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Monday

May 31- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day, Uncategorized /
  • 455 – Emperor Petronius Maximus is stoned to death by an angry mob while fleeing Rome.
  • 1223 – Mongol invasion of the Cumans: Battle of the Kalka River: Mongol armies of Genghis Khan led by Subutai defeat Kievan Rus’ and Cumans.
  • 1293 – Mongol invasion of Java was a punitive expedition against King Kertanegara of Singhasari, who had refused to pay tribute to the Yuan and maimed one of its ministers. However, it ended with failure for the Mongols. Regarded as establish City of Surabaya
  • 1578 – King Henry III lays the first stone of the Pont Neuf (New Bridge), the oldest bridge of Paris, France.
  • 1669 – Citing poor eyesight as a reason, Samuel Pepys records the last event in his diary.
  • 1775 – American Revolution: The Mecklenburg Resolves are adopted in the Province of North Carolina.
  • 1790 – Manuel Quimper explores the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
  • 1790 – The United States enacts its first copyright statute, the Copyright Act of 1790.
  • 1795 – French Revolution: The Revolutionary Tribunal is suppressed.
  • 1805 – French and Spanish forces begin the assault against British forces occupying Diamond Rock.
  • 1813 – In Australia, William Lawson, Gregory Blaxland and William Wentworth reach Mount Blaxland, effectively marking the end of a route across the Blue Mountains.
  • 1859 – The clock tower at the Houses of Parliament, which houses Big Ben, starts keeping time.
  • 1862 – American Civil War: Peninsula Campaign: Confederate forces under Joseph E. Johnston and G.W. Smith engage Union forces under George B. McClellan outside Richmond, Virginia.
  • 1864 – American Civil War: Overland Campaign: Battle of Cold Harbor: The Army of Northern Virginia engages the Army of the Potomac.
  • 1879 – Gilmore’s Garden in New York City is renamed Madison Square Garden by William Henry Vanderbilt and is opened to the public at 26th Street and Madison Avenue.
  • 1884 – The arrival at Plymouth of Tāwhiao, King of Maoris, to claim the protection of Queen Victoria.
  • 1889 – Johnstown Flood: Over 2,200 people die after a dam fails and sends a 60-foot (18-meter) wall of water over the town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
  • 1902 – Second Boer War: The Treaty of Vereeniging ends the war and ensures British control of South Africa.
  • 1909 – The National Negro Committee, forerunner to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), convenes for the first time.
  • 1910 – The South Africa Act comes into force, establishing the Union of South Africa.
  • 1911 – The RMS Titanic is launched in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
  • 1911 – The President of Mexico Porfirio Díaz flees the country during the Mexican Revolution.
  • 1916 – World War I: Battle of Jutland: The British Grand Fleet engages the High Seas Fleet in the largest naval battle of the war, which proves indecisive.
  • 1921 – The Tulsa race massacre kills at least 39, but other estimates of black fatalities vary from 55 to about 300.
  • 1935 – A 7.7 Mw  earthquake destroys Quetta in modern-day Pakistan killing 40,000.
  • 1941 – Anglo-Iraqi War: The United Kingdom completes the re-occupation of Iraq and returns ‘Abd al-Ilah to power as regent for Faisal II.
  • 1942 – World War II: Imperial Japanese Navy midget submarines begin a series of attacks on Sydney, Australia.
  • 1947 – Ferenc Nagy, the democratically elected Prime Minister of Hungary, resigns from office after blackmail from the Hungarian Communist Party accusing him of being part of a plot against the state. This grants the Communists effective control of the Hungarian government.
  • 1961 – The South African Constitution of 1961 becomes effective, thus creating the Republic of South Africa, which remains outside the Commonwealth of Nations until 1 June 1994, when South Africa is returned to Commonwealth membership.
  • 1961 – In Moscow City Court, the Rokotov–Faibishenko show trial begins, despite the Khrushchev Thaw to reverse Stalinist elements in Soviet society.
  • 1962 – The West Indies Federation dissolves.
  • 1970 – The 7.9 Mw  Ancash earthquake shakes Peru with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe) and a landslide buries the town of Yungay, Peru. Between 66,794–70,000 were killed and 50,000 were injured.
  • 1971 – In accordance with the Uniform Monday Holiday Act passed by the U.S. Congress in 1968, observation of Memorial Day occurs on the last Monday in May for the first time, rather than on the traditional Memorial Day of May 30.
  • 1973 – The United States Senate votes to cut off funding for the bombing of Khmer Rouge targets within Cambodia, hastening the end of the Cambodian Civil War.
  • 1977 – The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System is completed.
  • 1985 – United States–Canada tornado outbreak: Forty-one tornadoes hit Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Ontario, leaving 76 dead.
  • 1991 – Bicesse Accords in Angola lay out a transition to multi-party democracy under the supervision of the United Nations’ UNAVEM II mission.
  • 2005 – Vanity Fair reveals that Mark Felt was “Deep Throat”.
  • 2008 – Usain Bolt breaks the world record in the 100m sprint, with a wind-legal (+1.7 m/s) 9.72 seconds
  • 2010 – Israeli Shayetet 13 commandos boarded the Gaza Freedom Flotilla while still in international waters trying to break the ongoing blockade of the Gaza Strip; nine Turkish citizens on the flotilla were killed in the ensuing violent affray.
  • 2013 – The asteroid 1998 QE2 and its moon make their closest approach to Earth for the next two centuries.
  • 2013 – A record breaking 2.6 mile wide tornado strikes El Reno, Oklahoma, United States, causing eight fatalities and over 150 injuries.
  • 2017 – A car bomb explodes in a crowded intersection in Kabul near the German embassy during rush hour, killing over 90 and injuring 463.
  • 2017 – U.S. President Donald Trump tweets the word “covfefe” and quickly becomes a worldwide viral phenomenon.
  • 2019 – A shooting occurs inside a municipal building at Virginia Beach, Virginia, leaving 13 people dead, including the shooter, and four others injured.

Births on May 31

  • 1443 (or 1441) – Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby (d. 1509)
  • 1462 – Philipp II, Count of Hanau-Lichtenberg (d. 1504)
  • 1469 – Manuel I of Portugal (d. 1521)
  • 1535 – Alessandro Allori, Italian painter (d. 1607)
  • 1556 – Jerzy Radziwiłł, Catholic cardinal (d. 1600)
  • 1577 – Nur Jahan, Empress consort of the Mughal Empire (d. 1645)
  • 1613 – John George II, Elector of Saxony (d. 1680)
  • 1640 – Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki, King of Poland (d. 1673)
  • 1641 – Patriarch Dositheos II of Jerusalem (d. 1707)
  • 1725 – Ahilyabai Holkar, Queen of the Malwa Kingdom under the Maratha Empire (d. 1795)
  • 1732 – Count Hieronymus von Colloredo, Austrian archbishop (d. 1812)
  • 1753 – Pierre Victurnien Vergniaud, French lawyer and politician (d. 1793)
  • 1754 – Andrea Appiani, Italian painter and educator (d. 1817)
  • 1773 – Ludwig Tieck, German poet, author, and critic (d. 1853)
  • 1801 – Johann Georg Baiter, Swiss philologist and scholar (d. 1887)
  • 1815 – Adye Douglas, English-Australian cricketer and politician, 15th Premier of Tasmania (d. 1906)
  • 1818 – John Albion Andrew, American lawyer and politician, 25th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1867)
  • 1819 – Walt Whitman, American poet, essayist, and journalist (d. 1892)
  • 1827 – Kusumoto Ine, first Japanese female doctor of Western medicine (d. 1903)
  • 1835 – Hijikata Toshizō, Japanese commander (d. 1869)
  • 1838 – Henry Sidgwick, English economist and philosopher (d. 1900)
  • 1842 – John Cox Bray, Australian politician, 15th Premier of South Australia (d. 1894)
  • 1847 – William Pirrie, 1st Viscount Pirrie, Canadian-Irish businessman and politician, Lord Mayor of Belfast (d. 1924)
  • 1852 – Francisco Moreno, Argentinian explorer and academic (d. 1919)
  • 1852 – Julius Richard Petri, German microbiologist, invented the Petri dish (d. 1921)
  • 1857 – Pope Pius XI (d. 1939)
  • 1858 – Graham Wallas, English socialist, social psychologist, and educationalist (d. 1932)
  • 1860 – Walter Sickert, English painter (d. 1942)
  • 1863 – Francis Younghusband, Indian-English captain and explorer (d. 1942)
  • 1866 – John Ringling, American entrepreneur; one of the founders of the Ringling Brothers Circus (d. 1936)
  • 1875 – Rosa May Billinghurst, British suffragette and women’s rights activist (d.1953)
  • 1879 – Frances Alda, New Zealand-Australian soprano (d. 1952)
  • 1882 – Sándor Festetics, Hungarian politician, Hungarian Minister of War (d. 1956)
  • 1883 – Lauri Kristian Relander, Finnish politician, 2nd President of Finland (d. 1942)
  • 1885 – Robert Richards, Australian politician, 32nd Premier of South Australia (d. 1967)
  • 1887 – Saint-John Perse, French poet and diplomat, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1975)
  • 1892 – Michel Kikoine, Belarusian-French painter (d. 1968)
  • 1892 – Erich Neumann, German lieutenant and politician (d. 1951)
  • 1892 – Konstantin Paustovsky, Russian poet and author (d. 1968)
  • 1892 – Gregor Strasser, German lieutenant and politician (d. 1934)
  • 1894 – Fred Allen, American comedian, radio host, game show panelist, and author (d. 1956)
  • 1898 – Norman Vincent Peale, American minister and author (d. 1993)
  • 1900 – Lucile Godbold, American Olympic athlete (d. 1981)
  • 1901 – Alfredo Antonini, Italian-American conductor and composer (d. 1983)
  • 1908 – Don Ameche, American actor (d. 1993)
  • 1909 – Art Coulter, Canadian-American ice hockey player (d. 2000)
  • 1911 – Maurice Allais, French economist and physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2010)
  • 1912 – Chien-Shiung Wu, Chinese-American experimental physicist (d. 1997)
  • 1914 – Akira Ifukube, Japanese composer and educator (d. 2006)
  • 1916 – Bert Haanstra, Dutch director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1997)
  • 1918 – Robert Osterloh, American actor (d. 2001)
  • 1918 – Lloyd Quarterman, African American chemist (d. 1982)
  • 1919 – Robie Macauley, American editor, novelist and critic (d. 1995)
  • 1921 – Edna Doré, English actress (d. 2014)
  • 1921 – Andrew Grima, Anglo-Italian jewellery designer (d. 2007)
  • 1921 – Howard Reig, American radio and television announcer (d. 2008)
  • 1921 – Alida Valli, Austrian-Italian actress and singer (d. 2006)
  • 1922 – Denholm Elliott, English-Spanish actor (d. 1992)
  • 1923 – Ellsworth Kelly, American painter and sculptor (d. 2015)
  • 1923 – Rainier III, Prince of Monaco (d. 2005)
  • 1925 – Julian Beck, American actor and director (d. 1986)
  • 1927 – James Eberle, English admiral (d. 2018)
  • 1927 – Michael Sandberg, Baron Sandberg, English lieutenant and banker (d. 2017)
  • 1928 – Pankaj Roy, Indian cricketer (d. 2001)
  • 1929 – Menahem Golan, Israeli director and producer (d. 2014)
  • 1930 – Clint Eastwood, American actor, director, musician, and producer
  • 1931 – John Robert Schrieffer, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2019)
  • 1931 – Shirley Verrett, American soprano and actress (d. 2010)
  • 1932 – Ed Lincoln, Brazilian pianist, bassist, and composer (d. 2012)
  • 1932 – Jay Miner, American computer scientist and engineer (d. 1994)
  • 1933 – Henry B. Eyring, American religious leader, educator, and author
  • 1934 – Jim Hutton, American actor (d. 1979)
  • 1935 – Jim Bolger, New Zealand businessman and politician, 35th Prime Minister of New Zealand
  • 1938 – Johnny Paycheck, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2003)
  • 1938 – John Prescott, British sailor and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
  • 1938 – Peter Yarrow, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1939 – Terry Waite, English humanitarian and author
  • 1940 – Anatoliy Bondarchuk, Ukrainian hammer thrower and coach
  • 1940 – Augie Meyers, American musician and singer-songwriter
  • 1940 – Gilbert Shelton, American illustrator
  • 1941 – June Clark, Welsh nurse and educator
  • 1941 – Louis Ignarro, American pharmacologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1941 – William Nordhaus, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1943 – Sharon Gless, American actress
  • 1943 – Joe Namath, American football player, sportscaster, and actor
  • 1945 – Rainer Werner Fassbinder, German actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1982)
  • 1945 – Laurent Gbagbo, Ivorian academic and politician, 4th President of Côte d’Ivoire
  • 1945 – Bernard Goldberg, American journalist and author
  • 1946 – Ted Baehr, American publisher and critic
  • 1946 – Steve Bucknor, Jamaican cricketer and umpire
  • 1946 – Krista Kilvet, Estonian journalist, politician, and diplomat (d. 2009)
  • 1946 – Debbie Moore, English model and businesswoman
  • 1947 – Junior Campbell, Scottish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1947 – Gabriele Hinzmann, German discus thrower
  • 1948 – Svetlana Alexievich, Belarusian journalist and author, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1948 – John Bonham, English musician, songwriter and drummer (d. 1980)
  • 1948 – Martin Hannett, English bass player, guitarist, and record producer (d. 1991)
  • 1948 – Duncan Hunter, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician
  • 1949 – Tom Berenger, American actor, film producer and television writer
  • 1950 – Jean Chalopin, French director, producer, and screenwriter, founded DIC Entertainment
  • 1950 – Gregory Harrison, American actor
  • 1950 – Edgar Savisaar, Estonian politician, Estonian Minister of the Interior
  • 1951 – Karl-Hans Riehm, German hammer thrower
  • 1952 – Karl Bartos, German singer-songwriter and keyboard player
  • 1953 – Pirkka-Pekka Petelius, Finnish actor and screenwriter
  • 1954 – Thomas Mavros, Greek footballer
  • 1954 – Vicki Sue Robinson, American actress and singer (d. 2000)
  • 1955 – Tommy Emmanuel, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1955 – Susie Essman, American actress, comedian, and screenwriter
  • 1956 – Fritz Hilpert, German drummer and composer
  • 1956 – John Young, English singer-songwriter and keyboard player
  • 1957 – Jim Craig, American ice hockey player
  • 1959 – Andrea de Cesaris, Italian racing driver (d. 2014)
  • 1959 – Phil Wilson, English politician
  • 1960 – Greg Adams, Canadian ice hockey player and businessman
  • 1960 – Chris Elliott, American actor, comedian, and screenwriter
  • 1960 – Peter Winterbottom, English rugby player
  • 1961 – Ray Cote, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1961 – Justin Madden, Australian footballer and politician
  • 1961 – Lea Thompson, American actress, director, and producer
  • 1962 – Corey Hart, Canadian singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1963 – David Leigh, holder of the Sir Samuel Hall Chair of Chemistry at the University of Manchester
  • 1963 – Viktor Orbán, Hungarian politician, 38th Prime Minister of Hungary
  • 1963 – Wesley Willis, American singer-songwriter and keyboard player (d. 2003)
  • 1964 – Leonard Asper, Canadian lawyer and businessman
  • 1964 – Stéphane Caristan, French hurdler and coach
  • 1964 – Yukio Edano, Japanese politician, Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs
  • 1964 – Darryl “D.M.C.” McDaniels, American rapper and producer
  • 1965 – Brooke Shields, American model, actress, and producer
  • 1966 – Roshan Mahanama, Sri Lankan cricketer and referee
  • 1967 – Phil Keoghan, New Zealand television host and producer
  • 1967 – Kenny Lofton, American baseball player, coach, and sportscaster
  • 1971 – Arun Luthra, Indo-Anglo-American saxophonist, konnakol artist, composer, and arranger
  • 1972 – Christian McBride, American bassist and record producer
  • 1972 – Archie Panjabi, Indo-British actress
  • 1972 – Frode Estil, Norwegian skier
  • 1972 – Antti Niemi, Finnish international footballer, goalkeeper and coach
  • 1972 – Dave Roberts, American baseball player and coach
  • 1974 – Hiroiki Ariyoshi, Japanese comedian and singer
  • 1974 – Chad Campbell, American golfer
  • 1975 – Mac Suzuki, Japanese baseball player
  • 1976 – Colin Farrell, Irish actor
  • 1976 – Matt Harpring, American basketball player and sportscaster
  • 1977 – Theodoros Baev, Bulgarian-Greek volleyball player
  • 1977 – Domenico Fioravanti, Italian swimmer
  • 1977 – Eric Christian Olsen, American actor
  • 1977 – Moses Sichone, Zambian footballer
  • 1977 – Petr Tenkrát, Czech ice hockey player
  • 1979 – Jean-François Gillet, Belgian footballer
  • 1981 – Mikael Antonsson, Swedish footballer
  • 1981 – Daniele Bonera, Italian footballer
  • 1981 – Jake Peavy, American baseball player
  • 1981 – Marlies Schild, Austrian skier
  • 1984 – Andrew Bailey, American baseball player
  • 1984 – Milorad Čavić, Serbian swimmer
  • 1984 – Nate Robinson, American basketball player
  • 1985 – Jordy Nelson, American football player
  • 1986 – Robert Gesink, Dutch cyclist
  • 1989 – Marco Reus, German footballer
  • 1990 – Erik Karlsson, Swedish ice hockey player
  • 1992 – Michaël Bournival, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1992 – Laura Ikauniece, Latvian heptathlete
  • 1996 – Normani Korde, American singer
  • 1998 – Santino Ferrucci, American race car driver

Deaths on May 31

  • 455 – Petronius Maximus, Roman emperor (b. 396)
  • 930 – Liu Hua, princess of Southern Han (b. 896)
  • 960 – Fujiwara no Morosuke, Japanese statesman (b. 909)
  • 1076 – Waltheof, Earl of Northumbria, English politician (b. 1050)
  • 1089 – Sigwin von Are, archbishop of Cologne
  • 1162 – Géza II, king of Hungary (b. 1130)
  • 1321 – Birger, king of Sweden (b. 1280)
  • 1326 – Maurice de Berkeley, 2nd Baron Berkeley (b. 1271)
  • 1329 – Albertino Mussato, Italian statesman and writer (b. 1261)
  • 1349 – Thomas Wake, English politician (b. 1297)
  • 1370 – Vitalis of Assisi, Italian hermit and monk (b. 1295)
  • 1408 – Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, Japanese shōgun (b. 1358)
  • 1410 – Martin of Aragon, Spanish king (b. 1356)
  • 1504 – Engelbert II of Nassau (b. 1451)
  • 1558 – Philip Hoby, English general and diplomat (b. 1505)
  • 1567 – Guido de Bres, Belgian pastor and theologian (b. 1522)
  • 1594 – Tintoretto, Italian painter and educator (b. 1518)
  • 1601 – Gebhard Truchsess von Waldburg, Archbishop-Elector of Cologne (b. 1547)
  • 1640 – Zeynab Begum, Safavid princess (date of birth unknown)
  • 1665 – Pieter Jansz. Saenredam, Dutch painter (b. 1597)
  • 1680 – Joachim Neander, German theologian and educator (b. 1650)
  • 1740 – Frederick William I of Prussia (b. 1688)
  • 1747 – Andrey Osterman, German-Russian politician, Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1686)
  • 1809 – Joseph Haydn, Austrian pianist and composer (b. 1732)
  • 1809 – Jean Lannes, French general (b. 1769)
  • 1831 – Samuel Bentham, English architect and engineer (b. 1757)
  • 1832 – Évariste Galois, French mathematician and theorist (b. 1811)
  • 1837 – Joseph Grimaldi, English actor, comedian and dancer, (b. 1779)
  • 1846 – Philip Marheineke, German pastor and philosopher (b. 1780)
  • 1847 – Thomas Chalmers, Scottish minister and economist (b. 1780)
  • 1848 – Eugénie de Guérin, French author (b. 1805)
  • 1899 – Stefanos Koumanoudis, Greek archaeologist, teacher and writer (b. 1818)
  • 1908 – Louis-Honoré Fréchette, Canadian author, poet, and politician (b. 1839)
  • 1909 – Thomas Price, Welsh-Australian politician, 24th Premier of South Australia (b. 1852)
  • 1910 – Elizabeth Blackwell, English-American physician and educator (b. 1821)
  • 1931 – Felix-Raymond-Marie Rouleau, Canadian cardinal (b. 1866)
  • 1931 – Willy Stöwer, German author and illustrator (b. 1864)
  • 1945 – Odilo Globocnik, Italian-Austrian SS officer (b. 1904)
  • 1954 – Antonis Benakis, Greek art collector and philanthropist, founded the Benaki Museum (b. 1873)
  • 1957 – Stefanos Sarafis, Greek general and politician (b. 1890)
  • 1957 – Leopold Staff, Polish poet and academic (b. 1878)
  • 1960 – Willem Elsschot, Flemish author and poet (b. 1882)
  • 1960 – Walther Funk, German economist, journalist, and politician, German Minister of Economics (b. 1890)
  • 1962 – Henry F. Ashurst, American lawyer and politician (b. 1874)
  • 1967 – Billy Strayhorn, American pianist and composer (b. 1915)
  • 1970 – Terry Sawchuk, Canadian-American ice hockey player (b. 1929)
  • 1976 – Jacques Monod, French biologist and geneticist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1910)
  • 1977 – William Castle, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1914)
  • 1978 – József Bozsik, Hungarian footballer and manager (b. 1925)
  • 1981 – Barbara Ward, Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth, English economist and journalist (b. 1914)
  • 1982 – Carlo Mauri, Italian mountaineer and explorer (b. 1930)
  • 1983 – Jack Dempsey, American boxer and lieutenant (b. 1895)
  • 1985 – Gaston Rébuffat, French mountaineer and author (b. 1921)
  • 1986 – Jane Frank, American painter and sculptor (b. 1918)
  • 1986 – James Rainwater, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1917)
  • 1987 – John Abraham, Indian director and screenwriter (b. 1937)
  • 1989 – Owen Lattimore, American author and academic (b. 1900)
  • 1989 – C. L. R. James, Trinidadian journalist and historian (b. 1901)
  • 1993 – Honey Tree Evil Eye, or, Spud Mackenzie, a Bull Terrier, dies of kidney failure.
  • 1994 – Uzay Heparı, Turkish actor, producer, and composer (b. 1969)
  • 1994 – Herva Nelli, Italian-American soprano (b. 1909)
  • 1995 – Stanley Elkin, American novelist, short story writer, and essayist (b. 1930)
  • 1996 – Timothy Leary, American psychologist and author (b. 1920)
  • 1998 – Charles Van Acker, Belgian-American race car driver (b. 1912)
  • 2000 – Petar Mladenov, Bulgarian diplomat, 1st President of Bulgaria (b. 1936)
  • 2000 – Tito Puente, American jazz musician (b. 1923)
  • 2000 – A. Jeyaratnam Wilson, Sri Lankan historian, author, and academic (b. 1928)
  • 2001 – Arlene Francis, American actress, talk show host, game show panelist, and television personality (b. 1907)
  • 2002 – Subhash Gupte, Indian cricketer (b. 1929)
  • 2004 – Aiyathurai Nadesan, Sri Lankan journalist (b. 1954)
  • 2004 – Robert Quine, American guitarist (b. 1941)
  • 2004 – Étienne Roda-Gil, French screenwriter and composer (b. 1941)
  • 2006 – Miguel Ortiz Berrocal, Spanish sculptor (b. 1933)
  • 2006 – Raymond Davis, Jr., American physicist and chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1914)
  • 2009 – Danny La Rue, Irish-British drag queen performer and singer (b. 1927)
  • 2009 – George Tiller, American physician (b. 1941)
  • 2010 – Louise Bourgeois, French-American sculptor and painter (b. 1911)
  • 2010 – Brian Duffy, English photographer and producer (b. 1933)
  • 2010 – William A. Fraker, American director, producer, and cinematographer (b. 1923)
  • 2010 – Rubén Juárez, Argentinian singer-songwriter and bandoneón player (b. 1947)
  • 2010 – Merata Mita, New Zealand director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1942)
  • 2011 – Pauline Betz, American tennis player (b. 1919)
  • 2011 – Jonas Bevacqua, American fashion designer, co-founded the Lifted Research Group (b. 1977)
  • 2011 – Derek Hodge, Virgin Islander lawyer and politician, Lieutenant Governor of the United States Virgin Islands (b. 1941)
  • 2011 – Hans Keilson, German-Dutch psychoanalyst and author (b. 1909)
  • 2011 – John Martin, English admiral and politician, Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey (b. 1918)
  • 2011 – Andy Robustelli, American football player and manager (b. 1925)
  • 2012 – Christopher Challis, English cinematographer (b. 1919)
  • 2012 – Randall B. Kester, American lawyer and judge (b. 1916)
  • 2012 – Paul Pietsch, German racing driver and publisher (b. 1911)
  • 2012 – Orlando Woolridge, American basketball player and coach (b. 1959)
  • 2013 – Gerald E. Brown, American physicist and academic (b. 1926)
  • 2013 – Frederic Lindsay, Scottish author and educator (b. 1933)
  • 2013 – Miguel Méndez, American author and poet (b. 1930)
  • 2013 – Tim Samaras, American engineer and storm chaser (b. 1957)
  • 2013 – Jairo Mora Sandoval, Costa Rican environmentalist (b. 1987)
  • 2013 – Jean Stapleton, American actress (b. 1923)
  • 2014 – Marilyn Beck, American journalist (b. 1928)
  • 2014 – Marinho Chagas, Brazilian footballer and coach (b. 1952)
  • 2014 – Hoss Ellington, American race car driver (b. 1935)
  • 2014 – Martha Hyer, American actress (b. 1924)
  • 2014 – Lewis Katz, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1942)
  • 2014 – Mary Soames, Baroness Soames, English author (b. 1922)
  • 2015 – Gladys Taylor, Canadian author and publisher (b. 1917)
  • 2016 – Mohamed Abdelaziz, President of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (1976–2016) (b. 1947)
  • 2016 – Jan Crouch, American televangelist, co-founder of the Trinity Broadcasting Network (b. 1938)
  • 2016 – Carla Lane, English television writer (b. 1928)
  • 2016 – Rupert Neudeck, German journalist and humanitarian (b. 1939)

Holidays and observances on May 31

  • Anniversary of Royal Brunei Malay Regiment (Brunei)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Camilla Battista da Varano
    • Hermias
    • Petronella
    • Visitation of Mary (Western Christianity)
    • May 31 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • The beginning of Gawai Dayak (Dayaks in Sarawak, Malaysia and West Kalimantan, Indonesia)
  • World No Tobacco Day (International)

May 31- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day, Uncategorized

May 25 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 567 BC – Servius Tullius, the king of Rome, celebrates a triumph for his victory over the Etruscans.
  • 240 BC – First recorded perihelion passage of Halley’s Comet.
  • 1085 – Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo, Spain, back from the Moors.
  • 1420 – Henry the Navigator is appointed governor of the Order of Christ.
  • 1521 – The Diet of Worms ends when Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, issues the Edict of Worms, declaring Martin Luther an outlaw.
  • 1644 – Ming general Wu Sangui forms an alliance with the invading Manchus and opens the gates of the Great Wall of China at Shanhaiguan pass, letting the Manchus through towards the capital Beijing.
  • 1659 – Richard Cromwell resigns as Lord Protector of England following the restoration of the Long Parliament, beginning a second brief period of the republican government called the Commonwealth of England.
  • 1660 – Charles II lands at Dover at the invitation of the Convention Parliament, which marks the end of the Cromwell-proclaimed Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland and begins the Restoration of the British monarchy.
  • 1738 – A treaty between Pennsylvania and Maryland ends the Conojocular War with settlement of a boundary dispute and exchange of prisoners.
  • 1787 – After a delay of 11 days, the United States Constitutional Convention formally convenes in Philadelphia after a quorum of seven states is secured.
  • 1798 – United Irishmen Rebellion: Battle of Carlow begins; executions of suspected rebels at Carnew and at Dunlavin Green take place.
  • 1809 – Chuquisaca Revolution: Patriot revolt in Chuquisaca (modern-day Sucre) against the Spanish Empire, sparking the Latin American wars of independence.
  • 1810 – May Revolution: Citizens of Buenos Aires expel Viceroy Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros during the “May Week”, starting the Argentine War of Independence.
  • 1819 – The Argentine Constitution of 1819 is promulgated.
  • 1833 – The Chilean Constitution of 1833 is promulgated.
  • 1865 – In Mobile, Alabama, around 300 people are killed when an ordnance depot explodes.
  • 1878 – Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera H.M.S. Pinafore opens at the Opera Comique in London.
  • 1895 – Playwright, poet and novelist Oscar Wilde is convicted of “committing acts of gross indecency with other male persons” and sentenced to serve two years in prison.
  • 1895 – The Republic of Formosa is formed, with Tang Jingsong as its president.
  • 1914 – The House of Commons of the United Kingdom passes the Home Rule Bill for devolution in Ireland.
  • 1925 – Scopes Trial: John T. Scopes is indicted for teaching human evolution in Tennessee.
  • 1926 – Sholom Schwartzbard assassinates Symon Petliura, the head of the government of the Ukrainian People’s Republic, which is in government-in-exile in Paris.
  • 1935 – Jesse Owens of Ohio State University breaks three world records and ties a fourth at the Big Ten Conference Track and Field Championships in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
  • 1938 – Spanish Civil War: The bombing of Alicante kills 313 people.
  • 1940 – World War II: The German 2nd Panzer Division captures the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer; the surrender of the last French and British troops marks the end of the Battle of Boulogne.
  • 1946 – The parliament of Transjordan makes Abdullah I of Jordan their Emir.
  • 1953 – Nuclear weapons testing: At the Nevada Test Site, the United States conducts its first and only nuclear artillery test.
  • 1953 – The first public television station in the United States officially begins broadcasting as KUHT from the campus of the University of Houston.
  • 1955 – In the United States, a night-time F5 tornado strikes the small city of Udall, Kansas, killing 80 and injuring 273. It is the deadliest tornado to ever occur in the state and the 23rd deadliest in the U.S.
  • 1955 – First ascent of Mount Kangchenjunga: A British expedition led by Charles Evans, Joe Brown and George Band reaches the summit of the third-highest mountain in the world (8,586 meters); Norman Hardie and Tony Streather join them the following day.
  • 1961 – Apollo program: U.S. President John F. Kennedy announces, before a special joint session of the U.S. Congress, his goal to initiate a project to put a “man on the Moon” before the end of the decade.
  • 1963 – The Organisation of African Unity is established in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
  • 1966 – Explorer program: Explorer 32 launches.
  • 1968 – The Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, is dedicated.
  • 1973 – In protest against the dictatorship in Greece, the captain and crew on Greek naval destroyer Velos mutiny and refuse to return to Greece, instead anchoring at Fiumicino, Italy.
  • 1977 – Star Wars (retroactively titled Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope) is released in theaters.
  • 1977 – The Chinese government removes a decade-old ban on William Shakespeare’s work, effectively ending the Cultural Revolution started in 1966.
  • 1978 – The first of a series of bombings orchestrated by the Unabomber detonates at Northwestern University resulting in minor injuries.
  • 1979 – John Spenkelink, a convicted murderer, is executed in Florida; he is the first person to be executed in the state after the reintroduction of capital punishment in 1976.
  • 1979 – American Airlines Flight 191: A McDonnell Douglas DC-10 crashes during takeoff at O’Hare International Airport, Chicago, killing all 271 on board and two people on the ground.
  • 1981 – In Riyadh, the Gulf Cooperation Council is created between Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
  • 1982 – Falklands War: HMS Coventry is sunk by Argentine Air Force A-4 Skyhawks.
  • 1985 – Bangladesh is hit by a tropical cyclone and storm surge, which kills approximately 10,000 people.
  • 1986 – The Hands Across America event takes place.
  • 1997 – A military coup in Sierra Leone replaces President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah with Major Johnny Paul Koroma.
  • 1999 – The United States House of Representatives releases the Cox Report which details the People’s Republic of China’s nuclear espionage against the U.S. over the prior two decades.
  • 2000 – Liberation Day of Lebanon: Israel withdraws its army from Lebanese territory (with the exception of the disputed Shebaa farms zone) 18 years after the invasion of 1982.
  • 2001 – Erik Weihenmayer becomes the first blind person to reach the summit of Mount Everest, in the Himalayas, with Dr. Sherman Bull.
  • 2002 – China Airlines Flight 611 disintegrates in mid-air and crashes into the Taiwan Strait, with the loss of all 225 people on board.
  • 2008 – NASA’s Phoenix lander touches down in the Green Valley region of Mars to search for environments suitable for water and microbial life.
  • 2009 – North Korea allegedly tests its second nuclear device, after which Pyongyang also conducts several missile tests, building tensions in the international community.
  • 2011 – Oprah Winfrey airs her last show, ending her 25-year run of The Oprah Winfrey Show.
  • 2012 – The SpaceX Dragon becomes the first commercial spacecraft to successfully rendezvous and berth with the International Space Station.
  • 2013 – Suspected Maoist rebels kill at least 28 people and injure 32 others in an attack on a convoy of Indian National Congress politicians in Chhattisgarh, India.
  • 2013 – A gas cylinder explodes on a school bus in the Pakistani city of Gujrat, killing at least 18 people.
  • 2018 – The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) becomes enforceable in the European Union.
  • 2018 – Ireland votes to repeal the Eighth Amendment of their constitution that prohibits abortion in all but a few cases, choosing to replace it with the Thirty-sixth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland.
  • 2020 – George Floyd, a black man, is killed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during an arrest when he is restrained in a prone position face-down on the ground for several minutes, provoking protests across the United States and elsewhere around the world.

Births on May 25

  • 1048 – Emperor Shenzong of Song (d. 1085)
  • 1320 – Toghon Temür, Mongolian emperor (d. 1370)
  • 1334 – Emperor Sukō of Japan (d. 1398)
  • 1416 – Jakobus (“James”), Count of Lichtenburg (d. 1480)
  • 1417 – Catherine of Cleves, Duchess consort regent of Guelders (d. 1479)
  • 1550 – Camillus de Lellis, Italian saint and nurse (d. 1614)
  • 1606 – Charles Garnier, French missionary and saint (d. 1649)
  • 1661 – Claude Buffier, Polish-French historian and philosopher (d. 1737)
  • 1713 – John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute, Scottish politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1792)
  • 1725 – Samuel Ward, American politician, 31st Governor of the Colony of Rhode Island (d. 1776)
  • 1783 – Philip Pendleton Barbour, American farmer and politician, 12th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (d. 1841)
  • 1791 – Minh Mạng, Vietnamese emperor (d. 1841)
  • 1803 – Edward Bulwer-Lytton, English author, playwright, and politician, Secretary of State for the Colonies (d. 1873)
  • 1803 – Ralph Waldo Emerson, American poet and philosopher (d. 1882)
  • 1818 – Jacob Burckhardt, Swiss historian and academic (d. 1897)
  • 1818 – Louise de Broglie, Countess d’Haussonville, French essayist and biographer (d. 1882)
  • 1830 – Trebor Mai (né Robert Williams), Welsh poet (d. 1877)
  • 1846 – Naim Frashëri, Albanian-Turkish poet and translator (d. 1900)
  • 1848 – Johann Baptist Singenberger, Swiss composer, educator, and publisher (d. 1924)
  • 1852 – William Muldoon, American wrestler and trainer (d. 1933)
  • 1856 – Louis Franchet d’Espèrey, Algerian-French general (d. 1942)
  • 1860 – James McKeen Cattell, American psychologist and academic (d. 1944)
  • 1865 – John Mott, American evangelist and saint, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1955)
  • 1865 – Pieter Zeeman, Dutch physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1943)
  • 1867 – Anders Peter Nielsen, Danish target shooter (d. 1950)
  • 1869 – Robbie Ross, Canadian journalist and art critic (d. 1918)
  • 1869 – Mathilde Verne, English pianist and educator (d. 1936)
  • 1878 – Bill Robinson, American actor and dancer (d. 1949)
  • 1879 – Max Aitken, Lord Beaverbrook, Canadian-English businessman and politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (d. 1964)
  • 1879 – William Stickney, American golfer (d. 1944)
  • 1880 – Jean Alexandre Barré, French neurologist and academic (d. 1967)
  • 1882 – Marie Doro, American actress (d. 1956)
  • 1883 – Carl Johan Lind, Swedish hammer thrower (d. 1965)
  • 1886 – Rash Behari Bose, Indian soldier and activist (d. 1945)
  • 1886 – Philip Murray, Scottish-American miner and labor leader (d. 1952)
  • 1887 – Padre Pio, Italian priest and saint (d. 1968)
  • 1888 – Miles Malleson, English actor and screenwriter (d. 1969)
  • 1889 – Günther Lütjens, German admiral (d. 1941)
  • 1889 – Igor Sikorsky, Russian-American aircraft designer, founded Sikorsky Aircraft (d. 1972)
  • 1893 – Ernest “Pop” Stoneman, American country musician (d. 1968)
  • 1897 – Alan Kippax, Australian cricketer (d. 1972)
  • 1897 – Gene Tunney, American boxer and soldier (d. 1978)
  • 1898 – Bennett Cerf, American publisher and television game show panelist; co-founded Random House (d. 1971)
  • 1899 – Kazi Nazrul Islam, Bengali poet, author, and flute player (d. 1976)
  • 1900 – Alain Grandbois, Canadian poet and author (d. 1975)
  • 1907 – U Nu, Burmese politician, 1st Prime Minister of Burma (d. 1995)
  • 1908 – Theodore Roethke, American poet (d. 1963)
  • 1909 – Alfred Kubel, German politician, 5th Prime Minister of Lower Saxony (d. 1999)
  • 1912 – Dean Rockwell, American commander, wrestler, and coach (d. 2005)
  • 1913 – Heinrich Bär, German colonel and pilot (d. 1957)
  • 1913 – Richard Dimbleby, English journalist and producer (d. 1965)
  • 1916 – Brian Dickson, Canadian captain, lawyer, and politician, 15th Chief Justice of Canada (d. 1998)
  • 1916 – Giuseppe Tosi, Italian discus thrower (d. 1981)
  • 1917 – Steve Cochran, American film, television and stage actor (d. 1965)
  • 1917 – Theodore Hesburgh, American priest, theologian, and academic (d. 2015)
  • 1920 – Arthur Wint, Jamaican runner and diplomat (d. 1992)
  • 1921 – Hal David, American songwriter and composer (d. 2012)
  • 1921 – Kitty Kallen, American singer (d. 2016)
  • 1921 – Jack Steinberger, German-Swiss physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1922 – Enrico Berlinguer, Italian politician (d. 1984)
  • 1924 – István Nyers, French-Hungarian footballer (d. 2005)
  • 1925 – Rosario Castellanos, Mexican poet and author (d. 1974)
  • 1925 – Jeanne Crain, American actress (d. 2003)
  • 1925 – Eldon Griffiths, English journalist and politician (d. 2014)
  • 1925 – Don Liddle, American baseball player (d. 2000)
  • 1925 – Claude Pinoteau, French film director and screenwriter (d. 2012)
  • 1926 – Claude Akins, American actor (d. 1994)
  • 1926 – William Bowyer, English painter and academic (d. 2015)
  • 1926 – Phyllis Gotlieb, Canadian author and poet (d. 2009)
  • 1926 – Bill Sharman, American basketball player and coach (d. 2013)
  • 1926 – David Wynne, English sculptor and painter (d. 2014)
  • 1927 – Robert Ludlum, American soldier and author (d. 2001)
  • 1927 – Norman Petty, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer (d. 1984)
  • 1929 – Beverly Sills, American soprano and actress (d. 2007)
  • 1930 – Sonia Rykiel, French fashion designer (d. 2016)
  • 1931 – Herb Gray, Canadian lawyer and politician, 7th Deputy Prime Minister of Canada (d. 2014)
  • 1931 – Georgy Grechko, Russian engineer and astronaut (d. 2017)
  • 1931 – Irwin Winkler, American director and producer
  • 1932 – John Gregory Dunne, American novelist, screenwriter, and critic (d. 2003)
  • 1932 – K. C. Jones, American basketball player and coach
  • 1933 – Sarah Marshall, English-American actress (d. 2014)
  • 1933 – Basdeo Panday, Trinidadian lawyer and politician, 5th Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago
  • 1933 – Ray Spencer, English footballer (d. 2016)
  • 1933 – Jógvan Sundstein, Faroese accountant and politician, 7th Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands
  • 1935 – John Ffowcs Williams, Welsh engineer and academic
  • 1935 – Cookie Gilchrist, American football player (d. 2011)
  • 1935 – W. P. Kinsella, Canadian novelist and short story writer (d. 2016)
  • 1935 – Victoria Shaw, Australian-born American actress (d. 1988)
  • 1936 – Tom T. Hall, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1936 – Rusi Surti, Indian cricketer (d. 2013)
  • 1937 – Tom Phillips, English painter and academic
  • 1938 – Raymond Carver, American short story writer and poet (d. 1988)
  • 1938 – Margaret Forster, English historian, author, and critic (d. 2016)
  • 1938 – Geoffrey Robinson, English businessman and politician
  • 1939 – Dixie Carter, American actress and singer (d. 2010)
  • 1939 – Ian McKellen, English actor
  • 1940 – Nobuyoshi Araki, Japanese photographer
  • 1941 – Rudolf Adler, Czech filmmaker:88
  • 1941 – Uta Frith, German developmental psychologist
  • 1941 – Vladimir Voronin, Moldovan economist and politician, 3rd President of Moldova
  • 1943 – Jessi Colter, American singer-songwriter and pianist
  • 1943 – John Palmer, English keyboard player
  • 1943 – Leslie Uggams, American actress and singer
  • 1944 – Digby Anderson, English journalist and philosopher
  • 1944 – Pierre Bachelet, French singer-songwriter (d. 2005)
  • 1944 – Charlie Harper, English singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1944 – Robert MacPherson, American mathematician and academic
  • 1944 – Frank Oz, English-born American puppeteer, filmmaker, and actor
  • 1944 – Chris Ralston, English rugby player
  • 1946 – Bill Adam, Scottish-Canadian racing driver
  • 1946 – David A. Hargrave, American game designer, created Arduin (d. 1988)
  • 1947 – Karen Valentine, American actress
  • 1947 – Catherine G. Wolf, American psychologist and computer scientist
  • 1948 – Bülent Arınç, Turkish lawyer and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey
  • 1948 – Marianne Elliott, Northern Irish historian, author, and academic
  • 1948 – Klaus Meine, German rock singer-songwriter
  • 1949 – Jamaica Kincaid, Antiguan-American novelist, short story writer, and essayist
  • 1949 – Barry Windsor-Smith, English painter and illustrator
  • 1950 – Robby Steinhardt, American rock violinist and singer
  • 1951 – Bob Gale, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1952 – Jeffrey Bewkes, American businessman
  • 1952 – Nick Fotiu, American ice hockey player and coach
  • 1952 – David Jenkins, Trinidadian-Scottish runner
  • 1952 – Al Sarrantonio, American author and publisher
  • 1952 – Gordon H. Smith, American businessman and politician
  • 1953 – Eve Ensler, American playwright and producer
  • 1953 – Daniel Passarella, Argentinian footballer, coach, and manager
  • 1953 – Stan Sakai, Japanese-American author and illustrator
  • 1953 – Gaetano Scirea, Italian footballer (d. 1989)
  • 1954 – John Beck, English footballer, midfielder and manager
  • 1954 – Murali, Indian actor, producer, and politician (d. 2009)
  • 1955 – Alistair Burt, English lawyer and politician
  • 1956 – Stavros Arnaoutakis, Greek politician
  • 1956 – Larry Hogan, American politician, 62nd Governor of Maryland
  • 1956 – David P. Sartor, American composer and conductor
  • 1957 – Alastair Campbell, English journalist and author
  • 1957 – Edward Lee, American author
  • 1957 – Robert Picard, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1958 – Dorothy Straight, American children’s author
  • 1958 – Paul Weller, English singer, songwriter and musician
  • 1959 – Julian Clary, English comedian, actor, and author
  • 1959 – Manolis Kefalogiannis, Greek politician
  • 1959 – Rick Wamsley, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1960 – Amy Klobuchar, American lawyer and politician
  • 1960 – Anthea Turner, English journalist and television host
  • 1962 – Ric Nattress, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager
  • 1963 – George Hickenlooper, American director and producer (d. 2010)
  • 1963 – Mike Myers, Canadian-American actor, singer, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1963 – Ludovic Orban, Romanian engineer, and politician, 68th Prime Minister of Romania
  • 1964 – David Shaw, Canadian-American ice hockey player
  • 1965 – Yahya Jammeh, Gambian colonel and politician, President of the Gambia
  • 1967 – Luc Nilis, Belgian footballer and manager
  • 1967 – Mark Rosewater, Head designer of Magic: the Gathering
  • 1968 – Kendall Gill, American basketball player, boxer, and sportscaster
  • 1969 – Glen Drover, Canadian guitarist and songwriter
  • 1969 – Anne Heche, American actress
  • 1969 – Karen Bernstein, Canadian voice actress
  • 1969 – Stacy London, American journalist and author
  • 1970 – Robert Croft, Welsh-English cricketer and sportscaster
  • 1970 – Jamie Kennedy, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1971 – Stefano Baldini, Italian runner
  • 1971 – Marco Cappato, Italian politician
  • 1972 – Karan Johar, Indian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1972 – Octavia Spencer, American actress and author
  • 1973 – Daz Dillinger, American rapper and producer
  • 1973 – Molly Sims, American model and actress
  • 1974 – Dougie Freedman, Scottish footballer and manager
  • 1974 – Frank Klepacki, American drummer and composer
  • 1974 – Miguel Tejada, Dominican-American baseball player
  • 1975 – Blaise Nkufo, Congolese-Swiss footballer
  • 1976 – Stefan Holm, Swedish high jumper
  • 1976 – Erki Pütsep, Estonian cyclist
  • 1976 – Ethan Suplee, American actor
  • 1976 – Cillian Murphy, Irish actor
  • 1976 – Miguel Zepeda, Mexican footballer
  • 1977 – Andre Anis, Estonian footballer
  • 1977 – Alberto Del Rio, Mexican-American mixed martial artist and wrestler
  • 1978 – Adam Gontier, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1978 – Brian Urlacher, American football player
  • 1979 – Carlos Bocanegra, American international soccer player, defender and Sports Executive
  • 1979 – Sayed Moawad, Egyptian footballer
  • 1979 – Caroline Ouellette, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1979 – Sam Sodje, English-Nigerian footballer
  • 1979 – Jonny Wilkinson, English rugby player
  • 1979 – Chris Young, American baseball pitcher
  • 1980 – David Navarro, Spanish footballer
  • 1981 – Michalis Pelekanos, Greek basketball player
  • 1981 – Matt Utai, New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1982 – Adam Boyd, English footballer
  • 1982 – Daniel Braaten, Norwegian footballer
  • 1982 – Ryan Gallant, American skateboarder
  • 1982 – Roger Guerreiro, Polish footballer
  • 1982 – Justin Hodges, Australian rugby league player
  • 1982 – Ezekiel Kemboi, Kenyan runner
  • 1982 – Jason Kubel, American baseball player
  • 1982 – Stacey Pensgen, American figure skater and meteorologist
  • 1982 – Luke Webster, Australian footballer
  • 1984 – Luke Ball, Australian footballer
  • 1984 – Kyle Brodziak, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1984 – A. J. Foyt IV, American race car driver
  • 1984 – Shawne Merriman, American football player
  • 1985 – Luciana Abreu, Portuguese singer and actress
  • 1985 – Demba Ba, French footballer
  • 1985 – Gert Kams, Estonian footballer
  • 1985 – Roman Reigns, American football player and wrestler
  • 1986 – Edewin Fanini, Brazilian footballer
  • 1986 – Yoan Gouffran, French footballer
  • 1986 – Takahiro Hōjō, Japanese actor and musician
  • 1986 – Geraint Thomas, Welsh cyclist
  • 1987 – Timothy Derijck, Belgian footballer
  • 1987 – Yves De Winter, Belgian footballer
  • 1987 – Moritz Stehling, German footballer
  • 1987 – Kamil Stoch, Polish ski jumper
  • 1988 – Dávid Škutka, Slovak footballer
  • 1988 – Cameron van der Burgh, South African swimmer
  • 1990 – Bo Dallas, American wrestler
  • 1990 – Nikita Filatov, Russian ice hockey player
  • 1993 – James Porter, English cricketer
  • 1994 – Matt Murray, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1994 – Aly Raisman, American gymnast
  • 1995 – Kagiso Rabada, South African cricketer
  • 1996 – David Pastrňák, Czech ice hockey player

Deaths on May 25

  • 675 – Li Hong, Chinese prince (b. 652)
  • 709 – Aldhelm, English-Latin bishop, poet, and scholar (b. 639)
  • 803 – Higbald of Lindisfarne, English bishop
  • 912 – Xue Yiju, chancellor of Later Liang
  • 916 – Flann Sinna, king of Meath
  • 939 – Yao Yanzhang, general of Chu
  • 986 – Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi, Muslim astronomer (b. 903)
  • 992 – Mieszko I of Poland (b. 935)
  • 1085 – Pope Gregory VII (b. 1020)
  • 1261 – Pope Alexander IV (b. 1185)
  • 1452 – John Stafford, English archbishop and politician
  • 1555 – Gemma Frisius, Dutch physician, mathematician, and cartographer (b. 1508)
  • 1555 – Henry II of Navarre (b. 1503)
  • 1595 – Valens Acidalius, German poet and critic (b. 1567)
  • 1595 – Philip Neri, Italian priest and saint (b. 1515)
  • 1607 – Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi, Italian Carmelite nun and mystic (b. 1566)
  • 1632 – Adam Tanner, Austrian mathematician and philosopher (b. 1572)
  • 1667 – Gustaf Bonde, Finnish-Swedish politician, 5th Lord High Treasurer of Sweden (b. 1620)
  • 1681 – Pedro Calderón de la Barca, Spanish poet and playwright (b. 1600)
  • 1741 – Daniel Ernst Jablonski, German bishop and theologian (b. 1660)
  • 1786 – Peter III of Portugal (b. 1717)
  • 1789 – Anders Dahl, Swedish botanist and physician (b. 1751)
  • 1797 – John Griffin, 4th Baron Howard de Walden, English field marshal and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Essex (b. 1719)
  • 1805 – William Paley, English priest and philosopher (b. 1743)
  • 1849 – Benjamin D’Urban, English general and politician, Governor of British Guiana (b. 1777)
  • 1895 – Ahmed Cevdet Pasha, Ottoman sociologist, historian, and jurist (b. 1822)
  • 1899 – Rosa Bonheur, French painter and sculptor (b. 1822)
  • 1912 – Austin Lane Crothers, American educator and politician, 46th Governor of Maryland (b. 1860)
  • 1917 – Maksim Bahdanovič, Belarusian poet and critic (b. 1891)
  • 1919 – Eliza Pollock, American archer (b. 1840)
  • 1919 – Madam C. J. Walker, American businesswoman and philanthropist, founded the Madame C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company (b. 1867)
  • 1924 – Lyubov Popova, Russian painter and illustrator (b. 1889)
  • 1926 – Symon Petliura, Ukrainian journalist and politician (b. 1879)
  • 1927 – Payne Whitney, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1876)
  • 1930 – Randall Davidson, Scottish-English archbishop (b. 1848)
  • 1934 – Gustav Holst, English trombonist, composer, and educator (b. 1874)
  • 1937 – Henry Ossawa Tanner, American-French painter and illustrator (b. 1859)
  • 1939 – Frank Watson Dyson, English astronomer and academic (b. 1868)
  • 1942 – Emanuel Feuermann, Ukrainian-American cellist and educator (b. 1902)
  • 1943 – Nils von Dardel, Swedish painter (b. 1888)
  • 1948 – Witold Pilecki, Polish officer and Resistance leader (b. 1901)
  • 1951 – Paula von Preradović, Croatian poet and author (b. 1887)
  • 1954 – Robert Capa, Hungarian photographer and journalist (b. 1913)
  • 1957 – Leo Goodwin, American swimmer, diver, and water polo player (b. 1883)
  • 1968 – Georg von Küchler, German field marshal (b. 1881)
  • 1970 – Tom Patey, Scottish mountaineer and author (b. 1932)
  • 1977 – Yevgenia Ginzburg, Russian author (b. 1904)
  • 1979 – Itzhak Bentov, Czech-Israeli engineer, mystic, and author (b. 1923)
  • 1979 – Amédée Gordini, Italian-born French racing driver and sports car manufacturer (b. 1899)
  • 1981 – Ruby Payne-Scott, Australian physicist and astronomer (b. 1912)
  • 1981 – Fredric Warburg, English author and publisher (b. 1898)
  • 1983 – Necip Fazıl Kısakürek, Turkish author, poet, and playwright (b. 1904)
  • 1983 – Idris of Libya (b. 1889)
  • 1983 – Jack Stewart, Canadian-American ice hockey player (b. 1917)
  • 1986 – Chester Bowles, American journalist and politician, 22nd Under Secretary of State (b. 1901)
  • 1990 – Vic Tayback, American actor (b. 1930)
  • 1995 – Élie Bayol, French racing driver (b. 1914)
  • 1995 – Krešimir Ćosić, Croatian basketball player and coach, Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer 1996 (b. 1948)
  • 1995 – Dany Robin, French actress (b. 1927)
  • 1996 – Renzo De Felice, Italian historian and author (b. 1929)
  • 2003 – Sloan Wilson, American author and poet (b. 1920)
  • 2004 – Roger Williams Straus, Jr., American publisher, co-founded Farrar, Straus and Giroux Publishing Company (b. 1917)
  • 2005 – Sunil Dutt, Indian actor, director, producer, and politician (b. 1929)
  • 2005 – Robert Jankel, English businessman, founded Panther Westwinds (b. 1938)
  • 2005 – Graham Kennedy, Australian television host and actor (b. 1934)
  • 2005 – Ismail Merchant, Indian-born film producer and director (b. 1936)
  • 2005 – Zoran Mušič, Slovene painter and illustrator (b. 1909)
  • 2007 – Charles Nelson Reilly, American actor, comedian, and director (b. 1931)
  • 2008 – J. R. Simplot, American businessman, founded Simplot (b. 1909)
  • 2009 – Haakon Lie, Norwegian politician (b. 1905)
  • 2010 – Alexander Belostenny, Ukrainian basketball player (b. 1959)
  • 2010 – Michael H. Jordan, American businessman (b. 1936)
  • 2010 – Alan Hickinbotham, Australian footballer and coach (b. 1925)
  • 2010 – Gabriel Vargas, Mexican painter and illustrator (b. 1915)
  • 2010 – Jarvis Williams, American football player and coach (b. 1965)
  • 2011 – Terry Jenner, Australian cricketer and coach (b. 1944)
  • 2012 – William Hanley, American author and screenwriter (b. 1931)
  • 2012 – Peter D. Sieruta, American author and critic (b. 1958)
  • 2012 – Lou Watson, American basketball player and coach (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – Mahendra Karma, Indian politician (b. 1950)
  • 2013 – Nand Kumar Patel, Indian politician (b. 1953)
  • 2014 – David Allen, English cricketer (b. 1935)
  • 2014 – Marcel Côté, Canadian economist and politician (b. 1942)
  • 2014 – Wojciech Jaruzelski, Polish general and politician, 1st President of Poland (b. 1923)
  • 2014 – Herb Jeffries, American singer and actor (b. 1913)
  • 2014 – Toaripi Lauti, Tuvaluan educator and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Tuvalu (b. 1928)
  • 2014 – Matthew Saad Muhammad, American boxer and trainer (b. 1954)
  • 2015 – George Braden, Canadian lawyer and politician, 2nd Premier of the Northwest Territories (b. 1949)
  • 2015 – Robert Lebel, Canadian bishop (b. 1924)
  • 2019 – Claus von Bülow, Danish-British socialite (b.1926)

Holidays and observances on May 25

  • Africa Day (African Union)
  • African Liberation Day (African Union, Rastafari)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Aldhelm
    • Bede
    • Canius
    • Dionysius of Milan
    • Dúnchad mac Cinn Fáelad
    • Gerard of Lunel
    • Madeleine Sophie Barat
    • Mary Magdalene de Pazzi
    • Maximus (Mauxe) of Évreux
    • Pope Boniface IV
    • Pope Gregory VII
    • Pope Urban I
    • Zenobius of Florence
    • May 25 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest day on which Arbor Day can fall, while May 31 is the latest; celebrated on the last Sunday in May. (Venezuela)
  • Earliest day on which Children’s Day can fall, while May 31 is the latest; celebrated on the last Sunday in May. (Hungary)
  • Earliest day on which Holiday of Saint Etchmiadzin can fall, while July 27 is the latest; celebrated on the 64th day after Easter. (Armenia)
  • Earliest day on which Memorial Day can fall, while May 31 is the latest; celebrated on the last Monday in May. (United States)
  • Earliest day on which Mother’s Day can fall, while May 31 is the latest; celebrated on the last Sunday in May. (Algeria, Dominican Republic, France (First Sunday of June, if Pentecost occurs on this day), Haiti, Mauritius, Morocco, Sweden, Tunisia)
  • Earliest day on which Turkmen Carpet Day can fall, while May 31 is the latest; celebrated on the last Sunday in May. (Turkmenistan)
  • First National Government / National Day (Argentina)
  • Geek Pride Day (geek culture)
  • Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Jordan from the United Kingdom in 1946.
  • Last bell (Russia, post-Soviet countries)
  • Liberation Day (Lebanon)
  • International Missing Children’s Day and its related observances:
    • National Missing Children’s Day (United States),
  • National Tap Dance Day (United States)
  • Towel Day in honour of the work of the writer Douglas Adams

May 25 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

May 24 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 919 – The nobles of Franconia and Saxony elect Henry the Fowler at the Imperial Diet in Fritzlar as king of the East Frankish Kingdom.
  • 1218 – The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt.
  • 1276 – Magnus Ladulås is crowned King of Sweden in Uppsala Cathedral.
  • 1487 – The ten-year-old Lambert Simnel is crowned in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, Ireland, with the name of Edward VI in a bid to threaten King Henry VII’s reign.
  • 1567 – Erik XIV of Sweden and his guards murder five incarcerated Swedish nobles.
  • 1595 – Nomenclator of Leiden University Library appears, the first printed catalog of an institutional library.
  • 1607 – One hundred English settlers disembark in Jamestown, the first permanent English colony in America.
  • 1621 – The Protestant Union is formally dissolved.
  • 1626 – Peter Minuit buys Manhattan.
  • 1667 – The French Royal Army crosses the border into the Spanish Netherlands, starting the War of Devolution opposing France to the Spanish Empire and the Triple Alliance.
  • 1683 – The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, England, opens as the world’s first university museum.
  • 1689 – The English Parliament passes the Act of Toleration protecting dissenting Protestants but excluding Roman Catholics.
  • 1738 – John Wesley is converted, essentially launching the Methodist movement; the day is celebrated annually by Methodists as Aldersgate Day and a church service is generally held on the preceding Sunday.
  • 1798 – The Irish Rebellion of 1798 led by the United Irishmen against British rule begins.
  • 1813 – South American independence leader Simón Bolívar enters Mérida, leading the invasion of Venezuela, and is proclaimed El Libertador (“The Liberator”).
  • 1822 – Battle of Pichincha: Antonio José de Sucre secures the independence of the Presidency of Quito.
  • 1832 – The First Kingdom of Greece is declared in the London Conference.
  • 1844 – Samuel Morse sends the message “What hath God wrought” (a biblical quotation, Numbers 23:23) from a committee room in the United States Capitol to his assistant, Alfred Vail, in Baltimore, Maryland, to inaugurate a commercial telegraph line between Baltimore and Washington D.C.
  • 1856 – John Brown and his men kill five slavery supporters at Pottawatomie Creek, Kansas.
  • 1861 – American Civil War: Union troops occupy Alexandria, Virginia.
  • 1883 – The Brooklyn Bridge in New York City is opened to traffic after 14 years of construction.
  • 1900 – Second Boer War: The United Kingdom annexes the Orange Free State.
  • 1915 – World War I: Italy declares war on Austria-Hungary, joining the conflict on the side of the Allies.
  • 1930 – Amy Johnson lands in Darwin, Northern Territory, becoming the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia (she left on May 5 for the 11,000 mile flight).
  • 1935 – The first night game in Major League Baseball history is played in Cincinnati, Ohio, with the Cincinnati Reds beating the Philadelphia Phillies 2–1 at Crosley Field.
  • 1940 – Igor Sikorsky performs the first successful single-rotor helicopter flight.
  • 1940 – Acting on the orders of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, NKVD agent Iosif Grigulevich orchestrates an unsuccessful assassination attempt on exiled Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky in Coyoacán, Mexico.
  • 1941 – World War II: In the Battle of the Atlantic, the German Battleship Bismarck sinks then-pride of the Royal Navy, HMS Hood, killing all but three crewmen.
  • 1948 – Arab–Israeli War: Egypt captures the Israeli kibbutz of Yad Mordechai, but the five-day effort gives Israeli forces time to prepare enough to stop the Egyptian advance a week later.
  • 1956 – The first Eurovision Song Contest is held in Lugano, Switzerland.
  • 1958 – United Press International is formed through a merger of the United Press and the International News Service.
  • 1960 – Following the 1960 Valdivia earthquake, the largest ever recorded earthquake, Cordón Caulle begins to erupt.
  • 1961 – American civil rights movement: Freedom Riders are arrested in Jackson, Mississippi, for “disturbing the peace” after disembarking from their bus.
  • 1962 – Project Mercury: American astronaut Scott Carpenter orbits the Earth three times in the Aurora 7 space capsule.
  • 1967 – Egypt imposes a blockade and siege of the Red Sea coast of Israel.
  • 1976 – The Judgment of Paris takes place in France, launching California as a worldwide force in the production of quality wine.
  • 1981 – Ecuadorian president Jaime Roldós Aguilera, his wife, and his presidential committee die in an aircraft accident while travelling from Quito to Zapotillo minutes after the president gave a famous speech regarding the 24 de mayo anniversary of the Battle of Pichincha.
  • 1982 – Liberation of Khorramshahr: Iranians recapture of the port city of Khorramshahr from the Iraqis during the Iran–Iraq War.
  • 1988 – Section 28 of the United Kingdom’s Local Government Act 1988, a controversial amendment stating that a local authority cannot intentionally promote homosexuality, is enacted.
  • 1991 – Israel conducts Operation Solomon, evacuating Ethiopian Jews to Israel.
  • 1992 – The last Thai dictator, General Suchinda Kraprayoon, resigns following pro-democracy protests.
  • 1992 – The ethnic cleansing in Kozarac, Bosnia and Herzegovina begins when Serbian militia and police forces enter the town.
  • 1993 – Eritrea gains its independence from Ethiopia.
  • 1993 – Roman Catholic Cardinal Juan Jesús Posadas Ocampo and five other people are assassinated in a shootout at Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla Guadalajara International Airport in Mexico.
  • 1994 – Four men convicted of bombing the World Trade Center in New York in 1993 are each sentenced to 240 years in prison.
  • 1995 – While attempting to return to Leeds Bradford Airport in the United Kingdom, Knight Air Flight 816 crashes in Harewood, North Yorkshire, killing all 12 people on board.
  • 1999 – The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague, Netherlands indicts Slobodan Milošević and four others for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Kosovo.
  • 2000 – Israeli troops withdraw from southern Lebanon after 22 years of occupation.
  • 2002 – Russia and the United States sign the Moscow Treaty.
  • 2014 – A 6.4 magnitude earthquake occurs in the Aegean Sea between Greece and Turkey, injuring 324 people.
  • 2014 – At least three people are killed in a shooting at Brussels’ Jewish Museum of Belgium.
  • 2019 – Twenty-two students die in a fire in Surat (India).
  • 2019 – Under pressure over her handling of Brexit, British Prime Minister Theresa May announces her resignation as Leader of the Conservative Party, effective as of June 7.

Births on May 24

  • 15 BC – Germanicus, Roman general (d. 19)
  • 1335 – Margaret of Bohemia, Queen of Hungary (d. 1349)
  • 1494 – Pontormo, Italian painter (d. 1557)
  • 1522 – John Jewel, English bishop (d. 1571)
  • 1544 – William Gilbert, English physician, physicist, and astronomer (d. 1603)
  • 1576 – Elizabeth Carey, Lady Berkeley, English courtier (d. 1635)
  • 1616 – John Maitland, 1st Duke of Lauderdale, Scottish politician, Secretary of State, Scotland (d. 1682)
  • 1628 – Marek Sobieski, Polish noble (d. 1652)
  • 1669 – Emerentia von Düben, Swedish royal favorite (d. 1743)
  • 1671 – Gian Gastone de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (d. 1737)
  • 1686 – Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit, Polish-German physicist and engineer, developed the Fahrenheit scale (d. 1736)
  • 1689 – Daniel Finch, 8th Earl of Winchilsea, English politician, Lord President of the Council (d. 1769)
  • 1743 – Jean-Paul Marat, Swiss-French physician, journalist, and politician (d. 1793)
  • 1789 – Cathinka Buchwieser, German operatic singer and actress (d.1828)
  • 1794 – William Whewell, English priest and philosopher (d. 1866)
  • 1803 – Alexander von Nordmann, Finnish biologist and paleontologist (d. 1866)
  • 1810 – Abraham Geiger, German rabbi and scholar (d. 1874)
  • 1816 – Emanuel Leutze, German-American painter (d. 1868)
  • 1819 – Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom (d. 1901)
  • 1830 – Alexei Savrasov, Russian painter and academic (d. 1897)
  • 1855 – Arthur Wing Pinero, English actor, director, and playwright (d. 1934)
  • 1861 – Gerald Strickland, 1st Baron Strickland, Maltese lawyer and politician, 4th Prime Minister of Malta (d. 1940)
  • 1863 – George Grey Barnard, American sculptor (d. 1938)
  • 1868 – Charlie Taylor, American engineer and mechanic (d. 1956)
  • 1870 – Benjamin N. Cardozo, American lawyer and judge (d. 1938)
  • 1870 – Jan Smuts, South African lawyer and politician, 2nd Prime Minister of South Africa (d. 1950)
  • 1874 – Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine (d. 1878)
  • 1875 – Robert Garrett, American discus thrower and shot putter (d. 1961)
  • 1878 – Lillian Moller Gilbreth, American psychologist and engineer (d. 1972)
  • 1879 – H. B. Reese, American candy maker, created Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (d. 1956)
  • 1886 – Paul Paray, French organist, composer, and conductor (d. 1979)
  • 1887 – Mick Mannock, Irish soldier and pilot, Victoria Cross recipient (d. 1918)
  • 1891 – William F. Albright, American archaeologist, philologist, and scholar (d. 1971)
  • 1895 – Samuel Irving Newhouse Sr., American publisher, founded Advance Publications (d. 1979)
  • 1899 – Suzanne Lenglen, French tennis player (d. 1938)
  • 1899 – Henri Michaux, Belgian-French poet and painter (d. 1984)
  • 1900 – Eduardo De Filippo, Italian actor and screenwriter (d. 1984)
  • 1901 – José Nasazzi, Uruguayan footballer and manager (d. 1968)
  • 1902 – Lionel Conacher, Canadian football player and politician (d. 1954)
  • 1902 – Sylvia Daoust, Canadian sculptor (d. 2004)
  • 1905 – George Nakashima, American woodworker and architect(d. 1990)
  • 1905 – Mikhail Sholokhov, Russian novelist and short story writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1984)
  • 1909 – Wilbur Mills, American banker and politician (d. 1992)
  • 1910 – Jimmy Demaret, American golfer (d. 1983)
  • 1913 – Joe Abreu, American baseball player and soldier (d. 1993)
  • 1914 – Lilli Palmer, German-American actress (d. 1986)
  • 1916 – Roden Cutler, Australian lieutenant and politician, 32nd Governor of New South Wales (d. 2002)
  • 1917 – Alan Campbell, Baron Campbell of Alloway, English lawyer and judge (d. 2013)
  • 1918 – Coleman Young, American politician, 66th Mayor of Detroit (d. 1997)
  • 1923 – Siobhán McKenna, Irish actress (d. 1986)
  • 1924 – Philip Pearlstein, American soldier and painter
  • 1925 – Carmine Infantino, American illustrator and educator (d. 2013)
  • 1925 – Mai Zetterling, Swedish actress and director (d. 1994)
  • 1926 – Stanley Baxter, Scottish actor and screenwriter
  • 1928 – William Trevor, Irish novelist, playwright and short story writer (d. 2016)
  • 1932 – Arnold Wesker, English playwright and producer (d. 2016)
  • 1933 – Jane Byrne, American lawyer and politician, 50th Mayor of Chicago (d. 2014)
  • 1933 – Réal Giguère, Canadian television host and actor
  • 1933 – Aharon Lichtenstein, French-Israeli rabbi and author (d. 2015)
  • 1935 – Joan Micklin Silver, American director and screenwriter
  • 1936 – Harold Budd, American composer and poet
  • 1937 – Maryvonne Dupureur, French runner and educator (d. 2008)
  • 1937 – Archie Shepp, American saxophonist and composer
  • 1938 – Prince Buster, Jamaican singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2016)
  • 1938 – Tommy Chong, Canadian-American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1940 – Joseph Brodsky, Russian-American poet and essayist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1996)
  • 1941 – Bob Dylan, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, artist, writer, and producer; Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1941 – Patricia Hollis, Baroness Hollis of Heigham, English academic and politician
  • 1942 – Ali Bacher, South African cricketer and manager
  • 1942 – Hannu Mikkola, Finnish race car driver
  • 1942 – Ichirō Ozawa, Japanese lawyer and politician, Japanese Minister of Home Affairs
  • 1943 – Gary Burghoff, American actor
  • 1944 – Patti LaBelle, American singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1944 – Dominique Lavanant, French actress
  • 1945 – Terry Callier, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2012)
  • 1945 – Steven Norris, English engineer and politician
  • 1945 – Richard Ottaway, English lieutenant and politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
  • 1945 – Priscilla Presley, American actress and businesswoman
  • 1946 – Tansu Çiller, Turkish economist and politician, 22nd Prime Minister of Turkey
  • 1946 – Jesualdo Ferreira, Portuguese footballer and manager
  • 1946 – Irena Szewińska, Russian-Polish sprinter
  • 1947 – Albert Bouchard, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and drummer
  • 1947 – Mike De Leon, Filipino director, producer, screenwriter and cinematographer
  • 1947 – Mike Reid, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and American football player
  • 1947 – Waddy Wachtel, American guitarist, singer-songwriter, and record producer
  • 1947 – Martin Winterkorn, German businessman
  • 1948 – Richard Dembo, French director and screenwriter (d. 2004)
  • 1949 – Jim Broadbent, English actor
  • 1949 – Roger Deakins , English cinematographer
  • 1953 – Alfred Molina, English actor
  • 1955 – Rosanne Cash, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1955 – Philippe Lafontaine, Belgian singer and songwriter
  • 1955 – Rajesh Roshan, Indian composer
  • 1956 – R. B. Bernstein, American constitutional historian
  • 1956 – Larry Blackmon, American singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1956 – Dominic Grieve, English lawyer and politician, Attorney General for England and Wales
  • 1956 – Michael Jackson, Irish archbishop
  • 1958 – Chip Ganassi, American race car driver, team owner and businessman
  • 1959 – Pelle Lindbergh, Swedish-American ice hockey player (d. 1985)
  • 1959 – Barry O’Farrell, Australian politician, 43rd Premier of New South Wales
  • 1960 – Guy Fletcher, English keyboard player, guitarist, and producer
  • 1960 – Bill Harrigan, Australian rugby league referee and sportscaster
  • 1960 – Kristin Scott Thomas, English actress
  • 1961 – Lorella Cedroni, Italian philosopher and theorist (d. 2013)
  • 1961 – Alain Lemieux, Canadian-American ice hockey player and coach
  • 1962 – Héctor Camacho, Puerto Rican-American boxer (d. 2012)
  • 1962 – Gene Anthony Ray, American actor, dancer, and choreographer (d. 2003)
  • 1963 – Ivan Capelli, Italian race car driver and sportscaster
  • 1963 – Michael Chabon, American novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter
  • 1963 – Joe Dumars, American basketball player
  • 1963 – Rich Rodriguez, American football player and coach
  • 1963 – Valerie Taylor, American computer scientist and educator
  • 1964 – Liz McColgan, Scottish educator and runner
  • 1964 – Adrian Moorhouse, English swimmer
  • 1964 – Isidro Pérez, Mexican boxer (d. 2013)
  • 1964 – Pat Verbeek, Canadian ice hockey player and manager
  • 1965 – John C. Reilly, American actor
  • 1965 – Shinichirō Watanabe, Japanese director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1966 – Éric Cantona, French footballer, manager, and actor
  • 1966 – Ricky Craven, American race car driver and sportscaster
  • 1967 – Tamer Karadağlı, Turkish actor
  • 1967 – Andrey Borodin, Russian-English economist and businessman
  • 1967 – Eric Close, American actor
  • 1967 – Heavy D, Jamaican-American rapper, producer, and actor (d. 2011)
  • 1967 – Carlos Hernández, Venezuelan-American baseball player and manager
  • 1969 – Martin McCague, Northern Irish-English cricketer
  • 1969 – Jacob Rees-Mogg, English politician
  • 1969 – Rich Robinson, American guitarist and songwriter
  • 1971 – Kris Draper, Canadian ice hockey player and manager
  • 1972 – Greg Berlanti, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1973 – Rodrigo, Argentinian singer-songwriter (d. 2000)
  • 1973 – Bartolo Colón, Dominican-American baseball player
  • 1973 – Shirish Kunder, Indian director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1973 – Vladimír Šmicer, Czech footballer and manager
  • 1974 – Sébastien Foucan, French runner and actor
  • 1974 – Masahide Kobayashi, Japanese baseball player and coach
  • 1974 – Magnus Manske, German biochemist and computer programmer, developed MediaWiki
  • 1975 – Will Sasso, Canadian actor and comedian
  • 1975 – Marc Gagnon, Canadian speed skater
  • 1975 – Giannis Goumas, Greek footballer and coach
  • 1975 – Maria Lawson, English singer-songwriter
  • 1976 – Alessandro Cortini, Italian-American singer and keyboard player
  • 1976 – Catherine Cox, New Zealand-Australian netball player
  • 1976 – Silje Vige, Norwegian singer
  • 1977 – Jeet Gannguli, Indian score composer, music director and singer
  • 1978 – Elijah Burke, American wrestler
  • 1978 – Johan Holmqvist, Swedish ice hockey player
  • 1978 – Brad Penny, American baseball player
  • 1978 – Rose, French singer, songwriter and composer
  • 1979 – Tracy McGrady, American basketball player
  • 1979 – Kareem McKenzie, American football player
  • 1980 – Jason Babin, American football player
  • 1980 – Anthony Minichiello, Australian rugby league player
  • 1981 – Andy Lee, Australian comedian, actor, and screenwriter
  • 1982 – Issah Gabriel Ahmed, Ghanaian footballer
  • 1982 – Rian Wallace, American football player
  • 1983 – Custódio Castro, Portuguese footballer
  • 1983 – Pedram Javaheri, Iranian-American meteorologist and journalist
  • 1983 – Woo Seung-yeon, South Korean model and actress (d. 2009)
  • 1984 – Sarah Hagan, American actress
  • 1984 – Dmitri Kruglov, Estonian footballer
  • 1985 – Tim Bridgman, English race car driver
  • 1986 – Mark Ballas, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, dancer, and actor
  • 1986 – Giannis Kontoes, Greek footballer
  • 1987 – Guillaume Latendresse, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1988 – Artem Anisimov, Russian ice hockey player
  • 1988 – Monica Lin Brown, American sergeant
  • 1988 – Billy Gilman, American musician
  • 1988 – Lucian Wintrich, American political artist and White House correspondent
  • 1989 – G-Eazy, American rapper
  • 1989 – Andrew Jordan, English race car driver
  • 1990 – Mattias Ekholm, Swedish ice hockey player
  • 1991 – Aled Davies, Welsh discus thrower
  • 1991 – Cody Eakin, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1992 – Marcus Bettinelli, English footballer, goalkeeper
  • 1994 – Daiya Seto, Japanese swimmer
  • 1994 – Emily Nicholl, Scottish netball player
  • 1994 – Daiya Seto, Japanese swimmer
  • 1994 – Emily Temple Wood, American 2016 Wikipedian of the Year award
  • 1999 – Tarjei Sandvik Moe, Norwegian actor

Deaths on May 24

  • 688 – Ségéne, bishop of Armagh (b. c. 610)
  • 1089 – Lanfranc, Archbishop of Canterbury
  • 1136 – Hugues de Payens, first Grand Master of the Knights Templar (b. c. 1070)
  • 1153 – David I of Scotland (b. 1083)
  • 1201 – Theobald III, Count of Champagne (b. 1179)
  • 1351 – Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Othman, Moroccan sultan (b. 1297)
  • 1408 – Taejo of Joseon (b. 1335)
  • 1425 – Murdoch Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany, Scottish politician (b. 1362)
  • 1456 – Ambroise de Loré, French commander (b. 1396)
  • 1543 – Nicolaus Copernicus, Polish mathematician and astronomer (b. 1473)
  • 1612 – Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, English politician, Lord High Treasurer (b. 1563)
  • 1627 – Luis de Góngora, Spanish poet and cleric (b. 1561)
  • 1632 – Robert Hues, English mathematician and geographer (b. 1553)
  • 1665 – Mary of Jesus of Ágreda, Spanish Franciscan abbess and mystic (b. 1602)
  • 1734 – Georg Ernst Stahl, German physician and chemist (b. 1660)
  • 1792 – George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney, English admiral and politician, 16th Governor of Newfoundland (b. 1718)
  • 1806 – John Campbell, 5th Duke of Argyll, Scottish field marshal and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Argyllshire (b. 1723)
  • 1843 – Sylvestre François Lacroix, French mathematician and academic (b. 1765)
  • 1848 – Annette von Droste-Hülshoff, German author and composer (b. 1797)
  • 1861 – Elmer E. Ellsworth, American colonel (b. 1837)
  • 1872 – Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, German painter and illustrator (b. 1794)
  • 1879 – William Lloyd Garrison, American journalist and activist (b. 1805)
  • 1881 – Samuel Palmer, English painter and illustrator (b. 1805)
  • 1901 – Louis-Zéphirin Moreau, Canadian bishop (b. 1824)
  • 1908 – Old Tom Morris, Scottish golfer and architect (b. 1821)
  • 1915 – John Condon, Irish-English soldier (b. 1896)
  • 1919 – Amado Nervo, Mexican poet, journalist, and educator (b. 1870)
  • 1929 – Nikolai von Meck, Russian engineer (b. 1863)
  • 1941 – Lancelot Holland, English admiral (b. 1887)
  • 1945 – Robert Ritter von Greim, German field marshal and pilot (b. 1892)
  • 1948 – Jacques Feyder, Belgian actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1885)
  • 1949 – Alexey Shchusev, Russian architect, designed Lenin’s Mausoleum and Moscow Kazanskaya railway station (b. 1873)
  • 1950 – Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell, English field marshal and politician, 43rd Governor-General of India (b. 1883)
  • 1951 – Thomas N. Heffron, American actor, director, screenwriter (b. 1872)
  • 1956 – Martha Annie Whiteley, English chemist and mathematician (b. 1866)
  • 1958 – Frank Rowe, Australian public servant (b. 1895)
  • 1959 – John Foster Dulles, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 52nd United States Secretary of State (b. 1888)
  • 1963 – Elmore James, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1918)
  • 1965 – Sonny Boy Williamson II, American singer-songwriter and harmonica player (b. 1908)
  • 1974 – Duke Ellington, American pianist and composer (b. 1899)
  • 1976 – Denise Pelletier, Canadian actress (b. 1923)
  • 1979 – Ernest Bullock, English organist, composer, and educator (b. 1890)
  • 1981 – Herbert Müller, Swiss race car driver (b. 1940)
  • 1984 – Vince McMahon Sr., American wrestling promoter and businessman, founded WWE (b. 1914)
  • 1988 – Freddie Frith, English motorcycle road racer (b. 1909)
  • 1990 – Arthur Villeneuve, Canadian painter (b. 1910)
  • 1991 – Gene Clark, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1944)
  • 1992 – Hitoshi Ogawa, Japanese race car driver (b. 1956)
  • 1995 – Harold Wilson, English academic and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1916)
  • 1996 – Enrique Álvarez Félix, Mexican actor (b. 1934)
  • 1996 – Joseph Mitchell, American journalist and author (b. 1908)
  • 1997 – Edward Mulhare, Irish actor (b. 1923)
  • 2000 – Kurt Schork, American journalist and scholar (b. 1947)
  • 2000 – Majrooh Sultanpuri, Indian poet and songwriter (b. 1919)
  • 2002 – Wallace Markfield, American author (b. 1926)
  • 2003 – Rachel Kempson, English actress (b. 1910)
  • 2004 – Henry Ries, German-American photographer (b. 1917)
  • 2004 – Milton Shulman, Canadian author and critic (b. 1913)
  • 2004 – Edward Wagenknecht, American critic and educator (b. 1900)
  • 2005 – Carl Amery, German activist and author (b. 1922)
  • 2005 – Arthur Haulot, Belgian journalist and poet (b. 1913)
  • 2005 – Guy Tardif, Canadian academic and politician (b. 1935)
  • 2006 – Henry Bumstead, American art director and production designer (b. 1915)
  • 2006 – Claude Piéplu, French actor (b. 1923)
  • 2006 – Michał Życzkowski, Polish technician and educator (b. 1930)
  • 2008 – Dick Martin, American actor, comedian, and director (b. 1922)
  • 2008 – Jimmy McGriff, American organist and bandleader (b. 1936)
  • 2009 – Jay Bennett, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (b. 1963)
  • 2010 – Ray Alan, English ventriloquist, actor, and screenwriter (b. 1930)
  • 2010 – Paul Gray, American bass player and songwriter (b. 1972)
  • 2010 – Raymond V. Haysbert, American businessman and activist (b. 1920)
  • 2010 – Petr Muk, Czech singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1965)
  • 2010 – Anneliese Rothenberger, German soprano and actress (b. 1926)
  • 2011 – Huguette Clark, American heiress, painter, and philanthropist (b. 1906)
  • 2011 – Hakim Ali Zardari, Indian-Pakistani businessman and politician (b. 1930)
  • 2012 – Klaas Carel Faber, Dutch-German SS officer (b. 1922)
  • 2012 – Kathi Kamen Goldmark, American journalist and author (b. 1948)
  • 2012 – Jacqueline Harpman, Belgian psychoanalyst and author (b. 1929)
  • 2012 – Juan Francisco Lombardo, Argentinian footballer (b. 1925)
  • 2012 – Lee Rich, American production manager and producer (b. 1918)
  • 2013 – Helmut Braunlich, German-American violinist and composer (b. 1929)
  • 2013 – Ron Davies, Welsh footballer (b. 1942)
  • 2013 – Gotthard Graubner, German painter (b. 1930)
  • 2013 – Haynes Johnson, American journalist and author (b. 1931)
  • 2013 – Pyotr Todorovsky, Ukrainian-Russian director and screenwriter (b. 1925)
  • 2014 – David Allen, English cricketer (b. 1935)
  • 2014 – Stormé DeLarverie, known as the “Rosa Parks of the lesbian community” (b. 1920)
  • 2014 – Mahafarid Amir Khosravi, Iranian businessman (b. 1969)
  • 2014 – Knowlton Nash, Canadian journalist and author (b. 1927)
  • 2014 – John Vasconcellos, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician (b. 1932)
  • 2015 – Dean Carroll, English rugby player (b. 1962)
  • 2015 – Kenneth Jacobs, Australian lawyer and judge (b. 1917)
  • 2015 – Tanith Lee, English author (b. 1947)
  • 2018 – Gudrun Burwitz, daughter of Margarete Himmler and Heinrich Himmler (b. 1929)
  • 2018 – John Bain (TotalBiscuit), English gaming commentator and critic (b. 1984)

Holidays and observances on May 24

  • Aldersgate Day/Wesley Day (Methodism)
  • Battle of Pichincha Day (Ecuador)
  • Bermuda Day (Bermuda), celebrated on the nearest weekday if May 24 falls on the weekend.
  • Christian feast day:
    • Anna Pak Agi (one of The Korean Martyrs)
    • Donatian and Rogatian
    • Jackson Kemper (Episcopal Church)
    • Joanna
    • Mary, Help of Christians
    • Sarah (celebrated by the Romani people of Camargue)
    • Vincent of Lérins
    • May 24 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Commonwealth Day (Belize)
  • Earliest day on which El Colacho tradition can fall, while June 27 is the latest; celebrated on Sunday after Corpus Christi. (Castrillo de Murcia, near Burgos)
  • Independence Day (Eritrea), celebrates the independence of Eritrea from Ethiopia in 1993.
  • Lubiri Memorial Day (Buganda)
  • Saints Cyril and Methodius Day (Eastern Orthodox Church, Julian Calendar) and its related observance:
    • Bulgarian Education and Culture and Slavonic Literature Day (Bulgaria)
    • Saints Cyril and Methodius, Slavonic Enlighteners’ Day (North Macedonia)
  • Victoria Day; celebrated on Monday on or before May 24. (Canada), and its related observance:
    • National Patriots’ Day or Journée nationale des patriotes (Quebec)

May 24 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

On This Day /
  • 1430 – Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to raise the Siege of Compiègne.
  • 1498 – Girolamo Savonarola is burned at the stake in Florence, Italy.
  • 1533 – The marriage of King Henry VIII to Catherine of Aragon is declared null and void.
  • 1568 – Dutch rebels led by Louis of Nassau, defeat Jean de Ligne, Duke of Arenberg, and his loyalist troops in the Battle of Heiligerlee, opening the Eighty Years’ War.
  • 1609 – Official ratification of the Second Virginia Charter takes place.
  • 1618 – The Second Defenestration of Prague precipitates the Thirty Years’ War.
  • 1701 – After being convicted of piracy and of murdering William Moore, Captain William Kidd is hanged in London.
  • 1706 – John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, defeats a French army under Marshal François de Neufville, duc de Villeroy at the Battle of Ramillies.
  • 1788 – South Carolina ratifies the United States Constitution as the eighth American state.
  • 1793 – Battle of Famars during the Flanders Campaign of the War of the First Coalition.
  • 1829 – Accordion patent granted to Cyrill Demian in Vienna, Austrian Empire.
  • 1844 – Declaration of the Báb the evening before the 23rd: A merchant of Shiraz announces that he is a Prophet and founds a religious movement that would later be brutally crushed by the Persian government. He is considered to be a forerunner of the Bahá’í Faith; Bahá’ís celebrate the day as a holy day.
  • 1846 – Mexican–American War: President Mariano Paredes of Mexico unofficially declares war on the United States.
  • 1863 – The General German Workers’ Association, a precursor of the modern Social Democratic Party of Germany, is founded in Leipzig, Kingdom of Saxony.
  • 1873 – The Canadian Parliament establishes the North-West Mounted Police, the forerunner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
  • 1900 – American Civil War: Sergeant William Harvey Carney is awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism in the Assault on the Battery Wagner in 1863.
  • 1907 – The unicameral Parliament of Finland gathers for its first plenary session.
  • 1911 – The New York Public Library is dedicated.
  • 1915 – World War I: Italy joins the Allies, fulfilling its part of the Treaty of London.
  • 1932 – In Brazil, four students are shot and killed during a manifestation against the Brazilian dictator Getúlio Vargas, which resulted in the outbreak of the Constitutionalist Revolution several weeks later.
  • 1934 – Infamous American bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde are ambushed by police and killed in Bienville Parish, Louisiana.
  • 1934 – The Auto-Lite strike culminates in the “Battle of Toledo”, a five-day melée between 1,300 troops of the Ohio National Guard and 6,000 picketers.
  • 1939 – The U.S. Navy submarine USS Squalus sinks off the coast of New Hampshire during a test dive, causing the death of 24 sailors and two civilian technicians. The remaining 32 sailors and one civilian naval architect are rescued the following day.
  • 1945 – World War II: Heinrich Himmler, head of the Schutzstaffel, commits suicide while in Allied custody.
  • 1945 – World War II: Germany’s Flensburg Government under Karl Dönitz is dissolved when its members are arrested by British forces.
  • 1948 – Thomas C. Wasson, the US Consul-General, is assassinated in Jerusalem, Israel.
  • 1949 – Cold War: The Western occupying powers approve the Basic Law and establish a new German state, the Federal Republic of Germany.
  • 1951 – Tibetans sign the Seventeen Point Agreement with China.
  • 1960 – A tsunami caused by an earthquake in Chile the previous day kills 61 people in Hilo, Hawaii.
  • 1992 – Italy’s most prominent anti-mafia judge Giovanni Falcone, his wife and three body guards are killed by the Corleonesi clan with a half-ton bomb near Capaci, Sicily. His friend and colleague Paolo Borsellino will be assassinated less than two months later, making 1992 a turning point in the history of Italian Mafia prosecutions.
  • 1995 – The first version of the Java programming language is released.
  • 1998 – The Good Friday Agreement is accepted in a referendum in Northern Ireland with roughly 75% voting yes.
  • 2002 – The “55 parties” clause of the Kyoto Protocol is reached after its ratification by Iceland.
  • 2006 – Alaskan stratovolcano Mount Cleveland erupts.
  • 2008 – The International Court of Justice (ICJ) awards Middle Rocks to Malaysia and Pedra Branca (Pulau Batu Puteh) to Singapore, ending a 29-year territorial dispute between the two countries.
  • 2013 – A freeway bridge carrying Interstate 5 over the Skagit River collapses in Mount Vernon, Washington.
  • 2014 – Seven people, including the perpetrator, are killed and another 14 injured in a killing spree near the campus of University of California, Santa Barbara.
  • 2015 – At least 46 people are killed as a result of floods caused by a tornado in Texas and Oklahoma.
  • 2016 – Two suicide bombings, conducted by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, killed at least 45 potential army recruits in Aden, Yemen.
  • 2016 – Eight bombings were carried out by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria in Jableh and Tartus, coastline cities in Syria. One hundred eighty-four people were killed and at least 200 people injured.
  • 2017 – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law in Mindanao, following the Maute’s attack in Marawi.

Births on May 23

  • 635 – K’inich Kan Bahlam II, Mayan king (d. 702)
  • 675 – Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar II, King of Mutharaiyar dynasty, Tamil Nadu, India
  • 1052 – Philip I of France (d. 1108)
  • 1100 – Emperor Qinzong of Song (d. 1161)
  • 1127 – Uijong of Goryeo, Korean monarch of the Goryeo dynasty (d. 1173)
  • 1330 – Gongmin of Goryeo, Korean ruler (d. 1374)
  • 1586 – Paul Siefert, German composer and organist (d. 1666)
  • 1606 – Juan Caramuel y Lobkowitz, Spanish mathematician and philosopher (d. 1682)
  • 1614 – Bertholet Flemalle, Flemish Baroque painter (d. 1675)
  • 1617 – Elias Ashmole, English astrologer and politician (d. 1692)
  • 1629 – William VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, noble of Hesse-Kassel (d. 1663)
  • 1707 – Carl Linnaeus, Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist (d. 1778)
  • 1718 – William Hunter, Scottish-English anatomist and physician (d. 1783)
  • 1729 – Giuseppe Parini, Italian poet and educator (d. 1799)
  • 1730 – Prince Augustus Ferdinand of Prussia, Prussian prince and general (d. 1813)
  • 1734 – Franz Mesmer, German physician and astrologer (d. 1815)
  • 1741 – Andrea Luchesi, Italian organist and composer (d. 1801)
  • 1789 – Franz Schlik, Austrian earl and general (d. 1862)
  • 1790 – Jules Dumont d’Urville, French admiral and explorer (d. 1842)
  • 1790 – James Pradier, French neoclassical sculptor (d. 1852)
  • 1794 – Ignaz Moscheles, Czech pianist and composer (d. 1870)
  • 1795 – Charles Barry, English architect, designed the Upper Brook Street Chapel and Halifax Town Hall (d. 1860)
  • 1800 – Rómulo Díaz de la Vega, Mexican general and president (1855) (d. 1877)
  • 1810 – Margaret Fuller, American journalist and critic (d. 1850)
  • 1817 – Manuel Robles Pezuela, Unconstitutional Mexican interim president (d. 1862)
  • 1820 – James Buchanan Eads, American engineer, designed the Eads Bridge (d. 1887)
  • 1820 – Lorenzo Sawyer, American lawyer and judge (d. 1891)
  • 1824 – Ambrose Burnside, American general and politician, 30th Governor of Rhode Island (d. 1881)
  • 1834 – Jānis Frīdrihs Baumanis, Latvian architect (d. 1891)
  • 1834 – Carl Bloch, Danish painter and academic (d. 1890)
  • 1837 – Anatole Mallet, Swiss mechanical engineer and inventor (d. 1919)
  • 1837 – Józef Wieniawski, Polish pianist and composer (d. 1912)
  • 1838 – Amaldus Nielsen, Norwegian painter (d. 1932)
  • 1840 – George Throssell, Irish-Australian politician, 2nd Premier of Western Australia (d. 1910)
  • 1844 – `Abdu’l-Bahá, Iranian religious leader (d. 1921)
  • 1848 – Otto Lilienthal, German pilot and engineer (d. 1896)
  • 1855 – Isabella Ford, English author and activist (d. 1924)
  • 1861 – József Rippl-Rónai, Hungarian painter (d. 1927)
  • 1863 – Władysław Horodecki, Polish architect (d. 1930)
  • 1864 – William O’Connor, American fencer (d. 1939)
  • 1865 – Epitácio Pessoa, Brazilian jurist and politician, 11th President of Brazil (d. 1942)
  • 1875 – Alfred P. Sloan, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 1966)
  • 1882 – William Halpenny, Canadian pole vaulter (d. 1960)
  • 1883 – Douglas Fairbanks, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1939)
  • 1884 – Corrado Gini, Italian sociologist and demographer (d. 1965)
  • 1887 – Thoralf Skolem, Norwegian mathematician and theorist (d. 1963)
  • 1887 – Nikolai Vekšin, Estonian-Russian sailor and captain (d. 1951)
  • 1888 – Adriaan Roland Holst, Dutch writer (d. 1976)
  • 1888 – Zack Wheat, American baseball player and police officer (d. 1972)
  • 1889 – Ernst Niekisch, German educator and politician (d. 1967)
  • 1890 – Herbert Marshall, English-American actor and singer (d. 1966)
  • 1891 – Pär Lagerkvist, Swedish novelist, playwright, and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1974)
  • 1892 – Albert Spencer, 7th Earl Spencer, British peer and grandfather of Diana Spencer (d. 1975)
  • 1896 – Felix Steiner, Russian-German SS officer (d. 1966)
  • 1897 – Jimmie Guthrie, Scottish motorcycle racer (d. 1937)
  • 1898 – Scott O’Dell, American soldier, journalist, and author (d. 1989)
  • 1898 – Josef Terboven, German soldier and politician (d. 1945)
  • 1899 – Jeralean Talley, American super-centenarian (d. 2015)
  • 1900 – Hans Frank, German lawyer and politician (d. 1946)
  • 1900 – Franz Leopold Neumann, German lawyer and theorist (d. 1954)
  • 1908 – John Bardeen, American physicist and engineer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1991)
  • 1908 – Hélène Boucher, French pilot (d. 1934)
  • 1910 – Margaret Wise Brown, American author and educator (d. 1952)
  • 1910 – Hugh Casson, English architect and academic (d. 1999)
  • 1910 – Scatman Crothers, American actor and comedian (d. 1986)
  • 1910 – Franz Kline, American painter and academic (d. 1962)
  • 1910 – Artie Shaw, American clarinet player, composer, and bandleader (d. 2004)
  • 1911 – Lou Brouillard, Canadian boxer (d. 1984)
  • 1911 – Paul Augustin Mayer, German cardinal (d. 2010)
  • 1911 – Betty Nuthall, English tennis player (d. 1983)
  • 1912 – Jean Françaix, French pianist and composer (d. 1997)
  • 1912 – John Payne, American actor (d. 1989)
  • 1914 – Harold Hitchcock, English visionary landscape artist (d. 2009)
  • 1914 – Celestine Sibley, American journalist and author (d. 1999)
  • 1914 – Barbara Ward, Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth, English economist, journalist, and prominent Catholic layperson (d. 1981)
  • 1915 – S. Donald Stookey, American physicist and chemist, invented CorningWare (d. 2014)
  • 1917 – Edward Norton Lorenz, American mathematician and meteorologist (d. 2008)
  • 1918 – Denis Compton, English cricketer and sportscaster (d. 1997)
  • 1919 – Robert Bernstein, American author and playwright (d. 1988)
  • 1919 – Ruth Fernández, Puerto Rican contralto and a member of the Puerto Rican Senate (d. 2012)
  • 1919 – Betty Garrett, American actress, singer, and dancer (d. 2011)
  • 1920 – Helen O’Connell, American singer (d. 1993)
  • 1923 – Alicia de Larrocha, Catalan-Spanish pianist (d. 2009)
  • 1923 – Irving Millman, American virologist and microbiologist (d. 2012)
  • 1924 – Karlheinz Deschner, German author and activist (d. 2014)
  • 1925 – Joshua Lederberg, American biologist and geneticist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2008)
  • 1926 – Basil Salvadore D’Souza, Indian bishop (d. 1996)
  • 1926 – Joe Slovo, Lithuanian-South African activist and politician (d. 1995)
  • 1928 – Rosemary Clooney, American singer and actress (d. 2002)
  • 1928 – Nigel Davenport, English actor (d. 2013)
  • 1928 – Nina Otkalenko, Russian runner (d. 2015)
  • 1929 – Ulla Jacobsson, Swedish-Austrian actress (d. 1982)
  • 1930 – Friedrich Achleitner, German poet and critic (d. 2019)
  • 1931 – Barbara Barrie, American actress
  • 1932 – Kevork Ajemian, Syrian-French journalist and author (d. 1998)
  • 1933 – Joan Collins, English actress
  • 1933 – Ove Fundin, Swedish motorcycle racer
  • 1934 – Robert Moog, electronic engineer and inventor of the Moog synthesizer (d. 2005)
  • 1935 – Lasse Strömstedt, Swedish author (d. 2009)
  • 1936 – Ingeborg Hallstein, German soprano and actress
  • 1936 – Charles Kimbrough, American actor
  • 1939 – Michel Colombier, French-American composer and conductor (d. 2004)
  • 1939 – Reinhard Hauff, German director and screenwriter
  • 1940 – Bjorn Johansen, Norwegian saxophonist (d. 2002)
  • 1940 – Gérard Larrousse, French race car driver
  • 1940 – Cora Sadosky, Argentinian mathematician and academic (d. 2010)
  • 1941 – Zalman King, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2012)
  • 1941 – Rod Thorn, American basketball player, coach, and executive
  • 1942 – Gabriel Liiceanu, Romanian philosopher, author, and academic
  • 1942 – Kovelamudi Raghavendra Rao, Indian director, screenwriter, and choreographer
  • 1943 – Peter Kenilorea, Solomon Islands politician, 1st Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands (d. 2016)
  • 1944 – John Newcombe, Australian tennis player and sportscaster
  • 1945 – Padmarajan, Indian director, screenwriter, and author (d. 1991)
  • 1946 – David Graham, Australian golfer
  • 1947 – Jane Kenyon, American poet and translator (d. 1995)
  • 1948 – Myriam Boyer, French actress, director, and producer
  • 1949 – Daniel DiNardo, American cardinal
  • 1949 – Alan García, Peruvian lawyer and politician, 61st and 64th President of Peru (d. 2019)
  • 1950 – Martin McGuinness, Irish republican and Sinn Féin politician, Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland (d. 2017)
  • 1951 – Anatoly Karpov, Russian chess player
  • 1951 – Antonis Samaras, Greek economist and politician, 185th Prime Minister of Greece
  • 1952 – Martin Parr, English photographer and journalist
  • 1954 – Gerry Armstrong, Northern Irish international footballer, striker
  • 1954 – Marvelous Marvin Hagler, American boxer and actor
  • 1955 – Luka Bloom, Irish singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1956 – Andrea Pazienza, Italian illustrator and painter (d. 1988)
  • 1956 – Ursula Plassnik, Austrian politician and diplomat, Foreign Minister of Austria
  • 1956 – Buck Showalter, American baseball player, coach, and manager
  • 1958 – Mitch Albom, American journalist, author, and screenwriter
  • 1958 – Drew Carey, American actor, game show host, and entrepreneur
  • 1958 – Lea DeLaria, American actress and singer
  • 1959 – Marcella Mesker, Dutch tennis player and sportscaster
  • 1960 – Linden Ashby, American actor
  • 1961 – Daniele Massaro, Italian footballer and manager
  • 1961 – Norrie May-Welby, Scottish Australian gender activist
  • 1962 – Karen Duffy, American actress
  • 1963 – Viviane Baladi, Swiss mathematician
  • 1964 – Ruth Metzler, Swiss lawyer and politician
  • 1965 – Manuel Sanchís Hontiyuelo, Spanish footballer
  • 1965 – Tom Tykwer, German director, producer, screenwriter, and composer
  • 1965 – Melissa McBride, American actress
  • 1965 – Paul Sironen, Australian rugby league player
  • 1966 – Graeme Hick, Zimbabwean-English cricketer and coach
  • 1966 – Gary Roberts, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1967 – Luís Roberto Alves, Mexican footballer
  • 1967 – Anna Ibrisagic, Swedish politician
  • 1968 – Guinevere Turner, American actress and screenwriter
  • 1970 – Bryan Herta, American race car driver and businessman, co-founded Bryan Herta Autosport
  • 1971 – George Osborne, English journalist and politician, former Chancellor of the Exchequer
  • 1972 – Rubens Barrichello, Brazilian race car driver
  • 1972 – Martin Saggers, English cricketer and umpire
  • 1973 – Maxwell, American singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1974 – Jewel, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, actress, and poet
  • 1974 – Manuela Schwesig, German politician, German Federal Minister of Family Affairs
  • 1976 – Ricardinho, Brazilian footballer and manager
  • 1977 – Ilia Kulik, Russian figure skater
  • 1978 – Scott Raynor, American drummer
  • 1979 – Rasual Butler, American basketball player (d. 2018)
  • 1979 – Brian Campbell, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1980 – Theofanis Gekas, Greek footballer
  • 1980 – Ben Ross, Australian rugby league player
  • 1983 – Silvio Proto, Belgian-Italian footballer
  • 1984 – Hugo Almeida, Portuguese footballer
  • 1985 – Sebastián Fernández, Uruguayan footballer
  • 1985 – Teymuraz Gabashvili, Russian tennis player
  • 1985 – Wim Stroetinga, Dutch cyclist
  • 1985 – Ross Wallace, Scottish footballer
  • 1986 – Ryan Coogler, American film director and screenwriter
  • 1986 – Alexei Sitnikov, Russian-Azerbaijani figure skater
  • 1986 – Alice Tait, Australian swimmer
  • 1986 – Ruben Zadkovich, Australian footballer
  • 1987 – Gracie Otto, Australian actress, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1987 – Bray Wyatt, American wrestler
  • 1988 – Rosanna Crawford, Canadian biathlete
  • 1988 – Angelo Ogbonna, Italian footballer
  • 1988 – Morgan Pressel, American golfer
  • 1989 – Ezequiel Schelotto, Italian footballer
  • 1990 – Dan Evans, British tennis player
  • 1990 – Kristina Kucova, Slovakian tennis player
  • 1990 – Oliver Venno, Estonian volleyball player
  • 1991 – Aaron Donald, American football player
  • 1991 – Lena Meyer-Landrut, German singer-songwriter
  • 1991 – César Pinares, Chilean footballer
  • 1996 – Katharina Althaus, German ski jumper
  • 1996 – Emmanuel Boateng, Ghanaian footballer
  • 1996 – Razvan Marin, Romanian footballer
  • 1997 – Pedro Chirivella, Spanish footballer
  • 1997 – Coy Craft, American footballer
  • 1997 – Joe Gomez, English footballer
  • 1997 – Gustaf Nilsson, Swedish footballer
  • 1997 – Sam Timmins, New Zealand basketball player
  • 1998 – Sérgio Sette Câmara, Brazilian race car driver
  • 1998 – Ross Cunningham, Scottish footballer
  • 1998 – Salwa Eid Naser, Bahraini track and field sprinter
  • 1998 – Luca De La Torre, American footballer
  • 1998 – Steve Lacy, American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer
  • 2000 – Felipe Drugovich, Brazilian race car driver
  • 2000 – Jaxson Hayes, American basketball player

Deaths on May 23

  • 230 – Urban I, pope of the Catholic Church
  • 922 – Li Sizhao, Chinese general and governor
  • 962 – Guibert of Gembloux, Frankish abbot (b. 892)
  • 1125 – Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1081)
  • 1304 – Jehan de Lescurel, French poet and composer
  • 1338 – Alice de Warenne, Countess of Arundel, English noble (b. 1287)
  • 1370 – Toghon Temür, Mongol emperor (b. 1320)
  • 1423 – Antipope Benedict XIII (b. 1328)
  • 1498 – Girolamo Savonarola, Italian friar and preacher (b. 1452)
  • 1523 – Ashikaga Yoshitane, Japanese shōgun (b. 1466)
  • 1524 – Ismail I, First Emperor of Safavid Empire (b. 1487)
  • 1591 – John Blitheman, English organist and composer (b. 1525)
  • 1662 – John Gauden, English bishop (b. 1605)
  • 1670 – Ferdinando II de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (b. 1610)
  • 1691 – Adrien Auzout, French astronomer and instrument maker (b. 1622)
  • 1701 – William Kidd, Scottish pirate (b. 1645)
  • 1749 – Abraham ben Abraham, Polish martyr (b. 1700)
  • 1752 – William Bradford, English-American printer (b. 1663)
  • 1754 – John Wood, the Elder, English architect, designed The Circus and Queen Square (b. 1704)
  • 1783 – James Otis, Jr., American lawyer and politician (b. 1725)
  • 1813 – Géraud Duroc, French general and diplomat (b. 1772)
  • 1815 – Gotthilf Heinrich Ernst Muhlenberg, American clergyman and botanist (b. 1753)
  • 1841 – Franz Xaver von Baader, German philosopher and theologian (b. 1765)
  • 1855 – Charles Robert Malden, English lieutenant and explorer (b. 1797)
  • 1857 – Augustin-Louis Cauchy, French mathematician and academic (b. 1789)
  • 1868 – Kit Carson, American general (b. 1809)
  • 1886 – Leopold von Ranke, German historian and academic (b. 1795)
  • 1893 – Anton von Schmerling, Austrian politician (b. 1805)
  • 1895 – Franz Ernst Neumann, German mineralogist, physicist, and mathematician (b. 1798)
  • 1906 – Henrik Ibsen, Norwegian director, playwright, and poet (b. 1828)
  • 1908 – François Coppée, French poet and author (b. 1842)
  • 1920 – Svetozar Boroević, Croatian-Austrian field marshal (b. 1856)
  • 1921 – August Nilsson, Swedish shot putter and tug of war competitor (b. 1872)
  • 1934 – Clyde Barrow, American criminal (b. 1909)
  • 1934 – Mihkel Martna, Estonian journalist and politician (b. 1860)
  • 1934 – Bonnie Parker, American criminal (b. 1910)
  • 1937 – John D. Rockefeller, American businessman and philanthropist, founded the Standard Oil Company and Rockefeller University (b. 1839)
  • 1938 – Frederick Ruple, Swiss-American painter (b. 1871)
  • 1942 – Panagiotis Toundas, Greek composer and conductor (b. 1886)
  • 1945 – Heinrich Himmler, German commander and politician, Reich Minister of the Interior (b. 1900)
  • 1947 – Charles-Ferdinand Ramuz, Swiss author and poet (b. 1878)
  • 1949 – Jan Frans De Boever, Belgian painter and illustrator (b. 1872)
  • 1956 – Gustav Suits, Latvian-Estonian poet and politician (b. 1883)
  • 1960 – Georges Claude, French engineer and inventor, created Neon lighting (b. 1870)
  • 1962 – Louis Coatalen, French engineer (b. 1879)
  • 1963 – August Jakobson, Estonian author and politician (b. 1904)
  • 1965 – David Smith, American sculptor (b. 1906)
  • 1975 – Moms Mabley, American comedian and actor (b. 1894)
  • 1979 – S. Selvanayagam, Sri Lankan geographer and academic (b. 1932)
  • 1981 – Gene Green, American baseball player (b. 1933)
  • 1981 – Rayner Heppenstall, English author and poet (b. 1911)
  • 1981 – George Jessel, American actor, singer, and producer (b. 1898)
  • 1981 – David Lewis, Belarusian-Canadian lawyer and politician (b. 1909)
  • 1986 – Sterling Hayden, American actor (b. 1916)
  • 1989 – Georgy Tovstonogov, Russian director and producer (b. 1915)
  • 1989 – Karl Koch, German computer hacker (b. 1965)
  • 1991 – Wilhelm Kempff, German pianist and composer (b. 1895)
  • 1991 – Jean Van Houtte, Belgian academic and politician, 50th Prime Minister of Belgium (b. 1907)
  • 1991 – Fletcher Markle, Canadian director, screenwriter, and producer (b. 1921)
  • 1992 – Kostas Davourlis, Greek footballer (b. 1948)
  • 1992 – Giovanni Falcone, Italian lawyer and judge (b. 1939)
  • 1994 – Olav Hauge, Norwegian poet (b. 1908)
  • 1996 – Kronid Lyubarsky, Russian journalist and activist (b. 1934)
  • 1998 – Telford Taylor, American general and lawyer (b. 1908)
  • 1999 – Owen Hart, Canadian-American wrestler (b. 1965)
  • 2002 – Sam Snead, American golfer and journalist (b. 1912)
  • 2006 – Lloyd Bentsen, American colonel and politician, 69th United States Secretary of the Treasury (b. 1921)
  • 2006 – Kazimierz Górski, Polish footballer and manager (b. 1921)
  • 2008 – Iñaki Ochoa de Olza, Spanish mountaineer (b. 1967)
  • 2008 – Utah Phillips, American singer-songwriter and poet (b. 1935)
  • 2009 – Roh Moo-hyun, South Korean soldier and politician, 9th President of South Korea (b. 1946)
  • 2010 – José Lima, Dominican-American baseball player (b. 1972)
  • 2010 – Simon Monjack, English director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1970)
  • 2011 – Xavier Tondo, Spanish cyclist (b. 1978)
  • 2012 – Paul Fussell, American historian, author, and academic (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – Epy Guerrero, Dominican baseball player, coach, and scout (b. 1942)
  • 2013 – Hayri Kozakçıoğlu, Turkish police officer and politician, 15th Governor of Istanbul Province (b. 1938)
  • 2013 – Georges Moustaki, Egyptian-French singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1934)
  • 2013 – Flynn Robinson, American basketball player (b. 1941)
  • 2014 – Mikhail Egorovich Alekseev, Russian linguist and academic (b. 1949)
  • 2014 – Madhav Mantri, Indian cricketer (b. 1921)
  • 2015 – Anne Meara, American actress, comedian and playwright (b. 1929)
  • 2015 – Aleksey Mozgovoy, Ukrainian sergeant (b. 1975)
  • 2015 – Alicia Nash, Salvadoran-American physicist and engineer (b. 1933)
  • 2015 – John Forbes Nash, Jr., American mathematician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1928)
  • 2017 – Roger Moore, English actor (b. 1927)
  • 2020 – Hana Kimura, Japanese professional wrestler (b. 1997)

Holidays and observances on May 23

  • Christian feast day:
    • Aaron the Illustrious (Syriac Orthodox Church)
    • Desiderius of Vienne
    • Giovanni Battista de’ Rossi
    • Julia of Corsica
    • Nicolaus Copernicus and Johannes Kepler (Episcopal Church (USA))
    • Quintian, Lucius and Julian
    • William of Perth
    • May 23 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Constitution Day (Germany)
  • Earliest day on which Declaration of the Báb can fall, while May 24 is the latest; observed on ‘Aẓamat 8 (Bahá’í Faith)
  • Earliest day on which National Heroes’ Day can fall, while May 31 is the latest; celebrated on last Monday of May. (Turks and Caicos Islands)
  • Labour Day (Jamaica)
  • Students’ Day (Mexico)
  • World Turtle Day

May 23 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

May 18 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 332 – Emperor Constantine the Great announces free distributions of food to the citizens in Constantinople.
  • 872 – Louis II of Italy is crowned for the second time as Roman Emperor at Rome, at the age of 47. His first coronation was 28 years earlier, in 844, during the reign of his father Lothair I.
  • 1096 – First Crusade: Around 800 Jews are massacred in Worms, Germany.
  • 1152 – The future Henry II of England marries Eleanor of Aquitaine. He would become king two years later, after the death of his cousin once removed King Stephen of England.
  • 1268 – The Principality of Antioch, a crusader state, falls to the Mamluk Sultan Baibars in the Siege of Antioch.
  • 1291 – Fall of Acre, the end of Crusader presence in the Holy Land.
  • 1302 – Bruges Matins, the nocturnal massacre of the French garrison in Bruges by members of the local Flemish militia.
  • 1388 – During the Battle of Buyur Lake, General Lan Yu leads a Chinese army forward to crush the Mongol hordes of Tögüs Temür, the Khan of Northern Yuan.
  • 1499 – Alonso de Ojeda sets sail from Cádiz on his voyage to what is now Venezuela.
  • 1565 – The Great Siege of Malta begins, in which Ottoman forces attempt and fail to conquer Malta.
  • 1593 – Playwright Thomas Kyd’s accusations of heresy lead to an arrest warrant for Christopher Marlowe.
  • 1631 – In Dorchester, Massachusetts, John Winthrop takes the oath of office and becomes the first Governor of Massachusetts.
  • 1652 – Slavery in Rhode Island is abolished, although the law is not rigorously enforced.
  • 1756 – The Seven Years’ War begins when Great Britain declares war on France.
  • 1783 – First United Empire Loyalists reach Parrtown (later called Saint John, New Brunswick), Canada, after leaving the United States.
  • 1794 – Battle of Tourcoing during the Flanders Campaign of the War of the First Coalition.
  • 1803 – Napoleonic Wars: The United Kingdom revokes the Treaty of Amiens and declares war on France.
  • 1804 – Napoleon Bonaparte is proclaimed Emperor of the French by the French Senate.
  • 1811 – Battle of Las Piedras: The first great military triumph of the revolution of the Río de la Plata in Uruguay led by José Artigas.
  • 1812 – John Bellingham is found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging for the assassination of British Prime Minister Spencer Perceval.
  • 1843 – The Disruption in Edinburgh of the Free Church of Scotland from the Church of Scotland.
  • 1848 – Opening of the first German National Assembly (Nationalversammlung) in Frankfurt, Germany.
  • 1860 – Abraham Lincoln wins the Republican Party presidential nomination over William H. Seward, who later becomes the United States Secretary of State.
  • 1863 – American Civil War: The Siege of Vicksburg begins.
  • 1896 – The United States Supreme Court rules in Plessy v. Ferguson that the “separate but equal” doctrine is constitutional.
  • 1896 – Khodynka Tragedy: A mass panic on Khodynka Field in Moscow during the festivities of the coronation of Russian Tsar Nicholas II results in the deaths of 1,389 people.
  • 1900 – The United Kingdom proclaims a protectorate over Tonga.
  • 1912 – The first Indian film, Shree Pundalik by Dadasaheb Torne, is released in Mumbai.
  • 1917 – World War I: The Selective Service Act of 1917 is passed, giving the President of the United States the power of conscription.
  • 1926 – Evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson disappears in Venice, California.
  • 1927 – The Bath School disaster: Forty-five people, including many children, are killed by bombs planted by a disgruntled school-board member in Michigan.
  • 1927 – After being founded for 20 years, the Government of the Republic of China approves Tongji University to be among the first national universities of the Republic of China.
  • 1933 – New Deal: President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs an act creating the Tennessee Valley Authority.
  • 1944 – World War II: Battle of Monte Cassino: Conclusion after seven days of the fourth battle as German paratroopers evacuate Monte Cassino.
  • 1944 – Deportation of Crimean Tatars by the Soviet Union government.
  • 1948 – The First Legislative Yuan of the Republic of China officially convenes in Nanking.
  • 1953 – Jackie Cochran becomes the first woman to break the sound barrier.
  • 1955 – Operation Passage to Freedom, the evacuation of 310,000 Vietnamese civilians, soldiers and non-Vietnamese members of the French Army from communist North Vietnam to South Vietnam following the end of the First Indochina War, ends.
  • 1965 – Israeli spy Eli Cohen is hanged in Damascus, Syria.
  • 1969 – Apollo program: Apollo 10 is launched.
  • 1973 – Aeroflot Flight 109 is hijacked mid-flight and the aircraft is subsequently destroyed when the hijacker’s bomb explodes, killing all 82 people on board.
  • 1974 – Nuclear weapons testing: Under project Smiling Buddha, India successfully detonates its first nuclear weapon becoming the sixth nation to do so.
  • 1977 – Likud party wins the 1977 Israeli legislative election, with Menachem Begin, its founder, as the sixth Prime Minister of Israel.
  • 1980 – Mount St. Helens erupts in Washington, United States, killing 57 people and causing $3 billion in damage.
  • 1980 – Students in Gwangju, South Korea begin demonstrations calling for democratic reforms.
  • 1990 – In France, a modified TGV train achieves a new rail world speed record of 515.3 km/h (320.2 mph).
  • 1991 – Northern Somalia declares independence from the rest of Somalia as the Republic of Somaliland but is not recognized by the international community.
  • 1993 – Riots in Nørrebro, Copenhagen, caused by the approval of the four Danish exceptions in the Maastricht Treaty referendum. Police open fire against civilians for the first time since World War II and injure 11 demonstrators.
  • 1994 – Israeli troops finish withdrawing from the Gaza Strip, ceding the area to the Palestinian National Authority to govern.
  • 2005 – A second photo from the Hubble Space Telescope confirms that Pluto has two additional moons, Nix and Hydra.
  • 2006 – The post Loktantra Andolan government passes a landmark bill curtailing the power of the monarchy and making Nepal a secular country.
  • 2009 – The LTTE are defeated by the Sri Lankan government, ending almost 26 years of fighting between the two sides.
  • 2015 – At least 78 people die in a landslide caused by heavy rains in the Colombian town of Salgar.
  • 2018 – A school shooting at Santa Fe High School in Texas kills 10 people.

Births on May 18

  • 1048 – Omar Khayyám, Persian mathematician, astronomer, and poet (d. 1131)
  • 1186 – Konstantin of Rostov (d. 1218)
  • 1450 – Piero Soderini, Italian politician and diplomat (d. 1513)
  • 1537 – Guido Luca Ferrero, Roman Catholic cardinal (d. 1585)
  • 1631 – Stanislaus Papczyński, Polish priest (d. 1701)
  • 1662 – George Smalridge, English bishop (d. 1719)
  • 1692 – Joseph Butler, English bishop, theologian, and apologist (d. 1752)
  • 1711 – Roger Joseph Boscovich, Ragusan physicist, astronomer, and mathematician (d. 1787)
  • 1777 – John George Children, English chemist, mineralogist, and zoologist (d. 1852)
  • 1778 – Charles Vane, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry, Irish soldier and diplomat, British Ambassador to Austria (d. 1854)
  • 1785 – John Wilson, Scottish author and critic (d. 1854)
  • 1797 – Frederick Augustus II of Saxony (d. 1854)
  • 1822 – Mathew Brady, American photographer and journalist (d. 1896)
  • 1835 – Charles N. Sims, American Methodist preacher and 3rd chancellor of Syracuse University (d. 1908)
  • 1850 – Oliver Heaviside, English engineer, mathematician, and physicist (d. 1925)
  • 1851 – James Budd, American lawyer and politician, 19th Governor of California (d. 1908)
  • 1852 – Gertrude Käsebier, American photographer (d. 1934)
  • 1854 – Bernard Zweers, Dutch composer and educator (d. 1924)
  • 1855 – Francis Bellamy, American minister and author (d. 1931)
  • 1862 – Josephus Daniels, American publisher and politician, 41st United States Secretary of the Navy (d. 1948)
  • 1867 – Minakata Kumagusu, Japanese author, biologist, naturalist and ethnologist (d. 1941)
  • 1868 – Nicholas II of Russia (d. 1918)
  • 1869 – Lucy Beaumont, English-American actress (d. 1937)
  • 1871 – Denis Horgan, Irish shot putter and weight thrower (d. 1922)
  • 1872 – Bertrand Russell, British mathematician, historian, and philosopher, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1970)
  • 1876 – Hermann Müller, German journalist and politician, 12th Chancellor of Germany (d. 1931)
  • 1878 – Johannes Terwogt, Dutch rower (d. 1977)
  • 1882 – Babe Adams, American baseball player, manager, and journalist (d. 1968)
  • 1883 – Eurico Gaspar Dutra, Brazilian marshal and politician, 16th President of Brazil (d. 1974)
  • 1883 – Walter Gropius, German-American architect, designed the John F. Kennedy Federal Building (d. 1969)
  • 1886 – Jeanie MacPherson, American actress and screenwriter (d. 1946)
  • 1889 – Thomas Midgley, Jr., American chemist and engineer (d. 1944)
  • 1891 – Rudolf Carnap, German-American philosopher and academic (d. 1970)
  • 1892 – Ezio Pinza, Italian-American actor and singer (d. 1957)
  • 1895 – Augusto César Sandino, Nicaraguan rebel leader (d. 1934)
  • 1896 – Eric Backman, Swedish runner (d. 1965)
  • 1897 – Frank Capra, Italian-American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1991)
  • 1898 – Faruk Nafiz Çamlıbel, Turkish poet, author, and playwright (d. 1973)
  • 1901 – Henri Sauguet, French composer (d. 1989)
  • 1901 – Vincent du Vigneaud, American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1978)
  • 1902 – Meredith Willson, American playwright and composer (d. 1984)
  • 1904 – Shunryū Suzuki, Japanese-American monk and educator (d. 1971)
  • 1904 – Jacob K. Javits, American colonel and politician, 58th New York Attorney General (d. 1986)
  • 1905 – Ruth Alexander, pioneering American pilot (d. 1930)
  • 1905 – Hedley Verity, English cricketer and soldier (d. 1943)
  • 1907 – Irene Hunt, American author and educator (d. 2001)
  • 1909 – Fred Perry, English-Australian tennis player and academic (d. 1995)
  • 1910 – Ester Boserup, Danish economist and author (d. 1999)
  • 1911 – Big Joe Turner, American blues/R&B singer (d. 1985)
  • 1912 – Richard Brooks, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1992)
  • 1912 – Perry Como, American singer and television host (d. 2001)
  • 1912 – Walter Sisulu, South African politician (d. 2003)
  • 1913 – Jane Birdwood, Baroness Birdwood, Canadian-English publisher and politician (d. 2000)
  • 1914 – Pierre Balmain, French fashion designer, founded Balmain (d. 1982)
  • 1914 – Boris Christoff, Bulgarian-Italian opera singer (d. 1993)
  • 1917 – Bill Everett, American author and illustrator (d. 1973)
  • 1919 – Margot Fonteyn, British ballerina (d. 1991)
  • 1920 – Pope John Paul II (d. 2005)
  • 1921 – Michael A. Epstein, English pathologist and academic
  • 1922 – Bill Macy, American actor (d. 2019)
  • 1922 – Kai Winding, Danish-American trombonist and composer (d. 1983)
  • 1923 – Jean-Louis Roux, Canadian actor and politician, 34th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec (d. 2013)
  • 1923 – Hugh Shearer, Jamaican journalist and politician, 3rd Prime Minister of Jamaica (d. 2004)
  • 1924 – Priscilla Pointer, American actress
  • 1924 – Jack Whitaker, American sportscaster (d. 2019)
  • 1925 – Lillian Hoban, American author and illustrator (d. 1998)
  • 1927 – Richard Body, English politician (d. 2018)
  • 1927 – Ray Nagel, American football player and coach (d. 2015)
  • 1928 – Pernell Roberts, American actor (d. 2010)
  • 1929 – Jack Sanford, American baseball player and coach (d. 2000)
  • 1929 – Norman St John-Stevas, Baron St John of Fawsley, English lawyer and politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (d. 2012)
  • 1930 – Warren Rudman, American soldier, lawyer, and politician (d. 2012)
  • 1930 – Fred Saberhagen, American soldier and author (d. 2007)
  • 1931 – Don Martin, American cartoonist (d. 2000)
  • 1931 – Robert Morse, American actor
  • 1931 – Kalju Pitksaar, Estonian chess player (d. 1995)
  • 1931 – Clément Vincent, Canadian farmer and politician (d. 2018)
  • 1933 – Bernadette Chirac, French politician, First Lady of France
  • 1933 – H. D. Deve Gowda, Indian farmer and politician, 11th Prime Minister of India
  • 1933 – Don Whillans, English rock climber and mountaineer (d. 1985)
  • 1934 – Dwayne Hickman, American actor and director
  • 1936 – Leon Ashley, American singer-songwriter (d. 2013)
  • 1936 – Türker İnanoğlu, Turkish director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1936 – Michael Sandle, English sculptor and academic
  • 1937 – Brooks Robinson, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1937 – Jacques Santer, Luxembourger jurist and politician, 22nd Prime Minister of Luxembourg
  • 1938 – Janet Fish, American painter and academic
  • 1939 – Patrick Cormack, Baron Cormack, English historian, journalist, and politician
  • 1939 – Giovanni Falcone, Italian lawyer and judge (d. 1992)
  • 1939 – Gordon O’Connor, Canadian general and politician, 38th Canadian Minister of Defence
  • 1940 – Erico Aumentado, Filipino journalist, lawyer, and politician (d. 2012)
  • 1941 – Gino Brito, Canadian wrestler and promoter
  • 1941 – Malcolm Longair, Scottish astronomer, physicist, and academic
  • 1941 – Miriam Margolyes, English-Australian actress and singer
  • 1942 – Nobby Stiles, English footballer, coach, and manager
  • 1944 – Albert Hammond, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1944 – W. G. Sebald, German novelist, essayist, and poet (d. 2001)
  • 1946 – Frank Hsieh, Taiwanese lawyer and politician, 40th Premier of the Republic of China
  • 1946 – Reggie Jackson, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1946 – Gerd Langguth, German political scientist and author (d. 2013)
  • 1947 – John Bruton, Irish politician, 10th Taoiseach of Ireland
  • 1947 – Gail Strickland, American actress
  • 1948 – Joe Bonsall, American country/gospel singer
  • 1948 – Yi Mun-yol, South Korean author and academic
  • 1948 – Richard Swedberg, Swedish sociologist and academic
  • 1948 – Tom Udall, American lawyer and politician, 28th New Mexico Attorney General, United States Senator from New Mexico
  • 1949 – Rick Wakeman, English progressive rock keyboardist and songwriter (Yes)
  • 1949 – Walter Hawkins, American gospel music singer and pastor (d. 2010)
  • 1950 – Rod Milburn, American hurdler and coach (d. 1997)
  • 1950 – Mark Mothersbaugh, American singer-songwriter and painter
  • 1951 – Richard Clapton, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1951 – Jim Sundberg, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1951 – Angela Voigt, German long jumper (d. 2013)
  • 1952 – Diane Duane, American author and screenwriter
  • 1952 – David Leakey, English general and politician
  • 1952 – George Strait, American singer, guitarist and producer
  • 1952 – Jeana Yeager, American pilot
  • 1953 – Alan Kupperberg, American author and illustrator (d. 2015)
  • 1954 – Wreckless Eric, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1954 – Eric Gerets, Belgian footballer and manager
  • 1955 – Chow Yun-fat, Hong Kong actor and screenwriter
  • 1956 – Catherine Corsini, French director and screenwriter
  • 1956 – John Godber, English playwright and screenwriter
  • 1957 – Michael Cretu, Romanian-German keyboard player and producer
  • 1957 – Henrietta Moore, English anthropologist and academic
  • 1958 – Rubén Omar Romano, Argentinian-Mexican footballer and coach
  • 1958 – Toyah Willcox, English singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
  • 1959 – Graham Dilley, English cricketer and coach (d. 2011)
  • 1959 – Jay Wells, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1960 – Brent Ashton, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1960 – Jari Kurri, Finnish ice hockey player, coach, and manager
  • 1960 – Yannick Noah, French tennis player
  • 1961 – Russell Senior, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1963 – Marty McSorley, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1963 – Sam Vincent, American basketball player and coach
  • 1964 – Ignasi Guardans, Spanish academic and politician
  • 1966 – Renata Nielsen, Polish-Danish long jumper and coach
  • 1966 – Michael Tait, American singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1967 – Nina Björk, Swedish journalist and author
  • 1967 – Heinz-Harald Frentzen, German race car driver
  • 1967 – Nancy Juvonen, American screenwriter and producer, co-founded Flower Films
  • 1967 – Mimi Macpherson, Australian environmentalist, entrepreneur and celebrity
  • 1968 – Philippe Benetton, French rugby player
  • 1968 – Ralf Kelleners, German race car driver
  • 1969 – Troy Cassar-Daley, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1969 – Martika, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
  • 1969 – Antônio Carlos Zago, Brazilian footballer and manager
  • 1970 – Tina Fey, American actress, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1970 – Tim Horan, Australian rugby player and sportscaster
  • 1970 – Billy Howerdel, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer
  • 1970 – Javier Cárdenas, Spanish singer, television and radio presenter
  • 1970 – Vicky Sunohara, Canadian former ice hockey player
  • 1971 – Brad Friedel, American international soccer player, goalkeeper, manager and sportscaster
  • 1971 – Mark Menzies, Scottish politician
  • 1971 – Nobuteru Taniguchi, Japanese race car driver
  • 1972 – Turner Stevenson, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1973 – Donyell Marshall, American basketball player and coach
  • 1973 – Aleksandr Olerski, Estonian footballer (d. 2011)
  • 1974 – Nelson Figueroa, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1975 – Jem, Welsh singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1975 – John Higgins, Scottish snooker player
  • 1975 – Jack Johnson, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1976 – Ron Mercer, American basketball player
  • 1976 – Marko Tomasović, Croatian pianist and composer
  • 1976 – Oleg Tverdovsky, Ukrainian-Russian ice hockey player
  • 1977 – Lee Hendrie, English footballer
  • 1977 – Danny Mills, English footballer and sportscaster
  • 1977 – Li Tie, Chinese footballer and manager
  • 1978 – Ricardo Carvalho, Portuguese footballer
  • 1978 – Marcus Giles, American baseball player
  • 1978 – Charles Kamathi, Kenyan runner
  • 1979 – Jens Bergensten, Swedish video game designer, co-designed Minecraft
  • 1979 – Mariusz Lewandowski, Polish footballer
  • 1979 – Michal Martikán, Slovak slalom canoeist
  • 1979 – Milivoje Novaković, Slovenian footballer
  • 1979 – Julián Speroni, Argentinian footballer
  • 1980 – Reggie Evans, American basketball player
  • 1980 – Michaël Llodra, French tennis player
  • 1980 – Diego Pérez, Uruguayan footballer
  • 1981 – Mahamadou Diarra, Malian international footballer
  • 1981 – Ashley Harrison, Australian rugby league player
  • 1982 – Jason Brown, English footballer
  • 1982 – Marie-Ève Pelletier, Canadian tennis player
  • 1983 – Gary O’Neil, English footballer
  • 1983 – Luis Terrero, Dominican baseball player
  • 1983 – Vince Young, American football player
  • 1984 – Ivet Lalova, Bulgarian sprinter
  • 1984 – Simon Pagenaud, French race car driver
  • 1984 – Darius Šilinskis, Lithuanian basketball player
  • 1984 – Joakim Soria, Mexican baseball player
  • 1984 – Niki Terpstra, Dutch cyclist
  • 1985 – Oliver Sin, Hungarian painter
  • 1985 – Henrique Sereno, Portuguese footballer
  • 1986 – Ahmed Hamada, Egyptian race car driver
  • 1986 – Kevin Anderson, South African tennis player
  • 1988 – Taeyang, South Korean singer
  • 1990 – Dimitri Daeseleire, Belgian footballer
  • 1990 – Yuya Osako, Japanese footballer
  • 1990 – Josh Starling, Australian rugby league player
  • 1992 – Adwoa Aboah, British fashion model
  • 1993 – Stuart Percy, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1993 – Jessica Watson, Australian sailor
  • 1998 – Polina Edmunds, American figure skater
  • 1999 – Laura Omloop, Belgian singer-songwriter
  • 2000 – Ryan Sessegnon, English footballer
  • 2000 – Steven Sessegnon, English footballer
  • 2002 – Alina Zagitova, Russian figure skater

Deaths on May 18

  • 526 – Pope John I (b. 470)
  • 893 – Stephen I of Constantinople (b. 867)
  • 932 – Ma Shaohong, general of Later Tang
  • 947 – Emperor Taizong of the Liao Dynasty
  • 978 – Frederick I, duke of Upper Lorraine
  • 1065 – Frederick, Duke of Lower Lorraine (b. c. 1003)
  • 1096 – Minna of Worms, Jewish martyr killed during the Worms massacre (1096)
  • 1160 – Eric Jedvardsson (King Eric IX) of Sweden (since 1156); (b. circa 1120)
  • 1297 – Nicholas Longespee, Bishop of Salisbury
  • 1401 – Vladislaus II of Opole (b. 1332)
  • 1410 – Rupert of Germany, Count Palatine of the Rhine (b. 1352)
  • 1550 – Jean, Cardinal of Lorraine (b. 1498)
  • 1551 – Domenico di Pace Beccafumi, Italian painter (b. 1486)
  • 1675 – Stanisław Lubieniecki, Polish astronomer, historian, and theologian (b. 1623)
  • 1675 – Jacques Marquette, French-American missionary and explorer (b. 1637)
  • 1692 – Elias Ashmole, English astrologer and politician (b. 1617)
  • 1721 – Maria Barbara Carillo, victim of the Spanish Inquisition (b.1625)
  • 1733 – Georg Böhm, German organist and composer (b. 1761)
  • 1780 – Charles Hardy, English-American admiral and politician, 29th Colonial Governor of New York (b. 1714)
  • 1781 – Túpac Amaru II, Peruvian-Indian rebel leader (b. 1742)
  • 1792 – Levy Solomons, Canadian merchant and fur trader (b. 1730)
  • 1795 – Robert Rogers, English colonel (b. 1731)
  • 1799 – Pierre Beaumarchais, French playwright and publisher (b. 1732)
  • 1800 – Alexander Suvorov, Russian general (b. 1729)
  • 1807 – John Douglas, Scottish bishop and scholar (b. 1721)
  • 1808 – Elijah Craig, American minister, inventor, and educator, invented Bourbon whiskey (b. 1738)
  • 1844 – Richard McCarty, American lawyer and politician (b. 1780)
  • 1853 – Lionel Kieseritzky, Estonian-French chess player (b. 1806)
  • 1867 – Clarkson Stanfield, English painter (b. 1793)
  • 1889 – Isabella Glyn, Scottish-English actress (b. 1823)
  • 1900 – Félix Ravaisson-Mollien, French archaeologist and philosopher (b. 1813)
  • 1908 – Louis-Napoléon Casault, Canadian lawyer, judge, and politician (b. 1823)
  • 1909 – Isaac Albéniz, Spanish pianist and composer (b. 1860)
  • 1909 – George Meredith, English novelist and poet (b. 1828)
  • 1910 – Eliza Orzeszkowa, Polish author and publisher (b. 1841)
  • 1910 – Pauline Viardot, French soprano and composer (b. 1821)
  • 1911 – Gustav Mahler, Austrian composer and conductor (b. 1860)
  • 1922 – Charles Louis Alphonse Laveran, French physician and parasitologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1845)
  • 1941 – Werner Sombart, German economist and sociologist (b. 1863)
  • 1943 – Ōnishiki Daigorō, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 28th Yokozuna (b. 1883)
  • 1947 – Hal Chase, American baseball player and manager (b. 1883)
  • 1955 – Mary McLeod Bethune, American educator and activist (b. 1875)
  • 1956 – Maurice Tate, English cricketer (b. 1895)
  • 1958 – Jacob Fichman, Israeli poet and critic (b. 1881)
  • 1963 – Ernie Davis, American football player, coach, and manager (b. 1939)
  • 1968 – Frank Walsh, Australian politician, 34th Premier of South Australia (b. 1897)
  • 1971 – Aleksandr Gennadievich Kurosh, Russian mathematician and theorist (b. 1908)
  • 1973 – Jeannette Rankin, American social worker and politician (b. 1880)
  • 1974 – Harry Ricardo, English engine designer and researcher (b. 1885)
  • 1975 – Leroy Anderson, American composer and conductor (b. 1908)
  • 1980 – Victims of Mount St. Helens eruption:
    • Reid Blackburn, American photographer and journalist (b. 1952)
    • David A. Johnston, American volcanologist and geologist (b. 1949)
  • 1980 – Ian Curtis, English singer-songwriter (b. 1956)
  • 1981 – Arthur O’Connell, American actor (b. 1908)
  • 1981 – William Saroyan, American novelist, playwright, and short story writer (b. 1908)
  • 1987 – Mahdi Amel, Lebanese journalist, poet, and academic (b. 1936)
  • 1989 – Dorothy Ruth, American horse breeder and author (b. 1921)
  • 1990 – Jill Ireland, English actress (b. 1936)
  • 1995 – Elisha Cook, Jr., American actor (b. 1903)
  • 1995 – Alexander Godunov, Russian-American ballet dancer and actor (b. 1949)
  • 1995 – Brinsley Le Poer Trench, 8th Earl of Clancarty, Irish ufologist and historian (b. 1911)
  • 1995 – Elizabeth Montgomery, American actress (b. 1933)
  • 1998 – Obaidullah Aleem, Indian-Pakistani poet and author (b. 1939)
  • 1999 – Augustus Pablo, Jamaican singer, keyboard player, and producer (b. 1954)
  • 1999 – Betty Robinson, American runner (b. 1911)
  • 2000 – Stephen M. Wolownik, Russian-American composer and musicologist (b. 1946)
  • 2001 – Irene Hunt, American author and illustrator (b. 1907)
  • 2004 – Elvin Jones, American drummer and bandleader (b. 1927)
  • 2006 – Jaan Eilart, Estonian geographer, ecologist, and historian (b. 1933)
  • 2007 – Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, French physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1932)
  • 2008 – Joseph Pevney, American actor and director (b. 1911)
  • 2008 – Roberto García-Calvo Montiel, Spanish judge (b. 1942)
  • 2009 – Velupillai Prabhakaran, Sri Lankan rebel leader, founded the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (b. 1954)
  • 2012 – Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, German opera singer and conductor (b. 1925)
  • 2012 – Peter Jones, English-Australian drummer and songwriter (b. 1967)
  • 2012 – Alan Oakley, English bicycle designer, designed the Raleigh Chopper (b. 1927)
  • 2013 – Aleksei Balabanov, Russian director and screenwriter (b. 1959)
  • 2013 – Jo Benkow, Norwegian soldier and politician (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – Steve Forrest, American actor (b. 1925)
  • 2013 – David McMillan, American football player (b. 1981)
  • 2013 – Lothar Schmid, German chess player (b. 1928)
  • 2014 – Dobrica Ćosić, Serbian politician, 1st President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (b. 1921)
  • 2014 – Hans-Peter Dürr, German physicist and academic (b. 1929)
  • 2014 – Kaiketsu Masateru, Japanese sumo wrestler (b. 1948)
  • 2014 – Chukwuedu Nwokolo, Nigerian physician and academic (b. 1921)
  • 2014 – Wubbo Ockels, Dutch physicist and astronaut (b. 1946)
  • 2015 – Halldór Ásgrímsson, Icelandic accountant and politician, 22nd Prime Minister of Iceland (b. 1947)
  • 2015 – Raymond Gosling, English physicist and academic (b. 1926)
  • 2015 – T. J. Moran, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1930)
  • 2015 – Jean-François Théodore, French businessman (b. 1946)
  • 2017 – Roger Ailes, American businessman (b. 1940)
  • 2017 – Jacque Fresco, American engineer and academic (b. 1916)
  • 2017 – Chris Cornell, American singer (b. 1964)
  • 2020 – Ken Osmond, American actor and the police officer (b. 1943)

Holidays and observances on May 18

  • Christian feast day:
    • Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury
    • Eric IX of Sweden
    • Felix of Cantalice
    • Pope John I
    • Venantius of Camerino
    • May 18 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Victoria Day (Canada) (Earliest possible date of the last Monday preceding May 25)
  • Baltic Fleet Day (Russia)
  • Battle of Las Piedras Day (Uruguay)
  • Day of Remembrance of Crimean Tatar genocide (Ukraine)
  • Flag and Universities Day (Haiti)
  • Independence Day (Somaliland) (unrecognized)
  • International Museum Day
  • Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day (Sri Lankan Tamils)
  • Revival, Unity, and Poetry of Magtymguly Day (Turkmenistan)
  • Teacher’s Day (Syria)
  • Victory Day (Sri Lanka)
  • World AIDS Vaccine Day

May 18 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

On This Day /
  • 475 BC – Roman consul Publius Valerius Poplicola celebrates a Roman triumph for his victory over Veii and the Sabines.
  • 305 – Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman emperor.
  • 524 – King Sigismund of Burgundy is executed at Orléans after an eight-year reign and is succeeded by his brother Godomar.
  • 880 – The Nea Ekklesia is inaugurated in Constantinople, setting the model for all later cross-in-square Orthodox churches.
  • 1169 – Norman mercenaries land at Bannow Bay in Leinster, marking the beginning of the Norman invasion of Ireland.
  • 1328 – Wars of Scottish Independence end: By the Treaty of Edinburgh–Northampton, England recognises Scotland as an independent state.
  • 1455 – Battle of Arkinholm, Royal forces end the Black Douglas hegemony in Scotland.
  • 1576 – Stephen Báthory, the reigning Prince of Transylvania, marries Anna Jagiellon and they become co-rulers of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.
  • 1707 – The Act of Union joining England and Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain takes effect.
  • 1753 – Publication of Species Plantarum by Linnaeus, and the formal start date of plant taxonomy adopted by the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature.
  • 1759 – Josiah Wedgwood founds the Wedgwood pottery company in Great Britain
  • 1776 – Establishment of the Illuminati in Ingolstadt, Upper Bavaria, by Jesuit-taught Adam Weishaupt.
  • 1778 – American Revolution: The Battle of Crooked Billet begins in Hatboro, Pennsylvania.
  • 1786 – In Vienna, Austria, Mozart’s opera The Marriage of Figaro is performed for the first time.
  • 1794 – War of the Pyrenees: The Battle of Boulou ends, in which French forces defeat the Spanish and regain nearly all the land they lost to Spain in 1793.
  • 1820 – Execution of the Cato Street Conspirators, who plotted to kill the British Cabinet and Prime Minister Lord Liverpool.
  • 1840 – The Penny Black, the first official adhesive postage stamp, is issued in the United Kingdom.
  • 1844 – Hong Kong Police Force, the world’s second modern police force and Asia’s first, is established.
  • 1846 – The few remaining Mormons left in Nauvoo, Illinois, formally dedicate the Nauvoo Temple.
  • 1851 – Queen Victoria opens The Great Exhibition at The Crystal Palace in London.
  • 1856 – The Province of Isabela was created in the Philippines in honor of Queen Isabela II.
  • 1862 – American Civil War: The Union Army completes its capture of New Orleans.
  • 1863 – American Civil War: The Battle of Chancellorsville begins.
  • 1865 – The Empire of Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay sign the Treaty of the Triple Alliance.
  • 1866 – The Memphis Race Riots begin. In three days time, 46 blacks and two whites were killed. Reports of the atrocities influenced passage of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
  • 1875 – Alexandra Palace reopens after being burned down in a fire in 1873.
  • 1884 – The Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions demands the eight-hour work day in the United States.
  • 1884 – Moses Fleetwood Walker becomes the first black person to play in a professional baseball game in the United States.
  • 1885 – The original Chicago Board of Trade Building opens for business.
  • 1886 – Rallies are held throughout the United States demanding the eight-hour work day, culminating in the Haymarket affair in Chicago, in commemoration of which May 1 is celebrated as International Workers’ Day in many countries.
  • 1893 – The World’s Columbian Exposition opens in Chicago.
  • 1894 – Coxey’s Army, the first significant American protest march, arrives in Washington, D.C.
  • 1898 – Spanish–American War: Battle of Manila Bay: The Asiatic Squadron of the United States Navy destroys the Pacific Squadron of the Spanish Navy after a seven-hour battle. Spain loses all seven of its ships, and 381 Spanish sailors die. There are no American vessel losses or combat deaths.
  • 1900 – The Scofield Mine disaster kills over 200 men in Scofield, Utah in what is to date the fifth-worst mining accident in United States history.
  • 1915 – The RMS Lusitania departs from New York City on her 202nd, and final, crossing of the North Atlantic. Six days later, the ship is torpedoed off the coast of Ireland with the loss of 1,198 lives.
  • 1919 – German troops enter Munich to suppress the Bavarian Soviet Republic.
  • 1925 – The All-China Federation of Trade Unions is officially founded. Today it is the largest trade union in the world, with 134 million members.
  • 1927 – The Union Labor Life Insurance Company is founded by the American Federation of Labor.
  • 1929 – The 7.2 Mw  Kopet Dag earthquake shakes the Iran–Turkmenistan border region with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), killing up to 3,800 and injuring 1,121.
  • 1930 – “Pluto” is officially proposed for the name of the newly-discovered dwarf planet Pluto by Vesto Slipher in the Lowell Observatory Observation Circular. The name quickly catches on.
  • 1931 – The Empire State Building is dedicated in New York City.
  • 1941 – World War II: German forces launch a major attack during the siege of Tobruk.
  • 1944 – World War II: Two hundred Communist prisoners are shot by the Germans at Kaisariani, Athens in reprisal for the killing of General Franz Krech by partisans at Molaoi.
  • 1945 – World War II: A German newsreader officially announces that Adolf Hitler has “fallen at his command post in the Reich Chancellery fighting to the last breath against Bolshevism and for Germany”. The Soviet flag is raised over the Reich Chancellery, by order of Stalin.
  • 1945 – World War II: Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels and his wife Magda commit suicide in the Reich Garden outside the Führerbunker. Their children are also killed by having cyanide pills inserted into their mouths by their mother, Magda.
  • 1945 – World War II: Forces of the Soviet Red Army liberate Allied prisoners of war imprisoned at Stalag Luft I near Barth, Germany.
  • 1945 – World War II: Up to 2,500 people die in a mass suicide in Demmin following the advance of the Red Army.
  • 1945 – World War II: Yugoslav Partisans liberate Trieste.
  • 1946 – Start of three-year Pilbara strike of Indigenous Australians.
  • 1946 – The Paris Peace Conference concludes that the islands of the Dodecanese should be returned to Greece by Italy.
  • 1947 – Portella della Ginestra massacre against May Day celebrations in Sicily by the bandit and separatist leader Salvatore Giuliano where 11 persons are killed and 33 wounded.
  • 1956 – The polio vaccine developed by Jonas Salk is made available to the public.
  • 1956 – A doctor in Japan reports an “epidemic of an unknown disease of the central nervous system”, marking the official discovery of Minamata disease.
  • 1957 – Thirty-four people are killed when a Vickers Viking airliner crashes in Hampshire, England.
  • 1960 – Formation of the western Indian states of Gujarat and Maharashtra; also known as “Maharashtra Day”.
  • 1960 – Cold War: U-2 incident: Francis Gary Powers, in a Lockheed U-2 spyplane, is shot down over the Sverdlovsk Oblast, Soviet Union, sparking a diplomatic crisis.
  • 1961 – The Prime Minister of Cuba, Fidel Castro, proclaims Cuba a socialist nation and abolishes elections.
  • 1965 – Cross-Strait relations: Battle of Dong-Yin, a naval conflict between the Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China, takes place.
  • 1967 – Elvis Presley and Priscilla Beaulieu are married in Las Vegas.
  • 1970 – Vietnam War: Protests erupt following the announcement by Richard Nixon that the U.S. and South Vietnamese forces would attack Vietnamese communists in a Cambodian Campaign.
  • 1971 – Amtrak (the National Railroad Passenger Corporation) takes over operation of U.S. passenger rail service.
  • 1974 – The Argentine terrorist organization Montoneros is expelled from Plaza de Mayo by president Juan Perón.
  • 1977 – Thirty-six people are killed in Taksim Square, Istanbul, during the Labour Day celebrations.
  • 1978 – Japan’s Naomi Uemura, travelling by dog sled, becomes the first person to reach the North Pole alone.
  • 1982 – Operation Black Buck: The Royal Air Force attacks the Argentine Air Force during Falklands War.
  • 1983 – The Sydney Entertainment Centre is opened.
  • 1987 – Pope John Paul II beatifies Edith Stein, a Jewish-born Carmelite nun who was gassed in the Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz.
  • 1989 – Disney-MGM Studios opens at Walt Disney World near Orlando, Florida, United States.
  • 1990 – The former Philippine Episcopal Church (supervised by the Episcopal Church of the United States of America) is granted full autonomy and raised to the status of an Autocephalous Anglican Province and renamed the Episcopal Church in the Philippines.
  • 1993 – Dingiri Banda Wijetunga became president of Sri Lanka automatically after killing of R Premadasa in LTTE bomb explosion.
  • 1994 – Three-time Formula One world champion Ayrton Senna is killed in an accident whilst leading the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola.
  • 1995 – Croatian War of Independence: Croatian forces launch Operation Flash.
  • 1999 – The body of British climber George Mallory is found on Mount Everest, 75 years after his disappearance in 1924
  • 1999 – SpongeBob SquarePants premieres on Nickelodeon.
  • 2001 – Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declares the existence of “a state of rebellion”, hours after thousands of supporters of her arrested predecessor, Joseph Estrada, storm towards the presidential palace at the height of the EDSA III rebellion.
  • 2002 – OpenOffice.org released version 1.0, the first stable version of the software.
  • 2003 – Invasion of Iraq: In what becomes known as the “Mission Accomplished” speech, on board the USS Abraham Lincoln (off the coast of California), U.S. President George W. Bush declares that “major combat operations in Iraq have ended”.
  • 2004 – Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia join the European Union, celebrated at the residence of the Irish President in Dublin.
  • 2009 – Same-sex marriage is legalized in Sweden.
  • 2011 – Pope John Paul II is beatified by his successor, Pope Benedict XVI.
  • 2019 – Naxalite attack in Gadchiroli district of India: Sixteen army soldiers, including a driver, killed in an IED blast. Naxals targeted an anti-Naxal operations team.

Births on May 1

  • 1218 – John I, Count of Hainaut (d. 1257)
  • 1218 – Rudolf I of Germany (d. 1291)
  • 1285 – Edmund FitzAlan, 9th Earl of Arundel, English politician (d. 1326)
  • 1326 – Rinchinbal Khan, Mongolian emperor (d. 1332)
  • 1488 – Sidonie of Bavaria, eldest daughter of Duke Albrecht IV of Bavaria-Munich (d. 1505)
  • 1527 – Johannes Stadius, German astronomer, astrologer, mathematician (d. 1579)
  • 1545 – Franciscus Junius, French theologian (d. 1602)
  • 1579 – Wolphert Gerretse, Dutch-American farmer, co-founded New Netherland (d. 1662)
  • 1582 – Marco da Gagliano, Italian composer (d. 1643)
  • 1585 – Sophia Olelkovich Radziwill, Belarusian saint (d. 1612)
  • 1591 – Johann Adam Schall von Bell, German missionary and astronomer (d. 1666)
  • 1594 – John Haynes, English-American politician, 1st Governor of the Colony of Connecticut (d. 1653)
  • 1602 – William Lilly, English astrologer (d. 1681)
  • 1672 – Joseph Addison, English essayist, poet, playwright, and politician (d. 1719)
  • 1730 – Joshua Rowley, English admiral (d. 1790)
  • 1735 – Jan Hendrik van Kinsbergen, Dutch admiral and philanthropist (d. 1819)
  • 1751 – Judith Sargent Murray, American poet and playwright (d. 1820)
  • 1764 – Benjamin Henry Latrobe, English-American architect, designed the United States Capitol (d. 1820)
  • 1769 – Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, Irish-English field marshal and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1852)
  • 1783 – Phoebe Hinsdale Brown, American hymnwriter (d. 1861)
  • 1803 – James Clarence Mangan, Irish poet and author (d. 1849)
  • 1821 – Henry Ayers, English-Australian politician, 8th Premier of South Australia (d. 1897)
  • 1824 – Alexander William Williamson, English chemist and academic (d. 1904)
  • 1825 – Johann Jakob Balmer, Swiss mathematician and physicist (d. 1898)
  • 1825 – George Inness, American painter and educator (d. 1894)
  • 1827 – Jules Breton, French painter (d. 1906)
  • 1829 – José de Alencar, Brazilian author and playwright (d. 1877)
  • 1829 – Frederick Sandys, English painter and illustrator (d. 1904)
  • 1830 – Guido Gezelle, Belgian priest and poet (d. 1899)
  • 1831 – Emily Stowe, Canadian physician and activist (d. 1903)
  • 1847 – Henry Demarest Lloyd, American journalist and politician (d. 1903)
  • 1848 – Adelsteen Normann, Norwegian painter (d. 1919)
  • 1850 – Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn (d. 1942)
  • 1851 – Laza Lazarević, Serbian psychiatrist and neurologist (d. 1891)
  • 1852 – Calamity Jane, American frontierswoman and professional scout (d. 1903)
  • 1852 – Santiago Ramón y Cajal, Spanish neuroscientist and pathologist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1934)
  • 1853 – Jacob Mikhailovich Gordin, Jewish Ukrainian-American journalist, actor, and playwright (d. 1909)
  • 1855 – Cecilia Beaux, American painter and academic (d. 1942)
  • 1857 – Theo van Gogh, Dutch art dealer (d. 1891)
  • 1859 – Jacqueline Comerre-Paton, French painter and sculptor (d. 1955)
  • 1862 – Marcel Prévost, French novelist and playwright (d. 1941)
  • 1864 – Anna Jarvis, American founder of Mother’s Day (d. 1948)
  • 1871 – Seakle Greijdanus, Dutch theologian and scholar (d. 1948)
  • 1871 – Emiliano Chamorro Vargas, President of Nicaragua (d. 1966)
  • 1872 – Hugo Alfvén, Swedish composer, conductor, violinist, and painter (d. 1960)
  • 1872 – Sidónio Pais, Portuguese soldier and politician, 4th President of Portugal (d. 1918)
  • 1874 – Romaine Brooks, American-French painter and illustrator (d. 1970)
  • 1874 – Paul Van Asbroeck, Belgian target shooter (d. 1959)
  • 1875 – Dave Hall, American runner (d. 1972)
  • 1881 – Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, French priest, palaeontologist, and philosopher (d. 1955)
  • 1884 – Francis Curzon, 5th Earl Howe, English race car driver and politician (d. 1964)
  • 1885 – Clément Pansaers, Belgian poet (d. 1922)
  • 1885 – Ralph Stackpole, American sculptor and painter (d. 1973)
  • 1887 – Alan Cunningham, Anglo-Irish general and diplomat, High Commissioners for Palestine and Transjordan (d. 1983)
  • 1890 – Clelia Lollini, Italian physician (d. 1963 or 1964)
  • 1891 – Lillian Estelle Fisher, American historian of Spanish America (d. 1988)
  • 1895 – Nikolai Yezhov, Soviet secret police official, head of the NKVD (d. 1940)
  • 1895 – May Hollinworth, Australian theatre producer and director (d. 1968)
  • 1896 – Herbert Backe, German agronomist and politician (d. 1947)
  • 1896 – Mark W. Clark, American general (d. 1984)
  • 1896 – J. Lawton Collins, American general (d. 1987)
  • 1898 – Alfred Schmidt, Estonian weightlifter (d. 1972)
  • 1900 – Ignazio Silone, Italian journalist and politician (d. 1978)
  • 1900 – Aleksander Wat, Polish poet and writer (d. 1967)
  • 1901 – Sterling Allen Brown, American poet, academic, and critic (d. 1989)
  • 1901 – Heinz Eric Roemheld, American pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1985)
  • 1901 – Antal Szerb, Hungarian scholar and author (d. 1945)
  • 1905 – Henry Koster, German-American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1988)
  • 1906 – Horst Schumann, German SS officer and physician (d. 1983)
  • 1907 – Hayes Alvis, American bassist (d. 1972)
  • 1907 – Kate Smith, American singer and actress (d. 1986)
  • 1908 – Giovannino Guareschi, Italian journalist and author (d. 1968)
  • 1908 – Morris Kline, American mathematician and academic (d. 1992)
  • 1909 – Endel Puusepp, Estonian-Soviet military pilot and politician (d. 1996)
  • 1909 – Yiannis Ritsos, Greek poet and playwright (d. 1990)
  • 1910 – Behice Boran, Turkish sociologist and politician (d. 1987)
  • 1910 – Raya Dunayevskaya, Ukrainian-American philosopher and activist (d. 1987)
  • 1910 – Dirk Andries Flentrop, Dutch organ builder (d. 2003)
  • 1910 – J. Allen Hynek, American astronomer and ufologist (d. 1986)
  • 1910 – Nejdet Sançar, Turkish literature teacher (d. 1975)
  • 1911 – Wilfred Watson, English-Canadian poet, playwright and educator (d. 1998)
  • 1912 – Otto Kretschmer, German admiral (d. 1998)
  • 1913 – Louis Nye, American actor (d. 2005)
  • 1913 – Walter Susskind, Czech-English pianist, conductor, and educator (d. 1980)
  • 1914 – Jaap van der Poll, Dutch javelin thrower (d. 2010)
  • 1915 – Hanns Martin Schleyer, German businessman (d. 1977)
  • 1916 – Antoni Bazaniak, Polish sprint canoeist (d. 1979)
  • 1916 – Glenn Ford, Canadian-American actor and producer (d. 2006)
  • 1917 – John Beradino, American baseball player and actor (d. 1996)
  • 1917 – Ulric Cross, Trinidadian navigator, judge, and diplomat (d. 2013)
  • 1917 – Danielle Darrieux, French actress and singer (d. 2017)
  • 1917 – Ahron Soloveichik, Russian rabbi and scholar (d. 2001)
  • 1918 – Gersh Budker, Ukrainian-Russian physicist and academic (d. 1977)
  • 1918 – Jack Paar, American comedian, author and talk show host (d. 2004)
  • 1919 – Manna Dey, Indian singer and composer (d. 2013)
  • 1919 – Mohammed Karim Lamrani, Moroccan businessman and politician, 7th Prime Minister of Morocco (d. 2018)
  • 1919 – Dan O’Herlihy, Irish-American actor (d. 2005)
  • 1921 – Vladimir Colin, Romanian journalist and author (d. 1991)
  • 1922 – Alastair Gillespie, Canadian scholar and politician (d. 2018)
  • 1923 – Joseph Heller, American novelist, short story writer, and playwright (d. 1999)
  • 1923 – Antônio Maria Mucciolo, Italian-Brazilian archbishop (d. 2012)
  • 1923 – Marcel Rayman, Polish soldier (d. 1944)
  • 1924 – Evelyn Boyd Granville, American mathematician, computer scientist, and academic
  • 1924 – Karel Kachyňa, Czech director and screenwriter (d. 2004)
  • 1924 – Terry Southern, American novelist, essayist, and screenwriter (d. 1995)
  • 1925 – Chuck Bednarik, American lieutenant and football player (d. 2015)
  • 1925 – Scott Carpenter, American commander, pilot, and astronaut (d. 2013)
  • 1925 – Sardar Fazlul Karim, Bangladeshi philosopher, scholar, and academic (d. 2014)
  • 1926 – Peter Lax, Hungarian-American mathematician and academic
  • 1927 – Gary Bertini, Israeli conductor and composer (d. 2005)
  • 1927 – Laura Betti, Italian actress (d. 2004)
  • 1927 – Albert Zafy, Malagasy politician, 3rd President of Madagascar (d. 2017)
  • 1927 – Bernard Vukas, Yugoslav-Croatian footballer (d. 1983)
  • 1928 – Sonny James, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2016)
  • 1928 – Delfim Netto, Brazilian economist
  • 1929 – Ralf Dahrendorf, German-English sociologist and politician (d. 2009)
  • 1929 – Sonny Ramadhin, Trinidadian cricketer
  • 1930 – Ollie Matson, American sprinter and football player (d. 2011)
  • 1930 – Richard Riordan, American lieutenant and politician, 39th Mayor of Los Angeles and publisher
  • 1930 – Little Walter Jacobs, American blues harp player and singer (d. 1968)
  • 1931 – Naim Attallah, Palestinian author
  • 1932 – Sandy Woodward, English admiral (d. 2013)
  • 1932 – Tabibar Rahman Sarder, Bangladeshi politician. (d. 2010)
  • 1934 – Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas, Mexican politician
  • 1934 – Tang Chang, Thai artist (d. 1990)
  • 1934 – Shirley Horn, American singer and pianist (d. 2005)
  • 1934 – Phillip King, Tunisian-English sculptor
  • 1934 – John Meillon, Australian actor (d. 1989)
  • 1936 – Danièle Huillet, French filmmaker (d. 2006)
  • 1936 – Hans E. Wallman, Swedish director, producer, and composer (d. 2014)
  • 1937 – Una Stubbs, English actress and dancer
  • 1939 – Judy Collins, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1939 – Wilhelmina Cooper, Dutch model (d. 1980)
  • 1939 – Victor Davies, Canadian pianist, composer, and conductor
  • 1943 – Vassal Gadoengin, Nauruan politician (d. 2004)
  • 1943 – Joe Walsh, Irish politician, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (d. 2014)
  • 1945 – Rita Coolidge, American singer-songwriter
  • 1945 – Carson Whitsett, American keyboard player, songwriter, and producer (d. 2007)
  • 1946 – Joanna Lumley, English actress, voice-over artist, author, and activist
  • 1946 – John Woo, Hong Kong director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1947 – Jacob Bekenstein, Mexican-born Israeli-American theoretical physicist (d. 2015)
  • 1947 – Sergio Infante, Chilean-Swedish poet and author
  • 1948 – Györgyi Balogh, Hungarian sprinter
  • 1948 – Patricia Hill Collins, American sociologist and scholar
  • 1949 – Jim Clench, Canadian bass player (d. 2010)
  • 1949 – Tim Hodgkinson, English saxophonist, clarinet player, and composer
  • 1949 – Paul Teutul, Sr., American motorcycle designer, co-founded Orange County Choppers
  • 1950 – Dann Florek, American actor and director
  • 1950 – Danny McGrain, Scottish footballer and coach
  • 1951 – Gordon Greenidge, Barbadian cricketer and coach
  • 1951 – Geoff Lees, English race car driver
  • 1951 – Sally Mann, American photographer
  • 1952 – Richard Blundell, English economist and academic
  • 1952 – Kim Lewison, English lawyer and judge
  • 1952 – Peter Smith, Malaysian-born English academic and judge
  • 1953 – Glen Ballard, American songwriter and producer
  • 1954 – Ray Parker, Jr., American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1954 – Joel Rosenberg, Canadian-American author and activist (d. 2011)
  • 1955 – Alex Cunningham, Scottish politician
  • 1955 – Martin O’Donnell, American composer
  • 1955 – Ray Searage, American baseball player and coach
  • 1956 – Catherine Frot, French actress
  • 1956 – Phil Foglio, American illustrator
  • 1957 – Rick Darling, Australian cricketer
  • 1957 – Uberto Pasolini, Italian banker, director, and producer
  • 1959 – Yasmina Reza, French actress and playwright
  • 1959 – Lawrence Seeff, South African cricketer and basket weaver
  • 1960 – Steve Cauthen, American jockey and sportscaster
  • 1961 – Sultan Günal-Gezer, Dutch politician
  • 1961 – Clint Malarchuk, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1961 – Marilyn Milian, American judge
  • 1961 – Vasiliy Sidorenko, Russian hammer thrower
  • 1962 – Maia Morgenstern, Romanian actress
  • 1962 – Ted Sundquist, American football player, coach, and manager
  • 1964 – Yvonne van Gennip, Dutch speed skater
  • 1966 – Olaf Thon, German footballer and manager
  • 1967 – Tim McGraw, American singer-songwriter and actor
  • 1968 – Oliver Bierhoff, German footballer and manager
  • 1968 – D’arcy Wretzky, American bass player and singer
  • 1969 – Wes Anderson, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1969 – Mary Lou McDonald, Irish politician
  • 1969 – Billy Owens, American basketball player
  • 1970 – Bernard Butler, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1971 – Ethan Albright, American football player
  • 1971 – Stuart Appleby, Australian golfer
  • 1971 – Kim Grant, South African tennis player
  • 1971 – Artur Kohutek, Polish hurdler and soldier
  • 1971 – Ajith Kumar, Indian film actor in Tamil cinema and race car driver
  • 1972 – Ramzi bin al-Shibh, Yemeni terrorist
  • 1972 – Julie Benz, American actress
  • 1972 – Yoon Hae-young, South Korean actress
  • 1973 – Peter Baah, English footballer and manager
  • 1973 – Mike Jesse, German footballer
  • 1973 – Curtis Martin, American football player
  • 1973 – Oliver Neuville, German footballer
  • 1975 – Austin Croshere, American basketball player and sportscaster
  • 1975 – Marc-Vivien Foé, Cameroonian footballer (d. 2003)
  • 1975 – Nina Hossain, English journalist
  • 1975 – Alexey Smertin, Russian international footballer
  • 1976 – Patricia Stokkers, Dutch swimmer
  • 1977 – Vera Lischka, Austrian swimmer and politician
  • 1978 – James Badge Dale, American actor
  • 1979 – Mauro Bergamasco, Italian rugby player
  • 1979 – Roman Lyashenko, Russian ice hockey player (d. 2003)
  • 1980 – Marvin Cabrera, Mexican footballer
  • 1980 – Rob Davison, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1980 – Inês Henriques, Portuguese race walker
  • 1980 – Jan Heylen, Belgian race car driver
  • 1980 – Jay Reatard, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2010)
  • 1980 – Yuliya Tabakova, Russian athlete
  • 1981 – Manny Acosta, Panamanian baseball player
  • 1981 – Derek Asamoah, Ghanaian footballer
  • 1981 – Alexander Hleb, Belarusian footballer
  • 1981 – Wes Welker, American football player
  • 1982 – Beto, Portuguese footballer
  • 1982 – Jamie Dornan, Northern Irish model and actor
  • 1982 – Mark Farren, Irish footballer (d. 2016)
  • 1982 – Katya Zamolodchikova, American drag queen
  • 1982 – Tommy Robredo, Spanish tennis player
  • 1982 – Darijo Srna, Croatian footballer
  • 1983 – Alain Bernard, French swimmer
  • 1983 – Human Tornado, American wrestler
  • 1983 – Park Hae-jin, South Korean actor
  • 1984 – David Backes, American ice hockey player
  • 1984 – Mišo Brečko, Slovenian footballer
  • 1984 – Patrick Eaves, American ice hockey player
  • 1984 – Alexander Farnerud, Swedish footballer
  • 1984 – Farah Fath, American actress
  • 1984 – Keiichiro Koyama, Japanese singer and actor
  • 1984 – Víctor Montaño, Colombian footballer
  • 1984 – Mark Seaby, Australian footballer
  • 1985 – Shahriar Nafees, Bangladeshi cricketer
  • 1986 – Christian Benítez, Ecuadorian footballer (d. 2013)
  • 1986 – Adam Casey, Australian footballer
  • 1986 – Cassie Jaye, American actress and film director
  • 1986 – Jesse Klaver, Dutch politician
  • 1986 – Lee Chang-min, South Korean singer
  • 1986 – Brent Stanton, Australian footballer
  • 1987 – Leonardo Bonucci, Italian footballer
  • 1987 – Glen Coffee, American football player
  • 1987 – Iván DeJesús Jr., Puerto Rican baseball player
  • 1987 – Marcus Drum, Australian footballer
  • 1987 – Amir Johnson, American basketball player
  • 1987 – Ryan Mathews, American football player
  • 1987 – Saidi Ntibazonkiza, Burundian footballer
  • 1987 – Shahar Pe’er, Israeli tennis player
  • 1988 – Maria Balaba, Latvian figure skater
  • 1988 – Maxim Gustik, Belarusian freestyle skier
  • 1988 – Teodor Peterson, Swedish cross-country skier
  • 1989 – Alejandro Arribas, Spanish footballer
  • 1989 – Poļina Jeļizarova, Latvian runner
  • 1990 – Uriel Álvarez, Mexican footballer
  • 1990 – Caitlin Stasey, Australian actress
  • 1990 – Diego Contento, German footballer
  • 1990 – Scooter Gennett, American baseball player
  • 1991 – Marcus Stroman, American baseball player
  • 1991 – Daniel Talbot, British sprinter
  • 1992 – Trevor Philp, Canadian alpine skier
  • 1992 – Bradley Roby, American football player
  • 1993 – Jean-Christophe Bahebeck, French footballer
  • 1993 – Ifeoma Nwoye, Nigerian wrestler
  • 1994 – Wallace Oliveira, Brazilian footballer
  • 1995 – Collin Seedorf, Dutch footballer
  • 1996 – Christopher J. Alexis Jr., Grenadian road cyclist
  • 1996 – Daniel Saifiti, Australian-Fijian rugby league player
  • 1996 – Jacob Saifiti, Australian-Fijian rugby league player
  • 1996 – Michael Seaton, Jamaican footballer
  • 2004 – Charli D’Amelio, American social media influencer and dancer

Deaths on May 1

  • 408 – Arcadius, Byzantine emperor (b. 377)
  • 558 – Marcouf, missionary and saint
  • 908 – Wang Zongji, Chinese prince and pretender
  • 1118 – Matilda of Scotland (b. 1080)
  • 1171 – Diarmait Mac Murchada, King of Leinster (b. 1110)
  • 1187 – Roger de Moulins, Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller
  • 1255 – Walter de Gray, English prelate and statesman
  • 1277 – Stefan Uroš I of Serbia (b. 1223)
  • 1278 – William II of Villehardouin
  • 1308 – Albert I of Germany (b. 1255)
  • 1312 – Paul I Šubić of Bribir
  • 1539 – Isabella of Portugal (b. 1503)
  • 1555 – Pope Marcellus II (b. 1501)
  • 1572 – Pope Pius V (b. 1504)
  • 1668 – Frans Luycx, Flemish painter (b. 1604)
  • 1730 – François de Troy, French painter and engraver (b. 1645)
  • 1731 – Johann Ludwig Bach, German violinist and composer (b. 1677)
  • 1738 – Charles Howard, 3rd Earl of Carlisle, English politician, First Lord of the Treasury (b. 1669)
  • 1772 – Gottfried Achenwall, Polish-German historian, economist, and jurist (b. 1719)
  • 1813 – Jean-Baptiste Bessières, French general (b. 1768)
  • 1838 – Antoine Louis Dugès, French obstetrician and naturalist (b. 1797)
  • 1856 – John Wilbur, American minister and theologian (b. 1774)
  • 1873 – David Livingstone, Scottish-English missionary and explorer (b. 1813)
  • 1899 – Ludwig Büchner, German physiologist and physician (b. 1824)
  • 1904 – Antonín Dvořák, Czech composer and academic (b. 1841)
  • 1913 – John Barclay Armstrong, American lieutenant (b. 1850)
  • 1920 – Princess Margaret of Connaught (b. 1882)
  • 1935 – Henri Pélissier, French cyclist (b. 1889)
  • 1943 – Johan Oscar Smith, Norwegian religious leader, founded the Brunstad Christian Church (b. 1871)
  • 1945 – Joseph Goebbels, German lawyer and politician, Chancellor of Germany (b. 1897)
  • 1945 – Magda Goebbels, German wife of Joseph Goebbels (b. 1901)
  • 1953 – Everett Shinn, American painter and illustrator (b. 1876)
  • 1956 – LeRoy Samse, American pole vaulter (b. 1883)
  • 1960 – Charles Holden, English architect, designed the Bristol Central Library (b. 1875)
  • 1963 – Lope K. Santos, Filipino lawyer and politician (b. 1879)
  • 1965 – Spike Jones, American singer and bandleader (b. 1911)
  • 1968 – Jack Adams, Canadian-American ice hockey player, coach, and manager (b. 1895)
  • 1968 – Harold Nicolson, English author and politician (b. 1886)
  • 1970 – Yi Un, Korean prince (b. 1897)
  • 1973 – Asger Jorn, Danish painter and sculptor (b. 1914)
  • 1976 – T. R. M. Howard, American surgeon and activist (b. 1908)
  • 1976 – Alexandros Panagoulis, Greek poet and politician (b. 1939)
  • 1978 – Aram Khachaturian, Armenian composer and conductor (b. 1903)
  • 1982 – William Primrose, Scottish viola player and educator (b. 1903)
  • 1984 – Jüri Lossmann, Estonian-Swedish runner (b. 1891)
  • 1985 – Denise Robins, English journalist and author (b. 1897)
  • 1986 – Hylda Baker, English comedian, actress and music hall performer (b. 1905)
  • 1986 – Hugo Peretti, American songwriter and producer (b. 1916)
  • 1988 – Ben Lexcen, Australian sailor and architect (b. 1936)
  • 1989 – Sally Kirkland, American journalist (b. 1912)
  • 1989 – V. M. Panchalingam, Sri Lankan civil servant (b. 1930)
  • 1989 – Patrice Tardif, Canadian farmer and politician (b. 1904)
  • 1990 – Sergio Franchi, Italian-American tenor and actor (b. 1926)
  • 1991 – Richard Thorpe, American director and screenwriter (b. 1896)
  • 1993 – Pierre Bérégovoy, French metallurgist and politician, Prime Minister of France (b. 1925)
  • 1993 – Ranasinghe Premadasa, Sri Lankan politician, 3rd President of Sri Lanka (b. 1924)
  • 1994 – Ayrton Senna, Brazilian race car driver (b. 1960)
  • 1995 – Antonio Salemme, Italian-American painter (b. 1892)
  • 1997 – Fernand Dumont, Canadian sociologist, philosopher, and poet (b. 1927)
  • 1998 – Eldridge Cleaver, American author and activist (b. 1935)
  • 2000 – Steve Reeves, American bodybuilder and actor (b. 1926)
  • 2002 – Ebrahim Al-Arrayedh, Indian poet and author (b. 1908)
  • 2003 – Miss Elizabeth, American wrestler and manager (b. 1960)
  • 2003 – Wim van Est, Dutch cyclist (b. 1923)
  • 2005 – Kenneth Clark, American psychologist and academic (b. 1914)
  • 2008 – Anthony Mamo, Maltese judge and politician, 1st President of Malta (b. 1909)
  • 2008 – Philipp von Boeselager, German soldier and economist (b. 1917)
  • 2010 – Helen Wagner, American actress (b. 1918)
  • 2011 – Henry Cooper, English boxer (b. 1934)
  • 2011 – Ted Lowe, English sportscaster (b. 1920)
  • 2012 – James Kinley, Canadian engineer and politician, 29th Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia (b. 1925)
  • 2012 – Mordechai Virshubski, German-Israeli lawyer and politician (b. 1930)
  • 2013 – Chris Kelly, American rapper (b. 1978)
  • 2013 – Pierre Pleimelding, French footballer and manager (b. 1952)
  • 2014 – Adamu Atta, Nigerian lawyer and politician, 5th Governor of Kwara State (b. 1927)
  • 2014 – Radhia Cousot, Tunisian-American computer scientist and academic (b. 1947)
  • 2014 – Assi Dayan, Israeli actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1945)
  • 2014 – Juan de Dios Castillo, Mexican footballer and coach (b. 1951)
  • 2015 – Geoff Duke, English-Manx motorcycle racer (b. 1923)
  • 2015 – Vafa Guluzade, Azerbaijani political scientist, academic, and diplomat (b. 1940)
  • 2015 – María Elena Velasco, Mexican actress, singer, director, and screenwriter (b. 1940)
  • 2015 – Grace Lee Whitney, American actress (b. 1930)

Holidays and observances on May 1

  • Christian feast day:
    • Andeolus
    • Augustin Schoeffler, Jean-Louis Bonnard (part of Vietnamese Martyrs)
    • Benedict of Szkalka
    • Brioc
    • James the Less (Anglican Communion)
    • Joseph the Worker (Roman Catholic)
    • Blessed Klymentiy Sheptytsky (Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
    • Marcouf
    • Philip the Apostle (Anglican Communion, Lutheran Church)
    • Richard Pampuri
    • Sigismund of Burgundy
    • Ultan
    • May 1 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest day on which Mother’s Day can fall, while May 7 is the latest; celebrated on the first Monday in May. (Samoa)
  • Earliest day on which Mother’s Day can fall, while May 7 is the latest; celebrated on the first Sunday in May. (Hong Kong, Hungary, Lithuania, Mozambique, Portugal, Spain, Romania)
  • Earliest day on which National Day of Prayer can fall, while May 7 is the latest; celebrated on the first Thursday in May. (United States)
  • Earliest day on which World Asthma Day can fall, while May 7 is the latest; celebrated on the first Tuesday in May. (International)
  • Armed Forces Day (Mauritania)
  • Constitution Day (Argentina, Latvia, Marshall Islands)
  • Commemoration of the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat following the foundation of Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti (India):
    • Maharashtra Day
  • International Sunflower Guerrilla Gardening Day
  • Lei Day (Hawaii)
  • International Workers’ Day or Labour Day (International), and its related observances:
    • Earliest day on which Labour Day can fall, while May 7 is the latest; celebrated on the first Monday of May. (Barbados, Dominica)
    • Law Day (United States), formerly intended to counterbalance the celebration of Labour Day. (United States)
    • Loyalty Day, formerly intended to counterbalance the celebration of Labour Day. (United States)
  • May Day (beginning of Summer) observances in the Northern hemisphere (see April 30):
    • Beltane (Ireland, Scotland, Isle of Man, Celtic neopagans and Wiccans in the Northern hemisphere)
    • Earliest day on which Beltane can fall, while May 7 is the latest; celebrated on the first Monday in May. (Ireland, Scotland)
    • Calan Mai (Wales)
  • Samhain (Celtic neopagans and Wiccans in the Southern Hemisphere)

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

On This Day

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

On This Day /
  • 769 – The Lateran Council condemned the Council of Hieria and anathematized its iconoclastic rulings.
  • 1071 – Bari, the last Byzantine possession in southern Italy, is surrendered to Robert Guiscard.
  • 1395 – Timur defeats Tokhtamysh of the Golden Horde at the Battle of the Terek River. The Golden Horde capital city, Sarai, is razed to the ground and Timur installs a puppet ruler on the throne.
  • 1450 – Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years’ War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English forces, ending English domination in Northern France.
  • 1632 – Battle of Rain: Swedes under Gustavus Adolphus defeat the Holy Roman Empire during the Thirty Years’ War.
  • 1642 – Irish Confederate Wars: A Confederate Irish militia is routed in the Battle of Kilrush when it attempts to halt the progress of a Royalist Army.
  • 1715 – The Pocotaligo Massacre triggers the start of the Yamasee War in colonial South Carolina.
  • 1736 – Foundation of the Kingdom of Corsica.
  • 1738 – Serse, an Italian opera by George Frideric Handel receives its premiere performance in London, England.
  • 1755 – Samuel Johnson’s A Dictionary of the English Language is published in London.
  • 1783 – Preliminary articles of peace ending the American Revolutionary War (or American War of Independence) are ratified.
  • 1817 – Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and Laurent Clerc founded the American School for the Deaf, the first American school for deaf students, in Hartford, Connecticut.
  • 1861 – President Abraham Lincoln calls for 75,000 Volunteers to quell the insurrection that soon became the American Civil War.
  • 1865 – President Abraham Lincoln dies after being shot the previous evening by actor John Wilkes Booth. Vice President Andrew Johnson becomes President upon Lincoln’s death.
  • 1892 – The General Electric Company is formed.
  • 1896 – Closing ceremony of the Games of the I Olympiad in Athens, Greece.
  • 1900 – Philippine–American War: Filipino guerrillas launch a surprise attack on U.S. infantry and begin a four-day siege of Catubig, Philippines.
  • 1907 – Triangle Fraternity is founded at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign.
  • 1912 – The British passenger liner RMS Titanic sinks in the North Atlantic at 2:20 a.m., two hours and forty minutes after hitting an iceberg. Only 710 of 2,227 passengers and crew on board survive.
  • 1920 – Two security guards are murdered during a robbery in South Braintree, Massachusetts. Anarchists Sacco and Vanzetti would be convicted of and executed for the crime, amid much controversy.
  • 1922 – U.S. Senator John B. Kendrick of Wyoming introduces a resolution calling for an investigation of a secret land deal, which leads to the discovery of the Teapot Dome scandal.
  • 1923 – Insulin becomes generally available for use by people with diabetes.
  • 1924 – Rand McNally publishes its first road atlas.
  • 1936 – First day of the Arab revolt in Mandatory Palestine.
  • 1941 – In the Belfast Blitz, two-hundred bombers of the German Luftwaffe attack Belfast, killing around one thousand people.
  • 1942 – The George Cross is awarded “to the island fortress of Malta” by King George VI.
  • 1945 – Bergen-Belsen concentration camp is liberated.
  • 1947 – Jackie Robinson debuts for the Brooklyn Dodgers, breaking baseball’s color line.
  • 1952 – First flight of the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress.
  • 1955 – McDonald’s restaurant dates its founding to the opening of a franchised restaurant by Ray Kroc, in Des Plaines, Illinois.
  • 1960 – At Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina, Ella Baker leads a conference that results in the creation of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, one of the principal organizations of the civil rights movement in the 1960s.
  • 1969 – The EC-121 shootdown incident: North Korea shoots down a United States Navy aircraft over the Sea of Japan, killing all 31 onboard.
  • 1970 – During the Cambodian Civil War, massacre of the Vietnamese minority results in 800 bodies flowing down the Mekong river into South Vietnam.
  • 1986 – The United States launches Operation El Dorado Canyon, its bombing raids against Libyan targets in response to a discotheque bombing in West Germany that killed two U.S. servicemen.
  • 1989 – Hillsborough disaster: A human crush occurs at Hillsborough Stadium, home of Sheffield Wednesday, in the FA Cup Semi-final, resulting in the deaths of 96 Liverpool fans.
  • 1989 – Upon Hu Yaobang’s death, the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 begin in China.
  • 1994 – Marrakesh Agreement relating to foundation of World Trade Organization is adopted.
  • 2013 – Two bombs explode near the finish line at the Boston Marathon in Boston, Massachusetts, killing three people and injuring 264 others.
  • 2013 – A wave of bombings across Iraq kills at least 75 people.
  • 2014 – In the worst massacre of the South Sudanese Civil War, at least 200 civilians were gunned down after seeking refuge in houses of worship as well as hospitals.
  • 2019 – The cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris in France is seriously damaged by a large fire.

Births on April 15

  • 68 BC – Gaius Maecenas, Roman politician (d. 8 BC)
  • 1282 – Frederick IV, Duke of Lorraine (d. 1329)
  • 1367 – Henry IV of England (d. 1413)
  • 1442 – John Paston, English noble (d. 1479)
  • 1452 – Leonardo da Vinci, Italian painter, sculptor, and architect (d. 1519)
  • 1469 – Guru Nanak, the first Sikh guru (d. 1539)
  • 1552 – Pietro Cataldi, Italian mathematician and astronomer (d. 1626)
  • 1563 – Guru Arjan Dev, fifth Sikh leader (d. 1606)
  • 1588 – Claudius Salmasius, French author and scholar (d. 1653)
  • 1592 – Francesco Maria Brancaccio, Catholic cardinal (d. 1675)
  • 1641 – Robert Sibbald, Scottish physician and geographer (d. 1722)
  • 1642 – Suleiman II, Ottoman sultan (d. 1691)
  • 1646 – Christian V of Denmark (d. 1699)
  • 1684 – Catherine I of Russia (d. 1727)
  • 1688 – Johann Friedrich Fasch, German violinist and composer (d. 1758)
  • 1707 – Leonhard Euler, Swiss mathematician and physicist (d. 1783)
  • 1710 – William Cullen, Scottish physician and chemist (d. 1790)
  • 1741 – Charles Willson Peale, American painter and soldier (d. 1827)
  • 1771 – Nicolas Chopin, French-Polish educator (d. 1844)
  • 1772 – Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, French biologist and zoologist (d. 1844)
  • 1793 – Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve, German astronomer and academic (d. 1864)
  • 1795 – Maria Schicklgruber, mother of Alois Hitler and the paternal grandmother of Adolf Hitler (d.1847)
  • 1800 – James Clark Ross, English captain and explorer (d. 1862)
  • 1808 – William Champ, English-Australian politician, 1st Premier of Tasmania (d. 1892)
  • 1809 – Hermann Grassmann, German linguist and mathematician (d. 1877)
  • 1817 – William Crowther, Dutch-Australian politician, 14th Premier of Tasmania (d. 1885)
  • 1828 – Jean Danjou, French captain (d. 1863)
  • 1832 – Wilhelm Busch, German poet, painter, and illustrator (d. 1908)
  • 1841 – Mary Grant Roberts, Australian zoo owner (d. 1921)
  • 1841 – Joseph E. Seagram, Canadian businessman and politician, founded the Seagram Company Ltd (d. 1919)
  • 1843 – Henry James, American novelist, short story writer, and critic (d. 1916)
  • 1856 – Jean Moréas, Greek poet and critic (d. 1910)
  • 1858 – Émile Durkheim, French sociologist, psychologist, and philosopher (d. 1917)
  • 1861 – Bliss Carman, Canadian-British poet and playwright (d. 1929)
  • 1863 – Ida Freund, Austrian-born chemist and educator (d. 1914)
  • 1874 – George Harrison Shull, American botanist and geneticist (d. 1954)
  • 1874 – Johannes Stark, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1957)
  • 1875 – James J. Jeffries, American boxer and promoter (d. 1953)
  • 1877 – Georg Kolbe, German sculptor (d. 1947)
  • 1878 – Robert Walser, Swiss author and playwright (d. 1956)
  • 1879 – Melville Henry Cane, American lawyer and poet (d. 1980)
  • 1883 – Stanley Bruce, Australian captain and politician, 8th Prime Minister of Australia (d. 1967)
  • 1885 – Tadeusz Kutrzeba, Polish general (d. 1947)
  • 1886 – Nikolay Gumilyov, Russian poet and critic (d. 1921)
  • 1887 – William Forgan Smith, Scottish-Australian politician, 24th Premier of Queensland (d. 1953)
  • 1888 – Maximilian Kronberger, German poet and author (d. 1904)
  • 1889 – Thomas Hart Benton, American painter and educator (d. 1975)
  • 1889 – A. Philip Randolph, American activist (d. 1979)
  • 1890 – Percy Shaw, English businessman, invented the cat’s eye (d. 1976)
  • 1892 – Theo Osterkamp, German general and pilot (d. 1975)
  • 1892 – Corrie ten Boom, Dutch-American clocksmith, Nazi resister, and author (d. 1983)
  • 1894 – Nikita Khrushchev, Russian general and politician, 7th Premier of the Soviet Union (d. 1971)
  • 1894 – Bessie Smith, African-American singer and actress (d. 1937)
  • 1895 – Clark McConachy, New Zealand snooker player (d. 1980)
  • 1895 – Abigail Mejia, Dominican feminist activist, nationalist, literary critic and educator (d. 1941)
  • 1896 – Nikolay Semyonov, Russian physicist and chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1986)
  • 1898 – Harry Edward, Guyanese-English sprinter (d. 1973)
  • 1901 – Joe Davis, English snooker player (d. 1978)
  • 1901 – Ajoy Mukherjee, Indian politician, Chief Minister of West Bengal (d. 1986)
  • 1901 – René Pleven, French businessman and politician, Prime Minister of France (d. 1993)
  • 1902 – Fernando Pessa, Portuguese journalist (d. 2002)
  • 1903 – John Williams, English-American actor (d. 1983)
  • 1904 – Arshile Gorky, Armenian-American painter and illustrator (d. 1948)
  • 1907 – Nikolaas Tinbergen, Dutch-English ethologist and ornithologist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1988)
  • 1908 – eden ahbez, Scottish-American songwriter and recording artist (d. 1995)
  • 1908 – Lita Grey, American actress (d. 1995)
  • 1910 – Sulo Bärlund, Finnish shot putter (d. 1986)
  • 1910 – Miguel Najdorf, Polish-Argentinian chess player and theoretician (d. 1997)
  • 1912 – William Congdon, American-Italian painter and sculptor (d. 1998)
  • 1912 – Kim Il-sung, North Korean general and politician, 1st Supreme Leader of North Korea (d. 1994)
  • 1915 – Elizabeth Catlett, African-American sculptor and illustrator (d. 2012)
  • 1916 – Alfred S. Bloomingdale, American businessman (d. 1982)
  • 1916 – Helene Hanff, American author and screenwriter (d. 1997)
  • 1917 – Hans Conried, American actor (d. 1982)
  • 1917 – Elmer Gedeon, American baseball player and bomber pilot (d. 1944)
  • 1917 – James Kee, American lawyer and politician (d. 1989)
  • 1918 – Hans Billian, German film director, screenwriter, and actor (d. 2007)
  • 1919 – Alberto Breccia, Uruguayan-Argentinian author and illustrator (d. 1993)
  • 1920 – Godfrey Stafford, English-South African physicist and academic (d. 2013)
  • 1920 – Thomas Szasz, Hungarian-American psychiatrist and academic (d. 2012)
  • 1920 – Richard von Weizsäcker, German soldier and politician, 6th President of Germany (d. 2015)
  • 1921 – Georgy Beregovoy, Ukrainian-Russian general, pilot, and astronaut (d. 1995)
  • 1921 – Angelo DiGeorge, American physician and endocrinologist (d. 2009)
  • 1922 – Michael Ansara, Syrian-American actor (d. 2013)
  • 1922 – Hasrat Jaipuri, Indian poet and songwriter (d. 1999)
  • 1922 – Harold Washington, American lawyer and politician, 51st Mayor of Chicago (d. 1987)
  • 1922 – Graham Whitehead, English racing driver (d. 1981)
  • 1923 – Artur Alliksaar, Estonian poet and author (d. 1966)
  • 1923 – Robert DePugh, American activist, founded the Minutemen (an anti-Communist organization) (d. 2009)
  • 1924 – M. Canagaratnam, Sri Lankan politician (d. 1980)
  • 1924 – Rikki Fulton, Scottish comedian (d. 2004)
  • 1924 – Neville Marriner, English violinist and conductor (d. 2016)
  • 1927 – Robert Mills, American physicist and academic (d. 1999)
  • 1929 – Gérald Beaudoin, Canadian lawyer and politician (d. 2008)
  • 1929 – Adrian Cadbury, English rower and businessman (d. 2015)
  • 1930 – Georges Descrières, French actor (d. 2013)
  • 1930 – Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, Icelandic educator and politician, 4th President of Iceland
  • 1931 – Kenneth Bloomfield, Northern Irish civil servant
  • 1931 – Tomas Tranströmer, Swedish poet, translator, and psychologist Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2015)
  • 1933 – Roy Clark, American musician and television personality (d. 2018)
  • 1933 – David Hamilton, English-French photographer and director (d. 2016)
  • 1933 – Elizabeth Montgomery, American actress and producer (d. 1995)
  • 1935 – Stavros Paravas, Greek actor and producer (d. 2008)
  • 1936 – Raymond Poulidor, French cyclist
  • 1937 – Bob Luman, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1978)
  • 1938 – Claudia Cardinale, Italian actress
  • 1938 – Hso Khan Pha, Burmese-Canadian geologist and politician (d. 2016)
  • 1939 – Marty Wilde, English singer-songwriter and actor
  • 1939 – Desiré Ecaré, Ivorian filmmaker (d. 2009)
  • 1940 – Jeffrey Archer, English author, playwright, and politician
  • 1940 – Penelope Coelen, South African actress, model, beauty queen and 1958 Miss World
  • 1940 – Willie Davis, American baseball player and actor (d. 2010)
  • 1940 – Robert Lacroix, Canadian economist and academic
  • 1941 – Howard Berman, American lawyer and politician
  • 1942 – Francis X. DiLorenzo, American bishop (d. 2017)
  • 1942 – Walt Hazzard, American basketball player and coach (d. 2011)
  • 1942 – Kenneth Lay, American businessman (d. 2006)
  • 1942 – Tim Lankester, English economist and academic
  • 1943 – Pınar Kür, Turkish author, playwright, and academic
  • 1943 – Robert Lefkowitz, American physician and biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1943 – Veronica Linklater, Baroness Linklater, English politician
  • 1943 – Hugh Thompson, Jr., American soldier and pilot (d. 2006)
  • 1944 – Dzhokhar Dudayev, Russian-Chechen general and politician, 1st President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria (d. 1996)
  • 1944 – Dave Edmunds, Welsh singer, guitarist, and producer
  • 1946 – John Lloyd, Scottish journalist and author
  • 1946 – Pete Rouse, American politician, White House Chief of Staff
  • 1947 – Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, American screenwriter and producer
  • 1947 – Martin Broughton, English businessman
  • 1947 – Lois Chiles, American model and actress
  • 1947 – David Omand, English civil servant and academic
  • 1947 – Cristina Husmark Pehrsson, Swedish nurse and politician, Swedish Minister for Social Security
  • 1947 – Woolly Wolstenholme, English singer and keyboard player (d. 2010)
  • 1948 – Christopher Brown, English historian, curator, and academic
  • 1948 – Michael Kamen, American composer and conductor (d. 2003)
  • 1948 – Phil Mogg, English singer-songwriter and musician
  • 1949 – Alla Pugacheva, Russian singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1949 – Craig Zadan, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2018)
  • 1950 – Josiane Balasko, French actress, director, and screenwriter
  • 1950 – Amy Wright, American actress
  • 1950 – Karel Kroupa, Czech football player
  • 1951 – Heloise, American journalist and author
  • 1951 – John L. Phillips, American captain and astronaut
  • 1951 – Stuart Prebble, English journalist and producer
  • 1951 – Marsha Ivins, American engineer and astronaut
  • 1952 – Kym Gyngell, Australian actor, comedian, and screenwriter
  • 1952 – Brian Muir, English sculptor and set designer
  • 1952 – Avital Ronell, Czech-American philosopher and academic
  • 1955 – Dodi Fayed, Egyptian film producer (d. 1997)
  • 1955 – Joice Mujuru, Zimbabwean politician
  • 1956 – Michael Cooper, American basketball player and coach
  • 1957 – Evelyn Ashford, American runner and coach
  • 1958 – Keith Acton, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1958 – John Bracewell, New Zealand cricketer
  • 1958 – Memos Ioannou, Greek basketball player and coach
  • 1958 – Benjamin Zephaniah, English actor, author, poet, and playwright
  • 1959 – Fruit Chan, Chinese director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1959 – Kevin Lowe, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager
  • 1959 – Emma Thompson, English actress, comedian, author, activist and screenwriter
  • 1960 – Pierre Aubry, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1960 – Susanne Bier, Danish director and screenwriter
  • 1960 – Pedro Delgado, Spanish cyclist and sportscaster
  • 1960 – Tony Jones, English snooker player
  • 1961 – Neil Carmichael, English academic and politician
  • 1961 – Carol W. Greider, American molecular biologist
  • 1961 – Dawn Wright, American geographer and oceanographer
  • 1962 – Nawal El Moutawakel, Moroccan athlete and politician
  • 1962 – Tom Kane, American voice actor
  • 1963 – Alex Crawford, Nigerian-South African journalist
  • 1963 – Manzoor Elahi, Pakistani cricketer
  • 1963 – Manoj Prabhakar, Indian cricketer and sportscaster
  • 1964 – Andre Joubert, South African rugby player
  • 1964 – Lee Kernaghan, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1965 – Linda Perry, American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer
  • 1965 – Kevin Stevens, American ice hockey player
  • 1966 – Samantha Fox, English singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1966 – Mott Green, American businessman (d. 2013)
  • 1967 – Frankie Poullain, Scottish bass player and songwriter
  • 1967 – Dara Torres, American swimmer and journalist
  • 1968 – Ben Clarke, English rugby player and coach
  • 1968 – Brahim Lahlafi, Moroccan-French runner
  • 1968 – Ed O’Brien, English guitarist
  • 1969 – Jeromy Burnitz, American baseball player
  • 1969 – Kaisa Roose, Estonian pianist and conductor
  • 1969 – Jimmy Waite, Canadian-German ice hockey player and coach
  • 1970 – Chris Huffins, American decathlete and coach
  • 1971 – Philippe Carbonneau, French rugby player
  • 1971 – Finidi George, Nigerian footballer
  • 1971 – Jason Sehorn, American football player
  • 1971 – Josia Thugwane, South African runner
  • 1971 – Karl Turner, English lawyer and politician
  • 1972 – Arturo Gatti, Italian-Canadian boxer (d. 2009)
  • 1972 – Lou Romano, American animator and voice actor
  • 1974 – Kim Min-kyo, South Korean actor and director
  • 1974 – Danny Pino, American actor and screenwriter
  • 1974 – Mike Quinn, American football player
  • 1974 – Douglas Spain, American actor, director, and producer
  • 1974 – Tim Thomas, American ice hockey player
  • 1975 – Sarah Teichmann, German-American biophysicist and immunologist
  • 1976 – Jason Bonsignore, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1976 – Darius Regelskis, Lithuanian footballer
  • 1976 – Kęstutis Šeštokas, Lithuanian basketball player
  • 1976 – Steve Williams, English rower
  • 1977 – Sudarsan Pattnaik, Indian sculptor
  • 1977 – Brian Pothier, American ice hockey player
  • 1978 – Milton Bradley, American baseball player
  • 1978 – Tim Corcoran, American baseball player
  • 1978 – Luis Fonsi, Puerto Rican-American singer-songwriter and dancer
  • 1978 – Chris Stapleton, American country singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1980 – Patrick Carney, American drummer, musician, and producer
  • 1980 – James Foster, English cricketer
  • 1980 – Raül López, Spanish basketball player
  • 1980 – Willie Mason, New Zealand-Australian rugby league player
  • 1980 – Aida Mollenkamp, American chef and author
  • 1980 – Billy Yates, American football player
  • 1981 – Andrés D’Alessandro, Argentinian footballer
  • 1982 – Michael Aubrey, American baseball player
  • 1982 – Anthony Green, American singer-songwriter
  • 1982 – Seth Rogen, Canadian-American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1983 – Alice Braga, Brazilian actress
  • 1983 – Matt Cardle, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1983 – Dudu Cearense, Brazilian footballer
  • 1983 – Andreas Fransson, Swedish skier (d. 2014)
  • 1983 – Ilya Kovalchuk, Russian ice hockey player
  • 1983 – Martin Pedersen, Danish cyclist
  • 1984 – Antonio Cromartie, American football player
  • 1984 – Cam Janssen, American ice hockey player
  • 1984 – Daniel Paille, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1985 – Ryan Hamilton, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1986 – Tom Heaton, English footballer
  • 1986 – Sylvain Marveaux, French footballer
  • 1988 – Blake Ayshford, Australian rugby league player
  • 1988 – Steven Defour, Belgian footballer
  • 1988 – Chris Tillman, American baseball pitcher
  • 1989 – Darren Nicholls, Australian rugby league player
  • 1990 – Emma Watson, English actress
  • 1991 – Daiki Arioka, Japanese idol, singer, and actor
  • 1991 – Javier Fernández López, Spanish figure skater
  • 1992 – Jeremy McGovern, Australian rules football player
  • 1994 – Brodie Grundy, Australian rules football player
  • 1994 – Shaunae Miller-Uibo, Bahamian sprinter
  • 1995 – Leander Dendoncker, Belgian footballer
  • 1999 – Denis Shapovalov, Canadian tennis player
  • 2001 – Shanti Dope, Filipino rapper

Deaths on April 15

  • 628 – Suiko, emperor of Japan (b. 554)
  • 943 – Liu Bin, emperor of Southern Han (b. 920)
  • 956 – Lin Yanyu, Chinese court official and eunuch
  • 1053 – Godwin, Earl of Wessex (b. 1001)
  • 1136 – Richard Fitz Gilbert de Clare (b. 1094)
  • 1220 – Adolf of Altena, German archbishop (b. 1157)
  • 1237 – Richard Poore, English ecclesiastic
  • 1415 – Manuel Chrysoloras, Greek philosopher and translator (b. 1355)
  • 1446 – Filippo Brunelleschi, Italian sculptor and architect (b. 1377)
  • 1502 – John IV of Chalon-Arlay, Prince of Orange (b. 1443)
  • 1558 – Roxelana, wife of Suleiman the Magnificent (b. c. 1500)
  • 1610 – Robert Persons, English Jesuit priest, insurrectionist, and author (b. 1546)
  • 1632 – George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore, English politician, English Secretary of State (b. 1580)
  • 1652 – Patriarch Joseph of Moscow, Russian patriarch
  • 1659 – Simon Dach, German poet and hymnwriter (b. 1605)
  • 1719 – Françoise d’Aubigné, Marquise de Maintenon, French wife of Louis XIV of France (b. 1635)
  • 1754 – Jacopo Riccati, Italian mathematician and academic (b. 1676)
  • 1761 – Archibald Campbell, 3rd Duke of Argyll, Scottish lawyer and politician, Lord President of the Court of Session (b. 1682)
  • 1761 – William Oldys, English historian and author (b. 1696)
  • 1764 – Peder Horrebow, Danish astronomer and mathematician (b. 1679)
  • 1765 – Mikhail Lomonosov, Russian chemist and physicist (b. 1711)
  • 1788 – Giuseppe Bonno, Austrian composer (b. 1711)
  • 1793 – Ignacije Szentmartony, Croatian priest, mathematician, and astronomer (b. 1718)
  • 1854 – Arthur Aikin, English chemist and mineralogist (b. 1773)
  • 1861 – Sylvester Jordan, Austrian-German lawyer and politician (b. 1792)
  • 1865 – Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States (b. 1809)
  • 1888 – Matthew Arnold, English poet and critic (b. 1822)
  • 1889 – Father Damien, Belgian priest and saint (b. 1840)
  • 1898 – Te Keepa Te Rangihiwinui, New Zealand commander and politician
  • 1912 – Victims of the Titanic disaster:
    • Thomas Andrews, Irish shipbuilder (b. 1873)
    • John Jacob Astor IV, American colonel, businessman, and author (b. 1864)
    • Archibald Butt, American general and journalist (b. 1865)
    • Jacques Futrelle, American journalist and author (b. 1875)
    • Benjamin Guggenheim, American businessman (b. 1865)
    • Henry B. Harris, American producer and manager (b. 1866)
    • Wallace Hartley, English violinist and bandleader (b. 1878)
    • James Paul Moody, English Sixth Officer (b. 1887)
    • William McMaster Murdoch, Scottish First Officer (b. 1873)
    • Jack Phillips, English telegraphist (b. 1887)
    • Edward Smith, English Captain (b. 1850)
    • William Thomas Stead, English journalist (b. 1849)
    • Ida Straus, German-American businesswoman (b. 1849)
    • Isidor Straus, German-American businessman and politician (b. 1845)
    • John B. Thayer, American business and sportsman (b. 1862)
    • Henry Tingle Wilde, English chief officer (b. 1872)
  • 1917 – János Murkovics, Slovene author, poet, and educator (b. 1839)
  • 1927 – Gaston Leroux, French journalist and author (b. 1868)
  • 1938 – César Vallejo, Peruvian journalist, poet, and playwright (b. 1892)
  • 1942 – Robert Musil, Austrian-Swiss author and playwright (b. 1880)
  • 1943 – Aristarkh Lentulov, Russian painter and set designer (b. 1882)
  • 1944 – Nikolai Fyodorovich Vatutin, Russian general (b. 1901)
  • 1945 – Hermann Florstedt, German SS officer (b. 1895)
  • 1948 – Radola Gajda, Montenegrin-Czech general and politician (b. 1892)
  • 1949 – Wallace Beery, American actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1885)
  • 1962 – Clara Blandick, American actress (b. 1880)
  • 1962 – Arsenio Lacson, Filipino journalist and politician, Mayor of Manila (b. 1912)
  • 1963 – Edward Greeves, Jr., Australian footballer (b. 1903)
  • 1966 – Habibullah Bahar Chowdhury, Bengali politician, writer, journalist, first health minister of East Pakistan
  • 1967 – Totò, Italian comedian (b. 1898)
  • 1971 – Gurgen Boryan, Armenian poet and playwright (b. 1915)
  • 1971 – Friedebert Tuglas, Estonian author and critic (b. 1886)
  • 1979 – David Brand, Australian politician, 19th Premier of Western Australia (b. 1912)
  • 1980 – Raymond Bailey, American actor and soldier (b. 1904)
  • 1980 – Jean-Paul Sartre, French philosopher and author, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1905)
  • 1982 – Arthur Lowe, English actor (b. 1915)
  • 1984 – Tommy Cooper, Welsh comedian and magician (b. 1921)
  • 1986 – Jean Genet, French novelist, poet, and playwright (b. 1910)
  • 1988 – Kenneth Williams, English actor and screenwriter (b. 1926)
  • 1989 – Hu Yaobang, Chinese soldier and politician, former General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (b. 1915)
  • 1990 – Greta Garbo, Swedish-American actress (b. 1905)
  • 1993 – Leslie Charteris, English author and screenwriter (b. 1907)
  • 1993 – John Tuzo Wilson, Canadian geophysicist and geologist (b. 1908)
  • 1998 – William Congdon, American-Italian painter and sculptor (b. 1912)
  • 1998 – Pol Pot, Cambodian general and politician, 29th Prime Minister of Cambodia (b. 1925)
  • 1999 – Harvey Postlethwaite, English engineer (b. 1944)
  • 2000 – Edward Gorey, American poet and illustrator (b. 1925)
  • 2001 – Joey Ramone, American singer-songwriter (b. 1951)
  • 2002 – Damon Knight, American author and critic (b. 1922)
  • 2002 – Byron White, American football player, lawyer, and jurist, 4th United States Deputy Attorney General (b. 1917)
  • 2004 – Mitsuteru Yokoyama, Japanese illustrator (b. 1934)
  • 2007 – Brant Parker, American illustrator (b. 1920)
  • 2008 – Krister Stendahl, Swedish bishop, theologian, and scholar (b. 1921)
  • 2009 – Clement Freud, German-English journalist, academic, and politician (b. 1924)
  • 2009 – László Tisza, Hungarian-American physicist and academic (b. 1907)
  • 2009 – Salih Neftçi, Turkish economist and author (b. 1947)
  • 2010 – Jack Herer, American author and activist (b. 1939)
  • 2010 – Michael Pataki, American actor and director (b. 1938)
  • 2011 – Vittorio Arrigoni, Italian journalist, author, and activist (b. 1975)
  • 2012 – Paul Bogart, American director and producer (b. 1919)
  • 2012 – Dwayne Schintzius, American basketball player (b. 1968)
  • 2013 – Benjamin Fain, Ukrainian-Israeli physicist and academic (b. 1930)
  • 2013 – Richard LeParmentier, American-English actor and screenwriter (b. 1946)
  • 2013 – Jean-François Paillard, French conductor (b. 1928)
  • 2014 – John Houbolt, American engineer and academic (b. 1919)
  • 2014 – Eliseo Verón, Argentinian sociologist and academic (b. 1935)
  • 2015 – Jonathan Crombie, Canadian-American actor and screenwriter (b. 1966)
  • 2015 – Surya Bahadur Thapa, Nepalese politician, 24th Prime Minister of Nepal (b. 1928)
  • 2017 – Clifton James, American actor (b. 1920)
  • 2017 – Emma Morano, Italian supercentenarian, last person verified born in the 1800s (b. 1899)
  • 2018 – R. Lee Ermey, American actor (b. 1944)
  • 2018 – Vittorio Taviani, Italian film director and screenwriter (b. 1929)

Holidays and observances on April 15

  • Christian feast day:
    • Abbo II of Metz
    • Father Damien (The Episcopal Church)
    • Hunna
    • Paternus of Avranches
    • April 15 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Day of the Sun (North Korea)
  • Earliest day on which Sechseläuten can fall, while April 21 is the latest; celebrated on the third Monday in April. (Zürich)
  • Father Damien Day (Hawaii)
  • Hillsborough Disaster Memorial (Liverpool, England)
  • Jackie Robinson Day (United States)
  • National American Sign Language Day (United States)
  • One Boston Day (United States)
  • Poila Boishakh (Bengali New Year)
  • Tax Day, the official deadline for filing an individual tax return (or requesting an extension). (United States, Philippines)
  • Universal Day of Culture
  • World Art Day

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

On This Day

April 5 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 823 – Lothair I is crowned King of Italy by Pope Paschal I.
  • 919 – The second Fatimid invasion of Egypt begins, when the Fatimid heir-apparent, al-Qa’im bi-Amr Allah, sets out from Raqqada at the head of his army.
  • 1081 – Alexios I Komnenos is crowned Byzantine emperor at Constantinople, bringing the Komnenian dynasty to full power.
  • 1242 – During the Battle on the Ice of Lake Peipus, Russian forces, led by Alexander Nevsky, rebuff an invasion attempt by the Teutonic Knights.
  • 1536 – Royal Entry of Charles V into Rome: The last Roman triumph.
  • 1566 – Two hundred Dutch noblemen, led by Hendrick van Brederode, force themselves into the presence of Margaret of Parma and present the Petition of Compromise, denouncing the Spanish Inquisition in the Seventeen Provinces.
  • 1609 – Daimyō (Lord) Shimazu Tadatsune of the Satsuma Domain in southern Kyūshū, Japan, completes his successful invasion of the Ryūkyū Kingdom in Okinawa.
  • 1614 – In Virginia, Native American Pocahontas marries English colonist John Rolfe.
  • 1621 – The Mayflower sets sail from Plymouth, Massachusetts on a return trip to England.
  • 1710 – The Statute of Anne receives the royal assent establishing the Copyright law of the United Kingdom.
  • 1722 – The Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen discovers Easter Island.
  • 1792 – United States President George Washington exercises his authority to veto a bill, the first time this power is used in the United States.
  • 1795 – Peace of Basel between France and Prussia is made.
  • 1818 – In the Battle of Maipú, Chile’s independence movement, led by Bernardo O’Higgins and José de San Martín, win a decisive victory over Spain, leaving 2,000 Spaniards and 1,000 Chilean patriots dead.
  • 1862 – American Civil War: The Battle of Yorktown begins.
  • 1879 – Chile declares war on Bolivia and Peru, starting the War of the Pacific.
  • 1900 – Archaeologists in Knossos, Crete, discover a large cache of clay tablets with hieroglyphic writing in a script they call Linear B.
  • 1904 – The first international rugby league match is played between England and an Other Nationalities team (Welsh and Scottish players) in Central Park, Wigan, England.
  • 1915 – Boxing challenger Jess Willard knocks out Jack Johnson in Havana, Cuba to become the Heavyweight Champion of the World.
  • 1922 – The American Birth Control League, forerunner of Planned Parenthood, is incorporated.
  • 1932 – Dominion of Newfoundland: Ten thousand rioters seize the Colonial Building leading to the end of self-government.
  • 1933 – U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs two executive orders: 6101 to establish the Civilian Conservation Corps, and 6102 “forbidding the Hoarding of Gold Coin, Gold Bullion, and Gold Certificates” by U.S. citizens.
  • 1936 – Tupelo–Gainesville tornado outbreak: An F5 tornado kills 233 in Tupelo, Mississippi.
  • 1942 – World War II: The Imperial Japanese Navy launches a carrier-based air attack on Colombo, Ceylon during the Indian Ocean raid. Port and civilian facilities are damaged and the Royal Navy cruisers HMS Cornwall and HMS Dorsetshire are sunk southwest of the island.
  • 1943 – World War II: American bomber aircraft accidentally cause more than 900 civilian deaths, including 209 children, and 1,300 wounded among the civilian population of the Belgian town of Mortsel. Their target was the Erla factory one kilometer from the residential area hit.
  • 1944 – World War II: Two hundred seventy inhabitants of the Greek town of Kleisoura are executed by the Germans.
  • 1945 – Cold War: Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito signs an agreement with the Soviet Union to allow “temporary entry of Soviet troops into Yugoslav territory”.
  • 1946 – Soviet troops end their year-long occupation of the Danish island of Bornholm.
  • 1946 – A Fleet Air Arm Vickers Wellington crashes into a residential area in Rabat, Malta during a training exercise, killing all 4 crew members and 16 civilians on the ground.
  • 1949 – A fire in a hospital in Effingham, Illinois, kills 77 people and leads to nationwide fire code improvements in the United States.
  • 1951 – Cold War: Ethel and Julius Rosenberg are sentenced to death for spying for the Soviet Union.
  • 1956 – Cuban Revolution: Fidel Castro declares himself at war with Cuban President Fulgencio Batista.
  • 1956 – In Sri Lanka, the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna win the general elections in a landslide and S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike is sworn in as the Prime Minister of Ceylon.
  • 1957 – In India, Communists win the first elections in united Kerala and E. M. S. Namboodiripad is sworn in as the first Chief Minister.
  • 1958 – Ripple Rock, an underwater threat to navigation in the Seymour Narrows in Canada is destroyed in one of the largest non-nuclear controlled explosions of the time.
  • 1969 – Vietnam War: Massive antiwar demonstrations occur in many U.S. cities.
  • 1971 – In Sri Lanka, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna launches a revolt against the United Front government of Sirimavo Bandaranaike.
  • 1976 – In China, the April Fifth Movement leads to the Tiananmen Incident.
  • 1977 – The US Supreme Court rules that congressional legislation that diminished the size of the Sioux people’s reservation thereby destroyed the tribe’s jurisdictional authority over the area in Rosebud Sioux Tribe v. Kneip.
  • 1986 – Three people are killed in the bombing of the La Belle discotheque in West Berlin, Germany.
  • 1991 – An ASA EMB 120 crashes in Brunswick, Georgia, killing all 23 aboard including Sen. John Tower and astronaut Sonny Carter.
  • 1992 – Alberto Fujimori, president of Peru, dissolves the Peruvian congress by military force.
  • 1992 – Peace protesters Suada Dilberovic and Olga Sučić are killed on the Vrbanja Bridge in Sarajevo, becoming the first casualties of the Bosnian War.
  • 1998 – In Japan, the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge opens to traffic, becoming the longest bridge span in the world.
  • 1999 – Two Libyans suspected of bringing down Pan Am Flight 103 in 1988 are handed over for eventual trial in the Netherlands.
  • 2000 – UEFA Cup semi-final violence: Four Galatasaray fans are arrested for the stabbings to death of two Leeds United fans.
  • 2009 – North Korea launches its controversial Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2 rocket. The satellite passed over mainland Japan, which prompted an immediate reaction from the United Nations Security Council, as well as participating states of Six-party talks.
  • 2010 – Twenty-nine coal miners are killed in an explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine in West Virginia.

Births on April 5

  • 1170 – Isabella of Hainault (d. 1190)
  • 1219 – Wonjong of Goryeo, 24th ruler of Goryeo (d. 1274)
  • 1279 – Al-Nuwayri, Egyptian Muslim historian (d. 1333)
  • 1288 – Emperor Go-Fushimi of Japan (d. 1336)
  • 1315 – James III of Majorca (d. 1349)
  • 1365 – William II, Duke of Bavaria (d. 1417)
  • 1472 – Bianca Maria Sforza, Italian wife of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1510)
  • 1521 – Francesco Laparelli, Italian architect (d. 1570)
  • 1523 – Blaise de Vigenère, French cryptographer and diplomat (d. 1596)
  • 1533 – Giulio della Rovere, Italian Catholic Cardinal (d. 1578)
  • 1539 – George Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach (d. 1603)
  • 1549 – Princess Elizabeth of Sweden, (d. 1597)
  • 1568 – Pope Urban VIII (d. 1644)
  • 1588 – Thomas Hobbes, English philosopher (d. 1679)
  • 1591 – Frederick Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg (d. 1634)
  • 1595 – John Wilson, English composer and educator (d. 1674)
  • 1604 – Charles IV (d. 1675)
  • 1616 – Frederick, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken (d. 1661)
  • 1622 – Vincenzo Viviani, Italian mathematician, astronomer, and physicist (d. 1703)
  • 1649 – Elihu Yale, American-English merchant and philanthropist (d. 1721)
  • 1656 – Nikita Demidov, Russian industrialist (d. 1725)
  • 1664 – Élisabeth Thérèse de Lorraine, French noblewoman and Princess of Epinoy (d. 1748)
  • 1674 – Margravine Elisabeth Sophie of Brandenburg, (d. 1748)
  • 1691 – Louis VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt (d. 1768)
  • 1692 – Adrienne Lecouvreur, French actress (d. 1730)
  • 1719 – Axel von Fersen the Elder, Swedish field marshal and politician, Lord Marshal of Sweden (d. 1794)
  • 1726 – Benjamin Harrison V, American politician, planter and merchant (d. 1791)
  • 1727 – Pasquale Anfossi, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1797)
  • 1729 – Frederick Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (d. 1809)
  • 1730 – Jean Baptiste Seroux d’Agincourt, French archaeologist and historian (d. 1814)
  • 1732 – Jean-Honoré Fragonard, French painter and etcher (d. 1806)
  • 1735 – Franziskus Herzan von Harras, Czech Roman Catholic cardinal (d. 1804)
  • 1739 – Philemon Dickinson, American lawyer and politician (d. 1809)
  • 1752 – Sébastien Érard, French instrument maker (d. 1831)
  • 1761 – Sybil Ludington, American heroine of the American Revolutionary War (d. 1839)
  • 1769 – Sir Thomas Hardy, 1st Baronet, English admiral (d. 1839)
  • 1773 – José María Coppinger, governor of Spanish East Florida (d. 1844)
  • 1773 – Duchess Therese of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, (d. 1839)
  • 1777 – Marie Jules César Savigny, French zoologist (d. 1851)
  • 1782 – Wincenty Krasiński, Polish nobleman (d. 1858)
  • 1784 – Louis Spohr, German violinist, composer, and conductor (d. 1859)
  • 1788 – Franz Pforr, German painter (d. 1812)
  • 1793 – Casimir Delavigne, French poet and dramatist (d. 1843)
  • 1793 – Felix de Muelenaere, Belgian politician (d. 1862)
  • 1795 – Henry Havelock, British general (d. 1857)
  • 1799 – Jacques Denys Choisy, Swiss clergyman and botanist (d. 1859)
  • 1801 – Félix Dujardin, French biologist (d. 1860)
  • 1801 – Vincenzo Gioberti, Italian philosopher, publicist and politician (d. 1852)
  • 1804 – Matthias Jakob Schleiden, German botanist (d. 1881)
  • 1809 – Karl Felix Halm, German scholar and critic (d. 1882)
  • 1810 – Sir Henry Rawlinson, British East India Company army officer and politician (d. 1895)
  • 1811 – Jules Dupré, French painter (d. 1889)
  • 1814 – Felix Lichnowsky, Czech soldier and politician (d. 1848)
  • 1822 – Émile Louis Victor de Laveleye, Belgian economist (d. 1892)
  • 1827 – Joseph Lister, English surgeon and academic (d. 1912)
  • 1832 – Jules Ferry, French lawyer and politician, 44th Prime Minister of France (d. 1893)
  • 1834 – Prentice Mulford, American humorist and author (d. 1891)
  • 1834 – Wilhelm Olbers Focke, German medical doctor and botanist (d. 1922)
  • 1834 – Frank R. Stockton, American writer and humorist (d. 1902)
  • 1835 – Vítězslav Hálek, Czech poet, writer, journalist, dramatist and theatre critic. (d. 1874)
  • 1837 – Algernon Charles Swinburne, English poet, playwright, novelist, and critic (d. 1909)
  • 1839 – Robert Smalls, African-American ship’s pilot, sea captain, and politician (d. 1915)
  • 1840 – Ghazaros Aghayan, Armenian historian and linguist (d. 1911)
  • 1842 – Hans Hildebrand, Swedish archaeologist (d. 1913)
  • 1845 – Friedrich Sigmund Merkel, German anatomist and histopathologist (d. 1919)
  • 1845 – Jules Cambon, French diplomat (d. 1935)
  • 1846 – Sigmund Exner, Austrian physiologist (d. 1926)
  • 1846 – Henry Wellesley, British peer and politician (d. 1900)
  • 1848 – Thure de Thulstrup, American illustrator (d. 1930)
  • 1848 – Ulrich Wille, Swiss army general (d. 1925)
  • 1850 – Enrico Mazzanti, Italian engineer and cartoonist (d. 1910)
  • 1852 – Émile Billard, French sailor (d. 1930)
  • 1852 – Walter W. Winans, American marksman and sculptor (d. 1920)
  • 1852 – Franz Eckert, German composer and musician (d. 1916)
  • 1856 – Booker T. Washington, African-American educator, essayist and historian (d. 1915)
  • 1857 – Alexander of Battenberg (d. 1893)
  • 1858 – Washington Atlee Burpee, Canadian businessman, founded Burpee Seeds (d. 1915)
  • 1859 – Reinhold Seeberg, German theologian (d. 1935)
  • 1860 – Harry S. Barlow, British tennis player (d. 1917)
  • 1862 – Louis Ganne, French conductor (d. 1923)
  • 1862 – Leo Stern, English cellist (d. 1904)
  • 1863 – Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine (d. 1950)
  • 1867 – Ernest Lewis, British tennis player (d. 1930)
  • 1869 – Sergey Chaplygin, Russian physicist, mathematician, and engineer (d. 1942)
  • 1869 – Albert Roussel, French composer (d. 1937)
  • 1870 – Motobu Chōki, Japanese karateka (d. 1944)
  • 1871 – Stanisław Grabski, Polish economist and politician (d. 1949)
  • 1872 – Samuel Cate Prescott, American microbiologist and chemist (d. 1962)
  • 1873 – Joseph Rheden, Austrian astronomer (d. 1946)
  • 1874 – Emmanuel Célestin Suhard, French Cardinal of the Catholic Church (d. 1949)
  • 1874 – Manuel María Ponce Brousset, President of Peru (d. 1966)
  • 1878 – Albert Champion, French cyclist (d. 1927)
  • 1878 – Georg Misch, German philosopher (d. 1965)
  • 1878 – Paul Weinstein, German high jumper (d. 1964)
  • 1879 – Arthur Berriedale Keith, Scottish lawyer (d. 1944)
  • 1879 – Nikolaus zu Dohna-Schlodien, German naval officer and author (d. 1956)
  • 1880 – Eric Carlberg, Swedish Army officer, diplomat, shooter, fencer and modern pentathlete (d. 1963)
  • 1880 – Vilhelm Carlberg, Swedish Army officer and shooter (d. 1970)
  • 1882 – Song Jiaoren, Chinese revolutionary (d. 1913)
  • 1882 – Natalia Sedova, 2nd wife of Leon Trotsky (d. 1962)
  • 1883 – Walter Huston, Canadian-American actor and singer (d. 1950)
  • 1884 – Ion Inculeț, Bessarabian academic and politician, President of Moldova (d. 1940)
  • 1885 – Dimitrie Cuclin, Romanian composer (d. 1978)
  • 1886 – Gotthelf Bergsträsser, German linguist (d. 1933)
  • 1886 – Frederick Lindemann, British physicist (d. 1957)
  • 1886 – Gustavo Jiménez, Peruvian colonel and politician, 73rd President of Peru (d. 1933)
  • 1887 – William Cowhig, British gymnast (d. 1964)
  • 1889 – Vicente Ferreira Pastinha, Brazilian martial artist (d. 1981)
  • 1890 – Karl Kirk, Danish gymnast (d. 1955)
  • 1890 – William Moore, British track and field athlete (d. 1956)
  • 1891 – Arnold Jackson, English runner, soldier, and lawyer (d. 1972)
  • 1891 – Laura Vicuña, Chilean nun (d. 1904)
  • 1892 – Raymond Bonney, American ice hockey player (d. 1964)
  • 1893 – Frithjof Andersen, Norwegian wrestler (d. 1975)
  • 1893 – Clas Thunberg, Finnish speed skater (d. 1973)
  • 1894 – Lawrence Dale Bell, American industrialist and founder of Bell Aircraft Corporation (d. 1956)
  • 1894 – Hans Hüttig, German SS officer (d. 1980)
  • 1894 – Carl Rudolf Florin, Swedish botanist (d. 1965)
  • 1895 – Mike O’Dowd, American boxer (d. 1957)
  • 1896 – Einar Lundborg, Swedish aviator (d. 1931)
  • 1897 – Hans Schuberth, German politician (d. 1976)
  • 1899 – Alfred Blalock, American surgeon and academic (d. 1964)
  • 1900 – Herbert Bayer, Austrian-American graphic designer, painter, and photographer (d. 1985)
  • 1900 – Roman Steinberg, Estonian wrestler (d. 1928)
  • 1900 – Spencer Tracy, American actor (d. 1967)
  • 1901 – Curt Bois, German actor (d. 1991)
  • 1901 – Chester Bowles, American diplomat and ambassador (d. 1986)
  • 1901 – Melvyn Douglas, American actor (d. 1981)
  • 1901 – Doggie Julian, American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach (d. 1967)
  • 1902 – Menachem Mendel Schneerson, Russian-American rabbi (d. 1994)
  • 1903 – Marion Aye, American actress (d. 1951)
  • 1904 – Richard Eberhart, American poet and academic (d. 2005)
  • 1906 – Albert Charles Smith, American botanist (d. 1999)
  • 1906 – Fernando Germani, Italian organist (d. 1998)
  • 1906 – Ted Morgan, New Zealand boxer (d. 1952)
  • 1907 – Sanya Dharmasakti, Thai jurist (d. 2002)
  • 1908 – Bette Davis, American actress (d. 1989)
  • 1908 – Kurt Neumann, German director (d. 1958)
  • 1908 – Jagjivan Ram, Indian politician, 4th Deputy Prime Minister of India (d. 1986)
  • 1908 – Herbert von Karajan, Austrian conductor and manager (d. 1989)
  • 1909 – Albert R. Broccoli, American film producer, co-founded Eon Productions (d. 1996)
  • 1909 – Giacomo Gentilomo, Italian film director and painter (d. 2001)
  • 1909 – Károly Sós, Hungarian footballer and manager (d. 1991)
  • 1909 – Erwin Wegner, German hurdler (d. 1945)
  • 1910 – Sven Andersson, Swedish politician (d. 1987)
  • 1910 – Oronzo Pugliese, Italian football manager (d. 1990)
  • 1911 – Hedi Amara Nouira, Tunisian politician (d. 1993)
  • 1911 – Johnny Revolta, American golfer (d. 1991)
  • 1912 – Jehan Buhan, French fencer (d. 1999)
  • 1912 – Habib Elghanian, Iranian businessman (d. 1979)
  • 1912 – Antonio Ferri, Italian scientist (d. 1975)
  • 1912 – Carlos Guastavino, Argentine composer (d. 2000)
  • 1912 – Makar Honcharenko, Ukrainian footballer and manager (d. 1997)
  • 1912 – John Le Mesurier, English actor (d. 1983)
  • 1912 – István Örkény, Hungarian author and playwright (d. 1979)
  • 1912 – Bill Roberts, English sprinter and soldier (d. 2001)
  • 1913 – Antoni Clavé, Catalan artist (d. 2005)
  • 1913 – Nicolas Grunitzky, 2nd President of Togo (d. 1969)
  • 1913 – Ruth Smith, Faroese artist (d. 1958)
  • 1914 – Felice Borel, Italian footballer (d. 1993)
  • 1916 – Gregory Peck, American actor, political activist, and producer (d. 2003)
  • 1917 – Robert Bloch, American author (d. 1994)
  • 1917 – Frans Gommers, Belgian footballer (d. 1996)
  • 1919 – Lester James Peries, Sri Lankan director, screenwriter, and producer (d. 2018)
  • 1920 – Barend Biesheuvel, Dutch politician, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (d. 2001)
  • 1920 – Arthur Hailey, English-Canadian soldier and author (d. 2004)
  • 1920 – Alfonso Thiele, Turkish-Italian race car driver (d. 1986)
  • 1920 – John Willem Gran, Swedish bishop (d. 2008)
  • 1921 – Christopher Hewett, English actor and theatre director (d. 2001)
  • 1922 – Tom Finney, English footballer (d. 2014)
  • 1922 – Harry Freedman, Polish-Canadian horn player, composer, and educator (d. 2005)
  • 1922 – Andy Linden, American race car driver (d. 1987)
  • 1922 – Gale Storm, American actress and singer (d. 2009)
  • 1923 – Ernest Mandel, German-born Belgian Marxist economist, Trotskyist activist and theorist (d. 1995)
  • 1923 – Michael V. Gazzo, American actor (d. 1995)
  • 1923 – Nguyễn Văn Thiệu, Vietnamese general and politician, 5th President of South Vietnam (d. 2001)
  • 1924 – Igor Borisov, Soviet rower (d. before 2005)
  • 1925 – Janet Rowley, American human geneticist (d. 2013)
  • 1925 – Pierre Nihant, Belgian cyclist (d. 1993)
  • 1926 – Roger Corman, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1926 – Liang Yusheng, Chinese writer (d. 2009)
  • 1927 – Thanin Kraivichien, Thai lawyer and politician
  • 1927 – Arne Hoel, Norwegian ski jumper (d. 2006)
  • 1928 – Enzo Cannavale, Italian actor (d. 2011)
  • 1928 – Tony Williams, American singer (d. 1992)
  • 1929 – Hugo Claus, Belgian author, poet, and painter (d. 2008)
  • 1929 – Ivar Giaever, Norwegian-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1929 – Nigel Hawthorne, English actor and producer (d. 2001)
  • 1929 – Joe Meek, English songwriter and producer (d. 1967)
  • 1929 – Mahmoud Mollaghasemi, Iranian wrestler
  • 1930 – Mary Costa, American singer and actress
  • 1930 – Pierre Lhomme, French director of photography (d. 2019)
  • 1931 – Jack Clement, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2013)
  • 1931 – Héctor Olivera, Argentine director, producer and screenwriter
  • 1933 – Feridun Buğeker, Turkish footballer (d. 2014)
  • 1933 – Frank Gorshin, American actor (d. 2005)
  • 1933 – Barbara Holland, American author (d. 2010)
  • 1933 – K. Kailasapathy, Sri Lankan journalist and academic (d. 1982)
  • 1934 – John Carey, English author and critic
  • 1934 – Roman Herzog, German lawyer and politician, 7th President of Germany (d. 2017)
  • 1934 – Moise Safra, Brazilian businessman and philanthropist, co-founded Banco Safra (d. 2014)
  • 1934 – Stanley Turrentine, American saxophonist and composer (d. 2000)
  • 1935 – Giovanni Cianfriglia, Italian actor
  • 1935 – Peter Grant, English talent manager (d. 1995)
  • 1935 – Donald Lynden-Bell, English astrophysicist and astronomer (d. 2018)
  • 1935 – Frank Schepke, German rower (d. 2017)
  • 1936 – Ronnie Bucknum, American race car driver (d. 1992)
  • 1936 – Glenn Jordan, American director and producer
  • 1936 – Dragoljub Minić, Yugoslavian chess Grandmaster (d. 2005)
  • 1937 – Joseph Lelyveld, American journalist and author
  • 1937 – Jean-Pierre Petit, French scientist
  • 1937 – Colin Powell, American general and politician, 65th United States Secretary of State
  • 1937 – Andrzej Schinzel, Polish mathematician
  • 1937 – Arie Selinger, Israeli volleyball player and manager
  • 1937 – Juan Vicente Lezcano, Paraguayan footballer (d. 2012)
  • 1938 – Colin Bland, Zimbabwean-South African cricketer (d. 2018)
  • 1938 – Mal Colston, Australian educator and politician (d. 2003)
  • 1938 – Nancy Holt, American sculptor and painter (d. 2014)
  • 1938 – Natalya Kustinskaya, Soviet actress (d. 2012)
  • 1939 – Leka I, Crown Prince of Albania (d. 2011)
  • 1939 – Crispian St. Peters, English singer-songwriter (d. 2010)
  • 1939 – Haidar Abu Bakr al-Attas, Prime Minister of Yemen
  • 1939 – Ronald White, American singer-songwriter (d. 1995)
  • 1939 – David Winters, English-American actor, choreographer and producer (d. 2019)
  • 1940 – Tommy Cash, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1940 – Gilles Proulx, Canadian journalist, historian, and radio host
  • 1941 – Michael Moriarty, American-Canadian actor
  • 1941 – Dave Swarbrick, English singer-songwriter and fiddler (d. 2016)
  • 1942 – Allan Clarke, English singer-songwriter
  • 1942 – Pascal Couchepin, Swiss politician
  • 1942 – Juan Gisbert Sr., Spanish tennis player
  • 1942 – Peter Greenaway, Welsh director and screenwriter
  • 1943 – Dean Brown, Australian politician, 41st Premier of South Australia
  • 1943 – Max Gail, American actor and director
  • 1943 – Fighting Harada, Japanese boxer
  • 1943 – Miet Smet, Belgian politician
  • 1943 – Jean-Louis Tauran, French cardinal (d. 2018)
  • 1944 – Willeke van Ammelrooy, Dutch actress and director
  • 1944 – János Martonyi, Hungarian politician
  • 1944 – Evan Parker, British musician
  • 1944 – Douangchay Phichit, Laotian politician (d. 2014)
  • 1944 – Willy Planckaert, Belgian cyclist
  • 1944 – Pedro Rosselló, Puerto Rican physician and politician, 7th Governor of Puerto Rico
  • 1944 – Peter T. King, American soldier, lawyer, and politician
  • 1945 – Ove Bengtson, Swedish tennis player
  • 1945 – Steve Carver, American director and producer
  • 1945 – Cem Karaca, Turkish musician (d. 2004)
  • 1945 – Tommy Smith, English footballer (d. 2019)
  • 1946 – Jane Asher, English actress
  • 1946 – Julio Ángel Fernández, Uruguayan astronomer
  • 1946 – Björn Granath, Swedish actor (d. 2017)
  • 1946 – Georgi Markov, Bulgarian Greco-Roman wrestler
  • 1947 – Đurđica Bjedov, Yugoslav swimmer
  • 1947 – Willy Chirino, Cuban-American musician
  • 1947 – Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Filipino academic and politician, 14th President of the Philippines
  • 1947 – Ramón Mifflin, Peruvian footballer
  • 1947 – Virendra Sharma, Indian-English lawyer and politician
  • 1948 – Pierre-Albert Chapuisat, Swiss footballer
  • 1948 – Dave Holland, English drummer (d. 2018)
  • 1948 – Roy McFarland, English footballer and manager
  • 1949 – Stanley Dziedzic, American wrestler
  • 1949 – Larry Franco, American film producer
  • 1949 – Judith Resnik, Ukrainian-American engineer and astronaut (d. 1986)
  • 1950 – Ann C. Crispin, American writer (d. 2013)
  • 1950 – Franklin Chang Díaz, Costa Rican-Chinese American astronaut and physicist
  • 1950 – Agnetha Fältskog, Swedish singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1950 – Toshiko Fujita, Japanese actress, singer and narrator (d. 2018)
  • 1950 – Miki Manojlović, Serbian actor
  • 1951 – Les Binks, Irish drummer and songwriter
  • 1951 – Yevgeniy Gavrilenko, Belarusian hurdler
  • 1951 – Nedim Gürsel, Turkish writer
  • 1951 – Dean Kamen, American inventor and businessman, founded Segway Inc.
  • 1951 – Dave McArtney, New Zealand singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2013)
  • 1951 – Ubol Ratana, Thai Princess
  • 1952 – Alfie Conn, Scottish international footballer, midfielder
  • 1952 – John C. Dvorak, American author and editor
  • 1952 – Sandy Mayer, American tennis player
  • 1952 – Dennis Mortimer, English footballer
  • 1952 – Mitch Pileggi, American actor
  • 1953 – Frank Gaffney, American journalist and radio host
  • 1953 – Keiko Han, Japanese actress
  • 1953 – Tae Jin-ah, South Korean singer
  • 1953 – Raleb Majadele, Israeli politician
  • 1953 – Ian Swales, English accountant and politician
  • 1954 – Guy Bertrand, Canadian linguist and radio host
  • 1954 – Peter Case, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1954 – Mohamed Ben Mouza, Tunisian footballer
  • 1954 – Stan Ridgway, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1954 – Yoshiichi Watanabe, Japanese footballer
  • 1955 – Charlotte de Turckheim, French actress, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1955 – Ricardo Ferrero, Argentine footballer (d. 2015)
  • 1955 – Christian Gourcuff, French footballer and manager
  • 1955 – Anthony Horowitz, English author and screenwriter
  • 1955 – Bernard Longley, English prelate
  • 1955 – Akira Toriyama, Japanese illustrator
  • 1955 – Takayoshi Yamano, Japanese footballer
  • 1956 – Diamond Dallas Page, American wrestler and actor
  • 1956 – Leonid Fedun, Russian businessman
  • 1956 – Reid Ribble, American politician
  • 1957 – Sebastian Adayanthrath, Indian bishop
  • 1957 – Karin Roßley, German hurdler
  • 1958 – Henrik Dettmann, Finnish basketball coach
  • 1958 – Ryoichi Kawakatsu, Japanese footballer
  • 1958 – Johan Kriek, South African-American tennis player
  • 1958 – Daniel Schneidermann, French journalist
  • 1958 – Lasantha Wickrematunge, Sri Lankan lawyer and journalist (d. 2009)
  • 1959 – Paul Chung, Hong Kong actor and host (d. 1989)
  • 1960 – Asteris Koutoulas, Romanian-German record producer, manager, and author
  • 1960 – Larry McCray, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1960 – Ian Redford, Scottish footballer and manager (d. 2014)
  • 1960 – Hiromi Taniguchi, Japanese long-distance runner
  • 1960 – Adnan Terzić, Bosnian politician
  • 1961 – Andrea Arnold, English filmmaker and actress
  • 1961 – Anna Caterina Antonacci, Italian soprano
  • 1961 – Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, Bahraini-Danish human rights activist
  • 1961 – Lisa Zane, American actress and singer
  • 1962 – Lana Clarkson, American actress and model (d. 2003)
  • 1962 – Sara Danius, Swedish scholar of literature and aesthetics
  • 1962 – Richard Gough, Swedish born Scottish international footballer
  • 1962 – Arild Monsen, Norwegian cross-country skier
  • 1962 – Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, Russian businessman and politician, 1st President of Kalmykia
  • 1963 – Arthur Adams, American comic book artist and writer
  • 1964 – Neil Eckersley, British judoka
  • 1964 – Vakhtang Iagorashvili, Soviet modern pentathlete
  • 1964 – Levon Julfalakyan, Soviet Armenian Greco-Roman wrestler
  • 1964 – Marius Lăcătuș, Romanian footballer and coach
  • 1965 – Aykut Kocaman, Turkish footballer and manager
  • 1965 – Lang Tzu-yun, Taiwanese actress
  • 1965 – Elizabeth McIntyre, American freestyle skier
  • 1965 – Svetlana Paramygina, Belarusian biathlete
  • 1966 – Yoon Hyun, South Korean judoka
  • 1966 – Mike McCready, American guitarist and songwriter
  • 1967 – Troy Gentry, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2017)
  • 1967 – Franck Silvestre, French footballer
  • 1967 – Erland Johnsen, Norwegian footballer
  • 1967 – Laima Zilporytė, Soviet cyclist
  • 1968 – Paula Cole, American singer-songwriter and pianist
  • 1969 – Dinos Angelidis, Greek basketball player
  • 1969 – Viatcheslav Djavanian, Russian cyclist
  • 1969 – Pontus Kåmark, Swedish footballer
  • 1969 – Pavlo Khnykin, Ukrainian swimmer
  • 1969 – Tomislav Piplica, Bosnian footballer and manager
  • 1969 – Ravindra Prabhat, Indian writer and journalist
  • 1970 – Soheil Ayari, French race car driver
  • 1970 – Valérie Bonneton, French actress
  • 1970 – Diamond D, American hip hop producer
  • 1970 – Petar Genov, Bulgarian chess grandmaster
  • 1970 – Thea Gill, Canadian actress
  • 1970 – Miho Hatori, Japanese singer-songwriter
  • 1970 – Irina Timofeyeva, Russian long-distance runner
  • 1971 – Dong Abay, Filipino singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1971 – Austin Berry, Costa Rican footballer
  • 1971 – Simona Cavallari, Italian actress
  • 1971 – Victoria Hamilton, English actress
  • 1971 – Nelson Parraguez, Chilean footballer
  • 1971 – Kim Soo-nyung, South Korean archer
  • 1972 – Krista Allen, American actress
  • 1972 – Nima Arkani-Hamed, American-Canadian theoretical physicist
  • 1972 – Tom Coronel, Dutch race car driver
  • 1972 – Paul Okon, Australian footballer and manager
  • 1972 – Yasuhiro Takemoto, Japanese animator and director (d. 2019)
  • 1972 – Junko Takeuchi, Japanese actress
  • 1973 – Élodie Bouchez, French-American actress
  • 1973 – Lidia Trettel, Italian snowboarder
  • 1973 – Pharrell Williams, American singer, songwriter and rapper
  • 1974 – Sandra Bagarić, Croatian opera singer and actress
  • 1974 – Julien Boutter, French tennis player
  • 1974 – Katja Holanti, Finnish biathlete
  • 1974 – Oleg Khodkov, Russian handball player
  • 1974 – Ariel López, Argentine footballer
  • 1974 – Lukas Ridgeston, Slovak actor and director
  • 1974 – Vyacheslav Voronin, Russian high jumper
  • 1975 – Sarah Baldock, English organist and conductor
  • 1975 – John Hartson, Welsh footballer and coach
  • 1975 – Juicy J, American rapper and producer
  • 1975 – Serhiy Klymentiev, Ukrainian ice hockey player
  • 1975 – Caitlin Moran, English journalist, author, and critic
  • 1975 – Marcos Vales, Spanish footballer
  • 1975 – Shammond Williams, American basketball player and coach
  • 1976 – Luis de Agustini, Uruguayan footballer
  • 1976 – Péter Biros, Hungarian water polo player
  • 1976 – Sterling K. Brown, American actor
  • 1976 – Aleksei Budõlin, Estonian judoka
  • 1976 – Simone Inzaghi, Italian footballer
  • 1976 – Fernando Morientes, Spanish footballer and coach
  • 1976 – Natascha Ragosina, Russian boxer
  • 1976 – Henrik Stenson, Swedish golfer
  • 1976 – Valeria Straneo, Italian long-distance runner
  • 1976 – Indrek Tobreluts, Estonian biathlete
  • 1976 – Anouska van der Zee, Dutch cyclist
  • 1977 – Jonathan Erlich, Israeli tennis player
  • 1977 – Trevor Letowski, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1977 – Daniel Majstorović, Swedish footballer
  • 1978 – Dwain Chambers, British track sprinter
  • 1978 – Marcone Amaral Costa, Qatari footballer
  • 1978 – Tarek El-Said, Egyptian footballer
  • 1978 – Jairo Patiño, Colombian footballer
  • 1978 – Sohyang, South Korean singer
  • 1978 – Stephen Jackson, American basketball player
  • 1978 – Arnaud Tournant, French cyclist
  • 1978 – Franziska van Almsick, German swimmer
  • 1978 – Günther Weidlinger, Austrian long-distance runner
  • 1979 – Vlada Avramov, Serbian footballer
  • 1979 – Josh Boone, American screenwriter and director
  • 1979 – Song Dae-nam, South Korean judoka
  • 1979 – Timo Hildebrand, German footballer
  • 1979 – Imany, French singer
  • 1979 – Barel Mouko, Congolese footballer
  • 1979 – Cesare Natali, Italian footballer
  • 1979 – Mitsuo Ogasawara, Japanese footballer
  • 1979 – Alexander Resch, German luger
  • 1979 – Andrius Velička, Lithuanian footballer
  • 1979 – Dante Wesley, American football player
  • 1979 – Chen Yanqing, Chinese weightlifter
  • 1980 – Matt Bonner, American basketball player
  • 1980 – Alberta Brianti, Italian tennis player
  • 1980 – Rafael Cavalcante, Brazilian mixed martial artist
  • 1980 – David Chocarro, Argentinian baseball player and actor
  • 1980 – Mike Glumac, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1980 – Mario Kasun, Croatian basketball player
  • 1980 – Lee Jae-won, South Korean DJ and singer
  • 1980 – Joris Mathijsen, Dutch footballer
  • 1980 – Rasmus Quist Hansen, Danish rower
  • 1980 – Odlanier Solís, Cuban boxer
  • 1981 – Matthew Emmons, American rifle shooter
  • 1981 – Michael A. Monsoor, American sailor, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 2006)
  • 1981 – Mariqueen Maandig, Filipino-American musician and singer-songwriter
  • 1981 – Daba Modibo Keïta, Malian taekwondo athlete
  • 1981 – Marissa Nadler, American musician
  • 1981 – Tom Riley, English actor and producer
  • 1981 – Mompati Thuma, Botswana footballer
  • 1981 – Pieter Weening, Dutch cyclist
  • 1982 – Hayley Atwell, English-American actress
  • 1982 – Matheus Coradini Vivian, Brazilian footballer
  • 1982 – Thomas Hitzlsperger, German footballer
  • 1982 – Kelly Pavlik, American boxer
  • 1982 – Matt Pickens, American soccer player
  • 1982 – Alexandre Prémat, French race car driver
  • 1982 – Danylo Sapunov, Ukrainian-Kazakhstani triathlete
  • 1982 – Hubert Schwab, Swiss cyclist
  • 1982 – Marcel Seip, Dutch former footballer
  • 1983 – Jaime Castrillón, Colombian footballer
  • 1983 – Jorge Andrés Martínez, Uruguayan footballer
  • 1983 – Brock Radunske, Canadian-South Korean ice hockey player
  • 1983 – Yohann Sangaré, French basketball player
  • 1983 – Cécile Storti, French cross-country skier
  • 1983 – Shikha Uberoi, Indian-American tennis player
  • 1984 – Marshall Allman, American actor
  • 1984 – Aram Mp3, Armenian singer and comedian
  • 1984 – Rune Brattsveen, Norwegian biathlete
  • 1984 – Alexei Glukhov, Russian ice hockey player
  • 1984 – Maartje Goderie, Dutch field hockey player
  • 1984 – Darija Jurak, Croatian tennis player
  • 1984 – Dejan Kelhar, Slovenian footballer
  • 1984 – Dmitry Kozonchuk, Russian cyclist
  • 1984 – Shin Min-a, South Korean actress
  • 1984 – Jess Sum, Hong Kong actress
  • 1984 – Peter Penz, Austrian luger
  • 1984 – Samuele Preisig, Swiss footballer
  • 1984 – Cristian Săpunaru, Romanian footballer
  • 1984 – Fabio Vitaioli, San Marinese footballer
  • 1984 – Kisho Yano, Japanese footballer
  • 1984 – Saba Qamar, Pakistani actress-model
  • 1985 – Daniel Congré, French footballer
  • 1985 – Erwin l’Ami, Dutch chess player
  • 1985 – Jolanda Keizer, Dutch heptathlete
  • 1985 – Sergey Khachatryan, Armenian violinist
  • 1985 – Linas Pilibaitis, Lithuanian footballer
  • 1985 – Jan Smeets, Dutch chess grandmaster
  • 1985 – Kristof Vandewalle, Belgian cyclist
  • 1986 – Anna Sophia Berglund, American model and actress
  • 1986 – Anzor Boltukayev, Chechen wrestler
  • 1986 – Diego Chará, Colombian footballer
  • 1986 – Charlotte Flair, American wrestler, author and actress
  • 1986 – Róbert Kasza, Hungarian Modern pentathlete
  • 1986 – Eetu Muinonen, Finnish footballer
  • 1986 – Manuel Ruz, Spanish footballer
  • 1986 – Albert Selimov, Azerbaijani boxer
  • 1987 – Max Grün, German footballer
  • 1987 – Balázs Hárai, Hungarian water polo player
  • 1987 – Anton Kokorin, Russian sprint athlete
  • 1987 – Fyodor Kudryashov, Russian footballer
  • 1987 – Etiënne Reijnen, Dutch footballer
  • 1988 – Gerson Acevedo, Chilean footballer
  • 1988 – Teresa Almeida, Angolan handball player
  • 1988 – Quade Cooper, New Zealand rugby player and boxer
  • 1988 – Jonathan Davies, Welsh rugby union player
  • 1988 – Gevorg Ghazaryan, Armenian footballer
  • 1988 – Alisha Glass, American ex-indoor volleyball player
  • 1988 – Vurğun Hüseynov, Azerbaijani footballer
  • 1988 – Matthias Jaissle, German footballer and manager
  • 1988 – Jon Kwang-ik, North Korean footballer
  • 1988 – Christopher Papamichalopoulos, Cypriot skier
  • 1988 – Zack Smith, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1988 – Pape Sy, French basketball player
  • 1988 – Alexey Volkov, Russian biathlete
  • 1989 – Kader Amadou, Nigerien footballer
  • 1989 – Yémi Apithy, Beninese fencer
  • 1989 – Liemarvin Bonevacia, Dutch sprinter
  • 1989 – Freddie Fox, English actor
  • 1989 – Emre Güral, Turkish footballer
  • 1989 – Justin Holiday, American basketball player
  • 1989 – Rachel Homan, Canadian curler
  • 1989 – Lily James, English actress
  • 1989 – Trevor Marsicano, American speed skater
  • 1989 – Jonathan Rossini, Swiss footballer
  • 1989 – Kiki Sukezane, Japanese actress
  • 1989 – Sosuke Takatani, Japanese wrestler
  • 1990 – Alex Cuthbert, Welsh rugby player
  • 1990 – Amer Said Al-Shatri, Omani footballer
  • 1990 – Fredy Hinestroza, Colombian footballer
  • 1990 – Chen Huijia, Chinese swimmer
  • 1990 – Haruma Miura, Japanese actor and singer
  • 1990 – Ismaeel Mohammad, Qatari footballer
  • 1990 – Iryna Pamialova, Belarusian canoeist
  • 1990 – Jakub Sedláček, Czech ice hockey player
  • 1990 – Sercan Yıldırım, Turkish footballer
  • 1990 – Género Zeefuik, Dutch footballer
  • 1991 – Yassine Bounou, Moroccan footballer
  • 1991 – Nathaniel Clyne, English footballer
  • 1991 – Adriano Grimaldi, Italian-German footballer
  • 1991 – Joël Mall, Swiss footballer
  • 1991 – Guilherme dos Santos Torres, Brazilian footballer
  • 1992 – Emmalyn Estrada, Canadian singer-songwriter and dancer
  • 1992 – Shintaro Kurumaya, Japanese footballer
  • 1992 – Kaveh Rezaei, Iranian footballer
  • 1992 – Dmytro Ryzhuk, Ukrainian footballer
  • 1993 – Andreas Bouchalakis, Greek footballer
  • 1993 – Maya DiRado, American swimmer
  • 1993 – Laura Feiersinger, Austrian footballer
  • 1993 – Scottie Wilbekin, American-born naturalized Turkish basketball player
  • 1994 – Mateusz Bieniek, Polish volleyball player
  • 1994 – Edem Rjaïbi, Tunisian footballer
  • 1994 – Richard Sánchez, Mexican footballer
  • 1995 – Viliame Kikau, Fijian rugby league player
  • 1995 – Sei Muroya, Japanese footballer
  • 1995 – Gleb Rassadkin, Belarusian footballer
  • 1995 – Sebastian Starke Hedlund, Swedish footballer
  • 1996 – Nicolas Beer, Danish race car driver
  • 1996 – Raouf Benguit, Algerian footballer
  • 1997 – Borja Mayoral, Spanish footballer
  • 1998 – Jeremy Olson
  • 1999 – Andrea Buwalda
  • 2000 – Ayush Mahesh Khedekar, Indian actor
  • 2001 – Thylane Blondeau, French model and actress

Deaths on April 5

  • 517 – Timothy I, Byzantine patriarch
  • 582 – Eutychius, Byzantine patriarch
  • 584 – Ruadán of Lorrha, Irish abbot
  • 828 – Nikephoros I, Byzantine patriarch
  • 902 – Al-Mu’tadid, Abbasid caliph
  • 1168 – Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester, English politician (b. 1104)
  • 1183 – Ramon Berenguer III, Spanish count of Cerdanya and Provence
  • 1205 – Isabella I of Jerusalem, queen regent of Jerusalem (b. 1172)
  • 1258 – Juliana of Liège, Belgian canoness and saint
  • 1308 – Ivan Kőszegi, Hungarian baron and oligarch
  • 1325 – Ralph de Monthermer, 1st Baron of Monthermer and Earl of Gloucester (b. c.1270)
  • 1419 – Vincent Ferrer, Spanish missionary and saint (b. 1350)
  • 1431 – Bernard I, margrave of Baden-Baden (b. 1364)
  • 1512 – Lazzaro Bastiani, Italian painter (b. 1429)
  • 1534 – Jan Matthys, Dutch anabaptist reformer
  • 1594 – Catherine of Palma, Spanish nun (b. 1533)
  • 1617 – Alonso Lobo, Spanish composer (b. 1555)
  • 1626 – Anna Koltovskaya, Russian tsarina
  • 1673 – François Caron, Belgian-French explorer and politician, 8th Governor of Formosa (b. 1600)
  • 1674 – George Frederick, prince of Nassau-Siegen (b. 1606)
  • 1679 – Anne Geneviève de Bourbon, French princess (b. 1619)
  • 1684 – William Brouncker, English mathematician (b. 1620)
  • 1684 – Karl Eusebius, prince of Liechtenstein (b. 1611)
  • 1693 – Anne Marie Louise d’Orléans, French noblewoman (b. 1627)
  • 1693 – Philip William August, German nobleman (b. 1668)
  • 1695 – George Savile, English politician, Lord President of the Council (b. 1633)
  • 1697 – Charles XI, king of Sweden (b. 1655)
  • 1704 – Christian Ulrich I, German nobleman and Duke of Württemberg-Oels (b. 1652)
  • 1708 – Christian Heinrich, German prince and member of the House of Hohenzollern (b. 1661)
  • 1709 – Roger de Piles, French painter, engraver, art critic and diplomat (b. 1635)
  • 1712 – Jan Luyken, Dutch poet, illustrator and engraver (b. 1649)
  • 1717 – Jean Jouvenet, French painter (b. 1647)
  • 1723 – Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, Austrian architect, sculptor and historian (b. 1656)
  • 1735 – William Derham, English minister and philosopher (b. 1657)
  • 1751 – Frederick I, prince consort and king of Sweden (b. 1676)
  • 1765 – Edward Young, English poet and author (b. 1683)
  • 1767 – Princess Charlotte Wilhelmine of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, German princess of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (b. 1685)
  • 1768 – Egidio Forcellini, Italian philologist (b. 1688)
  • 1769 – Marc-Antoine Laugier, Jesuit priest (b. 1713)
  • 1794 – Georges Danton, French lawyer and politician, French Minister of Justice (b. 1759)
  • 1794 – François Chabot, French politician (b. 1756)
  • 1794 – Camille Desmoulins, French journalist, lawyer, and politician (b. 1760)
  • 1794 – Fabre d’Églantine, French actor, dramatist, poet and politician (b. 1750)
  • 1794 – Marie-Jean Hérault de Séchelles, French judge and politician (b. 1759)
  • 1794 – Pierre Philippeaux, French lawyer (b. 1754)
  • 1794 – François Joseph Westermann, French general (b. 1751)
  • 1799 – Johann Christoph Gatterer, German historian (b. 1727)
  • 1804 – Jean-Charles Pichegru, French general (b. 1761)
  • 1808 – Johann Georg Wille, German engraver (b. 1715)
  • 1830 – Richard Chenevix, Irish chemist and playwright (b. 1774)
  • 1831 – Pierre Léonard Vander Linden, Belgian entomologist (b. 1797)
  • 1842 – Shah Shujah Durrani, 5th Emir of Afghanistan (b. 1785)
  • 1852 – Prince Felix of Schwarzenberg, (b. 1800)
  • 1861 – Ferdinand Joachimsthal, German mathematician (b. 1818)
  • 1862 – Barend Cornelis Koekkoek, Dutch artist (b. 1803)
  • 1865 – Manfredo Fanti, Italian general (b. 1806)
  • 1866 – Thomas Hodgkin, British physician (b. 1798)
  • 1868 – Karel Purkyně, Czech painter (b. 1834)
  • 1871 – Paolo Savi, Italian geologist and ornithologist (b. 1798)
  • 1872 – Paul-Auguste-Ernest Laugier, French astronomer (b. 1812)
  • 1873 – Milivoje Blaznavac, Serbian soldier and politician (b. 1824)
  • 1882 – Pierre Guillaume Frédéric le Play, (b. 1806)
  • 1888 – Vsevolod Garshin, Russian author (b. 1855)
  • 1891 – Johann Hermann Bauer, (b. 1861)
  • 1900 – Joseph Bertrand, French mathematician, economist, and academic (b. 1822)
  • 1900 – Osman Nuri Pasha, Ottoman field marshal and the hero of the Siege of Plevna in 1877 (b. 1832)
  • 1901 – Angelo Messedaglia, Italian social scientist and statistician (b. 1820)
  • 1902 – Hans Ernst August Buchner, German bacteriologist (b. 1850)
  • 1904 – Ernst Leopold, 4th Prince of Leiningen (b. 1830)
  • 1904 – Frances Power Cobbe, Irish writer (b. 1822)
  • 1906 – Eastman Johnson, American painter (b. 1824)
  • 1914 – Bernard Borggreve, German forestry scientist (b. 1836)
  • 1916 – Maksim Kovalevsky, Russian sociologist (b. 1851)
  • 1918 – George Tupou II, King of Tonga (b. 1874)
  • 1918 – Paul Vidal de La Blache, French geographer (b. 1845)
  • 1920 – Laurent Marqueste, French sculptor (b. 1848)
  • 1921 – Alphons Diepenbrock, Dutch composer (b. 1862)
  • 1921 – Sophie Elkan, Swedish-Jewish writer and translator (b. 1853)
  • 1923 – George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon, English archaeologist and businessman (b. 1866)
  • 1924 – Victor Hensen, German zoologist (b. 1835)
  • 1928 – Roy Kilner, English cricketer and soldier (b. 1890)
  • 1928 – Viktor Oliva, Czech painter and illustrator (b. 1861)
  • 1929 – Francis Aidan Gasquet, English Benedictine monk (b. 1846)
  • 1929 – Ludwig von Sybel, German archeologist (b. 1846)
  • 1932 – María Blanchard, Spanish painter (b. 1881)
  • 1933 – Earl Derr Biggers, American novelist and playwright (b. 1884)
  • 1933 – Hjalmar Mellin, Finnish mathematician and functional theorist (b. 1854)
  • 1934 – Salvatore Di Giacomo, Italian poet, playwright, songwriter and fascist intellectual (b. 1860)
  • 1934 – Jiro Sato, Japanese tennis player (b. 1908)
  • 1935 – Achille Locatelli, Roman Catholic cardinal (b. 1856)
  • 1935 – Emil Młynarski, Polish conductor, violinist, composer, and pedagogue (b. 1870)
  • 1935 – Franz von Vecsey, Hungarian violinist and composer (b. 1893)
  • 1936 – Chandler Egan, American golfer and architect (b. 1884)
  • 1937 – Gustav Adolf Deissmann, (b. 1866)
  • 1937 – José Benlliure y Gil, Spanish painter (b. 1858)
  • 1938 – Helena Westermarck, Finnish artist and writer (b. 1857)
  • 1938 – Verner Lehtimäki, Finnish revolutionary (b. 1890)
  • 1940 – Charles Freer Andrews, English-Indian priest, missionary, and educator (b. 1871)
  • 1940 – Robert Maillart, Swiss civil engineer (b. 1872)
  • 1940 – Jay O’Brien, American bobsledder (b. 1883)
  • 1940 – Song Zheyuan, Chinese general (b. 1885)
  • 1941 – Parvin E’tesami, Persian poet (b. 1907)
  • 1941 – Nigel Gresley, Scottish-English engineer (b. 1876)
  • 1941 – Franciszek Kleeberg, Polish general (b. 1888)
  • 1945 – Heinrich Borgmann, German officer (b. 1912)
  • 1945 – Karl-Otto Koch, German SS officer (b. 1897)
  • 1946 – Vincent Youmans, American composer and producer (b. 1898)
  • 1947 – Bernhard Pankok, German painter, artist and architect (b. 1872)
  • 1947 – Elis Strömgren, Swedish-Danish astronomer (b. 1870)
  • 1948 – Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, American socialite and philanthropist (b. 1874)
  • 1949 – Erich Zeigner, Prime Minister of Saxony (b. 1886)
  • 1950 – Hiroshi Yoshida, Japanese painter (b. 1876)
  • 1952 – Agnes Morton, British tennis player (b.
  • 1954 – Princess Märtha of Sweden, (b. 1901)
  • 1954 – Claude Delvincourt, French pianist and composer (b. 1888)
  • 1956 – William Titt, British gymnast (b. 1881)
  • 1958 – Prince Ferdinand of Bavaria, (b. 1884)
  • 1958 – Ásgrímur Jónsson, Icelandic painter (b. 1876)
  • 1958 – Isidora Sekulić, Serbian writer (b. 1877)
  • 1961 – Nikolai Kryukov, Russian composer (b. 1908)
  • 1962 – Boo Kullberg, Swedish gymnast (b. 1889)
  • 1963 – Jacobus Oud, Dutch architect (b. 1890)
  • 1964 – James Chapin, American ornithologist (b. 1889)
  • 1964 – Aloïse Corbaz, Swiss artist (b. 1886)
  • 1964 – Douglas MacArthur, American general (b. 1880)
  • 1965 – Pedro Sernagiotto, Italian-Brazilian footballer (b. 1908)
  • 1965 – Sándor Szalay, Hungarian figure skater (b. 1893)
  • 1967 – Mischa Elman, Ukrainian-American violinist (b. 1891)
  • 1967 – Johan Falkberget, Norwegian author (b. 1879)
  • 1967 – Hermann Joseph Muller, American geneticist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1890)
  • 1967 – Herbert Johnston, British runner (b. 1902)
  • 1968 – Félix Couchoro, Togolese writer (b. 1900)
  • 1968 – Lajos Csordás, Hungarian footballer
  • 1968 – Giuseppe Paris, Italian gymnast (b. 1895)
  • 1969 – Alberto Bonucci, Italian actor and director (b. 1918)
  • 1969 – Rómulo Gallegos, Venezuelan novelist and politician (b. 1917)
  • 1969 – Ain-Ervin Mere, Estonian SS officer (b. 1903)
  • 1970 – Louisa Bolus, South African botanist and taxonomist (b. 1877)
  • 1970 – Alfred Sturtevant, American geneticist and academic (b. 1891)
  • 1970 – Karl von Spreti, German diplomat (b. 1907)
  • 1971 – José Cubiles, Spanish pianist and conductor (b. 1894)
  • 1972 – Brian Donlevy, American actor and producer (b. 1901)
  • 1973 – David Murray, British race car driver (b. 1909)
  • 1973 – Isabel Jewell, American actress and singer (b. 1907)
  • 1973 – Alla Tarasova, Russian ballerina (b. l898)
  • 1974 – Bino Bini, Italian fencer (b. 1900)
  • 1974 – A. Y. Jackson, Canadian painter (b. 1882)
  • 1975 – Tell Berna, American middle and long-distance runner (b. 1891)
  • 1975 – Victor Marijnen, Dutch politician (b. 1917)
  • 1975 – Chiang Kai-shek, Chinese general and politician, 1st President of the Republic of China (b. 1887)
  • 1975 – Harold Osborn, American track and fielder (b. 1899)
  • 1976 – Howard Hughes, American pilot, engineer, and director (b. 1905)
  • 1976 – Wilder Penfield, American-Canadian surgeon and academic (b. 1891)
  • 1976 – Harry Wyld, British cyclist (b. 1900)
  • 1977 – Carlos Prío Socarrás, President of Cuba, (b. 1903)
  • 1977 – Yuri Zavadsky, Russian actor and director (b. 1894)
  • 1981 – Émile Hanse, Belgian footballer (b. 1892)
  • 1981 – Bob Hite, American singer-songwriter (b. 1945)
  • 1981 – Pinchus Kremegne, French artist (b. 1890)
  • 1982 – Abe Fortas, American lawyer and jurist (b. 1910)
  • 1984 – Hans Lunding, Danish military officer (b. 1899)
  • 1984 – Giuseppe Tucci, Italian scholar of oriental cultures (b. 1894)
  • 1986 – Manly Wade Wellman, American writer (b. 1903)
  • 1987 – Leabua Jonathan, 2nd Prime Minister of Lesotho (b. 1914)
  • 1988 – Alf Kjellin, Swedish actor and director (b. 1920)
  • 1989 – Frank Foss, American pole vaulter (b. 1895)
  • 1989 – Karel Zeman, Czech director, artist, production designer and animator (b. 1910)
  • 1991 – Sonny Carter, American soccer player, physician, and astronaut (b. 1947)
  • 1991 – Jay Miller, American basketball player (b. 1943)
  • 1991 – Jiří Mucha, Czech journalist, writer and screenwriter (b. 1915)
  • 1991 – William Sidney, 1st Viscount De L’Isle (b. 1909)
  • 1991 – John Tower, American soldier, academic, and politician (b. 1925)
  • 1992 – Takeshi Inoue, Japanese footballer (b. 1928)
  • 1992 – Molly Picon, American actress (b. 1898)
  • 1992 – Sam Walton, American businessman, founded Walmart and Sam’s Club (b. 1918)
  • 1993 – Divya Bharti, Indian actress (b. 1974)
  • 1994 – Kurt Cobain, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1967)
  • 1995 – Nicolaas Cortlever, Dutch chess player (b. 1915)
  • 1995 – Emilio Greco, Italian sculptor and engraver (b. 1913)
  • 1995 – Christian Pineau, French Resistance fighter (b. 1904)
  • 1996 – Charlene Holt, American actress (b. 1928)
  • 1997 – Allen Ginsberg, American poet (b. 1926)
  • 1998 – Frederick Charles Frank, British theoretical physicist (b. 1911)
  • 1998 – Cozy Powell, English drummer (b. 1947)
  • 1999 – Giulio Einaudi, Italian book publisher (b. 1912)
  • 2000 – Heinrich Müller, Austrian footballer (b. 1909)
  • 2000 – Lee Petty, American race car driver (b. 1914)
  • 2001 – Aldo Olivieri, Italian footballer (b. 1910)
  • 2002 – Layne Staley, American singer-songwriter (b. 1967)
  • 2002 – Kim Won-gyun, North Korean composer and politician (b. 1917)
  • 2003 – Keizo Morishita, Japanese painter (b. 1944)
  • 2004 – Fernand Goyvaerts, Belgian footballer (b. 1938)
  • 2004 – Sławomir Rawicz, Polish lieutenant (b. 1915)
  • 2004 – Heiner Zieschang, German mathematician and academic (b. 1936)
  • 2005 – Saul Bellow, Canadian-American novelist, essayist and short story writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1915)
  • 2005 – Robert Borg, American military officer and equestrian (b. 1913)
  • 2005 – Chung Nam-sik, South Korean footballer (b. 1917)
  • 2006 – Allan Kaprow, American painter and educator (b. 1927)
  • 2006 – Gene Pitney, American singer-songwriter (b. 1941)
  • 2006 – Yevgeny Seredin, Russian swimmer (b. 1958)
  • 2006 – Pasquale Macchi, Roman Catholic archbishop (b. 1923)
  • 2007 – Maria Gripe, Swedish journalist and author (b. 1923)
  • 2007 – Leela Majumdar, Indian author and academic (b. 1908)
  • 2007 – Werner Maser, German historian and journalist (b. 1922)
  • 2007 – Mark St. John, American guitarist (b. 1956)
  • 2007 – Thomas Stoltz Harvey, American pathologist (b. 1912)
  • 2008 – Charlton Heston, American actor, director, and political activist (b. 1923)
  • 2009 – I. J. Good, British mathematician (b. 1916)
  • 2010 – Vitaly Sevastyanov, Soviet cosmonaut and engineer (b. 1935)
  • 2011 – Baruch Samuel Blumberg, American physician and geneticist (b. 1925)
  • 2011 – Ange-Félix Patassé, Central African politician (b. 1937)
  • 2012 – Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, German designer (b. 1935)
  • 2012 – Pedro Bartolomé Benoit, Dominican Republican politician military officer
  • 2012 – Jim Marshall, English businessman, founded Marshall Amplification (b. 1923)
  • 2012 – Barney McKenna, Irish musician (b. 1939)
  • 2012 – Bingu wa Mutharika, Malawian economist and politician, 3rd President of Malawi (b. 1934)
  • 2013 – Regina Bianchi, Italian actress (b. 1921)
  • 2013 – Piero de Palma, Italian tenor and actor (b. 1924)
  • 2014 – Alan Davie, Scottish saxophonist and painter (b. 1920)
  • 2014 – Mariano Díaz, Spanish cyclist (b. 1939)
  • 2014 – Peter Matthiessen, American novelist, short story writer, editor, co-founded The Paris Review (b. 1927)
  • 2014 – John Pinette, American comedian (b. 1964)
  • 2014 – José Wilker, Brazilian actor, director, and producer (b. 1947)
  • 2015 – Fredric Brandt, American dermatologist and author (b. 1949)
  • 2015 – Juan Carlos Cáceres, Argentinian singer and pianist (b. 1936)
  • 2016 – Koço Kasapoğlu, Turkish footballer (b. 1936)
  • 2017 – Attilio Benfatto, Italian cyclist (b. 1943)
  • 2017 – Arthur Bisguier, American chess Grandmaster (b. 1929)
  • 2017 – Paul G. Comba, Italian-American computer scientist and astronomer (b. 1926)
  • 2017 – Makoto Ōoka, Japanese poet and literary critic (b. 1931)
  • 2017 – Paul O’Neill, American rock composer and producer (b. 1956)
  • 2017 – Tim Parnell, British race car driver (b. 1932)
  • 2017 – Memè Perlini, Italian actor and director (b. 1947)
  • 2017 – Atanase Sciotnic, Romanian sprint canoeist (b. 1942)
  • 2017 – Ilkka Sinisalo, Finnish ice hockey player (b. 1958)
  • 2018 – Isao Takahata, Japanese director (b. 1935)
  • 2019 – Sydney Brenner, South African biologist (b. 1927)[16]

Holidays and observances on April 5

  • Christian feast day:
    • Albert of Montecorvino
    • Derfel Gadarn
    • Æthelburh of Kent
    • Gerald of Sauve-Majeure
    • Juliana of Liège
    • Maria Crescentia Höss
    • Blessed Mariano de la Mata
    • Pandita Mary Ramabai (Episcopal Church (USA))
    • Ruadhán of Lorrha
    • Vincent Ferrer
    • April 5 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Cold Food Festival, held on April 4 if it is a leap year (China); and its related observances:
  • Earliest day on which Sham el-Nessim can fall, while May 9 is the latest; celebrated on Monday after the Orthodox Easter (Egypt)
  • Children’s Day (Palestinian territories)
  • Sikmogil (South Korea)
  • National Maritime Day is observed in India, in commemoration of the first voyage of SS Loyalty of the Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd. in 1919.

April 5 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

On This Day /
  • 598 – Balkan Campaign: The Avars lift the siege at the Byzantine stronghold of Tomis. Their leader Bayan I retreats north of the Danube River after the Avaro-Slavic hordes are decimated by the plague.
  • 1282 – The people of Sicily rebel against the Angevin king Charles I, in what becomes known as the Sicilian Vespers.
  • 1296 – Edward I sacks Berwick-upon-Tweed, during armed conflict between Scotland and England.
  • 1699 – Guru Gobind Singh establishes the Khalsa in Anandpur Sahib, Punjab.
  • 1815 – Joachim Murat issues the Rimini Proclamation which would later inspire Italian unification.
  • 1818 – Physicist Augustin Fresnel reads a memoir on optical rotation to the French Academy of Sciences, reporting that when polarized light is “depolarized” by a Fresnel rhomb, its properties are preserved in any subsequent passage through an optically-rotating crystal or liquid.
  • 1822 – The Florida Territory is created in the United States.
  • 1841 – The National Bank of Greece is founded in Athens.
  • 1842 – Ether anesthesia is used for the first time, in an operation by the American surgeon Dr. Crawford Long.
  • 1844 – One of the most important battles of the Dominican War of Independence from Haiti takes place near the city of Santiago de los Caballeros.
  • 1855 – Origins of the American Civil War: “Border Ruffians” from Missouri invade Kansas and force election of a pro-slavery legislature.
  • 1856 – The Treaty of Paris is signed, ending the Crimean War.
  • 1861 – Discovery of the chemical elements: Sir William Crookes announces his discovery of thallium.
  • 1863 – Danish prince Wilhelm Georg is chosen as King George of Greece.
  • 1867 – Alaska is purchased from Russia for $7.2 million, about 2-cent/acre ($4.19/km²), by United States Secretary of State William H. Seward.
  • 1870 – Texas is readmitted to the United States Congress following Reconstruction.
  • 1885 – The Battle for Kushka triggers the Panjdeh Incident which nearly gives rise to war between the Russian and British Empire.
  • 1899 – German Society of Chemistry issues an invitation to other national scientific organizations to appoint delegates to the International Committee on Atomic Weights.
  • 1912 – Sultan Abd al-Hafid signs the Treaty of Fez, making Morocco a French protectorate.
  • 1918 – Outburst of bloody March Events in Baku and other locations of Baku Governorate.
  • 1939 – The Heinkel He 100 fighter sets a world airspeed record of 463 mph (745 km/h).
  • 1940 – Second Sino-Japanese War: Japan declares Nanking capital of a new Chinese puppet government, nominally controlled by Wang Jingwei.
  • 1944 – World War II: Allied bombers conduct their most severe bombing run on Sofia, Bulgaria.
  • 1944 – Out of 795 Lancasters, Halifaxes and Mosquitos sent to attack Nuremberg, 95 bombers do not return, making it the largest RAF Bomber Command loss of the war.
  • 1945 – World War II: Soviet forces invade Austria and capture Vienna; Polish and Soviet forces liberate Danzig.
  • 1949 – Cold War: A riot breaks out in Austurvöllur square in Reykjavík, when Iceland joins NATO.
  • 1959 – Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, flees Tibet for India.
  • 1961 – The Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs is signed in New York City.
  • 1965 – Vietnam War: A car bomb explodes in front of the United States Embassy, Saigon, killing 22 and wounding 183 others.
  • 1972 – Vietnam War: The Easter Offensive begins after North Vietnamese forces cross into the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) of South Vietnam.
  • 1976 – Israeli-Palestinian conflict: in the first organized response against Israeli policies by a Palestinian collective since 1948, Palestinians create the first Land Day.
  • 1979 – Airey Neave, a British Member of Parliament, is killed by a car bomb as he exits the Palace of Westminster. The Irish National Liberation Army claims responsibility.
  • 1981 – U.S. President Ronald Reagan is shot in the chest outside a Washington, D.C., hotel by John Hinckley, Jr.; three others are wounded in the same incident.
  • 1982 – Space Shuttle program: STS-3 mission is completed with the landing of Columbia at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.
  • 2002 – 2002 Lyon car attack takes place.
  • 2009 – Twelve gunmen attack the Manawan Police Academy in Lahore, Pakistan.
  • 2017 – SpaceX conducts the world’s first reflight of an orbital class rocket.

Births on March 30

  • 892 – Shi Jingtang, founder of the Later Jin Dynasty (d. 942)
  • 1135 – Maimonides, Spanish rabbi and philosopher (April 6 also proposed, d. 1204)
  • 1326 – Ivan II of Moscow (d. 1359)
  • 1432 – Mehmed the Conqueror, Ottoman sultan (d. 1481)
  • 1510 – Antonio de Cabezón, Spanish composer and organist (d. 1566)
  • 1551 – Salomon Schweigger, German theologian (d. 1622)
  • 1606 – Vincentio Reinieri, Italian mathematician and astronomer (d. 1647)
  • 1632 – John Proctor, farmer hanged for witchcraft in the Salem witch trials (d. 1692)
  • 1640 – John Trenchard, English politician, Secretary of State for the Northern Department (d. 1695)
  • 1727 – Tommaso Traetta, Italian composer and educator (d. 1779)
  • 1746 – Francisco Goya, Spanish-French painter and sculptor (d. 1828)
  • 1750 – John Stafford Smith, English organist and composer (d. 1836)
  • 1793 – Juan Manuel de Rosas, Argentinian soldier and politician, 13th Governor of Buenos Aires Province (d. 1877)
  • 1805 – Ferdinand Johann Wiedemann, German-Swedish linguist and botanist (d. 1887)
  • 1811 – Robert Bunsen, German chemist and academic (d. 1899)
  • 1820 – Anna Sewell, English author (d. 1878)
  • 1820 – James Whyte, Scottish-Australian politician, 6th Premier of Tasmania (d. 1882)
  • 1844 – Paul Verlaine, French poet (d. 1896)
  • 1853 – Vincent van Gogh, Dutch-French painter and illustrator (d. 1890)
  • 1853 – Arnoldo Sartorio, German composer, pianist, and teacher (d. 1936)
  • 1857 – Léon Charles Thévenin, French engineer (d. 1926)
  • 1858 – Siegfried Alkan, German composer (d. 1941)
  • 1863 – Mary Calkins, American philosopher and psychologist (d. 1930)
  • 1864 – Franz Oppenheimer, German-American sociologist and economist (d. 1943)
  • 1874 – Charles Lightoller, English 2nd officer on the RMS Titanic (d. 1952)
  • 1874 – Josiah McCracken, American hammer thrower, shot putter, and football player (d. 1962)
  • 1874 – Nicolae Rădescu, Romanian general and politician, Prime Minister of Romania (d. 1953)
  • 1875 – Thomas Xenakis, Greek-American gymnast (d. 1942)
  • 1879 – Coen de Koning, Dutch speed skater (d. 1954)
  • 1880 – Seán O’Casey, Irish dramatist, playwright, and memoirist (d. 1964)
  • 1882 – Melanie Klein, Jewish Austrian-English psychologist and author (d. 1960)
  • 1888 – J. R. Williams, Canadian-born cartoonist (d. 1957)
  • 1891 – Chunseong, Korean monk, writer and philosopher (d. 1977)
  • 1892 – Stefan Banach, Polish mathematician and academic (d. 1945)
  • 1892 – Fortunato Depero, Italian painter and sculptor (d. 1960)
  • 1892 – Erhard Milch, German field marshal (d. 1972)
  • 1892 – Johannes Pääsuke, Estonian photographer and director (d. 1918)
  • 1892 – Erwin Panofsky, German historian and academic (d. 1968)
  • 1894 – Tommy Green, English race walker (d. 1975)
  • 1894 – Sergey Ilyushin, Russian engineer, founded Ilyushin Aircraft Company (d. 1977)
  • 1895 – Jean Giono, French author and poet (d. 1970)
  • 1895 – Carl Lutz, Swiss vice-consul to Hungary during WWII, credited with saving over 62,000 Jews (d. 1975)
  • 1895 – Charlie Wilson, English footballer (d. 1971)
  • 1899 – Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay, Indian author, playwright, and screenwriter (d. 1970)
  • 1902 – Brooke Astor, American socialite and philanthropist (d. 2007)
  • 1902 – Ted Heath, English trombonist and composer (d. 1969)
  • 1903 – Joy Ridderhof, American missionary (d. 1984)
  • 1904 – Ripper Collins, American baseball player and coach (d. 1970)
  • 1905 – Archie Birkin, English motorcycle racer (d. 1927)
  • 1905 – Mikio Oda, Japanese triple jumper and academic (d. 1998)
  • 1905 – Albert Pierrepoint, English hangman (d. 1992)
  • 1907 – Friedrich August Freiherr von der Heydte, German general (d. 1994)
  • 1910 – Józef Marcinkiewicz, Polish soldier, mathematician, and academic (d. 1940)
  • 1911 – Ekrem Akurgal, Turkish archaeologist and academic (d. 2002)
  • 1912 – Jack Cowie, New Zealand cricketer (d. 1994)
  • 1912 – Alvin Hamilton, Canadian lieutenant and politician, 18th Canadian Minister of Agriculture (d. 2004)
  • 1913 – Marc Davis, American animator (d. 2000)
  • 1913 – Richard Helms, American soldier and diplomat, 8th Director of Central Intelligence (d. 2002)
  • 1913 – Frankie Laine, American singer-songwriter (d. 2007)
  • 1913 – Ċensu Tabone, Maltese general, physician, and politician, 4th President of Malta (d. 2012)
  • 1914 – Sonny Boy Williamson I, American singer-songwriter and harmonica player (d. 1948)
  • 1915 – Pietro Ingrao, Italian journalist and politician (d. 2015)
  • 1917 – Els Aarne, Ukrainian-Estonian pianist, composer, and educator (d. 1995)
  • 1919 – McGeorge Bundy, American intelligence officer and diplomat, 6th United States National Security Advisor (d. 1996)
  • 1919 – Robin M. Williams, New Zealand mathematician and academic (d. 2013)
  • 1921 – André Fontaine, French historian and journalist (d. 2013)
  • 1922 – Turhan Bey, American actor (d. 2012)
  • 1922 – Arthur Wightman, American physicist and academic (d. 2013)
  • 1923 – Milton Acorn, Canadian poet and playwright (d. 1986)
  • 1926 – Ingvar Kamprad, Swedish businessman, founded IKEA (d. 2018)
  • 1927 – Wally Grout, Australian cricketer (d. 1968)
  • 1928 – Robert Badinter, French lawyer and politician, French Minister of Justice
  • 1928 – Colin Egar, Australian cricket umpire (d. 2008)
  • 1928 – Tom Sharpe, English-Spanish author and educator (d. 2013)
  • 1929 – Richard Dysart, American actor (d. 2015)
  • 1929 – Ray Musto, American soldier and politician (d. 2014)
  • 1929 – István Rózsavölgyi, Hungarian runner (d. 2012)
  • 1930 – John Astin, American actor
  • 1930 – Rolf Harris, Australian singer-songwriter
  • 1933 – Jean-Claude Brialy, French actor and director (d. 2007)
  • 1934 – Paul Crouch, American broadcaster, co-founded the Trinity Broadcasting Network (d. 2013)
  • 1934 – Hans Hollein, Austrian architect and academic, designed Haas House (d. 2014)
  • 1935 – Karl Berger, German pianist and composer
  • 1935 – Willie Galimore, American football player (d. 1964)
  • 1935 – Gordon Mumma, American composer
  • 1937 – Warren Beatty, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1937 – Ian MacLaurin, Baron MacLaurin of Knebworth, English businessman
  • 1938 – John Barnhill, American basketball player and coach (d. 2013)
  • 1938 – Klaus Schwab, German economist and engineer, founded the World Economic Forum
  • 1940 – Norman Gifford, English cricketer
  • 1940 – Jerry Lucas, American basketball player and educator
  • 1940 – Hans Ragnemalm, Swedish lawyer and judge (d. 2016)
  • 1941 – Graeme Edge, English singer-songwriter and drummer
  • 1941 – Ron Johnston, English geographer and academic
  • 1941 – Wasim Sajjad, Pakistani lawyer and politician, President of Pakistan
  • 1941 – Bob Smith, American soldier and politician
  • 1942 – Ruben Kun, Nauruan lawyer and politician, 14th President of Nauru (d. 2014)
  • 1942 – Tane Norton, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1942 – Kenneth Welsh, Canadian actor
  • 1943 – Jay Traynor, American pop and doo-wop singer (d. 2014)
  • 1944 – Mark Wylea Erwin, American businessman and diplomat
  • 1944 – Brian Wilshire, Australian radio host
  • 1945 – Eric Clapton, English guitarist and singer-songwriter
  • 1947 – Dick Roche, Irish politician, Minister of State for European Affairs
  • 1947 – Terje Venaas, Norwegian bassist
  • 1948 – Nigel Jones, Baron Jones of Cheltenham, English computer programmer and politician
  • 1948 – Eddie Jordan, Irish racing driver and team owner, founded Jordan Grand Prix
  • 1948 – Mervyn King, English economist and academic
  • 1948 – Jim “Dandy” Mangrum, American rock singer
  • 1949 – Liza Frulla, Canadian talk show host and politician, 3rd Minister of Canadian Heritage
  • 1949 – Dana Gillespie, English singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1949 – Naomi Sims, American model and author (d. 2009)
  • 1950 – Janet Browne, English-American historian and academic
  • 1950 – Robbie Coltrane, Scottish actor
  • 1950 – Grady Little, American baseball player, coach, and manager
  • 1950 – Warren Snowdon, Australian educator and politician, 39th Australian Minister for Veterans’ Affairs
  • 1951 – Paul Da Vinci, English singer-songwriter
  • 1952 – Stuart Dryburgh, English-New Zealand cinematographer
  • 1952 – Peter Knights, Australian footballer and coach
  • 1955 – Randy VanWarmer, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2004)
  • 1956 – Bill Butler, Scottish educator and politician
  • 1956 – Juanito Oiarzabal, Spanish mountaineer
  • 1956 – Shahla Sherkat, Iranian journalist and author
  • 1957 – Marie-Christine Koundja, Chadian author and diplomat
  • 1957 – Paul Reiser, American actor and comedian
  • 1958 – Maurice LaMarche, Canadian voice actor and stand-up comedian
  • 1958 – Joey Sindelar, American golfer
  • 1959 – Martina Cole, English television host and author
  • 1960 – Laurie Graham, Canadian skier
  • 1960 – Bill Johnson, American skier (d. 2016)
  • 1961 – Mike Thackwell, New Zealand racing driver
  • 1961 – Doug Wickenheiser, Canadian-American ice hockey player (d. 1999)
  • 1962 – Mark Begich, American politician
  • 1962 – MC Hammer, American rapper and actor
  • 1962 – Gary Stevens, English international footballer, defender and manager
  • 1963 – Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, Mongolian journalist and politician, 4th President of Mongolia
  • 1963 – Eli-Eri Moura, Brazilian composer and conductor
  • 1963 – Panagiotis Tsalouchidis, Greek footballer
  • 1964 – Vlado Bozinovski, Macedonian-Australian footballer and manager
  • 1964 – Tracy Chapman, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1965 – Piers Morgan, English journalist and talk show host
  • 1966 – Efstratios Grivas, Greek chess player and author
  • 1966 – Dmitry Volkov, Russian swimmer
  • 1966 – Leonid Voloshin, Russian triple jumper
  • 1967 – Christopher Bowman, American figure skater and coach (d. 2008)
  • 1967 – Richard Hutten, Dutch furniture designer
  • 1967 – Julie Richardson, New Zealand tennis player
  • 1968 – Celine Dion, Canadian singer-songwriter
  • 1969 – Troy Bayliss, Australian motorcycle racer
  • 1970 – Tobias Hill, English poet and author
  • 1970 – Sylvain Charlebois, Canadian food/agriculture researcher and author
  • 1971 – Mari Holden, American cyclist
  • 1971 – Mark Consuelos, American actor and television personality
  • 1972 – Mili Avital, Israeli-American actress
  • 1972 – Emerson Thome, Brazilian footballer and scout
  • 1972 – Karel Poborský, Czech footballer
  • 1973 – Adam Goldstein, American keyboard player, DJ, and producer (d. 2009)
  • 1973 – Jan Koller, Czech footballer
  • 1973 – Kareem Streete-Thompson, Caymanian-American long jumper
  • 1974 – Martin Love, Australian cricketer
  • 1975 – Paul Griffen, New Zealand-Italian rugby player
  • 1976 – Ty Conklin, American ice hockey player
  • 1976 – Obadele Thompson, Barbadian sprinter
  • 1976 – Troels Lund Poulsen, Danish politician, Minister for Education of Denmark
  • 1977 – Abhishek Chaubey, Indian director and screenwriter
  • 1978 – Paweł Czapiewski, Polish runner
  • 1978 – Chris Paterson, Scottish rugby player and coach
  • 1978 – Bok van Blerk, South African singer-songwriter and actor
  • 1979 – Norah Jones, American singer-songwriter and pianist
  • 1979 – Anatoliy Tymoshchuk, Ukrainian footballer
  • 1980 – Ricardo Osorio, Mexican footballer
  • 1981 – Jammal Brown, American football player
  • 1981 – Andrea Masi, Italian rugby player
  • 1982 – Mark Hudson, English footballer
  • 1982 – Philippe Mexès, French footballer
  • 1982 – Javier Portillo, Spanish footballer
  • 1982 – Jason Dohring, American actor
  • 1983 – Jérémie Aliadière, French footballer
  • 1984 – Mario Ančić, Croatian tennis player
  • 1984 – Samantha Stosur, Australian tennis player
  • 1985 – Giacomo Ricci, Italian racing driver
  • 1986 – Sergio Ramos, Spanish footballer
  • 1987 – Trent Barreta, American wrestler
  • 1987 – Calum Elliot, Scottish footballer
  • 1987 – Kwok Kin Pong, Hong Kong footballer
  • 1987 – Marc-Édouard Vlasic, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1988 – Will Matthews, Australian rugby league player
  • 1988 – Thanasis Papazoglou, Greek footballer
  • 1988 – Richard Sherman, American football player
  • 1988 – Larisa Yurkiw, Canadian alpine skier
  • 1989 – Chris Sale, American baseball player
  • 1989 – João Sousa, Portuguese tennis player
  • 1990 – Thomas Rhett, American country music singer and songwriter
  • 1990 – Michal Březina, Czech figure skater
  • 1992 – Palak Muchhal, Indian playback singer
  • 1993 – Anitta, Brazilian singer and entertainer
  • 1994 – Jetro Willems, Dutch footballer
  • 1997 – Cha Eun-woo, South Korean singer and actor, A member of the South Korean boy band, Astro
  • 1998 – Kalyn Ponga, Australian rugby league player
  • 2000 – Colton Herta, American race car driver

Deaths on March 30

  • 116 – Quirinus of Neuss, Roman martyr and saint
  • 365 – Ai of Jin, emperor of the Jin Dynasty (b. 341)
  • 943 – Li Bian, emperor of Southern Tang (b. 889)
  • 987 – Arnulf II, Count of Flanders (b. 960)
  • 1180 – Al-Mustadi, Caliph (b. 1142)
  • 1202 – Joachim of Fiore, Italian mystic and theologian (b. 1135)
  • 1465 – Isabella of Clermont, queen consort of Naples (b. c. 1424)
  • 1472 – Amadeus IX, Duke of Savoy (b. 1435)
  • 1486 – Thomas Bourchier, English cardinal (b. 1404)
  • 1526 – Konrad Mutian, German humanist (b. 1471)
  • 1540 – Matthäus Lang von Wellenburg, German cardinal (b. 1469)
  • 1559 – Adam Ries, German mathematician and academic (b. 1492)
  • 1587 – Ralph Sadler, English politician, Secretary of State for England (b. 1507)
  • 1662 – François le Métel de Boisrobert, French poet and playwright (b. 1592)
  • 1689 – Kazimierz Łyszczyński, Polish atheist and philosopher (b. 1634)
  • 1707 – Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban, French general and engineer (b. 1633)
  • 1764 – Pietro Locatelli, Italian violinist and composer (b. 1695)
  • 1783 – William Hunter, Scottish anatomist and physician (b. 1718)
  • 1804 – Victor-François, 2nd duc de Broglie, French general and politician, French Secretary of State for War (b. 1718)
  • 1806 – Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire (b. 1757)
  • 1830 – Louis I, Grand Duke of Baden (b. 1763)
  • 1840 – Beau Brummell, English-French fashion designer (b. 1778)
  • 1842 – Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, French painter (b. 1755)
  • 1864 – Louis Schindelmeisser, German clarinet player, composer, and conductor (b. 1811)
  • 1873 – Bénédict Morel, Austrian-French psychiatrist and physician (b. 1809)
  • 1879 – Thomas Couture, French painter and educator (b. 1815)
  • 1886 – Joseph-Alfred Mousseau, Canadian judge and politician, 6th Premier of Quebec (b. 1838)
  • 1896 – Charilaos Trikoupis, Greek politician, 55th Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1832)
  • 1912 – Karl May, German author (b. 1842)
  • 1925 – Rudolf Steiner, Austrian philosopher and author (b. 1861)
  • 1935 – Romanos Melikian, Armenian composer (b. 1883)
  • 1936 – Conchita Supervía, Spanish soprano and actress (b. 1895)
  • 1940 – Sir John Gilmour, 2nd Baronet Scottish soldier and politician, Secretary of State for Scotland (b. 1876)
  • 1943 – Jan Bytnar, Polish lieutenant; WWII resistance fighter (b. 1921)
  • 1943 – Maciej Aleksy Dawidowski, Polish sergeant; WWII resistance fighter (b. 1920)
  • 1945 – Béla Balogh, Hungarian actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1885)
  • 1949 – Friedrich Bergius, German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1884)
  • 1949 – Dattaram Hindlekar, Indian cricketer (b. 1909)
  • 1950 – Léon Blum, French lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of France (b. 1872)
  • 1952 – Jigme Wangchuck, Bhutanese king (b. 1905)
  • 1955 – Harl McDonald, American pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1899)
  • 1956 – Edmund Clerihew Bentley, English author and poet (b. 1875)
  • 1959 – Daniil Andreyev, Russian mystic and poet (b. 1906)
  • 1959 – John Auden, English solicitor, deputy coroner and a territorial soldier (b. 1894)
  • 1959 – Riccardo Zanella, Italian politician (b. 1875)
  • 1960 – Joseph Haas, German composer and educator (b. 1879)
  • 1961 – Philibert Jacques Melotte, English astronomer (b. 1880)
  • 1963 – Aleksandr Gauk, Russian conductor and composer (b. 1893)
  • 1964 – Nella Larsen, American nurse and author (b. 1891)
  • 1965 – Philip Showalter Hench, American physician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1896)
  • 1966 – Newbold Morris, American lawyer and politician (b. 1902)
  • 1966 – Maxfield Parrish, American painter and illustrator (b. 1870)
  • 1966 – Erwin Piscator, German director and producer (b. 1893)
  • 1967 – Frank Thorpe, Australian public servant (b. 1885)
  • 1967 – Jean Toomer, American poet and novelist (b. 1894)
  • 1969 – Lucien Bianchi, Belgian racing driver (b. 1934)
  • 1970 – Heinrich Brüning, German economist and politician, Chancellor of Germany (b. 1885)
  • 1972 – Mahir Çayan, Turkish politician (b. 1946)
  • 1972 – Gabriel Heatter, American radio commentator (b. 1890)
  • 1973 – Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 14th Duke of Hamilton, Scottish pilot and politician (b. 1903)
  • 1973 – Yves Giraud-Cabantous, French racing driver (b. 1904)
  • 1975 – Peter Bamm, German journalist and author (b. 1897)
  • 1977 – Levko Revutsky, Ukrainian composer and educator (b. 1889)
  • 1978 – George Paine, English cricketer and coach (b. 1908)
  • 1978 – Memduh Tağmaç, Turkish general (b. 1904)
  • 1979 – Airey Neave, English colonel, lawyer, and politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (b. 1916)
  • 1979 – Ray Ventura, French pianist and bandleader (b. 1908)
  • 1981 – DeWitt Wallace, American publisher, co-founded Reader’s Digest (b. 1889)
  • 1984 – Karl Rahner, German-Austrian priest and theologian (b. 1904)
  • 1985 – Harold Peary, American actor and singer (b. 1908)
  • 1986 – James Cagney, American actor and dancer (b. 1899)
  • 1986 – John Ciardi, American poet and etymologist (b. 1916)
  • 1988 – Edgar Faure, French historian and politician, Prime Minister of France (b. 1908)
  • 1990 – Harry Bridges, Australian-born American activist and trade union leader (b. 1901)
  • 1992 – Manolis Andronikos, Greek archaeologist and academic (b. 1919)
  • 1993 – S. M. Pandit, Indian painter (b. 1916)
  • 1993 – Richard Diebenkorn, American painter (b. 1922)
  • 1995 – Rozelle Claxton, American pianist (b. 1913)
  • 1995 – Tony Lock, English-Australian cricketer and coach (b. 1929)
  • 1995 – Paul A. Rothchild, American record producer (b. 1935)
  • 1996 – Hugh Falkus, English pilot and author (b. 1917)
  • 1996 – Ryoei Saito, Japanese businessman (b. 1916)
  • 2000 – Rudolf Kirchschläger, Austrian judge and politician, 8th President of Austria (b. 1915)
  • 2002 – Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother of the United Kingdom (b. 1900)
  • 2002 – Anand Bakshi, Indian poet and lyricist (b. 1930)
  • 2003 – Michael Jeter, American actor (b. 1952)
  • 2003 – Valentin Pavlov, Russian banker and politician, 11th Prime Minister of the Soviet Union (b. 1937)
  • 2004 – Alistair Cooke, English-American journalist and author (b. 1908)
  • 2004 – Hubert Gregg, English actor and director (b. 1914)
  • 2004 – Michael King, New Zealand historian and author (b. 1945)
  • 2004 – Timi Yuro, American singer and songwriter (b. 1940)
  • 2005 – Robert Creeley, American novelist, essayist, and poet (b. 1926)
  • 2005 – Milton Green, American hurdler and soldier (b. 1913)
  • 2005 – Fred Korematsu, American political activist (b. 1919)
  • 2005 – O. V. Vijayan, Indian author and illustrator (b. 1930)
  • 2005 – Mitch Hedberg, American stand-up comedian (b. 1968)
  • 2006 – Red Hickey, American football player and coach (b. 1917)
  • 2006 – John McGahern, Irish author and educator (b. 1934)
  • 2007 – John Roberts, Canadian political scientist, academic, and politician, 46th Secretary of State for Canada (b. 1933)
  • 2008 – Roland Fraïssé, French mathematical logician (b. 1920)
  • 2008 – David Leslie, Scottish racing driver (b. 1953)
  • 2008 – Richard Lloyd, English racing driver (b. 1945)
  • 2008 – Dith Pran, Cambodian-American photographer and journalist (b. 1942)
  • 2010 – Jaime Escalante, Bolivian-American educator (b. 1930)
  • 2010 – Morris R. Jeppson, American lieutenant and physicist (b. 1922)
  • 2010 – Martin Sandberger, German SS officer (b. 1911)
  • 2012 – Janet Anderson Perkin, Canadian baseball player and curler (b. 1921)
  • 2012 – Aquila Berlas Kiani, Indian-Canadian sociologist and academic (b. 1921)
  • 2012 – Francesco Mancini, Italian footballer and coach (b. 1968)
  • 2012 – Granville Semmes, American businessman, founded 1-800-Flowers (b. 1928)
  • 2012 – Leonid Shebarshin, Russian KGB officer (b. 1935)
  • 2013 – Daniel Hoffman, American poet and academic (b. 1923)
  • 2013 – Bobby Parks, American basketball player and coach (b. 1962)
  • 2013 – Phil Ramone, South African-American songwriter and producer, co-founded A & R Recording (b. 1934)
  • 2013 – Edith Schaeffer, Chinese-Swiss religious leader and author, co-founded L’Abri (b. 1914)
  • 2013 – Bob Turley, American baseball player and coach (b. 1930)
  • 2014 – Ray Hutchison, American lawyer and politician (b. 1932)
  • 2014 – Kate O’Mara, English actress (b. 1939)
  • 2015 – Helmut Dietl, German director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1944)
  • 2015 – Roger Slifer, American author, illustrator, screenwriter, and producer (b. 1954)
  • 2015 – Ingrid van Houten-Groeneveld, Dutch astronomer and academic (b. 1921)
  • 2018 – Bill Maynard, English actor (b. 1928)
  • 2020 – Bill Withers, American musician (b. 1938)

Holidays and observances on March 30

  • Christian feast day:
    • Blessed Amadeus IX, Duke of Savoy
    • Blessed Maria Restituta Kafka
    • John Climacus
    • Mamertinus of Auxerre
    • Quirinus of Neuss
    • Thomas Son Chasuhn, Marie-Nicolas-Antoine Daveluy (part of The Korean Martyrs)
    • Tola of Clonard
    • March 30 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest day on which the first day of Hocktide can fall, while April 3 is the latest; observed on the second Monday after Easter. (Hungerford, England; popular in medieval England)
  • Land Day (Palestine)
  • National Doctors’ Day (United States)
  • Spiritual Baptist/Shouter Liberation Day (Trinidad and Tobago)
  • School Day of Non-violence and Peace (Spain)

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

On This Day

March 25 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 708 – Pope Constantine succeeds Pope Sisinnius as the 88th pope.
  • 717 – Theodosius III resigns the throne to the Byzantine Empire to enter the clergy.
  • 919 – Romanos Lekapenos seizes the Boukoleon Palace in Constantinople and becomes regent of the Byzantine emperor Constantine VII.
  • 1000 – Fatimid caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah assassinates the eunuch chief minister Barjawan and assumes control of the government.
  • 1306 – Robert the Bruce becomes King of Scots (Scotland).
  • 1409 – The Council of Pisa opens.
  • 1555 – The city of Valencia is founded in present-day Venezuela.
  • 1576 – Jerome Savage takes out a sub-lease to start the Newington Butts Theatre outside London.
  • 1584 – Sir Walter Raleigh is granted a patent to colonize Virginia.
  • 1655 – Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, is discovered by Christiaan Huygens.
  • 1802 – The Treaty of Amiens is signed as a “Definitive Treaty of Peace” between France and the United Kingdom.
  • 1807 – The Slave Trade Act becomes law, abolishing the slave trade in the British Empire.
  • 1807 – The Swansea and Mumbles Railway, then known as the Oystermouth Railway, becomes the first passenger-carrying railway in the world.
  • 1811 – Percy Bysshe Shelley is expelled from the University of Oxford for publishing the pamphlet The Necessity of Atheism.
  • 1821 – Traditional date of the start of the Greek War of Independence. The war had actually begun on 23 February 1821 (Julian calendar).
  • 1845 – New Zealand Legislative Council pass the first Militia Act constituting the New Zealand Army.
  • 1865 – American Civil War: In Virginia, Confederate forces temporarily capture Fort Stedman from the Union.
  • 1894 – Coxey’s Army, the first significant American protest march, departs Massillon, Ohio for Washington, D.C.
  • 1911 – In New York City, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146 garment workers.
  • 1917 – The Georgian Orthodox Church restores its autocephaly abolished by Imperial Russia in 1811.
  • 1918 – The Belarusian People’s Republic is established.
  • 1924 – On the anniversary of Greek Independence, Alexandros Papanastasiou proclaims the Second Hellenic Republic.
  • 1931 – The Scottsboro Boys are arrested in Alabama and charged with rape.
  • 1941 – The Kingdom of Yugoslavia joins the Axis powers with the signing of the Tripartite Pact.
  • 1947 – An explosion in a coal mine in Centralia, Illinois kills 111.
  • 1948 – The first successful tornado forecast predicts that a tornado will strike Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma.
  • 1949 – More than 92,000 kulaks are suddenly deported from the Baltic states to Siberia.
  • 1957 – United States Customs seizes copies of Allen Ginsberg’s poem “Howl” on obscenity grounds.
  • 1957 – The European Economic Community is established with West Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg as the first members.
  • 1965 – Civil rights activists led by Martin Luther King Jr. successfully complete their 4-day 50-mile march from Selma to the capitol in Montgomery, Alabama.
  • 1969 – During their honeymoon, John Lennon and Yoko Ono hold their first Bed-In for Peace at the Amsterdam Hilton Hotel (until March 31).
  • 1971 – The Army of the Republic of Vietnam abandon an attempt to cut off the Ho Chi Minh trail in Laos.
  • 1975 – Faisal of Saudi Arabia is shot and killed by a mentally ill nephew.
  • 1979 – The first fully functional Space Shuttle orbiter, Columbia, is delivered to the John F. Kennedy Space Center to be prepared for its first launch.
  • 1988 – The Candle demonstration in Bratislava is the first mass demonstration of the 1980s against the communist regime in Czechoslovakia.
  • 1995 – WikiWikiWeb, the world’s first wiki, and part of the Portland Pattern Repository, is made public by Ward Cunningham.
  • 1996 – The European Union’s Veterinarian Committee bans the export of British beef and its by-products as a result of mad cow disease (Bovine spongiform encephalopathy).
  • 2006 – Capitol Hill massacre: A gunman kills six people before taking his own life at a party in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood.
  • 2006 – Protesters demanding a new election in Belarus, following the rigged 2006 Belarusian presidential election, clash with riot police. Opposition leader Aleksander Kozulin is among several protesters arrested.

Births on March 25

  • 1252 – Conradin, Duke of Swabia (d. 1268)
  • 1259 – Andronikos II Palaiologos, Byzantine emperor (d. 1332)
  • 1297 – Andronikos III Palaiologos, Byzantine emperor (d. 1341)
  • 1297 – Arnošt of Pardubice, Polish archbishop (d. 1364)
  • 1345 – Blanche of Lancaster (d. 1369)
  • 1347 – Catherine of Siena, Italian philosopher, theologian, and saint (d. 1380)
  • 1404 – John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset, English military leader (d. 1444)
  • 1414 – Thomas Clifford, 8th Baron de Clifford, English noble (d. 1455)
  • 1434 – Eustochia Smeralda Calafato, Italian saint (d. 1485)
  • 1453 – Giuliano de’ Medici (d. 1478)
  • 1479 – Vasili III of Russia (d. 1533)
  • 1491 – Marie d’Albret, Countess of Rethel (d. 1549)
  • 1510 – Guillaume Postel, French linguist (d. 1581)
  • 1538 – Christopher Clavius, German mathematician and astronomer (d. 1612)
  • 1541 – Francesco I de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (d. 1587)
  • 1545 – John II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg (d. 1622)
  • 1546 – Giacomo Castelvetro, Italian writer (d. 1616)
  • 1593 – Jean de Brébeuf, French-Canadian missionary and saint (d. 1649)
  • 1611 – Evliya Çelebi, Ottoman Turk traveller and writer (d. 1682)
  • 1636 – Henric Piccardt, Dutch lawyer (d. 1712)
  • 1643 – Louis Moréri, French priest and scholar (d. 1680)
  • 1661 – Paul de Rapin, French soldier and historian (d. 1725)
  • 1699 – Johann Adolph Hasse, German singer and composer (d. 1783)
  • 1741 – Jean-Antoine Houdon, French sculptor and educator (d. 1828)
  • 1745 – John Barry, American naval officer and father of the American navy (d. 1803)
  • 1767 – Joachim Murat, French general (d. 1815)
  • 1782 – Caroline Bonaparte, French daughter of Carlo Buonaparte (d. 1839)
  • 1800 – Ernst Heinrich Karl von Dechen, German geologist and academic (d. 1889)
  • 1808 – José de Espronceda, Spanish poet and author (d. 1842)
  • 1824 – Clinton L. Merriam, American banker and politician (d. 1900)
  • 1840 – Myles Keogh, Irish-American colonel (d. 1876)
  • 1863 – Simon Flexner, American physician and academic (d. 1946)
  • 1867 – Gutzon Borglum, American sculptor, designed Mount Rushmore (d. 1941)
  • 1867 – Arturo Toscanini, Italian-American cellist and conductor (d. 1957)
  • 1868 – Bill Lockwood, English cricketer (d. 1932)
  • 1871 – Louis Perrée, French fencer (d. 1924)
  • 1872 – Horatio Nelson Jackson, American race car driver and physician (d. 1955)
  • 1873 – Rudolf Rocker, German-American author and activist (d. 1958)
  • 1874 – Selim Sırrı Tarcan, Turkish educator and politician (d. 1957)
  • 1876 – Irving Baxter, American jumper and pole vaulter (d. 1957)
  • 1877 – Walter Little, Canadian politician (d. 1961)
  • 1878 – František Janda-Suk, Czech discus thrower and shot putter (d. 1955)
  • 1879 – Amedee Reyburn, American swimmer and water polo player (d. 1920)
  • 1881 – Béla Bartók, Hungarian pianist and composer (d. 1945)
  • 1881 – Patrick Henry Bruce, American painter and educator (d. 1936)
  • 1881 – Mary Webb, English author and poet (d. 1927)
  • 1893 – Johannes Villemson, Estonian runner (d. 1971)
  • 1895 – Siegfried Handloser, German general and physician (d. 1954)
  • 1885 – Jimmy Seed, English international footballer, inside forward and manager (d. 1966)
  • 1897 – Leslie Averill, New Zealand doctor and soldier (d. 1981)
  • 1899 – François Rozet, French-Canadian actor (d. 1994)
  • 1901 – Ed Begley, American actor (d. 1970)
  • 1903 – Binnie Barnes, English-American actress (d. 1998)
  • 1903 – Frankie Carle, American pianist and bandleader (d. 2001)
  • 1903 – Nahum Norbert Glatzer, Ukrainian-American theologian and scholar (d. 1990)
  • 1904 – Pete Johnson, American boogie-woogie and jazz pianist (d. 1967)
  • 1905 – Albrecht Mertz von Quirnheim, German colonel (d. 1944)
  • 1906 – Jean Sablon, French singer and actor (d. 1994)
  • 1906 – A. J. P. Taylor, English historian and academic (d. 1990)
  • 1908 – David Lean, English director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1991)
  • 1910 – Magda Olivero, Italian soprano (d. 2014)
  • 1910 – Benzion Netanyahu, Polish-Israeli historian and academic (d. 2012)
  • 1912 – Melita Norwood, English civil servant and spy (d. 2005)
  • 1912 – Jean Vilar, French actor and director (d. 1971)
  • 1913 – Reo Stakis, Cypriot-Scottish businessman, founded Stakis Hotels (d. 2001)
  • 1914 – Norman Borlaug, American agronomist and humanitarian, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2009)
  • 1915 – Dorothy Squires, Welsh singer (d. 1998)
  • 1916 – S. M. Pandit, Indian painter and educator (d. 1993)
  • 1918 – Howard Cosell, American soldier, journalist, and author (d. 1995)
  • 1920 – Paul Scott, English author, poet, and playwright (d. 1978)
  • 1920 – Patrick Troughton, English actor (d. 1987)
  • 1920 – Usha Mehta, Gandhian and freedom fighter of India (d. 2000)
  • 1921 – Nancy Kelly, American actress (d. 1995)
  • 1921 – Simone Signoret, French actress (d. 1985)
  • 1922 – Eileen Ford, American businesswoman, co-founded Ford Models (d. 2014)
  • 1923 – Bonnie Guitar, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2019)
  • 1923 – Wim van Est, Dutch cyclist (d. 2003)
  • 1924 – Roberts Blossom, American actor (d. 2011)
  • 1924 – Machiko Kyō, Japanese actress (d. 2019)
  • 1925 – Flannery O’Connor, American short story writer and novelist (d. 1964)
  • 1925 – Anthony Quinton, Baron Quinton, English physician and philosopher (d. 2010)
  • 1925 – Kishori Sinha, Indian politician, social activist and advocate (d. 2016)
  • 1926 – Riz Ortolani, Italian composer and conductor (d. 2014)
  • 1926 – László Papp, Hungarian boxer (d. 2003)
  • 1926 – Jaime Sabines, Mexican poet and politician (d. 1999)
  • 1926 – Gene Shalit, American journalist and critic
  • 1927 – P. Shanmugam, Indian politician, 13th Chief Minister of Puducherry (d. 2013)
  • 1928 – Jim Lovell, American captain, pilot, and astronaut
  • 1928 – Gunnar Nielsen, Danish runner and typographer (d. 1985)
  • 1928 – Hans Steinbrenner, German sculptor (d. 2008)
  • 1929 – Cecil Taylor, American pianist and composer (d. 2018)
  • 1930 – David Burge, American pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 2013)
  • 1930 – Carlo Mauri, Italian mountaineer and explorer (d. 1982)
  • 1930 – Rudy Minarcin, American baseball player and coach (d. 2013)
  • 1931 – Humphrey Burton, English radio and television host
  • 1932 – Penelope Gilliatt, English novelist, short story writer, and critic (d. 1993)
  • 1932 – Wes Santee, American runner (d. 2010)
  • 1934 – Johnny Burnette, American singer-songwriter (d. 1964)
  • 1934 – Bernard King, Australian actor and chef (d. 2002)
  • 1934 – Karlheinz Schreiber, German-Canadian businessman
  • 1934 – Gloria Steinem, American feminist activist, co-founded the Women’s Media Center
  • 1935 – Gabriel Elorde, Filipino boxer (d. 1985)
  • 1936 – Carl Kaufmann, American-German sprinter (d. 2008)
  • 1937 – Tom Monaghan, American businessman, founded Domino’s Pizza
  • 1938 – Hoyt Axton, American singer-songwriter and actor (d. 1999)
  • 1938 – Daniel Buren, French sculptor and painter
  • 1938 – Fritz d’Orey, Brazilian race car driver
  • 1939 – Toni Cade Bambara, American author, academic, and activist (d. 1995)
  • 1939 – D. C. Fontana, American screenwriter and producer (d. 2019)
  • 1941 – Gudmund Hernes, Norwegian sociologist and politician, Norwegian Minister of Education and Research
  • 1942 – Aretha Franklin, American singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 2018)
  • 1942 – Richard O’Brien, English actor and screenwriter
  • 1942 – Kim Woodburn, English television host
  • 1943 – Paul Michael Glaser, American actor and director
  • 1945 – Leila Diniz, Brazilian actress (d. 1972)
  • 1946 – Cliff Balsom, English footballer
  • 1946 – Daniel Bensaïd, French philosopher and author (d. 2010)
  • 1946 – Stephen Hunter, American author and critic
  • 1946 – Maurice Krafft, French volcanologist (d. 1991)
  • 1947 – Richard Cork, English historian and critic
  • 1947 – Elton John, English singer-songwriter, pianist, producer, and actor
  • 1948 – Bonnie Bedelia, American actress
  • 1948 – Michael Stanley, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1949 – Ronnie Flanagan, Northern Irish Chief Constable (Royal Irish Constabulary, Police Service of Northern Ireland)
  • 1949 – Sue Klebold, American activist
  • 1950 – Chuck Greenberg, American saxophonist, songwriter, and producer (d. 1995)
  • 1950 – Ronnie McDowell, American singer-songwriter
  • 1950 – David Paquette, American-New Zealander pianist
  • 1951 – Jumbo Tsuruta, Japanese wrestler (d. 2000)
  • 1952 – Stephen Dorrell, English soldier and politician, Secretary of State for Health
  • 1952 – Antanas Mockus, Colombian mathematician, philosopher, and politician, Mayor of Bogotá
  • 1953 – Robert Fox, English producer and manager
  • 1953 – Vesna Pusić, Croatian sociologist and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Croatia
  • 1953 – Haroon Rasheed, Pakistani cricketer and coach
  • 1954 – Thom Loverro, American journalist and author
  • 1955 – Daniel Boulud, French chef and author
  • 1955 – Lee Mazzilli, American baseball player, coach, and manager
  • 1957 – Christina Boxer, English runner and journalist
  • 1957 – Jonathan Michie, English economist and academic
  • 1957 – Aleksandr Puchkov, Russian hurdler
  • 1957 – Jim Uhls, American screenwriter and producer
  • 1958 – Lorna Brown, Canadian artist, curator, and writer
  • 1958 – Susie Bright, American journalist, author, and critic
  • 1958 – Sisy Chen, Taiwanese journalist and politician
  • 1958 – María Caridad Colón, Cuban javelin thrower and shot putter
  • 1958 – John Ensign, American physician and politician
  • 1958 – Ray Tanner, American baseball player and coach
  • 1958 – Åsa Torstensson, Swedish politician, 3rd Swedish Minister for Infrastructure
  • 1960 – Steve Norman, English saxophonist, songwriter, and producer
  • 1960 – Peter O’Brien, Australian actor
  • 1960 – Brenda Strong, American actress
  • 1961 – Mark Brooks, American golfer
  • 1962 – Marcia Cross, American actress
  • 1962 – David Nuttall, English lawyer and politician
  • 1963 – Karen Bruce, English dancer and choreographer
  • 1963 – Velle Kadalipp, Estonian architect
  • 1963 – Andrew O’Connor, British actor, comedian, magician, television presenter and executive producer
  • 1964 – René Meulensteen, Dutch footballer and coach
  • 1964 – Ken Wregget, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1964 – Norm Duke, American bowler
  • 1965 – Avery Johnson, American basketball player and coach
  • 1965 – Stefka Kostadinova, Bulgarian high jumper
  • 1965 – Sarah Jessica Parker, American actress, producer, and designer
  • 1966 – Tom Glavine, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1966 – Humberto Gonzalez, Mexican boxer
  • 1966 – Jeff Healey, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2008)
  • 1966 – Anton Rogan, Northern Irish footballer
  • 1967 – Matthew Barney, American sculptor and photographer
  • 1967 – Doug Stanhope, American comedian and actor
  • 1967 – Debi Thomas, American figure skater and physician
  • 1969 – George Chlitsios, Greek conductor and composer
  • 1969 – Dale Davis, American basketball player
  • 1969 – Cathy Dennis, English singer-songwriter, record producer and actress
  • 1969 – Jeffrey Walker, English singer-songwriter and bass player
  • 1970 – Magnus Larsson, Swedish golfer
  • 1971 – Stacy Dragila, American pole vaulter and coach
  • 1971 – Cammi Granato, American ice hockey player and sportscaster
  • 1971 – Sheryl Swoopes, American basketball player and coach
  • 1972 – Giniel de Villiers, South African race car driver
  • 1972 – Phil O’Donnell, Scottish footballer (d. 2007)
  • 1973 – Michaela Dorfmeister, Austrian skier
  • 1973 – Anders Fridén, Swedish singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1973 – Bob Sura, American basketball player
  • 1974 – Serge Betsen, Cameroonian-French rugby player
  • 1974 – Lark Voorhies, American actress and singer
  • 1975 – Ladislav Benýšek, Czech ice hockey player
  • 1975 – Melanie Blatt, English singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1975 – Erika Heynatz, Papua New Guinean-Australian model and actress
  • 1976 – Francie Bellew, Irish footballer
  • 1976 – Lars Figura, German sprinter
  • 1976 – Wladimir Klitschko, Ukrainian boxer
  • 1976 – Rima Wakarua, New Zealand-Italian rugby player
  • 1977 – Natalie Clein, English cellist and educator
  • 1977 – Andrew Lindsay, Scottish rower
  • 1978 – Gennaro Delvecchio, Italian footballer
  • 1979 – Muriel Hurtis-Houairi, French sprinter
  • 1980 – Kathrine Sørland, Norwegian fashion model and television presenter
  • 1982 – Danica Patrick, American race car driver
  • 1982 – Álvaro Saborío, Costa Rican footballer
  • 1982 – Jenny Slate, American comedian, actress and author
  • 1983 – Mickaël Hanany, French high jumper
  • 1984 – Katharine McPhee, American singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1984 – Liam Messam, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1985 – Carmen Rasmusen, Canadian-American singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1985 – Diana Rennik, Estonian figure skater
  • 1986 – Marco Belinelli, Italian basketball player
  • 1986 – Megan Gibson, American softball player
  • 1986 – Kyle Lowry, American basketball player
  • 1986 – Mickey Paea, Australian rugby league player
  • 1987 – Jacob Bagersted, Danish handball player
  • 1987 – Victor Obinna, Nigerian footballer
  • 1987 – Nobunari Oda, Japanese figure skater
  • 1988 – Big Sean, American rapper, singer and songwriter
  • 1988 – Mitchell Watt, Australian long jumper
  • 1988 – Arthur Zeiler, German rugby player
  • 1989 – Aly Michalka, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1989 – Scott Sinclair, English footballer
  • 1990 – Mehmet Ekici, Turkish footballer
  • 1990 – Alexander Esswein, German footballer
  • 1991 – Scott Malone, English footballer, left-back
  • 1993 – Jacob Gagan, Australian rugby league player
  • 1993 – Sam Johnstone, English footballer
  • 1994 – Justine Dufour-Lapointe, Canadian skier

Deaths on March 25

  • 908 – Li Kening, Chinese general
  • 940 – Taira no Masakado, Japanese samurai
  • 990 – Nicodemus of Mammola, Italian monk and saint
  • 1005 – Kenneth III, king of Scotland
  • 1051 – Hugh IV, French nobleman
  • 1189 – Frederick, duke of Bohemia
  • 1223 – Alfonso II, king of Portugal (b. 1185)
  • 1351 – Kō no Moronao, Japanese samurai
  • 1351 – Kō no Moroyasu, Japanese samurai
  • 1392 – Hosokawa Yoriyuki, Japanese samurai
  • 1458 – Íñigo López de Mendoza, 1st Marquis of Santillana, Spanish poet and politician (b. 1398)
  • 1558 – Marcos de Niza, French friar and explorer (b. 1495)
  • 1603 – Ikoma Chikamasa, Japanese daimyō (b. 1526)
  • 1609 – Olaus Martini, Swedish archbishop (b. 1557)
  • 1609 – Isabelle de Limeuil, French noble (b. 1535)
  • 1620 – Johannes Nucius, German composer and theorist (b. 1556)
  • 1625 – Giambattista Marino, Italian poet and author (b. 1569)
  • 1658 – Herman IV, Landgrave of Hesse-Rotenburg, German nobleman (b. 1607)
  • 1677 – Wenceslaus Hollar, Czech-English painter and etcher (b. 1607)
  • 1701 – Jean Regnault de Segrais, French poet and novelist (b. 1624)
  • 1712 – Nehemiah Grew, English anatomist and physiologist (b. 1641)
  • 1732 – Lucy Filippini, Italian teacher and saint (b. 1672)
  • 1736 – Nicholas Hawksmoor, English architect, designed Easton Neston and Christ Church (b. 1661)
  • 1738 – Turlough O’Carolan, Irish harp player and composer (b. 1670)
  • 1801 – Novalis, German poet and author (b. 1772)
  • 1818 – Caspar Wessel, Norwegian-Danish mathematician and cartographer (b. 1745)
  • 1857 – William Colgate, English-American businessman and philanthropist, founded Colgate-Palmolive (b. 1783)
  • 1860 – James Braid, Scottish-English surgeon (b. 1795)
  • 1869 – Edward Bates, American politician and lawyer (b. 1793)
  • 1873 – Wilhelm Marstrand, Danish painter and illustrator (b. 1810)
  • 1907 – Ernst von Bergmann, Latvian-German surgeon and academic (b. 1836)
  • 1908 – Durham Stevens, American diplomat (b. 1851)
  • 1914 – Frédéric Mistral, French lexicographer and poet, 1904 Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1830)
  • 1917 – Elizabeth Storrs Mead, American academic (b. 1832)
  • 1918 – Claude Debussy, French composer (b. 1862)
  • 1918 – Peter Martin, Australian footballer and soldier (b. 1875)
  • 1927 – Marie-Alphonsine Danil Ghattas, Palestinian Roman Catholic nun; later canonized (b. 1843)
  • 1931 – Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi, Indian journalist and politician (b. 1890)
  • 1931 – Ida B. Wells, American journalist and activist (b. 1862)
  • 1932 – Harriet Backer, Norwegian painter (b.1845)
  • 1942 – William Carr, American rower (b. 1876)
  • 1951 – Eddie Collins, American baseball player and manager (b. 1887)
  • 1956 – Lou Moore, American race car driver (b. 1904)
  • 1956 – Robert Newton, English actor (b. 1905)
  • 1957 – Max Ophüls, German-American director and screenwriter (b. 1902)
  • 1958 – Tom Brown, American trombonist (b. 1888)
  • 1964 – Charles Benjamin Howard, Canadian businessman and politician (b. 1885)
  • 1965 – Viola Liuzzo, American civil rights activist (b. 1925)
  • 1969 – Billy Cotton, English singer, drummer, and bandleader (b. 1899)
  • 1969 – Max Eastman, American poet and activist (b. 1883)
  • 1973 – Jakob Sildnik, Estonian photographer and director (b. 1883)
  • 1973 – Edward Steichen, Luxembourgian-American photographer, painter, and curator (b. 1879)
  • 1975 – Juan Gaudino, Argentinian race car driver (b. 1893)
  • 1975 – Faisal of Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabian king (b. 1906)
  • 1975 – Deiva Zivarattinam, Indian lawyer and politician (b. 1894)
  • 1976 – Josef Albers, German-American painter and educator (b. 1888)
  • 1976 – Benjamin Miessner, American radio engineer and inventor (b. 1890)
  • 1979 – Robert Madgwick, Australian colonel and academic (b. 1905)
  • 1979 – Akinoumi Setsuo, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 37th Yokozuna (b. 1914)
  • 1980 – Milton H. Erickson, American psychiatrist and psychologist (b. 1901)
  • 1980 – Walter Susskind, Czech-English conductor and educator (b. 1913)
  • 1982 – Goodman Ace, American comedian and writer (b. 1899)
  • 1983 – Bob Waterfield, American football player and coach (b. 1920)
  • 1986 – Gloria Blondell, American actress (b. 1910)
  • 1987 – A. W. Mailvaganam, Sri Lankan physicist and academic (b. 1906)
  • 1988 – Robert Joffrey, American dancer, choreographer, and director, co-founded the Joffrey Ballet (b. 1930)
  • 1991 – Marcel Lefebvre, French-Swiss archbishop (b. 1905)
  • 1992 – Nancy Walker, American actress, singer, and director (b. 1922)
  • 1994 – Angelines Fernández, Spanish-Mexican actress (b. 1922)
  • 1994 – Bernard Kangro, Estonian poet and journalist (b. 1910)
  • 1994 – Max Petitpierre, Swiss jurist and politician (b. 1899)
  • 1995 – James Samuel Coleman, American sociologist and academic (b. 1926)
  • 1995 – John Hugenholtz, Dutch engineer (b. 1914)
  • 1996 – John Snagge, English journalist (b. 1904)
  • 1998 – Max Green, Australian lawyer (b. 1952)
  • 1998 – Steven Schiff, American lawyer and politician (b. 1947)
  • 1999 – Cal Ripken, Sr., American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1936)
  • 2000 – Helen Martin, American actress (b. 1909)
  • 2001 – Brian Trubshaw, English cricketer and pilot (b. 1924)
  • 2002 – Kenneth Wolstenholme, English journalist and sportscaster (b. 1920)
  • 2005 – Paul Henning, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1911)
  • 2006 – Bob Carlos Clarke, Irish photographer (b. 1950)
  • 2006 – Rocío Dúrcal, Spanish singer and actress (b. 1944)
  • 2006 – Richard Fleischer, American film director (b. 1916)
  • 2006 – Buck Owens, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1929)
  • 2007 – Andranik Margaryan, Armenian engineer and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Armenia (b. 1951)
  • 2008 – Ben Carnevale, American basketball player and coach (b. 1915)
  • 2008 – Thierry Gilardi, French journalist and sportscaster (b. 1958)
  • 2008 – Abby Mann, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1927)
  • 2008 – Herb Peterson, American businessman, created the McMuffin (b. 1919)
  • 2009 – Johnny Blanchard, American baseball player (b. 1933)
  • 2009 – Kosuke Koyama, Japanese-American theologian and academic (b. 1929)
  • 2009 – Dan Seals, American musician (b. 1948)
  • 2009 – Muhsin Yazıcıoğlu, Turkish politician and member of the Parliament of Turkey (b. 1954)
  • 2012 – Priscilla Buckley, American journalist and author (b. 1921)
  • 2012 – Hal E. Chester, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1921)
  • 2012 – John Crosfield, English businessman, founded Crosfield Electronics (b. 1915)
  • 2012 – Edd Gould, English animator and voice actor, founded Eddsworld (b. 1988)
  • 2012 – Antonio Tabucchi, Italian author and academic (b. 1943)
  • 2013 – Léonce Bernard, Canadian politician, 26th Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island (b. 1943)
  • 2013 – Ben Goldfaden, American basketball player and educator (b. 1913)
  • 2013 – Anthony Lewis, American journalist and academic (b. 1927)
  • 2013 – Jean Pickering, English runner and long jumper (b. 1929)
  • 2013 – Jean-Marc Roberts, French author and screenwriter (b. 1954)
  • 2013 – John F. Wiley, American lieutenant, football player, and coach (b. 1920)
  • 2014 – Lorna Arnold, English historian and author (b. 1915)
  • 2014 – Hank Lauricella, American football player and politician (b. 1930)
  • 2014 – Jon Lord, Canadian businessman and politician (b. 1956)
  • 2014 – Sonny Ruberto, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1946)
  • 2014 – Jonathan Schell, American journalist and author (b. 1943)
  • 2014 – Ralph Wilson, American businessman, founded the Buffalo Bills (b. 1918)
  • 2015 – George Fischbeck, American journalist and educator (b. 1922)
  • 2016 – Shannon Bolin, American actress and singer (b. 1917)
  • 2017 – Cuthbert Sebastian, St. Kitts and Nevis politician (b. 1921)
  • 2018 – Zell Miller, American author and politician (b. 1932)
  • 2019 – Scott Walker, American-born British singer-songwriter (b. 1943)[9]

Holidays and observances on March 25

  • Anniversary of the Arengo and the Feast of the Militants (San Marino)
  • Christian feast days:
    • Ælfwold II of Sherborne
    • Barontius and Desiderius
    • Blessed Marie-Alphonsine Danil Ghattas
    • Omelyan Kovch (Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church)
    • Dismas, the “Good Thief”
    • Humbert of Maroilles
    • Quirinus of Tegernsee
    • March 25 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Cultural Workers Day (Russia)
  • Earliest day on which Seward’s Day can fall, while March 31 is the latest; celebrated on the last Monday in March. (Alaska)
  • Empress Menen’s Birthday (Rastafari)
  • EU Talent Day (European Union)
  • Feast of the Annunciation (Christianity), and its related observances (if March 25 falls in Holy Week or Easter Week the feast is moved to the Monday after the 2nd Sunday of Easter):
    • Historic start of the new year (Lady Day) in England, Wales, Ireland, and the future United States until the adoption of the Gregorian calendar in 1752. (The year 1751 began on 25 March; the year 1752 began on 1 January.) It is one of the four Quarter days in Ireland and England.
    • International Day of the Unborn Child (international)
    • Mother’s Day (Slovenia)
    • Vårfrudagen or Våffeldagen, “Waffle Day” (Sweden, Norway & Denmark)
  • Freedom Day (Belarus)
  • International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade (international)
  • International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members (United Nations General Assembly)
  • Maryland Day (Maryland, United States)
  • Medal of Honor Day (United States)
  • Independence Day, celebrates the start of Greek War of Independence from the Ottoman Empire, in 1821. (Greece)
  • NZ Army Day
  • Struggle for Human Rights Day (Slovakia)
  • Tolkien Reading Day

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