February 18 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

  • 1229 – The Sixth Crusade: Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, signs a ten-year truce with al-Kamil, regaining Jerusalem, Nazareth, and Bethlehem with neither military engagements nor support from the papacy.
  • 1268 – The Battle of Wesenberg is fought between the Livonian Order and Dovmont of Pskov.
  • 1332 – Amda Seyon I, Emperor of Ethiopia begins his campaigns in the southern Muslim provinces.
  • 1478 – George, Duke of Clarence, convicted of treason against his older brother Edward IV of England, is executed in private at the Tower of London.
  • 1637 – Eighty Years’ War: Off the coast of Cornwall, England, a Spanish fleet intercepts an important Anglo-Dutch merchant convoy of 44 vessels escorted by six warships, destroying or capturing 20 of them.
  • 1781 – Fourth Anglo-Dutch War: Captain Thomas Shirley opens his expedition against Dutch colonial outposts on the Gold Coast of Africa (present-day Ghana).
  • 1791 – Congress passes a law admitting the state of Vermont to the Union, effective 4 March, after that state had existed for 14 years as a de facto independent largely unrecognized state.
  • 1797 – French Revolutionary Wars: Sir Ralph Abercromby and a fleet of 18 British warships invade Trinidad.
  • 1814 – Napoleonic Wars: The Battle of Montereau.
  • 1861 – In Montgomery, Alabama, Jefferson Davis is inaugurated as the provisional President of the Confederate States of America.
  • 1861 – With Italian unification almost complete, Victor Emmanuel II of Piedmont, Savoy and Sardinia assumes the title of King of Italy.
  • 1873 – Bulgarian revolutionary leader Vasil Levski is executed by hanging in Sofia by the Ottoman authorities.
  • 1878 – John Tunstall is murdered by outlaw Jesse Evans, sparking the Lincoln County War in Lincoln County, New Mexico.
  • 1885 – Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is published in the United States.
  • 1900 – Second Boer War: Imperial forces suffer their worst single-day loss of life on Bloody Sunday, the first day of the Battle of Paardeberg.
  • 1906 – Édouard de Laveleye forms the Belgian Olympic Committee in Brussels.
  • 1911 – The first official flight with airmail takes place from Allahabad, United Provinces, British India (now India), when Henri Pequet, a 23-year-old pilot, delivers 6,500 letters to Naini, about 10 kilometers (6.2 mi) away.
  • 1930 – While studying photographs taken in January, Clyde Tombaugh discovers Pluto.
  • 1930 – Elm Farm Ollie becomes the first cow to fly in a fixed-wing aircraft and also the first cow to be milked in an aircraft.
  • 1932 – The Empire of Japan creates the independent state of Manzhouguo (the obsolete Chinese name for Manchuria) free from the Republic of China and installed former Chinese Emperor Aisin Gioro Puyi as Chief Executive of the State.
  • 1938 – Second Sino-Japanese War: During the Nanking Massacre, the Nanking Safety Zone International Committee is renamed “Nanking International Rescue Committee”, and the safety zone in place for refugees falls apart.
  • 1942 – World War II: The Imperial Japanese Army begins the systematic extermination of perceived hostile elements among the Chinese in Singapore.
  • 1943 – World War II: The Nazis arrest the members of the White Rose movement.
  • 1943 – World War II: Joseph Goebbels delivers his Sportpalast speech.
  • 1946 – Sailors of the Royal Indian Navy mutiny in Bombay harbour, from where the action spreads throughout the Provinces of British India, involving 78 ships, twenty shore establishments and 20,000 sailors
  • 1947 – First Indochina War: The French gain complete control of Hanoi after forcing the Viet Minh to withdraw to mountains.
  • 1954 – The first Church of Scientology is established in Los Angeles.
  • 1955 – Operation Teapot: Teapot test shot “Wasp” is successfully detonated at the Nevada Test Site with a yield of 1.2 kilotons. Wasp is the first of fourteen shots in the Teapot series.
  • 1957 – Kenyan rebel leader Dedan Kimathi is executed by the British colonial government.
  • 1957 – Walter James Bolton becomes the last person legally executed in New Zealand.
  • 1965 – The Gambia becomes independent from the United Kingdom.
  • 1970 – The Chicago Seven are found not guilty of conspiring to incite riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention.
  • 1972 – The California Supreme Court in the case of People v. Anderson, (6 Cal.3d 628) invalidates the state’s death penalty and commutes the sentences of all death row inmates to life imprisonment.
  • 1977 – The Space Shuttle Enterprise test vehicle is carried on its maiden “flight” on top of a Boeing 747.
  • 1979 – Richard Petty wins a then-record sixth Daytona 500 after leaders Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough crash on the final lap of the first NASCAR race televised live flag-to-flag.
  • 1983 – Thirteen people die and one is seriously injured in the Wah Mee massacre in Seattle. It is said to be the largest robbery-motivated mass-murder in U.S. history.
  • 1991 – The IRA explodes bombs in the early morning at Paddington station and Victoria station in London.
  • 2001 – FBI agent Robert Hanssen is arrested for spying for the Soviet Union. He is ultimately convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.
  • 2001 – Sampit conflict: Inter-ethnic violence between Dayaks and Madurese breaks out in Sampit, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, ultimately resulting in more than 500 deaths and 100,000 Madurese displaced from their homes.
  • 2003 – Nearly 200 people die in the Daegu subway fire in South Korea.
  • 2004 – Up to 295 people, including nearly 200 rescue workers, die near Nishapur, Iran, when a runaway freight train carrying sulfur, petrol and fertilizer catches fire and explodes.
  • 2007 – Samjhauta Express bombings occurred around midnight in Diwana near the Indian city of Panipat, 80 kilometres (50 mi) north of New Delhi, India.
  • 2010 – WikiLeaks publishes the first of hundreds of thousands of classified documents disclosed by the soldier now known as Chelsea Manning.
  • 2013 – Armed robbers steal a haul of diamonds worth $50 million during a raid at Brussels Airport in Belgium.
  • 2014 – At least 76 people are killed and hundreds are injured in clashes between riot police and demonstrators in Kiev, Ukraine.

Births on February 18

  • 1201 – Nasir al-Din al-Tusi, Persian scientist and writer (d. 1274)
  • 1372 – Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Egyptian jurist and scholar (d. 1448)
  • 1486 – Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Indian monk and saint (d. 1534)
  • 1516 – Mary I of England (d. 1558)
  • 1530 – Uesugi Kenshin, Japanese daimyō (d. 1578)
  • 1543 – Charles III, Duke of Lorraine (d. 1608)
  • 1547 – Bahāʾ al-dīn al-ʿĀmilī, founder of Isfahan School of Islamic Philosophy (d. 1621)
  • 1559 – Isaac Casaubon, Swiss philologist and scholar (d. 1614)
  • 1589 – Henry Vane the Elder, English politician (d. 1655)
  • 1589 – Maarten Gerritsz Vries, Dutch explorer (d. 1646)
  • 1602 – Per Brahe the Younger, Swedish soldier and politician, Governor-General of Finland (d. 1680)
  • 1609 – Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon, English historian and politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (d. 1674)
  • 1626 – Francesco Redi, Italian physician (d. 1697)
  • 1632 – Giovanni Battista Vitali, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1692)
  • 1642 – Marie Champmeslé, French actress (d. 1698)
  • 1658 – Charles-Irénée Castel de Saint-Pierre, French philosopher and author (d. 1743)
  • 1732 – Johann Christian Kittel, German organist and composer (d. 1809)
  • 1745 – Alessandro Volta, Italian physicist, invented the battery (d. 1827)
  • 1814 – Samuel Fenton Cary, American lawyer and politician (d. 1900)
  • 1817 – Lewis Armistead, American general (d. 1863)
  • 1836 – Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Indian mystic and yogi (d. 1886)
  • 1838 – Ernst Mach, Austrian physicist and philosopher (d. 1916)
  • 1846 – Wilson Barrett, English actor, playwright, and manager (d. 1904)
  • 1848 – Louis Comfort Tiffany, American stained glass artist (d. 1933)
  • 1849 – Alexander Kielland, Norwegian author, playwright, and politician (d. 1906)
  • 1850 – George Henschel, German-English singer-songwriter, pianist, and conductor (d. 1934)
  • 1855 – Jean Jules Jusserand, French historian, author, and diplomat, French Ambassador to the United States (d. 1932)
  • 1860 – Anders Zorn, Swedish artist (d. 1920)
  • 1862 – Charles M. Schwab, American businessman, co-founded Bethlehem Steel (d. 1939)
  • 1867 – Hedwig Courths-Mahler, German writer (d. 1950)
  • 1870 – William Laurel Harris, American painter and author (d. 1924)
  • 1871 – Harry Brearley, English inventor (d. 1948)
  • 1883 – Nikos Kazantzakis, Greek philosopher, author, and playwright (d. 1957)
  • 1885 – Henri Laurens, French sculptor and illustrator (d. 1954)
  • 1893 – Maksim Haretski, Belarusian prose writer, journalist and activist (d. 1938)
  • 1890 – Edward Arnold, American actor (d. 1956)
  • 1890 – Adolphe Menjou, American actor (d. 1963)
  • 1892 – Wendell Willkie, American captain, lawyer, and politician (d. 1944)
  • 1896 – Li Linsi, Chinese educator and diplomat (d. 1970)
  • 1898 – Enzo Ferrari, Italian race car driver and businessman, founded Ferrari (d. 1988)
  • 1898 – Luis Muñoz Marín, Puerto Rican poet and politician, 1st Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (d. 1980)
  • 1899 – Arthur Bryant, English historian and journalist (d. 1985)
  • 1903 – Nikolai Podgorny, Ukrainian engineer and politician (d. 1983)
  • 1905 – Queenie Leonard, English actress (d. 2002)
  • 1906 – Hans Asperger, Austrian pediatrician and academic (d. 1980)
  • 1909 – Wallace Stegner, American novelist, short story writer, and essayist (d. 1993)
  • 1914 – Pee Wee King, American singer-songwriter and fiddler (d. 2000)
  • 1915 – Phyllis Calvert, English actress (d. 2002)
  • 1916 – Jean Drapeau, Canadian lawyer and politician, 37th Mayor of Montreal (d. 1999)
  • 1919 – Jack Palance, American boxer and actor (d. 2006)
  • 1920 – Bill Cullen, American game show panelist and host (d. 1990)
  • 1920 – Rolande Falcinelli, French organist, pianist, composer, and pedagogue (d. 2006)
  • 1921 – Mary Amdur, American toxicologist and public health researcher (d. 1998)
  • 1921 – Oscar Feltsman, Ukrainian-Russian pianist and composer (d. 2013)
  • 1922 – Eric Gairy, Grenadan politician, 1st Prime Minister of Grenada (d. 1997)
  • 1922 – Helen Gurley Brown, American journalist and author (d. 2012)
  • 1922 – Allan Melvin, American actor (d. 2008)
  • 1925 – George Kennedy, American actor (d. 2016)
  • 1925 – Halit Kıvanç, Turkish journalist and sportscaster
  • 1925 – Ghafar Baba, Malaysian politician (d. 2006)
  • 1926 – Wallace Berman, American painter and illustrator (d. 1976)
  • 1927 – Luis Arroyo, Puerto Rican-American baseball player, manager, and scout (d. 2016)
  • 1927 – Fazal Mahmood, Pakistani cricketer (d. 2005)
  • 1927 – John Warner, American captain, lawyer, and politician, 61st United States Secretary of the Navy
  • 1928 – Rex Mossop, Australian rugby player and sportscaster (d. 2011)
  • 1929 – Len Deighton, English historian and author
  • 1929 – André Mathieu, Canadian pianist and composer (d. 1968)
  • 1931 – Johnny Hart, American cartoonist, co-created The Wizard of Id (d. 2007)
  • 1931 – Toni Morrison, American novelist and editor, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2019).
  • 1931 – Swraj Paul, Baron Paul, Indian-English businessman and philanthropist
  • 1931 – John Ryden, Scottish footballer, centre half (d. 2013)
  • 1931 – Bob St. Clair, American football player (d. 2015)
  • 1932 – Miloš Forman, Czech-American actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2018)
  • 1933 – Yoko Ono, Japanese-American multimedia artist and musician
  • 1933 – Bobby Robson, English international footballer, inside forward and international manager (d. 2009)
  • 1933 – Mary Ure, Scottish-English actress (d. 1975)
  • 1934 – Skip Battin, American singer-songwriter and bass player (d. 2003)
  • 1934 – Dave Dunmore, English footballer, centre forward
  • 1934 – Audre Lorde, American poet, essayist, memoirist, and activist (d. 1992)
  • 1934 – Paco Rabanne, Spanish-French fashion designer
  • 1936 – Jean M. Auel, American author
  • 1938 – Manny Mota, Dominican baseball player, coach, and sportscaster
  • 1938 – Sadanoyama Shinmatsu, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 50th Yokozuna (d. 2017)
  • 1938 – István Szabó, Hungarian director and screenwriter
  • 1939 – Claude Ake, Nigerian political scientist and academic (d. 1996)
  • 1939 – Bobby Hart, American singer-songwriter
  • 1939 – Marlos Nobre, Brazilian composer
  • 1940 – Fabrizio De André, Italian singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1999)
  • 1940 – Prue Leith, English restaurateur and journalist
  • 1941 – Herman Santiago, Puerto Rican-American singer-songwriter
  • 1941 – Irma Thomas, American singer
  • 1943 – Graeme Garden, Scottish comedian, actor, and author
  • 1944 – Pat Bowlen, American businessman (d. 2019)
  • 1945 – Judy Rankin, American golfer and sportscaster
  • 1946 – Michael Buerk, English journalist
  • 1947 – Dennis DeYoung, American singer-songwriter and keyboard player
  • 1947 – Eliot Engel, American educator and politician
  • 1948 – Sinéad Cusack, Irish actress
  • 1948 – Bruce Francis, Australian cricketer
  • 1948 – Keith Knudsen, American singer-songwriter and drummer (d. 2005)
  • 1949 – Gary Ridgway, American criminal, Green River Killer
  • 1950 – Nana Amba Eyiaba I, Ghanaian queen mother and advocate
  • 1950 – Cristina Ferrare, American model, actress, author, and television host
  • 1950 – John Hughes, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2009)
  • 1950 – Cybill Shepherd, American actress and singer
  • 1951 – Queen Komal of Nepal
  • 1951 – Isabel Preysler, Filipino-Spanish journalist
  • 1952 – Randy Crawford, American jazz and R&B singer
  • 1952 – Maurice Lucas, American basketball player and coach (d. 2010)
  • 1952 – Juice Newton, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1952 – Bernard Valcourt, Canadian lawyer and politician
  • 1953 – Robbie Bachman, Canadian rock drummer
  • 1953 – Derek Pellicci, English-Australian drummer
  • 1954 – Charlie Fowler, American mountaineer, author, and photographer (d. 2006)
  • 1954 – Paul Rendall, English rugby player
  • 1954 – John Travolta, American actor and producer
  • 1955 – Cheetah Chrome, American musician
  • 1955 – Miles Tredinnick, English singer-songwriter and playwright
  • 1955 – Lisa See, American writer and novelist
  • 1956 – Ted Gärdestad, Swedish singer-songwriter (d. 1997)
  • 1956 – Bidzina Ivanishvili, Georgian businessman and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Georgia
  • 1957 – Marita Koch, German sprinter
  • 1957 – Vanna White, American model and game show host
  • 1959 – Jayne Atkinson, English-American actress
  • 1959 – James Metzger, American businessman and philanthropist
  • 1960 – Andy Moog, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1960 – Greta Scacchi, Italian-Australian actress
  • 1963 – Rob Andrew, English rugby player and cricketer
  • 1964 – Matt Dillon, American actor and director
  • 1964 – Paul Hanley, English drummer and songwriter
  • 1965 – Dr. Dre, American rapper, producer, and actor
  • 1966 – Phillip DeFreitas, Dominican-English cricketer
  • 1967 – Roberto Baggio, Italian footballer
  • 1967 – Colin Jackson, Welsh sprinter and hurdler
  • 1968 – Molly Ringwald, American actress
  • 1969 – Tomaž Humar, Slovenian mountaineer (d. 2009)
  • 1969 – Alexander Mogilny, Russian-American ice hockey player
  • 1970 – Susan Egan, American actress and singer
  • 1970 – James H. Fowler, American political scientist and author
  • 1970 – Raine Maida, Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1970 – Massimo Taibi, Italian footballer
  • 1971 – Thomas Bjorn, Danish golfer
  • 1971 – Merritt Gant, American guitarist
  • 1972 – Fabian Picardo, Gibraltarian lawyer and politician, 7th Chief Minister of Gibraltar
  • 1973 – Shawn Estes, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1973 – Claude Makélélé, French footballer and manager
  • 1974 – Carrie Ann Baade, American painter and academic
  • 1974 – Jamey Carroll, American baseball player
  • 1974 – Radek Černý, Czech international footballer, goalkeeper
  • 1974 – Ruby Dhalla, Canadian chiropractor and politician
  • 1974 – Julia Butterfly Hill, American environmentalist and author
  • 1974 – Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Russian tennis player
  • 1974 – Jillian Michaels, American fitness trainer and author
  • 1975 – Gary Neville, English footballer and coach
  • 1976 – Leilani Munter, American race car driver and environmentalist
  • 1976 – Chanda Rubin, American tennis player
  • 1976 – Bernadette Sembrano, Filipino journalist
  • 1978 – Josip Šimunić, Croatian footballer
  • 1979 – Tinu Yohannan, Indian cricketer
  • 1980 – Aivar Anniste, Estonian footballer
  • 1980 – Nik Antropov, Kazakhstani-Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1980 – Regina Spektor, Russian-American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer
  • 1981 – Andrei Kirilenko, Russian basketball player
  • 1981 – Alex Ríos, American baseball player
  • 1981 – Ivan Sproule, Northern Irish footballer
  • 1981 – Larry Sweeney, American wrestler and manager (d. 2011)
  • 1982 – Juelz Santana, American rapper and actor
  • 1982 – Christian Tiffert, German footballer
  • 1983 – Jermaine Jenas, English international footballer, midfielder, pundit
  • 1984 – Carlos Kameni, Cameroonian footballer
  • 1985 – Anton Ferdinand, English footballer
  • 1985 – Lee Boyd Malvo, Jamaican-American murderer
  • 1985 – Jos van Emden, Dutch cyclist
  • 1986 – Robert DeLong, American singer-songwriter
  • 1986 – Marc Torrejón, Spanish footballer
  • 1987 – Cristian Tănase, Romanian footballer
  • 1988 – Changmin, South Korean singer-songwriter, dancer, and actor
  • 1990 – Didi Gregorius, Dutch baseball player
  • 1990 – Cody Hodgson, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1991 – Sebastian Neumann, German footballer
  • 1991 – Henry Surtees, English race car driver (d. 2009)
  • 1994 – Jake Trbojevic, Australian rugby league player
  • 1994 – J-Hope, South Korean rapper, dancer, singer-songwriter

Deaths on February 18

  • 675 – Colmán, bishop of Lindisfarne
  • 814 – Angilbert, Frankish monk and diplomat (b. 760)
  • 901 – Thābit ibn Qurra, Arab astronomer and physician (b. 826)
  • 999 – Gregory V, pope of the Catholic Church (b. 972)
  • 1139 – Yaropolk II, Grand Prince of Kiev (b. 1082)
  • 1218 – Berthold V, duke of Zähringen (b. 1160)
  • 1225 – Hugh Bigod, 3rd Earl of Norfolk, Norman nobleman
  • 1294 – Kublai Khan, Mongol emperor (b. 1215)
  • 1379 – Albert II, duke of Mecklenburg (b. 1318)
  • 1397 – Enguerrand VII, French nobleman (b. 1340)
  • 1405 – Timur, Turco-Mongol ruler (b. 1336)
  • 1455 – Fra Angelico, Italian priest and painter (b. 1395)
  • 1478 – George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence, English nobleman (b. 1449)
  • 1502 – Hedwig Jagiellon, duchess of Bavaria (b. 1457)
  • 1535 – Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, German magician, astrologer, and theologian (b. 1486)
  • 1546 – Martin Luther, German priest and theologian, leader of the Protestant Reformation (b. 1483)
  • 1564 – Michelangelo, Italian sculptor and painter (b. 1475)
  • 1654 – Jean-Louis Guez de Balzac, French author (b. 1594)
  • 1658 – John Villiers, 1st Viscount Purbeck, English courtier (b. c. 1591)
  • 1683 – Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem, Dutch painter (b. 1620)
  • 1695 – William Phips, governor of Massachusetts (b. 1650)
  • 1712 – Louis, Dauphin of France, (b. 1682)
  • 1743 – Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici, Italian noble (b. 1667)
  • 1748 – Otto Ferdinand von Abensberg und Traun, Austrian field marshal (b. 1677)
  • 1772 – Count Johann Hartwig Ernst von Bernstorff, Danish politician (b. 1712)
  • 1778 – Joseph Marie Terray, French economist and politician, Controller-General of Finances (b. 1715)
  • 1780 – Kristijonas Donelaitis, Lithuanian pastor and poet (b. 1714)
  • 1788 – John Whitehurst, English geologist and clockmaker (b. 1713)
  • 1803 – Johann Wilhelm Ludwig Gleim, German poet and educator (b. 1719)
  • 1851 – Carl Gustav Jacob Jacobi, German mathematician and academic (b. 1804)
  • 1873 – Vasil Levski, Bulgarian activist, founded the Internal Revolutionary Organization (b. 1837)
  • 1880 – Nikolay Zinin, Russian organic chemist (b. 1812)
  • 1893 – Serranus Clinton Hastings, American lawyer and politician, 1st Chief Justice of California (b. 1814)
  • 1902 – Charles Lewis Tiffany, American businessman, founded Tiffany & Co. (b. 1812)
  • 1906 – John Batterson Stetson, American businessman, founded the John B. Stetson Company (b. 1830)
  • 1910 – Lucy Stanton, American activist (b. 1831)
  • 1911 – Billy Murdoch, Australian cricketer (b. 1854)
  • 1915 – Frank James, American soldier and criminal (b. 1843)
  • 1923 – Alois Rašín, Czech economist and politician (b. 1867)
  • 1931 – Milan Šufflay, Croatian historian, author, and politician (b. 1879)
  • 1931 – Louis Wolheim, American actor and screenwriter (b. 1880)
  • 1933 – James J. Corbett, American boxer and actor (b. 1866)
  • 1938 – David King Udall, American missionary and politician (b. 1851)
  • 1942 – Albert Payson Terhune, American journalist and author (b. 1872)
  • 1945 – Ivan Chernyakhovsky, Russian general (b. 1906)
  • 1956 – Gustave Charpentier, French composer (b. 1860)
  • 1957 – Dedan Kimathi, Kenyan rebel leader (b. 1920)
  • 1957 – Henry Norris Russell, American astronomer, astrophysicist, and academic (b. 1877)
  • 1960 – Gertrude Vanderbilt, American stage actress (b. c. 1885)
  • 1964 – Joseph-Armand Bombardier, Canadian inventor and businessman, founded Bombardier Inc. (b. 1907)
  • 1966 – Robert Rossen, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1908)
  • 1967 – J. Robert Oppenheimer, American physicist and academic (b. 1904)
  • 1969 – Dragiša Cvetković, Serbian lawyer and politician, 17th Prime Minister of Yugoslavia (b. 1893)
  • 1973 – Frank Costello, Italian-American gangster (b. 1891)
  • 1976 – Wallace Berman, American painter and illustrator (b. 1926)
  • 1977 – Andy Devine, American actor (b. 1905)
  • 1978 – Maggie McNamara, American actress (b. 1928)
  • 1981 – Jack Northrop, American engineer and businessman, founded the Northrop Corporation (b. 1895)
  • 1982 – Ngaio Marsh, New Zealand author (b. 1895)
  • 1989 – Mildred Burke, American wrestler and trainer (b. 1915)
  • 1990 – Richard de Zoysa, Sri Lankan journalist (b. 1958)
  • 1993 – Jacqueline Hill, English actress (b. 1929)
  • 1995 – Eddie Gilbert, American wrestler (b. 1961)
  • 1995 – Bob Stinson, American guitarist (b. 1959)
  • 1997 – Emily Hahn, American journalist and author (b. 1905)
  • 1998 – Harry Caray, American sportscaster (b. 1914)
  • 2001 – Balthus, Polish-Swiss painter and illustrator (b. 1908)
  • 2001 – Dale Earnhardt, American stock car racer and team owner (b. 1951)
  • 2001 – Eddie Mathews, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1931)
  • 2003 – Isser Harel, Belarusian-Israeli intelligence officer (b. 1912)
  • 2006 – Bill Cowsill, American singer and guitarist (b. 1948)
  • 2008 – Alain Robbe-Grillet, French director, screenwriter, and novelist (b. 1922)
  • 2009 – Tayeb Salih, Sudanese journalist and author (b. 1929)
  • 2009 – Miika Tenkula, Finnish singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1974)
  • 2010 – John Babcock, Canadian soldier (b. 1900)
  • 2012 – George Brizan, Grenadian politician, 9th Prime Minister of Grenada (b. 1942)
  • 2012 – Elizabeth Connell, South African-English soprano (b. 1946)
  • 2013 – Kevin Ayers, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1944)
  • 2013 – Jerry Buss, American chemist and businessman (b. 1933)
  • 2014 – Mavis Gallant, Canadian-French author and playwright (b. 1922)
  • 2014 – Kristof Goddaert, Belgian cyclist (b. 1986)
  • 2014 – Nikhil Baran Sengupta, Indian art director and production designer (b. 1943)
  • 2014 – Maria Franziska von Trapp, Austrian-American singer (b. 1914)
  • 2015 – Cass Ballenger, American lawyer and politician (b. 1926)
  • 2015 – Jerome Kersey, American basketball player and coach (b. 1962)
  • 2016 – Abdul Rashid Khan, Indian singer-songwriter (b. 1908)
  • 2016 – Pantelis Pantelidis, Greek singer (b. 1983)
  • 2017 – Ivan Koloff, Canadian wrestler (b. 1942)
  • 2017 – Norma McCorvey, American abortion rights activist; Plaintiff, Roe v. Wade (b. 1947)
  • 2017 – Clyde Stubblefield, American drummer (b. 1943)
  • 2019 – Alessandro Mendini, Italian designer and architect (b.1931)

Holidays and observances on February 18

  • Christian feast day:
    • Bernadette Soubirous (France)
    • Colmán of Lindisfarne
    • Flavian of Constantinople
    • Geltrude Comensoli
    • Simeon of Jerusalem (Western Christianity)
    • February 18 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Dialect Day (Amami Islands, Japan)
  • Independence Day, celebrates the independence of the Gambia from the United Kingdom in 1965.
  • Kurdish Students Union Day (Iraqi Kurdistan)
  • National Democracy Day, celebrates the 1951 overthrow of the Rana dynasty (Nepal)
  • Wife’s Day (Konudagur) (Iceland)

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

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

Births on January 22

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

Deaths on January 22

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

Holidays and observances on January 22

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