english biologist

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

    • 218 – Battle of Antioch: With the support of the Syrian legions, Elagabalus defeats the forces of emperor Macrinus. He flees but is captured near Chalcedon and later executed in Cappadocia.
    • 793 – Vikings raid the abbey at Lindisfarne in Northumbria, commonly accepted as the beginning of Norse activity in the British Isles.
    • 1042 – Edward the Confessor becomes King of England – the country’s penultimate Anglo-Saxon king.
    • 1191 – Richard I arrives in Acre, beginning his crusade.
    • 1663 – Portuguese victory at the Battle of Ameixial ensures Portugal’s independence from Spain.
    • 1776 – American Revolutionary War: American attackers are driven back at the Battle of Trois-Rivières.
    • 1783 – Laki, a volcano in Iceland, begins an eight-month eruption which kills over 9,000 people and starts a seven-year famine.
    • 1789 – James Madison introduces twelve proposed amendments to the United States Constitution in Congress.
    • 1794 – Robespierre inaugurates the French Revolution’s new state religion, the Cult of the Supreme Being, with large organized festivals all across France.
    • 1856 – A group of 194 Pitcairn Islanders, descendants of the mutineers of HMS Bounty, arrives at Norfolk Island, commencing the Third Settlement of the Island.
    • 1861 – American Civil War: Tennessee secedes from the Union.
    • 1862 – American Civil War: Battle of Cross Keys: Confederate forces under General Stonewall Jackson save the Army of Northern Virginia from a Union assault on the James Peninsula led by General George B. McClellan.
    • 1867 – Coronation of Franz Joseph as King of Hungary following the Austro-Hungarian compromise (Ausgleich).
    • 1887 – Herman Hollerith applies for US patent #395,781 for the ‘Art of Compiling Statistics’, which was his punched card calculator.
    • 1906 – Theodore Roosevelt signs the Antiquities Act into law, authorizing the President to restrict the use of certain parcels of public land with historical or conservation value.
    • 1912 – Carl Laemmle incorporates Universal Pictures.
    • 1918 – A solar eclipse is observed at Baker City, Oregon by scientists and an artist hired by the United States Navy.
    • 1928 – Second Northern Expedition: The National Revolutionary Army captures Peking, whose name is changed to Beijing (“Northern Capital”).
    • 1929 – Margaret Bondfield is appointed Minister of Labour. She is the first woman appointed to the Cabinet of the United Kingdom.
    • 1940 – World War II: The completion of Operation Alphabet, the evacuation of Allied forces from Narvik at the end of the Norwegian Campaign.
    • 1941 – World War II: The Allies commence the Syria–Lebanon Campaign against the possessions of Vichy France in the Levant.
    • 1942 – World War II: The Japanese imperial submarines I-21 and I-24 shell the Australian cities of Sydney and Newcastle.
    • 1949 – Helen Keller, Dorothy Parker, Danny Kaye, Fredric March, John Garfield, Paul Muni and Edward G. Robinson are named in an FBI report as Communist Party members.
    • 1949 – George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four is published.
    • 1953 – An F5 tornado hits Beecher, Michigan, killing 116, injuring 844, and destroying 340 homes.
    • 1953 – The United States Supreme Court rules in District of Columbia v. John R. Thompson Co. that restaurants in Washington, D.C., cannot refuse to serve black patrons.
    • 1959 – USS Barbero and the United States Postal Service attempt the delivery of mail via Missile Mail.
    • 1966 – An F-104 Starfighter collides with XB-70 Valkyrie prototype no. 2, destroying both aircraft during a photo shoot near Edwards Air Force Base. Joseph A. Walker, a NASA test pilot, and Carl Cross, a United States Air Force test pilot, are both killed.
    • 1966 – Topeka, Kansas, is devastated by a tornado that registers as an “F5” on the Fujita scale: The first to exceed US$100 million in damages. Sixteen people are killed, hundreds more injured, and thousands of homes damaged or destroyed.
    • 1966 – The National Football League and American Football League announced a merger effective in 1970.
    • 1967 – Six-Day War: The USS Liberty incident occurs, killing 34 and wounding 171.
    • 1972 – Vietnam War: Nine-year-old Phan Thị Kim Phúc is burned by napalm, an event captured by Associated Press photographer Nick Ut moments later while the young girl is seen running down a road, in what would become an iconic, Pulitzer Prize-winning photo.
    • 1982 – Bluff Cove Air Attacks during the Falklands War: Fifty-six British servicemen are killed by an Argentine air attack on two landing ships, RFA Sir Galahad and RFA Sir Tristram.
    • 1984 – Homosexuality is declared legal in the Australian state of New South Wales.
    • 1987 – New Zealand’s Labour government establishes a national nuclear-free zone under the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act 1987.
    • 1992 – The first World Oceans Day is celebrated, coinciding with the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
    • 1995 – Downed U.S. Air Force pilot Captain Scott O’Grady is rescued by U.S. Marines in Bosnia.
    • 2001 – Mamoru Takuma kills eight and injures 15 in a mass stabbing at an elementary school in the Osaka Prefecture of Japan.
    • 2004 – The first Venus Transit in well over a century takes place, the previous one being in 1882.
    • 2007 – Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, is hit by the State’s worst storms and flooding in 30 years resulting in the death of nine people and the grounding of a trade ship, the MV Pasha Bulker.
    • 2008 – At least 37 miners go missing after an explosion in a Ukrainian coal mine causes it to collapse.
    • 2008 – At least seven people are killed and ten injured in a stabbing spree in Tokyo, Japan.
    • 2009 – Two American journalists are found guilty of illegally entering North Korea and sentenced to 12 years of penal labour.
    • 2014 – At least 28 people are killed in an attack at Jinnah International Airport, Karachi, Pakistan.

    Births on June 8

    • 862 – Emperor Xizong of Tang (d. 888)
    • 1508 – Primož Trubar, Slovenian Protestant reformer (d. 1586)
    • 1552 – Gabriello Chiabrera, Italian poet and author (d. 1638)
    • 1593 – George I Rákóczi, prince of Transylvania (d. 1648)
    • 1625 – Giovanni Domenico Cassini, Italian-French mathematician and astronomer (d. 1712)
    • 1671 – Tomaso Albinoni, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1751)
    • 1717 – John Collins, American lawyer and politician, 3rd Governor of Rhode Island (d. 1795)
    • 1724 – John Smeaton, English engineer, designed the Coldstream Bridge and Perth Bridge (d. 1794)
    • 1745 – Caspar Wessel, Norwegian-Danish mathematician and cartographer (d. 1818)
    • 1757 – Ercole Consalvi, Italian cardinal (d. 1824)
    • 1788 – Charles A. Wickliffe, American politician, 14th Governor of Kentucky (d. 1869)
    • 1810 – Robert Schumann, German composer and critic (d. 1856)
    • 1829 – John Everett Millais, English painter and illustrator (d. 1896)
    • 1831 – Thomas J. Higgins, Canadian-American sergeant, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1917)
    • 1842 – John Q. A. Brackett, American lawyer and politician, 36th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1918)
    • 1851 – Jacques-Arsène d’Arsonval, French physician and physicist (d. 1940)
    • 1852 – Guido Banti, Italian physician and pathologist (d. 1925)
    • 1854 – Douglas Cameron, Canadian politician, 8th Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba (d. 1921)
    • 1855 – George Charles Haité, English painter and illustrator (d. 1924)
    • 1858 – Charlotte Scott, English mathematician (d. 1931)
    • 1859 – Smith Wigglesworth, English evangelist (d. 1947)
    • 1860 – Alicia Boole Stott, Irish-English mathematician and theorist (d. 1940)
    • 1867 – Frank Lloyd Wright, American architect, designed the Price Tower and Fallingwater (d. 1959)
    • 1868 – Robert Robinson Taylor, American architect (d. 1942)
    • 1872 – Jan Frans De Boever, Belgian painter and illustrator (d. 1949)
    • 1875 – Ernst Enno, Estonian poet and author (d. 1934)
    • 1876 – Alexandre Tuffère, Greek-French triple jumper (d. 1958)
    • 1885 – Karl Genzken, German physician (d. 1957)
    • 1891 – William Funnell, Australian public servant (d. 1962)
    • 1893 – Ernst Marcus, German zoologist (d. 1968)
    • 1893 – Gaby Morlay, French actress (d. 1964)
    • 1894 – Erwin Schulhoff, Czech composer and pianist (d. 1942)
    • 1895 – Santiago Bernabéu Yeste, Spanish footballer and manager (d. 1978)
    • 1897 – John G. Bennett, English mathematician and technologist (d. 1974)
    • 1899 – Eugène Lapierre, Canadian organist, composer and arts administrator (d. 1970)
    • 1899 – Ernst-Robert Grawitz, German physician (d. 1945)
    • 1900 – Lena Baker, African-American maid executed for capital murder, later pardoned posthumously (d. 1945)
    • 1903 – Ralph Yarborough, American colonel and politician (d. 1996)
    • 1903 – Marguerite Yourcenar, Belgian-French author and poet (d. 1987)
    • 1910 – C. C. Beck, American illustrator (d. 1989)
    • 1910 – John W. Campbell, American journalist and author (d. 1971)
    • 1910 – Fernand Fonssagrives, French-American photographer, sculptor, and painter (d. 2003)
    • 1911 – Edmundo Rivero, Argentinian singer-songwriter (d. 1986)
    • 1912 – Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, British abstract painter (d. 2004)
    • 1912 – Maurice Bellemare, Canadian lawyer and politician (d. 1989)
    • 1912 – Harry Holtzman, American painter (d. 1987)
    • 1915 – Kayyar Kinhanna Rai, Indian journalist, author, and poet (d. 2015)
    • 1916 – Francis Crick, English biologist, biophysicist, and neuroscientist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2004)
    • 1916 – Luigi Comencini, Italian director and screenwriter (d. 2007)
    • 1916 – Richard Pousette-Dart, American painter and educator (d. 1992)
    • 1917 – Byron White, American football player and judge (d. 2002)
    • 1918 – George Edward Hughes, Irish-New Zealand philosopher and logician (d. 1994)
    • 1918 – Robert Preston, American captain, actor, and singer (d. 1987)
    • 1918 – John D. Roberts, American chemist and academic (d. 2016)
    • 1918 – John H. Ross, American captain and pilot (d. 2013)
    • 1919 – John R. Deane, Jr., American general (d. 2013)
    • 1920 – Gwen Harwood, Australian poet and playwright (d. 1995)
    • 1921 – Gordon McLendon, American broadcaster and businessman (d. 1986)
    • 1921 – Olga Nardone, American actress (d. 2010)
    • 1921 – LeRoy Neiman, American soldier and painter (d. 2012)
    • 1921 – Alexis Smith, Canadian-born American actress and singer (d. 1993)
    • 1921 – Suharto, Indonesian soldier and politician, 2nd President of Indonesia (d. 2008)
    • 1924 – Billie Dawe, Canadian ice hockey player and manager (d. 2013)
    • 1924 – Kenneth Waltz, American political scientist and academic (d. 2013)
    • 1925 – Barbara Bush, American wife of George H. W. Bush, 41st First Lady of the United States (d. 2018)
    • 1927 – Jerry Stiller, American actor, comedian and producer (d. 2020)
    • 1929 – Nada Inada, Japanese psychiatrist and author (d. 2013)
    • 1930 – Robert Aumann, German-American mathematician and economist, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1930 – Marcel Léger, Canadian lawyer and politician (d. 1993)
    • 1931 – James Goldstone, American director and screenwriter (d. 1999)
    • 1931 – Dana Wynter, British actress (d. 2011)
    • 1932 – Ray Illingworth, English cricketer and sportscaster
    • 1932 – Ian Kirkwood, Lord Kirkwood, Scottish lawyer and judge (d. 2017)
    • 1933 – Rommie Loudd, American football player and coach (d. 1998)
    • 1933 – Joan Rivers, American comedian, actress, and television host (d. 2014)
    • 1933 – Robert Stevens, English lawyer and academic
    • 1934 – Millicent Martin, English actress and singer
    • 1935 – Molade Okoya-Thomas, Nigerian businessman and philanthropist (d. 2015)
    • 1936 – James Darren, American actor
    • 1936 – Kenneth G. Wilson, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2013)
    • 1937 – Gillian Clarke, Welsh poet and playwright
    • 1938 – Angelo Amato, Italian cardinal
    • 1939 – Herb Adderley, American football player
    • 1940 – Nancy Sinatra, American singer and actress
    • 1941 – Robert Bradford, Northern Irish politician and activist (d. 1981)
    • 1941 – George Pell, Australian cardinal
    • 1942 – Nikos Konstantopoulos, Greek politician, Greek Minister of the Interior
    • 1942 – Doug Mountjoy, Welsh snooker player
    • 1943 – Colin Baker, English actor
    • 1943 – William Calley, American lieutenant
    • 1943 – Willie Davenport, American colonel and hurdler (d. 2002)
    • 1943 – Peter Eggert, German footballer and manager
    • 1943 – Pierre-André Fournier, Roman Catholic archbishop (d. 2015)
    • 1944 – Mark Belanger, American baseball player (d. 1998)
    • 1944 – Marc Ouellet, Canadian cardinal
    • 1944 – Boz Scaggs, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1945 – Steven Fromholz, American singer-songwriter, producer, and poet (d. 2014)
    • 1945 – Derek Underwood, English cricketer
    • 1946 – Graham Henry, New Zealand rugby player and coach
    • 1947 – Annie Haslam, English singer-songwriter and painter
    • 1947 – Sara Paretsky, American author
    • 1947 – Eric F. Wieschaus, American biologist, geneticist, and academic Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1949 – Emanuel Ax, Polish-American pianist and educator
    • 1949 – Hildegard Falck, German runner
    • 1950 – Kathy Baker, American actress
    • 1950 – Sônia Braga, Brazilian actress and producer
    • 1951 – Tony Rice, American guitarist and songwriter
    • 1951 – Bonnie Tyler, Welsh singer-songwriter
    • 1953 – Billy Hayes, English union leader
    • 1953 – Sandy Nairne, English historian and curator
    • 1953 – Ivo Sanader, Croatian historian and politician, 8th Prime Minister of Croatia
    • 1953 – Olav Stedje, Norwegian singer-songwriter
    • 1954 – Greg Ginn, American punk rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter (Black Flag)
    • 1954 – Kiril of Varna, Bulgarian metropolitan (d. 2013)
    • 1954 – Sergei Storchak, Ukrainian-Russian politician
    • 1955 – Tim Berners-Lee, English computer scientist, best known as the inventor of the World Wide Web
    • 1955 – José Antonio Camacho, Spanish footballer and manager
    • 1955 – Griffin Dunne, American actor, director, and producer
    • 1956 – Udo Bullmann, German politician
    • 1956 – Jonathan Potter, English psychologist, sociolinguist, and academic
    • 1957 – Scott Adams, American author and illustrator
    • 1957 – Don Robinson, American baseball player and politician
    • 1957 – Sonja Vectomov, Czech/Finnish sculptor
    • 1958 – Louise Richardson, Irish political scientist and academic
    • 1958 – Keenen Ivory Wayans, American actor, director, and screenwriter
    • 1959 – Mohsen Kadivar, Iranian philosopher
    • 1960 – Mick Hucknall, English singer-songwriter
    • 1960 – Terje Gewelt, Norwegian bassist
    • 1960 – Thomas Steen, Swedish ice hockey player and coach
    • 1961 – Mary Bonauto, American lawyer and gay rights activist
    • 1962 – John Gibbons, American baseball player and manager
    • 1962 – Andreas Keim, German footballer
    • 1962 – Nick Rhodes, English keyboard player and producer
    • 1963 – Karen Kingsbury, American journalist and author
    • 1963 – Antoaneta Todorova, Bulgarian javelin thrower
    • 1964 – Butch Reynolds, American runner and coach
    • 1965 – Kevin Farley, American screenwriter
    • 1965 – Rob Pilatus, German model, dancer and singer (Milli Vanilli) (d. 1998)
    • 1966 – Julianna Margulies, American actress
    • 1966 – Doris Pearson, English singer-songwriter and choreographer
    • 1967 – Dan Futterman, American actor, screenwriter and producer
    • 1967 – Russell E. Morris, Professor of Materials Chemistry at the University of St Andrews
    • 1968 – Rob Ray, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
    • 1969 – David Barnhill, Australian rugby league player and coach
    • 1969 – J. P. Manoux, American actor
    • 1969 – Marcos Siega, American director and producer
    • 1970 – Gabrielle Giffords, American businesswoman, politician and activist
    • 1970 – Kwame Kilpatrick, American educator and politician, 68th Mayor of Detroit
    • 1970 – Steve Renouf, Australian rugby league player and sportscaster
    • 1970 – Troy Vincent, American football player
    • 1971 – Mark Feuerstein, American actor, director, and producer
    • 1972 – Christian Mayrleb, Austrian footballer
    • 1973 – Lexa Doig, Canadian model and actress
    • 1973 – Bryant Reeves, American basketball player
    • 1974 – Pål Arne Fagernes, Norwegian javelin thrower (d. 2003)
    • 1974 – Lauren Burns, Australian taekwondo practitioner
    • 1974 – Alma Lepina, Latvian figure skater
    • 1975 – Emm Gryner, Canadian singer-songwriter
    • 1975 – Bryan McCabe, Canadian-American ice hockey player
    • 1975 – Mark Ricciuto, Australian footballer and sportscaster
    • 1975 – Shilpa Shetty, Indian actress and producer
    • 1976 – Eion Bailey, American actor
    • 1976 – Kenji Johjima, Japanese baseball player
    • 1976 – Catherine McKinnell, English lawyer and politician
    • 1977 – Kanye West, American rapper, producer, director, and fashion designer
    • 1978 – Eun Ji-won, South Korean rapper, dancer, and producer
    • 1978 – Maria Menounos, American television journalist
    • 1979 – Alexei Kozlov, Estonian figure skater
    • 1979 – Pete Orr, Canadian-American baseball player
    • 1979 – Adine Wilson, New Zealand netball player
    • 1979 – İpek Şenoğlu, Turkish tennis player
    • 1980 – Gustavo Manduca, Brazilian footballer
    • 1980 – Jamie Spencer, Irish jockey
    • 1981 – Alex Band, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
    • 1981 – Rachel Held Evans, American Christian author
    • 1981 – Matteo Meneghello, Italian race car driver
    • 1981 – Sara Watkins, American singer-songwriter and fiddler
    • 1982 – Matteo Barbini, Italian rugby player
    • 1982 – Michael Cammalleri, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1982 – Dickson Etuhu, Nigerian footballer
    • 1982 – Irina Lăzăreanu, Romanian-Canadian model and singer
    • 1982 – Nadia Petrova, Russian tennis player
    • 1983 – Gaines Adams, American football player (d. 2010)
    • 1983 – Kim Clijsters, Belgian tennis player
    • 1983 – Pantelis Kapetanos, Greek footballer
    • 1983 – Coby Karl, American basketball player
    • 1984 – Javier Mascherano, Argentinian footballer
    • 1985 – Alexandre Despatie, Canadian diver
    • 1985 – Rosanna Pansino, American actress, writer and TV personality
    • 1986 – Patrick Kaleta, American ice hockey player
    • 1986 – Andrej Sekera, Slovak ice hockey player
    • 1987 – Coralie Balmy, French swimmer
    • 1987 – Issiar Dia, Senegalese footballer
    • 1989 – Timea Bacsinszky, Swiss tennis player
    • 1989 – Mitchell Schwartz, American football player
    • 1990 – Todd Barclay, New Zealand politician
    • 1990 – Mickey Bushell, English wheelchair racer
    • 1992 – Sebá, Brazilian footballer
    • 1996 – Doğanay Kılıç, Turkish footballer
    • 1997 – Jeļena Ostapenko, Latvian tennis player

    Deaths on June 8

    • 632 – Muhammad, the central figure of Islam, widely regarded as its founder (b. 570/571)
    • 696 – Chlodulf, bishop of Metz (or 697)
    • 951 – Zhao Ying, Chinese chancellor (b. 885)
    • 1042 – Harthacnut, English-Danish king (b. 1018)
    • 1154 – William of York, English archbishop and saint
    • 1290 – Beatrice Portinari, object of Dante Alighieri’s adoration (b. 1266)
    • 1376 – Edward, the Black Prince, English son of Edward III of England (b. 1330)
    • 1383 – Thomas de Ros, 4th Baron de Ros, English politician (b. 1338)
    • 1384 – Kan’ami, Japanese actor and playwright (b. 1333)
    • 1405 – Richard le Scrope, Archbishop of York (b. c.1350)
    • 1405 – Thomas de Mowbray, 4th Earl of Norfolk (b. 1385)
    • 1476 – George Neville, English archbishop and academic (b. 1432)
    • 1492 – Elizabeth Woodville, Queen consort of England (b. 1437)
    • 1501 – George Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly, Earl of Huntly and Lord Chancellor of Scotland (b. 1440)
    • 1505 – Hongzhi Emperor of China (b. 1470)
    • 1600 – Edward Fortunatus, German nobleman (b. 1565)
    • 1611 – Jean Bertaut, French bishop and poet (b. 1552)
    • 1612 – Hans Leo Hassler, German organist and composer (b. 1562)
    • 1621 – Anne de Xainctonge, French saint, founded the Society of the Sisters of Saint Ursula of the Blessed Virgin (b. 1567)
    • 1628 – Rudolph Goclenius, German lexicographer and philosopher (b. 1547)
    • 1651 – Tokugawa Iemitsu, Japanese shōgun (b. 1604)
    • 1714 – Sophia of Hanover (b. 1630)
    • 1716 – Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine, German son of Landgravine Elisabeth Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt (b. 1658)
    • 1727 – August Hermann Francke, German-Lutheran pietist, philanthropist, and scholar (b. 1663)
    • 1768 – Johann Joachim Winckelmann, German archaeologist and scholar (b. 1717)
    • 1771 – George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax, English politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (b. 1716)
    • 1795 – Louis XVII of France (b. 1785)
    • 1809 – Thomas Paine, English-American theorist and author (b. 1737)
    • 1831 – Sarah Siddons, Welsh actress (b. 1755)
    • 1835 – Gian Domenico Romagnosi, Italian economist and jurist (b. 1761)
    • 1845 – Andrew Jackson, American general, judge, and politician, 7th President of the United States (b. 1767)
    • 1846 – Rodolphe Töpffer, Swiss teacher, author, painter, cartoonist, and caricaturist (b. 1799)
    • 1857 – Douglas William Jerrold, English journalist and playwright (b. 1803)
    • 1874 – Cochise, American tribal chief (b. 1805)
    • 1876 – George Sand, French author and playwright (b. 1804)
    • 1885 – Ignace Bourget, Canadian bishop (b. 1799)
    • 1889 – Gerard Manley Hopkins, English poet (b. 1844)
    • 1899 – Mary of the Divine Heart, German nun and saint (b. 1863)
    • 1924 – Andrew Irvine, English mountaineer and explorer (b. 1902)
    • 1924 – George Mallory, English lieutenant and mountaineer (b. 1886)
    • 1929 – Bliss Carman, Canadian-American poet and playwright (b. 1861)
    • 1945 – Karl Hanke, Polish-German soldier and politician (b. 1903)
    • 1951 – Eugène Fiset, Canadian physician, general, and politician, 18th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec (b. 1874)
    • 1951 – Oswald Pohl, German SS officer (b. 1892)
    • 1956 – Marie Laurencin, French painter and sculptor (b. 1883)
    • 1959 – Leslie Johnson, English race car driver (b. 1912)
    • 1965 – Edmondo Rossoni, Italian politician (b. 1884)
    • 1966 – Anton Melik, Slovenian geographer and academic (b. 1890)
    • 1968 – Elizabeth Enright, American author and illustrator (b. 1909)
    • 1968 – Ludovico Scarfiotti, Italian race car driver (b. 1933)
    • 1969 – Arunachalam Mahadeva, Sri Lankan politician and diplomat (b. 1885)
    • 1969 – Robert Taylor, American actor and singer (b. 1911)
    • 1970 – Abraham Maslow, American psychologist and academic (b. 1908)
    • 1971 – J.I. Rodale, American author and playwright (b. 1898)
    • 1976 – Thorleif Schjelderup-Ebbe, Norwegian zoologist and psychologist (b. 1894)
    • 1982 – Satchel Paige, American baseball player and coach (b. 1906)
    • 1984 – Gordon Jacob, English composer and academic (b. 1895)
    • 1987 – Alexander Iolas, Egyptian-American art collector (b. 1907)
    • 1997 – George Turner, Australian author and critic (b. 1916)
    • 1997 – Karen Wetterhahn, American chemist and academic (b. 1948)
    • 1998 – Sani Abacha, Nigerian general and politician, 10th President of Nigeria (b. 1943)
    • 1998 – Maria Reiche, German mathematician and archaeologist (b. 1903)
    • 2000 – Jeff MacNelly, American cartoonist (b. 1948)
    • 2001 – Alex de Renzy, American director and producer (b. 1935)
    • 2004 – Charles Hyder, American astrophysicist and academic (b. 1930)
    • 2004 – Mack Jones, American baseball player (b. 1938)
    • 2006 – Jaxon, American illustrator and publisher, co-founded Rip Off Press (b. 1941)
    • 2006 – Matta El Meskeen, Egyptian monk, theologian, and author (b. 1919)
    • 2008 – Šaban Bajramović, Serbian singer-songwriter (b. 1936)
    • 2009 – Omar Bongo, Gabonese captain and politician, President of Gabon (b. 1935)
    • 2010 – Crispian St. Peters, English singer-songwriter (b. 1939)
    • 2012 – Pete Brennan, American basketball player (b. 1936)
    • 2012 – Charles E. M. Pearce, New Zealand-Australian mathematician and academic (b. 1940)
    • 2012 – Ghassan Tueni, Lebanese journalist, academic, and politician (b. 1926)
    • 2013 – Paul Cellucci, American soldier and politician, 69th Governor of Massachusetts (b. 1948)
    • 2013 – Yoram Kaniuk, Israeli painter, journalist, and critic (b. 1930)
    • 2013 – Taufiq Kiemas, Indonesian politician, 5th First Spouse of Indonesia (b. 1942)
    • 2014 – Alexander Imich, Polish-American chemist, parapsychologist, and academic (b. 1903)
    • 2014 – Yoshihito, Prince Katsura of Japan (b. 1948)
    • 2015 – Chea Sim, Cambodian commander and politician (b. 1932)
    • 2017 – Sam Panopoulos, Greek cook (b. 1934)

    Holidays and observances on June 8

    • Christian feast day:
      • Blessed Mariam Thresia Chiramel Mankidiyan
      • Blessed Mary of the Divine Heart (Droste zu Vischering)
      • Chlodulf of Metz
      • Jacques Berthieu, S.J.
      • Jadwiga (Hedwig) of Poland
      • Medard
      • Melania the Elder
      • Roland Allen (Episcopal Church (USA))
      • Thomas Ken (Church of England)
      • William of York
      • June 8 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Earliest day on which Queen’s Birthday can fall, while June 14 is the latest; celebrated on the second Monday in June. (Australia, except Western Australia and Queensland)
    • Bounty Day (Norfolk Island)
    • Caribbean American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
    • Engineer’s Day (Peru)
    • Pranav Sivakumar Day (Illinois, United States)
    • Primož Trubar Day (Slovenia)
    • World Brain Tumor Day
    • World Oceans Day

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

    • 1096 – Count Emicho enters Mainz, where his followers massacre Jewish citizens.At least 600 Jews are killed.
    • 1120 – Richard III of Capua is anointed as Prince two weeks before his untimely death.
    • 1153 – Malcolm IV becomes King of Scotland.
    • 1199 – John is crowned King of England.
    • 1257 – Richard of Cornwall, and his wife, Sanchia of Provence, are crowned King and Queen of the Germans at Aachen Cathedral.
    • 1644 – Manchu regent Dorgon defeats rebel leader Li Zicheng of the Shun dynasty at the Battle of Shanhai Pass, allowing the Manchus to enter and conquer the capital city of Beijing.
    • 1703 – Tsar Peter the Great founds the city of Saint Petersburg.
    • 1798 – The Battle of Oulart Hill takes place in Wexford, Ireland; Irish rebel leaders defeat and kill a detachment of militia.
    • 1799 – War of the Second Coalition: Austrian forces defeat the French at Winterthur, Switzerland.
    • 1813 – War of 1812: In Canada, American forces capture Fort George.
    • 1860 – Giuseppe Garibaldi begins his attack on Palermo, Sicily, as part of the Italian unification.
    • 1863 – American Civil War: First Assault on the Confederate works at the Siege of Port Hudson.
    • 1874 – The first group of Dorsland trekkers under the leadership of Gert Alberts leaves Pretoria.
    • 1883 – Alexander III is crowned Tsar of Russia.
    • 1896 – The F4-strength St. Louis–East St. Louis tornado hits in St. Louis, Missouri, and East St. Louis, Illinois, killing at least 255 people and causing over $10–million in damage.
    • 1905 – Russo-Japanese War: The Battle of Tsushima begins.
    • 1917 – Pope Benedict XV promulgates the 1917 Code of Canon Law, the first comprehensive codification of Catholic canon law in the legal history of the Catholic Church.
    • 1919 – The NC-4 aircraft arrives in Lisbon after completing the first transatlantic flight.
    • 1927 – The Ford Motor Company ceases manufacture of the Ford Model T and begins to retool plants to make the Ford Model A.
    • 1930 – The 1,046 feet (319 m) Chrysler Building in New York City, the tallest man-made structure at the time, opens to the public.
    • 1933 – New Deal: The U.S. Federal Securities Act is signed into law requiring the registration of securities with the Federal Trade Commission.
    • 1933 – The Walt Disney Company releases the cartoon Three Little Pigs, with its hit song “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?”
    • 1935 – New Deal: The Supreme Court of the United States declares the National Industrial Recovery Act to be unconstitutional in A.L.A. Schechter Poultry Corp. v. United States, (295 U.S. 495).
    • 1937 – In California, the Golden Gate Bridge opens to pedestrian traffic, creating a vital link between San Francisco and Marin County, California.
    • 1940 – World War II: In the Le Paradis massacre, 99 soldiers from a Royal Norfolk Regiment unit are shot after surrendering to German troops; two survive.
    • 1941 – World War II: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaims an “unlimited national emergency”.
    • 1941 – World War II: The German battleship Bismarck is sunk in the North Atlantic killing almost 2,100 men.
    • 1942 – World War II: In Operation Anthropoid, Reinhard Heydrich is fatally wounded in Prague; he dies of his injuries eight days later.
    • 1958 – First flight of the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II.
    • 1960 – In Turkey, a military coup removes President Celâl Bayar and the rest of the democratic government from office.
    • 1962 – The Centralia mine fire is ignited in the town’s landfill above a coal mine.
    • 1965 – Vietnam War: American warships begin the first bombardment of National Liberation Front targets within South Vietnam.
    • 1967 – Australians vote in favor of a constitutional referendum granting the Australian government the power to make laws to benefit Indigenous Australians and to count them in the national census.
    • 1967 – The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy is launched by Jacqueline Kennedy and her daughter Caroline.
    • 1971 – The Dahlerau train disaster, the worst railway accident in West Germany, kills 46 people and injures 25 near Wuppertal.
    • 1971 – Pakistani forces massacre over 200 civilians, mostly Bengali Hindus, in the Bagbati massacre.
    • 1975 – Dibbles Bridge coach crash near Grassington, in North Yorkshire, England, kills 33 – the highest ever death toll in a road accident in the United Kingdom.
    • 1980 – The Gwangju Massacre: Airborne and army troops of South Korea retake the city of Gwangju from civil militias, killing at least 207 and possibly many more.
    • 1984 – The Danube-Black Sea canal is opened, in a ceremony attended by the Ceaușescus. It had been under construction since the 1950s.
    • 1996 – First Chechen War: the Russian President Boris Yeltsin meets with Chechnyan rebels for the first time and negotiates a cease-fire.
    • 1997 – The 1997 Central Texas tornado outbreak occurs, spawning multiple tornadoes in Central Texas, including the F5 that killed 27 in Jarrell.
    • 1998 – Oklahoma City bombing: Michael Fortier is sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined $200,000 for failing to warn authorities about the terrorist plot.
    • 2001 – Members of the Islamist separatist group Abu Sayyaf seize twenty hostages from an affluent island resort on Palawan in the Philippines; the hostage crisis would not be resolved until June 2002.
    • 2006 – The 6.4 Mw  Yogyakarta earthquake shakes central Java with an MSK intensity of VIII (Damaging), leaving more than 5,700 dead and 37,000 injured.
    • 2016 – Barack Obama is the first president of United States to visit Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and meet Hibakusha.
    • 2017 – Andrew Scheer takes over after Rona Ambrose as the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada.
    • 2018 – Maryland Flood Event: A flood occurs throughout the Patapsco Valley causing one death and destroying the entire first floors of buildings on Main Street in Ellicott City and causing cars to overturn.

    Births on May 27

    • 742 – Emperor Dezong of Tang (d. 805)
    • 1332 – Ibn Khaldun, Tunisian historian and theologian (d. 1406)
    • 1378 – Zhu Quan, Chinese military commander, historian and playwright (d. 1448)
    • 1519 – Girolamo Mei, Italian historian and theorist (d. 1594)
    • 1537 – Louis IV, Landgrave of Hesse-Marburg (d. 1604)
    • 1576 – Caspar Schoppe, German author and scholar (d. 1649)
    • 1584 – Michael Altenburg, German theologian and composer (d. 1640)
    • 1601 – Antoine Daniel, French-Canadian missionary and saint (d. 1648)
    • 1626 – William II, Prince of Orange (d. 1650)
    • 1627 – Anne Marie Louise d’Orléans, Duchess of Montpensier (d. 1693)
    • 1651 – Louis Antoine de Noailles, French cardinal (d. 1729)
    • 1652 – Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine of Germany (d. 1722)
    • 1738 – Nathaniel Gorham, American merchant and politician, 14th President of the Continental Congress (d. 1796)
    • 1756 – Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria (d. 1825)
    • 1774 – Francis Beaufort, Irish hydrographer and officer in the Royal Navy (d. 1857)
    • 1794 – Cornelius Vanderbilt, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 1877)
    • 1814 – John Rudolph Niernsee, Viennese-born American architect (d.1885)
    • 1815 – Henry Parkes, English-Australian politician, 7th Premier of New South Wales (d. 1896)
    • 1818 – Amelia Bloomer, American journalist and activist (d. 1894)
    • 1819 – Julia Ward Howe, American poet and songwriter (d. 1910)
    • 1827 – Samuel F. Miller, American lawyer and politician (d. 1892)
    • 1832 – Zenas Ferry Moody, American surveyor and politician, 7th Governor of Oregon (d. 1917)
    • 1836 – Jay Gould, American businessman and financier (d. 1892)
    • 1837 – Wild Bill Hickok, American police officer (d. 1876)
    • 1852 – Billy Barnes, English cricketer (d. 1899)
    • 1857 – Theodor Curtius, German chemist (d. 1928)
    • 1860 – Manuel Teixeira Gomes, Portuguese politician, 7th President of Portugal (d. 1941)
    • 1863 – Arthur Mold, English cricketer (d. 1921)
    • 1867 – Arnold Bennett, English author and playwright (d. 1931)
    • 1868 – Aleksa Šantić, Bosnian poet and author (d. 1924)
    • 1871 – Georges Rouault, French painter and illustrator (d. 1958)
    • 1875 – Frederick Cuming, English cricketer (d. 1942)
    • 1876 – Ferdynand Antoni Ossendowski, Polish journalist and author (d. 1945)
    • 1876 – William Stanier, English engineer (d. 1965)
    • 1878 – Anna Cervin, Swedish artist (d. 1972)
    • 1879 – Karl Bühler, German-American linguist and psychologist (d. 1963)
    • 1879 – Hans Lammers, German judge and politician (d. 1962)
    • 1883 – Jessie Arms Botke, American painter (d. 1971)
    • 1884 – Max Brod, Czech journalist, author, and composer (d. 1968)
    • 1887 – Frank Woolley, English cricketer (d. 1978)
    • 1888 – Louis Durey, French composer (d. 1979)
    • 1891 – Claude Champagne, Canadian violinist, pianist, and composer (d. 1965)
    • 1891 – Jaan Kärner, Estonian poet and author (d. 1958)
    • 1894 – Louis-Ferdinand Céline, French physician and author (d. 1961)
    • 1894 – Dashiell Hammett, American detective novelist and screenwriter (d. 1961)
    • 1895 – Douglas Lloyd Campbell, Canadian educator and politician, 13th Premier of Manitoba (d. 1995)
    • 1897 – John Cockcroft, English physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1967)
    • 1897 – Dink Templeton, American rugby player and coach (d. 1962)
    • 1898 – David Crosthwait, American engineer, inventor and writer (d. 1976)
    • 1899 – Johannes Türn, Estonian chess and draughts player (d. 1993)
    • 1900 – Lotte Toberentz, German overseer of the Nazi Uckermark concentration camp (d. 1964)
    • 1900 – Uładzimir Žyłka, Belarusian poet and translator (d. 1933)
    • 1904 – Chūhei Nambu, Japanese jumper and journalist (d. 1997)
    • 1906 – Buddhadasa, Thai monk and philosopher (d. 1993)
    • 1906 – Harry Hibbs, English footballer (d. 1984)
    • 1906 – Antonio Rosario Mennonna, Italian bishop (d. 2009)
    • 1907 – Nicolas Calas, Greek-American poet and critic (d. 1988)
    • 1907 – Rachel Carson, American biologist, environmentalist, and author (d. 1964)
    • 1909 – Dolores Hope, American singer and philanthropist (d. 2011)
    • 1911 – Hubert Humphrey, American journalist and politician, 38th Vice President of the United States (d. 1978)
    • 1911 – Teddy Kollek, Hungarian-Israeli politician, Mayor of Jerusalem (d. 2007)
    • 1911 – Vincent Price, American actor (d. 1993)
    • 1912 – John Cheever, American novelist and short story writer (d. 1982)
    • 1912 – Sam Snead, American golfer and sportscaster (d. 2002)
    • 1912 – Terry Moore, American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 1995)
    • 1915 – Ester Soré, Chilean singer-songwriter (d. 1996)
    • 1915 – Herman Wouk, American novelist (d. 2019)
    • 1917 – Harry Webster, English engineer (d. 2007)
    • 1918 – Yasuhiro Nakasone, Japanese commander and politician, 45th Prime Minister of Japan (d. 2019)
    • 1921 – Bob Godfrey, Australian-English animator, director, and voice actor (d. 2013)
    • 1922 – Otto Carius, German lieutenant and pharmacist (d. 2015)
    • 1922 – Christopher Lee, English actor (d. 2015)
    • 1922 – John D. Vanderhoof, American banker and politician, 37th Governor of Colorado (d. 2013)
    • 1923 – Henry Kissinger, German-American political scientist and politician, 56th United States Secretary of State, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1923 – Sumner Redstone, American businessman and philanthropist
    • 1924 – Jaime Lusinchi, Venezuelan physician and politician, President of Venezuela (d. 2014)
    • 1924 – John Sumner, English-Australian director, founded the Melbourne Theatre Company (d. 2013)
    • 1925 – Tony Hillerman, American journalist and author (d. 2008)
    • 1927 – Jüri Randviir, Estonian chess player and journalist (d. 1996)
    • 1928 – Thea Musgrave, Scottish-American composer and educator
    • 1930 – John Barth, American novelist and short story writer
    • 1930 – William S. Sessions, American civil servant and judge, 8th Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
    • 1930 – Eino Tamberg, Estonian composer and educator (d. 2010)
    • 1931 – André Barbeau, French-Canadian neurologist (d. 1986)
    • 1931 – John Chapple, English field marshal and politician, Governor of Gibraltar
    • 1931 – Bernard Fresson, French actor (d. 2002)
    • 1931 – Faten Hamama, Egyptian actress and producer (d. 2015)
    • 1931 – Philip Kotler, American author and professor
    • 1933 – Edward Samuel Rogers, Canadian businessman (d. 2008)
    • 1933 – Manfred Sommer, Spanish author and illustrator (d. 2007)
    • 1934 – Ray Daviault, Canadian-American baseball player
    • 1934 – Harlan Ellison, American author and screenwriter (d. 2018)
    • 1935 – Daniel Colchico, American football player and coach (d. 2014)
    • 1935 – Mal Evans, British road manager of The Beatles (d. 1976)
    • 1935 – Jerry Kindall, American baseball player and coach (d. 2017)
    • 1935 – Ramsey Lewis, American jazz pianist and composer
    • 1935 – Lee Meriwether, American model and actress, Miss America 1955
    • 1936 – Benjamin Bathurst, English admiral
    • 1936 – Louis Gossett, Jr., American actor and producer
    • 1936 – Marcel Masse, Canadian educator and politician, 29th Canadian Minister of National Defence (d. 2014)
    • 1937 – Allan Carr, American playwright and producer (d. 1999)
    • 1939 – Simon Cairns, 6th Earl Cairns, English courtier and businessman
    • 1939 – Yves Duhaime, Canadian captain and politician
    • 1939 – Sokratis Kokkalis, Greek businessman
    • 1939 – Gerald Ronson, English businessman and philanthropist
    • 1939 – Lionel Sosa, Mexican-American advertising and marketing executive
    • 1939 – Don Williams, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2017)
    • 1940 – Mike Gibson, Australian journalist and sportscaster (d. 2015)
    • 1942 – Lee Baca, American police officer
    • 1942 – Piers Courage, English racing driver (d. 1970)
    • 1942 – Roger Freeman, Baron Freeman, English accountant and politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
    • 1942 – Robin Widdows, English racing driver
    • 1943 – Cilla Black, English singer and actress (d. 2015)
    • 1943 – Bruce Weitz, American actor
    • 1944 – Chris Dodd, American lawyer and politician
    • 1944 – Ingrid Roscoe, English historian and politician, Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire
    • 1944 – Alain Souchon, French singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
    • 1945 – Bruce Cockburn, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1946 – Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Danish bassist and composer (d. 2005)
    • 1946 – John Williams, English motorcycle racer (d. 1978)
    • 1947 – Peter DeFazio, American politician
    • 1947 – Marty Kristian, German-Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
    • 1947 – Branko Oblak, Slovenian footballer and coach
    • 1947 – Riivo Sinijärv, Estonian politician, 19th Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs
    • 1948 – Wubbo de Boer, Dutch civil servant (d. 2017)
    • 1948 – Pete Sears, English bass player
    • 1948 – Morning Glory Zell-Ravenheart, American occultist and author (d. 2014)
    • 1949 – Hugh Lowther, 8th Earl of Lonsdale, English politician
    • 1949 – Christa Vahlensieck, German runner
    • 1950 – Dee Dee Bridgewater, American singer-songwriter and actress
    • 1950 – Makis Dendrinos, Greek basketball player and coach (d. 2015)
    • 1951 – John Conteh, English boxer
    • 1954 – Pauline Hanson, Australian businesswoman, activist, and politician
    • 1954 – Jackie Slater, American football player and coach
    • 1955 – Eric Bischoff, American wrestler, manager, and producer
    • 1955 – Richard Schiff, American actor, director, and producer
    • 1955 – Ian Tracey, English organist and conductor
    • 1956 – Cynthia McFadden, American journalist
    • 1956 – Rosemary Squire, English producer and manager, co-founded Ambassador Theatre Group
    • 1956 – Giuseppe Tornatore, Italian director and screenwriter
    • 1957 – Dag Terje Andersen, Norwegian politician, Norwegian Minister of Labour
    • 1957 – Nitin Gadkari, Indian lawyer and politician, Indian Minister of Transport
    • 1957 – Eddie Harsch, Canadian-American keyboard player and bass player (d. 2016)
    • 1957 – Siouxsie Sioux, English singer-songwriter, musician, and producer
    • 1958 – Nick Anstee, English accountant and politician, 682nd Lord Mayor of London
    • 1958 – Neil Finn, New Zealand singer-songwriter and musician
    • 1958 – Jesse Robredo, Filipino politician, 23rd Filipino Secretary of the Interior (d. 2012)
    • 1960 – Gaston Therrien, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
    • 1961 – José Luíz Barbosa, Brazilian runner and coach
    • 1961 – Peri Gilpin, American actress
    • 1962 – Marcelino Bernal, Mexican footballer
    • 1962 – Ray Borner, Australian basketball player
    • 1962 – Steven Brill, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1962 – Anthony A. Hyman, Israeli-English biologist and academic
    • 1962 – David Mundell, Scottish lawyer and politician, Secretary of State for Scotland
    • 1962 – Ravi Shastri, Indian cricketer and sportscaster
    • 1963 – Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Cuban pianist and composer
    • 1963 – Maria Walliser, Swiss skier
    • 1964 – Adam Carolla, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1965 – Pat Cash, Australian-English tennis player and sportscaster
    • 1966 – Heston Blumenthal, English chef and author
    • 1967 – Paul Gascoigne, English international footballer, midfielder, coach, and manager
    • 1967 – Eddie McClintock, American actor
    • 1968 – Jeff Bagwell, American baseball player and coach
    • 1968 – Rebekah Brooks, English journalist
    • 1968 – Harun Erdenay, Turkish basketball player and coach
    • 1968 – Frank Thomas, American baseball player and sportscaster
    • 1969 – Todd Hundley, American baseball player
    • 1969 – Jeremy Mayfield, American race car driver
    • 1969 – Craig Federighi, American computer scientist and engineer
    • 1970 – Michele Bartoli, Italian cyclist
    • 1970 – Tim Farron, English educator and politician
    • 1970 – Joseph Fiennes, English actor
    • 1970 – Alex Archer, American-born Australian musician
    • 1971 – Mathew Batsiua, Nauruan politician
    • 1971 – Paul Bettany, English actor
    • 1971 – Wayne Carey, Australian footballer and coach
    • 1971 – Kaur Kender, Estonian author
    • 1971 – Lisa Lopes, American rapper and dancer (d. 2002)
    • 1971 – Lee Sharpe, English footballer
    • 1971 – Grant Stafford, South African tennis player
    • 1971 – Sophie Walker, British politician, leader of the Women’s Equality Party
    • 1971 – Petroc Trelawny, British radio and television broadcaster
    • 1972 – Todd Demsey, American golfer
    • 1972 – Antonio Freeman, American football player
    • 1972 – Maxim Sokolov, Russian ice hockey player
    • 1973 – Jack McBrayer, American actor and comedian
    • 1973 – Tana Umaga, New Zealand rugby player and coach
    • 1973 – Yorgos Lanthimos, Greek film video, and theatre director, producer and screenwriter
    • 1974 – Skye Edwards, British singer-songwriter
    • 1974 – Denise van Outen, English actress, singer, and television host
    • 1974 – Derek Webb, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1974 – Danny Wuerffel, American football player
    • 1975 – André 3000, American rapper
    • 1975 – Michael Hussey, Australian cricketer
    • 1975 – Jamie Oliver, English chef and author
    • 1975 – Feryal Özel, Turkish astrophysicist, astronomer, and academic
    • 1976 – Marcel Fässler, Swiss racing driver
    • 1977 – Abderrahmane Hammad, Algerian high jumper
    • 1977 – Mahela Jayawardene, Sri Lankan cricketer
    • 1978 – Adin Brown, American soccer player
    • 1979 – Michael Buonauro, American author and illustrator (d. 2004)
    • 1979 – Mile Sterjovski, Australian footballer
    • 1980 – Craig Buntin, Canadian figure skater
    • 1981 – Alina Cojocaru, Romanian ballerina
    • 1981 – Johan Elmander, Swedish footballer
    • 1984 – Blake Ahearn, American basketball player
    • 1984 – Miguel González, Mexican baseball pitcher
    • 1985 – Chiang Chien-ming, Taiwanese baseball player
    • 1985 – Roberto Soldado, Spanish footballer
    • 1986 – Conor Cummins, Manx motorcycle racer
    • 1986 – Bamba Fall, Senegalese basketball player
    • 1986 – Lasse Schöne, Danish footballer
    • 1987 – Gervinho, Ivorian footballer
    • 1987 – Bella Heathcote, Australian actress
    • 1987 – Eric Kolelas, French-English actor and director
    • 1987 – Bora Paçun, Turkish basketball player
    • 1987 – Matt Prior, Australian rugby league player
    • 1987 – Martina Sablikova, Czech speed skater and cyclist
    • 1988 – Vontae Davis, American football player
    • 1988 – Irina Davydova, Russian hurdler
    • 1988 – Garrett Richards, American baseball pitcher
    • 1988 – Tyler Sash, American football player (d. 2015)
    • 1989 – Igor Morozov, Estonian footballer
    • 1990 – Yenew Alamirew, Ethiopian runner
    • 1990 – Chris Colfer, American actor and singer
    • 1990 – Marcus Kruger, Swedish ice hockey player
    • 1991 – Sebastien Dewaest, Belgian footballer
    • 1991 – Tim Lafai, Samoan rugby league player
    • 1991 – Ksenia Pervak, Russian tennis player
    • 1991 – Eneli Vals, Estonian footballer
    • 1992 – Aaron Brown, Canadian sprinter
    • 1992 – Laurence Vincent-Lapointe, Canadian canoer

    Deaths on May 27

    • 366 – Procopius, Roman usurper (b. 325)
    • 398 – Murong Bao, emperor of the Xianbei state Later Yan (b. 355)
    • 475 – Eutropius, bishop of Orange
    • 866 – Ordoño I of Asturias (b. 831)
    • 927 – Simeon I of Bulgaria first Bulgarian Emperor (b. 864)
    • 1039 – Dirk III, Count of Holland (b. 981)
    • 1045 – Bruno of Würzburg, imperial chancellor of Italy (b. c. 1005)
    • 1178 – Godfrey van Rhenen, bishop of Utrecht
    • 1240 – William de Warenne, 5th Earl of Surrey (b. 1166)
    • 1444 – John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset, English commander (b. 1404)
    • 1508 – Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan (b. 1452)
    • 1508 – Lucrezia Crivelli, mistress of Ludovico Sforza (b. 1452)
    • 1525 – Thomas Müntzer, German mystic and theologian (b. 1488)
    • 1541 – Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury (b. 1473)
    • 1564 – John Calvin, French pastor and theologian (b. 1509)
    • 1610 – François Ravaillac, French assassin of Henry IV of France (b. 1578)
    • 1624 – Diego Ramírez de Arellano, Spanish sailor and cosmographer (b. c. 1580)
    • 1637 – John Boteler, 1st Baron Boteler of Brantfield, English politician (b. c. 1566)
    • 1661 – Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll, Scottish general and politician (b. 1607)
    • 1675 – Gaspard Dughet, Italian-French painter (b. 1613)
    • 1690 – Giovanni Legrenzi, Italian organist and composer (b. 1626)
    • 1702 – Dominique Bouhours, French priest and critic (b. 1628)
    • 1707 – Françoise-Athénaïs, marquise de Montespan, French mistress of Louis XIV of France (b. 1640)
    • 1781 – Giovanni Battista Beccaria, Italian physicist and academic (b. 1716)
    • 1797 – François-Noël Babeuf, French journalist (b. 1760)
    • 1831 – Jedediah Smith, American hunter, explorer, and author (b. 1799)
    • 1840 – Niccolò Paganini, Italian violinist and composer (b. 1782)
    • 1867 – Thomas Bulfinch American mythologist (b. 1796)
    • 1896 – Aleksandr Stoletov, Russian physicist, engineer, and academic (b. 1839)
    • 1910 – Robert Koch, German physician and microbiologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1843)
    • 1918 – Ōzutsu Man’emon, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 18th Yokozuna (b. 1869)
    • 1919 – Kandukuri Veeresalingam, Indian author and activist (b. 1848)
    • 1933 – Achille Paroche, French target shooter (b. 1868)
    • 1939 – Joseph Roth, Austrian-French journalist and author (b. 1894)
    • 1941 – Ernst Lindemann, German captain (b. 1894)
    • 1941 – Günther Lütjens, German admiral (b. 1889)
    • 1942 – Muhammed Hamdi Yazır, Turkish theologian, logician, and translator (b. 1878)
    • 1943 – Gordon Coates, New Zealand soldier and politician, 21st Prime Minister of New Zealand (b. 1878)
    • 1945 – Enno Lolling, German physician (b. 1888)
    • 1947 – Ed Konetchy, American baseball player and manager (b. 1885)
    • 1949 – Robert Ripley, American cartoonist, publisher, and businessman, founded Ripley’s Believe It or Not! (b. 1890)
    • 1953 – Jesse Burkett, American baseball player and manager (b. 1868)
    • 1960 – James Montgomery Flagg, American painter and illustrator (b. 1877)
    • 1963 – Grigoris Lambrakis, Greek physician and politician (b. 1912)
    • 1964 – Jawaharlal Nehru, Indian lawyer and politician, 1st Prime Minister of India (b. 1889)
    • 1967 – W. Otto Miessner, American composer and educator (b. 1880)
    • 1967 – Ernst Niekisch, German academic and politician (b. 1889)
    • 1969 – Jeffrey Hunter, American actor and producer (b. 1926)
    • 1971 – Béla Juhos, Hungarian-Austrian philosopher from the Vienna Circle (b. 1901)
    • 1971 – Armando Picchi, Italian footballer and coach (b. 1935)
    • 1980 – Gün Sazak, Turkish agronomist and politician (b. 1932)
    • 1984 – Vasilije Mokranjac, Serbian composer (b. 1923)
    • 1986 – Ismail al-Faruqi, Palestinian-American philosopher and academic (b. 1921)
    • 1986 – Ajoy Mukherjee, Indian politician, Chief Minister of West Bengal (b. 1901)
    • 1986 – Giorgos Tzifos, Greek actor and cinematographer (b. 1918)
    • 1987 – John Howard Northrop, American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1891)
    • 1988 – Hjördis Petterson, Swedish actress (b. 1908)
    • 1988 – Ernst Ruska, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
    • 1989 – Arseny Tarkovsky, Russian poet and translator (b. 1907)
    • 1990 – Robert B. Meyner, American lawyer and politician, 44th Governor of New Jersey (b. 1908)
    • 1991 – Leopold Nowak, Austrian musicologist and theorist (b. 1904)
    • 1992 – Uncle Charlie Osborne, American fiddler (b. 1890)
    • 1998 – Minoo Masani, Indian lawyer and politician (b. 1905)
    • 2000 – Kazimierz Leski, Polish engineer and pilot (b. 1912)
    • 2000 – Murray MacLehose, Baron MacLehose of Beoch, Scottish politician and diplomat, 25th Governor of Hong Kong (b. 1917)
    • 2000 – Maurice Richard, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1921)
    • 2003 – Luciano Berio, Italian composer and educator (b. 1925)
    • 2006 – Rob Borsellino, American journalist (b. 1949)
    • 2006 – Paul Gleason, American actor (b. 1939)
    • 2006 – Craig Heyward, American football player (b. 1966)
    • 2007 – Izumi Sakai, Japanese singer-songwriter (b. 1967)
    • 2007 – Gretchen Wyler, American actress and dancer (b. 1932)
    • 2007 – Ed Yost, American inventor, created the hot air balloon (b. 1919)
    • 2008 – Franz Künstler, Hungarian soldier (b. 1900)
    • 2009 – Thomas M. Franck, American lawyer and academic (b. 1931)
    • 2009 – Clive Granger, Welsh-American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1934)
    • 2009 – Mona Grey, British nursing administrator; Northern Ireland’s first Chief Nursing Officer
    • 2009 – Abram Hoffer, Canadian biochemist, physician, and psychiatrist (b. 1917)
    • 2009 – Gérard Jean-Juste, Haitian-American priest and theologian (b. 1946)
    • 2009 – Carol Anne O’Marie, American nun and author (b. 1933)
    • 2009 – William Refshauge, Australian soldier and physician (b. 1913)
    • 2009 – Paul Sharratt, English-American television host (b. 1933)
    • 2010 – Payut Ngaokrachang, Thai animator and director (b. 1929)
    • 2011 – Jeff Conaway, American actor and singer (b. 1950)
    • 2011 – Margo Dydek, Polish-American basketball player (b. 1974)
    • 2011 – Gil Scott-Heron, American singer-songwriter and poet (b. 1949)
    • 2012 – Simeon Daniel, Nevisian educator and politician, 1st Premier of Nevis (b. 1934)
    • 2012 – Friedrich Hirzebruch, German mathematician and academic (b. 1927)
    • 2012 – Anahit Perikhanian, Russian-born Armenian Iranologist (b. 1928)
    • 2012 – David Rimoin, Canadian-American geneticist and academic (b. 1936)
    • 2013 – Jagjit Singh Lyallpuri, Indian politician (b. 1917)
    • 2013 – Bill Pertwee, English actor (b. 1926)
    • 2013 – Abdoulaye Sékou Sow, Malian politician, Prime Minister of Mali (b. 1931)
    • 2014 – Robert Genn, Canadian painter and author (b. 1936)
    • 2014 – Helma Sanders-Brahms, German director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1940)
    • 2014 – Roberto Vargas, Puerto Rican-American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1929)
    • 2014 – Massimo Vignelli, Italian-American graphic designer (b. 1931)
    • 2015 – Erik Carlsson, Swedish rally driver (b. 1929)
    • 2015 – Nils Christie, Norwegian sociologist, criminologist, and author (b. 1928)
    • 2015 – Andy King, English footballer and manager (b. 1956)
    • 2015 – Michael Martin, American philosopher and academic (b. 1932)
    • 2017 – Gregg Allman, American musician, singer and songwriter (b. 1947)
    • 2020 – Larry Kramer, American playwright, public health advocate and LGBT rights activist (b. 1935)

    Holidays and observances on May 27

    • Armed Forces Day (Nicaragua)
    • Children’s Day (Nigeria)
    • Christian feast day:
      • Augustine of Canterbury
      • Blessed Lojze Grozde
      • Bede (commemoration, Anglican Communion)
      • Bruno of Würzburg
      • Eutropius of Orange
      • Hildebert
      • Julius the Veteran
      • May 27 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Mother’s Day (Bolivia)
    • Navy Day (Japan)
    • Slavery Abolition Day (Guadeloupe, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Martin)
    • Start of National Reconciliation Week (Australia)

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

    • 639 – Ashina Jiesheshuai and his tribesmen assaulted Emperor Taizong at Jiucheng Palace.
    • 715 – Pope Gregory II is elected.
    • 1051 – Henry I of France marries the Russian princess, Anne of Kiev.
    • 1445 – John II of Castile defeats the Infantes of Aragon at the First Battle of Olmedo.
    • 1499 – Catherine of Aragon is married by proxy to Arthur, Prince of Wales. Catherine is 13 and Arthur is 12.
    • 1535 – French explorer Jacques Cartier sets sail on his second voyage to North America with three ships, 110 men, and Chief Donnacona’s two sons (whom Cartier had kidnapped during his first voyage).
    • 1536 – Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII of England, is beheaded for adultery, treason, and incest.
    • 1542 – The Prome Kingdom falls to the Taungoo Dynasty in present-day Myanmar.
    • 1568 – Queen Elizabeth I of England orders the arrest of Mary, Queen of Scots.
    • 1643 – Thirty Years’ War: French forces under the duc d’Enghien decisively defeat Spanish forces at the Battle of Rocroi, marking the symbolic end of Spain as a dominant land power.
    • 1649 – An Act of Parliament declaring England a Commonwealth is passed by the Long Parliament. England would be a republic for the next eleven years.
    • 1655 – The Invasion of Jamaica begins during the Anglo-Spanish War.
    • 1743 – Jean-Pierre Christin developed the centigrade temperature scale.
    • 1749 – King George II of Great Britain grants the Ohio Company a charter of land around the forks of the Ohio River.
    • 1776 – American Revolutionary War: A Continental Army garrison surrenders in the Battle of The Cedars.
    • 1780 – New England’s Dark Day, an unusual darkening of the day sky, was observed over the New England states and parts of Canada.
    • 1802 – Napoleon Bonaparte founds the Legion of Honour.
    • 1828 – U.S. President John Quincy Adams signs the Tariff of 1828 into law, protecting wool manufacturers in the United States.
    • 1845 – Captain Sir John Franklin and his ill-fated Arctic expedition depart from Greenhithe, England.
    • 1848 – Mexican–American War: Mexico ratifies the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo thus ending the war and ceding California, Nevada, Utah and parts of four other modern-day U.S. states to the United States for US$15 million.
    • 1911 – Parks Canada, the world’s first national park service, is established as the Dominion Parks Branch under the Department of the Interior.
    • 1917 – The Norwegian football club Rosenborg BK is founded.
    • 1919 – Mustafa Kemal Atatürk lands at Samsun on the Anatolian Black Sea coast, initiating what is later termed the Turkish War of Independence.
    • 1921 – The United States Congress passes the Emergency Quota Act establishing national quotas on immigration.
    • 1922 – The Young Pioneer Organization of the Soviet Union is established.
    • 1934 – Zveno and the Bulgarian Army engineer a coup d’état and install Kimon Georgiev as the new Prime Minister of Bulgaria.
    • 1942 – World War II: In the aftermath of the Battle of the Coral Sea, Task Force 16 heads to Pearl Harbor.
    • 1950 – A barge containing munitions destined for Pakistan explodes in the harbor at South Amboy, New Jersey, devastating the city.
    • 1950 – Egypt announces that the Suez Canal is closed to Israeli ships and commerce.
    • 1959 – The North Vietnamese Army establishes Group 559, whose responsibility is to determine how to maintain supply lines to South Vietnam; the resulting route is the Ho Chi Minh trail.
    • 1961 – Venera program: Venera 1 becomes the first man-made object to fly by another planet by passing Venus (the probe had lost contact with Earth a month earlier and did not send back any data).
    • 1961 – At Silchar Railway Station, Assam, 11 Bengalis die when police open fire on protesters demanding state recognition of Bengali language in the Bengali Language Movement.
    • 1962 – A birthday salute to U.S. President John F. Kennedy takes place at Madison Square Garden, New York City. The highlight is Marilyn Monroe’s rendition of “Happy Birthday”.
    • 1963 – The New York Post Sunday Magazine publishes Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail.
    • 1971 – Mars probe program: Mars 2 is launched by the Soviet Union.
    • 1986 – The Firearm Owners Protection Act is signed into law by U.S. President Ronald Reagan.
    • 1991 – Croatians vote for independence in a referendum.
    • 1997 – The Sierra Gorda biosphere, the most ecologically diverse region in Mexico, is established as a result of grassroots efforts.
    • 2007 – President of Romania Traian Băsescu survives an impeachment referendum and returns to office from suspension.
    • 2010 – The Royal Thai Armed Forces concludes its crackdown on protests by forcing the surrender of United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship leaders.
    • 2012 – Three gas cylinder bombs explode in front of a vocational school in the Italian city of Brindisi, killing one person and injuring five others.
    • 2012 – A car bomb explodes near a military complex in the Syrian city of Deir ez-Zor, killing nine people.
    • 2015 – The Refugio oil spill deposited 142,800 U.S. gallons (3,400 barrels) of crude oil onto an area in California considered one of the most biologically diverse coastlines of the west coast.
    • 2016 – EgyptAir Flight 804 crashes into the Mediterranean Sea while traveling from Paris to Cairo, killing all on board.
    • 2018 – The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is held at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, with an estimated global audience of 1.9 billion.

    Births on May 19

    • 1400 – John Stourton, 1st Baron Stourton, English soldier and politician (d. 1462)
    • 1462 – Baccio D’Agnolo, Italian woodcarver, sculptor and architect (d. 1543)
    • 1476 (or 1474) – Helena of Moscow, Grand Duchess consort of Lithuania and Queen consort of Poland (d. 1513)
    • 1593 – Claude Vignon, French painter (d. 1670)
    • 1616 – Johann Jakob Froberger, German organist and composer (d. 1667)
    • 1639 – Charles Weston, 3rd Earl of Portland, English soldier and noble (d. 1665)
    • 1700 – José de Escandón, 1st Count of Sierra Gorda, Spanish sergeant and politician (d. 1770)
    • 1724 – Augustus Hervey, 3rd Earl of Bristol, English admiral and politician, Chief Secretary for Ireland (d. 1779)
    • 1744 – Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, German-born Queen to George III of the United Kingdom (d. 1818)
    • 1762 – Johann Gottlieb Fichte, German philosopher and academic (d. 1814)
    • 1773 – Arthur Aikin, English chemist and mineralogist (d. 1854)
    • 1795 – Johns Hopkins, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 1873)
    • 1827 – Paul-Armand Challemel-Lacour, French academic and politician, French Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 1896)
    • 1832 – James Watney, Jr., English politician, brewer and cricketer (d. 1886)
    • 1857 – John Jacob Abel, American biochemist and pharmacologist (d. 1938)
    • 1861 – Nellie Melba, Australian soprano and actress (d. 1931)
    • 1871 – Walter Russell, American painter, sculptor, and author (d. 1963)
    • 1874 – Gilbert Jessop, English cricketer and soldier (d. 1955)
    • 1878 – Alfred Laliberté, Canadian sculptor and painter (d. 1953)
    • 1879 – Nancy Astor, Viscountess Astor, American-English politician (d. 1964)
    • 1880 – Albert Richardson, English architect and educator, designed the Manchester Opera House (d. 1964)
    • 1881 – Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (official birthday), Turkish field marshal and statesman, 1st President of Turkey (d. 1938)
    • 1884 – David Munson, American runner (d. 1953)
    • 1886 – Francis Biddle, American lawyer and judge, 58th United States Attorney General (d. 1968)
    • 1887 – Ion Jalea, Romanian soldier and sculptor (d. 1983)
    • 1889 – Tản Đà, Vietnamese poet and author (d. 1939)
    • 1889 – Henry B. Richardson, American archer (d. 1963)
    • 1890 – Eveline Adelheid von Maydell, German-American illustrator (d. 1962)
    • 1890 – Ho Chi Minh, Vietnamese politician, 1st President of Vietnam (d. 1969)
    • 1891 – Oswald Boelcke, German captain and pilot (d. 1916)
    • 1893 – H. Bonciu, Romanian author, poet, and journalist (d. 1950)
    • 1897 – Frank Luke, American lieutenant and pilot, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1918)
    • 1898 – Julius Evola, Italian philosopher and painter (d. 1974)
    • 1899 – Lothar Rădăceanu, Romanian journalist, linguist, and politician (d. 1955)
    • 1902 – Lubka Kolessa, Ukrainian-Canadian pianist and educator (d. 1997)
    • 1903 – Ruth Ella Moore, American scientist (d. 1994)
    • 1906 – Bruce Bennett, American shot putter and actor (d. 2007)
    • 1908 – Manik Bandopadhyay, Indian author, poet, and playwright (d. 1956)
    • 1908 – Merriam Modell, American author (d. 1994)
    • 1908 – Percy Williams, Canadian sprinter (d. 1982)
    • 1909 – Nicholas Winton, English banker and humanitarian (d. 2015)
    • 1910 – Alan Melville, South African cricketer (d. 1983)
    • 1913 – Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, Indian lawyer and politician, 6th President of India (d. 1996)
    • 1914 – Max Perutz, Austrian-English biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2002)
    • 1914 – Alex Shibicky, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2005)
    • 1914 – John Vachon, American photographer and journalist (d. 1975)
    • 1915 – Renée Asherson, English actress (d. 2014)
    • 1918 – Abraham Pais, Dutch-American physicist, historian, and academic (d. 2000)
    • 1919 – Georgie Auld, Canadian-American saxophonist, clarinet player, and bandleader (d. 1990)
    • 1919 – Mitja Ribičič, Italian-Slovenian soldier and politician, 25th Prime Minister of Yugoslavia (d. 2013)
    • 1920 – Tina Strobos, Dutch psychiatrist known for rescuing Jews during World War II (d. 2012)
    • 1921 – Leslie Broderick, English lieutenant and pilot (d. 2013)
    • 1921 – Harry W. Brown, American colonel and pilot (d. 1991)
    • 1921 – Daniel Gélin, French actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2002)
    • 1921 – Yuri Kochiyama, American activist (d. 2014)
    • 1921 – Karel van het Reve, Dutch historian and author (d. 1999)
    • 1922 – Arthur Gorrie, Australian hobby shop proprietor (d. 1992)
    • 1924 – Sandy Wilson, English composer and songwriter (d. 2014)
    • 1925 – Pol Pot, Cambodian general and politician, 29th Prime Minister of Cambodia (d. 1998)
    • 1925 – Malcolm X, American minister and activist (d. 1965)
    • 1926 – Edward Parkes, English engineer and academic (d. 2019)
    • 1926 – Peter Zadek, German director and screenwriter (d. 2009)
    • 1927 – Serge Lang, French-American mathematician, author and academic (d. 2005)
    • 1928 – Colin Chapman, English engineer and businessman, founded Lotus Cars (d. 1982)
    • 1928 – Thomas Kennedy, English air marshal (d. 2013)
    • 1928 – Gil McDougald, American baseball player and coach (d. 2010)
    • 1928 – Dolph Schayes, American basketball player and coach (d. 2015)
    • 1929 – Helmut Braunlich, German-American violinist and composer (d. 2013)
    • 1929 – Richard Larter, Australian painter (d. 2014)
    • 1929 – John Stroger, American politician (d. 2008)
    • 1930 – Eugene Genovese, American historian and author (d. 2012)
    • 1930 – Lorraine Hansberry, American playwright and director (d. 1965)
    • 1931 – Bob Anderson, English race car driver (d. 1967)
    • 1931 – Trevor Peacock, English actor, screenwriter and songwriter
    • 1932 – Alma Cogan, English singer (d. 1966)
    • 1932 – Paul Erdman, American economist and author (d. 2007)
    • 1932 – Bill Fitch, American basketball player and coach
    • 1932 – Elena Poniatowska, Mexican intellectual and journalist
    • 1933 – Edward de Bono, Maltese physician, author, and academic
    • 1934 – Ruskin Bond, Indian author and poet
    • 1934 – Jim Lehrer, American journalist and author (d. 2020)
    • 1935 – David Hartman, American journalist and television personality
    • 1937 – Pat Roach, English wrestler (d. 2004)
    • 1938 – Moisés da Costa Amaral, East Timorese politician (d. 1989)
    • 1938 – Herbie Flowers, English musician
    • 1938 – Igor Ter-Ovanesyan, Ukrainian long jumper and coach
    • 1939 – Livio Berruti, Italian sprinter
    • 1939 – James Fox, English actor
    • 1939 – Nancy Kwan, Hong Kong-American actress and makeup artist
    • 1939 – Jānis Lūsis, Latvian javelin thrower and coach (d. 2020)
    • 1939 – Dick Scobee, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut (d. 1986)
    • 1940 – Jan Janssen, Dutch cyclist
    • 1940 – Mickey Newbury, American country/pop singer-songwriter (d. 2002)
    • 1941 – Nora Ephron, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2012)
    • 1941 – Igor Judge, Baron Judge, Maltese-English lawyer and judge, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
    • 1942 – Gary Kildall, American computer scientist, founded Digital Research Inc. (d. 1994)
    • 1942 – Robert Kilroy-Silk, English television host and politician
    • 1943 – Eddie May, English footballer and manager (d. 2012)
    • 1943 – Shirrel Rhoades, American author, publisher, and academic
    • 1944 – Peter Mayhew, English-American actor (d. 2019)
    • 1945 – Pete Townshend, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1946 – Claude Lelièvre, Belgian activist
    • 1946 – Michele Placido, Italian actor and director
    • 1946 – André the Giant, French-American wrestler and actor (d. 1993)
    • 1947 – Paul Brady, Irish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
    • 1947 – Christopher Chope, English lawyer and politician
    • 1947 – David Helfgott, Australian pianist
    • 1948 – Grace Jones, Jamaican-American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
    • 1949 – Dusty Hill, American singer-songwriter and bass player
    • 1949 – Philip Hunt, Baron Hunt of Kings Heath, English politician
    • 1949 – Archie Manning, American football player
    • 1950 – Tadeusz Ślusarski, Polish pole vaulter (d. 1998)
    • 1951 – Joey Ramone, American singer-songwriter (d. 2001)
    • 1951 – Dick Slater, American wrestler
    • 1952 – Charlie Spedding, English runner
    • 1952 – Bert van Marwijk, Dutch footballer, coach, and manager
    • 1953 – Patrick Hodge, Lord Hodge, Scottish lawyer and judge
    • 1953 – Shavarsh Karapetyan, Armenian finswimmer
    • 1953 – Florin Marin, Romanian footballer and manager
    • 1953 – Victoria Wood, English actress, singer, director, and screenwriter (d. 2016)
    • 1954 – Rick Cerone, American baseball player and sportscaster
    • 1954 – Hōchū Ōtsuka, Japanese voice actor
    • 1954 – Phil Rudd, Australian-New Zealand drummer
    • 1955 – James Gosling, Canadian-American computer scientist, created Java
    • 1956 – Oliver Letwin, English philosopher and politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
    • 1956 – Martyn Ware, English keyboard player, songwriter, and producer
    • 1957 – Bill Laimbeer, American basketball player and coach
    • 1957 – James Reyne, Nigerian-Australian singer-songwriter
    • 1961 – Vadim Cojocaru, Moldovan politician
    • 1961 – Gregory Poirier, American director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1961 – Wayne Van Dorp, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1963 – Filippo Galli, Italian footballer and manager
    • 1964 – Peter Jackson, Australian rugby league player and sportscaster (d. 1997)
    • 1964 – John Lee, South Korean-American football player
    • 1964 – Miloslav Mečíř, Slovak tennis player
    • 1965 – Maile Flanagan, American actress, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1966 – Marc Bureau, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
    • 1966 – Jodi Picoult, American author and educator
    • 1966 – Polly Walker, English actress
    • 1967 – Alexia, Italian singer
    • 1967 – Geraldine Somerville, Irish-born English actress
    • 1968 – Kyle Eastwood, American actor and bass player
    • 1970 – Stuart Cable, Welsh drummer (d. 2010)
    • 1970 – K. J. Choi, South Korean golfer
    • 1970 – Regina Narva, Estonian chess player
    • 1970 – Nia Zulkarnaen, Indonesian actress, singer and producer
    • 1971 – Ross Katz, American director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1971 – Andres Salumets, Estonian biologist, biochemist, and educator
    • 1972 – Jenny Berggren, Swedish singer-songwriter
    • 1972 – Claudia Karvan, Australian actress, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1973 – Dario Franchitti, Scottish race car driver
    • 1974 – Andrew Johns, Australian rugby league player, coach, and sportscaster
    • 1974 – Emma Shapplin, French soprano
    • 1974 – Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Indian actor
    • 1975 – Pretinha, Brazilian footballer
    • 1975 – London Fletcher, American football player
    • 1975 – Josh Paul, American baseball player and manager
    • 1975 – Jonas Renkse, Swedish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
    • 1976 – Ed Cota, American basketball player
    • 1976 – Kevin Garnett, American basketball player
    • 1977 – Manuel Almunia, Spanish footballer
    • 1977 – Wouter Hamel, Dutch singer and guitarist
    • 1977 – Brandon Inge, American baseball player
    • 1977 – Natalia Oreiro, Uruguayan singer-songwriter and actress
    • 1978 – Marcus Bent, English footballer
    • 1978 – Dave Bus, Dutch footballer
    • 1979 – Andrea Pirlo, Italian footballer
    • 1979 – Diego Forlan, Uruguayan footballer
    • 1980 – Tony Hackworth, English footballer
    • 1981 – Luciano Figueroa, Argentinian footballer
    • 1981 – Yo Gotti, American rapper
    • 1981 – Michael Leighton, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1981 – Sina Schielke, German sprinter
    • 1981 – Klaas-Erik Zwering, Dutch swimmer
    • 1982 – Kevin Amankwaah, English footballer
    • 1982 – Pål Steffen Andresen, Norwegian footballer
    • 1982 – Klaas Vantornout, Belgian cyclist
    • 1983 – Michael Che, American comedian
    • 1983 – Jessica Fox, English actress
    • 1984 – Marcedes Lewis, American football player
    • 1985 – Aleister Black, Dutch professional wrestler
    • 1986 – Mario Chalmers, American basketball player
    • 1987 – Michael Angelakos, American singer-songwriter and producer
    • 1987 – David Edgar, Canadian soccer player
    • 1987 – Mariano Torres, Argentinian footballer
    • 1987 – Jayne Wisener, Northern Irish actress
    • 1991 – Jordan Pruitt, American singer-songwriter
    • 1992 – Marshmello, American electronic music producer and DJ
    • 1992 – Michele Camporese, Italian footballer
    • 1992 – Ola John, Dutch footballer
    • 1992 – Felise Kaufusi, New Zealand-Tongan rugby league player
    • 1992 – Evgeny Kuznetsov, Russian ice hockey player
    • 1992 – Sam Smith, English singer-songwriter
    • 1994 – Carlos Guzmán, Mexican footballer
    • 1995 – Taane Milne, New Zealand rugby league player

    Deaths on May 19

    • 804 – Alcuin, English monk and scholar (b. 735)
    • 956 – Robert, archbishop of Trier
    • 988 – Dunstan, English archbishop and saint (b. 909)
    • 1102 – Stephen, Count of Blois (b. 1045)
    • 1125 – Vladimir II Monomakh, Grand Duke of Kiev
    • 1164 – Saint Bashnouna, Egyptian saint and martyr
    • 1218 – Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor
    • 1296 – Pope Celestine V (b. 1215)
    • 1303 – Saint Ivo of Kermartin, French canon lawyer (b. 1253)
    • 1319 – Louis, Count of Évreux (b. 1276)
    • 1389 – Dmitry Donskoy, Grand Prince of Muscovy (b. 1350)
    • 1396 – John I of Aragon (b. 1350)
    • 1526 – Emperor Go-Kashiwabara of Japan (b. 1464)
    • 1531 – Jan Łaski, Polish archbishop and diplomat (b. 1456)
    • 1536 – Anne Boleyn, Queen of England (1533–1536); second wife of Henry VIII of England (b. c. 1501)
    • 1601 – Costanzo Porta, Italian composer (b. 1528)
    • 1609 – García Hurtado de Mendoza, 5th Marquis of Cañete (b. 1535)
    • 1610 – Thomas Sanchez, Spanish priest and theologian (b. 1550)
    • 1623 – Mariam-uz-Zamani, Empress of the Mughal Empire (b. 1542)
    • 1637 – Isaac Beeckman, Dutch scientist and philosopher (b. 1588)
    • 1715 – Charles Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax, English poet and politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (b. 1661)
    • 1786 – John Stanley, English organist and composer (b. 1712)
    • 1795 – Josiah Bartlett, American physician and politician, 4th Governor of New Hampshire (b. 1729)
    • 1795 – James Boswell, Scottish biographer (b. 1740)
    • 1798 – William Byron, 5th Baron Byron, English lieutenant and politician (b. 1722)
    • 1821 – Camille Jordan, French lawyer and politician (b. 1771)
    • 1825 – Claude Henri de Rouvroy, comte de Saint-Simon, French philosopher and theorist (b. 1760)
    • 1831 – Johann Friedrich von Eschscholtz, Estonian-German physician, botanist, and entomologist (b. 1793)
    • 1864 – Nathaniel Hawthorne, American novelist and short story writer (b. 1804)
    • 1865 – Sengge Rinchen, Mongolian general (b. 1811)
    • 1872 – John Baker, English-Australian politician, 2nd Premier of South Australia (b. 1813)
    • 1876 – Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer, Dutch historian and politician (b. 1801)
    • 1885 – Peter W. Barlow, English engineer (b. 1809)
    • 1895 – José Martí, Cuban journalist, poet, and philosopher (b. 1853)
    • 1898 – William Ewart Gladstone, English lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1809)
    • 1901 – Marthinus Wessel Pretorius, South African general and politician, 1st President of the South African Republic (b. 1819)
    • 1903 – Arthur Shrewsbury, English cricketer (b. 1856)
    • 1904 – Auguste Molinier, French librarian and historian (b. 1851)
    • 1904 – Jamsetji Tata, Indian businessman, founded Tata Group (b. 1839)
    • 1906 – Gabriel Dumont, Canadian Métis leader (b. 1837)
    • 1907 – Benjamin Baker, English engineer, designed the Forth Bridge (b. 1840)
    • 1912 – Bolesław Prus, Polish journalist and author (b. 1847)
    • 1915 – John Simpson Kirkpatrick, English-Australian soldier (b. 1892)
    • 1918 – Gervais Raoul Lufbery, French-American soldier and pilot (b. 1885)
    • 1935 – T. E. Lawrence, British colonel and archaeologist (b. 1888)
    • 1936 – Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall, British Islamic scholar (b. 1875)
    • 1939 – Ahmet Ağaoğlu, Azerbaijani-Turkish journalist and publicist (b. 1869)
    • 1943 – Kristjan Raud, Estonian painter and illustrator (b. 1865)
    • 1945 – Philipp Bouhler, German soldier and politician (b. 1889)
    • 1946 – Booth Tarkington, American novelist and dramatist (b. 1869)
    • 1950 – Daniel Ciugureanu, Romanian physician and politician, Prime Minister of Moldova (b. 1884)
    • 1954 – Charles Ives, American composer and educator (b. 1874)
    • 1958 – Jadunath Sarkar, Indian historian (b. 1870)
    • 1958 – Archie Scott Brown, Scottish race car driver (b. 1927)
    • 1958 – Ronald Colman, English actor (b. 1891)
    • 1963 – Walter Russell, American painter, sculptor, and author (b. 1871)
    • 1969 – Coleman Hawkins, American saxophonist and clarinet player (b. 1901)
    • 1971 – Ogden Nash, American poet (b. 1902)
    • 1978 – Albert Kivikas, Estonian-Swedish journalist and author (b. 1898)
    • 1980 – Joseph Schull, Canadian playwright and historian (b. 1906)
    • 1983 – Jean Rey, Belgian lawyer and politician, 2nd President of the European Commission (b. 1902)
    • 1984 – John Betjeman, English poet and academic (b. 1906)
    • 1986 – Jimmy Lyons, American saxophonist (b. 1931)
    • 1987 – James Tiptree, Jr., American psychologist and author (b. 1915)
    • 1989 – Yiannis Papaioannou, Greek composer and educator (b. 1910)
    • 1994 – Jacques Ellul, French sociologist, philosopher, and academic (b. 1912)
    • 1994 – Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, American journalist, 37th First Lady of the United States (b. 1929)
    • 1994 – Luis Ocaña, Spanish cyclist (b. 1945)
    • 1996 – John Beradino, American baseball player and actor (b. 1917)
    • 1998 – Sōsuke Uno, Japanese soldier and politician, 75th Prime Minister of Japan (b. 1922)
    • 2001 – Alexey Maresyev, Russian soldier and pilot (b. 1916)
    • 2001 – Susannah McCorkle, American singer (b. 1946)
    • 2002 – John Gorton, Australian lieutenant and politician, 19th Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1911)
    • 2002 – Walter Lord, American historian and author (b. 1917)
    • 2004 – Mary Dresselhuys, Dutch actress and screenwriter (b. 1907)
    • 2007 – Bernard Blaut, Polish footballer and coach (b. 1940)
    • 2007 – Dean Eyre, New Zealand politician (b. 1914)
    • 2008 – Vijay Tendulkar, Indian playwright and screenwriter (b. 1928)
    • 2009 – Robert F. Furchgott, American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1916)
    • 2009 – Nicholas Maw, English composer and academic (b. 1935)
    • 2009 – Clint Smith, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1913)
    • 2011 – Garret FitzGerald, Irish lawyer and politician, 8th Taoiseach of Ireland (b. 1926)
    • 2011 – Jeffrey Catherine Jones, American artist (b.1944)
    • 2012 – Bob Boozer, American basketball player (b. 1937)
    • 2012 – Tamara Brooks, American conductor and educator (b. 1941)
    • 2012 – Ian Burgess, English race car driver (b. 1930)
    • 2012 – Gerhard Hetz, German-Mexican swimmer (b. 1942)
    • 2012 – Phil Lamason, New Zealand soldier and pilot (b. 1918)
    • 2013 – G. Sarsfield Ford, American lawyer and jurist (b. 1933)
    • 2013 – Robin Harrison, English-Canadian pianist and composer (b. 1932)
    • 2013 – Neil Reynolds, Canadian journalist and politician (b. 1940)
    • 2014 – Simon Andrews, English motorcycle racer (b. 1982)
    • 2014 – Jack Brabham, Australian race car driver (b. 1926)
    • 2014 – Terry W. Gee, American businessman and politician (b. 1940)
    • 2014 – Sam Greenlee, American author and poet (b. 1930)
    • 2014 – Vincent Harding, American historian and scholar (b. 1931)
    • 2014 – Gabriel Kolko, American historian and author (b. 1932)
    • 2014 – Zbigniew Pietrzykowski, Polish boxer (b. 1934)
    • 2015 – Bruce Lundvall, American businessman (b. 1935)
    • 2015 – Ted McWhinney, Australian-Canadian lawyer and politician (b. 1924)
    • 2015 – Happy Rockefeller, American philanthropist, socialite; 31st Second Lady of the United States (b. 1926)
    • 2015 – Robert S. Wistrich, English historian, author, and academic (b. 1945)
    • 2016 – Alan Young, English-born Canadian-American actor (b. 1919)
    • 2016 – Morley Safer, Canadian-born American journalist (b. 1931)
    • 2017 – Nawshirwan Mustafa, General coordinator of the Movement for Change (Gorran) (b. 1944)
    • 2018 – Zhengzhang Shangfang, Chinese linguist (b. 1933)

    Holidays and observances on May 19

    • Christian feast day:
      • Calocerus (Eastern Orthodox Church)
      • Crispin of Viterbo
      • Dunstan (Roman Catholic Church, Orthodox Church; commemoration, Anglicanism)
      • Ivo of Kermartin
      • Joaquina Vedruna de Mas
      • Maria Bernarda Bütler
      • Peter Celestine
      • Pudentiana (Roman Catholic Church, Orthodox Church)
      • May 19 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day (Turkey, Northern Cyprus)
    • Greek Genocide Remembrance Day (Greece)
    • Hồ Chí Minh’s Birthday (Vietnam)
    • Malcolm X Day (United States of America)
    • National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (United States)
    • Hepatitis Testing Day (United States)
    • Mother’s Day (Kyrgyzstan)

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

    • 1256 – The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV issues a papal bull Licet ecclesiae catholicae.
    • 1415 – Religious reformers John Wycliffe and Jan Hus are condemned as heretics at the Council of Constance.
    • 1436 – Assassination of the Swedish rebel (later national hero) Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson
    • 1471 – Wars of the Roses: The Battle of Tewkesbury: Edward IV defeats a Lancastrian Army and kills Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales.
    • 1493 – Pope Alexander VI divides the New World between Spain and Portugal along the Line of Demarcation.
    • 1626 – Dutch explorer Peter Minuit arrives in New Netherland (present day Manhattan Island) aboard the See Meeuw.
    • 1686 – The Municipality of Ilagan is founded in the Philippines.
    • 1776 – Rhode Island becomes the first American colony to renounce allegiance to King George III.
    • 1799 – Fourth Anglo-Mysore War: The Battle of Seringapatam: The siege of Seringapatam ends when the city is invaded and Tipu Sultan killed by the besieging British army, under the command of General George Harris.
    • 1814 – Emperor Napoleon arrives at Portoferraio on the island of Elba to begin his exile.
    • 1814 – King Ferdinand VII abolishes the Spanish Constitution of 1812, returning Spain to absolutism.
    • 1836 – Formation of Ancient Order of Hibernians
    • 1859 – The Cornwall Railway opens across the Royal Albert Bridge linking Devon and Cornwall in England.
    • 1869 – The Naval Battle of Hakodate is fought in Japan.
    • 1871 – The National Association, the first professional baseball league, opens its first season in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
    • 1886 – Haymarket affair: A bomb is thrown at policemen trying to break up a labor rally in Chicago, United States, killing eight and wounding 60. The police fire into the crowd.
    • 1904 – The United States begins construction of the Panama Canal.
    • 1910 – The Royal Canadian Navy is created.
    • 1912 – Italy occupies the Greek island of Rhodes.
    • 1919 – May Fourth Movement: Student demonstrations take place in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, protesting the Treaty of Versailles, which transferred Chinese territory to Japan.
    • 1926 – The United Kingdom general strike begins.
    • 1927 – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is incorporated.
    • 1932 – In Atlanta, mobster Al Capone begins serving an eleven-year prison sentence for tax evasion.
    • 1942 – World War II: The Battle of the Coral Sea begins with an attack by aircraft from the United States aircraft carrier USS Yorktown on Japanese naval forces at Tulagi Island in the Solomon Islands. The Japanese forces had invaded Tulagi the day before.
    • 1945 – World War II: Neuengamme concentration camp near Hamburg is liberated by the British Army.
    • 1945 – World War II: The German surrender at Lüneburg Heath is signed, coming into effect the following day. It encompasses all Wehrmacht units in the Netherlands, Denmark and northwest Germany.
    • 1946 – In San Francisco Bay, U.S. Marines from the nearby Treasure Island Naval Base stop a two-day riot at Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary. Five people are killed in the riot.
    • 1949 – The entire Torino football team (except for two players who did not take the trip: Sauro Tomà, due to an injury and Renato Gandolfi, because of coach request) is killed in a plane crash.
    • 1953 – Ernest Hemingway wins the Pulitzer Prize for The Old Man and the Sea.
    • 1959 – The 1st Annual Grammy Awards are held.
    • 1961 – American civil rights movement: The “Freedom Riders” begin a bus trip through the South.
    • 1961 – Malcolm Ross and Victor Prather attain a new altitude record for manned balloon flight ascending in the Strato-Lab V open gondola to 113,740 feet (34.67 km).
    • 1970 – Vietnam War: Kent State shootings: The Ohio National Guard, sent to Kent State University after disturbances in the city of Kent the weekend before, opens fire killing four unarmed students and wounding nine others. The students were protesting the Cambodian Campaign of the United States and South Vietnam.
    • 1972 – The Don’t Make A Wave Committee, a fledgling environmental organization founded in Canada in 1971, officially changes its name to “Greenpeace Foundation”.
    • 1978 – The South African Defence Force attacks a SWAPO base at Cassinga in southern Angola, killing about 600 people.
    • 1979 – Margaret Thatcher becomes the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
    • 1982 – Twenty sailors are killed when the British Type 42 destroyer HMS Sheffield is hit by an Argentinian Exocet missile during the Falklands War.
    • 1988 – The PEPCON disaster rocks Henderson, Nevada, as tons of Space Shuttle fuel detonate during a fire.
    • 1989 – Iran–Contra affair: Former White House aide Oliver North is convicted of three crimes and acquitted of nine other charges; the convictions are later overturned on appeal.
    • 1990 – Latvia proclaims the renewal of its independence after the Soviet occupation.
    • 1994 – Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Yasser Arafat sign a peace accord, granting self-rule in the Gaza Strip and Jericho.
    • 1998 – A federal judge in Sacramento, California, gives “Unabomber” Theodore Kaczynski four life sentences plus 30 years after Kaczynski accepts a plea agreement sparing him from the death penalty.
    • 2000 – Ken Livingstone becomes the first Mayor of London (an office separate from that of the Lord Mayor of London).
    • 2007 – Greensburg, Kansas is almost completely destroyed by a 1.7-mile wide EF5 tornado. It was the first-ever tornado to be rated as such with the new Enhanced Fujita scale.
    • 2014 – Three people are killed and 62 injured in a pair of bombings on buses in Nairobi, Kenya.

    Births on May 4

    • 1006 – Khwaja Abdullah Ansari, Persian mystic and poet (d. 1088)
    • 1008 – Henry I, king of France (d. 1060)
    • 1559 – Alice Spencer, English noblewoman (d. 1637)
    • 1634 – Katherine Ferrers, English aristocrat and heiress (d. 1660)
    • 1649 – Chhatrasal, Indian ruler (d. 1731)
    • 1654 – Kangxi Emperor, Emperor of the Qing Dynasty
    • 1655 – Bartolomeo Cristofori, Italian instrument maker, invented the piano (d. 1731)
    • 1677 – Françoise-Marie de Bourbon, French noblewoman (d.1749)
    • 1715 – Richard Graves, English minister and author (d. 1804)
    • 1733 – Jean-Charles de Borda, French mathematician, physicist, and sailor (d. 1799)
    • 1752 – John Brooks, American soldier and politician, 11th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1825)
    • 1757 – Manuel Tolsá, Spanish sculptor and first director of the Academy of San Carlos in Mexico City (d. 1816)
    • 1767 – Tyagaraja, Indian composer (d. 1847)
    • 1770 – François Gérard, French painter (d. 1837)
    • 1772 – Friedrich Arnold Brockhaus, German publisher (d. 1823)
    • 1796 – Horace Mann, American educator and politician (d. 1859)
    • 1796 – William Pennington, American lawyer and politician, 13th Governor of New Jersey, 23rd Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (d. 1862)
    • 1796 – William H. Prescott, American historian and scholar (d. 1859)
    • 1820 – Julia Gardiner Tyler, American wife of John Tyler, 11th First Lady of the United States (d. 1889)
    • 1820 – John Whiteaker, American soldier, judge, and politician, 1st Governor of Oregon (d. 1902)
    • 1822 – Charles Boucher de Boucherville, Canadian physician and politician, 3rd Premier of Quebec (d. 1915)
    • 1825 – Thomas Henry Huxley, English biologist, anatomist, and academic (d. 1895)
    • 1825 – Augustus Le Plongeon, English-American historian, photographer, and academic (d. 1908)
    • 1826 – Frederic Edwin Church, American painter (d. 1900)
    • 1827 – John Hanning Speke, English soldier and explorer (d. 1864)
    • 1851 – Thomas Dewing, American painter (d. 1938)
    • 1852 – Alice Liddell, English model (d. 1934)
    • 1855 – Greyfriars Bobby, faithful dog (d. 1872)
    • 1883 – Wang Jingwei, Chinese politician (d. 1944)
    • 1884 – Richard Baggallay, English army officer and cricketer (d. 1975)
    • 1887 – Andrew Dasburg, French-American painter (d. 1979)
    • 1889 – Francis Spellman, American cardinal (d. 1967)
    • 1890 – Franklin Carmichael, Canadian painter (d. 1945)
    • 1902 – Ronnie Aird, English cricketer and administrator (d. 1986)
    • 1902 – Cola Debrot, Dutch physician, lawyer, and politician (d. 1981)
    • 1903 – Luther Adler, American actor (d. 1984)
    • 1903 – Paul Demel, Czech actor (d. 1951)
    • 1905 – Al Dexter, American country singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1984)
    • 1906 – Gustav Bergmann, Austrian-American philosopher from the Vienna Circle (d. 1987)
    • 1907 – Lincoln Kirstein, American soldier and playwright, co-founded the New York City Ballet (d. 1996)
    • 1907 – Walter Walsh, American target shooter and FBI agent (d. 2014)
    • 1908 – Wolrad Eberle, German decathlete (d. 1949)
    • 1911 – Evald Seepere, Estonian boxer (d. 1990)
    • 1913 – John Broome, American author (d. 1999)
    • 1913 – Princess Katherine of Greece and Denmark (d. 2007)
    • 1914 – Maedayama Eigorō, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 39th Yokozuna (d. 1971)
    • 1916 – Jane Jacobs, American-Canadian journalist, author, and activist (d. 2006)
    • 1916 – Richard Proenneke, American soldier, carpenter, and meteorologist (d. 2003)
    • 1917 – Edward T. Cone, American pianist and composer (d. 2004)
    • 1917 – Nick Joaquin, Filipino writer, journalist and historian (d. 2004)
    • 1918 – Tom Mead, Australian journalist and politician (d. 2004)
    • 1918 – Kakuei Tanaka, Japanese soldier and politician, 64th Prime Minister of Japan (d. 1993)
    • 1919 – Dory Funk, American wrestler and trainer (d. 1973)
    • 1919 – Basil Yamey, South African-English economist and academic
    • 1921 – Patsy Garrett, American actress and singer (d. 2015)
    • 1921 – John van Kesteren, Dutch-American tenor and actor (d. 2008)
    • 1921 – Edo Murtić, Croatian painter, sculptor, and illustrator (d. 2005)
    • 1922 – Paul-Émile Charbonneau, Canadian archbishop (d. 2014)
    • 1922 – Eugenie Clark, American biologist and academic (d. 2015)
    • 1923 – Stanley Biber, American soldier and physician (d. 2006)
    • 1923 – Ed Cassidy, American jazz and rock drummer (d. 2012)
    • 1923 – Assi Rahbani, Lebanese composer and producer (d. 1986)
    • 1923 – Eric Sykes, British actor and comedian (d. 2012)
    • 1923 – John Toner, American football player and coach (d. 2014)
    • 1925 – Jenő Buzánszky, Hungarian footballer and coach (d. 2015)
    • 1925 – Maurice R. Greenberg, American businessman and philanthropist
    • 1926 – David Stoddart, Baron Stoddart of Swindon, English politician
    • 1928 – Maynard Ferguson, Canadian trumpet player and bandleader (d. 2006)
    • 1928 – Thomas Kinsella, Irish poet, translator, and publisher
    • 1928 – Hosni Mubarak, Egyptian air marshal and politician, 4th President of Egypt (d. 2020)
    • 1928 – Betsy Rawls, American golfer
    • 1928 – Wolfgang von Trips, German race car driver (d. 1961)
    • 1929 – Manuel Contreras, Chilean general (d. 2015)
    • 1929 – Audrey Hepburn, Belgian-British actress and humanitarian (d. 1993)
    • 1930 – Katherine Jackson, matriarch of the Jackson family
    • 1930 – Roberta Peters, American soprano (d. 2017)
    • 1931 – Jan Pesman, Dutch speed skater (d. 2014)
    • 1931 – Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Russian conductor and educator (d. 2018)
    • 1931 – Thomas Stuttaford, English physician, journalist, and politician (d. 2018)
    • 1932 – Harlon Hill, American football player and coach (d. 2013)
    • 1932 – Alexander MacAra, Scottish epidemiologist and academic (d. 2012)
    • 1933 – J. Fred Duckett, American journalist and educator (d. 2007)
    • 1936 – El Cordobés, Spanish bullfighter
    • 1936 – Med Hondo, Mauritanian filmmaker and actor (d. 2019)
    • 1937 – Ron Carter, American bassist and educator
    • 1937 – Dick Dale, American surf-rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter (d. 2019)
    • 1937 – Wim Verstappen, Dutch director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2004)
    • 1938 – Tyrone Davis, American blues and soul singer (d. 2005)
    • 1938 – Carlos Monsiváis, Mexican journalist, author, and critic (d. 2010)
    • 1938 – Gillian Tindall, English historian and author
    • 1939 – Neil Fox, English rugby league player and coach
    • 1939 – Amos Oz, Israeli journalist and author (d. 2018)
    • 1939 – Leon Rochefort, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1940 – Robin Cook, American physician and author
    • 1940 – Peter Gregg, American race car driver and businessman (d. 1980)
    • 1941 – George Will, American journalist and author
    • 1942 – Nickolas Ashford, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer (d. 2011)
    • 1943 – Georgi Asparuhov, Bulgarian footballer (d. 1971)
    • 1943 – Mihail Chemiakin, Russian painter and sculptor
    • 1943 – Prasanta Pattanaik, Indian economist and academic
    • 1944 – Steve Liebmann, Australian radio and television host
    • 1944 – Russi Taylor, American voice actress (d. 2019)
    • 1945 – Jan Mulder, Dutch footballer and journalist
    • 1946 – John Barnard, English car designer
    • 1946 – Gary Bauer, American political activist
    • 1946 – John Watson, British race car driver
    • 1947 – John Bosley, Canadian businessman and politician, 31st Canadian Speaker of the House of Commons
    • 1947 – Ronald Sørensen, Dutch historian and politician
    • 1947 – Trivimi Velliste, Estonian politician, 17th Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs
    • 1948 – Alison Britton, English sculptor and educator
    • 1948 – Hurley Haywood, American race car driver
    • 1948 – King George Tupou V of Tonga, (d. 2012)
    • 1949 – Graham Swift, English novelist and short story writer
    • 1950 – Darryl Hunt, English bass player
    • 1951 – Colin Bass, English bass player, songwriter, and producer
    • 1951 – Colleen Hanabusa, American lawyer and politician
    • 1951 – Jackie Jackson, American singer-songwriter and dancer
    • 1952 – Belinda Green, Australian beauty queen and 1972 Miss World
    • 1953 – Pia Zadora, American actress and singer
    • 1954 – Ryan Cayabyab, Filipino pianist, composer, and conductor
    • 1956 – Michael L. Gernhardt, American astronaut and engineer
    • 1956 – David Guterson, American novelist, short story writer, poet, and essayist
    • 1956 – Ken Oberkfell, American baseball player and coach
    • 1957 – Jaak Huimerind, Estonian architect
    • 1957 – Kathy Kreiner, Canadian skier
    • 1957 – Peter Sleep, Australian cricketer
    • 1957 – Marijke Vos, Dutch educator and politician
    • 1958 – Delbert Fowler, American football player
    • 1958 – Keith Haring, American painter (d. 1990)
    • 1958 – Jane Kennedy, English politician
    • 1958 – Caroline Spelman, English politician, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
    • 1959 – Valdemaras Chomičius, Lithuanian basketball player and coach
    • 1959 – Randy Travis, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
    • 1959 – Bob Tway, American golfer
    • 1960 – Werner Faymann, Austrian politician, 28th Chancellor of Austria
    • 1961 – Jay Aston, English singer-songwriter and dancer
    • 1964 – Silvia Costa, Cuban high jumper
    • 1966 – Gary Elkins, English footballer and manager
    • 1966 – Jane McGrath, English-Australian activist, co-founded the McGrath Foundation (d. 2008)
    • 1967 – Kate Garraway, English journalist
    • 1967 – Ana Gasteyer, American actress and singer
    • 1969 – Micah Aivazoff, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1969 – Franz Resch, Austrian footballer and manager
    • 1970 – Gregg Alexander, American singer-songwriter and producer
    • 1970 – Will Arnett, Canadian actor and producer
    • 1970 – Giovanni Mirabassi, Italian jazz musician
    • 1970 – Dawn Staley, American basketball player
    • 1970 – Paul Wiseman, New Zealand cricketer and coach
    • 1971 – Joe Borowski, American baseball player and sportscaster
    • 1971 – Miles Stewart, Australian triathlete
    • 1972 – Manny Aybar, Dominican baseball player
    • 1972 – Mike Dirnt, American bass player and songwriter
    • 1973 – Matthew Barnaby, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
    • 1973 – Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Argentinian footballer and coach
    • 1973 – John Madden, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1974 – Miguel Cairo, Venezuelan baseball player and coach
    • 1974 – Tony McCoy, Northern Irish jockey and sportscaster
    • 1976 – Ben Grieve, American baseball player
    • 1976 – Rory Hamill, Northern Irish international footballer
    • 1976 – Jason Michaels, American baseball player
    • 1976 – Indrek Visnapuu, Estonian basketball player and coach
    • 1977 – John Tripp, Canadian-German ice hockey player
    • 1978 – Erin Andrews, American sportscaster and journalist
    • 1978 – Igor Biscan, Croatian footballer
    • 1978 – Brett Burton, Australian footballer
    • 1978 – Vladimíra Uhlířová, Czech tennis player
    • 1979 – Lance Bass, American singer, dancer, and producer
    • 1979 – Kristin Harmel, American journalist and author
    • 1979 – Marie Poissonnier, French pole vaulter
    • 1979 – Lesley Vainikolo, Tongan rugby player
    • 1980 – Andrew Raycroft, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1981 – Eric Djemba-Djemba, Cameroon footballer
    • 1981 – Dallon Weekes, American singer-songwriter and musician
    • 1982 – Kleopas Giannou, Greek footballer
    • 1982 – Markus Rogan, Austrian swimmer
    • 1982 – Giorgos Tsiaras, Greek basketball player
    • 1983 – Dan Christian, Australian cricketer
    • 1983 – Derek Roy, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1983 – Robert Zwinkels, Dutch footballer
    • 1984 – Manjural Islam Rana, Bangladeshi cricketer (d. 2007)
    • 1984 – Brad Maddox, American wrestler and referee
    • 1984 – Sarah Meier, Swiss figure skater
    • 1984 – Montell Owens, American football player
    • 1984 – Kevin Slowey, American baseball player
    • 1985 – Ravi Bopara, English cricketer
    • 1985 – Anthony Fedorov, Ukrainian-born American singer and actor
    • 1985 – Fernandinho, Brazilian footballer
    • 1985 – Lester “Bo” McCalebb, American-Macedonian professional basketball player
    • 1985 – Jamie Adenuga, English MC and rapper
    • 1986 – Devan Dubnyk, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1986 – George Hill, American basketball player
    • 1987 – Cesc Fàbregas, Spanish footballer
    • 1987 – Jorge Lorenzo, Spanish motorcycle racer
    • 1988 – Radja Nainggolan, Belgian footballer
    • 1989 – Dániel Gyurta, Hungarian swimmer
    • 1989 – Henna Lindholm, Finnish figure skater
    • 1989 – Rory McIlroy, Northern Irish golfer
    • 1989 – Aris Tatarounis, Greek basketball player
    • 1989 – James van Riemsdyk, American ice hockey player
    • 1990 – Irina Falconi, American tennis player
    • 1990 – Ryan Morgan, Australian rugby league player
    • 1990 – Duvashen Padayachee, Australian race car driver
    • 1990 – Andrea Torres, Filipino actress and model
    • 1991 – Brianne Jenner, Canadian women’s ice hockey player
    • 1992 – Victor Oladipo, American basketball player
    • 1993 – Jānis Bērziņš, Latvian basketball player
    • 1994 – Abi Masatora, Japanese sumo wrestler
    • 1994 – Joseph Tapine, New Zealand rugby league player
    • 1996 – Pelayo Roza, Spanish sprint canoeist

    Deaths on May 4

    • 408 – Venerius, archbishop of Milan
    • 784 – Arbeo, bishop of Freising
    • 1003 – Herman II, duke of Swabia
    • 1038 – Gotthard of Hildesheim, German bishop (b. 960)
    • 1406 – Coluccio Salutati, chancellor of Florence (b. 1331)
    • 1436 – Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson, Swedish rebel leader
    • 1471 – Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales, son and heir of Henry VI of England (b. 1453)
    • 1471 – Edmund Beaufort, 4th Duke of Somerset (b. 1438)
    • 1483 – George Neville, Duke of Bedford (b. 1457)
    • 1506 – Husayn Mirza Bayqara, Timurid ruler of Herat (b. 1438)
    • 1519 – Lorenzo de’ Medici, duke of Urbino (b. 1492)
    • 1535 – John Houghton, Carthusian monk and saint
    • 1562 – Lelio Sozzini, Italian Protestant theologian (b. 1525)
    • 1566 – Luca Ghini, Italian physician and botanist (b. 1490)
    • 1571 – Pierre Viret, Swiss theologian and reformer (b. 1511)
    • 1604 – Claudio Merulo, Italian organist and composer (b. 1533)
    • 1605 – Ulisse Aldrovandi, Italian naturalist (b. 1522)
    • 1615 – Adriaan van Roomen, Flemish priest and mathematician (b. 1561)
    • 1626 – Arthur Lake, English bishop and scholar (b. 1569)
    • 1677 – Isaac Barrow, English mathematician and theologian (b. 1630)
    • 1684 – John Nevison, English criminal (b. 1639)
    • 1729 – Louis Antoine de Noailles, French cardinal (b. 1651)
    • 1734 – James Thornhill, English painter and politician (b. 1675)
    • 1737 – Eustace Budgell, English journalist and politician (b. 1686)
    • 1774 – Anthony Ulrich of Brunswick, Prussian nobleman (b. 1714)
    • 1776 – Jacques Saly, French painter and sculptor (b. 1717)
    • 1790 – Matthew Tilghman, American politician (b. 1718)
    • 1799 – Tipu, ruler of Mysore (b. 1750)
    • 1811 – Nikolay Kamensky, Russian general (b. 1776)
    • 1816 – Samuel Dexter, American lawyer and politician, 4th United States Secretary of War, 3rd United States Secretary of the Treasury (b. 1761)
    • 1824 – Joseph Joubert, French author (b. 1754)
    • 1826 – Sebastián Kindelán y O’Regan, colonial governor of East Florida, Santo Domingo and Cuba (b. 1757)
    • 1839 – Denis Davydov, Russian general and poet (b. 1784)
    • 1858 – Aimé Bonpland, French botanist and explorer (b. 1773)
    • 1859 – Joseph Diaz Gergonne, French mathematician and philosopher (b. 1771)
    • 1880 – Edward Clark, American lawyer and politician, 8th Governor of Texas (b. 1815)
    • 1901 – John Jones Ross, Canadian lawyer and politician, 7th Premier of Quebec (b. 1831)
    • 1903 – Gotse Delchev, Macedonian Bulgarian revolutionary IMRO (b. 1872)
    • 1912 – Nettie Stevens, American geneticist credited with discovering sex chromosomes (b. 1861)
    • 1916 – Ned Daly, Irish rebel commander (Easter Rising) (b. 1891)
    • 1916 – John Murray, Australian politician, 23rd Premier of Victoria (b. 1851)
    • 1916 – Joseph Plunkett, Irish rebel and writer (b. 1887)
    • 1916 – Willie Pearse, Irish rebel (b. 1891)
    • 1919 – Milan Rastislav Štefánik, Slovak general and politician (b. 1880)
    • 1922 – Viktor Kingissepp, Estonian politician (b. 1888)
    • 1923 – Ralph McKittrick, American golfer and tennis player (b. 1877)
    • 1924 – E. Nesbit, English author and poet (b. 1858)
    • 1938 – Kanō Jigorō, Japanese founder of judo (b. 1860)
    • 1938 – Carl von Ossietzky, German journalist and activist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1889)
    • 1941 – Chris McKivat, Australian rugby player and coach (b. 1880)
    • 1945 – Fedor von Bock, German field marshal (b. 1880)
    • 1953 – Alexandre Pharamond, French rugby player (b. 1876)
    • 1955 – George Enescu, Romanian pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1881)
    • 1964 – Karl Robert Pusta, Estonian politician, 4th Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1883)
    • 1969 – Osbert Sitwell, English-Italian author and poet (b. 1892)
    • 1972 – Edward Calvin Kendall, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1886)
    • 1973 – Jane Bowles, American author and playwright (b. 1917)
    • 1975 – Moe Howard, American actor, singer, and screenwriter (b. 1897)
    • 1976 – Frank Strahan, Australian public servant (b. 1886)
    • 1980 – Josip Broz Tito, Yugoslav field marshal and politician, 1st President of Yugoslavia (b. 1892)
    • 1981 – C. Loganathan, Sri Lankan banker (b. 1913)
    • 1983 – Nino Sanzogno, Italian conductor and composer (b. 1911)
    • 1984 – Diana Dors, English actress (b. 1931)
    • 1985 – Fikri Sönmez, Turkish tailor and politician (b. 1938)
    • 1985 – Clarence Wiseman, English-Canadian 10th General of The Salvation Army (b. 1907)
    • 1987 – Paul Butterfield, American singer and harmonica player (b. 1942)
    • 1987 – Cathryn Damon, American actress (b. 1930)
    • 1988 – Lillian Estelle Fisher, American historian of Spanish America (b. 1891)
    • 1990 – Emily Remler, American guitarist (b. 1957)
    • 1991 – Mohammed Abdel Wahab, Egyptian singer-songwriter and mandolin player (b. 1902)
    • 1992 – Gregor Mackenzie, Scottish politician (b. 1927)
    • 1993 – France Štiglic, Slovenian film director and screenwriter (b. 1919)
    • 1995 – Connie Wisniewski, American baseball player (b. 1922)
    • 2000 – Hendrik Casimir, Dutch physicist and academic (b. 1909)
    • 2001 – Bonnie Lee Bakley, American model, wife of Robert Blake (b. 1956)
    • 2004 – David Reimer, Canadian victim of a botched circumcision and transgender reassignment surgery (b. 1965)
    • 2005 – David Hackworth, American colonel and journalist (b. 1930)
    • 2008 – Fred Baur, American chemist and founder of Pringles (b. 1918)
    • 2009 – Dom DeLuise, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1933)
    • 2011 – Sammy McCrory, Northern Irish footballer (b. 1924)
    • 2012 – Mort Lindsey, American pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1923)
    • 2012 – Bob Stewart, American television producer, founded Stewart Tele Enterprises (b. 1920)
    • 2012 – Adam Yauch, American rapper and director (b. 1964)
    • 2012 – Rashidi Yekini, Nigerian footballer (b. 1963)
    • 2013 – Otis R. Bowen, American physician and politician, 44th Governor of Indiana (b. 1918)
    • 2013 – Christian de Duve, English-Belgian cytologist and biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1917)
    • 2013 – Javier Diez Canseco, Peruvian sociologist and politician (b. 1948)
    • 2013 – Mario Machado, Chinese-American journalist and actor (b. 1935)
    • 2013 – Morgan Morgan-Giles, English admiral and politician (b. 1914)
    • 2013 – César Portillo de la Luz, Cuban guitarist and composer (b. 1922)
    • 2014 – Dick Ayers, American author and illustrator (b. 1924)
    • 2014 – Elena Baltacha, Ukrainian-Scottish tennis player (b. 1983)
    • 2014 – Edgar Cortright, American scientist and engineer (b. 1923)
    • 2014 – Helga Königsdorf, German physicist and author (b. 1938)
    • 2014 – Ross Lonsberry, Canadian-American ice hockey player (b. 1947)
    • 2014 – Jean-Paul Ngoupandé, Central African politician, Prime Minister of the Central African Republic (b. 1948)
    • 2015 – William Bast, American screenwriter and author (b. 1931)
    • 2015 – Ellen Albertini Dow, American actress (b. 1913)
    • 2015 – Marv Hubbard, American football player (b. 1946)
    • 2016 – Jean-Baptiste Bagaza, Burundian politician (b. 1946)
    • 2020 – Don Shula, American football player and coach (b. 1930)
    • 2020 – Greg Zanis, American carpenter and activist (b. 1950)

    Holidays and observances on May 4

    • Anti-Bullying Day (United Nations)
    • Bird Day (United States)
    • Cassinga Day (Namibia)
    • Christian feast day:
      • Blessed Ceferino Giménez Malla
      • Blessed Michal Giedroyc
      • English Saints and Martyrs of the Reformation Era (Church of England)
      • F. C. D. Wyneken (Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod)
      • Florian
      • Gotthard of Hildesheim
      • José María Rubio
      • Judas Cyriacus
      • Monica of Hippo (1960 Roman Catholic Calendar)
      • Sacerdos of Limoges
      • Venerius of Milan
      • May 4 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Dave Brubeck Day
    • Death of Milan Rastislav Štefánik Day (Slovakia)
    • Greenery Day (Japan)
    • International Firefighters’ Day
    • May Fourth Movement commemorations:
      • Literary Day (Republic of China)
      • Youth Day (China)
    • Remembrance Day for Martyrs and Disabled (Afghanistan)
    • Remembrance of the Dead (Netherlands)
    • Restoration of Independence day (Latvia)
    • Star Wars Day (International observance)
    • World Give Day
    • World Naked Gardening Day
    • Youth Day (Fiji)

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

    May 2 in History

    • 1194 – King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter
    • 1230 – William de Braose is hanged by Prince Llywelyn the Great.
    • 1335 – Otto the Merry, Duke of Austria, becomes Duke of Carinthia.
    • 1536 – Anne Boleyn, Queen of England, is arrested and imprisoned on charges of adultery, incest, treason and witchcraft.
    • 1559 – John Knox returns from exile to Scotland to become the leader of the nascent Scottish Reformation.
    • 1568 – Mary, Queen of Scots, escapes from Loch Leven Castle.
    • 1611 – The King James Version of the Bible is published for the first time in London, England, by printer Robert Barker.
    • 1625 – Afonso Mendes, appointed by Pope Gregory XV as Latin Patriarch of Ethiopia, arrives at Beilul from Goa.
    • 1670 – King Charles II of England grants a permanent charter to the Hudson’s Bay Company to open up the fur trade in North America.
    • 1672 – John Maitland becomes Duke of Lauderdale and Earl of March.
    • 1808 – Outbreak of the Peninsular War: The people of Madrid rise up in rebellion against French occupation. Francisco de Goya later memorializes this event in his painting The Second of May 1808.
    • 1812 – The Siege of Cuautla during the Mexican War of Independence ends with both sides claiming victory after Mexican rebels under José María Morelos y Pavón abandon the city after 72 days under siege by royalist Spanish troops under Félix María Calleja.
    • 1816 – Marriage of Léopold of Saxe-Coburg and Princess Charlotte of Wales.
    • 1829 – After anchoring nearby, Captain Charles Fremantle of HMS Challenger, declares the Swan River Colony in Australia.
    • 1863 – American Civil War: Stonewall Jackson is wounded by friendly fire while returning to camp after reconnoitering during the Battle of Chancellorsville. He succumbs to pneumonia eight days later.
    • 1866 – Peruvian defenders fight off the Spanish fleet at the Battle of Callao.
    • 1876 – The April Uprising breaks out in Ottoman Bulgaria.
    • 1879 – The Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party is founded in Madrid by Pablo Iglesias.
    • 1885 – Cree and Assiniboine warriors win the Battle of Cut Knife, their largest victory over Canadian forces during the North-West Rebellion.
    • 1889 – Menelik II, Emperor of Ethiopia, signs the Treaty of Wuchale, giving Italy control over Eritrea.
    • 1906 – Closing ceremony of the Intercalated Games in Athens, Greece.
    • 1918 – General Motors acquires the Chevrolet Motor Company of Delaware.
    • 1920 – The first game of the Negro National League baseball is played in Indianapolis.
    • 1933 – Germany’s independent labor unions are replaced by the German Labour Front.
    • 1941 – Following the coup d’état against Iraq Crown Prince ‘Abd al-Ilah earlier that year, the United Kingdom launches the Anglo-Iraqi War to restore him to power.
    • 1945 – World War II: The Soviet Union announces the fall of Berlin.
    • 1945 – World War II: The surrender of Caserta comes into effect, by which German troops in Italy cease fighting.
    • 1945 – World War II: The US 82nd Airborne Division liberates Wöbbelin concentration camp finding 1000 dead prisoners, most of whom starved to death.
    • 1945 – World War II: A death march from Dachau to the Austrian border is halted by the segregated, all-Nisei 522nd Field Artillery Battalion of the U.S. Army in southern Bavaria, saving several hundred prisoners.
    • 1952 – A De Havilland Comet makes the first jetliner flight with fare-paying passengers, from London to Johannesburg.
    • 1955 – Tennessee Williams wins the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
    • 1963 – Berthold Seliger launches a rocket with three stages and a maximum flight altitude of more than 100 kilometres near Cuxhaven. It is the only sounding rocket developed in Germany.
    • 1964 – Vietnam War: An explosion sinks the American aircraft carrier USNS Card while it is docked at Saigon. Two Viet Cong combat swimmers had placed explosives on the ship’s hull. She is raised and returned to service less than seven months later.
    • 1964 – First ascent of Shishapangma, the fourteenth highest mountain in the world and the lowest of the Eight-thousanders.
    • 1969 – The British ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2 departs on her maiden voyage to New York City.
    • 1972 – In the early morning hours a fire breaks out at the Sunshine Mine located between Kellogg and Wallace, Idaho, killing 91 workers.
    • 1982 – Falklands War: The British nuclear submarine HMS Conqueror sinks the Argentine cruiser ARA General Belgrano.
    • 1986 – Chernobyl disaster: The City of Chernobyl is evacuated six days after the disaster.
    • 1989 – Cold War: Hungary begins dismantling its border fence with Austria, which allows a number of East Germans to defect.
    • 1994 – A bus crashes in Gdańsk, Poland killing 32 people.
    • 1995 – During the Croatian War of Independence, the Army of the Republic of Serb Krajina fires cluster bombs at Zagreb, killing seven and wounding over 175 civilians.
    • 1998 – The European Central Bank is founded in Brussels in order to define and execute the European Union’s monetary policy.
    • 1999 – Panamanian general election, 1999: Mireya Moscoso becomes the first woman to be elected President of Panama.
    • 2000 – President Bill Clinton announces that accurate GPS access would no longer be restricted to the United States military.
    • 2004 – The Yelwa massacre concludes. It began on 4 February 2004 when armed Muslims killed 78 Christians at Yelwa. In response, about 630 Muslims were killed by Christians on May 2nd.
    • 2008 – Cyclone Nargis makes landfall in Burma killing over 138,000 people and leaving millions of people homeless.
    • 2008 – Chaitén Volcano begins erupting in Chile, forcing the evacuation of more than 4,500 people.
    • 2011 – Osama bin Laden, the suspected mastermind behind the September 11 attacks and the FBI’s most wanted man, is killed by the United States special forces in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
    • 2011 – An E. coli outbreak strikes Europe, mostly in Germany, leaving more than 30 people dead and many others sick from the bacteria outbreak.
    • 2012 – A pastel version of The Scream, by Norwegian painter Edvard Munch, sells for $120 million in a New York City auction, setting a new world record for a work of art at auction.
    • 2014 – Two mudslides in Badakhshan, Afghanistan, leave up to 2,500 people missing.

    Births on May 2

    • 1360 – Yongle Emperor of China (d. 1424)
    • 1402 – Eleanor of Aragon, Queen of Portugal (d. 1445)
    • 1451 – René II, Duke of Lorraine (d. 1508)
    • 1458 – Eleanor of Viseu (d. 1525)
    • 1476 – Charles I, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels, Count of Kladsko, Governor of Bohemia and Silesia (d. 1536)
    • 1533 – Philip II, Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen (d. 1596)
    • 1551 – William Camden, English historian and topographer (d. 1623)
    • 1567 – Sebald de Weert, Dutch captain, vice-admiral of the Dutch East India Company (d. 1603)
    • 1579 – Tokugawa Hidetada, Japanese shōgun (d. 1632)
    • 1601 – Athanasius Kircher, German priest and scholar (d. 1680)
    • 1660 – Alessandro Scarlatti, Italian composer (d. 1725)
    • 1695 – Giovanni Niccolò Servandoni, Italian-French painter and architect (d. 1766)
    • 1702 – Friedrich Christoph Oetinger, German theologian and theosopher (d. 1782)
    • 1707 – Jean-Baptiste Barrière, French cellist and composer (d. 1747)
    • 1729 – Catherine the Great of Russia (d. 1796)
    • 1737 – William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne, Irish-English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1805)
    • 1740 – Elias Boudinot, American lawyer and politician, 10th President of the Continental Congress (d. 1821)
    • 1750 – John André, English soldier and spy (d. 1780)
    • 1752 – Ludwig August Lebrun, German oboe player and composer (d. 1790)
    • 1754 – Vicente Martín y Soler, Spanish composer (d. 1806)
    • 1772 – Novalis, German author and poet (d. 1801)
    • 1773 – Henrik Steffens, Norwegian philosopher and poet (d. 1845)
    • 1797 – Abraham Pineo Gesner, Canadian physician and geologist (d. 1864)
    • 1802 – Heinrich Gustav Magnus, German chemist and physicist (d. 1870)
    • 1806 – Catherine Labouré, French nun and saint (d. 1876)
    • 1810 – Hans Christian Lumbye, Danish composer and conductor (d. 1874)
    • 1813 – Caroline Leigh Gascoigne, English novelist and poet (d. 1883)
    • 1815 – William Buell Richards, Canadian lawyer and judge, 1st Chief Justice of Canada (d. 1889)
    • 1822 – Jane Miller Thengberg, Scottish-Swedish governess and educator (d. 1902)
    • 1828 – Désiré Charnay, French archaeologist and photographer (d. 1915)
    • 1830 – Otto Staudinger, German entomologist and author (d. 1900)
    • 1843 – Elijah McCoy, Canadian-American engineer (d. 1929)
    • 1859 – Jerome K. Jerome, English author and playwright (d. 1927)
    • 1860 – John Scott Haldane, Scottish physiologist, physician, and academic (d. 1936)
    • 1860 – Theodor Herzl, Austro-Hungarian Zionist philosopher, journalist and author (d. 1904)
    • 1865 – Clyde Fitch, American playwright (d. 1909)
    • 1867 – Giuseppe Morello, Italian-American mobster (d. 1930)
    • 1873 – Jurgis Baltrušaitis, Lithuanian poet, critic, and translator (d. 1944)
    • 1879 – James F. Byrnes, American stenographer and politician, 49th United States Secretary of State (d. 1972)
    • 1880 – Bill Horr, American football player, discus thrower, and coach (d. 1955)
    • 1882 – Isabel González, Puerto Rican activist who helped pave the way for Puerto Ricans’ American citizenship (d. 1971)
    • 1885 – Hedda Hopper, American actress and gossip columnist (d. 1966)
    • 1886 – Gottfried Benn, German author and poet (d. 1956)
    • 1887 – Vernon Castle, English-American dancer (d. 1918)
    • 1887 – Eddie Collins, American baseball player and manager (d. 1951)
    • 1889 – Ki Hajar Dewantara, Indonesian philosopher, academic, and politician (d. 1959)
    • 1890 – E. E. Smith, American engineer and author (d. 1965)
    • 1892 – Manfred von Richthofen, German captain and pilot (d. 1918)
    • 1894 – Norma Talmadge, leading US actress of the silent era (d. 1957)
    • 1894 – Joseph Henry Woodger, English biologist, philosopher, and academic (d. 1981)
    • 1895 – Lorenz Hart, American playwright and lyricist (d. 1943)
    • 1897 – John Frederick Coots, American songwriter (d. 1985)
    • 1898 – Henry Hall, English bandleader, composer, and actor (d. 1989)
    • 1901 – Bob Wyatt, English cricketer (d. 1995)
    • 1901 – Edouard Zeckendorf, Belgian doctor, army officer and mathematician (d. 1983)
    • 1901 – Willi Bredel, German writer (d. 1964)
    • 1902 – Brian Aherne, English actor (d. 1986)
    • 1902 – Werner Finck, German Kabarett comedian, actor and author (d. 1978)
    • 1903 – Benjamin Spock, American rower, pediatrician, and author (d. 1998)
    • 1904 – Bill Brandt, German-English photographer and journalist (d. 1983)
    • 1905 – Alan Rawsthorne, British composer (d. 1971)
    • 1905 – Charlotte Armstrong, American author (d. 1969)
    • 1906 – Philippe Halsman, Latvian-American photographer (d. 1979)
    • 1907 – Pinky Lee, American comedian and television host (d. 1993)
    • 1908 – Frank Rowlett, American cryptologist (d. 1998)
    • 1909 – Teddy Stauffer, Swiss bandleader, musician, and actor (d. 1991)
    • 1910 – Alexander Bonnyman, Jr., American lieutenant, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1943)
    • 1910 – Edmund Bacon, American urban planner, architect, educator, and author (d. 2005)
    • 1912 – Axel Springer, German journalist and publisher, founded Axel Springer AG (d. 1985)
    • 1912 – Karl Adam, German rowing coaches (d. 1976)
    • 1912 – Marten Toonder, Dutch comic strip creator (d. 2005)
    • 1912 – Nigel Patrick, English actor and director (d. 1981)
    • 1913 – Pietro Frua, Italian coachbuilder and car designer (d. 1983)
    • 1913 – Aydın Sayılı, Turkish historian and academic (d. 1993)
    • 1915 – Doris Fisher, American singer-songwriter (d. 2003)
    • 1915 – Peggy Mount, English actress (d. 2001)
    • 1917 – Albert Castelyns, Belgian water polo player and bobsledder
    • 1917 – Văn Tiến Dũng, Vietnamese general and politician, 6th Minister of Defence for Vietnam (d. 2002)
    • 1920 – Jean-Marie Auberson, Swiss violinist and conductor (d. 2004)
    • 1920 – Otto Buchsbaum, Austrian-Brazilian journalist and activist (d. 2000)
    • 1920 – Vasantrao Deshpande, Indian singer and sitar player (d. 1983)
    • 1920 – Guinn Smith, American pole vaulter, soldier, and pilot (d. 2004)
    • 1920 – Jacob Gilboa, Israeli composer (d. 2007)
    • 1921 – B. B. Lal, Indian archaeologist
    • 1921 – Satyajit Ray, Indian director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1992)
    • 1922 – Roscoe Lee Browne, American actor and director (d. 2007)
    • 1922 – A. M. Rosenthal, Canadian-born American journalist and author (d. 2006)
    • 1922 – Serge Reggiani, Italian-born French singer and actor (d. 2004)
    • 1923 – Patrick Hillery, Irish physician and politician, 6th President of Ireland (d. 2008)
    • 1923 – Albert Nordengen, Norwegian banker and politician (d. 2004)
    • 1924 – Jamal Abro, Pakistani lawyer and author (d. 2004)
    • 1924 – Theodore Bikel, Austrian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (d. 2015)
    • 1924 – Arthur Clues, Australian rugby league player (d. 1998)
    • 1924 – Hugh Cortazzi, English soldier, historian, and diplomat, British Ambassador to Japan (d. 2018)
    • 1925 – John Neville, English-Canadian actor (d. 2011)
    • 1926 – Gérard D. Levesque, Canadian lawyer and politician, 5th Deputy Premier of Quebec (d. 1993)
    • 1927 – Ray Barrett, Australian actor and singer (d. 2009)
    • 1927 – Amos Kenan, Israeli columnist, painter, sculptor, playwright and novelist (d. 2009)
    • 1927 – Michael Broadbent, British wine critic and writer (d. 2020)
    • 1928 – Hans Trass, Estonian ecologist and botanist (d. 2017)
    • 1928 – Georges-Arthur Goldschmidt, French writer and translator of German origin
    • 1928 – Horst Stein, German conductor (d. 2008)
    • 1929 – Édouard Balladur, Turkish-French economist and politician, 162nd Prime Minister of France
    • 1929 – James Dillion, American discus thrower (d. 2010)
    • 1929 – Link Wray, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2005)
    • 1929 – Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, Druk Gyalpo of Bhutan (d. 1972)
    • 1930 – Yoram Kaniuk, Israeli painter and critic (d. 2013)
    • 1930 – Marco Pannella, Italian journalist and politician (d. 2016)
    • 1931 – Phil Bruns, American actor and stuntman (d. 2012)
    • 1931 – Martha Grimes, American author and poet
    • 1932 – Maury Allen, American journalist, actor, and author (d. 2010)
    • 1933 – Bunk Gardner, American musician
    • 1933 – Harry Woolf, Baron Woolf, English lawyer and judge, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
    • 1934 – Manfred Durniok, German film producer, director and screenwriter (d. 2003)
    • 1935 – Luis Suárez Miramontes, Spanish footballer and manager
    • 1935 – Faisal II of Iraq, the last King of Iraq (d.1958)
    • 1936 – Norma Aleandro, Argentinian actress, director, and screenwriter
    • 1936 – Engelbert Humperdinck, English singer and pianist
    • 1936 – Michael Rabin, American violinist (d. 1972)
    • 1937 – Klaus Enders, German motorcycle sidecar racer (d. 2019)
    • 1937 – Lorenzo Music, American actor, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2001)
    • 1937 – Gisela Elsner, German writer (d. 1992)
    • 1938 – Moshoeshoe II of Lesotho (d. 1996)
    • 1939 – Sumio Iijima, Japanese physicist and engineer
    • 1939 – Ernesto Castano, Italian football player
    • 1940 – Jules Albert Wijdenbosch, Surinamese politician
    • 1941 – Tony Adamowicz, American race car driver (d. 2016)
    • 1941 – Bruce Cameron, Scottish bishop
    • 1941 – Clay Carroll, American baseball player
    • 1941 – Eddy Louiss, French jazz musician (d. 2015)
    • 1942 – Jacques Rogge, Belgian businessman
    • 1942 – Wojciech Pszoniak, Polish film and theater actor
    • 1944 – Robert G. W. Anderson, English chemist, historian, and curator
    • 1945 – Randy Cain, American soul singer (d. 2009)
    • 1945 – Judge Dread, English singer-songwriter (d. 1998)
    • 1945 – Bianca Jagger, Nicaraguan-American model, actress, and activist
    • 1945 – Goldy McJohn, Canadian keyboard player (d. 2017)
    • 1946 – Peter L. Benson, American psychologist and academic (d. 2011)
    • 1946 – Lesley Gore, American singer-songwriter (d. 2015)
    • 1946 – David Suchet, English actor
    • 1947 – James Dyson, English businessman, founded the Dyson Company
    • 1947 – Lynda Myles, English screenwriter and producer
    • 1947 – Philippe Herreweghe, Belgian conductor
    • 1948 – Larry Gatlin, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
    • 1949 – Alan Titchmarsh, English gardener and author
    • 1949 – Alfons Schuhbeck, German celebrity chef, author and businessman
    • 1950 – Simon Gaskell, English chemist and academic
    • 1950 – Duncan Gay, Australian businessman and politician
    • 1950 – Lou Gramm, American singer-songwriter
    • 1950 – Richard Ground, English lawyer and judge (d. 2014)
    • 1950 – Fausto Silva, Brazilian television presenter
    • 1951 – John Glascock, English singer and bass player (d. 1979)
    • 1952 – Chris Anderson, Australian rugby league player and coach
    • 1952 – Christine Baranski, American actress and singer
    • 1952 – Isla St Clair, Scottish singer and actress
    • 1953 – Valery Gergiev, Russian conductor and director
    • 1953 – Jamaal Wilkes, American basketball player
    • 1954 – Elliot Goldenthal, American composer and conductor
    • 1954 – Dawn Primarolo, English politician
    • 1954 – Stephen Venables, English mountaineer and author
    • 1955 – Willie Miller, Scottish footballer
    • 1955 – Donatella Versace, Italian fashion designer
    • 1956 – Régis Labeaume, Canadian businessman and politician, 41st Mayor of Quebec City
    • 1958 – Yasushi Akimoto, Japanese songwriter and producer
    • 1958 – Stanislav Levý, Czech footballer and manager
    • 1958 – David O’Leary, English-Irish footballer and manager
    • 1959 – Alan Best, Canadian animator, director, and producer
    • 1959 – Tony Wakeford, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1960 – Stephen Daldry, English director and producer
    • 1961 – Steve James, English snooker player
    • 1961 – Sophie Thibault, Canadian journalist
    • 1961 – Phil Vickery, English chef and author
    • 1962 – Elizabeth Berridge, American actress
    • 1962 – Michael Grandage, English director and producer
    • 1962 – Jimmy White, English snooker player
    • 1965 – Félix José, Dominican-American baseball player
    • 1966 – Uwe Freiler, German footballer
    • 1966 – Margus Kolga, Estonian diplomat
    • 1966 – Belinda Stronach, Canadian businesswoman, philanthropist, and politician
    • 1967 – Bengt Åkerblom, Swedish ice hockey player (d. 1995)
    • 1967 – Mika Brzezinski, American journalist and author
    • 1967 – David Rocastle, English footballer (d. 2001)
    • 1968 – Jeff Agoos, Swiss-American soccer player, manager, and sportscaster
    • 1968 – Julia Hartley-Brewer, English broadcaster and columnist
    • 1968 – Ziana Zain, Malaysian singer-songwriter and actress
    • 1969 – Brian Lara, Trinidadian cricketer
    • 1970 – Marco Walker, Swiss footballer and coach
    • 1971 – Musashimaru Kōyō, Samoan-American sumo wrestler, the 67th Yokozuna
    • 1971 – Fatima Yusuf, Nigerian sprinter
    • 1972 – Paul Adcock, English footballer
    • 1972 – Ahti Heinla, Estonian programmer and businessman, co-developed Skype
    • 1972 – Dwayne Johnson, American-Canadian wrestler, actor, and producer
    • 1973 – Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, German director and screenwriter
    • 1974 – Horacio Carbonari, Argentinian footballer and manager
    • 1974 – Andy Johnson, English-Welsh footballer
    • 1974 – Janek Meet, Estonian footballer
    • 1975 – David Beckham, English footballer, coach, and model
    • 1975 – Joe Wilkinson, English comedian, actor and writer
    • 1976 – Jeff Gutt, American singer-songwriter
    • 1977 – Brian Cardinal, American basketball player
    • 1977 – Jan Fitschen, German runner
    • 1977 – Luke Hudson, American baseball player
    • 1977 – Fredrik Malm, Swedish journalist and politician
    • 1977 – Jenna von Oÿ, American actress and singer
    • 1977 – Kalle Palander, Finnish skier
    • 1978 – Melvin Ely, American basketball player
    • 1978 – Mike Weaver, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1979 – Jason Chimera, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1979 – Ioannis Kanotidis, Greek footballer
    • 1979 – Defne Joy Foster, Turkish-American actress, presenter and VJ (d. 2011)
    • 1980 – Tim Borowski, German footballer
    • 1980 – Pierre-Luc Gagnon, Canadian skateboarder
    • 1980 – Ellie Kemper, American actress, comedian and writer
    • 1980 – Zat Knight, English footballer
    • 1980 – Artūras Masiulis, Lithuanian basketball player
    • 1980 – Troy Murphy, American basketball player
    • 1980 – Lassaâd Ouertani, Tunisian footballer (d. 2013)
    • 1980 – Brad Richards, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1980 – Vincent Tong, Canadian actor, singer, voice actor and director
    • 1981 – Robert Buckley, American actor
    • 1981 – Chris Kirkland, English footballer
    • 1981 – Tiago Mendes, Portuguese footballer
    • 1981 – Matt Murray, English footballer
    • 1981 – Rina Satō, Japanese voice actress and singer
    • 1982 – Timothy Benjamin, Welsh sprinter
    • 1982 – Johan Botha, South African cricketer
    • 1983 – Alessandro Diamanti, Italian footballer
    • 1983 – Maynor Figueroa, Honduran footballer
    • 1983 – Tina Maze, Slovenian skier
    • 1983 – Daniel Sordo, Spanish race car driver
    • 1983 – Ove Vanebo, Norwegian politician
    • 1984 – Saulius Mikoliūnas, Lithuanian footballer
    • 1984 – Thabo Sefolosha, Swiss basketball player
    • 1985 – Lily Allen, English singer-songwriter and actress
    • 1985 – Kyle Busch, American race car driver
    • 1985 – Ashley Harkleroad, American tennis player
    • 1985 – Sarah Hughes, American figure skater
    • 1987 – Saara Aalto, Finnish singer and actress
    • 1987 – Nana Kitade, Japanese singer-songwriter and actress
    • 1987 – Pat McAfee, American football player
    • 1987 – Kris Russell, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1987 – Justin Young, English singer and songwriter
    • 1988 – Neftalí Feliz, Dominican baseball player
    • 1988 – Stephen Henderson, Irish footballer
    • 1989 – Jeanette Pohlen, American basketball player
    • 1990 – Kay Panabaker, American actress
    • 1990 – Paul George, American basketball player
    • 1991 – Jeong Jinwoon, South Korean actor and singer
    • 1992 – Sunmi, South Korean singer
    • 1992 – María Teresa Torró Flor, Spanish tennis player
    • 1993 – Owain Doull, Welsh track cyclist
    • 1993 – Isyana Sarasvati, Indonesian singer
    • 1993 – Huang Zitao, Chinese singer and rapper
    • 1996 – Cherprang Areekul, Thai singer
    • 1996 – Julian Brandt, German footballer
    • 1996 – Schuyler Bailar, American swimmer
    • 2015 – Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, British royal, and fourth in line to the British throne

    Deaths on May 2

    • 373 – Athanasius of Alexandria, Egyptian bishop and saint (b. 298)
    • 649 – Marutha of Tikrit, Persian theologian of the Syriac Orthodox Church (b. 565)
    • 821 – Liu Zong, general of the Tang Dynasty
    • 907 – Boris I of Bulgaria
    • 1219 – Leo I, King of Armenia (b. 1150)
    • 1230 – William de Braose, English son of Reginald de Braose (b. 1197)
    • 1293 – Meir of Rothenburg, German rabbi (b. c.1215)
    • 1300 – Blanche of Artois (b. 1248)
    • 1450 – William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk, English admiral (b. 1396)
    • 1519 – Leonardo da Vinci, Italian painter, sculptor, and architect (b. 1452)
    • 1564 – Rodolfo Pio da Carpi, Italian cardinal (b. 1500)
    • 1627 – Lodovico Grossi da Viadana, Italian composer and educator (b. 1560)
    • 1667 – George Wither, English poet and author (b. 1588)
    • 1683 – Stjepan Gradić, Croatian philosopher and mathematician (b. 1613)
    • 1711 – Laurence Hyde, 1st Earl of Rochester, English politician, First Lord of the Treasury (b. 1641)
    • 1799 – Juan Vicente de Güemes, 2nd Count of Revillagigedo (b. 1740)
    • 1802 – Herman Willem Daendels, Dutch general and politician, Governor-General of the Dutch Gold Coast (b. 1762)
    • 1810 – Henry Jerome de Salis, English priest (b. 1740)
    • 1819 – Mary Moser, English painter and academic (b. 1744)
    • 1857 – Alfred de Musset, French dramatist, poet, and novelist (b. 1810)
    • 1864 – Giacomo Meyerbeer, German composer and educator (b. 1791)
    • 1880 – Eberhard Anheuser, German-American businessman, co-founded Anheuser-Busch (b. 1805)
    • 1880 – Tom Wills, Australian cricketer, co-created Australian rules football (b. 1835)
    • 1885 – Terézia Zakoucs, Hungarian-Slovene author (b. 1817)
    • 1915 – Clara Immerwahr, German chemist (b. 1870)
    • 1918 – Jüri Vilms, Estonian lawyer and politician (b. 1889)
    • 1925 – Antun Branko Šimić, Croatian and Bosnian-Herzegovinian poet (b. 1898)
    • 1927 – Ernest Starling, English physiologist and academic (b. 1866)
    • 1929 – Charalambos Tseroulis, Greek general and politician, Greek Minister for Military Affairs (b. 1879)
    • 1941 – Penelope Delta, Greek author (b. 1874)
    • 1945 – Martin Bormann, German politician (b. 1900)
    • 1945 – Joe Corbett, American baseball player and journalist (b. 1875)
    • 1947 – Dorothea Binz, German SS officer (b. 1920)
    • 1953 – Wallace Bryant, American archer (b. 1863)
    • 1957 – Joseph McCarthy, American captain, lawyer, judge, and politician (b. 1908)
    • 1963 – Ronald Barnes, 3rd Baron Gorell, English cricketer, peer, politician, poet, author and newspaper editor (b. 1884)
    • 1964 – Nancy Astor, Viscountess Astor, American-English politician (b. 1879)
    • 1969 – Franz von Papen, German general and politician, Chancellor of Germany (b. 1879)
    • 1972 – J. Edgar Hoover, American 1st director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (b. 1895)
    • 1974 – James O. Richardson, American admiral (b. 1878)
    • 1977 – Nicholas Magallanes, American principal dancer and charter member of the New York City Ballet (b. 1922)
    • 1979 – Giulio Natta, Italian chemist and engineer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1903)
    • 1980 – Clarrie Grimmett, New Zealand-Australian cricketer (b. 1891)
    • 1980 – George Pal, Hungarian-American animator and producer (b. 1908)
    • 1983 – Norm Van Brocklin, American football player and coach (b. 1926)
    • 1984 – Jack Barry, American game show host and producer, co-founded Barry & Enright Productions (b. 1918)
    • 1984 – Bob Clampett, American animator, director, and producer (b. 1913)
    • 1985 – Attilio Bettega, Italian race car driver (b. 1951)
    • 1985 – Larry Clinton, American trumpet player and bandleader (b. 1909)
    • 1986 – Sergio Cresto, American race car driver (b. 1956)
    • 1986 – Henri Toivonen, Finnish race car driver (b. 1956)
    • 1989 – Veniamin Kaverin, Russian author (b. 1902)
    • 1989 – Giuseppe Siri, Italian cardinal (b. 1906)
    • 1990 – David Rappaport, English-American actor (b. 1951)
    • 1991 – Gauri Shankar Rai, Indian Politician(b.1924)
    • 1991 – Ronald McKie, Australian journalist and author (b. 1909)
    • 1992 – Wilbur Mills, American lawyer and politician (b. 1909)
    • 1993 – André Moynet, French race car driver, pilot, and politician (b. 1921)
    • 1994 – Dorothy Marie Donnelly, American poet and author (b. 1903)
    • 1995 – John Bunting, Australian public servant and diplomat, (b. 1918)
    • 1995 – Michael Hordern, English actor (b. 1911)
    • 1997 – John Eccles, Australian neurophysiologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1903)
    • 1997 – Paulo Freire, Brazilian philosopher and academic (b. 1921)
    • 1998 – hide, Japanese singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (b. 1964)
    • 1998 – Justin Fashanu, English footballer (b. 1961)
    • 1998 – Gene Raymond, American actor (b. 1908)
    • 1998 – Lord Voldemort, English wizard and terrorist (b. 1926)
    • 1999 – Douglas Harkness, Canadian colonel and politician (b. 1903)
    • 1999 – Oliver Reed, English actor (b. 1938)
    • 2000 – Sundar Popo, Indo-Trinidadian musician (b. 1943)
    • 2002 – W. T. Tutte, English-Canadian mathematician and academic (b. 1917)
    • 2005 – Wee Kim Wee, Singaporean journalist and politician, 4th President of Singapore (b. 1915)
    • 2006 – Louis Rukeyser, American journalist and author (b. 1933)
    • 2007 – Brad McGann, New Zealand director and screenwriter (b. 1964)
    • 2008 – Beverlee McKinsey, American actress (b. 1940)
    • 2008 – Izold Pustõlnik, Ukrainian-Estonian astronomer and academic (b. 1938)
    • 2009 – Marilyn French, American author and academic (b. 1929)
    • 2009 – Kiyoshiro Imawano, Japanese singer-songwriter, producer, and actor (b. 1951)
    • 2009 – Jack Kemp, American football player and politician, 9th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (b. 1935)
    • 2010 – Lynn Redgrave, English-American actress and singer (b. 1943)
    • 2011 – Osama bin Laden, Saudi Arabian terrorist, founder of Al-Qaeda (b. 1957)
    • 2012 – Fernando Lopes, Portuguese director and screenwriter (b. 1935)
    • 2012 – Zenaida Manfugás, Cuban-born American-naturalized pianist (b. 1932)
    • 2012 – Tufan Miñnullin, Russian playwright and politician (b. 1936)
    • 2012 – Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih, Indonesian physician and politician, Indonesian Minister of Health (b. 1955)
    • 2012 – Akira Tonomura, Japanese physicist, author, and academic (b. 1942)
    • 2013 – Ernie Field, English boxer (b. 1943)
    • 2013 – Jeff Hanneman, American guitarist and songwriter (b. 1964)
    • 2013 – Joseph P. McFadden, American bishop (b. 1947)
    • 2013 – Dvora Omer, Israeli author and educator (b. 1932)
    • 2013 – Ivan Turina, Croatian footballer (b. 1980)
    • 2013 – Charles Banks Wilson, American painter and illustrator (b. 1918)
    • 2014 – Tomás Balduino, Brazilian bishop (b. 1922)
    • 2014 – Žarko Petan, Slovenian director, playwright, and screenwriter (b. 1929)
    • 2014 – Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., American actor (b. 1918)
    • 2015 – Stuart Archer, English colonel and architect (b. 1915)
    • 2015 – Michael Blake, American author and screenwriter (b. 1945)
    • 2015 – Guy Carawan, American singer and musicologist (b. 1927)
    • 2015 – Maya Plisetskaya, Russian-Lithuanian ballerina, choreographer, actress, and director (b. 1925)
    • 2015 – Ruth Rendell, English author (b. 1930)
    • 2016 – Afeni Shakur, American music businesswoman, activist, and Black Panther (b. 1947)
    • 2020 – Arif Wazir, Pakistani politician, leader of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (b. 1982)

    Holidays and observances on May 2

    • Christian feast day:
      • Athanasius of Alexandria (Western Christianity)
      • Boris I of Bulgaria (Bulgarian Orthodox Church)
      • Germanus of Normandy
      • May 2 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • International Harry Potter Day
    • The last day of the Festival of Ridván (Bahá’í Faith) (Note that this date is non-Gregorian and may change according to the March equinox, see List of observances set by the Baháʼí calendar)
    • Anniversary of the Dos de Mayo Uprising (Community of Madrid, Spain)
    • Birth Anniversary of Third Druk Gyalpo (Bhutan)
    • Flag Day (Poland)
    • Indonesia National Education Day
    • Teachers’ Day (Iran) (Note that this date is non-Gregorian and may change according to the March Equinox, see List of observances set by the Solar Hijri calendar)

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

    • 311 – The Diocletianic Persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire ends.
    • 313 – Battle of Tzirallum: Emperor Licinius defeats Maximinus II and unifies the Eastern Roman Empire.
    • 642 – Chindasuinth is proclaimed king by the Visigothic nobility and bishops.
    • 1315 – Enguerrand de Marigny is hanged at the instigation of Charles, Count of Valois.
    • 1492 – Spain gives Christopher Columbus his commission of exploration.
    • 1513 – Edmund de la Pole, Yorkist pretender to the English throne, is executed on the orders of Henry VIII.
    • 1557 – Mapuche leader Lautaro is killed by Spanish forces at the Battle of Mataquito in Chile.
    • 1598 – Juan de Oñate begins the conquest of Santa Fe de Nuevo México.
    • 1598 – Henry IV of France issues the Edict of Nantes, allowing freedom of religion to the Huguenots.
    • 1636 – Eighty Years’ War: Dutch Republic forces recapture a strategically important fort from Spain after a nine-month siege.
    • 1671 – Petar Zrinski, the Croatian Ban from the Zrinski family, is executed.
    • 1789 – On the balcony of Federal Hall on Wall Street in New York City, George Washington takes the oath of office to become the first elected President of the United States.
    • 1803 – Louisiana Purchase: The United States purchases the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million, more than doubling the size of the young nation.
    • 1812 – The Territory of Orleans becomes the 18th U.S. state under the name Louisiana.
    • 1838 – Nicaragua declares independence from the Central American Federation.
    • 1863 – A 65-man French Foreign Legion infantry patrol fights a force of nearly 2,000 Mexican soldiers to nearly the last man in Hacienda Camarón, Mexico.
    • 1871 – The Camp Grant massacre takes place in Arizona Territory.
    • 1885 – Governor of New York David B. Hill signs legislation creating the Niagara Reservation, New York’s first state park, ensuring that Niagara Falls will not be devoted solely to industrial and commercial use.
    • 1897 – J. J. Thomson of the Cavendish Laboratory announces his discovery of the electron as a subatomic particle, over 1,800 times smaller than a proton (in the atomic nucleus), at a lecture at the Royal Institution in London.
    • 1900 – Hawaii becomes a territory of the United States, with Sanford B. Dole as governor.
    • 1904 – The Louisiana Purchase Exposition World’s Fair opens in St. Louis, Missouri.
    • 1905 – Albert Einstein completes his doctoral thesis at the University of Zurich.
    • 1925 – Automaker Dodge Brothers, Inc is sold to Dillon, Read & Co. for US$146 million plus $50 million for charity.
    • 1927 – The Federal Industrial Institute for Women opens in Alderson, West Virginia, as the first women’s federal prison in the United States.
    • 1927 – Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford become the first celebrities to leave their footprints in concrete at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
    • 1937 – The Commonwealth of the Philippines holds a plebiscite for Filipino women on whether they should be extended the right to suffrage; over 90% would vote in the affirmative.
    • 1938 – The animated cartoon short Porky’s Hare Hunt debuts in movie theaters, introducing Happy Rabbit, an early version of Bugs Bunny.
    • 1939 – The 1939–40 New York World’s Fair opens.
    • 1939 – NBC inaugurates its regularly scheduled television service in New York City, broadcasting President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s N.Y. World’s Fair opening day ceremonial address.
    • 1943 – World War II: The British submarine HMS Seraph surfaces near Huelva to cast adrift a dead man dressed as a courier and carrying false invasion plans.
    • 1945 – World War II: Führerbunker: Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun commit suicide after being married for less than 40 hours. Soviet soldiers raise the Victory Banner over the Reichstag building.
    • 1945 – World War II: Stalag Luft I prisoner-of-war camp near Barth, Germany is liberated by Soviet soldiers, freeing nearly 9000 American and British airmen.
    • 1947 – In Nevada, Boulder Dam is renamed Hoover Dam.
    • 1948 – In Bogotá, Colombia, the Organization of American States is established.
    • 1956 – Former Vice President and Democratic Senator Alben Barkley dies during a speech in Virginia.
    • 1957 – Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery entered into force.
    • 1961 – K-19, the first Soviet nuclear submarine equipped with nuclear missiles, is commissioned.
    • 1963 – The Bristol Bus Boycott is held in Bristol to protest the Bristol Omnibus Company’s refusal to employ Black or Asian bus crews, drawing national attention to racial discrimination in the United Kingdom.
    • 1966 – The Church of Satan is formed in The Black House, San Francisco.
    • 1973 – Watergate scandal: U.S. President Richard Nixon announces that White House Counsel John Dean has been fired and that other top aides, most notably H. R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman, have resigned.
    • 1975 – Fall of Saigon: Communist forces gain control of Saigon. The Vietnam War formally ends with the unconditional surrender of South Vietnamese president Dương Văn Minh.
    • 1980 – Beatrix is inaugurated as Queen of the Netherlands following the abdication of Juliana.
    • 1980 – The Iranian Embassy siege begins in London.
    • 1982 – The Bijon Setu massacre occurs in Calcutta, India.
    • 1993 – CERN announces World Wide Web protocols will be free.
    • 1994 – Formula One racing driver Roland Ratzenberger is killed in a crash during the qualifying session of the San Marino Grand Prix run at Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari outside Imola, Italy.
    • 2000 – Canonization of Faustina Kowalska in the presence of 200,000 people and the first Divine Mercy Sunday celebrated worldwide.
    • 2004 – U.S. media release graphic photos of American soldiers abusing and sexually humiliating Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison.
    • 2008 – Two skeletal remains found near Yekaterinburg, Russia are confirmed by Russian scientists to be the remains of Alexei and Anastasia, two of the children of the last Tsar of Russia, whose entire family was executed at Yekaterinburg by the Bolsheviks.
    • 2009 – Chrysler files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
    • 2009 – Seven civilians and the perpetrator are killed and another ten injured at a Queen’s Day parade in Apeldoorn, Netherlands in an attempted assassination on Queen Beatrix.
    • 2012 – An overloaded ferry capsizes on the Brahmaputra River in India killing at least 103 people.
    • 2013 – Willem-Alexander is inaugurated as King of the Netherlands following the abdication of Beatrix.
    • 2014 – A bomb blast in Ürümqi, China kills three people and injures 79 others.

    Births on April 30

    • 1245 – Philip III of France (d. 1285)
    • 1310 – King Casimir III of Poland (d. 1368)
    • 1331 – Gaston III, Count of Foix (d. 1391)
    • 1383 – Anne of Gloucester, English countess, granddaughter of King Edward III of England (d. 1438)
    • 1425 – William III, Landgrave of Thuringia (d. 1482)
    • 1504 – Francesco Primaticcio, Italian painter (d. 1570)
    • 1553 – Louise of Lorraine (d. 1601)
    • 1623 – François de Laval, French-Canadian bishop and saint (d. 1708)
    • 1651 – Jean-Baptiste de La Salle, French priest and saint (d. 1719)
    • 1662 – Mary II of England (d. 1694)
    • 1664 – François Louis, Prince of Conti (d. 1709)
    • 1710 – Johann Kaspar Basselet von La Rosée, Bavarian general (d. 1795)
    • 1723 – Mathurin Jacques Brisson, French zoologist and philosopher (d. 1806)
    • 1758 – Emmanuel Vitale, Maltese commander and politician (d. 1802)
    • 1770 – David Thompson, English-Canadian cartographer and explorer (d. 1857)
    • 1777 – Carl Friedrich Gauss, German mathematician and physicist (d. 1855)
    • 1803 – Albrecht von Roon, Prussian soldier and politician, 10th Minister President of Prussia (d. 1879)
    • 1829 – Ferdinand von Hochstetter, Austrian geologist and academic (d. 1884)
    • 1857 – Eugen Bleuler, Swiss psychiatrist and eugenicist (d. 1940)
    • 1857 – Walter Simon, German banker and philanthropist (d. 1920)
    • 1865 – Max Nettlau, German historian and academic (d. 1944)
    • 1866 – Mary Haviland Stilwell Kuesel, American pioneer dentist (d. 1936)
    • 1869 – Hans Poelzig, German architect, designed the IG Farben Building and Großes Schauspielhaus (d. 1936)
    • 1870 – Franz Lehár, Hungarian composer (d. 1948)
    • 1870 – Dadasaheb Phalke, Indian director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1944)
    • 1874 – Cyriel Verschaeve, Flemish priest and author (d. 1949)
    • 1876 – Orso Mario Corbino, Italian physicist and politician (d. 1937)
    • 1877 – Léon Flameng, French cyclist (d. 1917)
    • 1877 – Alice B. Toklas, American memoirist (d. 1967)
    • 1878 – Władysław Witwicki, Polish psychologist, philosopher, translator, historian (of philosophy and art) and artist (d. 1948)
    • 1880 – Charles Exeter Devereux Crombie, Scottish cartoonist (d. 1967)
    • 1883 – Jaroslav Hašek, Czech soldier and author (d. 1923)
    • 1883 – Luigi Russolo, Italian painter and composer (d. 1947)
    • 1884 – Olof Sandborg, Swedish actor (d. 1965)
    • 1888 – John Crowe Ransom, American poet, critic, and academic (d. 1974)
    • 1893 – Harold Breen, Australian public servant (d. 1966)
    • 1893 – Joachim von Ribbentrop, German soldier and politician, 14th German Reich Minister for Foreign Affairs (d. 1946)
    • 1895 – Philippe Panneton, Canadian physician, academic, and diplomat (d. 1960)
    • 1896 – Reverend Gary Davis, American singer and guitarist (d. 1972)
    • 1896 – Hans List, Austrian scientist and businessman, founded the AVL Engineering Company (d. 1996)
    • 1897 – Humberto Mauro, Brazilian director and screenwriter (d. 1983)
    • 1900 – Erni Krusten, Estonian author and poet (d. 1984)
    • 1901 – Simon Kuznets, Belarusian-American economist, statistician, and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1985)
    • 1902 – Theodore Schultz, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1998)
    • 1905 – Sergey Nikolsky, Russian mathematician and academic (d. 2012)
    • 1908 – Eve Arden, American actress (d. 1990)
    • 1908 – Bjarni Benediktsson, Icelandic professor of law and politician, 13th Prime Minister of Iceland (d. 1970)
    • 1908 – Frank Robert Miller, Canadian air marshal and politician (d. 1997)
    • 1909 – F. E. McWilliam, Irish sculptor and educator (d. 1992)
    • 1909 – Juliana of the Netherlands (d. 2004)
    • 1910 – Levi Celerio, Filipino pianist, violinist, and composer (d. 2002)
    • 1914 – Charles Beetham, American middle-distance runner (d. 1997)
    • 1914 – Dorival Caymmi, Brazilian singer-songwriter, actor, and painter (d. 2008)
    • 1916 – Paul Kuusberg, Estonian journalist and author (d. 2003)
    • 1916 – Claude Shannon, American mathematician and engineer (d. 2001)
    • 1916 – Robert Shaw, American conductor (d. 1999)
    • 1917 – Bea Wain, American singer (d. 2017)
    • 1920 – Duncan Hamilton, Irish-English race car driver and pilot (d. 1994)
    • 1920 – Tom Moore, British army officer and fundraiser
    • 1921 – Roger L. Easton, American scientist, co-invented the GPS (d. 2014)
    • 1922 – Anton Murray, South African cricketer (d. 1995)
    • 1923 – Percy Heath, American bassist (d. 2005)
    • 1923 – Kagamisato Kiyoji, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 42nd Yokozuna (d. 2004)
    • 1924 – Uno Laht, Estonian KGB officer and author (d. 2008)
    • 1925 – Corinne Calvet, French actress (d. 2001)
    • 1925 – Johnny Horton, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1960)
    • 1926 – Shrinivas Khale, Indian composer (d. 2011)
    • 1926 – Cloris Leachman, American actress and comedian
    • 1928 – Hugh Hood, Canadian author and academic (d. 2000)
    • 1928 – Orlando Sirola, Italian tennis player (d. 1995)
    • 1930 – Félix Guattari, French psychotherapist and philosopher (d. 1992)
    • 1933 – Charles Sanderson, Baron Sanderson of Bowden, English politician
    • 1934 – Jerry Lordan, English singer-songwriter (d. 1995)
    • 1934 – Don McKenney, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1937 – Tony Harrison, English poet and playwright
    • 1938 – Gary Collins, American actor and talk show host (d. 2012)
    • 1938 – Juraj Jakubisko, Slovak director and screenwriter
    • 1938 – Larry Niven, American author and screenwriter
    • 1940 – Jeroen Brouwers, Dutch journalist and writer
    • 1940 – Michael Cleary, Australian rugby player and politician
    • 1941 – Stavros Dimas, Greek lawyer and politician, Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs
    • 1941 – Max Merritt, New Zealand-Australian singer-songwriter
    • 1942 – Sallehuddin of Kedah, Sultan of Kedah
    • 1943 – Frederick Chiluba, Zambian politician, 2nd President of Zambia (d. 2011)
    • 1943 – Bobby Vee, American pop singer-songwriter (d. 2016)
    • 1944 – Jon Bing, Norwegian author, scholar, and academic (d. 2014)
    • 1944 – Jill Clayburgh, American actress (d. 2010)
    • 1945 – J. Michael Brady, British radiologist
    • 1945 – Annie Dillard, American novelist, essayist, and poet
    • 1945 – Mimi Fariña, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and activist (d. 2001)
    • 1945 – Michael J. Smith, American captain, pilot, and astronaut (d. 1986)
    • 1946 – King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
    • 1946 – Bill Plympton, American animator, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1946 – Don Schollander, American swimmer
    • 1947 – Paul Fiddes, English theologian and academic
    • 1947 – Finn Kalvik, Norwegian singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1947 – Tom Køhlert, Danish footballer and manager
    • 1947 – Mats Odell, Swedish economist and politician, Swedish Minister for Financial Markets
    • 1948 – Wayne Kramer, American guitarist and singer-songwriter
    • 1948 – Pierre Pagé, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1948 – Margit Papp, Hungarian athlete
    • 1949 – Phil Garner, American baseball player and manager
    • 1949 – António Guterres, Portuguese academic and politician, 114th Prime Minister of Portugal and 9th Secretary-General of the United Nations
    • 1949 – Karl Meiler, German tennis player (d. 2014)
    • 1952 – Jacques Audiard, French director and screenwriter
    • 1952 – Jack Middelburg, Dutch motorcycle racer (d. 1984)
    • 1953 – Merrill Osmond, American singer and bass player
    • 1954 – Jane Campion, New Zealand director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1954 – Kim Darroch, English diplomat, UK Permanent Representative to the European Union
    • 1954 – Frank-Michael Marczewski, German footballer
    • 1955 – Nicolas Hulot, French journalist and environmentalist
    • 1955 – David Kitchin, English lawyer and judge
    • 1955 – Zlatko Topčić, Bosnian writer and screenwriter
    • 1956 – Lars von Trier, Danish director and screenwriter
    • 1957 – Wonder Mike, American rapper and songwriter
    • 1958 – Charles Berling, French actor, director, and screenwriter
    • 1959 – Stephen Harper, Canadian economist and politician, 22nd Prime Minister of Canada
    • 1960 – Geoffrey Cox, English lawyer and politician
    • 1960 – Kerry Healey, American academic and politician, 70th Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
    • 1961 – Arnór Guðjohnsen, Icelandic footballer
    • 1961 – Isiah Thomas, American basketball player, coach, and sportscaster
    • 1963 – Andrew Carwood, English tenor and conductor
    • 1963 – Michael Waltrip, American race car driver and sportscaster
    • 1964 – Tony Fernandes, Malaysian-Indian businessman, co-founded Tune Group
    • 1964 – Ian Healy, Australian cricketer, coach, and sportscaster
    • 1964 – Lorenzo Staelens, Belgian footballer and manager
    • 1964 – Abhishek Chatterjee, Indian actor
    • 1965 – Daniela Costian, Romanian-Australian discus thrower
    • 1965 – Adrian Pasdar, American actor
    • 1966 – Jeff Brown, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1966 – Dave Meggett, American football player and coach
    • 1967 – Phil Chang, Taiwanese singer-songwriter and actor
    • 1969 – Warren Defever, American bass player and producer
    • 1969 – Justine Greening, English accountant and politician, Secretary of State for International Development
    • 1969 – Paulo Jr., Brazilian bass player
    • 1972 – Takako Tokiwa, Japanese actress
    • 1973 – Leigh Francis, English comedian and actor
    • 1974 – Christian Tamminga, Dutch athlete
    • 1975 – Johnny Galecki, American actor
    • 1976 – Davian Clarke, Jamaican sprinter
    • 1976 – Amanda Palmer, American singer-songwriter and pianist
    • 1976 – Daniel Wagon, Australian rugby league player
    • 1977 – Jeannie Haddaway, American politician
    • 1977 – Meredith L. Patterson, American technologist, journalist, and author
    • 1978 – Liljay, Taiwanese singer
    • 1979 – Gerardo Torrado, Mexican footballer
    • 1980 – Luis Scola, Argentinian basketball player
    • 1980 – Jeroen Verhoeven, Dutch footballer
    • 1981 – Nicole Kaczmarski, American basketball player
    • 1981 – John O’Shea, Irish footballer
    • 1981 – Kunal Nayyar, British-Indian actor
    • 1981 – Justin Vernon, American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer
    • 1982 – Kirsten Dunst, American actress
    • 1982 – Drew Seeley, Canadian-American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actor
    • 1983 – Chris Carr, American football player
    • 1983 – Tatjana Hüfner, German luger
    • 1983 – Marina Tomić, Slovenian hurdler
    • 1983 – Troy Williamson, American football player
    • 1984 – Seimone Augustus, American basketball player
    • 1984 – Shawn Daivari, American wrestler and manager
    • 1984 – Risto Mätas, Estonian javelin thrower
    • 1984 – Lee Roache, English footballer
    • 1985 – Brandon Bass, American basketball player
    • 1985 – Gal Gadot, Israeli actress and model
    • 1985 – Ashley Alexandra Dupré, American journalist, singer, and prostitute
    • 1986 – Dianna Agron, American actress and singer
    • 1986 – Martten Kaldvee, Estonian biathlete
    • 1987 – Alipate Carlile, Australian footballer
    • 1987 – Chris Morris, South African cricketer
    • 1987 – Rohit Sharma, Indian cricketer
    • 1988 – Andy Allen, Australian chef
    • 1988 – Sander Baart, Dutch field hockey player
    • 1988 – Liu Xijun, Chinese singer
    • 1988 – Oh Hye-ri, South Korean taekwondo athlete
    • 1989 – Jang Wooyoung, South Korean singer and actor
    • 1990 – Jonny Brownlee, English triathlete
    • 1990 – Mac DeMarco, Canadian singer-songwriter
    • 1990 – Kaarel Kiidron, Estonian footballer
    • 1991 – Chris Kreider, American ice hockey player
    • 1992 – Travis Scott, American rapper and producer
    • 1992 – Marc-André ter Stegen, German footballer
    • 1993 – Dion Dreesens, Dutch swimmer
    • 1993 – Martin Fuksa, Czech canoeist
    • 1994 – Chae Seo-jin, South Korean actress
    • 1994 – Wang Yafan, Chinese tennis player
    • 1996 – Luke Friend, English singer
    • 1997 – Adam Ryczkowski, Polish footballer
    • 1999 – Jorden van Foreest, Dutch chess grandmaster
    • 2000 – Yui Hiwatashi, Japanese singer
    • 2003 – Jung Yun-Seok, South Korean actor

    Deaths on April 30

    • AD 65 – Lucan, Roman poet (b. 39)
    • 125 – An, Chinese emperor (b. 94)
    • 535 – Amalasuntha, Ostrogothic queen and regent
    • 783 – Hildegard of the Vinzgau, Frankish queen
    • 1002 – Eckard I, German nobleman
    • 1030 – Mahmud of Ghazni, Ghaznavid emir (b. 971)
    • 1063 – Ren Zong, Chinese emperor (b. 1010)
    • 1131 – Adjutor, French knight and saint
    • 1305 – Roger de Flor, Italian military adventurer (b. 1267)
    • 1341 – John III, duke of Brittany (b. 1286)
    • 1439 – Richard de Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick, English commander (b. 1382)
    • 1524 – Pierre Terrail, seigneur de Bayard, French soldier (b. 1473)
    • 1544 – Thomas Audley, 1st Baron Audley of Walden, English lawyer and judge, Lord Chancellor of England (b. 1488)
    • 1550 – Tabinshwehti, Burmese king (b. 1516)
    • 1632 – Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly, Bavarian general (b. 1559)
    • 1632 – Sigismund III Vasa, Swedish-Polish son of John III of Sweden (b. 1566)
    • 1637 – Niwa Nagashige, Japanese daimyō (b. 1571)
    • 1655 – Eustache Le Sueur, French painter (b. 1617)
    • 1660 – Petrus Scriverius, Dutch historian and scholar (b. 1576)
    • 1672 – Marie of the Incarnation, French-Canadian nun and saint, founded the Ursulines of Quebec (b. 1599)
    • 1696 – Robert Plot, English chemist and academic (b. 1640)
    • 1712 – Philipp van Limborch, Dutch theologian and author (b. 1633)
    • 1736 – Johann Albert Fabricius, German scholar and author (b. 1668)
    • 1758 – François d’Agincourt, French organist and composer (b. 1684)
    • 1792 – John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, English politician, Secretary of State for the Northern Department (b. 1718)
    • 1795 – Jean-Jacques Barthélemy, French archaeologist and author (b. 1716)
    • 1806 – Onogawa Kisaburō, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 5th Yokozuna (b. 1758)
    • 1841 – Peter Andreas Heiberg, Danish philologist and author (b. 1758)
    • 1847 – Charles, Austrian commander and duke of Teschen (b. 1771)
    • 1863 – Jean Danjou, French captain (b. 1828)
    • 1865 – Robert FitzRoy, English admiral, meteorologist, and politician, 2nd Governor of New Zealand (b. 1805)
    • 1870 – Thomas Cooke, Canadian bishop and missionary (b. 1792)
    • 1875 – Jean-Frédéric Waldeck, French explorer, lithographer, and cartographer (b. 1766)
    • 1879 – Emma Smith, American religious leader (b. 1804)
    • 1883 – Édouard Manet, French painter (b. 1832)
    • 1891 – Joseph Leidy, American paleontologist and author (b. 1823)
    • 1900 – Casey Jones, American engineer (b. 1863)
    • 1903 – Emily Stowe, Canadian physician and activist (b. 1831)
    • 1910 – Jean Moréas, Greek poet and critic (b. 1856)
    • 1936 – A. E. Housman, English poet and scholar (b. 1859)
    • 1939 – Frank Haller, American boxer (b. 1883)
    • 1943 – Otto Jespersen, Danish linguist and academic (b. 1860)
    • 1943 – Beatrice Webb, English sociologist and economist (b. 1858)
    • 1953 – Jacob Linzbach, Estonian linguist and author (b. 1874)
    • 1956 – Alben W. Barkley, American lawyer and politician, 35th Vice President of the United States (b. 1877)
    • 1970 – Jacques Presser, Dutch historian, writer and poet (b. 1899)
    • 1970 – Inger Stevens, Swedish-American actress (b. 1934)
    • 1972 – Gia Scala, English-American model and actress (b. 1934)
    • 1973 – Václav Renč, Czech poet and playwright (b. 1911)
    • 1974 – Agnes Moorehead, American actress (b. 1900)
    • 1980 – Luis Muñoz Marín, Puerto Rican journalist and politician, 1st Governor of Puerto Rico (b. 1898)
    • 1982 – Lester Bangs, American journalist and author (b. 1949)
    • 1983 – George Balanchine, Russian dancer and choreographer (b. 1904)
    • 1983 – Muddy Waters, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and bandleader (b. 1913)
    • 1983 – Edouard Wyss-Dunant, Swiss physician and mountaineer (b. 1897)
    • 1986 – Robert Stevenson, English director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1905)
    • 1989 – Sergio Leone, Italian director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1929)
    • 1993 – Tommy Caton, English footballer (b. 1962)
    • 1994 – Roland Ratzenberger, Austrian race car driver (b. 1960)
    • 1994 – Richard Scarry, American author and illustrator (b. 1919)
    • 1995 – Maung Maung Kha, Burmese colonel and politician, 8th Prime Minister of Burma (b. 1920)
    • 1998 – Nizar Qabbani, Syrian-English poet, publisher, and diplomat (b. 1926)
    • 2000 – Poul Hartling, Danish politician, 36th Prime Minister of Denmark (b. 1914)
    • 2002 – Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, German philanthropist, founded the Gründerzeit Museum (b. 1928)
    • 2003 – Mark Berger, American economist and academic (b. 1955)
    • 2003 – Possum Bourne, New Zealand race car driver (b. 1956)
    • 2005 – Phil Rasmussen, American lieutenant and pilot (b. 1918)
    • 2006 – Jean-François Revel, French philosopher (b. 1924)
    • 2006 – Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Indonesian author and academic (b. 1925)
    • 2007 – Kevin Mitchell, American football player (b. 1971)
    • 2007 – Tom Poston, American actor, comedian, and game show panelist (b. 1921)
    • 2007 – Gordon Scott, American film and television actor (b. 1926)
    • 2008 – John Cargher, English-Australian journalist and author (b. 1919)
    • 2008 – Juancho Evertsz, Dutch Antillean politician (b. 1923)
    • 2009 – Henk Nijdam, Dutch cyclist (b. 1935)
    • 2011 – Dorjee Khandu, Indian politician, 6th Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh (b. 1955)
    • 2011 – Evald Okas, Estonian painter (b. 1915)
    • 2011 – Ernesto Sabato, Argentinian physicist, author, and painter (b. 1911)
    • 2012 – Tomás Borge, Nicaraguan poet and politician, co-founded the Sandinista National Liberation Front (b. 1930)
    • 2012 – Alexander Dale Oen, Norwegian swimmer (b. 1985)
    • 2012 – Giannis Gravanis, Greek footballer (b. 1958)
    • 2012 – Benzion Netanyahu, Russian-Israeli historian and academic (b. 1910)
    • 2012 – Sicelo Shiceka, South African politician (b. 1966)
    • 2013 – Roberto Chabet, Filipino painter and sculptor (b. 1937)
    • 2013 – Shirley Firth, Canadian skier (b. 1953)
    • 2013 – Viviane Forrester, French author and critic (b. 1925)
    • 2013 – Mike Gray, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1935)
    • 2014 – Khaled Choudhury, Indian painter and set designer (b. 1919)
    • 2014 – Julian Lewis, English biologist and academic (b. 1946)
    • 2014 – Carl E. Moses, American businessman and politician (b. 1929)
    • 2014 – Ian Ross, Australian journalist (b. 1940)
    • 2015 – Lennart Bodström, Swedish politician (b. 1928)
    • 2015 – Ben E. King, American singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1938)
    • 2015 – Steven Goldmann, Canadian director and producer (b. 1961)
    • 2016 – Daniel Berrigan, American priest and activist (b. 1921)
    • 2016 – Harry Kroto, English chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1939)
    • 2019 – Peter Mayhew, English-American actor (b. 1944)
    • 2020 – Tony Allen, Nigerian drummer and composer (b. 1940)

    Holidays and observances on April 30

    • Armed Forces Day (Georgia)
    • Birthday of the King Carl XVI Gustaf, one of the official flag days of Sweden.
    • Camarón Day (French Foreign Legion)
    • Children’s Day (Mexico)
    • Christian feast day:
      • Adjutor
      • Aimo
      • Amator, Peter and Louis
      • Donatus of Evorea
      • Eutropius of Saintes
      • Marie Guyart (Anglican Church of Canada)
      • Marie of the Incarnation (Ursuline)
      • Maximus of Rome
      • Blessed Miles Gerard
      • Pomponius of Naples
      • Pope Pius V
      • Quirinus of Neuss
      • Sarah Josepha Hale (Episcopal Church)
      • Suitbert the Younger
      • April 30 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Consumer Protection Day (Thailand)
    • Earliest day on which Ascension Day can fall, while June 3 is the latest; celebrated 40 days after Easter (Christianity), and its related observances:
      • Festa della Sensa (Venice)
      • Global Day of Prayer (Western Christianity)
      • Sheep Festival (Cameroon)
    • Honesty Day (United States)
    • International Jazz Day (UNESCO)
    • Martyrs’ Day (Pakistan)
    • May Eve, the eve of the first day of summer in the Northern hemisphere (see May 1):
      • Beltane begins at sunset in the Northern hemisphere, Samhain begins at sunset in the Southern hemisphere. (Neo-Druidic Wheel of the Year)
      • Carodejnice (Czech Republic and Slovakia)
      • Walpurgis Night (Central and Northern Europe)
    • National Persian Gulf Day (Iran)
    • Reunification Day (Vietnam)
    • Russian State Fire Service Day (Russia)
    • Teachers’ Day (Paraguay)

  • April 29 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 1091 – Battle of Levounion: The Pechenegs are defeated by Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos.
    • 1386 – Battle of the Vikhra River: The Principality of Smolensk is defeated by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and becomes its vassal.
    • 1429 – Joan of Arc arrives to relieve the Siege of Orléans.
    • 1483 – Gran Canaria, the main island of the Canary Islands, is conquered by the Kingdom of Castile.
    • 1521 – Swedish War of Liberation: Swedish troops defeat a Danish force in the Battle of Västerås.
    • 1770 – James Cook arrives in Australia at Botany Bay, which he names.
    • 1781 – American Revolutionary War: British and French ships clash in the Battle of Fort Royal off the coast of Martinique.
    • 1861 – American Civil War: Maryland’s House of Delegates votes not to secede from the Union.
    • 1862 – American Civil War: The Capture of New Orleans by Union forces under David Farragut.
    • 1864 – Theta Xi fraternity is founded at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the only fraternity to be founded during the American Civil War.
    • 1903 – A landslide kills 70 people in Frank, in the District of Alberta, Canada.
    • 1910 – The Parliament of the United Kingdom passes the People’s Budget, the first budget in British history with the expressed intent of redistributing wealth among the British public.
    • 1911 – Tsinghua University, one of mainland China’s leading universities, is founded.
    • 1916 – World War I: The UK’s 6th Indian Division surrenders to Ottoman Forces at the Siege of Kut in one of the largest surrenders of British forces up to that point.
    • 1916 – Easter Rising: After six days of fighting, Irish rebel leaders surrender to British forces in Dublin, bringing the Easter Rising to an end.
    • 1944 – World War II: British agent Nancy Wake, a leading figure in the French Resistance and the Gestapo’s most wanted person, parachutes back into France to be a liaison between London and the local maquis group.
    • 1945 – World War II: The Surrender of Caserta is signed by the commander of German forces in Italy.
    • 1945 – World War II: Airdrops of food begin over German-occupied regions of the Netherlands.
    • 1945 – World War II: The Captain-class frigate HMS Goodall (K479) is torpedoed by U-286 outside the Kola Inlet becoming the last Royal Navy ship to be sunk in the European theatre of World War II.
    • 1945 – World War II: Führerbunker: Adolf Hitler marries his longtime partner Eva Braun in a Berlin bunker and designates Admiral Karl Dönitz as his successor; Hitler and Braun both commit suicide the following day.
    • 1945 – Dachau concentration camp is liberated by United States troops.
    • 1945 – The Italian commune of Fornovo di Taro is liberated from German forces by Brazilian forces.
    • 1946 – The International Military Tribunal for the Far East convenes and indicts former Prime Minister of Japan Hideki Tojo and 28 former Japanese leaders for war crimes.
    • 1951 – Tibetan delegates to the Central People’s Government arrive in Beijing and draft a Seventeen Point Agreement for Chinese sovereignty and Tibetan autonomy.
    • 1953 – The first U.S. experimental 3D television broadcast showed an episode of Space Patrol on Los Angeles ABC affiliate KECA-TV.
    • 1965 – Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) successfully launches its seventh rocket in its Rehber series.
    • 1967 – After refusing induction into the United States Army the previous day, Muhammad Ali is stripped of his boxing title.
    • 1968 – The controversial musical Hair, a product of the hippie counter-culture and sexual revolution of the 1960s, opens at the Biltmore Theatre on Broadway, with some of its songs becoming anthems of the anti-Vietnam War movement.
    • 1970 – Vietnam War: United States and South Vietnamese forces invade Cambodia to hunt Viet Cong.
    • 1974 – Watergate scandal: United States President Richard Nixon announces the release of edited transcripts of White House tape recordings relating to the scandal.
    • 1975 – Vietnam War: Operation Frequent Wind: The U.S. begins to evacuate U.S. citizens from Saigon before an expected North Vietnamese takeover. U.S. involvement in the war comes to an end.
    • 1975 – Vietnam War: The North Vietnamese army completes its capture of all parts of South Vietnamese-held Trường Sa Islands.
    • 1986 – A fire at the Central library of the City of Los Angeles Public Library damages or destroys 400,000 books and other items.
    • 1986 – Chernobyl disaster: American and European spy satellites capture the ruins of the 4th Reactor at the Chernobyl Power Plant.
    • 1991 – A cyclone strikes the Chittagong district of southeastern Bangladesh with winds of around 155 miles per hour (249 km/h), killing at least 138,000 people and leaving as many as ten million homeless.
    • 1991 – The 7.0 Mw  Racha earthquake affects Georgia with a maximum MSK intensity of IX (Destructive), killing 270 people.
    • 1992 – Riots in Los Angeles, following the acquittal of police officers charged with excessive force in the beating of Rodney King. Over the next three days 63 people are killed and hundreds of buildings are destroyed.
    • 1997 – The Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993 enters into force, outlawing the production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons by its signatories.
    • 2011 – The Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton takes place at Westminster Abbey in London.
    • 2013 – A powerful explosion occurs in an office building in Prague, believed to have been caused by natural gas, injures 43 people.
    • 2013 – National Airlines Flight 102, a Boeing 747-400 freighter aircraft, crashes during takeoff from Bagram Airfield in Parwan Province, Afghanistan, killing seven people.
    • 2015 – A baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Chicago White Sox sets the all-time low attendance mark for Major League Baseball. Zero fans were in attendance for the game, as the stadium was officially closed to the public due to the 2015 Baltimore protests.

    Births on April 29

    • 912 – Minamoto no Mitsunaka, Japanese samurai (d. 997)
    • 1469 – William II, Landgrave of Hesse (d. 1509)
    • 1587 – Sophie of Saxony, Duchess of Pomerania (d. 1635)
    • 1636 – Esaias Reusner, German lute player and composer (d. 1679)
    • 1665 – James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde, Irish general and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (d. 1745)
    • 1667 – John Arbuthnot, Scottish-English physician and polymath (d. 1735)
    • 1686 – Peregrine Bertie, 2nd Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven, English politician, Lord Great Chamberlain (d. 1742)
    • 1727 – Jean-Georges Noverre, French actor and dancer (d. 1810)
    • 1745 – Oliver Ellsworth, American lawyer and politician, 3rd Chief Justice of the United States (d. 1807)
    • 1758 – Georg Carl von Döbeln, Swedish general (d. 1820)
    • 1762 – Jean-Baptiste Jourdan, French general and politician, French Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 1833)
    • 1780 – Charles Nodier, French librarian and author (d. 1844)
    • 1783 – David Cox, English landscape painter (d. 1859)
    • 1784 – Samuel Turell Armstrong, American publisher and politician, 14th Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1850)
    • 1810 – Thomas Adolphus Trollope, English journalist and author (d. 1892)
    • 1814 – Sadok Barącz, Galician religious leader, historian, folklorist, archivist (d. 1892)
    • 1818 – Alexander II of Russia (d. 1881)
    • 1837 – Georges Ernest Boulanger, French general and politician, French Minister of War (d. 1891)
    • 1842 – Carl Millöcker, Austrian composer and conductor (d. 1899)
    • 1847 – Joachim Andersen, Danish flautist, composer, conductor, and co-founder of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (d. 1907)
    • 1848 – Raja Ravi Varma, Indian painter and academic (d. 1906)
    • 1854 – Henri Poincaré, French mathematician, physicist, and engineer (d. 1912)
    • 1858 – Georgia Hopley, American journalist, temperance advocate, and the first woman prohibition agent (d. 1944)
    • 1863 – Constantine P. Cavafy, Egyptian-Greek journalist and poet (d. 1933)
    • 1863 – William Randolph Hearst, American publisher and politician, founded the Hearst Corporation (d. 1951)
    • 1863 – Maria Teresia Ledóchowska, Austrian nun and missionary (d. 1922)
    • 1872 – Harry Payne Whitney, American businessman and lawyer (d. 1930)
    • 1872 – Forest Ray Moulton, American astronomer and academic (d. 1952)
    • 1875 – Rafael Sabatini, Italian-English novelist and short story writer (d. 1950)
    • 1878 – Friedrich Adler, Jewish-German academic, artist and designer (d.1945)
    • 1879 – Thomas Beecham, English conductor (d. 1961, March 8)
    • 1880 – Fethi Okyar, Turkish military officer, diplomat and politician (d. 1943)
    • 1882 – Auguste Herbin, French painter (d. 1960)
    • 1882 – Hendrik Nicolaas Werkman, Dutch printer, typographer, and Nazi resister (d. 1945)
    • 1891 – Bharathidasan, Indian poet and activist (d. 1964)
    • 1894 – Marietta Blau, Austrian physicist and academic (d. 1970)
    • 1885 – Egon Erwin Kisch, Czech journalist and author (d. 1948)
    • 1887 – Raymond Thorne, American swimmer (d. 1921)
    • 1893 – Harold Urey, American chemist and astronomer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1981)
    • 1895 – Vladimir Propp, Russian scholar and critic (d. 1970)
    • 1895 – Malcolm Sargent, English organist, composer, and conductor (d. 1967)
    • 1899 – Duke Ellington, American pianist, composer, and bandleader (d. 1974)
    • 1899 – Mary Petty, American illustrator (d. 1976)
    • 1900 – Concha de Albornoz, Spanish feminist and intellectual, exiled during the Spanish Civil War (d. 1972)
    • 1900 – Amelia Best, Australian politician, one of the first women elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly (d. 1979)
    • 1901 – Hirohito, Japanese emperor (d. 1989)
    • 1907 – Fred Zinnemann, Austrian-American director and producer (d. 1997)
    • 1908 – Jack Williamson, American author and academic (d. 2006)
    • 1909 – Tom Ewell, American actor (d. 1994)
    • 1912 – Richard Carlson, American actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1977)
    • 1915 – Henry H. Barschall, German-American physicist and academic (d. 1997)
    • 1917 – Maya Deren, Ukrainian-American director, poet, and photographer (d. 1961)
    • 1917 – Celeste Holm, American actress and singer (d. 2012)
    • 1918 – George Allen, American football player and coach (d. 1990)
    • 1919 – Gérard Oury, French actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2006)
    • 1920 – Edward Blishen, English author and radio host (d. 1996)
    • 1920 – Harold Shapero, American composer (d. 2013)
    • 1922 – Helmut Krackowizer, Austrian motorcycle racer and journalist (d. 2001)
    • 1922 – Toots Thielemans, Belgian guitarist and harmonica player (d. 2016)
    • 1923 – Irvin Kershner, American actor, director, and producer (d. 2010)
    • 1924 – Al Balding, Canadian golfer (d. 2006)
    • 1924 – Zizi Jeanmaire, French ballerina and actress
    • 1925 – John Compton, Saint Lucian lawyer and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Saint Lucia (d. 2007)
    • 1925 – Iwao Takamoto, American animator, director, and producer (d. 2007)
    • 1926 – Elmer Kelton, American journalist and author (d. 2009)
    • 1927 – Dorothy Manley, English sprinter
    • 1927 – Bill Slater, English footballer (d. 2018)
    • 1928 – Carl Gardner, American singer (d. 2011)
    • 1928 – Heinz Wolff, German-English physiologist, engineer, and academic (d. 2017)
    • 1929 – Walter Kempowski, German author and academic (d. 2007)
    • 1929 – Mickey McDermott, American baseball player and coach (d. 2003)
    • 1929 – Peter Sculthorpe, Australian composer and conductor (d. 2014)
    • 1929 – Maurice Strong, Canadian businessman and diplomat (d. 2015)
    • 1929 – Jeremy Thorpe, English lawyer and politician (d. 2014)
    • 1930 – Jean Rochefort, French actor and director (d. 2017)
    • 1931 – Frank Auerbach, British-German painter
    • 1931 – Lonnie Donegan, Scottish-English singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2002)
    • 1931 – Chris Pearson, Canadian politician, 1st Premier of Yukon (d. 2014)
    • 1932 – Joy Clements, American soprano and actress (d. 2005)
    • 1932 – David Tindle, English painter and educator
    • 1933 – Ed Charles, American baseball player and coach (d. 2018)
    • 1933 – Mark Eyskens, Belgian economist and politician, 61st Prime Minister of Belgium
    • 1933 – Rod McKuen, American singer-songwriter and poet (d. 2015)
    • 1933 – Willie Nelson, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actor
    • 1934 – Luis Aparicio, Venezuelan-American baseball player
    • 1934 – Peter de la Billière, English general
    • 1934 – Erika Fisch, German sprinter and hurdler
    • 1934 – Pedro Pires, Cape Verdean politician, 3rd President of Cape Verde
    • 1935 – Otis Rush, American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2018)
    • 1936 – Zubin Mehta, Indian bassist and conductor
    • 1936 – Adolfo Nicolás, Spanish priest, 13th Superior General of the Society of Jesus
    • 1936 – Jacob Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschild, English banker and philanthropist
    • 1936 – April Stevens, American pop singer
    • 1937 – Arvo Mets, Estonian-Russian poet and translator (d. 1997)
    • 1937 – Jill Paton Walsh, English author
    • 1938 – Bernard Madoff, American businessman, financier and convicted felon
    • 1938 – Klaus Voormann, German artist, bass player, and producer
    • 1940 – Stephanos of Tallinn, Estonian metropolitan
    • 1940 – Brian Taber, Australian cricketer
    • 1941 – Jonah Barrington, English-Irish squash player
    • 1941 – Dorothy Edgington, British philosopher
    • 1941 – Hanne Darboven, German painter (d. 2009)
    • 1942 – Lynda Chalker, Baroness Chalker of Wallasey, English politician, Minister of State for Europe
    • 1942 – Rennie Fritchie, Baroness Fritchie, English civil servant and academic
    • 1942 – Galina Kulakova, Russian skier
    • 1943 – Duane Allen, American country singer
    • 1943 – Brenda Dean, Baroness Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde, English union leader and politician (d. 2018)
    • 1943 – Ruth Deech, Baroness Deech, English lawyer and academic
    • 1944 – Francis Lee, English footballer and businessman
    • 1945 – Brian Charlesworth, English biologist, geneticist, and academic
    • 1945 – Hugh Hopper, English bass guitarist (d. 2009)
    • 1945 – Catherine Lara, French singer-songwriter and violinist
    • 1945 – Tammi Terrell, American soul singer-songwriter (d. 1970)
    • 1946 – Aleksander Wolszczan, Polish astronomer
    • 1947 – Serge Bernier, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1947 – Tommy James, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
    • 1947 – Johnny Miller, American golfer and sportscaster
    • 1947 – Jim Ryun, American runner and politician
    • 1948 – Bruce Cutler, American lawyer
    • 1950 – Paul Holmes, New Zealand journalist (d. 2013)
    • 1950 – Phillip Noyce, Australian director and producer
    • 1950 – Debbie Stabenow, American social worker and politician
    • 1951 – Rick Burleson, American baseball player
    • 1951 – Dale Earnhardt, American race car driver (d. 2001)
    • 1951 – John Holmes, English diplomat, British Ambassador to France
    • 1952 – Nora Dunn, American actress and comedian
    • 1952 – David Icke, English footballer and sportscaster
    • 1952 – Bob McClure, American baseball player and coach
    • 1952 – Rob Nicholson, Canadian lawyer and politician, 11th Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs
    • 1952 – Ron Washington, American baseball player and manager
    • 1954 – Jake Burton Carpenter, American snowboarder and businessman, founded Burton Snowboards
    • 1954 – Jerry Seinfeld, American comedian, actor, and producer
    • 1955 – Don McKinnon, Australian rugby league player
    • 1955 – Kate Mulgrew, American actress
    • 1956 – Karen Barad, American physicist and philosopher
    • 1957 – Daniel Day-Lewis, British-Irish actor
    • 1957 – Mark Kendall, American guitarist and songwriter
    • 1958 – Michelle Pfeiffer, American actress
    • 1958 – Eve Plumb, American actress
    • 1958 – Gary Cohen, American baseball play-by-play announcer
    • 1958 – Kevin Moore, English footballer (d. 2013)
    • 1960 – Bill Glasson, American golfer
    • 1960 – Robert J. Sawyer, Canadian author and academic
    • 1962 – Bruce Driver, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1962 – Rob Druppers, Dutch runner
    • 1962 – Stephan Burger, German Catholic archbishop
    • 1963 – Mike Babcock, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1964 – Federico Castelluccio, Italian-American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1964 – Radek Jaroš, Czech mountaineer and author
    • 1965 – Michel Bussi, French geographer, author, and academic
    • 1965 – Peter Rauhofer, Austrian-American disc jockey and producer (d. 2013)
    • 1965 – Larisa Turchinskaya, Russian-Australian heptathlete and coach
    • 1965 – Brendon Tuuta, New Zealand rugby league player
    • 1966 – Christian Tetzlaff, German violinist
    • 1966 – Phil Tufnell, English cricketer and radio host
    • 1967 – Marcel Albers, Dutch race car driver (d. 1992)
    • 1967 – Curtis Joseph, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1968 – Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, 4th President of Croatia
    • 1968 – Carnie Wilson, American singer-songwriter
    • 1969 – Jack Mackenroth, American swimmer, model, and fashion designer
    • 1970 – Andre Agassi, American tennis player
    • 1970 – Uma Thurman, American actress
    • 1972 – Dustin McDaniel, American lawyer and politician, 55th Arkansas Attorney General
    • 1974 – Jasper Wood, Canadian violinist and educator
    • 1974 – Anggun, Diva Indonesia
    • 1975 – Rafael Betancourt, Venezuelan baseball player
    • 1975 – Artem Yashkin, Ukrainian footballer
    • 1976 – Fabio Liverani, Italian footballer and manager
    • 1976 – Chiyotaikai Ryūji, Japanese sumo wrestler
    • 1977 – Zuzana Hejdová, Czech tennis player
    • 1977 – Claus Jensen, Danish international footballer and manager
    • 1977 – Titus O’Neil, American football player and wrestler
    • 1977 – Attila Zsivoczky, Hungarian decathlete and high jumper
    • 1978 – Tony Armas, Jr., Venezuelan baseball player
    • 1978 – Bob Bryan, American tennis player
    • 1978 – Mike Bryan, American tennis player
    • 1978 – Javier Colon, American singer-songwriter and musician
    • 1978 – Craig Gower, Australian rugby player
    • 1978 – Tyler Labine, Canadian actor and comedian
    • 1979 – Lee Dong-gook, South Korean footballer
    • 1979 – Ryan Sharp, Scottish race car driver and manager
    • 1980 – Mathieu Biron, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1980 – Kelly Shoppach, American baseball player
    • 1981 – Lisa Allen, English chef
    • 1981 – George McCartney, Northern Irish footballer
    • 1981 – Émilie Mondor, Canadian runner (d. 2006)
    • 1983 – Jay Cutler, American football player
    • 1983 – Tommie Harris, American football player
    • 1983 – David Lee, American basketball player
    • 1984 – Kirby Cote, Canadian swimmer
    • 1984 – Paulius Jankūnas, Lithuanian basketball player
    • 1984 – Lina Krasnoroutskaya, Russian tennis player
    • 1984 – Vassilis Xanthopoulos, Greek basketball player
    • 1985 – Jean-François Jacques, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1986 – Byun Yo-han, South Korean actor
    • 1986 – Lee Chae-young, South Korean actress
    • 1986 – Viljar Veski, Estonian basketball player
    • 1986 – Sisa Waqa, Fijian rugby league player
    • 1986 – Monique Alfradique, Brazilian actress
    • 1987 – Knut Børsheim, Norwegian golfer
    • 1987 – Sara Errani, Italian tennis player
    • 1988 – Elías Hernández, Mexican footballer
    • 1988 – Alfred Hui, Hong Kong singer
    • 1988 – Jovan Leacock, American football player
    • 1988 – Taoufik Makhloufi, Algerian athlete
    • 1988 – Jonathan Toews, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1988 – Younha, South Korean singer-songwriter and record producer
    • 1991 – Adam Smith, English footballer
    • 1991 – Jung Hye-sung, South Korean actress
    • 1992 – Emilio Orozco, American soccer player
    • 1992 – Alina Rosenberg, German Paralympic equestrian
    • 1994 – Christina Shakovets, German tennis player
    • 1995 – Victoria Sinitsina, Russian ice dancer
    • 1996 – Katherine Langford, Australian actress
    • 1998 – Kimberly Birrell, Australian tennis player
    • 2007 – Infanta Sofía of Spain, Spanish princess

    Deaths on April 29

    • 643 – Hou Junji, Chinese general and politician, Chancellor of the Tang dynasty
    • 926 – Burchard II, Duke of Swabia (b. 883)
    • 1380 – Catherine of Siena, Italian mystic, philosopher, and saint (b. 1347)
    • 1417 – Louis II of Anjou (b. 1377)
    • 1594 – Thomas Cooper, English bishop, lexicographer, and theologian (b. 1517)
    • 1630 – Agrippa d’Aubigné, French soldier and poet (b. 1552)
    • 1658 – John Cleveland, English poet and author (b. 1613)
    • 1676 – Michiel de Ruyter, Dutch admiral (b. 1607)
    • 1688 – Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg (b. 1620)
    • 1698 – Charles Cornwallis, 3rd Baron Cornwallis, English politician, Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk (b. 1655)
    • 1707 – George Farquhar, Irish-English actor and playwright (b. 1678)
    • 1743 – Charles-Irénée Castel de Saint-Pierre, French theorist and author (b. 1658)
    • 1768 – Georg Brandt, Swedish chemist and mineralogist (b. 1694)
    • 1771 – Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, French-Italian architect, designed Winter Palace and Catherine Palace (b. 1700)
    • 1776 – Edward Wortley Montagu, English explorer and author (b. 1713)
    • 1793 – John Michell, English geologist and astronomer (b. 1724)
    • 1798 – Nikolaus Poda von Neuhaus, Austrian entomologist and author (b. 1723)
    • 1833 – William Babington, Anglo-Irish physician and mineralogist (b. 1756)
    • 1854 – Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey, English field marshal and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (b. 1768)
    • 1903 – Paul Du Chaillu, French-American anthropologist and zoologist (b. 1835)
    • 1905 – Ignacio Cervantes, Cuban pianist and composer (b. 1847)
    • 1916 – Jørgen Pedersen Gram, Danish mathematician and academic (b. 1850)
    • 1920 – William H. Seward Jr., American general and banker (b. 1839)
    • 1921 – Arthur Mold, English cricketer (b. 1863)
    • 1933 – Constantine P. Cavafy, Greek poet and journalist (b. 1863)
    • 1937 – William Gillette, American actor and playwright (b. 1853)
    • 1944 – Bernardino Machado, Portuguese academic and politician, 3rd President of Portugal (b. 1851)
    • 1945 – Matthias Kleinheisterkamp, German SS officer (b. 1893)
    • 1947 – Irving Fisher, American economist and statistician (b. 1867)
    • 1951 – Ludwig Wittgenstein, Austrian-English philosopher and academic (b. 1889)
    • 1954 – Kathleen Clarice Groom, Australian-English author and screenwriter (b. 1872)
    • 1956 – Harold Bride, English soldier and operator (b. 1890)
    • 1956 – Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb, German field marshal (b. 1876)
    • 1959 – Kenneth Arthur Noel Anderson, India-born English soldier and Governor of Gibraltar (b. 1891)
    • 1964 – Rae Johnstone, Australian jockey (b. 1905)
    • 1966 – William Eccles, English physicist and engineer (b. 1875)
    • 1966 – Paula Strasberg, American actress, acting coach, and member of the Communist Party (b. 1909)
    • 1967 – J. B. Lenoir, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1929)
    • 1968 – Lin Zhao, Chinese dissident and Christian executed during the Cultural Revolution (b. 1932)
    • 1976 – Edvard Drabløs, Norwegian actor and director (b. 1883)
    • 1978 – Theo Helfrich, German race car driver (b. 1913)
    • 1979 – Muhsin Ertuğrul, Turkish actor and director (b. 1892)
    • 1979 – Hardie Gramatky, American author and illustrator (b. 1907)
    • 1980 – Alfred Hitchcock, English-American director and producer (b. 1899)
    • 1982 – Raymond Bussières, French actor, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1907)
    • 1992 – Mae Clarke, American actress (b. 1910)
    • 1993 – Michael Gordon, American actor and director (b. 1909)
    • 1993 – Mick Ronson, English guitarist, songwriter, and producer (b. 1946)
    • 1997 – Mike Royko, American journalist and author (b. 1932)
    • 1998 – Hal Laycoe, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1922)
    • 2000 – Phạm Văn Đồng, Vietnamese lieutenant and politician, 2nd Prime Minister of Vietnam (b. 1906)
    • 2001 – Arthur B. C. Walker, Jr., American physicist and academic (b. 1936)
    • 2002 – Bob Akin, American race car driver and journalist (b. 1936)
    • 2003 – Janko Bobetko, Croatian Army general and Chief of the General Staff (b. 1919)
    • 2004 – Sid Smith, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1925)
    • 2005 – William J. Bell, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1927)
    • 2005 – Louis Leithold, American mathematician and academic (b. 1924)
    • 2006 – John Kenneth Galbraith, Canadian-American economist and diplomat, United States Ambassador to India (b. 1908)
    • 2007 – Milt Bocek, American baseball player and soldier (b. 1912)
    • 2007 – Josh Hancock, American baseball player (b. 1978)
    • 2007 – Dick Motz, New Zealand cricketer and rugby player (b. 1940)
    • 2007 – Ivica Račan, Croatian politician, 7th Prime Minister of Croatia (b. 1944)
    • 2008 – Chuck Daigh, American race car driver (b. 1923)
    • 2008 – Albert Hofmann, Swiss chemist and academic (b. 1906)
    • 2010 – Sandy Douglas, English computer scientist and academic, designed OXO (b. 1921)
    • 2011 – Siamak Pourzand, Iranian journalist and critic (b. 1931)
    • 2011 – Joanna Russ, American writer, academic and radical feminist (b. 1937)
    • 2012 – Shukri Ghanem, Libyan politician, Prime Minister of Libya (b. 1942)
    • 2012 – Joel Goldsmith, American composer and conductor (b. 1957)
    • 2012 – Roland Moreno. French engineer, invented the smart card (b. 1945)
    • 2012 – Kenny Roberts, American singer-songwriter (b. 1926)
    • 2013 – Alex Elisala, New Zealand-Australian rugby player (b. 1992)
    • 2013 – Pesah Grupper, Israeli politician, 13th Israel Minister of Agriculture (b. 1924)
    • 2013 – Parekura Horomia, New Zealand politician, 40th Minister of Māori Affairs (b. 1950)
    • 2013 – John La Montaine, American pianist and composer (b. 1920)
    • 2013 – Ernest Michael, American mathematician and scholar (b. 1925)
    • 2013 – Kevin Moore, English footballer (b. 1958)
    • 2013 – Marianna Zachariadi, Greek pole vaulter (b. 1990)
    • 2014 – Iveta Bartošová, Czech singer and actress (b. 1966)
    • 2014 – Al Feldstein, American author and illustrator (b. 1925)
    • 2014 – Bob Hoskins, English actor (b. 1942)
    • 2014 – Michael Kadosh, Israeli footballer and manager (b. 1940)
    • 2015 – François Michelin, French businessman (b. 1926)
    • 2015 – Jean Nidetch, American businesswoman, co-founded Weight Watchers (b. 1923)
    • 2015 – Calvin Peete, American golfer (b. 1943)
    • 2015 – Dan Walker, American lawyer and politician, 36th Governor of Illinois (b. 1922)
    • 2016 – Renato Corona, Filipino lawyer and jurist, 23rd Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines (b. 1948)
    • 2019 – Josef Šural, Czech footballer (b. 1990)
    • 2020 – Irrfan Khan, Indian film actor (b. 1967)

    Holidays and observances on April 29

    • Christian feast day:
      • Catherine of Siena (Catholic, Lutheran and Anglican Church)
      • Endelienta
      • Hugh of Cluny
      • Robert of Molesme
      • Torpes of Pisa
      • April 29 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare (United Nations)
    • International Dance Day (UNESCO)
    • Shōwa Day, traditionally the start of the Golden Week holiday period, which is April 29 and May 3–5. (Japan)
  • |

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

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

    Births on April 27

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

    Deaths on April 27

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

    Holidays and observances on April 27

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

  • April 23 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 215 BC – A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Lake Trasimene.
    • 599 – Maya king Uneh Chan of Calakmul attacks rival city-state Palenque in southern Mexico, defeating queen Yohl Ik’nal and sacking the city.
    • 711 – Dagobert III succeeds his father King Childebert III as King of the Franks.
    • 1014 – Battle of Clontarf: High King of Ireland Brian Boru defeats Viking invaders, but is killed in battle.
    • 1016 – Edmund Ironside succeeds his father Æthelred the Unready as King of England.
    • 1343 – St. George’s Night Uprising commences in the Duchy of Estonia.
    • 1348 – The founding of the Order of the Garter by King Edward III is announced on St. George’s Day.
    • 1516 – The Munich Reinheitsgebot (regarding the ingredients of beer) takes effect in all of Bavaria.
    • 1521 – Battle of Villalar: King Charles I of Spain defeats the Comuneros.
    • 1635 – The first public school in the United States, Boston Latin School, is founded in Boston.
    • 1655 – The Siege of Santo Domingo begins during the Anglo-Spanish War, and fails seven days later.
    • 1660 – Treaty of Oliva is established between Sweden and Poland.
    • 1661 – King Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland is crowned in Westminster Abbey.
    • 1815 – The Second Serbian Uprising: A second phase of the national revolution of the Serbs against the Ottoman Empire, erupts shortly after the annexation of the country to the Ottoman Empire.
    • 1879 – Fire burns down the second main building and dome of the University of Notre Dame, which prompts the construction of the third, and current, Main Building with its golden dome.
    • 1914 – First baseball game at Wrigley Field, then known as Weeghman Park, in Chicago.
    • 1918 – World War I: The British Royal Navy makes a raid in an attempt to neutralise the Belgian port of Bruges-Zeebrugge.
    • 1920 – The Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) is founded in Ankara. The assembly denounces the government of Sultan Mehmed VI and announces the preparation of a temporary constitution.
    • 1927 – Cardiff City defeat Arsenal in the FA Cup Final, the only time it has been won by a team not based in England.
    • 1935 – The Polish Constitution of 1935 is adopted.
    • 1940 – The Rhythm Club fire at a dance hall in Natchez, Mississippi, kills 198 people.
    • 1941 – World War II: The Greek government and King George II evacuate Athens before the invading Wehrmacht.
    • 1942 – World War II: Baedeker Blitz: German bombers hit Exeter, Bath and York in retaliation for the British raid on Lübeck.
    • 1945 – World War II: Adolf Hitler’s designated successor, Hermann Göring, sends him a telegram asking permission to take leadership of the Third Reich. Martin Bormann and Joseph Goebbels advise Hitler that the telegram is treasonous.
    • 1946 – Manuel Roxas is elected the last President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines.
    • 1949 – Chinese Civil War: Establishment of the People’s Liberation Army Navy.
    • 1951 – Cold War: American journalist William N. Oatis is arrested for espionage by the Communist government of Czechoslovakia.
    • 1961 – Algiers putsch by French generals.
    • 1967 – Soviet space program: Soyuz 1 (Russian: Союз 1, Union 1) a manned spaceflight carrying cosmonaut Colonel Vladimir Komarov is launched into orbit.
    • 1968 – Vietnam War: Student protesters at Columbia University in New York City take over administration buildings and shut down the university.
    • 1971 – Bangladesh Liberation War: The Pakistan Army and Razakars massacre approximately 3,000 Hindu emigrants in the Jathibhanga area of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).
    • 1985 – Coca-Cola changes its formula and releases New Coke. The response is overwhelmingly negative, and the original formula is back on the market in less than three months.
    • 1990 – Namibia becomes the 160th member of the United Nations and the 50th member of the Commonwealth of Nations.
    • 1993 – Eritreans vote overwhelmingly for independence from Ethiopia in a United Nations-monitored referendum.
    • 1993 – Sri Lankan politician Lalith Athulathmudali is assassinated while addressing a gathering, approximately four weeks ahead of the Provincial Council elections for the Western Province.
    • 1999 – NATO bombs the headquarters of Radio Television of Serbia, as part of their aerial campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
    • 2005 – The first ever YouTube video, titled “Me at the zoo”, was published by co-founder Jawed Karim.
    • 2013 – At least 28 people are killed and more than 70 are injured as violence breaks out in Hawija, Iraq.
    • 2018 – A vehicle-ramming attack kills 10 people and injures 16 in Toronto. A 25-year-old suspect, Alek Minassian, is arrested.
    • 2019 – The 2019 Hpakant jade mine collapse in Myanmar kills four miners and two rescuers.

    Births on April 23

    • 1141 (probable) – Malcolm IV of Scotland (d. 1165)
    • 1185 – Afonso II of Portugal (d. 1223)
    • 1408 – John de Vere, 12th Earl of Oxford (d. 1462)
    • 1420 – George of Poděbrady, King of Bohemia (d. 1471)
    • 1464 – Joan of France, Duchess of Berry (d. 1505)
    • 1464 – Robert Fayrfax, English Renaissance composer (d. 1521)
    • 1484 – Julius Caesar Scaliger, Italian physician and scholar (d. 1558)
    • 1500 – Alexander Ales, Scottish theologian and academic (d. 1565)
    • 1500 – Johann Stumpf, Swiss writer (d. 1576)
    • 1512 – Henry FitzAlan, 19th Earl of Arundel, Chancellor of the University of Oxford (d. 1580)
    • 1516 – Georg Fabricius, German poet, historian, and archaeologist (d. 1571)
    • 1598 – Maarten Tromp, Dutch admiral (d. 1653)
    • 1621 – William Penn, English admiral and politician (d. 1670)
    • 1628 – Johannes Hudde, Dutch mathematician and politician (d. 1704)
    • 1661 – Issachar Berend Lehmann, German-Jewish banker, merchant and diplomat (d. 1730)
    • 1715 – Johann Friedrich Doles, German composer and conductor (d. 1797)
    • 1720 – Vilna Gaon, Lithuanian rabbi and author (d. 1797)
    • 1744 – Princess Charlotte Amalie Wilhelmine of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön (d. 1770)
    • 1748 – Félix Vicq-d’Azyr, French physician and anatomist (d. 1794)
    • 1791 – James Buchanan, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 15th President of the United States (d. 1868)
    • 1792 – Thomas Romney Robinson, Irish astronomer and physicist (d. 1882)
    • 1794 – Wei Yuan, Chinese scholar and author (d. 1856)
    • 1805 – Johann Karl Friedrich Rosenkranz, German philosopher and academic (d. 1879)
    • 1812 – Frederick Whitaker, English-New Zealand lawyer and politician, 5th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1891)
    • 1813 – Stephen A. Douglas, American educator and politician, 7th Illinois Secretary of State (d. 1861)
    • 1813 – Frédéric Ozanam, Italian-French historian and scholar (d. 1853)
    • 1818 – James Anthony Froude, English historian, novelist, biographer and editor (d. 1894)
    • 1819 – Edward Stafford, Scottish-New Zealand educator and politician, 3rd Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1901)
    • 1853 – Winthrop M. Crane, American businessman and politician, 40th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1920)
    • 1856 – Granville Woods, American inventor and engineer (d. 1910)
    • 1857 – Ruggero Leoncavallo, Italian composer (d. 1919)
    • 1858 – Max Planck, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1947)
    • 1860 – Justinian Oxenham, Australian public servant (d. 1932)
    • 1861 – Edmund Allenby, 1st Viscount Allenby, English field marshal and diplomat, British High Commissioner in Egypt (d. 1936)
    • 1861 – John Peltz, American baseball player and manager (d. 1906)
    • 1865 – Ali-Agha Shikhlinski, Russian-Azerbaijani general (d. 1943)
    • 1867 – Johannes Fibiger, Danish physician and pathologist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1928)
    • 1876 – Arthur Moeller van den Bruck, German historian and author (d. 1925)
    • 1880 – Michel Fokine, Russian dancer and choreographer (d. 1942)
    • 1882 – Albert Coates, English composer and conductor (d. 1953)
    • 1888 – Georges Vanier, Canadian general and politician, 19th Governor General of Canada (d. 1967)
    • 1889 – Karel Doorman, Dutch admiral (d. 1942)
    • 1893 – Frank Borzage, American actor and director (d. 1952)
    • 1895 – Ngaio Marsh, New Zealand author and director (d. 1982)
    • 1897 – Folke Jansson, American general (d. 1965)
    • 1897 – Lester B. Pearson, Canadian historian and politician, 14th Prime Minister of Canada, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1972)
    • 1898 – Lucius D. Clay, American general (d. 1978)
    • 1899 – Bertil Ohlin, Swedish economist and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1979)
    • 1899 – Minoru Shirota, Japanese physician and microbiologist, invented Yakult (d. 1982)
    • 1900 – Jim Bottomley, American baseball player and sportscaster (d. 1959)
    • 1900 – Joseph Green, Polish-American actor and director (d. 1996)
    • 1901 – E. B. Ford, English biologist and geneticist (d. 1988)
    • 1902 – Halldór Laxness, Icelandic author and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1998)
    • 1903 – Guy Simonds, English-Canadian general (d. 1974)
    • 1904 – Clifford Bricker, Canadian long-distance runner (d. 1980)
    • 1904 – Louis Muhlstock, Polish-Canadian painter (d. 2001)
    • 1904 – Duncan Renaldo, American actor (d. 1985)
    • 1907 – Lee Miller, American model and photographer (d. 1977)
    • 1907 – Fritz Wotruba, Austrian sculptor, designed the Wotruba Church (d. 1975)
    • 1908 – Myron Waldman, American animator and director (d. 2006)
    • 1910 – Sheila Scott Macintyre, Scottish mathematician (d. 1960)
    • 1910 – Simone Simon, French actress (d. 2005)
    • 1911 – Ronald Neame, English-American director, cinematographer, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2010)
    • 1913 – Diosa Costello, Puerto Rican-American entertainer, producer and club owner (d. 2013)
    • 1915 – Arnold Alexander Hall, English engineer, academic, and businessman (d. 2000)
    • 1916 – Yiannis Moralis, Greek painter and educator (d. 2009)
    • 1916 – Sinah Estelle Kelley, American chemist (d. 1982)
    • 1917 – Dorian Leigh, American model (d. 2008)
    • 1917 – Tony Lupien, American baseball player and coach (d. 2004)
    • 1918 – Maurice Druon, French author and screenwriter (d. 2009)
    • 1919 – Oleg Penkovsky, Russian colonel (d. 1963)
    • 1920 – Eric Grant Yarrow, 3rd Baronet, English businessman (d. 2018)
    • 1921 – Judy Agnew, Second Lady of the United States (d. 2012)
    • 1921 – Cleto Bellucci, Italian archbishop (d. 2013)
    • 1921 – Janet Blair, American actress and singer (d. 2007)
    • 1921 – Warren Spahn, American baseball player and coach (d. 2003)
    • 1923 – Dolph Briscoe, American lieutenant and politician, 41st Governor of Texas (d. 2010)
    • 1923 – Avram Davidson, American soldier and author (d. 1993)
    • 1924 – Chuck Harmon, American baseball player and scout (d. 2019)
    • 1924 – Bobby Rosengarden, American drummer and bandleader (d. 2007)
    • 1926 – J.P. Donleavy, American-Irish novelist and playwright (d. 2017)
    • 1926 – Rifaat el-Mahgoub, Egyptian politician (d. 1990)
    • 1928 – Shirley Temple, American actress, singer, dancer, and diplomat (d. 2014)
    • 1929 – George Steiner, French-American philosopher, author, and critic (d. 2020)
    • 1932 – Halston, American fashion designer (d. 1990)
    • 1932 – Jim Fixx, American runner and author (d. 1984)
    • 1933 – Annie Easley, American computer scientist, mathematician, and engineer (d. 2011)
    • 1934 – George Canseco, Filipino composer and producer (d. 2004)
    • 1936 – Roy Orbison, American singer-songwriter (d. 1988)
    • 1937 – Victoria Glendinning, English author and critic
    • 1937 – David Mills, English cricketer (d. 2013)
    • 1937 – Barry Shepherd, Australian cricketer (d. 2001)
    • 1939 – Jorge Fons, Mexican director and screenwriter
    • 1939 – Bill Hagerty, English journalist
    • 1939 – Lee Majors, American actor
    • 1939 – Ray Peterson, American pop singer (d. 2005)
    • 1940 – Michael Copps, American academic and politician
    • 1940 – Dale Houston, American singer-songwriter (d. 2007)
    • 1940 – Michael Kadosh, Israeli footballer and manager (d. 2014)
    • 1941 – Jacqueline Boyer, French singer and actress
    • 1941 – Arie den Hartog, Dutch road bicycle racer (d. 2018)
    • 1941 – Paavo Lipponen, Finnish journalist and politician, 38th Prime Minister of Finland
    • 1941 – Michael Lynne, American film producer, co-founded New Line Cinema
    • 1941 – Ed Stewart, English radio and television host (d. 2016)
    • 1941 – Ray Tomlinson, American computer programmer and engineer (d. 2016)
    • 1942 – Sandra Dee, American model and actress (d. 2005)
    • 1943 – Gail Goodrich, American basketball player and coach
    • 1943 – Tony Esposito, Canadian-American ice hockey player, coach, and manager
    • 1943 – Frans Koppelaar, Dutch painter
    • 1943 – Hervé Villechaize, French actor (d. 1993)
    • 1944 – Jean-François Stévenin, French actor and director
    • 1946 – Blair Brown, American actress
    • 1946 – Carlton Sherwood, American soldier and journalist (d. 2014)
    • 1947 – Robert Burgess, English sociologist and academic
    • 1947 – Glenn Cornick, English bass player (d. 2014)
    • 1947 – Bernadette Devlin McAliskey, Irish civil rights leader and politician
    • 1948 – Pascal Quignard, French author and screenwriter
    • 1948 – Serge Thériault, Canadian actor
    • 1949 – Paul Collier, English economist and academic
    • 1949 – David Cross, English violinist
    • 1949 – John Miles, British rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist
    • 1950 – Rowley Leigh, English chef and journalist
    • 1950 – Barbara McIlvaine Smith, Sac and Fox Nation Native American politician
    • 1951 – Martin Bayerle, American treasure hunter
    • 1952 – Narada Michael Walden, American singer-songwriter, drummer, and producer
    • 1953 – James Russo, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1954 – Stephen Dalton, English air marshal
    • 1954 – Michael Moore, American director, producer, and activist
    • 1955 – Judy Davis, Australian actress
    • 1955 – Tony Miles, English chess player (d. 2001)
    • 1955 – Urmas Ott, Estonian journalist and author (d. 2008)
    • 1957 – Neville Brody, English graphic designer, typographer, and art director
    • 1957 – Jan Hooks, American actress and comedian (d. 2014)
    • 1958 – Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, Icelandic composer and producer
    • 1958 – Ryan Walter, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1959 – Unity Dow, Botswanan judge, author, and rights activist
    • 1960 – Valerie Bertinelli, American actress
    • 1960 – Steve Clark, English guitarist and songwriter (d. 1991)
    • 1960 – Barry Douglas, Irish pianist and conductor
    • 1960 – Léo Jaime, Brazilian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
    • 1960 – Claude Julien, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1961 – George Lopez, American comedian, actor, and talk show host
    • 1961 – Pierluigi Martini, Italian race car driver
    • 1962 – John Hannah, Scottish actor and producer
    • 1962 – Shaun Spiers, English businessman and politician
    • 1963 – Paul Belmondo, French race car driver
    • 1963 – Robby Naish, American windsurfer
    • 1964 – Gianandrea Noseda, Italian pianist and conductor
    • 1965 – Leni Robredo, Filipina human rights lawyer, 14th Vice President of the Philippines
    • 1966 – Jörg Deisinger, German bass player
    • 1966 – Matt Freeman, American bass player
    • 1966 – Lembit Oll, Estonian chess Grandmaster (d. 1999)
    • 1967 – Rheal Cormier, Canadian baseball player
    • 1967 – Melina Kanakaredes, American actress
    • 1968 – Bas Haring, Dutch philosopher, writer, television presenter and professor.
    • 1968 – Ken McRae, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1968 – Timothy McVeigh, American terrorist, Oklahoma City bombing co-perpetrator (d. 2001)
    • 1969 – Martín López-Zubero, American-Spanish swimmer and coach
    • 1969 – Yelena Shushunova, Russian gymnast
    • 1970 – Egemen Bağış, Turkish politician, 1st Minister of European Union Affairs
    • 1970 – Dennis Culp, American singer-songwriter and trombonist
    • 1970 – Andrew Gee, Australian rugby league player and manager
    • 1970 – Hans Välimäki, Finnish chef and author
    • 1970 – Tayfur Havutçu, Turkish international footballer and manager
    • 1971 – Uli Herzner, German-American fashion designer
    • 1972 – Pierre Labrie, Canadian poet and playwright
    • 1972 – Peter Dench, English photographer and journalist
    • 1972 – Amira Medunjanin, singer from Bosnia and Herzegovina
    • 1973 – Patrick Poulin, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1974 – Carlos Dengler, American bass player
    • 1974 – Michael Kerr, New Zealand-German rugby player
    • 1975 – Bobby Shaw, American football player
    • 1976 – Aaron Dessner, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer
    • 1977 – John Cena, American professional wrestler and actor
    • 1977 – David Kidwell, New Zealand rugby league player and coach
    • 1977 – Willie Mitchell, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1977 – John Oliver, English comedian, actor, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1977 – Kal Penn, Indian-American actor
    • 1977 – Bram Schmitz, Dutch cyclist
    • 1977 – Lee Young-pyo, South Korean international footballer
    • 1978 – Gezahegne Abera, Ethiopian runner
    • 1979 – Barry Hawkins, English snooker player
    • 1979 – Jaime King, American actress and model
    • 1979 – Joanna Krupa, Polish-American model and television personality
    • 1979 – Samppa Lajunen, Finnish skier
    • 1982 – Tony Sunshine, American singer-songwriter
    • 1983 – Leon Andreasen, Danish international footballer
    • 1983 – Daniela Hantuchová, Slovak tennis player
    • 1983 – Ian Henderson, English rugby league player
    • 1984 – Alexandra Kosteniuk, Russian chess player
    • 1984 – Jesse Lee Soffer, American actor
    • 1985 – Angel Locsin, Filipino actress, producer, and fashion designer
    • 1986 – Sven Kramer, Dutch speed skater
    • 1986 – Alysia Montaño, American runner
    • 1986 – Rafael Fernandes, Brazilian baseball player
    • 1987 – Michael Arroyo, Ecuadorian footballer
    • 1987 – John Boye, Ghanaian footballer
    • 1987 – Emily Fox, American basketball player
    • 1988 – Victor Anichebe, Nigerian footballer
    • 1988 – Alistair Brownlee, English triathlete
    • 1988 – Signe Ronka, Canadian figure skater
    • 1988 – Lenka Wienerová, Slovak tennis player
    • 1989 – Nicole Vaidišová, Czech tennis player
    • 1990 – Rui Fonte, Portuguese footballer, winger
    • 1990 – Dev Patel, English actor
    • 1991 – Nathan Baker, English footballer
    • 1991 – Caleb Johnson, American singer-songwriter
    • 1991 – Paul Vaughan, Australian-Italian rugby league player
    • 1994 – Patrick Olsen, Danish footballer
    • 1994 – Song Kang, South Korean actor
    • 1995 – Gigi Hadid, American fashion model and television personality
    • 1997 – Zach Apple, American swimmer

    Deaths on April 23

    • 303 – Saint George, Roman soldier and martyr (b. 275)
    • 711 – Childebert III, Frankish king (b. 670)
    • 725 – Wihtred of Kent (b. 670)
    • 871 – Æthelred of Wessex (b. 837)
    • 915 – Yang Shihou, Chinese general
    • 944 – Wichmann the Elder, Saxon nobleman
    • 990 – Ekkehard II, Swiss monk and abbot
    • 997 – Adalbert of Prague, Czech bishop, missionary, and saint (b. 956)
    • 1014 – Brian Boru, Irish king (b. 941)
    • 1014 – Domnall mac Eimín, Mormaer of Mar
    • 1016 – Æthelred the Unready, English son of Edgar the Peaceful (b. 968)
    • 1124 – Alexander I of Scotland (b. 1078)
    • 1151 – Adeliza of Louvain (b. 1103)
    • 1170 – Minamoto no Tametomo, Japanese samurai (b. 1139)
    • 1196 – Béla III of Hungary (b. c.1148)
    • 1200 – Zhu Xi, Chinese philosopher (b. 1130)
    • 1217 – Inge II of Norway (b. 1185)
    • 1262 – Aegidius of Assisi, companion of Saint Francis of Assisi
    • 1307 – Joan of Acre (b. 1272)
    • 1400 – Aubrey de Vere, 10th Earl of Oxford, English politician and nobleman (b. c. 1338)
    • 1407 – Olivier de Clisson, French soldier (b. 1326)
    • 1501 – Domenico della Rovere, Catholic cardinal (b. 1442)
    • 1554 – Gaspara Stampa, Italian poet (b. 1523)
    • 1605 – Boris Godunov, Russian ruler (b. 1551)
    • 1616 – William Shakespeare, English playwright and poet (b. 1564)
    • 1625 – Maurice, Prince of Orange (b. 1567)
    • 1695 – Henry Vaughan, Welsh poet and author (b. 1621)
    • 1702 – Margaret Fell, English religious leader, founded the Religious Society of Friends (b. 1614)
    • 1781 – James Abercrombie, Scottish general and politician (b. 1706)
    • 1784 – Solomon I of Imereti (b. 1735)
    • 1792 – Karl Friedrich Bahrdt, German theologian and author (b. 1741)
    • 1794 – Guillaume-Chrétien de Lamoignon de Malesherbes, French lawyer and politician (b. 1721)
    • 1827 – Georgios Karaiskakis, Greek general (b. 1780)
    • 1839 – Jacques Félix Emmanuel Hamelin, French admiral and explorer (b. 1768)
    • 1850 – William Wordsworth, English poet and author (b. 1770)
    • 1889 – Jules Amédée Barbey d’Aurevilly, French author and critic (b. 1808)
    • 1895 – Carl Ludwig, German physician and physiologist (b. 1815)
    • 1905 – Gédéon Ouimet, Canadian politician, 2nd Premier of Quebec (b. 1823)
    • 1907 – Alferd Packer, American prospector (b. 1842)
    • 1915 – Rupert Brooke, English poet (b. 1887)
    • 1936 – Teresa de la Parra, French-Venezuelan author (b. 1889)
    • 1951 – Jules Berry, French actor and director (b. 1883)
    • 1951 – Charles G. Dawes, American banker and politician, 30th Vice President of the United States, Nobel Peace Prize laureate (b. 1865)
    • 1959 – Bak Jungyang, Korean politician
    • 1965 – George Adamski, Polish-American ufologist and author (b. 1891)
    • 1966 – George Ohsawa, Japanese founder of the Macrobiotic diet (b. 1893)
    • 1981 – Josep Pla, Catalan journalist and author (b. 1897)
    • 1983 – Buster Crabbe, American swimmer and actor (b. 1908)
    • 1984 – Red Garland, American pianist (b. 1923)
    • 1985 – Sam Ervin, American lawyer and politician (b. 1896)
    • 1985 – Frank Farrell, Australian rugby league player and policeman (b. 1916)
    • 1986 – Harold Arlen, American composer (b. 1905)
    • 1986 – Jim Laker, English cricketer and sportscaster (b. 1922)
    • 1986 – Otto Preminger, Ukrainian-American actor, director, and producer (b. 1906)
    • 1990 – Paulette Goddard, American actress (b. 1910)
    • 1991 – Johnny Thunders, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1952)
    • 1992 – Satyajit Ray, Indian director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1921)
    • 1992 – Tanka Prasad Acharya, Nepalese politician, 27th Prime Minister of Nepal (b. 1912)
    • 1993 – Cesar Chavez, American activist, co-founded the United Farm Workers (b. 1927)
    • 1995 – Douglas Lloyd Campbell, Canadian farmer and politician, 13th Premier of Manitoba (b. 1895)
    • 1995 – Howard Cosell, American lawyer and journalist (b. 1918)
    • 1995 – Riho Lahi, Estonian journalist (b. 1904)
    • 1995 – John C. Stennis, American lawyer and politician (b. 1904)
    • 1996 – Jean Victor Allard, Canadian general (b. 1913)
    • 1996 – P. L. Travers, Australian-English author and actress (b. 1899)
    • 1997 – Denis Compton, English cricketer and footballer (b. 1918)
    • 1998 – Konstantinos Karamanlis, Greek lawyer and politician, 172nd Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1907)
    • 1998 – James Earl Ray, American assassin of Martin Luther King, Jr. (b. 1928)
    • 1998 – Thanassis Skordalos, Greek singer-songwriter and lyra player (b. 1920)
    • 2003 – Fernand Fonssagrives, French-American photographer (b. 1910)
    • 2004 – Herman Veenstra, Dutch water polo player (b. 1911)
    • 2005 – Joh Bjelke-Petersen, New Zealand-Australian politician, 31st Premier of Queensland (b. 1911)
    • 2005 – Robert Farnon, Canadian-English trumpet player, composer and conductor (b. 1917)
    • 2005 – Al Grassby, Australian journalist and politician (b. 1928)
    • 2005 – John Mills, English actor (b. 1908)
    • 2005 – Romano Scarpa, Italian author and illustrator (b. 1927)
    • 2005 – Earl Wilson, American baseball player, coach and educator (b. 1934)
    • 2006 – Phil Walden, American record producer and manager, co-founder of Capricorn Records (b. 1940)
    • 2007 – Paul Erdman, Canadian-American economist and author (b. 1932)
    • 2007 – David Halberstam, American journalist, historian and author (b. 1934)
    • 2007 – Peter Randall, English sergeant (b. 1930)
    • 2007 – Boris Yeltsin, Russian politician, 1st President of Russia (b. 1931)
    • 2010 – Peter Porter, Australian-born British poet (b. 1929)
    • 2011 – James Casey, English comedian, radio scriptwriter and producer (b. 1922)
    • 2011 – Tom King, American guitarist and songwriter (b. 1943)
    • 2011 – Geoffrey Russell, 4th Baron Ampthill, English businessman and politician (b. 1921)
    • 2011 – Max van der Stoel, Dutch politician and Minister of State (b. 1924)
    • 2011 – John Sullivan, English screenwriter and producer (b. 1946)
    • 2012 – Lillemor Arvidsson, Swedish trade union leader and politician, 34th Governor of Gotland (b. 1943)
    • 2012 – Billy Bryans, Canadian drummer, songwriter and producer (b. 1947)
    • 2012 – Chris Ethridge, American bass player and songwriter (b. 1947)
    • 2012 – Raymond Thorsteinsson, Canadian geologist and paleontologist (b. 1921)
    • 2012 – LeRoy T. Walker, American football player and coach (b. 1918)
    • 2013 – Bob Brozman, American guitarist (b. 1954)
    • 2013 – Robert W. Edgar, American educator and politician (b. 1943)
    • 2013 – Tony Grealish, English footballer (b. 1956)
    • 2013 – Antonio Maccanico, Italian banker and politician (b. 1924)
    • 2013 – Frank W. J. Olver, English-American mathematician and academic (b. 1924)
    • 2013 – Kathryn Wasserman Davis, American philanthropist and scholar (b. 1907)
    • 2014 – Benjamín Brea, Spanish-Venezuelan saxophonist, clarinet player, and conductor (b. 1946)
    • 2014 – Michael Glawogger, Austrian director, screenwriter, and cinematographer (b. 1959)
    • 2014 – Jaap Havekotte, Dutch speed skater and producer of ice skates (b. 1912)
    • 2014 – Connie Marrero, Cuban baseball player and coach (b. 1911)
    • 2014 – F. Michael Rogers, American general (b. 1921)
    • 2014 – Mark Shand, English conservationist and author (b. 1951)
    • 2014 – Patric Standford, English composer and educator (b. 1939)
    • 2015 – Richard Corliss, American journalist and critic (b. 1944)
    • 2015 – Ray Jackson, Australian activist (b. 1941)
    • 2015 – Pierre Claude Nolin, Canadian lawyer and politician, Speaker of the Canadian Senate (b. 1950)
    • 2015 – Jim Steffen, American football player (b. 1936)
    • 2015 – Francis Tsai, American author and illustrator (b. 1967)
    • 2016 – Inge King, German-born Australian sculptor (b. 1915)
    • 2016 – Banharn Silpa-archa, Thai politician, Prime Minister from 1995–1996 (b. 1932)
    • 2019 – Charity Sunshine Tillemann-Dick, American soprano singer and presenter (b.1983)

    Holidays and observances on April 23

    • Castile and León Day (Castile and León)
    • Christian feast day:
      • Adalbert of Prague
      • Felix, Fortunatus, and Achilleus
      • George
      • Blessed Giles of Assisi
      • Gerard of Toul
      • Ibar of Beggerin (Meath)
      • Toyohiko Kagawa (Episcopal and Lutheran Church)
      • April 23 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Earliest day on which the first day of Children’s Day can fall, while April 29 is the latest; celebrated on the last Saturday of April. (Colombia)
    • Independence Day (Conch Republic, Key West, Florida)
    • International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Day
    • Khongjom Day (Manipur)
    • National Sovereignty and Children’s Day (Turkey and Northern Cyprus)
    • Navy Day (China)
    • St George’s Day (England) and its related observances:
      • Canada Book Day (Canada)
      • La Diada de Sant Jordi (Catalonia, Spain)
      • World Book Day
    • UN English Language Day (United Nations)

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

    • AD 65 – The freedman Milichus betrays Piso’s plot to kill Emperor Nero and all the conspirators are arrested.
    • 531 – Battle of Callinicum: A Byzantine army under Belisarius is defeated by the Persians at Raqqa (northern Syria).
    • 797 – Empress Irene organizes a conspiracy against her son, the Byzantine emperor Constantine VI. He is deposed and blinded. Shortly after, Constantine dies of his wounds; Irene proclaims herself basileus.
    • 1506 – The Lisbon Massacre begins, in which accused Jews are being slaughtered by Portuguese Catholics.
    • 1529 – Beginning of the Protestant Reformation: After the Second Diet of Speyer bans Lutheranism, a group of rulers (German: Fürst) and independent cities protests the reinstatement of the Edict of Worms.
    • 1539 – The Treaty of Frankfurt between Protestants and the Holy Roman Emperor is signed.
    • 1608 – In Ireland: O’Doherty’s Rebellion is launched by the Burning of Derry.
    • 1677 – The French army captures the town of Cambrai held by Spanish troops.
    • 1713 – With no living male heirs, Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, issues the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713 to ensure that Habsburg lands and the Austrian throne would be inheritable by a female; his daughter and successor, Maria Theresa was not born until 1717.
    • 1770 – Captain James Cook, still holding the rank of lieutenant, sights the eastern coast of what is now Australia.
    • 1770 – Marie Antoinette marries Louis XVI of France in a proxy wedding.
    • 1775 – American Revolutionary War: The war begins with an American victory in Concord during the battles of Lexington and Concord.
    • 1782 – John Adams secures the Dutch Republic’s recognition of the United States as an independent government. The house which he had purchased in The Hague, Netherlands becomes the first American embassy.
    • 1809 – An Austrian corps is defeated by the forces of the Duchy of Warsaw in the Battle of Raszyn, part of the struggles of the Fifth Coalition. On the same day the Austrian main army is defeated by a First French Empire Corps led by Louis-Nicolas Davout at the Battle of Teugen-Hausen in Bavaria, part of a four-day campaign that ended in a French victory.
    • 1810 – Venezuela achieves home rule: Vicente Emparán, Governor of the Captaincy General is removed by the people of Caracas and a junta is installed.
    • 1818 – French physicist Augustin Fresnel signs his preliminary “Note on the Theory of Diffraction” (deposited on the following day). The document ends with what we now call the Fresnel integrals.
    • 1839 – The Treaty of London establishes Belgium as a kingdom and guarantees its neutrality.
    • 1861 – American Civil War: Baltimore riot of 1861: A pro-Secession mob in Baltimore attacks United States Army troops marching through the city.
    • 1903 – The Kishinev pogrom in Kishinev (Bessarabia) begins, forcing tens of thousands of Jews to later seek refuge in Palestine and the Western world.
    • 1927 – Mae West is sentenced to ten days in jail for obscenity for her play Sex.
    • 1942 – World War II: In Poland, the Majdan-Tatarski ghetto is established, situated between the Lublin Ghetto and a Majdanek subcamp.
    • 1943 – World War II: In Poland, the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising begins, after German troops enter the Warsaw Ghetto to round up the remaining Jews.
    • 1943 – Albert Hofmann deliberately doses himself with LSD for the first time, three days after having discovered its effects on April 16.
    • 1956 – Actress Grace Kelly marries Prince Rainier of Monaco.
    • 1960 – Students in South Korea hold a nationwide pro-democracy protest against president Syngman Rhee, eventually forcing him to resign.
    • 1971 – Sierra Leone becomes a republic, and Siaka Stevens the president.
    • 1971 – Launch of Salyut 1, the first space station.
    • 1971 – Charles Manson is sentenced to death (later commuted to life imprisonment) for conspiracy in the Tate–LaBianca murders.
    • 1973 – The Portuguese Socialist Party is founded in the German town of Bad Münstereifel.
    • 1975 – India’s first satellite Aryabhata launched in orbit from Kapustin Yar, Russia.
    • 1984 – Advance Australia Fair is proclaimed as Australia’s national anthem, and green and gold as the national colours.
    • 1985 – Two hundred ATF and FBI agents lay siege to the compound of the white supremacist survivalist group The Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord in Arkansas; the CSA surrenders two days later.
    • 1987 – The Simpsons first appear as a series of shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show, first starting with Good Night.
    • 1989 – A gun turret explodes on the USS Iowa, killing 47 sailors.
    • 1993 – The 51-day FBI siege of the Branch Davidian building in Waco, Texas, USA, ends when a fire breaks out. 76 Davidians, including eighteen children under the age of ten, died in the fire.
    • 1995 – Oklahoma City bombing: The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, USA, is bombed, killing 168 people including 19 children under the age of six.
    • 1999 – The German Bundestag returns to Berlin.
    • 2000 – Air Philippines Flight 541 crashes in Samal, Davao del Norte, killing all 131 people on board.
    • 2005 – Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is elected to the papacy and becomes Pope Benedict XVI.
    • 2011 – Fidel Castro resigns as First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba after holding the title since July 1961.
    • 2013 – Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev is killed in a shootout with police. His brother Dzhokhar is later captured hiding in a boat inside a backyard in the suburb of Watertown.
    • 2020 – A killing spree in Nova Scotia, Canada, leaves 22 people and the perpetrator dead, making it the deadliest rampage in the country’s history.

    Births on April 19

    • 1452 – Frederick IV, King of Naples (d. 1504)
    • 1593 – Sir John Hobart, 2nd Baronet, English politician (d. 1647)
    • 1603 – Michel Le Tellier, French politician, French Minister of Defence (d. 1685)
    • 1613 – Christoph Bach, German musician (d. 1661)
    • 1633 – Willem Drost, Dutch painter (d. 1659)
    • 1655 – George St Lo(e), Royal Navy officer and administrator (d. 1718)
    • 1658 – Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine, German husband of Archduchess Maria Anna Josepha of Austria (d. 1716)
    • 1665 – Jacques Lelong, French author (d. 1721)
    • 1686 – Vasily Tatishchev, Russian ethnographer and politician (d. 1750)
    • 1715 – James Nares, English organist and composer (d. 1783)
    • 1721 – Roger Sherman, American lawyer and politician (d. 1793)
    • 1734 – Karl von Ordóñez, Austrian violinist and composer (d. 1786)
    • 1757 – Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth, English admiral and politician (d. 1833)
    • 1758 – William Carnegie, 7th Earl of Northesk, Scottish admiral (d. 1831)
    • 1785 – Alexandre Pierre François Boëly, French pianist and composer (d. 1858)
    • 1787 – Deaf Smith, American soldier (d. 1837)
    • 1793 – Ferdinand I of Austria (d. 1875)
    • 1806 – Sarah Bagley, American labor organizer (d. 1889)
    • 1814 – Louis Amédée Achard, French journalist and author (d. 1875)
    • 1832 – José Echegaray, Spanish poet and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1916)
    • 1835 – Julius Krohn, Finnish poet and journalist (d. 1888)
    • 1863 – Hemmo Kallio, Finnish actor (d. 1940)
    • 1872 – Alice Salomon, German social reformer (d. 1948)
    • 1873 – Sydney Barnes, English cricketer (d. 1967)
    • 1874 – Ernst Rüdin, Swiss psychiatrist, geneticist, and eugenicist (d. 1952)
    • 1877 – Ole Evinrude, Norwegian-American engineer, invented the outboard motor (d. 1934)
    • 1879 – Arthur Robertson, Scottish runner (d. 1957)
    • 1882 – Getúlio Vargas, Brazilian lawyer and politician, 14th President of Brazil (d. 1954)
    • 1883 – Henry Jameson, American soccer player (d. 1938)
    • 1883 – Richard von Mises, Austrian-American mathematician and physicist (d. 1953)
    • 1885 – Karl Tarvas, Estonian architect (d. 1975)
    • 1889 – Otto Georg Thierack, German jurist and politician (d. 1946)
    • 1891 – Françoise Rosay, French actress (d. 1974)
    • 1892 – Germaine Tailleferre, French composer and educator (d. 1983)
    • 1894 – Elizabeth Dilling, American author and activist (d. 1966)
    • 1897 – Peter de Noronha, Indian businessman and philanthropist (d. 1970)
    • 1897 – Jiroemon Kimura, Japanese super-centenarian, oldest verified man ever (d. 2013)
    • 1898 – Constance Talmadge, American actress and producer (d. 1973)
    • 1899 – George O’Brien, American actor (d. 1985)
    • 1899 – Cemal Tollu, Turkish lieutenant and painter (d. 1968)
    • 1900 – Iracema de Alencar, Brazilian film actress (d. 1978)
    • 1900 – Richard Hughes, English author, poet, and playwright (d. 1976)
    • 1900 – Roland Michener, Canadian lawyer and politician, 20th Governor General of Canada (d. 1991)
    • 1900 – Rhea Silberta, Yiddish songwriter and singing teacher (d. 1959)
    • 1902 – Veniamin Kaverin, Russian author and screenwriter (d. 1989)
    • 1903 – Eliot Ness, American law enforcement agent (d. 1957)
    • 1907 – Alan Wheatley, English actor (d. 1991)
    • 1908 – Irena Eichlerówna, Polish actress (d. 1990)
    • 1912 – Glenn T. Seaborg, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1999)
    • 1913 – Ken Carpenter, American discus thrower and coach (d. 1984)
    • 1917 – Sven Hassel, Danish-German soldier and author (d. 2012)
    • 1919 – Sol Kaplan, American pianist and composer (d. 1990)
    • 1920 – Gene Leis, American guitarist, composer, and producer (d. 1993)
    • 1920 – Marvin Mandel, American lawyer and politician, 56th Governor of Maryland (d. 2015)
    • 1920 – John O’Neil, American baseball player and manager (d. 2012)
    • 1920 – Julien Ries, Belgian cardinal (d. 2013)
    • 1920 – Marian Winters, American actress (d. 1978)
    • 1921 – Anna Lee Aldred, American jockey (d. 2006)
    • 1921 – Leon Henkin, American logician (d. 2006)
    • 1921 – Roberto Tucci, Italian Jesuit leader, cardinal, and theologian (d. 2015)
    • 1922 – Erich Hartmann, German colonel and pilot (d. 1993)
    • 1922 – David Smith, politician in Rhodesia and Zimbabwe (d. 1996)
    • 1925 – John Kraaijkamp, Sr., Dutch actor (d. 2011)
    • 1925 – Hugh O’Brian, American actor (d. 2016)
    • 1926 – Rawya Ateya, Egyptian captain and politician (d. 1997)
    • 1928 – John Horlock, English engineer and academic (d. 2015)
    • 1928 – Azlan Shah of Perak, Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia (d. 2014)
    • 1931 – Walter Stewart, Canadian journalist and author (d. 2004)
    • 1932 – Fernando Botero, Colombian painter and sculptor
    • 1933 – Dickie Bird, English cricketer and umpire
    • 1933 – Jayne Mansfield, American model and actress (d. 1967)
    • 1933 – Philip Lavallin Wroughton, English captain and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire
    • 1934 – Dickie Goodman, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 1989)
    • 1935 – Dudley Moore, English actor, comedian, and pianist (d. 2002)
    • 1935 – Justin Francis Rigali, American cardinal
    • 1936 – Wilfried Martens, Belgian politician, 60th Prime Minister of Belgium (d. 2013)
    • 1936 – Jack Pardee, American football player and coach (d. 2013)
    • 1937 – Antonio Carluccio, Italian-English chef and author (d. 2017)
    • 1937 – Elinor Donahue, American actress
    • 1937 – Joseph Estrada, Filipino politician, 13th President of the Philippines
    • 1938 – Stanley Fish, American theorist, author, and scholar
    • 1939 – E. Clay Shaw, Jr., American accountant, judge, and politician (d. 2013)
    • 1941 – Roberto Carlos, Brazilian singer-songwriter
    • 1941 – Clark Dimond, American musician and author
    • 1941 – Michel Roux, French-English chef and author (d. 2020)
    • 1941 – Bobby Russell, American singer-songwriter (d. 1992)
    • 1942 – Bas Jan Ader, Dutch-American photographer and director (d. 1975)
    • 1942 – Alan Price, English keyboard player, singer, and composer
    • 1942 – Jack Roush, American businessman, founded Roush Fenway Racing
    • 1942 – Maarten van den Bergh, American-Dutch businessman
    • 1943 – Margo MacDonald, Scottish journalist and politician (d. 2014)[28]
    • 1943 – Lorenzo Sanz, Spanish businessman
    • 1944 – Keith Erickson, American basketball player and sportscaster
    • 1944 – James Heckman, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1944 – Bernie Worrell, American keyboard player and songwriter (d. 2016)[29]
    • 1946 – Duygu Asena, Turkish journalist, author, and activist (d. 2006)
    • 1946 – Tim Curry, English actor[30]
    • 1947 – Murray Perahia, American pianist and conductor
    • 1947 – Wilfrid Stevenson, Baron Stevenson of Balmacara, English civil servant
    • 1947 – Yan Pascal Tortelier, French violinist and conductor
    • 1947 – Mark Volman, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1948 – Stuart McLean, Canadian radio host and author (d. 2017)
    • 1948 – Rick Miller, American baseball player and manager
    • 1949 – Paloma Picasso, French-Spanish fashion designer
    • 1949 – Larry Walters, American truck driver and pilot (d. 1993)
    • 1950 – Julia Cleverdon, English businesswoman and philanthropist
    • 1951 – Barry Brown, American actor and playwright (d. 1978)
    • 1951 – Jóannes Eidesgaard, Faroese educator and politician, Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands
    • 1952 – Alexis Argüello, Nicaraguan boxer and politician (d. 2009)
    • 1952 – Tony Plana, Cuban-American actor and director
    • 1952 – Michael Trend, English journalist and politician
    • 1953 – Rod Morgenstein, American drummer
    • 1953 – Sara Simeoni, Italian high jumper
    • 1953 – Ruby Wax, British-based American comedian, actress, and screenwriter
    • 1954 – Trevor Francis, English footballer and manager
    • 1954 – Bob Rock, Canadian guitarist, songwriter, and producer
    • 1956 – Sue Barker, English tennis player and journalist
    • 1956 – Randy Carlyle, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1956 – Anne Glover, Scottish biologist and academic
    • 1957 – Tony Martin, English singer-songwriter
    • 1957 – Mukesh Ambani, Indian businessman, chairman of Reliance Industries and currently the richest man in Asia[31][32]
    • 1958 – Steve Antin, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1958 – Stevie B, American singer-songwriter and record producer
    • 1958 – Denis O’Brien, Irish businessman, founded BT Ireland
    • 1958 – Vytautas Šapranauskas, Lithuanian actor (d. 2013)
    • 1958 – Keith Shine, British academic and educator
    • 1959 – Jane Campbell, Baroness Campbell of Surbiton, English activist
    • 1959 – Teofisto Guingona III, Filipino lawyer and politician
    • 1959 – Donald Markwell, Australian sociologist and academic
    • 1960 – Nicoletta Braschi, Italian actress and producer
    • 1960 – Ara Gevorgyan, Armenian pianist, composer, and producer
    • 1960 – Roger Merrett, Australian footballer and coach
    • 1960 – John Schweitz, American basketball player and coach
    • 1960 – Frank Viola, American baseball player and coach[33]
    • 1961 – Alan Kirschenbaum, American producer and writer (d. 2012)
    • 1961 – Albert Martinez, Filipino actor, director, and producer
    • 1961 – Spike Owen, American baseball player and coach
    • 1962 – Al Unser Jr., American race car driver
    • 1964 – Gordon Marshall, Scottish footballer and coach
    • 1964 – Kim Weaver, American astrophysicist, astronomer, and academic
    • 1965 – Natalie Dessay, French soprano and actress
    • 1965 – Suge Knight, American record producer, co-founded Death Row Records
    • 1966 – Véronique Gens, French soprano and actress
    • 1966 – David La Haye, Canadian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1966 – Paul Reiffel, Australian cricketer and umpire
    • 1966 – El Samurai, Japanese wrestler
    • 1967 – Philippe Saint-André, French rugby player and coach
    • 1968 – Ashley Judd, American actress and activist
    • 1968 – Arshad Warsi, Indian film actor and producer
    • 1969 – Andrew Carnie, Canadian-American linguist, author, and academic
    • 1969 – Susan Polgar, Hungarian-American chess player
    • 1970 – Luis Miguel, Mexican singer-songwriter and producer
    • 1970 – Kelly Holmes, English runner
    • 1970 – Abelardo Fernández, Spanish footballer and manager
    • 1971 – Brendon Burns, Australian comedian, podcaster, writer and author
    • 1971 – Scott McCord, Canadian voice actor
    • 1972 – Rivaldo, Brazilian footballer
    • 1972 – Jeff Wilkins, American football player
    • 1973 – George Gregan, Zambian-Australian rugby player and coach
    • 1973 – Alessio Scarpi, Italian footballer
    • 1975 – Jason Gillespie, Australian cricketer and coach
    • 1975 – Jussi Jääskeläinen, Finnish footballer
    • 1976 – Ruud Jolie, Dutch guitarist
    • 1976 – Scott Padgett, American basketball player, coach, and radio host
    • 1976 – Kim Young-oh, South Korean author and illustrator
    • 1977 – Joe Beimel, American baseball player
    • 1977 – Anju Bobby George, Indian long jumper
    • 1977 – Lucien Mettomo, Cameroonian footballer
    • 1977 – Dennys Reyes, Mexican baseball player
    • 1977 – Jonny Storm, English wrestler and trainer
    • 1978 – James Franco, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1978 – Gabriel Heinze, Argentinian footballer
    • 1978 – Amanda Sage, American-Austrian painter and educator
    • 1979 – Rocky Bernard, American football player
    • 1979 – Kate Hudson, American actress
    • 1979 – Zhao Junzhe, Chinese footballer
    • 1980 – Jason Blaine, Canadian singer-songwriter
    • 1980 – Robyn Regehr, Brazilian-Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1981 – Hayden Christensen, Canadian actor and producer
    • 1981 – Ryuta Hara, Japanese footballer
    • 1981 – Martin Havlát, Czech ice hockey player
    • 1981 – James Hibberd, English cricketer
    • 1981 – Troy Polamalu, American football player
    • 1981 – Catalina Sandino Moreno, Colombian actress
    • 1982 – Joseph Hagerty, American gymnast
    • 1982 – Filip Jícha, Czech handball player
    • 1982 – Samuel C. Morrison, Jr., Liberian-American journalist, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1982 – Rocco Sabato, Italian footballer
    • 1982 – Ignacio Serricchio, Argentinian-American actor
    • 1982 – Sitiveni Sivivatu, New Zealand rugby player
    • 1983 – Alberto Callaspo, Venezuelan-American baseball player
    • 1983 – Zach Duke, American baseball player
    • 1983 – Joe Mauer, American baseball player
    • 1983 – Patrick Platins, German footballer
    • 1983 – Curtis Thigpen, American baseball player
    • 1984 – Christopher Pearce, English cricketer
    • 1985 – Valon Behrami, Swiss footballer
    • 1985 – David Cavazos, Mexican singer-songwriter
    • 1985 – Sabrina Jalees, Canadian comedian, dancer, actress, presenter, and writer
    • 1985 – Jan Zimmermann, German footballer
    • 1986 – Pascal Angan, Beninese footballer
    • 1986 – Candace Parker, American basketball player
    • 1986 – Gabe Pruitt, American basketball player
    • 1986 – Will Thursfield, English-Australian footballer
    • 1987 – Luigi Giorgi, Italian footballer
    • 1987 – Joe Hart, English footballer
    • 1987 – Daniel Schuhmacher, German singer-songwriter
    • 1987 – Maria Sharapova, Russian tennis player
    • 1987 – Lauren Wilson, Canadian figure skater
    • 1988 – Enrique Esqueda, Mexican footballer
    • 1989 – Dominik Mader, German footballer
    • 1989 – Daisuke Watabe, Japanese footballer
    • 1989 – Genoveva Añonma, Equatoguinean footballer
    • 1990 – Jackie Bradley, Jr., American baseball player
    • 1990 – Kim Chiu, Filipino actress, singer, and dancer[34]
    • 1990 – Héctor Herrera, Mexican footballer
    • 1990 – Ayaka Takahashi, Japanese badminton player
    • 1991 – Steve Cook, English footballer

    Deaths April 19

    • 843 – Judith of Bavaria, Frankish empress
    • 1012 – Ælfheah of Canterbury, English archbishop and saint (b. 954)
    • 1013 – Hisham II, Umayyad caliph of Córdoba (b. 966)
    • 1044 – Gothelo I, duke of Lorraine
    • 1054 – Leo IX, pope of the Catholic Church (b. 1002)
    • 1321 – Gerasimus I, patriarch of Constantinople
    • 1390 – Robert II, king of Scotland (b. 1316)
    • 1405 – Thomas West, 1st Baron West, English nobleman (b. 1335)[35]
    • 1431 – Adolph III, count of Waldeck (b. 1362)
    • 1560 – Philip Melanchthon, German theologian and reformer (b. 1497)
    • 1567 – Michael Stifel, German monk and mathematician (b. 1487)
    • 1578 – Uesugi Kenshin, Japanese samurai and warlord (b. 1530)
    • 1588 – Paolo Veronese, Italian painter (b. 1528)
    • 1608 – Thomas Sackville, 1st Earl of Dorset, English poet, playwright, and politician, Lord High Treasurer (b. 1536)
    • 1618 – Thomas Bastard, English priest and author (b. 1566)
    • 1619 – Jagat Gosain, Mughal empress (b. 1573)[36]
    • 1629 – Sigismondo d’India, Italian composer (b. 1582)
    • 1632 – Sigismund III Vasa, king of Sweden and Poland (b. 1566)
    • 1686 – Antonio de Solís y Ribadeneyra, Spanish historian and playwright (b. 1610)
    • 1689 – Christina, queen of Sweden (b. 1626)
    • 1733 – Elizabeth Hamilton, countess of Orkney (b. 1657)
    • 1739 – Nicholas Saunderson, English mathematician and academic (b. 1682)
    • 1768 – Canaletto, Italian painter and etcher (b. 1697)
    • 1776 – Jacob Emden, German rabbi and author (b. 1697)
    • 1791 – Richard Price, Welsh-English preacher and philosopher (b. 1723)
    • 1813 – Benjamin Rush, American physician and educator (b. 1745)
    • 1824 – Lord Byron, English-Scottish poet and playwright (b. 1788)
    • 1831 – Johann Gottlieb Friedrich von Bohnenberger, German astronomer and mathematician (b. 1765)
    • 1833 – James Gambier, 1st Baron Gambier, Bahamian-English admiral and politician, 36th Commodore Governor of Newfoundland (b. 1756)
    • 1840 – Jean-Jacques Lartigue, Canadian bishop (b. 1777)
    • 1854 – Robert Jameson, Scottish mineralogist and academic (b. 1774)
    • 1881 – Benjamin Disraeli, English journalist and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1804)
    • 1882 – Charles Darwin, English biologist and theorist (b. 1809)
    • 1893 – Martin Körber, Estonian-German pastor, composer, and conductor (b. 1817)
    • 1901 – Alfred Horatio Belo, American publisher, founded The Dallas Morning News (b. 1839)
    • 1906 – Pierre Curie, French physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1859)
    • 1906 – Spencer Gore, English tennis player and cricketer (b. 1850)
    • 1909 – Signe Rink, Greenland-born Danish writer and ethnologist (b. 1836)
    • 1914 – Charles Sanders Peirce, American mathematician and philosopher (b. 1839)
    • 1915 – Thomas Playford II, English-Australian politician, 17th Premier of South Australia (b. 1837)
    • 1916 – Ephraim Shay, American engineer, designed the Shay locomotive (b. 1839)
    • 1926 – Alexander Alexandrovich Chuprov, Russian-Swiss statistician and theorist (b. 1874)
    • 1930 – Georges-Casimir Dessaulles, Canadian businessman and politician (b. 1827)
    • 1937 – Martin Conway, 1st Baron Conway of Allington, English cartographer and politician (b. 1856)
    • 1937 – William Morton Wheeler, American entomologist and zoologist (b. 1865)
    • 1941 – Johanna Müller-Hermann, Austrian composer (b. 1878)
    • 1949 – Ulrich Salchow, Danish-Swedish figure skater (b. 1877)
    • 1950 – Ernst Robert Curtius, French-German philologist and scholar (b. 1886)
    • 1955 – Jim Corbett, British-Indian colonel, hunter, and author (b. 1875)
    • 1960 – Beardsley Ruml, American economist and statistician (b. 1894)
    • 1961 – Max Hainle, German swimmer (b. 1882)
    • 1967 – Konrad Adenauer, German politician, 1st Chancellor of Germany (b. 1876)
    • 1971 – Luigi Piotti, Italian race car driver (b. 1913)
    • 1975 – Percy Lavon Julian, American chemist and academic (b. 1899)
    • 1987 – Hugh Brannum, American vocalist, arranger, and composer (b. 1910)
    • 1989 – Daphne du Maurier, English novelist and playwright (b. 1907)
    • 1991 – Stanley Hawes, English-Australian director and producer (b. 1905)
    • 1992 – Frankie Howerd, English actor and screenwriter (b. 1917)
    • 1993 – David Koresh, American religious leader (b. 1959)
    • 1993 – George S. Mickelson, American captain, lawyer, and politician, 28th Governor of South Dakota (b. 1941)
    • 1998 – Octavio Paz, Mexican poet, philosopher, and academic Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1914)
    • 1999 – Hermine Braunsteiner, Austrian-German SS officer (b. 1919)
    • 2000 – Louis Applebaum, Canadian composer and conductor (b. 1918)
    • 2001 – Meldrim Thomson, Jr.. American publisher and politician, 73rd Governor of New Hampshire (b. 1912)
    • 2002 – Reginald Rose, American writer (b. 1920)
    • 2003 – Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Indian-English caliph (b. 1928)
    • 2004 – Norris McWhirter, English author and activist co-founded the Guinness World Records (b. 1925)
    • 2004 – John Maynard Smith, English biologist and geneticist (b. 1920)
    • 2004 – Jenny Pike, Canadian WWII servicewoman and photographer (b. 1922)[37]
    • 2005 – George P. Cosmatos, Italian-Greek director and screenwriter (b. 1941)
    • 2005 – Ruth Hussey, American actress (b. 1911)
    • 2005 – Clement Meadmore, Australian-American sculptor and author (b. 1929)
    • 2005 – Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Danish bassist and composer (b. 1946)
    • 2006 – Albert Scott Crossfield, American engineer, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1921)
    • 2007 – Jean-Pierre Cassel, French actor (b. 1932)
    • 2008 – John Marzano, American baseball player and sportscaster (b. 1963)
    • 2008 – Alfonso López Trujillo, Colombian cardinal (b. 1935)
    • 2009 – J. G. Ballard, English novelist, short story writer, and essayist (b. 1930)
    • 2011 – Elisabeth Sladen, English actress (b. 1946)[38]
    • 2012 – Leopold David de Rothschild, English financier and philanthropist (b. 1927)
    • 2012 – Greg Ham, Australian saxophonist, songwriter, and actor (b. 1953)
    • 2012 – Levon Helm, American singer-songwriter, drummer, guitarist, instrumentalist, and actor (b. 1940)
    • 2012 – Valeri Vasiliev, Russian ice hockey player (b. 1949)
    • 2013 – Sivanthi Adithan, Indian businessman (b. 1936)
    • 2013 – Allan Arbus, American actor and photographer (b. 1918)
    • 2013 – Mike Denness, Scottish-English cricketer and referee (b. 1940)
    • 2013 – François Jacob, French biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1920)
    • 2013 – E. L. Konigsburg, American author and illustrator (b. 1930)
    • 2013 – Al Neuharth, American journalist, author, and publisher, founded USA Today (b. 1924)
    • 2014 – Lindy Berry, American football player (b. 1927)
    • 2014 – Ian McIntyre, Scottish journalist and producer (b. 1930)
    • 2014 – Frits Thors, Dutch journalist (b. 1909)
    • 2015 – Raymond Carr, English historian and academic (b. 1919)
    • 2015 – William Price Fox, American journalist and author (b. 1926)
    • 2015 – Roy Mason, English miner and politician, Secretary of State for Defence (b. 1924)[39]
    • 2015 – Tom McCabe, Scottish social worker and politician (b. 1954)[40]
    • 2015 – Oktay Sinanoğlu, Italian-Turkish chemist and academic (b. 1935)
    • 2016 – Patricio Aylwin, Chilean politician (b. 1918)[41]
    • 2016 – Milt Pappas, American baseball player (b. 1939)[42]
    • 2017 – Aaron Hernandez, American football player (b. 1989)[43]

    Holidays and observances on April 19

    • Christian feast day:
      • Ælfheah of Canterbury (Anglican, Catholic)
      • Conrad of Ascoli
      • Emma of Lesum
      • Expeditus
      • George of Antioch
      • Olaus and Laurentius Petri (Lutheran)
      • Pope Leo IX
      • Ursmar
      • April 19 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Earliest day on which First Day of Summer or Sumardagurinn fyrsti can fall, while April 25 is the latest; celebrated on the first Thursday after April 18. (Iceland)
    • Army Day (Brazil)
    • Beginning of the Independence Movement (Venezuela)
    • Bicycle Day[44]
    • Dutch-American Friendship Day (United States)
    • Holocaust Remembrance Day (Poland)
    • Indian Day (Brazil)
    • King Mswati III’s birthday (Eswatini)
    • Landing of the 33 Patriots Day (Uruguay)
    • Patriots’ Day (Massachusetts, Maine and Wisconsin, United States)