959

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

    • 1054 – Siward, Earl of Northumbria, invades Scotland and defeats Macbeth, King of Scotland somewhere north of the Firth of Forth.
    • 1189 – Friedrich Barbarossa arrives at Niš, the capital of Serbian King Stefan Nemanja, during the Third Crusade.
    • 1202 – Georgian–Seljuk wars: At the Battle of Basian the Kingdom of Georgia defeats the Sultanate of Rum.
    • 1214 – Battle of Bouvines: Philip II of France decisively defeats Imperial, English and Flemish armies, effectively ending John of England’s Angevin Empire.
    • 1299 – According to Edward Gibbon, Osman I invades the territory of Nicomedia for the first time, usually considered to be the founding day of the Ottoman state.
    • 1302 – Battle of Bapheus: Decisive Ottoman victory over the Byzantines opening up Bithynia for Turkish conquest.
    • 1549 – The Jesuit priest Francis Xavier’s ship reaches Japan.
    • 1663 – The English Parliament passes the second Navigation Act requiring that all goods bound for the American colonies have to be sent in English ships from English ports. After the Acts of Union 1707, Scotland would be included in the Act.
    • 1689 – Glorious Revolution: The Battle of Killiecrankie is a victory for the Jacobites.
    • 1694 – A Royal charter is granted to the Bank of England.
    • 1775 – Founding of the U.S. Army Medical Department: The Second Continental Congress passes legislation establishing “an hospital for an army consisting of 20,000 men.”
    • 1778 – American Revolution: First Battle of Ushant: British and French fleets fight to a standoff.
    • 1789 – The first U.S. federal government agency, the Department of Foreign Affairs, is established (it will be later renamed Department of State).
    • 1794 – French Revolution: Maximilien Robespierre is arrested after encouraging the execution of more than 17,000 “enemies of the Revolution”.
    • 1816 – Battle of Negro Fort: The battle ends when a hot shot cannonball fired by US Navy Gunboat No. 154 explodes the Fort’s Powder Magazine, killing approximately 275. It is considered the deadliest single cannon shot in US history.
    • 1857 – Siege of Arrah begins: Sixty-eight men hold out for eight days against a force of 2,500 to 3,000 mutinying sepoys and 8,000 irregular forces.
    • 1865 – Welsh settlers arrive at Chubut in Argentina.
    • 1866 – The first permanent transatlantic telegraph cable is successfully completed, stretching from Valentia Island, Ireland, to Heart’s Content, Newfoundland.
    • 1880 – Second Anglo-Afghan War: Battle of Maiwand: Afghan forces led by Mohammad Ayub Khan defeat the British Army in battle near Maiwand, Afghanistan.
    • 1890 – Vincent van Gogh shoots himself and dies two days later.
    • 1900 – Kaiser Wilhelm II makes a speech comparing Germans to Huns; for years afterwards, “Hun” would be a disparaging name for Germans.
    • 1917 – World War I: The Allies reach the Yser Canal at the Battle of Passchendaele.
    • 1919 – The Chicago Race Riot erupts after a racial incident occurred on a South Side beach, leading to 38 fatalities and 537 injuries over a five-day period.
    • 1921 – Researchers at the University of Toronto, led by biochemist Frederick Banting, prove that the hormone insulin regulates blood sugar.
    • 1929 – The Geneva Convention of 1929, dealing with treatment of prisoners-of-war, is signed by 53 nations.
    • 1940 – The animated short A Wild Hare is released, introducing the character of Bugs Bunny.
    • 1942 – World War II: Allied forces successfully halt the final Axis advance into Egypt.
    • 1949 – Initial flight of the de Havilland Comet, the first jet-powered airliner.
    • 1953 – Cessation of hostilities is achieved in the Korean War when the United States, China, and North Korea sign an armistice agreement. Syngman Rhee, President of South Korea, refuses to sign but pledges to observe the armistice.
    • 1955 – The Austrian State Treaty restores Austrian sovereignty.
    • 1955 – El Al Flight 402 is shot down by two fighter jets after straying into Bulgarian air space. All 58 people onboard are killed.
    • 1959 – The Continental League is announced as baseball’s “3rd major league” in the United States.
    • 1964 – Vietnam War: Five thousand more American military advisers are sent to South Vietnam bringing the total number of United States forces in Vietnam to 21,000.
    • 1974 – Watergate scandal: The House of Representatives Judiciary Committee votes 27 to 11 to recommend the first article of impeachment (for obstruction of justice) against President Richard Nixon.
    • 1975 – Mayor of Jaffna and former MP Alfred Duraiappah is shot dead.
    • 1976 – Former Japanese prime minister Kakuei Tanaka is arrested on suspicion of violating foreign exchange and foreign trade laws in connection with the Lockheed bribery scandals.
    • 1981 – While landing at Chihuahua International Airport, Aeromexico Flight 230 overshoots the runway. Thirty-two of the 66 passengers and crew on board the DC-9 are killed.[2]
    • 1983 – Black July: Eighteen Tamil political prisoners at the Welikada high security prison in Colombo are massacred by Sinhalese prisoners, the second such massacre in two days.
    • 1987 – RMS Titanic Inc. begins the first expedited salvage of wreckage of the RMS Titanic.
    • 1989 – While attempting to land at Tripoli International Airport in Libya, Korean Air Flight 803 crashes just short of the runway. Seventy-five of the 199 passengers and crew and four people on the ground are killed, in the second accident involving a DC-10 in less than two weeks, the first being United Airlines Flight 232.
    • 1990 – The Supreme Soviet of the Belarusian Soviet Republic declares independence of Belarus from the Soviet Union. Until 1996 the day is celebrated as the Independence Day of Belarus; after a referendum held that year the celebration of independence is moved to June 3.
    • 1990 – The Jamaat al Muslimeen attempt a coup d’état in Trinidad and Tobago.
    • 1995 – The Korean War Veterans Memorial is dedicated in Washington, D.C..
    • 1996 – In Atlanta, United States, a pipe bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park during the 1996 Summer Olympics.
    • 1997 – About 50 people are killed in the Si Zerrouk massacre in Algeria.
    • 2002 – Ukraine airshow disaster: A Sukhoi Su-27 fighter crashes during an air show at Lviv, Ukraine killing 77 and injuring more than 500 others, making it the deadliest air show disaster in history.
    • 2005 – After an incident during STS-114, NASA grounds the Space Shuttle, pending an investigation of the continuing problem with the shedding of foam insulation from the external fuel tank.
    • 2015 – At least seven people are killed and many injured after gunmen attack an Indian police station in Punjab.
    • 2016 – At a news conference in Florida, U.S. Presidential Candidate Donald Trump publicly appealed to Russia to find and release private emails from Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton; a Special Counsel investigation (2017–2019) later alleged that Russian operatives began hacking into servers at the Democratic National Committee on that same day, leading to the July 13, 2018 indictment of 12 Russian intelligence officers.[3]

    Births on July 27

    • 1452 – Ludovico Sforza, Italian son of Francesco I Sforza (d. 1508)
    • 1452 – Lucrezia Crivelli, mistress of Ludovico Sforza (d. 1508)
    • 1502 – Francesco Corteccia, Italian composer (d. 1571)
    • 1578 – Frances Howard, Duchess of Richmond (d. 1639)
    • 1612 – Murad IV, Ottoman Sultan (d. 1640)
    • 1625 – Edward Montagu, 1st Earl of Sandwich (d. 1672)
    • 1667 – Johann Bernoulli, Swiss mathematician and academic (d. 1748)
    • 1733 – Jeremiah Dixon, English surveyor and astronomer (d. 1779)
    • 1740 – Jeanne Baré, French explorer (d. 1803)
    • 1741 – François-Hippolyte Barthélémon, French-English violinist and composer (d. 1808)
    • 1752 – Samuel Smith, American general and politician (d. 1839)
    • 1768 – Charlotte Corday, French assassin of Jean-Paul Marat (d. 1793)
    • 1768 – Joseph Anton Koch, Austrian painter (d. 1839)
    • 1773 – Jacob Aall, Norwegian economist and politician (d. 1844)
    • 1777 – Thomas Campbell, Scottish-French poet and academic (d. 1844)
    • 1777 – Henry Trevor, 21st Baron Dacre, English general (d. 1853)
    • 1781 – Mauro Giuliani, Italian singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1828)
    • 1784 – Denis Davydov, Russian general and poet (d. 1839)
    • 1812 – Thomas Lanier Clingman, American general and politician (d. 1897)
    • 1818 – Agostino Roscelli, Italian priest and saint (d. 1902)
    • 1824 – Alexandre Dumas, fils, French novelist and playwright (d. 1895)
    • 1833 – Thomas George Bonney, English geologist, mountaineer, and academic (d. 1923)
    • 1834 – Miguel Grau Seminario, Peruvian admiral (d. 1879)
    • 1835 – Giosuè Carducci, Italian poet and educator, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1907)
    • 1848 – Loránd Eötvös, Hungarian physicist and politician, Minister of Education of Hungary (d. 1919)
    • 1848 – Friedrich Ernst Dorn, German physicist (d.1916)
    • 1853 – Vladimir Korolenko, Ukrainian journalist, author, and activist (d. 1921)
    • 1853 – Elizabeth Plankinton, American philanthropist (d. 1923)
    • 1854 – Takahashi Korekiyo, Japanese accountant and politician, 20th Prime Minister of Japan (d. 1936)
    • 1857 – José Celso Barbosa, Puerto Rican physician, sociologist, and politician (d. 1921)
    • 1857 – Ernest Alfred Thompson Wallis Budge, English Egyptologist, Orientalist, and philologist (d.1934)
    • 1858 – George Lyon, Canadian golfer and cricketer (d. 1938)
    • 1866 – António José de Almeida, Portuguese physician and politician, 6th President of Portugal (d. 1929)
    • 1867 – Enrique Granados, Spanish pianist and composer (d. 1916)
    • 1870 – Hilaire Belloc, French-born British writer and historian (d. 1953)
    • 1872 – Stanislav Binički, Serbian composer, conductor, and pedagogue. (d. 1942)
    • 1879 – Francesco Gaeta, Italian poet (d. 1927)
    • 1877 – Ernő Dohnányi, Hungarian pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1960)
    • 1881 – Hans Fischer, German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1945)
    • 1882 – Geoffrey de Havilland, English pilot and engineer, founded the de Havilland Aircraft Company (d. 1965)
    • 1886 – Ernst May, German architect and urban planner (d. 1970)
    • 1889 – Vera Karalli, Russian ballerina, choreographer, and actress (d. 1972)
    • 1890 – Benjamin Miessner, American radio engineer and inventor (d. 1976)
    • 1890 – Armas Taipale, Finnish discus thrower and shot putter (d. 1976)
    • 1891 – Jacob van der Hoeden, Dutch-Israeli veterinarian and academic (d. 1968)
    • 1893 – Ugo Agostoni, Italian cyclist (d. 1941)
    • 1894 – Mientje Kling, Dutch actress (d. 1966)
    • 1896 – Robert George, Scottish air marshal and politician, 24th Governor of South Australia (d. 1967)
    • 1896 – Henri Longchambon, French lawyer and politician (d. 1969)
    • 1899 – Percy Hornibrook, Australian cricketer (d. 1976)
    • 1902 – Yaroslav Halan, Ukrainian playwright and publicist (d. 1949)
    • 1903 – Nikolay Cherkasov, Russian actor (d. 1966)
    • 1903 – Michail Stasinopoulos, Greek jurist and politician, President of Greece (d. 2002)
    • 1903 – Mārtiņš Zīverts, Latvian playwright (d. 1990)
    • 1904 – Lyudmila Rudenko, Soviet chess player (d. 1986)
    • 1905 – Leo Durocher, American baseball player and manager (d. 1991)
    • 1906 – Jerzy Giedroyc, Polish author and activist (d. 2000)
    • 1906 – Herbert Jasper, Canadian psychologist and neurologist (d. 1999)
    • 1907 – Ross Alexander, American stage and film actor (d. 1937)
    • 1907 – Carl McClellan Hill, African American educator and academic administrator (d. 1995)
    • 1907 – Irene Fischer, Austrian-American geodesist and mathematician (d. 2009)
    • 1908 – Joseph Mitchell, American journalist and author (d. 1996)
    • 1910 – Julien Gracq, French author and critic (d. 2007)
    • 1910 – Lupita Tovar, Mexican-American actress (d. 2016)
    • 1911 – Rayner Heppenstall, English author and poet (d. 1981)
    • 1912 – Vernon Elliott, English bassoon player, composer, and conductor (d. 1996)
    • 1913 – George L. Street III, American captain, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 2000)
    • 1914 – August Sang, Estonian poet and translator (d. 1969)
    • 1915 – Mario Del Monaco, Italian tenor (d. 1982)
    • 1915 – Josef Priller, German colonel and pilot (d. 1961)
    • 1916 – Elizabeth Hardwick, American literary critic, novelist, and short story writer (d. 2007)
    • 1916 – Skippy Williams, American saxophonist and arranger (d. 1994)
    • 1916 – Keenan Wynn, American actor (d. 1986)
    • 1918 – Leonard Rose, American cellist and educator (d. 1984)
    • 1920 – Henry D. “Homer” Haynes, American comedian and musician (Homer and Jethro) (d. 1971)
    • 1921 – Garry Davis, American pilot and activist, created the World Passport (d. 2013)
    • 1921 – Émile Genest, Canadian-American actor (d. 2003)
    • 1922 – Adolfo Celi, Italian actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1986)
    • 1922 – Norman Lear, American screenwriter and producer
    • 1923 – Mas Oyama, South Korean-Japanese martial artist (d. 1994)
    • 1924 – Vincent Canby, American historian and critic (d. 2000)
    • 1924 – Otar Taktakishvili, Georgian composer and conductor (d. 1989)
    • 1927 – Guy Carawan, American singer and musicologist (d. 2015)
    • 1927 – Pierre Granier-Deferre, French director and screenwriter (d. 2007)
    • 1927 – Will Jordan, American comedian and actor (d. 2018)
    • 1927 – C. Rajadurai, Sri Lankan journalist and politician, 1st Mayor of Batticaloa
    • 1927 – John Seigenthaler, American journalist and academic (d. 2014)
    • 1928 – Joseph Kittinger, American colonel and pilot
    • 1929 – Jean Baudrillard, French sociologist and philosopher (d. 2007)
    • 1929 – Harvey Fuqua, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2010)
    • 1929 – Jack Higgins, English author and academic
    • 1929 – Marc Wilkinson, French-Australian composer and conductor
    • 1930 – Joy Whitby, English director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1930 – Shirley Williams, English academic and politician, Secretary of State for Education
    • 1931 – Khieu Samphan, Cambodian academic and politician, 28th Prime Minister of Cambodia
    • 1931 – Jerry Van Dyke, American actor (d. 2018)
    • 1932 – Forest Able, American basketball player
    • 1932 – Diane Webber, American model, dancer and actress
    • 1933 – Nick Reynolds, American singer and bongo player (d. 2008)
    • 1933 – Ted Whitten, Australian footballer and journalist (d. 1995)
    • 1935 – Hillar Kärner, Estonian chess player
    • 1935 – Billy McCullough, Northern Irish footballer
    • 1936 – J. Robert Hooper, American businessman and politician (d. 2008)
    • 1937 – Anna Dawson, English actress and singer
    • 1937 – Don Galloway, American actor (d. 2009)
    • 1937 – Robert Holmes à Court, South African-Australian businessman and lawyer (d. 1990)
    • 1938 – Gary Gygax, American game designer, co-created Dungeons & Dragons (d. 2008)
    • 1939 – William Eggleston, American photographer and academic
    • 1939 – Michael Longley, Northern Irish poet and academic
    • 1939 – Paulo Silvino, Brazilian comedian, composer and actor (d. 2017)
    • 1940 – Pina Bausch, German dancer and choreographer (d. 2009)
    • 1941 – Christian Boesch, Austrian opera singer
    • 1941 – Johannes Fritsch, German viola player and composer (d. 2010)
    • 1942 – Édith Butler, Canadian singer-songwriter
    • 1942 – John Pleshette, American actor, director, and screenwriter
    • 1942 – Dennis Ralston, American tennis player
    • 1943 – Jeremy Greenstock, English diplomat, British Ambassador to the United Nations
    • 1944 – Bobbie Gentry, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1944 – Jean-Marie Leblanc, French cyclist and journalist
    • 1944 – Barbara Thomson, English saxophonist and composer
    • 1945 – Edmund M. Clarke, American computer scientist
    • 1946 – Peter Reading, English poet and author (d. 2011)
    • 1947 – Kazuyoshi Miura, Japanese businessman (d. 2008)
    • 1947 – Betty Thomas, American actress, director, and producer
    • 1948 – Peggy Fleming, American figure skater and sportscaster
    • 1948 – James Munby, English lawyer and judge
    • 1948 – Henny Vrienten, Dutch singer-songwriter and bass player
    • 1949 – Maury Chaykin, American-Canadian actor (d. 2010)
    • 1949 – André Dupont, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1949 – Rory MacDonald, Scottish singer-songwriter and bass player
    • 1949 – Maureen McGovern, American singer and actress
    • 1949 – Robert Rankin, English author and illustrator
    • 1950 – Simon Jones, English actor
    • 1951 – Roseanna Cunningham, Scottish lawyer and politician, Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs
    • 1951 – Bob Diamond, American-English banker and businessman
    • 1951 – Rolf Thung, Dutch tennis player
    • 1952 – Marvin Barnes, American basketball player (d. 2014)
    • 1952 – Roxanne Hart, American actress
    • 1953 – Chung Dong-young, South Korean journalist and politician, 31st South Korean Minister of Unification
    • 1953 – Yahoo Serious, Australian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1954 – Philippe Alliot, French race car driver and sportscaster
    • 1954 – G. S. Bali, Indian lawyer and politician
    • 1954 – Ricardo Uceda, Peruvian journalist and author
    • 1954 – Mark Stanway, English keyboard player Magnum
    • 1955 – Cat Bauer, American journalist, author, and playwright
    • 1955 – Allan Border, Australian cricketer and coach
    • 1955 – John Howell, English journalist and politician
    • 1955 – Bobby Rondinelli, American drummer
    • 1956 – Carol Leifer, American actress, comedian, screenwriter, and producer
    • 1957 – Bill Engvall, American comedian, actor, and producer
    • 1958 – Christopher Dean, English figure skater and choreographer
    • 1958 – Kimmo Hakola, Finnish composer
    • 1959 – Joe DeSa, American baseball player (d. 1986)
    • 1959 – Hugh Green, American football player
    • 1959 – Yiannos Papantoniou, French-Greek economist and politician, Greek Minister of National Defence
    • 1960 – Jo Durie, English tennis player and sportscaster
    • 1960 – Conway Savage, Australian singer-songwriter and keyboard player (d. 2018)
    • 1960 – Emily Thornberry, English lawyer and politician
    • 1961 – Ed Orgeron, American football coach[4]
    • 1962 – Neil Brooks, Australian swimmer
    • 1962 – Karl Mueller, American bass player (d. 2005)
    • 1963 – Donnie Yen, Chinese-Hong Kong actor, director, producer, and martial artist
    • 1964 – Rex Brown, American bass player and songwriter
    • 1965 – José Luis Chilavert, Paraguayan footballer
    • 1966 – Steve Tilson, English footballer and manager
    • 1967 – Rahul Bose, Indian journalist, actor, director, and screenwriter
    • 1967 – Juliana Hatfield, American singer-songwriter and musician
    • 1967 – Hans Mathisen, Norwegian guitarist and composer
    • 1967 – Neil Smith, English cricketer
    • 1967 – Craig Wolanin, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1968 – Maria Grazia Cucinotta, Italian actress and producer
    • 1968 – Tom Goodwin, American baseball player and coach
    • 1968 – Sabina Jeschke, Swedish-German engineer and academic
    • 1968 – Julian McMahon, Australian actor and producer
    • 1968 – Ricardo Rosset, Brazilian race car driver
    • 1969 – Triple H, American wrestler and actor
    • 1969 – Jonty Rhodes, South African cricketer and coach
    • 1970 – Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Danish actor and producer
    • 1970 – David Davies, English-Welsh politician
    • 1971 – Matthew Johns, Australian rugby league player, sportscaster and television host
    • 1972 – Clint Robinson, Australian kayaker[5]
    • 1972 – Maya Rudolph, American actress
    • 1972 – Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, Malaysian surgeon and astronaut
    • 1973 – Cassandra Clare, American journalist and author
    • 1973 – Erik Nys, Belgian long jumper
    • 1973 – Gorden Tallis, Australian rugby league player and coach
    • 1974 – Eason Chan, Hong Kong singer, actor, and producer
    • 1974 – Pete Yorn, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1975 – Serkan Çeliköz, Turkish keyboard player and songwriter
    • 1975 – Shea Hillenbrand, American baseball player
    • 1975 – Fred Mascherino, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1975 – Alessandro Pistone, Italian footballer
    • 1975 – Alex Rodriguez, American baseball player
    • 1976 – Demis Hassabis, English computer scientist and academic
    • 1976 – Scott Mason, Australian cricketer (d. 2005)
    • 1977 – Foo Swee Chin, Singaporean illustrator
    • 1977 – Björn Dreyer, German footballer
    • 1977 – Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Irish actor
    • 1978 – Diarmuid O’Sullivan, Irish hurler and manager
    • 1979 – Marielle Franco, Brazilian politician, feminist, and human rights activist (d. 2018)
    • 1979 – Jorge Arce, Mexican boxer
    • 1979 – Sidney Govou, French footballer
    • 1979 – Shannon Moore, American wrestler and singer
    • 1980 – Allan Davis, Australian cyclist
    • 1980 – Wesley Gonzales, Filipino basketball player
    • 1981 – Susan King Borchardt, American basketball player
    • 1981 – Collins Obuya, Kenyan cricketer
    • 1981 – Dash Snow, American painter and photographer (d. 2009)
    • 1981 – Christopher Weselek, German rugby player
    • 1982 – Neil Harbisson, English-Catalan painter, composer, and activist
    • 1983 – Lorik Cana, Albanian footballer
    • 1983 – Martijn Maaskant, Dutch cyclist
    • 1983 – Goran Pandev, Macedonian footballer
    • 1983 – Soccor Velho, Indian footballer (d. 2013)
    • 1984 – Antoine Bethea, American football player
    • 1984 – Tsuyoshi Nishioka, Japanese baseball player
    • 1984 – Max Scherzer, American baseball player
    • 1984 – Taylor Schilling, American actress
    • 1984 – Kenny Wormald, American actor, dancer, and choreographer
    • 1985 – Husain Abdullah, American football player
    • 1985 – Matteo Pratichetti, Italian rugby player
    • 1985 – Ajmal Shahzad, English cricketer
    • 1986 – DeMarre Carroll, American basketball player
    • 1986 – Ryan Flaherty, American baseball player
    • 1986 – Ryan Griffen, Australian footballer
    • 1987 – Jacoby Ford, American football player
    • 1987 – Marek Hamšík, Slovak footballer
    • 1987 – Jordan Hill, American basketball player
    • 1987 – Sarah Parsons, American ice hockey player
    • 1988 – Adam Biddle, Australian footballer
    • 1988 – Yoervis Medina, Venezuelan baseball player
    • 1988 – Ryan Tannehill, American football player
    • 1989 – Maya Ali, Pakistani actress
    • 1990 – Nick Hogan, American race car driver and actor
    • 1990 – Paolo Hurtado, Peruvian footballer
    • 1990 – Cheyenne Kimball, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1990 – Stephen Li-Chung Kuo, Taiwanese-American figure skater
    • 1990 – Kriti Sanon, Indian actress
    • 1991 – Rena Matsui, Japanese actress and singer
    • 1993 – Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Australian rugby league player
    • 1993 – Max Power, English footballer
    • 1993 – Jordan Spieth, American golfer
    • 2001 – Shin Ki-joon, South Korean actor

    Deaths on July 27

    • 903 – Abdallah II of Ifriqiya, Aghlabid emir
    • 959 – Chai Rong, emperor of Later Zhou
    • 1144 – Salomea of Berg, High Duchess consort of Poland[6]
    • 1061 – Nicholas II, pope of the Catholic Church
    • 1101 – Conrad II, king of Italy (b. 1074)
    • 1101 – Hugh d’Avranches, Earl of Chester (b. c. 1047)
    • 1158 – Geoffrey VI, Count of Anjou (b. 1134)
    • 1276 – James I of Aragon (b. 1208)
    • 1365 – Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria (b. 1339)
    • 1382 – Joanna I of Naples (b. 1326)
    • 1510 – Giovanni Sforza, Italian condottiere (b. 1466)
    • 1469 – William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke (b. 1423)
    • 1656 – Salomo Glassius, German theologian and critic (b. 1593)
    • 1675 – Henri de la Tour d’Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne, French general (b. 1611)
    • 1689 – John Graham, 1st Viscount Dundee, Scottish general (b. c. 1648)[7]
    • 1759 – Pierre Louis Maupertuis, French mathematician and philosopher (b. 1698)
    • 1770 – Robert Dinwiddie, Scottish merchant and politician, Colonial Governor of Virginia (b. 1693)
    • 1841 – Mikhail Lermontov, Russian poet and painter (b. 1814)
    • 1844 – John Dalton, English physicist, meteorologist, and chemist (b. 1776)
    • 1863 – William Lowndes Yancey, American journalist and politician (b. 1813)
    • 1865 – Jean-Joseph Dassy, French painter and lithographer (b. 1791)
    • 1875 – Aleksander Kunileid, Estonian composer and educator (b. 1845)
    • 1876 – Albertus van Raalte, Dutch-born American minister and author (b. 1811)
    • 1883 – Montgomery Blair, American lieutenant and politician, 20th United States Postmaster General (b. 1813)
    • 1916 – Charles Fryatt, English captain (b. 1872)
    • 1916 – William Jonas, English footballer (d. 1890)
    • 1917 – Emil Theodor Kocher, Swiss physician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1841)
    • 1921 – Myrddin Fardd, Welsh writer and antiquarian scholar (b. 1836)
    • 1924 – Ferruccio Busoni, Italian pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1866)
    • 1931 – Auguste Forel, Swiss neuroanatomist and psychiatrist (b. 1848)
    • 1938 – Tom Crean, Irish seaman and explorer (b. 1877)
    • 1941 – Alfred Henry O’Keeffe, New Zealand painter and educator (b. 1858)
    • 1942 – Karl Pärsimägi, Estonian painter (b. 1902)
    • 1946 – Gertrude Stein, American novelist, poet, and playwright (b. 1874)
    • 1948 – Woolf Barnato, English race car driver and businessman (b. 1898)
    • 1948 – Joe Tinker, American baseball player and manager (b. 1880)
    • 1948 – Dorothea Bleek, South African anthropologist and philologist (b. 1873)
    • 1951 – Paul Kogerman, Estonian chemist and politician, 22nd Estonian Minister of Education (b. 1891)
    • 1958 – Claire Lee Chennault, American general and pilot (b. 1893)
    • 1960 – Julie Vinter Hansen, Danish-Swiss astronomer and academic (b. 1890)
    • 1962 – Richard Aldington, English poet and author (b. 1892)
    • 1962 – James H. Kindelberger, American pilot and businessman (b. 1895)
    • 1963 – Hooks Dauss, American baseball player (b. 1889)
    • 1963 – Garrett Morgan, African-American inventor (b. 1877)
    • 1964 – Winifred Lenihan, American actress, writer, and director (b. 1898)
    • 1965 – Daniel-Rops, French historian and author (b. 1901)
    • 1968 – Babe Adams, American baseball player and manager (b. 1882)
    • 1970 – António de Oliveira Salazar, Portuguese economist and politician, 100th Prime Minister of Portugal (b. 1889)
    • 1971 – Charlie Tully, Irish footballer and manager (b. 1924)
    • 1975 – Alfred Duraiappah, Sri Lankan Tamil lawyer and politician (d. 1926)
    • 1978 – Bob Heffron, New Zealand-Australian miner and politician, 30th Premier of New South Wales (b. 1890)
    • 1978 – Willem van Otterloo, Dutch cellist, composer, and conductor (b. 1907)
    • 1980 – Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Iranian king (b. 1919)
    • 1981 – William Wyler, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1902)
    • 1984 – James Mason, English actor (b. 1909)
    • 1985 – Smoky Joe Wood, American baseball player and coach (b. 1889)
    • 1987 – Travis Jackson, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1903)
    • 1988 – Frank Zamboni, American inventor and businessman, founded the Zamboni Company (b. 1901)
    • 1990 – Bobby Day, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer (b. 1928)
    • 1990 – René Toribio, Guadeloupean politician (b. 1912)
    • 1991 – John Friedrich, German-Australian engineer and conman (b. 1950)
    • 1992 – Max Dupain, Australian photographer and educator (b. 1911)
    • 1992 – Tzeni Karezi, Greek actress and screenwriter
    • 1993 – Reggie Lewis, American basketball player (b. 1965)
    • 1994 – Kevin Carter, South African photographer and journalist (b. 1960)
    • 1995 – Melih Esenbel, Turkish politician and diplomat, 20th Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1915)
    • 1995 – Rick Ferrell, American baseball player and coach (b. 1905)
    • 1995 – Miklós Rózsa, Hungarian-American composer and conductor (b. 1907)
    • 1998 – Binnie Barnes, English-American actress (b. 1903)
    • 1999 – Aleksandr Danilovich Aleksandrov, Russian mathematician, physicist, and mountaineer (b. 1912)
    • 1999 – Harry Edison, American trumpet player (b. 1915)
    • 2000 – Gordon Solie, American sportscaster (b. 1929)
    • 2001 – Rhonda Sing, Canadian wrestler (b. 1961)
    • 2001 – Leon Wilkeson, American bass player and songwriter (b. 1952)
    • 2003 – Vance Hartke, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician (b. 1919)
    • 2003 – Bob Hope, English-American actor, comedian, television personality, and businessman (b. 1903)
    • 2005 – Al Held, American painter and academic (b. 1928)
    • 2005 – Marten Toonder, Dutch author and illustrator (b. 1912)
    • 2006 – Maryann Mahaffey, American academic and politician (b. 1925)
    • 2007 – James Oyebola, Nigerian-English boxer (b. 1961)
    • 2008 – Youssef Chahine, Egyptian director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1926)
    • 2008 – Horst Stein, German-born Swiss conductor (b. 1928)
    • 2008 – Isaac Saba Raffoul, Mexican businessman (b. 1923)
    • 2010 – Maury Chaykin, American-Canadian actor (b. 1949)
    • 2010 – Jack Tatum, American football player (b. 1948)
    • 2012 – Norman Alden, American actor (b. 1924)
    • 2012 – R. G. Armstrong, American actor and playwright (b. 1917)
    • 2012 – Darryl Cotton, Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (b. 1949)
    • 2012 – Geoffrey Hughes, English actor (b. 1944)
    • 2012 – Tony Martin, American actor and singer (b. 1913)
    • 2012 – Jack Taylor, English footballer and referee (b. 1930)
    • 2013 – Fernando Alonso, Cuban dancer, co-founded the Cuban National Ballet (b. 1914)
    • 2013 – Lindy Boggs, American politician and diplomat, 5th United States Ambassador to the Holy See (b. 1916)
    • 2013 – Bud Day, American colonel and pilot, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1925)
    • 2013 – Kidd Kraddick, American radio host (b. 1959)
    • 2013 – Ilya Segalovich, Russian businessman, co-founded Yandex (b. 1964)
    • 2014 – Richard Bolt, New Zealand air marshal and pilot (b. 1923)
    • 2014 – George Freese, American baseball player and coach (b. 1926)
    • 2014 – Wallace Jones, American basketball player and coach (b. 1926)
    • 2014 – Francesco Marchisano, Italian cardinal (b. 1929)
    • 2014 – Paul Schell, American lawyer and politician, 50th Mayor of Seattle (b. 1937)
    • 2015 – Rickey Grundy, American singer-songwriter (b. 1959)
    • 2015 – A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, Indian engineer, academic, and politician, 11th President of India (b. 1931)
    • 2015 – Samuel Pisar, Polish-born American lawyer and author (b. 1929)
    • 2015 – Anthony Shaw, English general (b. 1930)
    • 2016 – Einojuhani Rautavaara, Finnish composer (b.1928)[8]
    • 2016 – James Alan McPherson, American short story writer and essayist (b. 1943)[9]
    • 2016 – Jerry Doyle, American actor and talk show host (b. 1956)[10]
    • 2016 – Piet de Jong, Dutch politician and naval officer, Minister of Defence (1963–67), Prime Minister of the Netherlands (1967–71) (b. 1915)[11]
    • 2017 – Sam Shepard, American playwright, actor, author, screenwriter, and director (b.1943)[12]
    • 2018 – Marco Aurelio Denegri, Peruvian literature critic, television host and sexologist[13]
    • 2018 – Rahim Uddin Bharosha, Bangladeshi politician (b. 1934)

    Holidays and observances on July 27

    • Christian feast day:
      • Arethas (Western Christianity)
      • Aurelius and Natalia and companions of the Martyrs of Córdoba.
      • Maurus, Pantalemon, and Sergius
      • Pantaleon
      • Seven Sleepers of Ephesus (Roman Martyrology)
        • National Sleepy Head Day (Finland)
      • Theobald of Marly
      • Blessed Titus Brandsma, O.Carm.
      • July 27 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Day of Victory in the Great Fatherland Liberation War (North Korea)
    • Iglesia ni Cristo Day (the Philippines)
    • José Celso Barbosa Day (Puerto Rico)
    • Martyrs and Wounded Soldiers Day (Vietnam)
    • National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day (United States)

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

    • 240 – Shapur I becomes co-emperor of the Sasanian Empire with his father Ardashir I.
    • 467 – Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire.
    • 627 – King Edwin of Northumbria is converted to Christianity by Paulinus, bishop of York.
    • 1012 – Duke Oldřich of Bohemia deposes and blinds his brother Jaromír who flees to Poland.
    • 1204 – The Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade breach the walls of Constantinople and enter the city, which they completely occupy the following day.
    • 1606 – The Union Flag is adopted as the flag of English and Scottish ships.
    • 1776 – American Revolution: With the Halifax Resolves, the North Carolina Provincial Congress authorizes its Congressional delegation to vote for independence from Britain.
    • 1807 – The Froberg mutiny ends when the remaining mutineers blow up the magazine of Fort Ricasoli.
    • 1820 – Alexander Ypsilantis is declared leader of Filiki Eteria, a secret organization to overthrow Ottoman rule over Greece.
    • 1831 – Soldiers marching on the Broughton Suspension Bridge in Manchester, England, cause it to collapse.
    • 1861 – American Civil War: Battle of Fort Sumter. The war begins with Confederate forces firing on Fort Sumter, in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina.
    • 1862 – American Civil War: The Andrews Raid (the Great Locomotive Chase) occurs, starting from Big Shanty, Georgia (now Kennesaw).
    • 1864 – American Civil War: The Battle of Fort Pillow: Confederate forces kill most of the African American soldiers that surrendered at Fort Pillow, Tennessee.
    • 1865 – American Civil War: Mobile, Alabama, falls to the Union Army.
    • 1877 – The United Kingdom annexes the Transvaal.
    • 1910 – SMS Zrínyi, one of the last pre-dreadnought battleships built by the Austro-Hungarian Navy, is launched.
    • 1917 – World War I: Canadian forces successfully complete the taking of Vimy Ridge from the Germans.
    • 1927 – Shanghai massacre of 1927: Chiang Kai-shek orders the Communist Party of China members executed in Shanghai, ending the First United Front.
    • 1927 – Rocksprings, Texas was hit by an F5 tornado that destroyed 235 of the 247 buildings in the town and killed 72 townspeople and injured 205; third deadliest tornado in Texas history.
    • 1928 – The Bremen, a German Junkers W 33 type aircraft, takes off for the first successful transatlantic aeroplane flight from east to west.
    • 1934 – The strongest surface wind gust in the world at the time of 231 mph, is measured on the summit of Mount Washington, New Hampshire. It has since been surpassed.
    • 1934 – The U.S. Auto-Lite strike begins, culminating in a five-day melee between Ohio National Guard troops and 6,000 strikers and picketers.
    • 1937 – Sir Frank Whittle ground-tests the first jet engine designed to power an aircraft, at Rugby, England.
    • 1945 – U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies in office; Vice President Harry S. Truman becomes President upon Roosevelt’s death.
    • 1945 – World War II: The U.S. Ninth Army under General William H. Simpson crosses the Elbe River astride Magdeburg, and reached Tangermünde—only 50 miles from Berlin.
    • 1955 – The polio vaccine, developed by Dr. Jonas Salk, is declared safe and effective.
    • 1961 – Cold War: Space Race: The Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human to travel into outer space and perform the first manned orbital flight, Vostok 1.
    • 1963 – The Soviet nuclear-powered submarine K-33 collides with the Finnish merchant vessel M/S Finnclipper in the Danish straits.
    • 1970 – Soviet submarine K-8, carrying four nuclear torpedoes, sinks in the Bay of Biscay four days after a fire on board.
    • 1980 – The Americo-Liberian government of Liberia is violently deposed.
    • 1980 – Transbrasil Flight 303, a Boeing 727, crashes on approach to Hercílio Luz International Airport, in Florianópolis, Brazil. Fifty-five out of the 58 people on board are killed.
    • 1981 – The first launch of a Space Shuttle (Columbia) takes place: The STS-1 mission.
    • 1983 – Harold Washington is elected as the first black mayor of Chicago.
    • 1990 – Jim Gary’s “Twentieth Century Dinosaurs” exhibition opens at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. He is the only sculptor ever invited to present a solo exhibition there.
    • 1992 – The Euro Disney Resort officially opens with its theme park Euro Disneyland; the resort and its park’s name are subsequently changed to Disneyland Paris.
    • 1999 – United States President Bill Clinton is cited for contempt of court for giving “intentionally false statements” in a civil lawsuit; he is later fined and disbarred.
    • 2002 – A suicide bomber blows herself up at the entrance to Jerusalem’s Mahane Yehuda Market, killing seven people and wounding 104.
    • 2007 – A suicide bomber penetrates the Green Zone and detonates in a cafeteria within a parliament building, killing Iraqi MP Mohammed Awad and wounding more than twenty other people.
    • 2009 – Zimbabwe officially abandons the Zimbabwean dollar as its official currency.
    • 2010 – Merano derailment: A rail accident in South Tyrol kills nine people and injures a further 28.
    • 2013 – Two suicide bombers kill three Chadian soldiers and injure dozens of civilians at a market in Kidal, Mali.
    • 2014 – The Great Fire of Valparaíso ravages the Chilean city of Valparaíso, killing 16 people, displacing nearly 10,000, and destroying over 2,000 homes.

    Births on April 12

    • 811 – Muhammad al-Jawad, the ninth Imam of Shia Islam (d. 835)
    • 959 – En’yū, emperor of Japan (d. 991)
    • 1116 – Richeza of Poland, queen of Sweden and Grand Princess of Minsk (d. 1156)
    • 1432 – Anne of Austria, Landgravine of Thuringia (d. 1462)
    • 1484 – Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, Italian architect, designed the Apostolic Palace and St. Peter’s Basilica (d. 1546)
    • 1484 – Maharana Sangram Singh, Rana of Mewar (d. 1527)
    • 1500 – Joachim Camerarius, German scholar and translator (d. 1574)
    • 1526 – Muretus, French philosopher and author (d. 1585)
    • 1550 – Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, English courtier and politician, Lord Great Chamberlain (d. 1604)
    • 1577 – Christian IV of Denmark (d. 1648)
    • 1612 – Simone Cantarini, Italian painter and engraver (d. 1648)
    • 1639 – Martin Lister, English naturalist and physician (d. 1712)
    • 1656 – Benoît de Maillet, French diplomat and natural historian (d. 1738)
    • 1705 – William Cookworthy, English minister and pharmacist (d. 1780)
    • 1710 – Caffarelli, Italian actor and singer (d. 1783)
    • 1713 – Guillaume Thomas François Raynal, French historian and author (d. 1796)
    • 1716 – Felice Giardini, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1796)
    • 1722 – Pietro Nardini, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1793)
    • 1724 – Lyman Hall, American physician, clergyman, and politician, 16th Governor of Georgia (d. 1790)
    • 1748 – Antoine Laurent de Jussieu, French botanist and author (d. 1836)
    • 1777 – Henry Clay, American lawyer and politician, 9th United States Secretary of State (d. 1852)
    • 1792 – John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, English soldier and politician, Lord Privy Seal (d. 1840)
    • 1794 – Germinal Pierre Dandelin, Belgian mathematician and engineer (d. 1847)
    • 1796 – George N. Briggs, American lawyer and politician, 19th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1861)
    • 1799 – Henri Druey, Swiss lawyer and politician, 2nd President of the Swiss Confederation (d. 1855)
    • 1801 – Joseph Lanner, Austrian composer and conductor (d. 1843)
    • 1816 – Charles Gavan Duffy, Irish-Australian politician, 8th Premier of Victoria (d. 1903)
    • 1823 – Alexander Ostrovsky, Russian playwright and translator (d. 1886)
    • 1839 – Nikolay Przhevalsky, Russian geographer and explorer (d. 1888)
    • 1845 – Gustaf Cederström, Swedish painter (d. 1933)
    • 1851 – José Gautier Benítez, Puerto Rican soldier and poet (d. 1880)
    • 1851 – Edward Walter Maunder, English astronomer and author (d. 1928)
    • 1852 – Ferdinand von Lindemann, German mathematician and academic (d. 1939)
    • 1856 – Martin Conway, 1st Baron Conway of Allington, English mountaineer, cartographer, and politician (d. 1937)
    • 1863 – Raul Pompeia, Brazilian writer (d. 1895)
    • 1868 – Akiyama Saneyuki, Japanese admiral (d. 1918)
    • 1869 – Henri Désiré Landru, French serial killer (d. 1922)
    • 1871 – Ioannis Metaxas, Greek general and politician, 130th Prime Minister of Greece (d. 1941)
    • 1874 – William B. Bankhead, American lawyer and politician, 47th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (d. 1940)
    • 1880 – Addie Joss, American baseball player and journalist (d. 1911)
    • 1883 – Imogen Cunningham, American photographer and educator (d. 1976)
    • 1883 – Dally Messenger, Australian rugby player, cricketer, and sailor (d. 1959)
    • 1884 – Tenby Davies, Welsh runner (d. 1932)
    • 1884 – Otto Meyerhof, German physician and biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1951)
    • 1885 – Robert Delaunay, French painter (d. 1941)
    • 1887 – Harold Lockwood, American actor and director (d. 1918)
    • 1888 – Dan Ahearn, Irish-American long jumper and police officer (d. 1942)
    • 1888 – Cecil Kimber, English automobile engineer (d. 1945)
    • 1892 – Henry Darger, American writer and artist (d. 1973)
    • 1894 – Dorothy Cumming, Australian-American actress (d. 1983)
    • 1894 – Francisco Craveiro Lopes, Portuguese field marshal and politician, 13th President of Portugal (d. 1964)
    • 1898 – Lily Pons, French-American soprano and actress (d. 1976)
    • 1901 – Lowell Stockman, American farmer and politician (d. 1962)
    • 1902 – Louis Beel, Dutch academic and politician, 36th Prime Minister of the Netherlands (d. 1977)
    • 1903 – Jan Tinbergen, Dutch economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1994)
    • 1907 – Zawgyi, Burmese poet, author, literary historian, critic, scholar and academic (d. 1990)
    • 1907 – Felix de Weldon, Austrian-American sculptor, designed the Marine Corps War Memorial (d. 2003)
    • 1908 – Ida Pollock, English author and painter (d. 2013)
    • 1908 – Robert Lee Scott, Jr., American pilot and general (d. 2006)
    • 1910 – Gillo Dorfles, Italian art critic, painter and philosopher (d. 2018)
    • 1910 – Irma Rapuzzi, French politician (d. 2018)
    • 1911 – Mahmoud Younis, Egyptian engineer (d. 1976)
    • 1912 – Frank Dilio, Canadian businessman (d. 1997)
    • 1912 – Hamengkubuwono IX, Indonesian politician, 2nd Vice President of Indonesia (d. 1988)
    • 1912 – Hound Dog Taylor, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1975)
    • 1913 – Keiko Fukuda, Japanese-American martial artist (d. 2013)
    • 1914 – Armen Alchian, American economist and academic (d. 2013)
    • 1916 – Beverly Cleary, American author
    • 1916 – Russell Garcia, American-New Zealander composer and conductor (d. 2011)
    • 1916 – Benjamin Libet, American neuropsychologist and academic (d. 2007)
    • 1917 – Helen Forrest, American singer and actress (d. 1999)
    • 1917 – Vinoo Mankad, Indian cricketer (d. 1978)
    • 1917 – Robert Manzon, French racing driver (d. 2015)
    • 1919 – István Anhalt, Hungarian-Canadian composer and educator (d. 2012)
    • 1919 – Billy Vaughn, American musician and bandleader (d. 1991)
    • 1921 – Robert Cliche, Canadian lawyer, judge, and politician (d. 1978)
    • 1922 – Simon Kapwepwe, Zambian politician, 2nd Vice President of Zambia (d. 1980)
    • 1923 – Ann Miller, American actress, singer, and dancer (d. 2004)
    • 1924 – Raymond Barre, French economist and politician, Prime Minister of France (d. 2007)
    • 1924 – Peter Safar, Austrian physician and academic (d. 2003)
    • 1924 – Curtis Turner, American race car driver (d. 1970)
    • 1925 – Evelyn Berezin, American computer scientist and engineer (d. 2018)
    • 1925 – Ned Miller, American country music singer and songwriter (d. 2016)
    • 1925 – Oliver Postgate, English animator, puppeteer, and screenwriter (d. 2008)
    • 1926 – Jane Withers, American actress
    • 1927 – Thomas Hemsley, English baritone (d. 2013)
    • 1927 – Alvin Sargent, two-time Academy-Award-winning American screenwriter (d. 2019)
    • 1928 – Hardy Krüger, German actor
    • 1928 – Jean-François Paillard, French conductor (d. 2013)
    • 1929 – Elspet Gray, Scottish actress (d. 2013)
    • 1929 – Mukhran Machavariani, Georgian poet and educator (d. 2010)
    • 1930 – John Landy, Australian runner and politician, 26th Governor of Victoria
    • 1930 – Bryan Magee, English philosopher and politician (d. 2019)
    • 1930 – Manuel Neri, American sculptor and painter
    • 1930 – Michał Życzkowski, Polish technician and educator (d. 2006)
    • 1931 – Leonid Derbenyov, Russian poet and songwriter (d. 1995)
    • 1932 – Lakshman Kadirgamar, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician, 5th Sri Lankan Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 2005)
    • 1932 – Jean-Pierre Marielle, French actor (d. 2019)
    • 1932 – Tiny Tim, American singer and ukulele player (d. 1996)
    • 1933 – Montserrat Caballé, Spanish soprano and actress (d. 2018)
    • 1934 – Heinz Schneiter, Swiss footballer and manager (d. 2017)
    • 1936 – Charles Napier, American actor (d. 2011)
    • 1936 – Kennedy Simmonds, Kittitian politician, 4th Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis
    • 1937 – Dennis Banks, American author and activist (d. 2017)
    • 1937 – Igor Volk, Ukrainian-Russian colonel, pilot, and astronaut (d. 2017)
    • 1939 – Alan Ayckbourn, English director and playwright
    • 1939 – Johnny Raper, Australian rugby league player and coach
    • 1940 – Woodie Fryman, American baseball player (d. 2011)
    • 1940 – Herbie Hancock, American pianist, composer, and bandleader
    • 1941 – Bobby Moore, English footballer and manager (d. 1993)
    • 1942 – Bill Bryden, Scottish actor, director, and screenwriter
    • 1942 – Carlos Reutemann, Argentinian race car driver and politician
    • 1942 – Jacob Zuma, South African politician, 4th President of South Africa
    • 1943 – Sumitra Mahajan, Indian politician, 16th Speaker of the Lok Sabha
    • 1944 – Lisa Jardine, English historian, author, and academic (d. 2015)
    • 1944 – John Kay, German-Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
    • 1945 – Lee Jong-wook, South Korean physician and diplomat (d. 2006)
    • 1946 – Ed O’Neill, American actor and comedian
    • 1946 – George Robertson, Baron Robertson of Port Ellen, Scottish politician and diplomat, 10th Secretary General of NATO
    • 1947 – Roy M. Anderson, English epidemiologist, zoologist, and academic
    • 1947 – Martin Brasier, English palaeontologist, biologist, and academic (d. 2014)
    • 1947 – Alex Briley, American disco singer
    • 1947 – Tom Clancy, American historian and author (d. 2013)
    • 1947 – Woody Johnson, American businessman and philanthropist
    • 1947 – Dan Lauria, American actor
    • 1947 – David Letterman, American comedian and talk show host
    • 1948 – Jeremy Beadle, English television host and producer (d. 2008)
    • 1948 – Joschka Fischer, German academic and politician
    • 1948 – Marcello Lippi, Italian footballer, manager, and coach
    • 1949 – Scott Turow, American lawyer and author
    • 1950 – Flavio Briatore, Italian businessman
    • 1950 – David Cassidy, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2017)
    • 1950 – Joyce Banda, Malawian politician, 4th president of Malawi
    • 1950 – Nick Sackman, English composer and educator
    • 1951 – Tom Noonan, American actor
    • 1952 – Reuben Gant, American football player
    • 1952 – Leicester Rutledge, New Zealand rugby player
    • 1952 – Gary Soto, American poet, novelist, and memoirist
    • 1952 – Ralph Wiley, American journalist (d. 2004)
    • 1953 – Tanino Liberatore, Italian author and illustrator
    • 1954 – John Faulkner, Australian educator and politician, 52nd Australian Minister for Defence
    • 1954 – Steve Stevaert, Belgian businessman and politician (d. 2015)
    • 1954 – Pat Travers, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1955 – Fabian Hamilton, English graphic designer, engineer, and politician
    • 1956 – Andy Garcia, Cuban-American actor, director, and producer
    • 1956 – Herbert Grönemeyer, German singer-songwriter and actor
    • 1957 – Greg Child, Australian mountaineer and author
    • 1957 – Vince Gill, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1957 – Tama Janowitz, American novelist and short story writer
    • 1958 – Will Sergeant, English guitarist
    • 1958 – Klaus Tafelmeier, German javelin thrower
    • 1958 – Ginka Zagorcheva, Bulgarian hurdler
    • 1959 – Howard Stableford, English radio and television host
    • 1961 – Corrado Fabi, Italian racing driver
    • 1961 – Charles Mann, American football player and sportscaster
    • 1961 – Magda Szubanski, English-Australian actress, comedian and writer
    • 1962 – Art Alexakis, American singer-songwriter and musician
    • 1962 – Carlos Sainz, Spanish racing driver
    • 1962 – Nobuhiko Takada, Japanese mixed martial artist and wrestler, founded Hustle
    • 1963 – Lydia Cacho, Mexican journalist and author
    • 1964 – Chris Fairclough, English footballer and coach
    • 1965 – Amy Ray, American folk-rock singer-songwriter, musician, and music producer
    • 1965 – Kim Bodnia, Danish actor and director
    • 1965 – Chi Onwurah, English politician
    • 1965 – Gervais Rufyikiri, Burundian politician
    • 1965 – Mihai Stoica, Romanian footballer and manager
    • 1966 – Nils-Olav Johansen, Norwegian guitarist and singer
    • 1966 – Lorenzo White, American football player
    • 1967 – Sarah Cracknell, English singer-songwriter
    • 1968 – Alicia Coppola, American actress
    • 1968 – Toby Gad, German songwriter and producer
    • 1968 – Adam Graves, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1969 – Jörn Lenz, German footballer and manager
    • 1969 – Lucas Radebe, South African footballer and sportscaster
    • 1969 – Michael Jackson, American football player and politician (d. 2017)
    • 1970 – Sylvain Bouchard, Canadian speed skater
    • 1971 – Nicholas Brendon, American actor
    • 1971 – Shannen Doherty, American actress, director, and producer
    • 1972 – Paul Lo Duca, American baseball player and sportscaster
    • 1973 – J. Scott Campbell, American author and illustrator
    • 1973 – Ryan Kisor, American trumpet player and composer
    • 1973 – Antonio Osuna, Mexican-American baseball player
    • 1973 – Christian Panucci, Italian footballer and manager
    • 1974 – Belinda Emmett, Australian actress (d. 2006)
    • 1974 – Bryan Fletcher, Australian rugby league player and sportscaster
    • 1974 – Roman Hamrlík, Czech ice hockey player
    • 1974 – Marley Shelton, American actress
    • 1974 – Sylvinho, Brazilian footballer and manager
    • 1976 – Olga Kotlyarova, Russian runner
    • 1976 – Brad Miller, American basketball player
    • 1977 – Giovanny Espinoza, Ecuadorian footballer
    • 1977 – Sarah Monahan, Australian actress
    • 1977 – Jason Price, Welsh footballer
    • 1977 – Glenn Rogers, Australian-Scottish cricketer
    • 1978 – Guy Berryman, Scottish bass player and producer
    • 1978 – Scott Crary, American director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1978 – Svetlana Lapina, Russian high jumper
    • 1978 – Robin Walker, English businessman and politician
    • 1979 – Claire Danes, American actress
    • 1979 – Elena Grosheva, Russian gymnast
    • 1979 – Mateja Kežman, Serbian footballer
    • 1979 – Jennifer Morrison, American actress
    • 1979 – Cristian Ranalli, Italian footballer
    • 1979 – Lee Soo-young, South Korean singer
    • 1980 – Sara Head, Welsh Paralympic table tennis champion
    • 1980 – Brian McFadden, Irish singer-songwriter
    • 1981 – Yuriy Borzakovskiy, Russian runner
    • 1981 – Nicolás Burdisso, Argentinian footballer
    • 1981 – Tulsi Gabbard, American politician
    • 1981 – Grant Holt, English footballer and professional wrestler
    • 1981 – Hisashi Iwakuma, Japanese baseball pitcher
    • 1983 – Jelena Dokic, Serbian-Australian tennis player
    • 1983 – Luke Kibet, Kenyan runner
    • 1984 – Aleksey Dmitrik, Russian high jumper
    • 1985 – Brennan Boesch, American baseball player
    • 1985 – Hitomi Yoshizawa, Japanese singer
    • 1986 – Brad Brach, American baseball pitcher
    • 1986 – Blerim Džemaili, Swiss footballer
    • 1986 – Marcel Granollers, Spanish tennis player
    • 1986 – Jonathan Pitroipa, Burkinabé footballer
    • 1987 – Brooklyn Decker, American model and actress
    • 1987 – Shawn Gore, Canadian football player
    • 1987 – Josh McCrone, Australian rugby league player
    • 1987 – Luiz Adriano, Brazilian professional footballer
    • 1987 – Brendon Urie, American singer, songwriter, musician and multi-instrumentalist
    • 1988 – Ricardo Gabriel Álvarez, Argentinian footballer
    • 1988 – Stephen Brogan, English footballer
    • 1988 – Amedeo Calliari, Italian footballer
    • 1988 – Jessie James Decker, American singer-songwriter
    • 1989 – Bethan Dainton, Welsh rugby union player
    • 1989 – Miguel Ángel Ponce, American-Mexican footballer
    • 1989 – Ádám Hanga, Hungarian basketball player
    • 1989 – Kaitlyn Weaver, Canadian-American ice dancer
    • 1989 – Valentin Stocker, Swiss footballer
    • 1990 – Francesca Halsall, English swimmer
    • 1990 – Hiroki Sakai, Japanese footballer
    • 1991 – Torey Krug, American ice hockey player
    • 1991 – Lionel Carole, French professional footballer
    • 1991 – Oliver Norwood, English born Northern Irish international footballer
    • 1991 – Magnus Pääjärvi, Swedish ice hockey player
    • 1991 – Jazz Richards, Welsh international footballer
    • 1992 – Chad le Clos, South African swimmer
    • 1993 – Jordan Archer, English-Scottish footballer
    • 1993 – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1994 – Isabelle Drummond, Brazilian actress and singer
    • 1994 – Saoirse Ronan, American-born Irish actress
    • 1994 – Oh Sehun, South Korean musician
    • 1994 – Eric Bailly, Ivorian professional footballer
    • 1994 – Guido Rodríguez, Argentine footballer
    • 1995 – Pedro Cachín, Argentine tennis player
    • 1996 – Elizaveta Kulichkova, Russian tennis player

    Deaths on April 12

    • 45 BC – Gnaeus Pompeius, Roman general and politician (b. 75 BC)
    • 352 – Julius I, pope of the Catholic Church
    • 434 – Maximianus, archbishop of Constantinople
    • 901 – Eudokia Baïana, Byzantine empress and wife of Leo VI
    • 1125 – Vladislaus I, Duke of Bohemia (b. 1065)
    • 1167 – Charles VII, king of Sweden (b. c. 1130)
    • 1212 – Vsevolod the Big Nest, Grand Prince of Vladimir (b. 1154)
    • 1256 – Margaret of Bourbon, Queen of Navarre, regent of Navarre (b. c. 1217)
    • 1443 – Henry Chichele, English archbishop (b. 1364)
    • 1500 – Leonhard of Gorizia, Count of Gorz (b. 1440)
    • 1530 – Joanna La Beltraneja, Princess of Castile (b. 1462)
    • 1550 – Claude, Duke of Guise (b. 1496)
    • 1555 – Joanna of Castile (b. 1479)
    • 1675 – Richard Bennett, English politician, colonial Governor of Virginia (b. 1609)
    • 1684 – Nicola Amati, Italian instrument maker (b. 1596)
    • 1687 – Ambrose Dixon, English-American soldier (b. 1619)
    • 1704 – Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet, French bishop and theologian (b. 1627)
    • 1748 – William Kent, English architect, designed Holkham Hall and Chiswick House (b. 1685)
    • 1782 – Metastasio, Italian-Austrian poet and composer (b. 1698)
    • 1788 – Carlo Antonio Campioni, French-Italian composer (b. 1719)
    • 1795 – Johann Kaspar Basselet von La Rosée, Bavarian general (b. 1710)
    • 1814 – Charles Burney, English composer and historian (b. 1726)
    • 1817 – Charles Messier, French astronomer and academic (b. 1730)
    • 1850 – Adoniram Judson, American lexicographer and missionary (b. 1788)
    • 1866 – Peter Hesketh-Fleetwood, English politician, founded Fleetwood (b. 1801)
    • 1872 – Nikolaos Mantzaros, Greek composer and theorist (b. 1795)
    • 1878 – William M. Tweed, American lawyer and politician (b. 1823)
    • 1879 – Richard Taylor, American general (b. 1826)
    • 1885 – William Crowther, Dutch-Australian politician, 14th Premier of Tasmania (b. 1817)
    • 1898 – Elzéar-Alexandre Taschereau, Canadian cardinal (b. 1820)
    • 1902 – Marie Alfred Cornu, French physicist and academic (b. 1842)
    • 1906 – Mahesh Chandra Nyayratna Bhattacharyya, Indian scholar, academic, and philanthropist (b. 1836)
    • 1912 – Clara Barton, American nurse and humanitarian, founded the American Red Cross (b. 1821)
    • 1933 – Adelbert Ames, American general and politician, 30th Governor of Mississippi (b. 1835)
    • 1937 – Abdülhak Hâmid Tarhan, Turkish playwright and poet (b. 1852)
    • 1938 – Feodor Chaliapin, Russian opera singer (b. 1873)
    • 1943 – Viktor Puskar, Estonian colonel (b. 1889)
    • 1945 – Franklin D. Roosevelt, American lawyer and politician, 32nd President of the United States (b. 1882)
    • 1953 – Lionel Logue, Australian actor and therapist (b. 1880)
    • 1962 – Ron Flockhart, Scottish racing driver (b. 1923)
    • 1966 – Sydney Allard, English racing driver and founder of the Allard car company (b. 1910)
    • 1968 – Heinrich Nordhoff, German engineer (b. 1899)
    • 1971 – Ed Lafitte, American baseball player and dentist (b. 1886)
    • 1973 – Arthur Freed, American songwriter and producer (b. 1894)
    • 1975 – Josephine Baker, French actress, activist, and humanitarian (b. 1906)
    • 1977 – Philip K. Wrigley, American businessman, co-founded Lincoln Park Gun Club (b. 1894)
    • 1980 – William R. Tolbert, Jr., Liberian politician, 20th President of Liberia (b. 1913)
    • 1981 – Prince Yasuhiko Asaka of Japan (b. 1887)
    • 1981 – Joe Louis, American boxer and wrestler (b. 1914)
    • 1983 – Jørgen Juve, Norwegian football player and journalist (b. 1906)
    • 1983 – Carl Morton, American baseball player (b. 1944)
    • 1984 – Edwin T. Layton, American admiral and cryptanalyst (b. 1903)
    • 1986 – Valentin Kataev, Russian author and playwright (b. 1897)
    • 1988 – Colette Deréal, French singer and actress (b. 1927)
    • 1988 – Alan Paton, South African historian and author (b. 1903)
    • 1989 – Abbie Hoffman, American activist, co-founded Youth International Party (b. 1936)
    • 1989 – Sugar Ray Robinson, American boxer (b. 1921)
    • 1992 – Ilario Bandini, Italian racing driver and businessman (b. 1911)
    • 1997 – George Wald, American neurologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
    • 1998 – Robert Ford, Canadian poet and diplomat (b. 1915)
    • 1999 – Boxcar Willie, American singer-songwriter (b. 1931)
    • 2001 – Harvey Ball, American illustrator, created the smiley (b. 1921)
    • 2002 – George Shevelov, Ukrainian-American linguist and philologist (b. 1908)
    • 2004 – Moran Campbell, Canadian physician and academic, invented the venturi mask (b. 1925)
    • 2006 – William Sloane Coffin, American minister and activist (b. 1924)
    • 2007 – Kevin Crease, Australian journalist (b. 1936)
    • 2008 – Cecilia Colledge, English-American figure skater and coach (b. 1920)
    • 2008 – Patrick Hillery, Irish physician and politician, 6th President of Ireland (b. 1923)
    • 2008 – Jerry Zucker, Israeli-American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1949)
    • 2010 – Michel Chartrand, Canadian trade union leader (b. 1916)
    • 2010 – Werner Schroeter, German director and screenwriter (b. 1945)
    • 2011 – Karim Fakhrawi, Bahraini journalist, co-founded Al-Wasat (b. 1962)
    • 2012 – Mohit Chattopadhyay, Indian poet and playwright (b. 1934)
    • 2012 – Rodgers Grant, American pianist and composer (b. 1935)
    • 2013 – Robert Byrne, American chess player and author (b. 1928)
    • 2013 – Johnny du Plooy, South African boxer (b. 1964)
    • 2013 – Michael France, American screenwriter (b. 1962)
    • 2013 – Brennan Manning, American priest and author (b. 1934)
    • 2013 – Annamária Szalai, Hungarian journalist and politician (b. 1961)
    • 2013 – Ya’akov Yosef, Israeli rabbi and politician (b. 1946)
    • 2014 – Pierre Autin-Grenier, French author and poet (b. 1947)
    • 2014 – Pierre-Henri Menthéour, French cyclist (b. 1960)
    • 2014 – Maurício Alves Peruchi, Brazilian footballer (b. 1990)
    • 2014 – Hal Smith, American baseball player and coach (b. 1931)
    • 2014 – Billy Standridge, American race car driver (b. 1953)
    • 2015 – Paulo Brossard, Brazilian jurist and politician (b. 1924)
    • 2015 – Patrice Dominguez, Algerian-French tennis player and trainer (b. 1950)
    • 2015 – Alfred Eick, German commander (b. 1916)
    • 2015 – André Mba Obame, Gabonese politician (b. 1957)
    • 2016 – Anne Jackson, American actress (b. 1925)
    • 2016 – Mohammad Al Gaz, Emirati politician & diplomat (b. 1930)
    • 2017 – Charlie Murphy, American actor and comedian (b. 1959)
    • 2020 – Tarvaris Jackson, American football player (b. 1983)

    Holidays and observances on April 12

    • Children’s Day (Bolivia)
    • Christian feast day:
      • Adoniram Judson (Episcopal Church)
      • Alferius
      • Blessed Angelo Carletti di Chivasso
      • Erkembode
      • Pope Julius I
      • Teresa of the Andes
      • Zeno of Verona
      • April 12 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Commemoration of first human in space by Yuri Gagarin:
      • Cosmonautics Day (Russia)
      • International Day of Human Space Flight
      • Yuri’s Night (International observance)
    • Halifax Day (North Carolina)
    • National Redemption Day (Liberia)

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

    March 1 in History

    • 509 BC – Publius Valerius Publicola celebrates the first triumph of the Roman Republic after his victory over the deposed king Lucius Tarquinius Superbus at the Battle of Silva Arsia.
    • 86 BC – Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army, enters Athens, removing the tyrant Aristion who was supported by troops of Mithridates VI of Pontus ending the Siege of Athens and Piraeus.
    • 293 – Emperor Diocletian and Maximian appoint Constantius Chlorus and Galerius as Caesars. This is considered the beginning of the Tetrarchy, known as the Quattuor Principes Mundi (“Four Rulers of the World”).
    • 317 – Crispus and Constantine II, sons of Roman Emperor Constantine I, and Licinius Iunior, son of Emperor Licinius, are made Caesares.
    • 350 – Vetranio is asked by Constantina, sister of Constantius II, to proclaim himself Caesar.
    • 834 – Emperor Louis the Pious is restored as sole ruler of the Frankish Empire. After his re-accession to the throne, his eldest son Lothair I flees to Burgundy.
    • 1457 – The Unitas Fratrum is established in the village of Kunvald, on the Bohemian-Moravian borderland. It is to date the second oldest Protestant denomination.
    • 1476 – Forces of the Catholic Monarchs engage the combined Portuguese-Castilian armies of Afonso V and Prince John at the Battle of Toro.
    • 1562 – Sixty-three Huguenots are massacred in Wassy, France, marking the start of the French Wars of Religion.
    • 1565 – The city of Rio de Janeiro is founded.
    • 1628 – Writs issued in February by Charles I of England mandate that every county in England (not just seaport towns) pay ship tax by this date.
    • 1633 – Samuel de Champlain reclaims his role as commander of New France on behalf of Cardinal Richelieu.
    • 1642 – Georgeana, Massachusetts (now known as York, Maine), becomes the first incorporated city in the United States.
    • 1692 – Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne and Tituba are brought before local magistrates in Salem Village, Massachusetts, beginning what would become known as the Salem witch trials.
    • 1700 – Sweden introduces its own Swedish calendar, in an attempt to gradually merge into the Gregorian calendar, reverts to the Julian calendar on this date in 1712, and introduces the Gregorian calendar on this date in 1753.
    • 1713 – The siege and destruction of Fort Neoheroka begins during the Tuscarora War in North Carolina, effectively opening up the colony’s interior to European colonization.
    • 1781 – The Articles of Confederation goes into effect in the United States.
    • 1790 – The first United States census is authorized.
    • 1793 – French Revolutionary War: Battle of Aldenhoven during the Flanders Campaign.
    • 1796 – The Dutch East India Company is nationalized by the Batavian Republic.
    • 1803 – Ohio becomes the 17th state of The United States.
    • 1805 – Justice Samuel Chase is acquitted at the end of his impeachment trial by the U.S. Senate.
    • 1811 – Leaders of the Mamluk dynasty are killed by Egyptian ruler Muhammad Ali.
    • 1815 – Napoleon returns to France from his banishment on Elba.
    • 1815 – Georgetown University’s congressional charter is signed into law by President James Madison.
    • 1836 – A convention of delegates from 57 Texas communities convenes in Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas, to deliberate independence from Mexico.
    • 1845 – United States President John Tyler signs a bill authorizing the United States to annex the Republic of Texas.
    • 1852 – Archibald Montgomerie, 13th Earl of Eglinton, is appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.
    • 1854 – German psychologist Friedrich Eduard Beneke disappears; two years later his remains are found in a canal near Charlottenburg.
    • 1867 – Nebraska becomes the 37th U.S. state; Lancaster, Nebraska is renamed Lincoln and becomes the state capital.
    • 1868 – The Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity is founded at the University of Virginia.
    • 1870 – Marshal F. S. López dies during the Battle of Cerro Corá thus marking the end of the Paraguayan War.
    • 1872 – Yellowstone National Park is established as the world’s first national park.
    • 1873 – E. Remington and Sons in Ilion, New York begins production of the first practical typewriter.
    • 1881 – The first Minnesota State Capitol burns down.
    • 1886 – The Anglo-Chinese School, Singapore is founded by Bishop William Oldham.
    • 1893 – Electrical engineer Nikola Tesla gives the first public demonstration of radio in St. Louis, Missouri.
    • 1896 – Battle of Adwa: An Ethiopian army defeats an outnumbered Italian force, ending the First Italo-Ethiopian War.
    • 1896 – Henri Becquerel discovers radioactive decay.
    • 1901 – The Australian Army is formed.
    • 1910 – The deadliest avalanche in United States history buries a Great Northern Railway train in northeastern King County, Washington, killing 96 people.
    • 1914 – The Republic of China joins the Universal Postal Union.
    • 1917 – The Zimmermann Telegram is reprinted in newspapers across the United States after the U.S. government releases its unencrypted text.
    • 1919 – March 1st Movement begins in Korea under Japanese rule.
    • 1921 – The Australian cricket team captained by Warwick Armstrong becomes the first team to complete a whitewash of The Ashes, something that would not be repeated for 86 years.
    • 1921 – Following mass protests in Petrograd demanding greater freedom in the RSFSR, the Kronstadt rebellion began, with sailors and citizens taking up arms against the Bolsheviks.
    • 1932 – Charles Lindbergh’s son is kidnapped.
    • 1936 – The Hoover Dam is completed.
    • 1939 – An Imperial Japanese Army ammunition dump explodes at Hirakata, Osaka, Japan, killing 94.
    • 1941 – World War II: Bulgaria signs the Tripartite Pact, allying itself with the Axis powers.
    • 1942 – World War II: Japanese forces land on Java, the main island of the Dutch East Indies, at Merak and Banten Bay (Banten), Eretan Wetan (Indramayu) and Kragan (Rembang).
    • 1946 – The Bank of England is nationalised.
    • 1947 – The International Monetary Fund begins financial operations.
    • 1949 – Indonesian Army recaptures and occupies for six hours its capital city Yogyakarta from the Dutch.
    • 1950 – Cold War: Klaus Fuchs is convicted of spying for the Soviet Union by disclosing top secret atomic bomb data.
    • 1953 – Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin suffers a stroke and collapses; he dies four days later.
    • 1954 – Nuclear weapons testing: The Castle Bravo, a 15-megaton hydrogen bomb, is detonated on Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean, resulting in the worst radioactive contamination ever caused by the United States.
    • 1954 – Armed Puerto Rican nationalists attack the United States Capitol building, injuring five Representatives.
    • 1956 – The International Air Transport Association finalizes a draft of the Radiotelephony spelling alphabet for the International Civil Aviation Organization.
    • 1956 – Formation of the East German Nationale Volksarmee.
    • 1958 – Samuel Alphonsus Stritch is appointed Pro-Prefect of the Propagation of Faith and thus becomes the first U.S. member of the Roman Curia.
    • 1961 – United States President John F. Kennedy establishes the Peace Corps.
    • 1961 – Uganda becomes self-governing and holds its first elections.
    • 1964 – Villarrica Volcano begins a strombolian eruption causing lahars that destroy half of the town of Coñaripe.
    • 1966 – Venera 3 Soviet space probe crashes on Venus becoming the first spacecraft to land on another planet’s surface.
    • 1966 – The Ba’ath Party takes power in Syria.
    • 1971 – President of Pakistan Yahya Khan indefinitely postpones the pending national assembly session, precipitating massive civil disobedience in East Pakistan.
    • 1972 – The Thai province of Yasothon is created after being split off from the Ubon Ratchathani Province.
    • 1973 – Black September storms the Saudi embassy in Khartoum, Sudan, resulting in the assassination of three Western hostages.
    • 1974 – Watergate scandal: Seven are indicted for their role in the Watergate break-in and charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice.
    • 1981 – Provisional Irish Republican Army member Bobby Sands begins his hunger strike in HM Prison Maze.
    • 1983 – First collection of twelve Swatch models was introduced in Zürich, Switzerland.
    • 1990 – Steve Jackson Games is raided by the United States Secret Service, prompting the later formation of the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
    • 1991 – Uprisings against Saddam Hussein begin in Iraq, leading to the death of more than 25,000 people mostly civilian.
    • 1992 – Bosnia and Herzegovina declares its independence from Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
    • 1998 – Titanic became the first film to gross over $1 billion worldwide.
    • 2002 – U.S. invasion of Afghanistan: Operation Anaconda begins in eastern Afghanistan.
    • 2002 – The Envisat environmental satellite successfully launches aboard an Ariane 5 rocket to reach an orbit of 800 km (500 mi) above the Earth, which was the then-largest payload at 10.5 m long and with a diameter of 4.57 m.
    • 2003 – Management of the United States Customs Service and the United States Secret Service move to the United States Department of Homeland Security.
    • 2003 – The International Criminal Court holds its inaugural session in The Hague.
    • 2005 – In Roper v. Simmons, the U.S. Supreme Court rules that the execution of juveniles found guilty of murder is unconstitutional.
    • 2006 – English-language Wikipedia reaches its one millionth article, Jordanhill railway station.
    • 2007 – Tornadoes break out across the southern United States, killing at least 20 people, including eight at Enterprise High School.
    • 2008 – The Armenian police clash with peaceful opposition rally protesting against allegedly fraudulent presidential elections, as a result ten people are killed.
    • 2014 – Thirty-five people are killed and 143 injured in a mass stabbing at Kunming Railway Station in China.

    Births on March 1

    • 1105 – Alfonso VII, king of León and Castile (d. 1157)
    • 1261 – Hugh le Despenser, 1st Earl of Winchester (d. 1326)
    • 1389 – Antoninus of Florence, Italian archbishop and saint (d. 1459)
    • 1432 – Isabella of Coimbra (d. 1455)
    • 1456 – Vladislaus II of Hungary (d. 1516)
    • 1547 – Rudolph Goclenius, German philosopher and lexicographer (d. 1628)
    • 1554 – William Stafford, English courtier and conspirator (d. 1612)
    • 1577 – Richard Weston, 1st Earl of Portland (d. 1635)
    • 1597 – Jean-Charles della Faille, Flemish priest and mathematician (d. 1652)
    • 1611 – John Pell, English mathematician and linguist (d. 1685)
    • 1629 – Abraham Teniers, Flemish painter (d. 1670)
    • 1647 – John de Brito, Portuguese Jesuit missionary and martyr (d. 1693)
    • 1657 – Samuel Werenfels, Swiss theologian and author (d. 1740)
    • 1683 – Tsangyang Gyatso, sixth Dalai Lama (d. 1706)
    • 1683 – Caroline of Ansbach, British queen and regent (d. 1737)
    • 1732 – William Cushing, American lawyer and judge (d. 1810)
    • 1760 – François Buzot, French lawyer and politician (d. 1794)
    • 1769 – François Séverin Marceau-Desgraviers, French general (d. 1796)
    • 1807 – Wilford Woodruff, American religious leader, 4th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (d. 1898)
    • 1810 – Frédéric Chopin, Polish pianist and composer (d. 1849)
    • 1812 – Augustus Pugin, English architect, co-designed the Palace of Westminster (d. 1852)
    • 1817 – Giovanni Duprè, Italian sculptor and educator (d. 1882)
    • 1821 – Joseph Hubert Reinkens, German bishop and academic (d. 1896)
    • 1835 – Philip Fysh, English-Australian politician, 12th Premier of Tasmania (d. 1919)
    • 1837 – William Dean Howells, American novelist, playwright, and critic (d. 1920)
    • 1842 – Nikolaos Gyzis, Greek painter and academic (d. 1901)
    • 1848 – Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Irish-American sculptor and academic (d. 1907)
    • 1852 – Théophile Delcassé, French politician, French Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 1923)
    • 1863 – Alexander Golovin, Russian painter and set designer (d. 1930)
    • 1870 – E. M. Antoniadi, Greek-French astronomer and academic (d. 1944)
    • 1876 – Henri de Baillet-Latour, Belgian businessman (d. 1942)
    • 1880 – Lytton Strachey, British writer and critic (d. 1932)
    • 1886 – Oskar Kokoschka, Austrian-Swiss painter, poet, and playwright (d. 1980)
    • 1888 – Ewart Astill, English cricketer and billiards player (d. 1948)
    • 1888 – Fanny Walden, English cricketer and umpire, international footballer, outside right (d. 1949)
    • 1889 – Tetsuro Watsuji, Japanese historian and philosopher (d. 1960)
    • 1890 – Theresa Bernstein, Polish-American painter and author (d. 2002)
    • 1891 – Ralph Hitz, Austrian-American hotelier (d. 1940)
    • 1892 – Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, Japanese author and educator (d. 1927)
    • 1893 – Mercedes de Acosta, American author, poet, and playwright (d. 1968)
    • 1896 – Dimitri Mitropoulos, Greek pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1960)
    • 1896 – Moriz Seeler, German playwright and producer (d. 1942)
    • 1899 – Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski, German SS officer (d. 1972)
    • 1904 – Paul Hartman, American actor, singer, and dancer (d. 1973)
    • 1904 – Glenn Miller, American trombonist, composer, and bandleader (d. 1944)
    • 1905 – Doris Hare, Welsh-English actress, singer, and dancer (d. 2000)
    • 1906 – Phạm Văn Đồng, Vietnamese lieutenant and politician, 2nd Prime Minister of Vietnam (d. 2000)
    • 1909 – Eugene Esmonde, English lieutenant and pilot (d. 1942)
    • 1909 – Winston Sharples, American pianist and composer (d. 1978)
    • 1910 – Archer John Porter Martin, English chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2002)
    • 1910 – David Niven, English soldier and actor (d. 1983)
    • 1912 – Gerald Emmett Carter, Canadian cardinal (d. 2003)
    • 1912 – Boris Chertok, Polish-Russian engineer and academic (d. 2011)
    • 1914 – Harry Caray, American sportscaster (d. 1998)
    • 1914 – Ralph Ellison, American novelist and literary critic (d. 1994)
    • 1917 – Robert Lowell, American poet (d. 1977)
    • 1918 – João Goulart, Brazilian lawyer and politician, 24th President of Brazil (d. 1976)
    • 1918 – Gladys Spellman, American educator and politician (d. 1988)
    • 1920 – Max Bentley, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1984)
    • 1921 – Cameron Argetsinger, American race car driver and lawyer (d. 2008)
    • 1921 – Terence Cooke, American cardinal (d. 1983)
    • 1921 – Richard Wilbur, American poet, translator, and essayist (d. 2017)
    • 1922 – William Gaines, American publisher (d. 1992)
    • 1922 – Yitzhak Rabin, Israeli general and politician, 5th Prime Minister of Israel, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1995)
    • 1924 – Arnold Drake, American author and screenwriter (d. 2007)
    • 1924 – Deke Slayton, American soldier, pilot, and astronaut (d. 1993)
    • 1926 – Robert Clary, French-American actor and author
    • 1926 – Cesare Danova, Italian-American actor (d. 1992)
    • 1926 – Pete Rozelle, American businessman and commissioner of the National Football League (d. 1996)
    • 1926 – Allan Stanley, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 2013)
    • 1927 – George O. Abell, American astronomer, professor at UCLA, science popularizer, and skeptic (d. 1983)
    • 1927 – Harry Belafonte, American singer-songwriter and actor
    • 1927 – Robert Bork, American lawyer and scholar, United States Attorney General (d. 2012)
    • 1928 – Jacques Rivette, French director, screenwriter, and critic (d. 2016)
    • 1929 – Georgi Markov, Bulgarian journalist and author (d. 1978)
    • 1930 – Gastone Nencini, Italian cyclist (d. 1980)
    • 1934 – Jean-Michel Folon, Belgian painter and sculptor (d. 2005)
    • 1934 – Joan Hackett, American actress (d. 1983)
    • 1935 – Robert Conrad, American actor, radio host and stuntman (d. 2020)
    • 1936 – Jean-Edern Hallier, French author (d. 1997)
    • 1939 – Leo Brouwer, Cuban guitarist, composer, and conductor
    • 1939 – Mustansar Hussain Tarar, Pakistani author
    • 1940 – Robin Gray, Australian politician, 37th Premier of Tasmania
    • 1940 – Robert Grossman, American painter, sculptor, and author (d. 2018)
    • 1941 – Robert Hass, American poet
    • 1942 – Richard Myers, American general
    • 1943 – Gil Amelio, American businessman
    • 1943 – José Ángel Iribar, Spanish footballer and manager
    • 1943 – Rashid Sunyaev, Russian-German astronomer and physicist
    • 1944 – Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Indian politician, 7th Chief Minister of West Bengal
    • 1944 – John Breaux, American lawyer and politician
    • 1944 – Roger Daltrey, English singer-songwriter, producer, and actor
    • 1944 – Mike d’Abo, English singer
    • 1945 – Dirk Benedict, American actor and director
    • 1946 – Gerry Boulet, Canadian singer-songwriter (d. 1990)
    • 1946 – Jim Crace, English author and academic
    • 1947 – Alan Thicke, Canadian-American actor and composer (d. 2016)
    • 1951 – Sergei Kourdakov, Russian-American KGB agent (d. 1973)
    • 1952 – Dave Barr, Canadian golfer
    • 1952 – Nevada Barr, American actress and author
    • 1952 – Leigh Matthews, Australian footballer, coach, and sportscaster
    • 1952 – Jerri Nielsen, American physician and explorer (d. 2009)
    • 1952 – Martin O’Neill, Northern Irish footballer and manager
    • 1953 – Sinan Çetin, Turkish actor, director, and producer
    • 1953 – Carlos Queiroz, Portuguese footballer and manager
    • 1954 – Catherine Bach, American actress
    • 1954 – Ron Howard, American actor, director, and producer
    • 1954 – Rod Reddy, Australian rugby league player and coach
    • 1956 – Tim Daly, American actor, director, and producer
    • 1956 – Dalia Grybauskaitė, Lithuanian politician, 6th President of Lithuania
    • 1958 – Nik Kershaw, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
    • 1958 – Wayne B. Phillips, Australian cricketer and coach
    • 1959 – Nick Griffin, English politician
    • 1961 – Mike Rozier, American football player
    • 1962 – Russell Coutts, New Zealand sailor
    • 1962 – Mark Gardner, American baseball player
    • 1962 – Bill Leen, American bass player and producer
    • 1963 – Bryan Batt, American actor and singer
    • 1963 – Maurice Benard, American actor
    • 1963 – Ron Francis, Canadian ice hockey player and manager
    • 1964 – Clinton Gregory, American singer-songwriter and fiddler
    • 1964 – Paul Le Guen, French footballer and manager
    • 1965 – Booker T, American wrestler and sportscaster
    • 1965 – Stewart Elliott, Canadian jockey
    • 1966 – Paul Hollywood, English chef
    • 1966 – Zack Snyder, American director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1967 – George Eads, American actor
    • 1967 – Aron Winter, Suriname-Dutch footballer and manager
    • 1969 – Javier Bardem, Spanish actor and producer
    • 1970 – Jason V Brock, American author, filmmaker, artist, scholar and musician
    • 1971 – Thomas Adès, English pianist, composer, and conductor
    • 1971 – Ivan Cleary, Australian rugby league player and coach
    • 1973 – Jack Davenport, English actor
    • 1973 – Anton Gunn, American academic and politician
    • 1973 – Chris Webber, American basketball player and sportscaster
    • 1974 – Mark-Paul Gosselaar, American actor
    • 1976 – Travis Kvapil, American race car driver
    • 1977 – Rens Blom, Dutch pole vaulter
    • 1977 – Esther Cañadas, Spanish actress and model
    • 1978 – Jensen Ackles, American actor and director
    • 1979 – Mikkel Kessler, Danish boxer
    • 1979 – Bruno Langlois, Canadian cyclist
    • 1980 – Shahid Afridi, Pakistani cricketer
    • 1980 – Abhay K, Indian poet and diplomat
    • 1980 – Sercan Güvenışık, German-Turkish footballer
    • 1980 – Djimi Traoré, Malian footballer
    • 1981 – Will Power, Australian race car driver
    • 1982 – Juan Manuel Ortiz, Spanish footballer
    • 1983 – Daniel Carvalho, Brazilian footballer
    • 1983 – Lupita Nyong’o, Mexican-Kenyan actress
    • 1983 – Davey Richards, American wrestler
    • 1983 – Anthony Tupou, Australian rugby league player
    • 1984 – Naima Mora, American model and actress
    • 1984 – Alexander Steen, Canadian-Swedish ice hockey player
    • 1985 – Andreas Ottl, German footballer
    • 1986 – Big E, American wrestler
    • 1987 – Kesha, American singer-songwriter and actress
    • 1988 – Yang Hyeon-jong, South Korean baseball player
    • 1989 – Tenille Tayla, Australian professional wrestler
    • 1989 – Carlos Vela, Mexican footballer
    • 1992 – Tom Walsh, New Zealand athlete
    • 1993 – Nathan Brown, Australian rugby league player
    • 1993 – Michael Conforto, American baseball player
    • 1993 – Kurt Mann, Australian rugby league player
    • 1993 – Josh McEachran, English footballer
    • 1994 – Justin Bieber, Canadian singer-songwriter
    • 1994 – Tyreek Hill, American football player
    • 1996 – Lizzie Arnot, Scottish footballer
    • 1999 – Brogan Hay, Scottish footballer

    Deaths on March 1

    • 492 – Felix III, pope of the Catholic Church
    • 589 – David, Welsh bishop and saint
    • 965 – Leo VIII, pope of the Catholic Church
    • 977 – Rudesind, Galician bishop (b. 907)
    • 991 – En’yū, Japanese emperor (b. 959)
    • 1058 – Ermesinde of Carcassonne, countess and regent of Barcelona (b. 972)
    • 1131 – Stephen II, king of Hungary and Croatia (b. 1101)
    • 1233 – Thomas, count of Savoy (b. 1178)
    • 1244 – Gruffydd ap Llywelyn Fawr, Welsh noble, son of Llywelyn the Great (b. 1200)
    • 1320 – Ayurbarwada Buyantu Khan, Chinese emperor (b. 1286)
    • 1383 – Amadeus VI, count of Savoy (b. 1334)
    • 1510 – Francisco de Almeida, Portuguese soldier and explorer (b. 1450)
    • 1546 – George Wishart, Scottish minister and martyr (b. 1513)
    • 1620 – Thomas Campion, English poet and composer (b. 1567)
    • 1633 – George Herbert, English poet and orator (b. 1593)
    • 1643 – Girolamo Frescobaldi, Italian pianist and composer (b. 1583)
    • 1661 – Richard Zouch, English judge and politician (b. 1590)
    • 1666 – Ecaterina Cercheza, princess consort of Moldavia (b. 1620)
    • 1697 – Francesco Redi, Italian physician and poet (b. 1626)
    • 1734 – Roger North, English lawyer and author (b. 1653)
    • 1768 – Hermann Samuel Reimarus, German philosopher and author (b. 1694)
    • 1773 – Luigi Vanvitelli, Italian architect, designed the Palace of Caserta (b. 1700)
    • 1792 – Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1747)
    • 1792 – Angelo Emo, Venetian admiral and statesman (b. 1731)1841 – Claude Victor-Perrin, Duc de Belluno, French general and politician, French Minister of Defence (b. 1764)
    • 1862 – Peter Barlow, English mathematician and physicist (b. 1776)
    • 1875 – Tristan Corbière, French poet and educator (b. 1845)
    • 1882 – Theodor Kullak, German pianist, composer, and educator (b. 1818)
    • 1884 – Isaac Todhunter, English mathematician and academic (b. 1820)
    • 1906 – José María de Pereda, Spanish author (b. 1833)
    • 1911 – Jacobus Henricus van ‘t Hoff, Dutch-German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1852)
    • 1914 – Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto, English soldier and politician, 8th Governor General of Canada (b. 1845)
    • 1920 – John H. Bankhead, American lawyer and politician (b. 1842)
    • 1922 – Pichichi, Spanish footballer (b. 1892)
    • 1932 – Frank Teschemacher, American Jazz musician (b. 1906)
    • 1936 – Mikhail Kuzmin, Russian author and poet (b. 1871)
    • 1938 – Gabriele D’Annunzio, Italian journalist and politician (b. 1863)
    • 1940 – Anton Hansen Tammsaare, Estonian author (b. 1878)
    • 1942 – George S. Rentz, American commander (b. 1882)
    • 1943 – Alexandre Yersin, Swiss-French physician and bacteriologist (b. 1863)
    • 1952 – Mariano Azuela, Mexican physician and author (b. 1873)
    • 1966 – Fritz Houtermans, Polish-German physicist and academic (b. 1903)
    • 1974 – Bobby Timmons, American pianist and composer (b. 1935)
    • 1976 – Jean Martinon, French conductor and composer (b. 1910)
    • 1978 – Paul Scott, English author, poet, and playwright (b. 1920)
    • 1979 – Mustafa Barzani, Iraqi-Kurdistan politician (b. 1903)
    • 1980 – Wilhelmina Cooper, Dutch-American model and businesswoman, founded Wilhelmina Models (b. 1940)
    • 1980 – Dixie Dean, English footballer (b. 1907)
    • 1983 – Arthur Koestler, Hungarian-English journalist and author (b. 1905)
    • 1984 – Jackie Coogan, American actor (b. 1914)
    • 1988 – Joe Besser, American comedian and actor (b. 1907)
    • 1989 – Vasantdada Patil, Indian politician, 5th Chief Minister of Maharashtra (b. 1917)
    • 1991 – Edwin H. Land, American scientist and businessman, co-founded the Polaroid Corporation (b. 1909)
    • 1995 – César Rodríguez Álvarez, Spanish footballer and manager (b. 1920)
    • 1995 – Georges J. F. Köhler, German biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1946)
    • 1998 – Archie Goodwin, American author and illustrator (b. 1937)
    • 2004 – Mian Ghulam Jilani, Pakistani general (b. 1914)
    • 2006 – Peter Osgood, English footballer (b. 1947)
    • 2006 – Jack Wild, English actor (b.1952)
    • 2010 – Kristian Digby, English television host and director (b. 1977)
    • 2012 – Andrew Breitbart, American journalist and publisher (b. 1969)
    • 2012 – Germano Mosconi, Italian journalist (b. 1932)
    • 2013 – Bonnie Franklin, American actress, dancer, and singer (b. 1944)
    • 2014 – Alain Resnais, French director, cinematographer, and screenwriter (b. 1922)
    • 2015 – Minnie Miñoso, Cuban-American baseball player and coach (b. 1922)
    • 2018 – María Rubio, Mexican television, film and stage actress (b. 1934)
    • 2019 – Mike Willesee, Australian journalist and producer (b. 1942)

    Holidays and observances on March 1

    • Beer Day, marked the end of beer prohibition in 1989 (Iceland)
    • Christian feast day:
      • Agnes Tsao Kou Ying (one of the Martyr Saints of China)
      • Albin
      • David
      • Eudokia of Heliopolis
      • Pope Felix III
      • Leoluca
      • Luperculus
      • Monan
      • Rudesind
      • Suitbert
      • March 1 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Commemoration of Mustafa Barzani’s Death (Iraqi Kurdistan)
    • Earliest day on which Casimir Pulaski Day can fall, while March 7 is the latest; celebrated on the first Monday in March. (Illinois)
    • Earliest day on which Children’s Day can fall, while March 7 is the latest; celebrated on the first Sunday in March. (New Zealand)
    • Earliest day on which Grandmother’s Day can fall, while March 7 is the latest; celebrated on the first Monday in March. (France)
    • Earliest day on which Laetare Sunday can fall, while April 4 is the latest; celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent. (Western Christianity), and its related observances:
      • Carnaval de la Laetare (Stavelot)
      • Mothering Sunday (United Kingdom)
    • Heroes’ Day (Paraguay)
    • Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina from Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1992.
    • National “Cursed Soldiers” Remembrance Day (Poland)
    • National Pig Day (United States)
    • Remembrance Day (Marshall Islands)
    • Saint David’s Day or Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant (Wales and Welsh communities)
    • Samiljeol (South Korea)
    • Self-injury Awareness Day
    • Southeastern Europe celebration of the beginning of spring:
      • Baba Marta Day (Bulgaria)
      • Mărțișor (Romania and Moldova)
    • The final day (fourth or fifth) of Ayyám-i-Há (Bahá’í Faith)
    • World Civil Defence Day
    • Yap Day (Yap State)
    • Zero Discrimination Day
  • |

    Constituents and Structure Solved MCQs (Set-I) | General Science & Ability

    The universe, Galaxy, Light Year, Solar System, Sun, Earth, Astronomical System of Units

    1) The biggest planet in our solar system is (CSS 2013)

    (a) Venus
    (b) Pluto
    (c) Jupiter
    (d) None of these
    Answer: (c)
    In terms of mass, volume, and surface area, Jupiter is the biggest planet in our Solar System by a wide margin.
    Size and Mass:
    Jupiter’s mass, volume, surface area and mean circumference are 1.8981 x 1027 kg, 1.43128 x 1015 km3, 6.1419 x 1010 km2, and 4.39264 x 105 km respectively. To put that in perspective, Jupiter diameter is roughly 11 times that of Earth, and 2.5 the mass of all the other planets in the Solar System combined.

    2) The universe is ———-. (CSS 1996)

    (a) Stationary
    (b) Expanding
    (c) Contracting
    (d) None of these
    Answer: (b)
    In June 2016, NASA and ESA scientists reported that the universe was found to be expanding 5% to 9% faster than thought earlier, based on studies using the Hubble Space Telescope

    3) The atmosphere of moon consists of: (CSS 2013)

    (a) . 90% Hydrogen, 10% Nitrogen
    (b) . 80%Nitrogen, 20% Hydrogen
    (c) 60% Nitrogen, 40%inert gases
    (d) None of these
    Answer: (d)
    The Moon has no atmosphere. None. That’s why astronauts have to wear their spacesuits when they get outside of their spacecraft on the surface of the Moon.
    Atmosphere of the Moon might be electro statically levitated moon dust. These tiny particles are constantly leaping up and down off the surface of the Moon.

    4) Who gave the first evidence of the Big- Bang theory?

    (a) Edwin Hubble
    (b) Albert Einstein
    (c) S. Chandrasekhar
    (d) Stephen Hawking
    Answer: (a)
    The Hubble Space Telescope was named after astronomer Edwin Powell Hubble (1889–1953), who made some of the most important discoveries in modern astronomy. Dr. Hubble determined that the farther a galaxy is from Earth, the faster it appears to move away. This notion of an “expanding” universe formed the basis of the Big Bang theory, which states that the universe began with an intense burst of energy at a single moment in time — and has been expanding ever since.

    5) Which one of the following planets has largest number of natural satellites or moons?

    (a) Jupiter
    (b) Mars
    (c) Saturn
    (d) Venus
    Answer: (a)
    In the Solar System, there are 179 satellites. A majority of those moons belong to the planet of Jupiter, the second most belonging to Saturn.

    6) Which of the following planets rotates clock wise?

    (a) Mars
    (b) Jupiter
    (c) Venus
    (d) Mercury
    Answer: (c)
    Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise. Venus (radius 3,760.4 miles) is similar to Earth (radius 3,963.19 miles) in size and structure but spins very slowly; a day on Venus is 243 Earth days long.

    7) Which of the following order is given to the planets of solar system on the basis of their sizes?

    (a) Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
    (b) Saturn, Jupiter, Mercury, Earth
    (c) Mercury, Earth, Jupiter, Saturn
    (d) Earth, Mercury, Saturn, Jupiter
    Answer: (a)
    Jupiter (69,911 km / 43,441 miles) – 1,120% the size of Earth
    Saturn (58,232 km / 36,184 miles) – 945% the size of Earth
    Uranus (25,362 km / 15,759 miles) –400% the size of Earth
    Neptune (24,622 km / 15,299 miles) – 388% the size of Earth
    Earth (6,371 km / 3,959 miles)

    8) The time taken by the Sun to revolve around the center of our galaxy is

    (a) 50 Million years
    (b) 100 Million years
    (c) 250 Million years
    (d) 365 Million years
    Answer: (c)
    the Sun is dragging us around the galaxy at around 800,000km/h, taking around 250 million years to complete a single orbit.
    That means our Solar System has made around 18 complete circuits since it was formed around 4.5 billion years ago.

    9): The planet having the largest diameter is

    (a) Earth
    (b) Jupiter
    (c) Venus
    (d) Uranus
    Answer: (b)
    Jupiter is composed primarily of gaseous and liquid matter. It is the largest of the four giant planets in the Solar System and hence its largest planet. It has a diameter of 142,984 km (88,846 mi) at its equator

    10) The planet Mercury completes one rotation around the sun is (CSS 2010)

    (a) 88 days
    (b) 365 days
    (c) 98 days
    (d) 60 days
    (e) None of these
    Answer: (a)
    A year on Mercury is just 88 days long. One solar day (the time from noon to noon on the planet’s surface) on Mercury lasts the equivalent of 176 Earth days while the sidereal day (the time for 1 rotation in relation to a fixed point) lasts 59 Earth days. Mercury is nearly tidally locked to the Sun and over time this has slowed the rotation of the planet to almost match its orbit around the Sun. Mercury also has the highest orbital eccentricity of all the planets with its distance from the Sun ranging from 46 to 70 million km.

    11) The biggest planet in our solar system is (CSS 2013)

    (a) Venus
    (b) Pluto
    (c) Jupiter
    (d) None of these
    Answer: (c)
    Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system. Jupiter has a mean radius of 43,440.7 miles (69,911 kilometers), about a tenth that of the sun. However, its rapid rotation — it spins once every 9.8 hours

    12) The atmosphere of moon consists of: (CSS 2013)

    (a) 90% Hydrogen, 10% Nitrogen
    (b) 80%Nitrogen, 20% Hydrogen
    (c) 60% Nitrogen, 40%inert gases
    (d) None of these
    Answer: (d)
    The Apollo 17 mission deployed an instrument called the Lunar Atmospheric Composition Experiment (LACE) on the moon’s surface. It detected small amounts of a number of atoms and molecules including helium, argon, and possibly neon, ammonia, methane and carbon dioxide.

    13) Which of the following explains the reason why there is no total eclipse of the sun? (CSS 2009)

    (a) Size of the earth in relation to that of moon
    (b) Orbit of moon around earth
    (c) Direction of rotation of earth around sun
    (d) Area of the sun covered by the moon
    (e) None of these
    Answer: (d)
    A solar eclipse occurs when the moon gets between Earth and the sun, and the moon casts a shadow over Earth. A solar eclipse can only take place at the phase of new moon, when the moon passes directly between the sun and Earth and its shadows fall upon Earth’s surface.

    14) The sun produces most of its energy by (CSS 2012)

    (a) Nuclear fusion which involves converting “H” to “He”
    (b) Nuclear fission involving the burning of uranium & plutonium
    (c) Nuclear fission involving the combining of uranium and palladium
    (d) None of these
    Answer: (a)
    Sun, like all stars, is able to create energy because it is essentially a massive fusion reaction.
    The core of the Sun is the region that extends from the center to about 20–25% of the solar radius. It is here, in the core, where energy is produced by hydrogen atoms (H) being converted into molecules of helium (He) This is possible thanks to the extreme pressure and temperature that exists within the core, which are estimated to be the equivalent of 250 billion atmospheres (25.33 trillion KPa) and 15.7 million kelvin, respectively.

    15) Although the mass of a man on moon remains same as on the earth he will (CSS 2012)

    (a) Be much happier there
    (b) Weigh one sixth as much
    (c) Weigh twice as much
    (d) None of these
    Answer: (b)
    The Moon’s gravity is one sixth of the Earth’s gravity. A 120 kg astronaut weighs 1200 N on Earth. On the Moon they would weigh only 200 N. The astronaut’s mass is 120kg wherever they are.

    16) The planet of the solar system which has maximum numbers of Moon is: (CSS 2011)

    (a) Jupiter
    (b) Venus
    (c) Saturn
    (d) Uranus
    (e) None of these
    Answer: (a)

    17): The earth rotates 011 its axis from_

    (a) North to south
    (b) South to north
    (c) East to west
    (d) West to east
    Answer: (d)
    The Earth rotates from the west towards east. As viewed from North Star or polestar Polaris, the Earth turns counter-clockwise. The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth’s axis of rotation meets its surface.

    18): Name two planets which revolve around their axis from east to west

    (a) Earth and Venus
    (b) Mars and Earth
    (c) Venus and Uranus
    (d) Mars and Uranus
    Answer: (c)
    Planets have no light of their own and all of them expect Venus and Uranus, rotate upon their axis from west to east.

    19) Our sun is classified as (CSS 2012)

    (a) A Blue giant
    (b) A Yellow dwarf
    (c) Supernova
    (d) None of these
    Answer: (b)
    The sun is classified as a G-type main-sequence star, or G dwarf star, or more imprecisely, a yellow dwarf. Actually, the sun — like other G-type stars — is white, but appears yellow through Earth’s atmosphere. Stars generally get bigger as they grow older

    20): Name the planet which revolve approximately 90 degree with its orbital plane_.

    (a) Neptune
    (b) Venus
    (c) Uranus
    (d) Jupiter
    Answer: (c)
    Unlike any other planet, Uranus rotates on its side. That is, the rotation axis is tilted approximately 90 degrees relative to the planet’s orbital plane.

    21): The hottest planet of our solar system is
    (a) Mercury
    (b) Venus
    (c) Mars
    (d) Earth
    Answer: (b)
    Venus’s thick atmosphere made up mainly of CO2 makes it the hottest planet in the solar system. Mercury is colder because it’s atmosphere is thin.

    22): Which of the following constellation contains Pole Star?

    (a) Orion
    (b) Ursa Major
    (c) Ursa Minor
    (d) Scorpio
    Answer: (b)

    23): All the stars appear to move from

    (a) North to south
    (b) South to north
    (c) East to west
    (d) West to east
    Answer: (c)
    Every day, the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars appear to rise in the east and set in the west. Actually, these celestial objects aren’t moving that fast, but Earth is. It spins on its axis from west to east approximately every 24 hours.
    Because we are standing on Earth’s surface, we move along with it. To us, it appears as if everything in the sky is moving from east to west.

    24): The body burning like a star and coming towards the earth

    (a) Comet
    (b) Meteor
    (c) Ceres
    (d) Satellites
    Answer: (b)
    Fleeting trails of light are called meteors or shooting stars and they are created by small particles, some no bigger than a grain of rice, as they are completely burned up high in the atmosphere: about 100 km (or 60 miles) above the Earth. They are over literally in the blink of an eye. Space debris is collectively termed meteoroids, those larger fragments that reach the ground are called meteorites. Very big meteoroids are also known as asteroids. If one collides with Earth it would cause a major catastrophe.

    25) Which of the following is not true?

    (a) Planets rotate on their own axis.
    (b) Planets do not emit light.
    (c) Some planets are gaseous and some are rocky
    (d) Most of the planets have rings around them.
    Answer: (d)

    26) Which is the brightest planet?

    (a) Mars
    (b) Jupiter
    (c) Venus
    (d) Saturn
    Answer: (c)
    Venus is so bright because its thick clouds reflect most of the sunlight that reaches it (about 70%) back into space, and because it is the closest planet to Earth. Venus can often be seen within a few hours after sunset or before sunrise as the brightest object in the sky (other than the moon)

    27) The stars in space are ___.

    (a) Uniformly spread out.
    (b) Distributed completely at random
    (c) Chiefly in the Milky Way
    (d) Mostly contained within widely separated galaxies
    Answer: (d)

    28) “Black holes” refer to: (CSS 2009)

    (a) Hole occurring in heavenly bodies
    (b) Bright spots on the sun
    (c) Collapsing objects of high density
    (d) Collapsing of low density
    (e) None of these
    Answer: (c)

    29) The Milky Way is _____.

    ( a) a gas cloud in the solar system
    (b) a gas cloud in the galaxy of which the sun is a member
    (c) the galaxy of which the sun is a member
    (d) a nearby galaxy
    Answer: (c)

    30) Relative to the center of our galaxy, ____.

    ( a) its starts are stationary
    (b) its stars move entirely at random
    (c) its stars revolve
    (d) Population I starts are stationary and Population II star revolve
    Answer: (c)

    31) Evidence of various kinds suggests that at the center of our galaxy is a ___.

    ( a) Quasar
    (b) Pulsar
    (c) Neutron star
    (d) Black hole
    Answer: (d)
    A supermassive black hole (SMBH) is the largest type of black hole, in the order of hundreds of thousands to billions of solar masses (M☉), and is found in the centre of almost all currently known massive galaxies. In the case of the Milky Way, the SMBH corresponds with the location of Sagittarius A*

    32) A radio telescope is basically a (an) __.

    (a) device for magnifying radio waves
    (b) Telescope remotely controlled by radio
    (c) Directional antenna connected to a sensitive radio receiver
    (d) Optical telescope that uses electronic techniques to produce an image
    Answer: (c)
    Radio telescope is an astronomical instrument consisting of a radio receiver and an antenna system that is used to detect radio-frequency radiation emitted by extraterrestrial sources. Because radio wavelengths are much longer than those of visible light, radio telescopes must be very large in order to attain the resolution of optical telescopes.
    The first radio telescope, built in 1937 by Grote Reber of Wheaton

    33) Sun is a: (CSS 2011)

    (a) Planet
    (b) Comet
    (c) Satellite
    (d) Aurora
    (e) None of these
    Answer: (e)
    The Sun (or Sol), is the star at the centre of our solar system
    The Sun is by far the largest object in the solar system. It contains more than 99.8% of the total mass of the Solar System (Jupiter contains most of the rest).

    34) The age of the solar system is (CSS 2011)

    (a) 4.5 billion years
    (b) 5.5 billion years
    (c) 6.5 billion years
    (d) 7.5 billion years
    (e) None of these
    Answer: (e)
    By studying several things, mostly meteorites, and using radioactive dating techniques, specifically looking at daughter isotopes, scientists have determined that the Solar System is 4.6 billion years old. Well, give or take a few million years. That age can be extended to most of the objects and material in the Solar System.

    35) An eclipse of the sun occurs when (CSS 2011)

    (a) The moon is between the sun and the earth
    (b) The sun is between the earth and the moon
    (c) The earth is between the sun and the moon
    (d) The earth casts its shadow on the moon
    (e) None of these
    Answer: (a)
    A solar eclipse occurs when the moon gets between Earth and the sun, and the moon casts a shadow over Earth. A solar eclipse can only take place at the phase of new moon, when the moon passes directly between the sun and Earth and its shadows fall upon Earth’s surface.

    36) Founder of modern astronomy was: (CSS 2009)

    (a) Archimedes
    (b) William Gilbert
    (c) Nicolaus Copernicus
    (d) Michael Faraday
    (e) None of these
    Answer: (c)
    Considered today to be the father of modern astronomy, Nicolaus Copernicus was born on February 19, 1473 in Torun, Poland.

    37) Orbital period of the planet Mercury around the sun is: (CSS 2009)

    (a) 88 days
    (b) 365 days
    (c) 2 years
    (d) 98 days
    (e) None of these
    Answer: (a)
    Mercury has an orbital period of 88 days (87.969 to be exact), which means a single year is 88 Earth days – or the equivalent of about 0.241 Earth years. But here’s the thing. Because of Mercury’s slow rotation (once every 58.646 days) and its rapid orbital speed (47.362 km/s), one day on Mercury actually works out to 175.96 Earth days.

    38) Primary cosmic rays are composed largely of very fast ___.

    ( a) Protons
    (b) Neutrons
    (c) Electrons
    (d) Gamma rays
    Answer: (a)
    Of primary cosmic rays, which originate outside of Earth’s atmosphere, about 99% are the nuclei (stripped of their electron shells) of well-known atoms, and about 1% are solitary electrons (similar to beta particles). Of the nuclei, about 90% are simple protons, i. e. hydrogen nuclei; 9% are alpha particles, identical to helium nuclei, and 1% are the nuclei of heavier elements, called HZE ions

    39) Cosmic rays ____.

    (a) Circulate freely through space
    (b) are trapped in our galaxy by electric fields
    (c) are trapped in our galaxy by magnetic fields
    (d) are trapped in our galaxy by gravitational fields
    Answer: (c)

    40) The red shift in the spectral lines of light reaching us from other galaxies implies that these galaxies ______.

    ( a) are moving closer to one another
    (b) are moving farther apart from one another
    (c) are in rapid rotation
    (d) Consist predominantly of red giant stars
    Answer: (b)

    41) According to Einstein’s general theory of relativity, the universe _____.

    ( a) Must be expanding
    (b) Must be contracting
    (c) Must be either expanding or contracting
    (d) May be neither expanding nor contracting
    Answer: (c)

    42) Supernova explosions have no connection with _______.

    ( a) The formation of heavy elements
    (b) Cosmic rays
    (c) Pulsars
    (d) Quasars
    Answer: (d)

    43) Current ideas suggest that what is responsible for the observed properties of a quasar is a massive ____.

    (a) Neutron star
    (b) Black hole
    (c) Spiral galaxy
    (d) Star cluster
    Answer: (b)

    44) The age of the universe is probably in the neighborhood of ______.

    ( a) 15 million years
    (b) 4 ½ billion years
    (c) 15 billion years
    (d) 30 billion years
    Answer: (c)

    45) The term big bang refers to ___.

    ( a) the origin of the universe
    (b) the ultimate fate of the universe
    (c) a supernova explosion
    (d) the formation of a quasar
    Answer: (a)

    46) The elements heavier than hydrogen and helium of which the planets are composed probably came from the __.
    ( a) Sun
    (b) Debris of supernova explosions that occurred before the solar system came into being
    (c) Big bang
    (d) Big crunch
    Answer: (b)

    47) Today the universe apparently contains ____.

    ( a) Only matter
    (b) Only antimatter
    (c) Equal amounts of matter and antimatter
    (d) Slightly more matter than antimatter
    Answer: (a)

    48) Radiation from the early history of the universe was Doppler-shifted by the expansion of the universe until today it is in the form of _______.

    ( a) X-rays
    (b) Ultraviolet waves
    (c) Infrared waves
    (d) Radio waves
    Answer: (d)

    49) Present evidence suggests that most of the mass of the universe is in the form of ______.

    ( a) Dark matter
    (b) Luminous matter
    (c) Cosmic rays
    (d) Black holes
    Answer: (a)

    50) It is likely that the planets, satellites, and other members of the solar system were formed ________.

    (a) Together with the sun
    (b) Later than the sun from material it ejected
    (c) Later than the sun from material it captured from space
    (d) Elsewhere and were captured by the sun
    Answer: (a)