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

On This Day /
  • 69 – Otho seizes power in Rome, proclaiming himself Emperor of Rome, beginning a reign of only three months.
  • 1541 – King Francis I of France gives Jean-François Roberval a commission to settle the province of New France (Canada) and provide for the spread of the “Holy Catholic faith”.
  • 1559 – Elizabeth I is crowned Queen of England in Westminster Abbey, London.
  • 1582 – Truce of Yam-Zapolsky: Russia cedes Livonia to the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.
  • 1759 – The British Museum opens to the public.
  • 1777 – American Revolutionary War: New Connecticut (present day Vermont) declares its independence.
  • 1782 – Superintendent of Finance Robert Morris addresses the U.S. Congress to recommend establishment of a national mint and decimal coinage.
  • 1815 – War of 1812: American frigate USS President, commanded by Commodore Stephen Decatur, is captured by a squadron of four British frigates.
  • 1818 – A paper by David Brewster is read to the Royal Society, belatedly announcing his discovery of what we now call the biaxial class of doubly-refracting crystals. On the same day, Augustin-Jean Fresnel signs a “supplement” (submitted four days later) on reflection of polarized light.
  • 1822 – Greek War of Independence: Demetrios Ypsilantis is elected president of the legislative assembly.
  • 1865 – American Civil War: Fort Fisher in North Carolina falls to the Union, thus cutting off the last major seaport of the Confederacy.
  • 1867 – Forty people die when ice covering the boating lake at Regent’s Park, London, collapses.
  • 1870 – A political cartoon for the first time symbolizes the Democratic Party with a donkey (“A Live Jackass Kicking a Dead Lion” by Thomas Nast for Harper’s Weekly).
  • 1876 – The first newspaper in Afrikaans, Die Afrikaanse Patriot, is published in Paarl.
  • 1889 – The Coca-Cola Company, then known as the Pemberton Medicine Company, is incorporated in Atlanta.
  • 1892 – James Naismith publishes the rules of basketball.
  • 1908 – The Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority becomes the first Greek-letter organization founded and established by African American college women.
  • 1910 – Construction ends on the Buffalo Bill Dam in Wyoming, United States, which was the highest dam in the world at the time, at 325 ft (99 m).
  • 1911 – Palestinian Arabic-language Falastin newspaper founded.
  • 1919 – Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht, two of the most prominent socialists in Germany, are tortured and murdered by the Freikorps at the end of the Spartacist uprising.
  • 1919 – Great Molasses Flood: A wave of molasses released from an exploding storage tank sweeps through Boston, Massachusetts, killing 21 and injuring 150.
  • 1934 – The 8.0 Mw  Nepal–Bihar earthquake strikes Nepal and Bihar with a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme), killing an estimated 6,000–10,700 people.
  • 1936 – The first building to be completely covered in glass, built for the Owens-Illinois Glass Company, is completed in Toledo, Ohio.
  • 1937 – Spanish Civil War: Nationalists and Republican both withdraw after suffering heavy losses, ending the Second Battle of the Corunna Road.
  • 1943 – World War II: The Soviet counter-offensive at Voronezh begins.
  • 1943 – The Pentagon is dedicated in Arlington, Virginia.
  • 1947 – The Black Dahlia murder: the dismembered corpse of Elizabeth Short was found in Los Angeles.
  • 1949 – Chinese Civil War: The Communist forces take over Tianjin from the Nationalist Government.
  • 1962 – The Derveni papyrus, Europe’s oldest surviving manuscript dating to 340 BC, is found in northern Greece.
  • 1962 – Netherlands New Guinea Conflict: Indonesian Navy fast patrol boat RI Macan Tutul commanded by Commodore Yos Sudarso sunk in Arafura Sea by the Dutch Navy.
  • 1966 – The First Nigerian Republic, led by Abubakar Tafawa Balewa is overthrown in a military coup d’état.
  • 1967 – The first Super Bowl is played in Los Angeles. The Green Bay Packers defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 35–10.
  • 1969 – The Soviet Union launches Soyuz 5.
  • 1970 – Nigerian Civil War: Biafran rebels surrender following an unsuccessful 32-month fight for independence from Nigeria.
  • 1970 – Muammar Gaddafi is proclaimed premier of Libya.
  • 1973 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, President Richard Nixon announces the suspension of offensive action in North Vietnam.
  • 1975 – The Alvor Agreement is signed, ending the Angolan War of Independence and giving Angola independence from Portugal.
  • 1976 – Gerald Ford’s would-be assassin, Sara Jane Moore, is sentenced to life in prison.
  • 1981 – Pope John Paul II receives a delegation from Solidarity (Polish trade union) at the Vatican led by Lech Wałęsa.
  • 1991 – The United Nations deadline for the withdrawal of Iraqi forces from occupied Kuwait expires, preparing the way for the start of Operation Desert Storm.
  • 1991 – Elizabeth II, in her capacity as Queen of Australia, signs letters patent allowing Australia to become the first Commonwealth realm to institute its own Victoria Cross in its honours system.
  • 2001 – Wikipedia, a free wiki content encyclopedia, goes online.
  • 2005 – ESA’s SMART-1 lunar orbiter discovers elements such as calcium, aluminum, silicon, iron, and other surface elements on the Moon.
  • 2007 – Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, former Iraqi intelligence chief and half-brother of Saddam Hussein, and Awad Hamed al-Bandar, former chief judge of the Revolutionary Court, are executed by hanging in Iraq.
  • 2009 – US Airways Flight 1549 ditches safely in the Hudson River after the plane collides with birds less than two minutes after take-off.
  • 2013 – A train carrying Egyptian Army recruits derails near Giza, Greater Cairo, killing 19 and injuring 120 others.
  • 2015 – The Swiss National Bank abandons the cap on the franc’s value relative to the euro, causing turmoil in international financial markets
  • 2016 – The Kenyan Army suffers its worst defeat ever in a battle with Al-Shabaab Islamic insurgents in El-Adde, Somalia. An estimated 150 Kenyan soldiers are killed in the battle.
  • 2019 – Somali militants attack the DusitD2 hotel in Nairobi, Kenya killing at least 21 people and injuring 19.
  • 2019 – Theresa May’s UK government suffers the biggest government defeat in modern times, when 432 MPs voting against the proposed European Union withdrawal agreement, giving her opponents a majority of 230.

Births on January 15

  • 961 – Seongjong of Goryeo, Korean ruler (d. 997)
  • 1432 – Afonso V of Portugal (d. 1481)
  • 1462 – Edzard I, Count of East Frisia, German noble (d. 1528)
  • 1481 – Ashikaga Yoshizumi, Japanese shōgun (d. 1511)
  • 1538 – Maeda Toshiie, Japanese general (d. 1599)
  • 1595 – Henry Carey, 2nd Earl of Monmouth, English politician (d. 1661)
  • 1622 – Molière, French actor and playwright (d. 1673)
  • 1623 – Algernon Sidney, British philosopher (d. 1683)
  • 1671 – Abraham de la Pryme, English archaeologist and historian (d. 1704)
  • 1674 – Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon, French poet and playwright (d. 1762)
  • 1716 – Philip Livingston, American merchant and politician (d. 1778)
  • 1747 – John Aikin, English surgeon and author (d. 1822)
  • 1754 – Richard Martin, Irish activist and politician, co-founded the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (d. 1834)
  • 1791 – Franz Grillparzer, Austrian author, poet, and playwright (d. 1872)
  • 1795 – Alexander Griboyedov, Russian playwright, composer, and poet (d. 1829)
  • 1803 – Marjorie Fleming, Scottish poet and author (d. 1811)
  • 1809 – Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, French economist and politician (d. 1865)
  • 1812 – Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, Norwegian author and scholar (d. 1885)
  • 1815 – William Bickerton, English-American religious leader, 3rd President of the Church of Jesus Christ (d. 1905)
  • 1834 – Samuel Arza Davenport, American lawyer and politician (d. 1911)
  • 1841 – Frederick Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby, English captain and politician, 6th Governor General of Canada (d. 1908)
  • 1842 – Josef Breuer, Austrian physician and psychiatrist (d. 1925)
  • 1842 – Mary MacKillop, Australian nun and saint, co-founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart (d. 1909)
  • 1850 – Leonard Darwin, English soldier, eugenicist, and politician (d. 1943)
  • 1850 – Mihai Eminescu, Romanian journalist, author, and poet (d. 1889)
  • 1850 – Sofia Kovalevskaya, Russian-Swedish mathematician and physicist (d. 1891)
  • 1855 – Jacques Damala, Greek-French soldier and actor (d. 1889)
  • 1858 – Giovanni Segantini, Italian painter (d. 1899)
  • 1859 – Archibald Peake, English-Australian politician, 25th Premier of South Australia (d. 1920)
  • 1863 – Wilhelm Marx, German lawyer and politician, 17th Chancellor of Germany (d. 1946)
  • 1866 – Nathan Söderblom, Swedish archbishop, historian, and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1931)
  • 1869 – Ruby Laffoon, American lawyer and politician, 43rd Governor of Kentucky (d. 1941)
  • 1869 – Stanisław Wyspiański, Polish poet, playwright, and painter (d. 1907)
  • 1870 – Pierre S. du Pont, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 1954)
  • 1872 – Arsen Kotsoyev, Russian author and translator (d. 1944)
  • 1875 – Thomas Burke, American sprinter, coach, and journalist (d. 1929)
  • 1877 – Lewis Terman, American psychologist, eugenicist, and academic (d. 1956)
  • 1878 – Johanna Müller-Hermann, Austrian composer (d. 1941)
  • 1879 – Mazo de la Roche, Canadian author and playwright (d. 1961)
  • 1882 – Henry Burr, Canadian singer, radio performer, and producer (d. 1941)
  • 1885 – Lorenz Böhler, Austrian physician and author (d. 1973)
  • 1885 – Grover Lowdermilk, American baseball player (d. 1968)
  • 1890 – Michiaki Kamada, Japanese admiral (d. 1947)
  • 1891 – Ray Chapman, American baseball player (d. 1920)
  • 1891 – Osip Mandelstam, Russian poet and translator (d. 1938)
  • 1893 – Ivor Novello, Welsh singer-songwriter and actor (d. 1951)
  • 1895 – Artturi Ilmari Virtanen, Finnish chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1973)
  • 1896 – Marjorie Bennett, Australian-American actress (d. 1982)
  • 1902 – Nâzım Hikmet, Greek-Turkish author, poet, and playwright (d. 1963)
  • 1902 – Saud of Saudi Arabia (d. 1969)
  • 1903 – Paul A. Dever, American lieutenant and politician, 58th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1958)
  • 1907 – Janusz Kusociński, Polish runner and soldier (d. 1940)
  • 1908 – Edward Teller, Hungarian-American physicist and academic (d. 2003)
  • 1909 – Jean Bugatti, German-French engineer (d. 1939)
  • 1909 – Gene Krupa, American drummer, composer, and actor (d. 1973)
  • 1912 – Michel Debré, French lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of France (d. 1996)
  • 1913 – Eugène Brands, Dutch painter (d. 2002)
  • 1913 – Lloyd Bridges, American actor (d. 1998)
  • 1913 – Miriam Hyde, Australian pianist and composer (d. 2005)
  • 1913 – Alexander Marinesko, Ukrainian-Russian lieutenant (d. 1963)
  • 1914 – Stefan Bałuk, Polish general (d. 2014)
  • 1914 – Hugh Trevor-Roper, English historian and academic (d. 2003)
  • 1917 – K. A. Thangavelu, Indian film actor and comedian (d. 1994)
  • 1918 – João Figueiredo, Brazilian general and politician, 30th President of Brazil (d. 1999)
  • 1918 – Édouard Gagnon, Canadian cardinal (d. 2007)
  • 1918 – Gamal Abdel Nasser, Egyptian colonel and politician, 2nd President of Egypt (d. 1970)
  • 1919 – Maurice Herzog, French mountaineer and politician, French Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports (d. 2012)
  • 1919 – George Cadle Price, Belizean politician, 1st Prime Minister of Belize (d. 2011)
  • 1920 – Bob Davies, American basketball player and coach (d. 1990)
  • 1920 – Steve Gromek, American baseball player (d. 2002)
  • 1920 – John O’Connor, American cardinal (d. 2000)
  • 1921 – Babasaheb Bhosale, Indian lawyer and politician, 8th Chief Minister of Maharashtra (d. 2007)
  • 1921 – Frank Thornton, English actor (d. 2013)
  • 1922 – Sylvia Lawler, English geneticist (d. 1996)
  • 1922 – Eric Willis, Australian sergeant and politician, 34th Premier of New South Wales (d. 1999)
  • 1923 – Ivor Cutler, Scottish pianist, songwriter, and poet (d. 2006)
  • 1923 – Lee Teng-hui, Taiwanese-Chinese economist and politician, 4th President of the Republic of China
  • 1924 – George Lowe, New Zealand-English mountaineer and explorer (d. 2013)
  • 1925 – Ruth Slenczynska, American pianist and composer
  • 1925 – Ignacio López Tarso, Mexican actor
  • 1926 – Maria Schell, Austrian-Swiss actress (d. 2005)
  • 1927 – Phyllis Coates, American actress
  • 1928 – W. R. Mitchell, English journalist and author (d. 2015)
  • 1929 – Earl Hooker, American guitarist (d. 1970)
  • 1929 – Martin Luther King, Jr., American minister and activist, Nobel Prize laureate (assassinated in 1968)
  • 1930 – Eddie Graham, American wrestler and promoter (d. 1985)
  • 1931 – Lee Bontecou, American painter and sculptor
  • 1932 – Lou Jones, American sprinter (d. 2006)
  • 1933 – Frank Bough, English journalist and radio host
  • 1933 – Ernest J. Gaines, American author and academic (d. 2019)
  • 1933 – Peter Maitlis, English chemist and academic
  • 1934 – V. S. Ramadevi, Indian civil servant and politician, 13th Governor of Karnataka (d. 2013)
  • 1937 – Margaret O’Brien, American actress and singer
  • 1938 – Ashraf Aman, Pakistani engineer and mountaineer
  • 1938 – Estrella Blanca, Mexican wrestler
  • 1938 – Chuni Goswami, Indian footballer and cricketer
  • 1939 – Per Ahlmark, Swedish journalist and politician, 1st Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden (d. 2018)
  • 1939 – Tony Bullimore, British sailor
  • 1941 – Captain Beefheart, American singer-songwriter, musician, and artist (d. 2010)
  • 1942 – Frank Joseph Polozola, American academic and judge (d. 2013)
  • 1943 – George Ambrum, Australian rugby league player (d. 1986)
  • 1943 – Margaret Beckett, English metallurgist and politician, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
  • 1943 – Stuart E. Eizenstat, American lawyer and diplomat, United States Ambassador to the European Union
  • 1943 – Mike Marshall, American baseball player
  • 1944 – Jenny Nimmo, English author
  • 1945 – Ko Chun-hsiung, Taiwanese actor, director, and politician (d. 2015)
  • 1945 – Vince Foster, American lawyer and political figure (d. 1993)
  • 1945 – William R. Higgins, American colonel (d. 1990)
  • 1945 – Princess Michael of Kent
  • 1945 – David Pleat, English footballer, manager, and sportscaster
  • 1946 – Charles Brown, American actor (d. 2004)
  • 1947 – Mary Hogg, English lawyer and judge
  • 1947 – Andrea Martin, American-Canadian actress, singer, and screenwriter
  • 1948 – Ronnie Van Zant, American singer-songwriter (d. 1977)
  • 1949 – Luis Alvarado, Puerto Rican-American baseball player (d. 2001)
  • 1949 – Alasdair Liddell, English businessman (d. 2012)
  • 1949 – Ian Stewart, Scottish runner
  • 1949 – Howard Twitty, American golfer
  • 1950 – Marius Trésor, French footballer and coach
  • 1952 – Boris Blank, Swiss singer-songwriter
  • 1952 – Andrzej Fischer, Polish footballer
  • 1953 – Randy White, American football player
  • 1954 – Jose Dalisay, Jr., Filipino poet, author, and screenwriter
  • 1955 – Nigel Benson, English author and illustrator
  • 1955 – Andreas Gursky, German photographer
  • 1955 – Khalid Islambouli, Egyptian lieutenant (d. 1982)
  • 1956 – Vitaly Kaloyev, Russian architect
  • 1956 – Mayawati, Indian educator and politician, 23rd Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh
  • 1956 – Marc Trestman, American football player and coach
  • 1957 – David Ige, American politician
  • 1957 – Marty Lyons, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1957 – Andrew Tyrie, English journalist and politician
  • 1957 – Mario Van Peebles, American actor and director
  • 1958 – Ken Judge, Australian footballer and coach (d. 2016)
  • 1958 – Boris Tadić, Serbian psychologist and politician, 16th President of Serbia
  • 1959 – Greg Dowling, Australian rugby league player
  • 1959 – Pavle Kozjek, Slovenian mountaineer and photographer (d. 2008)
  • 1959 – Pete Trewavas, English bass player and songwriter
  • 1961 – Serhiy N. Morozov, Ukrainian footballer and coach
  • 1961 – Yves Pelletier, Canadian actor and director
  • 1963 – Conrad Lant, English singer-songwriter and bass player
  • 1963 – Bruce Schneier, American cryptographer and author
  • 1964 – Osmo Tapio Räihälä, Finnish composer
  • 1965 – Maurizio Fondriest, Italian cyclist
  • 1965 – Bernard Hopkins, American boxer and coach
  • 1965 – James Nesbitt, Northern Irish actor
  • 1966 – Lisa Lisa, American R&B singer
  • 1967 – Ted Tryba, American golfer
  • 1968 – Chad Lowe, American actor, director, and producer
  • 1969 – Delino DeShields, American baseball player and manager
  • 1970 – Shane McMahon, American wrestler and businessman
  • 1971 – Regina King, American actress
  • 1972 – Shelia Burrell, American heptathlete
  • 1972 – Christos Kostis, Greek footballer
  • 1972 – Claudia Winkleman, English journalist and critic
  • 1973 – Essam El Hadary, Egyptian footballer
  • 1973 – Suparno Satpathy, Indian socio-political leader
  • 1974 – Séverine Deneulin, international development academic
  • 1974 – Ray King, American baseball player
  • 1975 – Mary Pierce, Canadian-American tennis player and coach
  • 1976 – Doug Gottlieb, American basketball player and sportscaster
  • 1976 – Iryna Lishchynska, Ukrainian runner
  • 1976 – Scott Murray, Scottish rugby player
  • 1976 – Florentin Petre, Romanian footballer and manager
  • 1978 – Eddie Cahill, American actor
  • 1978 – Franco Pellizotti, Italian cyclist
  • 1978 – Ryan Sidebottom, English cricketer
  • 1979 – Drew Brees, American football player
  • 1979 – Michalis Morfis, Cypriot footballer
  • 1979 – Martin Petrov, Bulgarian footballer
  • 1980 – Matt Holliday, American baseball player
  • 1981 – El Hadji Diouf, Senegalese football player
  • 1981 – Pitbull, American rapper and producer
  • 1981 – Dylan Armstrong, Canadian shot putter and hammer thrower
  • 1981 – Vanessa Henke, German tennis player
  • 1981 – Sean Lamont, Scottish rugby player
  • 1982 – Benjamin Agosto, American skater
  • 1982 – Armando Galarraga, Venezuelan baseball player
  • 1982 – Brett Lebda, American ice hockey player
  • 1982 – Ari Pulkkinen, Finnish pianist and composer
  • 1982 – Francis Zé, Cameroonian footballer
  • 1983 – Jermaine Pennant, English footballer
  • 1983 – Hugo Viana, Portuguese footballer
  • 1984 – Ben Shapiro, American author and commentator
  • 1985 – René Adler, German footballer
  • 1985 – Enrico Patrizio, Italian rugby player
  • 1985 – Kenneth Emil Petersen, Danish footballer
  • 1986 – Fred Davis, American football player
  • 1987 – Greg Inglis, Australian rugby league player
  • 1987 – Tsegaye Kebede, Ethiopian runner
  • 1987 – David Knight, English footballer
  • 1987 – Kelleigh Ryan, Canadian fencer
  • 1987 – Michael Seater, Canadian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1988 – Daniel Caligiuri, German footballer
  • 1988 – Skrillex, American DJ and producer
  • 1989 – Alexei Cherepanov, Russian ice hockey player (d. 2008)
  • 1990 – Paul Blake, English sprinter
  • 1990 – Fernando Forestieri, Italian footballer
  • 1990 – Robert Trznadel, Polish footballer
  • 1991 – Marc Bartra, Spanish footballer
  • 1991 – Nicolai Jørgensen, Danish footballer
  • 1991 – Darya Klishina, Russian long jumper
  • 1991 – James Mitchell, Australian basketball player
  • 1992 – Joël Veltman, Dutch footballer
  • 1994 – Eric Dier, English footballer
  • 1998 – Alexandra Eade, Australian artistic gymnast
  • 2004 – Grace VanderWaal, American singer-songwriter

Deaths on January 15

  • AD 69 – Galba, Roman emperor (b. 3 BC)
  • 378 – Chak Tok Ich’aak I, Mayan ruler
  • 570 – Íte of Killeedy, Irish nun and saint (b. 475)
  • 849 – Theophylact, Byzantine emperor (b. 793)
  • 936 – Rudolph of France (b. 880)
  • 950 – Wang Jingchong, Chinese general
  • 1149 – Berengaria of Barcelona, queen consort of Castile (b. 1116)
  • 1568 – Nicolaus Olahus, Romanian archbishop (b. 1493)
  • 1569 – Catherine Carey, lady-in-waiting to Elizabeth I of England (b. 1524)
  • 1584 – Martha Leijonhufvud, Swedish noblewoman (b. 1520)
  • 1595 – Murad III, Ottoman Sultan (b. 1546)
  • 1623 – Paolo Sarpi, Italian lawyer, historian, and scholar (b. 1552)
  • 1672 – John Cosin, English bishop and academic (b. 1594)
  • 1683 – Philip Warwick, English politician (b. 1609)
  • 1775 – Giovanni Battista Sammartini, Italian organist and composer (b. 1700)
  • 1790 – John Landen, English mathematician and theorist (b. 1719)
  • 1804 – Dru Drury, English entomologist and author (b. 1725)
  • 1813 – Anton Bernolák, Slovak linguist and priest (b. 1762)
  • 1815 – Emma, Lady Hamilton, English-French mistress of Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson (b. 1761)
  • 1855 – Henri Braconnot, French chemist and pharmacist (b. 1780)
  • 1864 – Isaac Nathan, English-Australian composer and journalist (b. 1792)
  • 1866 – Massimo d’Azeglio, Piedmontese-Italian statesman, novelist and painter (b. 1798)
  • 1876 – Eliza McCardle Johnson, American wife of Andrew Johnson, 18th First Lady of the United States (b. 1810)
  • 1885 – Leopold Damrosch, German-American composer and conductor (b. 1832)
  • 1893 – Fanny Kemble, English actress (b. 1809)
  • 1896 – Mathew Brady, American photographer and journalist (b. 1822)
  • 1905 – George Thorn, Australian politician, 6th Premier of Queensland (b. 1838)
  • 1909 – Arnold Janssen, German priest and missionary (b. 1837)
  • 1916 – Modest Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Russian playwright and translator (b. 1850)
  • 1919 – Karl Liebknecht, German politician (b. 1871)
  • 1919 – Rosa Luxemburg, German economist, theorist, and philosopher (b. 1871)
  • 1926 – Enrico Toselli, Italian pianist and composer (b. 1883)
  • 1929 – George Cope, American painter (b. 1855)
  • 1936 – Henry Forster, 1st Baron Forster, English cricketer and politician, 7th Governor-General of Australia (b. 1866)
  • 1937 – Anton Holban, Romanian author, theoretician, and educator (b. 1902)
  • 1945 – Wilhelm Wirtinger, Austrian-German mathematician and theorist (b. 1865)
  • 1948 – Josephus Daniels, American publisher and diplomat, 41st United States Secretary of the Navy (b. 1862)
  • 1950 – Henry H. Arnold, American general (b. 1886)
  • 1951 – Ernest Swinton, British Army officer (b. 1868)
  • 1951 – Nikolai Vekšin, Estonian-Russian captain and sailor (b. 1887)
  • 1952 – Ned Hanlon, Australian sergeant and politician, 26th Premier of Queensland (b. 1887)
  • 1955 – Yves Tanguy, French-American painter (b. 1900)
  • 1959 – Regina Margareten, Hungarian businesswoman (b. 1863)
  • 1964 – Jack Teagarden, American singer-songwriter and trombonist (b. 1905)
  • 1967 – David Burliuk, Ukrainian author and illustrator (b. 1882)
  • 1968 – Bill Masterton, Canadian-American ice hockey player (b. 1938)
  • 1970 – Frank Clement, English race car driver (b. 1886)
  • 1970 – William T. Piper, American engineer and businessman, founded Piper Aircraft (b. 1881)
  • 1972 – Daisy Ashford, English author (b. 1881)
  • 1973 – Coleman Francis, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1919)
  • 1973 – Ivan Petrovsky, Russian mathematician and academic (b. 1901)
  • 1974 – Harold D. Cooley, American lawyer and politician (b. 1897)
  • 1981 – Graham Whitehead, English race car driver (b. 1922)
  • 1982 – Red Smith, American journalist (b. 1905)
  • 1983 – Armin Öpik, Estonian-Australian paleontologist and geologist (b. 1898)
  • 1983 – Shepperd Strudwick, American actor (b. 1907)
  • 1984 – Fazıl Küçük, Cypriot journalist and politician (b. 1906)
  • 1987 – Ray Bolger, American actor, singer, and dancer (b. 1904)
  • 1988 – Seán MacBride, Irish republican activist and politician, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1904)
  • 1990 – Gordon Jackson, Scottish-English actor (b. 1923)
  • 1990 – Peggy van Praagh, English ballerina, choreographer, and director (b. 1910)
  • 1993 – Sammy Cahn, American songwriter (b. 1913)
  • 1994 – Georges Cziffra, Hungarian-French pianist and composer (b. 1921)
  • 1994 – Harry Nilsson, American singer-songwriter (b. 1941)
  • 1994 – Harilal Upadhyay, Indian author, poet, and astrologist (b. 1916)
  • 1996 – Les Baxter, American pianist and composer (b. 1922)
  • 1996 – Moshoeshoe II of Lesotho (b. 1938)
  • 1998 – Gulzarilal Nanda, Indian economist and politician, Prime Minister of India (b. 1898)
  • 1998 – Junior Wells, American singer-songwriter and harmonica player (b. 1934)
  • 1999 – Betty Box, English composer and producer (b. 1915)
  • 2000 – Georges-Henri Lévesque, Canadian-Dominican priest and sociologist (b. 1903)
  • 2001 – Leo Marks, English cryptographer, playwright, and screenwriter (b. 1920)
  • 2002 – Michael Anthony Bilandic, American politician, 49th Mayor of Chicago (b. 1923)
  • 2002 – Eugène Brands, Dutch painter (b. 1913)
  • 2003 – Doris Fisher, American singer-songwriter (b. 1915)
  • 2004 – Olivia Goldsmith, American author (b. 1949)
  • 2005 – Victoria de los Ángeles, Spanish soprano and actress (b. 1923)
  • 2005 – Walter Ernsting, German author (b. 1920)
  • 2005 – Elizabeth Janeway, American author and critic (b. 1913)
  • 2005 – Ruth Warrick, American actress (b. 1916)
  • 2006 – Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti ruler (b. 1926)
  • 2007 – Awad Hamed al-Bandar, Iraqi lawyer and judge (b. 1945)
  • 2007 – Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, Iraqi intelligence officer (b. 1951)
  • 2007 – James Hillier, Canadian-American computer scientist and academic, co-invented the electron microscope (b. 1915)
  • 2007 – Pura Santillan-Castrence, Filipino educator and diplomat (b. 1905)
  • 2007 – Bo Yibo, Chinese commander and politician, Vice Premier of the People’s Republic of China (b. 1908)
  • 2008 – Robert V. Bruce, American historian, author, and academic (b. 1923)
  • 2008 – Brad Renfro, American actor (b. 1982)
  • 2009 – Lincoln Verduga Loor, Ecuadorian journalist and politician (b. 1917)
  • 2011 – Nat Lofthouse, English footballer and manager (b. 1925)
  • 2011 – Pierre Louis-Dreyfus, French soldier, race car driver, and businessman (b. 1908)
  • 2011 – Susannah York, English actress and activist (b. 1939)
  • 2012 – Ed Derwinski, American soldier and politician, 1st United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs (b. 1926)
  • 2012 – Manuel Fraga Iribarne, Spanish lawyer and politician, 3rd President of the Xunta of Galicia (b. 1922)
  • 2012 – Carlo Fruttero, Italian journalist and author (b. 1926)
  • 2012 – Samuel Jaskilka, American general (b. 1919)
  • 2012 – Ib Spang Olsen, Danish author and illustrator (b. 1921)
  • 2012 – Hulett C. Smith, American lieutenant and politician, 27th Governor of West Virginia (b. 1918)
  • 2013 – Nagisa Oshima, Japanese director and screenwriter (b. 1932)
  • 2013 – John Thomas, American high jumper (b. 1941)
  • 2014 – Curtis Bray, American football player and coach (b. 1970)
  • 2014 – John Dobson, Chinese-American astronomer and author (b. 1915)
  • 2014 – Roger Lloyd-Pack, English actor (b. 1944)
  • 2015 – Ervin Drake, American songwriter and composer (b. 1919)
  • 2015 – Kim Fowley, American singer-songwriter, producer, and manager (b. 1939)
  • 2015 – Ray Nagel, American football player and coach (b. 1927)
  • 2016 – Francisco X. Alarcón, American poet and educator (b. 1954)
  • 2016 – Ken Judge, Australian footballer and coach (b. 1958)
  • 2016 – Manuel Velázquez, Spanish footballer (b. 1943)
  • 2017 – Jimmy Snuka, Fijian professional wrestler (b. 1943)
  • 2018 – Dolores O’Riordan, Irish pop singer (b. 1971)
  • 2019 – Carol Channing, American actress (b. 1921)
  • 2019 – Ida Kleijnen, Dutch chef (b. 1936)

Holidays and observances on January 15

  • Arbor Day (Egypt)
  • Armed Forces Day (Nigeria)
  • Army Day (India)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Abeluzius (Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church)
    • Arnold Janssen
    • Francis Ferdinand de Capillas (one of Martyr Saints of China)
    • Ita
    • Our Lady of the Poor
    • Macarius of Egypt (Western Christianity)
    • Maurus and Placidus (Order of Saint Benedict)
    • Paul the Hermit
    • January 15 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest day on which Martin Luther King Jr. Day can fall (the 15th being his birthday), while January 21 is the latest; celebrated on the third Monday in January. (United States)
  • Earliest day on which Sinulog Festival can fall, while January 21 is the latest; celebrated on the third Sunday in January. (Philippines)
  • John Chilembwe Day (Malawi)
  • Korean Alphabet Day (North Korea)
  • Ocean Duty Day (Indonesia)
  • Sagichō at Tsurugaoka Hachimangū. (Kamakura, Japan)
  • Teacher’s Day (Venezuela)
  • The second day of the sidereal winter solstice festivals in India (see January 14):
    • Thai Pongal, Tamil harvest festival

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

On This Day

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

On This Day /
  • 1236 – King Henry III of England marries Eleanor of Provence.
  • 1301 – Andrew III of Hungary dies, ending the Árpád dynasty in Hungary.
  • 1343 – Arnošt of Pardubice becomes the last bishop of Prague and, subsequently, the first Archbishop of Prague.
  • 1539 – Spain annexes Cuba.
  • 1639 – The “Fundamental Orders”, the first written constitution that created a government, is adopted in Connecticut.
  • 1761 – The Third Battle of Panipat is fought in India between the Afghans under Ahmad Shah Durrani and the Marathas.
  • 1784 – American Revolutionary War: Ratification Day, United States – Congress ratifies the Treaty of Paris with Great Britain.
  • 1814 – Treaty of Kiel: Frederick VI of Denmark cedes the Kingdom of Norway to Charles XIII of Sweden in return for Pomerania.
  • 1822 – Greek War of Independence: Acrocorinth is captured by Theodoros Kolokotronis and Demetrios Ypsilantis.
  • 1858 – Napoleon III of France escapes an assassination attempt made by Felice Orsini and his accomplices in Paris.
  • 1907 – An earthquake in Kingston, Jamaica kills more than 1,000 people.
  • 1911 – Roald Amundsen’s South Pole expedition makes landfall on the eastern edge of the Ross Ice Shelf.
  • 1939 – Norway claims Queen Maud Land in Antarctica.
  • 1943 – World War II: Japan begins Operation Ke, the successful operation to evacuate its forces from Guadalcanal during the Guadalcanal Campaign.
  • 1943 – World War II: Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill begin the Casablanca Conference to discuss strategy and study the next phase of the war.
  • 1950 – The first prototype of the MiG-17 makes its maiden flight.
  • 1952 – NBC’s long-running morning news program Today debuts, with host Dave Garroway.
  • 1953 – Josip Broz Tito is inaugurated as the first President of Yugoslavia.
  • 1954 – The Hudson Motor Car Company merges with Nash-Kelvinator Corporation forming the American Motors Corporation.
  • 1957 – Kripalu Maharaj was named fifth Jagadguru (world teacher) after giving seven days of speeches before 500 Hindu scholars.
  • 1960 – The Reserve Bank of Australia, the country’s central bank and banknote issuing authority, is established.
  • 1967 – Counterculture of the 1960s: The Human Be-In takes place in San Francisco, California’s Golden Gate Park, launching the Summer of Love.
  • 1967 – The New York Times reports that the U.S. Army is conducting secret germ warfare experiments.
  • 1969 – USS Enterprise fire: An accidental explosion aboard the USS Enterprise near Hawaii kills 28 people.
  • 1972 – Queen Margrethe II of Denmark ascends the throne, the first Queen of Denmark since 1412 and the first Danish monarch not named Frederick or Christian since 1513.
  • 1973 – Elvis Presley’s concert Aloha from Hawaii is broadcast live via satellite, and sets the record as the most watched broadcast by an individual entertainer in television history.
  • 1993 – In Poland’s worst peacetime maritime disaster, ferry MS Jan Heweliusz sinks off the coast of Rügen, drowning 55 passengers and crew; nine crew-members are saved.
  • 2000 – A United Nations tribunal sentences five Roman Catholic Bosnian Croats to up to 25 years in prison for the 1993 killing of more than 100 Bosnian Muslims.
  • 2004 – The national flag of the Republic of Georgia, the so-called “five cross flag”, is restored to official use after a hiatus of some 500 years.
  • 2010 – Yemen declares an open war against the terrorist group al-Qaeda.
  • 2011 – Former president of Tunisia, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali flees his country to Saudi Arabia after a series of street demonstrations against his regime and corrupt policies, asking for freedom, rights and democracy, considered as the anniversary of the Tunisian Revolution and the birth of the Arab Spring.

Births onJanuary 14

  • 83 BC – Mark Antony, Roman general and politician (d. 30 BCE)
  • 1131 – Valdemar I of Denmark (d. 1182)
  • 1273 – Joan I of Navarre, queen regnant of Navarre, queen consort of France (d. 1305)
  • 1451 – Franchinus Gaffurius, Italian composer and theorist (d. 1522)
  • 1477 – Hermann of Wied, German archbishop (d. 1552)
  • 1476 – Anne St Leger, Baroness de Ros, English baroness (d. 1526)
  • 1507 – Catherine of Austria, Queen of Portugal (d. 1578)
  • 1507 – Luca Longhi, Italian painter (d. 1580)
  • 1551 – Abu’l-Fazl ibn Mubarak, Grand vizier of emperor Akbar (d. 1602)
  • 1552 – Alberico Gentili, Italian-English academic and jurist (d. 1608)
  • 1615 – John Biddle, English minister and theologian (d. 1662)
  • 1683 – Gottfried Silbermann, German instrument maker (d. 1753)
  • 1684 – Johann Matthias Hase, German mathematician, astronomer, and cartographer (d. 1742)
  • 1684 – Jean-Baptiste van Loo, French painter (d. 1745)
  • 1699 – Jakob Adlung, German organist, historian, and theorist (d. 1762)
  • 1700 – Picander, German poet and playwright (d. 1764)
  • 1702 – Emperor Nakamikado of Japan (d. 1737)
  • 1705 – Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier, French sailor, explorer, and politician (d. 1786)
  • 1741 – Benedict Arnold, American-British general (d. 1801)
  • 1767 – Maria Theresa of Austria (d. 1827)
  • 1780 – Henry Baldwin, American judge and politician (d. 1844)
  • 1792 – Christian de Meza, Danish general (d. 1865)
  • 1793 – John C. Clark, American lawyer and politician (d. 1852)
  • 1798 – Johan Rudolph Thorbecke, Dutch historian, jurist, and politician, 3rd Prime Minister of the Netherlands (d. 1872)
  • 1800 – Ludwig Ritter von Köchel, Austrian composer, botanist, and publisher (d. 1877)
  • 1806 – Charles Hotham, English-Australian soldier and politician, 1st Governor of Victoria (d. 1855)
  • 1806 – Matthew Fontaine Maury, American astronomer, oceanographer, and historian (d. 1873)
  • 1818 – Zachris Topelius, Finnish author and journalist (d. 1898)
  • 1819 – Dimitrie Bolintineanu, Romanian poet and politician (d. 1872)
  • 1824 – Vladimir Stasov, Russian critic (d. 1906)
  • 1834 – Duncan Gillies, Scottish-Australian politician, 14th Premier of Victoria (d. 1903)
  • 1836 – Henri Fantin-Latour, French painter and lithographer (d. 1904)
  • 1841 – Berthe Morisot, French painter (d. 1895)
  • 1845 – Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne, English politician, 34th Governor-General of India (d. 1927)
  • 1850 – Pierre Loti, French captain and author (d. 1923)
  • 1856 – J. F. Archibald, Australian journalist and publisher, co-founded The Bulletin (d. 1919)
  • 1861 – Mehmed VI, Ottoman sultan (d. 1926)
  • 1862 – Carrie Derick, Canadian botanist and geneticist (d. 1941)
  • 1863 – Manuel de Oliveira Gomes da Costa, Portuguese general and politician, 10th President of Portugal (d. 1929)
  • 1863 – Richard F. Outcault, American author and illustrator (d. 1928)
  • 1869 – Robert Fournier-Sarlovèze, French polo player and politician (d. 1937)
  • 1870 – George Pearce, Australian carpenter and politician (d. 1952)
  • 1875 – Albert Schweitzer, French-Gabonese physician and philosopher, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1965)
  • 1882 – Hendrik Willem van Loon, Dutch-American historian and journalist (d. 1944)
  • 1883 – Nina Ricci, Italian-French fashion designer (d. 1970)
  • 1886 – Hugh Lofting, English author and poet, created Doctor Dolittle (d. 1947)
  • 1887 – Hugo Steinhaus, Polish mathematician and academic (d. 1972)
  • 1892 – Martin Niemöller, German pastor and theologian (d. 1984)
  • 1892 – Hal Roach, American actor, director, and producer (d. 1992)
  • 1892 – George Wilson, English footballer (d. 1961)
  • 1894 – Ecaterina Teodoroiu, Romanian soldier and nurse (d. 1917)
  • 1896 – John Dos Passos, American novelist, poet, and playwright (d. 1970)
  • 1897 – Hasso von Manteuffel, German general and politician (d. 1978)
  • 1899 – Carlos P. Romulo, Filipino soldier and politician, President of the United Nations General Assembly (d. 1985)
  • 1901 – Bebe Daniels, American actress (d. 1971)
  • 1901 – Alfred Tarski, Polish-American mathematician and philosopher (d. 1983)
  • 1904 – Cecil Beaton, English photographer, painter, and costume designer (d. 1980)
  • 1904 – Emily Hahn, American journalist and author (d. 1997)
  • 1904 – Babe Siebert, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 1939)
  • 1905 – Mildred Albert, American fashion commentator, TV and radio personality, and fashion show producer (d. 1991)
  • 1905 – Takeo Fukuda, Japanese politician, 67th Prime Minister of Japan (d. 1995)
  • 1906 – William Bendix, American actor (d. 1964)
  • 1907 – Georges-Émile Lapalme, Canadian lawyer and politician (d. 1985)
  • 1908 – Russ Columbo, American singer, violinist, and actor (d. 1934)
  • 1909 – Brenda Forbes, English-American actress (d. 1996)
  • 1909 – Joseph Losey, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1984)
  • 1911 – Anatoly Rybakov, Russian-American author (d. 1998)
  • 1912 – Tillie Olsen, American short story writer (d. 2007)
  • 1914 – Harold Russell, Canadian-American soldier and actor (d. 2002)
  • 1914 – Selahattin Ülkümen, Turkish diplomat (d. 2003)
  • 1915 – Mark Goodson, American game show producer, created Family Feud and The Price Is Right (d. 1992)
  • 1919 – Giulio Andreotti, Italian journalist and politician, 41st Prime Minister of Italy (d. 2013)
  • 1919 – Andy Rooney, American soldier, journalist, critic, and television personality (d. 2011)
  • 1920 – Bertus de Harder, Dutch footballer and manager (d. 1982)
  • 1921 – Murray Bookchin, American author and philosopher (d. 2006)
  • 1921 – Kenneth Bulmer, American author (d. 2005)
  • 1922 – Diana Wellesley, Duchess of Wellington (d. 2010)
  • 1923 – Gerald Arpino, American dancer and choreographer (d. 2008)
  • 1923 – Fred Beckey, American mountaineer and author (d. 2017)
  • 1924 – Carole Cook, American actress and singer
  • 1925 – Jean-Claude Beton, Algerian-French engineer and businessman, founded Orangina (d. 2013)
  • 1925 – Moscelyne Larkin, American ballerina (d. 2012)
  • 1925 – Yukio Mishima, Japanese author, poet, and playwright (d. 1970)
  • 1926 – Frank Aletter, American actor (d. 2009)
  • 1926 – Warren Mitchell, English actor and screenwriter (d. 2015)
  • 1926 – Tom Tryon, American actor and author (d. 1991)
  • 1927 – Zuzana Růžičková, Czech harpsichord player (d. 2017)
  • 1928 – Lars Forssell, Swedish author, poet, and songwriter (d. 2007)
  • 1928 – Hans Kornberg, German-English biologist and academic (d. 2019)
  • 1928 – Garry Winogrand, American photographer and author (d. 1984)
  • 1930 – Johnny Grande, American pianist and accordion player (d. 2006)
  • 1930 – Kenny Wheeler, Canadian-English trumpet player and composer (d. 2014)
  • 1931 – Frank Costigan, Australian lawyer and politician (d. 2009)
  • 1931 – Martin Holdgate, English biologist and academic
  • 1932 – Don Garlits, American race car driver and engineer
  • 1933 – Stan Brakhage, American director and producer (d. 2003)
  • 1934 – Richard Briers, English actor (d. 2013)
  • 1934 – Alberto Rodriguez Larreta, Argentinian race car driver (d. 1977)
  • 1936 – Clarence Carter, American blues and soul singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer
  • 1937 – J. Bernlef, Dutch author and poet (d. 2012)
  • 1937 – Ken Higgs, English cricketer and coach (d. 2016)
  • 1937 – Leo Kadanoff, American physicist and academic (d. 2015)
  • 1937 – Rao Gopal Rao, Indian actor, producer, and politician (d. 1994)
  • 1937 – Sonny Siebert, American baseball player
  • 1937 – Billie Jo Spears, American country singer (d. 2011)
  • 1938 – Morihiro Hosokawa, Japanese journalist and politician, 79th Prime Minister of Japan
  • 1938 – Jack Jones, American singer and actor
  • 1938 – Allen Toussaint, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer (d. 2015)
  • 1939 – Kurt Moylan, Guamanian businessman and politician, 1st Lieutenant Governor of Guam
  • 1940 – Julian Bond, American academic and politician (d. 2015)
  • 1940 – Ron Kostelnik, American football player (d. 1993)
  • 1940 – Siegmund Nimsgern, German opera singer
  • 1940 – Trevor Nunn, English director and composer
  • 1940 – Vasilka Stoeva, Bulgarian discus thrower
  • 1941 – Nicholas Brooks, English historian (d. 2014)
  • 1941 – Faye Dunaway, American actress and producer
  • 1941 – Gibby Gilbert, American golfer
  • 1941 – Milan Kučan, Slovenian politician, 1st President of Slovenia
  • 1942 – Dave Campbell, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1942 – Gerben Karstens, Dutch cyclist
  • 1943 – Angelo Bagnasco, Italian cardinal
  • 1943 – Mariss Jansons, Latvian conductor (d. 2019)
  • 1943 – Shannon Lucid, American biochemist and astronaut
  • 1943 – Holland Taylor, American actress and playwright
  • 1944 – Marjoe Gortner, American actor and evangelist
  • 1944 – Graham Marsh, Australian golfer and architect
  • 1944 – Nina Totenberg, American journalist
  • 1945 – Kathleen Chalfant, American actress
  • 1945 – Maina Gielgud, English ballerina and director
  • 1947 – Taylor Branch, American historian and author
  • 1947 – Bev Perdue, American educator and politician, 73rd Governor of North Carolina
  • 1947 – Bill Werbeniuk, Canadian snooker player (d. 2003)
  • 1948 – T Bone Burnett, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1948 – Muhriz of Negeri Sembilan, Yamtuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan
  • 1948 – Carl Weathers, American football player and actor
  • 1949 – Lawrence Kasdan, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1949 – Mary Robison, American short story writer and novelist
  • 1949 – İlyas Salman, Turkish actor, director, and screenwriter
  • 1949 – Lamar Williams, American bass player (d. 1983)
  • 1950 – Rambhadracharya, Indian religious leader, scholar, and author
  • 1950 – Arthur Byron Cover, American author and screenwriter
  • 1951 – O. Panneerselvam, Indian politician, 7th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
  • 1952 – Sydney Biddle Barrows, American businesswoman and author
  • 1952 – Maureen Dowd, American journalist and author
  • 1952 – Konstantinos Iosifidis, Greek footballer and manager
  • 1952 – Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu, Romanian engineer and politician, 60th Prime Minister of Romania
  • 1953 – David Clary, English chemist and academic
  • 1953 – Denzil Douglas, Caribbean educator and politician, 2nd Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis
  • 1953 – Hans Westerhoff, Dutch biologist and academic
  • 1956 – Étienne Daho, Algerian-French singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1957 – Anchee Min, Chinese-American painter, photographer, and author
  • 1959 – Geoff Tate, German-American singer-songwriter and musician
  • 1961 – Rob Hall, New Zealand mountaineer (d. 1996)
  • 1963 – Steven Soderbergh, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1964 – Beverly Kinch, English long jumper and sprinter
  • 1964 – Shepard Smith, American television journalist
  • 1965 – Marc Delissen, Dutch field hockey player, coach, and lawyer
  • 1965 – Bob Essensa, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1965 – Slick Rick, English-American rapper and producer
  • 1966 – Rob Flello, English lawyer and politician
  • 1966 – Terry Angus, English footballer, central defender
  • 1966 – Marco Hietala, Finnish singer-songwriter, bass player, and producer
  • 1966 – Rene Simpson, Canadian-American tennis player (d. 2013)
  • 1966 – Dan Schneider, American TV-producer
  • 1967 – Leonardo Ortolani, Italian author and illustrator, created Rat-Man
  • 1967 – Emily Watson, English actress
  • 1968 – LL Cool J, American rapper and actor
  • 1968 – Ruel Fox, English-Montserratian footballer, Midfielder, Manager and Chairman
  • 1969 – Jason Bateman, American actor, director, and producer
  • 1969 – Martin Bicknell, English cricketer
  • 1969 – Dave Grohl, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and drummer
  • 1971 – Lasse Kjus, Norwegian skier
  • 1971 – Bert Konterman, Dutch footballer and manager
  • 1971 – Antonios Nikopolidis, Greek footballer and manager
  • 1972 – Kyle Brady, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1972 – Dion Forster, South African minister, theologian, and author
  • 1972 – James Key, English engineer
  • 1973 – Giancarlo Fisichella, Italian race car driver
  • 1973 – Paul Tisdale, English footballer and manager
  • 1974 – David Flitcroft, English footballer and manager
  • 1975 – Georgina Cates, English actress
  • 1976 – Vincenzo Chianese, Italian footballer
  • 1977 – Narain Karthikeyan, Indian race car driver
  • 1977 – Terry Ryan, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1978 – Shawn Crawford, American sprinter
  • 1979 – Karen Elson, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and model
  • 1979 – Evans Soligo, Italian footballer
  • 1980 – Clive Clarke, Irish footballer
  • 1980 – Cory Gibbs, American soccer player
  • 1981 – Abdelmalek Cherrad, Algerian footballer
  • 1981 – Hyleas Fountain, American heptathlete
  • 1981 – Concepción Montaner, Spanish long jumper
  • 1981 – Chiharu Niiyama, Japanese actress and model
  • 1981 – Jadranka Đokić, Croatian actress
  • 1982 – Braith Anasta, Australian rugby league player and sportscaster
  • 1982 – Marc Broussard, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1982 – Chris Heighington, Australian-English rugby league player
  • 1982 – Léo Lima, Brazilian footballer
  • 1982 – Thomas Longosiwa, Kenyan runner
  • 1982 – Víctor Valdés, Spanish footballer
  • 1983 – Cesare Bovo, Italian footballer
  • 1983 – Jason Krejza, Australian cricketer
  • 1984 – Erick Aybar, American baseball player
  • 1984 – Erika Matsuo, Japanese violinist
  • 1984 – Mike Pelfrey, American baseball player
  • 1985 – Joel Rosario, Dominican-American jockey
  • 1985 – Shawn Sawyer, Canadian figure skater
  • 1986 – Yohan Cabaye, French footballer
  • 1986 – Alessio Cossu, Italian footballer
  • 1987 – Atsushi Hashimoto, Japanese actor
  • 1987 – Jess Fishlock, Welsh footballer
  • 1988 – Kacey Barnfield, English actress
  • 1988 – Jack P. Shepherd, English actor
  • 1989 – Frankie Bridge, English singer-songwriter and dancer
  • 1989 – Adam Clayton, English footballer
  • 1989 – Mattia Marchi, Italian footballer
  • 1989 – Liu Xiaodong, Chinese footballer
  • 1990 – Lelisa Desisa, Ethiopian runner
  • 1990 – Grant Gustin, American actor and singer
  • 1990 – Áron Szilágyi, Hungarian fencer
  • 1992 – Robbie Brady, Irish footballer
  • 1992 – Chieh-Yu Hsu, American tennis player
  • 1993 – Daniel Bessa, Brazilian footballer
  • 1994 – Kane Elgey, Australian rugby league player
  • 1994 – Abi Phillips, English singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1994 – Kai, South Korean singer, model, actor and dancer
  • 1995 – Georgios Diamantakos, Greek basketball player
  • 1995 – Alex Johnston, Australian rugby league player

Deaths on January 14

  • 769 – Cui Huan, chancellor of the Tang Dynasty
  • 927 – Wang Yanhan, king of Min (Ten Kingdoms)
  • 937 – Zhang Yanlang, Chinese official
  • 973 – Ekkehard I, Frankish monk and poet
  • 1092 – Vratislaus II of Bohemia
  • 1163 – Ladislaus II of Hungary (b. 1131)
  • 1236 – Saint Sava, Serbian archbishop and saint (b. 1175)
  • 1301 – Andrew III of Hungary (b. 1265)
  • 1331 – Odoric of Pordenone, Italian priest and explorer (b. 1286)
  • 1465 – Thomas Beckington, English statesman and prelate
  • 1476 – John de Mowbray, 4th Duke of Norfolk (b. 1444)
  • 1555 – Jacques Dubois, French anatomist (b. 1478)
  • 1640 – Thomas Coventry, 1st Baron Coventry, English lawyer, judge, and politician, Attorney General for England and Wales (b. 1578)
  • 1648 – Caspar Barlaeus, Dutch historian, poet, and theologian (b. 1584)
  • 1676 – Francesco Cavalli, Italian organist and composer (b. 1602)
  • 1679 – Jacques de Billy, French mathematician and academic (b. 1602)
  • 1701 – Tokugawa Mitsukuni, Japanese daimyō (b. 1628)
  • 1742 – Edmond Halley, English astronomer, geophysicist, mathematician, meteorologist, and physicist (b. 1656)
  • 1753 – George Berkeley, Anglo-Irish philosopher and author (b. 1685)
  • 1766 – Frederick V of Denmark (b. 1723)
  • 1776 – Edward Cornwallis, English general and politician, Governor of Gibraltar (b. 1713)
  • 1786 – Michael Arne, English organist and composer (b. 1741)
  • 1786 – Meshech Weare, American lawyer and politician, 1st Governor of New Hampshire (b. 1713)
  • 1823 – Athanasios Kanakaris, Greek politician (b. 1760)
  • 1825 – George Dance the Younger, English architect and surveyor (b. 1741)
  • 1833 – Seraphim of Sarov, Russian monk and saint (b. 1759)
  • 1867 – Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, French painter and illustrator (b. 1780)
  • 1874 – Johann Philipp Reis, German physicist and academic, invented the Reis telephone (b. 1834)
  • 1883 – Napoléon Coste, French guitarist and composer (b. 1806)
  • 1888 – Stephen Heller, Hungarian pianist and composer (b. 1813)
  • 1889 – Ema Pukšec, Croatian soprano (b. 1834)
  • 1892 – Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale (b. 1864)
  • 1892 – Alexander J. Davis, American architect (b. 1803)
  • 1898 – Lewis Carroll, English novelist, poet, and mathematician (b. 1832)
  • 1901 – Mandell Creighton, English bishop and historian (b. 1843)
  • 1901 – Charles Hermite, French mathematician and theorist (b. 1822)
  • 1905 – Ernst Abbe, German physicist and engineer (b. 1840)
  • 1907 – Sir James Fergusson, 6th Baronet, Scottish soldier and politician, 6th Governor of New Zealand (b. 1832)
  • 1908 – Holger Drachmann, Danish poet and playwright (b. 1846)
  • 1915 – Richard Meux Benson, English priest and saint, founded the Society of St. John the Evangelist (b. 1824)
  • 1919 – Platon, Estonian bishop and saint (b. 1869)
  • 1920 – John Francis Dodge, American businessman, co-founded the Dodge Automobile Company (b. 1864)
  • 1926 – August Sedláček, Czech historian and author (b. 1843)
  • 1934 – Ioan Cantacuzino, Romanian physician and bacteriologist (b. 1863)
  • 1937 – Jaishankar Prasad, Indian poet, author, and playwright (b. 1889)
  • 1942 – Porfirio Barba-Jacob, Colombian poet and author (b. 1883)
  • 1943 – Laura E. Richards, American author and poet (b. 1850)
  • 1944 – Mehmet Emin Yurdakul, Turkish author and politician (b. 1869)
  • 1949 – Harry Stack Sullivan, American psychiatrist and psychoanalyst (b. 1892)
  • 1951 – Gregorios Xenopoulos, Greek author, journalist, and playwright (b. 1867)
  • 1952 – Artur Kapp, Estonian composer and conductor (b. 1878)
  • 1957 – Humphrey Bogart, American actor (b. 1899)
  • 1959 – Eivind Berggrav, Norwegian bishop and translator (b. 1884)
  • 1961 – Barry Fitzgerald, Irish actor (b. 1888)
  • 1962 – M. Visvesvaraya, Indian engineer, scholar, and politician (b. 1860)
  • 1965 – Jeanette MacDonald, American actress and singer (b. 1903)
  • 1966 – Sergei Korolev, Ukrainian-Russian engineer and academic (b. 1906)
  • 1968 – Dorothea Mackellar, Australian poet and author (b. 1885)
  • 1970 – William Feller, Croatian-American mathematician and academic (b. 1906)
  • 1970 – Asım Gündüz, Turkish general (b. 1880)
  • 1972 – Horst Assmy, German footballer (b. 1933)
  • 1972 – Frederick IX of Denmark (b. 1899)
  • 1976 – Abdul Razak Hussein, Malaysian lawyer and politician, 2nd Prime Minister of Malaysia (b. 1922)
  • 1977 – Anthony Eden, English soldier and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1897)
  • 1977 – Peter Finch, English-Australian actor (b. 1916)
  • 1977 – Anaïs Nin, French-American essayist and memoirist (b. 1903)
  • 1978 – Harold Abrahams, English sprinter, lawyer, and journalist (b. 1899)
  • 1978 – Kurt Gödel, Austrian-American mathematician and philosopher (b. 1906)
  • 1978 – Robert Heger, German conductor and composer (b. 1886)
  • 1978 – Blossom Rock, American actress (b. 1895)
  • 1980 – Robert Ardrey, American-South African author, playwright, and screenwriter (b. 1908)
  • 1981 – John O’Grady, Australian author and poet (b. 1907)
  • 1981 – G. Lloyd Spencer, American lieutenant and politician (b. 1893)
  • 1984 – Ray Kroc, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1902)
  • 1986 – Donna Reed, American actress (b. 1921)
  • 1987 – Turgut Demirağ, Turkish director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1921)
  • 1987 – Douglas Sirk, German-Swiss director and screenwriter (b. 1900)
  • 1988 – Georgy Malenkov, Russian engineer and politician, 5th Premier of the Soviet Union (b. 1902)
  • 1991 – Gordon Bryant, Australian educator and politician (b. 1914)
  • 1995 – Alexander Gibson, Scottish conductor (b. 1926)
  • 1996 – Onno Tunç, Armenian-Turkish composer (b. 1948)
  • 1997 – Dollard Ménard, Canadian general (b. 1913)
  • 2000 – Leonard Weisgard, American author and illustrator (b. 1916)
  • 2004 – Uta Hagen, German-American actress (b. 1919)
  • 2004 – Ron O’Neal, American actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1937)
  • 2005 – Charlotte MacLeod, Canadian-American author (b. 1922)
  • 2005 – Conroy Maddox, English painter and educator (b. 1912)
  • 2005 – Rudolph Moshammer, German fashion designer (b. 1940)
  • 2005 – Jesús Rafael Soto, Venezuelan sculptor and painter (b. 1923)
  • 2006 – Henri Colpi, French director and screenwriter (b. 1921)
  • 2006 – Jim Gary, American sculptor (b. 1939)
  • 2006 – Shelley Winters, American actress (b. 1920)
  • 2007 – Vassilis Photopoulos, Greek painter, director, and set designer (b. 1934)
  • 2008 – Judah Folkman, American physician, biologist, and academic (b. 1933)
  • 2009 – Jan Kaplický, Czech architect, designed the Selfridges Building (b. 1937)
  • 2009 – Ricardo Montalbán, Mexican actor (b. 1920)
  • 2010 – Antonio Fontán, Spanish journalist and academic (b. 1923)
  • 2011 – Georgia Carroll, American singer, model and actress (b. 1919)
  • 2012 – Txillardegi, Spanish linguist and politician (b. 1929)
  • 2012 – Dan Evins, American businessman, founded Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (b. 1935)
  • 2012 – Arfa Karim, Pakistani student and computer prodigy, youngest Microsoft Certified Professional in 2004 (b. 1995)
  • 2012 – Giampiero Moretti, Italian entrepreneur and race car driver (b. 1940)
  • 2012 – Rosy Varte, Armenian-French actress (b. 1923)
  • 2013 – Conrad Bain, Canadian-American actor (b. 1923)
  • 2014 – Jon Bing, Norwegian author, scholar, and academic (b. 1944)
  • 2014 – Juan Gelman, Argentinian poet and author (b. 1930)
  • 2014 – Flavio Testi, Italian composer and musicologist (b. 1923)
  • 2015 – Bob Boyd, American basketball player and coach (b. 1930)
  • 2015 – Zhang Wannian, Chinese general (b. 1928)
  • 2016 – Alan Rickman, English actor (b. 1946)
  • 2017 – Zhou Youguang, Chinese sociologist, (b. 1906)
  • 2018 – Spanky Manikan, Filipino veteran actor (b. 1942)
  • 2018 – Cyrille Regis, French Guianan-English footballer (b. 1958)

Holidays and observances on January 14

  • Christian feast day:
    • Barba’shmin
    • Blessed Devasahayam Pillai (Latin Church)
    • Divina Pastora (Barquisimeto)
    • Eivind Berggrav (Lutheran)
    • Felix of Nola
    • Macrina the Elder
    • Odoric of Pordenone
    • January 14 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Defender of the Motherland Day (Uzbekistan)
  • Feast of the Ass (Medieval Christianity)
  • Flag Day (Georgia)
  • National Forest Conservation Day (Thailand)
  • Old New Year, and its related observance:
    • Azhyrnykhua (Abkhazia)
    • Yennayer (Berbers)
  • Ratification Day (United States)
  • Revolution and Youth Day (Tunisia)
  • Sidereal winter solstice celebrations in South and Southeast Asian cultures; marking the transition of the Sun to Capricorn, and the first day of the six months Uttarayana period. (see April 14):
    • Magh Bihu (Assam)
    • Maghe Sankranti (Nepal)
    • Maghi (Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh)
    • Makar Sankranti (India)
    • The first day of Pongal,
    • Uttarayan (Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Rajasthan)

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

On This Day

January 13 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 532 – The Nika riots break out, during the racing season at the Hippodrome in Constantinople, as a result of discontent with the rule of the Emperor Justinian I.
  • 1435 – Sicut Dudum, forbidding the enslavement of the Guanche natives in Canary Islands by the Spanish, is promulgated by Pope Eugene IV.
  • 1547 – Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, is sentenced to death for treason, on the grounds of having quartered his arms to make them similar to those of the King, Henry VIII of England.
  • 1793 – Nicolas Jean Hugon de Bassville, representative of Revolutionary France, lynched by a mob in Rome
  • 1797 – French Revolutionary Wars: A naval battle between a French ship of the line and two British frigates off the coast of Brittany ends with the French vessel running aground, resulting in over 900 deaths.
  • 1815 – War of 1812: British troops capture Fort Peter in St. Marys, Georgia, the only battle of the war to take place in the state.
  • 1822 – The design of the Greek flag is adopted by the First National Assembly at Epidaurus.
  • 1833 – United States President Andrew Jackson writes to Vice President Martin Van Buren expressing his opposition to South Carolina’s defiance of federal authority in the Nullification Crisis.
  • 1840 – The steamship Lexington burns and sinks four miles off the coast of Long Island with the loss of 139 lives.
  • 1842 – Dr. William Brydon, an assistant surgeon in the British East India Company Army during the First Anglo-Afghan War, becomes famous for being the sole survivor of an army of 4,500 men and 12,000 camp followers when he reaches the safety of a garrison in Jalalabad, Afghanistan.
  • 1847 – The Treaty of Cahuenga ends the Mexican–American War in California.
  • 1849 – Establishment of the Colony of Vancouver Island.
  • 1849 – Second Anglo-Sikh War – Battle of Chillianwala: British forces retreat from the Sikhs.
  • 1879 – In Mozart Gardens Brooklyn Ada Anderson completed a great feat of pedestrianism – 2700 quarter miles in 2700 quarter hours, earning her $8000.
  • 1888 – The National Geographic Society is founded in Washington, D.C.
  • 1893 – The Independent Labour Party of the United Kingdom holds its first meeting.
  • 1893 – U.S. Marines land in Honolulu, Hawaii from the USS Boston to prevent the queen from abrogating the Bayonet Constitution.
  • 1895 – First Italo-Ethiopian War: the war’s opening battle, the Battle of Coatit, occurs; it is an Italian victory.
  • 1898 – Émile Zola’s J’accuse…! exposes the Dreyfus affair.
  • 1908 – The Rhoads Opera House fire in Boyertown, Pennsylvania kills 171 people.
  • 1910 – The first public radio broadcast takes place; a live performance of the operas Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci are sent out over the airwaves from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York.
  • 1915 – The 6.7 Mw  Avezzano earthquake shakes the Province of L’Aquila in Italy with a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme), killing between 29,978–32,610.
  • 1920 – The Reichstag Bloodbath of January 13, 1920, the bloodiest demonstration in German history.
  • 1935 – A plebiscite in Saarland shows that 90.3% of those voting wish to join Nazi Germany.
  • 1939 – The Black Friday bushfires burn 20,000 square kilometers of land in Australia, claiming the lives of 71 people.
  • 1942 – Henry Ford patents a plastic automobile, which is 30% lighter than a regular car.
  • 1942 – World War II: First use of an aircraft ejection seat by a German test pilot in a Heinkel He 280 jet fighter.
  • 1950 – British submarine HMS Truculent collides with an oil tanker in the Thames Estuary, killing 64 men.
  • 1950 – Finland forms diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China.
  • 1951 – First Indochina War: The Battle of Vĩnh Yên begins.
  • 1953 – An article appears in Pravda accusing some of the most prestigious and prominent doctors, mostly Jews, in the Soviet Union of taking part in a vast plot to poison members of the top Soviet political and military leadership.
  • 1958 – The Moroccan Army of Liberation ambushes a Spanish patrol in the Battle of Edchera.
  • 1963 – Coup d’état in Togo results in the assassination of president Sylvanus Olympio.
  • 1964 – Anti-Muslim riots break out in Calcutta, resulting in 100 deaths.
  • 1964 – In Manchester, New Hampshire, fourteen-year-old Pamela Mason is murdered. Edward Coolidge is tried and convicted of the crime, but the conviction is set aside by the landmark Fourth Amendment case Coolidge v. New Hampshire (1971).
  • 1966 – Robert C. Weaver becomes the first African American Cabinet member when he is appointed United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
  • 1968 – Johnny Cash performs live at Folsom State Prison.
  • 1972 – Prime Minister Kofi Abrefa Busia and President Edward Akufo-Addo of Ghana are ousted in a bloodless military coup by Colonel Ignatius Kutu Acheampong.
  • 1978 – United States Food and Drug Administration requires all blood donations to be labeled “paid” or “volunteer” donors.
  • 1982 – Shortly after takeoff, Air Florida Flight 90, a Boeing 737 jet, crashes into Washington, D.C.’s 14th Street Bridge and falls into the Potomac River, killing 78 including four motorists.
  • 1985 – A passenger train plunges into a ravine in Ethiopia, killing 428 in the worst railroad disaster in Africa.
  • 1986 – A month-long violent struggle begins in Aden, South Yemen between supporters of Ali Nasir Muhammad and Abdul Fattah Ismail, resulting in thousands of casualties.
  • 1988 – Lee Teng-hui becomes the first native Taiwanese President of the Republic of China.
  • 1990 – Douglas Wilder becomes the first elected African American governor as he takes office as Governor of Virginia in Richmond, Virginia.
  • 1991 – Soviet Union troops attack Lithuanian independence supporters in Vilnius, killing 14 people and wounding around 1000 others.
  • 1993 – Space Shuttle program: Endeavour heads for space for the third time as STS-54 launches from the Kennedy Space Center.
  • 1993 – The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) is signed.
  • 1998 – Alfredo Ormando sets himself on fire in St. Peter’s Square, protesting against homophobia.
  • 2001 – An earthquake hits El Salvador, killing more than 800.
  • 2012 – The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia sinks off the coast of Italy due to the captain Francesco Schettino’s negligence and irresponsibility. There are 32 confirmed deaths.
  • 2018 – A false emergency alert warning of an impending missile strike in Hawaii caused widespread panic in the state.
  • 2020 – Taal Volcano in the Philippines spews lava fountains while erupting in the crater.

Births on January 13

  • 5 BC – Guangwu of Han, Chinese emperor (d. 57)
  • 101 – Lucius Aelius, Roman adopted son of Hadrian (d. 138)
  • 915 – Al-Hakam II, Umayyad caliph (d. 976)
  • 1334 – Henry II, king of Castile and León (d. 1379)
  • 1338 – Jeong Mong-ju, Korean civil minister, diplomat and scholar (d. 1392)
  • 1400 – Infante John, Constable of Portugal (d. 1442)
  • 1477 – Henry Percy, 5th Earl of Northumberland (d. 1527)
  • 1505 – Joachim II Hector, Elector of Brandenburg (d. 1571)
  • 1562 – Mark Alexander Boyd, Scottish poet and soldier (d. 1601)
  • 1596 – Jan van Goyen, Dutch painter and illustrator (d. 1656)
  • 1610 – Maria Anna of Bavaria, archduchess of Austria (d. 1665)
  • 1616 – Antoinette Bourignon, French-Flemish mystic and author (d. 1680)
  • 1651 – Henry Booth, 1st Earl of Warrington, English soldier and politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (d. 1694)
  • 1683 – Christoph Graupner, German harpsichord player and composer (d. 1760)
  • 1720 – Richard Hurd, English bishop (d. 1808)
  • 1749 – Maler Müller, German poet, painter, and playwright (d. 1825)
  • 1787 – John Davis, American lawyer and politician, 14th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1854)
  • 1804 – Paul Gavarni, French illustrator (d. 1866)
  • 1805 – Thomas Dyer, American lawyer and politician, 18th Mayor of Chicago (d. 1862)
  • 1808 – Salmon P. Chase, American jurist and politician, 6th Chief Justice of the United States (d. 1873)
  • 1810 – Ernestine Rose, American suffragist, abolitionist, and freethinker (d. 1892)
  • 1812 – Victor de Laprade, French poet and critic (d. 1883)
  • 1832 – Horatio Alger, Jr., American novelist and journalist (d. 1899)
  • 1845 – Félix Tisserand, French astronomer and academic (d. 1896)
  • 1858 – Oskar Minkowski, Lithuanian-German biologist and academic (d. 1931)
  • 1859 – Kostis Palamas, Greek poet and playwright (d. 1943)
  • 1861 – Max Nonne, German neurologist and academic (d. 1959)
  • 1864 – Wilhelm Wien, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1928)
  • 1865 – Princess Marie of Orléans (d. 1908)
  • 1866 – Vasily Kalinnikov, Russian bassoon player and composer (d. 1901)
  • 1866 – George Gurdjieff, Russian-French mystic and philosopher (d. 1949)
  • 1869 – Prince Emanuele Filiberto, Duke of Aosta (d. 1931)
  • 1870 – Ross Granville Harrison, American biologist and anatomist (d. 1959)
  • 1878 – Lionel Groulx, Canadian priest and historian (d. 1967)
  • 1881 – Essington Lewis, Australian engineer and businessman (d. 1961)
  • 1883 – Nathaniel Cartmell, American runner and coach (d. 1967)
  • 1885 – Alfred Fuller, Canadian-American businessman, founded the Fuller Brush Company (d. 1973)
  • 1886 – Art Ross, Canadian-American ice hockey player and coach (d. 1964)
  • 1887 – Sophie Tucker, Russian-born American singer and actress (d. 1966)
  • 1890 – Jüri Uluots, Estonian journalist, lawyer, and politician, 7th Prime Minister of Estonia (d. 1945)
  • 1892 – Ermanno Aebi, Italian-Swiss footballer (d. 1976)
  • 1893 – Charles Arnison, English lieutenant and pilot (d. 1974)
  • 1893 – Roy Cazaly, Australian footballer and coach (d. 1963)
  • 1893 – Clark Ashton Smith, American poet, sculptor, painter, and author (d. 1961)
  • 1893 – Chaim Soutine, Belarusian-French painter (d. 1943)
  • 1900 – Shimizugawa Motokichi, Japanese sumo wrestler (d. 1967)
  • 1900 – Gertrude Mary Cox, American mathematician (d. 1978)
  • 1901 – A. B. Guthrie, Jr., American novelist, screenwriter, historian (d. 1991)
  • 1901 – Mieczysław Żywczyński, Polish priest and historian (d. 1978)
  • 1902 – Karl Menger, Austrian-American mathematician from the Vienna Circle (d. 1985)
  • 1904 – Richard Addinsell, English composer (d. 1977)
  • 1904 – Nathan Milstein, Ukrainian-American violinist and composer (d. 1992)
  • 1904 – Dick Rowley, Irish footballer, centre forward (d. 1984)
  • 1905 – Kay Francis, American actress (d. 1968)
  • 1905 – Jack London, English sprinter and pianist (d. 1966)
  • 1906 – Zhou Youguang, Chinese linguist, sinologist, and academic (d. 2017)
  • 1909 – Helm Glöckler, German race car driver (d. 1993)
  • 1910 – Yannis Tsarouchis, Greek painter and illustrator (d. 1989)
  • 1911 – Joh Bjelke-Petersen, New Zealand-Australian farmer and politician, 31st Premier of Queensland (d. 2005)
  • 1914 – Osa Massen, Danish-American actress (d. 2006)
  • 1914 – Ted Willis, Baron Willis, English author, playwright, and screenwriter (d. 1992)
  • 1919 – Robert Stack, American actor (d. 2003)
  • 1921 – Necati Cumalı, Greek-Turkish author and poet (d. 2001)
  • 1921 – Dachine Rainer, American-English author and poet (d. 2000)
  • 1921 – Arthur Stevens, English footballer, outside right (d. 2007}
  • 1922 – Albert Lamorisse, French director and producer (d. 1970)
  • 1923 – Daniil Shafran, Russian cellist (d. 1997)
  • 1923 – Willem Slijkhuis, Dutch runner (d. 2003)
  • 1924 – Paul Feyerabend, Austrian-Swiss philosopher and academic (d. 1994)
  • 1924 – Roland Petit, French dancer and choreographer (d. 2011)
  • 1925 – Rosemary Murphy, American actress (d. 2014)
  • 1925 – Vanita Smythe, American singer and actress (d. 1994)
  • 1925 – Ron Tauranac, Australian engineer and businessman
  • 1925 – Gwen Verdon, American actress and dancer (d. 2000)
  • 1926 – Michael Bond, English soldier and author, created Paddington Bear (d. 2017)
  • 1926 – Carolyn Gold Heilbrun, American author and academic (d. 2003)
  • 1926 – Melba Liston, American trombonist and composer (d. 1999)
  • 1927 – Brock Adams, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 5th United States Secretary of Transportation (d. 2004)
  • 1927 – Liz Anderson, American singer-songwriter (d. 2011)
  • 1927 – Sydney Brenner, South African biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2019)
  • 1929 – Joe Pass, American guitarist and composer (d. 1994)
  • 1930 – Frances Sternhagen, American actress
  • 1931 – Ian Hendry, English actor (d. 1984)
  • 1931 – Charles Nelson Reilly, American actor, comedian, director, game show panelist, and television personality (d. 2007)
  • 1932 – Barry Bishop, American mountaineer, photographer, and scholar (d. 1994)
  • 1933 – Tom Gola, American basketball player, coach, and politician (d. 2014)
  • 1935 – Rip Taylor, American actor and comedian (d. 2019)
  • 1936 – Renato Bruson, Italian opera singer
  • 1937 – Guy Dodson, New Zealand-English biochemist and academic (d. 2012)
  • 1938 – Cabu, French cartoonist (d. 2015)
  • 1938 – Daevid Allen, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2015)
  • 1938 – Richard Anthony, Egyptian-French singer-songwriter (d. 2015)
  • 1938 – Dave Edwards, American captain and politician (d. 2013)
  • 1938 – Tord Grip, Swedish footballer and manager
  • 1938 – Anna Home, English screenwriter and producer
  • 1939 – Edgardo Cozarinsky, Argentinian author, screenwriter, and director
  • 1939 – Jacek Gmoch, Polish footballer and coach
  • 1939 – Cesare Maniago, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1940 – Edmund White, American novelist, memoirist, and essayist
  • 1941 – Pasqual Maragall, Spanish academic and politician, 127th President of the Generalitat de Catalunya
  • 1941 – Meinhard Nehmer, German bobsledder
  • 1943 – William Duckworth, American composer and author (d. 2012)
  • 1943 – Richard Moll, American actor
  • 1945 – Gordon McVie, English oncologist and author
  • 1945 – Peter Simpson, English footballer
  • 1946 – Ordal Demokan, Turkish physicist and academic (d. 2004)
  • 1946 – Eero Koivistoinen, Finnish saxophonist, composer, and conductor
  • 1947 – John Lees, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1947 – Jacek Majchrowski, Polish historian, lawyer, and politician
  • 1947 – Carles Rexach, Spanish footballer and coach
  • 1948 – Gaj Singh, Indian lawyer and politician
  • 1949 – Rakesh Sharma, Indian commander, pilot, and astronaut
  • 1949 – Brandon Tartikoff, American screenwriter and producer (d. 1997)
  • 1950 – Clive Betts, English economist and politician
  • 1950 – Bob Forsch, American baseball player (d. 2011)
  • 1950 – Gholam Hossein Mazloumi, Iranian footballer and manager (d. 2014)
  • 1952 – Stephen Glover, English journalist, co-founded The Independent
  • 1953 – Silvana Gallardo, American actress and producer (d. 2012)
  • 1954 – Richard Blackford, English composer
  • 1954 – Trevor Rabin, South African-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1955 – Paul Kelly, Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1955 – Jay McInerney, American novelist and critic
  • 1955 – Anne Pringle, English diplomat, British Ambassador to Russia
  • 1957 – Claudia Emerson, American poet and academic (d. 2014)
  • 1957 – Mary Glindon, English lawyer and politician
  • 1957 – Mark O’Meara, American golfer
  • 1957 – Lorrie Moore, American short story writer
  • 1958 – Francisco Buyo, Spanish footballer and manager
  • 1958 – Juan Pedro de Miguel, Spanish handball player (d. 2016)
  • 1959 – Winnie Byanyima, Ugandan engineer, politician, and diplomat
  • 1960 – Eric Betzig, American physicist and chemist, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1960 – Matthew Bourne, English choreographer and director
  • 1961 – Wayne Coyne, American singer-songwriter and musician
  • 1961 – Kelly Hrudey, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
  • 1961 – Julia Louis-Dreyfus, American actress, comedian, and producer
  • 1962 – Trace Adkins, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1962 – Paul Higgins, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1964 – Penelope Ann Miller, American actress
  • 1966 – Patrick Dempsey, American actor and race car driver
  • 1966 – Leo Visser, Dutch speed skater and pilot
  • 1968 – Mike Whitlow, English footballer and coach
  • 1969 – Stefania Belmondo, Italian skier
  • 1969 – Stephen Hendry, Scottish snooker player and journalist
  • 1970 – Frank Kooiman, Dutch footballer
  • 1970 – Marco Pantani, Italian cyclist (d. 2004)
  • 1970 – Shonda Rhimes, American actress, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1972 – Mark Bosnich, Australian footballer and sportscaster
  • 1972 – Nicole Eggert, American actress
  • 1972 – Vitaly Scherbo, Belarusian gymnast
  • 1973 – Nikolai Khabibulin, Russian ice hockey player
  • 1973 – Gigi Galli, Italian race driver
  • 1974 – Sergei Brylin, Russian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1975 – Rune Eriksen, Norwegian guitarist and composer
  • 1975 – Mailis Reps, Estonian academic and politician, 31st Estonian Minister of Education and Research
  • 1975 – Andrew Yang, American entrepreneur, founder of Venture for America, and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate
  • 1976 – Mario Yepes, Colombian footballer
  • 1977 – Orlando Bloom, English actor and producer
  • 1977 – Mi-Hyun Kim, South Korean golfer
  • 1977 – Elliot Mason, English trombonist and keyboard player
  • 1977 – James Posey, American basketball player and coach
  • 1978 – Nate Silver, American journalist and statistician, developed PECOTA
  • 1979 – Katy Brand, English actress and screenwriter
  • 1980 – Krzysztof Czerwiński, Polish organist and conductor
  • 1980 – Nils-Eric Johansson, Swedish footballer
  • 1980 – Akira Kaji, Japanese footballer
  • 1980 – Wolfgang Loitzl, Austrian ski jumper
  • 1980 – Mirko Soltau, German footballer
  • 1981 – Reggie Brown, American football player
  • 1981 – Darrell Rasner, American baseball player
  • 1981 – Yujiro Takahashi, Japanese wrestler
  • 1982 – Kamran Akmal, Pakistan cricketer
  • 1982 – Guillermo Coria, Argentinian tennis player
  • 1982 – Constantinos Makrides, Cypriot footballer
  • 1982 – Ruth Wilson, English actress
  • 1983 – Ender Arslan, Turkish basketball player
  • 1983 – Sebastian Kneißl, German footballer
  • 1983 – Mauricio Martín Romero, Argentinian footballer
  • 1984 – Matteo Cavagna, Italian footballer
  • 1984 – Kamghe Gaba, German sprinter
  • 1984 – Nick Mangold, American football player
  • 1985 – Luke Robinson, American wrestler
  • 1986 – Joannie Rochette, Canadian figure skater
  • 1987 – Stefano Del Sante, Italian footballer
  • 1987 – Jack Johnson, American ice hockey player
  • 1987 – Florica Leonida, Romanian gymnast
  • 1987 – Steven Michaels, Australian rugby league player
  • 1987 – Daniel Oss, Italian cyclist
  • 1987 – Marc Staal, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1987 – Sven Wetzel, German rugby player
  • 1988 – Josh Freeman, American football player
  • 1989 – Morgan Burnett, American football player
  • 1989 – Doug Martin, American football player
  • 1990 – Vincenzo Fiorillo, Italian footballer
  • 1990 – Liam Hemsworth, Australian actor
  • 1991 – Rob Kiernan, English-Irish footballer
  • 1992 – Adam Matthews, Welsh footballer
  • 1992 – Dinah Pfizenmaier, German tennis player
  • 1993 – Max Whitlock, English artistic gymnast
  • 1997 – Micah Hart, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1997 – Connor McDavid, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1997 – Ivan Provorov, Russian ice hockey player

Deaths on January 13

  • 86 BC – Gaius Marius, Roman general and politician (b. 157 BC)
  • 533 – Remigius, French bishop and saint (b. 437)
  • 614 – Mungo, English-Scottish bishop and saint
  • 703 – Jitō, Japanese emperor (b. 645)
  • 858 – Æthelwulf, king of Wessex
  • 888 – Charles the Fat, Frankish king and emperor (b. 839)
  • 927 – Berno of Cluny, Frankish monk and abbot
  • 1001 – Fujiwara no Teishi, Japanese empress (b. 977)
  • 1147 – Robert de Craon, Grand Master of the Knights Templar
  • 1151 – Suger, French historian and politician (b. 1081)
  • 1177 – Henry II, count palatine and duke of Austria (b. 1107)
  • 1321 – Bonacossa Borri, Italian noblewoman (b. 1254)
  • 1330 – Frederick I, duke and king of Germany
  • 1363 – Meinhard III, German nobleman (b. 1344)
  • 1400 – Thomas le Despenser, 1st Earl of Gloucester, English politician (b. 1373)
  • 1599 – Edmund Spenser, English poet, Chief Secretary for Ireland (b. 1552)
  • 1612 – Jane Dormer, English lady-in-waiting (b. 1538)
  • 1625 – Jan Brueghel the Elder, Flemish painter (b. 1568)
  • 1684 – Henry Howard, 6th Duke of Norfolk, English nobleman (b. 1628)
  • 1691 – George Fox, English religious leader, founded the Religious Society of Friends (b. 1624)
  • 1717 – Maria Sibylla Merian, German entomologist and illustrator (b. 1647)
  • 1775 – Johann Georg Walch, German theologian and author (b. 1693)
  • 1790 – Luc Urbain de Bouëxic, French admiral (b. 1712)
  • 1796 – John Anderson, Scottish philosopher and educator (b. 1726)
  • 1832 – Thomas Lord, English cricketer, founded Lord’s Cricket Ground (b. 1755)
  • 1838 – Ferdinand Ries, German pianist and composer (b. 1784)
  • 1860 – William Mason, American surgeon and politician (b. 1786)
  • 1864 – Stephen Foster, American composer and songwriter (b. 1826)
  • 1872 – William Scamp, English architect and engineer (b. 1801)
  • 1882 – Wilhelm Mauser, German engineer and businessman, co-founded the Mauser Company (b. 1834)
  • 1885 – Schuyler Colfax, American journalist and politician, 17th Vice President of the United States (b. 1823)
  • 1889 – Solomon Bundy, American lawyer and politician (b. 1823)
  • 1905 – George Thorn, Australian farmer and politician, 6th Premier of Queensland (b. 1838)
  • 1906 – Alexander Stepanovich Popov, Russian physicist and academic (b. 1859)
  • 1907 – Jakob Hurt, Estonian theologist and linguist (b. 1839)
  • 1915 – Mary Slessor, Scottish-Nigerian missionary (b. 1848)
  • 1916 – Victoriano Huerta, Mexican military officer and president, 1913–1914 (b. 1850)
  • 1923 – Alexandre Ribot, French academic and politician, Prime Minister of France (b. 1842)
  • 1924 – Georg Hermann Quincke, German physicist and academic (b. 1834)
  • 1929 – Wyatt Earp, American police officer (b. 1848)
  • 1929 – H. B. Higgins, Irish-Australian judge and politician, 3rd Attorney-General for Australia (b. 1851)
  • 1934 – Paul Ulrich Villard, French physicist and chemist (b. 1860)
  • 1941 – James Joyce, Irish novelist, short story writer, and poet (b. 1882)
  • 1943 – Sophie Taeuber-Arp, Swiss painter and sculptor (b. 1889)
  • 1956 – Lyonel Feininger, German-American painter and illustrator (b. 1871)
  • 1957 – A. E. Coppard English poet and short story writer (b. 1878)
  • 1958 – Jesse L. Lasky, American film producer, co-founded Paramount Pictures (b. 1880)
  • 1962 – Ernie Kovacs, American actor and game show host (b. 1919)
  • 1963 – Sylvanus Olympio, Togolese businessman and politician, President of Togo (b. 1902)
  • 1967 – Anatole de Grunwald, Russian-English screenwriter and producer (b. 1910)
  • 1971 – Robert Still, English composer and educator (b. 1910)
  • 1973 – Sabahattin Eyüboğlu, Turkish screenwriter and producer (b. 1908)
  • 1974 – Raoul Jobin, Canadian tenor and educator (b. 1906)
  • 1974 – Salvador Novo, Mexican playwright and poet (b. 1904)
  • 1976 – Margaret Leighton, English actress (b. 1922)
  • 1977 – Henri Langlois, Turkish-French historian, co-founded the Cinémathèque Française (b. 1914)
  • 1978 – Hubert Humphrey, American pharmacist, academic, and politician, 38th Vice President of the United States (b. 1911)
  • 1978 – Joe McCarthy, American baseball player and manager (b. 1887)
  • 1979 – Donny Hathaway, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer (b. 1945)
  • 1979 – Marjorie Lawrence, Australian-American soprano (b. 1907)
  • 1980 – Andre Kostelanetz, Russian-American conductor (b. 1901)
  • 1982 – Marcel Camus, French director and screenwriter (b. 1912)
  • 1983 – René Bonnet, French race car driver and engineer (b. 1904)
  • 1986 – Abdul Fattah Ismail, Yemeni educator and politician, 4th President of South Yemen (b. 1939)
  • 1986 – Kevin Longbottom, Australian rugby league player (b. 1940)
  • 1988 – Chiang Ching-kuo, Chinese politician, President of the Republic of China (b. 1910)
  • 1993 – Camargo Guarnieri, Brazilian composer and conductor (b. 1907)
  • 1995 – Max Harris, Australian journalist, poet, and author (b. 1921)
  • 2002 – Frank Shuster, Canadian actor, comedian, and screenwriter (b. 1916)
  • 2003 – Norman Panama, American director and screenwriter (b. 1914)
  • 2004 – Arne Næss, Jr., Norwegian businessman and mountaineer (b. 1937)
  • 2005 – Earl Cameron, Canadian journalist (b. 1915)
  • 2005 – Nell Rankin, American soprano and actress (b. 1924)
  • 2006 – Frank Fixaris, American journalist and sportscaster (b. 1934)
  • 2006 – Marc Potvin, Canadian-American ice hockey player and coach (b. 1967)
  • 2007 – Michael Brecker, American saxophonist and composer (b. 1949)
  • 2007 – Danny Oakes, American race car driver (b. 1911)
  • 2008 – Johnny Podres, American baseball player and coach (b. 1932)
  • 2009 – Dai Llewellyn, Welsh humanitarian activist and politician (b. 1946)
  • 2009 – Patrick McGoohan, Irish-American actor, director, and producer (b. 1928)
  • 2009 – Mansour Rahbani, Lebanese poet, composer, and producer (b. 1925)
  • 2009 – W. D. Snodgrass, American poet (b. 1926)
  • 2009 – Nancy Bird Walton, Australian pilot (b. 1915)
  • 2010 – Teddy Pendergrass, American singer-songwriter (b. 1950)
  • 2011 – Albert Heijn, Dutch businessman (b. 1927)
  • 2012 – Rauf Denktaş, Turkish-Cypriot lawyer and politician, 1st President of Northern Cyprus (b. 1924)
  • 2012 – Guido Dessauer, German physicist and engineer (b. 1915)
  • 2012 – Miljan Miljanić, Serbian footballer and manager (b. 1930)
  • 2013 – Diogenes Allen, American philosopher and theologian (b. 1932)
  • 2013 – Rodney Mims Cook, Sr., American lieutenant and politician (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – Chia-Chiao Lin, Chinese-American mathematician and academic (b. 1916)
  • 2014 – Bobby Collins, Scottish footballer and manager (b. 1931)
  • 2014 – Randal Tye Thomas, American journalist and politician (b. 1978)
  • 2014 – Waldemar von Gazen, German general and lawyer (b. 1917)
  • 2015 – Mark Juddery, Australian journalist and author (b. 1971)
  • 2015 – Robert White, American soldier and diplomat, United States Ambassador to Paraguay (b. 1926)
  • 2016 – Brian Bedford, English-American actor and director (b. 1935)
  • 2016 – Giorgio Gomelsky, Georgian-American director, producer, songwriter, and manager (b. 1934)
  • 2016 – Lawrence Phillips, American football player (b. 1975)
  • 2017 – Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon, English photographer and sometime member of the British royal family (b. 1930)
  • 2017 – Dick Gautier, American actor (b. 1931)
  • 2017 – Magic Alex, Greek electronics engineer (b. 1942)
  • 2019 – Phil Masinga, South African footballer (b. 1969)

Holidays and observances on January 13

  • Christian feast day:
    • Blessed Veronica of Milan
    • Elian
    • Hilary of Poitiers
    • Mungo
    • St. Knut’s Day or Tjugondag Knut, the last day of Christmas. (Sweden and Finland)
    • January 13 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Constitution Day (Mongolia)
  • Democracy Day (Cape Verde)
  • Korean-American Day (Korean-American community, United States)
  • Liberation Day (Togo)
  • Old New Year’s Eve (Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Serbia, Montenegro, Republic of Srpska, North Macedonia), and its related observances:
    • Malanka (Ukraine, Russia, Belarus)
  • Sidereal winter solstice’s eve celebrations in South and Southeast Asian cultures; the last day of the six-month Dakshinayana period (see January 14):
    • Bhogi (Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu)
    • Lohri (Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh)
    • Uruka (Assam)
  • Stephen Foster Memorial Day (United States)
  • Yennayer (Berbers)

January 13 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

On This Day /
  • 1528 – Gustav I of Sweden is crowned King of Sweden, having already reigned since his election in June 1523.
  • 1554 – Bayinnaung, who would go on to assemble the largest empire in the history of Southeast Asia, is crowned King of Burma.
  • 1616 – The city of Belém, Brazil is founded on the Amazon River delta, by Portuguese captain Francisco Caldeira Castelo Branco.
  • 1808 – John Rennie’s scheme to defend St Mary’s Church, Reculver, founded in 669, from coastal erosion is abandoned in favour of demolition, despite the church being an exemplar of Anglo-Saxon architecture and sculpture.
  • 1808 – The organizational meeting leading to the creation of the Wernerian Natural History Society, a former Scottish learned society, is held in Edinburgh.
  • 1848 – The Palermo rising takes place in Sicily against the Bourbon Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
  • 1866 – The Royal Aeronautical Society is formed in London.
  • 1872 – Yohannes IV is crowned Emperor of Ethiopia in Axum, the first imperial coronation in that city in over 200 years.
  • 1895 – The National Trust is founded in the United Kingdom.
  • 1911 – The University of the Philippines College of Law is formally established; three future Philippine presidents are among the first enrollees.
  • 1915 – The United States House of Representatives rejects a proposal to require states to give women the right to vote.
  • 1916 – Both Oswald Boelcke and Max Immelmann, for achieving eight aerial victories each over Allied aircraft, receive the German Empire’s highest military award, the Pour le Mérite as the first German aviators to earn it.
  • 1918 – The Minnie Pit Disaster coal mining accident occurs in Halmer End, Staffordshire, in which 155 men and boys die.
  • 1921 – Acting to restore confidence in baseball after the Black Sox Scandal, Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis is elected as Major League Baseball’s first commissioner.
  • 1932 – Hattie Caraway becomes the first woman elected to the United States Senate.
  • 1942 – World War II: United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt creates the National War Labor Board.
  • 1945 – World War II: The Red Army begins the Vistula–Oder Offensive.
  • 1962 – Vietnam War: Operation Chopper, the first American combat mission in the war, takes place.
  • 1964 – Rebels in Zanzibar begin a revolt known as the Zanzibar Revolution and proclaim a republic.
  • 1966 – Lyndon B. Johnson states that the United States should stay in South Vietnam until Communist aggression there is ended.
  • 1967 – Dr. James Bedford becomes the first person to be cryonically preserved with intent of future resuscitation.
  • 1969 – The New York Jets of the American Football League defeat the Baltimore Colts of the National Football League to win Super Bowl III in what is considered to be one of the greatest upsets in sports history.
  • 1970 – Biafra capitulates, ending the Nigerian Civil War.
  • 1971 – The Harrisburg Seven: Rev. Philip Berrigan and five other activists are indicted on charges of conspiring to kidnap Henry Kissinger and of plotting to blow up the heating tunnels of federal buildings in Washington, D.C.
  • 1976 – The United Nations Security Council votes 11–1 to allow the Palestine Liberation Organization to participate in a Security Council debate (without voting rights).
  • 1986 – Space Shuttle program: Congressman Bill Nelson lifts off from Kennedy Space Center aboard Columbia on mission STS-61-C as a payload specialist.
  • 1990 – A seven-day pogrom breaks out against the Armenian civilian population of Baku, Azerbaijan, during which Armenians were beaten, tortured, murdered, and expelled from the city.
  • 1991 – Persian Gulf War: An act of the U.S. Congress authorizes the use of American military force to drive Iraq out of Kuwait.
  • 1998 – Nineteen European nations agree to forbid human cloning.
  • 2001 – Downtown Disney opens to the public as part of the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California.
  • 2004 – The world’s largest ocean liner, RMS Queen Mary 2, makes its maiden voyage.
  • 2005 – Deep Impact launches from Cape Canaveral on a Delta II rocket.
  • 2006 – A stampede during the Stoning of the Devil ritual on the last day at the Hajj in Mina, Saudi Arabia, kills at least 362 Muslim pilgrims.
  • 2010 – An earthquake in Haiti occurs, killing between 220,000 and 300,000 people and destroying much of the capital Port-au-Prince.
  • 2012 – Violent protests occur in Bucharest, Romania, as two-day-old demonstrations continue against President Traian Băsescu’s economic austerity measures. Clashes are reported in numerous Romanian cities between protesters and law enforcement officers.
  • 2015 – Government raids kill 143 Boko Haram fighters in Kolofata, Cameroon.
  • 2016 – Ten people are killed and 15 wounded in a bombing near the Blue Mosque in Istanbul.
  • 2020 – Taal Volcano in the Philippines erupts, and kills 39 people.

Births on January 12

  • 1483 – Henry III of Nassau-Breda (d. 1538)
  • 1562 – Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy (d. 1630)
  • 1576 – Petrus Scriverius, Dutch historian and scholar (d. 1660)
  • 1577 – Jan Baptist van Helmont, Flemish chemist and physician (d. 1644)
  • 1588 – John Winthrop, English lawyer and politician, 2nd Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony (d. 1649)
  • 1591 – Jusepe de Ribera, Spanish painter (d. 1652)
  • 1597 – François Duquesnoy, Flemish sculptor and educator (d. 1643)
  • 1598 – Jijabai Shahaji Bhosale, venerated mother of Indian king Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (d. 1674)
  • 1628 – Charles Perrault, French author and academic (d. 1703)
  • 1673 – Rosalba Carriera, Italian painter (d. 1757)
  • 1711 – Gaetano Latilla, Italian composer (d. 1788)
  • 1715 – Jacques Duphly, French organist and composer (d. 1789)
  • 1716 – Antonio de Ulloa, Spanish general and politician, 1st Spanish Governor of Louisiana (d. 1795)
  • 1721 – Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Prussian field marshal (d. 1792)
  • 1723 – Samuel Langdon, American minister, theologian, and academic (d. 1797)
  • 1724 – Frances Brooke, English author and playwright (d. 1789)
  • 1729 – Edmund Burke, Irish philosopher, academic, and politician (d. 1797)
  • 1746 – Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, Swiss philosopher and educator (d. 1827)
  • 1751 – Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies (d. 1825)
  • 1772 – Mikhail Speransky, Russian academic and politician (d. 1839)
  • 1786 – Sir Robert Inglis, 2nd Baronet, English politician (d. 1855)
  • 1792 – Johan August Arfwedson, Swedish chemist and academic (d. 1841)
  • 1797 – Gideon Brecher, Austrian physician and author (d. 1873)
  • 1799 – Priscilla Susan Bury, British botanist (d. 1872)
  • 1822 – Étienne Lenoir, Belgian engineer, designed the internal combustion engine (d. 1900)
  • 1837 – Adolf Jensen, German pianist and composer (d. 1879)
  • 1849 – Jean Béraud, Russian-French painter and academic (d. 1935)
  • 1853 – Gregorio Ricci-Curbastro, Italian mathematician (d. 1925)
  • 1856 – John Singer Sargent, American painter and academic (d. 1925)
  • 1863 – Swami Vivekananda, Indian monk and philosopher (d. 1902)
  • 1869 – Bhagwan Das, Indian philosopher, academic, and politician (d. 1958)
  • 1873 – Spyridon Louis, Greek runner (d. 1940)
  • 1874 – Laura Adams Armer, American author and photographer (d. 1963)
  • 1876 – Fevzi Çakmak, Turkish field marshal and politician, Prime Minister of the Turkish Provisional Government (d. 1950)
  • 1876 – Jack London, American novelist and journalist (d. 1916)
  • 1876 – Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari, Italian composer and educator (d. 1948)
  • 1877 – Frank J. Corr, American lawyer and politician, 45th Mayor of Chicago (d. 1934)
  • 1878 – Ferenc Molnár, Hungarian-American author and playwright (d. 1952)
  • 1879 – Ray Harroun, American race car driver and engineer (d. 1968)
  • 1879 – Anton Uesson, Estonian engineer and politician, 17th Mayor of Tallinn (d. 1942)
  • 1882 – Milton Sills, American actor and screenwriter (d. 1930)
  • 1884 – Texas Guinan, American entertainer and bootlegger (d. 1933)
  • 1889 – Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad, Indian-Pakistani spiritual leader (d. 1965)
  • 1890 – Johannes Vares, Estonian poet, physician, and politician (d. 1946)
  • 1892 – Mikhail Gurevich, Russian engineer and businessman, co-founded the Russian Aircraft Corporation (d. 1976)
  • 1893 – Hermann Göring, German commander, pilot, and politician, Minister President of Prussia (d. 1946)
  • 1893 – Alfred Rosenberg, Estonian-German architect and politician, Reich Minister for the Occupied Eastern Territories (d. 1946)
  • 1894 – Georges Carpentier, French boxer and actor (d. 1975)
  • 1895 – Leo Aryeh Mayer, Polish-Israeli scholar and academic (d. 1959)
  • 1896 – David Wechsler, Romanian-American psychologist and author (d. 1981)
  • 1899 – Pierre Bernac, French opera singer and educator (d. 1979)
  • 1899 – Paul Hermann Müller, Swiss chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1965)
  • 1901 – Karl Künstler, German SS officer (d. 1945)
  • 1903 – Igor Kurchatov, Russian physicist and academic (d. 1960)
  • 1903 – Andrew J. Transue, American politician and attorney (Morissette v. United States) (d. 1995)
  • 1904 – Mississippi Fred McDowell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1972)
  • 1905 – Nihal Atsız, Turkish author, poet, and philosopher (d. 1975)
  • 1905 – James Bennett Griffin, American archaeologist and academic (d. 1997)
  • 1905 – Tex Ritter, American actor and singer (d. 1974)
  • 1906 – Emmanuel Levinas, Lithuanian-French historian, philosopher, and academic (d. 1995)
  • 1907 – Sergei Korolev, Russian colonel and engineer (d. 1966)
  • 1908 – Jean Delannoy, French actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2008)
  • 1908 – Clement Hurd, American illustrator (d. 1988)
  • 1910 – Patsy Kelly, American actress and comedian (d. 1981)
  • 1910 – Luise Rainer, German-English actress (d. 2014)
  • 1912 – Richard Kuremaa, Estonian footballer (d. 1991)
  • 1914 – Mieko Kamiya, Japanese psychiatrist and psychologist (d. 1979)
  • 1915 – Paul Jarrico, American screenwriter and producer (d. 1997)
  • 1915 – Joseph-Aurèle Plourde, Canadian archbishop and academic (d. 2013)
  • 1916 – Ruth R. Benerito, American chemist and inventor (d. 2013)
  • 1916 – Mary Wilson, Baroness Wilson of Rievaulx, British poet and Spouse of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 2018)
  • 1916 – P. W. Botha, South African politician, 8th Prime Minister of South Africa (d. 2006)
  • 1917 – Walter Hendl, American pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 2007)
  • 1917 – Jimmy Skinner, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 2007)
  • 1920 – James Farmer, American activist, and politician, co-founded Congress of Racial Equality (d. 1999)
  • 1920 – Jerzy Zubrzycki, Polish-Australian sociologist and academic (d. 2009)
  • 1922 – Tadeusz Żychiewicz, Polish journalist and historian (d. 1994)
  • 1923 – Ira Hayes, American marine who raised the U.S. flag on Iwo Jima (d. 1955)
  • 1924 – Olivier Gendebien, Belgian racing driver and businessman (d. 1998)
  • 1925 – Bill Burrud, American television host, producer, and actor (d. 1990)
  • 1926 – Morton Feldman, American composer and academic (d. 1987)
  • 1926 – Ray Price, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2013)
  • 1928 – Ruth Brown, American R&B singer-songwriter and actress (d. 2006)
  • 1929 – Alasdair MacIntyre, Scottish-American philosopher and academic
  • 1929 – Jaakko Hintikka, Finnish philosopher and logician (d. 2015)
  • 1930 – Tim Horton, Canadian ice hockey player and businessman, founded Tim Hortons (d. 1974)
  • 1930 – Jennifer Johnston, Irish author and playwright
  • 1930 – Glenn Yarbrough, American singer and actor (d. 2016)
  • 1933 – Pavlos Matesis, Greek author and playwright (d. 2013)
  • 1934 – Alan Sharp, Scottish-American author and screenwriter (d. 2013)
  • 1934 – Mick Sullivan, English rugby player and coach (d. 2016)
  • 1935 – Teresa del Conde, Mexican historian and critic (d. 2017)
  • 1935 – Kreskin, American mentalist
  • 1936 – Jennifer Hilton, Baroness Hilton of Eggardon, English police officer and politician
  • 1936 – Raimonds Pauls, Latvian pianist and composer
  • 1936 – Brajanath Ratha, Indian poet and activist (d. 2014)
  • 1936 – Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Indian lawyer and politician, Indian Minister of Home Affairs (d. 2016)
  • 1937 – Shirley Eaton, English actress
  • 1938 – Qazi Hussain Ahmad, Pakistani scholar and politician (d. 2013)
  • 1940 – Bob Hewitt, Australian-South African tennis player
  • 1940 – Ronald Shannon Jackson, American drummer and composer (d. 2013)
  • 1940 – Dick Motz, New Zealand cricketer (d. 2007)
  • 1941 – Long John Baldry, English-Canadian singer-songwriter and voice actor (d. 2005)
  • 1941 – Fiona Caldicott, English psychiatrist and psychotherapist
  • 1941 – Chet Jastremski, American swimmer and physician (d. 2014)
  • 1942 – Bernardine Dohrn, American domestic terrorist, political activist and academic
  • 1944 – Hans Henning Atrott, German author and theorist
  • 1944 – Joe Frazier, American boxer (d. 2011)
  • 1944 – Cynthia Robinson, American R&B trumpet player and singer (d 2015)
  • 1945 – Maggie Bell, Scottish singer-songwriter
  • 1946 – Hazel Cosgrove, Lady Cosgrove, Scottish lawyer and judge
  • 1946 – George Duke, American keyboard player, composer, and educator (d. 2013)
  • 1947 – Richard Carwardine, English historian and academic
  • 1947 – Tom Dempsey, American football player and educator
  • 1947 – Sally Hamwee, Baroness Hamwee, English politician
  • 1948 – Kenny Allen, English footballer
  • 1948 – Anthony Andrews, English actor and producer
  • 1948 – Gordon Campbell, Canadian educator and politician, 34th Premier of British Columbia
  • 1948 – Brendan Foster, English runner and sportscaster
  • 1948 – William Nicholson, English author and screenwriter
  • 1949 – Kentarō Haneda, Japanese pianist and composer (d. 2007)
  • 1949 – Ottmar Hitzfeld, German footballer and manager
  • 1949 – Hamadi Jebali, Tunisian engineer, journalist, and politician, 19th Prime Minister of Tunisia
  • 1949 – Haruki Murakami, Japanese novelist, short-story writer, and essayist
  • 1950 – Sheila Jackson Lee, American lawyer, judge, and politician
  • 1950 – Göran Lindblad, Swedish dentist and politician
  • 1950 – Bob McEwen, American businessman and politician
  • 1950 – Dorrit Moussaieff, Israeli-Icelandic jewelry designer and businesswoman, 5th First Lady of Iceland
  • 1951 – Kirstie Alley, American actress and producer
  • 1951 – Chris Bell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1978)
  • 1951 – Rush Limbaugh, American talk show host and author
  • 1951 – Drew Pearson, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1952 – Phil Perry, American singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1952 – Ricky Van Shelton, American country singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1952 – John Walker, New Zealand runner and politician
  • 1952 – Walter Mosley, American novelist
  • 1953 – Mary Harron, Canadian director and screenwriter
  • 1954 – Howard Stern, American radio host, actor, and author
  • 1954 – Martin Kylhammar, Swedish professor of culture and society
  • 1955 – Tom Ardolino, American rock drummer (NRBQ) (d. 2012)
  • 1956 – Nikolai Noskov, Russian rock singer and singer-songwriter
  • 1957 – John Lasseter, American animator, director, and producer
  • 1957 – Jeremy Sams, English director, playwright, and composer
  • 1958 – Christiane Amanpour, English-born Iranian-American journalist
  • 1958 – Curt Fraser, American-Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1959 – B. Brian Blair, American wrestler and politician
  • 1959 – Per Gessle, Swedish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1960 – Oliver Platt, Canadian-American actor
  • 1960 – Dominique Wilkins, French-American basketball player and manager
  • 1961 – Simon Russell Beale, Malaysia-born English actor and historian
  • 1962 – Joe Quesada, American author and illustrator
  • 1962 – Richie Richardson, Antiguan cricketer
  • 1962 – Luna Vachon, American-Canadian wrestler and manager (d. 2010)
  • 1963 – François Girard, Canadian director and screenwriter
  • 1963 – Nando Reis, Brazilian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1964 – Jeff Bezos, American computer scientist and businessman, founded Amazon.com
  • 1965 – Raekwon, American rapper
  • 1965 – Rob Zombie, American singer-songwriter, producer, actor, and director
  • 1966 – Olivier Martinez, French actor
  • 1966 – Craig Parry, Australian golfer
  • 1967 – Vendela Kirsebom, Norwegian-Swedish model and actress
  • 1968 – Junichi Masuda, Japanese director, producer, and composer
  • 1968 – Heather Mills, English businesswoman, activist and model
  • 1968 – Mauro Silva, Brazilian footballer
  • 1969 – David Mitchell, English novelist
  • 1969 – Margaret Nagle, American screenwriter and producer
  • 1970 – Zack de la Rocha, American singer-songwriter
  • 1971 – Scott Burrell, American basketball player and coach
  • 1972 – Priyanka Gandhi, Indian politician
  • 1972 – Espen Knutsen, Norwegian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1972 – Paul Wilson, Australian cricketer and umpire
  • 1973 – Brian Culbertson, American pianist and producer
  • 1973 – Hande Yener, Turkish singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
  • 1974 – Melanie C, English singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1974 – Tor Arne Hetland, Norwegian skier
  • 1975 – Jason Freese, American saxophonist, songwriter, and producer
  • 1975 – Jocelyn Thibault, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1977 – Yoandy Garlobo, Cuban baseball player
  • 1978 – Luis Ayala, Mexican baseball player
  • 1978 – Maurizio Zaffiri, Italian rugby player
  • 1979 – Marián Hossa, Slovak ice hockey player
  • 1979 – Lee Bo-young, South Korean actress and model
  • 1979 – Grzegorz Rasiak, Polish footballer
  • 1979 – David Zabriskie, American cyclist
  • 1980 – Bobby Crosby, American baseball player
  • 1981 – Amerie, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
  • 1981 – João Paulo Daniel, Brazilian footballer
  • 1981 – Dan Klecko, American football player
  • 1981 – Angus Macdonald, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1981 – Luis Ernesto Pérez, Mexican footballer
  • 1982 – Paul-Henri Mathieu, French tennis player
  • 1982 – Hans Van Alphen, Belgian decathlete
  • 1982 – Dean Whitehead, English footballer
  • 1982 – Dontrelle Willis, American baseball player
  • 1984 – Daniel Sepulveda, American football player
  • 1984 – Jonathan Zydko, French footballer
  • 1985 – Artem Milevskiy, Ukrainian footballer
  • 1985 – Issa Rae, American actress, writer, director, producer and web series creator
  • 1985 – Borja Valero, Spanish footballer
  • 1986 – Kehoma Brenner, German rugby player
  • 1986 – Miguel Ángel Nieto, Spanish footballer
  • 1987 – Naya Rivera, American actress and singer
  • 1987 – Salvatore Sirigu, Italian footballer
  • 1988 – Claude Giroux, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1989 – Thiemo-Jérôme Kialka, German footballer
  • 1989 – Axel Witsel, Belgian footballer
  • 1991 – Pixie Lott, English singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress
  • 1991 – Matt Srama, Australian rugby league player
  • 1992 – Ishak Belfodil, Algerian footballer
  • 1992 – Samuele Longo, Italian footballer
  • 1993 – Zayn Malik, English singer-songwriter
  • 1993 – Simone Pecorini, Italian footballer
  • 1993 – Do Kyungsoo, South Korean singer and member of boy band EXO
  • 1995 – Sarah Mehain, Canadian Paralympic swimmer
  • 1995 – Alessio Romagnoli, Italian footballer

Deaths of January 12

  • 690 – Benedict Biscop, English scholar and saint, founded the Monkwearmouth–Jarrow Abbey (b. 628)
  • 914 – Ahmad Samani, Samanid emir
  • 947 – Sang Weihan, Chinese chief of staff (b. 898)
  • 1140 – Louis I, Landgrave of Thuringia
  • 1167 – Aelred of Rievaulx, English monk and saint (b. 1110)
  • 1320 – John Dalderby, bishop of Lincoln
  • 1321 – Marie of Brabant, Queen of France (b. 1256)
  • 1405 – Eleanor Maltravers, English noblewoman (b. 1345)
  • 1519 – Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1459)
  • 1665 – Pierre de Fermat, French mathematician and lawyer (b. 1601)
  • 1674 – Giacomo Carissimi, Italian priest and composer (b. 1605)
  • 1700 – Marguerite Bourgeoys, French-Canadian nun and saint, founded the Congregation of Notre Dame of Montreal (b. 1620)
  • 1720 – William Ashhurst, English banker and politician, Lord Mayor of London (b. 1647)
  • 1732 – John Horsley, English-Scottish historian and author (b. 1685)
  • 1735 – John Eccles, English composer (b. 1668)
  • 1759 – Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange (b. 1709)
  • 1765 – Johann Melchior Molter, German violinist and composer (b. 1696)
  • 1777 – Hugh Mercer, Scottish-American general and physician (b. 1726)
  • 1778 – François Bigot, French politician (b. 1703)
  • 1781 – Richard Challoner, English bishop (b. 1691)
  • 1829 – Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel, German philosopher, poet, and critic (b. 1772)
  • 1833 – Marie-Antoine Carême, French chef (b. 1784)
  • 1834 – William Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville, English academic and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1759)
  • 1856 – Ľudovít Štúr, Slovak philologist and politician (b. 1815)
  • 1861 – Václav Hanka, Czech philologist and author (b. 1791)
  • 1892 – James Caulfeild, 3rd Earl of Charlemont, Irish politician, Lord Lieutenant of Tyrone (b. 1820)
  • 1892 – William Reeves, Irish bishop and historian (b. 1815)
  • 1899 – Hiram Walker, American businessman, founded Canadian Club (b. 1816)
  • 1909 – Hermann Minkowski, Lithuanian-German mathematician and academic (b. 1864)
  • 1911 – Andreas Papagiannakopoulos, Greek journalist, judge, and politician (b. 1845)
  • 1916 – Georgios Theotokis, Greek lawyer and politician, 80th Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1844)
  • 1921 – Gervase Elwes, English tenor and actor (b. 1866)
  • 1926 – Austin Chapman, Australian businessman and politician, 4th Australian Minister for Defence (b. 1864)
  • 1934 – Paul Kochanski, Polish violinist and composer (b. 1887)
  • 1938 – Oscar Florianus Bluemner, German-American painter and illustrator (b. 1867)
  • 1940 – Ralph Hitz, Austrian-American hotelier (b. 1891)
  • 1940 – Edward Smith, English lieutenant, Victoria Cross recipient (b. 1898)
  • 1943 – Jan Campert, Dutch journalist and critic (b. 1902)
  • 1944 – Lance C. Wade, American commander and pilot (b. 1915)
  • 1958 – Charles Hatfield, American meteorologist (b. 1875)
  • 1960 – Nevil Shute, English engineer and author (b. 1899)
  • 1962 – Ariadna Tyrkova-Williams, Russian journalist and activist (b. 1869)
  • 1965 – Lorraine Hansberry, American author, playwright, and director (b. 1936)
  • 1967 – Burhan Asaf Belge, Turkish diplomat (b. 1887)
  • 1971 – John Tovey, 1st Baron Tovey, English admiral (b. 1885)
  • 1973 – Roy Franklin Nichols, American historian and academic (b. 1896)
  • 1974 – Princess Patricia of Connaught (b. 1886)
  • 1976 – Agatha Christie, English crime novelist, short story writer, and playwright (b. 1890)
  • 1977 – Henri-Georges Clouzot, French director and screenwriter (b. 1907)
  • 1983 – Nikolai Podgorny, Ukrainian engineer and politician (b. 1903)
  • 1988 – Connie Mulder, South African politician (b. 1925)
  • 1988 – Piero Taruffi, Italian racing driver and motorcycle racer (b. 1906)
  • 1990 – Laurence J. Peter, Canadian-American author and educator (b. 1919)
  • 1991 – Robert Jackson, Australian public servant and diplomat (b. 1911)
  • 1992 – Kumar Gandharva, a Hindustani classical singer (b. 1924)
  • 1994 – Gustav Naan, Estonian physicist and philosopher (b. 1919)
  • 1996 – Joachim Nitsche, German mathematician and academic (b. 1926)
  • 1997 – Jean-Edern Hallier, French author (b. 1936)
  • 1997 – Charles Brenton Huggins, Canadian-American physician and physiologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1901)
  • 1998 – Roger Clark, English racing driver (b. 1939)
  • 1999 – Doug Wickenheiser, Canadian-American ice hockey player (b. 1961)
  • 2000 – Marc Davis, American animator and screenwriter (b. 1913)
  • 2000 – Bobby Phills, American basketball player (b. 1969)
  • 2001 – Luiz Bonfá, Brazilian guitarist and composer (b. 1922)
  • 2001 – William Redington Hewlett, American engineer and businessman, co-founded Hewlett-Packard (b. 1913)
  • 2002 – Cyrus Vance, American lawyer and politician, 57th U.S. Secretary of State (b. 1917)
  • 2003 – Dean Amadon, American ornithologist and author (b. 1912)
  • 2003 – Kinji Fukasaku, Japanese actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1930)
  • 2003 – Leopoldo Galtieri, Argentine general and politician, 44th President of Argentina (b. 1926)
  • 2003 – Maurice Gibb, Manx-Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (b. 1949)
  • 2003 – Alan Nunn May, English physicist and spy (b. 1911)
  • 2004 – Olga Ladyzhenskaya, Russian mathematician and academic (b. 1921)
  • 2005 – Amrish Puri, Indian actor (b. 1932)
  • 2006 – Pablita Velarde, Santa Clara Pueblo (Native American) painter (b. 1918)
  • 2007 – Alice Coltrane, American pianist and composer (b. 1937)
  • 2007 – James Killen, Australian soldier, lawyer, and politician, 38th Australian Minister for Defence (b. 1925)
  • 2008 – Max Beck, American intersex advocate (b. 1966)
  • 2009 – Claude Berri, French actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1934)
  • 2010 – Daniel Bensaïd, French philosopher and author (b. 1946)
  • 2010 – Hasib Sabbagh, Palestinian businessman and philanthropist, co-founded Consolidated Contractors Company (b. 1920)
  • 2012 – Bjørn G. Andersen, Norwegian geologist and academic (b. 1924)
  • 2012 – Glenda Dickerson, American director, choreographer, and educator (b. 1945)
  • 2012 – Bill Janklow, American lawyer and politician, 27th Governor of South Dakota (b. 1939)
  • 2012 – Charles H. Price II, American businessman and diplomat, United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom (b. 1931)
  • 2012 – Jim Stanley, American football player and coach (b. 1935)
  • 2013 – Precious Bryant, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1942)
  • 2013 – Eugene Patterson, American journalist and activist (b. 1923)
  • 2014 – Alexandra Bastedo, English actress (b. 1946)
  • 2014 – Connie Binsfeld, American educator and politician, 58th Lieutenant Governor of Michigan (b. 1924)
  • 2014 – George Dement, American soldier, businessman, and politician (b. 1922)
  • 2015 – Trevor Colbourn, American historian and academic (b. 1927)
  • 2015 – Robert Gover, American journalist and author (b. 1929)
  • 2015 – Carl Long, American baseball player (b. 1935)
  • 2015 – Elena Obraztsova, Russian soprano and actress (b. 1939)
  • 2015 – Inge Vermeulen, Brazilian-Dutch field hockey player (b. 1985)
  • 2017 – William Peter Blatty, American writer and filmmaker (b. 1928)
  • 2017 – Graham Taylor, former Grimsby Town player and former manager of the England football team. (b. 1944)
  • 2018 – Keith Jackson, American sports commentator and journalist (b. 1928)
  • 2020 – Sir Roger Scruton, English philosopher, and writer (b. 1944)

Holidays and observances on January 12

  • Christian feast day:
    • Aelred of Rievaulx
    • Benedict Biscop
    • Bernard of Corleone
    • Marguerite Bourgeoys
    • Tatiana
    • January 12 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest day on which Lee–Jackson Day can fall while January 18 is the latest, celebrated on the Friday before Martin Luther King Day. (Commonwealth of Virginia)
  • Memorial Day (Turkmenistan)
  • National Youth Day (India)
  • Prosecutor General’s Day (Russia)
  • Zanzibar Revolution Day (Tanzania)

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

On This Day

January 11 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 532 – Nika riots in Constantinople: A quarrel between supporters of different chariot teams—the Blues and the Greens—in the Hippodrome escalates into violence.
  • 630 – Conquest of Mecca: The prophet Muhammad and his followers conquer the city, Quraysh surrender.
  • 947 – Emperor Tai Zong of the Khitan-led Liao Dynasty invades the Later Jin, resulting in the destruction of the Later Jin.
  • 1055 – Theodora is crowned empress of the Byzantine Empire.
  • 1158 – Vladislaus II, Duke of Bohemia becomes King of Bohemia.
  • 1569 – First recorded lottery in England.
  • 1571 – Austrian nobility is granted freedom of religion.
  • 1654 – Arauco War: A Spanish army is defeated by local Mapuche-Huilliches as it tries to cross Bueno River in Southern Chile.
  • 1693 – A powerful earthquake destroys parts of Sicily and Malta.
  • 1759 – The first American life insurance company, the Corporation for Relief of Poor and Distressed Presbyterian Ministers and of the Poor and Distressed Widows and Children of the Presbyterian Ministers (now part of Unum Group), is incorporated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
  • 1779 – Ching-Thang Khomba is crowned King of Manipur.
  • 1787 – William Herschel discovers Titania and Oberon, two moons of Uranus.
  • 1805 – The Michigan Territory is created.
  • 1861 – American Civil War: Alabama secedes from the United States.
  • 1863 – American Civil War: Battle of Arkansas Post: General John McClernand and Admiral David Dixon Porter capture the Arkansas River for the Union.
  • 1863 – American Civil War: CSS Alabama encounters and sinks the USS Hatteras off Galveston Lighthouse in Texas.
  • 1879 – The Anglo-Zulu War begins.
  • 1908 – Grand Canyon National Monument is created.
  • 1912 – Immigrant textile workers in Lawrence, Massachusetts, go on strike when wages are reduced in response to a mandated shortening of the work week.
  • 1917 – The Kingsland munitions factory explosion occurs as a result of sabotage.
  • 1922 – First use of insulin to treat diabetes in a human patient.
  • 1923 – Occupation of the Ruhr: Troops from France and Belgium occupy the Ruhr area to force Germany to make its World War I reparation payments.
  • 1927 – Louis B. Mayer, head of film studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), announces the creation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, at a banquet in Los Angeles, California.
  • 1935 – Amelia Earhart becomes the first person to fly solo from Hawaii to California.
  • 1942 – World War II: Japanese forces capture Kuala Lumpur, the capital of the Federated Malay States.
  • 1942 – World War II: Japanese forces attack Tarakan in Borneo, Netherlands Indies (Battle of Tarakan)
  • 1943 – The Republic of China agrees to the Sino-British New Equal Treaty and the Sino-American New Equal Treaty.
  • 1943 – Italian-American anarchist Carlo Tresca is assassinated in New York City.
  • 1946 – Enver Hoxha, Secretary General of the Communist Party of Albania, declares the People’s Republic of Albania with himself as head of state.
  • 1949 – The first “networked” television broadcasts took place as KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania goes on the air connecting the east coast and mid-west programming.
  • 1957 – The African Convention is founded in Dakar, Senegal.
  • 1961 – Throgs Neck Bridge over the East River, linking New York City’s boroughs of The Bronx and Queens, opens to road traffic.
  • 1962 – Cold War: While tied to its pier in Polyarny, the Soviet submarine B-37 is destroyed when fire breaks out in its torpedo compartment.
  • 1962 – An avalanche on Huascarán in Peru causes around 4,000 deaths.
  • 1964 – Surgeon General of the United States Dr. Luther Terry, M.D., publishes the landmark report Smoking and Health: Report of the Advisory Committee to the Surgeon General of the United States saying that smoking may be hazardous to health, sparking national and worldwide anti-smoking efforts.
  • 1972 – East Pakistan renames itself Bangladesh.
  • 1973 – Major League Baseball owners vote in approval of the American League adopting the designated hitter position.
  • 1986 – The Gateway Bridge, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia is officially opened.
  • 1994 – The Irish Government announces the end of a 15-year broadcasting ban on the IRA and its political arm Sinn Féin.
  • 1996 – Space Shuttle program: STS-72 launches from the Kennedy Space Center marking the start of the 74th Space Shuttle mission and the 10th flight of Endeavour.
  • 1998 – Over 100 people are killed in the Sidi-Hamed massacre in Algeria.
  • 2003 – Illinois Governor George Ryan commutes the death sentences of 167 prisoners on Illinois’s death row based on the Jon Burge scandal.
  • 2013 – One French soldier and 17 militants are killed in a failed attempt to free a French hostage in Bulo Marer, Somalia.

Births on January 11

  • 347 – Theodosius I, Roman emperor (d. 395)
  • 889 – Abd-ar-Rahman III, first Caliph of Córdoba (d. 961)
  • 1113 – Wang Chongyang, Chinese religious leader and poet (d. 1170)
  • 1209 – Möngke Khan, Mongolian emperor (d. 1259)
  • 1322 – Emperor Kōmyō of Japan (d. 1380)
  • 1359 – Emperor Go-En’yū of Japan (d. 1393)
  • 1395 – Michele of Valois, daughter of Charles VI of France (d. 1422)
  • 1503 – Parmigianino, Italian artist (d. 1540)
  • 1589 – William Strode, English politician (d. 1666)
  • 1591 – Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex, English general and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire (d. 1646)
  • 1624 – Bastiaan Govertsz van der Leeuw, Dutch painter (d. 1680)
  • 1630 – John Rogers, English-American minister, physician, and academic (d. 1684)
  • 1638 – Nicolas Steno, Danish bishop and anatomist (d. 1686)
  • 1642 – Johann Friedrich Alberti, German organist and composer (d. 1710)
  • 1650 – Diana Glauber, Dutch-German painter (d. 1721)
  • 1671 – François-Marie, 1st duc de Broglie, French general and diplomat (d. 1745)
  • 1755 – Alexander Hamilton, Nevisian-American general, economist and politician, 1st United States Secretary of the Treasury (d. 1804)
  • 1757 – Samuel Bentham, English engineer and architect (d. 1831)
  • 1760 – Oliver Wolcott Jr., American lawyer and politician, 2nd United States Secretary of the Treasury, 24th Governor of Connecticut (d. 1833)
  • 1777 – Vincenzo Borg, Maltese merchant and rebel leader (d. 1837)
  • 1786 – Joseph Jackson Lister, English physicist (d. 1869)
  • 1788 – William Thomas Brande, English chemist and academic (d. 1866)
  • 1800 – Ányos Jedlik, Hungarian physicist and engineer (d. 1895)
  • 1807 – Ezra Cornell, American businessman and philanthropist, founded Western Union and Cornell University (d. 1874)
  • 1814 – James Paget, English surgeon and pathologist (d. 1899)
  • 1815 – John A. Macdonald, Scottish-Canadian lawyer and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Canada (d. 1891)
  • 1825 – Bayard Taylor, American poet, author, and critic (d. 1878)
  • 1839 – Eugenio María de Hostos, Puerto Rican lawyer, philosopher, and sociologist (d. 1903)
  • 1842 – William James, American psychologist and philosopher (d. 1910)
  • 1843 – Adolf Eberle, German painter (d. 1914)
  • 1845 – Albert Victor Bäcklund, Swedish mathematician and physicist (d. 1912)
  • 1850 – Joseph Charles Arthur, American pathologist and mycologist (d. 1942)
  • 1852 – Constantin Fehrenbach, German lawyer and politician, 4th Chancellor of Weimar Germany (d. 1926)
  • 1853 – Georgios Jakobides, Greek painter and sculptor (d. 1932)
  • 1856 – Christian Sinding, Norwegian pianist and composer (d. 1941)
  • 1857 – Fred Archer, English jockey (d. 1886)
  • 1858 – Harry Gordon Selfridge, American-English businessman, founded Selfridges (d. 1947)
  • 1859 – George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston, English politician, 35th Governor-General of India (d. 1925)
  • 1864 – Thomas Dixon, Jr., American minister, lawyer, and politician (d. 1946)
  • 1867 – Edward B. Titchener, English psychologist and academic (d. 1927)
  • 1868 – Cai Yuanpei, Chinese philosopher, academic, and politician (d. 1940)
  • 1870 – Alexander Stirling Calder, American sculptor and educator (d. 1945)
  • 1872 – G. W. Pierce, American physicist and academic (d. 1956)
  • 1873 – John Callan O’Laughlin, American soldier and journalist (d. 1949)
  • 1875 – Reinhold Glière, Russian composer and academic (d. 1956)
  • 1876 – Elmer Flick, American baseball player (d. 1971)
  • 1876 – Thomas Hicks, American runner (d. 1952)
  • 1878 – Theodoros Pangalos, Greek general and politician, President of Greece (d. 1952)
  • 1885 – Alice Paul, American activist and suffragist (d. 1977)
  • 1887 – Aldo Leopold, American ecologist and author (d. 1948)
  • 1888 – Joseph B. Keenan, American jurist and politician (d. 1954)
  • 1889 – Calvin Bridges, American geneticist and academic (d. 1938)
  • 1890 – Max Carey, American baseball player and manager (d. 1976)
  • 1890 – Oswald de Andrade, Brazilian poet and critic (d. 1954)
  • 1891 – Andrew Sockalexis, American runner (d. 1919)
  • 1893 – Ellinor Aiki, Estonian painter (d. 1969)
  • 1893 – Charles Fraser, Australian rugby league player and coach (d. 1981)
  • 1893 – Anthony M. Rud, American journalist and author (d. 1942)
  • 1895 – Laurens Hammond, American engineer and businessman, founded the Hammond Clock Company (d. 1973)
  • 1897 – Bernard DeVoto, American historian and author (d. 1955)
  • 1897 – August Heissmeyer, German SS officer (d. 1979)
  • 1899 – Eva Le Gallienne, English-American actress, director, and producer (d. 1991)
  • 1901 – Kwon Ki-ok, Korean pilot (d. 1988)
  • 1902 – Maurice Duruflé, French organist and composer (d. 1986)
  • 1903 – Alan Paton, South African author and activist (d. 1988)
  • 1905 – Clyde Kluckhohn, American anthropologist and theorist (d. 1960)
  • 1906 – Albert Hofmann, Swiss chemist and academic, discoverer of LSD (d. 2008)
  • 1907 – Pierre Mendès France, French lawyer and politician, 142nd Prime Minister of France (d. 1982)
  • 1907 – Abraham Joshua Heschel, Polish-American rabbi, theologian, and philosopher (d. 1972)
  • 1908 – Lionel Stander, American actor and activist (d. 1994)
  • 1910 – Arthur Lambourn, New Zealand rugby player (d. 1999)
  • 1910 – Shane Paltridge, Australian soldier and politician (d. 1966)
  • 1911 – Tommy Duncan, American singer-songwriter (d. 1967)
  • 1911 – Nora Heysen, Australian painter (d. 2003)
  • 1911 – Zenkō Suzuki, Japanese politician, 70th Prime Minister of Japan (d. 2004)
  • 1912 – Don “Red” Barry, American actor, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1980)
  • 1913 – Karl Stegger, Danish actor (d. 1980)
  • 1915 – Luise Krüger, German javelin thrower (d. 2001)
  • 1915 – Paddy Mayne, British colonel and lawyer (d. 1955)
  • 1916 – Bernard Blier, Argentinian-French actor (d. 1989)
  • 1917 – John Robarts, Canadian lawyer and politician, 17th Premier of Ontario (d. 1982)
  • 1918 – Robert C. O’Brien, American author and journalist (d. 1973)
  • 1920 – Mick McManus, English wrestler (d. 2013)
  • 1921 – Gory Guerrero, American wrestler and trainer (d. 1990)
  • 1921 – Juanita M. Kreps, American economist and politician, 24th United States Secretary of Commerce (d. 2010)
  • 1923 – Jerome Bixby, American author and screenwriter (d. 1998)
  • 1923 – Ernst Nolte, German historian and philosopher (d. 2016)
  • 1923 – Carroll Shelby, American race car driver, engineer, and businessman, founded Carroll Shelby International (d. 2012)
  • 1924 – Roger Guillemin, French-American physician and endocrinologist, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1924 – Sam B. Hall, Jr., American lawyer, judge, and politician (d. 1994)
  • 1924 – Slim Harpo, American blues singer-songwriter and musician (d. 1970)
  • 1925 – Grant Tinker, American television producer, co-founded MTM Enterprises (d. 2016)
  • 1926 – Lev Dyomin, Russian colonel, pilot, and astronaut (d. 1998)
  • 1928 – David L. Wolper, American director and producer (d. 2010)
  • 1929 – Dmitri Bruns, Estonian architect and theorist (d. 2020)
  • 1930 – Ron Mulock, Australian lawyer and politician, 10th Deputy Premier of New South Wales (d. 2014)
  • 1930 – Rod Taylor, Australian-American actor and screenwriter (d. 2015)
  • 1931 – Betty Churcher, Australian painter, historian, and curator (d. 2015)
  • 1931 – Mary Rodgers, American composer and author (d. 2014)
  • 1932 – Alfonso Arau, Mexican actor and director
  • 1933 – Goldie Hill, American country singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2005)
  • 1934 – Jean Chrétien, Canadian lawyer and politician, 20th Prime Minister of Canada
  • 1936 – Eva Hesse, German-American sculptor and educator (d. 1970)
  • 1938 – Arthur Scargill, English miner, activist, and politician
  • 1939 – Anne Heggtveit, Canadian alpine skier
  • 1940 – Andres Tarand, Estonian geographer and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Estonia
  • 1941 – Gérson, Brazilian footballer
  • 1942 – Bud Acton, American basketball player
  • 1942 – Clarence Clemons, American saxophonist and actor (d. 2011)
  • 1944 – Mohammed Abdul-Hayy, Sudanese poet and academic (d. 1989)
  • 1944 – Shibu Soren, Indian politician, 3rd Chief Minister of Jharkhand
  • 1945 – Christine Kaufmann, German actress, author, and businesswoman (d. 2017)
  • 1946 – Naomi Judd, American singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1946 – Tony Kaye, English progressive rock keyboard player and songwriter (Yes)
  • 1946 – John Piper, American theologian and author
  • 1947 – Hamish Macdonald, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1948 – Fritz Bohla, German footballer and manager
  • 1948 – Joe Harper, Scottish footballer and manager
  • 1948 – Madeline Manning, American runner and coach
  • 1948 – Wajima Hiroshi, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 54th Yokozuna
  • 1948 – Terry Williams, Welsh drummer
  • 1949 – Daryl Braithwaite, Australian singer-songwriter
  • 1949 – Mohammad Reza Rahimi, Iranian lawyer and politician, 2nd Vice President of Iran
  • 1951 – Charlie Huhn, American rock singer and guitarist
  • 1951 – Willie Maddren, English footballer and manager (d. 2000)
  • 1951 – Philip Tartaglia, Scottish archbishop
  • 1952 – Bille Brown, Australian actor and playwright (d. 2013)
  • 1952 – Ben Crenshaw, American golfer and architect
  • 1952 – Michael Forshaw, Australian lawyer and politician
  • 1952 – Diana Gabaldon, American author
  • 1952 – Lee Ritenour, American guitarist, composer, and producer
  • 1953 – Graham Allen, English politician, Vice-Chamberlain of the Household
  • 1953 – Kostas Skandalidis, Greek engineer and politician, Greek Minister of Agricultural Development and Food
  • 1954 – Jaak Aaviksoo, Estonian physicist and politician, 26th Estonian Minister of Defence
  • 1954 – Kailash Satyarthi, Indian engineer, academic, and activist, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1956 – Big Bank Hank, American rapper (d. 2014)
  • 1957 – Darryl Dawkins, American basketball player and coach (d. 2015)
  • 1957 – Peter Moore, Australian rules footballer and coach
  • 1957 – Bryan Robson, English footballer and manager
  • 1958 – Vicki Peterson, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1959 – Brett Bodine, American NASCAR driver
  • 1959 – Rob Ramage, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1961 – Lars-Erik Torph, Swedish racing driver (d. 1989)
  • 1962 – Chris Bryant, Welsh politician, Minister of State for Europe
  • 1962 – Susan Lindauer, American journalist and activist
  • 1962 – Brian Moore, English rugby player
  • 1963 – Tracy Caulkins, American-Australian swimmer
  • 1963 – Petra Schneider, German swimmer
  • 1964 – Ralph Recto, Filipino lawyer and politician
  • 1964 – Albert Dupontel, French actor and director
  • 1965 – Mascarita Sagrada, Mexican wrestler
  • 1965 – Aleksey Zhukov, Russian footballer and coach
  • 1966 – Marc Acito, American author and screenwriter
  • 1967 – Michael Healy-Rae, Irish politician
  • 1968 – Anders Borg, Swedish economist and politician, Swedish Minister for Finance
  • 1968 – Tom Dumont, American guitarist and producer
  • 1969 – Manny Acta, Dominican-American baseball player, coach, manager, and sportscaster
  • 1970 – Manfredi Beninati, Italian painter and sculptor
  • 1970 – Chris Jent, American basketball player and coach
  • 1970 – Malcolm D. Lee, American director, producer, screenwriter, and actor
  • 1970 – Ken Ueno, American composer
  • 1971 – Mary J. Blige, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
  • 1971 – Jeff Orford, Australian rugby league player
  • 1971 – Chris Willsher, English singer-songwriter, drummer, and actor
  • 1972 – Christian Jacobs, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor
  • 1972 – Anthony Lledo, Danish composer
  • 1972 – Amanda Peet, American actress and playwright
  • 1973 – Rockmond Dunbar, American actor
  • 1973 – Rahul Dravid, Indian cricketer and captain
  • 1974 – Roman Görtz, German footballer
  • 1974 – Cody McKay, Canadian baseball player
  • 1974 – Jens Nowotny, German footballer
  • 1975 – Rory Fitzpatrick, American ice hockey player
  • 1975 – Dan Luger, English rugby player and coach
  • 1975 – Matteo Renzi, Italian politician, 56th Prime Minister of Italy
  • 1976 – Efthimios Rentzias, Greek basketball player
  • 1977 – Shamari Buchanan, American football player
  • 1977 – Anni Friesinger-Postma, German speed skater
  • 1977 – Olexiy Lukashevych, Ukrainian long jumper
  • 1978 – Vallo Allingu, Estonian basketball player
  • 1978 – Holly Brisley, Australian actress
  • 1978 – Michael Duff, Irish footballer
  • 1978 – Emile Heskey, English footballer
  • 1979 – Darren Lynn Bousman, American director and screenwriter
  • 1979 – Michael Lorenz, German footballer
  • 1979 – Henry Shefflin, Irish hurler
  • 1980 – Josh Hannay, Australian rugby league player
  • 1980 – Mike Williams, American football player
  • 1982 – Tony Allen, American basketball player
  • 1982 – Blake Heron, American actor (d. 2017)
  • 1982 – Son Ye-jin, South Korean actress
  • 1983 – Turner Battle, American basketball player
  • 1983 – André Myhrer, Swedish skier
  • 1983 – Ted Richards, Australian rules footballer
  • 1983 – Adrian Sutil, German racing driver
  • 1984 – Kevin Boss, American football player
  • 1984 – Dario Krešić, Croatian footballer
  • 1984 – Matt Mullenweg, American web developer and businessman, co-created WordPress
  • 1984 – Stijn Schaars, Dutch footballer
  • 1985 – Newton Faulkner, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1985 – Lucy Knisley, American author and illustrator
  • 1987 – Scotty Cranmer, American Professional BMX rider
  • 1987 – Danuta Kozák, Hungarian sprint canoer
  • 1987 – Daniel Semenzato, Italian footballer
  • 1987 – Jamie Vardy, English footballer
  • 1987 – Kim Young-kwang, South Korean actor and model
  • 1988 – Rodrigo José Pereira, Brazilian footballer
  • 1989 – Kane Linnett, Australian rugby league player
  • 1990 – Ryan Griffin, American football player
  • 1991 – Andrea Bertolacci, Italian footballer
  • 1992 – Dani Carvajal, Spanish footballer
  • 1992 – Lee Seung-hoon, South Korean rapper and dancer
  • 1993 – Michael Keane, English footballer
  • 1993 – Will Keane, English footballer
  • 1996 – Leroy Sané, German footballer
  • 1997 – Cody Simpson, Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor

Deaths on January 11

  • 140 – Pope Hyginus, Bishop of Rome (b. 74)
  • 705 – Pope John VI (b. 655)
  • 782 – Emperor Kōnin of Japan (b. 709)
  • 812 – Staurakios, Byzantine emperor
  • 844 – Michael I Rangabe, Byzantine emperor (b. 770)
  • 887 – Boso of Provence, Frankish nobleman
  • 937 – Cao, empress of Later Tang
  • 937 – Li Chongmei, prince of Later Tang
  • 937 – Li Congke, emperor of Later Tang (b. 885)
  • 937 – Liu, empress of Later Tang
  • 1055 – Constantine IX Monomachos, Byzantine emperor (b. 1000)
  • 1068 – Egbert I, Margrave of Meissen
  • 1083 – Otto of Nordheim (b. 1020)
  • 1266 – Swietopelk II, Duke of Pomerania
  • 1344 – Thomas Charlton, Bishop of Hereford and Lord Chancellor of Ireland
  • 1372 – Eleanor of Lancaster, English noblewoman (b. 1318)
  • 1396 – Isidore Glabas, Metropolitan bishop of Thessalonica (b.c. 1341)
  • 1397 – Skirgaila, Grand Duke of Lithuania
  • 1494 – Domenico Ghirlandaio, Italian painter (b. 1449)
  • 1495 – Pedro González de Mendoza, Spanish cardinal (b. 1428)
  • 1546 – Gaudenzio Ferrari, Italian painter and sculptor (b. c. 1471)
  • 1547 – Pietro Bembo, Italian poet, scholar, and theorist (b. 1470)
  • 1554 – Min Bin, king of Arakan (b. 1493)
  • 1641 – Juan Martínez de Jáuregui y Aguilar, Spanish poet and painter (b. 1583)
  • 1696 – Charles Albanel, French priest, missionary, and explorer (b. 1616)
  • 1703 – Johann Georg Graevius, German scholar and critic (b. 1632)
  • 1713 – Pierre Jurieu, French priest and theologian (b. 1637)
  • 1735 – Danilo I, Metropolitan of Cetinje (b. 1670)
  • 1753 – Hans Sloane, Irish-English physician and academic (b. 1660)
  • 1757 – Louis Bertrand Castel, French mathematician and philosopher (b. 1688)
  • 1762 – Louis-François Roubiliac, French-English sculptor (b. 1695)
  • 1763 – Caspar Abel, German poet, historian, and theologian (b. 1676)
  • 1771 – Jean-Baptiste de Boyer, Marquis d’Argens, French philosopher and author (b. 1704)
  • 1788 – François Joseph Paul de Grasse, French admiral (b. 1722)
  • 1791 – William Williams Pantycelyn, Welsh composer and poet (b. 1717)
  • 1798 – Heraclius II of Georgia (b. 1720)
  • 1801 – Domenico Cimarosa, Italian composer and educator (b. 1749)
  • 1824 – Thomas Mullins, 1st Baron Ventry, Anglo-Irish politician and peer (b. 1736)
  • 1836 – John Molson, Canadian businessman, founded the Molson Brewing Company (b. 1763)
  • 1843 – Francis Scott Key, American lawyer, author, and songwriter (b. 1779)
  • 1866 – Gustavus Vaughan Brooke, Irish actor (b. 1818)
  • 1866 – John Woolley, English minister and academic (b. 1816)
  • 1867 – Stuart Donaldson, English-Australian businessman and politician, 1st Premier of New South Wales (b. 1812)
  • 1882 – Theodor Schwann, German physiologist and biologist (b. 1810)
  • 1891 – Georges-Eugène Haussmann, French urban planner (b. 1809)
  • 1902 – Johnny Briggs, English cricketer and rugby player (b. 1862)
  • 1904 – William Sawyer, Canadian merchant and politician (b. 1815)
  • 1914 – Carl Jacobsen, Danish brewer and philanthropist (b. 1842)
  • 1920 – Steinar Schjøtt, Norwegian philologist and lexicographer (b. 1844)
  • 1923 – Constantine I of Greece (b. 1868)
  • 1928 – Thomas Hardy, English novelist and poet (b. 1840)
  • 1931 – James Milton Carroll, American pastor, historian, and author (b. 1852)
  • 1937 – Nuri Conker, Turkish colonel and politician (b. 1882)
  • 1941 – Emanuel Lasker, German mathematician, philosopher, and chess player (b. 1868)
  • 1944 – Galeazzo Ciano, Italian politician, Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1903)
  • 1947 – Eva Tanguay, Canadian singer (b. 1879)
  • 1952 – Jean de Lattre de Tassigny, French general (b. 1889)
  • 1952 – Aureliano Pertile, Italian tenor and educator (b. 1885)
  • 1953 – Noe Zhordania, Georgian journalist and politician, Prime Minister of Georgia (b. 1868)
  • 1954 – Oscar Straus, Austrian composer (b. 1870)
  • 1957 – Robert Garran, Australian lawyer and politician, Solicitor-General of Australia (b. 1867)
  • 1958 – Alec Rowley, English organist and composer (b. 1892)
  • 1958 – Edna Purviance, American actress (b. 1895)
  • 1961 – Elena Gerhardt, German soprano and actress (b. 1883)
  • 1963 – Arthur Nock, English-American scholar, theologian, and academic (b. 1902)
  • 1965 – Wally Pipp, American baseball player (b. 1893)
  • 1966 – Alberto Giacometti, Swiss sculptor and painter (b. 1901)
  • 1966 – Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indian academic and politician, 2nd Prime Minister of India (b. 1904)
  • 1968 – Moshe Zvi Segal, Israeli linguist and scholar (b. 1876)
  • 1969 – Richmal Crompton, English author and educator (b. 1890)
  • 1972 – Padraic Colum, Irish poet and playwright (b. 1881)
  • 1975 – Max Lorenz, German tenor and actor (b. 1901)
  • 1980 – Barbara Pym, English author (b. 1913)
  • 1981 – Beulah Bondi, American actress (b. 1889)
  • 1982 – Paul Lynde, American Actor and comedian (b. 1926)
  • 1985 – Edward Buzzell, American actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1895)
  • 1985 – William McKell, Australian lawyer and politician, 12th Governor-General of Australia (b. 1891)
  • 1986 – Sid Chaplin, English author and screenwriter (b. 1916)
  • 1986 – Andrzej Czok, Polish mountaineer (b. 1948)
  • 1987 – Albert Ferber, Swiss-English pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1911)
  • 1988 – Pappy Boyington, American colonel and pilot, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1912)
  • 1988 – Isidor Isaac Rabi, Polish-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1898)
  • 1989 – Ray Moore, English radio host (b. 1942)
  • 1990 – Carolyn Haywood, American author and illustrator (b. 1898)
  • 1991 – Carl David Anderson, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1905)
  • 1994 – Helmut Poppendick, German physician (b. 1902)
  • 1995 – Josef Gingold, Belarusian-American violinist and educator (b. 1909)
  • 1995 – Onat Kutlar, Turkish author and poet (b. 1936)
  • 1995 – Lewis Nixon, U.S. Army captain (b. 1918)
  • 1995 – Theodor Wisch, German general (b. 1907)
  • 1996 – Roger Crozier, Canadian-American ice hockey player, coach, and manager (b. 1942)
  • 1999 – Fabrizio De André, Italian singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1940)
  • 1999 – Naomi Mitchison, Scottish author and poet (b. 1897)
  • 1999 – Brian Moore, Irish-Canadian author and screenwriter (b. 1921)
  • 2000 – Ivan Combe, American businessman, invented Clearasil (b. 1911)
  • 2000 – Bob Lemon, American baseball player and manager (b. 1920)
  • 2001 – Denys Lasdun, English architect, co-designed the Royal National Theatre (b. 1914)
  • 2002 – Henri Verneuil, French-Armenian director and playwright (b. 1920)
  • 2003 – Jože Pučnik, Slovenian sociologist and politician (b. 1932)
  • 2007 – Solveig Dommartin, French-German actress (b. 1961)
  • 2007 – Robert Anton Wilson, American psychologist, author, poet, and playwright (b. 1932)
  • 2008 – Edmund Hillary, New Zealand mountaineer and explorer (b. 1919)
  • 2008 – Carl Karcher, American businessman, co-founded Carl’s Jr. (b. 1917)
  • 2010 – Miep Gies, Austrian-Dutch humanitarian (b. 1909)
  • 2010 – Éric Rohmer, French director, screenwriter, and critic (b. 1920)
  • 2011 – David Nelson, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1936)
  • 2012 – Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan, Iranian physicist and academic (b. 1980)
  • 2012 – Gilles Jacquier, French journalist and photographer (b. 1968)
  • 2012 – Edgar Kaiser, Jr, American-Canadian businessman and philanthropist (b. 1942)
  • 2012 – Wally Osterkorn, American basketball player (b. 1928)
  • 2012 – Steven Rawlings, English astrophysicist, astronomer, and academic (b. 1961)
  • 2012 – David Whitaker, English composer and conductor (b. 1931)
  • 2013 – Aaron Swartz, American programmer (b. 1986)
  • 2013 – Guido Forti, Italian businessman, founded the Forti Racing Team (b. 1940)
  • 2013 – Nguyễn Khánh, Vietnamese general and politician, 3rd President of South Vietnam (b. 1927)
  • 2013 – Mariangela Melato, Italian actress (b. 1941)
  • 2013 – Tom Parry Jones, Welsh chemist, invented the breathalyzer (b. 1935)
  • 2013 – Alemayehu Shumye, Ethiopian runner (b. 1988)
  • 2014 – Keiko Awaji, Japanese actress (b. 1933)
  • 2014 – Muhammad Habibur Rahman, Indian-Bangladeshi jurist and politician, Prime Minister of Bangladesh (b. 1928)
  • 2014 – Chai Trong-rong, Taiwanese educator and politician (b. 1935)
  • 2014 – Ariel Sharon, Israeli general and politician, 11th Prime Minister of Israel (b. 1928)
  • 2015 – Jenő Buzánszky, Hungarian footballer and coach (b. 1925)
  • 2015 – Anita Ekberg, Swedish-Italian model and actress (b. 1931)
  • 2015 – Chashi Nazrul Islam, Bangladeshi director and producer (b. 1941)
  • 2015 – Vernon Benjamin Mountcastle, American neuroscientist and academic (b. 1918)
  • 2016 – Monte Irvin, American baseball player (b. 1919)
  • 2016 – David Margulies, American actor (b. 1937)
  • 2017 – Adenan Satem, Malaysian politician and Chief Minister of Sarawak, Malaysia (b. 1944)
  • 2018 – Edgar Ray Killen, American murderer (b.1925)
  • 2019 – Michael Atiyah, British-Lebanese mathematician (b.1929)

Holidays and observances on January 11

  • Children’s Day (Tunisia)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Anastasius of Suppentonia (Roman Catholic)
    • Leucius of Brindisi (Roman Catholic)
    • Mary Slessor (Church of England)
    • Paulinus II of Aquileia
    • Pope Hyginus
    • Theodosius the Cenobiarch
    • Thomas of Cori
    • Vitalis of Gaza (Roman Catholic)
    • January 11 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest day on which Triodion can fall, while February 14 is the latest; celebrated 70 days before Easter. (Eastern Orthodox)
  • Eugenio María de Hostos Day (Puerto Rico)
  • Independence Resistance Day (Morocco)
  • Kagami biraki (Japan)
  • National Human Trafficking Awareness Day (United States)
  • Republic Day (Albania)
  • Carmentalia (January 11th and January 15th), (Rome)

January 11 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

January 10 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 49 BC – Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signalling the start of civil war.
  • AD 9 – The Western Han dynasty ends when Wang Mang claims that the divine Mandate of Heaven called for the end of the dynasty and the beginning of his own, the Xin dynasty.
  • AD 69 – Lucius Calpurnius Piso Licinianus is appointed by Galba as deputy Roman Emperor.
  • 236 – Pope Fabian succeeds Anterus to become the twentieth pope of Rome.
  • 1072 – Robert Guiscard conquers Palermo in Sicily for the Normans.
  • 1430 – Philip the Good, the Duke of Burgundy, establishes the Order of the Golden Fleece, the most prestigious, exclusive, and expensive order of chivalry in the world.
  • 1475 – Stephen III of Moldavia defeats the Ottoman Empire at the Battle of Vaslui.
  • 1645 – Archbishop William Laud is beheaded for treason at the Tower of London.
  • 1776 – American Revolution: Thomas Paine publishes his pamphlet Common Sense.
  • 1791 – The Siege of Dunlap’s Station begins near Cincinnati during the Northwest Indian War.
  • 1806 – Two British brigades occupy Cape Town after the Battle of Blaauwberg.
  • 1812 – The first steamboat on the Ohio River or the Mississippi River arrives in New Orleans, 82 days after departing from Pittsburgh.
  • 1861 – American Civil War: Florida becomes the third state to secede from the Union.
  • 1863 – The Metropolitan Railway, the world’s oldest underground railway, opens between Paddington and Farringdon, marking the beginning of the London Underground.
  • 1870 – John D. Rockefeller incorporates Standard Oil.
  • 1901 – The first great Texas oil gusher is discovered at Spindletop in Beaumont, Texas.
  • 1916 – World War I: In the Erzurum Offensive, Russia defeats the Ottoman Empire.
  • 1920 – The Treaty of Versailles takes effect, officially ending World War I.
  • 1920 – League of Nations Covenant enters into force. On January 16 the organization holds its first council meeting, in Paris.
  • 1927 – Fritz Lang’s futuristic film Metropolis is released in Germany.
  • 1941 – World War II: The Greek army captures Kleisoura.
  • 1946 – The first General Assembly of the United Nations opens in London. Fifty-one nations are represented.
  • 1946 – The United States Army Signal Corps successfully conducts Project Diana, bouncing radio waves off the Moon and receiving the reflected signals.
  • 1954 – BOAC Flight 781, a de Havilland DH.106 Comet 1, explodes and falls into the Tyrrhenian Sea killing 35 people.
  • 1962 – Apollo program: NASA announces plans to build the C-5 rocket launch vehicle, which became known as the Saturn V Moon rocket, which launched every Apollo Moon mission.
  • 1966 – Tashkent Declaration, a peace agreement between India and Pakistan signed that resolved the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.
  • 1972 – Sheikh Mujibur Rahman returns to the newly independent Bangladesh as president after spending over nine months in prison in Pakistan.
  • 1981 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensive, gaining control of most of Morazán and Chalatenango departments
  • 1984 – Holy See–United States relations: The United States and Holy See (Vatican City) re-establish full diplomatic relations after almost 117 years, overturning the United States Congress’s 1867 ban on public funding for such a diplomatic envoy.
  • 1985 – Sandinista Daniel Ortega becomes president of Nicaragua and vows to continue the transformation to socialism and alliance with the Soviet Union and Cuba; American policy continues to support the Contras in their revolt against the Nicaraguan government.
  • 1990 – Time Warner is formed by the merger of Time Inc. and Warner Communications.
  • 2007 – A general strike begins in Guinea in an attempt to get President Lansana Conté to resign.
  • 2012 – A bombing in Khyber Agency, Pakistan, kills at least 30 people and 78 others injured.
  • 2013 – More than 100 people are killed and 270 injured in several bomb blasts in Pakistan.
  • 2015 – A traffic accident between an oil tanker truck and passenger coach en route to Shikarpur from Karachi on the Pakistan National Highway Link Road near Gulshan-e-Hadeed, Karachi, killing at least 62 people.

Births on January 10

  • 626 – Husayn ibn Ali the third Shia Imam (d. 680)
  • 1392 – Johanna van Polanen, Dutch noblewoman (d. 1445)
  • 1480 – Margaret of Austria, Duchess of Savoy (d. 1530)
  • 1538 – Louis of Nassau (d. 1574)
  • 1607 – Isaac Jogues, French priest and missionary (d. 1646)
  • 1644 – Louis François, duc de Boufflers, French general (d. 1711)
  • 1654 – Joshua Barnes, English historian and scholar (d. 1712)
  • 1702 – Johannes Zick, German painter (d. 1762)
  • 1715 – Christian August Crusius, German philosopher and theologian (d. 1775)
  • 1729 – Lazzaro Spallanzani, Italian priest, biologist, and physiologist (d. 1799)
  • 1745 – Isaac Titsingh, Dutch surgeon, scholar, and diplomat (d. 1812)
  • 1750 – Thomas Erskine, 1st Baron Erskine, Scottish-English lawyer and politician, Lord Chancellor of Great Britain (d. 1823)
  • 1760 – Johann Rudolf Zumsteeg, German composer and conductor (d. 1802)
  • 1769 – Michel Ney, French general (d. 1815)
  • 1776 – George Birkbeck, English physician and academic, founded Birkbeck, University of London (d. 1841)
  • 1780 – Martin Lichtenstein, German physician and explorer (d. 1857)
  • 1802 – Carl Ritter von Ghega, Italian-Austrian engineer, designed the Semmering railway (d. 1860)
  • 1810 – Ferdinand Barbedienne, French engineer (d. 1892)
  • 1810 – Jeremiah S. Black, American jurist and politician, 23rd United States Secretary of State (d. 1883)
  • 1810 – William Haines, English-Australian politician, 1st Premier of Victoria (d. 1866)
  • 1812 – Georg Hermann Nicolai, German architect and academic (d. 1881)
  • 1828 – Herman Koeckemann, German bishop and missionary (d. 1892)
  • 1829 – Epameinondas Deligeorgis, Greek lawyer, journalist and politician, Prime Minister of Greece (d. 1879)
  • 1834 – John Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton, Italian-English historian and politician (d. 1902)
  • 1836 – Charles Ingalls, American farmer and carpenter (d. 1902)
  • 1840 – Louis-Nazaire Bégin, Canadian cardinal (d. 1925)
  • 1842 – Luigi Pigorini, Italian paleontologist, archaeologist, and ethnographer (d. 1925)
  • 1843 – Frank James, American soldier and criminal (d. 1915)
  • 1848 – Reinhold Sadler, American merchant and politician, 9th Governor of Nevada (d. 1906)
  • 1849 – Robert Crosbie, Canadian theosophist, founded the United Lodge of Theosophists (d. 1919)
  • 1850 – John Wellborn Root, American architect, designed the Rookery Building and Monadnock Building (d. 1891)
  • 1854 – Ramón Corral, Mexican general and politician, 6th Vice President of Mexico (d. 1912)
  • 1858 – Heinrich Zille, German illustrator and photographer (d. 1929)
  • 1859 – Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia, Spanish philosopher and academic (d. 1909)
  • 1860 – Charles G. D. Roberts, Canadian poet and author (d. 1943)
  • 1864 – Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich of Russia (d. 1931)
  • 1873 – Algernon Maudslay, English sailor (d. 1948)
  • 1873 – Jack O’Neill, Irish-American baseball player (d. 1935)
  • 1873 – George Orton, Canadian runner and hurdler (d. 1958)
  • 1875 – Issai Schur, German mathematician and academic (d. 1941)
  • 1877 – Frederick Gardner Cottrell, American physical chemist, inventor and philanthropist (d. 1948)
  • 1878 – John McLean, American hurdler, football player, and coach (d. 1955)
  • 1880 – Manuel Azaña, Spanish jurist and politician, 7th President of Spain (d. 1940)
  • 1883 – Francis X. Bushman, American actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1966)
  • 1883 – Aleksey Nikolayevich Tolstoy, Russian journalist, author, and poet (d. 1945)
  • 1887 – Robinson Jeffers, American poet and philosopher (d. 1962)
  • 1890 – Pina Menichelli, Italian actress (d. 1984)
  • 1891 – Heinrich Behmann, German mathematician and academic (d. 1970)
  • 1891 – Ann Shoemaker, American actress (d. 1978)
  • 1892 – Dumas Malone, American historian and author (d. 1986)
  • 1892 – Melchior Wańkowicz, Polish soldier, journalist, and author (d. 1974)
  • 1893 – Albert Jacka, Australian captain, Victoria Cross recipient (d. 1932)
  • 1894 – Pingali Lakshmikantam, Indian poet and author (d. 1972)
  • 1895 – Percy Cerutty, Australian athletics coach (d. 1975)
  • 1896 – Yong Mun Sen, Malaysian watercolour painter (d. 1962)
  • 1898 – Katharine Burr Blodgett, American physicist and engineer (d. 1979)
  • 1900 – Violette Cordery, English racing driver (d. 1983)
  • 1902 – Dobriša Cesarić, Croatian poet and translator (d. 1980)
  • 1903 – Barbara Hepworth, English sculptor (d. 1975)
  • 1903 – Pud Thurlow, Australian cricketer (d. 1975)
  • 1903 – Voldemar Väli, Estonian wrestler (d. 1997)
  • 1904 – Ray Bolger, American actor and dancer (d. 1987)
  • 1905 – Albert Arlen, Australian pianist, composer, actor, and playwright (d. 1993)
  • 1907 – Gordon Kidd Teal, American engineer and inventor (d. 2003)
  • 1908 – Paul Henreid, Italian-American actor and director (d. 1992)
  • 1910 – Jean Martinon, French conductor and composer (d. 1976)
  • 1911 – Binod Bihari Chowdhury, Bangladeshi activist (d. 2013)
  • 1911 – Norman Heatley, English biologist and chemist (d. 2004)
  • 1912 – Maria Mandl, Austrian SS guard (d. 1948)
  • 1913 – Franco Bordoni, Italian racing driver and pilot (d. 1975)
  • 1913 – Gustáv Husák, Slovak politician, 9th President of Czechoslovakia (d. 1991)
  • 1913 – Mehmet Shehu, Albanian soldier and politician, 22nd Prime Minister of Albania (d. 1981)
  • 1914 – Pierre Cogan, French cyclist (d. 2013)
  • 1914 – Yu Kuo-hwa, Chinese politician, 23rd Premier of the Republic of China (d. 2000)
  • 1915 – Dean Dixon, American-Swiss conductor (d. 1976)
  • 1915 – Cynthia Freeman, American author (d. 1988)
  • 1916 – Sune Bergström, Swedish biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2004)
  • 1916 – Eldzier Cortor, American painter (d. 2015)
  • 1916 – Don Metz, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2007)
  • 1917 – Jerry Wexler, American journalist and producer (d. 2008)
  • 1918 – Les Bennett, English footballer and manager (d. 1999)
  • 1918 – Arthur Chung, Guyanese lawyer and politician, 1st President of Guyana (d. 2008)
  • 1918 – Harry Merkel, German racing driver (d. 1995)
  • 1919 – Terukuni Manzō, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 38th Yokozuna (d. 1977)
  • 1919 – Milton Parker, American businessman, co-founded the Carnegie Deli (d. 2009)
  • 1920 – Rosella Hightower, American ballerina (d. 2008)
  • 1920 – Roberto M. Levingston, Argentinian general and politician, 36th President of Argentina (d. 2015)
  • 1920 – Max Patkin, American baseball player and clown (d. 1999)
  • 1921 – Rodger Ward, American aviator, race car driver and sportscaster (d. 2004)
  • 1922 – Billy Liddell, Scottish-English footballer (d. 2001)
  • 1924 – Earl Bakken, American inventor (d. 2018)
  • 1924 – Ludmilla Chiriaeff, Canadian ballerina, choreographer, and director (d. 1996)
  • 1925 – Billie Sol Estes, American financier and businessman (d. 2013)
  • 1926 – Musallam Bseiso, Palestinian journalist and politician (d. 2017)
  • 1927 – Gisele MacKenzie, Canadian-American singer and actress (d. 2003)
  • 1927 – Johnnie Ray, American singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 1990)
  • 1927 – Otto Stich, Swiss lawyer and politician, 140th President of the Swiss Confederation (d. 2012)
  • 1928 – Philip Levine, American poet and academic (d. 2015)
  • 1928 – Peter Mathias, English historian and academic (d. 2016)
  • 1929 – Tony Soper, English ornithologist and author
  • 1930 – Roy E. Disney, American businessman (d. 2009)
  • 1931 – Peter Barnes, English playwright and screenwriter (d. 2004)
  • 1931 – Rosalind Howells, Baroness Howells of St Davids, Grenadian-English academic and politician
  • 1931 – Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, Malaysian cleric and politician, 12th Menteri Besar of Kelantan (d. 2015)
  • 1931 – John Zizioulas, Greek metropolitan
  • 1934 – Leonid Kravchuk, Ukrainian politician, 1st President of Ukraine
  • 1935 – Ronnie Hawkins, American rockabilly singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1935 – Sherrill Milnes, American opera singer and educator
  • 1936 – Stephen E. Ambrose, American historian and author (d. 2002)
  • 1936 – Walter Bodmer, German-English geneticist and academic
  • 1936 – Robert Woodrow Wilson, American physicist and astronomer, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1937 – Daniel Walker Howe, American historian and academic
  • 1937 – Thomas Penfield Jackson, American soldier, lawyer, and judge (d. 2013)
  • 1938 – Donald Knuth, American computer scientist and mathematician
  • 1938 – Frank Mahovlich, Canadian ice hockey player and politician
  • 1938 – Willie McCovey, American baseball player (d. 2018)
  • 1939 – Jared Carter, American poet and author
  • 1939 – David Horowitz, American activist and author
  • 1939 – William Levy, American-Dutch journalist, author, and poet
  • 1939 – Scott McKenzie, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2012)
  • 1939 – Sal Mineo, American actor (d. 1976)
  • 1940 – K. J. Yesudas, Indian singer and music director
  • 1940 – Godfrey Hewitt, English geneticist and academic (d. 2013)
  • 1941 – Tom Clarke, Scottish politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland
  • 1942 – Graeme Gahan, Australian footballer and coach
  • 1943 – Jim Croce, American singer-songwriter (d. 1973)
  • 1944 – Jeffrey Catherine Jones, American comics and fantasy artist (d. 2011)
  • 1944 – Frank Sinatra, Jr., American singer and actor (d. 2016)
  • 1945 – John Fahey, New Zealand-Australian lawyer and politician, 38th Premier of New South Wales
  • 1945 – Rod Stewart, British singer-songwriter
  • 1945 – Gunther von Hagens, German anatomist, invented plastination
  • 1946 – Aynsley Dunbar, English drummer and songwriter
  • 1947 – George Alec Effinger, American author (d. 2002)
  • 1947 – James Morris, American opera singer
  • 1947 – Peer Steinbrück, German politician, German Minister of Finance
  • 1947 – Tiit Vähi, Estonian engineer and politician, 11th Prime Minister of Estonia
  • 1948 – Donald Fagen, American singer-songwriter and musician
  • 1948 – Bernard Thévenet, French cyclist and sportscaster
  • 1949 – Kemal Derviş, Turkish economist and politician, Turkish Minister of Economy
  • 1949 – George Foreman, American boxer, actor, and businessman
  • 1949 – Linda Lovelace, American porn actress and activist (d. 2002)
  • 1950 – Roy Blunt, American academic and politician
  • 1952 – Scott Thurston, American guitarist and songwriter
  • 1953 – Pat Benatar, American singer-songwriter
  • 1953 – Bobby Rahal, American race car driver
  • 1955 – Michael Schenker, German guitarist, songwriter, and producer
  • 1956 – Shawn Colvin, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1956 – Antonio Muñoz Molina, Spanish author
  • 1958 – Eddie Cheever, American race car driver
  • 1958 – Anatoly Pisarenko, Ukrainian weightlifter and trainer
  • 1959 – Chandra Cheeseborough, American sprinter and coach
  • 1959 – Chris Van Hollen, American lawyer and politician
  • 1959 – Fran Walsh, New Zealand screenwriter and producer
  • 1960 – Gurinder Chadha, Kenyan-English director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1960 – Brian Cowen, Irish lawyer and politician, 12th Taoiseach of Ireland
  • 1960 – John Mann, English lawyer and politician
  • 1960 – Benoît Pelletier, Canadian lawyer and politician
  • 1961 – Janet Jones, American actress
  • 1961 – Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Italian-American violinist, author, and educator
  • 1962 – Michael Fortier, Canadian lawyer and politician
  • 1962 – Kathryn S. McKinley, American computer scientist and academic
  • 1963 – Malcolm Dunford, New Zealand-Australian footballer
  • 1963 – Kira Ivanova, Russian figure skater (d. 2001)
  • 1964 – Brad Roberts, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1967 – Maciej Śliwowski, Polish footballer
  • 1969 – Simone Bagel-Trah, German businessperson
  • 1970 – Buff Bagwell, American wrestler and actor
  • 1970 – Alisa Marić, Serbian chess player and politician, Serbian Minister of Youth and Sports
  • 1972 – Mohammed Benzakour, Moroccan-Dutch journalist, poet, and author
  • 1973 – Glenn Robinson, American basketball player
  • 1973 – Félix Trinidad, Puerto Rican-American boxer
  • 1974 – Jemaine Clement, New Zealand comedian, actor, and musician
  • 1974 – Davide Dionigi, Italian footballer and manager
  • 1974 – Steve Marlet, French footballer, forward and coach
  • 1974 – Bob Peeters, Belgian footballer and manager
  • 1974 – Hrithik Roshan, Indian actor
  • 1975 – Jake Delhomme, American football player
  • 1976 – Adam Kennedy, American baseball player
  • 1976 – Ian Poulter, English golfer
  • 1978 – Johan van der Wath, South African cricketer
  • 1979 – Simone Cavalli, Italian footballer
  • 1980 – Sarah Shahi, American actress
  • 1980 – DeShaun Foster, American football player
  • 1981 – James Coppinger, English footballer
  • 1981 – Jared Kushner, American real estate investor and political figure
  • 1982 – Julien Brellier, French footballer
  • 1982 – Tomasz Brzyski, Polish footballer
  • 1984 – Marouane Chamakh, Moroccan footballer
  • 1984 – Trent Cutler, Australian rugby league player
  • 1984 – Ariane Friedrich, German high jumper
  • 1984 – Kalki Koechlin, Indian actress
  • 1986 – Kirsten Flipkens, Belgian tennis player
  • 1986 – Hideaki Ikematsu, Japanese footballer
  • 1986 – Kenneth Vermeer, Dutch footballer
  • 1987 – César Cielo, Brazilian swimmer
  • 1988 – Leonard Patrick Komon, Kenyan runner
  • 1988 – Vladimir Zharkov, Russian ice hockey player
  • 1989 – Emily Meade, American actress
  • 1989 – Kyle Reimers, Australian footballer
  • 1990 – Mirko Bortolotti, Italian racing driver
  • 1990 – Ishiura Masakatsu, Japanese sumo wrestler
  • 1990 – Cody Walker, Australian rugby league player
  • 1990 – John Carlson, American ice hockey player
  • 1991 – Chad Townsend, Australian rugby league player

Deaths on January 10

  • 259 – Polyeuctus, Roman saint
  • 314 – Miltiades, pope of the Catholic Church
  • 681 – Agatho, pope of the Catholic Church
  • 976 – John I Tzimiskes, Byzantine emperor (b. 925)
  • 987 – Pietro I Orseolo, doge of Venice (b. 928)
  • 1055 – Bretislav I, duke of Bohemia
  • 1094 – Al-Mustansir Billah, Egyptian caliph (b. 1029)
  • 1218 – Hugh I, king of Cyprus
  • 1276 – Gregory X, pope of the Catholic Church (b. 1210)
  • 1322 – Petrus Aureolus, scholastic philosopher
  • 1358 – Abu Inan Faris, Marinid ruler of Morocco (b. 1329)
  • 1552 – Johann Cochlaeus, German humanist and controversialist (b. 1479)
  • 1645 – William Laud, English archbishop and academic (b. 1573)
  • 1654 – Nicholas Culpeper, English botanist, physician, and astrologer (b. 1616)
  • 1698 – Louis-Sébastien Le Nain de Tillemont, French priest and historian (b. 1637)
  • 1754 – Edward Cave, English publisher, founded The Gentleman’s Magazine (b. 1691)
  • 1761 – Edward Boscawen, English admiral and politician (b. 1711)
  • 1778 – Carl Linnaeus, Swedish botanist and physician (b. 1707)
  • 1794 – Georg Forster, German-Polish ethnologist and journalist (b. 1754)
  • 1811 – Joseph Chénier, French poet, playwright, and politician (b. 1764)
  • 1824 – Victor Emmanuel I, duke of Savoy and king of Sardinia (b. 1759)
  • 1828 – François de Neufchâteau, French poet, academic, and politician, French Minister of the Interior (b. 1750)
  • 1829 – Gregorio Funes, Argentinian clergyman, historian, and educator (b. 1749)
  • 1833 – Adrien-Marie Legendre, French mathematician and theorist (b. 1752)
  • 1843 – Dimitrie Macedonski, Greek-Romanian captain and politician (b. 1780)
  • 1851 – Karl Freiherr von Müffling, Prussian field marshal (b. 1775)
  • 1855 – Mary Russell Mitford, English author and playwright (b. 1787)
  • 1862 – Samuel Colt, American engineer and businessman, founded Colt’s Manufacturing Company (b. 1814)
  • 1863 – Lyman Beecher, American minister and activist, co-founded the American Temperance Society (b. 1775)
  • 1895 – Eli Whitney Blake, Jr., American chemist, physicist, and academic (b. 1836)
  • 1895 – Benjamin Godard, French violinist and composer (b. 1849)
  • 1901 – James Robert Dickson, English-Australian businessman and politician, 1st Australian Minister for Defence (b. 1832)
  • 1904 – Jean-Léon Gérôme, French painter and sculptor (b. 1824)
  • 1905 – Kārlis Baumanis, Latvian composer (b. 1835)
  • 1917 – Buffalo Bill, American soldier and hunter (b. 1846)
  • 1917 – Feliks Leparsky, Russian fencer and captain (b. 1875)
  • 1920 – Sali Nivica, Albanian journalist and politician (b. 1890)
  • 1922 – Frank Tudor, Australian politician, 6th Australian Minister for Trade and Investment (b. 1866)
  • 1926 – Eino Leino, Finnish poet and journalist (b. 1878)
  • 1935 – Edwin Flack, Australian tennis player and runner (b. 1873)
  • 1935 – Charlie McGahey, English cricketer and footballer (b. 1871)
  • 1941 – Frank Bridge, English viola player and composer (b. 1879)
  • 1941 – John Lavery, Irish painter and academic (b. 1856)
  • 1941 – Joe Penner, Hungarian-American actor (b. 1904)
  • 1941 – Issai Schur, Belarusian-German mathematician and academic (b. 1875)
  • 1949 – Erich von Drygalski, German geographer and geophysicist (b. 1865)
  • 1951 – Sinclair Lewis, American novelist, short-story writer, and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1885)
  • 1951 – Yoshio Nishina, Japanese physicist and academic (b. 1890)
  • 1954 – Chester Wilmot, American journalist and historian (b. 1911)
  • 1956 – Zonia Baber, American geographer and geologist (b. 1862)
  • 1957 – Gabriela Mistral, Chilean poet and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1889)
  • 1957 – Laura Ingalls Wilder, American novelist (b. 1867)
  • 1959 – Şükrü Kaya, Turkish jurist and politician, Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1883)
  • 1960 – Jack Laviolette, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager (b. 1879)
  • 1961 – Dashiell Hammett, American detective novelist and screenwriter (b. 1894)
  • 1967 – Charles E. Burchfield, American painter (b. 1893)
  • 1968 – Ali Fuat Cebesoy, Turkish general and politician, 6th Speaker of the Parliament of Turkey (b. 1882)
  • 1969 – Sampurnanand, Indian educator and politician, 2nd Governor of Rajasthan (b. 1891)
  • 1970 – Pavel Belyayev, Russian pilot and astronaut (b. 1925)
  • 1971 – Coco Chanel, French fashion designer, founded Chanel (b. 1883)
  • 1971 – Ignazio Giunti, Italian race car driver (b. 1941)
  • 1972 – Aksel Larsen, Danish lawyer and politician (b. 1897)
  • 1976 – Howlin’ Wolf, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1910)
  • 1978 – Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Cardenal, Nicaraguan journalist and author (b. 1924)
  • 1978 – Don Gillis, American composer and conductor (b. 1912)
  • 1978 – Hannah Gluckstein, British painter (b. 1895)
  • 1980 – Hughie Critz, American baseball player and scout (b. 1900)
  • 1980 – George Meany, American plumber and trade union leader (b. 1894)
  • 1980 – Bo Rein, American football player and coach (b. 1945)
  • 1981 – Fawn M. Brodie, American historian and author (b. 1915)
  • 1984 – Souvanna Phouma, Laotian politician, 8th Prime Minister of Laos (b. 1901)
  • 1986 – Jaroslav Seifert, Czech journalist and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1901)
  • 1987 – Marion Hutton, American singer (b. 1919)
  • 1987 – David Robinson, English businessman and philanthropist (b. 1904)
  • 1989 – Herbert Morrison, American journalist and producer (b. 1905)
  • 1990 – Tochinishiki Kiyotaka, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 44th Yokozuna (b. 1925)
  • 1992 – Roberto Bonomi, Argentinian race car driver (b. 1919)
  • 1995 – Kathleen Tynan, Canadian-English journalist, author, and screenwriter (b. 1937)
  • 1997 – Elspeth Huxley, Kenyan-English journalist and author (b. 1907)
  • 1997 – Sheldon Leonard, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1907)
  • 1997 – Alexander R. Todd, Baron Todd, Scottish-English biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1907)
  • 1999 – Edward Williams, Australian lieutenant, pilot, and judge (b. 1921)
  • 2000 – Sam Jaffe, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1901)
  • 2004 – Spalding Gray, American actor and screenwriter (b. 1941)
  • 2005 – Wasyly, Ukrainian-Canadian bishop (b. 1909)
  • 2005 – Jack Horner, American journalist (b. 1912)
  • 2005 – Princess Joséphine Charlotte of Belgium (b. 1927)
  • 2007 – Carlo Ponti, Italian film producer (b. 1912)
  • 2007 – Bradford Washburn, American explorer, photographer, and cartographer (b. 1910)
  • 2008 – Christopher Bowman, American figure skater and actor (b. 1967)
  • 2008 – Maila Nurmi, Finnish-American actress, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1922)
  • 2010 – Patcha Ramachandra Rao, Indian metallurgist, educator and administrator (b. 1942)
  • 2011 – Margaret Whiting, American singer (b. 1924)
  • 2012 – Jean Pigott, Canadian businesswoman and politician (b. 1924)
  • 2012 – Gevork Vartanian, Russian intelligence agent (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – George Gruntz, Swiss pianist and composer (b. 1932)
  • 2013 – Claude Nobs, Swiss businessman, founded the Montreux Jazz Festival (b. 1936)
  • 2014 – Petr Hlaváček, Czech shoemaker and academic (b. 1950)
  • 2014 – Zbigniew Messner, Polish economist and politician, 9th Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland (b. 1929)
  • 2014 – Larry Speakes, American journalist, 16th White House Press Secretary (b. 1939)
  • 2015 – Junior Malanda, Belgian footballer (b. 1994)
  • 2015 – Taylor Negron, American actor, playwright, and painter (b. 1957)
  • 2015 – Francesco Rosi, Italian director and screenwriter (b. 1922)
  • 2015 – Robert Stone, American novelist and short story writer (b. 1937)
  • 2016 – Wim Bleijenberg, Dutch footballer and manager (b. 1930)
  • 2016 – David Bowie, English singer-songwriter, producer, and actor (b. 1947)
  • 2016 – George Jonas, Hungarian-Canadian journalist, author, and poet (b. 1935)
  • 2017 – Buddy Greco, American jazz and pop singer and pianist (b. 1926)
  • 2017 – Clare Hollingworth, English journalist (b. 1911)
  • 2020 – Qaboos bin Said, Ruler Of Oman (b. 1940)

Holidays and observances on January 10

  • Christian feast day:
    • Gregory of Nyssa
    • Leonie Aviat
    • Obadiah (Coptic Church)
    • Peter Orseolo
    • Pope Agatho (Roman Catholic)
    • William Laud (Anglican Communion)
    • William of Donjeon
    • January 10 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Fête du Vodoun (Benin)
  • Margaret Thatcher Day (Falkland Islands)
  • Majority Rule Day (Bahamas)

January 10 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

On This Day /

January 9 in History

  • 475 – Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople, and his general, Basiliscus gains control of the empire.
  • 681 – Twelfth Council of Toledo: King Erwig of the Visigoths initiates a council in which he implements diverse measures against the Jews in Spain.
  • 1127 – Jin–Song Wars: Invading Jurchen soldiers from the Jin dynasty besiege and sack Bianjing (Kaifeng), the capital of the Song dynasty of China, and abduct Emperor Qinzong of Song and others, ending the Northern Song dynasty.
  • 1349 – The Jewish population of Basel, believed by the residents to be the cause of the ongoing Black Death, is rounded up and incinerated.
  • 1431 – The trial of Joan of Arc begins in Rouen.
  • 1760 – Ahmad Shah Durrani defeats the Marathas in the Battle of Barari Ghat.<refFrançois Xavier Wendel (1991). Wendel’s memoirs on the origin, growth and present state of Jat power in Hindustan (1768). Institut français de Pondichéry. p. 61.</ref>
  • 1788 – Connecticut becomes the fifth state to ratify the Constitution.
  • 1792 – Treaty of Jassy between Russian and Ottoman Empire is signed.
  • 1793 – Jean-Pierre Blanchard becomes the first person to fly in a balloon in the United States.
  • 1799 – British Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger introduces an income tax of two shillings to the pound to raise funds for Great Britain’s war effort in the Napoleonic Wars.
  • 1806 – Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson receives a state funeral and is interred in St Paul’s Cathedral.
  • 1816 – Humphry Davy tests his safety lamp for miners at Hebburn Colliery.
  • 1822 – The Portuguese prince Pedro I of Brazil decides to stay in Brazil against the orders of the Portuguese King João VI, beginning the Brazilian independence process.
  • 1839 – The French Academy of Sciences announces the Daguerreotype photography process.
  • 1857 – The 7.9 Mw  Fort Tejon earthquake shakes Central and Southern California with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent).
  • 1858 – Anson Jones, the last President of the Republic of Texas, commits suicide.
  • 1861 – American Civil War: “Star of the West” incident occurs near Charleston, South Carolina.
  • 1861 – Mississippi becomes the second state to secede from the Union before the outbreak of the American Civil War.
  • 1878 – Umberto I becomes King of Italy.
  • 1894 – New England Telephone and Telegraph installs the first battery-operated telephone switchboard in Lexington, Massachusetts.
  • 1903 – Hallam Tennyson, 2nd Baron Tennyson, son of the poet Alfred Tennyson, becomes the second Governor-General of Australia.
  • 1909 – Ernest Shackleton, leading the Nimrod Expedition to the South Pole, plants the British flag 97 nautical miles (180 km; 112 mi) from the South Pole, the farthest anyone had ever reached at that time.
  • 1914 – The Phi Beta Sigma fraternity is founded by African-American students at Howard University in Washington D.C., United States.
  • 1916 – World War I: The Battle of Gallipoli concludes with an Ottoman Empire victory when the last Allied forces are evacuated from the peninsula.
  • 1917 – World War I: The Battle of Rafa is fought near the Egyptian border with Palestine.
  • 1918 – Battle of Bear Valley: The last battle of the American Indian Wars.
  • 1921 – Greco-Turkish War: The First Battle of İnönü, the first battle of the war, begins near Eskişehir in Anatolia.
  • 1923 – Juan de la Cierva makes the first autogyro flight.
  • 1923 – Lithuanian residents of the Memel Territory rebel against the League of Nations’ decision to leave the area as a mandated region under French control.
  • 1927 – A fire at the Laurier Palace movie theatre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, kills 78 children.
  • 1941 – World War II: First flight of the Avro Lancaster.
  • 1945 – World War II: The Sixth United States Army begins the invasion of Lingayen Gulf.
  • 1957 – British Prime Minister Sir Anthony Eden resigns from office following his failure to retake the Suez Canal from Egyptian sovereignty.
  • 1960 – President of Egypt Gamal Abdel Nasser opens construction on the Aswan Dam by detonating ten tons of dynamite to demolish twenty tons of granite on the east bank of the Nile.
  • 1961 – British authorities announce they have uncovered the Soviet Portland Spy Ring in London.
  • 1964 – Martyrs’ Day: Several Panamanian youths try to raise the Panamanian flag in the U.S.-controlled Panama Canal Zone, leading to fighting between U.S. military and Panamanian civilians.
  • 1965 – The Mirzapur Cadet College formally opens for academic activities in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).
  • 1991 – Representatives from the United States and Iraq meet at the Geneva Peace Conference to try to find a peaceful resolution to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.
  • 1992 – The Assembly of the Serb People in Bosnia and Herzegovina proclaims the creation of Republika Srpska, a new state within Yugoslavia.
  • 1992 – The first discoveries of extrasolar planets are announced by astronomers Aleksander Wolszczan and Dale Frail. They discovered two planets orbiting the pulsar PSR 1257+12.
  • 1996 – First Chechen War: Chechen separatists launch a raid against the helicopter airfield and later a civilian hospital in the city of Kizlyar in the neighboring Dagestan, which turns into a massive hostage crisis involving thousands of civilians.
  • 2004 – An inflatable boat carrying illegal Albanian emigrants stalls near the Karaburun Peninsula en route to Brindisi, Italy; exposure to the elements kills 28. This is the second deadliest marine disaster in Albanian history.
  • 2005 – Mahmoud Abbas wins the election to succeed Yasser Arafat as President of the Palestinian National Authority, replacing interim president Rawhi Fattouh.
  • 2005 – The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement and the Government of Sudan sign the Comprehensive Peace Agreement to end the Second Sudanese Civil War.
  • 2007 – Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduces the original iPhone at a Macworld keynote in San Francisco.
  • 2011 – Iran Air Flight 277 crashes near Urmia in the northwest of the country, killing 77 people.
  • 2014 – An explosion at a Mitsubishi Materials chemical plant in Yokkaichi, Japan, kills at least five people and injures 17 others.
  • 2015 – The perpetrators of the Charlie Hebdo shooting in Paris two days earlier are both killed after a hostage situation; a second hostage situation, related to the Charlie Hebdo shooting, occurs at a Jewish market in Vincennes.
  • 2015 – A mass poisoning at a funeral in Mozambique involving beer that was contaminated with Burkholderia gladioli leaves 75 dead and over 230 people ill.

Births on January 9

  • 727 – Emperor Daizong of Tang (d. 779)
  • 1418 – Juan Ramón Folch III de Cardona, Aragonese admiral (d. 1485)
  • 1475 – Crinitus, Italian scholar and author (d. 1507)
  • 1554 – Pope Gregory XV (d. 1623)
  • 1571 – Charles Bonaventure de Longueval, Count of Bucquoy, French commander (d. 1621)
  • 1590 – Simon Vouet, French painter (d. 1649)
  • 1606 – William Dugard, English printer (d. 1662)
  • 1624 – Empress Meishō of Japan (d. 1696)
  • 1645 – Sir William Villiers, 3rd Baronet, English noble and politician (d. 1712)
  • 1674 – Reinhard Keiser, German composer (d. 1739)
  • 1685 – Tiberius Hemsterhuis, Dutch philologist and critic (d. 1766)
  • 1728 – Thomas Warton, English poet, historian, and critic (d. 1790)
  • 1735 – John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent, English admiral and politician (d. 1823)
  • 1745 – Caleb Strong, American lawyer and politician, 6th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1819)
  • 1753 – Luísa Todi, Portuguese soprano and actress (d. 1833)
  • 1773 – Cassandra Austen, English painter and illustrator (d. 1845)
  • 1778 – Hammamizade İsmail Dede Efendi, Turkish Ney player and composer (d. 1846)
  • 1811 – Gilbert Abbott à Beckett, English journalist and author (d. 1856)
  • 1818 – Antoine Samuel Adam-Salomon, French sculptor and photographer (d. 1881)
  • 1819 – James Francis, English-Australian businessman and politician, 9th Premier of Victoria (d. 1884)
  • 1822 – Carol Benesch, Czech-Romanian architect, designed the Peleș Castle (d. 1896)
  • 1823 – Friedrich von Esmarch, German surgeon and academic (d. 1908)
  • 1829 – Thomas William Robertson, English director and playwright (d. 1871)
  • 1829 – Adolf Schlagintweit, German botanist and explorer (d. 1857)
  • 1832 – Félix-Gabriel Marchand, Canadian journalist and politician, 11th Premier of Quebec (d. 1900)
  • 1839 – John Knowles Paine, American composer and academic (d. 1906)
  • 1848 – Princess Frederica of Hanover (d. 1926)
  • 1849 – John Hartley, English tennis player (d. 1935)
  • 1854 – Lady Randolph Churchill, American-born wife of Lord Randolph Churchill, mother of Sir Winston Churchill (d. 1921)
  • 1856 – Anton Aškerc, Slovenian priest and poet (d. 1912)
  • 1859 – Carrie Chapman Catt, American activist, founded the League of Women Voters and International Alliance of Women (d. 1947)
  • 1864 – Vladimir Steklov, Russian mathematician and physicist (d. 1926)
  • 1868 – S. P. L. Sørensen, Danish chemist and academic (d. 1939)
  • 1870 – Joseph Strauss, American engineer, co-designed the Golden Gate Bridge (d. 1938)
  • 1873 – Hayim Nahman Bialik, Ukrainian-Austrian journalist, author, and poet (d. 1934)
  • 1873 – Thomas Curtis, American sprinter and hurdler (d. 1944)
  • 1873 – John Flanagan, Irish-American hammer thrower (d. 1938)
  • 1875 – Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, American sculptor and art collector, founded the Whitney Museum of American Art (d. 1942)
  • 1879 – John B. Watson, American psychologist and academic (d. 1958)
  • 1881 – Lascelles Abercrombie, English poet and critic (d. 1938)
  • 1881 – Giovanni Papini, Italian journalist, author, and poet (d. 1956)
  • 1885 – Charles Bacon, American runner and hurdler (d. 1968)
  • 1886 – Lloyd Loar, American sound engineer and instrument designer (d. 1943)
  • 1889 – Vrindavan Lal Verma, Indian author and playwright (d. 1969)
  • 1890 – Karel Čapek, Czech author and playwright (d. 1938)
  • 1890 – Kurt Tucholsky, German-Swedish journalist and author (d. 1935)
  • 1891 – August Gailit, Estonian journalist and author (d. 1960)
  • 1892 – Eva Bowring, American lawyer and politician (d. 1985)
  • 1893 – Edwin Baker, Canadian soldier and educator, co-founded the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (d. 1968)
  • 1896 – Warwick Braithwaite, New Zealand-English conductor and director (d. 1971)
  • 1897 – Karl Löwith, German philosopher, author, and academic (d. 1973)
  • 1898 – Gracie Fields, English actress and singer (d. 1979)
  • 1899 – Harald Tammer, Estonian journalist and weightlifter (d. 1942)
  • 1900 – Richard Halliburton, American journalist and author (d. 1939)
  • 1901 – Vilma Bánky, Hungarian-American actress (d. 1991)
  • 1901 – Chic Young, American cartoonist (d. 1973)
  • 1902 – Rudolf Bing, American impresario and businessman (d. 1997)
  • 1902 – Josemaría Escrivá, Spanish priest and saint, founded Opus Dei (d. 1975)
  • 1907 – Eldred G. Smith, American patriarch (d. 2013)
  • 1907 – Earl W. Renfroe, African American orthodontist, educator, and activist (d. 2000)
  • 1908 – Simone de Beauvoir, French philosopher and author (d. 1986)
  • 1909 – Anthony Mamo, Maltese lawyer and politician, 1st President of Malta (d. 2008)
  • 1909 – Patrick Peyton, Irish-American priest, television personality, and activist (d. 1992)
  • 1910 – Tom Evenson, English runner (d. 1997)
  • 1912 – Ralph Tubbs, English architect, designed the Dome of Discovery (d. 1996)
  • 1913 – Richard Nixon, American commander, lawyer, and politician, 37th President of the United States (d. 1994)
  • 1914 – Kenny Clarke, American jazz drummer and bandleader (d. 1985)
  • 1915 – Anita Louise, American actress (d. 1970)
  • 1916 – Fernando Lamas, Argentinian-American actor, singer, and director (d. 1982)
  • 1916 – Vic Mizzy, American soldier, pianist, and composer (d. 2009)
  • 1918 – Alma Ziegler, American baseball player and golfer (d. 2005)
  • 1919 – William Morris Meredith, Jr., American poet and academic (d. 2007)
  • 1920 – Clive Dunn, English actor (d. 2012)
  • 1920 – Hakim Said, Pakistani scholar and politician, 20th Governor of Sindh (d. 1998)
  • 1921 – Ágnes Keleti, Hungarian Olympic gymnast
  • 1921 – Lister Sinclair, Indian-Canadian broadcaster and playwright (d. 2006)
  • 1922 – Har Gobind Khorana, Indian-American biochemist and academic, Nobel laureate (d. 2011)
  • 1922 – Ahmed Sékou Touré, Guinean politician, 1st President of Guinea (d. 1984)
  • 1924 – Sergei Parajanov, Georgian-Armenian director and screenwriter (d. 1990)
  • 1925 – Len Quested, English footballer defender and manager (d. 2012)
  • 1925 – Lee Van Cleef, American actor (d. 1989)
  • 1926 – Jean-Pierre Côté, Canadian lawyer and politician, 23rd Lieutenant Governor of Quebec (d. 2002)
  • 1928 – Judith Krantz, American novelist (d. 2019)
  • 1928 – Domenico Modugno, Italian singer-songwriter, actor, and politician (d. 1994)
  • 1929 – Brian Friel, Irish author, playwright, and director (d. 2015)
  • 1929 – Heiner Müller, German poet, playwright, and director (d. 1995)
  • 1931 – Algis Budrys, Lithuanian-American author and critic (d. 2008)
  • 1933 – Robert García, American soldier and politician (d. 2017)
  • 1933 – Roy Dwight, English footballer, outside forward
  • 1933 – Wilbur Smith, Zambian-English journalist and author
  • 1934 – Bart Starr, American football player and coach (d. 2019)
  • 1935 – Bob Denver, American actor (d. 2005)
  • 1935 – Dick Enberg, American sportscaster (d. 2017)
  • 1935 – John Graham, New Zealand rugby player and educator (d. 2017)
  • 1935 – Brian Harradine, Australian politician (d. 2014)
  • 1936 – Anne Rivers Siddons, American author
  • 1936 – Marko Veselica, Croatian academic and politician (d. 2017)
  • 1938 – Claudette Boyer, Canadian educator and politician (d. 2013)
  • 1939 – Susannah York, English actress and activist (d. 2011)
  • 1940 – Barbara Buczek, Polish composer (d. 1993)
  • 1940 – Ruth Dreifuss, Swiss journalist and politician, 86th President of the Swiss Confederation
  • 1941 – Joan Baez, American singer-songwriter, guitarist and activist
  • 1941 – Gilles Vaillancourt, Canadian politician
  • 1942 – John Dunning, American author
  • 1942 – Judy Malloy, American poet and author
  • 1943 – Robert Drewe, Australian author and playwright
  • 1943 – Elmer MacFadyen, Canadian lawyer and politician (d. 2007)
  • 1943 – Scott Walker, American singer-songwriter, bass player, and producer (d. 2019)
  • 1944 – Harun Farocki, German filmmaker (d. 2014)
  • 1944 – Jimmy Page, English guitarist, songwriter, and producer
  • 1944 – Mihalis Violaris, Cypriot singer-songwriter and actor
  • 1945 – Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Syrian-Armenian scholar and politician, 1st President of Armenia
  • 1946 – Mohammad Ishaq Khan, Indian historian and academic (d. 2013)
  • 1946 – Mogens Lykketoft, Danish politician, 45th Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • 1947 – Ronnie Landfield, American painter and educator
  • 1948 – Bill Cowsill, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2006)
  • 1948 – Jan Tomaszewski, Polish footballer, manager, and politician
  • 1950 – Alec Jeffreys, English geneticist and academic
  • 1950 – David Johansen, American musician and actor
  • 1950 – Sandy Martin, American actress
  • 1951 – Crystal Gayle, American singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1952 – Kaushik Basu, Indian economist and academic
  • 1952 – Hugh Bayley, English politician
  • 1952 – Mike Capuano, American lawyer and politician
  • 1953 – Javad Alizadeh, Iranian cartoonist and painter
  • 1954 – Philippa Gregory, Kenyan-English author and academic
  • 1955 – Michiko Kakutani, American journalist and critic
  • 1955 – J.K. Simmons, American actor
  • 1956 – Waltraud Meier, German soprano and actress
  • 1956 – Imelda Staunton, English actress and singer
  • 1958 – Stephen Neale, English philosopher and academic
  • 1959 – Mark Martin, American race car driver and coach
  • 1959 – Rigoberta Menchú, Guatemalan activist and politician, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1959 – Otis Nixon, American baseball player
  • 1960 – Lisa Walters, Canadian golfer
  • 1961 – Didier Camberabero, French rugby player
  • 1961 – Oliver Goldstick, American screenwriter and producer
  • 1961 – Henry Omaga-Diaz, Filipino journalist
  • 1962 – Ray Houghton, Scottish-born footballer
  • 1963 – Irwin McLean, Northern Irish biologist and academic
  • 1964 – Stan Javier, Dominican baseball player and manager
  • 1965 – Iain Dowie, English-Northern Irish footballer and coach
  • 1965 – Eric Erlandson, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer
  • 1965 – Haddaway, Trinidadian-German singer and musician
  • 1965 – Andrei Nazarov, Estonian decathlete and coach
  • 1965 – Joely Richardson, English actress
  • 1966 – Stephen Metcalfe, English politician
  • 1967 – Matt Bevin, American politician, 62nd governor of Kentucky
  • 1967 – Claudio Caniggia, Argentinian footballer
  • 1967 – Dave Matthews, South African-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
  • 1967 – Gary Teichmann, South African rugby player
  • 1968 – Jimmy Adams, Jamaican cricketer and coach
  • 1968 – Joey Lauren Adams, American actress
  • 1968 – Mardi Lunn, Australian golfer
  • 1968 – Giorgos Theofanous, Greek-Cypriot composer and producer
  • 1970 – Lara Fabian, Belgian-Italian singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1971 – Angie Martinez, American rapper, actress, and radio host
  • 1971 – Hal Niedzviecki, Canadian author and critic
  • 1971 – Scott Thornton, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1972 – Jay Powell, American baseball player
  • 1972 – Rawson Stovall, American video game producer and author
  • 1973 – Sean Paul, Jamaican rapper, singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and actor
  • 1975 – James Beckford, Jamaican long jumper
  • 1976 – Radek Bonk, Czech ice hockey player
  • 1978 – Mathieu Garon, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1978 – Gennaro Gattuso, Italian footballer and manager
  • 1978 – Chad Johnson, American football player and actor
  • 1978 – AJ McLean, American singer
  • 1980 – Édgar Álvarez, Honduran footballer
  • 1980 – Sergio García, Spanish golfer
  • 1980 – Luke Patten, Australian rugby league player and referee
  • 1980 – Francisco Pavón, Spanish footballer
  • 1980 – Wang Zulan, Hong Kong singer
  • 1981 – Euzebiusz Smolarek, Polish footballer and manager
  • 1982 – Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge
  • 1984 – Drew Brown, American musician and songwriter
  • 1984 – Benjamin Danso, German rugby player
  • 1985 – Juan Francisco Torres, Spanish footballer
  • 1986 – Jéferson Gomes, Brazilian footballer
  • 1986 – Uwe Hünemeier, German footballer
  • 1986 – Amanda Mynhardt, South African netball player
  • 1987 – Sam Bird, English race car driver
  • 1987 – Lucas Leiva, Brazilian footballer
  • 1987 – Paolo Nutini, Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1987 – Jami Puustinen, Finnish footballer
  • 1988 – Katherine Copely, American ice dancer
  • 1988 – Marc Crosas, Spanish footballer
  • 1988 – Lee Yeon-hee, South Korean actress
  • 1989 – Michael Beasley, American basketball player
  • 1989 – Nina Dobrev, Bulgarian-Canadian actress
  • 1989 – Michaëlla Krajicek, Dutch tennis player
  • 1989 – Yana Maksimava, Belarusian heptathlete
  • 1989 – Chris Sandow, Australian rugby league player
  • 1989 – Jordan Turner, English rugby league player
  • 1990 – Justin Blackmon, American football player
  • 1991 – Edon Hasani, Albanian football player
  • 1991 – Alvaro Soler, Spanish singer-songwriter
  • 1993 – Katarina Johnson-Thompson, English long jumper and heptathlete
  • 1993 – Marcus Peters, American football player
  • 1993 – Kevin Korjus, Estonian race car driver
  • 1995 – Braden Uele, New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1999 – Shannon Tavarez, American actress (d. 2010)

Deaths on January 9

  • 710 – Adrian of Canterbury, abbot and scholar
  • 1150 – Emperor Xizong of Jin (b. 1119)
  • 1202 – Birger Brosa, Jarl of Sweden
  • 1282 – Abû ‘Uthmân Sa’îd ibn Hakam al Qurashi, Minorcan ruler (b. 1204)
  • 1283 – Wen Tianxiang, Chinese general and scholar (b. 1236)
  • 1367 – Giulia della Rena, Italian saint (b. 1319)
  • 1450 – Adam Moleyns, Bishop of Chichester
  • 1463 – William Neville, 1st Earl of Kent, English soldier (b. 1405)
  • 1499 – John Cicero, Elector of Brandenburg (b. 1455)
  • 1511 – Demetrios Chalkokondyles, Greek scholar and academic (b. 1423)
  • 1514 – Anne of Brittany, queen of Charles VIII of France and Louis XII of France (b. 1477)
  • 1529 – Wang Yangming, Chinese Neo-Confucian scholar (b. 1472)
  • 1534 – Johannes Aventinus, Bavarian historian and philologist (b. 1477)
  • 1543 – Guillaume du Bellay, French general and diplomat (b. 1491)
  • 1561 – Amago Haruhisa, Japanese warlord (b. 1514)
  • 1571 – Nicolas Durand de Villegaignon, French admiral (b. 1510)
  • 1598 – Jasper Heywood, English poet and scholar (b. 1553)
  • 1612 – Leonard Holliday, Lord Mayor of London (b. 1550)
  • 1622 – Alix Le Clerc, French Canoness Regular and foundress (b. 1576)
  • 1757 – Bernard Le Bovier de Fontenelle, French author, poet, and playwright (b. 1657)
  • 1762 – Antonio de Benavides, colonial governor of Florida (b. 1678)
  • 1766 – Thomas Birch, English historian and author (b. 1705)
  • 1799 – Maria Gaetana Agnesi, Italian mathematician and philosopher (b. 1718)
  • 1800 – Jean Étienne Championnet, French general (b. 1762)
  • 1805 – Noble Wimberly Jones, American physician and politician (b. 1723)
  • 1843 – William Hedley, English engineer (b. 1773)
  • 1848 – Caroline Herschel, German-English astronomer (b. 1750)
  • 1856 – Neophytos Vamvas, Greek cleric and educator (b. 1770)
  • 1858 – Anson Jones, American physician and politician; 4th President of the Republic of Texas (b. 1798)
  • 1873 – Napoleon III, French politician, 1st President of France (b. 1808)
  • 1876 – Samuel Gridley Howe, American physician and activist (b. 1801)
  • 1878 – Victor Emmanuel II of Italy (b. 1820)
  • 1895 – Aaron Lufkin Dennison, American-English businessman (b. 1812)
  • 1901 – Richard Copley Christie, English lawyer and academic (b. 1830)
  • 1908 – Wilhelm Busch, German poet, illustrator, and painter (b. 1832)
  • 1908 – Abraham Goldfaden, Russian actor, playwright, and author (b. 1840)
  • 1911 – Edwin Arthur Jones, American violinist and composer (b. 1853)
  • 1911 – Edvard Rusjan, Italian-Slovene pilot and engineer (b. 1886)
  • 1917 – Luther D. Bradley, American cartoonist (b. 1853)
  • 1918 – Charles-Émile Reynaud, French scientist and educator, invented the Praxinoscope (b. 1844)
  • 1923 – Katherine Mansfield, New Zealand novelist, short story writer, and essayist (b. 1888)
  • 1924 – Ponnambalam Arunachalam, Sri Lankan civil servant and politician (b. 1853)
  • 1927 – Houston Stewart Chamberlain, English-German philosopher and author (b. 1855)
  • 1930 – Edward Bok, Dutch-American journalist and author (b. 1863)
  • 1931 – Wayne Munn, American football player and wrestler (b. 1896)
  • 1936 – John Gilbert, American actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1899)
  • 1939 – Johann Strauss III, Austrian violinist, composer, and conductor (b. 1866)
  • 1941 – Dimitrios Golemis, Greek runner (b. 1874)
  • 1945 – Shigekazu Shimazaki, Japanese admiral and pilot (b. 1908)
  • 1945 – Jüri Uluots, Estonian journalist and politician, 7th Prime Minister of Estonia (b. 1890)
  • 1945 – Osman Cemal Kaygılı, Turkish journalist, author, and playwright (b. 1890)
  • 1946 – Countee Cullen, American poet and playwright (b. 1903)
  • 1947 – Karl Mannheim, Hungarian-English sociologist and academic (b. 1893)
  • 1960 – Elsie J. Oxenham, English author and educator (b. 1880)
  • 1961 – Emily Greene Balch, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1867)
  • 1964 – Halide Edib Adıvar, Turkish author and academic (b. 1884)
  • 1971 – Elmer Flick, American baseball player and scout (b. 1876)
  • 1972 – Ted Shawn, American dancer and choreographer (b. 1891)
  • 1975 – Pierre Fresnay, French actor and screenwriter (b. 1897)
  • 1975 – Pyotr Novikov, Russian mathematician and theorist (b. 1901)
  • 1979 – Pier Luigi Nervi, Italian engineer and architect, designed the Tour de la Bourse and Pirelli Tower (b. 1891)
  • 1981 – Kazimierz Serocki, Polish pianist and composer (b. 1922)
  • 1984 – Bob Dyer, American-Australian radio and television host (b. 1909)
  • 1985 – Robert Mayer, German-English businessman and philanthropist (b. 1879)
  • 1987 – Arthur Lake, American actor (b. 1905)
  • 1988 – Peter L. Rypdal, Norwegian fiddler and composer (b. 1909)
  • 1989 – Bill Terry, American baseball player and manager (b. 1898)
  • 1990 – Spud Chandler, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1907)
  • 1990 – Cemal Süreya, Turkish poet and journalist (b. 1931)
  • 1992 – Steve Brodie, American actor (b. 1919)
  • 1992 – Bill Naughton, English playwright and screenwriter (b. 1910)
  • 1993 – Paul Hasluck, Australian historian and politician, 17th Governor-General of Australia (b. 1905)
  • 1994 – Johnny Temple, American baseball player and sportscaster (b. 1927)
  • 1995 – Souphanouvong, Laotian politician, 1st President of Laos (b. 1909)
  • 1995 – Peter Cook, English actor and screenwriter (b. 1937)
  • 1996 – Walter M. Miller, Jr., American soldier and author (b. 1923)
  • 1996 – Abdullah al-Qasemi, Saudi atheist, writer, and intellectual (b. 1907)
  • 1997 – Edward Osóbka-Morawski, Polish politician, Prime Minister of Poland (b. 1909)
  • 1997 – Jesse White, American actor (b. 1917)
  • 1998 – Kenichi Fukui, Japanese chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1918)
  • 1998 – Imi Lichtenfeld, Slovakian-Israeli martial artist, founded Krav Maga (b. 1910)
  • 2000 – Arnold Alexander Hall, English engineer and academic (b. 1915)
  • 2000 – Nigel Tranter, Scottish historian and author (b. 1909)
  • 2001 – Maurice Prather, American photographer and director (b. 1926)
  • 2003 – Will McDonough, American journalist (b. 1935)
  • 2004 – Norberto Bobbio, Italian philosopher and academic (b. 1909)
  • 2006 – Andy Caldecott, Australian motorcycle racer (b. 1964)
  • 2006 – W. Cleon Skousen, American author and academic (b. 1913)
  • 2007 – Elmer Symons, South African motorcycle racer (b. 1977)
  • 2007 – Jean-Pierre Vernant, French anthropologist and historian (b. 1914)
  • 2008 – Johnny Grant, American radio host and producer (b. 1923)
  • 2008 – John Harvey-Jones, English businessman and television host (b. 1924)
  • 2009 – Rob Gauntlett, English mountaineer and explorer (b. 1987)
  • 2009 – T. Llew Jones, Welsh author and poet (b. 1914)
  • 2011 – Makinti Napanangka, Australian painter (b. 1930)
  • 2012 – Brian Curvis, Welsh boxer (b. 1937)
  • 2012 – Augusto Gansser-Biaggi, Swiss geologist and academic (b. 1910)
  • 2012 – William G. Roll, German-American psychologist and parapsychologist (b. 1926)
  • 2012 – Malam Bacai Sanhá, Guinea-Bissau politician, President of Guinea-Bissau (b. 1947)
  • 2012 – László Szekeres, Hungarian physician and academic (b. 1921)
  • 2013 – Brigitte Askonas, Austrian-English immunologist and academic (b. 1923)
  • 2013 – James M. Buchanan, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1919)
  • 2013 – Robert L. Rock, American businessman and politician, 42nd Lieutenant Governor of Indiana (b. 1927)
  • 2013 – John Wise, Canadian farmer and politician, 23rd Canadian Minister of Agriculture (b. 1935)
  • 2014 – Amiri Baraka, American poet, playwright, and academic (b. 1934)
  • 2014 – Josep Maria Castellet, Spanish poet and critic (b. 1926)
  • 2014 – Paul du Toit, South African painter and sculptor (b. 1965)
  • 2014 – Dale T. Mortensen, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1939)
  • 2015 – Michel Jeury, French author (b. 1934)
  • 2015 – Robert V. Keeley, Lebanese-American soldier and diplomat, United States Ambassador to Greece (b. 1929)
  • 2015 – Józef Oleksy, Polish economist and politician, 7th Prime Minister of Poland (b. 1946)
  • 2015 – Bud Paxson, American broadcaster and businessman, founded the Home Shopping Network and Pax TV (b. 1935)
  • 2015 – Abdul Rahman Ya’kub, Malaysian politician, 3rd Chief Minister of Sarawak (b. 1928)
  • 2015 – Roy Tarpley, American basketball player (b. 1964)
  • 2016 – John Harvard, Canadian journalist and politician, 23rd Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba (b. 1938)
  • 2016 – Angus Scrimm, American actor and author (b. 1926)
  • 2017 – Zygmunt Bauman, Polish sociologist (b. 1925)
  • 2018 – Kato Ottio, Papua New Guinean rugby league player (b. 1994)
  • 2019 – Verna Bloom, American actress (b. 1938)
  • 2019 – Paul Koslo, German-Canadian actor (b. 1944)

Holidays and observances on January 9

  • Christian feast day:
    • Adrian of Canterbury
    • Berhtwald
    • Translation of the Black Nazarene (Manila, Philippines)
    • Philip II, Metropolitan of Moscow
    • Julia Chester Emery (Episcopal Church (USA))
    • Stephen (old calendar Eastern Orthodox)
    • January 9 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Start of Hōonkō (Nishi Honganji) January 9–16 (Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism)
  • Martyrs’ Day (Panama)
  • Non-Resident Indian Day (India)

January 9 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

January 8 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /

January 8 in History

  • 307 – Jin Huaidi becomes emperor of China in succession to his father, Jin Huidi, despite a challenge from his uncle, Sima Ying
  • 871 – Alfred the Great leads a West Saxon army to repel an invasion by Danelaw Vikings.
  • 1297 – François Grimaldi, disguised as a monk, leads his men to capture the fortress protecting the Rock of Monaco, establishing his family as the rulers of Monaco
  • 1454 – The papal bull Romanus Pontifex awards the Kingdom of Portugal exclusive trade and colonization rights to all of Africa south of Cape Bojador
  • 1499 – Louis XII of France marries Anne of Brittany in accordance with a law set by his predecessor, Charles VIII.
  • 1547 – The first Lithuanian-language book, the Catechism of Martynas Mažvydas, is published in Königsberg.
  • 1735 – The premiere of George Frideric Handel’s Ariodante takes place at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
  • 1746 – Second Jacobite rising: Bonnie Prince Charlie occupies Stirling.
  • 1790 – George Washington delivers the first State of the Union address in New York City.
  • 1806 – Cape Colony in southern Africa becomes a British colony as a result of the Battle of Blaauwberg.
  • 1811 – An unsuccessful slave revolt is led by Charles Deslondes in the north American settlements of St. Charles and St. James, Louisiana.
  • 1815 – War of 1812: Battle of New Orleans: Andrew Jackson leads American forces in victory over the British.
  • 1828 – The Democratic Party of the United States is organized.
  • 1835 – The United States national debt is zero for the only time.
  • 1863 – American Civil War: Second Battle of Springfield.
  • 1867 – African American men are granted the right to vote in Washington, D.C.
  • 1877 – Crazy Horse and his warriors fight their last battle against the United States Cavalry at Wolf Mountain, Montana Territory.
  • 1889 – Herman Hollerith is issued US patent #395,791 for the ‘Art of Applying Statistics’ — his punched card calculator.
  • 1904 – The Blackstone Library is dedicated, marking the beginning of the Chicago Public Library system.
  • 1912 – The African National Congress is founded, under the name South African Native National Congress (SANNC).
  • 1918 – U.S. President Woodrow Wilson announces his “Fourteen Points” for the aftermath of World War I.
  • 1920 – The steel strike of 1919 ends in failure for the Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers labor union.
  • 1926 – Crown Prince Nguyễn Phúc Vĩnh Thuỵ ascends the throne to become the last monarch of Vietnam.
  • 1926 – Abdul-Aziz ibn Saud is crowned King of Hejaz.
  • 1936 – Kashf-e hijab decree is made and immediately enforced by Reza Shah, Iran’s head of state, banning the wearing of Islamic veils in public.
  • 1940 – World War II: Britain introduces food rationing.
  • 1945 – World War II: Philippine Commonwealth troops under the Philippine Commonwealth Army units enter the province of Ilocos Sur in Northern Luzon and attack Japanese Imperial forces.
  • 1956 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. missionaries are killed by the Huaorani of Ecuador shortly after making contact with them.
  • 1959 – Charles de Gaulle is proclaimed as the first President of the French Fifth Republic.
  • 1961 – In France a referendum supports Charles de Gaulle’s policies in Algeria.
  • 1963 – Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa is exhibited in the United States for the first time, at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
  • 1964 – President Lyndon B. Johnson declares a “War on Poverty” in the United States.
  • 1972 – Bowing to international pressure, President of Pakistan Zulfikar Ali Bhutto releases Bengali leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from prison, who had been arrested after declaring the independence of Bangladesh.
  • 1973 – Soviet space mission Luna 21 is launched.
  • 1973 – Watergate scandal: The trial of seven men accused of illegal entry into Democratic Party headquarters at Watergate begins.
  • 1975 – Ella T. Grasso becomes Governor of Connecticut, the first woman to serve as a Governor in the United States other than by succeeding her husband.
  • 1977 – Three bombs explode in Moscow, Russia, Soviet Union, within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group.
  • 1981 – A local farmer reports a UFO sighting in Trans-en-Provence, France, claimed to be “perhaps the most completely and carefully documented sighting of all time”.
  • 1982 – Breakup of the Bell System: AT&T agrees to divest itself of twenty-two subdivisions.
  • 1989 – Kegworth air disaster: British Midland Flight 92, a Boeing 737-400, crashes into the M1 motorway, killing 47 of the 126 people on board.
  • 1994 – Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov on Soyuz TM-18 leaves for Mir. He would stay on the space station until March 22, 1995, for a record 437 days in space.
  • 1996 – An Antonov An-32 cargo aircraft crashes into a crowded market in Kinshasa, Zaire, killing up to 223 on the ground; two of six crew members are also killed.
  • 2002 – President George W. Bush signs into law the No Child Left Behind Act.
  • 2003 – Turkish Airlines Flight 634 crashes near Diyarbakır Airport, Turkey, killing the entire crew and 70 of the 75 passengers.
  • 2003 – Air Midwest Flight 5481 crashes at Charlotte-Douglas Airport, Charlotte, North Carolina, killing all 21 people on board.
  • 2004 – The RMS Queen Mary 2, then the largest ocean liner ever built, is christened by her namesake’s granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II.
  • 2005 – The nuclear sub USS San Francisco collides at full speed with an undersea mountain south of Guam. One man is killed, but the sub surfaces and is repaired.
  • 2009 – A 6.1-magnitude earthquake in northern Costa Rica kills 15 people and injures 32.
  • 2010 – Gunmen from an offshoot the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda attack a bus carrying the Togo national football team on its way to the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, killing three.
  • 2011 – The attempted assassination of Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords and subsequent shooting in Casas Adobes, Arizona, in which five people were shot dead.
  • 2016 – Joaquín Guzmán, widely regarded as the world’s most powerful drug trafficker, is recaptured following his escape from a maximum security prison in Mexico.
  • 2020 – Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 crashes immediately after takeoff at Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport; all 176 on board are killed. The plane was shot down by an Iranian anti-aircraft missile.

Births on January 8

  • 1037 – Su Dongpo, Chinese calligrapher and poet (d. 1101)
  • 1345 – Kadi Burhan al-Din, poet, kadi, and ruler of Sivas (d. 1398)
  • 1462 – Walraven II van Brederode, Dutch nobleman (d. 1531)
  • 1529 – John Frederick II, duke of Saxony (d. 1595)
  • 1556 – Uesugi Kagekatsu, Japanese daimyō (d. 1623)
  • 1583 – Simon Episcopius, Dutch theologian and academic (d. 1643)
  • 1587 – Johannes Fabricius, German astronomer and academic (d. 1616)
  • 1587 – Jan Pieterszoon Coen, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies (d. 1629
  • 1589 – Ivan Gundulić, Croatian poet and playwright (d. 1638)
  • 1601 – Baltasar Gracián, Spanish priest and author (d. 1658)
  • 1628 – François-Henri de Montmorency, duc de Luxembourg, French general (d. 1695)
  • 1632 – Samuel von Pufendorf, German economist and jurist (d. 1694)
  • 1635 – Luis Manuel Fernández de Portocarrero, Spanish cardinal (d. 1709)
  • 1638 – Elisabetta Sirani, Italian painter (d. 1665)
  • 1735 – John Carroll, American archbishop, founder of Georgetown University (d. 1815)
  • 1763 – Edmond-Charles Genêt, French-American translator and diplomat (d. 1834)
  • 1786 – Nicholas Biddle, American banker and financier (d. 1844)
  • 1788 – Rudolf of Austria, Austrian archduke and archbishop (d. 1831)
  • 1792 – Lowell Mason, American composer and educator (d. 1872)
  • 1805 – John Bigler, American lawyer, politician, and diplomat, 3rd Governor of California (d. 1871)
  • 1805 – Orson Hyde, American religious leader, 3rd President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (d. 1878)
  • 1812 – Sigismond Thalberg, Swiss pianist and composer (d. 1871)
  • 1817 – Theophilus Shepstone, English-South African politician (d. 1893)
  • 1821 – James Longstreet, American general and diplomat, United States Ambassador to Turkey (d. 1904)
  • 1823 – Alfred Russel Wallace, Welsh geographer, biologist, and explorer (d. 1913)
  • 1824 – Wilkie Collins, English novelist, playwright, and short story writer (d. 1889)
  • 1824 – Francisco González Bocanegra, Mexican poet and composer (d. 1861)
  • 1830 – Hans von Bülow, German pianist and composer (d. 1894)
  • 1836 – Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Dutch-English painter and academic (d. 1912)
  • 1843 – Frederick Abberline, English police officer (d. 1929)
  • 1843 – Karl Eduard Heusner, German admiral (d. 1891)
  • 1852 – James Milton Carroll, American pastor and author (d. 1931)
  • 1854 – Fanny Bullock Workman, American mountaineer, geographer, and cartographer (d. 1925)
  • 1860 – Emma Booth, English author (d. 1903)
  • 1862 – Frank Nelson Doubleday, American publisher, founded the Doubleday Publishing Company (d. 1934)
  • 1864 – Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale (d. 1892)
  • 1865 – Winnaretta Singer, American philanthropist (d. 1943)
  • 1866 – William G. Conley, American educator and politician, 18th Governor of West Virginia (d. 1940)
  • 1867 – Emily Greene Balch, American economist and author, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1961)
  • 1870 – Miguel Primo de Rivera, Spanish general and politician, Prime Minister of Spain (d. 1930)
  • 1871 – James Craig, 1st Viscount Craigavon, Irish captain and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Northern Ireland (d. 1940)
  • 1873 – Iuliu Maniu, Romanian lawyer and politician, 32nd Prime Minister of Romania (d. 1953)
  • 1876 – Arturs Alberings, Latvian lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of Latvia (d. 1934)
  • 1879 – Charles Bryant, English-American actor and director (d. 1948)
  • 1881 – Henrik Shipstead, American dentist and politician (d. 1960)
  • 1881 – Linnie Marsh Wolfe, American librarian and author (d. 1945)
  • 1883 – Pavel Filonov, Russian painter and poet (d. 1941)
  • 1883 – Patrick J. Hurley, American general, politician, and diplomat, 51st United States Secretary of War (d. 1963)
  • 1885 – John Curtin, Australian journalist and politician, 14th Prime Minister of Australia (d. 1945)
  • 1885 – Mór Kóczán, Hungarian javelin thrower and pastor (d. 1972)
  • 1885 – A. J. Muste, Dutch-American pastor and activist (d. 1967)
  • 1888 – Richard Courant, German-American mathematician and academic (d. 1972)
  • 1891 – Walther Bothe, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1957)
  • 1891 – Storm Jameson, English journalist and author (d. 1986)
  • 1891 – Bronislava Nijinska, Russian dancer and choreographer (d. 1972) name=”Jöckle1995″>Clemens Jöckle (1995). Encyclopedia of Saints. Alpine Fine Arts Collection. p. 319. ISBN 978-0-88168-226-7.</ref>
  • 1896 – Jaromír Weinberger, Czech-American composer and academic (d. 1967)
  • 1897 – Dennis Wheatley, English soldier and author (d. 1977)
  • 1899 – S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician, 4th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (d. 1959)
  • 1900 – Dorothy Adams, American character actress (d. 1988)
  • 1900 – Merlyn Myer, Australian philanthropist (d. 1982)
  • 1902 – Georgy Malenkov, Russian engineer and politician (d. 1988)
  • 1902 – Carl Rogers, American psychologist and academic (d. 1987)
  • 1904 – Karl Brandt, German physician and SS officer (d. 1948)
  • 1904 – Tampa Red, American guitarist and songwriter (d. 1981)
  • 1905 – Carl Gustav Hempel, German philosopher from the Vienna and the Berlin Circle (d. 1997)
  • 1905 – Giacinto Scelsi, Italian composer and poet (d. 1988)
  • 1906 – Serge Poliakoff, Russian-French painter (d. 1969)
  • 1907 – Keizō Hayashi, Japanese general and civil servant (d. 1991)
  • 1908 – Fearless Nadia, Australian-Indian actress and stuntwoman (d. 1996)
  • 1908 – William Hartnell, English actor (d. 1975)
  • 1909 – Ashapoorna Devi, Indian author and poet (d. 1995)
  • 1909 – Willy Millowitsch, German actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1999)
  • 1909 – Bruce Mitchell, South African cricketer (d. 1995)
  • 1909 – Evelyn Wood, American author and educator (d. 1995)
  • 1910 – Galina Ulanova, Russian actress and ballerina (d. 1998)
  • 1911 – Gypsy Rose Lee, American actress, dancer, and author (d. 1970)
  • 1912 – José Ferrer, Puerto Rican-American actor and director (d. 1992)
  • 1912 – Lawrence Walsh, Canadian-American lawyer, judge, and politician, 4th United States Deputy Attorney General (d. 2014)
  • 1915 – Walker Cooper, American baseball player and manager (d. 1991)
  • 1917 – Peter Matthew Hillsman Taylor, American novelist, short story writer, and playwright (d. 1994)
  • 1922 – Dale D. Myers, American engineer (d. 2015)
  • 1923 – Larry Storch, American actor and comedian
  • 1923 – Giorgio Tozzi, American opera singer and actor (d. 2011)
  • 1923 – Johnny Wardle, English cricketer (d. 1985)
  • 1923 – Joseph Weizenbaum, German-American computer scientist and author (d. 2008)
  • 1924 – Benjamin Lees, Chinese-American soldier and composer (d. 2010)
  • 1924 – Ron Moody, English actor and singer (d. 2015)
  • 1925 – Mohan Rakesh, Indian author and playwright (d. 1972)
  • 1926 – Evelyn Lear, American operatic soprano (d. 2012)
  • 1926 – Lazzaro Donati, Italian artist (d. 1977)
  • 1926 – Kerwin Mathews, American actor (d. 2007)
  • 1926 – Kelucharan Mohapatra, Indian dancer and choreographer (d. 2004)
  • 1926 – Hanae Mori, Japanese fashion designer
  • 1926 – Soupy Sales, American comedian and actor (d. 2009)
  • 1927 – Charles Tomlinson, English poet and academic (d. 2015)
  • 1928 – Slade Gorton, American colonel, lawyer, and politician, 14th Attorney General of Washington
  • 1928 – Gaston Miron, Canadian poet and author (d. 1996)
  • 1928 – Luther Perkins, American country guitarist (d. 1968)
  • 1929 – Saeed Jaffrey, Indian-British actor (d. 2015)
  • 1931 – Bill Graham, German-American businessman (d. 1991)
  • 1931 – Clarence Benjamin Jones, American lawyer and scholar
  • 1933 – Nolan Miller, American fashion and jewelry designer (d. 2012)
  • 1933 – Charles Osgood, American soldier and journalist
  • 1933 – Jean-Marie Straub, French director and screenwriter
  • 1933 – Willie Tasby, American baseball player
  • 1934 – Jacques Anquetil, French cyclist (d. 1987)
  • 1934 – Gene Freese, American baseball player and manager (d. 2013)
  • 1934 – Roy Kinnear, British actor (d. 1988)
  • 1934 – Alexandra Ripley, American author (d. 2004)
  • 1935 – Lewis H. Lapham, American publisher, founded Lapham’s Quarterly
  • 1935 – Elvis Presley, American singer, guitarist, and actor (d. 1977)
  • 1936 – Zdeněk Mácal, Czech-American conductor
  • 1936 – Robert May, Baron May of Oxford, Australian-English zoologist, ecologist, and academic (d. 2020)
  • 1937 – Shirley Bassey, Welsh singer
  • 1938 – Bob Eubanks, American game show host and producer
  • 1938 – Yevgeny Nesterenko, Russian opera singer and educator
  • 1939 – Carolina Herrera, Venezuelan-American fashion designer
  • 1939 – Ruth Maleczech, American actress (d. 2013)
  • 1939 – Alan Wilson, English mathematician and academic
  • 1940 – Mark Bretscher, English biologist and academic
  • 1940 – Cristy Lane, American country and gospel singer
  • 1941 – Graham Chapman, English actor and screenwriter (d. 1989)
  • 1942 – Stephen Hawking, English physicist and author (d. 2018)
  • 1942 – Junichirō Koizumi, Japanese politician, 56th Prime Minister of Japan
  • 1942 – Yvette Mimieux, American actress
  • 1942 – Royce Waltman, American basketball player and coach (d. 2014)
  • 1943 – Charles Murray, American political scientist and author
  • 1944 – Terry Brooks, American lawyer and author
  • 1945 – Nancy Bond, American author and academic
  • 1945 – Phil Beal, English footballer, defender
  • 1945 – Kadir Topbaş, Turkish architect and politician, 31st Mayor of Istanbul
  • 1946 – Robby Krieger, American guitarist and songwriter
  • 1946 – Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, Mexican drug lord
  • 1947 – Don Bendell, American rancher and author
  • 1947 – David Bowie, English singer-songwriter, producer, and actor (d. 2016)
  • 1947 – David Gates, American journalist and novelist
  • 1947 – Antti Kalliomäki, Finnish pole vaulter and politician
  • 1947 – Luke Williams, New Zealand-American wrestler
  • 1948 – Gillies MacKinnon, Scottish director and screenwriter
  • 1949 – Lawrence Rowe, Jamaican cricketer
  • 1951 – Kenny Anthony, Saint Lucian politician, 5th Prime Minister of Saint Lucia
  • 1951 – Karen Tei Yamashita, American author and academic
  • 1952 – Vladimir Feltsman, Russian-American pianist and educator
  • 1952 – Peter McCullagh, Irish mathematician and academic
  • 1953 – Bruce Sutter, American baseball player
  • 1954 – Konstantinos Kypriotis, Greek martial artist (d. 1995)
  • 1955 – Spiros Livathinos, Greek footballer and coach
  • 1955 – Mike Reno, Canadian singer and drummer
  • 1957 – Nacho Duato, Spanish dancer and choreographer
  • 1958 – Betsy DeVos, American businesswoman and politician, 11th Secretary of Education
  • 1958 – Rey Misterio, Sr., Mexican wrestler, trainer, and actor
  • 1959 – Kim Duk-koo, South Korean boxer (d. 1982)
  • 1959 – Paul Hester, Australian drummer (d. 2005)
  • 1960 – Dave Weckl, American drummer
  • 1961 – Calvin Smith, American sprinter
  • 1966 – Willie Anderson, American basketball player
  • 1966 – Igor Vyazmikin, Russian ice hockey player (d. 2009)
  • 1966 – Andrew Wood, American singer-songwriter (d. 1990)
  • 1967 – Torsten Gowitzke, German footballer and manager
  • 1967 – Steven Jacobs, Australian television host and actor
  • 1967 – R. Kelly, American singer-songwriter, record producer, and former professional basketball player
  • 1967 – Tom Watson, English politician
  • 1971 – Jason Giambi, American baseball player
  • 1971 – Jesper Jansson, Swedish footballer
  • 1971 – Pascal Zuberbühler, Swiss footballer and coach
  • 1972 – Paul Clement, English footballer, coach, and manager
  • 1972 – Giuseppe Favalli, Italian footballer
  • 1973 – Mike Cameron, American baseball player
  • 1975 – Harris Jayaraj, Indian composer and producer
  • 1976 – Kenneth Andam, Ghanaian sprinter and businessman
  • 1976 – Carl Pavano, American baseball player
  • 1977 – Amber Benson, American actress, writer, director, and producer
  • 1977 – Francesco Coco, Italian footballer
  • 1979 – Seol Ki-hyeon, South Korean footballer and manager
  • 1979 – Adrian Mutu, Romanian footballer
  • 1979 – Stipe Pletikosa, Croatian footballer
  • 1979 – Sarah Polley, Canadian actress, director, and screenwriter
  • 1980 – Adam Goodes, Australian footballer
  • 1980 – Rachel Nichols, American actress and producer
  • 1981 – Jeff Francis, Canadian baseball player
  • 1981 – Trent Waterhouse, Australian rugby league player
  • 1982 – Gaby Hoffmann, American actress
  • 1983 – Jon Daly, Irish footballer
  • 1984 – Jeff Francoeur, American baseball player
  • 1984 – Jeon Ji-ae, South Korean actress
  • 1984 – Kim Jong-un, North Korean soldier and politician, 3rd Supreme Leader of North Korea (probable)
  • 1986 – David Silva, Spanish footballer
  • 1988 – Adrián López, Spanish footballer
  • 1988 – Michael Mancienne, English footballer
  • 1989 – Aaron Cruden, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1991 – Josh Hazlewood, Australian cricketer
  • 1991 – Stefan Johansen, Norwegian footballer
  • 1991 – Stefan Savić, Montenegrin footballer
  • 1991 – Shin Ji-min, South Korean singer and rapper
  • 1992 – Stefanie Dolson, American basketball player
  • 1992 – Koke, Spanish footballer
  • 1992 – Apostolos Vellios, Greek footballer

Deaths on January 8

  • 307 – Hui of Jin, Chinese emperor (b. 259)
  • 482 – Severinus of Noricum, Italian apostle and saint
  • 871 – Bagsecg, Viking warrior and leader
  • 926 – Athelm, archbishop of Canterbury
  • 1079 – Adèle of France, countess of Flanders (b. 1009)
  • 1107 – Edgar, king of Scotland (b. 1074)
  • 1198 – Celestine III, pope of the Catholic Church (b. 1106)
  • 1332 – Andronikos III, emperor of Trebizond
  • 1337 – Giotto, Italian painter and architect, designed Scrovegni Chapel and Giotto’s Campanile (b. 1266)
  • 1354 – Charles de La Cerda, French nobleman (b. 1327)
  • 1424 – Stephen Zaccaria, archbishop of Patras
  • 1456 – Lawrence Giustiniani, Italian bishop and saint (b. 1381)
  • 1464 – Thomas Ebendorfer, Austrian historian and academic (b. 1385)
  • 1538 – Beatrice of Portugal, duchess of Savoy (b. 1504)
  • 1557 – Albert Alcibiades, margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach (b. 1522)
  • 1570 – Philibert de l’Orme, French sculptor and architect, designed the Château d’Anet (b. 1510)
  • 1598 – John George, Elector of Brandenburg (b. 1525)
  • 1642 – Galileo Galilei, Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher (b. 1564)
  • 1664 – Moses Amyraut, French physician and theologian (b. 1596)
  • 1707 – John Dalrymple, 1st Earl of Stair, Scottish soldier and politician, Scottish Secretary of State (b. 1648)
  • 1713 – Arcangelo Corelli, Italian violinist and composer (b. 1653)
  • 1775 – John Baskerville, English printer and type designer (b. 1706)
  • 1789 – Jack Broughton, English boxer (b. 1703)
  • 1794 – Justus Möser, German lawyer and jurist (b. 1720)
  • 1815 – Edward Pakenham, Anglo-Irish general and politician (b. 1778)
  • 1825 – Eli Whitney, American engineer and theorist, invented the cotton gin (b. 1765)
  • 1853 – Mihály Bertalanits, Slovene-Hungarian poet and educator (b. 1788)
  • 1854 – William Beresford, 1st Viscount Beresford, English field marshal and politician, Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance (b. 1768)
  • 1865 – Aimé, duc de Clermont-Tonnerre, French general and politician, French Minister of Defence (b. 1779)
  • 1874 – Charles Étienne Brasseur de Bourbourg, French historian and archaeologist (b. 1814)
  • 1878 – Nikolay Nekrasov, Russian poet and critic (b. 1821)
  • 1878 – Gauchito Gil, Argentinian saint (b. 1847)
  • 1880 – Emperor Norton, English-American businessman (b. 1811)
  • 1883 – Miska Magyarics, Slovene-Hungarian poet (b. 1825)
  • 1896 – William Rainey Marshall, American banker and politician, 5th Governor of Minnesota (b. 1825)
  • 1896 – Paul Verlaine, French poet and writer (b. 1844)
  • 1901 – John Barry, Irish soldier, Victoria Cross recipient (b. 1873)
  • 1912 – Friedrich Schrempf, German journalist and politician (b. 1858)
  • 1914 – Simon Bolivar Buckner, American general and 30th Governor of Kentucky (b. 1823)
  • 1916 – Rembrandt Bugatti, Italian sculptor (b. 1884)
  • 1916 – Ada Rehan, Irish-American actress (b. 1860)
  • 1918 – Johannes Pääsuke, Estonian photographer and director (b. 1892)
  • 1918 – Ellis H. Roberts, American journalist and politician, 20th Treasurer of the United States (b. 1827)
  • 1920 – Josef Josephi, Polish-born singer and actor (b.1852)
  • 1925 – George Bellows, American painter (b.1882)
  • 1934 – Andrei Bely, Russian novelist, poet, and critic (b. 1880)
  • 1934 – Alexandre Stavisky, Ukrainian-French financier (b. 1886)
  • 1935 – Rauf Yekta, Turkish musicologist and author (b. 1871)
  • 1938 – Johnny Gruelle, American author and illustrator (b. 1880)
  • 1941 – Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, English general (b. 1857)
  • 1942 – Joseph Franklin Rutherford, American lawyer and religious leader (b. 1869)
  • 1943 – Richard Hillary, Australian pilot and author (b. 1919)
  • 1943 – Andres Larka, Estonian general and politician, 1st Estonian Minister of War (b. 1879)
  • 1944 – William Kissam Vanderbilt II, American lieutenant and sailor (b. 1878)
  • 1945 – Karl Ernst Krafft, Swiss astrologer and author (b. 1900)
  • 1948 – Kurt Schwitters, German painter and graphic designer (b. 1887)
  • 1950 – Joseph Schumpeter, Czech-American economist and academic (b. 1883)
  • 1952 – Antonia Maury, American astronomer and astrophysicist (b. 1866)
  • 1953 – Hugh Binney, English admiral and politician, 16th Governor of Tasmania (b. 1883)
  • 1954 – Eduard Wiiralt, Estonian-French painter and illustrator (b. 1898)
  • 1956 – Jim Elliot, American missionary and martyr (b. 1928)
  • 1958 – Mary Colter, American architect, designed the Desert View Watchtower (b. 1869)
  • 1961 – Schoolboy Rowe, American baseball player and coach (b. 1910)
  • 1963 – Kay Sage, American painter (b. 1898)
  • 1969 – Albert Hill, English runner and coach (b. 1889)
  • 1969 – Elmar Kaljot, Estonian footballer and coach (b. 1901)
  • 1970 – Georges Guibourg, French actor, singer, and playwright (b. 1891)
  • 1972 – Kenneth Patchen, American poet and author (b. 1911)
  • 1975 – Richard Tucker, American tenor (b. 1913)
  • 1976 – Zhou Enlai, Chinese soldier and politician, 1st Premier of the People’s Republic of China (b. 1898)
  • 1976 – Robert Forgan, Scottish-English physician and politician (b. 1891)
  • 1979 – Sara Carter, American singer-songwriter and harp player (b. 1898)
  • 1980 – John Mauchly, American physicist and academic (b. 1907)
  • 1981 – Matthew Beard, American actor (b. 1925)
  • 1982 – Grégoire Aslan, Swiss-English actor and screenwriter (b. 1908)
  • 1983 – Gerhard Barkhorn, German general and pilot (b. 1919)
  • 1983 – Tom McCall, American journalist and politician, 30th Governor of Oregon (b. 1913)
  • 1983 – Gale Page, American actress (b. 1910)
  • 1984 – Eerik Kumari, Estonian ornithologist and academic (b. 1912)
  • 1986 – Pierre Fournier, French cellist and educator (b. 1906)
  • 1990 – Bernard Krigstein, American illustrator (b. 1919)
  • 1990 – Terry-Thomas, English actor and comedian (b. 1911)
  • 1991 – Steve Clark, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1960)
  • 1994 – Pat Buttram, American actor and comedian (b. 1915)
  • 1994 – Harvey Haddix, American baseball player and coach (b. 1925)
  • 1996 – Metin Göktepe, Turkish photographer and journalist (b. 1968)
  • 1996 – François Mitterrand, French sergeant and politician, 21st President of France (b. 1916)
  • 1996 – Howard Taubman, American author and critic (b. 1907)
  • 1997 – Melvin Calvin, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1911)
  • 1998 – Michael Tippett, English composer and conductor (b. 1905)
  • 2002 – Alexander Prokhorov, Australian-Russian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1916)
  • 2002 – Dave Thomas, American businessman and philanthropist, founded Wendy’s (b. 1932)
  • 2003 – Ron Goodwin, English composer and conductor (b. 1925)
  • 2004 – John A. Gambling, American radio host (b. 1930)
  • 2006 – Tony Banks, Baron Stratford, Northern Irish broadcaster and politician, Minister for Sport and the Olympics (b. 1943)
  • 2007 – Jane Bolin, American lawyer and judge (b. 1908)
  • 2007 – Arthur Cockfield, Baron Cockfield, English lawyer and politician, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (b. 1916)
  • 2007 – Yvonne De Carlo, Canadian-American actress and singer (b. 1922)
  • 2007 – David Ervine, Northern Irish politician and activist (b. 1953)
  • 2007 – Iwao Takamoto, American animator, director, and producer (b. 1925)
  • 2008 – George Moore, Australian jockey and trainer (b. 1923)
  • 2009 – Lasantha Wickrematunge, Sri Lankan Journalist (b. 1958)
  • 2010 – Art Clokey, American animator, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1921)
  • 2011 – Jiří Dienstbier, Czech journalist and politician (b. 1937)
  • 2011 – Thorbjørn Svenssen, Norwegian footballer (b. 1924)
  • 2012 – Dave Alexander, American singer and pianist (b. 1938)
  • 2012 – T. J. Hamblin, English haematologist and academic (b. 1943)
  • 2012 – John Madin, English architect, designed the Birmingham Central Library (b. 1924)
  • 2012 – Bernhard Schrader, German chemist and academic (b. 1931)
  • 2012 – Alexis Weissenberg, Bulgarian-French pianist and educator (b. 1929)
  • 2013 – Kenojuak Ashevak, Canadian sculptor and illustrator (b. 1927)
  • 2013 – Jeanne Manford, American educator and activist, co-founded PFLAG (b. 1920)
  • 2013 – Alasdair Milne, Indian-English director and producer (b. 1930)
  • 2014 – Vicente T. Blaz, American general and politician (b. 1928)
  • 2014 – Madeline Gins, American poet and architect (b. 1941)
  • 2014 – Irma Heijting-Schuhmacher, Dutch-Australian swimmer (b. 1925)
  • 2014 – Antonino P. Roman, Filipino lawyer and politician (b. 1939)
  • 2015 – Andraé Crouch, American singer-songwriter, producer, and pastor (b. 1942)
  • 2015 – Kep Enderby, Australian lawyer, judge, and politician, 23rd Attorney-General for Australia (b. 1926)
  • 2015 – Patsy Garrett, American actress and singer (b. 1921)
  • 2016 – Maria Teresa de Filippis, Italian racing driver (b. 1926)
  • 2016 – German Moreno, Filipino television host, actor, comedian and talent manager (b. 1933)
  • 2017 – Nicolai Gedda, Swedish operatic tenor (b. 1925)
  • 2017 – James Mancham, Seychellois politician (b. 1939)
  • 2017 – Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Iranian politician (b. 1934)
  • 2017 – Peter Sarstedt, Indian-British singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1941)
  • 2020 – Pat Dalton, Australian rules footballer (b. 1942)
  • 2020 – Buck Henry, American actor, screenwriter, and director (b. 1930)

Holidays and observances on January 8

  • Babinden (Belarus, Russia)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Abo of Tiflis
    • Apollinaris Claudius
    • Blessed Eurosia Fabris
    • Gauchito Gil (Folk Catholicism)
    • Gudula
    • Harriet Bedell (Episcopal Church (USA))
    • Lawrence Giustiniani
    • Lucian of Beauvais
    • Maximus of Pavia
    • Our Lady of Prompt Succor (Roman Catholic Church)
    • Pega (Anglican and Roman Catholic churches)
    • Severinus of Noricum
    • Thorfinn of Hamar
    • January 8 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Commonwealth Day (Northern Mariana Islands)
  • Earliest day on which Children’s Day can fall, while January 14 is the latest; celebrated on the second Saturday in January. (Thailand)
  • Earliest day on which Lee–Jackson Day can fall, while January 14 is the latest; celebrated on Friday before Martin Luther King Jr. Day. (Virginia)
  • Typing Day (International observance)

January 8 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

January 7 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 1325 – Alfonso IV becomes King of Portugal.
  • 1558 – French troops, led by Francis, Duke of Guise, take Calais, the last continental possession of England.
  • 1608 – Fire destroys Jamestown, Virginia.
  • 1610 – Galileo Galilei makes his first observation of the four Galilean moons: Ganymede, Callisto, Io and Europa, although he is not able to distinguish the last two until the following day.
  • 1738 – A peace treaty is signed between Peshwa Bajirao and Jai Singh II following Maratha victory in the Battle of Bhopal.
  • 1782 – The first American commercial bank, the Bank of North America, opens.
  • 1785 – Frenchman Jean-Pierre Blanchard and American John Jeffries travel from Dover, England, to Calais, France, in a gas balloon.
  • 1835 – HMS Beagle, with Charles Darwin on board, drops anchor off the Chonos Archipelago.
  • 1894 – Thomas Edison makes a kinetoscopic film of someone sneezing. On the same day, his employee, William Kennedy Dickson, receives a patent for motion picture film.
  • 1904 – The distress signal “CQD” is established only to be replaced two years later by “SOS”.
  • 1919 – Montenegrin guerrilla fighters rebel against the planned annexation of Montenegro by Serbia, but fail.
  • 1920 – The New York State Assembly refuses to seat five duly elected Socialist assemblymen.
  • 1922 – Dáil Éireann ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by a 64–57 vote.
  • 1927 – The first transatlantic telephone service is established from New York City to London.
  • 1928 – A disastrous flood of the River Thames kills 14 people and causes extensive damage to much of riverside London.
  • 1931 – Guy Menzies flies the first solo non-stop trans-Tasman flight (from Australia to New Zealand) in 11 hours and 45 minutes, crash-landing on New Zealand’s west coast.
  • 1935 – Benito Mussolini and French Foreign minister Pierre Laval sign the Franco-Italian Agreement.
  • 1940 – Winter War: Battle of Raate Road – The Finnish 9th Division finally defeat the numerically superior Soviet forces on the Raate-Suomussalmi road.
  • 1948 – Kentucky Air National Guard pilot Thomas Mantell crashes while in pursuit of a supposed UFO.
  • 1954 – Georgetown-IBM experiment: The first public demonstration of a machine translation system is held in New York at the head office of IBM.
  • 1955 – Contralto Marian Anderson becomes the first person of color to perform at the Metropolitan Opera in Giuseppe Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera.
  • 1959 – The United States recognizes the new Cuban government of Fidel Castro.
  • 1968 – Surveyor Program: Surveyor 7, the last spacecraft in the Surveyor series, lifts off from launch complex 36A, Cape Canaveral.
  • 1973 – In his second shooting spree of the week, Mark Essex fatally shoots seven people and wounds five others at Howard Johnson’s Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana, before being shot to death by police officers.
  • 1979 – Third Indochina War: Cambodian–Vietnamese War: Phnom Penh falls to the advancing Vietnamese troops, driving out Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge.
  • 1980 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter authorizes legislation giving $1.5 billion in loans to bail out the Chrysler Corporation.
  • 1984 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
  • 1985 – Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency launches Sakigake, Japan’s first interplanetary spacecraft and the first deep space probe to be launched by any country other than the United States or the Soviet Union.
  • 1991 – Roger Lafontant, former leader of the Tonton Macoute in Haiti under François Duvalier, attempts a coup d’état, which ends in his arrest.
  • 1993 – The Fourth Republic of Ghana is inaugurated with Jerry Rawlings as President.
  • 1993 – Bosnian War: The Bosnian Army executes a surprise attack at the village of Kravica in Srebrenica.
  • 1999 – The Senate trial in the impeachment of U.S. President Bill Clinton begins.
  • 2012 – A hot air balloon crashes near Carterton, New Zealand, killing all 11 people on board.
  • 2015 – Two gunmen commit mass murder at the offices of Charlie Hebdo in Paris, shooting twelve people execution style, and wounding eleven others.
  • 2015 – A car bomb explodes outside a police college in the Yemeni capital Sana’a with at least 38 people reported dead and more than 63 injured.
  • 2020 – The 6.4Mw  2019–20 Puerto Rico earthquakes kill four and injure nine in southern Puerto Rico.

Births on January 7

  • 889 – Li Bian, emperor of Southern Tang (d. 943)
  • 1355 – Thomas of Woodstock, 1st Duke of Gloucester, English politician, Lord High Constable of England (d. 1397)
  • 1502 – Pope Gregory XIII (d. 1585)
  • 1634 – Adam Krieger, German organist and composer (d. 1666)
  • 1647 – William Louis, Duke of Württemberg (d. 1677)
  • 1685 – Jonas Alströmer, Swedish agronomist and businessman (d. 1761)
  • 1706 – Johann Heinrich Zedler, German publisher (d. 1751)
  • 1713 – Giovanni Battista Locatelli, Italian director and manager (d. 1785)
  • 1718 – Israel Putnam, American general (d. 1790)
  • 1746 – George Elphinstone, 1st Viscount Keith, Scottish admiral and politician (d. 1823)
  • 1768 – Joseph Bonaparte, Italian king (d. 1844)
  • 1797 – Mariano Paredes, Mexican general and 16th president (1845-1846) (d. 1849)
  • 1800 – Millard Fillmore, American politician, 13th President of the United States (d. 1874)
  • 1814 – Robert Nicoll, Scottish poet (d.1837)
  • 1815 – Elizabeth Louisa Foster Mather, American writer (d.1882)
  • 1827 – Sandford Fleming, Scottish-Canadian engineer, created Universal Standard Time (d. 1915)
  • 1830 – Albert Bierstadt, American painter (d. 1902)
  • 1831 – Heinrich von Stephan, German postman, founded the Universal Postal Union (d. 1897)
  • 1832 – James Munro, Scottish-Australian publisher and politician, 15th Premier of Victoria (d. 1908)
  • 1834 – Johann Philipp Reis, German physicist and academic, invented the Reis telephone (d. 1874)
  • 1837 – Thomas Henry Ismay, English businessman, founded the White Star Line Shipping Company (d. 1899)
  • 1844 – Bernadette Soubirous, French nun and saint (d. 1879)
  • 1858 – Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, Belarusian lexicographer and journalist (d. 1922)
  • 1863 – Anna Murray Vail, American botanist and first librarian of the New York Botanical Garden (d. 1955)
  • 1871 – Émile Borel, French mathematician and politician (d. 1956)
  • 1873 – Charles Péguy, French poet and journalist (d. 1914)
  • 1873 – Adolph Zukor, Hungarian-American film producer, co-founded Paramount Pictures (d. 1976)
  • 1875 – Gustav Flatow, German gymnast (d. 1945)
  • 1876 – William Hurlstone, English pianist and composer (d. 1906)
  • 1877 – William Clarence Matthews, American baseball player, coach, and lawyer (d. 1928)
  • 1889 – Vera de Bosset, Russian-American ballerina (d. 1982)
  • 1891 – Zora Neale Hurston, American novelist, short story writer, and folklorist (d. 1960)
  • 1895 – Hudson Fysh, Australian pilot and businessman, co-founded Qantas Airways Limited (d. 1974)
  • 1899 – Al Bowlly, Mozambican-English singer-songwriter (disputed; d. 1941)
  • 1899 – Francis Poulenc, French pianist and composer (d. 1963)
  • 1900 – John Brownlee, Australian actor and singer (d. 1969)
  • 1906 – Red Allen, American trumpet player (d. 1967)
  • 1910 – Orval Faubus, American soldier and politician, 36th Governor of Arkansas (d. 1994)
  • 1912 – Charles Addams, American cartoonist, created The Addams Family (d. 1988)
  • 1913 – Johnny Mize, American baseball player, coach, and sportscaster (d. 1993)
  • 1916 – W. L. Jeyasingham, Sri Lankan geographer and academic (d. 1989)
  • 1916 – Babe Pratt, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1988)
  • 1920 – Vincent Gardenia, Italian-American actor (d. 1992)
  • 1921 – Esmeralda Arboleda Cadavid, Colombian politician (d. 1997)
  • 1921 – Chester Kallman, American poet and translator (d. 1975)
  • 1922 – Alvin Dark, American baseball player and manager (d. 2014)
  • 1922 – Jean-Pierre Rampal, French flute player (d. 2000)
  • 1923 – Hugh Kenner, Canadian scholar and critic (d. 2003)
  • 1925 – Gerald Durrell, Indian-English zookeeper, conservationist and author, founded Durrell Wildlife Park (d. 1995)
  • 1926 – Kim Jong-pil, South Korean lieutenant and politician, 11th Prime Minister of South Korea (d. 2018)
  • 1928 – William Peter Blatty, American author and screenwriter (d. 2017)
  • 1929 – Robert Juniper, Australian painter and sculptor (d. 2012)
  • 1929 – Terry Moore, American actress
  • 1931 – Mirja Hietamies, Finnish skier (d. 2013)
  • 1933 – Elliott Kastner, American-English film producer (d. 2010)
  • 1934 – Jean Corbeil, Canadian lawyer and politician, 29th Canadian Minister of Labour (d. 2002)
  • 1934 – Tassos Papadopoulos, Cypriot lawyer and politician, 5th President of Cyprus (d. 2008)
  • 1935 – Li Shengjiao, Chinese diplomat and international jurist (d. 2017)
  • 1935 – Kenny Davern, American clarinet player and saxophonist (d. 2006)
  • 1935 – Valeri Kubasov, Russian engineer and astronaut (d. 2014)
  • 1941 – Iona Brown, English violinist and conductor (d. 2004)
  • 1941 – John E. Walker, English chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1942 – Vasily Alekseyev, Russian-German weightlifter and coach (d. 2011)
  • 1943 – Sadako Sasaki, Japanese survivor of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, known for one thousand origami cranes (d. 1955)
  • 1944 – Mike McGear, British performing artist and rock photographer
  • 1944 – Kotaro Suzumura, Japanese economist and academic (d. 2020)
  • 1945 – Raila Odinga, Kenyan engineer and politician, 2nd Prime Minister of Kenya
  • 1946 – Jann Wenner, American publisher, co-founded Rolling Stone
  • 1947 – Tony Elliott, English publisher, founded Time Out
  • 1948 – Kenny Loggins, American singer-songwriter
  • 1948 – Ichirou Mizuki, Japanese singer-songwriter
  • 1950 – Juan Gabriel, Mexican singer-songwriter (d. 2016)
  • 1952 – Sammo Hung, Hong Kong actor, director, producer, and martial artist
  • 1953 – Robert Longo, American painter and sculptor
  • 1954 – Alan Butcher, English cricketer and coach
  • 1955 – Mamata Shankar, Indian-Bengali actress
  • 1956 – David Caruso, American actor
  • 1957 – Katie Couric, American television journalist, anchor, and author
  • 1959 – Angela Smith, Baroness Smith of Basildon, English accountant and politician
  • 1959 – Kathy Valentine, American bass player and songwriter
  • 1960 – Loretta Sanchez, American politician
  • 1961 – John Thune, American lawyer and politician
  • 1962 – Aleksandr Dugin, Russian political analyst and strategist known for his fascist views
  • 1962 – Ron Rivera, American football player and coach
  • 1964 – Nicolas Cage, American actor
  • 1965 – Alessandro Lambruschini, Italian runner
  • 1967 – Nick Clegg, English academic and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
  • 1969 – Marco Simone, Italian footballer and manager
  • 1970 – Andy Burnham, English politician
  • 1971 – Jeremy Renner, American actor
  • 1972 – Donald Brashear, American-Canadian ice hockey player and mixed martial artist
  • 1974 – Alenka Bikar, Slovenian sprinter and politician
  • 1976 – Vic Darchinyan, Armenian-Australian boxer
  • 1976 – Alfonso Soriano, Dominican baseball player
  • 1977 – Sofi Oksanen, Finnish author and playwright
  • 1979 – Aloe Blacc, American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, businessman and philanthropist.
  • 1982 – Francisco Rodríguez, Venezuelan baseball player
  • 1982 – Hannah Stockbauer, German swimmer
  • 1983 – Edwin Encarnación, Dominican baseball player
  • 1985 – Lewis Hamilton, English racing driver
  • 1986 – Wayne Routledge, English footballer winger
  • 1987 – Stefan Babović, Serbian footballer
  • 1987 – Lyndsy Fonseca, American actress
  • 1987 – Davide Astori, Italian footballer (d. 2018)
  • 1990 – Gregor Schlierenzauer, Austrian ski jumper
  • 1991 – Eden Hazard, Belgian footballer
  • 1991 – Caster Semenya, South African sprinter

Deaths on January 7

  • 312 – Lucian of Antioch, Christian martyr, saint, and theologian (b. 240)
  • 838 – Babak Khorramdin, Iranian leader of the Khurramite uprising against the Abbasid Caliphate
  • 856 – Aldric, bishop of Le Mans
  • 1131 – Canute Lavard, Danish prince and saint (b. 1096)
  • 1285 – Charles I of Naples (b. 1226)
  • 1325 – Denis of Portugal (b. 1261)
  • 1355 – Inês de Castro, Castilian noblewoman (b. 1325)
  • 1400 – John Montagu, 3rd Earl of Salisbury, English Earl (b. 1350)
  • 1451 – Amadeus VIII of Savoy a.k.a. Antipope Felix V (b. 1383)
  • 1529 – Peter Vischer the Elder, German sculptor (b. 1455)
  • 1536 – Catherine of Aragon (b. 1485)
  • 1566 – Louis de Blois, Flemish monk and author (b. 1506)
  • 1619 – Nicholas Hilliard, English painter and goldsmith (b. 1547)
  • 1625 – Ruggiero Giovannelli, Italian composer and author (b. 1560)
  • 1655 – Pope Innocent X (b. 1574)
  • 1658 – Theophilus Eaton, American farmer and politician, 1st Governor of the New Haven Colony (b. 1590)
  • 1694 – Charles Gerard, 1st Earl of Macclesfield, English general and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire (b. 1618)
  • 1700 – Raffaello Fabretti, Italian scholar and author (b. 1618)
  • 1715 – François Fénelon, French archbishop, theologian, and poet (b. 1651)
  • 1758 – Allan Ramsay, Scottish poet and playwright (b. 1686)
  • 1767 – Thomas Clap, American minister and academic (b. 1703)
  • 1770 – Carl Gustaf Tessin, Swedish politician and diplomat (b. 1695)
  • 1812 – Joseph Dennie, American journalist and author (b. 1768)
  • 1830 – John Thomas Campbell, Irish-Australian public servant and politician (b. 1770)
  • 1830 – Thomas Lawrence, English painter and educator (b. 1769)
  • 1858 – Mustafa Reşid Pasha, Ottoman politician, Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire (b. 1800)
  • 1864 – Caleb Blood Smith, American journalist and politician, 6th U.S. Secretary of the Interior (b. 1808)
  • 1892 – Tewfik Pasha, Egyptian ruler (b. 1852)
  • 1893 – Josef Stefan, Slovenian physicist and mathematician (b. 1835)
  • 1919 – Henry Ware Eliot, American businessman and philanthropist, co-founded Washington University in St. Louis (b. 1843)
  • 1920 – Edmund Barton, Australian judge and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1849)
  • 1927 – Nikolaos Kalogeropoulos, Greek politician, 99th Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1851)
  • 1931 – Edward Channing, American historian and author (b. 1856)
  • 1932 – André Maginot, French sergeant and politician (b. 1877)
  • 1936 – Guy d’Hardelot, French pianist and composer (b. 1858)
  • 1941 – Charles Finger, English journalist and author (b. 1869)
  • 1943 – Nikola Tesla, Serbian-American physicist and engineer (b. 1856)
  • 1951 – René Guénon, French-Egyptian philosopher and author (b. 1886)
  • 1960 – Dorothea Douglass Lambert Chambers, English tennis player and coach (b. 1878)
  • 1963 – Arthur Edward Moore, New Zealand-Australian farmer and politician, 23rd Premier of Queensland (b. 1876)
  • 1964 – Reg Parnell, English racing driver and manager (b. 1911)
  • 1967 – David Goodis, American author and screenwriter (b. 1917)
  • 1967 – Carl Schuricht, German-Swiss conductor (b. 1880)
  • 1968 – J. L. B. Smith, South African chemist and academic (b. 1897)
  • 1972 – John Berryman, American poet and scholar (b. 1914)
  • 1981 – Alvar Lidell, English journalist and radio announcer(b. 1908)
  • 1981 – Eric Robinson, Australian businessman and politician, 2nd Australian Minister for Finance (b. 1926)
  • 1984 – Alfred Kastler, German-French physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1902)
  • 1986 – Juan Rulfo, Mexican author, screenwriter, and photographer (b. 1917)
  • 1988 – Zara Cisco Brough, American Nipmuc Indian chief and fashion designer (b.1919)
  • 1988 – Trevor Howard, English actor (b. 1913)
  • 1989 – Hirohito, Japanese emperor (b. 1901)
  • 1990 – Bronko Nagurski, Canadian-American football player and wrestler (b. 1908)
  • 1992 – Richard Hunt, American puppeteer and voice actor (b. 1951)
  • 1995 – Murray Rothbard, American economist, historian, and theorist (b. 1926)
  • 1996 – Károly Grósz, Hungarian politician, 51st Prime Minister of Hungary (b. 1930)
  • 1998 – Owen Bradley, American record producer (b. 1915)
  • 1998 – Vladimir Prelog, Croatian-Swiss chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
  • 2000 – Gary Albright, American wrestler (b. 1963)
  • 2001 – James Carr, American singer (b. 1942)
  • 2002 – Avery Schreiber, American comedian and actor (b. 1935)
  • 2004 – Ingrid Thulin, Swedish actress (b. 1926)
  • 2005 – Pierre Daninos, French author (b. 1913)
  • 2006 – Heinrich Harrer, Austrian mountaineer, geographer, and author (b. 1912)
  • 2007 – Bobby Hamilton, American race car driver and businessman (b. 1957)
  • 2007 – Magnus Magnusson, Icelandic journalist, author, and academic (b. 1929)
  • 2008 – Alwyn Schlebusch, South African academic and politician, Vice State President of South Africa (b. 1917)
  • 2012 – Tony Blankley, British-born American child actor, journalist and pundit (b. 1948)
  • 2014 – Run Run Shaw, Chinese-Hong Kong businessman and philanthropist, founded Shaw Brothers Studio and TVB (b. 1907)
  • 2015 – Mompati Merafhe, Botswana general and politician, Vice-President of Botswana (b. 1936)
  • 2015 – Rod Taylor, Australian-American actor and screenwriter (b. 1930)
  • 2015 – Georges Wolinski, Tunisian-French cartoonist (b. 1934)
  • 2016 – Bill Foster, American basketball player and coach (b. 1929)
  • 2016 – John Johnson, American basketball player (b. 1947)
  • 2016 – Kitty Kallen, American singer (b. 1921)
  • 2016 – Judith Kaye, American lawyer and jurist (b. 1938)
  • 2016 – Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Indian lawyer and politician, Indian Minister of Home Affairs (b. 1936)
  • 2017 – Mário Soares, Portuguese politician; 16th President of Portugal (b. 1924)
  • 2018 – Jim Anderton, Former New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister (b. 1938)
  • 2018 – France Gall, French singer (b. 1947)

Holidays and observances on January 7

  • Christian Feast Day:
    • André Bessette (Canada)
    • Canute Lavard
    • Charles of Sezze
    • Felix and Januarius
    • Lucian of Antioch
    • Raymond of Penyafort
    • Synaxis of John the Forerunner & Baptist (Julian Calendar)
    • January 7 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Christmas (Eastern Orthodox Churches and Oriental Orthodox Churches using the Julian Calendar, Rastafari)
    • Christmas in Russia
    • Christmas in Ukraine
    • Remembrance Day of the Dead (Armenia)
  • Distaff Day (medieval Europe)
  • Earliest day on which Plough Monday can fall, while January 13 is the latest; celebrated on Monday after Epiphany (Europe).
  • Nanakusa no sekku (Japan)
  • Pioneer’s Day (Liberia)
  • Tricolour day or Festa del Tricolore (Italy)
  • Victory from Genocide Day (Cambodia)

January 7 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

January 6 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 1066 – Following the death of Edward the Confessor on the previous day, the Witan meets to confirm Harold Godwinson as the new King of England; Harold is crowned the same day, sparking a succession crisis that will eventually lead to the Norman conquest of England.
  • 1205 – Philip of Swabia undergoes a second coronation as King of the Romans.
  • 1322 – Stephen Uroš III is crowned King of Serbia, having defeated his half-brother Stefan Konstantin in battle. His son is crowned “young king” in the same ceremony.
  • 1355 – Charles IV of Bohemia is crowned with the Iron Crown of Lombardy as King of Italy in Milan.
  • 1449 – Constantine XI is crowned Byzantine Emperor at Mystras.
  • 1492 – The Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella enter Granada at the conclusion of the Granada War.
  • 1536 – The first European school of higher learning in the Americas, Colegio de Santa Cruz de Tlatelolco, is founded by Viceroy Antonio de Mendoza and Bishop Juan de Zumárraga in Mexico City.
  • 1540 – King Henry VIII of England marries Anne of Cleves.
  • 1579 – The Union of Arras unites the southern Netherlands under the Duke of Parma (Ottavio Farnese), governor in the name of King Philip II of Spain.
  • 1641 – Arauco War: The first Parliament of Quillín is celebrated, putting a temporary hold on hostilities between Mapuches and Spanish in Chile.
  • 1661 – English Restoration: The Fifth Monarchists unsuccessfully attempt to seize control of London, England. The revolt is suppressed after a few days.
  • 1721 – The Committee of Inquiry on the South Sea Bubble publishes its findings, revealing details of fraud among company directors and corrupt politicians.
  • 1781 – In the Battle of Jersey, the British defeat the last attempt by France to invade Jersey in the Channel Islands.
  • 1809 – Combined British, Portuguese and colonial Brazilian forces begin the Invasion of Cayenne during the Napoleonic Wars.
  • 1838 – Alfred Vail and colleagues demonstrate a telegraph system using dots and dashes (this is the forerunner of Morse code).
  • 1839 – The Night of the Big Wind, the most damaging storm in 300 years, sweeps across Ireland, damaging or destroying more than 20% of the houses in Dublin.
  • 1847 – Samuel Colt obtains his first contract for the sale of revolver pistols to the United States government.
  • 1870 – The inauguration of the Musikverein in Vienna, Austria.
  • 1893 – The Washington National Cathedral is chartered by Congress. The charter is signed by President Benjamin Harrison.
  • 1900 – Second Boer War: Having already besieged the fortress at Ladysmith, Boer forces attack it, but are driven back by British defenders.
  • 1907 – Maria Montessori opens her first school and daycare center for working-class children in Rome, Italy.
  • 1912 – New Mexico is admitted to the Union as the 47th U.S. state.
  • 1912 – German geophysicist Alfred Wegener first presents his theory of continental drift.
  • 1929 – King Alexander of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes suspends his country’s constitution (the January 6th Dictatorship).
  • 1929 – Mother Teresa arrives by sea in Calcutta, India, to begin her work among India’s poorest and sick people.
  • 1930 – The first diesel-powered automobile trip is completed, from Indianapolis, Indiana, to New York, New York.
  • 1941 – United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivers his Four Freedoms speech in the State of the Union address.
  • 1946 – The first general election ever in Vietnam is held.
  • 1947 – Pan American Airlines becomes the first commercial airline to offer a round-the-world ticket.
  • 1950 – The United Kingdom recognizes the People’s Republic of China. The Republic of China severs diplomatic relations with the UK in response.
  • 1951 – Korean War: Beginning of the Ganghwa massacre, in the course of which an estimated 200–1,300 South Korean communist sympathizers are slaughtered.
  • 1960 – National Airlines Flight 2511 is destroyed in mid-air by a bomb, while en route from New York City to Miami.
  • 1960 – The Associations Law comes into force in Iraq, allowing registration of political parties
  • 1967 – Vietnam War: United States Marine Corps and ARVN troops launch “Operation Deckhouse Five” in the Mekong River delta.
  • 1974 – In response to the 1973 oil crisis, daylight saving time commences nearly four months early in the United States.
  • 1989 – Satwant Singh and Kehar Singh are sentenced to death for conspiracy in the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi; the two men are executed the same day.
  • 1992 – President of Georgia Zviad Gamsakhurdia flees the country as a result of the military coup.
  • 1993 – Indian Border Security Force units kill 55 Kashmiri civilians in Sopore, Jammu and Kashmir, in revenge after militants ambushed a BSF patrol.
  • 1994 – American figure skater Nancy Kerrigan is attacked and injured by an assailant hired by her rival Tonya Harding’s ex-husband during the U.S. Figure Skating Championships that they were both taking part in.
  • 1995 – A chemical fire in an apartment complex in Manila, Philippines, leads to the discovery of plans for Project Bojinka, a mass-terrorist attack.
  • 2005 – American Civil Rights Movement: Edgar Ray Killen is indicted for the 1964 murders of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner.
  • 2005 – A train collision in Graniteville, South Carolina, United States, releases about 60 tons of chlorine gas.
  • 2012 – Twenty-six people are killed and 63 wounded when a suicide bomber blows himself up at a police station in Damascus.
  • 2017 – Five people are killed and six others injured in a mass shooting at Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport in Broward County, Florida.
  • 2019 – Forty people are killed in a gold mine collapse in northern Afghanistan.

Births on January 6

  • 1256 – Gertrude the Great, German mystic (d. 1302)
  • 1367 – Richard II of England (d. 1400)
  • 1384 – Edmund Holland, 4th Earl of Kent (d. 1408)
  • 1412 – Joan of Arc, French martyr and saint (d. 1431)
  • 1486 – Martin Agricola, German composer and theorist (d. 1556)
  • 1488 – Helius Eobanus Hessus, German poet (d. 1540)
  • 1493 – Olaus Petri, Swedish clergyman (d. 1552)
  • 1500 – John of Ávila, Spanish mystic and saint (d. 1569)
  • 1525 – Caspar Peucer, German physician and scholar (d. 1602)
  • 1538 – Jane Dormer, Duchess of Feria (d. 1612)
  • 1561 – Thomas Fincke, Danish mathematician and physicist (d. 1656)
  • 1587 – Gaspar de Guzmán, Count-Duke of Olivares (d. 1645)
  • 1595 – Claude Favre de Vaugelas, French educator and courtier (d. 1650)
  • 1617 – Christoffer Gabel, Danish politician (d. 1673)
  • 1632 – Anne Hamilton, 3rd Duchess of Hamilton, Scottish peeress (d. 1716)
  • 1655 – Eleonor Magdalene of Neuburg (d. 1720)
  • 1673 – James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos, English academic and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Radnorshire (d. 1744)
  • 1695 – Giuseppe Sammartini, Italian oboe player and composer (d. 1750)
  • 1702 – José de Nebra, Spanish composer (d. 1768)
  • 1714 – Percivall Pott, English surgeon (d. 1788)
  • 1745 – Jacques-Etienne Montgolfier, French co-inventor of the hot air balloon (d. 1799)
  • 1766 – José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia, Paraguayan lawyer and politician, first dictator of Paraguay (d. 1840)
  • 1785 – Andreas Moustoxydis, Greek historian and philologist (d. 1860)
  • 1793 – James Madison Porter, American lawyer and politician, 18th United States Secretary of War (d. 1862)
  • 1795 – Anselme Payen, French chemist and academic (d. 1871)
  • 1799 – Jedediah Smith, American hunter, explorer, and author (d. 1831)
  • 1803 – Henri Herz, Austrian pianist and composer (d. 1888)
  • 1807 – Joseph Petzval, German-Hungarian mathematician and physicist (d. 1891)
  • 1808 – Joseph Pitty Couthouy, American conchologist and paleontologist (d. 1864)
  • 1811 – Charles Sumner, American lawyer and politician (d. 1874)
  • 1822 – Heinrich Schliemann, German archaeologist and businessman (d. 1890)
  • 1832 – Gustave Doré, French painter and sculptor (d. 1883)
  • 1838 – Max Bruch, German composer and conductor (d. 1920)
  • 1842 – Clarence King, American geologist, mountaineer, and critic (d. 1901)
  • 1856 – Giuseppe Martucci, Italian pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1909)
  • 1857 – Hugh Mahon, Irish-Australian publisher and politician, 10th Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs (d. 1931)
  • 1857 – William Russell, American lawyer and politician, 37th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1896)
  • 1859 – Samuel Alexander, Australian-English philosopher and academic (d. 1938)
  • 1861 – Victor Horta, Belgian architect, designed Hôtel van Eetvelde (d. 1947)
  • 1861 – George Lloyd, English-Canadian bishop and theologian (d. 1940)
  • 1870 – Gustav Bauer, German journalist and politician, 11th Chancellor of Germany (d. 1944)
  • 1872 – Alexander Scriabin, Russian pianist and composer (d. 1915)
  • 1874 – Fred Niblo, American actor, director, and producer (d. 1948)
  • 1878 – Adeline Genée, Danish-born British ballerina (d. 1970)
  • 1878 – Carl Sandburg, American poet and historian (d. 1967)
  • 1880 – Tom Mix, American cowboy and actor (d. 1940)
  • 1881 – Ion Minulescu, Romanian author, poet, and critic (d. 1944)
  • 1882 – Fan S. Noli, Albanian-American bishop and politician, 13th Prime Minister of Albania (d. 1965)
  • 1882 – Sam Rayburn, American lawyer and politician, 48th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (d. 1961)
  • 1883 – Kahlil Gibran, Lebanese-American poet, painter, and philosopher (d. 1931)
  • 1898 – James Fitzmaurice, Irish soldier and pilot (d. 1965)
  • 1899 – Heinrich Nordhoff, German engineer (d. 1968)
  • 1900 – Maria of Yugoslavia, Queen of Yugoslavia from 1922 to 1934 (d. 1961)
  • 1903 – Maurice Abravanel, Greek-American pianist and conductor (d. 1993)
  • 1910 – Wright Morris, American author and photographer (d. 1998)
  • 1910 – Yiannis Papaioannou, Greek composer and educator (d. 1989)
  • 1912 – Jacques Ellul, French philosopher and critic (d. 1994)
  • 1912 – Danny Thomas, American actor, comedian, producer and humanitarian (d. 1991)
  • 1913 – Edward Gierek, Polish lawyer and politician (d. 2001)
  • 1913 – Loretta Young, American actress (d. 2000)
  • 1914 – Godfrey Edward Arnold, Austrian-American physician and academic (d. 1989)
  • 1915 – Don Edwards, American soldier, lawyer, and politician (d. 2015)
  • 1915 – John C. Lilly, American psychoanalyst, physician, and philosopher (d. 2001)
  • 1915 – Alan Watts, English-American philosopher and author (d. 1973)
  • 1916 – Park Mok-wol, influential Korean poet and academic (d. 1978)
  • 1917 – Koo Chen-fu, Taiwanese businessman and diplomat (d. 2005)
  • 1920 – John Maynard Smith, English biologist and geneticist (d. 2004)
  • 1920 – Sun Myung Moon, Korean religious leader; founder of the Unification Church (d. 2012)
  • 1920 – Early Wynn, American baseball player, coach, and sportscaster (d. 1999)
  • 1921 – Marianne Grunberg-Manago, Russian-French biochemist and academic (d. 2013)
  • 1921 – Cary Middlecoff, American golfer and sportscaster (d. 1998)
  • 1923 – Vladimir Kazantsev, Russian runner (d. 2007)
  • 1923 – Norman Kirk, New Zealand engineer and politician, 29th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1974)
  • 1923 – Jacobo Timerman, Argentinian journalist and author (d. 1999)
  • 1924 – Kim Dae-jung, South Korean soldier and politician, 8th President of South Korea, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2009)
  • 1924 – Earl Scruggs, American banjo player (d. 2012)
  • 1925 – John DeLorean, American engineer and businessman, founded the DeLorean Motor Company (d. 2005)
  • 1926 – Ralph Branca, American baseball player (d. 2016)
  • 1926 – Mickey Hargitay, Hungarian-American actor and bodybuilder (d. 2006)
  • 1927 – Jesse Leonard Steinfeld, American physician and academic, 11th Surgeon General of the United States (d. 2014)
  • 1928 – Capucine, French actress and model (d. 1990)
  • 1931 – E. L. Doctorow, American novelist, playwright, and short story writer (d. 2015)
  • 1931 – Graeme Hole, Australian cricketer (d. 1990)
  • 1931 – Dickie Moore, Canadian ice hockey player and businessman (d. 2015)
  • 1932 – Stuart A. Rice, American chemist and academic
  • 1933 – Oleg Grigoryevich Makarov, Russian engineer and astronaut (d. 2003)
  • 1934 – Sylvia Syms, English actress
  • 1935 – Nino Tempo, American musician, singer, and actor
  • 1936 – Darlene Hard, American tennis player
  • 1936 – Julio María Sanguinetti, Uruguayan journalist, lawyer and politician, 29th President of Uruguay
  • 1937 – Ludvík Daněk, Czech discus thrower (d. 1998)
  • 1937 – Lou Holtz, American football player, coach, and sportscaster
  • 1937 – Doris Troy, American singer-songwriter (d. 2004)
  • 1938 – Adriano Celentano, Italian singer-songwriter, actor, and director
  • 1938 – Adrienne Clarke, Australian botanist and academic
  • 1938 – Larisa Shepitko, Soviet film director, screenwriter, and actress (d. 1979)
  • 1939 – Valeriy Lobanovskyi, Ukrainian footballer and manager (d. 2002)
  • 1939 – Murray Rose, English-Australian swimmer and sportscaster (d. 2012)
  • 1940 – Van McCoy, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 1979)
  • 1943 – Terry Venables, English footballer and manager
  • 1944 – Bonnie Franklin, American actress and singer (d. 2013)
  • 1944 – Alan Stivell, French singer-songwriter and harp player
  • 1944 – Rolf M. Zinkernagel, Swiss immunologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1945 – Barry John, Welsh rugby player
  • 1946 – Syd Barrett, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2006)
  • 1947 – Sandy Denny, English folk-rock singer-songwriter (d 1978)
  • 1948 – Guy Gardner, American colonel and astronaut
  • 1948 – Dayle Hadlee, New Zealand cricketer
  • 1949 – Mike Boit, Kenyan runner and academic (estimated date)
  • 1949 – Carolyn D. Wright, American poet and academic (d. 2016)
  • 1950 – Louis Freeh, American lawyer and jurist, 10th Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
  • 1951 – Don Gullett, American baseball player and coach
  • 1951 – Kim Wilson, American singer-songwriter and harmonica player
  • 1953 – Malcolm Young, Scottish-Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (d. 2017)
  • 1954 – Anthony Minghella, English director and screenwriter (d. 2008)
  • 1955 – Rowan Atkinson, English actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1956 – Elizabeth Strout, American novelist and short story writer
  • 1956 – Justin Welby, English archbishop
  • 1956 – Clive Woodward, English rugby player and coach
  • 1957 – Michael Foale, British-American astrophysicist and astronaut
  • 1957 – Nancy Lopez, American golfer and sportscaster
  • 1959 – Kapil Dev, Indian cricketer
  • 1960 – Paul Azinger, American golfer and sportscaster
  • 1960 – Kari Jalonen, Finnish ice hockey player and coach
  • 1960 – Nigella Lawson, English chef and author
  • 1960 – Howie Long, American football player and sports commentator
  • 1961 – Georges Jobé, Belgian motocross racer (d. 2012)
  • 1961 – Peter Whittle, British politician, author, journalist and broadcaster
  • 1963 – Norm Charlton, American baseball player and coach
  • 1963 – Paul Kipkoech, Kenyan runner (d. 1995)
  • 1964 – Jacqueline Moore, American wrestler and manager
  • 1965 – Bjørn Lomborg, Danish author and academic
  • 1966 – Sharon Cuneta, Filipino singer and actress
  • 1966 – Attilio Lombardo, Italian footballer and manager
  • 1967 – A. R. Rahman, Indian composer, singer-songwriter, music producer, musician and philanthropist
  • 1968 – John Singleton, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2019)
  • 1969 – Norman Reedus, American actor and model
  • 1970 – Julie Chen, American television journalist, presenter, and producer
  • 1970 – Radoslav Látal, Czech footballer and manager
  • 1973 – Vasso Karantasiou, Greek beach volleyball player
  • 1976 – Richard Zedník, Slovak ice hockey player
  • 1981 – Asante Samuel, American football player
  • 1982 – Eddie Redmayne, English actor and model
  • 1984 – Kate McKinnon, American actress and comedian
  • 1986 – Paul McShane, Irish footballer
  • 1986 – Petter Northug, Norwegian skier
  • 1989 – Andy Carroll, English footballer
  • 1991 – Will Barton, American basketball player
  • 1994 – Lim Jae-beom, South Korean singer and actor (Got7)

Deaths on January 6

  • 786 – Abo of Tiflis, Iraqi martyr and saint (b. 756)
  • 1088 – Berengar of Tours, French scholar and theologian (b. 999)
  • 1148 – Gilbert de Clare, 1st Earl of Pembroke (b. 1100)
  • 1233 – Matilda of Chester, Countess of Huntingdon, Anglo-Norman noblewoman (b. 1171)
  • 1275 – Raymond of Penyafort, Catalan archbishop and saint (b. 1175)
  • 1350 – Giovanni I di Murta, second doge of the Republic of Genoa
  • 1358 – Gertrude van der Oosten, Beguine mystic
  • 1406 – Roger Walden, English bishop
  • 1448 – Christopher of Bavaria, King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden (b. 1418)
  • 1477 – Jean VIII, Count of Vendôme
  • 1481 – Ahmed Khan bin Küchük, Mongolian ruler
  • 1537 – Alessandro de’ Medici, Duke of Florence (b. 1510)
  • 1537 – Baldassare Peruzzi, Italian architect and painter, designed the Palazzo Massimo alle Colonne (b. 1481)
  • 1616 – Philip Henslowe, English impresario (b. 1550)
  • 1646 – Elias Holl, German architect, designed the Augsburg Town Hall (b. 1573)
  • 1689 – Seth Ward, English bishop, mathematician, and astronomer (b. 1617)
  • 1693 – Mehmed IV, Ottoman sultan (b. 1642)
  • 1711 – Philips van Almonde, Dutch admiral (b. 1646)
  • 1718 – Giovanni Vincenzo Gravina, Italian lawyer and jurist (b. 1664)
  • 1725 – Chikamatsu Monzaemon, Japanese actor and playwright (b. 1653)
  • 1731 – Étienne François Geoffroy, French physician and chemist (b. 1672)
  • 1734 – John Dennis, English playwright and critic (b. 1657)
  • 1813 – Louis Baraguey d’Hilliers, French general (b. 1764)
  • 1829 – Josef Dobrovský, Czech philologist and historian (b. 1753)
  • 1831 – Rodolphe Kreutzer, French violinist, composer, and conductor (b. 1766)
  • 1840 – Frances Burney, English author and playwright (b. 1752)
  • 1852 – Louis Braille, French educator, invented Braille (b. 1809)
  • 1855 – Giacomo Beltrami, Italian jurist, explorer, and author (b. 1779)
  • 1882 – Richard Henry Dana, Jr., American lawyer and politician (b. 1815)
  • 1884 – Gregor Mendel, Czech geneticist and botanist (b. 1822)
  • 1885 – Bharatendu Harishchandra, Indian author, poet, and playwright (b. 1850)
  • 1896 – Thomas W. Knox, American journalist and author (b. 1835)
  • 1902 – Lars Hertervig, Norwegian painter (b. 1830)
  • 1913 – Frederick Hitch, English soldier, Victoria Cross recipient (b. 1856)
  • 1917 – Hendrick Peter Godfried Quack, Dutch economist and historian (b. 1834)
  • 1918 – Georg Cantor, German mathematician and philosopher (b. 1845)
  • 1919 – Theodore Roosevelt, American colonel and politician, 26th President of the United States (b. 1858)
  • 1921 – Devil Anse Hatfield, American guerrilla leader (b. 1839)
  • 1922 – Jakob Rosanes, Ukrainian-German mathematician and chess player (b. 1842)
  • 1928 – Alvin Kraenzlein, American hurdler and long jumper (b. 1876)
  • 1933 – Vladimir de Pachmann, Ukrainian-German pianist (b. 1848)
  • 1934 – Herbert Chapman, English footballer and manager (b. 1878)
  • 1937 – André Bessette, Canadian saint (b. 1845)
  • 1939 – Gustavs Zemgals, Latvian journalist and politician, 2nd President of Latvia (b. 1871)
  • 1941 – Charley O’Leary, American baseball player and coach (b. 1882)
  • 1942 – Emma Calvé, French soprano and actress (b. 1858)
  • 1942 – Henri de Baillet-Latour, Belgian businessman, 3rd President of the International Olympic Committee (b. 1876)
  • 1944 – Jacques Rosenbaum, Estonian-German architect (b. 1878)
  • 1944 – Ida Tarbell, American journalist, reformer, and educator (b. 1857)
  • 1945 – Vladimir Vernadsky, Russian mineralogist and chemist (b. 1863)
  • 1949 – Victor Fleming, American director, producer, and cinematographer (b. 1883)
  • 1966 – Jean Lurçat, French painter (b. 1892)
  • 1972 – Chen Yi, Chinese general and politician, 2nd Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China (b. 1901)
  • 1974 – David Alfaro Siqueiros, Mexican painter (b. 1896)
  • 1978 – Burt Munro, New Zealand motorcycle racer (b. 1899)
  • 1981 – A. J. Cronin, Scottish physician and author (b. 1896)
  • 1984 – Ernest Laszlo, Hungarian-American cinematographer (b. 1898)
  • 1990 – Ian Charleson, Scottish-English actor (b. 1949)
  • 1990 – Pavel Cherenkov, Russian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1904)
  • 1993 – Dizzy Gillespie, American singer-songwriter and trumpet player (b. 1917)
  • 1993 – Rudolf Nureyev, Russian-French dancer and choreographer (b. 1938)
  • 1995 – Joe Slovo, Lithuanian-South African lawyer and politician (b. 1926)
  • 1999 – Michel Petrucciani, French-American pianist (b. 1962)2000 – Don Martin, American cartoonist (b. 1931)
  • 2004 – Pierre Charles, Dominican educator and politician, 5th Prime Minister of Dominica (b. 1954)
  • 2004 – Francesco Scavullo, American photographer (b. 1921)
  • 2005 – Eileen Desmond, Irish civil servant and politician, 12th Irish Minister for Health (b. 1932)
  • 2005 – Lois Hole, Canadian academic and politician, 15th Lieutenant Governor of Alberta (b. 1929)
  • 2005 – Tarquinio Provini, Italian motorcycle racer (b. 1933)
  • 2005 – Louis Robichaud, Canadian lawyer and politician, 25th Premier of New Brunswick (b. 1925)
  • 2006 – Lou Rawls, American singer-songwriter (b. 1933)
  • 2007 – Roberta Wohlstetter, American political scientist, historian, and academic (b. 1912)
  • 2008 – Shmuel Berenbaum, Rabbi of Mir Yeshiva (Brooklyn)
  • 2009 – Ron Asheton, American guitarist, songwriter, and actor (probable; b. 1948)
  • 2011 – Uche Okafor, Nigerian footballer, coach, and sportscaster (b. 1967)
  • 2012 – Bob Holness, South African-English radio and television host (b. 1928)
  • 2012 – Spike Pola, Australian footballer and soldier (b. 1914)
  • 2013 – Qazi Hussain Ahmad, Pakistani scholar and politician (b. 1938)
  • 2013 – Ruth Carter Stevenson, American art collector, founded the Amon Carter Museum of American Art (b. 1923)
  • 2013 – Gerard Helders, Dutch jurist and politician (b. 1905)
  • 2013 – Cho Sung-min, South Korean baseball player (b. 1973)
  • 2014 – Marina Ginestà, French Resistance soldier and photographer (b. 1919)
  • 2014 – Nelson Ned, Brazilian singer-songwriter (b. 1947)
  • 2014 – Julian Rotter, American psychologist and academic (b. 1916)
  • 2015 – Arthur Jackson, American lieutenant and target shooter (b. 1918)
  • 2015 – Basil John Mason, English meteorologist and academic (b. 1923)
  • 2016 – Pat Harrington, Jr., American actor and screenwriter (b. 1929)
  • 2016 – Florence King, American journalist and author (b. 1936)
  • 2016 – Christy O’Connor Jnr, Irish golfer and architect (b. 1948)
  • 2016 – Silvana Pampanini, Italian model, actress, and director, Miss Italy 1946 (b. 1925)
  • 2017 – Octavio Lepage, Venezuelan politician, President of Venezuela (b. 1923)
  • 2017 – Om Puri, Indian actor (b. 1950)
  • 2019 – José Ramón Fernández, Cuban revolution leader (b. 1923)
  • 2019 – Lamin Sanneh, Gambian-born American professor (b. 1942)
  • 2019 – W. Morgan Sheppard, British actor (b. 1932)
  • 2019 – Paul Streeten, Austrian-born British economics professor (b. 1917)

Holidays and observances on January 6

  • Armed Forces Day (Iraq)
  • Christian Feast day:
    • André Bessette (Roman Catholic Church)
    • January 6 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Epiphany or Three Kings’ Day (Western Christianity) or Theophany (Eastern Christianity), and its related observances:
    • Befana Day (Italy)
    • Christmas (Armenian Apostolic Church)
    • Christmas Eve (Russia)
    • Christmas Eve (Ukraine)
    • Christmas Eve (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
    • Christmas Eve (North Macedonia)
    • Little Christmas (Ireland)
    • Þrettándinn (Iceland)
    • Three Wise Men Day
  • Pathet Lao Day (Laos)

January 6 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

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