1554 – São Paulo, Brazil, is founded by Jesuit priests.
  • 1573 – Battle of Mikatagahara: In Japan, Takeda Shingen defeats Tokugawa Ieyasu.
  • 1575 – Luanda, the capital of Angola, is founded by the Portuguese navigator Paulo Dias de Novais.
  • 1704 – The Battle of Ayubale results in the destruction of most of the Spanish missions in Florida.
  • 1755 – Moscow University is established on Tatiana Day.
  • 1765 – Port Egmont, the first British settlement in the Falkland Islands near the southern tip of South America, is founded.
  • 1787 – Shays’s Rebellion: The rebellion’s largest confrontation, outside the Springfield Armory, results in the killing of four rebels and the wounding of twenty.
  • 1791 – The British Parliament passes the Constitutional Act of 1791 and splits the old Province of Quebec into Upper Canada and Lower Canada.
  • 1792 – The London Corresponding Society is founded.
  • 1858 – The Wedding March by Felix Mendelssohn is played at the marriage of Queen Victoria’s daughter, Victoria, and Friedrich of Prussia, and becomes a popular wedding processional.
  • 1879 – The Bulgarian National Bank is founded.
  • 1881 – Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell form the Oriental Telephone Company.
  • 1890 – Nellie Bly completes her round-the-world journey in 72 days.
  • 1909 – Richard Strauss’s opera Elektra receives its debut performance at the Dresden State Opera.
  • 1915 – Alexander Graham Bell inaugurates U.S. transcontinental telephone service, speaking from New York to Thomas Watson in San Francisco.
  • 1918 – The Ukrainian People’s Republic declares independence from Soviet Russia.
  • 1924 – The 1924 Winter Olympics opens in Chamonix, in the French Alps, inaugurating the Winter Olympic Games.
  • 1932 – Second Sino-Japanese War: The Chinese National Revolutionary Army begins the defense of Harbin.
  • 1937 – The Guiding Light debuts on NBC radio from Chicago. In 1952 it moves to CBS television, where it remains until September 18, 2009.
  • 1941 – Pope Pius XII elevates the Apostolic Vicariate of the Hawaiian Islands to the dignity of a diocese. It becomes the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu.
  • 1942 – World War II: Thailand declares war on the United States and United Kingdom.
  • 1945 – World War II: The Battle of the Bulge ends.
  • 1946 – The United Mine Workers rejoins the American Federation of Labor.
  • 1946 – United Nations Security Council Resolution 1 relating to Military Staff Committee is adopted.
  • 1947 – Thomas Goldsmith Jr. files a patent for a “Cathode Ray Tube Amusement Device”, the first ever electronic game.
  • 1949 – The first Emmy Awards are presented; the venue is the Hollywood Athletic Club.
  • 1960 – The National Association of Broadcasters reacts to the “payola” scandal by threatening fines for any disc jockeys who accept money for playing particular records.
  • 1961 – In Washington, D.C., President John F. Kennedy delivers the first live presidential television news conference.
  • 1961 – 101 Dalmatians premiered from Walt Disney Productions.
  • 1964 – Blue Ribbon Sports, which would later become Nike, is founded by University of Oregon track and field athletes.
  • 1969 – Brazilian Army captain Carlos Lamarca deserts in order to fight against the military dictatorship, taking with him ten machine guns and 63 rifles.
  • 1971 – Charles Manson and three female “Family” members are found guilty of the 1969 Tate–LaBianca murders.
  • 1971 – Idi Amin leads a coup deposing Milton Obote and becomes Uganda’s president.
  • 1979 – Pope John Paul II starts his first official papal visits outside Italy to The Bahamas, Dominican Republic, and Mexico.
  • 1980 – Mother Teresa is honored with India’s highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna.
  • 1986 – The National Resistance Movement topples the government of Tito Okello in Uganda.
  • 1993 – Five people are shot outside the CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia. Two are killed and three wounded.
  • 1994 – The spacecraft Clementine by BMDO and NASA is launched.
  • 1995 – The Norwegian rocket incident: Russia almost launches a nuclear attack after it mistakes Black Brant XII, a Norwegian research rocket, for a US Trident missile.
  • 1996 – Billy Bailey becomes the last person to be hanged in the U.S.A.
  • 1998 – During a historic visit to Cuba, Pope John Paul II demands political reforms and the release of political prisoners while condemning US attempts to isolate the country.
  • 1998 – A suicide attack by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam on Sri Lanka’s Temple of the Tooth kills eight and injures 25 others.
  • 1999 – A 6.0 magnitude earthquake hits western Colombia killing at least 1,000.
  • 2003 – Invasion of Iraq: A group of people leave London, England, for Baghdad, Iraq, to serve as human shields, intending to prevent the U.S.-led coalition troops from bombing certain locations.
  • 2005 – A stampede at the Mandhradevi temple in Maharashtra, India kills at least 258.
  • 2006 – Mexican professional wrestler Juana Barraza is arrested in connection with the serial killing of at least ten elderly women.
  • 2010 – Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409 crashes into the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Na’ameh, Lebanon, killing 90.
  • 2011 – The first wave of the Egyptian revolution begins throughout the country, marked by street demonstrations, rallies, acts of civil disobedience, riots, labour strikes, and violent clashes.
  • 2013 – At least 50 people are killed and 120 people are injured in a prison riot in Barquisimeto, Venezuela.
  • 2015 – A clash in Mamasapano, Maguindanao in the Philippines killing 44 members of Special Action Force (SAF), at least 18 from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and five from the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.
  • 2019 – A mining company’s dam collapses in Brumadinho, Brazil, a south-eastern city, killing at least 7 people and leaving 200 missing.

Births on January 25

  • 750 – Leo IV the Khazar, Byzantine emperor (d. 780)
  • 1408 – Katharina of Hanau, German countess regent (d. 1460)
  • 1459 – Paul Hofhaimer, Austrian organist and composer (d. 1537)
  • 1477 – Anne of Brittany (probable;d. 1514)
  • 1509 – Giovanni Morone, Italian cardinal (d. 1580)
  • 1526 – Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp (d. 1586)
  • 1615 – Govert Flinck, Dutch painter (d. 1660)
  • 1618 – Nicolaes Visscher I, Dutch engraver and cartographer (d. 1679)
  • 1627 – Robert Boyle, Irish-English chemist and physicist (d. 1691)
  • 1634 – Gaspar Fagel, Dutch politician and diplomat (d. 1688)
  • 1635 – Daniel Casper von Lohenstein, German writer, diplomat and lawyer (d. 1683)
  • 1640 – William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Devonshire, English soldier and politician, Lord Steward of the Household (d. 1707)
  • 1736 – Joseph-Louis Lagrange, Italian-French mathematician and astronomer (d. 1813)
  • 1739 – Charles François Dumouriez, French general and politician, French Minister of Defence (d. 1823)
  • 1743 – Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi, German philosopher and author (d. 1819)
  • 1750 – Johann Gottfried Vierling, German organist and composer (d. 1813)
  • 1755 – Paolo Mascagni, Italian physician and anatomist (probable;d. 1815)
  • 1759 – Robert Burns, Scottish poet and songwriter (d. 1796)
  • 1783 – William Colgate, English-American businessman and philanthropist, founded Colgate-Palmolive (d. 1857)
  • 1794 – François-Vincent Raspail, French chemist, physician, physiologist, and lawyer (d. 1878)
  • 1796 – William MacGillivray, Scottish ornithologist and biologist (d. 1852)
  • 1813 – J. Marion Sims, American gynecologist and physician (d. 1883)
  • 1816 – Anna Gardner, American abolitionist and teacher (d. 1901)
  • 1822 – Charles Reed Bishop, American businessman, philanthropist, and politician, founded the Bishop Museum (d. 1915)
  • 1822 – William McDougall, Canadian lawyer and politician, Lieutenant Governor of the Northwest Territories (d. 1905)
  • 1823 – José María Iglesias, Mexican politician and interim President (1876–1877) (d. 1891)
  • 1824 – Michael Madhusudan Dutt, Indian poet and playwright (d. 1873)
  • 1841 – John Fisher, 1st Baron Fisher, English admiral (d. 1920)
  • 1858 – Mikimoto Kōkichi, Japanese businessman (d. 1954)
  • 1860 – Charles Curtis, American lawyer and politician, 31st Vice President of the United States (d. 1936)
  • 1864 – Julije Kempf, Croatian historian and author (d. 1934)
  • 1868 – Juventino Rosas, Mexican violinist and composer (d. 1894)
  • 1874 – W. Somerset Maugham, British playwright, novelist, and short story writer (d. 1965)
  • 1878 – Ernst Alexanderson, Swedish-American engineer (d. 1975)
  • 1882 – Virginia Woolf, English novelist, essayist, short story writer, and critic (d. 1941)
  • 1885 – Kitahara Hakushū, Japanese poet and author (d. 1942)
  • 1886 – Wilhelm Furtwängler, German conductor and composer (d. 1954)
  • 1895 – Florence Mills, American singer, dancer, and actress (d. 1927)
  • 1899 – Sleepy John Estes, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1977)
  • 1899 – Paul-Henri Spaak, Belgian lawyer and politician, 46th Prime Minister of Belgium (d. 1972)
  • 1900 – István Fekete, Hungarian author (d. 1970)
  • 1900 – Yōjirō Ishizaka, Japanese author and educator (d. 1986)
  • 1900 – Theodosius Dobzhansky, Ukrainian geneticist and pioneer of evolutionary biology (d. 1975)
  • 1901 – Martín de Álzaga, Argentinian race car driver and pilot (d. 1982)
  • 1901 – Mildred Dunnock, American actress (d. 1991)
  • 1905 – Maurice Roy, Canadian cardinal (d. 1985)
  • 1905 – Margery Sharp, English author and educator (d. 1991)
  • 1906 – Toni Ulmen, German race car driver and motorcycle racer (d. 1976)
  • 1908 – Hsieh Tung-min, Taiwanese politicians and Vice President of the Republic of China (d. 2001)
  • 1910 – Edgar V. Saks, Estonian historian, author, and politician, Estonian Minister of Education (d. 1984)
  • 1913 – Huang Hua, Chinese translator and politician, 5th Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China (d. 2010)
  • 1913 – Witold Lutosławski, Polish composer and conductor (d. 1994)
  • 1913 – Luis Marden, American photographer and journalist (d. 2003)
  • 1914 – William Strickland, American conductor and organist (d. 1991)
  • 1915 – Ewan MacColl, English singer-songwriter, actor and producer (d. 1989)
  • 1916 – Pop Ivy, American football player and coach (d. 2003)
  • 1917 – Ilya Prigogine, Russian-Belgian chemist and physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2003)
  • 1917 – Jânio Quadros, Brazilian lawyer and politician, 22nd President of Brazil (d. 1992)
  • 1919 – Edwin Newman, American journalist and author (d. 2010)
  • 1921 – Samuel T. Cohen, American physicist and academic (d. 2010)
  • 1921 – Josef Holeček, Czechoslovakian canoeist (d. 2005)
  • 1922 – Raymond Baxter, English television host and pilot (d. 2006)
  • 1923 – Arvid Carlsson, Swedish pharmacologist and physician, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2018)
  • 1923 – Shirley Ardell Mason, American psychiatric patient (d. 1998)
  • 1923 – Sally Starr, American actress and television host (d. 2013)
  • 1923 – Jean Taittinger, French politician, French Minister of Justice (d. 2012)
  • 1924 – Lou Groza, American football player and coach (d. 2000)
  • 1924 – Husein Mehmedov, Bulgarian-Turkish wrestler and coach (d. 2014)
  • 1924 – Speedy West, American guitarist and producer (d. 2003)
  • 1925 – Gordy Soltau, American football player and sportscaster (d. 2014)
  • 1925 – Giorgos Zampetas, Greek bouzouki player and songwriter (d. 1992)
  • 1926 – Dick McGuire, American basketball player and coach (d. 2010)
  • 1927 – Antônio Carlos Jobim, Brazilian singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 1994)
  • 1928 – Jérôme Choquette, Canadian lawyer and politician (d. 2017)
  • 1928 – Eduard Shevardnadze, Georgian general and politician, 2nd President of Georgia (d. 2014)
  • 1928 – Cor van der Hart, Dutch footballer and manager (d. 2006)
  • 1929 – Elizabeth Allen, American actress and singer (d. 2006)
  • 1929 – Robert Faurisson, English-French author and academic (d. 2018)
  • 1929 – Benny Golson, American saxophonist and composer
  • 1930 – Tanya Savicheva, Russian child diarist (d. 1944)
  • 1931 – Dean Jones, American actor and singer (d. 2015)
  • 1933 – Corazon Aquino, Filipino politician, 11th President of the Philippines (d. 2009)
  • 1935 – Conrad Burns, American soldier, journalist, and politician (d. 2016)
  • 1935 – António Ramalho Eanes, Portuguese general and politician, 16th President of Portugal
  • 1936 – Diana Hyland, American actress (d. 1977)
  • 1936 – Onat Kutlar, Turkish author and poet (d. 1995)
  • 1937 – Ange-Félix Patassé, Central African engineer and politician, President of the Central African Republic (d. 2011)
  • 1938 – Shotaro Ishinomori, Japanese author and illustrator (d. 1998)
  • 1938 – Etta James, American singer (d. 2012)
  • 1938 – Leiji Matsumoto, Japanese author, illustrator, and animator
  • 1938 – Vladimir Vysotsky, Russian singer-songwriter, actor, and poet (d. 1980)
  • 1941 – Buddy Baker, American race car driver and sportscaster (d. 2015)
  • 1942 – Carl Eller, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1942 – Eusébio, Mozambican-Portuguese footballer (d. 2014)
  • 1943 – Tobe Hooper, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2017)
  • 1945 – Leigh Taylor-Young, American actress
  • 1945 – Dave Walker, English singer and guitarist
  • 1946 – Doc Bundy, American race car driver and technician
  • 1947 – Ángel Nieto, Spanish motorcycle racer (d. 2017)
  • 1947 – Tostão, Brazilian footballer, journalist, and physician
  • 1948 – Ros Kelly, Australian educator and politician, 1st Australian Minister for Defence Science and Personnel
  • 1948 – Georgy Shishkin, Russian painter and illustrator
  • 1949 – John Cooper Clarke, English poet and critic
  • 1949 – Paul Nurse, English geneticist and biologist, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1950 – Gloria Naylor, American novelist (d. 2016)
  • 1951 – Steve Prefontaine, American runner (d. 1975)
  • 1952 – Peter Tatchell, Australian-English journalist and activist
  • 1952 – Timothy White, American journalist, author, and critic (d. 2002)
  • 1954 – Ricardo Bochini, Argentinian footballer and manager
  • 1954 – Kay Cottee, Australian sailor
  • 1954 – Renate Dorrestein, Dutch journalist and author (d. 2018)
  • 1956 – Andy Cox, English guitarist
  • 1956 – Dinah Manoff, American actress
  • 1957 – Eskil Erlandsson, Swedish technologist and politician, Swedish Minister for Rural Affairs
  • 1957 – Andrew Harris, American politician
  • 1957 – Jenifer Lewis, American actress and singer
  • 1958 – Franco Pancheri, Italian footballer and manager
  • 1961 – Vivian Balakrishnan, Singaporean ophthalmologist and politician, Singaporean Ministry of National Development
  • 1962 – Chris Chelios, American ice hockey player and manager
  • 1963 – Fernando Haddad, Brazilian academic and politician, 61st Mayor of São Paulo
  • 1963 – Molly Holzschlag, American computer scientist and author
  • 1964 – Billy Andrade, American golfer
  • 1964 – Stephen Pate, Australian cyclist
  • 1965 – Esa Tikkanen, Finnish ice hockey player and coach
  • 1966 – Chet Culver, American educator and politician, 41st Governor of Iowa
  • 1966 – Yiannos Ioannou, Cypriot footballer and manager
  • 1967 – Nelson Asaytono, Filipino basketball player
  • 1967 – David Ginola, French footballer, forward
  • 1967 – Randy McKay, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1968 – Eric Orie, Dutch footballer and manager
  • 1969 – Sergei Ovchinnikov, Russian volleyball player and coach (d. 2012)
  • 1970 – Stephen Chbosky, American author, screenwriter, and director
  • 1970 – Chris Mills, American basketball player
  • 1970 – Milt Stegall, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1971 – Luca Badoer, Italian race car driver
  • 1971 – Philip Coppens, Belgian journalist and author (d. 2012)
  • 1971 – Ana Ortiz, American actress
  • 1972 – Shinji Takehara, Japanese boxer
  • 1973 – Geoff Johns, American author, screenwriter, and producer
  • 1974 – Robert Budreau, Canadian director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1974 – Emily Haines, Canadian singer-songwriter and keyboard player
  • 1974 – Attilio Nicodemo, Italian footballer
  • 1975 – Duncan Jupp, Anglo-Scottish footballer, defender
  • 1975 – Mia Kirshner, Canadian actress
  • 1976 – Stephanie Bellars, American wrestler and manager
  • 1976 – Mário Haberfeld, Brazilian race car driver
  • 1976 – Dimitris Nalitzis, Greek footballer
  • 1977 – Michael Brown, English footballer, midfielder, manager and pundit
  • 1978 – Ahmet Dursun, Turkish footballer
  • 1978 – Denis Menchov, Russian cyclist
  • 1978 – Derrick Turnbow, American baseball player
  • 1979 – Rodrigo Ribeiro, Brazilian race car driver
  • 1980 – Alayna Burns, Australian track cyclist
  • 1980 – Xavi, Spanish footballer
  • 1981 – Francis Jeffers, English footballer
  • 1981 – Alicia Keys, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress
  • 1981 – Toše Proeski, Macedonian singer (d. 2007)
  • 1984 – Stefan Kießling, German footballer
  • 1984 – Robinho, Brazilian footballer
  • 1984 – Fara Williams, English footballer
  • 1985 – Brent Celek, American football player
  • 1985 – Patrick Willis, American football player
  • 1985 – Hwang Jung-eum, South Korean actress
  • 1986 – Chris O’Grady, English footballer
  • 1987 – Maria Kirilenko, Russian tennis player
  • 1988 – Tatiana Golovin, French tennis player
  • 1988 – Ryota Ozawa, Japanese actor
  • 1990 – Apostolos Giannou, Greek-Australian footballer
  • 1990 – Lee Jun-ho, South Korean singer and actor (2PM)
  • 1991 – Nigel Melker, Dutch race car driver

Deaths onJanuary 25

  • 390 – Gregory Nazianzus, theologian and Patriarch of Constantinople (b. 329)
  • 477 – Gaiseric, king of the Vandals (b. 389)
  • 750 – Ibrahim ibn al-Walid, Umayyad caliph
  • 844 – Pope Gregory IV (b. 795)
  • 863 – Charles of Provence, Frankish king (b. 845)
  • 951 – Ma Xiguang, ruler of Chu (Ten Kingdoms)
  • 1003 – Lothair I, Margrave of the Nordmark
  • 1067 – Emperor Yingzong of Song (b. 1032)
  • 1138 – Antipope Anacletus II
  • 1139 – Godfrey I, Count of Louvain and Duke of Lower Lorraine (as Godfrey VI)
  • 1366 – Henry Suso, German priest and mystic (b. 1300)
  • 1413 – Maud de Ufford, Countess of Oxford (b. 1345)
  • 1431 – Charles II, Duke of Lorraine (b. 1364)
  • 1492 – Ygo Gales Galama, Frisian warlord and rebel (b. 1443)
  • 1494 – Ferdinand I of Naples (b. 1423)
  • 1559 – Christian II of Denmark (b. 1481)
  • 1578 – Mihrimah Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (b. 1522)
  • 1586 – Lucas Cranach the Younger, German painter (b. 1515)
  • 1640 – Robert Burton, English physician and scholar (b. 1577)
  • 1670 – Nicholas Francis, Duke of Lorraine (b. 1612)
  • 1726 – Guillaume Delisle, French cartographer (b. 1675)
  • 1733 – Sir Gilbert Heathcote, 1st Baronet, English banker and politician, Lord Mayor of London (b. 1652)
  • 1751 – Paul Dudley, American lawyer, jurist, and politician (b. 1675)
  • 1852 – Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen, Russian admiral, cartographer, and explorer (b. 1778)
  • 1872 – Richard S. Ewell, American general (b. 1817)
  • 1881 – Konstantin Thon, Russian architect, designed the Grand Kremlin Palace and Cathedral of Christ the Saviour (b. 1794)
  • 1884 – Périclès Pantazis, Greek-Belgian painter (b. 1849)
  • 1891 – Theo van Gogh, Art dealer, the brother of Vincent van Gogh (b. 1857)
  • 1900 – Princess Adelheid of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, German Duchess of Schleswig-Holstein (b. 1835)
  • 1907 – René Pottier, French cyclist (b. 1879)
  • 1908 – Ouida, English-Italian author (b. 1839)
  • 1908 – Mikhail Chigorin, Russian chess player and theoretician (b. 1850)
  • 1910 – W. G. Read Mullan, American Jesuit and academic (1860)
  • 1912 – Dmitry Milyutin, Russian field marshal and politician (b. 1816)
  • 1925 – Juan Vucetich, Croatian-Argentinian anthropologist and police officer (b. 1858)
  • 1939 – Charles Davidson Dunbar, Scottish soldier and bagpipe player (b. 1870)
  • 1947 – Al Capone, American gangster and mob boss (b. 1899)
  • 1949 – Makino Nobuaki, Japanese politician, 15th Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs (b. 1861)
  • 1957 – Ichizō Kobayashi, Japanese businessman, founded Hankyu Hanshin Holdings (b. 1873)
  • 1957 – Kiyoshi Shiga, Japanese physician and bacteriologist (b. 1871)
  • 1958 – Cemil Topuzlu, Turkish surgeon and politician, Mayor of Istanbul (b. 1866)
  • 1958 – Robert R. Young, American businessman and financier (b. 1897)
  • 1960 – Diana Barrymore, American actress (b. 1921)
  • 1966 – Saul Adler, Belarusian-English microbiologist and parasitologist (b. 1895)
  • 1968 – Louie Myfanwy Thomas, Welsh writer (b. 1908)
  • 1970 – Jane Bathori, French soprano (b. 1877)
  • 1970 – Eiji Tsuburaya, Japanese director and producer (b. 1901)
  • 1971 – Barry III, Guinean lawyer and politician (b. 1923)
  • 1972 – Erhard Milch, German field marshal (b. 1892)
  • 1975 – Charlotte Whitton, Canadian journalist and politician, 46th Mayor of Ottawa (b. 1896)
  • 1978 – Skender Kulenović, Bosnian author, poet, and playwright (b. 1910)
  • 1981 – Adele Astaire, American actress, singer, and dancer (b. 1896)
  • 1982 – Mikhail Suslov, Russian economist and politician (b. 1902)
  • 1985 – Ilias Iliou, Greek jurist and politician (b. 1904)
  • 1987 – Frank J. Lynch, American lawyer, judge, and politician (b. 1922)
  • 1988 – Colleen Moore, American actress (b. 1899)
  • 1990 – Ava Gardner, American actress (b. 1922)
  • 1991 – Frank Soo, English footballer and manager (b. 1914)
  • 1992 – Mir Khalil ur Rehman, Founder and editor of the Jang Group of Newspapers (b. 1927)
  • 1994 – Stephen Cole Kleene, American mathematician, computer scientist, and academic (b. 1909)
  • 1996 – Jonathan Larson, American playwright and composer (b. 1960)
  • 1997 – Dan Barry, American author and illustrator (b. 1923)
  • 1999 – Sarah Louise Delany, American author and educator (b. 1889)
  • 1999 – Robert Shaw, American conductor (b. 1916)
  • 2001 – Alice Ambrose, American philosopher and logician (b. 1906)
  • 2002 – Cliff Baxter, employee at Enron (b. 1958)
  • 2003 – Sheldon Reynolds, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1923)
  • 2003 – Samuel Weems, American lawyer and author (b. 1936)
  • 2004 – Fanny Blankers-Koen, Dutch runner and hurdler (b. 1918)
  • 2004 – Miklós Fehér, Hungarian footballer (b. 1979)
  • 2005 – Stanisław Albinowski, Polish economist and journalist (b. 1923)
  • 2005 – William Augustus Bootle, American lawyer and judge (b. 1902)
  • 2005 – Philip Johnson, American architect, designed the PPG Place and Crystal Cathedral (b. 1906)
  • 2005 – Manuel Lopes, Cape Verdean author and poet (b. 1907)
  • 2005 – Netti Witziers-Timmer, Dutch runner (b. 1923)
  • 2009 – Eleanor F. Helin, American astronomer (b. 1932)
  • 2009 – Ewald Kooiman, Dutch organist and educator (b. 1938)
  • 2009 – Kim Manners, American director and producer (b. 1951)
  • 2010 – Ali Hassan al-Majid, Iraqi general and politician, Iraqi Minister of Defence (b. 1941)
  • 2011 – Vassilis C. Constantakopoulos Greek captain and businessman (b. 1935)
  • 2011 – Vincent Cronin, Welsh historian and author (b. 1924)
  • 2012 – Paavo Berglund, Finnish violinist and conductor (b. 1929)
  • 2012 – Jacques Maisonrouge, French businessman (b. 1924)
  • 2012 – Franco Pacini, Italian astrophysicist and academic (b. 1939)
  • 2012 – Robert Sheran, American lawyer, judge, and politician (b. 1916)
  • 2013 – Martial Asselin, Canadian lawyer and politician, 25th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – Kevin Heffernan, Irish footballer and manager (b. 1929)
  • 2013 – Aase Nordmo Løvberg, Norwegian soprano and actress (b. 1923)
  • 2014 – Arthur Doyle, American singer-songwriter, saxophonist, and flute player (b. 1944)
  • 2014 – Heini Halberstam, Czech-English mathematician and academic (b. 1926)
  • 2014 – Dave Strack, American basketball player and coach (b. 1923)
  • 2015 – John Leggett, American author and academic (b. 1917)
  • 2015 – Richard McBrien, American priest, theologian, and academic (b. 1936)
  • 2015 – Bill Monbouquette, American baseball player and coach (b. 1936)
  • 2015 – Demis Roussos, Egyptian-Greek singer (b. 1946)
  • 2017 – Stephen P. Cohen, Canadian academic (b. 1945)
  • 2017 – Robert Garcia, American politician (b. 1933)
  • 2017 – John Hurt, English actor (b. 1940)
  • 2017 – Harry Mathews, American novelist and poet (b. 1930)
  • 2017 – Marcel Prud’homme, Canadian politician (b. 1934)
  • 2017 – Mary Tyler Moore, American actress, dancer, and producer (b. 1936)
  • 2018 – Neagu Djuvara, Romanian historian, essayist, philosopher, journalist, novelist and diplomat (b. 1916)

Holidays and observances on January 25

  • Burns Night (Scotland and Scottish community)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Dydd Santes Dwynwen (Wales)
    • Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul (Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran churches, which concludes the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity)
    • Gregory the Theologian (Eastern (Byzantine) Catholic Church)
    • The last day of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Christian ecumenism)
    • January 25 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest day on which the first day of Carnival of Cádiz can fall, while February 28 is the latest; celebrated two Sundays before Ash Wednesday until Ash Wednesday (Cádiz)
  • Earliest day on which the Liberation of Auschwitz Memorial can fall, while January 31 is the latest; observed on the last Sunday in January (Netherlands)
  • National Nutrition Day (Indonesia)
  • National Police Day (Egypt)
  • National Voters’ Day (India)
  • Revolution Day 2011 (Egypt)
  • Tatiana Day or Russian Students Day (Russia, Eastern Orthodox)

January 25 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

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

Births on January 24

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

Deaths onJanuary 24

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

Holidays and observances on January 24

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

January 24 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

January 22 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 613 – Eight-month-old Constantine is crowned as co-emperor (Caesar) by his father Heraclius at Constantinople.
  • 871 – Battle of Basing: The West Saxons led by King Æthelred I are defeated by the Danelaw Vikings at Basing.
  • 1506 – The first contingent of 150 Swiss Guards arrives at the Vatican.
  • 1517 – The Ottoman Empire under Selim I defeats the Mamluk Sultanate and captures present-day Egypt at the Battle of Ridaniya.
  • 1555 – The Ava Kingdom falls to the Taungoo Dynasty in what is now Myanmar.
  • 1689 – The Convention Parliament convenes to determine whether James II and VII, the last Roman Catholic monarch of England, Ireland and Scotland, had vacated the thrones of England and Ireland when he fled to France in 1688.
  • 1808 – The Portuguese royal family arrives in Brazil after fleeing the French army’s invasion of Portugal two months earlier.
  • 1824 – The Ashantis defeat British forces in the Gold Coast.
  • 1849 – Second Anglo-Sikh War: The Siege of Multan ends after nine months when the last Sikh defenders of Multan, Punjab, surrender.
  • 1863 – The January Uprising breaks out in Poland, Lithuania and Belarus. The aim of the national movement is to regain Polish–Lithuanian–Ruthenian Commonwealth from occupation by Russia.
  • 1879 – The Battle of Isandlwana during the Anglo-Zulu War results in a British defeat.
  • 1879 – The Battle of Rorke’s Drift, also during the Anglo-Zulu War and just some 15 km away from Isandlwana, results in a British victory.
  • 1889 – Columbia Phonograph is formed in Washington, D.C.
  • 1890 – The United Mine Workers of America is founded in Columbus, Ohio.
  • 1901 – Edward VII is proclaimed King after the death of his mother, Queen Victoria.
  • 1905 – Bloody Sunday in Saint Petersburg, beginning of the 1905 revolution.
  • 1906 – SS Valencia runs aground on rocks on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, killing more than 130.
  • 1915 – Over 600 people are killed in Guadalajara, Mexico, when a train plunges off the tracks into a deep canyon.
  • 1917 – World War I: President Woodrow Wilson of the still-neutral United States calls for “peace without victory” in Europe.
  • 1919 – Act Zluky is signed, unifying the Ukrainian People’s Republic and the West Ukrainian National Republic.
  • 1924 – Ramsay MacDonald becomes the first Labour Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
  • 1927 – Teddy Wakelam gives the first live radio commentary of a football match, between Arsenal F.C. and Sheffield United at Highbury.
  • 1941 – World War II: British and Commonwealth troops capture Tobruk from Italian forces during Operation Compass.
  • 1943 – World War II: Australian and American forces defeat Japanese army and navy units in the bitterly fought Battle of Buna–Gona.
  • 1944 – World War II: The Allies commence Operation Shingle, an assault on Anzio and Nettuno, Italy.
  • 1946 – In Iran, Qazi Muhammad declares the independent people’s Republic of Mahabad at Chahar Cheragh Square in the Kurdish city of Mahabad; he becomes the new president and Haji Baba Sheikh becomes the prime minister.
  • 1946 – Creation of the Central Intelligence Group, forerunner of the Central Intelligence Agency.
  • 1947 – KTLA, the first commercial television station west of the Mississippi River, begins operation in Hollywood.
  • 1957 – Israel withdraws from the Sinai Peninsula.
  • 1957 – The New York City “Mad Bomber”, George P. Metesky, is arrested in Waterbury, Connecticut and charged with planting more than 30 bombs.
  • 1963 – The Élysée Treaty of cooperation between France and Germany is signed by Charles de Gaulle and Konrad Adenauer.
  • 1968 – Apollo 5 lifts off carrying the first Lunar module into space.
  • 1968 – Operation Igloo White, a US electronic surveillance system to stop communist infiltration into South Vietnam begins installation.
  • 1970 – The Boeing 747, the world’s first “jumbo jet”, enters commercial service for launch customer Pan American Airways with its maiden voyage from John F. Kennedy International Airport to London Heathrow Airport.
  • 1971 – The Singapore Declaration, one of the two most important documents to the uncodified constitution of the Commonwealth of Nations, is issued.
  • 1973 – The Supreme Court of the United States delivers its decisions in Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, legalizing elective abortion in all fifty states.
  • 1973 – The crew of Apollo 17 addresses a joint session of Congress after the completion of the final Apollo moon landing mission.
  • 1973 – A chartered Boeing 707 explodes in flames upon landing at Kano Airport, Nigeria, killing 176.
  • 1973 – In a bout for the world heavyweight boxing championship in Kingston, Jamaica, challenger George Foreman knocks down champion Joe Frazier six times in the first two rounds before the fight is stopped by referee Arthur Mercante.
  • 1984 – The Apple Macintosh, the first consumer computer to popularize the computer mouse and the graphical user interface, is introduced during a Super Bowl XVIII television commercial.
  • 1987 – Philippine security forces open fire on a crowd of 10,000–15,000 demonstrators at Malacañang Palace, Manila, killing 13.
  • 1992 – Rebel forces occupy Zaire’s national radio station in Kinshasa and broadcast a demand for the government’s resignation.
  • 1992 – Space Shuttle program: the space shuttle Discovery launches on STS-42 carrying Dr. Roberta Bondar, who becomes the first Canadian woman and the first neurologist in space.
  • 1995 – Israeli–Palestinian conflict: Beit Lid massacre: In central Israel, near Netanya, two Gazans blow themselves up at a military transit point, killing 19 Israelis.
  • 1998 – Space Shuttle program: space shuttle Endeavor launches on STS-89 to dock with the Russian space station Mir.
  • 1999 – Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons are burned alive by radical Hindus while sleeping in their car in Eastern India.
  • 2002 – Kmart becomes the largest retailer in United States history to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
  • 2006 – Evo Morales is inaugurated as President of Bolivia, becoming the country’s first indigenous president.
  • 2007 – At least 88 people are killed when two car bombs explode in the Bab Al-Sharqi market in central Baghdad, Iraq.
  • 2015 – An explosion near a civilian trolley-bus in Donetsk kills at least thirteen people.

Births on January 22

  • 826 – Emperor Montoku of Japan (d. 858)
  • 1263 – Ibn Taymiyyah, Syrian scholar and theologian (d. 1328)
  • 1440 – Ivan III of Russia (d. 1505)
  • 1522 – Charles II de Valois, Duke of Orléans, (d. 1545)
  • 1552 – Walter Raleigh, English poet, soldier, courtier, and explorer (d. 1618)
  • 1561 – Francis Bacon, English philosopher and politician, Attorney General for England and Wales (d. 1626)
  • 1570 – Sir Robert Cotton, 1st Baronet, of Connington, English historian and politician, founded the Cotton library (d. 1631)
  • 1573 – John Donne, English poet and cleric in the Church of England, wrote the Holy Sonnets (d. 1631)
  • 1592 – Pierre Gassendi, French mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher (d. 1655)
  • 1645 – William Kidd, Scottish sailor and pirate hunter (probable; d. 1701)
  • 1654 – Richard Blackmore, English physician and poet (d. 1729)
  • 1690 – Nicolas Lancret, French painter (d. 1743)
  • 1729 – Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, German philosopher and author (d. 1781)
  • 1733 – Philip Carteret, English admiral and explorer (d. 1796)
  • 1740 – Noah Phelps, American soldier, lawyer, and judge (d. 1809)
  • 1781 – François Habeneck, French violinist and conductor (d. 1849)
  • 1788 – Lord Byron, English poet and playwright (d. 1824)
  • 1792 – Lady Lucy Whitmore, English noblewoman, hymn writer (d. 1840)
  • 1796 – Karl Ernst Claus, Estonian-Russian chemist, botanist, and academic (d. 1864)
  • 1797 – Maria Leopoldina of Austria (d. 1826)
  • 1799 – Ludger Duvernay, Canadian journalist, publisher, and politician (d. 1852)
  • 1802 – Richard Upjohn, English-American architect (d. 1878)
  • 1828 – Dayrolles Eveleigh-de-Moleyns, 4th Baron Ventry, Irish hereditary peer (d. 1914)
  • 1831 – Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein (d. 1917)
  • 1840 – Ernest Wilberforce, English bishop (d. 1907)
  • 1849 – August Strindberg, Swedish novelist, poet, and playwright (d. 1912)
  • 1858 – Beatrice Webb, English sociologist and economist (d. 1943)
  • 1861 – George Fuller, Australian politician, 22nd Premier of New South Wales (d. 1940)
  • 1865 – Wilbur Scoville, American chemist and pharmacist (d. 1942)
  • 1867 – Gisela Januszewska, Jewish-Austrian physician (d. 1943)
  • 1869 – José Vicente de Freitas, Portuguese colonel and politician, 97th Prime Minister of Portugal (d. 1952)
  • 1874 – Edward Harkness, American philanthropist (d. 1940)
  • 1874 – Jay Hughes, American baseball player and coach (d. 1924)
  • 1875 – D. W. Griffith, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1948)
  • 1877 – Tom Jones, American baseball player and manager (d. 1923)
  • 1879 – Francis Picabia, French painter and poet (d. 1953)
  • 1880 – Bill O’Neill, Canadian-American baseball player (d. 1920)
  • 1880 – Frigyes Riesz, Hungarian mathematician and academic (d. 1956)
  • 1881 – Ira Thomas, American baseball player and manager (d. 1958)
  • 1886 – John J. Becker, American pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1961)
  • 1887 – Helen Hoyt, American poet and author (d. 1972)
  • 1889 – Henri Pélissier, French cyclist (d. 1935)
  • 1889 – Amos Strunk, American baseball player and manager (d. 1979)
  • 1890 – Fred M. Vinson, American judge and politician, 13th Chief Justice of the United States (d. 1953)
  • 1891 – Antonio Gramsci, Italian philosopher and politician (d. 1937)
  • 1892 – Marcel Dassault, French businessman, founded Dassault Aviation (d. 1986)
  • 1893 – Conrad Veidt, German-American actor, director, and producer (d. 1943)
  • 1897 – Rosa Ponselle, American operatic soprano (d. 1981)
  • 1897 – Dilipkumar Roy, a Bengali Indian musician, musicologist, novelist, poet and essayist. (d. 1980)
  • 1898 – Ross Barnett, American lawyer and politician, 52nd Governor of Mississippi (d. 1987)
  • 1898 – Sergei Eisenstein, Russian director and screenwriter (d. 1948)
  • 1898 – Denise Legeay, French actress (d. 1968)
  • 1899 – Martti Haavio, Finnish poet and mythologist (d. 1973)
  • 1900 – Ernst Busch, German actor and singer (d. 1980)
  • 1902 – Daniel Kinsey, American hurdler, coach, and academic (d. 1970)
  • 1903 – Fritz Houtermans, Polish-German physicist and academic (d. 1966)
  • 1904 – George Balanchine, Georgian-American dancer, choreographer, and director, co-founded the New York City Ballet (d. 1983)
  • 1904 – Arkady Gaidar, Russian journalist and author (d. 1941)
  • 1905 – Willy Hartner, German physicist, historian, and academic (d. 1981)
  • 1906 – Robert E. Howard, American author and poet (d. 1936)
  • 1907 – Douglas Corrigan, American pilot and engineer (d. 1995)
  • 1907 – Dixie Dean, English footballer (d. 1980)
  • 1908 – Lev Landau, Azerbaijani-Russian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1968)
  • 1908 – Prince Oana, American baseball player and manager (d. 1976)
  • 1909 – Martha Norelius, Swedish-born American swimmer (d. 1955)
  • 1909 – Porfirio Rubirosa, Dominican racing driver, polo player, and diplomat (d. 1965)
  • 1909 – Ann Sothern, American actress and singer (d. 2001)
  • 1909 – U Thant, Burmese educator and diplomat, 3rd United Nations Secretary-General (d. 1974)
  • 1911 – Bruno Kreisky, Austrian lawyer and politician, 22nd Chancellor of Austria (d. 1990)
  • 1913 – Henry Bauchau, Belgian psychoanalyst and author (d. 2012)
  • 1913 – William Conway, Irish cardinal (d. 1977)
  • 1913 – Carl F. H. Henry, American theologian and publisher (d. 2003)
  • 1914 – Dimitris Dragatakis, Greek violinist and composer (d. 2001)
  • 1915 – Heinrich Albertz, German theologian and politician, Mayor of Berlin (d. 1993)
  • 1916 – Bill Durnan, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 1972)
  • 1916 – Henri Dutilleux, French pianist, composer, and educator (d. 2013)
  • 1916 – Harilal Upadhyay, Indian author, poet, and astrologist (d. 1994)
  • 1918 – Elmer Lach, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 2015)
  • 1919 – Diomedes Olivo, Dominican baseball player and scout (d. 1977)
  • 1920 – Irving Kristol, American journalist, author, and academic, founded The National Interest (d. 2009)
  • 1920 – Alf Ramsey, English footballer and coach (d. 1999)
  • 1922 – Howard Moss, American poet, playwright and critic (d. 1987)
  • 1923 – Diana Douglas, British-American actress (d. 2015)
  • 1924 – J. J. Johnson, American trombonist and composer (d. 2001)
  • 1924 – Ján Chryzostom Korec, Slovak cardinal (d. 2015)
  • 1924 – Charles Lisanby, American production designer and art director (d. 2013)
  • 1925 – Johnny Bucha, American baseball player (d. 1996)
  • 1925 – Bobby Young, American baseball player (d. 1985)
  • 1927 – Lou Creekmur, American football player and sportscaster (d. 2009)
  • 1927 – Joe Perry, American footballer (d. 2011)
  • 1928 – Yoshihiko Amino, Japanese historian, author, and academic (d. 2004)
  • 1929 – Petr Eben, Czech composer, organist and choirmaster (d. 2007)
  • 1930 – Mariví Bilbao, Spanish actress (d. 2013)
  • 1930 – Éamon de Buitléar, Irish accordion player and director (d. 2013)
  • 1931 – Sam Cooke, American singer-songwriter (d. 1964)
  • 1931 – Galina Zybina, Russian shot putter and javelin thrower
  • 1932 – Berthold Grünfeld, Norwegian psychiatrist and academic (d. 2007)
  • 1932 – Piper Laurie, American actress
  • 1932 – Tom Fisher Railsback, American politician, member of the Illinois and U.S. House of Representatives
  • 1933 – Yuri Chesnokov, Russian volleyball player and coach (d. 2010)
  • 1934 – Vijay Anand, Indian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2004)
  • 1934 – Bill Bixby, American actor and director (d. 1993)
  • 1934 – Graham Kerr, English chef and author
  • 1935 – Alexander Men, Russian priest and scholar (d. 1990)
  • 1936 – Ong Teng Cheong, Singaporean architect and politician, 5th President of Singapore (d. 2002)
  • 1936 – Alan J. Heeger, American physicist and chemist, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1937 – Edén Pastora, Nicaraguan politician
  • 1937 – Joseph Wambaugh, American police officer and author
  • 1938 – Peter Beard, Australian photographer and author (d. 2020)
  • 1938 – Joe Esposito, American author (d. 2016)
  • 1938 – Altair Gomes de Figueiredo, Brazilian footballer
  • 1939 – Jørgen Garde, Danish admiral (d. 1996)
  • 1939 – Alfredo Palacio, Ecuadoran physician and politician, President of Ecuador
  • 1939 – Luigi Simoni, Italian footballer and manager
  • 1939 – J. C. Tremblay, Canadian ice hockey player and scout (d. 1994)
  • 1940 – John Hurt, English actor (d. 2017)
  • 1940 – George Seifert, American football player and coach
  • 1940 – Gillian Shephard, English educator and politician, Secretary of State for Education
  • 1941 – Jaan Kaplinski, Estonian poet, philosopher, and critic
  • 1942 – Mimis Domazos, Greek footballer
  • 1943 – Michael Spicer, English journalist and politician (d. 2019)
  • 1944 – Khosrow Golsorkhi, Iranian journalist, poet, and activist (d. 1974)
  • 1944 – Uto Ughi, Italian violinist and conductor
  • 1945 – Jophery Brown, American baseball player, actor, and stuntman (d. 2014)
  • 1945 – Jean-Pierre Nicolas, French racing driver and manager
  • 1945 – Christoph Schönborn, Austrian cardinal
  • 1945 – Alojz Uran, Slovenian archbishop
  • 1946 – Malcolm McLaren, English singer-songwriter and manager (d. 2010)
  • 1946 – Serge Savard, Canadian ice hockey player and manager
  • 1947 – Vladimir Oravsky, Czech-Swedish author and director
  • 1948 – Gilbert Levine, American conductor and academic
  • 1949 – Mike Caldwell, American baseball player and coach
  • 1949 – J.P. Pennington, American country-rock singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1949 – Steve Perry, American singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1950 – Paul Bew, Northern Irish historian and academic
  • 1950 – Frank Schade, American basketball player and coach
  • 1951 – Ondrej Nepela, Slovak figure skater and coach (d. 1989)
  • 1951 – Leon Roberts, American baseball player and manager
  • 1952 – Ramón Avilés, Puerto Rican-American baseball player
  • 1953 – Winfried Berkemeier, German footballer and manager
  • 1953 – Myung-whun Chung, South Korean pianist and conductor
  • 1953 – Jim Jarmusch, American director and screenwriter
  • 1955 – Thomas David Jones, American captain, pilot, and astronaut
  • 1955 – Timothy R. Ferguson, American politician
  • 1956 – Steve Riley, American drummer
  • 1957 – Mike Bossy, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
  • 1957 – Brian Dayett, American baseball player and manager
  • 1957 – Godfrey Thoma, Nauruan politician
  • 1957 – Francis Wheen, English journalist and author
  • 1958 – Nikos Anastopoulos, Greek footballer and manager
  • 1958 – Filiz Koçali, Turkish journalist and politician
  • 1959 – Linda Blair, American actress
  • 1960 – Michael Hutchence, Australian singer-songwriter (d. 1997)
  • 1961 – Quintin Dailey, American basketball player (d. 2010)
  • 1961 – Daniel Johnston, American musician
  • 1962 – Jimmy Herring, American guitarist
  • 1962 – Huw Irranca-Davies, Welsh lawyer and politician
  • 1962 – Mizan Zainal Abidin of Terengganu, Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia
  • 1964 – Nigel Benn, English-Australian boxer
  • 1964 – Stojko Vranković, Croatian basketball player
  • 1965 – Steven Adler, American rock drummer
  • 1965 – DJ Jazzy Jeff, American DJ and producer
  • 1965 – Diane Lane, American actress
  • 1965 – Andrew Roachford, English singer-songwriter and keyboard player
  • 1966 – Craig Salvatori, Australian rugby league player and coach
  • 1967 – Nick Gillingham, English swimmer
  • 1968 – Guy Fieri, American chef, author, and television host
  • 1968 – Heath, Japanese singer-songwriter and bass player
  • 1968 – Frank Leboeuf, French footballer, sportscaster, and actor
  • 1968 – Mauricio Serna, Colombian footballer
  • 1969 – Olivia d’Abo, English-American singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1969 – Keith Gordon, American baseball player and coach
  • 1970 – Jason Lowrie, New Zealand rugby league player and coach
  • 1970 – Abraham Olano, Spanish cyclist
  • 1971 – Stan Collymore, English footballer and sportscaster
  • 1972 – Terry Hill, Australian rugby league player and coach
  • 1973 – Rogério Ceni, Brazilian footballer
  • 1974 – Cameron McConville, Australian racing driver and sportscaster
  • 1974 – Joseph Muscat, Maltese journalist and politician, 13th Prime Minister of Malta
  • 1976 – Jimmy Anderson, American baseball player and coach
  • 1976 – James Dearth, American football player
  • 1977 – Mario Domm, Mexican singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer
  • 1977 – Anna Linkova, Russian tennis player
  • 1977 – Hidetoshi Nakata, Japanese footballer
  • 1977 – Luciano Andrade Rissutt, Brazilian footballer
  • 1978 – Chone Figgins, American baseball player
  • 1979 – Aidan Burley, New Zealand-English politician
  • 1979 – Carlos Ruiz, Panamanian baseball player
  • 1979 – Chor Boogie, American artist
  • 1980 – Jonathan Woodgate, English footballer
  • 1981 – Willa Ford, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
  • 1981 – Beverley Mitchell, American actress
  • 1981 – Ben Moody, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actor
  • 1981 – Ibrahima Sonko, French footballer
  • 1981 – Guy Wilks, English racing driver
  • 1982 – Fabricio Coloccini, Argentinian footballer
  • 1983 – Shaun Cody, American football player
  • 1984 – Ben Eager, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1984 – Ubaldo Jiménez, Dominican baseball player
  • 1984 – Leon Powe, American basketball player
  • 1984 – Maceo Rigters, Dutch footballer
  • 1985 – Fotios Papoulis, Greek footballer
  • 1985 – Yan Xu, Singaporean table tennis player
  • 1986 – Maher Magri, Tunisian footballer
  • 1986 – Matt Simon, Australian footballer
  • 1987 – Astrid Jacobsen, Norwegian skier
  • 1987 – Shane Long, Irish footballer
  • 1988 – Asher Allen, American football player
  • 1988 – Greg Oden, American basketball player
  • 1988 – Marcel Schmelzer, German footballer
  • 1989 – Theo Robinson, English-Jamaican footballer
  • 1990 – Alizé Cornet, French tennis player
  • 1990 – Dean Whare, New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1990 – Logic, American rapper
  • 1990 – Phil Wang, British-Malaysian comedian
  • 1991 – Stefan Kolb, German footballer
  • 1996 – Joshua Ho-Sang, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1998 – Silento, American rapper, singer and songwriter

Deaths on January 22

  • 239 – Cao Rui, Chinese emperor (b. 205)
  • 628 – Anastasius of Persia, monk
  • 906 – He, empress of the Tang Dynasty
  • 935 – Ma, empress of Southern Han
  • 1051 – Ælfric Puttoc, archbishop of York
  • 1170 – Wang Chongyang, Chinese Daoist and co-founder of the Quanzhen School (b. 1113)
  • 1188 – Ferdinand II of León (b. 1137)
  • 1341 – Louis I, Duke of Bourbon (b. 1279)
  • 1517 – Hadım Sinan Pasha, Ottoman politician, 32nd Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire (b. ?)
  • 1536 – Bernhard Knipperdolling, German religious leader (b. 1495)
  • 1536 – John of Leiden, Anabaptist leader from the Dutch city of Leiden (b. 1509)
  • 1552 – Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, English general and politician, Lord High Treasurer of England (b. 1500)
  • 1560 – Wang Zhi, Chinese pirate
  • 1575 – James Hamilton, Duke of Châtellerault (b. 1516)
  • 1599 – Cristofano Malvezzi, Italian organist and composer (b. 1547)
  • 1666 – Shah Jahan, Mughal emperor (b. 1592)
  • 1750 – Franz Xaver Josef von Unertl, Bavarian politician (b. 1675)
  • 1763 – John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville, English politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (b. 1690)
  • 1767 – Johann Gottlob Lehmann, German meteorologist and geologist (b. 1719)
  • 1779 – Jeremiah Dixon, English surveyor and astronomer (b. 1733)
  • 1779 – Claudius Smith, American guerrilla leader (b. 1736)
  • 1798 – Lewis Morris, American judge and politician (b. 1726)
  • 1840 – Johann Friedrich Blumenbach, German physician, physiologist, and anthropologist (b. 1752)
  • 1850 – Vincent Pallotti, Italian missionary and saint (b. 1795)
  • 1879 – Anthony Durnford, Irish colonel (b. 1830)
  • 1879 – Henry Pulleine, English colonel (b. 1838)
  • 1892 – Joseph P. Bradley, American lawyer and jurist (b. 1813)
  • 1900 – David Edward Hughes, Welsh-American physicist, co-invented the microphone (b. 1831)
  • 1901 – Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom (b. 1819)
  • 1901 – Emil Erlenmeyer, German chemist and academic (b. 1825)
  • 1921 – George Streeter, American captain and businessman (b. 1837)
  • 1922 – Fredrik Bajer, Danish educator and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1837)
  • 1922 – Pope Benedict XV (b. 1854)
  • 1922 – Camille Jordan, French mathematician and academic (b. 1838)
  • 1925 – Fanny Bullock Workman, American geographer and mountain climber (b. 1859)
  • 1927 – James Ford Rhodes, American historian and author (b. 1848)
  • 1929 – R. C. Lehmann, English journalist, author, and politician (b. 1856)
  • 1930 – Stephen Mather, American businessman and conservationist, co-founded the Thorkildsen-Mather Borax Company (b. 1867)
  • 1931 – László Batthyány-Strattmann, Hungarian physician and ophthalmologist (b. 1870)
  • 1945 – Else Lasker-Schüler, German poet and playwright (b. 1869)
  • 1949 – William Thomas Walsh, American author, poet, and playwright (b. 1891)
  • 1950 – Alan Hale, Sr., American actor and director (b. 1892)
  • 1951 – Lawson Robertson, Scottish-American sprinter and high jumper (b. 1883)
  • 1955 – Jonni Myyrä, Finnish-American athlete (b. 1892)
  • 1957 – Ralph Barton Perry, American philosopher and academic (b. 1876)
  • 1959 – Mike Hawthorn, English race car driver (b. 1929)
  • 1964 – Marc Blitzstein, American pianist and composer (b. 1905)
  • 1966 – Herbert Marshall, English actor (b. 1890)
  • 1968 – Duke Kahanamoku, American swimmer and water polo player (b. 1890)
  • 1971 – Harry Frank Guggenheim, American businessman and publisher, co-founded Newsday (b. 1890)
  • 1973 – Lyndon B. Johnson, American lieutenant and politician, 36th President of the United States (b. 1908)
  • 1975 – Andrew George Burry, Swiss-American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1873)
  • 1977 – Ibrahim bin Abdullah Al Suwaiyel, Saudi Arabian diplomat (b. 1916)
  • 1978 – Oliver Leese, English general (b. 1894)
  • 1978 – Herbert Sutcliffe, English cricketer and soldier (b. 1894)
  • 1979 – Ali Hassan Salameh, Palestinian rebel leader (b. 1940)
  • 1980 – Yitzhak Baer, German-Israeli historian and academic (b. 1888)
  • 1981 – Ishtiaq Hussain Qureshi, Pakistani historian and academic (b. 1903)
  • 1982 – Eduardo Frei Montalva, Chilean lawyer and politician, 28th President of Chile (b. 1911)
  • 1985 – Arthur Bryant, English historian and journalist (b. 1899)
  • 1987 – R. Budd Dwyer, American educator and politician, 30th Treasurer of Pennsylvania (b. 1939)
  • 1989 – S. Vithiananthan, Sri Lankan author and academic (b. 1924)
  • 1991 – Robert Choquette, Canadian author, poet and diplomat (b. 1905)
  • 1993 – Kōbō Abe, Japanese playwright and photographer (b. 1924)
  • 1994 – Jean-Louis Barrault, French actor and director (b. 1910)
  • 1994 – Telly Savalas, American actor (b. 1924)
  • 1996 – Israel Eldad, Polish-Israeli philosopher and author (b. 1910)
  • 1997 – Billy Mackenzie, Scottish singer-songwriter (b. 1957)
  • 1999 – Graham Staines, Australian-Indian missionary and translator (b. 1941)
  • 2000 – Craig Claiborne, American journalist, author, and critic (b. 1920)
  • 2000 – Anne Hébert, Canadian author and poet (b. 1916)
  • 2001 – Tommie Agee, American baseball player (b. 1942)
  • 2001 – Roy Brown, American clown and puppeteer (b. 1932)
  • 2003 – Bill Mauldin, American soldier and cartoonist (b. 1921)
  • 2004 – Billy May, American trumpet player and composer (b. 1916)
  • 2004 – Tom Mead, Australian journalist and politician (b. 1918)
  • 2004 – Ann Miller, American actress, singer, and dancer (b. 1923)
  • 2005 – César Gutiérrez, Venezuelan baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1943)
  • 2005 – Carlo Orelli, Italian soldier (b. 1894)
  • 2005 – Consuelo Velázquez, Mexican pianist and songwriter (b. 1924)
  • 2006 – Aydın Güven Gürkan, Turkish academic and politician, Turkish Minister of Labor and Social Security (b. 1941)
  • 2007 – Ngô Quang Trưởng, Vietnamese general (b. 1929)
  • 2007 – Abbé Pierre, French priest and activist (b. 1912)
  • 2007 – Liz Renay, American actress, author and performer (b. 1926)
  • 2008 – Heath Ledger, Australian actor and director (b. 1979)
  • 2008 – Miles Lerman, Polish Holocaust survivor and activist (b. 1920)
  • 2009 – Billy Werber, American baseball player (b. 1908)
  • 2010 – Louis R. Harlan, American historian and author (b. 1922)
  • 2010 – Jean Simmons, English-American actress (b. 1929)
  • 2012 – Simon Marsden, English photographer and author (b. 1948)
  • 2012 – Joe Paterno, American football player and coach (b. 1926)
  • 2012 – Clarence Tillenius, Canadian painter and environmentalist (b. 1913)
  • 2012 – Dick Tufeld, American actor, announcer, narrator and voice actor (b. 1926)
  • 2013 – Robert Bonnaud, French historian and academic (b. 1929)
  • 2013 – Hinton Mitchem, American businessman and politician (b. 1938)
  • 2014 – Maziar Partow, Iranian cinematographer (b. 1933)
  • 2015 – Fabrizio de Miranda, Italian engineer and academic, co-designed the Rande Bridge (b. 1926)
  • 2015 – Wendell H. Ford, American lieutenant and politician, 53rd Governor of Kentucky (b. 1924)
  • 2015 – Margaret Bloy Graham, Canadian author and illustrator (b. 1920)
  • 2016 – Homayoun Behzadi, Iranian footballer and coach (b. 1942)
  • 2016 – Cecil Parkinson, English politician (b. 1931)
  • 2016 – Lois Ramsey, Australian actress (b. 1922)
  • 2016 – Kamer Genç, Turkish politician (b. 1940)
  • 2017 – Masaya Nakamura, Japanese businessman (b. 1925)
  • 2017 – Yordano Ventura, Dominican baseball player (b. 1991)
  • 2018 – Ursula K. Le Guin, American sci-fi and fantasy novelist (b. 1929)

Holidays and observances on January 22

  • Christian feast day:
    • Anastasius of Persia
    • Gaudentius of Novara
    • László Batthyány-Strattmann
    • Laura Vicuna
    • Vincent Pallotti
    • Vincent of Saragossa
    • Vincent, Orontius, and Victor
    • Blessed William Joseph Chaminade
    • January 22 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Day of Unity of Ukraine (Ukraine)
  • Grandfather’s Day (Poland)

January 22 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

January 21- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 763 – Following the Battle of Bakhamra between Alids and Abbasids near Kufa, the Alid rebellion ends with the death of Ibrahim, brother of Isa ibn Musa.
  • 1525 – The Swiss Anabaptist Movement is founded when Conrad Grebel, Felix Manz, George Blaurock, and about a dozen others baptize each other in the home of Manz’s mother in Zürich, breaking a thousand-year tradition of church-state union.
  • 1535 – Following the Affair of the Placards, the French king leads an anti-Protestant procession through Paris.
  • 1720 – Sweden and Prussia sign the Treaty of Stockholm.
  • 1749 – The Teatro Filarmonico in Verona is destroyed by fire, as a result of a torch being left behind in the box of a nobleman after a performance. It is rebuilt in 1754.
  • 1774 – Abdul Hamid I becomes Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and Caliph of Islam.
  • 1789 – The first American novel, The Power of Sympathy or the Triumph of Nature Founded in Truth by William Hill Brown, is printed in Boston.
  • 1793 – After being found guilty of treason by the French National Convention, Louis XVI of France is executed by guillotine.
  • 1854 – The RMS Tayleur sinks off Lambay Island on her maiden voyage from Liverpool to Australia with great loss of life.
  • 1861 – American Civil War: Jefferson Davis resigns from the United States Senate.
  • 1893 – The Tati Concessions Land, formerly part of Matabeleland, is formally annexed to the Bechuanaland Protectorate, now Botswana.
  • 1908 – New York City passes the Sullivan Ordinance, making it illegal for women to smoke in public, only to have the measure vetoed by the mayor.
  • 1911 – The first Monte Carlo Rally takes place.
  • 1915 – Kiwanis International is founded in Detroit.
  • 1919 – A revolutionary Irish parliament is founded and declares the independence of the Irish Republic. One of the first engagements of the Irish War of Independence takes place.
  • 1925 – Albania declares itself a republic.
  • 1931 – Sir Isaac Isaacs is sworn in as the first Australian-born Governor-General of Australia.
  • 1941 – Sparked by the murder of a German officer in Bucharest, Romania the day before, members of the Iron Guard engaged in a rebellion and pogrom killing 125 Jews.
  • 1948 – The Flag of Quebec is adopted and flown for the first time over the National Assembly of Quebec. The day is marked annually as Québec Flag Day.
  • 1950 – American lawyer and government official Alger Hiss is convicted of perjury.
  • 1954 – The first nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus, is launched in Groton, Connecticut by Mamie Eisenhower, the First Lady of the United States.
  • 1960 – Little Joe 1B, a Mercury spacecraft, lifts off from Wallops Island, Virginia with Miss Sam, a female rhesus monkey on board.
  • 1960 – Avianca Flight 671 crashes at Montego Bay, Jamaica airport, killing 37 people.
  • 1960 – A coal mine collapses at Holly Country, South Africa, killing 435 miners.
  • 1968 – Vietnam War: Battle of Khe Sanh: One of the most publicized and controversial battles of the war begins.
  • 1968 – A B-52 bomber crashes near Thule Air Base, contaminating the area after its nuclear payload ruptures. One of the four bombs remains unaccounted for after the cleanup operation is complete.
  • 1971 – The current Emley Moor transmitting station, the tallest free-standing structure in the United Kingdom, begins transmitting UHF broadcasts.
  • 1976 – Commercial service of Concorde begins with the London-Bahrain and Paris-Rio routes.
  • 1980 – Iran Air Flight 291 crashes in the Alborz Mountains while on approach to Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran, Iran, killing 128 people.
  • 1981 – Production of the iconic DeLorean sports car begins in Dunmurry, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
  • 1985 – Galaxy Airlines Flight 203 crashes near Reno–Tahoe International Airport in Reno, Nevada, killing 70 people.
  • 1997 – The U.S. House of Representatives votes 395–28 to reprimand Newt Gingrich for ethics violations, making him the first Speaker of the House to be so disciplined.
  • 1999 – War on Drugs: In one of the largest drug busts in American history, the United States Coast Guard intercepts a ship with over 4,300 kilograms (9,500 lb) of cocaine on board.
  • 2000 – Ecuador: After the Ecuadorian Congress is seized by indigenous organizations, Col. Lucio Gutiérrez, Carlos Solorzano and Antonio Vargas depose President Jamil Mahuad. Gutierrez is later replaced by Gen. Carlos Mendoza, who resigns and allows Vice-President Gustavo Noboa to succeed Mahuad.
  • 2003 – A 7.6 magnitude earthquake strikes the Mexican state of Colima, killing 29 and leaving approximately 10,000 people homeless.
  • 2004 – NASA’s MER-A (the Mars Rover Spirit) ceases communication with mission control. The problem lies in the management of its flash memory and is fixed remotely from Earth on February 6.
  • 2005 – In Belmopan, Belize, the unrest over the government’s new taxes erupts into riots.
  • 2009 – Israel withdraws from the Gaza Strip, officially ending a three-week war it had with Hamas. However, intermittent fire by both sides continues in the weeks to follow.
  • 2011 – Anti government demonstrations take place in Tirana, Albania. Five people lose their lives from gunshots, allegedly fired from armed police protecting the Prime Minister’s office. To date, no one has been held accountable for the deaths.
  • 2017 – Over 400 cities across America and 160+ countries worldwide participate in a large-scale women’s march, on Donald Trump’s first full day as President of the United States.
  • 2018 – Rocket Lab’s Electron becomes the first rocket to reach orbit using an electric pump-fed engine and deploys three CubeSats.

Births on January 21

  • 1264 – Alexander, Prince of Scotland (d. 1284)
  • 1277 – Galeazzo I Visconti, lord of Milan
  • 1338 – Charles V of France (d. 1380)
  • 1493 – Giovanni Poggio, Italian cardinal and diplomat (d. 1556)
  • 1598 – Matsudaira Tadamasa, Japanese samurai and daimyō (d. 1645)
  • 1612 – Henry Casimir I of Nassau-Dietz, count of Nassau-Dietz (d. 1640)
  • 1636 – Melchiorre Cafà, Maltese Baroque sculptor (baptised; d. 1667)
  • 1655 – Antonio Molinari, Italian painter (d. 1704)
  • 1659 – Adriaen van der Werff, Dutch painter (d. 1722)
  • 1675 – Duchess Sibylle of Saxe-Lauenburg, Margravine of Baden-Baden (d. 1733)
  • 1714 – Anna Morandi Manzolini, Spanish anatomist (d. 1774)
  • 1717 – Antonio María de Bucareli y Ursúa, Spanish military officer and governor of Cuba (d. 1779)
  • 1721 – James Murray, Scottish-English general and politician, Governor of Minorca (d. 1794)
  • 1724 – Louis-Jean-François Lagrenée, French rococo painter (d. 1805)
  • 1732 – Frederick II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg, son of Karl Alexander, Duke of Württemberg, and Princess Maria Augusta of Thurn and Taxis (d. 1797)
  • 1738 – Ethan Allen, American general (d. 1789)
  • 1741 – Chaim of Volozhin, Orthodox rabbi (d. 1821)
  • 1763 – Augustin Robespierre, younger brother of French Revolutionary leader Maximilien Robespierre (d. 1794)
  • 1775 – Manuel Garcia, Spanish opera singer and composer (d. 1832)
  • 1784 – Peter De Wint, English painter (d. 1849)
  • 1788 – William Henry Smyth, Royal Navy officer, hydrographer, astronomer and numismatist
  • 1796 – Princess Marie of Hesse-Kassel, consort of George, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (d. 1880)
  • 1797 – Joseph Méry, French author and journalist (d. 1866)
  • 1800 – Theodor Fliedner, German Lutheran minister (d. 1864)
  • 1801 – John Batman, Australian entrepreneur and explorer (d. 1839)
  • 1804 – Moritz von Schwind, Austrian painter (d. 1871)
  • 1808 – Juan Crisóstomo Torrico, 16th President of Peru (d. 1875)
  • 1810 – Pierre Louis Charles de Failly, French general (d. 1892)
  • 1811 – James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn, British statesman (d. 1885)
  • 1813 – John C. Frémont, American general, explorer, and politician, 5th Territorial Governor of Arizona (d. 1890)
  • 1813 – Giuseppe Montanelli, Italian statesman and author (d. 1862)
  • 1814 – Johann Georg Theodor Grässe, German bibliographer and historian (d. 1885)
  • 1815 – Horace Wells, American dentist (d. 1848)
  • 1820 – Joseph Wolf, German ornithologist and illustrator (d. 1899)
  • 1820 – Egide Walschaerts, Belgian mechanical engineer (d. 1901)
  • 1824 – Stonewall Jackson, American general (d. 1863)
  • 1827 – Ivan Mikheevich Pervushin, Russian mathematician and theorist (d. 1900)
  • 1829 – Oscar II of Sweden (d. 1907)
  • 1839 – Caterina Volpicelli, Italian Roman Catholic nun (d. 1894)
  • 1840 – Sophia Jex-Blake, English physician and feminist (d. 1912)
  • 1841 – Édouard Schuré, French philosopher and author (d. 1929)
  • 1843 – Émile Levassor, French engineer (d. 1897)
  • 1845 – Harriet Backer, Norwegian painter (d. 1932)
  • 1846 – Pieter Hendrik Schoute, Dutch mathematician and academic (d. 1923)
  • 1846 – Albert Lavignac, French music scholar (d. 1916)
  • 1847 – Joseph Achille Le Bel, French chemist (d. 1930)
  • 1848 – Henri Duparc, French soldier and composer (d. 1933)
  • 1851 – Giuseppe Allamano, Italian Roman Catholic priest (d. 1926)
  • 1854 – Karl Julius Beloch, German classical and economic historian (d. 1929)
  • 1854 – Eusapia Palladino, Italian Spiritualist (d. 1918)
  • 1855 – Princess Maria Luisa of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, the youngest daughter of King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies (d. 1874)
  • 1860 – Karl Staaff, Swedish lawyer and politician, 11th Prime Minister of Sweden (d. 1915)
  • 1864 – Israel Zangwill, British author (d. 1926)
  • 1865 – Heinrich Albers-Schonberg, German gynecologist and radiologist (d. 1921)
  • 1867 – Ludwig Thoma, German paramedic and author (d. 1921)
  • 1867 – Maxime Weygand, Belgian-French general (d. 1965)
  • 1868 – Felix Hoffmann, German chemist (d. 1946)
  • 1869 – Grigori Rasputin, Russian Mystic (d. 1916)
  • 1871 – Olga Preobrajenska, Russian ballerina (d. 1962)
  • 1873 – Arturo Labriola, Italian revolutionary syndicalist (d. 1959)
  • 1874 – René-Louis Baire, French mathematician (d. 1932)
  • 1875 – Paul E. Kahle, German orientalist (d. 1964)
  • 1877 – Baldassarre Negroni, Italian director and screenwriter (d. 1948)
  • 1878 – Vahan Tekeyan, Armenian poet and activist (d. 1948)
  • 1879 – Joseph Roffo, French rugby player and tug of war competitor (d. 1933)
  • 1880 – George Van Biesbroeck, Belgian–American astronomer (d. 1974)
  • 1881 – Ernst Fast, Swedish runner (d. 1959)
  • 1881 – André Godard, French archaeologist, architect and historian (d. 1965)
  • 1881 – Ivan Ribar, Yugoslav politician (d. 1968)
  • 1882 – Pavel Florensky, Russian mathematician and theologian (d. 1937)
  • 1882 – Francis Gailey, Australian-American swimmer (d. 1972)
  • 1883 – Olav Aukrust, Norwegian poet and educator (d. 1929)
  • 1883 – Mathias Hynes, British tug of war competitor (d. 1926)
  • 1885 – Duncan Grant, British painter and designer (d. 1978)
  • 1885 – Umberto Nobile, Italian engineer and explorer (d. 1978)
  • 1885 – Harold A. Wilson, English runner (d. 1932)
  • 1886 – John M. Stahl, American director and producer (d. 1950)
  • 1887 – Wolfgang Köhler, German psychologist and phenomenologist (d. 1967)
  • 1887 – Ernest Holmes, American New Thought writer (d. 1960)
  • 1887 – Georges Vézina, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1926)
  • 1889 – Pitirim Sorokin, American sociologist and political activist (d. 1968)
  • 1891 – Albert Battel, German Army lieutenant and lawyer (d. 1952)
  • 1891 – Francisco Lázaro, Portuguese marathon runner (d. 1912)
  • 1895 – Cristóbal Balenciaga, Spanish fashion designer, founded Balenciaga (d. 1972)
  • 1895 – Daniel Chalonge, French astrophysicist and astronomer (d. 1977)
  • 1895 – Noe Itō, Japanese anarchist, author and feminist (d. 1923)
  • 1896 – Guy Gilpatric, American pilot and journalist (d. 1950)
  • 1896 – Paula Hitler, younger sister of Adolf Hitler (d. 1960)
  • 1896 – J. Carrol Naish, American actor (d. 1973)
  • 1896 – Masa Perttilä, Finnish wrestler (d. 1968)
  • 1897 – René Iché, French sculptor (d. 1954)
  • 1898 – Rudolph Maté, Polish-Hungarian-American cinematographer, producer and director (d. 1964)
  • 1898 – Ahmad Shah Qajar, Shah of Persia (d. 1930)
  • 1898 – Eduard Zintl, German chemist (d. 1941)
  • 1899 – John Bodkin Adams, British general practitioner and convict (d. 1983)
  • 1899 – Gyula Mándi, Hungarian footballer and manager (d. 1969)
  • 1899 – Edith Tolkien, wife and muse of J. R. R. Tolkien (d. 1971)
  • 1899 – Alexander Tcherepnin, Russian-American pianist and composer (d. 1977)
  • 1900 – Elof Ahrle, Swedish actor and director (d. 1965)
  • 1900 – Anselm Franz, Austrian engineer (d. 1994)
  • 1900 – Bernhard Rensch, German evolutionary biologist (d. 1990)
  • 1900 – Fernando Quiroga Palacios, Spanish Cardinal (d. 1971)
  • 1901 – Ricardo Zamora, Spanish footballer and manager (d. 1978)
  • 1903 – William Lyon, American film editor (d. 1974)
  • 1903 – Raymond Suvigny, French weightlifter (d. 1945)
  • 1904 – Puck van Heel, Dutch footballer (d. 1984)
  • 1904 – John Porter, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1997)
  • 1905 – Christian Dior, French fashion designer, founded Christian Dior S.A. (d. 1957)
  • 1905 – Karl Wallenda, German-American acrobat and tightrope walker, founded The Flying Wallendas (d. 1978)
  • 1906 – Leo Halle, Dutch footballer (d. 1992)
  • 1906 – Igor Moiseyev, Russian choreographer (d. 2007)
  • 1907 – Carlo Cavagnoli, Italian boxer (d. 1991)
  • 1907 – Jānis Mendriks, Latvian Catholic priest (d. 1953)
  • 1909 – Todor Skalovski, Macedonian composer and conductor (d. 2004)
  • 1909 – Teofilo Spasojević, Serbian footballer (d. 1970)
  • 1910 – Hideo Shinojima, Japanese footballer (d. 1975)
  • 1910 – Albert Rosellini, American lawyer and politician, 15th Governor of Washington (d. 2011)
  • 1910 – Rosa Kellner, German athlete (d. 1984)
  • 1910 – Károly Takács, Hungarian shooter (d. 1976)
  • 1911 – Dick Garrard, Australian wrestler (d. 2003)
  • 1911 – Lee Yoo-hyung, Korean footballer and manager (d. 2003)
  • 1912 – Konrad Emil Bloch, German-American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2000)
  • 1915 – André Lichnerowicz, French mathematician (d. 1998)
  • 1915 – Orazio Mariani, Italian sprinter (d. 1981)
  • 1916 – Pietro Rava, Italian footballer (d. 2006)
  • 1916 – Zypora Spaisman, Polish midwife; American and Yiddish-language actress; producer of the Yiddish stage (d. 2002)
  • 1917 – Erling Persson, H&M founder (d. 2002)
  • 1918 – Jimmy Hagan, English footballer (d. 1998)
  • 1918 – Richard Winters, American soldier (d. 2011)
  • 1918 – Antonio Janigro, Italian cellist and conductor (d. 1989)
  • 1919 – Eric Brown, Scottish-English captain and pilot (d. 2016)
  • 1920 – Errol Barrow, first Prime Minister of Barbados (d. 1987)
  • 1921 – Lincoln Alexander, Canadian lawyer and politician, 23rd Canadian Minister of Labour (d. 2012)
  • 1922 – Telly Savalas, American actor (d. 1994)
  • 1922 – Paul Scofield, English actor (d. 2008)
  • 1922 – Predrag Vranicki, Croatian Marxist Humanist, and member of the Praxis school in the 1960s in Yugoslavia (d. 2002)
  • 1923 – Lola Flores, Spanish singer, dancer, and actress (d. 1995)
  • 1923 – Alberto de Mendoza, Argentine actor (d. 2011)
  • 1923 – Pahiño, Spanish footballer (d. 2012)
  • 1924 – Benny Hill, English actor, singer, and screenwriter (d. 1992)
  • 1925 – Charles Aidman, American actor (d. 1993)
  • 1925 – Alex Forbes, Scottish footballer (d. 2014)
  • 1925 – Eva Ibbotson, Austrian-English author (d. 2010)
  • 1925 – Arnold Skaaland, American wrestler and manager (d. 2007)
  • 1926 – Clive Donner, British director (d. 2010)
  • 1926 – Franco Evangelisti, Italian composer (d. 1980)
  • 1926 – Steve Reeves, American bodybuilder (d. 2000)
  • 1926 – Roger Taillibert, French architect (d. 2019)
  • 1926 – Robert J. White, American neurosurgeon (d. 2010)
  • 1927 – Rudolf Kraus, German footballer (d. 2003)
  • 1928 – Gene Sharp, American political scientist and academic, founded the Albert Einstein Institution (d. 2018)
  • 1928 – Reynaldo Bignone, Argentinian general and politician, 41st President of Argentina (d. 2018)
  • 1929 – Radley Metzger, American filmmaker (d. 2017)
  • 1930 – Mainza Chona, Zambian lawyer and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Zambia (d. 2001)
  • 1931 – Yoshiko Kuga, Japanese actress
  • 1933 – Habib Thiam, Senegalese politician (d. 2017)
  • 1933 – Tony Marchi, English footballer, wing half
  • 1934 – Audrey Dalton, Irish actress
  • 1934 – Antonio Karmany, Spanish cyclist
  • 1934 – Alfonso Portugal, Mexican footballer (d. 2016)
  • 1934 – Ann Wedgeworth, American actress (d. 2017)
  • 1936 – Dick Davies, American basketball player (d. 2012)
  • 1937 – Judit Ágoston-Mendelényi, Hungarian fencer (d. 2013)
  • 1937 – Prince Max, Duke in Bavaria, the youngest son of Albrecht, Duke of Bavaria
  • 1938 – Sandy Barr, American wrestler and referee (d. 2007)
  • 1938 – Romano Fogli, Italian footballer
  • 1938 – Wolfman Jack, American radio host (d. 1995)
  • 1938 – Nicholas Phillips, Baron Phillips of Worth Matravers, English lawyer and judge, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
  • 1939 – Paul Genevay, French sprinter
  • 1939 – Friedel Lutz, German footballer
  • 1939 – Steve Paxton, American dancer and choreographer
  • 1939 – Viacheslav Platonov, Russian volleyball player and coach (d. 2005)
  • 1940 – Jack Nicklaus, American golfer and sportscaster
  • 1940 – Patrick Robinson, British novelist
  • 1941 – Sattam bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Arabian prince (d. 2013)
  • 1941 – Plácido Domingo, Spanish tenor and conductor
  • 1941 – Richie Havens, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2013)
  • 1941 – Mike Medavoy, Chinese-American film producer, co-founded Orion Pictures
  • 1941 – Ivan Putski, Polish-American wrestler and bodybuilder
  • 1941 – Elaine Showalter, American author and critic
  • 1942 – Freddy Breck, German singer, producer, and news anchor (d. 2008)
  • 1942 – Eugène Camara, Prime Minister of Guinea (d. 2019)
  • 1942 – Han Pil-hwa, North Korean speed skater
  • 1942 – Mac Davis, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
  • 1942 – Edwin Starr, American singer-songwriter (d. 2003)
  • 1942 – Michael G. Wilson, American producer and screenwriter
  • 1943 – Zdravko Hebel, Croatian water polo player (d. 2017)
  • 1943 – Arnar Jónsson, Icelandic actor
  • 1943 – Alfons Peeters, Belgian footballer (d. 2015)
  • 1943 – Kenzo Yokoyama, Japanese footballer
  • 1944 – Uto Ughi, Italian violinist
  • 1945 – Pete Kircher, English drummer
  • 1945 – Martin Shaw, English actor and producer
  • 1946 – Ichiro Hosotani, Japanese footballer
  • 1946 – Nella Martinetti, Swiss singer (d. 2011)
  • 1946 – Tomás Pineda, El Salvadoran footballer
  • 1946 – Miguel Reina, Spanish footballer
  • 1947 – Jill Eikenberry, American actress
  • 1947 – Andrzej Bachleda, Polish former alpine skier
  • 1947 – Dorian M. Goldfeld, American mathematician
  • 1947 – Pye Hastings, Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1947 – Michel Jonasz, French singer-songwriter and actor
  • 1947 – Joseph Nicolosi, American clinical psychologist (d. 2017)
  • 1947 – Giuseppe Savoldi, Italian footballer
  • 1947 – Roberto Zywica, Argentine footballer
  • 1948 – Zygmunt Kukla, Polish footballer (d. 2016)
  • 1948 – Hugo Tocalli, Argentine footballer
  • 1949 – Trương Tấn Sang, Vietnamese politician and 7th President of Vietnam
  • 1949 – Clifford Ray, American basketball coach and player
  • 1950 – Marion Becker, German javelin thrower
  • 1950 – Gary Locke, American politician and diplomat, 36th United States Secretary of Commerce
  • 1950 – José Marín, Spanish racewalker
  • 1950 – Billy Ocean, Trinidadian-English singer-songwriter
  • 1950 – Agnes van Ardenne, Dutch politician and diplomat, Dutch Minister for Development Cooperation
  • 1951 – Eric Holder, American lawyer, judge, and politician, 82nd United States Attorney General
  • 1952 – Marco Camenisch, Swiss activist and murderer
  • 1952 – Werner Grissmann, Austrian alpine skier
  • 1952 – Mikhail Umansky, Russian chess player (d. 2010)
  • 1953 – Paul Allen, American businessman and philanthropist, co-founded Microsoft (d. 2018)
  • 1953 – Felipe Yáñez, Spanish cyclist
  • 1954 – Thomas de Maizière, German politician of the Christian Democratic Union
  • 1954 – Idrissa Ouedraogo, Burkinabé director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2018)
  • 1954 – Phil Thompson, English footballer and coach
  • 1955 – Peter Fleming, American tennis player
  • 1955 – Jeff Koons, American painter and sculptor
  • 1955 – Nello Musumeci, Italian politician and President of Sicily
  • 1956 – Robby Benson, American actor and director
  • 1956 – Geena Davis, American actress and producer
  • 1958 – Matt Salmon, American politician
  • 1958 – Hussein Saeed, Iraqi footballer
  • 1958 – Sergei Walter, Ukrainian politician (d. 2015)
  • 1958 – Michael Wincott, Canadian actor
  • 1959 – Sergei Alifirenko, Russian pistol shooter
  • 1959 – Alex McLeish, Scottish footballer and manager
  • 1960 – Sidney Lowe, American basketball player
  • 1960 – Mike Terrana, American hard rock and heavy metal drummer
  • 1961 – Kevin Cramer, American politician
  • 1961 – Cornelia Pröll, Austrian alpine skier
  • 1961 – Ivo Pukanić Croatian journalist (d. 2008)
  • 1961 – Gary Shaw, English footballer
  • 1961 – Piotr Ugrumov, Russian cyclist
  • 1962 – Tyler Cowen, American economist and academic
  • 1962 – Isabelle Nanty, French actress, director and screenwriter
  • 1962 – Gabriele Pin, Italian footballer and coach
  • 1962 – Zoran Thaler, Slovenian politician
  • 1962 – Erik Verlinde, Dutch theoretical physicist
  • 1962 – Marie Trintignant, French actress (d. 2003)
  • 1963 – Hakeem Olajuwon, Nigerian-American basketball player
  • 1963 – Detlef Schrempf, German basketball player and coach
  • 1964 – Andreas Bauer, German ski jumper
  • 1964 – Tony Dolan, English musician and actor
  • 1964 – Gérald Passi, French footballer
  • 1964 – Ricardo Serna, Spanish footballer
  • 1964 – Aleksandar Šoštar, Serbian water polo player
  • 1964 – Danny Wallace, English footballer
  • 1965 – Robert Del Naja, British artist, musician and singer
  • 1965 – Jam Master Jay, American DJ, rapper, and producer (d. 2002)
  • 1965 – Masahiro Wada, Japanese footballer
  • 1967 – Artashes Minasian, Armenian chess player
  • 1967 – Alfred Jermaniš, Slovenian footballer
  • 1967 – Gorō Miyazaki, Japanese film director and landscaper
  • 1968 – Dmitry Fomin, Soviet and Russian volleyball player
  • 1968 – Ilya Smirin, Israeli chess Grandmaster
  • 1968 – Artur Dmitriev, Soviet and Russian ice skater
  • 1968 – Sébastien Lifshitz, French director
  • 1968 – Charlotte Ross, American actress
  • 1969 – John Ducey, American actor
  • 1969 – Eduard Hämäläinen, Finnish-Belarusian decathlete
  • 1969 – Karina Lombard, French-American actress and singer
  • 1969 – Tsubaki Nekoi, Japanese comic artist
  • 1970 – Alen Bokšić, former Croatian footballer
  • 1970 – Marina Foïs, French actress
  • 1970 – Ken Leung, American actor
  • 1970 – Oren Peli, Israeli-American director, producer and screenwriter
  • 1971 – Uni Arge, Faroese footballer and entertainer
  • 1971 – Rafael Berges, Spanish footballer
  • 1971 – Doug Edwards, American basketball player
  • 1971 – Dmitri Khlestov, Russian footballer
  • 1971 – Dylan Kussman, American actor
  • 1971 – Sergey Klevchenya, Russian speed skater
  • 1971 – Doug Weight, American ice hockey player and coach
  • 1972 – Billel Dziri, Algerian footballer and manager
  • 1972 – Rick Falkvinge, Swedish businessman and politician
  • 1972 – Sead Kapetanović, Bosnian footballer
  • 1972 – Yasunori Mitsuda, Japanese composer and producer
  • 1972 – Cat Power, American singer, musician and actress
  • 1972 – Shawn Rojeski, American curler
  • 1972 – Sabina Valbusa, Italian cross-country skier
  • 1973 – Rob Hayles, English cyclist
  • 1973 – Chris Kilmore, American musician and DJ
  • 1973 – Edvinas Krungolcas, Lithuanian modern pentathlete
  • 1973 – Flavio Maestri, Peruvian footballer
  • 1974 – Malena Alterio, Spanish actress
  • 1974 – Maxwell Atoms, American animator, screenwriter and voice actor
  • 1974 – Kim Dotcom, German-Finnish Internet entrepreneur and political activist
  • 1974 – Arthémon Hatungimana, Burundian middle distance runner
  • 1974 – Vincent Laresca, American actor
  • 1974 – Ulrich Le Pen, French footballer
  • 1974 – Marco Zanotti, Italian cyclist
  • 1975 – Nicky Butt, English footballer and coach
  • 1975 – Casey FitzRandolph, American speedskater
  • 1975 – Yuji Ide, Japanese race car driver
  • 1975 – Ito, Spanish footballer and manager
  • 1975 – Willem Korsten, Dutch footballer, left winger
  • 1975 – Jason Moran, American jazz pianist, composer and educator
  • 1975 – Florin Șerban, Romanian director
  • 1975 – Alyaksandr Yermakovich, Belarusian footballer and manager
  • 1976 – Aivaras Abromavičius, Lithuanian-Ukrainian banker and politician; 15th Ukrainian Minister of Economic Development
  • 1976 – Raivis Belohvoščiks, Latvian cyclist
  • 1976 – Emma Bunton, English singer
  • 1976 – Lars Eidinger, German actor
  • 1976 – Giorgio Frezzolini, Italian footballer
  • 1976 – Igors Stepanovs, Latvian footballer
  • 1977 – Hussein Abdulghani, Saudi Arabian footballer
  • 1977 – Bradley Carnell, South African footballer
  • 1977 – John DeSantis, Canadian actor
  • 1977 – Kirsten Klose, German hammer thrower
  • 1977 – Denis Lunghi, Italian cyclist
  • 1977 – Ulrike Maisch, German runner
  • 1977 – Phil Neville, English footballer and manager
  • 1977 – Michael Ruffin, American basketball player
  • 1977 – Jerry Trainor, American actor, director, and producer
  • 1978 – Faris Al-Sultan, German triathlete
  • 1978 – Peter von Allmen, Swiss cross-country skier
  • 1978 – Hernán Rodrigo López, Uruguayan footballer
  • 1978 – Andrei Zyuzin, Russian ice hockey player
  • 1979 – Quinton Jacobs, Namibian footballer
  • 1979 – Byung-hyun Kim, South Korean baseball player
  • 1979 – Spider Loc, American rapper and actor
  • 1979 – Melendi, Spanish singer
  • 1979 – Brian O’Driscoll, Irish rugby player
  • 1979 – Sebastian Schindzielorz, German footballer
  • 1980 – Troy Dumais, American diver
  • 1980 – Karsten Forsterling, Australian rower
  • 1980 – Dave Kitson, English footballer and manager
  • 1980 – Lee Kyung-won, South Korean badminton player
  • 1980 – Kevin McKenna, Canadian soccer player
  • 1980 – Nana Mizuki, Japanese singer-songwriter and voice actress
  • 1980 – Alexander Os, former Norwegian biathlete
  • 1980 – Xavier Pons, Spanish rally diver
  • 1980 – Mari Possa, El Salvadoran pornographic actress
  • 1980 – Bratislav Ristić, Serbian footballer
  • 1981 – Gillian Chung, Hong Kong singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1981 – Ivan Ergić, Serbian footballer
  • 1981 – Roberto Guana Italian footballer
  • 1981 – Wu Hanxiong, Chinese fencer
  • 1981 – Dany Heatley, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1981 – Andy Lee, South Korean singer and actor
  • 1981 – Izabella Miko, Polish actress, dancer, and producer
  • 1981 – Shawn Redhage, American-Australian basketball player
  • 1981 – Michel Teló, Brazilian singer-songwriter
  • 1981 – Jung Ryeo-won, South Korean actress
  • 1981 – David F. Sandberg, Swedish filmmaker
  • 1982 – Richard José Blanco, Venezuelan footballer
  • 1982 – Adriano Ferreira Martins, Brazilian footballer
  • 1982 – Nicolas Mahut, French tennis player
  • 1982 – Sarah Ourahmoune, French boxer
  • 1982 – Simon Rolfes, German footballer
  • 1982 – Dean Whitehead, English footballer
  • 1983 – Alex Acker, American basketball player
  • 1983 – Monique Adamczak, Australian tennis player
  • 1983 – Victor Leandro Bagy, Brazilian footballer
  • 1983 – Ranko Despotović, Serbian footballer
  • 1983 – Svetlana Khodchenkova, Russian actress
  • 1983 – Marieke van den Ham, Dutch water polo player
  • 1983 – Billy Mwanza, Zambian footballer
  • 1983 – Maryse Ouellet, French-Canadian wrestler
  • 1983 – Álvaro Quirós, Spanish golfer
  • 1983 – Francesca Segat, Italian swimmer
  • 1983 – Moritz Volz, German footballer, right back, football pundit and scout
  • 1983 – Kelly VanderBeek, Canadian alpine skier
  • 1984 – Leonardo Burián, Uruguayan footballer
  • 1984 – Luke Grimes, American actor
  • 1984 – Amy Hastings, American track and fielder
  • 1984 – Alex Koslov, Moldovan-American wrestler
  • 1984 – Dejan Milovanović, Serbian footballer
  • 1984 – Wes Morgan, Jamaican footballer
  • 1984 – Haloti Ngata, American footballer
  • 1985 – Markus Berger, Austrian footballer
  • 1985 – Artur Beterbiev, Russian boxer
  • 1985 – Aura Dione, Danish singer and songwriter
  • 1985 – Nick Gehlfuss, American actor
  • 1985 – Salvatore Giunta, American sergeant, Medal of Honor recipient
  • 1985 – Yumi Hara, Japanese voice actress and singer
  • 1985 – Sasha Pivovarova, Russian model and actress
  • 1985 – Rodrigo San Miguel, Spanish basketball player
  • 1985 – Ri Se-gwang, North Korean artistic gymnast
  • 1985 – Dmitri Sokolov, Russian basketball player
  • 1985 – Ryan Suter, American ice hockey player
  • 1986 – César Arzo, Spanish footballer
  • 1986 – Edson Barboza, Brazilian mixed martial artist
  • 1986 – João Gomes Júnior, Brazilian swimmer
  • 1986 – Javi López, Spanish footballer
  • 1986 – Gina Mambrú, volleyball player from Dominican Republic
  • 1986 – Jonathan Quick, American ice hockey player
  • 1986 – Mike Taylor, American basketball player
  • 1986 – Óscar Vílchez, Peruvian footballer
  • 1986 – Sushant Singh Rajput, Indian actor
  • 1987 – Ioannis Athanasoulas, Greek basketball player
  • 1987 – Andrei Cojocari, Moldovan footballer
  • 1987 – Alexander Dercho, German footballer
  • 1987 – Aida Hadzialic, Swedish politician
  • 1987 – Shaun Keeling, South African rower
  • 1987 – Augustine Kiprono Choge, Kenyan runner
  • 1987 – Kevin Kratz, German footballer
  • 1987 – Danny Munyao, Zambian footballer
  • 1987 – Henrico Drost, Dutch footballer
  • 1987 – Darren Helm, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1987 – Will Johnson, Canadian footballer
  • 1987 – Mulopo Kudimbana, Congolese footballer
  • 1987 – Nyasha Mushekwi, Zimbabwean footballer
  • 1987 – Dominik Roels, German cyclist
  • 1987 – Maša Zec Peškirič, Slovenian tennis player
  • 1987 – Ikumi Yoshimatsu, Japanese actress
  • 1988 – Glaiza de Castro, Filipino actress and singer
  • 1988 – Ashton Eaton, American decathlete
  • 1988 – Rolands Freimanis, Latvian basketball player
  • 1988 – Vanessa Hessler, Italian-American model and actress
  • 1988 – Aleksandar Lazevski, Macedonian footballer
  • 1988 – Ángel Mena, Ecuadorian footballer
  • 1988 – Valérie Tétreault, Canadian tennis player
  • 1988 – Pieter Timmers, Belgian swimmer
  • 1988 – Nemanja Tomić, Serbian footballer
  • 1988 – Ben Turner, English footballer
  • 1989 – Doğuş Balbay, Turkish basketball player
  • 1989 – Kayla Banwarth, American indoor volleyball player
  • 1989 – Férébory Doré, Congolese footballer
  • 1989 – Sergey Fesikov, Russian swimmer
  • 1989 – Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Armenian footballer
  • 1989 – Matteo Pelucchi, Italian cyclist
  • 1989 – Zhang Shuai, Chinese tennis player
  • 1990 – Arash Afshin, Iranian footballer
  • 1990 – Diogo Amado, Portuguese footballer
  • 1990 – Andriy Bohdanov, Ukrainian footballer
  • 1990 – Kelly Rohrbach, American model and actress
  • 1990 – André Martins, Portuguese footballer
  • 1990 – Knowledge Musona, Zimbabwean footballer
  • 1990 – Jacob Smith, American actor
  • 1990 – Doni Tata Pradita, Indonesian motorcycle racer
  • 1991 – Ali Al-Busaidi, Omani footballer
  • 1991 – Javier Calvo, Spanish actor and director
  • 1991 – Mohammad Ghadir, Arab-Israeli footballer
  • 1991 – Jan Hirt, Czech cyclist
  • 1991 – Mateusz Mika, Polish volleyball player
  • 1991 – Alfredo Ortuño, Spanish footballer
  • 1991 – Marta Pagnini, Italian gymnast
  • 1991 – Craig Roberts, Welsh actor and director
  • 1991 – Luis Alfonso Rodríguez, Mexican footballer
  • 1992 – Verónica Cepede Royg, Paraguayan tennis player
  • 1992 – Sven Erik Bystrøm, Norwegian cyclist
  • 1992 – James Duckworth, Australian tennis player
  • 1992 – Kwame Karikari, Ghanaian footballer
  • 1992 – Nicolás Mezquida, Uruguayan footballer
  • 1992 – Roland Szolnoki, Hungarian footballer
  • 1993 – Clément Mignon, French swimmer
  • 1993 – Muralha, Brazilian footballer
  • 1993 – Chiara Pierobon, Italian cyclist (d. 2015)
  • 1994 – Amin Affane, Swedish footballer
  • 1994 – Laura Robson, Australian-English tennis player
  • 1994 – Kang Seung-yoon, South Korean singer-songwriter and actor
  • 1994 – Nils Allen “Booboo” Stewart Jr., American actor
  • 1994 – Lim Kim, South Korean singer and actress
  • 1995 – Yulia Belorukova, Russian cross-country skier
  • 1995 – Nguyễn Công Phượng, Vietnamese footballer
  • 1995 – Marine Johannes, French basketball player
  • 1995 – Alanna Kennedy, Australian footballer player
  • 1996 – Marco Asensio, Spanish footballer
  • 1996 – Aldo Kalulu, French footballer
  • 1996 – Cristian Pavón, Argentine footballer
  • 1997 – Jeremy Shada, American actor, musician and singer
  • 1998 – Borna Sosa, Croatian footballer
  • 1999 – Rubina Ali, Indian actress
  • 2003 – Natalie Garcia, rhythmic gymnast
  • 2004 – Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway, 2nd in line for the Norwegian throne

Deaths on January 21

  • 420 – Yazdegerd I, king of the Sassanid Empire
  • 496 – Epiphanius of Pavia, Italian bishop and saint (b. 438)
  • 917 – Erchanger, Duke of Swabia (b. 880)
  • 918 – Liu Zhijun, Chinese general
  • 939 – Yang Pu, Chinese emperor (b. 900)
  • 942 – An Chongrong, Chinese general (Five Dynasties)
  • 945 – Yang Tan, Chinese general and governor
  • 1118 – Pope Paschal II (b. 1050)
  • 1203 – Agnes II, Abbess of Quedlinburg (b. 1139)
  • 1320 – Árni Helgason, Icelandic bishop (b. c. 1260)
  • 1527 – Juan de Grijalva, Spanish explorer (b. 1489)
  • 1546 – Azai Sukemasa, Japanese daimyō (b. 1491)
  • 1609 – Joseph Justus Scaliger, French historian and scholar (b. 1540)
  • 1638 – Ignazio Donati, Italian composer (b. 1570)
  • 1670 – Claude Duval, French highwayman (b. 1643)
  • 1683 – Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury, English politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (b. 1621)
  • 1699 – Obadiah Walker, English historian and academic (b. 1616)
  • 1706 – Adrien Baillet, French scholar and critic (b. 1649)
  • 1710 – Johann Georg Gichtel, German mystic and critic (b. 1638)
  • 1722 – Charles Paulet, 2nd Duke of Bolton, English politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (b. 1661)
  • 1731 – Ignjat Đurđević, Croatian poet and translator (b. 1675)
  • 1773 – Alexis Piron, French playwright and author (b. 1689)
  • 1774 – Mustafa III, Ottoman sultan (b. 1717)
  • 1775 – Yemelyan Pugachev, Russian rebel (b. 1742)
  • 1789 – Baron d’Holbach, French-German philosopher and author (b. 1723)
  • 1793 – Louis XVI of France (b. 1754)
  • 1795 – Samuel Wallis, English navigator and explorer (b. 1728)
  • 1809 – Josiah Hornblower, American engineer and politician (b. 1729)
  • 1814 – Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre, French botanist and author (b. 1737)
  • 1823 – Cayetano José Rodríguez, Argentinian cleric, journalist, and poet (b. 1761)
  • 1831 – Ludwig Achim von Arnim, German poet and author (b. 1781)
  • 1851 – Albert Lortzing, German actor and composer (b. 1801)
  • 1862 – Božena Němcová, Austrian-Czech author and poet (b. 1820)
  • 1870 – Alexander Herzen, Russian philosopher and author (b. 1812)
  • 1872 – Franz Grillparzer, Austrian playwright and poet (b. 1791)
  • 1881 – Wilhelm Matthias Naeff, Swiss lawyer and politician (b. 1802)
  • 1891 – Calixa Lavallée, Canadian-American lieutenant and composer (b. 1842)
  • 1901 – Elisha Gray, American engineer, co-founded Western Electric (b. 1835)
  • 1914 – Theodor Kittelsen, Norwegian painter and illustrator (b. 1857)
  • 1918 – Jan Drozdowski, Polish pianist and music teacher (b. 1857)
  • 1919 – Gojong of Korea (b. 1852)
  • 1919 – Ahmed Muhtar Pasha, Ottoman general and politician, 277th Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire (b. 1839)
  • 1924 – Vladimir Lenin, Russian lawyer and politician (b. 1870)
  • 1926 – Camillo Golgi, Italian physician and pathologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1843)
  • 1928 – George Washington Goethals, American general and engineer (b. 1858)
  • 1931 – Felix Blumenfeld, Russian pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1863)
  • 1932 – Lytton Strachey, English writer and critic (b. 1880)
  • 1933 – George Moore, Irish author, poet, and critic (b. 1852)
  • 1937 – Marie Prevost, Canadian-American actress and singer (b. 1898)
  • 1938 – Georges Méliès, French actor, director, and producer (b. 1861)
  • 1945 – Rash Behari Bose, Indian soldier and engineer (b. 1886)
  • 1948 – Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari, Italian composer and educator (b. 1876)
  • 1950 – George Orwell, British novelist, essayist, and critic (b. 1903)
  • 1955 – Archie Hahn, German-American runner and coach (b. 1880)
  • 1956 – Sam Langford, Canadian-American boxer (b. 1883)
  • 1959 – Cecil B. DeMille, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1881)
  • 1959 – Frances Gertrude McGill, pioneering Canadian forensic pathologist (b. 1882)
  • 1959 – Carl Switzer, American child actor and hunting guide (b. 1927)
  • 1960 – Matt Moore, Irish-American actor and director (b. 1888)
  • 1961 – Blaise Cendrars, Swiss author and poet (b. 1887)
  • 1963 – Acharya Shivpujan Sahay, Indian author, poet, and academic (b. 1893)
  • 1963 – Spiros Xenos, Greek-Swedish painter (b. 1881)
  • 1965 – Gwynne Evans, American swimmer and water polo player (b. 1880)
  • 1967 – Ann Sheridan, American actress (b. 1915)
  • 1968 – Will Lang, Jr., American journalist (b. 1914)
  • 1977 – Sandro Penna, Italian poet and journalist (b. 1906)
  • 1978 – Freda Utley, English scholar and author (b. 1898)
  • 1983 – Lamar Williams, American bass player (b. 1949)
  • 1984 – Giannis Skarimpas, Greek playwright and poet (b. 1893)
  • 1984 – Jackie Wilson, American singer (b. 1934)
  • 1985 – James Beard, American chef and author (b. 1903)
  • 1985 – Eddie Graham, American wrestler and promoter (b. 1930)
  • 1987 – Charles Goodell, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician (b. 1926)
  • 1988 – Vincent Lingiari, Australian Aboriginal rights activist (b. 1919)
  • 1989 – Carl Furillo, American baseball player (b. 1922)
  • 1989 – Billy Tipton, American pianist and saxophonist (b. 1914)
  • 1993 – Charlie Gehringer, American baseball player and manager (b. 1903)
  • 1994 – Bassel al-Assad, Son of the former President of the Syrian Arab Republic Hafez al-Assad (b. 1962)
  • 1998 – Jack Lord, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1920)
  • 1999 – Susan Strasberg, American actress (b. 1938)
  • 2002 – Peggy Lee, American singer (b. 1920)
  • 2003 – Paul Haines, American-Canadian poet and songwriter (b. 1933)
  • 2003 – Paul Kuusberg, Estonian journalist and author (b. 1916)
  • 2004 – Yordan Radichkov, Bulgarian author and playwright (b. 1929)
  • 2005 – Theun de Vries, Dutch author and poet (b. 1907)
  • 2005 – John L. Hess, American journalist and critic (b. 1917)
  • 2005 – Kaljo Raid, Estonian cellist, composer, and pastor (b. 1921)
  • 2006 – Ibrahim Rugova, Kosovo journalist and politician, 1st President of Kosovo (b. 1944)
  • 2009 – Krista Kilvet, Estonian journalist, politician and diplomat (b. 1946)
  • 2010 – Paul Quarrington, Canadian author, playwright, guitarist, and composer (b. 1953)
  • 2011 – Theoni V. Aldredge, Greek-American costume designer (b. 1922)
  • 2011 – Dennis Oppenheim, American sculptor and photographer (b. 1938)
  • 2011 – E. V. V. Satyanarayana, Indian director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1958)
  • 2013 – Ahmet Mete Işıkara, Turkish geophysicist and academic (b. 1941)
  • 2013 – Chumpol Silpa-archa, Thai academic and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand (b. 1940)
  • 2013 – Michael Winner, English director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1935)
  • 2015 – Marcus Borg, American scholar, theologian, and author (b. 1942)
  • 2015 – Leon Brittan, English lawyer and politician, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (b. 1939)
  • 2015 – Johnnie Lewis, Liberian lawyer and politician, 18th Chief Justice of Liberia (b. 1946)
  • 2016 – Bill Johnson, American skier (b. 1960)
  • 2016 – Mrinalini Sarabhai, a 1992-Padma Bhushan award winner Indian classical dancer, choreographer and instructor. (b. 1918)
  • 2019 – Kaye Ballard, American actress (b. 1925)
  • 2019 – Henri, Count of Paris, Head of the House of Orléans (b. 1933)
  • 2019 – Emiliano Sala, Argentine footballer (b. 1990)
  • 2019 – Harris Wofford, American politician, author and civil rights activist (b. 1926)
  • 2020 – Terry Jones, Welsh actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1942)
  • 2020 – Morgan Wootten, American high school basketball coach (b. 1931)

Holidays and observances on January 21

  • Babinden (Bulgaria, Serbia)
  • Birthday of Princess Ingrid Alexandra (Norway)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Agnes
    • Demiana (Coptic Church)
    • Fructuosus
    • John Yi Yun-il (one of The Korean Martyrs)
    • Meinrad of Einsiedeln
    • January 21 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Errol Barrow Day (Barbados)
  • Flag Day (Quebec)
  • Grandmother’s Day (Poland)
  • Lady of Altagracia Day (Dominican Republic)
  • Lincoln Alexander Day (Canada)

January 21- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

January 13 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 532 – The Nika riots break out, during the racing season at the Hippodrome in Constantinople, as a result of discontent with the rule of the Emperor Justinian I.
  • 1435 – Sicut Dudum, forbidding the enslavement of the Guanche natives in Canary Islands by the Spanish, is promulgated by Pope Eugene IV.
  • 1547 – Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, is sentenced to death for treason, on the grounds of having quartered his arms to make them similar to those of the King, Henry VIII of England.
  • 1793 – Nicolas Jean Hugon de Bassville, representative of Revolutionary France, lynched by a mob in Rome
  • 1797 – French Revolutionary Wars: A naval battle between a French ship of the line and two British frigates off the coast of Brittany ends with the French vessel running aground, resulting in over 900 deaths.
  • 1815 – War of 1812: British troops capture Fort Peter in St. Marys, Georgia, the only battle of the war to take place in the state.
  • 1822 – The design of the Greek flag is adopted by the First National Assembly at Epidaurus.
  • 1833 – United States President Andrew Jackson writes to Vice President Martin Van Buren expressing his opposition to South Carolina’s defiance of federal authority in the Nullification Crisis.
  • 1840 – The steamship Lexington burns and sinks four miles off the coast of Long Island with the loss of 139 lives.
  • 1842 – Dr. William Brydon, an assistant surgeon in the British East India Company Army during the First Anglo-Afghan War, becomes famous for being the sole survivor of an army of 4,500 men and 12,000 camp followers when he reaches the safety of a garrison in Jalalabad, Afghanistan.
  • 1847 – The Treaty of Cahuenga ends the Mexican–American War in California.
  • 1849 – Establishment of the Colony of Vancouver Island.
  • 1849 – Second Anglo-Sikh War – Battle of Chillianwala: British forces retreat from the Sikhs.
  • 1879 – In Mozart Gardens Brooklyn Ada Anderson completed a great feat of pedestrianism – 2700 quarter miles in 2700 quarter hours, earning her $8000.
  • 1888 – The National Geographic Society is founded in Washington, D.C.
  • 1893 – The Independent Labour Party of the United Kingdom holds its first meeting.
  • 1893 – U.S. Marines land in Honolulu, Hawaii from the USS Boston to prevent the queen from abrogating the Bayonet Constitution.
  • 1895 – First Italo-Ethiopian War: the war’s opening battle, the Battle of Coatit, occurs; it is an Italian victory.
  • 1898 – Émile Zola’s J’accuse…! exposes the Dreyfus affair.
  • 1908 – The Rhoads Opera House fire in Boyertown, Pennsylvania kills 171 people.
  • 1910 – The first public radio broadcast takes place; a live performance of the operas Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci are sent out over the airwaves from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York.
  • 1915 – The 6.7 Mw  Avezzano earthquake shakes the Province of L’Aquila in Italy with a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme), killing between 29,978–32,610.
  • 1920 – The Reichstag Bloodbath of January 13, 1920, the bloodiest demonstration in German history.
  • 1935 – A plebiscite in Saarland shows that 90.3% of those voting wish to join Nazi Germany.
  • 1939 – The Black Friday bushfires burn 20,000 square kilometers of land in Australia, claiming the lives of 71 people.
  • 1942 – Henry Ford patents a plastic automobile, which is 30% lighter than a regular car.
  • 1942 – World War II: First use of an aircraft ejection seat by a German test pilot in a Heinkel He 280 jet fighter.
  • 1950 – British submarine HMS Truculent collides with an oil tanker in the Thames Estuary, killing 64 men.
  • 1950 – Finland forms diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China.
  • 1951 – First Indochina War: The Battle of Vĩnh Yên begins.
  • 1953 – An article appears in Pravda accusing some of the most prestigious and prominent doctors, mostly Jews, in the Soviet Union of taking part in a vast plot to poison members of the top Soviet political and military leadership.
  • 1958 – The Moroccan Army of Liberation ambushes a Spanish patrol in the Battle of Edchera.
  • 1963 – Coup d’état in Togo results in the assassination of president Sylvanus Olympio.
  • 1964 – Anti-Muslim riots break out in Calcutta, resulting in 100 deaths.
  • 1964 – In Manchester, New Hampshire, fourteen-year-old Pamela Mason is murdered. Edward Coolidge is tried and convicted of the crime, but the conviction is set aside by the landmark Fourth Amendment case Coolidge v. New Hampshire (1971).
  • 1966 – Robert C. Weaver becomes the first African American Cabinet member when he is appointed United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
  • 1968 – Johnny Cash performs live at Folsom State Prison.
  • 1972 – Prime Minister Kofi Abrefa Busia and President Edward Akufo-Addo of Ghana are ousted in a bloodless military coup by Colonel Ignatius Kutu Acheampong.
  • 1978 – United States Food and Drug Administration requires all blood donations to be labeled “paid” or “volunteer” donors.
  • 1982 – Shortly after takeoff, Air Florida Flight 90, a Boeing 737 jet, crashes into Washington, D.C.’s 14th Street Bridge and falls into the Potomac River, killing 78 including four motorists.
  • 1985 – A passenger train plunges into a ravine in Ethiopia, killing 428 in the worst railroad disaster in Africa.
  • 1986 – A month-long violent struggle begins in Aden, South Yemen between supporters of Ali Nasir Muhammad and Abdul Fattah Ismail, resulting in thousands of casualties.
  • 1988 – Lee Teng-hui becomes the first native Taiwanese President of the Republic of China.
  • 1990 – Douglas Wilder becomes the first elected African American governor as he takes office as Governor of Virginia in Richmond, Virginia.
  • 1991 – Soviet Union troops attack Lithuanian independence supporters in Vilnius, killing 14 people and wounding around 1000 others.
  • 1993 – Space Shuttle program: Endeavour heads for space for the third time as STS-54 launches from the Kennedy Space Center.
  • 1993 – The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) is signed.
  • 1998 – Alfredo Ormando sets himself on fire in St. Peter’s Square, protesting against homophobia.
  • 2001 – An earthquake hits El Salvador, killing more than 800.
  • 2012 – The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia sinks off the coast of Italy due to the captain Francesco Schettino’s negligence and irresponsibility. There are 32 confirmed deaths.
  • 2018 – A false emergency alert warning of an impending missile strike in Hawaii caused widespread panic in the state.
  • 2020 – Taal Volcano in the Philippines spews lava fountains while erupting in the crater.

Births on January 13

  • 5 BC – Guangwu of Han, Chinese emperor (d. 57)
  • 101 – Lucius Aelius, Roman adopted son of Hadrian (d. 138)
  • 915 – Al-Hakam II, Umayyad caliph (d. 976)
  • 1334 – Henry II, king of Castile and León (d. 1379)
  • 1338 – Jeong Mong-ju, Korean civil minister, diplomat and scholar (d. 1392)
  • 1400 – Infante John, Constable of Portugal (d. 1442)
  • 1477 – Henry Percy, 5th Earl of Northumberland (d. 1527)
  • 1505 – Joachim II Hector, Elector of Brandenburg (d. 1571)
  • 1562 – Mark Alexander Boyd, Scottish poet and soldier (d. 1601)
  • 1596 – Jan van Goyen, Dutch painter and illustrator (d. 1656)
  • 1610 – Maria Anna of Bavaria, archduchess of Austria (d. 1665)
  • 1616 – Antoinette Bourignon, French-Flemish mystic and author (d. 1680)
  • 1651 – Henry Booth, 1st Earl of Warrington, English soldier and politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (d. 1694)
  • 1683 – Christoph Graupner, German harpsichord player and composer (d. 1760)
  • 1720 – Richard Hurd, English bishop (d. 1808)
  • 1749 – Maler Müller, German poet, painter, and playwright (d. 1825)
  • 1787 – John Davis, American lawyer and politician, 14th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1854)
  • 1804 – Paul Gavarni, French illustrator (d. 1866)
  • 1805 – Thomas Dyer, American lawyer and politician, 18th Mayor of Chicago (d. 1862)
  • 1808 – Salmon P. Chase, American jurist and politician, 6th Chief Justice of the United States (d. 1873)
  • 1810 – Ernestine Rose, American suffragist, abolitionist, and freethinker (d. 1892)
  • 1812 – Victor de Laprade, French poet and critic (d. 1883)
  • 1832 – Horatio Alger, Jr., American novelist and journalist (d. 1899)
  • 1845 – Félix Tisserand, French astronomer and academic (d. 1896)
  • 1858 – Oskar Minkowski, Lithuanian-German biologist and academic (d. 1931)
  • 1859 – Kostis Palamas, Greek poet and playwright (d. 1943)
  • 1861 – Max Nonne, German neurologist and academic (d. 1959)
  • 1864 – Wilhelm Wien, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1928)
  • 1865 – Princess Marie of Orléans (d. 1908)
  • 1866 – Vasily Kalinnikov, Russian bassoon player and composer (d. 1901)
  • 1866 – George Gurdjieff, Russian-French mystic and philosopher (d. 1949)
  • 1869 – Prince Emanuele Filiberto, Duke of Aosta (d. 1931)
  • 1870 – Ross Granville Harrison, American biologist and anatomist (d. 1959)
  • 1878 – Lionel Groulx, Canadian priest and historian (d. 1967)
  • 1881 – Essington Lewis, Australian engineer and businessman (d. 1961)
  • 1883 – Nathaniel Cartmell, American runner and coach (d. 1967)
  • 1885 – Alfred Fuller, Canadian-American businessman, founded the Fuller Brush Company (d. 1973)
  • 1886 – Art Ross, Canadian-American ice hockey player and coach (d. 1964)
  • 1887 – Sophie Tucker, Russian-born American singer and actress (d. 1966)
  • 1890 – Jüri Uluots, Estonian journalist, lawyer, and politician, 7th Prime Minister of Estonia (d. 1945)
  • 1892 – Ermanno Aebi, Italian-Swiss footballer (d. 1976)
  • 1893 – Charles Arnison, English lieutenant and pilot (d. 1974)
  • 1893 – Roy Cazaly, Australian footballer and coach (d. 1963)
  • 1893 – Clark Ashton Smith, American poet, sculptor, painter, and author (d. 1961)
  • 1893 – Chaim Soutine, Belarusian-French painter (d. 1943)
  • 1900 – Shimizugawa Motokichi, Japanese sumo wrestler (d. 1967)
  • 1900 – Gertrude Mary Cox, American mathematician (d. 1978)
  • 1901 – A. B. Guthrie, Jr., American novelist, screenwriter, historian (d. 1991)
  • 1901 – Mieczysław Żywczyński, Polish priest and historian (d. 1978)
  • 1902 – Karl Menger, Austrian-American mathematician from the Vienna Circle (d. 1985)
  • 1904 – Richard Addinsell, English composer (d. 1977)
  • 1904 – Nathan Milstein, Ukrainian-American violinist and composer (d. 1992)
  • 1904 – Dick Rowley, Irish footballer, centre forward (d. 1984)
  • 1905 – Kay Francis, American actress (d. 1968)
  • 1905 – Jack London, English sprinter and pianist (d. 1966)
  • 1906 – Zhou Youguang, Chinese linguist, sinologist, and academic (d. 2017)
  • 1909 – Helm Glöckler, German race car driver (d. 1993)
  • 1910 – Yannis Tsarouchis, Greek painter and illustrator (d. 1989)
  • 1911 – Joh Bjelke-Petersen, New Zealand-Australian farmer and politician, 31st Premier of Queensland (d. 2005)
  • 1914 – Osa Massen, Danish-American actress (d. 2006)
  • 1914 – Ted Willis, Baron Willis, English author, playwright, and screenwriter (d. 1992)
  • 1919 – Robert Stack, American actor (d. 2003)
  • 1921 – Necati Cumalı, Greek-Turkish author and poet (d. 2001)
  • 1921 – Dachine Rainer, American-English author and poet (d. 2000)
  • 1921 – Arthur Stevens, English footballer, outside right (d. 2007}
  • 1922 – Albert Lamorisse, French director and producer (d. 1970)
  • 1923 – Daniil Shafran, Russian cellist (d. 1997)
  • 1923 – Willem Slijkhuis, Dutch runner (d. 2003)
  • 1924 – Paul Feyerabend, Austrian-Swiss philosopher and academic (d. 1994)
  • 1924 – Roland Petit, French dancer and choreographer (d. 2011)
  • 1925 – Rosemary Murphy, American actress (d. 2014)
  • 1925 – Vanita Smythe, American singer and actress (d. 1994)
  • 1925 – Ron Tauranac, Australian engineer and businessman
  • 1925 – Gwen Verdon, American actress and dancer (d. 2000)
  • 1926 – Michael Bond, English soldier and author, created Paddington Bear (d. 2017)
  • 1926 – Carolyn Gold Heilbrun, American author and academic (d. 2003)
  • 1926 – Melba Liston, American trombonist and composer (d. 1999)
  • 1927 – Brock Adams, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 5th United States Secretary of Transportation (d. 2004)
  • 1927 – Liz Anderson, American singer-songwriter (d. 2011)
  • 1927 – Sydney Brenner, South African biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2019)
  • 1929 – Joe Pass, American guitarist and composer (d. 1994)
  • 1930 – Frances Sternhagen, American actress
  • 1931 – Ian Hendry, English actor (d. 1984)
  • 1931 – Charles Nelson Reilly, American actor, comedian, director, game show panelist, and television personality (d. 2007)
  • 1932 – Barry Bishop, American mountaineer, photographer, and scholar (d. 1994)
  • 1933 – Tom Gola, American basketball player, coach, and politician (d. 2014)
  • 1935 – Rip Taylor, American actor and comedian (d. 2019)
  • 1936 – Renato Bruson, Italian opera singer
  • 1937 – Guy Dodson, New Zealand-English biochemist and academic (d. 2012)
  • 1938 – Cabu, French cartoonist (d. 2015)
  • 1938 – Daevid Allen, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2015)
  • 1938 – Richard Anthony, Egyptian-French singer-songwriter (d. 2015)
  • 1938 – Dave Edwards, American captain and politician (d. 2013)
  • 1938 – Tord Grip, Swedish footballer and manager
  • 1938 – Anna Home, English screenwriter and producer
  • 1939 – Edgardo Cozarinsky, Argentinian author, screenwriter, and director
  • 1939 – Jacek Gmoch, Polish footballer and coach
  • 1939 – Cesare Maniago, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1940 – Edmund White, American novelist, memoirist, and essayist
  • 1941 – Pasqual Maragall, Spanish academic and politician, 127th President of the Generalitat de Catalunya
  • 1941 – Meinhard Nehmer, German bobsledder
  • 1943 – William Duckworth, American composer and author (d. 2012)
  • 1943 – Richard Moll, American actor
  • 1945 – Gordon McVie, English oncologist and author
  • 1945 – Peter Simpson, English footballer
  • 1946 – Ordal Demokan, Turkish physicist and academic (d. 2004)
  • 1946 – Eero Koivistoinen, Finnish saxophonist, composer, and conductor
  • 1947 – John Lees, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1947 – Jacek Majchrowski, Polish historian, lawyer, and politician
  • 1947 – Carles Rexach, Spanish footballer and coach
  • 1948 – Gaj Singh, Indian lawyer and politician
  • 1949 – Rakesh Sharma, Indian commander, pilot, and astronaut
  • 1949 – Brandon Tartikoff, American screenwriter and producer (d. 1997)
  • 1950 – Clive Betts, English economist and politician
  • 1950 – Bob Forsch, American baseball player (d. 2011)
  • 1950 – Gholam Hossein Mazloumi, Iranian footballer and manager (d. 2014)
  • 1952 – Stephen Glover, English journalist, co-founded The Independent
  • 1953 – Silvana Gallardo, American actress and producer (d. 2012)
  • 1954 – Richard Blackford, English composer
  • 1954 – Trevor Rabin, South African-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1955 – Paul Kelly, Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1955 – Jay McInerney, American novelist and critic
  • 1955 – Anne Pringle, English diplomat, British Ambassador to Russia
  • 1957 – Claudia Emerson, American poet and academic (d. 2014)
  • 1957 – Mary Glindon, English lawyer and politician
  • 1957 – Mark O’Meara, American golfer
  • 1957 – Lorrie Moore, American short story writer
  • 1958 – Francisco Buyo, Spanish footballer and manager
  • 1958 – Juan Pedro de Miguel, Spanish handball player (d. 2016)
  • 1959 – Winnie Byanyima, Ugandan engineer, politician, and diplomat
  • 1960 – Eric Betzig, American physicist and chemist, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1960 – Matthew Bourne, English choreographer and director
  • 1961 – Wayne Coyne, American singer-songwriter and musician
  • 1961 – Kelly Hrudey, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
  • 1961 – Julia Louis-Dreyfus, American actress, comedian, and producer
  • 1962 – Trace Adkins, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1962 – Paul Higgins, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1964 – Penelope Ann Miller, American actress
  • 1966 – Patrick Dempsey, American actor and race car driver
  • 1966 – Leo Visser, Dutch speed skater and pilot
  • 1968 – Mike Whitlow, English footballer and coach
  • 1969 – Stefania Belmondo, Italian skier
  • 1969 – Stephen Hendry, Scottish snooker player and journalist
  • 1970 – Frank Kooiman, Dutch footballer
  • 1970 – Marco Pantani, Italian cyclist (d. 2004)
  • 1970 – Shonda Rhimes, American actress, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1972 – Mark Bosnich, Australian footballer and sportscaster
  • 1972 – Nicole Eggert, American actress
  • 1972 – Vitaly Scherbo, Belarusian gymnast
  • 1973 – Nikolai Khabibulin, Russian ice hockey player
  • 1973 – Gigi Galli, Italian race driver
  • 1974 – Sergei Brylin, Russian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1975 – Rune Eriksen, Norwegian guitarist and composer
  • 1975 – Mailis Reps, Estonian academic and politician, 31st Estonian Minister of Education and Research
  • 1975 – Andrew Yang, American entrepreneur, founder of Venture for America, and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate
  • 1976 – Mario Yepes, Colombian footballer
  • 1977 – Orlando Bloom, English actor and producer
  • 1977 – Mi-Hyun Kim, South Korean golfer
  • 1977 – Elliot Mason, English trombonist and keyboard player
  • 1977 – James Posey, American basketball player and coach
  • 1978 – Nate Silver, American journalist and statistician, developed PECOTA
  • 1979 – Katy Brand, English actress and screenwriter
  • 1980 – Krzysztof Czerwiński, Polish organist and conductor
  • 1980 – Nils-Eric Johansson, Swedish footballer
  • 1980 – Akira Kaji, Japanese footballer
  • 1980 – Wolfgang Loitzl, Austrian ski jumper
  • 1980 – Mirko Soltau, German footballer
  • 1981 – Reggie Brown, American football player
  • 1981 – Darrell Rasner, American baseball player
  • 1981 – Yujiro Takahashi, Japanese wrestler
  • 1982 – Kamran Akmal, Pakistan cricketer
  • 1982 – Guillermo Coria, Argentinian tennis player
  • 1982 – Constantinos Makrides, Cypriot footballer
  • 1982 – Ruth Wilson, English actress
  • 1983 – Ender Arslan, Turkish basketball player
  • 1983 – Sebastian Kneißl, German footballer
  • 1983 – Mauricio Martín Romero, Argentinian footballer
  • 1984 – Matteo Cavagna, Italian footballer
  • 1984 – Kamghe Gaba, German sprinter
  • 1984 – Nick Mangold, American football player
  • 1985 – Luke Robinson, American wrestler
  • 1986 – Joannie Rochette, Canadian figure skater
  • 1987 – Stefano Del Sante, Italian footballer
  • 1987 – Jack Johnson, American ice hockey player
  • 1987 – Florica Leonida, Romanian gymnast
  • 1987 – Steven Michaels, Australian rugby league player
  • 1987 – Daniel Oss, Italian cyclist
  • 1987 – Marc Staal, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1987 – Sven Wetzel, German rugby player
  • 1988 – Josh Freeman, American football player
  • 1989 – Morgan Burnett, American football player
  • 1989 – Doug Martin, American football player
  • 1990 – Vincenzo Fiorillo, Italian footballer
  • 1990 – Liam Hemsworth, Australian actor
  • 1991 – Rob Kiernan, English-Irish footballer
  • 1992 – Adam Matthews, Welsh footballer
  • 1992 – Dinah Pfizenmaier, German tennis player
  • 1993 – Max Whitlock, English artistic gymnast
  • 1997 – Micah Hart, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1997 – Connor McDavid, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1997 – Ivan Provorov, Russian ice hockey player

Deaths on January 13

  • 86 BC – Gaius Marius, Roman general and politician (b. 157 BC)
  • 533 – Remigius, French bishop and saint (b. 437)
  • 614 – Mungo, English-Scottish bishop and saint
  • 703 – Jitō, Japanese emperor (b. 645)
  • 858 – Æthelwulf, king of Wessex
  • 888 – Charles the Fat, Frankish king and emperor (b. 839)
  • 927 – Berno of Cluny, Frankish monk and abbot
  • 1001 – Fujiwara no Teishi, Japanese empress (b. 977)
  • 1147 – Robert de Craon, Grand Master of the Knights Templar
  • 1151 – Suger, French historian and politician (b. 1081)
  • 1177 – Henry II, count palatine and duke of Austria (b. 1107)
  • 1321 – Bonacossa Borri, Italian noblewoman (b. 1254)
  • 1330 – Frederick I, duke and king of Germany
  • 1363 – Meinhard III, German nobleman (b. 1344)
  • 1400 – Thomas le Despenser, 1st Earl of Gloucester, English politician (b. 1373)
  • 1599 – Edmund Spenser, English poet, Chief Secretary for Ireland (b. 1552)
  • 1612 – Jane Dormer, English lady-in-waiting (b. 1538)
  • 1625 – Jan Brueghel the Elder, Flemish painter (b. 1568)
  • 1684 – Henry Howard, 6th Duke of Norfolk, English nobleman (b. 1628)
  • 1691 – George Fox, English religious leader, founded the Religious Society of Friends (b. 1624)
  • 1717 – Maria Sibylla Merian, German entomologist and illustrator (b. 1647)
  • 1775 – Johann Georg Walch, German theologian and author (b. 1693)
  • 1790 – Luc Urbain de Bouëxic, French admiral (b. 1712)
  • 1796 – John Anderson, Scottish philosopher and educator (b. 1726)
  • 1832 – Thomas Lord, English cricketer, founded Lord’s Cricket Ground (b. 1755)
  • 1838 – Ferdinand Ries, German pianist and composer (b. 1784)
  • 1860 – William Mason, American surgeon and politician (b. 1786)
  • 1864 – Stephen Foster, American composer and songwriter (b. 1826)
  • 1872 – William Scamp, English architect and engineer (b. 1801)
  • 1882 – Wilhelm Mauser, German engineer and businessman, co-founded the Mauser Company (b. 1834)
  • 1885 – Schuyler Colfax, American journalist and politician, 17th Vice President of the United States (b. 1823)
  • 1889 – Solomon Bundy, American lawyer and politician (b. 1823)
  • 1905 – George Thorn, Australian farmer and politician, 6th Premier of Queensland (b. 1838)
  • 1906 – Alexander Stepanovich Popov, Russian physicist and academic (b. 1859)
  • 1907 – Jakob Hurt, Estonian theologist and linguist (b. 1839)
  • 1915 – Mary Slessor, Scottish-Nigerian missionary (b. 1848)
  • 1916 – Victoriano Huerta, Mexican military officer and president, 1913–1914 (b. 1850)
  • 1923 – Alexandre Ribot, French academic and politician, Prime Minister of France (b. 1842)
  • 1924 – Georg Hermann Quincke, German physicist and academic (b. 1834)
  • 1929 – Wyatt Earp, American police officer (b. 1848)
  • 1929 – H. B. Higgins, Irish-Australian judge and politician, 3rd Attorney-General for Australia (b. 1851)
  • 1934 – Paul Ulrich Villard, French physicist and chemist (b. 1860)
  • 1941 – James Joyce, Irish novelist, short story writer, and poet (b. 1882)
  • 1943 – Sophie Taeuber-Arp, Swiss painter and sculptor (b. 1889)
  • 1956 – Lyonel Feininger, German-American painter and illustrator (b. 1871)
  • 1957 – A. E. Coppard English poet and short story writer (b. 1878)
  • 1958 – Jesse L. Lasky, American film producer, co-founded Paramount Pictures (b. 1880)
  • 1962 – Ernie Kovacs, American actor and game show host (b. 1919)
  • 1963 – Sylvanus Olympio, Togolese businessman and politician, President of Togo (b. 1902)
  • 1967 – Anatole de Grunwald, Russian-English screenwriter and producer (b. 1910)
  • 1971 – Robert Still, English composer and educator (b. 1910)
  • 1973 – Sabahattin Eyüboğlu, Turkish screenwriter and producer (b. 1908)
  • 1974 – Raoul Jobin, Canadian tenor and educator (b. 1906)
  • 1974 – Salvador Novo, Mexican playwright and poet (b. 1904)
  • 1976 – Margaret Leighton, English actress (b. 1922)
  • 1977 – Henri Langlois, Turkish-French historian, co-founded the Cinémathèque Française (b. 1914)
  • 1978 – Hubert Humphrey, American pharmacist, academic, and politician, 38th Vice President of the United States (b. 1911)
  • 1978 – Joe McCarthy, American baseball player and manager (b. 1887)
  • 1979 – Donny Hathaway, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer (b. 1945)
  • 1979 – Marjorie Lawrence, Australian-American soprano (b. 1907)
  • 1980 – Andre Kostelanetz, Russian-American conductor (b. 1901)
  • 1982 – Marcel Camus, French director and screenwriter (b. 1912)
  • 1983 – René Bonnet, French race car driver and engineer (b. 1904)
  • 1986 – Abdul Fattah Ismail, Yemeni educator and politician, 4th President of South Yemen (b. 1939)
  • 1986 – Kevin Longbottom, Australian rugby league player (b. 1940)
  • 1988 – Chiang Ching-kuo, Chinese politician, President of the Republic of China (b. 1910)
  • 1993 – Camargo Guarnieri, Brazilian composer and conductor (b. 1907)
  • 1995 – Max Harris, Australian journalist, poet, and author (b. 1921)
  • 2002 – Frank Shuster, Canadian actor, comedian, and screenwriter (b. 1916)
  • 2003 – Norman Panama, American director and screenwriter (b. 1914)
  • 2004 – Arne Næss, Jr., Norwegian businessman and mountaineer (b. 1937)
  • 2005 – Earl Cameron, Canadian journalist (b. 1915)
  • 2005 – Nell Rankin, American soprano and actress (b. 1924)
  • 2006 – Frank Fixaris, American journalist and sportscaster (b. 1934)
  • 2006 – Marc Potvin, Canadian-American ice hockey player and coach (b. 1967)
  • 2007 – Michael Brecker, American saxophonist and composer (b. 1949)
  • 2007 – Danny Oakes, American race car driver (b. 1911)
  • 2008 – Johnny Podres, American baseball player and coach (b. 1932)
  • 2009 – Dai Llewellyn, Welsh humanitarian activist and politician (b. 1946)
  • 2009 – Patrick McGoohan, Irish-American actor, director, and producer (b. 1928)
  • 2009 – Mansour Rahbani, Lebanese poet, composer, and producer (b. 1925)
  • 2009 – W. D. Snodgrass, American poet (b. 1926)
  • 2009 – Nancy Bird Walton, Australian pilot (b. 1915)
  • 2010 – Teddy Pendergrass, American singer-songwriter (b. 1950)
  • 2011 – Albert Heijn, Dutch businessman (b. 1927)
  • 2012 – Rauf Denktaş, Turkish-Cypriot lawyer and politician, 1st President of Northern Cyprus (b. 1924)
  • 2012 – Guido Dessauer, German physicist and engineer (b. 1915)
  • 2012 – Miljan Miljanić, Serbian footballer and manager (b. 1930)
  • 2013 – Diogenes Allen, American philosopher and theologian (b. 1932)
  • 2013 – Rodney Mims Cook, Sr., American lieutenant and politician (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – Chia-Chiao Lin, Chinese-American mathematician and academic (b. 1916)
  • 2014 – Bobby Collins, Scottish footballer and manager (b. 1931)
  • 2014 – Randal Tye Thomas, American journalist and politician (b. 1978)
  • 2014 – Waldemar von Gazen, German general and lawyer (b. 1917)
  • 2015 – Mark Juddery, Australian journalist and author (b. 1971)
  • 2015 – Robert White, American soldier and diplomat, United States Ambassador to Paraguay (b. 1926)
  • 2016 – Brian Bedford, English-American actor and director (b. 1935)
  • 2016 – Giorgio Gomelsky, Georgian-American director, producer, songwriter, and manager (b. 1934)
  • 2016 – Lawrence Phillips, American football player (b. 1975)
  • 2017 – Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon, English photographer and sometime member of the British royal family (b. 1930)
  • 2017 – Dick Gautier, American actor (b. 1931)
  • 2017 – Magic Alex, Greek electronics engineer (b. 1942)
  • 2019 – Phil Masinga, South African footballer (b. 1969)

Holidays and observances on January 13

  • Christian feast day:
    • Blessed Veronica of Milan
    • Elian
    • Hilary of Poitiers
    • Mungo
    • St. Knut’s Day or Tjugondag Knut, the last day of Christmas. (Sweden and Finland)
    • January 13 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Constitution Day (Mongolia)
  • Democracy Day (Cape Verde)
  • Korean-American Day (Korean-American community, United States)
  • Liberation Day (Togo)
  • Old New Year’s Eve (Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Serbia, Montenegro, Republic of Srpska, North Macedonia), and its related observances:
    • Malanka (Ukraine, Russia, Belarus)
  • Sidereal winter solstice’s eve celebrations in South and Southeast Asian cultures; the last day of the six-month Dakshinayana period (see January 14):
    • Bhogi (Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu)
    • Lohri (Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh)
    • Uruka (Assam)
  • Stephen Foster Memorial Day (United States)
  • Yennayer (Berbers)

January 13 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

On This Day /
  • 1477 – Battle of Nancy: Charles the Bold is defeated and killed in a conflict with René II, Duke of Lorraine; the Burgundy subsequently becomes part of France.
  • 1675 – Battle of Colmar: The French army beats Brandenburg.
  • 1757 – Louis XV of France survives an assassination attempt by Robert-François Damiens, the last person to be executed in France by drawing and quartering, the traditional and gruesome form of capital punishment used for regicides.
  • 1781 – American Revolutionary War: Richmond, Virginia, is burned by British naval forces led by Benedict Arnold.
  • 1875 – The Palais Garnier, one of the most famous opera houses in the world, is inaugurated in Paris.
  • 1895 – Dreyfus affair: French army officer Alfred Dreyfus is stripped of his rank and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil’s Island.
  • 1911 – Kappa Alpha Psi, the world’s third oldest and largest black fraternity, is founded at Indiana University.
  • 1912 – The 6th All-Russian Conference of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (Prague Party Conference) opens. In the course of the conference, Vladimir Lenin and his supporters break from the rest of the party to form the Bolshevik movement.
  • 1913 – First Balkan War: The Battle of Lemnos begins; Greek admiral Pavlos Kountouriotis forces the Turkish fleet to retreat to its base within the Dardanelles, from which it did not venture for the rest of the war.
  • 1914 – The Ford Motor Company announces an eight-hour workday and minimum daily wage of $5 in salary plus bonuses.
  • 1919 – The German Workers’ Party, which would become the Nazi Party, is founded in Munich.
  • 1925 – Nellie Tayloe Ross of Wyoming becomes the first female governor in the United States.
  • 1933 – Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge begins in San Francisco Bay.
  • 1941 – 37-year-old pilot Amy Johnson, the first woman to fly solo from London to Australia, disappears after bailing out of her plane over the River Thames, and is presumed dead.
  • 1944 – The Daily Mail becomes the first major London newspaper to be published on both sides of the Atlantic.
  • 1945 – The Soviet Union recognizes the new pro-Soviet Provisional Government of the Republic of Poland.
  • 1949 – In his “State of the Union” address, United States President Harry S. Truman unveils his Fair Deal program.
  • 1950 – In the Sverdlovsk air disaster, all 19 of those on board are killed, including almost the entire national ice hockey team (VVS Moscow) of the Soviet Air Force – 11 players, as well as a team doctor and a masseur.
  • 1953 – The play Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett receives its première in Paris.
  • 1957 – In a speech given to the United States Congress, United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces the establishment of what will later be called the Eisenhower Doctrine
  • 1968 – Alexander Dubček comes to power in Czechoslovakia, effectively beginning the “Prague Spring”
  • 1969 – The Venera 5 space probe is launched at 06:28:08 UTCfrom Baikonur.
  • 1970 – The 7.1 Mw  Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme). Between 10,000 and 15,000 people are known to have been killed and about another 26,000 are injured.
  • 1974 – The warmest reliably measured temperature within the Antarctic Circle, of +59 °F (+15 °C), is recorded at Vanda Station.
  • 1975 – The Tasman Bridge in Tasmania, Australia, is struck by the bulk ore carrier Lake Illawarra, killing twelve people.
  • 1976 – The Khmer Rouge proclaim the Constitution of Democratic Kampuchea.
  • 1976 – The Troubles: Gunmen shoot dead ten Protestant civilians after stopping their minibus at Kingsmill in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, UK, allegedly as retaliation for a string of attacks on Catholic civilians in the area by Loyalists, particularly the killing of six Catholics the night before.
  • 1991 – Georgian forces enter Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia, Georgia, opening the 1991–92 South Ossetia War.
  • 1991 – Somali Civil War: The United States Embassy to Somalia in Mogadishu is evacuated by helicopter airlift days after the outbreak of violence in Mogadishu.
  • 1993 – The oil tanker MV Braer runs aground on the coast of the Shetland Islands, spilling 84,700 tons of crude oil.
  • 2014 – A launch of the communication satellite GSAT-14 aboard the GSLV MK.II D5 marks the first successful flight of an Indian cryogenic engine.

Births on January 5

  • 1209 – Richard, 1st Earl of Cornwall, English prince, nominal King of Germany (d. 1272)
  • 1530 – Gaspar de Bono, monk of the Order of the Minims (d. 1571)
  • 1548 – Francisco Suárez, Spanish priest, philosopher, and theologian (d. 1617)
  • 1587 – Xu Xiake, Chinese geographer and explorer (d. 1641)
  • 1592 – Shah Jahan, Mughal emperor (d. 1666)
  • 1620 – Miklós Zrínyi, Croatian military commander (d. 1664)
  • 1640 – Paolo Lorenzani, Italian composer (d. 1713)
  • 1735 – Claude Martin, French-English general and explorer (d. 1800)
  • 1767 – Jean-Baptiste Say, French economist and academic (d. 1832)
  • 1779 – Stephen Decatur, American commander (d. 1820)
  • 1779 – Zebulon Pike, American general and explorer (d. 1813)
  • 1781 – Gaspar Flores de Abrego, three terms mayor of San Antonio, in Spanish Texas (d. 1836)
  • 1793 – Harvey Putnam, American lawyer and politician (d. 1855)
  • 1808 – Anton Füster, Austrian priest and activist (d. 1881)
  • 1834 – William John Wills, English surgeon and explorer (d. 1861)
  • 1838 – Camille Jordan, French mathematician and academic (d. 1922)
  • 1846 – Rudolf Christoph Eucken, German philosopher and author, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1926)
  • 1846 – Mariam Baouardy, Syrian Roman Catholic nun; later canonized (d. 1878)
  • 1855 – King Camp Gillette, American businessman, founded the Gillette Company (d. 1932)
  • 1864 – Bob Caruthers, American baseball player and manager (d. 1911)
  • 1867 – Dimitrios Gounaris, Greek lawyer and politician, 94th Prime Minister of Greece (d. 1922)
  • 1871 – Frederick Converse, American composer and academic (d. 1940)
  • 1874 – Joseph Erlanger, American physiologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1965)
  • 1876 – Konrad Adenauer, German lawyer and politician, Chancellor of West Germany (d. 1967)
  • 1879 – Hans Eppinger, Austrian physician and academic (d. 1946)
  • 1880 – Nikolai Medtner, Russian pianist and composer (d. 1951)
  • 1881 – Pablo Gargallo, Spanish sculptor and painter (d. 1934)
  • 1882 – Herbert Bayard Swope, American journalist (d. 1958)
  • 1885 – Humbert Wolfe, Italian-English poet and civil servant (d. 1940)
  • 1886 – Markus Reiner, Israeli physicist and engineer (d. 1976)
  • 1892 – Agnes von Kurowsky, American nurse (d. 1984)
  • 1893 – Paramahansa Yogananda, Indian-American guru and philosopher (d. 1952)
  • 1897 – Kiyoshi Miki, Japanese philosopher and author (d. 1945)
  • 1900 – Yves Tanguy, French-American painter (d. 1955)
  • 1902 – Hubert Beuve-Méry, French journalist (d. 1989)
  • 1902 – Stella Gibbons, English journalist and author (d. 1989)
  • 1903 – Harold Gatty, Australian pilot and navigator (d. 1957)
  • 1904 – Jeane Dixon, American astrologer and psychic (d. 1997)
  • 1904 – Erika Morini, Austrian violinist (d. 1995)
  • 1906 – Kathleen Kenyon, English archaeologist and academic (d. 1978)
  • 1907 – Volmari Iso-Hollo, Finnish athlete (d. 1969)
  • 1908 – George Dolenz, Italian-American actor (d. 1963)
  • 1909 – Lucienne Bloch, Swiss-American sculptor, painter, and photographer (d. 1995)
  • 1909 – Stephen Cole Kleene, American mathematician and computer scientist (d. 1994)
  • 1910 – Jack Lovelock, New Zealand runner and journalist (d. 1949)
  • 1911 – Jean-Pierre Aumont, French actor and screenwriter (d. 2001)
  • 1914 – Nicolas de Staël, Russian-French painter and illustrator (d. 1955)
  • 1914 – George Reeves, American actor and director (d. 1959)
  • 1915 – Arthur H. Robinson, Canadian geographer and cartographer (d. 2004)
  • 1917 – Francis L. Kellogg, American businessman and diplomat (d. 2006)
  • 1917 – Wieland Wagner, German director and producer (d. 1966)
  • 1917 – Jane Wyman, American actress (d. 2007)
  • 1919 – Hector Abhayavardhana, Sri Lankan theorist and politician (d. 2012)
  • 1919 – Severino Gazzelloni, Italian flute player (d. 1992)
  • 1920 – Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Italian pianist and educator (d. 1995)
  • 1921 – Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Swiss author and playwright (d. 1990)
  • 1921 – Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Luxembourgish soldier and aristocrat (d. 2019)
  • 1921 – John H. Reed, American politician and diplomat, 67th Governor of Maine (d. 2012)
  • 1922 – Anthony Synnot, Australian admiral (d. 2001)
  • 1923 – Sam Phillips, American radio host and producer, founded Sun Records (d. 2003)
  • 1926 – Veikko Karvonen, Finnish runner (d. 2007)
  • 1926 – W. D. Snodgrass, American poet (d. 2009)
  • 1926 – Hosea Williams, American businessman and activist (d. 2000)
  • 1927 – Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, American guru and author, founded Iraivan Temple (d. 2001)
  • 1928 – Imtiaz Ahmed, Pakistani cricketer (d. 2016)
  • 1928 – Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Pakistani lawyer and politician, 4th President of Pakistan (d. 1979)
  • 1928 – Walter Mondale, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 42nd Vice President of the United States
  • 1929 – Aulis Rytkönen, Finnish footballer and manager (d. 2014)
  • 1931 – Alvin Ailey, American dancer and choreographer, founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (d. 1989)
  • 1931 – Alfred Brendel, Austrian pianist, poet, and author
  • 1931 – Robert Duvall, American actor and director
  • 1932 – Umberto Eco, Italian novelist, literary critic, and philosopher (d. 2016)
  • 1932 – Chuck Noll, American football player and coach (d. 2014)
  • 1934 – Phil Ramone, South African-American songwriter and producer, co-founded A & R Recording (d. 2013)
  • 1934 – Murli Manohar Joshi, Indian politician
  • 1936 – Florence King, American journalist and memoirist (d. 2016)
  • 1938 – Juan Carlos I of Spain
  • 1938 – Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, Kenyan author and playwright
  • 1939 – M. E. H. Maharoof, Sri Lankan politician (d. 1997)
  • 1940 – Athol Guy, Australian singer-songwriter and bassist
  • 1941 – Bob Cunis, New Zealand cricketer (d. 2008)
  • 1941 – Chuck McKinley, American tennis player (d. 1986)
  • 1941 – Hayao Miyazaki, Japanese animator, director, and screenwriter
  • 1941 – Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, Indian cricketer and coach (d. 2011)
  • 1942 – Maurizio Pollini, Italian pianist and conductor
  • 1942 – Charlie Rose, American journalist and talk show host
  • 1943 – Mary Gaudron, Australian lawyer and judge
  • 1943 – Murtaz Khurtsilava, Georgian footballer and manager
  • 1944 – Ed Rendell, American politician, 45th Governor of Pennsylvania
  • 1946 – Diane Keaton, American actress, director, and businesswoman
  • 1947 – Mike DeWine, American lawyer and politician, 70th Governor of Ohio
  • 1950 – Ioan P. Culianu, Romanian historian, philosopher, and author (d. 1991)
  • 1950 – Peter Goldsmith, Baron Goldsmith, English lawyer and politician, Attorney General for England and Wales
  • 1950 – John Manley, Canadian lawyer and politician, 8th Deputy Prime Minister of Canada
  • 1950 – Chris Stein, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer
  • 1952 – Uli Hoeneß, German footballer and manager
  • 1953 – Pamela Sue Martin, American actress
  • 1953 – Mike Rann, English-Australian journalist and politician, 44th Premier of South Australia
  • 1953 – George Tenet, American civil servant and academic, 18th Director of Central Intelligence
  • 1954 – Alex English, American basketball player and coach
  • 1954 – László Krasznahorkai, Hungarian author and screenwriter
  • 1955 – Mamata Banerjee, Indian lawyer and politician, Chief Minister of West Bengal
  • 1956 – Frank-Walter Steinmeier, German academic and politician, 14th Vice-Chancellor of Germany
  • 1958 – Ron Kittle, American baseball player and manager
  • 1959 – Nancy Delahunt, Canadian curler
  • 1960 – Glenn Strömberg, Swedish footballer and sportscaster
  • 1961 – Iris DeMent, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1962 – Suzy Amis, American actress and model
  • 1962 – Danny Jackson, American baseball player and manager
  • 1963 – Jeff Fassero, American baseball player and coach
  • 1965 – Vinnie Jones, English/Welsh footballer and actor
  • 1965 – Patrik Sjöberg, Swedish high jumper
  • 1968 – Carrie Ann Inaba, American actress, dancer, and choreographer
  • 1968 – Joé Juneau, Canadian ice hockey player and engineer
  • 1969 – Marilyn Manson, American singer-songwriter, actor, and director
  • 1969 – Shaun Micheel, American golfer
  • 1971 – Stian Carstensen, Norwegian multi-instrumentalist and composer
  • 1972 – Sakis Rouvas, Greek singer-songwriter, producer, and actor
  • 1973 – Uday Chopra, Bollywood actor and filmmaker
  • 1974 – Iwan Thomas, Welsh sprinter and coach
  • 1975 – Bradley Cooper, American actor and producer
  • 1975 – Warrick Dunn, American football player
  • 1975 – Mike Grier, American ice hockey player and scout
  • 1976 – Diego Tristán, Spanish footballer
  • 1978 – January Jones, American actress
  • 1979 – Kyle Calder, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1979 – Giuseppe Gibilisco, Italian pole vaulter
  • 1981 – Deadmau5 (Joel Thomas Zimmerman), Canadian musician
  • 1982 – Janica Kostelić, Croatian skier
  • 1984 – Derrick Atkins, Bahamian sprinter
  • 1985 – Diego Vera, Uruguayan footballer
  • 1986 – Deepika Padukone, Indian actress
  • 1988 – Azizulhasni Awang, Malaysian track cyclist
  • 1988 – Luke Daniels, English footballer
  • 1989 – Krisztián Németh, Hungarian footballer
  • 1990 – Mark Nicholls, Australian rugby league player

Deaths on January 5

  • 842 – Al-Mu’tasim, Abbasid caliph (b. 796)
  • 941 – Zhang Yanhan, Chinese chancellor (b. 884)
  • 1066 – Edward the Confessor, English king (b. 1004)
  • 1173 – Bolesław IV the Curly, High Duke of Poland (b. 1120)
  • 1382 – Philippa Plantagenet, Countess of Ulster (b. 1355)
  • 1400 – John Montacute, 3rd Earl of Salisbury, English politician (b. 1350)
  • 1430 – Philippa of England, Queen of Denmark, Norway and Sweden (b. 1394)
  • 1477 – Charles, Duke of Burgundy (b. 1433)
  • 1524 – Marko Marulić, Croatian poet (b. 1450)
  • 1527 – Felix Manz, Swiss martyr (b. 1498)
  • 1578 – Giulio Clovio, Dalmatian painter (b. 1498)
  • 1580 – Anna Sibylle of Hanau-Lichtenberg, German noblewoman (b. 1542)
  • 1589 – Catherine de’ Medici, queen of Henry II of France (b. 1519)
  • 1713 – Jean Chardin, French explorer and author (b. 1643)
  • 1740 – Antonio Lotti, Italian composer and educator (b. 1667)
  • 1762 – Empress Elizabeth of Russia (b. 1709)
  • 1771 – John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford, English politician, Secretary of State for the Southern Department (b. 1710)
  • 1796 – Samuel Huntington, American jurist and politician, 18th Governor of Connecticut (b. 1731)
  • 1823 – George Johnston, Scottish-Australian colonel and politician, Lieutenant Governor of New South Wales (b. 1764)
  • 1845 – Robert Smirke, English painter and illustrator (b. 1753)
  • 1846 – Alfred Thomas Agate, American painter and illustrator (b. 1812)
  • 1858 – Joseph Radetzky von Radetz, Austrian field marshal (b. 1766)
  • 1860 – John Neumann, Czech-American bishop and saint (b. 1811)
  • 1883 – Charles Tompson, Australian poet and public servant (b. 1806)
  • 1885 – Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, Norwegian author and scholar (b. 1812)
  • 1888 – Henri Herz, Austrian pianist and composer (b. 1803)
  • 1899 – Ezra Otis Kendall, American professor, astronomer and mathematician (b. 1818)
  • 1904 – Karl Alfred von Zittel, German paleontologist and geologist (b. 1839)
  • 1910 – Léon Walras, French-Swiss economist and academic (b. 1834)
  • 1917 – Isobel Lilian Gloag, English painter (b. 1865)
  • 1922 – Ernest Shackleton, Anglo-Irish sailor and explorer (b. 1874)
  • 1933 – Calvin Coolidge, American lawyer and politician, 30th President of the United States (b. 1872)
  • 1942 – Tina Modotti, Italian photographer, model, actress, and activist (b. 1896)
  • 1943 – George Washington Carver, American botanist, educator, and inventor (b. 1864)
  • 1951 – Soh Jaipil, South Korean-American journalist and activist (b. 1864)
  • 1951 – Andrei Platonov, Russian journalist and author (b. 1899)
  • 1952 – Victor Hope, 2nd Marquess of Linlithgow, Scottish colonel and politician, 46th Governor-General of India (b. 1887)
  • 1952 – Hristo Tatarchev, Bulgarian-Italian physician and activist (b. 1869)
  • 1954 – Rabbit Maranville, American baseball player and manager (b. 1891)
  • 1956 – Mistinguett, French actress and singer (b. 1875)
  • 1963 – Rogers Hornsby, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1896)
  • 1970 – Max Born, German physicist and mathematician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1882)
  • 1970 – Roberto Gerhard, Catalan composer and scholar (b. 1896)
  • 1971 – Douglas Shearer, Canadian-American sound designer and engineer (b. 1899)
  • 1972 – Tevfik Rüştü Aras, Turkish physician and politician, 6th Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1883)
  • 1974 – Lev Oborin, Russian pianist and educator (b. 1907)
  • 1976 – John A. Costello, Irish lawyer and politician, 3rd Taoiseach of Ireland (b. 1891)
  • 1978 – Wyatt Emory Cooper, American author and screenwriter (b. 1927)
  • 1979 – Billy Bletcher, American actor, singer, and screenwriter (b. 1894
  • 1979 – Charles Mingus, American bassist, composer, bandleader (b. 1922)
  • 1981 – Harold Urey, American chemist and astronomer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1893)
  • 1981 – Lanza del Vasto, Italian poet and philosopher (b. 1901)
  • 1982 – Hans Conried, American actor (b. 1917)
  • 1982 – Edmund Herring, Australian general and politician, 7th Chief Justice of Victoria (b. 1892)1985 – Robert L. Surtees, American cinematographer (b. 1906)1987 – Margaret Laurence, Canadian author and academic (b. 1926)
  • 1987 – Herman Smith-Johannsen, Norwegian-Canadian skier (b. 1875)
  • 1990 – Arthur Kennedy, American actor (b. 1914)
  • 1991 – Vasko Popa, Serbian poet and academic (b. 1922)
  • 1994 – Tip O’Neill, American lawyer and politician, 55th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (b. 1912)
  • 1997 – André Franquin, Belgian author and illustrator (b. 1924)
  • 1997 – Burton Lane, American composer and songwriter (b. 1912)
  • 1998 – Sonny Bono, American singer-songwriter, producer, actor, and politician (b. 1935)
  • 2000 – Kumar Ponnambalam, Sri Lankan Tamil lawyer and politician (b. 1938)
  • 2003 – Roy Jenkins, Welsh politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (b. 1920)
  • 2004 – Norman Heatley, English biologist and chemist, co-developed penicillin (b. 1911)
  • 2006 – Merlyn Rees, Welsh educator and politician, Home Secretary (b. 1920)
  • 2007 – Momofuku Ando, Taiwanese-Japanese businessman, founded Nissin Foods (b. 1910)
  • 2009 – Griffin Bell, American lawyer and politician, 72nd United States Attorney General (b. 1918)
  • 2010 – Willie Mitchell, American singer-songwriter, trumpet player, and producer (b. 1928)
  • 2010 – Kenneth Noland, American painter (b. 1924)
  • 2012 – Isaac Díaz Pardo, Spanish painter and sculptor (b. 1920)
  • 2012 – Frederica Sagor Maas, American author, playwright, and screenwriter (b. 1900)
  • 2014 – Eusébio, Mozambican-Portuguese footballer and manager (b. 1942)
  • 2014 – Carmen Zapata, American actress (b. 1927)
  • 2015 – Jean-Pierre Beltoise, French racing driver and motorcycle racer (b. 1937)
  • 2015 – Bernard Joseph McLaughlin, American bishop (b. 1912)
  • 2016 – Pierre Boulez, French pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1925)
  • 2017 – Jill Saward, English rape victim and activist (b. 1965)
  • 2018 – Asghar Khan, Pakistani three star general and politician (b. 1921)
  • 2018 – Thomas Bopp, American astronomer best known as the co-discoverer of comet Hale–Bopp (b. 1949)
  • 2018 – Karin von Aroldingen, German ballerina (b. 1941)
  • 2019 – Bernice Sandler, American women’s rights activist (b. 1928)
  • 2019 – Dragoslav Šekularac, Serbian footballer and manager (b. 1937)

Holidays and observances on January 5

  • Christian Feast day:
    • Charles of Mount Argus
    • John Neumann (Catholic Church)
    • Pope Telesphorus
    • Simeon Stylites (Latin Church)
    • January 5 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival (Harbin, China
  • Joma Shinji (Japan)
  • National Bird Day (United States)
  • The Twelfth day of Christmas and the Twelfth Night of Christmas. (Western Christianity)

January 5 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

January 3 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 250 – Emperor Decius orders everyone in the Roman Empire (except Jews) to make sacrifices to the Roman gods.
  • 1521 – Pope Leo X excommunicates Martin Luther in the papal bull Decet Romanum Pontificem.
  • 1653 – By the Coonan Cross Oath, the Eastern Church in India cuts itself off from colonial Portuguese tutelage.
  • 1749 – Benning Wentworth issues the first of the New Hampshire Grants, leading to the establishment of Vermont.
  • 1749 – The first issue of Berlingske, Denmark’s oldest continually operating newspaper, is published.
  • 1777 – American General George Washington defeats British General Lord Cornwallis at the Battle of Princeton.
  • 1815 – Austria, the United Kingdom, and France form a secret defensive alliance against Prussia and Russia.
  • 1833 – The United Kingdom claims sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.
  • 1848 – Joseph Jenkins Roberts is sworn in as the first president of Liberia.
  • 1861 – American Civil War: Delaware votes not to secede from the United States.
  • 1868 – Meiji Restoration in Japan: The Tokugawa shogunate is abolished; agents of Satsuma and Chōshū seize power.
  • 1870 – Construction work begins on the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, United States.
  • 1871 – In the Battle of Bapaume, an engagement in the Franco-Prussian War, General Louis Faidherbe’s forces bring about a Prussian retreat.
  • 1885 – Sino-French War: Beginning of the Battle of Núi Bop
  • 1911 – A magnitude 7.7 earthquake destroys the city of Almaty in Russian Turkestan.
  • 1911 – A gun battle in the East End of London left two dead and sparked a political row over the involvement of then-Home Secretary Winston Churchill.
  • 1913 – An Atlantic coast storm sets the lowest confirmed barometric pressure reading for a non-tropical system in the continental United States.
  • 1925 – Benito Mussolini announces he is taking dictatorial powers over Italy.
  • 1933 – Minnie D. Craig becomes the first woman elected as Speaker of the North Dakota House of Representatives, the first woman to hold a Speaker position anywhere in the United States.
  • 1938 – The March of Dimes is established as a foundation to combat infant polio by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
  • 1944 – World War II: Top Ace Major Greg “Pappy” Boyington is shot down in his Vought F4U Corsair by Captain Masajiro Kawato flying a Mitsubishi A6M Zero.
  • 1945 – World War II: Admiral Chester W. Nimitz is placed in command of all U.S. Naval forces in preparation for planned assaults against Iwo Jima and Okinawa in Japan.
  • 1946 – Popular Canadian American jockey George Woolf dies in a freak accident during a race; the annual George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award is created to honor him.
  • 1947 – Proceedings of the U.S. Congress are televised for the first time.
  • 1949 – The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the central bank of the Philippines, is established.
  • 1953 – Frances P. Bolton and her son, Oliver from Ohio, become the first mother and son to serve simultaneously in the U.S. Congress.
  • 1956 – A fire damages the top part of the Eiffel Tower.
  • 1957 – The Hamilton Watch Company introduces the first electric watch.
  • 1958 – The West Indies Federation is formed.
  • 1959 – Alaska is admitted as the 49th U.S. state.
  • 1961 – Cold War: The United States severs diplomatic relations with Cuba over the latter’s nationalization of American assets.
  • 1961 – The SL-1 nuclear reactor is destroyed by a steam explosion in the only reactor incident in the United States to cause immediate fatalities.
  • 1961 – A protest by agricultural workers in Baixa de Cassanje, Portuguese Angola, turns into a revolt, opening the Angolan War of Independence, the first of the Portuguese Colonial Wars.
  • 1962 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro.
  • 1976 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, comes into force.
  • 1977 – Apple Computer is incorporated.
  • 1990 – United States invasion of Panama: Manuel Noriega, former leader of Panama, surrenders to American forces.
  • 1993 – In Moscow, Russia, George H. W. Bush and Boris Yeltsin sign the second Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START).
  • 1994 – More than seven million people from the former apartheid Homelands receive South African citizenship.
  • 1994 – Baikal Airlines Flight 130 crashes near Irkutsk, Russia, resulting in 125 deaths.
  • 1999 – The Mars Polar Lander is launched by NASA.
  • 2000 – Final daily edition of the Peanuts comic strip.
  • 2002 – Israeli–Palestinian conflict: Israeli forces seize the Palestinian freighter Karine A in the Red Sea, finding 50 tons of weapons.
  • 2004 – Flash Airlines Flight 604 crashes into the Red Sea, resulting in 148 deaths, making it one of the deadliest aviation accidents in Egyptian history.
  • 2009 – The first block of the blockchain of the decentralized payment system Bitcoin, called the Genesis block, was established by the creator of the system, Satoshi Nakamoto.
  • 2015 – Boko Haram militants raze the entire town of Baga in north-east Nigeria, starting the Baga massacre and killing as many as 2,000 people.
  • 2016 – Following the fallout caused by the execution of Nimr al-Nimr, Iran ends its diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia.
  • 2019 – Chang’e 4 makes the first soft landing on the far side of the Moon, deploying the Yutu-2 lunar rover.
  • 2020 – Iranian General Qasem Soleimani is killed by an American airstrike near Baghdad International Airport.

Births on January 3

  • 106 BC – Cicero, Roman philosopher, lawyer, and politician (d. 43 BC)
  • 169 – Lü Bu, Chinese general and warlord (d. 199)
  • 1196 – Emperor Tsuchimikado of Japan (d. 1231)
  • 1509 – Gian Girolamo Albani, Italian cardinal (d. 1591)
  • 1611 – James Harrington, English political theorist (d. 1677)
  • 1698 – Pietro Metastasio, Italian poet and songwriter (d. 1782)
  • 1710 – Richard Gridley, American soldier and engineer (d. 1796)
  • 1722 – Fredrik Hasselqvist, Swedish biologist and explorer (d. 1752)
  • 1731 – Angelo Emo, Venetian admiral and statesman (d. 1792)
  • 1760 – Veerapandiya Kattabomman, Indian ruler (d. 1799)
  • 1775 – Francis Caulfeild, 2nd Earl of Charlemont (d. 1863)
  • 1778 – Antoni Melchior Fijałkowski, Polish archbishop (d. 1861)
  • 1793 – Lucretia Mott, American activist (d. 1880)
  • 1802 – Charles Pelham Villiers, English lawyer and politician (d. 1898)
  • 1803 – Douglas William Jerrold, English journalist and playwright (d. 1857)
  • 1806 – Henriette Sontag, German soprano and actress (d. 1854)
  • 1810 – Antoine Thomson d’Abbadie, French geographer, ethnologist, linguist, and astronomer (d. 1897)
  • 1816 – Samuel C. Pomeroy, American businessman and politician (d. 1891)
  • 1819 – Charles Piazzi Smyth, Italian-Scottish astronomer and academic (d. 1900)
  • 1821 – Karel Dežman, Slovenian archaeologist, botanist, and politician, Mayor of Ljubljana (d. 1889)
  • 1831 – Savitribai Phule, Indian poet, educator, and activist (d. 1897)
  • 1836 – Sakamoto Ryōma, Japanese samurai and rebel leader (d. 1867)
  • 1840 – Father Damien, Flemish priest and missionary (d. 1889)
  • 1847 – Ettore Marchiafava, Italian physician (d. 1935)
  • 1853 – Sophie Elkan, Swedish writer (d. 1921)
  • 1855 – Hubert Bland, English businessman (d. 1914)
  • 1861 – Ernest Renshaw, English tennis player (d. 1899)
  • 1861 – William Renshaw, English tennis player (d. 1904)
  • 1862 – Matthew Nathan, English soldier and politician, 13th Governor of Queensland (d. 1939)
  • 1865 – Henry Lytton, English actor (d. 1936)
  • 1870 – Henry Handel Richardson, Australian-English author (d. 1946)
  • 1873 – Ichizō Kobayashi, Japanese businessman and art collector, founded the Hankyu Hanshin Holdings (d. 1957)
  • 1875 – Alexandros Diomidis, Greek banker and politician, 145th Prime Minister of Greece (d. 1950)
  • 1876 – Wilhelm Pieck, German carpenter and politician, 1st President of the German Democratic Republic (d. 1960)
  • 1877 – Josephine Hull, American actress (d. 1957)
  • 1880 – Francis Browne, Irish Jesuit priest and photographer (d. 1960)
  • 1883 – Clement Attlee, English soldier, lawyer, and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1967)
  • 1883 – Duncan Gillis, Canadian discus thrower and hammer thrower (d. 1963)
  • 1884 – Raoul Koczalski, Polish pianist and composer (d. 1948)
  • 1885 – Harry Elkins Widener, American businessman (d. 1912)
  • 1886 – John Gould Fletcher, American poet and author (d. 1950)
  • 1886 – Arthur Mailey, Australian cricketer (d. 1967)
  • 1887 – August Macke, German-French painter (d. 1914)
  • 1892 – J.R.R. Tolkien, English writer, poet, and philologist (d. 1973)
  • 1894 – ZaSu Pitts, American actress (d. 1963)
  • 1897 – Marion Davies, American actress and comedian (d. 1961)
  • 1898 – Carolyn Haywood, American author and illustrator (d. 1990)
  • 1898 – Carlos Keller, Chilean historian, academic, and politician (d. 1974)
  • 1900 – Donald J. Russell, American businessman (d. 1985)
  • 1901 – Ngô Đình Diệm, Vietnamese lawyer and politician, 1st President of the Republic of Vietnam (d. 1963)
  • 1905 – Dante Giacosa, Italian engineer (d. 1996)
  • 1905 – Anna May Wong, American actress (d. 1961)
  • 1907 – Ray Milland, Welsh-American actor and director (d. 1986)
  • 1909 – Victor Borge, Danish-American pianist and conductor (d. 2000)
  • 1910 – Frenchy Bordagaray, American baseball player and manager (d. 2000)
  • 1911 – John Sturges, American director and producer (d. 1992)
  • 1912 – Federico Borrell García, Spanish soldier (d. 1936)
  • 1912 – Renaude Lapointe, Canadian journalist and politician (d. 2002)
  • 1912 – Armand Lohikoski, American-Finnish actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2005)
  • 1915 – Jack Levine, American painter and soldier (d. 2010)
  • 1916 – Betty Furness, American actress and television journalist (d. 1994)
  • 1916 – Fred Haas, American golfer (d. 2004)
  • 1917 – Albert Mol, Dutch author and actor (d. 2002)
  • 1917 – Vernon A. Walters, American general and diplomat, 17th United States Ambassador to the United Nations (d. 2002)
  • 1917 – Roger Williams Straus, Jr., American journalist and publisher, co-founded Farrar, Straus and Giroux (d. 2004)
  • 1919 – Herbie Nichols, American pianist and composer (d. 1963)
  • 1920 – Siegfried Buback, German lawyer and politician, Attorney General of Germany (d. 1977)
  • 1920 – Renato Carosone, Italian singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 2001)
  • 1921 – Chetan Anand, Indian director and screenwriter (d. 1997)
  • 1921 – Isabella Bashmakova, Russian historian of mathematics (d. 2005)
  • 1922 – Bill Travers, English actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1994)
  • 1923 – Hank Stram, American football coach and sportscaster (d. 2005)
  • 1924 – Otto Beisheim, German businessman and philanthropist, founded Metro AG (d. 2013)
  • 1924 – André Franquin, Belgian author and illustrator (d. 1997)
  • 1924 – Nell Rankin, American soprano and educator (d. 2005)
  • 1925 – Jill Balcon, English actress (d. 2009)
  • 1926 – W. Michael Blumenthal, American economist and politician, 64th United States Secretary of the Treasury
  • 1926 – George Martin, English composer, conductor, and producer (d. 2016)
  • 1928 – Abdul Rahman Ya’kub, Malaysian lawyer and politician, 3rd Chief Minister of Sarawak (d. 2015)
  • 1929 – Sergio Leone, Italian director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1989)
  • 1929 – Ernst Mahle, German-Brazilian composer and conductor
  • 1929 – Gordon Moore, American businessman, co-founder of Intel Corporation
  • 1930 – Robert Loggia, American actor and director (d. 2015)
  • 1932 – Dabney Coleman, American actor
  • 1932 – Eeles Landström, Finnish pole vaulter and politician
  • 1933 – Geoffrey Bindman, English lawyer
  • 1933 – Anne Stevenson, American-English poet and author
  • 1934 – Marpessa Dawn, American-French actress, singer, and dancer (d. 2008)
  • 1934 – Carla Anderson Hills, American lawyer and politician, 5th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
  • 1935 – Raymond Garneau, Canadian businessman and politician
  • 1937 – Glen A. Larson, American director, producer, and screenwriter, created Battlestar Galactica (d. 2014)
  • 1938 – Robin Butler, Baron Butler of Brockwell, English academic and politician
  • 1938 – K. Ganeshalingam, Sri Lankan accountant and politician, Mayor of Colombo (d. 2006)
  • 1939 – Arik Einstein, Israeli singer-songwriter and actor (d. 2013)
  • 1939 – Bobby Hull, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1940 – Leo de Berardinis, Italian actor and director (d. 2008)
  • 1940 – Bernard Blaut, Polish footballer and coach (d. 2007)
  • 1941 – Malcolm Dick, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1942 – John Marsden, Australian lawyer and activist (d. 2006)
  • 1942 – John Thaw, English actor and producer, played Inspector Morse (d. 2002)
  • 1943 – Van Dyke Parks, American singer-songwriter, musician, composer, author, and actor
  • 1944 – Blanche d’Alpuget, Australian author
  • 1945 – Stephen Stills, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1946 – John Paul Jones, English bass player, songwriter, and producer
  • 1946 – Michalis Kritikopoulos, Greek footballer (d. 2002)
  • 1947 – Fran Cotton, English rugby player
  • 1947 – Zulema, American singer-songwriter (d. 2013)
  • 1948 – Ian Nankervis, Australian footballer
  • 1950 – Victoria Principal, American actress and businesswoman
  • 1950 – Linda Steiner, American journalist and academic
  • 1950 – Vesna Vulović, Serbian plane crash survivor and Guinness World Record holder
  • 1951 – Linda Dobbs, English lawyer and judge
  • 1951 – Gary Nairn, Australian surveyor and politician, 14th Special Minister of State
  • 1952 – Esperanza Aguirre, Spanish civil servant and politician, 3rd President of the Community of Madrid
  • 1952 – Gianfranco Fini, Italian journalist and politician, Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • 1952 – Jim Ross, American professional wrestling commentator
  • 1953 – Justin Fleming, Australian playwright and author
  • 1953 – Mohammed Waheed Hassan, Maldivian educator and politician, 5th President of the Maldives
  • 1953 – Peter Taylor, English football winger and manager
  • 1956 – Mel Gibson, American-Australian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1958 – Shim Hyung-rae, South Korean actor, director, and producer
  • 1960 – Russell Spence, English racing driver
  • 1962 – Darren Daulton, American baseball player (d. 2017)
  • 1962 – Gavin Hastings, Scottish rugby player
  • 1963 – Stewart Hosie, Scottish businessman and politician
  • 1963 – Aamer Malik, Pakistani cricketer
  • 1963 – Alex Wheatle, English author and playwright
  • 1964 – Bruce LaBruce, Canadian director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1964 – Cheryl Miller, American basketball player and coach
  • 1966 – Chetan Sharma, Indian cricketer
  • 1969 – Michael Caines, English chef
  • 1969 – Lorenzo Fertitta, American entrepreneur, casino executive and sports promoter
  • 1969 – Jarmo Lehtinen, Finnish racing driver
  • 1969 – Michael Schumacher, German racing driver
  • 1969 – Gerda Weissensteiner, Italian luger and bobsledder
  • 1971 – Cory Cross, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1971 – Lee Il-hwa, South Korean actress
  • 1973 – Dan Harmon, American screenwriter and producer
  • 1974 – Robert-Jan Derksen, Dutch golfer
  • 1974 – Alessandro Petacchi, Italian cyclist
  • 1975 – Jason Marsden, American actor
  • 1975 – Thomas Bangalter, French DJ, musician (Daft Punk), and producer
  • 1975 – Danica McKellar, American actress, writer, and mathematician
  • 1976 – Angelos Basinas, Greek footballer
  • 1976 – Nicholas Gonzalez, American actor and producer
  • 1977 – Lee Bowyer, English footballer and coach
  • 1977 – A. J. Burnett, American baseball player
  • 1977 – Mayumi Iizuka, Japanese voice actress and singer
  • 1978 – Dimitra Kalentzou, Greek basketball player
  • 1978 – Dominic Wood, English comedian and former magician
  • 1980 – Bryan Clay, American decathlete
  • 1980 – Angela Ruggiero, American ice hockey player
  • 1980 – David Tyree, American football player
  • 1980 – Kurt Vile, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1980 – Mary Wineberg, American sprinter
  • 1981 – Eli Manning, American football playe
  • 1982 – Peter Clarke, English footballer
  • 1982 – Lasse Nilsson, Swedish footballer
  • 1982 – Park Ji-yoon, South Korean singer and actress
  • 1984 – Billy Mehmet, English-Irish footballer
  • 1985 – Linas Kleiza, Lithuanian basketball player
  • 1985 – Evan Moore, American football player
  • 1986 – Dana Hussain, Iraqi sprinter
  • 1986 – Greg Nwokolo, Indonesian footballer
  • 1986 – Dmitry Starodubtsev, Russian pole vaulter
  • 1987 – Reto Berra, Swiss professional ice hockey goaltender
  • 1987 – Kim Ok-bin, South Korean actress and singer
  • 1988 – Ikechi Anya, Scottish-Nigerian footballer
  • 1988 – Matt Frattin, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1988 – J. R. Hildebrand, American racing driver
  • 1989 – Ben Matulino, New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1989 – Kōhei Uchimura, Japanese artistic gymnast
  • 1990 – Yoichiro Kakitani, Japanese footballer
  • 1991 – Jerson Cabral, Dutch footballer
  • 1991 – Özgür Çek, Turkish footballer
  • 1991 – Sébastien Faure, French footballer
  • 1991 – Dane Gagai, Australian rugby league player
  • 1994 – Isaquias Queiroz, Brazilian sprint canoeist
  • 1997 – Kyron McMaster, British Virgin Islands hurdler
  • 2003 – Greta Thunberg, Swedish environmental activist

Deaths on January 3

  • 236 – Anterus, the pope of the Catholic Church
  • 323 – Yuan of Yin, Chinese emperor (b. 276)
  • 1027 – Fujiwara no Yukinari, Japanese calligrapher (b. 972)
  • 1028 – Fujiwara no Michinaga, Japanese nobleman (b. 966)
  • 1098 – Walkelin, Norman bishop of Winchester
  • 1322 – Philip V, king of France (b. 1292)
  • 1437 – Catherine of Valois, queen consort of Henry V (b. 1401)
  • 1501 – Ali-Shir Nava’i, Turkic poet, linguist, and mystic (b. 1441)
  • 1543 – Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, Portuguese explorer and navigator (b. 1499)
  • 1571 – Joachim II Hector, Elector of Brandenburg (b. 1505)
  • 1641 – Jeremiah Horrocks, English astronomer and mathematician (b. 1618)
  • 1656 – Mathieu Molé, French politician (b. 1584)
  • 1670 – George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle, English general and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (b. 1608)
  • 1701 – Louis I, prince of Monaco (b. 1642)
  • 1705 – Luca Giordano, Italian painter and illustrator (b. 1634)
  • 1743 – Ferdinando Galli-Bibiena, Italian painter and architect (b. 1657)
  • 1777 – William Leslie, Scottish captain (b. 1751)
  • 1779 – Claude Bourgelat, French surgeon and lawyer (b. 1712)
  • 1785 – Baldassare Galuppi, Italian composer (b. 1706)
  • 1795 – Josiah Wedgwood, English potter, founded the Wedgwood Company (b. 1730)
  • 1826 – Louis-Gabriel Suchet, French general (b. 1770)
  • 1871 – Kuriakose Elias Chavara, Indian priest and saint (b. 1805)
  • 1875 – Pierre Larousse, French lexicographer and publisher (b. 1817)
  • 1882 – William Harrison Ainsworth, English author (b. 1805)
  • 1895 – James Merritt Ives, American lithographer and businessman, co-founded Currier and Ives (b. 1824)
  • 1903 – Alois Hitler, Austrian civil servant (b. 1837)
  • 1911 – Alexandros Papadiamantis, Greek author and poet (b. 1851)
  • 1915 – James Elroy Flecker, English poet, author, and playwright (b. 1884)
  • 1916 – Grenville M. Dodge, American general and politician (b. 1831)
  • 1922 – Wilhelm Voigt, German criminal (b. 1849)
  • 1923 – Jaroslav Hašek, Czech journalist and author (b. 1883)
  • 1927 – Carl David Tolmé Runge, German physicist and mathematician (b. 1856)
  • 1931 – Joseph Joffre, French general (b. 1852)
  • 1933 – Wilhelm Cuno, German lawyer and politician, Chancellor of Germany (b. 1876)
  • 1933 – Jack Pickford, Canadian-American actor, director, and producer (b. 1896)
  • 1943 – Walter James, Australian lawyer and politician, 5th Premier of Western Australia (b. 1863)
  • 1944 – Jurgis Baltrušaitis, Lithuanian poet, critic, and translator (b. 1873)
  • 1945 – Edgar Cayce, American psychic and author (b. 1877)
  • 1945 – Ferdynand Antoni Ossendowski, Polish journalist and explorer (b. 1879)
  • 1946 – William Joyce, American-British pro-Axis propaganda broadcaster (b. 1906)
  • 1956 – Alexander Gretchaninov, Russian-American pianist and composer (b. 1864)
  • 1956 – Dimitrios Vergos, Greek wrestler, weightlifter, and shot putter (b. 1886)
  • 1956 – Joseph Wirth, German educator and politician, Chancellor of Germany (b. 1876)
  • 1958 – Cafer Tayyar Eğilmez, Turkish general (b. 1877)
  • 1959 – Edwin Muir, Scottish poet, author, and translator (b. 1887)
  • 1960 – Eric P. Kelly, American journalist, author, and academic (b. 1884)
  • 1962 – Hermann Lux, German footballer and manager (b. 1893)
  • 1965 – Milton Avery, American painter (b. 1885)
  • 1966 – Sammy Younge Jr., American civil rights activist (b. 1944)
  • 1967 – Mary Garden, Scottish-American soprano and actress (b. 1874)
  • 1967 – Reginald Punnett, British scientist (b. 1875)
  • 1967 – Jack Ruby, American businessman and murderer (b. 1911)
  • 1969 – Jean Focas, Greek-French astronomer (b. 1909)
  • 1969 – Tzavalas Karousos, Greek-French actor (b. 1904)
  • 1970 – Gladys Aylward, English missionary and humanitarian (b. 1902)
  • 1972 – Mohan Rakesh, Indian author and playwright (b. 1925)
  • 1975 – Victor Kraft, Austrian philosopher from the Vienna Circle (b. 1880)
  • 1975 – James McCormack, American general (b. 1910)
  • 1977 – William Gropper, American lithographer, cartoonist, and painter (b. 1897)
  • 1979 – Conrad Hilton, American businessman, founded the Hilton Hotels & Resorts (b. 1887)
  • 1980 – Joy Adamson, Austrian-Kenyan author (b. 1910)
  • 1980 – George Sutherland Fraser, Scottish poet and academic (b. 1915)
  • 1981 – Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone (b. 1883)
  • 1988 – Rose Ausländer, Ukrainian-German poet and author (b. 1901)
  • 1989 – Sergei Sobolev, Russian mathematician and academic (b. 1909)
  • 1992 – Judith Anderson, British actress (b. 1897)
  • 2002 – Satish Dhawan, Indian engineer (b. 1920)
  • 2003 – Jimmy Stewart, Scottish racing driver (b. 1931)
  • 2005 – Koo Chen-fu, Taiwanese businessman and diplomat (b. 1917)
  • 2005 – Egidio Galea, Maltese Roman Catholic priest, missionary, and educator (b. 1918)
  • 2005 – Jyotindra Nath Dixit, Indian diplomat, 2nd Indian National Security Adviser (b. 1936)
  • 2006 – Steve Rogers, Australian rugby player and coach (b. 1954)
  • 2006 – Bill Skate, Papua New Guinean politician, 5th Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea (b. 1954)
  • 2007 – János Fürst, Hungarian violinist and conductor (b. 1935)
  • 2007 – William Verity, Jr., American businessman and politician, 27th United States Secretary of Commerce (b. 1917)
  • 2008 – Choi Yo-sam, South Korean boxer (b. 1972)
  • 2009 – Betty Freeman, American philanthropist and photographer (b. 1921)
  • 2009 – Pat Hingle, American actor (b. 1923)
  • 2009 – Hisayasu Nagata, Japanese politician (b. 1969)
  • 2010 – Gustavo Becerra-Schmidt, Chilean-German composer and academic (b. 1925)
  • 2010 – Mary Daly, American theologian and scholar (b. 1928)
  • 2012 – Vicar, Chilean cartoonist (b. 1934)
  • 2012 – Robert L. Carter, American lawyer and judge (b. 1917)
  • 2012 – Winifred Milius Lubell, American author and illustrator (b. 1914)
  • 2012 – Josef Škvorecký, Czech-Canadian author and publisher (b. 1924)
  • 2012 – Bob Weston, English guitarist and songwriter (b. 1947)
  • 2013 – Alfie Fripp, English soldier and pilot (b. 1913)
  • 2013 – Ivan Mackerle, Czech cryptozoologist, explorer, and author (b. 1942)
  • 2013 – William Maxson, American general (b. 1930)
  • 2013 – Sergiu Nicolaescu, Romanian actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1930)
  • 2014 – Phil Everly, American singer and guitarist (b. 1939)
  • 2014 – George Goodman, American economist and author (b. 1930)
  • 2014 – Saul Zaentz, American film producer (b. 1921)
  • 2015 – Martin Anderson, American economist and academic (b. 1936)
  • 2015 – Edward Brooke, American captain and politician, 47th Massachusetts Attorney General (b. 1919)
  • 2016 – Paul Bley, Canadian-American pianist and composer (b. 1932)
  • 2016 – Peter Naur, Danish computer scientist, astronomer, and academic (b. 1928)
  • 2016 – Bill Plager, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1945)
  • 2016 – Igor Sergun, Russian general and diplomat (b. 1957)
  • 2017 – H. S. Mahadeva Prasad, Indian politician (b. 1958)
  • 2018 – Colin Brumby, Australian composer (b. 1933)
  • 2019 – Herb Kelleher, American businessman, co-founder of Southwest Airlines (b. 1931)
  • 2020 – Qasem Soleimani, Iranian major general, commander of the Iranian Quds Force (b. 1957)

Holidays and observances on January 3

  • Anniversary of the 1966 Coup d’état (Burkina Faso)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Daniel of Padua
    • Genevieve
    • Holy Name of Jesus
    • Kuriakose Elias Chavara (Syro-Malabar Catholic Church)
    • Pope Anterus
    • William Passavant (Episcopal Church)
    • January 3 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Ministry of Religious Affairs Day (Indonesia)
  • Tamaseseri Festival (Hakozaki Shrine, Fukuoka, Japan)
  • The first day of Nakhatsenendyan toner, celebrated until January 5 (Armenia).
  • The tenth of the Twelve Days of Christmas (Western Christianity)

January 3 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

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