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charles viii

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

  • 371 BC – The Battle of Leuctra shatters Sparta’s reputation of military invincibility.
  • 640 – Battle of Heliopolis: The Muslim Arab army under ‘Amr ibn al-‘As defeat the Byzantine forces near Heliopolis (Egypt).
  • 1253 – Mindaugas is crowned King of Lithuania.
  • 1348 – Pope Clement VI issues a papal bull protecting the Jews accused of having caused the Black Death.
  • 1411 – Ming China’s Admiral Zheng He returns to Nanjing after the third treasure voyage and presents the Sinhalese king, captured during the Ming–Kotte War, to the Yongle Emperor.
  • 1415 – Jan Hus is condemned by the assembly of the council in the cathedral as a heretic and sentenced to be burned at the stake. (See Deaths section.)
  • 1438 – A temporary compromise between the rebellious Transylvanian peasants and the noblemen is signed in Kolozsmonostor Abbey.
  • 1483 – Richard III is crowned King of England.
  • 1484 – Portuguese sea captain Diogo Cão finds the mouth of the Congo River.
  • 1495 – First Italian War: Battle of Fornovo: Charles VIII defeats the Holy League.
  • 1535 – Sir Thomas More is executed for treason against King Henry VIII of England.
  • 1557 – King Philip II of Spain, consort of Queen Mary I of England, sets out from Dover to war with France, which eventually resulted in the loss of the City of Calais, the last English possession on the continent, and Mary I never seeing her husband again.
  • 1560 – The Treaty of Edinburgh is signed by Scotland and England.
  • 1573 – Córdoba, Argentina, is founded by Jerónimo Luis de Cabrera.
  • 1573 – French Wars of Religion: Siege of La Rochelle ends.
  • 1614 – Raid on Żejtun: The south east of Malta, and the town of Żejtun, suffer a raid from Ottoman forces. This was the last unsuccessful attempt by the Ottomans to conquer the island of Malta.
  • 1630 – Thirty Years’ War: Four thousand Swedish troops under Gustavus Adolphus land in Pomerania, Germany.
  • 1685 – Battle of Sedgemoor: Last battle of the Monmouth Rebellion. troops of King James II defeat troops of James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth.
  • 1751 – Pope Benedict XIV suppresses the Patriarchate of Aquileia and establishes from its territory the Archdiocese of Udine and Gorizia.
  • 1777 – American Revolutionary War: Siege of Fort Ticonderoga: After a bombardment by British artillery under General John Burgoyne, American forces retreat from Fort Ticonderoga, New York.
  • 1779 – Battle of Grenada: The French defeat British naval forces during the American Revolutionary War.
  • 1801 – First Battle of Algeciras: Outnumbered French Navy ships defeat the Royal Navy in the fortified Spanish port of Algeciras.
  • 1809 – The second day of the Battle of Wagram; France defeats the Austrian army in the largest battle to date of the Napoleonic Wars.
  • 1854 – In Jackson, Michigan, the first convention of the United States Republican Party is held.
  • 1885 – Louis Pasteur successfully tests his vaccine against rabies on Joseph Meister, a boy who was bitten by a rabid dog.
  • 1887 – David Kalākaua, monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii, is forced to sign the Bayonet Constitution, which transfers much of the king’s authority to the Legislature of the Kingdom of Hawaii.
  • 1892 – Three thousand eight hundred striking steelworkers engage in a day-long battle with Pinkerton agents during the Homestead Strike, leaving ten dead and dozens wounded.
  • 1917 – World War I: Arabian troops led by T. E. Lawrence (“Lawrence of Arabia”) and Auda ibu Tayi capture Aqaba from the Ottoman Empire during the Arab Revolt.
  • 1918 – The Left SR uprising in Russia starts with the assassination of German ambassador Wilhelm von Mirbach by Cheka members.
  • 1919 – The British dirigible R34 lands in New York, completing the first crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by an airship.
  • 1933 – The first Major League Baseball All-Star Game is played in Chicago’s Comiskey Park. The American League defeated the National League 4–2.
  • 1936 – A major breach of the Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal in England sends millions of gallons of water cascading 200 feet (61 m) into the River Irwell.
  • 1937 – Spanish Civil War: Battle of Brunete: The battle begins with Spanish Republican troops going on the offensive against the Nationalists to relieve pressure on Madrid.
  • 1939 – Anti-Jewish legislation in prewar Nazi Germany closes the last remaining Jewish enterprises.
  • 1940 – Story Bridge, a major landmark in Brisbane, as well as Australia’s longest cantilever bridge is formally opened.
  • 1941 – The German army launches its offensive to encircle several Soviet armies near Smolensk.
  • 1942 – Anne Frank and her family go into hiding in the “Secret Annexe” above her father’s office in an Amsterdam warehouse.
  • 1944 – Jackie Robinson refuses to move to the back of a bus, leading to a court-martial.
  • 1944 – The Hartford circus fire, one of America’s worst fire disasters, kills approximately 168 people and injures over 700 in Hartford, Connecticut.
  • 1947 – Referendum held in Sylhet to decide its fate in the Partition of India.
  • 1947 – The AK-47 goes into production in the Soviet Union.
  • 1957 – Althea Gibson wins the Wimbledon championships, becoming the first black athlete to do so.
  • 1957 – John Lennon and Paul McCartney meet for the first time, as teenagers at Woolton Fete, three years before forming the Beatles.
  • 1962 – As a part of Operation Plowshare, the Sedan nuclear test takes place.
  • 1962 – The Late Late Show, the world’s longest-running chat show by the same broadcaster, airs on RTÉ One for the first time.
  • 1964 – Malawi declares its independence from the United Kingdom.
  • 1966 – Malawi becomes a republic, with Hastings Banda as its first President.
  • 1967 – Nigerian Civil War: Nigerian forces invade Biafra, beginning the war.
  • 1975 – The Comoros declares independence from France.
  • 1986 – Davis Phinney becomes the first American cyclist to win a road stage of the Tour de France.
  • 1988 – The Piper Alpha drilling platform in the North Sea is destroyed by explosions and fires. One hundred sixty-seven oil workers are killed, making it the world’s worst offshore oil disaster in terms of direct loss of life.
  • 1989 – The Tel Aviv–Jerusalem bus 405 suicide attack: Sixteen bus passengers are killed when a member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad took control of the bus and drove it over a cliff.
  • 1990 – The Electronic Frontier Foundation is founded.
  • 1995 – In the Bosnian War, under the command of General Ratko Mladić, Serbia begins its attack on the Bosnian town of Srebrenica.
  • 1997 – The Troubles: In response to the Drumcree dispute, five days of mass protests, riots and gun battles begin in Irish nationalist districts of Northern Ireland.
  • 1998 – Hong Kong International Airport opens in Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong, replacing Kai Tak Airport as the city’s international airport.
  • 2003 – The 70-metre Yevpatoria Planetary Radar sends a METI message (Cosmic Call 2) to five stars: Hip 4872, HD 245409, 55 Cancri (HD 75732), HD 10307 and 47 Ursae Majoris (HD 95128). The messages will arrive to these stars in 2036, 2040, 2044, and 2049, respectively.
  • 2006 – The Nathu La pass between India and China, sealed during the Sino-Indian War, re-opens for trade after 44 years.
  • 2013 – At least 42 people are killed in a shooting at a school in Yobe State, Nigeria.
  • 2013 – A Boeing 777 operating as Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crashes at San Francisco International Airport, killing three and injuring 181 of the 307 people on board.
  • 2013 – A 73-car oil train derails in the town of Lac-Mégantic, Quebec and explodes into flames, killing at least 47 people and destroying more than 30 buildings in the town’s central area.

Births on July 6

  • 1387 – Queen Blanche I of Navarre (d. 1441)
  • 1423 – Antonio Manetti, Italian mathematician and architect (d. 1497)
  • 1580 – Johann Stobäus, German lute player and composer (d. 1646)
  • 1623 – Jacopo Melani, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1676)
  • 1678 – Nicola Francesco Haym, Italian cellist and composer (d. 1729)
  • 1686 – Antoine de Jussieu, French biologist and academic (d. 1758)
  • 1701 – Mary, Countess of Harold, English aristocrat and philanthropist (d. 1785)
  • 1736 – Daniel Morgan, American general and politician (d. 1802)
  • 1747 – John Paul Jones, Scottish-American captain (d. 1792)
  • 1766 – Alexander Wilson, Scottish-American poet, ornithologist, and illustrator (d. 1813)
  • 1781 – Stamford Raffles, English politician, founded Singapore (d. 1826)
  • 1782 – Maria Luisa of Spain (d. 1824)
  • 1785 – William Hooker, English botanist and academic (d. 1865)
  • 1789 – María Isabella of Spain (d. 1846)
  • 1796 – Nicholas I of Russia (d. 1855)
  • 1797 – Henry Paget, 2nd Marquess of Anglesey (d. 1869)
  • 1799 – Louisa Caroline Huggins Tuthill, American author (d. 1879)
  • 1817 – Albert von Kölliker, Swiss anatomist and physiologist (d. 1905)
  • 1818 – Adolf Anderssen, German chess player (d. 1879)
  • 1823 – Sophie Adlersparre, Swedish publisher, writer, and women’s rights activist (d. 1895)
  • 1829 – Frederick VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein (d. 1880)
  • 1831 – Sylvester Pennoyer, American lawyer and politician, 8th Governor of Oregon (d. 1902)
  • 1832 – Maximilian I of Mexico (d. 1867)
  • 1837 – R. G. Bhandarkar, Indian orientalist and scholar (d. 1925)
  • 1838 – Vatroslav Jagić, Croatian philologist and scholar (d. 1923)
  • 1840 – José María Velasco Gómez, Mexican painter and academic (d. 1912)
  • 1843 – John Downer, Australian politician, 16th Premier of South Australia (d. 1915)
  • 1856 – George Howard Earle, Jr., American lawyer and businessman (d. 1928)
  • 1858 – William Irvine, Irish-Australian politician, 21st Premier of Victoria (d. 1943)
  • 1865 – Émile Jaques-Dalcroze, Swiss composer and educator (d. 1950)
  • 1868 – Princess Victoria of the United Kingdom (d. 1935)
  • 1873 – Dimitrios Maximos, Greek banker and politician, 140th Prime Minister of Greece (d. 1955)
  • 1877 – Arnaud Massy, French golfer (d. 1950)
  • 1878 – Eino Leino, Finnish poet and journalist (d. 1926)
  • 1883 – Godfrey Huggins, Prime Minister of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (d. 1971)
  • 1884 – Harold Stirling Vanderbilt, American businessman and sailor (d. 1970)
  • 1885 – Ernst Busch, German field marshal (d. 1945)
  • 1886 – Marc Bloch, French historian and academic (d. 1944)
  • 1887 – Marc Chagall, Belarusian-French painter and poet (d. 1985)
  • 1887 – Annette Kellerman, Australian swimmer and actress (d. 1975)
  • 1890 – Dhan Gopal Mukerji, Indian-American author and scholar (d. 1936)
  • 1892 – Will James, American author and illustrator (d. 1942)
  • 1897 – Richard Krautheimer, German-American historian and scholar (d. 1994)
  • 1898 – Hanns Eisler, German-Austrian soldier and composer (d. 1962)
  • 1899 – Susannah Mushatt Jones, American supercentarian (d. 2016)
  • 1900 – Frederica Sagor Maas, American author and screenwriter (d. 2012)
  • 1900 – Elfriede Wever, German Olympic runner (d. 1941)
  • 1903 – Hugo Theorell, Swedish biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1982)
  • 1904 – Robert Whitney, American conductor and composer (d. 1986)
  • 1904 – Erik Wickberg, Swedish 9th General of The Salvation Army (d. 1996)
  • 1905 – Juan O’Gorman, Mexican painter and architect (d. 1982)
  • 1907 – Frida Kahlo, Mexican painter and educator (d. 1954)
  • 1907 – George Stanley, Canadian soldier, historian, and author, designed the flag of Canada (d. 2002)
  • 1908 – Anton Muttukumaru, Sri Lankan general and diplomat (d. 2001)
  • 1909 – Eric Reece, Australian politician, 32nd Premier of Tasmania (d. 1999)
  • 1910 – René Le Grèves, French cyclist (d. 1946)
  • 1911 – June Gale, American actress (d. 1996)
  • 1912 – Heinrich Harrer, Austrian geographer and mountaineer (d. 2006)
  • 1912 – Molly Yard, American feminist (d. 2005)
  • 1913 – Vance Trimble, American journalist and author
  • 1914 – Vince McMahon Sr., American wrestling promoter, founded WWE (d. 1984)
  • 1914 – Ernest Kirkendall, American chemist and metallurgist (d. 2005)
  • 1915 – Leonard Birchall, Royal Canadian Air Force pilot (d. 2004)
  • 1916 – Harold Norse, American poet and author (d. 2009)
  • 1916 – Don R. Christensen, American animator, cartoonist, illustrator, writer and inventor (d. 2006)
  • 1917 – Arthur Lydiard, New Zealand runner and coach (d. 2004)
  • 1918 – Sebastian Cabot, English-Canadian actor (d. 1977)
  • 1918 – Herm Fuetsch, American professional basketball player (d. 2010)
  • 1918 – Francisco Moncion, Dominican-American ballet dancer, charter member of the New York City Ballet (d.1995)
  • 1919 – Ernst Haefliger, Swiss tenor and educator (d. 2007)
  • 1919 – Edward Kenna, Australian Second World War recipient of the Victoria Cross (d. 2009)
  • 1919 – Ray Dowker, New Zealand cricketer (d. 2004)
  • 1921 – Allan MacEachen, Canadian economist and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Canada (d. 2017)
  • 1921 – Billy Mauch, American actor (d. 2006)
  • 1921 – Bobby Mauch, American actor (d. 2007)
  • 1921 – Nancy Reagan, American actress and activist, 42nd First Lady of the United States (d. 2016)
  • 1922 – William Schallert, American actor; president (1979–81) of the Screen Actors Guild (d. 2016)
  • 1923 – Wojciech Jaruzelski, Polish general and politician, 1st President of Poland (d. 2014)
  • 1924 – Mahim Bora, Indian writer and educationist, recipients of the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian honour (d. 2016)
  • 1924 – Louie Bellson, American drummer, composer, and bandleader (d. 2009)
  • 1925 – Merv Griffin, American actor, singer, and producer, created Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! (d. 2007)
  • 1925 – Bill Haley, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1981)
  • 1925 – Gazi Yaşargil, Turkish neurosurgeon and academic
  • 1926 – Sulev Vahtre, Estonian historian and academic (d. 2007)
  • 1926 – Armando Silvestre, Mexican-American actor
  • 1927 – Jan Hein Donner, Dutch chess player and journalist (d. 1988)
  • 1927 – Janet Leigh, American actress and author (d. 2004)
  • 1928 – Bernard Malgrange, French mathematician
  • 1929 – Hélène Carrère d’Encausse, French politician historian
  • 1930 – George Armstrong, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1930 – Ian Burgess, English racing driver (d. 2012)
  • 1931 – Della Reese, American actress and singer (d. 2017)
  • 1931 – László Tábori, Hungarian runner and coach (d. 2018)
  • 1932 – Herman Hertzberger, Dutch architect and academic
  • 1935 – Candy Barr, American model, dancer, and actress (d. 2005)
  • 1935 – Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
  • 1936 – Dave Allen, Irish comedian, actor, and screenwriter (d. 2005)
  • 1937 – Vladimir Ashkenazy, Russian-Icelandic pianist and conductor
  • 1937 – Ned Beatty, American actor
  • 1937 – Gene Chandler, American singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1937 – Bessie Head, Botswanan writer
  • 1937 – Michael Sata, Zambian police officer and politician, 5th President of Zambia (d. 2014)
  • 1939 – Jet Harris, English bass player (d. 2011)
  • 1939 – Mary Peters, English-Irish pentathlete and shot putter
  • 1939 – Bruce Hunter, American swimmer (d. 2018)
  • 1940 – Jeannie Seely, Grammy Award-winning country music singer-songwriter and Grand Ole Opry member
  • 1940 – Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kazakh politician, 1st President of Kazakhstan
  • 1941 – David Crystal, British linguist, author, and academic
  • 1941 – Reinhard Roder, German footballer and manager
  • 1943 – Tamara Sinyavskaya, Russian soprano
  • 1944 – Gunhild Hoffmeister, German runner
  • 1946 – George W. Bush, American businessman and politician, 43rd President of the United States
  • 1946 – Fred Dryer, American football player and actor
  • 1946 – Peter Singer, Australian philosopher and academic
  • 1946 – Sylvester Stallone, American actor, director, and screenwriter
  • 1947 – Roy Señeres, Filipino diplomat and politician (d. 2016)
  • 1948 – Nathalie Baye, French actress
  • 1948 – Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Canadian academic and politician, 26th Canadian Minister of Veterans Affairs
  • 1948 – Brad Park, Canadian-American ice hockey player and coach
  • 1949 – Noli de Castro, Filipino journalist and politician, 14th Vice President of the Philippines
  • 1949 – Phyllis Hyman, American singer-songwriter and actress (d. 1995)
  • 1949 – Michael Shrieve, American composer, drummer, and percussionist
  • 1950 – John Byrne, English-American author and illustrator
  • 1951 – Lorna Golding, Former First Lady of Jamaica
  • 1951 – Geoffrey Rush, Australian actor and producer
  • 1952 – Hilary Mantel, English author and critic
  • 1953 – Nanci Griffith, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1953 – Kaiser Kalambo, Zambian footballer and manager (d. 2014)
  • 1953 – Robert Ménard, French politician and former journalist
  • 1954 – Allyce Beasley, American actress
  • 1954 – Willie Randolph, American baseball player and manager
  • 1958 – Jennifer Saunders, English actress, comedian and screenwriter
  • 1959 – Richard Dacoury, French basketball player
  • 1960 – Maria Wasiak, Polish businesswoman and politician, Polish Minister of Infrastructure and Development
  • 1961 – Robin Antin, American dancer, choreographer, and businesswoman
  • 1962 – Todd Bennett, English runner and coach (d. 2013)
  • 1962 – Peter Hedges, American author, screenwriter, and director
  • 1967 – Heather Nova, Bermudian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1970 – Inspectah Deck, American rapper and producer
  • 1970 – Martin Smith, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1972 – Daniel Andrews, Australian politician, 48th Premier of Victoria
  • 1972 – Laurent Gaudé, French author and playwright
  • 1972 – Greg Norton, American baseball player and coach
  • 1972 – Zhanna Pintusevich-Block, Ukrainian sprinter
  • 1974 – Zé Roberto, Brazilian footballer
  • 1975 – 50 Cent, American rapper, producer, and actor
  • 1975 – Sebastián Rulli, Argentine-Mexican actor and model
  • 1975 – Amir-Abbas Fakhravar, Iranian journalist and activist
  • 1976 – Rory Delap, English-Irish footballer
  • 1976 – Ioana Dumitriu, Romanian-American mathematician and academic
  • 1977 – Max Mirnyi, Belarusian tennis player
  • 1977 – Makhaya Ntini, South African cricketer
  • 1978 – Adam Busch, American actor, director, and producer
  • 1978 – Tamera Mowry, American actress and producer
  • 1978 – Tia Mowry, American actress and producer
  • 1978 – Kevin Senio, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1979 – Nic Cester, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1979 – Kevin Hart, American comedian, actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1980 – Joell Ortiz, American rapper
  • 1980 – Eva Green, French actress and model
  • 1981 – Nnamdi Asomugha, American football player
  • 1981 – Roman Shirokov, Russian footballer
  • 1982 – Brandon Jacobs, American football player
  • 1982 – Misty Upham, American actress (d. 2014)
  • 1983 – Gregory Smith, Canadian actor, director, and producer
  • 1984 – Zhang Hao, Chinese figure skater
  • 1985 – Ranveer Singh, Indian film actor
  • 1986 – David Karp, American businessman, founded Tumblr
  • 1987 – Sophie Auster, American singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1987 – Manteo Mitchell, American runner
  • 1987 – Kate Nash, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress
  • 1987 – Caroline Trentini, Brazilian model
  • 1988 – Kevin Fickentscher, Swiss footballer
  • 1990 – Magaye Gueye, French footballer
  • 1992 – Manny Machado, Dominican-American baseball player

Deaths on July 6

  • 371 BC – Cleombrotus I, Spartan king
  • 649 – Goar of Aquitaine, French bishop
  • 887 – Wang Chongrong, Chinese warlord
  • 918 – William I, duke of Aquitaine (b. 875)
  • 1017 – Genshin, Japanese scholar (b. 942)
  • 1070 – Godelieve, Flemish saint (b. 1049)
  • 1189 – Henry II, king of England (b. 1133)
  • 1218 – Odo III, duke of Burgundy (b. 1166)
  • 1249 – Alexander II, king of Scotland (b. 1198)
  • 1415 – Jan Hus, Czech priest, philosopher, and reformer (b. 1369)
  • 1476 – Regiomontanus, German mathematician and astrologer (b. 1436)
  • 1480 – Antonio Squarcialupi, Italian composer (b. 1416)
  • 1533 – Ludovico Ariosto, Italian poet and playwright (b. 1474)
  • 1535 – Thomas More, English lawyer and politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (b. 1478)
  • 1553 – Edward VI, king of England and Ireland (b. 1537)
  • 1583 – Edmund Grindal, English archbishop (b. 1519)
  • 1585 – Thomas Aufield, English priest and martyr (b. 1552)
  • 1614 – Man Singh I, Rajput Raja of Amer (b. 1550)
  • 1684 – Peter Gunning, English bishop (b. 1614)
  • 1758 – George Howe, 3rd Viscount Howe, English general and politician (b. 1725)
  • 1768 – Conrad Beissel, German-American religious leader (b. 1690)
  • 1802 – Daniel Morgan, American general and politician (b. 1736)
  • 1809 – Antoine Charles Louis de Lasalle, French general (b. 1775)
  • 1813 – Granville Sharp, English activist (b. 1735)
  • 1815 – Samuel Whitbread, English politician (b. 1764)
  • 1835 – John Marshall, American captain and politician, 4th United States Secretary of State (b. 1755)
  • 1854 – Georg Ohm, German physicist and mathematician (b. 1789)
  • 1868 – Harada Sanosuke, Japanese captain (b. 1840)
  • 1893 – Guy de Maupassant, French short story writer, novelist, and poet (b. 1850)
  • 1901 – Chlodwig Carl Viktor, German prince and chancellor (b. 1819)
  • 1902 – Maria Goretti, Italian martyr and saint (b. 1890)
  • 1904 – Abai Qunanbaiuly, Kazakh poet and philosopher (b. 1845)
  • 1907 – August Johann Gottfried Bielenstein, German linguist and theologian (b. 1826)
  • 1916 – Odilon Redon, French painter and illustrator (b. 1840)
  • 1918 – Wilhelm von Mirbach, German diplomat (b. 1871)
  • 1922 – Maria Teresia Ledóchowska, Polish-Austrian nun and missionary (b. 1863)
  • 1932 – Kenneth Grahame, Scottish-English author (b. 1859)
  • 1934 – Nestor Makhno, Ukrainian commander (b. 1888)
  • 1946 – Horace Pippin, American painter (b. 1888)
  • 1947 – Adolfo Müller-Ury, Swiss-American painter (b. 1862)
  • 1952 – Louis-Alexandre Taschereau, Canadian lawyer and politician, 14th Premier of Quebec (b. 1867)
  • 1959 – George Grosz, German painter and illustrator (b. 1893)
  • 1960 – Aneurin Bevan, Welsh-English politician, Secretary of State for Health (b. 1897)
  • 1961 – Scott LaFaro, American bassist (b. 1936)
  • 1961 – Woodall Rodgers, American lawyer and politician, Mayor of Dallas (b. 1890)
  • 1962 – Paul Boffa, Maltese soldier and politician, 5th Prime Minister of Malta (b. 1890)
  • 1962 – William Faulkner, American novelist and short story writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1897)
  • 1962 – Joseph August, archduke of Austria (b. 1872)
  • 1963 – George, duke of Mecklenburg (b. 1899)
  • 1964 – Claude V. Ricketts, American admiral (b. 1906)
  • 1966 – Sad Sam Jones, American baseball player and manager (b. 1892)
  • 1967 – Hilda Taba, Estonian architect and educator (b. 1902)
  • 1971 – Louis Armstrong, American singer and trumpet player (b. 1901)
  • 1973 – Otto Klemperer, German-American conductor and composer (b. 1885)
  • 1975 – Reşat Ekrem Koçu, Turkish historian, scholar, and poet (b. 1905)
  • 1976 – Zhu De, Chinese general and politician, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (b. 1886)
  • 1976 – Fritz Lenz, German geneticist and physician (b. 1887)
  • 1977 – Ödön Pártos, Hungarian-Israeli viola player and composer (b. 1907)
  • 1978 – Babe Paley, American socialite and fashion style icon (b. 1915)
  • 1979 – Van McCoy, American singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1940)
  • 1986 – Jagjivan Ram, Indian lawyer and politician, 4th Deputy Prime Minister of India (b. 1908)
  • 1989 – János Kádár, Hungarian mechanic and politician, Hungarian Minister of the Interior (b. 1912)
  • 1991 – Mudashiru Lawal, Nigerian footballer (b. 1954)
  • 1992 – Marsha P. Johnson, American drag queen performer and activist (b. 1945)
  • 1994 – Ahmet Haxhiu, Kosovan activist (b. 1932)
  • 1995 – Aziz Nesin, Turkish author and poet (b. 1915)
  • 1997 – Chetan Anand, Indian director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1921)
  • 1998 – Roy Rogers, American cowboy, actor, and singer (b. 1911)
  • 1999 – Joaquín Rodrigo, Spanish pianist and composer (b. 1901)
  • 2000 – Władysław Szpilman, Polish pianist and composer (b. 1911)
  • 2002 – Dhirubhai Ambani, Indian businessman, founded Reliance Industries (b. 1932)
  • 2002 – John Frankenheimer, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1930)
  • 2003 – Buddy Ebsen, American actor, singer, and dancer (b. 1908)
  • 2003 – Çelik Gülersoy, Turkish lawyer, historical preservationist, writer and poet (b. 1930)
  • 2004 – Thomas Klestil, Austrian politician, 10th President of Austria (b. 1932)
  • 2004 – Syreeta Wright, American singer-songwriter (b. 1946)
  • 2005 – Ed McBain, American author and screenwriter (b. 1926)
  • 2005 – Claude Simon, Malagasy-French novelist and critic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1913)
  • 2006 – Kasey Rogers, American actress (b. 1925)
  • 2007 – Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, American author (b. 1939)
  • 2009 – Vasily Aksyonov, Russian author and academic (b. 1932)
  • 2009 – Robert McNamara, American businessman and politician, 8th United States Secretary of Defense (b. 1916)
  • 2010 – Harvey Fuqua, American singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1929)
  • 2011 – Carly Hibberd, Australian road racing cyclist (b. 1985)
  • 2012 – Hani al-Hassan, Palestinian engineer and politician (b. 1939)
  • 2013 – Lo Hsing Han, Burmese businessman, co-founded Asia World (b. 1935)
  • 2014 – Alan J. Dixon, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 34th Illinois Secretary of State (b. 1927)
  • 2015 – Jerry Weintraub, American film producer, and talent agent (b. 1937)
  • 2018 – Shoko Asahara, founder of Japanese cult group Aum Shinrikyo (b. 1955)
  • 2019 – João Gilberto, Brazilian singer-songwriter and guitarist, pioneer of bossa nova music style (b. 1931)
  • 2020 – Charlie Daniels, American singer-songwriter, fiddle-player and guitarist (b. 1936)
  • 2020 – Ennio Morricone, Italian composer, orchestrator, conductor, and trumpet player (b. 1928)

Holidays and observances on July 6

  • The first day of San Fermín, which lasts until July 14. (Pamplona)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Maria Goretti
    • Romulus of Fiesole
    • July 6 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Constitution Day (Cayman Islands)
  • Day of the Capital (Kazakhstan)
  • Independence Day (Comoros), celebrates the independence of the Comoros from France in 1975.
  • Independence Day (Malawi), celebrates the independence of Malawi from United Kingdom in 1964.
  • International Kissing Day (informally observed)
  • Jan Hus Day (Czech Republic)
  • Kupala Night (Poland, Russia, Belarus and Ukraine)
  • National Fried Chicken Day (United States)
  • Statehood Day (Lithuania)
  • Teachers’ Day (Peru)

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

On This Day

June 30 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

  • 296 – Pope Marcellinus begins his papacy.
  • 763 – The Byzantine army of emperor Constantine V defeats the Bulgarian forces in the Battle of Anchialus.
  • 1422 – Battle of Arbedo between the duke of Milan and the Swiss cantons.
  • 1521 – Spanish forces defeat a combined French and Navarrese army at the Battle of Noáin during the Spanish conquest of Iberian Navarre.
  • 1559 – King Henry II of France is mortally wounded in a jousting match against Gabriel, comte de Montgomery.
  • 1651 – The Deluge: Khmelnytsky Uprising: The Battle of Berestechko ends with a Polish victory.
  • 1688 – The Immortal Seven issue the Invitation to William, which would culminate in the Glorious Revolution.
  • 1758 – Seven Years’ War: Habsburg Austrian forces destroy a Prussian reinforcement and supply convoy in the Battle of Domstadtl, helping to expel Prussian King Frederick the Great from Moravia.
  • 1794 – Northwest Indian War: Native American forces under Blue Jacket attack Fort Recovery.
  • 1805 – Under An act to divide the Indiana Territory into two separate governments, adopted by the U.S. Congress on January 11, 1805, the Michigan Territory is organized.
  • 1859 – French acrobat Charles Blondin crosses Niagara Falls on a tightrope.
  • 1860 – The 1860 Oxford evolution debate at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History takes place.
  • 1864 – U.S. President Abraham Lincoln grants Yosemite Valley to California for “public use, resort and recreation”.
  • 1882 – Charles J. Guiteau is hanged in Washington, D.C. for the assassination of U.S. President James Garfield.
  • 1886 – The first transcontinental train trip across Canada departs from Montreal, Quebec. It arrives in Port Moody, British Columbia on July 4.
  • 1892 – The Homestead Strike begins near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
  • 1905 – Albert Einstein sends the article On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies, in which he introduces special relativity, for publication in Annalen der Physik.
  • 1906 – The United States Congress passes the Meat Inspection Act and Pure Food and Drug Act.
  • 1908 – The Tunguska Event, the largest impact event on Earth in human recorded history, resulting in a massive explosion over Eastern Siberia.
  • 1912 – The Regina Cyclone, Canada’s deadliest tornado event, kills 28 people in Regina, Saskatchewan.
  • 1916 – World War I: In “the day Sussex died”, elements of the Royal Sussex Regiment take heavy casualties in the Battle of the Boar’s Head at Richebourg-l’Avoué in France.
  • 1921 – U.S. President Warren G. Harding appoints former President William Howard Taft as Chief Justice of the United States.
  • 1922 – In Washington D.C., U.S. Secretary of State Charles Evans Hughes and Dominican Ambassador Francisco J. Peynado sign the Hughes–Peynado agreement, which ends the United States occupation of the Dominican Republic.
  • 1934 – The Night of the Long Knives, Adolf Hitler’s violent purge of his political rivals in Germany, takes place.
  • 1936 – Emperor Haile Selassie of Abyssinia appeals for aid to the League of Nations against Italy’s invasion of his country.
  • 1937 – The world’s first emergency telephone number, 999, is introduced in London.
  • 1944 – World War II: The Battle of Cherbourg ends with the fall of the strategically valuable port to American forces.
  • 1953 – The first Chevrolet Corvette rolls off the assembly line in Flint, Michigan.
  • 1956 – A TWA Super Constellation and a United Airlines DC-7 collide above the Grand Canyon in Arizona and crash, killing all 128 on board both airliners.
  • 1959 – A United States Air Force F-100 Super Sabre from Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, crashes into a nearby elementary school, killing 11 students plus six residents from the local neighborhood.
  • 1960 – Belgian Congo gains independence as Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville).
  • 1963 – Ciaculli bombing: a car bomb, intended for Mafia boss Salvatore Greco, kills seven police officers and military personnel near Palermo.
  • 1966 – The National Organization for Women, the United States’ largest feminist organization, is founded.
  • 1968 – Pope Paul VI issues the Credo of the People of God.
  • 1971 – The crew of the Soviet Soyuz 11 spacecraft are killed when their air supply escapes through a faulty valve.
  • 1972 – The first leap second is added to the UTC time system.
  • 1974 – The Baltimore municipal strike of 1974 begins.
  • 1977 – The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization disbands.
  • 1985 – Thirty-nine American hostages from the hijacked TWA Flight 847 are freed in Beirut after being held for 17 days.
  • 1986 – The U.S. Supreme Court rules in Bowers v. Hardwick that states can outlaw homosexual acts between consenting adults.
  • 1990 – East Germany and West Germany merge their economies.
  • 1994 – During a test flight of an Airbus A330-300 at Toulouse–Blagnac Airport, the aircraft crashes killing all seven people on board.
  • 1997 – The United Kingdom transfers sovereignty over Hong Kong to China.
  • 2005 – MTV Canada is rebranded as Razer
  • 2007 – A Jeep Cherokee filled with propane canisters drives into the entrance of Glasgow Airport, Scotland in a failed terrorist attack. This was linked to the 2007 London car bombs that had taken place the day before.
  • 2009 – Yemenia Flight 626, an Airbus A310-300, crashes into the Indian Ocean near Comoros, killing 152 of the 153 people on board. A 14-year-old girl named Bahia Bakari survives the crash.
  • 2013 – Nineteen firefighters die controlling a wildfire in Yarnell, Arizona.
  • 2013 – Protests begin around Egypt against President Mohamed Morsi and the ruling Freedom and Justice Party, leading to their overthrow during the 2013 Egyptian coup d’état.
  • 2015 – A Hercules C-130 military aircraft with 113 people on board crashes in a residential area in Medan, Indonesia, resulting in at least 116 deaths.
  • 2019 – Donald Trump becomes the first sitting US President to visit the Democratic Republic of Korea.

Births on June 30

  • 1286 – John de Warenne, 7th Earl of Surrey, English magnate (d. 1347)
  • 1468 – John, Elector of Saxony (d. 1532)
  • 1470 – Charles VIII of France (d. 1498)
  • 1478 – John, Prince of Asturias, Son of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile (d. 1497)
  • 1503 – John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony (d. 1554)
  • 1533 – Martín de Rada, Spanish missionary (d. 1578)
  • 1588 – Giovanni Maria Sabino, Italian organist, composer, and educator (d. 1649)
  • 1641 – Meinhardt Schomberg, 3rd Duke of Schomberg, German-English general (d. 1719)
  • 1685 – John Gay, English poet and playwright (d. 1732)
  • 1688 – Abu l-Hasan Ali I, ruler of Tunisia (d. 1756)
  • 1722 – Jiří Antonín Benda, Czech composer, violinist and Kapellmeister (d. 1795)
  • 1755 – Paul Barras, French soldier and politician (d. 1829)
  • 1789 – Horace Vernet, French painter and academic (d. 1863)
  • 1791 – Félix Savart, French physicist and psychologist (d. 1841)
  • 1803 – Thomas Lovell Beddoes, English poet, playwright, and physician (d. 1849)
  • 1807 – Friedrich Theodor Vischer, German author, poet, and playwright (d.1887)
  • 1817 – Joseph Dalton Hooker, English botanist and explorer (d. 1911)
  • 1843 – Ernest Mason Satow, English orientalist and diplomat (d. 1929)
  • 1864 – Frederick Bligh Bond, English architect and archaeologist (d. 1945)
  • 1884 – Georges Duhamel, French author and critic (d. 1966)
  • 1889 – Archibald Frazer-Nash, English motor car designer, engineer and founder of Frazer Nash (d. 1965)
  • 1890 – Paul Boffa, Maltese physician and politician, 5th Prime Minister of Malta (d. 1962)
  • 1891 – Man Mountain Dean, American wrestler and sergeant (d. 1953)
  • 1891 – Ed Lewis, American wrestler and manager (d. 1966)
  • 1891 – Stanley Spencer, English painter (d. 1959)
  • 1892 – Pierre Blanchar, Algerian-French actor and director (d. 1963)
  • 1893 – Walter Ulbricht, German soldier and politician (d. 1973)
  • 1895 – Heinz Warneke, German-American sculptor and educator (d. 1983)
  • 1899 – Madge Bellamy, American actress (d. 1990)
  • 1905 – John Van Ryn, American tennis player (d. 1999)
  • 1906 – Anthony Mann, American actor and director (d. 1967)
  • 1907 – Roman Shukhevych, Ukrainian general and politician (d. 1950)
  • 1908 – Winston Graham, English author (d. 2003)
  • 1908 – Luigi Rovere, Italian film producer (d. 1996)
  • 1908 – Rob Nieuwenhuys, Dutch writer (d. 1999)
  • 1909 – Juan Bosch, 43rd President of the Dominican Republic (d. 2001)
  • 1911 – Czesław Miłosz, Polish novelist, essayist, and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2004)
  • 1911 – Nagarjun, Indian poet (d. 1998)
  • 1912 – Ludwig Bölkow, German engineer (d. 2003)
  • 1912 – Dan Reeves, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 1971)
  • 1912 – María Luisa Dehesa Gómez Farías, Mexican architect (d. 2009)
  • 1913 – Alfonso López Michelsen, Colombian lawyer and politician, 24th President of Colombia (d. 2007)
  • 1913 – Harry Wismer, American sportscaster (d. 1967)
  • 1914 – Francisco da Costa Gomes, Portuguese general and politician, 15th President of Portugal (d. 2001)
  • 1914 – Allan Houser, American sculptor and painter (d. 1994)
  • 1917 – Susan Hayward, American actress (d. 1975)
  • 1917 – Lena Horne, American actress, singer, and activist (d. 2010)
  • 1917 – Willa Kim, American costume designer (d. 2016)
  • 1919 – Ed Yost, American inventor of the modern hot air balloon (d. 2007)
  • 1920 – Eleanor Ross Taylor, American poet and educator (d. 2011)
  • 1921 – Washington SyCip, American-Filipino accountant (d. 2017)
  • 1922 – Al Besselink, American professional golfer
  • 1923 – Andy Jack, English footballer
  • 1924 – Max Trepp, Swiss sprinter
  • 1925 – Fred Schaus, American basketball player and coach (d. 2010)
  • 1925 – Ebrahim Amini, Iranian politician (d. 2020)
  • 1926 – Paul Berg, American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1926 – David Berglas, American magician and mentalist
  • 1927 – Shirley Fry Irvin, American tennis player
  • 1927 – James Goldman, American screenwriter and playwright (d. 1998)
  • 1927 – Mario Lanfranchi, Italian director, screenwriter, producer, collector and actor
  • 1927 – Frank McCabe, American basketball player
  • 1928 – Hassan Hassanzadeh Amoli, Islamic philosopher, theologian, mathematician and mystic
  • 1928 – Nathaniel Tarn, American poet, essayist, anthropologist, and translator
  • 1929 – Yang Ti-liang, Chinese judge
  • 1930 – Ben Atchley, American politician (d. 2018)
  • 1930 – Ahmed Zaki Yamani, Saudi Arabian politician
  • 1930 – Ignatius Peter VIII Abdalahad, Syrian bishop (d. 2018)
  • 1931 – Yo-Yo Davalillo, Venezuelan baseball player and manager (d. 2013)
  • 1931 – Andrew Hill, American pianist and composer (d. 2007)
  • 1931 – Ronald Rene Lagueux, American judge
  • 1931 – Kaye Vaughan, American football player
  • 1933 – Tomislav Ivić, Croatian football coach and manager (d. 2011)
  • 1933 – M. J. K. Smith, English cricketer and rugby player
  • 1933 – Orval Tessier, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1933 – Joan Murrell Owens, American educator and marine biologist (d. 2011)
  • 1934 – Harry Blackstone Jr., American magician and author (d. 1997)
  • 1935 – John Harlin, American pilot and mountaineer (d. 1966)
  • 1936 – Assia Djebar, Algerian-French author and translator (d. 2015)
  • 1936 – Nancy Dussault, American actress and singer
  • 1936 – Tony Musante, American actor and screenwriter (d. 2013)
  • 1936 – Dave Van Ronk, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2002)
  • 1937 – Larry Henley, American singer-songwriter (d. 2014)
  • 1938 – Billy Mills, American sprinter
  • 1939 – Tony Hatch, English pianist, composer, and producer
  • 1939 – Barry Hines, English author and screenwriter (d. 2016)
  • 1939 – José Emilio Pacheco, Mexican poet and author (d. 2014)
  • 1940 – Mark Spoelstra, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2007)
  • 1941 – Peter Pollock, South African cricketer and author
  • 1942 – Robert Ballard, American lieutenant and oceanographer
  • 1942 – Ron Harris, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1943 – Florence Ballard, American pop/soul singer (d. 1976)
  • 1943 – Saeed Akhtar Mirza, Indian director and screenwriter
  • 1944 – Raymond Moody, American parapsychologist and author
  • 1944 – Glenn Shorrock, English-Australian singer-songwriter
  • 1944 – Ron Swoboda, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1949 – Uwe Kliemann, German footballer, coach, and manager
  • 1949 – Andy Scott, Welsh singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1951 – Stanley Clarke, American bass player and composer
  • 1952 – Athanassios S. Fokas, Greek mathematician and academic
  • 1952 – David Garrison, American actor and singer
  • 1953 – Hal Lindes, American-English guitarist and film score composer
  • 1954 – Stephen Barlow, English organist, composer, and conductor
  • 1954 – Pierre Charles, Dominican educator and politician, 5th Prime Minister of Dominica (d. 2004)
  • 1954 – Serzh Sargsyan, Armenian politician, 3rd President of Armenia
  • 1954 – Wayne Swan, Australian academic and politician, 14th Deputy Prime Minister of Australia
  • 1955 – Brian Vollmer, Canadian singer
  • 1955 – Egils Levits, Latvian judge, jurist, 10th President of Latvia
  • 1956 – Volker Beck, German hurdler and coach
  • 1956 – David Lidington, English historian, academic, and politician, Minister of State for Europe
  • 1956 – David Alan Grier, American actor, singer, and comedian
  • 1957 – Bud Black, American baseball player and manager
  • 1957 – Sterling Marlin, American race car driver
  • 1958 – Pam Royle, British television presenter, journalist and voice coach
  • 1958 – Esa-Pekka Salonen, Finnish conductor and composer
  • 1959 – Vincent D’Onofrio, American actor
  • 1959 – Daniel Goldhagen, American political scientist, author, and academic
  • 1959 – Brendan Perry, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1959 – Sakis Tsiolis, Greek footballer and manager
  • 1959 – Sandip Verma, Baroness Verma, Indian-English businesswoman and politician
  • 1960 – Jack McConnell, Scottish educator and politician, 3rd First Minister of Scotland
  • 1960 – Murray Cook, Australian musician, actor, songwriter and producer
  • 1961 – Lynne Jolitz, American computer scientist and programmer
  • 1961 – Clive Nolan, English musician, composer and producer
  • 1962 – Tony Fernández, Dominican baseball player
  • 1962 – Julianne Regan, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1963 – Olha Bryzhina, Ukrainian sprinter
  • 1963 – Rupert Graves, English actor, director, and screenwriter
  • 1963 – Yngwie Malmsteen, Swedish guitarist and songwriter
  • 1964 – Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg
  • 1964 – Mark Waters, American director and producer
  • 1965 – Steve Duchesne, Canadian-American ice hockey player and coach
  • 1965 – Cho Jae-hyun, South Korean actor
  • 1965 – Anna Levandi, Russian figure skater and coach
  • 1965 – Gary Pallister, English footballer and sportscaster
  • 1965 – Mitch Richmond, American basketball player
  • 1966 – Mike Tyson, American boxer and actor
  • 1967 – Patrik Bodén, Swedish javelin thrower
  • 1967 – David Busst, English footballer and manager
  • 1967 – Victoria Kaspi, American-Canadian astrophysicist and academic
  • 1968 – Phil Anselmo, American singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1969 – Sanath Jayasuriya, Sri Lankan cricketer and politician
  • 1969 – Uta Rohländer, German sprinter
  • 1969 – Sébastien Rose, Canadian director and screenwriter
  • 1970 – Brian Bloom, American actor and screenwriter
  • 1970 – Antonio Chimenti, Italian footballer and manager
  • 1970 – Mark Grudzielanek, American baseball player and manager
  • 1971 – Monica Potter, American actress
  • 1972 – Sandra Cam, Belgian swimmer
  • 1973 – Chan Ho Park, South Korean baseball player
  • 1973 – Frank Rost, German footballer and manager
  • 1974 – Hezekiél Sepeng, South African runner
  • 1975 – James Bannatyne, New Zealand footballer
  • 1975 – Ralf Schumacher, German race car driver
  • 1978 – Ben Cousins, Australian footballer
  • 1978 – Patrick Ivuti, Kenyan runner
  • 1978 – Claudio Rivalta, Italian footballer
  • 1979 – Sylvain Chavanel, French cyclist
  • 1980 – Rade Prica, Swedish footballer
  • 1980 – Seyi Olofinjana, Nigerian footballer
  • 1980 – Ryan ten Doeschate, Dutch cricketer
  • 1981 – Can Artam, Turkish race car driver
  • 1981 – Matt Kirk, Canadian football player
  • 1981 – Barbora Špotáková, Czech javelin thrower
  • 1981 – Ben Utecht, American football player
  • 1982 – Lizzy Caplan, American actress
  • 1982 – Ignacio Carrasco, Mexican footballer
  • 1983 – Marcus Burghardt, German cyclist
  • 1983 – Katherine Ryan, UK-based Canadian comedian and presenter
  • 1983 – Cheryl, English singer and TV personality
  • 1984 – Fantasia Barrino, American singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1984 – Tunku Ismail Idris, Crown Prince of Johor, Malaysia
  • 1985 – Trevor Ariza, American basketball player
  • 1985 – Michael Phelps, American swimmer
  • 1985 – Fabiana Vallejos, Argentinian footballer
  • 1986 – Alicia Fox, American wrestler, model, and actress
  • 1986 – Fredy Guarín, Colombian footballer
  • 1986 – Nicola Pozzi, Italian footballer
  • 1986 – Allegra Versace, Italian-American businesswoman
  • 1987 – Ryan Cook, American baseball player
  • 1987 – Andrew Hedgman, New Zealand runner
  • 1988 – Elisa Jordana, American singer-songwriter, radio and TV personality
  • 1989 – Asbel Kiprop, Kenyan runner
  • 1989 – Steffen Liebig, German rugby player
  • 1989 – David Myers, Australian footballer
  • 1990 – N, South Korean singer
  • 1998 – Tom Davies, English footballer

Deaths on June 30

  • 350 – Nepotianus, Roman ruler
  • 710 – Erentrude, Frankish abbess
  • 888 – Æthelred, archbishop of Canterbury
  • 945 – Ki no Tsurayuki, Japanese writer and poet (b. 872)
  • 1181 – Hugh de Kevelioc, 5th Earl of Chester, Welsh politician (b. 1147)
  • 1224 – Adolf of Osnabrück, German monk and bishop (b. 1185)
  • 1278 – Pierre de la Broce, French courtier
  • 1337 – Eleanor de Clare, English noblewoman (b. 1290)
  • 1364 – Arnošt of Pardubice, Czech archbishop (b. 1297)
  • 1538 – Charles II, Duke of Guelders (b. 1467)
  • 1522 – Johann Reuchlin, German humanist and Hebrew scholar (b. 1455)
  • 1607 – Caesar Baronius, Italian cardinal and historian (b. 1538)
  • 1649 – Simon Vouet, French painter (b. 1590)
  • 1660 – William Oughtred, English minister and mathematician (b. 1575)
  • 1666 – Alexander Brome, English poet and playwright (b. 1620)
  • 1670 – Henrietta of England (b. 1644)
  • 1704 – John Quelch, English pirate (b. 1665)
  • 1708 – Tekle Haymanot I of Ethiopia (b. 1684)
  • 1709 – Edward Lhuyd, Welsh botanist, linguist, and geographer (b. 1660)
  • 1785 – James Oglethorpe, English general and politician, 1st Colonial Governor of Georgia (b. 1696)
  • 1796 – Abraham Yates Jr., American lawyer and politician (b. 1724)
  • 1857 – Alcide d’Orbigny, French zoologist and paleontologist (b. 1802)
  • 1882 – Charles J. Guiteau, American preacher and lawyer, assassin of James A. Garfield (b. 1841)
  • 1882 – Alberto Henschel, German-Brazilian photographer and businessman (b. 1827)
  • 1890 – Samuel Parkman Tuckerman, American organist and composer (b. 1819)
  • 1908 – Thomas Hill, American painter (b. 1829)
  • 1913 – Alphonse Kirchhoffer, French fencer (b. 1873)
  • 1916 – Eunice Eloisae Gibbs Allyn, American correspondent, author, and poet (b. 1847)
  • 1917 – Antonio de La Gándara, French painter and illustrator (b. 1861)
  • 1917 – Dadabhai Naoroji, Parsi intellectual, educator, cotton trader, and an early Indian political and social leader (b. 1825)
  • 1919 – John William Strutt, 3rd Baron Rayleigh, English physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1842)
  • 1932 – Bruno Kastner, German actor, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1890)
  • 1934 – Karl Ernst, German soldier (b. 1904)
  • 1934 – Erich Klausener, German soldier and politician (b. 1885)
  • 1934 – Gustav Ritter von Kahr, German lawyer and politician, Minister-President of Bavaria (b. 1862)
  • 1934 – Gregor Strasser, German lieutenant and politician (b. 1892)
  • 1934 – Kurt von Schleicher, German general and politician, 23rd Chancellor of Germany (b. 1882)
  • 1941 – Yefim Fomin, Belarusian politician (b. 1909)
  • 1941 – Aleksander Tõnisson, Estonian general and politician, 5th Estonian Minister of War (b. 1875)
  • 1948 – Prince Sabahaddin, Turkish-Swiss sociologist and academic (b. 1879)
  • 1949 – Édouard Alphonse James de Rothschild, French financier and polo player (b. 1868)
  • 1951 – Yrjö Saarela, Finnish wrestler and coach (b. 1884)
  • 1953 – Elsa Beskow, Swedish author and illustrator (b. 1874)
  • 1953 – Charles William Miller, Brazilian footballer and civil servant (b. 1874)
  • 1954 – Andrass Samuelsen, Faroese politician, 1st Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands (b. 1873)
  • 1956 – Thorleif Lund, Norwegian actor (b. 1880)
  • 1959 – José Vasconcelos, Mexican philosopher and politician (b. 1882)
  • 1961 – Lee de Forest, American inventor, invented the audion tube (b. 1873)
  • 1966 – Giuseppe Farina, Italian race car driver (b. 1906)
  • 1966 – Margery Allingham, English author of detective fiction (b. 1904)
  • 1968 – Ernst Marcus, German zoologist (b. 1893)
  • 1971 – Georgi Asparuhov, Bulgarian footballer (b. 1943)
  • 1971 – Herbert Biberman, American director and screenwriter (b. 1900)
  • 1971 – Georgy Dobrovolsky Ukrainian pilot and astronaut (b. 1928)
  • 1971 – Nikola Kotkov, Bulgarian footballer (b. 1938)
  • 1971 – Viktor Patsayev, Kazakh engineer and astronaut (b. 1933)
  • 1971 – Vladislav Volkov, Russian engineer and astronaut (b. 1935)
  • 1973 – Nancy Mitford, English journalist and author (b. 1904)
  • 1973 – Vasyl Velychkovsky, Ukrainian-Canadian bishop and martyr (b. 1903)
  • 1974 – Alberta Williams King, Civil rights activist (b. 1904)
  • 1976 – Firpo Marberry, American baseball player and umpire (b. 1898)
  • 1984 – Lillian Hellman, American author and playwright (b. 1905)
  • 1985 – Haruo Remeliik, Palauan politician, 1st President of Palau (b. 1933)
  • 1995 – Georgy Beregovoy, Ukrainian general and astronaut (b. 1921)
  • 1995 – Gale Gordon, American actor and voice artist (b. 1906)
  • 1996 – Lakis Petropoulos, Greek footballer and manager (b. 1932)
  • 2001 – Chet Atkins, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (b. 1924)
  • 2001 – Joe Henderson, American saxophonist and composer (b. 1937)
  • 2002 – Chico Xavier, Brazilian medium and author (b. 1910)
  • 2003 – Buddy Hackett, American actor and comedian (b. 1924)
  • 2003 – Robert McCloskey, American author and illustrator (b. 1915)
  • 2004 – Eddie Burns, Australian rugby league player (b. 1916)
  • 2007 – Sahib Singh Verma, Indian librarian and politician, 4th Chief Minister of Delhi (b. 1943)
  • 2009 – Pina Bausch, German dancer, choreographer, and director (b. 1940)
  • 2009 – Harve Presnell, American actor and singer (b. 1933)
  • 2012 – Michael Abney-Hastings, 14th Earl of Loudoun, English-Australian politician (b. 1942)
  • 2012 – Yitzhak Shamir, Israeli politician, 7th Prime Minister of Israel (b. 1915)
  • 2012 – Michael J. Ybarra, American journalist and author (b. 1966)
  • 2013 – Alan Campbell, Baron Campbell of Alloway, English lawyer and judge (b. 1917)
  • 2013 – Akpor Pius Ewherido, Nigerian politician (b. 1963)
  • 2013 – Kathryn Morrison, American educator and politician (b. 1942)
  • 2013 – Thompson Oliha, Nigerian footballer (b. 1968)
  • 2013 – Keith Seaman, Australian politician, 29th Governor of South Australia (b. 1920)
  • 2014 – Frank Cashen, American businessman (b. 1925)
  • 2014 – Paul Mazursky, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1930)
  • 2014 – Željko Šturanović, Montenegrin lawyer and politician, 31st Prime Minister of Montenegro (b. 1960)
  • 2015 – Charles W. Bagnal, American general (b. 1934)
  • 2015 – Robert Dewar, English-American computer scientist and academic (b. 1945)
  • 2015 – Arthur Porter, Canadian physician and academic (b. 1956)
  • 2015 – Leonard Starr, American author and illustrator (b. 1925)
  • 2017 – Barry Norman, English television presenter (b. 1933)
  • 2017 – Simone Veil, French lawyer and politician (b. 1927)

Holidays and observances on June 30

  • Christian feast day:
    • Martial
    • Theobald of Provins
    • First Martyrs of the Church of Rome
    • June 30 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Armed Forces Day (Guatemala)
  • Asteroid Day (International observance)
  • General Prayer Day (Central African Republic)
  • Independence Day (Democratic Republic of the Congo), celebrates the independence of Democratic Republic of the Congo from Belgium in 1960.
  • Navy Day (Israel)
  • Philippine–Spanish Friendship Day (Philippines)
  • Revolution Day (Sudan)
  • Teachers’ Day (Dominican Republic)

June 30 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

  • 495 BC – A newly constructed temple in honour of the god Mercury was dedicated in ancient Rome on the Circus Maximus, between the Aventine and Palatine hills. To spite the senate and the consuls, the people awarded the dedication to a senior military officer, Marcus Laetorius.
  • 221 – Liu Bei, Chinese warlord, proclaims himself emperor of Shu Han, the successor of the Han dynasty.
  • 392 – Emperor Valentinian II is assassinated while advancing into Gaul against the Frankish usurper Arbogast. He is found hanging in his residence at Vienne.
  • 589 – King Authari marries Theodelinda, daughter of the Bavarian duke Garibald I. A Catholic, she has great influence among the Lombard nobility.
  • 908 – The three-year-old Constantine VII, the son of Emperor Leo VI the Wise, is crowned as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire by Patriarch Euthymius I at Constantinople.
  • 1252 – Pope Innocent IV issues the papal bull ad extirpanda, which authorizes, but also limits, the torture of heretics in the Medieval Inquisition.
  • 1525 – Insurgent peasants led by Anabaptist pastor Thomas Müntzer were defeated at the Battle of Frankenhausen, ending the German Peasants’ War in the Holy Roman Empire.
  • 1536 – Anne Boleyn, Queen of England, stands trial in London on charges of treason, adultery and incest; she is condemned to death by a specially-selected jury.
  • 1567 – Mary, Queen of Scots marries James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell, her third husband.
  • 1618 – Johannes Kepler confirms his previously rejected discovery of the third law of planetary motion (he first discovered it on March 8 but soon rejected the idea after some initial calculations were made).
  • 1648 – The Peace of Münster is ratified, by which Spain acknowledges Dutch sovereignty.
  • 1718 – James Puckle, a London lawyer, patents the world’s first machine gun.
  • 1776 – American Revolution: The Fifth Virginia Convention instructs its Continental Congress delegation to propose a resolution of independence from Great Britain, paving the way for the United States Declaration of Independence.
  • 1791 – French Revolution: Maximilien Robespierre proposes the Self-denying Ordinance.
  • 1792 – War of the First Coalition: France declares war on Kingdom of Sardinia.
  • 1793 – Diego Marín Aguilera flies a glider for “about 360 meters”, at a height of 5–6 meters, during one of the first attempted manned flights.
  • 1796 – War of the First Coalition: Napoleon enters Milan in triumph.
  • 1800 – King George III of the United Kingdom survives an assassination attempt by James Hadfield, who is later acquitted by reason of insanity.
  • 1817 – Opening of the first private mental health hospital in the United States, the Asylum for the Relief of Persons Deprived of the Use of Their Reason (now Friends Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania).
  • 1836 – Francis Baily observes “Baily’s beads” during an annular eclipse.
  • 1849 – The Sicilian revolution of 1848 is finally extinguished.
  • 1850 – The Bloody Island massacre takes place in Lake County, California, in which a large number of Pomo Indians are slaughtered by a regiment of the United States Cavalry.
  • 1850 – The Arana–Southern Treaty is ratified, ending “the existing differences” between Great Britain and Argentina.
  • 1851 – The first Australian gold rush is proclaimed, although the discovery had been made three months earlier.
  • 1858 – Opening of the present Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London.
  • 1862 – President Abraham Lincoln signs a bill into law creating the United States Bureau of Agriculture. It is later renamed the United States Department of Agriculture.
  • 1864 – American Civil War: Battle of New Market, Virginia: Students from the Virginia Military Institute fight alongside the Confederate army to force Union General Franz Sigel out of the Shenandoah Valley.
  • 1867 – Canadian Bank of Commerce opens for business in Toronto, Ontario. The bank would later merge with Imperial Bank of Canada to become what is CIBC in 1961.
  • 1869 – Women’s suffrage: In New York, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton form the National Woman Suffrage Association.
  • 1891 – Pope Leo XIII defends workers’ rights and property rights in the encyclical Rerum novarum, the beginning of modern Catholic social teaching.
  • 1904 – Russo-Japanese War: The Russian minelayer Amur lays a minefield about 15 miles off Port Arthur and sinks Japan’s battleships Hatsuse, 15,000 tons, with 496 crew and Yashima.
  • 1905 – Las Vegas is founded when 110 acres (0.45 km2), in what later would become downtown, are auctioned off.
  • 1911 – In Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey v. United States, the United States Supreme Court declares Standard Oil to be an “unreasonable” monopoly under the Sherman Antitrust Act and orders the company to be broken up.
  • 1911 – More than 300 Chinese immigrants are killed in the Torreón massacre when the forces of the Mexican Revolution led by Emilio Madero take the city of Torreón from the Federales.
  • 1914 – During a poker game at the Gaiety Theatre in Galesburg, Illinois, comedian Art Fisher nicknames Chicko, Harpo, Groucho, and Gummo Marx.
  • 1919 – The Winnipeg general strike begins. By 11:00, almost the whole working population of Winnipeg had walked off the job.
  • 1919 – Greek occupation of Smyrna. During the occupation, the Greek army kills or wounds 350 Turks; those responsible are punished by Greek commander Aristides Stergiades.
  • 1925 – Al-Insaniyyah, the first Arabic communist newspaper, is founded.
  • 1928 – Walt Disney character Mickey Mouse premieres in his first cartoon, “Plane Crazy”.
  • 1929 – A fire at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio kills 123.
  • 1932 – In an attempted coup d’état, the Prime Minister of Japan Inukai Tsuyoshi is assassinated.
  • 1933 – All military aviation organizations within or under the control of the RLM of Germany were officially merged in a covert manner to form its Wehrmacht military’s air arm, the Luftwaffe.
  • 1934 – Kārlis Ulmanis establishes an authoritarian government in Latvia.
  • 1940 – USS Sailfish is recommissioned. It was originally the USS Squalus.
  • 1940 – World War II: After fierce fighting, the poorly trained and equipped Dutch troops surrender to Germany, marking the beginning of five years of occupation.
  • 1940 – Richard and Maurice McDonald open the first McDonald’s restaurant.
  • 1941 – First flight of the Gloster E.28/39 the first British and Allied jet aircraft.
  • 1941 – Joe DiMaggio begins a 56-game hitting streak.
  • 1942 – World War II: In the United States, a bill creating the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) is signed into law.
  • 1943 – Joseph Stalin dissolves the Comintern (or Third International).
  • 1945 – World War II: The Battle of Poljana, the final skirmish in Europe is fought near Prevalje, Slovenia.
  • 1948 – Following the expiration of The British Mandate for Palestine, the Kingdom of Egypt, Transjordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia invade Israel thus starting the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.
  • 1957 – At Malden Island in the Pacific Ocean, Britain tests its first hydrogen bomb in Operation Grapple.
  • 1958 – The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 3.
  • 1960 – The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 4.
  • 1963 – Project Mercury: The launch of the final Mercury mission, Mercury-Atlas 9 with astronaut Gordon Cooper on board. He becomes the first American to spend more than a day in space, and the last American to go into space alone.
  • 1966 – After a policy dispute, Prime Minister Nguyễn Cao Kỳ of South Vietnam’s ruling junta launches a military attack on the forces of General Tôn Thất Đính, forcing him to abandon his command.
  • 1969 – People’s Park: California Governor Ronald Reagan has an impromptu student park owned by the University of California at Berkeley fenced off from student anti-war protestors, sparking a riot.
  • 1970 – President Richard Nixon appoints Anna Mae Hays and Elizabeth P. Hoisington the first female United States Army generals.
  • 1970 – Philip Lafayette Gibbs and James Earl Green are killed at Jackson State University by police during student protests.
  • 1972 – The Ryukyu Islands, under U.S. military governance since its conquest in 1945, reverts to Japanese control.
  • 1972 – In Laurel, Maryland, Arthur Bremer shoots and paralyzes Alabama Governor George Wallace while he is campaigning to become president.
  • 1974 – Ma’alot massacre: Members of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine attack and take hostages at an Israeli school; a total of 31 people are killed, including 22 schoolchildren.
  • 1976 – Aeroflot Flight 1802 crashes in Viktorovka, Chernihiv Raion, killing all 52 people on board.
  • 1987 – The Soviet Union launches the Polyus prototype orbital weapons platform. It fails to reach orbit.
  • 1988 – Soviet–Afghan War: After more than eight years of fighting, the Soviet Army begins to withdraw 115,000 troops from Afghanistan.
  • 1991 – Édith Cresson becomes France’s first female Prime Minister.
  • 1997 – The United States government acknowledges the existence of the “Secret War” in Laos and dedicates the Laos Memorial in honor of Hmong and other “Secret War” veterans.
  • 1997 – The Space Shuttle Atlantis launches on STS-84 to dock with the Russian space station Mir.
  • 2004 – Arsenal F.C. go an entire league campaign unbeaten in the English Premier League, joining Preston North End F.C with the right to claim the title “The Invincibles”.
  • 2008 – California becomes the second U.S. state after Massachusetts in 2004 to legalize same-sex marriage after the state’s own Supreme Court rules a previous ban unconstitutional.
  • 2010 – Jessica Watson becomes the youngest person to sail, non-stop and unassisted around the world solo.
  • 2013 – An upsurge in violence in Iraq leaves more than 389 people dead over three days.

Births on May 15

  • 1397 – Sejong the Great, Korean king (d. 1450)
  • 1531 – Maria of Austria, Duchess of Jülich-Cleves-Berg (d. 1581)
  • 1565 – Hendrick de Keyser, Dutch sculptor and architect (d. 1621)
  • 1567 – Claudio Monteverdi, Italian priest and composer (d. 1643)
  • 1655 – Pope Innocent XIII (d. 1724)
  • 1608 – René Goupil, French-American missionary and saint (d. 1642)
  • 1633 – Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban, French noble (d. 1707)
  • 1645 – George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys, British judge (d. 1689)
  • 1689 – Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, English writer (d. 1762)
  • 1720 – Maximilian Hell, Hungarian priest and astronomer (d. 1792)
  • 1749 – Levi Lincoln Sr., American lawyer and politician, 4th United States Attorney General (d. 1820)
  • 1759 – Maria Theresia von Paradis, Austrian pianist and composer (d. 1824)
  • 1770 – Ezekiel Hart, Canadian businessman and politician (d. 1843)
  • 1773 – Klemens von Metternich, German-Austrian politician, 1st State Chancellor of the Austrian Empire (d. 1859)
  • 1786 – Dimitris Plapoutas, Greek general and politician (d. 1864)
  • 1803 – Juan Almonte, son of José María Morelos, was a Mexican soldier and diplomat who served as a regent in the Second Mexican Empire (1863-1864) (d. 1869)
  • 1805 – Samuel Carter, Early English railway solicitor and MP (d. 1878)
  • 1808 – Michael William Balfe, Irish composer and conductor (d. 1870)
  • 1817 – Debendranath Tagore, Indian philosopher and author (d. 1905)
  • 1841 – Clarence Dutton, American commander and geologist (d. 1912)
  • 1845 – Élie Metchnikoff, Russian zoologist (d. 1916)
  • 1848 – Viktor Vasnetsov, Russian painter and illustrator (d. 1926)
  • 1854 – Ioannis Psycharis, Ukrainian-French philologist and author (d. 1929)
  • 1856 – L. Frank Baum, American novelist (d. 1919)
  • 1856 – Matthias Zurbriggen, Swiss mountaineer (d. 1917)
  • 1857 – Williamina Fleming, Scottish-American astronomer and academic (d. 1911)
  • 1859 – Pierre Curie, French physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1906)
  • 1862 – Arthur Schnitzler, Austrian author and playwright (d. 1931)
  • 1863 – Frank Hornby, English businessman and politician, invented Meccano (d. 1936)
  • 1869 – Paul Probst, Swiss target shooter (d. 1945)
  • 1869 – John Storey, Australian politician, 20th Premier of New South Wales (d. 1921)
  • 1882 – Walter White, Scottish international footballer (d. 1950)
  • 1890 – Katherine Anne Porter, American short story writer, novelist, and essayist (d. 1980)
  • 1891 – Mikhail Bulgakov, Russian novelist and playwright (d. 1940)
  • 1891 – Fritz Feigl, Austrian-Brazilian chemist and academic (d. 1971)
  • 1892 – Charles E. Rosendahl, American admiral (d. 1977)
  • 1892 – Jimmy Wilde, Welsh boxer (d. 1969)
  • 1893 – José Nepomuceno, Filipino filmmaker, founder of Philippine cinema (d. 1959)
  • 1894 – Feg Murray, American hurdler and cartoonist (d. 1973)
  • 1895 – Prescott Bush, American captain, banker, and politician (d. 1972)
  • 1895 – William D. Byron, American lieutenant and politician (d. 1941)
  • 1898 – Arletty, French model, actress, and singer (d. 1992)
  • 1899 – Jean Étienne Valluy, French general (d. 1970)
  • 1900 – Ida Rhodes, American mathematician, pioneer in computer programming (d. 1986)
  • 1901 – Xavier Herbert, Australian author (d. 1984)
  • 1901 – Luis Monti, Argentinian-Italian footballer and manager (d. 1983)
  • 1902 – Richard J. Daley, American lawyer and politician, 48th Mayor of Chicago (d. 1976)
  • 1902 – Sigizmund Levanevsky, Soviet aircraft pilot of Polish origin (d. 1937)
  • 1903 – Maria Reiche, German mathematician and archaeologist (d. 1998)
  • 1904 – Clifton Fadiman, American game show host and author (d. 1999)
  • 1905 – Joseph Cotten, American actor (d. 1994)
  • 1905 – Albert Dubout, French cartoonist, illustrator, painter, and sculptor (d. 1976)
  • 1905 – Abraham Zapruder, American businessman and amateur photographer, filmed the Zapruder film (d. 1970)
  • 1907 – Sukhdev Thapar, Indian activist (d. 1931)
  • 1909 – James Mason, English actor, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1984)
  • 1909 – Clara Solovera, Chilean singer-songwriter (d. 1992)
  • 1910 – Constance Cummings, British-based American actress (d. 2005)
  • 1911 – Max Frisch, Swiss playwright and novelist (d. 1991)
  • 1911 – Herta Oberheuser, German physician (d. 1978)
  • 1912 – Arthur Berger, American composer and educator (d. 2003)
  • 1914 – Turk Broda, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 1972)
  • 1914 – Angus MacLean, Canadian farmer and politician, 25th Premier of Prince Edward Island (d. 2000)
  • 1914 – Norrie Paramor, English composer, producer, and conductor (d. 1979)
  • 1915 – Hilda Bernstein, English-South African author and activist (d. 2006)
  • 1915 – Paul Samuelson, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2009)
  • 1915 – Henrik Sandberg, Danish production manager and producer (d. 1993)
  • 1916 – Vera Gebuhr, Danish actress (d. 2014)
  • 1918 – Eddy Arnold, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (d. 2008)
  • 1918 – Arthur Jackson, American lieutenant and target shooter (d. 2015)
  • 1918 – Joseph Wiseman, Canadian-American actor (d. 2009)
  • 1920 – Michel Audiard, French director and screenwriter (d. 1985)
  • 1922 – Sigurd Ottovich Schmidt, Russian historian and ethnographer (d. 2013)
  • 1922 – Jakucho Setouchi, Japanese nun and author
  • 1923 – Richard Avedon, American sailor and photographer (d. 2004)
  • 1923 – John Lanchbery, English-Australian composer and conductor (d. 2003)
  • 1924 – Maria Koepcke, German-Peruvian ornithologist and zoologist (d. 1971)
  • 1925 – Andrei Eshpai, Russian pianist and composer (d. 2015)
  • 1925 – Mary F. Lyon, English geneticist and biologist (d. 2014)
  • 1925 – Carl Sanders, American soldier, pilot, and politician, 74th Governor of Georgia (d. 2014)
  • 1925 – Roy Stewart, Jamaican-English actor and stuntman (d. 2008)
  • 1926 – Clermont Pépin, Canadian pianist, composer, and educator (d. 2006)
  • 1926 – Anthony Shaffer, English author, playwright, and screenwriter (d. 2001)
  • 1926 – Peter Shaffer, English playwright and screenwriter (d. 2016)
  • 1930 – Jasper Johns, American painter and sculptor
  • 1931 – Ken Venturi, American golfer and sportscaster (d. 2013)
  • 1935 – Don Bragg, American pole vaulter
  • 1935 – Ted Dexter, Italian-English cricketer
  • 1935 – Utah Phillips, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2008)
  • 1935 – Akihiro Miwa, Japanese singer, actor, director, composer, author and drag queen
  • 1936 – Anna Maria Alberghetti, Italian-American actress and singer
  • 1936 – Mart Laga, Estonian basketball player (d. 1977)
  • 1936 – Ralph Steadman, English painter and illustrator
  • 1936 – Paul Zindel, American playwright and novelist (d. 2003)
  • 1937 – Madeleine Albright, Czech-American politician and diplomat, 64th United States Secretary of State
  • 1937 – Karin Krog, Norwegian singer
  • 1937 – Trini Lopez, American singer, guitarist, and actor
  • 1938 – Mireille Darc, French actress, director, and screenwriter (d. 2017)
  • 1938 – Nancy Garden, American author (d. 2014)
  • 1939 – Dorothy Shirley, English high jumper and educator
  • 1940 – Roger Ailes, American businessman (d. 2017)
  • 1940 – Lainie Kazan, American actress and singer
  • 1940 – Don Nelson, American basketball player and coach
  • 1941 – Jaxon, American illustrator and publisher, co-founded the Rip Off Press (d. 2006)
  • 1942 – Lois Johnson, American singer-songwriter (d. 2014)
  • 1942 – Jusuf Kalla, Indonesian businessman and politician, 10th Vice President of Indonesia
  • 1942 – Doug Lowe, Australian politician, 35th Premier of Tasmania
  • 1942 – K. T. Oslin, American singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1943 – Paul Bégin, Canadian lawyer and politician
  • 1943 – Freddie Perren, American songwriter, producer, and conductor (d. 2004)
  • 1944 – Bill Alter, American police officer and politician
  • 1944 – Ulrich Beck, German sociologist and academic (d. 2015)
  • 1945 – Michael Dexter, English hematologist and academic
  • 1945 – Jerry Quarry, American boxer (d. 1999)
  • 1946 – Thadeus Nguyễn Văn Lý, Vietnamese priest and activist
  • 1947 – Graeham Goble, Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer
  • 1948 – Kate Bornstein, American author, playwright, performance artist, and gender theorist
  • 1948 – Yutaka Enatsu, Japanese baseball player
  • 1948 – Brian Eno, English singer-songwriter, keyboard player, and producer
  • 1948 – Kathleen Sebelius, American politician, 44th Governor of Kansas
  • 1949 – Frank L. Culbertson Jr., American captain, pilot, and astronaut
  • 1949 – Robert S.J. Sparks, English geologist and academic
  • 1950 – Jim Bacon, Australian politician, 41st Premier of Tasmania (d. 2004)
  • 1950 – Jim Simons, American golfer (d. 2005)
  • 1951 – Dennis Frederiksen, American singer-songwriter (d. 2014)
  • 1951 – Chris Ham, English political scientist and academic
  • 1951 – Frank Wilczek, American mathematician and physicist, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1952 – Chazz Palminteri, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1953 – George Brett, American baseball player and coach
  • 1953 – Athene Donald, English physicist and academic
  • 1953 – Mike Oldfield, English-Irish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1954 – Diana Liverman, English-American geographer and academic
  • 1954 – Caroline Thomson, English journalist and broadcaster
  • 1955 – Mohamed Brahmi, Tunisian politician (d. 2013)
  • 1955 – Lia Vissi, Cypriot singer-songwriter and politician
  • 1956 – Andreas Loverdos, Greek lawyer and politician, Greek Minister of Labour
  • 1956 – Dan Patrick, American television anchor and sportscaster
  • 1956 – Kevin Greenaugh, American nuclear engineer
  • 1957 – Meg Gardiner, American-English author and academic
  • 1957 – Juan José Ibarretxe, Spanish politician
  • 1957 – Kevin Von Erich, American football player and wrestler
  • 1958 – Jason Graae, American musical theater actor
  • 1958 – Ruth Marcus, American journalist
  • 1958 – Ron Simmons, American football player and wrestler
  • 1959 – Khaosai Galaxy, Thai boxer and politician
  • 1959 – Luis Pérez-Sala, Spanish race car driver
  • 1959 – Beverly Jo Scott, American-Belgian singer-songwriter
  • 1960 – Rhonda Burchmore, Australian actress, singer, and dancer
  • 1960 – Rob Bowman, American director and producer
  • 1960 – R. Kuhaneswaran, Sri Lankan politician
  • 1960 – Rimas Kurtinaitis, Lithuanian basketball player and coach
  • 1961 – Giselle Fernández, Mexican-American television journalist.
  • 1962 – Lisa Curry, Australian swimmer
  • 1963 – Gavin Nebbeling, South African footballer
  • 1964 – Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Danish lawyer and politician, 40th Prime Minister of Denmark
  • 1965 – André Abujamra, Brazilian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1965 – Scott Tronc, Australian rugby league player
  • 1966 – Jiří Němec, Czech footballer
  • 1967 – Simen Agdestein, Norwegian chess grandmaster and football player
  • 1967 – Laura Hillenbrand, American journalist and author
  • 1967 – John Smoltz, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1967 – Madhuri Dixit, Indian actress
  • 1968 – Cecilia Malmström, Swedish academic and politician, 15th European Commissioner for Trade
  • 1968 – Sophie Raworth, English journalist and broadcaster
  • 1969 – Hideki Irabu, Japanese-American baseball player (d. 2011)
  • 1969 – Emmitt Smith, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1970 – Frank de Boer, Dutch footballer and manager
  • 1970 – Ronald de Boer, Dutch footballer and manager
  • 1970 – Desmond Howard, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1970 – Alison Jackson, English photographer, director, and screenwriter
  • 1970 – Rod Smith, American football player
  • 1970 – Ben Wallace, English captain and politician
  • 1971 – Karin Lušnic, Slovenian tennis player
  • 1972 – Danny Alexander, Scottish politician, Secretary of State for Scotland
  • 1972 – David Charvet, French actor and singer
  • 1974 – Vasilis Kikilias, Greek basketball player and politician
  • 1974 – Matthew Sadler, English chess player and author
  • 1974 – Marko Tredup, German footballer and manager
  • 1974 – Ahmet Zappa, American musician and writer
  • 1975 – Ray Lewis, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1975 – Ales Michalevic, Belarusian lawyer and politician
  • 1976 – Torraye Braggs, American basketball player
  • 1976 – Mark Kennedy, Irish footballer
  • 1976 – Jacek Krzynówek, Polish footballer
  • 1976 – Ryan Leaf, American football player and coach
  • 1976 – Anže Logar, Slovenian politician
  • 1976 – Tyler Walker, American baseball player
  • 1978 – Amy Chow, American gymnast and pediatrician
  • 1978 – Dwayne De Rosario, Canadian soccer player
  • 1978 – Edu, Brazilian footballer
  • 1978 – David Krumholtz, American actor
  • 1979 – Adolfo Bautista, Mexican footballer
  • 1979 – Daniel Caines, English sprinter
  • 1979 – Chris Masoe, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1979 – Ryan Max Riley, American skier
  • 1979 – Robert Royal, American football player
  • 1979 – Dominic Scott, Irish guitarist
  • 1980 – Josh Beckett, American baseball player
  • 1981 – Patrice Evra, French footballer
  • 1981 – Paul Konchesky, English international footballer
  • 1981 – Justin Morneau, Canadian baseball player
  • 1981 – Zara Phillips, English equestrian
  • 1981 – Jamie-Lynn Sigler, American actress and singer
  • 1982 – Veronica Campbell-Brown, Jamaican sprinter
  • 1982 – Segundo Castillo, Ecuadorian footballer
  • 1982 – Rafael Pérez, Dominican baseball player
  • 1982 – Layal Abboud, Lebanese singer
  • 1984 – Jeff Deslauriers, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1984 – Sérgio Jimenez, Brazilian race car driver
  • 1984 – Samantha Noble, Australian actress
  • 1984 – Beau Scott, Australian rugby league player
  • 1984 – Mr Probz, Dutch singer, songwriter, rapper, actor and record producer
  • 1985 – Cristiane, Brazilian footballer
  • 1985 – Tania Cagnotto, Italian diver
  • 1985 – Laura Harvey, English football coach
  • 1985 – Tathagata Mukherjee, Indian actor
  • 1985 – Denis Onyango, Ugandan goalkeeper
  • 1985 – Justine Robbeson, South African javelin thrower
  • 1986 – Thomas Brown, American football player
  • 1986 – Matías Fernández, Chilean footballer
  • 1986 – Adam Moffat, Scottish footballer
  • 1987 – David Adams, American baseball player
  • 1987 – Michael Brantley, American baseball player
  • 1987 – Brian Dozier, American baseball player
  • 1987 – Mark Fayne, American ice hockey player
  • 1987 – Ersan İlyasova, Turkish basketball player
  • 1987 – Leonardo Mayer, Argentinian tennis player
  • 1987 – Andy Murray, Scottish tennis player
  • 1988 – Indrek Kajupank, Estonian basketball player
  • 1988 – Scott Laird, English footballer
  • 1989 – Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, French footballer
  • 1990 – Jordan Eberle, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1990 – Lee Jong-hyun, Korean guitarist
  • 1990 – Stella Maxwell, New Zealand model
  • 1993 – Jeremy Hawkins, New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1993 – Tomáš Kalas, Czech international footballer
  • 1996 – Birdy, English singer-songwriter
  • 1997 – Ousmane Dembélé, French footballer

Deaths on May 15

  • 392 – Valentinian II, Roman emperor (b. 371)
  • 558 – Hilary of Galeata, Christian monk (b. 476)
  • 884 – Narinus I, pope of the Catholic Church (b. 830)
  • 913 – Hatto I, German archbishop (b. 850)
  • 926 – Zhuang Zong, Chinese emperor (b. 885)
  • 973 – Byrhthelm, bishop of Wells
  • 1036 – Go-Ichijō, emperor of Japan (b. 1008)
  • 1157 – Yuri Dolgorukiy, Grand Prince of Kiev (b. 1099)
  • 1175 – Mleh, prince of Armenia
  • 1174 – Nur ad-Din, Seljuk emir of Syria (b. 1118)
  • 1268 – Peter II, count of Savoy (b. 1203)
  • 1461 – Domenico Veneziano, Italian painter (b. c. 1410)
  • 1464 – Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset (b. 1436)
  • 1470 – Charles VIII, king of Sweden (b. 1409)
  • 1585 – Niwa Nagahide, Japanese samurai (b. 1535)
  • 1609 – Giovanni Croce, Italian composer and educator (b. 1557)
  • 1615 – Henry Bromley, English politician (b. 1560)
  • 1634 – Hendrick Avercamp, Dutch painter (b. 1585)
  • 1698 – Marie Champmeslé, French actress (b. 1642)
  • 1699 – Sir Edward Petre, 3rd Baronet, English politician (b. 1631)
  • 1700 – John Hale, American minister (b. 1636)
  • 1740 – Ephraim Chambers, English publisher (b. 1680)
  • 1773 – Alban Butler, English priest and hagiographer (b. 1710)
  • 1845 – Braulio Carrillo Colina, Costa Rican lawyer and politician, Head of State of Costa Rica (b. 1800)
  • 1879 – Gottfried Semper, German architect and educator, designed the Semper Opera House (b. 1803)
  • 1886 – Emily Dickinson, American poet and author (b. 1830)
  • 1914 – Ida Freund, Austrian-born chemist and educator (b. 1863)
  • 1919 – Hasan Tahsin, Turkish journalist (b. 1888)
  • 1924 – Paul-Henri-Benjamin d’Estournelles de Constant, French diplomat and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1852)
  • 1926 – Joseph James Fletcher, Australian biologist (b. 1850)
  • 1928 – Umegatani Tōtarō I, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 15th Yokozuna (b. 1845)
  • 1935 – Kazimir Malevich, Ukrainian-Russian painter and theoretician (b. 1878)
  • 1937 – Philip Snowden, 1st Viscount Snowden, English politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (b. 1864)
  • 1945 – Kenneth J. Alford, English soldier, bandmaster, and composer (b. 1881)
  • 1945 – Charles Williams, English author, poet, and critic (b. 1886)
  • 1948 – Edward J. Flanagan, Irish-American priest, founded Boys Town (b. 1886)
  • 1954 – William March, American soldier and author (b. 1893)
  • 1956 – Austin Osman Spare, English painter and magician (b. 1886)
  • 1957 – Keith Andrews, American race car driver (b. 1920)
  • 1957 – Dick Irvin, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1892)
  • 1963 – John Aglionby, English-born Bishop of Accra and soldier (b. 1884)
  • 1964 – Vladko Maček, Croatian lawyer and politician (b. 1879)
  • 1965 – Pio Pion, Italian businessman (b. 1887)
  • 1967 – Edward Hopper, American painter (b. 1882)
  • 1967 – Italo Mus, Italian painter (b. 1892)
  • 1969 – Joe Malone, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1890)
  • 1971 – Tyrone Guthrie, English director, producer, and playwright (b. 1900)
  • 1978 – Robert Menzies, Australian lawyer and politician, 12th Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1894)
  • 1980 – Gordon Prange, American historian and author (b. 1910)
  • 1982 – Gordon Smiley, American race car driver (b. 1946)
  • 1984 – Francis Schaeffer, American pastor, theologian, and philosopher (b. 1912)
  • 1985 – Jackie Curtis, American actress and writer (b. 1947)
  • 1986 – Elio de Angelis, Italian race car driver (b. 1958)
  • 1986 – Theodore H. White, American historian, journalist, and author (b. 1915)
  • 1989 – Johnny Green, American composer and conductor (b. 1908)
  • 1989 – Luc Lacourcière, Canadian ethnographer and author (b. 1910)
  • 1991 – Andreas Floer, German mathematician and academic (b. 1956)
  • 1991 – Amadou Hampâté Bâ, Malian ethnologist and author (b. 1901)
  • 1991 – Fritz Riess, German race car driver (b. 1922)
  • 1993 – Salah Ahmed Ibrahim, Sudanese poet and diplomat (b. 1933)
  • 1994 – Gilbert Roland, American actor (b. 1905)
  • 1995 – Eric Porter, English actor (b. 1928)
  • 1996 – Charles B. Fulton, American lawyer and judge (b. 1910)
  • 1998 – Earl Manigault, American basketball player (b. 1944)
  • 1998 – Naim Talu, Turkish economist, banker, politician, 15th Prime Minister of Turkey (b. 1919)
  • 2003 – June Carter Cash, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress (b. 1929)
  • 2006 – Nizar Abdul Zahra, Iraqi footballer (b. 1961)
  • 2007 – Jerry Falwell, American pastor, founded Liberty University (b. 1933)
  • 2008 – Tommy Burns, Scottish footballer and manager (b. 1956)
  • 2008 – Alexander Courage, American composer and conductor (b. 1919)
  • 2008 – Will Elder, American illustrator (b. 1921)
  • 2009 – Bud Tingwell, Australian actor, director, and producer (b. 1923)
  • 2009 – Wayman Tisdale, American basketball player and bass player (b. 1964)
  • 2010 – Besian Idrizaj, Austrian footballer (b. 1987)
  • 2010 – Loris Kessel, Swiss race car driver (b. 1950)
  • 2012 – Carlos Fuentes, Mexican novelist and essayist (b. 1928)
  • 2012 – Arno Lustiger, German historian and author (b. 1924)
  • 2012 – Zakaria Mohieddin, Egyptian soldier and politician, 33rd Prime Minister of Egypt (b. 1918)
  • 2013 – Henrique Rosa, Bissau-Guinean politician, President of Guinea-Bissau (b. 1946)
  • 2014 – Jean-Luc Dehaene, French-Belgian politician, 63rd Prime Minister of Belgium (b. 1940)
  • 2014 – Noribumi Suzuki, Japanese director and screenwriter (b. 1933)
  • 2015 – Elisabeth Bing, German-American physical therapist and author (b. 1914)
  • 2015 – Jackie Brookner, American sculptor and educator (b. 1945)
  • 2015 – Garo Yepremian, Cypriot-American football player (b. 1944)
  • 2020 – Fred Willard, American actor, comedian, and writer (b. 1933)[19]

Holidays and observances on May 15

  • Aoi Matsuri (Kyoto)
  • Army Day (Slovenia)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Achillius of Larissa
    • Athanasius of Alexandria (Coptic Church)
    • Dymphna
    • Hallvard Vebjørnsson (Roman Catholic Church)
    • Hesychius of Cazorla
    • Hilary of Galeata
    • Isidore the Laborer, celebrated with festivals in various countries, the beginning of bullfighting season in Madrid.
    • Jean-Baptiste de La Salle (Roman Catholic Church)
    • Peter, Andrew, Paul, and Denise (Roman Catholic Church)
    • Reticius (Roman Catholic Church)
    • Sophia of Rome (Roman Catholic church)
    • May 15 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Constituent Assembly Day (Lithuania)
  • Earliest date on which Armed Forces Day (United States) can fall, while May 21 is the latest; celebrated on the third Saturday of May.
  • Independence Day (Paraguay), celebrates the independence of Paraguay from Spain in 1811. Celebrations for the anniversary of the independence begin on Flag Day, May 14.
  • International Conscientious Objectors Day
  • International Day of Families (International)
  • La Corsa dei Ceri begins on the eve of the feast day of Saint Ubaldo. (Gubbio)
  • Mother’s Day (Paraguay)
  • Nakba Day (Palestinian communities)
  • Peace Officers Memorial Day (United States)
  • Republic Day (Lithuania)
  • Teachers’ Day (Colombia, Mexico and South Korea)

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

On This Day

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

  • 1097 – The Siege of Nicaea begins during the First Crusade.
  • 1264 – Battle of Lewes: Henry III of England is captured and forced to sign the Mise of Lewes, making Simon de Montfort the effective ruler of England.
  • 1509 – Battle of Agnadello: In northern Italy, French forces defeat the Republic of Venice.
  • 1607 – Jamestown, Virginia is settled as an English colony.
  • 1608 – The Protestant Union, a coalition of Protestant German states, is founded to defend the rights, land and safety of each member against the Catholic Church and Catholic German states.
  • 1610 – Henry IV of France is assassinated by Catholic zealot François Ravaillac, and Louis XIII ascends the throne.
  • 1643 – Four-year-old Louis XIV becomes King of France upon the death of his father, Louis XIII.
  • 1747 – War of the Austrian Succession: A British fleet under Admiral George Anson defeats the French at the First Battle of Cape Finisterre.
  • 1796 – Edward Jenner administers the first smallpox inoculation.
  • 1800 – The 6th United States Congress recesses, and the process of moving the U.S. Government from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C., begins the following day.
  • 1804 – William Clark and 42 men depart from Camp Dubois to join Meriwether Lewis at St. Charles, Missouri, marking the beginning of the Lewis and Clark Expedition‘s historic journey up the Missouri River.
  • 1811 – Paraguay: Pedro Juan Caballero, Fulgencio Yegros and José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia start actions to depose the Spanish governor.
  • 1836 – The Treaties of Velasco are signed in Velasco, Texas.
  • 1863 – American Civil War: The Battle of Jackson takes place.
  • 1868 – Boshin War: The Battle of Utsunomiya Castle ends as former Tokugawa shogunate forces withdraw northward.
  • 1870 – The first game of rugby in New Zealand is played in Nelson between Nelson College and the Nelson Rugby Football Club.
  • 1878 – The last witchcraft trial held in the United States begins in Salem, Massachusetts, after Lucretia Brown, an adherent of Christian Science, accused Daniel Spofford of attempting to harm her through his mental powers.
  • 1879 – The first group of 463 Indian indentured laborers arrives in Fiji aboard the Leonidas.
  • 1913 – Governor of New York William Sulzer approves the charter for the Rockefeller Foundation, which begins operations with a $100 million donation from John D. Rockefeller.
  • 1918 – Cape Town Mayor, Sir Harry Hands, inaugurates the Two-minute silence.
  • 1925 – Virginia Woolf’s novel Mrs Dalloway is published.
  • 1931 – Five unarmed civilians are killed in the Ådalen shootings, as the Swedish military is called in to deal with protesting workers.
  • 1935 – The Constitution of the Philippines is ratified by a popular vote.
  • 1939 – Lina Medina becomes the youngest confirmed mother in medical history at the age of five.
  • 1940 – World War II: Rotterdam, Netherlands is bombed by the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany despite a ceasefire, killing about 900 people and destroying the historic city center.
  • 1943 – World War II: A Japanese submarine sinks AHS Centaur off the coast of Queensland.
  • 1948 – Israel is declared to be an independent state and a provisional government is established. Immediately after the declaration, Israel is attacked by the neighboring Arab states, triggering the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.
  • 1951 – Trains run on the Talyllyn Railway in Wales for the first time since preservation, making it the first railway in the world to be operated by volunteers.
  • 1955 – Cold War: Eight Communist bloc countries, including the Soviet Union, sign a mutual defense treaty called the Warsaw Pact.
  • 1961 – Civil rights movement: A white mob twice attacks a Freedom Riders bus near Anniston, Alabama, before fire-bombing the bus and attacking the civil rights protesters who flee the burning vehicle.
  • 1970 – Andreas Baader is freed from custody by Ulrike Meinhof, Gudrun Ensslin and others, a pivotal moment in the formation of the Red Army Faction.
  • 1973 – Skylab, the United States’ first space station, is launched.
  • 1977 – A Dan-Air Boeing 707 leased to IAS Cargo Airlines crashes on approach to Lusaka International Airport (now Kenneth Kaunda International Airport) in Lusaka, Zambia, killing six people.
  • 1980 – Salvadoran Civil War: the Sumpul River massacre occurs in Chalatenango, El Salvador.
  • 1988 – Carrollton bus collision: A drunk driver traveling the wrong way on Interstate 71 near Carrollton, Kentucky hits a converted school bus carrying a church youth group. Twenty-seven die in the crash and ensuing fire.
  • 2004 – The Constitutional Court of South Korea overturns the impeachment of President Roh Moo-hyun.
  • 2004 – Rico Linhas Aéreas Flight 4815 crashes into the Amazon rainforest during approach to Eduardo Gomes International Airport in Manaus, Brazil, killing 33 people.
  • 2010 – Space Shuttle Atlantis launches on the STS-132 mission to deliver the first shuttle-launched Russian ISS component — Rassvet. This was originally slated to be the final launch of Atlantis, before Congress approved STS-135.
  • 2012 – Agni Air Flight CHT crashes in Nepal after a failed go-around, killing 15 people.

Births on May 14

  • 1316 – Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1378)
  • 1553 – Margaret of Valois (d. 1615)
  • 1574 – Francesco Rasi, Italian singer-songwriter, theorbo player, and poet (d. 1621)
  • 1592 – Alice Barnham, wife of statesman Francis Bacon (d. 1650)
  • 1630 – Katakura Kagenaga, Japanese samurai (d. 1681)
  • 1652 – Johann Philipp Förtsch, German composer (d. 1732)
  • 1657 – Sambhaji, Indian emperor (d. 1689)
  • 1666 – Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia (d. 1732)
  • 1679 – Peder Horrebow, Danish astronomer and mathematician (d. 1764)
  • 1699 – Hans Joachim von Zieten, Prussian general (d. 1786)
  • 1701 – William Emerson, English mathematician and academic (d. 1782)
  • 1710 – Adolf Frederick, King of Sweden (d. 1771)
  • 1725 – Ludovico Manin, the last Doge of Venice (d. 1802)
  • 1727 – Thomas Gainsborough, English painter (d. 1788)
  • 1737 – George Macartney, 1st Earl Macartney, Irish-English politician and diplomat, Governor of Grenada (d. 1806)
  • 1752 – Timothy Dwight IV, American minister, theologian, and academic (d. 1817)
  • 1752 – Albrecht Thaer, German agronomist and author (d. 1828)
  • 1761 – Samuel Dexter, American lawyer and politician, 4th United States Secretary of War, 3rd United States Secretary of the Treasury (d. 1816)
  • 1771 – Robert Owen, Welsh businessman and social reformer (d. 1858)
  • 1771 – Thomas Wedgwood, English photographer (d. 1805)
  • 1781 – Friedrich Ludwig Georg von Raumer, German historian and academic (d. 1873)
  • 1794 – Fanny Imlay, daughter of British feminist Mary Wollstonecraft (d. 1816)
  • 1814 – Charles Beyer, German-English engineer, co-founded Beyer, Peacock and Company (d. 1876)
  • 1817 – Alexander Kaufmann, German poet and educator (d. 1893)
  • 1820 – James Martin, Irish-Australian politician, 6th Premier of New South Wales (d. 1886)
  • 1830 – Antonio Annetto Caruana, Maltese archaeologist and author (d. 1905)
  • 1832 – Rudolf Lipschitz, German mathematician and academic (d. 1903)
  • 1851 – Anna Laurens Dawes, American author and suffragist (d. 1938)
  • 1852 – Henri Julien, Canadian illustrator (d. 1908)
  • 1863 – John Charles Fields, Canadian mathematician, founder of the Fields Medal (d. 1932)
  • 1867 – Kurt Eisner, German journalist and politician, Prime Minister of Bavaria (d. 1919)
  • 1868 – Magnus Hirschfeld, German physician and sexologist (d. 1935)
  • 1869 – Arthur Rostron, English captain (d. 1940)
  • 1872 – Elia Dalla Costa, Italian cardinal (d. 1961)
  • 1878 – J. L. Wilkinson, American baseball player and manager (d. 1964)
  • 1879 – Fred Englehardt, American jumper (d. 1942)
  • 1880 – Wilhelm List, German field marshal (d. 1971)
  • 1881 – Lionel Hill, Australian politician, 30th Premier of South Australia (d. 1963)
  • 1881 – George Murray Hulbert, American judge and politician (d. 1950)
  • 1885 – Otto Klemperer, German composer and conductor (d. 1973)
  • 1887 – Ants Kurvits, Estonian general and politician, 10th Estonian Minister of War (d. 1943)
  • 1888 – Archie Alexander, American mathematician and engineer (d. 1958)
  • 1893 – Louis Verneuil, French actor and playwright (d. 1952)
  • 1897 – Sidney Bechet, American saxophonist, clarinet player, and composer (d. 1959)
  • 1897 – Ed Ricketts, American biologist and ecologist (d. 1948)
  • 1899 – Charlotte Auerbach, German-Jewish Scottish folklorist, geneticist, and zoologist. (d.1994)
  • 1899 – Pierre Victor Auger, French physicist and academic (d. 1993)
  • 1899 – Earle Combs, American baseball player and coach (d. 1976)
  • 1900 – Hal Borland, American journalist and author (d. 1978)
  • 1900 – Walter Rehberg, Swiss pianist and composer (d. 1957)
  • 1900 – Cai Chang, Chinese first leader of All-China Women’s Federation (d. 1990)
  • 1900 – Leo Smit, Dutch pianist and composer (d. 1943)
  • 1900 – Edgar Wind, German-English historian, author, and academic (d. 1971)
  • 1901 – Robert Ritter, German psychologist and physician (d. 1951)
  • 1903 – Billie Dove, American actress (d. 1997)
  • 1904 – Hans Albert Einstein, Swiss-American engineer and educator (d. 1973)
  • 1904 – Marcel Junod, Swiss physician and anesthesiologist (d. 1961)
  • 1905 – Jean Daniélou, French cardinal and theologian (d. 1974)
  • 1905 – Herbert Morrison, American soldier and journalist (d. 1989)
  • 1905 – Antonio Berni, Argentinian painter, illustrator, and engraver (d. 1981)
  • 1907 – Ayub Khan, Pakistani general and politician, 2nd President of Pakistan (d. 1974)
  • 1907 – Hans von der Groeben, German journalist and diplomat (d. 2005)
  • 1908 – Betty Jeffrey, Australian nurse and author (d. 2000)
  • 1909 – Godfrey Rampling, English sprinter and colonel (d. 2009)
  • 1910 – Ken Viljoen, South African cricketer (d. 1974)
  • 1910 – Ne Win, Prime Minister and President of Burma (d. 2002)
  • 1914 – Gul Khan Nasir, Pakistani journalist, poet, and politician (d. 1983)
  • 1914 – William Thomas Tutte, British codebreaker and mathematician (d. 2002)
  • 1916 – Robert F. Christy, Canadian-American physicist and astronomer (d. 2012)
  • 1916 – Lance Dossor, English-Australian pianist and educator (d. 2005)
  • 1916 – Marco Zanuso, Italian architect and designer (d. 2001)
  • 1917 – Lou Harrison, American composer and critic (d. 2003)
  • 1917 – Norman Luboff, American composer and conductor (d. 1987)
  • 1919 – Solange Chaput-Rolland, Canadian journalist and politician (d. 2001)
  • 1919 – John Hope, American soldier and meteorologist (d. 2002)
  • 1921 – Richard Deacon, American actor (d. 1984)
  • 1922 – Franjo Tuđman, Yugoslav historian; later 1st President of Croatia (d. 1999)
  • 1923 – Adnan Pachachi, Iraqi politician, Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 2019)
  • 1923 – Mrinal Sen, Bangladeshi-Indian director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2018)
  • 1925 – Sophie Kurys, American baseball player (d. 2013)
  • 1925 – Patrice Munsel, American soprano and actress (d. 2016)
  • 1925 – Boris Parsadanian, Armenian-Estonian violinist and composer (d. 1997)
  • 1925 – Al Porcino, American trumpet player (d. 2013)
  • 1925 – Ninian Sanderson, Scottish race car driver (d. 1985)
  • 1926 – Eric Morecambe, English comedian and actor (d. 1984)
  • 1927 – Herbert W. Franke, Austrian scientist and author
  • 1928 – Dub Jones, American R&B bass singer (d. 2000)
  • 1928 – Frederik H. Kreuger, Dutch engineer, author, and academic (d. 2015)
  • 1928 – Brian Macdonald, Canadian dancer and choreographer (d. 2014)
  • 1929 – Barbara Branden, Canadian-American author (d. 2013)
  • 1929 – Henry McGee, English actor and singer (d. 2006)
  • 1929 – Gump Worsley, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2007)
  • 1930 – William James, Australian general and physician (d. 2015)
  • 1931 – Alvin Lucier, American composer and academic
  • 1932 – Robert Bechtle, American lithographer and painter
  • 1933 – Siân Phillips, Welsh actress and singer
  • 1935 – Ethel Johnson, American professional wrestler (d. 2018)
  • 1935 – Rudi Šeligo, Slovenian playwright and politician (d. 2004)
  • 1936 – Bobby Darin, American singer-songwriter and actor (d. 1973)
  • 1936 – Dick Howser, American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 1987)
  • 1938 – Robert Boyd, English pediatrician and academic
  • 1939 – Rupert Neudeck, German journalist and humanitarian (d. 2016)
  • 1939 – Troy Shondell, American singer-songwriter (d. 2016)
  • 1940 – Chay Blyth, Scottish sailor and rower
  • 1940 – H. Jones, English colonel, Victoria Cross recipient (d. 1982)
  • 1940 – George Mathewson, Scottish banker and businessman
  • 1941 – Ada den Haan, Dutch swimmer
  • 1942 – Valeriy Brumel, Russian high jumper (d. 2003)
  • 1942 – Byron Dorgan, American lawyer and politician
  • 1942 – Alistair McAlpine, Baron McAlpine of West Green, English businessman and politician (d. 2014)
  • 1942 – Tony Pérez, Cuban-American baseball player and manager
  • 1942 – Malise Ruthven, Irish author and academic
  • 1943 – Jack Bruce, Scottish-English singer-songwriter and bass player (d. 2014)
  • 1943 – L. Denis Desautels, Canadian accountant and civil servant
  • 1943 – Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, Icelandic academic and politician, 5th President of Iceland
  • 1943 – Derek Leckenby, English pop-rock guitarist (d. 1994)
  • 1943 – Richard Peto, English statistician and epidemiologist
  • 1944 – Gene Cornish, Canadian-American guitarist
  • 1944 – George Lucas, American director, producer, and screenwriter, founded Lucasfilm
  • 1944 – David Kelly, Welsh scientist (d. 2003)
  • 1945 – Francesca Annis, English actress
  • 1945 – George Nicholls, English rugby player
  • 1945 – Yochanan Vollach, Israeli footballer
  • 1946 – Sarah Hogg, Viscountess Hailsham, English economist and journalist
  • 1947 – Al Ciner, American pop-rock guitarist
  • 1947 – Ana Martín, Mexican actress, singer producer and former model (Miss Mexico 1963)
  • 1948 – Timothy Stevenson, English lawyer and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire
  • 1948 – Bob Woolmer, Indian-English cricketer and coach (d. 2007)
  • 1949 – Sverre Årnes, Norwegian author, screenwriter, and director
  • 1949 – Walter Day, American game designer and businessman, founded Twin Galaxies
  • 1949 – Johan Schans, Dutch swimmer
  • 1949 – Klaus-Peter Thaler, German cyclist
  • 1951 – Jay Beckenstein, American saxophonist
  • 1952 – David Byrne, Scottish singer-songwriter, producer, and actor
  • 1952 – Michael Fallon, Scottish politician, Secretary of State for Defence
  • 1952 – Orna Grumberg, Israeli computer scientist and academic
  • 1952 – Raul Mälk, Estonian politician, 22nd Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • 1952 – Wim Mertens, Belgian composer, countertenor vocalist, pianist, guitarist, and musicologist.
  • 1952 – Donald R. McMonagle, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut
  • 1952 – Robert Zemeckis, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1953 – Tom Cochrane, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1953 – Hywel Williams, Welsh politician
  • 1955 – Marie Chouinard, Canadian dancer and choreographer
  • 1955 – Alasdair Fraser, Scottish fiddler
  • 1955 – Peter Kirsten, South African cricketer and rugby player
  • 1955 – Dennis Martínez, Nicaraguan baseball player and coach
  • 1955 – Jens Sparschuh, German author and playwright
  • 1956 – Hazel Blears, English lawyer and politician, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
  • 1956 – Steve Hogarth, English singer-songwriter and keyboardist
  • 1958 – Christine Brennan, American journalist and author
  • 1958 – Chris Evans, English-Australian politician, 26th Australian Minister for Employment
  • 1958 – Rudy Pérez, Cuban-born American composer and music producer
  • 1958 – Wilma Rusman, Dutch runner
  • 1959 – Carlisle Best, Barbadian cricketer
  • 1959 – Patrick Bruel, French actor, singer, and poker player
  • 1959 – Markus Büchel, Liechtensteiner politician, 9th Prime Minister of Liechtenstein (d. 2013)
  • 1959 – Robert Greene, American author and translator
  • 1959 – John Holt, American football player (d. 2013)
  • 1959 – Rick Vaive, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1959 – Heather Wheeler, English politician
  • 1960 – Anne Clark, English singer-songwriter and poet
  • 1960 – Alec Dankworth, English bassist and composer
  • 1960 – Frank Nobilo, New Zealand golfer
  • 1960 – Ronan Tynan, Irish tenor
  • 1961 – David Quantick, English journalist and critic
  • 1961 – Tommy Rogers, American wrestler (d. 2015)
  • 1961 – Tim Roth, English actor and director
  • 1961 – Alain Vigneault, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1962 – Ian Astbury, English-Canadian singer-songwriter
  • 1962 – C.C. DeVille, American guitarist, songwriter, and actor
  • 1962 – Danny Huston, Italian-American actor and director
  • 1963 – Pat Borders, American baseball player and coach
  • 1963 – David Yelland, English journalist and author
  • 1964 – James M. Kelly, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut
  • 1964 – Suzy Kolber, American sportscaster and producer
  • 1964 – Alan McIndoe, Australian rugby league player
  • 1964 – Eric Peterson, American guitarist and songwriter
  • 1965 – Eoin Colfer, Irish author
  • 1966 – Marianne Denicourt, French actress, director, and screenwriter
  • 1966 – Mike Inez, American rock bass player and songwriter
  • 1966 – Fab Morvan, French singer-songwriter, dancer and model
  • 1966 – Raphael Saadiq, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1967 – Natasha Kaiser-Brown, American sprinter and coach
  • 1967 – Tony Siragusa, American football player and journalist
  • 1968 – Mary DePiero, Canadian diver
  • 1969 – Cate Blanchett, Australian actress
  • 1969 – Sabine Schmitz, German race car driver and sportscaster
  • 1969 – Henry Smith, English politician
  • 1969 – Danny Wood, American singer-songwriter, record producer, and choreographer
  • 1971 – Deanne Bray, American actress
  • 1971 – Sofia Coppola, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1971 – Martin Reim, Estonian footballer and manager
  • 1972 – Kirstjen Nielsen, American attorney, 6th United States Secretary of Homeland Security
  • 1973 – Natalie Appleton, Canadian singer and actress
  • 1973 – Voshon Lenard, American basketball player
  • 1973 – Fraser Nelson, Scottish journalist
  • 1973 – Hakan Ünsal, Turkish footballer and sportscaster
  • 1973 – Julian White, English rugby player
  • 1974 – Anu Välba, Estonian journalist
  • 1975 – Nicki Sørensen, Danish cyclist
  • 1976 – Hunter Burgan, American bass player
  • 1976 – Brian Lawrence, American baseball player and coach
  • 1976 – Martine McCutcheon, English actress and singer
  • 1977 – Sophie Anderton, English model and actress
  • 1977 – Roy Halladay, American baseball player (d. 2017)
  • 1977 – Ada Nicodemou, Cypriot-Australian actress
  • 1978 – Brent Harvey, Australian footballer
  • 1978 – Eddie House, American basketball player
  • 1978 – André Macanga, Angolan footballer and manager
  • 1978 – Gustavo Varela, Uruguayan footballer
  • 1979 – Dan Auerbach, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1979 – Edwige Lawson-Wade, French basketball player
  • 1979 – Clinton Morrison, English-Irish footballer
  • 1979 – Carlos Tenorio, Ecuadorian footballer
  • 1980 – Zdeněk Grygera, Czech footballer
  • 1980 – Pavel Londak, Estonian footballer
  • 1980 – Eugene Martineau, Dutch decathlete
  • 1980 – Júlia Sebestyén, Hungarian figure skater
  • 1980 – Hugo Southwell, English-Scottish rugby player
  • 1980 – Joe van Niekerk, South African rugby player
  • 1981 – Pranav Mistry, Indian computer scientist, invented SixthSense
  • 1983 – Anahí, Mexican singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
  • 1983 – Keeley Donovan, English journalist
  • 1983 – Frank Gore, American football player
  • 1983 – Uroš Slokar, Slovenian basketball player
  • 1983 – Tatenda Taibu, Zimbabwean cricketer
  • 1983 – Amber Tamblyn, American actress, author, model, director
  • 1984 – Gary Ablett, Jr., Australian footballer
  • 1984 – Luke Gregerson, American baseball player
  • 1984 – Olly Murs, English singer-songwriter
  • 1984 – Michael Rensing, German footballer
  • 1984 – Indrek Siska, Estonian footballer
  • 1984 – Mark Zuckerberg, American computer programmer and businessman, co-founded Facebook
  • 1985 – Dustin Lynch, American singer-songwriter
  • 1985 – Sam Perrett, New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1985 – Simona Peycheva, Bulgarian gymnast
  • 1985 – Zack Ryder, American wrestler
  • 1986 – Andrea Bovo, Italian footballer
  • 1986 – Clay Matthews III, American football player
  • 1986 – Marco Motta, Italian footballer
  • 1987 – Jeong Min-hyeong, South Korean footballer (d. 2012)
  • 1987 – Franck Songo’o, Cameroonian footballer
  • 1987 – François Steyn, South African rugby player
  • 1988 – Jayne Appel, American basketball player
  • 1989 – Rob Gronkowski, American football player
  • 1989 – Alina Talay, Belorussian hurdler
  • 1993 – Miranda Cosgrove, American actress and singer
  • 1993 – Kristina Mladenovic, French tennis player
  • 1993 – Bence Rakaczki, Hungarian footballer (d. 2014)
  • 1994 – Marcos Aoás Corrêa, Brazilian footballer
  • 1994 – Pernille Blume, Danish swimmer
  • 1994 – Bronte Campbell, Australian swimmer
  • 1994 – Dennis Praet, Belgian footballer
  • 1995 – Bernardo Fernandes da Silva Junior, Brazilian footballer
  • 1995 – Jonah Placid, Australian rugby player
  • 1996 – Martin Garrix, Dutch DJ
  • 2001 – Jack Hughes, American hockey player

Deaths on May 14

  • 649 – Pope Theodore I
  • 934 – Zhu Hongzhao, Chinese general and governor
  • 964 – Pope John XII (b. 927)
  • 1080 – William Walcher, Bishop of Durham
  • 1219 – William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke, English soldier and politician (b. 1147)
  • 1470 – Charles VIII of Sweden (b. 1409)
  • 1576 – Tahmasp I, Shah of Persia (b. 1514)
  • 1603 – Magnus II, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg (b. 1543)
  • 1608 – Charles III, Duke of Lorraine (b. 1543)
  • 1610 – Henry IV of France (b. 1553)
  • 1643 – Louis XIII of France (b. 1601)
  • 1649 – Friedrich Spanheim, Swiss theologian and academic (b. 1600)
  • 1667 – Georges de Scudéry, French author, poet, and playwright (b. 1601)
  • 1688 – Antoine Furetière, French scholar, lexicographer, and author (b. 1619)
  • 1754 – Pierre-Claude Nivelle de La Chaussée, French playwright and producer (b. 1692)
  • 1761 – Thomas Simpson, English mathematician and academic (b. 1710)
  • 1847 – Fanny Mendelssohn, German pianist and composer (b. 1805)
  • 1860 – Ludwig Bechstein, German author (b. 1801)
  • 1873 – Gideon Brecher, Austrian physician and author (b. 1797)
  • 1878 – Ōkubo Toshimichi, Japanese samurai and politician (b. 1830)
  • 1881 – Mary Seacole, Jamaican-English nurse and author (b. 1805)
  • 1889 – Volney Howard, American lawyer, jurist, and politician (b. 1809)
  • 1893 – Ernst Kummer, German mathematician and academic (b. 1810)
  • 1906 – Carl Schurz, German-American general, journalist, and politician, 13th United States Secretary of the Interior (b. 1829)
  • 1912 – Frederick VIII of Denmark (b. 1843)
  • 1912 – August Strindberg, Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist (b. 1849)
  • 1918 – James Gordon Bennett, Jr., American journalist and publisher (b. 1841)
  • 1919 – Henry J. Heinz, American businessman, founded the H. J. Heinz Company (b. 1844)
  • 1923 – N. G. Chandavarkar, Indian jurist and politician (b. 1855)
  • 1923 – Charles de Freycinet, French engineer and politician, 43rd Prime Minister of France (b. 1828)
  • 1931 – David Belasco, American director, producer, and playwright (b. 1853)
  • 1934 – Lou Criger, American baseball player and manager (b. 1872)
  • 1935 – Magnus Hirschfeld, German physician and sexologist (b. 1868)
  • 1936 – Edmund Allenby, 1st Viscount Allenby, English field marshal and diplomat, British High Commissioner in Egypt (b. 1861)
  • 1940 – Emma Goldman, Lithuanian author and activist (b. 1869)
  • 1940 – Menno ter Braak, Dutch author (b. 1902)
  • 1943 – Henri La Fontaine, Belgian lawyer and author, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1854)
  • 1945 – Heber J. Grant, American religious leader, 7th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (b. 1856)
  • 1945 – Wolfgang Lüth, Latvian-German captain (b. 1913)
  • 1945 – Isis Pogson, English astronomer and meteorologist (b. 1852)
  • 1953 – Yasuo Kuniyoshi, American painter and photographer (b. 1893)
  • 1954 – Heinz Guderian, Prussian-German general (b. 1888)
  • 1956 – Joan Malleson, English physician (b. 1889)
  • 1957 – Marie Vassilieff, Russian-French painter (b. 1884)
  • 1959 – Sidney Bechet, American saxophonist, clarinet player, and composer (b. 1897)
  • 1959 – Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal (b. 1862)
  • 1960 – Lucrezia Bori, Spanish soprano and actress (b. 1887)
  • 1962 – Florence Auer, American actress and screenwriter (b. 1880)
  • 1968 – Husband E. Kimmel, American admiral (b. 1882)
  • 1969 – Enid Bennett, Australian-American actress (b. 1893)
  • 1969 – Frederick Lane, Australian swimmer (b. 1888)
  • 1970 – Billie Burke, American actress and singer (b. 1884)
  • 1973 – Jean Gebser, German linguist, philosopher, and poet (b. 1905)
  • 1976 – Keith Relf, English singer-songwriter, harmonica player, and producer (b. 1943)
  • 1979 – Jean Rhys, Dominican-English novelist (b. 1890)
  • 1980 – Hugh Griffith, Welsh actor (b. 1912)
  • 1982 – Hugh Beaumont, American actor (b. 1909)
  • 1983 – Roger J. Traynor, American academic and jurist, 23rd Chief Justice of California (b. 1900)
  • 1983 – Miguel Alemán Valdés, Mexican politician, 46th President of Mexico (b. 1900)
  • 1984 – Ted Hicks, Australian public servant and diplomat, Australian High Commissioner to New Zealand (b. 1910)
  • 1984 – Walter Rauff, German SS officer (b. 1906)
  • 1987 – Rita Hayworth, American actress and dancer (b. 1918)
  • 1987 – Vitomil Zupan, Slovenian poet and playwright (b. 1914)
  • 1988 – Willem Drees, Dutch politician and historian, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (1948–1958) (b. 1886)
  • 1991 – Aladár Gerevich, Hungarian fencer (b. 1910)
  • 1992 – Nie Rongzhen, Chinese general and politician, Mayor of Beijing (b. 1899)
  • 1993 – William Randolph Hearst, Jr., American journalist and publisher (b. 1908)
  • 1994 – Cihat Arman, Turkish footballer and manager (b. 1915)
  • 1994 – W. Graham Claytor Jr., American businessman, lieutenant, and politician, 15th United States Secretary of the Navy (b. 1914)
  • 1995 – Christian B. Anfinsen, American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1916)
  • 1997 – Harry Blackstone Jr., American magician and author (b. 1934)
  • 1997 – Boris Parsadanian, Armenian-Estonian violinist and composer (b. 1925)
  • 1998 – Marjory Stoneman Douglas, American journalist and environmentalist (b. 1890)
  • 1998 – Frank Sinatra, American singer and actor (b. 1915)
  • 2000 – Keizō Obuchi, Japanese politician, 84th Prime Minister of Japan (b. 1937)
  • 2001 – Paul Bénichou, French writer, intellectual, critic, and literary historian (b. 1908)
  • 2001 – Gil Langley, Australian cricketer, footballer, and politician (b. 1919)
  • 2003 – Dave DeBusschere, American basketball player and coach (b. 1940)
  • 2003 – Wendy Hiller, English actress (b. 1912)
  • 2003 – Robert Stack, American actor and producer (b. 1919)
  • 2004 – Anna Lee, English-American actress (b. 1913)
  • 2005 – Jimmy Martin, American musician (b. 1927)
  • 2006 – Lew Anderson, American actor and saxophonist (b. 1922)
  • 2006 – Stanley Kunitz, American poet and translator (b. 1905)
  • 2006 – Eva Norvind, Mexican actress, director, and producer (b. 1944)
  • 2007 – Mary Scheier, American sculptor and educator (b. 1908)
  • 2007 – Ülo Jõgi, Estonian historian and author (b. 1921)
  • 2010 – Frank J. Dodd, American businessman and politician, president of the New Jersey Senate (b. 1938)
  • 2010 – Norman Hand, American football player (b. 1972)
  • 2010 – Goh Keng Swee, Singaporean soldier and politician, 2nd Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore (b. 1918)
  • 2012 – Ernst Hinterberger, Austrian author and screenwriter (b. 1931)
  • 2012 – Mario Trejo, Argentinian poet, playwright, and journalist (b. 1926)
  • 2013 – Wayne Brown, American accountant and politician, 14th Mayor of Mesa (b. 1936)
  • 2013 – Arsen Chilingaryan, Armenian footballer and manager (b. 1962)
  • 2013 – Asghar Ali Engineer, Indian author and activist (b. 1939)
  • 2013 – Ray Guy, Canadian journalist (b. 1939)
  • 2014 – Jeffrey Kruger, English-American businessman (b. 1931)
  • 2014 – Emanuel Raymond Lewis, American librarian and author (b. 1928)
  • 2014 – Morvin Simon, New Zealand historian, composer, and conductor (b. 1944)
  • 2015 – B.B. King, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (b. 1925)
  • 2015 – Micheál O’Brien, Irish footballer and hurler (b. 1923)
  • 2015 – Stanton J. Peale, American astrophysicist and academic (b. 1937)
  • 2015 – Franz Wright, Austrian-American poet and translator (b. 1953)
  • 2016 – Darwyn Cooke, American comic book writer and artist (b. 1962)
  • 2017 – Powers Boothe, American actor (b. 1948)
  • 2018 – Tom Wolfe, American author (b. 1931)
  • 2019 – Tim Conway, American actor, writer (b. 1933)

Holidays and observances on May 14

  • Christian feast day:
    • Boniface of Tarsus
    • Engelmund of Velsen
    • Matthias the Apostle (Roman Catholic Church, Anglican Communion)
    • Michael Garicoïts
    • Mo Chutu of Lismore (Roman Catholic Church)
    • Victor and Corona
    • May 14 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest day on which the first day of Sanja Matsuri can fall, while May 21 is the latest; celebrated on the third weekend of May. (Sensō-ji, Tokyo)
  • Flag Day (Paraguay)
  • Hastings Banda’s Birthday (Malawi)
  • National Unification Day (Liberia)
  • The first day of Izumo-taisha Shrine Grand Festival. (Izumo-taisha)

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

On This Day

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

  • 451 – Attila the Hun sacks the town of Metz and attacks other cities in Gaul.
  • 529 – First draft of the Corpus Juris Civilis (a fundamental work in jurisprudence) is issued by Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian I.
  • 611 – Maya king Uneh Chan of Calakmul sacks rival city-state Palenque in southern Mexico.
  • 1141 – Empress Matilda became the first female ruler of England, adopting the title ‘Lady of the English’.
  • 1348 – Charles University is founded in Prague.
  • 1521 – Ferdinand Magellan arrives at Cebu.
  • 1541 – Francis Xavier leaves Lisbon on a mission to the Portuguese East Indies.
  • 1724 – Premiere performance of Johann Sebastian Bach’s St John Passion, BWV 245, at St. Nicholas Church, Leipzig.
  • 1767 – End of Burmese–Siamese War (1765–67).
  • 1776 – Captain John Barry and the USS Lexington captures the Edward.
  • 1788 – American pioneers to the Northwest Territory establish Marietta, Ohio as the first permanent American settlement in the Northwest Territory.
  • 1789 – Selim III became Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and Caliph of Islam.
  • 1798 – The Mississippi Territory is organized from disputed territory claimed by both the United States and Spain. It is expanded in 1804 and again in 1812.
  • 1805 – Lewis and Clark Expedition: The Corps of Discovery breaks camp among the Mandan tribe and resumes its journey West along the Missouri River.
  • 1805 – German composer Ludwig van Beethoven premiered his Third Symphony, at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna.
  • 1827 – John Walker, an English chemist, sells the first friction match that he had invented the previous year.
  • 1829 – Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, commences translation of the Book of Mormon, with Oliver Cowdery as his scribe.
  • 1831 – Emperor Pedro I of Brazil resigns. He goes to his native Portugal to become King Pedro IV.
  • 1862 – American Civil War: The Union’s Army of the Tennessee and the Army of the Ohio defeat the Confederate Army of Mississippi near Shiloh, Tennessee.
  • 1868 – Thomas D’Arcy McGee, one of the Canadian Fathers of Confederation, is assassinated by a Fenian activist.
  • 1890 – Completion of the first Lake Biwa Canal.
  • 1906 – Mount Vesuvius erupts and devastates Naples.
  • 1906 – The Algeciras Conference gives France and Spain control over Morocco.
  • 1922 – The United States Secretary of the Interior leases federal petroleum reserves to private oil companies on excessively generous terms.
  • 1927 – The first long-distance public television broadcast (from Washington, D.C., to New York City, displaying the image of Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover).
  • 1933 – Prohibition in the United States is repealed for beer of no more than 3.2% alcohol by weight, eight months before the ratification of the XXI amendment. (Now celebrated as National Beer Day in the United States.)
  • 1940 – Booker T. Washington becomes the first African American to be depicted on a United States postage stamp.
  • 1943 – The Holocaust in Ukraine: In Terebovlia, Germans order 1,100 Jews to undress and march through the city to the nearby village of Plebanivka, where they are shot and buried in ditches.
  • 1943 – Ioannis Rallis becomes collaborationist Prime Minister of Greece during the Axis Occupation.
  • 1945 – World War II: The battleship Yamato, one of the two largest ever constructed, is sunk by American aircraft during Operation Ten-Go.
  • 1945 – World War II: Visoko is liberated by the 7th, 9th, and 17th Krajina brigades from the Tenth division of Yugoslav Partisan forces.
  • 1948 – The World Health Organization is established by the United Nations.
  • 1949 – The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific opened on Broadway; it would run for 1,925 performances and win ten Tony Awards.
  • 1954 – United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower gives his “domino theory” speech during a news conference.
  • 1955 – Winston Churchill resigns as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom amid indications of failing health.
  • 1964 – IBM announces the System/360.
  • 1964 – A bulldozer kills Rev. Bruce W. Klunder, a civil rights activist, during a school segregation protest in Cleveland, Ohio, sparking a riot.
  • 1965 – Representatives of the National Congress of American Indians testify before members of the US Senate against the termination of the Colville tribe in Washington DC.
  • 1968 – Motor racing world champion Jim Clark is killed in an accident during a Formula Two race at Hockenheim.
  • 1969 – The Internet’s symbolic birth date: Publication of RFC 1.
  • 1971 – President Richard Nixon announces his decision to quicken the pace of Vietnamization.
  • 1976 – Member of Parliament and suspected spy John Stonehouse resigns from the Labour Party (UK) after being arrested for faking his own death.
  • 1977 – German Federal prosecutor Siegfried Buback and his driver are shot by two Red Army Faction members while waiting at a red light.
  • 1978 – Development of the neutron bomb is canceled by President Jimmy Carter.
  • 1980 – During the Iran hostage crisis, the United States severs relations with Iran.
  • 1983 – During STS-6, astronauts Story Musgrave and Don Peterson perform the first Space Shuttle spacewalk.
  • 1989 – Soviet submarine Komsomolets sinks in the Barents Sea off the coast of Norway killing 42 sailors.
  • 1990 – Iran–Contra affair: John Poindexter is found guilty of five charges for his part in the scandal (the conviction is later reversed on appeal).
  • 1990 – A fire breaks out on the passenger ferry Scandinavian Star, killing 159 people.
  • 1994 – Rwandan genocide: Massacres of Tutsis begin in Kigali, Rwanda.
  • 1994 – Auburn Calloway attempts to destroy Federal Express Flight 705 in order to allow his family to benefit from his life insurance policy.
  • 1995 – First Chechen War: Russian paramilitary troops begin a massacre of civilians in Samashki, Chechnya.
  • 1999 – The World Trade Organization rules in favor of the United States in its long-running trade dispute with the European Union over bananas.
  • 2001 – Mars Odyssey is launched.
  • 2003 – U.S. troops capture Baghdad; Saddam Hussein’s regime falls two days later.
  • 2009 – Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori is sentenced to 25 years in prison for ordering killings and kidnappings by security forces.
  • 2009 – Mass protests begin across Moldova under the belief that results from the parliamentary election are fraudulent.
  • 2017 – A man deliberately drives a hijacked truck into a crowd of people, killing five people and injuring fifteen others.

Births on April 7

  • 1206 – Otto II Wittelsbach, Duke of Bavaria (d. 1253)
  • 1330 – John, 3rd Earl of Kent, English nobleman (d. 1352)
  • 1470 – Edward Stafford, 2nd Earl of Wiltshire (d. 1498)
  • 1506 – Francis Xavier, Spanish missionary and saint, co-founded the Society of Jesus (d. 1552)
  • 1539 – Tobias Stimmer, Swiss painter and illustrator (d. 1584)
  • 1613 – Gerrit Dou, Dutch painter (d. 1675)
  • 1644 – François de Neufville, duc de Villeroy, French general (d. 1730)
  • 1648 – John Sheffield, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Normanby, English poet and politician, Lord President of the Council (d. 1721)
  • 1652 – Pope Clement XII (d. 1740)
  • 1713 – Nicola Sala, Italian composer and theorist (d. 1801)
  • 1718 – Hugh Blair, Scottish minister and author (d. 1800)
  • 1727 – Michel Adanson, French botanist, entomologist, and mycologist (d. 1806)
  • 1763 – Domenico Dragonetti, Italian bassist and composer (d. 1846)
  • 1770 – William Wordsworth, English poet (d. 1850)
  • 1772 – Charles Fourier, French philosopher and author (d. 1837)
  • 1780 – William Ellery Channing, American preacher and theologian (d. 1842)
  • 1803 – James Curtiss, American journalist and politician, 11th Mayor of Chicago (d. 1859)
  • 1803 – Flora Tristan, French author and activist (d. 1844)
  • 1811 – Hasan Tahsini, Albanian astronomer, mathematician, and philosopher (d. 1881)
  • 1817 – Francesco Selmi, Italian chemist and patriot (d. 1881)
  • 1848 – Randall Davidson, Scottish archbishop (d. 1930)
  • 1859 – Walter Camp, American football player and coach (d. 1925)
  • 1860 – Will Keith Kellogg, American businessman, founded the Kellogg Company (d. 1951)
  • 1867 – Holger Pedersen, Danish linguist and academic (d. 1953)
  • 1870 – Gustav Landauer, Jewish-German theorist and activist (d. 1919)
  • 1871 – Epifanio de los Santos, Filipino jurist, historian, and scholar (d. 1927)
  • 1873 – John McGraw, American baseball player and manager (d. 1934)
  • 1874 – Frederick Carl Frieseke, German-American painter (d. 1939)
  • 1876 – Fay Moulton, American sprinter, football player, coach, and lawyer (d. 1945)
  • 1882 – Bert Ironmonger, Australian cricketer (d. 1971)
  • 1882 – Kurt von Schleicher, German general and politician, 23rd Chancellor of Germany (d. 1934)
  • 1883 – Gino Severini, Italian-French painter and author (d. 1966)
  • 1884 – Clement Smoot, American golfer (d. 1963)
  • 1886 – Ed Lafitte, American baseball player and soldier (d. 1971)
  • 1889 – Gabriela Mistral, Chilean poet and educator, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1957)
  • 1890 – Paul Berth, Danish footballer (d. 1969)
  • 1890 – Marjory Stoneman Douglas, American journalist and activist (d. 1998)
  • 1891 – Ole Kirk Christiansen, Danish businessman, founded the Lego Group (d. 1958)
  • 1893 – Allen Dulles, American lawyer and diplomat, 5th Director of Central Intelligence (d. 1969)
  • 1895 – John Flannagan, American soldier and sculptor (d. 1942)
  • 1895 – Margarete Schön, German actress (d. 1985)
  • 1896 – Frits Peutz, Dutch architect, designed the Glaspaleis (d. 1974)
  • 1897 – Erich Löwenhardt, Polish-German lieutenant and pilot (d. 1918)
  • 1897 – Walter Winchell, American journalist and radio host (d. 1972)
  • 1899 – Robert Casadesus, French pianist and composer (d. 1972)
  • 1900 – Adolf Dymsza, Polish actor (d. 1975)
  • 1900 – Tebbs Lloyd Johnson, English race walker (d. 1984)
  • 1902 – Eduard Eelma, Estonian footballer (d. 1941)
  • 1903 – M. Balasundaram, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician (d. 1965)
  • 1903 – Edwin T. Layton, American admiral (d. 1984)
  • 1904 – Roland Wilson, Australian economist and statistician (d. 1996)
  • 1908 – Percy Faith, Canadian composer, conductor, and bandleader (d. 1976)
  • 1908 – Pete Zaremba, American hammer thrower (d. 1994)
  • 1909 – Robert Charroux, French author and critic (d. 1978)
  • 1913 – Louise Currie, American actress (d. 2013)
  • 1913 – Charles Vanik, American soldier, judge, and politician (d. 2007)
  • 1914 – Ralph Flanagan, American pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1995)
  • 1915 – Stanley Adams, American actor and screenwriter (d. 1977)
  • 1915 – Billie Holiday, American singer-songwriter and actress (d. 1959)
  • 1915 – Henry Kuttner, American author (d. 1958)
  • 1916 – Anthony Caruso, American actor (d. 2003)
  • 1917 – R. G. Armstrong, American actor and playwright (d. 2012)
  • 1918 – Bobby Doerr, American baseball player and coach (d. 2017)
  • 1919 – Roger Lemelin, Canadian author and screenwriter (d. 1992)
  • 1919 – Edoardo Mangiarotti, Italian fencer (d. 2012)
  • 1920 – Ravi Shankar, Indian-American sitar player and composer (d. 2012)
  • 1921 – Feza Gürsey, Turkish mathematician and physicist (d. 1992)
  • 1922 – Mongo Santamaría, Cuban-American drummer (d. 2003)
  • 1924 – Johannes Mario Simmel, Austrian-English author and screenwriter (d. 2009)
  • 1925 – Chaturanan Mishra, Indian trade union leader and politician (d. 2011)
  • 1925 – Jan van Roessel, Dutch footballer (d. 2011)
  • 1927 – Babatunde Olatunji, Nigerian-American drummer, educator, and activist (d. 2003)
  • 1927 – Leonid Shcherbakov, Russian triple jumper
  • 1928 – James Garner, American actor, singer, and producer (d. 2014)
  • 1928 – Alan J. Pakula, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1998)
  • 1928 – James White, Northern Irish author and educator (d. 1999)
  • 1929 – Bob Denard, French soldier (d. 2007)
  • 1929 – Joe Gallo, American gangster (d. 1972)
  • 1930 – Jane Priestman, English interior designer
  • 1930 – Yves Rocher, French businessman, founded the Yves Rocher Company (d. 2009)
  • 1930 – Andrew Sachs, German-English actor and screenwriter (d. 2016)
  • 1930 – Roger Vergé, French chef and restaurateur (d. 2015)
  • 1931 – Donald Barthelme, American short story writer and novelist (d. 1989)
  • 1931 – Daniel Ellsberg, American activist and author
  • 1932 – Cal Smith, American singer and guitarist (d. 2013)
  • 1933 – Wayne Rogers, American actor, investor, and producer (d. 2015)
  • 1933 – Sakıp Sabancı, Turkish businessman and philanthropist (d. 2004)
  • 1934 – Ian Richardson, Scottish-English actor (d. 2007)
  • 1935 – Bobby Bare, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1935 – Hodding Carter III, American journalist and politician, Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs
  • 1937 – Charlie Thomas, American singer
  • 1938 – Jerry Brown, American lawyer and politician, 34th and 39th Governor of California
  • 1938 – Spencer Dryden, American drummer (d. 2005)
  • 1938 – Freddie Hubbard, American trumpet player and composer (d. 2008)
  • 1938 – Iris Johansen, American author
  • 1939 – Francis Ford Coppola, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1939 – David Frost, English journalist and game show host (d. 2013)
  • 1939 – Gary Kellgren, American record producer, co-founded Record Plant (d. 1977)
  • 1939 – Brett Whiteley, Australian painter (d. 1992)
  • 1940 – Marju Lauristin, Estonian academic and politician, 1st Estonian Minister of Social Affairs
  • 1941 – James Di Pasquale, American composer
  • 1941 – Peter Fluck, English puppet maker and illustrator
  • 1941 – Cornelia Frances, English-Australian actress (d. 2018)
  • 1941 – Gorden Kaye, English actor (d. 2017)
  • 1942 – Jeetendra, Indian actor, TV and film producer
  • 1943 – Mick Abrahams, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1943 – Dennis Amiss, English cricketer and manager
  • 1944 – Shel Bachrach, American insurance broker, investor, businessman and philanthropist
  • 1944 – Warner Fusselle, American sportscaster (d. 2012)
  • 1944 – Oshik Levi, Israeli singer and actor
  • 1944 – Julia Phillips, American film producer and author (d. 2002)
  • 1944 – Gerhard Schröder, German lawyer and politician, 7th Chancellor of Germany
  • 1944 – Bill Stoneman, American baseball player and manager
  • 1945 – Megas, Icelandic singer-songwriter
  • 1945 – Gerry Cottle, English businessman
  • 1945 – Marilyn Friedman, American philosopher and academic
  • 1945 – Martyn Lewis, Welsh journalist and author
  • 1945 – Joël Robuchon, French chef and author (d. 2018)
  • 1945 – Werner Schroeter, German director and screenwriter (d. 2010)
  • 1945 – Hans van Hemert, Dutch songwriter and producer
  • 1946 – Zaid Abdul-Aziz, American basketball player
  • 1946 – Colette Besson, French runner and educator (d. 2005)
  • 1946 – Herménégilde Chiasson, Canadian poet, playwright, and politician, 29th Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick
  • 1946 – Dimitrij Rupel, Slovenian politician and diplomate
  • 1946 – Stan Winston, American special effects designer and makeup artist (d. 2008)
  • 1947 – Patricia Bennett, American singer
  • 1947 – Florian Schneider, German singer and drummer (d. 2020)
  • 1947 – Michèle Torr, French singer and author
  • 1948 – John Oates, American singer-songwriter guitarist, and producer
  • 1949 – Mitch Daniels, American academic and politician, 49th Governor of Indiana
  • 1950 – Brian J. Doyle, American press secretary
  • 1951 – Bruce Gary, American drummer (d. 2006)
  • 1951 – Janis Ian, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1952 – David Baulcombe, English geneticist and academic
  • 1952 – Jane Frederick, American hurdler and heptathlete
  • 1952 – Gilles Valiquette, Canadian actor, singer, and producer
  • 1952 – Dennis Hayden, American actor
  • 1953 – Santa Barraza, American mixed media artist
  • 1953 – Douglas Kell, English biochemist and academic
  • 1954 – Jackie Chan, Hong Kong martial artist, actor, stuntman, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1954 – Tony Dorsett, American football player
  • 1955 – Tim Cochran, American mathematician and academic (d. 2014)
  • 1955 – Gregg Jarrett, American lawyer and journalist
  • 1956 – Annika Billström, Swedish businesswoman and politician, 16th Mayor of Stockholm
  • 1956 – Christopher Darden, American lawyer and author
  • 1956 – Georg Werthner, Austrian decathlete
  • 1957 – Kim Kap-soo, South Korean actor
  • 1957 – Thelma Walker, British politician
  • 1958 – Brian Haner, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1958 – Hindrek Kesler, Estonian architect
  • 1960 – Buster Douglas, American boxer and actor
  • 1960 – Sandy Powell, English costume designer
  • 1961 – Thurl Bailey, American basketball player and actor
  • 1961 – Pascal Olmeta, French footballer
  • 1961 – Brigitte van der Burg, Tanzanian-Dutch geographer and politician
  • 1962 – Jon Cruddas, English lawyer and politician
  • 1962 – Andrew Hampsten, American cyclist
  • 1963 – Jaime de Marichalar, Spanish businessman
  • 1963 – Nick Herbert, English businessman and politician, Minister for Policing
  • 1963 – Dave Johnson, American decathlete and educator
  • 1964 – Jace Alexander, American actor and director
  • 1964 – Russell Crowe, New Zealand-Australian actor
  • 1964 – Steve Graves, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1965 – Bill Bellamy, American comedian, actor, and producer
  • 1965 – Rozalie Hirs, Dutch composer and poet
  • 1965 – Alison Lapper, English painter and photographer
  • 1965 – Nenad Vučinić, Serbian-New Zealand basketball player and coach
  • 1966 – Richard Gomez, Filipino actor and politician
  • 1966 – Zvika Hadar, Israeli entertainer
  • 1966 – Béla Mavrák, Hungarian tenor singer
  • 1966 – Gary Wilkinson, English snooker player
  • 1967 – Artemis Gounaki, Greek-German singer-songwriter
  • 1967 – Bodo Illgner, German footballer
  • 1967 – Simone Schilder, Dutch tennis player
  • 1968 – Duncan Armstrong, Australian swimmer and sportscaster
  • 1968 – Jennifer Lynch, American actress, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1968 – Jože Možina, Slovenian historian, sociologist and journalist
  • 1968 – Vasiliy Sokov, Russian triple jumper
  • 1969 – Ricky Watters, American football player
  • 1970 – Leif Ove Andsnes, Norwegian pianist and educator
  • 1971 – Guillaume Depardieu, French actor (d. 2008)
  • 1971 – Victor Kraatz, German-Canadian figure skater
  • 1972 – Tim Peake, British astronaut
  • 1973 – Marco Delvecchio, Italian footballer
  • 1973 – Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, Dutch lawyer and politician, Dutch Minister of Defence
  • 1973 – Carole Montillet, French skier
  • 1973 – Christian O’Connell, British radio DJ and presenter
  • 1973 – Brett Tomko, American baseball player
  • 1975 – Karin Dreijer Andersson, Swedish singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1975 – Ronde Barber, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1975 – Tiki Barber, American football player and journalist
  • 1975 – Ronnie Belliard, American baseball player
  • 1975 – John Cooper, American singer-songwriter and bass player
  • 1975 – Simon Woolford, Australian rugby league player
  • 1976 – Kevin Alejandro, American actor and producer
  • 1976 – Martin Buß, German high jumper
  • 1976 – Jessica Lee, English lawyer and politician
  • 1976 – Aaron Lohr, American actor
  • 1976 – Barbara Jane Reams, American actress
  • 1976 – Gang Qiang, Chinese anchor
  • 1978 – Jo Appleby, English soprano
  • 1978 – Duncan James, English singer-songwriter and actor
  • 1978 – Lilia Osterloh, American tennis player
  • 1979 – Adrián Beltré, Dominican-American baseball player
  • 1979 – Patrick Crayton, American football player
  • 1979 – Pascal Dupuis, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1979 – Danny Sandoval, Venezuelan-American baseball player
  • 1980 – Dragan Bogavac, Montenegrin footballer
  • 1980 – Tetsuji Tamayama, Japanese actor
  • 1981 – Hitoe Arakaki, Japanese singer
  • 1981 – Kazuki Watanabe, Japanese songwriter and guitarist (d. 2000)
  • 1981 – Vanessa Olivarez, American singer-songwriter, and actress
  • 1981 – Suzann Pettersen, Norwegian golfer
  • 1982 – Silvana Arias, Peruvian actress
  • 1982 – Sonjay Dutt, American wrestler
  • 1982 – Kelli Young, English singer
  • 1983 – Hamish Davidson, Australian musician
  • 1983 – Franck Ribéry, French footballer
  • 1983 – Jon Stead, English footballer
  • 1983 – Jakub Smrž, Czech motorcycle rider
  • 1983 – Janar Talts, Estonian basketball player
  • 1984 – Hiroko Shimabukuro, Japanese singer
  • 1985 – KC Concepcion, Filipino actress and singer
  • 1985 – Humza Yousaf, Scottish politician
  • 1986 – Brooke Brodack, American comedian
  • 1986 – Jack Duarte, Mexican actor, singer, and guitarist
  • 1986 – Andi Fraggs, English singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1986 – Christian Fuchs, Austrian footballer
  • 1987 – Martín Cáceres, Uruguayan footballer
  • 1987 – Eelco Sintnicolaas, Dutch decathlete
  • 1987 – Jamar Smith, American football player
  • 1988 – Antonio Piccolo, Italian footballer
  • 1988 – Ed Speleers, English actor and producer
  • 1989 – Alexa Demara, American actress, model and writer
  • 1989 – Franco Di Santo, Argentinian footballer
  • 1989 – Mitchell Pearce, Australian rugby league player
  • 1989 – Teddy Riner, French judoka
  • 1990 – Nickel Ashmeade, Jamaican sprinter
  • 1990 – Anna Bogomazova, Russian-American kick-boxer, martial artist, and wrestler
  • 1990 – Sorana Cîrstea, Romanian tennis player
  • 1990 – Trent Cotchin, Australian footballer
  • 1991 – Luka Milivojević, Serbian footballer
  • 1991 – Anne-Marie, English singer-songwriter
  • 1992 – Andreea Acatrinei, Romanian gymnast
  • 1992 – Guilherme Negueba, Brazilian footballer
  • 1993 – Ichinojō Takashi, Mongolian sumo wrestler
  • 1994 – Johanna Allik, Estonian figure skater
  • 1994 – Aaron Gray, Australian rugby league player
  • 1996 – Emerson Hyndman, American international soccer player[5]
  • 1997 – Rafaela Gómez, Ecuadorian tennis player

Deaths on April 7

  • AD 30 – Jesus Christ, (possible date of the crucifixion) (b. circa 4 BC)
  • 821 – George the Standard-Bearer, archbishop of Mytilene (b. c. 776)
  • 924 – Berengar I of Italy (b. 845)
  • 1206 – Frederick I, Duke of Lorraine
  • 1340 – Bolesław Jerzy II of Mazovia (b. 1308)
  • 1498 – Charles VIII of France (b. 1470)
  • 1499 – Galeotto I Pico, Duke of Mirandola (b. 1442)
  • 1501 – Minkhaung II, king of Ava (b. 1446)
  • 1606 – Edward Oldcorne, English martyr (b. 1561)
  • 1614 – El Greco, Greek-Spanish painter and sculptor (b. 1541)
  • 1638 – Shimazu Tadatsune, Japanese daimyō (b. 1576)
  • 1651 – Lennart Torstensson, Swedish field marshal and engineer (b. 1603)
  • 1658 – Juan Eusebio Nieremberg, Spanish mystic and philosopher (b. 1595)
  • 1661 – Sir William Brereton, 1st Baronet, English commander and politician (b. 1604)
  • 1663 – Francis Cooke, English-American settler (b. 1583)
  • 1668 – William Davenant, English poet and playwright (b. 1606)
  • 1719 – Jean-Baptiste de La Salle, French priest and saint, founded the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools (b. 1651)
  • 1739 – Dick Turpin, English criminal (b. 1705)
  • 1747 – Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (b. 1676)
  • 1761 – Thomas Bayes, English minister and mathematician (b. 1701)
  • 1766 – Tiberius Hemsterhuis, Dutch philologist and critic (b. 1685)
  • 1767 – Franz Sparry, Austrian composer and director (b. 1715)
  • 1782 – Taksin, Thai king (b. 1734)
  • 1789 – Abdul Hamid I, Ottoman sultan (b. 1725)
  • 1789 – Petrus Camper, Dutch physician, anatomist, and physiologist (b. 1722)
  • 1801 – Noël François de Wailly, French lexicographer and author (b. 1724)
  • 1804 – Toussaint Louverture, Haitian general (b. 1743)
  • 1811 – Garsevan Chavchavadze, Georgian diplomat and politician (b. 1757)
  • 1823 – Jacques Charles, French physicist and mathematician (b. 1746)
  • 1833 – Antoni Radziwiłł, Lithuanian composer and politician (b. 1775)
  • 1836 – William Godwin, English journalist and author (b. 1756)
  • 1849 – Pedro Ignacio de Castro Barros, Argentinian priest and politician (b. 1777)
  • 1850 – William Lisle Bowles, English poet and critic (b. 1762)
  • 1858 – Anton Diabelli, Austrian composer and publisher (b. 1781)
  • 1868 – Thomas D’Arcy McGee, Irish-Canadian journalist, activist, and politician (b. 1825)
  • 1879 – Begum Hazrat Mahal, Begum of Awadh, was the second wife of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah (b. 1820)
  • 1885 – Karl Theodor Ernst von Siebold, German physiologist and zoologist (b. 1804)
  • 1889 – Youssef Bey Karam, Lebanese soldier and politician (b. 1823)
  • 1889 – Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada, Mexican politician and president, 1872-1876 (b. 1823)
  • 1891 – P. T. Barnum, American businessman and politician, co-founded The Barnum & Bailey Circus (b. 1810)
  • 1917 – Spyridon Samaras, Greek composer and playwright (b. 1861)
  • 1918 – David Kolehmainen, Finnish wrestler (b. 1885)
  • 1918 – George E. Ohr, American potter (b. 1857)
  • 1920 – Karl Binding, German lawyer and jurist (b. 1841)
  • 1922 – James McGowen, Australian politician, 18th Premier of New South Wales (b. 1855)
  • 1928 – Alexander Bogdanov, Russian physician, philosopher, and author (b. 1873)
  • 1932 – Grigore Constantinescu, Romanian priest and journalist (b. 1875)
  • 1938 – Suzanne Valadon, French painter (b. 1865)
  • 1939 – Joseph Lyons, Australian educator and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1879)
  • 1943 – Jovan Dučić, Serbian-American poet and diplomat (b. 1871)
  • 1943 – Alexandre Millerand, French lawyer and politician, 12th President of France (b. 1859)
  • 1947 – Henry Ford, American engineer and businessman, founded the Ford Motor Company (b. 1863)
  • 1949 – John Gourlay, Canadian soccer player (b. 1872)
  • 1950 – Walter Huston, Canadian-American actor and singer (b. 1883)
  • 1955 – Theda Bara, American actress (b. 1885)
  • 1956 – Fred Appleby, English runner (b. 1879)
  • 1960 – Henri Guisan, Swiss general (b. 1874)
  • 1965 – Roger Leger, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1919)
  • 1966 – Walt Hansgen, American race car driver (b. 1919)
  • 1968 – Edwin Baker, Canadian co-founder of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) (b. 1893)
  • 1968 – Jim Clark, Scottish race car driver (b. 1936)
  • 1972 – Joe Gallo, American gangster (b. 1929)
  • 1972 – Abeid Karume, Tanzanian politician, 1st President of Zanzibar (b. 1905)
  • 1981 – Kit Lambert, English record producer and manager (b. 1935)
  • 1981 – Norman Taurog, American director and screenwriter (b. 1899)
  • 1982 – Harald Ertl, Austrian race car driver and journalist (b. 1948)
  • 1984 – Frank Church, American soldier, lawyer, and politician (b. 1924)
  • 1985 – Carl Schmitt, German philosopher and jurist (b. 1888)
  • 1986 – Leonid Kantorovich, Russian mathematician and economist (b. 1912)
  • 1990 – Ronald Evans, American captain, engineer, and astronaut (b. 1933)
  • 1991 – Memduh Ünlütürk, Turkish general (b. 1913)
  • 1992 – Ace Bailey, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1903)
  • 1992 – Antonis Tritsis, Greek high jumper and politician, 71st Mayor of Athens (b. 1937)
  • 1994 – Lee Brilleaux, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1952)
  • 1994 – Albert Guðmundsson, Icelandic footballer, manager, and politician (b. 1923)
  • 1994 – Golo Mann, German historian and author (b. 1909)
  • 1994 – Agathe Uwilingiyimana, Rwandan chemist, academic, and politician, Prime Minister of Rwanda (b. 1953)
  • 1995 – Philip Jebb, English architect and politician (b. 1927)
  • 1997 – Luis Aloma, Cuban-American baseball player (b. 1923)
  • 1997 – Georgy Shonin, Ukrainian-Russian general, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1935)
  • 1998 – Alex Schomburg, Puerto Rican-American painter and illustrator (b. 1905)
  • 1999 – Heinz Lehmann, German-Canadian psychiatrist and academic (b. 1911)
  • 2001 – David Graf, American actor (b. 1950)
  • 2001 – Beatrice Straight, American actress (b. 1914)
  • 2002 – John Agar, American actor (b. 1921)
  • 2003 – Cecile de Brunhoff, French pianist and author (b. 1903)
  • 2003 – David Greene, English-American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1921)
  • 2004 – Victor Argo, American actor (b. 1934)
  • 2004 – Konstantinos Kallias, Greek politician (b. 1901)
  • 2005 – Cliff Allison, English race car driver (b. 1932)
  • 2005 – Grigoris Bithikotsis, Greek singer-songwriter (b. 1922)
  • 2005 – Bob Kennedy, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1920)
  • 2005 – Melih Kibar, Turkish composer and educator (b. 1951)
  • 2007 – Johnny Hart, American author and illustrator (b. 1931)
  • 2007 – Barry Nelson, American actor (b. 1917)
  • 2008 – Ludu Daw Amar, Burmese journalist and author (b. 1915)
  • 2009 – Dave Arneson, American game designer, co-created Dungeons & Dragons (b. 1947)
  • 2011 – Pierre Gauvreau, Canadian painter (b. 1922)
  • 2012 – Steven Kanumba, Tanzanian actor and director (b. 1984)
  • 2012 – Satsue Mito, Japanese zoologist and academic (b. 1914)
  • 2012 – Ignatius Moses I Daoud, Syrian cardinal (b. 1930)
  • 2012 – David E. Pergrin, American colonel and engineer (b. 1917)
  • 2012 – Bashir Ahmed Qureshi, Pakistani politician (b. 1959)
  • 2012 – Mike Wallace, American television news journalist (b. 1918)
  • 2013 – Marty Blake, American businessman (b. 1927)
  • 2013 – Les Blank, American director and producer (b. 1935)
  • 2013 – Andy Johns, English-American record producer (b. 1950)
  • 2013 – Lilly Pulitzer, American fashion designer (b. 1931)
  • 2013 – Irma Ravinale, Italian composer and educator (b. 1937)
  • 2013 – Mickey Rose, American screenwriter (b. 1935)
  • 2013 – Carl Williams, American boxer (b. 1959)
  • 2014 – George Dureau, American painter and photographer (b. 1930)
  • 2014 – James Alexander Green, American-English mathematician and academic (b. 1926)
  • 2014 – V. K. Murthy, Indian cinematographer (b. 1923)
  • 2014 – Zeituni Onyango, Kenyan-American computer programmer (b. 1952)
  • 2014 – John Shirley-Quirk, English opera singer (b. 1931)
  • 2014 – George Shuffler, American guitarist (b. 1925)
  • 2014 – Josep Maria Subirachs, Spanish sculptor and painter (b. 1927)
  • 2014 – Royce Waltman, American basketball player and coach (b. 1942)
  • 2015 – Tim Babcock, American soldier and politician, 16th Governor of Montana (b. 1919)
  • 2015 – José Capellán, Dominican-American baseball player (b. 1981)
  • 2015 – Stan Freberg, American puppeteer, voice actor, and singer (b. 1926)
  • 2015 – Richard Henyekane, South African footballer (b. 1983)
  • 2015 – Geoffrey Lewis, American actor (b. 1935)
  • 2016 – Blackjack Mulligan, American professional wrestler (b. 1942)
  • 2019 – Seymour Cassel, American actor (b. 1935)

Holidays and observances on April 7

  • Christian feast days:
    • Aibert of Crespin
    • Blessed Alexander Rawlins
    • Blessed Edward Oldcorne and Blessed Ralph Ashley
    • Blessed Notker the Stammerer
    • Brynach
    • Hegesippus
    • Henry Walpole
    • Hermann Joseph
    • Jean-Baptiste de La Salle
    • Patriarch Tikhon of Moscow (Eastern Orthodox Church, Episcopal Church (USA))
    • April 7 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Flag Day (Slovenia)
  • Genocide Memorial Day (Rwanda), and its related observance:
    • International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Rwanda Genocide (United Nations)
  • Motherhood and Beauty Day (Armenia)
  • National Beer Day (United States)
  • Sheikh Abeid Amani Karume Day (Tanzania)
  • Women’s Day (Mozambique)
  • World Health Day (International observance)

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

On This Day

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

  • 705 – Empress Wu Zetian abdicates the throne, restoring the Tang dynasty.
  • 1316 – The Battle of Picotin, between Ferdinand of Majorca and the forces of Matilda of Hainaut, ends in victory for Ferdinand.
  • 1371 – Robert II becomes King of Scotland, beginning the Stuart dynasty.
  • 1495 – King Charles VIII of France enters Naples to claim the city’s throne.
  • 1632 – Ferdinando II de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, the dedicatee, receives the first printed copy of Galileo’s Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems .
  • 1651 – St. Peter’s Flood: A storm surge floods the Frisian coast, drowning 15,000 people.
  • 1744 – War of the Austrian Succession: The Battle of Toulon causes several Royal Navy captains to be court-martialed, and the Articles of War to be amended.
  • 1797 – The last Invasion of Britain begins near Fishguard, Wales.
  • 1819 – By the Adams–Onís Treaty, Spain sells Florida to the United States for five million U.S. dollars.
  • 1821 – Greek War of Independence: Alexander Ypsilantis crosses the Prut river at Sculeni into the Danubian Principalities.
  • 1847 – Mexican–American War: The Battle of Buena Vista: Five thousand American troops defeat 15,000 Mexican troops.
  • 1848 – The French Revolution of 1848, which would lead to the establishment of the French Second Republic, begins.
  • 1853 – Washington University in St. Louis is founded as Eliot Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri.
  • 1855 – The Pennsylvania State University is founded in State College, Pennsylvania (as the Farmers’ High School of Pennsylvania).
  • 1856 – The United States Republican Party opens its first national convention in Pittsburgh.
  • 1862 – Jefferson Davis is officially inaugurated for a six-year term as the President of the Confederate States of America in Richmond, Virginia. He was previously inaugurated as a provisional president on February 18, 1861.
  • 1872 – The Prohibition Party holds its first national convention in Columbus, Ohio, nominating James Black as its presidential nominee.
  • 1878 – In Utica, New York, Frank Woolworth opens the first of many of five-and-dime Woolworth stores.
  • 1889 – President Grover Cleveland signs a bill admitting North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Washington as U.S. states.
  • 1899 – Filipino forces led by General Antonio Luna launch counterattacks for the first time against the American forces during the Philippine–American War. The Filipinos fail to regain Manila from the Americans.
  • 1904 – The United Kingdom sells a meteorological station on the South Orkney Islands to Argentina; the islands are subsequently claimed by the United Kingdom in 1908.
  • 1909 – The sixteen battleships of the Great White Fleet, led by USS Connecticut, return to the United States after a voyage around the world.
  • 1915 – World War I: The Imperial German Navy institutes unrestricted submarine warfare.
  • 1921 – After Russian forces under Baron Roman von Ungern-Sternberg drive the Chinese out, the Bogd Khan is reinstalled as the emperor of Mongolia.
  • 1942 – World War II: President Franklin D. Roosevelt orders General Douglas MacArthur out of the Philippines as the Japanese victory becomes inevitable.
  • 1943 – World War II: Members of the White Rose resistance, Sophie Scholl, Hans Scholl, and Christoph Probst are executed in Nazi Germany.
  • 1944 – World War II: American aircraft mistakenly bomb the Dutch towns of Nijmegen, Arnhem, Enschede and Deventer, resulting in 800 dead in Nijmegen alone.
  • 1944 – World War II: The Soviet Red Army recaptures Krivoi Rog.
  • 1946 – The “Long Telegram”, proposing how the United States should deal with the Soviet Union, arrives from the US embassy in Moscow.
  • 1957 – Ngô Đình Diệm of South Vietnam survives a communist shooting assassination attempt in Buôn Ma Thuột.
  • 1958 – Egypt and Syria join to form the United Arab Republic.
  • 1959 – Lee Petty wins the first Daytona 500.
  • 1972 – The Official Irish Republican Army detonates a car bomb at Aldershot barracks, killing seven and injuring nineteen others.
  • 1973 – Cold War: Following President Richard Nixon’s visit to the People’s Republic of China, the two countries agree to establish liaison offices.
  • 1974 – The Organisation of the Islamic Conference summit begins in Lahore, Pakistan. Thirty-seven countries attend and twenty-two heads of state and government participate. It also recognizes Bangladesh.
  • 1974 – Samuel Byck attempts to hijack an aircraft at Baltimore/Washington International Airport with the intention of crashing it into the White House to assassinate Richard Nixon, but is killed by police.
  • 1980 – Miracle on Ice: In Lake Placid, New York, the United States hockey team defeats the Soviet Union hockey team 4–3.
  • 1983 – The notorious Broadway flop Moose Murders opens and closes on the same night at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre.
  • 1984 – President of Bangladesh, H M Ershad upgraded South Sylhet’s sub-division status to a district and renamed it back to Moulvibazar.
  • 1986 – Start of the People Power Revolution in the Philippines.
  • 1994 – Aldrich Ames and his wife are charged by the United States Department of Justice with spying for the Soviet Union.
  • 1995 – The Corona reconnaissance satellite program, in existence from 1959 to 1972, is declassified.
  • 1997 – In Roslin, Midlothian, British scientists announce that an adult sheep named Dolly has been successfully cloned.
  • 2002 – Angolan political and rebel leader Jonas Savimbi is killed in a military ambush.
  • 2005 – The 6.4 Mw  Zarand earthquake shakes the Kerman Province of Iran with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe), leaving 612 people dead and 1,411 injured.
  • 2006 – At least six men stage Britain’s biggest robbery, stealing £53m (about $92.5 million or €78 million) from a Securitas depot in Tonbridge, Kent.
  • 2011 – New Zealand’s second deadliest earthquake strikes Christchurch, killing 185 people.
  • 2011 – Bahraini uprising: Tens of thousands of people march in protest against the deaths of seven victims killed by police and army forces during previous protests.
  • 2012 – A train crash in Buenos Aires, Argentina, kills 51 people and injures 700 others.
  • 2014 – President Viktor Yanukovych of Ukraine is impeached by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine by a vote of 328–0, fulfilling a major goal of the Euromaidan rebellion.
  • 2015 – A ferry carrying 100 passengers capsizes in the Padma River, killing 70 people.
  • 2018 – A man throws a grenade at the U.S embassy in Podgorica, Montenegro. He dies at the scene from a second explosion, with no one else hurt.

Births on February 22

  • 1028 – Al-Juwayni, Persian jurist and theologian (died 1085)
  • 1040 – Rashi, French rabbi and author (d. 1105)
  • 1302 – Gegeen Khan, Emperor Yingzong of Yuan (d. 1323)
  • 1403 – Charles VII of France (d. 1461)
  • 1440 – Ladislaus the Posthumous, Hungarian king (d. 1457)
  • 1500 – Rodolfo Pio da Carpi, Italian cardinal (d. 1564)
  • 1514 – Tahmasp I, Iranian shah (d. 1576)
  • 1520 – Moses Isserles, Polish rabbi (d. 1572)
  • 1550 – Charles de Ligne, 2nd Prince of Arenberg (d. 1616)
  • 1592 – Nicholas Ferrar, English scholar (d. 1637)
  • 1631 – Peder Syv, Danish historian (d. 1702)
  • 1649 – Bon Boullogne, French painter (d. 1717)
  • 1715 – Charles-Nicolas Cochin, French artist (d. 1790)
  • 1732 – George Washington, American general and politician, 1st President of the United States (d. 1799)
  • 1749 – Johann Nikolaus Forkel, German musicologist and theorist (d. 1818)
  • 1778 – Rembrandt Peale, American painter and curator (d. 1860)
  • 1788 – Arthur Schopenhauer, German philosopher and author (d. 1860)
  • 1796 – Alexis Bachelot, French priest and missionary (d. 1837)
  • 1796 – Adolphe Quetelet, Belgian mathematician, astronomer, and sociologist (d. 1874)
  • 1805 – Sarah Fuller Flower Adams, English poet and hymnwriter (d. 1848)
  • 1806 – Józef Kremer, Polish historian and philosopher (d. 1875)
  • 1817 – Carl Wilhelm Borchardt, German mathematician and academic (d. 1880)
  • 1819 – James Russell Lowell, American poet and critic (d. 1891)
  • 1824 – Pierre Janssen, French astronomer and mathematician (d. 1907)
  • 1825 – Jean-Baptiste Salpointe, French-American archbishop (d. 1898)
  • 1836 – Mahesh Chandra Nyayratna Bhattacharyya, Indian scholar and academic (d. 1906)
  • 1840 – August Bebel, German theorist and politician (d. 1913)
  • 1849 – Nikolay Yakovlevich Sonin, Russian mathematician and academic (d. 1915)
  • 1857 – Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, English general, co-founded The Scout Association (d. 1941)
  • 1857 – Heinrich Hertz, German physicist, philosopher, and academic (d. 1894)
  • 1860 – Mary W. Bacheler, American physician and Baptist medical missionary (d. 1939)
  • 1863 – Charles McLean Andrews, American historian, author, and academic (d. 1943)
  • 1864 – Jules Renard, French author and playwright (d. 1910)
  • 1876 – Zitkala-Sa, American author and activist (d. 1938)
  • 1874 – Bill Klem, American baseball player and umpire (d. 1951)
  • 1879 – Johannes Nicolaus Brønsted, Danish chemist and academic (d. 1947)
  • 1880 – Eric Lemming, Swedish athlete (d. 1930)
  • 1881 – Joseph B. Ely, American lawyer and politician, 52nd Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1956)
  • 1881 – Albin Prepeluh, Slovenian journalist and politician (d. 1937)
  • 1882 – Eric Gill, English sculptor and illustrator (d. 1940)
  • 1883 – Marguerite Clark, American actress (d. 1940)
  • 1886 – Hugo Ball, German author and poet (d. 1927)
  • 1887 – Savielly Tartakower, Polish journalist, author, and chess player (d. 1956)
  • 1887 – Pat Sullivan, Australian-American animator and producer (d. 1933)
  • 1888 – Owen Brewster, American captain and politician, 54th Governor of Maine (d. 1961)
  • 1889 – Olave Baden-Powell, English scout leader, founded the Girl Guides (d. 1977)
  • 1889 – R. G. Collingwood, English historian and philosopher (d. 1943)
  • 1891 – Vlas Chubar, Russian economist and politician (d. 1939)
  • 1892 – Edna St. Vincent Millay, American poet and playwright (d. 1950)
  • 1895 – Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre, Peruvian politician (d. 1979)
  • 1897 – Karol Świerczewski, Polish general (d. 1947)
  • 1899 – George O’Hara, American actor and screenwriter (d. 1966)
  • 1900 – Luis Buñuel, Spanish-Mexican director and producer (d. 1983)
  • 1903 – Morley Callaghan, Canadian author and playwright (d. 1990)
  • 1903 – Frank P. Ramsey, English economist, mathematician, and philosopher (d. 1930)
  • 1906 – Constance Stokes, Australian painter (d. 1991)
  • 1907 – Sheldon Leonard, American actor, director, and producer (d. 1997)
  • 1907 – Robert Young, American actor (d. 1998)
  • 1908 – Rómulo Betancourt, Venezuelan politician, 56th President of Venezuela (d. 1981)
  • 1908 – John Mills, English soldier and actor (d. 2005)
  • 1910 – George Hunt, English international footballer, forward (d. 1996)
  • 1914 – Renato Dulbecco, Italian-American virologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2012)
  • 1915 – Gus Lesnevich, American boxer (d. 1964)
  • 1917 – Reed Crandall, American illustrator (d. 1982)
  • 1918 – Sid Abel, Canadian-American ice hockey player, coach, and manager (d. 2000)
  • 1918 – Don Pardo, American radio and television announcer (d. 2014)
  • 1918 – Robert Wadlow, American man, the tallest person in recorded history (d. 1940)
  • 1921 – Jean-Bédel Bokassa, Central African general and politician, 2nd President of the Central African Republic (d. 1996)
  • 1921 – Giulietta Masina, Italian actress (d. 1994)
  • 1922 – Marshall Teague, American race car driver (d. 1959)
  • 1922 – Joe Wilder, American trumpet player, composer, and bandleader (d. 2014)
  • 1923 – Bleddyn Williams, Welsh rugby player and sportscaster (d. 2009)
  • 1923 – François Cavanna, French author and editor (d. 2014)
  • 1925 – Edward Gorey, American illustrator and poet (d. 2000)
  • 1925 – Gerald Stern, American poet and academic
  • 1926 – Kenneth Williams, English actor and screenwriter (d. 1988)
  • 1927 – Florencio Campomanes, Filipino political scientist and chess player (d. 2010)
  • 1927 – Guy Mitchell, American singer (d. 1999)
  • 1928 – Clarence 13X, American religious leader, founded the Nation of Gods and Earths (d. 1969)
  • 1928 – Texas Johnny Brown, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2013)
  • 1928 – Paul Dooley, American actor
  • 1928 – Bruce Forsyth, English singer and television host (d. 2017)
  • 1929 – James Hong, American actor and director
  • 1929 – Rebecca Schull, American stage, film, and television actress
  • 1930 – Marni Nixon, American soprano and actress (d. 2016)
  • 1932 – Ted Kennedy, American soldier, lawyer, and politician (d. 2009)
  • 1932 – Zenaida Manfugás, Cuban-born American-naturalized pianist (d. 2012)
  • 1933 – Katharine, Duchess of Kent
  • 1933 – Sheila Hancock, English actress and author
  • 1933 – Ernie K-Doe, American R&B singer (d. 2001)
  • 1933 – Bobby Smith, English international footballer, centre forward (d. 2010)
  • 1934 – Sparky Anderson, American baseball player and manager (d. 2010)
  • 1936 – J. Michael Bishop, American microbiologist and immunologist, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1937 – Tommy Aaron, American golfer
  • 1937 – Joanna Russ, American author and activist (d. 2011)
  • 1938 – Steve Barber, American baseball player (d. 2007)
  • 1938 – Tony Macedo, Gibraltarian born English footballer, goalkeeper
  • 1938 – Ishmael Reed, American poet, novelist, essayist
  • 1940 – Judy Cornwell, English actress
  • 1940 – Chet Walker, American basketball player
  • 1941 – Hipólito Mejía, Dominican politician, 52nd President of the Dominican Republic
  • 1942 – Christine Keeler, English model and dancer (d. 2017)
  • 1943 – Terry Eagleton, English philosopher and critic
  • 1943 – Horst Köhler, Polish-German economist and politician, 9th President of Germany
  • 1943 – Dick Van Arsdale, American basketball player
  • 1943 – Tom Van Arsdale, American basketball player
  • 1943 – Otoya Yamaguchi, Japanese assassin of Inejiro Asanuma (d. 1960)
  • 1944 – Jonathan Demme, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2017)
  • 1944 – Mick Green, English rock & roll guitarist (d. 2010)
  • 1944 – Robert Kardashian, American lawyer and businessman (d. 2003)
  • 1944 – Christopher Meyer, English diplomat, British Ambassador to the United States
  • 1944 – Tom Okker, Dutch tennis player and painter
  • 1945 – Oliver, American pop singer (d. 2000)
  • 1946 – Kresten Bjerre, Danish footballer and manager (d. 2014)
  • 1947 – Pirjo Honkasalo, Finnish director, cinematographer, and screenwriter
  • 1947 – Harvey Mason, American drummer
  • 1947 – John Radford, English footballer and manager
  • 1947 – Frank Van Dun, Belgian philosopher and theorist
  • 1949 – John Duncan, Scottish footballer, forward and manager
  • 1949 – Niki Lauda, Austrian racing driver (d. 2019)
  • 1949 – Olga Morozova, Russian tennis player and coach
  • 1950 – Julius Erving, American basketball player and sportscaster
  • 1950 – Lenny Kuhr, Dutch singer-songwriter
  • 1950 – Miou-Miou, French actress
  • 1950 – Genesis P-Orridge, English singer-songwriter (d. 2020)
  • 1950 – Julie Walters, English actress and author
  • 1951 – Ellen Greene, American singer and actress
  • 1952 – Bill Frist, American physician and politician
  • 1952 – Joaquim Pina Moura, Portuguese Minister of Economy and Treasury and MP (d. 2020)
  • 1953 – Nigel Planer, English actor and screenwriter
  • 1955 – David Axelrod, American journalist and political adviser
  • 1955 – Tim Young, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1957 – Willie Smits, Dutch microbiologist and engineer
  • 1958 – Dave Spitz, American bass player and songwriter
  • 1959 – Jiří Čunek, Czech politician
  • 1959 – Kyle MacLachlan, American actor
  • 1959 – Bronwyn Oliver, Australian sculptor (d. 2006)
  • 1960 – Thomas Galbraith, 2nd Baron Strathclyde, Scottish politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
  • 1961 – Akira Takasaki, Japanese guitarist, songwriter, and producer
  • 1962 – Steve Irwin, Australian zoologist and television host (d. 2006)
  • 1963 – Andrew Adonis, Baron Adonis, English journalist and politician, Secretary of State for Transport
  • 1963 – Devon Malcolm, Jamaican-English cricketer
  • 1963 – Vijay Singh, Fijian-American golfer
  • 1964 – Ed Boon, American video game designer, co-created Mortal Kombat
  • 1964 – Diane Charlemagne, English singer-songwriter (d. 2015)
  • 1964 – Andy Gray, English footballer, midfielder and manager
  • 1965 – Chris Dudley, American basketball player and politician
  • 1965 – Kieren Fallon, Irish jockey
  • 1965 – Pat LaFontaine, American ice hockey player
  • 1966 – Rachel Dratch, American actress and comedian
  • 1966 – Thorsten Kaye, German-English actor
  • 1967 – Psicosis II, Mexican wrestler
  • 1968 – Shawn Graham, Canadian politician, 31st Premier of New Brunswick
  • 1968 – Bradley Nowell, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (d. 1996)
  • 1968 – Jeri Ryan, American model and actress
  • 1968 – Jayson Williams, American basketball player and sportscaster
  • 1969 – Thomas Jane, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1969 – Brian Laudrup, Danish footballer and sportscaster
  • 1969 – Marc Wilmots, Belgian footballer and manager
  • 1971 – Super Caló, Mexican wrestler
  • 1971 – Lea Salonga, Filipino actress and singer
  • 1972 – Michael Chang, American tennis player and coach
  • 1972 – Claudia Pechstein, German speed skater
  • 1973 – Philippe Gaumont, French cyclist (d. 2013)
  • 1973 – Juninho Paulista, Brazilian footballer
  • 1973 – Scott Phillips, American drummer and producer
  • 1974 – James Blunt, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1974 – Chris Moyles, English radio and television host
  • 1975 – Drew Barrymore, American actress, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1977 – Timo Rose, German actor, director, and producer
  • 1977 – Hakan Yakin, Swiss footballer
  • 1978 – Jenny Frost, English singer and dancer
  • 1979 – Brett Emerton, Australian footballer
  • 1979 – Lee Na-young, South Korean actress
  • 1980 – Shamari Fears, American singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1980 – Kang Sung-hoon, South Korean singer
  • 1980 – Jeanette Biedermann, German singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1983 – Shaun Tait, Australian cricketer
  • 1984 – Tommy Bowe, Irish rugby player
  • 1984 – Branislav Ivanović, Serbian footballer
  • 1985 – Hameur Bouazza, Algerian international footballer, winger
  • 1985 – Georgios Printezis, Greek basketball player
  • 1986 – Rajon Rondo, American basketball player
  • 1987 – Han Hyo-joo, South Korean actress and model
  • 1987 – Sergio Romero, Argentinian footballer
  • 1988 – Jonathan Borlée, Belgian sprinter
  • 1988 – Efraín Juárez, Mexican footballer
  • 1988 – Sebastian Tyrała, Polish-German footballer
  • 1989 – Franco Vázquez, Argentinian footballer
  • 1990 – Luca Profeta, Italian footballer
  • 1992 – Alexander Merkel, Kazakhstani-German footballer
  • 1999 – Harry Brook, English cricketer

Deaths on February 22

  • 556 – Maximianus, bishop of Ravenna (b. 499)
  • 606 – Sabinian, pope of the Catholic Church
  • 793 – Sicga, Anglo-Saxon nobleman and regicide
  • 845 – Wang, Chinese empress dowager
  • 954 – Guo Wei, Chinese emperor (b. 904)
  • 965 – Otto, duke of Burgundy (b. 944)
  • 970 – García I, king of Pamplona
  • 978 – Lambert, count of Chalon (b. 930)
  • 1071 – Arnulf III, count of Flanders
  • 1072 – Peter Damian, Italian cardinal
  • 1079 – John of Fécamp, Italian Benedictine abbot
  • 1111 – Roger Borsa, king of Sicily (b. 1078)
  • 1297 – Margaret of Cortona, Italian penitent (b. 1247)
  • 1371 – David II, king of Scotland (b. 1324)
  • 1452 – William Douglas, 8th Earl of Douglas (b. 1425)
  • 1500 – Gerhard VI, German nobleman (b. 1430)
  • 1511 – Henry, duke of Cornwall (b. 1511)
  • 1512 – Amerigo Vespucci, Italian cartographer and explorer (b. 1454)
  • 1627 – Olivier van Noort, Dutch explorer (b. 1558)
  • 1674 – Jean Chapelain, French poet and critic (b. 1595)
  • 1680 – La Voisin, French occultist (b. 1640)
  • 1690 – Charles Le Brun, French painter and theorist (b. 1619)
  • 1731 – Frederik Ruysch, Dutch physician and anatomist (b. 1638)
  • 1732 – Francis Atterbury, English bishop (b. 1663)
  • 1799 – Heshen, Chinese politician (b. 1750)
  • 1816 – Adam Ferguson, Scottish historian and philosopher (b. 1723)
  • 1875 – Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, French painter and illustrator (b. 1796)
  • 1875 – Charles Lyell, Scottish-English geologist and lawyer (b. 1797)
  • 1888 – Anna Kingsford, English physician and activist (b. 1846)
  • 1890 – John Jacob Astor III, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1822)
  • 1890 – Carl Bloch, Danish painter and academic (b. 1834)
  • 1897 – Charles Blondin, French tightrope walker and acrobat (b. 1824)
  • 1898 – Heungseon Daewongun, Korean king (b. 1820)
  • 1903 – Hugo Wolf, Austrian composer (b. 1860)
  • 1904 – Leslie Stephen, English historian, author, and critic (b. 1832)
  • 1913 – Ferdinand de Saussure, Swiss linguist and author (b. 1857)
  • 1913 – Francisco I. Madero, Mexican president and author (b. 1873)
  • 1923 – Théophile Delcassé, French politician, French Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1852)
  • 1939 – Antonio Machado, Spanish-French poet and author (b. 1875)
  • 1942 – Stefan Zweig, Austrian journalist, author, and playwright (b. 1881)
  • 1943 – Christoph Probst, German activist (b. 1919)
  • 1943 – Hans Scholl, German activist (b. 1918)
  • 1943 – Sophie Scholl, German activist (b. 1921)
  • 1944 – Kasturba Gandhi, Indian activist (b. 1869)
  • 1945 – Osip Brik, Russian avant garde writer and literary critic (b. 1888)
  • 1958 – Abul Kalam Azad, Indian scholar and politician, Indian Minister of Education (b. 1888)
  • 1960 – Paul-Émile Borduas, Canadian-French painter and critic (b. 1905)
  • 1961 – Nick LaRocca, American trumpet player and composer (b. 1889)
  • 1965 – Felix Frankfurter, Austrian-American lawyer and jurist (b. 1882)
  • 1971 – Frédéric Mariotti, French actor (b. 1883)
  • 1973 – Jean-Jacques Bertrand, Canadian lawyer and politician, 21st Premier of Quebec (b. 1916)
  • 1973 – Elizabeth Bowen, Anglo-Irish author (b. 1899)
  • 1973 – Katina Paxinou, Greek actress (b. 1900)
  • 1973 – Winthrop Rockefeller, American colonel and politician, 37th Governor of Arkansas (b. 1912)
  • 1976 – Angela Baddeley, English actress (b. 1904)
  • 1976 – Florence Ballard, American singer (b. 1943)
  • 1980 – Oskar Kokoschka, Austrian painter, poet and playwright (b. 1886)
  • 1982 – Josh Malihabadi, Indian-Pakistani poet and author (b. 1898)
  • 1983 – Adrian Boult, English conductor (b. 1889)
  • 1983 – Romain Maes, Belgian cyclist (b. 1913)
  • 1985 – Salvador Espriu, Spanish author, poet, and playwright (b. 1913)
  • 1985 – Efrem Zimbalist, Russian violinist, composer, and conductor (b. 1889)
  • 1986 – John Donnelly, Australian rugby league player (b. 1955)
  • 1987 – David Susskind, American talk show host and producer (b. 1920)
  • 1987 – Andy Warhol, American painter and photographer (b. 1928)
  • 1992 – Markos Vafiadis, Greek general and politician (b. 1906)
  • 1994 – Papa John Creach, American violinist (b. 1917)
  • 1995 – Ed Flanders, American actor (b. 1934)
  • 1997 – Joseph Aiuppa, American gangster (b. 1907)
  • 1998 – Abraham A. Ribicoff, American lawyer and politician, 4th United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (b. 1910)
  • 1999 – William Bronk, American poet and academic (b. 1918)
  • 1999 – Menno Oosting, Dutch tennis player (b. 1964)
  • 2002 – Roden Cutler, Australian lieutenant and politician, 32nd Governor of New South Wales (b. 1916)
  • 2002 – Chuck Jones, American animator, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1912)
  • 2002 – Jonas Savimbi, Angolan general, founded UNITA (b. 1934)
  • 2004 – Andy Seminick, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1920)
  • 2005 – Lee Eun-ju, South Korean actress and singer (b. 1980)
  • 2005 – Simone Simon, French actress (b. 1910)
  • 2007 – George Jellicoe, 2nd Earl Jellicoe, English politician, Leader of the House of Lords (b. 1918)
  • 2007 – Dennis Johnson, American basketball player and coach (b. 1954)
  • 2012 – Sukhbir, Indian author and poet (b. 1925)
  • 2012 – Frank Carson, Irish-English comedian and actor (b. 1926)
  • 2012 – Marie Colvin, American journalist (b. 1956)
  • 2012 – Rémi Ochlik, French photographer and journalist (b. 1983)
  • 2013 – Atje Keulen-Deelstra, Dutch speed skater (b. 1938)
  • 2013 – Jean-Louis Michon, French-Swiss scholar and translator (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – Wolfgang Sawallisch, German pianist and conductor (b. 1923)
  • 2014 – Charlotte Dawson, New Zealand–Australian television host (b. 1966)
  • 2014 – Trebor Jay Tichenor, American pianist and composer (b. 1940)
  • 2014 – Leo Vroman, Dutch-American hematologist, poet, and illustrator (b. 1915)
  • 2015 – Chris Rainbow, Scottish singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1946)
  • 2016 – Yolande Fox, American model and singer, Miss America 1951 (b. 1928)
  • 2016 – Sonny James, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1928)
  • 2018 – Forges, Spanish cartoonist (b. 1942)
  • 2019 – Brody Stevens, American comedian and actor (b. 1970)
  • 2019 – Morgan Woodward, American actor (b. 1925)

Holidays and observances on February 22

  • Birthday of Scouting and Guiding founder Robert Baden-Powell and Olave Baden-Powell, and its related observance:
    • Founder’s Day or “B.-P. day” (World Organization of the Scout Movement)
    • World Thinking Day (World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Baradates
    • Eric Liddell (Episcopal Church (USA))
    • Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter (Roman Catholic Church)
    • Margaret of Cortona
    • February 22 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Crime Victims Day (Europe)
  • Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Saint Lucia from the United Kingdom in 1979.

February 22 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

January 9 in History

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

Births on January 9

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

Deaths on January 9

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

Holidays and observances on January 9

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

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

On This Day

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

January 8 in History

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

Births on January 8

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

Deaths on January 8

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

Holidays and observances on January 8

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

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

On This Day

Girolamo Savonarola Quiz

Girolamo Savonarola was an Italian Dominican friar, Scholastic, religious and political reformer and an influential contributor to the politics of Florence from 1494 until his execution in 1498

Girolamo Savonarola Quiz Questions

1. When was Girolamo Savonarola born?
a) 4 February 1444
b) 15 April 1442
c) 21 September 1452
d) 30 November 1455

2. Where was Girolamo Savonarola born?
a) Ferrara
b) Pisa
c) Lepanto
d) Genoa

3. Which order did Girolamo Savonarola join?
a) Augustinian
b) Capuchin
c) Dominican
d) Benedictine

4. Who invaded Florence and overthrew Medici rule in 1494 as predicted by Girolamo Savonarola?
a) Charles VIII
b) Philip IV
c) Henry VI
d) Edward VI

5. Which party opposed Girolamo Savonarola?
a) Jacobin
b) Conservative
c) Labour
d) Arrabbiati
6. Who ordered Girolamo Savonarola to go to Bologna under pain of excommunication?
a) Julius II
b) Leo X
c) Alexander VI
d) Urban VIII

7. Which coalition against France Girolamo Savonarola did not want Florence to join?
a) Triple Alliance
b) Holy League
c) Grand Alliance
d) Catholic League

8. Who accepted the challenge of a Franciscan to ordeal by fire on the invalidity of Girolamo Savonarola’s excommunication?
a) Domenico da Pescia
b) Giordano Bruno
c) Lorenzo de Medici
d) Cesare Borgia

9. When did Girolamo Savonarola die?
a) 26 January 1499
b) 23 May 1498
c) 11 July 1503
d) 12 December 1515

10. Where did Girolamo Savonarola die?
a) Turin
b) Berne
c) Pavia
d) Florence

Girolamo Savonarola Quiz Questions with Answers

1. When was Girolamo Savonarola born?
c) 21 September 1452

2. Where was Girolamo Savonarola born?
a) Ferrara

3. Which order did Girolamo Savonarola join?
c) Dominican

4. Who invaded Florence and overthrew Medici rule in 1494 as predicted by Girolamo Savonarola?
a) Charles VIII

5. Which party opposed Girolamo Savonarola?
d) Arrabbiati

6. Who ordered Girolamo Savonarola to go to Bologna under pain of excommunication?
c) Alexander VI

7. Which coalition against France Girolamo Savonarola did not want Florence to join?
b) Holy League

8. Who accepted the challenge of a Franciscan to ordeal by fire on the invalidity of Girolamo Savonarola’s excommunication?
a) Domenico da Pescia

9. When did Girolamo Savonarola die?
b) 23 May 1498

10. Where did Girolamo Savonarola die?
d) Florence

Girolamo Savonarola Quiz Read More »

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