emancipation proclamation

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

    • 325 – The original Nicene Creed is adopted at the First Council of Nicaea.
    • 1179 – The Battle of Kalvskinnet takes place outside Nidaros (now Trondheim), Norway. Earl Erling Skakke is killed, and the battle changes the tide of the civil wars.
    • 1306 – The Earl of Pembroke’s army defeats Bruce’s Scottish army at the Battle of Methven.
    • 1586 – English colonists leave Roanoke Island, after failing to establish England’s first permanent settlement in North America.
    • 1770 – New Church Day: Emanuel Swedenborg writes: “The Lord sent forth His twelve disciples, who followed Him in the world into the whole spiritual world to preach the Gospel that the Lord God Jesus Christ reign. This took place on the 19th day of June, in the year 1770.”
    • 1800 – War of the Second Coalition Battle of Höchstädt results in a French victory over Austria.
    • 1816 – Battle of Seven Oaks between North West Company and Hudson’s Bay Company, near Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
    • 1821 – Decisive defeat of the Filiki Eteria by the Ottomans at Drăgășani (in Wallachia).
    • 1846 – The first officially recorded, organized baseball game is played under Alexander Cartwright’s rules on Hoboken, New Jersey’s Elysian Fields with the New York Base Ball Club defeating the Knickerbockers 23–1. Cartwright umpired.
    • 1850 – Princess Louise of the Netherlands marries Crown Prince Karl of Sweden–Norway.
    • 1862 – The U.S. Congress prohibits slavery in United States territories, nullifying Dred Scott v. Sandford.
    • 1865 – Over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, slaves in Galveston, Texas, United States, are finally informed of their freedom. The anniversary is still officially celebrated in Texas and 41 other contiguous states as Juneteenth.
    • 1867 – Maximilian I of the Second Mexican Empire is executed by a firing squad in Querétaro, Querétaro.
    • 1875 – The Herzegovinian rebellion against the Ottoman Empire begins.
    • 1903 – Benito Mussolini, at the time a radical Socialist, is arrested by Bern police for advocating a violent general strike.
    • 1910 – The first Father’s Day is celebrated in Spokane, Washington.
    • 1913 – Natives Land Act, 1913 in South Africa implemented.
    • 1934 – The Communications Act of 1934 establishes the United States’ Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
    • 1943 – The Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL merge for one season due to player shortages caused by World War II.
    • 1953 – Cold War: Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are executed at Sing Sing, in New York.
    • 1960 – The first NASCAR race was held at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
    • 1961 – Kuwait declares independence from the United Kingdom.
    • 1964 – The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is approved after surviving an 83-day filibuster in the United States Senate.
    • 1965 – Nguyễn Cao Kỳ becomes Prime Minister of South Vietnam at the head of a military junta; General Nguyễn Văn Thiệu becomes the figurehead chief of state.
    • 1985 – Members of the Revolutionary Party of Central American Workers, dressed as Salvadoran soldiers, attack the Zona Rosa area of San Salvador.
    • 1987 – Basque separatist group ETA commits one of its most violent attacks, in which a bomb is set off in a supermarket, Hipercor, killing 21 and injuring 45.
    • 1988 – Pope John Paul II canonizes 117 Vietnamese Martyrs.
    • 1990 – The current international law defending indigenous peoples, Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989, is ratified for the first time by Norway.
    • 1990 – The Communist Party of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic is founded in Moscow.
    • 1991 – The last Soviet army units in Hungary are withdrawn.
    • 2007 – The al-Khilani Mosque bombing in Baghdad leaves 78 people dead and another 218 injured.
    • 2009 – Mass riots involving over 10,000 people and 10,000 police officers break out in Shishou, China, over the dubious circumstances surrounding the death of a local chef.
    • 2009 – War in North-West Pakistan: The Pakistani Armed Forces open Operation Rah-e-Nijat against the Taliban and other Islamist rebels in the South Waziristan area of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.
    • 2012 – WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange requested asylum in London’s Ecuadorian Embassy for fear of extradition to the US after publication of previously classified documents including footage of civilian killings by the US army.
    • 2018 – The 10,000,000th United States Patent is issued.

    Births on June 19

    • 1301 – Prince Morikuni, shōgun of Japan (d. 1333)
    • 1417 – Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, lord of Rimini (d. 1468)
    • 1566 – James VI and I of the United Kingdom (d. 1625)
    • 1590 – Philip Bell, British colonial governor (d. 1678)
    • 1595 – Hargobind, sixth Sikh guru (d. 1644)
    • 1598 – Gilbert Sheldon, Archbishop of Canterbury (d. 1677)
    • 1606 – James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton, Scottish soldier and politician, Lord Chancellor of Scotland (d. 1649)
    • 1623 – Blaise Pascal, French mathematician and physicist (d. 1662)
    • 1633 – Philipp van Limborch, Dutch author and theologian (d. 1712)
    • 1701 – François Rebel, French violinist and composer (d. 1775)
    • 1731 – Joaquim Machado de Castro, Portuguese sculptor (d. 1822)
    • 1764 – José Gervasio Artigas, Uruguayan general and politician (d. 1850)
    • 1771 – Joseph Diaz Gergonne, French mathematician and philosopher (d. 1859)
    • 1776 – Francis Johnson, American lawyer and politician (d. 1842)
    • 1783 – Friedrich Sertürner, German chemist and pharmacist (d. 1841)
    • 1793 – Joseph Earl Sheffield, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 1882)
    • 1795 – James Braid, Scottish-English surgeon (d. 1860)
    • 1797 – Hamilton Hume, Australian explorer (d. 1873)
    • 1815 – Cornelius Krieghoff, Dutch-Canadian painter (d. 1872)
    • 1816 – William H. Webb, American shipbuilder and philanthropist, founded the Webb Institute (d. 1899)
    • 1833 – Mary Tenney Gray, American editorial writer, club-woman, philanthropist, and suffragette (d. 1904)
    • 1834 – Charles Spurgeon, English pastor and author (d. 1892)
    • 1840 – Georg Karl Maria Seidlitz, German entomologist and academic (d. 1917)
    • 1843 – Mary Sibbet Copley, American philanthropist (d. 1929)
    • 1845 – Cléophas Beausoleil, Canadian journalist and politician (d. 1904)
    • 1846 – Antonio Abetti, Italian astronomer and academic (d. 1928)
    • 1850 – David Jayne Hill, American historian and politician, 24th United States Assistant Secretary of State (d. 1932)
    • 1851 – Billy Midwinter, English-Australian cricketer (d. 1890)
    • 1851 – Silvanus P. Thompson, English physicist, engineer, and academic (d. 1916)
    • 1854 – Alfredo Catalani, Italian composer and academic (d. 1893)
    • 1854 – Hjalmar Mellin, Finnish mathematician and theorist (d. 1933)
    • 1855 – George F. Roesch, American lawyer and politician (d. 1917)
    • 1858 – Sam Walter Foss, American poet and librarian (d. 1911)
    • 1861 – Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig, Scottish-English field marshal (d. 1928)
    • 1861 – Émile Haug, French geologist and paleontologist (d. 1927)
    • 1861 – José Rizal, Filipino journalist, author, and poet (d. 1896)
    • 1865 – May Whitty, English actress (d. 1948)
    • 1871 – Alajos Szokolyi, Hungarian hurdler, jumper, and physician (d. 1932)
    • 1872 – Theodore Payne, English-American gardener and botanist (d. 1963)
    • 1874 – Peder Oluf Pedersen, Danish physicist and engineer (d. 1941)
    • 1876 – Nigel Gresley, Scottish-English engineer (d. 1941)
    • 1877 – Charles Coburn, American actor (d. 1961)
    • 1881 – Maginel Wright Enright, American illustrator (d. 1966)
    • 1883 – Gladys Mills Phipps, American horse breeder (d. 1970)
    • 1884 – Georges Ribemont-Dessaignes, French painter and historian (d. 1974)
    • 1886 – Finley Hamilton, American lawyer and politician (d. 1940)
    • 1888 – Arthur Massey Berry, Canadian soldier and pilot (d. 1970)
    • 1891 – John Heartfield, German photographer and activist (d. 1968)
    • 1896 – Rajani Palme Dutt, English journalist and politician (d. 1974)
    • 1896 – Wallis Simpson, American wife of Edward VIII (d. 1986)
    • 1897 – Cyril Norman Hinshelwood, English chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1967)
    • 1897 – Moe Howard, American comedian (d. 1975)
    • 1902 – Guy Lombardo, Canadian-American violinist and bandleader (d. 1977)
    • 1903 – Mary Callery, American-French sculptor and academic (d. 1977)
    • 1903 – Lou Gehrig, American baseball player (d. 1941)
    • 1903 – Wally Hammond, English cricketer and coach (d. 1965)
    • 1903 – Hans Litten, German lawyer (d. 1938)
    • 1905 – Mildred Natwick, American actress (d. 1994)
    • 1906 – Ernst Boris Chain, German-Irish biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1979)
    • 1906 – Knut Kroon, Swedish footballer (d. 1975)
    • 1906 – Walter Rauff, German SS officer (d. 1984)
    • 1907 – Clarence Wiseman, Canadian 10th General of the Salvation Army (d. 1985)
    • 1909 – Osamu Dazai, Japanese author (d. 1948)
    • 1909 – Rūdolfs Jurciņš, Latvian basketball player (d. 1948)
    • 1910 – Sydney Allard, English race car driver, founded the Allard Company (d. 1966)
    • 1910 – Paul Flory, American chemist and engineer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1985)
    • 1910 – Abe Fortas, American lawyer and jurist (d. 1982)
    • 1912 – Don Gutteridge, American baseball player and manager (d. 2008)
    • 1912 – Virginia MacWatters, American soprano and actress (d. 2005)
    • 1913 – Helene Madison, American swimmer (d. 1970)
    • 1914 – Alan Cranston, American journalist and politician (d. 2000)
    • 1914 – Lester Flatt, American bluegrass singer-songwriter, guitarist, and mandolin player (d. 1979)
    • 1915 – Pat Buttram, American actor (d. 1994)
    • 1915 – Julius Schwartz, American publisher and agent (d. 2004)
    • 1917 – Joshua Nkomo, Zimbabwean guerrilla leader and politician, Vice President of Zimbabwe (d. 1999)
    • 1919 – Pauline Kael, American film critic (d. 2001)
    • 1920 – Yves Robert, French actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2002)
    • 1921 – Louis Jourdan, French-American actor and singer (d. 2015)
    • 1922 – Aage Bohr, Danish physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2009)
    • 1922 – Marilyn P. Johnson, American educator and diplomat, 8th United States Ambassador to Togo
    • 1923 – Bob Hank, Australian footballer and coach (d. 2012)
    • 1926 – Erna Schneider Hoover, American mathematician and inventor
    • 1927 – Luciano Benjamín Menéndez, Argentine general and human rights violator (d. 2018)
    • 1928 – Tommy DeVito, American singer and guitarist
    • 1928 – Nancy Marchand, American actress (d. 2000)
    • 1930 – Gena Rowlands, American actress
    • 1932 – Pier Angeli, Italian actress (d. 1971)
    • 1932 – José Sanchis Grau, Spanish author and illustrator (d. 2011)
    • 1932 – Marisa Pavan, Italian actress
    • 1933 – Viktor Patsayev, Kazakh engineer and astronaut (d. 1971)
    • 1934 – Gérard Latortue, Haitian politician, 12th Prime Minister of Haiti
    • 1936 – Marisa Galvany, American soprano and actress
    • 1937 – André Glucksmann, French philosopher and author (d. 2015)
    • 1938 – Wahoo McDaniel, American football player and wrestler (d. 2002)
    • 1939 – Bernd Hoss, German footballer and manager (d. 2016)
    • 1939 – John F. MacArthur, American minister and theologian
    • 1941 – Václav Klaus, Czech economist and politician, 2nd President of the Czech Republic
    • 1942 – Merata Mita, New Zealand director and producer (d. 2010)
    • 1944 – Chico Buarque, Brazilian singer, composer, writer and poet
    • 1945 – Radovan Karadžić, Serbian-Bosnian politician and convicted war criminal, 1st President of Republika Srpska
    • 1945 – Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmese politician, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1945 – Tobias Wolff, American short story writer, memoirist, and novelist
    • 1946 – Jimmy Greenhoff, English footballer and manager
    • 1947 – Salman Rushdie, Indian-English novelist and essayist
    • 1947 – John Ralston Saul, Canadian philosopher and author
    • 1948 – Nick Drake, English singer-songwriter (d. 1974)
    • 1948 – Phylicia Rashad, American actress
    • 1950 – Neil Asher Silberman, American archaeologist and historian
    • 1950 – Ann Wilson, American singer-songwriter and musician
    • 1951 – Ayman al-Zawahiri, Egyptian terrorist
    • 1951 – Francesco Moser, Italian cyclist
    • 1952 – Bob Ainsworth, English politician, Secretary of State for Defence
    • 1954 – Mike O’Brien, English lawyer and politician, Solicitor General for England and Wales
    • 1954 – Lou Pearlman, American music producer and fraudster (d. 2016)
    • 1954 – Kathleen Turner, American actress
    • 1954 – Richard Wilkins, New Zealand-Australian journalist and television presenter
    • 1955 – Mary O’Connor, New Zealand runner
    • 1955 – Mary Schapiro, American lawyer and politician
    • 1957 – Anna Lindh, Swedish politician, 39th Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 2003)
    • 1957 – Jean Rabe, American journalist and author
    • 1958 – Sergei Makarov, Russian-American ice hockey player and coach
    • 1959 – Mark DeBarge, American singer-songwriter and trumpet player
    • 1959 – Christian Wulff, German lawyer and politician, 10th President of Germany
    • 1960 – Andrew Dilnot, English economist and academic
    • 1960 – Johnny Gray, American runner and coach
    • 1960 – Luke Morley, English guitarist, songwriter, and producer
    • 1960 – Patti Rizzo, American golfer
    • 1962 – Paula Abdul, American singer-songwriter, dancer, actress, and presenter
    • 1962 – Jeremy Bates, English tennis player
    • 1962 – Ashish Vidyarthi, Indian actor
    • 1963 – Laura Ingraham, American radio host and author
    • 1963 – Margarita Ponomaryova, Russian hurdler
    • 1963 – Rory Underwood, English rugby player, lieutenant, and pilot
    • 1964 – Brent Goulet, American soccer player and manager
    • 1964 – Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and former Mayor of London
    • 1964 – Brian Vander Ark, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1965 – Sabine Braun, German heptathlete
    • 1965 – Sadie Frost, English actress and producer
    • 1966 – Michalis Romanidis, Greek basketball player
    • 1967 – Bjørn Dæhlie, Norwegian skier and businessman
    • 1968 – Alastair Lynch, Australian footballer and sportscaster
    • 1968 – Timothy Morton, American philosopher and academic
    • 1968 – Kimberly Anne “Kim” Walker, American film and television actress (d. 2001)
    • 1970 – Rahul Gandhi, Indian politician
    • 1970 – Quincy Watts, American sprinter and football player
    • 1970 – Brian Welch, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1971 – José Emilio Amavisca, Spanish footballer
    • 1971 – Chris Armstrong, English footballer
    • 1972 – Jean Dujardin, French actor
    • 1972 – Ilya Markov, Russian race walker
    • 1972 – Brian McBride, American soccer player and coach
    • 1972 – Poppy Montgomery, Australian-American actress
    • 1972 – Robin Tunney, American actress
    • 1973 – Jahine Arnold, American football player
    • 1973 – Yuko Nakazawa, Japanese singer
    • 1973 – Yasuhiko Yabuta, Japanese baseball player
    • 1974 – Doug Mientkiewicz, American baseball player, coach, and manager
    • 1974 – Mustaque Ahmed Ruhi, Bangladeshi member of parliament
    • 1975 – Hugh Dancy, English actor and model
    • 1975 – Anthony Parker, American basketball player
    • 1976 – Anar Baghirov, Azerbaijani lawyer
    • 1976 – Dennis Crowley, American businessman, co-founded Foursquare
    • 1976 – Bryan Hughes, English footballer and manager
    • 1976 – Anita Wilson, American singer-songwriter and producer
    • 1978 – Dirk Nowitzki, German basketball player
    • 1978 – Zoe Saldana, American actress
    • 1978 – Claudio Vargas, Dominican baseball player
    • 1979 – José Kléberson, Brazilian footballer
    • 1980 – Jean Carroll, Irish cricketer
    • 1980 – Dan Ellis, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1980 – Robbie Neilson, Scottish footballer and manager
    • 1980 – Nuno Santos, Portuguese footballer
    • 1981 – Mohammed Al-Khuwalidi, Saudi Arabian long jumper
    • 1981 – Moss Burmester, New Zealand swimmer
    • 1982 – Alexander Frolov, Russian ice hockey player
    • 1982 – Chris Vermuelen, Australian motorcycle racer
    • 1983 – Macklemore, American rapper
    • 1983 – Aidan Turner, Irish actor
    • 1984 – Paul Dano, American actor
    • 1984 – Wieke Dijkstra, Dutch field hockey player
    • 1984 – Andri Eleftheriou, Cypriot sport shooter
    • 1985 – Ai Miyazato, Japanese golfer
    • 1985 – José Ernesto Sosa, Argentinian footballer
    • 1985 – Dire Tune, Ethiopian runner
    • 1986 – Aoiyama Kōsuke, Bulgarian sumo wrestler
    • 1986 – Lázaro Borges, Cuban pole vaulter
    • 1986 – Diego Hypólito, Brazilian gymnast
    • 1986 – Marvin Williams, American basketball player
    • 1987 – Rashard Mendenhall, American football player
    • 1988 – Jacob deGrom, American baseball player
    • 1990 – Moa Hjelmer, Swedish sprinter
    • 1990 – Xavier Rhodes, American football player
    • 1992 – Keaton Jennings, South African-English cricketer
    • 1992 – C. J. Mosley, American football player
    • 1993 – Olajide Olatunji, English YouTuber

    Deaths on June 19

    • 404 – Huan Xuan, Jin-dynasty warlord and emperor of Huan Chu (b. 369)
    • 626 – Soga no Umako, Japanese son of Soga no Iname (b. 551)
    • 930 – Xiao Qing, chancellor of Later Liang (b. 862)
    • 1027 – Romuald, Italian mystic and saint (b. 951)
    • 1185 – Taira no Munemori, Japanese soldier (b. 1147)
    • 1282 – Eleanor de Montfort, Welsh princess (b. 1252)
    • 1312 – Piers Gaveston, 1st Earl of Cornwall, English politician (b. 1284)
    • 1341 – Juliana Falconieri, Italian nun and saint (b. 1270)
    • 1364 – Elisenda of Montcada, queen consort and regent of Aragon (b. 1292)
    • 1504 – Bernhard Walther, German astronomer and humanist (b. 1430)
    • 1542 – Leo Jud, Swiss theologian and reformer (b. 1482)
    • 1545 – Abraomas Kulvietis, Lithuanian-Russian lawyer and jurist (b. 1509)
    • 1567 – Anna of Brandenburg, Duchess of Mecklenburg (b. 1507)
    • 1584 – Francis, Duke of Anjou (b. 1555)
    • 1608 – Alberico Gentili, Italian lawyer and jurist (b. 1551)
    • 1650 – Matthäus Merian, Swiss-German engraver and publisher (b. 1593)
    • 1747 – Alessandro Marcello, Italian composer and educator (b. 1669)
    • 1747 – Nader Shah, Persian leader (b. 1688)
    • 1762 – Johann Ernst Eberlin, German organist and composer (b. 1702)
    • 1768 – Benjamin Tasker Sr., American soldier and politician, 10th Colonial Governor of Maryland (b. 1690)
    • 1786 – Nathanael Greene, American general (b. 1742)
    • 1805 – Louis-Jean-François Lagrenée, French painter and educator (b. 1724)
    • 1820 – Joseph Banks, English botanist and author (b. 1743)
    • 1844 – Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, French zoologist and biologist (b. 1772)
    • 1864 – Richard Heales, English-Australian politician, 4th Premier of Victoria (b. 1822)
    • 1864 – Sarah Rosetta Wakeman, American soldier (b. 1843)
    • 1865 – Evangelos Zappas, Greek-Romanian businessman and philanthropist (b. 1800)
    • 1867 – Miguel Miramón, Unconstitutional president of Mexico, 1859-1860 (b. 1832)
    • 1867 – Maximilian I of Mexico (b. 1832)
    • 1874 – Ferdinand Stoliczka, Moravian palaeontologist and ornithologist (b. 1838)
    • 1884 – Juan Bautista Alberdi, Argentinian-French politician and diplomat (b. 1810)
    • 1903 – Herbert Vaughan, English cardinal (b. 1832)
    • 1918 – Francesco Baracca, Italian fighter pilot (b. 1888)
    • 1921 – Ramón López Velarde, Mexican poet and author (b. 1888)
    • 1922 – Hitachiyama Taniemon, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 19th Yokozuna (b. 1874)
    • 1932 – Sol Plaatje, South African journalist and activist (b. 1876)
    • 1937 – J. M. Barrie, Scottish novelist and playwright (b. 1860)
    • 1939 – Grace Abbott, American social worker and activist (b. 1878)
    • 1940 – Maurice Jaubert, French composer and conductor (b. 1900)
    • 1941 – C. V. Hartman, Swiss botanist and anthropologist (b. 1862)
    • 1941 – Otto Hirsch, German jurist and politician (b. 1885)
    • 1949 – Syed Zafarul Hasan, Indian philosopher and academic (b. 1885)
    • 1951 – Angelos Sikelianos, Greek poet and playwright (b. 1884)
    • 1953 – Ethel Rosenberg, American spy (b. 1915)
    • 1953 – Julius Rosenberg, American spy (b. 1918)
    • 1956 – Thomas J. Watson, American businessman (b. 1874)
    • 1962 – Frank Borzage, American film director and actor (b. 1894)
    • 1966 – Ed Wynn, American actor and comedian (b. 1886)
    • 1968 – James Joseph Sweeney, American bishop (b. 1898)
    • 1975 – Sam Giancana, American mob boss (b. 1908)
    • 1977 – Ali Shariati, Iranian sociologist and philosopher (b. 1933)
    • 1979 – Paul Popenoe, American explorer and scholar, founded Relationship counseling (b. 1888)
    • 1981 – Anya Phillips, Chinese-American band manager and co-founder of the Mudd Club (b. 1955)
    • 1984 – Lee Krasner, American painter and educator (b. 1908)
    • 1986 – Len Bias, American basketball player (b. 1963)
    • 1987 – Margaret Carver Leighton, American author (b. 1896)
    • 1988 – Fernand Seguin, Canadian biochemist and academic (b. 1922)
    • 1988 – Gladys Spellman, American lawyer and politician (b. 1918)
    • 1989 – Betti Alver, Estonian author and poet (b. 1906)
    • 1990 – George Addes, American trade union leader, co-founded United Automobile Workers (b. 1911)
    • 1990 – Isabella Smith Andrews, New Zealand writer (b. 1905)
    • 1991 – Jean Arthur, American actress (b. 1900)
    • 1993 – William Golding, British novelist, playwright, and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1911)
    • 1995 – Peter Townsend, Burmese-English captain and pilot (b. 1914)
    • 2001 – Stanley Mosk, American lawyer, jurist, and politician (b. 1912)
    • 2001 – John Heyer, Australian director and producer (b. 1916)
    • 2004 – Clayton Kirkpatrick, journalist and newspaper editor (b. 1915)
    • 2007 – Antonio Aguilar, Mexican singer-songwriter, actor, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1919)
    • 2007 – Alberto Mijangos, Mexican-American painter and educator (b. 1925)
    • 2007 – Terry Hoeppner, American football player and coach (b. 1947)
    • 2007 – Ze’ev Schiff, Israeli journalist and author (b. 1932)
    • 2008 – Barun Sengupta, Bengali journalist, founded Bartaman (b. 1934)
    • 2009 – Tomoji Tanabe, Japanese engineer and surveyor (b. 1895)
    • 2010 – Manute Bol, Sudanese-American basketball player and activist (b. 1962)
    • 2010 – Anthony Quinton, Baron Quinton, English philosopher and academic (b. 1925)
    • 2010 – Carlos Monsiváis, Mexican writer, journalist and political activist (b. 1938)
    • 2012 – Norbert Tiemann, American soldier and politician, 32nd Governor of Nebraska (b. 1924)
    • 2013 – Vince Flynn, American author (b. 1966)
    • 2013 – James Gandolfini, American actor and producer (b. 1961)
    • 2013 – Gyula Horn, Hungarian politician, 37th Prime Minister of Hungary (b. 1932)
    • 2013 – Dave Jennings, American football player and sportscaster (b. 1952)
    • 2013 – Filip Topol, Czech singer-songwriter and pianist (b. 1965)
    • 2013 – Slim Whitman, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1923)
    • 2014 – Oskar-Hubert Dennhardt, German general (b. 1915)
    • 2014 – Gerry Goffin, American songwriter (b. 1939)
    • 2014 – Ibrahim Touré, Ivorian footballer (b. 1985)
    • 2015 – James Salter, American novelist and short-story writer (b. 1925)
    • 2016 – Anton Yelchin, American actor (b. 1989)
    • 2017 – Otto Warmbier, American college student detained in North Korea (b. 1994)
    • 2018 – Koko, western lowland gorilla and user of American Sign Language (b. 1971)
    • 2019 – Etika, American YouTuber and streamer (b. 1990)

    Holidays and observances on June 19

    • Christian feast day:
      • Deodatus (or Didier) of Nevers (or of Jointures)
      • Gervasius and Protasius (Catholic Church)
      • Hildegrim of Châlons
      • Juliana Falconieri
      • Romuald
      • Ursicinus of Ravenna
      • Zosimus
      • June 19 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • New Church feast day
      • New Church Day
    • Day of the Independent Hungary (Hungary)
    • Feast of Forest (Palawan)
    • Juneteenth (United States, especially African Americans)
    • Labour Day (Trinidad and Tobago)
    • Laguna Day (Laguna)
    • Never Again Day (Uruguay)
    • World Sickle Cell Day (International)

  • March 13- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 1567 – The Battle of Oosterweel, traditionally regarded as the start of the Eighty Years’ War.
    • 1591 – At the Battle of Tondibi in Mali, Moroccan forces of the Saadi dynasty, led by Judar Pasha, defeat the Songhai Empire, despite being outnumbered by at least five to one.
    • 1639 – Harvard College is named after clergyman John Harvard.
    • 1697 – Nojpetén, capital of the last independent Maya kingdom, fell to Spanish conquistadors, the final step in the Spanish conquest of Guatemala.
    • 1741 – The Battle of Cartagena de Indias (part of the War of Jenkins’ Ear) begins..
    • 1809 – Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden is deposed in the Coup of 1809.
    • 1826 – Pope Leo XII publishes the apostolic constitution Quo Graviora in which he renewed the prohibition on Catholics joining freemasonry.
    • 1845 – Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto receives its première performance in Leipzig with Ferdinand David as soloist.
    • 1848 – The German revolutions of 1848–1849 begin in Vienna.
    • 1862 – The Act Prohibiting the Return of Slaves was passed by the United States Congress, effectively annulling the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 and setting the stage for the Emancipation Proclamation.
    • 1881 – Alexander II of Russia is assassinated.
    • 1884 – The Siege of Khartoum begins. It lasts until January 26, 1885.
    • 1900 – British forces occupy Bloemfontein, Orange Free State, during the Second Boer War.
    • 1920 – The Kapp Putsch briefly ousts the Weimar Republic government from Berlin.
    • 1930 – The news of the discovery of Pluto is announced by Lowell Observatory.
    • 1933 – Banks in the U.S. begin to re-open after the three-day national “bank holiday” mandated by the Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Emergency Banking Act.
    • 1943 – German forces liquidate the Jewish ghetto in Kraków.
    • 1954 – The Battle of Điện Biên Phủ begins with an artillery barrage by Viet Minh forces under Võ Nguyên Giáp; Viet Minh victory lead to the end of the First Indochina War and French withdrawal from Vietnam.
    • 1957 – Cuban student revolutionaries storm the presidential palace in Havana in a failed attempt on the life of President Fulgencio Batista.
    • 1969 – Apollo 9 returns safely to Earth after testing the Lunar Module.
    • 1979 – The New Jewel Movement, headed by Maurice Bishop, ousts the Prime Minister of Grenada, Eric Gairy, in a coup d’état.
    • 1988 – The Seikan Tunnel, the longest undersea tunnel in the world, opens between Aomori and Hakodate, Japan.
    • 1992 – The Mw  6.6 Erzincan earthquake strikes eastern Turkey with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe).
    • 1996 – The Dunblane massacre leads to the death of sixteen primary school children and one teacher in Dunblane, Scotland.
    • 1997 – The Missionaries of Charity choose Sister Nirmala to succeed Mother Teresa as their leader.
    • 2003 – An article in Nature identifies the Ciampate del Diavolo as 350,000-year-old hominid footprints.
    • 2012 – The Sierre coach crash kills 28 people, including 22 children.
    • 2013 – The 2013 papal conclave elects Pope Francis as the 266th Pope of the Catholic Church.
    • 2016 – The Ankara bombing kills at least 37 people.
    • 2016 – Three gunmen attack two hotels in the Ivory Coast town of Grand-Bassam, killing at least 19 people.

    Births on March 13

    • 1372 – Louis I, Duke of Orléans (d. 1407)
    • 1479 – Lazarus Spengler, German hymnwriter (d. 1534)
    • 1560 – William Louis, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg, Dutch count (d. 1620)
    • 1593 – Georges de La Tour, French painter (probable; d. 1652)
    • 1599 – John Berchmans, Belgian Jesuit scholastic and saint (d. 1621)
    • 1615 – Innocent XII, pope of the Catholic Church (d. 1700)
    • 1683 – Johann Wilhelm Weinmann, German botanist (d. 1741)
    • 1700 – Michel Blavet, French flute player and composer (d. 1768)
    • 1719 – John Griffin, 4th Baron Howard de Walden, English field marshal and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Essex (d. 1797)
    • 1720 – Charles Bonnet, Swiss historian and author (d. 1793)
    • 1741 – Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1790)
    • 1763 – Guillaume Brune, French general and diplomat (d. 1815)
    • 1764 – Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1845)
    • 1770 – Daniel Lambert, English animal breeder (d. 1809)
    • 1781 – Karl Friedrich Schinkel, German painter and architect, designed the Konzerthaus Berlin (d. 1841)
    • 1798 – Abigail Fillmore, American wife of Millard Fillmore, 14th First Lady of the United States (d. 1853)
    • 1800 – Mustafa Reşid Pasha, Ottoman politician, 212th Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire (d. 1858)
    • 1815 – James Curtis Hepburn, American physician, linguist, and missionary (d. 1911)
    • 1825 – Hans Gude, Norwegian-German painter and academic (d. 1903)
    • 1855 – Percival Lowell, American astronomer and mathematician (d. 1916)
    • 1857 – B. H. Roberts, English-American historian and politician (d. 1933)
    • 1860 – Hugo Wolf, Slovene-Austrian composer (d. 1903)
    • 1862 – Paul Prosper Henrys, French general (d. 1943)
    • 1864 – Alexej von Jawlensky, Russian-German painter (d. 1941)
    • 1870 – William Glackens, American painter and illustrator (d. 1938)
    • 1874 – Ellery Harding Clark, American jumper, coach, and lawyer (d. 1949)
    • 1880 – Josef Gočár, Czech architect (d. 1945)
    • 1883 – Enrico Toselli, Italian pianist and composer (d. 1926)
    • 1884 – Hugh Walpole, New Zealand-English author and educator (d. 1941)
    • 1886 – Home Run Baker, American baseball player and manager (d. 1963)
    • 1886 – Albert William Stevens, American captain and photographer (d. 1949)
    • 1888 – Paul Morand, French author and diplomat (d. 1976)
    • 1890 – Fritz Busch, German conductor and director (d. 1951)
    • 1892 – Janet Flanner, American journalist and author (d. 1978)
    • 1897 – Yeghishe Charents, Armenian poet and activist (d. 1937)
    • 1898 – Henry Hathaway, American director and producer (d. 1985)
    • 1899 – John Hasbrouck Van Vleck, American physicist and mathematician, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1980)
    • 1899 – Pancho Vladigerov, Bulgarian pianist and composer (d. 1978)
    • 1900 – Andrée Bosquet, Belgian painter (d. 1980)
    • 1900 – Giorgos Seferis, Greek poet and diplomat, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1971)
    • 1902 – Hans Bellmer, German-French painter and sculptor (d. 1975)
    • 1904 – Clifford Roach, Trinidadian cricketer and footballer (d. 1988)
    • 1907 – Dorothy Tangney, Australian politician (d. 1985)
    • 1908 – Walter Annenberg, American publisher, philanthropist, and diplomat, United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom (d. 2002)
    • 1908 – Myrtle Bachelder, American chemist and Women’s Army Corps officer (d. 1997)
    • 1910 – Sammy Kaye, American saxophonist, songwriter, and bandleader (d. 1987)
    • 1910 – Kemal Tahir, Turkish journalist and author (d. 1973)
    • 1911 – José Ardévol, Cuban composer and conductor (d. 1981)
    • 1913 – William J. Casey, American politician, 13th Director of Central Intelligence (d. 1987)
    • 1913 – Sergey Mikhalkov, Russian author and playwright (d. 2009)
    • 1914 – W. O. Mitchell, Canadian author and playwright (d. 1998)
    • 1914 – Edward O’Hare, American lieutenant and pilot, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1943)
    • 1916 – Lindy Boggs, American educator and politician, 5th United States Ambassador to the Holy See (d. 2013)
    • 1916 – Jacque Fresco, American engineer and academic (d. 2017)
    • 1920 – Ralph J. Roberts, American businessman, co-founded Comcast (d. 2015)
    • 1921 – Al Jaffee, American cartoonist
    • 1923 – Dimitrios Ioannidis, Greek general (d. 2010)
    • 1925 – Roy Haynes, American drummer and composer
    • 1926 – Carlos Roberto Reina, Honduran lawyer and politician, President of Honduras (d. 2003)
    • 1929 – Zbigniew Messner, Polish economist and politician, 9th Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland (d. 2014)
    • 1933 – Mahdi Elmandjra, Moroccan economist and sociologist (d. 2014)
    • 1933 – Gero von Wilpert, German author and academic (d. 2009)
    • 1935 – David Nobbs, English author and screenwriter (d. 2015)
    • 1938 – Robert Gammage, American captain and politician (d. 2012)
    • 1939 – Neil Sedaka, American singer-songwriter and pianist
    • 1941 – Donella Meadows, American environmentalist, author, and academic (d. 2001)
    • 1942 – Dave Cutler, American computer scientist and engineer
    • 1942 – Mahmoud Darwish, Palestinian poet and author (d. 2008)
    • 1944 – Terence Burns, Baron Burns, English economist and academic
    • 1945 – Anatoly Fomenko, Russian mathematician and academic
    • 1946 – Yonatan Netanyahu, American-Israeli colonel (d. 1976)
    • 1947 – Lesley Collier, English ballerina and educator
    • 1947 – Beat Richner, Swiss pediatrician and cellist (d. 2018)
    • 1947 – Lyn St. James, American race car driver
    • 1949 – Ze’ev Bielski, Israeli politician
    • 1949 – Sian Elias, New Zealand lawyer and politician, 12th Chief Justice of New Zealand
    • 1950 – Bernard Julien, Trinidadian cricketer
    • 1950 – Charles Krauthammer, American physician, journalist, and author (d. 2018)
    • 1950 – William H. Macy, American actor, director, and screenwriter
    • 1951 – Charo, Spanish-American singer, guitarist, and actress
    • 1952 – Wolfgang Rihm, German composer and educator
    • 1952 – Tim Sebastian, English journalist and author
    • 1953 – Andy Bean, American golfer
    • 1953 – Michael Curry, 27th presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church
    • 1954 – Valerie Amos, Baroness Amos, Guyanese-English politician and diplomat
    • 1954 – Robin Duke, Canadian actress and screenwriter
    • 1955 – Bruno Conti, Italian footballer and manager
    • 1955 – Glenne Headly, American actress (d. 2017)
    • 1955 – Olga Rukavishnikova, Russian pentathlete
    • 1956 – Dana Delany, American actress and producer
    • 1957 – John Hoeven, American banker and politician, 31st Governor of North Dakota
    • 1957 – Moses Hogan, American composer and conductor (d. 2003)
    • 1958 – Mágico González, Salvadoran footballer
    • 1958 – Rick Lazio, American lawyer and politician
    • 1958 – Caryl Phillips, Caribbean-English author and playwright
    • 1959 – Dirk Wellham, Australian cricketer
    • 1960 – Adam Clayton, English-born Irish musician and songwriter
    • 1960 – Joe Ranft, American animator, screenwriter, and voice actor (d. 2005)
    • 1963 – Vance Johnson, American football player
    • 1964 – Will Clark, American baseball player
    • 1966 – Chico Science, Brazilian singer-songwriter (d. 1997)
    • 1967 – Andrés Escobar, Colombian footballer (d. 1994)
    • 1967 – Pieter Vink, Dutch footballer and referee
    • 1970 – Tim Story, American director and producer
    • 1971 – Annabeth Gish, American actress
    • 1971 – Allan Nielsen, Danish international footballer, midfielder and manager
    • 1972 – Common, American rapper and actor
    • 1973 – Edgar Davids, Surinamese born Dutch international footballer midfielder and manager
    • 1973 – Bobby Jackson, American basketball player and coach
    • 1974 – Thomas Enqvist, Swedish tennis player and sportscaster
    • 1975 – Mark Clattenburg, English football referee
    • 1976 – Troy Hudson, American basketball player and rapper
    • 1976 – Danny Masterson, American actor and producer
    • 1978 – Tom Danielson, American cyclist
    • 1978 – Kenny Watson, American football player
    • 1979 – Johan Santana, Venezuelan-American baseball player
    • 1979 – Cédric Van Branteghem, Belgian sprinter
    • 1980 – Caron Butler, American basketball player
    • 1982 – Nicole Ohlde, American basketball player
    • 1983 – Kaitlin Sandeno, American swimmer
    • 1984 – Geeta Basra, Indian actress
    • 1985 – Alcides Araújo Alves, Brazilian footballer
    • 1985 – Emile Hirsch, American actor
    • 1986 – Neil Wagner, South African-New Zealand cricketer
    • 1987 – Marco Andretti, American race car driver
    • 1987 – Andreas Beck, German footballer
    • 1988 – Furdjel Narsingh, Dutch footballer
    • 1989 – Holger Badstuber, German footballer
    • 1989 – Marko Marin, German footballer
    • 1989 – Robert Wickens, Canadian racing driver
    • 1990 – Anicet Abel, Malagasy footballer
    • 1991 – Daniel Greig, Australian speed skater
    • 1991 – Tristan Thompson, American basketball player
    • 1994 – Gerard Deulofeu, Spanish footballer
    • 1995 – Mikaela Shiffrin, American skier
    • 1998 – Jay-Roy Grot, Dutch footballer

    Deaths on March 13

    • 1202 – Mieszko III the Old, king of Poland (b. c. 1121)
    • 1271 – Henry of Almain, English knight (b. 1235)
    • 1415 – Minye Kyawswa, Crown Prince of Ava (b. 1391)
    • 1447 – Shah Rukh, Timurid ruler of Persia and Transoxania (b. 1377)
    • 1573 – Michel de l’Hôpital, French politician (b. 1507)
    • 1601 – Henry Cuffe, Politician (b. 1563)
    • 1619 – Richard Burbage, English actor (b. 1567)
    • 1711 – Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux, French poet and critic (b. 1636)
    • 1719 – Johann Friedrich Böttger, German chemist and potter (b. 1682)
    • 1800 – Nana Fadnavis, Indian minister and politician (b. 1742)
    • 1808 – Christian VII of Denmark (b. 1749)
    • 1823 – John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent, English admiral and politician (b. 1735)
    • 1833 – William Bradley, English lieutenant and cartographer (b. 1757)
    • 1842 – Henry Shrapnel, English general (b. 1761)
    • 1854 – Jean-Baptiste de Villèle, French politician, 6th Prime Minister of France (b. 1773)
    • 1873 – David Swinson Maynard, American physician, lawyer, and businessman (b. 1808)
    • 1879 – Adolf Anderssen, German mathematician and chess player (b. 1818)
    • 1881 – Alexander II of Russia (b. 1818)
    • 1884 – Leland Stanford Jr., American son of Leland Stanford (b. 1868)
    • 1885 – Giorgio Mitrovich, Maltese politician (b. 1795)
    • 1901 – Benjamin Harrison, American general and politician, 23rd President of the United States (b. 1833)
    • 1906 – Susan B. Anthony, American activist (b. 1820)
    • 1912 – Eugène-Étienne Taché, Canadian engineer and architect, designed the Parliament Building (b. 1836)
    • 1921 – Jenny Twitchell Kempton, American opera singer and educator (b. 1835)
    • 1936 – Francis Bell, New Zealand lawyer and politician, 20th Prime Minister of New Zealand (b. 1851)
    • 1938 – Clarence Darrow, American lawyer and author (b. 1857)
    • 1943 – Stephen Vincent Benét, American poet, short story writer, and novelist (b. 1898)
    • 1946 – Werner von Blomberg, German field marshal (b. 1878)
    • 1962 – Anne Acheson, Irish sculptor (d. 1882)
    • 1965 – Vittorio Jano, Italian engineer (b. 1891)
    • 1965 – Fan Noli, Albanian-American bishop and politician, 14th Prime Minister of Albania (b. 1882)
    • 1971 – Rockwell Kent, American painter and illustrator (b. 1882)
    • 1972 – Tony Ray-Jones, English photographer (b. 1941)
    • 1975 – Ivo Andrić, Yugoslav novelist, poet, and short story writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1892)
    • 1976 – Ole Haugsrud, American sports executive (b. 1900)
    • 1983 – Paul Citroen, German-Dutch illustrator and educator (b. 1896)
    • 1990 – Bruno Bettelheim, Austrian-American psychologist and author (b. 1903)
    • 1995 – Odette Hallowes, French nurse and spy (b. 1912)
    • 1996 – Krzysztof Kieślowski, Polish director and screenwriter (b. 1941)
    • 1998 – Judge Dread, English singer-songwriter (b. 1945)
    • 1998 – Hans von Ohain, German-American physicist and engineer (b. 1911)
    • 1999 – Lee Falk, American cartoonist, director, and producer (b. 1911)
    • 1999 – Garson Kanin, American director and screenwriter (b. 1912)
    • 2001 – John A. Alonzo, American actor and cinematographer (b. 1934)
    • 2001 – Encarnacion Alzona, Filipino historian and educator (b. 1895)
    • 2002 – Hans-Georg Gadamer, German philosopher and scholar (b. 1900)
    • 2004 – Franz König, Austrian cardinal (b. 1905)
    • 2006 – Robert C. Baker, American businessman, invented the chicken nugget (b. 1921)
    • 2006 – Jimmy Johnstone, Scottish footballer (b. 1944)
    • 2006 – Maureen Stapleton, American actress (b. 1925)
    • 2007 – Arnold Skaaland, American wrestler and manager (b. 1925)
    • 2009 – Betsy Blair, American actress (b. 1923)
    • 2009 – Alan W. Livingston, American businessman (b. 1917)
    • 2010 – Jean Ferrat, French singer-songwriter (b. 1930)
    • 2011 – Rick Martin, Canadian-American ice hockey player (b. 1951)
    • 2014 – Reubin Askew, American sergeant, lawyer, and politician, 37th Governor of Florida (b. 1928)
    • 2014 – Edward Haughey, Baron Ballyedmond, Irish businessman and politician (b. 1944)
    • 2014 – Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, Sierra Leonean economist, lawyer, and politician, 3rd President of Sierra Leone (b. 1932)
    • 2014 – Icchokas Meras, Lithuanian-Israeli author and screenwriter (b. 1934)
    • 2015 – Al Rosen, American baseball player and manager (b. 1924)
    • 2016 – Hilary Putnam, American philosopher, mathematician, and computer scientist (b. 1926)
    • 2017 – Amy Krouse Rosenthal, American author (b. 1965)
    • 2018 – Emily Nasrallah, Lebanese writer and women’s rights activist. (b. 1931)

    Holidays and observances on March 13

    • Christian feast days:
      • Ansovinus
      • Gerald of Mayo
      • James Theodore Holly (Episcopal Church (USA))
      • Nicephorus
      • Roderick
      • March 13 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Kasuga Matsuri (Kasuga Grand Shrine, Nara, Japan)
    • National Elephant Day (Thailand)
    • Africa Scout Day

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

    During the Middle Ages under the influence of the Catholic Church, many countries in western Europe decided to move the start of the year to one of several important Christian festivals – December 25 (the Nativity of Jesus), March 1, March 25 (the Annunciation), or even Easter. The Byzantine Empire began its numbered year on September 1.

    In England, January 1 was celebrated as the New Year festival, but from the 12th century to 1752 the year in England began on March 25 (Lady Day). So, for example, the Parliamentary record notes the execution of Charles I as occurring on January 30, 1648, (as the year did not end until March 24), although modern histories adjust the start of the year to January 1 and record the execution as occurring in 1649.

    Most western European countries changed the start of the year to January 1 before they adopted the Gregorian calendar. For example, Scotland changed the start of the Scottish New Year to January 1 in 1600. England, Ireland and the British colonies changed the start of the year to January 1 in 1752. Later that year in September, the Gregorian calendar was introduced throughout Britain and the British colonies. These two reforms were implemented by the Calendar (New Style) Act 1750.

    January 1 became the official start of the year as follows:

    Julian calendar:

    • 1544 Holy Roman Empire (Germany)
    • 1556 Spain, Portugal
    • 1559 Prussia, Sweden
    • 1564 France
    • 1576 Southern Netherlands
    • 1579 Duchy of Lorraine
    • 1583 Northern Netherlands
    • 1600 Scotland
    • 1700 Russia
    • 1752 Great Britain (excluding Scotland) and its colonies
    • 1804 Serbia

    Gregorian calendar:

    • 1750 Tuscany
    • 1797 Republic of Venice
    • 1918 Ottoman Empire
    • 1941 Thailand

    Events on January 1

    Pre-Julian Roman calendar

    • 153 BC – For the first time, Roman consuls begin their year in office on January 1.

    Early Julian calendar (before Augustus’ leap year correction)

    • 45 BC – The Julian calendar takes effect as the civil calendar of the Roman Empire, establishing January 1 as the new date of the new year.
    • 42 BC – The Roman Senate posthumously deifies Julius Caesar.

    Julian calendar

    • 193 – The Senate chooses Pertinax against his will to succeed Commodus as Roman emper]or.
    • 404 – Saint Telemachus tries to stop a gladiatorial fight in a Roman amphitheatre, and is stoned to death by the crowd. This act impresses the Christian Emperor Honorius, who issues a historic ban on gladiatorial fights.
    • 417 – Emperor Honorius forces Galla Placidia into marriage to Constantius, his famous general (magister militum) (probable).
    • 1001 – Grand Prince Stephen I of Hungary is named the first King of Hungary by Pope Sylvester II (probable).
    • 1068 – Romanos IV Diogenes marries Eudokia Makrembolitissa and is crowned Byzantine Emperor.
    • 1259 – Michael VIII Palaiologos is proclaimed co-emperor of the Empire of Nicaea with his ward John IV Laskaris.
    • 1438 – Albert II of Habsburg is crowned King of Hungary.
    • 1502 – The present-day location of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is first explored by the Portuguese.
    • 1515 – Twenty-year-old Francis, Duke of Brittany, succeeds to the French throne following the death of his father-in-law, Louis XII.
    • 1527 – Croatian nobles elect Ferdinand I of Austria as King of Croatia in the Parliament on Cetin.
    • 1583 to 1700 – see January 11
    • 1600 – Scotland recognises January 1 as the start of the year, instead of March 25.
    • 1651 – Charles II is crowned King of Scotland.
    • 1700 – Russia begins using the Anno Domini era instead of the Anno Mundi era of the Byzantine Empire.
    • 1701 to 1800 – see January 12
    • 1801 to 1900 – see January 13
    • 1901 to 2100 – see January 14

    Gregorian calendar

    • 1707 – John V is proclaimed King of Portugal and the Algarves in Lisbon.
    • 1739 – Bouvet Island, the world’s remotest island is discovered by French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier.
    • 1772 – The first traveler’s cheques, which could be used in 90 European cities, were issued by the London Credit Exchange Company.
    • 1773 – The hymn that became known as “Amazing Grace”, then titled “1 Chronicles 17:16–17” is first used to accompany a sermon led by John Newton in the town of Olney, Buckinghamshire, England.
    • 1776 – American Revolutionary War: Norfolk, Virginia is burned by combined Royal Navy and Continental Army action.
    • 1776 – General George Washington hoists the first United States flag; the Grand Union Flag at Prospect Hill.
    • 1781 – American Revolutionary War: One thousand five hundred soldiers of the 6th Pennsylvania Regiment under General Anthony Wayne’s command rebel against the Continental Army’s winter camp in Morristown, New Jersey in the Pennsylvania Line Mutiny of 1781.
    • 1788 – First edition of The Times of London, previously The Daily Universal Register, is published.
    • 1801 – The legislative union of Kingdom of Great Britain and Kingdom of Ireland is completed, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland is proclaimed.
    • 1801 – Ceres, the largest and first known object in the Asteroid belt, is discovered by Giuseppe Piazzi.
    • 1803 – Emperor Gia Long orders all bronze wares of the Tây Sơn dynasty to be collected and melted into nine cannons for the Royal Citadel in Huế, Vietnam.
    • 1804 – French rule ends in Haiti. Haiti becomes the first black-majority republic and second independent country in North America after the United States.
    • 1806 – The French Republican Calendar is abolished.
    • 1808 – The United States bans the importation of slaves.
    • 1810 – Major-General Lachlan Macquarie officially becomes Governor of New South Wales.
    • 1822 – The Greek Constitution of 1822 is adopted by the First National Assembly at Epidaurus.
    • 1847 – The world’s first “Mercy” Hospital is founded in Pittsburgh, United States, by a group of Sisters of Mercy from Ireland; the name will go on to grace over 30 major hospitals throughout the world.
    • 1860 – The first Polish stamp is issued, replacing the Russian stamps previously in use.
    • 1861 – Liberal forces supporting Benito Juárez enter Mexico City.
    • 1863 – American Civil War: The Emancipation Proclamation takes effect in Confederate territory.
    • 1877 – Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom is proclaimed Empress of India.
    • 1885 – Twenty-five nations adopt Sandford Fleming’s proposal for standard time (and also, time zones).
    • 1890 – Eritrea is consolidated into a colony by the Italian government
    • 1892 – Ellis Island begins processing immigrants into the United States.
    • 1898 – New York, New York annexes land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York. The four initial boroughs, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and The Bronx, are joined on January 25 by Staten Island to create the modern city of five boroughs.
    • 1899 – Spanish rule ends in Cuba.
    • 1901 – Nigeria becomes a British protectorate
    • 1901 – The British colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, and Western Australia federate as the Commonwealth of Australia; Edmund Barton is appointed the first Prime Minister
    • 1902 – The first American college football bowl game, the Rose Bowl between Michigan and Stanford, is held in Pasadena, California.
    • 1910 – Captain David Beatty is promoted to Rear admiral, and becomes the youngest admiral in the Royal Navy (except for Royal family members) since Horatio Nelson.
    • 1912 – The Republic of China is established.
    • 1914 – The SPT Airboat Line becomes the world’s first scheduled airline to use a winged aircraft.
    • 1923 – Britain’s Railways are grouped into the Big Four: LNER, GWR, SR, and LMS.
    • 1927 – New Mexican oil legislation goes into effect, leading to the formal outbreak of the Cristero War.
    • 1928 – Boris Bazhanov defects through Iran. He is the only assistant of Joseph Stalin’s secretariat to have defected from the Eastern Bloc.
    • 1929 – The former municipalities of Point Grey, British Columbia and South Vancouver, British Columbia are amalgamated into Vancouver.
    • 1932 – The United States Post Office Department issues a set of 12 stamps commemorating the 200th anniversary of George Washington’s birth.
    • 1934 – Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay becomes a United States federal prison.
    • 1934 – A “Law for the Prevention of Genetically Diseased Offspring” comes into effect in Nazi Germany.
    • 1942 – The Declaration by United Nations is signed by twenty-six nations.
    • 1945 – World War II: In retaliation for the Malmedy massacre, U.S. troops kill 60 German POWs at Chenogne.
    • 1945 – World War II: The German Luftwaffe launches Operation Bodenplatte, a massive, but failed attempt to knock out Allied air power in northern Europe in a single blow.
    • 1947 – Cold War: The American and British occupation zones in Allied-occupied Germany, after World War II, merge to form the Bizone, which later (with the French zone) became part of West Germany.
    • 1947 – The Canadian Citizenship Act 1946 comes into effect, converting British subjects into Canadian citizens.Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King becomes the first Canadian citizen.
    • 1948 – The British railway network is nationalized to form British Railways.
    • 1949 – United Nations cease-fire takes effect in Kashmir from one minute before midnight. War between India and Pakistan stops accordingly.
    • 1956 – Sudan achieves independence from Egypt and the United Kingdom.
    • 1957 – George Town, Penang, is made a city by a royal charter of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.
    • 1958 – European Economic Community is established.
    • 1959 – Cuban Revolution: Fulgencio Batista, dictator of Cuba, is overthrown by Fidel Castro’s forces.
    • 1960 – Cameroon achieves independence from France and the United Kingdom.
    • 1962 – Western Samoa achieves independence from New Zealand; its name is changed to the Independent State of Western Samoa.
    • 1964 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is divided into the independent republics of Zambia and Malawi, and the British-controlled Rhodesia.
    • 1965 – The People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan is founded in Kabul, Afghanistan.
    • 1970 – The defined beginning of Unix time, at 00:00:00.
    • 1971 – Cigarette advertisements are banned on American television.
    • 1973 – Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom are admitted into the European Economic Community.
    • 1976 – A bomb explodes on board Middle East Airlines Flight 438 over Qaisumah, Saudi Arabia, killing all 81 people on board.
    • 1978 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747, crashes into the Arabian Sea, due to instrument failure, spatial disorientation, and pilot error, off the coast of Bombay, India, killing all 213 people on board.
    • 1979 – Normal diplomatic relations are established between the People’s Republic of China and the United States.
    • 1981 – Greece is admitted into the European Community.
    • 1982 – Peruvian Javier Pérez de Cuéllar becomes the first Latin American to hold the title of Secretary-General of the United Nations.
    • 1983 – The ARPANET officially changes to using TCP/IP, the Internet Protocol, effectively creating the Internet.
    • 1984 – The original American Telephone & Telegraph Company is divested of its 22 Bell System companies as a result of the settlement of the 1974 United States Department of Justice antitrust suit against AT&T.
    • 1984 – Brunei becomes independent of the United Kingdom.
    • 1985 – The first British mobile phone call is made by Michael Harrison to his father Sir Ernest Harrison, chairman of Vodafone.
    • 1987 – The Isleta Pueblo tribe elect Verna Williamson to be their first female governor.
    • 1988 – The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America comes into existence, creating the largest Lutheran denomination in the United States.
    • 1989 – The Montreal Protocol comes into force, stopping the use of chemicals contributing to ozone depletion.
    • 1990 – David Dinkins is sworn in as New York City’s first black mayor.
    • 1993 – Dissolution of Czechoslovakia: Czechoslovakia is divided into the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic.
    • 1994 – The Zapatista Army of National Liberation initiates twelve days of armed conflict in the Mexican state of Chiapas.
    • 1994 – The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) comes into effect.
    • 1995 – The World Trade Organization comes into being.
    • 1995 – The Draupner wave in the North Sea in Norway is detected, confirming the existence of freak waves.
    • 1995 – Austria, Finland and Sweden join the EU.
    • 1998 – Following a currency reform, Russia begins to circulate new rubles to stem inflation and promote confidence.
    • 1999 – Euro currency is introduced in 11 member nations of the European Union (with the exception of the United Kingdom, Denmark, Greece and Sweden; Greece later adopts the euro).
    • 2004 – In a vote of confidence, General Pervez Musharraf wins 658 out of 1,170 votes in the Electoral College of Pakistan, and according to Article 41(8) of the Constitution of Pakistan, is “deemed to be elected” to the office of President until October 2007.
    • 2007 – Bulgaria and Romania join the EU.
    • 2007 – Adam Air Flight 574 breaks apart in mid-air and crashes near the Makassar Strait, Indonesia killing all 102 people on board.
    • 2009 – Sixty-six people die in a nightclub fire in Bangkok, Thailand.
    • 2010 – A suicide car bomber detonates at a volleyball tournament in Lakki Marwat, Pakistan, killing 105 and injuring 100 more.
    • 2011 – A bomb explodes as Coptic Christians in Alexandria, Egypt, leave a new year service, killing 23 people.
    • 2011 – Estonia officially adopts the Euro currency and becomes the 17th Eurozone country.
    • 2013 – At least 60 people are killed and 200 injured in a stampede after celebrations at Félix Houphouët-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
    • 2015 – The Eurasian Economic Union comes into effect, creating a political and economic union between Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
    • 2017 – An attack on a nightclub in Istanbul, Turkey, during New Year’s celebrations, kills at least 39 people and injures more than 60 others

    Births on January 1

    • 766 – Ali al-Ridha (d. 818) 8th Imam of Twelver Shia Islam
    • 1431 – Pope Alexander VI (d. 1503)
    • 1449 – Lorenzo de’ Medici, Italian politician (d. 1492)
    • 1467 – Sigismund I the Old, Polish king (d. 1548)
    • 1484 – Huldrych Zwingli, Swiss pastor and theologian (d. 1531)
    • 1511 – Henry, Duke of Cornwall, first-born child of Henry VIII of England (d. 1511)
    • 1557 – Stephen Bocskay, Prince of Transylvania (d. 1606)
    • 1600 – Friedrich Spanheim, Dutch theologian and academic (d. 1649)
    • 1628 – Christoph Bernhard, German composer and theorist (d. 1692)
    • 1655 – Christian Thomasius, German jurist and philosopher (d. 1728)
    • 1684 – Arnold Drakenborch, Dutch scholar and author (d. 1748)
    • 1704 – Soame Jenyns, English author, poet, and politician (d. 1787)
    • 1711 – Baron Franz von der Trenck, Austrian soldier (d. 1749)
    • 1714 – Giovanni Battista Mancini, Italian soprano and author (d. 1800)
    • 1714 – Kristijonas Donelaitis, Lithuanian pastor and poet (d. 1780)
    • 1735 – Paul Revere, American silversmith and engraver (d. 1818)
    • 1745 – Anthony Wayne, American general and politician (d. 1796)
    • 1752 – Betsy Ross, American seamstress, credited with designing the Flag of the United States (d. 1836)
    • 1768 – Maria Edgeworth, Anglo-Irish author (d. 1849)
    • 1769 – Marie-Louise Lachapelle, French obstetrician (d. 1821)
    • 1774 – André Marie Constant Duméril, French zoologist and academic (d. 1860)
    • 1779 – William Clowes, English publisher (d. 1847)
    • 1803 – Edward Dickinson, American politician and father of poet Emily Dickinson (d. 1874)
    • 1806 – Lionel Kieseritzky, Estonian-French chess player (d. 1853)
    • 1809 – Achille Guenée, French lawyer and entomologist (d. 1880)
    • 1813 – George Bliss, American politician (d. 1868)
    • 1814 – Hong Xiuquan, Chinese rebellion leader and king (d. 1864)
    • 1818 – William Gamble, Irish-born American general (d. 1866)
    • 1819 – Arthur Hugh Clough, English-Italian poet and academic (d. 1861)
    • 1819 – George Foster Shepley, American general (d. 1878)
    • 1823 – Sándor Petőfi, Hungarian poet and activist (d. 1849)
    • 1833 – Robert Lawson, Scottish-New Zealand architect, designed the Otago Boys’ High School and Knox Church (d. 1902)
    • 1834 – Ludovic Halévy, French author and playwright (d. 1908)
    • 1839 – Ouida, English-Italian author and activist (d. 1908)
    • 1848 – John W. Goff, Irish-American lawyer and politician (d. 1924)
    • 1852 – Eugène-Anatole Demarçay, French chemist and academic (d. 1904)
    • 1854 – James George Frazer, Scottish anthropologist and academic (d. 1941)
    • 1854 – Thomas Waddell, Irish-Australian politician, 15th Premier of New South Wales (d. 1940)
    • 1857 – Tim Keefe, American baseball player (d. 1933)
    • 1859 – Michael Joseph Owens, American inventor (d. 1923)
    • 1859 – Thibaw Min, Burmese king (d. 1916)
    • 1860 – Michele Lega, Italian cardinal (d. 1935)
    • 1863 – Pierre de Coubertin, French historian, and educator, founded the International Olympic Committee (d. 1937)
    • 1864 – Alfred Stieglitz, American photographer, and curator (d. 1946)
    • 1864 – Qi Baishi, Chinese painter (d. 1957)
    • 1867 – Mary Ackworth Evershed, English astronomer and scholar (d. 1949)
    • 1874 – Frank Knox, American publisher, and politician, 46th United States Secretary of the Navy (d. 1944)
    • 1874 – Gustave Whitehead, German-American pilot and engineer (d. 1927)
    • 1877 – Alexander von Staël-Holstein, German sinologist and orientalist (d. 1937)
    • 1878 – Agner Krarup Erlang, Danish mathematician, statistician, and engineer (d. 1929)
    • 1879 – E. M. Forster, English author and playwright (d. 1970)
    • 1879 – William Fox, Hungarian-American screenwriter and producer, founded the Fox Film Corporation and Fox Theatres (d. 1952)
    • 1883 – William J. Donovan, American general, lawyer, and politician (d. 1959)
    • 1884 – Chikuhei Nakajima, Japanese lieutenant, engineer, and politician, founded Nakajima Aircraft Company (d. 1949)
    • 1887 – Wilhelm Canaris, German admiral (d. 1945)
    • 1888 – Georgios Stanotas, Greek general (d. 1965)
    • 1888 – John Garand, Canadian-American engineer, designed the M1 Garand rifle (d. 1974)
    • 1889 – Charles Bickford, American actor (d. 1967)
    • 1890 – Anton Melik, Slovenian geographer and academic (d. 1966)
    • 1891 – Sampurnanand, Indian educator and politician, 3rd Governor of Rajasthan (d. 1969)
    • 1892 – Mahadev Desai, Indian author and activist (d. 1942)
    • 1892 – Manuel Roxas, Filipino lawyer and politician, 5th President of the Philippines (d. 1948)
    • 1893 – Mordechai Frizis, Greek colonel (d. 1940)
    • 1894 – Satyendra Nath Bose, Indian physicist, and mathematician (d. 1974)
    • 1894 – Edward Joseph Hunkeler, American clergyman (d. 1970)
    • 1895 – J. Edgar Hoover, American law enforcement official; 1st Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (d. 1972)
    • 1900 – Chiune Sugihara, Japanese soldier and diplomat (d. 1986)
    • 1900 – Xavier Cugat, Spanish-American singer-songwriter and actor (d. 1990)
    • 1902 – Buster Nupen, Norwegian-South African cricketer and lawyer (d. 1977)
    • 1902 – Hans von Dohnányi, German jurist and political dissident (d. 1945)
    • 1904 – Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry, Pakistani lawyer and politician, 5th President of Pakistan (d. 1982)
    • 1905 – Stanisław Mazur, Ukrainian-Polish mathematician and theorist (d. 1981)
    • 1906 – Manuel Silos, Filipino filmmaker, and actor (d. 1988)
    • 1907 – Kinue Hitomi, Japanese sprinter and long jumper (d. 1931)
    • 1909 – Dana Andrews, American actor (d. 1992)
    • 1909 – Stepan Bandera, Ukrainian soldier and politician (d. 1959)
    • 1911 – Audrey Wurdemann, American poet and author (d. 1960)
    • 1911 – Basil Dearden, English director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1971)
    • 1911 – Hank Greenberg, American baseball player (d. 1986)
    • 1911 – Roman Totenberg, Polish-American violinist and educator (d. 2012)
    • 1912 – Boris Vladimirovich Gnedenko, Russian mathematician and historian (d. 1995)
    • 1912 – Kim Philby, British spy (d. 1988)
    • 1912 – Nikiforos Vrettakos, Greek poet and academic (d. 1991)
    • 1914 – Noor Inayat Khan, British SOE agent (d. 1944)
    • 1917 – Shannon Bolin, American actress and singer (d. 2016)
    • 1918 – Patrick Anthony Porteous, Scottish colonel, Victoria Cross recipient (d. 2000)
    • 1918 – Willy den Ouden, Dutch swimmer (d. 1997)
    • 1919 – Carole Landis, American actress (d. 1948)
    • 1919 – J. D. Salinger, American soldier and author (d. 2010)
    • 1919 – Rocky Graziano, American boxer and actor (d. 1990)
    • 1920 – Osvaldo Cavandoli, Italian cartoonist (d. 2007)
    • 1921 – César Baldaccini, French sculptor and academic (d. 1998)
    • 1921 – Ismail al-Faruqi, Palestinian-American philosopher and academic (d. 1986)
    • 1921 – Regina Bianchi, Italian actress (d. 2013)
    • 1922 – Ernest Hollings, American soldier, and politician, 106th Governor of South Carolina (d. 2019)
    • 1923 – Valentina Cortese, Italian actress (d. 2019)
    • 1923 – Milt Jackson, American jazz vibraphonist and composer (d. 1999)
    • 1924 – Francisco Macías Nguema, Equatorial Guinean politician, 1st President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea (d. 1979)
    • 1925 – Matthew Beard, American child actor (d. 1981)
    • 1925 – Paul Bomani, Tanzanian politician and diplomat, 1st Tanzanian Minister of Finance (d. 2005)
    • 1926 – Kazys Petkevičius, Lithuanian basketball player and coach (d. 2008)
    • 1927 – Doak Walker, American football player and businessman (d. 1998)
    • 1927 – James Reeb, American clergyman and political activist (d. 1965)
    • 1927 – Maurice Béjart, French-Swiss dancer, choreographer, and director (d. 2007)
    • 1927 – Vernon L. Smith, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1928 – Ernest Tidyman, American author and screenwriter (d. 1984)
    • 1928 – Gerhard Weinberg, German-American historian, author, and academic
    • 1929 – Larry L. King, American journalist, author, and playwright (d. 2012)
    • 1930 – Frederick Wiseman, American director and producer
    • 1930 – Gaafar Nimeiry, Egyptian-Sudanese politician, 4th President of the Sudan (d. 2009)
    • 1932 – Giuseppe Patanè, Italian conductor (d. 1989)
    • 1933 – James Hormel, American philanthropist and diplomat.
    • 1933 – Joe Orton, English dramatist (d. 1967)
    • 1934 – Alan Berg, American lawyer and radio host (d. 1984
    • 1934 – Lakhdar Brahimi, Algerian politician, Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs
    • 1935 – Om Prakash Chautala, Indian politician
    • 1936 – James Sinegal, American businessman, co-founded Costco
    • 1939 – Michèle Mercier, French actress
    • 1939 – Phil Read, English motorcycle racer and businessman
    • 1939 – Senfronia Thompson, American politician
    • 1941 – Younoussi Touré, Malian politician, Prime Minister of Mali
    • 1942 – Alassane Ouattara, Ivorian economist and politician, President of the Ivory Coast (doubtful)
    • 1942 – Anthony Hamilton-Smith, 3rd Baron Colwyn, English dentist and politician
    • 1942 – Country Joe McDonald, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1942 – Dennis Archer, American lawyer and politician, 67th Mayor of Detroit
    • 1942 – Gennadi Sarafanov, Russian pilot and cosmonaut (d. 2005)
    • 1943 – Don Novello, American comedian, screenwriter and producer.
    • 1943 – Tony Knowles, American soldier and politician, 7th Governor of Alaska.
    • 1943 – Vladimir Šeks, Croatian lawyer and politician, 16th Speaker of the Croatian Parliament
    • 1944 – Mati Unt, Estonian author, playwright, and director (d. 2005)
    • 1944 – Omar al-Bashir, Sudanese field marshal and politician, 7th President of Sudan
    • 1944 – Teresa Torańska, Polish journalist and author (d. 2013)
    • 1944 – Zafarullah Khan Jamali, Pakistani field hockey player and politician, 13th Prime Minister of Pakistan
    • 1945 – Jacky Ickx, Belgian racing driver
    • 1945 – Victor Ashe, American politician and former United States Ambassador to Poland
    • 1946 – Claude Steele, American social psychologist and academic
    • 1946 – Rivellino, Brazilian footballer and manager
    • 1947 – Jon Corzine, American sergeant and politician, 54th Governor of New Jersey
    • 1948 – Devlet Bahçeli, Turkish economist, academic, and politician, 57th Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey
    • 1948 – Dick Quax, New Zealand runner and politician (d. 2018)
    • 1948 – Pavel Grachev, Russian general and politician, 1st Russian Minister of Defence (d. 2012)
    • 1949 – Borys Tarasyuk, Ukrainian politician and diplomat
    • 1952 – Shaji N. Karun, Indian director and cinematographer
    • 1953 – Gary Johnson, American businessman and politician, 29th Governor of New Mexico
    • 1954 – Bob Menendez, American lawyer and politician
    • 1954 – Dennis O’Driscoll, Irish poet and critic (d. 2012)
    • 1954 – Yannis Papathanasiou, Greek engineer and politician, Greek Minister of Finance
    • 1955 – LaMarr Hoyt, American baseball player
    • 1955 – Mary Beard, English classicist, academic and presenter
    • 1956 – Sergei Avdeyev, Russian engineer and astronaut
    • 1956 – Christine Lagarde, French lawyer and politician; Managing Director, International Monetary Fund
    • 1957 – Evangelos Venizelos, Greek lawyer and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Greece
    • 1958 – Grandmaster Flash, Barbadian rapper and DJ
    • 1959 – Abdul Ahad Mohmand, Afghan colonel, pilot, and astronaut
    • 1959 – Azali Assoumani, Comorian colonel and politician, President of the Comoros
    • 1959 – Panagiotis Giannakis, Greek basketball player and coach
    • 1962 – Anton Muscatelli, Italian-Scottish economist and academic
    • 1963 – Jean-Marc Gounon, French racing driver
    • 1964 – Dedee Pfeiffer, American actress
    • 1966 – Anna Burke, Australian businesswoman and politician, 28th Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives
    • 1966 – Ivica Dačić, Serbian journalist and politician, 95th Prime Minister of Serbia
    • 1966 – Tihomir Orešković, Croatian–Canadian businessman, 11th Prime Minister of Croatia
    • 1968 – Davor Šuker, Croatian footballer
    • 1971 – Bobby Holík, Czech-American ice hockey player and coach
    • 1971 – Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia, Indian politician
    • 1971 – Sammie Henson, American wrestler and coach
    • 1972 – Lilian Thuram, French footballer
    • 1974 – Christian Paradis, Canadian lawyer and politician, 9th Canadian Minister of Industry
    • 1975 – Becky Kellar-Duke, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1975 – Chris Anstey, Australian basketball player and coach
    • 1975 – Fernando Tatís, Dominican baseball player
    • 1975 – Joe Cannon, American soccer player and sportscaster
    • 1979 – Vidya Balan, Indian actress
    • 1981 – Zsolt Baumgartner, Hungarian racing driver
    • 1981 – Mladen Petrić, Croatian footballer
    • 1982 – David Nalbandian, Argentinian tennis player
    • 1982 – Egidio Arévalo Ríos, Uruguayan footballer
    • 1983 – Melaine Walker, Jamaican hurdler
    • 1983 – Park Sung-hyun, South Korean archer
    • 1983 – Calum Davenport, English footballer
    • 1984 – Paolo Guerrero, Peruvian footballer
    • 1985 – Steven Davis, Northern Irish footballer
    • 1985 – Tiago Splitter, Brazilian basketball player
    • 1986 – Pablo Cuevas, Uruguayan tennis player
    • 1986 – Ramses Barden, American football player
    • 1987 – Meryl Davis, American ice dancer1987 – Patric Hörnqvist, Swedish ice hockey player
    • 1988 – Marcel Gecov, Czech footballer
    • 1989 – Jason Pierre-Paul, American football player
    • 1991 – Darius Slay, American football player

    Deaths on January 1

    • 138 – Lucius Aelius, adopted son and intended successor of Hadrian (b. 101)
    • 404 – Telemachus, Christian monk and martyr
    • 466 – Qianfei, Chinese emperor of the Liu Song Dynasty (b. 449)
    • 898 – Odo I, Frankish king (b. 860)
    • 951 – Ramiro II, king of León and Galicia1031 – William of Volpiano, Italian abbot (b. 962)
    • 1189 – Henry of Marcy, Cistercian abbot (b. c. 1136)
    • 1204 – Haakon III, king of Norway (b. 1182)
    • 1387 – Charles II, king of Navarre (b. 1332)
    • 1496 – Charles d’Orléans, count of Angoulême (b. 1459)
    • 1515 – Louis XII, king of France (b. 1462)
    • 1559 – Christian III, king of Denmark (b. 1503)
    • 1560 – Joachim du Bellay, French poet and critic (b. 1522)
    • 1617 – Hendrik Goltzius, Dutch painter and illustrator (b. 1558)
    • 1697 – Filippo Baldinucci, Florentine historian and author (b. 1625)
    • 1716 – William Wycherley, English playwright and poet (b. 1641)
    • 1748 – Johann Bernoulli, Swiss mathematician and academic (b. 1667)
    • 1780 – Johann Ludwig Krebs, German organist and composer (b. 1713)
    • 1782 – Johann Christian Bach, German composer (b. 1735)
    • 1789 – Fletcher Norton, 1st Baron Grantley, English lawyer and politician, British Speaker of the House of Commons (b. 1716)
    • 1793 – Francesco Guardi, Italian painter and educator (b. 1712)
    • 1817 – Martin Heinrich Klaproth, German chemist and academic (b. 1743)
    • 1846 – John Torrington, English sailor and explorer (b. 1825)
    • 1853 – Gregory Blaxland, Australian farmer and explorer (b. 1778)
    • 1862 – Mikhail Ostrogradsky, Ukrainian mathematician and physicist (b. 1801)
    • 1881 – Louis Auguste Blanqui, French activist (b. 1805)
    • 1892 – Roswell B. Mason, American lawyer and politician, 25th Mayor of Chicago (b. 1805)
    • 1894 – Heinrich Hertz, German physicist and academic (b. 1857)
    • 1896 – Alfred Ely Beach, American publisher and lawyer, created the Beach Pneumatic Transit (b. 1826)
    • 1906 – Hugh Nelson, Scottish-Australian farmer and politician, 11th Premier of Queensland (b. 1833)
    • 1918 – William Wilfred Campbell, Canadian poet and author (b. 1858)
    • 1921 – Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg, German lawyer and politician, 5th Chancellor of Germany (b. 1856)
    • 1929 – Mustafa Necati, Turkish civil servant and politician, Turkish Minister of Environment and Urban Planning (b. 1894)
    • 1931 – Martinus Beijerinck, Dutch microbiologist and botanist (b. 1851)
    • 1937 – Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, Indian religious leader, founded the Gaudiya Math (b. 1874)
    • 1940 – Panuganti Lakshminarasimha Rao, Indian author and educator (b. 1865)
    • 1944 – Edwin Lutyens, English architect, designed the Castle Drogo and Thiepval Memorial (b. 1869)
    • 1944 – Charles Turner, Australian cricketer (b. 1862)
    • 1953 – Hank Williams, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1923)
    • 1954 – Duff Cooper, English politician and diplomat, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (b. 1890)
    • 1954 – Leonard Bacon, American poet and critic (b. 1887)
    • 1955 – Arthur C. Parker, American archaeologist and historian (b. 1881)
    • 1960 – Margaret Sullavan, American actress (b. 1909)
    • 1966 – Vincent Auriol, French journalist and politician, 16th President of the French Republic (b. 1884)
    • 1969 – Barton MacLane, American actor, playwright and screenwriter (b. 1902)
    • 1971 – Amphilochius of Pochayiv, Ukrainian saint (b. 1894)
    • 1972 – Maurice Chevalier, French actor and singer (b. 1888)
    • 1978 – Carle Hessay, German-Canadian painter (b. 1911)
    • 1980 – Pietro Nenni, Italian journalist and politician, Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1891)
    • 1981 – Hephzibah Menuhin, American-Australian pianist (b. 1920)
    • 1982 – Victor Buono, American actor (b. 1938)
    • 1984 – Alexis Korner, French-English singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1928)
    • 1992 – Grace Hopper, American computer scientist and admiral, co-developed COBOL (b. 1906)
    • 1994 – Arthur Porritt, Baron Porritt, New Zealand physician and politician, 11th Governor-General of New Zealand (b. 1900)
    • 1994 – Cesar Romero, American actor (b. 1907)
    • 1994 – Edward Arthur Thompson, Irish historian and academic (b. 1914)
    • 1995 – Eugene Wigner, Hungarian-American physicist and mathematician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1902)
    • 1996 – Arleigh Burke, American admiral (b. 1901)
    • 1996 – Arthur Rudolph, German-American engineer (b. 1906)
    • 1997 – Townes Van Zandt, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (b. 1944)
    • 1998 – Helen Wills, American tennis player and coach (b. 1905)
    • 2000 – Betty Archdale, English-Australian cricketer and educator (b. 1907)
    • 2001 – Ray Walston, American actor (b. 1914)
    • 2002 – Julia Phillips, American film producer and author (b. 1944)
    • 2003 – Joe Foss, American soldier, pilot, and politician, 20th Governor of South Dakota (b. 1915)
    • 2005 – Shirley Chisholm, American educator and politician (b. 1924)
    • 2006 – Harry Magdoff, American economist and journalist (b. 1913)
    • 2007 – Roland Levinsky, South African-English biochemist and academic (b. 1943)
    • 2007 – Tillie Olsen, American short story writer (b. 1912)
    • 2008 – Pratap Chandra Chunder, Indian educator and politician (b. 1919)
    • 2009 – Claiborne Pell, American politician (b. 1918)
    • 2010 – Lhasa de Sela, American-Mexican singer-songwriter (b. 1972)
    • 2012 – Kiro Gligorov, Bulgarian-Macedonian lawyer and politician, 1st President of the Republic of Macedonia (b. 1917)
    • 2012 – Nay Win Maung, Burmese physician, businessman, and activist (b. 1962)
    • 2012 – Tommy Mont, American football player and coach (b. 1922)
    • 2013 – Christopher Martin-Jenkins, English journalist (b. 1945)
    • 2013 – Patti Page, American singer and actress (b. 1927)
    • 2014 – Higashifushimi Kunihide, Japanese monk and educator (b. 1910)
    • 2014 – Juanita Moore, American actress (b. 1914)
    • 2014 – William Mgimwa, Tanzanian banker and politician, 13th Tanzanian Minister of Finance (b. 1950)
    • 2015 – Boris Morukov, Russian physician and astronaut (b. 1950)
    • 2015 – Donna Douglas, American actress (b. 1932)
    • 2015 – Mario Cuomo, American lawyer and politician, 52nd Governor of New York (b. 1932)
    • 2015 – Omar Karami, Lebanese lawyer and politician, 58th Prime Minister of Lebanon (b. 1934)
    • 2016 – Dale Bumpers, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 38th Governor of Arkansas (b. 1925)
    • 2016 – Fazu Aliyeva, Russian poet and journalist (b. 1932)
    • 2016 – Vilmos Zsigmond, Hungarian-American cinematographer and producer (b. 1930)
    • 2017 – Derek Parfit, British philosopher (b. 1942)
    • 2017 – Tony Atkinson, British economist (b. 1944)
    • 2017 – Yvon Dupuis, Canadian politician (b. 1926)
    • 2018 – Robert Mann, American violinist (b. 1920)
    • 2019 – Pegi Young, American singer, songwriter, environmentalist, educator and philanthropist (b. 1952)
    • 2019 – Paul Neville, Australian politician (b. 1940)
    • 2020 – David Stern, American lawyer and businessman (b. 1942)
    • 2020 – Alexander Frater, British travel writer and journalist (b. 1937)
    • 2020 – Barry McDonald, Australian rugby union player (b. 1940)

    Holidays and observances on January 1

    • Christian feast day:
      • Adalard of Corbie
      • Basil the Great (Eastern Orthodox Church)
      • Feast of the Circumcision of Christ
        • Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus (Anglican Communion, Lutheran Church)
        • Feast of Fools (Medieval Europe)
      • Fulgentius of Ruspe
      • Giuseppe Maria Tomasi
      • Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, the Octave Day of Christmas, considered a holy day of obligation in some countries (Catholic Church); and its related observances:
        • World Day of Peace
      • Telemachus
      • Zygmunt Gorazdowski
      • January 1 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Earliest day on which Handsel Monday can fall, while January 7 is the latest; celebrated on the first Monday of the year (Scotland)
    • The second day of Hogmanay (Scotland) December 31-January 1, in some cases until January 2.
    • The last day of Kwanzaa (African-Americans)
    • The eighth of the Twelve Days of Christmas (Western Christianity)
    • Constitution Day (Italy)
    • Dissolution of Czechoslovakia-related observances:
      • Day of the Establishment of the Slovak Republic (Slovakia)
      • Restoration Day of the Independent Czech State (Czech Republic)
    • Emancipation Day (United States)
    • Euro Day (European Union)
    • Flag Day (Lithuania) commemorates raising of the Lithuanian flag on Gediminas’ Tower in 1919
    • Founding Day (Taiwan) commemorates the establishment of the Provisional Government in Nanjing
    • Global Family Day
    • Independence Day (Brunei, Cameroon, Haiti, Sudan)
    • International Nepali Dhoti and Nepali Topi Day
    • Jump-up Day (Montserrat)
    • Kalpataru Day (Ramakrishna Movement)
    • Kamakura Ebisu, January 1–3 (Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan)
    • National Bloody Mary Day (United States)
    • National Tree Planting Day (Tanzania)
    • New Year’s Day (Gregorian calendar)
      • Japanese New Year
      • Novy God Day (Russia)
      • Sjoogwachi (Okinawa Islands)
    • Polar Bear Swim Day (Canada and United States)
    • Public Domain Day (multiple countries)
    • Triumph of the Revolution (Cuba)
  • | |

    Abraham Lincoln Quiz

    Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth President of the United States.

    Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth President of the United States. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

    A political cartoon of Andrew Johnson and Abraham Lincoln, 1865.

    A political cartoon of Andrew Johnson and Abraham Lincoln, 1865. The caption reads (Johnson to the former rail-splitter): Take it quietly Uncle Abe and I will draw it closer than ever!! (Lincoln to the former tailor): A few more stitches Andy and the good old Union will be mended! (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

    Photograph of a reproduction of the Emancipation Proclamation.

    Photograph of a reproduction of the Emancipation Proclamation (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

    Presidential campaign button with portraits of Abraham Lincoln and Hannibal Hamlin

    Presidential campaign button with portraits of Abraham Lincoln and Hannibal Hamlin (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

    Signature of Abraham Lincoln.

    Signature of Abraham Lincoln. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

    Abraham Lincoln Quiz Questions

    1) When was Abraham Lincoln first sworn in as President of USA?
    a) 20 January 1869
    b) 4 March 1861
    c) 20 January 1873
    d) 4 March 1849

    2) When was Abraham Lincoln born?
    a) 26 January 1800
    b) 1 March 1805
    c) 12 February 1809
    d) 9 September 1816

    3) Where was Abraham Lincoln born?
    a) Libreville
    b) New York
    c) Hodgenville
    d) Austin

    4) In which war was Abraham Lincoln a captain?
    a) Panama
    b) Black Hawk
    c) Mexican
    d) Balkan War II

    5) To which political party did Abraham Lincoln belong when he became President?
    a) Democratic
    b) Republican
    c) Green
    d) Conservative

    6) Who was Abraham Lincoln’s running mate for Presidential Election 1860?
    a) Andrew Johnson
    b) John Bell
    c) Hannibal Hamlin
    d) Stephen a. Douglas

    7) When did Emancipation Proclamation come into effect?
    a) 1 January 1861
    b) 1 January 1863
    c) 4 July 1861
    d) 25 December 1862

    8) Which famous address did Abraham Lincoln give on 19 November 1863?
    a) New York
    b) Washington
    c) Gettysburg
    d) Philadelphia

    9) Abraham Lincoln was shot on 14 April 1865. What was the significance of that day?
    a) Ash Wednesday
    b) Maundy Thursday
    c) Good Friday
    d) Easter Sunday

    10) How is Abraham Lincoln’s life described?
    a) From dog house to pent house
    b) From log house to White House
    c) From Green House to Red House
    d) From here to eternity

    Abraham Lincoln Quiz Questions with Answers

    1) When was Abraham Lincoln first sworn in as President of USA?
    b) 4 March 1861

    2) When was Abraham Lincoln born?
    c) 12 February 1809

    3) Where was Abraham Lincoln born?
    c) Hodgenville

    4) In which war was Abraham Lincoln a captain?
    b) Black Hawk

    5) To which political party did Abraham Lincoln belong when he became President?
    b) Republican

    6) Who was Abraham Lincoln’s running mate for Presidential Election 1860?
    c) Hannibal Hamlin

    7) When did Emancipation Proclamation come into effect?
    b) 1 January 1863
    Note: Emancipation Proclamation was issued on 22/9/1862 and came into effect on 1/1/1863.

    8) Which famous address did Abraham Lincoln give on 19 November 1863?
    c) Gettysburg

    9) Abraham Lincoln was shot on 14 April 1865. What was the significance of that day?
    c) Good Friday

    10) How is Abraham Lincoln’s life described?
    b) From log house to White House