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1901

January 4 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 46 BC – Julius Caesar fights Titus Labienus in the Battle of Ruspina.
  • 871 – Battle of Reading: Æthelred of Wessex and his brother Alfred are defeated by a Danish invasion army.
  • 1649 – English Civil War: The Rump Parliament votes to put Charles I on trial.
  • 1717 – The Netherlands, Great Britain, and France sign the Triple Alliance in an attempt to maintain the Treaty of Utrecht; Britain having signed a preliminary alliance with France on November 28 (November 17, 1716).
  • 1762 – Great Britain declares war on Spain, thus entering the Seven Years’ War.
  • 1798 – Constantine Hangerli arrives in Bucharest, Wallachia, as its new Prince, invested by the Ottoman Empire.
  • 1853 – After having been kidnapped and sold into slavery in the American South, Solomon Northup regains his freedom; his memoir Twelve Years a Slave later becomes a national bestseller.
  • 1854 – The McDonald Islands are discovered by Captain William McDonald aboard the Samarang.
  • 1863 – The New Apostolic Church, a Christian and chiliastic church, is established in Hamburg, Germany.
  • 1878 – Russo-Turkish War (1877–78): Sofia is liberated from Ottoman rule and designated the capital of Liberated Bulgaria.
  • 1884 – The Fabian Society is founded in London, United Kingdom.
  • 1885 – Sino-French War: French troops under General Oscar de Négrier defeat a numerically superior Qing force at Núi Bop in northern Vietnam.
  • 1896 – Utah is admitted as the 45th U.S. state.
  • 1903 – Topsy, an elephant, is electrocuted by the owners of Luna Park, Coney Island. The Edison film company records the film Electrocuting an Elephant of Topsy’s death.
  • 1912 – The Scout Association is incorporated throughout the British Empire by the royal charter.
  • 1918 – The Finnish Declaration of Independence is recognized by Russia, Sweden, Germany and France.
  • 1944 – World War II: Operation Carpetbagger, involving the dropping of arms and supplies to resistance fighters in Europe, begins.
  • 1948 – Burma gains its independence from the United Kingdom becoming an independent republic, named the Union of Burma, with Sao Shwe Thaik as its first President and U Nu its first Prime Minister.
  • 1951 – Korean War: Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul.
  • 1956 – The Greek National Radical Union is formed by Konstantinos Karamanlis.
  • 1958 – Sputnik 1, the first artificial Earth satellite, launched by the Soviet Union in 1957, falls to Earth from orbit.
  • 1959 – Luna 1 becomes the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon.
  • 1972 – Rose Heilbron becomes the first female judge to sit at the Old Bailey in London, UK.
  • 1976 – The Troubles: The Ulster Volunteer Force shoots dead six Irish Catholic civilians in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The next day, gunmen would shoot dead ten Protestant civilians nearby in retaliation.
  • 1987 – The Maryland train collision: An Amtrak train en route to Boston from Washington, D.C., collides with Conrail engines in Chase, Maryland, United States, killing 16 people.
  • 1989 – Second Gulf of Sidra incident: A pair of Libyan MiG-23 “Floggers” are shot down by a pair of US Navy F-14 Tomcats during an air-to-air confrontation.
  • 1990 – In Pakistan’s deadliest train accident an overloaded passenger train collides with an empty freight train, resulting in 307 deaths and 700 injuries.
  • 1998 – A massive ice storm hits eastern Canada and the northeastern United States, continuing through January 10 and causing widespread destruction.
  • 1999 – Former professional wrestler Jesse Ventura is sworn in as governor of Minnesota, United States.
  • 2004 – Spirit, a NASA Mars rover, lands successfully on Mars at 04:35 UTC.
  • 2004 – Mikheil Saakashvili is elected President of Georgia following the November 2003 Rose Revolution.
  • 2006 – Ehud Olmert becomes acting Prime Minister of Israel after the incumbent, Ariel Sharon, suffers a second, apparently more serious stroke.
  • 2007 – The 110th United States Congress convenes, electing Nancy Pelosi as the first female Speaker of the House in U.S. history.
  • 2010 – The Burj Khalifa, the current tallest building in the world, officially opens in Dubai.
  • 2013 – A gunman kills eight people in a house-to-house rampage in Kawit, Cavite, Philippines.
  • 2018 – Hennenman–Kroonstad train crash: A passenger train operated by Shosholoza Meyl collides with a truck on a level crossing at Geneva Station between Hennenman and Kroonstad, Free State, South Africa. Twenty people are killed and 260 injured.

Births on January 4

  • 659 – Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin (d.680)
  • 1077 – Emperor Zhezong of China (d. 1100)
  • 1334 – Amadeus VI, Count of Savoy (d. 1383)
  • 1467 – Bodo VIII, Count of Stolberg-Wernigerode (d. 1538)
  • 1581 – James Ussher, Irish archbishop and historian (d. 1656)
  • 1643 – Isaac Newton, English mathematician and physicist (d. 1727)
  • 1654 – Lars Roberg, Swedish physician and academic (d. 1742)
  • 1672 – Hugh Boulter, English-Irish archbishop (d. 1742)
  • 1710 – Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, Italian composer, violinist, and organist (d. 1736)
  • 1720 – Johann Friedrich Agricola, German organist and composer (d. 1774)
  • 1785 – Jacob Grimm, German philologist and mythologist (d. 1863)
  • 1809 – Louis Braille, French educator, invented Braille (d. 1852)
  • 1813 – Isaac Pitman, English linguist and educator (d. 1897)
  • 1832 – George Tryon, English admiral (d. 1893)
  • 1838 – General Tom Thumb, American circus performer (d. 1883)
  • 1839 – Carl Humann, German archaeologist, architect, and engineer (d. 1896)
  • 1848 – Katsura Tarō, Japanese general and politician, 6th Prime Minister of Japan (d. 1913)
  • 1858 – Carter Glass, American publisher and politician, 47th United States Secretary of the Treasury (d. 1946)
  • 1864 – Clara Emilia Smitt, Swedish doctor and author (d. 1928)
  • 1869 – Tommy Corcoran, American baseball player and umpire (d. 1960)
  • 1874 – Josef Suk, Czech violinist and composer (d. 1935)
  • 1877 – Marsden Hartley, American painter and poet (d. 1943)
  • 1878 – A. E. Coppard, English poet and short story writer (d. 1957)
  • 1878 – Augustus John, Welsh painter and illustrator (d. 1961)
  • 1881 – Wilhelm Lehmbruck, German sculptor (d. 1919)
  • 1883 – Max Eastman, American author and poet (d. 1969)
  • 1883 – Johanna Westerdijk, Dutch pathologist and academic (d. 1961)
  • 1884 – Guy Pène du Bois, American painter, critic, and educator (d. 1958)
  • 1889 – M. Patanjali Sastri, Indian lawyer and jurist, 2nd Chief Justice of India (d. 1963)
  • 1891 – Edward Brooker, English-Australian sergeant and politician, 31st Premier of Tasmania (d. 1948)
  • 1895 – Leroy Grumman, American engineer and businessman, co-founded Grumman Aeronautical Engineering Co. (d. 1982)
  • 1896 – Everett Dirksen, American politician (d. 1969)
  • 1896 – André Masson, French painter and illustrator (d. 1987)
  • 1897 – Chen Cheng, Chinese politician, Vice President of the Republic of China (d. 1965)
  • 1900 – James Bond, American ornithologist and zoologist (d. 1989)
  • 1901 – C. L. R. James, Trinidadian journalist and theorist (d. 1989)
  • 1902 – John A. McCone, American businessman and politician, 6th Director of Central Intelligence (d. 1991)
  • 1905 – Sterling Holloway, American actor (d. 1992)
  • 1913 – Malietoa Tanumafili II, Samoan ruler (d. 2007)
  • 1916 – Lionel Newman, American pianist and composer (d. 1989)
  • 1916 – Robert Parrish, American actor and director (d. 1995)
  • 1920 – William Colby, American intelligence officer, 10th Director of Central Intelligence (d. 1996)
  • 1924 – Marianne Werner, German shot putter
  • 1925 – Veikko Hakulinen, Finnish skier and technician (d. 2003)
  • 1927 – Paul Desmarais, Canadian businessman and philanthropist (d. 2013)
  • 1927 – Barbara Rush, American actress
  • 1929 – Günter Schabowski, German journalist and politician (d. 2015)
  • 1930 – Sorrell Booke, American actor and director (d. 1994)
  • 1930 – Don Shula, American football player and coach (d. 2020)
  • 1931 – William Deane, Australian judge and politician, 22nd Governor-General of Australia
  • 1931 – Nora Iuga, Romanian poet, writer and translator
  • 1931 – Coşkun Özarı, Turkish footballer and coach (d. 2011)
  • 1932 – Clint Hill, American secret service agent and author
  • 1932 – Carlos Saura, Spanish director and screenwriter
  • 1934 – Rudolf Schuster, Slovak politician, 2nd President of Slovakia
  • 1935 – Floyd Patterson, American boxer (d. 2006)
  • 1937 – Grace Bumbry, American operatic soprano
  • 1937 – Dyan Cannon, American actress, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1940 – Gao Xingjian, Chinese novelist, playwright, and critic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1940 – Brian Josephson, Welsh physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1941 – George P. Cosmatos, Italian-Canadian director and screenwriter (d. 2005)
  • 1941 – Kalpnath Rai, Indian politician (d. 1999)
  • 1942 – Bolaji Akinyemi, Nigerian political scientist, academic, and politician
  • 1942 – John McLaughlin, English guitarist and songwriter
  • 1943 – Doris Kearns Goodwin, American historian and author
  • 1943 – Hwang Sok-yong, South Korean author and educator
  • 1945 – Richard R. Schrock, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1946 – Arthur Conley, American singer-songwriter (d. 2003)
  • 1947 – Marie-Thérèse Letablier, French sociologist and academic
  • 1948 – Kostas Davourlis, Greek footballer (d. 1992)
  • 1948 – Cissé Mariam Kaïdama Sidibé, Malian civil servant and politician, Prime Minister of Mali
  • 1950 – Khondakar Ashraf Hossain, Bangladesh poet and academic (d. 2013)
  • 1953 – Norberto Alonso, Argentinian footballer
  • 1954 – Tina Knowles, American fashion designer, founded House of Deréon
  • 1956 – Ann Magnuson, American actress and performance artist
  • 1956 – Zehava Gal-On, Israeli politician
  • 1956 – Bernard Sumner, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1957 – Patty Loveless, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1958 – Matt Frewer, American-Canadian actor
  • 1960 – Michael Stipe, American singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1963 – Dave Foley, Canadian comedian, actor, director, and producer
  • 1963 – Martina Proeber, German diver
  • 1964 – Susan Devoy, New Zealand squash player
  • 1965 – Guy Forget, French tennis player
  • 1965 – Craig Revel Horwood, Australian-English dancer, choreographer, and director
  • 1965 – Julia Ormond, English actress and producer
  • 1966 – Deana Carter, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1967 – David Toms, American golfer and philanthropist
  • 1975 – Paul Watson, English footballer and physiotherapist
  • 1978 – Dominik Hrbatý, Slovak tennis player
  • 1980 – Miguel Monteiro, Portuguese footballer
  • 1985 – Kari Aalvik Grimsbø, Norwegian handball player
  • 1985 – Gökhan Gönül, Turkish footballer
  • 1985 – Al Jefferson, American basketball player
  • 1986 – James Milner, English footballer
  • 1986 – Younès Kaboul, French footballer
  • 1989 – Graham Rahal, American race car driver
  • 1990 – Toni Kroos, German footballer
  • 1992 – Kris Bryant, American baseball player
  • 1994 – Derrick Henry, American football player
  • 1997 – Ante Žižić, Croatian basketball player
  • 1998 – Liza Soberano, Filipina actress

Deaths on January 4

  • 871 – Æthelwulf, Saxon ealdorman
  • 874 – Hasan al-Askari, eleventh of the Twelve Imams (probable; b. 846)
  • 1248 – Sancho II of Portugal (b. 1209)
  • 1344 – Robert de Lisle, 1st Baron Lisle, English peer (b. 1288)
  • 1399 – Nicholas Eymerich, Catalan theologian and inquisitor
  • 1424 – Muzio Sforza, Italian condottiero
  • 1428 – Frederick I, Elector of Saxony (b. 1370)
  • 1584 – Tobias Stimmer, Swiss painter and illustrator (b. 1539)
  • 1604 – Ferenc Nádasdy, Hungarian noble (b. 1555)
  • 1695 – François-Henri de Montmorency, duc de Luxembourg, French general (b. 1628)
  • 1752 – Gabriel Cramer, Swiss mathematician and physicist (b. 1704)
  • 1761 – Stephen Hales, English clergyman and physiologist (b. 1677)
  • 1782 – Ange-Jacques Gabriel, French architect, designed École Militaire (b. 1698)
  • 1786 – Moses Mendelssohn, German philosopher, and theologian (b. 1729)
  • 1804 – Charlotte Lennox, English author and poet (b. 1730)
  • 1821 – Elizabeth Ann Seton, American nun and saint (b. 1774)
  • 1825 – Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies (b. 1751)
  • 1863 – Roger Hanson, American general (b. 1827)
  • 1874 – Thomas Gregson, English-Australian lawyer and politician, 2nd Premier of Tasmania (b. 1798)
  • 1877 – Cornelius Vanderbilt, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1794)
  • 1880 – Anselm Feuerbach, German painter and educator (b. 1829)
  • 1880 – Edward William Cooke, English painter and illustrator (b. 1811)
  • 1882 – John William Draper, English-American physician, chemist, and photographer (b. 1811)
  • 1883 – Antoine Chanzy, French general (b. 1823)
  • 1891 – Antoine Labelle, Canadian priest (b. 1833)
  • 1896 – Joseph Hubert Reinkens, German bishop and academic (b. 1821)
  • 1900 – Stanisław Mieroszewski, Polish-born politician, writer, historian and member of the Imperial Council of Austria (b. 1827)
  • 1901 – Nikolaos Gyzis, Greek painter and academic (b. 1842)
  • 1904 – Anna Winlock, American astronomer and academic (b. 1857)
  • 1910 – Léon Delagrange, French pilot and sculptor (b. 1873)
  • 1912 – Clarence Dutton, American geologist and soldier (b. 1841)
  • 1919 – Georg von Hertling, German academic and politician, 7th Chancellor of the German Empire (b. 1843)
  • 1920 – Benito Pérez Galdós, Spanish author and playwright (b. 1843)
  • 1924 – Alfred Grünfeld, Austrian pianist and composer (b. 1852)
  • 1925 – Nellie Cashman, American nurse, restaurateur, entrepreneur, and gold prospector (b. 1845)
  • 1927 – Süleyman Nazif, Turkish poet and civil servant (b. 1870)
  • 1931 – Art Acord, American actor and stuntman (b. 1890)
  • 1931 – Louise, Princess Royal of the United Kingdom (b. 1867)
  • 1931 – Mohammad Ali Jouhar, Indian journalist, activist, and scholar (b. 1878)
  • 1940 – Flora Finch, English-American actress and producer (b. 1867)
  • 1941 – Henri Bergson, French philosopher and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1859)
  • 1943 – Jerzy Iwanow-Szajnowicz, Greek-Polish swimmer and water polo player (b. 1911)
  • 1944 – Kaj Munk, Danish playwright and pastor (b. 1898)
  • 1960 – Albert Camus, French novelist, philosopher, and journalist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1913)
  • 1961 – Erwin Schrödinger, Austrian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1887)
  • 1962 – Hans Lammers, German jurist and politician (b. 1879)
  • 1965 – T. S. Eliot, American-English poet, playwright, and critic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1888)
  • 1967 – Donald Campbell, English racing driver and world speed record holder (b. 1921)
  • 1969 – Paul Chambers, American bassist and composer (b. 1935)
  • 1975 – Carlo Levi, Italian painter, author, and activist (b. 1902)
  • 1985 – Brian Horrocks, Indian-English general (b. 1895)
  • 1986 – Christopher Isherwood, English-American author and academic (b. 1904)
  • 1986 – Phil Lynott, Irish singer-songwriter, bass player, and producer (b. 1949)
  • 1988 – Lily Laskine, French harp player (b. 1893)
  • 1990 – Harold Eugene Edgerton, American engineer and academic (b. 1903)
  • 1990 – Henry Bolte, Australian sergeant and politician, 38th Premier of Victoria (b. 1908)
  • 1994 – R. D. Burman, Indian film composer and music director (b. 1939
  • 1995 – Eduardo Mata, Mexican conductor and composer (b. 1942)
  • 1995 – Sol Tax, American anthropologist and academic (b. 1907)
  • 1997 – Harry Helmsley, American businessman (b. 1909)
  • 1998 – Mae Questel, American actress (b. 1908)
  • 1999 – Iron Eyes Cody, American actor and stuntman (b. 1904)
  • 2000 – Spyros Markezinis, Greek lawyer and politician, 170th Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1909)
  • 2000 – Tom Fears, Mexican-American football player and coach (b. 1922)
  • 2001 – Les Brown, American bandleader and composer (b. 1912)
  • 2004 – Brian Gibson, English director and screenwriter (b. 1944)
  • 2004 – Joan Aiken, English author (b. 1924)
  • 2004 – John Toland, American historian and author (b. 1912)
  • 2005 – Bud Poile, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager (b. 1924)
  • 2005 – Frank Harary, American mathematician and academic (b. 1921)
  • 2005 – Humphrey Carpenter, English radio host and author (b. 1946)
  • 2005 – Robert Heilbroner, American economist and historian (b. 1919)
  • 2006 – Irving Layton, Romanian-Canadian poet and academic (b. 1912)
  • 2006 – Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Emirati politician, 1st Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates (b. 1946)
  • 2006 – Milton Himmelfarb, American sociographer, author, and academic (b. 1918)
  • 2007 – Helen Hill, American director and producer (b. 1970)
  • 2007 – Steve Krantz, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1923)
  • 2007 – Marais Viljoen, South African politician, 5th State President of South Africa (b. 1915)
  • 2008 – Xavier Chamorro Cardenal, Nicaraguan journalist (b. 1932)
  • 2009 – Gert Jonke, Austrian poet, playwright, and author (b. 1946)
  • 2010 – Johan Ferrier, Surinamese educator and politician, 1st President of Suriname (b. 1910)
  • 2010 – Tsutomu Yamaguchi, Japanese engineer (b. 1916)
  • 2011 – Coen Moulijn, Dutch footballer (b. 1937)
  • 2011 – Gerry Rafferty, Scottish singer-songwriter (b. 1947)
  • 2011 – Salmaan Taseer, Pakistani businessman and politician, 26th Governor of Punjab, Pakistan (b. 1944)
  • 2012 – Eve Arnold, American photographer and journalist (b. 1912)
  • 2012 – Rod Robbie, English-Canadian architect, designed the Canadian Pavilion and Rogers Centre (b. 1928)
  • 2013 – Anwar Shamim, Pakistani general (b. 1931)
  • 2013 – Zoran Žižić, Montenegrin politician, 4th Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (b. 1951)
  • 2015 – Pino Daniele, Italian singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1955)
  • 2016 – S. H. Kapadia, Indian lawyer, judge, and politician, 38th Chief Justice of India (b. 1947)
  • 2016 – Stephen W. Bosworth, American academic and diplomat, United States Ambassador to South Korea (b. 1939)
  • 2017 – Milt Schmidt, Canadian ice hockey player, coach and general manager (b. 1918)
  • 2017 – Georges Prêtre, French orchestral and opera conductor (b. 1924)
  • 2019 – Harold Brown, 14th United States Secretary of Defense (b. 1927)
  • 2020 – Tom Long, Australian actor (b. 1968)

Holidays and observances on January 4

  • Christian feast day:
    • Angela of Foligno
    • Elizabeth Ann Seton
    • Ferréol of Uzès
    • Mavilus
    • Pharaildis of Ghent
    • Rigobert
    • January 4 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • The eleventh of the Twelve Days of Christmas. (Western Christianity)
  • Independence Day (Myanmar), celebrates the independence of Myanmar from the United Kingdom in 1948.
  • Colonial Martyrs Repression Day (Angola)
  • Day of the Martyrs (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
  • Ogoni Day (Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People)
  • Tokyo Dome Show: The annual Wrestle Kingdom event run by New Japan Pro Wrestling
  • World Braille Day

January 4 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

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

Births on January 3

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

Deaths on January 3

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

Holidays and observances on January 3

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

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

On This Day

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

On This Day /
  • 366 – The Alemanni cross the frozen Rhine in large numbers, invading the Roman Empire.
  • 533 – Mercurius becomes Pope John II, the first pope to adopt a new name upon elevation to the papacy.
  • 1492 – Reconquista: The Emirate of Granada, the last Moorish stronghold in Spain, surrenders.
  • 1680 – Trunajaya rebellion: Amangkurat II of Mataram and his bodyguards execute the rebel leader Trunajaya. a month after the rebel leader was captured by the Dutch East India Company.
  • 1777 – American Revolutionary War: American forces under the command of George Washington repulsed a British attack at the Battle of the Assunpink Creek near Trenton, New Jersey.
  • 1788 – Georgia becomes the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution.
  • 1791 – Big Bottom massacre in the Ohio Country, North America, marking the beginning of the Northwest Indian War.
  • 1818 – The British Institution of Civil Engineers is founded by a group of six engineers; Thomas Telford would later become its first president.
  • 1833 – Captain James Onslow, in the Clio, arrives at Port Egmont to reassert British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.
  • 1865 – Uruguayan War: The Siege of Paysandú ends as the Brazilians and Coloradans capture Paysandú, Uruguay.
  • 1900 – American statesman and diplomat John Hay announces the Open Door Policy to promote trade with China.
  • 1920 – The second Palmer Raid, ordered by the US Department of Justice, results in 6,000 suspected communists and anarchists being arrested and held without trial.
  • 1941 – World War II: German bombing severely damages the Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom.
  • 1942 – The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) obtains the conviction of 33 members of a German spy ring headed by Fritz Joubert Duquesne in the largest espionage case in United States history—the Duquesne Spy Ring.
  • 1942 – World War II: Manila is captured by Japanese forces, enabling them to control the Philippines.
  • 1949 – Luis Muñoz Marín is inaugurated as the first democratically elected Governor of Puerto Rico.
  • 1954 – India establishes its highest civilian awards, the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan.
  • 1955 – Following the assassination of the Panamanian president José Antonio Remón Cantera, his deputy, José Ramón Guizado, takes power, but is quickly deposed after his involvement in Cantera’s death is discovered.
  • 1959 – Luna 1, the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon and to orbit the Sun, is launched by the Soviet Union.
  • 1963 – Vietnam War: The Viet Cong wins its first major victory, at the Battle of Ap Bac.
  • 1967 – Ronald Reagan, past movie actor and future President of the United States, is sworn in as Governor of California.
  • 1971 – The second Ibrox disaster kills 66 fans at a Rangers-Celtic association football (soccer) match.
  • 1974 – United States President Richard Nixon signs a bill lowering the maximum U.S. speed limit to 55 MPH in order to conserve gasoline during an OPEC embargo.
  • 1975 – At the opening of a new railway line, a bomb blast at Samastipur, Bihar, India, fatally wounds Lalit Narayan Mishra, Minister of Railways.
  • 1975 – The Federal Rules of Evidence are approved by the United States Congress.
  • 1976 – The Gale of January 1976 begins, resulting in coastal flooding around the southern North Sea coasts, affecting countries from Ireland to Yugoslavia and causing at least 82 deaths and US$1.3 billion in damage.
  • 1978 – On the orders of the President of Pakistan, Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, paramilitary forces opened fire on peaceful protesting workers in Multan, Pakistan; it is known as 1978 massacre at Multan Colony Textile Mills.
  • 1981 – One of the largest investigations by a British police force ends when serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, the “Yorkshire Ripper”, is arrested in Sheffield, South Yorkshire.
  • 1991 – Sharon Pratt Kelly becomes the first African American woman mayor of a major city and first woman Mayor of the District of Columbia.
  • 1993 – Sri Lankan Civil War: The Sri Lanka Navy kill 35–100 civilians on the Jaffna Lagoon.
  • 2004 – Stardust successfully flies past Comet Wild 2, collecting samples that are returned to Earth.

Births on January 2

  • 869 – Yōzei, Japanese emperor (d. 949)
  • 1462 – Piero di Cosimo, Italian painter (d. 1522)
  • 1509 – Henry of Stolberg, German nobleman (d. 1572)
  • 1642 – Mehmed IV, Ottoman sultan (d. 1693)
  • 1647 – Nathaniel Bacon, English-American rebel leader (d. 1676)
  • 1699 – Osman III, Ottoman sultan (d. 1757)
  • 1713 – Marie Dumesnil, French actress (d. 1803)
  • 1727 – James Wolfe, English general (d. 1759)
  • 1732 – František Brixi, Czech organist and composer (d. 1771)
  • 1777 – Christian Daniel Rauch, German sculptor and educator (d. 1857)
  • 1803 – Guglielmo Libri Carucci dalla Sommaja, Italian mathematician and academic (d. 1869)
  • 1822 – Rudolf Clausius, Polish-German physicist and mathematician (d. 1888)
  • 1827 – Pyotr Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky, Russian geographer and statistician (d. 1914)
  • 1833 – Frederick A. Johnson, American banker and politician (d. 1893)
  • 1836 – Mendele Mocher Sforim, Russian author (d. 1917)
  • 1836 – Queen Emma of Hawaii (d. 1885)
  • 1837 – Mily Balakirev, Russian pianist and composer (d. 1910)
  • 1857 – M. Carey Thomas, American educator and activist (d. 1935)
  • 1860 – Dugald Campbell Patterson, Canadian engineer (d. 1931)
  • 1860 – William Corless Mills, American historian and curator (d. 1928)
  • 1866 – Gilbert Murray, Australian-English playwright and scholar (d. 1957)
  • 1870 – Ernst Barlach, German sculptor and playwright (d. 1938)
  • 1870 – Tex Rickard, American boxing promoter and businessman (d. 1929)
  • 1873 – Antonie Pannekoek, Dutch astronomer and theorist (d. 1960)
  • 1873 – Thérèse of Lisieux, French nun and saint (d. 1897)
  • 1878 – Mannathu Padmanabha Pillai, Indian activist, founded the Nair Service Society (d. 1970)
  • 1884 – Ben-Zion Dinur, Russian-Israeli historian and politician, 4th Israeli Minister of Education (d. 1973)
  • 1885 – Gordon Flowerdew, Canadian lieutenant, Victoria Cross recipient (d. 1918)
  • 1886 – Apsley Cherry-Garrard, English explorer and author (d. 1959)
  • 1889 – Bertram Stevens, Australian accountant and politician, 25th Premier of New South Wales (d. 1973)
  • 1891 – Giovanni Michelucci, Italian architect and urban planner, designed the Firenze Santa Maria Novella railway station (d. 1990)
  • 1892 – Seiichiro Kashio, Japanese tennis player (d. 1962)
  • 1892 – Artur Rodziński, Polish-American conductor (d. 1958)
  • 1895 – Folke Bernadotte, Swedish diplomat (d. 1948)
  • 1896 – Dziga Vertov, Polish-Russian director and screenwriter (d. 1954)
  • 1896 – Lawrence Wackett, Australian commander and engineer (d. 1982)
  • 1897 – Theodore Plucknett, English legal historian (d. 1965)
  • 1900 – Una Ledingham, British physician, known for research on diabetes in pregnancy (d. 1965)
  • 1901 – Bob Marshall, American activist, co-founded The Wilderness Society (d. 1939)
  • 1902 – Dan Keating, Irish Republican Army volunteer (d. 2007)
  • 1903 – Kane Tanaka, Japanese supercentenarian, oldest verified living person
  • 1904 – Walter Heitler, German physicist and chemist (d. 1981)
  • 1905 – Luigi Zampa, Italian director and screenwriter (d. 1991)
  • 1905 – Michael Tippett, English composer and conductor (d. 1998)
  • 1909 – Barry Goldwater, American politician, businessman, and author (d. 1998)
  • 1909 – Riccardo Cassin, Italian mountaineer and author (d. 2009)[
  • 1913 – Anna Lee, English-American actress (d. 2004)[79]
  • 1913 – Juanita Jackson Mitchell, American lawyer and activist (d. 1992)
  • 1917 – Vera Zorina, German-Norwegian actress and dancer (d. 2003)
  • 1918 – Willi Graf, German physician and activist (d. 1943)
  • 1919 – Beatrice Hicks, American engineer (d. 1979)
  • 1920(probable) – Isaac Asimov, American writer and professor of biochemistry (d. 1992)
  • 1921 – Glen Harmon, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2007)
  • 1926 – Gino Marchetti, American football player (d. 2019)
  • 1928 – Dan Rostenkowski, American politician (d. 2010)
  • 1929 – Tellervo Koivisto, Finnish politician, former First Lady of Finland
  • 1931 – Toshiki Kaifu, Japanese lawyer and politician, 76th Prime Minister of Japan
  • 1934 – John Hollowbread, English footballer, goalkeeper (d. 2007)
  • 1936 – Roger Miller, American singer-songwriter, musician, and actor (d. 1992)
  • 1938 – David Bailey, English photographer and painter
  • 1938 – Lynn Conway, American computer scientist and electrical engineer
  • 1938 – Robert Smithson, American sculptor and photographer (d. 1973)
  • 1940 – Jim Bakker, American televangelist
  • 1940 – Saud bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Arabian economist and politician, Saudi Arabian Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 2015)
  • 1942 – Dennis Hastert, American educator and politician, 59th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
  • 1942 – Thomas Hammarberg, Swedish lawyer and diplomat
  • 1943 – Janet Akyüz Mattei, Turkish-American astronomer (d. 2004)
  • 1944 – Charlie Davis, Trinidadian cricketer
  • 1944 – Norodom Ranariddh, Cambodian field marshal and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Cambodia
  • 1944 – Péter Eötvös, Hungarian composer and conductor
  • 1947 – Calvin Hill, American football player
  • 1947 – David Shapiro, American poet, historian, and critic
  • 1947 – Jack Hanna, American zoologist and author
  • 1949 – Christopher Durang, American playwright and screenwriter
  • 1949 – Iris Marion Young, American political scientist and academic (d. 2006)
  • 1952 – Indulis Emsis, Latvian biologist and politician, 9th Prime Minister of Latvia
  • 1954 – Henry Bonilla, American broadcaster and politician
  • 1954 – Évelyne Trouillot, Haitian playwright and author
  • 1959 – Kirti Azad, Indian cricketer and politician
  • 1961 – Craig James, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1961 – Gabrielle Carteris, American actress
  • 1961 – Paula Hamilton, English model
  • 1961 – Robert Wexler, American lawyer and politician
  • 1963 – David Cone, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1963 – Edgar Martínez, American baseball player
  • 1964 – Pernell Whitaker, American boxer (d. 2019)
  • 1965 – Francois Pienaar, South African rugby player
  • 1967 – Jón Gnarr, Icelandic actor and politician; 20th Mayor of Reykjavik City
  • 1967 – Tia Carrere, American actress
  • 1968 – Anky van Grunsven, Dutch dressage champion
  • 1968 – Cuba Gooding, Jr., American actor and producer
  • 1969 – Christy Turlington, American model
  • 1969 – István Bagyula, Hungarian pole vaulter
  • 1969 – William Fox-Pitt, English horse rider and journalist
  • 1970 – Eric Whitacre, American composer and conductor
  • 1971 – Renée Elise Goldsberry, American actress
  • 1971 – Taye Diggs, American actor and singer
  • 1972 – Mattias Norström, Swedish ice hockey player and manager
  • 1972 – Rodney MacDonald, Canadian educator and politician, 26th Premier of Nova Scotia
  • 1972 – Shiraz Minwalla, Indian theoretical physicist and string theorist
  • 1974 – Ludmila Formanová, Czech runner
  • 1974 – Tomáš Řepka, Czech footballer
  • 1975 – Reuben Thorne, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1977 – Brian Boucher, American ice hockey player and sportscaster
  • 1977 – Stefan Koubek, Austrian tennis player
  • 1979 – Jonathan Greening English footballer
  • 1981 – Maxi Rodríguez, Argentinian footballer
  • 1983 – Kate Bosworth, American actress
  • 1987 – Robert Milsom, English footballe
  • 1988 – Damien Tussac, French-German rugby player
  • 1992 – Korbin Sims, Australian-Fijian rugby league player
  • 1992 – Paulo Gazzaniga, Argentinian footballer, goalkeeper
  • 1998 – Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Dutch footballer

Deaths on January 2

  • 951 – Liu Chengyou, Emperor Yin of the Later Han
  • 951 – Su Fengji, Chinese official and chancellor
  • 1096 – William de St-Calais, Bishop of Durham and chief counsellor of William II of England[
  • 1169 – Bertrand de Blanchefort, sixth Grand Master of the Knights Templar (b. c. 1109)1184 – Theodora Komnene, Duchess of Austria, daughter of Andronikos Komnenos
  • 1298 – Lodomer, Hungarian prelate, Archbishop of Esztergom
  • 1470 – Heinrich Reuß von Plauen, Grand Master of the Teutonic Order
  • 1512 – Svante Nilsson, Sweden politician (b. 1460)
  • 1514 – William Smyth, English bishop and academic (b. 1460)
  • 1543 – Francesco Canova da Milano, Italian composer (b. 1497)
  • 1557 – Pontormo, Italian painter and educator (b. 1494)
  • 1613 – Salima Sultan Begum, Empress of the Mughal Empire (b. 1539)
  • 1614 – Luisa Carvajal y Mendoza, Spanish mystical poet and Catholic martyr (b. 1566)
  • 1726 – Domenico Zipoli, Italian organist and composer (b. 1688)
  • 1763 – John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville, English statesman (b. 1690)
  • 1850 – Manuel de la Peña y Peña, Mexican lawyer and 20th President (1847) (b. 1789)
  • 1861 – Frederick William IV of Prussia (b. 1795)
  • 1892 – George Biddell Airy, English mathematician and astronomer (b. 1801)
  • 1904 – James Longstreet, American general and diplomat (b. 1821)
  • 1913 – Léon Teisserenc de Bort, French meteorologist (b. 1855)
  • 1915 – Karl Goldmark, Hungarian violinist and composer (b. 1830)
  • 1917 – Léon Flameng, French cyclist (b. 1877)
  • 1920 – Paul Adam, French author (b. 1862)
  • 1924 – Sabine Baring-Gould, English author and scholar (b. 1834)
  • 1939 – Roman Dmowski, Polish politician, Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1864)
  • 1941 – Mischa Levitzki, Russian-American pianist and composer (b. 1898)
  • 1946 – Joe Darling, Australian cricketer and politician (b. 1870)
  • 1950 – James Dooley, Irish-Australian politician, 21st Premier of New South Wales (b. 1877)
  • 1951 – William Campion, English colonel and politician, 21st Governor of Western Australia (b. 1870)
  • 1953 – Guccio Gucci, Italian businessman and fashion designer, founder of Gucci (b. 1881)
  • 1960 – Paul Sauvé, Canadian lawyer and politician, 17th Premier of Quebec (b. 1907)
  • 1963 – Dick Powell, American actor, singer, and director (b. 1904)
  • 1963 – Jack Carson, Canadian-American actor (b. 1910)
  • 1974 – Tex Ritter, American actor (b. 1905)
  • 1975 – Siraj Sikder, Bangladesh revolutionary leader (b. 1944)
  • 1977 – Erroll Garner, American pianist and composer (b. 1921)
  • 1986 – Una Merkel, American actress (b. 1903)
  • 1987 – Harekrushna Mahatab, Indian journalist and politician, 1st Chief Minister of Odisha (b. 1899)
  • 1989 – Safdar Hashmi, Indian actor, director, and playwright (b. 1954)
  • 1990 – Alan Hale Jr., American film and television actor (b. 1921)
  • 1990 – Evangelos Averoff, Greek historian and politician, Greek Minister for National Defence (b. 1910)
  • 1994 – Dixy Lee Ray, American biologist and politician; 17th Governor of Washington (b. 1914)
  • 1994 – Pierre-Paul Schweitzer, French lawyer and businessman (b. 1915)
  • 1995 – Nancy Kelly, American actress (b. 1921)
  • 1995 – Siad Barre, Somalian general and politician; 3rd President of Somalia (b. 1919)
  • 1999 – Rolf Liebermann, Swiss-French composer and manager (b. 1910)
  • 1999 – Sebastian Haffner, German journalist and author (b. 1907)[
  • 2000 – Elmo Zumwalt, American admiral (b. 1920)
  • 2000 – Patrick O’Brian, English author and translator (b. 1914)
  • 2001 – William P. Rogers, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician, 55th United States Secretary of State (b. 1913)
  • 2005 – Maclyn McCarty, American geneticist and physician (b. 1911)
  • 2006 – Cecilia Muñoz-Palma, Filipino lawyer and jurist (b. 1913)
  • 2006 – Osa Massen, Danish-American actress (b. 1914)
  • 2007 – A. Richard Newton, Australian-American engineer and academic (b. 1951)
  • 2007 – Elizabeth Fox-Genovese, American historian and author (b. 1941)
  • 2007 – Teddy Kollek, Hungarian-Israeli politician, Mayor of Jerusalem (b. 1911)
  • 2008 – George MacDonald Fraser, Scottish journalist and author (b. 1925)
  • 2008 – Lee S. Dreyfus, American sailor, academic, and politician, 40th Governor of Wisconsin (b. 1926)
  • 2009 – Inger Christensen, Danish poet and author (b. 1935)
  • 2009 – Dnyaneshwar Agashe, Indian businessman and cricketer (b. 1942)
  • 2010 – David R. Ross, Scottish historian and author (b. 1958)
  • 2011 – Anne Francis, American actress (b. 1930)
  • 2011 – Bali Ram Bhagat, Indian politician; 16th Governor of Rajasthan (b. 1922)
  • 2011 – Pete Postlethwaite, English actor (b. 1946)
  • 2012 – Gordon Hirabayashi, American-Canadian sociologist and academic (b. 1918)
  • 2012 – Silvana Gallardo, American actress and producer (b. 1953)
  • 2012 – William P. Carey, American businessman and philanthropist, founded W. P. Carey (b. 1930)
  • 2013 – Gerda Lerner, Austrian-American historian, author, and academic (b. 1920)
  • 2013 – Teresa Torańska, Polish journalist and author (b. 1944)
  • 2014 – Bernard Glasser, American director and producer (b. 1924)
  • 2014 – Elizabeth Jane Howard, English author and screenwriter (b. 1923)
  • 2015 – Tihomir Novakov, Serbian-American physicist and academic (b. 1929)
  • 2016 – Ardhendu Bhushan Bardhan, Indian lawyer and politician (b. 1924)
  • 2016 – Frances Cress Welsing, American psychiatrist and author (b. 1935)
  • 2016 – Nimr al-Nimr, Saudi Arabian religious leader (b. 1959)
  • 2016 – Gisela Mota Ocampo, mayor of Temixco, Morelos, Mexico, assassinated (b. 1982)
  • 2017 – Jean Vuarnet, French ski racer (b. 1933)
  • 2017 – John Berger, English art critic, novelist and painter (b. 1926)
  • 2018 – Guida Maria, Portuguese actress (b. 1950)
  • 2018 – Thomas S. Monson, American religious leader, 16th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (b. 1927)
  • 2019 – Daryl Dragon, American musician (b. 1942)
  • 2019 – Bob Einstein, American actor and comedian (b. 1942)
  • 2019 – Gene Okerlund, American wrestling announcer (b. 1942)

Holidays and observances on January 2

  • Ancestry Day (Haiti)
  • Berchtold’s Day (Switzerland and Liechtenstein)
  • Carnival Day (Saint Kitts and Nevis)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Basil the Great (Catholic Church and Church of England)
    • Defendens of Thebes
    • Earliest day on which the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus is observed, while January 5 is the latest; celebrated on Sunday between January 2 and 5. (Roman Catholic Church, 1960 calendar)
    • Gregory of Nazianzus (Catholic Church)
    • Johann Konrad Wilhelm Löhe (Lutheran Church)
    • Macarius of Alexandria
    • Seraphim of Sarov (repose) (Eastern Orthodox Church)
    • Vedanayagam Samuel Azariah (Episcopal Church)
    • January 2 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Nyinlong (Bhutan)
  • The first day of Blacks and Whites’ Carnival, celebrated until January 7. (southern Colombia)
  • The first day of the Carnival of Riosucio, celebrated until January 8 every 2 years. (Riosucio)
  • The ninth of the Twelve Days of Christmas (Western Christianity)
  • The second day of New Year (a holiday in Kazakhstan, North Macedonia, Mauritius, Montenegro, New Zealand, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Ukraine):
    • New Year Holiday (Scotland), if it is a Sunday, the day moves to January 3
    • Kaapse Klopse (Cape Town, South Africa)
  • The victory of Armed Forces Day (Cuba)

January 2 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

On This Day /

During the Middle Ages under the influence of the Catholic Church, many countries in western Europe decided to move the start of the year to one of several important Christian festivals – December 25 (the Nativity of Jesus), March 1, March 25 (the Annunciation), or even Easter. The Byzantine Empire began its numbered year on September 1.

In England, January 1 was celebrated as the New Year festival, but from the 12th century to 1752 the year in England began on March 25 (Lady Day). So, for example, the Parliamentary record notes the execution of Charles I as occurring on January 30, 1648, (as the year did not end until March 24), although modern histories adjust the start of the year to January 1 and record the execution as occurring in 1649.

Most western European countries changed the start of the year to January 1 before they adopted the Gregorian calendar. For example, Scotland changed the start of the Scottish New Year to January 1 in 1600. England, Ireland and the British colonies changed the start of the year to January 1 in 1752. Later that year in September, the Gregorian calendar was introduced throughout Britain and the British colonies. These two reforms were implemented by the Calendar (New Style) Act 1750.

January 1 became the official start of the year as follows:

Julian calendar:

  • 1544 Holy Roman Empire (Germany)
  • 1556 Spain, Portugal
  • 1559 Prussia, Sweden
  • 1564 France
  • 1576 Southern Netherlands
  • 1579 Duchy of Lorraine
  • 1583 Northern Netherlands
  • 1600 Scotland
  • 1700 Russia
  • 1752 Great Britain (excluding Scotland) and its colonies
  • 1804 Serbia

Gregorian calendar:

  • 1750 Tuscany
  • 1797 Republic of Venice
  • 1918 Ottoman Empire
  • 1941 Thailand

Events on January 1

Pre-Julian Roman calendar

  • 153 BC – For the first time, Roman consuls begin their year in office on January 1.

Early Julian calendar (before Augustus’ leap year correction)

  • 45 BC – The Julian calendar takes effect as the civil calendar of the Roman Empire, establishing January 1 as the new date of the new year.
  • 42 BC – The Roman Senate posthumously deifies Julius Caesar.

Julian calendar

  • 193 – The Senate chooses Pertinax against his will to succeed Commodus as Roman emper]or.
  • 404 – Saint Telemachus tries to stop a gladiatorial fight in a Roman amphitheatre, and is stoned to death by the crowd. This act impresses the Christian Emperor Honorius, who issues a historic ban on gladiatorial fights.
  • 417 – Emperor Honorius forces Galla Placidia into marriage to Constantius, his famous general (magister militum) (probable).
  • 1001 – Grand Prince Stephen I of Hungary is named the first King of Hungary by Pope Sylvester II (probable).
  • 1068 – Romanos IV Diogenes marries Eudokia Makrembolitissa and is crowned Byzantine Emperor.
  • 1259 – Michael VIII Palaiologos is proclaimed co-emperor of the Empire of Nicaea with his ward John IV Laskaris.
  • 1438 – Albert II of Habsburg is crowned King of Hungary.
  • 1502 – The present-day location of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is first explored by the Portuguese.
  • 1515 – Twenty-year-old Francis, Duke of Brittany, succeeds to the French throne following the death of his father-in-law, Louis XII.
  • 1527 – Croatian nobles elect Ferdinand I of Austria as King of Croatia in the Parliament on Cetin.
  • 1583 to 1700 – see January 11
  • 1600 – Scotland recognises January 1 as the start of the year, instead of March 25.
  • 1651 – Charles II is crowned King of Scotland.
  • 1700 – Russia begins using the Anno Domini era instead of the Anno Mundi era of the Byzantine Empire.
  • 1701 to 1800 – see January 12
  • 1801 to 1900 – see January 13
  • 1901 to 2100 – see January 14

Gregorian calendar

  • 1707 – John V is proclaimed King of Portugal and the Algarves in Lisbon.
  • 1739 – Bouvet Island, the world’s remotest island is discovered by French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier.
  • 1772 – The first traveler’s cheques, which could be used in 90 European cities, were issued by the London Credit Exchange Company.
  • 1773 – The hymn that became known as “Amazing Grace”, then titled “1 Chronicles 17:16–17” is first used to accompany a sermon led by John Newton in the town of Olney, Buckinghamshire, England.
  • 1776 – American Revolutionary War: Norfolk, Virginia is burned by combined Royal Navy and Continental Army action.
  • 1776 – General George Washington hoists the first United States flag; the Grand Union Flag at Prospect Hill.
  • 1781 – American Revolutionary War: One thousand five hundred soldiers of the 6th Pennsylvania Regiment under General Anthony Wayne’s command rebel against the Continental Army’s winter camp in Morristown, New Jersey in the Pennsylvania Line Mutiny of 1781.
  • 1788 – First edition of The Times of London, previously The Daily Universal Register, is published.
  • 1801 – The legislative union of Kingdom of Great Britain and Kingdom of Ireland is completed, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland is proclaimed.
  • 1801 – Ceres, the largest and first known object in the Asteroid belt, is discovered by Giuseppe Piazzi.
  • 1803 – Emperor Gia Long orders all bronze wares of the Tây Sơn dynasty to be collected and melted into nine cannons for the Royal Citadel in Huế, Vietnam.
  • 1804 – French rule ends in Haiti. Haiti becomes the first black-majority republic and second independent country in North America after the United States.
  • 1806 – The French Republican Calendar is abolished.
  • 1808 – The United States bans the importation of slaves.
  • 1810 – Major-General Lachlan Macquarie officially becomes Governor of New South Wales.
  • 1822 – The Greek Constitution of 1822 is adopted by the First National Assembly at Epidaurus.
  • 1847 – The world’s first “Mercy” Hospital is founded in Pittsburgh, United States, by a group of Sisters of Mercy from Ireland; the name will go on to grace over 30 major hospitals throughout the world.
  • 1860 – The first Polish stamp is issued, replacing the Russian stamps previously in use.
  • 1861 – Liberal forces supporting Benito Juárez enter Mexico City.
  • 1863 – American Civil War: The Emancipation Proclamation takes effect in Confederate territory.
  • 1877 – Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom is proclaimed Empress of India.
  • 1885 – Twenty-five nations adopt Sandford Fleming’s proposal for standard time (and also, time zones).
  • 1890 – Eritrea is consolidated into a colony by the Italian government
  • 1892 – Ellis Island begins processing immigrants into the United States.
  • 1898 – New York, New York annexes land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York. The four initial boroughs, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and The Bronx, are joined on January 25 by Staten Island to create the modern city of five boroughs.
  • 1899 – Spanish rule ends in Cuba.
  • 1901 – Nigeria becomes a British protectorate
  • 1901 – The British colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, and Western Australia federate as the Commonwealth of Australia; Edmund Barton is appointed the first Prime Minister
  • 1902 – The first American college football bowl game, the Rose Bowl between Michigan and Stanford, is held in Pasadena, California.
  • 1910 – Captain David Beatty is promoted to Rear admiral, and becomes the youngest admiral in the Royal Navy (except for Royal family members) since Horatio Nelson.
  • 1912 – The Republic of China is established.
  • 1914 – The SPT Airboat Line becomes the world’s first scheduled airline to use a winged aircraft.
  • 1923 – Britain’s Railways are grouped into the Big Four: LNER, GWR, SR, and LMS.
  • 1927 – New Mexican oil legislation goes into effect, leading to the formal outbreak of the Cristero War.
  • 1928 – Boris Bazhanov defects through Iran. He is the only assistant of Joseph Stalin’s secretariat to have defected from the Eastern Bloc.
  • 1929 – The former municipalities of Point Grey, British Columbia and South Vancouver, British Columbia are amalgamated into Vancouver.
  • 1932 – The United States Post Office Department issues a set of 12 stamps commemorating the 200th anniversary of George Washington’s birth.
  • 1934 – Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay becomes a United States federal prison.
  • 1934 – A “Law for the Prevention of Genetically Diseased Offspring” comes into effect in Nazi Germany.
  • 1942 – The Declaration by United Nations is signed by twenty-six nations.
  • 1945 – World War II: In retaliation for the Malmedy massacre, U.S. troops kill 60 German POWs at Chenogne.
  • 1945 – World War II: The German Luftwaffe launches Operation Bodenplatte, a massive, but failed attempt to knock out Allied air power in northern Europe in a single blow.
  • 1947 – Cold War: The American and British occupation zones in Allied-occupied Germany, after World War II, merge to form the Bizone, which later (with the French zone) became part of West Germany.
  • 1947 – The Canadian Citizenship Act 1946 comes into effect, converting British subjects into Canadian citizens.Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King becomes the first Canadian citizen.
  • 1948 – The British railway network is nationalized to form British Railways.
  • 1949 – United Nations cease-fire takes effect in Kashmir from one minute before midnight. War between India and Pakistan stops accordingly.
  • 1956 – Sudan achieves independence from Egypt and the United Kingdom.
  • 1957 – George Town, Penang, is made a city by a royal charter of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.
  • 1958 – European Economic Community is established.
  • 1959 – Cuban Revolution: Fulgencio Batista, dictator of Cuba, is overthrown by Fidel Castro’s forces.
  • 1960 – Cameroon achieves independence from France and the United Kingdom.
  • 1962 – Western Samoa achieves independence from New Zealand; its name is changed to the Independent State of Western Samoa.
  • 1964 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is divided into the independent republics of Zambia and Malawi, and the British-controlled Rhodesia.
  • 1965 – The People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan is founded in Kabul, Afghanistan.
  • 1970 – The defined beginning of Unix time, at 00:00:00.
  • 1971 – Cigarette advertisements are banned on American television.
  • 1973 – Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom are admitted into the European Economic Community.
  • 1976 – A bomb explodes on board Middle East Airlines Flight 438 over Qaisumah, Saudi Arabia, killing all 81 people on board.
  • 1978 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747, crashes into the Arabian Sea, due to instrument failure, spatial disorientation, and pilot error, off the coast of Bombay, India, killing all 213 people on board.
  • 1979 – Normal diplomatic relations are established between the People’s Republic of China and the United States.
  • 1981 – Greece is admitted into the European Community.
  • 1982 – Peruvian Javier Pérez de Cuéllar becomes the first Latin American to hold the title of Secretary-General of the United Nations.
  • 1983 – The ARPANET officially changes to using TCP/IP, the Internet Protocol, effectively creating the Internet.
  • 1984 – The original American Telephone & Telegraph Company is divested of its 22 Bell System companies as a result of the settlement of the 1974 United States Department of Justice antitrust suit against AT&T.
  • 1984 – Brunei becomes independent of the United Kingdom.
  • 1985 – The first British mobile phone call is made by Michael Harrison to his father Sir Ernest Harrison, chairman of Vodafone.
  • 1987 – The Isleta Pueblo tribe elect Verna Williamson to be their first female governor.
  • 1988 – The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America comes into existence, creating the largest Lutheran denomination in the United States.
  • 1989 – The Montreal Protocol comes into force, stopping the use of chemicals contributing to ozone depletion.
  • 1990 – David Dinkins is sworn in as New York City’s first black mayor.
  • 1993 – Dissolution of Czechoslovakia: Czechoslovakia is divided into the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic.
  • 1994 – The Zapatista Army of National Liberation initiates twelve days of armed conflict in the Mexican state of Chiapas.
  • 1994 – The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) comes into effect.
  • 1995 – The World Trade Organization comes into being.
  • 1995 – The Draupner wave in the North Sea in Norway is detected, confirming the existence of freak waves.
  • 1995 – Austria, Finland and Sweden join the EU.
  • 1998 – Following a currency reform, Russia begins to circulate new rubles to stem inflation and promote confidence.
  • 1999 – Euro currency is introduced in 11 member nations of the European Union (with the exception of the United Kingdom, Denmark, Greece and Sweden; Greece later adopts the euro).
  • 2004 – In a vote of confidence, General Pervez Musharraf wins 658 out of 1,170 votes in the Electoral College of Pakistan, and according to Article 41(8) of the Constitution of Pakistan, is “deemed to be elected” to the office of President until October 2007.
  • 2007 – Bulgaria and Romania join the EU.
  • 2007 – Adam Air Flight 574 breaks apart in mid-air and crashes near the Makassar Strait, Indonesia killing all 102 people on board.
  • 2009 – Sixty-six people die in a nightclub fire in Bangkok, Thailand.
  • 2010 – A suicide car bomber detonates at a volleyball tournament in Lakki Marwat, Pakistan, killing 105 and injuring 100 more.
  • 2011 – A bomb explodes as Coptic Christians in Alexandria, Egypt, leave a new year service, killing 23 people.
  • 2011 – Estonia officially adopts the Euro currency and becomes the 17th Eurozone country.
  • 2013 – At least 60 people are killed and 200 injured in a stampede after celebrations at Félix Houphouët-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
  • 2015 – The Eurasian Economic Union comes into effect, creating a political and economic union between Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
  • 2017 – An attack on a nightclub in Istanbul, Turkey, during New Year’s celebrations, kills at least 39 people and injures more than 60 others

Births on January 1

  • 766 – Ali al-Ridha (d. 818) 8th Imam of Twelver Shia Islam
  • 1431 – Pope Alexander VI (d. 1503)
  • 1449 – Lorenzo de’ Medici, Italian politician (d. 1492)
  • 1467 – Sigismund I the Old, Polish king (d. 1548)
  • 1484 – Huldrych Zwingli, Swiss pastor and theologian (d. 1531)
  • 1511 – Henry, Duke of Cornwall, first-born child of Henry VIII of England (d. 1511)
  • 1557 – Stephen Bocskay, Prince of Transylvania (d. 1606)
  • 1600 – Friedrich Spanheim, Dutch theologian and academic (d. 1649)
  • 1628 – Christoph Bernhard, German composer and theorist (d. 1692)
  • 1655 – Christian Thomasius, German jurist and philosopher (d. 1728)
  • 1684 – Arnold Drakenborch, Dutch scholar and author (d. 1748)
  • 1704 – Soame Jenyns, English author, poet, and politician (d. 1787)
  • 1711 – Baron Franz von der Trenck, Austrian soldier (d. 1749)
  • 1714 – Giovanni Battista Mancini, Italian soprano and author (d. 1800)
  • 1714 – Kristijonas Donelaitis, Lithuanian pastor and poet (d. 1780)
  • 1735 – Paul Revere, American silversmith and engraver (d. 1818)
  • 1745 – Anthony Wayne, American general and politician (d. 1796)
  • 1752 – Betsy Ross, American seamstress, credited with designing the Flag of the United States (d. 1836)
  • 1768 – Maria Edgeworth, Anglo-Irish author (d. 1849)
  • 1769 – Marie-Louise Lachapelle, French obstetrician (d. 1821)
  • 1774 – André Marie Constant Duméril, French zoologist and academic (d. 1860)
  • 1779 – William Clowes, English publisher (d. 1847)
  • 1803 – Edward Dickinson, American politician and father of poet Emily Dickinson (d. 1874)
  • 1806 – Lionel Kieseritzky, Estonian-French chess player (d. 1853)
  • 1809 – Achille Guenée, French lawyer and entomologist (d. 1880)
  • 1813 – George Bliss, American politician (d. 1868)
  • 1814 – Hong Xiuquan, Chinese rebellion leader and king (d. 1864)
  • 1818 – William Gamble, Irish-born American general (d. 1866)
  • 1819 – Arthur Hugh Clough, English-Italian poet and academic (d. 1861)
  • 1819 – George Foster Shepley, American general (d. 1878)
  • 1823 – Sándor Petőfi, Hungarian poet and activist (d. 1849)
  • 1833 – Robert Lawson, Scottish-New Zealand architect, designed the Otago Boys’ High School and Knox Church (d. 1902)
  • 1834 – Ludovic Halévy, French author and playwright (d. 1908)
  • 1839 – Ouida, English-Italian author and activist (d. 1908)
  • 1848 – John W. Goff, Irish-American lawyer and politician (d. 1924)
  • 1852 – Eugène-Anatole Demarçay, French chemist and academic (d. 1904)
  • 1854 – James George Frazer, Scottish anthropologist and academic (d. 1941)
  • 1854 – Thomas Waddell, Irish-Australian politician, 15th Premier of New South Wales (d. 1940)
  • 1857 – Tim Keefe, American baseball player (d. 1933)
  • 1859 – Michael Joseph Owens, American inventor (d. 1923)
  • 1859 – Thibaw Min, Burmese king (d. 1916)
  • 1860 – Michele Lega, Italian cardinal (d. 1935)
  • 1863 – Pierre de Coubertin, French historian, and educator, founded the International Olympic Committee (d. 1937)
  • 1864 – Alfred Stieglitz, American photographer, and curator (d. 1946)
  • 1864 – Qi Baishi, Chinese painter (d. 1957)
  • 1867 – Mary Ackworth Evershed, English astronomer and scholar (d. 1949)
  • 1874 – Frank Knox, American publisher, and politician, 46th United States Secretary of the Navy (d. 1944)
  • 1874 – Gustave Whitehead, German-American pilot and engineer (d. 1927)
  • 1877 – Alexander von Staël-Holstein, German sinologist and orientalist (d. 1937)
  • 1878 – Agner Krarup Erlang, Danish mathematician, statistician, and engineer (d. 1929)
  • 1879 – E. M. Forster, English author and playwright (d. 1970)
  • 1879 – William Fox, Hungarian-American screenwriter and producer, founded the Fox Film Corporation and Fox Theatres (d. 1952)
  • 1883 – William J. Donovan, American general, lawyer, and politician (d. 1959)
  • 1884 – Chikuhei Nakajima, Japanese lieutenant, engineer, and politician, founded Nakajima Aircraft Company (d. 1949)
  • 1887 – Wilhelm Canaris, German admiral (d. 1945)
  • 1888 – Georgios Stanotas, Greek general (d. 1965)
  • 1888 – John Garand, Canadian-American engineer, designed the M1 Garand rifle (d. 1974)
  • 1889 – Charles Bickford, American actor (d. 1967)
  • 1890 – Anton Melik, Slovenian geographer and academic (d. 1966)
  • 1891 – Sampurnanand, Indian educator and politician, 3rd Governor of Rajasthan (d. 1969)
  • 1892 – Mahadev Desai, Indian author and activist (d. 1942)
  • 1892 – Manuel Roxas, Filipino lawyer and politician, 5th President of the Philippines (d. 1948)
  • 1893 – Mordechai Frizis, Greek colonel (d. 1940)
  • 1894 – Satyendra Nath Bose, Indian physicist, and mathematician (d. 1974)
  • 1894 – Edward Joseph Hunkeler, American clergyman (d. 1970)
  • 1895 – J. Edgar Hoover, American law enforcement official; 1st Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (d. 1972)
  • 1900 – Chiune Sugihara, Japanese soldier and diplomat (d. 1986)
  • 1900 – Xavier Cugat, Spanish-American singer-songwriter and actor (d. 1990)
  • 1902 – Buster Nupen, Norwegian-South African cricketer and lawyer (d. 1977)
  • 1902 – Hans von Dohnányi, German jurist and political dissident (d. 1945)
  • 1904 – Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry, Pakistani lawyer and politician, 5th President of Pakistan (d. 1982)
  • 1905 – Stanisław Mazur, Ukrainian-Polish mathematician and theorist (d. 1981)
  • 1906 – Manuel Silos, Filipino filmmaker, and actor (d. 1988)
  • 1907 – Kinue Hitomi, Japanese sprinter and long jumper (d. 1931)
  • 1909 – Dana Andrews, American actor (d. 1992)
  • 1909 – Stepan Bandera, Ukrainian soldier and politician (d. 1959)
  • 1911 – Audrey Wurdemann, American poet and author (d. 1960)
  • 1911 – Basil Dearden, English director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1971)
  • 1911 – Hank Greenberg, American baseball player (d. 1986)
  • 1911 – Roman Totenberg, Polish-American violinist and educator (d. 2012)
  • 1912 – Boris Vladimirovich Gnedenko, Russian mathematician and historian (d. 1995)
  • 1912 – Kim Philby, British spy (d. 1988)
  • 1912 – Nikiforos Vrettakos, Greek poet and academic (d. 1991)
  • 1914 – Noor Inayat Khan, British SOE agent (d. 1944)
  • 1917 – Shannon Bolin, American actress and singer (d. 2016)
  • 1918 – Patrick Anthony Porteous, Scottish colonel, Victoria Cross recipient (d. 2000)
  • 1918 – Willy den Ouden, Dutch swimmer (d. 1997)
  • 1919 – Carole Landis, American actress (d. 1948)
  • 1919 – J. D. Salinger, American soldier and author (d. 2010)
  • 1919 – Rocky Graziano, American boxer and actor (d. 1990)
  • 1920 – Osvaldo Cavandoli, Italian cartoonist (d. 2007)
  • 1921 – César Baldaccini, French sculptor and academic (d. 1998)
  • 1921 – Ismail al-Faruqi, Palestinian-American philosopher and academic (d. 1986)
  • 1921 – Regina Bianchi, Italian actress (d. 2013)
  • 1922 – Ernest Hollings, American soldier, and politician, 106th Governor of South Carolina (d. 2019)
  • 1923 – Valentina Cortese, Italian actress (d. 2019)
  • 1923 – Milt Jackson, American jazz vibraphonist and composer (d. 1999)
  • 1924 – Francisco Macías Nguema, Equatorial Guinean politician, 1st President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea (d. 1979)
  • 1925 – Matthew Beard, American child actor (d. 1981)
  • 1925 – Paul Bomani, Tanzanian politician and diplomat, 1st Tanzanian Minister of Finance (d. 2005)
  • 1926 – Kazys Petkevičius, Lithuanian basketball player and coach (d. 2008)
  • 1927 – Doak Walker, American football player and businessman (d. 1998)
  • 1927 – James Reeb, American clergyman and political activist (d. 1965)
  • 1927 – Maurice Béjart, French-Swiss dancer, choreographer, and director (d. 2007)
  • 1927 – Vernon L. Smith, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1928 – Ernest Tidyman, American author and screenwriter (d. 1984)
  • 1928 – Gerhard Weinberg, German-American historian, author, and academic
  • 1929 – Larry L. King, American journalist, author, and playwright (d. 2012)
  • 1930 – Frederick Wiseman, American director and producer
  • 1930 – Gaafar Nimeiry, Egyptian-Sudanese politician, 4th President of the Sudan (d. 2009)
  • 1932 – Giuseppe Patanè, Italian conductor (d. 1989)
  • 1933 – James Hormel, American philanthropist and diplomat.
  • 1933 – Joe Orton, English dramatist (d. 1967)
  • 1934 – Alan Berg, American lawyer and radio host (d. 1984
  • 1934 – Lakhdar Brahimi, Algerian politician, Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • 1935 – Om Prakash Chautala, Indian politician
  • 1936 – James Sinegal, American businessman, co-founded Costco
  • 1939 – Michèle Mercier, French actress
  • 1939 – Phil Read, English motorcycle racer and businessman
  • 1939 – Senfronia Thompson, American politician
  • 1941 – Younoussi Touré, Malian politician, Prime Minister of Mali
  • 1942 – Alassane Ouattara, Ivorian economist and politician, President of the Ivory Coast (doubtful)
  • 1942 – Anthony Hamilton-Smith, 3rd Baron Colwyn, English dentist and politician
  • 1942 – Country Joe McDonald, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1942 – Dennis Archer, American lawyer and politician, 67th Mayor of Detroit
  • 1942 – Gennadi Sarafanov, Russian pilot and cosmonaut (d. 2005)
  • 1943 – Don Novello, American comedian, screenwriter and producer.
  • 1943 – Tony Knowles, American soldier and politician, 7th Governor of Alaska.
  • 1943 – Vladimir Šeks, Croatian lawyer and politician, 16th Speaker of the Croatian Parliament
  • 1944 – Mati Unt, Estonian author, playwright, and director (d. 2005)
  • 1944 – Omar al-Bashir, Sudanese field marshal and politician, 7th President of Sudan
  • 1944 – Teresa Torańska, Polish journalist and author (d. 2013)
  • 1944 – Zafarullah Khan Jamali, Pakistani field hockey player and politician, 13th Prime Minister of Pakistan
  • 1945 – Jacky Ickx, Belgian racing driver
  • 1945 – Victor Ashe, American politician and former United States Ambassador to Poland
  • 1946 – Claude Steele, American social psychologist and academic
  • 1946 – Rivellino, Brazilian footballer and manager
  • 1947 – Jon Corzine, American sergeant and politician, 54th Governor of New Jersey
  • 1948 – Devlet Bahçeli, Turkish economist, academic, and politician, 57th Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey
  • 1948 – Dick Quax, New Zealand runner and politician (d. 2018)
  • 1948 – Pavel Grachev, Russian general and politician, 1st Russian Minister of Defence (d. 2012)
  • 1949 – Borys Tarasyuk, Ukrainian politician and diplomat
  • 1952 – Shaji N. Karun, Indian director and cinematographer
  • 1953 – Gary Johnson, American businessman and politician, 29th Governor of New Mexico
  • 1954 – Bob Menendez, American lawyer and politician
  • 1954 – Dennis O’Driscoll, Irish poet and critic (d. 2012)
  • 1954 – Yannis Papathanasiou, Greek engineer and politician, Greek Minister of Finance
  • 1955 – LaMarr Hoyt, American baseball player
  • 1955 – Mary Beard, English classicist, academic and presenter
  • 1956 – Sergei Avdeyev, Russian engineer and astronaut
  • 1956 – Christine Lagarde, French lawyer and politician; Managing Director, International Monetary Fund
  • 1957 – Evangelos Venizelos, Greek lawyer and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Greece
  • 1958 – Grandmaster Flash, Barbadian rapper and DJ
  • 1959 – Abdul Ahad Mohmand, Afghan colonel, pilot, and astronaut
  • 1959 – Azali Assoumani, Comorian colonel and politician, President of the Comoros
  • 1959 – Panagiotis Giannakis, Greek basketball player and coach
  • 1962 – Anton Muscatelli, Italian-Scottish economist and academic
  • 1963 – Jean-Marc Gounon, French racing driver
  • 1964 – Dedee Pfeiffer, American actress
  • 1966 – Anna Burke, Australian businesswoman and politician, 28th Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives
  • 1966 – Ivica Dačić, Serbian journalist and politician, 95th Prime Minister of Serbia
  • 1966 – Tihomir Orešković, Croatian–Canadian businessman, 11th Prime Minister of Croatia
  • 1968 – Davor Šuker, Croatian footballer
  • 1971 – Bobby Holík, Czech-American ice hockey player and coach
  • 1971 – Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia, Indian politician
  • 1971 – Sammie Henson, American wrestler and coach
  • 1972 – Lilian Thuram, French footballer
  • 1974 – Christian Paradis, Canadian lawyer and politician, 9th Canadian Minister of Industry
  • 1975 – Becky Kellar-Duke, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1975 – Chris Anstey, Australian basketball player and coach
  • 1975 – Fernando Tatís, Dominican baseball player
  • 1975 – Joe Cannon, American soccer player and sportscaster
  • 1979 – Vidya Balan, Indian actress
  • 1981 – Zsolt Baumgartner, Hungarian racing driver
  • 1981 – Mladen Petrić, Croatian footballer
  • 1982 – David Nalbandian, Argentinian tennis player
  • 1982 – Egidio Arévalo Ríos, Uruguayan footballer
  • 1983 – Melaine Walker, Jamaican hurdler
  • 1983 – Park Sung-hyun, South Korean archer
  • 1983 – Calum Davenport, English footballer
  • 1984 – Paolo Guerrero, Peruvian footballer
  • 1985 – Steven Davis, Northern Irish footballer
  • 1985 – Tiago Splitter, Brazilian basketball player
  • 1986 – Pablo Cuevas, Uruguayan tennis player
  • 1986 – Ramses Barden, American football player
  • 1987 – Meryl Davis, American ice dancer1987 – Patric Hörnqvist, Swedish ice hockey player
  • 1988 – Marcel Gecov, Czech footballer
  • 1989 – Jason Pierre-Paul, American football player
  • 1991 – Darius Slay, American football player

Deaths on January 1

  • 138 – Lucius Aelius, adopted son and intended successor of Hadrian (b. 101)
  • 404 – Telemachus, Christian monk and martyr
  • 466 – Qianfei, Chinese emperor of the Liu Song Dynasty (b. 449)
  • 898 – Odo I, Frankish king (b. 860)
  • 951 – Ramiro II, king of León and Galicia1031 – William of Volpiano, Italian abbot (b. 962)
  • 1189 – Henry of Marcy, Cistercian abbot (b. c. 1136)
  • 1204 – Haakon III, king of Norway (b. 1182)
  • 1387 – Charles II, king of Navarre (b. 1332)
  • 1496 – Charles d’Orléans, count of Angoulême (b. 1459)
  • 1515 – Louis XII, king of France (b. 1462)
  • 1559 – Christian III, king of Denmark (b. 1503)
  • 1560 – Joachim du Bellay, French poet and critic (b. 1522)
  • 1617 – Hendrik Goltzius, Dutch painter and illustrator (b. 1558)
  • 1697 – Filippo Baldinucci, Florentine historian and author (b. 1625)
  • 1716 – William Wycherley, English playwright and poet (b. 1641)
  • 1748 – Johann Bernoulli, Swiss mathematician and academic (b. 1667)
  • 1780 – Johann Ludwig Krebs, German organist and composer (b. 1713)
  • 1782 – Johann Christian Bach, German composer (b. 1735)
  • 1789 – Fletcher Norton, 1st Baron Grantley, English lawyer and politician, British Speaker of the House of Commons (b. 1716)
  • 1793 – Francesco Guardi, Italian painter and educator (b. 1712)
  • 1817 – Martin Heinrich Klaproth, German chemist and academic (b. 1743)
  • 1846 – John Torrington, English sailor and explorer (b. 1825)
  • 1853 – Gregory Blaxland, Australian farmer and explorer (b. 1778)
  • 1862 – Mikhail Ostrogradsky, Ukrainian mathematician and physicist (b. 1801)
  • 1881 – Louis Auguste Blanqui, French activist (b. 1805)
  • 1892 – Roswell B. Mason, American lawyer and politician, 25th Mayor of Chicago (b. 1805)
  • 1894 – Heinrich Hertz, German physicist and academic (b. 1857)
  • 1896 – Alfred Ely Beach, American publisher and lawyer, created the Beach Pneumatic Transit (b. 1826)
  • 1906 – Hugh Nelson, Scottish-Australian farmer and politician, 11th Premier of Queensland (b. 1833)
  • 1918 – William Wilfred Campbell, Canadian poet and author (b. 1858)
  • 1921 – Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg, German lawyer and politician, 5th Chancellor of Germany (b. 1856)
  • 1929 – Mustafa Necati, Turkish civil servant and politician, Turkish Minister of Environment and Urban Planning (b. 1894)
  • 1931 – Martinus Beijerinck, Dutch microbiologist and botanist (b. 1851)
  • 1937 – Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, Indian religious leader, founded the Gaudiya Math (b. 1874)
  • 1940 – Panuganti Lakshminarasimha Rao, Indian author and educator (b. 1865)
  • 1944 – Edwin Lutyens, English architect, designed the Castle Drogo and Thiepval Memorial (b. 1869)
  • 1944 – Charles Turner, Australian cricketer (b. 1862)
  • 1953 – Hank Williams, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1923)
  • 1954 – Duff Cooper, English politician and diplomat, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (b. 1890)
  • 1954 – Leonard Bacon, American poet and critic (b. 1887)
  • 1955 – Arthur C. Parker, American archaeologist and historian (b. 1881)
  • 1960 – Margaret Sullavan, American actress (b. 1909)
  • 1966 – Vincent Auriol, French journalist and politician, 16th President of the French Republic (b. 1884)
  • 1969 – Barton MacLane, American actor, playwright and screenwriter (b. 1902)
  • 1971 – Amphilochius of Pochayiv, Ukrainian saint (b. 1894)
  • 1972 – Maurice Chevalier, French actor and singer (b. 1888)
  • 1978 – Carle Hessay, German-Canadian painter (b. 1911)
  • 1980 – Pietro Nenni, Italian journalist and politician, Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1891)
  • 1981 – Hephzibah Menuhin, American-Australian pianist (b. 1920)
  • 1982 – Victor Buono, American actor (b. 1938)
  • 1984 – Alexis Korner, French-English singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1928)
  • 1992 – Grace Hopper, American computer scientist and admiral, co-developed COBOL (b. 1906)
  • 1994 – Arthur Porritt, Baron Porritt, New Zealand physician and politician, 11th Governor-General of New Zealand (b. 1900)
  • 1994 – Cesar Romero, American actor (b. 1907)
  • 1994 – Edward Arthur Thompson, Irish historian and academic (b. 1914)
  • 1995 – Eugene Wigner, Hungarian-American physicist and mathematician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1902)
  • 1996 – Arleigh Burke, American admiral (b. 1901)
  • 1996 – Arthur Rudolph, German-American engineer (b. 1906)
  • 1997 – Townes Van Zandt, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (b. 1944)
  • 1998 – Helen Wills, American tennis player and coach (b. 1905)
  • 2000 – Betty Archdale, English-Australian cricketer and educator (b. 1907)
  • 2001 – Ray Walston, American actor (b. 1914)
  • 2002 – Julia Phillips, American film producer and author (b. 1944)
  • 2003 – Joe Foss, American soldier, pilot, and politician, 20th Governor of South Dakota (b. 1915)
  • 2005 – Shirley Chisholm, American educator and politician (b. 1924)
  • 2006 – Harry Magdoff, American economist and journalist (b. 1913)
  • 2007 – Roland Levinsky, South African-English biochemist and academic (b. 1943)
  • 2007 – Tillie Olsen, American short story writer (b. 1912)
  • 2008 – Pratap Chandra Chunder, Indian educator and politician (b. 1919)
  • 2009 – Claiborne Pell, American politician (b. 1918)
  • 2010 – Lhasa de Sela, American-Mexican singer-songwriter (b. 1972)
  • 2012 – Kiro Gligorov, Bulgarian-Macedonian lawyer and politician, 1st President of the Republic of Macedonia (b. 1917)
  • 2012 – Nay Win Maung, Burmese physician, businessman, and activist (b. 1962)
  • 2012 – Tommy Mont, American football player and coach (b. 1922)
  • 2013 – Christopher Martin-Jenkins, English journalist (b. 1945)
  • 2013 – Patti Page, American singer and actress (b. 1927)
  • 2014 – Higashifushimi Kunihide, Japanese monk and educator (b. 1910)
  • 2014 – Juanita Moore, American actress (b. 1914)
  • 2014 – William Mgimwa, Tanzanian banker and politician, 13th Tanzanian Minister of Finance (b. 1950)
  • 2015 – Boris Morukov, Russian physician and astronaut (b. 1950)
  • 2015 – Donna Douglas, American actress (b. 1932)
  • 2015 – Mario Cuomo, American lawyer and politician, 52nd Governor of New York (b. 1932)
  • 2015 – Omar Karami, Lebanese lawyer and politician, 58th Prime Minister of Lebanon (b. 1934)
  • 2016 – Dale Bumpers, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 38th Governor of Arkansas (b. 1925)
  • 2016 – Fazu Aliyeva, Russian poet and journalist (b. 1932)
  • 2016 – Vilmos Zsigmond, Hungarian-American cinematographer and producer (b. 1930)
  • 2017 – Derek Parfit, British philosopher (b. 1942)
  • 2017 – Tony Atkinson, British economist (b. 1944)
  • 2017 – Yvon Dupuis, Canadian politician (b. 1926)
  • 2018 – Robert Mann, American violinist (b. 1920)
  • 2019 – Pegi Young, American singer, songwriter, environmentalist, educator and philanthropist (b. 1952)
  • 2019 – Paul Neville, Australian politician (b. 1940)
  • 2020 – David Stern, American lawyer and businessman (b. 1942)
  • 2020 – Alexander Frater, British travel writer and journalist (b. 1937)
  • 2020 – Barry McDonald, Australian rugby union player (b. 1940)

Holidays and observances on January 1

  • Christian feast day:
    • Adalard of Corbie
    • Basil the Great (Eastern Orthodox Church)
    • Feast of the Circumcision of Christ
      • Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus (Anglican Communion, Lutheran Church)
      • Feast of Fools (Medieval Europe)
    • Fulgentius of Ruspe
    • Giuseppe Maria Tomasi
    • Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, the Octave Day of Christmas, considered a holy day of obligation in some countries (Catholic Church); and its related observances:
      • World Day of Peace
    • Telemachus
    • Zygmunt Gorazdowski
    • January 1 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest day on which Handsel Monday can fall, while January 7 is the latest; celebrated on the first Monday of the year (Scotland)
  • The second day of Hogmanay (Scotland) December 31-January 1, in some cases until January 2.
  • The last day of Kwanzaa (African-Americans)
  • The eighth of the Twelve Days of Christmas (Western Christianity)
  • Constitution Day (Italy)
  • Dissolution of Czechoslovakia-related observances:
    • Day of the Establishment of the Slovak Republic (Slovakia)
    • Restoration Day of the Independent Czech State (Czech Republic)
  • Emancipation Day (United States)
  • Euro Day (European Union)
  • Flag Day (Lithuania) commemorates raising of the Lithuanian flag on Gediminas’ Tower in 1919
  • Founding Day (Taiwan) commemorates the establishment of the Provisional Government in Nanjing
  • Global Family Day
  • Independence Day (Brunei, Cameroon, Haiti, Sudan)
  • International Nepali Dhoti and Nepali Topi Day
  • Jump-up Day (Montserrat)
  • Kalpataru Day (Ramakrishna Movement)
  • Kamakura Ebisu, January 1–3 (Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan)
  • National Bloody Mary Day (United States)
  • National Tree Planting Day (Tanzania)
  • New Year’s Day (Gregorian calendar)
    • Japanese New Year
    • Novy God Day (Russia)
    • Sjoogwachi (Okinawa Islands)
  • Polar Bear Swim Day (Canada and United States)
  • Public Domain Day (multiple countries)
  • Triumph of the Revolution (Cuba)

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

On This Day

پرچہ اردو-S.S پبلک سروس کمیشن۔

General Knowledge, MCQs / Q&A, Test /

۔1 ّ سیاہ و سفید ہونا ” محاورہ ہے اس کا مفہوم کیا ہے؟
A۔ محتاج ہونا
B، مختار کل ہونا
C ۔ دست بردار ہونا
D۔ افسوس کرنا
۔2 ۔ “اڑان کھائی بتانا ” محاورے کا مفہوم کیا ہے؟
A۔ کھیتی باری کرنا
B. دھوکہ دینا
C. نفرت کرنا
D۔ ضد کرنا
” مٹھی گرم کرنا ” محاورے کا مفہوم کیا ہے؟.3
A. نوکری کرنا
B۔ راز فاش کرنا
C.سفر کرنا
D۔ رشوت دینا۔
4۔ ” ارباب حجت ” کی ترکیب اردو میں کن معنوں میں مستعمل ہے؟
A. محتاج لوگ
B.منطقی لوگ
C.منافق لوگ
D۔ ایشیائ لوگ۔
5۔ ” بنت البحر ” کی ترکیب سے کیا مراد ہے؟
A. انگور کی بیٹی۔ شرب
B.جل پری
C.۔ کشتی
D.ہیرا من
6۔ “رخت ہستی ” کی ترکیب کا مفہوم کیا ہے؟
A.۔ سمجھ بوجھ۔
B.بیوقوفی و نادانی
C.بے ثباتی
D.برعکس عقل
7۔ ” تاج پر مونج کا بخیہ ” ضرب المثل سے کیا مراد ہے؟
A۔ رشتہ جوڑنا۔
B.بے جوڑ بات
C.۔ بسرام کرنا
D۔ مدد کرنا۔
8۔ ” آم کے آم کٹھلیوں کے دام ” عام ضرب المثل ہے۔ اس کا مفہوم کیا ہے؟
A.۔ نقصان پر نقصان ہونا
B.۔ دوہرا فائدہ ہونا
C۔ نہایت بد انتظامی۔
D.۔ بے سکونی و بے چینی
9۔ ” چور کی داڑھی میں تنکا ” ضرب المثل سے کیا مراد ہے؟
A۔ عیب خود بخود ظاہر ہو جاتا ہے
B۔ غریب پر سب کا بس چلتا ہے
C۔ صحبت کا بڑا اثر ہوتا ہے
D۔ آمدنی کے مطابق خرچ
10۔ ” آسمان سے گرا کجھور میں اٹکا ” ضرب المثل سے کیا مرد ہے؟
A۔ ایک مصیبت سے نکل کر دوسی مصیبت میں پھنس جانا B۔ اپنے اہنے شغل میں مگن رہنا
C۔ فتح مند ہون
D دھوکہ دینے کی کوشش کرنا

11۔ فیض احمد فیض کا آخری شعری مجموعہ کونسا ہے؟
A۔ نقش فریادی
B۔ دست صبا
C۔ سروادی سینا
D۔ غبار ایام

12۔ ظفر اقبال کے شعری مجموعہ ” عیب و ہنر ” کا دیباچہ کس معروف ادیب نے لکھا ہے؟
A محمد خالد اختر
B۔ سلیم اختر
C۔ انتظا حسین
D احمد ندیم قاسمی
13۔ مستنصر حسین تارر کی تصنیف ” قربت مرگ میں محبت ” صنف کے اعبا کیا ہے؟
A۔ شاعری
B۔ ناول
C۔ افسانہ
D۔ رپورتاژ
14۔ ” شاعر رومان ” کس شاعر کو کہا جاتا ہے؟
A۔ سجاد حیدر یلدرم
B اختر شیرانی
C۔ حفیظ جالندھری
D۔ حسرت موہانی
15۔ یاس یگانہ چنگیزی کا اصل نام کیا تھا؟
A۔ مرزا واجد حسین
B علی کندر
C۔ مزمل حسین
D۔ عبد الحئ
16۔ علامہ اقبال نے پیام مشرق کس شاعر کے دیوان کے جواب میں لکھی؟
A۔ پروفیسر آرنلڈ
Bگوئٹے

C۔ حافظ شیرازی
D۔ مولان روم
17۔ اردو شاعری میں ” مرثیہ گوئی ” کے حوالے سے کس کا نام زیادہ معروف ہے؟
A۔ مرزا تعشق.
B۔ گوہر علی شیر
C۔ مرزا دبیر
D۔ میر انیس
18۔ خوشی محمد ناظر کی مشہور نطم ” جوگی ” کس ہیت میں ہے؟
A۔ مثنوی
B تکیب بند
C.آزاد نظم
D۔ مخمس
19۔ چوبولا شاعری کی صنف ہے جس میں
A۔ چار مصرعے ہوتے ہین
B۔ چار شعر ہوتے ہیں
C۔ چار ارکان ہوتے ہیں
D.ان میں سے کوئ نہین
20۔ ترقی پسند تحریک کا ترجمان جریدہ کونسا تھا؟
A۔ سویرا۔.
B۔ شب خون
C۔ مخزن
D۔ خیالستان
21۔ بے کلی سے کچھ دل کو سرو کار نہ ہو
تیری نرگس بھی ایسی کبھی بیمار نہ ہو
اس شعر میں علم بیان کی کونسی قسم مستعمل ہے؟
A۔ تشبیہ
B۔ استعارہ
C۔ کنایہ
D۔ مجاز مرسل
22۔ زندگی ہے یا کوئ طوفان ہے
ہم تو اس جینے کے ہاتھوں مر چلے
اس شعر علم بیان کی کونسی قسم ظاہر کر رہا ہے؟
A۔ تشبیہ
B۔ استعارہ
C۔ کنایہ
D۔ مجاز مرسل
23۔ اگتے تھے دست بلبل و دامان گل بہم
صحن چمن نمونہ یوم الحساب تھا
اس شعر میں کونسی صنعت استعمال ہوئ ہے؟
A۔ مراعات النظیر
B۔ لف و نشر
C۔ حسن تعلیل
D۔ تدبیج
24۔ ” منزل شب ” سی حرفی” اور ” اثار ” کے جیسے شعری مجوعوں کے حوالوں سے کس شاعر کا نام زہن میں آتا ہے؟
A۔ جون ایلیا
B۔ مختار صدیقی
C. نسیم امروہوی
D۔ سرفراز شاہد
25۔ ” کبیر مہدی ” کس مشہور ناول کا کردار ہے؟
A۔ اداس نسلیں
B۔ غلام باغ
C۔ کاغذی گھاٹ
D۔ آنگن
26۔ اردو لغت بورڈ کا موجودہ سربراہ کون ہے؟
A۔ تحسین فراقی
B۔ عقیل عباس جعفری
C۔ عطاء الحق قاسمی
D۔ انوار احمد
27۔ علامہ اقبال کی مشہور نظم ” طلبہ علی گڑھ کالج کے نام ” ان کے کس مجموعہ کلام میں شامل ہے؟
A۔ بانگ درا
B۔ بال جبریل
C۔ ضرب کلیم
D۔ ارمغان حجاز
28۔ ” خواب باقی ہیں ” کس کی خود نوشت ہے؟
A۔ فرید جاوید
B۔ کلیم الدین احمد
C۔ آل احمد سرور
D۔ وارث علوی
29۔سر سید احمد خان کی کتاب ” جام جم” کا موضوع کیا ہے؟
A.تاریخ
B۔ آپ بیتی
C. تقاریر
D۔ مصاحبے
30۔ مولانا آزاد شاعری میں کس شاعر کے شاگرد تھے؟
A۔ ابرہیم زوق
B.مرزا غالب
C۔ مصطفی خان شیفتہ
D.داغ دہلوی
31۔ ” امروز ” کس کی مشہور نظم ہے؟
A۔ ن م راشد
B۔ میرا جی
C۔ مجید امجد
D.فیض احمد فیض
32۔ن م راشد کس قلمی نام سے مضامین لکتھے تھے؟
A۔ راشد وحیدی
B۔ غاصف ملانوی
C۔ ابو العلاء چشتی
D۔ خامہ بگوش
33۔ قصیدہ کی زبان کیسی ہوتی ہے؟
A۔ علائم و رموز کی زبان
B۔ پرشکوہ زبان
C۔ غم و الم کی زبان
D۔ ہجروفراق کی زبان
34۔ رضیہ فصیح احمد کے ناول ” صدیوں کی زنجیر ” کا موضوع کی ہے؟
A۔ تقسیم ہند
B۔ المیہ مشرقی پاکستان
C۔ جنگ آزادی
D.کارگل جنگ
35۔ ” ابوتراب “، ” ابوبکر ” قوائد کے اعتبار کیا ہیں؟
A. لقب
B۔ عرف
C۔ خطاب
D. کنیت
36۔ مسمط کس زبان کا لفط ہے؟
A۔ عربی
B.فارسی
C۔ انگریزی
D۔ اطالوی
37۔مشکل ہے ز بس کلام میرا اے دل
سن سن کر سخنوران کامل
آسان کرنے کی کرتے ہیں فرمائش
گویم مشکل و نگویم مشکل
ان اشعار سے کونسی صنف شاعری زہن میں آتی ہے؟
A. قطعہ
B۔ رباعی
C۔ دو بیتی
D۔ قصیدہ
38۔ شعر میں قافیہ کی تکرار کو اصطلاح میں کیا کہا جاتا ہے؟
A.تکیہ
B۔ رسم
C.غنائیت
D۔ ایطا
39۔ مولانا آزاد کی وفات کس سن میں ہوئی؟
A۔ 1912ء
B۔ 1914ء
C۔ 1910ء
D۔ 1915ء
40۔ ” کلیات یوسف ظفر ” کو کس نے مرتب کیا ہے؟
A. ڈاکٹر محمد صادق
B.حامد علی خان
C. تصدق حسین راجا
D. تحسین فراقی
41۔ ” صریر خامہ ” کس یونیورسٹی کا تحقیقی مجلہ ہے؟
A۔ الخیر یونیورسٹی بھمبر
B۔ قرطبہ یونورسٹی پشاور
C . پشاور یونیورسٹی .
D.سندھ یونیورسٹی
42۔ علامہ اقبال کی مشہور کی نظم ” جبریل و ابلیس ” کس مجموعہ کلام میں شامل ہے؟
A.بانگ درا
B.بال جبریل
C۔ ضرب کلیم
D. ارمغان حجاز
43۔۔ ” دوسرا آسمان ” کس کا پی ٹی وی ڈراما ہے؟
A.یونس جاید
B.امجد اسلام امجد
C۔ انور مقصود
D.مرزا اطہر بیگ
44۔ مستنصر حسین تارڑ کی کتابیں کونسا ادارہ شائع کرتا ہے؟
A.انجمن ترقی اردو
B.اکادمی ادبیات پاکستان
C سنگ میل مبلیکیشنز
D.ادارہ مطبوعات اردو
45۔ ” سبد چین ” کس کی تصنیف ہے؟
A.مرزا غالب
B. مولانا حالی
C۔ مومن خان مومن
D.مولانا آزاد
46۔ اس اسم کو کیا کہا جاتا
ہے جو خود تو مصدر سے بنا ہو لیکن آگے اس سے کوئ اور اسم نہ بن سکے؟
A.اسم مشتتق
B.اسم جامد
C.اسم ضمیر .
D.اسم کیفیت
47۔ غزل کو اردو شاعری کی آبرو کس نے قرار دیا؟
A۔ کلیم الدین احمد
B۔ جوش ملیح آبادی
C.رشید احمد صدیقی
D.عظمت اللہ
48۔ “رجز” کس صنف شاعری کا جزو ہے؟
A.قصیدہ .
B۔ مرثیہ
C۔ دوہا
D.سانیٹ
۔49 ماہیا کتنے مصروں پر مشتمل ہوتا ہے؟
A.2
B۔3
C. 4
D.5
. 50۔ حلقہ ارباب ذوق کے پہلے اجلاس کی صدارت کس نے کی تھی؟
A۔ وزیر آغا
B.میرا جی
C. حفیظ ہوشیار پوری
D.قیوم نظر
51۔ ” قلب و نظر کے سلسلے ” کس کے شاعر کے کلیات کا عنوان ہے؟
A.قیوم نظر.
B.امجد اسلام امجد
C.احمد فراز .
D۔ محسن نقوی
52۔ جلوہ ہے مجھی سے لب دریائے سخن پر
صد رنگ میری موج ہے میں طبع رواں ہوں
یہ شاعرانہ تعلی کسے زیب دیتا ہے؟
A. ابراہیم ذوق
B. مرزا غالب
C.میر تقی میر
D۔ میر انیس
53۔ انجمن پنجاب کے سیکرٹری کون تھے؟
A.مولانا آزاد
B۔ مولانا حالی
C.پنڈت من پھول
D.ان میں سے کوئ نہیں
54۔ ” ہم کہ ٹھہرے اجنبی ” فیض احمد فیض کے حوالے سے کتاب کس نے مرتب کی ہے؟
A.آغا ناصر
B۔ ایوب مرزا
C۔ ممتاز حسین
D۔ کشور ناہید
55۔ ” لمحوں کی راکھ ” کس کا ناول ہے؟
A.مرزا ادیب
B۔ انور سجاد
C۔ جمیلہ ہاشمی
D.رضیہ بٹ
56۔ “اکبر اعظم ” کس ڈراما کا کردار ہے؟
A.باپ ک گناہ
B.انار کلی
C.رستم و سہراب
D۔ اندھیرا اجالا
57۔ ” دنیا کا سب سے انمول رتن ” کس کا شاہکار کارنامہ ہے؟
A. پریم چند
B.سجاد حیدر یلدرم
C.انتظار حسین
D.سعادت حسن منٹو
58۔ انتطار حسین کے مشہور ناول ” آگے سمندر ہے ” کا آغاز کس شاعر کے شعر سے ہوتا ہے؟
A.ناصر کاظمی
B.فراق گورکھپوری
C۔ احمد مشتاق
D۔ فیٖض احمد فیض
59۔” نکات الشعراء ” کس کا تذکرہ ہے؟
A.میر تقی میر B۔ میر درد
C۔ میر سوز د D.میر اثر
60۔ میر انیس کس شاعر کے پوتے تھے؟
A.میر خلیق
B۔ میر حسن
C۔ میر درد
D.ان میں سے کوئ نہیں
61۔ پھر جائے نہ چشم صنم آنکھ کے آگے
سیر چمن نرگس شہلا نہ کریں گے
” نرگس شہلا” سے کیا مرا دہے؟
A.مست و مکمور آنکھ
B۔ بیگی پلکیں
C.محبوب کا دیدار
D۔ محبوب کی سختیاں
62۔ علم بیان و بدیع پر مشہور کتاب ” فکر بلیغ ” کا مصنف کون ہے؟
A.امام بخش صہبائ
B۔ نجم الغنی
C۔ علی محمد شاد
D.وہاب اشرفی
63۔ ” چھپا ہے شاعری کا مہر تاباں” اس مصرعے سے بحساب جمل 1327ھ کا سال برآمد ہوتا ہے۔ یہ کس شاعر کی تاریخ وفات ہے؟
A. سر سید احمد خان
B۔ امیر مینائ
C۔ شبلی نعمانی
D.جلال لکھنوی
۔ فسانہ آزاد کتنی جلدیں پر مشتمل ہے؟
A.3
B.5
C.4
D.6
65۔ اردو شاعری میں ” سینٹو ” کا تجربہ کس نے کیا؟
A.ظفر اقبال
B۔ مظہر امام
C.سید جعفر طاہر
D.باقی صدیقی
66۔ اردو کا سٹیفن لی کاک کس کو کہا جاتا ہے؟
A.کرنل محمد خان
B.شفیق الرحمن
C۔ مشتاق احمد یوسفی
D. محمد خالد اختر
67۔ ” سہ شنبہ ” ہفتہ کا کونسا دن ہوتا ہے؟
A. اتوار
B. بدھ
C۔ منگل
D.جمعرات
68۔ ” روح اقبال ” کس کی مشہور کتاب ہے؟
A۔ خلیفہ عب الحکیم
B عبد المجید سالک
C۔ یوسف حسین خان
D. حمید شاہد
69۔ نثر کی اس قسم کو کیا کہا جاتا ہے جس میں لکھنے والا مجرد صفات کو مجسم بنا کر پیش کرتا ہے اور انکی ایسی اشکال تیار کرتا ہے کہ وہ زندہ اور ذی روح دکھائ دیتی ہیں؟
A.رومانویت
B تمثیل
C۔ تنافر
D۔ ابتذال
70۔نیئرنگ خیال کب شائع ہوئ؟
A. 1880ء
B۔ 1870ء
C۔ 1901ء
D.1910ء
71۔مٹی کی محبت میں ہم آشفتہ سروں نے
وہ قرض اتارے ہیں جو واجب بھی نہیں تھے
یہ کس کا مشہور شعر ہے؟
A.عادل منصوری
B.ظفر اقبال
C.افتخار عارف
D.اختر الا یمان
72۔ عشق سے طبیعت نے زیست کا مزا پایا
درد کی دوا پائ درد بے دوا پایا
اس شعر کو اصطلاح میں کا کہیں گے؟
A.مطلع.
B.حسن مطلع
C. مقطع
D۔ حسن مقطع
73۔ سوال نمبر 72 کے حوالے بتائیں کہ اس شعر میں قافیہ کونسا ہے؟
A. پایا، دوا
B.طبیعت، زیست
C.مزا، دوا
D.ان میں سے کوئ نہیں
74۔ سوال نمبر 72 کے حوالے سے بتائیں کہ اس شعر میں ردیف کونسی ہے؟
A.پایا، پائ
B.پایا
C۔ درد، دوا
D.ان میں سے کوئ نہین
75۔زندگانی تھی تری مہتاب سے تابندہ تر
خوب تر تھا صبح کے تارے سے بھی ترا سفر

علامہ اقبال کا یہ شعر کس کے لیے ہے؟
A. اپنے والد شیخ نور محمد
B۔ اپنی والدہ محرومہ امام بی بی
C.شیخ عطاء محمد
D. اپنے استاد میر حسن
76۔ ” خمار گندم” کس کی تصنیف ہے؟
A. فیض احمد فیض
B۔ ابن انشا
C. مشتاق احمد یوسفی
D. کرنل محمد خان
77۔ قرۃ العین حیدر ، فارغ بخاری اور محمود ہاشمی کے درمیان کیا قدر مشترک ہے؟
A.آپ بیتی
B۔ کالم نگاری
C. رپورتاژ
D۔ شاعری
78۔ لکھتے رہے جنوں کی حکایت خونچکاں
ہر چند اس میں ہاتھ ہمارے قلم ہوئے
یہ مشہور شعر کس کی تخلیق ہے؟
A. ابراہیم ذوق
b۔ مرزا غالب
C. مولانا حالی
D.داغ دہلوی
79۔ کونسا جملہ درست ہے؟
A. یہ واقع کب پیش آیا؟
B۔ یہ واقعہ کب پیش آیا؟
C۔ یے واقعہ کب ہیش آیا؟
D. یہ واقع کب ہیش آئے؟
80۔ بغیر القابات و خطابات کے خط لکھنے کی کس شاعر کی عام عادت رہی ہے؟
A. مرزا غالب
B.رجب علی بیگ سرور
C.خوث بے خبر
D. مولوی عبد الحق

جوابات

1b,2b,3d,4b,5b,6a,7b,8b,9a,10a 11d,12c,13b,14b,15a,16b,17b,18b, 19a,20a,21b,22a,23,24b,25b,26b,27a,28c,29a,30a 31c,32a,33b,34b,35d,36a,37b,38d,39c,40c 41d,42b,43d,44c,45a,46a,47c,48b,49b,50c 51a,52c,53a,54b,55a,56b,57a,58c,59a,60b 61a,62c,63d,64c,65c,66b,67c,68c,69b,70a 71c,72a,73c,74b,75b,76b,77c,78b,79b,80a

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General Knowledge, MCQs / Q&A, Test

World General Knowledge Important MCQs (Set-I) for Competitive Exams

English, General Knowledge, MCQs / Q&A, World /

1. Which is the saltiest water lake of the world?
(a) The Caspian Sea
(b) The Red Sea
(c) The Baltic Sea
(d) Assal Lake (Correct)

2. World’s longest river is:
(a) River Nile (Correct)
(b) River Amazon
(c) River Mississippi
(d) River Indus

3. Which of the following country has longest coast line?
(a) China
(b) USA
(c) Russia
(d) Canada (Correct)

4. Which is the largest peninsula?
(a) Gulf of Eden
(b) Africa
(c) Arabia (Correct)
(d) Sahara

5. Biggest country in population is:
(a) China (Correct)
(b) Russia
(c) India
(d) USA

6. Which is the largest gulf?
(a) Arabian Gulf
(b) Gulf of Mexico (Correct)
(c) Gulf of Oman
(d) None of them

7. The largest bay is located in
(a) USA
(b) Canada (Correct)
(c) Congo
(d) Russia

8. Name the largest railway station in the world is
(a) Grand Central Terminal – New York (Correct)
(b) Condor Station Bolivia
(c) Kharagpur railway station – India
(d) Frankfort International USA

9. Name the biggest sea of the world is
(a) Caribbean Sea
(b) South China Sea (Correct)
(c) Mediterranean Sea
(d) Baltic Sea

10. Name the biggest desert of the world is
(a) Gobi Desert
(b) Kalahari Desert
(c) Sahara Desert (Correct)
(d) None of these

11. The highest capital in the world is
(a) Belize
(b) La Paz (Correct)
(c) Quito
(d) Paris

12. In which country was the first oil-well drilled in 1859
(a) Saudi Arabia
(b) USA (Correct)
(c) Russia
(d) Venezuela

13. Which is the oldest written language in the world?
(a) Sanskrit
(b) Chinese (Correct)
(c) Japanese
(d) English

14. Which metal has the highest electrical conductivity
(a) Silver
(b) Tungsten (Correct)
(c) Copper
(d) Iron

15. Name the largest populous country of the Islamic World?
(a) Indonesia (Correct)
(b) Pakistan
(c) Bangladesh
(d) Turkey

16. Name the largest Hockey Stadium with capacity of 50,000 people:
(a) Most Beautiful Stadium
(b) Highest Hockey Stadium
(c) National hockey Stadium Lahore (Correct)
(d) Newest Hockey Stadium

17. Name the largest Cricket Stadium:
(a) Melbourne Cricket Club (Correct)
(b) Sharjah Cricket Ground
(c) The Oval. London
(d) Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

18. World’s highest waterfall “Angel” is in:
(a) Zimbabwe
(b) Canada
(c) Venezuela (Correct)
(d) Norway

19. Where Niagara Waterfalls are located
(a) USA
(b) Canada
(c) Both of them (Correct)
(d) Pakistan

20. Which of the following ‘Desert’ is largest by area?
(a) Gobi
(b) Takla Makan
(c) Sahara (Correct)
(d) Thar

21. The Caspian Sea’ is known as largest lake. Which of the following countries share its water?
(a) Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan
(b) Turkmenistan
(c) Russia and Iran
(d) All of these (Correct)

22. The biggest Square ‘Tiananmen’ is situated in:
(a) Beijing (Correct)
(b) Tibet
(c) xinjiang
(d) Chu in

23. Which country is famous for publications of most newspapers?
(a) USA
(b) Canada
(c) India (Correct)
(d) China

24. The largest animal in the world is
(a) Elephant
(b) Rhinoceros
(c) Hippopotamus
(d) Blue Whale (Correct)

25. Who has the record of highest individuals score in limited over (ODI) match?
(a) Saeed Anwar
(b) Jayasuriya
(c) Sachin Tendulkar (Correct)
(d) De Silva

26. Which is the tallest building of the world?
(a) Tapai Center 101 (Taiwan)
(b) Daubi Burj (UAE) (Correct)
(c) Patronas Tower (Malaysia)
(d) Sears Tower (USA)

27. Which country has the longest coast line?
(a) China
(b) Russia
(c) Canada (Correct)
(d) USA

28. Largest Muslim country area-wise is
(a) Algeria
(b) Kazakhstan (Correct)
(c) Sudan
(d) Libya

29. Which of the following country is largest by area?
(a) India
(b) Russia (Correct)
(c) China
(d) America

30. Name the longest land mountain range:
(a) Alps
(b) Karakoram
(c) Andes of S. America (Correct)
(d) Pamirs

31. Which day is considered as the longest day of each year?
(a) 13th March
(b) 21st May
(c) 21st June (Correct)
(d) 17th August

32. Which day is considered as the shortest day of each year?
(a) 22nd December (Correct)
(b) 5th January
(c) 21st November
(d) 15th December

33. Which is the largest mountain range in the world?
(a) Alps
(b) Himalayas (Correct)
(c) Andes
(d) Tibet

34. Which of the following is the largest producer of copper in the world?
(a) Ghana
(b) Malaysia
(c) Australia
(d) Chile (Correct)

35. Which country is the largest oil producer?
(a) Iraq
(b) U.S.A.
(c) Russia
(d) Saudi Arabia (Correct)

36. Which was the first country to give women a right to vote?
(a) United Stated
(b) Denmark
(c) UK
(d) New Zealand (Correct)

37. In which country the largest oil field “Ghawar field” is located?
(a) Saudi Arabia (Correct)
(b) Kuwait
(c) Russia
(d) USA

38. Which country is the largest oil consumer in the world?
(a) USA (Correct)
(b) Russia
(c) Pakistan
(d) China

39. In land size which is the largest country?
(a) India
(b) Russia (Correct)
(c) China
(d) America

40. Where is the longest glacier “Lambert Glacier” located?
(a) China
(b) Canada
(c) Antarctica (Correct)
(d) Siberia

41. The most spoken language is:
(a) English
(b) Chinese (Correct)
(c) French
(d) Japanese

42. Identify the world’s largest library:
(a) The United States Library of Washington
(b) The United States Library of Congress (Correct)
(c) Washington Library
(d) None of them

43. Name the first President of Chinese Republic is
(a) Junko Tabar
(b) Dr. Sun Yat San (Correct)
(c) Mao Tse-Tung
(d) None of these.

44. Which is the largest continent (population wise) of the world?
(a) America
(b) Asia (Correct)
(c) Europe
(d) Australia

45. Which is the largest continent (area wise) of the world?
(a) America
(b) Asia (Correct)
(c) Europe
(d) Australia

46. Nile is the longest river of the world. Which one of the following is the largest river of the world?
(a) Amazon (Correct)
(b) Indus
(c) Hawang Ho
(d) None

47. Which countries share longest frontier 16416 km?
(a) China and India
(b) Australia and Japan
(c) Canada and USA (Correct)
(d) None of these

48. Which country has longest coastal line?
(a) China
(b) Australia
(c) Canada (Correct)
(d) USA

49. Who was the first Chief Justice of Pakistan?
(a) Munir Ahmad
(b) A.R. Cornelius
(c) Sardar Abdul Rashid (Correct)
(d) None of them

50. Name the country shares 16 borders with other states:
(a) China (Correct)
(b) Russia
(c) India
(d) Pakistan

51. Largest gold producer country:
(a) South Korea
(b) China (Correct)
(c) South Africa
(d) Russia

52. Largest silver producer:
(a) Pakistan
(b) China
(c) Mexico (Correct)
(d) Germany

53. Largest coal producer:
(a) China (Correct)
(b) UK
(c) Russia
(d) Germany

54. Identify the biggest bird:
(a) Ostrich (Correct)
(b) Indian Sparrow
(c) Eagle
(d) Indian parrot

55. Identify the smallest bird:
(a) Ostrich
(b) Indian Sparrow
(c) Hemming bird (Correct)
(d) Indian parrot

56. Name the oldest Monarchy?
(a) France
(b) UK
(c) Japan (Correct)
(d) None of these

57. Name the first lady Prime minister of the world?
(a) Benazir Bhutto
(b) Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike (Correct)
(c) Korino Akino
(d) Margrate Thatcher

58. Name the first woman president of the UN General Assembly?
(a) Mrs. Kumara Tunga of Sri Lanka
(b) Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan
(c) Pandit Vijaya Lakshmi of India (Correct)
(d) Pandit Vijay Lakshmi Nepal

59. Name the first UN Secretary-General
(a) Mr. Trygre Lie of Norway (Correct)
(b) Mr. William of USA
(c) Mr. Jorge Lie of Italy
(d) Mr. David of USA

60. Name the first animal to be sent in space:
(a) Laika, the dog (Russians) (Correct)
(b) Laika, the sheep
(c) Dolly, the dog
(d) Dolly, the sheep

61. Which of the following countries is the largest in area in the world?
(a) Australia
(b) Canada
(c) U.S.A.
(d) Russia (Correct)

62. Who was the first woman to travel into space?
(a) Sally Ride
(b) Valentina Tereshkova (Correct)
(c) Svetlana Savitskaya
(d) Eileen Collins

63. Which of the following countries has largest number of Islands?
(a) Malaysia
(b) Indonesia (Correct)
(c) Cuba
(d) Canada

64. Name the largest oil company of the world.
(a) Exxon (Correct)
(b) Caltex
(c) Shell
(d) PSO

65. Which is the largest lake of the world?
(a) Caspian sea (Correct)
(b) Superior lake
(c) Huron lake
(d) Aral sea

66. Name the largest hotel:
(a) Hotel USA
(b) Avari Hotel
(c) President Hotel
(d) MGM Grand Hotel (Correct)

67. The world’s largest fresh water lake is:
(a) Panch
(b) Lake Superior (US-Canada) (Correct)
(c) Baikal (Russia)
(d) Volta Lake (Ghana)

68. Which is the largest salt water lake of the world?
(a) The Caspian Sea (Correct)
(b) The Red Sea
(c) The Baltic Sea
(d) None

79. Which is the second highest mountain peak in the world?
(a) Mt Everest
(b) K-2 (Correct)
(c) Trich Mir
(d) Nanga Parbat

70. The second highest mountain peak Goodwin Austen in the world is located in
(a) Nepal
(b) India
(c) Pakistan (Correct)
(d) China

71. Which is the largest producer of coffee in the world?
(a) Brazil (Correct)
(b) Sri Lanka
(c) Pakistan
(d) Myanmar

72. Which is the oldest Stock Exchange Market in the world?
(a) New York
(b) Amsterdam
(c) Hamburg (Correct)
(d) London

73. The fastest flying bird is:
(a) Indian Falcon
(b) African Falcon
(c) The Peragrine falcon (Correct)
(d) Australian Falcon

74. The world biggest oil refinery is situated in
(a) Saudi Arabia
(b) Iran (Correct)
(c) Kuwait
(d) Iraq

75. Largest continent among the followings?
(a) Europe
(b) Africa
(c) America
(d) Asia (Correct)

76. The Shortest River is:
(a) Amazon River
(b) Niger River
(c) Roe River (Correct)
(d) Lena River

77. The coldest place in the world is:
(a) Cherranpungi in India
(b) Al-Azizayah in Africa
(c) Vostok in Antarctica (Correct)
(d) None of these

78. Which country possesses the largest foreign exchange reserves in the world?
(a) Japan (Correct)
(b) Canada
(c) Germany
(d) USA

79. Name the first man to sail round the world is
(a) Ferdinand Magellan (Correct)
(b) John Maynard
(c) Milton Friedman
(d) None of these

80. Neil Alden Armstrong was the first man to set foot on the moon in the year
(a) 1969 (Correct)
(b) 1965
(c) 1967
(d) 1966

81. Which is the driest place of the world?
(a) Tripoli (Libya)
(b) Death Valley (California) (Correct)
(c) Jacobabad (Pakistan)
(d) Azizia (Libya)

82. The largest artificial lake is:
(a) Lake Baikal (Russia)
(b) Lake Superior (North America)
(c) Lake Great beer (Canada)
(d) Lake Mead (USA) (Correct)

83. The oldest university is “University of Karueein” located in:
(a) Morocco (Correct)
(b) Egypt
(c) Iran
(d) USA

84. The first Soccer World Cup was played in
(a) Paraguay
(b) Uruguay (Correct)
(c) Portugal
(d) Germany

85. Name the hottest place of the world
(a) Death Valley (USA)
(b) Jacobabad (Pakistan)
(c) Azizia (Libya) (Correct)
(d) None of them

86. Identify the largest ocean:
(a) Pacific (Correct)
(b) Arctic
(c) Indian
(d) southern

87. Name the smallest ocean?
(a) Arctic Ocean (Correct)
(b) Indian Ocean
(c) Pacific Ocean
(d) Southern Ocean

88. The world’s highest mountain peak is:
(a) K-2
(b) Nanga Parbat
(c) Mount Jabal
(d) Mount Everest (Correct)

89. The height of the Mount Everest is:
(a) 3348 m.
(b) 8850 m (Correct)
(c) 4448 m.
(d) 6648 m

90. Smallest Republic in the world is
(a) Balkan
(b) Nepal
(c) Nauru (Correct)
(d) Haiti

91. Largest Concrete Dam of the world is located in USA is
(a) Grand Coulee Dam (Correct)
(b) Tarbela Dam
(c) Rohunsky Dam
(d) None of these

92. Which one of the following is the largest university building in the world?
(a) Cambridge University U.K
(b) University of Riyadh (Correct)
(c) Al. Azhar University
(d) None of these

93. Which one of the following is the largest Peninsula of the world?
(a) Arabian Peninsula (Correct)
(b) Kalahari Peninsula
(c) Sahara Peninsula
(d) None of these

94. The world’s largest active volcano “Mauna Lao” is located in:
(a) Central Andes (Chile)
(b) Hawaii (USA) (Correct)
(c) Mount Mayon (Philippines)
(d) Java (Indonesia)

95. Kalaallit Nunaat (formerly Greenland) is
(a) Smallest Island
(b) Most inhabitant Island
(c) Largest Island (Correct)
(d) Last inhabitant Island

96. Name the country which is the largest producer of Natural gas in the world is
(a) Iran
(b) Tanzania
(c) Norway
(d) Russia (Correct)

97. Name the first president of India is:
(a) Dr. Ambedkar
(b) Dr. Rajendra Parsad (Correct)
(c) Sadder Patel
(d) Nehru

98. The First Woman Bank established in Pakistan in
(a) Dec 1, 1988
(b) Dec 1, 1989 (Correct)
(c) Dec 1, 1973
(d) August 14, 1948

99. First telegraph signal was transmitted in which year?
(a) 1951
(b) 1891
(c) 1901 (Correct)
(d) 1711

100. Which country has the largest foreign debts?
(a) Russia
(b) China
(c) Mexico
(d) USA (Correct)

World General Knowledge Important MCQs (Set-I) for Competitive Exams Read More »

English, General Knowledge, MCQs / Q&A, World

Herbert Henry Asquith Quiz

MCQs / Q&A, Personalities /

Herbert Henry Asquith Quiz Questions

1. When was Herbert Henry Asquith Prime Minister of UK?
a) 1901-1905
b) 1908-1916
c) 1918-1922
d) 1895-1900

2. When was Herbert Henry Asquith born?
a) 1 March 1853
b) 2 June 1854
c) 12 September 1852
d) 18 October 1851

3. Where was Herbert Henry Asquith born?
a) Morley
b) Cardiff
c) Glasgow
d) Belfast

4. Which college did Herbert Henry Asquith attend?
a) Corpus Christi College
b) Balliol College
c) Magdalene College
d) Clare College

5. To which party did Herbert Henry Asquith belong?
a) Liberal
b) Conservative
c) Scottish National
d) Labour

6. When did Herbert Henry Asquith become home secretary?
a) 1898
b) 1884
c) 1892
d) 1905

7. What did the Parliament Act of 1911 do?
a) Granted universal adult franchise
b) Reduced the power of House of Lords
c) Gave women aged 21 the right to vote
d) Deprived hereditary peers the right to sit and vote in House of Lords

8. Against which country did UK declare war on 4 August 1914?
a) Russia
b) France
c) Germany
d) Spain

9. When did Herbert Henry Asquith die?
a) 15 February 1928
b) 22 May 1925
c) 16 July 1932
d) 4 October 1937

10. Where did Herbert Henry Asquith die?
a) Manchester
b) Sutton Courtenay
c) Birmingham
d) Richmond

Herbert Henry Asquith Quiz Questions and Answers

1. When was Herbert Henry Asquith Prime Minister of UK?
b) 1908-1916

2. When was Herbert Henry Asquith born?
c) 12 September 1852

3. Where was Herbert Henry Asquith born?
a) Morley

4. Which college did Herbert Henry Asquith attend?
b) Balliol College

5. To which party did Herbert Henry Asquith belong?
a) Liberal

6. When did Herbert Henry Asquith become home secretary?
c) 1892

7. What did the Parliament Act of 1911 do?
b) Reduced the power of House of Lords

8. Against which country did UK declare war on 4 August 1914?
c) Germany

9. When did Herbert Henry Asquith die?
a) 15 February 1928

10. Where did Herbert Henry Asquith die?
b) Sutton Courtenay

Herbert Henry Asquith Quiz Read More »

MCQs / Q&A, Personalities

Eisaku Sato Quiz

MCQs / Q&A, Personalities /

Eisaku Sato Quiz Questions

1. When was Eisaku Sato Prime Minister of Japan?
a) 1943-1948
b) 1964-1972
c) 1974-1977
d) 1969-1973

2. When was Eisaku Sato born?
a) 27 March 1901
b) 1 April 1900
c) 9 August 1902
d) 12 December 1903

3. Where was Eisaku Sato born?
a) Osaka
b) Kyoto
c) Fukuoka
d) Tabuse

4. From which university did Eisaku Sato graduate?
a) Okinawa University
b) Tokyo Imperial University
c) Nara University
d) Kobe University

5. What was Eisaku Sato’s portfolio in 1952?
a) Home
b) Finance
c) Construction
d) Defence

6. Which party did Eisaku Sato join in 1948?
a) Conservative
b) Liberal
c) Progressive
d) Republican

7. Which islands were returned by USA to Japan in 1972?
a) Hawaii
b) Ryukyu
c) Christmas
d) Paracel

8. When did Eisaku Sato get Nobel Prize for Peace?
a) 1986
b) 1977
c) 1974
d) 1994

9. When did Eisaku Sato die?
a) 23 February 1984
b) 3 June 1975
c) 5 July 1979
d) 6 November 1995

10. Where did Eisaku Sato die?
a) Tokyo
b) Akita
c) Kochi
d) Nagasaki

Eisaku Sato Quiz Questions with Answers

1. When was Eisaku Sato Prime Minister of Japan?
b) 1964-1972

2. When was Eisaku Sato born?
a) 27 March 1901

3. Where was Eisaku Sato born?
d) Tabuse

4. From which university did Eisaku Sato graduate?
b) Tokyo Imperial University

5. What was Eisaku Sato’s portfolio in 1952?
c) Construction

6. Which party did Eisaku Sato join in 1948?
b) Liberal

7. Which islands were returned by USA to Japan in 1972?
b) Ryukyu

8. When did Eisaku Sato get Nobel Prize for Peace?
c) 1974

9. When did Eisaku Sato die?
b) 3 June 1975

10. Where did Eisaku Sato die?
a) Tokyo

 

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MCQs / Q&A, Personalities

100 MCQs About World History

English, History, MCQs / Q&A, World /

100 MCQs About World History

1. What is the oldest daily newspaper in England? – The Times

2. Which two American states joined the union in 1959? – Alaska and Hawaii

3. Which American President ordered the dropping of the first atomic bomb? – Harry S Truman

4. In which century did King George IV rule Great Britain? – 18th

5. After which famous person in history was the teddy bear named? – Theodore Roosevelt

6. What was the name given to the trials of 24 Nazi leaders for war crimes in 1945? – The Nuremberg Trials

7. In what century was the Taj Mahal built? – 17th

8. Which gangster said ‘I’ve been accused of every death except the casualty list of the World War’? – Al Capone

9. In what year was Prince William born? – 1982

10. The word ‘book’ originates from the middle English word ‘bok’ meaning which type of
tree? – Beech

11. Richard Byrd is credited with having been the first person to fly over what particular spot
in the world? – The North Pole

12. Why don’t the restaurants ‘Palm Court’, ‘Cafe Parisien’ and ‘Verandah’ exist anymore? – They were on the Titanic

13. What city was the capital of Poland between 1320 and 1611? – Krakow

14. Who was the first President of America? – George Washington

15. Which American President served only 31 days? – William Harrison

16. When the first World War broke out which three countries made up the Triple Entente? –
France, England and Russia

17. What is Adam’s ale or Adam’s wine? – Water

18. Who were the mother and father of Elizabeth I? – Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII

19. Which British Prime Minister resigned because of the Suez crisis? – Anthoney Eden

20. For what was Rosa Parks arrested in 1955, leading to the biggest US Civil Rights
movement? – Refusing to give up her seat on a bus for a white man

21. John Major became a member of Parliament in 1979 for which town, north of London? –
Huntingdon

22. Which American President was shot in 1901 and died 8 days later? – McKinley

23. The Battle of Bosworth in 1485 was the last battle of which series of wars? – The Wars Of The Roses

24. The explorer Sir Edmund Hillary was from which country? – New Zealand

25. The popular British pub name ‘The Royal Oak’ is named after which King? – Charles II (he hid in an oak tree to escape enemies)

26. Collectively, by what name are Carole Richardson, Patrick Armstrong, Paul Hill and Gerard Conlon better known? – The Guildford Four

27. In which century was the world’s first public railway opened? – 19th

28. The invention of what in 1867, made Alfred Nobel famous? – Dynamite

29. What was King William II killed by? An arrow, the plague or old age? – An Arrow

30. In Greek mythology, who was the goddess of marriage, women and childbirth? – Hera

31. In what year did Margaret Thatcher become Prime Minister? – 1979

32. In what year was London due to host the Olympic Games, but couldn’t because of the Second World War? – 1944

33. On March 3rd, 1991, who was severly beaten by Los Angeles police officers causing public outcry? – Rodney King

34. Which king was the target of the Gunpowder plot of 1605? – James I

35. What alloy was the most important metal for tools and weapons between the years 4000
and 2000 B.C.? – Bronze

36. In which year did Tony Blair first become British Prime Minister? – 1997

37. Who was the first US President to meet with a reigning British monarch? – Woodrow Wilson

38. In which month in 1914, did Britain declare war on Germany? – August

39. Thomas Chippendale was best known for making and designing what in the 18th century? – Furniture

40. What historic event does the nursery rhyme ‘Ring-a-ring of roses’ commemorate? – The Great Plague

41. In which year did colour TV transmissions begin in Britain? – 1969

42. As at the year 2001, who has been the tallest American President? – Abraham Lincoln

43. Which famous London department store opened on 15th March, 1909? – Selfridges

44. Which of the following occurred most recently? The Iron Age or The Bronze Age? – Iron Age

45. Who is the only American President to have served non-consecutive terms in office? – Grover Cleveland

46. In which country did the cloning of Dolly the sheep take place? – Scotland

47. Who ordered the beheading of Mary Queen Of Scots? – Queen Elizabeth I

48. Which English queen was married to Lord Guildford Dudley? – Lady Jane Grey

49. Which geographical location was the first word spoken on the moon? – Houston

50. What was Hitler’s title as the leader of Nazi Germany? – Fuhrer

51. What was the surname of Zachary, the President of the USA between 1849 and 1850? –Taylor

52. How many of Henry VIII’s wives had been previously married? – 2

53. Who did Queen Elizabeth I succeed to the throne? – Mary I

54. In which war was the Victoria Cross first awarded? – The Crimean War

55. In which century did the diamond engagement ring first become popular? – 15th

56. Which country declared war on both Germany and the Allies in World War II? – Italy

57. Which two brothers are associated with the invention of the aeroplane? – Orville and Wilbur Wright

58. By what title was Oliver Cromwell known? – Lord Protector

59. In 1978, what was Sweden’s most profitable export, ahead of Volvo? – Abba

60. What was the name of the bomb which was dropped on Nagasaki during World War II? – Fat Man

61. How did Robert The Bruce die? – Of the disease leprosy

62. Which famous museum opened in London, in April 1928? – Madam Tussauds

63. In Greek mythology, what was unusual about Medusa’s hair? – It was made of snakes

64. In America, what became the 49th state to enter the union in 1959? – Alaska

65. Which district of London was named after a battle fought in 1815? – Waterloo

66. In what year did the first successful Mars landings take place? – 1976

67. For how many years did the Jurassic period last? – 180 million

68. In which century was Mary, Queen Of Scots executed? – 16th

69. Who was the first American President to visit China? – Richard Nixon

70. Parker and Barrow were the surnames of which famous couple? – Bonnie and Clyde

71. What type of animal was the first to be sent into space? – A dog

72. For what reason did American Sally Ride become famous in 1983? – First American female in space

73. In which year did Richard Nixon begin the secret bombing of Cambodia? – 1969

74. Which famous person in history invented the greeting, ‘Hello’ first used for answering the telephone? – Thomas Edison

75. Who was the famous son of the Greek princess Olympias? – Alexander The Great

76. What were the names of Adam and Eve’s three sons? – Cain, Abel and Seth

77. Which war was called the ‘War to end all wars’? – World War I

78. In what year did Laika the dog become the first space traveller? – 1957

79. Which country in Europe has the oldest Parliament? – Iceland

80. Who was the third President of America and chief author of the Declaration Of Independence? – Thomas Jefferson

81. In what year was the battle of Agincourt? – 1415

82. By what name was the Scottish outlaw Robert McGregor better known? – Rob Roy

83. In 1969, what became the first song to be sung in outer space? – Happy Birthday

84. By what name was Sir Arthur Wellesley better known? – Duke of Wellington

85. What was the name of the suffragette who threw herself under the King’s horse in the
1913 Derby? – Emily Davison

86. What was the profession of Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone? – Teacher (of deaf and dumb children)

87. Which country suffered over 6 million deaths in World War II, equivalent to over 17% of
it’s population? – Poland

88. Which English King was killed by an arrow at the battle of Hastings? – King Harold

89. Who was murdered by Robert Ford? – Jesse James

90. In what year were protesting students murdered in Tiananman Square? – 1989

91. Which US President was forced to resign because of the Watergate scandal? – Richard Nixon

92. Which monarch’s last words were ‘All my possessions for a moment of time’? – Elizabeth  I

93. What happened in 1847 that is sometimes referred to as ‘Black Forty Seven’? – The potato famine in Ireland

94. In which country did Venetian blinds originate? Italy, India or Japan? – Japan

95. In which country was Mother Theresa born? – Yugoslavia

96. Who was the first American President to die while in office? – William Harrison

97. What was the maiden name of the bride at the first wedding watched by over 750 million
people? – Diana Spencer

98. Who was Queen Elizabeth II’s father? – George VI

99. Which famous raid did Guy Gibson lead in 1943? – The Dambusters

100. Who, in 1901, was the first man to send a Radio Telegraph signal across the Atlantic
Ocean? – Guglielmo Marconi


 

 

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English, History, MCQs / Q&A, World