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Fiction

May 20 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 325 – The First Council of Nicaea is formally opened, starting the first ecumenical council of the Christian Church.
  • 491 – Empress Ariadne marries Anastasius I. The widowed Augusta is able to choose her successor for the Byzantine throne, after Zeno (late emperor) dies of dysentery.
  • 685 – The Battle of Dun Nechtain is fought between a Pictish army under King Bridei III and the invading Northumbrians under King Ecgfrith, who are decisively defeated.
  • 794 – While visiting the royal Mercian court at Sutton Walls with a view to marrying princess Ælfthryth, King Æthelberht II of East Anglia is taken captive and beheaded.
  • 1217 – The Second Battle of Lincoln is fought near Lincoln, England, resulting in the defeat of Prince Louis of France by William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke.
  • 1293 – King Sancho IV of Castile creates the Estudio de Escuelas de Generales in Alcalá de Henares.
  • 1449 – The Battle of Alfarrobeira is fought, establishing the House of Braganza as a principal royal family of Portugal.
  • 1497 – John Cabot sets sail from Bristol, England, on his ship Matthew looking for a route to the west (other documents give a May 2 date).
  • 1498 – Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama discovers the sea route to India when he arrives at Kozhikode (previously known as Calicut), India.
  • 1521 – Ignatius of Loyola is seriously wounded in the Battle of Pampeluna.
  • 1570 – Cartographer Abraham Ortelius issues Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, the first modern atlas.
  • 1609 – Shakespeare’s sonnets are first published in London, perhaps illicitly, by the publisher Thomas Thorpe.
  • 1631 – The city of Magdeburg in Germany is seized by forces of the Holy Roman Empire and most of its inhabitants massacred, in one of the bloodiest incidents of the Thirty Years’ War.
  • 1645 – Yangzhou massacre: The ten day massacre of 800,000 residents of the city of Yangzhou, part of the Transition from Ming to Qing.
  • 1741 – The Battle of Cartagena de Indias ends in a Spanish victory and the British begin withdrawal towards Jamaica with substantial losses.
  • 1775 – The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence is allegedly signed in Charlotte, North Carolina.
  • 1802 – By the Law of 20 May 1802, Napoleon Bonaparte reinstates slavery in the French colonies, revoking its abolition in the French Revolution.
  • 1813 – Napoleon Bonaparte leads his French troops into the Battle of Bautzen in Saxony, Germany, against the combined armies of Russia and Prussia. The battle ends the next day with a French victory.
  • 1840 – York Minster is badly damaged by fire.
  • 1861 – American Civil War: The state of Kentucky proclaims its neutrality, which will last until September 3 when Confederate forces enter the state. Meanwhile, the State of North Carolina secedes from the Union.
  • 1862 – U.S. President Abraham Lincoln signs the Homestead Act into law, opening 84 million acres of public land to settlers.
  • 1864 – American Civil War: Battle of Ware Bottom Church: In the Virginia Bermuda Hundred campaign, 10,000 troops fight in this Confederate victory.
  • 1873 – Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis receive a U.S. patent for blue jeans with copper rivets.
  • 1875 – Signing of the Metre Convention by 17 nations leading to the establishment of the International System of Units.
  • 1882 – The Triple Alliance between the German Empire, Austria-Hungary and the Kingdom of Italy is formed.
  • 1883 – Krakatoa begins to erupt; the volcano explodes three months later, killing more than 36,000 people.
  • 1891 – History of cinema: The first public display of Thomas Edison’s prototype kinetoscope.
  • 1902 – Cuba gains independence from the United States. Tomás Estrada Palma becomes the country’s first President.
  • 1927 – Treaty of Jeddah: The United Kingdom recognizes the sovereignty of King Ibn Saud in the Kingdoms of Hejaz and Nejd, which later merge to become the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
  • 1932 – Amelia Earhart takes off from Newfoundland to begin the world’s first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean by a female pilot, landing in Ireland the next day.
  • 1940 – The Holocaust: The first prisoners arrive at a new concentration camp at Auschwitz.
  • 1941 – World War II: Battle of Crete: German paratroops invade Crete.
  • 1948 – Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek wins the 1948 Republic of China presidential election and is sworn in as the first President of the Republic of China at Nanjing.
  • 1949 – In the United States, the Armed Forces Security Agency, the predecessor to the National Security Agency, is established.
  • 1956 – In Operation Redwing, the first United States airborne hydrogen bomb is dropped over Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean.
  • 1964 – Discovery of the cosmic microwave background radiation by Robert Woodrow Wilson and Arno Penzias.
  • 1967 – The Popular Movement of the Revolution political party is established in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
  • 1969 – The Battle of Hamburger Hill in Vietnam ends.
  • 1971 – In the Chuknagar massacre, Pakistani forces massacre thousands, mostly Bengali Hindus.
  • 1980 – In a referendum in Quebec, the population rejects, by 60% of the vote, a government proposal to move towards independence from Canada.
  • 1983 – First publications of the discovery of the HIV virus that causes AIDS in the journal Science by Luc Montagnier.
  • 1983 – Church Street bombing: A car bomb planted by Umkhonto we Sizwe explodes on Church Street in South Africa’s capital, Pretoria, killing 19 people and injuring 217 others.
  • 1985 – Radio Martí, part of the Voice of America service, begins broadcasting to Cuba.
  • 1989 – The Chinese authorities declare martial law in the face of pro-democracy demonstrations, setting the scene for the Tiananmen Square massacre.
  • 1990 – The first post-Communist presidential and parliamentary elections are held in Romania.
  • 1996 – Civil rights: The Supreme Court of the United States rules in Romer v. Evans against a law that would have prevented any city, town or county in the state of Colorado from taking any legislative, executive, or judicial action to protect the rights of gays and lesbians.
  • 2002 – The independence of East Timor is recognized by Portugal, formally ending 23 years of Indonesian rule and three years of provisional UN administration (Portugal itself is the former colonizer of East Timor until 1976).
  • 2012 – At least 27 people are killed and 50 others injured when a 6.0-magnitude earthquake strikes northern Italy.
  • 2013 – An EF5 tornado strikes the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore, killing 24 people and injuring 377 others.
  • 2019 – The International System of Units (SI): The base units are redefined, making the international prototype of the kilogram obsolete.

Births on May 20

  • 1315 – Bonne of Luxembourg, first wife of John II of France (d. 1349)
  • 1470 – Pietro Bembo, Italian cardinal, poet, and scholar (d. 1547)
  • 1505 – Levinus Lemnius, Dutch writer (d. 1568)
  • 1531 – Thado Minsaw of Ava, Viceroy of Ava (d. 1584)
  • 1537 – Hieronymus Fabricius, Italian anatomist (d. 1619)
  • 1575 – Robert Heath, English judge and politician (d. 1649)
  • 1664 – Andreas Schlüter, German sculptor and architect (d. 1714)
  • 1726 – Francis Cotes, English painter and academic (d. 1770)
  • 1743 – Toussaint Louverture, Haitian revolutionary, general, and president (d. 1803)
  • 1759 – William Thornton, Virgin Islander-American architect, designed the United States Capitol (d. 1828)
  • 1769 – Andreas Vokos Miaoulis, Greek admiral and politician (d. 1835)
  • 1772 – Sir William Congreve, 2nd Baronet, English inventor and politician, developed Congreve rockets (d. 1828)
  • 1776 – Simon Fraser, American-Canadian fur trader and explorer (d. 1862)
  • 1795 – Pedro María de Anaya, Mexican soldier. President (1847-1848) (d. 1854)
  • 1799 – Honoré de Balzac, French novelist and playwright (d. 1850)
  • 1806 – John Stuart Mill, English economist, civil servant, and philosopher (d. 1873)
  • 1811 – Alfred Domett, English-New Zealand poet and politician, 4th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1887)
  • 1818 – William Fargo, American businessman and politician, co-founded Wells Fargo and American Express (d. 1881)
  • 1822 – Frédéric Passy, French economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1912)
  • 1824 – Cadmus M. Wilcox, Confederate States Army general (d. 1890)
  • 1825 – Antoinette Brown Blackwell, the first woman to be ordained as a mainstream Protestant minister in the U.S. (d. 1921)
  • 1830 – Hector Malot, French author (d. 1907)
  • 1838 – Jules Méline, French lawyer and politician, 65th Prime Minister of France (d. 1925)
  • 1851 – Emile Berliner, German-American inventor, invented the Gramophone record (d. 1929)
  • 1854 – George Prendergast, Australian politician, 28th Premier of Victoria (d. 1937)
  • 1856 – Henri-Edmond Cross, French Neo-Impressionist painter (d. 1910)
  • 1860 – Eduard Buchner, German chemist, zymologist, and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1917)
  • 1875 – Hendrik Offerhaus, Dutch rower (d. 1953)
  • 1877 – Pat Leahy, Irish-American jumper (d. 1927)
  • 1879 – Hans Meerwein, German chemist (d. 1965)
  • 1882 – Sigrid Undset, Danish-Norwegian novelist, essayist, and translator, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1949)
  • 1883 – Faisal I of Iraq (d. 1933)
  • 1886 – Ali Sami Yen, Turkish footballer and manager, founded the Galatasaray Sports Club (d. 1951)
  • 1894 – Chandrashekarendra Saraswati, Indian guru and scholar (d. 1994)
  • 1895 – R. J. Mitchell, English engineer, designed the Supermarine Spitfire and Supermarine S.6B (d. 1937)
  • 1897 – Diego Abad de Santillán, Spanish economist and author (d. 1983)
  • 1897 – Malcolm Nokes, English hammer and discus thrower (d. 1986)
  • 1898 – Eduard Ole, Estonian painter (d. 1995)
  • 1899 – Aleksandr Deyneka, Russian painter and sculptor (d. 1969)
  • 1899 – John Marshall Harlan II, American lawyer and jurist (d. 1971)
  • 1900 – Sumitranandan Pant, Indian poet and author (d. 1977)
  • 1901 – Max Euwe, Dutch chess player, mathematician, and author (d. 1981)
  • 1901 – Doris Fleeson, American journalist (d. 1970)
  • 1904 – Margery Allingham, English author of detective fiction (d. 1966)
  • 1906 – Giuseppe Siri, Italian cardinal (d. 1989)
  • 1907 – Carl Mydans, American photographer and journalist (d. 2004)
  • 1908 – Henry Bolte, Australian politician, 38th Premier of Victoria (d. 1990)
  • 1908 – Louis Daquin, French actor and director (d. 1980)
  • 1908 – Francis Raymond Fosberg, American botanist and author (d. 1993)
  • 1908 – James Stewart, American actor (d. 1997)
  • 1911 – Gardner Fox, American author (d. 1986)
  • 1911 – Annie M. G. Schmidt, Dutch author and playwright (d. 1995)
  • 1913 – Teodoro Fernández, Peruvian footballer (d. 1996)
  • 1913 – William Redington Hewlett, American engineer, co-founded Hewlett-Packard (d. 2001)
  • 1915 – Peter Copley, English actor (d. 2008)
  • 1915 – Moshe Dayan, Israeli general and politician, 5th Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 1981)
  • 1915 – Joff Ellen, Australian comedian and actor (d. 1999)
  • 1916 – Owen Chadwick, English rugby player, historian, and academic (d. 2015)
  • 1916 – Alexey Maresyev, Russian soldier and pilot (d. 2001)
  • 1916 – Ondina Valla, Italian sprinter and hurdler (d. 2006)
  • 1917 – Tony Cliff, Israeli-English author and activist (d. 2000)
  • 1917 – Guy Favreau, Canadian lawyer, judge, and politician, 28th Canadian Minister of Justice (d. 1967)
  • 1918 – Alexandra Boyko, Russian tank commander (d. 1996)
  • 1918 – Edward B. Lewis, American biologist, geneticist, and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2004)
  • 1919 – George Gobel, American comedian (d. 1991)
  • 1920 – John Cruickshank, Scottish lieutenant and banker, Victoria Cross recipient
  • 1921 – Wolfgang Borchert, German author and playwright (d. 1947)
  • 1921 – Hal Newhouser, American baseball player and scout (d. 1998)
  • 1921 – Hao Wang, Chinese-American logician, philosopher, and mathematician (d. 1995)
  • 1922 – Ted Hinton, Northern Irish international footballer (d. 1988)
  • 1923 – Edith Fellows, American actress (d. 2011)
  • 1923 – Sam Selvon, Trinidad-born writer (d. 1994)
  • 1924 – David Chavchavadze, English-American CIA officer and author (d. 2014)
  • 1924 – Zelmar Michelini, Uruguayan journalist and politician (d. 1976)
  • 1925 – Alexei Tupolev, Russian engineer, designed the Tupolev Tu-144 (d. 2001)
  • 1926 – Bob Sweikert, American race car driver (d. 1956)
  • 1927 – Bud Grant, American football player and coach
  • 1927 – David Hedison, American actor (d. 2019)
  • 1927 – Franciszek Macharski, Polish cardinal (d. 2016)
  • 1929 – Gilles Loiselle, Canadian politician and diplomat, 33rd Canadian Minister of Finance
  • 1930 – Sam Etcheverry, American football player and coach (d. 2009)
  • 1931 – Ken Boyer, American baseball player and manager (d. 1982)
  • 1931 – Louis Smith, American trumpeter (d. 2016)
  • 1933 – Constance Towers, American actress and singer
  • 1935 – José Mujica, Uruguayan guerrilla leader and politician, 40th President of Uruguay
  • 1936 – Anthony Zerbe, American actor
  • 1937 – Dave Hill, American golfer (d. 2011)
  • 1937 – Derek Lampe, English footballer
  • 1939 – Balu Mahendra, Sri Lankan-Indian director, cinematographer, and screenwriter (d. 2014)
  • 1940 – Shorty Long, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 1969)
  • 1940 – Stan Mikita, Slovak-Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster (d. 2018)
  • 1940 – Sadaharu Oh, Japanese-Taiwanese baseball player and manager
  • 1941 – Goh Chok Tong, Singaporean politician, 2nd Prime Minister of Singapore
  • 1941 – John Strasberg, American actor and teacher
  • 1942 – Raymond Chrétien, Canadian lawyer and diplomat, Canadian Ambassador to the United States
  • 1942 – Lynn Davies, Welsh sprinter and long jumper
  • 1942 – Carlos Hathcock, American sergeant and sniper (d. 1999)
  • 1942 – Frew McMillan, South African tennis player
  • 1943 – Albano Carrisi, Italian singer, actor, and winemaker
  • 1943 – Deryck Murray, Trinidadian cricketer
  • 1944 – Joe Cocker, English singer-songwriter (d. 2014)
  • 1944 – Boudewijn de Groot, Indonesian-Dutch singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1944 – Keith Fletcher, English cricketer and manager
  • 1944 – Dietrich Mateschitz, Austrian businessman, co-founded Red Bull GmbH
  • 1945 – Vladimiro Montesinos, Peruvian intelligence officer
  • 1946 – Cher, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
  • 1946 – Bobby Murcer, American baseball player, coach, manager, and sportscaster (d. 2008)
  • 1947 – Steve Currie, English bass player (d. 1981)
  • 1947 – Greg Dyke, English journalist and academic
  • 1949 – Robert Morin, Canadian director, cinematographer, and screenwriter
  • 1949 – Michèle Roberts, English author and poet
  • 1949 – Dave Thomas, Canadian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1950 – Andy Johns, English-American engineer and producer (d. 2013)
  • 1950 – Reinaldo Merlo, Argentinian footballer and coach
  • 1951 – Thomas Akers, American colonel, engineer, and astronaut
  • 1951 – Christie Blatchford, Canadian newspaper columnist, journalist and broadcaster (d. 2020)
  • 1951 – Mike Crapo, American lawyer and politician
  • 1952 – Roger Milla, Cameroonian footballer and manager
  • 1952 – Michael Wills, English politician, British Minister of Justice
  • 1953 – Robert Doyle, Australian educator and politician, 103rd Lord Mayor of Melbourne
  • 1954 – David Paterson, American lawyer and politician, 55th Governor of New York
  • 1954 – Colin Sutherland, Lord Carloway, Scottish lawyer and judge
  • 1955 – Steve George, American keyboard player and songwriter
  • 1955 – Zbigniew Preisner, Polish composer and producer
  • 1956 – Ingvar Ambjørnsen, Norwegian-German author and critic
  • 1956 – Gerry Peyton, English born Irish international footballer and coach
  • 1956 – Douglas Preston, American journalist and author
  • 1957 – Yoshihiko Noda, Japanese lawyer and politician, 62nd Prime Minister of Japan
  • 1958 – Ron Reagan, American journalist and radio host
  • 1958 – Jane Wiedlin, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress
  • 1959 – Susan Cowsill, American singer-songwriter
  • 1960 – Tony Goldwyn, American actor and director
  • 1961 – Clive Allen, English international footballer and manager
  • 1961 – Nick Heyward, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1963 – David Wells, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1964 – Kōichirō Genba, Japanese politician, 80th Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs
  • 1964 – Edin Osmanović, Slovenian footballer, coach, and manager
  • 1964 – Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, English journalist and author
  • 1965 – Ted Allen, American television host and author
  • 1965 – Stu Grimson, Canadian ice hockey player, sportscaster, and lawyer
  • 1966 – Dan Abrams, American journalist and author
  • 1967 – Graham Brady, English politician
  • 1967 – Gabriele Muccino, Italian director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1968 – Timothy Olyphant, American actor and producer
  • 1969 – Road Dogg, American wrestler, producer, and soldier
  • 1970 – Terrell Brandon, American basketball player
  • 1970 – Louis Theroux, Singaporean-English journalist and producer
  • 1971 – Šárka Kašpárková, Czech triple jumper and coach
  • 1971 – Tony Stewart, American race car driver
  • 1972 – Michael Diamond, Australian shooter
  • 1972 – Christophe Dominici, French rugby player
  • 1972 – Busta Rhymes, American rapper, producer, and actor
  • 1973 – Nathan Long, Australian rugby league player
  • 1974 – Allison Amend, American novelist and short story writer
  • 1974 – Shiboprosad Mukherjee, Indian film director, writer and actor
  • 1975 – Juan Minujín, Argentinian actor, director, and screenwriter
  • 1976 – Ramón Hernández, Venezuelan-American baseball player
  • 1976 – Tomoya Satozaki, Japanese baseball player
  • 1977 – Matt Czuchry, American actor
  • 1977 – Leo Franco, Argentinian footballer
  • 1977 – Angela Goethals, American actress
  • 1977 – Stirling Mortlock, Australian rugby player
  • 1977 – Vesa Toskala, Finnish ice hockey player
  • 1978 – Hristos Banikas, Greek chess player
  • 1978 – Pavla Hamáčková-Rybová, Czech pole vaulter
  • 1978 – Nils Schumann, German runner
  • 1979 – Andrew Scheer, Canadian politician, 28th Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada
  • 1979 – Jayson Werth, American baseball player
  • 1980 – Austin Kearns, American baseball player
  • 1980 – Kassim Osgood, American football player
  • 1981 – Iker Casillas, Spanish footballer
  • 1981 – Rachel Platten, American singer and songwriter
  • 1981 – Lindsay Taylor, American basketball player
  • 1981 – Mark Winterbottom, Australian race car driver
  • 1982 – Petr Čech, Czech footballer
  • 1982 – Imran Farhat, Pakistani cricketer
  • 1982 – Jessica Raine, English actress
  • 1982 – Daniel Ribeiro, Brazilian director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1983 – Óscar Cardozo, Paraguayan footballer
  • 1983 – Matt Langridge, English rower
  • 1984 – Mauro Rafael da Silva, Brazilian footballer
  • 1984 – Patrick Ewing, Jr., American basketball player
  • 1984 – Keith Grennan, American football player
  • 1985 – Chris Froome, Kenyan-English cyclist
  • 1985 – Brendon Goddard, Australian footballer
  • 1986 – Dexter Blackstock, English footballer
  • 1986 – Stéphane Mbia, Cameroonian footballer
  • 1986 – Jiřina Svobodová, Czech pole vaulter
  • 1987 – Mike Havenaar, Japanese footballer
  • 1987 – Julian Wright, American basketball player
  • 1988 – Joel Moon, Australian rugby league player
  • 1989 – Siosia Vave, Australian-Tongan rugby league player
  • 1991 – Bastian Baker, Swiss singer, songwriter, and performer
  • 1991 – Emre Colak, Turkish footballer
  • 1992 – Cate Campbell, Malawian-Australian swimmer
  • 1992 – Jack Gleeson, Irish actor
  • 1992 – Enes Kanter, Turkish basketball player
  • 1993 – Caroline Zhang, American figure skater
  • 1996 – Brian Kelly, Australian rugby league player
  • 1998 – Jamie Chadwick, English race car driver
  • 1998 – Nam Nguyen, Canadian figure skater

Deaths on May 20

  • 685 – Ecgfrith of Northumbria (b. 645)
  • 794 – Æthelberht II, king of East Anglia
  • 965 – Gero the Great, Saxon ruler (b.c. 900)
  • 1062 – Bao Zheng, Chinese magistrate and mayor of Kaifeng (b. 999)
  • 1277 – Pope John XXI (b. 1215)
  • 1285 – John II of Jerusalem (b. 1259)
  • 1291 – Sufi Saint Sayyid Jalaluddin Surkh-Posh Bukhari
  • 1366 – Maria of Calabria, Empress of Constantinople (b. 1329)
  • 1444 – Bernardino of Siena, Italian-Spanish missionary and saint (b. 1380)
  • 1449 – Álvaro Vaz de Almada, 1st Count of Avranches
  • 1449 – Infante Pedro, Duke of Coimbra (b. 1392)
  • 1501 – Columba of Rieti, Italian Dominican tertiary Religious Sister (b. 1467)
  • 1503 – Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de’ Medici, Italian banker and politician (b. 1463)
  • 1506 – Christopher Columbus, Italian explorer, discovered the Americas (b. 1451)
  • 1550 – Ashikaga Yoshiharu, Japanese shōgun (b. 1510)
  • 1579 – Isabella Markham, English courtier (b. 1527)
  • 1622 – Osman II, Ottoman sultan (b. 1604)
  • 1645 – Shi Kefa, Chinese general and calligrapher (b. 1601)
  • 1648 – Władysław IV Vasa, Polish son of Sigismund III Vasa (b. 1595)
  • 1677 – George Digby, 2nd Earl of Bristol, Spanish-English politician, English Secretary of State (b. 1612)
  • 1713 – Thomas Sprat, English bishop (b. 1635)
  • 1717 – John Trevor, Welsh lawyer and politician, 102nd Speaker of the House of Commons (b. 1637)
  • 1722 – Sébastien Vaillant, French botanist and mycologist (b. 1669)
  • 1732 – Thomas Boston, Scottish author and educator (b. 1676)
  • 1782 – William Emerson, English mathematician and academic (b. 1701)
  • 1793 – Charles Bonnet, Swiss botanist and biologist (b. 1720)
  • 1812 – Count Hieronymus von Colloredo, Austrian archbishop (b. 1732)
  • 1834 – Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, French general (b. 1757)
  • 1841 – Joseph Blanco White, Spanish poet and theologian (b. 1775)
  • 1864 – John Clare, English poet (b. 1793)
  • 1873 – George-Étienne Cartier, Canadian soldier, lawyer, and politician, 9th Premier of East Canada (b. 1814)
  • 1880 – Ana Néri, Brazilian nurse and philanthropist (b. 1814)
  • 1896 – Clara Schumann, German pianist and composer (b. 1819)
  • 1909 – Ernest Hogan, American actor and composer (b. 1859)
  • 1917 – Valentine Fleming, Scottish soldier and politician (b. 1887)
  • 1917 – Philipp von Ferrary, Italian stamp collector (b. 1850)
  • 1924 – Bogd Khan, Mongolian ruler (c. 1869)
  • 1925 – Joseph Howard, Maltese politician, 1st Prime Minister of Malta (b. 1862)
  • 1931 – Ernest Noel, Scottish businessman and politician (b. 1831)
  • 1940 – Verner von Heidenstam, Swedish author and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1859)
  • 1942 – Hector Guimard, French Architect (b. 1867)
  • 1946 – Jacob Ellehammer, Danish pilot and engineer (b. 1871)
  • 1947 – Philipp Lenard, Slovak-German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1862)
  • 1947 – Georgios Siantos, Greek sergeant and politician (b. 1890)
  • 1949 – Damaskinos of Athens, Greek archbishop and politician, 137th Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1891)
  • 1956 – Max Beerbohm, English essayist, parodist, and caricaturist (b. 1872)
  • 1956 – Zoltán Halmay, Hungarian swimmer and trainer (b. 1881)
  • 1961 – Josef Priller, German colonel and pilot (b. 1915)
  • 1964 – Rudy Lewis, American singer (b. 1936)
  • 1971 – Waldo Williams, Welsh poet and academic (b. 1904)
  • 1973 – Renzo Pasolini, Italian motorcycle racer (b. 1938)
  • 1973 – Jarno Saarinen, Finnish motorcycle racer (b. 1945)
  • 1975 – Barbara Hepworth, English sculptor and lithographer (b. 1903)
  • 1976 – Syd Howe, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1911)
  • 1976 – Zelmar Michelini, Uruguayan journalist and politician (b. 1924)
  • 1976 – Héctor Gutiérrez Ruiz, Uruguayan politician (b. 1934)
  • 1989 – John Hicks, English economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1904)
  • 1989 – Gilda Radner, American actress and comedian (b. 1946)
  • 1995 – Les Cowie, Australian rugby league player (b. 1925)
  • 1996 – Jon Pertwee, English actor, portrayed the Third Doctor (b. 1919)
  • 1998 – Robert Normann, Norwegian guitarist (b. 1916)
  • 2000 – Jean-Pierre Rampal, French flute player (b. 1922)
  • 2000 – Malik Sealy, American basketball player and actor (b. 1970)
  • 2000 – Yevgeny Khrunov, Russian colonel, engineer, and astronaut (b. 1933)
  • 2001 – Renato Carosone, Italian singer-songwriter and pianist (b. 1920)
  • 2002 – Stephen Jay Gould, American paleontologist, biologist, and academic (b. 1941)
  • 2005 – Paul Ricœur, French philosopher and academic (b. 1913)
  • 2005 – William Seawell, American general (b. 1918)
  • 2007 – Norman Von Nida, Australian golfer (b. 1914)
  • 2008 – Hamilton Jordan, American politician, 8th White House Chief of Staff (b. 1944)
  • 2009 – Arthur Erickson, Canadian architect and urban planner, designed Roy Thomson Hall (b. 1924)
  • 2009 – Lucy Gordon, American actress and model (b. 1980)
  • 2009 – Pierre Gamarra, French author, poet, and critic (b. 1919)
  • 2011 – Randy Savage, American wrestler and actor (b. 1952)
  • 2012 – Leela Dube, Indian anthropologist and scholar (b. 1923)
  • 2012 – Robin Gibb, Manx-English singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1949)
  • 2012 – David Littman, English-Swiss historian, author, and academic (b. 1933)
  • 2012 – Ken Lyons, American bass guitarist (b. 1953)
  • 2012 – Eugene Polley, American engineer, invented the remote control (b. 1915)
  • 2012 – Andrew B. Steinberg, American lawyer (b. 1958)
  • 2013 – Flavio Costantini, Italian painter and illustrator (b. 1926)
  • 2013 – Billie Dawe, Canadian ice hockey player and manager (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – Anders Eliasson, Swedish composer (b. 1947)
  • 2013 – Miloslav Kříž, Czech basketball player and coach (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – Ray Manzarek, American singer-songwriter, keyboard player, and producer (b. 1939)
  • 2013 – Denys Roberts, English judge and politician (b. 1923)
  • 2013 – Zach Sobiech, American singer-songwriter (b. 1995)
  • 2014 – Sandra Bem, American psychologist and academic (b. 1944)
  • 2014 – Ross Brown, New Zealand rugby player (b. 1934)
  • 2014 – Robyn Denny, English-French painter (b. 1930)
  • 2014 – Arthur Gelb, American journalist, author, and critic (b. 1924)
  • 2014 – Prince Rupert Loewenstein, Spanish-English businessman (b. 1933)
  • 2014 – Barbara Murray, English actress (b. 1929)
  • 2015 – Bob Belden, American saxophonist, composer, and producer (b. 1956)
  • 2015 – Femi Robinson, Nigerian actor and playwright (b. 1940)

Holidays and observances on May 20

  • Christian feast day:
    • Abercius and Helena
    • Alcuin of York
    • Aurea of Ostia
    • Austregisilus
    • Baudilus
    • Bernardino of Siena
    • Ivo of Chartres
    • Lucifer of Cagliari
    • Sanctan
    • May 20 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Day of Remembrance (Cambodia)
  • Emancipation Day (Florida)
  • European Maritime Day (European Council)
  • Independence Restoration Day, celebrates the independence of East Timor from Indonesia in 2002.
  • Josephine Baker Day (NAACP)
  • National Awakening Day (Indonesia), and its related observances:
    • Indonesian Doctor Day (Indonesia)
  • National Day (Cameroon)
  • World Bee Day
  • World Metrology Day

May 20 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

On This Day /
  • 453 BC – Spring and Autumn period: The house of Zhao defeats the house of Zhi, ending the Battle of Jinyang, a military conflict between the elite families of the State of Jin.
  • 413 – Emperor Honorius signs an edict providing tax relief for the Italian provinces Tuscia, Campania, Picenum, Samnium, Apulia, Lucania and Calabria, which were plundered by the Visigoths.
  • 589 – Reccared I opens the Third Council of Toledo, marking the entry of Visigothic Spain into the Catholic Church.
  • 1429 – Joan of Arc lifts the Siege of Orléans, turning the tide of the Hundred Years’ War.
  • 1450 – Kentishmen revolt against King Henry VI.
  • 1516 – A group of imperial guards, led by Trịnh Duy Sản, murdered Emperor Lê Tương Dực and fled, leaving the capital Thăng Long undefended.
  • 1541 – Hernando de Soto stops near present-day Walls, Mississippi, and sees the Mississippi River(then known by the Spanish as Río de Espíritu Santo, the name given to it by Alonso Álvarez de Pineda in 1519).
  • 1788 – King Louis XVI of France attempts to impose the reforms of Étienne Charles de Loménie de Brienne by abolishing the parlements.
  • 1794 – Branded a traitor during the Reign of Terror, French chemist Antoine Lavoisier, who was also a tax collector with the Ferme générale, is tried, convicted and guillotined in one day in Paris.
  • 1821 – Greek War of Independence: The Greeks defeat the Turks at the Battle of Gravia Inn.
  • 1842 – A train derails and catches fire in Paris, killing between 52 and 200 people.
  • 1846 – Mexican–American War: American forces led by Zachary Taylor defeat a Mexican force north of the Rio Grande in the first major battle of the war.
  • 1877 – At Gilmore’s Gardens in New York City, the first Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show opens.
  • 1886 – Pharmacist John Pemberton first sells a carbonated beverage named “Coca-Cola” as a patent medicine.
  • 1898 – The first games of the Italian football league system are played.
  • 1899 – The Irish Literary Theatre in Dublin produced its first play.
  • 1902 – In Martinique, Mount Pelée erupts, destroying the town of Saint-Pierre and killing over 30,000 people. Only a handful of residents survive the blast.
  • 1912 – Paramount Pictures is founded.
  • 1919 – Edward George Honey proposes the idea of a moment of silence to commemorate the Armistice of 11 November 1918 which ended World War I.
  • 1921 – The creation of the Communist Party of Romania.
  • 1924 – The Klaipėda Convention is signed formally incorporating Klaipėda Region (Memel Territory) into Lithuania.
  • 1927 – Attempting to make the first non-stop transatlantic flight from Paris to New York, French war heroes Charles Nungesser and François Coli disappear after taking off aboard The White Bird biplane.
  • 1933 – Mohandas Gandhi begins a 21-day fast of self-purification and launched a one-year campaign to help the Harijan movement.
  • 1941 – World War II: The German Luftwaffe launches a bombing raid on Nottingham and Derby.
  • 1942 – World War II: The German 11th Army begins Operation Trappenjagd (Bustard Hunt) and destroys the bridgehead of the three Soviet armies defending the Kerch Peninsula.
  • 1942 – World War II: The Battle of the Coral Sea comes to an end with Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carrier aircraft attacking and sinking the United States Navy aircraft carrier USS Lexington.
  • 1942 – World War II: Gunners of the Ceylon Garrison Artillery on Horsburgh Island in the Cocos Islands rebel in the Cocos Islands Mutiny. Their mutiny is crushed and three of them are executed, the only British Commonwealth soldiers to be executed for mutiny during the Second World War.
  • 1945 – World War II: The German Instrument of Surrender signed at Reims comes into effect.
  • 1945 – End of the Prague uprising, celebrated now as a national holiday in the Czech Republic.
  • 1945 – Hundreds of Algerian civilians are killed by French Army soldiers in the Sétif massacre.
  • 1945 – The Halifax riot starts when thousands of civilians and servicemen rampage through Halifax, Nova Scotia.
  • 1946 – Estonian schoolgirls Aili Jõgi and Ageeda Paavel blow up the Soviet memorial which preceded the Bronze Soldier of Tallinn.
  • 1963 – South Vietnamese soldiers under the Roman Catholic President Ngo Dinh Diem open fire on Buddhists defying a ban on the flying of the Buddhist flag on Vesak, killing nine and sparking the Buddhist crisis.
  • 1967 – The Philippine province of Davao is split into three: Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, and Davao Oriental.
  • 1972 – Vietnam War: U.S. President Richard Nixon announces his order to place naval mines in major North Vietnamese ports in order to stem the flow of weapons and other goods to that nation.
  • 1973 – A 71-day standoff between federal authorities and the American Indian Movement members occupying the Pine Ridge Reservation at Wounded Knee, South Dakota ends with the surrender of the militants.
  • 1976 – The rollercoaster The New Revolution, the first steel coaster with a vertical loop, opens at Six Flags Magic Mountain.
  • 1978 – The first ascent of Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen, by Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler.
  • 1980 – The World Health Organization confirms the eradication of smallpox.
  • 1984 – Corporal Denis Lortie enters the Quebec National Assembly and opens fire, killing three people and wounding 13. René Jalbert, Sergeant-at-Arms of the Assembly, succeeds in calming him, for which he will later receive the Cross of Valour.
  • 1984 – The Thames Barrier is officially opened, preventing the floodplain of most of Greater London from being flooded except under extreme circumstances.
  • 1987 – The SAS kills eight Provisional Irish Republican Army volunteers and a civilian during an ambush in Loughgall, Northern Ireland.
  • 1988 – A fire at Illinois Bell’s Hinsdale Central Office triggers an extended 1AESS network outage once considered to be the “worst telecommunications disaster in US telephone industry history”.
  • 1997 – China Southern Airlines Flight 3456 crashes on approach into Bao’an International Airport, killing 35 people.
  • 2019 – British 17-year-old Isabelle Holdaway is reported to be the first patient ever to receive a genetically modified phage therapy to treat a drug-resistant infection.

Births on May 8

  • 1326 – Joan I, Countess of Auvergne (d. 1360)
  • 1427 – John Tiptoft, 1st Earl of Worcester, Lord High Treasurer (d. 1470)
  • 1460 – Frederick I, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach (d. 1536)
  • 1492 – Andrea Alciato, Italian jurist and writer (d. 1550)
  • 1508 – Charles Wriothesley, English Officer of Arms (d. 1562)
  • 1521 – Peter Canisius, Dutch-Swiss priest and saint (d. 1597)
  • 1551 – Thomas Drury, English government informer and swindler (d. 1603)
  • 1587 – Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy (d. 1637)
  • 1622 – Claes Rålamb, Swedish politician (d. 1698)
  • 1628 – Angelo Italia, Sicilian Jesuit and architect (d. 1700)
  • 1629 – Niels Juel, Norwegian-Danish admiral (d. 1697)
  • 1632 – Heino Heinrich Graf von Flemming, German field marshal and politician (d. 1706)
  • 1639 – Giovanni Battista Gaulli, Italian artist (d. 1709)
  • 1641 – Nicolaes Witsen, Mayor of Amsterdam, Netherlands (d. 1717)
  • 1653 – Claude Louis Hector de Villars, French general and politician, French Minister of Defence (d. 1734)
  • 1670 – Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St Albans, English soldier and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire (d. 1726)
  • 1698 – Henry Baker, English naturalist (d. 1774)
  • 1720 – William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1764)
  • 1735 – Nathaniel Dance-Holland, English painter and politician (d. 1811)
  • 1737 – Edward Gibbon, English historian and politician (d. 1794)
  • 1745 – Carl Stamitz, German violinist and composer (d. 1801)
  • 1753 – Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, Mexican priest and rebel leader (d. 1811)
  • 1786 – John Vianney, French priest and saint (d. 1859)
  • 1815 – Edward Tompkins, American lawyer and politician (d. 1872)
  • 1818 – Samuel Leonard Tilley, Canadian pharmacist and politician, 3rd Premier of New Brunswick (d. 1896)
  • 1821 – William Henry Vanderbilt, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 1885)
  • 1824 – William Walker, American physician, lawyer, journalist and mercenary (d. 1860)
  • 1825 – George Bruce Malleson, English-Indian colonel and author (d. 1898)
  • 1828 – Henry Dunant, Swiss businessman and activist, co-founded the Red Cross, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1910)
  • 1828 – Charbel Makhluf, Lebanese monk and saint (d. 1898)
  • 1829 – Louis Moreau Gottschalk, American pianist and composer (d. 1869)
  • 1835 – Bertalan Székely, Hungarian painter and academic (d. 1910)
  • 1839 – Adolphe-Basile Routhier, Canadian judge, author, and songwriter (d. 1920)
  • 1842 – Emil Christian Hansen, Danish physiologist and mycologist (d. 1909)
  • 1846 – Oscar Hammerstein I, American businessman and composer (d. 1919)
  • 1850 – Ross Barnes, American baseball player and manager (d. 1915)
  • 1853 – Dan Brouthers, American baseball player and manager (d. 1932)
  • 1856 – Pedro Lascuráin, Mexican politician, president for 45 minutes on February 13, 1913. (d. 1952)
  • 1858 – Heinrich Berté, Slovak-Austrian composer (d. 1924)
  • 1858 – J. Meade Falkner, English author and poet (d. 1932)
  • 1859 – Johan Jensen, Danish mathematician and engineer (d. 1925)
  • 1867 – Margarete Böhme, German novelist (d. 1939)
  • 1879 – Wesley Coe, American shot putter, discus thrower, and tug of war competitor (d. 1926)
  • 1884 – Harry S. Truman, American colonel and politician, 33rd President of the United States (d. 1972)
  • 1885 – Thomas B. Costain, Canadian journalist and author (d. 1965)
  • 1892 – Adriaan Pelt, Dutch journalist and diplomat (d. 1981)
  • 1893 – Francis Ouimet, American golfer (d. 1967)
  • 1893 – Edd Roush, American baseball player and coach (d. 1988)
  • 1893 – Teddy Wakelam, English rugby player and sportscaster (d. 1963)
  • 1895 – James H. Kindelberger, American businessman (d. 1962)
  • 1895 – Fulton J. Sheen, American archbishop (d. 1979)
  • 1895 – Edmund Wilson, American critic, essayist, and editor (d. 1972)
  • 1898 – Aloysius Stepinac, Croatian cardinal (d. 1960)
  • 1899 – Arthur Q. Bryan, American actor, voice actor, comedian and radio personality (d. 1959)
  • 1899 – Friedrich Hayek, Austrian economist and philosopher, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1992)
  • 1899 – Jacques Heim, French fashion designer (d. 1967)
  • 1901 – Turkey Stearnes, American baseball player (d. 1979)
  • 1902 – André Michel Lwoff, French microbiologist and physician, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1994)
  • 1903 – Fernandel, French actor and singer (d. 1971)
  • 1903 – Mary Stewart, Baroness Stewart of Alvechurch, British politician and educator (d. 1984)
  • 1904 – John Snagge, English journalist (d. 1996)
  • 1905 – Red Nichols, American cornet player, composer, and bandleader (d. 1965)
  • 1906 – Roberto Rossellini, Italian director and screenwriter (d. 1977)
  • 1910 – George Male, English footballer (d. 1998)
  • 1910 – Andrew E. Svenson, American author and publisher (d. 1975)
  • 1910 – Mary Lou Williams, American pianist and composer (d. 1981)
  • 1911 – Wilhelm Friedrich de Gaay Fortman, Dutch jurist and politician, Dutch Minister of The Interior (d. 1997)
  • 1911 – Robert Johnson, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1938)
  • 1912 – George Woodcock, Canadian author and poet (d. 1995)
  • 1913 – Bob Clampett, American animator, director, and producer (d. 1984)
  • 1913 – Sid James, South African-English actor and singer (d. 1976)
  • 1915 – Milton Meltzer, American historian and author (d. 2009)
  • 1916 – João Havelange, Brazilian water polo player, lawyer, and businessman (d. 2016)
  • 1916 – Chinmayananda Saraswati, Indian spiritual leader and educator (d. 1993)
  • 1916 – Ramananda Sengupta, Indian cinematographer (d. 2017)
  • 1917 – John Anderson, Jr., American lawyer and politician, 36th Governor of Kansas (d. 2014)
  • 1919 – Lex Barker, American actor (d. 1973)
  • 1920 – Saul Bass, American graphic designer and director (d. 1996)
  • 1920 – Tom of Finland, Finnish illustrator (d. 1991)
  • 1920 – Sloan Wilson, American author and poet (d. 2003)
  • 1920 – Gordon McClymont, Australian ecologist and academic (d. 2000)
  • 1922 – Mary Q. Steele, American naturalist and author (d. 1992)
  • 1924 – S. Vithiananthan, Sri Lankan author and academic (d. 1989)
  • 1925 – Ali Hassan Mwinyi, Tanzanian politician, 2nd President of Tanzania
  • 1926 – David Attenborough, English environmentalist and television host
  • 1926 – David Hurst, German actor (d. 2019)
  • 1926 – Don Rickles, American comedian and actor (d. 2017)
  • 1927 – Chumy Chúmez, Spanish actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2003)
  • 1927 – László Paskai, Hungarian cardinal (d. 2015)
  • 1928 – Robert Conley, American journalist (d. 2013)
  • 1928 – Ted Sorensen, American lawyer, 8th White House Counsel (d. 2010)
  • 1929 – Ethel D. Allen, American physician and politician (d. 1981)
  • 1929 – Girija Devi, Indian classical singer (d. 2017)
  • 1929 – Claude Castonguay, Canadian banker and politician
  • 1929 – Miyoshi Umeki, Japanese-American actress and singer (d. 2007)
  • 1930 – Heather Harper, Northern Irish soprano (d. 2019)
  • 1930 – Doug Atkins, American football player (d. 2015)
  • 1930 – René Maltête, French photographer and poet (d. 2000)
  • 1930 – Gary Snyder, American poet, essayist, and translator
  • 1932 – Julieta Campos, Cuban-Mexican author and translator (d. 2007)
  • 1932 – Phyllida Law, Scottish actress
  • 1932 – Harry Wells, Australian rugby league player
  • 1934 – Leonard Hoffmann, Baron Hoffmann, South African-English lawyer and judge
  • 1934 – Maurice Norman, English footballer
  • 1934 – David Williamson, Baron Williamson of Horton, English soldier and politician (d. 2015)
  • 1935 – Lucius Cary, 15th Viscount Falkland, Scottish politician
  • 1935 – Princess Elisabeth of Denmark (d. 2018)
  • 1935 – Jack Charlton, English footballer and manager
  • 1936 – Kazuo Koike, Japanese author
  • 1936 – Haljand Udam, Estonian orientalist and academic (d. 2005)
  • 1937 – Bernard Cleary, Canadian journalist, academic, and politician
  • 1937 – Mike Cuellar, Cuban-American baseball player (d. 2010)
  • 1937 – Carlos Gaviria Díaz, Colombian lawyer and politician (d. 2015)
  • 1937 – Thomas Pynchon, American novelist
  • 1938 – Javed Burki, Indian-Pakistani cricketer
  • 1938 – Jean Giraud, French author and illustrator (d. 2012)
  • 1939 – Paul Drayton, American sprinter (d. 2010)
  • 1940 – Peter Benchley, American author and screenwriter (d. 2006)
  • 1940 – James Blyth, Baron Blyth of Rowington, English businessman and academic
  • 1940 – Irwin Cotler, Canadian lawyer and politician, 47th Canadian Minister of Justice
  • 1940 – Emilio Delgado, Mexican-American actor, “Sesame Street”
  • 1940 – Ricky Nelson, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (d. 1985)
  • 1940 – Toni Tennille, American singer-songwriter and keyboard player
  • 1941 – John Fred, American singer-songwriter (d. 2005)
  • 1941 – Bill Lockyer, American academic and politician, 30th Attorney General of California
  • 1941 – James Traficant, American lawyer and politician (d. 2014)
  • 1942 – Martin Dobkin, Canadian doctor and politician, 2nd Mayor of Mississauga
  • 1942 – Robin Hobbs, English cricketer
  • 1942 – Norman Lamont, Scottish banker and politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer
  • 1942 – Pierre Morency, Canadian poet and playwright
  • 1942 – Terry Neill, Irish footballer and manager
  • 1943 – Pat Barker, English author
  • 1943 – Johnny Greaves, Australian rugby league player
  • 1943 – Jon Mark, English-New Zealand singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1943 – Paul Samwell-Smith, English bass player and producer
  • 1943 – Danny Whitten, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1972)
  • 1944 – Gary Glitter, English singer-songwriter
  • 1944 – Bill Legend, English drummer
  • 1945 – Arthur Docters van Leeuwen, Dutch jurist and politician
  • 1945 – Mike German, Baron German, Welsh educator and politician, Deputy First Minister for Wales
  • 1945 – Janine Haines, Australian politician (d. 2004)
  • 1945 – Keith Jarrett, American pianist and composer
  • 1946 – André Boulerice, Canadian politician
  • 1946 – Jonathan Dancy, English philosopher, author, and academic
  • 1947 – H. Robert Horvitz, American biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1947 – Felicity Lott, English soprano
  • 1947 – John Reid, Baron Reid of Cardowan, Scottish historian and politician, Secretary of State for Defence
  • 1948 – Steve Braun, American baseball player and coach
  • 1948 – Stephen Stohn, American-Canadian lawyer and producer
  • 1949 – David Vines, Australian economist and academic
  • 1950 – Robert Mugge, American director and producer
  • 1950 – Lepo Sumera, Estonian composer and educator (d. 2000)
  • 1951 – Philip Bailey, American singer-songwriter, drummer, and actor
  • 1951 – Mike D’Antoni, American basketball player and coach
  • 1951 – Chris Frantz, American drummer and producer
  • 1952 – Peter McNab, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
  • 1953 – Billy Burnette, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
  • 1953 – Alex Van Halen, Dutch-American drummer
  • 1954 – Pam Arciero, American puppeteer and voice actress
  • 1954 – David Keith, American actor and director
  • 1954 – John Michael Talbot, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1955 – Stephen Furst, American actor and director (d. 2017)
  • 1955 – Mladen Markač, Croatian general
  • 1955 – Keith Osgood, English footballer
  • 1956 – Jeff Wincott, Canadian actor and martial artist
  • 1957 – Bill Cowher, American football player and coach
  • 1957 – Rino Katase, Japanese actress
  • 1957 – Gary Lunn, Canadian lawyer and politician, 6th Canadian Minister of Natural Resources
  • 1958 – Roddy Doyle, Irish novelist, playwright, and screenwriter
  • 1958 – Simone Kleinsma, Dutch actress and singer
  • 1958 – Brooks Newmark, American-English businessman and politician, Lord of the Treasury
  • 1958 – Lovie Smith, American football player and coach
  • 1959 – Ronnie Lott, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1959 – David Manners, 11th Duke of Rutland, English politician
  • 1959 – Ikue Sakakibara, Japanese actress and singer
  • 1960 – Franco Baresi, Italian footballer and coach
  • 1960 – Eric Brittingham, American bass player
  • 1961 – Bill de Blasio, American politician, 109th Mayor of New York City
  • 1961 – Gert Kruys, Dutch footballer and manager
  • 1961 – Vallo Reimaa, Estonian academic and politician
  • 1961 – David Winning, Canadian-American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1962 – Natalia Molchanova, Russian diver (d. 2015)
  • 1962 – David Sole, Scottish rugby player
  • 1963 – Sylvain Cossette, Canadian singer-songwriter
  • 1963 – Anthony Field, Australian guitarist, songwriter, producer, and actor
  • 1963 – Michel Gondry, French director and screenwriter
  • 1963 – Izabela Kloc, Polish politician
  • 1963 – Aleksandr Kovalenko, Belarusian triple jumper
  • 1963 – Rick Zombo, American ice hockey player and coach
  • 1964 – Päivi Alafrantti, Finnish javelin thrower
  • 1964 – Melissa Gilbert, American actress and director
  • 1964 – Bobby Labonte, American race car driver
  • 1964 – Nathalie Roy, Canadian lawyer and politician
  • 1964 – Dave Rowntree, English drummer and animator
  • 1964 – Metin Tekin, Turkish footballer, manager, and journalist
  • 1966 – Cláudio Taffarel, Brazilian footballer and coach
  • 1967 – Viviana Durante, Italian ballerina and actress
  • 1967 – Angus Scott, British sports television presenter
  • 1968 – Teet Kask, Estonian ballet dancer and choreographer
  • 1968 – Nathalie Normandeau, Canadian politician, Deputy Premier of Quebec
  • 1968 – Johan Pehrson, Swedish lawyer and politician
  • 1969 – Jonny Searle, English rower
  • 1969 – Akebono Tarō, American-Japanese sumo wrestler, the 64th Yokozuna
  • 1969 – John Timu, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1970 – Michael Bevan, Australian cricketer and coach
  • 1970 – Naomi Klein, Canadian author and activist
  • 1970 – Luis Enrique, Spanish footballer and manager
  • 1971 – Chuck Huber, American voice actor, director, and screenwriter
  • 1971 – Candice Night, American singer-songwriter
  • 1972 – Darren Hayes, Australian singer-songwriter
  • 1972 – Ray Whitney, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1973 – Hiromu Arakawa, Japanese author and illustrator
  • 1973 – Jesús Arellano, Mexican footballer
  • 1973 – Marcus Brigstocke, English comedian, actor, and screenwriter
  • 1974 – Marge Kõrkjas, Estonian swimmer
  • 1974 – Korey Stringer, American football player (d. 2001)
  • 1974 – Christian XXX, American pornographic star
  • 1975 – Enrique Iglesias, Spanish-American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor
  • 1975 – Jussi Markkanen, Finnish ice hockey player
  • 1975 – Gastón Mazzacane, Argentinian race car driver
  • 1975 – Dmitri Ustritski, Estonian footballer
  • 1976 – Gonçalo Abecasis, Portuguese-American biochemist and academic
  • 1976 – Martha Wainwright, Canadian-American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1977 – Joe Bonamassa, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1977 – Bad News Brown, Canadian rapper, harmonica player, and actor (d. 2011)
  • 1977 – Theodoros Papaloukas, Greek basketball player
  • 1977 – Kathrin Bringmann, German mathematician and academic
  • 1978 – Lúcio, Brazilian footballer
  • 1978 – Jang Woo-hyuk, South Korean rapper and dancer
  • 1979 – Ole Morten Vågan, Norwegian bassist
  • 1980 – Keyon Dooling, American basketball player
  • 1980 – Panagiotis Kafkis, Greek basketball player
  • 1980 – Evgeny Lebedev, Russian-English publisher and philanthropist
  • 1980 – Michelle McManus, Scottish singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1980 – Benny Yau, Hong Kong-Canadian actor and singer
  • 1981 – Stephen Amell, Canadian actor
  • 1981 – Andrea Barzagli, Italian footballer
  • 1981 – Tatyana Dektyareva, Russian hurdler
  • 1981 – Björn Dixgård, Swedish singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1981 – Manny Gamburyan, Armenian-American mixed martial artist
  • 1981 – John Maine, American baseball player
  • 1982 – Buakaw Banchamek, Thai kick-boxer
  • 1982 – Christina Cole, English actress
  • 1982 – Adrián González, American baseball player
  • 1982 – Uğur Yıldırım, Turkish-Dutch footballer
  • 1983 – Juan Martin Goity, Argentinian-German rugby player
  • 1983 – Bershawn Jackson, American hurdler
  • 1983 – Lawrence Vickers, American football player
  • 1983 – Vicky McClure, English actress
  • 1984 – David King, English figure skater
  • 1985 – Tommaso Ciampa, American wrestler
  • 1985 – Silvia Stroescu, Romanian gymnast
  • 1985 – Sarah Vaillancourt, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1985 – Usama Young, American football player
  • 1986 – Pemra Özgen, Turkish tennis player
  • 1986 – Galen Rupp, American runner
  • 1986 – Marvell Wynne, American soccer player
  • 1987 – Felix Jones, American football player
  • 1987 – Aarne Nirk, Estonian hurdler
  • 1987 – Mark Noble, English footballer
  • 1987 – Kurt Tippett, Australian footballer
  • 1988 – Tanel Kurbas, Estonian basketball player
  • 1988 – Maicon Pereira de Oliveira, Brazilian footballer (d. 2014)
  • 1989 – Liam Bridcutt, English footballer
  • 1989 – Lars Eller, Danish ice hockey player
  • 1989 – Dinesh Patel, Indian baseball player
  • 1990 – Kemba Walker, American basketball player
  • 1991 – Ethan Gage, Canadian soccer player
  • 1991 – Valentijn Lietmeijer, Dutch basketball player
  • 1991 – Anamaria Tămârjan, Romanian gymnast
  • 1992 – Kevin Hayes, American ice hockey player
  • 1993 – Pat Cummins, Australian cricketer
  • 1996 – 6ix9ine, American rapper
  • 2001 – Jordyn Huitema, Canadian soccer player
  • 2003 – Moulay Hassan, Crown Prince of Morocco

Deaths on May 8

  • 535 – Pope John II
  • 615 – Pope Boniface IV (b. 550)
  • 685 – Pope Benedict II
  • 997 – Tai Zong, Chinese emperor (b. 939)
  • 1157 – Ahmed Sanjar, Seljuk sultan (b. 1086)
  • 1192 – Ottokar IV, duke of Styria (b. 1163)
  • 1220 – Richeza of Denmark, queen of Sweden
  • 1278 – Duan Zong, Chinese emperor (b. 1269)
  • 1319 – Haakon V, king of Norway (b. 1270)
  • 1473 – John Stafford, 1st Earl of Wiltshire, English politician (b. 1420)
  • 1538 – Edward Foxe, English bishop and academic (b. 1496)
  • 1551 – Barbara Radziwiłł, queen of Poland (b. 1520)
  • 1668 – Catherine of St. Augustine, French-Canadian nun and saint (b. 1632)
  • 1766 – Samuel Chandler, English minister and author (b. 1693)
  • 1773 – Ali Bey al-Kabir, Egyptian sultan (b. 1728)
  • 1781 – Richard Jago, English priest and poet (b. 1715)
  • 1782 – Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal, Portuguese politician, Prime Minister of Portugal (b. 1699)
  • 1785 – Étienne François, duc de Choiseul, French general and politician, Prime Minister of France (b. 1719)
  • 1785 – Pietro Longhi, Italian painter (b. 1701)
  • 1788 – Giovanni Antonio Scopoli, Italian physician and botanist (b. 1723)
  • 1794 – Antoine Lavoisier, French chemist and biologist (b. 1743)
  • 1819 – Kamehameha I, king of the Hawaiian Islands
  • 1822 – John Stark, American general (b. 1728)
  • 1828 – Mauro Giuliani, Italian guitarist, cellist, and composer (b. 1781)
  • 1837 – Alexander Balashov, Russian general and politician, Russian Minister of Police (b. 1770)
  • 1842 – Jules Dumont d’Urville, French admiral and explorer (b. 1790)
  • 1853 – Jan Roothaan, Dutch priest, 21st Superior General of the Society of Jesus (b. 1785)
  • 1880 – Gustave Flaubert, French novelist (b. 1821)
  • 1891 – Helena Blavatsky, Russian-English mystic and author (b. 1831)
  • 1891 – John Robertson, English-Australian politician, 5th Premier of New South Wales (b. 1816)
  • 1893 – Manuel González Flores, Mexican general and president, 1880–1884 (b. 1833)
  • 1903 – Paul Gauguin, French painter and sculptor (b. 1848)
  • 1907 – Edmund G. Ross, American soldier and politician, 13th Governor of New Mexico Territory (b. 1826)
  • 1925 – John Beresford, Irish polo player (b. 1847)
  • 1936 – Oswald Spengler, German historian and philosopher (b. 1880)
  • 1941 – Natalie, queen consort of Serbia (b. 1859)
  • 1941 – Tore Svennberg, Swedish actor and director (b. 1858)
  • 1942 – Nikolai Reek, Estonian general and politician, 11th Estonian Minister of War (b. 1890)
  • 1943 – Mordechai Anielewicz, Polish commander (b. 1919)
  • 1944 – Themistoklis Diakidis, Greek high jumper (b. 1882)
  • 1945 – Frank Bourne, British soldier, last survivor of the Battle of Rorke’s Drift (b. 1854)
  • 1945 – Wilhelm Rediess, German SS officer (b. 1900)
  • 1945 – Bernhard Rust, German lieutenant and politician (b. 1883)
  • 1945 – Josef Terboven, German lieutenant and politician (b. 1898)
  • 1947 – Harry Gordon Selfridge, American-English businessman, founded Selfridges (b. 1858)
  • 1948 – U Saw, Burmese politician, Prime Minister of Burma (b. 1900)
  • 1950 – Vital Brazil, Brazilian physician and immunologist (b. 1865)
  • 1952 – William Fox, Austrian businessman, founded Fox Theatres (b. 1879)
  • 1959 – John Fraser, Canadian soccer player (b. 1881)
  • 1960 – J. H. C. Whitehead, Indian-English mathematician and academic (b. 1904)
  • 1965 – Wally Hardinge, English cricketer and footballer (b. 1886)
  • 1969 – Remington Kellogg, American zoologist and paleontologist (b. 1892)
  • 1972 – Pandurang Vaman Kane, Indologist and Sanskrit scholar, Bharat Ratna awardee (b. 1880)
  • 1972 – Beatrice Helen Worsley, Mexican-Canadian computer scientist (b. 1921)
  • 1975 – Avery Brundage, American businessman and art collector (b. 1887)
  • 1980 – Geoffrey Baker, English Field Marshal and Chief of the General Staff of the British Army (b. 1920)
  • 1981 – Uri Zvi Greenberg, Israeli poet and journalist (b. 1896)
  • 1982 – Neil Bogart, American record producer, co-founded Casablanca Records (b. 1943)
  • 1982 – Gilles Villeneuve, Canadian race car driver (b. 1950)
  • 1983 – John Fante, American author and screenwriter (b. 1909)
  • 1984 – Lila Bell Wallace, American publisher, co-founded Reader’s Digest (b. 1890)
  • 1984 – Gino Bianco, Italian-Brazilian race car driver (b. 1916)
  • 1985 – Karl Marx, German conductor and composer (b. 1897)
  • 1985 – Theodore Sturgeon, American author and critic (b. 1918)
  • 1985 – Dolph Sweet, American actor (b. 1920)
  • 1986 – Ernle Bradford, English historian and author (b. 1922)
  • 1987 – Doris Stokes, English psychic and author (b. 1920)
  • 1988 – Robert A. Heinlein, American science fiction writer and screenwriter (b. 1907)
  • 1990 – Luigi Nono, Italian composer and educator (b. 1924)
  • 1991 – Jean Langlais, French pianist and composer (b. 1907)
  • 1991 – Rudolf Serkin, Czech-Austrian pianist and educator (b. 1903)
  • 1992 – Joyce Ricketts, American baseball player (b. 1933)
  • 1993 – Avram Davidson, American soldier and author (b. 1923)
  • 1994 – George Peppard, American actor and producer (b. 1928)
  • 1995 – Teresa Teng, Taiwanese singer (b. 1953)
  • 1996 – Beryl Burton, English cyclist (b. 1937)
  • 1996 – Luis Miguel Dominguín, Spanish bullfighter (b. 1926)
  • 1996 – Larry Levis, American poet, author, and critic (b. 1946)
  • 1996 – Garth Williams, American illustrator (b. 1912)
  • 1998 – Johannes Kotkas, Estonian wrestler (b. 1915)
  • 1998 – Charles Rebozo, American banker and businessman (b. 1912)
  • 1999 – Dirk Bogarde, English actor and screenwriter (b. 1921)
  • 1999 – Ed Gilbert, American actor (b. 1931)
  • 1999 – Dana Plato, American actress (b. 1964)
  • 1999 – Soeman Hs, Indonesian author and educator (b. 1904)
  • 2000 – Pita Amor, Mexican poet and author (b. 1918)
  • 2000 – Dédé Fortin, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1962)
  • 2000 – Henry Nicols, American activist (b. 1973)
  • 2003 – Elvira Pagã, Brazilian vedette, singer, and artist (b. 1920)
  • 2005 – Jean Carrière, French author (b. 1928)
  • 2005 – Nicolás Vuyovich, Argentinian race car driver (b. 1981)
  • 2006 – Iain Macmillan, Scottish photographer and author (b. 1938)
  • 2007 – Philip R. Craig, American author and poet (b. 1933)
  • 2007 – Carson Whitsett, American keyboard player, songwriter, and producer (b. 1945)
  • 2008 – Eddy Arnold, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (b. 1918)
  • 2008 – François Sterchele, Belgian footballer (b. 1982)
  • 2009 – Dom DiMaggio, American baseball player (b. 1917)
  • 2009 – Bud Shrake, American journalist and author (b. 1931)
  • 2011 – Lionel Rose, Australian boxer (b. 1948)
  • 2012 – Everett Lilly, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1924)
  • 2012 – Jerry McMorris, American businessman (b. 1941)
  • 2012 – Stacy Robinson, American football player (b. 1962)
  • 2012 – Maurice Sendak, American author and illustrator (b. 1928)
  • 2012 – Ampon Tangnoppakul, Thai criminal (b. 1948)
  • 2012 – Roman Totenberg, Polish-American violinist and educator (b. 1911)
  • 2013 – Jeanne Cooper, American actress (b. 1928)
  • 2013 – Bryan Forbes, English actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1926)
  • 2013 – Juan José Muñoz, Argentinian businessman (b. 1950)
  • 2013 – Hugh J. Silverman, American philosopher and theorist (b. 1945)
  • 2013 – Ken Whaley, Austrian-English bass player (b. 1946)
  • 2014 – Roger L. Easton, American scientist, co-invented the GPS (b. 1921)
  • 2014 – Nancy Malone, American actress, director, and producer (b. 1935)
  • 2014 – Yago Lamela, Spanish long jumper (b. 1977)
  • 2014 – Jair Rodrigues, Brazilian singer (b. 1939)
  • 2014 – R. Douglas Stuart Jr., American businessman and diplomat, United States Ambassador to Norway (b. 1916)
  • 2014 – Joseph P. Teasdale, American lawyer and politician, 48th Governor of Missouri (b. 1936)
  • 2015 – Zeki Alasya, Turkish actor and director (b. 1943)
  • 2015 – Mwepu Ilunga, Congolese footballer (b. 1949)
  • 2015 – Menashe Kadishman, Israeli sculptor and painter (b. 1932)
  • 2015 – Juan Schwanner, Hungarian-Chilean footballer and manager (b. 1921)
  • 2015 – Atanas Semerdzhiev, Bulgarian soldier and politician, 1st Vice President of Bulgaria (b. 1924)
  • 2016 – Tom M. Apostol, American analytic number theorist (b. 1923)
  • 2016 – William Schallert, American actor; president (1979–81) of the Screen Actors Guild (b. 1922)
  • 2018 – Big Bully Busick, American professional wrestler (b. 1954)
  • 2018 – Anne V. Coates, British film editor (Lawrence of Arabia, The Elephant Man, Erin Brockovich), Oscar winner (1963) (b. 1925)
  • 2019 – Sprent Dabwido, President of Nauru from 2011 to 2013 (b. 1972)

Holidays and observances on May 8

  • Christian feast day:
    • Amato Ronconi
    • Apparition of Saint Michael
    • Arsenius the Great
    • Desideratus
    • Blessed Catherine of St. Augustine
    • Julian of Norwich (Anglican, Lutheran)
    • Magdalene of Canossa
    • Our Lady of Luján
    • Peter of Tarentaise
    • Blessed Teresa Demjanovich (Ruthenian Catholic Church)
    • May 8 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest day on which Father’s Day can fall, while May 14 is the latest; celebrated on the second Sunday of May. (Romania)
  • Earliest day on which Mother’s Day can fall, while May 14 is the latest; celebrated on the second Sunday of May. (United States and others)
  • Earliest day on which State Flag and State Emblem Day can fall, while May 14 is the latest; celebrated on the second Sunday of May. (Belarus)
  • Earliest day on which World Fair Trade Day can fall, while May 14 is the latest; celebrated on the second Saturday of May (site of the WFTO) (International)
  • Emancipation Day (Columbus, Mississippi)
  • Furry Dance (Helston, UK)
  • Liberation Day (Czech Republic)
  • Miguel Hidalgo’s birthday (Mexico)
  • Parents’ Day (South Korea)
  • Truman Day (Missouri)
  • Veterans Day (Norway)
  • Victory in Europe Day, and its related observances (Europe):
    • Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives during the Second World War, continues to May 9
  • White Lotus Day (Theosophy)
  • World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day (International)

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

On This Day

April 16 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • AD 73 – Masada, a Jewish fortress, falls to the Romans after several months of siege, ending the First Jewish–Roman War.
  • 1346 – Stefan Dušan, “the Mighty”, is crowned Emperor of the Serbs at Skopje, his empire occupying much of the Balkans.
  • 1520 – The Revolt of the Comuneros begins in Spain against the rule of Charles V.
  • 1582 – Spanish conquistador Hernando de Lerma founds the settlement of Salta, Argentina.
  • 1746 – The Battle of Culloden is fought between the French-supported Jacobites and the British Hanoverian forces commanded by William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, in Scotland.After the battle many highland traditions were banned and the Highlands of Scotland were cleared of inhabitants.
  • 1780 – Franz Friedrich Wilhelm von Fürstenberg founds the University of Münster.
  • 1799 – French Revolutionary Wars: The Battle of Mount Tabor: Napoleon drives Ottoman Turks across the River Jordan near Acre.
  • 1818 – The United States Senate ratifies the Rush–Bagot Treaty, limiting naval armaments on the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain.
  • 1847 – Shooting of a Māori by an English sailor results in the opening of the Wanganui Campaign of the New Zealand Wars.
  • 1853 – The Great Indian Peninsula Railway opens the first passenger rail in India, from Bori Bunder to Thane.
  • 1858 – The Wernerian Natural History Society, a former Scottish learned society, is wound up.
  • 1862 – American Civil War: Battle at Lee’s Mills in Virginia.
  • 1862 – American Civil War: The District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act, a bill ending slavery in the District of Columbia, becomes law.
  • 1863 – American Civil War: During the Vicksburg Campaign, gunboats commanded by acting Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter run downriver past Confederate artillery batteries at Vicksburg.
  • 1881 – In Dodge City, Kansas, Bat Masterson fights his last gun battle.
  • 1908 – Natural Bridges National Monument is established in Utah.
  • 1910 – The oldest existing indoor ice hockey arena still used for the sport in the 21st century, Boston Arena, opens for the first time.
  • 1912 – Harriet Quimby becomes the first woman to fly an airplane across the English Channel.
  • 1917 – Vladimir Lenin returns to Petrograd, Russia, from exile in Switzerland.
  • 1919 – Mohandas Gandhi organizes a day of “prayer and fasting” in response to the killing of Indian protesters in the Jallianwala Bagh massacre by the British colonial troops three days earlier.
  • 1919 – Polish–Soviet War: The Polish army launches the Vilna offensive to capture Vilnius in modern Lithuania.
  • 1922 – The Treaty of Rapallo, pursuant to which Germany and the Soviet Union re-establish diplomatic relations, is signed.
  • 1925 – During the Communist St Nedelya Church assault in Sofia, Bulgaria, 150 are killed and 500 are wounded.
  • 1941 – World War II: The Italian-German Tarigo convoy is attacked and destroyed by British ships.
  • 1941 – World War II: The Nazi-affiliated Ustaše is put in charge of the Independent State of Croatia by the Axis powers after Operation 25 is effected.
  • 1943 – Albert Hofmann accidentally discovers the hallucinogenic effects of the research drug LSD. He intentionally takes the drug three days later on April 19.
  • 1944 – World War II: Allied forces start bombing Belgrade, killing about 1,100 people. This bombing fell on the Orthodox Christian Easter.
  • 1945 – World War II: The Red Army begins the final assault on German forces around Berlin, with nearly one million troops fighting in the Battle of the Seelow Heights.
  • 1945 – The United States Army liberates Nazi Sonderlager (high security) prisoner-of-war camp Oflag IV-C (better known as Colditz).
  • 1945 – More than 7,000 die when the German refugee ship Goya is sunk by a Soviet submarine.
  • 1947 – An explosion on board a freighter in port causes the city of Texas City, Texas, to catch fire, killing almost 600.
  • 1947 – Bernard Baruch first applies the term “Cold War” to describe the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union.
  • 1961 – In a nationally broadcast speech, Cuban leader Fidel Castro declares that he is a Marxist–Leninist and that Cuba is going to adopt Communism.
  • 1963 – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. pens his Letter from Birmingham Jail while incarcerated in Birmingham, Alabama for protesting against segregation.
  • 1972 – Apollo program: The launch of Apollo 16 from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
  • 1990 – “Doctor Death”, Jack Kevorkian, participates in his first assisted suicide.
  • 2001 – India and Bangladesh begin a five-day border conflict, but are unable to resolve the disputes about their border.
  • 2003 – The Treaty of Accession is signed in Athens admitting ten new member states to the European Union.
  • 2007 – Virginia Tech shooting: Seung-Hui Cho guns down 32 people and injures 17 before committing suicide.
  • 2012 – The trial for Anders Behring Breivik, the perpetrator of the 2011 Norway attacks, begins in Oslo, Norway.
  • 2012 – The Pulitzer Prize winners were announced, it was the first time since 1977 that no book won the Fiction Prize.
  • 2013 – A 7.8-magnitude earthquake strikes Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran, killing at least 35 people and injuring 117 others.
  • 2013 – The 2013 Baga massacre is started when Boko Haram militants engage government soldiers in Baga.
  • 2014 – The South Korean ferry MV Sewol capsizes and sinks near Jindo Island, killing 304 passengers and crew and leading to widespread criticism of the South Korean government, media, and shipping authorities.

Births on April 16

  • 1435 – Jan II the Mad, Duke of Żagań (1439–1449 and 1461–1468 and again in 1472) (d. 1504)
  • 1488 – Jungjong of Joseon (d. 1544)
  • 1495 – Petrus Apianus, German mathematician and astronomer (d. 1557)
  • 1516 – Tabinshwehti, Burmese king (d. 1550)
  • 1569 – John Davies, English poet and lawyer (d. 1626)
  • 1635 – Frans van Mieris the Elder, Dutch painter (d. 1681)
  • 1646 – Jules Hardouin-Mansart, French architect, designed the Château de Dampierre and Grand Trianon (d. 1708)
  • 1660 – Hans Sloane, Irish-English physician and academic (d. 1753)
  • 1661 – Charles Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax, English poet and politician, First Lord of the Treasury (d. 1715)
  • 1682 – John Hadley, English mathematician, invented the octant (d. 1744)
  • 1697 – Johann Gottlieb Görner, German organist and composer (d. 1778)
  • 1728 – Joseph Black, French-Scottish physician and chemist (d. 1799)
  • 1730 – Henry Clinton, English general and politician (d. 1795)
  • 1755 – Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, French painter (d. 1842)
  • 1786 – John Franklin, English admiral and politician, 4th Lieutenant Governor of Van Diemen’s Land (d. 1847)
  • 1800 – George Bingham, 3rd Earl of Lucan, English field marshal and politician (d. 1888)
  • 1808 – Caleb Blood Smith, American journalist, lawyer, and politician, 6th United States Secretary of the Interior (d. 1864)
  • 1821 – Ford Madox Brown, French-English soldier and painter (d. 1893)
  • 1823 – Gotthold Eisenstein, German mathematician and academic (d. 1852)
  • 1826 – Sir James Corry, 1st Baronet, British politician (d. 1891)
  • 1827 – Octave Crémazie, Canadian poet and bookseller (d. 1879)
  • 1839 – Antonio Starabba, Marchese di Rudinì, Italian politician, 12th Prime Minister of Italy (d. 1908)
  • 1834 – Charles Lennox Richardson, English merchant (d. 1862)
  • 1844 – Anatole France, French journalist, novelist, and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1924)
  • 1847 – Hans Auer, Swiss-Austrian architect, designed the Federal Palace of Switzerland (d. 1906)
  • 1848 – Kandukuri Veeresalingam, Indian author and activist (d. 1919)
  • 1851 – Ponnambalam Ramanathan, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician, 3rd Solicitor General of Sri Lanka (d. 1930)
  • 1864 – Rose Talbot Bullard, American medical doctor and professor (d. 1915)
  • 1865 – Harry Chauvel, Australian general (d. 1945)
  • 1866 – José de Diego, Puerto Rican journalist, lawyer, and politician (d. 1918)
  • 1867 – Wilbur Wright, American inventor (d. 1912)
  • 1871 – John Millington Synge, Irish author, poet, and playwright (d. 1909)
  • 1874 – Jōtarō Watanabe, Japanese general (d. 1936)
  • 1878 – R. E. Foster, English cricketer and footballer (d. 1914)
  • 1882 – Seth Bingham, American organist and composer (d. 1972)
  • 1884 – Ronald Barnes, 3rd Baron Gorell, English cricketer, journalist, and politician (d. 1963)
  • 1885 – Leó Weiner, Hungarian composer and educator (d. 1960)
  • 1886 – Michalis Dorizas, Greek-American football player and javelin thrower (d. 1957)
  • 1886 – Ernst Thälmann, German politician (d. 1944)
  • 1888 – Billy Minter, English footballer and manager (d. 1940)
  • 1889 – Charlie Chaplin, English actor, director, producer, screenwriter, and composer (d. 1977)
  • 1890 – Fred Root, English cricketer and umpire (d. 1954)
  • 1890 – Gertrude Chandler Warner, American author and educator (d. 1979)
  • 1891 – Dorothy P. Lathrop, American author and illustrator (d. 1980)
  • 1892 – Howard Mumford Jones, American author, critic, and academic (d. 1980)
  • 1893 – Germaine Guèvremont, Canadian journalist and author (d. 1968)
  • 1893 – John Norton, American hurdler (d. 1979)
  • 1895 – Ove Arup, English-Danish engineer and businessman, founded Arup (d. 1988)
  • 1896 – Robert Henry Best, American journalist (d. 1952)
  • 1896 – Árpád Weisz, Hungarian footballer (d. 1944)
  • 1899 – Osman Achmatowicz, Polish chemist and academic (d. 1988)
  • 1900 – Polly Adler, Russian-American madam and author (d. 1962)
  • 1903 – Paul Waner, American baseball player and manager (d. 1965)
  • 1904 – Fifi D’Orsay, Canadian-American vaudevillian, actress, and singer (d. 1983)
  • 1905 – Frits Philips, Dutch businessman (d. 2005)
  • 1907 – Joseph-Armand Bombardier, Canadian inventor and businessman, founded Bombardier Inc. (d. 1964)
  • 1907 – August Eigruber, Austrian-German politician (d. 1947)
  • 1908 – Ellis Marsalis, Sr., American businessman and activist (d. 2004)
  • 1908 – Ray Ventura, French jazz bandleader (d. 1979)
  • 1910 – Berton Roueché, American journalist and author (d. 1994)
  • 1911 – Guy Burgess, English-Russian spy (d. 1963)
  • 1913 – Les Tremayne, English actor (d. 2003)
  • 1914 – John Hodiak, American actor (d. 1955)
  • 1915 – Robert Speck, Canadian politician, 1st Mayor of Mississauga (d. 1972)
  • 1916 – Behçet Necatigil, Turkish author, poet, and translator (d. 1979)
  • 1917 – Victoria Eugenia Fernández de Córdoba, 18th Duchess of Medinaceli (d. 2013)
  • 1917 – Barry Nelson, American actor (d. 2007)
  • 1918 – Dick Gibson, English racing driver (d. 2010)
  • 1918 – Hsuan Hua, Chinese-American monk and author (d. 1995)
  • 1918 – Juozas Kazickas, Lithuanian-American businessman and philanthropist (d. 2014)
  • 1918 – Spike Milligan, Irish actor, comedian, and writer (d. 2002)
  • 1919 – Merce Cunningham, American dancer and choreographer (d. 2009)
  • 1919 – Nilla Pizzi, Italian singer (d. 2011)
  • 1919 – Pedro Ramírez Vázquez, Mexican architect, designed the Tijuana Cultural Center and National Museum of Anthropology (d. 2013)
  • 1919 – Thomas Willmore, English geometer and academic (d. 2005)
  • 1920 – Ananda Dassanayake, Sri Lankan politician (d. 2012)
  • 1920 – Prince George Valdemar of Denmark (d. 1986)
  • 1921 – Arlin M. Adams, American lawyer and judge (d. 2015)
  • 1921 – Wolfgang Leonhard, German historian and author (d. 2014)
  • 1921 – Peter Ustinov, English actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2004)
  • 1922 – Kingsley Amis, English novelist, poet, and critic (d. 1995)
  • 1922 – John Christopher, English author (d. 2012)
  • 1922 – Lawrence N. Guarino, American colonel (d. 2014)
  • 1922 – Leo Tindemans, Belgian politician, 43rd Prime Minister of Belgium (d. 2014)
  • 1923 – Warren Barker, American composer (d. 2006)
  • 1923 – Arch A. Moore Jr., American sergeant, lawyer, and politician, 28th Governor of West Virginia (d. 2015)
  • 1924 – John Harvey-Jones, English academic and businessman (d. 2008)
  • 1924 – Henry Mancini, American composer and conductor (d. 1994)
  • 1924 – Rudy Pompilli, American saxophonist (d. 1976)
  • 1924 – Madanjeet Singh, Indian diplomat, author, and philanthropist (d. 2013)
  • 1926 – Pierre Fabre, French pharmacist, founded Laboratoires Pierre Fabre (d. 2013)
  • 1927 – Edie Adams, American actress and singer (d. 2008)
  • 1927 – Pope Benedict XVI
  • 1927 – Rolf Schult, German actor (d. 2013)
  • 1928 – Dick Lane, American football player and soldier (d. 2002)
  • 1929 – Roy Hamilton, American singer (d. 1969)
  • 1929 – Ralph Slatyer, Australian biologist and ecologist (d. 2012)
  • 1929 – Ed Townsend, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2003)
  • 1930 – Doug Beasy, Australian footballer and educator (d. 2013)
  • 1930 – Herbie Mann, American flute player and composer (d. 2003)
  • 1932 – Maury Meyers, American lawyer and politician (d. 2014)
  • 1933 – Marcos Alonso Imaz, Spanish footballer (d. 2012)
  • 1933 – Joan Bakewell, English journalist and author
  • 1933 – Perry Botkin Jr., American composer, arranger and musician
  • 1933 – Vera Krepkina, Russian long jumper
  • 1933 – Ike Pappas, American journalist and actor (d. 2008)
  • 1934 – Vince Hill, English singer-songwriter
  • 1934 – Robert Stigwood, Australian producer and manager (d. 2016)
  • 1934 – Barrie Unsworth, Australian politician, 36th Premier of New South Wales
  • 1934 – Vicar, Chilean cartoonist (d. 2012)
  • 1935 – Marcel Carrière, Canadian director and screenwriter
  • 1935 – Sarah Kirsch, German poet and author (d. 2013)
  • 1935 – Lennart Risberg, Swedish boxer (d. 2013)
  • 1935 – Dominique Venner, French journalist and historian (d. 2013)
  • 1935 – Bobby Vinton, American singer
  • 1936 – Vadim Kuzmin, Russian physicist and academic (d. 2015)
  • 1937 – Gert Potgieter, South African hurdler and coach
  • 1938 – Rich Rollins, American baseball player
  • 1938 – Gordon Wilson, Scottish lawyer and politician (d. 2017)
  • 1939 – John Amabile, American football player and coach (d. 2012)
  • 1939 – Dusty Springfield, English singer and record producer (d. 1999)
  • 1940 – Benoît Bouchard, Canadian academic and politician, 18th Canadian Minister of Transport
  • 1940 – David Holford, Barbadian cricketer
  • 1940 – Queen Margrethe II of Denmark
  • 1940 – Joan Snyder, American painter
  • 1940 – Thomas Stonor, 7th Baron Camoys, English banker and politician, Lord Chamberlain of the United Kingdom
  • 1941 – Allan Segal, American director and producer (d. 2012)
  • 1942 – Jim Lonborg, American baseball pitcher
  • 1942 – Sir Frank Williams, English businessman, founded the Williams F1 Racing Team
  • 1943 – Lonesome Dave Peverett, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2000)
  • 1943 – Petro Tyschtschenko, Austrian-German businessman
  • 1943 – John Watkins, Australian cricketer
  • 1945 – Tom Allen, American lawyer and politician
  • 1946 – Margot Adler, American journalist and author (d. 2014)
  • 1946 – Ernst Bakker, Dutch politician (d. 2014)
  • 1946 – Johnnie Lewis, Liberian lawyer and politician, 18th Chief Justice of Liberia (d. 2015)
  • 1946 – R. Carlos Nakai, American flute player
  • 1947 – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, American basketball player and coach
  • 1947 – Gerry Rafferty, Scottish singer-songwriter (d. 2011)
  • 1948 – Reg Alcock, Canadian businessman and politician, 17th Canadian President of the Treasury Board (d. 2011)
  • 1950 – David Graf, American actor (d. 2001)
  • 1950 – Colleen Hewett, Australian singer and actress
  • 1951 – Ioan Mihai Cochinescu, Romanian author and photographer
  • 1951 – David Nutt, English psychiatrist and academic
  • 1952 – Bill Belichick, American football player and coach
  • 1952 – Michel Blanc, French actor and director
  • 1952 – Esther Roth-Shahamorov, Israeli sprinter and hurdler
  • 1952 – Billy West, American voice actor, singer-songwriter, and comedian
  • 1953 – Peter Garrett, Australian singer-songwriter and politician
  • 1953 – Jay O. Sanders, American actor
  • 1954 – Ellen Barkin, American actress
  • 1954 – John Bowe, Australian racing driver
  • 1954 – Mike Zuke, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1955 – Bruce Bochy, American baseball player and manager
  • 1955 – Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg
  • 1956 – David M. Brown, American captain, pilot, and astronaut (d. 2003)
  • 1956 – T Lavitz, American keyboard player, composer, and producer (d. 2010)
  • 1956 – Lise-Marie Morerod, Swiss skier
  • 1957 – Patricia De Martelaere, Belgian philosopher, author, and academic (d. 2009)
  • 1958 – Tim Flach, English photographer and director
  • 1958 – Ulf Wakenius, Swedish guitarist
  • 1959 – Alison Ramsay, English-Scottish field hockey player and lawyer
  • 1960 – Wahab Akbar, Filipino politician (d. 2007)
  • 1960 – Rafael Benítez, Spanish footballer and manager
  • 1960 – Pierre Littbarski, German footballer and manager
  • 1961 – Jarbom Gamlin, Indian lawyer and politician, 7th Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh (d. 2014)
  • 1961 – Linda Ruth Williams, British film studies academic
  • 1962 – Anna Dello Russo, Italian journalist
  • 1962 – Douglas Elmendorf, American economist and politician
  • 1962 – Ian MacKaye, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1963 – Saleem Malik, Pakistani cricketer
  • 1963 – Jimmy Osmond, American singer
  • 1964 – David Kohan, American screenwriter and producer
  • 1964 – Dave Pirner, American singer, songwriter and producer
  • 1964 – Esbjörn Svensson, Swedish pianist (d. 2008)
  • 1965 – Yves-François Blanchet, Canadian politician
  • 1965 – Jon Cryer, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1965 – Martin Lawrence, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1966 – Jarle Vespestad, Norwegian drummer
  • 1966 – Jeff Varner, American newscaster and reality television personality
  • 1968 – Vickie Guerrero, American wrestler and manager
  • 1968 – Rüdiger Stenzel, German runner
  • 1969 – Patrik Järbyn, Swedish skier
  • 1969 – Fernando Viña, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1970 – Dero Goi, German singer-songwriter and drummer
  • 1970 – Walt Williams, American basketball player
  • 1971 – Cameron Blades, Australian rugby player
  • 1971 – Selena, American singer-songwriter, actress, and fashion designer (d. 1995)
  • 1971 – Seigo Yamamoto, Japanese racing driver
  • 1971 – Natasha Zvereva, Belarusian tennis player
  • 1972 – Conchita Martínez, Spanish-American tennis player
  • 1972 – Tracy K. Smith, American poet and educator
  • 1973 – Akon, Senegalese-American singer, rapper and songwriter
  • 1973 – Charlotta Sörenstam, Swedish golfer
  • 1973 – Teddy Cobeña, Spanish-Ecuadorian expressionist and representational sculptor
  • 1975 – Keon Clark, American basketball player
  • 1976 – Lukas Haas, American actor and musician
  • 1976 – Kelli O’Hara, American actress and singer
  • 1977 – Freddie Ljungberg, Swedish footballer
  • 1979 – Christijan Albers, Dutch racing driver
  • 1979 – Lars Börgeling, German pole vaulter
  • 1979 – Daniel Browne, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1981 – Anestis Agritis, Greek footballer
  • 1981 – Maya Dunietz, Israeli singer-songwriter and pianist
  • 1981 – Matthieu Proulx, Canadian football player
  • 1982 – Gina Carano, American mixed martial artist and actress
  • 1982 – Boris Diaw, French basketball player
  • 1982 – Jonathan Vilma, American football player
  • 1983 – Marié Digby, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress
  • 1983 – Cat Osterman, American softball player
  • 1984 – Teddy Blass, American composer and producer
  • 1984 – Claire Foy, English actress
  • 1984 – Tucker Fredricks, American speed skater
  • 1984 – Paweł Kieszek, Polish footballer
  • 1984 – Kerron Stewart, Jamaican sprinter
  • 1985 – Luol Deng, Sudanese-English basketball player
  • 1985 – Brendon Leonard, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1985 – Benjamín Rojas, Argentinian singer-songwriter and actor
  • 1985 – Taye Taiwo, Nigerian footballer
  • 1986 – Paul di Resta, Scottish racing driver
  • 1986 – Shinji Okazaki, Japanese footballer
  • 1986 – Peter Regin, Danish ice hockey player
  • 1986 – Epke Zonderland, Dutch gymnast
  • 1987 – Cenk Akyol, Turkish basketball player
  • 1987 – Aaron Lennon, English international footballer
  • 1988 – Kyle Okposo, American ice hockey player
  • 1990 – Reggie Jackson, American basketball player
  • 1990 – Vangelis Mantzaris, Greek basketball player
  • 1990 – Tony McQuay, American sprinter
  • 1990 – Travis Shaw, American baseball player
  • 1991 – Nolan Arenado, American baseball player
  • 1991 – Kim Kyung-jung, South Korean footballer
  • 1993 – Mirai Nagasu, American figure skater
  • 1993 – Chance the Rapper, American rapper
  • 1994 – Albert Almora, American baseball player
  • 1994 – Will Fuller, American football player
  • 2002 – Sadie Sink, American actress

Deaths on April 16

  • AD 69 – Otho, Roman emperor (b. AD 32)
  • 665 – Fructuosus of Braga, French archbishop and saint
  • 1090 – Sikelgaita, duchess of Apulia (b. c. 1040)
  • 1113 – Sviatopolk II of Kiev (b. 1050)
  • 1118 – Adelaide del Vasto, regent of Sicily, mother of Roger II of Sicily, queen of Baldwin I of Jerusalem
  • 1198 – Frederick I, Duke of Austria (b. 1175)
  • 1234 – Richard Marshal, 3rd Earl of Pembroke (b. 1191)
  • 1375 – John Hastings, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, English nobleman and soldier (b. 1347)
  • 1496 – Charles II, Duke of Savoy (b. 1489)
  • 1587 – Anne Seymour, Duchess of Somerset (b. 1497)
  • 1640 – Countess Charlotte Flandrina of Nassau (b. 1579)
  • 1645 – Tobias Hume, Scottish soldier, viol player, and composer (b. 1569)
  • 1687 – George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, English poet and politician, Lord Lieutenant of the West Riding of Yorkshire (b. 1628)
  • 1689 – Aphra Behn, English author and playwright (b. 1640)
  • 1742 – Stefano Benedetto Pallavicino, Italian poet and translator (b. 1672)
  • 1756 – Jacques Cassini, French astronomer (b. 1677)
  • 1783 – Christian Mayer, Czech astronomer and educator (b. 1719)
  • 1788 – Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon, French mathematician, cosmologist, and author (b. 1707)
  • 1828 – Francisco Goya, Spanish-French painter and illustrator (b. 1746)
  • 1846 – Domenico Dragonetti, Italian bassist and composer (b. 1763)
  • 1850 – Marie Tussaud, French-English sculptor, founded the Madame Tussauds Wax Museum (b. 1761)
  • 1859 – Alexis de Tocqueville, French historian and philosopher, French Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1805)
  • 1879 – Bernadette Soubirous, French nun and saint (b. 1844)
  • 1888 – Zygmunt Florenty Wróblewski, Polish physicist and chemist (b. 1845)
  • 1899 – Emilio Jacinto, Filipino journalist and activist (b. 1875)
  • 1904 – Maximilian Kronberger, German poet and author (b. 1888)
  • 1904 – Samuel Smiles, Scottish-English author (b. 1812)
  • 1914 – George William Hill, American astronomer and mathematician (b. 1838)
  • 1915 – Nelson W. Aldrich, American businessman and politician (b. 1841)
  • 1925 – Stefan Nerezov, Bulgarian general (b. 1867)
  • 1928 – Henry Birks, Canadian businessman, founded Henry Birks and Sons (b. 1840)
  • 1928 – Roman Steinberg, Estonian wrestler (b. 1900)
  • 1930 – José Carlos Mariátegui, Peruvian journalist, philosopher, and activist (b. 1894)
  • 1935 – Panait Istrati, Romanian journalist and author (b. 1884)
  • 1937 – Jay Johnson Morrow, American military engineer and politician, 3rd Governor of the Panama Canal Zone (b. 1870)
  • 1938 – Steve Bloomer, English footballer and manager (b. 1874)
  • 1941 – Josiah Stamp, 1st Baron Stamp, English economist and civil servant (b. 1880)
  • 1942 – Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (b. 1878)
  • 1942 – Denis St. George Daly, Irish polo player (b. 1862)
  • 1946 – Arthur Chevrolet, Swiss-American race car driver and engineer (b. 1884)
  • 1947 – Rudolf Höss, German SS officer (b. 1900)
  • 1950 – Eduard Oja, Estonian composer, conductor, and critic (b. 1905)
  • 1950 – Anders Peter Nielsen, Danish target shooter (b. 1867)
  • 1955 – David Kirkwood, Scottish engineer and politician (b. 1872)
  • 1958 – Rosalind Franklin, English biophysicist and academic (b. 1920)
  • 1960 – Mihály Fekete, Hungarian actor, screenwriter and film director (b. 1884)
  • 1961 – Carl Hovland, American psychologist and academic (b. 1912)
  • 1965 – Francis Balfour, English soldier and colonial administrator (b. 1884)
  • 1965 – Sydney Chaplin, English actor, comedian, brother of Charlie Chaplin (b. 1885)
  • 1966 – Eric Lambert, Australian author (b. 1918)
  • 1968 – Fay Bainter, American actress (b. 1893)
  • 1968 – Edna Ferber, American novelist, short story writer, and playwright (b. 1885)
  • 1969 – Hem Vejakorn, Thai illustrator and painter (b. 1904)
  • 1970 – Richard Neutra, Austrian-American architect, designed the Los Angeles County Hall of Records (b. 1892)
  • 1970 – Péter Veres, Hungarian politician, Hungarian Minister of Defence (b. 1897)
  • 1972 – Yasunari Kawabata, Japanese novelist and short story writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1899)
  • 1972 – Frank O’Connor, Australian public servant (b. 1894)
  • 1973 – István Kertész, Hungarian conductor and educator (b. 1929)
  • 1978 – Lucius D. Clay, American officer and military governor in occupied Germany (b. 1898)
  • 1980 – Morris Stoloff, American composer (b. 1898)
  • 1985 – Scott Brady, American actor (b. 1924)
  • 1988 – Khalil al-Wazir, Palestinian commander, founded Fatah (b. 1935)
  • 1988 – Youri Egorov, Russian pianist (b. 1954)
  • 1989 – Jocko Conlan, American baseball player and umpire (b. 1899)
  • 1989 – Kaoru Ishikawa Japanese author and educator (b. 1915)
  • 1989 – Miles Lawrence, English cricketer (b. 1940)
  • 1989 – Hakkı Yeten, Turkish footballer and manager (b. 1910)
  • 1991 – David Lean, English director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1908)
  • 1992 – Neville Brand, American actor (b. 1920)
  • 1992 – Alexandru Nicolschi, Romanian spy and activist (b. 1915)
  • 1992 – Andy Russell, American singer and actor (b. 1919)
  • 1994 – Paul-Émilien Dalpé, Canadian labor unionist (b. 1919)
  • 1994 – Ralph Ellison, American novelist and critic (b. 1913)
  • 1996 – Lucille Bremer, American actress and dancer (b. 1917)
  • 1996 – Stavros Niarchos, Greek-Swiss businessman (b. 1909)
  • 1997 – Esmeralda Arboleda Cadavid, Colombian politician (b. 1921)
  • 1997 – Roland Topor, French actor, director, and painter (b. 1938)
  • 1998 – Alberto Calderón, Argentinian-American mathematician and academic (b. 1920)
  • 1998 – Fred Davis, English snooker player (b. 1913)
  • 1998 – Marie-Louise Meilleur, Canadian super-centenarian (b. 1880)
  • 1999 – Skip Spence, Canadian-American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1946)
  • 2001 – Robert Osterloh, American actor (b. 1918)
  • 2001 – Michael Ritchie, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1938)
  • 2001 – Alec Stock, English footballer and manager (b. 1917)
  • 2002 – Billy Ayre, English footballer and manager (b. 1952)
  • 2002 – Ruth Fertel, American businesswoman, founded Ruth’s Chris Steak House (b. 1927)
  • 2002 – Robert Urich, American actor (b. 1946)
  • 2003 – Graham Jarvis, Canadian actor (b. 1930)
  • 2003 – Graham Stuart Thomas, English horticulturalist and author (b. 1909)
  • 2005 – Kay Walsh, English actress, singer, and dancer (b. 1911)
  • 2007 – Frank Bateson, New Zealand astronomer (b. 1909)
  • 2007 – Gaétan Duchesne, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1962)
  • 2007 – Maria Lenk, Brazilian swimmer (b. 1915)
  • 2007 – Chandrabose Suthaharan, Sri Lankan journalist
  • 2008 – Edward Norton Lorenz, American mathematician and meteorologist (b. 1917)
  • 2010 – Rasim Delić, Bosnian general and convicted war criminal (b. 1949)
  • 2010 – Daryl Gates, American police officer, created the D.A.R.E. Program (b. 1926)
  • 2011 – Gerry Alexander, Jamaican cricketer and veterinarian (b. 1928)
  • 2011 – Allan Blakeney, Canadian scholar and politician, 10th Premier of Saskatchewan (b. 1925)
  • 2011 – Sol Saks, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1910)
  • 2012 – Sári Barabás, Hungarian soprano (b. 1914)
  • 2012 – Marian Biskup, Polish author and academic (b. 1922)
  • 2012 – Alan Hacker, English clarinet player and conductor (b. 1938)
  • 2012 – George Kunda, Zambian lawyer and politician, 11th Vice-President of Zambia (b. 1956)
  • 2012 – Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller, Danish businessman (b. 1913)
  • 2012 – Carlo Petrini, Italian footballer and coach (b. 1948)
  • 2013 – Charles Bruzon, Gibraltarian politician (b. 1938)
  • 2013 – Ali Kafi, Algerian colonel and politician (b. 1928)
  • 2013 – Siegfried Ludwig, Austrian politician, 18th Governor of Lower Austria (b. 1926)
  • 2013 – Pentti Lund, Finnish-Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1925)
  • 2013 – George Beverly Shea, Canadian-American singer-songwriter (b. 1909)
  • 2013 – Pat Summerall, American football player and sportscaster (b. 1930)
  • 2013 – Pedro Ramírez Vázquez, Mexican architect, designed the Tijuana Cultural Center and National Museum of Anthropology (b. 1919)
  • 2014 – Gyude Bryant, Liberian businessman and politician (b. 1949)
  • 2014 – Aulis Rytkönen, Finnish footballer and manager (b. 1929)
  • 2014 – Ernst Florian Winter, Austrian-American historian and political scientist (b. 1923)
  • 2015 – Valery Belousov, Russian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1948)
  • 2015 – Attaphol Buspakom, Thai footballer and manager (b. 1962)
  • 2015 – Oles Buzina, Ukrainian journalist and author (b. 1969)
  • 2015 – Stanislav Gross, Czech lawyer and politician, 5th Prime Minister of the Czech Republic (b. 1969)
  • 2016 – Charlie Hodge, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1933)
  • 2018 – Harry Anderson, American actor and magician (b. 1952)
  • 2018 – Jim Caine, British jazz pianist (b. 1926)

Holidays and observances on April 16

  • Christian feast day:
    • Benedict Joseph Labre
    • Bernadette Soubirous
    • Drogo
    • Fructuosus of Braga
    • Isabella Gilmore (Church of England)
    • Martyrs of Zaragoza
    • Molly Brant (Konwatsijayenni) (Anglican Church of Canada, Episcopal Church)
    • Turibius of Astorga
    • April 16 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Birthday of José de Diego (Puerto Rico, United States)
  • Birthday of Queen Margrethe II (Denmark)
  • Emancipation Day (Washington, D.C., United States)
  • Foursquare Day (International observance)
  • Memorial Day for the Victims of the Holocaust (Hungary)
  • National Healthcare Decisions Day (United States)
  • Remembrance of Chemical Attack on Balisan and Sheikh Wasan (Iraqi Kurdistan)
  • World Voice Day

April 16 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

On This Day /
  • 46 BC – Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato (Cato the Younger) at the Battle of Thapsus.
  • 402 – Stilicho defeats the Visigoths under Alaric in the Battle of Pollentia.
  • 1250 – Seventh Crusade: Ayyubids of Egypt capture King Louis IX of France in the Battle of Fariskur.
  • 1320 – The Scots reaffirm their independence by signing the Declaration of Arbroath.
  • 1327 – The poet Petrarch first sees his idealized love, Laura, in the church of Saint Clare in Avignon.
  • 1385 – John, Master of the Order of Aviz, an illegitimate son of Peter I of Portugal, is made king John I of Portugal.
  • 1453 – Mehmed II begins his siege of Constantinople (Istanbul), which falls on May 29.
  • 1580 – One of the largest earthquakes recorded in the history of England, Flanders, or Northern France, takes place.
  • 1652 – At the Cape of Good Hope, Dutch sailor Jan van Riebeeck establishes a resupply camp that eventually becomes Cape Town.
  • 1712 – The New York Slave Revolt of 1712 begins near Broadway.
  • 1776 – American Revolutionary War: Ships of the Continental Navy fail in their attempt to capture a Royal Navy dispatch boat.
  • 1782 – King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke (Rama I) of Siam (modern day Thailand) establishes the Chakri dynasty.
  • 1793 – During the French Revolution, the Committee of Public Safety becomes the executive organ of the republic.
  • 1808 – John Jacob Astor incorporates the American Fur Company, that would eventually make him America’s first millionaire.
  • 1812 – British forces under the command of the Duke of Wellington assault the fortress of Badajoz. This would be the turning point in the Peninsular War against Napoleon-led France.
  • 1814 – Nominal beginning of the Bourbon Restoration; anniversary date that Napoleon abdicates and is exiled to Elba.
  • 1830 – Church of Christ, the original church of the Latter Day Saint movement, is organized by Joseph Smith and others at either Fayette or Manchester, New York.
  • 1841 – U.S. President John Tyler is sworn in, two days after having become President upon William Henry Harrison’s death.
  • 1860 – The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, later renamed Community of Christ, is organized by Joseph Smith III and others at Amboy, Illinois.
  • 1861 – First performance of Arthur Sullivan’s debut success, his suite of incidental music for The Tempest, leading to a career that included the famous Gilbert and Sullivan operas.
  • 1862 – American Civil War: The Battle of Shiloh begins: In Tennessee, forces under Union General Ulysses S. Grant meet Confederate troops led by General Albert Sidney Johnston.
  • 1865 – American Civil War: The Battle of Sailor’s Creek: Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia fights and loses its last major battle while in retreat from Richmond, Virginia during the Appomattox Campaign.
  • 1866 – The Grand Army of the Republic, an American patriotic organization composed of Union veterans of the American Civil War, is founded. It lasts until 1956.
  • 1869 – Celluloid is patented.
  • 1888 – Thomas Green Clemson dies, bequeathing his estate to the State of South Carolina to establish Clemson Agricultural College.
  • 1893 – Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is dedicated by Wilford Woodruff.
  • 1895 – Oscar Wilde is arrested in the Cadogan Hotel, London, after losing a libel case against the Marquess of Queensberry.
  • 1896 – In Athens, the opening of the first modern Olympic Games is celebrated, 1,500 years after the original games are banned by Roman emperor Theodosius I.
  • 1909 – Robert Peary and Matthew Henson become the first people to reach the North Pole; Peary’s claim has been disputed because of failings in his navigational ability.
  • 1911 – During the Battle of Deçiq, Dedë Gjon Luli Dedvukaj, leader of the Malësori Albanians, raises the Albanian flag in the town of Tuzi, Montenegro, for the first time after George Kastrioti (Skanderbeg).
  • 1917 – World War I: The United States declares war on Germany (see President Woodrow Wilson’s address to Congress).
  • 1926 – Varney Airlines makes its first commercial flight (Varney is the root company of United Airlines).
  • 1929 – Huey P. Long, Governor of Louisiana, is impeached by the Louisiana House of Representatives.
  • 1930 – At the end of the Salt March, Gandhi raises a lump of mud and salt and declares, “With this, I am shaking the foundations of the British Empire.”
  • 1936 – Tupelo–Gainesville tornado outbreak: Another tornado from the same storm system as the Tupelo tornado hits Gainesville, Georgia, killing 203.
  • 1941 – World War II: Nazi Germany launches Operation 25 (the invasion of Kingdom of Yugoslavia) and Operation Marita (the invasion of Greece).
  • 1945 – World War II: Sarajevo is liberated from German and Croatian forces by the Yugoslav Partisans.
  • 1945 – World War II: The Battle of Slater’s Knoll on Bougainville comes to an end.
  • 1947 – The first Tony Awards are presented for theatrical achievement.
  • 1957 – Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis buys the Hellenic National Airlines (TAE) and founds Olympic Airlines.
  • 1965 – Launch of Early Bird, the first commercial communications satellite to be placed in geosynchronous orbit.
  • 1968 – In Richmond, Indiana’s downtown district, a double explosion kills 41 and injures 150.
  • 1968 – Pierre Elliott Trudeau wins the Liberal Leadership Election, and becomes Prime Minister of Canada soon after.
  • 1970 – Newhall massacre: Four California Highway Patrol officers are killed in a shootout.
  • 1972 – Vietnam War: Easter Offensive: American forces begin sustained air strikes and naval bombardments.
  • 1973 – Launch of Pioneer 11 spacecraft.
  • 1973 – The American League of Major League Baseball begins using the designated hitter.
  • 1974 – The Swedish pop band ABBA wins the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Waterloo”, launching their international career.
  • 1979 – Student protests break out in Nepal.
  • 1984 – Members of Cameroon’s Republican Guard unsuccessfully attempt to overthrow the government headed by Paul Biya.
  • 1992 – The Bosnian War begins.
  • 1994 – The Rwandan genocide begins when the aircraft carrying Rwandan president Juvénal Habyarimana and Burundian president Cyprien Ntaryamira is shot down.
  • 1997 – In Greene County, Tennessee, the Lillelid murders occurs when a group of young people abduct and kidnap a religious family before shooting them dead on a rural suburban road.
  • 1998 – Nuclear weapons testing: Pakistan tests medium-range missiles capable of reaching India.
  • 1998 – Travelers Group announces an agreement to undertake the $76 billion merger between Travelers and Citicorp, and the merger is completed on October 8, of that year, forming Citibank.
  • 2004 – Rolandas Paksas becomes the first president of Lithuania to be peacefully removed from office by impeachment.
  • 2005 – Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani becomes Iraqi president; Shiite Arab Ibrahim al-Jaafari is named premier the next day.
  • 2008 – The 2008 Egyptian general strike starts led by Egyptian workers later to be adopted by April 6 Youth Movement and Egyptian activists.
  • 2009 – A 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes near L’Aquila, Italy, killing 307.
  • 2010 – Maoist rebels kill 76 CRPF officers in Dantewada district, India.
  • 2011 – In San Fernando, Tamaulipas, Mexico, over 193 victims of Los Zetas were exhumed from several mass graves.
  • 2012 – Azawad declares itself independent from the Republic of Mali.
  • 2017 – U.S. military launches 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at an airbase in Syria. Russia describes the strikes as an “aggression”, adding they significantly damage US-Russia ties.
  • 2018 – A bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos junior ice hockey team collides with a semi-truck in Saskatchewan, Canada, killing 16 people and injuring 13 others.

Births on April 6

  • 1135 – Maimonides, Jewish philosopher, Torah scholar, physician and astronomer (March 30 also proposed, d. 1204)
  • 1342 – Infanta Maria, Marchioness of Tortosa
  • 1483 – Raphael, Italian painter and architect (d. 1520)
  • 1573 – Margaret of Brunswick-Lüneburg, German noble (d. 1643)
  • 1632 – Maria Leopoldine of Austria (d. 1649)
  • 1651 – André Dacier, French scholar and academic (d. 1722)
  • 1660 – Johann Kuhnau, German organist and composer (d. 1722)
  • 1664 – Arvid Horn, Swedish general and politician, Governor of Västerbotten County (d. 1742)
  • 1671 – Jean-Baptiste Rousseau, French poet and playwright (d. 1741)
  • 1672 – André Cardinal Destouches, French composer (d. 1749)
  • 1706 – Louis de Cahusac, French playwright and composer (d. 1759)
  • 1708 – Johann Georg Reutter, Austrian organist and composer (d. 1772)
  • 1725 – Pasquale Paoli, French soldier and politician (d. 1807)
  • 1726 – Gerard Majella, Italian saint (d. 1755)
  • 1741 – Nicolas Chamfort, French author and playwright (d. 1794)
  • 1766 – Wilhelm von Kobell, German painter and educator (d. 1853)
  • 1773 – James Mill, Scottish historian, economist, and philosopher (d. 1836)
  • 1787 – Celestina Cordero, Puerto Rican educator (d. 1862)
  • 1810 – Philip Henry Gosse, English biologist and academic (d. 1888)
  • 1812 – Alexander Herzen, Russian philosopher and author (d. 1870)
  • 1815 – Robert Volkmann, German organist, composer, and conductor (d. 1883)
  • 1818 – Aasmund Olavsson Vinje, Norwegian journalist and poet (d. 1870)
  • 1820 – Nadar, French photographer, journalist, and author (d. 1910)
  • 1823 – Joseph Medill, Canadian-American publisher and politician, 26th Mayor of Chicago (d. 1899)
  • 1824 – George Waterhouse, English-New Zealand politician, 7th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1906)
  • 1826 – Gustave Moreau, French painter and academic (d. 1898)
  • 1844 – William Lyne, Australian politician, 13th Premier of New South Wales (d. 1913)
  • 1851 – Guillaume Bigourdan, French astronomer and academic (d. 1932)
  • 1852 – Will Crooks, English trade unionist and politician (d. 1921)
  • 1855 – Charles Huot, Canadian painter and illustrator (d. 1930)
  • 1857 – Arthur Wesley Dow, American painter and photographer (d. 1922)
  • 1860 – René Lalique, French sculptor and jewellery designer (d. 1945)
  • 1861 – Stanislas de Guaita, French poet and author (d. 1897)
  • 1864 – William Bate Hardy, English biologist and academic (d. 1934)
  • 1866 – Felix-Raymond-Marie Rouleau, Canadian cardinal (d. 1931)
  • 1869 – Levon Shant, Armenian author, poet, and playwright (d. 1951)
  • 1878 – Erich Mühsam, German author, poet, and playwright (d. 1934)
  • 1881 – Karl Staaf, Swedish pole vaulter and hammer thrower (d. 1953)
  • 1884 – J. G. Parry-Thomas, Welsh race car driver and engineer (d. 1927)
  • 1886 – Athenagoras I of Constantinople (d. 1972)
  • 1886 – Walter Dandy, American physician and neurosurgeon (d. 1946)
  • 1886 – Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII, Indian ruler (d. 1967)
  • 1888 – Hans Richter, Swiss painter, illustrator, and director (d. 1976)
  • 1888 – Gerhard Ritter, German historian and academic (d. 1967)
  • 1890 – Anthony Fokker, Dutch engineer and businessman, founded Fokker Aircraft Manufacturer (d. 1939)
  • 1892 – Donald Wills Douglas, Sr., American businessman, founded the Douglas Aircraft Company (d. 1981)
  • 1892 – Lowell Thomas, American journalist and author (d. 1981)
  • 1895 – Dudley Nichols, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1960)
  • 1898 – Jeanne Hébuterne, French painter and author (d. 1920)
  • 1900 – Leo Robin, American composer and songwriter (d. 1984)
  • 1901 – Pier Giorgio Frassati, Italian activist (d. 1925)
  • 1902 – Julien Torma, French author, poet, and playwright (d. 1933)
  • 1903 – Mickey Cochrane, American baseball player and manager (d. 1962)
  • 1903 – Harold Eugene Edgerton, American engineer and academic (d. 1990)
  • 1904 – Kurt Georg Kiesinger, German lawyer, politician and Chancellor of Germany (d. 1988)
  • 1904 – Erwin Komenda, Austrian car designer and engineer (d. 1966)
  • 1908 – Marcel-Marie Desmarais, Canadian preacher, missionary, and author (d. 1994)
  • 1909 – William M. Branham, American minister and theologian (d. 1965)
  • 1909 – Hermann Lang, German race car driver (d. 1987)
  • 1910 – Barys Kit, Belarusian-American rocket scientist (d. 2018)
  • 1911 – Feodor Felix Konrad Lynen, German biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1979)
  • 1913 – Shannon Boyd-Bailey McCune, American geographer and academic (d. 1993)
  • 1915 – Tadeusz Kantor, Polish director, painter, and set designer (d. 1990)
  • 1916 – Phil Leeds, American actor (d. 1998)
  • 1916 – Vincent Ellis McKelvey, American geologist and author (d. 1987)
  • 1917 – Leonora Carrington, English-Mexican painter and author (d. 2011)
  • 1918 – Alfredo Ovando Candía, Bolivian general and politician, 56th President of Bolivia (d. 1982)
  • 1919 – Georgios Mylonas, Greek politician, 11th Greek Minister of Culture (d. 1998)
  • 1920 – Jack Cover, American pilot and physicist, invented the Taser gun (d. 2009)
  • 1920 – Edmond H. Fischer, Swiss-American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1921 – Wilbur Thompson, American shot putter (d. 2013)
  • 1922 – Gordon Chater, English-Australian comedian and actor (d. 1999)
  • 1923 – Herb Thomas, American race car driver (d. 2000)
  • 1926 – Sergio Franchi, Italian-American singer and actor (d. 1990)
  • 1926 – Gil Kane, Latvian-American author and illustrator (d. 2000)
  • 1926 – Ian Paisley, Northern Irish evangelical minister and politician, 2nd First Minister of Northern Ireland (d. 2014)
  • 1926 – Randy Weston, American jazz pianist and composer (d. 2018)
  • 1927 – Gerry Mulligan, American saxophonist, clarinet player, and composer (d. 1996)
  • 1928 – James Watson, American biologist, geneticist, and zoologist, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1929 – Willis Hall, English playwright and author (d. 2005)
  • 1929 – Joi Lansing, American model, actress and nightclub singer (d. 1972)
  • 1929 – André Previn, American pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 2019)
  • 1931 – Ram Dass, American author and educator (d. 2019)
  • 1931 – Ivan Dixon, American actor, director, and producer (d. 2008)
  • 1932 – Connie Broden, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2013)
  • 1932 – Helmut Griem, German actor and director (d. 2004)
  • 1933 – Roy Goode, English lawyer and academic
  • 1933 – Tom C. Korologos, American journalist and diplomat, United States Ambassador to Belgium
  • 1933 – Eduardo Malapit, American lawyer and politician, Mayor of Kauai (d. 2007)
  • 1934 – Enrique Álvarez Félix, Mexican actor (d. 1996)
  • 1934 – Anton Geesink, Dutch martial artist and wrestler (d. 2010)
  • 1934 – Guy Peellaert, Belgian painter, illustrator, and photographer (d. 2008)
  • 1935 – Douglas Hill, Canadian author and critic (d. 2007)
  • 1936 – Helen Berman, Dutch-Israeli painter and illustrator
  • 1936 – Jean-Pierre Changeux, French neuroscientist, biologist, and academic
  • 1937 – Merle Haggard, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2016)
  • 1937 – Tom Veivers, Australian cricketer and politician
  • 1937 – Billy Dee Williams, American actor, singer, and writer
  • 1938 – Paul Daniels, English magician and television host (d. 2016)
  • 1938 – Roy Thinnes, American television and film actor
  • 1939 – André Ouellet, Canadian lawyer and politician, 1st Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • 1939 – John Sculley, American businessman, co-founded Zeta Interactive
  • 1940 – Homero Aridjis, Mexican journalist, author, and poet
  • 1940 – Pedro Armendáriz, Jr., Mexican-American actor and producer (d. 2011)
  • 1941 – Christopher Allsopp, English economist and academic
  • 1941 – Phil Austin, American comedian, actor, and screenwriter (d. 2015)
  • 1941 – Hans W. Geißendörfer, German director and producer
  • 1941 – Don Prudhomme, American race car driver and manager
  • 1941 – Gheorghe Zamfir, Romanian flute player and composer
  • 1942 – Barry Levinson, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1942 – Anita Pallenberg, Italian-English model, actress, and fashion designer (d. 2017)
  • 1943 – Max Clifford, English journalist and publicist (d. 2017)
  • 1943 – Roger Cook, New Zealand-English journalist and academic
  • 1943 – Ian MacRae, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1943 – Mitchell Melton, American lawyer and politician (d. 2013)
  • 1944 – Felicity Palmer, English operatic soprano
  • 1945 – Rodney Bickerstaffe, English trade union leader (d. 2017)
  • 1945 – Peter Hill, English journalist
  • 1946 – Paul Beresford, New Zealand-English dentist and politician
  • 1947 – John Ratzenberger, American actor and director
  • 1947 – André Weinfeld, French-American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1947 – Mike Worboys, English mathematician and computer scientist
  • 1949 – Alyson Bailes, English academic and diplomat (d. 2016)
  • 1949 – Patrick Hernandez, French singer-songwriter
  • 1949 – Ng Ser Miang, Singaporean athlete, entrepreneur and diplomat
  • 1949 – Horst Ludwig Störmer, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1950 – Claire Morissette, Canadian cycling activist (d. 2007)
  • 1950 – Cleo Odzer, American anthropologist and author (d. 2001)
  • 1951 – Bert Blyleven, Dutch-American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1951 – Jean-Marc Boivin, French skier, mountaineer, and pilot (d. 1990)
  • 1951 – Pascal Rogé, French pianist
  • 1951 – Phil Schaap, American jazz disc jockey and historian
  • 1952 – Udo Dirkschneider, German singer-songwriter
  • 1952 – Marilu Henner, Greek-Polish American actress and author
  • 1952 – Michel Larocque, Canadian ice hockey player and manager (d. 1992)
  • 1953 – Patrick Doyle, Scottish actor and composer
  • 1953 – Christopher Franke, German-American drummer and songwriter
  • 1955 – Rob Epstein, American director and producer
  • 1955 – Michael Rooker, American actor, director, and producer
  • 1955 – Cathy Jones, Canadian actress, comedian, and writer
  • 1956 – Michele Bachmann, American lawyer and politician
  • 1956 – Normand Corbeil, Canadian composer (d. 2013)
  • 1956 – Mudassar Nazar, Pakistani cricketer
  • 1956 – Lee Scott, English politician
  • 1956 – Sebastian Spreng, Argentinian-American painter and journalist
  • 1956 – Dilip Vengsarkar, Indian cricketer and coach
  • 1957 – Giorgio Damilano, Italian race walker and coach
  • 1957 – Maurizio Damilano, Italian race walker and coach
  • 1957 – Jaroslava Maxová, Czech soprano and educator
  • 1957 – Paolo Nespoli, Italian soldier, engineer, and astronaut
  • 1958 – Graeme Base, Australian author and illustrator
  • 1959 – Gail Shea, Canadian politician
  • 1960 – Warren Haynes, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1960 – Richard Loe, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1960 – John Pizzarelli, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1961 – Rory Bremner, Scottish actor and screenwriter
  • 1961 – Peter Jackson, English footballer and manager
  • 1962 – Iris Häussler, German sculptor and academic
  • 1962 – Marco Schällibaum, Swiss footballer, coach, and manager
  • 1963 – Rafael Correa, Ecuadorian economist and politician, 54th President of Ecuador
  • 1965 – Black Francis, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1965 – Sterling Sharpe, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1966 – Vince Flynn, American author (d. 2013)
  • 1966 – Young Man Kang, South Korean-American director and producer
  • 1967 – Julian Anderson, English composer and educator
  • 1967 – Kathleen Barr, Canadian voice actress and singer
  • 1967 – Tanya Byron, English psychologist and academic
  • 1967 – Jonathan Firth, English actor
  • 1968 – Archon Fung, American political scientist, author, and academic
  • 1968 – Affonso Giaffone, Brazilian race car driver
  • 1969 – Bret Boone, American baseball player and manager
  • 1969 – Bison Dele, American basketball player (d. 2002)
  • 1969 – Philipp Peter, Austrian race car driver
  • 1969 – Paul Rudd, American actor
  • 1969 – Spencer Wells, American geneticist and anthropologist
  • 1970 – Olaf Kölzig, South African-German ice hockey player and coach
  • 1970 – Roy Mayorga, American drummer, songwriter, and producer
  • 1970 – Huang Xiaomin, Chinese swimmer
  • 1972 – Anders Thomas Jensen, Danish director and screenwriter
  • 1972 – Dickey Simpkins, American basketball player and sportscaster
  • 1973 – Donnie Edwards, American football player
  • 1973 – Randall Godfrey, American football player
  • 1973 – Rie Miyazawa, Japanese model and actress
  • 1973 – Sun Wen, Chinese footballer
  • 1975 – Zach Braff, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1975 – Hal Gill, American ice hockey player
  • 1976 – Candace Cameron Bure, American actress and talk show panelist
  • 1976 – James Fox, Welsh singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
  • 1976 – Chris Hoke, American football player
  • 1976 – Georg Hólm, Icelandic bass player
  • 1976 – Hirotada Ototake, Japanese author and educator
  • 1977 – Ville Nieminen, Finnish ice hockey player
  • 1977 – Andy Phillips, American baseball player and coach
  • 1978 – Imani Coppola, American singer-songwriter and violinist
  • 1978 – Robert Glasper, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer
  • 1978 – Tim Hasselbeck, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1978 – Myleene Klass, Austrian/Filipino-English singer, pianist, and model
  • 1978 – Martín Méndez, Uruguayan bass player and songwriter
  • 1978 – Blaine Neal, American baseball player
  • 1978 – Igor Semshov, Russian footballer
  • 1979 – Lord Frederick Windsor, English journalist and financier
  • 1979 – Clay Travis, American sports journalist, blogger, and broadcaster
  • 1980 – Tommi Evilä, Finnish long jumper
  • 1980 – Tanja Poutiainen, Finnish skier
  • 1980 – Antonio Thomas, American wrestler
  • 1981 – Robert Earnshaw, Welsh footballer
  • 1981 – Jeff Faine, American football player
  • 1981 – Alex Suarez, American bass player
  • 1982 – Travis Moen, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1982 – Miguel Ángel Silvestre, Spanish actor
  • 1983 – Mehdi Ballouchy, Moroccan footballer
  • 1983 – Jerome Kaino, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1983 – Mitsuru Nagata, Japanese footballer
  • 1983 – Remi Nicole, English singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1983 – James Wade, English darts player
  • 1983 – Katie Weatherston, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1984 – Max Bemis, American singer-songwriter
  • 1984 – Michaël Ciani, French footballer
  • 1984 – Siboniso Gaxa, South African footballer
  • 1984 – Diana Matheson, Canadian soccer player
  • 1985 – Clarke MacArthur, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1985 – Frank Ongfiang, Cameroonian footballer
  • 1985 – Sinqua Walls, American basketball player and actor
  • 1986 – Nikolas Asprogenis, Cypriot footballer
  • 1986 – Aaron Curry, American football player
  • 1986 – Goeido Gotaro, Japanese sumo wrestler
  • 1986 – Ryota Moriwaki, Japanese footballer
  • 1987 – Benjamin Corgnet, French footballer
  • 1987 – Heidi Mount, American model
  • 1987 – Juan Adriel Ochoa, Mexican footballer
  • 1987 – Levi Porter, English footballer
  • 1987 – Hilary Rhoda, American model
  • 1988 – Jucilei, Brazilian footballer
  • 1988 – Leigh Adams, Australian footballer
  • 1988 – Daniele Gasparetto, Italian footballer
  • 1988 – Carlton Mitchell, American football player
  • 1988 – Fabrice Muamba, Congolese-English footballer
  • 1988 – Ivonne Orsini, Puerto Rican-American model and television host, Miss World Puerto Rico 2008
  • 1990 – Lachlan Coote, Australian rugby league player
  • 1990 – Charlie McDermott, American actor
  • 1990 – Andrei Veis, Estonian footballer
  • 1992 – Ken, South Korean singer
  • 1992 – Julie Ertz, American soccer player
  • 1994 – Adrián Alonso, Mexican actor
  • 1995 – Darya Lebesheva, Belarusian tennis player
  • 1998 – Peyton List, American actress and model

Deaths on April 6

  • 861 – Prudentius, bishop of Troyes
  • 885 – Saint Methodius, Byzantine missionary and saint (b. 815)
  • 887 – Pei Che, chancellor of the Tang Dynasty
  • 943 – Liu Churang, Chinese general and chief of staff (b. 881)
  • 943 – Nasr II, ruler (amir) of the Samanid Empire (b. 906)
  • 1147 – Frederick II, duke of Swabia (b. 1090)
  • 1199 – Richard I, king of England (b. 1157)
  • 1231 – William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke
  • 1250 – Guillaume de Sonnac, Grand Master of the Knights Templar
  • 1252 – Peter of Verona, Italian priest and saint (b. 1206)
  • 1340 – Basil, emperor of Trebizond (Turkey)
  • 1362 – James I, count of La Marche (b. 1319)
  • 1376 – Preczlaw of Pogarell, Cardinal and Bishop of Wrocław (b. 1310)
  • 1490 – Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary and Croatia from 1458 to 1490 (b. 1443)
  • 1520 – Raphael, Italian painter and architect (b. 1483)
  • 1523 – Henry Stafford, 1st Earl of Wiltshire, English nobleman (b. 1479)
  • 1528 – Albrecht Dürer, German painter, engraver, and mathematician (b. 1471)
  • 1551 – Joachim Vadian, Swiss scholar and politician (b. 1484)
  • 1571 – John Hamilton, Scottish archbishop and academic (b. 1512)
  • 1590 – Francis Walsingham, English politician and diplomat, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (b. 1532)
  • 1593 – Henry Barrowe, English Puritan and separatist (b. 1550)
  • 1605 – John Stow, English historian and author (b. 1525)
  • 1621 – Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford (b. 1539)
  • 1641 – Domenico Zampieri (Domenichino), Italian painter (b. 1581)
  • 1655 – David Blondel, French minister, historian, and scholar (b. 1591)
  • 1676 – John Winthrop the Younger, English politician, 1st Governor of Connecticut (b. 1606)
  • 1686 – Arthur Annesley, 1st Earl of Anglesey, Irish-English politician (b. 1614)
  • 1707 – Willem van de Velde the Younger, Dutch-English painter (b. 1633)
  • 1755 – Richard Rawlinson, English minister and historian (b. 1690)
  • 1790 – Louis IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt (b. 1719)
  • 1825 – Vladimir Borovikovsky, Ukrainian-Russian painter and educator (b. 1757)
  • 1829 – Niels Henrik Abel, Norwegian mathematician and theorist (b. 1802)
  • 1833 – Adamantios Korais, Greek philosopher and scholar (b. 1748)
  • 1838 – José Bonifácio de Andrada, Brazilian poet, academic, and politician (b. 1763)
  • 1860 – James Kirke Paulding, American author and politician, 11th United States Secretary of the Navy (b. 1778)
  • 1862 – Albert Sidney Johnston, American general (b. 1803)
  • 1883 – Benjamin Wright Raymond, American merchant and politician, 3rd Mayor of Chicago (b. 1801)
  • 1886 – William Edward Forster, English businessman, philanthropist, and politician, Chief Secretary for Ireland (b. 1818)
  • 1899 – Alvan Wentworth Chapman, American physician and botanist (b. 1809)
  • 1906 – Alexander Kielland, Norwegian author, playwright, and politician, 6th County Governor of Møre og Romsdal (b. 1849)
  • 1913 – Somerset Lowry-Corry, 4th Earl Belmore (b. 1835)
  • 1923 – Kabalega, King of Bunyoro (b.1853)
  • 1927 – Florence Earle Coates, American poet (b. 1850)
  • 1935 – Edwin Arlington Robinson, American poet and playwright (b. 1869)
  • 1944 – Rose O’Neill, American cartoonist, illustrator, artist, and writer (b. 1874)
  • 1947 – Herbert Backe, German agronomist and politician (b. 1896)
  • 1950 – Louis Wilkins, American pole vaulter (b. 1882)
  • 1953 – Idris Davies, Welsh poet and author (b. 1905)
  • 1959 – Leo Aryeh Mayer, Polish-Israeli scholar and academic (b. 1895)
  • 1961 – Jules Bordet, Belgian microbiologist and immunologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1870)
  • 1963 – Otto Struve, Ukrainian-American astronomer and academic (b. 1897)
  • 1970 – Maurice Stokes, American basketball player (b. 1933)
  • 1971 – Igor Stravinsky, Russian-American pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1882)
  • 1974 – Willem Marinus Dudok, Dutch architect (b. 1884)
  • 1974 – Hudson Fysh, Australian pilot and businessman, co-founded Qantas Airways Limited (b. 1895)
  • 1977 – Kōichi Kido, Japanese politician, 13th Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal of Japan (b. 1889)
  • 1979 – Ivan Vasilyov, Bulgarian architect, designed the SS. Cyril and Methodius National Library (b. 1893)
  • 1983 – Jayanto Nath Chaudhuri, Indian General who served as the Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army from 1962 to 1966 and the Military Governor of Hyderabad State from 1948 to 1949. (b. 1908)
  • 1992 – Isaac Asimov, American science fiction writer (b. 1920)
  • 1994 – Juvénal Habyarimana, Rwandan banker and politician, 3rd President of Rwanda (b. 1937)
  • 1994 – Cyprien Ntaryamira, Burundian politician, 5th President of Burundi (b. 1955)
  • 1995 – Ioannis Alevras, Greek banker and politician, President of Greece (b. 1912)
  • 1996 – Greer Garson, English-American actress (b. 1904)
  • 1998 – Norbert Schmitz, German footballer (b. 1958)
  • 1998 – Tammy Wynette, American singer-songwriter (b. 1942)
  • 1999 – Red Norvo, American vibraphone player and composer (b. 1908)
  • 2000 – Habib Bourguiba, Tunisian politician, 1st President of Tunisia (b. 1903)
  • 2001 – Charles Pettigrew, American singer-songwriter (b. 1963)
  • 2003 – David Bloom, American journalist (b. 1963)
  • 2003 – Anita Borg, American computer scientist and educator; founded Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology (b. 1949)
  • 2003 – Gerald Emmett Carter, Canadian cardinal (b. 1912)
  • 2003 – Babatunde Olatunji, Nigerian drummer, educator, and activist (b. 1927)
  • 2004 – Lou Berberet, American baseball player (b. 1929)
  • 2004 – Larisa Bogoraz, Russian linguist and activist (b. 1929)
  • 2005 – Rainier III, Prince of Monaco (b. 1923)
  • 2006 – Maggie Dixon, American basketball player and coach (b. 1977)
  • 2006 – Francis L. Kellogg, American soldier and diplomat (b. 1917)
  • 2006 – Stefanos Stratigos, Greek actor and director (b. 1926)
  • 2007 – Luigi Comencini, Italian director and producer (b. 1916)
  • 2009 – J. M. S. Careless, Canadian historian and academic (b. 1919)
  • 2009 – Shawn Mackay, Australian rugby player and coach (b. 1982)
  • 2010 – Wilma Mankiller, American tribal leader (b. 1945)
  • 2010 – Corin Redgrave, English actor (b. 1939)
  • 2011 – Gerald Finnerman, American director and cinematographer (b. 1931)
  • 2012 – Roland Guilbault, American admiral (b. 1934)
  • 2012 – Thomas Kinkade, American painter and illustrator (b. 1958)
  • 2012 – Fang Lizhi, Chinese astrophysicist and academic (b. 1936)
  • 2012 – Sheila Scotter, Australian fashion designer and journalist (b. 1920)
  • 2012 – Reed Whittemore, American poet and critic (b. 1919)
  • 2013 – Hilda Bynoe, Grenadian physician and politician, 2nd Governor of Grenada (b. 1921)
  • 2013 – Bill Guttridge, English footballer and manager (b. 1931)
  • 2013 – Bigas Luna, Spanish director and screenwriter (b. 1946)
  • 2013 – Ottmar Schreiner, German lawyer and politician (b. 1946)
  • 2014 – Mary Anderson, American actress (b. 1918)
  • 2014 – Jacques Castérède, French pianist and composer (b. 1926)
  • 2014 – Liv Dommersnes, Norwegian actress (b. 1922)
  • 2014 – Mickey Rooney, American soldier, actor, and dancer (b. 1920)
  • 2014 – Chuck Stone, American soldier, journalist, and academic (b. 1924)
  • 2014 – Massimo Tamburini, Italian motorcycle designer, co-founded Bimota (b. 1943)
  • 2015 – Giovanni Berlinguer, Italian lawyer and politician (b. 1924)
  • 2015 – James Best, American actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1926)
  • 2015 – Ray Charles, American singer-songwriter and conductor (b. 1918)
  • 2015 – Dollard St. Laurent, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1929)
  • 2016 – Merle Haggard, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1937)
  • 2017 – Don Rickles, American actor and comedian (b. 1926)
  • 2019 – Michael O’Donnell, British physician, journalist, author and broadcaster (b. 1928)

Holidays and observances on April 6

  • Chakri Day, commemorating the establishment of the Chakri dynasty. (Thailand)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Albrecht Dürer and Lucas Cranach (Lutheran Church).
    • Brychan
    • Eutychius of Constantinople (Eastern Orthodox Church)
    • Marcellinus of Carthage
    • Pope Celestine I (Catholic Church)
    • Pope Sixtus I
    • April 6 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • International Day of Sport for Development and Peace
  • National Fisherman Day (Indonesia)
  • New Beer’s Eve (United States)
  • Tartan Day (United States & Canada)

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

On This Day

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

On This Day /

It is the first day of the second quarter of the year, and the midway point of the first half of the year.

  • 33 – According to one historian’s account, Jesus Christ’s Last Supper is held.
  • 286 – Emperor Diocletian elevates his general Maximian to co-emperor with the rank of Augustus and gives him control over the Western regions of the Roman Empire.
  • 325 – Crown Prince Jin Chengdi, age four, succeeds his father Jin Mingdi as emperor of the Eastern Jin dynasty.
  • 457 – Majorian is acclaimed emperor by the Roman army after defeating 900 Alemanni near Lake Maggiore (Italy).
  • 527 – Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne.
  • 528 – The daughter of Emperor Xiaoming of Northern Wei was made the “Emperor” as a male heir of the late emperor by Empress Dowager Hu. Deposed and replaced by Yuan Zhao the next day, she was the first female monarch in the History of China, but is not widely recognised.
  • 988 – Robert II of France is married to Rozala of Italy. The marriage is arranged by his father, King Hugh Capet.
  • 1234 – Richard Marshal, 3rd Earl of Pembroke, is defeated by knights loyal to King Henry III of England in the Battle of the Curragh in Ireland.
  • 1293 – Robert Winchelsey leaves England for Rome, to be consecrated as Archbishop of Canterbury.
  • 1318 – Berwick-upon-Tweed is captured by Scotland from England.
  • 1340 – Niels Ebbesen kills Gerhard III, Count of Holstein-Rendsburg in his bedroom, ending the 1332-1340 interregnum in Denmark.
  • 1545 – Potosí, Bolivia, is founded after the discovery of huge silver deposits in the area.
  • 1572 – In the Eighty Years’ War, the Watergeuzen capture Brielle from the Seventeen Provinces, gaining the first foothold on land for what would become the Dutch Republic.
  • 1625 – A combined Spanish and Portuguese fleet of 52 ships commences the recapture of Bahia from the Dutch during the Dutch–Portuguese War.
  • 1789 – In New York City, the United States House of Representatives achieves its first quorum and elects Frederick Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania as its first Speaker.
  • 1826 – Samuel Morey received a patent for a compressionless “Gas or Vapor Engine”.
  • 1833 – The Convention of 1833, a political gathering of settlers in Mexican Texas to help draft a series of petitions to the Mexican government, begins in San Felipe de Austin.
  • 1854 – Charles Dickens’ novel Hard Times begins serialisation in his magazine Household Words.
  • 1865 – American Civil War: Union troops led by Philip Sheridan decisively defeat Confederate troops led by George Pickett, cutting the Army of Northern Virginia’s last supply line.
  • 1867 – Singapore becomes a British crown colony.
  • 1871 – The 3rd Duke of Buckingham opened the Brill Tramway, a short railway line to transport goods between his lands and the national rail network.
  • 1873 – The White Star steamer RMS Atlantic sinks off Nova Scotia, killing 547 in one of the worst marine disasters of the 19th century.
  • 1889 – The University of Northern Colorado was established, as the Colorado State Normal School.
  • 1891 – The Wrigley Company is founded in Chicago, Illinois.
  • 1893 – The rank of Chief Petty Officer in the United States Navy is established.
  • 1908 – The Territorial Force (renamed Territorial Army in 1920) is formed as a volunteer reserve component of the British Army.
  • 1918 – The Royal Air Force is created by the merger of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service.
  • 1924 – Adolf Hitler is sentenced to five years imprisonment for his participation in the “Beer Hall Putsch” but spends only nine months in jail.
  • 1924 – The Royal Canadian Air Force is formed.
  • 1933 – The recently elected Nazis under Julius Streicher organize a one-day boycott of all Jewish-owned businesses in Germany, ushering in a series of anti-Semitic acts.
  • 1933 – English cricketer Wally Hammond set a record for the highest individual Test innings of 336 not out, during a Test match against New Zealand.
  • 1935 – India’s central banking institution, The Reserve Bank of India, is formed.
  • 1937 – Aden becomes a British crown colony.
  • 1937 – The Royal New Zealand Air Force is formed as an independent service.
  • 1937 – Spanish Civil War: Jaén, Spain is bombed by German fascist forces, supporting Francoist Nationalists.
  • 1939 – Spanish Civil War: Generalísimo Francisco Franco of the Spanish State announces the end of the Spanish Civil War, when the last of the Republican forces surrender.
  • 1941 – Fântâna Albă massacre: Between 200 and 2,000 Romanian civilians are killed by Soviet Border Troops.
  • 1941 – A military coup in Iraq overthrows the regime of ‘Abd al-Ilah and installs Rashid Ali al-Gaylani as Prime Minister.
  • 1944 – Navigation errors lead to an accidental American bombing of the Swiss city of Schaffhausen.
  • 1945 – World War II: The Tenth United States Army attacks the Thirty-Second Japanese Army on Okinawa.
  • 1946 – The 8.6 Mw  Aleutian Islands earthquake shakes the Aleutian Islands with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VI (Strong). A destructive tsunami reaches the Hawaiian Islands resulting in dozens of deaths, mostly in Hilo, Hawaii.
  • 1947 – The only mutiny in the history of the Royal New Zealand Navy begins.
  • 1948 – Cold War: Communist forces respond to the introduction of the Deutsche Mark by attempting to force the western powers to withdraw from Berlin.
  • 1948 – Faroe Islands gain autonomy from Denmark.
  • 1949 – Chinese Civil War: The Chinese Communist Party holds unsuccessful peace talks with the Nationalist Party in Beijing, after three years of fighting.
  • 1949 – The Government of Canada repeals Japanese-Canadian internment after seven years.
  • 1954 – United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower authorizes the creation of the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado.
  • 1955 – The EOKA rebellion against the British Empire begins in Cyprus, with the goal of unifying with Greece.
  • 1960 – The TIROS-1 satellite transmits the first television picture from space.
  • 1969 – The Hawker Siddeley Harrier, the first operational fighter aircraft with Vertical/Short Takeoff and Landing capabilities, enters service with the Royal Air Force.
  • 1970 – President Richard Nixon signs the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act into law, requiring the Surgeon General’s warnings on tobacco products and banning cigarette advertising on television and radio in the United States, effective 1 January 1971.
  • 1970 – The first of over 670,000 AMC Gremlins are released into North America to compete with foreign imported cars.
  • 1971 – Bangladesh Liberation War: The Pakistan Army massacre over 1,000 people in Keraniganj Upazila, Bangladesh.
  • 1973 – Project Tiger, a tiger conservation project, is launched in the Jim Corbett National Park, India.
  • 1974 – The Local Government Act 1972 of England and Wales comes into effect.
  • 1976 – Apple Inc. is formed by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne in Cupertino, California, USA.
  • 1978 – The Philippine College of Commerce, through a presidential decree, becomes the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.
  • 1979 – Iran becomes an Islamic republic by a 99% vote, officially overthrowing the Shah.
  • 1979 – Nickelodeon was launched in United States.
  • 1986 – Communist Party of Nepal (Mashal) cadres attack a number of police stations in Kathmandu, seeking to incite a popular rebellion.
  • 1989 – Margaret Thatcher’s new local government tax, the Community Charge (commonly known as the “poll tax”), is introduced in Scotland.
  • 1993 – Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is founded in Los Angeles, California, USA.
  • 1996 – The government of Nova Scotia amalgamated the City of Halifax and the over 200 communities around the area to create the Halifax Regional Municipality.
  • 1997 – Comet Hale–Bopp is seen passing at perihelion.
  • 1999 – Nunavut is established as a Canadian territory carved out of the eastern part of the Northwest Territories.
  • 2001 – An EP-3E United States Navy surveillance aircraft collides with a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Shenyang J-8 fighter jet. The Navy crew makes an emergency landing in Hainan, China and is detained.
  • 2001 – Former President of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Slobodan Milošević surrenders to police special forces, to be tried on war crimes charges.
  • 2001 – Same-sex marriage becomes legal in the Netherlands, the first contemporary country to allow it.
  • 2004 – Google announces Gmail to the public.
  • 2006 – Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) of the Government of the United Kingdom is enforced, but later merged into National Crime Agency on 7 October 2013.
  • 2011 – After protests against the burning of the Quran turn violent, a mob attacks a United Nations compound in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan, resulting in the deaths of thirteen people, including eight foreign workers.
  • 2016 – Nagorno-Karabakh clashes: The Four Day War or April War begins along the Nagorno-Karabakh line of contact on April 1.

Births on April 1

  • 1220 – Emperor Go-Saga of Japan (d. 1272)
  • 1282 – Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1347)
  • 1328 – Blanche of France, Duchess of Orléans (d. 1382)
  • 1543 – François de Bonne, Duke of Lesdiguières (d. 1626)
  • 1578 – William Harvey, English physician and academic (d. 1657)
  • 1610 – Charles de Saint-Évremond, French soldier and critic (d. 1703)
  • 1629 – Jean-Henri d’Anglebert, French organist and composer (d. 1691)
  • 1640 – Georg Mohr, Danish mathematician and academic (d. 1697)
  • 1647 – John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester, English poet and courtier (d. 1680)
  • 1697 – Antoine François Prévost, French novelist and translator (d. 1763)
  • 1721 – Pieter Hellendaal, Dutch-English organist, violinist, and composer (d. 1799)
  • 1741 – George Dance the Younger, English architect and surveyor (d. 1825)
  • 1753 – Joseph de Maistre, French philosopher, lawyer, and diplomat (d. 1821)
  • 1755 – Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, French lawyer and politician (d. 1826)
  • 1765 – Luigi Schiavonetti, Italian engraver and etcher (d. 1810)
  • 1776 – Sophie Germain, French mathematician, physicist, and philosopher (d. 1831)
  • 1786 – William Mulready, Irish genre painter (d. 1863)
  • 1815 – Otto von Bismarck, German lawyer and politician, 1st Chancellor of the German Empire (d. 1898)
  • 1815 – Edward Clark, American lawyer and politician, 8th Governor of Texas (d. 1880)
  • 1823 – Simon Bolivar Buckner, American general and politician, 30th Governor of Kentucky (d. 1891)
  • 1824 – Louis-Zéphirin Moreau, Canadian bishop (d. 1901)
  • 1834 – James Fisk, American businessman (d. 1872)
  • 1852 – Edwin Austin Abbey, American painter and illustrator (d. 1911)
  • 1865 – Richard Adolf Zsigmondy, Austrian-German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1929)
  • 1866 – William Blomfield, New Zealand cartoonist and politician (d. 1938)
  • 1866 – Ferruccio Busoni, Italian pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1924)
  • 1866 – Ève Lavallière, French actress (d. 1929)
  • 1868 – Edmond Rostand, French poet and playwright (d. 1918)
  • 1868 – Walter Mead, English cricketer (d. 1954)
  • 1871 – F. Melius Christiansen, Norwegian-American violinist and conductor (d. 1955)
  • 1873 – Sergei Rachmaninoff, Russian pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1943)
  • 1874 – Ernest Barnes, English mathematician and theologian (d. 1953)
  • 1874 – Prince Karl of Bavaria (d. 1927)
  • 1875 – Edgar Wallace, English journalist, author, and playwright (d. 1932)
  • 1878 – C. Ganesha Iyer, Ceylon Tamil philologist (d. 1958)
  • 1879 – Stanislaus Zbyszko, Polish wrestler and strongman (d. 1967)
  • 1881 – Octavian Goga, Romanian Prime Minister (d. 1938)
  • 1883 – Lon Chaney, American actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1930)
  • 1883 – Edvard Drabløs, Norwegian actor and director (d. 1976)
  • 1883 – Laurette Taylor, Irish-American actress (d. 1946)
  • 1885 – Wallace Beery, American actor (d. 1949)
  • 1885 – Clementine Churchill, English wife of Winston Churchill (d. 1977)
  • 1889 – K. B. Hedgewar, Indian physician and activist (d. 1940)
  • 1893 – Cicely Courtneidge, Australian-English actress (d. 1980)
  • 1895 – Alberta Hunter, African-American singer-songwriter and nurse (d. 1984)
  • 1898 – William James Sidis, Ukrainian-Russian Jewish American mathematician, anthropologist, and historian (d. 1944)
  • 1899 – Gustavs Celmiņš, Latvian academic and politician (d. 1968)
  • 1900 – Stefanie Clausen, Danish Olympic diver (d. 1981)
  • 1901 – Whittaker Chambers, American journalist and spy (d. 1961)
  • 1905 – Gaston Eyskens, Belgian economist and politician, 47th Prime Minister of Belgium (d. 1988)
  • 1905 – Paul Hasluck, Australian historian, poet, and politician, 17th Governor-General of Australia (d. 1993)
  • 1906 – Alexander Sergeyevich Yakovlev, Russian engineer, founded the Yakovlev Design Bureau (d. 1989)
  • 1907 – Shivakumara Swami, Indian religious leader and philanthropist (d. 2019)
  • 1908 – Abraham Maslow, American psychologist and academic (d. 1970)
  • 1908 – Harlow Rothert, American shot putter, lawyer, and academic (d. 1997)
  • 1909 – Abner Biberman, American actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1977)
  • 1909 – Eddy Duchin, American pianist and bandleader (d. 1951)
  • 1910 – Harry Carney, American saxophonist and clarinet player (d. 1974)
  • 1910 – Bob Van Osdel, American high jumper and soldier (d. 1987)
  • 1911 – Augusta Braxton Baker, African American librarian (d. 1998)
  • 1913 – Memos Makris, Greek sculptor (d. 1993)
  • 1915 – O. W. Fischer, Austrian-Swiss actor and director (d. 2004)
  • 1916 – Sheila May Edmonds, British mathematician (d. 2002)
  • 1917 – Sydney Newman, Canadian screenwriter and producer, co-created Doctor Who (d. 1997)
  • 1917 – Melville Shavelson, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2007)
  • 1919 – Joseph Murray, American surgeon and soldier, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2012)
  • 1920 – Toshiro Mifune, Japanese actor (d. 1997)
  • 1921 – William Bergsma, American composer and educator (d. 1994)
  • 1921 – Arthur “Guitar Boogie” Smith, American guitarist, fiddler, and composer (d. 2014)
  • 1922 – Duke Jordan, American pianist and composer (d. 2006)
  • 1922 – William Manchester, American historian and author (d. 2004)
  • 1924 – Brendan Byrne, American lieutenant, judge, and politician, 47th Governor of New Jersey (d. 2018)
  • 1926 – Anne McCaffrey, American-Irish author (d. 2011)
  • 1927 – Walter Bahr, American soccer player, coach, and manager (d. 2018)
  • 1927 – Amos Milburn, American R&B singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 1980)
  • 1927 – Ferenc Puskás, Hungarian footballer and manager (d. 2006)
  • 1929 – Jonathan Haze, American actor, producer, screenwriter, and production manager
  • 1929 – Milan Kundera, Czech-born novelist, poet, and playwright
  • 1929 – Payut Ngaokrachang, Thai animator and director (d. 2010)
  • 1929 – Jane Powell, American actress, singer, and dancer
  • 1930 – Grace Lee Whitney, American actress and singer (d. 2015)
  • 1931 – George Baker, Bulgarian-English actor and screenwriter (d. 2011)
  • 1931 – Rolf Hochhuth, German author and playwright (d. 2020)
  • 1932 – Debbie Reynolds, Scottish-Irish American actress, singer, and dancer (d. 2016)
  • 1933 – Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, Algerian-French physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1933 – Dan Flavin, American sculptor and educator (d. 1996)
  • 1934 – Vladimir Posner, French-American journalist and radio host
  • 1935 – Larry McDonald, American physician and politician (d. 1983)
  • 1936 – Peter Collinson, English-American director and producer (d. 1980)
  • 1936 – Jean-Pascal Delamuraz, Swiss politician, 80th President of the Swiss Confederation (d. 1998)
  • 1936 – Tarun Gogoi, Indian politician, 14th Chief Minister of Assam
  • 1936 – Abdul Qadeer Khan, Indian-Pakistani physicist, chemist, and engineer
  • 1937 – Jordan Charney, American actor
  • 1939 – Ali MacGraw, American model and actress
  • 1939 – Phil Niekro, American baseball player and manager
  • 1940 – Wangari Maathai, Kenyan environmentalist and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2011)
  • 1941 – Gideon Gadot, Israeli journalist and politician (d. 2012)
  • 1941 – Ajit Wadekar, Indian cricketer, coach, and manager (d. 2018)
  • 1942 – Samuel R. Delany, American author and critic
  • 1942 – Richard D. Wolff, American economist and academic
  • 1943 – Dafydd Wigley, Welsh academic and politician
  • 1946 – Nikitas Kaklamanis, Greek academic and politician, Greek Minister of Health and Social Security
  • 1946 – Ronnie Lane, English bass player, songwriter, and producer (d. 1997)
  • 1946 – Arrigo Sacchi, Italian footballer, coach, and manager
  • 1947 – Alain Connes, French mathematician and academic
  • 1947 – Philippe Kirsch, Canadian lawyer and judge
  • 1947 – Francine Prose, American novelist, short story writer, and critic
  • 1947 – Norm Van Lier, American basketball player, coach, and sportscaster (d. 2009)
  • 1948 – Jimmy Cliff, Jamaican singer and musician
  • 1948 – Javier Irureta, Spanish footballer and manager
  • 1948 – Peter Law, Welsh politician and independent Member of parliament(d. 2006)
  • 1949 – Gérard Mestrallet, French businessman
  • 1949 – Paul Manafort, American lobbyist, political consultant, and convicted felon
  • 1949 – Sammy Nelson, Northern Irish footballer and coach
  • 1949 – Gil Scott-Heron, American singer-songwriter and author (d. 2011)
  • 1950 – Samuel Alito, American lawyer and jurist
  • 1950 – Loris Kessel, Swiss racing driver (d. 2010)
  • 1950 – Daniel Paillé, Canadian academic and politician
  • 1951 – John Abizaid, American general
  • 1951 – Frederic Schwartz, American architect, co-designed Empty Sky (d. 2014)
  • 1952 – Annette O’Toole, American actress
  • 1952 – Bernard Stiegler, French philosopher and academic
  • 1953 – Barry Sonnenfeld, American cinematographer, director, and producer
  • 1953 – Alberto Zaccheroni, Italian footballer and manager
  • 1954 – Jeff Porcaro, American drummer, songwriter, and producer (d. 1992)
  • 1955 – Don Hasselbeck, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1955 – Humayun Akhtar Khan, Pakistani politician, 5th Commerce Minister of Pakistan
  • 1955 – Terry Nichols, American criminal
  • 1957 – David Gower, English cricketer and sportscaster
  • 1957 – Denise Nickerson, American actress (d. 2019)
  • 1958 – D. Boon, American singer and musician (d. 1985)
  • 1959 – Helmuth Duckadam, Romanian footballer
  • 1961 – Susan Boyle, Scottish singer
  • 1961 – Sergio Scariolo, Italian professional basketball head coach
  • 1961 – Mark White, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1962 – Mark Shulman, American author
  • 1962 – Chris Grayling, English journalist and politician, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain
  • 1962 – Samboy Lim, Filipino basketball player and manager
  • 1962 – Phillip Schofield, English television host
  • 1963 – Teodoro de Villa Diaz, Filipino guitarist and songwriter (d. 1988)
  • 1963 – Aprille Ericsson-Jackson, American aerospace engineer
  • 1964 – Erik Breukink, Dutch cyclist and manager
  • 1964 – Kevin Duckworth, American basketball player (d. 2008)
  • 1964 – John Morris, English cricketer
  • 1964 – José Rodrigues dos Santos, Portuguese journalist, author, and educator
  • 1965 – Jane Adams, American film, television, and stage actress
  • 1965 – Mark Jackson, American basketball player and coach
  • 1966 – Chris Evans, English radio and television host
  • 1966 – Mehmet Özdilek, Turkish footballer and manager
  • 1967 – Nicola Roxon, Australian lawyer and politician, 34th Attorney-General for Australia
  • 1968 – Mike Baird, Australian politician, 44th Premier of New South Wales
  • 1968 – Andreas Schnaas, German actor and director
  • 1968 – Alexander Stubb, Finnish academic and politician, 43rd Prime Minister of Finland
  • 1969 – Lev Lobodin, Ukrainian-Russian decathlete
  • 1969 – Andrew Vlahov, Australian basketball player
  • 1969 – Dean Windass, English footballer and manager
  • 1970 – Brad Meltzer, American author, screenwriter, and producer
  • 1971 – Sonia Bisset, Cuban javelin thrower
  • 1971 – Shinji Nakano, Japanese racing driver
  • 1972 – Darren McCarty, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
  • 1972 – Jesse Tobias, American guitarist and songwriter
  • 1973 – Christian Finnegan, American comedian and actor
  • 1973 – Stephen Fleming, New Zealand cricketer and coach
  • 1973 – Rachel Maddow, American journalist and author
  • 1974 – Hugo Ibarra, Argentinian footballer and manager
  • 1975 – John Butler, American-Australian singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1975 – Magdalena Maleeva, Bulgarian tennis player
  • 1976 – Hazem El Masri, Lebanese-Australian rugby league player and educator
  • 1976 – David Gilliland, American race car driver
  • 1976 – David Oyelowo, English actor
  • 1976 – Clarence Seedorf, Dutch-Brazilian footballer and manager
  • 1976 – Yuka Yoshida, Japanese tennis player
  • 1977 – Vitor Belfort, Brazilian-American boxer and mixed martial artist
  • 1977 – Haimar Zubeldia, Spanish cyclist
  • 1978 – Antonio de Nigris, Mexican footballer (d. 2009)
  • 1978 – Mirka Federer, Slovak-Swiss tennis player
  • 1978 – Anamaria Marinca, Romanian-English actress
  • 1978 – Etan Thomas, American basketball player
  • 1979 – Ruth Beitia, Spanish high jumper
  • 1980 – Dennis Kruppke, German footballer
  • 1980 – Randy Orton, American wrestler
  • 1980 – Bijou Phillips, American actress and model
  • 1981 – Antonis Fotsis, Greek basketball player
  • 1981 – Bjørn Einar Romøren, Norwegian ski jumper
  • 1982 – Taran Killam, American actor, voice artist, comedian, and writer
  • 1982 – Andreas Thorkildsen, Norwegian javelin thrower
  • 1983 – Ólafur Ingi Skúlason, Icelandic footballer
  • 1983 – Sean Taylor, American football player (d. 2007)
  • 1984 – Gilberto Macena, Brazilian footballer
  • 1985 – Daniel Murphy, American baseball player
  • 1985 – Beth Tweddle, English gymnast
  • 1986 – Hillary Scott, American country singer-songwriter
  • 1987 – Ding Junhui, Chinese professional snooker player
  • 1987 – Gianluca Musacci, Italian footballer
  • 1987 – Oliver Turvey, English racing driver
  • 1988 – Brook Lopez, American basketball player
  • 1988 – Robin Lopez, American basketball player
  • 1989 – Jan Blokhuijsen, Dutch speed skater
  • 1989 – David N’Gog, French footballer
  • 1989 – Christian Vietoris, German racing driver
  • 1990 – Julia Fischer, German discus thrower
  • 1992 – Deng Linlin, Chinese gymnast
  • 1995 – Logan Paul, American Youtuber and actor
  • 1997 – Álex Palou, Spanish racing driver

Deaths on April 1

  • 996 – John XV, pope of the Catholic Church
  • 1085 – Shen Zong, Chinese emperor (b. 1048)
  • 1132 – Hugh of Châteauneuf, French bishop (b. 1053)
  • 1204 – Eleanor of Aquitaine, queen of France and England (b. 1122)
  • 1205 – Amalric II, king of Cyprus and Jerusalem
  • 1282 – Abaqa Khan, ruler of the Mongol Ilkhanate (b. 1234)
  • 1431 – Nuno Álvares Pereira, Portuguese general (b. 1360)
  • 1441 – Blanche I, queen of Navarre and Sicily (b. 1387)
  • 1455 – Zbigniew Oleśnicki, Polish cardinal and statesman (b. 1389)
  • 1528 – Francisco de Peñalosa, Spanish composer (b. 1470)
  • 1548 – Sigismund I, king of Poland (b. 1467)
  • 1580 – Alonso Mudarra, Spanish guitarist and composer (b. 1510)
  • 1601 – Françoise d’Orléans-Longueville, French princess (b. 1549)
  • 1621 – Cristofano Allori, Italian painter and educator (b. 1577)
  • 1682 – Franz Egon of Fürstenberg, Bavarian bishop (b. 1625)
  • 1787 – Floyer Sydenham, English scholar and academic (b. 1710)
  • 1839 – Benjamin Pierce, American soldier and politician, 11th Governor of New Hampshire (b. 1757)
  • 1865 – Giuditta Pasta, Italian soprano (b. 1797)
  • 1872 – Frederick Denison Maurice, English theologian and academic (b. 1805)
  • 1878 – John C.W. Daly, English-Canadian soldier and politician (b. 1796)
  • 1890 – David Wilber, American politician (b. 1820)
  • 1890 – Alexander Mozhaysky, Russian soldier, pilot, and engineer (b. 1825)
  • 1914 – Rube Waddell, American baseball player (b. 1876)
  • 1914 – Charles Wells, English founder of Charles Wells Ltd (b. 1842)
  • 1917 – Scott Joplin, American pianist and composer (b. 1868)
  • 1920 – Walter Simon, German banker and philanthropist (b. 1857)
  • 1922 – Charles I, emperor of Austria (b. 1887)
  • 1922 – Hermann Rorschach, Swiss psychologist and author (b. 1884)
  • 1924 – Jacob Bolotin, American physician (b. 1888)
  • 1924 – Lloyd Hildebrand, English cyclist (b. 1870)
  • 1924 – Stan Rowley, Australian sprinter (b. 1876)
  • 1946 – Noah Beery, Sr., American actor (b. 1882)
  • 1947 – George II, king of Greece (b. 1890)
  • 1950 – Charles R. Drew, American physician and surgeon (b. 1904)
  • 1950 – Recep Peker, Turkish soldier and politician, 6th Prime Minister of Turkey (b. 1889)
  • 1962 – Jussi Kekkonen, Finnish captain and businessman (b. 1910)
  • 1965 – Helena Rubinstein, Polish-American businesswoman (b. 1870)
  • 1966 – Brian O’Nolan, Irish author (b. 1911)
  • 1968 – Lev Landau, Azerbaijani-Russian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1908)
  • 1976 – Max Ernst, German painter and sculptor (b. 1891)
  • 1981 – Eua Sunthornsanan, Thai singer-songwriter and bandleader (b. 1910)
  • 1984 – Marvin Gaye, American singer-songwriter (b. 1939)
  • 1984 – Elizabeth Goudge, English author (b. 1900)
  • 1986 – Erik Bruhn, Danish actor, director, and choreographer (b. 1928)
  • 1987 – Henri Cochet, French tennis player (b. 1901)
  • 1991 – Martha Graham, American dancer and choreographer (b. 1894)
  • 1991 – Jaime Guzmán, Chilean lawyer and politician (b. 1946)
  • 1992 – Michael Havers, Baron Havers, English lawyer and politician, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain (b. 1923)
  • 1993 – Alan Kulwicki, American race car driver (b. 1954)
  • 1994 – Robert Doisneau, French photographer (b. 1912)
  • 1995 – H. Adams Carter, American mountaineer, journalist, and educator (b. 1914)
  • 1995 – Francisco Moncion, Dominican American ballet dancer, choreographer, charter member of the New York City Ballet (b. 1918)
  • 1995 – Lucie Rie, Austrian-English potter (b. 1902)
  • 1997 – Makar Honcharenko, Ukrainian footballer and manager (b. 1912)
  • 1998 – Rozz Williams, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1963)
  • 1999 – Jesse Stone, American pianist, songwriter, and producer (b. 1901)
  • 2001 – Trịnh Công Sơn, Vietnamese guitarist and composer (b. 1939)
  • 2002 – Simo Häyhä, Finnish soldier and sniper (b. 1905)
  • 2003 – Leslie Cheung, Hong Kong singer-songwriter and actor (b. 1956)
  • 2004 – Ioannis Kyrastas, Greek footballer and manager (b. 1952)
  • 2004 – Carrie Snodgress, American actress (b. 1945)
  • 2005 – Paul Bomani, Tanzanian politician and diplomat, 1st Tanzanian Minister of Finance (b 1925)
  • 2005 – Robert Coldwell Wood, American political scientist and academic (b. 1923)
  • 2006 – In Tam, Cambodian general and politician, 26th Prime Minister of Cambodia (b. 1916)
  • 2010 – John Forsythe, American actor (b. 1918)
  • 2010 – Tzannis Tzannetakis, Greek soldier and politician, 175th Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1927)
  • 2012 – Lionel Bowen, Australian soldier, lawyer, and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1922)
  • 2012 – Giorgio Chinaglia, Italian-American soccer player and radio host (b. 1947)
  • 2012 – Miguel de la Madrid, Mexican banker, academic, and politician, 52nd President of Mexico (b. 1934)
  • 2013 – Moses Blah, Liberian general and politician, 23rd President of Liberia (b. 1947)
  • 2013 – Karen Muir, South African swimmer and physician (b. 1952)
  • 2014 – King Fleming, American pianist and bandleader (b. 1922)
  • 2014 – Jacques Le Goff, French historian and author (b. 1924)
  • 2014 – Rolf Rendtorff, German theologian and academic (b. 1925)
  • 2015 – Nicolae Rainea, Romanian footballer and referee (b. 1933)
  • 2017 – Lonnie Brooks, American blues singer and guitarist (b. 1933)
  • 2017 – Yevgeny Yevtushenko, Soviet and Russian poet and writer (b. 1932)
  • 2018 – Steven Bochco, American television writer and producer (b. 1943)
  • 2019 – Vonda N. McIntyre, American science fiction author (b. 1948)

Holidays and observances on April 1

  • Christian feast day:
    • Cellach of Armagh
    • Hugh of Grenoble
    • Frederick Denison Maurice (Episcopal Church (USA))
    • Mary of Egypt
    • Melito of Sardis
    • Nuno Álvares Pereira
    • Tewdrig
    • Theodora
    • Walric, abbot of Leuconay
    • April 1 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest day on which Sizdah Be-dar can fall, while April 2 is the latest; celebrated on the 13th day after vernal equinox. (Iran)
  • Iranian Islamic Republic Day (Iran) falls on this day if the Vernal Equinox falls on March 21.
  • Veneralia was held on April 1 during Ancient Rome, however this date does not lock into the modern Gregorian calendar.
  • April Fools’ Day
  • Odisha Day (Odisha, India)
  • Arbor Day (Tanzania)
  • Civil Service Day (Thailand)
  • Cyprus National Day (Cyprus)
  • Edible Book Day
  • Fossil Fools Day
  • Kha b-Nisan, the Assyrian New Year (Assyrian people)
  • National Civil Service Day (Thailand)

April 1 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

On This Day /
  • 1309 – Pope Clement V imposes excommunication and interdiction on Venice, and a general prohibition of all commercial intercourse with Venice, which had seized on Ferrara, a papal fiefdom.
  • 1329 – Pope John XXII issues his In Agro Dominico condemning some writings of Meister Eckhart as heretical.
  • 1513 – Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León reaches the northern end of The Bahamas on his first voyage to Florida.
  • 1625 – Charles I becomes King of England, Scotland and Ireland as well as claiming the title King of France.
  • 1782 – Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham becomes Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
  • 1794 – The United States Government establishes a permanent navy and authorizes the building of six frigates.
  • 1809 – Peninsular War: A combined Franco-Polish force defeats the Spanish in the Battle of Ciudad Real.
  • 1814 – War of 1812: In central Alabama, U.S. forces under General Andrew Jackson defeat the Creek at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend.
  • 1836 – Texas Revolution: On the orders of General Antonio López de Santa Anna, the Mexican army massacres 342 Texas POWs at Goliad, Texas.
  • 1866 – President of the United States of America Andrew Johnson vetoes the Civil Rights Act of 1866. His veto is overridden by Congress and the bill passes into law on April 9.
  • 1871 – The first international rugby football match, when Scotland defeats England in Edinburgh at Raeburn Place.
  • 1884 – A mob in Cincinnati, Ohio, attacks members of a jury which had returned a verdict of manslaughter in what was seen as a clear case of murder; over the next few days the mob would riot and eventually destroy the courthouse.
  • 1886 – Geronimo, Apache warrior, surrenders to the U.S. Army, ending the main phase of the Apache Wars.
  • 1899 – Emilio Aguinaldo leads Filipino forces for the only time during the Philippine–American War at the Battle of Marilao River.
  • 1915 – Typhoid Mary, the first healthy carrier of disease ever identified in the United States is put in quarantine for the second time, where she would remain for the rest of her life.
  • 1918 – The National Council of Bessarabia proclaims union with the Kingdom of Romania.
  • 1938 – Second Sino-Japanese War: The Battle of Taierzhuang begins, resulting several weeks later in the war’s first major Chinese victory over Japan.
  • 1941 – World War II: Yugoslav Air Force officers topple the pro-Axis government in a bloodless coup.
  • 1943 – World War II: Battle of the Komandorski Islands: In the Aleutian Islands the battle begins when United States Navy forces intercept Japanese attempting to reinforce a garrison at Kiska.
  • 1945 – World War II: Operation Starvation, the aerial mining of Japan’s ports and waterways begins. Argentina declares war on the Axis Powers.
  • 1958 – Nikita Khrushchev becomes Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union.
  • 1964 – The Good Friday earthquake, the most powerful earthquake recorded in North American history at a magnitude of 9.2 strikes Southcentral Alaska, killing 125 people and inflicting massive damage to the city of Anchorage.
  • 1975 – Construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System begins.
  • 1977 – Tenerife airport disaster: Two Boeing 747 airliners collide on a foggy runway on Tenerife in the Canary Islands, killing 583 (all 248 on KLM and 335 on Pan Am). Sixty-one survived on the Pan Am flight. This is the deadliest aviation accident in history.
  • 1980 – The Norwegian oil platform Alexander L. Kielland collapses in the North Sea, killing 123 of its crew of 212.
  • 1980 – Silver Thursday: A steep fall in silver prices, resulting from the Hunt Brothers attempting to corner the market in silver, leads to panic on commodity and futures exchanges.
  • 1981 – The Solidarity movement in Poland stages a warning strike, in which at least 12 million Poles walk off their jobs for four hours.
  • 1986 – A car bomb explodes outside Russell Street Police HQ in Melbourne, Australia, killing one police officer and injuring 21 people.
  • 1990 – The United States begins broadcasting anti-Castro propaganda to Cuba on TV Martí.
  • 1993 – Jiang Zemin is appointed President of the People’s Republic of China.
  • 1993 – Italian former minister and Christian Democracy leader Giulio Andreotti is accused of mafia allegiance by the tribunal of Palermo.
  • 1998 – The Food and Drug Administration approves Viagra for use as a treatment for male impotence, the first pill to be approved for this condition in the United States.
  • 1999 – Kosovo War: An American Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk is shot down by a Yugoslav SAM, the first and only Nighthawk to be lost in combat.
  • 2000 – A Phillips Petroleum plant explosion in Pasadena, Texas kills one person and injures 71 others.
  • 2002 – Passover massacre: A Palestinian suicide bomber kills 29 people at a Passover seder in Netanya, Israel.
  • 2002 – Nanterre massacre: In Nanterre, France, a gunman opens fire at the end of a town council meeting, resulting in the deaths of eight councilors; 19 other people are injured.
  • 2004 – HMS Scylla, a decommissioned Leander-class frigate, is sunk as an artificial reef off Cornwall, the first of its kind in Europe.
  • 2009 – The dam forming Situ Gintung, an artificial lake in Indonesia, fails, killing at least 99 people.
  • 2014 – Philippines signs a peace accord with the largest Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, ending decades of conflict.
  • 2015 – Al-Shabab militants attack and temporarily occupy a Mogadishu hotel leaving at least 20 people dead.
  • 2016 – A suicide blast in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park, Lahore claims over 70 lives and leaves almost 300 others injured. The target of the bombing are Christians celebrating Easter.
  • 2020 – North Macedonia becomes the 30th member of NATO.

Births on March 27

  • 972 – Robert II, king of France (d. 1031)
  • 1401 – Albert III, duke of Bavaria (d. 1460)
  • 1416 – Francis of Paola, Italian friar and saint, founded Order of the Minims (d. 1507)
  • 1546 – Johannes Piscator, German theologian (d. 1625)
  • 1627 – Stephen Fox, English politician (d. 1716)
  • 1676 – Francis II Rákóczi, Hungarian prince (b. 1676)
  • 1679 – Domenico Lalli, Italian poet and librettist (d. 1741)
  • 1681 – Joaquín Fernández de Portocarrero, Spanish-Italian cardinal (d. 1760)
  • 1702 – Johann Ernst Eberlin, German organist and composer (d. 1762)
  • 1710 – Joseph Abaco, Belgian cellist and composer (d. 1805)
  • 1712 – Claude Bourgelat, French surgeon and author (d. 1779)
  • 1714 – Francesco Antonio Zaccaria, Italian historian and theologian (d. 1795)
  • 1724 – Jane Colden, American botanist and author (d. 1766)
  • 1745 – Lindley Murray, American-English Quaker and grammarian (d. 1826)
  • 1746 – Michael Bruce, Scottish poet and composer (d. 1767)
  • 1746 – Carlo Buonaparte, Corsican-French lawyer and politician (d. 1785)
  • 1765 – Franz Xaver von Baader, German philosopher and theologian (d. 1841)
  • 1781 – Alexander Vostokov, Estonian-Russian philologist and academic (d. 1864)
  • 1784 – Sándor Kőrösi Csoma, Hungarian philologist, orientalist, and author (d. 1842)
  • 1785 – Louis XVII of France (d. 1795)
  • 1797 – Alfred de Vigny, French author, poet, and playwright (d. 1863)
  • 1801 – Alexander Barrow, American lawyer and politician (d. 1846)
  • 1802 – Charles-Mathias Simons, German-Luxembourger jurist and politician, 3rd Prime Minister of Luxembourg (d. 1874)
  • 1809 – Georges-Eugène Haussmann, French engineer, urban planner, and politician (d. 1891)
  • 1811 – Edward William Cooke, English painter and illustrator (d. 1880)
  • 1814 – Charles Mackay, Scottish journalist, anthologist, and author (d. 1889)
  • 1820 – Edward Augustus Inglefield, English admiral and explorer (d. 1894)
  • 1822 – Henri Murger, French novelist and poet (d. 1861)
  • 1824 – Virginia Minor, American women’s suffrage activist (d. 1894)
  • 1839 – John Ballance, Irish-New Zealand journalist and politician, 14th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1893)
  • 1843 – George Frederick Leycester Marshall, English colonel and entomologist (d. 1934)
  • 1844 – Adolphus Greely, American general and explorer, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1935)
  • 1845 – Wilhelm Röntgen, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1923)
  • 1845 – Jakob Sverdrup, Norwegian bishop and politician, Norwegian Minister of Education and Church Affairs (d. 1899)
  • 1847 – Otto Wallach, German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1931)
  • 1851 – Ruperto Chapí, Spanish composer, co-founded Sociedad General de Autores y Editores (d. 1909)
  • 1851 – Vincent d’Indy, French composer and educator (d. 1931)
  • 1852 – Jan van Beers, Belgian painter and illustrator (d. 1927)
  • 1854 – Giovanni Battista Grassi, Italian physician, zoologist, and entomologist (d. 1925)
  • 1855 – William Libbey, American target shooter, colonel, mountaineer, geographer, geologist, and archaeologist (d. 1927)
  • 1857 – Karl Pearson, English mathematician, eugenicist, and academic (d. 1936)
  • 1859 – George Giffen, Australian cricketer and footballer (d. 1927)
  • 1860 – Frank Frost Abbott, American-Swiss scholar and academic (d. 1924)
  • 1862 – Jelena Dimitrijević, Serbian short story writer, novelist, poet, traveller, social worker, feminist and polyglot (d. 1945)
  • 1862 – Arturo Berutti, Argentinian composer (d. 1938)
  • 1863 – Henry Royce, English engineer and businessman, founded Rolls-Royce Limited (d. 1933)
  • 1866 – John Allan, Australian politician, 29th Premier of Victoria (d. 1936)
  • 1868 – Patty Hill, American songwriter and educator (d. 1946)
  • 1869 – James McNeill, Irish politician, 2nd Governor-General of the Irish Free State (d. 1938)
  • 1869 – J. R. Clynes, English trade unionist and politician, Home Secretary (d. 1949)
  • 1871 – Heinrich Mann, German author and poet (d. 1950)
  • 1871 – Joseph G. Morrison, American captain and Nazarene minister (d. 1939)
  • 1871 – Piet Aalberse, Dutch politician, Minister of Labour (d. 1948)
  • 1875 – Albert Marquet, French painter (d. 1947)
  • 1877 – Oscar Grégoire, Belgian water polo player and swimmer (d. 1947)
  • 1878 – Kathleen Scott, British sculptor (d. 1947)
  • 1879 – Sándor Garbai, Hungarian politician, 19th Prime Minister of Hungary (d. 1947)
  • 1879 – Miller Huggins, American baseball player and manager (d. 1929)
  • 1879 – Edward Steichen, Luxembourger-American painter and photographer (d. 1973)
  • 1881 – Arkady Averchenko, Russian playwright and satirist (d. 1925)
  • 1882 – Thomas Graham Brown, Scottish mountaineer and physiologist (d. 1965)
  • 1883 – Marie Under, Estonian author and poet (d. 1980)
  • 1884 – Gordon Thomson, English rower and lieutenant (d. 1953)
  • 1885 – Julio Lozano Díaz, Honduran accountant and politician, 40th President of Honduras (d. 1957)
  • 1885 – Reginald Fletcher, 1st Baron Winster, English navy officer and politician, Secretary of State for Transport (d. 1961)
  • 1886 – Sergey Kirov, Russian politician (d. 1934)
  • 1886 – Wladimir Burliuk, Ukrainian painter and illustrator (d. 1917)
  • 1886 – Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, German-American architect, designed IBM Plaza and Seagram Building (d. 1969)
  • 1887 – Väinö Siikaniemi, Finnish javelin thrower, poet, and translator (d. 1932)
  • 1888 – George Alfred Lawrence Hearne, English-South African cricketer (d. 1978)
  • 1889 – Yakup Kadri Karaosmanoğlu, Egyptian-Turkish journalist, author, and politician (d. 1974)
  • 1889 – Leonard Mociulschi, Romanian general (d. 1979)
  • 1890 – Harald Julin, Swedish swimmer and water polo player (d. 1967)
  • 1890 – Frederick Dalrymple-Hamilton, Scottish admiral (d. 1974)
  • 1891 – Lajos Zilahy, Hungarian novelist and playwright (d. 1974)
  • 1891 – Klawdziy Duzh-Dushewski, Belarusian-Lithuanian architect, journalist, and diplomat, created the Flag of Belarus (d. 1959)
  • 1892 – Ferde Grofé, American pianist and composer (d. 1972)
  • 1892 – Thorne Smith, American author (d. 1934)
  • 1893 – Karl Mannheim, Hungarian-English sociologist and academic (d. 1947)
  • 1893 – G. Lloyd Spencer, American lieutenant and politician (d. 1981)
  • 1893 – George Beranger, Australian-American actor and director (d. 1973)
  • 1894 – René Fonck, French colonel and pilot (d. 1953)
  • 1895 – Roland Leighton, English soldier and poet (d. 1915)
  • 1897 – Douglas Hartree, English mathematician and physicist (d. 1958)
  • 1897 – Fred Keating, American magician, stage and film actor (d. 1961)
  • 1899 – Francis Ponge, French poet and author (d. 1988)
  • 1899 – Herbert Arthur Stuart, German-Swiss physicist and academic (d. 1974)
  • 1899 – Gloria Swanson, American actress and producer (d. 1983)
  • 1901 – Carl Barks, American illustrator and screenwriter (d. 2000)
  • 1901 – Erich Ollenhauer, German politician (d. 1963)
  • 1901 – Eisaku Satō, Japanese politician, 61st Prime Minister of Japan, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1975)
  • 1901 – Kenneth Slessor, Australian journalist and poet (d. 1971)
  • 1902 – Sidney Buchman, American screenwriter and producer (d. 1975)
  • 1902 – Charles Lang, American cinematographer (d. 1998)
  • 1903 – Xavier Villaurrutia, Mexican poet and playwright (d. 1950)
  • 1905 – Leroy Carr, American singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 1935)
  • 1905 – Rudolf Christoph Freiherr von Gersdorff, German general (d. 1980)
  • 1905 – Elsie MacGill, Canadian-American author and engineer (d. 1980)
  • 1906 – Pee Wee Russell, American clarinet player, saxophonist, and composer (d. 1969)
  • 1909 – Golo Mann, German historian and author (d. 1994)
  • 1909 – Ben Webster, American saxophonist (d. 1973)
  • 1909 – Valery Marakou, Belarusian poet and translator (d. 1937)
  • 1910 – Ai Qing, Chinese poet and author (d. 1996)
  • 1911 – Veronika Tushnova, Russian poet and physician (d. 1965)
  • 1912 – James Callaghan, English lieutenant and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 2005)
  • 1913 – Theodor Dannecker, German SS officer (d. 1945)
  • 1914 – Richard Denning, American actor (d. 1998)
  • 1914 – Budd Schulberg, American author, screenwriter, and producer (d. 2009)
  • 1915 – Robert Lockwood, Jr., American guitarist (d. 2006)
  • 1917 – Cyrus Vance, American lawyer and politician, 57th United States Secretary of State (d. 2002)
  • 1920 – Colin Rowe, English-American architect, theorist and academic (d. 1999)
  • 1921 – Phil Chess, Czech-American record producer, co-founded Chess Records (d. 2016)
  • 1921 – Moacir Barbosa Nascimento, Brazilian footballer and coach (d. 2000)
  • 1921 – Harold Nicholas, American actor and dancer (d. 2000)
  • 1922 – Dick King-Smith, English author (d. 2011)
  • 1922 – Stefan Wul, French author and surgeon (d. 2003)
  • 1922 – Jules Olitski, Ukrainian-American painter, printmaker, and sculptor (d. 2007)
  • 1923 – Shūsaku Endō, Japanese author (d. 1996)
  • 1923 – Louis Simpson, Jamaican-American poet, translator, and academic (d. 2012)
  • 1924 – Sarah Vaughan, American singer (d. 1990)
  • 1924 – Ian Black, Scottish international footballer, goalkeeper and lawn bowls player (d. 2012)
  • 1924 – Margaret K. Butler, American mathematician and computer programmer (d. 2013)
  • 1926 – Frank O’Hara, American writer (d. 1966)
  • 1927 – Sylvia Anderson, English voice actress, screenwriter, and producer (d. 2016)
  • 1927 – Anthony Lewis, American journalist and academic (d. 2013)
  • 1927 – Mstislav Rostropovich, Russian cellist and conductor (d. 2007)
  • 1928 – Jean Dotto, French cyclist (d. 2000)
  • 1929 – Anne Ramsey, American actress (d. 1988)
  • 1929 – Reg Evans, Australian actor (d. 2009)
  • 1930 – Daniel Spoerri, Romanian-Swiss photographer, writer and artist
  • 1931 – David Janssen, American actor and screenwriter (d. 1980)
  • 1932 – Junior Parker, American singer and harmonica player (d. 1971)
  • 1932 – Bailey Olter, Micronesian politician, 3rd President of the Federated States of Micronesia (d. 1999)
  • 1933 – Lê Văn Hưng, South Vietnamese Brigadier general (d. 1975)
  • 1934 – István Csurka, Hungarian journalist, author, and politician (d. 2012)
  • 1935 – Stanley Rother, American Roman Catholic priest and missionary (d. 1981)
  • 1935 – Julian Glover, English actor
  • 1936 – Malcolm Goldstein, American violinist and composer
  • 1937 – Alan Hawkshaw, English keyboard player and songwriter
  • 1939 – Jay Kim, South Korean-American engineer and politician
  • 1939 – Cale Yarborough, American race car driver and businessman
  • 1940 – Sandro Munari, Italian race car driver
  • 1940 – Austin Pendleton, American actor, director, and playwright
  • 1941 – Ivan Gašparovič, Slovak lawyer and politician, 3rd President of Slovakia
  • 1941 – Liese Prokop, Austrian pentathlete and politician, Austrian Minister of the Interior (d. 2006)
  • 1942 – Michael Jackson, English journalist and author (d. 2007)
  • 1942 – John Sulston, English biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2018)
  • 1942 – Michael York, English actor
  • 1943 – Mike Curtis, American football player and coach (d. 2020)
  • 1944 – Jesse Brown, American marine and politician, 2nd United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs (d. 2002)
  • 1944 – Bryan Campbell, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1946 – Michael Aris, Cuban-English author and academic (d. 1999)
  • 1947 – Oliver Friggieri, Maltese author, critic, poet and philosopher
  • 1947 – Brian Jones, English balloonist and pilot
  • 1947 – Walt Mossberg, American journalist
  • 1948 – Jens-Peter Bonde, Danish lawyer and politician
  • 1950 – Tony Banks, English keyboardist and songwriter
  • 1950 – Petros Efthymiou, Greek academic and politician, Greek Minister of Culture, Education and Religious Affairs
  • 1950 – Maria Ewing, African-American soprano
  • 1950 – Chris Stewart, English musician and author
  • 1950 – Terry Yorath, Welsh international footballer, Midfielder and international manager
  • 1951 – Andrei Kozyrev, Belgian-Russian politician and diplomat, Minister of Foreign Affairs for Russia
  • 1952 – Annemarie Moser-Pröll, Austrian skier
  • 1952 – Maria Schneider, French actress (d. 2011)
  • 1953 – Herman Ponsteen, Dutch cyclist
  • 1954 – Gerard Batten, English lawyer and politician
  • 1955 – Patrick McCabe, Irish writer
  • 1955 – Mariano Rajoy, Spanish lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of Spain
  • 1955 – Susan Neiman, Jewish American-German philosopher and author
  • 1956 – Leung Kwok-hung, Hong Kong activist and politician
  • 1956 – Thomas Wassberg, Swedish cross country skier
  • 1957 – Kostas Vasilakakis, Greek footballer and manager
  • 1957 – Stephen Dillane, English actor
  • 1958 – Didier de Radiguès, Belgian race car driver and motorcycle racer
  • 1959 – Andrew Farriss, Australian rock musician and multi-instrumentalist
  • 1960 – Hans Pflügler, German footballer
  • 1960 – Renato Russo, Brazilian singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1996)
  • 1961 – Ellery Hanley, English rugby league player and coach
  • 1961 – Tony Rominger, Swiss professional cyclist
  • 1962 – Jann Arden, Canadian singer-songwriter
  • 1962 – Brett French, Australian rugby league player
  • 1962 – Rob Hollink, Dutch poker player
  • 1962 – John O’Farrell, English journalist and author
  • 1962 – Brad Wright, American-Spanish basketball player
  • 1962 – Kevin J. Anderson, American science fiction writer
  • 1963 – Cory Blackwell, American basketball player
  • 1963 – Randall Cunningham, American football player, coach, and pastor
  • 1963 – Filippos Sachinidis, Greek-Canadian economist and politician
  • 1963 – Gary Stevens, English-Australian footballer and physiotherapist
  • 1963 – Quentin Tarantino, American director, producer, screenwriter and actor
  • 1963 – Xuxa, Brazilian actress, singer, businesswoman and television presenter
  • 1965 – Gregor Foitek, Swiss race car driver
  • 1966 – Žarko Paspalj, Serbian basketball player
  • 1967 – Talisa Soto, American actress
  • 1968 – Irina Belova, Russian heptathlete
  • 1969 – Gianluigi Lentini, Italian footballer and manager
  • 1969 – Pauley Perrette, American actress
  • 1970 – Leila Pahlavi, Princess of Iran (d. 2001)
  • 1970 – Derek Aucoin, Canadian baseball player
  • 1970 – Mariah Carey, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
  • 1970 – Brent Fitz, Canadian-American multi-instrumentalist and recording artist
  • 1970 – Jarrod McCracken, New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1970 – Elizabeth Mitchell, American actress
  • 1970 – Uwe Rosenberg, German game designer, created Bohnanza
  • 1971 – David Coulthard, Scottish race car driver and sportscaster
  • 1971 – Nathan Fillion, Canadian actor
  • 1972 – Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Surinamese-Dutch footballer, coach, and manager
  • 1972 – Charlie Haas, American professional wrestler
  • 1973 – Roger Telemachus, South African cricketer
  • 1974 – Marek Citko, Polish footballer and manager
  • 1974 – George Koumantarakis, Greek-South African footballer
  • 1974 – Gaizka Mendieta, Spanish footballer
  • 1975 – Andrew Blowers, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1975 – Kim Felton, Australian golfer
  • 1975 – Jeff Palmer, American gay porn actor and singer-songwriter
  • 1975 – Fergie, American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress
  • 1975 – Christian Fiedler, German footballer and manager
  • 1976 – Roberta Anastase, Romanian politician, 57th President of the Chamber of Deputies of Romania
  • 1976 – Danny Fortson, American basketball player
  • 1976 – Adrian Anca, Romanian footballer
  • 1977 – Vítor Meira, Brazilian race car driver
  • 1978 – Gabriel Paraschiv, Romanian footballer
  • 1978 – Marius Bakken, Norwegian runner
  • 1978 – Amélie Cocheteux, French tennis player
  • 1979 – Tom Palmer, English rugby union player
  • 1979 – Mohsen Moeini, Iranian author and director
  • 1979 – Imran Tahir, Pakistani-South African cricketer
  • 1979 – Jennifer Wilson, Zimbabwean-South African field hockey player
  • 1980 – Sean Ryan, American football player
  • 1980 – Michaela Paštiková, Czech tennis player
  • 1980 – Maksim Shevchenko, Kazakhstani footballer
  • 1981 – Terry McFlynn, Irish footballer
  • 1981 – Akhil Kumar, Indian boxer
  • 1981 – Jukka Keskisalo, Finnish runner
  • 1981 – Hilda Kibet, Kenyan runner
  • 1982 – Shawn Beveney, Guyanese footballer
  • 1983 – Yuliya Golubchikova, Russian pole vaulter
  • 1983 – Vasily Koshechkin, Russian ice hockey player
  • 1983 – Román Martínez, Argentinian footballer
  • 1984 – Adam Ashley-Cooper, Australian rugby player
  • 1984 – Ben Franks, Australian-born New Zealand rugby player
  • 1984 – Brett Holman, Australian footballer
  • 1985 – Dustin Byfuglien, American ice hockey player
  • 1985 – Danny Vukovic, Australian footballer
  • 1986 – Manuel Neuer, German footballer
  • 1987 – Jefferson Bernárdez, Honduran footballer
  • 1987 – Samuel Francis, Nigerian-Qatari sprinter
  • 1987 – Polina Gagarina, Russian singer-songwriter
  • 1987 – Buster Posey, American baseball player
  • 1988 – Jessie J, English singer-songwriter
  • 1988 – Atsuto Uchida, Japanese footballer
  • 1988 – Brenda Song, American actress
  • 1988 – Mauro Goicoechea, Uruguayan footballer
  • 1988 – Holliday Grainger, English actress
  • 1989 – Matt Harvey, American baseball player
  • 1989 – Camilla Lees, New Zealand netball player
  • 1990 – Erdin Demir, Swedish-Turkish footballer
  • 1990 – Ben Hunt, Australian rugby league player
  • 1990 – Nicolas Nkoulou, Cameroonian footballer
  • 1990 – Luca Zuffi, Swiss footballer
  • 1990 – Kimbra, New Zealand musician
  • 1990 – Brodha V, Indian Rapper and Music Producer
  • 1992 – Marc Muniesa, Spanish footballer
  • 1995 – Bill Tuiloma, New Zealand footballer

Deaths on March 27

  • 710 – Rupert of Salzburg, Austrian bishop and saint (b. 660)
  • 853 – Haymo of Halberstadt, German bishop and author (b. 778)
  • 913 – Du Xiao, chancellor of Later Liang
  • 913 – Zhang empress of Later Liang
  • 916 – Alduin I, Frankish nobleman
  • 965 – Arnulf I, Count of Flanders (born c. 890)
  • 973 – Hermann Billung, Frankish lieutenant (b. 900)
  • 1045 – Ali ibn Ahmad al-Jarjara’i, Fatimid vizier
  • 1184 – Giorgi III, King of Georgia
  • 1248 – Maud Marshal, English countess (b. 1192)
  • 1350 – Alfonso XI of Castile (b. 1312)
  • 1378 – Pope Gregory XI (b. 1336)
  • 1462 – Vasily II of Moscow (b. 1415)
  • 1472 – Janus Pannonius, Hungarian bishop and poet (b. 1434)
  • 1482 – Mary of Burgundy, Sovereign Duchess regnant of Burgundy, married to Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1457)
  • 1564 – Lütfi Pasha, Turkish historian and politician, Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire (b. 1488)
  • 1572 – Girolamo Maggi, Italian polymath (b. c. 1523)
  • 1598 – Theodor de Bry, Belgian-German engraver, goldsmith, and publisher (b. 1528)
  • 1613 – Sigismund Báthory (b. 1573)
  • 1615 – Margaret of Valois (b. 1553)
  • 1621 – Benedetto Giustiniani, Italian cardinal (b. 1554)
  • 1624 – Ulrik of Denmark, Danish prince-bishop (b. 1578)
  • 1625 – James VI and I of the United Kingdom (b. 1566)
  • 1635 – Robert Naunton, English politician (b. 1563)
  • 1676 – Bernardino de Rebolledo, Spanish poet, soldier, and diplomat (b. 1597)
  • 1679 – Abraham Mignon, Dutch painter (b. 1640)
  • 1697 – Simon Bradstreet, English businessman and politician, 20th Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony (b. 1603)
  • 1729 – Leopold, Duke of Lorraine (b. 1679)
  • 1757 – Johann Stamitz, Czech violinist and composer (b. 1717)
  • 1770 – Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Italian painter (b. 1696)
  • 1848 – Gabriel Bibron, French zoologist and herpetologist (b. 1805)
  • 1849 – Archibald Acheson, 2nd Earl of Gosford, Irish-Canadian politician, 35th Governor General of Canada (b. 1776)
  • 1850 – Wilhelm Beer, Prussian astronomer and banker (b. 1797)
  • 1864 – Jean-Jacques Ampère, French philologist and academic (b. 1800)
  • 1869 – James Harper, American publisher and politician, 65th Mayor of New York City (b. 1795)
  • 1875 – Juan Crisóstomo Torrico, Peruvian soldier and politician, President of Peru (b. 1808)
  • 1875 – Edgar Quinet, French historian and academic (b. 1803)
  • 1878 – George Gilbert Scott, English architect, designed the Albert Memorial and St Mary’s Cathedral (b. 1811)
  • 1886 – Henry Taylor, English poet and playwright (b. 1800)
  • 1889 – John Bright, English politician, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (b. 1811)
  • 1890 – Carl Jacob Löwig, German chemist and academic (b. 1803)
  • 1898 – Syed Ahmad Khan, Indian philosopher and activist (b. 1817)
  • 1900 – Joseph A. Campbell, American businessman, founded the Campbell Soup Company (b. 1817)
  • 1910 – Alexander Emanuel Agassiz, Swiss-American ichthyologist, zoologist, and engineer (b. 1835)
  • 1913 – Richard Montgomery Gano, American minister, physician, and general (b. 1830)
  • 1918 – Henry Adams, American journalist, historian, and author (b. 1838)
  • 1918 – Martin Sheridan, Irish-American discus thrower and jumper (b. 1881)
  • 1921 – Harry Barron, English general and politician, 16th Governor of Western Australia (b. 1847)
  • 1922 – Nikolay Sokolov, Russian composer and educator (b. 1859)
  • 1923 – James Dewar, Scottish chemist and physicist (b. 1842)
  • 1925 – Carl Neumann, German mathematician and academic (b. 1832)
  • 1926 – Kick Kelly, American baseball player, manager, and umpire (b. 1856)
  • 1926 – Georges Vézina, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1887)
  • 1927 – Joe Start, American baseball player and manager (b. 1842)
  • 1927 – Klaus Berntsen, Danish politician, Prime Minister of Denmark (b. 1844)
  • 1928 – Leslie Stuart, English organist and composer (b. 1863)
  • 1931 – Arnold Bennett, English author and playwright (b. 1867)
  • 1934 – Francis William Reitz, South African lawyer and politician, 5th State President of the Orange Free State (b. 1844)
  • 1938 – William Stern, German-American psychologist and philosopher (b. 1871)
  • 1940 – Michael Joseph Savage, Australian-New Zealand politician, 23rd Prime Minister of New Zealand (b. 1872)
  • 1942 – Julio González, Catalan sculptor and painter (b. 1876)
  • 1943 – George Monckton-Arundell, 8th Viscount Galway, English politician, 5th Governor-General of New Zealand (b. 1882)
  • 1945 – Vincent Hugo Bendix, American engineer and businessman, founded Bendix Corporation (b. 1881)
  • 1945 – Halid Ziya Uşaklıgil, Turkish author, poet, and playwright (b. 1866)
  • 1946 – Karl Groos, German psychologist and philosopher (b. 1861)
  • 1949 – Elisheva Bikhovski, Israeli-Russian poet (b. 1888)
  • 1952 – Kiichiro Toyoda, Japanese businessman, founded Toyota (b. 1894)
  • 1956 – Évariste Lévi-Provençal, French orientalist and historian (b. 1894)
  • 1958 – Leon C. Phillips, American lawyer and politician, 11th Governor of Oklahoma (b. 1890)
  • 1960 – Gregorio Marañón, Spanish physician, philosopher, and author (b. 1887)
  • 1967 – Jaroslav Heyrovský, Czech chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1890)
  • 1968 – Yuri Gagarin, Russian colonel, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1934)
  • 1968 – Vladimir Seryogin, Russian soldier and pilot (b. 1922)
  • 1973 – Mikhail Kalatozov, Georgian-Russian director, screenwriter, and cinematographer (b. 1903)
  • 1974 – Eduardo Santos, Colombian journalist, lawyer, and politician, 15th President of Colombia (b. 1888)
  • 1975 – Arthur Bliss, English conductor and composer (b. 1891)
  • 1976 – Georg August Zinn, German lawyer and politician, Minister President of Hesse (b. 1901)
  • 1977 – Shirley Graham Du Bois, American author, playwright, and composer (b. 1896)
  • 1977 – Diana Hyland, American actress (b. 1936)
  • 1977 – Jacob Veldhuyzen van Zanten, Dutch airline pilot (b. 1927)
  • 1978 – Nat Bailey, Canadian businessman, founded the White Spot (b. 1902)
  • 1978 – Kunwar Digvijay Singh, Indian field hockey (b. 1922)
  • 1978 – Sverre Farstad, Norwegian speed skater (b. 1920)
  • 1980 – Steve Fisher, American author and screenwriter (b. 1912)
  • 1981 – Jakob Ackeret, Swiss engineer and academic (b. 1898)
  • 1982 – Fazlur Khan, Bangladeshi-American engineer and architect, designed the John Hancock Center and Willis Tower (b. 1929)
  • 1987 – William Bowers, American journalist and screenwriter (b. 1916)
  • 1988 – Charles Willeford, American author, poet, and critic (b. 1919)
  • 1989 – May Allison, American actress (b. 1890)
  • 1989 – Malcolm Cowley, American novelist, poet, and literary critic (b. 1898)
  • 1990 – Percy Beard, American hurdler and coach (b. 1908)
  • 1991 – Aldo Ray, American actor (b. 1926)
  • 1992 – Colin Gibson, English footballer (b. 1923)
  • 1992 – Lang Hancock, Australian businessman (b. 1909)
  • 1992 – James E. Webb, American colonel and politician, 16th Under Secretary of State (b. 1906)
  • 1993 – Kamal Hassan Ali, Egyptian general and politician, Prime Minister of Egypt (b. 1921)
  • 1993 – Paul László, Hungarian-American architect and interior designer (b. 1900)
  • 1994 – Elisabeth Schmid, German archaeologist and osteologist (b. 1912)
  • 1994 – Lawrence Wetherby, American lawyer and politician, 48th Governor of Kentucky (b. 1908)
  • 1995 – René Allio, French director and screenwriter (b. 1924)
  • 1997 – Lane Dwinell, American businessman and politician, 69th Governor of New Hampshire (b. 1906)
  • 1997 – Ella Maillart, Swiss skier, sailor, field hockey player, and photographer (b. 1903)
  • 1998 – David McClelland, American psychologist and academic (b. 1917)
  • 1999 – Michael Aris, Cuban-English author and academic (b. 1946)
  • 2000 – George Allen, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1914)
  • 2000 – Ian Dury, English singer-songwriter and actor (b. 1942)
  • 2002 – Milton Berle, American comedian and actor (b. 1908)
  • 2002 – Dudley Moore, English actor (b. 1935)
  • 2002 – Billy Wilder, Austrian-born American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1906)
  • 2003 – Edwin Carr, New Zealand composer and educator (b. 1926)
  • 2004 – Robert Merle, French author (b. 1909)
  • 2005 – Wilfred Gordon Bigelow, Canadian soldier and surgeon (b. 1913)
  • 2006 – Dan Curtis, American director and producer (b. 1928)
  • 2006 – Stanisław Lem, Ukrainian-Polish author (b. 1921)
  • 2006 – Rudolf Vrba, Czech Holocaust survivor and educator (b. 1924)
  • 2006 – Neil Williams, English cricketer (b. 1962)
  • 2007 – Nancy Adams, New Zealand botanist and illustrator (b. 1926)
  • 2007 – Paul Lauterbur, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1929)
  • 2008 – Jean-Marie Balestre, French businessman (b. 1921)
  • 2009 – Irving R. Levine, American journalist and author (b. 1922)
  • 2010 – Dick Giordano, American illustrator (b. 1932)
  • 2011 – Clement Arrindell, Nevisian judge and politician, 1st Governor-General of Saint Kitts and Nevis (b. 1931)
  • 2011 – Farley Granger, American actor (b. 1925)
  • 2012 – Adrienne Rich, American poet, essayist and feminist (b. 1929)
  • 2013 – Hjalmar Andersen, Norwegian speed skater (b. 1923)
  • 2013 – Yvonne Brill, Canadian-American scientist and engineer (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – Fay Kanin, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1917)
  • 2014 – Richard N. Frye, American scholar and academic (b. 1920)
  • 2014 – James R. Schlesinger, American economist and politician, 12th United States Secretary of Defense and first United States Secretary of Energy (b. 1929)
  • 2015 – Johnny Helms, American trumpet player, bandleader, and educator (b. 1935)
  • 2015 – T. Sailo, Indian soldier and politician, 2nd Chief Minister of Mizoram (b. 1922)
  • 2016 – Mother Angelica, American Roman Catholic religious leader and media personality (b. 1923)

Holidays and observances on March 27

  • Christian feast day:
    • Alexander, a Pannonian soldier, martyred in 3rd century.
    • Amador of Portugal
    • Augusta of Treviso
    • Charles Henry Brent (Episcopal Church (USA))
    • Gelasius, Archbishop of Armagh
    • John of Egypt
    • Philetus
    • Romulus of Nîmes, a Benedictine abbot, martyred c. 730.
    • Rupert of Salzburg
    • Zanitas and Lazarus of Persia
    • March 27 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Armed Forces Day (Myanmar)
  • International whisk(e)y day
  • World Theatre Day (International)

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

On This Day

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

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

Births on March 19

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

Deaths on March 19

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

Holidays and observances on March 19

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

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

On This Day

March 11- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 222 – Alexander Severus becomes emperor of Rome, replacing his cousin, 18-year-old Elagabalus. The bodies of the assassinated emperor and his mother, Julia Soaemias, are dragged through the streets of the city and thrown into the Tiber.
  • 1387 – Battle of Castagnaro: English condottiero Sir John Hawkwood leads Padova to victory in a factional clash with Verona.
  • 1641 – Guaraní forces living in the Jesuit reductions defeat bandeirantes loyal to the Portuguese Empire at the Battle of Mbororé in present-day Panambí, Argentina.
  • 1649 – The Frondeurs and the French sign the Peace of Rueil.
  • 1702 – The Daily Courant, England’s first national daily newspaper, is published for the first time.
  • 1708 – Queen Anne withholds Royal Assent from the Scottish Militia Bill, the last time a British monarch vetoes legislation.
  • 1784 – The signing of the Treaty of Mangalore brings the Second Anglo-Mysore War to an end.
  • 1811 – During André Masséna’s retreat from the Lines of Torres Vedras, a division led by French Marshal Michel Ney fights off a combined Anglo-Portuguese force to give Masséna time to escape.
  • 1824 – The United States Department of War creates the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
  • 1845 – Flagstaff War: Unhappy with translational differences regarding the Treaty of Waitangi, chiefs Hone Heke, Kawiti and Māori tribe members chop down the British flagpole for a fourth time and drive settlers out of Kororareka, New Zealand.
  • 1848 – Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine and Robert Baldwin become the first Prime Ministers of the Province of Canada to be democratically elected under a system of responsible government.
  • 1851 – The first performance of Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi takes place in Venice.
  • 1861 – American Civil War: The Constitution of the Confederate States of America is adopted.
  • 1864 – The Great Sheffield Flood kills 238 people in Sheffield, England.
  • 1872 – Construction of the Seven Sisters Colliery, South Wales, begins; located on one of the richest coal sources in Britain.
  • 1879 – Shō Tai formally abdicated his position of King of Ryūkyū, under orders from Tokyo, ending the Ryukyu Kingdom.
  • 1888 – The Great Blizzard of 1888 begins along the eastern seaboard of the United States, shutting down commerce and killing more than 400.
  • 1917 – World War I: Mesopotamian campaign: Baghdad falls to Anglo-Indian forces commanded by General Stanley Maude.
  • 1927 – In New York City, Samuel Roxy Rothafel opens the Roxy Theatre.
  • 1931 – Ready for Labour and Defence of the USSR, abbreviated as GTO, is introduced in the Soviet Union.
  • 1941 – World War II: United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Lend-Lease Act into law, allowing American-built war supplies to be shipped to the Allies on loan.
  • 1945 – World War II: The Imperial Japanese Navy attempts a large-scale kamikaze attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet anchored at Ulithi atoll in Operation Tan No. 2.
  • 1945 – World War II: The Empire of Vietnam, a short-lived Japanese puppet state, is established with Bảo Đại as its ruler.
  • 1946 – Rudolf Höss, the first commandant of Auschwitz concentration camp, is captured by British troops.
  • 1975 – Vietnam War: North Vietnamese and Viet Cong guerrilla forces establish control over Buôn Ma Thuột commune from the South Vietnamese army.
  • 1977 – The 1977 Hanafi Siege: More than 130 hostages held in Washington, D.C., by Hanafi Muslims are set free after ambassadors from three Islamic nations join negotiations.
  • 1978 – Coastal Road massacre: At least 37 are killed and more than 70 are wounded when Fatah hijack an Israeli bus, prompting Israel’s Operation Litani.
  • 1981 – Hundreds of students protest in the University of Pristina in Kosovo, then part of Yugoslavia, to give their province more political rights. The protests then became a nationwide movement.
  • 1983 – Pakistan successfully conducts a cold test of a nuclear weapon.
  • 1983 – Bob Hawke is appointed Prime Minister of Australia.
  • 1985 – Mikhail Gorbachev is elected to the position of General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union making Gorbachev the USSR’s de facto, and last, head of state.
  • 1990 – Lithuania declares itself independent from the Soviet Union.
  • 1990 – Patricio Aylwin is sworn in as the first democratically elected President of Chile since 1970.
  • 1993 – Janet Reno is confirmed by the United States Senate and sworn in the next day, becoming the first female Attorney General of the United States.
  • 1999 – Infosys becomes the first Indian company listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange.
  • 2004 – Madrid train bombings: Simultaneous explosions on rush-hour trains in Madrid, Spain, killing 192 people.
  • 2006 – Michelle Bachelet is inaugurated as first female president of Chile.
  • 2007 – Georgia claims Russian helicopters attacked the Kodori Valley in Abkhazia, an accusation that Russia categorically denies later.
  • 2009 – Winnenden school shooting: Sixteen are killed and 11 are injured before recent-graduate Tim Kretschmer shoots and kills himself, leading to tightened weapons restrictions in Germany.
  • 2010 – Economist and businessman Sebastián Piñera is sworn in as President of Chile, while three earthquakes, the strongest measuring magnitude 6.9 and all centered next to Pichilemu, capital of Cardenal Caro province, hit central Chile during the ceremony.
  • 2011 – An earthquake measuring 9.0 in magnitude strikes 130 km (81 mi) east of Sendai, Japan, triggering a tsunami killing thousands of people. This event also triggered the second largest nuclear accident in history, and one of only two events to be classified as a Level 7 on the International Nuclear Event Scale.
  • 2012 – A U.S. soldier kills 16 civilians in the Panjwayi District of Afghanistan near Kandahar.
  • 2016 – At least 21 people are killed by flooding and mudslides in and around São Paulo, Brazil, following heavy rain.
  • 2020 – The World Health Organization (WHO) declares a pandemic due to the COVID-19 virus.

Births on March 11

  • 1279 – Mary of Woodstock, daughter of Edward I of England (d. c.1332)
  • 1503 – George Harper, English politician (d. 1558)
  • 1530 – Johann Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Weimar (d. 1573)
  • 1544 – Torquato Tasso, Italian poet and educator (d. 1595)
  • 1634 – Nicholas Gassaway, English colonial military and political leader (d. 1691)
  • 1738 – Benjamin Tupper, American general (d. 1792)
  • 1745 – Bodawpaya, Burmese king (d. 1819)
  • 1785 – John McLean, American jurist and politician, 6th United States Postmaster General (d. 1861)
  • 1787 – Ivan Nabokov, Russian general (d. 1852)
  • 1806 – Louis Boulanger, French Romantic painter, lithographer and illustrator (d. 1867)
  • 1811 – Urbain Le Verrier, French mathematician and astronomer (d. 1877)
  • 1815 – Anna Bochkoltz, German operatic soprano, voice teacher and composer (d. 1879)
  • 1818 – Marius Petipa, French-Russian dancer and choreographer (d. 1910)
  • 1819 – Henry Tate, English businessman and philanthropist, founded Tate & Lyle (d. 1899)
  • 1822 – Joseph Louis François Bertrand, French mathematician, economist, and academic (d. 1900)
  • 1854 – Jane Meade Welch, American journalist and lecturer (d. 1931)
  • 1863 – Andrew Stoddart, English cricketer and rugby player (d. 1915)
  • 1870 – Louis Bachelier, French mathematician and theorist (d. 1946)
  • 1872 – Kathleen Clarice Groom, Australian-English author and screenwriter (d. 1954)
  • 1873 – David Horsley, English-American film producer, co-founded Universal Studios (d. 1933)
  • 1876 – Carl Ruggles, American pianist and composer (d. 1971)
  • 1878 – Umegatani Tōtarō II, Japanese sumo wrestler (d. 1927)
  • 1880 – Harry H. Laughlin, American eugenicist and sociologist (d. 1943)
  • 1884 – Lewi Pethrus, Swedish minister and hymn-writer (d. 1974)
  • 1884 – Ömer Seyfettin, Turkish soldier, author, and educator (d. 1920)
  • 1885 – Malcolm Campbell, English race car driver and journalist (d. 1948)
  • 1887 – Raoul Walsh, American actor and director (d. 1980)
  • 1887 – Kâzım Orbay, Turkish general and politician (d. 1964)
  • 1890 – Vannevar Bush, American engineer and academic (d. 1974)
  • 1893 – Wanda Gág, American author and illustrator (d. 1946)
  • 1895 – Shemp Howard, American actor (d. 1955)
  • 1896 – Olivério Pinto, Brazilian zoologist and physician (d. 1981)
  • 1897 – Henry Cowell, American pianist and composer (d. 1965)
  • 1898 – Dorothy Gish, American actress (d. 1968)
  • 1899 – James H. Douglas, Jr., American colonel, lawyer, and politician, 9th United States Deputy Secretary of Defense (d. 1988)
  • 1899 – Frederick IX of Denmark (d. 1972)
  • 1900 – Hanna Bergas, German teacher who contributed to the rescue of Jewish children during WWII (d. 1987)
  • 1903 – Ronald Syme, New Zealand historian and scholar (d. 1989)
  • 1903 – Lawrence Welk, American accordion player and bandleader (d. 1992)
  • 1907 – Jessie Matthews, English actress, singer, and dancer (d. 1981)
  • 1908 – Matti Sippala, Finnish javelin thrower (d. 1997)
  • 1910 – Robert Havemann, German chemist and academic (d. 1982)
  • 1911 – Sir Fitzroy Maclean, 1st Baronet, Egyptian-Scottish general and politician (d. 1996)
  • 1913 – Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke, German colonel and pilot (d. 1944)
  • 1915 – Vijay Hazare, Indian cricketer (d. 2004)
  • 1915 – J. C. R. Licklider, American computer scientist and psychologist (d. 1990)
  • 1916 – Ezra Jack Keats, American author and illustrator (d. 1983)
  • 1916 – Harold Wilson, English academic and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1995)
  • 1920 – Nicolaas Bloembergen, Dutch-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2017)
  • 1921 – Frank Harary, American mathematician and academic (d. 2005)
  • 1921 – Jeff Stollmeyer, Trinidadian cricketer (d. 1989)
  • 1921 – Astor Piazzolla, Argentine tango composer and bandoneon player (d. 1992)
  • 1922 – Cornelius Castoriadis, Greek economist and philosopher (d. 1997)
  • 1922 – José Luis López Vázquez, Spanish actor and director (d. 2009)
  • 1922 – Abdul Razak Hussein, Malaysian lawyer and politician, 2nd Prime Minister of Malaysia (d. 1976)
  • 1923 – Louise Brough, American tennis player (d. 2014)
  • 1925 – Margaret Oakley Dayhoff, American biochemist and academic (d. 1983)
  • 1925 – İlhan Selçuk, Turkish lawyer, journalist, and author (d. 2010)
  • 1926 – Ralph Abernathy, American minister and activist (d. 1990)
  • 1927 – Joachim Fuchsberger, German actor and television host (d. 2014)
  • 1927 – Col Geelan, Australian rugby league player and coach (d. 1996)
  • 1927 – Freda Meissner-Blau, Austrian activist and politician (d. 2015)
  • 1927 – Robert Mosbacher, American sailor, businessman, and politician, 25th United States Secretary of Commerce (d. 2010)
  • 1927 – Josep Maria Subirachs, Spanish sculptor and painter (d. 2014)
  • 1928 – Albert Salmi, American actor (d. 1990)
  • 1929 – Timothy Carey, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1994)
  • 1929 – Jackie McGlew, South African cricketer (d. 1998)
  • 1930 – David Gentleman, English illustrator and engraver
  • 1930 – Claude Jutra, Canadian actor, director and screenwriter (d. 1986)
  • 1931 – Janosch, Polish-German author and illustrator
  • 1931 – Marisa Del Frate, Italian actress and singer (d. 2015)
  • 1931 – Rupert Murdoch, Australian-American businessman and media magnate
  • 1932 – Leroy Jenkins, American violinist and composer (Revolutionary Ensemble) (d. 2007)
  • 1932 – Nigel Lawson, English journalist and politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer
  • 1934 – Sam Donaldson, American journalist
  • 1936 – Hollis Frampton, American director, screenwriter, and photographer (d. 1984)
  • 1936 – Antonin Scalia, American lawyer and jurist, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (d. 2016)
  • 1938 – Joseph Brooks, American director, producer, screenwriter, and composer (d. 2011)
  • 1939 – Lorraine Hunt, American lawyer and politician, 32nd Lieutenant Governor of Nevada
  • 1939 – Orlando Quevedo, Filipino cardinal
  • 1940 – Alberto Cortez, Argentinian-Spanish singer-songwriter (d. 2019)
  • 1942 – Marcus Borg, American scholar, theologian and author (d. 2015)
  • 1942 – Joel Steiger, American director, producer and screenwriter
  • 1943 – Arturo Merzario, Italian race car driver
  • 1945 – Dock Ellis, American baseball player and coach (d. 2008)
  • 1945 – Harvey Mandel, American guitarist
  • 1946 – Mark Metcalf, American actor and producer
  • 1947 – Geoff Hunt, Australian squash player
  • 1947 – Tristan Murail, French composer and educator
  • 1948 – Roy Barnes, American lawyer and politician, 80th Governor of Georgia
  • 1949 – Griselda Pollock, South African-English historian and academic
  • 1950 – Sam Kekovich, Australian footballer and sportscaster
  • 1950 – Bobby McFerrin, American singer-songwriter, producer, and conductor
  • 1950 – Jerry Zucker, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1951 – Andres Metspalu, Estonian geneticist and academic
  • 1951 – Dominique Sanda, French model and actress
  • 1952 – Douglas Adams, English author and playwright (d. 2001)
  • 1953 – László Bölöni, Romanian-Hungarian footballer and manager
  • 1953 – Derek Daly, Irish-American race car driver and sportscaster
  • 1953 – Jimmy Iovine, American record producer and businessman, co-founded Interscope Records and Beats Electronics
  • 1953 – Bernie LaBarge, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1954 – David Newman, American composer and conductor
  • 1954 – Gale Norton, American lawyer and politician, 48th United States Secretary of the Interior
  • 1955 – Leslie Cliff, Canadian swimmer
  • 1955 – Nina Hagen, German singer and actress
  • 1955 – D. J. MacHale, American author, director, and screenwriter
  • 1956 – Willie Banks, American triple jumper
  • 1956 – Curtis Brown, American colonel, pilot and astronaut
  • 1956 – Helen Rollason, English journalist and sportscaster (d. 1999)
  • 1957 – The Lady Chablis, American drag queen performer (d. 2016)
  • 1958 – Ian Horrocks, English computer scientist and academic
  • 1958 – Tetsurō Oda, Japanese singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1958 – James Pinkerton, American journalist and author
  • 1958 – Anissa Jones, American child actress (d. 1976)
  • 1958 – Flemming Rose, Danish journalist and author
  • 1959 – Manuel Negrete Arias, Mexican footballer and coach
  • 1959 – Nina Hartley, American pornographic actress/director, sex educator, sex-positive feminist, and author
  • 1959 – Margus Oopkaup, Estonian actor
  • 1959 – Dejan Stojanović, Serbian-American journalist and poet
  • 1960 – Christophe Gans, French director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1960 – Junichi Sato, Japanese animator and director
  • 1960 – Warwick Taylor, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1961 – Elias Koteas, Canadian actor
  • 1961 – Bruce Watson, Canadian-Scottish guitarist
  • 1962 – Mary Gauthier, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1962 – Matt Mead, American lawyer and politician, 32nd Governor of Wyoming
  • 1963 – Gary Barnett, English footballer and manager
  • 1963 – Alex Kingston, English actress
  • 1963 – David LaChapelle, American photographer and director
  • 1964 – Peter Berg, American actor, director, producer and screenwriter
  • 1964 – Vinnie Paul, American drummer, songwriter and producer (d. 2018)
  • 1964 – Shane Richie, English actor and singer
  • 1965 – Nigel Adkins, English footballer and manager
  • 1965 – Jesse Jackson, Jr., American lawyer and politician
  • 1965 – Wallace Langham, American actor
  • 1965 – Jenny Packham, English fashion designer
  • 1965 – Allan Vainola, Estonian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1966 – Robbie Brookside, English wrestler and trainer
  • 1966 – John Thompson III, American basketball player and coach
  • 1966 – Ilias Zouros, Greek basketball player and coach
  • 1967 – John Barrowman, Scottish-American actor and singer
  • 1967 – Brad Carson, American lawyer and politician, United States Under Secretary of the Army
  • 1967 – Renzo Gracie, Brazilian-American mixed martial artist and trainer
  • 1967 – Cynthia Klitbo, Mexican actress
  • 1968 – Stéphane Bédard, Canadian lawyer and politician
  • 1968 – Simone Buchanan, Australian actress
  • 1968 – Lisa Loeb, American singer-songwriter, guitarist and actress
  • 1969 – Terrence Howard, American actor and producer
  • 1969 – Soraya, Colombian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (d. 2006)
  • 1970 – Andre Nickatina, American rapper and producer
  • 1971 – Johnny Knoxville, American actor, stuntman, and producer
  • 1971 – Martin Ručinský, Czech ice hockey player
  • 1972 – Paolo Ponzo, Italian footballer (d. 2013)
  • 1973 – Martin Hiden, Austrian footballer and coach
  • 1974 – Bobby Abreu, Venezuelan baseball player
  • 1975 – João Barbosa, Portuguese racing driver
  • 1975 – Shawn Springs, American football player
  • 1976 – Thomas Gravesen, Danish footballer
  • 1976 – Kotomitsuki Keiji, Japanese sumo wrestler
  • 1977 – Becky Hammon, American-Russian basketball player and coach
  • 1978 – Scott Calderwood, English-Scottish footballer and manager
  • 1978 – Didier Drogba, Ivorian footballer
  • 1978 – Albert Luque, Spanish footballer
  • 1979 – Elton Brand, American basketball player
  • 1979 – Fred Jones, American basketball player
  • 1979 – Benji Madden, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1979 – Joel Madden, American singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1979 – Keren Peles, Israeli singer-songwriter and pianist
  • 1979 – Kirk Reynoldson, Australian rugby league player
  • 1980 – Paul Scharner, Austrian footballer
  • 1980 – Dan Uggla, American baseball player
  • 1981 – Heidi Cortez, American businesswoman and author
  • 1981 – Luke Johnson, English drummer and songwriter
  • 1981 – LeToya Luckett, American singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1982 – Brian Anderson, American baseball player
  • 1982 – Thora Birch, American actress
  • 1982 – Hasan Raza, Pakistani cricketer
  • 1983 – Lucy DeVito, American actress
  • 1985 – Paul Bissonnette, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1985 – Daniel Vázquez Evuy, Equatoguinean footballer
  • 1985 – Cassandra Fairbanks, American journalist and activist
  • 1985 – Luis Hernández, Mexican figure skater
  • 1985 – Stelios Malezas, Greek footballer
  • 1985 – Ajantha Mendis, Sri Lankan cricketer
  • 1985 – Derek Schouman, American football player
  • 1985 – Nikolai Topor-Stanley, Australian footballer
  • 1985 – Hakuhō Shō, Mongolian sumo wrestler, the 69th Yokozuna
  • 1986 – Dario Cologna, Swiss skier
  • 1986 – Mariko Shinoda, Japanese singer and actress
  • 1987 – Marc-André Gragnani, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1987 – Tanel Kangert, Estonian cyclist
  • 1987 – Ngonidzashe Makusha, Zimbabwean sprinter and long jumper
  • 1987 – Colin Munro, South African-New Zealand cricketer
  • 1988 – Fábio Coentrão, Portuguese footballer
  • 1988 – Cecil Lolo, South African footballer (d. 2015)
  • 1988 – Katsuhiko Nakajima, Japanese wrestler
  • 1989 – Anton Yelchin, Russian-born American actor (d. 2016)
  • 1990 – Ayumi Morita, Japanese tennis player
  • 1991 – Kamohelo Mokotjo, South African footballer
  • 1992 – Austin Swift, American actor
  • 1992 – KZ Tandingan, Filipina singer and rapper
  • 1993 – Jodie Comer, British actress
  • 1993 – Anthony Davis, American basketball player
  • 1994 – Andrew Robertson, Scottish footballer

Deaths on March 11

  • 222 – Elagabalus, Roman emperor (b. 203)
  • 452 – Tai Wu Di, emperor of Northern Wei (b. 408)
  • 638 – Sophronius of Jerusalem (b. 560)
  • 857 – Eulogius of Córdoba, Spanish martyr and saint (b. 819)
  • 1198 – Marie of France, Countess of Champagne (b. 1145)
  • 1296 – John le Romeyn, Archbishop of York
  • 1353 – Theognostus, metropolitan of Kiev and Moscow
  • 1486 – Albrecht III Achilles, Elector of Brandenburg (b. 1414)
  • 1514 – Donato Bramante, Italian architect, designed the San Pietro in Montorio (b. 1444)
  • 1575 – Matthias Flacius, Croatian theologian and reformer (b. 1520)
  • 1602 – Emilio de’ Cavalieri, Italian organist and composer (b. 1550)
  • 1607 – Giovanni Maria Nanino, Italian composer and educator (b. 1543)
  • 1646 – Stanisław Koniecpolski, Polish soldier and statesman (b. c. 1592)
  • 1665 – Clemente Tabone, Maltese landowner and militia member (b. c. 1575)
  • 1722 – John Toland, Irish philosopher and theorist (b. 1670)
  • 1759 – John Forbes, Scottish general (b. 1710)
  • 1820 – Benjamin West, American-English painter and academic (b. 1738)
  • 1851 – Marie Louise Coidavid, Queen of Haiti (b. 1778)
  • 1851 – George McDuffie, American lawyer and politician, 55th Governor of South Carolina (b. 1790)
  • 1854 – Willard Richards, American journalist and religious leader (b. 1804)
  • 1863 – Sir James Outram, 1st Baronet, English general (b. 1803)
  • 1869 – Vladimir Odoyevsky, Russian philosopher and critic (b. 1803)
  • 1870 – Moshoeshoe I of Lesotho (b. 1786)
  • 1874 – Charles Sumner, American lawyer and politician (b. 1811)
  • 1898 – William Rosecrans, American general and politician (b. 1819)
  • 1898 – Tigran Chukhajian, Armenian composer and conductor (b. 1837)
  • 1907 – Jean Casimir-Perier, French lawyer and politician, 6th President of France (b. 1847)
  • 1908 – Edmondo De Amicis, Italian journalist and author (b. 1846)
  • 1908 – Benjamin Waugh, American minister and activist (b. 1839)
  • 1915 – Thomas Alexander Browne, English-Australian author (b. 1826)
  • 1920 – Julio Garavito Armero, Colombian astronomer, mathematician, and engineer (b. 1865)
  • 1927 – Xenophon Stratigos, Greek general and politician, Greek Minister of Transport (b. 1869)
  • 1931 – F. W. Murnau, German-American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1888)
  • 1937 – Joseph S. Cullinan, American businessman, co-founded Texaco (b. 1860)
  • 1944 – Hendrik Willem van Loon, Dutch-American journalist and historian (b. 1882)
  • 1944 – Edgar Zilsel, Austrian historian and philosopher of science, linked to the Vienna Circle (b. 1891)
  • 1949 – Anastasios Charalambis, Greek general and politician, 109th Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1862)
  • 1949 – Henri Giraud, French general and politician (b. 1879)
  • 1952 – Pierre Renoir, French actor and director (b. 1885)
  • 1955 – Alexander Fleming, Scottish biologist, pharmacologist, and botanist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1881)
  • 1955 – Oscar F. Mayer, German-American businessman, founded Oscar Mayer (b. 1859)
  • 1957 – Richard E. Byrd, American admiral and explorer (b. 1888)
  • 1958 – Ole Kirk Christiansen, Danish businessman, founded The Lego Group (b. 1891)
  • 1959 – Lester Dent, American author (b. 1904)
  • 1960 – Roy Chapman Andrews, American paleontologist and explorer (b. 1884)
  • 1965 – Harry Altham, English cricketer, historian and coach (b. 1888)
  • 1967 – Geraldine Farrar, American soprano and actress (b. 1882)
  • 1968 – Haşim İşcan, Turkish educator and politician, 18th Mayor of İstanbul (b. 1898)
  • 1969 – John Daly, Irish runner (b. 1880)
  • 1969 – John Wyndham, English soldier and author (b. 1903)
  • 1970 – Erle Stanley Gardner, American lawyer and author (b. 1889)
  • 1971 – Philo Farnsworth, American inventor (b. 1906)
  • 1971 – Whitney Young, American activist (b. 1921)
  • 1977 – Ulysses S. Grant IV, American geologist and paleontologist (b. 1893)
  • 1978 – Claude François, Egyptian-French singer-songwriter and dancer (b. 1939)
  • 1980 – Chandra Bhanu Gupta, Indian politician, 4th Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh (b. 1902)
  • 1982 – Edmund Cooper, English poet and author (b. 1926)
  • 1982 – Horace Gregory, American poet, translator, and academic (b. 1898)
  • 1983 – Will Glickman, American playwright (b. 1910)
  • 1984 – Kostas Roukounas, Greek singer-songwriter (b. 1903)
  • 1986 – Sonny Terry, American singer and harmonica player (b. 1911)
  • 1989 – James Kee, American lawyer and politician (b. 1917)
  • 1989 – John J. McCloy, American lawyer and banker (b. 1895)
  • 1992 – Richard Brooks, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1912)
  • 1995 – Myfanwy Talog, Welsh actress and singer (b. 1945)
  • 1996 – Vince Edwards, American actor and director (b. 1928)
  • 1999 – Herbert Jasper, Canadian psychologist, anatomist, and neurologist (b. 1906)
  • 1999 – Camille Laurin, Canadian psychiatrist and politician (b. 1922)
  • 2002 – James Tobin, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1918)
  • 2006 – Bernie Geoffrion, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1931)
  • 2006 – Slobodan Milošević, Serbian lawyer and politician, 3rd President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (b. 1941)
  • 2007 – Betty Hutton, American actress and singer (b. 1921)
  • 2008 – Nils Taube, Estonian-English businessman (b. 1928)
  • 2009 – Charles Lewis, Jr., American businessman, co-founded Tapout Clothing (b. 1963)
  • 2010 – John Hill, Canadian-American wrestler (b. 1941)
  • 2010 – Merlin Olsen, American football player and actor (b. 1940)
  • 2010 – T. Somasekaram, Sri Lankan geographer and politician, 37th Surveyor General of Sri Lanka (b. 1934)
  • 2010 – Hans van Mierlo, Dutch journalist and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands (b. 1931)
  • 2011 – Gary Wichard, American football player and agent (b. 1950)
  • 2012 – Henry Adefope, Nigerian physician and politician, Minister of Foreign Affairs for Nigeria (b. 1926)
  • 2012 – Sid Couchey, American author and illustrator (b. 1919)
  • 2012 – James B. Morehead, American colonel and pilot (b. 1916)
  • 2012 – Gösta Schwarck, German-Danish pianist and composer (b. 1915)
  • 2013 – Erica Andrews, Mexican-American drag queen performer (b. 1969)
  • 2013 – Martin Adolf Bormann, German priest and theologian (b. 1930)
  • 2013 – Doug Christie, Canadian lawyer and activist (b. 1946)
  • 2013 – Simón Alberto Consalvi, Venezuelan journalist and politician, Minister of Foreign Affairs for Venezuela (b. 1927)
  • 2013 – Florian Siwicki, Polish general and politician (b. 1925)
  • 2014 – Dean Bailey, Australian footballer and coach (b. 1967)
  • 2014 – Joel Brinkley, American journalist and academic (b. 1952)
  • 2015 – Walter Burkert, German philologist and scholar (b. 1931)
  • 2015 – Jimmy Greenspoon, American singer-songwriter and keyboard player (b. 1948)
  • 2015 – Gerald Hurst, American chemist and academic (b. 1937)
  • 2016 – Iolanda Balaș, Romanian high jumper and educator (b. 1936)
  • 2016 – Keith Emerson, English musician and composer. (b. 1944)
  • 2016 – Doreen Massey, English geographer and academic (b. 1944)
  • 2018 – Mary Rosenblum, American science fiction and mystery author (b. 1952)

Holidays and observances on March 11

  • Christian feast day:
    • Alberta of Agen
    • Áurea of San Millán
    • Benedict of Milan
    • Constantine
    • Eulogius of Córdoba
    • Blessed John Righi
    • Óengus of Tallaght
    • Sophronius of Jerusalem
    • Vindicianus
  • Day of Restoration of Independence from the Soviet Union in 1990 (Lithuania)
  • Johnny Appleseed Day (United States)
  • Moshoeshoe Day (Lesotho)

March 11- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

March 6- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 12 BCE – The Roman Emperor Augustus is named Pontifex Maximus, incorporating the position into that of the emperor.
  • 632 – The Farewell Sermon (Khutbah, Khutbatul Wada’) of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
  • 845 – Execution of the 42 Martyrs of Amorium at Samarra.
  • 961 – Byzantine conquest of Chandax by Nikephoros Phokas, end of the Emirate of Crete.
  • 1204 – The Siege of Château Gaillard ends in a French victory over King John of England, who loses control of Normandy to King Philip II Augustus.
  • 1323 – Treaty of Paris of 1323 is signed.
  • 1454 – Thirteen Years’ War: Delegates of the Prussian Confederation pledge allegiance to King Casimir IV of Poland who agrees to commit his forces in aiding the Confederation’s struggle for independence from the Teutonic Knights.
  • 1521 – Ferdinand Magellan arrives at Guam.
  • 1665 – The first joint Secretary of the Royal Society, Henry Oldenburg, publishes the first issue of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, the world’s longest-running scientific journal.
  • 1788 – The First Fleet arrives at Norfolk Island in order to found a convict settlement.
  • 1820 – The Missouri Compromise is signed into law by President James Monroe. The compromise allows Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state, brings Maine into the Union as a free state, and makes the rest of the northern part of the Louisiana Purchase territory slavery-free.
  • 1834 – York, Upper Canada, is incorporated as Toronto.
  • 1836 – Texas Revolution: Battle of the Alamo: After a thirteen-day siege by an army of 3,000 Mexican troops, the 187 Texas volunteers, including frontiersman Davy Crockett and colonel Jim Bowie, defending the Alamo are killed and the fort is captured.
  • 1857 – The Supreme Court of the United States rules in the Dred Scott v. Sandford case.
  • 1869 – Dmitri Mendeleev presents the first periodic table to the Russian Chemical Society.
  • 1882 – The Serbian kingdom is re-founded.
  • 1899 – Bayer registers “Aspirin” as a trademark.
  • 1902 – Real Madrid CF is founded.
  • 1912 – Italo-Turkish War: Italian forces become the first to use airships in war, as two dirigibles drop bombs on Turkish troops encamped at Janzur, from an altitude of 6,000 feet.
  • 1921 – Portuguese Communist Party is founded as the Portuguese Section of the Communist International.
  • 1930 – International Unemployment Day demonstrations globally initiated by the Comintern.
  • 1933 – Great Depression: President Franklin D. Roosevelt declares a “bank holiday”, closing all U.S. banks and freezing all financial transactions.
  • 1943 – Norman Rockwell published Freedom from Want in The Saturday Evening Post with a matching essay by Carlos Bulosan as part of the Four Freedoms series.
  • 1943 – World War II: The Battle of Fardykambos, one of the first major battles between the Greek Resistance and the occupying Royal Italian Army, ends with the surrender of an entire Italian battalion, the bulk of the garrison of the town of Grevena, leading to its liberation a fortnight later.
  • 1944 – World War II: Soviet Air Forces bomb an evacuated town of Narva in German-occupied Estonia, destroying the entire historical Swedish-era town.
  • 1945 – World War II: Cologne is captured by American troops. On the same day, Operation Spring Awakening, the last major German offensive of the war, begins.
  • 1946 – Ho Chi Minh signs an agreement with France which recognizes Vietnam as an autonomous state in the Indochinese Federation and the French Union.
  • 1951 – Cold War: The trial of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg begins.
  • 1953 – Georgy Malenkov succeeds Joseph Stalin as Premier of the Soviet Union and First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
  • 1957 – Ghana becomes the first Sub-Saharan country to gain independence from the British.
  • 1964 – Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad officially gives boxing champion Cassius Clay the name Muhammad Ali.
  • 1964 – Constantine II becomes King of Greece.
  • 1965 – Premier Tom Playford of South Australia loses power after 27 years in office.
  • 1967 – Cold War: Joseph Stalin’s daughter Svetlana Alliluyeva defects to the United States.
  • 1968 – Three rebels are executed by Rhodesia, the first executions since UDI, prompting international condemnation.
  • 1970 – An explosion at the Weather Underground safe house in Greenwich Village kills three.
  • 1975 – For the first time the Zapruder film of the assassination of John F. Kennedy is shown in motion to a national TV audience by Robert J. Groden and Dick Gregory.
  • 1975 – Algiers Accord: Iran and Iraq announce a settlement of their border dispute.
  • 1983 – The first United States Football League games are played.
  • 1984 – In the United Kingdom, a walkout at Cortonwood Colliery in Brampton Bierlow signals the start of a strike that lasted almost a year and involved the majority of the country’s miners.
  • 1987 – The British ferry MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes in about 90 seconds, killing 193.
  • 1988 – Three Provisional Irish Republican Army volunteers are shot dead by the SAS in Gibraltar in Operation Flavius.
  • 1992 – The Michelangelo computer virus begins to affect computers.
  • 2003 – Air Algérie Flight 6289 crashes at the Aguenar – Hadj Bey Akhamok Airport in Tamanrasset, Algeria, killing 102 out of the 103 people on board.
  • 2008 – A suicide bomber kills 68 people (including first responders) in Baghdad on the same day that a gunman kills eight students in Jerusalem.

Births on March 6

  • 1340 – John of Gaunt (d. 1399)
  • 1405 – John II of Castile (d. 1454)
  • 1459 – Jakob Fugger, German merchant and banker (d. 1525)
  • 1475 – Michelangelo, Italian painter and sculptor (d. 1564)
  • 1483 – Francesco Guicciardini, Italian historian and politician (d. 1540)
  • 1493 – Juan Luis Vives, Spanish scholar and humanist (d. 1540)
  • 1495 – Luigi Alamanni, Italian poet and diplomat (d. 1556)
  • 1536 – Santi di Tito, Italian painter (d. 1603)
  • 1619 – Cyrano de Bergerac, French author and playwright (d. 1655)
  • 1663 – Francis Atterbury, English bishop and poet (d. 1732)
  • 1706 – George Pocock, English admiral (d. 1792)
  • 1716 – Pehr Kalm, Swedish-Finnish botanist and explorer (d. 1779)
  • 1724 – Henry Laurens, English-American merchant and politician, 5th President of the Continental Congress (d. 1792)
  • 1761 – Antoine-François Andréossy, French general and diplomat (d. 1828)
  • 1779 – Antoine-Henri Jomini, Swiss-French general (d. 1869)
  • 1780 – Lucy Barnes, American writer (d. 1809)
  • 1785 – Karol Kurpiński, Polish composer and conductor (d. 1857)
  • 1787 – Joseph von Fraunhofer, German physicist and astronomer (d. 1826)
  • 1806 – Elizabeth Barrett Browning, English-Italian poet and translator (d. 1861)
  • 1812 – Aaron Lufkin Dennison, American businessman, co-founded the Waltham Watch Company (d. 1895)
  • 1817 – Princess Clémentine of Orléans (d. 1907)
  • 1818 – William Claflin, American businessman and politician, 27th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1905)
  • 1823 – Charles I of Württemberg (d. 1891)
  • 1831 – Philip Sheridan, Irish-American general (d. 1888)
  • 1834 – George du Maurier, French-English author and illustrator (d. 1896)
  • 1841 – Viktor Burenin, Russian author, poet, playwright, and critic (d. 1926)
  • 1849 – Georg Luger, Austrian gun designer, designed the Luger pistol (d. 1923)
  • 1864 – Richard Rushall, British businessman (d. 1953)
  • 1870 – Oscar Straus, Viennese composer and conductor (d. 1954)
  • 1871 – Afonso Costa, Portuguese lawyer and politician, 59th Prime Minister of Portugal (d. 1937)
  • 1872 – Ben Harney, American pianist and composer (d. 1938)
  • 1879 – Jimmy Hunter, New Zealand rugby player (d. 1962)
  • 1882 – F. Burrall Hoffman, American architect, co-designed Villa Vizcaya (d. 1980)
  • 1882 – Guy Kibbee, American actor and singer (d. 1956)
  • 1884 – Molla Mallory, Norwegian-American tennis player (d. 1959)
  • 1885 – Ring Lardner, American journalist and author (d. 1933)
  • 1886 – Jam Handy, American swimmer and water polo player (d. 1983)
  • 1886 – Nella Walker, American actress and vaudevillian (d. 1971)
  • 1892 – Bert Smith, English international footballer, right half (d. 1969)
  • 1893 – Furry Lewis, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1981)
  • 1893 – Ella P. Stewart, pioneering Black American pharmacist (d. 1987)
  • 1895 – Albert Tessier, Canadian priest and historian (d. 1976)
  • 1898 – Gus Sonnenberg, American football player and wrestler (d. 1944)
  • 1900 – Gina Cigna, French-Italian soprano and actress (d. 2001)
  • 1900 – Lefty Grove, American baseball player (d. 1975)
  • 1900 – Henri Jeanson, French journalist and author (d. 1970)
  • 1903 – Empress Kōjun of Japan (d. 2000)
  • 1904 – José Antonio Aguirre, Spanish lawyer and politician, 1st President of the Basque Country (d. 1960)
  • 1905 – Bob Wills, American Western swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader (d. 1975)
  • 1906 – Lou Costello, American actor and comedian (d. 1959)
  • 1909 – Obafemi Awolowo, Nigerian lawyer and politician (d. 1987)
  • 1909 – Stanisław Jerzy Lec, Polish poet and author (d. 1966)
  • 1910 – Ella Logan, Scottish-American singer and actress (d. 1969)
  • 1912 – Mohammed Burhanuddin, Indian spiritual leader, 52nd Da’i al-Mutlaq (d. 2014)
  • 1917 – Donald Davidson, American philosopher and academic (d. 2003)
  • 1917 – Will Eisner, American illustrator and publisher (d. 2005)
  • 1917 – Frankie Howerd, English comedian (d. 1992)
  • 1918 – Howard McGhee, American trumpeter (d. 1987)
  • 1920 – Lewis Gilbert, English director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2018)
  • 1921 – Leo Bretholz, Austrian-American holocaust survivor and author (d. 2014)
  • 1923 – Ed McMahon, American comedian, game show host, and announcer (d. 2009)
  • 1923 – Wes Montgomery, American guitarist and songwriter (d. 1968)
  • 1924 – Ottmar Walter, German footballer (d. 2013)
  • 1924 – William H. Webster, American lawyer and jurist, 14th Director of Central Intelligence
  • 1926 – Ann Curtis, American swimmer (d. 2012)
  • 1926 – Alan Greenspan, American economist and politician
  • 1926 – Ray O’Connor, Australian politician, 22nd Premier of Western Australia (d. 2013)
  • 1926 – Andrzej Wajda, Polish director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2016)
  • 1927 – William J. Bell, American screenwriter and producer (d. 2005)
  • 1927 – Gordon Cooper, American engineer, pilot, and astronaut (d. 2004)
  • 1927 – Gabriel García Márquez, Colombian journalist and author, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2014)
  • 1929 – Tom Foley, American lawyer and politician, 57th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (d. 2013)
  • 1929 – David Sheppard, English cricketer and bishop (d. 2005)
  • 1930 – Lorin Maazel, French-American violinist, composer, and conductor (d. 2014)
  • 1932 – Marc Bazin, Haitian lawyer and politician, 49th President of Haiti (d. 2010)
  • 1932 – Bronisław Geremek, Polish historian and politician, Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 2008)
  • 1933 – Ted Abernathy, American baseball player (d. 2004)
  • 1933 – William Davis, German-English journalist and economist (d. 2019)
  • 1933 – Augusto Odone, Italian economist and inventor of Lorenzo’s oil (d. 2013)
  • 1934 – Red Simpson, American singer-songwriter (d. 2016)
  • 1935 – Ron Delany, Irish runner and coach
  • 1935 – Derek Kevan, English footballer (d. 2013)
  • 1936 – Bob Akin, American race car driver and journalist (d. 2002)
  • 1936 – Marion Barry, American lawyer and politician, 2nd Mayor of the District of Columbia (d. 2014)
  • 1936 – Choummaly Sayasone, Laotian politician, 5th President of Laos
  • 1937 – Ivan Boesky, American businessman
  • 1937 – Valentina Tereshkova, Russian general, pilot, and astronaut
  • 1938 – Keishu Tanaka, Japanese politician, 17th Japanese Minister of Justice
  • 1939 – Kit Bond, American lawyer and politician, 47th Governor of Missouri
  • 1939 – Adam Osborne, Thai-Indian engineer and businessman, founded the Osborne Computer Corporation (d. 2003)
  • 1940 – Ken Danby, Canadian painter (d. 2007)
  • 1940 – Joanna Miles, French-born American actress
  • 1940 – R. H. Sikes, American golfer
  • 1940 – Willie Stargell, American baseball player and coach (d. 2001)
  • 1940 – Jeff Wooller, English accountant and banker
  • 1941 – Peter Brötzmann, German saxophonist and clarinet player
  • 1941 – Marilyn Strathern, Welsh anthropologist and academic
  • 1942 – Ben Murphy, American actor
  • 1944 – Richard Corliss, American journalist and critic (d. 2015)
  • 1944 – Kiri Te Kanawa, New Zealand soprano and actress
  • 1944 – Mary Wilson, American singer
  • 1945 – Angelo Castro, Jr., Filipino actor and journalist (d. 2012)
  • 1946 – David Gilmour, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1946 – Richard Noble, Scottish race car driver and businessman
  • 1947 – Kiki Dee, English singer-songwriter
  • 1947 – Dick Fosbury, American high jumper
  • 1947 – Anna Maria Horsford, American actress
  • 1947 – Rob Reiner, American actor, director, producer, and activist
  • 1947 – Jean Seaton, English historian and academic
  • 1947 – John Stossel, American journalist and author
  • 1948 – Stephen Schwartz, American composer and producer
  • 1949 – Shaukat Aziz, Pakistani economist and politician, 15th Prime Minister of Pakistan
  • 1949 – Martin Buchan, Scottish footballer and manager
  • 1950 – Arthur Roche, English archbishop
  • 1951 – Gerrie Knetemann, Dutch cyclist (d. 2004)
  • 1952 – Denis Napthine, Australian politician, 47th Premier of Victoria
  • 1953 – Madhav Kumar Nepal, Nepali banker and politician, 34th Prime Minister of Nepal
  • 1953 – Carolyn Porco, American astronomer and academic
  • 1953 – Phil Alvin, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1954 – Jeff Greenwald, American author, photographer, and monologist
  • 1954 – Harald Schumacher, German footballer and manager
  • 1955 – Cyprien Ntaryamira, Burundian politician, 5th President of Burundi (d. 1994)
  • 1955 – Alberta Watson, Canadian actress (d. 2015)
  • 1956 – Peter Roebuck, English cricketer, journalist, and sportcaster (d. 2011)
  • 1956 – Steve Vizard, Australian television host, actor, and producer
  • 1960 – Sleepy Floyd, American basketball player and coach
  • 1962 – Alison Nicholas, British golfer
  • 1963 – D. L. Hughley, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1964 – Linda Pearson, Scottish sport shooter
  • 1965 – Allan Bateman, Welsh rugby player
  • 1965 – Jim Knight, English politician
  • 1966 – Alan Davies, English comedian, actor and screenwriter
  • 1967 – Julio Bocca, Argentinian ballet dancer and director
  • 1967 – Connie Britton, American actress
  • 1967 – Glenn Greenwald, American journalist and author
  • 1967 – Shuler Hensley, American actor and singer
  • 1968 – Moira Kelly, American actress and director
  • 1971 – Darrick Martin, American basketball player and coach
  • 1972 – Shaquille O’Neal, American basketball player, actor, and rapper
  • 1972 – Jaret Reddick, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
  • 1973 – Michael Finley, American basketball player
  • 1973 – Peter Lindgren, Swedish guitarist and songwriter
  • 1973 – Greg Ostertag, American basketball player
  • 1973 – Trent Willmon, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1974 – Guy Garvey, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1974 – Matthew Guy, Australian politician
  • 1974 – Brad Schumacher, American swimmer
  • 1974 – Beanie Sigel, American rapper
  • 1975 – Aracely Arámbula, Mexican actress and singer
  • 1975 – Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Canadian pianist and conductor
  • 1976 – Ken Anderson, American wrestler and actor
  • 1977 – Nantie Hayward, South African cricketer
  • 1977 – Giorgos Karagounis, Greek international footballer, midfielder
  • 1977 – Shabani Nonda, DR Congolese footballer
  • 1977 – Marcus Thames, American baseball player and coach
  • 1978 – Sage Rosenfels, American football player
  • 1978 – Chad Wicks, American wrestler
  • 1979 – Clint Barmes, American baseball player
  • 1979 – Érik Bédard, Canadian baseball player
  • 1979 – David Flair, American wrestler
  • 1979 – Tim Howard, American soccer player
  • 1980 – Emílson Cribari, Brazilian footballer
  • 1981 – Ellen Muth, American actress
  • 1983 – Andranik Teymourian, Armenian-Iranian footballer
  • 1984 – Daniël de Ridder, Dutch footballer
  • 1984 – Eskil Pedersen, Norwegian politician
  • 1984 – Chris Tomson, American drummer
  • 1985 – Bakaye Traoré, French-Malian footballer
  • 1986 – Jake Arrieta, American baseball player
  • 1986 – Francisco Cervelli, Venezuelan-Italian baseball player
  • 1986 – Ross Detwiler, American baseball player
  • 1986 – Eli Marienthal, American actor
  • 1986 – Charlie Mulgrew, Scottish footballer
  • 1987 – Kevin-Prince Boateng, Ghanaian-German footballer
  • 1987 – José Manuel Flores, Spanish footballer
  • 1988 – Agnes Carlsson, Swedish singer
  • 1988 – Marina Erakovic, New Zealand tennis player
  • 1988 – Simon Mignolet, Belgian footballer
  • 1989 – Agnieszka Radwańska, Polish tennis player
  • 1990 – Derek Drouin, Canadian athlete
  • 1991 – Lex Luger, American keyboard player and producer
  • 1991 – Emma McDougall, English footballer (d. 2013)
  • 1991 – Tyler Gregory Okonma, American rapper
  • 1993 – Andrés Rentería, Colombian footballer
  • 1994 – Nathan Redmond, English footballer
  • 1994 – Marcus Smart, American basketball player
  • 1994 – Wesley Hoedt, Dutch footballer
  • 1995 – Georgi Kitanov, Bulgarian footballer
  • 1996 – Christian Coleman, American sprinter
  • 1996 – Tyrell Fuimaono, Australian rugby player
  • 1996 – Timo Werner, German footballer

Deaths on March 6

  • 190 – Liu Bian (poisoned by Dong Zhuo) (b. 176)
  • 653 – Li Ke, prince of the Tang Dynasty (b. 619)
  • 766 – Chrodegang, Frankish bishop and saint
  • 903 – Lu Guangqi, Chinese official and chancellor
  • 903 – Su Jian, Chinese official and chancellor
  • 1070 – Ulric I, Margrave of Carniola
  • 1251 – Rose of Viterbo, Italian saint (b. 1235)
  • 1353 – Roger Grey, 1st Baron Grey de Ruthyn
  • 1466 – Alvise Loredan, Venetian admiral and statesman (b. 1393)
  • 1490 – Ivan the Young, Ruler of Tver (b. 1458)
  • 1491 – Richard Woodville, 3rd Earl Rivers
  • 1531 – Pedro Arias Dávila, Spanish explorer and diplomat (b. 1440)
  • 1616 – Francis Beaumont, English playwright (b. 1584)
  • 1754 – Henry Pelham, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1694)
  • 1758 – Henry Vane, 1st Earl of Darlington, English politician, Lord Lieutenant of Durham (b. 1705)
  • 1764 – Philip Yorke, 1st Earl of Hardwicke, English lawyer and politician, Lord Chancellor of the United Kingdom (b. 1690)
  • 1796 – Guillaume Thomas François Raynal, French historian and author (b. 1713)
  • 1836 – Deaths at the Battle of the Alamo:
    • James Bonham, American lawyer and soldier (b. 1807)
    • James Bowie, American colonel (b. 1796)
    • Davy Crockett, American soldier and politician (b. 1786)
    • William B. Travis, American lieutenant colonel and lawyer (b. 1809)
  • 1854 – Charles Vane, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry, Irish colonel and diplomat, Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies (b. 1778)
  • 1866 – William Whewell, English priest, historian, and philosopher (b. 1794)
  • 1867 – Charles Farrar Browne, American-English author and educator (b. 1834)
  • 1888 – Louisa May Alcott, American novelist and poet (b. 1832)
  • 1895 – Camilla Collett, Norwegian novelist and activist (b. 1813)
  • 1899 – Kaʻiulani of Hawaii (b. 1875)
  • 1900 – Gottlieb Daimler, German engineer and businessman, co-founded Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (b. 1834)
  • 1905 – John Henninger Reagan, American surveyor, judge, and politician, 3rd Confederate States of America Secretary of the Treasury (b. 1818)
  • 1905 – Makar Yekmalyan, Armenian composer (b. 1856)
  • 1919 – Oskars Kalpaks, Latvian colonel (b. 1882)
  • 1920 – Ömer Seyfettin, Turkish author and educator (b. 1884)
  • 1932 – John Philip Sousa, American conductor and composer (b. 1854)
  • 1933 – Anton Cermak, Czech-American lawyer and politician, 44th Mayor of Chicago (b. 1873)
  • 1935 – Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., American colonel, lawyer, and jurist (b. 1841)
  • 1939 – Ferdinand von Lindemann, German mathematician and academic (b. 1852)
  • 1941 – Francis Aveling, Canadian priest, psychologist, and author (b. 1875)
  • 1941 – Gutzon Borglum, American sculptor and academic, designed Mount Rushmore (b. 1867)
  • 1948 – Ross Lockridge, Jr., American author, poet, and academic (b. 1914)
  • 1948 – Alice Woodby McKane, First Black woman doctor in Savannah, Georgia (b. 1865)
  • 1950 – Albert François Lebrun, French engineer and politician, 15th President of France (b. 1871)
  • 1951 – Ivor Novello, Welsh singer-songwriter and actor (b. 1893)
  • 1951 – Volodymyr Vynnychenko, Ukrainian playwright and politician, Prime Minister of Ukraine (b. 1880)
  • 1952 – Jürgen Stroop, German general (b. 1895)
  • 1955 – Mammad Amin Rasulzade, Azerbaijani scholar and politician (b. 1884)
  • 1961 – George Formby, English singer-songwriter and actor (b. 1904)
  • 1964 – Paul of Greece (b. 1901)
  • 1965 – Margaret Dumont, American actress (b. 1889)
  • 1967 – John Haden Badley, English author and educator, founded the Bedales School (b. 1865)
  • 1967 – Nelson Eddy, American actor and singer (b. 1901)
  • 1967 – Zoltán Kodály, Hungarian composer, linguist, and philosopher (b. 1882)
  • 1970 – William Hopper, American actor (b. 1915)
  • 1973 – Pearl S. Buck, American novelist, essayist, short story writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1892)
  • 1974 – Ernest Becker, American anthropologist and author (b. 1924)
  • 1976 – Maxie Rosenbloom, American boxer (b. 1903)
  • 1977 – Alvin R. Dyer, American religious leader (b. 1903)
  • 1978 – Dennis Viollet, English-American soccer player and manager (b. 1933)
  • 1981 – George Geary, English cricketer and coach (b. 1893)
  • 1981 – Rambhau Mhalgi, Indian politician and member of the Lok Sabha (b. 9 July 1921)
  • 1982 – Ayn Rand, Russian-American philosopher, author, and playwright (b. 1905)
  • 1984 – Billy Collins, Jr., American boxer (b. 1961)
  • 1984 – Martin Niemöller, German pastor and theologian (b. 1892)
  • 1984 – Homer N. Wallin, American admiral (b. 1893)
  • 1984 – Henry Wilcoxon, Dominican-American actor and producer (b. 1905)
  • 1986 – Georgia O’Keeffe, American painter (b. 1887)
  • 1988 – Mairéad Farrell, Provisional IRA volunteer (b. 1957)
  • 1988 – Daniel McCann, Provisional IRA volunteer (b. 1957)
  • 1988 – Seán Savage, Provisional IRA volunteer (b. 1965)
  • 1994 – Melina Mercouri, Greek actress and politician, 9th Greek Minister of Culture (b. 1920)
  • 1997 – Cheddi Jagan, Guyanese politician, 4th President of Guyana (b. 1918)
  • 1997 – Michael Manley, Jamaican soldier, pilot, and politician, 4th Prime Minister of Jamaica (b. 1924)
  • 1997 – Ursula Torday, English author (b. 1912)
  • 1999 – Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Bahrain king (b. 1933)
  • 2000 – John Colicos, Canadian actor (b. 1928)
  • 2002 – Bryan Fogarty, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1969)
  • 2004 – Hercules, American wrestler (b. 1957)
  • 2004 – Frances Dee, American actress (b. 1909)
  • 2005 – Hans Bethe, German-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
  • 2005 – Danny Gardella, American baseball player and trainer (b. 1920)
  • 2005 – Tommy Vance, English radio host (b. 1943)
  • 2005 – Teresa Wright, American actress (b. 1918)
  • 2005 – Gladys Marín, Chilean activist and political figure. (b.1938)
  • 2006 – Anne Braden, American journalist and activist (b. 1924)
  • 2006 – Kirby Puckett, American baseball player and sportscaster (b. 1960)
  • 2007 – Jean Baudrillard, French photographer and theorist (b. 1929)
  • 2007 – Ernest Gallo, American businessman, co-founded E & J Gallo Winery (b. 1909)
  • 2008 – Peter Poreku Dery, Ghanaian cardinal (b. 1918)
  • 2009 – Francis Magalona, Filipino rapper, producer, and actor (b. 1964)
  • 2010 – Endurance Idahor, Nigerian footballer (b. 1984)
  • 2010 – Mark Linkous, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (b. 1962)
  • 2010 – Betty Millard, American philanthropist and activist (b. 1911)
  • 2012 – Francisco Xavier do Amaral, East Timorese politician, 1st President of East Timor (b. 1937)
  • 2012 – Donald M. Payne, American businessman and politician (b. 1934)
  • 2012 – Helen Walulik, American baseball player (b. 1929)
  • 2013 – Chorão, Brazilian singer-songwriter (Charlie Brown Jr.) (b. 1970)
  • 2013 – Stompin’ Tom Connors, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1936)
  • 2013 – Alvin Lee, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1944)
  • 2013 – W. Wallace Cleland, American biochemist and academic (b. 1930)
  • 2014 – Alemayehu Atomsa, Ethiopian educator and politician (b. 1969)
  • 2014 – Frank Jobe, American soldier and surgeon (b. 1925)
  • 2014 – Sheila MacRae, English-American actress, singer, and dancer (b. 1921)
  • 2014 – Martin Nesbitt, American lawyer and politician (b. 1946)
  • 2014 – Manlio Sgalambro, Italian philosopher, author, and poet (b. 1924)
  • 2015 – Fred Craddock, American minister and academic (b. 1928)
  • 2015 – Ram Sundar Das, Indian lawyer and politician, 18th Chief Minister of Bihar (b. 1921)
  • 2015 – Enrique “Coco” Vicéns, Puerto Rican-American basketball player and politician (b. 1926)
  • 2016 – Nancy Reagan, American actress, 42nd First Lady of the United States (b. 1921)
  • 2016 – Sheila Varian, American horse trainer and breeder (b. 1937)
  • 2017 – Robert Osborne, American actor and historian (b. 1932)
  • 2018 – Peter Nicholls, Australian science fiction critic and encyclopedist (b. 1939)

Holidays and observances on March 6

  • Christian feast day:
    • Chrodegang
    • Colette
    • Fridolin
    • Kyneburga, Kyneswide and Tibba
    • Marcian of Tortona
    • William W. Mayo and Charles Frederick Menninger (Episcopal Church (USA))
    • Olegarius
    • March 6 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • European Day of the Righteous, commemorates those who have stood up against crimes against humanity and totalitarism with their own moral responsibility. (Europe)
  • Foundation Day (Norfolk Island), the founding of Norfolk Island in 1788.
  • Independence Day (Ghana), celebrates the independence of Ghana from the UK in 1957.
  • The Day of the Dude, celebrated by the adherents of Dudeism

March 6- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

On This Day /

February 29, also known as leap day or leap year day, is a date added to most years that are divisible by 4, such as 2016, 2020, and 2024. A leap day is added in various solar calendars (calendars based on the Earth’s revolution around the Sun), including the Gregorian calendar standard in most of the world. Lunisolar calendars (whose months are based on the phases of the Moon) instead add a leap or intercalary month

In the Gregorian calendar, years that are divisible by 100, but not by 400, do not contain a leap day. Thus, 1700, 1800, and 1900 did not contain a leap day; neither will 2100, 2200, and 2300. Conversely, 1600 and 2000 did and 2400 will. Years containing a leap day are called leap years. Years not containing a leap day are called common years. In the Chinese calendar, this day will only occur in years of the monkey, dragon, and rat.

A leap day is observed because the Earth’s period of orbital revolution around the Sun takes approximately six hours longer than 365 whole days. A leap day compensates for this lag, realigning the calendar with the Earth’s position in the Solar System; otherwise, seasons would occur later than intended in the calendar year. The Julian calendar used in Christendom until the 16th century added a leap day every four years; but this rule adds too many days (roughly three every 400 years), making the equinoxes and solstices shift gradually to earlier dates. By the 16th century the vernal equinox had drifted to March 11, so the Gregorian calendar was introduced both to shift it back by omitting several days, and to reduce the number of leap years via the aforementioned century rule to keep the equinoxes more or less fixed and the date of Easter consistently close to the vernal equinox.

Leap days can present a particular problem in computing known as the leap year bug when February 29 is not handled correctly in logic that accepts or manipulates dates. For example, this has happened with ATMs and Microsoft’s cloud system Azure.

Leap years

Although most modern calendar years have 365 days, a complete revolution around the Sun (one solar year) takes approximately 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds (or, for simplicity’s sake, approximately 365 days and 6 hours, or 365.25 days) .An extra 23 hours, 15 minutes, and 4 seconds thus accumulates every four years (again, for simplicity’s sake, approximately an extra 24 hours, or 1 day, every four years), requiring that an extra calendar day be added to align the calendar with the Sun’s apparent position. Without the added day, in future years the seasons would occur later in the calendar, eventually leading to confusion about when to undertake activities dependent on weather, ecology, or hours of daylight.

Solar years are actually slightly shorter than 365 days and 6 hours (365.25 days), which had been known since the 2nd century BC when Hipparchus stated that it lasted 365 + 1/4 − 1/300 days, but this was ignored by Julius Caesar and his astronomical adviser Sosigenes. The Gregorian calendar corrected this by adopting the length of the tropical year stated in three medieval sources, the Alfonsine tables, De Revolutionibus, and the Prutenic Tables, truncated to two sexagesimal places, 365 14/60 33/3600 days or 365 + 1/4 − 3/400 days or 365.2425 days. The length of the tropical year in 2000 was 365.24217 mean solar daysAdding a calendar day every four years, therefore, results in an excess of around 44 minutes every four years, or about 3 days every 400 years. To compensate for this, three days are removed every 400 years. The Gregorian calendar reform implements this adjustment by making an exception to the general rule that there is a leap year every four years. Instead, a year divisible by 100 is not a leap year unless that year is also divisible by 400. This means that the years 1600, 2000, and 2400 are leap years, while the years 1700, 1800, 1900, 2100, 2200, 2300, and 2500 are not leap years.

Modern (Gregorian) calendar

The Gregorian calendar repeats itself every 400 years, which is exactly 20,871 weeks including 97 leap days (146,097 days). Over this period, February 29 falls on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday 13 times; Friday and Saturday 14 times; and Monday and Wednesday 15 times. Except for a century mark that is not a multiple of 400, consecutive leap days fall in order Sunday, Friday, Wednesday, Monday, Saturday, Thursday, Tuesday, and repeats again.

Early Roman calendar

Adding a leap day (after 23 February) shifts the commemorations in the 1962 Roman Missal.

Main article: Roman calendar

The calendar of the Roman king Numa Pompilius had only 355 days (even though it was not a lunar calendar) which meant that it would quickly become unsynchronized with the solar year. An earlier Roman solution to this problem was to lengthen the calendar periodically by adding extra days to February, the last month of the year. February consisted of two parts, each with an odd number of days. The first part ended with the Terminalia on the 23rd, which was considered the end of the religious year, and the five remaining days formed the second part. To keep the calendar year roughly aligned with the solar year, a leap month, called Mensis Intercalaris (“intercalary month”), was added from time to time between these two parts of February. The (usual) second part of February was incorporated in the intercalary month as its last five days, with no change either in their dates or the festivals observed on them. This followed naturally because the days after the Ides (13th) of February (in an ordinary year) or the Ides of Intercalaris (in an intercalary year) both counted down to the Kalends of March (i.e. they were known as “the nth day before the Kalends of March”). The Nones (5th) and Ides of Intercalaris occupied their normal positions.

The third-century writer Censorinus says:

When it was thought necessary to add (every two years) an intercalary month of 22 or 23 days, so that the civil year should correspond to the natural (solar) year, this intercalation was in preference made in February, between Terminalia [23rd]and Regifugium [24th].

Julian reform

Main article: Julian calendar

The set leap day was introduced in Rome as a part of the Julian reform in the 1st century BCE. As before, the intercalation was made after February 23. The day following the Terminalia (February 23) was doubled, forming the “bis sextum“—literally ‘twice sixth’, since February 24 was ‘the sixth day before the Kalends of March’ using Roman inclusive counting (March 1 was the Kalends of March and was also the first day of the calendar year). Inclusive counting initially caused the Roman priests to add the extra day every three years instead of four; Augustus was compelled to omit leap years for a few decades to return the calendar to its proper position. Although there were exceptions, the first day of the bis sextum (February 24) was usually regarded as the intercalated or “bissextile” day since the 3rd century CE. February 29 came to be regarded as the leap day when the Roman system of numbering days was replaced by sequential numbering in the late Middle Ages, although this has only been formally enacted in Sweden and Finland. In Britain, the extra day added to leap years remains notionally the 24th, although the 29th remains more visible on the calendar.

Born on February 29

A person born on February 29 may be called a “leapling”, a “leaper”, or a “leap-year baby”. Some leaplings celebrate their birthday in non-leap years on either February 28 or March 1, while others only observe birthdays on the authentic intercalary date, February 29.

Legal status: The effective legal date of a leapling’s birthday in non-leap years varies between jurisdictions.

In the United Kingdom and its former colony Hong Kong, when a person born on February 29 turns 18, they are considered to have their birthday on March 1 in the relevant year.

In New Zealand, a person born on February 29 is deemed to have their birthday on February 28 in non-leap years, for the purposes of Driver Licensing under §2(2) of the Land Transport (Driver Licensing) Rule 1999. The net result is that for drivers aged 75, or over 80, their driver licence expires at the end of the last day of February, even though their birthday would otherwise fall on the first day in March in non-leap years. Otherwise, New Zealand legislation is silent on when a person born on February 29 has their birthday, although case law would suggest that age is computed based on the number of years elapsed, from the day after the date of birth, and that the person’s birth day then occurs on the last day of the year period. This differs from English common law where a birthday is considered to be the start of the next year, the preceding year ending at midnight on the day preceding the birthday. While a person attains the same age on the same day, it also means that, in New Zealand, if something must be done by the time a person attains a certain age, that thing can be done on the birthday that they attain that age and still be lawful.

In Taiwan, the legal birthday of a leapling is February 28 in common years:

If a period fixed by weeks, months, and years does not commence from the beginning of a week, month, or year, it ends with the ending of the day which proceeds the day of the last week, month, or year which corresponds to that on which it began to commence. But if there is no corresponding day in the last month, the period ends with the ending of the last day of the last month.

Thus, in England and Wales or in Hong Kong, a person born on February 29 will have legally reached 18 years old on March 1. If they were born in Taiwan they legally become 18 on February 28, a day earlier.

In the United States, according to John Reitz, a professor of law at the University of Iowa, there is no “… statute or general rule that has anything to do with leap day.” Reitz speculates that “March 1 would likely be considered the legal birthday in non-leap years of someone born on leap day,”using the same reasoning as described for the United Kingdom and Hong Kong. However, for the purposes of Social Security, a person attains the next age the day before the anniversary of birth. Therefore, Social Security would recognize February 28 as the change in age for leap year births, not March 1

In fiction

There are many instances in children’s literature where a person’s claim to be only a quarter of their actual age turns out to be based on counting only their leap-year birthdays.

A similar device is used in the plot of Gilbert and Sullivan’s 1879 comic opera The Pirates of Penzance: as a child, Frederic was apprenticed to a band of pirates until his 21st birthday. Having passed his 21st year, he leaves the pirate band and falls in love. However, since he was born on February 29, his 21st birthday will not arrive until he is eighty-eight (since 1900 was not a leap year), so he must leave his fiancée and return to the pirates.

Since 1967, February 29 has been the official birthday of Superman, but not Clark Kent.

February 29 in History

  • 1504 – Christopher Columbus uses his knowledge of a lunar eclipse that night to convince Jamaican natives to provide him with supplies.
  • 1644 – Abel Tasman’s second Pacific voyage begins.
  • 1704 – Queen Anne’s War: French forces and Native Americans stage a raid on Deerfield, Massachusetts Bay Colony, killing 56 villagers and taking more than 100 captive.
  • 1712 – February 29 is followed by February 30 in Sweden, in a move to abolish the Swedish calendar for a return to the Julian calendar.
  • 1720 – Ulrika Eleonora, Queen of Sweden abdicates in favour of her husband, who becomes King Frederick I on March 24.
  • 1752 – King Alaungpaya founds Konbaung Dynasty, the last dynasty of Burmese monarchy.
  • 1768 – Polish nobles form the Bar Confederation.
  • 1796 – The Jay Treaty between the United States and Great Britain comes into force, facilitating ten years of peaceful trade between the two nations.
  • 1864 – American Civil War: Kilpatrick–Dahlgren Raid fails: Plans to free 15,000 Union soldiers being held near Richmond, Virginia are thwarted.
  • 1892 – St. Petersburg, Florida is incorporated.
  • 1912 – The Piedra Movediza (Moving Stone) of Tandil falls and breaks.
  • 1916 – Tokelau is annexed by the United Kingdom.
  • 1916 – Child labor: In South Carolina, the minimum working age for factory, mill, and mine workers is raised from 12 to 14 years old.
  • 1920 – Czechoslovak National Assembly adopts the Constitution.
  • 1936 – February 26 Incident in Tokyo ends.
  • 1940 – 12th Academy Awards: For her performance as “Mammy” in Gone with the Wind, Hattie McDaniel becomes the first African American to win an Academy Award.
  • 1940 – Finland initiates Winter War peace negotiations.
  • 1940 – In a ceremony held in Berkeley, California, physicist Ernest Lawrence receives the 1939 Nobel Prize in Physics from Sweden’s Consul General in San Francisco.
  • 1944 – World War II: The Admiralty Islands are invaded in Operation Brewer led by American General Douglas MacArthur.
  • 1960 – The 5.7 Mw  Agadir earthquake shakes coastal Morocco with a maximum perceived intensity of X (Extreme), destroying Agadir, and leaving 12,000 dead and another 12,000 injured.
  • 1972 – Vietnam War: Vietnamization: South Korea withdraws 11,000 of its 48,000 troops from Vietnam.
  • 1980 – Gordie Howe of the Hartford Whalers makes NHL history as he scores his 800th goal.
  • 1984 – Pierre Trudeau announces his retirement as Liberal Party leader and Prime Minister of Canada.
  • 1988 – South African archbishop Desmond Tutu is arrested along with one hundred other clergymen during a five-day anti-apartheid demonstration in Cape Town.
  • 1988 – Svend Robinson becomes the first member of the House of Commons of Canada to come out as gay.
  • 1992 – First day of Bosnia and Herzegovina independence referendum.
  • 1996 – Faucett Flight 251 crashes in the Andes; all 123 passengers and crew die.
  • 1996 – Siege of Sarajevo officially ends.
  • 2000 – Second Chechen War: Eighty-four Russian paratroopers are killed in a rebel attack on a guard post near Ulus Kert.
  • 2004 – Jean-Bertrand Aristide is removed as President of Haiti following a coup.
  • 2008 – The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence decides to withdraw Prince Harry from a tour of Afghanistan “immediately” after a leak leads to his deployment being reported by foreign media.
  • 2008 – Misha Defonseca admits to fabricating her memoir, Misha: A Mémoire of the Holocaust Years, in which she claims to have lived with a pack of wolves in the woods during the Holocaust.
  • 2012 – Tokyo Skytree construction is completed. It is the tallest tower in the world, 634 meters high, and the second-tallest artificial structure on Earth, next to Burj Khalifa.

Births on February 29

  • 1468 – Pope Paul III (d. 1549)
  • 1528 – Albert V, Duke of Bavaria (d. 1579)
  • 1528 – Domingo Báñez, Spanish theologian (d. 1604)
  • 1572 – Edward Cecil, 1st Viscount Wimbledon (d. 1638)
  • 1576 – Antonio Neri, Florentine priest and glassmaker (d. 1614)
  • 1640 – Benjamin Keach, Particular Baptist preacher and author whose name was given to Keach’s Catechism (d. 1704)
  • 1692 – John Byrom, English poet and educator (d. 1763)
  • 1724 – Eva Marie Veigel, Austrian-English dancer (d. 1822)
  • 1736 – Ann Lee, English-American religious leader, founded the Shakers (d. 1784)
  • 1792 – Gioachino Rossini, Italian composer (d. 1868)
  • 1812 – James Milne Wilson, Scottish-Australian soldier and politician, 8th Premier of Tasmania (d. February 29, 1880)
  • 1828 – Emmeline B. Wells, American journalist, poet, and activist (d. 1921)
  • 1836 – Dickey Pearce, American baseball player and manager (d. 1908)
  • 1852 – Frank Gavan Duffy, Irish-Australian lawyer and judge, 4th Chief Justice of Australia (d. 1936)
  • 1860 – Herman Hollerith, American statistician and businessman, co-founded the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (d. 1929)
  • 1876 – William Stewart, Scottish footballer
  • 1884 – Richard S. Aldrich, American lawyer and politician (d. 1941)
  • 1892 – Augusta Savage, American sculptor (d. 1962)
  • 1896 – Morarji Desai, Indian civil servant and politician, 4th Prime Minister of India (d. 1995)
  • 1896 – William A. Wellman, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1975)
  • 1904 – Jimmy Dorsey, American saxophonist, composer, and bandleader (d. 1957)
  • 1904 – Pepper Martin, American baseball player and manager (d. 1965)
  • 1908 – Balthus, French-Swiss painter and illustrator (d. 2001)
  • 1908 – Dee Brown, American historian and author (d. 2002)
  • 1908 – Alf Gover, English cricketer and coach (d. 2001)
  • 1908 – Louie Myfanwy Thomas, Welsh writer (d. 1968)
  • 1916 – Dinah Shore, American singer and actress (d. 1994)
  • 1916 – James B. Donovan, American lawyer (d. 1970)
  • 1916 – Leonard Shoen, founder of U-Haul Corp. (d. 1999)
  • 1920 – Fyodor Abramov, Russian author and critic (d. 1983)
  • 1920 – Arthur Franz, American actor (d. 2006)
  • 1920 – James Mitchell, American actor and dancer (d. 2010)
  • 1920 – Michèle Morgan, French-American actress and singer (d. 2016)
  • 1920 – Howard Nemerov, American poet and academic (d. 1991)
  • 1920 – Rolland W. Redlin, American lawyer and politician (d. 2011)
  • 1924 – David Beattie, New Zealand judge and politician, 14th Governor-General of New Zealand (d. 2001)
  • 1924 – Carlos Humberto Romero, Salvadoran politician, President of El Salvador (d. 2017)
  • 1924 – Al Rosen, American baseball player and manager (d. 2015)
  • 1928 – Joss Ackland, English actor
  • 1928 – Jean Adamson, British writer and illustrator
  • 1928 – Vance Haynes, American archaeologist, geologist, and author
  • 1928 – Seymour Papert, South African mathematician and computer scientist, co-created the Logo programming language (d. 2016)
  • 1932 – Gene H. Golub, American mathematician and academic (d. 2007)
  • 1932 – Masten Gregory, American race car driver (d. 1985)
  • 1932 – Reri Grist, American soprano and actress
  • 1932 – Jaguar, Brazilian cartoonist
  • 1932 – Gavin Stevens, Australian cricketer
  • 1936 – Jack Lousma, American colonel, astronaut, and politician
  • 1936 – Henri Richard, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2020)
  • 1936 – Alex Rocco, American actor (d. 2015)
  • 1936 – Nh. Dini, Indonesian writer (d. 2018)
  • 1940 – Sonja Barend, Dutch talk show host
  • 1940 – Bartholomew I of Constantinople
  • 1940 – William H. Turner, Jr., American horse trainer
  • 1944 – Ene Ergma, Estonian physicist and politician
  • 1944 – Dennis Farina, American police officer and actor (d. 2013)
  • 1944 – Nicholas Frayling, English priest and academic
  • 1944 – Phyllis Frelich, American actress (d. 2014)
  • 1944 – Steve Mingori, American baseball player (d. 2008)
  • 1944 – Paolo Eleuteri Serpieri, Italian author and illustrator
  • 1944 – Lennart Svedberg, Swedish ice hockey player (d. 1972).
  • 1948 – Hermione Lee, English author, critic, and academic
  • 1948 – Manoel Maria, Brazilian footballer
  • 1948 – Patricia A. McKillip, American author
  • 1948 – Henry Small, American-born Canadian singer
  • 1952 – Sharon Dahlonega Raiford Bush, American journalist and producer
  • 1952 – Tim Powers, American author and educator
  • 1952 – Raisa Smetanina, Russian cross-country skier
  • 1952 – Bart Stupak, American police officer and politician
  • 1956 – Jonathan Coleman, English-Australian radio and television host
  • 1956 – Bob Speller, Canadian businessman and politician, 30th Canadian Minister of Agriculture
  • 1956 – Aileen Wuornos, American serial killer (d. 2002)
  • 1960 – Lucian Grainge, English businessman
  • 1960 – Khaled, Algerian singer-songwriter
  • 1960 – Richard Ramirez, American serial killer (d. 2013)
  • 1964 – Dave Brailsford, English cyclist and coach
  • 1964 – Lyndon Byers, Canadian ice hockey player and radio host
  • 1964 – Mervyn Warren, American tenor, composer, and producer
  • 1968 – Chucky Brown, American basketball player and coach
  • 1968 – Pete Fenson, American curler and sportscaster
  • 1968 – Naoko Iijima, Japanese actress and model
  • 1968 – Bryce Paup, American football player and coach
  • 1968 – Howard Tayler, American author and illustrator
  • 1968 – Eugene Volokh, Ukrainian-American lawyer and educator
  • 1968 – Frank Woodley, Australian actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1972 – Mike Pollitt, English footballer and coach
  • 1972 – Sylvie Lubamba, Italian showgirl
  • 1972 – Antonio Sabàto, Jr., Italian-American model and actor
  • 1972 – Pedro Sánchez, Prime Minister of Spain
  • 1972 – Dave Williams, American singer (d. 2002)
  • 1972 – Saul Williams, American singer-songwriter
  • 1972 – Pedro Zamora, Cuban-American activist and educator (d. 1994)
  • 1976 – Vonteego Cummings, American basketball player
  • 1976 – Gehad Grisha, Egyptian soccer referee
  • 1976 – Katalin Kovács, Hungarian sprint kayaker
  • 1976 – Terrence Long, American baseball player
  • 1976 – Ja Rule, American rapper and actor
  • 1980 – Çağdaş Atan, Turkish footballer and coach
  • 1980 – Chris Conley, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1980 – Patrick Côté, Canadian mixed martial artist
  • 1980 – Simon Gagné, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1980 – Rubén Plaza, Spanish cyclist
  • 1980 – Peter Scanavino, American actor
  • 1980 – Clinton Toopi, New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1980 – Taylor Twellman, American soccer player and sportscaster
  • 1984 – Rica Imai, Japanese model and actress
  • 1984 – Cullen Jones, American swimmer
  • 1984 – Nuria Martínez, Spanish basketball player
  • 1984 – Adam Sinclair, Indian field hockey player
  • 1984 – Rakhee Thakrar, English actress
  • 1984 – Dennis Walger, German rugby player
  • 1984 – Cam Ward, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1984 – Mark Foster, American singer, songwriter and musician
  • 1988 – Lena Gercke, German model and television host
  • 1988 – Benedikt Höwedes, German footballer
  • 1988 – Brent Macaffer, Australian Rules footballer
  • 1988 – Bobby Sanguinetti, American ice hockey player
  • 1988 – Milan Melindo, Filipino boxer
  • 1992 – Sean Abbott, Australian cricketer
  • 1992 – Ben Hampton, Australian rugby league player
  • 1992 – Eric Kendricks, American football player
  • 1992 – Caitlin EJ Meyer, American actress
  • 1996 – Nelson Asofa-Solomona, New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1996 – Reece Prescod, British sprinter
  • 1996 – Claudia Williams, New Zealand tennis player
  • 2000 – Ferran Torres, Spanish footballer

Deaths on February 29

  • 468 – Pope Hilarius
  • 992 – Oswald of Worcester, Anglo-Saxon archbishop and saint (b. 925)
  • 1212 – Hōnen, Japanese monk, founded Jōdo-shū (b. 1133)
  • 1460 – Albert III, Duke of Bavaria-Munich (b. 1401)
  • 1528 – Patrick Hamilton, Scottish Protestant reformer and martyr (b. 1504)
  • 1592 – Alessandro Striggio, Italian composer and diplomat (b. 1540)
  • 1600 – Caspar Hennenberger, German pastor, historian and cartographer (b. 1529)
  • 1604 – John Whitgift, English archbishop and academic (b. 1530)
  • 1740 – Pietro Ottoboni, Italian cardinal (b. 1667)
  • 1744 – John Theophilus Desaguliers, French-English physicist and philosopher (b. 1683)
  • 1792 – Johann Andreas Stein, German piano builder (b. 1728)
  • 1820 – Johann Joachim Eschenburg, German historian and critic (b. 1743)
  • 1848 – Louis-François Lejeune, French general, painter and lithographer (b. 1775)
  • 1852 – Matsudaira Katataka, Japanese daimyō (b. 1806)
  • 1868 – Ludwig I of Bavaria (b. 1786)
  • 1880 – James Milne Wilson, Scottish-Australian soldier and politician, 8th Premier of Tasmania (b. February 29, 1812)
  • 1908
    • Pat Garrett, American sheriff (b. 1850)
    • John Hope, 1st Marquess of Linlithgow, Scottish-Australian politician, 1st Governor-General of Australia (b. 1860)
  • 1920 – Ernie Courtney, American baseball player (b. 1875)
  • 1928
    • Adolphe Appia, Swiss architect and theorist (b. 1862)
    • Ina Coolbrith, American poet and librarian (b. 1841)
  • 1940 – E. F. Benson, English archaeologist and author (b. 1867)
  • 1944 – Pehr Evind Svinhufvud, Finnish lawyer, judge and politician, 3rd President of Finland (b. 1861)
  • 1948
    • Robert Barrington-Ward, English lawyer and journalist (b. 1891)
    • Rebel Oakes, American baseball player and manager (b. 1883)
  • 1952 – Quo Tai-chi, Chinese politician and diplomat, Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations (b. 1888)
  • 1956 – Elpidio Quirino, Filipino lawyer and politician, 6th President of the Philippines (b. 1890)
  • 1960
    • Melvin Purvis, American police officer and FBI agent (b. 1903)
    • Walter Yust, American journalist and author (b. 1894)
  • 1964 – Frank Albertson, American actor and singer (b. 1909)
  • 1968
    • Lena Blackburne, American baseball player, coach and manager (b. 1886)
    • Tore Ørjasæter, Norwegian poet and educator (b. 1886)
  • 1972 – Tom Davies, American football player and coach (b. 1896)
  • 1976 – Florence P. Dwyer, American politician (b. 1902)
  • 1980
    • Yigal Allon, Israeli general and politician, Prime Minister of Israel (b. 1918)
    • Gil Elvgren, American painter and illustrator (b. 1914)
  • 1984 – Ludwik Starski, Polish screenwriter and songwriter (b. 1903)
  • 1988 – Sidney Harmon, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1907)
  • 1992 – Ruth Pitter, English poet and author (b. 1897)
  • 1996
    • Wes Farrell, American singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1939)
    • Ralph Rowe, American baseball player, coach and manager (b. 1924)
  • 2000 – Dennis Danell, American guitarist (b. 1961)
  • 2004
    • Kagamisato Kiyoji, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 42nd Yokozuna (b. 1923)
    • Jerome Lawrence, American playwright and author (b. 1915)
    • Harold Bernard St. John, Barbadian lawyer and politician, 3rd Prime Minister of Barbados (b. 1931)
    • Lorrie Wilmot, South African cricketer (b. 1943)
  • 2008
    • Janet Kagan, American author (b. 1946)
    • Erik Ortvad, Danish painter and illustrator (b. 1917)
    • Akira Yamada, Japanese scholar and philosopher (b. 1922)
  • 2012
    • Roland Bautista, American guitarist (b. 1951)
    • Davy Jones, English singer, guitarist and actor (b. 1945)
    • Sheldon Moldoff, American illustrator (b. 1920)
    • P. K. Narayana Panicker, Indian social leader (b. 1930)
  • 2016
    • Wenn V. Deramas, Filipino director and screenwriter (b. 1966)
    • Gil Hill, American police officer, actor and politician (b. 1931)
    • Josefin Nilsson, Swedish singer (b. 1969)
    • Louise Rennison, English author (b. 1951)
    • Mumtaz Qadri, Pakistani assassin (b. 1985)

Holidays and observances on February 29

  • As a Christian feast day:
    • Auguste Chapdelaine (one of the Martyr Saints of China)
    • Oswald of Worcester (in leap year only)
    • Saint John Cassian
    • February 29 in the Orthodox church
  • The fourth day of Ayyám-i-Há (Bahá’í Faith) (observed on this date only if Bahá’í Naw-Rúz falls on March 21)
  • Rare Disease Day (in leap years; celebrated in common years on February 28)
  • Bachelor’s Day (Ireland, United Kingdom)

Folk traditions

There is a popular tradition known as Bachelor’s Day in some countries allowing a woman to propose marriage to a man on February 29If the man refuses, he then is obliged to give the woman money or buy her a dress. In upper-class societies in Europe, if the man refuses marriage, he then must purchase 12 pairs of gloves for the woman, suggesting that the gloves are to hide the woman’s embarrassment of not having an engagement ring. In Ireland, the tradition is supposed to originate from a deal that Saint Bridget struck with Saint Patrick.

In the town of Aurora, Illinois, single women are deputized and may arrest single men, subject to a four-dollar fine, every February 29.

In Greece, it is considered unlucky to marry on a leap day.

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