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March 12- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

  • 538 – Vitiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving the city in the hands of the victorious Byzantine general, Belisarius.
  • 1622 – Ignatius of Loyola and Francis Xavier, founders of the Society of Jesus, are canonized by the Roman Catholic Church.
  • 1689 – James II of England landed at Kinsale, starting the Williamite War in Ireland.
  • 1811 – Peninsular War: A day after a successful rearguard action, French Marshal Michel Ney once again successfully delays the pursuing Anglo-Portuguese force at the Battle of Redinha.
  • 1912 – The Girl Guides (later renamed the Girl Scouts of the USA) are founded in the United States.
  • 1913 – The future capital of Australia is officially named Canberra.
  • 1918 – Moscow becomes the capital of Russia again after Saint Petersburg held this status for most of the period since 1713.
  • 1920 – The Kapp Putsch begins when the Marinebrigade Ehrhardt is ordered to march on Berlin.
  • 1928 – In California, the St. Francis Dam fails; the resulting floods kill 431 people.
  • 1930 – Mahatma Gandhi begins the Salt March, a 200-mile march to the sea to protest the British monopoly on salt in India.
  • 1933 – Great Depression: Franklin D. Roosevelt addresses the nation for the first time as President of the United States. This is also the first of his “fireside chats”.
  • 1938 – Anschluss: German troops occupy and absorb Austria.
  • 1940 – Winter War: Finland signs the Moscow Peace Treaty with the Soviet Union, ceding almost all of Finnish Karelia.
  • 1942 – The Battle of Java ends with the surrender of the American-British-Dutch-Australian Command to the Japanese Empire in Bandung, West Java, Dutch East Indies.
  • 1947 – Cold War: The Truman Doctrine is proclaimed to help stem the spread of Communism.
  • 1950 – The Llandow air disaster kills 80 people when the aircraft they are travelling in crashes near Sigingstone, Wales. At the time this was the world’s deadliest air disaster.
  • 1967 – Suharto takes power from Sukarno when the People’s Consultative Assembly inaugurate him as Acting President of Indonesia.
  • 1968 – Mauritius achieves independence from the United Kingdom.
  • 1971 – The 1971 Turkish military memorandum is sent to the Süleyman Demirel government of Turkey and the government resigns.
  • 1989 – Sir Tim Berners-Lee submits his proposal to CERN for an information management system, which subsequently develops into the world wide web.
  • 1992 – Mauritius becomes a republic while remaining a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.
  • 1993 – Several bombs explode in Mumbai, India, killing about 300 people and injuring hundreds more.
  • 1993 – North Korea announces that it will withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and refuses to allow inspectors access to its nuclear sites.
  • 1999 – Former Warsaw Pact members the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland join NATO.
  • 2003 – Zoran Đinđić, Prime Minister of Serbia, is assassinated in Belgrade.
  • 2003 – The World Health Organization officially release a global warning of outbreaks of Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).
  • 2004 – The President of South Korea, Roh Moo-hyun, is impeached by its National Assembly: the first such impeachment in the nation’s history.
  • 2009 – Financier Bernard Madoff pleads guilty to one of the largest frauds in Wall Street’s history.
  • 2011 – A reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant explodes and releases radioactivity into the atmosphere a day after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.
  • 2014 – A gas explosion in the New York City neighborhood of East Harlem kills eight and injures 70 others.
  • 2019 – In the House of Commons, the revised EU Withdrawal Bill was rejected by a margin of 149 votes.

Births on March 12

  • 1270 – Charles, Count of Valois (d. 1325)
  • 1515 – Caspar Othmayr, German Lutheran pastor and composer (d. 1553)
  • 1607 – Paul Gerhardt, German poet and composer (d. 1676)
  • 1613 – André Le Nôtre, French gardener and architect (d. 1700)
  • 1626 – John Aubrey, English historian and philosopher (d. 1697)
  • 1637 – Anne Hyde, Duchess of York and Albany (d. 1671)
  • 1672 – Richard Steele, Irish-Welsh journalist and politician (d. 1729)
  • 1685 – George Berkeley, Irish bishop and philosopher (d. 1753)
  • 1710 – Thomas Arne, English composer (d. 1778)
  • 1735 – François-Emmanuel Guignard, comte de Saint-Priest, French politician and diplomat (d. 1821)
  • 1753 – Jean Denis, French politician, lawyer, jurist, journalist, and historian (d. 1827)
  • 1766 – Claudius Buchanan, Scottish theologian (d. 1815)
  • 1781 – Frederica of Baden, Queen consort to Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden (d. 1826)
  • 1784 – William Buckland, English geologist and paleontologist; Dean of Westminster (d. 1856)
  • 1795 – William Lyon Mackenzie, Scottish-Canadian journalist and politician, 1st Mayor of Toronto (d. 1861)
  • 1795 – George Tyler Wood, American military officer and politician (d. 1858)
  • 1806 – Jane Pierce, American wife of Franklin Pierce, 15th First Lady of the United States (d. 1863)
  • 1807 – James Abbott, Indian Army officer (d. 1896)
  • 1815 – Louis-Jules Trochu, French military leader and politician (d. 1896)
  • 1821 – John Abbott, Canadian lawyer and politician, 3rd Prime Minister of Canada (d. 1893)
  • 1821 – Medo Pucić, Croatian writer and politician (d. 1882)
  • 1823 – Katsu Kaishū, Japanese statesman (d. 1899)
  • 1824 – Gustav Kirchhoff, Russian-German physicist and academic (d. 1887)
  • 1832 – Charles Boycott, English farmer and agent (d. 1897)
  • 1834 – Hilary A. Herbert, Secretary of the Navy (d. 1919)
  • 1835 – Simon Newcomb, Canadian-American astronomer and mathematician (d. 1909)
  • 1837 – Alexandre Guilmant, French organist and composer (d. 1911)
  • 1838 – William Henry Perkin, English chemist and academic (d. 1907)
  • 1843 – Gabriel Tarde, French sociologist and criminologist (d. 1904)
  • 1855 – Eduard Birnbaum, Polish-born German cantor (d. 1920)
  • 1857 – William V. Ranous, American actor and director (d. 1915)
  • 1858 – Adolph Ochs, American publisher (d. 1935)
  • 1859 – Ernesto Cesàro, Italian mathematician (d. 1906)
  • 1860 – Eric Stenbock, Estonian poet and author (d. 1895)
  • 1863 – Gabriele D’Annunzio, Italian soldier, journalist, poet, and playwright (d. 1938)
  • 1863 – Vladimir Vernadsky, Russian and Ukrainian mineralogist and chemist (d. 1945)
  • 1864 – W. H. R. Rivers, English anthropologist, neurologist, ethnologist, and psychiatrist (d. 1922)
  • 1874 – Edmund Eysler, Austrian composer (d. 1949)
  • 1877 – Wilhelm Frick, German lawyer and politician, German Federal Minister of the Interior (d. 1946)
  • 1878 – Gemma Galgani, Italian mystic and saint (d. 1903)
  • 1880 – Henry Drysdale Dakin, English-American chemist and academic (d. 1952)
  • 1881 – Väinö Tanner, Finnish politician of Social Democratic Party of Finland (d. 1966)
  • 1882 – Carlos Blanco Galindo, Bolivian politician (d. 1943)
  • 1883 – Sándor Jávorka, Hungarian botanist (d. 1961)
  • 1888 – Walter Hermann Bucher, German-American geologist and paleontologist (d. 1965)
  • 1888 – Hans Knappertsbusch, German conductor (d. 1965)
  • 1890 – Evert Taube, Swedish singer-songwriter and lute player (d. 1976)
  • 1896 – Jesse Fuller, American singer-songwriter and musician (d. 1976)
  • 1898 – Tian Han, Chinese playwright (d. 1968)
  • 1898 – Luitpold Steidle, German army officer and politician (d. 1984)
  • 1899 – Ramón Muttis, Argentine footballer (d. 1955)
  • 1900 – Rinus van den Berge, Dutch athlete (d. 1972)
  • 1900 – Gustavo Rojas Pinilla, 19th President of Colombia (d. 1975)
  • 1904 – Lyudmila Keldysh, Russian mathematician (d. 1976)
  • 1905 – Takashi Shimura, Japanese actor (d. 1982)
  • 1907 – Dorrit Hoffleit, American astronomer and academic (d. 2007)
  • 1908 – Rita Angus, New Zealand painter (d. 1970)
  • 1908 – David Marshall, Singaporean lawyer and politician, 1st Chief Minister of Singapore (d. 1995)
  • 1909 – Petras Cvirka, Lithuanian author (d. 1947)
  • 1910 – Masayoshi Ōhira, Japanese politician, 68th Prime Minister of Japan (d. 1980)
  • 1910 – László Lékai, Archbishop of Esztergom and Cardinal (d. 1986)
  • 1911 – Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, Mexican academic and politician, 49th President of Mexico (d. 1979)
  • 1912 – Willie Hall, English international footballer (d. 1967)
  • 1912 – Irving Layton, Romanian-Canadian poet and academic (d. 2006)
  • 1913 – Yashwantrao Chavan, Indian politician, 5th Deputy Prime Minister of India (d. 1984)
  • 1913 – Agathe von Trapp, Hungarian-American singer and author (d. 2010)
  • 1915 – Alberto Burri, Italian painter and sculptor (d. 1995)
  • 1915 – Jiří Mucha, Czech journalist (d. 1991)
  • 1917 – Leonard Chess, American record company executive, co-founder of Chess Records (d. 1969)
  • 1917 – Millard Kaufman, American author and screenwriter (d. 2009)
  • 1917 – Googie Withers, Indian-Australian actress (d. 2011)
  • 1918 – Pádraig Faulkner, Irish Fianna Fáil politician (d. 2012)
  • 1918 – Elaine de Kooning, American painter and academic (d. 1989)
  • 1921 – Gianni Agnelli, Italian businessman (d. 2001)
  • 1921 – Gordon MacRae, American actor and singer (d. 1986)
  • 1922 – Jack Kerouac, American author and poet (d. 1969)
  • 1922 – Lane Kirkland, American sailor and union leader (d. 1999)
  • 1923 – Hjalmar Andersen, Norwegian speed skater and cyclist (d. 2013)
  • 1923 – Norbert Brainin, Austrian violinist (d. 2005)
  • 1923 – Wally Schirra, American captain, pilot, and astronaut (d. 2007)
  • 1923 – Mae Young, American wrestler (d. 2014)
  • 1925 – Leo Esaki, Japanese physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1925 – Harry Harrison, American author and illustrator (d. 2012)
  • 1926 – George Ariyoshi, American lawyer and politician, 3rd Governor of Hawaii
  • 1926 – Arthur A. Hartman, American career diplomat (d. 2015)
  • 1926 – John Clellon Holmes, American author and professor (d. 1988)
  • 1926 – David Nadien, American violinist (d. 2014)
  • 1927 – Raúl Alfonsín, Argentinian lawyer and politician, 46th President of Argentina (d. 2009)
  • 1927 – Emmett Leith, professor of electrical engineering and co-inventor of three-dimensional holography (d. 2005)
  • 1927 – Sudharmono, 5th Vice President of Indonesia (d. 2006)
  • 1928 – Edward Albee, American director and playwright (d. 2016)
  • 1929 – Win Tin, Burmese journalist and politician, co-founded the National League for Democracy (d. 2014)
  • 1930 – Antony Acland, British former diplomat and Provost of Eton College
  • 1931 – Józef Tischner, Polish priest and philosopher (d. 2000)
  • 1932 – Bob Houbregs, Canadian basketball player (d. 2014)
  • 1932 – Andrew Young, American pastor and politician, 14th United States Ambassador to the United Nations
  • 1933 – Myrna Fahey, American actress (d. 1973)
  • 1933 – Barbara Feldon, American actress
  • 1934 – Francisco J. Ayala, Spanish-American evolutionary biologist and philosopher
  • 1936 – Virginia Hamilton, American children’s books author (d. 2002)
  • 1936 – Michał Heller, Polish professor of philosophy
  • 1936 – Eddie Sutton, American basketball player and coach
  • 1937 – Zoltán Horvath, Hungarian sabre fencer
  • 1937 – Zurab Sotkilava, Georgian operatic tenor (d. 2017)
  • 1938 – Vladimir Msryan, Armenian actor, (d. 2010)
  • 1938 – Johnny Rutherford, American race car driver and sportscaster
  • 1938 – Juan Horacio Suárez, Argentine bishop
  • 1940 – Al Jarreau, American singer (d. 2017)
  • 1941 – Josip Skoblar, former Croatian footballer
  • 1942 – Jimmy Wynn, American baseball player (d. 2020)
  • 1943 – Ratko Mladić, Serbian general
  • 1944 – Erwin Mueller, former American basketball player (d. 2018)
  • 1945 – Anne Summers, Australian feminist writer, editor, publisher and public servant
  • 1946 – Dean Cundey, American cinematographer and film director
  • 1946 – Liza Minnelli, American actress, singer and dancer
  • 1946 – Frank Welker, American voice actor and singer
  • 1947 – Peter Harry Carstensen, German educator and politician
  • 1947 – Jan-Erik Enestam, Finland-Swedish politician
  • 1947 – David Rigert, Soviet Olympic weightlifter
  • 1947 – Mitt Romney, American businessman and politician, 70th Governor of Massachusetts
  • 1948 – Virginia Bottomley, Scottish social worker and politician, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
  • 1948 – Kent Conrad, American politician
  • 1948 – James Taylor, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1949 – Rob Cohen, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1949 – David Mellor, British politician
  • 1950 – Javier Clemente, Spanish footballer and manager
  • 1952 – André Comte-Sponville, French philosopher
  • 1952 – Yasuhiko Okudera, former Japanese footballer
  • 1952 – John Mitchell, English footballer, forward
  • 1953 – Pavel Pinigin, former Soviet wrestler and Olympic champion
  • 1954 – Anish Kapoor, Indian-English sculptor
  • 1956 – Ove Aunli, former Norwegian cross-country skier
  • 1956 – Stanisław Bobak, Polish ski jumper (d. 2010)
  • 1956 – Steve Harris, English bass player and songwriter
  • 1956 – Lesley Manville, English actress
  • 1956 – Dale Murphy, American baseball player, coach, and sportscaster
  • 1956 – Pim Verbeek, Dutch football manager (d. 2019)
  • 1957 – Patrick Battiston, French footballer and coach
  • 1957 – Marlon Jackson, American singer-songwriter and dancer
  • 1957 – Andrey Lopatov, Soviet basketball player
  • 1958 – Phil Anderson, English-Australian cyclist
  • 1959 – Milorad Dodik, Bosnian Serb politician and president of Republika Srpska
  • 1959 – Luenell, American comedian and actress
  • 1959 – Michael Walter, German luger (d. 2016)
  • 1960 – Jason Beghe, American actor
  • 1960 – Courtney B. Vance, American actor and painter
  • 1961 – Titus Welliver, American actor
  • 1962 – Julia Campbell, American actress
  • 1962 – Andreas Köpke, former German footballer
  • 1962 – Chris Sanders, American illustrator and voice actor
  • 1962 – Darryl Strawberry, American baseball player and minister
  • 1963 – John Andretti, American race car driver (d. 2020)
  • 1963 – Candy Costie, American swimmer
  • 1963 – Joaquim Cruz, Brazilian runner and coach
  • 1963 – Reiner Gies, German boxer
  • 1963 – Ian Holloway, English footballer and manager
  • 1963 – Paul Way, English golfer
  • 1964 – Dieter Eckstein, retired German footballer
  • 1964 – Umirzak Shukeyev, Kazakh chairman of Samruk-Kazyna
  • 1965 – Steve Finley, American baseball player
  • 1965 – Ivari Padar, former Minister of Finance and Minister of Agriculture of the Estonian Social Democratic Party
  • 1966 – David Daniels, American countertenor
  • 1966 – Grant Long, American basketball player and sportscaster
  • 1967 – Julio Dely Valdés, Panamanian footballer and manager
  • 1968 – Tammy Duckworth, Thai-American colonel, pilot, and politician
  • 1968 – Aaron Eckhart, American actor and producer
  • 1969 – Graham Coxon, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1969 – Jake Tapper, American journalist and author
  • 1970 – Karen Bradley, British politician
  • 1970 – Dave Eggers, American author and screenwriter
  • 1970 – Mathias Grönberg, Swedish golfer
  • 1970 – Rex Walters, American basketball player and coach
  • 1971 – Isaiah Rider, American basketball player and rapper
  • 1971 – Dragutin Topić, Serbian high jumper
  • 1972 – Doron Sheffer, Israeli basketball player
  • 1974 – Charles Akonnor, former Ghanaian footballer
  • 1974 – Walid Badir, former Israeli footballer
  • 1975 – Nicolae Grigore, former Romanian footballer
  • 1975 – Edgaras Jankauskas, former Lithuanian footballer
  • 1975 – Srđan Pecelj, Bosnian footballer
  • 1976 – Deron Quint, American ice hockey defenseman
  • 1976 – Zhao Wei, Chinese actress, film director, producer and pop singer
  • 1977 – Michelle Burgher, track and field athlete
  • 1977 – Ramiro Corrales, American soccer player
  • 1977 – Amdy Faye, former Senegalese footballer
  • 1977 – Brent Johnson, American ice hockey player
  • 1978 – Casey Mears, American race car driver
  • 1978 – Marco Ferreira, Portuguese footballer
  • 1978 – Arina Tanemura, Japanese author and illustrator
  • 1979 – Rhys Coiro, American actor
  • 1979 – Pete Doherty, English musician, songwriter, actor, poet, writer, and artist
  • 1979 – Jamie Dwyer, Australian field hockey player and coach
  • 1979 – Gerard López, former Spanish footballer
  • 1979 – Ben Sandford, New Zealand skeleton racer
  • 1979 – Tim Wieskötter, German sprint canoer
  • 1979 – Edwin Villafuerte, Ecuadorian goalkeeper
  • 1980 – Césinha, Brazilian footballer
  • 1980 – Becky Holliday, American pole vaulter
  • 1980 – Jens Mouris, Dutch cyclist
  • 1980 – Douglas Murray, Swedish ice hockey player
  • 1981 – Kenta Kobayashi, Japanese wrestler and kick-boxer
  • 1981 – Katarina Srebotnik, Slovenian tennis player
  • 1981 – Holly Williams, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1982 – Lili Bordán, Hungarian-American actress
  • 1982 – Samm Levine, American actor and comedian
  • 1982 – Ilya Nikulin, Russian ice hockey player
  • 1982 – Hisato Satō, Japanese footballer
  • 1982 – Yūto Satō, Japanese footballer
  • 1982 – Tobias Schweinsteiger, German footballer
  • 1983 – Atif Aslam, Pakistani singer and actor
  • 1984 – Shreya Ghoshal, Indian singer
  • 1984 – Jaimie Alexander, American actress
  • 1985 – Marco Bonanomi, Italian racing driver
  • 1985 – Aleksandr Bukharov, Russian footballer
  • 1985 – Ed Clancy, English track and road cyclist
  • 1985 – Andriy Tovt, Ukrainian footballer
  • 1986 – Martynas Andriuškevičius, Lithuanian basketball player
  • 1986 – Oleh Dopilka, Ukrainian footballer
  • 1986 – Danny Jones, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
  • 1986 – Ben Offereins, Australian runner
  • 1986 – František Rajtoral, Czech footballer (d. 2017)
  • 1987 – Manuele Boaro, Italian cyclist
  • 1987 – Jessica Hardy, American swimmer
  • 1987 – Maxwell Holt, American volleyball player
  • 1987 – Teimour Radjabov, Azerbaijani chess player
  • 1987 – Chris Seitz, American soccer player
  • 1987 – Vadim Shipachyov, Russian ice hockey player
  • 1987 – Pablo Velázquez, Paraguayan footballer
  • 1988 – Sebastian Brendel, German canoe racer
  • 1988 – Kostas Mitroglou, Greek footballer
  • 1988 – Cristian Chagas Tarouco, Brazilian footballer
  • 1989 – Jordan Adéoti, French footballer
  • 1989 – Vytautas Černiauskas, Lithuanian footballer
  • 1989 – Tyler Clary, former American swimmer
  • 1989 – Richard Eckersley, English footballer
  • 1989 – Chen Jianghua, Chinese basketball player
  • 1989 – Siim Luts, Estonian footballer
  • 1990 – Alexander Kröckel, German skeleton racer
  • 1990 – Irakli Kvekveskiri, Georgian footballer
  • 1990 – Dawid Kubacki, Polish ski jumper
  • 1990 – Matias Myttynen, Finnish ice hockey player
  • 1990 – Ilija Nestorovski, Macedonian footballer
  • 1990 – Milena Raičević, Montenegrin handballer
  • 1990 – Mikko Sumusalo, Finnish footballer
  • 1991 – Felix Kroos, German footballer
  • 1991 – Niclas Heimann, German footballer
  • 1991 – Leandro Fernandez, Argentine footballer
  • 1992 – Daniele Baselli, Italian footballer
  • 1992 – Jordan Ferri, French footballer
  • 1992 – Ciara Mageean, Irish middle-distance runner
  • 1992 – Jiří Skalák, Czech footballer
  • 1993 – Shehu Abdullahi, Nigerian footballer
  • 1993 – Amjad Attwan, Iraqi footballer
  • 1993 – Anton Shramchenko, Belarusian footballer
  • 1994 – Katie Archibald, Scottish track cyclist
  • 1994 – Jerami Grant, American basketball player
  • 1994 – Christina Grimmie, American singer-songwriter (d. 2016)
  • 1996 – Sehrou Guirassy, French footballer
  • 1996 – Karim Hafez, Egyptian footballer
  • 1996 – Robert Murić, Croatian footballer
  • 1997 – Dean Henderson, English footballer
  • 1997 – Allan Saint-Maximin, French footballer
  • 1997 – Felipe Vizeu, Brazilian footballer
  • 1998 – Mecole Hardman, American football player
  • 1998 – Daniel Samohin, Israeli figure skater
  • 1998 – Elizaveta Ukolova, Czech figure skater

Deaths on March 12

  • 417 – Innocent I, pope of the Catholic Church
  • 604 – Gregory I, pope of the Catholic Church (b. 540)
  • 1022 – Symeon the New Theologian (b. 949)
  • 1316 – Stefan Dragutin (b. c. 1244)
  • 1539 – Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire, English diplomat and politician (b.1477)
  • 1648 – Tirso de Molina, Spanish monk and poet (b. 1571)
  • 1699 – Peder Griffenfeld, Danish politician (b. 1635)
  • 1898 – Zachris Topelius, Finnish-Swedish journalist, historian, and author (b. 1818)
  • 1916 – Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach, Austrian author (b. 1830)
  • 1925 – Sun Yat-sen, Chinese physician and politician, 1st President of the Republic of China (b. 1866)
  • 1929 – Asa Griggs Candler, American businessman and politician, 44th Mayor of Atlanta (b. 1851)
  • 1935 – Mihajlo Pupin, Serbian-American physicist and chemist (b. 1858)
  • 1942 – William Henry Bragg, English physicist, chemist, and mathematician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1862)
  • 1943 – Gustav Vigeland, Norwegian sculptor (b. 1869)
  • 1946 – Ferenc Szálasi, Hungarian soldier and politician, Head of State of Hungary (b. 1897)
  • 1949 – Wilhelm Steinkopf, German chemist (b. 1879)
  • 1954 – Marianne Weber, German sociologist and suffragist (b. 1870)
  • 1955 – Charlie Parker, American saxophonist and composer (b. 1920)
  • 1955 – Theodor Plievier, German author best known for his anti-war novel (b. 1892)
  • 1957 – Josephine Hull, American actress (b. 1877)
  • 1971 – Eugene Lindsay Opie, American physician and pathologist (b. 1873)
  • 1973 – Frankie Frisch, American baseball player and manager (b. 1898)
  • 1974 – George D. Sax, American banker and businessman (b. 1904)
  • 1985 – Eugene Ormandy, Hungarian-American violinist and conductor (b. 1899)
  • 1989 – Maurice Evans, English-American actor (b. 1901)
  • 1991 – Ragnar Granit, Finnish-Swedish neuroscientist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1900)
  • 1991 – William Heinesen, Faroese author, poet, and author (b. 1900)
  • 1992 – Lucy M. Lewis, American potter (b. 1890)
  • 1998 – Beatrice Wood, American painter and potter (b. 1893)
  • 1999 – Yehudi Menuhin, American-Swiss violinist and conductor (b. 1916)
  • 1999 – Bidu Sayão, Brazilian-American soprano (b. 1902)
  • 2000 – Aleksandar Nikolić, Yugoslav basketball coach (b. 1924)
  • 2001 – Morton Downey Jr., American singer-songwriter, actor, and talk show host (b. 1933)
  • 2001 – Robert Ludlum, American author (b. 1927)
  • 2001 – Victor Westhoff, Dutch botanist and academic (b. 1916)
  • 2002 – Spyros Kyprianou, Cypriot lawyer and politician, 2nd President of Cyprus (b. 1932)
  • 2002 – Jean-Paul Riopelle, Canadian painter and sculptor (b. 1923)
  • 2003 – Zoran Đinđić, Serbian philosopher and politician, 6th Prime Minister of Serbia (b. 1952)
  • 2003 – Howard Fast, American novelist and screenwriter (b. 1914)
  • 2003 – Lynne Thigpen, American actress and singer (b. 1948)
  • 2004 – Milton Resnick, Russian-American painter (b. 1917)
  • 2006 – Victor Sokolov, Russian-American priest and journalist (b. 1947)
  • 2008 – Jorge Guinzburg, Argentinian journalist and producer (b. 1949)
  • 2008 – Lazare Ponticelli, Italian-French soldier and supercentenarian (b. 1897)
  • 2010 – Miguel Delibes, Spanish journalist and author (b. 1920)
  • 2011 – Nilla Pizzi, Italian singer (b. 1919)
  • 2012 – Dick Harter, American basketball player and coach (b. 1930)
  • 2012 – Michael Hossack, American drummer (b. 1946)
  • 2012 – Friedhelm Konietzka, German-Swiss footballer and manager (b. 1938)
  • 2013 – Clive Burr, English drummer and songwriter (b. 1957)
  • 2013 – Michael Grigsby, English director and producer (b. 1936)
  • 2013 – Ganesh Pyne, Indian painter and illustrator (b. 1937)
  • 2014 – Věra Chytilová, Czech actress, director, and screenwriter (b. 1929)
  • 2014 – Paul C. Donnelly, American scientist and engineer (b. 1923)
  • 2014 – José Policarpo, Portuguese cardinal (b. 1936)
  • 2015 – Willie Barrow, American minister and activist (b. 1924)
  • 2015 – Michael Graves, American architect and academic, designed the Portland Building and the Humana Building (b. 1934)
  • 2015 – Ada Jafri, Pakistani poet and author (b. 1924)
  • 2015 – Terry Pratchett, English journalist, author, and screenwriter (b. 1948)
  • 2016 – Rafiq Azad, Bangladeshi poet and author (b. 1942)
  • 2016 – Felix Ibru, Nigerian architect and politician, Governor of Delta State (b. 1935)
  • 2016 – Lloyd Shapley, American mathematician and economist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1923)

Holidays and observances on March 12

  • Arbor Day (China)
  • Arbor Day (Taiwan)
  • Aztec New Year
  • Christian feast day:
    • Alphege
    • Bernard of Carinola (or of Capua)
    • Gorgonius, Peter Cubicularius and Dorotheus of Nicomedia
    • Mura (McFeredach)
    • Fina
    • Maximilian of Tebessa
    • Paul Aurelian
    • Pope Gregory I (Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Catholic Church, and Anglican Communion)
    • Theophanes the Confessor
    • March 12 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • National Day (Mauritius)
  • World Day Against Cyber Censorship
  • Youth Day (Zambia)

March 12- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

March 7- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

  • 161 – Marcus Aurelius and L. Commodus (who changes his name to Lucius Verus) become joint emperors of Rome on the death of Antoninus Pius.
  • 1277 – The University of Paris issues the last in a series of condemnations of various philosophical and theological theses.
  • 1573 – A peace treaty is signed between the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Venice, ending the Ottoman–Venetian War and leaving Cyprus in Ottoman hands.
  • 1799 – Napoleon Bonaparte captures Jaffa in Palestine and his troops proceed to kill more than 2,000 Albanian captives.
  • 1814 – Emperor Napoleon I of France wins the Battle of Craonne.
  • 1827 – Brazilian marines unsuccessfully attack the temporary naval base of Carmen de Patagones, Argentina.
  • 1827 – Shrigley abduction: Ellen Turner is abducted by Edward Gibbon Wakefield, a future politician in colonial New Zealand.
  • 1850 – Senator Daniel Webster gives his “Seventh of March” speech endorsing the Compromise of 1850 in order to prevent a possible civil war.
  • 1862 – American Civil War: Union forces engage Confederate troops at the Pea Ridge in northwestern Arkansas.
  • 1876 – Alexander Graham Bell is granted a patent for an invention he calls the “telephone”.
  • 1900 – The German liner SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse becomes the first ship to send wireless signals to shore.
  • 1902 – Second Boer War: Boers, led by Koos de la Rey, inflict the biggest defeat upon the British since the beginning of the war, at Tweebosch.
  • 1914 – Prince William of Wied arrives in Albania to begin his reign as King.
  • 1936 – Prelude to World War II: In violation of the Locarno Pact and the Treaty of Versailles, Germany reoccupies the Rhineland.
  • 1941 – Günther Prien and the crew of German submarine U-47, one of the most successful U-boats of World War II, disappear without a trace.
  • 1945 – World War II: American troops seize the Ludendorff Bridge over the Rhine river at Remagen.
  • 1950 – Cold War: The Soviet Union issues a statement denying that Klaus Fuchs served as a Soviet spy.
  • 1951 – Korean War: Operation Ripper: United Nations troops led by General Matthew Ridgway begin an assault against Chinese forces.
  • 1951 – Iranian prime minister Ali Razmara is assassinated by Khalil Tahmasebi, a member of the Islamic fundamentalist Fada’iyan-e Islam, inside a mosque in Tehran.
  • 1965 – Bloody Sunday: A group of 600 civil rights marchers is brutally attacked by state and local police in Selma, Alabama.
  • 1967 – The Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat Sementara (MPRS), Indonesia’s provisional parliament, revoked Sukarno’s mandate as President of Indonesia.
  • 1968 – Vietnam War: The United States and South Vietnamese military begin Operation Truong Cong Dinh to root out Viet Cong forces from the area surrounding Mỹ Tho.
  • 1971 – Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, political leader of then East Pakistan (present day-Bangladesh), delivers his historic 7th March speech in the Racecourse Field (Now Suhrawardy Udyan) in Dhaka.
  • 1986 – Challenger Disaster: Divers from the USS Preserver locate the crew cabin of Challenger on the ocean floor.
  • 1987 – Lieyu massacre: Taiwanese military massacre of 19 unarmed Vietnamese refugees at Donggang, Lieyu, Kinmen.
  • 1989 – Iran and the United Kingdom break diplomatic relations after a fight over Salman Rushdie and his controversial novel, The Satanic Verses.
  • 1993 – The tugboat Thomas Hebert sank off the coast of New Jersey, USA.
  • 2006 – The terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba coordinates a series of bombings in Varanasi, India.
  • 2007 – The British House of Commons votes to make the upper chamber, the House of Lords, 100% elected.
  • 2009 – The Real Irish Republican Army kills two British soldiers and injures two other soldiers and two civilians at Massereene Barracks, the first British military deaths in Northern Ireland since the end of The Troubles.

Births on March 7

  • 189 – Publius Septimius Geta, Roman emperor (d. 211)
  • 942 – Mu’ayyad al-Dawla, Buyid emir (d. 983)
  • 1437 – Anna of Saxony, Electress of Brandenburg (d. 1512)
  • 1481 – Baldassare Peruzzi, Italian architect and painter (d. 1537)
  • 1482 – Fray Thomas de San Martín, Roman Catholic prelate and bishop (d. 1555)
  • 1543 – John Casimir of the Palatinate-Simmern, German prince and reigning count palatine of Simmern (d. 1592)
  • 1556 – Guillaume du Vair, French lawyer and author (d. 1621)
  • 1671 – Rob Roy MacGregor, Scottish outlaw (d. 1734)
  • 1678 – Filippo Juvarra, Italian architect, designed the Basilica of Superga (d. 1736)
  • 1693 – Clement XIII, pope of the Catholic Church (d. 1769)
  • 1715 – Ewald Christian von Kleist, German soldier and poet (d. 1759)
  • 1723 – Prince Vittorio Amedeo Theodore of Savoy (d. 1725)
  • 1730 – Louis Auguste Le Tonnelier de Breteuil, French soldier and politician, Prime Minister of France (d. 1807)
  • 1765 – Nicéphore Niépce, French inventor, invented photography (d. 1833)
  • 1785 – Alessandro Manzoni, Italian author and poet (d. 1873)
  • 1788 – Antoine César Becquerel, French physicist and biochemist (d. 1878)
  • 1792 – John Herschel, English mathematician and astronomer (d. 1871)
  • 1811 – Increase A. Lapham, American botanist and author (d. 1875)
  • 1837 – Henry Draper, American physician and astronomer (d. 1882)
  • 1839 – Ludwig Mond, German-born chemist and British industrialist who discovered the metal carbonyls (d. 1909)
  • 1841 – William Rockhill Nelson, American businessman and publisher, founded The Kansas City Star (d. 1915)
  • 1843 – Marriott Henry Brosius, American senator (d. 1901)
  • 1849 – Luther Burbank, American botanist and author (d. 1926)
  • 1850 – Champ Clark, American lawyer and politician, 41st Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (d. 1921)
  • 1850 – Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, Austrian-Czech sociologist and politician, 1st President of Czechoslovakia (d. 1937)
  • 1857 – Julius Wagner-Jauregg, Austrian physician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1940)
  • 1872 – Piet Mondrian, Dutch-American painter (d. 1944)
  • 1873 – Madame Sul-Te-Wan, American actress (d. 1959)
  • 1875 – Maurice Ravel, French pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1937)
  • 1878 – Boris Kustodiev, Russian painter and stage designer (d. 1927)
  • 1885 – Milton Avery, American painter (d. 1965)
  • 1885 – John Tovey, 1st Baron Tovey, English admiral (d. 1971)
  • 1886 – Virginia Pearson, American actress (d. 1958)
  • 1886 – G. I. Taylor, English mathematician and physicist (d. 1975)
  • 1886 – Wilson Dallam Wallis, American anthropologist (d. 1970)
  • 1888 – William L. Laurence, Lithuanian-American journalist and author (d. 1977)
  • 1888 – Alidius Tjarda van Starkenborgh Stachouwer, Dutch lawyer and politician, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies (d. 1978)
  • 1894 – Ana María O’Neill, Puerto Rican scholar and activist (d. 1981)
  • 1895 – Dorothy de Rothschild, English philanthropist and activist (d. 1988)
  • 1902 – Heinz Rühmann, German actor (d. 1994)
  • 1903 – Maud Lewis, Canadian folk artist (d. 1970)
  • 1904 – Ivar Ballangrud, Norwegian speed skater (d. 1969)
  • 1904 – Reinhard Heydrich, German SS officer (d. 1942)
  • 1908 – Anna Magnani, Italian actress (d. 1973)
  • 1910 – Will Glickman, American playwright (d. 1983)
  • 1911 – Sachchidananda Vatsyayan, Indian modern poet, journalist and author (d. 1987)
  • 1911 – Stefan Kisielewski, Polish libertarian writer and politician (d. 1991)
  • 1912 – Adile Ayda, Turkish engineer and diplomat (d. 1992)
  • 1913 – Dollard Ménard, Canadian general (d. 1997)
  • 1915 – Jacques Chaban-Delmas, French general and politician, Prime Minister of France (d. 2000)
  • 1917 – Janet Collins, American ballerina and choreographer (d. 2003)
  • 1917 – Betty Holberton, American engineer and programmer (d. 2001)
  • 1922 – Olga Ladyzhenskaya, Russian mathematician and academic (d. 2004)
  • 1922 – Mochtar Lubis, Indonesian journalist and author (d. 2004)
  • 1922 – Peter Murphy, English footballer, inside left (d. 1975)
  • 1922 – Andy Phillip, American basketball player and coach (d. 2001)
  • 1924 – Morton Bard, American psychologist (d. 1997)
  • 1924 – Bill Boedeker, American football player (d. 2014)
  • 1925 – Rene Gagnon, American soldier (d. 1979)
  • 1925 – Richard Vernon, British actor (d. 1997)
  • 1927 – James Broderick, American actor and director (d. 1982)
  • 1929 – Dan Jacobson, South African-English author and critic (d. 2014)
  • 1930 – Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon, English photographer and politician (d. 2017)
  • 1930 – Robert Trotter, Scottish actor and photographer (d. 2013)
  • 1933 – Jackie Blanchflower, Northern Irish footballer and accountant (d. 1998)
  • 1933 – Ed Bouchee, American baseball player (d. 2013)
  • 1934 – Willard Scott, American television personality and actor
  • 1936 – Florentino Fernández, Cuban-American boxer and coach (d. 2013)
  • 1936 – Georges Perec, French author and screenwriter (d. 1982)
  • 1938 – David Baltimore, American biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1938 – Janet Guthrie, American professional race car driver, first woman to qualify and compete in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500
  • 1939 – Danyel Gérard, French singer-songwriter
  • 1940 – Daniel J. Travanti, American actor
  • 1941 – Piers Paul Read, English historian and author
  • 1942 – Michael Eisner, American businessman
  • 1942 – Tammy Faye Messner, American evangelist, television personality, and talk show host (d. 2007)
  • 1943 – Chris White, English singer-songwriter and bass player
  • 1944 – Ranulph Fiennes, English soldier and explorer
  • 1944 – Townes Van Zandt, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1997)
  • 1945 – Bob Herbert, American journalist
  • 1945 – Arthur Lee, American singer-songwriter and musician (d. 2006)
  • 1945 – Elizabeth Moon, American lieutenant and author
  • 1946 – John Heard, American actor and producer (d. 2017)
  • 1947 – Helen Eadie, Scottish politician (d. 2013)
  • 1947 – Walter Röhrl, German race car driver
  • 1949 – Ghulam Nabi Azad, Indian politician, Indian Minister of Health and Family Welfare
  • 1950 – Billy Joe DuPree, American football player
  • 1950 – Franco Harris, American football player and businessman
  • 1950 – J. R. Richard, American baseball player and minister
  • 1952 – William Boyd, Ghanaian-English author and screenwriter
  • 1952 – Ernie Isley, American guitarist and songwriter
  • 1952 – Viv Richards, Antiguan cricketer and footballer
  • 1952 – Lynn Swann, American football player, sportscaster, and politician
  • 1954 – Eva Brunne, Swedish bishop
  • 1955 – Tommy Kramer, American football player
  • 1956 – Bryan Cranston, American actor, director, and producer
  • 1956 – Andrea Levy, English author (d. 2019)
  • 1957 – Robert Harris, English journalist and author
  • 1957 – Mark Richards, Australian surfer
  • 1957 – Tomás Yarrington, Mexican economist and politician, Governor of Tamaulipas
  • 1958 – Rick Bass, American author and environmentalist
  • 1958 – Rik Mayall, English comedian, actor, and screenwriter (d. 2014)
  • 1958 – Merv Neagle, Australian footballer and coach (d. 2012)
  • 1959 – Tom Lehman, American golfer
  • 1959 – Donna Murphy, American actress and singer
  • 1960 – Joe Carter, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1960 – Ivan Lendl, Czech tennis player and coach
  • 1960 – Jim Spivey, American runner and coach
  • 1961 – David Rutley, English businessman and politician
  • 1961 – Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, French politician
  • 1962 – Taylor Dayne, American singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1963 – Mike Eagles, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1963 – E. L. James, English author
  • 1964 – Bret Easton Ellis, American author and screenwriter
  • 1964 – Wanda Sykes, American comedian, actress, and screenwriter
  • 1965 – Steve Beuerlein, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1965 – Jesper Parnevik, Swedish golfer
  • 1966 – Terry Carkner, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1966 – Tony Daly, Australian rugby player
  • 1967 – Muhsin al-Ramli, Iraqi author, poet, translator, and academic
  • 1967 – Ruthie Henshall, English actress, singer, and dancer
  • 1967 – Ai Yazawa, Japanese author and illustrator
  • 1968 – Jeff Kent, American baseball player
  • 1969 – Massimo Lotti, Italian footballer
  • 1969 – Hideki Noda, Japanese race car driver
  • 1970 – Rachel Weisz, English-American actress and producer
  • 1971 – Peter Sarsgaard, American actor
  • 1971 – Matthew Vaughn, English director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1972 – Craig Polla-Mounter, Australian rugby league player
  • 1973 – Jason Bright, Australian race car driver
  • 1973 – Sébastien Izambard, French tenor and producer
  • 1973 – Işın Karaca, English-Turkish singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
  • 1974 – Jenna Fischer, American actress
  • 1974 – Facundo Sava, Argentinian footballer and manager
  • 1977 – Ronan O’Gara, Irish rugby player and coach
  • 1977 – Paul Cattermole, British singer and actor
  • 1978 – Jaqueline Jesus, Brazilian psychologist and activist
  • 1979 – Rodrigo Braña, Argentinian footballer
  • 1979 – Amanda Somerville, American singer-songwriter
  • 1980 – Murat Boz, Turkish singer-songwriter
  • 1980 – Eric Godard, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1980 – Laura Prepon, American actress
  • 1981 – Brent Kite, Australian rugby league player
  • 1983 – Manucho, Angolan footballer
  • 1983 – Sebastián Viera, Uruguayan footballer
  • 1984 – Mathieu Flamini, French footballer
  • 1984 – Lindsay McCaul, American singer-songwriter
  • 1985 – Andre Fluellen, American football player
  • 1985 – Cameron Prosser, Australian swimmer
  • 1985 – Gerwyn Price, Welsh darts player
  • 1986 – Ben Griffin, Australian footballer
  • 1987 – Hatem Ben Arfa, French footballer
  • 1987 – Niclas Bergfors, Swedish ice hockey player
  • 1988 – Larry Asante, American football player
  • 1991 – Michele Rigione, Italian footballer
  • 1994 – Chase Kalisz, American swimmer
  • 1995 – Jerome Binnom-Williams, English footballer
  • 1995 – Aboubakar Kamara, French footballer, forward
  • 1996 – Liam Donnelly, Northern Irish footballer

Deaths on March 7

  • 161 – Antoninus Pius, Roman emperor (b. 86)
  • 413 – Heraclianus, Roman politician and failed usurper
  • 851 – Nominoe, King (or duke) of Brittany
  • 974 – John of Gorze, Frankish abbot and diplomat
  • 1226 – William Longespée, 3rd Earl of Salisbury, English commander (b. 1176)
  • 1274 – Saint Thomas Aquinas, Italian priest and philosopher (b. 1225)
  • 1393 – Bogislaw VI, Duke of Pomerania (b.c. 1350)
  • 1407 – Francesco I Gonzaga, ruler of Mantua
  • 1517 – Maria of Aragon, Queen of Portugal (b. 1482)
  • 1550 – William IV, Duke of Bavaria (b. 1493)
  • 1578 – Margaret Douglas, English daughter of Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus (b. 1515)
  • 1625 – Johann Bayer, German lawyer and cartographer (b. 1572)
  • 1724 – Pope Innocent XIII (b. 1655)
  • 1767 – Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville, Canadian politician, 2nd Colonial Governor of Louisiana (b. 1680)
  • 1778 – Charles De Geer, Swedish entomologist and archaeologist (b. 1720)
  • 1809 – Jean-Pierre Blanchard, French inventor, best known as a pioneer in balloon flight (b. 1753)
  • 1810 – Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood, English admiral (b. 1750)
  • 1838 – Robert Townsend, American spy (b. 1753)
  • 1897 – Harriet Ann Jacobs, African American Abolitionist and author (b. 1813)
  • 1904 – Ferdinand André Fouqué, French geologist and petrologist (b. 1828)
  • 1913 – Pauline Johnson, Canadian poet and author (b. 1861)
  • 1920 – Jaan Poska, Estonian lawyer and politician, 1st Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1866)
  • 1928 – Robert Abbe, American surgeon and radiologist (b. 1851)
  • 1932 – Aristide Briand, French journalist and politician, Prime Minister of France, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1862)
  • 1934 – Ernst Enno, Estonian poet and author (b. 1875)
  • 1938 – Andreas Michalakopoulos, Greek politician, 116th Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1876)
  • 1947 – Lucy Parsons, American communist anarchist labor organizer (b. c 1853)
  • 1949 – Bradbury Robinson, American football player, physician, and politician (b. 1884)
  • 1952 – Paramahansa Yogananda, Indian guru and philosopher (b. 1893)
  • 1954 – Otto Diels, German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1876)
  • 1957 – Wyndham Lewis, English painter and critic (b. 1882)
  • 1961 – Govind Ballabh Pant, Indian lawyer and politician, 2nd Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh (b. 1887)
  • 1967 – Alice B. Toklas, American writer (b. 1877)
  • 1971 – Richard Montague, American mathematician and philosopher (b. 1930)
  • 1973 – Lalo Ríos, Mexican actor (b. 1927)
  • 1975 – Mikhail Bakhtin, Russian philosopher and critic (b. 1895)
  • 1976 – Wright Patman, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician (b. 1893)
  • 1981 – Kirill Kondrashin, Russian conductor (b. 1914)
  • 1982 – Ida Barney, American astronomer, mathematician, and academic (b. 1886)
  • 1983 – Igor Markevitch, Ukrainian conductor and composer (b. 1912)
  • 1986 – Jacob K. Javits, American colonel and politician, 58th New York State Attorney General (b. 1904)
  • 1988 – Divine, American drag queen and film actor (b. 1945)
  • 1991 – Cool Papa Bell, American baseball player (b. 1903)
  • 1993 – Tony Harris, South African cricketer (b. 1916)
  • 1993 – J. Merrill Knapp, American musicologist (b. 1914)
  • 1993 – Martti Larni, Finnish writer (b. 1909)
  • 1993 – Carlo Mazzarella, Italian actor and journalist (b. 1919)
  • 1993 – Angelo Piccaluga, Italian footballer (b. 1906)
  • 1993 – Eleanor Sanger, American television producer (b. 1929)
  • 1993 – Josef Steindl, Austrian economist (b. 1912)
  • 1993 – Frank Wells, Australian rules footballer (b. 1909)
  • 1997 – Edward Mills Purcell, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1912)
  • 1999 – Sidney Gottlieb, American chemist and theorist (b. 1918)
  • 1999 – Stanley Kubrick, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1928)
  • 2000 – Pee Wee King, American singer-songwriter (b. 1914)
  • 2001 – Frankie Carle, American pianist and bandleader (b. 1903)
  • 2004 – Paul Winfield, American actor (b. 1941)
  • 2005 – John Box, English production designer and art director (b. 1920)
  • 2005 – Debra Hill, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1950)
  • 2006 – Gordon Parks, American photographer, director, and composer (b. 1912)
  • 2006 – Ali Farka Touré, Malian singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1939)
  • 2007 – Ronnie Wells, American singer and educator (b. 1943)
  • 2012 – Ravi, Indian director and composer (b. 1926)
  • 2012 – Włodzimierz Smolarek, Polish footballer and manager (b. 1957)
  • 2013 – Peter Banks, English guitarist and songwriter (b. 1947)
  • 2013 – Sybil Christopher, Welsh actress (b. 1929)
  • 2013 – Damiano Damiani, Italian director and screenwriter (b. 1922)
  • 2013 – Frederick B. Karl, American lieutenant and politician (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – Claude King, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1923)
  • 2014 – Anatoly Borisovich Kuznetsov, Russian actor and director (b. 1930)
  • 2014 – Ned O’Gorman, American poet and educator (b. 1929)
  • 2014 – Victor Shem-Tov, Israeli lawyer and politician, 8th Israeli Minister of Health (b. 1915)
  • 2015 – G. Karthikeyan, Indian lawyer and politician (b. 1949)
  • 2015 – F. Ray Keyser, Jr., American lawyer and politician, 72nd Governor of Vermont (b. 1927)
  • 2015 – Yoshihiro Tatsumi, Japanese author and illustrator (b. 1935)
  • 2016 – Adrian Hardiman, Irish lawyer and judge (b. 1951)
  • 2017 – Lynne Stewart, American attorney and activist (b. 1939)

Holidays and observances on March 7

  • Christian feast day:
    • Blessed José Olallo
    • Blessed Leonid Feodorov (Russian Greek Catholic Church)
    • Perpetua and Felicity
    • Pierre-Henri Dorie, Siméon-François Berneux (part of The Korean Martyrs)
    • March 7 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Liberation of Sulaymaniyah (Iraqi Kurdistan)
  • Teacher’s Day (Albania)

March 7- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

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

Births on March 4

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

Deaths on March 4

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

Holidays and observances on March 4

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

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

On This Day

March 3- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

  • 473 – Gundobad (nephew of Ricimer) nominates Glycerius as emperor of the Western Roman Empire.
  • 724 – Empress Genshō abdicates the throne in favor of her nephew Shōmu who becomes emperor of Japan.
  • 1575 – Mughal Emperor Akbar defeats Sultan of Bengal Daud Khan Karrani’s army at the Battle of Tukaroi.
  • 1585 – The Olympic Theatre, designed by Andrea Palladio, is inaugurated in Vicenza.
  • 1776 – American Revolutionary War: The first amphibious landing of the United States Marine Corps begins the Battle of Nassau.
  • 1779 – American Revolutionary War: The Continental Army is routed at the Battle of Brier Creek near Savannah, Georgia.
  • 1799 – The Russo-Ottoman siege of Corfu ends with the surrender of the French garrison.
  • 1820 – The U.S. Congress passes the Missouri Compromise.
  • 1845 – Florida is admitted as the 27th U.S. state.
  • 1849 – The Territory of Minnesota is created.
  • 1857 – Second Opium War: France and the United Kingdom declare war on China.
  • 1859 – The two-day Great Slave Auction, the largest such auction in United States history, concludes.
  • 1861 – Alexander II of Russia signs the Emancipation Manifesto, freeing serfs.
  • 1865 – Opening of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, the founding member of the HSBC Group.
  • 1873 – Censorship in the United States: The U.S. Congress enacts the Comstock Law, making it illegal to send any “obscene literature and articles of immoral use” through the mail.
  • 1875 – Georges Bizet’s opera Carmen receives its première at the Opéra-Comique in Paris.
  • 1875 – The first ever organized indoor game of ice hockey is played in Montreal, Quebec, Canada as recorded in the Montreal Gazette.
  • 1878 – The Russo-Turkish War ends with Bulgaria regaining its independence from the Ottoman Empire according to the Treaty of San Stefano.
  • 1885 – The American Telephone & Telegraph Company is incorporated in New York.
  • 1891 – Shoshone National Forest is established as the first national forest in the US and world.
  • 1910 – Rockefeller Foundation: John D. Rockefeller Jr. announces his retirement from managing his businesses so that he can devote all his time to philanthropy.
  • 1913 – Thousands of women march in the Woman Suffrage Procession in Washington, D.C.
  • 1918 – Russia signs the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, agreeing to withdraw from World War I, and conceding German control of the Baltic States, Belarus and Ukraine. It also conceded Turkish control of Ardahan, Kars and Batumi.
  • 1923 – TIME magazine is published for the first time.
  • 1924 – The 407-year-old Islamic caliphate is abolished, when Caliph Abdülmecid II of the Ottoman Caliphate is deposed. The last remnant of the old regime gives way to the reformed Turkey of Kemal Atatürk.
  • 1924 – The Free State of Fiume is annexed by the Kingdom of Italy.
  • 1931 – The United States adopts The Star-Spangled Banner as its national anthem.
  • 1938 – Oil is discovered in Saudi Arabia.
  • 1939 – In Bombay, Mohandas Gandhi begins a hunger strike in protest at the autocratic rule in British India.
  • 1940 – Five people are killed in an arson attack on the offices of the communist newspaper Flamman in Luleå, Sweden.
  • 1942 – World War II: Ten Japanese warplanes raid Broome, Western Australia, killing more than 100 people.
  • 1943 – World War II: In London, 173 people are killed in a crush while trying to enter an air-raid shelter at Bethnal Green tube station.
  • 1944 – The Order of Nakhimov and Order of Ushakov are instituted in USSR as the highest naval awards.
  • 1945 – World War II: American and Filipino troops recapture Manila.
  • 1945 – World War II: The RAF accidentally bombs the Bezuidenhout area of The Hague, Netherlands, killing 511 people.
  • 1951 – Jackie Brenston, with Ike Turner and his band, records “Rocket 88”, often cited as “the first rock and roll record”, at Sam Phillips’s recording studios in Memphis, Tennessee.
  • 1953 – A De Havilland Comet (Canadian Pacific Air Lines) crashes in Karachi, Pakistan, killing 11.
  • 1958 – Nuri al-Said becomes Prime Minister of Iraq for the eighth time.
  • 1969 – Apollo program: NASA launches Apollo 9 to test the lunar module.
  • 1972 – Mohawk Airlines Flight 405 crashes as a result of a control malfunction and insufficient training in emergency procedures.
  • 1974 – Turkish Airlines Flight 981 crashes at Ermenonville near Paris, France killing all 346 aboard.
  • 1980 – The USS Nautilus is decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register.
  • 1985 – Arthur Scargill declares that the National Union of Mineworkers’ national executive voted to end the longest-running industrial dispute in Great Britain without any peace deal over pit closures.
  • 1985 – A magnitude 8.3 earthquake strikes the Valparaíso Region of Chile, killing 177 and leaving nearly a million people homeless.
  • 1986 – The Australia Act 1986 commences, causing Australia to become fully independent from the United Kingdom.
  • 1991 – An amateur video captures the beating of Rodney King by Los Angeles police officers.
  • 2005 – James Roszko murders four Royal Canadian Mounted Police constables during a drug bust at his property in Rochfort Bridge, Alberta, then commits suicide. This is the deadliest peace-time incident for the RCMP since 1885 and the North-West Rebellion.
  • 2005 – Steve Fossett becomes the first person to fly an airplane non-stop around the world solo without refueling.
  • 2005 – Margaret Wilson is elected as Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives, beginning a period lasting until August 23, 2006 where all the highest political offices (including Elizabeth II as Head of State), were occupied by women, making New Zealand the first country for this to occur.
  • 2013 – A bomb blast in Karachi, Pakistan, kills at least 45 people and injured 180 others in a predominately Shia Muslim area.

Births on March 3

  • 1455 – John II of Portugal (d. 1495)
  • 1455 – Ascanio Sforza, Catholic cardinal (d. 1505)
  • 1506 – Luís of Portugal, Duke of Beja (d. 1555)
  • 1520 – Matthias Flacius, Croatian theologian and reformer (d. 1575)
  • 1583 – Edward Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Cherbury, English-Welsh soldier, historian, and diplomat (d. 1648)
  • 1589 – Gisbertus Voetius, Dutch minister, theologian, and academic (d. 1676)
  • 1606 – Edmund Waller, English poet and politician (d. 1687)
  • 1652 – Thomas Otway, English playwright and author (d. 1685)
  • 1678 – Madeleine de Verchères, Canadian rebel leader (d. 1747)
  • 1756 – William Godwin, English journalist and author (d. 1836)
  • 1778 – Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (d. 1841)
  • 1793 – William Macready, English actor and manager (d. 1873)
  • 1800 – Heinrich Georg Bronn, German geologist and paleontologist (d. 1862)
  • 1803 – Thomas Field Gibson, English manufacturer who aided the welfare of the Spitalfields silk weavers (d. 1889)
  • 1805 – Jonas Furrer, Swiss politician (d. 1861)
  • 1816 – William James Blacklock, English-Scottish painter (d. 1858)
  • 1819 – Gustave de Molinari, Dutch-Belgian economist and theorist (d. 1912)
  • 1825 – Shiranui Kōemon, Japanese sumo wrestler (d. 1879)
  • 1831 – George Pullman, American engineer and businessman, founded the Pullman Company (d. 1897)
  • 1839 – Jamsetji Tata, Indian businessman, founded Tata Group (d. 1904)
  • 1841 – John Murray, Canadian-Scottish oceanographer and biologist (d. 1914)
  • 1845 – Georg Cantor, Russian-German mathematician and philosopher (d. 1918)
  • 1847 – Alexander Graham Bell, Scottish-American engineer and academic, invented the telephone (d. 1922)
  • 1860 – John Montgomery Ward, American baseball player and manager (d. 1925)
  • 1866 – Fred A. Busse, American lawyer and politician, 39th Mayor of Chicago (d. 1914)
  • 1868 – Émile Chartier, French philosopher and journalist (d. 1951)
  • 1869 – Henry Wood, English conductor (d. 1944)
  • 1871 – Maurice Garin, Italian-French cyclist (d. 1957)
  • 1873 – William Green, American union leader and politician (d. 1952)
  • 1880 – Florence Auer, American actress and screenwriter (d. 1962)
  • 1880 – Yōsuke Matsuoka, Japanese politician, Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 1946)
  • 1882 – Elisabeth Abegg, German anti-Nazi resistance fighter (d. 1974)
  • 1882 – Charles Ponzi, Italian businessman (d. 1949)
  • 1883 – Cyril Burt, English psychologist and geneticist (d. 1971)
  • 1883 – Paul Marais de Beauchamp, French zoologist (d. 1977)
  • 1887 – Lincoln J. Beachey, American pilot (d. 1915)
  • 1891 – Damaskinos of Athens, Greek archbishop (d. 1949)
  • 1893 – Beatrice Wood, American illustrator and potter (d. 1998)
  • 1895 – Ragnar Frisch, Norwegian economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1973)
  • 1895 – Matthew Ridgway, American general (d. 1993)
  • 1898 – Emil Artin, Austrian-German mathematician and academic (d. 1962)
  • 1900 – Edna Best, British stage and film actress, appeared on early television in 1938 (d. 1974)
  • 1902 – Ruby Dandridge, African-American film and radio actress (d. 1987)
  • 1901 – Claude Choules, English-Australian soldier (d. 2011)
  • 1903 – Vasily Kozlov, Belarusian general and politician (d. 1967)
  • 1906 – Artur Lundkvist, Swedish poet and critic (d. 1991)
  • 1911 – Jean Harlow, American actress (d. 1937)
  • 1911 – Hugues Lapointe, Canadian lawyer and politician, 22nd Lieutenant Governor of Quebec (d. 1982)
  • 1913 – Margaret Bonds, American pianist and composer (d. 1972)
  • 1913 – Harold J. Stone, American actor (d. 2005)
  • 1914 – Asger Jorn, Danish painter and sculptor (d. 1973)
  • 1916 – Paul Halmos, Hungarian-American mathematician (d. 2006)
  • 1917 – Sameera Moussa, Egyptian physicist and academic (d. 1952)
  • 1918 – Arthur Kornberg, American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2007)
  • 1920 – Julius Boros, American golfer and accountant (d. 1994)
  • 1920 – James Doohan, Canadian-American actor and soldier (d. 2005)
  • 1920 – Ronald Searle, English-French soldier and illustrator (d. 2011)
  • 1921 – Diana Barrymore, American actress (d. 1960)
  • 1922 – Nándor Hidegkuti, Hungarian footballer and manager (d. 2002)
  • 1923 – Barney Martin, American police officer and actor (d. 2005)
  • 1923 – Doc Watson, American bluegrass singer-songwriter and musician (d. 2012)
  • 1924 – Tomiichi Murayama, Japanese soldier and politician, 52nd Prime Minister of Japan
  • 1926 – James Merrill, American poet and playwright (d. 1995)
  • 1927 – Pierre Aubert, Swiss lawyer and politician (d. 2016)
  • 1930 – Ion Iliescu, Romanian engineer and politician, 2nd President of Romania
  • 1934 – Peter Brooke, Baron Brooke of Sutton Mandeville, English politician, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
  • 1934 – Jimmy Garrison, American bassist and educator (d. 1976)
  • 1935 – Mal Anderson, Australian tennis player
  • 1935 – Michael Walzer, American philosopher and academic
  • 1935 – Zhelyu Zhelev, Bulgarian philosopher and politician, 2nd President of Bulgaria (d. 2015)
  • 1939 – Larry Burkett, American author and radio host (d. 2003)
  • 1939 – M. L. Jaisimha, Indian cricketer (d. 1999)
  • 1940 – Germán Castro Caycedo, Colombian author and journalist
  • 1940 – Perry Ellis, American fashion designer, founded Perry Ellis (d. 1986)
  • 1940 – Jean-Paul Proust, French-Monacan police officer and politician, 21st Minister of State of Monaco (d. 2010)
  • 1941 – Mike Pender, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1945 – George Miller, Australian director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1945 – Hattie Winston, American actress
  • 1947 – Clifton Snider, American author, poet, and critic
  • 1947 – Jennifer Warnes, American singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1948 – Snowy White, English guitarist
  • 1949 – Ron Chernow, American historian, journalist, and author
  • 1949 – Bonnie J. Dunbar, American engineer, academic, and astronaut
  • 1949 – Jesse Jefferson, American baseball player (d. 2011)
  • 1950 – Kamal Ahmed Majumder, Bangladeshi politician
  • 1951 – Andy Murray, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1951 – Heizō Takenaka, Japanese economist and politician
  • 1952 – Rudy Fernandez, Filipino actor and producer (d. 2008)
  • 1953 – Robyn Hitchcock, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1953 – Zico, Brazilian footballer and coach
  • 1954 – Keith Fergus, American golfer
  • 1954 – John Lilley, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1954 – Édouard Lock, Moroccan-Canadian dancer and choreographer
  • 1955 – Darnell Williams, English-American actor and director
  • 1956 – Zbigniew Boniek, Polish footballer and manager
  • 1956 – John Fulton Reid, New Zealand cricketer
  • 1957 – Stephen Budiansky, American historian, journalist, and author
  • 1957 – Thom Hoffman, Dutch actor and photographer
  • 1958 – Miranda Richardson, English actress
  • 1959 – Ira Glass, American radio host and producer
  • 1959 – Duško Vujošević, Montenegrin basketball player and coach
  • 1960 – Neal Heaton, American baseball player and coach
  • 1961 – Mary Page Keller, American actress and producer
  • 1961 – John Matteson, American biographer
  • 1961 – Perry McCarthy, English race car driver
  • 1961 – Fatima Whitbread, English javelin thrower
  • 1962 – Glen E. Friedman, American photographer
  • 1962 – Jackie Joyner-Kersee, American heptathlete and long jumper
  • 1962 – Herschel Walker, American football player and mixed martial artist
  • 1963 – Martín Fiz, Spanish runner
  • 1963 – Khaltmaagiin Battulga, 5th President of Mongolia
  • 1964 – Raúl Alcalá, Mexican cyclist
  • 1964 – Laura Harring, Mexican-American model and actress, Miss USA 1985
  • 1964 – Glenn Kulka, Canadian ice hockey player and wrestler
  • 1965 – Dragan Stojković, Serbian footballer and manager
  • 1966 – Tone Lōc, American rapper, producer, and actor
  • 1966 – Timo Tolkki, Finnish guitarist, songwriter, and producer
  • 1968 – Brian Cox, English keyboard player and physicist
  • 1968 – Brian Leetch, American ice hockey player
  • 1970 – Julie Bowen, American actress
  • 1970 – Inzamam-ul-Haq, Pakistani cricketer and coach
  • 1971 – Charlie Brooker, English journalist, producer, and author
  • 1971 – Tyler Florence, American chef and author
  • 1972 – Darren Anderton, English international footballer, midfielder and sportscaster
  • 1973 – Xavier Bettel, Luxembourger lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of Luxembourg
  • 1973 – Matthew Marsden, English actor and martial artist
  • 1974 – David Faustino, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1976 – Fraser Gehrig, Australian footballer
  • 1976 – Isabel Granada, Filipino-Spanish actress (d. 2017)
  • 1976 – Keit Pentus-Rosimannus, Estonian politician, 28th Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • 1976 – Kampamba Mulenga Chilumba, Zambian politician
  • 1977 – Ronan Keating, Irish singer-songwriter and actor
  • 1977 – Stéphane Robidas, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1977 – Buddy Valastro, American chef and television host
  • 1978 – Matt Diaz, American baseball player
  • 1979 – Albert Jorquera, Spanish footballer
  • 1980 – Mason Unck, American football player
  • 1981 – David Bailey, American basketball player
  • 1981 – Julius Malema, South African politician
  • 1981 – Emmanuel Pappoe, Ghanaian footballer
  • 1982 – Jessica Biel, American actress, singer, and producer
  • 1982 – Colton Orr, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1982 – Tolu Ogunlesi, Nigerian journalist and writer
  • 1982 – Brent Tate, Australian rugby league player
  • 1983 – Ashley Hansen, Australian footballer
  • 1983 – Sarah Poewe, South African swimmer
  • 1984 – Valerio Bernabò, Italian rugby player
  • 1984 – Santonio Holmes, American football player
  • 1984 – Alexander Semin, Russian ice hockey player
  • 1986 – Jed Collins, American football player
  • 1986 – Stacie Orrico, American singer-songwriter
  • 1986 – Mehmet Topal, Turkish footballer
  • 1987 – Jesús Padilla, Mexican footballer
  • 1987 – Shraddha Kapoor, Indian actress, singer, and designer
  • 1988 – Teodora Mirčić, Serbian tennis player
  • 1988 – Michael Morrison, English footballer
  • 1988 – Jan-Arie van der Heijden, Dutch footballer
  • 1988 – Max Waller, English cricketer
  • 1989 – Erwin Mulder, Dutch footballer
  • 1990 – Vladimir Janković, Greek-Serbian basketball player
  • 1991 – Anri Sakaguchi, Japanese actress
  • 1991 – Cho-rong, South Korean singer
  • 1993 – Gabriela Cé, Brazilian tennis player
  • 1993 – Josef Dostál, Czech kayaker
  • 1993 – James Roberts, Australian rugby league player
  • 1994 – Umika Kawashima, Japanese singer and actress
  • 1996 – Cameron Johnson, American basketball player
  • 1997 – Camila Cabello, Cuban-American singer
  • 1998 – Jayson Tatum, American basketball player

Deaths on March 3

  • 532 – Winwaloe, founder of Landévennec Abbey (b. c. 460)
  • 1009 – Abd al-Rahman Sanchuelo, Umayyad chief minister (b. 983)
  • 1111 – Bohemond I, Italo-Norman nobleman (b. 1058)
  • 1195 – Hugh de Puiset, bishop of Durham (b. c. 1125)
  • 1239 – Vladimir IV Rurikovich, Grand Prince of Kiev (b. 1187)
  • 1311 – Antony Bek, bishop of Durham
  • 1323 – Andrew Harclay, 1st Earl of Carlisle, English military leader
  • 1383 – Hugh III, Italian nobleman
  • 1459 – Ausiàs March, Catalan knight and poet (b. 1397)
  • 1542 – Arthur Plantagenet, 1st Viscount Lisle, illegitimate son of Edward IV
  • 1554 – John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony (b. 1503)
  • 1578 – Sebastiano Venier, doge of Venice (b. 1496)
  • 1578 – Michael Kantakouzenos Şeytanoğlu, Ottoman Greek magnate
  • 1588 – Henry XI, duke of Legnica (b. 1539)
  • 1592 – Michael Coxcie, Flemish painter (b. 1499)
  • 1605 – Clement VIII, pope of the Catholic Church (b. 1536)
  • 1611 – William Douglas, 10th Earl of Angus, Scottish nobleman (b. 1552)
  • 1616 – Matthias de l’Obel, Flemish physician and botanist (b. 1538)
  • 1700 – Chhatrapati Rajaram, 3rd Chhatrapati of Maratha Empire (b. 1670)
  • 1703 – Robert Hooke, English architect and philosopher (b. 1635)
  • 1706 – Johann Pachelbel, German organist and composer (b. 1653)
  • 1744 – Jean Barbeyrac, French scholar and jurist (b. 1674)
  • 1765 – William Stukeley, English archaeologist and historian (b. 1687)
  • 1768 – Nicola Porpora, Italian composer and educator (b. 1686)
  • 1792 – Robert Adam, Scottish-English architect and politician, designed the Culzean Castle (b. 1728)
  • 1850 – Oliver Cowdery, American religious leader (b. 1806)
  • 1894 – Ned Williamson, American baseball player (b. 1857)
  • 1901 – George Gilman, American businessman, founded The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (b. 1826)
  • 1905 – Antonio Annetto Caruana, Maltese archaeologist and author (b. 1830)
  • 1927 – Mikhail Artsybashev, Ukrainian author and playwright (b. 1878)
  • 1927 – J. G. Parry-Thomas, Welsh race car driver and engineer (b. 1884)
  • 1929 – Katharine Wright, American educator (b. 1874)
  • 1932 – Eugen d’Albert, Scottish-German pianist and composer (b. 1864)
  • 1943 – George Thompson, English cricketer and umpire (b. 1877)
  • 1959 – Lou Costello, American actor and comedian (b. 1906)
  • 1961 – Paul Wittgenstein, Austrian-American pianist (b. 1887)
  • 1966 – Joseph Fields, American playwright, director, and producer (b. 1895)
  • 1966 – William Frawley, American actor and vaudevillian (b. 1887)
  • 1966 – Alice Pearce, American actress (b. 1917)
  • 1981 – Rebecca Lancefield, American microbiologist and researcher (b. 1895)
  • 1982 – Firaq Gorakhpuri, Indian poet and critic (b. 1896)
  • 1982 – Georges Perec, French author and screenwriter (b. 1936)
  • 1983 – Hergé, Belgian author and illustrator (b. 1907)
  • 1987 – Danny Kaye, American actor, singer, and dancer (b. 1911)
  • 1988 – Henryk Szeryng, Polish-Mexican violinist and composer (b. 1918)
  • 1988 – Sewall Wright, American biologist and geneticist (b. 1889)
  • 1990 – Charlotte Moore Sitterly, American astronomer (b. 1898)
  • 1991 – Arthur Murray, American dancer and educator (b. 1895)
  • 1991 – William Penney, Baron Penney, Gibraltar-born English mathematician, physicist, and academic (b. 1909)
  • 1993 – Mel Bradford, American author and critic (b. 1934)
  • 1993 – Carlos Marcello, Tunisian-American mob boss (b. 1910)
  • 1993 – Carlos Montoya, Spanish guitarist and composer (b. 1903)
  • 1993 – Albert Sabin, Polish-American physician and virologist (b. 1906)
  • 1994 – John Edward Williams, American author and academic (b. 1922)
  • 1995 – Howard W. Hunter, American religious leader, 14th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (b. 1907)
  • 1996 – Marguerite Duras, French author and director (b. 1914)
  • 1996 – John Krol, American cardinal (b. 1910)
  • 1998 – Fred W. Friendly, American journalist and broadcaster (b. 1915)
  • 1999 – Gerhard Herzberg, German-Canadian chemist and astronomer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1904)
  • 1999 – Lee Philips, American actor and director (b. 1927)
  • 2000 – Toni Ortelli, Italian composer and conductor (b. 1904)
  • 2001 – Louis Edmonds, American actor (b. 1923)
  • 2001 – Eugene Sledge, American soldier, author, and academic (b. 1923)
  • 2002 – G. M. C. Balayogi, Indian lawyer and politician, 12th Speaker of the Lok Sabha (b. 1951)
  • 2003 – Horst Buchholz, German actor (b. 1933)
  • 2003 – Luis Marden, American linguist, photographer, and explorer (b. 1913)
  • 2003 – Goffredo Petrassi, Italian composer and conductor (b. 1904)
  • 2005 – Max Fisher, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1928)
  • 2006 – Ivor Cutler, Scottish poet and songwriter (b. 1923)
  • 2006 – Else Fisher, Australian-Swedish dancer, choreographer, and director (b. 1918)
  • 2006 – William Herskovic, Hungarian-American humanitarian (b. 1914)
  • 2007 – Osvaldo Cavandoli, Italian cartoonist (b. 1920)
  • 2008 – Giuseppe Di Stefano, Italian tenor and actor (b. 1921)
  • 2008 – Norman Smith, English drummer and producer (b. 1923)
  • 2009 – Gilbert Parent, Canadian educator and politician, 33rd Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada (b. 1935)
  • 2010 – Keith Alexander, English footballer and manager (b. 1956)
  • 2010 – Michael Foot, English journalist and politician, Secretary of State for Employment (b. 1913)
  • 2011 – May Cutler, Canadian journalist, author, and politician (b. 1923)
  • 2012 – Ralph McQuarrie, American conceptual designer and illustrator (b. 1929)
  • 2012 – Ronnie Montrose, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer (b. 1947)
  • 2012 – Alex Webster, American football player and coach (b. 1931)
  • 2013 – Luis Cubilla, Uruguayan footballer and manager (b. 1940)
  • 2013 – Bobby Rogers, American singer-songwriter (b. 1940)
  • 2013 – James Strong, Qantas CEO from 1993 to 2001 (b. 1944)
  • 2014 – Robert Ashley, American soldier and composer (b. 1930)
  • 2014 – Sherwin B. Nuland, American surgeon, author, and educator (b. 1930)
  • 2014 – William R. Pogue, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1930)
  • 2015 – Ernest Braun, Austrian-English physicist and academic (b. 1925)
  • 2015 – M. Stanton Evans, American journalist and author (b. 1934)
  • 2016 – Hayabusa, Japanese wrestler (b. 1968)
  • 2016 – Berta Cáceres, Honduran environmentalist (b. 1973)
  • 2016 – Martin Crowe, New Zealand cricketer and sportscaster (b. 1962)
  • 2016 – Thanat Khoman, Thai politician and diplomat, Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand (b. 1914)
  • 2016 – Sarah Tait, Australian Olympic rower (b. 1983)
  • 2017 – René Préval, Haitian politician (b. 1943)
  • 2018 – Roger Bannister, English middle-distance athlete, first man to run a four-minute mile (b. 1929)
  • 2018 – Mal Bryce, Australian politician (b. 1943)
  • 2018 – Vanessa Goodwin, Australian politician (b. 1969)
  • 2018 – David Ogden Stiers, American actor, voice actor and musician (b. 1942)
  • 2019 – Peter Hurford OBE, British organist and composer (b. 1930)
  • 2020 – Charles J. Urstadt, American real estate executive and investor (b. 1928)

Holidays and observances on March 3

  • Christian feast day:
    • Anselm, Duke of Friuli
    • Arthelais
    • Cunigunde of Luxembourg
    • Katharine Drexel
    • John and Charles Wesley (Episcopal Church (USA))
    • Marinus and Asterius of Caesarea
    • Winwaloe
    • March 3 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Hinamatsuri or “Girl’s Day” (Japan)
  • Liberation and Freedom Day (Charlottesville, Virginia, USA)
  • Liberation Day (Bulgaria)
  • Martyrs’ Day (Malawi)
  • Mother’s Day (Georgia)
  • Sportsmen’s Day (Egypt)
  • Teacher’s Day (Lebanon)
  • World Hearing Day
  • World Wildlife Day

March 3- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

March 1 in History

  • 509 BC – Publius Valerius Publicola celebrates the first triumph of the Roman Republic after his victory over the deposed king Lucius Tarquinius Superbus at the Battle of Silva Arsia.
  • 86 BC – Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army, enters Athens, removing the tyrant Aristion who was supported by troops of Mithridates VI of Pontus ending the Siege of Athens and Piraeus.
  • 293 – Emperor Diocletian and Maximian appoint Constantius Chlorus and Galerius as Caesars. This is considered the beginning of the Tetrarchy, known as the Quattuor Principes Mundi (“Four Rulers of the World”).
  • 317 – Crispus and Constantine II, sons of Roman Emperor Constantine I, and Licinius Iunior, son of Emperor Licinius, are made Caesares.
  • 350 – Vetranio is asked by Constantina, sister of Constantius II, to proclaim himself Caesar.
  • 834 – Emperor Louis the Pious is restored as sole ruler of the Frankish Empire. After his re-accession to the throne, his eldest son Lothair I flees to Burgundy.
  • 1457 – The Unitas Fratrum is established in the village of Kunvald, on the Bohemian-Moravian borderland. It is to date the second oldest Protestant denomination.
  • 1476 – Forces of the Catholic Monarchs engage the combined Portuguese-Castilian armies of Afonso V and Prince John at the Battle of Toro.
  • 1562 – Sixty-three Huguenots are massacred in Wassy, France, marking the start of the French Wars of Religion.
  • 1565 – The city of Rio de Janeiro is founded.
  • 1628 – Writs issued in February by Charles I of England mandate that every county in England (not just seaport towns) pay ship tax by this date.
  • 1633 – Samuel de Champlain reclaims his role as commander of New France on behalf of Cardinal Richelieu.
  • 1642 – Georgeana, Massachusetts (now known as York, Maine), becomes the first incorporated city in the United States.
  • 1692 – Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne and Tituba are brought before local magistrates in Salem Village, Massachusetts, beginning what would become known as the Salem witch trials.
  • 1700 – Sweden introduces its own Swedish calendar, in an attempt to gradually merge into the Gregorian calendar, reverts to the Julian calendar on this date in 1712, and introduces the Gregorian calendar on this date in 1753.
  • 1713 – The siege and destruction of Fort Neoheroka begins during the Tuscarora War in North Carolina, effectively opening up the colony’s interior to European colonization.
  • 1781 – The Articles of Confederation goes into effect in the United States.
  • 1790 – The first United States census is authorized.
  • 1793 – French Revolutionary War: Battle of Aldenhoven during the Flanders Campaign.
  • 1796 – The Dutch East India Company is nationalized by the Batavian Republic.
  • 1803 – Ohio becomes the 17th state of The United States.
  • 1805 – Justice Samuel Chase is acquitted at the end of his impeachment trial by the U.S. Senate.
  • 1811 – Leaders of the Mamluk dynasty are killed by Egyptian ruler Muhammad Ali.
  • 1815 – Napoleon returns to France from his banishment on Elba.
  • 1815 – Georgetown University’s congressional charter is signed into law by President James Madison.
  • 1836 – A convention of delegates from 57 Texas communities convenes in Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas, to deliberate independence from Mexico.
  • 1845 – United States President John Tyler signs a bill authorizing the United States to annex the Republic of Texas.
  • 1852 – Archibald Montgomerie, 13th Earl of Eglinton, is appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.
  • 1854 – German psychologist Friedrich Eduard Beneke disappears; two years later his remains are found in a canal near Charlottenburg.
  • 1867 – Nebraska becomes the 37th U.S. state; Lancaster, Nebraska is renamed Lincoln and becomes the state capital.
  • 1868 – The Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity is founded at the University of Virginia.
  • 1870 – Marshal F. S. López dies during the Battle of Cerro Corá thus marking the end of the Paraguayan War.
  • 1872 – Yellowstone National Park is established as the world’s first national park.
  • 1873 – E. Remington and Sons in Ilion, New York begins production of the first practical typewriter.
  • 1881 – The first Minnesota State Capitol burns down.
  • 1886 – The Anglo-Chinese School, Singapore is founded by Bishop William Oldham.
  • 1893 – Electrical engineer Nikola Tesla gives the first public demonstration of radio in St. Louis, Missouri.
  • 1896 – Battle of Adwa: An Ethiopian army defeats an outnumbered Italian force, ending the First Italo-Ethiopian War.
  • 1896 – Henri Becquerel discovers radioactive decay.
  • 1901 – The Australian Army is formed.
  • 1910 – The deadliest avalanche in United States history buries a Great Northern Railway train in northeastern King County, Washington, killing 96 people.
  • 1914 – The Republic of China joins the Universal Postal Union.
  • 1917 – The Zimmermann Telegram is reprinted in newspapers across the United States after the U.S. government releases its unencrypted text.
  • 1919 – March 1st Movement begins in Korea under Japanese rule.
  • 1921 – The Australian cricket team captained by Warwick Armstrong becomes the first team to complete a whitewash of The Ashes, something that would not be repeated for 86 years.
  • 1921 – Following mass protests in Petrograd demanding greater freedom in the RSFSR, the Kronstadt rebellion began, with sailors and citizens taking up arms against the Bolsheviks.
  • 1932 – Charles Lindbergh’s son is kidnapped.
  • 1936 – The Hoover Dam is completed.
  • 1939 – An Imperial Japanese Army ammunition dump explodes at Hirakata, Osaka, Japan, killing 94.
  • 1941 – World War II: Bulgaria signs the Tripartite Pact, allying itself with the Axis powers.
  • 1942 – World War II: Japanese forces land on Java, the main island of the Dutch East Indies, at Merak and Banten Bay (Banten), Eretan Wetan (Indramayu) and Kragan (Rembang).
  • 1946 – The Bank of England is nationalised.
  • 1947 – The International Monetary Fund begins financial operations.
  • 1949 – Indonesian Army recaptures and occupies for six hours its capital city Yogyakarta from the Dutch.
  • 1950 – Cold War: Klaus Fuchs is convicted of spying for the Soviet Union by disclosing top secret atomic bomb data.
  • 1953 – Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin suffers a stroke and collapses; he dies four days later.
  • 1954 – Nuclear weapons testing: The Castle Bravo, a 15-megaton hydrogen bomb, is detonated on Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean, resulting in the worst radioactive contamination ever caused by the United States.
  • 1954 – Armed Puerto Rican nationalists attack the United States Capitol building, injuring five Representatives.
  • 1956 – The International Air Transport Association finalizes a draft of the Radiotelephony spelling alphabet for the International Civil Aviation Organization.
  • 1956 – Formation of the East German Nationale Volksarmee.
  • 1958 – Samuel Alphonsus Stritch is appointed Pro-Prefect of the Propagation of Faith and thus becomes the first U.S. member of the Roman Curia.
  • 1961 – United States President John F. Kennedy establishes the Peace Corps.
  • 1961 – Uganda becomes self-governing and holds its first elections.
  • 1964 – Villarrica Volcano begins a strombolian eruption causing lahars that destroy half of the town of Coñaripe.
  • 1966 – Venera 3 Soviet space probe crashes on Venus becoming the first spacecraft to land on another planet’s surface.
  • 1966 – The Ba’ath Party takes power in Syria.
  • 1971 – President of Pakistan Yahya Khan indefinitely postpones the pending national assembly session, precipitating massive civil disobedience in East Pakistan.
  • 1972 – The Thai province of Yasothon is created after being split off from the Ubon Ratchathani Province.
  • 1973 – Black September storms the Saudi embassy in Khartoum, Sudan, resulting in the assassination of three Western hostages.
  • 1974 – Watergate scandal: Seven are indicted for their role in the Watergate break-in and charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice.
  • 1981 – Provisional Irish Republican Army member Bobby Sands begins his hunger strike in HM Prison Maze.
  • 1983 – First collection of twelve Swatch models was introduced in Zürich, Switzerland.
  • 1990 – Steve Jackson Games is raided by the United States Secret Service, prompting the later formation of the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
  • 1991 – Uprisings against Saddam Hussein begin in Iraq, leading to the death of more than 25,000 people mostly civilian.
  • 1992 – Bosnia and Herzegovina declares its independence from Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
  • 1998 – Titanic became the first film to gross over $1 billion worldwide.
  • 2002 – U.S. invasion of Afghanistan: Operation Anaconda begins in eastern Afghanistan.
  • 2002 – The Envisat environmental satellite successfully launches aboard an Ariane 5 rocket to reach an orbit of 800 km (500 mi) above the Earth, which was the then-largest payload at 10.5 m long and with a diameter of 4.57 m.
  • 2003 – Management of the United States Customs Service and the United States Secret Service move to the United States Department of Homeland Security.
  • 2003 – The International Criminal Court holds its inaugural session in The Hague.
  • 2005 – In Roper v. Simmons, the U.S. Supreme Court rules that the execution of juveniles found guilty of murder is unconstitutional.
  • 2006 – English-language Wikipedia reaches its one millionth article, Jordanhill railway station.
  • 2007 – Tornadoes break out across the southern United States, killing at least 20 people, including eight at Enterprise High School.
  • 2008 – The Armenian police clash with peaceful opposition rally protesting against allegedly fraudulent presidential elections, as a result ten people are killed.
  • 2014 – Thirty-five people are killed and 143 injured in a mass stabbing at Kunming Railway Station in China.

Births on March 1

  • 1105 – Alfonso VII, king of León and Castile (d. 1157)
  • 1261 – Hugh le Despenser, 1st Earl of Winchester (d. 1326)
  • 1389 – Antoninus of Florence, Italian archbishop and saint (d. 1459)
  • 1432 – Isabella of Coimbra (d. 1455)
  • 1456 – Vladislaus II of Hungary (d. 1516)
  • 1547 – Rudolph Goclenius, German philosopher and lexicographer (d. 1628)
  • 1554 – William Stafford, English courtier and conspirator (d. 1612)
  • 1577 – Richard Weston, 1st Earl of Portland (d. 1635)
  • 1597 – Jean-Charles della Faille, Flemish priest and mathematician (d. 1652)
  • 1611 – John Pell, English mathematician and linguist (d. 1685)
  • 1629 – Abraham Teniers, Flemish painter (d. 1670)
  • 1647 – John de Brito, Portuguese Jesuit missionary and martyr (d. 1693)
  • 1657 – Samuel Werenfels, Swiss theologian and author (d. 1740)
  • 1683 – Tsangyang Gyatso, sixth Dalai Lama (d. 1706)
  • 1683 – Caroline of Ansbach, British queen and regent (d. 1737)
  • 1732 – William Cushing, American lawyer and judge (d. 1810)
  • 1760 – François Buzot, French lawyer and politician (d. 1794)
  • 1769 – François Séverin Marceau-Desgraviers, French general (d. 1796)
  • 1807 – Wilford Woodruff, American religious leader, 4th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (d. 1898)
  • 1810 – Frédéric Chopin, Polish pianist and composer (d. 1849)
  • 1812 – Augustus Pugin, English architect, co-designed the Palace of Westminster (d. 1852)
  • 1817 – Giovanni Duprè, Italian sculptor and educator (d. 1882)
  • 1821 – Joseph Hubert Reinkens, German bishop and academic (d. 1896)
  • 1835 – Philip Fysh, English-Australian politician, 12th Premier of Tasmania (d. 1919)
  • 1837 – William Dean Howells, American novelist, playwright, and critic (d. 1920)
  • 1842 – Nikolaos Gyzis, Greek painter and academic (d. 1901)
  • 1848 – Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Irish-American sculptor and academic (d. 1907)
  • 1852 – Théophile Delcassé, French politician, French Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 1923)
  • 1863 – Alexander Golovin, Russian painter and set designer (d. 1930)
  • 1870 – E. M. Antoniadi, Greek-French astronomer and academic (d. 1944)
  • 1876 – Henri de Baillet-Latour, Belgian businessman (d. 1942)
  • 1880 – Lytton Strachey, British writer and critic (d. 1932)
  • 1886 – Oskar Kokoschka, Austrian-Swiss painter, poet, and playwright (d. 1980)
  • 1888 – Ewart Astill, English cricketer and billiards player (d. 1948)
  • 1888 – Fanny Walden, English cricketer and umpire, international footballer, outside right (d. 1949)
  • 1889 – Tetsuro Watsuji, Japanese historian and philosopher (d. 1960)
  • 1890 – Theresa Bernstein, Polish-American painter and author (d. 2002)
  • 1891 – Ralph Hitz, Austrian-American hotelier (d. 1940)
  • 1892 – Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, Japanese author and educator (d. 1927)
  • 1893 – Mercedes de Acosta, American author, poet, and playwright (d. 1968)
  • 1896 – Dimitri Mitropoulos, Greek pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1960)
  • 1896 – Moriz Seeler, German playwright and producer (d. 1942)
  • 1899 – Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski, German SS officer (d. 1972)
  • 1904 – Paul Hartman, American actor, singer, and dancer (d. 1973)
  • 1904 – Glenn Miller, American trombonist, composer, and bandleader (d. 1944)
  • 1905 – Doris Hare, Welsh-English actress, singer, and dancer (d. 2000)
  • 1906 – Phạm Văn Đồng, Vietnamese lieutenant and politician, 2nd Prime Minister of Vietnam (d. 2000)
  • 1909 – Eugene Esmonde, English lieutenant and pilot (d. 1942)
  • 1909 – Winston Sharples, American pianist and composer (d. 1978)
  • 1910 – Archer John Porter Martin, English chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2002)
  • 1910 – David Niven, English soldier and actor (d. 1983)
  • 1912 – Gerald Emmett Carter, Canadian cardinal (d. 2003)
  • 1912 – Boris Chertok, Polish-Russian engineer and academic (d. 2011)
  • 1914 – Harry Caray, American sportscaster (d. 1998)
  • 1914 – Ralph Ellison, American novelist and literary critic (d. 1994)
  • 1917 – Robert Lowell, American poet (d. 1977)
  • 1918 – João Goulart, Brazilian lawyer and politician, 24th President of Brazil (d. 1976)
  • 1918 – Gladys Spellman, American educator and politician (d. 1988)
  • 1920 – Max Bentley, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1984)
  • 1921 – Cameron Argetsinger, American race car driver and lawyer (d. 2008)
  • 1921 – Terence Cooke, American cardinal (d. 1983)
  • 1921 – Richard Wilbur, American poet, translator, and essayist (d. 2017)
  • 1922 – William Gaines, American publisher (d. 1992)
  • 1922 – Yitzhak Rabin, Israeli general and politician, 5th Prime Minister of Israel, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1995)
  • 1924 – Arnold Drake, American author and screenwriter (d. 2007)
  • 1924 – Deke Slayton, American soldier, pilot, and astronaut (d. 1993)
  • 1926 – Robert Clary, French-American actor and author
  • 1926 – Cesare Danova, Italian-American actor (d. 1992)
  • 1926 – Pete Rozelle, American businessman and commissioner of the National Football League (d. 1996)
  • 1926 – Allan Stanley, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 2013)
  • 1927 – George O. Abell, American astronomer, professor at UCLA, science popularizer, and skeptic (d. 1983)
  • 1927 – Harry Belafonte, American singer-songwriter and actor
  • 1927 – Robert Bork, American lawyer and scholar, United States Attorney General (d. 2012)
  • 1928 – Jacques Rivette, French director, screenwriter, and critic (d. 2016)
  • 1929 – Georgi Markov, Bulgarian journalist and author (d. 1978)
  • 1930 – Gastone Nencini, Italian cyclist (d. 1980)
  • 1934 – Jean-Michel Folon, Belgian painter and sculptor (d. 2005)
  • 1934 – Joan Hackett, American actress (d. 1983)
  • 1935 – Robert Conrad, American actor, radio host and stuntman (d. 2020)
  • 1936 – Jean-Edern Hallier, French author (d. 1997)
  • 1939 – Leo Brouwer, Cuban guitarist, composer, and conductor
  • 1939 – Mustansar Hussain Tarar, Pakistani author
  • 1940 – Robin Gray, Australian politician, 37th Premier of Tasmania
  • 1940 – Robert Grossman, American painter, sculptor, and author (d. 2018)
  • 1941 – Robert Hass, American poet
  • 1942 – Richard Myers, American general
  • 1943 – Gil Amelio, American businessman
  • 1943 – José Ángel Iribar, Spanish footballer and manager
  • 1943 – Rashid Sunyaev, Russian-German astronomer and physicist
  • 1944 – Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Indian politician, 7th Chief Minister of West Bengal
  • 1944 – John Breaux, American lawyer and politician
  • 1944 – Roger Daltrey, English singer-songwriter, producer, and actor
  • 1944 – Mike d’Abo, English singer
  • 1945 – Dirk Benedict, American actor and director
  • 1946 – Gerry Boulet, Canadian singer-songwriter (d. 1990)
  • 1946 – Jim Crace, English author and academic
  • 1947 – Alan Thicke, Canadian-American actor and composer (d. 2016)
  • 1951 – Sergei Kourdakov, Russian-American KGB agent (d. 1973)
  • 1952 – Dave Barr, Canadian golfer
  • 1952 – Nevada Barr, American actress and author
  • 1952 – Leigh Matthews, Australian footballer, coach, and sportscaster
  • 1952 – Jerri Nielsen, American physician and explorer (d. 2009)
  • 1952 – Martin O’Neill, Northern Irish footballer and manager
  • 1953 – Sinan Çetin, Turkish actor, director, and producer
  • 1953 – Carlos Queiroz, Portuguese footballer and manager
  • 1954 – Catherine Bach, American actress
  • 1954 – Ron Howard, American actor, director, and producer
  • 1954 – Rod Reddy, Australian rugby league player and coach
  • 1956 – Tim Daly, American actor, director, and producer
  • 1956 – Dalia Grybauskaitė, Lithuanian politician, 6th President of Lithuania
  • 1958 – Nik Kershaw, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1958 – Wayne B. Phillips, Australian cricketer and coach
  • 1959 – Nick Griffin, English politician
  • 1961 – Mike Rozier, American football player
  • 1962 – Russell Coutts, New Zealand sailor
  • 1962 – Mark Gardner, American baseball player
  • 1962 – Bill Leen, American bass player and producer
  • 1963 – Bryan Batt, American actor and singer
  • 1963 – Maurice Benard, American actor
  • 1963 – Ron Francis, Canadian ice hockey player and manager
  • 1964 – Clinton Gregory, American singer-songwriter and fiddler
  • 1964 – Paul Le Guen, French footballer and manager
  • 1965 – Booker T, American wrestler and sportscaster
  • 1965 – Stewart Elliott, Canadian jockey
  • 1966 – Paul Hollywood, English chef
  • 1966 – Zack Snyder, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1967 – George Eads, American actor
  • 1967 – Aron Winter, Suriname-Dutch footballer and manager
  • 1969 – Javier Bardem, Spanish actor and producer
  • 1970 – Jason V Brock, American author, filmmaker, artist, scholar and musician
  • 1971 – Thomas Adès, English pianist, composer, and conductor
  • 1971 – Ivan Cleary, Australian rugby league player and coach
  • 1973 – Jack Davenport, English actor
  • 1973 – Anton Gunn, American academic and politician
  • 1973 – Chris Webber, American basketball player and sportscaster
  • 1974 – Mark-Paul Gosselaar, American actor
  • 1976 – Travis Kvapil, American race car driver
  • 1977 – Rens Blom, Dutch pole vaulter
  • 1977 – Esther Cañadas, Spanish actress and model
  • 1978 – Jensen Ackles, American actor and director
  • 1979 – Mikkel Kessler, Danish boxer
  • 1979 – Bruno Langlois, Canadian cyclist
  • 1980 – Shahid Afridi, Pakistani cricketer
  • 1980 – Abhay K, Indian poet and diplomat
  • 1980 – Sercan Güvenışık, German-Turkish footballer
  • 1980 – Djimi Traoré, Malian footballer
  • 1981 – Will Power, Australian race car driver
  • 1982 – Juan Manuel Ortiz, Spanish footballer
  • 1983 – Daniel Carvalho, Brazilian footballer
  • 1983 – Lupita Nyong’o, Mexican-Kenyan actress
  • 1983 – Davey Richards, American wrestler
  • 1983 – Anthony Tupou, Australian rugby league player
  • 1984 – Naima Mora, American model and actress
  • 1984 – Alexander Steen, Canadian-Swedish ice hockey player
  • 1985 – Andreas Ottl, German footballer
  • 1986 – Big E, American wrestler
  • 1987 – Kesha, American singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1988 – Yang Hyeon-jong, South Korean baseball player
  • 1989 – Tenille Tayla, Australian professional wrestler
  • 1989 – Carlos Vela, Mexican footballer
  • 1992 – Tom Walsh, New Zealand athlete
  • 1993 – Nathan Brown, Australian rugby league player
  • 1993 – Michael Conforto, American baseball player
  • 1993 – Kurt Mann, Australian rugby league player
  • 1993 – Josh McEachran, English footballer
  • 1994 – Justin Bieber, Canadian singer-songwriter
  • 1994 – Tyreek Hill, American football player
  • 1996 – Lizzie Arnot, Scottish footballer
  • 1999 – Brogan Hay, Scottish footballer

Deaths on March 1

  • 492 – Felix III, pope of the Catholic Church
  • 589 – David, Welsh bishop and saint
  • 965 – Leo VIII, pope of the Catholic Church
  • 977 – Rudesind, Galician bishop (b. 907)
  • 991 – En’yū, Japanese emperor (b. 959)
  • 1058 – Ermesinde of Carcassonne, countess and regent of Barcelona (b. 972)
  • 1131 – Stephen II, king of Hungary and Croatia (b. 1101)
  • 1233 – Thomas, count of Savoy (b. 1178)
  • 1244 – Gruffydd ap Llywelyn Fawr, Welsh noble, son of Llywelyn the Great (b. 1200)
  • 1320 – Ayurbarwada Buyantu Khan, Chinese emperor (b. 1286)
  • 1383 – Amadeus VI, count of Savoy (b. 1334)
  • 1510 – Francisco de Almeida, Portuguese soldier and explorer (b. 1450)
  • 1546 – George Wishart, Scottish minister and martyr (b. 1513)
  • 1620 – Thomas Campion, English poet and composer (b. 1567)
  • 1633 – George Herbert, English poet and orator (b. 1593)
  • 1643 – Girolamo Frescobaldi, Italian pianist and composer (b. 1583)
  • 1661 – Richard Zouch, English judge and politician (b. 1590)
  • 1666 – Ecaterina Cercheza, princess consort of Moldavia (b. 1620)
  • 1697 – Francesco Redi, Italian physician and poet (b. 1626)
  • 1734 – Roger North, English lawyer and author (b. 1653)
  • 1768 – Hermann Samuel Reimarus, German philosopher and author (b. 1694)
  • 1773 – Luigi Vanvitelli, Italian architect, designed the Palace of Caserta (b. 1700)
  • 1792 – Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1747)
  • 1792 – Angelo Emo, Venetian admiral and statesman (b. 1731)1841 – Claude Victor-Perrin, Duc de Belluno, French general and politician, French Minister of Defence (b. 1764)
  • 1862 – Peter Barlow, English mathematician and physicist (b. 1776)
  • 1875 – Tristan Corbière, French poet and educator (b. 1845)
  • 1882 – Theodor Kullak, German pianist, composer, and educator (b. 1818)
  • 1884 – Isaac Todhunter, English mathematician and academic (b. 1820)
  • 1906 – José María de Pereda, Spanish author (b. 1833)
  • 1911 – Jacobus Henricus van ‘t Hoff, Dutch-German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1852)
  • 1914 – Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto, English soldier and politician, 8th Governor General of Canada (b. 1845)
  • 1920 – John H. Bankhead, American lawyer and politician (b. 1842)
  • 1922 – Pichichi, Spanish footballer (b. 1892)
  • 1932 – Frank Teschemacher, American Jazz musician (b. 1906)
  • 1936 – Mikhail Kuzmin, Russian author and poet (b. 1871)
  • 1938 – Gabriele D’Annunzio, Italian journalist and politician (b. 1863)
  • 1940 – Anton Hansen Tammsaare, Estonian author (b. 1878)
  • 1942 – George S. Rentz, American commander (b. 1882)
  • 1943 – Alexandre Yersin, Swiss-French physician and bacteriologist (b. 1863)
  • 1952 – Mariano Azuela, Mexican physician and author (b. 1873)
  • 1966 – Fritz Houtermans, Polish-German physicist and academic (b. 1903)
  • 1974 – Bobby Timmons, American pianist and composer (b. 1935)
  • 1976 – Jean Martinon, French conductor and composer (b. 1910)
  • 1978 – Paul Scott, English author, poet, and playwright (b. 1920)
  • 1979 – Mustafa Barzani, Iraqi-Kurdistan politician (b. 1903)
  • 1980 – Wilhelmina Cooper, Dutch-American model and businesswoman, founded Wilhelmina Models (b. 1940)
  • 1980 – Dixie Dean, English footballer (b. 1907)
  • 1983 – Arthur Koestler, Hungarian-English journalist and author (b. 1905)
  • 1984 – Jackie Coogan, American actor (b. 1914)
  • 1988 – Joe Besser, American comedian and actor (b. 1907)
  • 1989 – Vasantdada Patil, Indian politician, 5th Chief Minister of Maharashtra (b. 1917)
  • 1991 – Edwin H. Land, American scientist and businessman, co-founded the Polaroid Corporation (b. 1909)
  • 1995 – César Rodríguez Álvarez, Spanish footballer and manager (b. 1920)
  • 1995 – Georges J. F. Köhler, German biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1946)
  • 1998 – Archie Goodwin, American author and illustrator (b. 1937)
  • 2004 – Mian Ghulam Jilani, Pakistani general (b. 1914)
  • 2006 – Peter Osgood, English footballer (b. 1947)
  • 2006 – Jack Wild, English actor (b.1952)
  • 2010 – Kristian Digby, English television host and director (b. 1977)
  • 2012 – Andrew Breitbart, American journalist and publisher (b. 1969)
  • 2012 – Germano Mosconi, Italian journalist (b. 1932)
  • 2013 – Bonnie Franklin, American actress, dancer, and singer (b. 1944)
  • 2014 – Alain Resnais, French director, cinematographer, and screenwriter (b. 1922)
  • 2015 – Minnie Miñoso, Cuban-American baseball player and coach (b. 1922)
  • 2018 – María Rubio, Mexican television, film and stage actress (b. 1934)
  • 2019 – Mike Willesee, Australian journalist and producer (b. 1942)

Holidays and observances on March 1

  • Beer Day, marked the end of beer prohibition in 1989 (Iceland)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Agnes Tsao Kou Ying (one of the Martyr Saints of China)
    • Albin
    • David
    • Eudokia of Heliopolis
    • Pope Felix III
    • Leoluca
    • Luperculus
    • Monan
    • Rudesind
    • Suitbert
    • March 1 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Commemoration of Mustafa Barzani’s Death (Iraqi Kurdistan)
  • Earliest day on which Casimir Pulaski Day can fall, while March 7 is the latest; celebrated on the first Monday in March. (Illinois)
  • Earliest day on which Children’s Day can fall, while March 7 is the latest; celebrated on the first Sunday in March. (New Zealand)
  • Earliest day on which Grandmother’s Day can fall, while March 7 is the latest; celebrated on the first Monday in March. (France)
  • Earliest day on which Laetare Sunday can fall, while April 4 is the latest; celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent. (Western Christianity), and its related observances:
    • Carnaval de la Laetare (Stavelot)
    • Mothering Sunday (United Kingdom)
  • Heroes’ Day (Paraguay)
  • Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina from Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1992.
  • National “Cursed Soldiers” Remembrance Day (Poland)
  • National Pig Day (United States)
  • Remembrance Day (Marshall Islands)
  • Saint David’s Day or Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant (Wales and Welsh communities)
  • Samiljeol (South Korea)
  • Self-injury Awareness Day
  • Southeastern Europe celebration of the beginning of spring:
    • Baba Marta Day (Bulgaria)
    • Mărțișor (Romania and Moldova)
  • The final day (fourth or fifth) of Ayyám-i-Há (Bahá’í Faith)
  • World Civil Defence Day
  • Yap Day (Yap State)
  • Zero Discrimination Day

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

On This Day

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

  • 748 – Abbasid Revolution: The Hashimi rebels under Abu Muslim Khorasani take Merv, capital of the Umayyad province Khorasan, marking the consolidation of the Abbasid revolt.
  • 842 – Charles the Bald and Louis the German swear the Oaths of Strasbourg in the French and German languages.
  • 1014 – Pope Benedict VIII crowns Henry of Bavaria, King of Germany and of Italy, as Holy Roman Emperor.
  • 1076 – Pope Gregory VII excommunicates Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor.
  • 1130 – Pope Innocent II is elected.
  • 1349 – Several hundred Jews are burned to death by mobs while the remaining Jews are forcibly removed from Strasbourg.
  • 1400 – Richard II of England dies, most probably from starvation, in Pontefract Castle, on the orders of Henry Bolingbroke.
  • 1530 – Spanish conquistadores, led by Nuño de Guzmán, overthrow and execute Tangaxuan II, the last independent monarch of the Tarascan state in present-day central Mexico.
  • 1556 – Thomas Cranmer is declared a heretic.
  • 1556 – Coronation of Akbar.
  • 1655 – The Mapuches launch coordinated attacks against the Spanish in Chile beginning the Mapuche uprising of 1655.
  • 1778 – The United States flag is formally recognized by a foreign naval vessel for the first time, when French Admiral Toussaint-Guillaume Picquet de la Motte renders a nine gun salute to USS Ranger, commanded by John Paul Jones.
  • 1779 – American Revolutionary War: The Battle of Kettle Creek is fought in Georgia.
  • 1779 – James Cook is killed by Native Hawaiians near Kealakekua on the Island of Hawaii.
  • 1797 – French Revolutionary Wars: Battle of Cape St. Vincent: John Jervis, (later 1st Earl of St Vincent) and Horatio Nelson (later 1st Viscount Nelson) lead the British Royal Navy to victory over a Spanish fleet in action near Gibraltar.
  • 1804 – Karađorđe leads the First Serbian Uprising against the Ottoman Empire.
  • 1831 – Ras Marye of Yejju marches into Tigray and defeats and kills Dejazmach Sabagadis in the Battle of Debre Abbay.
  • 1835 – The original Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, in the Latter Day Saint movement, is formed in Kirtland, Ohio.
  • 1849 – In New York City, James Knox Polk becomes the first serving President of the United States to have his photograph taken.
  • 1852 – Great Ormond St Hospital for Sick Children, the first hospital in England to provide in-patient beds specifically for children, is founded in London.
  • 1855 – Texas is linked by telegraph to the rest of the United States, with the completion of a connection between New Orleans and Marshall, Texas.
  • 1859 – Oregon is admitted as the 33rd U.S. state.
  • 1876 – Alexander Graham Bell applies for a patent for the telephone, as does Elisha Gray.
  • 1879 – The War of the Pacific breaks out when the Chilean Army occupies the Bolivian port city of Antofagasta.
  • 1899 – Voting machines are approved by the U.S. Congress for use in federal elections.
  • 1900 – British forces begin the Battle of the Tugela Heights in an effort to lift the Siege of Ladysmith.
  • 1903 – The United States Department of Commerce and Labor is established (later split into the Department of Commerce and the Department of Labor).
  • 1912 – Arizona is admitted as the 48th and the last contiguous U.S. state.
  • 1912 – The U.S. Navy commissions its first class of diesel-powered submarines.
  • 1919 – The Polish–Soviet War begins.
  • 1920 – The League of Women Voters is founded in Chicago.
  • 1924 – The Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company changes its name to International Business Machines Corporation (IBM).
  • 1929 – Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre: Seven people, six of them gangster rivals of Al Capone’s gang, are murdered in Chicago.
  • 1942 – Battle of Pasir Panjang contributes to the fall of Singapore.
  • 1943 – World War II: Rostov-on-Don, Russia is liberated.
  • 1943 – World War II: Tunisia Campaign: General Hans-Jürgen von Arnim’s Fifth Panzer Army launches a concerted attack against Allied positions in Tunisia.
  • 1944 – World War II: In the Action of 14 February 1944, a Royal Navy submarine sinks a German-controlled Italian submarine in the Strait of Malacca.
  • 1945 – World War II: On the first day of the bombing of Dresden, the British Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Forces begin fire-bombing Dresden.
  • 1945 – World War II: Navigational error leads to the mistaken bombing of Prague, Czechoslovakia by an American squadron of B-17s assisting in the Soviet’s Vistula–Oder Offensive.
  • 1945 – World War II: Mostar is liberated by Yugoslav partisans
  • 1945 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt meets King Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia aboard the USS Quincy, officially beginning U.S.-Saudi diplomatic relations.
  • 1946 – The Bank of England is nationalized.
  • 1949 – The Knesset (parliament of Israel) convenes for the first time.
  • 1949 – The Asbestos Strike begins in Canada. The strike marks the beginning of the Quiet Revolution in Quebec.
  • 1961 – Discovery of the chemical elements: Element 103, Lawrencium, is first synthesized at the University of California.
  • 1966 – Australian currency is decimalized.
  • 1979 – In Kabul, Setami Milli militants kidnap the American ambassador to Afghanistan, Adolph Dubs who is later killed during a gunfight between his kidnappers and police.
  • 1983 – United American Bank of Knoxville, Tennessee collapses. Its president, Jake Butcher, is later convicted of fraud.
  • 1989 – Union Carbide agrees to pay $470 million to the Indian government for damages it caused in the 1984 Bhopal disaster.
  • 1989 – Iranian leader Ruhollah Khomeini issues a fatwa encouraging Muslims to kill Salman Rushdie, author of The Satanic Verses.
  • 1990 – Ninety-two people are killed when Indian Airlines Flight 605 crashes in Bangalore, India.
  • 1990 – The Voyager 1 spacecraft takes the photograph of planet Earth that later become famous as Pale Blue Dot.
  • 1998 – An oil tanker train collides with a freight train in Yaoundé, Cameroon, spilling fuel oil. One person scavenging the oil created a massive explosion which killed 120.
  • 2000 – The spacecraft NEAR Shoemaker enters orbit around asteroid 433 Eros, the first spacecraft to orbit an asteroid.
  • 2004 – In a suburb of Moscow, Russia, the roof of the Transvaal water park collapses, killing more than 25 people, and wounding more than 100 others.
  • 2005 – In Beirut, 23 people, including former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, are killed when the equivalent of around 1,000 kg of TNT is detonated while Hariri’s motorcade drives through the city.
  • 2005 – Seven people are killed and 151 wounded in a series of bombings by suspected al-Qaeda-linked militants that hit Makati, Davao City, and General Santos City, all in the Philippines.
  • 2005 – YouTube is launched by a group of college students, eventually becoming the largest video sharing website in the world and a main source for viral videos.
  • 2008 – Northern Illinois University shooting: A gunman opens fire in a lecture hall of Northern Illinois University in DeKalb County, Illinois, resulting in six fatalities (including the gunman) and 21 injuries.
  • 2011 – As a part of Arab Spring, the Bahraini uprising begins with a ‘Day of Rage’.
  • 2018 – Jacob Zuma resigns as President of South Africa.
  • 2018 – A shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida is one of the deadliest school massacres with 17 fatalities and 15 injuries.
  • 2019 – Pulwama attack takes place in Lethpora in Pulwama district, Jammu and Kashmir, India in which 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel and a suicide bomber were killed and 35 were injured.

Births on February 14

  • 1404 – Leon Battista Alberti, Italian painter, poet, and philosopher (d. 1472)
  • 1408 – John FitzAlan, 14th Earl of Arundel (d. 1435)
  • 1452 – Pandolfo Petrucci, tyrant of Siena (d. 1512)
  • 1468 – Johannes Werner, German priest and mathematician (d. 1522)
  • 1483 – Babur, Moghul emperor (d. 1530)
  • 1490 – Valentin Friedland, German scholar and educationist of the Reformation (d. 1556)
  • 1513 – Domenico Ferrabosco, Italian composer (d. 1573)
  • 1545 – Lucrezia de’ Medici, Duchess of Ferrara (d. 1561)
  • 1602 – Francesco Cavalli, Italian composer (d. 1676)
  • 1614 – John Wilkins, English bishop, academic and natural philosopher (d. 1672)
  • 1625 – Countess Palatine Maria Eufrosyne of Zweibrücken, Swedish princess (d. 1687)
  • 1628 – Valentine Greatrakes, Irish faith healer (d. 1683)
  • 1640 – Countess Palatine Anna Magdalena of Birkenfeld-Bischweiler (d. 1693)
  • 1670 – Rajaram Raj Bhonsle, third Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire (d. 1700)
  • 1679 – Georg Friedrich Kauffmann, German organist and composer (d. 1735)
  • 1692 – Pierre-Claude Nivelle de La Chaussée, French author and playwright (d. 1754)
  • 1701 – Enrique Flórez, Spanish historian and author (d. 1773)
  • 1763 – Jean Victor Marie Moreau, French general (d. 1813)
  • 1782 – Eleanora Atherton, English philanthropist (d. 1870)
  • 1784 – Heinrich Baermann, German clarinetist (d. 1847)
  • 1799 – Walenty Wańkowicz, Polish painter and illustrator (d. 1842)
  • 1800 – Emory Washburn, American historian, lawyer, and politician, 22nd Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1877)
  • 1808 – Michael Costa, Italian-English conductor and composer (d. 1884)
  • 1813 – Lydia Hamilton Smith, African-American businesswoman (d. 1884)
  • 1819 – Christopher Latham Sholes, American journalist and politician, invented the typewriter (d. 1890)
  • 1824 – Winfield Scott Hancock, American general and politician (d. 1886)
  • 1828 – Edmond François Valentin About, French journalist and author (d. 1885)
  • 1835 – Piet Paaltjens, Dutch minister and poet (d. 1894)
  • 1838 – Margaret E. Knight, American inventor (d. 1914)
  • 1846 – Julian Scott, American soldier and drummer, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1901)
  • 1847 – Anna Howard Shaw, American physician, minister, and activist (d. 1919)
  • 1848 – Benjamin Baillaud, French astronomer and academic (d. 1934)
  • 1855 – Frank Harris, Irish author and journalist (d. 1931)
  • 1859 – George Washington Gale Ferris Jr., American engineer, inventor of the Ferris wheel (d. 1896)
  • 1860 – Eugen Schiffer, German lawyer and politician, Vice-Chancellor of Germany (d. 1954)
  • 1869 – Charles Thomson Rees Wilson, Scottish physicist and meteorologist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1959)
  • 1878 – Julius Nieuwland, Belgian priest, chemist and academic (d. 1936)
  • 1882 – John Barrymore, American actor (d. 1942)
  • 1884 – Nils Olaf Chrisander, Swedish actor and director (d. 1947)
  • 1884 – Kostas Varnalis, Greek poet and playwright (d. 1974)
  • 1890 – Nina Hamnett, Welsh-English painter and author (d. 1956)
  • 1890 – Dick Richards Welsh international footballer, forward
  • 1891 – Katherine Stinson, American aviator (d. 1977)
  • 1892 – Radola Gajda, Czech commander and politician (d. 1948)
  • 1894 – Jack Benny, American actor and producer (d. 1974)
  • 1895 – Wilhelm Burgdorf, German general (d. 1945)
  • 1895 – Max Horkheimer, German philosopher and sociologist (d. 1973)
  • 1898 – Bill Tilman, English mountaineer and explorer (d. 1977)
  • 1898 – Fritz Zwicky, Swiss-American physicist and astronomer (d. 1974)
  • 1900 – Jessica Dragonette, American singer (d. 1980)
  • 1903 – Stuart Erwin, American actor (d. 1967)
  • 1905 – Thelma Ritter, American actress and singer (d. 1969)
  • 1907 – Johnny Longden, English-American jockey and trainer (d. 2003)
  • 1911 – Willem Johan Kolff, Dutch physician and inventor (d. 2009)
  • 1912 – Tibor Sekelj, Hungarian lawyer, explorer, and author (d. 1988)
  • 1913 – Mel Allen, American sportscaster (d. 1996)
  • 1913 – Woody Hayes, American football player and coach (d. 1987)
  • 1913 – Jimmy Hoffa, American trade union leader (d. 1975)
  • 1913 – James Pike, American bishop (d. 1969)
  • 1916 – Marcel Bigeard, French general (d. 2010)
  • 1916 – Sally Gray, English actress and singer (d. 2006)
  • 1916 – Masaki Kobayashi, Japanese director and producer (d. 1996)
  • 1916 – Edward Platt, American actor (d. 1974)
  • 1917 – Herbert A. Hauptman, American mathematician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2011)
  • 1921 – Hugh Downs, American journalist, game show host, and producer
  • 1921 – Hazel McCallion, Canadian businesswoman and politician, 3rd Mayor of Mississauga
  • 1923 – Jay Hebert, American golfer (d. 1997)
  • 1924 – Patricia Knatchbull, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma (d. 2017)
  • 1927 – Lois Maxwell, Canadian-Australian model and actress (d. 2007)
  • 1928 – William Allain, American soldier and politician, 58th Governor of Mississippi (d. 2013)
  • 1928 – Vicente T. Blaz, American general and politician (d. 2014)
  • 1929 – Vic Morrow, American actor and director (d. 1982)
  • 1931 – Bernie Geoffrion, Canadian-American ice hockey player and coach (d. 2006)
  • 1931 – Brian Kelly, American actor and director (d. 2005)
  • 1932 – Harriet Andersson, Swedish actress
  • 1934 – Florence Henderson, American actress and singer (d. 2016)
  • 1935 – David Wilson, Baron Wilson of Tillyorn, Scottish academic and diplomat, 27th Governor of Hong Kong
  • 1936 – Anna German, Polish singer (d. 1982)
  • 1937 – John MacGregor, Baron MacGregor of Pulham Market, English politician, Secretary of State for Transport
  • 1937 – Magic Sam, American singer and guitarist (d. 1969)
  • 1939 – Razzy Bailey, American country music singer-songwriter and musician
  • 1939 – Blowfly, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2016)
  • 1939 – Eugene Fama, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1940 – James Maynard, American businessman, co-founded Golden Corral
  • 1941 – Donna Shalala, American academic and politician, 18th United States Secretary of Health and Human Services
  • 1941 – Paul Tsongas, American lawyer and politician (d. 1997)
  • 1942 – Michael Bloomberg, American businessman and politician, 108th Mayor of New York City
  • 1942 – Andrew Robinson, American actor and director
  • 1942 – Ricardo Rodríguez, Mexican race car driver (d. 1962)
  • 1943 – Eric Andersen, American singer-songwriter
  • 1943 – Maceo Parker, American saxophonist
  • 1943 – Aaron Russo, American director and producer (d. 2007)
  • 1944 – Carl Bernstein, American journalist and author
  • 1944 – Alan Parker, English director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1944 – Ronnie Peterson, Swedish race car driver (d. 1978)
  • 1945 – Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein
  • 1945 – Rod Masterson, American lieutenant and actor (d. 2013)
  • 1946 – Bernard Dowiyogo, Nauru politician, President of Nauru (d. 2003)
  • 1946 – Gregory Hines, American actor, singer, and dancer (d. 2003)
  • 1947 – Tim Buckley, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1975)
  • 1947 – Judd Gregg, American lawyer and politician, 76th Governor of New Hampshire
  • 1948 – Kitten Natividad, Mexican-American actress and dancer
  • 1948 – Pat O’Brien, American journalist and author
  • 1948 – Wally Tax, Dutch singer-songwriter (d. 2005)
  • 1948 – Teller, American magician and actor
  • 1950 – Roger Fisher, American guitarist and songwriter
  • 1951 – Terry Gross, American radio host and producer
  • 1951 – Kevin Keegan, English footballer and manager
  • 1952 – Sushma Swaraj, Indian lawyer and politician, Indian Minister of External Affairs (d. 2019)
  • 1954 – Jam Mohammad Yousaf, Pakistani politician, Chief Minister of Balochistan (d. 2013)
  • 1955 – Carol Kalish, American publisher (d. 1991)
  • 1956 – Howard Davis Jr., American boxer and trainer (d. 2015)
  • 1956 – Dave Dravecky, American baseball player
  • 1956 – Katharina Fritsch, German sculptor and academic
  • 1957 – Alan Hunter, American television host and actor
  • 1957 – Soile Isokoski, Finnish soprano and actress
  • 1957 – Alan Smith, English bishop
  • 1958 – Grant Thomas, Australian footballer and coach
  • 1959 – Renée Fleming, American soprano and actress
  • 1960 – Philip Jones, English admiral
  • 1960 – Jim Kelly, American football player and businessman
  • 1960 – Meg Tilly, American actress and author
  • 1963 – Enrico Colantoni, Canadian actor, director, and producer
  • 1963 – John Marzano, American baseball player (d. 2008)
  • 1964 – Gianni Bugno, Italian cyclist and sportscaster
  • 1966 – Petr Svoboda, Czech ice hockey player and agent
  • 1967 – Stelios Haji-Ioannou, Greek-English businessman, founded easyJet
  • 1967 – Manuela Maleeva, Bulgarian-Swiss tennis player
  • 1967 – Mark Rutte, Dutch businessman and politician, Prime Minister of the Netherlands
  • 1968 – Jules Asner, American model and television host
  • 1968 – Chris Lewis, Guyanese-English cricketer
  • 1968 – Scott McClellan, American civil servant and author, 25th White House Press Secretary
  • 1969 – Meg Hillier, English journalist and politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change
  • 1970 – Giuseppe Guerini, Italian cyclist
  • 1970 – Sean Hill, American ice hockey player
  • 1970 – Simon Pegg, English actor, director, and producer
  • 1971 – Kris Aquino, Filipino talk show host, actress, and producer
  • 1971 – Gheorghe Mureșan, Romanian basketball player
  • 1972 – Drew Bledsoe, American football player and coach
  • 1972 – Musōyama Masashi, Japanese sumo wrestler
  • 1972 – Najwa Nimri, Spanish actress and singer
  • 1972 – Jaan Tallinn, Estonian computer programmer, co-developed Skype
  • 1972 – Rob Thomas, American singer-songwriter
  • 1973 – H. D. Ackerman, South African cricketer
  • 1973 – Tyus Edney, American basketball player and coach
  • 1973 – Steve McNair, American football player (d. 2009)
  • 1973 – Annalisa Buffa, Italian mathematician
  • 1974 – Valentina Vezzali, Italian fencer and politician
  • 1976 – Liv Kristine, Norwegian singer-songwriter
  • 1976 – Rie Rasmussen, Danish model, film director, writer, photographer, and actress
  • 1977 – Cadel Evans, Australian cyclist
  • 1977 – Jim Jefferies, Australian comedian and actor
  • 1977 – Darren Purse, English footballer
  • 1977 – Elmer Symons, South African motorcycle racer (d. 2007)
  • 1977 – Anna Erschler, Russian mathematician
  • 1977 – Robert J. Jackson Jr., American law professor
  • 1978 – Richard Hamilton, American basketball player
  • 1978 – Darius Songaila, Lithuanian basketball player and coach
  • 1980 – Josh Senter, American screenwriter and producer
  • 1980 – Michelle Ye, Hong Kong actress and producer
  • 1981 – Matteo Brighi, Italian footballer
  • 1981 – Randy de Puniet, French motorcycle racer
  • 1981 – Brad Halsey, American baseball player (d. 2014)
  • 1982 – Marián Gáborík, Slovak ice hockey player
  • 1982 – John Halls, English footballer and model
  • 1982 – Lenka Tvarošková, Slovak tennis player
  • 1983 – Callix Crabbe, Virgin Islander baseball player
  • 1983 – Rocky Elsom, Australian rugby player
  • 1983 – Bacary Sagna, French footballer
  • 1985 – Karima Adebibe, English model and actress
  • 1985 – Tyler Clippard, American baseball player
  • 1985 – Heart Evangelista, Filipino singer and actress
  • 1985 – Philippe Senderos, Swiss international footballer, centre back
  • 1985 – Miki Yeung, Hong Kong singer and actress
  • 1986 – Michael Ammermüller, German race car driver
  • 1986 – Oliver Lee, English actor, director, and screenwriter
  • 1986 – Gao Lin, Chinese footballer
  • 1987 – Edinson Cavani, Uruguayan footballer
  • 1987 – Tom Pyatt, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1987 – David Wheater, English footballer
  • 1988 – Katie Boland, Canadian actress, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1988 – Ángel Di María, Argentinian footballer
  • 1988 – Siim Liivik, Estonian ice hockey player
  • 1988 – Asia Nitollano, American singer and dancer
  • 1989 – Néstor Calderón, Mexican footballer
  • 1989 – Adam Matuszczyk, Polish footballer
  • 1989 – Emma Miskew, Canadian curler
  • 1989 – Brandon Sutter, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1989 – Jurij Tepeš, Slovenian ski jumper
  • 1989 – Kristian Thomas, English gymnast
  • 1990 – Sefa Yılmaz, German-Turkish footballer
  • 1991 – Daniela Mona Lambin, Estonian footballer
  • 1991 – Chris Rowney, English footballer
  • 1992 – Christian Eriksen, Danish footballer
  • 1992 – Freddie Highmore, English actor
  • 1996 – Lucas Hernandez, French footballer

Deaths on February 14

  • 869 – Cyril, Greek missionary bishop (b. 827)
  • 945 – Lian Chongyu, Chinese general
  • 945 – Zhu Wenjin, Chinese emperor
  • 1009 – Bruno of Querfurt, German missionary bishop
  • 1010 – Fujiwara no Korechika, Japanese nobleman (b. 974)
  • 1140 – Leo I, Armenian prince
  • 1140 – Sobĕslav I, duke of Bohemia
  • 1164 – Sviatoslav Olgovich, Kievan prince
  • 1229 – Rǫgnvaldr Guðrøðarson, king of the Isles
  • 1317 – Margaret of France, queen of England
  • 1400 – Richard II, king of England (b. 1367)
  • 1440 – Dietrich of Oldenburg, German nobleman
  • 1489 – Nicolaus von Tüngen, prince-bishop of Warmia
  • 1528 – Edzard I, German nobleman (b. 1462)
  • 1549 – Il Sodoma, Italian painter (b. 1477)
  • 1571 – Odet de Coligny, French cardinal (b. 1517)
  • 1676 – Abraham Bosse, French engraver and illustrator (b. 1602)
  • 1714 – Maria Luisa of Savoy, queen of Spain (b. 1688)
  • 1737 – Charles Talbot, 1st Baron Talbot, English lawyer and politician Lord Chancellor of Great Britain (b. 1685)
  • 1744 – John Hadley, English mathematician, invented the octant (b. 1682)
  • 1779 – James Cook, English captain, cartographer, and explorer (b. 1728)
  • 1780 – William Blackstone, English jurist and politician (b. 1723)
  • 1782 – Singu Min, Burmese king (b. 1756)
  • 1808 – John Dickinson, American lawyer and politician 5th Governor of Delaware (b. 1732)
  • 1831 – Vicente Guerrero, Mexican general and politician, 2nd President of Mexico (b. 1782)
  • 1831 – Henry Maudslay, English engineer (b. 1771)
  • 1870 – St. John Richardson Liddell, American general (b. 1815)
  • 1881 – Fernando Wood, American merchant and politician, 73rd Mayor of New York City (b. 1812)
  • 1884 – Lydia Hamilton Smith, African-American businesswoman (b. 1813)
  • 1885 – Jules Vallès, French journalist and author (b. 1832)
  • 1891 – William Tecumseh Sherman, American general (b. 1820)
  • 1894 – Eugène Charles Catalan, Belgian-French mathematician and academic (b. 1814)
  • 1901 – Edward Stafford, Scottish-New Zealand educator and politician, 3rd Prime Minister of New Zealand (b. 1819)
  • 1910 – Giovanni Passannante, Italian anarchist (b. 1849)
  • 1922 – Heikki Ritavuori, Finnish lawyer and politician (b. 1880)
  • 1929 – Thomas Burke, American sprinter, coach, and lawyer (b. 1875)
  • 1930 – Thomas Mackenzie, Scottish-New Zealand cartographer and politician, 18th Prime Minister of New Zealand (b. 1853)
  • 1933 – Carl Correns, German botanist and geneticist (b. 1864)
  • 1942 – Adnan Saidi, Malayan lieutenant (b. 1915)
  • 1943 – Dora Gerson, German actress and singer (b. 1899)
  • 1943 – David Hilbert, Russian-German mathematician, physicist, and philosopher (b. 1862)
  • 1948 – Mordecai Brown, American baseball player and manager (b. 1876)
  • 1949 – Yusuf Salman Yusuf, Iraqi politician (b. 1901)
  • 1950 – Karl Guthe Jansky, American physicist and engineer (b. 1905)
  • 1952 – Maurice De Waele, Belgian cyclist (b. 1896)
  • 1958 – Abdur Rab Nishtar, Pakistani politician, 2nd Governor of Punjab (b. 1899)
  • 1959 – Baby Dodds, American drummer (b. 1898)
  • 1967 – Sig Ruman, German-American actor (b. 1884)
  • 1969 – Vito Genovese, Italian-American mob boss (b. 1897)
  • 1970 – Herbert Strudwick, English cricketer and coach (b. 1880)
  • 1974 – Stewie Dempster, New Zealand cricketer and coach (b. 1903)
  • 1975 – Julian Huxley, English biologist and eugenicist, co-founded the World Wide Fund for Nature (b. 1887)
  • 1975 – P. G. Wodehouse, English novelist and playwright (b. 1881)
  • 1979 – Adolph Dubs, American lieutenant and diplomat, United States Ambassador to Afghanistan (b. 1920)
  • 1983 – Lina Radke, German runner and coach (b. 1903)
  • 1986 – Edmund Rubbra, English composer and conductor (b. 1901)
  • 1987 – Dmitry Kabalevsky, Russian pianist and composer (b. 1904)
  • 1988 – Frederick Loewe, German-American composer (b. 1901)
  • 1989 – James Bond, American ornithologist and zoologist (b. 1900)
  • 1989 – Vincent Crane, English pianist (b. 1943)
  • 1994 – Andrei Chikatilo, Soviet serial killer (b. 1936)
  • 1994 – Christopher Lasch, American historian and critic (b. 1932)
  • 1995 – Michael V. Gazzo, American actor and playwright (b. 1923)
  • 1995 – U Nu, Burmese politician, 1st Prime Minister of Burma (b. 1907)
  • 1996 – Bob Paisley, English footballer and manager (b. 1919)
  • 1999 – John Ehrlichman, American lawyer and politician, 12th White House Counsel (b. 1925)
  • 1999 – Buddy Knox, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1933)
  • 2002 – Nándor Hidegkuti, Hungarian footballer and manager (b. 1922)
  • 2002 – Mick Tucker, English drummer (b. 1947)
  • 2003 – Johnny Longden, English jockey and trainer (b. 1907)
  • 2004 – Marco Pantani, Italian cyclist (b. 1970)
  • 2005 – Rafic Hariri, Lebanese businessman and politician, 60th Prime Minister of Lebanon (b. 1944; assassinated)
  • 2006 – Lynden David Hall, English singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1974)
  • 2007 – Ryan Larkin, Canadian animator and director (b. 1943)
  • 2007 – Gareth Morris, English flute player and educator (b. 1920)
  • 2009 – Bernard Ashley, English engineer and businessman, co-founded Laura Ashley plc (b. 1926)
  • 2009 – Louie Bellson, American drummer and composer (b. 1924)
  • 2010 – Doug Fieger, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1952)
  • 2010 – Dick Francis, Welsh jockey and author (b. 1920)
  • 2010 – Linnart Mäll, Estonian historian, orientalist, and translator (b. 1938)
  • 2011 – George Shearing, English-American pianist and composer (b. 1919)
  • 2012 – Mike Bernardo, South African boxer and martial artist (b. 1969)
  • 2012 – Tonmi Lillman, Finnish drummer and producer (b. 1973)
  • 2012 – Dory Previn, American singer-songwriter (b. 1925)
  • 2012 – Péter Rusorán, Hungarian swimmer, water polo player, and coach (b. 1940)
  • 2013 – Glenn Boyer, American historian and author (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – Ronald Dworkin, American philosopher and scholar (b. 1931)
  • 2014 – Tom Finney, English footballer (b. 1922)
  • 2014 – Chris Pearson, Canadian lawyer and politician, 1st Premier of Yukon (b. 1931)
  • 2014 – Mike Stepovich, American lawyer and politician, Governor of Alaska Territory (b. 1919)
  • 2015 – Louis Jourdan, French-American actor and singer (b. 1921)
  • 2015 – Philip Levine, American poet and academic (b. 1928)
  • 2015 – Franjo Mihalić, Croatian-Serbian runner and coach (b. 1920)
  • 2016 – Eric Lubbock, 4th Baron Avebury, English lieutenant, engineer, and politician (b. 1928)
  • 2016 – Steven Stucky, American composer and academic (b. 1949)
  • 2018 – Ruud Lubbers, Dutch politician and diplomat, Prime Minister and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (b. 1939)
  • 2018 – Morgan Tsvangirai, 2nd Prime Minister of Zimbabwe (b. 1952).

Holidays and observances on February 14

  • Christian feast day:
    • Cyril and Methodius, patron saints of Europe (Roman Catholic Church)
    • Manchan
    • Valentine (Valentine’s Day)
    • February 14 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Statehood Day (Arizona, United States)
  • Statehood Day (Oregon, United States)
  • Presentation of Jesus at the Temple (Armenian Apostolic Church)
  • Parents’ Worship Day (parts of India)

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

On This Day

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

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

Births on February 2

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

Deaths on February 2

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

Holidays and observances on February 2

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

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

On This Day

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

  • 314 – Pope Sylvester I is consecrated, as a successor to the late Pope Miltiades.
  • 1208 – The Battle of Lena takes place between King Sverker II of Sweden and his rival, Prince Eric, whose victory puts him on the throne as King Eric X of Sweden.
  • 1504 – The Treaty of Lyon ends the Italian War, confirming French domination of northern Italy, while Spain receives the Kingdom of Naples.
  • 1578 – Eighty Years’ War and Anglo-Spanish War: The Battle of Gembloux is a victory for Spanish forces led by Don John of Austria over a rebel army of Dutch, Flemish, English, Scottish, German, French and Walloons.
  • 1606 – Gunpowder Plot: Four of the conspirators, including Guy Fawkes, are executed for treason by hanging, drawing and quartering, for plotting against Parliament and King James.
  • 1747 – The first venereal diseases clinic opens at London Lock Hospital.
  • 1814 – Gervasio Antonio de Posadas becomes Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata (present-day Argentina).
  • 1846 – After the Milwaukee Bridge War, the United States towns of Juneautown and Kilbourntown unify to create the City of Milwaukee.
  • 1848 – John C. Frémont is court-martialed for mutiny and disobeying orders.
  • 1862 – Alvan Graham Clark discovers the white dwarf star Sirius B, a companion of Sirius, through an 18.5-inch (47 cm) telescope now located at Northwestern University.
  • 1865 – American Civil War: The United States Congress passes the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, abolishing slavery and submits it to the states for ratification.
  • 1865 – American Civil War: Confederate General Robert E. Lee becomes general-in-chief.
  • 1891 – History of Portugal: The first attempt at a Portuguese republican revolution breaks out in the northern city of Porto.
  • 1897 – Czechoslav Trade Union Association is founded in Prague.
  • 1900 – Datu Muhammad Salleh is killed in Kampung Teboh, Tambunan, ending the Mat Salleh Rebellion.
  • 1915 – World War I: Germany is the first to make large-scale use of poison gas in warfare in the Battle of Bolimów against Russia.
  • 1917 – World War I: Germany announces that its U-boats will resume unrestricted submarine warfare after a two-year hiatus.
  • 1918 – A series of accidental collisions on a misty Scottish night leads to the loss of two Royal Navy submarines with over a hundred lives, and damage to another five British warships.
  • 1919 – The Battle of George Square takes place in Glasgow, Scotland, during a campaign for shorter working hours.
  • 1928 – Leon Trotsky is exiled to Alma-Ata.
  • 1930 – 3M begins marketing Scotch Tape.
  • 1942 – World War II: Allied forces are defeated by the Japanese at the Battle of Malaya and retreat to Singapore.
  • 1943 – World War II: German Field Marshal Friedrich Paulus surrenders to the Soviets at Stalingrad, followed 2 days later by the remainder of his Sixth Army, ending one of the war’s fiercest battles.
  • 1944 – World War II: American forces land on Kwajalein Atoll and other islands in the Japanese-held Marshall Islands.
  • 1944 – World War II: During the Anzio campaign, the 1st Ranger Battalion (Darby’s Rangers) is destroyed behind enemy lines in a heavily outnumbered encounter at Battle of Cisterna, Italy.
  • 1945 – US Army private Eddie Slovik is executed for desertion, the first such execution of an American soldier since the Civil War.
  • 1945 – World War II: About 3,000 inmates from the Stutthof concentration camp are forcibly marched into the Baltic Sea at Palmnicken (now Yantarny, Russia) and executed.
  • 1945 – World War II: The end of fighting in the Battle of Hill 170 during the Burma Campaign, in which the British 3 Commando Brigade repulsed a Japanese counterattack on their positions and precipitated a general retirement from the Arakan Peninsula.
  • 1946 – Cold War: Yugoslavia’s new constitution, modeling that of the Soviet Union, establishes six constituent republics (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia).
  • 1946 – The Democratic Republic of Vietnam introduces the đồng to replace the French Indochinese piastre at par.
  • 1949 – These Are My Children, the first television daytime soap opera, is broadcast by the NBC station in Chicago.
  • 1950 – Cold War: U.S. President Harry S. Truman announces a program to develop the hydrogen bomb.
  • 1951 – United Nations Security Council Resolution 90 relating to Korean War is adopted.
  • 1953 – A North Sea flood causes over 1,800 deaths in the Netherlands and over 300 in the United Kingdom.
  • 1957 – Eight people (5 total crew from 2 aircraft and 3 on the ground) in Pacoima, California are killed following the mid-air collision between a Douglas DC-7 airliner and a Northrop F-89 Scorpion fighter jet.
  • 1958 – Cold War: Space Race: The first successful American satellite detects the Van Allen radiation belt.
  • 1961 – Project Mercury: Mercury-Redstone 2: Ham the Chimp travels into outer space.
  • 1966 – The Soviet Union launches the unmanned Luna 9 spacecraft as part of the Luna program.
  • 1968 – Vietnam War: Viet Cong guerrillas attack the United States embassy in Saigon, and other attacks, in the early morning hours, later grouped together as the Tet Offensive.
  • 1968 – Nauru gains independence from Australia.
  • 1971 – Apollo program: Apollo 14: Astronauts Alan Shepard, Stuart Roosa, and Edgar Mitchell, aboard a Saturn V, lift off for a mission to the Fra Mauro Highlands on the Moon.
  • 1971 – The Winter Soldier Investigation, organized by the Vietnam Veterans Against the War to publicize war crimes and atrocities by Americans and allies in Vietnam, begins in Detroit.
  • 1978 – The Crown of St. Stephen (also known as the Holy Crown of Hungary) goes on public display after being returned to Hungary from the United States, where it was held after World War II.
  • 1996 – An explosives-filled truck rams into the gates of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka in Colombo, killing at least 86 people and injuring 1,400.
  • 2000 – Alaska Airlines Flight 261 crash: An MD-83, experiencing horizontal stabilizer problems, crashes in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Point Mugu, California, killing all 88 aboard.
  • 2001 – In the Netherlands, a Scottish court convicts Libyan Abdelbaset al-Megrahi and acquits another Libyan citizen for their part in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988.
  • 2009 – In Kenya, at least 113 people are killed and over 200 injured following an oil spillage ignition in Molo, days after a massive fire at a Nakumatt supermarket in Nairobi killed at least 25 people.
  • 2018 – Both a blue moon and a total lunar eclipse occur.
  • 2019 – Abdullah of Pahang is sworn in as the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.
  • 2020 – The United Kingdom’s membership within the European Union ceases in accordance with Article 50, after 47 years of being a member state.

Births on January 31

  • 1512 – Henry, King of Portugal (d. 1580)
  • 1543 – Tokugawa Ieyasu, Japanese shōgun (d. 1616)
  • 1583 – Peter Bulkley, English and later American Puritan (d. 1659)
  • 1597 – John Francis Regis, French priest and saint (d. 1640)
  • 1607 – James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby (d. 1651)
  • 1624 – Arnold Geulincx, Flemish philosopher and academic (d. 1669)
  • 1673 – Louis de Montfort, French priest and saint (d. 1716)
  • 1686 – Hans Egede, Norwegian missionary and explorer (d. 1758)
  • 1752 – Gouverneur Morris, American lawyer, politician, and diplomat, United States Ambassador to France (d. 1816)
  • 1759 – François Devienne, French flute player and composer (d. 1803)
  • 1769 – André-Jacques Garnerin, French balloonist and the inventor of the frameless parachute (d. 1823)
  • 1785 – Magdalena Dobromila Rettigová, Czech cook book author (d. 1845)
  • 1797 – Franz Schubert, Austrian pianist and composer (d. 1828)
  • 1799 – Rodolphe Töpffer, Swiss teacher, author, painter, cartoonist, and caricaturist (d. 1846)
  • 1820 – William B. Washburn, American politician, 28th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1887)
  • 1835 – Lunalilo of Hawaii (d. 1874)
  • 1854 – David Emmanuel, Romanian mathematician and academic (d. 1941)
  • 1865 – Henri Desgrange, French cyclist and journalist (d. 1940)
  • 1865 – Shastriji Maharaj, Indian spiritual leader, founded BAPS (d. 1951)
  • 1868 – Theodore William Richards, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1928)
  • 1872 – Zane Grey, American author (d. 1939)
  • 1881 – Irving Langmuir, American chemist and physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1957)
  • 1884 – Theodor Heuss, German journalist and politician, 1st President of the Federal Republic of Germany (d. 1963)
  • 1884 – Mammad Amin Rasulzade, Azerbaijani scholar and politician, 1st President of The Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan (d. 1955)
  • 1889 – Frank Foster, English cricketer (d. 1958)
  • 1892 – Eddie Cantor, American singer-songwriter, actor, and dancer (d. 1964)
  • 1894 – Isham Jones, American saxophonist, composer, and bandleader (d. 1956)
  • 1896 – Sofya Yanovskaya, Russian mathematician and historian (d. 1966)
  • 1900 – Betty Parsons, American artist, art dealer and collector (d. 1982)
  • 1902 – Nat Bailey, Canadian businessman, founded White Spot (d. 1978)
  • 1902 – Tallulah Bankhead, American actress (d. 1968)
  • 1902 – Alva Myrdal, Swedish sociologist and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1986)
  • 1902 – Julian Steward, American anthropologist (d. 1972)
  • 1905 – John O’Hara, American author, playwright, and screenwriter (d. 1970)
  • 1909 – Miron Grindea, Romanian-English journalist (d. 1995)
  • 1913 – Don Hutson, American football player and coach (d. 1997)
  • 1914 – Jersey Joe Walcott, American boxer and police officer (d. 1994)
  • 1915 – Bobby Hackett, American trumpet player and cornet player (d. 1976)
  • 1915 – Alan Lomax, American historian, author, and scholar (d. 2002)
  • 1915 – Thomas Merton, American monk and author (d. 1968)
  • 1915 – Garry Moore, American comedian and game show host (d. 1993)
  • 1916 – Frank Parker, American tennis player (d. 1997)
  • 1917 – Fred Bassetti, American architect and academic, founded Bassetti Architects (d. 2013)
  • 1919 – Jackie Robinson, American baseball player and sportscaster (d. 1972)
  • 1920 – Stewart Udall, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 37th United States Secretary of the Interior (d. 2010)
  • 1920 – Bert Williams, English footballer (d. 2004)
  • 1921 – John Agar, American actor (d. 2002)
  • 1921 – Carol Channing, American actress, singer, and dancer (d. 2019)
  • 1921 – E. Fay Jones, American architect, designed the Thorncrown Chapel (d. 2004)
  • 1921 – Mario Lanza, American tenor and actor (d. 1959)
  • 1922 – Joanne Dru, American actress (d. 1996)
  • 1923 – Norman Mailer, American journalist and author (d. 2007)
  • 1925 – Benjamin Hooks, American minister, lawyer, and activist (d. 2010)
  • 1926 – Tom Alston, American baseball player (d. 1993)
  • 1926 – Chuck Willis, American singer-songwriter (d. 1958)
  • 1927 – Norm Prescott, American animator, producer, and composer, co-founded Filmation Studios (d. 2005)
  • 1928 – Irma Wyman, American computer scientist and engineer (d. 2015)
  • 1929 – Rudolf Mössbauer, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2011)
  • 1929 – Jean Simmons, English-American actress (d. 2010)
  • 1930 – Joakim Bonnier, Swedish race car driver (d. 1972)
  • 1930 – Al De Lory, American composer, conductor, and producer (d. 2012)
  • 1931 – Ernie Banks, American baseball player and coach (d. 2015)
  • 1931 – Christopher Chataway, English runner, journalist, and politician (d. 2014)
  • 1932 – Miron Babiak, Polish sea captain (d. 2013)
  • 1933 – Camille Henry, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 1997)
  • 1933 – Morton Mower, American cardiologist and inventor
  • 1934 – Ernesto Brambilla, Italian motorcycle racer and race car driver
  • 1934 – Gene DeWeese, American author (d. 2012)
  • 1934 – James Franciscus, American actor and producer (d. 1991)
  • 1934 – Bob Turner, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 2005)
  • 1935 – Kenzaburō Ōe, Japanese author and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1936 – Can Bartu, Turkish former basketball and football player
  • 1937 – Regimantas Adomaitis, Lithuanian actor
  • 1937 – Andrée Boucher, Canadian educator and politician, 39th Mayor of Quebec City (d. 2007)
  • 1937 – Philip Glass, American composer
  • 1937 – Suzanne Pleshette, American actress (d. 2008)
  • 1938 – Beatrix of the Netherlands
  • 1938 – Lynn Carlin, American actress
  • 1938 – James G. Watt, American lawyer and politician, 43rd United States Secretary of the Interior
  • 1940 – Kitch Christie, South African rugby player and coach (d. 1998)
  • 1940 – Stuart Margolin, American actor and director
  • 1941 – Dick Gephardt, American lawyer and politician
  • 1941 – Gerald McDermott, American author and illustrator (d. 2012)
  • 1941 – Jessica Walter, American actress
  • 1942 – Daniela Bianchi, Italian actress
  • 1942 – Derek Jarman, English director, stage designer, and author (d. 1994)
  • 1944 – John Inverarity, Australian cricketer and coach
  • 1945 – Rynn Berry, American historian and author (d. 2014)
  • 1945 – Brenda Hale, Baroness Hale of Richmond, English lawyer, judge, and academic
  • 1945 – Joseph Kosuth, American sculptor and theorist
  • 1946 – Terry Kath, American guitarist and singer-songwriter (Chicago) (d. 1978)
  • 1946 – Medin Zhega, Albanian footballer and manager (d. 2012)
  • 1947 – Nolan Ryan, American baseball player
  • 1947 – Matt Minglewood, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1947 – Glynn Turman, American actor
  • 1948 – Volkmar Groß, German footballer (d. 2014)
  • 1948 – Muneo Suzuki, Japanese politician
  • 1949 – Johan Derksen, Dutch footballer and journalist
  • 1949 – Norris Church Mailer, American model and educator (d. 2010)
  • 1949 – Ken Wilber, American sociologist, philosopher, and author
  • 1950 – Denise Fleming, American author and illustrator
  • 1950 – Alexander Korzhakov, Russian general and bodyguard
  • 1950 – Janice Rebibo, American-Israeli author and poet (d. 2015)
  • 1951 – Harry Wayne Casey, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer
  • 1954 – Faoud Bacchus, Guyanese cricketer
  • 1954 – Adrian Vandenberg, Dutch guitarist and songwriter
  • 1955 – Virginia Ruzici, Romanian tennis player and manager
  • 1956 – Guido van Rossum, Dutch programmer, creator of the Python programming language
  • 1956 – John Lydon, English singer-songwriter
  • 1957 – Shirley Babashoff, American swimmer
  • 1958 – Armin Reichel, German footballer and manager
  • 1959 – Anthony LaPaglia, Australian actor and producer
  • 1959 – Kelly Lynch, American model and actress
  • 1960 – Akbar Ganji, Iranian journalist and author
  • 1960 – Grant Morrison, Scottish author and screenwriter
  • 1960 – Željko Šturanović, Montenegrin politician, 31st Prime Minister of Montenegro (d. 2014)
  • 1961 – Elizabeth Barker, Baroness Barker, English politician
  • 1961 – Fatou Bensouda, Gambian lawyer and judge
  • 1961 – Lloyd Cole, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1963 – Craig Coleman, Australian rugby league player and coach
  • 1963 – Gwen Graham, American lawyer and politician
  • 1964 – Martha MacCallum, American journalist
  • 1964 – Dawn Prince-Hughes, American scientist
  • 1965 – Giorgos Gasparis, Greek basketball player and coach
  • 1965 – Ofra Harnoy, Israeli-Canadian cellist
  • 1965 – Peter Sagal, American author and radio host
  • 1966 – Umar Alisha, Indian journalist and philanthropist
  • 1966 – Thant Myint-U, Myanmar historian, diplomat, conservationist, and former presidential advisor.
  • 1966 – Dexter Fletcher, English actor and director
  • 1967 – Fat Mike, American singer-songwriter, bass player, and producer
  • 1968 – John Collins, Scottish footballer, midfielder and manager
  • 1968 – Matt King, English actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1968 – Ulrica Messing, Swedish politician, 2nd Swedish Minister for Infrastructure
  • 1968 – Patrick Stevens, Belgian sprinter
  • 1969 – Dov Charney, Canadian-American fashion designer and businessman, founded American Apparel
  • 1969 – Daniel Moder, American cinematographer
  • 1970 – Minnie Driver, English singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1970 – Danny Michel, Canadian singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1971 – Patricia Velásquez, Venezuelan model and actress
  • 1973 – Portia de Rossi, Australian-American actress
  • 1974 – Othella Harrington, American basketball player and coach
  • 1974 – Ariel Pestano, Cuban baseball player
  • 1975 – Fred Coleman, American football player and coach
  • 1975 – Preity Zinta, Indian actress, producer, and television host
  • 1976 – Traianos Dellas, Greek footballer and manager
  • 1976 – Buddy Rice, American race car driver
  • 1976 – Paul Scheer, American comedian, actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1977 – Suchitra Singh, Indian cricketer
  • 1977 – Kerry Washington, American actress
  • 1978 – Fabián Caballero, Argentinian footballer and manager
  • 1979 – Daniel Tammet, English author and educator
  • 1980 – James Adomian, American comedian, actor, and screenwriter
  • 1980 – Gary Doherty, Irish footballer, centre forward
  • 1980 – Shim Yi-young, South Korean actress
  • 1981 – Julio Arca, Argentinian footballer
  • 1981 – Mark Cameron, Australian cricketer
  • 1981 – Justin Timberlake, American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actor
  • 1982 – Maret Ani, Estonian tennis player
  • 1982 – Yuniesky Betancourt, Cuban baseball player
  • 1982 – Andreas Görlitz, German footballer
  • 1982 – Salvatore Masiello, Italian footballer
  • 1982 – Allan McGregor, Scottish footballer
  • 1982 – Jānis Sprukts, Latvian ice hockey player
  • 1982 – Yukimi Nagano, Swedish singer-songwriter
  • 1982 – Brad Thompson, American baseball player
  • 1983 – James Sutton, English actor
  • 1983 – Fabio Quagliarella, Italian footballer
  • 1984 – Vernon Davis, American football player
  • 1984 – Josh Johnson, Canadian-American baseball player
  • 1984 – Jeremy Wariner, American runner
  • 1984 – Alessandro Zanni, Italian rugby player
  • 1985 – Adam Federici, Australian footballer
  • 1985 – Mario Williams, American football player
  • 1986 – Walter Dix, American sprinter
  • 1986 – Megan Ellison, American film producer, founded Annapurna Pictures
  • 1986 – George Elokobi, Cameroonian footballer
  • 1986 – Yves Ma-Kalambay, Belgian footballer
  • 1986 – Pauline Parmentier, French tennis player
  • 1987 – Marcus Mumford, American-English singer-songwriter
  • 1988 – Brett Pitman, English footballer
  • 1988 – Taijo Teniste, Estonian footballer
  • 1990 – Jacopo Fortunato, Italian footballer
  • 1990 – Jacob Markström, Swedish ice hockey player
  • 1990 – Kota Yabu, Japanese idol, singer-songwriter, model, actor

Deaths on January 31

  • 632 – Máedóc of Ferns, Irish bishop and saint (b. 550)
  • 876 – Hemma of Altdorf, Frankish queen
  • 985 – Ryōgen, Japanese monk and abbot (b. 912)
  • 1030 – William V, duke of Aquitaine (b. 969)
  • 1216 – Theodore II, patriarch of Constantinople
  • 1398 – Sukō, emperor of Japan (b. 1334)
  • 1418 – Mircea I, prince of Wallachia (b. 1355)
  • 1435 – Xuande, emperor of China (b. 1398)
  • 1561 – Bairam Khan, Mughalan general (b. 1501)
  • 1561 – Menno Simons, Dutch minister and theologian (b. 1496)
  • 1580 – Henry, king of Portugal (b. 1512)
  • 1606 – Guy Fawkes, English conspirator, leader of the Gunpowder Plot (b. 1570)
  • 1606 – Ambrose Rookwood, English Gunpowder Plot conspirator (b. 1578)
  • 1606 – Thomas Wintour, English Gunpowder Plot conspirator (b. 1571)
  • 1615 – Claudio Acquaviva, Italian priest, 5th Superior General of the Society of Jesus (b. 1543)
  • 1632 – Jost Bürgi, Swiss clockmaker and mathematician (b. 1552)
  • 1665 – Johannes Clauberg, German philosopher and theologian (b. 1622)
  • 1686 – Jean Mairet, French playwright (b. 1604)
  • 1720 – Thomas Grey, 2nd Earl of Stamford, English politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (b. 1654)
  • 1729 – Jacob Roggeveen, Dutch explorer (b. 1659)
  • 1736 – Filippo Juvarra, Italian architect and set designer, designed the Basilica of Superga (b. 1678)
  • 1790 – Thomas Lewis, Irish-born American lawyer and surveyor (b. 1718)
  • 1794 – Mariot Arbuthnot, English admiral and politician, 12th Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia (b. 1711)
  • 1811 – Manuel Alberti, Argentinian priest and journalist (b. 1763)
  • 1815 – José Félix Ribas, Venezuelan soldier (b. 1775)
  • 1828 – Alexander Ypsilantis, Greek general (b. 1792)
  • 1836 – John Cheyne, English physician and author (b. 1777)
  • 1844 – Henri Gatien Bertrand, French general (b. 1773)
  • 1856 – 11th Dalai Lama (b. 1838)
  • 1870 – Cilibi Moise, Moldavian-Romanian journalist and author (b. 1812)
  • 1888 – John Bosco, Italian priest and educator, founded the Salesian Society (b. 1815)
  • 1892 – Charles Spurgeon, English pastor and author (b. 1834)
  • 1900 – John Douglas, 9th Marquess of Queensberry, Scottish nobleman (b. 1844)
  • 1907 – Timothy Eaton, Canadian businessman, founded Eaton’s (b. 1834)
  • 1923 – Eligiusz Niewiadomski, Polish painter and critic (b. 1869)
  • 1933 – John Galsworthy, English novelist and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1867)
  • 1942 – Henry Larkin, American baseball player and manager (b. 1860)
  • 1944 – Jean Giraudoux, French author and playwright (b. 1882)
  • 1954 – Edwin Howard Armstrong, American engineer, invented FM radio (b. 1890)
  • 1954 – Vivian Woodward, English captain and footballer (b. 1879)
  • 1955 – John Mott, American activist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1865)
  • 1956 – A. A. Milne, English author, poet, and playwright, created Winnie-the-Pooh (b. 1882)
  • 1958 – Karl Selter, Estonian politician, 14th Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1898)
  • 1960 – Auguste Herbin, French painter (b. 1882)
  • 1961 – Krishna Singh, Indian politician, 1st Chief Minister of Bihar (b. 1887)
  • 1966 – Arthur Percival, English general (b. 1887)
  • 1967 – Eddie Tolan, American sprinter and educator (b. 1908)
  • 1969 – Meher Baba, Indian spiritual master (b. 1894)
  • 1971 – Viktor Zhirmunsky, Russian historian and linguist (b. 1891)
  • 1973 – Ragnar Frisch, Norwegian economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1895)
  • 1974 – Samuel Goldwyn, Polish-American film producer, co-founded Goldwyn Pictures (b. 1882)
  • 1976 – Ernesto Miranda, American criminal (b. 1941)
  • 1976 – Evert Taube, Swedish author and composer (b. 1890)
  • 1985 – Reginald Baker, English-Australian film producer (b. 1896)
  • 1985 – Tatsuzō Ishikawa, Japanese author (b. 1905)
  • 1987 – Yves Allégret, French director and screenwriter (b. 1907)
  • 1989 – William Stephenson, Canadian captain and spy (b. 1896)
  • 1990 – Eveline Du Bois-Reymond Marcus, German zoologist and academic (b. 1901)
  • 1990 – Rashad Khalifa, Egyptian-American biochemist and academic (b. 1935)
  • 1995 – George Abbott, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1887)
  • 1997 – John Joseph Scanlan, Irish-American bishop (b. 1930)
  • 1999 – Giant Baba, Japanese wrestler and trainer, co-founded All Japan Pro Wrestling (b. 1938)
  • 1999 – Norm Zauchin, American baseball player (b. 1929)
  • 2000 – Gil Kane, Latvian-American author and illustrator (b. 1926)
  • 2001 – Gordon R. Dickson, Canadian-American author (b. 1923)
  • 2002 – Gabby Gabreski, American colonel and pilot (b. 1919)
  • 2004 – Eleanor Holm, American swimmer and actress (b. 1913)
  • 2004 – Suraiya, Indian actress and playback singer (b. 1929)
  • 2006 – Moira Shearer, Scottish actress and ballerina (b. 1926)
  • 2007 – Molly Ivins, American journalist and author (b. 1944)
  • 2007 – Adelaide Tambo, South African activist and politician (b. 1929)
  • 2008 – František Čapek, Czechoslovakian canoeist (b. 1914)
  • 2011 – Bartolomeu Anania, Romanian bishop and poet (b. 1921)
  • 2011 – Mark Ryan, English guitarist and playwright (b. 1959)
  • 2012 – Mani Ram Bagri, Indian lawyer and politician (b. 1920)
  • 2012 – Anthony Bevilacqua, American cardinal (b. 1923)
  • 2012 – Tristram Potter Coffin, American author, scholar, and academic (b. 1922)
  • 2012 – Dorothea Tanning, American painter and sculptor (b. 1910)
  • 2013 – Rubén Bonifaz Nuño, Mexican poet and scholar (b. 1923)
  • 2013 – Hassan Habibi, Iranian lawyer and politician, 1st Vice President of Iran (b. 1937)
  • 2014 – Francis M. Fesmire, American cardiologist and physician (b. 1959)
  • 2014 – Anna Gordy Gaye, American songwriter and producer, co-founded Anna Records (b. 1922)
  • 2014 – Abdirizak Haji Hussein, Somalian politician, 4th Prime Minister of Somalia (b. 1924)
  • 2014 – Miklós Jancsó, Hungarian director and screenwriter (b. 1921)
  • 2014 – Joseph Willcox Jenkins, American composer, conductor, and educator (b. 1928)
  • 2014 – Christopher Jones, American actor (b. 1941)
  • 2015 – Vic Howe, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1929)
  • 2015 – Udo Lattek, German footballer, coach, and journalist (b. 1935)
  • 2015 – Lizabeth Scott, American actress (b. 1922)
  • 2015 – Richard von Weizsäcker, German captain and politician, 6th President of Germany (b. 1920)
  • 2016 – Gil Carmichael, American businessman and politician (b. 1927)
  • 2016 – Terry Wogan, Irish-British radio and television host (b. 1938)
  • 2017 – Rob Stewart, Canadian filmmaker (b. 1979)
  • 2018 – Rasual Butler, American professional basketball player (b. 1979)
  • 2018 – Leah LaBelle, American singer (b. 1986)

Holidays and observances on January 31

  • Christian feast day:
    • Domitius (Domice) of Amiens
    • Francis Xavier Bianchi
    • Geminianus
    • John Bosco
    • Julius of Novara
    • Blessed Ludovica
    • Máedóc (Mogue, Aiden)
    • Marcella
    • Samuel Shoemaker (Episcopal Church (USA))
    • Tysul
    • Ulphia
    • Wilgils
    • January 31 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Amartithi (Meherabad, India, followers of Meher Baba)
  • Independence Day (Nauru), celebrates independence from Australia in 1968.
  • Street Children’s Day (Austria)

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

On This Day

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

  • AD 98 – Trajan succeeds his adoptive father Nerva as Roman emperor; under his rule, the Roman Empire will reach its maximum extent.
  • 1186 – Henry VI, the son and heir of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I, marries Constance of Sicily.
  • 1302 – Dante Alighieri is exiled from Florence.
  • 1343 – Pope Clement VI issues the papal bull Unigenitus to justify the power of the pope and the use of indulgences. Nearly 200 years later, Martin Luther would protest this.
  • 1606 – Gunpowder Plot: The trial of Guy Fawkes and other conspirators begins, ending with their execution on January 31.
  • 1695 – Mustafa II becomes the Ottoman sultan and Caliph of Islam in Istanbul on the death of Ahmed II. Mustafa rules until his abdication in 1703.
  • 1776 – American Revolutionary War: Henry Knox’s “noble train of artillery” arrives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
  • 1785 – The University of Georgia is founded, the first public university in the United States.
  • 1820 – A Russian expedition led by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen and Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev discovers the Antarctic continent, approaching the Antarctic coast.
  • 1825 – The U.S. Congress approves Indian Territory (in what is present-day Oklahoma), clearing the way for forced relocation of the Eastern Indians on the “Trail of Tears”.
  • 1868 – Boshin War: The Battle of Toba–Fushimi begins, between forces of the Tokugawa shogunate and pro-Imperial factions; it will end in defeat for the shogunate, and is a pivotal point in the Meiji Restoration.
  • 1869 – Boshin War: Tokugawa rebels establish the Ezo Republic in Hokkaidō.
  • 1880 – Thomas Edison receives a patent for his incandescent lamp.
  • 1916 – World War I: The British government passed a legislation that introduced conscription in the United Kingdom.
  • 1918 – Beginning of the Finnish Civil War.
  • 1927 – Ibn Saud takes the title of King of Nejd.
  • 1939 – First flight of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning.
  • 1943 – World War II: The Eighth Air Force sorties ninety-one B-17s and B-24s to attack the U-boat construction yards at Wilhelmshaven, Germany. This was the first American bombing attack on Germany.
  • 1944 – World War II: The 900-day Siege of Leningrad is lifted.
  • 1945 – World War II: The Soviet 322nd Rifle Division liberates the remaining inmates of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
  • 1951 – Nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site begins with Operation Ranger.
  • 1961 – The Soviet submarine S-80 sinks when its snorkel malfunctions, flooding the boat.
  • 1967 – Apollo program: Astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee are killed in a fire during a test of their Apollo 1 spacecraft at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
  • 1967 – Cold War: The Soviet Union, the United States, and the United Kingdom sign the Outer Space Treaty in Washington, D.C., banning deployment of nuclear weapons in space, and limiting use of the Moon and other celestial bodies to peaceful purposes.
  • 1973 – The Paris Peace Accords officially end the Vietnam War. Colonel William Nolde is killed in action becoming the conflict’s last recorded American combat casualty.
  • 1980 – Through cooperation between the U.S. and Canadian governments, six American diplomats secretly escape hostilities in Iran in the culmination of the Canadian Caper.
  • 1983 – The pilot shaft of the Seikan Tunnel, the world’s longest sub-aqueous tunnel (53.85 km) between the Japanese islands of Honshū and Hokkaidō, breaks through.
  • 1996 – In a military coup, Colonel Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara deposes the first democratically elected president of Niger, Mahamane Ousmane.
  • 1996 – Germany first observes the International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
  • 2002 – An explosion at a military storage facility in Lagos, Nigeria, kills at least 1,100 people and displaces over 20,000 others.
  • 2003 – The first selections for the National Recording Registry are announced by the Library of Congress.
  • 2010 – The 2009 Honduran constitutional crisis ends when Porfirio Lobo Sosa becomes the new President of Honduras.
  • 2011 – Arab Spring: The Yemeni Revolution begins as over 16,000 protestors demonstrate in Sana’a.
  • 2013 – Two hundred and forty-two people die in a nightclub fire in the Brazilian city of Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul.

Births on January 27

  • 1365 – Edward of Angoulême, English noble (d. 1370)
  • 1443 – Albert III, Duke of Saxony (d. 1500)
  • 1546 – Joachim III Frederick, Elector of Brandenburg (d. 1608)
  • 1571 – Abbas I of Persia (d. 1629)
  • 1585 – Hendrick Avercamp, Dutch painter (d. 1634)
  • 1603 – Sir Harbottle Grimston, 2nd Baronet, English lawyer and politician, Speaker of the House of Commons (d. 1685)
  • 1603 – Humphrey Mackworth, English politician, lawyer and judge (d. 1654)
  • 1621 – Thomas Willis, English physician and anatomist (d. 1675)
  • 1662 – Richard Bentley, English scholar and theologian (d. 1742)
  • 1663 – George Byng, 1st Viscount Torrington, Royal Navy admiral (d. 1733)
  • 1687 – Johann Balthasar Neumann, German engineer and architect, designed Würzburg Residence and Basilica of the Fourteen Holy Helpers (d. 1753)
  • 1701 – Johann Nikolaus von Hontheim, German historian and theologian (d. 1790)
  • 1708 – Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna of Russia (d. 1728)
  • 1741 – Hester Thrale, Welsh author (d. 1821)
  • 1756 – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Austrian pianist and composer (d. 1791)
  • 1775 – Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling, German-Swiss philosopher and academic (d. 1854)
  • 1790 – Juan Álvarez, Mexican general and president (1855) (d. 1867)
  • 1795 – Eli Whitney Blake, American engineer, invented the Mortise lock (d. 1886)
  • 1803 – Eunice Hale Waite Cobb, American writer, public speaker, and activist (d. 1880)
  • 1805 – Maria Anna of Bavaria (d. 1877)
  • 1805 – Samuel Palmer, English painter and etcher (d. 1881)
  • 1806 – Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga, Spanish composer and educator (d. 1826)
  • 1808 – David Strauss, German theologian and author (d. 1874)
  • 1814 – Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, French architect, designed the Lausanne Cathedral (d. 1879)
  • 1821 – John Chivington, American colonel and pastor (d. 1892)
  • 1823 – Édouard Lalo, French violinist and composer (d. 1892)
  • 1824 – Urbain Johnson, Canadian farmer and political figure (d. 1917)
  • 1826 – Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin, Russian journalist and author (d. 1889)
  • 1826 – Richard Taylor, American general, historian, and politician (d. 1879)
  • 1832 – Lewis Carroll, English novelist, poet, and mathematician (d. 1898)
  • 1832 – Carl Friedrich Schmidt, Estonian-Russian geologist and botanist (d. 1908)
  • 1836 – Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, Austrian journalist and author (d. 1895)
  • 1842 – Arkhip Kuindzhi, Ukrainian-Russian painter (d. 1910)
  • 1848 – Tōgō Heihachirō, Japanese admiral (d. 1934)
  • 1850 – John Collier, English painter and author (d. 1934)
  • 1850 – Samuel Gompers, English-American labor leader (d. 1924)
  • 1850 – Edward Smith, English captain (d. 1912)
  • 1858 – Neel Doff, Dutch-Belgian author (d. 1942)
  • 1859 – Wilhelm II, German Emperor (d. 1941)
  • 1869 – Will Marion Cook, American violinist and composer (d. 1944)
  • 1878 – Dorothy Scarborough, American author (d. 1935)
  • 1885 – Jerome Kern, American composer and songwriter (d. 1945)
  • 1885 – Seison Maeda, Japanese painter (d. 1977)
  • 1886 – Radhabinod Pal, Indian academic and jurist (d. 1967)
  • 1889 – Balthasar van der Pol, Dutch physicist and academic (d. 1959)
  • 1891 – Ilya Ehrenburg, Russian journalist and author (d. 1967)
  • 1893 – Soong Ching-ling, Chinese politician, Honorary President of the People’s Republic of China (d. 1981)
  • 1895 – Joseph Rosenstock, Polish-American conductor and manager (d. 1985)
  • 1895 – Harry Ruby, American composer and screenwriter (d. 1974)
  • 1900 – Hyman G. Rickover, American admiral (d. 1986)
  • 1901 – Willy Fritsch, German actor (d. 1973)
  • 1901 – Art Rooney, American football player and coach, founded the Pittsburgh Steelers (d. 1988)
  • 1903 – John Eccles, Australian-Swiss neurophysiologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1997)
  • 1903 – Otto P. Weyland, American general (d. 1979)
  • 1904 – James J. Gibson, American psychologist and academic (d. 1979)
  • 1905 – Howard McNear, American actor (d. 1969)
  • 1908 – William Randolph Hearst, Jr., American journalist and publisher (d. 1993)
  • 1910 – Edvard Kardelj, Slovene general, economist, and politician, 2nd Foreign Minister of Yugoslavia (d. 1979)
  • 1912 – Arne Næss, Norwegian philosopher and environmentalist (d. 2009)
  • 1912 – Francis Rogallo, American engineer, invented the Rogallo wing (d. 2009)
  • 1915 – Jules Archer, American historian and author (d. 2008)
  • 1915 – Jacques Hnizdovsky, Ukrainian-American painter, sculptor, and illustrator (d. 1985)
  • 1918 – Skitch Henderson, American pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 2005)
  • 1918 – Elmore James, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1963)
  • 1918 – William Seawell, American general (d. 2005)
  • 1919 – Tom Addington, English captain (d. 2011)
  • 1919 – Ross Bagdasarian, Sr., American singer-songwriter, pianist, producer, and actor, created Alvin and the Chipmunks (d. 1972)
  • 1920 – Hiroyoshi Nishizawa, Japanese lieutenant and pilot (d. 1944)
  • 1920 – Helmut Zacharias, German violinist and composer (d. 2002)
  • 1921 – Donna Reed, American actress (d. 1986)
  • 1924 – Rauf Denktaş, Cypriot lawyer and politician, 1st President of Northern Cyprus (d. 2012)
  • 1924 – Brian Rix, English actor, producer, and politician (d. 2016)
  • 1924 – Harvey Shapiro, American poet (d. 2013)
  • 1926 – Fritz Spiegl, Austrian flute player and journalist (d. 2003)
  • 1926 – Ingrid Thulin, Swedish actress (d. 2004)
  • 1928 – Michael Craig, Indian-English actor and screenwriter
  • 1928 – Hans Modrow, Polish-German lawyer and politician, 5th Prime Minister of East Germany
  • 1929 – Mohamed Al-Fayed, Egyptian-Swiss businessman
  • 1929 – Gastón Suárez, Bolivian author and playwright (d. 1984)
  • 1930 – Bobby “Blue” Bland, American blues singer-songwriter (d. 2013)
  • 1931 – Mordecai Richler, Canadian author and screenwriter (d. 2001)
  • 1931 – Nigel Vinson, Baron Vinson, English lieutenant and businessman
  • 1932 – Boris Shakhlin, Russian-Ukrainian gymnast (d. 2008)
  • 1933 – Jerry Buss, American chemist and businessman (d. 2013)
  • 1934 – Édith Cresson, French politician and diplomat, 160th Prime Minister of France
  • 1934 – George Follmer, American race car driver
  • 1935 – Steve Demeter, American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 2013)
  • 1936 – Troy Donahue, American actor (d. 2001)
  • 1936 – Samuel C. C. Ting, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1937 – Fred Åkerström, Swedish singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1985)
  • 1940 – Ahmet Kurtcebe Alptemoçin, Turkish engineer and politician, 35th Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • 1940 – James Cromwell, American actor
  • 1940 – Terry Harper, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1940 – Petru Lucinschi, Romanian activist and politician, 2nd President of Moldova
  • 1940 – Reynaldo Rey, American actor and screenwriter (d. 2015)
  • 1941 – Beatrice Tinsley, New Zealand astronomer and cosmologist (d. 1981)
  • 1942 – Maki Asakawa, Japanese singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2010)
  • 1942 – Tasuku Honjo, Japanese immunologist, Nobel Prize laureate in Physiology or Medicine
  • 1942 – John Witherspoon, American actor and comedian (d. 2019)
  • 1942 – Kate Wolf, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1986)
  • 1943 – Julia Cumberlege, Baroness Cumberlege, English businesswoman and politician
  • 1944 – Peter Akinola, Nigerian archbishop
  • 1944 – Mairead Maguire, Northern Irish activist, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1944 – Nick Mason, English drummer, songwriter, and producer
  • 1945 – Harold Cardinal, Canadian lawyer and politician (d. 2005)
  • 1946 – Christopher Hum, English academic and diplomat, British Ambassador to China
  • 1946 – Nedra Talley, American singer
  • 1947 – Björn Afzelius, Swedish singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1999)
  • 1947 – Vyron Polydoras, Greek lawyer and politician, Greek Minister for Public Order
  • 1947 – Cal Schenkel, American painter and illustrator
  • 1947 – Philip Sugden, English historian and author (d. 2014)
  • 1947 – Perfecto Yasay Jr., Filipino lawyer and Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines
  • 1948 – Mikhail Baryshnikov, Russian-American dancer, choreographer, and actor
  • 1948 – Jean-Philippe Collard, French pianist
  • 1951 – Seth Justman, American keyboard player and songwriter
  • 1951 – Cees van der Knaap, Dutch soldier and politician
  • 1952 – Brian Gottfried, American tennis player
  • 1952 – Billy Johnson, American football player and coach
  • 1952 – Tam O’Shaughnessy, American tennis player, psychologist, and academic
  • 1952 – G. E. Smith, American guitarist and songwriter
  • 1954 – Peter Laird, American author and illustrator
  • 1954 – Ed Schultz, American talk show host and sportscaster (d. 2018)
  • 1955 – Brian Engblom, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
  • 1955 – John Roberts, American lawyer and judge, 17th Chief Justice of the United States
  • 1956 – Mimi Rogers, American actress
  • 1957 – Janick Gers, English guitarist and songwriter
  • 1957 – Frank Miller, American illustrator, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1958 – James Grippando, American lawyer and author
  • 1958 – Alan Milburn, English businessman and politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
  • 1959 – Cris Collinsworth, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1959 – Göran Hägglund, Swedish lawyer and politician, 28th Swedish Minister for Social Affairs
  • 1959 – Keith Olbermann, American journalist and author
  • 1960 – Fiona O’Donnell, Canadian-Scottish politician
  • 1961 – Narciso Rodriguez, American fashion designer
  • 1961 – Margo Timmins, Canadian singer-songwriter
  • 1962 – Roberto Paci Dalò, Italian director and composer
  • 1963 – George Monbiot, English-Welsh author and activist
  • 1964 – Patrick van Deurzen, Dutch composer and academic
  • 1964 – Bridget Fonda, American actress
  • 1964 – Shahin Shahablou, Iranian photographer (d. 2020)
  • 1965 – Alan Cumming, Scottish-American actor
  • 1965 – Mike Newell, English footballer and manager
  • 1965 – Ignacio Noé, Argentinian author and illustrator
  • 1965 – Attila Sekerlioglu, Austrian footballer and manager
  • 1966 – Tamlyn Tomita, Japanese-American actress and singer
  • 1967 – Dave Manson, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1968 – Tracy Lawrence, American country singer
  • 1968 – Mike Patton, American singer, composer, and voice artist
  • 1968 – Matt Stover, American football player
  • 1969 – Michael Kulas, Canadian singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1969 – Patton Oswalt, American comedian and actor
  • 1969 – Shane Thomson, New Zealand cricketer
  • 1970 – Bradley Clyde, Australian rugby league player
  • 1970 – Dean Headley, English cricketer and coach
  • 1971 – Patrice Brisebois, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1972 – Bibi Gaytán, Mexican singer and actress
  • 1973 – Valyantsin Byalkevich, Belarusian footballer and manager (d. 2014)
  • 1974 – Ole Einar Bjørndalen, Norwegian skier and biathlete
  • 1974 – Andrei Pavel, Romanian tennis player and coach
  • 1974 – Chaminda Vaas, Sri Lankan cricketer and coach
  • 1976 – Ahn Jung-hwan, South Korean footballer
  • 1976 – Clint Ford, American actor, voice actor and novelist
  • 1976 – Danielle George MBE FIET, Professor of Radio frequency engineering at the University of Manchester
  • 1976 – Fred Taylor, American football player
  • 1976 – Michael K. Winder, American businessman and politician
  • 1978 – Pete Laforest, Canadian-American baseball player and manager
  • 1979 – Rosamund Pike, English actress
  • 1979 – Daniel Vettori, New Zealand cricketer and coach
  • 1980 – Chanda Gunn, American ice hockey player and coach
  • 1980 – Marat Safin, Russian tennis player and politician
  • 1981 – Alicia Molik, Australian tennis player and sportscaster
  • 1981 – Tony Woodcock, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1982 – Eva Asderaki, Greek tennis umpire
  • 1983 – Carlo Colaiacovo, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1983 – Paulo Colaiacovo, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1983 – Gavin Floyd, American baseball player
  • 1987 – Katy Rose, American singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1987 – Anton Shunin, Russian footballer
  • 1987 – Ashley Grace, American singer-songwriter
  • 1988 – Kerlon, Brazilian footballer
  • 1989 – Alberto Botía, Spanish footballer
  • 1991 – Christian Bickel, German footballer
  • 1991 – Sebastine Ikahihifo, New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1992 – Stefano Pettinari, Italian footballer
  • 1995 – Harrison Reed, English footballer midfielder

Deaths on January 27

  • AD 98 – Nerva, Roman emperor (b. 35)
  • 457 – Marcian, Byzantine emperor (b. 392)
  • 555 – Yuan Di, emperor of the Liang Dynasty (b. 508)
  • 672 – Pope Vitalian
  • 847 – Pope Sergius II (b. 790)
  • 906 – Liu Can, chancellor of the Tang Dynasty
  • 931 – Ruotger, archbishop of Trier
  • 947 – Zhang Yanze, Chinese general and governor
  • 1062 – Adelaide of Hungary, (b. c. 1040)
  • 1311 – Külüg Khan, Emperor Wuzong of Yuan
  • 1377 – Frederick the Simple, King of Sicily
  • 1490 – Ashikaga Yoshimasa, Japanese shōgun (b. 1435)
  • 1504 – Ludovico II, Marquess of Saluzzo (b. 1438)
  • 1540 – Angela Merici, Italian educator and saint, founded the Company of St. Ursula (b. 1474)
  • 1592 – Gian Paolo Lomazzo, Italian painter (b. 1538)
  • 1596 – Francis Drake, English captain and explorer (b. 1540)
  • 1629 – Hieronymus Praetorius, German organist and composer (b. 1560)
  • 1638 – Gonzalo de Céspedes y Meneses, Spanish author and poet (b. 1585)
  • 1651 – Abraham Bloemaert, Dutch painter and illustrator (b. 1566)
  • 1689 – Robert Aske, English merchant and philanthropist (b. 1619)
  • 1731 – Bartolomeo Cristofori, Italian instrument maker, invented the Piano (b. 1655)
  • 1733 – Thomas Woolston, English theologian and author (b. 1669)
  • 1740 – Louis Henri, Duke of Bourbon (b. 1692)
  • 1770 – Philippe Macquer, French historian (b. 1720)
  • 1794 – Antoine Philippe de La Trémoille, French general (b. 1765)
  • 1812 – John Perkins, Anglo-Jamaican captain
  • 1814 – Johann Gottlieb Fichte, German philosopher and academic (b. 1762)
  • 1816 – Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood, English admiral and politician (b. 1724)
  • 1851 – John James Audubon, French-American ornithologist and painter (b. 1789)
  • 1860 – János Bolyai, Romanian-Hungarian mathematician and academic (b. 1802)
  • 1880 – Edward Middleton Barry, English architect and academic, co-designed the Halifax Town Hall and the Royal Opera House (b. 1830)
  • 1901 – Giuseppe Verdi, Italian composer (b. 1813)
  • 1910 – Thomas Crapper, English plumber and businessman (b. 1836)
  • 1919 – Endre Ady, Hungarian poet and journalist (b. 1877)
  • 1921 – Maurice Buckley, Australian sergeant (b. 1891)
  • 1922 – Nellie Bly, American journalist and author (b. 1864)
  • 1927 – Jurgis Matulaitis-Matulevičius, Lithuanian bishop (b. 1871)
  • 1931 – Nishinoumi Kajirō II, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 25th Yokozuna (b. 1880)
  • 1940 – Isaac Babel, Russian short story writer, journalist, and playwright (b. 1894)
  • 1942 – Kaarel Eenpalu, Estonian journalist and politician, Prime Minister of Estonia (b. 1888)
  • 1951 – Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, Finnish field marshal and politician, 6th President of Finland (b. 1867)
  • 1956 – Erich Kleiber, Austrian conductor and director (b. 1890)
  • 1961 – Bernard Friedberg, Austrian scholar and author (b. 1876)
  • 1963 – John Farrow, Australian-American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1904)
  • 1965 – Abraham Walkowitz, American painter (b. 1878)
  • 1967 – crew of Apollo 1
    • Roger B. Chaffee, American pilot, engineer, and astronaut (b. 1935)
    • Gus Grissom, American pilot and astronaut (b. 1926)
    • Ed White, American colonel, engineer, and astronaut (b. 1930)
  • 1967 – Alphonse Juin, Algerian-French general (b. 1888)
  • 1970 – Rocco D’Assunta, Italian actor, comedian and playwright (b. 1904)
  • 1971 – Jacobo Árbenz, Guatemalan captain and politician, President of Guatemala (b. 1913)
  • 1972 – Mahalia Jackson, American singer (b. 1911)
  • 1973 – William Nolde, American colonel (b. 1929)
  • 1974 – Georgios Grivas, Cypriot general (b. 1898)
  • 1975 – Bill Walsh, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1913)
  • 1983 – Louis de Funès, French actor and screenwriter (b. 1914)
  • 1986 – Lilli Palmer, German-American actress (b. 1914)
  • 1987 – Norman McLaren, Scottish-Canadian animator and director (b. 1914)
  • 1988 – Massa Makan Diabaté, Malian historian, author, and playwright (b. 1938)
  • 1989 – Thomas Sopwith, English ice hockey player and pilot (b. 1888)
  • 1993 – André the Giant, French professional wrestler and actor (b. 1946)
  • 1994 – Claude Akins, American actor (b. 1918)
  • 1996 – Ralph Yarborough, American colonel, lawyer, and politician (b. 1903)
  • 2000 – Friedrich Gulda, Austrian pianist and composer (b. 1930)
  • 2003 – Henryk Jabłoński, Polish historian and politician, President of Poland (b. 1909)
  • 2004 – Salvador Laurel, Filipino lawyer and politician, 10th Vice President of the Philippines (b. 1928)
  • 2004 – Jack Paar, American talk show host and author (b. 1918)
  • 2006 – Gene McFadden, American singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1948)
  • 2006 – Johannes Rau, German journalist and politician, 8th President of Germany (b. 1931)
  • 2007 – Yang Chuan-kwang, Taiwanese decathlete, long jumper, and hurdler (b. 1933)
  • 2008 – Suharto, Indonesian general and politician, 2nd President of Indonesia (b. 1921)
  • 2008 – Gordon B. Hinckley, American religious leader and author, 15th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (b. 1910)
  • 2008 – Louie Welch, American businessman and politician, 54th Mayor of Houston (b. 1918)
  • 2009 – John Updike, American novelist, short story writer, and critic (b. 1932)
  • 2009 – R. Venkataraman, Indian lawyer and politician, 8th President of India (b. 1910)
  • 2010 – Zelda Rubinstein, American actress (b. 1933)
  • 2010 – J. D. Salinger, American soldier and author (b. 1919)
  • 2010 – Howard Zinn, American historian, author, and activist (b. 1922)
  • 2011 – Charlie Callas, American comedian and musician (b. 1927)
  • 2012 – Greg Cook, American football player and sportscaster (b. 1946)
  • 2012 – Ted Dicks, English composer and screenwriter (b. 1928)
  • 2012 – Jeannette Hamby, American nurse and politician (b. 1933)
  • 2012 – Kevin White, American politician, 51st Mayor of Boston (b. 1929)
  • 2013 – Ivan Bodiul, Ukrainian-Russian politician (b. 1918)
  • 2013 – Stanley Karnow, American journalist and historian (b. 1925)
  • 2014 – Pete Seeger, American singer-songwriter, guitarist and activist (b. 1919)
  • 2014 – Epimaco Velasco, Filipino lawyer and politician, Governor of Cavite (b. 1935)
  • 2014 – Paul Zorner, German soldier and pilot (b. 1920)
  • 2015 – Rocky Bridges, American baseball player and coach (b. 1927)
  • 2015 – David Landau, English-Israeli journalist (b. 1947)
  • 2015 – Joseph Rotman, Canadian businessman and philanthropist (b. 1935)
  • 2015 – Charles Hard Townes, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1915)
  • 2015 – Larry Winters, American wrestler and trainer (b. 1956)
  • 2016 – Carlos Loyzaga, Filipino basketball player and coach (b. 1930)
  • 2017 – Emmanuelle Riva, French actress (b. 1927)
  • 2017 – Arthur H. Rosenfeld, American physicist (b. 1926)
  • 2018 – Ingvar Kamprad, Founder of IKEA (b. 1926)
  • 2018 – Mort Walker, American cartoonist (b. 1923)
  • 2019 – Countess Maya von Schönburg-Glauchau, German socialite (b. 1958)

Holidays and observances on January 27

  • Christian feast day:
    • Angela Merici
    • Blessed Paul Joseph Nardini
    • Devota (Monaco)
    • Enrique de Ossó y Cercelló
    • John Chrysostom (translation of relics) (Anglican, Lutheran, Eastern Orthodox)
    • Sava (Serbia)
    • January 27 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Day of the lifting of the siege of Leningrad (Russia)
  • Liberation of the remaining inmates of Auschwitz-related observances:
    • Holocaust Memorial Day (UK)
    • International Holocaust Remembrance Day
    • Memorial Day (Italy)
    • Other Holocaust Memorial Days observances

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

On This Day

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

  • 379 – Emperor Gratian elevates Flavius Theodosius at Sirmium to Augustus, and gives him authority over all the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire.
  • 649 – Conquest of Kucha: The forces of Kucha surrender after a forty-day siege led by Tang dynasty general Ashina She’er, establishing Tang control over the northern Tarim Basin in Xinjiang.
  • 1419 – Hundred Years’ War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England, completing his reconquest of Normandy.
  • 1511 – The Italian city-fortress of Mirandola surrenders to the French.
  • 1520 – Sten Sture the Younger, the Regent of Sweden, is mortally wounded at the Battle of Bogesund and dies on February 3.
  • 1607 – San Agustin Church in Manila is officially completed; it is the oldest church still standing in the Philippines.
  • 1764 – John Wilkes is expelled from the British House of Commons for seditious libel.
  • 1764 – Bolle Willum Luxdorph records in his diary that a mail bomb, possibly the world’s first, has severely injured the Danish Colonel Poulsen, residing at Børglum Abbey.
  • 1788 – The second group of ships of the First Fleet arrive at Botany Bay.
  • 1795 – The Batavian Republic is proclaimed in the Netherlands, bringing to an end the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands.
  • 1806 – Britain occupies the Dutch Cape Colony after the Battle of Blaauwberg.
  • 1817 – An army of 5,423 soldiers, led by General José de San Martín, crosses the Andes from Argentina to liberate Chile and then Peru.
  • 1829 – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s Faust: The First Part of the Tragedy receives its premiere performance.
  • 1839 – The British East India Company captures Aden.
  • 1853 – Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Il trovatore receives its premiere performance in Rome.
  • 1861 – American Civil War: Georgia joins South Carolina, Florida, Mississippi, and Alabama in declaring secession from the United States.
  • 1862 – American Civil War: Battle of Mill Springs: The Confederacy suffers its first significant defeat in the conflict.
  • 1871 – Franco-Prussian War: In the Siege of Paris, Prussia wins the Battle of St. Quentin. Meanwhile, the French attempt to break the siege in the Battle of Buzenval will end unsuccessfully the following day.
  • 1883 – The first electric lighting system employing overhead wires, built by Thomas Edison, begins service at Roselle, New Jersey.
  • 1899 – Anglo-Egyptian Sudan is formed.
  • 1915 – Georges Claude patents the neon discharge tube for use in advertising.
  • 1915 – German strategic bombing during World War I: German zeppelins bomb the towns of Great Yarmouth and King’s Lynn in the United Kingdom killing at least 20 people, in the first major aerial bombardment of a civilian target.
  • 1917 – Silvertown explosion: A blast at a munitions factory in London kills 73 and injures over 400. The resulting fire causes over £2,000,000 worth of damage.
  • 1920 – The United States Senate votes against joining the League of Nations.
  • 1920 – The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is founded.
  • 1937 – Howard Hughes sets a new air record by flying from Los Angeles to New York City in 7 hours, 28 minutes, 25 seconds.
  • 1940 – You Nazty Spy!, the first Hollywood film of any kind to satirize Adolf Hitler and the Nazis premieres, starring The Three Stooges, with Moe Howard as the character “Moe Hailstone” satirizing Hitler.
  • 1941 – World War II: HMS Greyhound and other escorts of convoy AS-12 sink Italian submarine Neghelli with all hands 40 miles (64 km) northeast of Falkonera.
  • 1942 – World War II: The Japanese conquest of Burma begins.
  • 1945 – World War II: Soviet forces liberate the Łódź Ghetto. Of more than 200,000 inhabitants in 1940, less than 900 had survived the Nazi occupation.
  • 1946 – General Douglas MacArthur establishes the International Military Tribunal for the Far East in Tokyo to try Japanese war criminals.
  • 1953 – Almost 72 percent of all television sets in the United States are tuned into I Love Lucy to watch Lucy give birth.
  • 1960 – Japan and the United States sign the US–Japan Mutual Security Treaty
  • 1969 – Student Jan Palach dies after setting himself on fire three days earlier in Prague’s Wenceslas Square to protest about the invasion of Czechoslovakia by the Soviet Union in 1968. His funeral turns into another major protest.
  • 1974 – China gains control over all the Paracel Islands after a military engagement between the naval forces of China and South Vietnam
  • 1977 – President Gerald Ford pardons Iva Toguri D’Aquino (a.k.a. “Tokyo Rose”).
  • 1978 – The last Volkswagen Beetle made in Germany leaves VW’s plant in Emden. Beetle production in Latin America continues until 2003.
  • 1981 – Iran hostage crisis: United States and Iranian officials sign an agreement to release 52 American hostages after 14 months of captivity.
  • 1983 – Nazi war criminal Klaus Barbie is arrested in Bolivia.
  • 1983 – The Apple Lisa, the first commercial personal computer from Apple Inc. to have a graphical user interface and a computer mouse, is announced.
  • 1986 – The first IBM PC computer virus is released into the wild. A boot sector virus dubbed (c)Brain, it was created by the Farooq Alvi Brothers in Lahore, Pakistan, reportedly to deter unauthorized copying of the software they had written.
  • 1991 – Gulf War: Iraq fires a second Scud missile into Israel, causing 15 injuries.
  • 1993 – Czech Republic and Slovakia join the United Nations.
  • 1995 – After being struck by lightning the crew of Bristow Flight 56C are forced to ditch. All 18 aboard are later rescued.
  • 1996 – The barge North Cape oil spill occurs as an engine fire forces the tugboat Scandia ashore on Moonstone Beach in South Kingstown, Rhode Island.
  • 1997 – Yasser Arafat returns to Hebron after more than 30 years and joins celebrations over the handover of the last Israeli-controlled West Bank city.
  • 1999 – British Aerospace agrees to acquire the defence subsidiary of the General Electric Company plc, forming BAE Systems in November 1999.
  • 2007 – Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink is assassinated in front of his newspaper’s Istanbul office by 17-year-old Turkish ultra-nationalist Ogün Samast.
  • 2007 – Four-man Team N2i, using only skis and kites, completes a 1,093-mile (1,759 km) trek to reach the Antarctic pole of inaccessibility for the first time since 1965 and for the first time ever without mechanical assistance.
  • 2012 – The Hong Kong-based file-sharing website Megaupload is shut down by the FBI.
  • 2014 – A bomb attack on an army convoy in the city of Bannu kills at least 26 Pakistani soldiers and injures 38 others.

Births on January 19

  • 399 – Pulcheria, Byzantine empress and saint (d. 453)
  • 1200 – Dōgen Zenji, founder of Sōtō Zen (d. 1253)
  • 1544 – Francis II of France (d. 1560)
  • 1617 – Lucas Faydherbe, Flemish sculptor and architect (d. 1697)
  • 1628 – Charles Stanley, 8th Earl of Derby, English noble (d. 1672)
  • 1676 – John Weldon, English organist and composer (d. 1736)
  • 1721 – Jean-Philippe Baratier, German scholar and author (d. 1740)
  • 1736 – James Watt, Scottish-English chemist and engineer (d. 1819)
  • 1737 – Giuseppe Millico, Italian soprano, composer, and educator (d. 1802)
  • 1739 – Joseph Bonomi the Elder, Italian architect, designed Longford Hall and Barrells Hall (d. 1808)
  • 1752 – James Morris III, American captain (d. 1820)
  • 1757 – Countess Augusta Reuss of Ebersdorf (d. 1831)
  • 1788 – Pavel Kiselyov, Russian general and politician (d. 1874)
  • 1790 – Per Daniel Amadeus Atterbom, Swedish poet and academic (d. 1855)
  • 1798 – Auguste Comte, French economist, sociologist, and philosopher (d. 1857)
  • 1807 – Robert E. Lee, American general and academic (d. 1870)
  • 1808 – Lysander Spooner, American philosopher and author (d. 1887)
  • 1809 – Edgar Allan Poe, American short story writer, poet, and critic (d. 1849)
  • 1810 – Talhaiarn, Welsh poet and architect (d.1869)
  • 1813 – Henry Bessemer, English engineer and businessman (d. 1898)
  • 1832 – Ferdinand Laub, Czech violinist and composer (d. 1875)
  • 1833 – Alfred Clebsch, German mathematician and academic (d. 1872)
  • 1839 – Paul Cézanne, French painter (d. 1906)
  • 1848 – Arturo Graf, Italian poet, of German ancestry (d. 1913).
  • 1848 – John Fitzwilliam Stairs, Canadian businessman and politician (d. 1904)
  • 1848 – Matthew Webb, English swimmer and diver (d. 1883)
  • 1851 – Jacobus Kapteyn, Dutch astronomer and academic (d. 1922)
  • 1852 – Thomas Price, Welsh-Australian politician, 24th Premier of South Australia (d. 1909)
  • 1863 – Werner Sombart, German economist and sociologist (d. 1941)
  • 1866 – Harry Davenport, American stage and film actor (d. 1949)
  • 1871 – Dame Gruev, Bulgarian educator and activist, co-founded the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (d. 1906)
  • 1874 – Hitachiyama Taniemon, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 19th Yokozuna (d. 1922)
  • 1876 – Wakashima Gonshirō, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 21st Yokozuna (d. 1943)
  • 1876 – Dragotin Kette, Slovenian poet and author (d. 1899)
  • 1878 – Herbert Chapman, English footballer and manager (d. 1934)
  • 1879 – Boris Savinkov, Russian soldier and author (d. 1925)
  • 1882 – John Cain Sr., Australian politician, 34th Premier of Victoria (d. 1957)
  • 1883 – Hermann Abendroth, German conductor (d. 1956)
  • 1887 – Alexander Woollcott, American actor, playwright, and critic (d. 1943)
  • 1889 – Sophie Taeuber-Arp, Swiss painter and sculptor (d. 1943)
  • 1892 – Ólafur Thors, Icelandic lawyer and politician, 8th Prime Minister of Iceland (d. 1964)
  • 1893 – Magda Tagliaferro, Brazilian pianist and educator (d. 1986)
  • 1903 – Boris Blacher, German composer and playwright (d. 1975)
  • 1905 – Stanley Hawes, English-Australian director and producer (d. 1991)
  • 1907 – Briggs Cunningham, American race car driver, sailor, and businessman (d. 2003)
  • 1908 – Ish Kabibble, American comedian and cornet player (d. 1994)
  • 1908 – Aleksandr Gennadievich Kurosh, Russian mathematician and theorist (d. 1971)
  • 1911 – Choor Singh, Indian-Singaporean lawyer and judge (d. 2009)
  • 1912 – Leonid Kantorovich, Russian mathematician and economist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1986)
  • 1913 – Rex Ingamells, Australian author and poet (d. 1955)
  • 1913 – Rudolf Wanderone, American professional pocket billiards player (d. 1996)
  • 1918 – John H. Johnson, American publisher, founded the Johnson Publishing Company (d. 2005)
  • 1920 – Bernard Dunstan, English painter and educator (d. 2017)
  • 1920 – Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, Peruvian politician and diplomat, 135th Prime Minister of Peru (d. 2020)
  • 1921 – Patricia Highsmith, American novelist and short story writer (d. 1995)
  • 1922 – Arthur Morris, Australian cricketer and journalist (d. 2015)
  • 1922 – Miguel Muñoz, Spanish footballer and manager (d. 1990)
  • 1923 – Jean Stapleton, American actress and singer (d. 2013)
  • 1924 – Nicholas Colasanto, American actor and director (d. 1985)
  • 1924 – Jean-François Revel, French philosopher (d. 2006)
  • 1925 – Nina Bawden, English author (d. 2012)
  • 1926 – Hans Massaquoi, German-American journalist and author (d. 2013)
  • 1926 – Fritz Weaver, American actor (d. 2016)
  • 1930 – Tippi Hedren, American model, actress, and animal rights-welfare activist
  • 1930 – John Waite, South African cricketer (d. 2011)
  • 1931 – Robert MacNeil, Canadian-American journalist and author
  • 1932 – Russ Hamilton, English singer-songwriter (d. 2008)
  • 1932 – Richard Lester, American-English director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1932 – Harry Lonsdale, American chemist, businessman, and politician (d. 2014)
  • 1933 – George Coyne, American priest, astronomer, and theologian
  • 1935 – Johnny O’Keefe, Australian singer-songwriter (d. 1978)
  • 1936 – Ziaur Rahman, Bangladeshi general and politician, 7th President of Bangladesh (d. 1981)
  • 1936 – Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, American singer, harmonica player, and drummer (d. 2011)
  • 1936 – Fred J. Lincoln, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2013)
  • 1937 – John Lions, Australian computer scientist and academic (d. 1998)
  • 1939 – Phil Everly, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2014)
  • 1940 – Paolo Borsellino, Italian lawyer and judge (d. 1992)
  • 1940 – Mike Reid, English comedian, actor, and author (d. 2007)
  • 1941 – Colin Gunton, English theologian and academic (d. 2003)
  • 1941 – Pat Patterson, Canadian wrestler, trainer, and referee
  • 1942 – Michael Crawford, English actor and singer
  • 1942 – Paul-Eerik Rummo, Estonian poet and politician
  • 1943 – Larry Clark, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1943 – Janis Joplin, American singer-songwriter (d. 1970)
  • 1943 – Princess Margriet of the Netherlands
  • 1944 – Shelley Fabares, American actress and singer
  • 1944 – Thom Mayne, American architect and academic, designed the San Francisco Federal Building and Phare Tower
  • 1944 – Dan Reeves, American football player and coach
  • 1945 – Trevor Williams, English singer-songwriter and bass player
  • 1946 – Julian Barnes, English novelist, short story writer, essayist, and critic
  • 1946 – Dolly Parton, American singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1947 – Frank Aarebrot, Norwegian political scientist and academic (d. 2017)
  • 1947 – Paula Deen, American chef and author
  • 1947 – Rod Evans, English singer-songwriter
  • 1948 – Nancy Lynch, American computer scientist and academic
  • 1948 – Frank McKenna, Canadian politician and diplomat, 27th Premier of New Brunswick
  • 1948 – Mal Reilly, English rugby league player and coach
  • 1949 – Arend Langenberg, Dutch voice actor and radio host (d. 2012)
  • 1949 – Robert Palmer, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2003)
  • 1950 – Sébastien Dhavernas, Canadian actor
  • 1951 – Martha Davis, American singer
  • 1952 – Dewey Bunnell, British-American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1952 – Nadiuska, German television actress
  • 1952 – Bruce Jay Nelson, American computer scientist (d. 1999)
  • 1953 – Desi Arnaz, Jr., American actor and singer
  • 1953 – Richard Legendre, Canadian tennis player and politician
  • 1953 – Wayne Schimmelbusch, Australian footballer and coach
  • 1954 – Katey Sagal, American actress and singer
  • 1954 – Cindy Sherman, American photographer and director
  • 1954 – Esther Shkalim, Israeli poet and Mizrahi feminist
  • 1955 – Paul Rodriguez, Mexican-American comedian and actor
  • 1956 – Carman, American singer-songwriter, actor, and television host
  • 1956 – Susan Solomon, American atmospheric chemist
  • 1957 – Ottis Anderson, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1957 – Roger Ashton-Griffiths, English actor, screenwriter and film director
  • 1957 – Kenneth McClintock, Puerto Rican public servant and politician, 22nd Secretary of State of Puerto Rico
  • 1958 – Thomas Kinkade, American painter (d. 2012)
  • 1959 – Danese Cooper, American computer scientist and programmer
  • 1959 – Jeff Pilson, American bass player, songwriter, and actor
  • 1961 – William Ragsdale, American actor
  • 1961 – Wayne Hemingway, English fashion designer, co-founded Red or Dead
  • 1962 – Hans Daams, Dutch cyclist
  • 1962 – Chris Sabo, American baseball player and coach
  • 1962 – Jeff Van Gundy, American basketball player and coach
  • 1963 – Michael Adams, American basketball player and coach
  • 1963 – Martin Bashir, English journalist
  • 1963 – John Bercow, English politician, Speaker of the House of Commons
  • 1964 – Janine Antoni, Bahamian sculptor and photographer
  • 1964 – Ricardo Arjona, Guatemalan singer-songwriter and basketball player
  • 1966 – Sylvain Côté, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1966 – Stefan Edberg, Swedish tennis player and coach
  • 1966 – Lena Philipsson, Swedish singer-songwriter
  • 1968 – David Bartlett, Australian politician, 43rd Premier of Tasmania
  • 1968 – Whitfield Crane, American singer-songwriter
  • 1969 – Edwidge Danticat, Haitian-American novelist and short story writer
  • 1969 – Luc Longley, Australian basketball player and coach
  • 1969 – Predrag Mijatović, Montenegrin footballer and manager
  • 1969 – Junior Seau, American football player (d. 2012)
  • 1969 – Steve Staunton, Irish footballer and manager
  • 1970 – Steffen Freund, German footballer defensive midfielder and manager
  • 1970 – Kathleen Smet, Belgian triathlete
  • 1970 – Udo Suzuki, Japanese comedian and singer
  • 1971 – Phil Nevin, American baseball player
  • 1971 – Shawn Wayans, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1971 – John Wozniak, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1972 – Ron Killings, American wrestler and rapper
  • 1972 – Troy Wilson, Australian footballer and race car driver
  • 1972 – Sergei Zjukin, Estonian chess player and coach
  • 1972 – Yoon Hae-young, South Korean actress
  • 1973 – Antero Manninen, Finnish cellist
  • 1973 – Yevgeny Sadovyi, Russian swimmer and coach
  • 1974 – Dainius Adomaitis, Lithuanian basketball player and coach
  • 1974 – Frank Caliendo, American comedian, actor, and screenwriter
  • 1974 – Ian Laperrière, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1974 – Jaime Moreno, Bolivian footballer and manager
  • 1975 – Natalie Cook, Australian volleyball player
  • 1975 – Zdeňka Málková, Czech tennis player
  • 1976 – Natale Gonnella, Italian footballer
  • 1976 – Tarso Marques, Brazilian race car driver
  • 1977 – Benjamin Ayres, Canadian actor, director, and photographer
  • 1979 – Svetlana Khorkina, Russian gymnast and sportscaster
  • 1979 – Josu Sarriegi, Spanish footballer
  • 1979 – Wiley, English rapper and producer
  • 1980 – Jenson Button, English race car driver
  • 1980 – Pasha Kovalev, Russian-American dancer and choreographer
  • 1980 – Luke Macfarlane, Canadian-American actor and singer
  • 1980 – Arvydas Macijauskas, Lithuanian basketball player
  • 1980 – Michael Vandort, Sri Lankan cricketer
  • 1981 – Paolo Bugia, Filipino basketball player
  • 1981 – Asier del Horno, Spanish footballer
  • 1981 – Lucho González, Argentinian footballer
  • 1982 – Pete Buttigieg, American politician
  • 1982 – Mike Komisarek, American ice hockey player
  • 1982 – Jodie Sweetin, American actress and singer
  • 1982 – Shane Tronc, Australian rugby league player
  • 1982 – Kim Yoo-suk, South Korean pole vaulter
  • 1982 – Robin tom Rink, German singer-songwriter
  • 1983 – Hikaru Utada, American-Japanese singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1984 – Fabio Catacchini, Italian footballer
  • 1984 – Karun Chandhok, Indian race car driver
  • 1984 – Jimmy Kébé, Malian footballer
  • 1984 – Thomas Vanek, Austrian ice hockey player
  • 1985 – Jake Allen, American football player
  • 1985 – Pascal Behrenbruch, German decathlete
  • 1985 – Benny Feilhaber, American soccer player
  • 1985 – Esteban Guerrieri, Argentinian race car driver
  • 1985 – Rika Ishikawa, Japanese singer and actress
  • 1985 – Elliott Ward, English footballer
  • 1985 – Aleksandr Yevgenyevich Nikulin, Russian footballer
  • 1986 – Claudio Marchisio, Italian footballer
  • 1986 – Oleksandr Miroshnychenko, Ukrainian footballer
  • 1986 – Moussa Sow, Senegalese footballer
  • 1987 – Edgar Manucharyan, Armenian footballer
  • 1988 – JaVale McGee, American basketball player
  • 1988 – Tyler Breeze, Canadian wrestler
  • 1990 – Tatiana Búa, Argentine tennis player
  • 1991 – Petra Martić, Croatian tennis player
  • 1991 – Erin Sanders, American actress
  • 1992 – Shawn Johnson, American gymnast
  • 1992 – Logan Lerman, American actor
  • 1992 – Mac Miller, American rapper (d. 2018)
  • 1993 – Erick Torres Padilla, Mexican footballer
  • 1994 – Matthias Ginter, German footballer
  • 1994 – Alfie Mawson, English footballer, centre back

Deaths on January 19

  • 520 – John of Cappadocia, patriarch of Constantinople
  • 639 – Dagobert I, Frankish king (b. 603)
  • 914 – García I, king of León
  • 1003 – Kilian of Cologne, Irish abbot
  • 1302 – Al-Hakim I, caliph of Cairo
  • 1401 – Robert Bealknap, British justice
  • 1526 – Isabella of Austria, Danish queen (b. 1501)
  • 1547 – Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, English poet (b. 1516)
  • 1565 – Diego Laynez, Spanish Jesuit theologian (b. 1512)
  • 1571 – Paris Bordone, Venetian painter (b. 1495)
  • 1576 – Hans Sachs, German poet and playwright (b. 1494)
  • 1636 – Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger, Flemish painter (b.1561)
  • 1661 – Thomas Venner, English rebel leader (b. 1599)
  • 1729 – William Congreve, English playwright and poet (b. 1670)
  • 1755 – Jean-Pierre Christin, French physicist, mathematician, and astronomer (b. 1683)
  • 1757 – Thomas Ruddiman, Scottish scholar and academic (b. 1674)
  • 1766 – Giovanni Niccolò Servandoni, Italian-French architect and painter (b. 1695)
  • 1785 – Jonathan Toup, English scholar and critic (b. 1713)
  • 1833 – Ferdinand Hérold, French pianist and composer (b. 1791)
  • 1847 – Charles Bent, American soldier and politician, 1st Governor of New Mexico (b. 1799)
  • 1847 – Athanasios Christopoulos, Greek poet (b. 1772)
  • 1851 – Esteban Echeverría, Argentinian poet and author (b. 1805)
  • 1853 – Karl Faber, German historian and academic (b. 1773)
  • 1865 – Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, French philosopher and politician (b. 1809)
  • 1869 – Carl Reichenbach, German chemist and philosopher (b. 1788)
  • 1874 – August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben, German poet and scholar (b. 1798)
  • 1878 – Henri Victor Regnault, French physicist and chemist (b. 1810)
  • 1905 – Debendranath Tagore, Indian philosopher and author (b. 1817)
  • 1906 – Bartolomé Mitre, Argentinian historian and politician, 6th President of Argentina (b. 1821)
  • 1908 – Roberto Bompiani, Italian painter and sculptor (b. 1821)
  • 1929 – Liang Qichao, Chinese journalist, philosopher, and scholar (b. 1873)
  • 1930 – Frank P. Ramsey, British mathematician, philosopher and economist (b. 1903)
  • 1938 – Branislav Nušić, Serbian author, playwright, and journalist (b. 1864)
  • 1945 – Gustave Mesny, French general (b. 1886)
  • 1948 – Tony Garnier, French architect and urban planner, designed the Stade de Gerland (b. 1869)
  • 1954 – Theodor Kaluza, German mathematician and physicist (b. 1885)
  • 1957 – József Dudás, Romanian-Hungarian activist and politician (b. 1912)
  • 1963 – Clement Smoot, American golfer (b. 1884)
  • 1964 – Firmin Lambot, Belgian cyclist (b. 1886)
  • 1965 – Arnold Luhaäär, Estonian weightlifter (b. 1905)
  • 1968 – Ray Harroun, American race car driver and engineer (b. 1879)
  • 1972 – Michael Rabin, American violinist (b. 1936)
  • 1973 – Max Adrian, Irish-English actor (b. 1903)
  • 1975 – Thomas Hart Benton, American painter and educator (b. 1889)
  • 1976 – Hidetsugu Yagi, Japanese engineer and academic (b. 1886)
  • 1979 – Moritz Jahn, German novelist and poet (b. 1884)
  • 1980 – William O. Douglas, American lawyer and jurist (b. 1898)
  • 1981 – Francesca Woodman, American photographer (b. 1958)
  • 1982 – Elis Regina, Brazilian soprano (b. 1945)
  • 1984 – Max Bentley, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1920)
  • 1987 – Lawrence Kohlberg, American psychologist and academic (b. 1927)
  • 1990 – Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, Indian guru and mystic (b. 1931)
  • 1990 – Alberto Semprini, English pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1908)
  • 1990 – Herbert Wehner, German politician, 6th Minister of Intra-German Relations (b. 1906)
  • 1991 – Marcel Chaput, Canadian biochemist and journalist (b. 1918)
  • 1995 – Gene MacLellan, Canadian singer-songwriter (b. 1938)
  • 1996 – Don Simpson, American actor, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1943)
  • 1997 – James Dickey, American poet and novelist (b. 1923)
  • 1998 – Carl Perkins, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1932)
  • 1999 – Ivan Francescato, Italian rugby player (b. 1967)
  • 2000 – Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum, Bahá’í Hand of the Cause of God and wife of Shoghi Effendi (b. 1910)
  • 2000 – Bettino Craxi, Italian lawyer and politician, 45th Prime Minister of Italy (b. 1934)
  • 2000 – Hedy Lamarr, Austrian-American actress, singer, and mathematician (b. 1913)
  • 2001 – Dario Vittori, Italian-Argentinian actor and producer (b. 1921)
  • 2002 – Vavá, Brazilian footballer and manager (b. 1934)
  • 2003 – Milton Flores, Honduran footballer (b. 1974)
  • 2003 – Françoise Giroud, French journalist, screenwriter, and politician, French Minister of Culture (b. 1916)
  • 2004 – Harry E. Claiborne, American lawyer and judge (b. 1917)
  • 2004 – David Hookes, Australian cricketer and coach (b. 1955)
  • 2005 – K. Sello Duiker, South African author and screenwriter (b. 1974)
  • 2006 – Anthony Franciosa, American actor (b. 1928)
  • 2006 – Wilson Pickett, American singer-songwriter (b. 1941)
  • 2006 – Awn Alsharif Qasim, Sudanese author and scholar (b. 1933)
  • 2006 – Geoff Rabone, New Zealand cricketer and pilot (b. 1921)
  • 2007 – Hrant Dink, Turkish-Armenian journalist and activist (b. 1954)
  • 2007 – Denny Doherty, Canadian singer-songwriter (b. 1940)
  • 2007 – Murat Nasyrov, Russian singer-songwriter (b. 1969)
  • 2008 – Suzanne Pleshette, American actress (b. 1937)
  • 2008 – John Stewart, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1939)
  • 2008 – Don Wittman, Canadian sportscaster (b. 1936)
  • 2010 – Bill McLaren, Scottish rugby player and sportscaster (b. 1923)
  • 2012 – Peter Åslin, Swedish ice hockey player (b. 1962)
  • 2012 – Sarah Burke, Canadian skier (b. 1982)
  • 2012 – Winston Riley, Jamaican singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1943)
  • 2012 – Rudi van Dantzig, Dutch ballet dancer and choreographer (b. 1933)
  • 2013 – Taihō Kōki, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 48th Yokozuna (b. 1940)
  • 2013 – Stan Musial, American baseball player and manager (b. 1920)
  • 2013 – Frank Pooler, American conductor and composer (b. 1926)
  • 2013 – Earl Weaver, American baseball player and manager (b. 1930)
  • 2013 – Toktamış Ateş, Turkish academician, political commentator, columnist and writer (b. 1944)
  • 2014 – Azaria Alon, Ukrainian-Israeli environmentalist, co-founded the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (b. 1918)
  • 2014 – Christopher Chataway, English runner, journalist, and politician (b. 1931)
  • 2015 – Justin Capră, Romanian engineer and academic (b. 1933)
  • 2015 – Michel Guimond, Canadian lawyer and politician (b. 1953)
  • 2015 – Ward Swingle, American-French singer-songwriter and conductor (b. 1927)
  • 2016 – Richard Levins, American ecologist and geneticist (b. 1930)
  • 2016 – Ettore Scola, Italian director and screenwriter (b. 1931)
  • 2016 – Sheila Sim, English actress (b. 1922)
  • 2017 – Miguel Ferrer, American actor (b. 1955)

Holidays and observances on January 19

  • Birthday of Edgar Allan Poe (commemorated by the Poe Toaster at his grave in Baltimore)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Bassianus of Lodi
    • Henry of Uppsala
    • Marius, Martha, Audifax, and Abachum
    • Mark of Ephesus (Eastern Orthodox Church)
    • Pontianus of Spoleto
    • Wulfstan, Bishop of Worcester
    • January 19 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Confederate Heroes Day (Texas), and its related observance:
    • Robert E. Lee Day (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi)
  • Feast of Sultán (Sovereignty), first day of the 17th month of the Bahá’í calendar (Bahá’í Faith) (only if Nowruz falls on March 21, otherwise the dates shifts)
  • Husband’s Day (Iceland)
  • Kokborok Day (Tripura, India)
  • Theophany / Epiphany (Eastern and Oriental Orthodoxy), and its related observances:
    • Timkat, or 20 during Leap Year (Ethiopian Orthodox)
    • Vodici or Baptism of Jesus (North Macedonia)

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