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Afghan

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

On This Day /
  • 1373 – Julian of Norwich has visions of Jesus while suffering from a life-threatening illness, visions which are later described and interpreted in her book Revelations of Divine Love.
  • 1515 – Mary Tudor, Queen of France, and Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, are officially married at Greenwich.
  • 1568 – Battle of Langside: The forces of Mary, Queen of Scots, are defeated by a confederacy of Scottish Protestants under James Stewart, Earl of Moray, her half-brother.
  • 1619 – Dutch statesman Johan van Oldenbarnevelt is executed in The Hague after being convicted of treason.
  • 1779 – War of the Bavarian Succession: Russian and French mediators at the Congress of Teschen negotiate an end to the war. In the agreement Austria receives the part of its territory that was taken from it (the Innviertel).
  • 1780 – The Cumberland Compact is signed by leaders of the settlers in the Cumberland River area of what would become the U.S. state of Tennessee, providing for democratic government and a formal system of justice.
  • 1787 – Captain Arthur Phillip leaves Portsmouth, England, with eleven ships full of convicts (the “First Fleet”) to establish a penal colony in Australia.
  • 1804 – Forces sent by Yusuf Karamanli of Tripoli to retake Derna from the Americans attack the city.
  • 1830 – Ecuador gains its independence from Gran Colombia.
  • 1846 – Mexican–American War: The United States declares war on the Federal Republic of Mexico following a dispute over the American annexation of the Republic of Texas and a Mexican military incursion.
  • 1861 – American Civil War: Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom issues a “proclamation of neutrality” which recognizes the Confederacy as having belligerent rights.
  • 1861 – The Great Comet of 1861 is discovered by John Tebbutt of Windsor, New South Wales, Australia.
  • 1861 – Pakistan’s (then a part of British India) first railway line opens, from Karachi to Kotri.
  • 1862 – The USS Planter, a steamer and gunship, steals through Confederate lines and is passed to the Union, by a southern slave, Robert Smalls, who later was officially appointed as captain, becoming the first black man to command a United States ship.
  • 1864 – American Civil War: Battle of Resaca: The battle begins with Union General Sherman fighting toward Atlanta.
  • 1865 – American Civil War: Battle of Palmito Ranch: In far south Texas, the last land battle of the Civil War ends with a Confederate victory.
  • 1880 – In Menlo Park, New Jersey, Thomas Edison performs the first test of his electric railway.
  • 1888 – With the passage of the Lei Áurea (“Golden Law”), Empire of Brazil abolishes slavery.
  • 1909 – The first Giro d’Italia starts from Milan. Italian cyclist Luigi Ganna will be the winner.
  • 1912 – The Royal Flying Corps, the forerunner of the Royal Air Force, is established in the United Kingdom.
  • 1917 – Three children report the first apparition of Our Lady of Fátima in Fátima, Portugal.
  • 1940 – World War II: Germany’s conquest of France begins as the German army crosses the Meuse. Winston Churchill makes his “blood, toil, tears, and sweat” speech to the House of Commons.
  • 1940 – Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands flees her country to Great Britain after the German invasion. Princess Juliana takes her children to Canada for their safety.
  • 1941 – World War II: Yugoslav royal colonel Dragoljub Mihailović starts fighting against German occupation troops, beginning the Serbian resistance.
  • 1943 – World War II: Operations Vulcan and Strike force the surrender of the last Axis troops in Tunisia.
  • 1948 – Arab–Israeli War: The Kfar Etzion massacre is committed by Arab irregulars, the day before the declaration of independence of the state of Israel on May 14.
  • 1950 – The first round of the Formula One World Championship is held at Silverstone.
  • 1951 – The 400th anniversary of the founding of the National University of San Marcos is commemorated by the opening of the first large-capacity stadium in Peru.
  • 1952 – The Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament of India, holds its first sitting.
  • 1954 – The anti-National Service Riots, by Chinese middle school students in Singapore, take place.
  • 1954 – The original Broadway production of The Pajama Game opens and runs for another 1,063 performances. Later received three Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical, and Best Choreography.
  • 1958 – During a visit to Caracas, Venezuela, Vice President Richard Nixon’s car is attacked by anti-American demonstrators.
  • 1958 – May 1958 crisis: A group of French military officers lead a coup in Algiers demanding that a government of national unity be formed with Charles de Gaulle at its head in order to defend French control of Algeria.
  • 1958 – Ben Carlin becomes the first (and only) person to circumnavigate the world by amphibious vehicle, having travelled over 17,000 kilometres (11,000 mi) by sea and 62,000 kilometres (39,000 mi) by land during a ten-year journey.
  • 1960 – Hundreds of University of California, Berkeley students congregate for the first day of protest against a visit by the House Committee on Un-American Activities.
  • 1967 – Dr. Zakir Husain becomes the third President of India. He is the first Muslim President of the Indian Union. He holds this position until August 24, 1969.
  • 1969 – May 13 Incident involving sectarian violence in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
  • 1971 – Over 900 unarmed Bengali Hindus are murdered in the Demra massacre.
  • 1972 – Faulty electrical wiring ignites a fire underneath the Playtown Cabaret in Osaka, Japan. Blocked exits and non-functional elevators lead to 118 fatalities, with many victims leaping to their deaths.
  • 1972 – The Troubles: A car bombing outside a crowded pub in Belfast sparks a two-day gun battle involving the Provisional IRA, Ulster Volunteer Force and British Army. Seven people are killed and over 66 injured.
  • 1980 – An F3 tornado hits Kalamazoo County, Michigan. President Jimmy Carter declares it a federal disaster area.
  • 1981 – Mehmet Ali Ağca attempts to assassinate Pope John Paul II in St. Peter’s Square in Rome. The Pope is rushed to the Agostino Gemelli University Polyclinic to undergo emergency surgery and survives.
  • 1985 – Police bombed MOVE headquarters in Philadelphia to end a stand-off, killing six adults and five children, and destroying the homes of 250 city residents.
  • 1989 – Large groups of students occupy Tiananmen Square and begin a hunger strike.
  • 1990 – The Dinamo–Red Star riot took place at Maksimir Stadium in Zagreb, Croatia between the Bad Blue Boys (fans of Dinamo Zagreb) and the Delije (fans of Red Star Belgrade).
  • 1992 – Li Hongzhi gives the first public lecture on Falun Gong in Changchun, People’s Republic of China.
  • 1995 – Alison Hargreaves, a 33-year-old British mother, becomes the first woman to conquer Everest without oxygen or the help of sherpas.
  • 1996 – Severe thunderstorms and a tornado in Bangladesh kill 600 people.
  • 1998 – Race riots break out in Jakarta, Indonesia, where shops owned by Indonesians of Chinese descent are looted and women raped.
  • 1998 – India carries out two nuclear weapon tests at Pokhran, following the three conducted on May 11. The United States and Japan impose economic sanctions on India.
  • 2005 – Andijan uprising, Uzbekistan; Troops open fire on crowds of protestors after a prison break; at least 187 people were killed according to official estimates.
  • 2006 – São Paulo violence: Rebellions occur in several prisons in Brazil.
  • 2011 – Two bombs explode in the Charsadda District of Pakistan killing 98 people and wounding 140 others.
  • 2012 – Forty-nine dismembered bodies are discovered by Mexican authorities on Mexican Federal Highway 40.
  • 2013 – American physician Kermit Gosnell is found guilty in Pennsylvania of murdering three infants born alive during attempted abortions, involuntary manslaughter of a woman during an abortion procedure, and other charges.
  • 2014 – An explosion at an underground coal mine in southwest Turkey kills 301 miners.

Births on  May 13

  • 1024 – Hugh of Cluny, French abbot and saint (d. 1109)
  • 1179 – Theobald III, Count of Champagne (d. 1201)
  • 1221 – Alexander Nevsky, Russian prince and saint (d. 1263)
  • 1254 – Marie of Brabant, Queen of France (d. 1321)
  • 1453 – Mary Stewart, Countess of Arran, Scottish princess (d. 1488)
  • 1588 – Ole Worm, Danish physician and historian (d. 1654)
  • 1597 – Cornelis Schut, Flemish painter, draughtsman and engraver (d. 1655)
  • 1638 – Richard Simon, French priest and scholar (d. 1712)
  • 1699 – Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal, Portuguese politician, Prime Minister of Portugal (d. 1782)
  • 1712 – Count Johann Hartwig Ernst von Bernstorff, Danish politician and diplomat (d. 1772)
  • 1713 – Alexis Clairaut, French mathematician, astronomer, and geophysicist (d. 1765)
  • 1717 – Maria Theresa, Archduchess, Queen, and Empress; Austrian wife of Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1780)
  • 1730 – Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1782)
  • 1735 – Horace Coignet, French violinist and composer (d. 1821)
  • 1742 – Maria Christina, Duchess of Teschen (d. 1798)
  • 1753 – Lazare Carnot, French general, mathematician, and politician, French Minister of the Interior (d. 1823)
  • 1792 – Pope Pius IX (d. 1878)
  • 1794 – Louis Léopold Robert, French painter (d. 1835)
  • 1795 – Gérard Paul Deshayes, French geologist and chronologist (d. 1875)
  • 1811 – Juan Bautista Ceballos, President of Mexico (1853) (b. 1859)
  • 1822 – Francis, Duke of Cádiz (d. 1902)
  • 1830 – Zebulon Baird Vance, American colonel, lawyer, and politician, 37th Governor of North Carolina (d. 1894)
  • 1832 – Juris Alunāns, Latvian philologist and author (d. 1864)
  • 1840 – Alphonse Daudet, French author, poet, and playwright (d. 1897)
  • 1842 – Arthur Sullivan, English composer (d. 1900)
  • 1853 – Vaiben Louis Solomon, Australian politician, 21st Premier of South Australia (d. 1908)
  • 1856 – Tom O’Rourke, American boxer and manager (d. 1938)
  • 1857 – Ronald Ross, Indian-English physician and mathematician, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1932)
  • 1868 – Sumner Paine, American target shooter (d. 1904)
  • 1869 – Mehmet Emin Yurdakul, Turkish writer (d. 1944)
  • 1877 – Robert Hamilton, Scottish international footballer (d. 1948)
  • 1881 – Lima Barreto, Brazilian journalist and author (d. 1922)
  • 1881 – Joe Forshaw, American runner (d. 1964)
  • 1882 – Georges Braque, French painter and sculptor (d. 1963)
  • 1883 – Georgios Papanikolaou, Greek-American pathologist, invented the pap smear (d. 1962)
  • 1884 – Oskar Rosenfeld, Jewish-Austrian writer and Holocaust victim (d.1944)
  • 1885 – Mikiel Gonzi, Maltese archbishop (d. 1984)
  • 1887 – Lorna Hodgkinson, Australian educator and educational psychologist (d. 1951)
  • 1888 – Inge Lehmann, Danish seismologist and geophysicist (d. 1993)
  • 1894 – Ásgeir Ásgeirsson, Icelandic politician, 2nd President of Iceland (d. 1972)
  • 1895 – Nandor Fodor, Hungarian-American psychologist, parapsychologist, and author (d. 1964)
  • 1901 – Murilo Mendes, Brazilian poet and telegrapher (d. 1975)
  • 1904 – Louis Duffus, Australian-South African cricketer and journalist (d. 1984)
  • 1905 – Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, Indian lawyer and politician, 5th President of India (d. 1977)
  • 1907 – Daphne du Maurier, English novelist and playwright (d. 1989)
  • 1908 – Eugen Kapp, Estonian composer and educator (d. 1996)
  • 1909 – Ken Darby, American composer and conductor (d. 1992)
  • 1911 – Robert Middleton, American actor (d. 1977)
  • 1911 – Maxine Sullivan, American singer and actress (d. 1987)
  • 1912 – Gil Evans, Canadian-American pianist, composer, and bandleader (d. 1988)
  • 1912 – Judah Nadich, American colonel and rabbi (d. 2007)
  • 1913 – Robert Dorning, English actor, singer, and dancer (d. 1989)
  • 1913 – Theo Helfrich, German racing driver (d. 1978)
  • 1913 – William R. Tolbert, Jr., Liberian politician, 20th President of Liberia (d. 1980)
  • 1914 – Joe Louis, American boxer (d. 1981)
  • 1914 – Johnnie Wright, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2011)
  • 1914 – Antonia Ferrín Moreiras, Spanish mathematician, academic, and astronomer (d. 2009)
  • 1916 – Sachidananda Routray, Indian Oriya-language poet (d. 2004)
  • 1918 – Balasaraswati, Indian dancer and instructor (d. 1984)
  • 1918 – Gwyn Howells, Australian public servant (d. 1997)
  • 1920 – Gareth Morris, English flute player (d. 2007)
  • 1922 – Michael Ainsworth, English cricketer (d. 1978)
  • 1922 – Otl Aicher, German graphic designer and typographer (d. 1991)
  • 1922 – Bea Arthur, American actress and singer (d. 2009)
  • 1923 – Ruth Adler Schnee, German-American textile designer and interior designer
  • 1924 – Theodore Mann, American director and producer (d. 2012)
  • 1924 – Harry Schwarz, South African anti-apartheid leader, lawyer, and Ambassador (d. 2010)
  • 1927 – Archie Scott Brown, Scottish race car driver (d. 1958)
  • 1927 – Fred Hellerman, American folk singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (d. 2016)
  • 1927 – Herbert Ross, American actor, director, and producer (d. 2001)
  • 1928 – Enrique Bolaños, Nicaraguan politician, President of Nicaragua
  • 1928 – Édouard Molinaro, French actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2013)
  • 1929 – John Galvin, American general (d. 2015)
  • 1930 – Mike Gravel, American lieutenant and politician
  • 1930 – José Jiménez Lozano, Spanish journalist and author
  • 1930 – Vernon Shaw, Dominican politician, 5th President of Dominica (d. 2013)
  • 1931 – Jim Jones, American cult leader, founder of the Peoples Temple (d. 1978)
  • 1931 – Sydney Lipworth, South African-English lawyer, businessman, and philanthropist
  • 1933 – John Roseboro, American baseball player and coach (d. 2002)
  • 1934 – Ehud Netzer, Israeli archaeologist, architect, and academic (d. 2010)
  • 1934 – Leon Wagner, American baseball player and actor (d. 2004)
  • 1935 – Dominic Cossa, American opera singer
  • 1935 – Jan Saudek, Czech photographer and painter
  • 1935 – Kája Saudek, Czech author and illustrator (d. 2015)
  • 1936 – Bill Rompkey, Canadian educator and politician (d. 2017)
  • 1937 – Trevor Baylis, English inventor, invented the wind-up radio (d. 2018)
  • 1937 – Roch Carrier, Canadian librarian and author
  • 1937 – Zohra Lampert, American actress
  • 1937 – Beverley Owen, American actress (d. 2019)
  • 1937 – Roger Zelazny, American author and poet (d. 1995)
  • 1938 – Giuliano Amato, Italian academic and politician, 48th Prime Minister of Italy
  • 1938 – Laurent Beaudoin, Canadian businessman
  • 1938 – Anna Cropper, British actress (d. 2007)
  • 1938 – Francine Pascal, American author and playwright
  • 1938 – Buck Taylor, American actor
  • 1939 – Hildrun Claus, German long jumper
  • 1939 – Peter Frenkel, German race walker and coach
  • 1939 – Harvey Keitel, American actor
  • 1940 – Bruce Chatwin, English author (d. 1989)
  • 1940 – Kōkichi Tsuburaya, Japanese runner (d. 1968)
  • 1941 – Senta Berger, Austrian actress
  • 1941 – Joe Brown, English singer and musician
  • 1941 – Jody Conradt, American basketball player and coach
  • 1941 – Ritchie Valens, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1959)
  • 1942 – Leighton Gage, American author (d. 2013)
  • 1942 – Roger Young, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1943 – Anthony Clarke, Baron Clarke of Stone-cum-Ebony, English lawyer and judge
  • 1943 – Kurt Trampedach, Danish painter and sculptor (d. 2013)
  • 1943 – Mary Wells, American singer-songwriter (d. 1992)
  • 1944 – Sir Crispin Agnew, 11th Baronet, Scottish explorer, lawyer, and judge
  • 1944 – Robert L. Crawford Jr., American actor
  • 1944 – Carolyn Franklin, American R&B singer-songwriter (d. 1988)
  • 1944 – Armistead Maupin, American author, screenwriter, and actor
  • 1945 – Lasse Berghagen, Swedish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
  • 1945 – Magic Dick, American blues-rock harmonica, trumpet, and saxophone player
  • 1945 – Lou Marini, American saxophonist and composer
  • 1946 – Tim Pigott-Smith, English actor and author (d. 2017)
  • 1946 – Jean Rondeau, French race car driver and constructor (d. 1985)
  • 1946 – Marv Wolfman, American author
  • 1947 – Charles Baxter, American novelist, essayist, and poet
  • 1947 – Edgar Burcksen, Dutch-American film editor
  • 1948 – Sheila Jeffreys, English-Australian political scientist, author, and academic
  • 1948 – Dean Meminger, American basketball player and coach (d. 2013)
  • 1949 – Jane Glover, English conductor and scholar
  • 1949 – Zoë Wanamaker, American-British actress
  • 1949 – Philip Kruse, Norwegian trumpeter and orchestra leader
  • 1950 – Andy Cunningham, English actor (d. 2011)
  • 1950 – Danny Kirwan, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2018)
  • 1950 – Joe Johnston, American film director and effects artist
  • 1950 – Manning Marable, American author and academic (d. 2011)
  • 1950 – Bobby Valentine, American baseball player and manager
  • 1950 – Stevie Wonder, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer
  • 1951 – Rosie Boycott, English journalist and author
  • 1951 – Sharon Sayles Belton, American politician, 45th Mayor of Minneapolis
  • 1951 – Anand Modak, Indian composer and director (d. 2014)
  • 1951 – Herman Philipse, Dutch philosopher and academic
  • 1951 – Selina Scott, English journalist, producer, and author
  • 1951 – Paul Thompson, English drummer
  • 1952 – John Kasich, American politician, 69th Governor of Ohio
  • 1952 – Mary Walsh, Canadian actress, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1952 – Londa Schiebinger, American academic and author
  • 1953 – Zlatko Burić, Croat-Danish actor
  • 1953 – Gerry Sutcliffe, English politician, Vice-Chamberlain of the Household
  • 1953 – David Voelker, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 2013)
  • 1953 – Harm Wiersma, Dutch draughts player and politician
  • 1953 – Ruth A. David, American electrical engineer
  • 1954 – Johnny Logan, Australian-Irish singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1956 – Richard Madeley, English journalist and author
  • 1956 – Fred Melamed, American actor
  • 1956 – Kailash Vijayvargiya, National General Secretary of Bhartiya Janta Party
  • 1957 – Alan Ball, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1957 – Frances Barber, English actress
  • 1957 – Mark Heap, English actor
  • 1957 – David Hill, English organist and conductor
  • 1957 – Mar Roxas, Filipino economist and politician, 24th Filipino Secretary of the Interior
  • 1957 – Koji Suzuki, Japanese author and screenwriter
  • 1958 – Anthony Ray Parker, American actor
  • 1961 – Siobhan Fallon Hogan, American actress
  • 1961 – Dennis Rodman, American basketball player, wrestler, and actor
  • 1962 – Paul Burstow, English politician
  • 1962 – Nick Hurd, English businessman and politician, Minister for Civil Society
  • 1963 – Andrea Leadsom, English politician
  • 1963 – Wally Masur, Australian tennis player, coach, and sportscaster
  • 1964 – Stephen Colbert, American comedian and talk show host
  • 1964 – Chris Maitland, English drummer
  • 1964 – Tom Verica, American actor, television director, and producer
  • 1965 – José Antonio Delgado, Venezuelan mountaineer (d. 2006)
  • 1965 – Tasmin Little, English violinist and educator
  • 1965 – János Marozsán, Hungarian footballer
  • 1965 – Hikari Ōta, Japanese comedian and actor
  • 1965 – José Rijo, Dominican baseball player
  • 1965 – Lari White, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress (d. 2018)
  • 1966 – Alison Goldfrapp, English singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1966 – Darius Rucker, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1967 – Tish Cyrus, American actress and film producer
  • 1967 – Shon Greenblatt, American actor
  • 1967 – Tommy Gunn, pornographic actor
  • 1967 – Chuck Schuldiner, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2001)
  • 1967 – Melanie Thornton, American-German singer (d. 2001)
  • 1968 – Miguel Ángel Blanco, Spanish politician (d. 1997)
  • 1968 – Susan Floyd, American actress
  • 1968 – Scott Morrison, Australian politician, 30th Prime Minister of Australia
  • 1968 – PMD, American rapper
  • 1968 – Dmitriy Shevchenko, Russian discus thrower and coach
  • 1969 – Buckethead, American guitarist and songwriter
  • 1969 – Nikos Aliagas, French-Greek journalist and television host
  • 1970 – Doug Evans, American football player
  • 1970 – Robert Maćkowiak, Polish sprinter
  • 1971 – Imogen Boorman, English actress and martial artist
  • 1971 – Rob Fredrickson, American football player
  • 1971 – Espen Lind, Norwegian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1971 – Tom Nalen, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1972 – Stefaan Maene, Belgian swimmer
  • 1972 – Darryl Sydor, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1972 – Pieta van Dishoeck, Dutch rower
  • 1973 – Eric Lewis, American pianist
  • 1973 – Bridgett Riley, American boxer and stuntwoman
  • 1975 – Jamie Allison, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1975 – Cristian Bezzi, Italian rugby player and coach
  • 1975 – Brian Geraghty, American actor
  • 1976 – Mark Delaney, Welsh footballer and manager
  • 1976 – Trajan Langdon, American basketball player and scout
  • 1976 – Ana Popović, Serbian-American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1976 – Magdalena Walach, Polish actress
  • 1977 – Ilse DeLange, Dutch singer-songwriter
  • 1977 – Anthony Q. Farrell, Canadian-American actor and screenwriter
  • 1977 – Robby Hammock, American baseball player and coach
  • 1977 – Neil Hopkins, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1977 – James Middlebrook, English cricketer
  • 1977 – Samantha Morton, English actress and director
  • 1977 – Brian Thomas Smith, American actor and producer
  • 1977 – Pusha T, American rapper
  • 1978 – Brooke Anderson, American journalist
  • 1978 – Mike Bibby, American basketball player and coach
  • 1978 – Ryan Bukvich, American baseball player
  • 1978 – Germán Magariños, Argentinian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1978 – Dilshan Vitharana, Sri Lankan cricketer
  • 1978 – Barry Zito, American baseball player
  • 1978 – Nuwan Zoysa, Sri Lankan cricketer
  • 1979 – Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland
  • 1979 – Steve Mildenhall, English footballer
  • 1979 – Vyacheslav Shevchuk, Ukrainian footballer
  • 1980 – L. J. Smith, American football player
  • 1981 – Luciana Berger, English politician
  • 1981 – Nicolas Jeanjean, French rugby player
  • 1981 – Sunny Leone, Canadian American actress, model, and pornstar
  • 1981 – Michael Mantenuto, American actor (d. 2017)
  • 1981 – Shaun Phillips, American football player
  • 1981 – Ryan Piers Williams, American actor and film director
  • 1982 – Albert Crusat, Spanish footballer
  • 1982 – Larry Fonacier, Filipino basketball player
  • 1982 – Oguchi Onyewu, American soccer player
  • 1983 – Natalie Cassidy, English actress and singer
  • 1983 – Anita Görbicz, Hungarian handball player
  • 1983 – Johnny Hoogerland, Dutch cyclist
  • 1983 – Grégory Lemarchal, French singer (d. 2007)
  • 1983 – Jacob Reynolds, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1983 – Yaya Touré, Ivorian footballer
  • 1984 – J. B. Cox, American baseball player
  • 1984 – Benny Dayal, Indian singer
  • 1984 – Dawn Harper, American hurdler
  • 1984 – Caroline Rotich, Kenyan runner
  • 1985 – Javier Balboa, Spanish-Equatoguinean footballer
  • 1985 – Jaroslav Halák, Slovak ice hockey player
  • 1985 – David Hernandez, American baseball player
  • 1985 – Carolina Luján, Argentine chess player
  • 1985 – Iwan Rheon, Welsh actor and singer
  • 1985 – Travis Zajac, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1986 – Lena Dunham, American actress, director, and screenwriter
  • 1986 – Eun-Hee Ji, South Korean golfer
  • 1986 – Robert Pattinson, English actor
  • 1986 – Alexander Rybak, Belarusian-Norwegian singer-songwriter, violinist, and actor
  • 1986 – Scott Sutter, English footballer
  • 1986 – Nino Schurter, Swiss cyclist
  • 1986 – Kris Versteeg, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1987 – Antonio Adán, Spanish footballer
  • 1987 – Hugo Becker, French actor
  • 1987 – Matt Doyle, American actor and singer
  • 1987 – Laura Izibor, Irish singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer
  • 1987 – Candice King, American singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1987 – Sandro Mareco, Argentine chess player
  • 1987 – Hunter Parrish, American actor and singer
  • 1987 – Marianne Vos, Dutch cyclist
  • 1987 – Charlotte Wessels, Dutch singer-songwriter
  • 1987 – Bobby Shuttleworth, American soccer player
  • 1988 – Paulo Avelino, Filipino actor and singer
  • 1988 – Didier Cohen, Australian DJ, producer and media personality
  • 1988 – Casey Donovan, Australian singer-songwriter
  • 1989 – P. K. Subban, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1990 – Mychal Givens, American baseball player
  • 1991 – Jennifer Beattie, Scottish footballer
  • 1991 – Anders Fannemel, Norwegian ski jumper
  • 1992 – Bill Arnold, American ice hockey player
  • 1992 – Willson Contreras, Venezuelan baseball player
  • 1992 – Josh Papalii, New Zealand-Australian rugby league player
  • 1992 – Georgina García Pérez, Spanish tennis player
  • 1993 – Stefan Kraft, Austrian ski jumper
  • 1993 – Debby Ryan, American actress and singer
  • 1993 – Romelu Lukaku, Belgian footballer
  • 1993 – Siim-Tanel Sammelselg, Estonian ski jumper
  • 1993 – Tones and I, Australian singer-songwriter
  • 1994 – Łukasz Moneta, Polish footballer
  • 1997 – Reimis Smith, Australian rugby league player

Deaths on May 13

  • 189 – Emperor Ling of Han, Chinese emperor (b. 156)
  • 1112 – Ulric II, Margrave of Carniola
  • 1176 – Matthias I, Duke of Lorraine (b. 1119)
  • 1285 – Robert de Ros, 1st Baron de Ros
  • 1312 – Theobald II, Duke of Lorraine (b. 1263)
  • 1573 – Takeda Shingen, Japanese daimyō (b. 1521)
  • 1619 – Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, Dutch politician (b. 1547)
  • 1704 – Louis Bourdaloue, French preacher and author (b. 1632)
  • 1726 – Francesco Antonio Pistocchi, Italian singer (b. 1659)
  • 1782 – Daniel Solander, Swedish-English botanist and phycologist (b. 1736)
  • 1807 – Eliphalet Dyer, American colonel, lawyer, and politician (b. 1721)
  • 1809 – Beilby Porteus, English bishop (b. 1731)
  • 1832 – Georges Cuvier, French zoologist and academic (b. 1769)
  • 1835 – John Nash, English architect, designed the Royal Pavilion (b. 1752)
  • 1866 – Nikolai Brashman, Czech-Russian mathematician and academic (b. 1796)
  • 1878 – Joseph Henry, American physicist and academic (b. 1797)
  • 1884 – Cyrus McCormick, American businessman, co-founded the International Harvester Company (b. 1809)
  • 1885 – Friedrich Gustav Jakob Henle, German physician, pathologist, and anatomist (b. 1809)
  • 1903 – Apolinario Mabini, Filipino lawyer and politician, 1st Prime Minister of the Philippines (b. 1864)
  • 1916 – Sholem Aleichem, Ukrainian-American author and playwright (b. 1859)
  • 1921 – Jean Aicard, French author, poet, and playwright (b. 1848)
  • 1926 – Libert H. Boeynaems, Belgian-American bishop (b. 1857)
  • 1929 – Arthur Scherbius, German electrical engineer, invented the Enigma machine (b. 1878)
  • 1930 – Fridtjof Nansen, Norwegian scientist, explorer, and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1861)
  • 1938 – Charles Édouard Guillaume, Swiss-French physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1861)
  • 1941 – Frederick Christian, English cricketer (b. 1877)
  • 1941 – Ōnishiki Uichirō, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 26th Yokozuna (b. 1891)
  • 1945 – Tubby Hall, American drummer (b. 1895)
  • 1946 – Zara DuPont, American suffragist (b. 1869)
  • 1947 – Sukanta Bhattacharya, Indian poet and playwright (b. 1926)
  • 1948 – Kathleen Cavendish, Marchioness of Hartington (b. 1920)
  • 1957 – Michael Fekete, Hungarian-Israeli mathematician and academic (b. 1886)
  • 1961 – Gary Cooper, American actor (b. 1901)
  • 1962 – Henry Trendley Dean, American dentist (b. 1893)
  • 1962 – Franz Kline, American painter and academic (b. 1910)
  • 1963 – Alois Hudal, Austrian-Italian bishop (b. 1885)
  • 1972 – Dan Blocker, American actor (b. 1928)
  • 1974 – Jaime Torres Bodet, Mexican poet and diplomat (b. 1902)
  • 1974 – Arthur J. Burks, American colonel and author (b. 1898)
  • 1975 – Bob Wills, American singer-songwriter and actor (b. 1905)
  • 1977 – Mickey Spillane, American mobster (b. 1934)
  • 1985 – Leatrice Joy, American actress (b. 1893)
  • 1985 – Richard Ellmann, American literary critic and biographer (b. 1918)
  • 1988 – Chet Baker, American singer and trumpet player (b. 1929)
  • 1992 – F. E. McWilliam, Irish sculptor (b. 1909)
  • 1994 – Duncan Hamilton, Irish-English race car driver (b. 1920)
  • 1994 – John Swainson, Canadian-American jurist and politician, 42nd Governor of Michigan (b. 1925)
  • 1995 – Hao Wang, Chinese-American logician, philosopher, and mathematician (b. 1921)
  • 1999 – Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz, Saudi Arabian scholar and academic (b. 1910)
  • 1999 – Gene Sarazen, American golfer and journalist (b. 1902)
  • 2000 – Paul Bartel, American actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1938)
  • 2000 – Jumbo Tsuruta, Japanese wrestler (b. 1951)
  • 2001 – Jason Miller, American actor and playwright (b. 1939)
  • 2002 – Ruth Cracknell, Australian actress and author (b. 1925)
  • 2002 – Valeriy Lobanovskyi, Ukrainian footballer and manager (b. 1939)
  • 2005 – Eddie Barclay, French record producer, founded Barclay Records (b. 1921)
  • 2005 – George Dantzig, American mathematician and academic (b. 1914)
  • 2006 – Jaroslav Pelikan, American historian and scholar (b. 1923)
  • 2006 – Johnnie Wilder, Jr., American singer (b. 1949)
  • 2008 – Saad Al-Salim Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti ruler, Emir of Kuwait (b. 1930)
  • 2008 – Ron Stone, American journalist and author (b. 1936)
  • 2009 – Frank Aletter, American actor (b. 1926)
  • 2009 – Meir Brandsdorfer, Belgian rabbi (b. 1934)
  • 2009 – Achille Compagnoni, Italian skier and mountaineer (b. 1914)
  • 2011 – Derek Boogaard, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1982)
  • 2011 – Stephen De Staebler, American sculptor and educator (b. 1933)
  • 2011 – Wallace McCain, Canadian businessman, co-founded McCain Foods (b. 1930)
  • 2011 – Bruce Ricker, American director and producer (b. 1942)
  • 2012 – Arsala Rahmani Daulat, Afghan politician (b. 1937)
  • 2012 – Donald “Duck” Dunn, American bass player, songwriter, and producer (b. 1941)
  • 2012 – Ada Maria Isasi-Diaz, Cuban-American theologian, author, and academic (b. 1943)
  • 2012 – Lee Richardson, English speedway rider (b. 1979)
  • 2012 – Don Ritchie, Australian humanitarian (b. 1925)
  • 2012 – Nguyễn Văn Thiện, Vietnamese bishop (b. 1906)
  • 2013 – Joyce Brothers, American psychologist, author, and actress (b. 1927)
  • 2013 – Otto Herrigel, Namibian lawyer and politician (b. 1937)
  • 2013 – Jagdish Mali, Indian photographer (b. 1954)
  • 2013 – Chuck Muncie, American football player (b. 1953)
  • 2013 – Fyodor Tuvin, Russian footballer (b. 1973)
  • 2013 – Lynne Woolstencroft, Canadian politician (b. 1943)
  • 2014 – David Malet Armstrong, Australian philosopher and author (b. 1926)
  • 2014 – Malik Bendjelloul, Swedish director and producer (b. 1977)
  • 2014 – J. F. Coleman, American soldier and pilot (b. 1918)
  • 2014 – Ron Stevens, Canadian lawyer and politician (b. 1949)
  • 2014 – Morning Glory Zell-Ravenheart, American occultist and author (b. 1948)
  • 2015 – Earl Averill, Jr., American baseball player (b. 1931)
  • 2015 – Robert Drasnin, American clarinet player and composer (b. 1927)
  • 2015 – Nina Otkalenko, Russian runner (b. 1928)
  • 2015 – David Sackett, American-Canadian physician and academic (b. 1934)
  • 2015 – Gainan Saidkhuzhin, Russian cyclist (b. 1937)
  • 2018 – Margot Kidder, Canadian-American actress (b. 1948)
  • 2019 – Doris Day, American singer and actress (b. 1922)
  • 2019 – Unita Blackwell, American civil rights activist, and politician (b. 1933)

Holidays and observances on May 13

  • Abbotsbury Garland Day (Dorset, England)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Our Lady of Fátima
    • Gerard of Villamagna
    • Glyceria
    • John the Silent (Roman Catholic)
    • Julian of Norwich (Roman Catholic)
    • Frances Perkins (Episcopal Church (USA))
    • Servatius
    • May 13 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Rotuma Day (Rotuma)

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

On This Day

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

On This Day, Uncategorized /
  • 224 – The Battle of Hormozdgan is fought. Ardashir I defeats and kills Artabanus V effectively ending the Parthian Empire.
  • 357 – Emperor Constantius II enters Rome for the first time to celebrate his victory over Magnus Magnentius.
  • 1192 – Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I), King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title to the throne is confirmed by election. The killing is carried out by Hashshashin.
  • 1253 – Nichiren, a Japanese Buddhist monk, propounds Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō for the very first time and declares it to be the essence of Buddhism, in effect founding Nichiren Buddhism.
  • 1503 – The Battle of Cerignola is fought. It is noted as one of the first European battles in history won by small arms fire using gunpowder.
  • 1611 – Establishment of the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines, the largest Catholic university in the world.
  • 1758 – The Marathas defeat the Afghans in the Battle of Attock and capture the city.
  • 1788 – Maryland becomes the seventh state to ratify the United States Constitution.
  • 1789 – Mutiny on the Bounty: Lieutenant William Bligh and 18 sailors are set adrift and the rebel crew returns to Tahiti briefly and then sets sail for Pitcairn Island.
  • 1792 – France invades the Austrian Netherlands (present day Belgium and Luxembourg), beginning the French Revolutionary Wars.
  • 1794 – Sardinians, headed by Giovanni Maria Angioy, start a revolution against Savoy domination, expelling Viceroy Balbiano and his officials from Cagliari, the capital and largest city of the island.
  • 1796 – The Armistice of Cherasco is signed by Napoleon Bonaparte and Vittorio Amedeo III, King of Sardinia, expanding French territory along the Mediterranean coast.
  • 1869 – Chinese and Irish laborers for the Central Pacific Railroad working on the First Transcontinental Railroad lay ten miles of track in one day, a feat which has never been matched.
  • 1881 – Billy the Kid escapes from the Lincoln County jail in Mesilla, New Mexico.
  • 1887 – A week after being arrested by the Prussian Secret Police, French police inspector Guillaume Schnaebelé is released on order of William I, German Emperor, defusing a possible war.
  • 1910 – Frenchman Louis Paulhan wins the 1910 London to Manchester air race, the first long-distance aeroplane race in England.
  • 1920 – Azerbaijan is added to the Soviet Union.
  • 1923 – Wembley Stadium is opened, named initially as the Empire Stadium.
  • 1930 – The Independence Producers hosted the first night game in the history of Organized Baseball in Independence, Kansas.
  • 1941 – The Ustaše massacre nearly 200 Serbs in the village of Gudovac, the first massacre of their genocidal campaign against Serbs of the Independent State of Croatia.
  • 1944 – World War II: Nine German E-boats attacked US and UK units during Exercise Tiger, the rehearsal for the Normandy landings, killing 946.
  • 1945 – Benito Mussolini and his mistress Clara Petacci are shot dead by Walter Audisio, a member of the Italian resistance movement.
  • 1947 – Thor Heyerdahl and five crew mates set out from Peru on the Kon-Tiki to demonstrate that Peruvian natives could have settled Polynesia.
  • 1948 – Igor Stravinsky conducted the premiere of his American ballet, Orpheus at the New York City Center.
  • 1949 – The Hukbalahap are accused of assassinating former First Lady of the Philippines Aurora Quezon, while she is en route to dedicate a hospital in memory of her late husband; her daughter and ten others are also killed.
  • 1952 – Dwight D. Eisenhower resigns as Supreme Allied Commander of NATO.
  • 1952 – The Treaty of San Francisco comes into effect, restoring Japanese sovereignty and ending its state of war with most of the Allies of World War II.
  • 1952 – The Sino-Japanese Peace Treaty (Treaty of Taipei) is signed in Taipei, Taiwan between Japan and the Republic of China to officially end the Second Sino-Japanese War.
  • 1965 – United States occupation of the Dominican Republic: American troops land in the Dominican Republic to “forestall establishment of a Communist dictatorship” and to evacuate U.S. Army troops.
  • 1967 – Vietnam War: Boxer Muhammad Ali refuses his induction into the United States Army and is subsequently stripped of his championship and license.
  • 1969 – Charles de Gaulle resigns as President of France.
  • 1970 – Vietnam War: U.S. President Richard Nixon formally authorizes American combat troops to take part in the Cambodian campaign.
  • 1973 – The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd, recorded in Abbey Road Studios goes to number one on the US Billboard chart, beginning a record-breaking 741-week chart run.
  • 1975 – General Cao Văn Viên, chief of the South Vietnamese military, departs for the US as the North Vietnamese Army closed in on victory.
  • 1977 – The Red Army Faction trial ends, with Andreas Baader, Gudrun Ensslin and Jan-Carl Raspe found guilty of four counts of murder and more than 30 counts of attempted murder.
  • 1978 – President of Afghanistan, Mohammed Daoud Khan, is overthrown and assassinated in a coup led by pro-communist rebels.
  • 1986 – The United States Navy aircraft carrier USS Enterprise becomes the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to transit the Suez Canal, navigating from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea to relieve the USS Coral Sea.
  • 1986 – High levels of radiation resulting from the Chernobyl disaster are detected at a nuclear power plant in Sweden, leading Soviet authorities to publicly announce the accident.
  • 1988 – Near Maui, Hawaii, flight attendant Clarabelle “C.B.” Lansing is blown out of Aloha Airlines Flight 243, a Boeing 737, and falls to her death when part of the plane’s fuselage rips open in mid-flight.
  • 1993 – A Zambia Air Force DHC-5 Buffalo crashes off the coast of Libreville, Gabon, killing all 30 passengers, which included the entire Zambia national football team.
  • 1994 – Former Central Intelligence Agency counterintelligence officer and analyst Aldrich Ames pleads guilty to giving U.S. secrets to the Soviet Union and later Russia.
  • 1996 – Whitewater controversy: President Bill Clinton gives a 4½ hour videotaped testimony for the defense.
  • 1996 – Port Arthur massacre, Tasmania: A gunman, Martin Bryant, opens fire at the Broad Arrow Cafe in Port Arthur, Tasmania, killing 35 people and wounding 23 others.
  • 2004 – CBS News released evidence of the Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse. The photographs show rape and abuse from the American troops over Iraqi detainees.

Births on April 28

  • AD 32 – Otho, Roman emperor (d. 69 AD)
  • 1402 – Nezahualcoyotl, Acolhuan philosopher, warrior, poet and ruler (d. 1472)
  • 1442 – Edward IV, king of England (d. 1483)
  • 1545 – Yi Sun-sin, Korean commander (d. 1598)
  • 1573 – Charles de Valois, Duke of Angoulême, son of Charles IX (d. 1650)
  • 1604 – Joris Jansen Rapelje, Dutch settler in colonial North America (d. 1662)
  • 1623 – Wilhelmus Beekman, Dutch politician (d. 1707)
  • 1630 – Charles Cotton, English poet and author (d. 1687)
  • 1676 – Frederick I, prince consort and king of Sweden (d. 1751)
  • 1715 – Franz Sparry, Austrian composer and educator (d. 1767)
  • 1758 – James Monroe, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 5th President of the United States (d. 1831)
  • 1761 – Marie Harel, French cheesemaker (d. 1844)
  • 1765 – Sylvestre François Lacroix, French mathematician and academic (d. 1834)
  • 1819 – Ezra Abbot, American scholar and academic (d. 1884)
  • 1827 – William Hall, Canadian soldier, Victoria Cross recipient (d. 1904)
  • 1838 – Tobias Asser, Dutch lawyer and scholar, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1913)
  • 1848 – Ludvig Schytte, Danish pianist, composer, and educator (d. 1909)
  • 1854 – Hertha Marks Ayrton, Polish-British engineer, mathematician, and physicist. (d. 1923)
  • 1855 – José Malhoa, Portuguese painter (d. 1933)
  • 1863 – Josiah Thomas, English-Australian miner and politician, 7th Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs (d. 1933)
  • 1863 – Nikolai von Meck, Russian engineer (d. 1929)
  • 1865 – Charles W. Woodworth, American entomologist and academic (d. 1940)
  • 1868 – Lucy Booth, English composer (d. 1953)
  • 1868 – Georgy Voronoy, Ukrainian-Russian mathematician and academic (d. 1908)
  • 1874 – Karl Kraus, Austrian journalist and author (d. 1936)
  • 1874 – Sidney Toler, American actor and director (d. 1947)
  • 1876 – Nicola Romeo, Italian engineer and businessman (d. 1938)
  • 1878 – Lionel Barrymore, American actor and director (d. 1954)
  • 1886 – Erich Salomon, German-born news photographer (d. 1944)
  • 1886 – Art Shaw, American hurdler (d. 1955)
  • 1888 – Walter Tull, English footballer and soldier (d. 1918)
  • 1889 – António de Oliveira Salazar, Portuguese economist and politician, 100th Prime Minister of Portugal (d. 1970)
  • 1896 – Na Hye-sok, South Korean journalist, poet, and painter (d. 1948)
  • 1896 – Tristan Tzara, Romanian-French poet and critic (d. 1963)
  • 1897 – Ye Jianying, Chinese general and politician, Head of State of the People’s Republic of China (d. 1986)
  • 1900 – Alice Berry, Australian activist (d. 1978)
  • 1900 – Heinrich Müller, German SS officer (d. 1945)
  • 1900 – Jan Oort, Dutch astronomer and academic (d. 1992)
  • 1901 – H. B. Stallard, English runner and surgeon (d. 1973)
  • 1902 – Johan Borgen, Norwegian author and critic (d. 1979)
  • 1906 – Kurt Gödel, Czech-American mathematician, philosopher, and academic (d. 1978)
  • 1906 – Paul Sacher, Swiss conductor and philanthropist (d. 1999)
  • 1908 – Ethel Catherwood, American-Canadian high jumper and javelin thrower (d. 1987)
  • 1908 – Jack Fingleton, Australian cricketer, journalist, and sportscaster (d. 1981)
  • 1908 – Oskar Schindler, Czech-German businessman (d. 1974)
  • 1909 – Arthur Võõbus, Estonian-American theologist and orientalist (d. 1988)
  • 1910 – Sam Merwin, Jr., American author (d. 1996)
  • 1911 – Lee Falk, American director, producer, and playwright (d. 1999)
  • 1912 – Odette Hallowes, French soldier and spy (d. 1995)
  • 1912 – Kaneto Shindō, Japanese director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2012)
  • 1913 – Rose Murphy, American singer (d. 1989)
  • 1914 – Michel Mohrt, French author, historian (d. 2011)
  • 1916 – Ferruccio Lamborghini, Italian businessman, created Lamborghini (d. 1993)
  • 1917 – Robert Cornthwaite, American actor (d. 2006)
  • 1921 – Rowland Evans, American soldier, journalist, and author (d. 2001)
  • 1921 – Simin Daneshvar, Iranian author and academic (d. 2012)
  • 1923 – Carolyn Cassady, American author (d. 2013)
  • 1923 – William Guarnere, American sergeant (d. 2014)
  • 1924 – Dick Ayers, American author and illustrator (d. 2014)
  • 1924 – Blossom Dearie, American singer and pianist (d. 2009)
  • 1924 – Kenneth Kaunda, Zambian educator and politician, 1st President of Zambia
  • 1925 – T. John Lesinski, American judge and politician, 51st Lieutenant Governor of Michigan (d. 1996)
  • 1925 – John Leonard Thorn, English lieutenant, author, and academic
  • 1926 – James Bama, American artist and illustrator
  • 1926 – Bill Blackbeard, American historian and author (d. 2011)
  • 1926 – Harper Lee, American novelist (d. 2016)
  • 1926 – Hulusi Sayın, Turkish general (d. 1991)
  • 1928 – Yves Klein, French painter (d. 1962)
  • 1928 – Eugene Merle Shoemaker, American geologist and astronomer (d. 1997)
  • 1930 – James Baker, American lawyer and politician, 61st United States Secretary of State
  • 1930 – Carolyn Jones, American actress (d. 1983)
  • 1933 – Miodrag Radulovacki, Serbian-American neuropharmacologist and academic (d. 2014)
  • 1934 – Lois Duncan, American journalist and author (d. 2016)
  • 1935 – Pedro Ramos, Cuban baseball player
  • 1935 – Jimmy Wray, Scottish boxer and politician (d. 2013)
  • 1936 – Tariq Aziz, Iraqi journalist and politician, Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 2015)
  • 1937 – Saddam Hussein, Iraqi general and politician, 5th President of Iraq (d. 2006)
  • 1937 – Jean Redpath, Scottish singer-songwriter (d. 2014)
  • 1937 – John White, Scottish international footballer(d. 1964)
  • 1938 – Madge Sinclair, Jamaican-American actress (d. 1995)
  • 1941 – Ann-Margret, Swedish-American actress, singer, and dancer
  • 1941 – Lucien Aimar, French cyclist
  • 1941 – John Madejski, English businessman and academic
  • 1941 – Karl Barry Sharpless, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1941 – Iryna Zhylenko, Ukrainian poet and author (d. 2013)
  • 1942 – Mike Brearley, English cricketer and psychoanalyst
  • 1943 – Aryeh Bibi, Iraqi-born Israeli politician
  • 1944 – Elizabeth LeCompte, American director and producer
  • 1944 – Jean-Claude Van Cauwenberghe, Belgian politician, 10th Minister-President of the Walloon Region
  • 1944 – Alice Waters, American chef and author
  • 1946 – Nour El-Sherif, Egyptian actor and producer (d. 2015)
  • 1946 – Ginette Reno, Canadian singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1946 – Larissa Grunig, American theorist and activist
  • 1947 – Christian Jacq, French historian and author
  • 1947 – Nicola LeFanu, English composer and academic
  • 1947 – Steve Khan, American jazz guitarist
  • 1948 – Terry Pratchett, English journalist, author, and screenwriter (d. 2015)
  • 1948 – Marcia Strassman, American actress and singer (d. 2014)
  • 1949 – Jeremy Cooke, English lawyer and judge
  • 1949 – Paul Guilfoyle, American actor
  • 1949 – Bruno Kirby, American actor and director (d. 2006)
  • 1950 – Willie Colón, Puerto Rican-American trombonist and producer
  • 1950 – Jay Leno, American comedian, talk show host, and producer
  • 1950 – Steve Rider, English journalist and sportscaster
  • 1951 – Tim Congdon, English economist and politician
  • 1951 – Larry Smith, Canadian football player and politician
  • 1952 – Chuck Leavell, American singer-songwriter and keyboard player
  • 1952 – Mary McDonnell, American actress
  • 1953 – Roberto Bolaño, Chilean novelist, short-story writer, poet, and essayist (d. 2003)
  • 1953 – Kim Gordon, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1953 – Brian Greenhoff, English footballer and coach (d. 2013)
  • 1954 – Timothy Curley, American educator
  • 1954 – Michael P. Jackson, American politician, 3rd Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security
  • 1954 – Vic Sotto, Filipino actor-producer, singer-songwriter, comedian and television personality
  • 1954 – Ron Zook, American football player and coach
  • 1955 – Eddie Jobson, English keyboard player and violinist
  • 1955 – Dieter Rubach, German bass player
  • 1956 – Jimmy Barnes, Scottish-Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1957 – Wilma Landkroon, Dutch singer
  • 1958 – Hal Sutton, American golfer
  • 1960 – Tom Browning, American baseball player
  • 1960 – Elena Kagan, American lawyer and jurist, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
  • 1960 – Phil King, English bass player
  • 1960 – Ian Rankin, Scottish author
  • 1960 – Jón Páll Sigmarsson, Icelandic strongman and weightlifter (d. 1993)
  • 1960 – Walter Zenga, Italian footballer and manager
  • 1963 – Sandrine Dumas, French actress, director, and screenwriter
  • 1963 – Lloyd Eisler, Canadian figure skater and coach
  • 1963 – Marc Lacroix, Belgian biochemist and academic
  • 1964 – Stephen Ames, Trinidadian golfer
  • 1964 – Noriyuki Iwadare, Japanese composer
  • 1964 – Ajay Kakkar, Baron Kakkar, English surgeon and academic
  • 1964 – Barry Larkin, American baseball player, manager, and sportscaster
  • 1964 – L’Wren Scott, American model and fashion designer (d. 2014)
  • 1965 – Jennifer Rardin, American author (d. 2010)
  • 1966 – John Daly, American golfer
  • 1966 – Too Short, American rapper, producer and actor
  • 1967 – Chris White, English engineer and politician
  • 1968 – Howard Donald, English singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1968 – Andy Flower, South-African-Zimbabwean cricketer and coach
  • 1969 – LeRon Perry Ellis, American basketball player
  • 1970 – Richard Fromberg, Australian tennis player
  • 1970 – Nicklas Lidström, Swedish ice hockey player and scout
  • 1970 – Diego Simeone, Argentinian footballer and manager
  • 1971 – Brad McEwan, Australian journalist
  • 1972 – Violent J, American rapper
  • 1972 – Helena Tulve, Estonian composer
  • 1972 – Jean-Paul van Gastel, Dutch footballer and manager
  • 1973 – Jorge Garcia, American actor and producer
  • 1973 – Earl Holmes, American football player and coach
  • 1973 – Andrew Mehrtens, South African-New Zealand rugby player
  • 1974 – Penélope Cruz, Spanish actress and producer
  • 1974 – Margo Dydek, Polish basketball player and coach (d. 2011)
  • 1974 – Richel Hersisia, Dutch boxer
  • 1974 – Vernon Kay, English radio and television host
  • 1974 – Dominic Matteo, Scottish footballer and journalist
  • 1975 – Michael Walchhofer, Austrian skier
  • 1976 – Shane Jurgensen, Australian cricketer
  • 1978 – Lauren Laverne, English singer and television host
  • 1978 – Robert Oliveri, American actor
  • 1978 – Nate Richert, American actor
  • 1979 – Scott Fujita, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1980 – Bradley Wiggins, English cyclist
  • 1981 – Jessica Alba, American model and actress
  • 1981 – Pietro Travagli, Italian rugby player
  • 1982 – Nikki Grahame, English model and journalist
  • 1982 – Chris Kaman, American basketball player
  • 1983 – Josh Brookes, Australian motorcycle racer
  • 1983 – David Freese, American baseball player
  • 1983 – Roger Johnson, English footballer
  • 1983 – Graham Wagg, English cricketer
  • 1983 – Thomas Waldrom, New Zealand-English rugby player
  • 1984 – Dmitri Torbinski, Russian footballer
  • 1985 – Lucas Jakubczyk, German sprinter and long jumper
  • 1985 – Deividas Stagniūnas, Lithuanian ice dancer
  • 1986 – Roman Polák, Czech ice hockey player
  • 1986 – Jenna Ushkowitz, Korean-American actress, singer, and dancer
  • 1987 – Ryan Conroy, Scottish footballer
  • 1987 – Samantha Akkineni, Indian actress and model
  • 1987 – Bradley Johnson, English footballer
  • 1987 – Zoran Tošić, Serbian footballer
  • 1988 – Jonathan Biabiany, French footballer
  • 1988 – Juan Manuel Mata, Spanish footballer
  • 1988 – Katariina Tuohimaa, Finnish tennis player
  • 1989 – Emil Salomonsson, Swedish footballer
  • 1989 – Kim Sung-kyu, South Korean singer
  • 1990 – Niels-Peter Mørck, Danish footballer
  • 1992 – Blake Bortles, American football player
  • 1992 – DeMarcus Lawrence, American football player
  • 1993 – Craig Garvey, Australian rugby league player
  • 1993 – Eva Samková, Czech snowboarder
  • 1995 – Jonathan Benteke, Belgian footballer
  • 1995 – Melanie Martinez, American singer

Deaths on April 28

  • 224 – Artabanus V of Parthia (b. 191)
  • 948 – Hu Jinsi, Chinese general and prefect
  • 988 – Adaldag, archbishop of Bremen
  • 1109 – Abbot Hugh of Cluny (b. 1024)
  • 1192 – Conrad of Montferrat (b. 1140)
  • 1197 – Rhys ap Gruffydd, prince of Deheubarth (b. 1132)
  • 1257 – Shajar al-Durr, sovereign sultana of Egypt
  • 1260 – Luchesius Modestini, founding member of the Third Order of St. Francis
  • 1400 – Baldus de Ubaldis, Italian jurist (b. 1327)
  • 1489 – Henry Percy, 4th Earl of Northumberland, English politician (b. 1449)
  • 1533 – Nicholas West, English bishop and diplomat (b. 1461)
  • 1643 – Francisco de Lucena, Portuguese politician (b. 1578)
  • 1710 – Thomas Betterton, English actor and manager (b. 1630)
  • 1716 – Louis de Montfort, French priest and saint (b. 1673)
  • 1726 – Thomas Pitt, English merchant and politician (b. 1653)
  • 1741 – Magnus Julius De la Gardie, Swedish general and politician (b. 1668)
  • 1772 – Johann Friedrich Struensee, German physician and politician (b. 1737)
  • 1781 – Cornelius Harnett, American merchant, farmer, and politician (b. 1723)
  • 1813 – Mikhail Kutuzov, Russian field marshal (b. 1745)
  • 1816 – Johann Heinrich Abicht, German philosopher, author, and academic (b. 1762)
  • 1841 – Peter Chanel, French priest, missionary, and martyr (b. 1803)
  • 1853 – Ludwig Tieck, German author and poet (b. 1773)
  • 1858 – Johannes Peter Müller, German physiologist and anatomist (b. 1801)
  • 1865 – Samuel Cunard, Canadian-English businessman, founded Cunard Line (b. 1787)
  • 1881 – Antoine Samuel Adam-Salomon, French sculptor and photographer (b. 1818)
  • 1883 – John Russell, English hunter and dog breeder (b. 1795)
  • 1902 – Cyprien Tanguay, Canadian priest and historian (b. 1819)
  • 1903 – Josiah Willard Gibbs, American scientist (b. 1839)
  • 1905 – Fitzhugh Lee, American general and politician, 40th Governor of Virginia (b. 1835)
  • 1925 – Richard Butler, English-Australian politician, 23rd Premier of South Australia (b. 1850)
  • 1928 – May Jordan McConnel, Australian trade unionist and suffragist (b. 1860)
  • 1929 – Hendrik van Heuckelum, Dutch footballer (b. 1879)
  • 1936 – Fuad I of Egypt (b. 1868)
  • 1944 – Mohammed Alim Khan, Manghud ruler (b. 1880)
  • 1944 – Frank Knox, American journalist and politician, 46th United States Secretary of the Navy (b. 1874)
  • 1945 – Roberto Farinacci, Italian soldier and politician (b. 1892)
  • 1945 – Hermann Fegelein, German general (b. 1906)
  • 1945 – Benito Mussolini, Italian journalist and politician, 27th Prime Minister of Italy (b. 1883)
  • 1946 – Louis Bachelier, French mathematician and academic (b. 1870)
  • 1954 – Léon Jouhaux, French union leader, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1879)
  • 1956 – Fred Marriott, American race car driver (b. 1872)
  • 1957 – Heinrich Bär, German colonel and pilot (b. 1913)
  • 1962 – Bennie Osler, South African rugby player (b. 1901)
  • 1963 – Wilhelm Weber, German gymnast (b. 1880)
  • 1970 – Ed Begley, American actor (b. 1901)
  • 1973 – Clas Thunberg, Finnish speed skater (b. 1893)
  • 1976 – Richard Hughes, American author and poet (b. 1900)
  • 1977 – Ricardo Cortez, American actor (b. 1900)
  • 1977 – Sepp Herberger, German footballer and coach (b. 1897)
  • 1978 – Mohammed Daoud Khan, Afghan commander and politician, 1st President of Afghanistan (b. 1909)
  • 1980 – Tommy Caldwell, American bass player (b. 1949)
  • 1987 – Ben Linder, American engineer and activist (b. 1959)
  • 1991 – Steve Broidy, American film producer (b. 1905)
  • 1992 – Francis Bacon, Irish painter (b. 1909)
  • 1993 – Diva Diniz Corrêa, Brazilian zoologist (b. 1918)
  • 1993 – Jim Valvano, American basketball player, coach, and sportscaster (b. 1946)
  • 1994 – Berton Roueché, American journalist and author (b. 1910)
  • 1996 – Lester Sumrall, American minister, founded LeSEA (b. 1913)
  • 1997 – Ann Petry, American novelist (b. 1908)
  • 1998 – Jerome Bixby, American author and screenwriter (b. 1923)
  • 1999 – Rory Calhoun, American actor, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1922)
  • 1999 – Rolf Landauer, German-American physicist and engineer (b. 1927)
  • 1999 – Alf Ramsey, English footballer and manager (b. 1920)
  • 1999 – Arthur Leonard Schawlow, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1921)
  • 2000 – Jerzy Einhorn, Polish-Swedish physician and politician (b. 1925)
  • 2000 – Penelope Fitzgerald, English author and poet (b. 1916)
  • 2002 – Alexander Lebed, Russian general and politician (b. 1950)
  • 2002 – Lou Thesz, American wrestler and trainer (b. 1916)
  • 2005 – Percy Heath, American bassist (b. 1923)
  • 2005 – Chris Candido, American wrestler (b. 1971)
  • 2005 – Taraki Sivaram, Sri Lankan journalist and author (b. 1959)
  • 2006 – Steve Howe, American baseball player (b. 1958)
  • 2007 – Dabbs Greer, American actor (b. 1917)
  • 2007 – René Mailhot, Canadian journalist (b. 1942)
  • 2007 – Tommy Newsom, American saxophonist and bandleader (b. 1929)
  • 2007 – Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker, German physicist and philosopher (b. 1912)
  • 2007 – Bertha Wilson, Scottish-Canadian lawyer and jurist (b. 1923)
  • 2009 – Ekaterina Maximova, Russian ballerina and actress (b. 1939)
  • 2009 – Richard Pratt, Polish-Australian businessman (b. 1934)
  • 2011 – Erhard Loretan, Swiss mountaineer (b. 1959)
  • 2012 – Fred Allen, New Zealand rugby player and coach (b. 1920)
  • 2012 – Matilde Camus, Spanish poet and author (b. 1919)
  • 2012 – Al Ecuyer, American football player (b. 1937)
  • 2012 – Patricia Medina, English actress (b. 1919)
  • 2012 – Milan N. Popović, Serbian psychiatrist and author (b. 1924)
  • 2012 – Aberdeen Shikoyi, Kenyan rugby player (b. 1985)
  • 2013 – Brad Lesley, American baseball player (b. 1958)
  • 2013 – Fredrick McKissack, American author (b. 1939)
  • 2013 – John C. Reynolds, American computer scientist and academic (b. 1935)
  • 2013 – Jack Shea, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1928)
  • 2013 – János Starker, Hungarian-American cellist and educator (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – Paulo Vanzolini, Brazilian singer-songwriter and zoologist (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – Bernie Wood, New Zealand journalist and author (b. 1939)
  • 2014 – Barbara Fiske Calhoun, American cartoonist and painter (b. 1919)
  • 2014 – William Honan, American journalist and author (b. 1930)
  • 2014 – Dennis Kamakahi, American guitarist and composer (b. 1953)
  • 2014 – Edgar Laprade, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1919)
  • 2014 – Jack Ramsay, American basketball player, coach, and sportscaster (b. 1925)
  • 2014 – Idris Sardi, Indonesian violinist and composer (b. 1938)
  • 2014 – Frederic Schwartz, American architect, co-designed Empty Sky (b. 1951)
  • 2014 – Ryan Tandy, Australian rugby player (b. 1981)
  • 2015 – Antônio Abujamra, Brazilian actor and director (b. 1932)
  • 2015 – Marcia Brown, American author and illustrator (b. 1918)
  • 2015 – Michael J. Ingelido, American general (b. 1916)
  • 2016 – Jenny Diski, English author and screenwriter (b. 1947)
  • 2017 – Mariano Gagnon, American Catholic priest and author (b. 1929)
  • 2018 – James Hylton, American race car driver (b. 1934)
  • 2019 – Richard Lugar, American politician (b.1932)
  • 2019 – John Singleton, American film director (b. 1968)

Holidays and observances on April 28

  • Christian feast day:
    • Aphrodisius and companions
    • Gianna Beretta Molla
    • Kirill of Turov (Orthodox, added to Roman Martyrology in 1969)
    • Louis de Montfort
    • Pamphilus of Sulmona
    • Peter Chanel
    • Vitalis and Valeria of Milan
    • April 28 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Lawyers’ Day (Odisha, India)
  • Mujahideen Victory Day (Afghanistan)
  • National Heroes Day (Barbados)
  • Restoration of Sovereignty Day (Japan)
  • Sardinia Day (Sardinia)
  • Workers’ Memorial Day and World Day for Safety and Health at Work (international)
    • National Day of Mourning (Canada)

April 28 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day, Uncategorized

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

On This Day, Uncategorized /
  • 33 BC – Lucius Marcius Philippus, step-brother to the future emperor Augustus, celebrates a triumph for his victories while serving as governor in one of the provinces of Hispania.
  • 395 – Emperor Arcadius marries Aelia Eudoxia, daughter of the Frankish general Flavius Bauto. She becomes one of the more powerful Roman empresses of Late Antiquity.
  • 629 – Shahrbaraz is crowned as king of the Sasanian Empire.
  • 711 – Islamic conquest of Hispania: Moorish troops led by Tariq ibn Ziyad land at Gibraltar to begin their invasion of the Iberian Peninsula (Al-Andalus).
  • 1296 – First War of Scottish Independence: John Balliol’s Scottish army is defeated by an English army commanded by John de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey at the Battle of Dunbar.
  • 1509 – Pope Julius II places the Italian state of Venice under interdict.
  • 1521 – Battle of Mactan: Explorer Ferdinand Magellan is killed by natives in the Philippines led by chief Lapu-Lapu.
  • 1522 – Combined forces of Spain and the Papal States defeat a French and Venetian army at the Battle of Bicocca.
  • 1539 – Re-founding of the city of Bogotá, New Granada (now Colombia), by Nikolaus Federmann and Sebastián de Belalcázar.
  • 1565 – Cebu is established becoming the first Spanish settlement in the Philippines.
  • 1578 – Duel of the Mignons claims the lives of two favourites of Henry III of France and two favorites of Henry I, Duke of Guise.
  • 1595 – The relics of Saint Sava are incinerated in Belgrade on the Vračar plateau by Ottoman Grand Vizier Sinan Pasha; the site of the incineration is now the location of the Church of Saint Sava, one of the largest Orthodox churches in the world.
  • 1650 – The Battle of Carbisdale: A Royalist army from Orkney invades mainland Scotland but is defeated by a Covenanter army.
  • 1667 – Blind and impoverished, John Milton sells Paradise Lost to a printer for £10, so that it could be entered into the Stationers’ Register.
  • 1777 – American Revolutionary War: The Battle of Ridgefield: A British invasion force engages and defeats Continental Army regulars and militia irregulars at Ridgefield, Connecticut.
  • 1805 – First Barbary War: United States Marines and Berbers attack the Tripolitan city of Derna (The “shores of Tripoli” part of the Marines’ Hymn).
  • 1813 – War of 1812: American troops capture York, the capital of Upper Canada, in the Battle of York.
  • 1861 – American President Abraham Lincoln suspends the writ of habeas corpus.
  • 1865 – The New York State Senate creates Cornell University as the state’s land grant institution.
  • 1906 – The State Duma of the Russian Empire meets for the first time.
  • 1909 – Sultan of Ottoman Empire Abdul Hamid II is overthrown, and is succeeded by his brother, Mehmed V.
  • 1911 – Following the resignation and death of William P. Frye, a compromise is reached to rotate the office of President pro tempore of the United States Senate.
  • 1927 – Carabineros de Chile (Chilean national police force and gendarmerie) are created.
  • 1936 – The United Auto Workers (UAW) gains autonomy from the American Federation of Labor.
  • 1941 – World War II: German troops enter Athens.
  • 1941 – World War II: The Communist Party of Slovenia, the Slovene Christian Socialists, the left-wing Slovene Sokols (also known as “National Democrats”) and a group of progressive intellectuals establish the Liberation Front of the Slovene Nation.
  • 1945 – World War II: The last German formations withdraw from Finland to Norway. The Lapland War and thus, World War II in Finland, comes to an end and the Raising the Flag on the Three-Country Cairn photograph is taken.
  • 1945 – World War II: Benito Mussolini is arrested by Italian partisans in Dongo, while attempting escape disguised as a German soldier.
  • 1953 – Operation Moolah offers $50,000 to any pilot who defected with a fully mission-capable Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 to South Korea. The first pilot was to receive $100,000.
  • 1960 – Togo gains independence from French-administered UN trusteeship.
  • 1961 – Sierra Leone is granted its independence from the United Kingdom, with Milton Margai as the first Prime Minister.
  • 1967 – Expo 67 officially opens in Montreal, Quebec, Canada with a large opening ceremony broadcast around the world. It opens to the public the next day.
  • 1974 – Ten thousand march in Washington, D.C., calling for the impeachment of U.S. President Richard Nixon.
  • 1978 – Former United States President Nixon aide John D. Ehrlichman is released from an Arizona prison after serving 18 months for Watergate-related crimes.
  • 1978 – The Saur Revolution begins in Afghanistan, ending the following morning with the murder of Afghan President Mohammed Daoud Khan and the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan.
  • 1981 – Xerox PARC introduces the computer mouse.
  • 1986 – The city of Pripyat and surrounding areas are evacuated due to Chernobyl disaster.
  • 1987 – The U.S. Department of Justice bars Austrian President Kurt Waldheim (and his wife, Elisabeth, who had also been a Nazi) from entering the US, charging that he had aided in the deportations and executions of thousands of Jews and others as a German Army officer during World War II.
  • 1989 – The April 27 demonstrations, student-led protests responding to the April 26 Editorial, during the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989.
  • 1992 – The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, comprising Serbia and Montenegro, is proclaimed.
  • 1992 – Betty Boothroyd becomes the first woman to be elected Speaker of the British House of Commons in its 700-year history.
  • 1992 – The Russian Federation and 12 other former Soviet republics become members of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
  • 1993 – Most of the Zambia national football team lose their lives in a plane crash off Libreville, Gabon en route to Dakar, Senegal to play a 1994 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Senegal.
  • 1994 – South African general election: The first democratic general election in South Africa, in which black citizens could vote. The Interim Constitution comes into force.
  • 2005 – Airbus A380 aircraft had its maiden test flight.
  • 2006 – Construction begins on the Freedom Tower (later renamed One World Trade Center) in New York City.
  • 2007 – Estonian authorities remove the Bronze Soldier, a Soviet Red Army war memorial in Tallinn, amid political controversy with Russia.
  • 2007 – Israeli archaeologists discover the tomb of Herod the Great south of Jerusalem.
  • 2011 – The 2011 Super Outbreak devastates parts of the Southeastern United States, especially the states of Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and Tennessee. 205 tornadoes touched down on April 27 alone, killing more than 300 and injuring hundreds more.
  • 2012 – At least four explosions hit the Ukrainian city of Dnipropetrovsk with at least 27 people injured.
  • 2018 – The Panmunjom Declaration is signed between North and South Korea, officially declaring their intentions to end the Korean conflict.

Births on April 27

  • 85 BC – Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus, Roman politician and general (d. 43 BC)
  • 1468 – Frederick Jagiellon, Primate of Poland (d. 1503)
  • 1564 – Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland (d. 1632)
  • 1556 – François Béroalde de Verville, French writer (d. 1626)
  • 1593 – Mumtaz Mahal, Mughal empress buried at the Taj Mahal (d. 1631)
  • 1650 – Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel, Queen Consort of Denmark (1670-1699) (d. 1714)
  • 1654 – Charles Blount, English deist and philosopher (d. 1693)
  • 1701 – Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia (d. 1773)
  • 1718 – Thomas Lewis, Irish-born American surveyor and lawyer (d. 1790)
  • 1748 – Adamantios Korais, Greek-French philosopher and scholar (d. 1833)
  • 1755 – Marc-Antoine Parseval, French mathematician and theorist (d. 1836)
  • 1759 – Mary Wollstonecraft, English philosopher, historian, and novelist (d. 1797)
  • 1788 – Charles Robert Cockerell, English architect, archaeologist, and writer (d. 1863)
  • 1791 – Samuel Morse, American painter and inventor, co-invented the Morse code (d. 1872)
  • 1812 – William W. Snow, American lawyer and politician (d. 1886)
  • 1812 – Friedrich von Flotow, German composer (d. 1883)
  • 1820 – Herbert Spencer, English biologist, anthropologist, sociologist, and philosopher (d. 1903)
  • 1822 – Ulysses S. Grant, American general and politician, 18th President of the United States (d. 1885)
  • 1840 – Edward Whymper, English-French mountaineer, explorer, author, and illustrator (d. 1911)
  • 1848 – Otto of Bavaria (d. 1916)
  • 1850 – Hans Hartwig von Beseler, German general and politician (d. 1921)
  • 1853 – Jules Lemaître, French playwright and critic (d. 1914)
  • 1857 – Theodor Kittelsen, Norwegian painter and illustrator (d. 1914)
  • 1861 – William Arms Fisher, American composer and music historian (d. 1948)
  • 1866 – Maurice Raoul-Duval, French polo player (d. 1916)
  • 1875 – Frederick Fane, Irish-born, English cricketer (d. 1960)
  • 1880 – Mihkel Lüdig, Estonian organist, composer, and conductor (d. 1958)
  • 1882 – Jessie Redmon Fauset, American author and poet (d. 1961)
  • 1887 – Warren Wood, American golfer (d. 1926)
  • 1888 – Florence La Badie, Canadian actress (d. 1917)
  • 1891 – Sergei Prokofiev, Russian pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1953)
  • 1893 – Draža Mihailović, Serbian general (d. 1946)
  • 1893 – Allen Sothoron, American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 1939)
  • 1894 – George Petty, American painter and illustrator (d. 1975)
  • 1894 – Nicolas Slonimsky, Russian pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1995)
  • 1896 – Rogers Hornsby, American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 1963)
  • 1896 – William Hudson, New Zealand-Australian engineer (d. 1978)
  • 1896 – Wallace Carothers, American chemist and inventor of nylon (d. 1937)
  • 1898 – Ludwig Bemelmans, Italian-American author and illustrator (d. 1962)
  • 1899 – Walter Lantz, American animator, producer, screenwriter, and actor (d. 1994)
  • 1900 – August Koern, Estonian politician and diplomat, Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs in exile (d. 1989)
  • 1902 – Tiemoko Garan Kouyaté, Malian educator and activist (d. 1942)
  • 1904 – Cecil Day-Lewis, Anglo-Irish poet and author (d. 1972)
  • 1904 – Nikos Zachariadis, Greek politician (d. 1973)
  • 1905 – John Kuck, American javelin thrower and shot putter (d. 1986)
  • 1906 – Yiorgos Theotokas, Greek author and playwright (d. 1966)
  • 1910 – Chiang Ching-kuo, Chinese politician, 3rd President of the Republic of China (d. 1988)
  • 1911 – Bruno Beger, German anthropologist and ethnologist (d. 2009)
  • 1911 – Chris Berger, Dutch sprinter and footballer (d. 1965)
  • 1912 – Jacques de Bourbon-Busset, French author and politician (d. 2001)
  • 1912 – Zohra Sehgal, Indian actress, dancer, and choreographer (d. 2014)
  • 1913 – Philip Abelson, American physicist and author (d. 2004)
  • 1913 – Irving Adler, American mathematician, author, and academic (d. 2012)
  • 1913 – Luz Long, German long jumper and soldier (d. 1943)
  • 1916 – Robert Hugh McWilliams, Jr., American sergeant, lawyer, and judge (d. 2013)
  • 1916 – Enos Slaughter, American baseball player and manager (d. 2002)
  • 1917 – Roman Matsov, Estonian violinist, pianist, and conductor (d. 2001)
  • 1918 – Sten Rudholm, Swedish lawyer and jurist (d. 2008)
  • 1920 – Guido Cantelli, Italian conductor (d. 1956)
  • 1920 – Mark Krasnosel’skii, Ukrainian mathematician and academic (d. 1997)
  • 1920 – James Robert Mann, American colonel, lawyer, and politician (d. 2010)
  • 1920 – Edwin Morgan, Scottish poet and translator (d. 2010)
  • 1921 – Robert Dhéry, French actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2004)
  • 1922 – Jack Klugman, American actor (d. 2012)
  • 1922 – Sheila Scott, English nurse and pilot (d. 1988)
  • 1923 – Betty Mae Tiger Jumper, Seminole chief (d. 2011)
  • 1924 – Vernon B. Romney, American lawyer and politician, 14th Attorney General of Utah (d. 2013)
  • 1925 – Derek Chinnery, English broadcaster (d. 2015)
  • 1926 – Tim LaHaye, American minister, activist, and author (d. 2016)
  • 1926 – Basil A. Paterson, American lawyer and politician, 59th Secretary of State of New York (d. 2014)
  • 1926 – Alan Reynolds, English painter and educator (d. 2014)
  • 1927 – Coretta Scott King, African-American activist and author (d. 2006)
  • 1927 – Joe Moakley, American soldier, lawyer, and politician (d. 2001)
  • 1929 – Nina Ponomaryova, Russian discus thrower and coach (d. 2016)
  • 1931 – Igor Oistrakh, Ukrainian violinist and educator
  • 1932 – Anouk Aimée, French actress
  • 1932 – Pik Botha, South African lawyer, politician, and diplomat, 8th South African Ambassador to the United States (d. 2018)
  • 1932 – Casey Kasem, American disc jockey, music historian, radio celebrity, and voice actor; co-created American Top 40 (d. 2014)
  • 1932 – Chuck Knox, American football coach (d. 2018)
  • 1932 – Derek Minter, English motorcycle racer (d. 2015)
  • 1932 – Gian-Carlo Rota, Italian-American mathematician and philosopher (d. 1999)
  • 1933 – Peter Imbert, Baron Imbert, English police officer and politician, Lord Lieutenant for Greater London (d. 2017)
  • 1935 – Theodoros Angelopoulos, Greek director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2012)
  • 1935 – Ron Morris, American pole vaulter and coach
  • 1936 – Geoffrey Shovelton, English singer and illustrator (d. 2016)
  • 1937 – Sandy Dennis, American actress (d. 1992)
  • 1937 – Robin Eames, Irish Anglican archbishop
  • 1937 – Richard Perham, English biologist and academic (d. 2015)
  • 1938 – Earl Anthony, American bowler and sportscaster (d. 2001)
  • 1938 – Alain Caron, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1986)
  • 1939 – Judy Carne, English actress and comedian (d. 2015)
  • 1939 – Stanisław Dziwisz, Polish cardinal
  • 1941 – Fethullah Gülen, Turkish preacher and theologian
  • 1941 – Dilip Kumar Chakrabarti, Indian archaeologist
  • 1941 – Lee Roy Jordan, American football player
  • 1942 – Ruth Glick, American author
  • 1942 – Jim Keltner, American drummer
  • 1943 – Helmut Marko, Austrian race car driver and manager
  • 1944 – Michael Fish, English meteorologist and journalist
  • 1944 – Cuba Gooding Sr., American singer (d. 2017)
  • 1944 – Herb Pedersen, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1945 – Martin Chivers, English footballer and manager
  • 1945 – Jack Deverell, English general
  • 1945 – Helen Hodgman, Scottish-Australian author
  • 1945 – Terry Willesee, Australian journalist and television host
  • 1945 – August Wilson, American author and playwright (d. 2005)
  • 1946 – Franz Roth, German footballer
  • 1947 – G. K. Butterfield, African-American soldier, lawyer, and politician
  • 1947 – Nick Greiner, Hungarian-Australian politician, 37th Premier of New South Wales
  • 1947 – Pete Ham, Welsh singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1975)
  • 1947 – Keith Magnuson, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 2003)
  • 1947 – Ann Peebles, American soul singer-songwriter
  • 1948 – Frank Abagnale Jr., American security consultant and criminal
  • 1948 – Josef Hickersberger, Austrian footballer, coach, and manager
  • 1948 – Kate Pierson, American singer-songwriter and bass player
  • 1949 – Grant Chapman, Australian businessman and politician
  • 1950 – Jaime Fresnedi, Filipino politician
  • 1950 – Paul Lockyer, Australian journalist (d. 2011)
  • 1951 – Ace Frehley, American guitarist and songwriter
  • 1952 – Larry Elder, American lawyer and talk show host
  • 1952 – George Gervin, American basketball player
  • 1952 – Ari Vatanen, Finnish race car driver and politician
  • 1953 – Arielle Dombasle, French-American actress and model
  • 1954 – Frank Bainimarama, Fijian commander and politician, 8th Prime Minister of Fiji
  • 1954 – Herman Edwards, American football player, coach, and sportscaster
  • 1954 – Mark Holden, Australian singer, actor, and lawyer
  • 1955 – Gudrun Berend, German hurdler (d. 2011)
  • 1955 – Eric Schmidt, American engineer and businessman
  • 1956 – Bryan Harvey, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2006)
  • 1956 – Jeff Probyn, English rugby player, coach, and manager
  • 1957 – Willie Upshaw, American baseball player and manager
  • 1959 – Sheena Easton, Scottish-American singer-songwriter, actress, and producer
  • 1959 – Marco Pirroni, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1960 – Mike Krushelnyski, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1961 – Andrew Schlafly, American lawyer and activist, founded Conservapedia
  • 1962 – Ángel Comizzo, Argentinian footballer and manager
  • 1962 – Seppo Räty, Finnish javelin thrower and coach
  • 1962 – Im Sang-soo, South Korean director and screenwriter
  • 1962 – Andrew Selous, English soldier and politician
  • 1963 – Russell T Davies, Welsh screenwriter and producer
  • 1965 – Anna Chancellor, English actress
  • 1966 – Peter McIntyre, Australian cricketer
  • 1966 – Yoshihiro Togashi, Japanese illustrator
  • 1967 – Willem-Alexander, King of the Netherlands
  • 1967 – Tommy Smith, Scottish saxophonist, composer, and educator
  • 1967 – Erik Thomson, Scottish-New Zealand actor
  • 1967 – Jason Whitlock, American football player and journalist
  • 1968 – Dana Milbank, American journalist and author
  • 1969 – Cory Booker, African-American lawyer and politician
  • 1969 – Darcey Bussell, English ballerina
  • 1971 – Olari Elts, Estonian conductor
  • 1972 – Nigel Barker, English photographer and author
  • 1972 – Almedin Civa, Bosnian footballer and coach
  • 1973 – Duško Adamović, Serbian footballer
  • 1973 – Sharlee D’Angelo, Swedish bass player and songwriter
  • 1973 – Sébastien Lareau, Canadian tennis player
  • 1974 – Frank Catalanotto, American baseball player
  • 1974 – Richard Johnson, Australian footballer
  • 1975 – Rabih Abdullah, American football player
  • 1975 – Chris Carpenter, American baseball player and manager
  • 1975 – Pedro Feliz, Dominican baseball player
  • 1975 – Kazuyoshi Funaki, Japanese ski jumper
  • 1976 – Isobel Campbell, Scottish singer-songwriter and cellist
  • 1976 – Sally Hawkins, English actress
  • 1976 – Walter Pandiani, Uruguayan footballer
  • 1976 – Faisal Saif, Indian director, screenwriter, and critic
  • 1979 – Will Boyd, American bass player
  • 1979 – Natasha Chokljat, Australian netball player
  • 1979 – Vladimir Kozlov, Ukrainian wrestler
  • 1980 – Sybille Bammer, Austrian tennis player
  • 1980 – Talitha Cummins, Australian journalist
  • 1980 – Christian Lara, Ecuadorian footballer
  • 1981 – Joey Gathright, American baseball player
  • 1981 – Patrik Gerrbrand, Swedish footballer
  • 1982 – François Parisien, Canadian cyclist
  • 1982 – Alexander Widiker, German rugby player
  • 1983 – Ari Graynor, American actress and producer
  • 1983 – Martin Viiask, Estonian basketball player
  • 1984 – Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1984 – Daniel Holdsworth, Australian rugby league player
  • 1984 – Patrick Stump, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1985 – José António de Miranda da Silva Júnior, Brazilian footballer
  • 1985 – Meselech Melkamu, Ethiopian runner
  • 1986 – Jenna Coleman, English actress
  • 1986 – Hayley Mulheron, Scottish netball player
  • 1986 – Dinara Safina, Russian tennis player
  • 1987 – Taylor Chorney, American ice hockey player
  • 1987 – Elliott Shriane, Australian speed skater
  • 1987 – William Moseley, English actor
  • 1987 – Wang Feifei, Chinese singer and actress
  • 1988 – Joeri Dequevy, Belgian footballer
  • 1988 – Kris Thackray, English footballer
  • 1988 – Semyon Varlamov, Russian ice hockey player
  • 1988 – Lizzo, American singer and rapper
  • 1989 – Lars Bender, German footballer
  • 1989 – Sven Bender, German footballer
  • 1989 – Tim Glasby, Australian rugby league player
  • 1989 – Dmytro Kozban, Ukrainian footballer
  • 1990 – Trude Raad, Norwegian deaf track and field athlete
  • 1991 – Isaac Cuenca, Spanish footballer
  • 1991 – Eric Fukusaki, Peruvian singer
  • 1991 – Lara Gut, Swiss skier
  • 1992 – Keenan Allen, American football player
  • 1994 – Corey Seager, American baseball player
  • 1995 – Nick Kyrgios, Australian tennis player
  • 1997 – Josh Onomah, English footballer

Deaths on April 27

  • 630 – Ardashir III of Persia (b. 621)
  • 1160 – Rudolf I, Count of Bregenz (b. 1081)
  • 1272 – Zita, Italian saint (b. 1212)
  • 1321 – Nicolò Albertini, Italian cardinal statesman (b. c. 1250)
  • 1353 – Simeon of Moscow, Grand Prince of Moscow and Vladimir
  • 1403 – Maria of Bosnia, Countess of Helfenstein (b. 1335)
  • 1404 – Philip II, Duke of Burgundy (b. 1342)
  • 1463 – Isidore of Kiev (b. 1385)
  • 1521 – Ferdinand Magellan, Portuguese sailor and explorer (b. 1480)
  • 1599 – Maeda Toshiie, Japanese general (b. 1538)
  • 1605 – Pope Leo XI (b. 1535)
  • 1607 – Edward Cromwell, 3rd Baron Cromwell, Governor of Lecale (b. 1560)
  • 1613 – Robert Abercromby, Scottish priest and missionary (b. 1532)
  • 1656 – Jan van Goyen, Dutch painter and illustrator (b. 1596)
  • 1694 – John George IV, Elector of Saxony (b. 1668)
  • 1695 – John Trenchard, English politician, Secretary of State for the Northern Department (b. 1640)
  • 1702 – Jean Bart, French admiral (b. 1651)
  • 1782 – William Talbot, 1st Earl Talbot, English politician, Lord Steward of the Household (b. 1710)
  • 1813 – Zebulon Pike, American general and explorer (b. 1779)
  • 1873 – William Macready, English actor and manager (b. 1793)
  • 1882 – Ralph Waldo Emerson, American poet and philosopher (b. 1803)
  • 1893 – John Ballance, Irish-born New Zealand journalist and politician, 14th Prime Minister of New Zealand (b. 1839)
  • 1896 – Henry Parkes, English-Australian businessman and politician, 7th Premier of New South Wales (b. 1815)
  • 1915 – John Labatt, Canadian businessman (b. 1838)
  • 1915 – Alexander Scriabin, Russian pianist and composer (b. 1872)
  • 1932 – Hart Crane, American poet (b. 1899)
  • 1936 – Karl Pearson, English mathematician and academic (b. 1857)
  • 1937 – Antonio Gramsci, Italian sociologist, linguist, and politician (b. 1891)
  • 1938 – Edmund Husserl, Czech mathematician and philosopher (b. 1859)
  • 1952 – Guido Castelnuovo, Italian mathematician and statistician (b. 1865)
  • 1961 – Roy Del Ruth, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1893)
  • 1962 – A. K. Fazlul Huq, Bangladeshi-Pakistani lawyer and politician, Pakistani Minister of the Interior (b. 1873)
  • 1965 – Edward R. Murrow, American journalist (b. 1908)
  • 1967 – William Douglas Cook, New Zealand farmer, founded the Eastwoodhill Arboretum (b. 1884)
  • 1969 – René Barrientos, Bolivian soldier, pilot, and politician, 55th President of Bolivia (b. 1919)
  • 1970 – Arthur Shields, Irish rebel and actor (b. 1896)
  • 1972 – Kwame Nkrumah, Ghanaian politician, 1st President of Ghana (b. 1909)
  • 1973 – Carlos Menditeguy, Argentinian race car driver and polo player (b. 1914)
  • 1977 – Stanley Adams, American actor and screenwriter (b. 1915)
  • 1988 – Fred Bear, American hunter and author (b. 1902)
  • 1989 – Konosuke Matsushita, Japanese businessman, founded Panasonic (b. 1894)
  • 1992 – Olivier Messiaen, French organist and composer (b. 1908)
  • 1992 – Gerard K. O’Neill, American physicist and astronomer (b. 1927)
  • 1995 – Katherine DeMille, Canadian-American actress (b. 1911)
  • 1995 – Willem Frederik Hermans, Dutch author, poet, and playwright (b. 1921)
  • 1996 – William Colby, American diplomat, 10th Director of Central Intelligence (b. 1920)
  • 1996 – Gilles Grangier, French director and screenwriter (b. 1911)
  • 1998 – John Bassett, Canadian journalist and politician (b. 1915)
  • 1998 – Carlos Castaneda, Peruvian-American anthropologist and author (b. 1925)
  • 1998 – Anne Desclos, French journalist and author (b. 1907)
  • 1998 – Browning Ross, American runner and soldier (b. 1924)
  • 1999 – Al Hirt, American trumpet player and bandleader (b. 1922)
  • 1999 – Dale C. Thomson, Canadian historian, author, and academic (b. 1923)
  • 1999 – Cyril Washbrook, English cricketer (b. 1914)
  • 2002 – George Alec Effinger, American author (b. 1947)
  • 2002 – Ruth Handler, American inventor and businesswoman, created the Barbie doll (b. 1916)
  • 2005 – Red Horner, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1909)
  • 2006 – Julia Thorne, American author (b. 1944)
  • 2007 – Mstislav Rostropovich, Russian cellist and conductor (b. 1927)
  • 2009 – Frankie Manning, American dancer and choreographer (b. 1914)
  • 2009 – Woo Seung-yeon, South Korean model and actress (b. 1983)
  • 2009 – Feroz Khan (actor), Indian Actor, Film Director & Producer (b. 1939)
  • 2011 – Marian Mercer, American actress and singer (b. 1935)
  • 2012 – Daniel E. Boatwright, American soldier and politician (b. 1930)
  • 2012 – Bill Skowron, American baseball player (b. 1930)
  • 2013 – Aída Bortnik, Argentinian screenwriter (b. 1938)
  • 2013 – Lorraine Copeland, Scottish archaeologist (b. 1921)
  • 2013 – Antonio Díaz Jurado, Spanish footballer (b. 1969)
  • 2013 – Jérôme Louis Heldring, Dutch journalist and author (b. 1917)
  • 2013 – Aloysius Jin Luxian, Chinese bishop (b. 1916)
  • 2013 – Mutula Kilonzo, Kenyan lawyer and politician, Kenyan Minister of Justice (b. 1948)
  • 2014 – Yigal Arnon, Israeli lawyer (b. 1929)
  • 2014 – Vujadin Boškov, Serbian footballer, coach, and manager (b. 1931)
  • 2014 – Daniel Colchico, American football player and coach (b. 1935)
  • 2014 – Harry Firth, Australian race car driver and manager (b. 1918)
  • 2015 – Gene Fullmer, American boxer (b. 1931)
  • 2015 – Verne Gagne, American football player, wrestler, and trainer (b. 1926)
  • 2015 – Alexander Rich, American biologist, biophysicist, and academic (b. 1924)
  • 2017 – Vinod Khanna, Indian actor, producer and politician (b. 1946)
  • 2017 – Sadanoyama Shinmatsu, Japanese sumo wrestler (b. 1938)

Holidays and observances on April 27

  • Christian feast days:
    • Anthimus of Nicomedia
    • Assicus
    • Floribert of Liège
    • John of Constantinople
    • Liberalis of Treviso
    • Pollio
    • Rafael Arnáiz Barón
    • Virgin of Montserrat
    • Zita
    • April 27 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Day of Russian Parliamentarism (Russia)
  • Day of the Uprising Against the Occupying Forces (Slovenia)
  • Flag Day (Moldova)
  • Freedom Day (South Africa)
    • UnFreedom Day (South Africa, unofficial)
  • Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Sierra Leone from United Kingdom in 1961.
  • Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Togo from France in 1960.
  • King’s Day (Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten) (celebrated on April 26 if April 27 falls on a Sunday)
  • National Veterans’ Day (Finla

April 27 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day, Uncategorized

March 31 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /

It is the last day of the first quarter of the year.

March 31 in History

  • 307 – After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, daughter of the retired Roman Emperor Maximian.
  • 1146 – Bernard of Clairvaux preaches his famous sermon in a field at Vézelay, urging the necessity of a Second Crusade. Louis VII is present, and joins the Crusade.
  • 1492 – Queen Isabella of Castile issues the Alhambra Decree, ordering her 150,000 Jewish and Muslim subjects to convert to Christianity or face expulsion.
  • 1561 – The city of San Cristóbal, Táchira is founded.
  • 1717 – A sermon on “The Nature of the Kingdom of Christ” by Benjamin Hoadly, the Bishop of Bangor, preached in the presence of King George I of Great Britain, provokes the Bangorian Controversy.
  • 1774 – American Revolutionary War: The Kingdom of Great Britain orders the port of Boston, Massachusetts closed pursuant to the Boston Port Act.
  • 1854 – Commodore Matthew Perry signs the Convention of Kanagawa with the Tokugawa Shogunate, opening the ports of Shimoda and Hakodate to American trade.
  • 1885 – The United Kingdom establishes the Bechuanaland Protectorate.
  • 1889 – The Eiffel Tower is officially opened.
  • 1899 – Malolos, capital of the First Philippine Republic, is captured by American forces.
  • 1906 – The Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States (later the National Collegiate Athletic Association) is established to set rules for college sports in the United States.
  • 1909 – Serbia formally withdraws its opposition to Austro-Hungarian actions in the Bosnian Crisis.
  • 1913 – The Vienna Concert Society rioted during a performance of modernist music by Arnold Schoenberg, Alban Berg, Alexander von Zemlinsky, and Anton von Webern, causing a premature end to the concert due to violence; this concert became known as the Skandalkonzert.
  • 1917 – According to the terms of the Treaty of the Danish West Indies, the islands become American possessions.
  • 1918 – Massacre of ethnic Azerbaijanis is committed by allied armed groups of Armenian Revolutionary Federation and Bolsheviks. Nearly 12,000 Azerbaijani Muslims are killed.
  • 1918 – Daylight saving time goes into effect in the United States for the first time.
  • 1921 – The Royal Australian Air Force is formed.
  • 1930 – The Motion Picture Production Code is instituted, imposing strict guidelines on the treatment of sex, crime, religion and violence in film, in the U.S., for the next thirty-eight years.
  • 1931 – An earthquake in Nicaragua destroys Managua; killing 2,000.
  • 1931 – A Transcontinental & Western Air airliner crashes near Bazaar, Kansas, killing eight, including University of Notre Dame head football coach Knute Rockne.
  • 1933 – The Civilian Conservation Corps is established with the mission of relieving rampant unemployment in the United States.
  • 1942 – World War II: Japanese forces invade Christmas Island, then a British possession.
  • 1945 – World War II: A defecting German pilot delivers a Messerschmitt Me 262A-1, the world’s first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft, to the Americans, the first to fall into Allied hands.
  • 1949 – The Dominion of Newfoundland joins the Canadian Confederation and becomes the 10th Province of Canada.
  • 1951 – Remington Rand delivers the first UNIVAC I computer to the United States Census Bureau.
  • 1957 – Elections to the Territorial Assembly of the French colony Upper Volta are held. After the elections PDU and MDV form a government.
  • 1958 – In the Canadian federal election, the Progressive Conservatives, led by John Diefenbaker, win the largest percentage of seats in Canadian history, with 208 seats of 265.
  • 1959 – The 14th Dalai Lama, crosses the border into India and is granted political asylum.
  • 1964 – Brazilian General Olímpio Mourão Filho orders his troops to move towards Rio de Janeiro, beginning the coup d’état.
  • 1966 – The Soviet Union launches Luna 10 which later becomes the first space probe to enter orbit around the Moon.
  • 1968 – American President Lyndon B. Johnson speaks to the nation of “Steps to Limit the War in Vietnam” in a television address. At the conclusion of his speech, he announces: “I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your President.”
  • 1970 – Explorer 1 re-enters the Earth’s atmosphere after 12 years in orbit.
  • 1980 – The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad operates its final train after being ordered to liquidate its assets because of bankruptcy and debts owed to creditors.
  • 1985 – The first WrestleMania, the biggest wrestling event from the WWE (then the WWF), takes place in Madison Square Garden in New York City.
  • 1990 – Approximately 200,000 protesters take to the streets of London to protest against the newly introduced Poll Tax.
  • 1991 – Georgian independence referendum: Nearly 99 percent of the voters support the country’s independence from the Soviet Union.
  • 1992 – The USS Missouri, the last active United States Navy battleship, is decommissioned in Long Beach, California.
  • 1992 – The Treaty of Federation is signed in Moscow.
  • 1995 – TAROM Flight 371, an Airbus A310-300, crashes near Balotesti, Romania, killing all 60 people on board.
  • 1995 – Selena is murdered by her fan club’s president Yolanda Saldívar at a Days Inn in Corpus Christi, Texas after accusations of Saldívar embezzling money from Selena’s fan club.
  • 1998 – Netscape releases Mozilla source code under an open source license.
  • 2004 – Iraq War in Anbar Province: In Fallujah, Iraq, four American private military contractors working for Blackwater USA, are killed after being ambushed.
  • 2018 – Start of the 2018 Armenian revolution.

Births on March 31

  • 1360 – Philippa of Lancaster (d. 1415)
  • 1499 – Pope Pius IV (d. 1565)
  • 1504 – Guru Angad, Indian religious leader (d. 1552)
  • 1519 – Henry II of France (d. 1559)
  • 1536 – Ashikaga Yoshiteru, Japanese shōgun (d. 1565)
  • 1596 – René Descartes, French mathematician and philosopher (d. 1650)
  • 1601 – Jakov Mikalja, Italian linguist and lexicographer (d. 1654)
  • 1621 – Andrew Marvell, English poet and politician (d. 1678)
  • 1651 – Charles II, Elector Palatine, German husband of Princess Wilhelmine Ernestine of Denmark (d. 1685)
  • 1675 – Pope Benedict XIV (d. 1758)
  • 1718 – Mariana Victoria of Spain (d. 1781)
  • 1723 – Frederick V of Denmark (d. 1766)
  • 1730 – Étienne Bézout, French mathematician and theorist (d. 1783)
  • 1732 – Joseph Haydn, Austrian pianist and composer (d. 1809)
  • 1740 – Panoutsos Notaras, Greek politician (d. 1849)
  • 1747 – Johann Abraham Peter Schulz, German pianist and composer (d. 1800)
  • 1777 – Charles Cagniard de la Tour, French physicist and engineer (d. 1859)
  • 1778 – Coenraad Jacob Temminck, Dutch zoologist and ornithologist (d. 1858)
  • 1794 – Thomas McKean Thompson McKennan, American lawyer and politician, 2nd United States Secretary of the Interior (d. 1852)
  • 1809 – Edward FitzGerald, English poet and translator (d. 1883)
  • 1809 – Nikolai Gogol, Ukrainian-Russian short story writer, novelist, and playwright (d. 1852)
  • 1809 – Otto Lindblad, Swedish composer (d. 1864)
  • 1813 – Félix María Zuloaga, Mexican general and unconstitutional interim president (1858 and 1860–1862) (d. 1898)
  • 1819 – Chlodwig, Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst (d. 1901)
  • 1823 – Mary Boykin Chesnut, American author (d. 1886)
  • 1833 – Mary Abigail Dodge, American writer and essayist (d. 1896)
  • 1835 – John La Farge, American artist (d. 1910)
  • 1847 – Hermann de Pourtalès, Swiss sailor (d. 1904)
  • 1847 – Yegor Ivanovich Zolotarev, Russian mathematician and theorist (d. 1878)
  • 1851 – Francis Bell, Jewish New Zealand lawyer and politician, 20th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1936)
  • 1855 – Alfred E. Hunt, American businessman (d. 1899)
  • 1859 – Emil Fenyvessy, Hungarian actor and screenwriter (d. 1924)
  • 1865 – Anandi Gopal Joshi, Indian physician (d. 1887)
  • 1871 – Arthur Griffith, Irish journalist and politician, 3rd President of Dáil Éireann (d. 1922)
  • 1872 – Sergei Diaghilev, Russian ballet manager and critic, founded the Ballets Russes (d. 1929)
  • 1874 – Benjamín G. Hill, Mexican revolutionary general, governor of Sonora (d. 1920)
  • 1874 – Henri Marteau, French violinist and composer (d. 1934)
  • 1876 – Borisav Stanković, Serbian author (d. 1927)
  • 1878 – Jack Johnson, American boxer (d. 1946)
  • 1884 – Adriaan van Maanen, Dutch-American astronomer and academic (d. 1946)
  • 1885 – Pascin, Sephardi Jewish Bulgarian-American painter and illustrator (d. 1930)
  • 1890 – Ben Adams, American jumper (d. 1961)
  • 1890 – William Lawrence Bragg, Australian-English physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1971)
  • 1891 – Victor Varconi, Hungarian-American actor and director (d. 1976)
  • 1893 – Clemens Krauss, Austrian conductor and manager (d. 1954)
  • 1893 – Herbert Meinhard Mühlpfordt, German physician and historian (d. 1982)
  • 1895 – Vardis Fisher, American author and academic (d. 1968)
  • 1900 – Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester (d. 1974)
  • 1905 – Robert Stevenson, English director and screenwriter (d. 1986)
  • 1905 – George Treweek, Australian rugby league player (d. 1991)
  • 1906 – Sin-Itiro Tomonaga, Japanese physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1979)
  • 1908 – Red Norvo, American vibraphone player and composer (d. 1999)
  • 1911 – Freddie Green, American guitarist (d. 1987)
  • 1911 – Elisabeth Grümmer, German soprano (d. 1986)
  • 1912 – William Lederer, American soldier and author (d. 2009)
  • 1913 – Etta Baker, African-American singer and guitarist (d. 2006)
  • 1914 – Octavio Paz, Mexican poet and diplomat, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1998)
  • 1914 – Dagmar Lange, Swedish author (d. 1991)
  • 1915 – Albert Hourani, English historian and author (d. 1993)
  • 1915 – Shoichi Yokoi, Japanese sergeant (d. 1997)
  • 1916 – Lucille Bliss, American voice actress (d. 2012)
  • 1916 – Tommy Bolt, American golfer (d. 2008)
  • 1916 – John H. Wood, Jr., American lawyer and judge (d. 1979)
  • 1917 – Dorothy DeLay, American violinist and educator (d. 2002)
  • 1918 – Ted Post, American director (d. 2013)
  • 1919 – Frank Akins, American football player (d. 1993)
  • 1920 – Deborah Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, British aristocrat, socialite and author (d. 2014)
  • 1921 – Lowell Fulson, African-American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1999)
  • 1921 – Peggy Rea, American actress and casting director (d. 2011)
  • 1922 – Richard Kiley, American actor and singer (d. 1999)
  • 1922 – Patrick Magee, Irish actor (d. 1982)
  • 1923 – Don Barksdale, American basketball player (d. 1993)
  • 1923 – François Sermon, Belgian footballer (d. 2013)
  • 1924 – Leo Buscaglia, American author and academic (d. 1998)
  • 1924 – Charles Guggenheim, American director and producer (d. 2002)
  • 1925 – Jean Coutu, Canadian actor and director (d. 1999)
  • 1926 – John Fowles, English novelist (d. 2005)
  • 1926 – Beni Montresor, Italian director, set designer, author, and illustrator (d. 2001)
  • 1926 – Rocco Petrone, American colonel and engineer (d. 2006)
  • 1927 – Cesar Chavez, American labor union leader and activist (d. 1993)
  • 1927 – William Daniels, American actor
  • 1927 – Eduardo Martínez Somalo, Spanish cardinal
  • 1927 – Vladimir Ilyushin, Russian pilot (d. 2010)
  • 1927 – Elmer Diedtrich, American businessman and politician (d. 2013)
  • 1927 – Bud MacPherson, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1988)
  • 1928 – Lefty Frizzell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1975)
  • 1928 – Gordie Howe, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2016)
  • 1929 – Liz Claiborne, Belgian-American fashion designer, founded Liz Claiborne Inc. (d. 2007)
  • 1929 – Bert Fields, American lawyer and author
  • 1930 – Yehuda Nir, Polish Jewish-American psychiatrist (d. 2014)
  • 1930 – Jim Mutscheller, American football player and coach (d. 2015)
  • 1931 – Miller Barber, American golfer (d. 2013)
  • 1931 – Tamara Tyshkevich, Belarusian shot putter (d. 1997)
  • 1932 – John Jakes, American author
  • 1932 – Nagisa Oshima, Japanese director and screenwriter (d. 2013)
  • 1933 – Anita Carter, American singer-songwriter and bassist (d. 1999)
  • 1933 – Nichita Stănescu, Romanian poet (d. 1983)
  • 1934 – Richard Chamberlain, American actor
  • 1934 – Shirley Jones, American actress and singer
  • 1934 – John D. Loudermilk, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2016)
  • 1934 – Carlo Rubbia, Italian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1934 – Kamala Surayya, Indian poet and author (d. 2009)
  • 1935 – Herb Alpert, American singer-songwriter, trumpet player, and producer
  • 1935 – Judith Rossner, Jewish-American author (d. 2005)
  • 1936 – Marge Piercy, American poet and novelist
  • 1936 – Walter E. Williams, American economist and academic
  • 1938 – Patrick Bateson, English biologist and academic (d. 2017)
  • 1938 – Sheila Dikshit, Indian politician, 22nd Governor of Kerala (d. 2019)
  • 1938 – Antje Gleichfeld, German runner
  • 1938 – Bill Hicke, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager (d. 2005)
  • 1938 – Tõnno Lepmets, Estonian basketball player (d. 2005)
  • 1938 – Arthur B. Rubinstein, American pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 2018)
  • 1938 – David Steel, Scottish academic and politician
  • 1939 – Zviad Gamsakhurdia, Georgian anthropologist and politician, 1st President of Georgia (d. 1993)
  • 1939 – Israel Horovitz, American actor, director, and screenwriter
  • 1939 – Walker David Miller, American lawyer and judge (d. 2013)
  • 1939 – Volker Schlöndorff, German director and producer
  • 1939 – Karl-Heinz Schnellinger, German footballer
  • 1940 – Brian Ackland-Snow, English production designer and art director (d. 2013)
  • 1940 – Barney Frank, American lawyer and politician
  • 1940 – Patrick Leahy, American lawyer and politician
  • 1941 – Franco Bonvicini, Italian author and illustrator (d. 1995)
  • 1941 – Faith Leech, Australian swimmer (d. 2013)
  • 1942 – Ulla Hoffmann, Swedish politician
  • 1942 – Hugh McCracken, American guitarist and producer (d. 2013)
  • 1942 – Michael Savage, far-right American radio host and author
  • 1943 – Roy Andersson, Swedish director and screenwriter
  • 1943 – Deirdre Clancy, English costume designer
  • 1943 – Christopher Walken, American actor
  • 1944 – Pascal Danel, French singer-songwriter
  • 1944 – Angus King, American politician
  • 1944 – Mick Ralphs, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1945 – Edwin Catmull, American computer scientist and engineer
  • 1945 – Gabe Kaplan, American actor and comedian
  • 1945 – Myfanwy Talog, Welsh actress (d. 1995)
  • 1946 – Gonzalo Márquez, Venezuelan baseball player (d. 1984)
  • 1946 – Bob Russell, English politician
  • 1947 – Augustin Banyaga, Rwandan-American mathematician and academic
  • 1947 – Wendy Overton, American tennis player
  • 1947 – Kristian Blak, Danish-Faroese pianist, composer, and producer
  • 1947 – Don Foster, English academic and politician
  • 1947 – César Gaviria, Colombian economist and politician, 36th President of Colombia
  • 1947 – Eliyahu M. Goldratt, Israeli physicist and economist (d. 2011)
  • 1948 – Gary Doer, Canadian politician and diplomat, 20th Premier of Manitoba
  • 1948 – Al Gore, American soldier and politician, 45th Vice President of the United States and Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1948 – Rhea Perlman, American actress
  • 1948 – Gustaaf Van Cauter, Belgian cyclist
  • 1949 – Gilles Gilbert, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1950 – András Adorján, Hungarian chess player and author
  • 1950 – Ed Marinaro, American football player and actor
  • 1950 – Sandra Morgen, American anthropologist and academic (d. 2016)
  • 1953 – Dennis Kamakahi, American guitarist and composer (d. 2014)
  • 1955 – Svetozar Marović, President of Serbia and Montenegro
  • 1955 – Angus Young, Scottish-Australian guitarist and songwriter
  • 1957 – Alan Duncan, English businessman and politician, former Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
  • 1959 – Markus Hediger, Swiss poet and translator
  • 1959 – Anita Dillen, Dutch socialite and member of wealthy Dillen family, niece of Cor Dillen, Coen Dillen
  • 1961 – Ron Brown, American sprinter and football player
  • 1961 – Howard Gordon, American screenwriter and producer
  • 1962 – Olli Rehn, Finnish footballer and politician
  • 1963 – Paul Mercurio, Australian actor and dancer
  • 1964 – Mark Hoban, English accountant and politician
  • 1965 – Tom Barrasso, American ice hockey player and coach
  • 1965 – Patty Fendick, American tennis player and coach
  • 1965 – Jean-Christophe Lafaille, French mountaineer (d. 2006)
  • 1965 – William McNamara, American actor and producer
  • 1965 – Steven T. Seagle, American author and screenwriter
  • 1966 – Roger Black, English runner and journalist
  • 1966 – Nick Firestone, American race car driver
  • 1968 – César Sampaio, Brazilian footballer
  • 1969 – Nyamko Sabuni, Burundian-Swedish politician
  • 1969 – Steve Smith, American basketball player and sportscaster
  • 1970 – Alenka Bratušek, Slovenian politician, 7th Prime Minister of Slovenia
  • 1971 – Demetris Assiotis, Cypriot footballer
  • 1971 – Martin Atkinson, English footballer and referee
  • 1971 – Pavel Bure, Russian ice hockey player
  • 1971 – Craig McCracken, American animator, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1971 – Ewan McGregor, Scottish actor
  • 1972 – Alejandro Amenábar, Chilean-Spanish director and screenwriter
  • 1972 – Andrew Bowen, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1972 – Luca Gentili, Italian footballer and coach
  • 1972 – Evan Williams, American businessman, co-founded Twitter and Pyra Labs
  • 1973 – Christopher Hampson, English ballet dancer and choreographer
  • 1974 – Benjamin Eicher, German director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1974 – Natali, Russian singer, composer and songwriter
  • 1974 – Stefan Olsdal, Swedish bass player
  • 1974 – Jani Sievinen, Finnish swimmer
  • 1975 – Adam Green, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1975 – Nathan Grey, Australian rugby player and coach
  • 1975 – Cameron Murray, Scottish rugby player
  • 1975 – Ryan Rupe, American baseball player
  • 1976 – Howard Frier, American basketball player
  • 1976 – Igors Sļesarčuks, Latvian-Russian footballer
  • 1976 – Graeme Smith, Scottish swimmer
  • 1977 – Toshiya, Japanese bass player, songwriter, and producer
  • 1977 – Garth Tander, Australian race car driver
  • 1978 – Michael Clark, Australian cricketer and footballer
  • 1978 – Stephen Clemence, English footballer, midfeider and manager
  • 1978 – Jarrod Cooper, American football player
  • 1978 – Jérôme Rothen, French footballer
  • 1979 – Omri Afek, Israeli footballer
  • 1979 – Euan Burton, Scottish martial artist and coach
  • 1979 – Alexis Ferrero, Argentinian footballer
  • 1979 – Charlie Manning, American baseball player
  • 1979 – Jonna Mendes, American skier
  • 1979 – Rhys Wesser, Australian rugby league player
  • 1980 – Martin Albrechtsen, Danish footballer
  • 1980 – Karolina Lassbo, Swedish lawyer and blogger
  • 1980 – Matias Concha, Swedish footballer
  • 1980 – Kate Micucci, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress
  • 1980 – Michael Ryder, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1981 – Ryan Bingham, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1981 – Thomas Chatelle, Belgian footballer
  • 1981 – Han Tae-you, South Korean footballer
  • 1981 – Pa Dembo Touray, Gambian footballer
  • 1981 – Maarten van der Weijden, Dutch swimmer
  • 1982 – Tal Ben Haim, Israeli footballer
  • 1982 – Bam Childress, American football player
  • 1982 – Audrey Kawasaki, American painter
  • 1983 – Hashim Amla, South African cricketer
  • 1983 – Ashleigh Ball, Canadian voice actress and musician
  • 1983 – Sophie Hunger, Swiss-German musician
  • 1983 – Vlasios Maras, Greek gymnast
  • 1983 – Nigel Plum, Australian rugby league player
  • 1984 – David Clarkson, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1984 – Eddie Johnson, American soccer player
  • 1984 – James Jones, American football player
  • 1984 – Martins Dukurs, Latvian sled racer
  • 1984 – Kaie Kand, Estonian heptathlete
  • 1984 – Alberto Junior Rodríguez, Peruvian footballer
  • 1984 – Ed Williamson, English rugby player
  • 1985 – Steve Bernier, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1985 – Jo-Lonn Dunbar, American football player
  • 1985 – Jesper Hansen, Danish footballer
  • 1985 – Ivan Mishyn, Ukrainian race car driver
  • 1985 – Kory Sheets, American football player
  • 1985 – Jalmar Sjöberg, Swedish wrestler
  • 1986 – Andreas Dober, Austrian footballer
  • 1986 – James King, Scottish rugby player
  • 1986 – Paulo Machado, Portuguese footballer
  • 1987 – Nordin Amrabat, Dutch footballer
  • 1987 – Hugo Ayala, Mexican footballer
  • 1987 – Amaury Bischoff, Portuguese footballer
  • 1987 – Humpy Koneru, Indian chess player
  • 1987 – Kirill Starkov, Danish ice hockey player
  • 1987 – Nelli Zhiganshina, Russian figure skater
  • 1988 – Thomas De Corte, Belgian footballer
  • 1988 – Conrad Sewell, Australian singer and songwriter
  • 1988 – Dorin Dickerson, American football player
  • 1988 – DeAndre Liggins, American basketball player
  • 1988 – Louis van der Westhuizen, Namibian cricketer
  • 1989 – Alberto Martín Romo García Adámez, Spanish footballer
  • 1989 – Nejc Vidmar, Slovenian footballer
  • 1989 – Liu Zige, Chinese swimmer
  • 1990 – George Iloka, American football player
  • 1990 – Sandra Roma, Swedish tennis player
  • 1990 – Bang Yong-guk, South Korean rapper
  • 1991 – Milan Milanović, Serbian footballer
  • 1991 – Rodney Sneijder, Dutch footballer
  • 1992 – Stijn de Looijer, Dutch footballer
  • 1992 – Adam Zampa, Australian cricketer
  • 1993 – Mikael Ishak, Swedish footballer
  • 1994 – Samira Asghari, Afghan member of the International Olympic Committee
  • 1994 – Tyler Wright, Australian surfer
  • 1994 – Mads Würtz Schmidt, Danish road cyclist
  • 1995 – Fiona Brown, footballer
  • 1998 – Jakob Chychrun, American-born Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1999 – Japhet Tanganga, English footballer

Deaths on March 31

  • 32 BC – Titus Pomponius Atticus, Roman nobleman of the Equestrian order (b. 109 BC)
  • 528 – Xiaoming, emperor of Northern Wei (b. 510)
  • 963 – Abu Ja’far Ahmad ibn Muhammad, Saffarid emir (b. 906)
  • 1241 – Pousa, voivode of Transylvania
  • 1251 – William of Modena, Italian bishop and diplomat
  • 1340 – Ivan I of Moscow, Russian Grand Duke (b. 1288)
  • 1342 – Dionigi di Borgo San Sepolcro, Italian Augustinian monk
  • 1462 – Isidore II of Constantinople, patriarch of Constantinople
  • 1491 – Bonaventura Tornielli, Italian Roman Catholic priest (b. 1411)
  • 1547 – Francis I, French king (b. 1494)
  • 1567 – Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse (b. 1504)
  • 1621 – Philip III, Spanish king (b. 1578)
  • 1622 – Gonzalo Méndez de Canço, Royal Governor of La Florida (b. 1554)
  • 1631 – John Donne, English lawyer and poet (b. 1572)
  • 1671 – Anne Hyde, wife of James II of England (b. 1637)
  • 1723 – Edward Hyde, 3rd Earl of Clarendon, English soldier and politician, 14th Colonial Governor of New York (b. 1661)
  • 1741 – Pieter Burman the Elder, Dutch scholar and author (b. 1668)
  • 1751 – Frederick, Prince of Wales, Hanoverian-born heir to the British throne (b. 1707)better source needed
  • 1797 – Olaudah Equiano, Nigerian merchant, author, and activist (b.1745)
  • 1837 – John Constable, English painter and educator (b. 1776)
  • 1850 – John C. Calhoun, American lawyer and politician, 7th Vice President of the United States (b. 1782)
  • 1855 – Charlotte Brontë, English novelist and poet (b. 1816)
  • 1877 – Antoine Augustin Cournot, French mathematician and philosopher (b. 1801)
  • 1880 – Henryk Wieniawski, Polish violinist and composer (b. 1835)
  • 1885 – Franz Abt, German composer and conductor (b. 1819)
  • 1907 – Galusha A. Grow, American lawyer and politician, 28th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (b. 1823)
  • 1910 – Jean Moréas, Greek poet, essayist and art critic (b. 1856)
  • 1913 – J. P. Morgan, American banker and financier (b. 1837)
  • 1915 – Wyndham Halswelle, English-Scottish runner and captain (b. 1882)
  • 1917 – Emil von Behring, German physiologist and immunologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1854)
  • 1924 – George Charles Haité, English painter and illustrator (b. 1855)
  • 1927 – Kang Youwei, Chinese scholar and political reformer (b. 1858)
  • 1930 – Ludwig Schüler, German politician, Mayor of Marburg (b. 1836)
  • 1931 – Knute Rockne, American football player and coach (b. 1888)
  • 1935 – Georges V. Matchabelli, Georgian-American businessman and diplomat, founded Prince Matchabelli perfume (b. 1885)
  • 1939 – Ioannis Tsangaridis, Greek general (b. 1887)
  • 1944 – Mineichi Koga, Japanese admiral (b. 1885)
  • 1945 – Frank Findlay, New Zealand banker and politician (b. 1884)
  • 1945 – Hans Fischer, German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1881)
  • 1950 – Robert Natus, Estonian architect (b. 1890)
  • 1952 – Wallace H. White, Jr., American lawyer and politician (b. 1877)
  • 1956 – Ralph DePalma, Italian-American race car driver and actor (b. 1884)
  • 1968 – Grover Lowdermilk, American baseball player (b. 1885)
  • 1970 – Semyon Timoshenko, Soviet Commander during the Winter War and the Eastern Front of World War II (b. 1894)
  • 1975 – Percy Alliss, English golfer (b. 1897)
  • 1976 – Paul Strand, American photographer and director (b. 1890)
  • 1978 – Astrid Allwyn, American actress (b. 1905)
  • 1978 – Charles Herbert Best, American-Canadian physiologist and biochemist, co-discovered Insulin (b. 1899)
  • 1980 – Vladimír Holan, Czech poet and author (b. 1905)
  • 1980 – Jesse Owens, American sprinter and long jumper (b. 1913)
  • 1981 – Enid Bagnold, English author and playwright (b. 1889)
  • 1983 – Christina Stead, Australian author and academic (b. 1902)
  • 1986 – Jerry Paris, American actor and director (b. 1925)
  • 1988 – William McMahon, Australian lawyer and politician, 20th Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1908)
  • 1993 – Brandon Lee, American actor and martial artist (b. 1965)
  • 1993 – Mitchell Parish, Lithuanian-American songwriter (b. 1900)
  • 1995 – Selena, American singer-songwriter (b. 1971)
  • 1996 – Dante Giacosa, Italian automobile designer and engineer (b. 1905)
  • 1996 – Jeffrey Lee Pierce, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1958)
  • 1998 – Bella Abzug, American lawyer, activist, and politician (b. 1920)
  • 1998 – Tim Flock, American race car driver (b. 1924)
  • 1998 – Joel Ryce-Menuhin, American pianist (b. 1933)
  • 1999 – Yuri Knorozov, Russian linguist and ethnographer (b. 1922)
  • 2001 – David Rocastle, English footballer (b. 1967)
  • 2001 – Clifford Shull, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1915)
  • 2002 – Barry Took, English comedian, actor, and screenwriter (b. 1928)
  • 2002 – Moturu Udayam, Indian activist and politician (b. 1924)
  • 2003 – Harold Scott MacDonald Coxeter, English-Canadian mathematician and academic (b. 1907)
  • 2003 – Anne Gwynne, American actress (b. 1918)
  • 2003 – Tommy Seebach, Danish singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer (b. 1949)
  • 2004 – Scott Helvenston, American soldier (b. 1965)
  • 2005 – Stanley J. Korsmeyer, American oncologist and academic (b. 1951)
  • 2005 – Justiniano Montano, Filipino lawyer and politician (b. 1905)
  • 2005 – Frank Perdue, American businessman (b. 1920)
  • 2006 – Jackie McLean, American saxophonist and composer (b. 1931)
  • 2007 – Paul Watzlawick, Austrian-American psychologist and philosopher (b. 1921)
  • 2008 – Jules Dassin, American director, producer, screenwriter, and actor (b. 1911)
  • 2008 – Bill Keightley, American equipment manager (b. 1926)
  • 2009 – Raúl Alfonsín, Argentinian lawyer and politician, 46th President of Argentina (b. 1927)
  • 2009 – Choor Singh, Indian-Singaporean lawyer and judge (b. 1911)
  • 2011 – Gil Clancy, American boxer and trainer (b. 1922)
  • 2011 – Alan Fitzgerald, Australian journalist and author (b. 1935)
  • 2011 – Mary Greyeyes, the first First Nations woman to join the Canadian Armed Forces (b. 1920)
  • 2011 – Oddvar Hansen, Norwegian footballer and coach (b. 1921)
  • 2011 – Ishbel MacAskill, Scottish singer and actress (b. 1941)
  • 2011 – Henry Taub, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1927)
  • 2012 – Judith Adams, New Zealand-Australian nurse and politician (b. 1943)
  • 2012 – Dale R. Corson, American physicist and academic (b. 1914)
  • 2012 – Bernard O. Gruenke, American stained glass artist (b. 1914)
  • 2012 – Jerry Lynch, American baseball player (b. 1930)
  • 2012 – Alberto Sughi, Italian painter (b. 1928)
  • 2012 – Halbert White, American economist and academic (b. 1950)
  • 2013 – Charles Amarin Brand, French archbishop (b. 1920)
  • 2013 – Ernie Bridge, Australian singer and politician (b. 1936)
  • 2013 – Bob Clarke, American illustrator (b. 1926)
  • 2013 – Ahmad Sayyed Javadi, Iranian lawyer and politician, Iranian Minister of Interior (b. 1917)
  • 2013 – Dmitri Uchaykin, Russian ice hockey player (b. 1980)
  • 2014 – Gonzalo Anes, Spanish economist, historian, and academic (b. 1931)
  • 2014 – Roger Somville, Belgian painter (b. 1923)
  • 2015 – Betty Churcher, Australian painter, historian, and curator (b. 1931)
  • 2015 – Cocoa Fujiwara, Japanese author and illustrator (b. 1983)
  • 2015 – Carlos Gaviria Díaz, Colombian lawyer and politician (b. 1937)
  • 2015 – Dalibor Vesely, Czech-English historian, author, and academic (b. 1934)
  • 2016 – Ronnie Corbett, Scottish comedian, actor and screenwriter (b. 1930)
  • 2016 – Hans-Dietrich Genscher, German politician (b. 1927)
  • 2016 – Zaha Hadid, Iraqi-born English architect and academic, designed the Bridge Pavilion (b. 1950)
  • 2016 – Imre Kertész, Hungarian author, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1929)
  • 2016 – Denise Robertson, British writer and television broadcaster (b. 1932)
  • 2017 – Gilbert Baker, American artist and LGBT rights activist (b. 1951)
  • 2017 – James Rosenquist, American artist (b. 1933)
  • 2019 – Nipsey Hussle, American rapper (b. 1985)

Holidays and observances on March 31

  • Cesar Chavez Day (United States)
  • Christian feast day
    • Abdas of Susa
    • Acathius of Melitene (Eastern Orthodox Church)
    • Anesius and companions
    • Benjamin
    • Balbina
    • John Donne (Anglican Communion, Lutheran)
    • March 31 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Day of Genocide of Azerbaijanis (Azerbaijan)
  • Freedom Day (Malta)
  • International Transgender Day of Visibility
  • King Nangklao Memorial Day (Thailand)
  • Thomas Mundy Peterson Day (New Jersey, United States)
  • Transfer Day (US Virgin Islands)
  • World Backup Day

March 31 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

March 19- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 1277 – The Byzantine–Venetian treaty of 1277 is concluded, stipulating a two-year truce and renewing Venetian commercial privileges in the Byzantine Empire.
  • 1279 – A Mongol victory at the Battle of Yamen ends the Song dynasty in China.
  • 1284 – The Statute of Rhuddlan incorporates the Principality of Wales into England.
  • 1563 – The Edict of Amboise is signed, ending the first phase of the French Wars of Religion and granting certain freedoms to the Huguenots.
  • 1649 – The House of Commons of England passes an act abolishing the House of Lords, declaring it “useless and dangerous to the people of England”.
  • 1687 – Explorer Robert Cavelier de La Salle, searching for the mouth of the Mississippi River, is murdered by his own men.
  • 1812 – The Cortes of Cádiz promulgates the Spanish Constitution of 1812.
  • 1853 – The Taiping reform movement occupies and makes Nanjing its capital until 1864.
  • 1861 – The First Taranaki War ends in New Zealand.
  • 1863 – The SS Georgiana, said to have been the most powerful Confederate cruiser, is destroyed on her maiden voyage with a cargo of munitions, medicines, and merchandise then valued at over $1,000,000.
  • 1865 – American Civil War: The Battle of Bentonville begins. By the end of the battle two days later, Confederate forces had retreated from Four Oaks, North Carolina.
  • 1885 – Louis Riel declares a provisional government in Saskatchewan, beginning the North-West Rebellion.
  • 1895 – Auguste and Louis Lumière record their first footage using their newly patented cinematograph.
  • 1918 – The US Congress establishes time zones and approves daylight saving time.
  • 1920 – The United States Senate rejects the Treaty of Versailles for the second time (the first time was on November 19, 1919).
  • 1921 – Irish War of Independence: One of the biggest engagements of the war takes place at Crossbarry, County Cork. About 100 Irish Republican Army (IRA) volunteers escape an attempt by over 1,300 British forces to encircle them.
  • 1931 – Gambling is legalized in Nevada.
  • 1932 – The Sydney Harbour Bridge is opened.
  • 1943 – Frank Nitti, the Chicago Outfit Boss after Al Capone, commits suicide at the Chicago Central Railyard.
  • 1944 – World War II: The German army occupies Hungary.
  • 1945 – World War II: Off the coast of Japan, a dive bomber hits the aircraft carrier USS Franklin, killing 724 of her crew. Badly damaged, the ship is able to return to the US under her own power.
  • 1945 – World War II: Adolf Hitler issues his “Nero Decree” ordering all industries, military installations, shops, transportation facilities, and communications facilities in Germany to be destroyed.
  • 1946 – French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Réunion become overseas départements of France.
  • 1954 – Joey Giardello knocks out Willie Tory in round seven at Madison Square Garden in the first televised prize boxing fight shown in colour.
  • 1954 – Willie Mosconi sets a world record by running 526 consecutive balls without a miss during a straight pool exhibition at East High Billiard Club in Springfield, Ohio, setting a record that remains unbroken.
  • 1958 – The Monarch Underwear Company fire leaves 24 dead and 15 injured.
  • 1962 – Highly influential artist Bob Dylan releases his first album, Bob Dylan, for Columbia Records.
  • 1962 – The Algerian War of Independence ends.
  • 1964 – Over 500,000 Brazilians attend the March of the Family with God for Liberty, in protest against the government of João Goulart and against communism.
  • 1965 – The wreck of the SS Georgiana, valued at over $50,000,000 and said to have been the most powerful Confederate cruiser, is discovered by teenage diver and pioneer underwater archaeologist E. Lee Spence, exactly 102 years after its destruction.
  • 1966 – 1965–66 Texas Western Miners men’s basketball team wins the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament.
  • 1969 – The 385-metre-tall (1,263 ft) TV-mast at Emley Moor transmitting station, United Kingdom, collapses due to ice build-up.
  • 1979 – The United States House of Representatives begins broadcasting its day-to-day business via the cable television network C-SPAN.
  • 1982 – Falklands War: Argentinian forces land on South Georgia Island, precipitating war with the United Kingdom.
  • 1987 – Televangelist Jim Bakker resigns as head of the PTL Club due to a brewing sex scandal; he hands over control to Jerry Falwell.
  • 1989 – The Egyptian flag is raised at Taba, marking the end of Israeli occupation since the Six Days War in 1967 and the Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty in 1979.
  • 1990 – The ethnic clashes of Târgu Mureș begin four days after the anniversary of the Revolutions of 1848 in the Austrian Empire.
  • 1998 – An Ariana Afghan Airlines Boeing 727 crashes on approach to Kabul International Airport, killing all 45 on board.
  • 2002 – Zimbabwe is suspended from the Commonwealth on charges of human rights abuses and of electoral fraud, following a turbulent presidential election.
  • 2004 – Catalina affair: A Swedish DC-3 shot down by a Soviet MiG-15 in 1952 over the Baltic Sea is finally recovered after years of work.
  • 2004 – March 19 Shooting Incident: The Republic of China(Taiwan) president Chen Shui-bian was shot just before the country’s presidential election on March 20.
  • 2008 – GRB 080319B: A cosmic burst that is the farthest object visible to the naked eye is briefly observed.
  • 2011 – Libyan Civil War: After the failure of Muammar Gaddafi’s forces to take Benghazi, the French Air Force launches Opération Harmattan, beginning foreign military intervention in Libya.
  • 2013 – A series of bombings and shootings kills at least 98 people and injures 240 others across Iraq.
  • 2016 – Flydubai Flight 981 crashes while attempting to land at Rostov-on-Don international airport, killing all 62 on board.
  • 2016 – An explosion occurs in Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkey, killing five people and injuring 36.
  • 2018 – The last male northern white rhinoceros, Sudan, dies, ensuring a chance of extinction for the species.

Births on March 19

  • 1206 – Güyük Khan, Mongol ruler, 3rd Great Khan of the Mongol Empire (d. 1248)
  • 1434 – Ashikaga Yoshikatsu, Japanese shōgun (d. 1443)
  • 1488 – Johannes Magnus, Swedish archbishop and theologian (d. 1544)
  • 1534 – José de Anchieta, Spanish missionary and saint (d. 1597)
  • 1542 – Jan Zamoyski, Polish nobleman (d. 1605)
  • 1601 – Alonzo Cano, Spanish painter, sculptor, and architect (d. 1667)
  • 1604 – John IV of Portugal (d. 1656)
  • 1641 – Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi, Syrian author and scholar (d. 1731)
  • 1661 – Francesco Gasparini, Italian composer and educator (d. 1727)
  • 1684 – Jean Astruc, French physician and scholar (d. 1766)
  • 1721 – Tobias Smollett, Scottish-Italian poet and author (d. 1771) (baptised on this day)
  • 1734 – Thomas McKean, American lawyer and politician, 2nd Governor of Pennsylvania (d. 1817)
  • 1739 – Charles-François Lebrun, duc de Plaisance, French lawyer and politician (d. 1824)
  • 1742 – Túpac Amaru II, Peruvian rebel leader (d. 1781)
  • 1748 – Elias Hicks, American farmer, minister, and theologian (d. 1830)
  • 1778 – Edward Pakenham, Anglo-Irish general and politician (d. 1815)
  • 1809 – Fredrik Pacius, German composer and conductor (d. 1891)
  • 1813 – David Livingstone, Scottish missionary and explorer (d. 1873)
  • 1816 – Johannes Verhulst, Dutch composer and conductor (d. 1891)
  • 1821 – Richard Francis Burton, English soldier, geographer, and diplomat (d. 1890)
  • 1823 – Arthur Blyth, English-Australian politician, 9th Premier of South Australia (d. 1891)
  • 1824 – William Allingham, Irish poet, author, and scholar (d. 1889)
  • 1829 – Carl Frederik Tietgen, Danish businessman (d. 1901)
  • 1844 – Minna Canth, Finnish journalist, playwright, and activist (d. 1897)
  • 1847 – Albert Pinkham Ryder, American painter (d. 1917)
  • 1848 – Wyatt Earp, American police officer (d. 1929)
  • 1849 – Alfred von Tirpitz, German admiral and politician (d. 1930)
  • 1858 – Kang Youwei, Chinese scholar and politician (d. 1927)
  • 1860 – William Jennings Bryan, American lawyer and politician, 41st United States Secretary of State (d. 1925)
  • 1861 – Lomer Gouin, Canadian lawyer and politician, 13th Premier of Quebec (d. 1929)
  • 1864 – Charles Marion Russell, American painter and sculptor (d. 1926)
  • 1865 – William Morton Wheeler, American entomologist, myrmecologist, and academic (d. 1937)
  • 1868 – Senda Berenson Abbott, Lithuanian-American basketball player and educator (d. 1954)
  • 1871 – Schofield Haigh, English cricketer and coach (d. 1921)
  • 1872 – Anna Held, Polish singer (d. 1918)
  • 1873 – Max Reger, German pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1916)
  • 1875 – Zhang Zuolin, Chinese warlord (d. 1928)
  • 1876 – Felix Jacoby, German philologist (d. 1959)
  • 1880 – Ernestine Rose, American librarian and advocate (d. 1961)
  • 1881 – Edith Nourse Rogers, American social worker and politician (d. 1960)
  • 1882 – Gaston Lachaise, French-American sculptor (d. 1935)
  • 1883 – Norman Haworth, English chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1950)
  • 1883 – Joseph Stilwell, American general (d. 1946)
  • 1885 – Attik, Greek composer (d. 1944)
  • 1888 – Josef Albers, German-American painter and educator (d. 1976)
  • 1888 – Léon Scieur, Belgian cyclist (d. 1969)
  • 1891 – Earl Warren, American lieutenant, jurist, and politician, 14th Chief Justice of the United States (d. 1974)
  • 1892 – Theodore Sizer, American professor of the history of art (d. 1967)
  • 1892 – Ado Vabbe, Estonian painter (d. 1961)
  • 1892 – James Van Fleet, American general and diplomat (d. 1992)
  • 1894 – Moms Mabley, American comedian and singer (d. 1975)
  • 1900 – Carmen Carbonell, Spanish stage and film actress (d. 1988)
  • 1900 – Frédéric Joliot-Curie, French physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1958)
  • 1901 – Jo Mielziner, French-American set designer (d. 1976)
  • 1904 – John Sirica, American lawyer and judge (d. 1992)
  • 1905 – Joe Rollino, American weightlifter and boxer (d. 2010)
  • 1905 – Albert Speer, German architect and politician (d. 1981)
  • 1906 – Adolf Eichmann, German SS officer (d. 1962)
  • 1906 – Clara Breed, American librarian and activist (d. 1994)
  • 1909 – Louis Hayward, South African-born American actor (d. 1985)
  • 1910 – Joseph Carroll, American general (d. 1991)
  • 1912 – Hugh Watt, Australian-New Zealand engineer and politician, Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1980)
  • 1914 – Leonidas Alaoglu, Canadian-American mathematician and theorist (d. 1981)
  • 1914 – Jay Berwanger, American football player and coach (d. 2002)
  • 1915 – Robert G. Cole, American colonel, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1944)
  • 1915 – Patricia Morison, American actress and singer (d. 2018)
  • 1916 – Eric Christmas, English-Canadian actor (d. 2000)
  • 1916 – Irving Wallace, American journalist, author, and screenwriter (d. 1990)
  • 1917 – Laszlo Szabo, Hungarian chess player (d. 1998)
  • 1919 – Lennie Tristano, American pianist, composer, and educator (d. 1978)
  • 1920 – Kjell Aukrust, Norwegian author, poet, and painter (d. 2002)
  • 1921 – Tommy Cooper, British magician and prop comedian (d. 1984)
  • 1922 – Guy Lewis, American basketball player and coach (d. 2015)
  • 1922 – Hiroo Onoda, Japanese lieutenant (d. 2014)
  • 1923 – Pamela Britton, American actress (d. 1974)
  • 1923 – Benito Jacovitti, Italian illustrator (d. 1997)
  • 1923 – Henry Morgentaler, Polish-Canadian physician and activist (d. 2013)
  • 1924 – Joe Gaetjens, Haitian footballer (d. 1964)
  • 1925 – Brent Scowcroft, American general and diplomat, 9th United States National Security Advisor
  • 1927 – Richie Ashburn, American baseball player and sportscaster (d. 1997)
  • 1928 – Hans Küng, Swiss theologian and author
  • 1928 – Patrick McGoohan, Irish-American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2009)
  • 1931 – Emma Andijewska, Ukrainian poet, writer and painter
  • 1932 – Gay Brewer, American golfer (d. 2007)
  • 1932 – Peter Hall, English geographer, author, and academic (d. 2014)
  • 1932 – Gail Kobe, American actress and producer (d. 2013)
  • 1933 – Phyllis Newman, American actress and singer (d. 2019)
  • 1933 – Philip Roth, American novelist (d. 2018)
  • 1933 – Renée Taylor, American actress, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1933 – Richard Williams, Canadian-English animator, director, and screenwriter (d. 2019)
  • 1935 – Nancy Malone, American actress, director, and producer (d. 2014)
  • 1936 – Ursula Andress, Swiss model and actress
  • 1936 – Ben Lexcen, Australian sailor and architect (d. 1988)
  • 1937 – Clarence “Frogman” Henry, American R&B singer and pianist
  • 1937 – Egon Krenz, German politician
  • 1938 – Joe Kapp, American football player, coach, and actor
  • 1942 – Heather Robertson, Canadian journalist and author (d. 2014)
  • 1943 – Mario J. Molina, Mexican chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1943 – Mario Monti, Italian economist and politician, Prime Minister of Italy
  • 1943 – Vern Schuppan, Australian race car driver
  • 1944 – Said Musa, Belizean lawyer and politician, 5th Prime Minister of Belize
  • 1945 – John Holder, English cricketer and umpire
  • 1945 – Modestas Paulauskas, Lithuanian basketball player and coach
  • 1946 – Ruth Pointer, American musician
  • 1947 – Glenn Close, American actress, singer, and producer
  • 1947 – Marinho Peres, Brazilian footballer and coach
  • 1948 – David Schnitter, American saxophonist and educator
  • 1949 – Blase J. Cupich, American theologian and cardinal
  • 1950 – José S. Palma, Filipino archbishop
  • 1952 – Warren Lees, New Zealand cricketer and coach
  • 1952 – Martin Ravallion, Australian economist and academic
  • 1952 – Harvey Weinstein, American director and producer
  • 1953 – Ian Blair, English police officer
  • 1953 – Peter Hendy, English businessman
  • 1953 – Ricky Wilson, American singer-songwriter and musician (d. 1985)
  • 1954 – Cho Kwang-rae, South Korean footballer, coach, and manager
  • 1955 – Bruce Willis, German-American actor and producer
  • 1956 – Yegor Gaidar, Russian economist and politician, First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia (d. 2009)
  • 1958 – Andy Reid, American football player and coach
  • 1960 – Eliane Elias, Brazilian singer-songwriter and pianist
  • 1962 – Iván Calderón, Puerto Rican-American baseball player (d. 2003)
  • 1963 – Neil LaBute, American director and screenwriter
  • 1964 – Yoko Kanno, Japanese pianist and composer
  • 1964 – Jake Weber, English actor
  • 1966 – Michael Crockart, Scottish police officer and politician
  • 1966 – Olaf Marschall, German footballer and manager
  • 1966 – Andy Sinton, English international footballer, midfielder and manager
  • 1967 – Vladimir Konstantinov, Russian-American ice hockey player
  • 1968 – Tyrone Hill, American basketball player and coach
  • 1970 – Harald Johnsen, Norwegian bassist and composer (d. 2011)
  • 1970 – Michael Krumm, German race car driver
  • 1973 – Ashley Giles, English cricketer and coach
  • 1975 – Antonio Daniels, American basketball player
  • 1975 – Matthew Richardson, Australian footballer and sportscaster
  • 1976 – Andre Miller, American basketball player
  • 1976 – Alessandro Nesta, Italian footballer and manager
  • 1978 – Cydonie Mothersille, Jamaican-Caymanian sprinter
  • 1979 – Sheldon Brown, American football player
  • 1979 – Hee-seop Choi, South Korean-American baseball player
  • 1979 – Ivan Ljubičić, Croatian tennis player
  • 1979 – Christos Patsatzoglou, Greek footballer
  • 1979 – Hedo Türkoğlu, Turkish basketball player
  • 1980 – Luca Ferri, Italian footballer
  • 1980 – Taichi Ishikari, Japanese wrestler
  • 1980 – Mikuni Shimokawa, Japanese singer-songwriter
  • 1981 – Steve Cummings, English cyclist
  • 1981 – Kolo Touré, Ivorian footballer
  • 1982 – Jonathan Fanene, American football player
  • 1982 – Brad Jones, Australian footballer
  • 1982 – Eduardo Saverin, Brazilian-Singaporean businessman
  • 1982 – Yoshikaze Masatsugu, Japanese sumo wrestler
  • 1985 – Inesa Jurevičiūtė, Lithuanian figure skater
  • 1986 – Tyler Bozak, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1987 – Michal Švec, Czech footballer
  • 1987 – Miloš Teodosić, Serbian basketball player
  • 1988 – Clayton Kershaw, American baseball player
  • 1991 – Aleksandr Kokorin, Russian footballer
  • 1993 – Mateusz Szwoch, Polish footballer
  • 1993 – Hakim Ziyech, Moroccan footballer
  • 1995 – Alexei Sintsov, Russian figure skater
  • 1995 – Héctor Bellerín, Spanish footballer
  • 1996 – Barbara Haas, Austrian tennis player

Deaths on March 19

  • 235 – Severus Alexander, Roman emperor (b. 208)
  • 953 – Al-Mansur Billah, caliph of the Fatimid Caliphate (b. 913)
  • 968 – Emma of Paris, duchess of Normandy (b. 943)
  • 1238 – Henry the Bearded, Polish duke and son of Bolesław I the Tall (b. 1163)
  • 1263 – Hugh of Saint-Cher, French cardinal (b. 1200)
  • 1279 – Zhao Bing, Chinese emperor (b. 1271)
  • 1286 – Alexander III, king of Scotland (b. 1241)
  • 1330 – Edmund of Woodstock, 1st Earl of Kent, English politician, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports (b. 1301)
  • 1372 – John II, marquess of Montferrat (b. 1321)
  • 1533 – John Bourchier, 2nd Baron Berners, English baron and statesman (b. 1467)
  • 1534 – Michael Weiße, German theologian (b. c. 1488)
  • 1539 – Lord Edmund Howard, English nobleman (b. c. 1478)
  • 1563 – Arthur Brooke, English poet
  • 1568 – Elizabeth Seymour, Lady Cromwell, English noblewoman (b.c. 1518)
  • 1581 – Francis I, duke of Saxe-Lauenburg (b. 1510)
  • 1612 – Sophia Olelkovich Radziwill, Belarusian saint (b. 1585)
  • 1637 – Péter Pázmány, Hungarian cardinal (b. 1570)
  • 1649 – Gerhard Johann Vossius, German scholar and theologian (b. 1577)
  • 1683 – Thomas Killigrew, English playwright and manager (b. 1612)
  • 1687 – René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, French-American explorer (b. 1643)
  • 1697 – Nicolaus Bruhns, German organist and composer (b. 1665)
  • 1711 – Thomas Ken, English bishop and hymn-writer (b. 1637)
  • 1717 – John Campbell, 1st Earl of Breadalbane and Holland, Scottish soldier (b. 1636)
  • 1721 – Pope Clement XI (b. 1649)
  • 1783 – Frederick Cornwallis, English archbishop (b. 1713)
  • 1790 – Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Pasha, Ottoman general and politician, 182nd Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire (b. 1713)
  • 1797 – Philip Hayes, English organist and composer (b. 1738)
  • 1816 – Philip Mazzei, Italian-American physician and philosopher (b. 1730)
  • 1871 – Wilhelm Karl Ritter von Haidinger, Austrian mineralogist, geologist, and physicist (b. 1795)
  • 1897 – Antoine Thomson d’Abbadie, Irish-French geographer, ethnologist, linguist, and astronomer (b. 1810)
  • 1900 – John Bingham, American lawyer and politician, 7th United States Ambassador to Japan (b. 1815)
  • 1900 – Charles-Louis Hanon, French pianist and composer (b. 1819)
  • 1914 – Giuseppe Mercalli, Italian priest, geologist, and volcanologist (b. 1850)
  • 1919 – Emma Bell Miles, American writer, poet, and artist of Appalachia (b. 1879)
  • 1930 – Arthur Balfour, Scottish-English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1848)
  • 1930 – Henry Lefroy, Australian politician, 11th Premier of Western Australia (b. 1854)
  • 1942 – Clinton Hart Merriam, American zoologist, ornithologist, and entomologist (b. 1855)
  • 1944 – William Hale Thompson, American rancher and politician, 41st Mayor of Chicago (b. 1869)
  • 1949 – James Somerville, English admiral and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Somerset (b. 1882)
  • 1949 – James Newland, Australian soldier and policeman (b. 1881)
  • 1950 – Edgar Rice Burroughs, American soldier and author (b. 1875)
  • 1950 – Norman Haworth, English chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1883)
  • 1951 – Dmytro Doroshenko, Ukrainian historian and politician, Prime Minister of Ukraine (b. 1882)
  • 1976 – Albert Dieudonné, French actor and author (b. 1889)
  • 1976 – Paul Kossoff, English guitarist and songwriter (b. 1950)
  • 1977 – William L. Laurence, Lithuanian-born American journalist and author (b. 1888)
  • 1978 – M. A. Ayyangar, Indian lawyer and politician, 2nd Speaker of the Lok Sabha (b. 1891)
  • 1982 – J. B. Kripalani, Indian lawyer and politician (b. 1888)
  • 1982 – Randy Rhoads, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer (b. 1956)
  • 1984 – Garry Winogrand, American photographer (b. 1928)
  • 1986 – Sabino Barinaga, Spanish footballer and manager (b. 1922)
  • 1987 – Louis de Broglie, French physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1892)
  • 1988 – Bun Cook, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1904)
  • 1990 – Andrew Wood, American singer-songwriter (b. 1966)
  • 1993 – Henrik Sandberg, Danish production manager and producer (b. 1915)
  • 1996 – Lise Østergaard, Danish psychologist and politician (b. 1924)
  • 1996 – Virginia Henderson, American nurse, researcher, theorist and author (b. 1897)
  • 1997 – Willem de Kooning, Dutch-American painter and educator (b. 1904)
  • 1997 – Eugène Guillevic, French poet and author (b. 1907)
  • 1998 – E. M. S. Namboodiripad, Indian theorist and politician, 1st Chief Minister of Kerala (b. 1909)
  • 1999 – Tofilau Eti Alesana, Samoan politician, 5th Prime Minister of Samoa (b. 1924)
  • 2000 – Joanne Weaver, American baseball player (b. 1935)
  • 2000 – Shafiq-ur-Rahman, Pakistani physician and author (b. 1920)
  • 2003 – Michael Mathias Prechtl, German soldier and illustrator (b. 1926)
  • 2004 – Mitchell Sharp, Canadian economist and politician, 23rd Canadian Minister of Finance (b. 1911)
  • 2005 – John DeLorean, American engineer and businessman, founded the DeLorean Motor Company (b. 1925)
  • 2008 – Arthur C. Clarke, British science fiction writer (b. 1917)
  • 2008 – Hugo Claus, Belgian author, poet, and playwright (b. 1929)
  • 2008 – Paul Scofield, English actor (b. 1922)
  • 2009 – Maria Bergson, Austrian-American architect and interior designer (b. 1914)
  • 2011 – Kym Bonython, Australian drummer and radio host (b. 1920)
  • 2012 – Jim Case, American director and producer (b. 1927)
  • 2012 – Ulu Grosbard, Belgian-American director and producer (b. 1929)
  • 2012 – Hugo Munthe-Kaas, Norwegian intelligence agent (b. 1922)
  • 2014 – Patrick Joseph McGovern, American businessman, founded IDG (b. 1937)
  • 2014 – Fred Phelps, American lawyer, pastor, and activist, founded the Westboro Baptist Church (b. 1929)
  • 2014 – Heather Robertson, Canadian journalist and author (b. 1942)
  • 2014 – Robert S. Strauss, American diplomat, United States Ambassador to Russia (b. 1918)
  • 2014 – Lawrence Walsh, Canadian-American lawyer, judge, and politician, 4th United States Deputy Attorney General (b. 1912)
  • 2014 – Joseph F. Weis, Jr., American lawyer and judge (b. 1923)
  • 2015 – Gus Douglass, American farmer and politician (b. 1927)
  • 2015 – Safet Plakalo, Bosnian author and playwright (b. 1950)
  • 2015 – Danny Schechter, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1942)
  • 2016 – Roger Agnelli, Brazilian banker and businessman (b. 1959)
  • 2016 – Jack Mansell, English footballer and manager (b. 1927)
  • 2019 – William Whitfield, British architect (b. 1920)

Holidays and observances on March 19

  • Christian feast day:
    • Alkmund of Derby
    • Saint Joseph (Western Christianity; if this date falls on Sunday, the feast is moved to Monday March 20)
    • March 19 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest day on which Maundy Thursday can fall, while April 22 is the latest; celebrated on Thursday before Easter (Christianity)
  • Minna Canth’s Birthday (Finland)
  • Kashubian Unity Day (Poland)
  • St Joseph’s Day (Roman Catholicism and Anglican Communion) related observances:
    • Falles, celebrated on the week leading to March 19 (Valencia)
    • Father’s Day (Spain, Portugal, Italy, Honduras, and Bolivia)
    • “Return of the Swallow”, annual observance of the swallows’ return to Mission San Juan Capistrano in California

March 19- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

March 4- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • AD 51 – Nero, later to become Roman emperor, is given the title princeps iuventutis (head of the youth).
  • 306 – Martyrdom of Saint Adrian of Nicomedia.
  • 852 – Croatian Knez Trpimir I issues a statute, a document with the first known written mention of the Croats name in Croatian sources.
  • 938 – Translation of the relics of martyr Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia, Prince of the Czechs.
  • 1152 – Frederick I Barbarossa is elected King of Germany.
  • 1238 – The Battle of the Sit River is fought in the northern part of the present-day Yaroslavl Oblast of Russia between the Mongol hordes of Batu Khan and the Russians under Yuri II of Vladimir-Suzdal during the Mongol invasion of Rus’.
  • 1351 – Ramathibodi becomes King of Siam.
  • 1386 – Władysław II Jagiełło (Jogaila) is crowned King of Poland.
  • 1461 – Wars of the Roses in England: Lancastrian King Henry VI is deposed by his House of York cousin, who then becomes King Edward IV.
  • 1493 – Explorer Christopher Columbus arrives back in Lisbon, Portugal, aboard his ship Niña from his voyage to what are now The Bahamas and other islands in the Caribbean.
  • 1519 – Hernán Cortés arrives in Mexico in search of the Aztec civilization and its wealth.
  • 1628 – The Massachusetts Bay Colony is granted a Royal charter.
  • 1665 – English King Charles II declares war on the Netherlands marking the start of the Second Anglo-Dutch War.
  • 1675 – John Flamsteed is appointed the first Astronomer Royal of England.
  • 1681 – Charles II grants a land charter to William Penn for the area that will later become Pennsylvania.
  • 1776 – American Revolutionary War: The Continental Army fortifies Dorchester Heights with cannon, leading the British troops to abandon the Siege of Boston.
  • 1789 – In New York City, the first Congress of the United States meets, putting the United States Constitution into effect. The United States Bill of Rights is written and proposed to Congress.
  • 1790 – France is divided into 83 départements, cutting across the former provinces in an attempt to dislodge regional loyalties based on ownership of land by the nobility.
  • 1791 – The Constitutional Act of 1791 is introduced by the British House of Commons in London which envisages the separation of Canada into Lower Canada (Quebec) and Upper Canada (Ontario).
  • 1791 – Vermont is admitted to the United States as the fourteenth state.
  • 1794 – The 11th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is passed by the U.S. Congress.
  • 1797 – John Adams is inaugurated as the 2nd President of the United States of America, becoming the first President to begin his presidency on March 4.
  • 1804 – Castle Hill Rebellion: Irish convicts rebel against British colonial authority in the Colony of New South Wales.
  • 1813 – Cyril VI of Constantinople is elected Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.
  • 1814 – Americans defeat British forces at the Battle of Longwoods between London, Ontario and Thamesville, near present-day Wardsville, Ontario.
  • 1837 – The city of Chicago is incorporated.
  • 1848 – Carlo Alberto di Savoia signs the Statuto Albertino that will later represent the first constitution of the Regno d’Italia.
  • 1849 – President-Elect Zachary Taylor and Vice President-Elect Millard Fillmore did not take their respective oaths of office (they did so the following day), leading to the erroneous theory that outgoing President pro tempore of the United States Senate David Rice Atchison had assumed the role of acting president for one day.
  • 1861 – The first national flag of the Confederate States of America (the “Stars and Bars”) is adopted.
  • 1865 – The third and final national flag of the Confederate States of America is adopted by the Confederate Congress.
  • 1882 – Britain’s first electric trams run in east London.
  • 1890 – The longest bridge in Great Britain, the Forth Bridge in Scotland, measuring 1,710 feet (520 m) long, is opened by the Duke of Rothesay, later King Edward VII.
  • 1899 – Cyclone Mahina sweeps in north of Cooktown, Queensland, with a 12 metres (39 ft) wave that reaches up to 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) inland, killing over 300.
  • 1908 – The Collinwood school fire, Collinwood near Cleveland, Ohio, kills 174 people.
  • 1909 – U.S. President William Taft used what became known as a Saxbe fix, a mechanism to avoid the restriction of the U.S. Constitution’s Ineligibility Clause, to appoint Philander C. Knox as U.S. Secretary of State.
  • 1913 – First Balkan War: The Greek army engages the Turks at Bizani, resulting in victory two days later.
  • 1913 – The United States Department of Labor is formed.
  • 1917 – Jeannette Rankin of Montana becomes the first female member of the United States House of Representatives.
  • 1933 – Franklin D. Roosevelt becomes the 32nd President of the United States.
  • 1933 – Frances Perkins becomes United States Secretary of Labor, the first female member of the United States Cabinet.
  • 1933 – The Parliament of Austria is suspended because of a quibble over procedure – Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss initiates an authoritarian rule by decree.
  • 1941 – World War II: The United Kingdom launches Operation Claymore on the Lofoten Islands; the first large scale British Commando raid.
  • 1943 – World War II: The Battle of the Bismarck Sea in the south-west Pacific comes to an end.
  • 1943 – World War II: The Battle of Fardykambos, one of the first major battles between the Greek Resistance and the occupying Royal Italian Army, begins. It ends on 6 March with the surrender of an entire Italian battalion and the liberation of the town of Grevena.
  • 1944 – World War II: After the success of Big Week, the USAAF begins a daylight bombing campaign of Berlin.
  • 1957 – The S&P 500 stock market index is introduced, replacing the S&P 90.
  • 1960 – The French freighter La Coubre explodes in Havana, Cuba, killing 100.
  • 1962 – A Caledonian Airways Douglas DC-7 crashes shortly after takeoff from Cameroon, killing 111 – the worst crash of a DC-7.
  • 1966 – A Canadian Pacific Air Lines DC-8-43 explodes on landing at Tokyo International Airport, killing 64 people.
  • 1966 – In an interview in the London Evening Standard, The Beatles’ John Lennon declares that the band is “more popular than Jesus now”.
  • 1970 – French submarine Eurydice explodes underwater, resulting in the loss of the entire 57-man crew.
  • 1974 – People magazine is published for the first time in the United States as People Weekly.
  • 1976 – The Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention is formally dissolved in Northern Ireland resulting in direct rule of Northern Ireland from London by the British parliament.
  • 1977 – The 1977 Vrancea earthquake in eastern and southern Europe kills more than 1,500, mostly in Bucharest, Romania.
  • 1980 – Nationalist leader Robert Mugabe wins a sweeping election victory to become Zimbabwe’s first black prime minister.
  • 1985 – The Food and Drug Administration approves a blood test for AIDS infection, used since then for screening all blood donations in the United States.
  • 1986 – The Soviet Vega 1 begins returning images of Halley’s Comet and the first images of its nucleus.
  • 1990 – American basketball player Hank Gathers dies after collapsing during the semifinals of a West Coast Conference Tournament game.
  • 1996 – A derailed train in Weyauwega, Wisconsin (USA) causes the emergency evacuation of 2,300 people for 16 days.
  • 1998 – Gay rights: Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services, Inc.: The Supreme Court of the United States rules that federal laws banning on-the-job sexual harassment also apply when both parties are the same sex.
  • 2001 – BBC bombing: A massive car bomb explodes in front of the BBC Television Centre in London, seriously injuring one person; the attack was attributed to the Real IRA.
  • 2002 – Afghanistan: Seven American Special Operations Forces soldiers and 200 Al-Qaeda Fighters are killed as American forces attempt to infiltrate the Shah-i-Kot Valley on a low-flying helicopter reconnaissance mission.
  • 2009 – The International Criminal Court (ICC) issues an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. Al-Bashir is the first sitting head of state to be indicted by the ICC since its establishment in 2002.
  • 2012 – A series of explosions is reported at a munitions dump in Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of the Congo, killing at least 250 people.
  • 2015 – At least 34 miners die in a suspected gas explosion at the Zasyadko coal mine in the rebel-held Donetsk region of Ukraine.
  • 2018 – Former MI6 spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter are poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent in Salisbury, England, causing a diplomatic uproar that results in mass-expulsions of diplomats from all countries involved.
  • 2019 – The Indian Attack submarine was spotted by the Pakistan Navy.
  • 2020 – Former Daredevil Nik Wallenda is the first person to walk over the Masaya Volcano in Nicaragua.

Births on March 4

  • 895 – Liu Zhiyuan, founder of the Later Han Dynasty (d. 948)
  • 977 – Al-Musabbihi, Fatimid historian and official (d. 1030)
  • 1188 – Blanche of Castile, French queen consort (d. 1252)
  • 1394 – Henry the Navigator, Portuguese explorer (d. 1460)
  • 1484 – George, margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach (d. 1543)
  • 1492 – Francesco de Layolle, Italian organist and composer (d. 1540)
  • 1502 – Elisabeth of Hesse, princess of Saxony (d. 1557)
  • 1519 – Hindal Mirza, Mughal emperor (d. 1551)
  • 1526 – Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon (d. 1596)
  • 1602 – Kanō Tan’yū, Japanese painter (d. 1674)
  • 1634 – Kazimierz Łyszczyński, Polish philosopher (d. 1689)
  • 1651 – John Somers, 1st Baron Somers, English lawyer, jurist, and politician, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain (d. 1716)
  • 1655 – Fra Galgario, Italian painter (d. 1743)
  • 1665 – Philip Christoph von Königsmarck, Swedish soldier (d. 1694)
  • 1678 – Antonio Vivaldi, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1741)
  • 1702 – Jack Sheppard, English criminal (d. 1724)
  • 1706 – Lauritz de Thurah, Danish architect, designed the Hermitage Hunting Lodge and Gammel Holtegård (d. 1759)
  • 1715 – James Waldegrave, 2nd Earl Waldegrave, English historian and politician (d. 1763)
  • 1719 – George Pigot, 1st Baron Pigot, English politician (d. 1777)
  • 1729 – Anne d’Arpajon, French wife of Philippe de Noailles (d. 1794)
  • 1745 – Charles Dibdin, English actor, playwright, and composer (d. 1814)
  • 1745 – Casimir Pulaski, Polish-American general (d. 1779)
  • 1756 – Henry Raeburn, Scottish painter and educator (d. 1823)
  • 1760 – William Payne, English painter (d. 1830)
  • 1760 – Hugh Ronalds, British nurseryman who cultivated and documented 300 varieties of apples (d. 1833)
  • 1769 – Muhammad Ali, Ottoman military leader and pasha (d. 1849)
  • 1770 – Joseph Jacotot, French philosopher and academic (d. 1840)
  • 1778 – Robert Emmet, Irish commander (d. 1803)
  • 1781 – Rebecca Gratz, American educator and philanthropist (d. 1869)
  • 1782 – Johann Rudolf Wyss, Swiss philosopher, author, and academic (d. 1830)
  • 1792 – Isaac Lea, American conchologist, geologist, and publisher (d. 1886)
  • 1793 – Karl Lachmann, German philologist and critic (d. 1851)
  • 1814 – Napoleon Collins, Rear Admiral of the United States Navy during the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War (d. 1875)
  • 1817 – Edwards Pierrepont, American lawyer and politician, 34th United States Attorney General (d. 1892)
  • 1820 – Francesco Bentivegna, Italian rebel leader (d. 1856)
  • 1822 – Jules Antoine Lissajous, French mathematician and academic (d. 1880)
  • 1823 – George Caron, Canadian businessman and politician (d. 1902)
  • 1826 – August Johann Gottfried Bielenstein, German linguist, ethnographer, and theologian (d. 1907)
  • 1826 – John Buford, American general (d. 1863)
  • 1826 – Elme Marie Caro, French philosopher and academic (d. 1887)
  • 1826 – Theodore Judah, American engineer, founded the Central Pacific Railroad (d. 1863)
  • 1828 – Owen Wynne Jones, Welsh clergyman and poet (d. 1870)
  • 1838 – Paul Lacôme, French pianist, cellist, and composer (d. 1920)
  • 1847 – Carl Josef Bayer, Austrian chemist and academic (d. 1904)
  • 1851 – Alexandros Papadiamantis, Greek author and poet (d. 1911)
  • 1854 – Napier Shaw, English meteorologist and academic (d. 1945)
  • 1856 – Alfred William Rich, English painter, author, and educator (d. 1921)
  • 1861 – Arthur Cushman McGiffert, American theologian and author (d. 1933)
  • 1862 – Jacob Robert Emden, Swiss astrophysicist and meteorologist (d. 1940)
  • 1863 – R. I. Pocock, English zoologist and archaeologist (d. 1947)
  • 1863 – John Henry Wigmore, American academic and jurist (d. 1943)
  • 1864 – David W. Taylor, American admiral, architect, and engineer (d. 1940)
  • 1866 – Eugène Cosserat, French mathematician and astronomer (d. 1931)
  • 1867 – Jacob L. Beilhart, American activist, founded the Spirit Fruit Society (d. 1908)
  • 1867 – Charles Pelot Summerall, senior United States Army officer (d. 1955)
  • 1870 – Thomas Sturge Moore, English author and poet (d. 1944)
  • 1871 – Boris Galerkin, Russian mathematician and engineer (d. 1945)
  • 1873 – Guy Wetmore Carryl, American journalist and poet (d. 1904)
  • 1873 – John H. Trumbull, American colonel and politician, 70th Governor of Connecticut (d. 1961)
  • 1875 – Mihály Károlyi, Hungarian politician, President of the Hungary (d. 1955)
  • 1875 – Enrique Larreta, Argentinian historian and author (d. 1961)
  • 1876 – Léon-Paul Fargue, French poet and author (d. 1947)
  • 1876 – Theodore Hardeen, Hungarian-American magician (d. 1945)
  • 1877 – Alexander Goedicke, Russian pianist and composer (d. 1957)
  • 1877 – Fritz Graebner, German geographer and ethnologist (d. 1934)
  • 1877 – Garrett Morgan, African-American inventor (d. 1963)
  • 1878 – Takeo Arishima, Japanese author and critic (d. 1923)
  • 1878 – Egbert Van Alstyne, American pianist and songwriter (d. 1951)
  • 1879 – Bernhard Kellermann, German author and poet (d. 1951)
  • 1880 – Channing Pollock, American playwright and critic (d. 1946)
  • 1881 – Todor Aleksandrov, Bulgarian educator and activist (d. 1924)
  • 1881 – Thomas Sigismund Stribling, American lawyer and author (d. 1965)
  • 1881 – Richard C. Tolman, American physicist and chemist (d. 1948)
  • 1882 – Nicolae Titulescu, Romanian academic and politician, 61st Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 1941)
  • 1883 – Maude Fealy, American actress and screenwriter (d. 1971)
  • 1883 – Robert Emmett Keane, American actor (d. 1981)
  • 1883 – Sam Langford, Canadian-American boxer (d. 1956)
  • 1884 – Red Murray, American baseball player (d. 1958)
  • 1884 – Lee Shumway, American actor (d. 1959)
  • 1886 – Paul Bazelaire, French cellist and composer (d. 1958)
  • 1888 – Rafaela Ottiano, Italian-American actress (d. 1942)
  • 1888 – Jeff Pfeffer, American baseball player (d. 1972)
  • 1888 – Emma Richter, German paleontologist (d. 1956)
  • 1888 – Knute Rockne, American football player and coach (d. 1931)
  • 1889 – Oscar Chisini, Italian mathematician and statistician (d. 1967)
  • 1889 – Oren E. Long, American soldier and politician, 10th Territorial Governor of Hawaii (d. 1965)
  • 1889 – Pearl White, American actress (d. 1938)
  • 1889 – Robert William Wood, English-American painter (d. 1979)
  • 1890 – Norman Bethune, Canadian soldier and physician (d. 1939)
  • 1891 – Dazzy Vance, American baseball player (d. 1961)
  • 1893 – Charles Herbert Colvin, American engineer, co-founded the Pioneer Instrument Company (d. 1985)
  • 1893 – Adolph Lowe, German sociologist and economist (d. 1995)
  • 1894 – Charles Corm, Lebanese businessman and philanthropist (d. 1963)
  • 1895 – Milt Gross, American animator, director, and screenwriter (d. 1953)
  • 1896 – Kai Holm, Danish actor and director (d. 1985)
  • 1897 – Lefty O’Doul, American baseball player and manager (d. 1969)
  • 1898 – Georges Dumézil, French philologist and academic (d. 1986)
  • 1898 – Hans Krebs, German general (d. 1945)
  • 1899 – Peter Illing, Austrian born, British film and television actor (d. 1966)
  • 1899 – Emilio Prados, Spanish poet and author (d. 1962)
  • 1900 – Herbert Biberman, American director and screenwriter (d. 1971)
  • 1901 – Wilbur R. Franks, Canadian scientist, invented the g-suit (d. 1986)
  • 1901 – Charles Goren, American bridge player and author (d. 1991)
  • 1901 – Jean-Joseph Rabearivelo, Malagasy-French author, poet, and playwright (d. 1937)
  • 1902 – Rachel Messerer, Lithuanian-Russian actress (d. 1993)
  • 1902 – Russell Reeder, American soldier and author (d. 1998)
  • 1903 – William C. Boyd, American immunologist and chemist (d. 1983)
  • 1903 – Malcolm Dole, American chemist and academic (d. 1990)
  • 1903 – Dorothy Mackaill, English-American actress and singer (d. 1990)
  • 1903 – John Scarne, American magician and author (d. 1985)
  • 1904 – Luis Carrero Blanco, Spanish admiral and politician, 69th President of the Government of Spain (d. 1973)
  • 1904 – George Gamow, Ukrainian-American physicist and cosmologist (d. 1968)
  • 1904 – Joseph Schmidt, Austrian-Hungarian tenor and actor (d. 1942)
  • 1906 – Meindert DeJong, Dutch-American soldier and author (d. 1991)
  • 1906 – Avery Fisher, American violinist and engineer, founded Fisher Electronics (d. 1994)
  • 1906 – Georges Ronsse, Belgian cyclist and manager (d. 1969)
  • 1907 – Edgar Barrier, American actor (d. 1964)
  • 1908 – T. R. M. Howard, American surgeon and activist (d. 1976)
  • 1908 – Thomas Shaw, American singer and guitarist (d. 1977)
  • 1909 – Harry Helmsley, American businessman (d. 1997)
  • 1909 – George Edward Holbrook, American chemist and engineer (d. 1987)
  • 1910 – Tancredo Neves, Brazilian lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of Brazil (d. 1985)
  • 1911 – Charles Greville, 7th Earl of Warwick, English actor (d. 1984)
  • 1912 – Afro Basaldella, Italian painter and academic (d. 1976)
  • 1912 – Ferdinand Leitner, German conductor and composer (d. 1996)
  • 1912 – Carl Marzani, Italian-American activist and publisher (d. 1994)
  • 1913 – Taos Amrouche, Algerian singer and author (d. 1976)
  • 1913 – John Garfield, American actor and singer (d. 1952)
  • 1914 – Barbara Newhall Follett, American author (d. 1939)
  • 1914 – Ward Kimball, American animator, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2002)
  • 1914 – Robert R. Wilson, American physicist, sculptor, and architect (d. 2000)
  • 1915 – László Csatáry, Hungarian art dealer (d. 2013)
  • 1915 – Frank Sleeman, Australian lieutenant and politician, Lord Mayor of Brisbane (d. 2000)
  • 1915 – Carlos Surinach, Spanish-Catalan composer and conductor (d. 1997)
  • 1916 – William Alland, American actor, director, and producer (d. 1997)
  • 1916 – Giorgio Bassani, Italian author and poet (d. 2000)
  • 1916 – Hans Eysenck, German-English psychologist and theorist (d. 1997)
  • 1917 – Clyde McCullough, American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 1982)
  • 1918 – Kurt Dahlmann, German pilot, lawyer, and journalist (d. 2017)
  • 1918 – Margaret Osborne duPont, American tennis player (d. 2012)
  • 1919 – Buck Baker, American race car driver (d. 2002)
  • 1919 – Tan Chee Khoon, Malaysian physician and politician (d. 1996)
  • 1920 – Jean Lecanuet, French politician, French Minister of Justice (d. 1993)
  • 1920 – Alan MacNaughtan, Scottish-English actor (d. 2002)
  • 1921 – Halim El-Dabh, Egyptian-American composer and educator (d. 2017)
  • 1921 – Joan Greenwood, English actress (d. 1987)
  • 1921 – Dinny Pails, English-Australian tennis player (d. 1986)
  • 1922 – Richard E. Cunha, American director and cinematographer (d. 2005)
  • 1922 – Dina Pathak, Indian actor and director (d. 2002)
  • 1923 – Russell Freeburg, American journalist and author
  • 1923 – Francis King, English author and poet (d. 2011)
  • 1923 – Patrick Moore, English astronomer and television host (d. 2012)
  • 1924 – Kenneth O’Donnell, American soldier and politician (d. 1977)
  • 1925 – Alan R. Battersby, English chemist and academic (d. 2018)
  • 1925 – Paul Mauriat, French conductor and composer (d. 2006)
  • 1926 – Henri de Contenson, French archaeologist and academic (d. 2019)
  • 1926 – Prince Michel of Bourbon-Parma, French businessman, soldier and race car driver (d. 2018)
  • 1926 – Richard DeVos, American businessman and philanthropist, co-founded Amway (d. 2018)
  • 1926 – Pascual Pérez, Argentinian boxer (d. 1977)
  • 1926 – Don Rendell, English saxophonist and flute player (d. 2015)
  • 1927 – Phil Batt, American soldier and politician, 29th Governor of Idaho
  • 1927 – Thayer David, American actor (d. 1978)
  • 1927 – Jacques Dupin, French poet and critic (d. 2012)
  • 1927 – Robert Orben, American magician and author
  • 1927 – Dick Savitt, American tennis player and businessman
  • 1928 – Samuel Adler, German-American composer and conductor
  • 1928 – Alan Sillitoe, English novelist, short story writer, essayist, and poet (d. 2010)
  • 1929 – Bernard Haitink, Dutch violinist and conductor
  • 1929 – Peter Swerling, American theoretician and engineer (d. 2000)
  • 1931 – Wally Bruner, American journalist and television host (d. 1997)
  • 1931 – Bob Johnson, American ice hockey player and coach (d. 1991)
  • 1931 – William Henry Keeler, American cardinal (d. 2017)
  • 1931 – Alice Rivlin, American economist and politician (d. 2019)
  • 1932 – Sigurd Jansen, Norwegian pianist, composer, and conductor
  • 1932 – Ryszard Kapuściński, Polish journalist, photographer, and poet (d. 2007)
  • 1932 – Miriam Makeba, South African singer-songwriter and actress (d. 2008)
  • 1932 – Ed Roth, American illustrator (d. 2001)
  • 1932 – Frank Wells, American businessman (d. 1994)
  • 1933 – Nino Vaccarella, Italian race car driver
  • 1934 – Mario Davidovsky, Argentinian-American composer and academic (d. 2019)
  • 1934 – John Duffey, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1996)
  • 1934 – Anne Haney, American actress (d. 2001)
  • 1934 – Barbara McNair, American singer and actress (d. 2007)
  • 1934 – Sandra Reynolds, South African tennis player
  • 1934 – Janez Strnad, Slovenian physicist and academic (d. 2015)
  • 1935 – Edward Dębicki, Ukrainian-Polish poet and composer
  • 1935 – Bent Larsen, Danish chess player and author (d. 2010)
  • 1936 – Eric Allandale, Dominican trombonist and songwriter (d. 2001)
  • 1936 – Jim Clark, Scottish race car driver (d. 1968)
  • 1936 – Aribert Reimann, German pianist and composer
  • 1937 – José Araquistáin, Spanish footballer
  • 1937 – William Deverell, Canadian lawyer, author, and activist
  • 1937 – Graham Dowling, New Zealand cricketer
  • 1937 – Leslie H. Gelb, American journalist and author (d. 2019)
  • 1937 – Yuri Senkevich, Russian physician and explorer (d. 2003)
  • 1937 – Barney Wilen, French saxophonist and composer (d. 1996)
  • 1937 – Richard B. Wright, Canadian journalist and author (d. 2017)
  • 1938 – Anton Balasingham, Sri Lankan-English negotiator (d. 2006)
  • 1938 – Alpha Condé, Guinean politician, President of Guinea
  • 1938 – Allan Kornblum, American police officer and judge (d. 2010)
  • 1938 – Angus MacLise, American drummer and composer (d. 1979)
  • 1938 – Don Perkins, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1938 – Paula Prentiss, American actress
  • 1938 – Adam Daniel Rotfeld, Polish academic and politician, Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • 1939 – Jack Fisher, American baseball player
  • 1939 – Robert Shaye, American film producer
  • 1940 – Wolfgang Hoffmann-Riem, German scholar and judge
  • 1940 – David Plante, American novelist
  • 1941 – John Hancock, American film and television actor (d. 1992)
  • 1941 – Adrian Lyne, English director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1941 – James Zagel, American lawyer and judge
  • 1942 – Gloria Gaither, American singer-songwriter
  • 1942 – Charles C. Krulak, American general
  • 1942 – David Matthews, American keyboard player and composer
  • 1942 – Lynn Sherr, American journalist and author
  • 1942 – James Gustave Speth, American lawyer and politician
  • 1942 – Zorán Sztevanovity, Serbian-Hungarian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1943 – Lucio Dalla, Italian singer-songwriter and actor (d. 2012)
  • 1943 – Aldo Rico, Argentinian commander and politician
  • 1944 – Harvey Postlethwaite, English engineer (d. 1999)
  • 1944 – Anthony Ichiro Sanda, Japanese-American physicist and academic
  • 1944 – Len Walker, English footballer and manager
  • 1944 – Bobby Womack, American singer-songwriter (d. 2014)
  • 1945 – Tommy Svensson, Swedish footballer and manager
  • 1945 – Gary Williams, American basketball player and coach
  • 1946 – Michael Ashcroft, English businessman and politician
  • 1946 – Danny Frisella, American baseball player (d. 1977)
  • 1946 – Haile Gerima, Ethiopian born US filmmaker
  • 1946 – Patricia Kennealy-Morrison, American journalist and author
  • 1947 – David Franzoni, American screenwriter and film producer
  • 1947 – Jan Garbarek, Norwegian saxophonist and composer
  • 1947 – Bob Lewis, American guitarist
  • 1947 – Pēteris Plakidis, Latvian pianist and composer (d. 2017)
  • 1948 – Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton, New Zealand-Australian author
  • 1948 – James Ellroy, American writer
  • 1948 – Tom Grieve, American baseball player, manager, and sportscaster
  • 1948 – Mike Moran, English musician, songwriter and record producer
  • 1948 – Jean O’Leary, American nun and activist (d. 2005)
  • 1948 – Chris Squire, English singer-songwriter and bass guitarist (d. 2015)
  • 1948 – Shakin’ Stevens, British singer-songwriter
  • 1949 – Sergei Bagapsh, Abkhazian politician, 2nd President of Abkhazia (d. 2011)
  • 1949 – Carroll Baker, Canadian singer-songwriter
  • 1950 – Ofelia Medina, Mexican actress and screenwriter
  • 1950 – Rick Perry, American captain and politician, 47th Governor of Texas
  • 1950 – Safet Plakalo, Bosnian author and playwright (d. 2015)
  • 1951 – Edelgard Bulmahn, German educator and politician, German Federal Minister of Education and Research
  • 1951 – Theresa Hak Kyung Cha, South Korean-American author, director, and producer (d. 1982)
  • 1951 – Kenny Dalglish, Scottish footballer and manager
  • 1951 – Pete Haycock, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2013)
  • 1951 – Peter O’Sullivan, Welsh international footballer, winger
  • 1951 – Sam Perlozzo, American baseball player and manager
  • 1951 – Chris Rea, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1951 – Glenis Willmott, English scientist and politician
  • 1951 – Zoran Žižić, Montenegrin politician, 4th Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (d. 2013)
  • 1952 – Peter Kuhfeld, English painter
  • 1952 – Ronn Moss, American singer-songwriter and actor
  • 1952 – Svend Robinson, American-Canadian lawyer and politician
  • 1952 – Umberto Tozzi, Italian singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1953 – John Edwards, Australian director and producer
  • 1953 – Emilio Estefan, Cuban-American drummer and producer
  • 1953 – Paweł Janas, Polish footballer and manager
  • 1953 – Ray Price, Australian rugby player and sportscaster
  • 1953 – Reinhold Roth, German motorcycle racer
  • 1953 – Chris Smith, American lawyer and politician
  • 1953 – Agustí Villaronga, Spanish actor, director, and screenwriter
  • 1953 – Daniel Woodrell, American novelist and short story writer
  • 1954 – Timur Apakidze, Russian general and pilot (d. 2001)
  • 1954 – Theresa Hak Kyung Cha, Korean American author (d. 1982)
  • 1954 – François Fillon, French lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of France
  • 1954 – Peter Jacobsen, American golfer and sportscaster
  • 1954 – Catherine O’Hara, Canadian-American actress and comedian
  • 1954 – Irina Ratushinskaya, Russian poet and author (d. 2017)
  • 1955 – Tim Costello, Australian minister and politician
  • 1955 – Joey Jones, Welsh footballer and manager
  • 1957 – Nicholas Coleridge, English journalist and businessman
  • 1957 – Ron Fassler, American film and television actor and author
  • 1957 – Mykelti Williamson, American actor and director
  • 1958 – Patricia Heaton, American actress
  • 1958 – Massimo Mascioletti, Italian rugby player and coach
  • 1958 – Tina Smith, American politician, junior senator of Minnesota
  • 1959 – Rick Ardon, Australian journalist
  • 1959 – Plamen Getov, Bulgarian footballer
  • 1960 – Chonda Pierce, American comedian
  • 1961 – Ray Mancini, American boxer
  • 1961 – Steven Weber, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1961 – Roger Wessels, South African golfer and educator
  • 1962 – Simon Bisley, English author and illustrator
  • 1962 – Paul Canoville, English footballer
  • 1962 – Stephan Reimertz, German historian and author
  • 1963 – Jason Newsted, American heavy metal singer-songwriter and bass player
  • 1964 – Dave Colclough, Welsh computer programmer and poker player (d. 2016)
  • 1964 – Brian Crowley, Irish lawyer and politician
  • 1964 – Tom Lampkin, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1964 – Paolo Virzì, Italian director and screenwriter
  • 1965 – Greg Alexander, Australian rugby league player and sportscaster
  • 1965 – Paul W. S. Anderson, English director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1965 – Andrew Collins, English journalist and screenwriter
  • 1965 – Khaled Hosseini, Afghan-born American novelist
  • 1965 – Yury Lonchakov, Russian colonel, pilot, and astronaut
  • 1965 – John Murphy British film composer
  • 1966 – Emese Hunyady, Hungarian speed skater
  • 1966 – Kevin Johnson, American basketball player and politician, 55th Mayor of Sacramento
  • 1966 – Fiona Ma, American accountant and politician
  • 1966 – Helmut Mayer, Austrian skier
  • 1966 – Glen Nissen, Australian rugby league player
  • 1966 – Dav Pilkey, American author and illustrator
  • 1966 – Grand Puba, American rapper
  • 1966 – Mike Small, American golfer and coach
  • 1967 – Daryll Cullinan, South African cricketer and coach
  • 1967 – Evan Dando, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1967 – Ivan Lewis, English lawyer and politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
  • 1967 – Terry Matterson, Australian rugby league player and coach
  • 1967 – Dave Rayner, English cyclist (d. 1994)
  • 1967 – Sam Taylor-Johnson, English filmmaker and photographer
  • 1967 – Kubilay Türkyilmaz, Swiss footballer
  • 1967 – Tim Vine, English comedian, actor, and author
  • 1968 – Giovanni Carrara, Venezuelan baseball player
  • 1968 – Jorge Celedón, Colombian singer
  • 1968 – Patsy Kensit, English model and actress
  • 1968 – Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Greek banker and politician, Prime Minister of Greece
  • 1968 – Graham Westley, English footballer and manager
  • 1969 – Pierluigi Casiraghi, Italian footballer and manager
  • 1969 – Wayne Collins, English footballer, midfielder
  • 1969 – Annie Yi, Taiwanese singer, actress, and writer
  • 1970 – Àlex Crivillé, Spanish motorcycle racer
  • 1970 – Will Keen, English actor
  • 1970 – Caroline Vis, Dutch tennis player
  • 1971 – Iain Baird, Canadian soccer player and manager
  • 1971 – Claire Baker, Scottish politician
  • 1971 – Emily Bazelon, American journalist
  • 1971 – Jason Croot, English actor and director
  • 1971 – Anders Kjølholm, Danish bass player
  • 1971 – Satoshi Motoyama, Japanese race car driver
  • 1971 – Geraldine O’Rawe, Northern Irish actress
  • 1972 – Katherine Center, American journalist and author
  • 1972 – Nocturno Culto, Norwegian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1972 – Robert Smith, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1972 – Ivy Queen, Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, rapper, actress and record producer
  • 1972 – Jos Verstappen, Dutch race car driver
  • 1972 – Alison Wheeler, English singer-songwriter
  • 1973 – Massimo Brambilla, Italian footballer and coach
  • 1973 – Phillip Daniels, American football player and coach
  • 1973 – Valery Kobelev, Russian ski jumper
  • 1973 – Penny Mordaunt, English lieutenant and politician, Minister of State for the Armed Forces
  • 1973 – Linus of Hollywood, American singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1973 – Len Wiseman, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1973 – Chandra Sekhar Yeleti, Indian director and screenwriter
  • 1974 – Crowbar, American wrestler
  • 1974 – Mladen Krstajić, Serbian footballer and manager
  • 1974 – Karol Kučera, Slovak tennis player
  • 1974 – Ariel Ortega, Argentinian footballer
  • 1974 – Tommy Phelps, South Korean-American baseball player and coach
  • 1974 – ICS Vortex, Norwegian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1974 – David Wagner, American tennis player and educator
  • 1974 – Bill Young, Australian rugby player
  • 1975 – Mats Eilertsen, Norwegian bassist and composer
  • 1975 – Patrick Femerling, German basketball player
  • 1975 – Antti Aalto, Finnish ice hockey player
  • 1975 – Kristi Harrower, Australian basketball player
  • 1975 – Hawksley Workman, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1976 – Robbie Blake, English footballer
  • 1976 – Tommy Jönsson, Swedish footballer
  • 1977 – Nacho Figueras, Argentinian polo player and model
  • 1977 – Traver Rains, American fashion designer and photographer
  • 1978 – Pierre Dagenais, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1978 – Denis Dallan, Italian rugby player and singer
  • 1978 – Jean-Marc Pelletier, American ice hockey player
  • 1979 – Sarah Stock, Canadian wrestler and trainer
  • 1980 – Rohan Bopanna, Indian tennis player
  • 1980 – Omar Bravo, Mexican footballer
  • 1980 – Suzanna Choffel, American singer-songwriter
  • 1980 – Giedrius Gustas, Lithuanian basketball player
  • 1980 – Scott Hamilton, New Zealand rugby player and coach
  • 1980 – Jack Hannahan, American baseball player
  • 1980 – Michael Henrich, American ice hockey player
  • 1980 – Phil McGuire, Scottish footballer and manager
  • 1980 – Aja Volkman, American singer-songwriter
  • 1981 – Ariza Makukula, Portuguese footballer
  • 1981 – Helen Wyman, English cyclist
  • 1982 – Landon Donovan, American soccer player and coach
  • 1982 – Cate Edwards, American lawyer and author
  • 1982 – Ludmila Ezhova, Russian gymnast
  • 1982 – Yasemin Mori, Turkish singer
  • 1983 – Samuel Contesti, French-Italian figure skater
  • 1983 – Adam Deacon, English film actor, rapper, writer and director
  • 1983 – Jaque Fourie, South African rugby player
  • 1983 – Drew Houston, American billionaire and Internet entrepreneur
  • 1984 – Josh Bowman, English actor
  • 1984 – Tamir Cohen, Israeli footballer
  • 1984 – Anders Grøndal, Norwegian race car driver
  • 1984 – Spencer Larsen, American football player
  • 1984 – Jeremy Loops, South African singer-songwriter and record producer
  • 1984 – Raven Quinn, American singer-songwriter
  • 1984 – Zak Whitbread, American-English footballer
  • 1985 – Jake Buxton, English footballer
  • 1985 – Chinedum Ndukwe, American football player
  • 1985 – Whitney Port, American fashion designer and author
  • 1986 – Steven Burke, English road and track cyclist
  • 1986 – Tom De Mul, Belgian footballer
  • 1986 – Mike Krieger, Brazilian-American computer programmer and businessman, co-founded Instagram
  • 1986 – Siim Roops, Estonian footballer
  • 1986 – Bohdan Shust, Ukrainian footballer
  • 1986 – Manu Vatuvei, New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1986 – Margo Harshman, American actress
  • 1987 – Ben McKinley, Australian footballer
  • 1987 – Cameron Wood, Australian footballer
  • 1987 – Tamzin Merchant, English actress
  • 1988 – Gal Mekel, Israeli basketball player
  • 1988 – Laura Siegemund, German tennis player
  • 1988 – Adam Watts, English footballer
  • 1989 – Benjamin Kiplagat, Ugandan long-distance runner
  • 1990 – Andrea Bowen, American actress
  • 1990 – Draymond Green, American basketball player
  • 1990 – Paddy Madden, Irish footballer
  • 1990 – Fran Mérida, Spanish footballer
  • 1992 – Nick Castellanos, American baseball player
  • 1992 – Erik Lamela, Argentinian international footballer, midfielder
  • 1992 – Bernd Leno, German footballer
  • 1992 – Karl Mööl, Estonian footballer
  • 1993 – Bobbi Kristina Brown, American singer and actress (d. 2015)
  • 1993 – Richard Peniket, English footballer
  • 1994 – Callum Harriott, English footballer
  • 1994 – AJ Tracey, British hip-hop artist and record producer
  • 1995 – Chlöe Howl, British singer-songwriter
  • 1995 – Bill Milner, English actor
  • 1996 – Lukas Webb, Australian rules footballer
  • 2002 – Jacob Hopkins, American actor

Deaths on March 4

  • 306 – Adrian and Natalia of Nicomedia, Christian martyrs
  • 480 – Landry of Sées, French bishop and saint
  • 561 – Pelagius I, pope of the Catholic Church
  • 934 – Abdullah al-Mahdi Billah, Fatimid caliph (b. 873)
  • 1172 – Stephen III, king of Hungary (b. 1147)
  • 1193 – Saladin, founder of the Ayyubid Sultanate (b. 1137)
  • 1238 – Joan of England, queen of Scotland (b. 1210)
  • 1238 – Yuri II, Russian Grand Prince (b. 1189)
  • 1303 – Daniel of Moscow, Russian Grand Duke (b. 1261)
  • 1314 – Jakub Świnka, Polish priest and archbishop
  • 1371 – Jeanne d’Évreux, queen consort of France (b. 1310)
  • 1388 – Thomas Usk, English author
  • 1484 – Saint Casimir, Polish prince (b. 1458)
  • 1496 – Sigismund, archduke of Austria (b. 1427)
  • 1583 – Bernard Gilpin, English priest and theologian (b. 1517)
  • 1604 – Fausto Sozzini, Italian theologian and educator (b. 1539)
  • 1615 – Hans von Aachen, German painter and educator (b. 1552)
  • 1710 – Louis III, duke of Bourbon (b. 1668)
  • 1733 – Claude de Forbin, French admiral and politician (b. 1656)
  • 1744 – John Anstis, English historian and politician (b. 1669)
  • 1762 – Johannes Zick, German painter (b. 1702)
  • 1793 – Louis Jean Marie de Bourbon, Duke of Penthièvre (b. 1725)
  • 1795 – John Collins, American politician, 3rd Governor of Rhode Island (b. 1717)
  • 1805 – Jean-Baptiste Greuze, French painter (b. 1725)
  • 1807 – Abraham Baldwin, American minister, lawyer, and politician (b. 1754)
  • 1811 – Mariano Moreno, Argentinian journalist, lawyer, and politician (b. 1778)
  • 1832 – Jean-François Champollion, French philologist and scholar (b. 1790)
  • 1851 – James Richardson, English explorer (b. 1809)
  • 1852 – Nikolai Gogol, Ukrainian-Russian short story writer, novelist, and playwright (b. 1809)
  • 1853 – Thomas Bladen Capel, English admiral (b. 1776)
  • 1853 – Christian Leopold von Buch, German geologist and paleontologist (b. 1774)
  • 1858 – Matthew C. Perry, American naval commander (b. 1794)
  • 1864 – Thomas Starr King, American minister and politician (b. 1824)
  • 1866 – Alexander Campbell, Irish-American minister and theologian (b. 1788)
  • 1872 – Carsten Hauch, Danish poet and playwright (b. 1790)
  • 1883 – Alexander H. Stephens, American lawyer and politician, Vice President of the Confederate States of America (b. 1812)
  • 1888 – Amos Bronson Alcott, American philosopher and educator (b. 1799)
  • 1903 – Joseph Henry Shorthouse, English author (b. 1834)
  • 1906 – John Schofield, American general and politician, 28th United States Secretary of War (b. 1831)
  • 1915 – William Willett, English inventor, founded British Summer Time (b. 1856)
  • 1916 – Franz Marc, German painter (b. 1880)
  • 1925 – Moritz Moszkowski, Polish-German pianist and composer (b. 1854)
  • 1925 – James Ward, English psychologist and philosopher (b. 1843)
  • 1925 – John Montgomery Ward, American baseball player and manager (b. 1860)
  • 1927 – Ira Remsen, American chemist and academic (b. 1846)
  • 1938 – George Foster Peabody, American banker and philanthropist (b. 1852)
  • 1938 – Jack Taylor, American baseball player (b. 1874)
  • 1940 – Hamlin Garland, American novelist, poet, essayist, and short story writer (b. 1860)
  • 1941 – Ludwig Quidde, German activist and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1858)
  • 1944 – Fannie Barrier Williams, American educator and activist (b. 1855)
  • 1944 – Louis Buchalter, American mob boss (b. 1897)
  • 1944 – Louis Capone, Italian-American gangster (b. 1896)
  • 1944 – René Lefebvre, French businessman (b. 1879)
  • 1945 – Lucille La Verne, American actress (b. 1872)
  • 1945 – Mark Sandrich, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1900)
  • 1948 – Antonin Artaud, French actor and director (b. 1896)
  • 1949 – Clarence Kingsbury, English cyclist (b. 1882)
  • 1952 – Charles Scott Sherrington, English neurophysiologist and pathologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1857)
  • 1954 – Noel Gay, English composer and songwriter (b. 1898)
  • 1960 – Herbert O’Conor, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 51st Governor of Maryland (b. 1896)
  • 1963 – William Carlos Williams, American poet, short story writer, and essayist (b. 1883)
  • 1969 – Nicholas Schenck, Russian-American businessman (b. 1881)
  • 1972 – Harold Barrowclough, New Zealand general, lawyer, and politician, 8th Chief Justice of New Zealand (b. 1894)
  • 1972 – Charles Biro, American author and illustrator (b. 1911)
  • 1974 – Adolph Gottlieb, American painter and sculptor (b. 1903)
  • 1976 – John Marvin Jones, American judge and politician (b. 1882)
  • 1976 – Walter H. Schottky, Swiss-German physicist and engineer (b. 1886)
  • 1977 – Anatol E. Baconsky, Romanian poet, author, and critic (b. 1925)
  • 1977 – Nancy Tyson Burbidge, Australian botanist and curator (b. 1912)
  • 1977 – Andrés Caicedo, Colombian author, poet, and playwright (b. 1951)
  • 1977 – William Paul, American lawyer and politician (b. 1885)
  • 1977 – Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk, German jurist and politician, German Minister for Foreign Affairs (b. 1887)
  • 1978 – Wesley Bolin, American businessman and politician, 15th Governor of Arizona (b. 1909)
  • 1978 – Joe Marsala, American clarinet player and songwriter (b. 1907)
  • 1979 – Willi Unsoeld, American mountaineer and educator (b. 1926)
  • 1980 – Alan Hardaker, English lieutenant and businessman (b. 1912)
  • 1981 – Torin Thatcher, American actor (b. 1905)
  • 1981 – Karl-Jesko von Puttkamer, German admiral (b. 1900)
  • 1986 – Albert L. Lehninger, American biochemist and academic (b. 1917)
  • 1986 – Richard Manuel, Canadian singer-songwriter and pianist (b. 1943)
  • 1986 – Elizabeth Smart, Canadian poet and author (b. 1913)
  • 1987 – Seibo Kitamura, Japanese sculptor (b. 1884)
  • 1988 – Beatriz Guido, Argentine author and screenwriter (b. 1924)
  • 1989 – Tiny Grimes, American guitarist (b. 1916)
  • 1990 – Hank Gathers, American basketball player (b. 1967)
  • 1991 – Godfrey Bryan, English cricketer (b. 1902)
  • 1992 – Art Babbitt, American animator and director (b. 1907)
  • 1992 – Pare Lorentz, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1905)
  • 1993 – Art Hodes, Ukrainian-American pianist and composer (b. 1904)
  • 1993 – Tomislav Ivčić, Croatian singer-songwriter and politician (b. 1953)
  • 1993 – Izaak Kolthoff, Dutch chemist and academic (b. 1894)
  • 1993 – Nicholas Ridley, Baron Ridley of Liddesdale, English lieutenant and politician, Secretary of State for the Environment (b. 1929)
  • 1994 – John Candy, Canadian comedian and actor (b. 1950)
  • 1994 – George Edward Hughes, Irish-Scottish philosopher and author (b. 1918)
  • 1995 – Matt Urban, American colonel, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1919)
  • 1996 – Minnie Pearl, American entertainer (b. 1912)
  • 1996 – John Sauer, American football player, coach, and sportscaster (b. 1925)
  • 1997 – Joe Baker-Cresswell, English captain (b. 1901)
  • 1997 – Robert H. Dicke, American physicist and astronomer (b. 1916)
  • 1998 – Ivan Dougherty, Australian general (b. 1907)
  • 1999 – Harry Blackmun, American lawyer and judge (b. 1908)
  • 1999 – Del Close, American actor and educator (b. 1934)
  • 1999 – Miłosz Magin, Polish pianist and composer (b. 1929)
  • 2000 – Hermann Brück, German-Scottish physicist and astronomer (b. 1905)
  • 2000 – Michael Noonan, New Zealand-Australian author and screenwriter (b. 1921)
  • 2000 – Ta-You Wu, Chinese physicist and academic (b. 1907)
  • 2001 – Gerardo Barbero, Argentinian chess player (b. 1961)
  • 2001 – Jean René Bazaine, French painter and author (b. 1904)
  • 2001 – Fred Lasswell, American cartoonist (b. 1916)
  • 2001 – Jim Rhodes, American businessman and politician, 61st Governor of Ohio (b. 1909)
  • 2001 – Harold Stassen, American educator and politician, 25th Governor of Minnesota (b. 1907)
  • 2002 – Ugnė Karvelis, Lithuanian author and translator (b. 1935)
  • 2002 – Elyne Mitchell, Australian skier and author (b. 1913)
  • 2002 – Velibor Vasović, Serbian footballer and manager (b. 1939)
  • 2003 – Jaba Ioseliani, Georgian playwright, academic, and politician (b. 1926)
  • 2003 – Sébastien Japrisot, French author, screenwriter, and director (b. 1931)
  • 2004 – Claude Nougaro, French singer-songwriter (b. 1929)
  • 2005 – Nicola Calipari, Italian general (b. 1953)
  • 2005 – Yuriy Kravchenko, Ukrainian police officer and politician (b. 1951)
  • 2005 – Carlos Sherman, Uruguayan-Belarusian author and activist (b. 1934)
  • 2006 – John Reynolds Gardiner, American author and engineer (b. 1944)
  • 2006 – Edgar Valter, Estonian author and illustrator (b. 1929)
  • 2007 – Thomas Eagleton, American lawyer and politician, 38th Lieutenant Governor of Missouri (b. 1929)
  • 2007 – Tadeusz Nalepa, Polish singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1934)
  • 2007 – Ian Wooldridge, English journalist (b. 1932)
  • 2008 – Gary Gygax, American game designer, co-created Dungeons & Dragons (b. 1938)
  • 2008 – Leonard Rosenman, American composer and conductor (b. 1924)
  • 2009 – Yvon Cormier, Canadian wrestler (b. 1938)
  • 2009 – Horton Foote, American playwright and screenwriter (b. 1916)
  • 2009 – George McAfee, American football player (b. 1918)
  • 2010 – Raimund Abraham, Austrian architect and educator, designed the Austrian Cultural Forum New York (b. 1933)
  • 2010 – Johnny Alf, Brazilian pianist and composer (b. 1929)
  • 2010 – Vladislav Ardzinba, Abkhazian historian and politician, 1st President of Abkhazia (b. 1945)
  • 2010 – Fred Wedlock, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1942)
  • 2011 – Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, Nepalese journalist and politician, 29th Prime Minister of Nepal (b. 1924)
  • 2011 – Vivienne Harris, English journalist and publisher, co-founded the Jewish Telegraph (b. 1921)
  • 2011 – Ed Manning, American basketball player and coach (b. 1943)
  • 2011 – Arjun Singh, Indian politician (b. 1930)
  • 2011 – Alenush Terian, Iranian astronomer and physicist (b. 1920)
  • 2011 – Simon van der Meer, Dutch-Swiss physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1925)
  • 2012 – Paul McBride, Scottish lawyer and politician (b. 1965)
  • 2012 – Don Mincher, American baseball player (b. 1938)
  • 2013 – Lillian Cahn, Hungarian-American businesswoman, co-founded Coach, Inc. (b. 1923)
  • 2013 – Mickey Moore, Canadian-American actor and director (b. 1914)
  • 2013 – Toren Smith, Canadian businessman, founded Studio Proteus (b. 1960)
  • 2014 – Mark Freidkin, Russian author and poet (b. 1953)
  • 2014 – Elaine Kellett-Bowman, English lawyer and politician (b. 1923)
  • 2014 – Jack Kinzler, American engineer (b. 1920)
  • 2014 – Wu Tianming, Chinese director and producer (b. 1939)
  • 2015 – Dušan Bilandžić, Croatian historian and politician (b. 1924)
  • 2015 – Ray Hatton, English-American runner, author, and academic (b. 1932)
  • 2016 – Bud Collins, American journalist and sportscaster (b. 1929)
  • 2016 – Pat Conroy, American author (b. 1945)
  • 2016 – P. A. Sangma, Indian lawyer and politician, Speaker of the Lok Sabha (b. 1947)
  • 2016 – Zhou Xiaoyan, Chinese soprano and educator (b. 1917)
  • 2017 – Clayton Yeutter, American politician (b. 1930)
  • 2018 – Davide Astori, Italian soccer player (b. 1987)
  • 2019 – Keith Flint, English singer (The Prodigy) (b. 1969)
  • 2019 – Luke Perry, American actor (b. 1966)
  • 2020 – Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, Peruvian politician and diplomat

Holidays and observances on March 4

  • Christian feast day:
    • Adrian of Nicomedia
    • Casimir
    • Felix of Rhuys
    • Giovanni Antonio Farina (Catholic Church)
    • Blessed Humbert III, Count of Savoy (Roman Catholic Church)
    • Paul Cuffee (Episcopal Church)
    • Peter of Pappacarbone
    • Blessed Zoltán Meszlényi
    • March 4 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • St Casimir’s Day (Poland and Lithuania)

March 4- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

On This Day /

February 15 in History

  • 590 – Khosrau II is crowned king of Persia.
  • 706 – Byzantine emperor Justinian II has his predecessors Leontios and Tiberios III publicly executed in the Hippodrome of Constantinople.
  • 1002 – At an assembly at Pavia of Lombard nobles, Arduin of Ivrea is restored to his domains and crowned King of Italy.
  • 1113 – Pope Paschal II issues Pie Postulatio Voluntatis, recognizing the Order of Hospitallers.
  • 1214 – During the Anglo-French War (1213–1214), an English invasion force led by John, King of England, lands at La Rochelle in France.
  • 1493 – While on board the Niña, Christopher Columbus writes an open letter (widely distributed upon his return to Portugal) describing his discoveries and the unexpected items he came across in the New World.
  • 1637 – Ferdinand III becomes Holy Roman Emperor.
  • 1690 – Constantin Cantemir, Prince of Moldavia, and the Holy Roman Empire sign a secret treaty in Sibiu, stipulating that Moldavia would support the actions led by the House of Habsburg against the Ottoman Empire.
  • 1764 – The city of St. Louis is established in Spanish Louisiana (now in Missouri, USA).
  • 1798 – The Roman Republic is proclaimed after Louis-Alexandre Berthier, a general of Napoleon, had invaded the city of Rome five days earlier.
  • 1835 – Serbia’s Sretenje Constitution briefly comes into effect.
  • 1862 – American Civil War: Confederates commanded by Brig. Gen. John B. Floyd attack General Ulysses S. Grant’s Union forces Fort Donelson, Tennessee. Unable to break the fort’s encirclement, Lloyd surrenders the following day.
  • 1870 – Stevens Institute of Technology is founded in New Jersey, USA and offers the first Bachelor of Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering.
  • 1879 – Women’s rights: US President Rutherford B. Hayes signs a bill allowing female attorneys to argue cases before the Supreme Court of the United States.
  • 1891 – Allmänna Idrottsklubben (AIK) (Swedish Sports Club) is founded.
  • 1898 – The battleship USS Maine explodes and sinks in Havana harbor in Cuba, killing 274. This event leads the United States to declare war on Spain.
  • 1901 – The association football club Alianza Lima is founded in Lima, Peru, under the name Sport Alianza.
  • 1909 – The Flores Theater fire in Acapulco, Mexico kills 250.
  • 1921 – Kingdom of Romania establishes its legation in Helsinki.
  • 1923 – Greece becomes the last European country to adopt the Gregorian calendar.
  • 1925 – The 1925 serum run to Nome: The second delivery of serum arrives in Nome, Alaska.
  • 1933 – In Miami, Giuseppe Zangara attempts to assassinate US President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt, but instead shoots Chicago mayor Anton J. Cermak, who dies of his wounds on March 6, 1933.
  • 1942 – World War II: Fall of Singapore. Following an assault by Japanese forces, the British General Arthur Percival surrenders. About 80,000 Indian, United Kingdom and Australian soldiers become prisoners of war, the largest surrender of British-led military personnel in history.
  • 1944 – World War II: The assault on Monte Cassino, Italy begins.
  • 1944 – World War II: The Narva Offensive begins.
  • 1945 – World War II: Third day of bombing in Dresden.
  • 1946 – ENIAC, the first electronic general-purpose computer, is formally dedicated at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
  • 1949 – Gerald Lankester Harding and Roland de Vaux begin excavations at Cave 1 of the Qumran Caves, where they will eventually discover the first seven Dead Sea Scrolls.
  • 1952 – King George VI of the United Kingdom is buried in St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.
  • 1954 – Canada and the United States agree to construct the Distant Early Warning Line, a system of radar stations in the far northern Arctic regions of Canada and Alaska.
  • 1961 – Sabena Flight 548 crashes in Belgium, killing 73, including the entire United States figure skating team along with several of their coaches and family members.
  • 1965 – A new red-and-white maple leaf design is adopted as the flag of Canada, replacing the old Canadian Red Ensign banner.
  • 1971 – The decimalisation of British coinage is completed on Decimal Day.
  • 1972 – Sound recordings are granted U.S. federal copyright protection for the first time.
  • 1972 – José María Velasco Ibarra, serving as President of Ecuador for the fifth time, is overthrown by the military for the fourth time.
  • 1982 – The drilling rig Ocean Ranger sinks during a storm off the coast of Newfoundland, killing 84 workers.
  • 1989 – Soviet–Afghan War: The Soviet Union officially announces that all of its troops have left Afghanistan.
  • 1991 – The Visegrád Agreement, establishing cooperation to move toward free-market systems, is signed by the leaders of Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland.
  • 1992 – Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer is sentenced in Milwaukee to life in prison.
  • 1992 – Air Transport International Flight 805 crashes near Toledo Express Airport in Ohio, killing all four people on board.
  • 1996 – At the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in China, a Long March 3 rocket, carrying an Intelsat 708, crashes into a rural village after liftoff, killing many people.
  • 2001 – The first draft of the complete human genome is published in Nature.
  • 2003 – Protests against the Iraq war take place in over 600 cities worldwide. It is estimated that between eight million to 30 million people participate, making this the largest peace demonstration in history.
  • 2010 – Two trains collide in the Halle train collision in Halle, Belgium, killing 19 and injuring 171 people.
  • 2012 – Three hundred sixty people die in a fire at a Honduran prison in the city of Comayagua.
  • 2013 – A meteor explodes over Russia, injuring 1,500 people as a shock wave blows out windows and rocks buildings. This happens unexpectedly only hours before the expected closest ever approach of the larger and unrelated asteroid 2012 DA14.

Births on February 15

  • 1377 – Ladislaus of Naples (d. 1414)
  • 1458 – Ivan the Young, son of Ivan III of Russia (d. 1490)
  • 1471 – Piero the Unfortunate, Italian ruler (d. 1503)
  • 1506 – Juliana of Stolberg, German countess (d. 1580)
  • 1519 – Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, first Spanish Governor of Florida (d. 1574)
  • 1557 – Alfonso Fontanelli, Italian composer (d. 1622)
  • 1564 – Galileo Galilei, Italian astronomer, physicist, and mathematician (d. 1642)
  • 1571 – Michael Praetorius, German organist and composer (probable; d. 1621)
  • 1612 – Paul de Chomedey, Sieur de Maisonneuve, French soldier, founded Montreal (d. 1676)
  • 1627 – Charles Morton, Cornish nonconformist minister (d. 1698)
  • 1638 – Zeb-un-Nissa, Mughal princess and poet (d. 1702)
  • 1705 – Charles-André van Loo, French painter (d. 1765)
  • 1710 – Louis XV of France (d. 1774)
  • 1725 – Abraham Clark, American surveyor, lawyer, and politician (d. 1794)
  • 1734 – William Stacy, American colonel (d. 1802)
  • 1739 – Alexandre-Théodore Brongniart, French architect, designed the Paris Bourse (d. 1813)
  • 1748 – Jeremy Bentham, English jurist and philosopher (d. 1832)
  • 1759 – Friedrich August Wolf, German philologist and critic (d. 1824)
  • 1760 – Jean-François Le Sueur, French composer and educator (d. 1837)
  • 1797 – Henry E. Steinway, German-American businessman, founded Steinway & Sons (d. 1871)
  • 1809 – André Dumont, Belgian geologist and academic (d. 1857)
  • 1809 – Cyrus McCormick, American journalist and businessman, co-founded International Harvester (d. 1884)
  • 1810 – Mary S. B. Shindler, American poet, writer, and editor (d. 1883)
  • 1811 – Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, Argentinian journalist and politician, 7th President of Argentina (d. 1888)
  • 1812 – Charles Lewis Tiffany, American businessman, founded Tiffany & Co. (d. 1902)
  • 1820 – Susan B. Anthony, American suffragist and activist (d. 1906)
  • 1825 – Carter Harrison, Sr., American lawyer and politician, 29th Mayor of Chicago (d. 1893)
  • 1834 – V. A. Urechia, Moldavian-Romanian historian, author, and playwright (d. 1901)
  • 1835 – Demetrius Vikelas, Greek businessman and philanthropist (d. 1908)
  • 1840 – Titu Maiorescu, Romanian philosopher, academic, and politician, 23rd Prime Minister of Romania (d. 1917)
  • 1841 – Manuel Ferraz de Campos Sales, Brazilian lawyer and politician, 4th President of Brazil (d. 1913)
  • 1845 – Elihu Root, American lawyer and politician, 38th United States Secretary of State, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1937)
  • 1847 – Robert Fuchs, Austrian composer and educator (d. 1927)
  • 1849 – Rickman Godlee, English surgeon and academic (d. 1925)
  • 1850 – Sophie Bryant, Irish mathematician, academic and activist (d. 1922)
  • 1851 – Spiru Haret, Romanian mathematician, astronomer, and politician, 55th Romanian Minister of Internal Affairs (d. 1912)
  • 1856 – Emil Kraepelin, German psychiatrist and academic (d. 1926)
  • 1861 – Martin Burns, American wrestler and coach (d. 1937)
  • 1861 – Charles Édouard Guillaume, Swiss-French physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1938)
  • 1861 – Alfred North Whitehead, English mathematician and philosopher (d. 1947)
  • 1873 – Hans von Euler-Chelpin, German-Swedish biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1964)
  • 1874 – Ernest Shackleton, Anglo-Irish captain and explorer (d. 1922)
  • 1883 – Sax Rohmer, English-American author (d. 1959)
  • 1890 – Robert Ley, German politician (d. 1945)
  • 1892 – James Forrestal, American lieutenant and politician, 1st United States Secretary of Defense (d. 1949)
  • 1892 – Roy Rene, Australian comedian (d. 1954)
  • 1893 – Roman Najuch, Polish professional tennis player (d. 1967)
  • 1896 – Arthur Shields, Irish republican and actor (d. 1970)
  • 1897 – Gerrit Kleerekoper, Jewish-Dutch gymnast and coach (d. 1943)
  • 1898 – Totò, Italian actor, singer, and screenwriter (d. 1967)
  • 1899 – Georges Auric, French composer (d. 1983)
  • 1899 – Gale Sondergaard, Danish-American actress (d. 1985)
  • 1904 – Mary Adshead, English painter (d. 1995)
  • 1904 – Antonin Magne, French cyclist and manager (d. 1983)
  • 1905 – Harold Arlen, Jewish-American composer (d. 1986)
  • 1907 – Jean Langlais, French organist and composer (d. 1991)
  • 1907 – Cesar Romero, American actor (d. 1994)
  • 1908 – Sarto Fournier, Canadian lawyer and politician, 38th Mayor of Montreal (d. 1980)
  • 1909 – Miep Gies, Austrian-Dutch humanitarian, helped hide Anne Frank and her family (d. 2010)
  • 1910 – Irena Sendler, Polish nurse and humanitarian, Righteous Gentile (d. 2008)
  • 1912 – George Mikes, Jewish Hungarian-English journalist and author (d. 1987)
  • 1913 – Erich Eliskases, Austrian chess player (d. 1997)
  • 1914 – Hale Boggs, American lawyer and politician (d. 1972)
  • 1914 – Kevin McCarthy, Jewish-Irish American actor (d. 2010)
  • 1916 – Mary Jane Croft, American actress (d. 1999)
  • 1918 – Allan Arbus, Jewish-American actor and photographer (d. 2013)
  • 1918 – Hank Locklin, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2009)
  • 1919 – Ducky Detweiler, American baseball player and manager (d. 2013)
  • 1920 – Endicott Peabody, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 62nd Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1997)
  • 1920 – Eio Sakata, Japanese Go player (d. 2010)
  • 1922 – John B. Anderson, Swedish-American lawyer and politician (d. 2017)
  • 1923 – Yelena Bonner, Jewish Soviet-Russian activist (d. 2011)
  • 1924 – Robert Drew, American director and producer (d. 2014)
  • 1925 – Angella D. Ferguson, American pediatrician
  • 1927 – Frank Dunlop, English actor and director
  • 1927 – Harvey Korman, American actor and comedian (d. 2008)
  • 1927 – Yehoshua Neuwirth, Israeli rabbi and scholar (d. 2013)
  • 1928 – Norman Bridwell, American author and illustrator, created Clifford the Big Red Dog (d. 2014)
  • 1928 – Joseph Willcox Jenkins, American composer, conductor, and educator (d. 2014)
  • 1929 – Graham Hill, English race car driver and businessman (d. 1975)
  • 1929 – James R. Schlesinger, American economist and politician, 12th United States Secretary of Defense (d. 2014)
  • 1930 – Bruce Dawe, Australian poet and academic
  • 1931 – Claire Bloom, English actress
  • 1931 – Jonathan Steele, English journalist and author
  • 1934 – Jimmy Bloomfield, English footballer and manager (d. 1983)
  • 1934 – Graham Kennedy, Australian television host and actor (d. 2005)
  • 1934 – Niklaus Wirth, Swiss computer scientist, created the Pascal programming language
  • 1934 – Abe Woodson, American football player and minister (d. 2014)
  • 1935 – Susan Brownmiller, American journalist and author
  • 1935 – Roger B. Chaffee, American lieutenant, engineer, and astronaut (d. 1967)
  • 1935 – Gene Hickerson, American football player (d. 2008)
  • 1937 – Gregory Mcdonald, American author (d. 2008)
  • 1937 – Coen Moulijn, Dutch footballer (d. 2011)
  • 1940 – İsmail Cem İpekçi, Turkish journalist and politician, 45th Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 2007)
  • 1940 – John Hadl, American football player and coach
  • 1940 – Hamzah Haz, Indonesian journalist and politician, 9th Vice President of Indonesia
  • 1940 – Vaino Vahing, Estonian psychiatrist, author, and playwright (d. 2008)
  • 1941 – Florinda Bolkan, Brazilian actress
  • 1941 – Brian Holland, American songwriter and producer
  • 1944 – Mick Avory, English drummer
  • 1945 – Jack Dann, American-Australian author and poet
  • 1945 – John Helliwell, English saxophonist and keyboard player
  • 1945 – Douglas Hofstadter, American author and academic
  • 1946 – Clare Short, English civil servant and politician, Secretary of State for International Development
  • 1947 – John Adams, American composer
  • 1947 – Marisa Berenson, American model and actress
  • 1948 – Art Spiegelman, Swedish-American cartoonist and critic
  • 1949 – Ken Anderson, American football quarterback and coach
  • 1951 – Markku Alén, Finnish race car driver
  • 1951 – Melissa Manchester, American singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1951 – Jane Seymour, English-American actress, producer, and jewelry designer
  • 1952 – Tomislav Nikolić, Serbian politician, 4th President of Serbia
  • 1952 – Nikolai Sorokin, Russian actor and director (d. 2013)
  • 1953 – Tony Adams, Irish-American screenwriter and producer (d. 2005)
  • 1953 – Ernie Howe, English footballer, defender and manager
  • 1954 – Matt Groening, American animator, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1955 – Janice Dickinson, American model, agent, and author
  • 1955 – Christopher McDonald, American actor
  • 1956 – Desmond Haynes, Barbadian cricketer and coach
  • 1956 – Ann Westin, Swedish comedian
  • 1957 – Jake E. Lee, American guitarist and songwriter
  • 1957 – Jimmy Spencer, American race car driver and sportscaster
  • 1958 – Chrystine Brouillet, Canadian author
  • 1958 – Tony McKegney, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1958 – Matthew Ward, American singer-songwriter
  • 1959 – Adam Boulton, English journalist
  • 1959 – Ali Campbell, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1959 – Brian Propp, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
  • 1959 – Martin Rowson, English author and illustrator
  • 1959 – Hugo Savinovich, Ecuadorian wrestler and sportscaster
  • 1960 – Darrell Green, American football player
  • 1960 – Jock Hobbs, New Zealand rugby player (d. 2012)
  • 1962 – Milo Đukanović, Montenegrin politician, 29th Prime Minister of Montenegro
  • 1964 – Chris Farley, American comedian and actor (d. 1997)
  • 1964 – Leland D. Melvin, American engineer and astronaut
  • 1964 – Mark Price, American basketball player and coach
  • 1965 – Craig Matthews, South African cricketer
  • 1967 – Jane Child, Canadian singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1967 – Syed Kamall, English academic and politician
  • 1967 – Craig Simpson, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
  • 1969 – Birdman, American rapper and producer
  • 1970 – Shepard Fairey, American artist and activist
  • 1971 – Alex Borstein, American actress, voice artist, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1971 – Renee O’Connor, American actress, director, and producer
  • 1972 – Jaromír Jágr, Czech ice hockey player
  • 1973 – Kateřina Neumannová, Czech skier
  • 1973 – Amy van Dyken, American swimmer
  • 1974 – Miranda July, American actress, director, and screenwriter
  • 1974 – Ugueth Urbina, Venezuelan baseball player
  • 1974 – Alexander Wurz, Austrian race car driver and businessman
  • 1975 – Serge Aubin, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1975 – Annemarie Kramer, Dutch sprinter
  • 1975 – Brendon Small, American animator, producer, screenwriter, and actor
  • 1976 – Brandon Boyd, American singer-songwriter
  • 1976 – Óscar Freire, Spanish cyclist
  • 1979 – Josh Low, English footballer
  • 1979 – Hamish Marshall, New Zealand cricketer
  • 1979 – James Marshall, New Zealand cricketer
  • 1979 – Scott Severin, Scottish footballer
  • 1979 – Gordon Shedden, Scottish race car driver
  • 1980 – Conor Oberst, American singer-songwriter
  • 1981 – Heurelho Gomes, Brazilian international footballer, goalkeeper
  • 1981 – Matt Hoopes, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1981 – Rita Jeptoo, Kenyan runner
  • 1981 – Diego Martínez, Mexican footballer
  • 1981 – Vivek Shraya, Canadian singer and songwriter
  • 1982 – Shameka Christon, American basketball player
  • 1982 – James Yap, Filipino basketball player
  • 1983 – Don Cowie, Scottish footballer
  • 1983 – David Degen, Swiss footballer
  • 1983 – Philipp Degen, Swiss footballer
  • 1983 – Alan Didak, Australian footballer
  • 1983 – Russell Martin, Canadian baseball player
  • 1985 – Serkan Kırıntılı, Turkish footballer
  • 1986 – Valeri Bojinov, Bulgarian footballer
  • 1986 – Johnny Cueto, Dominican baseball player
  • 1986 – Laura Sallés, Andorran judoka
  • 1987 – Jarrod Sammut, Australian rugby league player
  • 1988 – Jarryd Hayne, Australian rugby league player and football player
  • 1988 – Hironori Kusano, Japanese singer and actor
  • 1988 – Tim Mannah, Australian-born Lebanese rugby league player
  • 1988 – Rui Patrício, Portuguese footballer
  • 1990 – Charles Pic, French race car driver
  • 1991 – Ángel Sepúlveda, Mexican footballer
  • 1993 – Ravi, South Korean rapper

Deaths on February 15

  • 670 – Oswiu, king of Northumbria (b. c. 612)
  • 706 – Leontios, Byzantine emperor
  • 706 – Tiberios III, Byzantine emperor
  • 956 – Su Yugui, Chinese chancellor (b. 895)
  • 1043 – Gisela of Swabia, Holy Roman Empress (b. 990)
  • 1145 – Lucius II, pope of the Catholic Church
  • 1152 – Conrad III, king of Germany (b. 1093)
  • 1382 – William de Ufford, 2nd Earl of Suffolk (b. c. 1339)
  • 1417 – Richard de Vere, 11th Earl of Oxford, English commander (b. 1385)
  • 1508 – Giovanni II Bentivoglio, tyrant of Bologna (b. 1443)
  • 1600 – José de Acosta, Spanish Jesuit missionary and naturalist (b. 1540)
  • 1621 – Michael Praetorius, German organist and composer (b. 1571)
  • 1637 – Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1578)
  • 1738 – Matthias Braun, Czech sculptor (b. 1684)
  • 1781 – Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, German philosopher, author, and critic (b. 1729)
  • 1818 – Frederick Louis, Prince of Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen (b. 1746)
  • 1835 – Henry Hunt, English farmer and politician (b. 1773)
  • 1839 – François-Marie-Thomas Chevalier de Lorimier, Canadian rebel (b. 1803)
  • 1842 – Archibald Menzies, Scottish surgeon and botanist (b. 1754)
  • 1844 – Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1757)
  • 1847 – Germinal Pierre Dandelin, Belgian mathematician and engineer (b. 1794)
  • 1848 – Hermann von Boyen, Prussian general and politician, Prussian Minister of War (b. 1771)
  • 1849 – Pierre François Verhulst, Belgian mathematician and theorist (b. 1804)
  • 1857 – Mikhail Glinka, Russian composer (b. 1804)
  • 1869 – Ghalib, Indian poet and educator (b. 1796)
  • 1885 – Gregor von Helmersen, Estonian-Russian geologist and engineer (b. 1803)
  • 1897 – Dimitrie Ghica, Romanian lawyer and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Romania (b. 1816)
  • 1905 – Lew Wallace, American author, general, and politician, 11th Governor of New Mexico Territory (b. 1827)
  • 1911 – Theodor Escherich, German-Austrian pediatrician and academic (b. 1859)
  • 1924 – Lionel Monckton, English composer (b. 1861)
  • 1928 – H. H. Asquith, English lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1852)
  • 1932 – Minnie Maddern Fiske, American actress and playwright (b. 1865)
  • 1933 – Pat Sullivan, Australian animator and producer, co-created Felix the Cat (b. 1887)
  • 1935 – Basil Hall Chamberlain, English-Swiss historian, author, and academic (b. 1850)
  • 1939 – Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin, Russian painter and author (b. 1878)
  • 1956 – Vincent de Moro-Giafferi, French lawyer and politician (b. 1878)
  • 1959 – Owen Willans Richardson, English physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1879)
  • 1961 – Laurence Owen, American figure skater (b. 1944)
  • 1965 – Nat King Cole, American singer and pianist (b. 1919)
  • 1966 – Gerard Antoni Ciołek, Polish architect and historian (b. 1909)
  • 1966 – Camilo Torres Restrepo, Colombian priest and theologian (b. 1929)
  • 1967 – Antonio Moreno, Spanish-American actor and director (b. 1887)
  • 1970 – Hugh Dowding, 1st Baron Dowding, Scottish air marshal (b. 1882)
  • 1973 – Wally Cox, American actor (b. 1924)
  • 1973 – Tim Holt, American actor (b. 1919)
  • 1974 – Kurt Atterberg, Swedish composer and engineer (b. 1887)
  • 1981 – Mike Bloomfield, American guitarist and songwriter (b. 1943)
  • 1981 – Karl Richter, German organist and conductor (b. 1926)
  • 1984 – Avon Long, American actor and singer (b. 1910)
  • 1984 – Ethel Merman, American actress and singer (b. 1908)
  • 1988 – Richard Feynman, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1918)
  • 1992 – María Elena Moyano, Peruvian activist (b. 1960)
  • 1992 – William Schuman, American composer and academic (b. 1910)
  • 1996 – McLean Stevenson, American actor (b. 1929)
  • 1998 – Martha Gellhorn, American journalist and author (b. 1908)
  • 1999 – Henry Way Kendall, American physicist and mountaineer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1926)
  • 1999 – Big L, American rapper (b. 1974)
  • 2000 – Angus MacLean, Canadian commander and politician, 25th Premier of Prince Edward Island (b. 1914)
  • 2002 – Howard K. Smith, American journalist and actor (b. 1914)
  • 2002 – Kevin Smith, New Zealand actor (b. 1963)
  • 2004 – Jens Evensen, Norwegian lawyer, judge, and politician, Norwegian Minister of Trade (b. 1917)
  • 2005 – Pierre Bachelet, French singer-songwriter (b. 1944)
  • 2005 – Samuel T. Francis, American historian and journalist (b. 1947)
  • 2007 – Walker Edmiston, American actor (b. 1925)
  • 2007 – Ray Evans, American songwriter (b. 1915)
  • 2008 – Johnny Weaver, American wrestler and sportscaster (b. 1935)
  • 2010 – Jeanne M. Holm, American general (b. 1921)
  • 2012 – Cyril Domb, English-Israel physicist and academic (b. 1920)
  • 2013 – Sanan Kachornprasart, Thai general and politician (b. 1935)
  • 2013 – Ahmed Rajib Haider, Bangladeshi atheist blogger
  • 2014 – Thelma Estrin, American computer scientist and engineer (b. 1924)
  • 2014 – Christopher Malcolm, Scottish-Canadian actor, director, and producer (b. 1946)
  • 2015 – Haron Amin, Afghan diplomat, Afghan Ambassador to Japan (b. 1969)
  • 2015 – Arnaud de Borchgrave, American journalist and author (b. 1926)
  • 2015 – Steve Montador, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1979)
  • 2016 – George Gaynes, Finnish-American actor (b. 1917)
  • 2016 – Vanity, Canadian-American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress (b. 1959)
  • 2017 – Stuart McLean, Canadian radio broadcaster (b. 1948)
  • 2019 – Lee Radziwill, American socialite (b. 1933)
  • 2020 – Caroline Flack, English Actress and TV Presenter (b. 1979)

Holidays and observances on February 15

  • Christian feast day:
    • Blessed Michał Sopoćko
    • Claude de la Colombière
    • Faustinus and Jovita
    • Oswiu
    • Quinidius
    • Sigfrid of Sweden
    • Thomas Bray (Episcopal Church)
    • Walfrid
    • February 15 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest day on which Family Day can fall, while February 21 is the latest; celebrated on the third Monday in February. (parts of Canada)
  • Earliest day on which Washington’s Birthday can fall, while February 21 is the latest; celebrated on the third Monday in February. (United States)
  • Traditionally the feast day for the ancient Roman fertility festival of Lupercalia
  • International Duties Memorial Day (Russia, regional)
  • John Frum Day (Vanuatu)
  • Liberation Day (Afghanistan)
  • National Flag of Canada Day (Canada)
  • Parinirvana Day, also celebrated on February 8. (Mahayana Buddhism)
  • Singles Awareness Day
  • Statehood Day (Serbia)
  • Susan B. Anthony Day (Florida, United States)
  • The ENIAC Day (Philadelphia, United States)
  • Total Defence Day (Singapore)

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

On This Day

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

On This Day /

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

February 4 in History 

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

Births on February 4

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

Deaths on February 4

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

Holidays and observances on February 4

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

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

On This Day

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

On This Day /
  • 506 – Alaric II, eighth king of the Visigoths promulgates the Breviary of Alaric (Breviarium Alaricianum or Lex Romana Visigothorum), a collection of “Roman law”.
  • 880 – Battle of Lüneburg Heath: King Louis III is defeated by the Norse Great Heathen Army at Lüneburg Heath in Saxony.
  • 962 – Translatio imperii: Pope John XII crowns Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, the first Holy Roman Emperor in nearly 40 years.
  • 1032 – Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor becomes king of Burgundy.
  • 1141 – The Battle of Lincoln, at which Stephen, King of England is defeated and captured by the allies of Empress Matilda.
  • 1207 – Terra Mariana, eventually comprising present-day Latvia and Estonia, is established.
  • 1438 – Nine leaders of the Transylvanian peasant revolt are executed at Torda.
  • 1461 – Wars of the Roses: The Battle of Mortimer’s Cross is fought in Herefordshire, England.
  • 1536 – Spaniard Pedro de Mendoza founds Buenos Aires, Argentina.
  • 1645 – Scotland in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms: Battle of Inverlochy.
  • 1653 – New Amsterdam (later renamed The City of New York) is incorporated.
  • 1709 – Alexander Selkirk is rescued after being shipwrecked on a desert island, inspiring Daniel Defoe’s adventure book Robinson Crusoe.
  • 1848 – Mexican–American War: The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is signed.
  • 1850 – Brigham Young declares war on Timpanogos in the Battle at Fort Utah.
  • 1868 – Pro-Imperial forces captured Osaka Castle from the Tokugawa shogunate and burned it to the ground.
  • 1876 – The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs of Major League Baseball is formed.
  • 1887 – In Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania the first Groundhog Day is observed.
  • 1899 – The Australian Premiers’ Conference held in Melbourne decides to locate Australia’s capital city, Canberra, between Sydney and Melbourne.
  • 1901 – Funeral of Queen Victoria.
  • 1909 – The Paris Film Congress opens. An attempt by European producers to form an equivalent to the MPCC cartel in the United States.
  • 1913 – Grand Central Terminal is opened in New York City.
  • 1920 – The Tartu Peace Treaty is signed between Estonia and Russia.
  • 1922 – Ulysses by James Joyce is published.
  • 1925 – Serum run to Nome: Dog sleds reach Nome, Alaska with diphtheria serum, inspiring the Iditarod race.
  • 1934 – The Export-Import Bank of the United States is incorporated.
  • 1935 – Leonarde Keeler administers polygraph tests to two murder suspects, the first time polygraph evidence was admitted in U.S. courts.
  • 1942 – The Osvald Group is responsible for the first, active event of anti-Nazi resistance in Norway, to protest the inauguration of Vidkun Quisling.
  • 1943 – World War II: The Battle of Stalingrad comes to an end when Soviet troops accept the surrender of the last organized German troops in the city.
  • 1959 – Nine experienced ski hikers in the northern Ural Mountains in the Soviet Union die under mysterious circumstances.
  • 1966 – Pakistan suggests a six-point agenda with Kashmir after the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.
  • 1971 – Idi Amin replaces President Milton Obote as leader of Uganda.
  • 1971 – The international Ramsar Convention for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands is signed in Ramsar, Mazandaran, Iran.
  • 1980 – Reports surface that the FBI is targeting allegedly corrupt Congressmen in the Abscam operation.
  • 1982 – Hama massacre: The government of Syria attacks the town of Hama.
  • 1987 – After the 1986 People Power Revolution, the Philippines enacts a new constitution.
  • 1989 – Soviet–Afghan War: The last Soviet armoured column leaves Kabul.
  • 1990 – Apartheid: F. W. de Klerk announces the unbanning of the African National Congress and promises to release Nelson Mandela.
  • 2000 – First digital cinema projection in Europe (Paris) realized by Philippe Binant with the DLP CINEMA technology developed by Texas Instruments.
  • 2002 – Wedding of Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange, and Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti
  • 2004 – Swiss tennis player Roger Federer becomes the No. 1 ranked men’s singles player, a position he will hold for a record 237 weeks.
  • 2005 – The Government of Canada introduces the Civil Marriage Act. This legislation would become law on July 20, 2005, legalizing same-sex marriage.
  • 2007 – Police officer Filippo Raciti is killed when a clash breaks out in the Sicily derby between Catania and Palermo, in the Serie A, the top flight of Italian football. This event led to major changes in stadium regulations in Italy.
  • 2012 – The ferry MV Rabaul Queen sinks off the coast of Papua New Guinea near the Finschhafen District, with an estimated 146-165 dead.

Births on February 2

  • 1208 – James I of Aragon (d. 1276)
  • 1282 – Maud Chaworth, Countess of Leicester (d. 1322).
  • 1425 (or 1426) – Eleanor of Navarre, Queen regnant of Navarre (d. 1479)
  • 1443 – Elisabeth of Bavaria, Electress of Saxony (d. 1486)
  • 1455 – John, King of Denmark (d. 1513)
  • 1457 – Peter Martyr d’Anghiera, Italian-Spanish historian and author (d. 1526)
  • 1467 – Columba of Rieti, Italian Dominican sister (d. 1501)
  • 1494 – Bona Sforza, queen of Sigismund I of Poland (d. 1557)
  • 1502 – Damião de Góis, Portuguese philosopher and historian (d. 1574)
  • 1506 – René de Birague, Italian-French cardinal and politician (d. 1583)
  • 1509 – John of Leiden, Dutch Anabaptist leader (d. 1536)
  • 1522 – Lodovico Ferrari, Italian mathematician and academic (d. 1565)
  • 1536 – Piotr Skarga, Polish writer (d. 1612)
  • 1551 – Nicolaus Reimers, German astronomer (d. 1600)
  • 1576 – Alix Le Clerc, French Canoness Regular and foundress (d. 1622)
  • 1585 – Judith Quiney, William Shakespeare’s youngest daughter (d. 1662)
  • 1585 – Hamnet Shakespeare, William Shakespeare’s only son (baptised; d. 1596)
  • 1588 – Georg II of Fleckenstein-Dagstuhl, German nobleman (d. 1644)
  • 1600 – Gabriel Naudé, French librarian and scholar (d. 1653)
  • 1611 – Ulrik of Denmark, Danish prince-bishop (d. 1633)
  • 1613 – Noël Chabanel, French missionary and saint (d. 1649)
  • 1621 – Johannes Schefferus, Swedish author and hymn-writer (d. 1679)
  • 1650 – Pope Benedict XIII (d. 1730)
  • 1650 – Nell Gwyn, English actress, mistress of King Charles II of England (d. 1687)
  • 1651 – William Phips, Royal governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay (d. 1695)
  • 1669 – Louis Marchand, French organist and composer (d. 1732)
  • 1677 – Jean-Baptiste Morin, French composer (d. 1745)
  • 1695 – William Borlase, English geologist and archaeologist (d. 1772)
  • 1695 – François de Chevert, French general (d. 1769)
  • 1700 – Johann Christoph Gottsched, German author and critic (d. 1766)
  • 1711 – Wenzel Anton, Prince of Kaunitz-Rietberg (d. 1794)
  • 1714 – Gottfried August Homilius, German organist and composer (d. 1785)
  • 1717 – Ernst Gideon von Laudon, Austrian field marshal (d. 1790)
  • 1754 – Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, French general and politician, Prime Minister of France (d. 1838)
  • 1782 – Henri de Rigny, French admiral and politician, French Minister of War (d. 1835)
  • 1786 – Jacques Philippe Marie Binet, French mathematician, physicist, and astronomer (d. 1856)
  • 1802 – Jean-Baptiste Boussingault, French chemist and academic (d. 1887)
  • 1803 – Albert Sidney Johnston, American general (d. 1862)
  • 1829 – Alfred Brehm, German zoologist and illustrator (d. 1884)
  • 1829 – William Stanley, English engineer and philanthropist (d. 1909)
  • 1841 – François-Alphonse Forel, Swiss limnologist and hydrologist (d. 1912)
  • 1842 – Julian Sochocki, Polish-Russian mathematician and academic (d. 1927)
  • 1849 – Pavol Országh Hviezdoslav, Slovak poet and playwright (d. 1921)
  • 1851 – José Guadalupe Posada, Mexican illustrator and engraver (d. 1913)
  • 1856 – Frederick William Vanderbilt, American railway magnate (d. 1938)
  • 1856 – Makar Yekmalyan, Armenian composer (d. 1905)
  • 1857 – Jan Drozdowski, Polish pianist and music teacher (d. 1918)
  • 1860 – Curtis Guild, Jr., American journalist and politician, 43rd Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1915)
  • 1861 – Solomon R. Guggenheim, American businessman and philanthropist, founded the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (d. 1949)
  • 1862 – Émile Coste, French fencer (d. 1927)
  • 1862 – Cornelius McKane, American physician, educator, and hospital founder (d. 1912)
  • 1866 – Enrique Simonet, Spanish painter and academic (d. 1927)
  • 1873 – Leo Fall, Austrian composer (d. 1925)
  • 1873 – Konstantin von Neurath, German politician and diplomat, 13th German Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 1956)
  • 1875 – Fritz Kreisler, Austrian-American violinist and composer (d. 1962)
  • 1877 – Frank L. Packard, Canadian author (d. 1942)
  • 1878 – Joe Lydon, American boxer (d. 1937)
  • 1880 – Frederick Lane, Australian swimmer (d. 1969)
  • 1881 – Orval Overall, American baseball player and manager (d. 1947)
  • 1882 – Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark (d. 1944)
  • 1882 – James Joyce, Irish novelist, short story writer, and poet (d. 1941)
  • 1883 – Johnston McCulley, American author and screenwriter, created Zorro (d. 1958)
  • 1883 – Julia Nava de Ruisánchez, Mexican activist and writer (d. 1964)
  • 1886 – William Rose Benét, American poet and author (d. 1950)
  • 1887 – Ernst Hanfstaengl, German businessman (d. 1975)
  • 1889 – Jean de Lattre de Tassigny, French general (d. 1952)
  • 1890 – Charles Correll, American actor and screenwriter (d. 1972)
  • 1892 – Tochigiyama Moriya, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 27th Yokozuna (d. 1959)
  • 1893 – Cornelius Lanczos, Hungarian mathematician and physicist (d. 1974)
  • 1893 – Raoul Riganti, Argentinian race car driver (d. 1970)
  • 1893 – Damdin Sükhbaatar, Mongolian soldier and politician (d. 1924)
  • 1895 – George Halas, American football player and coach (d. 1983)
  • 1895 – Robert Philipp, American painter (d. 1981)
  • 1895 – George Sutcliffe, Australian public servant (d. 1964)
  • 1896 – Kazimierz Kuratowski, Polish mathematician and logician (d. 1980)
  • 1897 – Howard Deering Johnson, American businessman, founded Howard Johnson’s (d. 1972)
  • 1897 – Gertrude Blanch, Russian-American mathematician (d. 1996)
  • 1900 – Anni Frind, German lyric soprano (d. 1987)
  • 1900 – Willie Kamm, American baseball player and manager (d. 1988)
  • 1901 – Jascha Heifetz, Lithuanian-born American violinist and educator (d. 1987)
  • 1902 – Newbold Morris, American lawyer and politician (d. 1966)
  • 1902 – John Tonkin, Australian politician, 20th Premier of Western Australia (d. 1995)
  • 1904 – Bozorg Alavi, Iranian author and activist (d. 1997)
  • 1905 – Ayn Rand, Russian-born American novelist and philosopher (d. 1982)
  • 1908 – Wes Ferrell, American baseball player and manager (d. 1976)
  • 1909 – Frank Albertson, American actor (d. 1964)
  • 1911 – Jack Pizzey, Australian politician, 29th Premier of Queensland (d. 1968)
  • 1912 – Millvina Dean, English civil servant and cartographer (d. 2009)
  • 1912 – Burton Lane, American songwriter and composer (d. 1997)
  • 1913 – Poul Reichhardt, Danish actor and singer (d. 1985)
  • 1914 – Eric Kierans, Canadian economist and politician, 1st Canadian Minister of Communications (d. 2004)
  • 1915 – Abba Eban, South African-Israeli politician and diplomat, 1st Israel Ambassador to the United Nations (d. 2002)
  • 1915 – Stan Leonard, Canadian golfer (d. 2005)
  • 1915 – Khushwant Singh, Indian journalist and author (d. 2014)
  • 1916 – Xuân Diệu, Vietnamese poet and author (d. 1985)
  • 1917 – Mary Ellis, British World War II ferry pilot (d. 2018)
  • 1917 – Đỗ Mười, Vietnamese politician, 5th Prime Minister of Vietnam (d. 2018)
  • 1918 – Hella Haasse, Indonesian-Dutch author (d. 2011)
  • 1919 – Lisa Della Casa, Swiss soprano and actress (d. 2012)
  • 1919 – Georg Gawliczek, German footballer and manager (d. 1999)
  • 1920 – George Hardwick, English footballer and coach (d. 2004)
  • 1920 – John Russell, American Olympic equestrian
  • 1920 – Arthur Willis, English footballer, full-back, player-manager (d. 1987)
  • 1922 – Kunwar Digvijay Singh, Indian field hockey player (d. 1978)
  • 1922 – Robert Chef d’Hôtel, French athlete (d. 2019)
  • 1922 – James L. Usry, American politician, first African-American mayor of Atlantic City, New Jersey (d. 2002)
  • 1922 – Stoyanka Mutafova, Bulgarian actress (d. 2019)
  • 1923 – Jean Babilée, French dancer and choreographer (d. 2014)
  • 1923 – James Dickey, American poet and novelist (d. 1997)
  • 1923 – Svetozar Gligorić, Serbian and Yugoslav chess grandmaster (d.2012)
  • 1923 – Bonita Granville, American actress and producer (d. 1988)
  • 1923 – Red Schoendienst, American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 2018)
  • 1923 – Liz Smith, American journalist and author (d. 2017)
  • 1923 – Clem Windsor, Australian rugby player and surgeon (d. 2007)
  • 1924 – Elfi von Dassanowsky, Austrian-American singer, pianist, producer (d. 2007)
  • 1924 – Sonny Stitt, American saxophonist and composer (d. 1982)
  • 1925 – Elaine Stritch, American actress and singer (d. 2014)
  • 1926 – Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, French academic and politician, 20th President of France
  • 1927 – Stan Getz, American saxophonist (d. 1991)
  • 1927 – Doris Sams, American baseball player (d. 2012)
  • 1928 – Ciriaco De Mita, 47th Prime minister of Italy
  • 1928 – Jay Handlan, American basketball player and engineer (d. 2013)
  • 1928 – Tommy Harmer, English footballer, inside forward, youth team coach (d. 2007)
  • 1929 – Sheila Matthews Allen, American actress and producer (d. 2013)
  • 1929 – George Band, English engineer and mountaineer (d. 2011)
  • 1929 – Věra Chytilová, Czech actress, director, and screenwriter (d. 2014)
  • 1929 – John Henry Holland, American computer scientist and academic (d. 2015)
  • 1929 – Waldemar Kmentt, Austrian operatic tenor (d. 2015)
  • 1931 – Dries van Agt, Dutch politician, diplomat and jurist, Prime Minister of the Netherlands
  • 1931 – Les Dawson, English comedian and author (d. 1993)
  • 1931 – Glynn Edwards, Malaysian-English actor (d. 2018)
  • 1931 – John Paul Harney, Canadian educator and politician
  • 1931 – Judith Viorst, American journalist and author
  • 1932 – Arthur Lyman, American jazz vibraphone and marimba player (d. 2002)
  • 1932 – Robert Mandan, American actor (d. 2018)
  • 1933 – M’el Dowd, American actress and singer (d. 2012)
  • 1933 – Tony Jay, English-American actor (d. 2006)
  • 1933 – Orlando “Cachaíto” López, Cuban bassist and composer (d. 2009)
  • 1933 – Than Shwe, Burmese general and politician, 8th Prime Minister of Burma
  • 1935 – Pete Brown, American golfer (d. 2015)
  • 1935 – Evgeny Velikhov, Russian physicist and academic
  • 1936 – Duane Jones, American actor (d. 1988)
  • 1936 – Metin Oktay, Turkish footballer and manager (d. 1991)
  • 1937 – Don Buford, American baseball player and coach
  • 1937 – Eric Arturo Delvalle, Panamanian lawyer and politician, President of Panama (d. 2015)
  • 1937 – Anthony Haden-Guest, British journalist, poet, and critic
  • 1937 – Remak Ramsay, American actor
  • 1937 – Tom Smothers, American comedian, actor, and activist
  • 1937 – Alexandra Strelchenko, Russian Singer (d. 2019)
  • 1938 – Norman Fowler, English journalist and politician, Secretary of State for Transport
  • 1938 – Gene MacLellan, Canadian singer-songwriter (d. 1995)
  • 1939 – Jackie Burroughs, English-born Canadian actress (d. 2010)
  • 1939 – Mary-Dell Chilton, American chemist and inventor and one of the founders of modern plant biotechnology
  • 1939 – Dale T. Mortensen, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2014)
  • 1940 – Alan Caddy, English guitarist and producer (d. 2000)
  • 1940 – Thomas M. Disch, American author and poet (d. 2008)
  • 1940 – Wayne Fontes, American football player and coach
  • 1940 – David Jason, English actor, director, and producer
  • 1941 – Terry Biddlecombe, English jockey (d. 2014)
  • 1942 – Bo Hopkins, American actor
  • 1942 – Graham Nash, English-American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1944 – Andrew Davis, English organist and conductor
  • 1944 – Geoffrey Hughes, English actor (d. 2012)
  • 1944 – Ursula Oppens, American pianist and educator
  • 1945 – John Eatwell, Baron Eatwell, English economist and academic
  • 1946 – John Armitt, English engineer and businessman
  • 1946 – Alpha Oumar Konaré, Malian academic and politician, 3rd President of Mali
  • 1946 – Constantine Papadakis, Greek-American businessman and academic (d. 2009)
  • 1947 – Greg Antonacci, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2017)
  • 1947 – Farrah Fawcett, American actress and producer (d. 2009)
  • 1948 – Ina Garten, American chef and author
  • 1948 – Al McKay, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer
  • 1948 – Roger Williamson, English race car driver (d. 1973)
  • 1949 – Duncan Bannatyne, Scottish businessman and philanthropist
  • 1949 – Yasuko Namba, Japanese mountaineer (d. 1996)
  • 1949 – Brent Spiner, American actor and singer
  • 1949 – Ross Valory, American rock bass player and songwriter
  • 1950 – Osamu Kido, Japanese wrestler
  • 1950 – Libby Purves, British journalist and author
  • 1950 – Barbara Sukowa, German actress
  • 1950 – Genichiro Tenryu, Japanese wrestler
  • 1951 – Vangelis Alexandris, Greek basketball player and coach
  • 1951 – Ken Bruce, Scottish radio host
  • 1952 – John Cornyn, American lawyer and politician, 49th Attorney General of Texas
  • 1952 – Rick Dufay, French-American guitarist and songwriter
  • 1952 – Park Geun-hye, South Korean politician, 11th President of South Korea
  • 1952 – Ralph Merkle, American computer scientist and academic
  • 1952 – Carol Ann Susi, American actress (d. 2014)
  • 1953 – Duane Chapman, American bounty hunter
  • 1953 – Jerry Sisk, Jr., American gemologist, co-founded Jewelry Television (d. 2013)
  • 1954 – Christie Brinkley, American actress, model, and businesswoman
  • 1954 – Hansi Hinterseer, Austrian skier and actor
  • 1954 – Nelson Ne’e, Solomon Islander politician (d. 2013)
  • 1954 – John Tudor, American baseball player
  • 1955 – Leszek Engelking, Polish poet and author
  • 1955 – Bob Schreck, American author
  • 1955 – Michael Talbott, American actor
  • 1955 – Kim Zimmer, American actress
  • 1956 – Adnan Oktar, Turkish theorist and author
  • 1957 – Phil Barney, Algerian-French singer-songwriter
  • 1958 – Michel Marc Bouchard, Canadian playwright
  • 1961 – Abraham Iyambo, Namibian politician (d. 2013)
  • 1961 – Lauren Lane, American actress and academic
  • 1962 – Philippe Claudel, French author, director, and screenwriter
  • 1962 – Andy Fordham, English darts player
  • 1962 – Paul Kilgus, American baseball player
  • 1962 – Kate Raison, Australian actress
  • 1962 – Michael T. Weiss, American actor
  • 1963 – Eva Cassidy, American singer and guitarist (d. 1996)
  • 1963 – Kjell Dahlin, Swedish ice hockey player
  • 1963 – Andrej Kiska, Slovak entrepreneur and philanthropist, President of Slovakia
  • 1963 – Philip Laats, Belgian martial artist
  • 1963 – Vigleik Storaas, Norwegian pianist
  • 1965 – Carl Airey, English footballer
  • 1965 – Naoki Sano, Japanese wrestler and mixed martial artist
  • 1966 – Andrei Chesnokov, Russian tennis player and coach
  • 1966 – Robert DeLeo, American bass player, songwriter, and producer
  • 1966 – Adam Ferrara, American actor and comedian
  • 1966 – Michael Misick, Caicos Islander politician, Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands
  • 1967 – Artūrs Irbe, Latvian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1967 – Laurent Nkunda, Congolese general
  • 1968 – Sean Elliott, American basketball player and sportscaster
  • 1968 – Scott Erickson, American baseball player and coach
  • 1969 – Dana International, Israeli singer-songwriter
  • 1969 – Valeri Karpin, Estonian-Russian footballer and manager
  • 1970 – Roar Strand, Norwegian footballer
  • 1970 – Jennifer Westfeldt, American actress and singer
  • 1971 – Michelle Gayle, English singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1971 – Arly Jover, Spanish actress
  • 1971 – Isaac Kungwane, South African footballer and sportscaster (d. 2014)
  • 1971 – Jason Taylor, Australian rugby league player and coach
  • 1971 – Hwang Seok-jeong, South Korean actress
  • 1972 – Melvin Mora, Venezuelan baseball player
  • 1972 – Aleksey Naumov, Russian footballer
  • 1973 – Andrei Luzgin, Estonian tennis player and coach
  • 1973 – Aleksander Tammert, Estonian discus thrower
  • 1973 – Marissa Jaret Winokur, American actress and singer
  • 1975 – Todd Bertuzzi, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1975 – Donald Driver, American football player
  • 1975 – Ieroklis Stoltidis, Greek footballer
  • 1976 – Ryan Farquhar, Northern Irish motorcycle racer
  • 1976 – James Hickman, English swimmer
  • 1976 – Ana Roces, Filipino actress
  • 1977 – Shakira, Colombian singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
  • 1977 – Libor Sionko, Czech footballer
  • 1978 – Adam Christopher, New Zealand writer
  • 1978 – Eden Espinosa, American actress and singer
  • 1978 – Annabel Ellwood, Australian tennis player
  • 1978 – Barry Ferguson, Scottish footballer and manager
  • 1978 – Rich Sommer, American actor
  • 1978 – Faye White, English footballer
  • 1979 – Urmo Aava, Estonian race car driver
  • 1979 – Fani Chalkia, Greek hurdler and sprinter
  • 1979 – Christine Lampard, Irish television host
  • 1979 – Klaus Mainzer, German rugby player
  • 1979 – Shamita Shetty, Indian actress
  • 1979 – Irini Terzoglou, Greek shot putter
  • 1980 – Angela Finger-Erben, German journalist
  • 1980 – Teddy Hart, Canadian wrestler
  • 1980 – Oleguer Presas, Spanish footballer
  • 1981 – Emre Aydın, Turkish singer-songwriter
  • 1981 – Michelle Bass, English model and singer
  • 1981 – Salem al-Hazmi, Saudi Arabian terrorist, hijacker of American Airlines Flight 77 (d. 2001)
  • 1982 – Sergio Castaño Ortega, Spanish footballer
  • 1982 – Kelly Mazzante, American basketball player
  • 1982 – Kan Mi-youn, South Korean singer, model, and host
  • 1983 – Ronny Cedeño, Venezuelan baseball player
  • 1983 – Carolina Klüft, Swedish heptathlete and jumper
  • 1983 – Jordin Tootoo, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1983 – Vladimir Voskoboinikov, Estonian footballer
  • 1983 – Alex Westaway, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1984 – Brian Cage, American wrestler
  • 1984 – Mao Miyaji, Japanese actress
  • 1984 – Rudi Wulf, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1985 – Masoud Azizi, Afghan sprinter
  • 1985 – Renn Kiriyama, Japanese actor
  • 1985 – Kristo Saage, Estonian basketball player
  • 1985 – Silvestre Varela, Portuguese footballer
  • 1986 – Gemma Arterton, English actress and singer
  • 1986 – Miwa Asao, Japanese volleyball player
  • 1987 – Anthony Fainga’a, Australian rugby player
  • 1987 – Saia Fainga’a, Australian rugby player
  • 1987 – Faydee, Australian singer
  • 1987 – Athena Imperial, Filipino journalist, Miss Earth-Water 2011
  • 1987 – Mimi Page, American singer-songwriter and composer
  • 1987 – Gerard Piqué, Spanish footballer
  • 1987 – Javon Ringer, American football player
  • 1987 – Jill Scott, English footballer
  • 1987 – Victoria Song, Chinese singer and actress
  • 1987 – Martin Spanjers, American actor and producer
  • 1988 – Zosia Mamet, American actress
  • 1989 – Harrison Smith, American football player
  • 1989 – Southside, American record producer
  • 1991 – Nathan Delfouneso, English footballer
  • 1991 – Gregory Mertens, Belgian footballer (d. 2015)
  • 1991 – Shohei Nanba, Japanese actor
  • 1992 – Lammtarra, American race horse (d. 2014)
  • 1992 – Joonas Tamm, Estonian footballer
  • 1993 – Ravel Morrison, English footballer
  • 1993 – Bobby Decordova-Reid, English born Jamaican international footballer, forward
  • 1995 – Paul Digby, English footballer
  • 1995 – Aleksander Jagiełło, Polish footballer
  • 1995 – Arfa Karim, Pakstani student and computer prodigy (d. 2012)
  • 1996 – Harry Winks, English international footballer, midfielder

Deaths on February 2

  • 619 – Laurence of Canterbury, English archbishop and saint
  • 880 – Bruno, duke of Saxony
  • 1124 – Bořivoj II, Duke of Bohemia (b. 1064)
  • 1218 – Konstantin of Rostov (b. 1186)
  • 1237 – Joan, Lady of Wales
  • 1250 – Eric XI of Sweden (b. 1216)
  • 1294 – Louis II, Duke of Bavaria (b. 1229)
  • 1347 – Thomas Bek, Bishop of Lincoln, was the bishop of Lincoln (b. 1282)
  • 1348 – Narymunt, Prince of Pinsk
  • 1435 – Joan II of Naples, Queen of Naples (b. 1371)
  • 1446 – Vittorino da Feltre, Italian humanist (b. 1378)
  • 1448 – Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Egyptian jurist and scholar (b. 1372)
  • 1461 – Owen Tudor, Welsh founder of the Tudor dynasty (b. c. 1400)
  • 1512 – Hatuey, Caribbean tribal chief
  • 1529 – Baldassare Castiglione, Italian soldier and diplomat (b. 1478)
  • 1580 – Bessho Nagaharu, Japanese daimyō (b. 1558)
  • 1594 – Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Italian composer and educator (b. 1525)
  • 1648 – George Abbot, English author and politician (b. 1603)
  • 1660 – Gaston, Duke of Orléans (b. 1608)
  • 1660 – Govert Flinck, Dutch painter (b. 1615)
  • 1661 – Lucas Holstenius, German geographer and historian (b. 1596)
  • 1675 – Ivan Belostenec, Croatian linguist and lexicographer (b. 1594)
  • 1688 – Abraham Duquesne, French admiral (b. 1610)
  • 1704 – Guillaume de l’Hôpital, French mathematician and academic (b. 1661)
  • 1712 – Martin Lister, English physician and geologist (b. 1639)
  • 1714 – John Sharp, English archbishop (b. 1643)
  • 1723 – Antonio Maria Valsalva, Italian anatomist and physician (b. 1666)
  • 1768 – Robert Smith, English mathematician and theorist (b. 1689)
  • 1769 – Pope Clement XIII (b. 1693)
  • 1802 – Welbore Ellis, 1st Baron Mendip, English politician, Secretary of State for the Colonies (b. 1713)
  • 1804 – George Walton, American lawyer and politician, Governor of Georgia (b. 1749)
  • 1831 – Vincenzo Dimech, Maltese sculptor (b. 1768)
  • 1836 – Letizia Ramolino, Italian noblewoman (b. 1750)
  • 1861 – Théophane Vénard, French Catholic missionary (b. 1829)
  • 1881 – Henry Parker, English-Australian politician, 3rd Premier of New South Wales (b. 1808)
  • 1904 – Ernest Cashel, American-Canadian criminal (b. 1882)
  • 1904 – William Collins Whitney, American financier and politician, 31st United States Secretary of the Navy (b. 1841)
  • 1905 – Henri Germain, French banker and politician, founded Le Crédit Lyonnais (b. 1824)
  • 1907 – Dmitri Mendeleev, Russian chemist and academic (b. 1834)
  • 1909 – Carlo Acton, Italian pianist and composer (b. 1829)
  • 1913 – Gustaf de Laval, Swedish engineer (b. 1845)
  • 1918 – John L. Sullivan, American boxer (b. 1858)
  • 1919 – Julius Kuperjanov, Estonian lieutenant (b. 1894)
  • 1925 – Antti Aarne, Finnish historian and academic (b. 1867)
  • 1925 – Jaap Eden, Dutch speed skater and cyclist (b. 1873)
  • 1926 – Vladimir Sukhomlinov, Russian general and politician (b. 1848)
  • 1932 – Agha Petros, Assyrian general and politician (b. 1880)
  • 1939 – Bernhard Gregory, Estonian-German chess player (b. 1879)
  • 1942 – Ado Birk, Estonian lawyer and politician, 3rd Prime Minister of Estonia (b. 1883)
  • 1942 – Daniil Kharms, Russian poet and playwright (b. 1905)
  • 1942 – Hugh D. McIntosh, Australian businessman (b. 1876)
  • 1945 – Alfred Delp, German priest and philosopher (b. 1907)
  • 1945 – Carl Friedrich Goerdeler, German economist and politician (b. 1884)
  • 1945 – Johannes Popitz, German lawyer and politician (b. 1884)
  • 1948 – Thomas W. Lamont, American banker and philanthropist (b. 1870)
  • 1948 – Bevil Rudd, South African runner and journalist (b. 1894)
  • 1950 – Constantin Carathéodory, Greek mathematician and academic (b. 1873)
  • 1952 – Callistratus of Georgia, Georgian patriarch (b. 1866)
  • 1954 – Hella Wuolijoki, Estonian-Finnish author and politician (b. 1886)
  • 1956 – Charley Grapewin, American actor (b. 1869)
  • 1956 – Truxtun Hare, American football player and hammer thrower (b. 1878)
  • 1956 – Pyotr Konchalovsky, Russian painter (b. 1876)
  • 1957 – Grigory Landsberg, Russian physicist and academic (b. 1890)
  • 1962 – Shlomo Hestrin, Canadian-Israeli biochemist and academic (b. 1914)
  • 1966 – Hacı Ömer Sabancı, Turkish businessman (b. 1906)
  • 1968 – Tullio Serafin, Italian conductor and director (b. 1878)
  • 1969 – Boris Karloff, English actor (b. 1887)
  • 1970 – Lawrence Gray, American actor (b. 1898)
  • 1970 – Bertrand Russell, English mathematician and philosopher, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1872)
  • 1972 – Natalie Clifford Barney, American author, poet, and playwright (b. 1876)
  • 1973 – Hendrik Elias, Belgian academic and politician, 9th Mayor of Ghent (b. 1902)
  • 1974 – Imre Lakatos, Hungarian-English mathematician and philosopher (b. 1922)
  • 1975 – Gustave Lanctot, Canadian historian and academic (b. 1883)
  • 1979 – Jim Burke, Australian cricketer (b. 1930)
  • 1979 – Sid Vicious, English singer and bass player (b. 1957)
  • 1980 – William Howard Stein, American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1911)
  • 1982 – Paul Desruisseaux, Canadian lawyer and politician (b. 1905)
  • 1983 – Sam Chatmon, American singer and guitarist (b. 1897)
  • 1986 – Anita Cobby, Australian murder victim (b. 1959)
  • 1986 – Gino Hernandez, American wrestler (b. 1957)
  • 1987 – Carlos José Castilho, Brazilian footballer and manager (b. 1927)
  • 1987 – Alistair MacLean, Scottish novelist and screenwriter (b. 1922)
  • 1988 – Marcel Bozzuffi, French actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1929)
  • 1989 – Ondrej Nepela, Slovak figure skater and coach (b. 1951)
  • 1989 – Arnold Nordmeyer, New Zealand minister and politician, 30th New Zealand Minister of Finance (b. 1901)
  • 1990 – Paul Ariste, Estonian linguist and academic (b. 1905)
  • 1990 – Joe Erskine, Welsh boxer (b. 1934)
  • 1992 – Bert Parks, American actor, singer, television personality; Miss America telecast presenter (b. 1914)
  • 1993 – François Reichenbach, French director and screenwriter (b. 1921)
  • 1994 – Marija Gimbutas, Lithuanian-American archeologist (b. 1921)
  • 1995 – Thomas Hayward, American tenor and actor (b. 1917)
  • 1995 – Fred Perry, English-Australian tennis player (b. 1909)
  • 1995 – Donald Pleasence, English-French actor (b. 1919)
  • 1996 – Gene Kelly, American actor, singer, dancer, and director (b. 1912)
  • 1997 – Erich Eliskases, Austrian chess player (b. 1913)
  • 1997 – Sanford Meisner, American actor and coach (b. 1904)
  • 1998 – Haroun Tazieff, German-French geologist and cinematographer (b. 1914)
  • 1999 – David McComb, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1962)
  • 2002 – Paul Baloff, American singer-songwriter (b. 1960)
  • 2002 – Claude Brown, American author (b. 1937)
  • 2003 – Lou Harrison, American composer and educator (b. 1917)
  • 2004 – Bernard McEveety, American director and producer (b. 1924)
  • 2005 – Birgitte Federspiel, Danish actress (b. 1925)
  • 2005 – Max Schmeling, German boxer (b. 1905)
  • 2007 – Vijay Arora, Indian actor (b. 1944)
  • 2007 – Billy Henderson, American singer (b. 1939)
  • 2007 – Joe Hunter, American pianist (b. 1927)
  • 2007 – Filippo Raciti, Italian police officer (b. 1967)
  • 2007 – Eric Von Schmidt, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1931)
  • 2007 – Masao Takemoto, Japanese gymnast (b. 1919)
  • 2008 – Barry Morse, Canadian actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1918)
  • 2008 – Katoucha Niane, Guinean model and author (b. 1960)
  • 2011 – Edward Amy, Canadian general (b. 1918)
  • 2011 – Defne Joy Foster, Turkish actress (b. 1975)
  • 2011 – Margaret John, Welsh actress (b. 1926)
  • 2012 – Joyce Barkhouse, Canadian author (b. 1913)
  • 2012 – Frederick William Danker, American lexicographer and scholar (b. 1920)
  • 2012 – George Esper, American journalist and academic (b. 1932)
  • 2012 – Dorothy Gilman, American author (b. 1923)
  • 2012 – James F. Lloyd, American pilot and politician (b. 1922)
  • 2013 – Abraham Iyambo, Namibian politician (b. 1961)
  • 2013 – John Kerr, American actor and lawyer (b. 1931)
  • 2013 – Chris Kyle, American soldier and sniper (b. 1974)
  • 2013 – Lino Oviedo, Paraguayan general and politician (b. 1943)
  • 2013 – Pepper Paire, American baseball player (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – P. Shanmugam, Indian politician, 13th Chief Minister of Puducherry (b. 1927)
  • 2013 – Walt Sweeney, American football player (b. 1941)
  • 2013 – Guy F. Tozzoli, American architect (b. 1922)
  • 2014 – Gerd Albrecht, German conductor (b. 1935)
  • 2014 – Tommy Aquino, American motorcycle racer (b. 1992)
  • 2014 – Nicholas Brooks, English historian (b. 1941)
  • 2014 – Eduardo Coutinho, Brazilian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1933)
  • 2014 – Philip Seymour Hoffman, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1967)
  • 2014 – Luis Raúl, Puerto Rican comedian and actor (b. 1962)
  • 2014 – Bunny Rugs, Jamaican singer (b. 1948)
  • 2014 – Nigel Walker, English footballer (b. 1959)
  • 2015 – Joseph Alfidi, American pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1949)
  • 2015 – Dave Bergman, American baseball player (b. 1953)
  • 2015 – Andriy Kuzmenko, Ukrainian singer-songwriter and actor (b. 1968)
  • 2015 – Molade Okoya-Thomas, Nigerian businessman and philanthropist (b. 1935)
  • 2015 – Stewart Stern, American screenwriter (b. 1922)
  • 2015 – The Jacka, American rapper and producer (b. 1977)
  • 2016 – Bob Elliott, American comedian, actor, and screenwriter (b. 1923)

Holidays and observances on February 2

  • Anniversary of Treaty of Tartu (Estonia)
  • Christian Feast Day:
    • Adalbard
    • Cornelius the Centurion
    • Martyrs of Ebsdorf
    • February 2 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Constitution Day (Philippines)
  • Day of Youth (Azerbaijan)
  • Earliest day on which Shrove Monday can fall, while March 8 is the latest; celebrated on Monday before Ash Wednesday (Christianity), and its related observances:
    • Bun Day (Iceland)
    • Fastelavn (Denmark/Norway)
    • Nickanan Night (Cornwall)
    • Rosenmontag (Germany)
  • Feast of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple or Candlemas (Western Christianity), and its related observances:
    • A quarter day in the Christian calendar (due to Candlemas). (Scotland)
    • Celebration of Yemanja or Our Lady of Navigators (Candomblé)
    • Le Jour des Crêpes (France)
    • Our Lady of the Candles (Filipino Catholics)
    • Virgin of Candelaria (Tenerife, Spain)
  • Groundhog Day (United States and Canada), and its related observances:
    • Marmot Day (Alaska)
  • Inventor’s Day (Thailand)
  • Trader’s Day (Poland)
  • Victory of the Battle of Stalingrad (Russia)
  • World Wetlands Day

February 2 – 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 »

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