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  • July 19 – History, Events, Births, Deaths Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • AD 64 – The Great Fire of Rome causes widespread devastation and rages on for six days, destroying half of the city.
    • 484 – Leontius, Roman usurper, is crowned Eastern emperor at Tarsus (modern Turkey). He is recognized in Antioch and makes it his capital.
    • 711 – Umayyad conquest of Hispania: Battle of Guadalete: Umayyad forces under Tariq ibn Ziyad defeat the Visigoths led by King Roderic.
    • 939 – Battle of Simancas: King Ramiro II of León defeats the Moorish army under Caliph Abd-al-Rahman III near the city of Simancas.
    • 998 – Arab–Byzantine wars: Battle of Apamea: Fatimids defeat a Byzantine army near Apamea.
    • 1333 – Wars of Scottish Independence: Battle of Halidon Hill: The English win a decisive victory over the Scots.
    • 1544 – Italian War of 1542–46: The first Siege of Boulogne begins.
    • 1545 – The Tudor warship Mary Rose sinks off Portsmouth; in 1982 the wreck is salvaged in one of the most complex and expensive projects in the history of maritime archaeology.
    • 1553 – Lady Jane Grey is replaced by Mary I of England as Queen of England after only nine days on the throne.
    • 1588 – Anglo-Spanish War: Battle of Gravelines: The Spanish Armada is sighted in the English Channel.
    • 1701 – Representatives of the Iroquois Confederacy sign the Nanfan Treaty, ceding a large territory north of the Ohio River to England.
    • 1702 – Great Northern War: A numerically superior Polish-Saxon army of Augustus II the Strong, operating from an advantageous defensive position, is defeated by a Swedish army half its size under the command of King Charles XII in the Battle of Klissow.
    • 1817 – Unsuccessful in his attempt to conquer the Kingdom of Hawaii for the Russian-American Company, Georg Anton Schäffer is forced to admit defeat and leave Kauai.
    • 1821 – Coronation of George IV of the United Kingdom.
    • 1832 – The British Medical Association is founded as the Provincial Medical and Surgical Association by Sir Charles Hastings at a meeting in the Board Room of the Worcester Infirmary.
    • 1843 – Brunel’s steamship the SS Great Britain is launched, becoming the first ocean-going craft with an iron hull and screw propeller, becoming the largest vessel afloat in the world.
    • 1845 – Great New York City Fire of 1845: The last great fire to affect Manhattan began early in the morning and was subdued that afternoon. The fire killed four firefighters, 26 civilians, and destroyed 345 buildings.
    • 1848 – Women’s rights: A two-day Women’s Rights Convention opens in Seneca Falls, New York.
    • 1863 – American Civil War: Morgan’s Raid: At Buffington Island in Ohio, Confederate General John Hunt Morgan’s raid into the north is mostly thwarted when a large group of his men are captured while trying to escape across the Ohio River.
    • 1864 – Taiping Rebellion: Third Battle of Nanking: The Qing dynasty finally defeats the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.
    • 1870 – Franco-Prussian War: France declares war on Prussia.
    • 1900 – The first line of the Paris Métro opens for operation.
    • 1903 – Maurice Garin wins the first Tour de France.
    • 1916 – World War I: Battle of Fromelles: British and Australian troops attack German trenches as part of the Battle of the Somme.
    • 1936 – Spanish Civil War: The CNT and UGT call a general strike in Spain – mobilizing workers’ militias against the Nationalist forces.
    • 1940 – World War II: Battle of Cape Spada: The Royal Navy and the Regia Marina clash; the Italian light cruiser Bartolomeo Colleoni sinks, with 121 casualties.
    • 1940 – Field Marshal Ceremony: First occasion in World War II, that Hitler appointed field marshals due to military achievements.
    • 1940 – World War II: Army order 112 forms the Intelligence Corps of the British Army.
    • 1942 – World War II: The Second Happy Time of Hitler’s submarines comes to an end, as the increasingly effective American convoy system compels them to return to the central Atlantic.
    • 1943 – World War II: Rome is heavily bombed by more than 500 Allied aircraft, inflicting thousands of casualties.
    • 1947 – Prime Minister of the shadow Burmese government, Bogyoke Aung San and eight others are assassinated.
    • 1947 – Korean politician Lyuh Woon-hyung is assassinated.
    • 1952 – Opening of the Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland.
    • 1961 – Tunisia imposes a blockade on the French naval base at Bizerte; the French would capture the entire town four days later.
    • 1963 – Joe Walker flies a North American X-15 to a record altitude of 106,010 meters (347,800 feet) on X-15 Flight 90. Exceeding an altitude of 100 km, this flight qualifies as a human spaceflight under international convention.
    • 1964 – Vietnam War: At a rally in Saigon, South Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyễn Khánh calls for expanding the war into North Vietnam.
    • 1969 – Chappaquiddick incident: U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy crashes his car into a tidal pond at Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts, killing his passenger Mary Jo Kopechne.
    • 1972 – Dhofar Rebellion: British SAS units help the Omani government against Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman rebels in the Battle of Mirbat.
    • 1976 – Sagarmatha National Park in Nepal is created.
    • 1977 – The world’s first Global Positioning System (GPS) signal was transmitted from Navigation Technology Satellite 2 (NTS-2) and received at Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, at 12:41 a.m. Eastern time (ET).
    • 1979 – The Sandinista rebels overthrow the government of the Somoza family in Nicaragua.
    • 1979 – The oil tanker SS Atlantic Empress collides with another oil tanker, causing the largest ever ship-borne oil spill.
    • 1980 – Opening of the Summer Olympics in Moscow.
    • 1981 – In a private meeting with U.S. President Ronald Reagan, French President François Mitterrand reveals the existence of the Farewell Dossier, a collection of documents showing the Soviet Union had been stealing American technological research and development.
    • 1982 – In one of the first militant attacks by Hezbollah, David S. Dodge, president of the American University of Beirut, is kidnapped.
    • 1983 – The first three-dimensional reconstruction of a human head in a CT is published.
    • 1985 – The Val di Stava dam collapses killing 268 people in Val di Stava, Italy.
    • 1989 – United Airlines Flight 232 crashes in Sioux City, Iowa killing 111.
    • 1992 – A car bomb kills Judge Paolo Borsellino and five members of his escort.
    • 1997 – The Troubles: The Provisional Irish Republican Army resumes a ceasefire to end their 25-year paramilitary campaign to end British rule in Northern Ireland.
    • 2014 – Gunmen in Egypt’s western desert province of New Valley Governorate attack a military checkpoint, killing at least 21 soldiers. Egypt reportedly declares a state of emergency on its border with Sudan.

    Births on July 19

    • 810 – Muhammad al-Bukhari, Persian scholar (d. 870)
    • 1223 – Baibars, sultan of Egypt (d. 1277)
    • 1420 – William VIII, Marquess of Montferrat (d. 1483)
    • 1569 – Conrad Vorstius, Dutch theologian (d. 1622)
    • 1670 – Richard Leveridge, English singer-songwriter (d. 1758)
    • 1688 – Giuseppe Castiglione, Italian missionary and painter (d. 1766)
    • 1744 – Heinrich Christian Boie, German author and poet (d. 1806)
    • 1759 – Marianna Auenbrugger, Austrian pianist and composer (d. 1782)
    • 1759 – Seraphim of Sarov, Russian monk and saint (d. 1833)
    • 1771 – Thomas Talbot, Irish-Canadian colonel and politician (d. 1853)
    • 1794 – José Justo Corro, Mexican politician and president, (1836-1837) (d. 1864)
    • 1789 – John Martin, English painter, engraver, and illustrator (d. 1854)
    • 1800 – Juan José Flores, Venezuelan general and politician, 1st President of Ecuador (d. 1864)
    • 1814 – Samuel Colt, American businessman, founded the Colt’s Manufacturing Company (d. 1862)
    • 1819 – Gottfried Keller, Swiss author, poet, and playwright (d. 1890)
    • 1822 – Princess Augusta of Cambridge (d. 1916)
    • 1827 – Mangal Pandey, Indian soldier (d. 1857)
    • 1834 – Edgar Degas, French painter, sculptor, and illustrator (d. 1917)
    • 1835 – Justo Rufino Barrios, Guatemalan president (d. 1885)
    • 1842 – Frederic T. Greenhalge, English-American lawyer and politician, 38th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1896)
    • 1846 – Edward Charles Pickering, American astronomer and physicist (d. 1919)
    • 1849 – Ferdinand Brunetière, French scholar and critic (d. 1906)
    • 1865 – Georges Friedel, French mineralogist and crystallographer (d. 1933)
    • 1865 – Charles Horace Mayo, American surgeon, founded the Mayo Clinic (d. 1939)
    • 1860 – Lizzie Borden, American woman, tried and acquitted for the murders of her parents in 1892 (d. 1927)
    • 1868 – Florence Foster Jenkins, American soprano and educator (d. 1944)
    • 1869 – Xenophon Stratigos, Greek general and politician, Greek Minister of Transport (d. 1927)
    • 1875 – Alice Dunbar Nelson, African-American poet and activist (d. 1935)
    • 1876 – Joseph Fielding Smith, American religious leader, 10th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (d. 1972)
    • 1877 – Arthur Fielder, English cricketer (d. 1949)
    • 1881 – Friedrich Dessauer, German physicist and philosopher (d. 1963)
    • 1883 – Max Fleischer, Austrian-American animator and producer (d. 1972)
    • 1886 – Michael Fekete, Hungarian-Israeli mathematician and academic (d. 1957)
    • 1888 – Enno Lolling, German physician (d. 1945)
    • 1890 – George II of Greece (d. 1947)
    • 1892 – Dick Irvin, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 1957)
    • 1893 – Vladimir Mayakovsky, Russian actor, playwright, and poet (d. 1930)
    • 1894 – Aleksandr Khinchin, Russian mathematician and academic (d. 1959)
    • 1894 – Khawaja Nazimuddin, Bangladeshi-Pakistani politician, 2nd Prime Minister of Pakistan (d. 1965)
    • 1894 – Percy Spencer, American physicist and inventor of the microwave oven (d. 1969)
    • 1895 – Xu Beihong, Chinese painter and academic (d. 1953)
    • 1896 – Reginald Baker, English film producer (d. 1985)
    • 1896 – A. J. Cronin, Scottish physician and novelist (d. 1981)
    • 1896 – Bob Meusel, American baseball player and sailor (d. 1977)
    • 1898 – Herbert Marcuse, German-American sociologist and philosopher (d. 1979)
    • 1899 – Balai Chand Mukhopadhyay, Indian physician, author, poet, and playwright (d. 1979)
    • 1902 – Samudrala Raghavacharya, Indian singer, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1968)
    • 1904 – Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith, American lawyer and farmer (d. 1985)
    • 1907 – Isabel Jewell, American actress (d. 1972)
    • 1908 – Daniel Fry, American contactee (d. 1992)
    • 1909 – Balamani Amma, Indian poet and author (d. 2004)
    • 1912 – Peter Leo Gerety, American prelate (d. 2016)
    • 1914 – Marius Russo, American baseball player (d. 2005)
    • 1915 – Åke Hellman, Finnish painter (d. 2017)
    • 1916 – Phil Cavarretta, American baseball player and manager (d. 2010)
    • 1917 – William Scranton, American captain and politician, 13th United States Ambassador to the United Nations (d. 2013)
    • 1919 – Patricia Medina, English-American actress (d. 2012)
    • 1919 – Miltos Sachtouris, Greek poet and author (d. 2005)
    • 1919 – Ron Searle, English-Canadian soldier, publisher, and politician, 4th Mayor of Mississauga (d. 2015)
    • 1920 – Robert Mann, American violinist, composer, and conductor (d. 2018)
    • 1920 – Richard Oriani, Salvadoran-American metallurgist and engineer (d. 2015)
    • 1921 – Harold Camping, American evangelist, author, radio host (d. 2013)
    • 1921 – André Moynet, French soldier, race car driver, and politician (d. 1993)
    • 1921 – Elizabeth Spencer, American novelist, short story writer, and playwright (d. 2019)
    • 1921 – Rosalyn Sussman Yalow, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2011)
    • 1922 – George McGovern, American lieutenant, historian, and politician (d. 2012)
    • 1922 – Rachel Robinson, American professor, registered nurse, and the widow of baseball player Jackie Robinson
    • 1923 – Theo Barker, English historian (d. 2001)
    • 1923 – Alex Hannum, American basketball player and coach (d. 2002)
    • 1923 – Joseph Hansen, American author and poet (d. 2004)
    • 1923 – William A. Rusher, American lawyer and journalist (d. 2011)
    • 1923 – Lon Simmons, American baseball player and sportscaster (d. 2015)
    • 1924 – Stanley K. Hathaway, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 40th United States Secretary of the Interior (d. 2005)
    • 1924 – Pat Hingle, American actor and producer (d. 2009)
    • 1924 – Arthur Rankin Jr., American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2014)
    • 1925 – Sue Thompson, American singer
    • 1926 – Helen Gallagher, American actress, singer, and dancer
    • 1928 – Samuel John Hazo, American author
    • 1928 – Choi Yun-chil, South Korean long-distance runner and a two-time national champion in the marathon.
    • 1929 – Gaston Glock, Austrian engineer and businessman, co-founded Glock Ges.m.b.H.
    • 1929 – Orville Turnquest, Bahamian politician
    • 1932 – Buster Benton, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1996)
    • 1932 – Jan Lindblad, Swedish biologist and photographer (d. 1987)
    • 1934 – Francisco de Sá Carneiro, Portuguese lawyer and politician, 111th Prime Minister of Portugal (d. 1980)
    • 1935 – Nick Koback, American baseball player and golfer (d. 2015)
    • 1936 – David Colquhoun, English pharmacologist and academic
    • 1937 – George Hamilton IV, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2014)
    • 1938 – Richard Jordan, American actor (d. 1993)
    • 1938 – Jayant Narlikar, Indian astrophysicist and astronomer
    • 1938 – Tom Raworth, English poet and academic (d. 2017)
    • 1941 – Vikki Carr, American singer and actress
    • 1941 – Neelie Kroes, Dutch politician and diplomat, European Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society
    • 1943 – Han Sai Por, Singaporean sculptor and academic
    • 1944 – Tim McIntire, American actor and singer (d. 1986)
    • 1944 – Andres Vooremaa, Estonian chess player
    • 1945 – Paule Baillargeon, Canadian actress, director, and screenwriter
    • 1946 – Alan Gorrie, Scottish singer-songwriter and musician (Average White Band)
    • 1946 – Ilie Năstase, Romanian tennis player and politician
    • 1947 – André Forcier, Canadian director and screenwriter
    • 1947 – Hans-Jürgen Kreische, German footballer and manager
    • 1947 – Bernie Leadon, American guitarist and songwriter
    • 1947 – Brian May, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and astrophysicist
    • 1948 – Keith Godchaux, American keyboard player and songwriter (d. 1980)
    • 1949 – Kgalema Motlanthe, South African politician, 3rd President of South Africa
    • 1950 – Per-Kristian Foss, Norwegian politician, Norwegian Minister of Finance
    • 1950 – Freddy Moore, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1950 – Adrian Noble, English director and screenwriter
    • 1951 – Abel Ferrara, American director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1952 – Allen Collins, American guitarist and songwriter (d. 1990)
    • 1952 – Jayne Anne Phillips American novelist and short story writer
    • 1954 – Mark O’Donnell, American playwright (d. 2012)
    • 1954 – Steve O’Donnell, American screenwriter and producer
    • 1954 – Srđa Trifković, Serbian-American journalist and historian
    • 1955 – Roger Binny, Indian cricketer and sportscaster
    • 1955 – Dalton McGuinty, Canadian lawyer and politician, 24th Premier of Ontario
    • 1956 – Mark Crispin, American computer scientist, designed the IMAP (d. 2012)
    • 1958 – Brad Drewett, Australian tennis player and sportscaster (d. 2013)
    • 1958 – Robert Gibson, American wrestler
    • 1958 – David Robertson, American conductor
    • 1959 – Juan J. Campanella, Argentinian director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1960 – Atom Egoyan, Egyptian-Canadian director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1960 – Kevin Haskins, English drummer and songwriter
    • 1961 – Harsha Bhogle, Indian journalist and author
    • 1961 – Maria Filatova, Russian gymnast
    • 1961 – Lisa Lampanelli, American comedian, actress, and author
    • 1961 – Benoît Mariage, Belgian director and screenwriter
    • 1961 – Hideo Nakata, Japanese director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1961 – Campbell Scott, American actor, director, and producer
    • 1962 – Anthony Edwards, American actor and director
    • 1963 – Thomas Gabriel Fischer, Swiss musician
    • 1963 – Garth Nix, Australian author
    • 1964 – Teresa Edwards, American basketball player
    • 1964 – Masahiko Kondō, Japanese singer-songwriter and race car driver
    • 1965 – Evelyn Glennie, Scottish musician
    • 1965 – Claus-Dieter Wollitz, German footballer and manager
    • 1967 – Yael Abecassis, Israeli model and actress
    • 1967 – Jean-François Mercier, Canadian comedian, screenwriter, and television host
    • 1968 – Robb Flynn, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
    • 1968 – Pavel Kuka, Czech footballer and manager
    • 1968 – Jim Norton, American comedian, actor, and author
    • 1969 – Matthew Libatique, American cinematographer
    • 1970 – Bill Chen, American poker player and software designer
    • 1970 – Nicola Sturgeon, Scottish lawyer and politician, First Minister of Scotland
    • 1971 – Rene Busch, Estonian tennis player and coach
    • 1971 – Vitali Klitschko, Ukrainian boxer and politician, Mayor of Kiev
    • 1971 – Michael Modest, American wrestler
    • 1971 – Catriona Rowntree, Australian television host
    • 1971 – Lesroy Weekes, Montserratian cricketer
    • 1972 – Ebbe Sand, Danish footballer and manager
    • 1973 – Martin Powell, English keyboard player and songwriter
    • 1973 – Scott Walker, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1974 – Rey Bucanero, Mexican wrestler
    • 1974 – Francisco Copado, German footballer and manager
    • 1974 – Josée Piché, Canadian ice dancer
    • 1974 – Vince Spadea, American tennis player
    • 1974 – Preston Wilson, American baseball player and sportscaster
    • 1975 – Luca Castellazzi, Italian footballer
    • 1976 – Benedict Cumberbatch, English actor
    • 1976 – Gonzalo de los Santos, Uruguayan footballer and manager
    • 1977 – Jean-Sébastien Aubin, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1977 – Tony Mamaluke, American wrestler and manager
    • 1977 – Ed Smith, English cricketer and journalist
    • 1979 – Rick Ankiel, American baseball player
    • 1979 – Josué Anunciado de Oliveira, Brazilian footballer
    • 1979 – Dilhara Fernando, Sri Lankan cricketer
    • 1979 – Luke Young, English footballer
    • 1980 – Xavier Malisse, Belgian tennis player
    • 1980 – Giorgio Mondini, Italian race car driver
    • 1981 – Nenê, Brazilian footballer
    • 1981 – David Bernard, Jamaican cricketer
    • 1981 – Mark Gasnier, Australian rugby player and sportscaster
    • 1981 – Jimmy Gobble, American baseball player
    • 1981 – Grégory Vignal, French footballer
    • 1982 – Christopher Bear, American drummer
    • 1982 – Phil Coke, American baseball player
    • 1982 – Jared Padalecki, American actor
    • 1982 – Jess Vanstrattan, Australian footballer
    • 1983 – Helen Skelton, English television host and actress
    • 1983 – Fedor Tyutin, Russian ice hockey player
    • 1984 – Andrea Libman, Canadian voice actress
    • 1984 – Adam Morrison, American basketball player
    • 1984 – Ryan O’Byrne, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1984 – Lewis Price, Welsh footballer
    • 1985 – LaMarcus Aldridge, American basketball player
    • 1985 – Zhou Haibin, Chinese footballer
    • 1985 – Marina Kuzina, Russian basketball player
    • 1985 – Hadi Norouzi, Iranian footballer (d. 2015)
    • 1986 – Leandro Greco, Italian footballer
    • 1987 – Jon Jones, American mixed martial artist
    • 1987 – Marc Murphy, Australian footballer
    • 1988 – Shane Dawson, American comedian and actor
    • 1988 – Kevin Großkreutz, German footballer
    • 1988 – Jakub Kovář, Czech ice hockey player
    • 1989 – Sam McKendry, Australian-New Zealand rugby league player
    • 1991 – Eray İşcan, Turkish footballer
    • 1992 – Jake Nicholson, English footballer
    • 1994 – Christian Welch, Australian rugby league player
    • 1998 – Erin Cuthbert, footballer
    • 1998 – Ronaldo Vieira, Bissau-Guinean footballer

    Deaths on July 19

    • 514 – Symmachus, pope of the Catholic Church
    • 806 – Li Shigu, Chinese general (b. 778)
    • 973 – Kyunyeo, Korean monk and poet (b. 917)
    • 998 – Damian Dalassenos, Byzantine general (b. 940)
    • 1030 – Adalberon, French bishop
    • 1234 – Floris IV, Dutch nobleman (b. 1210)
    • 1249 – Jacopo Tiepolo, doge of Venice
    • 1333 – John Campbell, Scottish nobleman
    • 1333 – Alexander Bruce, Scottish nobleman
    • 1333 – Sir Archibald Douglas, Scottish nobleman
    • 1333 – Maol Choluim II, Scottish nobleman
    • 1333 – Kenneth de Moravia, 4th Earl of Sutherland
    • 1374 – Petrarch, Italian poet and scholar (b. 1304)
    • 1415 – Philippa of Lancaster, Portuguese queen (b. 1360)
    • 1543 – Mary Boleyn, English daughter of Elizabeth Boleyn, Countess of Wiltshire (b. 1499)
    • 1631 – Cesare Cremonini, Italian philosopher and academic (b. 1550)
    • 1742 – William Somervile, English poet and author (b. 1675)
    • 1810 – Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Prussian queen (b. 1776)
    • 1814 – Matthew Flinders, English navigator and cartographer (b. 1774)
    • 1824 – Agustín de Iturbide, Mexican general and emperor (b. 1783)
    • 1838 – Pierre Louis Dulong, French physicist and chemist (b. 1785)
    • 1850 – Margaret Fuller, American journalist and critic (b. 1810)
    • 1855 – Konstantin Batyushkov, Russian poet and translator (b. 1787)
    • 1857 – Stefano Franscini, Swiss statistician and politician (b. 1796)
    • 1878 – Yegor Ivanovich Zolotarev, Russian mathematician and academic (b. 1847)
    • 1896 – Abraham H. Cannon, American publisher and religious leader (b. 1859)
    • 1913 – Clímaco Calderón, Colombian lawyer and politician, 15th President of Colombia (b. 1852)
    • 1925 – John Indermaur, British lawyer (b. 1851)
    • 1930 – Robert Stout, Scottish-New Zealand politician, 13th Prime Minister of New Zealand (b. 1844)
    • 1933 – Kaarle Krohn, Finnish historian and academic (b. 1863)
    • 1939 – Rose Hartwick Thorpe, American poet and author (b. 1850)
    • 1943 – Yekaterina Budanova, Russian captain and pilot (b. 1916)
    • 1947 – U Razak, Burmese educator and politician (b. 1898)
    • 1947 – Aung San, Burmese general and politician (b. 1915)
    • 1947 – Lyuh Woon-hyung, South Korean politician (b. 1886)
    • 1963 – William Andrew, English priest (b. 1884)
    • 1965 – Syngman Rhee, South Korean journalist and politician, 1st President of South Korea (b. 1875)
    • 1967 – Odell Shepard, American poet and politician, 66th Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut (b. 1884)
    • 1969 – Stratis Myrivilis, Greek soldier and author (b. 1890)
    • 1974 – Ernő Schwarz, Hungarian-American soccer player and coach (b. 1904)
    • 1975 – Lefty Frizzell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1928)
    • 1977 – Karl Ristikivi, Estonian geographer, author, and poet (b. 1912)
    • 1980 – Margaret Craven, American journalist and author (b. 1901)
    • 1980 – Nihat Erim, Turkish jurist and politician, 13th Prime Minister of Turkey (b. 1912)
    • 1980 – Hans Morgenthau, German-American political scientist, philosopher, and academic (b. 1904)
    • 1981 – Roger Doucet, Canadian tenor (b. 1919)
    • 1982 – Hugh Everett III, American physicist and mathematician (b. 1930)
    • 1984 – Faina Ranevskaya, Russian actress (b. 1896)
    • 1984 – Aziz Sami, Iraqi writer and translator (b. 1895)
    • 1985 – Janusz Zajdel, Polish author (b. 1938)
    • 1989 – Kazimierz Sabbat, Polish businessman and politician, President of the Republic of Poland (b. 1913)
    • 1990 – Eddie Quillan, American actor (b. 1907)
    • 1992 – Paolo Borsellino, Italian lawyer and judge (b. 1940)
    • 1994 – Victor Barbeau, Canadian author and academic (b. 1896)
    • 1998 – Elmer Valo, Polish-American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1921)
    • 2002 – Dave Carter, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1952)
    • 2002 – Alan Lomax, American historian, scholar, and activist (b. 1915)
    • 2003 – Bill Bright, American evangelist and author, founded the Campus Crusade for Christ (b. 1921)
    • 2003 – Pierre Graber, Swiss politician, President of the Swiss National Council (b. 1908)
    • 2004 – Sylvia Daoust, Canadian sculptor (b. 1902)
    • 2004 – J. Gordon Edwards, American entomologist, mountaineer, and DDT advocate (b. 1919)
    • 2004 – Francis A. Marzen, American priest, and journalist (b. 1924)
    • 2004 – Zenkō Suzuki, Japanese politician, 70th Prime Minister of Japan (b. 1911)
    • 2005 – Edward Bunker, American author and screenwriter (b. 1933)
    • 2006 – Jack Warden, American actor (b. 1920)
    • 2007 – A. K. Faezul Huq, Bangladeshi journalist, lawyer, and politician (b. 1945)
    • 2007 – Roberto Fontanarrosa, Argentinian cartoonist (b. 1944)
    • 2008 – Dercy Gonçalves, Brazilian comedian and actress (b. 1907)
    • 2009 – Frank McCourt, American author and educator (b. 1930)
    • 2009 – Henry Surtees, English race car driver (b. 1991)
    • 2010 – Cécile Aubry, French actress, author, television screenwriter and director (b. 1928)
    • 2010 – Jon Cleary, Australian author and playwright (b. 1917)
    • 2012 – Humayun Ahmed, Bangladeshi director and playwright (b. 1948)
    • 2012 – Tom Davis, American comedian, actor, and screenwriter (b. 1952)
    • 2012 – Mohammad Hassan Ganji, Iranian meteorologist and academic (b. 1912)
    • 2012 – Omar Suleiman, Egyptian general, and politician, 16th Vice President of Egypt (b. 1935)
    • 2012 – Sylvia Woods, American businesswoman, co-founded Sylvia’s Restaurant of Harlem (b. 1926)
    • 2012 – Valiulla Yakupov, Islamic cleric (b. 1963)
    • 2013 – Mikhail Gorsheniov, Russian singer-songwriter (b. 1973)
    • 2013 – Geeto Mongol, Canadian-American wrestler and trainer (b. 1931)
    • 2013 – Mel Smith, English actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1952)
    • 2013 – Bert Trautmann, German footballer and manager (b. 1923)
    • 2013 – Phil Woosnam, Welsh-American soccer player and manager (b. 1932)
    • 2013 – Peter Ziegler, Swiss geologist and academic (b. 1928)
    • 2013 – Leyla Erbil, Turkish author (b. 1931)
    • 2014 – Rubem Alves, Brazilian theologian (b. 1933)
    • 2014 – David Easton, Canadian-American political scientist and academic (b. 1917)
    • 2014 – Paul M. Fleiss, American pediatrician and author (b. 1933)
    • 2014 – James Garner, American actor (b. 1928)
    • 2014 – Jerzy Jurka, Polish biologist (b. 1950)
    • 2014 – Ray King, English footballer and manager (b. 1924)
    • 2014 – Ingemar Odlander, Swedish journalist (b. 1936)
    • 2014 – Harry Pougher, English cricketer (b. 1941)
    • 2014 – Leen Vleggeert, Dutch politician (b. 1931)
    • 2014 – John Winkin, American baseball player, coach, and journalist (b. 1919)
    • 2015 – Van Alexander, American composer and conductor (b. 1915)
    • 2015 – Galina Prozumenshchikova, Ukrainian-Russian swimmer and journalist (b. 1948)
    • 2015 – Carmino Ravosa, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer (b. 1930)
    • 2015 – Gennadiy Seleznyov, Russian journalist and politician, 2nd Speaker of the Duma (b. 1947)
    • 2016 – Garry Marshall, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1934)
    • 2018 – Jon Schnepp, American producer, director, voice actor, editor, writer, cartoonist, animator, and cinematographer (b. 1967)
    • 2018 – Denis Ten, Kazakhstani figure skater (b. 1993)
    • 2019 – Rutger Hauer, Dutch actor, director, and producer (b. 1944)

    Holidays and observances on July 19

    • Christian feast day:
      • Arsenius (Catholic Church)
      • Bernold, Bishop of Utrecht
      • Justa and Rufina
      • Kirdjun (or Abakerazum)
      • Macrina the Younger, Sister of St. Basil the Great
      • Symmachus
      • July 19 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Martyrs’ Day (Myanmar)
    • Sandinista Day or Liberation Day (Nicaragua)

  • June 27 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 1358 – The Republic of Ragusa is founded.
    • 1497 – Cornish rebels Michael An Gof and Thomas Flamank are executed at Tyburn, London, England.
    • 1556 – The thirteen Stratford Martyrs are burned at the stake near London for their Protestant beliefs.
    • 1743 – In the Battle of Dettingen, George II becomes the last reigning British monarch to participate in a battle.
    • 1760 – Anglo-Cherokee War: Cherokee warriors defeat British forces at the Battle of Echoee near present-day Otto, North Carolina.
    • 1806 – British forces take Buenos Aires during the first of the British invasions of the River Plate.
    • 1844 – Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, and his brother Hyrum Smith, are killed by a mob at the Carthage, Illinois jail.
    • 1864 – American Civil War: Confederate forces defeat Union forces during the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain during the Atlanta Campaign.
    • 1869 – The Republic of Ezo on the island of Hokkaido ends after being defeated by Japanese Imperial troops.
    • 1895 – The inaugural run of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad’s Royal Blue from Washington, D.C., to New York City, the first U.S. passenger train to use electric locomotives.
    • 1898 – The first solo circumnavigation of the globe is completed by Joshua Slocum from Briar Island, Nova Scotia.
    • 1905 – During the Russo-Japanese War, sailors start a mutiny aboard the Russian battleship Potemkin.
    • 1908 – A group of Vietnamese tirailleurs conducts a failed attempt to poison the entire French army’s garrison in the Hanoi Citadel with the aim to make way for Hoàng Hoa Thám’s rebel army to capture Hanoi.
    • 1923 – Capt. Lowell H. Smith and Lt. John P. Richter perform the first ever aerial refueling in a DH.4B biplane.
    • 1927 – Prime Minister of Japan Tanaka Giichi convenes an eleven-day conference to discuss Japan’s strategy in China. The Tanaka Memorial, a forged plan for world domination, is later claimed to be a secret report leaked from this conference.
    • 1941 – Romanian authorities launch one of the most violent pogroms in Jewish history in the city of Iași, resulting in the murder of at least 13,266 Jews.
    • 1941 – World War II: German troops capture the city of Białystok during Operation Barbarossa.
    • 1946 – In the Canadian Citizenship Act, the Parliament of Canada establishes the definition of Canadian citizenship.
    • 1950 – The United States decides to send troops to fight in the Korean War.
    • 1954 – The Obninsk Nuclear Power Plant, the Soviet Union’s first nuclear power station, opens in Obninsk, near Moscow.
    • 1954 – The FIFA World Cup quarterfinal match between Hungary and Brazil, highly anticipated to be exciting, instead turns violent, with three players ejected and further fighting continuing after the game.
    • 1957 – Hurricane Audrey makes landfall near the Texas–Louisiana border, killing over 400 people, mainly in and around Cameron, Louisiana.
    • 1973 – The President of Uruguay Juan María Bordaberry dissolves Parliament and establishes a dictatorship.
    • 1974 – U.S. president Richard Nixon visits the Soviet Union.
    • 1976 – Air France Flight 139 (Tel Aviv-Athens-Paris) is hijacked en route to Paris by the PLO and redirected to Entebbe, Uganda.
    • 1977 – France grants independence to Djibouti.
    • 1980 – The ‘Ustica massacre’: Itavia Flight 870 crashes in the sea while en route from Bologna to Palermo, Italy, killing all 81 on board.
    • 1981 – The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China issues its “Resolution on Certain Questions in the History of Our Party Since the Founding of the People’s Republic of China”, laying the blame for the Cultural Revolution on Mao Zedong.
    • 1982 – Space Shuttle Columbia launched from the Kennedy Space Center on the final research and development flight mission, STS-4.
    • 1988 – The Gare de Lyon rail accident in Paris, France, kills 56 people.
    • 1991 – Slovenia, after declaring independence two days before is invaded by Yugoslav troops, tanks, and aircraft starting the Ten-Day War.
    • 1994 – Members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult release sarin gas in Matsumoto, Japan. Seven people are killed, 660 injured.
    • 2007 – Tony Blair resigns as British Prime Minister, a position he had held since 1997. His Chancellor, Gordon Brown succeeds him.
    • 2007 – The Brazilian Military Police invades the favelas of Complexo do Alemão in an episode which is remembered as the Complexo do Alemão massacre.
    • 2008 – In a highly scrutinized election President of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe is re-elected in a landslide after his opponent Morgan Tsvangirai had withdrawn a week earlier, citing violence against his party’s supporters.
    • 2013 – NASA launches the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, a space probe to observe the Sun.
    • 2014 – At least fourteen people are killed when a Gas Authority of India Limited pipeline explodes in the East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, India.
    • 2015 – Formosa Fun Coast fire: A dust fire occurs at a recreational water park in Taiwan, killing 15 people and injuring 497 others, 199 critically.
    • 2017 – A series of powerful cyberattacks using the Petya malware target websites of Ukrainian organizations and counterparts with Ukrainian connections around the globe.

    Births on June 27

    • 850 – Ibrahim II of Ifriqiya, Aghlabid emir (d. 902)
    • 1350 – Manuel II Palaiologos, Byzantine emperor (d. 1425)
    • 1430 – Henry Holland, 3rd Duke of Exeter, Lancastrian leader (d. 1475)
    • 1462 – Louis XII, king of France (d. 1515)
    • 1464 – Ernst II of Saxony, Archbishop of Magdeburg (1476–1513) (d. 1513)
    • 1497 – Ernest I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (d. 1546)
    • 1550 – Charles IX, king of France (d. 1574)
    • 1596 – Maximilian, Prince of Dietrichstein (d. 1655)
    • 1696 – William Pepperrell, American merchant and soldier (d. 1759)
    • 1717 – Louis-Guillaume Le Monnier, French botanist and physicist (d. 1799)
    • 1767 – Alexis Bouvard, French astronomer and academic (d. 1843)
    • 1805 – Napoléon Coste, French guitarist and composer (d. 1883)
    • 1806 – Augustus De Morgan, English mathematician and logician (d. 1871)
    • 1812 – Anna Cabot Lowell Quincy Waterston, American writer (d. 1899)
    • 1817 – Louise von François, German author (d. 1893)
    • 1828 – Bryan O’Loghlen, Irish-Australian politician, 13th Premier of Victoria (d. 1905)
    • 1838 – Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Indian journalist, author, and poet (d. 1894)
    • 1838 – Paul Mauser, German weapon designer, designed the Gewehr 98 (d. 1914)
    • 1846 – Charles Stewart Parnell, Irish politician (d. 1891)
    • 1850 – Jørgen Pedersen Gram, Danish mathematician and academic (d. 1919)
    • 1850 – Lafcadio Hearn, Greek-Japanese historian and author (d. 1904)
    • 1862 – May Irwin, Canadian-American actress and singer (d. 1938)
    • 1865 – John Monash, Australian engineer and general (d. 1931)
    • 1869 – Kate Carew, American illustrator and journalist (d. 1961)
    • 1869 – Emma Goldman, Lithuanian-Canadian philosopher and activist (d. 1940)
    • 1869 – Hans Spemann, German embryologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1941)
    • 1870 – Frank Rattray Lillie, American zoologist and embryologist (d. 1947)
    • 1872 – Heber Doust Curtis, American astronomer (d. 1942)
    • 1872 – Paul Laurence Dunbar, American author, poet, and playwright (d. 1906)
    • 1880 – Helen Keller, American author, academic, and activist (d. 1968)
    • 1882 – Eduard Spranger, German philosopher and academic (d. 1963)
    • 1884 – Gaston Bachelard, French philosopher and poet (d. 1962)
    • 1885 – Pierre Montet, French historian and academic (d. 1966)
    • 1885 – Guilhermina Suggia, Portuguese cellist (d. 1950)
    • 1886 – Charlie Macartney, Australian cricketer and soldier (d. 1958)
    • 1888 – Lewis Bernstein Namier, Polish-English historian and academic (d. 1960)
    • 1888 – Antoinette Perry, American actress and director (d. 1946)
    • 1892 – Paul Colin, French illustrator (d. 1985)
    • 1899 – Juan Trippe, American businessman, founded Pan American World Airways (d. 1981)
    • 1900 – Dixie Brown, British boxer (d. 1957)
    • 1901 – Merle Tuve, American geophysicist and academic (d. 1982)
    • 1905 – Armand Mondou, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1976)
    • 1906 – Catherine Cookson, English author and philanthropist (d. 1998)
    • 1906 – Vernon Watkins, Welsh-American poet and painter (d. 1967)
    • 1907 – John McIntire, American actor (d. 1991)
    • 1908 – João Guimarães Rosa, Brazilian physician and author (d. 1967)
    • 1911 – Marion M. Magruder, American Marine officer, commander of the VMF(N)-533 squadron. (d. 1997)
    • 1912 – E. R. Braithwaite, Guyanese novelist, writer, teacher, and diplomat (d. 2016)
    • 1913 – Elton Britt, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1972)
    • 1913 – Philip Guston, American painter and academic (d. 1980)
    • 1913 – Willie Mosconi, American pool player (d. 1993)
    • 1914 – Robert Aickman, English author and activist, co-founded the Inland Waterways Association (d. 1981)
    • 1914 – Helena Benitez, Filipina academic and administrator (d. 2016)
    • 1914 – Margaret Ekpo, Nigerian women’s rights activist, social mobilizer and politician (d. 2006)
    • 1914 – Giorgio Almirante, Italian journalist and politician (d. 1988)
    • 1915 – Grace Lee Boggs, American philosopher, author, and activist (d. 2015)
    • 1915 – Aideu Handique, Indian actress (d. 2002)
    • 1915 – John Alexander Moore, American zoologist and academic (d. 2002)
    • 1916 – Robert Normann, Norwegian guitarist (d. 1998)
    • 1918 – Adolph Kiefer, American swimmer (d. 2017)
    • 1919 – M. Carl Holman, American author, educator, poet, and playwright (d. 1988)
    • 1919 – Amala Shankar, Indian danseuse
    • 1920 – Fernando Riera, Chilean football player and manager (d. 2010)
    • 1921 – Muriel Pavlow, English actress (d. 2019)
    • 1922 – George Walker, American composer (d. 2018)
    • 1923 – Jacques Berthier, French organist and composer (d. 1994)
    • 1923 – Elmo Hope, American pianist and composer (d. 1967)
    • 1924 – Bob Appleyard, English cricketer and businessman (d. 2015)
    • 1925 – Leonard Lerman, American geneticist and biologist (d. 2012)
    • 1925 – Doc Pomus, American singer-songwriter (d. 1991)
    • 1925 – Wayne Terwilliger, American second baseman, coach, and manager
    • 1927 – Bob Keeshan, American actor and producer (d. 2004)
    • 1928 – James Lincoln Collier, American journalist and author
    • 1928 – Rudy Perpich, American dentist and politician, 34th Governor of Minnesota (d. 1995)
    • 1929 – Dick the Bruiser, American football player and wrestler (d. 1991)
    • 1929 – Peter Maas, American journalist and author (d. 2001)
    • 1930 – Ross Perot, American businessman and politician (d. 2019)
    • 1931 – Charles Bronfman, Canadian-American businessman and philanthropist
    • 1931 – Martinus J. G. Veltman, Dutch physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1932 – Eddie Kasko, American baseball player and manager (d. 2020)
    • 1932 – Anna Moffo, American operatic soprano (d. 2006)
    • 1932 – Hugh Wood, English composer
    • 1936 – Lucille Clifton, American author and poet (d. 2010)
    • 1936 – Shirley Anne Field, English actress
    • 1937 – Joseph P. Allen, American physicist and astronaut
    • 1937 – Otto Herrigel, Namibian lawyer and politician (d. 2013)
    • 1937 – Kirkpatrick Sale, American author and scholar
    • 1938 – Bruce Babbitt, American lawyer and politician, 47th United States Secretary of the Interior
    • 1938 – David Hope, Baron Hope of Craighead, Scottish lieutenant and judge
    • 1938 – Konrad Kujau, German illustrator (d. 2000)
    • 1939 – R. D. Burman, Indian singer-songwriter (d. 1994)
    • 1939 – Neil Hawke, Australian cricketer and footballer (d. 2000)
    • 1940 – Ian Lang, Baron Lang of Monkton, Scottish politician, Secretary of State for Scotland
    • 1941 – Bill Baxley, American lawyer and politician, 24th Lieutenant Governor of Alabama
    • 1941 – James P. Hogan, English-Irish author (d. 2010)
    • 1941 – Krzysztof Kieślowski, Polish director and screenwriter (d. 1996)
    • 1942 – Bruce Johnston, American singer-songwriter and producer
    • 1942 – Frank Mills, Canadian pianist and composer
    • 1942 – Danny Schechter, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2015)
    • 1943 – Ravi Batra, Indian-American economist and academic
    • 1944 – Angela King, English environmentalist and author, co-founded Common Ground
    • 1944 – Patrick Sercu, Belgian cyclist (d. 2019)
    • 1945 – Joey Covington, American drummer, songwriter, and producer (d. 2013)
    • 1945 – Norma Kamali, American fashion designer
    • 1945 – Ragnar Søderlind, Norwegian composer
    • 1948 – Camile Baudoin, American guitarist
    • 1949 – Vera Wang, American fashion designer
    • 1951 – Ulf Andersson, Swedish chess player
    • 1951 – Julia Duffy, American actress
    • 1951 – Gilson Lavis, English drummer and portrait artist
    • 1951 – Mary McAleese, Irish academic and politician, 8th President of Ireland
    • 1952 – Madan Bhandari, Nepalese politician (d. 1993)
    • 1953 – Igor Gräzin, Estonian academic and politician
    • 1953 – Alice McDermott, American novelist
    • 1954 – Richard Ibbotson, English admiral
    • 1955 – Isabelle Adjani, French actress
    • 1956 – Heiner Dopp, German field hockey player and politician
    • 1957 – Gabriella Dorio, Italian runner
    • 1958 – Lisa Germano, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1958 – Jeffrey Lee Pierce, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1996)
    • 1959 – Dan Jurgens, American author and illustrator
    • 1959 – Lorrie Morgan, American singer
    • 1960 – Craig Hodges, American basketball player and coach
    • 1960 – Robert King, English harpsichordist and conductor
    • 1960 – Jeremy Swift, English actor
    • 1962 – Michael Ball, English actor and singer
    • 1962 – Sunanda Pushkar, India-born Canadian businesswoman (d. 2014)
    • 1963 – Wendy Alexander, Scottish politician, Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning
    • 1963 – Johnny Benson Jr., American race car driver
    • 1964 – Stephan Brenninkmeijer, Dutch director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1964 – Chuck Person, American basketball player and coach
    • 1965 – Simon Sebag Montefiore, English journalist, historian, and author
    • 1965 – S. Manikavasagam, Malaysian politician and social activist
    • 1965 – Óscar Vega, Spanish boxer
    • 1966 – J.J. Abrams, American director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1966 – Jörg Bergen, German footballer and manager
    • 1966 – Jeff Conine, American baseball player and sportscaster
    • 1966 – Aigars Kalvītis, Latvian politician, businessman, and former Prime Minister of Latvia
    • 1967 – Sylvie Fréchette, Canadian swimmer and coach
    • 1967 – George Hamilton, Northern Irish police officer
    • 1967 – Vasiliy Kaptyukh, Belarusian discus thrower
    • 1967 – Phil Kearns, Australian rugby player and sportscaster
    • 1968 – Kelly Ayotte, American lawyer and politician, New Hampshire Attorney General
    • 1969 – Viktor Petrenko, Ukrainian figure skater
    • 1970 – Régine Cavagnoud, French skier (d. 2001)
    • 1970 – John Eales, Australian rugby player and businessman
    • 1970 – Jim Edmonds, American baseball player and sportscaster
    • 1971 – Jo Frost, English nanny, television personality, and author
    • 1971 – Serginho, Brazilian footballer
    • 1972 – Dawud Wharnsby, Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
    • 1973 – Abbath Doom Occulta, Norwegian musician
    • 1973 – Simon Archer, English badminton player
    • 1974 – Christian Kane, American singer-songwriter and actor
    • 1974 – Christopher O’Neill, English-American businessman
    • 1975 – Ace Darling, American wrestler
    • 1975 – Bianca Del Rio, American drag queen & comedian
    • 1975 – Sarah Evanetz, Canadian swimmer
    • 1975 – Tobey Maguire, American actor
    • 1975 – Daryle Ward, American baseball player
    • 1976 – Johnny Estrada, American baseball player
    • 1976 – Leigh Nash, American singer-songwriter
    • 1977 – Arkadiusz Radomski, Polish footballer
    • 1978 – Apparat, German musician
    • 1980 – Hugo Campagnaro, Argentinian footballer
    • 1980 – Jennifer Goodridge, American keyboard player
    • 1980 – Alexander Peya, Austrian tennis player
    • 1980 – Kevin Pietersen, South African-English cricketer
    • 1980 – Craig Terrill, American football player
    • 1981 – Andrew Embley, Australian footballer
    • 1983 – Jim Johnson, American baseball player
    • 1983 – Dale Steyn, South African cricketer
    • 1983 – Nikola Rakočević, Serbian actor
    • 1984 – Khloé Kardashian, American model, businesswoman, and radio host
    • 1984 – D.J. King, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1984 – Jose Holebas, German-Greek footballer
    • 1984 – Gökhan Inler, Swiss footballer
    • 1985 – James Hook, Welsh rugby player
    • 1985 – Svetlana Kuznetsova, Russian tennis player
    • 1985 – Nico Rosberg, German race car driver
    • 1986 – Sam Claflin, British actor
    • 1986 – Drake Bell, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
    • 1986 – Bryan Fletcher, American skier
    • 1986 – LaShawn Merritt, American sprinter
    • 1987 – India de Beaufort, English actress
    • 1987 – Ed Westwick, English actor
    • 1988 – Stefani Bismpikou, Greek gymnast
    • 1988 – Matthew Spiranovic, Australian footballer
    • 1988 – Kate Ziegler, American swimmer
    • 1989 – Hana Birnerová, Czech tennis player
    • 1989 – Matthew Lewis, English actor
    • 1992 – Ahn So-hee, South Korean singer and actress
    • 1992 – Karthika Nair, Indian film actress
    • 1993 – Johanna Talihärm, Estonian biathlete
    • 1993 – Alberto Campbell-Staines, Australian athlete
    • 1994 – Anita Husarić, Bosnian tennis player
    • 1995 – Monté Morris, American basketball player

    Deaths on June 27

    • 992 – Conan I of Rennes, Duke of Brittany
    • 1162 – Odo II, Duke of Burgundy (b. 1118)
    • 1194 – King Sancho VI of Navarre (b. 1132)
    • 1296 – Floris V, Count of Holland (b. 1254)
    • 1458 – Alfonso V of Aragon (b. 1396)
    • 1497 – Michael An Gof, rebel leader
    • 1497 – Thomas Flamank, rebel leader
    • 1574 – Giorgio Vasari, Italian historian, painter, and architect (b. 1511)
    • 1601 – Henry Norris, 1st Baron Norreys (b. 1525)
    • 1603 – Jan Dymitr Solikowski, Polish archbishop (b. 1539)
    • 1627 – John Hayward, English historian, journalist, and politician (b. 1564)
    • 1636 – Date Masamune, Japanese strongman (b. 1567)
    • 1654 – Johannes Valentinus Andreae, German theologian (b. 1586)
    • 1655 – Eleonora Gonzaga, Holy Roman Empress (b. 1598)
    • 1672 – Roger Twysden, English historian and politician (b. 1597)
    • 1720 – Guillaume Amfrye de Chaulieu, French poet and author (b. 1639)
    • 1794 – Wenzel Anton, Prince of Kaunitz-Rietberg (b. 1711)
    • 1794 – Philippe de Noailles, French general (b. 1715)
    • 1827 – Johann Gottfried Eichhorn, German theologian and academic (b. 1754)
    • 1829 – James Smithson, English chemist and mineralogist (b. 1765)
    • 1831 – Sophie Germain, French mathematician and physicist (b. 1776)
    • 1839 – Ranjit Singh, founder of the Sikh Empire (b. 1780)
    • 1844 – Hyrum Smith, American religious leader (b. 1800)
    • 1844 – Joseph Smith, American religious leader, founded the Latter Day Saint movement (b. 1805)
    • 1878 – Sidney Breese, American jurist and politician (b. 1800)
    • 1894 – Giorgio Costantino Schinas, Maltese architect and civil engineer (b. 1834)
    • 1896 – John Berryman, English soldier, Victoria Cross recipient (b. 1825)
    • 1905 – Harold Mahony, Scottish-Irish tennis player (b. 1867)
    • 1907 – Elizabeth Cabot Agassiz, American educator, co-founded Radcliffe College (b. 1822)
    • 1911 – Victor Surridge, English motorcycle racer (b. 1882)
    • 1912 – George Bonnor, Australian cricketer (b. 1855)
    • 1917 – Karl Allmenröder, German soldier and pilot (b. 1896)
    • 1919 – Peter Sturholdt, American boxer (b. 1885)
    • 1920 – Adolphe-Basile Routhier, Canadian lawyer and judge (b. 1839)
    • 1934 – Francesco Buhagiar, Maltese politician, 2nd Prime Minister of Malta (b. 1876)
    • 1935 – Eugene Augustin Lauste, French-American inventor (b. 1857)
    • 1944 – Milan Hodža, Czech journalist and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia (b. 1878)
    • 1946 – Wanda Gág, American author and illustrator (b. 1893)
    • 1949 – Frank Smythe, English botanist and mountaineer (b. 1900)
    • 1950 – Milada Horáková, Czech politician, victim of judicial murder (b. 1901)
    • 1952 – Max Dehn, German-American mathematician and academic (b. 1878)
    • 1957 – Hermann Buhl, Austrian soldier and mountaineer (b. 1924)
    • 1960 – Lottie Dod, English tennis player, golfer, and archer (b. 1871)
    • 1962 – Paul Viiding, Estonian author, poet, and critic (b. 1904)
    • 1967 – Jaan Lattik, Estonian pastor and politician, 9th Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia (b. 1878)
    • 1970 – Daniel Kinsey, American hurdler and scholar (b. 1902)
    • 1975 – G.I. Taylor, English mathematician and physicist (b. 1886)
    • 1986 – George Nepia, New Zealand rugby player and referee (b. 1905)
    • 1987 – Billy Snedden, Australian lawyer and politician, 17th Attorney-General for Australia (b. 1926)
    • 1989 – A. J. Ayer, English philosopher and academic (b. 1910)
    • 1991 – Milton Subotsky, American-English screenwriter and producer (b. 1921)
    • 1996 – Albert R. Broccoli, American film producer (b. 1909)
    • 1998 – Gilles Rocheleau, Canadian businessman and politician (b. 1935)
    • 1999 – Georgios Papadopoulos, Greek colonel and politician, 169th Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1919)
    • 2000 – Pierre Pflimlin, French lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of France (b. 1907)
    • 2001 – Tove Jansson, Finnish author, illustrator, and painter (b. 1914)
    • 2001 – Jack Lemmon, American actor (b. 1925)
    • 2001 – Joan Sims, English actress (b. 1930)
    • 2002 – John Entwistle, English singer-songwriter, bass guitarist, and producer (b. 1944)
    • 2002 – Robert L. J. Long, American admiral (b. 1920)
    • 2003 – David Newman, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1937)
    • 2004 – George Patton IV, American general (b. 1923)
    • 2004 – Darrell Russell, American race car driver (b. 1968)
    • 2005 – Shelby Foote, American historian and author (b. 1917)
    • 2005 – Ray Holmes, English lieutenant and pilot (b. 1914)
    • 2005 – John T. Walton, American businessman, co-founded the Children’s Scholarship Fund (b. 1946)
    • 2006 – Ángel Maturino Reséndiz, Mexican serial killer (b. 1959)
    • 2007 – William Hutt, Canadian actor (b. 1920)
    • 2008 – Sam Manekshaw, Indian field marshal (b. 1914)
    • 2009 – Gale Storm, American actress (b. 1922)
    • 2010 – Corey Allen, American film and television actor, writer, director, and producer (b. 1934)
    • 2011 – Mike Doyle, English footballer (b. 1946)
    • 2012 – Stan Cox, English runner (b. 1918)
    • 2012 – Rosemary Dobson, Australian poet and illustrator (b. 1920)
    • 2013 – Stefano Borgonovo, Italian footballer (b. 1964)
    • 2013 – Ian Scott, English-New Zealand painter (b. 1945)
    • 2014 – Edmond Blanchard, Canadian jurist and politician (b. 1954)
    • 2014 – Allen Grossman, American poet, critic, and academic (b. 1932)
    • 2014 – Leslie Manigat, Haitian educator and politician, 43rd President of Haiti (b. 1930)
    • 2014 – Violet Milstead, Canadian World War II aviator and bush pilot (b. 1919)
    • 2014 – Rachid Solh, Lebanese politician, 48th Prime Minister of Lebanon (b. 1926)
    • 2015 – Zvi Elpeleg, Polish-Israeli diplomat, author, and academic (b. 1926)
    • 2015 – Knut Helle, Norwegian historian and professor (b. 1930)
    • 2015 – Chris Squire, English musician (bass guitarist), singer and songwriter, member of the rock band Yes (b. 1948)
    • 2016 – Bud Spencer, Italian swimmer, actor, and screenwriter (b. 1929)
    • 2017 – Peter L. Berger, Austrian sociologist (b. 1929)
    • 2018 – Joe Jackson, American manager, father of Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson (b. 1928)
    • 2018 – Liz Jackson, Australian journalist and former barrister (b. 1951)
    • 2018 – William McBridge, Australian obstetrician (b. 1927)

    Holidays and observances on June 27

    • Christian feast day:
      • Arialdo
      • Crescens, one of the Seventy disciples
      • Cyril of Alexandria (Coptic Church, Roman Catholic Church, Anglican Communion and Lutheran Church)
      • Ladislaus I of Hungary
      • Our Lady of Perpetual Help
      • Sampson the Hospitable
      • Zoilus
      • June 27 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Canadian Multiculturalism Day (Canada)
    • Commemoration Day for the Victims of the Communist Regime (Czech Republic)
    • Day of Turkmen Workers of Culture and Art (Turkmenistan)
    • Helen Keller Day (United States)
    • Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Djibouti from France in 1977.
    • Mixed Race Day (Brazil)
    • National HIV Testing Day (United States)
    • National PTSD Awareness Day (United States)
    • Seven Sleepers’ Day or Siebenschläfertag (Germany)
    • Unity Day (Tajikistan)

  • June 21 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    This day usually marks the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere, which is the day of the year with the most hours of daylight in the Northern Hemisphere and the fewest hours of daylight in the Southern Hemisphere.

    June 21 in History

    • 533 – A Byzantine expeditionary fleet under Belisarius sails from Constantinople to attack the Vandals in Africa, via Greece and Sicily (approximate date).
    • 1307 – Külüg Khan is enthroned as Khagan of the Mongols and Wuzong of the Yuan.
    • 1529 – French forces are driven out of northern Italy by Spain at the Battle of Landriano during the War of the League of Cognac.
    • 1582 – Sengoku period: Oda Nobunaga, the most powerful of the Japanese daimyōs, is forced to commit suicide by his own general Akechi Mitsuhide.
    • 1621 – Execution of 27 Czech noblemen on the Old Town Square in Prague as a consequence of the Battle of White Mountain.
    • 1734 – In Montreal in New France, a slave known by the French name of Marie-Joseph Angélique is put to death, having been convicted of setting the fire that destroyed much of the city.
    • 1749 – Halifax, Nova Scotia, is founded.
    • 1768 – James Otis Jr. offends the King and Parliament in a speech to the Massachusetts General Court.
    • 1788 – New Hampshire becomes the ninth state to ratify the Constitution of the United States.
    • 1791 – King Louis XVI of France and his immediate family begin the Flight to Varennes during the French Revolution.
    • 1798 – Irish Rebellion of 1798: The British Army defeats Irish rebels at the Battle of Vinegar Hill.
    • 1813 – Peninsular War: Wellington defeats Joseph Bonaparte at the Battle of Vitoria.
    • 1824 – Greek War of Independence: Egyptian forces capture Psara in the Aegean Sea.
    • 1826 – Maniots defeat Egyptians under Ibrahim Pasha in the Battle of Vergas.
    • 1848 – In the Wallachian Revolution, Ion Heliade Rădulescu and Christian Tell issue the Proclamation of Islaz and create a new republican government.
    • 1864 – American Civil War: The Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road begins.
    • 1898 – The United States captures Guam from Spain. The few warning shots fired by the U.S. naval vessels are misinterpreted as salutes by the Spanish garrison, which was unaware that the two nations were at war.
    • 1900 – Boxer Rebellion. China formally declares war on the United States, Britain, Germany, France and Japan, as an edict issued from the Empress Dowager Cixi.
    • 1915 – The U.S. Supreme Court hands down its decision in Guinn v. United States 238 US 347 1915, striking down Oklahoma grandfather clause legislation which had the effect of denying the right to vote to blacks.
    • 1919 – The Royal Canadian Mounted Police fire a volley into a crowd of unemployed war veterans, killing two, during the Winnipeg general strike.
    • 1919 – Admiral Ludwig von Reuter scuttles the German fleet at Scapa Flow, Orkney. The nine sailors killed are the last casualties of World War I.
    • 1929 – An agreement brokered by U.S. Ambassador Dwight Whitney Morrow ends the Cristero War in Mexico.
    • 1930 – One-year conscription comes into force in France.
    • 1940 – World War II: Italy begins an unsuccessful invasion of France.
    • 1942 – World War II: Tobruk falls to Italian and German forces.
    • 1942 – World War II: A Japanese submarine surfaces near the Columbia River in Oregon, firing 17 shells at Fort Stevens in one of only a handful of attacks by Japan against the United States mainland.
    • 1945 – World War II: The Battle of Okinawa ends when the organized resistance of Imperial Japanese Army forces collapses in the Mabuni area on the southern tip of the main island.
    • 1952 – The Philippine School of Commerce, through a republic act, is converted to Philippine College of Commerce, later to be the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.
    • 1957 – Ellen Fairclough is sworn in as Canada’s first female Cabinet Minister.
    • 1963 – Cardinal Giovanni Battista Montini is elected as Pope Paul VI.
    • 1964 – Three civil rights workers, Andrew Goodman, James Chaney and Michael Schwerner, are murdered in Neshoba County, Mississippi, United States, by members of the Ku Klux Klan.
    • 1970 – Penn Central declares Section 77 bankruptcy in what was the largest U.S. corporate bankruptcy to date.
    • 1973 – In its decision in Miller v. California, 413 U.S. 15, the Supreme Court of the United States establishes the Miller test for determining whether something is obscene and not protected speech under the U.S. constitution.
    • 1978 – The original production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical, Evita, based on the life of Eva Perón, opens at the Prince Edward Theatre, London.
    • 1982 – John Hinckley is found not guilty by reason of insanity for the attempted assassination of U.S. President Ronald Reagan.
    • 1989 – The U.S. Supreme Court rules in Texas v. Johnson, 491 U.S. 397, that American flag-burning is a form of political protest protected by the First Amendment.
    • 2000 – Section 28 (of the Local Government Act 1988), outlawing the ‘promotion’ of homosexuality in the United Kingdom, is repealed in Scotland with a 99 to 17 vote.
    • 2001 – A federal grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia, indicts 13 Saudis and a Lebanese in the 1996 bombing of the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia that killed 19 American servicemen.
    • 2004 – SpaceShipOne becomes the first privately funded spaceplane to achieve spaceflight.
    • 2005 – Edgar Ray Killen, who had previously been unsuccessfully tried for the murders of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Mickey Schwerner, is convicted of manslaughter 41 years afterwards (the case had been reopened in 2004).
    • 2006 – Pluto’s newly discovered moons are officially named Nix and Hydra.
    • 2009 – Greenland assumes self-rule.
    • 2012 – A boat carrying more than 200 migrants capsizes in the Indian Ocean between the Indonesian island of Java and Christmas Island, killing 17 people and leaving 70 others missing.

    Births on June 21

    • 598 – Pope Martin I (d. 656)
    • 906 – Abu Ja’far Ahmad ibn Muhammad, Saffarid emir (d. 963)
    • 1002 – Pope Leo IX (d. 1054)
    • 1226 – Bolesław V the Chaste of Poland (d. 1279)
    • 1521 – John II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Haderslev (d. 1580)
    • 1528 – Maria of Austria, Holy Roman Empress (d. 1603)
    • 1535 – Leonhard Rauwolf, German physician and botanist (d. 1596)
    • 1630 – Samuel Oppenheimer, German Jewish banker and diplomat (d. 1703)
    • 1636 – Godefroy Maurice de La Tour d’Auvergne, Duke of Bouillon, French noble (d. 1721)
    • 1639 – Increase Mather, American minister and author (d. 1723)
    • 1676 – Anthony Collins, English philosopher and author (d. 1729)
    • 1706 – John Dollond, English optician and astronomer (d. 1761)
    • 1710 – James Short, Scottish-English mathematician and optician (d. 1768)
    • 1712 – Luc Urbain de Bouëxic, comte de Guichen, French admiral (d. 1790)
    • 1730 – Motoori Norinaga, Japanese poet and scholar (d. 1801)
    • 1732 – Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach, German pianist and composer (d. 1791)
    • 1736 – Enoch Poor, American general (d. 1780)
    • 1741 – Prince Benedetto, Duke of Chablais (d. 1808)
    • 1750 – Pierre-Nicolas Beauvallet, French sculptor and illustrator (d. 1818)
    • 1759 – Alexander J. Dallas, American lawyer and politician, 6th United States Secretary of the Treasury (d. 1817)
    • 1763 – Pierre Paul Royer-Collard, French philosopher and academic (d. 1845)
    • 1764 – Sidney Smith, English admiral and politician (d. 1840)
    • 1774 – Daniel D. Tompkins, American lawyer and politician, 6th Vice President of the United States (d. 1825)
    • 1781 – Siméon Denis Poisson, French mathematician and physicist (d. 1840)
    • 1786 – Charles Edward Horn, English singer-songwriter (d. 1849)
    • 1792 – Ferdinand Christian Baur, German theologian and scholar (d. 1860)
    • 1797 – Wilhelm Küchelbecker, Russian poet and author (d. 1846)
    • 1802 – Karl Zittel, German theologian (d. 1871)
    • 1805 – Karl Friedrich Curschmann, German composer and singer (d. 1841)
    • 1805 – Charles Thomas Jackson, American physician and geologist (d. 1880)
    • 1811 – Carlo Matteucci, Italian physicist and neurophysiologist (d. 1868)
    • 1814 – Anton Nuhn, German anatomist and academic (d. 1889)
    • 1823 – Jean Chacornac, French astronomer (d. 1873)
    • 1825 – Thomas Edward Cliffe Leslie, Irish economist and jurist (d. 1882)
    • 1825 – William Stubbs, English bishop and historian (d. 1901)
    • 1828 – Ferdinand André Fouqué, French geologist and academic (d. 1904)
    • 1828 – Nikolaus Nilles, German Catholic writer and teacher (d. 1907)
    • 1834 – Frans de Cort, Flemish poet and author (d. 1878)
    • 1836 – Luigi Tripepi, Italian theologian (d. 1906)
    • 1839 – Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis, Brazilian author, poet, and playwright (d. 1908)
    • 1845 – Samuel Griffith, Welsh-Australian politician, 9th Premier of Queensland (d. 1920)
    • 1845 – Arthur Cowper Ranyard, English astrophysicist and astronomer (d. 1894)
    • 1846 – Marion Adams-Acton, Scottish-English author and playwright (d. 1928)
    • 1846 – Enrico Coleman, Italian painter (d. 1911)
    • 1850 – Daniel Carter Beard, American author and illustrator, co-founded the Boy Scouts of America (d. 1941)
    • 1858 – Giuseppe De Sanctis, Italian painter (d. 1924)
    • 1858 – Medardo Rosso, Italian sculptor and educator (d. 1928)
    • 1859 – Henry Ossawa Tanner, American-French painter and illustrator (d. 1937)
    • 1862 – Damrong Rajanubhab, Thai historian and author (d. 1943)
    • 1863 – Max Wolf, German astronomer and academic (d. 1932)
    • 1864 – Heinrich Wölfflin, Swiss historian and critic (d. 1945)
    • 1867 – Oscar Florianus Bluemner, German-American painter and illustrator (d. 1938)
    • 1867 – William Brede Kristensen, Norwegian historian of religion (d. 1953)
    • 1868 – Edwin Stephen Goodrich, English zoologist and anatomist (d. 1946)
    • 1870 – Clara Immerwahr, Jewish-German chemist and academic (d. 1915)
    • 1870 – Anthony Michell, English-Australian engineer (d. 1959)
    • 1870 – Julio Ruelas, Mexican painter (d. 1907)
    • 1876 – Swami Kalyan Dev, philosopher  (d. 2004)
    • 1876 – Willem Hendrik Keesom, Dutch physicist and academic (d. 1956)
    • 1880 – Arnold Gesell, American psychologist and pediatrician (d. 1961)
    • 1880 – Josiah Stamp, 1st Baron Stamp, English economist and civil servant (d. 1941)
    • 1881 – (O.S.) Natalia Goncharova, Russian painter, costume designer, and illustrator (d. 1962)
    • 1882 – Lluís Companys, Spanish lawyer and politician, 123rd President of Catalonia (d. 1940)
    • 1882 – Adrianus de Jong, Dutch fencer and soldier (d. 1966)
    • 1882 – Rockwell Kent, American painter and illustrator (d. 1971)
    • 1883 – Feodor Gladkov, Russian author and educator (d. 1958)
    • 1884 – Claude Auchinleck, English field marshal (d. 1981)
    • 1887 – Norman L. Bowen, Canadian geologist and petrologist (d. 1956)
    • 1889 – Ralph Craig, American sprinter and sailor (d. 1972)
    • 1891 – Pier Luigi Nervi, Italian architect and engineer, co-designed the Pirelli Tower and Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption (d. 1979)
    • 1891 – Hermann Scherchen, German-Swiss viola player and conductor (d. 1966)
    • 1892 – Reinhold Niebuhr, American theologian and academic (d. 1971)
    • 1893 – Alois Hába, Czech composer and educator (d. 1973)
    • 1894 – Milward Kennedy, English journalist and civil servant (d. 1968)
    • 1896 – Charles Momsen, American admiral, invented the Momsen lung (d. 1967)
    • 1898 – Donald C. Peattie, American botanist and author (d. 1964)
    • 1899 – Pavel Haas, Czech composer (d. 1944)
    • 1903 – Hermann Engelhard, German runner and coach (d. 1984)
    • 1903 – Al Hirschfeld, American caricaturist, painter and illustrator (d. 2003)
    • 1905 – Jacques Goddet, French journalist (d. 2000)
    • 1905 – Jean-Paul Sartre, French philosopher and author (d. 1980)
    • 1908 – William Frankena, American philosopher and academic (d. 1994)
    • 1910 – Aleksandr Tvardovsky, Russian poet and author (d. 1971)
    • 1911 – Irving Fein, American producer and manager (d. 2012)
    • 1912 – Kazimierz Leski, Polish pilot and engineer (d. 2000)
    • 1912 – Mary McCarthy, American novelist and critic (d. 1989)
    • 1912 – Vishnu Prabhakar, Indian author and playwright (d. 2009)
    • 1913 – Madihe Pannaseeha Thero, Sri Lankan monk and scholar (d. 2003)
    • 1913 – Luis Taruc, Filipino political activist (d. 2005)
    • 1914 – William Vickrey, Canadian-American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1996)
    • 1915 – Wilhelm Gliese, German soldier and astronomer (d. 1993)
    • 1916 – Joseph Cyril Bamford, English businessman, founded J. C. Bamford (d. 2001)
    • 1916 – Tchan Fou-li, Chinese photographer (d. 2018)
    • 1916 – Herbert Friedman, American physicist and astronomer (d. 2000)
    • 1916 – Buddy O’Connor, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1977)
    • 1918 – Robert A. Boyd, Canadian engineer (d. 2006)
    • 1918 – James Joll, English historian, author, and academic (d. 1994)
    • 1918 – Eddie Lopat, American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 1992)
    • 1918 – Dee Molenaar, American mountaineer (d. 2020)
    • 1918 – Robert Roosa, American economist and banker (d. 1993)
    • 1918 – Tibor Szele, Hungarian mathematician and academic (d. 1955)
    • 1918 – Josephine Webb, American engineer
    • 1919 – Antonia Mesina, Italian martyr and saint (d. 1935)
    • 1919 – Gérard Pelletier, Canadian journalist and politician (d. 1997)
    • 1919 – Vladimir Simagin, Russian chess player and coach (d. 1968)
    • 1919 – Paolo Soleri, Italian-American architect, designed the Cosanti (d. 2013)
    • 1920 – Hans Gerschwiler, Swiss figure skater (d. 2017)
    • 1921 – Judy Holliday, American actress and singer (d. 1965)
    • 1921 – Jane Russell, American actress and singer (d. 2011)
    • 1921 – William Edwin Self, American actor, producer, and production manager (d. 2010)
    • 1922 – Joseph Ki-Zerbo, Burkinabé historian, politician and writer (d. 2006)
    • 1923 – Jacques Hébert, Canadian journalist and politician (d. 2007)
    • 1924 – Pontus Hultén, Swedish art collector and historian (d. 2006)
    • 1924 – Ezzatolah Entezami, Iranian actor (d. 2018)
    • 1924 – Wally Fawkes, British-Canadian jazz clarinetist and a satirical cartoonist
    • 1924 – Jean Laplanche, French psychoanalyst and academic (d. 2012)
    • 1925 – Larisa Avdeyeva, Russian mezzo-soprano (d. 2013)
    • 1925 – Stanley Moss, American poet, publisher, and art dealer
    • 1925 – Giovanni Spadolini, Italian journalist and politician, 45th Prime Minister of Italy (d. 1994)
    • 1925 – Maureen Stapleton, American actress (d. 2006)
    • 1926 – Fred Cone, American football player
    • 1926 – Conrad Hall, French-American cinematographer (d. 2003)
    • 1927 – Carl Stokes, American lawyer, politician, and diplomat, United States Ambassador to Seychelles (d. 1996)
    • 1928 – Wolfgang Haken, German-American mathematician and academic
    • 1928 – Fiorella Mari, Brazilian-Italian actress
    • 1928 – Margit Bara, Hungarian actress (d. 2016)
    • 1929 – Alexandre Lagoya, Egyptian-Greek guitarist and composer (d. 1999)
    • 1930 – Gerald Kaufman, English journalist and politician, Shadow Foreign Secretary (d. 2017)
    • 1930 – Mike McCormack, American football player and coach (d. 2013)
    • 1931 – Zlatko Grgić, Croatian-Canadian animator, director, and screenwriter (d. 1988)
    • 1931 – Margaret Heckler, American journalist, lawyer, and politician, 15th United States Secretary of Health and Human Services
    • 1931 – David Kushnir, Israeli Olympic long-jumper
    • 1932 – Bernard Ingham, English journalist and civil servant
    • 1932 – Lalo Schifrin, Argentinian pianist, composer, and conductor
    • 1932 – O.C. Smith, American R&B/jazz singer (d. 2001)
    • 1933 – Bernie Kopell, American actor and comedian
    • 1935 – Françoise Sagan, French author and playwright (d. 2004)
    • 1937 – John Edrich, English cricketer and coach
    • 1938 – Don Black, English songwriter
    • 1938 – John W. Dower, American historian and author
    • 1938 – Michael M. Richter, German mathematician and computer scientist
    • 1940 – Mariette Hartley, American actress and television personality
    • 1940 – Michael Ruse, Canadian philosopher and academic
    • 1941 – Aloysius Paul D’Souza, Indian bishop
    • 1941 – Joe Flaherty, American-Canadian actor, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1941 – Lyman Ward, Canadian actor
    • 1942 – Clive Brooke, Baron Brooke of Alverthorpe, English businessman and politician
    • 1942 – Marjorie Margolies, American journalist and politician
    • 1942 – Henry S. Taylor, American author and poet
    • 1942 – Togo D. West, Jr., American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 3rd United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs
    • 1943 – Eumir Deodato, Brazilian pianist, composer, and producer
    • 1943 – Diane Marleau, Canadian accountant and politician, Canadian Minister of Health (d. 2013)
    • 1943 – Brian Sternberg, American pole vaulter (d. 2013)
    • 1944 – Ray Davies, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1944 – Tony Scott, English-American director and producer (d. 2012)
    • 1945 – Robert Dewar, English-American computer scientist and academic (d. 2015)
    • 1945 – Adam Zagajewski, Polish author and poet
    • 1946 – Per Eklund, Swedish race car driver
    • 1946 – Kate Hoey, Northern Irish-British academic and politician, Minister for Sport and the Olympics
    • 1946 – Brenda Holloway, American singer-songwriter
    • 1946 – Trond Kirkvaag, Norwegian actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2007)
    • 1946 – Malcolm Rifkind, Scottish lawyer and politician, Secretary of State for Scotland
    • 1946 – Maurice Saatchi, Baron Saatchi, Iraqi-British businessman, founded M&C Saatchi and Saatchi & Saatchi
    • 1947 – Meredith Baxter, American actress
    • 1947 – Shirin Ebadi, Iranian lawyer, judge, and activist, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1947 – Michael Gross, American actor
    • 1947 – Joey Molland, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1947 – Wade Phillips, American football coach
    • 1947 – Fernando Savater, Spanish philosopher and author
    • 1948 – Jovan Aćimović, Serbian footballer and manager
    • 1948 – Ian McEwan, British novelist and screenwriter
    • 1948 – Andrzej Sapkowski, Polish author and translator
    • 1948 – Philippe Sarde, French composer and conductor
    • 1949 – John Agard, Guyanese-English author, poet, and playwright
    • 1949 – Derek Emslie, Lord Kingarth, Scottish lawyer and judge
    • 1950 – Anne Carson, Canadian poet and academic
    • 1950 – Joey Kramer, American rock drummer and songwriter (Aerosmith)
    • 1950 – Enn Reitel, Scottish actor and screenwriter
    • 1950 – Trygve Thue, Norwegian guitarist and record producer
    • 1950 – John Paul Young, Scottish-Australian singer-songwriter
    • 1951 – Jim Douglas, American academic and politician, 80th Governor of Vermont
    • 1951 – Terence Etherton, English lawyer and judge
    • 1951 – Alan Hudson, English footballer
    • 1951 – Nils Lofgren, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1951 – Lenore Manderson, Australian anthropologist and academic
    • 1951 – Mona-Lisa Pursiainen, Finnish sprinter (d. 2000)
    • 1952 – Judith Bingham, English singer-songwriter
    • 1952 – Jeremy Coney, New Zealand cricketer and sportscaster
    • 1952 – Patrick Dunleavy, English political scientist and academic
    • 1952 – Kōichi Mashimo, Japanese director and screenwriter
    • 1953 – Benazir Bhutto, Pakistani financier and politician, 11th Prime Minister of Pakistan (d. 2007)
    • 1954 – Már Guðmundsson, Icelandic economist, former Governor of Central Bank of Iceland
    • 1954 – Mark Kimmitt, American general and politician, 16th Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs
    • 1954 – Robert Menasse, Austrian author and academic
    • 1955 – Tim Bray, Canadian software developer and businessman
    • 1955 – Michel Platini, French footballer and manager
    • 1956 – Rick Sutcliffe, American baseball player and broadcaster
    • 1957 – Berkeley Breathed, American author and illustrator
    • 1957 – Luis Antonio Tagle, Filipino cardinal
    • 1958 – Víctor Montoya, Bolivian journalist and author
    • 1958 – Gennady Padalka, Russian colonel, pilot, and astronaut
    • 1959 – John Baron, English captain and politician
    • 1959 – Tom Chambers, American basketball player and sportscaster
    • 1959 – Marcella Detroit, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1959 – Kathy Mattea, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1960 – Kate Brown, American politician, 38th Governor of Oregon
    • 1960 – Karl Erjavec, Slovenian politician
    • 1961 – Manu Chao, French singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
    • 1961 – Sascha Konietzko, German keyboard player and producer
    • 1961 – Joko Widodo, Indonesian businessman and politician, 7th President of Indonesia
    • 1961 – Kip Winger, American rock singer-songwriter and musician
    • 1961 – Iztok Mlakar, Slovenian actor and singer-songwriter
    • 1962 – Shōhei Takada, Japanese shogi player and theoretician
    • 1962 – Viktor Tsoi, Russian singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1990)
    • 1963 – Dario Marianelli, Italian pianist and composer
    • 1963 – Mike Sherrard, American football player
    • 1964 – David Morrissey, English actor and director
    • 1964 – Dimitris Papaioannou, Greek director and choreographer
    • 1964 – Dean Saunders, Welsh footballer and manager
    • 1964 – Doug Savant, American actor
    • 1965 – David Beerling, English biologist and academic
    • 1965 – Yang Liwei, Chinese general, pilot, and astronaut
    • 1965 – Ewen McKenzie, Australian rugby player and coach
    • 1965 – Lana Wachowski, American director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1966 – Gretchen Carlson, American model and television journalist, Miss America 1989
    • 1967 – Jim Breuer, American comedian, actor, and producer
    • 1967 – Derrick Coleman, American basketball player and sportscaster
    • 1967 – Pierre Omidyar, French-American businessman, founded eBay
    • 1967 – Carrie Preston, American actress, director, and producer
    • 1967 – Yingluck Shinawatra, Thai businesswoman and politician, 28th Prime Minister of Thailand
    • 1968 – Sonique, English singer-songwriter and DJ
    • 1970 – Eric Reed, American pianist and composer
    • 1971 – Tyronne Drakeford, American football player
    • 1972 – Nobuharu Asahara, Japanese sprinter and long jumper
    • 1972 – Neil Doak, Northern Irish cricketer and rugby player
    • 1972 – Irene van Dyk, South African-New Zealand netball player
    • 1973 – Juliette Lewis, American actress and singer-songwriter
    • 1973 – John Mitchell, English guitarist, vocalist and songwriter
    • 1974 – Rob Kelly, American football player
    • 1974 – Craig Lowndes, Australian race car driver
    • 1974 – Flavio Roma, Italian footballer
    • 1975 – Brian Simmons, American football player
    • 1976 – Shelley Craft, Australian television host
    • 1976 – Mike Einziger, American guitarist and songwriter
    • 1976 – Nigel Lappin, Australian footballer and coach
    • 1977 – Michael Gomez, Irish boxer
    • 1977 – Al Wilson, American football player
    • 1978 – Thomas Blondeau, Flemish writer (d. 2013)
    • 1978 – Matt Kuchar, American golfer
    • 1978 – Cristiano Lupatelli, Italian footballer
    • 1978 – Gervase Markham, British software engineer (d. 2018)
    • 1978 – Dejan Ognjanović, Montenegrin footballer
    • 1978 – Rim’K, French rapper
    • 1979 – Kostas Katsouranis, Greek footballer
    • 1979 – Chris Pratt, American actor
    • 1980 – Michael Crocker, Australian rugby league player and sportscaster
    • 1980 – Łukasz Cyborowski, Polish chess player
    • 1980 – Richard Jefferson, American basketball player
    • 1980 – Sendy Rleal, Dominican baseball player
    • 1981 – Yann Danis, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1981 – Garrett Jones, American baseball player
    • 1981 – Brandon Flowers, American singer-songwriter
    • 1981 – Brad Walker, American pole vaulter
    • 1982 – Lee Dae-ho, South Korean baseball player
    • 1982 – Prince William, Duke of Cambridge
    • 1982 – Jussie Smollett, American actor and singer
    • 1983 – Edward Snowden, American activist and academic
    • 1985 – Lana Del Rey, American singer-songwriter
    • 1985 – Sentayehu Ejigu, Ethiopian runner
    • 1985 – Byron Schammer, Australian footballer
    • 1986 – Kathleen O’Kelly-Kennedy, Australian wheelchair basketball player
    • 1986 – Hideaki Wakui, Japanese baseball player
    • 1987 – Pablo Barrera, Mexican footballer
    • 1987 – Sebastian Prödl, Austrian footballer
    • 1987 – Dale Thomas, Australian footballer
    • 1988 – Allyssa DeHaan, American basketball and volleyball player
    • 1988 – Paolo Tornaghi, Italian footballer
    • 1988 – Thaddeus Young, American basketball player
    • 1989 – Abubaker Kaki, Sudanese runner
    • 1990 – Ričardas Berankis, Lithuanian tennis player
    • 1990 – Lunar C, English rapper
    • 1990 – François Moubandje, Swiss footballer
    • 1990 – Håvard Nordtveit, Norwegian footballer
    • 1991 – Gaël Kakuta, French footballer
    • 1992 – MAX, American singer, songwriter, actor, dancer and model
    • 1994 – Başak Eraydın, Turkish tennis player
    • 1996 – Tyrone May, Australian rugby league player
    • 1997 – Rebecca Black, American singer-songwriter
    • 1997 – Derrius Guice, American football player
    • 2011 – Lil Bub, American celebrity cat

    Deaths on June 21

    • 532 – Emperor Jiemin of Northern Wei, former Northern Wei emperor
    • 866 – Rodulf, Frankish archbishop
    • 868 – Ali al-Hadi, the tenth Imam of Shia Islam (b. 829)
    • 870 – Al-Muhtadi, Muslim caliph
    • 947 – Zhang Li, official of the Liao Dynasty
    • 1040 – Fulk III, Count of Anjou (b. 972)
    • 1171 – Walter de Luci, French-English monk (b. 1103)
    • 1208 – Philip of Swabia (b. 1177)
    • 1305 – Wenceslaus II of Bohemia (b. 1271)
    • 1359 – Erik Magnusson, king of Sweden (b. 1339)
    • 1377 – Edward III of England (b. 1312)
    • 1421 – Jean Le Maingre, French general (b. 1366)
    • 1527 – Niccolò Machiavelli, Italian historian and author (b. 1469)
    • 1529 – John Skelton, English poet and educator (b. 1460)
    • 1547 – Sebastiano del Piombo, Italian painter and educator (b. 1485)
    • 1558 – Piero Strozzi, Italian general (b. 1510)
    • 1582 – Oda Nobunaga, Japanese warlord (b. 1534)
    • 1585 – Henry Percy, 8th Earl of Northumberland (b. 1532)
    • 1591 – Aloysius Gonzaga, Italian saint (b. 1568)
    • 1596 – Jean Liebault, French agronomist and physician (b. 1535)
    • 1621 – Louis III, Cardinal of Guise (b. 1575)
    • 1621 – Kryštof Harant, Czech soldier and composer (b. 1564)
    • 1622 – Salomon Schweigger, German theologian (b. 1551)
    • 1631 – John Smith, English admiral and explorer (b. 1580)
    • 1652 – Inigo Jones, English architect, designed the Queen’s House and Wilton House (b. 1573)
    • 1661 – Andrea Sacchi, Italian painter (b. 1599)
    • 1737 – Matthieu Marais, French author, critic, and jurist (b. 1664)
    • 1738 – Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount Townshend, English politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (b. 1674)
    • 1796 – Richard Gridley, American soldier and engineer (b. 1710)
    • 1824 – Étienne Aignan, French playwright and translator (b. 1773)
    • 1865 – Frances Adeline Seward, American wife of William H. Seward (b. 1824)
    • 1874 – Anders Jonas Ångström, Swedish physicist and astronomer (b. 1814)
    • 1876 – Antonio López de Santa Anna, Mexican general and politician 8th President of Mexico (b. 1794)
    • 1880 – Theophilus H. Holmes, American general (b. 1804)
    • 1893 – Leland Stanford, American businessman and politician, 8th Governor of California (b. 1824)
    • 1908 – Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Russian composer and educator (b. 1844)
    • 1914 – Bertha von Suttner, Austrian journalist and author, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1843)
    • 1929 – Leonard Trelawny Hobhouse, English sociologist, journalist, and academic (b. 1864)
    • 1934 – Thorne Smith, American author (b. 1892)
    • 1940 – Smedley Butler, American general, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1881)
    • 1940 – Édouard Vuillard, French painter (b. 1868)
    • 1951 – Charles Dillon Perrine, American astronomer (b. 1867)
    • 1951 – Gustave Sandras, French gymnast (b. 1872)
    • 1952 – Wop May, Canadian captain and pilot (b. 1896)
    • 1954 – Gideon Sundback, Swedish-American engineer, developed the zipper (b. 1880)
    • 1957 – Claude Farrère, French captain and author (b. 1876)
    • 1957 – Johannes Stark, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1874)
    • 1964 – James Chaney, American civil rights activist (b. 1943)
    • 1964 – Andrew Goodman, American civil rights activist (b. 1943)
    • 1964 – Michael Schwerner, American civil rights activist (b. 1939)
    • 1967 – Theodore Sizer, American professor of the history of art (b. 1892)
    • 1969 – Maureen Connolly, American tennis player (b. 1934)
    • 1970 – Sukarno, Indonesian engineer and politician, 1st President of Indonesia (b. 1901)
    • 1970 – Piers Courage, English race car driver (b. 1942)
    • 1976 – Margaret Herrick, American librarian (b. 1902)
    • 1980 – Bert Kaempfert, German conductor and composer (b. 1923)
    • 1981 – Don Figlozzi, American illustrator and animator (b. 1909)
    • 1985 – Hector Boyardee, Italian-American chef and businessman, founded Chef Boyardee (b. 1897)
    • 1985 – Tage Erlander, Swedish lieutenant and politician, 25th Prime Minister of Sweden (b. 1901)
    • 1986 – Assi Rahbani, Lebanese singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1923)
    • 1987 – Madman Muntz, American engineer and businessman, founded the Muntz Car Company (b. 1914)
    • 1988 – Bobby Dodd, American football coach (b. 1908)
    • 1990 – Cedric Belfrage, English journalist and author, co-founded the National Guardian (b. 1904)
    • 1990 – June Christy, American singer (b. 1925)
    • 1992 – Ben Alexander, Australian rugby league player (b. 1971)
    • 1992 – Arthur Gorrie, Australian hobby shop proprietor (b. 1922)
    • 1992 – Rudra Mohammad Shahidullah, Bangladeshi poet, author, and playwright (b. 1956)
    • 1992 – Li Xiannian, Chinese captain and politician, 3rd President of the People’s Republic of China (b. 1909)
    • 1994 – William Wilson Morgan, American astronomer and astrophysicist (b. 1906)
    • 1997 – Shintaro Katsu, Japanese actor, singer, director, and producer (b. 1931)
    • 1997 – Fidel Velázquez Sánchez, Mexican trade union leader (b. 1900)
    • 1998 – Harry Cranbrook Allen, English historian (b. 1917)
    • 1998 – Anastasio Ballestrero, Italian cardinal (b. 1913)
    • 1998 – Al Campanis, American baseball player and manager (b. 1916)
    • 1999 – Kami, Japanese drummer (b. 1973)
    • 2000 – Alan Hovhaness, Armenian-American pianist and composer (b. 1911)
    • 2001 – John Lee Hooker, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1917)
    • 2001 – Soad Hosny, Egyptian actress and singer (b. 1942)
    • 2001 – Carroll O’Connor, American actor and producer (b. 1924)
    • 2002 – Timothy Findley, Canadian author and playwright (b. 1930)
    • 2003 – Roger Neilson, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1934)
    • 2003 – Leon Uris, American soldier and author (b. 1924)
    • 2004 – Leonel Brizola, Brazilian engineer and politician, Governor of Rio de Janeiro (b. 1922)
    • 2004 – Ruth Leach Amonette, American businesswoman (b. 1916)
    • 2005 – Jaime Sin, Filipino cardinal (b. 1928)
    • 2006 – Jared C. Monti, American sergeant, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1975)
    • 2007 – Bob Evans, American businessman, founded Bob Evans Restaurants (b. 1918)
    • 2008 – Scott Kalitta, American race car driver (b. 1962)
    • 2010 – Russell Ash, English author (b. 1946)
    • 2010 – Irwin Barker, Canadian actor and screenwriter (b. 1956)
    • 2010 – İlhan Selçuk, Turkish lawyer, journalist, and author (b. 1925)
    • 2011 – Robert Kroetsch, Canadian author and poet (b. 1927)
    • 2012 – Richard Adler, American composer and producer (b. 1921)
    • 2012 – Abid Hussain, Indian economist and diplomat, Indian Ambassador to the United States (b. 1926)
    • 2012 – Sunil Janah, Indian photographer and journalist (b. 1918)
    • 2012 – Anna Schwartz, American economist and author (b. 1915)
    • 2013 – James P. Gordon, American physicist and academic (b. 1928)
    • 2013 – Elliott Reid, American actor and screenwriter (b. 1920)
    • 2014 – Yozo Ishikawa, Japanese politician, Japanese Minister of Defense (b. 1925)
    • 2014 – Walter Kieber, Austrian-Liechtenstein politician, 7th Prime Minister of Liechtenstein (b. 1931)
    • 2014 – Wong Ho Leng, Malaysian lawyer and politician (b. 1959)
    • 2015 – Darryl Hamilton, American baseball player and sportscaster (b. 1964)
    • 2015 – Veijo Meri, Finnish author and poet (b. 1928)
    • 2015 – Remo Remotti, Italian actor, playwright, and poet (b. 1924)
    • 2015 – Alexander Schalck-Golodkowski, German soldier and politician (b. 1932)
    • 2015 – Gunther Schuller, American horn player, composer, and conductor (b. 1925)
    • 2016 – Pierre Lalonde, Canadian television host and singer (b. 1941)
    • 2018 – Charles Krauthammer, American columnist and conservative political commentator (b.1950)

    Holidays and observances on June 21

    • Christian feast day:
      • Alban of Mainz
      • Aloysius Gonzaga
      • Engelmund of Velsen
      • Martin of Tongres
      • Onesimos Nesib (Lutheran)
      • June 21 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Day of the Martyrs (Togo)
    • Father’s Day (Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Uganda, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates)
    • Go Skateboarding Day
    • International Yoga Day (international)
    • National Aboriginal Day (Canada)
    • Solstice-related observances (see also June 20):
      • Day of Private Reflection
      • International Surfing Day
      • National Day (Greenland)
      • We Tripantu, a winter solstice festival in the southern hemisphere. (Mapuche, southern Chile)
      • Willkakuti, an Andean-Amazonic New Year (Aymara)
      • Fête de la Musique
    • World Humanist Day (Humanism)
    • World Hydrography Day (international)

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

    • 763 BC – Assyrians record a solar eclipse that is later used to fix the chronology of Mesopotamian history.
    • 844 – Louis II is crowned as king of Italy at Rome by pope Sergius II.
    • 923 – Battle of Soissons: King Robert I of France is killed and King Charles the Simple is arrested by the supporters of Duke Rudolph of Burgundy.
    • 1184 – The naval Battle of Fimreite is won by the Birkebeiner pretender Sverre Sigurdsson. Sigurdsson takes the Norwegian throne and King Magnus V of Norway is killed.
    • 1215 – King John of England puts his seal to Magna Carta.
    • 1219 – Northern Crusades: Danish victory at the Battle of Lindanise (modern-day Tallinn) establishes the Danish Duchy of Estonia.
    • 1246 – With the death of Frederick II, Duke of Austria, the Babenberg dynasty ends in Austria.
    • 1300 – The city of Bilbao is founded.
    • 1312 – At the Battle of Rozgony, King Charles I of Hungary wins a decisive victory over the family of Palatine Amade Aba.
    • 1389 – Battle of Kosovo: The Ottoman Empire defeats Serbs and Bosnians.
    • 1410 – In a decisive battle at Onon River, the Mongol forces of Oljei Temur were decimated by the Chinese armies of the Yongle Emperor.
    • 1502 – Christopher Columbus lands on the island of Martinique on his fourth voyage.
    • 1520 – Pope Leo X threatens to excommunicate Martin Luther in Exsurge Domine.
    • 1648 – Margaret Jones is hanged in Boston for witchcraft in the first such execution for the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
    • 1667 – The first human blood transfusion is administered by Dr. Jean-Baptiste Denys.
    • 1670 – The first stone of Fort Ricasoli is laid down in Malta.
    • 1752 – Benjamin Franklin proves that lightning is electricity (traditional date, the exact date is unknown).
    • 1776 – Delaware Separation Day: Delaware votes to suspend government under the British Crown and separate officially from Pennsylvania.
    • 1800 – The Provisional Army of the United States is dissolved.
    • 1804 – New Hampshire approves the Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratifying the document.
    • 1808 – Joseph Bonaparte becomes King of Spain.
    • 1836 – Arkansas is admitted as the 25th U.S. state.
    • 1844 – Charles Goodyear receives a patent for vulcanization, a process to strengthen rubber.
    • 1846 – The Oregon Treaty extends the border between the United States and British North America, established by the Treaty of 1818, westward to the Pacific Ocean.
    • 1859 – Ambiguity in the Oregon Treaty leads to the “Northwestern Boundary Dispute” between American and British/Canadian settlers.
    • 1864 – American Civil War: The Second Battle of Petersburg begins.
    • 1864 – Arlington National Cemetery is established when 200 acres (0.81 km2) of the Arlington estate (formerly owned by Confederate General Robert E. Lee) are officially set aside as a military cemetery by U.S. Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton.
    • 1877 – Henry Ossian Flipper becomes the first African American cadet to graduate from the United States Military Academy.
    • 1878 – Eadweard Muybridge takes a series of photographs to prove that all four feet of a horse leave the ground when it runs; the study becomes the basis of motion pictures.
    • 1888 – Crown Prince Wilhelm becomes Kaiser Wilhelm II; he will be the last Emperor of the German Empire. Due to the death of his predecessors Wilhelm I and Frederick III, 1888 is the Year of the Three Emperors.
    • 1896 – The deadliest tsunami in Japan’s history kills more than 22,000 people.
    • 1904 – A fire aboard the steamboat SS General Slocum in New York City’s East River kills 1,000.
    • 1916 – United States President Woodrow Wilson signs a bill incorporating the Boy Scouts of America, making them the only American youth organization with a federal charter.
    • 1919 – John Alcock and Arthur Brown complete the first nonstop transatlantic flight when they reach Clifden, County Galway, Ireland.
    • 1920 – Following the 1920 Schleswig plebiscites, Northern Schleswig is transferred from Germany to Denmark.
    • 1921 – Bessie Coleman earns her pilot’s license, becoming the first female pilot of African-American descent.
    • 1934 – The United States Great Smoky Mountains National Park is founded.
    • 1936 – First flight of the Vickers Wellington bomber.
    • 1937 – A German expedition led by Karl Wien loses sixteen members in an avalanche on Nanga Parbat. It is the worst single disaster to occur on an 8000m peak.
    • 1940 – World War II: Operation Ariel begins: Allied troops start to evacuate France, following Germany’s takeover of Paris and most of the nation.
    • 1944 – World War II: The United States invades Saipan, capital of Japan’s South Seas Mandate.
    • 1944 – In the Saskatchewan general election, the CCF, led by Tommy Douglas, is elected and forms the first socialist government in North America.
    • 1970 – Charles Manson goes on trial for the Sharon Tate murders.
    • 1972 – Red Army Faction co-founder Ulrike Meinhof is captured by police in Langenhagen.
    • 1977 – After the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975, the first democratic elections took place in Spain.
    • 1978 – King Hussein of Jordan marries American Lisa Halaby, who takes the name Queen Noor.
    • 1985 – Rembrandt’s painting Danaë is attacked by a man (later judged insane) who throws sulfuric acid on the canvas and cuts it twice with a knife.
    • 1991 – In the Philippines, Mount Pinatubo erupts in the second largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century, killing over 800 people.
    • 1992 – The United States Supreme Court rules in United States v. Álvarez-Machaín that it is permissible for the United States to forcibly extradite suspects in foreign countries and bring them to the United States for trial, without approval from those other countries.
    • 1994 – Israel and Vatican City establish full diplomatic relations.
    • 1996 – The Troubles: The Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) detonates a powerful truck bomb in the middle of Manchester, England, devastating the city centre and injuring 200 people.
    • 2001 – Leaders of the People’s Republic of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan formed the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
    • 2012 – Nik Wallenda becomes the first person to successfully tightrope walk directly over Niagara Falls.
    • 2013 – A bomb explodes on a bus in the Pakistani city of Quetta, killing at least 25 people and wounding 22 others.

    Births on June 15

    • 1330 – Edward, the Black Prince of England (d. 1376)
    • 1479 – Lisa del Giocondo, Italian model, subject of the Mona Lisa (d. 1542)
    • 1519 – Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset, English politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (d. 1536)
    • 1542 – Richard Grenville, English captain and explorer (d. 1591)
    • 1549 – Elizabeth Knollys, English noblewoman (d. 1605)
    • 1553 – Archduke Ernest of Austria (d. 1595)
    • 1605 – Thomas Randolph, English poet and playwright (d. 1635)
    • 1618 – François Blondel, French architect (d. 1686)
    • 1623 – Cornelis de Witt, Dutch politician (d. 1672)
    • 1624 – Hiob Ludolf, German orientalist and philologist (d. 1704)
    • 1640 – Bernard Lamy, French mathematician and theologian (d. 1715)
    • 1645 – Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin, English politician (d. 1712)
    • 1749 – Georg Joseph Vogler, German organist, composer, and theorist (d. 1814)
    • 1754 – Juan José Elhuyar, Spanish chemist and mineralogist (d. 1796)
    • 1755 – Antoine François, comte de Fourcroy, French chemist and entomologist (d. 1809)
    • 1763 – Franz Danzi, German cellist, composer, and conductor (d. 1826)
    • 1763 – Kobayashi Issa, Japanese priest and poet (d. 1827)
    • 1765 – Martin Baum, American businessman and politician, Mayor of Cincinnati (d. 1831)
    • 1765 – Johann Gottlieb Friedrich von Bohnenberger, German astronomer and mathematician (d. 1831)
    • 1767 – Rachel Jackson, American wife of Andrew Jackson (d. 1828)
    • 1777 – David Daniel Davis, Welsh physician and academic (d. 1841)
    • 1789 – Josiah Henson, American minister, author, and activist (d. 1883)
    • 1792 – Thomas Mitchell, Scottish-Australian colonel and explorer (d. 1855)
    • 1801 – Benjamin Wright Raymond, American merchant and politician, 3rd Mayor of Chicago (d. 1883)
    • 1805 – William B. Ogden, American businessman and politician, 1st Mayor of Chicago (d. 1877)
    • 1809 – François-Xavier Garneau, Canadian poet and historian (d. 1866)
    • 1835 – Adah Isaacs Menken, American actress, painter, and poet (d. 1868)
    • 1843 – Edvard Grieg, Norwegian pianist and composer (d. 1907)
    • 1848 – Gheevarghese Mar Gregorios of Parumala, Indian bishop and saint (d. 1902)
    • 1872 – Thomas William Burgess, English swimmer and water polo player (d. 1950)
    • 1875 – Herman Smith-Johannsen, Norwegian-Canadian skier (d. 1987)
    • 1878 – Margaret Abbott, Indian-American golfer (d. 1955)
    • 1881 – Kesago Nakajima, Japanese lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese Army (d. 1945)
    • 1884 – Harry Langdon, American actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1944)
    • 1886 – Frank Clement, British racing driver (d. 1970)
    • 1888 – Ramón López Velarde, Mexican poet and author (d. 1921)
    • 1890 – Georg Wüst, German oceanographer and academic (d. 1977)
    • 1894 – Robert Russell Bennett, American composer and conductor (d. 1981)
    • 1894 – Nikolai Chebotaryov, Ukrainian-Russian mathematician and theorist (d. 1947)
    • 1898 – Hubertus Strughold, German-American physiologist and academic (d. 1986)
    • 1900 – Gotthard Günther, German philosopher and academic (d. 1984)
    • 1900 – Otto Luening, German-American composer and conductor (d. 1996)
    • 1901 – Elmar Lohk, Russian-Estonian architect (d. 1963)
    • 1902 – Erik Erikson, German-American psychologist and psychoanalyst (d. 1994)
    • 1906 – Gordon Welchman, English-American mathematician and author (d. 1985)
    • 1906 – Léon Degrelle, Belgian SS officer (d. 1994)
    • 1907 – James Robertson Justice, English actor and educator (d. 1975)
    • 1909 – Elena Nikolaidi, Greek-American soprano and educator (d. 2002)
    • 1910 – David Rose, English-American pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1990)
    • 1911 – Wilbert Awdry, English author, co-created Thomas the Tank Engine (d. 1997)
    • 1913 – Tom Adair, American songwriter, composer, and screenwriter (d. 1988)
    • 1914 – Yuri Andropov, Russian politician (d. 1984)
    • 1914 – Saul Steinberg, Romanian-American cartoonist (d. 1999)
    • 1914 – Hilda Terry, American cartoonist (d. 2006)
    • 1915 – Nini Theilade, Danish ballet dancer, choreographer, and educator (d. 2018)
    • 1915 – Thomas Huckle Weller, American biologist and virologist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2008)
    • 1916 – Olga Erteszek, Polish-American fashion designer (d. 1989)
    • 1916 – Horacio Salgán, Argentinian pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 2016)
    • 1916 – Herbert A. Simon, American political scientist and economist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2001)
    • 1917 – John Fenn, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2010)
    • 1917 – Michalis Genitsaris, Greek singer-songwriter (d. 2005)
    • 1917 – Lash LaRue, American actor and producer (d. 1996)
    • 1918 – François Tombalbaye, Chadian politician, 1st President of Chad (d. 1975)
    • 1920 – Keith Andrews, American race car driver (d. 1957)
    • 1920 – Alla Kazanskaya, Russian actress (d. 2008)
    • 1920 – Sam Sniderman, Canadian businessman, founded Sam the Record Man (d. 2012)
    • 1920 – Alberto Sordi, Italian actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2003)
    • 1921 – Erroll Garner, American pianist and composer (d. 1977)
    • 1922 – Jaki Byard, American pianist and composer (d. 1999)
    • 1923 – Erland Josephson, Swedish actor and director (d. 2012)
    • 1923 – Ninian Stephen, English-Australian lieutenant, judge, and politician, 20th Governor-General of Australia (d. 2017)
    • 1924 – Hédi Fried, Swedish author and psychologist
    • 1924 – Ezer Weizman, Israeli general and politician, 7th President of Israel (d. 2005)
    • 1925 – Richard Baker, English journalist and author (d. 2018)
    • 1925 – Attilâ İlhan, Turkish poet, author, and critic (d. 2005)
    • 1926 – Alfred Duraiappah, Sri Lankan Tamil lawyer and politician (d. 1975)
    • 1927 – Ross Andru, American illustrator (d. 1993)
    • 1927 – Ibn-e-Insha, Indian-Pakistani poet and author (d. 1978)
    • 1927 – Hugo Pratt, Italian author and illustrator (d. 1995)
    • 1930 – Miguel Méndez, American author and academic (d. 2013)
    • 1930 – Marcel Pronovost, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 2015)
    • 1931 – Joseph Gilbert, English air marshal
    • 1931 – Brian Sewell, English art dealer and critic (d. 2015)
    • 1932 – David Alliance, Baron Alliance, Iranian-English businessman and politician
    • 1932 – Mario Cuomo, American lawyer and politician, 52nd Governor of New York (d. 2015)
    • 1932 – Zia Fariduddin Dagar, Indian singer (d. 2013)
    • 1932 – Bernie Faloney, American-Canadian football player and sportscaster (d. 1999)
    • 1933 – Mohammad-Ali Rajai, Iranian politician, 2nd President of Iran (d. 1981)
    • 1933 – Predrag Koraksić Corax, Serbian political caricaturist
    • 1934 – Ruby Nash Garnett, American R&B singer
    • 1936 – William Levada, American cardinal
    • 1937 – Pierre Billon, Swiss-Canadian author and screenwriter
    • 1937 – Waylon Jennings, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2002)
    • 1938 – Billy Williams, American baseball player and coach
    • 1939 – Ward Connerly, American activist and businessman, founded the American Civil Rights Institute
    • 1941 – Neal Adams, American illustrator
    • 1941 – Harry Nilsson, American singer-songwriter (d. 1994)
    • 1942 – Ian Greenberg, Canadian broadcaster, founded Astral Media
    • 1942 – John E. McLaughlin, American diplomat
    • 1942 – Peter Norman, Australian sprinter (d. 2006)
    • 1943 – Johnny Hallyday, French singer and actor (d. 2017)
    • 1943 – Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, Danish politician, 38th Prime Minister of Denmark
    • 1944 – Robert D. Keppel, American police officer and academic
    • 1945 – Miriam Defensor Santiago, Filipino judge and politician (d. 2016)
    • 1945 – Robert Sarah, Guinean cardinal
    • 1945 – Lawrence Wilkerson, American colonel
    • 1946 – Noddy Holder, English rock singer-songwriter, musician, and actor
    • 1946 – John Horner, American paleontologist and academic
    • 1946 – Demis Roussos, Egyptian-Greek singer-songwriter and bass player (d. 2015)
    • 1947 – John Hoagland, American photographer and journalist (d. 1984)
    • 1948 – Mike Holmgren, American football player and coach
    • 1948 – Alan Huckle, English politician and diplomat, Governor of Anguilla
    • 1948 – Henry McLeish, Scottish footballer, academic, and politician, 2nd First Minister of Scotland
    • 1949 – Dusty Baker, American baseball player and manager
    • 1949 – Simon Callow, English actor and director
    • 1949 – Russell Hitchcock, Australian singer-songwriter
    • 1949 – Jim Varney, American actor, comedian, and screenwriter (d. 2000)
    • 1950 – Uğur Erdener, Turkish ophthalmologist and professor
    • 1950 – Juliana Azumah-Mensah, Ghanaian nurse and politician
    • 1950 – Deney Terrio, American choreographer and host of the television musical variety series Dance Fever
    • 1950 – Lakshmi Mittal, Indian-English businessman
    • 1951 – Jane Amsterdam, American magazine and newspaper editor (Manhattan, inc., New York Post)
    • 1951 – Vance A. Larson, American painter (d. 2000)
    • 1951 – John Redwood, English politician, Secretary of State for Wales
    • 1951 – Steve Walsh, American rock singer-songwriter and musician
    • 1952 – Satya Pal Jain, Indian lawyer and politician, Additional Solicitor General of India
    • 1953 – Vilma Bardauskienė, Lithuanian long jumper
    • 1953 – Marc Brickman, American lighting and production designer
    • 1953 – Eje Elgh, Swedish racing driver and sportscaster
    • 1953 – Xi Jinping, Chinese engineer and politician, General Secretary of the Communist Party and President of China
    • 1953 – Raphael Wallfisch, English cellist and educator
    • 1954 – Jim Belushi, American actor
    • 1954 – Terri Gibbs, American country music singer and keyboard player
    • 1954 – Paul Rusesabagina, Rwandan humanitarian
    • 1954 – Zdeňka Šilhavá, Czech discus thrower and shot putter
    • 1954 – Beverley Whitfield, Australian swimmer (d. 1996)
    • 1955 – Polly Draper, American actress, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1955 – Julie Hagerty, American model and actress
    • 1956 – Yevgeny Kiselyov, Russian-Ukrainian journalist
    • 1956 – Lance Parrish, American baseball player, coach, and manager
    • 1958 – Wade Boggs, American baseball player
    • 1958 – Riccardo Paletti, Italian racing driver (d. 1982)
    • 1959 – Alan Brazil, Scottish footballer and sportscaster
    • 1959 – Eileen Davidson, American model and actress
    • 1960 – Michèle Laroque, French actress, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1960 – Marieke van Doorn, Dutch field hockey player and coach
    • 1961 – Dave McAuley, Irish boxer and sportscaster
    • 1961 – Scott Norton, American wrestler
    • 1962 – Brad Armstrong, American wrestler (d. 2012)
    • 1962 – Chris Morris, English actor, satirist, director, and producer
    • 1962 – Andrea Rost, Hungarian soprano
    • 1963 – Marina Azyabina, Russian hurdler
    • 1963 – Mario Gosselin, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
    • 1963 – Helen Hunt, American actress, director, and producer
    • 1964 – Courteney Cox, American actress and producer
    • 1964 – Michael Laudrup, Danish footballer and manager
    • 1965 – Annelies Bredael, Belgian rower
    • 1965 – Karim Massimov, Kazakhstani politician, 7th Prime Minister of Kazakhstan
    • 1965 – Adam Smith, American lawyer and politician
    • 1966 – Raimonds Vējonis, Latvian politician, 9th President of Latvia
    • 1968 – Károly Güttler, Hungarian swimmer
    • 1969 – Jesse Bélanger, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1969 – Ice Cube, American rapper, producer, and actor
    • 1969 – Idalis DeLeón, American singer and actress
    • 1969 – Nasos Galakteros, Greek basketball player
    • 1969 – Oliver Kahn, German footballer and sportscaster
    • 1969 – Maurice Odumbe, Kenyan cricketer
    • 1969 – Cédric Pioline, French tennis player
    • 1970 – Christian Bauman, American soldier and author
    • 1970 – David Bayssari, Australian rugby league player
    • 1970 – Gaëlle Méchaly, French soprano
    • 1970 – Leah Remini, American actress and producer
    • 1970 – Žan Tabak, Croatian basketball player and coach
    • 1971 – Christos Myriounis, Greek basketball player
    • 1971 – Jake Busey, American actor, musician, and film producer
    • 1972 – Justin Leonard, American golfer
    • 1972 – Andy Pettitte, American baseball player
    • 1973 – Tore Andre Flo, Norwegian footballer and coach
    • 1973 – Neil Patrick Harris, American actor and singer
    • 1973 – Pia Miranda, Australian actress
    • 1976 – Jiří Ryba, Czech decathlete
    • 1977 – Michael Doleac, American basketball player and manager
    • 1978 – Wilfred Bouma, Dutch footballer
    • 1978 – Zach Day, American baseball player
    • 1979 – Yulia Nestsiarenka, Belarusian sprinter
    • 1979 – Christian Rahn, German footballer
    • 1979 – Charles Zwolsman, Jr., Dutch racing driver
    • 1980 – David Lyons, Australian rugby player
    • 1981 – John Paintsil, Ghanaian footballer
    • 1982 – Mike Delany, New Zealand rugby player
    • 1982 – Abdur Razzak, Bangladeshi cricketer
    • 1983 – Julia Fischer, German violinist and pianist[citation needed]
    • 1983 – Laura Imbruglia, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist[citation needed]
    • 1983 – Josh McGuire, Canadian fencer
    • 1984 – Luke Hodge, Australian footballer
    • 1984 – Eva Hrdinová, Czech tennis player
    • 1984 – Tim Lincecum, American baseball player
    • 1984 – Edison Toloza, Colombian footballer
    • 1985 – Ashley Nicole Black, American comedian, actress, and writer
    • 1986 – James Maloney, Australian rugby league player
    • 1986 – Trevor Plouffe, American baseball player
    • 1989 – Víctor Cabedo, Spanish cyclist (d. 2012)
    • 1989 – Bryan Clauson, American race car driver (d. 2016)
    • 1992 – Michał Kopczyński, Polish footballer
    • 1992 – Mohamed Salah, Egyptian footballer
    • 1992 – Dafne Schippers, Dutch heptathlete and sprinter
    • 1993 – Irfan Hadžić, Bosnian footballer
    • 1994 – Inaki Williams, Basque footballer
    • 1997 – Madison Kocian, American gymnast

    Deaths on June 15

    • 923 – Robert I of France (b. 866)
    • 948 – Romanos I Lekapenos, Byzantine Emperor (b. c. 870)
    • 952 – Murong Yanchao, Chinese general
    • 960 – Eadburh of Winchester, English princess and saint
    • 970 – Adalbert, bishop of Passau
    • 991 – Theophanu, Byzantine wife of Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 960)
    • 1073 – Emperor Go-Sanjō of Japan (b. 1034)
    • 1184 – Magnus Erlingsson, King of Norway (b. 1156)
    • 1189 – Minamoto no Yoshitsune, Japanese general (b. 1159)
    • 1246 – Frederick II, Duke of Austria (b. 1219)
    • 1337 – Angelo da Clareno, Italian Franciscan and leader of a group of Fraticelli (b. 1247)
    • 1341 – Andronikos III Palaiologos, Byzantine emperor (b. 1297)
    • 1381 – John Cavendish, English lawyer and judge (b. 1346)
    • 1381 – Wat Tyler, English rebel leader (b. 1341)
    • 1383 – John VI Kantakouzenos, Byzantine emperor (b. 1292)
    • 1383 – Matthew Kantakouzenos, Byzantine emperor
    • 1389 – Lazar of Serbia (b. 1329)
    • 1389 – Murad I, Ottoman Sultan (b. 1319)
    • 1389 – Miloš Obilić, Serbian knight.
    • 1416 – John, Duke of Berry (b. 1340)
    • 1467 – Philip III, Duke of Burgundy (b. 1396)
    • 1521 – Tamás Bakócz, Hungarian cardinal (b. 1442)
    • 1614 – Henry Howard, 1st Earl of Northampton, English courtier and politician, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports (b. 1540)
    • 1724 – Henry Sacheverell, English minister and politician (b. 1674)
    • 1768 – James Short, Scottish mathematician and optician (b. 1710)
    • 1772 – Louis-Claude Daquin, French organist and composer (b. 1694)
    • 1844 – Thomas Campbell, Scottish poet and academic (b. 1777)
    • 1849 – James K. Polk, American lawyer and politician, 11th President of the United States (b. 1795)
    • 1858 – Ary Scheffer, Dutch-French painter and academic (b. 1795)
    • 1888 – Frederick III, German Emperor (b. 1831)
    • 1889 – Mihai Eminescu, Romanian journalist, author, and poet (b. 1850)
    • 1890 – Unryū Kyūkichi, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 10th Yokozuna (b. 1822)
    • 1917 – Kristian Birkeland, Norwegian physicist and academic (b. 1867)
    • 1934 – Alfred Bruneau, French cellist and composer (b. 1857)
    • 1938 – Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, German painter and illustrator (b. 1880)
    • 1941 – Otfrid Foerster, German neurologist and physician (b. 1873)
    • 1941 – Evelyn Underhill, English mystic and author (b. 1875)
    • 1945 – Count Albert von Mensdorff-Pouilly-Dietrichstein, Austrian diplomat
    • 1961 – Giulio Cabianca, Italian racing driver (b. 1923)
    • 1961 – Peyami Safa, Turkish journalist and author (b. 1899)
    • 1962 – Alfred Cortot, Swiss pianist and conductor (b. 1877)
    • 1967 – Tatu Kolehmainen, Finnish runner (b. 1885)
    • 1968 – Sam Crawford, American baseball player, coach, and umpire (b. 1880)
    • 1968 – Wes Montgomery, American guitarist and songwriter (b. 1925)
    • 1971 – Wendell Meredith Stanley, American biochemist and virologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1904)
    • 1976 – Jimmy Dykes, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1896)
    • 1984 – Meredith Willson, American playwright, composer, and conductor (b. 1902)
    • 1985 – Andy Stanfield, American sprinter (b. 1927)
    • 1989 – Maurice Bellemare, Canadian lawyer and politician (b. 1912)
    • 1989 – Ray McAnally, Irish actor (b. 1926)
    • 1991 – Happy Chandler, American businessman and politician, 49th Governor of Kentucky (b. 1898)
    • 1991 – Arthur Lewis, Saint Lucian economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1915)
    • 1992 – Chuck Menville, American animator, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1940)
    • 1992 – Brett Whiteley, Australian painter (b. 1939)
    • 1993 – John Connally, American commander, lawyer, and politician, 61st United States Secretary of the Treasury (b. 1917)
    • 1993 – James Hunt, English racing driver and sportscaster (b. 1947)
    • 1994 – Manos Hatzidakis, Greek composer and theorist (b. 1925)
    • 1995 – John Vincent Atanasoff, American physicist and inventor, invented the Atanasoff–Berry computer (b. 1903)
    • 1996 – Ella Fitzgerald, American singer and actress (b. 1917)
    • 1996 – Sir Fitzroy Maclean, 1st Baronet, Scottish general and politician (b. 1911)
    • 1996 – Dick Murdoch, American wrestler (b. 1946)
    • 1999 – Omer Côté, Canadian lawyer and politician (b. 1906)
    • 2000 – Jules Roy, French author, poet, and playwright (b. 1907)
    • 2001 – Henri Alekan, French cinematographer (b. 1909)
    • 2002 – Choi Hong Hi, South Korean general and martial artist, founded Taekwondo (b. 1918)
    • 2003 – Hume Cronyn, Canadian-American actor (b. 1911)
    • 2004 – Ahmet Piriştina, Turkish politician and mayor of İzmir (b. 1952)
    • 2005 – Suzanne Flon, French actress (b. 1918)
    • 2006 – Raymond Devos, Belgian-French comedian and clown (b. 1922)
    • 2006 – Herb Pearson, New Zealand cricketer (b. 1910)
    • 2008 – Ray Getliffe, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1914)
    • 2011 – Bill Haast, American herpetologist and academic (b. 1910)
    • 2012 – Phillip D. Cagan, American economist and author (b. 1927)
    • 2012 – Capitola Dickerson, American pianist and educator (b. 1913)
    • 2012 – Barry MacKay, American tennis player and sportscaster (b. 1935)
    • 2012 – Israel Nogueda Otero, Mexican economist and politician, 10th Governor of Guerrero (b. 1935)
    • 2012 – Jerry Tubbs, American football player and coach (b. 1935)
    • 2013 – Heinz Flohe, German footballer and manager (b. 1948)
    • 2013 – José Froilán González, Argentinian racing driver (b. 1922)
    • 2013 – Dennis O’Rourke, Australian director and producer (b. 1945)
    • 2013 – Kenneth G. Wilson, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1936)
    • 2014 – Jacques Bergerac, French actor and businessman (b. 1927)
    • 2014 – Casey Kasem, American radio host, producer, and voice actor, co-created American Top 40 (b. 1932)
    • 2014 – Daniel Keyes, American short story writer and novelist (b. 1927)
    • 2014 – Moise Safra, Brazilian businessman and philanthropist, co-founded Banco Safra (b. 1934)
    • 2015 – Kirk Kerkorian, American businessman, founded the Tracinda Corporation (b. 1917)
    • 2016 – Lois Duncan, American author (b. 1934)
    • 2018 – Matt “Guitar” Murphy, American Blues guitarist (The Blues Brothers) (b. 1929)
    • 2019 – Franco Zeffirelli, Italian film director (b. 1923)

    Holidays and observances on June 15

    • Arbor Day (Costa Rica)
    • Christian feast day:
      • Abraham of Clermont (or of St Cyriacus)
      • Alice (or Adelaide) of Schaerbeek
      • Augustine of Hippo (Eastern Orthodox Church)
      • Blessed Albertina Berkenbrock
      • Blessed Clement Vismara
      • Edburga of Winchester
      • Evelyn Underhill (Church of England and The Episcopal Church)
      • Germaine Cousin
      • Landelin (of Crespin or of Lobbes)
      • Trillo
      • Vitus (Guy), Modestus and Crescentia
      • June 15 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Day of Valdemar and Reunion Day (Flag Day) (Denmark)
    • Earliest day on which Father’s Day can fall, while June 21 is the latest; celebrated on the third Sunday in June. (United States, and most other countries.)
    • Engineer’s Day (Italy)
    • Global Wind Day (international)
    • National Beer Day (United Kingdom)
    • National Salvation Day (Azerbaijan)

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

    • 910 – Battle of Augsburg: The Hungarians defeat the East Frankish army under King Louis the Child, using the famous feigned retreat tactic of the nomadic warriors.
    • 1240 – At the instigation of Louis IX of France, an inter-faith debate, known as the Disputation of Paris, starts between a Christian monk and four rabbis.
    • 1381 – Peasants’ Revolt: In England, rebels assemble at Blackheath, just outside London.
    • 1418 – Armagnac–Burgundian Civil War: Parisians slaughter Bernard VII, Count of Armagnac and his suspected sympathizers, along with all prisoners, foreign bankers, and students and faculty of the College of Navarre.
    • 1429 – Hundred Years’ War: On the second day of the Battle of Jargeau, Joan of Arc leads the French army in their capture of the city and the English commander, William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk.
    • 1550 – The city of Helsinki, Finland (belonging to Sweden at the time) is founded by King Gustav I of Sweden.
    • 1653 – First Anglo-Dutch War: The Battle of the Gabbard begins, lasting until the following day.
    • 1665 – Thomas Willett is appointed the first mayor of New York City.
    • 1758 – French and Indian War: Siege of Louisbourg: James Wolfe’s attack at Louisbourg, Nova Scotia, commences
    • 1772 – French explorer Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne and 25 of his men killed by Māori in New Zealand.
    • 1775 – American Revolution: British general Thomas Gage declares martial law in Massachusetts. The British offer a pardon to all colonists who lay down their arms. There would be only two exceptions to the amnesty: Samuel Adams and John Hancock, if captured, were to be hanged.
    • 1776 – The Virginia Declaration of Rights is adopted.
    • 1798 – Irish Rebellion of 1798: Battle of Ballynahinch.
    • 1817 – The earliest form of bicycle, the dandy horse, is driven by Karl von Drais.
    • 1821 – Badi VII, king of Sennar, surrenders his throne and realm to Isma’il Pasha, general of the Ottoman Empire, ending the existence of that Sudanese kingdom.
    • 1830 – Beginning of the Invasion of Algiers: Thiry-four thousand French soldiers land 27 kilometers west of Algiers, at Sidi Ferruch.
    • 1864 – American Civil War, Overland Campaign: Battle of Cold Harbor: Ulysses S. Grant gives the Confederate forces under Robert E. Lee a victory when he pulls his Union troops from their position at Cold Harbor, Virginia and moves south.
    • 1898 – Philippine Declaration of Independence: General Emilio Aguinaldo declares the Philippines’ independence from Spain.
    • 1899 – New Richmond tornado: The eighth deadliest tornado in U.S. history kills 117 people and injures around 200.
    • 1914 – Massacre of Phocaea: Turkish irregulars slaughter 50 to 100 Greeks and expel thousands of others in an ethnic cleansing operation in the Ottoman Empire.
    • 1921 – Mikhail Tukhachevsky orders the use of chemical weapons against the Tambov Rebellion, bringing an end to the peasant uprising.
    • 1935 – A ceasefire is negotiated between Bolivia and Paraguay, ending the Chaco War.
    • 1939 – Shooting begins on Paramount Pictures’ Dr. Cyclops, the first horror film photographed in three-strip Technicolor.
    • 1939 – The Baseball Hall of Fame opens in Cooperstown, New York.
    • 1940 – World War II: Thirteen thousand British and French troops surrender to Major General Erwin Rommel at Saint-Valery-en-Caux.
    • 1942 – Anne Frank receives a diary for her thirteenth birthday.
    • 1943 – The Holocaust: Germany liquidates the Jewish Ghetto in Brzeżany, Poland (now Berezhany, Ukraine). Around 1,180 Jews are led to the city’s old Jewish graveyard and shot.
    • 1944 – World War II: Operation Overlord: American paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division secure the town of Carentan, Normandy, France.
    • 1954 – Pope Pius XII canonises Dominic Savio, who was 14 years old at the time of his death, as a saint, making him at the time the youngest unmartyred saint in the Roman Catholic Church. In 2017, Francisco and Jacinta Marto, aged ten and nine at the time of their deaths, are declared saints.
    • 1963 – NAACP field secretary Medgar Evers is murdered in front of his home in Jackson, Mississippi by Ku Klux Klan member Byron De La Beckwith during the civil rights movement.
    • 1964 – Anti-apartheid activist and ANC leader Nelson Mandela is sentenced to life in prison for sabotage in South Africa.
    • 1967 – The United States Supreme Court in Loving v. Virginia declares all U.S. state laws which prohibit interracial marriage to be unconstitutional.
    • 1975 – India, Judge Jagmohanlal Sinha of the city of Allahabad ruled that India’s Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had used corrupt practices to win her seat in the Indian Parliament, and that she should be banned from holding any public office. Mrs. Gandhi sent word that she refused to resign.
    • 1979 – Bryan Allen wins the second Kremer prize for a man powered flight across the English Channel in the Gossamer Albatross.
    • 1987 – The Central African Republic’s former emperor Jean-Bédel Bokassa is sentenced to death for crimes he had committed during his 13-year rule.
    • 1987 – Cold War: At the Brandenburg Gate, U.S. President Ronald Reagan publicly challenges Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall.
    • 1988 – Austral Líneas Aéreas Flight 46, a McDonnell Douglas MD-81, crashes short of the runway at Libertador General José de San Martín Airport, killing all 22 people on board.
    • 1990 – Russia Day: The parliament of the Russian Federation formally declares its sovereignty.
    • 1991 – Russians first democratically elected Boris Yeltsin as the President of Russia.
    • 1991 – Kokkadichcholai massacre: The Sri Lankan Army massacres 152 minority Tamil civilians in the village of Kokkadichcholai near the eastern province town of Batticaloa.
    • 1993 – An election takes place in Nigeria and is won by Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola. Its results are later annulled by the military Government of Ibrahim Babangida.
    • 1994 – Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman are murdered outside Simpson’s home in Los Angeles. Her estranged husband, O.J. Simpson is later charged with the murders, but is acquitted by a jury.
    • 1997 – Queen Elizabeth II reopens the Globe Theatre in London.
    • 1999 – Kosovo War: Operation Joint Guardian begins when a NATO-led United Nations peacekeeping force (KFor) enters the province of Kosovo in Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
    • 2009 – Analog television stations (excluding low-powered stations) switch to digital television following the DTV Delay Act.
    • 2009 – A disputed presidential election in Iran leads to wide-ranging local and international protests.
    • 2016 – Forty-nine civilians are killed and 58 others injured in an attack on a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida; the gunman, Omar Mateen, is killed in a gunfight with police.
    • 2017 – American student Otto Warmbier returns home in a coma after spending 17 months in a North Korean prison and dies a week later.
    • 2018 – United States President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un of North Korea held the first meeting between leaders of their two countries in Singapore.

    Births on June 12

    • 950 – Reizei, Japanese emperor (d. 1011)
    • 1107 – Gao Zong, Chinese emperor (d. 1187)
    • 1161 – Constance, Duchess of Brittany (d. 1201)
    • 1519 – Cosimo I de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (d. 1574)
    • 1561 – Anna of Württemberg, German princess (d. 1616)
    • 1564 – John Casimir, Duke of Saxe-Coburg (d. 1633)
    • 1573 – Robert Radclyffe, 5th Earl of Sussex, soldier (d. 1629)
    • 1577 – Paul Guldin, Swiss astronomer and mathematician (d. 1643)
    • 1580 – Adriaen van Stalbemt, Flemish painter (d. 1662)
    • 1653 – Maria Amalia of Courland, Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel (d. 1711)
    • 1686 – Marie-Catherine Homassel Hecquet, French writer (d. 1764)
    • 1711 – Louis Legrand, French priest and theologian (d. 1780)
    • 1760 – Jean-Baptiste Louvet de Couvrai, French author, playwright, journalist, and politician (d. 1797)
    • 1771 – Patrick Gass, American sergeant (Lewis and Clark Expedition) and author (d. 1870)
    • 1775 – Karl Freiherr von Müffling, Prussian field marshal (d. 1851)
    • 1777 – Robert Clark, American physician and politician (d. 1837)
    • 1795 – John Marston, American sailor (d. 1885)
    • 1798 – Samuel Cooper, American general (d. 1876)
    • 1800 – Samuel Wright Mardis, American politician (d. 1836)
    • 1802 – Harriet Martineau, English sociologist and author (d. 1876)
    • 1806 – John A. Roebling, German-American engineer, designed the Brooklyn Bridge (d. 1869)
    • 1807 – Ante Kuzmanić, Croatian physician and journalist (d. 1879)
    • 1812 – Edmond Hébert, French geologist and academic (d. 1890)
    • 1819 – Charles Kingsley, English priest, historian, and author (d. 1875)
    • 1827 – Johanna Spyri, Swiss author, best known for Heidi (d. 1901)
    • 1831 – Robert Herbert, English-Australian politician, 1st Premier of Queensland (d. 1905)
    • 1841 – Watson Fothergill, English architect, designed the Woodborough Road Baptist Church (d. 1928)
    • 1843 – David Gill, Scottish-English astronomer and author (d. 1914)
    • 1851 – Oliver Lodge, English physicist and academic (d. 1940)
    • 1857 – Maurice Perrault, Canadian architect, engineer, and politician, 15th Mayor of Longueuil (d. 1909)
    • 1858 – Harry Johnston, English botanist and explorer (d. 1927)
    • 1858 – Henry Scott Tuke, English painter and photographer (d. 1929)
    • 1861 – William Attewell, English cricketer and umpire (d. 1927)
    • 1864 – Frank Chapman, American ornithologist, photographer, and author (d. 1945)
    • 1877 – Thomas C. Hart, American admiral and politician (d. 1971)
    • 1883 – Fernand Gonder, French pole vaulter (d. 1969)
    • 1883 – Robert Lowie, Austrian-American anthropologist and academic (d. 1957)
    • 1888 – Zygmunt Janiszewski, Polish mathematician and academic (d. 1920)
    • 1890 – Egon Schiele, Austrian soldier and painter (d. 1918)
    • 1892 – Djuna Barnes, American novelist, journalist, and playwright (d. 1982)
    • 1895 – Eugénie Brazier, French chef (d. 1977)
    • 1897 – Anthony Eden, English soldier and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1977)
    • 1899 – Fritz Albert Lipmann, German-American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1986)
    • 1899 – Weegee, Ukrainian-American photographer and journalist (d. 1968)
    • 1902 – Hendrik Elias, Belgian lawyer and politician, Mayor of Ghent (d. 1973)
    • 1905 – Ray Barbuti, American sprinter and football player (d. 1988)
    • 1906 – Sandro Penna, Italian poet (d. 1977)
    • 1908 – Alphonse Ouimet, Canadian broadcaster (d. 1988)
    • 1908 – Marina Semyonova, Russian ballerina and educator (d. 2010)
    • 1908 – Otto Skorzeny, German SS officer (d. 1975)
    • 1910 – Bill Naughton, Irish-English playwright and author (d. 1992)
    • 1912 – Bill Cowley, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 1993)
    • 1912 – Carl Hovland, American psychologist and academic (d. 1961)
    • 1913 – Jean Victor Allard, Canadian general (d. 1996)
    • 1913 – Desmond Piers, Canadian admiral (d. 2005)
    • 1914 – William Lundigan, American actor (d. 1975)
    • 1914 – Go Seigen, Chinese-Japanese Go player (d. 2014)
    • 1915 – Priscilla Lane, American actress (d. 1995)
    • 1915 – Christopher Mayhew, English soldier and politician (d. 1997)
    • 1915 – David Rockefeller, American banker and businessman (d. 2017)
    • 1916 – Irwin Allen, American director and producer (d. 1991)
    • 1916 – Raúl Héctor Castro, Mexican-American politician and diplomat, 14th Governor of Arizona (d. 2015)
    • 1918 – Samuel Z. Arkoff, American film producer (d. 2001)
    • 1918 – Georgia Louise Harris Brown, American architect (d. 1999)
    • 1918 – Christie Jayaratnam Eliezer, Sri Lankan-Australian mathematician and academic (d. 2001)
    • 1919 – Uta Hagen, German-American actress and educator (d. 2004)
    • 1920 – Dave Berg, American soldier and cartoonist (d. 2002)
    • 1920 – Peter Jones, English actor and screenwriter (d. 2000)
    • 1921 – Luis García Berlanga, Spanish director and screenwriter (d. 2010)
    • 1921 – Christopher Derrick, English author, critic, and academic (d. 2007)
    • 1921 – James Archibald Houston, Canadian author and illustrator (d. 2005)
    • 1922 – Margherita Hack, Italian astrophysicist and author (d. 2013)
    • 1924 – George H. W. Bush, American lieutenant and politician, 41st President of the United States (d. 2018)
    • 1924 – Grete Dollitz, German-American guitarist and radio host (d. 2013)
    • 1928 – Vic Damone, American singer-songwriter and actor (d. 2018)
    • 1928 – Petros Molyviatis, Greek politician and diplomat, Greek Minister for Foreign Affairs
    • 1928 – Richard M. Sherman, American composer and director
    • 1929 – Brigid Brophy, English author and critic (d. 1995)
    • 1929 – Anne Frank, German-Dutch diarist; victim of the Holocaust (d. 1945)
    • 1929 – Jameel Jalibi, Pakistani linguist and academic
    • 1929 – John McCluskey, Baron McCluskey, Scottish lawyer, judge, and politician, Solicitor General for Scotland (d. 2017)
    • 1930 – Jim Burke, Australian cricketer (d. 1979)
    • 1930 – Donald Byrne, American chess player (d. 1976)
    • 1930 – Innes Ireland, Scottish race car driver and engineer (d. 1993)
    • 1930 – Jim Nabors, American actor and singer (d. 2017)
    • 1931 – Trevanian, American author and scholar (d. 2005)
    • 1931 – Rona Jaffe, American novelist (d. 2005)
    • 1932 – Mimi Coertse, South African soprano and producer
    • 1932 – Mamo Wolde, Ethiopian runner (d. 2002)
    • 1933 – Eddie Adams, American photographer and journalist (d. 2004)
    • 1934 – John A. Alonzo, American actor and cinematographer (d. 2001)
    • 1934 – Kevin Billington, English director and producer
    • 1935 – Ian Craig, Australian cricketer (d. 2014)
    • 1935 – Paul Kennedy, English lawyer and judge
    • 1937 – Vladimir Arnold, Russian-French mathematician and academic (d. 2010)
    • 1937 – Klaus Basikow, German footballer and manager (d. 2015)
    • 1937 – Antal Festetics, Hungarian-Austrian biologist and zoologist
    • 1937 – Chips Moman, American record producer, guitarist, and songwriter (d. 2016)
    • 1938 – Jean-Marie Doré, Guinean lawyer and politician, 11th Prime Minister of Guinea (d. 2016)
    • 1938 – Tom Oliver, English-Australian actor
    • 1939 – Ron Lynch, Australian rugby league player and coach
    • 1939 – Frank McCloskey, American sergeant and politician (d. 2003)
    • 1940 – Jacques Brassard, Canadian educator and politician
    • 1941 – Marv Albert, American sportscaster
    • 1941 – Chick Corea, American pianist and composer
    • 1941 – Roy Harper, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
    • 1941 – Reg Presley, English singer-songwriter (d. 2013)
    • 1941 – Lucille Roybal-Allard, American politician
    • 1942 – Len Barry, American singer-songwriter and producer
    • 1942 – Bert Sakmann, German physiologist and biologist, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1945 – Pat Jennings, Irish footballer and coach
    • 1946 – Michel Bergeron, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1946 – Bobby Gould, English footballer and manager
    • 1946 – Catherine Bréchignac, French physicist and academic
    • 1948 – Hans Binder, Austrian race car driver
    • 1948 – Herbert Meyer, German footballer
    • 1948 – Len Wein, American comic book writer and editor (d. 2017)
    • 1949 – Jens Böhrnsen, German judge and politician
    • 1949 – Marc Tardif, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1949 – John Wetton, English singer-songwriter, bass player, and producer (d. 2017)
    • 1950 – Oğuz Abadan, Turkish singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1950 – Michael Fabricant, English politician
    • 1950 – Sonia Manzano, American actress of Puerto Rican descent, noted for playing Maria on Sesame Street
    • 1950 – Bun E. Carlos, American drummer
    • 1951 – Brad Delp, American musician and singer (d. 2007)
    • 1951 – Andranik Margaryan, Armenian engineer and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Armenia (d. 2007)
    • 1952 – Spencer Abraham, American academic and politician, 10th United States Secretary of Energy
    • 1952 – Junior Brown, American country music singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1952 – Pete Farndon, English bass player and songwriter (d. 1983)
    • 1953 – Rocky Burnette, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1954 – Tim Razzall, Baron Razzall, English lawyer and politician
    • 1956 – Terry Alderman, Australian cricketer and sportscaster
    • 1957 – Timothy Busfield, American actor, director, and producer
    • 1957 – Javed Miandad, Pakistani cricketer and coach
    • 1958 – Meredith Brooks, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1959 – John Linnell, American singer-songwriter and musician
    • 1959 – Scott Thompson, Canadian actor and comedian
    • 1960 – Joe Kopicki, American basketball player and coach
    • 1962 – Jordan Peterson, Canadian psychologist, professor and cultural critic
    • 1963 – Philippe Bugalski, French race car driver (d. 2012)
    • 1963 – Warwick Capper, Australian footballer, coach, and actor
    • 1963 – Tim DeKay, American actor
    • 1963 – Jerry Lynn, American wrestler
    • 1964 – Derek Higgins, Irish race car driver
    • 1964 – Kent Jones, American journalist
    • 1964 – Paula Marshall, American actress
    • 1964 – Peter Such, Scottish-born, English cricketer
    • 1965 – Adrian Toole, Australian rugby league player
    • 1965 – Gwen Torrence, American sprinter
    • 1965 – Cathy Tyson, English actress
    • 1966 – Marc Glanville, Australian rugby league player
    • 1966 – Tom Misteli, Swiss cell biologist
    • 1967 – Aivar Kuusmaa, Estonian basketball player and coach
    • 1967 – Frances O’Connor, English-Australian actress
    • 1968 – Scott Aldred, American baseball player and coach
    • 1968 – Htay Kywe, Burmese activist
    • 1968 – Bobby Sheehan, American bass player and songwriter (d. 1999)
    • 1969 – Zsolt Daczi, Hungarian guitarist (d. 2007)
    • 1969 – Héctor Garza, Mexican wrestler (d. 2013)
    • 1969 – Mathieu Schneider, American ice hockey player
    • 1969 – Heinz-Christian Strache, Austrian politician
    • 1971 – Mark Henry, American weightlifter and wrestler
    • 1971 – Ryan Klesko, American baseball player
    • 1971 – Jérôme Romain, Caribbean-Dominican triple jumper and coach
    • 1973 – Jason Caffey, American basketball player and coach
    • 1973 – Darryl White, Australian footballer
    • 1974 – Flávio Conceição, Brazilian footballer
    • 1974 – Hideki Matsui, Japanese baseball player
    • 1974 – Jason Mewes, American actor and producer
    • 1974 – Kerry Kittles, American basketball player
    • 1975 – Bryan Alvarez, American wrestler and journalist
    • 1975 – Stéphanie Szostak, French-American actress
    • 1976 – Antawn Jamison, American basketball player and sportscaster
    • 1976 – Ray Price, Zimbabwean cricketer
    • 1976 – Thomas Sørensen, Danish footballer
    • 1977 – Wade Redden, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1977 – Kenny Wayne Shepherd, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1978 – Lewis Moody, English rugby player
    • 1979 – Dallas Clark, American football player
    • 1979 – Martine Dugrenier, Canadian wrestler
    • 1979 – Diego Milito, Argentine footballer
    • 1979 – Robyn, Swedish singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer
    • 1979 – Earl Watson, American basketball player and coach
    • 1980 – Marco Bortolami, Italian rugby player
    • 1980 – Larry Foote, American football player
    • 1980 – Ifet Taljević, German footballer
    • 1981 – Raitis Grafs, Latvian basketball player
    • 1981 – Paul Hasleby, Australian footballer
    • 1981 – Adriana Lima, Brazilian model and actress
    • 1982 – Ben Blackwell, American drummer
    • 1982 – Diem Brown, German-American journalist and activist (d. 2014)
    • 1982 – Jason David, American football player
    • 1982 – Shailaja Pujari, Indian weightlifter
    • 1982 – James Tomlinson, English cricketer
    • 1983 – Bryan Habana, South African rugby player
    • 1983 – Alexander Pipa, German rugby player
    • 1983 – Christine Sinclair, Canadian soccer player
    • 1984 – James Kwalia, Kenyan-Qatari runner
    • 1984 – Bruno Soriano, Spanish footballer
    • 1985 – Blake Ross, American computer programmer, co-created Mozilla Firefox
    • 1985 – Sam Thaiday, Australian rugby league player
    • 1985 – Kendra Wilkinson, American model, actress, and author
    • 1985 – Chris Young, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1986 – Salim Mehajer, Australian politician
    • 1986 – Harry Taylor, Australian footballer
    • 1987 – Seyi Ajirotutu, American football player
    • 1987 – Antonio Barragán, Spanish footballer
    • 1988 – Artūrs Bērziņš, Latvian basketball player
    • 1988 – Eren Derdiyok, Swiss footballer
    • 1988 – Mauricio Isla, Chilean footballer
    • 1988 – Dave Melillo, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1988 – Dakota Morton, Canadian actor and radio host
    • 1989 – Emma Eliasson, Swedish ice hockey player
    • 1989 – Ibrahim Jeilan, Ethiopian runner
    • 1990 – Jrue Holiday, American basketball player
    • 1990 – Kevin López, Spanish runner
    • 1990 – David Worrall, English footballer
    • 1991 – Avisail García, Venezuelan baseball player
    • 1992 – Philippe Coutinho, Brazilian footballer

    Deaths on June 12

    • 796 – Hisham I, Muslim emir (b. 757)
    • 816 – Pope Leo III (b. 750)
    • 918 – Æthelflæd, Mercian daughter of Alfred the Great (b. 870)
    • 1020 – Lyfing, English archbishop (b. 999)
    • 1036 – Tedald, Italian bishop (b. 990)
    • 1144 – Al-Zamakhshari, Persian theologian (b. 1075)
    • 1152 – Henry of Scotland, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon (b. 1114)
    • 1266 – Henry II, Prince of Anhalt-Aschersleben (b. 1215)
    • 1294 – John I of Brienne, Count of Eu
    • 1418 – Bernard VII, Count of Armagnac (b. 1360)
    • 1435 – John FitzAlan, 14th Earl of Arundel, English commander (b. 1408)
    • 1478 – Ludovico III Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua (b. 1412)
    • 1524 – Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar, Spanish conquistador (b. 1465)
    • 1560 – Ii Naomori, Japanese warrior (b. 1506)
    • 1560 – Imagawa Yoshimoto, Japanese daimyō (b. 1519)
    • 1565 – Adrianus Turnebus, French philologist and scholar (b. 1512)
    • 1567 – Richard Rich, 1st Baron Rich, English politician, Lord Chancellor of England (b. 1490)
    • 1647 – Thomas Farnaby, English scholar and educator (b. 1575)
    • 1668 – Charles Berkeley, 2nd Viscount Fitzhardinge, English politician (b. 1599)
    • 1675 – Charles Emmanuel II, Duke of Savoy (b. 1634)
    • 1734 – James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick, French-English general and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire (b. 1670)
    • 1758 – Prince Augustus William of Prussia (b. 1722)
    • 1772 – Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne, French explorer (b. 1724)
    • 1778 – Philip Livingston, American merchant and politician (b. 1716)
    • 1816 – Pierre Augereau, French general (b. 1757)
    • 1818 – Egwale Seyon, Ethiopian emperor
    • 1841 – Konstantinos Nikolopoulos, Greek composer, archaeologist, and philologist (b. 1786)
    • 1900 – Lucretia Peabody Hale, American journalist and author (b. 1820)
    • 1904 – Camille of Renesse-Breidbach (b. 1836)
    • 1912 – Frédéric Passy, French economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1822)
    • 1917 – Teresa Carreño, Venezuelan-American singer-songwriter, pianist, and conductor (b. 1853)
    • 1932 – Theo Heemskerk, Dutch lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (b. 1852)
    • 1937 – Mikhail Tukhachevsky, Russian general (b. 1893)
    • 1944 – Erich Marcks, German general (b. 1891)
    • 1946 – Médéric Martin, Canadian politician, mayor of Montreal (b. 1869)
    • 1952 – Harry Lawson, Australian politician, 27th Premier of Victoria (b. 1875)
    • 1957 – Jimmy Dorsey, American saxophonist, composer, and bandleader (The Dorsey Brothers and The California Ramblers) (b. 1904)
    • 1962 – John Ireland, English composer and educator (b. 1879)
    • 1963 – Medgar Evers, American soldier and activist (b. 1925)
    • 1966 – Hermann Scherchen, German viola player and conductor (b. 1891)
    • 1968 – Herbert Read, English poet and critic (b. 1893)
    • 1969 – Aleksandr Deyneka, Ukrainian-Russian painter and sculptor (b. 1899)
    • 1972 – Edmund Wilson, American critic, essayist, and editor (b. 1895)
    • 1972 – Dinanath Gopal Tendulkar, Indian writer and documentary filmmaker (b. 1909)
    • 1976 – Gopinath Kaviraj, Indian philosopher and scholar (b. 1887)
    • 1978 – Guo Moruo, Chinese historian, author, and poet (b. 1892)
    • 1978 – Georg Siimenson, Estonian footballer (b. 1912)
    • 1980 – Billy Butlin, South African-English businessman, founded the Butlins Company (b. 1899)
    • 1980 – Masayoshi Ōhira, Japanese politician, 68th Prime minister of Japan (b. 1910)
    • 1980 – Milburn Stone, American actor (b. 1904)
    • 1982 – Ian McKay, English sergeant, Victoria Cross recipient (b. 1953)
    • 1982 – Karl von Frisch, Austrian-German ethologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1886)
    • 1983 – Norma Shearer, Canadian-American actress (b. 1902)
    • 1989 – Bruce Hamilton, Australian public servant (b. 1911)
    • 1990 – Terence O’Neill, Baron O’Neill of the Maine, English captain and politician, 4th Prime Minister of Northern Ireland (b. 1914)
    • 1994 – Menachem Mendel Schneerson, Russian-French rabbi and author (b. 1902)
    • 1995 – Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Italian pianist (b. 1920)
    • 1995 – Pierre Russell, American basketball player (b. 1949)
    • 1997 – Bulat Okudzhava, Russian singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1924)
    • 1998 – Leo Buscaglia, American author and educator (b. 1924)
    • 1998 – Theresa Merritt, American actress and singer (b. 1922)
    • 1999 – J. F. Powers, American novelist and short story writer (b. 1917)
    • 2000 – Purushottam Laxman Deshpande, Indian actor, director, and producer (b. 1919)
    • 2000 – Sandro Rosa do Nascimento, Brazilian criminal (b. 1978)
    • 2002 – Bill Blass, American fashion designer, founded Bill Blass Limited (b. 1922)
    • 2002 – Zena Sutherland, American reviewer of children’s literature (b. 1915)
    • 2003 – Gregory Peck, American actor and political activist (b. 1916)
    • 2005 – Scott Young, Canadian journalist and author (b. 1918)
    • 2006 – Nicky Barr, Australian rugby player and fighter pilot (b. 1915)
    • 2006 – György Ligeti, Romanian-Hungarian composer and educator (b. 1923)
    • 2006 – Kenneth Thomson, 2nd Baron Thomson of Fleet, Canadian businessman and art collector (b. 1923)
    • 2008 – Miroslav Dvořák, Czech ice hockey player (b. 1951)
    • 2008 – Derek Tapscott, Welsh footballer and manager (b. 1932)
    • 2010 – Al Williamson, American illustrator (b. 1931)
    • 2011 – René Audet, Canadian bishop (b. 1920)
    • 2011 – Carl Gardner, American singer (The Coasters) (b. 1928)
    • 2012 – Hector Bianciotti, Argentinian-French journalist and author (b. 1930)
    • 2012 – Henry Hill, American mobster (b. 1943)
    • 2012 – Margarete Mitscherlich-Nielsen, Danish-German psychoanalyst and author (b. 1917)
    • 2012 – Medin Zhega, Albanian footballer and manager (b. 1946)
    • 2012 – Elinor Ostrom, American political scientist and economist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1933)
    • 2012 – Pahiño, Spanish footballer (b. 1923)
    • 2012 – Frank Walker, Australian judge and politician, 41st Attorney General of New South Wales (b. 1942)
    • 2013 – Teresita Barajuen, Spanish nun (b. 1908)
    • 2013 – Jason Leffler, American race car driver (b. 1975)
    • 2013 – Joseph A. Unanue, American sergeant and businessman (b. 1925)
    • 2014 – Nabil Hemani, Algerian footballer (b. 1979)
    • 2014 – Dan Jacobson, South African-English author and critic (b. 1929)
    • 2014 – Frank Schirrmacher, German journalist (b. 1959)
    • 2015 – Fernando Brant, Brazilian journalist, poet, and composer (b. 1946)
    • 2015 – Frederick Pei Li, Chinese-American physician and academic (b. 1940)
    • 2015 – Patrick Lennox Tierney, American historian and academic (b. 1914)
    • 2016 – Omar Mateen, American mass murderer (b. 1986)
    • 2016 – George Voinovich, American politician (b. 1936)
    • 2016 – Janet Waldo, American actress and voice artist (b. 1920)

    Holidays and observances on June 12

    • Chaco Armistice Day (Paraguay)
    • Christian feast day:
      • 108 Martyrs of World War II
      • Basilides, Cyrinus, Nabor and Nazarius
      • Blessed Hildegard Burjan
      • Enmegahbowh (Episcopal Church)
      • Eskil
      • First Ecumenical Council (Lutheran)
      • Gaspar Bertoni
      • John of Sahagún
      • Onuphrius
      • Pope Leo III
      • Ternan
      • June 12 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Dia dos Namorados (Brazil)
    • Helsinki Day (Finland)
    • Independence Day, celebrates the independence of the Philippines from Spain in 1898.
    • June 12 Commemoration (Lagos State)
    • Loving Day (United States)
    • Russia Day (Russia)
    • World Day Against Child Labour, and its related observances:
      • Children’s Day (Haiti)

  • June 6- History, Events, Births, Deaths Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 913 – The 8-year-old illegitimate son of Leo VI the Wise, Constantine VII, becomes nominal ruler of the Byzantine Empire, under the regency of a seven-man council headed by Patriarch Nicholas Mystikos, appointed by Constantine’s uncle Alexander III on his deathbed.
    • 1513 – Italian Wars: Battle of Novara. Swiss troops defeat the French under Louis II de la Trémoille, forcing the French to abandon Milan. Duke Massimiliano Sforza is restored.
    • 1523 – Gustav Vasa, the Swedish regent, is elected King of Sweden, marking a symbolic end to the Kalmar Union. This is the Swedish national day.
    • 1586 – Francis Drake’s forces raid St. Augustine in Spanish Florida.
    • 1674 – Shivaji, founder of the Maratha Empire, is crowned.
    • 1749 – The Conspiracy of the Slaves in Malta is discovered.
    • 1762 – Seven Years’ War: British forces begin a siege of Havana, Cuba, and temporarily capture the city in the Battle of Havana.
    • 1808 – Napoleon’s brother, Joseph Bonaparte, is crowned King of Spain.
    • 1809 – Sweden promulgates a new Constitution, which restores political power to the Riksdag of the Estates after 20 years of enlightened absolutism. At the same time, Charles XIII is elected to succeed Gustav IV Adolf as King of Sweden.
    • 1813 – War of 1812: Battle of Stoney Creek: A British force of 700 under John Vincent defeats an American force twice its size under William Winder and John Chandler.
    • 1822 – Alexis St. Martin is accidentally shot in the stomach, leading to William Beaumont’s studies on digestion.
    • 1832 – The June Rebellion in Paris is put down by the National Guard.
    • 1844 – The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) is founded in London.
    • 1844 – The Glaciarium, the world’s first mechanically frozen ice rink, opens.
    • 1857 – Sophia of Nassau marries the future King Oscar II of Sweden–Norway.
    • 1859 – Australia: Queensland is established as a separate colony from New South Wales (Queensland Day).
    • 1862 – American Civil War: Battle of Memphis: Union forces capture Memphis, Tennessee, from the Confederates.
    • 1882 – The Shewan forces of Menelik II of Ethiopia defeat the Gojjame army in the Battle of Embabo. The Shewans capture Negus Tekle Haymanot of Gojjam, and their victory leads to a Shewan hegemony over the territories south of the Abay River.
    • 1889 – The Great Seattle Fire destroys all of downtown Seattle.
    • 1892 – The Chicago “L” elevated rail system begins operation.
    • 1894 – Governor Davis H. Waite orders the Colorado state militia to protect and support the miners engaged in the Cripple Creek miners’ strike.
    • 1909 – French troops capture Abéché (in modern-day Chad) and install a puppet sultan in the Ouaddai Empire.
    • 1912 – The eruption of Novarupta in Alaska begins. It is the largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century.
    • 1916 – The death of Yuan Shikai marks the beginning of China’s Warlord Era.
    • 1918 – World War I: Battle of Belleau Wood: The U.S. Marine Corps suffers its worst single day’s casualties while attempting to recapture the wood at Château-Thierry.
    • 1919 – After eight days of existence, the Republic of Prekmurje is conquered by the Hungarian Soviet Republic.
    • 1921 – Southwark Bridge in London is opened to traffic by King George V and Queen Mary.
    • 1932 – The Revenue Act of 1932 is enacted, creating the first gas tax in the United States, at a rate of 1 cent per US gallon (​1⁄4¢/L) sold.
    • 1933 – The first drive-in theater opens in Camden, New Jersey, United States.
    • 1934 – New Deal: The U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 into law, establishing the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
    • 1939 – Judge Joseph Force Crater, known as the “Missingest Man in New York”, is declared legally dead.
    • 1942 – World War II: Battle of Midway. U.S. Navy dive bombers sink the Japanese cruiser Mikuma and four Japanese carriers.
    • 1944 – World War II: The Allied invasion of Normandy—codenamed Operation Overlord—begins with the execution of Operation Neptune (commonly referred to as D-Day), the landing of 155,000 Allied troops on the beaches of Normandy in France. The Allied soldiers quickly break through the Atlantic Wall and push inland in the largest amphibious military operation in history.
    • 1946 – The Basketball Association of America is founded in New York City; the BAA was the precursor to the modern National Basketball Association.
    • 1954 – The grand opening of the sculpture of Yuriy Dolgorukiy took place in Moscow. This statue is one of the main monuments of Moscow.
    • 1964 – Under a temporary order, the rocket launches at Cuxhaven, Germany are terminated. They never resume.
    • 1971 – Soyuz program: Soyuz 11 is launched.
    • 1971 – A midair collision between a Hughes Airwest Douglas DC-9 jetliner and a United States Marine Corps McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II jet fighter near Duarte, California, claims 50 lives.
    • 1971 – Vietnam War: The Battle of Long Khanh between Australian and Vietnamese communist forces begins.
    • 1974 – A new Instrument of Government is promulgated making Sweden a parliamentary monarchy.
    • 1981 – Bihar train disaster: A passenger train travelling between Mansi and Saharsa, India, jumps the tracks at a bridge crossing the Bagmati River. The government places the official death toll at 268 plus another 300 missing; however, it is generally believed that the death toll is closer to 1,000.
    • 1982 – The Lebanon War begins. Forces under Israeli Defense Minister Ariel Sharon invade southern Lebanon during Operation Peace for the Galilee, eventually reaching as far north as the capital Beirut.
    • 1985 – The grave of “Wolfgang Gerhard” is opened in Embu, Brazil; the exhumed remains are later proven to be those of Josef Mengele, Auschwitz’s “Angel of Death”; Mengele is thought to have drowned while swimming in February 1979.
    • 1993 – Punsalmaagiin Ochirbat wins the first presidential election in Mongolia.
    • 1994 – China Northwest Airlines Flight 2303 crashes near Xi’an, China, killing all 160 people on board.
    • 2002 – Eastern Mediterranean event. A near-Earth asteroid estimated at ten meters in diameter explodes over the Mediterranean Sea between Greece and Libya. The explosion is estimated to have a force of 26 kilotons, slightly more powerful than the Nagasaki atomic bomb.
    • 2004 – Tamil is established as a “classical language” by the President of India, Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, in a joint sitting of the two houses of the Indian Parliament.
    • 2005 – In Gonzales v. Raich, the United States Supreme Court upholds a federal law banning cannabis, including medical marijuana.

    Births on June 6

    pre-19th century

    • 1236 – Wen Tianxiang, Chinese general and scholar (d. 1283)
    • 1243 – Alix of Brittany, Dame de Pontarcy, Breton noble (d. 1288)
    • 1296 – Władysław of Legnica (d. 1352)
    • 1436 – Regiomontanus, German mathematician, astronomer, and bishop (d. 1476)
    • 1519 – Andrea Cesalpino, Italian philosopher, physician, and botanist (d. 1603)
    • 1539 – Catherine Vasa, Regent of East Frisia (d. 1610)
    • 1553 – Bernardino Baldi, Italian mathematician and author (d. 1617)
    • 1556 – Edward la Zouche, 11th Baron Zouche, English politician and diplomat (d. 1625)
    • 1580 – Godefroy Wendelin, Belgian astronomer and author (d. 1667)
    • 1584 – Yuan Chonghuan, politician, military general and writer (d. 1630)
    • 1599 – Diego Velázquez, Spanish painter and educator (d. 1660)
    • 1606 – Pierre Corneille, French playwright and producer (d. 1684)
    • 1622 – Claude-Jean Allouez, French-American missionary and explorer (d. 1689)
    • 1646 – Hortense Mancini, favourite Italian niece of Cardinal Mazarin (d. 1699)
    • 1661 – Giacomo Antonio Perti, Italian composer and educator (d. 1756)
    • 1699 – Johann Georg Estor, German historian and theorist (d. 1773)
    • 1714 – Joseph I of Portugal (d. 1777)
    • 1735 – Anton Schweitzer, German composer (d. 1787)
    • 1755 – Nathan Hale, American soldier (d. 1776)
    • 1756 – John Trumbull, American soldier and painter (d. 1843)
    • 1772 – Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily (d. 1807)
    • 1799 – Alexander Pushkin, Russian author and poet (d. 1837)

    19th century

    • 1807 – Thiệu Trị, Vietnamese emperor (d. 1847)
    • 1810 – Friedrich Wilhelm Schneidewin, German philologist and scholar (d. 1856)
    • 1829 – Honinbo Shusaku, Japanese Go player (d. 1862)
    • 1841 – Eliza Orzeszkowa, Polish author and publisher (d. 1910)
    • 1844 – Konstantin Savitsky, Russian painter and academic (d. 1905)
    • 1850 – Karl Ferdinand Braun, German-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1918)
    • 1857 – Aleksandr Lyapunov, Russian mathematician and physicist (d. 1918)
    • 1862 – Henry Newbolt, English historian, author, and poet (d. 1938)
    • 1867 – David T. Abercrombie, American surveyor and businessman, founded Abercrombie & Fitch (d. 1931)
    • 1868 – Robert Falcon Scott, English sailor and explorer (d. 1912)
    • 1872 – Alix of Hesse, German princess and Russian empress (d.1918)
    • 1875 – Thomas Mann, German author and critic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1955)
    • 1878 – Vincent de Moro-Giafferi, French lawyer and politician (d. 1956)
    • 1884 – Jock Hutchison, Scottish-American golfer (d. 1977)
    • 1890 – Ted Lewis, American singer, clarinet player, and bandleader (d. 1971)
    • 1891 – Masti Venkatesha Iyengar, Indian author and academic (d. 1986)
    • 1891 – Erich Marcks, German general (d. 1944)
    • 1896 – Henry Allingham, English World War I soldier and supercentenarian (d. 2009).
    • 1896 – Italo Balbo, Italian air marshal and politician (d. 1940)
    • 1898 – Walter Abel, American actor (d. 1987)
    • 1898 – Jacobus Johannes Fouché, South African politician, 2nd State President of South Africa (d. 1980)
    • 1898 – Ninette de Valois, English ballerina, choreographer, and director (d. 2001)
    • 1900 – Manfred Sakel, Ukrainian-American psychiatrist and physician (d. 1957)

    1901–1930

    • 1901 – Jan Struther, English author and hymnwriter (d. 1953)
    • 1901 – Sukarno, Indonesian engineer and politician, 1st President of Indonesia (d. 1970)
    • 1902 – Jimmie Lunceford, American saxophonist and bandleader (d. 1947)
    • 1903 – Aram Khachaturian, Armenian composer and conductor (d. 1978)
    • 1903 – Bakht Singh, Indian evangelist, well-known bible teacher and preacher (d. 2000)
    • 1906 – Max August Zorn, German mathematician and academic (d. 1993)
    • 1907 – Bill Dickey, American baseball player and manager (d. 1993)
    • 1907 – Robin Humphreys, British scholar of Latin America (d. 1999)
    • 1908 – Giovanni Bracco, Italian race car driver (d. 1968)
    • 1909 – Isaiah Berlin, Latvian-English historian and philosopher (d. 1997)
    • 1913 – Carlo L. Golino, Italian-American author, critic, and academic (d. 1991)
    • 1915 – Vincent Persichetti, American pianist and composer (d. 1987)
    • 1916 – Hamani Diori, Nigerien academic and politician, 1st President of Niger (d. 1989)
    • 1917 – Kirk Kerkorian, American businessman, founded the Tracinda Corporation (d. 2015)
    • 1918 – Edwin G. Krebs, American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2009)
    • 1919 – Peter Carington, 6th Baron Carrington, English army officer and politician, 6th Secretary General of NATO (d. 2018)
    • 1923 – V. C. Andrews, American author, illustrator, and painter (d. 1986)
    • 1923 – Jean Pouliot, Canadian broadcaster (d. 2004)
    • 1925 – Maxine Kumin, American poet and author (d. 2014)
    • 1925 – Frank Chee Willeto, American soldier and politician, 4th Vice President of the Navajo Nation (d. 2013)
    • 1926 – Torsten Andersson, Swedish painter and illustrator (d. 2009)
    • 1926 – Erdal İnönü, Turkish physicist and politician, Prime Minister of Turkey (d. 2007)
    • 1926 – Klaus Tennstedt, German conductor (d. 1998)
    • 1929 – Sunil Dutt, Indian actor, director, producer, and politician (d. 2005)
    • 1930 – Frank Tyson, English-Australian cricketer, coach and journalist (d. 2015)

    1931–1945

    Tommie Smith, born 6 June 1944, at the 1968 Olympic medal ceremony where he and John Carlos (behind) protested against racism.

    • 1932 – David Scott, American colonel, engineer, and astronaut
    • 1932 – Billie Whitelaw, English actress (d. 2014)
    • 1933 – Eli Broad, American businessman and philanthropist, co-founded KB Home
    • 1933 – Heinrich Rohrer, Swiss physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2013)
    • 1934 – Albert II of Belgium
    • 1935 – Jon Henricks, Australian swimmer; winner of two Olympic gold medals in 1956.
    • 1936 – Mompati Merafhe, Botswana general and politician, Vice-President of Botswana (d. 2015)
    • 1936 – D. Ramanaidu, Indian actor, director, and producer, founded Suresh Productions (d. 2015)
    • 1936 – Levi Stubbs, American singer (d. 2008)
    • 1938 – Prince Luiz of Orléans-Braganza
    • 1938 – Ryuchi Matsuda, Japanese martial artist and author (d. 2013)
    • 1939 – Louis Andriessen, Dutch pianist and composer
    • 1939 – Gary U.S. Bonds, American singer-songwriter
    • 1939 – Eddie Giacomin, Canadian-American ice hockey player, coach, and sportscaster
    • 1940 – Kumar Bhattacharyya, Baron Bhattacharyya, Indian-English engineer and academic (d. 2019)
    • 1940 – Willie John McBride, Northern Irish rugby player, coach, and manager
    • 1941 – Alexander Cockburn, Scottish-American journalist and author (d. 2012)
    • 1943 – José de Jesús Gudiño Pelayo, Mexican lawyer and jurist (d. 2010)
    • 1943 – Richard Smalley, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2005)
    • 1943 – Joe Stampley, American country music singer-songwriter
    • 1944 – Monty Alexander, Jamaican jazz pianist.
    • 1944 – Phillip Allen Sharp, American molecular biologist; 1993 Nobel Prize laureate (Physiology or Medicine).
    • 1944 – Tommie Smith, American sprinter and football player; winner of 1968 Olympic 200m gold medal in a world record time.

    1946–2000

    • 1946 – Tony Levin, American bass player and songwriter.[
    • 1947 – David Blunkett, British Labour politician; Home Secretary 2001–2004.
    • 1947 – Robert Englund, American actor; best known for Nightmare on Elm Street.
    • 1947 – Ada Kok, Dutch butterfly stroke swimmer; winner of three Olympic medals including gold in 1968.
    • 1948 – Arlene Harris, American entrepreneur, inventor, investor and policy advocate.
    • 1949 – Holly Near, American folk singer and songwriter.
    • 1954 – Harvey Fierstein, American actor and playwright; twice a winner at the Tony Awards.
    • 1954 – Wladyslaw Zmuda, Polish footballer and manager; 91 caps for Poland and voted Best Young Player at the 1974 FIFA World Cup.
    • 1955 – Sam Simon, American director, producer and screenwriter; co-developer of The Simpsons (d. 2015).
    • 1956 – Björn Borg, Swedish tennis player; winner of eleven Grand Slam singles titles including five consecutive Wimbledons.
    • 1972 – Natalie Morales, American television journalist and NBC News anchor.

    Deaths

    • 184 – Qiao Xuan, Chinese official (b. c. 110).
    • 863 – Abu Musa Utamish, vizier to the Abbasid Caliphate.
    • 913 – Alexander III, Byzantine emperor (b. 870).
    • 1097 – Agnes of Aquitaine, Queen of Aragon and Navarre
    • 1134 – Norbert of Xanten, German bishop and saint (b. 1060)
    • 1217 – Henry I, King of Castile and Toledo (b. 1204)
    • 1237 – John of Scotland, Earl of Huntingdon
    • 1251 – William III of Dampierre, Count of Flanders
    • 1252 – Robert Passelewe, Bishop of Chichester
    • 1333 – William Donn de Burgh, 3rd Earl of Ulster (b. 1312)
    • 1393 – Emperor Go-En’yū of Japan (b. 1359)
    • 1480 – Vecchietta, Italian painter, sculptor, and architect (b. 1412)
    • 1548 – João de Castro, Portuguese soldier and politician, Governor of Portuguese India (b. 1500)
    • 1561 – Ridolfo Ghirlandaio, Italian painter (b. 1483)
    • 1583 – Nakagawa Kiyohide, Japanese daimyō (b. 1556)
    • 1659 – Nadira Banu Begum, Mughal princess (b. 1618)
    • 1661 – Martino Martini, Italian Jesuit missionary (b. 1614)
    • 1730 – Alain Emmanuel de Coëtlogon, French general (b. 1646)
    • 1740 – Alexander Spotswood, Moroccan-American colonial and politician, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia (b. 1676)
    • 1784 – Joan van der Capellen tot den Pol, Dutch politician (b. 1741)
    • 1799 – Patrick Henry, American lawyer and politician, 1st Governor of Virginia (b. 1736)
    • 1813 – Alexandre-Théodore Brongniart, French architect, designed the Hôtel de Mademoiselle de Condé (b. 1739)
    • 1813 – Antonio Cachia, Maltese architect, engineer and archaeologist (b. 1739)
    • 1832 – Jeremy Bentham, English jurist and philosopher (b. 1748)
    • 1840 – Marcellin Champagnat, French priest and saint, founded the Marist Brothers (b. 1789)
    • 1843 – Friedrich Hölderlin, German poet and author (b. 1770)
    • 1861 – Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, Italian politician, 1st Prime Minister of Italy (b. 1810)
    • 1862 – Turner Ashby, American colonel (b. 1828)
    • 1865 – William Quantrill, American captain (b. 1837)
    • 1878 – Robert Stirling, Scottish minister and engineer, invented the stirling engine (b. 1790)
    • 1881 – Henri Vieuxtemps, Belgian violinist and composer (b. 1820)
    • 1883 – Ciprian Porumbescu, Romanian composer and poet (b. 1853)
    • 1891 – John A. Macdonald, Scottish-Canadian lawyer and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Canada (b. 1815)
    • 1916 – Yuan Shikai, Chinese general and politician, 2nd President of the Republic of China (b. 1859)
    • 1922 – Lillian Russell, American actress and singer (b. 1860)
    • 1924 – William Pirrie, 1st Viscount Pirrie, Irish businessman and politician, Lord Mayor of Belfast (b. 1847)
    • 1934 – Julije Kempf, Croatian historian and author (b. 1864)
    • 1935 – Julian Byng, 1st Viscount Byng of Vimy, English field marshal and politician, 12th Governor-General of Canada (b. 1862)
    • 1941 – Louis Chevrolet, Swiss-American race car driver and businessman, founded Chevrolet and Frontenac Motor Corporation (b. 1878)
    • 1943 – Pandelis Pouliopoulos, Greek politician (b. 1900)
    • 1946 – Gerhart Hauptmann, German novelist, poet, and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1862)
    • 1947 – James Agate, English author and critic (b. 1877)
    • 1948 – Louis Lumière, French director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1864)
    • 1951 – Olive Tell, American actress (b. 1894)
    • 1954 – Fritz Kasparek, Austrian mountaineer and author (b. 1910)
    • 1955 – Max Meldrum, Scottish-Australian painter and educator (b. 1875)
    • 1961 – Carl Jung, Swiss psychiatrist and psychotherapist (b. 1875)
    • 1962 – Yves Klein, French painter (b. 1928)
    • 1962 – Tom Phillis, Australian motorcycle racer (b. 1934)
    • 1963 – William Baziotes, American painter and academic (b. 1912)
    • 1968 – Randolph Churchill, English journalist and politician (b. 1911)
    • 1968 – Robert F. Kennedy, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 64th United States Attorney General (b. 1925)
    • 1968 – Kâzım Özalp, Turkish general and politician, 3rd Turkish Minister of National Defence (b. 1880)
    • 1975 – Larry Blyden, American actor (b. 1925)
    • 1976 – J. Paul Getty, American businessman, founded the Getty Oil Company (b. 1892)
    • 1979 – Jack Haley, American actor (b. 1897)
    • 1980 – Ruth Aarons, American table tennis player and manager (b. 1918)
    • 1982 – Kenneth Rexroth, American poet and academic (b. 1905)
    • 1983 – Hans Leip, German author, poet, and playwright (b. 1893)
    • 1984 – A. Bertram Chandler, English-Australian soldier and author (b. 1912)
    • 1991 – Stan Getz, American saxophonist (b. 1927)
    • 1994 – Barry Sullivan, American actor (b. 1912)
    • 1996 – George Davis Snell, American geneticist and immunologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1903)
    • 1997 – Magda Gabor, Hungarian-American actress and socialite (b. 1915)
    • 2000 – Frédéric Dard, French author and screenwriter (b. 1921)
    • 2001 – Suzanne Schiffman, French screenwriter and director (b. 1939)
    • 2003 – Ken Grimwood, American author (b. 1944)
    • 2003 – Dave Rowberry, English singer-songwriter and pianist (b. 1940)
    • 2005 – Anne Bancroft, American actress (b. 1931)
    • 2005 – Dana Elcar, American actor (b. 1927)
    • 2006 – Arnold Newman, American photographer and educator (b. 1918)
    • 2006 – Billy Preston, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and actor (b. 1946)
    • 2006 – Camille Sandorfy, Hungarian-Canadian chemist and academic (b. 1920)
    • 2009 – Jean Dausset, French-Spanish immunologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1916)
    • 2009 – Jim Owens, American football player and coach (b. 1927)
    • 2010 – Marvin Isley, American singer-songwriter and bass player (b. 1953)
    • 2012 – Vladimir Krutov, Russian ice hockey player (b. 1960)
    • 2012 – Manuel Preciado Rebolledo, Spanish footballer and coach (b. 1957)
    • 2012 – Mykola Volosyanko, Ukrainian footballer and manager (b. 1972)
    • 2013 – Jerome Karle, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1918)
    • 2013 – Eugen Merzbacher, German-American physicist and academic (b. 1921)
    • 2013 – Tom Sharpe, English-Spanish author and academic (b. 1928)
    • 2013 – Esther Williams, American swimmer and actress (b. 1921)
    • 2014 – Ado Bayero, Nigerian politician and diplomat (b. 1930)
    • 2014 – Eric Hill, English-American author and illustrator (b. 1927)
    • 2014 – Lorna Wing, English psychiatrist and physician (b. 1928)
    • 2015 – Pierre Brice, French actor (b. 1929)
    • 2015 – Vincent Bugliosi, American lawyer and author (b. 1934)
    • 2015 – Ronnie Gilbert, American singer-songwriter (b. 1926)
    • 2015 – Ludvík Vaculík, Czech journalist and author (b. 1926)
    • 2016 – Viktor Korchnoi, Russian chess player (b. 1931)
    • 2016 – Peter Shaffer, English playwright and screenwriter (b. 1926)
    • 2018 – Ralph Santolla, American guitarist (b. 1969)

    Holidays and observances on June 6

    • Christian feast day:
      • Claude the Thaumaturge
      • Gottschalk
      • Ini Kopuria (Church of England, Episcopal Church, Anglican Church of Melanesia)
      • Marcellin Champagnat
      • Norbert of Xanten
      • June 6 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Engineer’s Day (Taiwan)
    • Korean Children’s Union Foundation Day (North Korea)
    • Memorial Day (South Korea)
    • National Day, marks the end of the Danish-ruled Kalmar Union. (Sweden)
    • National Huntington’s Disease Awareness Day (United States)
    • Normandy landings of the Allied Expeditionary Forces (D-Day), a.k.a. Operation Neptune, part of Operation Overlord (1944)
    • Queensland Day (Queensland)
    • Teachers’ Day (Bolivia)
    • UN Russian Language Day (United Nations)

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

    • 1513 – Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León first sights land in what is now the United States state of Florida.
    • 1755 – Commodore William James captures the Maratha fortress of Suvarnadurg on west coast of India.
    • 1792 – The Coinage Act is passed establishing the United States Mint.
    • 1800 – Ludwig van Beethoven leads the premiere of his First Symphony in Vienna.
    • 1800 – The Treaty of Constantinople establishes the Septinsular Republic, the first autonomous Greek state since the Fall of the Byzantine Empire.
    • 1801 – French Revolutionary Wars: The British capture the Danish fleet.
    • 1851 – Rama IV is crowned King of Thailand.
    • 1863 – American Civil War: The largest in a series of Southern bread riots occurs in Richmond, Virginia.
    • 1865 – American Civil War: Defeat at the Third Battle of Petersburg forces the Army of Northern Virginia and the Confederate government to abandon Richmond, Virginia.
    • 1885 – Canadian Cree warriors attack the village of Frog Lake, killing nine.
    • 1900 – The United States Congress passes the Foraker Act, giving Puerto Rico limited self-rule.
    • 1902 – Dmitry Sipyagin, Minister of Interior of the Russian Empire, is assassinated in the Marie Palace, Saint Petersburg.
    • 1902 – “Electric Theatre”, the first full-time movie theater in the United States, opens in Los Angeles.
    • 1911 – The Australian Bureau of Statistics conducts the country’s first national census.
    • 1912 – The ill-fated RMS Titanic begins sea trials.
    • 1917 – World War I: United States President Woodrow Wilson asks the U.S. Congress for a declaration of war on Germany.
    • 1921 – The Autonomous Government of Khorasan, a military government encompassing the modern state of Iran, is established.
    • 1930 – After the mysterious death of Empress Zewditu, Haile Selassie is proclaimed emperor of Ethiopia.
    • 1956 – As the World Turns and The Edge of Night premiere on CBS. The two soaps become the first daytime dramas to debut in the 30-minute format.
    • 1964 – The Soviet Union launches Zond 1.
    • 1972 – Actor Charlie Chaplin returns to the United States for the first time since being labeled a communist during the Red Scare in the early 1950s.
    • 1973 – Launch of the LexisNexis computerized legal research service.
    • 1975 – Vietnam War: Thousands of civilian refugees flee from Quảng Ngãi Province in front of advancing North Vietnamese troops.
    • 1976 – Prince Norodom Sihanouk resigns as leader of Cambodia and is placed under house arrest.
    • 1979 – A Soviet bio-warfare laboratory at Sverdlovsk accidentally releases airborne anthrax spores, killing 66 plus an unknown amount of livestock.
    • 1980 – United States President Jimmy Carter signs the Crude Oil Windfall Profits Tax Act.
    • 1982 – Falklands War: Argentina invades the Falkland Islands.
    • 1986 – Alabama governor George Wallace, a former segregationist, best known for the “Stand in the Schoolhouse Door”, announces that he will not seek a fifth four-year term and will retire from public life upon the end of his term in January 1987.
    • 1989 – Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev arrives in Havana, Cuba, to meet with Fidel Castro in an attempt to mend strained relations.
    • 1989 – ASUS corporation is founded.
    • 1991 – Rita Johnston becomes the first female Premier of a Canadian province when she succeeds William Vander Zalm (who had resigned) as Premier of British Columbia.
    • 1992 – In New York, Mafia boss John Gotti is convicted of murder and racketeering and is later sentenced to life in prison.
    • 1992 – Forty-two civilians are massacred in the town of Bijeljina in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
    • 2002 – Israeli forces surround the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem into which armed Palestinians had retreated.
    • 2004 – Islamist terrorists involved in the 11 March 2004 Madrid attacks attempt to bomb the Spanish high-speed train AVE near Madrid; the attack is thwarted.
    • 2006 – Over 60 tornadoes break out in the United States; Tennessee is hardest hit with 29 people killed.
    • 2012 – A mass shooting at Oikos University in California leaves seven people dead and three injured.
    • 2014 – A spree shooting occurs at the Fort Hood army base in Texas, with four dead, including the gunman, and 16 others injured.
    • 2015 – Gunmen attack Garissa University College in Kenya, killing at least 148 people and wounding 79 others.
    • 2015 – Four men steal items worth up to £200 million from an underground safe deposit facility in London’s Hatton Garden area in what has been called the “largest burglary in English legal history.”

    Births on April 2

    • 742 – Charlemagne, Frankish king (d. 814)
    • 1473 – John Corvinus, Hungarian noble (d. 1504)
    • 1545 – Elisabeth of Valois (d. 1568)
    • 1565 – Cornelis de Houtman, Dutch explorer (d. 1599)
    • 1586 – Pietro Della Valle, Italian traveler (d. 1652)
    • 1602 – Mary of Jesus of Ágreda, Franciscan abbess (d. 1665)
    • 1618 – Francesco Maria Grimaldi, Italian mathematician and physicist (d. 1663)
    • 1647 – Maria Sibylla Merian, German-Dutch botanist and illustrator (d. 1717)
    • 1653 – Prince George of Denmark (d. 1708)
    • 1696 – Francesca Cuzzoni, Italian operatic soprano (d. 1778)
    • 1719 – Johann Wilhelm Ludwig Gleim, German poet (d. 1803)
    • 1725 – Giacomo Casanova, Italian explorer and author (d. 1798)
    • 1788 – Francisco Balagtas, Filipino poet and author (d. 1862)
    • 1788 – Wilhelmine Reichard, German balloonist (d. 1848)
    • 1789 – Lucio Norberto Mansilla, Argentinian general and politician (d. 1871)
    • 1792 – Francisco de Paula Santander, Colombian general and politician, 4th President of the Republic of the New Granada (d. 1840)
    • 1798 – August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben, German poet and academic (d. 1874)
    • 1805 – Hans Christian Andersen, Danish novelist, short story writer, and poet (d. 1875)
    • 1814 – Henry L. Benning, American general and judge (d. 1875)
    • 1814 – Erastus Brigham Bigelow, American inventor (d. 1879)
    • 1827 – William Holman Hunt, English soldier and painter (d. 1910)
    • 1835 – Jacob Nash Victor, American engineer (d. 1907)
    • 1838 – Léon Gambetta, French lawyer and politician, 45th Prime Minister of France (d. 1882)
    • 1840 – Émile Zola, French novelist, playwright, journalist (d. 1902)
    • 1841 – Clément Ader, French engineer, designed the Ader Avion III (d. 1926)
    • 1842 – Dominic Savio, Italian Catholic saint, adolescent student of Saint John Bosco (d. 1857)
    • 1861 – Iván Persa, Slovenian priest and author (d. 1935)
    • 1862 – Nicholas Murray Butler, American philosopher and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1947)
    • 1869 – Hughie Jennings, American baseball player and manager (d. 1928)
    • 1875 – Walter Chrysler, American businessman, founded Chrysler (d. 1940)
    • 1875 – William Donne, English cricketer and captain (d. 1942)
    • 1884 – J. C. Squire, English poet, author, and historian (d. 1958)
    • 1891 – Jack Buchanan, Scottish entertainer (d. 1957)
    • 1891 – Max Ernst, German painter, sculptor, and poet (d. 1976)
    • 1891 – Tristão de Bragança Cunha, Indian nationalist and anti-colonial activist from Goa (d. 1958)
    • 1896 – Johnny Golden, American golfer (d. 1936)
    • 1898 – Harindranath Chattopadhyay, Indian poet, actor and politician (d. 1990)
    • 1898 – Chiungtze C. Tsen, Chinese mathematician (d. 1940)
    • 1900 – Roberto Arlt, Argentinian journalist, author, and playwright (d. 1942)
    • 1900 – Anis Fuleihan, Cypriot-American pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1970)
    • 1900 – Alfred Strange, English footballer (d. 1978)
    • 1902 – Jan Tschichold, German-Swiss graphic designer and typographer (d. 1974)
    • 1903 – Lionel Chevrier, Canadian lawyer and politician, 27th Canadian Minister of Justice (d. 1987)
    • 1906 – Alphonse-Marie Parent, Canadian priest and educator (d. 1970)
    • 1907 – Harald Andersson, American-Swedish discus thrower (d. 1985)
    • 1907 – Luke Appling, American baseball player and manager (d. 1991)
    • 1908 – Buddy Ebsen, American actor and dancer (d. 2003)
    • 1910 – Paul Triquet, Canadian general, Victoria Cross recipient (d. 1980)
    • 1910 – Chico Xavier, Brazilian spiritual medium (d. 2002)
    • 1914 – Alec Guinness, English actor (d. 2000)
    • 1919 – Delfo Cabrera, Argentinian runner and soldier (d. 1981)
    • 1920 – Gerald Bouey, Canadian lieutenant and civil servant (d. 2004)
    • 1920 – Jack Stokes, English animator and director (d. 2013)
    • 1920 – Jack Webb, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1982)
    • 1922 – John C. Whitehead, American banker and politician, 9th United States Deputy Secretary of State (d. 2015)
    • 1923 – Gloria Henry, American actress
    • 1923 – Johnny Paton, Scottish footballer, coach, and manager (d. 2015)
    • 1923 – G. Spencer-Brown, English mathematician, psychologist, and author (d. 2016)
    • 1924 – Bobby Ávila, Mexican baseball player (d. 2004)
    • 1925 – George MacDonald Fraser, Scottish author and screenwriter (d. 2008)
    • 1925 – Hans Rosenthal, German radio and television host (d. 1987)
    • 1926 – Jack Brabham, Australian race car driver (d. 2014)
    • 1926 – Rudra Rajasingham, Sri Lankan police officer and diplomat (d. 2006)
    • 1927 – Carmen Basilio, American boxer and soldier (d. 2012)
    • 1927 – Howard Callaway, American soldier and politician, 11th United States Secretary of the Army (d. 2014)
    • 1927 – Rita Gam, American actress (d. 2016)
    • 1927 – Billy Pierce, American baseball player and sportscaster (d. 2015)
    • 1927 – Kenneth Tynan, English author and critic (d. 1980)
    • 1928 – Joseph Bernardin, American cardinal (d. 1996)
    • 1928 – Serge Gainsbourg, French singer-songwriter, actor, and director (d. 1991)
    • 1928 – Roy Masters, English-American radio host
    • 1928 – David Robinson, Northern Irish horticulturist and academic (d. 2004)
    • 1929 – Ed Dorn, American poet and educator (d. 1999)
    • 1930 – Roddy Maude-Roxby, English actor
    • 1931 – Vladimir Kuznetsov, Russian javelin thrower (d. 1986)
    • 1932 – Edward Egan, American cardinal (d. 2015)
    • 1933 – György Konrád, Hungarian sociologist and author
    • 1934 – Paul Cohen, American mathematician and theorist (d. 2007)
    • 1934 – Brian Glover, English wrestler and actor (d. 1997)
    • 1934 – Carl Kasell, American journalist and game show host (d. 2018)
    • 1934 – Richard Portman, American sound engineer (d. 2017)
    • 1934 – Dovid Shmidel, Austrian-born Israeli rabbi
    • 1936 – Shaul Ladany, Serbian-Israeli race walker and engineer
    • 1937 – Dick Radatz, American baseball player (d. 2005)
    • 1938 – John Larsson, Swedish 17th General of The Salvation Army
    • 1938 – Booker Little, American trumpet player and composer (d. 1961)
    • 1938 – Al Weis, American baseball player
    • 1939 – Marvin Gaye, American singer-songwriter (d. 1984)
    • 1939 – Anthony Lake, American academic and diplomat, 18th United States National Security Advisor
    • 1939 – Lise Thibault, Canadian journalist and politician, 27th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec
    • 1940 – Donald Jackson, Canadian figure skater and coach
    • 1940 – Mike Hailwood, English motorcycle racer (d. 1981)
    • 1940 – Penelope Keith, English actress
    • 1941 – Dr. Demento, American radio host
    • 1941 – Sonny Throckmorton, American country singer-songwriter
    • 1942 – Leon Russell, American singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 2016)
    • 1942 – Roshan Seth, Indian-English actor
    • 1943 – Michael Boyce, Baron Boyce, South African-English admiral and politician, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports
    • 1943 – Caterina Bueno, Italian singer (d. 2007)
    • 1943 – Larry Coryell, American jazz guitarist (d. 2017)
    • 1943 – Antonio Sabàto, Sr., Italian actor
    • 1944 – Bill Malinchak, American football player
    • 1945 – Jürgen Drews, German singer-songwriter
    • 1945 – Guy Fréquelin, French race car driver
    • 1945 – Linda Hunt, American actress
    • 1945 – Reggie Smith, American baseball player and coach
    • 1945 – Don Sutton, American baseball player and sportscaster
    • 1945 – Anne Waldman, American poet
    • 1946 – Richard Collinge, New Zealand cricketer
    • 1946 – David Heyes, English politician
    • 1946 – Sue Townsend, English author and playwright (d. 2014)
    • 1946 – Kurt Winter, Canadian guitarist and songwriter (d. 1997)
    • 1947 – Paquita la del Barrio, Mexican singer-songwriter
    • 1947 – Tua Forsström, Finnish writer
    • 1947 – Emmylou Harris, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1947 – Camille Paglia, American author and critic
    • 1948 – Roald Als, Danish author and illustrator
    • 1948 – Dimitris Mitropanos, Greek singer (d. 2012)
    • 1948 – Daniel Okrent, American journalist and author
    • 1948 – Joan D. Vinge, American author
    • 1949 – Paul Gambaccini, American-English radio and television host
    • 1949 – Bernd Müller, German footballer
    • 1949 – Pamela Reed, American actress
    • 1949 – David Robinson, American drummer
    • 1950 – Lynn Westmoreland, American politician
    • 1951 – Ayako Okamoto, Japanese golfer
    • 1952 – Lennart Fagerlund, Swedish cyclist
    • 1952 – Will Hoy, English race car driver (d. 2002)
    • 1952 – Leon Wilkeson, American bass player and songwriter (d. 2001)
    • 1953 – Jim Allister, Northern Irish lawyer and politician
    • 1953 – Rosemary Bryant Mariner, 20th and 21st-century U.S. Navy aviator
    • 1953 – Malika Oufkir, Moroccan Berber writer
    • 1953 – Debralee Scott, American actress (d. 2005)
    • 1953 – James Vance, American author and playwright (d. 2017)
    • 1954 – Gregory Abbott, American singer-songwriter and producer
    • 1954 – Donald Petrie, American actor and director
    • 1955 – Michael Stone, Northern Irish loyalist paramilitary
    • 1957 – Caroline Dean, English biologist and academic
    • 1957 – Hank Steinbrenner, American businessman, co-owner of the New York Yankees
    • 1958 – Stefano Bettarello, Italian rugby player
    • 1958 – Larry Drew, American basketball player and coach
    • 1959 – Gelindo Bordin, Italian runner
    • 1959 – David Frankel, American director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1959 – Juha Kankkunen, Finnish race car driver
    • 1959 – Yves Lavandier, French director and producer
    • 1959 – Badou Ezzaki, Moroccan footballer and manager
    • 1960 – Linford Christie, Jamaican-English sprinter
    • 1960 – Brad Jones, Australian race car driver
    • 1960 – Pascale Nadeau, Canadian journalist
    • 1961 – Buddy Jewell, American singer-songwriter
    • 1961 – Christopher Meloni, American actor
    • 1961 – Keren Woodward, English singer-songwriter
    • 1962 – Pierre Carles, French director and producer
    • 1962 – Billy Dean, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1962 – Clark Gregg, American actor
    • 1963 – Karl Beattie, English director and producer
    • 1963 – Mike Gascoyne, English engineer
    • 1964 – Pete Incaviglia, American baseball player and coach
    • 1964 – Jonathon Sharkey, American wrestler
    • 1965 – Rodney King, American victim of police brutality (d. 2012)
    • 1966 – Bill Romanowski, American football player and actor
    • 1966 – Teddy Sheringham, English international footballer, striker and coach
    • 1967 – Greg Camp, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1967 – Phil Demmel, American guitarist and songwriter
    • 1969 – Ajay Devgan, Indian actor, director, and producer
    • 1971 – Edmundo Alves de Souza Neto, Brazilian footballer
    • 1971 – Jason Lewry, English cricketer
    • 1971 – Todd Woodbridge, Australian tennis player and sportscaster
    • 1972 – Remo D’Souza, Indian choreographer and dancer
    • 1972 – Calvin Davis, American sprinter and hurdler
    • 1972 – Zane Lamprey, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1973 – Dmitry Lipartov, Russian footballer
    • 1973 – Roselyn Sánchez, Puerto Rican-American actress
    • 1973 – Aleksejs Semjonovs, Latvian footballer
    • 1974 – Tayfun Korkut, Turkish football manager and former player
    • 1975 – Randy Livingston, American basketball player
    • 1975 – Katrin Rutschow-Stomporowski, German rower
    • 1976 – Andreas Anastasopoulos, Greek shot putter
    • 1976 – Rory Sabbatini, South African golfer
    • 1976 – Pattie Mallette, Canadian author and film producer
    • 1977 – Per Elofsson, Swedish skier
    • 1977 – Michael Fassbender, German-Irish actor and producer
    • 1977 – Hanno Pevkur, Estonian lawyer and politician, Estonian Minister of Justice
    • 1978 – Scott Lynch, American author
    • 1978 – Ethan Smith, American actor, director, and producer
    • 1979 – Jesse Carmichael, American keyboard player
    • 1980 – Avi Benedi, Israeli singer and songwriter
    • 1980 – Adam Fleming, Scottish journalist
    • 1980 – Gavin Heffernan, Canadian director and screenwriter
    • 1980 – Ricky Hendrick, American race car driver (d. 2004)
    • 1980 – Wairangi Koopu, New Zealand rugby league player
    • 1980 – Carlos Salcido, Mexican international footballer, defender
    • 1981 – Michael Clarke, Australian cricketer
    • 1981 – Kapil Sharma, Indian stand-up comedian, television presenter and actor
    • 1982 – Marco Amelia, Italian footballer
    • 1982 – Jeremy Bloom, American football player and skier
    • 1982 – Jack Evans, American wrestler
    • 1982 – David Ferrer, Spanish tennis player
    • 1983 – Yung Joc, American rapper
    • 1983 – Maksym Mazuryk, Ukrainian pole vaulter
    • 1984 – Engin Atsür, Turkish basketball player
    • 1984 – Nóra Barta, Hungarian diver
    • 1984 – Jérémy Morel, French footballer
    • 1985 – Thom Evans, Zimbabwean-Scottish rugby player
    • 1985 – Stéphane Lambiel, Swiss figure skater
    • 1986 – Ibrahim Afellay, Dutch footballer
    • 1986 – Andris Biedriņš, Latvian basketball player
    • 1986 – Lee DeWyze, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1987 – Pablo Aguilar, Paraguayan footballer
    • 1987 – Marc Pugh, English footballer
    • 1988 – Jesse Plemons, American actor
    • 1990 – Yevgeniya Kanayeva, Russian gymnast
    • 1990 – Miralem Pjanić, Bosnian footballer
    • 1991 – Quavo, American rapper
    • 1993 – Keshorn Walcott, Trinidadian javelin thrower
    • 1997 – Dillon Bassett, American race car driver
    • 1997 – Abdelhak Nouri, Dutch footballer

    Deaths on April 2

    • 670 – Hasan ibn Ali the second Shia Imam (b. 624)
    • 870 – Æbbe the Younger, Frankish abbess
    • 872 – Muflih al-Turki, Turkish general
    • 968 – Yuan Dezhao, Chinese chancellor (b. 891)
    • 991 – Bardas Skleros, Byzantine general
    • 1118 – Baldwin I, king of Jerusalem
    • 1244 – Henrik Harpestræng, Danish botanical and medical author
    • 1272 – Richard, 1st Earl of Cornwall, English husband of Sanchia of Provence (b. 1209)
    • 1335 – Henry of Bohemia (b. 1265)
    • 1412 – Ruy González de Clavijo, Spanish explorer and author
    • 1416 – Ferdinand I, king of Aragon (b. 1379)
    • 1502 – Arthur, prince of Wales (b. 1486)
    • 1507 – Francis of Paola, Italian friar and saint, founded the Order of the Minims (b. 1416)
    • 1511 – Bernard VII, Lord of Lippe, German nobleman (b. 1428)
    • 1640 – Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski, Polish author and poet (b. 1595)
    • 1657 – Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1608)
    • 1657 – Jean-Jacques Olier, French priest, founded the Society of Saint-Sulpice (b. 1608)
    • 1672 – Pedro Calungsod, Filipino missionary and saint (b. 1654)
    • 1672 – Diego Luis de San Vitores, Spanish Jesuit missionary (b. 1627)
    • 1720 – Joseph Dudley, English politician, Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay (b. 1647)
    • 1742 – James Douglas, Scottish physician and anatomist (b. 1675)
    • 1747 – Johann Jacob Dillenius, German-English botanist and mycologist (b. 1684)
    • 1754 – Thomas Carte, English historian and author (b. 1686)
    • 1787 – Thomas Gage, English general and politician, Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay (b. 1719)
    • 1791 – Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau, French journalist and politician (b. 1749)
    • 1801 – Thomas Dadford, Jr., English engineer (b. 1761)
    • 1803 – Sir James Montgomery, 1st Baronet, Scottish judge and politician (b. 1721)
    • 1817 – Johann Heinrich Jung, German author and academic (b. 1740)
    • 1827 – Ludwig Heinrich Bojanus, German physician and educator (b. 1776)
    • 1845 – Philip Charles Durham, Scottish admiral and politician (b. 1763)
    • 1865 – A. P. Hill, American general (b. 1825)
    • 1872 – Samuel Morse, American painter and academic, invented the Morse code (b. 1791)
    • 1891 – Albert Pike, American lawyer and general (b. 1809)
    • 1891 – Ahmed Vefik Pasha, Greek playwright and politician, 249th Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire (b. 1823)
    • 1894 – Achille Vianelli, Italian painter and academic (b. 1803)
    • 1896 – Theodore Robinson, American painter and academic (b. 1852)
    • 1914 – Paul Heyse, German author, poet, and translator, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1830)
    • 1917 – Bryn Lewis, Welsh international rugby player (b.1891)
    • 1923 – Topal Osman, Turkish colonel (b. 1883)
    • 1928 – Theodore William Richards, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1868)
    • 1930 – Zewditu I of Ethiopia (b. 1876)
    • 1933 – Ranjitsinhji, Indian cricketer (b. 1872)
    • 1936 – Jean Baptiste Eugène Estienne, French general (b. 1860)
    • 1942 – Édouard Estaunié, French novelist (b. 1862)
    • 1948 – Sabahattin Ali, Turkish journalist, author, and poet (b. 1907)
    • 1953 – Hugo Sperrle, German field marshal (b. 1885)
    • 1966 – C. S. Forester, English novelist (b. 1899)
    • 1972 – Franz Halder, German general (b. 1884)
    • 1972 – Toshitsugu Takamatsu, Japanese martial artist and educator (b. 1887)
    • 1974 – Georges Pompidou, French banker and politician, 19th President of France (b. 1911)
    • 1977 – Walter Wolf, German academic and politician (b. 1907)
    • 1987 – Buddy Rich, American drummer, songwriter, and bandleader (b. 1917)
    • 1989 – Manolis Angelopoulos, Greek singer (b. 1939)
    • 1992 – Juanito, Spanish footballer and manager (b. 1954)
    • 1992 – Jan van Aartsen, Dutch politician (b. 1909)
    • 1994 – Betty Furness, American actress, consumer advocate, game show panelist, television journalist and television personality (b. 1916)
    • 1994 – Marc Fitch, British historian and philanthropist (b. 1908)
    • 1995 – Hannes Alfvén, Swedish physicist and engineer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1908)
    • 1997 – Tomoyuki Tanaka, Japanese director and producer (b. 1910)
    • 1998 – Rob Pilatus, American-German singer-songwriter (b. 1965)
    • 2001 – Charles Daudelin, Canadian sculptor and painter (b. 1920)
    • 2002 – Levi Celerio, Filipino composer and songwriter (b. 1910)
    • 2002 – John R. Pierce, American engineer and author (b. 1910)
    • 2003 – Edwin Starr, American singer-songwriter (b. 1942)
    • 2004 – John Argyris, Greek computer scientist, engineer, and academic (b. 1913)
    • 2005 – Lillian O’Donnell, American crime novelist (b. 1926)
    • 2005 – Pope John Paul II (b. 1920)
    • 2006 – Lloyd Searwar, Guyanese anthologist and diplomat (b. 1925)
    • 2007 – Henry L. Giclas, American astronomer and academic (b. 1910)
    • 2008 – Yakup Satar, Turkish World War I veteran(b. 1898)
    • 2009 – Albert Sanschagrin, Canadian bishop (b. 1911)
    • 2009 – Bud Shank, American saxophonist and flute player (b. 1926)
    • 2010 – Chris Kanyon, American wrestler (b. 1970)
    • 2011 – John C. Haas, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1918)
    • 2012 – Jesús Aguilarte, Venezuelan captain and politician (b. 1959)
    • 2012 – Elizabeth Catlett, American-Mexican sculptor and illustrator (b. 1915)
    • 2012 – Mauricio Lasansky, American graphic designer and academic (b. 1914)
    • 2013 – Fred, French author and illustrator (b. 1931)
    • 2013 – Jesús Franco, Spanish director, screenwriter, producer, and actor (b. 1930)
    • 2013 – Milo O’Shea, Irish-American actor (b. 1926)
    • 2014 – Glyn Jones, South African actor and screenwriter (b. 1931)
    • 2014 – Urs Widmer, Swiss author and playwright (b. 1938)
    • 2015 – Manoel de Oliveira, Portuguese actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1908)
    • 2015 – Robert H. Schuller, American pastor and author (b. 1926)
    • 2015 – Steve Stevaert, Belgian businessman and politician, Governor of Limburg (b. 1954)
    • 2016 – Gallieno Ferri, Italian comic book artist and illustrator (b. 1929)
    • 2016 – Robert Abajyan, Armenian sergeant (b. 1996)

    Holidays and observances on April 2

    • Christian feast day:
      • Abundius of Como
      • Amphianus of Lycia
      • Æbbe the Younger
      • Bronach of Glen-Seichis (Irish martyrology)
      • Francis of Paola
      • Francisco Coll Guitart
      • Henry Budd (Anglican Church of Canada)
      • Nicetius of Lyon
      • Pedro Calungsod
      • Theodosia of Tyre
      • Urban of Langres
      • April 2 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • International Children’s Book Day (International)
    • Thai Heritage Conservation Day (Thailand)
    • Unity of Peoples of Russia and Belarus Day (Belarus)
    • World Autism Awareness Day (International)

  • February 28 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 202 BC – Liu Bang is enthroned as the Emperor of China, beginning four centuries of rule by the Han dynasty.
    • 870 – The Fourth Council of Constantinople closes.
    • 1246 – The siege of Jaén ends in the context of the Spanish Reconquista resulting in the Castilian takeover of the city from the Taifa of Jaen.
    • 1525 – Aztec king Cuauhtémoc is executed on the order of conquistador Hernán Cortés.
    • 1638 – The Scottish National Covenant is signed in Edinburgh.
    • 1700 – Today is followed by March 1 in Sweden, thus creating the Swedish calendar.
    • 1710 – Battle of Helsingborg: 14,000 Danish invaders under Jørgen Rantzau are decisively defeated by an equally sized Swedish force under Magnus Stenbock. This is the last time Swedish and Danish troops meet on Swedish soil.
    • 1728 – Peshwa Bajirao I of the Maratha Empire defeats Asaf Jah I in the Battle of Palkhed.
    • 1827 – The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad is incorporated, becoming the first railroad in America offering commercial transportation of both people and freight.
    • 1838 – Robert Nelson, leader of the Patriotes, proclaims the independence of Lower Canada (today Quebec).
    • 1844 – A gun on USS Princeton explodes while the boat is on a Potomac River cruise, killing six people, including two United States Cabinet members.
    • 1847 – The Battle of the Sacramento River during the Mexican–American War is a decisive victory for the United States leading to the capture of Chihuahua.
    • 1849 – Regular steamship service from the east to the west coast of the United States begins with the arrival of the SS California in San Francisco Bay, four months 22 days after leaving New York Harbor.
    • 1867 – Seventy years of Holy See–United States relations are ended by a Congressional ban on federal funding of diplomatic envoys to the Vatican and are not restored until January 10, 1984.
    • 1870 – The Bulgarian Exarchate is established by decree of Sultan Abdülaziz of the Ottoman Empire.
    • 1874 – One of the longest cases ever heard in an English court ends when the defendant is convicted of perjury for attempting to assume the identity of the heir to the Tichborne baronetcy.
    • 1893 – The USS Indiana, the lead ship of her class and the first battleship in the United States Navy comparable to foreign battleships of the time, is launched.
    • 1897 – Queen Ranavalona III, the last monarch of Madagascar, is deposed by a French military force.
    • 1900 – The Second Boer War: The 118-day “Siege of Ladysmith” is lifted.
    • 1904 – S.L. Benfica is founded in Portugal.
    • 1922 – The United Kingdom ends its protectorate over Egypt through a Unilateral Declaration of Independence.
    • 1925 – The Charlevoix-Kamouraska earthquake strikes northeastern North America.
    • 1933 – Gleichschaltung: The Reichstag Fire Decree is passed in Germany a day after the Reichstag fire.
    • 1935 – DuPont scientist Wallace Carothers invents nylon.
    • 1939 – The erroneous word “dord” is discovered in the Webster’s New International Dictionary, Second Edition, prompting an investigation.
    • 1940 – Basketball is televised for the first time (Fordham University vs. the University of Pittsburgh in Madison Square Garden).
    • 1942 – The heavy cruiser USS Houston is sunk in the Battle of Sunda Strait with 693 crew members killed, along with HMAS Perth which lost 375 men.
    • 1947 – February 28 Incident: In Taiwan, civil disorder is put down with the loss of an estimated 30,000 civilians.
    • 1948 – Christiansborg Cross-Roads shooting in the Gold Coast, when a British police officer opens fire on a march of ex-servicemen, killing three of them and sparking major riots and looting in Accra.
    • 1953 – James Watson and Francis Crick announce to friends that they have determined the chemical structure of DNA; the formal announcement takes place on April 25 following publication in April’s Nature (pub. April 2).
    • 1954 – The first color television sets using the NTSC standard are offered for sale to the general public.
    • 1958 – A school bus in Floyd County, Kentucky hits a wrecker truck and plunges down an embankment into the rain-swollen Levisa Fork river. The driver and 26 children die in what remains one of the worst school bus accidents in U.S. history.
    • 1959 – Discoverer 1, an American spy satellite that is the first object intended to achieve a polar orbit, is launched but fails to achieve orbit.
    • 1966 – A NASA T-38 Talon crashes into the McDonnell Aircraft factory while attempting a poor-visibility landing at Lambert Field, St. Louis, killing astronauts Elliot See and Charles Bassett.
    • 1972 – China–United States relations: The United States and China sign the Shanghai Communiqué.
    • 1975 – In London, an underground train fails to stop at Moorgate terminus station and crashes into the end of the tunnel, killing 43 people.
    • 1980 – Andalusia approves its statute of autonomy through a referendum.
    • 1983 – The final episode of M*A*S*H airs, with almost 106 million viewers. It still holds the record for the highest viewership of a season finale.
    • 1985 – The Provisional Irish Republican Army carries out a mortar attack on the Royal Ulster Constabulary police station at Newry, killing nine officers in the highest loss of life for the RUC on a single day.
    • 1986 – Olof Palme, 26th Prime Minister of Sweden, is assassinated in Stockholm.
    • 1991 – The first Gulf War ends.
    • 1993 – The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents raid the Branch Davidian church in Waco, Texas with a warrant to arrest the group’s leader David Koresh. Four ATF agents and six Davidians die in the initial raid, starting a 51-day standoff.
    • 1995 – Former Australian Liberal party leader John Hewson resigns from the Australian parliament almost two years after losing the 1993 Australian federal election.
    • 1997 – An earthquake in northern Iran is responsible for about 3,000 deaths.
    • 1997 – GRB 970228, a highly luminous flash of gamma rays, strikes the Earth for 80 seconds, providing early evidence that gamma-ray bursts occur well beyond the Milky Way.
    • 1998 – First flight of RQ-4 Global Hawk, the first unmanned aerial vehicle certified to file its own flight plans and fly regularly in U.S. civilian airspace.
    • 1998 – Kosovo War: Serbian police begin the offensive against the Kosovo Liberation Army in Kosovo.
    • 2002 – During the religious violence in Gujarat, the 97 people killed in the Naroda Patiya massacre and 69 in Gulbarg Society massacre.
    • 2004 – Over one million Taiwanese participate in the 228 Hand-in-Hand rally form a 500-kilometre (310 mi) long human chain to commemorate the February 28 Incident in 1947.
    • 2005 – A suicide bombing at a police recruiting centre in Al Hillah, Iraq kills 127.
    • 2013 – Pope Benedict XVI resigns as the pope of the Catholic Church, becoming the first pope to do so since Pope Gregory XII, in 1415.

    Births on February 28

    • 1119 – Emperor Xizong of Jin (d. 1150)
    • 1155 – Henry the Young King, son and heir of Henry II of England (d. 1183)
    • 1261 – Margaret of Scotland, Queen of Norway (d. 1283)
    • 1518 – Francis III, Duke of Brittany, Duke of Brittany (d. 1536)
    • 1533 – Michel de Montaigne, French philosopher and author (d. 1592)
    • 1535 – Cornelius Gemma, Dutch astronomer and astrologer (d. 1578)
    • 1552 – Jost Bürgi, Swiss mathematician and clockmaker (d. 1632)
    • 1612 – John Pearson, English bishop, theologian, and scholar (d. 1686)
    • 1627 – Aubrey de Vere, 20th Earl of Oxford, English soldier and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Essex (d. 1703)
    • 1675 – Guillaume Delisle, French cartographer (d. 1726)
    • 1683 – René Antoine Ferchault de Réaumur, French entomologist and academic (d. 1757)
    • 1704 – Louis Godin, French astronomer and academic (d. 1760)
    • 1712 – Louis-Joseph de Montcalm, French general (d. 1759)
    • 1724 – George Townshend, 1st Marquess Townshend, English field marshal and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (d. 1807)
    • 1792 – Karl Ernst von Baer, German biologist, meteorologist, and geographer (d. 1876)
    • 1812 – Berthold Auerbach, German poet and author (d. 1882)
    • 1820 – John Tenniel, English illustrator (d. 1914)
    • 1833 – Alfred von Schlieffen, German field marshal (d. 1913)
    • 1840 – Henri Duveyrier, French explorer (d. 1892)
    • 1848 – Arthur Giry, French historian and academic (d. 1899)
    • 1851 – Samuel W. McCall, American journalist and politician, 47th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1923)
    • 1858 – Tore Svennberg, Swedish actor and director (d. 1941)
    • 1865 – Wilfred Grenfell, English physician and missionary (d. 1940)
    • 1866 – Vyacheslav Ivanov, Russian poet and playwright (d. 1949)
    • 1873 – William McMaster Murdoch, Scottish sailor (d. 1912)
    • 1878 – Pierre Fatou, French mathematician and astronomer (d. 1929)
    • 1882 – Geraldine Farrar, American soprano and actress (d. 1967)
    • 1882 – José Vasconcelos, Mexican philosopher, lawyer, and politician, Mexican Secretary of Public Education (d. 1959)
    • 1883 – Seán Mac Diarmada, Irish rebel leader (d. 1916)
    • 1884 – Ants Piip, Estonian lawyer and politician, 7th Prime Minister of Estonia (d. 1942)
    • 1887 – William Zorach, Lithuanian-American sculptor and painter (d. 1966)
    • 1894 – Ben Hecht, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1964)
    • 1895 – Marcel Pagnol, French author, playwright and director (d. 1974)
    • 1896 – Philip Showalter Hench, American physician and endocrinologist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1965)
    • 1898 – Zeki Rıza Sporel, Turkish footballer (d. 1969)
    • 1900 – Wolf Hirth, German pilot and engineer, co-founded Schempp-Hirth (d. 1959)
    • 1901 – Linus Pauling, American chemist and activist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1994)
    • 1903 – Vincente Minnelli, American director and screenwriter (d. 1986)
    • 1906 – Bugsy Siegel, American gangster (d. 1947)
    • 1907 – Milton Caniff, American cartoonist (d. 1988)
    • 1908 – Billie Bird, American actress (d. 2002)
    • 1909 – Stephen Spender, English author and poet (d. 1995)
    • 1911 – Otakar Vávra, Czech director and screenwriter (d. 2011)
    • 1915 – Ketti Frings, American author, playwright, and screenwriter (d. 1981)
    • 1915 – Peter Medawar, Brazilian-English biologist and immunologist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1987)
    • 1915 – Zero Mostel, American actor and comedian (d. 1977)
    • 1916 – Cesar Climaco, Filipino lawyer and politician, 10th Mayor of Zamboanga City (d. 1984)
    • 1917 – Ernesto Alonso, Mexican actor, director, and producer (d. 2007)
    • 1919 – Alfred Marshall, American businessman, founded Marshalls (d. 2013)
    • 1919 – Brian Urquhart, English soldier and diplomat, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations
    • 1920 – Jadwiga Piłsudska, Polish soldier, pilot, and architect (d. 2014)
    • 1921 – Pierre Clostermann, French pilot, engineer, and author (d. 2006)
    • 1922 – Yuri Lotman, Russian-Estonian historian and scholar (d. 1993)
    • 1923 – Charles Durning, American soldier and actor (d. 2012)
    • 1924 – Uno Prii, Estonian-Canadian architect (d. 2000)
    • 1924 – Robert A. Roe, American soldier and politician (d. 2014)
    • 1925 – Harry H. Corbett, Burmese-English actor (d. 1982)
    • 1926 – Svetlana Alliluyeva, Russian-American author and educator (d. 2011)
    • 1928 – Stanley Baker, Welsh actor and producer (d. 1976)
    • 1928 – Tom Aldredge, American actor (d. 2011)
    • 1928 – Sylvia del Villard, actress, dancer, choreographer and Afro-Puerto Rican activist (d. 1990)
    • 1929 – Hayden Fry, American football player and coach (d. 2019)
    • 1929 – Frank Gehry, Canadian-American architect, designed 8 Spruce Street and Walt Disney Concert Hall
    • 1929 – John Montague, American-Irish poet and academic (d. 2016)
    • 1929 – Rangaswamy Srinivasan, Indian-American physical chemist and inventor
    • 1930 – Leon Cooper, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1931 – Iajuddin Ahmed, Bangladeshi academic and politician, 14th President of Bangladesh (d. 2012)
    • 1931 – Peter Alliss, English golfer and sportscaster
    • 1931 – Gavin MacLeod, American actor
    • 1931 – Len Newcombe, Welsh footballer, outside forward and scout (d. 1996)
    • 1931 – Dean Smith, American basketball player and coach (d. 2015)
    • 1932 – Don Francks, Canadian actor, singer, and jazz musician (d. 2016)
    • 1933 – Rein Taagepera, Estonian political scientist and politician
    • 1934 – Willie Bobo, American Latin Jazz/Afro-Cuban jazz percussionist (d. 1983)
    • 1937 – Jeff Farrell, American swimmer
    • 1938 – Foge Fazio, American football player and coach (d. 2009)
    • 1939 – John Fahey, American guitarist (d. 2001)
    • 1939 – Chögyam Trungpa, Tibetan philosopher and scholar (d. 1987)
    • 1939 – Daniel C. Tsui, Chinese-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1939 – Tommy Tune, American actor, singer, dancer, and director
    • 1940 – Aldo Andretti, Italian-American race car driver
    • 1940 – Mario Andretti, Italian-American race car driver
    • 1940 – Joe South, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer (d. 2012)
    • 1942 – Brian Jones, English guitarist, songwriter, and producer (d. 1969)
    • 1942 – Dino Zoff, Italian footballer and manager
    • 1943 – Barbara Acklin, American singer-songwriter (d. 1998)
    • 1943 – Hans Dijkstal, Egyptian-Dutch educator and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands (d. 2010)
    • 1943 – Donnie Iris, American rock singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1944 – Kelly Bishop, American actress and dancer
    • 1944 – Edward Greenspan, Canadian lawyer and author (d. 2014)
    • 1944 – Sepp Maier, German footballer and manager
    • 1944 – Storm Thorgerson, English graphic designer (d. 2013)
    • 1945 – Mimsy Farmer, American-French actress and sculptor
    • 1945 – Bubba Smith, American football player and actor (d. 2011)
    • 1945 – Linda Preiss Rothschild, American mathematician and academic
    • 1946 – Philip Bailhache, English lawyer and politician
    • 1946 – Robin Cook, Scottish educator and politician, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (d. 2005)
    • 1946 – Syreeta Wright, African-American singer songwriter (d. 2004)
    • 1947 – Stephanie Beacham, English actress
    • 1948 – Steven Chu, American physicist and politician, 12th United States Secretary of Energy, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1948 – Mike Figgis, English director, screenwriter, and composer
    • 1948 – Bernadette Peters, American actress, singer, and author
    • 1948 – Mercedes Ruehl, American actress
    • 1948 – Alfred Sant, Maltese politician, 11th Prime Minister of Malta
    • 1951 – Bill Cratty, American dancer and choreographer (d. 1998)
    • 1951 – Debora Green, American physician convicted of murder
    • 1953 – Ingo Hoffmann, Brazilian race car driver
    • 1953 – Paul Krugman, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1953 – Ricky Steamboat, American wrestler, referee, and trainer
    • 1954 – Brian Billick, American football player, coach, and sportscaster
    • 1955 – Adrian Dantley, American basketball player and coach
    • 1955 – Gilbert Gottfried, American comedian, actor, and singer
    • 1956 – Terry Leahy, English businessman
    • 1956 – Guy Maddin, Canadian director, screenwriter, and cinematographer
    • 1957 – Paul Delph, American singer-songwriter, keyboard player, and producer (d. 1996)
    • 1957 – Ainsley Harriott, English chef and author
    • 1957 – Ian Smith, New Zealand cricketer and sportscaster
    • 1957 – John Turturro, American actor, director, and screenwriter
    • 1957 – Cindy Wilson, American singer-songwriter
    • 1958 – Manuel Torres Félix, Mexican criminal and narcotics trafficker (d. 2012)
    • 1958 – Natalya Estemirova, Russian journalist and activist (d. 2009)
    • 1958 – Jeanne Mas, Spanish-French singer-songwriter and actress
    • 1958 – David R. Ross, Scottish historian and author (d. 2010)
    • 1959 – Jack Abramoff, American businessman and lobbyist
    • 1959 – Megan McDonald, American librarian and author
    • 1961 – Rae Dawn Chong, Canadian-American actress
    • 1961 – Mark Latham, Australian politician
    • 1961 – Barry McGuigan, Irish-British boxer
    • 1962 – Gary Belcher, Australian rugby league player and sportscaster
    • 1963 – Claudio Chiappucci, Italian cyclist
    • 1964 – Djamolidine Abdoujaparov, Uzbekistan sprinter and cyclist
    • 1965 – Colum McCann, Irish-American author and academic
    • 1965 – Norman Smiley, English-American wrestler and trainer
    • 1966 – Vincent Askew, American basketball player and coach
    • 1966 – Paulo Futre, Portuguese footballer
    • 1966 – Archbishop Jovan VI of Ohrid
    • 1967 – Colin Cooper, English footballer and manager
    • 1967 – Martin Tielli, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1969 – Sean Farrel, English footballer, forward
    • 1969 – Butch Leitzinger, American race car driver
    • 1969 – Robert Sean Leonard, American actor
    • 1969 – Patrick Monahan, American singer-songwriter and actor
    • 1970 – Daniel Handler, American journalist, author, and accordion player
    • 1970 – Noureddine Morceli, Algerian runner
    • 1971 – Junya Nakano, Japanese pianist and composer
    • 1971 – Peter Stebbings, Canadian actor and director
    • 1972 – Rory Cochrane, American actor
    • 1972 – Ville Haapasalo, Finnish actor and screenwriter
    • 1973 – Eric Lindros, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1973 – Scott McLeod, New Zealand rugby player
    • 1973 – Nicolas Minassian, French race car driver
    • 1973 – Masato Tanaka, Japanese wrestler
    • 1974 – Lee Carsley, English-Irish footballer and manager
    • 1974 – Alexander Zickler, German footballer and manager
    • 1975 – Mike Rucker, American football player
    • 1976 – Ali Larter, American actress
    • 1977 – Jason Aldean, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1977 – Lance Hoyt, American football player and wrestler
    • 1978 – Jeanne Cherhal, French singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1978 – Benjamin Raich, Austrian skier
    • 1978 – Jamaal Tinsley, American basketball player
    • 1978 – Mariano Zabaleta, Argentinian tennis player
    • 1979 – Sébastien Bourdais, French race car driver
    • 1979 – Ivo Karlović, Croatian tennis player
    • 1979 – Primož Peterka, Slovenian ski jumper
    • 1980 – Pascal Bosschaart, Dutch footballer
    • 1980 – Lucian Bute, Romanian-Canadian boxer
    • 1980 – Christian Poulsen, Danish footballer
    • 1980 – Tayshaun Prince, American basketball player
    • 1981 – Brian Bannister, American baseball player and scout
    • 1982 – Natalia Vodianova, Russian-French model and actress
    • 1984 – Noureen DeWulf, American actress
    • 1984 – Karolína Kurková, Czech model and actress
    • 1985 – Tim Bresnan, English cricketer
    • 1985 – Jelena Janković, Serbian tennis player
    • 1985 – Diego Ribas da Cunha, Brazilian footballer
    • 1986 – Travis Stevens, American judoka
    • 1987 – Antonio Candreva, Italian footballer
    • 1988 – Aroldis Chapman, Cuban baseball player
    • 1988 – Markéta Irglová, Czech singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress
    • 1989 – Carlos Dunlap, American football player
    • 1989 – Charles Jenkins, American basketball player
    • 1989 – Kevin Proctor, New Zealand rugby league player
    • 1989 – Angelababy, Chinese actress
    • 1990 – Takayasu Akira, Japanese sumo wrestler
    • 1994 – Jake Bugg, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1994 – Arkadiusz Milik, Polish footballer
    • 1999 – Luka Dončić, Slovenian basketball player

    Deaths on February 28

    • 628 – Khosrow II, Shah of Iran – Sasanian Empire (b. c. 570)
    • 911 – Abu Abdallah al-Shi’i, Muslim Shia imam
    • 1105 – Raymond IV, Count of Toulouse (b. c. 1042)
    • 1261 – Henry III, Duke of Brabant (b. 1230)
    • 1326 – Leopold I, Duke of Austria (b. 1290)
    • 1453 – Isabella, Duchess of Lorraine (b. 1400)
    • 1510 – Juan de la Cosa, Spanish cartographer and explorer (b. 1450)
    • 1551 – Martin Bucer, German Protestant reformer (b. 1491)
    • 1572 – Aegidius Tschudi, Swiss historian and author (b. 1505)
    • 1621 – Cosimo II de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (b. 1590)
    • 1648 – Christian IV of Denmark (b. 1577)
    • 1786 – John Gwynn, English architect and engineer (b. 1713)
    • 1788 – Thomas Cushing, American lawyer and politician, 1st Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts (b. 1725)
    • 1857 – André Dumont, Belgian geologist and academic (b. 1809)
    • 1869 – Alphonse de Lamartine, French author and poet (b. 1790)
    • 1879 – Hortense Allart, Italian-French author (b. 1801)
    • 1891 – George Hearst, American businessman and politician (b. 1820)
    • 1916 – Henry James, American novelist, short writer, and critic (b. 1843)
    • 1925 – Friedrich Ebert, German politician, 1st President of Germany (b. 1871)
    • 1929 – Clemens von Pirquet, Austrian physician and immunologist (b. 1874)
    • 1932 – Guillaume Bigourdan, French astronomer and academic (b. 1851)
    • 1935 – Chiquinha Gonzaga, Brazilian pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1847)
    • 1936 – Charles Nicolle, French biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1866)
    • 1941 – Alfonso XIII of Spain (b. 1886)
    • 1942 – Karel Doorman, Dutch admiral (b. 1889)
    • 1959 – Maxwell Anderson, American journalist, author, and playwright (b. 1888)
    • 1963 – Rajendra Prasad, Indian lawyer and politician, 1st President of India (b. 1884)
    • 1966 – Charles Bassett, American captain, engineer, and astronaut (b. 1931)
    • 1966 – Elliot See, American commander, engineer, and astronaut (b. 1927)
    • 1967 – Henry Luce, American publisher, co-founded Time Magazine (b. 1898)
    • 1977 – Eddie “Rochester” Anderson, American actor and comedian (b. 1905)
    • 1978 – Zara Cully, American actress (b. 1892)
    • 1978 – Eric Frank Russell, English author (b. 1905)
    • 1983 – Winifred Atwell, Trinidadian pianist (b. 1910 or 1914)
    • 1987 – Stephen Tennant, English author (b. 1906)
    • 1991 – Wassily Hoeffding, Finnish-American statistician and theorist (b. 1914)
    • 1993 – Ishirō Honda, Japanese director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1911)
    • 1993 – Ruby Keeler, Canadian-American actress and dancer (b. 1909)
    • 1998 – Dermot Morgan, Irish comedian and actor (b. 1952)
    • 1998 – Arkady Shevchenko, Ukrainian diplomat (b. 1930)
    • 2002 – Mary Stuart, American actress and singer (b. 1926)
    • 2002 – Helmut Zacharias, German violinist and composer (b. 1920)
    • 2003 – Chris Brasher, Guyanese-English runner and journalist, co-founded the London Marathon (b. 1928)
    • 2003 – Fidel Sánchez Hernández, Salvadorian general and politician, President of El Salvador (b. 1917)
    • 2004 – Daniel J. Boorstin, American historian and librarian (b. 1914)
    • 2004 – Carmen Laforet, Spanish author (b. 1921)
    • 2004 – Andres Nuiamäe, Estonian sergeant (b. 1982)
    • 2005 – Chris Curtis, English singer and drummer (b. 1941)
    • 2006 – Owen Chamberlain, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1920)
    • 2007 – Charles Forte, Baron Forte, Italian-English businessman, founded the Forte Group (b. 1908)
    • 2007 – Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. American historian and critic (b. 1917)
    • 2007 – Billy Thorpe, English-Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (b. 1946)
    • 2008 – Joseph M. Juran, Romanian-American engineer and businessman (b. 1904)
    • 2009 – Paul Harvey, American radio host (b. 1918)
    • 2011 – Annie Girardot, French actress (b. 1931)
    • 2011 – Jane Russell, American actress and singer (b. 1921)
    • 2012 – Frisner Augustin, Haitian drummer and composer (b. 1948)
    • 2012 – Jim Green, American-Canadian educator and politician (b. 1943)
    • 2012 – Hal Roach, Irish comedian and author (b. 1927)
    • 2013 – Donald A. Glaser, American physicist and biologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1926)
    • 2013 – Neil McCorkell, English cricketer and coach (b. 1912)
    • 2014 – Hugo Brandt Corstius, Dutch linguist and author (b. 1935)
    • 2014 – Lee Lorch, American mathematician and activist (b. 1915)
    • 2015 – Alex Johnson, American baseball player (b. 1942)
    • 2015 – Yaşar Kemal, Turkish journalist and author (b. 1923)
    • 2016 – George Kennedy, American actor (b. 1925)
    • 2017 – Pierre Pascau, Mauritian-Canadian journalist (b. 1938)
    • 2019 – André Previn, German-American pianist, conductor, and composer. (b. 1929)
    • 2020 – Joe Coulombe, founder of Trader Joe’s (b. 1930)
    • 2020 – Freeman Dyson, British-born American physicist and mathematician (b. 1923)
    • 2020 – Sir Lenox Hewitt, Australian public servant (b. 1917)

    Holidays and observances on February 28

    • Christian feast day:
      • Abercius (martyr)
      • Anna Julia Cooper and Elizabeth Evelyn Wright (Episcopal Church (USA))
      • Hilarius
      • Mar Abba
      • Oswald of Worcester
      • Romanus of Condat
      • Rufinus
      • February 28 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Earliest day on which Rare Disease Day can fall, while February 29 is the latest; observed on the last day of February (international)
    • The third day of Ayyám-i-Há (Bahá’í Faith) (Please note that this observance is only locked into this date the Gregorian calendar on this date if Bahá’í Naw-Rúz takes place on March 21, which it doesn’t in all years)
    • Día de Andalucía (Andalusia, Spain)
    • Kalevala Day, the day of Finnish culture. (Finland)
    • National Science Day (India)
    • Peace Memorial Day (Taiwan)
    • Teachers’ Day (Arab states)

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

    This day marks the approximate midpoint of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and of summer in the Southern Hemisphere (starting the season at the December solstice).

    February 4 in History 

    • 211 – Following the death of Rome’s Emperor Septimius Severus at Eboracum (modern York, England) while preparing to lead a campaign against the Caledonians, the empire is left in the control of his two quarreling sons, Caracalla and Geta, whom he had instructed to make peace.
    • 960 – The coronation of Zhao Kuangyin as Emperor Taizu of Song, initiating the Song dynasty period of China that would last more than three centuries.
    • 1169 – A strong earthquake struck the Ionian coast of Sicily, causing tens of thousands of injuries and deaths, especially in Catania.
    • 1454 – In the Thirteen Years’ War, the Secret Council of the Prussian Confederation sends a formal act of disobedience to the Grand Master.
    • 1555 – John Rogers is burned at the stake, becoming the first English Protestant martyr under Mary I of England.
    • 1703 – In Edo (now Tokyo), all but one of the Forty-seven Ronin commit seppuku (ritual suicide) as recompense for avenging their master’s death.
    • 1758 – The city of Macapá in Brazil is founded by Sebastião Veiga Cabral.
    • 1789 – George Washington is unanimously elected as the first President of the United States by the U.S. Electoral College.
    • 1794 – The French legislature abolishes slavery throughout all territories of the French First Republic. It would be reestablished in the French West Indies in 1802.
    • 1797 – The Riobamba earthquake strikes Ecuador, causing up to 40,000 casualties.
    • 1801 – John Marshall is sworn in as Chief Justice of the United States.
    • 1810 – Napoleonic Wars: Britain seizes Guadeloupe.
    • 1820 – The Chilean Navy under the command of Lord Cochrane completes the two-day long Capture of Valdivia with just 300 men and two ships.
    • 1825 – The Ohio Legislature authorizes the construction of the Ohio and Erie Canal and the Miami and Erie Canal.
    • 1846 – The first Mormon pioneers make their exodus from Nauvoo, Illinois, westward towards Salt Lake Valley.
    • 1859 – The Codex Sinaiticus is discovered in Egypt.
    • 1861 – American Civil War: In Montgomery, Alabama, delegates from six break-away U.S. states meet and form the Confederate States of America.
    • 1899 – The Philippine–American War begins with the Battle of Manila.
    • 1932 – Second Sino-Japanese War: Harbin, Manchuria, falls to Japan.
    • 1938 – Adolf Hitler appoints himself as head of the Armed Forces High Command.
    • 1941 – The United Service Organization (USO) is created to entertain American troops.
    • 1945 – World War II: Santo Tomas Internment Camp is liberated from Japanese authority.
    • 1945 – World War II: The Yalta Conference between the “Big Three” (Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin) opens at the Livadia Palace in the Crimea.
    • 1945 – World War II: The British Indian Army and Imperial Japanese Army begin a series of battles known as the Battle of Pokoku and Irrawaddy River operations.
    • 1948 – Ceylon (later renamed Sri Lanka) becomes independent within the British Commonwealth.
    • 1961 – The Angolan War of Independence and the greater Portuguese Colonial War begin.
    • 1966 – All Nippon Airways Flight 60 plunges into Tokyo Bay, killing 133.
    • 1967 – Lunar Orbiter program: Lunar Orbiter 3 lifts off from Cape Canaveral’s Launch Complex 13 on its mission to identify possible landing sites for the Surveyor and Apollo spacecraft.
    • 1969 – Yasser Arafat takes over as chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
    • 1974 – The Symbionese Liberation Army kidnaps Patty Hearst in Berkeley, California.
    • 1974 – M62 coach bombing: The Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) explodes a bomb on a bus carrying off-duty British Armed Forces personnel in Yorkshire, England. Nine soldiers and three civilians are killed.
    • 1975 – Haicheng earthquake (magnitude 7.3 on the Richter scale) occurs in Haicheng, Liaoning, China.
    • 1976 – In Guatemala and Honduras an earthquake kills more than 22,000.
    • 1977 – A Chicago Transit Authority elevated train rear-ends another and derails, killing 11 and injuring 180, the worst accident in the agency’s history.
    • 1992 – A coup d’état is led by Hugo Chávez against Venezuelan President Carlos Andrés Pérez.
    • 1997 – En route to Lebanon, two Israeli Sikorsky CH-53 troop-transport helicopters collide in mid-air over northern Galilee, Israel killing 73.
    • 1998 – The 5.9 Mw  Afghanistan earthquake shakes the Takhar Province with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VII (Very strong). With 2,323 killed, and 818 injured, damage is considered extreme.
    • 1999 – Unarmed West African immigrant Amadou Diallo is shot 41 times by four plainclothes New York City police officers on an unrelated stake-out, inflaming race relations in the city.
    • 2000 – The World Summit Against Cancer for the New Millennium, Charter of Paris is signed by the President of France, Jacques Chirac and the Director General of UNESCO, Koichiro Matsuura, initiating World Cancer Day which is held on February 4 every year.
    • 2003 – The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia adopts a new constitution, becoming a loose confederacy between Montenegro and Serbia.
    • 2004 – Facebook, a mainstream online social networking site, is founded by Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin.
    • 2015 – TransAsia Airways Flight 235 with 58 people on board, en route from the Taiwanese capital Taipei to Kinmen, crashes into the Keelung River just after take-off, killing 43 people.
    • 2020 – The COVID-19 pandemic causes all casinos in Macau to be closed down for 15 days.

    Births on February 4

    • 1447 – Lodovico Lazzarelli, Italian poet (d. 1500)
    • 1495 – Francesco II Sforza, Duke of Milan (d. 1535)
    • 1495 – Jean Parisot de Valette, Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller (d. 1568)
    • 1505 – Mikołaj Rej, Polish poet and author (d. 1580)
    • 1575 – Pierre de Bérulle, French cardinal and theologian, founded the French school of spirituality (d. 1629)
    • 1646 – Hans Erasmus Aßmann, German poet and politician (d. 1699)
    • 1676 – Giacomo Facco, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1753)
    • 1677 – Johann Ludwig Bach, German violinist and composer (d. 1731)
    • 1688 – Pierre de Marivaux, French author and playwright (d. 1763)
    • 1725 – Dru Drury, English entomologist and author (d. 1804)
    • 1740 – Carl Michael Bellman, Swedish poet and composer (d. 1795)
    • 1778 – Augustin Pyramus de Candolle, Swiss botanist, mycologist, and academic (d. 1841)
    • 1799 – Almeida Garrett, Portuguese journalist and author (d. 1854)
    • 1818 – Emperor Norton, San Francisco eccentric and visionary (d. 1880)citation needed
    • 1831 – Oliver Ames, American financier and politician, 35th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1895)
    • 1848 – Jean Aicard, French poet, author, and playwright (d. 1921)
    • 1849 – Jean Richepin, French poet, author, and playwright (d. 1926)
    • 1862 – Édouard Estaunié, French novelist (d. 1942)
    • 1865 – Abe Isoo, Japanese minister and politician (d. 1949)
    • 1868 – Constance Markievicz, Irish revolutionary and first woman elected to the UK House of Commons (d. 1927)
    • 1871 – Friedrich Ebert, German lawyer and politician, 1st President of Germany (d. 1925)
    • 1872 – Gotse Delchev, Bulgarian and Macedonian revolutionary activist (d. 1903)
    • 1873 – Étienne Desmarteau, Canadian shot putter and discus thrower (d. 1905)
    • 1875 – Ludwig Prandtl, German physicist and engineer (d. 1953)
    • 1877 – Eddie Cochems, American football player and coach (d. 1953)
    • 1881 – Eulalio Gutiérrez, Mexican general and politician, President of Mexico (d. 1939)
    • 1881 – Fernand Léger, French painter and sculptor (d. 1955)
    • 1883 – Reinhold Rudenberg, German-American inventor and a pioneer of electron microscopy (d. 1961)
    • 1891 – M. A. Ayyangar, Indian lawyer and politician, 2nd Speaker of the Lok Sabha (d. 1978)
    • 1892 – E. J. Pratt, Canadian poet and academic (d. 1964)
    • 1895 – Nigel Bruce, English actor (d. 1953)
    • 1896 – Friedrich Glauser, Austrian-Swiss author (d. 1938)
    • 1896 – Friedrich Hund, German physicist and academic (d. 1997)
    • 1897 – Ludwig Erhard, German soldier and politician, 2nd Chancellor of West Germany (d. 1977)
    • 1899 – Virginia M. Alexander, American physician and founder of the Aspiranto Health Home (d. 1949)
    • 1900 – Jacques Prévert, French poet and screenwriter (d. 1977)
    • 1902 – Charles Lindbergh, American pilot and explorer (d. 1974)
    • 1902 – Hartley Shawcross, Baron Shawcross, German-English lawyer and politician, Attorney General for England and Wales (d. 2003)
    • 1903 – Alexander Imich, Polish-American chemist, parapsychologist, and academic (d. 2014)
    • 1904 – MacKinlay Kantor, American author and screenwriter (d. 1977)
    • 1905 – Hylda Baker, English comedian, actress and music hall performer (d. 1986)
    • 1906 – Dietrich Bonhoeffer, German pastor and theologian (d. 1945)
    • 1906 – Letitia Dunbar-Harrison, Irish librarian (d. 1994)
    • 1906 – Clyde Tombaugh, American astronomer and academic, discovered Pluto (d. 1997)
    • 1908 – Julian Bell, English poet and academic (d. 1937)
    • 1912 – Ola Skjåk Bræk, Norwegian banker and politician, Norwegian Minister of Industry (d. 1999)
    • 1912 – Erich Leinsdorf, Austrian-American conductor (d. 1993)
    • 1912 – Byron Nelson, American golfer and sportscaster (d. 2006)
    • 1913 – Rosa Parks, American civil rights activist (d. 2005)
    • 1914 – Alfred Andersch, German-Swiss author and publisher (d. 1980)
    • 1915 – William Talman, American actor and screenwriter (d. 1968)
    • 1915 – Norman Wisdom, English singer-songwriter and actor (d. 2010)
    • 1917 – Yahya Khan, Pakistan general and politician, 3rd President of Pakistan (d. 1980)
    • 1918 – Ida Lupino, English-American actress and director (d. 1995)
    • 1918 – Luigi Pareyson, Italian philosopher and author (d. 1991)
    • 1920 – Janet Waldo, American actress and voice artist (d. 2016)
    • 1921 – Betty Friedan, American author and feminist (d. 2006)
    • 1921 – Lotfi Zadeh, Iranian-American mathematician and computer scientist and founder of fuzzy logic (d. 2017)
    • 1923 – Conrad Bain, Canadian-American actor (d. 2013)
    • 1925 – Russell Hoban, American author and illustrator (d. 2011)
    • 1925 – Stanley Karnow, American journalist and historian (d. 2013)
    • 1925 – Christopher Zeeman, English mathematician and academic (d. 2016)
    • 1926 – Gyula Grosics, Hungarian footballer and manager (d. 2014)
    • 1926 – Dave Sands, Australian boxer (d. 1952)
    • 1927 – Rolf Landauer, German-American physicist and academic (d. 1999)
    • 1928 – Oscar Cabalén, Argentinian race car driver (d. 1967)
    • 1928 – Osmo Antero Wiio, Finnish journalist, academic, and politician (d. 2013)
    • 1929 – Paul Burlison, American rockabilly guitarist (d. 2003)
    • 1929 – Neil Johnston, American basketball player (d. 1978)
    • 1930 – Tibor Antalpéter, Hungarian volleyball player and diplomat, Hungarian Ambassador to the United Kingdom (d. 2012)
    • 1930 – Arthur E. Chase, American businessman and politician (d. 2015)
    • 1930 – Jim Loscutoff, American basketball player (d. 2015)
    • 1931 – Isabel Martínez de Perón, Argentinian dancer and politician, 41st President of Argentina
    • 1935 – Wallis Mathias, Pakistani cricketer (d. 1994)
    • 1935 – Martti Talvela, Finnish opera singer (d. 1989)
    • 1935 – Collin Wilcox, American actress (d. 2009)
    • 1936 – David Brenner, American comedian, actor, and author (d. 2014)
    • 1936 – Claude Nobs, Swiss businessman, founded the Montreux Jazz Festival (d. 2013)
    • 1937 – David Newman, American director and screenwriter (d. 2003)
    • 1938 – Frank J. Dodd, American businessman and politician, president of the New Jersey Senate (d. 2010)
    • 1939 – Stan Lundine, American lawyer and politician, Lieutenant Governor of New York
    • 1940 – George A. Romero, American director and producer (d. 2017)
    • 1941 – Russell Cooper, Australian politician, 33rd Premier of Queensland
    • 1941 – Ron Rangi, New Zealand rugby player (d. 1988)
    • 1941 – Jiří Raška, Czech skier and coach (d. 2012)
    • 1943 – Alberto João Jardim, Portuguese journalist and politician, 2nd President of the Regional Government of Madeira
    • 1943 – Wanda Rutkiewicz, Lithuanian-Polish mountaineer (d. 1992)
    • 1943 – Ken Thompson, American computer scientist and programmer, co-developed the B programming language
    • 1944 – Florence LaRue, American singer and actress
    • 1947 – Dennis C. Blair, American admiral and politician, 3rd Director of National Intelligence
    • 1947 – Dan Quayle, American sergeant, lawyer, and politician, 44th Vice President of the United States
    • 1948 – Alice Cooper, American singer-songwriter
    • 1948 – Rod Grams, American journalist and politician (d. 2013)
    • 1948 – Mienoumi Tsuyoshi, Japanese sumo wrestler
    • 1949 – Michael Beck, American actor
    • 1949 – Rasim Delić, Bosnian general (d. 2010)
    • 1951 – Patrick Bergin, Irish actor
    • 1951 – Phil Ehart, American rock drummer and songwriter
    • 1952 – Jenny Shipley, New Zealand educator and politician, 36th Prime Minister of New Zealand
    • 1952 – Thomas Silverstein, American prisoner, founder and former leader of the Aryan Brotherhood prison gang (d. 2019)
    • 1955 – Mikuláš Dzurinda, Slovak politician, Prime Minister of Slovakia
    • 1957 – Don Davis, American composer and conductor
    • 1958 – Tomasz Pacyński, Polish journalist and author (d. 2005)
    • 1959 – Christian Schreier, German footballer and manager
    • 1959 – Lawrence Taylor, American football player and sportscaster
    • 1960 – Siobhan Dowd, English author and activist (d. 2007)
    • 1960 – Adrienne King, American actress, dancer, and painter
    • 1960 – Jonathan Larson, American composer and playwright (d. 1996)
    • 1961 – Stewart O’Nan, American novelist
    • 1961 – Denis Savard, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1962 – Clint Black, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
    • 1962 – Stephen Hammond, English banker and politician
    • 1963 – Pirmin Zurbriggen, Swiss skier
    • 1964 – Elke Philipp, German Paralympic equestrian
    • 1965 – Jerome Brown, American football player (d. 1992)
    • 1966 – Tony Butterfield, Australian rugby league player
    • 1966 – Viatcheslav Ekimov, Russian cyclist
    • 1967 – Sergei Grinkov, Russian figure skater (d. 1995)
    • 1970 – Gabrielle Anwar, English actress
    • 1971 – Rob Corddry, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1971 – Eric Garcetti, American lieutenant and politician, 42nd Mayor of Los Angeles
    • 1972 – Dara Ó Briain, Irish comedian and television host
    • 1972 – Giovanni Silva de Oliveira, Brazilian footballer and manager
    • 1973 – Oscar De La Hoya, American boxer
    • 1973 – James Hird, Australian footballer and coach
    • 1973 – Manny Legace, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
    • 1975 – Natalie Imbruglia, Australian singer-songwriter and actress
    • 1977 – Gavin DeGraw, American singer-songwriter
    • 1979 – Giorgio Pantano, Italian race car driver
    • 1980 – Raimonds Vaikulis, Latvian basketball player
    • 1981 – Jason Kapono, American basketball player
    • 1981 – Johan Vansummeren, Belgian cyclist
    • 1982 – Chris Sabin, American wrestler
    • 1982 – Ivars Timermanis, Latvian basketball player
    • 1982 – Tomas Vaitkus, Lithuanian cyclist
    • 1983 – Lee Stempniak, American ice hockey player
    • 1983 – Rebecca White, Australian politician
    • 1984 – Sandeep Acharya, Indian singer (d. 2013)
    • 1984 – Mauricio Pinilla, Chilean footballer
    • 1986 – Maximilian Götz, German race car driver
    • 1986 – Mahmudullah Riyad, Bangladeshi cricketer
    • 1987 – Darren O’Dea, Irish footballer
    • 1987 – Lucie Šafářová, Czech tennis player
    • 1988 – Carly Patterson, American gymnast and singer
    • 1993 – Bae Noo-ri, South Korean actress
    • 1998 – Maximilian Wöber, Austrian footballer

    Deaths on February 4

    • 211 – Septimius Severus, Roman emperor (b. 145)
    • 708 – Pope Sisinnius (b. 650)
    • 856 – Rabanus Maurus, Frankish archbishop and theologian (b. 780)
    • 870 – Ceolnoth, archbishop of Canterbury
    • 1169 – John of Ajello, Bishop of Catania
    • 1498 – Antonio del Pollaiolo, Italian artist (b. 1429/1433)
    • 1505 – Jeanne de Valois, daughter of Louis XI of France (b. 1464)
    • 1508 – Conrad Celtes, German poet and scholar (b. 1459)
    • 1555 – John Rogers, English clergyman and translator (b. 1505)
    • 1590 – Gioseffo Zarlino, Italian composer and theorist (b. 1517)
    • 1615 – Giambattista della Porta, Italian playwright and scholar (b. 1535)
    • 1617 – Lodewijk Elzevir, Dutch publisher, co-founded the House of Elzevir (b. 1546)
    • 1713 – Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 3rd Earl of Shaftesbury, English philosopher and politician (b. 1671)
    • 1774 – Charles Marie de La Condamine, French mathematician and geographer (b. 1701)
    • 1781 – Josef Mysliveček, Czech composer (b. 1737)
    • 1799 – Étienne-Louis Boullée, French architect and educator (b. 1728)
    • 1843 – Theodoros Kolokotronis, Greek general (b. 1770)
    • 1891 – Pelagio Antonio de Labastida y Dávalos, Roman Catholic archbishop and Mexican politician who served as regent during the Second Mexican Empire (1863-1864) (b. 1816)
    • 1905 – Louis-Ernest Barrias, French sculptor and academic (b. 1841)
    • 1926 – İskilipli Âtıf Hodja, Turkish author and scholar (b. 1875)
    • 1928 – Hendrik Lorentz, Dutch physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1853)
    • 1933 – Archibald Sayce, English linguist and educator (b. 1846)
    • 1940 – Nikolai Yezhov, Russian police officer and politician (b. 1895)
    • 1943 – Frank Calder, English-Canadian ice hockey player and journalist (b. 1877)
    • 1944 – Arsen Kotsoyev, Russian author and translator (b. 1872)
    • 1956 – Savielly Tartakower, Russian-French chess player, journalist, and author (b. 1887)
    • 1958 – Henry Kuttner, American author and screenwriter (b. 1915)
    • 1959 – Una O’Connor, Irish-American actress (b. 1880)
    • 1968 – Neal Cassady, American novelist and poet (b. 1926)
    • 1970 – Louise Bogan, American poet and critic (b. 1897)
    • 1974 – Satyendra Nath Bose, Indian physicist, mathematician, and academic (b. 1894)
    • 1975 – Louis Jordan, American singer-songwriter and saxophonist (b. 1908)
    • 1982 – Alex Harvey, Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1935)
    • 1982 – Georg Konrad Morgen, German lawyer and judge (b. 1909)
    • 1983 – Karen Carpenter, American singer (b. 1950)
    • 1987 – Liberace, American singer-songwriter and pianist, (b. 1919)
    • 1987 – Meena Keshwar Kamal, Afghan activist, founded the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (b. 1956)
    • 1987 – Carl Rogers, American psychologist and academic (b. 1902)
    • 1990 – Whipper Billy Watson, Canadian-American wrestler and trainer (b. 1915)
    • 1992 – John Dehner, American actor (b. 1915)
    • 1995 – Patricia Highsmith, American novelist and short story writer (b. 1921)
    • 2000 – Carl Albert, American lawyer and politician, 54th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (b. 1908)
    • 2002 – Count Sigvard Bernadotte of Wisborg (b. 1907)
    • 2003 – Benyoucef Benkhedda, Algerian pharmacist and politician (b. 1920)
    • 2005 – Ossie Davis, American actor, director, and playwright (b. 1917)
    • 2006 – Betty Friedan, American author and activist (b. 1921)
    • 2007 – José Carlos Bauer, Brazilian footballer and manager (b. 1925)
    • 2007 – Ilya Kormiltsev, Russian-English poet and translator (b. 1959)
    • 2007 – Barbara McNair, American singer and actress (b. 1934)
    • 2007 – Jules Olitski, Ukrainian-American painter and sculptor (b. 1922)
    • 2008 – Augusta Dabney, American actress (b. 1918)
    • 2008 – Stefan Meller, Polish academic and politician, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland (b. 1942)
    • 2010 – Kostas Axelos, Greek-French philosopher and author (b. 1924)
    • 2010 – Helen Tobias-Duesberg, Estonian-American composer (b. 1919)
    • 2011 – Martial Célestin, Haitian lawyer and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Haiti (b. 1913)
    • 2012 – István Csurka, Hungarian journalist and politician (b. 1934)
    • 2012 – Florence Green, English soldier (b. 1901)
    • 2012 – Robert Daniel, American farmer, soldier, and politician (b. 1936)
    • 2012 – Mike deGruy, American director, producer, and cinematographer (b. 1951)
    • 2013 – Donald Byrd, American trumpet player (b. 1932)
    • 2013 – Reg Presley, English singer-songwriter (b. 1941)
    • 2014 – Keith Allen, Canadian-American ice hockey player, coach, and manager (b. 1923)
    • 2014 – Eugenio Corti, Italian soldier, author, and playwright (b. 1921)
    • 2014 – Dennis Lota, Zambian footballer (b. 1973)
    • 2015 – Wes Cooley, American soldier and politician (b. 1932)
    • 2015 – Fitzhugh L. Fulton, American colonel and pilot (b. 1925)
    • 2016 – Edgar Mitchell, American captain, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1930)
    • 2017 – Steve Lang, Canadian bass player (b. 1949)
    • 2017 – Bano Qudsia, Pakistani writer (b. 1928)
    • 2018 – John Mahoney, English-American actor, voice artist, and comedian (b. 1940)
    • 2019 – Matti Nykänen, Finnish Olympic-winning ski jumper and singer (b. 1963)

    Holidays and observances on February 4

    • Christian feast day:
      • Andrew Corsini
      • Gilbert of Sempringham
      • John de Brito
      • Blessed Rabanus Maurus
      • Rimbert
      • Veronica
      • February 4 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Day of the Armed Struggle (Angola)
    • Earliest day on which Ash Wednesday can fall, while March 10 is the latest; celebrated on the first day of Lent (Christianity)
    • Independence Day (Sri Lanka)
    • Rosa Parks Day (California and Missouri, United States)
    • World Cancer Day

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

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

    Births on January 29

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

    Deaths on January 29

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

    Holidays and observances on January 29

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