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1852

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

On This Day /

February 15 in History

  • 590 – Khosrau II is crowned king of Persia.
  • 706 – Byzantine emperor Justinian II has his predecessors Leontios and Tiberios III publicly executed in the Hippodrome of Constantinople.
  • 1002 – At an assembly at Pavia of Lombard nobles, Arduin of Ivrea is restored to his domains and crowned King of Italy.
  • 1113 – Pope Paschal II issues Pie Postulatio Voluntatis, recognizing the Order of Hospitallers.
  • 1214 – During the Anglo-French War (1213–1214), an English invasion force led by John, King of England, lands at La Rochelle in France.
  • 1493 – While on board the Niña, Christopher Columbus writes an open letter (widely distributed upon his return to Portugal) describing his discoveries and the unexpected items he came across in the New World.
  • 1637 – Ferdinand III becomes Holy Roman Emperor.
  • 1690 – Constantin Cantemir, Prince of Moldavia, and the Holy Roman Empire sign a secret treaty in Sibiu, stipulating that Moldavia would support the actions led by the House of Habsburg against the Ottoman Empire.
  • 1764 – The city of St. Louis is established in Spanish Louisiana (now in Missouri, USA).
  • 1798 – The Roman Republic is proclaimed after Louis-Alexandre Berthier, a general of Napoleon, had invaded the city of Rome five days earlier.
  • 1835 – Serbia’s Sretenje Constitution briefly comes into effect.
  • 1862 – American Civil War: Confederates commanded by Brig. Gen. John B. Floyd attack General Ulysses S. Grant’s Union forces Fort Donelson, Tennessee. Unable to break the fort’s encirclement, Lloyd surrenders the following day.
  • 1870 – Stevens Institute of Technology is founded in New Jersey, USA and offers the first Bachelor of Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering.
  • 1879 – Women’s rights: US President Rutherford B. Hayes signs a bill allowing female attorneys to argue cases before the Supreme Court of the United States.
  • 1891 – Allmänna Idrottsklubben (AIK) (Swedish Sports Club) is founded.
  • 1898 – The battleship USS Maine explodes and sinks in Havana harbor in Cuba, killing 274. This event leads the United States to declare war on Spain.
  • 1901 – The association football club Alianza Lima is founded in Lima, Peru, under the name Sport Alianza.
  • 1909 – The Flores Theater fire in Acapulco, Mexico kills 250.
  • 1921 – Kingdom of Romania establishes its legation in Helsinki.
  • 1923 – Greece becomes the last European country to adopt the Gregorian calendar.
  • 1925 – The 1925 serum run to Nome: The second delivery of serum arrives in Nome, Alaska.
  • 1933 – In Miami, Giuseppe Zangara attempts to assassinate US President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt, but instead shoots Chicago mayor Anton J. Cermak, who dies of his wounds on March 6, 1933.
  • 1942 – World War II: Fall of Singapore. Following an assault by Japanese forces, the British General Arthur Percival surrenders. About 80,000 Indian, United Kingdom and Australian soldiers become prisoners of war, the largest surrender of British-led military personnel in history.
  • 1944 – World War II: The assault on Monte Cassino, Italy begins.
  • 1944 – World War II: The Narva Offensive begins.
  • 1945 – World War II: Third day of bombing in Dresden.
  • 1946 – ENIAC, the first electronic general-purpose computer, is formally dedicated at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
  • 1949 – Gerald Lankester Harding and Roland de Vaux begin excavations at Cave 1 of the Qumran Caves, where they will eventually discover the first seven Dead Sea Scrolls.
  • 1952 – King George VI of the United Kingdom is buried in St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.
  • 1954 – Canada and the United States agree to construct the Distant Early Warning Line, a system of radar stations in the far northern Arctic regions of Canada and Alaska.
  • 1961 – Sabena Flight 548 crashes in Belgium, killing 73, including the entire United States figure skating team along with several of their coaches and family members.
  • 1965 – A new red-and-white maple leaf design is adopted as the flag of Canada, replacing the old Canadian Red Ensign banner.
  • 1971 – The decimalisation of British coinage is completed on Decimal Day.
  • 1972 – Sound recordings are granted U.S. federal copyright protection for the first time.
  • 1972 – José María Velasco Ibarra, serving as President of Ecuador for the fifth time, is overthrown by the military for the fourth time.
  • 1982 – The drilling rig Ocean Ranger sinks during a storm off the coast of Newfoundland, killing 84 workers.
  • 1989 – Soviet–Afghan War: The Soviet Union officially announces that all of its troops have left Afghanistan.
  • 1991 – The Visegrád Agreement, establishing cooperation to move toward free-market systems, is signed by the leaders of Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland.
  • 1992 – Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer is sentenced in Milwaukee to life in prison.
  • 1992 – Air Transport International Flight 805 crashes near Toledo Express Airport in Ohio, killing all four people on board.
  • 1996 – At the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in China, a Long March 3 rocket, carrying an Intelsat 708, crashes into a rural village after liftoff, killing many people.
  • 2001 – The first draft of the complete human genome is published in Nature.
  • 2003 – Protests against the Iraq war take place in over 600 cities worldwide. It is estimated that between eight million to 30 million people participate, making this the largest peace demonstration in history.
  • 2010 – Two trains collide in the Halle train collision in Halle, Belgium, killing 19 and injuring 171 people.
  • 2012 – Three hundred sixty people die in a fire at a Honduran prison in the city of Comayagua.
  • 2013 – A meteor explodes over Russia, injuring 1,500 people as a shock wave blows out windows and rocks buildings. This happens unexpectedly only hours before the expected closest ever approach of the larger and unrelated asteroid 2012 DA14.

Births on February 15

  • 1377 – Ladislaus of Naples (d. 1414)
  • 1458 – Ivan the Young, son of Ivan III of Russia (d. 1490)
  • 1471 – Piero the Unfortunate, Italian ruler (d. 1503)
  • 1506 – Juliana of Stolberg, German countess (d. 1580)
  • 1519 – Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, first Spanish Governor of Florida (d. 1574)
  • 1557 – Alfonso Fontanelli, Italian composer (d. 1622)
  • 1564 – Galileo Galilei, Italian astronomer, physicist, and mathematician (d. 1642)
  • 1571 – Michael Praetorius, German organist and composer (probable; d. 1621)
  • 1612 – Paul de Chomedey, Sieur de Maisonneuve, French soldier, founded Montreal (d. 1676)
  • 1627 – Charles Morton, Cornish nonconformist minister (d. 1698)
  • 1638 – Zeb-un-Nissa, Mughal princess and poet (d. 1702)
  • 1705 – Charles-André van Loo, French painter (d. 1765)
  • 1710 – Louis XV of France (d. 1774)
  • 1725 – Abraham Clark, American surveyor, lawyer, and politician (d. 1794)
  • 1734 – William Stacy, American colonel (d. 1802)
  • 1739 – Alexandre-Théodore Brongniart, French architect, designed the Paris Bourse (d. 1813)
  • 1748 – Jeremy Bentham, English jurist and philosopher (d. 1832)
  • 1759 – Friedrich August Wolf, German philologist and critic (d. 1824)
  • 1760 – Jean-François Le Sueur, French composer and educator (d. 1837)
  • 1797 – Henry E. Steinway, German-American businessman, founded Steinway & Sons (d. 1871)
  • 1809 – André Dumont, Belgian geologist and academic (d. 1857)
  • 1809 – Cyrus McCormick, American journalist and businessman, co-founded International Harvester (d. 1884)
  • 1810 – Mary S. B. Shindler, American poet, writer, and editor (d. 1883)
  • 1811 – Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, Argentinian journalist and politician, 7th President of Argentina (d. 1888)
  • 1812 – Charles Lewis Tiffany, American businessman, founded Tiffany & Co. (d. 1902)
  • 1820 – Susan B. Anthony, American suffragist and activist (d. 1906)
  • 1825 – Carter Harrison, Sr., American lawyer and politician, 29th Mayor of Chicago (d. 1893)
  • 1834 – V. A. Urechia, Moldavian-Romanian historian, author, and playwright (d. 1901)
  • 1835 – Demetrius Vikelas, Greek businessman and philanthropist (d. 1908)
  • 1840 – Titu Maiorescu, Romanian philosopher, academic, and politician, 23rd Prime Minister of Romania (d. 1917)
  • 1841 – Manuel Ferraz de Campos Sales, Brazilian lawyer and politician, 4th President of Brazil (d. 1913)
  • 1845 – Elihu Root, American lawyer and politician, 38th United States Secretary of State, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1937)
  • 1847 – Robert Fuchs, Austrian composer and educator (d. 1927)
  • 1849 – Rickman Godlee, English surgeon and academic (d. 1925)
  • 1850 – Sophie Bryant, Irish mathematician, academic and activist (d. 1922)
  • 1851 – Spiru Haret, Romanian mathematician, astronomer, and politician, 55th Romanian Minister of Internal Affairs (d. 1912)
  • 1856 – Emil Kraepelin, German psychiatrist and academic (d. 1926)
  • 1861 – Martin Burns, American wrestler and coach (d. 1937)
  • 1861 – Charles Édouard Guillaume, Swiss-French physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1938)
  • 1861 – Alfred North Whitehead, English mathematician and philosopher (d. 1947)
  • 1873 – Hans von Euler-Chelpin, German-Swedish biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1964)
  • 1874 – Ernest Shackleton, Anglo-Irish captain and explorer (d. 1922)
  • 1883 – Sax Rohmer, English-American author (d. 1959)
  • 1890 – Robert Ley, German politician (d. 1945)
  • 1892 – James Forrestal, American lieutenant and politician, 1st United States Secretary of Defense (d. 1949)
  • 1892 – Roy Rene, Australian comedian (d. 1954)
  • 1893 – Roman Najuch, Polish professional tennis player (d. 1967)
  • 1896 – Arthur Shields, Irish republican and actor (d. 1970)
  • 1897 – Gerrit Kleerekoper, Jewish-Dutch gymnast and coach (d. 1943)
  • 1898 – Totò, Italian actor, singer, and screenwriter (d. 1967)
  • 1899 – Georges Auric, French composer (d. 1983)
  • 1899 – Gale Sondergaard, Danish-American actress (d. 1985)
  • 1904 – Mary Adshead, English painter (d. 1995)
  • 1904 – Antonin Magne, French cyclist and manager (d. 1983)
  • 1905 – Harold Arlen, Jewish-American composer (d. 1986)
  • 1907 – Jean Langlais, French organist and composer (d. 1991)
  • 1907 – Cesar Romero, American actor (d. 1994)
  • 1908 – Sarto Fournier, Canadian lawyer and politician, 38th Mayor of Montreal (d. 1980)
  • 1909 – Miep Gies, Austrian-Dutch humanitarian, helped hide Anne Frank and her family (d. 2010)
  • 1910 – Irena Sendler, Polish nurse and humanitarian, Righteous Gentile (d. 2008)
  • 1912 – George Mikes, Jewish Hungarian-English journalist and author (d. 1987)
  • 1913 – Erich Eliskases, Austrian chess player (d. 1997)
  • 1914 – Hale Boggs, American lawyer and politician (d. 1972)
  • 1914 – Kevin McCarthy, Jewish-Irish American actor (d. 2010)
  • 1916 – Mary Jane Croft, American actress (d. 1999)
  • 1918 – Allan Arbus, Jewish-American actor and photographer (d. 2013)
  • 1918 – Hank Locklin, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2009)
  • 1919 – Ducky Detweiler, American baseball player and manager (d. 2013)
  • 1920 – Endicott Peabody, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 62nd Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1997)
  • 1920 – Eio Sakata, Japanese Go player (d. 2010)
  • 1922 – John B. Anderson, Swedish-American lawyer and politician (d. 2017)
  • 1923 – Yelena Bonner, Jewish Soviet-Russian activist (d. 2011)
  • 1924 – Robert Drew, American director and producer (d. 2014)
  • 1925 – Angella D. Ferguson, American pediatrician
  • 1927 – Frank Dunlop, English actor and director
  • 1927 – Harvey Korman, American actor and comedian (d. 2008)
  • 1927 – Yehoshua Neuwirth, Israeli rabbi and scholar (d. 2013)
  • 1928 – Norman Bridwell, American author and illustrator, created Clifford the Big Red Dog (d. 2014)
  • 1928 – Joseph Willcox Jenkins, American composer, conductor, and educator (d. 2014)
  • 1929 – Graham Hill, English race car driver and businessman (d. 1975)
  • 1929 – James R. Schlesinger, American economist and politician, 12th United States Secretary of Defense (d. 2014)
  • 1930 – Bruce Dawe, Australian poet and academic
  • 1931 – Claire Bloom, English actress
  • 1931 – Jonathan Steele, English journalist and author
  • 1934 – Jimmy Bloomfield, English footballer and manager (d. 1983)
  • 1934 – Graham Kennedy, Australian television host and actor (d. 2005)
  • 1934 – Niklaus Wirth, Swiss computer scientist, created the Pascal programming language
  • 1934 – Abe Woodson, American football player and minister (d. 2014)
  • 1935 – Susan Brownmiller, American journalist and author
  • 1935 – Roger B. Chaffee, American lieutenant, engineer, and astronaut (d. 1967)
  • 1935 – Gene Hickerson, American football player (d. 2008)
  • 1937 – Gregory Mcdonald, American author (d. 2008)
  • 1937 – Coen Moulijn, Dutch footballer (d. 2011)
  • 1940 – İsmail Cem İpekçi, Turkish journalist and politician, 45th Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 2007)
  • 1940 – John Hadl, American football player and coach
  • 1940 – Hamzah Haz, Indonesian journalist and politician, 9th Vice President of Indonesia
  • 1940 – Vaino Vahing, Estonian psychiatrist, author, and playwright (d. 2008)
  • 1941 – Florinda Bolkan, Brazilian actress
  • 1941 – Brian Holland, American songwriter and producer
  • 1944 – Mick Avory, English drummer
  • 1945 – Jack Dann, American-Australian author and poet
  • 1945 – John Helliwell, English saxophonist and keyboard player
  • 1945 – Douglas Hofstadter, American author and academic
  • 1946 – Clare Short, English civil servant and politician, Secretary of State for International Development
  • 1947 – John Adams, American composer
  • 1947 – Marisa Berenson, American model and actress
  • 1948 – Art Spiegelman, Swedish-American cartoonist and critic
  • 1949 – Ken Anderson, American football quarterback and coach
  • 1951 – Markku Alén, Finnish race car driver
  • 1951 – Melissa Manchester, American singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1951 – Jane Seymour, English-American actress, producer, and jewelry designer
  • 1952 – Tomislav Nikolić, Serbian politician, 4th President of Serbia
  • 1952 – Nikolai Sorokin, Russian actor and director (d. 2013)
  • 1953 – Tony Adams, Irish-American screenwriter and producer (d. 2005)
  • 1953 – Ernie Howe, English footballer, defender and manager
  • 1954 – Matt Groening, American animator, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1955 – Janice Dickinson, American model, agent, and author
  • 1955 – Christopher McDonald, American actor
  • 1956 – Desmond Haynes, Barbadian cricketer and coach
  • 1956 – Ann Westin, Swedish comedian
  • 1957 – Jake E. Lee, American guitarist and songwriter
  • 1957 – Jimmy Spencer, American race car driver and sportscaster
  • 1958 – Chrystine Brouillet, Canadian author
  • 1958 – Tony McKegney, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1958 – Matthew Ward, American singer-songwriter
  • 1959 – Adam Boulton, English journalist
  • 1959 – Ali Campbell, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1959 – Brian Propp, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
  • 1959 – Martin Rowson, English author and illustrator
  • 1959 – Hugo Savinovich, Ecuadorian wrestler and sportscaster
  • 1960 – Darrell Green, American football player
  • 1960 – Jock Hobbs, New Zealand rugby player (d. 2012)
  • 1962 – Milo Đukanović, Montenegrin politician, 29th Prime Minister of Montenegro
  • 1964 – Chris Farley, American comedian and actor (d. 1997)
  • 1964 – Leland D. Melvin, American engineer and astronaut
  • 1964 – Mark Price, American basketball player and coach
  • 1965 – Craig Matthews, South African cricketer
  • 1967 – Jane Child, Canadian singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1967 – Syed Kamall, English academic and politician
  • 1967 – Craig Simpson, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
  • 1969 – Birdman, American rapper and producer
  • 1970 – Shepard Fairey, American artist and activist
  • 1971 – Alex Borstein, American actress, voice artist, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1971 – Renee O’Connor, American actress, director, and producer
  • 1972 – Jaromír Jágr, Czech ice hockey player
  • 1973 – Kateřina Neumannová, Czech skier
  • 1973 – Amy van Dyken, American swimmer
  • 1974 – Miranda July, American actress, director, and screenwriter
  • 1974 – Ugueth Urbina, Venezuelan baseball player
  • 1974 – Alexander Wurz, Austrian race car driver and businessman
  • 1975 – Serge Aubin, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1975 – Annemarie Kramer, Dutch sprinter
  • 1975 – Brendon Small, American animator, producer, screenwriter, and actor
  • 1976 – Brandon Boyd, American singer-songwriter
  • 1976 – Óscar Freire, Spanish cyclist
  • 1979 – Josh Low, English footballer
  • 1979 – Hamish Marshall, New Zealand cricketer
  • 1979 – James Marshall, New Zealand cricketer
  • 1979 – Scott Severin, Scottish footballer
  • 1979 – Gordon Shedden, Scottish race car driver
  • 1980 – Conor Oberst, American singer-songwriter
  • 1981 – Heurelho Gomes, Brazilian international footballer, goalkeeper
  • 1981 – Matt Hoopes, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1981 – Rita Jeptoo, Kenyan runner
  • 1981 – Diego Martínez, Mexican footballer
  • 1981 – Vivek Shraya, Canadian singer and songwriter
  • 1982 – Shameka Christon, American basketball player
  • 1982 – James Yap, Filipino basketball player
  • 1983 – Don Cowie, Scottish footballer
  • 1983 – David Degen, Swiss footballer
  • 1983 – Philipp Degen, Swiss footballer
  • 1983 – Alan Didak, Australian footballer
  • 1983 – Russell Martin, Canadian baseball player
  • 1985 – Serkan Kırıntılı, Turkish footballer
  • 1986 – Valeri Bojinov, Bulgarian footballer
  • 1986 – Johnny Cueto, Dominican baseball player
  • 1986 – Laura Sallés, Andorran judoka
  • 1987 – Jarrod Sammut, Australian rugby league player
  • 1988 – Jarryd Hayne, Australian rugby league player and football player
  • 1988 – Hironori Kusano, Japanese singer and actor
  • 1988 – Tim Mannah, Australian-born Lebanese rugby league player
  • 1988 – Rui Patrício, Portuguese footballer
  • 1990 – Charles Pic, French race car driver
  • 1991 – Ángel Sepúlveda, Mexican footballer
  • 1993 – Ravi, South Korean rapper

Deaths on February 15

  • 670 – Oswiu, king of Northumbria (b. c. 612)
  • 706 – Leontios, Byzantine emperor
  • 706 – Tiberios III, Byzantine emperor
  • 956 – Su Yugui, Chinese chancellor (b. 895)
  • 1043 – Gisela of Swabia, Holy Roman Empress (b. 990)
  • 1145 – Lucius II, pope of the Catholic Church
  • 1152 – Conrad III, king of Germany (b. 1093)
  • 1382 – William de Ufford, 2nd Earl of Suffolk (b. c. 1339)
  • 1417 – Richard de Vere, 11th Earl of Oxford, English commander (b. 1385)
  • 1508 – Giovanni II Bentivoglio, tyrant of Bologna (b. 1443)
  • 1600 – José de Acosta, Spanish Jesuit missionary and naturalist (b. 1540)
  • 1621 – Michael Praetorius, German organist and composer (b. 1571)
  • 1637 – Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1578)
  • 1738 – Matthias Braun, Czech sculptor (b. 1684)
  • 1781 – Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, German philosopher, author, and critic (b. 1729)
  • 1818 – Frederick Louis, Prince of Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen (b. 1746)
  • 1835 – Henry Hunt, English farmer and politician (b. 1773)
  • 1839 – François-Marie-Thomas Chevalier de Lorimier, Canadian rebel (b. 1803)
  • 1842 – Archibald Menzies, Scottish surgeon and botanist (b. 1754)
  • 1844 – Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1757)
  • 1847 – Germinal Pierre Dandelin, Belgian mathematician and engineer (b. 1794)
  • 1848 – Hermann von Boyen, Prussian general and politician, Prussian Minister of War (b. 1771)
  • 1849 – Pierre François Verhulst, Belgian mathematician and theorist (b. 1804)
  • 1857 – Mikhail Glinka, Russian composer (b. 1804)
  • 1869 – Ghalib, Indian poet and educator (b. 1796)
  • 1885 – Gregor von Helmersen, Estonian-Russian geologist and engineer (b. 1803)
  • 1897 – Dimitrie Ghica, Romanian lawyer and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Romania (b. 1816)
  • 1905 – Lew Wallace, American author, general, and politician, 11th Governor of New Mexico Territory (b. 1827)
  • 1911 – Theodor Escherich, German-Austrian pediatrician and academic (b. 1859)
  • 1924 – Lionel Monckton, English composer (b. 1861)
  • 1928 – H. H. Asquith, English lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1852)
  • 1932 – Minnie Maddern Fiske, American actress and playwright (b. 1865)
  • 1933 – Pat Sullivan, Australian animator and producer, co-created Felix the Cat (b. 1887)
  • 1935 – Basil Hall Chamberlain, English-Swiss historian, author, and academic (b. 1850)
  • 1939 – Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin, Russian painter and author (b. 1878)
  • 1956 – Vincent de Moro-Giafferi, French lawyer and politician (b. 1878)
  • 1959 – Owen Willans Richardson, English physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1879)
  • 1961 – Laurence Owen, American figure skater (b. 1944)
  • 1965 – Nat King Cole, American singer and pianist (b. 1919)
  • 1966 – Gerard Antoni Ciołek, Polish architect and historian (b. 1909)
  • 1966 – Camilo Torres Restrepo, Colombian priest and theologian (b. 1929)
  • 1967 – Antonio Moreno, Spanish-American actor and director (b. 1887)
  • 1970 – Hugh Dowding, 1st Baron Dowding, Scottish air marshal (b. 1882)
  • 1973 – Wally Cox, American actor (b. 1924)
  • 1973 – Tim Holt, American actor (b. 1919)
  • 1974 – Kurt Atterberg, Swedish composer and engineer (b. 1887)
  • 1981 – Mike Bloomfield, American guitarist and songwriter (b. 1943)
  • 1981 – Karl Richter, German organist and conductor (b. 1926)
  • 1984 – Avon Long, American actor and singer (b. 1910)
  • 1984 – Ethel Merman, American actress and singer (b. 1908)
  • 1988 – Richard Feynman, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1918)
  • 1992 – María Elena Moyano, Peruvian activist (b. 1960)
  • 1992 – William Schuman, American composer and academic (b. 1910)
  • 1996 – McLean Stevenson, American actor (b. 1929)
  • 1998 – Martha Gellhorn, American journalist and author (b. 1908)
  • 1999 – Henry Way Kendall, American physicist and mountaineer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1926)
  • 1999 – Big L, American rapper (b. 1974)
  • 2000 – Angus MacLean, Canadian commander and politician, 25th Premier of Prince Edward Island (b. 1914)
  • 2002 – Howard K. Smith, American journalist and actor (b. 1914)
  • 2002 – Kevin Smith, New Zealand actor (b. 1963)
  • 2004 – Jens Evensen, Norwegian lawyer, judge, and politician, Norwegian Minister of Trade (b. 1917)
  • 2005 – Pierre Bachelet, French singer-songwriter (b. 1944)
  • 2005 – Samuel T. Francis, American historian and journalist (b. 1947)
  • 2007 – Walker Edmiston, American actor (b. 1925)
  • 2007 – Ray Evans, American songwriter (b. 1915)
  • 2008 – Johnny Weaver, American wrestler and sportscaster (b. 1935)
  • 2010 – Jeanne M. Holm, American general (b. 1921)
  • 2012 – Cyril Domb, English-Israel physicist and academic (b. 1920)
  • 2013 – Sanan Kachornprasart, Thai general and politician (b. 1935)
  • 2013 – Ahmed Rajib Haider, Bangladeshi atheist blogger
  • 2014 – Thelma Estrin, American computer scientist and engineer (b. 1924)
  • 2014 – Christopher Malcolm, Scottish-Canadian actor, director, and producer (b. 1946)
  • 2015 – Haron Amin, Afghan diplomat, Afghan Ambassador to Japan (b. 1969)
  • 2015 – Arnaud de Borchgrave, American journalist and author (b. 1926)
  • 2015 – Steve Montador, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1979)
  • 2016 – George Gaynes, Finnish-American actor (b. 1917)
  • 2016 – Vanity, Canadian-American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress (b. 1959)
  • 2017 – Stuart McLean, Canadian radio broadcaster (b. 1948)
  • 2019 – Lee Radziwill, American socialite (b. 1933)
  • 2020 – Caroline Flack, English Actress and TV Presenter (b. 1979)

Holidays and observances on February 15

  • Christian feast day:
    • Blessed Michał Sopoćko
    • Claude de la Colombière
    • Faustinus and Jovita
    • Oswiu
    • Quinidius
    • Sigfrid of Sweden
    • Thomas Bray (Episcopal Church)
    • Walfrid
    • February 15 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest day on which Family Day can fall, while February 21 is the latest; celebrated on the third Monday in February. (parts of Canada)
  • Earliest day on which Washington’s Birthday can fall, while February 21 is the latest; celebrated on the third Monday in February. (United States)
  • Traditionally the feast day for the ancient Roman fertility festival of Lupercalia
  • International Duties Memorial Day (Russia, regional)
  • John Frum Day (Vanuatu)
  • Liberation Day (Afghanistan)
  • National Flag of Canada Day (Canada)
  • Parinirvana Day, also celebrated on February 8. (Mahayana Buddhism)
  • Singles Awareness Day
  • Statehood Day (Serbia)
  • Susan B. Anthony Day (Florida, United States)
  • The ENIAC Day (Philadelphia, United States)
  • Total Defence Day (Singapore)

February 15 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

February 14 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 748 – Abbasid Revolution: The Hashimi rebels under Abu Muslim Khorasani take Merv, capital of the Umayyad province Khorasan, marking the consolidation of the Abbasid revolt.
  • 842 – Charles the Bald and Louis the German swear the Oaths of Strasbourg in the French and German languages.
  • 1014 – Pope Benedict VIII crowns Henry of Bavaria, King of Germany and of Italy, as Holy Roman Emperor.
  • 1076 – Pope Gregory VII excommunicates Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor.
  • 1130 – Pope Innocent II is elected.
  • 1349 – Several hundred Jews are burned to death by mobs while the remaining Jews are forcibly removed from Strasbourg.
  • 1400 – Richard II of England dies, most probably from starvation, in Pontefract Castle, on the orders of Henry Bolingbroke.
  • 1530 – Spanish conquistadores, led by Nuño de Guzmán, overthrow and execute Tangaxuan II, the last independent monarch of the Tarascan state in present-day central Mexico.
  • 1556 – Thomas Cranmer is declared a heretic.
  • 1556 – Coronation of Akbar.
  • 1655 – The Mapuches launch coordinated attacks against the Spanish in Chile beginning the Mapuche uprising of 1655.
  • 1778 – The United States flag is formally recognized by a foreign naval vessel for the first time, when French Admiral Toussaint-Guillaume Picquet de la Motte renders a nine gun salute to USS Ranger, commanded by John Paul Jones.
  • 1779 – American Revolutionary War: The Battle of Kettle Creek is fought in Georgia.
  • 1779 – James Cook is killed by Native Hawaiians near Kealakekua on the Island of Hawaii.
  • 1797 – French Revolutionary Wars: Battle of Cape St. Vincent: John Jervis, (later 1st Earl of St Vincent) and Horatio Nelson (later 1st Viscount Nelson) lead the British Royal Navy to victory over a Spanish fleet in action near Gibraltar.
  • 1804 – Karađorđe leads the First Serbian Uprising against the Ottoman Empire.
  • 1831 – Ras Marye of Yejju marches into Tigray and defeats and kills Dejazmach Sabagadis in the Battle of Debre Abbay.
  • 1835 – The original Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, in the Latter Day Saint movement, is formed in Kirtland, Ohio.
  • 1849 – In New York City, James Knox Polk becomes the first serving President of the United States to have his photograph taken.
  • 1852 – Great Ormond St Hospital for Sick Children, the first hospital in England to provide in-patient beds specifically for children, is founded in London.
  • 1855 – Texas is linked by telegraph to the rest of the United States, with the completion of a connection between New Orleans and Marshall, Texas.
  • 1859 – Oregon is admitted as the 33rd U.S. state.
  • 1876 – Alexander Graham Bell applies for a patent for the telephone, as does Elisha Gray.
  • 1879 – The War of the Pacific breaks out when the Chilean Army occupies the Bolivian port city of Antofagasta.
  • 1899 – Voting machines are approved by the U.S. Congress for use in federal elections.
  • 1900 – British forces begin the Battle of the Tugela Heights in an effort to lift the Siege of Ladysmith.
  • 1903 – The United States Department of Commerce and Labor is established (later split into the Department of Commerce and the Department of Labor).
  • 1912 – Arizona is admitted as the 48th and the last contiguous U.S. state.
  • 1912 – The U.S. Navy commissions its first class of diesel-powered submarines.
  • 1919 – The Polish–Soviet War begins.
  • 1920 – The League of Women Voters is founded in Chicago.
  • 1924 – The Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company changes its name to International Business Machines Corporation (IBM).
  • 1929 – Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre: Seven people, six of them gangster rivals of Al Capone’s gang, are murdered in Chicago.
  • 1942 – Battle of Pasir Panjang contributes to the fall of Singapore.
  • 1943 – World War II: Rostov-on-Don, Russia is liberated.
  • 1943 – World War II: Tunisia Campaign: General Hans-Jürgen von Arnim’s Fifth Panzer Army launches a concerted attack against Allied positions in Tunisia.
  • 1944 – World War II: In the Action of 14 February 1944, a Royal Navy submarine sinks a German-controlled Italian submarine in the Strait of Malacca.
  • 1945 – World War II: On the first day of the bombing of Dresden, the British Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Forces begin fire-bombing Dresden.
  • 1945 – World War II: Navigational error leads to the mistaken bombing of Prague, Czechoslovakia by an American squadron of B-17s assisting in the Soviet’s Vistula–Oder Offensive.
  • 1945 – World War II: Mostar is liberated by Yugoslav partisans
  • 1945 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt meets King Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia aboard the USS Quincy, officially beginning U.S.-Saudi diplomatic relations.
  • 1946 – The Bank of England is nationalized.
  • 1949 – The Knesset (parliament of Israel) convenes for the first time.
  • 1949 – The Asbestos Strike begins in Canada. The strike marks the beginning of the Quiet Revolution in Quebec.
  • 1961 – Discovery of the chemical elements: Element 103, Lawrencium, is first synthesized at the University of California.
  • 1966 – Australian currency is decimalized.
  • 1979 – In Kabul, Setami Milli militants kidnap the American ambassador to Afghanistan, Adolph Dubs who is later killed during a gunfight between his kidnappers and police.
  • 1983 – United American Bank of Knoxville, Tennessee collapses. Its president, Jake Butcher, is later convicted of fraud.
  • 1989 – Union Carbide agrees to pay $470 million to the Indian government for damages it caused in the 1984 Bhopal disaster.
  • 1989 – Iranian leader Ruhollah Khomeini issues a fatwa encouraging Muslims to kill Salman Rushdie, author of The Satanic Verses.
  • 1990 – Ninety-two people are killed when Indian Airlines Flight 605 crashes in Bangalore, India.
  • 1990 – The Voyager 1 spacecraft takes the photograph of planet Earth that later become famous as Pale Blue Dot.
  • 1998 – An oil tanker train collides with a freight train in Yaoundé, Cameroon, spilling fuel oil. One person scavenging the oil created a massive explosion which killed 120.
  • 2000 – The spacecraft NEAR Shoemaker enters orbit around asteroid 433 Eros, the first spacecraft to orbit an asteroid.
  • 2004 – In a suburb of Moscow, Russia, the roof of the Transvaal water park collapses, killing more than 25 people, and wounding more than 100 others.
  • 2005 – In Beirut, 23 people, including former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, are killed when the equivalent of around 1,000 kg of TNT is detonated while Hariri’s motorcade drives through the city.
  • 2005 – Seven people are killed and 151 wounded in a series of bombings by suspected al-Qaeda-linked militants that hit Makati, Davao City, and General Santos City, all in the Philippines.
  • 2005 – YouTube is launched by a group of college students, eventually becoming the largest video sharing website in the world and a main source for viral videos.
  • 2008 – Northern Illinois University shooting: A gunman opens fire in a lecture hall of Northern Illinois University in DeKalb County, Illinois, resulting in six fatalities (including the gunman) and 21 injuries.
  • 2011 – As a part of Arab Spring, the Bahraini uprising begins with a ‘Day of Rage’.
  • 2018 – Jacob Zuma resigns as President of South Africa.
  • 2018 – A shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida is one of the deadliest school massacres with 17 fatalities and 15 injuries.
  • 2019 – Pulwama attack takes place in Lethpora in Pulwama district, Jammu and Kashmir, India in which 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel and a suicide bomber were killed and 35 were injured.

Births on February 14

  • 1404 – Leon Battista Alberti, Italian painter, poet, and philosopher (d. 1472)
  • 1408 – John FitzAlan, 14th Earl of Arundel (d. 1435)
  • 1452 – Pandolfo Petrucci, tyrant of Siena (d. 1512)
  • 1468 – Johannes Werner, German priest and mathematician (d. 1522)
  • 1483 – Babur, Moghul emperor (d. 1530)
  • 1490 – Valentin Friedland, German scholar and educationist of the Reformation (d. 1556)
  • 1513 – Domenico Ferrabosco, Italian composer (d. 1573)
  • 1545 – Lucrezia de’ Medici, Duchess of Ferrara (d. 1561)
  • 1602 – Francesco Cavalli, Italian composer (d. 1676)
  • 1614 – John Wilkins, English bishop, academic and natural philosopher (d. 1672)
  • 1625 – Countess Palatine Maria Eufrosyne of Zweibrücken, Swedish princess (d. 1687)
  • 1628 – Valentine Greatrakes, Irish faith healer (d. 1683)
  • 1640 – Countess Palatine Anna Magdalena of Birkenfeld-Bischweiler (d. 1693)
  • 1670 – Rajaram Raj Bhonsle, third Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire (d. 1700)
  • 1679 – Georg Friedrich Kauffmann, German organist and composer (d. 1735)
  • 1692 – Pierre-Claude Nivelle de La Chaussée, French author and playwright (d. 1754)
  • 1701 – Enrique Flórez, Spanish historian and author (d. 1773)
  • 1763 – Jean Victor Marie Moreau, French general (d. 1813)
  • 1782 – Eleanora Atherton, English philanthropist (d. 1870)
  • 1784 – Heinrich Baermann, German clarinetist (d. 1847)
  • 1799 – Walenty Wańkowicz, Polish painter and illustrator (d. 1842)
  • 1800 – Emory Washburn, American historian, lawyer, and politician, 22nd Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1877)
  • 1808 – Michael Costa, Italian-English conductor and composer (d. 1884)
  • 1813 – Lydia Hamilton Smith, African-American businesswoman (d. 1884)
  • 1819 – Christopher Latham Sholes, American journalist and politician, invented the typewriter (d. 1890)
  • 1824 – Winfield Scott Hancock, American general and politician (d. 1886)
  • 1828 – Edmond François Valentin About, French journalist and author (d. 1885)
  • 1835 – Piet Paaltjens, Dutch minister and poet (d. 1894)
  • 1838 – Margaret E. Knight, American inventor (d. 1914)
  • 1846 – Julian Scott, American soldier and drummer, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1901)
  • 1847 – Anna Howard Shaw, American physician, minister, and activist (d. 1919)
  • 1848 – Benjamin Baillaud, French astronomer and academic (d. 1934)
  • 1855 – Frank Harris, Irish author and journalist (d. 1931)
  • 1859 – George Washington Gale Ferris Jr., American engineer, inventor of the Ferris wheel (d. 1896)
  • 1860 – Eugen Schiffer, German lawyer and politician, Vice-Chancellor of Germany (d. 1954)
  • 1869 – Charles Thomson Rees Wilson, Scottish physicist and meteorologist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1959)
  • 1878 – Julius Nieuwland, Belgian priest, chemist and academic (d. 1936)
  • 1882 – John Barrymore, American actor (d. 1942)
  • 1884 – Nils Olaf Chrisander, Swedish actor and director (d. 1947)
  • 1884 – Kostas Varnalis, Greek poet and playwright (d. 1974)
  • 1890 – Nina Hamnett, Welsh-English painter and author (d. 1956)
  • 1890 – Dick Richards Welsh international footballer, forward
  • 1891 – Katherine Stinson, American aviator (d. 1977)
  • 1892 – Radola Gajda, Czech commander and politician (d. 1948)
  • 1894 – Jack Benny, American actor and producer (d. 1974)
  • 1895 – Wilhelm Burgdorf, German general (d. 1945)
  • 1895 – Max Horkheimer, German philosopher and sociologist (d. 1973)
  • 1898 – Bill Tilman, English mountaineer and explorer (d. 1977)
  • 1898 – Fritz Zwicky, Swiss-American physicist and astronomer (d. 1974)
  • 1900 – Jessica Dragonette, American singer (d. 1980)
  • 1903 – Stuart Erwin, American actor (d. 1967)
  • 1905 – Thelma Ritter, American actress and singer (d. 1969)
  • 1907 – Johnny Longden, English-American jockey and trainer (d. 2003)
  • 1911 – Willem Johan Kolff, Dutch physician and inventor (d. 2009)
  • 1912 – Tibor Sekelj, Hungarian lawyer, explorer, and author (d. 1988)
  • 1913 – Mel Allen, American sportscaster (d. 1996)
  • 1913 – Woody Hayes, American football player and coach (d. 1987)
  • 1913 – Jimmy Hoffa, American trade union leader (d. 1975)
  • 1913 – James Pike, American bishop (d. 1969)
  • 1916 – Marcel Bigeard, French general (d. 2010)
  • 1916 – Sally Gray, English actress and singer (d. 2006)
  • 1916 – Masaki Kobayashi, Japanese director and producer (d. 1996)
  • 1916 – Edward Platt, American actor (d. 1974)
  • 1917 – Herbert A. Hauptman, American mathematician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2011)
  • 1921 – Hugh Downs, American journalist, game show host, and producer
  • 1921 – Hazel McCallion, Canadian businesswoman and politician, 3rd Mayor of Mississauga
  • 1923 – Jay Hebert, American golfer (d. 1997)
  • 1924 – Patricia Knatchbull, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma (d. 2017)
  • 1927 – Lois Maxwell, Canadian-Australian model and actress (d. 2007)
  • 1928 – William Allain, American soldier and politician, 58th Governor of Mississippi (d. 2013)
  • 1928 – Vicente T. Blaz, American general and politician (d. 2014)
  • 1929 – Vic Morrow, American actor and director (d. 1982)
  • 1931 – Bernie Geoffrion, Canadian-American ice hockey player and coach (d. 2006)
  • 1931 – Brian Kelly, American actor and director (d. 2005)
  • 1932 – Harriet Andersson, Swedish actress
  • 1934 – Florence Henderson, American actress and singer (d. 2016)
  • 1935 – David Wilson, Baron Wilson of Tillyorn, Scottish academic and diplomat, 27th Governor of Hong Kong
  • 1936 – Anna German, Polish singer (d. 1982)
  • 1937 – John MacGregor, Baron MacGregor of Pulham Market, English politician, Secretary of State for Transport
  • 1937 – Magic Sam, American singer and guitarist (d. 1969)
  • 1939 – Razzy Bailey, American country music singer-songwriter and musician
  • 1939 – Blowfly, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2016)
  • 1939 – Eugene Fama, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1940 – James Maynard, American businessman, co-founded Golden Corral
  • 1941 – Donna Shalala, American academic and politician, 18th United States Secretary of Health and Human Services
  • 1941 – Paul Tsongas, American lawyer and politician (d. 1997)
  • 1942 – Michael Bloomberg, American businessman and politician, 108th Mayor of New York City
  • 1942 – Andrew Robinson, American actor and director
  • 1942 – Ricardo Rodríguez, Mexican race car driver (d. 1962)
  • 1943 – Eric Andersen, American singer-songwriter
  • 1943 – Maceo Parker, American saxophonist
  • 1943 – Aaron Russo, American director and producer (d. 2007)
  • 1944 – Carl Bernstein, American journalist and author
  • 1944 – Alan Parker, English director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1944 – Ronnie Peterson, Swedish race car driver (d. 1978)
  • 1945 – Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein
  • 1945 – Rod Masterson, American lieutenant and actor (d. 2013)
  • 1946 – Bernard Dowiyogo, Nauru politician, President of Nauru (d. 2003)
  • 1946 – Gregory Hines, American actor, singer, and dancer (d. 2003)
  • 1947 – Tim Buckley, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1975)
  • 1947 – Judd Gregg, American lawyer and politician, 76th Governor of New Hampshire
  • 1948 – Kitten Natividad, Mexican-American actress and dancer
  • 1948 – Pat O’Brien, American journalist and author
  • 1948 – Wally Tax, Dutch singer-songwriter (d. 2005)
  • 1948 – Teller, American magician and actor
  • 1950 – Roger Fisher, American guitarist and songwriter
  • 1951 – Terry Gross, American radio host and producer
  • 1951 – Kevin Keegan, English footballer and manager
  • 1952 – Sushma Swaraj, Indian lawyer and politician, Indian Minister of External Affairs (d. 2019)
  • 1954 – Jam Mohammad Yousaf, Pakistani politician, Chief Minister of Balochistan (d. 2013)
  • 1955 – Carol Kalish, American publisher (d. 1991)
  • 1956 – Howard Davis Jr., American boxer and trainer (d. 2015)
  • 1956 – Dave Dravecky, American baseball player
  • 1956 – Katharina Fritsch, German sculptor and academic
  • 1957 – Alan Hunter, American television host and actor
  • 1957 – Soile Isokoski, Finnish soprano and actress
  • 1957 – Alan Smith, English bishop
  • 1958 – Grant Thomas, Australian footballer and coach
  • 1959 – Renée Fleming, American soprano and actress
  • 1960 – Philip Jones, English admiral
  • 1960 – Jim Kelly, American football player and businessman
  • 1960 – Meg Tilly, American actress and author
  • 1963 – Enrico Colantoni, Canadian actor, director, and producer
  • 1963 – John Marzano, American baseball player (d. 2008)
  • 1964 – Gianni Bugno, Italian cyclist and sportscaster
  • 1966 – Petr Svoboda, Czech ice hockey player and agent
  • 1967 – Stelios Haji-Ioannou, Greek-English businessman, founded easyJet
  • 1967 – Manuela Maleeva, Bulgarian-Swiss tennis player
  • 1967 – Mark Rutte, Dutch businessman and politician, Prime Minister of the Netherlands
  • 1968 – Jules Asner, American model and television host
  • 1968 – Chris Lewis, Guyanese-English cricketer
  • 1968 – Scott McClellan, American civil servant and author, 25th White House Press Secretary
  • 1969 – Meg Hillier, English journalist and politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change
  • 1970 – Giuseppe Guerini, Italian cyclist
  • 1970 – Sean Hill, American ice hockey player
  • 1970 – Simon Pegg, English actor, director, and producer
  • 1971 – Kris Aquino, Filipino talk show host, actress, and producer
  • 1971 – Gheorghe Mureșan, Romanian basketball player
  • 1972 – Drew Bledsoe, American football player and coach
  • 1972 – Musōyama Masashi, Japanese sumo wrestler
  • 1972 – Najwa Nimri, Spanish actress and singer
  • 1972 – Jaan Tallinn, Estonian computer programmer, co-developed Skype
  • 1972 – Rob Thomas, American singer-songwriter
  • 1973 – H. D. Ackerman, South African cricketer
  • 1973 – Tyus Edney, American basketball player and coach
  • 1973 – Steve McNair, American football player (d. 2009)
  • 1973 – Annalisa Buffa, Italian mathematician
  • 1974 – Valentina Vezzali, Italian fencer and politician
  • 1976 – Liv Kristine, Norwegian singer-songwriter
  • 1976 – Rie Rasmussen, Danish model, film director, writer, photographer, and actress
  • 1977 – Cadel Evans, Australian cyclist
  • 1977 – Jim Jefferies, Australian comedian and actor
  • 1977 – Darren Purse, English footballer
  • 1977 – Elmer Symons, South African motorcycle racer (d. 2007)
  • 1977 – Anna Erschler, Russian mathematician
  • 1977 – Robert J. Jackson Jr., American law professor
  • 1978 – Richard Hamilton, American basketball player
  • 1978 – Darius Songaila, Lithuanian basketball player and coach
  • 1980 – Josh Senter, American screenwriter and producer
  • 1980 – Michelle Ye, Hong Kong actress and producer
  • 1981 – Matteo Brighi, Italian footballer
  • 1981 – Randy de Puniet, French motorcycle racer
  • 1981 – Brad Halsey, American baseball player (d. 2014)
  • 1982 – Marián Gáborík, Slovak ice hockey player
  • 1982 – John Halls, English footballer and model
  • 1982 – Lenka Tvarošková, Slovak tennis player
  • 1983 – Callix Crabbe, Virgin Islander baseball player
  • 1983 – Rocky Elsom, Australian rugby player
  • 1983 – Bacary Sagna, French footballer
  • 1985 – Karima Adebibe, English model and actress
  • 1985 – Tyler Clippard, American baseball player
  • 1985 – Heart Evangelista, Filipino singer and actress
  • 1985 – Philippe Senderos, Swiss international footballer, centre back
  • 1985 – Miki Yeung, Hong Kong singer and actress
  • 1986 – Michael Ammermüller, German race car driver
  • 1986 – Oliver Lee, English actor, director, and screenwriter
  • 1986 – Gao Lin, Chinese footballer
  • 1987 – Edinson Cavani, Uruguayan footballer
  • 1987 – Tom Pyatt, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1987 – David Wheater, English footballer
  • 1988 – Katie Boland, Canadian actress, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1988 – Ángel Di María, Argentinian footballer
  • 1988 – Siim Liivik, Estonian ice hockey player
  • 1988 – Asia Nitollano, American singer and dancer
  • 1989 – Néstor Calderón, Mexican footballer
  • 1989 – Adam Matuszczyk, Polish footballer
  • 1989 – Emma Miskew, Canadian curler
  • 1989 – Brandon Sutter, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1989 – Jurij Tepeš, Slovenian ski jumper
  • 1989 – Kristian Thomas, English gymnast
  • 1990 – Sefa Yılmaz, German-Turkish footballer
  • 1991 – Daniela Mona Lambin, Estonian footballer
  • 1991 – Chris Rowney, English footballer
  • 1992 – Christian Eriksen, Danish footballer
  • 1992 – Freddie Highmore, English actor
  • 1996 – Lucas Hernandez, French footballer

Deaths on February 14

  • 869 – Cyril, Greek missionary bishop (b. 827)
  • 945 – Lian Chongyu, Chinese general
  • 945 – Zhu Wenjin, Chinese emperor
  • 1009 – Bruno of Querfurt, German missionary bishop
  • 1010 – Fujiwara no Korechika, Japanese nobleman (b. 974)
  • 1140 – Leo I, Armenian prince
  • 1140 – Sobĕslav I, duke of Bohemia
  • 1164 – Sviatoslav Olgovich, Kievan prince
  • 1229 – Rǫgnvaldr Guðrøðarson, king of the Isles
  • 1317 – Margaret of France, queen of England
  • 1400 – Richard II, king of England (b. 1367)
  • 1440 – Dietrich of Oldenburg, German nobleman
  • 1489 – Nicolaus von Tüngen, prince-bishop of Warmia
  • 1528 – Edzard I, German nobleman (b. 1462)
  • 1549 – Il Sodoma, Italian painter (b. 1477)
  • 1571 – Odet de Coligny, French cardinal (b. 1517)
  • 1676 – Abraham Bosse, French engraver and illustrator (b. 1602)
  • 1714 – Maria Luisa of Savoy, queen of Spain (b. 1688)
  • 1737 – Charles Talbot, 1st Baron Talbot, English lawyer and politician Lord Chancellor of Great Britain (b. 1685)
  • 1744 – John Hadley, English mathematician, invented the octant (b. 1682)
  • 1779 – James Cook, English captain, cartographer, and explorer (b. 1728)
  • 1780 – William Blackstone, English jurist and politician (b. 1723)
  • 1782 – Singu Min, Burmese king (b. 1756)
  • 1808 – John Dickinson, American lawyer and politician 5th Governor of Delaware (b. 1732)
  • 1831 – Vicente Guerrero, Mexican general and politician, 2nd President of Mexico (b. 1782)
  • 1831 – Henry Maudslay, English engineer (b. 1771)
  • 1870 – St. John Richardson Liddell, American general (b. 1815)
  • 1881 – Fernando Wood, American merchant and politician, 73rd Mayor of New York City (b. 1812)
  • 1884 – Lydia Hamilton Smith, African-American businesswoman (b. 1813)
  • 1885 – Jules Vallès, French journalist and author (b. 1832)
  • 1891 – William Tecumseh Sherman, American general (b. 1820)
  • 1894 – Eugène Charles Catalan, Belgian-French mathematician and academic (b. 1814)
  • 1901 – Edward Stafford, Scottish-New Zealand educator and politician, 3rd Prime Minister of New Zealand (b. 1819)
  • 1910 – Giovanni Passannante, Italian anarchist (b. 1849)
  • 1922 – Heikki Ritavuori, Finnish lawyer and politician (b. 1880)
  • 1929 – Thomas Burke, American sprinter, coach, and lawyer (b. 1875)
  • 1930 – Thomas Mackenzie, Scottish-New Zealand cartographer and politician, 18th Prime Minister of New Zealand (b. 1853)
  • 1933 – Carl Correns, German botanist and geneticist (b. 1864)
  • 1942 – Adnan Saidi, Malayan lieutenant (b. 1915)
  • 1943 – Dora Gerson, German actress and singer (b. 1899)
  • 1943 – David Hilbert, Russian-German mathematician, physicist, and philosopher (b. 1862)
  • 1948 – Mordecai Brown, American baseball player and manager (b. 1876)
  • 1949 – Yusuf Salman Yusuf, Iraqi politician (b. 1901)
  • 1950 – Karl Guthe Jansky, American physicist and engineer (b. 1905)
  • 1952 – Maurice De Waele, Belgian cyclist (b. 1896)
  • 1958 – Abdur Rab Nishtar, Pakistani politician, 2nd Governor of Punjab (b. 1899)
  • 1959 – Baby Dodds, American drummer (b. 1898)
  • 1967 – Sig Ruman, German-American actor (b. 1884)
  • 1969 – Vito Genovese, Italian-American mob boss (b. 1897)
  • 1970 – Herbert Strudwick, English cricketer and coach (b. 1880)
  • 1974 – Stewie Dempster, New Zealand cricketer and coach (b. 1903)
  • 1975 – Julian Huxley, English biologist and eugenicist, co-founded the World Wide Fund for Nature (b. 1887)
  • 1975 – P. G. Wodehouse, English novelist and playwright (b. 1881)
  • 1979 – Adolph Dubs, American lieutenant and diplomat, United States Ambassador to Afghanistan (b. 1920)
  • 1983 – Lina Radke, German runner and coach (b. 1903)
  • 1986 – Edmund Rubbra, English composer and conductor (b. 1901)
  • 1987 – Dmitry Kabalevsky, Russian pianist and composer (b. 1904)
  • 1988 – Frederick Loewe, German-American composer (b. 1901)
  • 1989 – James Bond, American ornithologist and zoologist (b. 1900)
  • 1989 – Vincent Crane, English pianist (b. 1943)
  • 1994 – Andrei Chikatilo, Soviet serial killer (b. 1936)
  • 1994 – Christopher Lasch, American historian and critic (b. 1932)
  • 1995 – Michael V. Gazzo, American actor and playwright (b. 1923)
  • 1995 – U Nu, Burmese politician, 1st Prime Minister of Burma (b. 1907)
  • 1996 – Bob Paisley, English footballer and manager (b. 1919)
  • 1999 – John Ehrlichman, American lawyer and politician, 12th White House Counsel (b. 1925)
  • 1999 – Buddy Knox, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1933)
  • 2002 – Nándor Hidegkuti, Hungarian footballer and manager (b. 1922)
  • 2002 – Mick Tucker, English drummer (b. 1947)
  • 2003 – Johnny Longden, English jockey and trainer (b. 1907)
  • 2004 – Marco Pantani, Italian cyclist (b. 1970)
  • 2005 – Rafic Hariri, Lebanese businessman and politician, 60th Prime Minister of Lebanon (b. 1944; assassinated)
  • 2006 – Lynden David Hall, English singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1974)
  • 2007 – Ryan Larkin, Canadian animator and director (b. 1943)
  • 2007 – Gareth Morris, English flute player and educator (b. 1920)
  • 2009 – Bernard Ashley, English engineer and businessman, co-founded Laura Ashley plc (b. 1926)
  • 2009 – Louie Bellson, American drummer and composer (b. 1924)
  • 2010 – Doug Fieger, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1952)
  • 2010 – Dick Francis, Welsh jockey and author (b. 1920)
  • 2010 – Linnart Mäll, Estonian historian, orientalist, and translator (b. 1938)
  • 2011 – George Shearing, English-American pianist and composer (b. 1919)
  • 2012 – Mike Bernardo, South African boxer and martial artist (b. 1969)
  • 2012 – Tonmi Lillman, Finnish drummer and producer (b. 1973)
  • 2012 – Dory Previn, American singer-songwriter (b. 1925)
  • 2012 – Péter Rusorán, Hungarian swimmer, water polo player, and coach (b. 1940)
  • 2013 – Glenn Boyer, American historian and author (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – Ronald Dworkin, American philosopher and scholar (b. 1931)
  • 2014 – Tom Finney, English footballer (b. 1922)
  • 2014 – Chris Pearson, Canadian lawyer and politician, 1st Premier of Yukon (b. 1931)
  • 2014 – Mike Stepovich, American lawyer and politician, Governor of Alaska Territory (b. 1919)
  • 2015 – Louis Jourdan, French-American actor and singer (b. 1921)
  • 2015 – Philip Levine, American poet and academic (b. 1928)
  • 2015 – Franjo Mihalić, Croatian-Serbian runner and coach (b. 1920)
  • 2016 – Eric Lubbock, 4th Baron Avebury, English lieutenant, engineer, and politician (b. 1928)
  • 2016 – Steven Stucky, American composer and academic (b. 1949)
  • 2018 – Ruud Lubbers, Dutch politician and diplomat, Prime Minister and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (b. 1939)
  • 2018 – Morgan Tsvangirai, 2nd Prime Minister of Zimbabwe (b. 1952).

Holidays and observances on February 14

  • Christian feast day:
    • Cyril and Methodius, patron saints of Europe (Roman Catholic Church)
    • Manchan
    • Valentine (Valentine’s Day)
    • February 14 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Statehood Day (Arizona, United States)
  • Statehood Day (Oregon, United States)
  • Presentation of Jesus at the Temple (Armenian Apostolic Church)
  • Parents’ Worship Day (parts of India)

February 14 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

On This Day /
  • 1429 – English forces under Sir John Fastolf defend a supply convoy carrying rations to the army besieging Orléans in the Battle of the Herrings.
  • 1502 – Isabella I issues an edict outlawing Islam in the Crown of Castile, forcing virtually all her Muslim subjects to convert to Christianity.
  • 1541 – Santiago, Chile is founded by Pedro de Valdivia.
  • 1593 – Japanese invasion of Korea: Approximately 3,000 Joseon defenders led by general Kwon Yul successfully repel more than 30,000 Japanese forces in the Siege of Haengju.
  • 1689 – The Convention Parliament declares that the flight to France in 1688 by James II, the last Roman Catholic British monarch, constitutes an abdication.
  • 1733 – Georgia Day: Englishman James Oglethorpe founds Georgia, the 13th colony of the Thirteen Colonies, by settling at Savannah.
  • 1771 – Gustav III becomes the King of Sweden.
  • 1817 – An Argentine/Chilean patriotic army, after crossing the Andes, defeats Spanish troops at the Battle of Chacabuco.
  • 1818 – Bernardo O’Higgins formally approves the Chilean Declaration of Independence near Concepción, Chile.
  • 1825 – The Creek cede the last of their lands in Georgia to the United States government by the Treaty of Indian Springs, and migrate west.
  • 1832 – Ecuador annexes the Galápagos Islands.
  • 1855 – Michigan State University is established.
  • 1894 – Anarchist Émile Henry hurls a bomb into the Cafe Terminus in Paris, killing one person and wounding 20.
  • 1909 – The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is founded.
  • 1909 – New Zealand’s worst maritime disaster of the 20th century happens when the SS Penguin, an inter-island ferry, sinks and explodes at the entrance to Wellington Harbour.
  • 1912 – The Xuantong Emperor, the last Emperor of China, abdicates.
  • 1915 – In Washington, D.C., the first stone of the Lincoln Memorial is put into place.
  • 1921 – Bolsheviks launch a revolt in Georgia as a preliminary to the Red Army invasion of Georgia.
  • 1924 – George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue received its premiere in a concert titled “An Experiment in Modern Music”, in Aeolian Hall, New York, by Paul Whiteman and his band, with Gershwin playing the piano.
  • 1935 – USS Macon, one of the two largest helium-filled airships ever created, crashes into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California and sinks.
  • 1946 – World War II: Operation Deadlight ends after scuttling 121 of 154 captured U-boats.
  • 1946 – African American United States Army veteran Isaac Woodard is severely beaten by a South Carolina police officer to the point where he loses his vision in both eyes. The incident later galvanizes the civil rights movement and partially inspires Orson Welles’ film Touch of Evil.
  • 1947 – The largest observed iron meteorite until that time creates an impact crater in Sikhote-Alin, in the Soviet Union.
  • 1947 – Christian Dior unveils a “New Look”, helping Paris regain its position as the capital of the fashion world.
  • 1961 – The Soviet Union launches Venera 1 towards Venus.
  • 1963 – Construction begins on the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri.
  • 1965 – Malcolm X visits Smethwick in Birmingham following the racially-charged 1964 United Kingdom general election.
  • 1968 – Phong Nhị and Phong Nhất massacre.
  • 1974 – Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1970, is exiled from the Soviet Union.
  • 1983 – One hundred women protest in Lahore, Pakistan against military dictator Zia-ul-Haq’s proposed Law of Evidence. The women were tear-gassed, baton-charged and thrown into lock-up. The women were successful in repealing the law.
  • 1988 – Cold War: The 1988 Black Sea bumping incident: The U.S. missile cruiser USS Yorktown (CG-48) is intentionally rammed by the Soviet frigate Bezzavetnyy in the Soviet territorial waters, while Yorktown claims innocent passage.
  • 1990 – Carmen Lawrence becomes the first female Premier in Australian history when she becomes Premier of Western Australia.
  • 1992 – The current Constitution of Mongolia comes into effect.
  • 1993 – Two-year-old James Bulger is abducted from New Strand Shopping Centre by two ten-year-old boys, who later torture and murder him.
  • 1994 – Four thieves break into the National Gallery of Norway and steal Edvard Munch’s iconic painting The Scream.
  • 1999 – United States President Bill Clinton is acquitted by the United States Senate in his impeachment trial.
  • 2001 – NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft touches down in the “saddle” region of 433 Eros, becoming the first spacecraft to land on an asteroid.
  • 2002 – The trial of Slobodan Milošević, the former President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, begins at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague, Netherlands. He dies four years later before its conclusion.
  • 2002 – An Iran Airtour Tupolev Tu-154 crashes in the mountains outside Khorramabad, Iran while descending for a landing at Khorramabad Airport, killing 119.
  • 2004 – The city of San Francisco begins issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in response to a directive from Mayor Gavin Newsom.
  • 2009 – Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashes into a house in Clarence Center, New York while on approach to Buffalo Niagara International Airport, killing all on board and one on the ground.
  • 2016 – Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill sign an Ecumenical Declaration in the first such meeting between leaders of the Catholic and Russian Orthodox Churches since their split in 1054.
  • 2019 – The country known as the Republic of Macedonia renames itself the Republic of North Macedonia in accordance with the Prespa agreement, settling a long-standing naming dispute with Greece.

Births on February 12

  • AD 41 – Britannicus, Roman son of Claudius (d. 55)
  • 528 – Daughter of Emperor Xiaoming of Northern Wei, nominal empress regnant of Northern Wei
  • 661 – Princess Ōku of Japan (d. 702)
  • 1074 – Conrad II of Italy (d. 1101)
  • 1218 – Kujo Yoritsune, Japanese shōgun (d. 1256)
  • 1322 – John Henry, Margrave of Moravia (d. 1375)
  • 1443 – Giovanni II Bentivoglio, Italian noble (d. 1508)
  • 1480 – Frederick II of Legnica, Duke of Legnica (d. 1547)
  • 1540 – Won Gyun, Korean general and admiral (d. 1597)
  • 1567 – Thomas Campion, English composer, poet, and physician (d. 1620)
  • 1584 – Caspar Barlaeus, Dutch historian, poet, and theologian (d. 1648)
  • 1602 – Michelangelo Cerquozzi, Italian painter (d. 1660)
  • 1606 – John Winthrop the Younger, English-American lawyer and politician, Governor of Connecticut (d. 1676)
  • 1608 – Daniello Bartoli, Italian Jesuit priest (d. 1685)
  • 1637 – Jan Swammerdam, Dutch biologist and zoologist (d. 1680)
  • 1663 – Cotton Mather, English-American minister and author (d. 1728)
  • 1665 – Rudolf Jakob Camerarius, German botanist and physician (d. 1721)
  • 1704 – Charles Pinot Duclos, French author (d. 1772)
  • 1706 – Johann Joseph Christian, German Baroque sculptor and woodcarver (d. 1777)
  • 1728 – Étienne-Louis Boullée, French architect (d. 1799)
  • 1753 – François-Paul Brueys d’Aigalliers, French admiral (d. 1798)
  • 1761 – Jan Ladislav Dussek, Czech pianist and composer (d. 1812)
  • 1768 – Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1835)
  • 1775 – Louisa Adams, English-American wife of John Quincy Adams, 6th First Lady of the United States (d. 1852)
  • 1777 – Bernard Courtois, French chemist and academic (d. 1838)
  • 1777 – Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué, German author and poet (d. 1843)
  • 1785 – Pierre Louis Dulong, French physicist and chemist (d. 1838)
  • 1787 – Norbert Provencher, Canadian bishop and missionary (d. 1853)
  • 1788 – Carl Reichenbach, German chemist and philosopher (d. 1869)
  • 1791 – Peter Cooper, American businessman and philanthropist, founded Cooper Union (d. 1883)
  • 1794 – Alexander Petrov, Russian chess player and composer (d. 1867)
  • 1794 – Valentín Canalizo, Mexican general and politician. 14th President (1843-1844) (d. 1850)
  • 1804 – Heinrich Lenz, German-Italian physicist and academic (d. 1865)
  • 1809 – Charles Darwin, English geologist and theorist (d. 1882)
  • 1809 – Abraham Lincoln, American lawyer and politician, 16th President of the United States (d. 1865)
  • 1819 – William Wetmore Story, American sculptor, architect, poet and editor
  • 1824 – Dayananda Saraswati, Indian monk and philosopher, founded Arya Samaj (d. 1883)
  • 1828 – George Meredith, English novelist and poet (d. 1909)
  • 1837 – Thomas Moran, British-American painter and printmaker of the Hudson River School (d. 1926)
  • 1857 – Eugène Atget, French photographer (d. 1927)
  • 1857 – Bobby Peel, English cricketer and coach (d. 1943)
  • 1861 – Lou Andreas-Salomé, Russian-German psychoanalyst and author (d. 1937)
  • 1866 – Lev Shestov, Russian philosopher (d. 1938)
  • 1869 – Kiến Phúc, Vietnamese emperor (d. 1884)
  • 1870 – Marie Lloyd, English actress and singer (d. 1922)
  • 1876 – 13th Dalai Lama (d. 1933)
  • 1877 – Louis Renault, French engineer and businessman, co-founded Renault (d. 1944)
  • 1880 – George Preca, Maltese priest and saint (d. 1962)
  • 1880 – John L. Lewis, American miner and union leader (d. 1969)
  • 1881 – Anna Pavlova, Russian-English ballerina and actress (d. 1931)
  • 1882 – Walter Nash, English-New Zealand lawyer and politician, 27th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1968)
  • 1884 – Max Beckmann, German painter and sculptor (d. 1950)
  • 1884 – Johan Laidoner, Estonian-Russian general (d. 1953)
  • 1884 – Alice Roosevelt Longworth, American author (d. 1980)
  • 1884 – Marie Vassilieff, Russian-French painter (d. 1957)
  • 1885 – Julius Streicher, German publisher, founded Der Stürmer (d. 1946)
  • 1889 – Bhante Dharmawara, Cambodian monk, lawyer, and judge (d. 1999)
  • 1893 – Omar Bradley, American general (d. 1981)
  • 1895 – Kristian Djurhuus, Faroese lawyer and politician, 2nd Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands (d. 1984)
  • 1897 – Charles Groves Wright Anderson, South African-Australian colonel and politician (d. 1988)
  • 1897 – Lincoln LaPaz, American astronomer and academic (d. 1985)
  • 1898 – Wallace Ford, English-American actor and singer (d. 1966)
  • 1900 – Roger J. Traynor, American lawyer and jurist, 23rd Chief Justice of California (d. 1983)
  • 1902 – William Collier, Jr., American actor, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1987)
  • 1903 – Jorge Basadre, Peruvian historian (d. 1980)
  • 1903 – Chick Hafey, American baseball player and manager (d. 1973)
  • 1904 – Ted Mack, American radio and television host (d. 1976)
  • 1907 – Joseph Kearns, American actor (d. 1962)
  • 1908 – Jean Effel, French painter, caricaturist, illustrator and journalist (d. 1982)
  • 1908 – Jacques Herbrand, French mathematician and philosopher (d. 1931)
  • 1909 – Zoran Mušič, Slovene painter and illustrator (d. 2005)
  • 1909 – Sigmund Rascher, German physician (d. 1945)
  • 1911 – Charles Mathiesen, Norwegian speed skater (d. 1994)
  • 1912 – R. F. Delderfield, English author and playwright (d. 1972)
  • 1914 – Tex Beneke, American singer, saxophonist, and bandleader (d. 2000)
  • 1914 – Johanna von Caemmerer, German mathematician (d. 1971)
  • 1915 – Lorne Greene, Canadian-American actor (d. 1987)
  • 1915 – Olivia Hooker, African-American sailor (d. 2018)
  • 1916 – Joseph Alioto, American lawyer and politician, 36th Mayor of San Francisco (d. 1998)
  • 1917 – Al Cervi, American basketball player and coach (d. 2009)
  • 1917 – Dom DiMaggio, American baseball player (d. 2009)
  • 1918 – Norman Farberow, American psychologist and academic (d. 2015)
  • 1918 – Julian Schwinger, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1994)
  • 1919 – Forrest Tucker, American actor (d. 1986)
  • 1920 – Raymond Mhlaba, South African anti-apartheid and ANC activist (d. 2005)
  • 1922 – Hussein Onn, Malaysian lawyer and politician, 3rd Prime Minister of Malaysia (d. 1990)
  • 1923 – Franco Zeffirelli, Italian director, producer, and politician (d. 2019)
  • 1925 – Sir Anthony Berry, British Conservative politician (d. 1984)
  • 1925 – Joan Mitchell, American-French painter (d. 1992)
  • 1926 – Rolf Brem, Swiss sculptor and illustrator (d. 2014)
  • 1926 – Joe Garagiola, Sr., American baseball player and sportscaster (d. 2016)
  • 1926 – Charles Van Doren, American academic (d. 2019)
  • 1928 – Vincent Montana, Jr., American drummer and composer (d. 2013)
  • 1930 – John Doyle, Irish hurler and politician (d. 2010)
  • 1930 – Arlen Specter, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician (d. 2012)
  • 1931 – Janwillem van de Wetering, Dutch-American author and translator (d. 2008)
  • 1932 – Axel Jensen, Norwegian author and poet (d. 2003)
  • 1932 – Julian Simon, American economist, author, and academic (d. 1998)
  • 1933 – Costa-Gavras, Greek-French director and producer
  • 1933 – Brian Carlson, Australian rugby league player (d. 1987)
  • 1934 – Annette Crosbie, Scottish actress
  • 1934 – Anne Osborn Krueger, American economist and academic
  • 1934 – Bill Russell, American basketball player and coach
  • 1935 – Gene McDaniels, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2011)
  • 1936 – Alan Ebringer, Australian immunologist, professor at King’s College in the University of London
  • 1938 – Judy Blume, Jewish-American author and educator
  • 1939 – Leon Kass, American physician, scientist, and educator
  • 1939 – Ray Manzarek, American singer-songwriter, keyboard player, and producer (d. 2013)
  • 1941 – Hubert Marcoux, Canadian solo sailor and author (d. 2009)
  • 1941 – Dominguinhos, Brazilian singer-songwriter and accordion player (d. 2013)
  • 1941 – Naomi Uemura, Japanese mountaineer and explorer (d. 1984)
  • 1942 – Ehud Barak, Israeli general and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Israel
  • 1942 – Pat Dobson, American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 2006)
  • 1945 – Maud Adams, Swedish model and actress
  • 1945 – David D. Friedman, American economist, physicist, and scholar
  • 1946 – Jean Eyeghé Ndong, Gabonese politician, Prime Minister of Gabon
  • 1946 – Ajda Pekkan, Turkish singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1948 – Ray Kurzweil, American computer scientist and engineer
  • 1948 – Nicholas Soames, English politician, Minister of State for the Armed Forces
  • 1950 – Angelo Branduardi, Italian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1950 – Steve Hackett, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1950 – Michael Ironside, Canadian actor, director, and screenwriter
  • 1952 – Simon MacCorkindale, English actor, director, and producer (d. 2010)
  • 1952 – Michael McDonald, American singer-songwriter and keyboard player
  • 1953 – Joanna Kerns, American actress and director
  • 1954 – Joseph Jordania, Georgian-Australian musicologist and academic
  • 1954 – Tzimis Panousis, Greek comedian, singer, and author (d. 2018)
  • 1954 – Phil Zimmermann, American cryptographer and programmer
  • 1955 – Bill Laswell, American bass player and producer
  • 1955 – Chet Lemon, American baseball player and coach
  • 1956 – Arsenio Hall, American actor and talk show host
  • 1956 – Ad Melkert, Dutch lawyer and politician, Dutch Minister of Social Affairs and Employment
  • 1956 – Brian Robertson, Scottish rock guitarist and songwriter
  • 1958 – Outback Jack, Australian-American wrestler
  • 1961 – Jim Harris, Canadian environmentalist and politician
  • 1961 – Michel Martelly, Haitian singer and politician, 56th President of Haiti
  • 1961 – Di Farmer, Queensland Member of Parliament
  • 1964 – Omar Hakim, American drummer, producer, arranger, and composer
  • 1965 – Rubén Amaro, Jr., American baseball player and manager
  • 1965 – Christine Elise, American actress and producer
  • 1965 – David Westlake, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1966 – Paul Crook, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer
  • 1968 – Josh Brolin, American actor
  • 1968 – Chynna Phillips, American singer and actress
  • 1969 – Darren Aronofsky, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1969 – Alemayehu Atomsa, Ethiopian educator and politician (d. 2014)
  • 1969 – Steve Backley, English javelin thrower
  • 1969 – Anneli Drecker, Norwegian singer and actress
  • 1969 – Hong Myung-bo, South Korean footballer and manager
  • 1970 – Jim Creeggan, Canadian singer-songwriter and bass player
  • 1970 – Bryan Roy, Dutch footballer and manager
  • 1970 – Judd Winick, American author and illustrator
  • 1971 – Scott Menville, American voice actor, singer, actor and musician
  • 1973 – Gianni Romme, Dutch speed skater
  • 1973 – Tara Strong, Canadian voice actress and singer
  • 1974 – Naseem Hamed, English boxer
  • 1976 – Christian Cullen, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1977 – Jimmy Conrad, American soccer player and manager
  • 1978 – Paul Anderson, English actor
  • 1978 – Brett Hodgson, Australian rugby league player and coach
  • 1979 – Antonio Chatman, American football player
  • 1979 – Jesse Spencer, Australian actor and violinist
  • 1980 – Juan Carlos Ferrero, Spanish tennis player
  • 1980 – Sarah Lancaster, American actress
  • 1980 – Christina Ricci, American actress and producer
  • 1980 – Gucci Mane, American rapper
  • 1981 – Wade McKinnon, Australian rugby league player
  • 1982 – Jonas Hiller, Swiss ice hockey player
  • 1982 – Louis Tsatoumas, Greek long jumper
  • 1982 – Anthony Tuitavake, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1983 – Carlton Brewster, American football player and coach
  • 1984 – Brad Keselowski, American race car driver
  • 1984 – Andrei Sidorenkov, Estonian footballer
  • 1984 – Peter Vanderkaay, American swimmer
  • 1988 – DeMarco Murray, American football player
  • 1988 – Nicolás Otamendi, Argentine footballer
  • 1988 – Mike Posner, American singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1990 – Robert Griffin III, American football player
  • 1991 – Patrick Herrmann, German footballer
  • 1994 – Arman Hall, American sprinter
  • 1999 – Maggie Coles-Lyster, Canadian cyclist
  • 2000 – Kim Ji-min, South Korean actress

Deaths on February 12

  • 821 – Benedict of Aniane, French monk and saint (b. 747)
  • 890 – Henjō, Japanese priest and poet (b. 816)
  • 981 – Ælfstan, bishop of Ramsbury
  • 901 – Antony II, patriarch of Constantinople
  • 914 – Li, empress of Yan
  • 941 – Wulfhelm, Archbishop of Canterbury
  • 1247 – Ermesinde, Countess of Luxembourg, ruler (b. 1185)
  • 1266 – Amadeus of the Amidei, Italian saint
  • 1517 – Catherine of Navarre (b. 1468)
  • 1538 – Albrecht Altdorfer, German painter, engraver, and architect (b. 1480)
  • 1554 – Lord Guildford Dudley, English son of Jane Dudley, Duchess of Northumberland (b. 1536; executed)
  • 1554 – Lady Jane Grey, de facto monarch of England and Ireland for nine days (b. 1537; executed)
  • 1571 – Nicholas Throckmorton, English politician and diplomat (b. 1515)
  • 1590 – François Hotman, French lawyer and author (b. 1524)
  • 1600 – Edward Denny, Knight Banneret of Bishop’s Stortford, English soldier, privateer and adventurer (b. 1547)
  • 1612 – Jodocus Hondius, Flemish cartographer (b. 1563)
  • 1624 – George Heriot, Scottish goldsmith and philanthropist, founded George Heriot’s School (b. 1563)
  • 1713 – Jahandar Shah, Mughal emperor (b. 1664)
  • 1728 – Agostino Steffani, Italian priest and composer (b. 1653)
  • 1763 – Pierre de Marivaux, French author and playwright (b. 1688)
  • 1771 – Adolf Frederick, King of Sweden (b. 1710)
  • 1789 – Ethan Allen, American farmer, general, and politician (b. 1738)
  • 1799 – Lazzaro Spallanzani, Italian biologist and physiologist (b. 1729)
  • 1804 – Immanuel Kant, German anthropologist, philosopher, and academic (b. 1724)
  • 1834 – Friedrich Schleiermacher, German philosopher and scholar (b. 1768)
  • 1886 – Randolph Caldecott, English-American painter and illustrator (b. 1846)
  • 1894 – Hans von Bülow, German pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1830)
  • 1896 – Ambroise Thomas, French composer and academic (b. 1811)
  • 1912 – Gerhard Armauer Hansen, Norwegian physician (b. 1841)
  • 1915 – Émile Waldteufel, French pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1837)
  • 1916 – Richard Dedekind, German mathematician, philosopher, and academic (b. 1831)
  • 1929 – Lillie Langtry, English singer and actress (b. 1853)
  • 1931 – Samad bey Mehmandarov, Azerbaijani-Russian general and politician, 3rd Azerbaijani Minister of Defense (b. 1855)
  • 1935 – Auguste Escoffier, French chef and author (b. 1846)
  • 1942 – Eugene Esmonde, Irish-English lieutenant and pilot, Victoria Cross recipient (b. 1909)
  • 1942 – Avraham Stern, Polish-Israeli militant leader (b. 1907)
  • 1942 – Grant Wood, American painter and academic (b. 1891)
  • 1947 – Moses Gomberg, Ukrainian-American chemist and academic (b. 1866)
  • 1949 – Hassan al-Banna, Egyptian educator, founded the Muslim Brotherhood (b. 1906)
  • 1954 – Dziga Vertov, Polish-Russian director and screenwriter (b. 1896)
  • 1958 – Douglas Hartree, English mathematician and physicist (b. 1897)
  • 1960 – Oskar Anderson, Bulgarian-German mathematician and academic (b. 1887)
  • 1970 – Clare Turlay Newberry, American author and illustrator (b. 1903)
  • 1971 – James Cash Penney, American businessman and philanthropist, founded J. C. Penney (b. 1875)
  • 1975 – Carl Lutz, Swiss vice-consul to Hungary during WWII, credited with saving over 62,000 Jews (b. 1895)
  • 1976 – Sal Mineo, American actor (b. 1939)
  • 1977 – Herman Dooyeweerd, Dutch philosopher and scholar (b. 1894)
  • 1979 – Jean Renoir, French actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1894)
  • 1980 – Muriel Rukeyser, American poet and activist (b. 1913)
  • 1982 – Victor Jory, Canadian-American actor (b. 1902)
  • 1983 – Eubie Blake, American pianist and composer (b. 1887)
  • 1984 – Anna Anderson, Polish-American woman, who claimed to be Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia (b. 1896)
  • 1984 – Julio Cortázar, Belgian-Argentinian author and poet (b. 1914)
  • 1985 – Nicholas Colasanto, American actor and director (b. 1924)
  • 1989 – Thomas Bernhard, Austrian playwright and author (b. 1931)
  • 1991 – Roger Patterson, American bass player (b. 1968)
  • 1992 – Bep van Klaveren, Dutch boxer (b. 1907)
  • 1994 – Donald Judd, American painter and sculptor (b. 1928)
  • 1995 – Philip Taylor Kramer, American bass player (b. 1952)
  • 1998 – Gardner Ackley, American economist and diplomat, United States Ambassador to Italy (b. 1915)
  • 2000 – Tom Landry, American football player and coach (b. 1924)
  • 2000 – Charles M. Schulz, American cartoonist, created Peanuts (b. 1922)
  • 2001 – Kristina Söderbaum, Swedish-German actress and producer (b. 1912)
  • 2002 – John Eriksen, Danish footballer (b. 1957)
  • 2005 – Dorothy Stang, American-Brazilian nun and missionary (b. 1931)
  • 2007 – Ann Barzel, American writer and dance critic (b. 1905)
  • 2007 – Peggy Gilbert, American saxophonist and bandleader (b. 1905)
  • 2008 – David Groh, American actor (b. 1939)
  • 2009 – victims of Colgan Air Flight 3407:
    • Alison Des Forges, American historian and activist (b. 1942)
    • Beverly Eckert, American activist (b. 1951)
    • Mat Mathews, Dutch accordion player (b. 1924)
    • Coleman Mellett, American guitarist (b. 1974)
    • Gerry Niewood, American saxophonist (b. 1943)
  • 2010 – Nodar Kumaritashvili, Georgian luger (b. 1988)
  • 2011 – Peter Alexander, Austrian singer and actor (b. 1926)
  • 2011 – Betty Garrett, American actress, singer, and dancer (b. 1919)
  • 2011 – Kenneth Mars, American actor and comedian (b. 1935)
  • 2012 – Zina Bethune, American actress, dancer, and choreographer (b. 1945)
  • 2012 – Denis Flannery, Australian rugby player and coach (b. 1928)
  • 2012 – David Kelly, Irish actor (b. 1929)
  • 2012 – John Severin, American illustrator (b. 1921)
  • 2013 – Sattam bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Arabian prince (b. 1941)
  • 2013 – Reginald Turnill, English journalist and author (b. 1915)
  • 2013 – Hennadiy Udovenko, Ukrainian politician and diplomat, 2nd Minister of Foreign Affairs for Ukraine (b. 1931)
  • 2014 – Sid Caesar, American actor and comedian (b. 1922)
  • 2014 – John Pickstone, English historian and author (b. 1944)
  • 2015 – Movita Castaneda, American actress and singer (b. 1916)
  • 2015 – Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, Malaysian cleric and politician, 12th Menteri Besar of Kelantan (b. 1931)
  • 2015 – Gary Owens, American radio host and voice actor (b. 1934)
  • 2015 – Steve Strange, Welsh singer (b. 1959)
  • 2016 – Dominique D’Onofrio, Italian-Belgian footballer and coach (b. 1953)
  • 2016 – Yannis Kalaitzis, Greek cartoonist (b. 1945)
  • 2016 – Yan Su, Chinese general and composer (b. 1930)
  • 2017 – Al Jarreau, American singer (b. 1940)
  • 2017 – Anna Marguerite McCann, first female American underwater archaeologist (b. 1933)
  • 2017 – Ren Xinmin, Chinese rocket scientist (b. 1915)
  • 2019 – Gordon Banks, English footballer (b. 1937)
  • 2019 – Lyndon LaRouche, American political activist (b. 1922)
  • 2019 – Pedro Morales, Puerto Rican professional wrestler and commentator (b. 1942)
  • 2020 – Christie Blatchford, Canadian newspaper columnist, journalist and broadcaster (b. 1951)

Holidays and observances on February 12

  • Christian feast day:
    • Benedict of Aniane
    • Damian of Alexandria
    • Julian the Hospitaller
    • Martyrs of Abitinae
    • February 12 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Darwin Day (International)
  • Georgia Day (Georgia (U.S. state))
  • Lincoln’s Birthday (United States)
  • National Freedom to Marry Day (United States)
  • Red Hand Day (United Nations)
  • Union Day (Myanmar)
  • Youth Day (Venezuela)

February 12 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

On This Day /

February 9 in History

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

Births on February 9

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

Deaths on February 9

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

Holidays and observances on February 9

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

February 9 – 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 5 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • AD 62 – Earthquake in Pompeii, Italy.
  • 756 – An Lushan, leader of a revolt against the Tang Dynasty, declares himself emperor and establishes the state of Yan.
  • 789 – Idris I reaches Volubilis and founds the Idrisid dynasty, ceding Morocco from the Abbasid caliphate and founding the first Moroccan state.
  • 1576 – Henry of Navarre abjures Catholicism at Tours and rejoins the Protestant forces in the French Wars of Religion.
  • 1597 – A group of early Japanese Christians are killed by the new government of Japan for being seen as a threat to Japanese society.
  • 1649 – Charles Stuart, the son of King Charles I, is declared King Charles II of England and Scotland by the Scottish Parliament.
  • 1778 – South Carolina becomes the second state to ratify the Articles of Confederation.
  • 1782 – Spanish defeat British forces and capture Menorca.
  • 1783 – In Calabria, a sequence of strong earthquakes begins.
  • 1807 – HMS Blenheim and HMS Java disappear off the coast of Rodrigues.
  • 1810 – Peninsular War: Siege of Cádiz begins.
  • 1818 – Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte ascends to the thrones of Sweden and Norway.
  • 1849 – University of Wisconsin–Madison’s first class meets at Madison Female Academy.
  • 1852 – The New Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia, one of the largest and oldest museums in the world, opens to the public.
  • 1859 – Alexandru Ioan Cuza, Prince of Moldavia, is also elected as the prince of Wallachia, joining the two principalities as a personal union called the United Principalities, an autonomous region within the Ottoman Empire, which ushered the birth of the modern Romanian state.
  • 1862 – Moldavia and Wallachia formally unite to create the Romanian United Principalities.
  • 1869 – The largest alluvial gold nugget in history, called the “Welcome Stranger”, is found in Moliagul, Victoria, Australia.
  • 1885 – King Leopold II of Belgium establishes the Congo as a personal possession.
  • 1905 – In Mexico, the General Hospital of Mexico is inaugurated, started with four basic specialties.
  • 1907 – Belgian chemist Leo Baekeland announces the creation of Bakelite, the world’s first synthetic plastic.
  • 1913 – Greek military aviators, Michael Moutoussis and Aristeidis Moraitinis perform the first naval air mission in history, with a Farman MF.7 hydroplane.
  • 1917 – The current constitution of Mexico is adopted, establishing a federal republic with powers separated into independent executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
  • 1917 – The Congress of the United States passes the Immigration Act of 1917 over President Woodrow Wilson’s veto.
  • 1918 – Stephen W. Thompson shoots down a German airplane; this is the first aerial victory by the U.S. military.
  • 1918 – SS Tuscania is torpedoed off the coast of Ireland; it is the first ship carrying American troops to Europe to be torpedoed and sunk.
  • 1919 – Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and D. W. Griffith launch United Artists.
  • 1924 – The Royal Greenwich Observatory begins broadcasting the hourly time signals known as the Greenwich Time Signal.
  • 1933 – Mutiny on Royal Netherlands Navy warship HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën off the coast of Sumatra, Dutch East Indies.
  • 1939 – Generalísimo Francisco Franco becomes the 68th “Caudillo de España“, or Leader of Spain.
  • 1941 – World War II: Allied forces begin the Battle of Keren to capture Keren, Eritrea.
  • 1945 – World War II: General Douglas MacArthur returns to Manila.
  • 1958 – Gamal Abdel Nasser is nominated to be the first president of the United Arab Republic.
  • 1958 – A hydrogen bomb known as the Tybee Bomb is lost by the US Air Force off the coast of Savannah, Georgia, never to be recovered.
  • 1962 – French President Charles de Gaulle calls for Algeria to be granted independence.
  • 1963 – The European Court of Justice’s ruling in Van Gend en Loos v Nederlandse Administratie der Belastingen establishes the principle of direct effect, one of the most important, if not the most important, decisions in the development of European Union law.
  • 1971 – Astronauts land on the moon in the Apollo 14 mission.
  • 1975 – Riots break in Lima, Peru after the police forces go on strike the day before. The uprising (locally known as the Limazo) is bloodily suppressed by the military dictatorship.
  • 1985 – Ugo Vetere, then the mayor of Rome, and Chedli Klibi, then the mayor of Carthage meet in Tunis to sign a treaty of friendship officially ending the Third Punic War which lasted 2,131 years.
  • 1988 – Manuel Noriega is indicted on drug smuggling and money laundering charges.
  • 1994 – Byron De La Beckwith is convicted of the 1963 murder of civil rights leader Medgar Evers.
  • 1994 – Markale massacres, more than 60 people are killed and some 200 wounded as a mortar shell explodes in a downtown marketplace in Sarajevo.
  • 1997 – The so-called Big Three banks in Switzerland announce the creation of a $71 million fund to aid Holocaust survivors and their families.
  • 2000 – Russian forces massacre at least 60 civilians in the Novye Aldi suburb of Grozny, Chechnya.
  • 2004 – Rebels from the Revolutionary Artibonite Resistance Front capture the city of Gonaïves, starting the 2004 Haiti rebellion.
  • 2008 – A major tornado outbreak across the Southern United States kills 57.
  • 2020 – United States President Donald Trump is acquitted by the United States Senate in his impeachment trial.

Births on February 5

  • 976 – Sanjō, emperor of Japan (d. 1017)
  • 1321 – John II, marquess of Montferrat (d. 1372)
  • 1438 – Philip II, duke of Savoy (d. 1497)
  • 1505 – Aegidius Tschudi, Swiss statesman and historian (d. 1572)
  • 1519 – René of Châlon, prince of Orange (d. 1544)
  • 1525 – Juraj Drašković, Croatian Catholic cardinal (d. 1587)
  • 1533 – Andreas Dudith, Croatian-Hungarian nobleman and diplomat (d. 1589)
  • 1534 – Giovanni de’ Bardi, Italian soldier, composer, and critic (d. 1612)
  • 1589 – Esteban Manuel de Villegas, Spanish poet and educator (d. 1669)
  • 1594 – Biagio Marini, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1663)
  • 1605 – Bernard of Corleone, Italian saint (d. 1667)
  • 1608 – Gaspar Schott, German mathematician and physicist (d. 1666)
  • 1626 – Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, marquise de Sévigné, French author (d. 1696)
  • 1650 – Anne Jules de Noailles, French general (d. 1708)
  • 1703 – Gilbert Tennent, Irish-American minister (d. 1764)
  • 1723 – John Witherspoon, Scottish-American minister and academic (d. 1794)
  • 1725 – James Otis, Jr., American lawyer and politician (d. 1783)
  • 1748 – Christian Gottlob Neefe, German composer and conductor (d. 1798)
  • 1788 – Robert Peel, English lieutenant and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1850)
  • 1795 – Wilhelm Karl Ritter von Haidinger, Austrian mineralogist, geologist, and physicist (d. 1871)
  • 1804 – Johan Ludvig Runeberg, Finnish poet and hymn-writer (d. 1877)
  • 1808 – Carl Spitzweg, German painter and poet (d. 1885)
  • 1810 – Ole Bull, Norwegian violinist and composer (d. 1880)
  • 1827 – Peter Lalor, Irish-Australian activist and politician (d. 1889)
  • 1837 – Dwight L. Moody, American evangelist and publisher, founded Moody Church, Moody Bible Institute, and Moody Publishers (d. 1899)
  • 1840 – John Boyd Dunlop, Scottish businessman, co-founded Dunlop Rubber (d. 1921)
  • 1840 – Hiram Maxim, American engineer, invented the Maxim gun (d. 1916)
  • 1847 – Eduard Magnus Jakobson, Estonian missionary and engraver (d. 1903)
  • 1848 – Joris-Karl Huysmans, French author and critic (d. 1907)
  • 1848 – Ignacio Carrera Pinto, Chilean lieutenant (d. 1882)
  • 1852 – Terauchi Masatake, Japanese field marshal and politician, 9th Prime Minister of Japan (d. 1919)
  • 1866 – Domhnall Ua Buachalla, Irish politician, 3rd and last Governor-General of the Irish Free State (d. 1963)
  • 1870 – Charles Edmund Brock, British painter and book illustrator (d. 1938)
  • 1876 – Ernie McLea, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1931)
  • 1878 – André Citroën, French engineer and businessman, founded Citroën (d. 1935)
  • 1880 – Gabriel Voisin, French pilot and engineer (d. 1973)
  • 1889 – Patsy Hendren, English cricketer and footballer (d. 1962)
  • 1889 – Ernest Tyldesley, English cricketer (d. 1962)
  • 1889 – Recep Peker, Turkish officer and politician (d. 1950)
  • 1891 – Renato Petronio, Italian rower (d. 1976)
  • 1892 – Elizabeth Ryan, American tennis player (d. 1979)
  • 1897 – Dirk Stikker, Dutch businessman and politician, 3rd Secretary General of NATO (d. 1979)
  • 1900 – Adlai Stevenson II, American soldier, politician, and diplomat, 5th United States Ambassador to the United Nations (d. 1965)
  • 1903 – Koto Matsudaira, Japanese diplomat, ambassador to the United Nations (d. 1994)
  • 1903 – Joan Whitney Payson, American businesswoman and philanthropist (d. 1975)
  • 1906 – John Carradine, American actor (d. 1988)
  • 1907 – Birgit Dalland, Norwegian politician (d. 2007)
  • 1907 – Pierre Pflimlin, French politician, Prime Minister of France (d. 2000)
  • 1908 – Marie Baron, Dutch swimmer and diver (d. 1948)
  • 1908 – Peg Entwistle, Welsh-American actress (d. 1932)
  • 1908 – Daisy and Violet Hilton, English conjoined twins (d. 1969)
  • 1908 – Eugen Weidmann, German criminal (d. 1939)
  • 1909 – Grażyna Bacewicz, Polish violinist and composer (d. 1969)
  • 1910 – Charles Philippe Leblond, French-Canadian biologist and academic (d. 2007)
  • 1910 – Francisco Varallo, Argentinian footballer (d. 2010)
  • 1911 – Jussi Björling, Swedish tenor (d. 1960)
  • 1914 – William S. Burroughs, American novelist, short story writer, and essayist (d. 1997)
  • 1914 – Alan Lloyd Hodgkin, English physiologist, biophysicist, and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1998)
  • 1915 – Robert Hofstadter, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1990)
  • 1917 – Edward J. Mortola, American academic and president of Pace University (d. 2002)
  • 1917 – Isuzu Yamada, Japanese actress (d. 2012)
  • 1919 – Red Buttons, American actor (d. 2006)
  • 1919 – Tim Holt, American actor (d. 1973)
  • 1919 – Andreas Papandreou, Greek economist and politician, Prime Minister of Greece (d. 1996)
  • 1921 – Ken Adam, German-born English production designer and art director (d. 2016)
  • 1923 – Claude King, American country music singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2013)
  • 1923 – James E. Bowman, American physician and academic (d. 2011)
  • 1924 – Duraisamy Simon Lourdusamy, Indian cardinal (d. 2014)
  • 1927 – Robert Allen, American pianist and composer (d. 2000)
  • 1927 – Jacob Veldhuyzen van Zanten, Dutch captain and pilot (d. 1977)
  • 1928 – Tage Danielsson, Swedish author, actor, and director (d. 1985)
  • 1928 – Andrew Greeley, American priest, sociologist, and author (d. 2013)
  • 1928 – P. J. Vatikiotis, Israeli-American historian and political scientist (d. 1997)
  • 1929 – Hal Blaine, American session drummer (d. 2019)
  • 1929 – Luc Ferrari, French pianist and composer (d. 2005)
  • 1929 – Fred Sinowatz, Austrian politician, 19th Chancellor of Austria (d. 2008)
  • 1932 – Cesare Maldini, Italian footballer and manager (d. 2016)
  • 1933 – Jörn Donner, Finnish director and screenwriter (d. 2020)
  • 1933 – B. S. Johnson, English author, poet, and critic (d. 1973)
  • 1934 – Hank Aaron, American baseball player
  • 1934 – Don Cherry, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and sportscaster
  • 1935 – Alex Harvey, Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1982)
  • 1935 – Johannes Geldenhuys, South African military commander (d. 2018)
  • 1936 – K. S. Nissar Ahmed, Indian poet and academic
  • 1937 – Stuart Damon, American actor and singer
  • 1937 – Larry Hillman, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1937 – Gaston Roelants, Belgian runner
  • 1937 – Alar Toomre, Estonian-American astronomer and mathematician
  • 1937 – Wang Xuan, Chinese computer scientist and academic (d. 2006)
  • 1938 – Rafael Nieto Navia, Colombian lawyer, jurist, and diplomat
  • 1939 – Brian Luckhurst, English cricketer (d. 2005)
  • 1940 – H. R. Giger, Swiss painter, sculptor, and set designer (d. 2014)
  • 1940 – Luke Graham, American wrestler (d. 2006)
  • 1941 – Stephen J. Cannell, American actor, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2010)
  • 1941 – Henson Cargill, American country music singer (d. 2007)
  • 1941 – David Selby, American actor and playwright
  • 1941 – Barrett Strong, American soul singer-songwriter and pianist
  • 1941 – Kaspar Villiger, Swiss engineer and politician, 85th President of the Swiss Confederation
  • 1941 – Cory Wells, American pop-rock singer (d. 2015)
  • 1942 – Roger Staubach, American football player, sportscaster, and businessman
  • 1943 – Nolan Bushnell, American engineer and businessman, founded Atari, Inc.
  • 1943 – Michael Mann, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1943 – Craig Morton, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1943 – Dušan Uhrin, Czech and Slovak footballer and manager
  • 1944 – J. R. Cobb, American guitarist and songwriter
  • 1944 – Henfil, Brazilian journalist, author, and illustrator (d. 1988)
  • 1944 – Al Kooper, American singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1944 – Tamanoumi Masahiro, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 51st Yokozuna (d. 1971)
  • 1945 – Douglas Hogg, English lawyer and politician, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
  • 1946 – Amnon Dankner, Israeli journalist and author (d. 2013)
  • 1946 – Charlotte Rampling, English actress
  • 1947 – Mary L. Cleave, American engineer and astronaut
  • 1947 – Clemente Mastella, Italian politician, Italian Minister of Justice
  • 1947 – Darrell Waltrip, American race car driver and sportscaster
  • 1948 – Sven-Göran Eriksson, Swedish footballer and manager
  • 1948 – Christopher Guest, American actor and director
  • 1948 – Barbara Hershey, American actress
  • 1948 – Errol Morris, American director and producer
  • 1948 – Tom Wilkinson, English actor
  • 1949 – Kurt Beck, German politician
  • 1949 – Yvon Vallières, Canadian educator and politician
  • 1950 – Jonathan Freeman, American actor and singer
  • 1950 – Rafael Puente, Mexican footballer
  • 1951 – Nikolay Merkushkin, Mordovian engineer and politician, 1st Head of the Republic of Mordovia
  • 1952 – Daniel Balavoine, French singer-songwriter and producer (d. 1986)
  • 1952 – Vladimir Moskovkin, Ukrainian-Russian geographer, economist, and academic
  • 1953 – Freddie Aguilar, Filipino singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1953 – John Beilein, American basketball player and coach
  • 1953 – Gustavo Benítez, Paraguayan footballer and manager
  • 1954 – Cliff Martinez, American drummer and songwriter
  • 1954 – Frank Walker, Australian journalist and author
  • 1955 – Mike Heath, American baseball player and manager
  • 1956 – Vinnie Colaiuta, American drummer
  • 1956 – Héctor Rebaque, Mexican race car driver
  • 1956 – David Wiesner, American author and illustrator
  • 1956 – Mao Daichi, Japanese actress
  • 1957 – Jüri Tamm, Estonian hammer thrower and politician
  • 1959 – Jennifer Granholm, Canadian-American lawyer and politician, 47th Governor of Michigan
  • 1960 – Aris Christofellis, Greek soprano and musicologist
  • 1960 – Bonnie Crombie, Canadian businesswoman and politician, 6th Mayor of Mississauga
  • 1960 – Micky Hazard, English footballer, central midfielder
  • 1961 – Savvas Kofidis, Greek footballer and manager
  • 1961 – Tim Meadows, American actor and screenwriter
  • 1962 – Jennifer Jason Leigh, American actress, screenwriter, producer and director
  • 1963 – Steven Shainberg, American film director and producer
  • 1964 – Laura Linney, American actress
  • 1964 – Ha Seungmoo, Korean Poet, Pastor, Historical theologian
  • 1964 – Duff McKagan, American singer-songwriter, bass player, and producer
  • 1965 – Tarik Benhabiles, Algerian-French tennis player and coach
  • 1965 – Gheorghe Hagi, Romanian footballer and manager
  • 1965 – Keith Moseley, American bass player and songwriter
  • 1965 – Quique Sánchez Flores, Spanish footballer and manager
  • 1966 – José María Olazábal, Spanish golfer
  • 1966 – Rok Petrovič, Slovenian skier (d. 1993)
  • 1967 – Chris Parnell, American actor and comedian
  • 1968 – Roberto Alomar, Puerto Rican-American baseball player and coach
  • 1968 – Marcus Grönholm, Finnish race car driver
  • 1969 – Bobby Brown, American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actor
  • 1969 – Michael Sheen, Welsh actor and director
  • 1969 – Derek Stephen Prince, American voice actor
  • 1970 – Jean-Marc Jaumin, Belgian basketball player and coach
  • 1970 – Darren Lehmann, Australian cricketer and coach
  • 1971 – Michel Breistroff, French ice hockey player (d. 1996)
  • 1971 – Sara Evans, American country singer
  • 1972 – Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark
  • 1972 – Brad Fittler, Australian rugby league player, coach, and sportscaster
  • 1973 – Richard Matvichuk, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1973 – Trijntje Oosterhuis, Dutch singer-songwriter
  • 1973 – Luke Ricketson, Australian rugby league player and sportscaster
  • 1974 – Michael Maguire, Australian rugby league player and coach
  • 1975 – Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Dutch footballer and manager
  • 1976 – John Aloisi, Australian footballer and manager
  • 1976 – Abhishek Bachchan, Indian actor
  • 1977 – Ben Ainslie, English sailor
  • 1977 – Adam Dykes, Australian rugby league player
  • 1977 – Adam Everett, American baseball player and coach
  • 1978 – Brian Russell, American football player
  • 1978 – Samuel Sánchez, Spanish cyclist
  • 1979 – Nate Holzapfel, American entrepreneur and television personality
  • 1980 – Brad Fitzpatrick, American programmer, created LiveJournal
  • 1980 – Jo Swinson, Scottish politician
  • 1981 – Mia Hansen-Løve, French director and screenwriter
  • 1981 – Loukas Vyntra, Czech-Greek footballer
  • 1982 – Laura del Rio, Spanish footballer
  • 1982 – Kevin Everett, American football player
  • 1982 – Tomáš Kopecký, Slovak ice hockey player
  • 1982 – Rodrigo Palacio, Argentinian footballer
  • 1983 – Anja Hammerseng-Edin, Norwegian handball player
  • 1984 – Carlos Tevez, Argentinian footballer
  • 1985 – Lloyd Johansson, Australian rugby player
  • 1985 – Laurence Maroney, American football player
  • 1985 – Paul Vandervort, American actor, film producer, and former model
  • 1985 – Cristiano Ronaldo, Portuguese footballer
  • 1986 – Vedran Ćorluka, Croatian footballer, centre back
  • 1986 – Marcos Díaz, Argentinian footballer
  • 1986 – Kevin Gates, American rapper, singer, and entrepreneur
  • 1986 – Sekope Kepu, Australian rugby player
  • 1986 – Billy Sharp, English footballer
  • 1986 – Reed Sorenson, American race car driver
  • 1986 – Carlos Villanueva, Chilean footballer
  • 1987 – Darren Criss, American actor, singer, and entrepreneur
  • 1987 – Curtis Jerrells, American basketball player
  • 1987 – Alex Kuznetsov, Ukrainian-American tennis player
  • 1987 – Linus Omark, Swedish ice hockey player
  • 1987 – Donald Sanford, American-Israeli sprinter
  • 1988 – Karin Ontiveros, Mexican model
  • 1989 – Marina Melnikova, Russian tennis player
  • 1990 – Dmitry Andreikin, Russian chess player
  • 1990 – Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Indian cricketer
  • 1990 – Jordan Rhodes, Scottish footballer
  • 1991 – Nabil Bahoui, Swedish footballer
  • 1991 – Gerald Tusha, Albanian footballer
  • 1992 – Stefan de Vrij, Dutch footballer
  • 1992 – Neymar, Brazilian footballer
  • 1993 – Leilani Latu, Australian rugby league player
  • 1993 – Ty Rattie, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1995 – Adnan Januzaj, Belgian-Albanian footballer
  • 1996 – Stina Blackstenius, Swedish footballer
  • 1997 – Patrick Roberts, English footballer
  • 2016 – Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck, Bhutanese prince

Deaths on February 5

  • 523 – Avitus of Vienne, Gallo-Roman bishop
  • 806 – Kanmu, emperor of Japan (b. 736)
  • 994 – William IV, duke of Aquitaine (b. 937)
  • 1015 – Adelaide, German abbess and saint
  • 1036 – Alfred Aetheling, Anglo-Saxon prince
  • 1146 – Zafadola, Arab emir of Zaragoza
  • 1578 – Giovanni Battista Moroni, Italian painter (b. 1520)
  • 1661 – Shunzhi, Chinese emperor of the Qing Dynasty (b. 1638)
  • 1705 – Philipp Spener, German theologian and author (b. 1635)
  • 1751 – Henri François d’Aguesseau, French jurist and politician, Chancellor of France (b. 1668)
  • 1754 – Nicolaas Kruik, Dutch astronomer and cartographer (b. 1678)
  • 1766 – Count Leopold Joseph von Daun, Austrian field marshal (b. 1705)
  • 1775 – Eusebius Amort, German theologian and academic (b. 1692)
  • 1790 – William Cullen, Scottish physician and chemist (b. 1710)
  • 1807 – Pasquale Paoli, Corsican commander and politician (b. 1725)
  • 1818 – Charles XIII, king of Sweden (b. 1748)
  • 1881 – Thomas Carlyle, Scottish philosopher, historian, and academic (b. 1795)
  • 1882 – Adolfo Rivadeneyra, Spanish orientalist and diplomat (b. 1841)
  • 1892 – Emilie Flygare-Carlén, Swedish author (b. 1807)
  • 1915 – Ross Barnes, American baseball player and manager (b. 1850)
  • 1917 – Jaber II Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti ruler (b. 1860)
  • 1922 – Christiaan de Wet, South African general and politician, State President of the Orange Free State (b. 1854)
  • 1922 – Slavoljub Eduard Penkala, Croatian engineer, invented the mechanical pencil (b. 1871)
  • 1927 – Inayat Khan, Indian mystic and educator (b. 1882)
  • 1931 – Athanasios Eftaxias, Greek politician, 118th Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1849)
  • 1933 – Josiah Thomas, English-Australian miner and politician (b. 1863)
  • 1937 – Lou Andreas-Salomé, Russian-German psychoanalyst and author (b. 1861)
  • 1938 – Hans Litten, German lawyer and jurist (b. 1903)
  • 1941 – Banjo Paterson, Australian journalist, author, and poet (b. 1864)
  • 1941 – Otto Strandman, Estonian lawyer and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Estonia (b. 1875)
  • 1946 – George Arliss, English actor and playwright (b. 1868)
  • 1948 – Johannes Blaskowitz, German general (b. 1883)
  • 1952 – Adela Verne, English pianist and composer (b. 1877)
  • 1954 – Hossein Sami’i, Iranian politician, diplomat, writer and poet (b. 1876)
  • 1955 – Victor Houteff, Bulgarian religious reformer and author (b. 1885)
  • 1957 – Sami Ibrahim Haddad, Lebanese surgeon and author (b. 1890)
  • 1962 – Jacques Ibert, French-Swiss composer (b. 1890)
  • 1967 – Leon Leonwood Bean, American businessman, founded L.L.Bean (b. 1872)
  • 1969 – Thelma Ritter, American actress (b. 1902)
  • 1970 – Rudy York, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1913)
  • 1971 – Lew “Sneaky Pete” Robinson, drag racer (b. 1933)
  • 1972 – Marianne Moore, American poet, author, critic, and translator (b. 1887)
  • 1976 – Rudy Pompilli, American saxophonist (Bill Haley & His Comets) (b. 1926)
  • 1977 – Oskar Klein, Swedish physicist and academic (b. 1894)
  • 1981 – Ella T. Grasso, American politician, 83rd Governor of Connecticut (b. 1919)
  • 1982 – Neil Aggett, Kenyan-South African physician and union leader (b. 1953)
  • 1983 – Margaret Oakley Dayhoff, American chemist and academic (b. 1925)
  • 1987 – William Collier, Jr., American actor and producer (b. 1902)
  • 1989 – Joe Raposo, American pianist and composer (b. 1937)
  • 1991 – Dean Jagger, American actor (b. 1903)
  • 1992 – Miguel Rolando Covian, Argentinian-Brazilian physiologist and academic (b. 1913)
  • 1993 – Seán Flanagan, Irish footballer and politician, 7th Irish Minister for Health (b. 1922)
  • 1993 – Joseph L. Mankiewicz, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1909)
  • 1993 – William Pène du Bois, American author and illustrator (b. 1916)
  • 1995 – Doug McClure, American actor (b. 1935)
  • 1997 – Pamela Harriman, English-American diplomat, 58th United States Ambassador to France (b. 1920)
  • 1997 – René Huyghe, French historian and author (b. 1906)
  • 1998 – Tim Kelly, American guitarist (b. 1963)
  • 1999 – Wassily Leontief, Russian-American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
  • 2000 – Claude Autant-Lara, French director and screenwriter (b. 1901)
  • 2004 – John Hench, American animator (b. 1908)
  • 2005 – Gnassingbé Eyadéma, Togolese general and politician, President of Togo (b. 1937)
  • 2005 – Michalina Wisłocka, Polish gynecologist and sexologist (b. 1921)
  • 2006 – Norma Candal, Puerto Rican-American actress (b. 1927)
  • 2007 – Leo T. McCarthy, New Zealand-American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 43rd Lieutenant Governor of California (b. 1930)
  • 2007 – Alfred Worm, Austrian journalist, author, and academic (b. 1945)
  • 2008 – Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Indian guru, founded Transcendental Meditation (b. 1918)
  • 2010 – Brendan Burke, Canadian ice hockey player and activist (b. 1988)
  • 2010 – Harry Schwarz, South African lawyer, anti-apartheid leader, and diplomat, 13th South Africa Ambassador to United States (b. 1924)
  • 2011 – Brian Jacques, English author and radio host (b. 1939)
  • 2011 – Peggy Rea, American actress and casting director (b. 1921)
  • 2012 – Sam Coppola, American actor (b. 1932)
  • 2012 – Al De Lory, American keyboard player, conductor, and producer (b. 1930)
  • 2012 – John Turner Sargent, Sr., American publisher (b. 1924)
  • 2012 – Jo Zwaan, Dutch sprinter (b. 1922)
  • 2013 – Reinaldo Gargano, Uruguayan journalist and politician, Minister of Foreign Affairs for Uruguay (b. 1934)
  • 2013 – Egil Hovland, Norwegian composer and conductor (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – Tom McGuigan, New Zealand soldier and politician, 23rd New Zealand Minister of Health (b. 1921)
  • 2014 – Robert A. Dahl, American political scientist and academic (b. 1915)
  • 2015 – K. N. Choksy, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician, Minister of Finance of Sri Lanka (b. 1933)
  • 2015 – Marisa Del Frate, Italian actress and singer (b. 1931)
  • 2015 – Val Logsdon Fitch, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1923)
  • 2015 – Herman Rosenblat, Polish-American author (b. 1929)
  • 2016 – Ciriaco Cañete, Filipino martial artist (b. 1919)
  • 2020 – Kirk Douglas, American actor (b. 1916)

Holidays and observances on February 5

  • Christian feast day:
    • Adelaide of Vilich
    • Agatha of Sicily
    • Avitus of Vienne
    • Bertulf (Bertoul) of Renty
    • Ingenuinus (Jenewein)
    • Roger Williams, Anne Hutchinson (Episcopal Church (USA))
    • Twenty-six Martyrs of Japan (in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and Anglican Church in Japan)
    • February 5 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Constitution Day (Mexico)
  • Crown Princess Mary’s birthday (Denmark)
  • Kashmir Solidarity Day (Pakistan)
  • Liberation Day (San Marino)
  • Runeberg’s Birthday (Finland)
  • Unity Day (Burundi)

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

On This Day

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

On This Day /
  • 1112 – Ramon Berenguer III, Count of Barcelona, and Douce I, Countess of Provence, marry, uniting the fortunes of those two states.
  • 1451 – Sultan Mehmed II inherits the throne of the Ottoman Empire.
  • 1488 – Bartolomeu Dias of Portugal lands in Mossel Bay after rounding the Cape of Good Hope, becoming the first known European to travel so far south.
  • 1509 – The Portuguese navy defeats a joint fleet of the Ottoman Empire, the Republic of Venice, the Sultan of Gujarat, the Mamlûk Burji Sultanate of Egypt, the Zamorin of Calicut, and the Republic of Ragusa at the Battle of Diu in Diu, India.
  • 1661 – Maratha forces under Chattrapati Shivaji defeat the Mughals in the Battle of Umberkhind.
  • 1690 – The colony of Massachusetts issues the first paper money in the Americas.
  • 1706 – During the Battle of Fraustadt Swedish forces defeat a superior Saxon-Polish-Russian force by deploying a double envelopment.
  • 1781 – American Revolutionary War: British forces seize the Dutch-owned Caribbean island Sint Eustatius.
  • 1783 – Spain–United States relations are first established.
  • 1787 – Militia led by General Benjamin Lincoln crush the remnants of Shays’ Rebellion in Petersham, Massachusetts.
  • 1807 – A British military force, under Brigadier-General Sir Samuel Auchmuty captures the Spanish Empire city of Montevideo, now the capital of Uruguay.
  • 1809 – The Territory of Illinois is created by the 10th United States Congress.
  • 1813 – José de San Martín defeats a Spanish royalist army at the Battle of San Lorenzo, part of the Argentine War of Independence.
  • 1830 – The London Protocol of 1830 establishes the full independence and sovereignty of Greece from the Ottoman Empire as the final result of the Greek War of Independence.
  • 1834 – Wake Forest University is established (as Wake Forest Institute) in North Carolina, United States.
  • 1870 – The Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, guaranteeing voting rights to male citizens regardless of race.
  • 1913 – The Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, authorizing the Federal government to impose and collect an income tax.
  • 1916 – The Centre Block of the Parliament buildings in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada burns down with the loss of 7 lives.
  • 1917 – First World War: The American entry into World War I begins when diplomatic relations with Germany are severed due to its unrestricted submarine warfare.
  • 1918 – The Twin Peaks Tunnel in San Francisco, California begins service as the longest streetcar tunnel in the world at 11,920 feet (3,633 meters) long.
  • 1930 – Communist Party of Vietnam is founded at a “Unification Conference” held in Kowloon, British Hong Kong.
  • 1931 – The Hawke’s Bay earthquake, New Zealand’s worst natural disaster, kills 258.
  • 1933 – Adolf Hitler announces that the expansion of Lebensraum into Eastern Europe, and its ruthless Germanisation, are the ultimate geopolitical objectives of Third Reich foreign policy.
  • 1943 – The SS Dorchester is sunk by a German U-boat. Only 230 of 902 men aboard survive.
  • 1944 – World War II: During the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign, U.S. Army and Marine forces seize Kwajalein Atoll from the defending Japanese garrison.
  • 1945 – World War II: As part of Operation Thunderclap, 1,000 B-17s of the Eighth Air Force bomb Berlin, a raid which kills between 2,500 and 3,000 and dehouses another 120,000.
  • 1945 – World War II: The United States and the Philippine Commonwealth begin a month-long battle to retake Manila from Japan.
  • 1953 – The Batepá massacre occurred in São Tomé when the colonial administration and Portuguese landowners unleashed a wave of violence against the native creoles known as forros.
  • 1958 – Founding of the Benelux Economic Union, creating a testing ground for a later European Economic Community.
  • 1959 – Rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson are killed in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa.
  • 1960 – British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan speaks of “a wind of change”, signalling that his Government was likely to support decolonisation.
  • 1961 – The United States Air Forces begins Operation Looking Glass, and over the next 30 years, a “Doomsday Plane” is always in the air, with the capability of taking direct control of the United States’ bombers and missiles in the event of the destruction of the SAC’s command post.
  • 1966 – The Soviet Union’s Luna 9 becomes the first spacecraft to make a soft landing on the Moon, and the first spacecraft to take pictures from the surface of the Moon.
  • 1971 – New York Police Officer Frank Serpico is shot during a drug bust in Brooklyn and survives to later testify against police corruption.
  • 1972 – The first day of the seven-day 1972 Iran blizzard, which would kill at least 4,000 people, making it the deadliest snowstorm in history.
  • 1984 – John Buster and the research team at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center announce history’s first embryo transfer, from one woman to another resulting in a live birth.
  • 1984 – Space Shuttle program: STS-41-B is launched using Space Shuttle Challenger.
  • 1989 – After a stroke two weeks previously, South African President P. W. Botha resigns as leader of the National Party, but stays on as president for six more months.
  • 1989 – A military coup overthrows Alfredo Stroessner, dictator of Paraguay since 1954.
  • 1994 – Space Shuttle program: STS-60 is launched, carrying Sergei Krikalev, the first Russian cosmonaut to fly aboard the Shuttle.
  • 1995 – Astronaut Eileen Collins becomes the first woman to pilot the Space Shuttle as mission STS-63 gets underway from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
  • 1998 – Cavalese cable car disaster: a United States military pilot causes the death of 20 people when his low-flying plane cuts the cable of a cable-car near Trento, Italy.
  • 2007 – A Baghdad market bombing kills at least 135 people and injures a further 339.
  • 2014 – Two people are shot and killed and 29 students are taken hostage at a high school in Moscow, Russia.

Births on February 3

  • 1338 – Joanna of Bourbon (d. 1378)
  • 1392 – Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland, English nobleman and military commander (d. 1455)
  • 1428 – Helena Palaiologina, Queen of Cyprus (d. 1458)
  • 1478 – Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham (d. 1521)
  • 1504 – Scipione Rebiba, Italian cardinal (d. 1577)
  • 1677 – Jan Santini Aichel, Czech architect, designed the Karlova Koruna Chateau (d. 1723)
  • 1689 – Blas de Lezo, Spanish admiral (d. 1741)
  • 1690 – Richard Rawlinson, English minister and historian (d. 1755)
  • 1721 – Friedrich Wilhelm von Seydlitz, Prussian general (d. 1773)
  • 1736 – Johann Georg Albrechtsberger, Austrian composer and theorist (d. 1809)
  • 1747 – Samuel Osgood, American soldier and politician, 1st United States Postmaster General (d. 1813)
  • 1757 – Joseph Forlenze, Italian ophthalmologist and surgeon (d. 1833)
  • 1763 – Caroline von Wolzogen, German author (d. 1847)
  • 1777 – John Cheyne, Scottish physician and author (d. 1836)
  • 1790 – Gideon Mantell, English scientist (d. 1852)
  • 1795 – Antonio José de Sucre, Venezuelan general and politician, 2nd President of Bolivia (d. 1830)
  • 1807 – Joseph E. Johnston, American general and politician (d. 1891)
  • 1809 – Felix Mendelssohn, German pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1847)
  • 1811 – Horace Greeley, American journalist and politician (d. 1872)
  • 1816 – Ram Singh Kuka, Indian credited with starting the Non-cooperation movement
  • 1817 – Achille Ernest Oscar Joseph Delesse, French geologist and mineralogist (d. 1881)
  • 1817 – Émile Prudent, French pianist and composer (d. 1863)
  • 1821 – Elizabeth Blackwell, American physician and educator (d. 1910)
  • 1824 – Ranald MacDonald, American explorer and educator (d. 1894)
  • 1826 – Walter Bagehot, English journalist and businessman (d. 1877)
  • 1830 – Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1903)
  • 1842 – Sidney Lanier, American composer and poet (d. 1881)
  • 1843 – William Cornelius Van Horne, American-Canadian businessman (d. 1915)
  • 1857 – Giuseppe Moretti, Italian sculptor, designed the Vulcan statue (d. 1935)
  • 1859 – Hugo Junkers, German engineer, designed the Junkers J 1 (d. 1935)
  • 1862 – James Clark McReynolds, American lawyer and judge (d. 1946)
  • 1867 – Charles Henry Turner, American biologist, educator and zoologist (d. 1923)
  • 1872 – Lou Criger, American baseball player and manager (d. 1934)
  • 1874 – Gertrude Stein, American novelist, poet, playwright, (d. 1946)
  • 1878 – Gordon Coates, New Zealand soldier and politician, 21st Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1943)
  • 1887 – Georg Trakl, Austrian pharmacist and poet (d. 1914)
  • 1889 – Artur Adson, Estonian poet, playwright, and critic (d. 1977)
  • 1889 – Carl Theodor Dreyer, Danish director and screenwriter (d. 1968)
  • 1892 – Juan Negrín, Spanish physician and politician, 67th Prime Minister of Spain (d. 1956)
  • 1893 – Gaston Julia, Algerian-French mathematician and academic (d. 1978)
  • 1894 – Norman Rockwell, American painter and illustrator (d. 1978)
  • 1898 – Alvar Aalto, Finnish architect, designed the Finlandia Hall and Aalto Theatre (d. 1976)
  • 1899 – Café Filho, Brazilian journalist, lawyer, and politician, 18th President of Brazil (d. 1970)
  • 1900 – Mabel Mercer, English-American singer (d. 1984)
  • 1903 – Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 14th Duke of Hamilton, Scottish soldier, pilot, and politician (d. 1973)
  • 1904 – Pretty Boy Floyd, American gangster (d. 1934)
  • 1905 – Paul Ariste, Estonian linguist and academic (d. 1990)
  • 1905 – Arne Beurling, Swedish-American mathematician and academic (d. 1986)
  • 1906 – George Adamson, Indian-English author and activist (d. 1989)
  • 1907 – James A. Michener, American author and philanthropist (d. 1997)
  • 1909 – André Cayatte, French lawyer and director (d. 1989)
  • 1909 – Simone Weil, French mystic and philosopher (d. 1943)
  • 1911 – Jehan Alain, French organist and composer (d. 1940)
  • 1912 – Jacques Soustelle, French anthropologist and politician (d. 1990)
  • 1914 – Mary Carlisle, American actress, singer, and dancer (d. 2018)
  • 1915 – Johannes Kotkas, Estonian wrestler and hammer thrower (d. 1998)
  • 1917 – Shlomo Goren, Polish-Israeli rabbi and general (d. 1994)
  • 1918 – Joey Bishop, American actor and producer (d. 2007)
  • 1918 – Helen Stephens, American runner, baseball player, and manager (d. 1994)
  • 1920 – Russell Arms, American actor and singer (d. 2012)
  • 1920 – Tony Gaze, Australian race car driver and pilot (d. 2013)
  • 1920 – Henry Heimlich, American physician and author (d. 2016)
  • 1924 – E. P. Thompson, English historian and author (d. 1993)
  • 1924 – Martial Asselin, Canadian lawyer and politician, 25th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec (d. 2013)
  • 1925 – Shelley Berman, American actor and comedian (d. 2017)
  • 1925 – John Fiedler, American actor (d. 2005)
  • 1926 – Hans-Jochen Vogel, German soldier and politician, 8th Mayor of Berlin
  • 1927 – Kenneth Anger, American actor, director, and screenwriter
  • 1927 – Blas Ople, Filipino journalist and politician, 21st President of the Senate of the Philippines (d. 2003)
  • 1933 – Paul Sarbanes, American lawyer and politician
  • 1934 – Juan Carlos Calabró, Argentinian actor and screenwriter (d. 2013)
  • 1935 – Johnny “Guitar” Watson, American blues, soul, and funk singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1996)
  • 1936 – Elizabeth Peer, American journalist (d. 1984)
  • 1936 – Bob Simpson, Australian cricketer and coach
  • 1937 – Billy Meier, Swiss author and photographer
  • 1938 – Victor Buono, American actor (d. 1982)
  • 1938 – Emile Griffith, American boxer and trainer (d. 2013)
  • 1939 – Michael Cimino, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2016)
  • 1940 – Fran Tarkenton, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1941 – Dory Funk, Jr., American wrestler and trainer
  • 1941 – Howard Phillips, American lawyer and politician (d. 2013)
  • 1943 – Blythe Danner, American actress
  • 1943 – Dennis Edwards, American soul/R&B singer (d. 2018)
  • 1943 – Eric Haydock, English bass player (d. 2019)
  • 1943 – Shawn Phillips, American-South African singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1945 – Johnny Cymbal, Scottish-American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 1993)
  • 1945 – Bob Griese, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1947 – Paul Auster, American novelist, essayist, and poet
  • 1947 – Stephen McHattie, Canadian actor and director
  • 1948 – Henning Mankell, Swedish author and playwright (d. 2015)
  • 1949 – Jim Thorpe, American golfer
  • 1950 – Morgan Fairchild, American actress
  • 1950 – Grant Goldman, Australian radio and television host (d. 2020)
  • 1951 – Eugenijus Riabovas, Lithuanian footballer and manager
  • 1951 – Michael Ruppert, American journalist and author (d. 2014)
  • 1952 – Fred Lynn, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1954 – Tiger Williams, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1956 – John Jefferson, American football player and coach
  • 1956 – Nathan Lane, American actor and comedian
  • 1957 – Eric Lander, American mathematician, geneticist, and academic
  • 1958 – Joe F. Edwards, Jr., American commander, pilot, and astronaut
  • 1958 – Douglas Holtz-Eakin, American economist
  • 1958 – Greg Mankiw, American economist and academic
  • 1959 – Óscar Iván Zuluaga, Colombian economist and politician, 67th Colombian Minister of Finance
  • 1960 – Tim Chandler, American bass player (d. 2018)
  • 1960 – Marty Jannetty, American wrestler and trainer
  • 1960 – Joachim Löw, German footballer and manager
  • 1960 – Kerry Von Erich, American wrestler (d. 1993)
  • 1961 – Linda Eder, American singer and actress
  • 1963 – Raghuram Rajan, Indian economist and academic
  • 1964 – Indrek Tarand, Estonian historian, journalist, and politician
  • 1965 – Maura Tierney, American actress and producer
  • 1966 – Frank Coraci, American director and screenwriter
  • 1966 – Danny Morrison, New Zealand cricketer and sportscaster
  • 1967 – Tim Flowers, English footballer and coach
  • 1967 – Mixu Paatelainen, Finnish footballer and coach
  • 1968 – Vlade Divac, Serbian-American basketball player and sportscaster
  • 1968 – Marwan Khoury, Lebanese singer, songwriter, and composer
  • 1969 – Beau Biden, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 44th Attorney General of Delaware (d. 2015)
  • 1969 – Retief Goosen, South African golfer
  • 1970 – Óscar Córdoba, Colombian footballer
  • 1970 – Warwick Davis, English actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1971 – Hong Seok-cheon, South Korean actor
  • 1972 – Jesper Kyd, Danish pianist and composer
  • 1973 – Ilana Sod, Mexican journalist and producer
  • 1976 – Isla Fisher, Omani-Australian actress
  • 1977 – Daddy Yankee, American-Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, rapper, actor and record producer
  • 1977 – Marek Židlický, Czech ice hockey player
  • 1978 – Joan Capdevila, Spanish footballer
  • 1979 – Paul Franks, English cricketer and coach
  • 1982 – Becky Bayless, American wrestler
  • 1982 – Marie-Ève Drolet, Canadian speed skater
  • 1984 – Elizabeth Holmes, American fraudster, founder of Theranos
  • 1985 – Angela Fong, Canadian wrestler and actress
  • 1985 – Andrei Kostitsyn, Belarusian ice hockey player
  • 1986 – Lucas Duda, American baseball player
  • 1986 – Mathieu Giroux, Canadian speed skater
  • 1986 – Kanako Yanagihara, Japanese actress
  • 1988 – Cho Kyuhyun, South Korean singer
  • 1989 – Slobodan Rajković, Serbian footballer
  • 1990 – Sean Kingston, American-Jamaican singer-songwriter
  • 1990 – Martin Taupau, New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1991 – Corey Norman, Australian rugby league player
  • 1992 – Olli Aitola, Finnish ice hockey player

Deaths on February 3

  • AD 6 – Ping, emperor of the Han Dynasty (b. 9 BC)
  • 456 – Sihyaj Chan K’awiil II, ruler of Tikal
  • 639 – K’inich Yo’nal Ahk I, ruler of Piedras Negras
  • 699 – Werburgh, English nun and saint
  • 865 – Ansgar, Frankish archbishop (b. 801)
  • 929 – Guy, margrave of Tuscany
  • 938 – Zhou Ben, Chinese general (b. 862)
  • 994 – William IV, duke of Aquitaine (b. 937)
  • 1014 – Sweyn Forkbeard, king of Denmark and England (b. 960)
  • 1116 – Coloman, king of Hungary
  • 1161 – Inge I, king of Norway (b. 1135)
  • 1252 – Sviatoslav III, Russian Grand Prince (b. 1196)
  • 1399 – John of Gaunt, Belgian-English politician, Lord High Steward (b. 1340)
  • 1428 – Ashikaga Yoshimochi, Japanese shōgun (b. 1386)
  • 1451 – Murad II, Ottoman sultan (b. 1404)
  • 1468 – Johannes Gutenberg, German publisher, invented the Printing press (b. 1398)
  • 1537 – Thomas FitzGerald, 10th Earl of Kildare (b. 1513)
  • 1566 – George Cassander, Flemish theologian and author (b. 1513)
  • 1618 – Philip II, duke of Pomerania (b. 1573)
  • 1619 – Henry Brooke, 11th Baron Cobham, English politician, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports (b. 1564)
  • 1737 – Tommaso Ceva, Italian mathematician and academic (b. 1648)
  • 1802 – Pedro Rodríguez, Spanish statesman and economist (b. 1723)
  • 1813 – Juan Bautista Cabral, Argentinian sergeant (b. 1789)
  • 1820 – Gia Long, Vietnamese emperor (b. 1762)
  • 1832 – George Crabbe, English surgeon and poet (b. 1754)
  • 1862 – Jean-Baptiste Biot, French physicist, astronomer, and mathematician (b. 1774)
  • 1866 – François-Xavier Garneau, Canadian poet, author, and historian (b. 1809)
  • 1873 – Isaac Baker Brown, English gynecologist and surgeon (b. 1811)
  • 1922 – John Butler Yeats, Irish painter and illustrator (b. 1839)
  • 1924 – Woodrow Wilson, American historian, academic, and politician, 28th President of the United States, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1856)
  • 1929 – Agner Krarup Erlang, Danish mathematician and engineer (b. 1878)
  • 1935 – Hugo Junkers, German engineer, designed the Junkers J 1 (b. 1859)
  • 1944 – Yvette Guilbert, French singer and actress (b. 1865)
  • 1945 – Roland Freisler, German lawyer and judge (b. 1893)
  • 1947 – Marc Mitscher, American admiral and pilot (b. 1887)
  • 1952 – Harold L. Ickes, American journalist and politician, 32nd United States Secretary of the Interior (b. 1874)
  • 1955 – Vasily Blokhin, Russian general (b. 1895)
  • 1956 – Émile Borel, French mathematician and academic (b. 1871)
  • 1956 – Johnny Claes, English-Belgian race car driver and trumpet player (b. 1916)
  • 1959 – The Day the Music Died
    • The Big Bopper, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1930)
    • Buddy Holly, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1936)
    • Ritchie Valens, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1941)
  • 1960 – Fred Buscaglione, Italian singer and actor (b. 1921)
  • 1961 – William Morrison, 1st Viscount Dunrossil, Scottish-Australian captain and politician, 14th Governor-General of Australia (b. 1893)
  • 1961 – Anna May Wong, American actress (b. 1905)
  • 1963 – Benjamin R. Jacobs (b. 1879)
  • 1967 – Joe Meek, English songwriter and producer (b. 1929)
  • 1969 – C. N. Annadurai, Indian journalist and politician, 7th Chief Minister of Madras State (b. 1909)
  • 1969 – Eduardo Mondlane, Mozambican activist and academic (b. 1920)
  • 1975 – William D. Coolidge, American physicist and engineer (b. 1873)
  • 1975 – Umm Kulthum, Egyptian singer-songwriter and actress (b. 1904)
  • 1985 – Frank Oppenheimer, American physicist and academic (b. 1912)
  • 1989 – John Cassavetes, American actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1929)
  • 1989 – Lionel Newman, American pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1916)
  • 1991 – Nancy Kulp, American actress (b. 1921)
  • 1993 – Françoys Bernier, Canadian pianist and conductor (b. 1927)
  • 1996 – Audrey Meadows, American actress and banker (b. 1922)
  • 1999 – Gwen Guthrie, American singer-songwriter and pianist (b. 1950)
  • 2005 – Zurab Zhvania, Georgian biologist and politician, 4th Prime Minister of Georgia (b. 1963)
  • 2005 – Ernst Mayr, German-American biologist and ornithologist (b. 1904)
  • 2006 – Al Lewis, American actor and activist (b. 1923)
  • 2009 – Sheng-yen, Chinese monk and scholar, founded the Dharma Drum Mountain (b. 1930)
  • 2010 – Dick McGuire, American basketball player and coach (b. 1926)
  • 2010 – Frances Reid, American actress (b. 1914)
  • 2011 – Maria Schneider, French actress (b. 1952)
  • 2012 – Toh Chin Chye, Singaporean academic and politician, 1st Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore (b. 1921)
  • 2012 – Ben Gazzara, American actor and director (b. 1930)
  • 2012 – Terence Hildner, American general (b. 1962)
  • 2012 – Raj Kanwar, Indian director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1961)
  • 2012 – Zalman King, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1942)
  • 2012 – Andrzej Szczeklik, Polish physician and academic (b. 1938)
  • 2013 – Cardiss Collins, American politician (b. 1931)
  • 2013 – Oscar Feltsman, Ukrainian-Russian composer and producer (b. 1921)
  • 2013 – James Muri, American soldier and pilot (b. 1918)
  • 2013 – Jam Mohammad Yousaf, Pakistani politician, Chief Minister of Balochistan (b. 1954)
  • 2015 – Martin Gilbert, English historian, author, and academic (b. 1936)
  • 2015 – Mary Healy, American actress and singer (b. 1918)
  • 2015 – Charlie Sifford, American golfer (b. 1922)
  • 2015 – Nasim Hasan Shah, Pakistani lawyer and judge, 12th Chief Justice of Pakistan (b. 1929)
  • 2016 – Balram Jakhar, Indian lawyer and politician, 23rd Governor of Madhya Pradesh (b. 1923)
  • 2016 – József Kasza, Serbian politician and economist (b. 1945)
  • 2016 – Saulius Sondeckis, Lithuanian violinist and conductor (b. 1928)
  • 2017 – Dritëro Agolli, Albanian poet, writer and politician (b. 1931)
  • 2019 – Julie Adams, American actress (b. 1926)
  • 2019 – Kristoff St. John, American actor (b. 1966)
  • 2020 – George Steiner, French-American philosopher, author, and critic (b. 1929)

Holidays and observances on February 3

  • Christian feast day:
    • Aaron the Illustrious (Syriac Orthodox Church)
    • Ansgar
    • Berlinda of Meerbeke
    • Blaise
    • Celsa and Nona
    • Claudine Thévenet
    • Dom Justo Takayama (Philippines and Japan)
    • Hadelin
    • Margaret of England
    • Werburgh
    • February 3 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Day of the Virgin of Suyapa (Honduras)
  • Earliest day on which Shrove Tuesday can fall, while March 9 is the latest; celebrated on Tuesday before Ash Wednesday (Christianity)
  • Four Chaplains Day (United States, also considered a Feast Day by the Episcopal Church)
  • Communist Party of Vietnam Foundation Anniversary (Vietnam)
  • Heroes’ Day (Mozambique)
  • Martyrs’ Day (São Tomé and Príncipe)
  • Setsubun (Japan)
  • Veterans’ Day (Thailand)

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

On This Day

January 29 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 904 – Sergius III is consecrated pope, after coming out of retirement to take over the papacy from the deposed antipope Christopher.
  • 946 – Caliph Al-Mustakfi is blinded and deposed by Emir Mu’izz al-Dawla, ruler of the Buyid Empire. He is succeeded by Al-Muti as caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate.
  • 1258 – First Mongol invasion of Đại Việt: Đại Việt defeats the Mongols at the battle of Đông Bộ Đầu, forcing the Mongols to withdraw from the country.
  • 1814 – War of the Sixth Coalition: France defeats Russia and Prussia in the Battle of Brienne.
  • 1819 – Stamford Raffles lands on the island of Singapore.
  • 1845 – “The Raven” is published in The Evening Mirror in New York, the first publication with the name of the author, Edgar Allan Poe.
  • 1850 – Henry Clay introduces the Compromise of 1850 to the U.S. Congress.
  • 1856 – Queen Victoria issues a Warrant under the Royal sign-manual that establishes the Victoria Cross to recognise acts of valour by British military personnel during the Crimean War.
  • 1861 – Kansas is admitted as the 34th U.S. state.
  • 1863 – The Bear River Massacre: A detachment of California Volunteers led by Colonel Patrick Edward Connor engage the Shoshone at Bear River, Washington Territory, killing hundreds of men, women and children.
  • 1886 – Karl Benz patents the first successful gasoline-driven automobile.
  • 1891 – Liliuokalani is proclaimed the last monarch and only queen regnant of the Kingdom of Hawaii.
  • 1907 – Charles Curtis of Kansas becomes the first Native American U.S. Senator.
  • 1911 – Mexican Revolution: Mexicali is captured by the Mexican Liberal Party, igniting the Magonista rebellion of 1911.
  • 1916 – World War I: Paris is first bombed by German zeppelins.
  • 1918 – Ukrainian–Soviet War: The Bolshevik Red Army, on its way to besiege Kiev, is met by a small group of military students at the Battle of Kruty.
  • 1918 – Ukrainian–Soviet War: An armed uprising organized by the Bolsheviks in anticipation of the encroaching Red Army begins at the Kiev Arsenal, which will be put down six days later.
  • 1936 – The first inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame are announced.
  • 1940 – Three trains on the Nishinari Line; present Sakurajima Line, in Osaka, Japan, collide and explode while approaching Ajikawaguchi Station. One hundred and eighty-one people are killed.
  • 1941 – Alexandros Koryzis becomes Prime Minister of Greece upon the sudden death of his predecessor, dictator Ioannis Metaxas.
  • 1943 – World War II: The first day of the Battle of Rennell Island, USS Chicago (CA-29) is torpedoed and heavily damaged by Japanese bombers.
  • 1944 – World War II: Approximately 38 people are killed and about a dozen injured when the Polish village of Koniuchy (present-day Kaniūkai, Lithuania) is attacked by Soviet partisan units.
  • 1944 – In Bologna, Italy, the Anatomical theatre of the Archiginnasio is completely destroyed in an air-raid, during the Second World War.
  • 1948 – The Pakistan Socialist Party is founded in Karachi.
  • 1959 – The first Melodifestivalen is held in Cirkus, Stockholm, Sweden.
  • 1963 – The first inductees into the Pro Football Hall of Fame are announced.
  • 1967 – The “ultimate high” of the hippie era, the Mantra-Rock Dance, takes place in San Francisco and features Janis Joplin, Grateful Dead, and Allen Ginsberg.
  • 1980 – The Rubik’s Cube makes its international debut at the Ideal Toy Corp. in Earl’s Court, London.
  • 1989 – Cold War: Hungary establishes diplomatic relations with South Korea, making it the first Eastern Bloc nation to do so.
  • 1991 – Gulf War: The Battle of Khafji, the first major ground engagement of the war, as well as its deadliest, begins.
  • 1996 – President Jacques Chirac announces a “definitive end” to French nuclear weapons testing.
  • 2001 – Thousands of student protesters in Indonesia storm parliament and demand that President Abdurrahman Wahid resign due to alleged involvement in corruption scandals.
  • 2002 – In his State of the Union address, President George W. Bush describes “regimes that sponsor terror” as an Axis of evil, in which he includes Iraq, Iran and North Korea.
  • 2005 – The first direct commercial flights from mainland China (from Guangzhou) to Taiwan since 1949 arrived in Taipei. Shortly afterwards, a China Airlines flight lands in Beijing.
  • 2009 – The Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt rules that people who do not adhere to one of the three government-recognised religions, while not allowed to list any belief outside of those three, are still eligible to receive government identity documents.
  • 2009 – Governor of Illinois Rod Blagojevich is removed from office following his conviction of several corruption charges, including the alleged solicitation of personal benefit in exchange for an appointment to the United States Senate as a replacement for then-U.S. president-elect Barack Obama.
  • 2013 – SCAT Airlines Flight 760 crashes near the Kazakh city of Almaty, killing 21 people.
  • 2013 – Alabama bunker hostage crisis: After shooting and killing of school bus driver, 66 years old Charles Albert Poland, Jr, by 65 year old Vietnam War era veteran, Jimmy Lee Dykes.
  • 2017 – Quebec City mosque shooting: Alexandre Bissonnette opens fire at mosque in Sainte-Foy, Quebec, killing six and wounding 19 others in a spree shooting.

Births on January 29

  • 919 – Shi Zong, emperor of the Liao Dynasty (d. 951)
  • 1455 – Johann Reuchlin, German-born humanist and scholar (d. 1522)
  • 1475 – Giuliano Bugiardini, Italian painter (d. 1555)
  • 1499 – Katharina von Bora, wife of Martin Luther; formerly a Roman Catholic nun (d. 1552)
  • 1525 – Lelio Sozzini, Italian humanist and reformer (d. 1562)
  • 1584 – Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange (d. 1647)
  • 1591 – Franciscus Junius, pioneer of Germanic philology (d. 1677)
  • 1602 – Countess Amalie Elisabeth of Hanau-Münzenberg (d. 1651)
  • 1632 – Johann Georg Graevius, German scholar and critic (d. 1703)
  • 1650 – Juan de Galavís, Spanish Roman Catholic archbishop of Santo Domingo and Bogotá (d. 1739)
  • 1688 – Emanuel Swedenborg, Swedish astronomer, philosopher, and theologian (d. 1772)
  • 1711 – Giuseppe Bonno, Austrian composer (d. 1788)
  • 1715 – Georg Christoph Wagenseil, Austrian organist and composer (d. 1777)
  • 1717 – Jeffery Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst, English field marshal and politician, 19th Governor General of Canada (d. 1797)
  • 1718 – Paul Rabaut, French pastor (d. 1794)
  • 1737 – Thomas Paine, prominent for publishing Common Sense (1776), which established him as one of the Founding Fathers of the United States (d. 1809)
  • 1749 – Christian VII of Denmark (d. 1808)
  • 1754 – Moses Cleaveland, American general, lawyer, and politician, founded Cleveland, Ohio (d. 1806)
  • 1756 – Henry Lee III, American general and politician, 9th Governor of Virginia (d. 1818)
  • 1761 – Albert Gallatin, Swiss-American ethnologist, linguist, and politician, 4th United States Secretary of the Treasury (d. 1849)
  • 1782 – Daniel Auber, French composer (d. 1871)
  • 1801 – Johannes Bernardus van Bree, Dutch violinist, composer, and conductor (d. 1857)
  • 1810 – Ernst Kummer, Polish-German mathematician and academic (d. 1893)
  • 1810 – Mary Whitwell Hale, American teacher, school founder, and hymnwriter (d. 1862)
  • 1843 – William McKinley, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 25th President of the United States (d. 1901)
  • 1846 – Karol Olszewski, Polish chemist, mathematician, and physicist (d. 1915)
  • 1852 – Frederic Hymen Cowen, Jamaican-English pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1935)
  • 1858 – Henry Ward Ranger, American painter and academic (d. 1916)
  • 1860 – Anton Chekhov, Russian playwright and short story writer (d. 1904)
  • 1861 – Florida Ruffin Ridley, African-American civil rights activist, teacher, editor, and writer (d. 1943)
  • 1862 – Frederick Delius, English composer (d. 1934)
  • 1866 – Julio Peris Brell, Spanish painter (d. 1944)
  • 1866 – Romain Rolland, French historian, author, and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1944)
  • 1867 – Vicente Blasco Ibáñez, Spanish journalist and author (d. 1928)
  • 1870 – Süleyman Nazif, Turkish poet and civil servant (d. 1927)
  • 1874 – John D. Rockefeller, Jr., American businessman and philanthropist (d. 1960)
  • 1876 – Havergal Brian, English composer (d. 1972)
  • 1877 – Georges Catroux, French general and diplomat (d. 1969)
  • 1880 – W. C. Fields, American actor, comedian, and screenwriter (d. 1946)
  • 1881 – Alice Catherine Evans, American microbiologist (d. 1975)
  • 1884 – Juhan Aavik, Estonian-Swedish composer and conductor (d. 1982)
  • 1888 – Sydney Chapman, English mathematician and geophysicist (d. 1970)
  • 1888 – Wellington Koo, Chinese statesman (d. 1985)
  • 1891 – Elizaveta Gerdt, Russian ballerina and educator (d. 1975)
  • 1891 – R. Norris Williams, Swiss-American tennis player and banker (d. 1968)
  • 1892 – Ernst Lubitsch, German American film director, producer, writer, and actor (d. 1947)
  • 1895 – Muna Lee, American poet and author (d. 1965)
  • 1901 – Allen B. DuMont, American engineer and broadcaster, founded the DuMont Television Network (d. 1965)
  • 1901 – E. P. Taylor, Canadian businessman and horse breeder (d. 1989)
  • 1903 – Yeshayahu Leibowitz, Russian-Israeli biochemist and philosopher (d. 1994)
  • 1905 – Barnett Newman, American painter and etcher (d. 1970)
  • 1906 – Joe Primeau, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 1989)
  • 1913 – Victor Mature, American actor (d. 1999)
  • 1915 – Bill Peet, American author and illustrator (d. 2002)
  • 1915 – John Serry Sr., Italian-American concert accordionist and composer (d.2003)
  • 1917 – John Raitt, American actor and singer (d. 2005)
  • 1918 – John Forsythe, American actor (d. 2010)
  • 1921 – Geraldine Pittman Woods, American science administrator and embryologist (d. 1999)
  • 1923 – Jack Burke Jr., American golfer
  • 1923 – Paddy Chayefsky, American author and screenwriter (d. 1981)
  • 1926 – Abdus Salam, Pakistani-British physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1996)
  • 1926 – Amelita Ramos, 11th First Lady of the Philippines
  • 1927 – Edward Abbey, American environmentalist and author (d. 1989)
  • 1929 – Elio Petri, Italian director and screenwriter (d. 1982)
  • 1929 – Joseph Kruskal, American mathematician and computer scientist (d. 2010)
  • 1931 – Leslie Bricusse, English playwright and composer
  • 1931 – Ferenc Mádl, Hungarian academic and politician, 2nd President of Hungary (d. 2011)
  • 1932 – Raman Subba Row, English cricketer and referee
  • 1932 – Tommy Taylor, English footballer (d. 1958)
  • 1933 – Sacha Distel, French singer and guitarist (d. 2004)
  • 1934 – Branko Miljković, Serbian poet and academic (d. 1961)
  • 1936 – Veturi Sundararama Murthy, Indian poet and songwriter (d. 2010)
  • 1937 – Hassan Habibi, Iranian lawyer and politician, 1st Vice President of Iran (d. 2013)
  • 1937 – Bobby Scott, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer (d. 1990)
  • 1939 – Germaine Greer, Australian journalist and author
  • 1940 – Katharine Ross, American actress and author
  • 1940 – Kunimitsu Takahashi, Japanese motorcycle racer and race car driver
  • 1941 – Robin Morgan, American actress, journalist, and author
  • 1943 – Tony Blackburn, English radio and television host
  • 1943 – Pat Quinn, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 2014)
  • 1944 – Andrew Loog Oldham, English record producer and manager
  • 1944 – Patrick Lipton Robinson, Jamaican lawyer and judge
  • 1944 – Pauline van der Wildt, Dutch swimmer
  • 1945 – Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, Malian academic and politician, Prime Minister of Mali
  • 1945 – Jim Nicholson, Northern Irish politician
  • 1945 – Tom Selleck, American actor and businessman
  • 1946 – Bettye LaVette, American singer-songwriter
  • 1947 – Linda B. Buck, American biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1947 – David Byron, English singer-songwriter (d. 1985)
  • 1947 – Marián Varga, Slovak organist and composer
  • 1948 – Raymond Keene, English chess player and author
  • 1949 – doris davenport, American poet and teacher
  • 1949 – Evgeny Lovchev, Russian footballer and manager
  • 1949 – Tommy Ramone, Hungarian-American drummer and producer (d. 2014)
  • 1950 – Ann Jillian, American actress and singer
  • 1950 – Jody Scheckter, South African race car driver and sportscaster
  • 1951 – Fereydoon Forooghi, Iranian singer-songwriter (d. 2001)
  • 1951 – Andy Roberts, Caribbean cricketer
  • 1953 – Peter Baumann, German keyboard player and songwriter
  • 1953 – Charlie Wilson, American singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1953 – Teresa Teng, Taiwanese singer (d. 1995)
  • 1954 – Christian Bjelland IV, Norwegian businessman and art collector
  • 1954 – Terry Kinney, American actor and director
  • 1954 – Oprah Winfrey, American talk show host, actress, and producer, founded Harpo Productions
  • 1956 – Jan Jakub Kolski, Polish director, screenwriter, and cinematographer
  • 1957 – Philippe Dintrans, French rugby player
  • 1957 – Ron Franscell, American author and journalist
  • 1957 – Grażyna Miller, Italian journalist and poet
  • 1959 – Mike Foligno, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1960 – Gia Carangi, American supermodel (d. 1986)
  • 1960 – Greg Louganis, American diver and author
  • 1961 – Petra Thümer, German swimmer and photographer
  • 1962 – Nicholas Turturro, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1964 – John Anthony Gallagher, English-New Zealand rugby player
  • 1965 – Dominik Hašek, Czech ice hockey player
  • 1965 – Peter Lundgren, Swedish tennis player and coach
  • 1966 – Romário, Brazilian footballer, manager, and politician
  • 1967 – Stacey King, American basketball player, coach, and sportscaster
  • 1968 – Edward Burns, American actor, director, and producer
  • 1968 – Susi Erdmann, German luger and bobsledder
  • 1970 – Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Indian colonel and politician
  • 1970 – Heather Graham, American actress
  • 1970 – Jörg Hoffmann, German swimmer
  • 1970 – Paul Ryan, American economist and politician, 62nd Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
  • 1970 – Mohammed Yusuf, Nigerian Islamist leader, founded Boko Haram (d. 2009)
  • 1975 – Sara Gilbert, American actress, producer, and talk show host
  • 1980 – Ivan Klasnic, German-Croatian footballer
  • 1982 – Adam Lambert, American singer, songwriter and actor
  • 1984 – Natalie du Toit, South African swimmer
  • 1984 – Nuno Morais, Portuguese footballer
  • 1985 – Marc Gasol, Spanish basketball player
  • 1987 – José Abreu, Cuban baseball player
  • 1988 – Tatyana Chernova, Russian heptathlete
  • 1988 – Shay Logan, English footballer
  • 1988 – Aydın Yılmaz, Turkish footballer
  • 1989 – Kevin Shattenkirk, American ice hockey player
  • 1993 – Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Japanese singer

Deaths on January 29

  • 661 – Ali, cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad (b. 601)
  • 702 – Princess Ōku of Japan (b. 661)
  • 757 – An Lushan, Chinese general (b. 703)
  • 870 – Salih ibn Wasif, Muslim general
  • 1119 – Pope Gelasius II (b. 1060)
  • 1327 – Adolf, Count Palatine of the Rhine (b. 1300)
  • 1465 – Louis, Duke of Savoy (b. 1413)
  • 1597 – Elias Ammerbach, German organist and composer (b. 1530)
  • 1608 – Frederick I, Duke of Württemberg (b. 1557)
  • 1647 – Francis Meres, English priest and author (b. 1565)
  • 1678 – Jerónimo Lobo, Portuguese missionary and author (b. 1593)
  • 1706 – Charles Sackville, 6th Earl of Dorset, English poet and courtier (b. 1638)
  • 1737 – George Hamilton, 1st Earl of Orkney, Scottish-English field marshal and politician, Colonial Governor of Virginia (b. 1666)
  • 1743 – André-Hercule de Fleury, French cardinal (b. 1653)
  • 1763 – Louis Racine, French poet (b. 1692)
  • 1820 – George III of the United Kingdom (b. 1738)
  • 1829 – Paul François Jean Nicolas, vicomte de Barras, French captain and politician (b. 1755)
  • 1829 – István Pauli, Hungarian-Slovenian priest and poet (b. 1760)
  • 1870 – Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany (b. 1797)
  • 1871 – Philippe-Joseph Aubert de Gaspé, Canadian author (b. 1786)
  • 1888 – Edward Lear, English poet and illustrator (b. 1812)
  • 1899 – Alfred Sisley, French-English painter (b. 1839)
  • 1906 – Christian IX of Denmark (b. 1818)
  • 1928 – Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig, Scottish field marshal (b. 1861)
  • 1931 – Henri Mathias Berthelot, French general during World War I (b. 1861)
  • 1933 – Sara Teasdale, American poet (b. 1884)
  • 1934 – Fritz Haber, Polish-German chemist and engineer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1868)
  • 1941 – Ioannis Metaxas, Greek general and politician, 130th Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1871)
  • 1944 – William Allen White, American journalist and author (b. 1868)
  • 1946 – Harry Hopkins, American businessman and politician, 8th United States Secretary of Commerce (b. 1890)
  • 1948 – Prince Aimone, Duke of Aosta (b. 1900)
  • 1950 – Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti ruler (b. 1885)
  • 1951 – Frank Tarrant, Australian cricketer and umpire (b. 1880)
  • 1956 – H. L. Mencken, American journalist and critic (b. 1880)
  • 1959 – Winifred Brunton, South African painter and illustrator (b. 1880)
  • 1962 – Fritz Kreisler, Austrian-American violinist and composer (b. 1875)
  • 1963 – Robert Frost, American poet and playwright (b. 1874)
  • 1964 – Alan Ladd, American actor (b. 1913)
  • 1969 – Allen Welsh Dulles, American banker, lawyer, and diplomat, 5th Director of Central Intelligence (b. 1893)
  • 1970 – B. H. Liddell Hart, French-English soldier, historian, and journalist (b. 1895)
  • 1977 – Freddie Prinze, American comedian and actor (b. 1954)
  • 1978 – Frank Nicklin, Australian politician, 28th Premier of Queensland (b. 1895)
  • 1980 – Jimmy Durante, American entertainer (b. 1893)
  • 1991 – Yasushi Inoue, Japanese author and poet (b. 1907)
  • 1992 – Willie Dixon, American singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1915)
  • 1993 – Adetokunbo Ademola, Nigerian lawyer and jurist, 2nd Chief Justice of Nigeria (b. 1906)
  • 1994 – Ulrike Maier, Austrian skier (b. 1967)
  • 1999 – Lili St. Cyr, American model and dancer (b. 1918)
  • 2002 – Harold Russell, Canadian-American soldier and actor (b. 1914)
  • 2003 – Frank Moss, American lawyer and politician (b. 1911)
  • 2004 – Janet Frame, New Zealand author and poet (b. 1924)
  • 2005 – Ephraim Kishon, Israeli author, screenwriter, and director (b. 1924)
  • 2006 – Nam June Paik, South Korean-American artist, (b. 1932)
  • 2008 – Bengt Lindström, Swedish painter and sculptor (b. 1925)
  • 2008 – Margaret Truman, American singer and author (b. 1924)
  • 2009 – Hélio Gracie, Brazilian martial artist (b. 1913)
  • 2011 – Milton Babbitt, American composer, educator, and theorist (b. 1916)
  • 2012 – Ranjit Singh Dyal, Indian general and politician, 10th Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry (b. 1928)
  • 2012 – Oscar Luigi Scalfaro, Italian lawyer and politician, 9th President of Italy (b. 1918)
  • 2012 – Camilla Williams, American soprano and educator (b. 1919)
  • 2014 – François Cavanna, French journalist and author (b. 1923)
  • 2015 – Colleen McCullough, Australian neuroscientist, author, and academic (b. 1937)
  • 2015 – Rod McKuen, American singer-songwriter and poet (b. 1933)
  • 2015 – Alexander Vraciu, American commander and pilot (b. 1918)
  • 2016 – Jean-Marie Doré, Guinean lawyer and politician, 11th Prime Minister of Guinea (b. 1938)
  • 2016 – Jacques Rivette, French director, screenwriter, and critic (b. 1928)
  • 2019 – George Fernandes, Indian politician (b. 1930)
  • 2019 – James Ingram, American musician (b. 1952)

Holidays and observances on January 29

  • Christian feast day:
    • Andrei Rublev (Episcopal Church (USA))
    • Aquilinus of Milan
    • Constantius of Perugia
    • Dallán Forgaill
    • Gildas
    • Juniper
    • Sabinian of Troyes
    • Sulpitius I of Bourges
    • Valerius of Trèves
    • January 29 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest day on which Fat Thursday can fall, while March 4 is the latest; celebrated on Thursday before Ash Wednesday. (Christianity)
  • Kansas Day (Kansas, United States)

January 29 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

January 26 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 661 – The Rashidun Caliphate is effectively ended with the assassination of Ali, the last caliph.
  • 945 – The co-emperors Stephen and Constantine are overthrown and forced to become monks by Constantine VII, who becomes the sole emperor of the Byzantine Empire.
  • 1500 – Vicente Yáñez Pinzón becomes the first European to set foot on Brazil.
  • 1531 – The 6.4–7.1 Mw Lisbon earthquake kills about thirty thousand people.
  • 1564 – The Council of Trent establishes an official distinction between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism.
  • 1564 – The Grand Duchy of Lithuania defeats the Tsardom of Russia in the Battle of Ula during the Livonian War.
  • 1565 – Battle of Talikota, fought between the Vijayanagara Empire and the Deccan sultanates, leads to the subjugation, and eventual destruction of the last Hindu kingdom in India, and the consolidation of Islamic rule over much of the Indian subcontinent.
  • 1699 – For the first time, the Ottoman Empire permanently cedes territory to the Christian powers.
  • 1700 – The 8.7–9.2 Mw Cascadia earthquake takes place off the west coast of North America, as evidenced by Japanese records.
  • 1736 – Stanislaus I of Poland abdicates his throne.
  • 1788 – The British First Fleet, led by Arthur Phillip, sails into Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) to establish Sydney, the first permanent European settlement on Australia. Commemorated as Australia Day.
  • 1808 – The Rum Rebellion is the only successful (albeit short-lived) armed takeover of the government in New South Wales.
  • 1837 – Michigan is admitted as the 26th U.S. state.
  • 1838 – Tennessee enacts the first prohibition law in the United States.
  • 1841 – James Bremer takes formal possession of Hong Kong Island at what is now Possession Point, establishing British Hong Kong.
  • 1855 – Point No Point Treaty is signed in Washington Territory.
  • 1856 – First Battle of Seattle. Marines from the USS Decatur drive off American Indian attackers after all day battle with settlers.
  • 1861 – American Civil War: The state of Louisiana secedes from the Union.
  • 1863 – American Civil War: General Ambrose Burnside is relieved of command of the Army of the Potomac after the disastrous Fredericksburg campaign. He is replaced by Joseph Hooker.
  • 1863 – American Civil War: Governor of Massachusetts John Albion Andrew receives permission from the Secretary of War to raise a militia organization for men of African descent.
  • 1870 – Reconstruction Era: Virginia rejoins the Union.
  • 1885 – Troops loyal to The Mahdi conquer Khartoum, killing the Governor-General Charles George Gordon.
  • 1905 – The world’s largest diamond ever, the Cullinan weighing 3,106.75 carats (0.621350 kg), is found at the Premier Mine near Pretoria in South Africa.
  • 1911 – Glenn Curtiss flies the first successful American seaplane.
  • 1915 – The Rocky Mountain National Park is established by an act of the U.S. Congress.
  • 1918 – Finnish Civil War: A group of Red Guards hangs a red lantern atop the tower of Helsinki Workers’ Hall to symbolically mark the start of the war.
  • 1920 – Former Ford Motor Company executive Henry Leland launches the Lincoln Motor Company which he later sold to his former employer.
  • 1926 – The first demonstration of the television by John Logie Baird.
  • 1930 – The Indian National Congress declares 26 January as Independence Day or as the day for Poorna Swaraj (“Complete Independence”) which occurred 17 years later.
  • 1934 – The Apollo Theater reopens in Harlem, New York City.
  • 1934 – German-Polish Non-Aggression Pact is signed.
  • 1939 – Spanish Civil War: Catalonia Offensive: Troops loyal to nationalist General Francisco Franco and aided by Italy take Barcelona.
  • 1942 – World War II: The first United States forces arrive in Europe landing in Northern Ireland.
  • 1945 – World War II: The Red Army begins encircling the German Fourth Army near Heiligenbeil in East Prussia, which will end in destruction of the 4th Army two months later.
  • 1945 – World War II: Audie Murphy displays valor and bravery in action for which he will later be awarded the Medal of Honor.
  • 1949 – The Hale telescope at Palomar Observatory sees first light under the direction of Edwin Hubble, becoming the largest aperture optical telescope (until BTA-6 is built in 1976).
  • 1950 – The Constitution of India comes into force, forming a republic. Rajendra Prasad is sworn in as its first President of India. Observed as Republic Day in India.
  • 1952 – Black Saturday in Egypt: rioters burn Cairo’s central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses.
  • 1956 – the Soviet Union cedes Porkkala back to Finland.
  • 1961 – John F. Kennedy appoints Janet G. Travell to be the first woman Physician to the President.
  • 1962 – Ranger 3 is launched to study the Moon. The space probe later misses the moon by 22,000 miles (35,400 km).
  • 1965 – Hindi becomes the official language of India.
  • 1972 – JAT Fight 367 is destroyed by a terrorist bomb, killing 27 of the 28 people on board the DC-9. Flight attendant Vesna Vulović survives with critical injuries.
  • 1980 – Egypt–Israel relations are formally established.
  • 1986 – The Ugandan government of Tito Okello is overthrown by the National Resistance Army, led by Yoweri Museveni.
  • 1991 – Mohamed Siad Barre is removed from power in Somalia, ending centralized government, and is succeeded by Ali Mahdi.
  • 1992 – Boris Yeltsin announces that Russia will stop targeting United States cities with nuclear weapons.
  • 1998 – Lewinsky scandal: On American television, U.S. President Bill Clinton denies having had “sexual relations” with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
  • 2001 – The 7.7 Mw Gujarat earthquake shakes Western India with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme), leaving 13,805–20,023 dead and about 166,800 injured.
  • 2009 – Rioting breaks out in Antananarivo, Madagascar, sparking a political crisis that will result in the replacement of President Marc Ravalomanana with Andry Rajoelina.
  • 2015 – An aircraft crashes at Los Llanos Air Base in Albacete, Spain, killing 11 people and injuring 21 others.
  • 2020 – A Sikorsky S-76B flying from John Wayne Airport to Camarillo Airport crashes in Calabasas, 30 miles west of Los Angeles, killing all nine people on board including former five time NBA champion Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna Bryant.

Births on January 26

  • 183 – Lady Zhen, wife of Cao Pi (d. 221)
  • 1436 – Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset, Lancastrian military commander (d. 1464)
  • 1467 – Guillaume Budé, French scholar (d. 1540)
  • 1495 – Emperor Go-Nara of Japan (d. 1557)
  • 1541 – Florent Chrestien, French poet and translator (d. 1596)
  • 1549 – Jakob Ebert, German theologian (d. 1614)
  • 1582 – Giovanni Lanfranco, Italian painter (d. 1647)
  • 1595 – Antonio Maria Abbatini, Italian composer (d. 1679)
  • 1624 – George William, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (d. 1705)
  • 1657 – William Wake, Archbishop of Canterbury (d. 1737)
  • 1708 – William Hayes, English organist, composer, and conductor (d. 1777)
  • 1714 – Jean-Baptiste Pigalle, French sculptor and educator (d. 1785)
  • 1715 – Claude Adrien Helvétius, French philosopher (d. 1771)
  • 1716 – George Germain, 1st Viscount Sackville, English general and politician, Secretary of State for the Colonies (d. 1785)
  • 1722 – Alexander Carlyle, Scottish minister and author (d. 1805)
  • 1763 – Charles XIV John of Sweden (d. 1844)
  • 1781 – Ludwig Achim von Arnim, German poet and author (d. 1831)
  • 1813 – Juan Pablo Duarte, Dominican philosopher and poet (d. 1876)
  • 1824 – Emil Czyrniański, Polish chemist (d. 1888)
  • 1832 – George Shiras, Jr., American lawyer and jurist (d. 1924)
  • 1842 – François Coppée, French poet and author (d. 1908)
  • 1852 – Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza, Italian-French explorer (d. 1905)
  • 1857 – 12th Dalai Lama (d. 1875)
  • 1861 – Louis Anquetin, French painter (d. 1932)
  • 1864 – József Pusztai, Slovene-Hungarian poet and journalist (d. 1934)
  • 1866 – John Cady, American golfer (d. 1933)
  • 1877 – Kees van Dongen, Dutch painter (d. 1968)
  • 1878 – Dave Nourse, English-South African cricketer and coach (d. 1948)
  • 1880 – Douglas MacArthur, American general, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1964)
  • 1885 – Michael Considine, Irish-Australian politician (d. 1959)
  • 1885 – Harry Ricardo, English engineer and academic (d. 1974)
  • 1885 – Per Thorén, Swedish figure skater (d. 1962)
  • 1887 – François Faber, French-Luxembourgian cyclist (d. 1915)
  • 1887 – Marc Mitscher, American admiral and pilot (d. 1947)
  • 1887 – Dimitris Pikionis, Greek architect and academic (d. 1968)
  • 1891 – Frank Costello, Italian-American mob boss (d. 1973)
  • 1891 – August Froehlich, German priest and martyr (d. 1942)
  • 1891 – Wilder Penfield, American-Canadian neurosurgeon and academic (d. 1976)
  • 1892 – Bessie Coleman, American pilot (d. 1926)
  • 1893 – Giuseppe Genco Russo, Italian mob boss (d. 1976)
  • 1899 – Günther Reindorff, Russian-Estonian graphic designer and illustrator (d. 1974)
  • 1900 – Karl Ristenpart, German conductor (d. 1967)
  • 1902 – Menno ter Braak, Dutch author (d. 1940)
  • 1904 – Ancel Keys, American physiologist and nutritionist (d. 2004)
  • 1904 – Seán MacBride, Irish lawyer and politician, Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1988)
  • 1905 – Charles Lane, American actor and singer (d. 2007)
  • 1905 – Maria von Trapp, Austrian-American singer (d. 1987)
  • 1907 – Henry Cotton, English golfer (d. 1987)
  • 1907 – Dimitrios Holevas, Greek priest and philologist (d. 2001)
  • 1908 – Jill Esmond, English actress (d. 1990)
  • 1908 – Rupprecht Geiger, German painter and sculptor (d. 2009)
  • 1908 – Stéphane Grappelli, French violinist (d. 1997)
  • 1910 – Jean Image, Hungarian-French animator, director, and screenwriter (d. 1989)
  • 1911 – Polykarp Kusch, German-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1993)
  • 1911 – Norbert Schultze, German composer and conductor (d. 2002)
  • 1913 – Jimmy Van Heusen, American pianist and composer (d. 1990)
  • 1914 – Dürrüşehvar Sultan, Imperial Princess of the Ottoman Empire (d. 2006)
  • 1915 – William Hopper, American actor (d. 1970)
  • 1917 – Louis Zamperini, American runner and captain (d. 2014)
  • 1918 – Nicolae Ceaușescu, Romanian dictator, 1st President of Romania (d. 1989)
  • 1918 – Philip José Farmer, American author (d. 2009)
  • 1919 – Valentino Mazzola, Italian footballer (d. 1949)
  • 1919 – Bill Nicholson, English footballer and manager (d. 2004)
  • 1919 – Hyun Soong-jong, South Korean politician, 24th Prime Minister of South Korea (d. 2020)
  • 1920 – Hans Holzer, Austrian-American paranormal researcher and author (d. 2009)
  • 1921 – Eddie Barclay, French record producer, founded Barclay Records (d. 2005)
  • 1921 – Akio Morita, Japanese businessman, co-founded Sony (d. 1999)
  • 1922 – Michael Bentine, English actor and screenwriter (d. 1996)
  • 1922 – Seán Flanagan, Irish footballer and politician, 7th Irish Minister for Health (d. 1993)
  • 1922 – Gil Merrick, English footballer (d. 2010)
  • 1923 – Patrick J. Hannifin, American admiral (d. 2014)
  • 1923 – Anne Jeffreys, American actress and singer (d. 2017)
  • 1924 – Alice Babs, Swedish singer and actress (b. 1924)
  • 1924 – Annette Strauss, American philanthropist and politician, Mayor of Dallas (d. 1998)
  • 1925 – David Jenkins, English bishop and theologian (d. 2016)
  • 1925 – Joan Leslie, American actress (d. 2015)
  • 1925 – Paul Newman, American actor, activist, director, race car driver, and businessman, co-founded Newman’s Own (d. 2008)
  • 1925 – Ben Pucci, American football player and sportscaster (d. 2013)
  • 1925 – Claude Ryan, Canadian journalist and politician (d. 2004)
  • 1926 – Farman Fatehpuri, Pakistani linguist and scholar (d. 2013)
  • 1926 – Joseph Bacon Fraser, Jr., American architect and businessman, co-founded the Sea Pines Company (d. 2014)
  • 1927 – José Azcona del Hoyo, Honduran businessman and politician, President of Honduras (d. 2005)
  • 1927 – Bob Nieman, American baseball player and scout (d. 1985)
  • 1927 – Hubert Schieth, German footballer and manager (d. 2013)
  • 1928 – Roger Vadim, French actor and director (d. 2000)
  • 1929 – Jules Feiffer, American cartoonist, playwright, screenwriter, and educator
  • 1934 – Roger Landry, Canadian businessman and publisher (d. 2020)
  • 1934 – Charles Marowitz, American director, playwright, and critic (d. 2014)
  • 1934 – Huey “Piano” Smith, American pianist and songwriter
  • 1934 – Bob Uecker, American baseball player, sportscaster and actor
  • 1935 – Corrado Augias, Italian journalist and politician
  • 1935 – Henry Jordan, American football player (d. 1977)
  • 1935 – Paula Rego, Portuguese-born British visual artist
  • 1936 – Sal Buscema, American illustrator
  • 1937 – Joseph Saidu Momoh, Sierra Leonean soldier and politician, 2nd President of Sierra Leone (d. 2003)
  • 1937 – Francisco Gonzales, former 1960 Summer Olympics yachting team member and murderer
  • 1938 – Henry Jaglom, English-American director and screenwriter
  • 1940 – Séamus Hegarty, Irish bishop
  • 1940 – Frank Large, English footballer, centre forward and cricketer (d. 2003)
  • 1943 – César Gutiérrez, Venezuelan baseball player and manager (d. 2005)
  • 1943 – Jack Warner, Trinidadian businessman and politician
  • 1944 – Angela Davis, American activist, academic, and author
  • 1944 – Jerry Sandusky, American football coach and criminal
  • 1945 – Jacqueline du Pré, English cellist (d. 1987)
  • 1945 – David Purley, English race car driver (d. 1985)
  • 1946 – Christopher Hampton, Portuguese-English director, screenwriter, and playwright
  • 1946 – Gene Siskel, American journalist and film critic (d. 1999)
  • 1946 – Susan Friedlander, American mathematician
  • 1947 – Patrick Dewaere, French actor and composer (d. 1982)
  • 1947 – Les Ebdon, English chemist and academic
  • 1947 – Redmond Morris, 4th Baron Killanin, Irish director, producer, and production manager
  • 1947 – Michel Sardou, French singer-songwriter and actor
  • 1948 – Alda Facio, Costa Rican jurist, writer and teacher
  • 1949 – Jonathan Carroll, American author
  • 1949 – David Strathairn, American actor
  • 1950 – Jörg Haider, Austrian lawyer and politician, Governor of Carinthia (d. 2008)
  • 1951 – David Briggs, Australian guitarist, songwriter, and producer
  • 1951 – Andy Hummel, American singer-songwriter and bass player (d. 2010)
  • 1951 – Anne Mills, English economist and academic
  • 1953 – Alik L. Alik, Micronesian politician, 7th Vice President of the Federated States of Micronesia
  • 1953 – Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Danish politician and diplomat, 39th Prime Minister of Denmark
  • 1953 – Lucinda Williams, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1954 – Kim Hughes, Australian cricketer
  • 1955 – Eddie Van Halen, Dutch-American guitarist, songwriter, and producer
  • 1957 – Road Warrior Hawk, American wrestler (d. 2003)
  • 1958 – Anita Baker, American singer-songwriter
  • 1958 – Ellen DeGeneres, American comedian, actress, and talk show host
  • 1961 – Wayne Gretzky, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1961 – Tom Keifer, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1962 – Guo Jian, Chinese-Australian painter, sculptor, and photographer
  • 1962 – Tim May, Australian cricketer
  • 1962 – Oscar Ruggeri, Argentinian footballer and manager
  • 1963 – José Mourinho, Portuguese footballer and manager
  • 1963 – Simon O’Donnell, Australian footballer, cricketer, and sportscaster
  • 1963 – Tony Parks, English footballer and manager
  • 1963 – Andrew Ridgeley, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1964 – Adam Crozier, Scottish businessman
  • 1965 – Thomas Östros, Swedish businessman and politician
  • 1965 – Natalia Yurchenko, Russian gymnast and coach
  • 1966 – Kazushige Nagashima, Japanese baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1967 – Anatoly Komm, Russian chef and businessman
  • 1967 – Col Needham, English businessman, co-founded Internet Movie Database
  • 1968 – Jupiter Apple, Brazilian singer-songwriter, film director, and actor (d. 2015)
  • 1969 – George Dikeoulakos, Greek-Romanian basketball player and coach
  • 1970 – Kirk Franklin, American singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1973 – Larissa Lowing, Canadian artistic gymnast
  • 1973 – Melvil Poupaud, French actor, director, and screenwriter
  • 1973 – Brendan Rodgers, Northern Irish footballer and manager
  • 1973 – Mayu Shinjo, Japanese author and illustrator
  • 1977 – Vince Carter, American basketball player
  • 1977 – Justin Gimelstob, American tennis player and coach
  • 1978 – Corina Morariu, American tennis player and sportscaster
  • 1981 – José de Jesús Corona, Mexican footballer
  • 1981 – Gustavo Dudamel, Venezuelan violinist, composer, and conductor
  • 1981 – Juan José Haedo, Argentinian cyclist
  • 1981 – Colin O’Donoghue, Irish actor
  • 1982 – Reggie Hodges, American football player
  • 1983 – Petri Oravainen, Finnish footballer
  • 1983 – Eric Werner, American ice hockey player
  • 1984 – Ryan Hoffman, Australian rugby league player
  • 1984 – Iain Turner, Scottish footballer
  • 1984 – Luo Xuejuan, Chinese swimmer
  • 1985 – Heather Stanning, English rower
  • 1986 – Gerald Green, American basketball player
  • 1986 – Kim Jae-joong, South Korean singer, songwriter, actor, director and designer.
  • 1986 – Mustapha Yatabaré, French-Malian footballer
  • 1987 – Sebastian Giovinco, Italian footballer
  • 1988 – Dimitrios Chondrokoukis, Greek high jumper
  • 1989 – MarShon Brooks, American basketball player
  • 1989 – Emily Hughes, American figure skater
  • 1990 – Sergio Pérez, Mexican race car driver
  • 1990 – Peter Sagan, Slovak professional cyclist
  • 1990 – Nina Zander, German tennis player
  • 1991 – Tom Meechan, English footballer
  • 1992 – Sasha Banks, American professional wrestler
  • 1993 – Lana Clelland, Scottish footballer
  • 1993 – Florian Thauvin, French footballer
  • 1995 – Sione Katoa, New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1997 – Gedion Zelalem, German-born American soccer player
  • 2001 – Latalia Bevan, Welsh artistic gymnast

Deaths on January 26

  • 724 – Yazid II, Umayyad caliph (b. 687)
  • 738 – John of Dailam, Syrian monk and saint (b. 660)
  • 910 – Luo Yin, Chinese statesman and poet
  • 946 – Eadgyth, Queen consort of Germany (b.c 910)
  • 1186 – Ismat ad-Din Khatun, wife of Saladin
  • 1390 – Adolph IX, Count of Holstein-Kiel (b.c 1327)
  • 1567 – Nicholas Wotton, English courtier and diplomat (b. 1497)
  • 1568 – Lady Catherine Grey, Countess of Hertford (b. 1540)
  • 1620 – Amar Singh I, ruler of Mewar (b. 1559)
  • 1630 – Henry Briggs, English mathematician and astronomer (b. 1556)
  • 1636 – Jean Hotman, Marquis de Villers-St-Paul, French diplomat (b. 1552)
  • 1641 – Lawrence Hyde, English lawyer (b. 1562)
  • 1697 – Georg Mohr, Danish mathematician and theorist (b. 1640)
  • 1744 – Ludwig Andreas von Khevenhüller, Austrian field marshal (b. 1683)
  • 1750 – Albert Schultens, Dutch philologist and academic (b. 1686)
  • 1779 – Thomas Hudson, English painter (b. 1701)
  • 1795 – Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach, German harpsichord player and composer (b. 1732)
  • 1799 – Gabriel Christie, Scottish general (b. 1722)
  • 1823 – Edward Jenner, English physician and immunologist (b. 1749)
  • 1824 – Théodore Géricault, French painter and lithographer (b. 1791)
  • 1831 – Sangolli Rayanna, Indian soldier (b. 1798)
  • 1831 – Anton Delvig, Russian poet and journalist (b. 1798)
  • 1849 – Thomas Lovell Beddoes, English poet, playwright, and physician (b. 1803)
  • 1855 – Gérard de Nerval, French poet and translator (b. 1808)
  • 1860 – Wilhelmine Schröder-Devrient, opera singer (b. 1804)
  • 1869 – Duncan Gordon Boyes, English soldier; Victoria Cross recipient (b. 1846)
  • 1870 – Victor de Broglie, French politician, 9th Prime Minister of France (b. 1785)
  • 1885 – Edward Davy, English-Australian physician and engineer (b. 1806)
  • 1885 – Charles George Gordon, English general and politician (b. 1833)
  • 1886 – David Rice Atchison, American general and politician (b. 1807)
  • 1887 – Anandi Gopal Joshi, One of the first female Indian physicians (b. 1865)
  • 1891 – Nicolaus Otto, German engineer, invented the Internal combustion engine (b. 1833)
  • 1893 – Abner Doubleday, American general (b. 1819)
  • 1895 – Arthur Cayley, English mathematician and academic (b. 1825)
  • 1904 – Whitaker Wright, English businessman (b. 1846)
  • 1926 – John Flannagan, American priest and academic (b. 1860)
  • 1932 – William Wrigley, Jr., American businessman, founded the Wrigley Company (b. 1861)
  • 1942 – Felix Hausdorff, German mathematician and academic (b. 1868)
  • 1943 – Harry H. Laughlin, American sociologist and eugenicist (b. 1880)
  • 1943 – Nikolai Vavilov, Russian botanist and geneticist (b. 1887)
  • 1946 – Oskar Kallas, Estonian linguist and diplomat (b. 1868)
  • 1946 – Adriaan van Maanen, Dutch-American astronomer and academic (b. 1884)
  • 1947 – Grace Moore, American soprano and actress (b. 1898)
  • 1948 – Kâzım Karabekir, Turkish general and politician, 5th Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (b. 1882)
  • 1948 – Fred Conrad Koch, American biochemist and endocrinologist (born 1876)
  • 1948 – John Lomax, American musicologist and academic (b. 1867)
  • 1952 – Khorloogiin Choibalsan, Mongolian general and politician, 12th Prime Minister of Mongolia (b. 1895)
  • 1953 – Athanase David, Canadian lawyer and politician (b. 1882)
  • 1957 – Helene Costello, American actress (b. 1906)
  • 1962 – Lucky Luciano, Italian-American mob boss (b. 1897)
  • 1968 – Merrill C. Meigs, American publisher (b. 1883)
  • 1973 – Edward G. Robinson, Romanian-American actor (b. 1893)
  • 1975 – Donald Sheldon, American bush pilot (b. 1921)
  • 1976 – João Branco Núncio, Portuguese bullfighter (b. 1901)
  • 1977 – Filopimin Finos, Greek production manager and producer, founded Finos Film (b. 1908)
  • 1979 – Nelson Rockefeller, American businessman and politician, 41st Vice President of the United States (b. 1908)
  • 1980 – Simon Kapwepwe, Zambian politician, 2nd Vice President of Zambia (b. 1922)
  • 1983 – Bear Bryant, American football player and coach (b. 1913)
  • 1985 – Kenny Clarke, American jazz drummer and bandleader (b. 1914)
  • 1990 – Bob Gerard, English race car driver and businessman (b. 1914)
  • 1990 – Lewis Mumford, American sociologist and historian (b. 1895)
  • 1992 – José Ferrer, Puerto Rican-American actor (b. 1912)
  • 1993 – Jan Gies, Dutch businessman and humanitarian (b. 1905)
  • 1993 – Robert Jacobsen, Danish sculptor and painter (b. 1912)
  • 1993 – Jeanne Sauvé, Canadian journalist and politician, 23rd Governor General of Canada (b. 1922)
  • 1996 – Georg Alexander, Duke of Mecklenburg (b. 1921)
  • 1996 – Harold Brodkey, American author and academic (b. 1930)
  • 1996 – Frank Howard, American football player and coach (b. 1909)
  • 1996 – Henry Lewis, American bassist and conductor (b. 1932)
  • 1997 – Jeane Dixon, American astrologer and psychic (b. 1904)
  • 2000 – Don Budge, American tennis player and coach (b. 1915)
  • 2000 – Kathleen Hale, English author and illustrator (b. 1898)
  • 2000 – A. E. van Vogt, Canadian-American author (b. 1912)
  • 2001 – Al McGuire, American basketball player and coach (b. 1928)
  • 2003 – Valeriy Brumel, Russian high jumper (b. 1942)
  • 2003 – Hugh Trevor-Roper, English historian and academic (b. 1917)
  • 2003 – George Younger, 4th Viscount Younger of Leckie, Scottish banker and politician, Secretary of State for Scotland (b. 1931)
  • 2004 – Fred Haas, American golfer (b. 1916)
  • 2006 – Khan Abdul Wali Khan, Pakistani politician (b. 1917)
  • 2007 – Gump Worsley, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1929)
  • 2008 – Viktor Schreckengost, American sculptor and designer (b. 1906)
  • 2010 – Louis Auchincloss, American novelist and essayist (b. 1917)
  • 2011 – David Kato Kisule, Ugandan teacher and LGBT rights activist, considered a father of Uganda’s gay rights movement (b. 1964)
  • 2011 – Charlie Louvin, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1927)
  • 2012 – Roberto Mieres, Argentinian race car driver (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – Christine M. Jones, American educator and politician (b. 1929)
  • 2013 – Stefan Kudelski, Polish-Swiss engineer, invented the Nagra (b. 1929)
  • 2013 – Padma Kant Shukla, Indian physicist and academic (b. 1950)
  • 2013 – Shōtarō Yasuoka, Japanese author (b. 1920)
  • 2014 – Tom Gola, American basketball player, coach, and politician (b. 1933)
  • 2014 – Paula Gruden, Slovenian-Australian poet and translator (b. 1921)
  • 2014 – José Emilio Pacheco, Mexican poet and author (b. 1939)
  • 2014 – Ralph T. Troy, American banker and politician (b. 1935)
  • 2015 – Cleven “Goodie” Goudeau, American art director and cartoonist (b. 1932)
  • 2015 – Tom Uren, Australian soldier and politician (b. 1921)
  • 2016 – Sahabzada Yaqub Khan, Pakistani politician and diplomat, 14th Pakistani Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1920)
  • 2016 – Abe Vigoda, American actor (b. 1921)
  • 2017 – Mike Connors, American actor (b. 1925)
  • 2017 – Tam Dalyell, Scottish politician (b. 1932)
  • 2017 – Lindy Delapenha, Jamaican footballer and sports journalist (b. 1927)
  • 2017 – Barbara Hale, American actress (b. 1922)
  • 2020 – John Altobelli, American college baseball coach (b. 1963)
  • 2020 – Kobe Bryant, American basketball player (b. 1978)

Holidays and observances on January 26

  • Christian feast day:
    • Alberic
    • Founders of Cîteaux (Alberic of Cîteaux, Robert of Molesme, Stephen Harding)
    • Blessed Gabriele Allegra
    • Paula
    • Timothy and Titus
    • January 26 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Australia Day (Australia)
  • Duarte Day (Dominican Republic)
  • Engineer’s Day (Panama)
  • International Customs Day
  • Liberation Day (Uganda)
  • Republic Day (India)

January 26 – 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)

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