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North America

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

  • 1215 – Zhongdu (now Beijing), then under the control of the Jurchen ruler Emperor Xuanzong of Jin, is captured by the Mongols under Genghis Khan, ending the Battle of Zhongdu.
  • 1252 – Alfonso X is proclaimed king of Castile and León.
  • 1298 – Residents of Riga and Grand Duchy of Lithuania defeated the Livonian Order in the Battle of Turaida.
  • 1495 – A monk, John Cor, records the first known batch of Scotch whisky
  • 1533 – Anne Boleyn is crowned Queen of England.
  • 1535 – Combined forces loyal to Charles V attack and expel the Ottomans from Tunis during the Conquest of Tunis.
  • 1648 – The Roundheads defeat the Cavaliers at the Battle of Maidstone in the Second English Civil War.
  • 1649 – Start of the Sumuroy Revolt: Filipinos in Northern Samar led by Agustin Sumuroy revolt against Spanish colonial authorities.
  • 1670 – In Dover, England, Charles II of England and Louis XIV of France sign the Secret Treaty of Dover, which will force England into the Third Anglo-Dutch War.
  • 1676 – Battle of Öland: allied Danish-Dutch forces defeat the Swedish navy in the Baltic Sea, during the Scanian War (1675–79).
  • 1679 – The Scottish Covenanters defeat John Graham of Claverhouse at the Battle of Drumclog.
  • 1773 – Wolraad Woltemade rescues 14 sailors at the Cape of Good Hope from the sinking ship De Jonge Thomas by riding his horse into the sea seven times. He drowned on his eighth attempt.
  • 1779 – The court-martial for malfeasance of Benedict Arnold, a general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, begins.
  • 1792 – Kentucky is admitted as the 15th state of the United States.
  • 1794 – The battle of the Glorious First of June is fought, the first naval engagement between Britain and France during the French Revolutionary Wars.
  • 1796 – Tennessee is admitted as the 16th state of the United States.
  • 1812 – War of 1812: U.S. President James Madison asks the Congress to declare war on the United Kingdom.
  • 1813 – Capture of USS Chesapeake.
  • 1815 – Napoleon promulgates a revised Constitution after it passes a plebiscite.
  • 1831 – James Clark Ross becomes the first European at the North Magnetic Pole.
  • 1849 – Territorial Governor Alexander Ramsey declared the Territory of Minnesota officially established.
  • 1855 – The American adventurer William Walker conquers Nicaragua.
  • 1857 – Charles Baudelaire’s Les Fleurs du mal is published.
  • 1861 – American Civil War: The Battle of Fairfax Court House is fought.
  • 1862 – American Civil War: Peninsula Campaign: The Battle of Seven Pines (or the Battle of Fair Oaks) ends inconclusively, with both sides claiming victory.
  • 1868 – The Treaty of Bosque Redondo is signed, allowing the Navajo to return to their lands in Arizona and New Mexico.
  • 1879 – Napoléon Eugène, the last dynastic Bonaparte, is killed in the Anglo-Zulu War.
  • 1890 – The United States Census Bureau begins using Herman Hollerith’s tabulating machine to count census returns.
  • 1913 – The Greek–Serbian Treaty of Alliance is signed, paving the way for the Second Balkan War.
  • 1916 – Louis Brandeis becomes the first Jew appointed to the United States Supreme Court.
  • 1918 – World War I: Western Front: Battle of Belleau Wood: Allied Forces under John J. Pershing and James Harbord engage Imperial German Forces under Wilhelm, German Crown Prince.
  • 1922 – The Royal Ulster Constabulary is founded.
  • 1929 – The 1st Conference of the Communist Parties of Latin America is held in Buenos Aires.
  • 1930 – The Deccan Queen is introduced as first intercity train between Bombay VT (Now Mumbai CST) and Poona (Pune) to run on electric locomotives.
  • 1939 – First flight of the German Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter aircraft.
  • 1941 – World War II: The Battle of Crete ends as Crete capitulates to Germany.
  • 1941 – The Farhud, a massive pogrom in Iraq, starts and as a result, many Iraqi Jews are forced to leave their homes.
  • 1943 – BOAC Flight 777 is shot down over the Bay of Biscay by German Junkers Ju 88s, killing British actor Leslie Howard and leading to speculation that it was actually an attempt to kill British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
  • 1946 – Ion Antonescu, “Conducator” (“Leader”) of Romania during World War II, is executed.
  • 1950 – The Chinchaga fire ignites. By September, it would become the largest single fire on record in North America.
  • 1958 – Charles de Gaulle comes out of retirement to lead France by decree for six months.
  • 1961 – The Canadian Bank of Commerce and Imperial Bank of Canada merge to form the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, the largest bank merger in Canadian history.
  • 1962 – Adolf Eichmann is hanged in Israel.
  • 1964 – Kenya becomes a republic with Jomo Kenyatta (1897 – 22 August 1978) as its first President (1964 to 1978).
  • 1974 – The Heimlich maneuver for rescuing choking victims is published in the journal Emergency Medicine.
  • 1975 – The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan was founded by Jalal Talabani, Nawshirwan Mustafa, Fuad Masum and others.
  • 1978 – The first international applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty are filed.
  • 1979 – The first black-led government of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in 90 years takes power.
  • 1980 – Cable News Network (CNN) begins broadcasting.
  • 1988 – European Central Bank is founded in Brussels.
  • 1988 – The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty comes into effect.
  • 1990 – Cold War: George H. W. Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev sign a treaty to end chemical weapon production.
  • 1993 – Dobrinja mortar attack: Thirteen are killed and 133 wounded when Serb mortar shells are fired at a soccer game in Dobrinja, west of Sarajevo.
  • 1994 – Republic of South Africa becomes a Commonwealth republic.
  • 1999 – American Airlines Flight 1420 slides and crashes while landing at Little Rock National Airport, killing 11 people on a flight from Dallas to Little Rock.
  • 2001 – Nepalese royal massacre: Crown Prince Dipendra of Nepal shoots and kills several members of his family including his father and mother.
  • 2001 – Dolphinarium discotheque massacre: A Hamas suicide bomber kills 21 at a disco in Tel Aviv.
  • 2004 – Oklahoma City bombing co-conspirator Terry Nichols is sentenced to 161 consecutive life terms without the possibility of a parole, breaking a Guinness World Record.
  • 2008 – A fire on the back lot of Universal Studios breaks out, destroying the attraction King Kong Encounter and a large archive of master tapes for music and film, the full extent of which was not revealed until 2019.
  • 2009 – Air France Flight 447 crashes into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Brazil on a flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. All 228 passengers and crew are killed.
  • 2009 – General Motors files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It is the fourth largest United States bankruptcy in history.
  • 2011 – A rare tornado outbreak occurs in New England; a strong EF3 tornado strikes Springfield, Massachusetts, during the event, killing four people.
  • 2011 – Space Shuttle Endeavour makes its final landing after 25 flights.
  • 2015 – A ship carrying 458 people capsizes on Yangtze river in China’s Hubei province, killing 400 people.

Births on June 1

  • 1134 – Geoffrey, Count of Nantes (d. 1158)
  • 1300 – Thomas of Brotherton, 1st Earl of Norfolk, English politician, Lord Marshal of England (d. 1338)
  • 1451 – Giles Daubeney, 1st Baron Daubeney (d. 1508)
  • 1460 – Enno I, Count of East Frisia, German noble (d. 1491)
  • 1480 – Tiedemann Giese, Polish bishop (d. 1550)
  • 1498 – Maarten van Heemskerck, Dutch painter (d. 1574)
  • 1522 – Dirck Volckertszoon Coornhert, Dutch writer and scholar (d. 1590)
  • 1563 – Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, English politician, Secretary of State for England (d. 1612)
  • 1612 – Frans Post, Dutch painter (d. 1680)
  • 1633 – Geminiano Montanari, Italian astronomer and academic (d. 1687)
  • 1637 – Jacques Marquette, French missionary and explorer (d. 1675)
  • 1653 – Georg Muffat, French organist and composer (d. 1704)
  • 1675 – Francesco Scipione, marchese di Maffei, Italian archaeologist and playwright (d. 1755)
  • 1762 – Edmund Ignatius Rice, Irish priest and missionary, founded the Irish Christian Brothers (d. 1844)
  • 1765 – Christiane Vulpius, mistress and wife of Johann Wolfgang Goethe (d. 1816)
  • 1770 – Friedrich Laun, German author (d. 1849)
  • 1790 – Ferdinand Raimund, Austrian actor and playwright (d. 1836)
  • 1796 – Nicolas Léonard Sadi Carnot, French physicist and engineer (d. 1832)
  • 1800 – Edward Deas Thomson, Australian educator and politician, Chief Secretary of New South Wales (d. 1879)
  • 1801 – Brigham Young, American religious leader, 2nd President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (d. 1877)
  • 1804 – Mikhail Glinka, Russian composer (d. 1857)
  • 1808 – Henry Parker, English-Australian politician, 3rd Premier of New South Wales (d. 1881)
  • 1815 – Otto of Greece (d. 1862)
  • 1819 – Francis V, Duke of Modena (d. 1875)
  • 1822 – Clementina Maude, Viscountess Hawarden, English portrait photographer (d. 1865)
  • 1825 – John Hunt Morgan, American general (d. 1864)
  • 1831 – John Bell Hood, American general (d. 1879)
  • 1833 – John Marshall Harlan, American lawyer, judge, and politician, Attorney General of Kentucky (d. 1911)
  • 1843 – Henry Faulds, Scottish physician and missionary, developed fingerprinting (d. 1930)
  • 1844 – John J. Toffey, American lieutenant, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1911)
  • 1869 – Richard Wünsch, German philologist (d. 1915)
  • 1873 – Elena Alistar, Bessarabian politician (d. 1955)
  • 1874 – Yury Nikolaevich Voronov, Russian botanist (d. 1931)
  • 1878 – John Masefield, English author and poet (d. 1967)
  • 1879 – Max Emmerich, American triathlete and gymnast (d. 1956)
  • 1882 – Nicolae Bivol, Moldovan businessman and politician, Mayor of Chișinău (d. 1940)
  • 1887 – Clive Brook, English actor (d. 1974)
  • 1889 – James Daugherty, American author, illustrator, and painter (d. 1974)
  • 1889 – Charles Kay Ogden, English linguist and philosopher (d. 1957)
  • 1890 – Frank Morgan, American actor (d. 1949)
  • 1892 – Amanullah Khan, sovereign of the Kingdom of Afghanistan, (d. 1960)
  • 1899 – Edward Charles Titchmarsh, English mathematician and academic (d. 1963)
  • 1901 – Hap Day, Canadian ice hockey player, referee, and manager (d. 1990)
  • 1901 – Tom Gorman, Australian rugby league player (d. 1978)
  • 1901 – John Van Druten, English-American playwright and director (d. 1957)
  • 1903 – Vasyl Velychkovsky, Ukrainian-Canadian bishop and martyr (d. 1973)
  • 1903 – Hans Vogt, Norwegian linguist and academic (d. 1986)
  • 1905 – Robert Newton, English-American actor (d. 1956)
  • 1907 – Jan Patočka, Czech philosopher (d. 1977)
  • 1907 – Frank Whittle, English airman and engineer, developed the jet engine (d. 1996)
  • 1908 – Julie Campbell Tatham, American author (d. 1999)
  • 1909 – Yechezkel Kutscher, Slovakian-Israeli philologist and linguist (d. 1971)
  • 1910 – Gyula Kállai, Hungarian communist leader, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the People’s Republic of Hungary (d. 1996)
  • 1912 – Herbert Tichy, Austrian geologist, author, and mountaineer (d. 1987)
  • 1913 – Bill Deedes, English journalist and politician (d. 2007)
  • 1915 – John Randolph, American actor (d. 2004)
  • 1916 – Jean Jérôme Hamer, Belgian Cardinal (d. 1996)
  • 1917 – William Standish Knowles, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2012)
  • 1920 – Robert Clarke, American actor and producer (d. 2005)
  • 1921 – Nelson Riddle, American composer and bandleader (d. 1985)
  • 1922 – Joan Caulfield, American model and actress (d. 1991)
  • 1922 – Povel Ramel, Swedish singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 2007)
  • 1924 – William Sloane Coffin, American minister and activist (d. 2006)
  • 1925 – Dilia Díaz Cisneros, Venezuelan teacher (d. 2017)
  • 1926 – Johnny Berry, English footballer (d. 1994)
  • 1926 – Andy Griffith, American actor, singer, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2012)
  • 1926 – Marilyn Monroe, American model and actress (d. 1962)
  • 1926 – George Robb, English international footballer and teacher (d. 2011)
  • 1926 – Richard Schweiker, American soldier and politician, 14th United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (d. 2015)
  • 1928 – Georgy Dobrovolsky, Ukrainian pilot and astronaut (d. 1971)
  • 1928 – Steve Dodd, Australian actor and composer (d. 2014)
  • 1928 – Bob Monkhouse, English actor and screenwriter (d. 2003)
  • 1929 – Nargis, Indian actress (d. 1981)<ref”>Dilip Kumar (28 July 2014). Dilip Kumar: The Substance and the Shadow. Hay House, Inc. p. 137. ISBN 978-93-81398-96-8.</ref>
  • 1929 – James H. Billington, American academic and Thirteenth Librarian of Congress (d. 2018)
  • 1930 – John Lemmon, English logician and philosopher (d. 1966)
  • 1930 – Richard Levins, American ecologist and geneticist (d. 2016)
  • 1930 – Matt Poore, New Zealand cricketer (d. 2020)
  • 1930 – Edward Woodward, English actor (d. 2009)
  • 1931 – Walter Horak, Austrian footballer (d. 2019)
  • 1932 – Frank Cameron, New Zealand cricketer
  • 1932 – Christopher Lasch, American historian and critic (d. 1994)
  • 1933 – Haruo Remeliik, Palauan politician, 1st President of Palau (d. 1985)
  • 1933 – Charles Wilson, American lieutenant and politician (d. 2010)
  • 1934 – Pat Boone, American singer-songwriter and actor
  • 1934 – Peter Masterson, American actor, director, producer and screenwriter (d. 2018)
  • 1934 – Doris Buchanan Smith, American author (d. 2002)
  • 1935 – Norman Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank, English architect, founded Foster and Partners
  • 1935 – Reverend Ike, American minister and television host (d. 2009)
  • 1935 – Jack Kralick, American baseball player (d. 2012)
  • 1935 – Percy Adlon, German director, screenwriter and producer
  • 1935 – John C. Reynolds, American computer scientist and academic (d. 2013)
  • 1936 – Anatoly Albul, Soviet and Russian wrestler (d. 2013)
  • 1936 – André Bourbeau, Canadian politician (d. 2018)
  • 1936 – Bekim Fehmiu, Bosnian actor (d. 2010)
  • 1936 – Gerald Scarfe, English illustrator and animator
  • 1937 – Morgan Freeman, American actor and producer
  • 1937 – Rosaleen Linehan, Irish actress
  • 1937 – Colleen McCullough, Australian neuroscientist and author (d. 2015)
  • 1939 – Cleavon Little, American actor and comedian (d. 1992)
  • 1940 – René Auberjonois, American actor (d. 2019)
  • 1940 – Katerina Gogou, Greek writer and actress (d. 1993)
  • 1940 – Kip Thorne, American physicist, astronomer, and academic
  • 1941 – Dean Chance, American baseball player and manager (d. 2015)
  • 1941 – Toyo Ito, Japanese architect, designed the Torre Realia BCN and Hotel Porta Fira
  • 1941 – Alexander V. Zakharov, Russian physicist and astronomer
  • 1942 – Parveen Kumar, Pakistani-English physician and academic
  • 1943 – Orietta Berti, Italian singer and actress
  • 1943 – Richard Goode, American pianist
  • 1943 – Lorrie Wilmot, South African cricketer (d. 2004)
  • 1944 – Colin Blakemore, British neurobiologist
  • 1944 – Robert Powell, English actor
  • 1945 – Jim McCarty, American blues rock guitarist
  • 1945 – Linda Scott, American singer
  • 1945 – Lydia Shum, Chinese-Hong Kong actress (d. 2008)
  • 1945 – Kerry Vincent, Australian chef and author
  • 1945 – Frederica von Stade, American soprano and actress
  • 1946 – Brian Cox, Scottish actor
  • 1947 – Ron Dennis, English businessman, founded the McLaren Group
  • 1947 – Jonathan Pryce, Welsh actor and singer
  • 1947 – Ronnie Wood, English guitarist, songwriter, and producer
  • 1948 – Powers Boothe, American actor (d. 2017)
  • 1948 – Tomáš Halík, Czech Roman Catholic priest, philosopher, theologian and scholar
  • 1948 – Michel Plasse, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2006)
  • 1948 – Juhan Viiding, Estonian poet and actor (d. 1995)
  • 1950 – Perrin Beatty, Canadian businessman and politician
  • 1950 – Charlene, American singer-songwriter
  • 1950 – Jean Lambert, English educator and politician
  • 1950 – Michael McDowell, American author and screenwriter (d. 1999)
  • 1952 – Şenol Güneş, Turkish footballer and manager
  • 1952 – David Lan, South African-English director and playwright
  • 1952 – Mihaela Loghin, Romanian shot putter
  • 1953 – Ronnie Dunn, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1953 – Ted Field, American entrepreneur and race car driver
  • 1954 – Jill Black, English lawyer and judge
  • 1955 – Chiyonofuji Mitsugu, Japanese sumo wrestler (d. 2016)
  • 1955 – Lorraine Moller, New Zealand runner
  • 1955 – Tony Snow, American journalist, 26th White House Press Secretary (d. 2008)
  • 1956 – Patrick Besson, French writer and journalist
  • 1956 – Lisa Hartman Black, American actress
  • 1956 – Petra Morsbach, German author
  • 1958 – Nambaryn Enkhbayar, Mongolian lawyer and politician, 3rd President of Mongolia
  • 1958 – Gennadiy Valyukevich, Belarusian triple jumper (d. 2019)
  • 1959 – Martin Brundle, English racing driver and sportscaster
  • 1959 – Alan Wilder, English singer-songwriter, keyboard player, and producer
  • 1960 – Simon Gallup, English musician (The Cure)
  • 1960 – Vladimir Krutov, Russian ice hockey player and coach (d. 2012)
  • 1960 – Sergey Kuznetsov, Russian footballer and manager
  • 1960 – Giorgos Lillikas, Cypriot politician, 8th Cypriot Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • 1960 – Elena Mukhina, Russian gymnast (d. 2006)
  • 1961 – Paul Coffey, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1961 – Mark Curry, American actor
  • 1961 – Werner Günthör, Swiss shot putter and bobsledder
  • 1961 – John Huston, American golfer
  • 1961 – Peter Machajdík, Slovakian-German pianist and composer
  • 1963 – Vital Borkelmans, Belgian footballer
  • 1963 – Miles J. Padgett, Scottish physicist and academic
  • 1963 – David Westhead, English actor and producer
  • 1965 – Larisa Lazutina, Russian skier
  • 1965 – Olga Nazarova, Russian sprinter
  • 1965 – Nigel Short, English chess player and journalist
  • 1966 – Greg Schiano, American football player and coach
  • 1968 – Jason Donovan, Australian actor and singer
  • 1968 – Jeff Hackett, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1968 – Mathias Rust, German aviator
  • 1969 – Luis García Postigo, former Mexican footballer
  • 1969 – Teri Polo, American actress
  • 1970 – Georgie Gardner, Australian journalist and television host
  • 1970 – Alexi Lalas, American soccer player, manager, and sportscaster
  • 1971 – Mario Cimarro, Cuban-American actor and singer
  • 1973 – Frédérik Deburghgraeve, Belgian swimmer
  • 1973 – Adam Garcia, Australian actor
  • 1973 – Derek Lowe, American baseball player
  • 1973 – Heidi Klum, German-American model, fashion designer, and producer
  • 1974 – Alanis Morissette, Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actress
  • 1974 – Michael Rasmussen, Danish cyclist
  • 1974 – Sarah Teather, English politician
  • 1974 – Akis Zikos, Greek footballer and coach
  • 1975 – Michal Grošek, Czech-Swiss ice hockey player and coach
  • 1975 – Frauke Petry, German politician
  • 1975 – Ēriks Rags, Latvian javelin thrower
  • 1976 – Marlon Devonish, English sprinter and coach
  • 1976 – Kōhei Murakami, Japanese actor
  • 1977 – Andrea Bogart, American actress
  • 1977 – Arsen Gitinov, Russian and Kyrgyzstani freestyle wrestler
  • 1977 – Danielle Harris, American actress
  • 1977 – Brad Wilkerson, American baseball player and coach
  • 1977 – Sarah Wayne Callies, American actress
  • 1978 – Antonietta Di Martino, Italian high jumper
  • 1978 – Matthew Hittinger, American poet and author
  • 1979 – Santana Moss, American football player
  • 1979 – Markus Persson, Swedish game designer, founded Mojang
  • 1981 – Brandi Carlile, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1981 – Amy Schumer, American actress
  • 1981 – Carlos Zambrano, Venezuelan-American baseball player
  • 1981 – Aleksei Mikhailovich Uvarov, Russian footballer
  • 1982 – Justine Henin, Belgian tennis player
  • 1983 – Tetyana Hamera-Shmyrko, Ukrainian runner
  • 1983 – Tõnis Sahk, Estonian long jumper
  • 1984 – Jean Beausejour, Chilean footballer
  • 1984 – Olivier Tielemans, Dutch racing driver
  • 1985 – Tirunesh Dibaba, Ethiopian runner
  • 1985 – Mário Hipólito, Angolan footballer
  • 1985 – Dinesh Karthik, Indian cricketer
  • 1985 – Nick Young, American basketball player
  • 1985 – Sam Young, American basketball player
  • 1986 – Moses Ndiema Masai, Kenyan runner
  • 1986 – Chinedu Obasi, Nigerian footballer
  • 1986 – Ben Smith, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1987 – Zoltán Harsányi, Slovakian footballer
  • 1987 – Jerel McNeal, American basketball player
  • 1987 – Yarisley Silva, Cuban pole vaulter
  • 1988 – Javier Hernández, Mexican footballer
  • 1989 – Nataliya Goncharova, Ukrainian/Russian volleyball player
  • 1989 – Sammy Alex Mutahi, Kenyan runner
  • 1990 – Miller Bolaños, Ecuadoran footballer
  • 1990 – Kennie Chopart, Danish footballer
  • 1990 – Carlota Ciganda, Spanish golfer
  • 1990 – Martin Pembleton, English footballer
  • 1990 – Bianca Perie, Romanian hammer thrower
  • 1991 – Tyrone Roberts, Australian rugby league player
  • 1993 – Sam Anas, American ice hockey player
  • 1994 – Kagayaki Taishi, Japanese sumo wrestler
  • 1996 – Edvinas Gertmonas, Lithuanian footballer
  • 1996 – Tom Holland, English actor
  • 1999 – Dmitri Aliev, Russian figure skater

Deaths on June 1

  • 195 BC – Emperor Gaozu of Han (b. 256 BC)
  • 193 – Didius Julianus, Roman Emperor (b. 133)
  • 352 – Ran Min, “Heavenly Prince” (Tian Wang) during the Sixteen Kingdoms
  • 654 – Pyrrhus, patriarch of Constantinople
  • 829 – Li Tongjie, general of the Tang Dynasty
  • 847 – Xiao, empress of the Tang Dynasty
  • 896 – Theodosius Romanus, Syriac Orthodox patriarch of Antioch
  • 932 – Thietmar, duke of Saxony
  • 1146 – Ermengarde of Anjou, Duchess regent of Brittany (b. 1068)
  • 1186 – Minamoto no Yukiie, Japanese warlord
  • 1220 – Henry de Bohun, 1st Earl of Hereford (b. 1176)
  • 1310 – Marguerite Porete, French mystic
  • 1354 – Kitabatake Chikafusa (b. 1293)
  • 1434 – King Wladislaus II of Poland
  • 1571 – John Story, English martyr (b. 1504)
  • 1616 – Tokugawa Ieyasu, Japanese shogun (b. 1543)
  • 1625 – Honoré d’Urfé, French author and poet (b. 1568)
  • 1639 – Melchior Franck, German composer (b. 1579)
  • 1660 – Mary Dyer, English-American martyr (b. 1611)
  • 1662 – Zhu Youlang, Chinese emperor (b. 1623)
  • 1681 – Cornelis Saftleven, Dutch genre painter (b. 1607)
  • 1710 – David Mitchell, Scottish admiral and politician (b. 1642)
  • 1740 – Samuel Werenfels, Swiss theologian (b. 1657)
  • 1769 – Edward Holyoke, American pastor and academic (b. 1689)
  • 1773 – Wolraad Woltemade, South African folk hero (b. 1708)
  • 1795 – Pierre-Joseph Desault, French anatomist and surgeon (b. 1744)
  • 1815 – Louis-Alexandre Berthier, French general and politician, French Minister of War (b. 1753)
  • 1823 – Louis-Nicolas Davout, French general and politician, French Minister of War (b. 1770)
  • 1826 – J. F. Oberlin, French pastor and philanthropist (b. 1740)
  • 1830 – Swaminarayan, Indian religious leader (b. 1781)
  • 1833 – Oliver Wolcott Jr., American lawyer and politician, 2nd United States Secretary of the Treasury, 24th Governor of Connecticut (b. 1760)
  • 1841 – David Wilkie, Scottish painter and academic (b. 1785)
  • 1846 – Pope Gregory XVI (b. 1765)
  • 1861 – John Quincy Marr, American captain (b. 1825)
  • 1864 – Hong Xiuquan, Chinese rebel, led the Taiping Rebellion (b. 1812)
  • 1868 – James Buchanan, American lawyer and politician, 15th President of the United States (b. 1791)
  • 1872 – James Gordon Bennett, Sr., American publisher, founded the New York Herald (b. 1795)
  • 1873 – Joseph Howe, Canadian journalist and politician, 5th Premier of Nova Scotia (b. 1804)
  • 1876 – Hristo Botev, Bulgarian poet and journalist (b. 1848)
  • 1879 – Napoléon, Prince Imperial of France (b. 1856)
  • 1908 – Allen Butler Talcott, American painter (b. 1867)
  • 1927 – Lizzie Borden, American accused murderer (b. 1860)
  • 1927 – J. B. Bury, Irish historian, philologist, and scholar (b. 1861)
  • 1934 – Sir Alfred Rawlinson, 3rd Baronet, English colonel and polo player (b. 1867)
  • 1935 – Arthur Arz von Straußenburg, Romanian-Hungarian general (d. 1857)
  • 1938 – Ödön von Horváth, Croatian-French author and playwright (b. 1901)
  • 1941 – Hans Berger, German neurologist and academic (b. 1873)
  • 1941 – Hugh Walpole, New Zealand-English author (b. 1884)
  • 1943 – Leslie Howard, English actor, director, and producer (b. 1893)
  • 1943 – Wilfrid Israel, English-German businessman and philanthropist (b. 1899)
  • 1946 – Ion Antonescu, Romanian marshal and politician, 43rd Prime Minister of Romania (b. 1882)
  • 1948 – Alex Gard, Russian-American cartoonist (b. 1900)
  • 1952 – John Dewey, American psychologist and philosopher (b. 1859)
  • 1953 – Emanuel Vidović, Croatian painter and illustrator (b. 1870)
  • 1954 – Martin Andersen Nexø, Danish-German journalist and author (b. 1869)
  • 1960 – Lester Patrick, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1883)
  • 1960 – Paula Hitler, German-Austrian sister of Adolf Hitler (b. 1896)
  • 1962 – Adolf Eichmann, a German Nazi SS-Obersturmbannführer (b. 1906)
  • 1963 – Walter Lee, Australian politician, 24th Premier of Tasmania (b. 1874)
  • 1965 – Curly Lambeau, American football player and coach, founded the Green Bay Packers (b. 1898)
  • 1966 – Papa Jack Laine, American drummer and bandleader (b. 1873)
  • 1968 – Helen Keller, American author and activist (b. 1880)
  • 1968 – André Laurendeau, Canadian playwright, journalist, and politician (b. 1912)
  • 1969 – Ivar Ballangrud, Norwegian speed skater (b. 1904)
  • 1971 – Reinhold Niebuhr, American theologian and academic (b. 1892)
  • 1979 – Werner Forssmann, German physician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1904)
  • 1980 – Arthur Nielsen, American businessman, founded the ACNielsen company (b. 1897)
  • 1981 – Carl Vinson, American lawyer and politician (b. 1883)
  • 1983 – Prince Charles, Count of Flanders (b. 1903)
  • 1985 – Richard Greene, English actor and soldier (b. 1918)
  • 1986 – Jo Gartner, Austrian racing driver (b. 1958)
  • 1987 – Rashid Karami, Lebanese lawyer and politician, 32nd Prime Minister of Lebanon (b. 1921)
  • 1988 – Herbert Feigl, Austrian philosopher from the Vienna Circle (b. 1902)
  • 1989 – Aurelio Lampredi, Italian engineer, designed the Ferrari Lampredi engine (b. 1917)
  • 1991 – David Ruffin, American singer-songwriter (b. 1941)
  • 1996 – Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, Indian politician, 6th President of India (b. 1913)
  • 1999 – Christopher Cockerell, English engineer, invented the hovercraft (b. 1910)
  • 2000 – Tito Puente, American drummer, composer, and producer (b. 1923)
  • 2001 – Hank Ketcham, American cartoonist, created Dennis the Menace (b. 1920)
  • 2001 – notable victims of the Nepalese royal massacre
    • Aishwarya of Nepal (b. 1949)
    • Birendra of Nepal (b. 1945)
    • Dhirendra of Nepal (b. 1950)
    • Prince Nirajan of Nepal (b. 1978)
    • Princess Shruti of Nepal (b. 1976)
  • 2002 – Hansie Cronje, South African cricketer (b. 1969)
  • 2004 – William Manchester, American historian and author (b. 1922)
  • 2005 – Hilda Crosby Standish, American physician (b. 1902)
  • 2005 – George Mikan, American basketball player and coach (b. 1924)
  • 2006 – Rocío Jurado, Spanish singer and actress (b. 1944)
  • 2007 – Tony Thompson, American singer and songwriter (Hi-Five) (b. 1975)
  • 2008 – Tommy Lapid, Israeli journalist and politician, 17th Justice Minister of Israel (b. 1931)
  • 2008 – Yves Saint Laurent, French fashion designer, founded Saint Laurent Paris (b. 1936)
  • 2009 – Bob Christie, American race car driver (b. 1924)
  • 2009 – Vincent O’Brien, Irish horse trainer (b. 1917)
  • 2010 – Kazuo Ohno, Japanese dancer (b. 1906)
  • 2010 – Andrei Voznesensky, Russian poet (b. 1933)
  • 2011 – Haleh Sahabi, Iranian humanitarian and activist (b. 1957)
  • 2012 – Faruq Z. Bey, American saxophonist and composer (b. 1942)
  • 2012 – Pádraig Faulkner, Irish educator and politician, 19th Irish Minister of Defence (b. 1918)
  • 2012 – Milan Gaľa, Slovak politician (b. 1953)
  • 2013 – James Kelleher, Canadian lawyer and politician, 33rd Solicitor General of Canada (b. 1930)
  • 2014 – Ann B. Davis, American actress (b. 1926)
  • 2014 – Valentin Mankin, Ukrainian sailor (b. 1938)
  • 2015 – Charles Kennedy, Scottish journalist and politician (b. 1959)
  • 2015 – Joan Kirner, Australian educator and politician, 42nd Premier of Victoria (b. 1938)
  • 2015 – Nicholas Liverpool, Dominican lawyer and politician, 6th President of Dominica (b. 1934)
  • 2015 – Jacques Parizeau, Canadian economist and politician, 26th Premier of Quebec (b. 1930)
  • 2015 – Jean Ritchie, American singer-songwriter (b. 1922)
  • 2018 – Sinan Sakić, Serbian pop-folk singer (b. 1956)
  • 2019 – Ani Yudhoyono, Indonesian politician, 6th First Lady of Indonesia. (b. 1952)

Holidays and observances on June 1

  • Children’s Day (International), and its related observances:
    • The Day of Protection of Children Rights (Armenia)
    • Mothers’ and Children’s Day (Mongolia)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Annibale Maria di Francia
    • Crescentinus
    • Fortunatus of Spoleto
    • Herculanus of Piegaro
    • Íñigo of Oña
    • Justin Martyr (Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran)
    • Ronan of Locronan
    • June 1 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest day on which Canadian Forces Day can fall, while June 7 is the latest; celebrated on the first Sunday in June. (Canada)
  • Earliest day on which Father’s Day can fall, while June 7 is the latest; celebrated on the first Sunday in June. (Lithuania)
  • Earliest day on which June Holiday can fall, while June 7 is the latest; celebrated on the first Monday in June. (Ireland)
  • Earliest day on which Labour Day can fall, while June 7 is the latest; celebrated on the first Friday in June. (The Bahamas)
  • Earliest day on which Teacher’s Day can fall, while June 7 is the latest; celebrated on the first Sunday in June. (Hungary)
  • Earliest day on which the Queen’s Birthday can fall, while June 7 is the latest; celebrated on the first Monday in June. (New Zealand, Cook Islands, Fiji)
  • Earliest day on which Seamen’s Day can fall, while June 7 is the latest; celebrated on the first Sunday in June. (Iceland)
  • Earliest day on which Western Australia Day can fall, while June 7 is the latest; celebrated on the first Sunday in June. (Western Australia)
  • Global Day of Parents (International)
  • Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Samoa from New Zealand in 1962.
  • Madaraka Day (Kenya)
  • National Maritime Day (Mexico)
  • National Tree Planting Day (Cambodia)
  • Pancasila Day (Indonesia)
  • President’s Day (Palau)
  • The beginning of Crop over, celebrated until the first Monday of August. (Barbados)
  • Victory Day (Tunisia)
  • World Milk Day (International)

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

On This Day

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

  • 363 – The Roman emperor Julian defeats the Sasanian army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the Sasanian capital, but is unable to take the city.
  • 1108 – Battle of Uclés: Almoravid troops under the command of Tamim ibn Yusuf defeat a Castile and León alliance under the command of Prince Sancho Alfónsez.
  • 1167 – Battle of Monte Porzio: A Roman army supporting Pope Alexander III is defeated by Christian of Buch and Rainald of Dassel.
  • 1176 – Battle of Legnano: The Lombard League defeats Emperor Frederick I.
  • 1328 – Philip VI is crowned King of France.
  • 1416 – Battle of Gallipoli: The Venetians under Pietro Loredan defeat a much larger Ottoman fleet off Gallipoli.
  • 1453 – Fall of Constantinople: Ottoman armies under Sultan Mehmed II Fatih capture Constantinople after a 53-day siege, ending the Byzantine Empire.
  • 1658 – Battle of Samugarh: decisive battle in the struggle for the throne during the Mughal war of succession (1658–1659).
  • 1660 – English Restoration: Charles II is restored to the throne of England, Scotland and Ireland.
  • 1733 – The right of settlers in New France to enslave natives is upheld at Quebec City.
  • 1780 – American Revolutionary War: At the Battle of Waxhaws, the British continue attacking after the Continentals lay down their arms, killing 113 and critically wounding all but 53 that remained.
  • 1790 – Rhode Island becomes the last of North America’s original Thirteen Colonies to ratify the Constitution and become one of the United States.
  • 1798 – United Irishmen Rebellion: Between 300 and 500 United Irishmen are executed as rebels by the British Army in County Kildare, Ireland.
  • 1807 – Mustafa IV became Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and Caliph of Islam.
  • 1848 – Wisconsin is admitted as the 30th U.S. state.
  • 1852 – Jenny Lind leaves New York after her two-year American tour.
  • 1861 – The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce is founded, in Hong Kong.
  • 1864 – Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico arrives in Mexico for the first time.
  • 1867 – The Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 (“the Compromise”) is born through Act 12, which establishes the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
  • 1868 – Mihailo Obrenović III, Prince of Serbia is assassinated.
  • 1886 – The pharmacist John Pemberton places his first advertisement for Coca-Cola, which appeared in The Atlanta Journal.
  • 1900 – N’Djamena is founded as Fort-Lamy by the French commander Émile Gentil.
  • 1903 – In the May Coup, Alexander I, King of Serbia, and Queen Draga, are assassinated in Belgrade by the Black Hand (Crna Ruka) organization.
  • 1913 – Igor Stravinsky’s ballet score The Rite of Spring receives its premiere performance in Paris, France, provoking a riot.
  • 1914 – The Ocean liner RMS Empress of Ireland sinks in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence with the loss of 1,012 lives.
  • 1918 – Armenia defeats the Ottoman Army in the Battle of Sardarabad.
  • 1919 – Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity is tested (later confirmed) by Arthur Eddington and Andrew Claude de la Cherois Crommelin
  • 1920 – The Louth flood of 1920 was a severe flash flooding in the Lincolnshire market town of Louth which occurred 29 May 1920, resulting in 23 fatalities in 20 minutes. It has been described as one of the most significant flood disasters in Britain during the 20th century.
  • 1931 – Michele Schirru, a citizen of the United States, is executed by Italian military firing squad for intent to kill Benito Mussolini.
  • 1932 – World War I veterans begin to assemble in Washington, D.C., in the Bonus Army to request cash bonuses promised to them to be paid in 1945.
  • 1935 – First flight of the Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter aeroplane.
  • 1945 – First combat mission of the Consolidated B-32 Dominator heavy bomber.
  • 1948 – United Nations Truce Supervision Organization is founded.
  • 1950 – The St. Roch, the first ship to circumnavigate North America, arrives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
  • 1953 – Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay become the first people to reach the summit of Mount Everest, on Tenzing Norgay’s (adopted) 39th birthday.
  • 1964 – The Arab League meets in East Jerusalem to discuss the Palestinian question, leading to the formation of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
  • 1973 – Tom Bradley is elected the first black mayor of Los Angeles, California.
  • 1982 – Pope John Paul II becomes the first pontiff to visit Canterbury Cathedral.
  • 1982 – Falklands War: British forces defeat the Argentines at the Battle of Goose Green.
  • 1985 – Heysel Stadium disaster: Thirty-nine association football fans die and hundreds are injured when a dilapidated retaining wall collapses.
  • 1985 – Amputee Steve Fonyo completes cross-Canada marathon at Victoria, British Columbia, after 14 months.
  • 1988 – The U.S. President Ronald Reagan begins his first visit to the Soviet Union when he arrives in Moscow for a superpower summit with the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
  • 1989 – Signing of an agreement between Egypt and the United States, allowing the manufacture of parts of the F-16 jet fighter plane in Egypt.
  • 1990 – The Russian parliament elects Boris Yeltsin as president of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.
  • 1993 – The Miss Sarajevo beauty pageant is held in war-torn Sarajevo drawing global attention to the plight of its citizens.
  • 1999 – Olusegun Obasanjo takes office as President of Nigeria, the first elected and civilian head of state in Nigeria after 16 years of military rule.
  • 1999 – Space Shuttle Discovery completes the first docking with the International Space Station.
  • 2001 – The U.S. Supreme Court rules that the disabled golfer Casey Martin can use a cart to ride in tournaments.
  • 2004 – The National World War II Memorial is dedicated in Washington, D.C.
  • 2008 – A doublet earthquake, of combined magnitude 6.1, strikes Iceland near the town of Selfoss, injuring 30 people.
  • 2012 – A 5.8-magnitude earthquake hits northern Italy near Bologna, killing at least 24 people.
  • 2015 – One World Observatory at One World Trade Center opens.

Births on May 29

  • 1421 – Charles, Prince of Viana (d. 1461)
  • 1439 – Pope Pius III (d. 1503)
  • 1443 – Victor, Duke of Münsterberg, Reichsgraf, Duke of Münsterberg and Opava, Count of Glatz (d. 1500)
  • 1504 – Antun Vrančić, Croatian archbishop (d. 1573)
  • 1555 – George Carew, 1st Earl of Totnes, English Earl, general and administrator (d. 1629)
  • 1568 – Virginia de’ Medici, Italian princess (d. 1615)
  • 1594 – Gottfried Heinrich Graf zu Pappenheim, Bavarian field marshal (d. 1632)
  • 1627 – Anne, Duchess of Montpensier, French princess (d. 1693)
  • 1630 – Charles II of England (d. 1685)
  • 1675 – Humphry Ditton, English mathematician and philosopher (d. 1715)
  • 1716 – Louis-Jean-Marie Daubenton, French zoologist and mineralogist (d. 1800)
  • 1722 – James FitzGerald, 1st Duke of Leinster, Irish soldier and politician (d. 1773)
  • 1730 – Jackson of Exeter, English organist and composer (d. 1803)
  • 1736 – Patrick Henry, American lawyer and politician, 1st Governor of Virginia (d. 1799)
  • 1780 – Henri Braconnot, French chemist and pharmacist (d. 1855)
  • 1794 – Johann Heinrich von Mädler, German astronomer and selenographer (d. 1874)
  • 1797 – Louise-Adéone Drölling, French painter (d. 1836)
  • 1823 – John H. Balsley, American carpenter and inventor (d. 1895)
  • 1860 – Isaac Albéniz, Spanish pianist and composer (d. 1909)
  • 1871 – Clark Voorhees, American painter (d. 1933)
  • 1873 – Rudolf Tobias, Estonian organist and composer (d. 1918)
  • 1874 – G. K. Chesterton, English essayist, poet, and playwright (d. 1936)
  • 1880 – Oswald Spengler, German historian and philosopher (d. 1936)
  • 1892 – Alfonsina Storni, Swiss-Argentinian poet and author (d. 1938)
  • 1893 – Max Brand, American journalist and author (d. 1944)
  • 1894 – Beatrice Lillie, Canadian-English actress, singer and writer (d. 1989)
  • 1894 – Josef von Sternberg, Austrian-American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1969)
  • 1897 – Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Czech-American pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1957)
  • 1899 – Douglas Abbott, Canadian lawyer and politician, 10th Canadian Minister of Defence (d. 1987)
  • 1902 – Harry Kadwell, Australian rugby league player and coach (d. 1999)
  • 1903 – Bob Hope, English-American actor, singer, and producer (d. 2003)
  • 1904 – Hubert Opperman, Australian cyclist and politician (d. 1996)
  • 1905 – Sebastian Shaw, English actor, director, and playwright (d. 1994)
  • 1906 – T. H. White, Indian-English author (d. 1964)
  • 1907 – Hartland Molson, Canadian captain and politician (d. 2002)
  • 1908 – Diana Morgan, Welsh-English playwright and screenwriter (d. 1996)
  • 1910 – Ralph Metcalfe, American sprinter and politician (d. 1978)
  • 1913 – Tony Zale, American boxer (d. 1997)
  • 1914 – Stacy Keach Sr., American actor (d. 2003)
  • 1914 – Tenzing Norgay, Nepalese-Indian mountaineer (d. 1986)
  • 1915 – Karl Münchinger, German conductor and composer (d. 1990)
  • 1917 – John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States (d. 1963)
  • 1917 – Marcel Trudel, Canadian historian, author, and academic (d. 2011)
  • 1919 – Jacques Genest, Canadian physician and academic (d. 2018)
  • 1920 – John Harsanyi, Hungarian-American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2000)
  • 1920 – Clifton James, American actor (d. 2017)
  • 1921 – Norman Hetherington, Australian cartoonist and puppeteer (d. 2010)
  • 1922 – Joe Weatherly, American race car driver (d. 1964)
  • 1922 – Iannis Xenakis, Greek-French composer, engineer, and theorist (d. 2001)
  • 1923 – Bernard Clavel, French author (d. 2010)
  • 1923 – John Parker, 6th Earl of Morley, English colonel and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Devon (d. 2015)
  • 1923 – Eugene Wright, American jazz bassist
  • 1924 – Lars Bo, Danish author and illustrator (d. 1999)
  • 1924 – Miloslav Kříž, Czech basketball player and coach (d. 2013)
  • 1924 – Pepper Paire, American baseball player (d. 2013)
  • 1926 – Katie Boyle, Italian-English actress and television host (d. 2018)
  • 1926 – Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe, Queen Consort of Tonga (d. 2017)
  • 1926 – Abdoulaye Wade, Senegalese academic and politician, 3rd President of Senegal
  • 1927 – Jean Coutu, Canadian pharmacist and businessman, founded the Jean Coutu Group
  • 1929 – Harry Frankfurt, American philosopher and academic
  • 1929 – Peter Higgs, English-Scottish physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1929 – Roberto Vargas, Puerto Rican-American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 2014)
  • 1932 – Paul R. Ehrlich, American biologist and author
  • 1932 – Richie Guerin, American basketball player and coach
  • 1933 – Helmuth Rilling, German conductor and educator
  • 1933 – Tarquinio Provini, Italian motorcycle racer (d. 2005)
  • 1934 – Bill Vander Zalm, Dutch-Canadian businessman and politician, 28th Premier of British Columbia
  • 1935 – André Brink, South African author and playwright (d. 2015)
  • 1935 – Sylvia Robinson, American singer and producer (d. 2011)
  • 1937 – Charles W. Pickering, American lawyer and judge
  • 1937 – Irmin Schmidt, German keyboard player and composer
  • 1937 – Alwin Schockemöhle, German show-jumper
  • 1937 – Harry Statham, American basketball player and coach
  • 1938 – Christopher Bland, English businessman and politician (d. 2017)
  • 1938 – Fay Vincent, American lawyer and businessman
  • 1939 – Pete Smith, Australian radio and television announcer
  • 1939 – Al Unser, American race car driver
  • 1940 – Taihō Kōki, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 48th Yokozuna (d. 2013)
  • 1940 – Farooq Leghari, Pakistani politician, 8th President of Pakistan (d. 2010)
  • 1941 – Doug Scott, English mountaineer and author
  • 1941 – Bob Simon, American journalist (d. 2015)
  • 1942 – Pierre Bourque, Canadian businessman and politician, 40th Mayor of Montreal
  • 1942 – Kevin Conway, American actor and director (d. 2020)
  • 1943 – Robert W. Edgar, American educator and politician (d. 2013)
  • 1944 – Bob Benmosche, American businessman (d. 2015)
  • 1944 – Quentin Davies, English soldier and politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
  • 1945 – Gary Brooker, English singer-songwriter and pianist
  • 1945 – Peter Fraser, Baron Fraser of Carmyllie, Scottish lawyer and politician, Solicitor General for Scotland (d. 2013)
  • 1945 – Julian Le Grand, English economist and author
  • 1945 – Martin Pipe, English jockey and trainer
  • 1945 – Joyce Tenneson, American photographer
  • 1945 – Jean-Pierre Van Rossem, Belgian scholar and author (d. 2018)
  • 1946 – Fernando Buesa, Spanish politician (d. 2000)
  • 1947 – Anthony Geary, American actor
  • 1948 – Michael Berkeley, English composer and radio host
  • 1948 – Keith Gull, English microbiologist and academic
  • 1949 – Robert Axelrod, American actor and screenwriter (d. 2019)
  • 1949 – Brian Kidd, English footballer and manager
  • 1949 – Francis Rossi, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1950 – Rebbie Jackson, American singer and actress
  • 1953 – Danny Elfman, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor
  • 1954 – Robert Beaser, American composer and educator
  • 1954 – Jerry Moran, American lawyer and politician
  • 1955 – Frank Baumgartl, German runner (d. 2010)
  • 1955 – John Hinckley Jr., American attempted assassin of Ronald Reagan
  • 1955 – David Kirschner, American animator, producer, and author
  • 1955 – Gordon Rintoul, Scottish historian and curator
  • 1955 – Ken Schrader, American race car driver and sportscaster
  • 1956 – Mark Lyall Grant, English diplomat, British Ambassador to the United Nations
  • 1956 – La Toya Jackson, American singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1957 – Steven Croft, English bishop and theologian
  • 1957 – Jeb Hensarling, American lawyer and politician
  • 1957 – Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Iranian film director
  • 1958 – Annette Bening, American actress
  • 1958 – Juliano Mer-Khamis, Israeli actor, director, and activist (d. 2011)
  • 1958 – Uwe Rapolder, German footballer and coach
  • 1958 – Mike Stenhouse, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1959 – Rupert Everett, English actor and novelist
  • 1959 – Mel Gaynor, English drummer
  • 1959 – Steve Hanley, Irish-English bass player and songwriter
  • 1960 – Thomas Baumer, Swiss economist and academic
  • 1960 – Mike Freer, English politician
  • 1961 – Melissa Etheridge, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and activist
  • 1961 – John Miceli, American drummer
  • 1962 – Fandi Ahmad, Singaporean footballer, coach, and manager
  • 1962 – Eric Davis, American baseball player
  • 1962 – Carol Kirkwood, Scottish journalist
  • 1962 – Chloé Sainte-Marie, Canadian actress and singer
  • 1963 – Blaze Bayley, English singer-songwriter
  • 1963 – Zhu Jianhua, Chinese high jumper
  • 1963 – Ukyo Katayama, Japanese race car driver
  • 1963 – Claude Loiselle, Canadian ice hockey player and manager
  • 1964 – Howard Mills III, American academic and politician
  • 1964 – Oswaldo Negri Jr., Brazilian race car driver
  • 1966 – Natalie Nougayrède, French journalist
  • 1967 – Noel Gallagher, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1967 – Mike Keane, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1967 – Steven Levitt, American economist, author, and academic
  • 1968 – Torquhil Campbell, 13th Duke of Argyll, Scottish politician
  • 1968 – Tate George, American basketball player
  • 1968 – Jessica Morden, English politician
  • 1968 – Hida Viloria, American activist
  • 1970 – Natarsha Belling, Australian journalist
  • 1970 – Roberto Di Matteo, Italian footballer and manager
  • 1971 – Éric Lucas, Canadian boxer
  • 1971 – Bernd Mayländer, German race car driver
  • 1971 – Jo Beth Taylor, Australian television host and actress
  • 1971 – Rob Womack, English shot putter and discus thrower
  • 1972 – Bill Curley, American basketball player and coach
  • 1972 – Simon Jones, English singer and bass player
  • 1973 – Tomoko Kaneda, Japanese voice actress, singer, and radio personality
  • 1973 – Mark Lee, American guitarist and songwriter
  • 1973 – Alpay Özalan, Turkish footballer
  • 1974 – Steve Cardenas, American martial artist and retired actor
  • 1974 – Stephen Larkham, Australian rugby player and coach
  • 1974 – Aaron McGruder, American author and cartoonist
  • 1974 – Myf Warhurst, Australian radio and television host
  • 1974 – Jenny Willott, English politician
  • 1975 – Jason Allison, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1975 – Mel B, English singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress
  • 1975 – Sven Kubis, German footballer
  • 1975 – Sarah Millican, English comedian
  • 1975 – Anthony Wall, English golfer
  • 1975 – Daniel Tosh, American comedian, television host, actor, writer, and executive producer
  • 1976 – Caçapa, Brazilian footballer and manager
  • 1976 – Jerry Hairston Jr., American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1976 – Raef LaFrentz, American basketball player
  • 1976 – Yegor Titov, Russian footballer
  • 1977 – Massimo Ambrosini, Italian footballer
  • 1977 – Marco Cassetti, Italian footballer
  • 1977 – António Lebo Lebo, Angolan footballer
  • 1978 – Pelle Almqvist, Swedish singer-songwriter
  • 1978 – Sébastien Grosjean, French tennis player
  • 1978 – Lorenzo Odone, Italian-American adrenoleukodystrophy patient who inspired the 1992 film, Lorenzo’s Oil (d. 2008)
  • 1978 – Adam Rickitt, English singer
  • 1979 – Arne Friedrich, German footballer
  • 1979 – Brian Kendrick, American wrestler
  • 1979 – John Rheinecker, American baseball player (d. 2017)
  • 1980 – Ernesto Farías, Argentinian footballer
  • 1981 – Andrey Arshavin, Russian footballer
  • 1982 – Nataliya Dobrynska, Ukrainian heptathlete
  • 1982 – Matt Macri, American baseball player
  • 1982 – Kim Tae-kyun, South Korean baseball player
  • 1984 – Carmelo Anthony, American basketball player
  • 1984 – Nia Jax, Australian-American professional wrestler
  • 1984 – Funmi Jimoh, American long jumper
  • 1984 – Andreas Schäffer, German footballer
  • 1984 – Ina Wroldsen, Norwegian singer and songwriter
  • 1985 – Nathan Horton, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1987 – Lina Andrijauskaitė, Lithuanian long jumper
  • 1987 – Issac Luke, New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1987 – Kelvin Maynard, Dutch footballer (d. 2019)
  • 1987 – Noah Reid, Canadian actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1987 – Rui Sampaio, Portuguese footballer
  • 1988 – Muath Al-Kasasbeh, Jordanian captain and pilot (d. 2015)
  • 1988 – Cheng Fei, Chinese gymnast
  • 1988 – Steve Mason, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1989 – Ezekiel Ansah, Ghanaian-American football player
  • 1989 – Diego Barisone, Argentinian footballer (d. 2015)
  • 1989 – Riley Keough, American model and actress
  • 1990 – Joe Biagini, American baseball pitcher
  • 1992 – Sarah Moundir, Swiss tennis player
  • 1993 – Jana Čepelová, Slovak tennis player
  • 1993 – Maika Monroe, American actress and kiteboarder
  • 1993 – Grete Šadeiko, Estonian heptathlete
  • 1998 – Markelle Fultz, American basketball player
  • 1999 – Park Ji-hoon, South Korean singer and actor

Deaths on May 29

  • 931 – Jimeno Garcés of Pamplona
  • 1040 – Renauld I, Count of Nevers
  • 1259 – Christopher I of Denmark (b. 1219)
  • 1311 – James II of Majorca (b. 1243)
  • 1320 – Pope John VIII of Alexandria, Coptic pope
  • 1327 – Jens Grand, Danish archbishop (b. c. 1260)
  • 1379 – Henry II of Castile (b. 1334)
  • 1405 – Philippe de Mézières, French soldier and author (b. 1327)
  • 1425 – Hongxi Emperor of China (b. 1378)
  • 1453 – Ulubatlı Hasan, Ottoman commander (b. 1428)
  • 1453 – Constantine XI Palaiologos, Byzantine emperor (b. 1404)
  • 1500 – Bartolomeu Dias, Portuguese explorer and navigator (b. 1451)
  • 1500 – Thomas Rotherham, English cleric and minister (b. 1423)
  • 1546 – David Beaton, Scottish cardinal and politician, Lord Chancellor of Scotland (b. 1494)
  • 1593 – John Penry, Welsh martyr (b. 1559)
  • 1660 – Frans van Schooten, Dutch mathematician and academic (b. 1615)
  • 1691 – Cornelis Tromp, Dutch admiral (b. 1629)
  • 1790 – Israel Putnam, American general (b. 1718)
  • 1796 – Carl Fredrik Pechlin, Swedish general and politician (b. 1720)
  • 1814 – Joséphine de Beauharnais, first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte (b. 1763)
  • 1829 – Humphry Davy, English-Swiss chemist and academic (b. 1778)
  • 1847 – Emmanuel de Grouchy, Marquis de Grouchy, French general (b. 1766)
  • 1862 – Franz Mirecki, Polish composer, music conductor, and music teacher (b. 1791)
  • 1866 – Winfield Scott, American general, lawyer, and politician (b. 1786)
  • 1873 – Prince Friedrich of Hesse and by Rhine (b. 1870)
  • 1892 – Bahá’u’lláh, Persian religious leader, founded the Bahá’í Faith (b. 1817)
  • 1896 – Gabriel Auguste Daubrée, French geologist and academic (b. 1814)
  • 1903 – Bruce Price, American architect, designed the Château Frontenac and American Surety Building (b. 1845)
  • 1910 – Mily Balakirev, Russian pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1837)
  • 1911 – W. S. Gilbert, English playwright and poet (b. 1836)
  • 1914 – Laurence Sydney Brodribb Irving, English author and playwright (b. 1871)
  • 1914 – Henry Seton-Karr, English explorer, hunter, and author (b. 1853)
  • 1917 – Kate Harrington, American poet and educator (b. 1831)
  • 1919 – Robert Bacon, American colonel and politician, 39th United States Secretary of State (b. 1860)
  • 1920 – Carlos Deltour, French rower (b. 1864)
  • 1921 – Abbott Handerson Thayer, American painter and educator (b. 1849)
  • 1935 – Josef Suk, Czech violinist and composer (b. 1874)
  • 1939 – Ursula Ledóchowska, Austrian-Polish nun and saint, founded the Congregation of the Ursulines of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus (b. 1865)
  • 1941 – Léo-Pol Morin, Canadian pianist, composer, and educator (b. 1892)
  • 1942 – John Barrymore, American actor (b. 1882)
  • 1946 – Martin Gottfried Weiss, German SS officer (b. 1905)
  • 1948 – May Whitty, English actress (b. 1865)
  • 1951 – Fanny Brice, American singer and comedian (b. 1891)
  • 1951 – Dimitrios Levidis, Greek-French soldier and composer (b. 1885)
  • 1953 – Morgan Russell, American painter and educator (b. 1886)
  • 1957 – James Whale, English director (b. 1889)
  • 1958 – Juan Ramón Jiménez, Spanish poet and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1881)
  • 1963 – Netta Muskett, English author (b. 1887)
  • 1966 – Ignace Lepp, Estonian-French priest and psychologist (b. 1909)
  • 1968 – Arnold Susi, Estonian lawyer and politician, Estonian Minister of Education (b. 1896)
  • 1970 – John Gunther, American journalist and author (b. 1901)
  • 1970 – Eva Hesse, American artist (b. 1936)
  • 1972 – Moe Berg, American baseball player, coach, and spy (b. 1902)
  • 1972 – Stephen Timoshenko, Ukrainian-American engineer and academic (b. 1878)
  • 1973 – George Harriman, English businessman (b. 1908)
  • 1977 – Ba Maw, Burmese politician, Prime Minister of Burma (b. 1893)
  • 1979 – Mary Pickford, Canadian-American actress, producer, and screenwriter, co-founded United Artists (b. 1892)
  • 1979 – John H. Wood Jr., American lawyer and judge (b. 1916)
  • 1982 – Romy Schneider, Austrian actress (b. 1938)
  • 1983 – Arvīds Pelše, Latvian-Russian historian and politician (b. 1899)
  • 1987 – Charan Singh, Indian politician, 5th Prime Minister of India (b. 1902)
  • 1988 – Salem bin Laden, Saudi Arabian businessman (b. 1946)
  • 1989 – George C. Homans, American sociologist and academic (b. 1910)
  • 1991 – Margaret Barr (choreographer), Australian choreographer and teacher of dance-drama (b. 1904)
  • 1993 – Billy Conn, American boxer (b. 1917)
  • 1994 – Erich Honecker, German lawyer and politician (b. 1912)
  • 1994- Lady May Abel Smith, member of the British Royal Family (b. 1906)
  • 1996 – Tamara Toumanova, American ballerina and actress (b. 1919)
  • 1997 – Jeff Buckley, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1966)
  • 1998 – Barry Goldwater, American general, activist, and politician (b. 1909)
  • 2003 – David Jefferies, English motorcycle racer (b. 1972)
  • 2004 – Archibald Cox, American lawyer and politician, 31st United States Solicitor General (b. 1912)
  • 2004 – Samuel Dash, American academic and politician (b. 1925)
  • 2005 – John D’Amico, Canadian ice hockey player and referee (b. 1937)
  • 2005 – Hamilton Naki, South African surgeon (b. 1926)
  • 2005 – George Rochberg, American soldier and composer (b. 1918)
  • 2006 – Jacques Bouchard, Canadian businessman (b. 1930)
  • 2007 – Dave Balon, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1938)
  • 2007 – Lois Browne-Evans, Bermudian lawyer and politician (b. 1927)
  • 2008 – Paula Gunn Allen, Native American writer (b. 1939)
  • 2008 – Luc Bourdon, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1987)
  • 2008 – Harvey Korman, American actor and comedian (b. 1927)
  • 2010 – Dennis Hopper, American actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1936)
  • 2011 – Sergei Bagapsh, Abkhazian politician, 2nd President of Abkhazia (b. 1949)
  • 2011 – Bill Clements, American soldier and politician, 42nd Governor of Texas (b. 1917)
  • 2011 – Ferenc Mádl, Hungarian academic and politician, 14th President of Hungary (b. 1931)
  • 2012 – Mark Minkov, Russian composer (b. 1944)
  • 2012 – Kaneto Shindo, Japanese director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1912)
  • 2012 – Doc Watson, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1923)
  • 2013 – Richard Ballantine, American-English journalist and author (b. 1940)
  • 2013 – Françoise Blanchard, French actress (b. 1954)
  • 2013 – Andrew Greeley, American priest, sociologist, and author (b. 1928)
  • 2013 – Mulgrew Miller, American pianist and composer (b. 1955)
  • 2013 – Henry Morgentaler, Polish-Canadian physician and activist (b. 1923)
  • 2013 – Franca Rame, Italian actress and playwright (b. 1928)
  • 2013 – Ludwig G. Strauss, German physician and academic (b. 1949)
  • 2013 – Wali-ur-Rehman, Pakistani commander (b. 1970)
  • 2014 – Christine Charbonneau, Canadian singer-songwriter (b. 1943)
  • 2014 – Walter Jakob Gehring, Swiss biologist and academic (b. 1939)
  • 2014 – Peter Glaser, Czech-American scientist and engineer (b. 1923)
  • 2014 – Miljenko Prohaska, Croatian composer and conductor (b. 1925)
  • 2014 – William M. Roth, American businessman (b. 1916)
  • 2015 – Henry Carr, American football player and sprinter (b. 1942)
  • 2015 – Doris Hart, American tennis player (b. 1925)
  • 2015 – Betsy Palmer, American actress (b. 1926)
  • 2017 – Manuel Noriega, Panamanian general and politician, Military Leader of Panama (b. 1934)
  • 2017 – Mordechai Tzipori, Israeli Lieutenant General and minister (b. 1924)
  • 2017 – Konstantinos Mitsotakis, Greek politician and prime minister (b. 1918)
  • 2020 – Maikanti Baru, Nigerian engineer, former chief of state oil firm. (b. 1959)

Holidays and observances on May 29

  • Army Day (Argentina)
  • Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh (Bahá’í Faith) (Only if Bahá’í Naw-Rúz falls on March 21 of the Gregorian calendar)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Bona of Pisa
    • Hypomone (Eastern Orthodox Church)
    • Maximin of Trier
    • Pope Alexander of Alexandria (Eastern Orthodox Church)
    • Theodosia of Constantinople (Eastern Orthodox Church)
    • Ursula Ledóchowska
    • May 29 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest day on which Feast of the Sacred Heart can fall, while July 2 is the latest; celebrated 19 days after Pentecost. (Catholic Church)
  • International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers (International)
  • National Elderly Day (Indonesia)
  • Oak Apple Day (England), and its related observance:
    • Castleton Garland Day (Castleton)
  • Statehood Day (Rhode Island and Wisconsin)
  • Veterans Day (Sweden)
  • World Digestive Health Day

May 29 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

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

Births on May 19

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

Deaths on May 19

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

Holidays and observances on May 19

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

May 19 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

May 10 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

  • 28 BC – A sunspot is observed by Han dynasty astronomers during the reign of Emperor Cheng of Han, one of the earliest dated sunspot observations in China.
  • 1291 – Scottish nobles recognize the authority of Edward I of England pending the selection of a king.
  • 1497 – Amerigo Vespucci allegedly leaves Cádiz for his first voyage to the New World.
  • 1503 – Christopher Columbus visits the Cayman Islands and names them Las Tortugas after the numerous turtles there.
  • 1534 – Jacques Cartier visits Newfoundland.
  • 1688 – King Narai nominates Phetracha as regent, leading to the revolution of 1688 in which Phetracha becomes king of the Ayutthaya Kingdom.
  • 1768 – Rioting occurs in London after John Wilkes is imprisoned for writing an article for The North Briton severely criticizing King George III.
  • 1773 – The Parliament of Great Britain passes the Tea Act, designed to save the British East India Company by reducing taxes on its tea and granting it the right to sell tea directly to North America. The legislation leads to the Boston Tea Party.
  • 1774 – Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette become King and Queen of France.
  • 1775 – American Revolutionary War: A small Colonial militia led by Ethan Allen and Colonel Benedict Arnold captures Fort Ticonderoga.
  • 1775 – American Revolutionary War: The Second Continental Congress takes place in Philadelphia.
  • 1796 – War of the First Coalition: Napoleon wins a victory against Austrian forces at Lodi bridge over the Adda River in Italy. The Austrians lose some 2,000 men.
  • 1801 – First Barbary War: The Barbary pirates of Tripoli declare war on the United States of America.
  • 1824 – The National Gallery in London opens to the public.
  • 1837 – Panic of 1837: New York City banks suspend the payment of specie, triggering a national banking crisis and an economic depression whose severity was not surpassed until the Great Depression.
  • 1849 – Astor Place Riot: A riot breaks out at the Astor Opera House in Manhattan, New York City over a dispute between actors Edwin Forrest and William Charles Macready, killing at least 22 and injuring over 120.
  • 1857 – Indian Rebellion of 1857: In India, the first war of Independence begins. Sepoys mutiny against their commanding officers at Meerut.
  • 1865 – American Civil War: In Kentucky, Union soldiers ambush and mortally wound Confederate raider William Quantrill, who lingers until his death on June 6.
  • 1869 – The First Transcontinental Railroad, linking the eastern and western United States, is completed at Promontory Summit, Utah with the golden spike.
  • 1872 – Victoria Woodhull becomes the first woman nominated for President of the United States.
  • 1876 – The Centennial Exposition is opened in Philadelphia.
  • 1881 – Carol I is crowned the King of the Romanian Kingdom.
  • 1904 – The Horch & Cir. Motorwagenwerke AG is founded. It would eventually become the Audi company.
  • 1908 – Mother’s Day is observed for the first time in the United States, in Grafton, West Virginia.
  • 1916 – Sailing in the lifeboat James Caird, Ernest Shackleton arrives at South Georgia after a journey of 800 nautical miles from Elephant Island.
  • 1922 – The United States annexes the Kingman Reef.
  • 1924 – J. Edgar Hoover is appointed first Director of the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and remains so until his death in 1972.
  • 1933 – Censorship: In Germany, the Nazis stage massive public book burnings.
  • 1940 – World War II: German fighters accidentally bomb the German city of Freiburg.
  • 1940 – World War II: Winston Churchill is appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom following the resignation of Neville Chamberlain. On the same day, Germany invades France, Belgium and Luxembourg.Meanwhile, the United Kingdom occupies Iceland.
  • 1941 – World War II: The House of Commons in London is damaged by the Luftwaffe in an air raid.
  • 1941 – World War II: Rudolf Hess parachutes into Scotland to try to negotiate a peace deal between the United Kingdom and Nazi Germany.hai Phayap Army invades the Shan States during the Burma Campaign.
  • 1946 – First successful launch of an American V-2 rocket at White Sands Proving Ground.
  • 1962 – Marvel Comics publishes the first issue of The Incredible Hulk.
  • 1967 – The Northrop M2-F2 crashes on landing, becoming the inspiration for the novel Cyborg and TV series The Six Million Dollar Man.
  • 1969 – Vietnam War: The Battle of Dong Ap Bia begins with an assault on Hill 937. It will ultimately become known as Hamburger Hill.
  • 1975 – Sony introduces the Betamax videocassette recorder.
  • 1993 – In Thailand, a fire at the Kader Toy Factory kills over 200 workers.
  • 1994 – Nelson Mandela is inaugurated as South Africa’s first black president.
  • 1996 – A blizzard strikes Mount Everest, killing eight climbers by the next day.
  • 1997 – The 7.3 Mw Qayen earthquake strikes Iran’s Khorasan Province killing 1,567 people.
  • 2002 – FBI agent Robert Hanssen is sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for selling United States secrets to Russia for $1.4 million in cash and diamonds.
  • 2005 – A hand grenade thrown by Vladimir Arutyunian lands about 60 feet from U.S. President George W. Bush while he is giving a speech to a crowd in Tbilisi, Georgia, but it malfunctions and does not detonate.
  • 2012 – The Damascus bombings are carried out using a pair of car bombs detonated by suicide bombers outside of a military intelligence complex in Damascus, Syria, killing 55 people.
  • 2013 – One World Trade Center becomes the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.

Births on May 10

  • 874 – Meng Zhixiang, Chinese general and emperor (d. 934)
  • 955 – Al-Aziz Billah, Fatimid caliph (d. 996)
  • 1491 – Suzanne, Duchess of Bourbon (d. 1521)
  • 1604 – Jean Mairet, French author and playwright (d. 1686)
  • 1697 – Jean-Marie Leclair, French violinist and composer (d. 1764)
  • 1727 – Anne-Robert-Jacques Turgot, Baron de Laune, French economist and politician (d. 1781)
  • 1755 – Robert Gray, American captain and explorer (d. 1806)
  • 1760 – Johann Peter Hebel, German author and poet (d. 1826)
  • 1760 – Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle, French captain, engineer, and composer (d. 1836)
  • 1770 – Louis-Nicolas Davout, French general and politician, French Minister of War (d. 1823)
  • 1788 – Augustin-Jean Fresnel, French physicist and engineer (d. 1827)
  • 1812 – William Henry Barlow, English engineer (d. 1902)
  • 1813 – Montgomery Blair, American lieutenant and politician, 20th United States Postmaster General (d. 1883)
  • 1838 – John Wilkes Booth, American actor, assassin of Abraham Lincoln (d. 1865)
  • 1841 – James Gordon Bennett, Jr., American publisher and broadcaster (d. 1918)
  • 1843 – Benito Pérez Galdós, Spanish author and playwright (d. 1920)
  • 1847 – Wilhelm Killing, German mathematician and academic (d. 1923)
  • 1855 – Yukteswar Giri, Indian guru and educator (d. 1936)
  • 1872 – Marcel Mauss, French sociologist and anthropologist (d. 1950)
  • 1876 – Ivan Cankar, Slovenian poet and playwright (d. 1918)
  • 1878 – Konstantinos Parthenis, Greek painter (d. 1967)
  • 1878 – Gustav Stresemann, German journalist and politician, Chancellor of Germany, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1929)
  • 1879 – Symon Petliura, Ukrainian journalist and politician (d. 1926)
  • 1886 – Karl Barth, Swiss theologian and author (d. 1968)
  • 1888 – Max Steiner, Austrian-American composer and conductor (d. 1971)
  • 1890 – Alfred Jodl, German general (d. 1946)
  • 1891 – Mahmoud Mokhtar, Egyptian sculptor and academic (d. 1934)
  • 1893 – Tonita Peña, San Ildefonso Pueblo (Native American) artist (d. 1949)
  • 1894 – Dimitri Tiomkin, Ukrainian-American composer and conductor (d. 1979)
  • 1897 – Einar Gerhardsen, Norwegian politician, Prime Minister of Norway (d. 1987)
  • 1898 – Ariel Durant, American historian and author (d. 1981)
  • 1899 – Fred Astaire, American actor, singer, and dancer (d. 1987)
  • 1900 – Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, English-American astronomer and astrophysicist (d. 1979)
  • 1901 – John Desmond Bernal, Irish-English crystallographer and physicist (d. 1971)
  • 1901 – Hildrus Poindexter, American bacteriologist (d. 1987)
  • 1902 – David O. Selznick, American director and producer (d. 1965)
  • 1903 – Otto Bradfisch, German economist, jurist, and SS officer (d. 1994)
  • 1905 – Markos Vamvakaris, Greek singer-songwriter and bouzouki player (d. 1972)
  • 1908 – Carl Albert, American lawyer and politician, 54th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (d. 2000)
  • 1909 – Maybelle Carter, American autoharp player (d. 1978)
  • 1911 – Bel Kaufman, American author and educator (d. 2014)
  • 1915 – Denis Thatcher, English soldier and businessman, Spouse of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 2003)
  • 1916 – Milton Babbitt, American composer and educator (d. 2011)
  • 1918 – T. Berry Brazelton, American pediatrician and author (d. 2018)
  • 1918 – Desmond MacNamara, Irish painter, sculptor, and author (d. 2008)
  • 1919 – Ella T. Grasso, Governor of Connecticut (d. 1981)
  • 1920 – Basil Kelly, Northern Irish barrister, judge and politician (d. 2008)
  • 1920 – Bert Weedon, English guitarist (d. 2012)
  • 1922 – David Azrieli, Polish-Canadian businessman and philanthropist (d. 2014)
  • 1922 – Nancy Walker, American actress, singer, and director (d. 1992)
  • 1923 – Heydar Aliyev, Azerbaijan general and politician, President of Azerbaijan (d. 2003)
  • 1923 – Otar Korkia, Georgian basketball player and coach (d. 2005)
  • 1926 – Hugo Banzer, Bolivian general and politician, President of Bolivia (d. 2002)
  • 1927 – Nayantara Sahgal, Indian author
  • 1928 – Arnold Rüütel, Estonian agronomist and politician, President of Estonia
  • 1928 – Lothar Schmid, German chess player (d. 2013)
  • 1929 – Audun Boysen, Norwegian runner (d. 2000)
  • 1929 – George Coe, American actor and producer (d. 2015)
  • 1929 – Antonine Maillet, Canadian author and playwright
  • 1930 – George E. Smith, American physicist and engineer, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1931 – Ettore Scola, Italian director and screenwriter (d. 2016)
  • 1933 – Jean Becker, French actor, director, and screenwriter
  • 1935 – Larry Williams, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer (d. 1980)
  • 1937 – Tamara Press, Ukrainian shot putter and discus thrower
  • 1938 – Manuel Santana, Spanish tennis player
  • 1940 – Arthur Alexander, American country-soul singer-songwriter (d. 1993)
  • 1940 – Wayne Dyer, American author and educator (d. 2015)
  • 1942 – Jim Calhoun, American basketball player and coach
  • 1944 – Jim Abrahams, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1944 – Marie-France Pisier, French actress, director, and screenwriter (d. 2011)
  • 1946 – Donovan, Scottish singer-songwriter
  • 1946 – Graham Gouldman, English guitarist and songwriter
  • 1946 – Dave Mason, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1947 – Caroline B. Cooney, American author
  • 1949 – Miuccia Prada, Italian fashion designer
  • 1952 – Sly Dunbar, Jamaican drummer
  • 1955 – Mark David Chapman, American murderer
  • 1956 – Vladislav Listyev, Russian journalist (d. 1995)
  • 1957 – Sid Vicious, English singer and bass player (d. 1979)
  • 1958 – Gaétan Boucher, Canadian speed skater
  • 1958 – Rick Santorum, American lawyer and politician, United States Senator from Pennsylvania
  • 1959 – Victoria Rowell, American actress
  • 1959 – Danny Schayes, American basketball player
  • 1959 – Cindy Hyde-Smith, American politician, United States Senator from Mississippi, Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce
  • 1960 – Bono, Irish singer-songwriter, musician and activist
  • 1960 – Dean Heller, American lawyer and politician, United States Senator from Nevada, Secretary of State of Nevada
  • 1960 – Merlene Ottey, Jamaican-Slovenian runner
  • 1963 – Lisa Nowak, American commander and astronaut
  • 1963 – Debbie Wiseman, English composer and conductor
  • 1965 – Linda Evangelista, Canadian model
  • 1966 – Jonathan Edwards, English triple jumper
  • 1967 – Eion Crossan, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1968 – Al Murray, English comedian and television host
  • 1968 – Tatyana Shikolenko, Russian javelin thrower
  • 1969 – Dennis Bergkamp, Dutch footballer and manager
  • 1969 – John Scalzi, American author and blogger
  • 1970 – Gabriela Montero, Venezuelan-American pianist
  • 1970 – David Weir, Scottish footballer
  • 1971 – Ådne Søndrål, Norwegian speed skater
  • 1972 – Christian Wörns, German footballer
  • 1973 – Joshua Eagle, Australian tennis player
  • 1973 – Ollie le Roux, South African rugby player
  • 1974 – Sylvain Wiltord, French footballer
  • 1975 – Hélio Castroneves, Brazilian race car driver
  • 1975 – Adam Deadmarsh, Canadian-American ice hockey player
  • 1978 – Bruno Cheyrou, French footballer
  • 1981 – Samuel Dalembert, Haitian-Canadian basketball player
  • 1981 – Humberto Suazo, Chilean footballer
  • 1983 – Gustav Fridolin, Swedish journalist and politician, Swedish Minister of Education
  • 1984 – Edward Mujica, Venezuelan baseball player
  • 1985 – Ryan Getzlaf, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1985 – Jon Schofield, English canoe racer
  • 1987 – Wilson Chandler, American basketball player
  • 1990 – Salvador Pérez, Venezuelan baseball player
  • 1990 – Ivana Španović, Serbian long jumper
  • 1995 – Missy Franklin, American swimmer1995 – Gabriella Papadakis, French ice dancer
  • 1996 – Tyus Jones, American basketball player
  • 1996 – Kateřina Siniaková, Czech tennis player

Deaths on May 10

  • 1299 – Theingapati, heir to the Pagan Kingdom
  • 1403 – Katherine Swynford, widow of John of Gaunt
  • 1482 – Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli, Italian mathematician and astronomer (b. 1397)
  • 1493 – Colin Campbell, 1st Earl of Argyll, Scottish politician, Lord Chancellor of Scotland (b. 1433)
  • 1521 – Sebastian Brant, German author (b. 1457)
  • 1566 – Leonhart Fuchs, German physician and botanist (b. 1501)
  • 1569 – John of Ávila, Spanish mystic and saint (b. 1500)
  • 1641 – Johan Banér, Swedish field marshal (b. 1596)
  • 1717 – John Hathorne, American merchant and politician (b. 1641)
  • 1726 – Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St Albans, English soldier and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire (b. 1670)
  • 1774 – Louis XV of France (b. 1710)
  • 1787 – William Watson, English physician, physicist, and botanist (b. 1715)
  • 1794 – Élisabeth of France, French princess and youngest sibling of Louis XVI (b.1764)
  • 1798 – George Vancouver, English navigator and explorer (b. 1757)
  • 1807 – Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, French general (b. 1725)
  • 1818 – Paul Revere, American engraver and soldier (b. 1735)
  • 1829 – Thomas Young, English physician and linguist (b. 1773)
  • 1849 – Hokusai, Japanese painter and illustrator (b. 1760)
  • 1863 – Stonewall Jackson, American general (b. 1824)
  • 1868 – Henry Bennett, American lawyer and politician (b. 1808)
  • 1889 – Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin, Russian journalist, author, and playwright (b. 1826)
  • 1891 – Carl Nägeli, Swiss botanist and mycologist (b. 1817)
  • 1897 – Andrés Bonifacio, Filipino soldier and politician, President of the Philippines (b. 1863)
  • 1910 – Stanislao Cannizzaro, Italian chemist and academic (b. 1826)
  • 1945 – Richard Glücks, German SS officer (b. 1889)
  • 1945 – Konrad Henlein, Czech soldier and politician (b. 1898)
  • 1960 – Yury Olesha, Russian author, poet, and playwright (b. 1899)
  • 1964 – Mikhail Larionov, Russian painter, illustrator, and set designer (b. 1881)
  • 1965 – Hubertus van Mook, Dutch politician, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies (b. 1894)
  • 1968 – Scotty Beckett, American actor and singer (b. 1929)
  • 1974 – Hal Mohr, American director and cinematographer (b. 1894)
  • 1977 – Joan Crawford, American actress (year of birth disputed)
  • 1982 – Peter Weiss, German playwright and painter (b. 1916)
  • 1988 – Shen Congwen, Chinese author and academic (b. 1902)
  • 1990 – Walker Percy, American novelist and essayist (b. 1916)
  • 1994 – John Wayne Gacy, American serial killer (b. 1942)
  • 1999 – Shel Silverstein, American poet, author, and illustrator
  • 2000 – Jules Deschênes, Canadian lawyer and judge (b. 1923)
  • 2000 – Dick Sprang, American illustrator (b. 1915)
  • 2001 – Sudhakarrao Naik, Indian politician, Governor of Himachal Pradesh (b. 1934)
  • 2002 – Kaifi Azmi, Indian poet and songwriter (b. 1919)
  • 2002 – Yves Robert, French actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1920)
  • 2003 – Milan Vukcevich, Serbian-American chemist and chess player (b. 1937)
  • 2006 – Soraya, Colombian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (b. 1969)
  • 2008 – Leyla Gencer, Turkish soprano (b. 1928)
  • 2010 – Frank Frazetta, American illustrator and painter (b. 1928)
  • 2012 – Horst Faas, German photographer and journalist (b. 1933)
  • 2012 – Carroll Shelby, American race car driver and designer (b. 1923)
  • 2012 – Gunnar Sønsteby, Norwegian captain and author (b. 1918)
  • 2015 – Chris Burden, American sculptor, illustrator, and academic (b. 1946)
  • 2018 – David Goodall, Australian botanist and ecologist (b. 1914)
  • 2019 – Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, Spanish politician and chemist (b. 1951)

Holidays and observances on May 10

  • Children’s Day (Maldives)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Alphius, Philadelphus and Cyrinus
    • Calepodius
    • Catald
    • Comgall
    • Damien of Molokai
    • Gordianus and Epimachus
    • Job (Roman Catholic Church, pre-1969 calendar)
    • John of Ávila
    • May 10 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Confederate Memorial Day (North Carolina and South Carolina)
  • Constitution Day (Micronesia)
  • Earliest possible day on which Pentecost can fall, while June 13 is the latest; celebrated 50 days after Easter Day.(Christianity)
  • Golden Spike Day (Promontory, Utah)
  • Mother’s Day (Guatemala, and Mexico)

May 10 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

May 2 in History

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

Births on May 2

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

Deaths on May 2

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

Holidays and observances on May 2

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

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

On This Day

April 28 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

  • 224 – The Battle of Hormozdgan is fought. Ardashir I defeats and kills Artabanus V effectively ending the Parthian Empire.
  • 357 – Emperor Constantius II enters Rome for the first time to celebrate his victory over Magnus Magnentius.
  • 1192 – Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I), King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title to the throne is confirmed by election. The killing is carried out by Hashshashin.
  • 1253 – Nichiren, a Japanese Buddhist monk, propounds Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō for the very first time and declares it to be the essence of Buddhism, in effect founding Nichiren Buddhism.
  • 1503 – The Battle of Cerignola is fought. It is noted as one of the first European battles in history won by small arms fire using gunpowder.
  • 1611 – Establishment of the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines, the largest Catholic university in the world.
  • 1758 – The Marathas defeat the Afghans in the Battle of Attock and capture the city.
  • 1788 – Maryland becomes the seventh state to ratify the United States Constitution.
  • 1789 – Mutiny on the Bounty: Lieutenant William Bligh and 18 sailors are set adrift and the rebel crew returns to Tahiti briefly and then sets sail for Pitcairn Island.
  • 1792 – France invades the Austrian Netherlands (present day Belgium and Luxembourg), beginning the French Revolutionary Wars.
  • 1794 – Sardinians, headed by Giovanni Maria Angioy, start a revolution against Savoy domination, expelling Viceroy Balbiano and his officials from Cagliari, the capital and largest city of the island.
  • 1796 – The Armistice of Cherasco is signed by Napoleon Bonaparte and Vittorio Amedeo III, King of Sardinia, expanding French territory along the Mediterranean coast.
  • 1869 – Chinese and Irish laborers for the Central Pacific Railroad working on the First Transcontinental Railroad lay ten miles of track in one day, a feat which has never been matched.
  • 1881 – Billy the Kid escapes from the Lincoln County jail in Mesilla, New Mexico.
  • 1887 – A week after being arrested by the Prussian Secret Police, French police inspector Guillaume Schnaebelé is released on order of William I, German Emperor, defusing a possible war.
  • 1910 – Frenchman Louis Paulhan wins the 1910 London to Manchester air race, the first long-distance aeroplane race in England.
  • 1920 – Azerbaijan is added to the Soviet Union.
  • 1923 – Wembley Stadium is opened, named initially as the Empire Stadium.
  • 1930 – The Independence Producers hosted the first night game in the history of Organized Baseball in Independence, Kansas.
  • 1941 – The Ustaše massacre nearly 200 Serbs in the village of Gudovac, the first massacre of their genocidal campaign against Serbs of the Independent State of Croatia.
  • 1944 – World War II: Nine German E-boats attacked US and UK units during Exercise Tiger, the rehearsal for the Normandy landings, killing 946.
  • 1945 – Benito Mussolini and his mistress Clara Petacci are shot dead by Walter Audisio, a member of the Italian resistance movement.
  • 1947 – Thor Heyerdahl and five crew mates set out from Peru on the Kon-Tiki to demonstrate that Peruvian natives could have settled Polynesia.
  • 1948 – Igor Stravinsky conducted the premiere of his American ballet, Orpheus at the New York City Center.
  • 1949 – The Hukbalahap are accused of assassinating former First Lady of the Philippines Aurora Quezon, while she is en route to dedicate a hospital in memory of her late husband; her daughter and ten others are also killed.
  • 1952 – Dwight D. Eisenhower resigns as Supreme Allied Commander of NATO.
  • 1952 – The Treaty of San Francisco comes into effect, restoring Japanese sovereignty and ending its state of war with most of the Allies of World War II.
  • 1952 – The Sino-Japanese Peace Treaty (Treaty of Taipei) is signed in Taipei, Taiwan between Japan and the Republic of China to officially end the Second Sino-Japanese War.
  • 1965 – United States occupation of the Dominican Republic: American troops land in the Dominican Republic to “forestall establishment of a Communist dictatorship” and to evacuate U.S. Army troops.
  • 1967 – Vietnam War: Boxer Muhammad Ali refuses his induction into the United States Army and is subsequently stripped of his championship and license.
  • 1969 – Charles de Gaulle resigns as President of France.
  • 1970 – Vietnam War: U.S. President Richard Nixon formally authorizes American combat troops to take part in the Cambodian campaign.
  • 1973 – The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd, recorded in Abbey Road Studios goes to number one on the US Billboard chart, beginning a record-breaking 741-week chart run.
  • 1975 – General Cao Văn Viên, chief of the South Vietnamese military, departs for the US as the North Vietnamese Army closed in on victory.
  • 1977 – The Red Army Faction trial ends, with Andreas Baader, Gudrun Ensslin and Jan-Carl Raspe found guilty of four counts of murder and more than 30 counts of attempted murder.
  • 1978 – President of Afghanistan, Mohammed Daoud Khan, is overthrown and assassinated in a coup led by pro-communist rebels.
  • 1986 – The United States Navy aircraft carrier USS Enterprise becomes the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to transit the Suez Canal, navigating from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea to relieve the USS Coral Sea.
  • 1986 – High levels of radiation resulting from the Chernobyl disaster are detected at a nuclear power plant in Sweden, leading Soviet authorities to publicly announce the accident.
  • 1988 – Near Maui, Hawaii, flight attendant Clarabelle “C.B.” Lansing is blown out of Aloha Airlines Flight 243, a Boeing 737, and falls to her death when part of the plane’s fuselage rips open in mid-flight.
  • 1993 – A Zambia Air Force DHC-5 Buffalo crashes off the coast of Libreville, Gabon, killing all 30 passengers, which included the entire Zambia national football team.
  • 1994 – Former Central Intelligence Agency counterintelligence officer and analyst Aldrich Ames pleads guilty to giving U.S. secrets to the Soviet Union and later Russia.
  • 1996 – Whitewater controversy: President Bill Clinton gives a 4½ hour videotaped testimony for the defense.
  • 1996 – Port Arthur massacre, Tasmania: A gunman, Martin Bryant, opens fire at the Broad Arrow Cafe in Port Arthur, Tasmania, killing 35 people and wounding 23 others.
  • 2004 – CBS News released evidence of the Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse. The photographs show rape and abuse from the American troops over Iraqi detainees.

Births on April 28

  • AD 32 – Otho, Roman emperor (d. 69 AD)
  • 1402 – Nezahualcoyotl, Acolhuan philosopher, warrior, poet and ruler (d. 1472)
  • 1442 – Edward IV, king of England (d. 1483)
  • 1545 – Yi Sun-sin, Korean commander (d. 1598)
  • 1573 – Charles de Valois, Duke of Angoulême, son of Charles IX (d. 1650)
  • 1604 – Joris Jansen Rapelje, Dutch settler in colonial North America (d. 1662)
  • 1623 – Wilhelmus Beekman, Dutch politician (d. 1707)
  • 1630 – Charles Cotton, English poet and author (d. 1687)
  • 1676 – Frederick I, prince consort and king of Sweden (d. 1751)
  • 1715 – Franz Sparry, Austrian composer and educator (d. 1767)
  • 1758 – James Monroe, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 5th President of the United States (d. 1831)
  • 1761 – Marie Harel, French cheesemaker (d. 1844)
  • 1765 – Sylvestre François Lacroix, French mathematician and academic (d. 1834)
  • 1819 – Ezra Abbot, American scholar and academic (d. 1884)
  • 1827 – William Hall, Canadian soldier, Victoria Cross recipient (d. 1904)
  • 1838 – Tobias Asser, Dutch lawyer and scholar, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1913)
  • 1848 – Ludvig Schytte, Danish pianist, composer, and educator (d. 1909)
  • 1854 – Hertha Marks Ayrton, Polish-British engineer, mathematician, and physicist. (d. 1923)
  • 1855 – José Malhoa, Portuguese painter (d. 1933)
  • 1863 – Josiah Thomas, English-Australian miner and politician, 7th Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs (d. 1933)
  • 1863 – Nikolai von Meck, Russian engineer (d. 1929)
  • 1865 – Charles W. Woodworth, American entomologist and academic (d. 1940)
  • 1868 – Lucy Booth, English composer (d. 1953)
  • 1868 – Georgy Voronoy, Ukrainian-Russian mathematician and academic (d. 1908)
  • 1874 – Karl Kraus, Austrian journalist and author (d. 1936)
  • 1874 – Sidney Toler, American actor and director (d. 1947)
  • 1876 – Nicola Romeo, Italian engineer and businessman (d. 1938)
  • 1878 – Lionel Barrymore, American actor and director (d. 1954)
  • 1886 – Erich Salomon, German-born news photographer (d. 1944)
  • 1886 – Art Shaw, American hurdler (d. 1955)
  • 1888 – Walter Tull, English footballer and soldier (d. 1918)
  • 1889 – António de Oliveira Salazar, Portuguese economist and politician, 100th Prime Minister of Portugal (d. 1970)
  • 1896 – Na Hye-sok, South Korean journalist, poet, and painter (d. 1948)
  • 1896 – Tristan Tzara, Romanian-French poet and critic (d. 1963)
  • 1897 – Ye Jianying, Chinese general and politician, Head of State of the People’s Republic of China (d. 1986)
  • 1900 – Alice Berry, Australian activist (d. 1978)
  • 1900 – Heinrich Müller, German SS officer (d. 1945)
  • 1900 – Jan Oort, Dutch astronomer and academic (d. 1992)
  • 1901 – H. B. Stallard, English runner and surgeon (d. 1973)
  • 1902 – Johan Borgen, Norwegian author and critic (d. 1979)
  • 1906 – Kurt Gödel, Czech-American mathematician, philosopher, and academic (d. 1978)
  • 1906 – Paul Sacher, Swiss conductor and philanthropist (d. 1999)
  • 1908 – Ethel Catherwood, American-Canadian high jumper and javelin thrower (d. 1987)
  • 1908 – Jack Fingleton, Australian cricketer, journalist, and sportscaster (d. 1981)
  • 1908 – Oskar Schindler, Czech-German businessman (d. 1974)
  • 1909 – Arthur Võõbus, Estonian-American theologist and orientalist (d. 1988)
  • 1910 – Sam Merwin, Jr., American author (d. 1996)
  • 1911 – Lee Falk, American director, producer, and playwright (d. 1999)
  • 1912 – Odette Hallowes, French soldier and spy (d. 1995)
  • 1912 – Kaneto Shindō, Japanese director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2012)
  • 1913 – Rose Murphy, American singer (d. 1989)
  • 1914 – Michel Mohrt, French author, historian (d. 2011)
  • 1916 – Ferruccio Lamborghini, Italian businessman, created Lamborghini (d. 1993)
  • 1917 – Robert Cornthwaite, American actor (d. 2006)
  • 1921 – Rowland Evans, American soldier, journalist, and author (d. 2001)
  • 1921 – Simin Daneshvar, Iranian author and academic (d. 2012)
  • 1923 – Carolyn Cassady, American author (d. 2013)
  • 1923 – William Guarnere, American sergeant (d. 2014)
  • 1924 – Dick Ayers, American author and illustrator (d. 2014)
  • 1924 – Blossom Dearie, American singer and pianist (d. 2009)
  • 1924 – Kenneth Kaunda, Zambian educator and politician, 1st President of Zambia
  • 1925 – T. John Lesinski, American judge and politician, 51st Lieutenant Governor of Michigan (d. 1996)
  • 1925 – John Leonard Thorn, English lieutenant, author, and academic
  • 1926 – James Bama, American artist and illustrator
  • 1926 – Bill Blackbeard, American historian and author (d. 2011)
  • 1926 – Harper Lee, American novelist (d. 2016)
  • 1926 – Hulusi Sayın, Turkish general (d. 1991)
  • 1928 – Yves Klein, French painter (d. 1962)
  • 1928 – Eugene Merle Shoemaker, American geologist and astronomer (d. 1997)
  • 1930 – James Baker, American lawyer and politician, 61st United States Secretary of State
  • 1930 – Carolyn Jones, American actress (d. 1983)
  • 1933 – Miodrag Radulovacki, Serbian-American neuropharmacologist and academic (d. 2014)
  • 1934 – Lois Duncan, American journalist and author (d. 2016)
  • 1935 – Pedro Ramos, Cuban baseball player
  • 1935 – Jimmy Wray, Scottish boxer and politician (d. 2013)
  • 1936 – Tariq Aziz, Iraqi journalist and politician, Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 2015)
  • 1937 – Saddam Hussein, Iraqi general and politician, 5th President of Iraq (d. 2006)
  • 1937 – Jean Redpath, Scottish singer-songwriter (d. 2014)
  • 1937 – John White, Scottish international footballer(d. 1964)
  • 1938 – Madge Sinclair, Jamaican-American actress (d. 1995)
  • 1941 – Ann-Margret, Swedish-American actress, singer, and dancer
  • 1941 – Lucien Aimar, French cyclist
  • 1941 – John Madejski, English businessman and academic
  • 1941 – Karl Barry Sharpless, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1941 – Iryna Zhylenko, Ukrainian poet and author (d. 2013)
  • 1942 – Mike Brearley, English cricketer and psychoanalyst
  • 1943 – Aryeh Bibi, Iraqi-born Israeli politician
  • 1944 – Elizabeth LeCompte, American director and producer
  • 1944 – Jean-Claude Van Cauwenberghe, Belgian politician, 10th Minister-President of the Walloon Region
  • 1944 – Alice Waters, American chef and author
  • 1946 – Nour El-Sherif, Egyptian actor and producer (d. 2015)
  • 1946 – Ginette Reno, Canadian singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1946 – Larissa Grunig, American theorist and activist
  • 1947 – Christian Jacq, French historian and author
  • 1947 – Nicola LeFanu, English composer and academic
  • 1947 – Steve Khan, American jazz guitarist
  • 1948 – Terry Pratchett, English journalist, author, and screenwriter (d. 2015)
  • 1948 – Marcia Strassman, American actress and singer (d. 2014)
  • 1949 – Jeremy Cooke, English lawyer and judge
  • 1949 – Paul Guilfoyle, American actor
  • 1949 – Bruno Kirby, American actor and director (d. 2006)
  • 1950 – Willie Colón, Puerto Rican-American trombonist and producer
  • 1950 – Jay Leno, American comedian, talk show host, and producer
  • 1950 – Steve Rider, English journalist and sportscaster
  • 1951 – Tim Congdon, English economist and politician
  • 1951 – Larry Smith, Canadian football player and politician
  • 1952 – Chuck Leavell, American singer-songwriter and keyboard player
  • 1952 – Mary McDonnell, American actress
  • 1953 – Roberto Bolaño, Chilean novelist, short-story writer, poet, and essayist (d. 2003)
  • 1953 – Kim Gordon, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1953 – Brian Greenhoff, English footballer and coach (d. 2013)
  • 1954 – Timothy Curley, American educator
  • 1954 – Michael P. Jackson, American politician, 3rd Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security
  • 1954 – Vic Sotto, Filipino actor-producer, singer-songwriter, comedian and television personality
  • 1954 – Ron Zook, American football player and coach
  • 1955 – Eddie Jobson, English keyboard player and violinist
  • 1955 – Dieter Rubach, German bass player
  • 1956 – Jimmy Barnes, Scottish-Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1957 – Wilma Landkroon, Dutch singer
  • 1958 – Hal Sutton, American golfer
  • 1960 – Tom Browning, American baseball player
  • 1960 – Elena Kagan, American lawyer and jurist, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
  • 1960 – Phil King, English bass player
  • 1960 – Ian Rankin, Scottish author
  • 1960 – Jón Páll Sigmarsson, Icelandic strongman and weightlifter (d. 1993)
  • 1960 – Walter Zenga, Italian footballer and manager
  • 1963 – Sandrine Dumas, French actress, director, and screenwriter
  • 1963 – Lloyd Eisler, Canadian figure skater and coach
  • 1963 – Marc Lacroix, Belgian biochemist and academic
  • 1964 – Stephen Ames, Trinidadian golfer
  • 1964 – Noriyuki Iwadare, Japanese composer
  • 1964 – Ajay Kakkar, Baron Kakkar, English surgeon and academic
  • 1964 – Barry Larkin, American baseball player, manager, and sportscaster
  • 1964 – L’Wren Scott, American model and fashion designer (d. 2014)
  • 1965 – Jennifer Rardin, American author (d. 2010)
  • 1966 – John Daly, American golfer
  • 1966 – Too Short, American rapper, producer and actor
  • 1967 – Chris White, English engineer and politician
  • 1968 – Howard Donald, English singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1968 – Andy Flower, South-African-Zimbabwean cricketer and coach
  • 1969 – LeRon Perry Ellis, American basketball player
  • 1970 – Richard Fromberg, Australian tennis player
  • 1970 – Nicklas Lidström, Swedish ice hockey player and scout
  • 1970 – Diego Simeone, Argentinian footballer and manager
  • 1971 – Brad McEwan, Australian journalist
  • 1972 – Violent J, American rapper
  • 1972 – Helena Tulve, Estonian composer
  • 1972 – Jean-Paul van Gastel, Dutch footballer and manager
  • 1973 – Jorge Garcia, American actor and producer
  • 1973 – Earl Holmes, American football player and coach
  • 1973 – Andrew Mehrtens, South African-New Zealand rugby player
  • 1974 – Penélope Cruz, Spanish actress and producer
  • 1974 – Margo Dydek, Polish basketball player and coach (d. 2011)
  • 1974 – Richel Hersisia, Dutch boxer
  • 1974 – Vernon Kay, English radio and television host
  • 1974 – Dominic Matteo, Scottish footballer and journalist
  • 1975 – Michael Walchhofer, Austrian skier
  • 1976 – Shane Jurgensen, Australian cricketer
  • 1978 – Lauren Laverne, English singer and television host
  • 1978 – Robert Oliveri, American actor
  • 1978 – Nate Richert, American actor
  • 1979 – Scott Fujita, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1980 – Bradley Wiggins, English cyclist
  • 1981 – Jessica Alba, American model and actress
  • 1981 – Pietro Travagli, Italian rugby player
  • 1982 – Nikki Grahame, English model and journalist
  • 1982 – Chris Kaman, American basketball player
  • 1983 – Josh Brookes, Australian motorcycle racer
  • 1983 – David Freese, American baseball player
  • 1983 – Roger Johnson, English footballer
  • 1983 – Graham Wagg, English cricketer
  • 1983 – Thomas Waldrom, New Zealand-English rugby player
  • 1984 – Dmitri Torbinski, Russian footballer
  • 1985 – Lucas Jakubczyk, German sprinter and long jumper
  • 1985 – Deividas Stagniūnas, Lithuanian ice dancer
  • 1986 – Roman Polák, Czech ice hockey player
  • 1986 – Jenna Ushkowitz, Korean-American actress, singer, and dancer
  • 1987 – Ryan Conroy, Scottish footballer
  • 1987 – Samantha Akkineni, Indian actress and model
  • 1987 – Bradley Johnson, English footballer
  • 1987 – Zoran Tošić, Serbian footballer
  • 1988 – Jonathan Biabiany, French footballer
  • 1988 – Juan Manuel Mata, Spanish footballer
  • 1988 – Katariina Tuohimaa, Finnish tennis player
  • 1989 – Emil Salomonsson, Swedish footballer
  • 1989 – Kim Sung-kyu, South Korean singer
  • 1990 – Niels-Peter Mørck, Danish footballer
  • 1992 – Blake Bortles, American football player
  • 1992 – DeMarcus Lawrence, American football player
  • 1993 – Craig Garvey, Australian rugby league player
  • 1993 – Eva Samková, Czech snowboarder
  • 1995 – Jonathan Benteke, Belgian footballer
  • 1995 – Melanie Martinez, American singer

Deaths on April 28

  • 224 – Artabanus V of Parthia (b. 191)
  • 948 – Hu Jinsi, Chinese general and prefect
  • 988 – Adaldag, archbishop of Bremen
  • 1109 – Abbot Hugh of Cluny (b. 1024)
  • 1192 – Conrad of Montferrat (b. 1140)
  • 1197 – Rhys ap Gruffydd, prince of Deheubarth (b. 1132)
  • 1257 – Shajar al-Durr, sovereign sultana of Egypt
  • 1260 – Luchesius Modestini, founding member of the Third Order of St. Francis
  • 1400 – Baldus de Ubaldis, Italian jurist (b. 1327)
  • 1489 – Henry Percy, 4th Earl of Northumberland, English politician (b. 1449)
  • 1533 – Nicholas West, English bishop and diplomat (b. 1461)
  • 1643 – Francisco de Lucena, Portuguese politician (b. 1578)
  • 1710 – Thomas Betterton, English actor and manager (b. 1630)
  • 1716 – Louis de Montfort, French priest and saint (b. 1673)
  • 1726 – Thomas Pitt, English merchant and politician (b. 1653)
  • 1741 – Magnus Julius De la Gardie, Swedish general and politician (b. 1668)
  • 1772 – Johann Friedrich Struensee, German physician and politician (b. 1737)
  • 1781 – Cornelius Harnett, American merchant, farmer, and politician (b. 1723)
  • 1813 – Mikhail Kutuzov, Russian field marshal (b. 1745)
  • 1816 – Johann Heinrich Abicht, German philosopher, author, and academic (b. 1762)
  • 1841 – Peter Chanel, French priest, missionary, and martyr (b. 1803)
  • 1853 – Ludwig Tieck, German author and poet (b. 1773)
  • 1858 – Johannes Peter Müller, German physiologist and anatomist (b. 1801)
  • 1865 – Samuel Cunard, Canadian-English businessman, founded Cunard Line (b. 1787)
  • 1881 – Antoine Samuel Adam-Salomon, French sculptor and photographer (b. 1818)
  • 1883 – John Russell, English hunter and dog breeder (b. 1795)
  • 1902 – Cyprien Tanguay, Canadian priest and historian (b. 1819)
  • 1903 – Josiah Willard Gibbs, American scientist (b. 1839)
  • 1905 – Fitzhugh Lee, American general and politician, 40th Governor of Virginia (b. 1835)
  • 1925 – Richard Butler, English-Australian politician, 23rd Premier of South Australia (b. 1850)
  • 1928 – May Jordan McConnel, Australian trade unionist and suffragist (b. 1860)
  • 1929 – Hendrik van Heuckelum, Dutch footballer (b. 1879)
  • 1936 – Fuad I of Egypt (b. 1868)
  • 1944 – Mohammed Alim Khan, Manghud ruler (b. 1880)
  • 1944 – Frank Knox, American journalist and politician, 46th United States Secretary of the Navy (b. 1874)
  • 1945 – Roberto Farinacci, Italian soldier and politician (b. 1892)
  • 1945 – Hermann Fegelein, German general (b. 1906)
  • 1945 – Benito Mussolini, Italian journalist and politician, 27th Prime Minister of Italy (b. 1883)
  • 1946 – Louis Bachelier, French mathematician and academic (b. 1870)
  • 1954 – Léon Jouhaux, French union leader, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1879)
  • 1956 – Fred Marriott, American race car driver (b. 1872)
  • 1957 – Heinrich Bär, German colonel and pilot (b. 1913)
  • 1962 – Bennie Osler, South African rugby player (b. 1901)
  • 1963 – Wilhelm Weber, German gymnast (b. 1880)
  • 1970 – Ed Begley, American actor (b. 1901)
  • 1973 – Clas Thunberg, Finnish speed skater (b. 1893)
  • 1976 – Richard Hughes, American author and poet (b. 1900)
  • 1977 – Ricardo Cortez, American actor (b. 1900)
  • 1977 – Sepp Herberger, German footballer and coach (b. 1897)
  • 1978 – Mohammed Daoud Khan, Afghan commander and politician, 1st President of Afghanistan (b. 1909)
  • 1980 – Tommy Caldwell, American bass player (b. 1949)
  • 1987 – Ben Linder, American engineer and activist (b. 1959)
  • 1991 – Steve Broidy, American film producer (b. 1905)
  • 1992 – Francis Bacon, Irish painter (b. 1909)
  • 1993 – Diva Diniz Corrêa, Brazilian zoologist (b. 1918)
  • 1993 – Jim Valvano, American basketball player, coach, and sportscaster (b. 1946)
  • 1994 – Berton Roueché, American journalist and author (b. 1910)
  • 1996 – Lester Sumrall, American minister, founded LeSEA (b. 1913)
  • 1997 – Ann Petry, American novelist (b. 1908)
  • 1998 – Jerome Bixby, American author and screenwriter (b. 1923)
  • 1999 – Rory Calhoun, American actor, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1922)
  • 1999 – Rolf Landauer, German-American physicist and engineer (b. 1927)
  • 1999 – Alf Ramsey, English footballer and manager (b. 1920)
  • 1999 – Arthur Leonard Schawlow, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1921)
  • 2000 – Jerzy Einhorn, Polish-Swedish physician and politician (b. 1925)
  • 2000 – Penelope Fitzgerald, English author and poet (b. 1916)
  • 2002 – Alexander Lebed, Russian general and politician (b. 1950)
  • 2002 – Lou Thesz, American wrestler and trainer (b. 1916)
  • 2005 – Percy Heath, American bassist (b. 1923)
  • 2005 – Chris Candido, American wrestler (b. 1971)
  • 2005 – Taraki Sivaram, Sri Lankan journalist and author (b. 1959)
  • 2006 – Steve Howe, American baseball player (b. 1958)
  • 2007 – Dabbs Greer, American actor (b. 1917)
  • 2007 – René Mailhot, Canadian journalist (b. 1942)
  • 2007 – Tommy Newsom, American saxophonist and bandleader (b. 1929)
  • 2007 – Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker, German physicist and philosopher (b. 1912)
  • 2007 – Bertha Wilson, Scottish-Canadian lawyer and jurist (b. 1923)
  • 2009 – Ekaterina Maximova, Russian ballerina and actress (b. 1939)
  • 2009 – Richard Pratt, Polish-Australian businessman (b. 1934)
  • 2011 – Erhard Loretan, Swiss mountaineer (b. 1959)
  • 2012 – Fred Allen, New Zealand rugby player and coach (b. 1920)
  • 2012 – Matilde Camus, Spanish poet and author (b. 1919)
  • 2012 – Al Ecuyer, American football player (b. 1937)
  • 2012 – Patricia Medina, English actress (b. 1919)
  • 2012 – Milan N. Popović, Serbian psychiatrist and author (b. 1924)
  • 2012 – Aberdeen Shikoyi, Kenyan rugby player (b. 1985)
  • 2013 – Brad Lesley, American baseball player (b. 1958)
  • 2013 – Fredrick McKissack, American author (b. 1939)
  • 2013 – John C. Reynolds, American computer scientist and academic (b. 1935)
  • 2013 – Jack Shea, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1928)
  • 2013 – János Starker, Hungarian-American cellist and educator (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – Paulo Vanzolini, Brazilian singer-songwriter and zoologist (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – Bernie Wood, New Zealand journalist and author (b. 1939)
  • 2014 – Barbara Fiske Calhoun, American cartoonist and painter (b. 1919)
  • 2014 – William Honan, American journalist and author (b. 1930)
  • 2014 – Dennis Kamakahi, American guitarist and composer (b. 1953)
  • 2014 – Edgar Laprade, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1919)
  • 2014 – Jack Ramsay, American basketball player, coach, and sportscaster (b. 1925)
  • 2014 – Idris Sardi, Indonesian violinist and composer (b. 1938)
  • 2014 – Frederic Schwartz, American architect, co-designed Empty Sky (b. 1951)
  • 2014 – Ryan Tandy, Australian rugby player (b. 1981)
  • 2015 – Antônio Abujamra, Brazilian actor and director (b. 1932)
  • 2015 – Marcia Brown, American author and illustrator (b. 1918)
  • 2015 – Michael J. Ingelido, American general (b. 1916)
  • 2016 – Jenny Diski, English author and screenwriter (b. 1947)
  • 2017 – Mariano Gagnon, American Catholic priest and author (b. 1929)
  • 2018 – James Hylton, American race car driver (b. 1934)
  • 2019 – Richard Lugar, American politician (b.1932)
  • 2019 – John Singleton, American film director (b. 1968)

Holidays and observances on April 28

  • Christian feast day:
    • Aphrodisius and companions
    • Gianna Beretta Molla
    • Kirill of Turov (Orthodox, added to Roman Martyrology in 1969)
    • Louis de Montfort
    • Pamphilus of Sulmona
    • Peter Chanel
    • Vitalis and Valeria of Milan
    • April 28 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Lawyers’ Day (Odisha, India)
  • Mujahideen Victory Day (Afghanistan)
  • National Heroes Day (Barbados)
  • Restoration of Sovereignty Day (Japan)
  • Sardinia Day (Sardinia)
  • Workers’ Memorial Day and World Day for Safety and Health at Work (international)
    • National Day of Mourning (Canada)

April 28 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day, Uncategorized

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

  • 43 BC – Battle of Forum Gallorum: Mark Antony, besieging Caesar’s assassin Decimus Brutus in Mutina, defeats the forces of the consul Pansa, but is then immediately defeated by the army of the other consul, Aulus Hirtius.
  • AD 69 – Vitellius, commander of the Rhine armies, defeats Emperor Otho in the Battle of Bedriacum to take power over Rome.
  • AD 70 – Siege of Jerusalem: Titus, son of emperor Vespasian, surrounds the Jewish capital with four Roman legions.
  • 193 – Septimius Severus is proclaimed Roman emperor by the army in Illyricum (in the Balkans).
  • 966 – After his marriage to the Christian Doubravka of Bohemia, the pagan ruler of the Polans, Mieszko I, converts to Christianity, an event considered to be the founding of the Polish state.
  • 972 – Co-Emperor Otto II, a son of Otto I (the Great), marries the Byzantine princess Theophanu. She is crowned empress by Pope John XIII at Rome.
  • 1028 – Henry III, son of Conrad, is elected King of Germany.
  • 1205 – Battle of Adrianople between Bulgarians and Crusaders.
  • 1294 – Temür, grandson of Kublai, is elected Khagan of the Mongols and Emperor of the Yuan dynasty with the reigning titles Oljeitu and Chengzong.
  • 1341 – Sack of Saluzzo (Italy) by Italian-Angevine troops under Manfred V, Marquess of Saluzzo.
  • 1434 – The foundation stone of Nantes Cathedral, France is laid.
  • 1471 – In England, the Yorkists under Edward IV defeat the Lancastrians under the Earl of Warwick at the Battle of Barnet; the Earl is killed and Edward IV resumes the throne.
  • 1561 – A celestial phenomenon is reported over Nuremberg, described as an aerial battle.
  • 1639 – Imperial forces are defeated by the Swedes at the Battle of Chemnitz. The Swedish victory prolongs the Thirty Years’ War and allows them to advance into Bohemia.
  • 1699 – Khalsa: The Sikh religion was formalised as the Khalsa – the brotherhood of Warrior-Saints – by Guru Gobind Singh in northern India, in accordance with the Nanakshahi calendar.
  • 1775 – The first abolition society in North America is established. The Society for the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully Held in Bondage is organized in Philadelphia by Benjamin Franklin and Benjamin Rush.
  • 1816 – Bussa, a slave in British-ruled Barbados, leads a slave rebellion and is killed. For this, he is remembered as the first national hero of Barbados.
  • 1828 – Noah Webster copyrights the first edition of his dictionary.
  • 1849 – Hungary declares itself independent of Austria with Lajos Kossuth as its leader.
  • 1865 – U.S. President Abraham Lincoln is shot in Ford’s Theatre by John Wilkes Booth; Lincoln died the next day.
  • 1865 – U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward and his family are attacked at home by Lewis Powell.
  • 1881 – The Four Dead in Five Seconds Gunfight is fought in El Paso, Texas.
  • 1890 – The Pan-American Union is founded by the First International Conference of American States in Washington, D.C.
  • 1894 – The first ever commercial motion picture house opened in New York City using ten Kinetoscopes, a device for peep-show viewing of films.
  • 1900 – The Exposition Universelle begins.
  • 1902 – James Cash Penney opens his first store in Kemmerer, Wyoming.
  • 1906 – The Azusa Street Revival opens and will launch Pentecostalism as a worldwide movement.
  • 1908 – Hauser Dam, a steel dam on the Missouri River in Montana, U.S., fails, sending a surge of water 25 to 30 feet (7.6 to 9.1 m) high downstream.
  • 1909 – A massacre is organized by the Ottoman Empire against the Armenian population of Cilicia.
  • 1912 – The British passenger liner RMS Titanic hits an iceberg in the North Atlantic at 23:40 (sinks morning of April 15th).
  • 1927 – The first Volvo car premieres in Gothenburg, Sweden.
  • 1928 – The Bremen, a German Junkers W 33 type aircraft, reaches Greenly Island, Canada – the first successful transatlantic aeroplane flight from east to west.
  • 1931 – The Spanish Cortes deposes King Alfonso XIII and proclaims the Second Spanish Republic.
  • 1935 – The Black Sunday dust storm, considered one of the worst storms of the Dust Bowl, swept across the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles and neighboring areas.
  • 1939 – The Grapes of Wrath, by American author John Steinbeck is first published by the Viking Press.
  • 1940 – World War II: Royal Marines land in Namsos, Norway in preparation for a larger force to arrive two days later.
  • 1941 – World War II: German general Erwin Rommel attacks Tobruk.
  • 1944 – Bombay explosion: A massive explosion in Bombay harbor kills 300 and causes economic damage valued then at 20 million pounds.
  • 1945 – Razing of Friesoythe: The 4th Canadian (Armoured) Division deliberately destroyed the German town of Friesoythe on the orders of Major General Christopher Vokes.
  • 1958 – The Soviet satellite Sputnik 2 falls from orbit after a mission duration of 162 days. This was the first spacecraft to carry a living animal, a female dog named Laika, who likely lived only a few hours.
  • 1967 – Gnassingbé Eyadéma overthrows President of Togo Nicolas Grunitzky and installs himself as the new president, a title he would hold for the next 38 years.
  • 1978 – Tbilisi Demonstrations: Thousands of Georgians demonstrate against Soviet attempts to change the constitutional status of the Georgian language.
  • 1981 – STS-1: The first operational Space Shuttle, Columbia completes its first test flight.
  • 1986 – The heaviest hailstones ever recorded (1 kilogram (2.2 lb)) fall on the Gopalganj district of Bangladesh, killing 92.
  • 1988 – The USS Samuel B. Roberts strikes a mine in the Persian Gulf during Operation Earnest Will.
  • 1988 – In a United Nations ceremony in Geneva, Switzerland, the Soviet Union signs an agreement pledging to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan.
  • 1991 – The Republic of Georgia introduces the post of President after its declaration of independence from the Soviet Union.
  • 1994 – In a U.S. friendly fire incident during Operation Provide Comfort in northern Iraq, two United States Air Force aircraft mistakenly shoot-down two United States Army helicopters, killing 26 people.
  • 1999 – NATO mistakenly bombs a convoy of ethnic Albanian refugees. Yugoslav officials say 75 people were killed.
  • 1999 – A severe hailstorm strikes Sydney, Australia causing A$2.3 billion in insured damages, the most costly natural disaster in Australian history.
  • 2002 – Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez returns to office two days after being ousted and arrested by the country’s military.
  • 2003 – The Human Genome Project is completed with 99% of the human genome sequenced to an accuracy of 99.99%.
  • 2003 – U.S. troops in Baghdad capture Abu Abbas, leader of the Palestinian group that killed an American on the hijacked cruise liner the MS Achille Lauro in 1985.
  • 2005 – The Oregon Supreme Court nullifies marriage licenses issued to same-sex couples a year earlier by Multnomah County.
  • 2006 – Twin blasts triggered by crude bombs during Asr prayer in Jama Masjid, Delhi injure 13 people.
  • 2010 – Nearly 2,700 are killed in a magnitude 6.9 earthquake in the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.
  • 2014 – Twin bomb blasts in Abuja, Nigeria, kill at least 75 people and injures 141 others.
  • 2014 – Two hundred seventy-six schoolgirls are abducted by Boko Haram in Chibok, Nigeria.
  • 2016 – In Japan, the foreshock of Kumamoto earthquakes occurs.

Births on April 14

  • 1126 – Averroes, Spanish physician and philosopher (d. 1198)
  • 1204 – Henry I, king of Castile (d. 1217)
  • 1331 – Jeanne-Marie de Maille, French Roman Catholic saint (d. 1414)
  • 1527 – Abraham Ortelius, Flemish cartographer and geographer (d. 1598)
  • 1572 – Adam Tanner, Austrian mathematician, philosopher, and academic (d. 1632)
  • 1578 – Philip III of Spain (d. 1621)
  • 1629 – Christiaan Huygens, Dutch mathematician, astronomer, and physicist (d. 1695)
  • 1668 – Magnus Julius De la Gardie, Swedish general and politician (d. 1741)
  • 1678 – Abraham Darby I, English iron master (d. 1717)
  • 1709 – Charles Collé, French playwright and songwriter (d. 1783)
  • 1714 – Adam Gib, Scottish minister and author (d. 1788)
  • 1738 – William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1809)
  • 1741 – Emperor Momozono of Japan (d. 1762)
  • 1769 – Barthélemy Catherine Joubert, French general (d. 1799)
  • 1773 – Jean-Baptiste de Villèle, French politician, 6th Prime Minister of France (d. 1854)
  • 1788 – David G. Burnet, American politician, 2nd Vice-President of Texas (d. 1870)
  • 1800 – John Appold, English engineer (d. 1865)
  • 1812 – George Grey, Portuguese-New Zealand soldier, explorer, and politician, 11th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1898)
  • 1814 – Dimitri Kipiani, Georgian publicist and author (d. 1887)
  • 1819 – Harriett Ellen Grannis Arey, American educator, author, editor, and publisher (d. 1901)
  • 1827 – Augustus Pitt Rivers, English general, ethnologist, and archaeologist (d. 1900)
  • 1852 – Alexander Greenlaw Hamilton, Australian biologist (d. 1941)
  • 1854 – Martin Lipp, Estonian pastor and poet (d. 1923)
  • 1857 – Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom (d. 1944)
  • 1865 – Alfred Hoare Powell, English architect, and designer and painter of pottery (d. 1960)
  • 1866 – Anne Sullivan, American educator (d. 1936)
  • 1868 – Peter Behrens, German architect, designed the AEG turbine factory (d. 1940)
  • 1870 – Victor Borisov-Musatov, Russian painter and educator (d. 1905)
  • 1870 – Syd Gregory, Australian cricketer and coach (d. 1929)
  • 1872 – Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Indian-English scholar and translator (d. 1953)
  • 1876 – Cecil Chubb, English barrister and one time owner of Stonehenge (d. 1934)
  • 1881 – Husain Salaahuddin, Maldivian poet and scholar (d. 1948)
  • 1882 – Moritz Schlick, German-Austrian physicist and philosopher (d. 1936)
  • 1886 – Ernst Robert Curtius, German philologist and scholar (d. 1956)
  • 1886 – Árpád Tóth, Hungarian poet and translator (d. 1928)
  • 1889 – Arnold J. Toynbee, English historian and academic (d. 1975)
  • 1891 – B. R. Ambedkar, Indian economist, jurist, and politician, 1st Indian Minister of Law and Justice (d. 1956)
  • 1891 – Otto Lasanen, Finnish wrestler (d. 1958)
  • 1892 – Juan Belmonte, Spanish bullfighter (d. 1962)
  • 1892 – V. Gordon Childe, Australian archaeologist and philologist (d. 1957)
  • 1892 – Claire Windsor, American actress (d. 1972)
  • 1902 – Sylvio Mantha, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and referee (d. 1974)
  • 1903 – Henry Corbin, French philosopher and academic (d. 1978)
  • 1903 – Ruth Svedberg, Swedish discus thrower and triathlete (d. 2002)
  • 1904 – John Gielgud, English actor, director, and producer (d. 2000)
  • 1905 – Elizabeth Huckaby, American author and educator (d. 1999)
  • 1905 – Georg Lammers, German sprinter (d. 1987)
  • 1905 – Jean Pierre-Bloch, French author and activist (d. 1999)
  • 1906 – Faisal of Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabian king (d. 1975)
  • 1907 – François Duvalier, Haitian physician and politician, 40th President of Haiti (d. 1971)
  • 1912 – Robert Doisneau, French photographer and journalist (d. 1994)
  • 1912 – Georg Siimenson, Estonian footballer (d. 1978)
  • 1913 – Jean Fournet, French conductor (d. 2008)
  • 1916 – Don Willesee, Australian telegraphist and politician, 29th Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs (d. 2003)
  • 1917 – Valerie Hobson, English actress (d. 1998)
  • 1917 – Marvin Miller, American baseball executive (d. 2012)
  • 1918 – Mary Healy, American actress and singer (d. 2015)
  • 1919 – Shamshad Begum, Pakistani-Indian singer (d. 2013)
  • 1919 – K. Saraswathi Amma, Indian author and playwright (d. 1975)
  • 1920 – Ivor Forbes Guest, English lawyer, historian, and author (d. 2018)
  • 1921 – Thomas Schelling, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2016)
  • 1922 – Audrey Long, American actress (d. 2014)
  • 1923 – Roberto De Vicenzo, Argentinian golfer (d. 2017)
  • 1924 – Shorty Rogers, American trumpet player and composer (d. 1994)
  • 1924 – Joseph Ruskin, American actor and producer (d. 2013)
  • 1924 – Mary Warnock, Baroness Warnock, English philosopher, and academic (d. 2019)
  • 1925 – Abel Muzorewa, Zimbabwean minister and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Zimbabwe Rhodesia (d. 2010)
  • 1925 – Rod Steiger, American soldier and actor (d. 2002)
  • 1926 – Barbara Anderson, New Zealand author (d. 2013)
  • 1926 – Frank Daniel, Czech director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1996)
  • 1926 – Gloria Jean, American actress and singer (d. 2018)
  • 1926 – Liz Renay, American actress and author (d. 2007)
  • 1927 – Alan MacDiarmid, New Zealand chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2007)
  • 1927 – Dany Robin, French actress and singer (d. 1995)
  • 1929 – Gerry Anderson, English director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2012)
  • 1929 – Inez Andrews, African-American singer-songwriter (d. 2012)
  • 1930 – Martin Adolf Bormann, German priest and theologian (d. 2013)
  • 1930 – Arnold Burns, American lawyer and politician, 21st United States Deputy Attorney General (d. 2013)
  • 1930 – René Desmaison, French mountaineer (d. 2007)
  • 1930 – Bradford Dillman, American actor and author (d. 2018)
  • 1931 – Geoffrey Dalton, English admiral
  • 1931 – Paul Masnick, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1932 – Bill Bennett, Canadian lawyer and politician, 27th Premier of British Columbia (d. 2015)
  • 1932 – Atef Ebeid, Egyptian academic and politician, 47th Prime Minister of Egypt (d. 2014)
  • 1932 – Loretta Lynn, American singer-songwriter and musician
  • 1932 – Cameron Parker, Scottish businessman and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Renfrewshire
  • 1933 – Paddy Hopkirk, Northern Irish racing driver
  • 1933 – Boris Strugatsky, Russian author (d. 2012)
  • 1933 – Yuri Oganessian, Armenian-Russian nuclear physicist
  • 1934 – Fredric Jameson, American philosopher and theorist
  • 1935 – Susan Cunliffe-Lister, Baroness Masham of Ilton, English table tennis player, swimmer, and politician
  • 1935 – John Oliver, English bishop
  • 1935 – Erich von Däniken, Swiss historian and author
  • 1936 – Arlene Martel, American actress and singer (d. 2014)
  • 1936 – Bobby Nichols, American golfer
  • 1936 – Frank Serpico, American-Italian soldier, police officer and lecturer
  • 1937 – Efi Arazi, Israeli businessman, founded the Scailex Corporation (d. 2013)
  • 1937 – Sepp Mayerl, Austrian mountaineer (d. 2012)
  • 1938 – Mahmud Esad Coşan, Turkish author and academic (d. 2001)
  • 1940 – Julie Christie, English actress and activist
  • 1940 – David Hope, Baron Hope of Thornes, English archbishop and academic
  • 1940 – Richard Thompson, English physician and academic
  • 1941 – Pete Rose, American baseball player and manager
  • 1942 – Valeriy Brumel, Soviet high jumper (d. 2003)
  • 1942 – Valentin Lebedev, Russian engineer and astronaut
  • 1942 – Björn Rosengren, Swedish politician, Swedish Minister of Enterprise and Innovation
  • 1944 – John Sergeant, English journalist
  • 1945 – Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi, Samoan economist and politician, 8th Prime Minister of Samoa
  • 1945 – Ritchie Blackmore, English guitarist and songwriter
  • 1945 – Roger Frappier, Canadian producer, director and screenwriter
  • 1946 – Mireille Guiliano, French-American author
  • 1946 – Michael Sarris, Cypriot economist and politician, Cypriot Minister of Finance
  • 1946 – Knut Kristiansen, Norwegian pianist and orchestra leader
  • 1947 – Dominique Baudis, French journalist and politician (d. 2014)
  • 1947 – Bob Massie, Australian cricketer
  • 1948 – Berry Berenson, American model, actress, and photographer (d. 2001)
  • 1948 – Anastasios Papaligouras, Greek lawyer and politician, Greek Minister of Justice
  • 1949 – Dave Gibbons, English author and illustrator
  • 1949 – DeAnne Julius, American-British economist and academic
  • 1949 – Chris Langham, English actor and screenwriter
  • 1949 – Chas Mortimer, English motorcycle racer
  • 1949 – John Shea, American actor and director
  • 1950 – Francis Collins, American physician and geneticist
  • 1950 – Péter Esterházy, Hungarian author (d. 2016)
  • 1951 – Milija Aleksic, English footballer (d. 2012)
  • 1951 – José Eduardo González Navas, Spanish politician
  • 1951 – Julian Lloyd Webber, English cellist, conductor, and educator
  • 1951 – Elizabeth Symons, Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean, English politician
  • 1952 – Kenny Aaronson, American bass player
  • 1952 – Mickey O’Sullivan, Irish footballer and manager
  • 1952 – David Urquhart, Scottish bishop
  • 1954 – Sue Hill, English pathologist and civil servant
  • 1954 – Katsuhiro Otomo, Japanese director, screenwriter, and illustrator
  • 1956 – Boris Šprem, Croatian lawyer and politician, 8th President of Croatian Parliament (d. 2012)
  • 1957 – Lothaire Bluteau, Canadian actor
  • 1957 – Mikhail Pletnev, Russian pianist, composer, and conductor
  • 1958 – Peter Capaldi, Scottish actor
  • 1959 – Steve Byrnes, American sportscaster and producer (d. 2015)
  • 1959 – Marie-Thérèse Fortin, Canadian actress
  • 1960 – Brad Garrett, American actor and comedian
  • 1960 – Myoma Myint Kywe, Burmese historian and journalist
  • 1960 – Osamu Sato, Japanese graphic artist, programmer, and composer
  • 1960 – Tina Rosenberg, American journalist and author
  • 1960 – Pat Symcox, South African cricketer
  • 1961 – Robert Carlyle, Scottish actor and director
  • 1961 – Daniel Clowes, American cartoonist and screenwriter
  • 1962 – Guillaume Leblanc, Canadian athlete
  • 1964 – Brian Adams, American wrestler (d. 2007)
  • 1964 – Jeff Andretti, American race car driver
  • 1964 – Greg Battle, American-Canadian football player
  • 1964 – Stuart Duncan, American bluegrass musician
  • 1964 – Jeff Hopkins, Welsh international footballer and manager
  • 1964 – Gina McKee, English actress
  • 1965 – Tom Dey, American director and producer
  • 1965 – Alexandre Jardin, French author
  • 1965 – Craig McDermott, Australian cricketer and coach
  • 1966 – André Boisclair, Canadian lawyer and politician
  • 1966 – Jan Boklöv, Swedish ski jumper
  • 1966 – David Justice, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1966 – Greg Maddux, American baseball player, coach, and manager
  • 1967 – Nicola Berti, Italian international footballer
  • 1967 – Steve Chiasson, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1999)
  • 1967 – Alain Côté, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1967 – Barrett Martin, American drummer, songwriter, and producer
  • 1967 – Julia Zemiro, French-Australian actress, comedian, singer and writer
  • 1968 – Anthony Michael Hall, American actor
  • 1969 – Brad Ausmus, American baseball player and manager
  • 1969 – Martyn LeNoble, Dutch-American bass player
  • 1969 – Vebjørn Selbekk, Norwegian journalist
  • 1970 – Steve Avery, American baseball player
  • 1970 – Shizuka Kudō, Japanese singer and actress
  • 1971 – Miguel Calero, Colombian footballer and manager (d. 2012)
  • 1971 – Carlos Pérez, Dominican-American baseball player
  • 1971 – Gregg Zaun, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1972 – Paul Devlin, English-Scottish footballer and manager
  • 1972 – Roberto Mejía, Dominican baseball player
  • 1972 – Dean Potter, American rock climber and BASE jumper (d. 2015)
  • 1973 – Roberto Ayala, Argentinian footballer
  • 1973 – Adrien Brody, American actor
  • 1973 – Hidetaka Suehiro, Japanese video game director and writer
  • 1973 – David Miller, American tenor
  • 1974 – Da Brat, American rapper
  • 1975 – Lita, American wrestler
  • 1975 – Luciano Almeida, Brazilian footballer
  • 1975 – Avner Dorman, Israeli-American composer and academic
  • 1975 – Anderson Silva, Brazilian mixed martial artist and boxer
  • 1976 – Christian Älvestam, Swedish singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1976 – Georgina Chapman, English model, actress, and fashion designer, co-founded Marchesa
  • 1976 – Anna DeForge, American basketball player
  • 1976 – Kyle Farnsworth, American baseball player
  • 1976 – Nadine Faustin-Parker, Hatian hurdler
  • 1976 – Jason Wiemer, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1977 – Nate Fox, American basketball player (d. 2014)
  • 1977 – Martin Kaalma, Estonian footballer
  • 1977 – Sarah Michelle Gellar, American actress and producer
  • 1977 – Rob McElhenney, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1978 – Roland Lessing, Estonian biathlete
  • 1979 – Iain Balshaw, English rugby player
  • 1979 – Rebecca DiPietro, American wrestler and model
  • 1979 – Marios Elia, Cypriot footballer
  • 1979 – Ross Filipo, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1979 – Noé Pamarot, French footballer
  • 1979 – Patrick Somerville, American novelist and short story writer
  • 1979 – Kerem Tunçeri, Turkish basketball player
  • 1980 – Win Butler, American-Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1980 – Jeremy Smith, New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1981 – Mustafa Güngör, German rugby player
  • 1981 – Amy Leach, English director and producer
  • 1982 – Uğur Boral, Turkish footballer
  • 1982 – Larissa França, Brazilian volleyball player
  • 1983 – Simona La Mantia, Italian triple jumper
  • 1983 – James McFadden, Scottish footballer
  • 1983 – William Obeng, Ghanaian-American football player
  • 1983 – Nikoloz Tskitishvili, Georgian basketball player
  • 1984 – Blake Costanzo, American football player
  • 1984 – Charles Hamelin, Canadian speed skater
  • 1984 – Harumafuji Kōhei, Mongolian sumo wrestler, the 70th Yokozuna
  • 1984 – Adán Sánchez, American-Mexican musician (d. 2004)
  • 1984 – Tyler Thigpen, American football player
  • 1985 – Grant Clitsome, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1986 – Matt Derbyshire, English footballer
  • 1986 – Goran Gogić, Serbian footballer (d. 2015)
  • 1987 – Michael Baze, American jockey (d. 2011)
  • 1987 – Erwin Hoffer, Austrian footballer
  • 1987 – Wilson Kiprop, Kenyan runner
  • 1987 – Korina Perkovic, German tennis player
  • 1988 – Roberto Bautista Agut, Spanish tennis player
  • 1988 – Eric Gryba, Canadian ice hockey defenseman
  • 1988 – Eliška Klučinová, Czech heptathlete
  • 1988 – Vasileios Pliatsikas, Greek footballer
  • 1988 – Brad Sinopoli, Canadian football player
  • 1989 – Joe Haden, American football player
  • 1990 – Markus Smarzoch, German footballer
  • 1992 – Frederik Sørensen, Danish footballer
  • 1996 – Abigail Breslin, American actress

Deaths on April 14

  • 911 – Pope Sergius III, pope of the Roman Catholic Church
  • 1070 – Gerard, Duke of Lorraine (b. c. 1030)
  • 1099 – Conrad, Bishop of Utrecht (b. before 1040)
  • 1132 – Mstislav I of Kiev (b. 1076)
  • 1279 – Bolesław the Pious, Duke of Greater Poland (b. 1224)
  • 1322 – Bartholomew de Badlesmere, 1st Baron Badlesmere, English soldier and politician, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports (b. 1275)
  • 1345 – Richard de Bury, English bishop and politician, Lord Chancellor of The United Kingdom (b. 1287)
  • 1424 – Lucia Visconti, English countess (b. 1372)
  • 1433 – Lidwina, Dutch saint (b. 1380)
  • 1471 – Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, English commander and politician (b. 1428)
  • 1471 – John Neville, 1st Marquess of Montagu (b. 1431)
  • 1480 – Thomas de Spens, Scottish statesman and prelate (b. c. 1415)
  • 1488 – Girolamo Riario, Lord of Imola and Forli (b. 1443)
  • 1574 – Louis of Nassau (b. 1538)
  • 1578 – James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell, English husband of Mary, Queen of Scots (b. 1534)
  • 1587 – Edward Manners, 3rd Earl of Rutland (b. 1548)
  • 1599 – Henry Wallop, English politician (b. 1540)
  • 1609 – Gasparo da Salò, Italian violin maker (b. 1540)
  • 1662 – William Fiennes, 1st Viscount Saye and Sele, English politician (b. 1582)
  • 1682 – Avvakum, Russian priest and saint (b. 1620)
  • 1721 – Michel Chamillart, French politician, Controller-General of Finances (b. 1652)
  • 1740 – Lady Catherine Jones, English philanthropist (b.1672)
  • 1759 – George Frideric Handel, German-English organist and composer (b. 1685)
  • 1785 – William Whitehead, English poet and playwright (b. 1715)
  • 1792 – Maximilian Hell, Slovak-Hungarian astronomer and priest (b. 1720)
  • 1843 – Joseph Lanner, Austrian violinist and composer (b. 1801)
  • 1864 – Charles Lot Church, American-Canadian politician (b. 1777)
  • 1888 – Emil Czyrniański, Polish chemist (b. 1824)
  • 1910 – Mikhail Vrubel, Russian painter and sculptor (b. 1856)
  • 1911 – Addie Joss, American baseball player and journalist (b. 1880)
  • 1911 – Henri Elzéar Taschereau, Canadian lawyer and jurist, 4th Chief Justice of Canada (b. 1836)
  • 1912 – Henri Brisson, French politician, 50th Prime Minister of France (b. 1835)
  • 1914 – Hubert Bland, English activist, co-founded the Fabian Society (b. 1855)
  • 1916 – Gina Krog, Norwegian suffragist and women’s rights activist (b. 1847)
  • 1917 – L. L. Zamenhof, Polish physician and linguist, created Esperanto (b. 1859)
  • 1919 – Auguste-Réal Angers, Canadian judge and politician, 6th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec (b. 1837)
  • 1925 – John Singer Sargent, American painter (b. 1856)
  • 1930 – Vladimir Mayakovsky, Georgian-Russian actor, playwright, and poet (b. 1893)
  • 1931 – Richard Armstedt, German philologist, historian, and educator (b. 1851)
  • 1935 – Emmy Noether, German-American mathematician and academic (b. 1882)
  • 1938 – Gillis Grafström, Swedish figure skater and architect (b. 1893)
  • 1943 – Yakov Dzhugashvili, Georgian-Russian lieutenant (b. 1907)
  • 1950 – Ramana Maharshi, Indian guru and philosopher (b. 1879)
  • 1951 – Al Christie, Canadian-American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1881)
  • 1962 – M. Visvesvaraya, Indian engineer and scholar (b. 1860)
  • 1963 – Rahul Sankrityayan, Indian monk and historian (b. 1893)
  • 1964 – Tatyana Afanasyeva, Russian-Dutch mathematician and theorist (b. 1876)
  • 1964 – Rachel Carson, American biologist and author (b. 1907)
  • 1968 – Al Benton, American baseball player (b. 1911)
  • 1969 – Matilde Muñoz Sampedro, Spanish actress (b. 1900)
  • 1975 – Günter Dyhrenfurth, German-Swiss mountaineer, geologist, and explorer (b. 1886)
  • 1975 – Fredric March, American actor (b. 1897)
  • 1976 – José Revueltas, Mexican author and activist (b. 1914)
  • 1978 – Joe Gordon, American baseball player and manager (b. 1915)
  • 1978 – F. R. Leavis, English educator and critic (b. 1895)
  • 1983 – Pete Farndon, English bassist (The Pretenders) (b. 1952)
  • 1983 – Gianni Rodari, Italian journalist and author (b. 1920)
  • 1986 – Simone de Beauvoir, French novelist and philosopher (b. 1908)
  • 1990 – Thurston Harris, American singer (b. 1931)
  • 1990 – Olabisi Onabanjo, Nigerian politician, 3rd Governor of Ogun State (b. 1927)
  • 1992 – Irene Greenwood, Australian radio broadcaster and feminist and peace activist (b. 1898)
  • 1994 – Salimuzzaman Siddiqui, Pakistani chemist and scholar (b. 1897)
  • 1995 – Burl Ives, American actor, folk singer, and writer (b. 1909)
  • 1999 – Ellen Corby, American actress and screenwriter (b. 1911)
  • 1999 – Anthony Newley, English singer-songwriter and actor (b. 1931)
  • 1999 – Bill Wendell, American television announcer (b. 1924)
  • 2000 – Phil Katz, American computer programmer, co-created the zip file format (b. 1962)
  • 2000 – August R. Lindt, Swiss lawyer and politician (b. 1905)
  • 2000 – Wilf Mannion, English footballer (b. 1918)
  • 2001 – Jim Baxter, Scottish footballer (b. 1939)
  • 2001 – Hiroshi Teshigahara, Japanese director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1927)
  • 2003 – Jyrki Otila, Finnish politician (b. 1941)
  • 2004 – Micheline Charest, English-Canadian television producer, co-founded the Cookie Jar Group (b. 1953)
  • 2006 – Mahmut Bakalli, Kosovo politician (b. 1936)
  • 2007 – June Callwood, Canadian journalist, author, and activist (b. 1924)
  • 2007 – Don Ho, American singer and ukulele player (b. 1930)
  • 2007 – René Rémond, French historian and economist (b. 1918)
  • 2008 – Tommy Holmes, American baseball player and manager (b. 1917)
  • 2008 – Ollie Johnston, American animator and voice actor (b. 1912)
  • 2009 – Maurice Druon, French author (b. 1918)
  • 2010 – Israr Ahmed, Pakistani theologian and scholar (b. 1932)
  • 2010 – Alice Miller, Polish-French psychologist and author (b. 1923)
  • 2010 – Peter Steele, American singer-songwriter and bass player (b. 1962)
  • 2011 – Jean Gratton, Canadian Roman Catholic bishop (b. 1924)
  • 2012 – Émile Bouchard, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1919)
  • 2012 – Jonathan Frid, Canadian actor (b. 1924)
  • 2012 – Piermario Morosini, Italian footballer (b. 1986)
  • 2013 – Efi Arazi, Israeli businessman, founded the Scailex Corporation (b. 1937)
  • 2013 – Colin Davis, English conductor and educator (b. 1927)
  • 2013 – R. P. Goenka, Indian businessman, founded RPG Group (b. 1930)
  • 2013 – George Jackson, American singer-songwriter (b. 1945)
  • 2013 – Armando Villanueva, Peruvian politician, 121st Prime Minister of Peru (b. 1915)
  • 2013 – Charlie Wilson, American politician (b. 1943)
  • 2014 – Nina Cassian, Romanian poet and critic (b. 1924)
  • 2014 – Crad Kilodney, American-Canadian author (b. 1948)
  • 2014 – Wally Olins, English businessman and academic (b. 1930)
  • 2014 – Mick Staton, American soldier and politician (b. 1940)
  • 2015 – Klaus Bednarz, German journalist and author (b. 1942)
  • 2015 – Mark Reeds, Canadian-American ice hockey player and coach (b. 1960)
  • 2015 – Percy Sledge, American singer (b. 1940)
  • 2015 – Roberto Tucci, Italian cardinal and theologian (b. 1921)
  • 2019 – Bibi Andersson, Swedish actress (b.1935)

Holidays and observances on April 14

  • Ambedkar Jayanti (India)
  • Black Day (South Korea)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Anthony, John, and Eustathius
    • Bénézet
    • Henry Beard Delany (Episcopal Church (USA))
    • Domnina of Terni
    • Lidwina
    • Peter González
    • Tiburtius, Valerian, and Maximus
    • April 14 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Commemoration of Anfal Genocide Against the Kurds (Iraqi Kurdistan)
  • Day of Mologa (Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia)
  • Day of the Georgian language (Georgia)
  • Dhivehi Language Day (Maldives)
  • N’Ko Alphabet Day (Mande speakers)
  • Pan American Day (several countries in The Americas)
  • South and Southeast Asian New Year, celebrated on the sidereal vernal equinox. (see April 13):
    • Assamese New Year, or Bohag Bihu (India’s Assam Valley)
    • Bengali New Year, or Pohela Boishakh (Bangladesh and India’s West Bengal state)
    • Burmese New Year, or Thingyan (Myanmar)
    • Hindu and Sikh New Year, or Vaisakhi (Punjab region)
    • Khmer New Year, or Chol Chnam Thmey (Cambodia)
    • Lao New Year, or Pi Mai Lao (Laos)
    • Mahl New Year, or Alathu Aharudhuvas (Maldives and India’s Lakshadweep and Kerala state)
    • Maithili New Year, or Jude Sheetal (Mithila region)
    • Malayali New Year, or Vishu (India’s Kerala state)
    • Nepali New Year, or Navabarsha / Vaishak Ek (Nepal)
    • Oriya/Odia New Year, or Pana Sankranti (India’s Odisha state)
    • Sinhalese New Year, or Aluth Avurudhu (Sri Lanka)
    • Tamil New Year, or Puthandu (India’s Tamil Nadu state)
    • Thai New Year, or Songkran, celebrated from 13 to 15 April (Thailand)
    • Tuluva New Year, or Bisu (India’s Karnataka state)
  • The first day of Takayama Spring Festival (Takayama, Gifu, Japan)
  • Youth Day (Angola)

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

On This Day

April 10 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

  • 428 – Nestorius becomes the Patriarch of Constantinople.
  • 837 – Halley’s Comet makes its closest approach to Earth at a distance equal to 0.0342 AU (5.1 million kilometres/3.2 million miles).
  • 1407 – Deshin Shekpa, 5th Karmapa Lama visits the Ming dynasty capital at Nanjing. He is awarded the title “Great Treasure Prince of Dharma”.
  • 1500 – Ludovico Sforza is captured by Swiss troops at Novara and is handed over to the French.
  • 1606 – The Virginia Company of London is established by royal charter by James I of England with the purpose of establishing colonial settlements in North America.
  • 1710 – The Statute of Anne, the first law regulating copyright, comes into force in Great Britain.
  • 1741 – War of the Austrian Succession: Prussia gains control of Silesia at the Battle of Mollwitz.
  • 1809 – Napoleonic Wars: The War of the Fifth Coalition begins when forces of the Austrian Empire invade Bavaria.
  • 1815 – The Mount Tambora volcano begins a three-month-long eruption, lasting until July 15. The eruption ultimately kills 71,000 people and affects Earth’s climate for the next two years.
  • 1816 – The Federal government of the United States approves the creation of the Second Bank of the United States.
  • 1821 – Patriarch Gregory V of Constantinople is hanged by the Ottoman government from the main gate of the Patriarchate and his body is thrown into the Bosphorus.
  • 1826 – The 10,500 inhabitants of the Greek town of Missolonghi begin leaving the town after a year’s siege by Turkish forces. Very few of them survive.
  • 1858 – After the original Big Ben, a 14.5 tonnes (32,000 lb) bell for the Palace of Westminster, had cracked during testing, it is recast into the current 13.76 tonnes (30,300 lb) bell by Whitechapel Bell Foundry.
  • 1864 – Archduke Maximilian of Habsburg is proclaimed emperor of Mexico during the French intervention in Mexico.
  • 1865 – American Civil War: A day after his surrender to Union forces, Confederate General Robert E. Lee addresses his troops for the last time.
  • 1866 – The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is founded in New York City by Henry Bergh.
  • 1868 – At Arogee in Abyssinia, British and Indian forces defeat an army of Emperor Tewodros II. While 700 Ethiopians are killed and many more injured, only two British/Indian troops die.
  • 1872 – The first Arbor Day is celebrated in Nebraska.
  • 1875 – India: Arya Samaj is founded in Mumbai by Swami Dayananda Saraswati to propagate his goal of social reform.
  • 1887 – On Easter Sunday, Pope Leo XIII authorizes the establishment of the Catholic University of America.
  • 1912 – RMS Titanic sets sail from Southampton, England on her maiden and only voyage.
  • 1916 – The Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA) is created in New York City.
  • 1919 – Mexican Revolution leader Emiliano Zapata is ambushed and shot dead by government forces in Morelos.
  • 1925 – The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is first published in New York City, by Charles Scribner’s Sons.
  • 1938 – The 1938 German parliamentary election and referendum seeks approval for a single list of Nazi candidates and the recent annexation of Austria.
  • 1939 – Alcoholics Anonymous, A.A.’s “Big Book”, is first published.
  • 1941 – World War II: The Axis powers establish the Independent State of Croatia.
  • 1944 – Rudolf Vrba and Alfréd Wetzler escape from Birkenau death camp.
  • 1957 – The Suez Canal is reopened for all shipping after being closed for three months.
  • 1963 – One hundred twenty-nine American sailors die when the submarine USS Thresher sinks at sea.
  • 1968 – The TEV Wahine, a New Zealand ferry sinks in Wellington harbour due to a fierce storm – the strongest winds ever in Wellington. Out of the 734 people on board, fifty-three died.
  • 1970 – Paul McCartney announces that he is leaving The Beatles for personal and professional reasons.
  • 1971 – Ping-pong diplomacy: In an attempt to thaw relations with the United States, China hosts the U.S. table tennis team for a week-long visit.
  • 1972 – Tombs containing bamboo slips, among them Sun Tzu’s Art of War and Sun Bin’s lost military treatise, are accidentally discovered by construction workers in Shandong.
  • 1972 – Vietnam War: For the first time since November 1967, American B-52 bombers reportedly begin bombing North Vietnam.
  • 1973 – Invicta International Airlines Flight 435 crashes in a snowstorm on approach to Basel, Switzerland, killing 108 people.
  • 1979 – Red River Valley tornado outbreak: A tornado lands in Wichita Falls, Texas killing 42 people.
  • 1988 – The Ojhri Camp explosion kills or injures more than 1,000 people in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pakistan.
  • 1991 – Italian ferry MS Moby Prince collides with an oil tanker in dense fog off Livorno, Italy, killing 140.
  • 1991 – A rare tropical storm develops in the South Atlantic Ocean near Angola; the first to be documented by satellites.
  • 1998 – The Good Friday Agreement is signed in Northern Ireland.
  • 2009 – President of Fiji Ratu Josefa Iloilo announces the abrogation of the constitution and assumes all governance in the country, creating a constitutional crisis.
  • 2010 – Polish Air Force Tu-154M crashes near Smolensk, Russia, killing 96 people, including Polish President Lech Kaczyński, his wife, and dozens of other senior officials and dignitaries.
  • 2016 – The Paravur temple accident in which a devastating fire caused by the explosion of firecrackers stored for Vishu, kills more than one hundred people out of the thousands gathered for seventh day of Bhadrakali worship.
  • 2016 – An earthquake of 6.6 magnitude strikes 39 km west-southwest of Ashkasham, shakes up India, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Srinagar and Pakistan.
  • 2019 – Scientists from the Event Horizon Telescope project announce the first ever image of a black hole, located in the centre of the M87 galaxy.

Births on April 10

  • 401 – Theodosius II, Roman emperor (d. 450)
  • 1018 – Nizam al-Mulk, Persian scholar and vizier (d. 1092)
  • 1472 – Margaret of York, English princess (d. 1472)
  • 1480 – Philibert II, duke of Savoy (d. 1504)
  • 1487 – William I, count of Nassau-Dillenburg (d. 1559)
  • 1512 – James V, king of Scotland (d. 1542)
  • 1579 – Augustus II, duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (d. 1666)
  • 1583 – Hugo Grotius, Dutch philosopher and jurist (d. 1645)
  • 1603 – Christian, Prince-Elect of Denmark (d. 1647)
  • 1651 – Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus, German mathematician, physicist, and physician (d. 1708)
  • 1656 – René Lepage de Sainte-Claire, French-Canadian settler, founded Rimouski (d. 1718)
  • 1704 – Benjamin Heath, English scholar and author (d. 1766)
  • 1707 – Michel Corrette, French organist, composer, and author (d. 1795)
  • 1713 – John Whitehurst, English geologist and clockmaker (d. 1788)
  • 1755 – Samuel Hahnemann, German-French physician and academic (d. 1843)
  • 1762 – Giovanni Aldini, Italian physicist and academic (d. 1834)
  • 1769 – Jean Lannes, French marshal (d. 1809)
  • 1778 – William Hazlitt, English essayist and critic (d. 1830)
  • 1794 – Matthew C. Perry, English-Scottish American commander (d. 1858)
  • 1806 – Juliette Drouet, French actress (d. 1883)
  • 1806 – Leonidas Polk, Scottish-American general and bishop (d. 1884)
  • 1827 – Lew Wallace, American general, lawyer, and politician, 11th Governor of New Mexico Territory (d. 1905)
  • 1829 – William Booth, English minister, founded The Salvation Army (d. 1912)
  • 1847 – Joseph Pulitzer, Hungarian-American journalist, publisher, and politician, founded Pulitzer, Inc. (d. 1911)
  • 1864 – Eugen d’Albert, Scottish-German pianist and composer (d. 1932)
  • 1865 – Jack Miner, American-Canadian farmer, hunter, and environmentalist (d. 1944)
  • 1867 – George William Russell, Irish author, poet, and painter (d. 1935)
  • 1868 – George Arliss, English actor and playwright (d. 1946)
  • 1868 – Asriel Günzig, Moravian rabbi (d. 1931)
  • 1873 – Kyösti Kallio, Finnish farmer, banker, and politician, 4th President of Finland (d. 1940)
  • 1875 – George Clawley, English footballer (d. 1920)
  • 1877 – Alfred Kubin, Austrian author and illustrator (d. 1959)
  • 1879 – Bernhard Gregory, Estonian-German chess player (d. 1939)
  • 1879 – Coenraad Hiebendaal, Dutch rower and physician (d. 1921)
  • 1880 – Frances Perkins, American sociologist, academic, and politician, 4th United States Secretary of Labor (d. 1965)
  • 1880 – Montague Summers, English clergyman and author (d. 1948)
  • 1886 – Johnny Hayes, American runner and trainer (d. 1965)
  • 1887 – Bernardo Houssay, Argentinian physiologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1971)
  • 1889 – Louis Rougier, French philosopher from the Vienna Circle (d. 1982)
  • 1891 – Frank Barson, English footballer and coach (d. 1968)
  • 1893 – Otto Steinböck, Austrian zoologist (d. 1969)
  • 1894 – Ben Nicholson, British painter (d. 1982)
  • 1897 – Prafulla Chandra Sen, Indian accountant and politician, 3rd Chief Minister of West Bengal (d. 1990)
  • 1900 – Arnold Orville Beckman, American chemist, inventor, and philanthropist (d. 2004)
  • 1901 – Dhananjay Ramchandra Gadgil, Indian economist (d. 1971)
  • 1903 – Clare Turlay Newberry, American author and illustrator (d. 1970)
  • 1906 – Steve Anderson, American hurdler (d. 1988)
  • 1910 – Margaret Clapp, American scholar and academic (d. 1974)
  • 1910 – Helenio Herrera, Argentinian footballer and manager (d. 1997)
  • 1910 – Paul Sweezy, American economist and publisher, founded the Monthly Review (d. 2004)
  • 1911 – Martin Denny, American pianist and composer (d. 2005)
  • 1911 – Maurice Schumann, French journalist and politician, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs for France (d. 1998)
  • 1912 – Boris Kidrič, Austrian-Slovenian politician, 1st Prime Minister of Slovenia (d. 1953)
  • 1913 – Stefan Heym, German-American soldier and author (d. 2001)
  • 1914 – Jack Badcock, Australian cricketer (d. 1982)
  • 1915 – Harry Morgan, American actor and director (d. 2011)
  • 1915 – Leo Vroman, Dutch-American hematologist, poet, and illustrator (d. 2014)
  • 1916 – Lee Jung-seob, Korean painter (d. 1956)
  • 1917 – Jagjit Singh Lyallpuri, Indian politician (d. 2013)
  • 1917 – Robert Burns Woodward, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1979)
  • 1919 – John Houbolt, American engineer and academic (d. 2014)
  • 1921 – Chuck Connors, American baseball player and actor (d. 1992)
  • 1921 – Jake Warren, Canadian soldier and diplomat, Canadian Ambassador to the United States (d. 2008)
  • 1921 – Sheb Wooley, American singer-songwriter and actor (d. 2003)
  • 1923 – Roger Gaillard, Haitian historian and author (d. 2000)
  • 1923 – Jane Kean, American actress and singer (d. 2013)
  • 1923 – Floyd Simmons, American decathlete and actor (d. 2008)
  • 1923 – Sid Tickridge, English footballer (d. 1997)
  • 1923 – John Watkins, South African cricketer
  • 1924 – Kenneth Noland, American soldier and painter (d. 2010)
  • 1925 – Linda Goodman, American astrologer and author (d. 1995)
  • 1925 – Angelo Poffo, American wrestler and promoter (d. 2010)
  • 1926 – Jacques Castérède, French pianist and composer (d. 2014)
  • 1926 – Junior Samples, American comedian (d. 1983)
  • 1927 – Norma Candal, Puerto Rican-American actress (d. 2006)
  • 1927 – Marshall Warren Nirenberg, American biochemist and geneticist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2010)
  • 1929 – Mike Hawthorn, English race car driver (d. 1959)
  • 1929 – Liz Sheridan, American actress
  • 1929 – Max von Sydow, Swedish-French actor (d. 2020)
  • 1930 – Claude Bolling, French pianist, composer, and actor
  • 1930 – Dolores Huerta, American activist, co-founded the United Farm Workers
  • 1931 – Kishori Amonkar, Indian classical vocalist (d. 2017)
  • 1932 – Delphine Seyrig, Swiss/Alsatian French actress (d. 1990)
  • 1932 – Omar Sharif, Egyptian actor and screenwriter (d. 2015)
  • 1933 – Rokusuke Ei, Japanese composer and author (d. 2016)
  • 1933 – Helen McElhone, Scottish politician (d. 2013)
  • 1934 – David Halberstam, American journalist and author (d. 2007)
  • 1935 – John A. Bennett, American soldier (d. 1961)
  • 1935 – Patrick Garland, English actor and director (d. 2013)
  • 1935 – Peter Hollingworth, Australian bishop, 23rd Governor General of Australia
  • 1936 – John Howell, English long jumper
  • 1936 – John Madden, American football player, coach, and sportscaster
  • 1936 – Bobby Smith, American singer (d. 2013)
  • 1937 – Bella Akhmadulina, Soviet and Russian poet, short story writer, and translator (d. 2010)
  • 1938 – Don Meredith, American football player and sportscaster (d. 2010)
  • 1939 – Claudio Magris, Italian scholar, author, and translator
  • 1940 – Gloria Hunniford, British radio and television host
  • 1941 – Harold Long, Canadian politician (d. 2013)
  • 1941 – Paul Theroux, American novelist, short story writer, and travel writer
  • 1942 – Nick Auf der Maur, Canadian journalist and politician (d. 1998)
  • 1942 – Ian Callaghan, English footballer
  • 1942 – Stuart Dybek, American novelist, short story writer, and poet
  • 1943 – Andrzej Badeński, Polish-German sprinter (d. 2008)
  • 1943 – Margaret Pemberton, English author
  • 1945 – Kevin Berry, Australian swimmer (d. 2006)
  • 1946 – David Angell, American screenwriter and producer (d. 2001)
  • 1946 – Bob Watson, American baseball player and manager
  • 1946 – Adolf Winkelmann, German director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1947 – David A. Adler, American author and educator
  • 1947 – Bunny Wailer, Jamaican singer-songwriter and drummer
  • 1948 – Mel Blount, American football player
  • 1949 – Daniel Mangeas, French banker and sportscaster
  • 1949 – Eric Troyer, American singer-songwriter, keyboardist and guitarist
  • 1950 – Ken Griffey, Sr., American baseball player and manager
  • 1950 – Eddie Hazel, American guitarist (d. 1992)
  • 1951 – David Helvarg, American journalist and activist
  • 1952 – Narayan Rane, Indian politician, 16th Chief Minister of Maharashtra
  • 1952 – Masashi Sada, Japanese singer, lyricist, composer, novelist, actor, and producer
  • 1952 – Steven Seagal, American actor, producer, and martial artist
  • 1953 – David Moorcroft, English runner and businessman
  • 1953 – Pamela Wallin, Swedish-Canadian journalist, academic, and politician
  • 1954 – Paul Bearer, American wrestler and manager (d. 2013)
  • 1954 – Anne Lamott, American author and educator
  • 1954 – Peter MacNicol, American actor
  • 1954 – Juan Williams, Panamanian-American journalist and author
  • 1955 – Lesley Garrett, English soprano and actress
  • 1956 – Carol V. Robinson, English chemist and academic
  • 1957 – Aliko Dangote, Nigerian businessman, founded Dangote Group
  • 1957 – John M. Ford, American author and poet (d. 2006)
  • 1957 – Steve Gustafson, Spanish-American bass player
  • 1957 – Rosemary Hill, English historian and author
  • 1958 – Bob Bell, Northern Irish engineer
  • 1958 – Yefim Bronfman, Uzbek-American pianist
  • 1958 – Brigitte Holzapfel, German high jumper
  • 1959 – Babyface, American singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1959 – Yvan Loubier, Canadian economist and politician
  • 1959 – Brian Setzer, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1960 – Steve Bisciotti, American businessman, co-founded Allegis Group
  • 1960 – Katrina Leskanich, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1960 – Terry Teagle, American basketball player
  • 1961 – Nicky Campbell, Scottish broadcaster and journalist
  • 1961 – Joe Cole, American roadie and author (d. 1991)
  • 1961 – Carole Goble, English computer scientist and academic
  • 1961 – Mark Jones, American basketball player
  • 1962 – Steve Tasker, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1963 – Warren DeMartini, American guitarist and songwriter
  • 1963 – Jeff Gray, American baseball player and coach
  • 1963 – Doris Leuthard, Swiss lawyer and politician, 162nd President of the Swiss Confederation
  • 1965 – Tim Alexander, American drummer and songwriter
  • 1966 – Steve Claridge, English footballer, manager, and sportscaster
  • 1967 – Donald Dufresne, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1967 – David Rovics, American singer-songwriter
  • 1968 – Metin Göktepe, Turkish photographer and journalist (d. 1996)
  • 1968 – Orlando Jones, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1969 – Steve Glasson, Australian lawn bowler
  • 1969 – Ekaterini Koffa, Greek sprinter
  • 1970 – Enrico Ciccone, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1970 – Leonard Doroftei, Romanian-Canadian boxer
  • 1970 – Kenny Lattimore, American singer-songwriter
  • 1970 – Q-Tip, American rapper, producer, and actor
  • 1971 – Brad William Henke, American football player and actor
  • 1971 – Indro Olumets, Estonian footballer and coach
  • 1971 – Al Reyes, Dominican-American baseball player
  • 1972 – Ian Harvey, Australian cricketer
  • 1972 – Priit Kasesalu, Estonian computer programmer, co-created Skype
  • 1972 – Gordon Buchanan, Scottish film maker
  • 1973 – Guillaume Canet, French actor and director
  • 1973 – Roberto Carlos, Brazilian footballer and manager
  • 1973 – Aidan Moffat, Scottish singer-songwriter
  • 1973 – Christopher Simmons, Canadian-American graphic designer, author, and academic
  • 1974 – Eric Greitens, American soldier, author and politician
  • 1974 – Petros Passalis, Greek footballer
  • 1975 – Chris Carrabba, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1975 – Terrence Lewis, Indian dancer and choreographer
  • 1975 – David Harbour, American actor
  • 1976 – Clare Buckfield, English actress
  • 1976 – Yoshino Kimura, Japanese actress and singer
  • 1976 – Sara Renner, Canadian skier
  • 1977 – Stephanie Sheh, Taiwanese-American voice actress, director, and producer
  • 1978 – Sir Christus, Finnish guitarist
  • 1979 – Iván Alonso, Uruguayan footballer
  • 1979 – Kenyon Coleman, American football player
  • 1979 – Rachel Corrie, American author and activist (d. 2003)
  • 1979 – Tsuyoshi Domoto, Japanese singer-songwriter and actor
  • 1979 – Sophie Ellis-Bextor, English singer-songwriter
  • 1979 – Peter Kopteff, Finnish footballer
  • 1980 – Sean Avery, Canadian ice hockey player and model
  • 1980 – Charlie Hunnam, English actor
  • 1980 – Shao Jiayi, Chinese footballer
  • 1980 – Kasey Kahne, American race car driver
  • 1980 – Bryce Soderberg, American singer-songwriter and bass player
  • 1981 – Laura Bell Bundy, American actress and singer
  • 1981 – Liz McClarnon, English singer and dancer
  • 1981 – Michael Pitt, American actor, model and musician
  • 1981 – Alexei Semenov, Russian ice hockey player
  • 1982 – Andre Ethier, American baseball player
  • 1982 – Chyler Leigh, American actress and singer
  • 1983 – Jamie Chung, American actress
  • 1983 – Andrew Dost, American guitarist and songwriter
  • 1983 – Ryan Merriman, American actor
  • 1983 – Hannes Sigurðsson, Icelandic footballer
  • 1984 – Faustina Agolley, Australian television host
  • 1984 – Jeremy Barrett, American figure skater
  • 1984 – Mandy Moore, American singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1984 – David Obua, Ugandan footballer
  • 1984 – Damien Perquis, French-Polish footballer
  • 1984 – Gonzalo Javier Rodríguez, Argentinian footballer
  • 1985 – Barkhad Abdi, Somali-American actor and director
  • 1985 – Willo Flood, Irish footballer
  • 1985 – Jesús Gámez, Spanish footballer
  • 1985 – Dion Phaneuf, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1986 – Olivia Borlée, Belgian sprinter
  • 1986 – Fernando Gago, Argentine footballer
  • 1986 – Corey Kluber, American baseball pitcher
  • 1986 – Vincent Kompany, Belgian footballer
  • 1986 – Tore Reginiussen, Norwegian footballer
  • 1987 – Shay Mitchell, Canadian actress and model
  • 1987 – Hayley Westenra, New Zealand soprano
  • 1988 – Chris Heston, American baseball pitcher
  • 1988 – Kareem Jackson, American football player
  • 1988 – Haley Joel Osment, American actor
  • 1990 – Ben Amos, English footballer
  • 1990 – Andile Jali, South African footballer
  • 1990 – Ricky Leutele, Australian-Samoan rugby league player
  • 1990 – Maren Morris, American singer
  • 1990 – Alex Pettyfer, English actor
  • 1991 – AJ Michalka, American actress and singer
  • 1992 – Jack Buchanan, Australian rugby league player
  • 1992 – Sadio Mané, Senegalese footballer
  • 1992 – Daisy Ridley, English actress
  • 1993 – Sofia Carson, American singer and actress
  • 1994 – Siobhan Hunter, Scottish footballer
  • 1995 – Ian Nelson, American actor
  • 1996 – Thanasi Kokkinakis, Australian tennis player
  • 1996 – Audrey Whitby, American actress
  • 1998 – Anna Pogorilaya, Russian figure skater
  • 2001 – Ky Baldwin, Australian singer and actor
  • 2001 – Noa Kirel, Israeli singer

Deaths on April 10

  • 879 – Louis the Stammerer, king of West Francia (b. 846)
  • 943 – Landulf I, prince of Benevento and Capua
  • 948 – Hugh of Arles, king of Italy
  • 1008 – Notker of Liège, French bishop (b. 940)
  • 1216 – Eric X, king of Sweden (b. 1180)
  • 1282 – Ahmad Fanakati, chief minister under Kublai Khan
  • 1309 – Elisabeth von Rapperswil, Swiss countess (b. 1261)
  • 1362 – Maud, English noblewoman (b. 1339)
  • 1500 – Michael Tarchaniota Marullus, Greek scholar and poet
  • 1533 – Frederick I, king of Denmark and Norway (b. 1471)
  • 1545 – Costanzo Festa, Italian composer
  • 1585 – Gregory XIII, Pope of the Catholic Church (b. 1502)
  • 1598 – Jacopo Mazzoni, Italian philosopher (b. 1548)
  • 1599 – Gabrielle d’Estrées, French mistress of Henry IV of France (b. 1571)
  • 1601 – Mark Alexander Boyd, Scottish soldier and poet (b. 1562)
  • 1619 – Thomas Jones, English-Irish archbishop and politician, Lord Chancellor of Ireland (b. 1550)
  • 1640 – Agostino Agazzari, Italian composer and theorist (b. 1578)
  • 1644 – William Brewster, English official and pilgrim leader (b. 1566)
  • 1646 – Santino Solari, Swiss architect and sculptor (b. 1576)
  • 1667 – Jan Marek Marci, Czech physician and author (b. 1595)
  • 1704 – William Egon of Fürstenberg, German cardinal (b. 1629)
  • 1756 – Giacomo Antonio Perti, Italian composer (b. 1661)
  • 1760 – Jean Lebeuf, French historian and author (b. 1687)
  • 1786 – John Byron, English admiral and politician, 24th Commodore Governor of Newfoundland (b. 1723)
  • 1806 – Horatio Gates, English-American general (b. 1727)
  • 1813 – Joseph-Louis Lagrange, Italian mathematician and astronomer (b. 1736)
  • 1823 – Karl Leonhard Reinhold, Austrian philosopher and academic (b. 1757)
  • 1871 – Lucio Norberto Mansilla, Argentinian general and politician (b. 1789)
  • 1904 – Isabella II, Spanish queen (b. 1830)
  • 1909 – Algernon Charles Swinburne, English poet, playwright, novelist, and critic (b. 1837)
  • 1919 – Emiliano Zapata, Mexican general (b. 1879)
  • 1920 – Moritz Cantor, German mathematician and historian (b. 1829)
  • 1931 – Kahlil Gibran, Lebanese-American poet, painter, and philosopher (b. 1883)
  • 1935 – Rosa Campbell Praed, Australian novelist (b. 1851)
  • 1938 – King Oliver, American cornet player and bandleader (b. 1885)
  • 1942 – Carl Schenstrøm, Danish actor and director (b. 1881)
  • 1943 – Andreas Faehlmann, Estonian-German sailor and engineer (b. 1898)
  • 1945 – Hendrik Nicolaas Werkman, Dutch printer and typographer (b. 1882)
  • 1947 – Charles Nordhoff, English-American lieutenant and author (b. 1887)
  • 1950 – Fevzi Çakmak, Turkish field marshal and politician, 2nd Prime Minister of Turkey (b. 1876)
  • 1954 – Auguste Lumière, French director and producer (b. 1862)
  • 1954 – Oscar Mathisen, Norwegian speed skater (b. 1888)
  • 1955 – Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, French priest, theologian, and philosopher (b. 1881)
  • 1958 – Chuck Willis, American singer-songwriter (b. 1928)
  • 1960 – André Berthomieu, French director and screenwriter (b. 1903)
  • 1962 – Michael Curtiz, Hungarian-American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1886)
  • 1962 – Stuart Sutcliffe, Scottish artist and musician (b. 1940)
  • 1965 – Lloyd Casner, American race car driver, founded Casner Motor Racing Division (b. 1928)
  • 1965 – Linda Darnell, American actress (b. 1923)
  • 1966 – Evelyn Waugh, English soldier, novelist, journalist and critic (b. 1903)
  • 1968 – Gustavs Celmiņš, Latvian lieutenant and politician (b. 1899)
  • 1969 – Harley Earl, American businessman (b. 1893)
  • 1975 – Walker Evans, American photographer (b. 1903)
  • 1975 – Marjorie Main, American actress (b. 1890)
  • 1978 – Hjalmar Mäe, Estonian politician (b. 1901)
  • 1979 – Nino Rota, Italian pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1911)
  • 1980 – Kay Medford, American actress and singer (b. 1919)
  • 1981 – Howard Thurman, American author, philosopher and civil rights activist (b. 1899)
  • 1983 – Issam Sartawi, Palestinian activist (b. 1935)
  • 1985 – Zisis Verros, Greek chieftain of the Macedonian Struggle (b. 1880)
  • 1986 – Linda Creed, American singer-songwriter (b. 1948)
  • 1991 – Kevin Peter Hall, American actor (b. 1955)
  • 1991 – Martin Hannett, English guitarist and producer (b. 1948)
  • 1991 – Natalie Schafer, American actress (b. 1900)
  • 1992 – Sam Kinison, American comedian and actor (b. 1953)
  • 1993 – Chris Hani, South African activist and politician (b. 1942)
  • 1994 – Sam B. Hall, Jr., American lawyer, judge, and politician (b. 1924)
  • 1995 – Morarji Desai, Indian politician, 4th Prime Minister of India (b. 1896)
  • 1997 – Michael Dorris, American author and academic (b. 1945)
  • 1998 – Seraphim of Athens, Greek archbishop (b. 1913)
  • 1999 – Heinz Fraenkel-Conrat, German-American biochemist and physician (b. 1910)
  • 1999 – Jean Vander Pyl, American actress and voice artist (b. 1919)
  • 2000 – Peter Jones, English actor and screenwriter (b. 1920)
  • 2000 – Larry Linville, American actor (b. 1939)
  • 2003 – Little Eva, American singer (b. 1943)
  • 2004 – Jacek Kaczmarski, Polish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and poet (b. 1957)
  • 2004 – Sakıp Sabancı, Turkish businessman and philanthropist, founded Sabancı Holding (b. 1933)
  • 2005 – Norbert Brainin, Austrian violinist (b. 1923)
  • 2005 – Scott Gottlieb, American drummer (b. 1970)
  • 2005 – Archbishop Iakovos of America (b. 1911)
  • 2005 – Al Lucas, American football player (b. 1978)
  • 2005 – Wally Tax, Dutch singer-songwriter (b. 1948)
  • 2007 – Charles Philippe Leblond, French-Canadian biologist and academic (b. 1910)
  • 2007 – Dakota Staton, American singer (b. 1930)
  • 2009 – Deborah Digges, American poet and educator (b. 1950)
  • 2010 – Casualties in the 2010 Polish Air Force Tu-154 crash included:
    • Ryszard Kaczorowski, Polish soldier and politician, 6th President of the Republic of Poland (b. 1919)
    • Maria Kaczyńska, Polish economist, First Lady of Poland (b. 1942)
    • Lech Kaczyński, Polish lawyer and politician, 4th President of Poland (b. 1949)
    • Anna Walentynowicz, Ukrainian-Polish journalist and activist (b. 1929)
  • 2010 – Dixie Carter, American actress and singer (b. 1939)
  • 2012 – Raymond Aubrac, French engineer and activist (b. 1914)
  • 2012 – Barbara Buchholz, German theremin player and composer (b. 1959)
  • 2012 – Lili Chookasian, Armenian-American operatic singer (b. 1921)
  • 2012 – Luis Aponte Martínez, Puerto Rican cardinal (b. 1922)
  • 2012 – Akin Omoboriowo, Nigerian lawyer and politician (b. 1932)
  • 2013 – Lorenzo Antonetti, Italian cardinal (b. 1922)
  • 2013 – Raymond Boudon, French sociologist and academic (b. 1934)
  • 2013 – Binod Bihari Chowdhury, Bangladeshi activist (b. 1911)
  • 2013 – Robert Edwards, English physiologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1925)
  • 2013 – Olive Lewin, Jamaican anthropologist, musicologist, and author (b. 1927)
  • 2013 – Gordon Thomas, English cyclist (b. 1921)
  • 2013 – Angela Voigt, German long jumper (b. 1951)
  • 2014 – Dominique Baudis, French journalist and politician (b. 1947)
  • 2014 – Jim Flaherty, Canadian lawyer and politician, 37th Canadian Minister of Finance (b. 1949)
  • 2014 – Richard Hoggart, English author and academic (b. 1918)
  • 2014 – Sue Townsend, English author and playwright (b. 1946)
  • 2015 – Richie Benaud, Australian cricketer and sportscaster (b. 1930)
  • 2015 – Raúl Héctor Castro, Mexican-American politician and diplomat, 14th Governor of Arizona (b. 1916)
  • 2015 – Judith Malina, German-American actress and director, co-founded The Living Theatre (b. 1926)
  • 2015 – Rose Francine Rogombé, Gabonese lawyer and politician, President of Gabon (b. 1942)
  • 2015 – Peter Walsh, Australian farmer and politician, 6th Australian Minister for Finance (b. 1935)
  • 2016 – Howard Marks, Welsh cannabis smuggler, writer, and legalisation campaigner (b. 1945)

Holidays and observances on April 10

  • Christian feast day:
    • Fulbert of Chartres
    • James, Azadanus and Abdicius
    • Mikael Agricola (Lutheran)
    • Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (Episcopal Church)
    • William of Ockham (Anglicanism)
    • William Law (Anglicanism)
    • April 10 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Day of the Builder (Azerbaijan)
  • Feast of the Third Day of the Writing of the Book of the Law (Thelema)
  • Siblings Day (International observance)
  • World Homeopathy Day

April 10 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

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

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

Births on April 1

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

Deaths on April 1

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

Holidays and observances on April 1

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

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

On This Day

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

  • 845 – Paris is sacked by Viking raiders, probably under Ragnar Lodbrok, who collects a huge ransom in exchange for leaving.
  • 1430 – The Ottoman Empire under Murad II captures Thessalonica from the Republic of Venice.
  • 1461 – Battle of Towton: Edward of York defeats Queen Margaret to become King Edward IV of England, bringing a temporary stop to the Wars of the Roses.
  • 1500 – Cesare Borgia is given the title of Captain-General and Gonfalonier by his father Rodrigo Borgia after returning from his conquests in the Romagna.
  • 1549 – The city of Salvador da Bahia, the first capital of Brazil, is founded.
  • 1632 – Treaty of Saint-Germain is signed returning Quebec to French control after the English had seized it in 1629.
  • 1792 – King Gustav III of Sweden dies after being shot in the back at a midnight masquerade ball at Stockholm’s Royal Opera 13 days earlier. He is succeeded by Gustav IV Adolf.
  • 1806 – Construction is authorized of the Great National Pike, better known as the Cumberland Road, becoming the first United States federal highway.
  • 1809 – King Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden abdicates after a coup d’état. At the Diet of Porvoo, Finland’s four Estates pledge allegiance to Alexander I of Russia, commencing the secession of the Grand Duchy of Finland from Sweden.
  • 1831 – Great Bosnian uprising: Bosniaks rebel against Turkey.
  • 1847 – Mexican–American War: United States forces led by General Winfield Scott take Veracruz after a siege.
  • 1849 – The United Kingdom annexes the Punjab.
  • 1857 – Sepoy Mangal Pandey of the 34th Regiment, Bengal Native Infantry mutinies against the East India Company’s rule in India and inspires the protracted Indian Rebellion of 1857, also known as the Sepoy Mutiny.
  • 1865 – American Civil War: Federal forces under Major General Philip Sheridan move to flank Confederate forces under Robert E. Lee as the Appomattox Campaign begins.
  • 1867 – Queen Victoria gives Royal Assent to the British North America Act which establishes Canada on July 1.
  • 1871 – Royal Albert Hall is opened by Queen Victoria.
  • 1879 – Anglo-Zulu War: Battle of Kambula: British forces defeat 20,000 Zulus.
  • 1882 – The Knights of Columbus is established.
  • 1886 – John Pemberton brews the first batch of Coca-Cola in a backyard in Atlanta.
  • 1911 – The M1911 .45 ACP pistol becomes the official U.S. Army side arm.
  • 1927 – Sunbeam 1000hp breaks the land speed record at Daytona Beach, Florida.
  • 1930 – Heinrich Brüning is appointed German Reichskanzler.
  • 1936 – Adolf Hitler receives 99% of the votes in the 1936 German parliamentary election and referendum.
  • 1941 – The North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement goes into effect at 03:00 local time.
  • 1941 – World War II: British Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy forces defeat those of the Italian Regia Marina off the Peloponnesian coast of Greece in the Battle of Cape Matapan.
  • 1942 – The Bombing of Lübeck in World War II is the first major success for the RAF Bomber Command against Germany and a German city.
  • 1945 – World War II: Last day of V-1 flying bomb attacks on England.
  • 1945 – World War II: The German 4th Army is almost destroyed by the Soviet Red Army.
  • 1946 – Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México, one of Mexico’s leading universities, is founded.
  • 1947 – Malagasy Uprising against French colonial rule in Madagascar.
  • 1951 – Ethel and Julius Rosenberg are convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage.
  • 1957 – The New York, Ontario and Western Railway makes its final run, the first major U.S. railroad to be abandoned in its entirety.
  • 1961 – The Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, allowing residents of Washington, D.C., to vote in presidential elections.
  • 1962 – Arturo Frondizi, the president of Argentina, is overthrown in a military coup by Argentina’s armed forces, ending an 11​12 day constitutional crisis.
  • 1971 – My Lai Massacre: Lieutenant William Calley is convicted of premeditated murder and sentenced to life in prison.
  • 1973 – Vietnam War: The last United States combat soldiers leave South Vietnam.
  • 1973 – Operation Barrel Roll, a covert American bombing campaign in Laos to stop communist infiltration of South Vietnam, ends.
  • 1974 – NASA’s Mariner 10 becomes the first space probe to fly by Mercury.
  • 1974 – Terracotta Army was discovered in Shaanxi province, China.
  • 1982 – The Canada Act 1982 receives the Royal Assent from Queen Elizabeth II, setting the stage for the Queen of Canada to proclaim the Constitution Act, 1982.
  • 1984 – The Baltimore Colts load its possessions onto fifteen Mayflower moving trucks in the early morning hours and transfer its operations to Indianapolis.
  • 1990 – The Czechoslovak parliament is unable to reach an agreement on what to call the country after the fall of Communism, sparking the so-called Hyphen War.
  • 1993 – Catherine Callbeck becomes premier of Prince Edward Island and the first woman to be elected in a general election as premier of a Canadian province.
  • 1999 – The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above the 10,000 mark (10,006.78) for the first time, during the height of the dot-com bubble.
  • 1999 – A magnitude 6.8 earthquake in India strikes the Chamoli district in Uttar Pradesh, killing 103.
  • 2002 – In reaction to the Passover massacre two days prior, Israel launches Operation Defensive Shield against Palestinian militants, its largest military operation in the West Bank since the 1967 Six-Day War.
  • 2004 – Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia join NATO as full members.
  • 2010 – Two suicide bombers hit the Moscow Metro system at the peak of the morning rush hour, killing 40.
  • 2013 – At least 36 people are killed when a 16-floor building collapses in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
  • 2014 – The first same-sex marriages in England and Wales are performed.

Births on March 29

  • 1001 – Sokkate, king of the Pagan dynasty of Burma (d. 1044)
  • 1187 – Arthur I, Duke of Brittany (d. 1203)
  • 1373 – Marie d’Alençon, French princess (d. 1417)
  • 1517 – Carlo Carafa, Italian cardinal (d. 1561)
  • 1553 – Vitsentzos Kornaros, Greek poet and playwright (d. 1614)
  • 1561 – Santorio Santorio, Italian biologist (d. 1636)
  • 1584 – Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Lord Fairfax of Cameron, English general and politician (d. 1648)
  • 1602 – John Lightfoot, English priest, scholar, and academic (d. 1675)
  • 1620 – Edward Digges, English barrister and colonist
  • 1629 – Alexis of Russia, Tsar of Russia (d. 1676)
  • 1713 – John Ponsonby, Irish politician (d. 1789)
  • 1735 – Johann Karl August Musäus, German author (d. 1787)
  • 1747 – Johann Wilhelm Hässler, German pianist and composer (d. 1822)
  • 1769 – Nicolas Jean-de-Dieu Soult, French general and politician, 12th Prime Minister of France (d. 1851)
  • 1780 – Jørgen Jørgensen, Danish adventurer (d. 1841)
  • 1790 – John Tyler, American lawyer and politician, 10th President of the United States (d. 1862)
  • 1799 – Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1869)
  • 1802 – Johann Moritz Rugendas, German landscape painter of Spanish America (d. 1858)
  • 1816 – 10th Dalai Lama (d. 1837)
  • 1824 – Ludwig Büchner, German physiologist, physician, and philosopher (d. 1899)
  • 1826 – Wilhelm Liebknecht, German journalist and politician (d. 1900)
  • 1862 – Adolfo Müller-Ury, Swiss-American painter (d. 1947)
  • 1863 – Walter James, Australian politician, 5th Premier of Western Australia (d. 1943)
  • 1867 – Cy Young, American baseball player and manager (d. 1955)
  • 1869 – Aleš Hrdlička, Czech-American anthropologist and scholar (d. 1943)
  • 1869 – Sir Edwin Lutyens, British architect (d. 1944)
  • 1870 – Pavlos Melas, French-Greek captain (d. 1904)
  • 1871 – Tom Hayward, English cricketer (d. 1939)
  • 1872 – Hal Colebatch, English-Australian politician, 12th Premier of Western Australia (d. 1953)
  • 1873 – Tullio Levi-Civita, Jewish-Italian mathematician and academic (d. 1941)
  • 1874 – Lou Henry Hoover, American wife of Herbert Hoover, 33rd First Lady of the United States (d. 1944)
  • 1876 – Friedrich Traun, German sprinter and tennis player (d. 1908)
  • 1884 – Ed Archibald, Canadian pole vaulter (d. 1965)
  • 1885 – Dezső Kosztolányi, Hungarian author and poet (d. 1936)
  • 1888 – Enea Bossi, Sr., Italian-American engineer, designed the Budd BB-1 Pioneer and Bossi-Bonomi Pedaliante (d. 1963)
  • 1889 – Warner Baxter, American actor (d. 1951)
  • 1889 – Howard Lindsay, American producer, playwright, librettist, director and actor (d. 1968)
  • 1890 – Bert Bliss, English international footballer, inside forward (d. 1968)
  • 1891 – Yvan Goll, French-German poet and playwright (d. 1950)
  • 1891 – Alfred Neubauer, Austrian race car driver and manager (d. 1980)
  • 1892 – József Mindszenty, Hungarian cardinal (d. 1975)
  • 1893 – Astrid Holm, Danish actress (d. 1961)
  • 1895 – Ernst Jünger, German philosopher and author (d. 1998)
  • 1896 – Wilhelm Ackermann, German mathematician (d. 1962)
  • 1899 – Lavrentiy Beria, Georgian-Russian general and politician (d. 1953)
  • 1900 – Bill Aston, English race car driver (d. 1974)
  • 1900 – John McEwen, Australian farmer and politician, 18th Prime Minister of Australia (d. 1980)
  • 1902 – Marcel Aymé, French author, playwright, and screenwriter (d. 1967)
  • 1902 – Don Miller, American football player and coach (d. 1979)
  • 1902 – William Walton, English composer (d. 1983)
  • 1903 – Douglas Harkness, Canadian colonel and politician, 14th Canadian Minister of National Defence (d. 1999)
  • 1906 – James Bausch, American decathlete and football player (d. 1974)
  • 1907 – Braguinha, Brazilian singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2006)
  • 1908 – Arthur O’Connell, American actor (d. 1981)
  • 1908 – Dennis O’Keefe, American actor and screenwriter (d. 1968)
  • 1909 – Moon Mullican, American country and western singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 1967)
  • 1912 – Hanna Reitsch, German soldier and pilot (d. 1979)
  • 1914 – Phil Foster, American actor (d. 1985)
  • 1914 – Chapman Pincher, Indian-English historian, journalist, and author (d. 2014)
  • 1916 – Peter Geach, English philosopher and academic (d. 2013)
  • 1916 – Eugene McCarthy, American poet and politician (d. 2005)
  • 1917 – Tommy Holmes, American baseball player (d. 2008)
  • 1918 – Pearl Bailey, American actress and singer (d. 1990)
  • 1918 – Lê Văn Thiêm, Vietnamese mathematician and academic (d. 1991)
  • 1918 – Sam Walton, American businessman, founded Walmart and Sam’s Club (d. 1992)
  • 1919 – Eileen Heckart, American actress (d. 2001)
  • 1920 – John M. Belk, American businessman and politician (d. 2007)
  • 1920 – Clarke Fraser, American-Canadian geneticist and academic (d. 2014)
  • 1920 – Pierre Moinot, French author (d. 2007)
  • 1920 – Theodore Trautwein, American lawyer and judge (d. 2000)
  • 1921 – Sam Loxton, Australian cricketer, footballer, and politician (d. 2011)
  • 1923 – Geoff Duke, English-Manx motorcycle racer (d. 2015)
  • 1923 – Betty Binns Fletcher, American lawyer and judge (d. 2012)
  • 1923 – Bob Haymes, American singer-songwriter, and actor (d. 1989)
  • 1926 – Moshe Sanbar, Hungarian-Israeli banker and economist (d. 2012)
  • 1927 – John McLaughlin, American journalist and producer (d. 2016)
  • 1927 – John Vane, English pharmacologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2004)
  • 1928 – Romesh Bhandari, Pakistani-Indian politician, 13th Foreign Secretary of India (d. 2013)
  • 1928 – Keith Botsford, Belgian-American journalist, author, and academic (d. 2018)
  • 1928 – Vincent Gigante, American boxer and mobster (d. 2005)
  • 1929 – Sheila Kitzinger, English activist, author, and academic (d. 2015)
  • 1929 – Richard Lewontin, American biologist, geneticist, and academic
  • 1929 – Lennart Meri, Estonian director and politician, 2nd President of Estonia (d. 2006)
  • 1929 – Utpal Dutt, Indian Bengali actor, director and playwright (d. 1993)
  • 1930 – Anerood Jugnauth, Mauritian lawyer and politician, 4th President of Mauritius
  • 1931 – Ștefan Andrei, Romanian politician, 87th Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 2014)
  • 1931 – Sopubek Begaliev, Kyrgyzstani economist and politician (d. 2002)
  • 1931 – Aleksei Gubarev, Russian general, pilot, and astronaut (d. 2015)
  • 1931 – Norman Tebbit, English journalist and politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
  • 1933 – Jacques Brault, Canadian poet and academic
  • 1934 – Shahryar Khan, Indian-Pakistani politician and diplomat, 20th Foreign Secretary of Pakistan
  • 1936 – Richard Rodney Bennett, English-American composer and educator (d. 2012)
  • 1936 – Mogens Camre, Danish politician (d. 2016)
  • 1936 – John A. Durkin, American lawyer and politician (d. 2012)
  • 1936 – Judith Guest, American author and screenwriter
  • 1936 – Joseph P. Teasdale, American lawyer and politician, 48th Governor of Missouri (d. 2014)
  • 1937 – Roberto Chabet, Filipino painter and sculptor (d. 2013)
  • 1937 – Smarck Michel, Haitian businessman and politician, 6th Prime Minister of Haiti (d. 2012)
  • 1937 – Gordon Milne, English footballer
  • 1938 – Bert de Vries, Dutch politician
  • 1939 – Roland Arnall, French-American businessman and diplomat, 63rd United States Ambassador to the Netherlands (d. 2008)
  • 1939 – Terence Hill, Italian actor, director, and producer
  • 1939 – Hanumant Singh, Indian cricketer (d. 2006)
  • 1940 – Ray Davis, American bass singer (d. 2005)
  • 1940 – Astrud Gilberto, Brazilian singer-songwriter
  • 1940 – John Suchet, English journalist and game show host
  • 1941 – Joseph Hooton Taylor Jr., American astrophysicist and astronomer, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1942 – Bob Lurtsema, American football player
  • 1942 – Scott Wilson, American actor (d. 2018)
  • 1943 – Vangelis, Greek keyboard player and songwriter
  • 1943 – Chad Allan, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1943 – Eric Idle, English actor and comedian
  • 1943 – John Major, English banker and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
  • 1944 – Terry Jacks, Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1944 – Denny McLain, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1944 – Lynne Segal, Australian-British feminist academic and activist
  • 1945 – Walt Frazier, American basketball player and sportscaster
  • 1945 – Speedy Keen, English singer-songwriter, keyboard player, and producer (d. 2002)
  • 1946 – Billy Thorpe, English-Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (d. 2007)
  • 1946 – Segun Bucknor, Nigerian musician and journalist (d. 2017)
  • 1947 – Inge Bödding, German sprinter
  • 1947 – Robert Gordon, American singer and actor
  • 1947 – Bobby Kimball, American singer-songwriter
  • 1948 – Bud Cort, American actor, director, and screenwriter
  • 1948 – Piet Souer, Dutch record producer, songwriter and arranger
  • 1949 – Michael Brecker, American saxophonist and composer (d. 2007)
  • 1949 – Dave Greenfield, English musician (d. 2020)
  • 1949 – Pauline Marois, Canadian social worker and politician, 30th Premier of Quebec
  • 1949 – Keith Simpson, English historian and politician
  • 1951 – William Clarke, American harmonica player (d. 1996)
  • 1951 – Geoff Howarth, New Zealand cricketer
  • 1951 – Tina Monzon-Palma, Filipino journalist
  • 1952 – Rainer Bonhof, German footballer
  • 1952 – Russell Fairfax, Australian rugby player and coach
  • 1952 – John Hendricks, American businessman, founded Discovery Communications
  • 1952 – Teófilo Stevenson, Cuban boxer and engineer (d. 2012)
  • 1953 – Tõnis Palts, Estonian politician, 39th Mayor of Tallinn
  • 1955 – Earl Campbell, American football player
  • 1955 – Brendan Gleeson, Irish actor
  • 1955 – Marina Sirtis, British-American actress
  • 1956 – Patty Donahue, American singer (d. 1996)
  • 1957 – Elizabeth Hand, American author
  • 1957 – Christopher Lambert, American-born French actor
  • 1958 – Pedro Bial, Brazilian journalist and producer
  • 1958 – Travis Childers, American businessman and politician
  • 1958 – Nouriel Roubini, Turkish-American economist and academic
  • 1958 – Victor Salva, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1958 – Marc Silvestri, American publisher, founded Top Cow Productions
  • 1959 – Barry Blanchard, Canadian mountaineer
  • 1959 – Perry Farrell, American singer-songwriter
  • 1959 – Brad McCrimmon, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 2011)
  • 1960 – Wayne Pearce, Australian rugby league player, coach, and sportscaster
  • 1961 – Gary Brabham, English-Australian race car driver
  • 1961 – Mike Kingery, American baseball player
  • 1961 – Amy Sedaris, American actress and comedian
  • 1961 – Michael Winterbottom, English director and producer
  • 1962 – Billy Beane, American baseball player and manager
  • 1962 – Ted Failon, Filipino journalist and politician
  • 1962 – Kirk Triplett, American golfer
  • 1964 – Catherine Cortez Masto, American attorney and politician
  • 1964 – Jill Goodacre, American model and actress
  • 1964 – Elle Macpherson, Australian model and actress
  • 1964 – Ming Tsai, American chef and television host
  • 1965 – Emilios T. Harlaftis, Greek astrophysicist, astronomer, and academic (d. 2005)
  • 1965 – William Oefelein, American commander, pilot, and astronaut
  • 1965 – Voula Patoulidou, Greek hurdler, long jumper, and politician
  • 1966 – Krasimir Balakov, Bulgarian footballer and manager
  • 1966 – Jeroen Dijsselbloem, Dutch politician
  • 1966 – Eric Gunderson, American baseball player
  • 1966 – Sigrid Kirchmann, Austrian high jumper
  • 1967 – Ainars Bagatskis, Latvian basketball player and coach
  • 1967 – Michel Hazanavicius, French director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1967 – Brian Jordan, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1968 – Lucy Lawless, New Zealand actress
  • 1969 – Kim Batten, American hurdler
  • 1969 – Shinichi Mochizuki, Japanese mathematician
  • 1969 – Jimmy Spencer, American football player and coach
  • 1971 – Robert Gibbs, American political adviser, 28th White House Press Secretary
  • 1971 – Lara Logan, South African television and radio journalist and war correspondent
  • 1971 – Hidetoshi Nishijima, Japanese actor
  • 1972 – Rui Costa, Portuguese footballer
  • 1972 – Piet-Hein Geeris, Dutch field hockey player
  • 1972 – Alex Ochoa, Cuban-American baseball player and coach
  • 1972 – Priti Patel, British Indian politician, Secretary of State for the Home Department
  • 1973 – Marc Overmars, Dutch footballer and coach
  • 1973 – Sebastiano Siviglia, Italian footballer
  • 1973 – Steve Smith, English high jumper
  • 1974 – Miguel Gómez, Colombian-American photographer and educator
  • 1976 – Igor Astarloa, Spanish cyclist
  • 1976 – Jennifer Capriati, American tennis player
  • 1978 – Aaron Persico, New Zealand-Italian rugby player
  • 1980 – Bill Demong, American skier
  • 1980 – Bruno Silva, Uruguayan footballer
  • 1981 – Jlloyd Samuel, Trinidadian footballer (d. 2018)
  • 1982 – Jēkabs Rēdlihs, Latvian ice hockey player
  • 1983 – Darius Draudvila, Lithuanian decathlete
  • 1984 – Juan Mónaco, Argentinian tennis player
  • 1985 – Fernando Amorebieta, Venezuelan international footballer, central defender
  • 1985 – Maxim Lapierre, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1985 – Mickey Pimentel, American football player
  • 1986 – Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, English footballer
  • 1986 – Ivan Ukhov, Russian high jumper
  • 1987 – Gianluca Freddi, Italian footballer
  • 1987 – Dimitri Payet, French footballer
  • 1987 – Romain Hamouma, French footballer
  • 1988 – Esther Cremer, German runner
  • 1988 – Jesús Molina, Mexican footballer
  • 1988 – Jürgen Zopp, Estonian tennis player
  • 1989 – James Tomkins, English footballer
  • 1990 – Carlos Peña, Mexican footballer
  • 1990 – Teemu Pukki, Finnish footballer
  • 1990 – Lyle Taylor, English footballer
  • 1991 – Irene, South Korean idol, actress and television host
  • 1991 – Fabio Borini, Italian footballer
  • 1991 – N’Golo Kanté, French footballer
  • 1993 – Thorgan Hazard, Belgian footballer

Deaths on March 29

  • 87 BC – Emperor Wu of Han of China (b. 157 BC)
  • AD 57 – Emperor Guangwu of Han (b. 5 BC)
  • 500 – Gwynllyw, Welsh king and religious figure
  • 1058 – Pope Stephen IX (b. 1020)
  • 1075 – Ottokar I of Styria, German noble
  • 1368 – Emperor Go-Murakami of Japan (b. 1328)
  • 1461 – Henry Percy, 3rd Earl of Northumberland, English politician (b. 1421)
  • 1461 – Lionel de Welles, 6th Baron Welles
  • 1467 – Matthew Palaiologos Asen, Byzantine aristocrat and official
  • 1578 – Louis I, Cardinal of Guise (b. 1527)
  • 1578 – Arthur Champernowne, English admiral and politician (b. 1524)
  • 1628 – Tobias Matthew, English archbishop and academic (b. 1546)
  • 1629 – Jacob de Gheyn II, Dutch painter and engraver (b. 1565)
  • 1692 – Nicolaus Bruhns, Danish-German organist, violinist, and composer (b. 1665)
  • 1703 – George Frederick II, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach, (b. 1678)
  • 1751 – Thomas Coram, English captain and philanthropist, founded Foundling Hospital (b. 1668)
  • 1772 – Emanuel Swedenborg, Swedish astronomer, philosopher, and theologian (b. 1688)
  • 1788 – Charles Wesley, English missionary and poet (b. 1707)
  • 1792 – Gustav III of Sweden (b. 1746)
  • 1800 – Marc René, marquis de Montalembert, French general and engineer (b. 1714)
  • 1803 – Gottfried van Swieten, Dutch-Austrian librarian and diplomat (b. 1733)
  • 1826 – Johann Heinrich Voss, German poet, translator, and academic (b. 1751)
  • 1829 – Cornelio Saavedra, Argentinian general and politician (b. 1759)
  • 1848 – John Jacob Astor, German-American businessman (b. 1763)
  • 1855 – Henri Druey, Swiss politician, 2nd President of the Swiss Confederation (b. 1799)
  • 1873 – Francesco Zantedeschi, Italian priest and physicist (b. 1797)
  • 1877 – Inazuma Raigorō, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 7th Yokozuna (b. 1802)
  • 1888 – Charles-Valentin Alkan, French pianist and composer (b. 1813)
  • 1891 – John Plankinton, American businessman and industrialist, also noted for philanthropy (b. 1820)
  • 1891 – Georges Seurat, French painter (b. 1859)
  • 1900 – Cyrus K. Holliday, American businessman (b. 1826)
  • 1905 – William Plankinton, American businessman, industrialist and banker (b. 1843)
  • 1906 – Slava Raškaj, Croatian painter (b. 1878)
  • 1911 – Alexandre Guilmant, French organist and composer (b. 1837)
  • 1912 – Henry Robertson Bowers, Scottish lieutenant and explorer (b. 1883)
  • 1912 – Robert Falcon Scott, English lieutenant and explorer (b. 1868)
  • 1912 – Edward Adrian Wilson, English physician and explorer (b. 1872)
  • 1924 – Charles Villiers Stanford, Irish composer and conductor (b. 1852)
  • 1934 – Otto Hermann Kahn, German-American banker and philanthropist (b. 1867)
  • 1937 – Karol Szymanowski, Polish pianist and composer (b. 1882)
  • 1940 – Alexander Obolensky, Russian-English rugby player and soldier (b. 1916)
  • 1948 – Harry Price, English parapsychologist and author (b. 1881)
  • 1957 – Joyce Cary, Anglo-Irish novelist (b. 1888)
  • 1959 – Barthélemy Boganda, African priest and politician, 1st Prime Minister of the Central African Republic (b. 1910)
  • 1963 – Gaspard Fauteux, Canadian dentist and politician, 19th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec (b. 1898)
  • 1963 – August Rei, Estonian soldier, journalist, and politician, 12th Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1886)
  • 1970 – Anna Louise Strong, American journalist and author (b. 1885)
  • 1971 – Dhirendranath Datta, Pakistani lawyer and politician (b. 1886)
  • 1972 – J. Arthur Rank, English businessman, founded Rank Organisation (b. 1888)
  • 1980 – Mantovani, Italian-English conductor and composer (b. 1905)
  • 1981 – Eric Williams, Trinidadian historian and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago (b. 1911)
  • 1982 – Walter Hallstein, German academic and politician, 1st President of the European Commission (b. 1901)
  • 1982 – Carl Orff, German composer and educator (b. 1895)
  • 1982 – Nathan Farragut Twining, American general (b. 1897)
  • 1985 – Luther Terry, American physician and academic, 9th Surgeon General of the United States (b. 1911)
  • 1988 – Maurice Blackburn, Canadian composer and conductor (b. 1914)
  • 1988 – Ted Kluszewski, American baseball player and coach (b. 1924)
  • 1991 – Guy Bourdin, French photographer (b. 1928)
  • 1992 – Paul Henreid, American actor (b. 1908)
  • 1994 – Bill Travers, English actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1922)
  • 1995 – Mort Meskin, American illustrator (b. 1916)
  • 1995 – Terry Moore, American baseball player and coach (b. 1912)
  • 1996 – Frank Daniel, Czech-American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1926)
  • 1996 – Bill Goldsworthy, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1944)
  • 1997 – Hans-Walter Eigenbrodt, German footballer and coach (b. 1935)
  • 1999 – Gyula Zsengellér, Hungarian footballer (b. 1915)
  • 1999 – Joe Williams, American jazz singer (b. 1918)
  • 2001 – Helge Ingstad, Norwegian lawyer, academic, and explorer (b. 1899)
  • 2001 – John Lewis, American pianist and composer (b. 1920)
  • 2003 – Carlo Urbani, Italian physician and microbiologist (b. 1956)
  • 2004 – Lise de Baissac, Mauritian-born SOE agent, war hero (b. 1905)
  • 2004 – Joel Feinberg, American philosopher and academic (b. 1926)
  • 2005 – Miltos Sachtouris, Greek poet and author (b. 1919)
  • 2006 – Salvador Elizondo, Mexican author and poet (b. 1932)
  • 2007 – Larry L’Estrange, English rugby player and soldier (b. 1934)
  • 2009 – Vladimir Fedotov, Russian footballer and manager (b. 1943)
  • 2009 – Andy Hallett, American actor and singer (b. 1975)
  • 2011 – Ângelo de Sousa, Portuguese painter and sculptor (b. 1938)
  • 2011 – Iakovos Kambanellis, Greek author, poet, playwright, and screenwriter (b. 1921)
  • 2012 – Pap Cheyassin Secka, Gambian lawyer and politician (b. 1942)
  • 2012 – Bill Jenkins, American race car driver and engineer (b. 1930)
  • 2013 – Reginald Gray, Irish-French painter (b. 1930)
  • 2013 – Brian Huggins, English-Canadian journalist and actor (b. 1931)
  • 2013 – Liu Kang, Chinese footballer and manager (b. 1961)
  • 2013 – Ralph Klein, Canadian journalist and politician, 12th Premier of Alberta (b. 1942)
  • 2013 – Art Phillips, Canadian businessman and politician, 32nd Mayor of Vancouver (b. 1930)
  • 2014 – Marc Platt, American actor and dancer (b. 1913)
  • 2014 – Ruth A. M. Schmidt, American geologist and paleontologist (b. 1916)
  • 2015 – William Delafield Cook, Australian-English painter (b. 1926)
  • 2015 – Gerry Hardstaff, English cricketer (b. 1940)
  • 2016 – Patty Duke, American actress (b. 1946)
  • 2017 – Alexei Alexeyevich Abrikosov, Russian physicist (b. 1928)
  • 2019 – Agnès Varda, French film director (b. 1928)

Holidays and observances on March 29

  • Christian feast day:
    • Berthold
    • Eustace of Luxeuil
    • Gwladys
    • Gwynllyw
    • Hans Nielsen Hauge (Lutheran)
    • John Keble (commemoration, Anglicanism)
    • March 29 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest day on which the Octave Day of Easter can fall, while May 2 is the latest; observed on the Sunday after Easter. (Christianity)
  • Boganda Day (Central African Republic)
  • Commemoration of the 1947 Rebellion (Madagascar)
  • National Vietnam War Veterans Day (United States of America)
  • Day of the Young Combatant (Chile)
  • Youth Day (Taiwan)

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