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

On This Day /

This day is the midpoint of a common year because there are 182 days before and 182 days after it in common years, and 183 before and 182 after in leap years. The exact time of the middle of the year is at noon. In countries that use summertime the actual exact time of the midpoint in a common year is at 1:00 p.m for locations in the northern hemisphere or 11:00 a.m for locations in the southern hemisphere; this is when 182 days and 12 hours have elapsed and there are 182 days and 12 hours remaining. In a leap year in those countries, the middle of the year is at midnight. In countries that use summer time, the midpoint occurs at 1:00 a.m. on July 2, or 11:00 p.m. on July 1 in the southern hemisphere. This is due to summertime having advanced the time by one hour. It falls on the same day of the week as New Year’s Day in common years.

  • 437 – Emperor Valentinian III begins his reign over the Western Roman Empire. His mother Galla Placidia ends her regency, but continues to exercise political influence at the court in Rome.
  • 626 – Li Shimin, the future Emperor Taizong of Tang, ambushes and kills his rival brothers Li Yuanji and Li Jiancheng in the Xuanwu Gate Incident.
  • 706 – In China, Emperor Zhongzong of Tang inters the bodies of relatives in the Qianling Mausoleum, located on Mount Liang outside Chang’an.
  • 866 – Battle of Brissarthe: The Franks led by Robert the Strong are defeated by a joint Breton-Viking army.
  • 936 – King Henry the Fowler dies in his royal palace in Memleben. He is succeeded by his son Otto I, who becomes the ruler of East Francia.
  • 963 – The Byzantine army proclaims Nikephoros II Phokas Emperor of the Romans on the plains outside Cappadocian Caesarea.
  • 1298 – The Battle of Göllheim is fought between Albert I of Habsburg and Adolf of Nassau-Weilburg.
  • 1494 – The Treaty of Tordesillas is ratified by Spain.
  • 1504 – Bogdan III the One-Eyed becomes Voivode of Moldavia.
  • 1555 – Ottoman Admiral Turgut Reis sacks the Italian city of Paola.
  • 1561 – Menas, emperor of Ethiopia, defeats a revolt in Emfraz.
  • 1582 – Battle of Yamazaki: Toyotomi Hideyoshi defeats Akechi Mitsuhide.
  • 1613 – The first English expedition (from Virginia) against Acadia led by Samuel Argall takes place.
  • 1644 – English Civil War: Battle of Marston Moor.
  • 1645 – Battle of Alford: Wars of the Three Kingdoms.
  • 1698 – Thomas Savery patents the first steam engine.
  • 1776 – American Revolution: The Continental Congress adopts a resolution severing ties with the Kingdom of Great Britain although the wording of the formal Declaration of Independence is not published until July 4.
  • 1816 – The French frigate Méduse strikes the Bank of Arguin and 151 people on board have to be evacuated on an improvised raft, a case immortalised by Géricault’s painting The Raft of the Medusa.
  • 1822 – Thirty-five slaves, including Denmark Vesey, are hanged in South Carolina after being accused of organizing a slave rebellion.
  • 1823 – Bahia Independence Day: The end of Portuguese rule in Brazil, with the final defeat of the Portuguese crown loyalists in the province of Bahia.
  • 1839 – Twenty miles off the coast of Cuba, 53 kidnapped Africans led by Joseph Cinqué mutiny and take over the slave ship Amistad.
  • 1853 – The Russian Army crosses the Pruth river into the Danubian Principalities, Moldavia and Wallachia—providing the spark that will set off the Crimean War.
  • 1871 – Victor Emmanuel II of Italy enters Rome after having conquered it from the Papal States.
  • 1881 – Charles J. Guiteau shoots and fatally wounds U.S. President James A. Garfield (who will die of complications from his wounds on September 19).
  • 1890 – The U.S. Congress passes the Sherman Antitrust Act.
  • 1897 – British-Italian engineer Guglielmo Marconi obtains a patent for radio in London.
  • 1900 – The first Zeppelin flight takes place on Lake Constance near Friedrichshafen, Germany.
  • 1900 – Jean Sibelius’ Finlandia receives its première performance in Helsinki with the Helsinki Philharmonic Society conducted by Robert Kajanus.
  • 1921 – World War I: U.S. President Warren G. Harding signs the Knox–Porter Resolution formally ending the war between the United States and Germany.
  • 1934 – The Night of the Long Knives ends with the death of Ernst Röhm.
  • 1937 – Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan are last heard from over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to make the first equatorial round-the-world flight.
  • 1940 – Indian independence leader Subhas Chandra Bose is arrested and detained in Calcutta.
  • 1940 – The SS Arandora Star is sunk by U-47 in the North Atlantic with the loss of over 800 lives, mostly civilians.
  • 1962 – The first Walmart store, then known as Wal-Mart, opens for business in Rogers, Arkansas.
  • 1964 – Civil rights movement: U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964 meant to prohibit segregation in public places.
  • 1966 – France conducts its first nuclear weapon test in the Pacific, on Moruroa Atoll.
  • 1976 – End of South Vietnam; Communist North Vietnam annexes the former South Vietnam to form the unified Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
  • 1986 – Rodrigo Rojas and Carmen Gloria Quintana are burnt alive during a street demonstration against the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet in Chile.
  • 1990 – In the 1990 Mecca tunnel tragedy, 1,400 Muslim pilgrims are suffocated to death and trampled upon in a pedestrian tunnel leading to the holy city of Mecca.
  • 1994 – USAir Flight 1016 crashes near Charlotte Douglas International Airport, killing 37 of the 57 people on board.
  • 1997 – The Bank of Thailand floats the baht, triggering the Asian financial crisis.
  • 2000 – Vicente Fox Quesada is elected the first President of México from an opposition party, the Partido Acción Nacional, after more than 70 years of continuous rule by the Partido Revolucionario Institucional.
  • 2001 – The AbioCor self-contained artificial heart is first implanted.
  • 2002 – Steve Fossett becomes the first person to fly solo around the world nonstop in a balloon.
  • 2005 – The Live 8 benefit concerts takes place in the G8 states and in South Africa. More than 1,000 musicians perform and are broadcast on 182 television networks and 2,000 radio networks.
  • 2008 – Colombian conflict: Íngrid Betancourt, a member of the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia, is released from captivity after being held for six and a half years by FARC.
  • 2010 – The South Kivu tank truck explosion in the Democratic Republic of the Congo kills at least 230 people.
  • 2013 – The International Astronomical Union names Pluto’s fourth and fifth moons, Kerberos and Styx.
  • 2013 – A magnitude 6.1 earthquake strikes Aceh, Indonesia, killing at least 42 people and injuring 420 others.

Births on July 2

  • 419 – Valentinian III, Roman emperor (d. 455)
  • 1363 – Maria, Queen of Sicily (d. 1401)
  • 1478 – Louis V, Elector Palatine (d. 1544)
  • 1486 – Jacopo Sansovino, Italian sculptor and architect (d. 1570)
  • 1489 – Thomas Cranmer, English archbishop, theologian, and saint (d. 1556)
  • 1492 – Elizabeth Tudor, English daughter of Henry VII of England (d. 1495)
  • 1500 – Federico Cesi (cardinal), Italian cardinal (d. 1565)
  • 1575 – Elizabeth de Vere, Countess of Derby, English noblewoman and head of state of the Isle of Man (d. 1627)
  • 1597 – Theodoor Rombouts, Flemish painter (d. 1637)
  • 1647 – Daniel Finch, 2nd Earl of Nottingham, English politician, Lord President of the Council (d. 1730)
  • 1648 – Arp Schnitger, German organ builder (d. 1719)
  • 1665 – Samuel Penhallow, English-American soldier and historian (d. 1726)
  • 1667 – Pietro Ottoboni, Italian cardinal and art collector (d. 1740)
  • 1714 – Christoph Willibald Gluck, German composer (d. 1787)
  • 1724 – Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock, German poet and author (d. 1803)
  • 1797 – Francisco Javier Echeverría, Mexican businessman and politician. President of Mexico (1841) (d. 1852)
  • 1819 – Charles-Louis Hanon, French pianist and composer (d. 1900)
  • 1820 – George Law Curry, American publisher and politician, 5th Governor of the Oregon Territory (d. 1878)
  • 1820 – Juan N. Méndez, Mexican general and interim president, 1876-1877 (d. 1894)
  • 1821 – Charles Tupper, Canadian physician and politician, 6th Prime Minister of Canada (d. 1915)
  • 1825 – Émile Ollivier, French statesman (d. 1913)
  • 1834 – Hendrick Peter Godfried Quack, Dutch economist and historian (d. 1917)
  • 1849 – Maria Theresa of Austria-Este (d. 1919)
  • 1862 – William Henry Bragg, English physicist, chemist, and mathematician, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1942)
  • 1865 – Lily Braun, German author and publicist (d. 1916)
  • 1869 – Liane de Pougy, French-Swiss dancer and author (d. 1950)
  • 1876 – Harriet Brooks, Canadian physicist and academic (d. 1933)
  • 1876 – Wilhelm Cuno, German businessman and politician, Chancellor of Germany (d. 1933)
  • 1877 – Hermann Hesse, German-born Swiss poet, novelist, and painter, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1962)
  • 1877 – Rinaldo Cuneo, American artist (“the painter of San Francisco”) (d. 1939)
  • 1881 – Royal Hurlburt Weller, American lawyer and politician (d. 1929)
  • 1884 – Alfons Maria Jakob, German neurologist and author (d. 1931)
  • 1893 – Ralph Hancock, Welsh gardener and author (d. 1950)
  • 1900 – Tyrone Guthrie, English actor and director (d. 1971)
  • 1900 – Sophie Harris, English costume and scenic designer for theatre and opera (d. 1966)
  • 1902 – K. Kanapathypillai, Sri Lankan author and academic (d. 1968)
  • 1902 – Germaine Thyssens-Valentin, Dutch-French pianist (d. 1987)
  • 1903 – Alec Douglas-Home, English cricketer and politician, 66th Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1995)
  • 1903 – Olav V of Norway (d. 1991)
  • 1904 – René Lacoste, French tennis player and businessman, created the polo shirt (d. 1996)
  • 1906 – Hans Bethe, German-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2005)
  • 1906 – Károly Kárpáti, Hungarian Jewish wrestler (d. 1996)
  • 1906 – Séra Martin, French middle-distance runner (d. 1993)
  • 1908 – Thurgood Marshall, American lawyer and jurist, 32nd Solicitor General of the United States (d. 1993)
  • 1911 – Reg Parnell, English race car driver and manager (d. 1964)
  • 1913 – Max Beloff, Baron Beloff, English historian and academic (d. 1999)
  • 1914 – Frederick Fennell, American conductor and educator (d. 2004)
  • 1914 – Ethelreda Leopold, American actress (d. 1988)
  • 1914 – Mário Schenberg, Brazilian physicist and engineer (d. 1990)
  • 1914 – Erich Topp, German admiral (d. 2005)
  • 1915 – Valerian Wellesley, 8th Duke of Wellington, British peer, politician and soldier (d. 2014)
  • 1916 – Ken Curtis, American actor and singer (d. 1991)
  • 1916 – Hans-Ulrich Rudel, German colonel and pilot (d. 1982)
  • 1916 – Reino Kangasmäki, Finnish wrestler (d. 2010)
  • 1916 – Zélia Gattai, Brazilian author and photographer (d. 2008)
  • 1917 – Leonard J. Arrington, American author and academic, founded the Mormon History Association (d. 1999)
  • 1918 – Athos Bulcão, Brazilian painter and sculptor (d. 2008)
  • 1918 – Indumati Bhattacharya, Indian politician
  • 1919 – Jean Craighead George, American author (d. 2012)
  • 1920 – John Kneubuhl, Samoan-American historian, screenwriter, and playwright (d. 1992)
  • 1922 – Pierre Cardin, Italian-French fashion designer
  • 1922 – Paula Valenska, Czech actress
  • 1923 – Cyril M. Kornbluth, American soldier and author (d. 1958)
  • 1923 – Wisława Szymborska, Polish poet and translator, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2012)
  • 1925 – Medgar Evers, American soldier and activist (d. 1963)
  • 1925 – Patrice Lumumba, Congolese politician, 1st Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (d. 1961)
  • 1925 – Marvin Rainwater, American singer-songwriter (d. 2013)
  • 1926 – Octavian Paler, Romanian journalist and politician (d. 2007)
  • 1927 – Lee Allen, American saxophone player (d. 1994)
  • 1927 – James Mackay, Baron Mackay of Clashfern, Scottish lawyer and politician, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain
  • 1927 – Brock Peters, American actor (d. 2005)
  • 1929 – Imelda Marcos, Filipino politician; 10th First Lady of the Philippines
  • 1930 – Carlos Menem, Argentinian lawyer and politician, 50th President of Argentina
  • 1931 – Mohammad Yazdi, Iranian cleric
  • 1932 – Dave Thomas, American businessman and philanthropist, founded Wendy’s (d. 2002)
  • 1933 – Peter Desbarats, Canadian journalist, author, and playwright
  • 1933 – Kenny Wharram, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2017)
  • 1934 – Tom Springfield, English musician
  • 1935 – Gilbert Kalish, American pianist and educator
  • 1936 – Omar Suleiman, Egyptian general and politician, 16th Vice President of Egypt (d. 2012)
  • 1937 – Polly Holliday, American actress
  • 1937 – Richard Petty, American race car driver and sportscaster
  • 1938 – David Owen, English physician and politician, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
  • 1939 – Alexandros Panagoulis, Greek poet and politician (d. 1976)
  • 1939 – John H. Sununu, American engineer and politician, 14th White House Chief of Staff
  • 1939 – Paul Williams, American singer and choreographer (d. 1973)
  • 1940 – Kenneth Clarke, English politician, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain
  • 1941 – William Guest, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2015)
  • 1941 – Wendell Mottley, Trinidadian sprinter, economist, and politician
  • 1942 – John Eekelaar, South African-English lawyer and scholar
  • 1942 – Vicente Fox, Mexican businessman and politician, 35th President of Mexico (2000-2006)
  • 1943 – Ivi Eenmaa, Estonian politician, 36th Mayor of Tallinn
  • 1943 – Larry Lake, American-Canadian trumpet player and composer (d. 2013)
  • 1946 – Richard Axel, American neuroscientist and biologist, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1946 – Ron Silver, American actor, director, and political activist (d. 2009)
  • 1947 – Larry David, American actor, comedian, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1947 – Ann Taylor, Baroness Taylor of Bolton, English politician, Minister for International Security Strategy
  • 1948 – Mutula Kilonzo, Kenyan lawyer and politician (d. 2013)
  • 1949 – Greg Brown, American musician
  • 1949 – Robert Paquette, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1950 – Lynne Brindley, English librarian and academic
  • 1950 – Jon Trickett, English politician
  • 1952 – Sylvia Rivera, American transgender rights activist (d. 2002)
  • 1952 – Anatoliy Solomin, Ukrainian race walker and coach
  • 1954 – Chris Huhne, English journalist and politician, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change
  • 1955 – Kim Carr, Australian educator and politician, 31st Australian Minister for Human Services
  • 1956 – Jerry Hall, American model and actress
  • 1957 – Bret Hart, Canadian wrestler
  • 1957 – Jüri Raidla, Estonian lawyer and politician, Estonian Minister of Justice
  • 1957 – Purvis Short, American basketball player
  • 1958 – Pavan Malhotra, Indian actor
  • 1960 – Maria Lourdes Sereno, Filipino lawyer and jurist, 24th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
  • 1961 – Clark Kellogg, American basketball player and sportscaster
  • 1962 – Neil Williams, English cricketer (d. 2006)
  • 1964 – Jose Canseco, Cuban-American baseball player and mixed martial artist
  • 1964 – Ozzie Canseco, Cuban-American baseball player, coach, and manager
  • 1964 – Joe Magrane, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1964 – Alan Tait, English-Scottish rugby player and coach
  • 1965 – Norbert Röttgen, German lawyer and politician
  • 1969 – Tim Rodber, English rugby player
  • 1970 – Derrick Adkins, American hurdler
  • 1970 – Steve Morrow, Northern Irish footballer and manager
  • 1971 – Troy Brown, American football player and actor
  • 1971 – Bryan Redpath, Scottish rugby player and coach
  • 1972 – Darren Shan, English author
  • 1974 – Sean Casey, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1975 – Éric Dazé, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1975 – Kristen Michal, Estonian lawyer and politician
  • 1975 – Erik Ohlsson, Swedish singer and guitarist
  • 1975 – Stefan Terblanche, South African rugby player
  • 1976 – Krisztián Lisztes, Hungarian footballer
  • 1976 – Tomáš Vokoun, Czech-American ice hockey player
  • 1977 – Deniz Barış, Turkish footballer
  • 1978 – Jüri Ratas, Estonian politician, 42nd Mayor of Tallinn
  • 1979 – Walter Davis, American triple jumper
  • 1979 – Ahmed al-Ghamdi, Saudi Arabian terrorist, hijacker of United Airlines Flight 175 (d. 2001)
  • 1979 – Sam Hornish Jr., American race car driver
  • 1979 – Joe Thornton, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1980 – Nyjer Morgan, American baseball player
  • 1981 – Nathan Ellington, English footballer
  • 1981 – Carlos Rogers, American football player
  • 1983 – Michelle Branch, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1983 – Kyle Hogg, English cricketer
  • 1984 – Thomas Kortegaard, Danish footballer
  • 1984 – Johnny Weir, American figure skater
  • 1985 – Rhett Bomar, American football player
  • 1985 – Chad Henne, American football player
  • 1985 – Ashley Tisdale, American actress, singer, and producer
  • 1986 – Brett Cecil, American baseball player
  • 1986 – Lindsay Lohan, American actress and singer
  • 1987 – Esteban Granero, Spanish footballer
  • 1988 – Lee Chung-yong, South Korean footballer
  • 1989 – Nadezhda Grishaeva, Russian basketball player
  • 1989 – Alex Morgan, American soccer player
  • 1990 – Kayla Harrison, American judoka
  • 1990 – Merritt Mathias, American soccer player
  • 1990 – Morag McLellan, Scottish field hockey player
  • 1990 – Margot Robbie, Australian actress and producer
  • 1990 – Danny Rose, English footballer
  • 1990 – Bill Tupou, New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1992 – Madison Chock, American ice dancer
  • 1993 – Vince Staples, American rapper and actor
  • 1994 – Henrik Kristoffersen, Norwegian skier
  • 1995 – Ryan Murphy, American swimmer
  • 1996 – Julia Grabher, Austrian tennis player

Deaths on July 2

  • 626 – Li Jiancheng, Chinese prince (b. 589)
  • 626 – Li Yuanji, Chinese prince (b. 603)
  • 649 – Li Jing, Chinese general (b. 571)
  • 862 – Swithun, English bishop and saint (b. 789)
  • 866 – Robert the Strong, Frankish nobleman
  • 936 – Henry the Fowler, German king (b. 876)
  • 1215 – Eisai, Japanese Buddhist priest (b. 1141)
  • 1298 – Adolf of Germany (b. 1220)
  • 1504 – Stephen III of Moldavia (b. 1434)
  • 1566 – Nostradamus, French astrologer and author (b. 1503)
  • 1578 – Thomas Doughty, English explorer
  • 1582 – Akechi Mitsuhide, Japanese samurai and warlord (b. 1528)
  • 1591 – Vincenzo Galilei, Italian lute player and composer (b. 1520)
  • 1619 – Francis II, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg (b. 1547)
  • 1621 – Thomas Harriot, English astronomer, mathematician, and ethnographer (b. 1560)
  • 1656 – François-Marie, comte de Broglie, Italian-French general (b. 1611)
  • 1674 – Eberhard III, Duke of Württemberg (b. 1614)
  • 1743 – Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington, English lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1673)
  • 1746 – Thomas Baker, English antiquarian and author (b. 1656)
  • 1778 – Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Swiss philosopher and composer (b. 1712)
  • 1833 – Gervasio Antonio de Posadas, Argentinian lawyer and politician, 1st Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata (b. 1757)
  • 1843 – Samuel Hahnemann, German physician and academic (b. 1755)
  • 1850 – Robert Peel, English lieutenant and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1788)
  • 1857 – Carlo Pisacane, Italian soldier and philosopher (b. 1818)
  • 1903 – Ed Delahanty, American baseball player (b. 1867)
  • 1912 – Tom Richardson, English cricketer (b. 1870)
  • 1914 – Joseph Chamberlain, English businessman and politician, Secretary of State for the Colonies (b. 1836)
  • 1915 – Porfirio Díaz, Mexican general and politician, 29th President of Mexico (b. 1830)
  • 1920 – William Louis Marshall, American general and engineer (b. 1846)
  • 1926 – Émile Coué, French psychologist and pharmacist (b. 1857)
  • 1929 – Gladys Brockwell, American actress (b. 1894)
  • 1932 – Manuel II of Portugal (b. 1889)
  • 1950 – Thomas William Burgess, English swimmer and water polo player (b. 1872)
  • 1955 – Edward Lawson, English soldier, Victoria Cross recipient (b. 1873)
  • 1961 – Ernest Hemingway, American novelist, short story writer, and journalist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1899)
  • 1963 – Alicia Patterson, American publisher, co-founded Newsday (b. 1906)
  • 1964 – Fireball Roberts, American race car driver (b. 1929)
  • 1966 – Jan Brzechwa, Polish poet and author (b. 1900)
  • 1970 – Jessie Street, Australian suffragette and feminist (b. 1889)
  • 1972 – Joseph Fielding Smith, American religious leader, 10th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (b. 1876)
  • 1973 – Betty Grable, American actress, singer, and dancer (b. 1916)
  • 1973 – George McBride, American baseball player and manager (b. 1880)
  • 1973 – Ferdinand Schörner, German field marshal (b. 1892)
  • 1975 – James Robertson Justice, English actor (b. 1907)
  • 1977 – Vladimir Nabokov, Russian-born novelist and critic (b. 1899)
  • 1978 – Aris Alexandrou, Greek author and poet (b. 1922)
  • 1986 – Peanuts Lowrey, American baseball player and manager (b. 1917)
  • 1988 – Vibert Douglas, Canadian astronomer and astrophysicist (b. 1894)
  • 1989 – Andrei Gromyko, Soviet economist and politician, Soviet Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1909)
  • 1990 – Snooky Lanson, American singer (b. 1914)
  • 1991 – Lee Remick, American actress (b. 1935)
  • 1993 – Fred Gwynne, American actor (b. 1926)
  • 1994 – Andrés Escobar, Colombian footballer (b. 1967)
  • 1995 – Lloyd MacPhail, Canadian businessman and politician, 23rd Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island (b. 1920)
  • 1997 – James Stewart, American actor (b. 1908)
  • 1999 – Mario Puzo, American author and screenwriter (b. 1920)
  • 2000 – Joey Dunlop, Northern Irish motorcycle racer (b. 1952)
  • 2002 – Ray Brown, American bassist and composer (b. 1926)
  • 2003 – Briggs Cunningham, American race car driver and businessman (b. 1907)
  • 2004 – Mochtar Lubis, Indonesian journalist and author (b. 1922)
  • 2005 – Ernest Lehman, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1915)
  • 2005 – Norm Prescott, American actor, composer, and producer, co-founded Filmation Studios (b. 1927)
  • 2006 – Jan Murray, American comedian, actor, and game show host (b. 1916)
  • 2007 – Beverly Sills, American operatic soprano and television personality (b. 1929)
  • 2008 – Natasha Shneider, Russian-American singer, keyboard player, and actress (b. 1956)
  • 2008 – Elizabeth Spriggs, English actress and screenwriter (b. 1929)
  • 2010 – Beryl Bainbridge, English screenwriter and author (b. 1932)
  • 2011 – Itamar Franco, Brazilian engineer and politician, 33rd President of Brazil (b. 1930)
  • 2012 – Maurice Chevit, French actor and screenwriter (b. 1923)
  • 2012 – Julian Goodman, American journalist (b. 1922)
  • 2012 – Angelo Mangiarotti, Italian architect and academic (b. 1921)
  • 2012 – Betty Meggers, American archaeologist and academic (b. 1921)
  • 2012 – Ed Stroud, American baseball player (b. 1939)
  • 2013 – Anthony G. Bosco, American bishop (b. 1927)
  • 2013 – Douglas Engelbart, American computer scientist, invented the computer mouse (b. 1925)
  • 2013 – Armand Gaudreault, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1921)
  • 2013 – Anthony Llewellyn, Welsh-American chemist, academic, and astronaut (b. 1933)
  • 2014 – Emilio Álvarez Montalván, Nicaraguan ophthalmologist and politician (b. 1919)
  • 2014 – Manuel Cardona, Spanish physicist and academic (b. 1934)
  • 2014 – Mary Innes-Ker, Duchess of Roxburghe (b. 1915)
  • 2014 – Harold W. Kuhn, American mathematician and academic (b. 1925)
  • 2014 – Louis Zamperini, American runner and World War II US Army Air Forces captain (b. 1917)
  • 2015 – Ronald Davison, New Zealand lawyer and judge, 10th Chief Justice of New Zealand (b. 1920)
  • 2015 – Charlie Sanders, American football player and sportscaster (b. 1946)
  • 2015 – Jim Weaver, American football player and coach (b. 1945)
  • 2015 – Jacobo Zabludovsky, Mexican journalist (b. 1928)
  • 2016 – Caroline Aherne, English actress and comedian (b. 1963)
  • 2016 – Michael Cimino, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1939)
  • 2016 – Patrick Manning, 4th & 6th Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago (b. 1946)
  • 2016 – Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor, activist, and author (b. 1928)
  • 2020 – Ángela Jeria, Chilean archaeologist (b. 1926)
  • 2020 – Byron Bernstein Reckful, gamer, Twitch streamer, investor (b. 1989)

Holidays and observances on July 2

  • Christian feast day:
    • Aberoh and Atom (Coptic Church)
    • Bernardino Realino
    • Feast of the Visitation (Anglicanism; Levoča at Mariánska hora)
    • Monegundis
    • Otto of Bamberg
    • Oudoceus
    • Martinian and Processus
    • Pishoy (Coptic Church)
    • Stephen III of Moldavia
    • July 2 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest day on which Unity Day can fall, while July 8 is the latest; celebrated on Tuesday following Heroes’ Day. (Zambia)
  • Flag Day (Curaçao)
  • Palio di Provenzano (Siena, Italy)
  • Police Day (Azerbaijan)

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

On This Day

June 22 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /

On this day the Summer solstice may occur in the Northern Hemisphere, and the Winter solstice may occur in the Southern Hemisphere.

June 22 in History

  • 217 BC – Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV Philopator of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom.
  • 168 BC – Battle of Pydna: Romans under Lucius Aemilius Paullus defeat Macedonian King Perseus who surrenders after the battle, ending the Third Macedonian War.
  • 813 – Battle of Versinikia: The Bulgars led by Krum defeat the Byzantine army near Edirne. Emperor Michael I is forced to abdicate in favor of Leo V the Armenian.
  • 910 – The Hungarians defeat the East Frankish army near the Rednitz River, killing its leader Gebhard, Duke of Lotharingia (Lorraine).
  • 1527 – Fatahillah expels Portuguese forces from Sunda Kelapa, now regarded as the foundation of Jakarta.
  • 1593 – Battle of Sisak: Allied Christian troops defeat the Ottomans.
  • 1633 – The Holy Office in Rome forces Galileo Galilei to recant his view that the Sun, not the Earth, is the center of the Universe in the form he presented it in, after heated controversy.
  • 1774 – The British pass the Quebec Act, setting out rules of governance for the colony of Quebec in British North America.
  • 1783 – A poisonous cloud caused by the eruption of the Laki volcano in Iceland reaches Le Havre in France.
  • 1807 – In the Chesapeake–Leopard Affair, the British warship HMS Leopard attacks and boards the American frigate USS Chesapeake.
  • 1813 – War of 1812: After learning of American plans for a surprise attack on Beaver Dams in Ontario, Laura Secord sets out on a 30 kilometer journey on foot to warn Lieutenant James FitzGibbon.
  • 1839 – Cherokee leaders Major Ridge, John Ridge, and Elias Boudinot are assassinated for signing the Treaty of New Echota, which had resulted in the Trail of Tears.
  • 1870 – The United States Department of Justice is created by the U.S. Congress.
  • 1893 – The Royal Navy battleship HMS Camperdown accidentally rams the British Mediterranean Fleet flagship HMS Victoria which sinks taking 358 crew with her, including the fleet’s commander, Vice-Admiral Sir George Tryon.
  • 1897 – British colonial officers Charles Walter Rand and Lt. Charles Egerton Ayerst are assassinated in Pune, Maharashtra, India by the Chapekar brothers and Mahadeo Vinayak Ranade, who are later caught and hanged.
  • 1898 – Spanish–American War: In a chaotic operation, 6,000 men of the U.S. Fifth Army Corps begins landing at Daiquirí, Cuba, about 16 miles (26 km) east of Santiago de Cuba. Lt. Gen. Arsenio Linares y Pombo of the Spanish Army outnumbers them two-to-one, but does not oppose the landings.
  • 1907 – The London Underground’s Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead Railway opens.
  • 1911 – George V and Mary of Teck are crowned King and Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
  • 1911 – Mexican Revolution: Government forces bring an end to the Magonista rebellion of 1911 in the Second Battle of Tijuana.
  • 1918 – The Hammond Circus Train Wreck kills 86 and injures 127 near Hammond, Indiana.
  • 1940 – World War II: France is forced to sign the Second Compiègne armistice with Germany, in the same railroad car in which the Germans signed the Armistice in 1918.
  • 1941 – World War II: Nazi Germany invades the Soviet Union in Operation Barbarossa.
  • 1942 – World War II: Erwin Rommel is promoted to Field Marshal after the Axis capture of Tobruk.
  • 1942 – The Pledge of Allegiance is formally adopted by US Congress.
  • 1944 – World War II: Opening day of the Soviet Union’s Operation Bagration against the Army Group Centre.
  • 1944 – U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs into law the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the G.I. Bill.
  • 1945 – World War II: The Battle of Okinawa comes to an end.
  • 1948 – The ship HMT Empire Windrush brought the first group of 802 West Indian immigrants to Tilbury, marking the start of modern immigration to the United Kingdom.
  • 1948 – King George VI formally gives up the title “Emperor of India”, half a year after Britain actually gave up its rule of India.
  • 1965 – The Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea is signed.
  • 1969 – The Cuyahoga River catches fire in Cleveland, Ohio, drawing national attention to water pollution, and spurring the passing of the Clean Water Act and the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency.
  • 1978 – Charon, the first of Pluto’s satellites to be discovered, was first seen at the United States Naval Observatory by James W. Christy.
  • 1984 – Virgin Atlantic Airways launches with its first flight from London Gatwick Airport.
  • 1986 – The famous Hand of God goal, scored by Diego Maradona in the quarter-finals of the 1986 FIFA World Cup match between Argentina and England, ignites controversy. This was later followed by the Goal of the Century. Argentina wins 2–1 and later goes on to win the World Cup.
  • 1990 – Cold War: Checkpoint Charlie is dismantled in Berlin.
  • 2000 – Wuhan Airlines Flight 343 is struck by lightning and crashes into Wuhan’s Hanyang District, killing 49 people.
  • 2002 – An earthquake measuring 6.5 Mw strikes a region of northwestern Iran killing at least 261 people and injuring 1,300 others and eventually causing widespread public anger due to the slow official response.
  • 2009 – A Washington D.C Metro train traveling southbound near Fort Totten station collides into another train waiting to enter the station. Nine people are killed in the collision (eight passengers and the train operator) and at least 80 others are injured.
  • 2012 – Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo is removed from office by impeachment and succeeded by Federico Franco.
  • 2012 – A Turkish Air Force McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II fighter plane is shot down by the Syrian Armed Forces, killing both of the plane’s pilots and worsening already-strained relations between Turkey and Syria.
  • 2015 – The Afghan National Assembly building is attacked by gunmen after a suicide bombing. All six of the gunmen are killed and 18 people are injured.

Births on June 22

  • 662 – Rui Zong, emperor of the Tang Dynasty (d. 716)
  • 916 – Sayf al-Dawla, founder of the Emirate of Aleppo (d. 967)
  • 1000 – Robert I, duke of Normandy (d. 1035)
  • 1373 – Elizabeth Bonifacia, heiress of Poland (d. 1399)
  • 1427 – Lucrezia Tornabuoni, Italian writer and wife of Piero di Cosimo de’ Medici (d. 1482)
  • 1450 – Eleanor of Naples, duchess of Ferrara (d. 1493)
  • 1477 – Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset, English nobleman (d. 1530)
  • 1593 – Sir John Gell, 1st Baronet, English politician and militarian (d. 1671)
  • 1680 – Ebenezer Erskine, Scottish minister and theologian (d. 1754)
  • 1684 – Francesco Manfredini, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1762)
  • 1704 – John Taylor, English author and scholar (d. 1766)
  • 1713 – John Sackville, English cricketer and politician (d. 1765)
  • 1738 – Jacques Delille, French poet and translator (d. 1813)
  • 1757 – George Vancouver, English lieutenant and explorer (d. 1798)
  • 1763 – Étienne Méhul, French pianist and composer (d. 1817)
  • 1767 – Wilhelm von Humboldt, German philosopher, academic, and politician, Interior Minister of Prussia (d. 1835)
  • 1792 – James Beaumont Neilson, Scottish engineer and businessman (d. 1865)
  • 1805 – Giuseppe Mazzini, Italian journalist and politician (d. 1872)
  • 1820 – James Hutchison Stirling, Scottish physician and philosopher (d. 1909)
  • 1834 – William Chester Minor, American surgeon and linguist (d. 1920)
  • 1837 – Paul Morphy, American chess player (d. 1884)
  • 1837 – Ernst Ziller, German-Greek architect, designed the Presidential Mansion (d. 1923)
  • 1844 – Oscar von Gebhardt, German theologian and academic (d. 1906)
  • 1845 – Tom Dula, American soldier (d. 1868)
  • 1845 – Richard Seddon, English-New Zealand politician, 15th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1906)
  • 1855 – Samuel Morris, Australian cricketer (d. 1931)
  • 1856 – Henry Rider Haggard, English novelist (d. 1925)
  • 1861 – Maximilian von Spee, Danish-German admiral (d. 1914)
  • 1864 – Hermann Minkowski, German mathematician and academic (d. 1909)
  • 1871 – William McDougall, English psychologist and polymath (d. 1938)
  • 1873 – Filippo Silvestri, Italian entomologist and academic (d. 1949)
  • 1874 – Walter Friedrich Otto, German philologist and scholar (d. 1958)
  • 1876 – Pascual Díaz y Barreto, Mexican archbishop (d. 1936)
  • 1879 – Thibaudeau Rinfret, Canadian lawyer and jurist, 9th Chief Justice of Canada (d. 1962)
  • 1880 – Johannes Drost, Dutch swimmer (d. 1954)
  • 1884 – James Rector, American sprinter and lawyer (d. 1949)
  • 1885 – Milan Vidmar, Slovenian engineer and chess player (d. 1962)
  • 1887 – Julian Huxley, English biologist and academic (d. 1975)
  • 1888 – Harold Hitz Burton, American lawyer and politician, 45th Mayor of Cleveland (d. 1964)
  • 1890 – Aleksander Warma, Estonian commander and politician, 4th Prime Minister of Estonia in exile (d. 1970)
  • 1891 – Franz Alexander, Hungarian psychoanalyst and physician (d. 1964)
  • 1892 – Robert Ritter von Greim, German general and pilot (d. 1945)
  • 1894 – Bernard Ashmole, English archaeologist and art historian (d. 1988)
  • 1896 – Leonard W. Murray, Canadian admiral (d. 1971)
  • 1897 – Edmund A. Chester, American journalist and broadcaster (d. 1973)
  • 1897 – Norbert Elias, German-Dutch sociologist and philosopher (d. 1990)
  • 1898 – Erich Maria Remarque, German-Swiss soldier and author (d. 1970)
  • 1899 – Richard Gurley Drew, American engineer, invented Masking tape (d. 1980)
  • 1899 – Michał Kalecki, Polish economist and academic (d. 1970)
  • 1900 – Oskar Fischinger, German-American abstract artist, filmmaker, and painter (d. 1967)
  • 1901 – Elias Katz, Finnish runner and coach (d. 1947)
  • 1902 – Marguerite De La Motte, American actress (d. 1950)
  • 1903 – John Dillinger, American criminal (d. 1934)
  • 1903 – Carl Hubbell, American baseball player (d. 1988)
  • 1906 – William Kneale, English logician and philosopher (d. 1990)
  • 1906 – Anne Morrow Lindbergh, American pilot and author (d. 2001)
  • 1906 – Billy Wilder, Austrian-born American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2002)
  • 1907 – Eriks Ādamsons, Latvian writer, poet, and novelist (d. 1946)
  • 1909 – Katherine Dunham, American dancer and choreographer (d. 2006)
  • 1909 – Infanta Beatriz of Spain, Spanish aristocratic (d. 2002)
  • 1909 – Mike Todd, American producer and manager (d. 1958)
  • 1910 – John Hunt, Baron Hunt, Indian-English lieutenant and mountaineer (d. 1998)
  • 1910 – Anne Ziegler, English singer (d. 2003)
  • 1910 – Konrad Zuse, German computer scientist and engineer, invented the Z3 computer (d. 1995)
  • 1911 – Vernon Kirby, South African tennis player (d. 1994)
  • 1912 – Princess Caroline Mathilde of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (d. 1983)
  • 1912 – Raymonde Allain, French model and actress (d. 2008)
  • 1913 – Sándor Weöres, Hungarian poet and author (d. 1989)
  • 1914 – Mei Zhi, Chinese author and essayist (d. 2004)
  • 1915 – Dolf van der Linden, Dutch conductor and composer (d. 1999)
  • 1915 – Cornelius Warmerdam, American pole vaulter and coach (d. 2001)
  • 1915 – Randolph Hokanson, American pianist (d. 2018)
  • 1915 – Thomas Quinn Curtiss, American writer, and film and theatre critic (d. 2000)
  • 1916 – Johnny Jacobs, American television announcer (d. 1982)
  • 1916 – Richard Eastham, American actor (d. 2005)
  • 1916 – Emil Fackenheim, Jewish philosopher and Reform rabbi (d. 2003)
  • 1918 – Cicely Saunders, English Anglican nurse, social worker, physician and writer (d. 2005)
  • 1919 – Gower Champion, American dancer and choreographer (d. 1980)
  • 1919 – Henri Tajfel, Polish social psychologist (d. 1982)
  • 1919 – Clifton McNeely, American basketball player and coach (d. 2003)
  • 1920 – James H. Pomerene, American computer scientist and engineer (d. 2008)
  • 1920 – Jovito Salonga, Filipino lawyer and politician, 14th President of the Senate of the Philippines (d. 2016)
  • 1921 – Joseph Papp, American director and producer (d. 1991)
  • 1921 – Barbara Vucanovich, American lawyer and politician (d. 2013)
  • 1921 – Radovan Ivšić, Croatian writer (d. 2009)
  • 1921 – Barbara Perry, American actress (d. 2019)
  • 1922 – Bill Blass, American fashion designer, founded Bill Blass Group (d. 2002)
  • 1922 – Clair Cameron Patterson, American scientist (d. 1995)
  • 1923 – José Giovanni, French-Swiss director and screenwriter (d. 2004)
  • 1924 – Christopher Booth, English clinician and historian (d. 2012)
  • 1924 – Larkin Kerwin, Canadian physicist and academic (d. 2004)
  • 1926 – George Englund, American film editor, director, producer and actor (d. 2017)
  • 1926 – Rachid Solh, Lebanese politician, 48th Prime Minister of Lebanon (d. 2014)
  • 1926 – Doreen Mantle, South African-English actress
  • 1927 – Anthony Low, Indian-English historian and academic (d. 2015)
  • 1928 – Ralph Waite, American actor and director (d. 2014)
  • 1929 – Bruce Kent, English activist and laicised Roman Catholic priest
  • 1930 – Yuri Artyukhin, Russian colonel, engineer, and astronaut (d. 1998)
  • 1930 – Walter Bonatti, Italian journalist and mountaineer (d. 2011)
  • 1931 – Ruby Garrard Woodson, American educator and cultural historian (d. 2008)
  • 1932 – Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiari, Princess of Iran (d. 2001)
  • 1932 – Yevgeny Kychanov, Russian orientalist, historian, and academic (d. 2013)
  • 1932 – Amrish Puri, Indian actor (d. 2005)
  • 1932 – June Salter, Australian actress (d. 2001)
  • 1932 – Prunella Scales, English actress
  • 1932 – John Wakeham, Baron Wakeham, English businessman and politician, Leader of the House of Lords
  • 1933 – Dianne Feinstein, American politician
  • 1934 – James Bjorken, American physicist, author, and academic
  • 1936 – Kris Kristofferson, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
  • 1936 – Ferran Olivella, Spanish footballer
  • 1936 – Hermeto Pascoal, Brazilian accordion player and composer
  • 1937 – Chris Blackwell, English record producer, co-founded Island Records
  • 1937 – Bernie McGann, Australian saxophonist and composer (d. 2013)
  • 1939 – Don Matthews, American-Canadian football player and coach (d. 2017)
  • 1939 – Ed Paschke, Polish-American painter and academic (d. 2004)
  • 1940 – Joan Busfield, English sociologist, psychologist, and academic
  • 1940 – Hubert Chesshyre, English historian and author
  • 1940 – Abbas Kiarostami, Iranian director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2016)
  • 1940 – Esther Rantzen, English journalist
  • 1941 – Ed Bradley, American journalist (d. 2006)
  • 1941 – Terttu Savola, Finnish journalist and politician
  • 1943 – Brit Hume, American journalist and author
  • 1943 – Klaus Maria Brandauer, Austrian actor and director
  • 1944 – Peter Asher, English singer, guitarist, and producer
  • 1944 – Helmut Dietl, German director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2015)
  • 1945 – Rainer Brüderle, German economist and politician, German Minister of Economics and Technology
  • 1946 – Linda Bond, Canadian 19th General of The Salvation Army
  • 1946 – Sheila Hollins, Baroness Hollins, English psychiatrist and academic
  • 1946 – Eliades Ochoa, Cuban singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1946 – Józef Oleksy, Polish economist and politician, 7th Prime Minister of Poland (d. 2015)
  • 1946 – Stephen Waley-Cohen, English journalist and businessman
  • 1947 – Octavia E. Butler, American author (d. 2006)
  • 1947 – Howard Kaylan, American pop-rock singer-songwriter and musician
  • 1947 – Pete Maravich, American basketball player (d. 1988)
  • 1947 – Jerry Rawlings, Ghanaian lieutenant and politician, President of Ghana
  • 1948 – James Charteris, 13th Earl of Wemyss, Scottish businessman
  • 1948 – Todd Rundgren, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1949 – Larry Junstrom, American bass player
  • 1949 – Brian Leveson, English lawyer and judge
  • 1949 – Alan Osmond, American singer and producer
  • 1949 – Meryl Streep, American actress and singer
  • 1949 – Luís Filipe Vieira, Portuguese businessman
  • 1949 – Lindsay Wagner, American actress
  • 1949 – Elizabeth Warren, American academic and politician
  • 1950 – Sharon Maughan, English actress
  • 1950 – Adrian Năstase, Romanian lawyer and politician, 59th Prime Minister of Romania
  • 1950 – Greg Oliphant, Australian rugby league player
  • 1950 – Zenonas Petrauskas, Lithuanian lawyer and politician (d. 2009)
  • 1950 – Tom Alter, Indian actor (d. 2017)
  • 1951 – Brian Cookson, British cyclist and sports administrator
  • 1951 – Craig Gruber, American bass player (d. 2015)
  • 1951 – Humphrey Ocean, English painter and academic
  • 1952 – Graham Greene, Canadian actor
  • 1952 – Santokh Singh, Malaysian football player
  • 1953 – Wim Eijk, Dutch cardinal
  • 1953 – Mauro Francaviglia, Italian mathematician and academic (d. 2013)
  • 1953 – Cyndi Lauper, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
  • 1953 – Bruce McAvaney, Australian journalist and sportscaster
  • 1954 – Freddie Prinze, American comedian and actor (d. 1977)
  • 1955 – Green Gartside, Welsh singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1955 – Christine Orengo, British academic and educator
  • 1956 – Darryl Brohman, Australian rugby league player and sportscaster
  • 1956 – Alfons De Wolf, Belgian cyclist
  • 1956 – Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Pakistani agriculturist and politician, 25th Pakistani Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • 1956 – Tim Russ, American actor, director, and screenwriter
  • 1956 – Markus Schatte, German footballer, manager, and coach
  • 1956 – Derek Forbes, Scottish bass player and guitarist
  • 1957 – Danny Baker, English journalist and screenwriter
  • 1957 – Garry Gary Beers, Australian bass player, songwriter, and producer
  • 1957 – Kevin Bond, English footballer and manager
  • 1957 – Michael Stratton, English geneticist and academic
  • 1958 – Rocío Banquells, Mexican pop singer and actress
  • 1958 – Bruce Campbell, American actor, director, producer and writer
  • 1959 – Michael Kinane, Irish jockey
  • 1959 – Nicola Sirkis, French singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1959 – Daniel Xuereb, French footballer
  • 1960 – Erin Brockovich, American lawyer and environmentalist
  • 1960 – Margrit Klinger, German runner
  • 1960 – Tracy Pollan, American actress
  • 1961 – Jimmy Somerville, Scottish singer-songwriter
  • 1962 – Stephen Chow, Hong Kong actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1962 – Bobby Gillespie, Scottish musician and singer-songwriter
  • 1962 – Clyde Drexler, American basketball player and coach
  • 1962 – Gerald Hillringhaus, German footballer
  • 1963 – Hokutoumi Nobuyoshi, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 61st Yokozuna
  • 1963 – John Tenta, Canadian-American wrestler (d. 2006)
  • 1964 – Cadillac Anderson, American basketball player
  • 1964 – Amy Brenneman, American actress
  • 1964 – Dan Brown, American author and academic
  • 1964 – Miroslav Kadlec, Czech footballer
  • 1965 – Uwe Boll, German director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1965 – Ľubomír Moravčík, Czech footballer and manager
  • 1966 – Michael Park, English racing driver (d. 2005)
  • 1966 – Emmanuelle Seigner, French actress
  • 1966 – Dean Woods, Australian cyclist
  • 1968 – Darrell Armstrong, American basketball player and coach
  • 1968 – Miri Yu, Zainichi, Korean novelist
  • 1971 – Gary Connolly, English rugby player
  • 1971 – Mary Lynn Rajskub, American actress and comedian
  • 1971 – Kurt Warner, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1972 – Damien Oliver, Australian jockey
  • 1973 – Carson Daly, American radio and television host
  • 1974 – Jo Cox, British MP (d. 2016)
  • 1974 – Vijay, Indian film actor in Tamil cinema
  • 1975 – Urmas Reinsalu, Estonian academic and politician, 28th Estonian Minister of Defence
  • 1978 – Champ Bailey, American football player
  • 1978 – Dan Wheldon, English racing driver (d. 2011)
  • 1979 – Joey Cheek, American speed skater
  • 1979 – Thomas Voeckler, French cyclist
  • 1980 – Ilya Bryzgalov, Russian ice hockey player
  • 1980 – Stephanie Jacobsen, Hong Kong-Australian actress
  • 1981 – Sione Lauaki, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1981 – Aquivaldo Mosquera, Colombian footballer
  • 1982 – Andoni Iraola, Spanish footballer
  • 1982 – Ian Kinsler, American baseball player
  • 1982 – Soraia Chaves, Portuguese actress and model
  • 1983 – Allar Raja, Estonian rower
  • 1984 – Dustin Johnson, American golfer
  • 1984 – Rubén Iván Martínez, Spanish footballer
  • 1984 – Jerome Taylor, Jamaican cricketer
  • 1984 – Janko Tipsarević, Serbian tennis player
  • 1985 – Thomas Leuluai, New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1987 – Danny Green, American basketball player
  • 1987 – Nikita Rukavytsya, Ukrainian-Australian footballer
  • 1988 – Omri Casspi, Israeli basketball player
  • 1989 – Cédric Mongongu, Congolese footballer
  • 1989 – Jung Yong-hwa, South Korean singer-songwriter and actor
  • 1990 – Sebastian Jung, German footballer
  • 1991 – Hugo Mallo, Spanish footballer
  • 1992 – Ura Kazuki, Japanese sumo wrestler
  • 1992 – Harry Reid, British actor
  • 1993 – Loris Karius, German footballer
  • 1994 – Sebastien Haller, French footballer
  • 1994 – Carlos Vinícius Santos de Jesus, Brazilian footballer
  • 1996 – Mikel Merino, Spanish footballer
  • 1999 – Sam Retford, Australian-English actor

Deaths on June 22

  • 431 – Paulinus of Nola, Christian bishop and poet (b. 354)
  • 910 – Gebhard, Frankish nobleman
  • 910 – Gerhard I, Frankish nobleman
  • 947 – Qian Hongzuo, king of Wuyue (b. 928)
  • 1017 – Leo Passianos, Byzantine general
  • 1101 – Roger I of Sicily, Norman nobleman (b. 1031)
  • 1276 – Innocent V, pope of the Catholic Church (b. 1225)
  • 1343 – Aimone, Count of Savoy (b. 1291)
  • 1429 – Jamshīd al-Kāshī, Persian astronomer and mathematician (b. 1380)
  • 1521 – Leonardo Loredan, Italian politician, 76th Doge of Venice (b. 1436)
  • 1535 – John Fisher, English bishop and saint (b. 1469)
  • 1632 – James Whitelocke, English judge and politician, Chief Justice of Chester (b. 1570)
  • 1634 – Johann von Aldringen, Austrian field marshal (b. 1588)
  • 1664 – Katherine Philips, Anglo-Welsh poet (b. 1631)
  • 1699 – Josiah Child, English merchant, economist, and politician (b. 1630)
  • 1714 – Matthew Henry, Welsh minister and author (b. 1662)
  • 1766 – Carlo Zimech, Maltese priest and painter (b. 1696)
  • 1868 – Heber C. Kimball, American religious leader (b. 1801)
  • 1872 – Rudecindo Alvarado, Argentinian general (b. 1792)
  • 1874 – Howard Staunton, English chess player (b. 1810)
  • 1892 – Pierre Ossian Bonnet, French mathematician and academic (b. 1819)
  • 1894 – Alexandre-Antonin Taché, Canadian archbishop and missionary (b. 1823)
  • 1905 – Francis Lubbock, American colonel and politician, 9th Governor of Texas (b. 1815)
  • 1913 – Ștefan Octavian Iosif, Romanian poet and translator (b. 1875)
  • 1925 – Felix Klein, German mathematician and academic (b. 1849)
  • 1928 – A. B. Frost, American illustrator and painter (b. 1851)
  • 1931 – Armand Fallières, French politician, 9th President of France (b. 1841)
  • 1933 – Tim Birkin, English racing driver and lieutenant (b. 1896)
  • 1935 – Szymon Askenazy, Polish historian and diplomat (b. 1866)
  • 1936 – Moritz Schlick, German-Austrian physicist and philosopher (b. 1882)
  • 1938 – C. J. Dennis, Australian poet and author (b. 1876)
  • 1940 – Monty Noble, Australian cricketer and sportscaster (b. 1873)
  • 1942 – August Froehlich, German priest and activist (b. 1891)
  • 1945 – Isamu Chō, Japanese general (b. 1895)
  • 1945 – Mitsuru Ushijima, Japanese general (b. 1887)
  • 1956 – Walter de la Mare, English poet, short story writer and novelist (b. 1873)
  • 1959 – Hermann Brill, German educator and politician, 8th Minister-President of Thuringia (b. 1895)
  • 1964 – Havank, Dutch journalist and author (b. 1904)
  • 1965 – David O. Selznick, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1902)
  • 1966 – Thaddeus Shideler, American hurdler (b. 1883)
  • 1969 – Judy Garland, American actress and singer (b. 1922)
  • 1970 – Đặng Thùy Trâm, Vietnamese surgeon and author (b. 1942)
  • 1974 – Darius Milhaud, French composer and educator (b. 1892)
  • 1977 – Jacqueline Audry, French director and screenwriter (b. 1908)
  • 1977 – Peter Laughner, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Rocket From the Tombs and Pere Ubu) (b. 1952)
  • 1979 – Louis Chiron, Monégasque race car driver (b. 1899)
  • 1984 – Joseph Losey, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1909)
  • 1987 – Fred Astaire, American actor and dancer (b. 1899)
  • 1988 – Dennis Day, American singer and actor (b. 1916)
  • 1990 – Ilya Frank, Russian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1908)
  • 1993 – Pat Nixon, American educator, 37th First Lady of the United States (b. 1912)
  • 1995 – Leonid Derbenyov, Russian poet and songwriter (b. 1931)
  • 1995 – Al Hansen, American sculptor and author (b. 1927)
  • 1997 – Ted Gärdestad, Swedish singer-songwriter (b. 1956)
  • 1997 – Gérard Pelletier, Canadian journalist and politician (b. 1919)
  • 2003 – Vasil Bykaŭ, Belarusian war novelist (b. 1924)
  • 2004 – Bob Bemer, American computer scientist and engineer (b. 1920)
  • 2004 – Mattie Stepanek, American poet and author (b. 1990)
  • 2007 – Erik Parlevliet, Dutch field hockey player (b. 1964)
  • 2008 – Natalia Bekhtereva, Russian neuroscientist and psychologist (b. 1924)
  • 2008 – George Carlin, American comedian, actor, and author (b. 1937)
  • 2008 – Dody Goodman, American actress and dancer (b. 1914)
  • 2011 – Coşkun Özarı, Turkish footballer and coach (b. 1931)
  • 2012 – Juan Luis Galiardo, Spanish actor and producer (b. 1922)
  • 2013 – Henning Larsen, Danish architect, designed the Copenhagen Opera House (b. 1925)
  • 2013 – Allan Simonsen, Danish race car driver (b. 1978)
  • 2014 – Fouad Ajami, Lebanese-American author and academic (b. 1945)
  • 2014 – Rama Narayanan, Indian director and producer (b. 1949)
  • 2015 – James Horner, American composer and conductor (b. 1953)
  • 2017 – Mao Kobayashi, Japanese newscaster and actress (b. 1982)
  • 2017 – Quett Masire, Botswanan politician (b. 1926)
  • 2018 – Vinnie Paul, American musician (b. 1964)

Holidays and observances on June 22

  • Christian feast day:
    • Aaron of Aleth
    • Alban, first recorded Martyr in Britain (commemoration, Anglicanism)
    • Blessed Pope Innocent V
    • Eusebius of Samosata (Orthodox Church)
    • John Fisher (Catholic Church)
    • Nicetas of Remesiana
    • Paulinus of Nola
    • Thomas More (Catholic Church)
    • June 22 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Anti-Fascist Struggle Day (Croatia)
  • Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Great Patriotic War (Belarus)
  • Father’s Day (Guernsey, Isle of Man, and Jersey)
  • Teachers’ Day (El Salvador)

June 22 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

June 21 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /

This day usually marks the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere, which is the day of the year with the most hours of daylight in the Northern Hemisphere and the fewest hours of daylight in the Southern Hemisphere.

June 21 in History

  • 533 – A Byzantine expeditionary fleet under Belisarius sails from Constantinople to attack the Vandals in Africa, via Greece and Sicily (approximate date).
  • 1307 – Külüg Khan is enthroned as Khagan of the Mongols and Wuzong of the Yuan.
  • 1529 – French forces are driven out of northern Italy by Spain at the Battle of Landriano during the War of the League of Cognac.
  • 1582 – Sengoku period: Oda Nobunaga, the most powerful of the Japanese daimyōs, is forced to commit suicide by his own general Akechi Mitsuhide.
  • 1621 – Execution of 27 Czech noblemen on the Old Town Square in Prague as a consequence of the Battle of White Mountain.
  • 1734 – In Montreal in New France, a slave known by the French name of Marie-Joseph Angélique is put to death, having been convicted of setting the fire that destroyed much of the city.
  • 1749 – Halifax, Nova Scotia, is founded.
  • 1768 – James Otis Jr. offends the King and Parliament in a speech to the Massachusetts General Court.
  • 1788 – New Hampshire becomes the ninth state to ratify the Constitution of the United States.
  • 1791 – King Louis XVI of France and his immediate family begin the Flight to Varennes during the French Revolution.
  • 1798 – Irish Rebellion of 1798: The British Army defeats Irish rebels at the Battle of Vinegar Hill.
  • 1813 – Peninsular War: Wellington defeats Joseph Bonaparte at the Battle of Vitoria.
  • 1824 – Greek War of Independence: Egyptian forces capture Psara in the Aegean Sea.
  • 1826 – Maniots defeat Egyptians under Ibrahim Pasha in the Battle of Vergas.
  • 1848 – In the Wallachian Revolution, Ion Heliade Rădulescu and Christian Tell issue the Proclamation of Islaz and create a new republican government.
  • 1864 – American Civil War: The Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road begins.
  • 1898 – The United States captures Guam from Spain. The few warning shots fired by the U.S. naval vessels are misinterpreted as salutes by the Spanish garrison, which was unaware that the two nations were at war.
  • 1900 – Boxer Rebellion. China formally declares war on the United States, Britain, Germany, France and Japan, as an edict issued from the Empress Dowager Cixi.
  • 1915 – The U.S. Supreme Court hands down its decision in Guinn v. United States 238 US 347 1915, striking down Oklahoma grandfather clause legislation which had the effect of denying the right to vote to blacks.
  • 1919 – The Royal Canadian Mounted Police fire a volley into a crowd of unemployed war veterans, killing two, during the Winnipeg general strike.
  • 1919 – Admiral Ludwig von Reuter scuttles the German fleet at Scapa Flow, Orkney. The nine sailors killed are the last casualties of World War I.
  • 1929 – An agreement brokered by U.S. Ambassador Dwight Whitney Morrow ends the Cristero War in Mexico.
  • 1930 – One-year conscription comes into force in France.
  • 1940 – World War II: Italy begins an unsuccessful invasion of France.
  • 1942 – World War II: Tobruk falls to Italian and German forces.
  • 1942 – World War II: A Japanese submarine surfaces near the Columbia River in Oregon, firing 17 shells at Fort Stevens in one of only a handful of attacks by Japan against the United States mainland.
  • 1945 – World War II: The Battle of Okinawa ends when the organized resistance of Imperial Japanese Army forces collapses in the Mabuni area on the southern tip of the main island.
  • 1952 – The Philippine School of Commerce, through a republic act, is converted to Philippine College of Commerce, later to be the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.
  • 1957 – Ellen Fairclough is sworn in as Canada’s first female Cabinet Minister.
  • 1963 – Cardinal Giovanni Battista Montini is elected as Pope Paul VI.
  • 1964 – Three civil rights workers, Andrew Goodman, James Chaney and Michael Schwerner, are murdered in Neshoba County, Mississippi, United States, by members of the Ku Klux Klan.
  • 1970 – Penn Central declares Section 77 bankruptcy in what was the largest U.S. corporate bankruptcy to date.
  • 1973 – In its decision in Miller v. California, 413 U.S. 15, the Supreme Court of the United States establishes the Miller test for determining whether something is obscene and not protected speech under the U.S. constitution.
  • 1978 – The original production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical, Evita, based on the life of Eva Perón, opens at the Prince Edward Theatre, London.
  • 1982 – John Hinckley is found not guilty by reason of insanity for the attempted assassination of U.S. President Ronald Reagan.
  • 1989 – The U.S. Supreme Court rules in Texas v. Johnson, 491 U.S. 397, that American flag-burning is a form of political protest protected by the First Amendment.
  • 2000 – Section 28 (of the Local Government Act 1988), outlawing the ‘promotion’ of homosexuality in the United Kingdom, is repealed in Scotland with a 99 to 17 vote.
  • 2001 – A federal grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia, indicts 13 Saudis and a Lebanese in the 1996 bombing of the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia that killed 19 American servicemen.
  • 2004 – SpaceShipOne becomes the first privately funded spaceplane to achieve spaceflight.
  • 2005 – Edgar Ray Killen, who had previously been unsuccessfully tried for the murders of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Mickey Schwerner, is convicted of manslaughter 41 years afterwards (the case had been reopened in 2004).
  • 2006 – Pluto’s newly discovered moons are officially named Nix and Hydra.
  • 2009 – Greenland assumes self-rule.
  • 2012 – A boat carrying more than 200 migrants capsizes in the Indian Ocean between the Indonesian island of Java and Christmas Island, killing 17 people and leaving 70 others missing.

Births on June 21

  • 598 – Pope Martin I (d. 656)
  • 906 – Abu Ja’far Ahmad ibn Muhammad, Saffarid emir (d. 963)
  • 1002 – Pope Leo IX (d. 1054)
  • 1226 – Bolesław V the Chaste of Poland (d. 1279)
  • 1521 – John II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Haderslev (d. 1580)
  • 1528 – Maria of Austria, Holy Roman Empress (d. 1603)
  • 1535 – Leonhard Rauwolf, German physician and botanist (d. 1596)
  • 1630 – Samuel Oppenheimer, German Jewish banker and diplomat (d. 1703)
  • 1636 – Godefroy Maurice de La Tour d’Auvergne, Duke of Bouillon, French noble (d. 1721)
  • 1639 – Increase Mather, American minister and author (d. 1723)
  • 1676 – Anthony Collins, English philosopher and author (d. 1729)
  • 1706 – John Dollond, English optician and astronomer (d. 1761)
  • 1710 – James Short, Scottish-English mathematician and optician (d. 1768)
  • 1712 – Luc Urbain de Bouëxic, comte de Guichen, French admiral (d. 1790)
  • 1730 – Motoori Norinaga, Japanese poet and scholar (d. 1801)
  • 1732 – Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach, German pianist and composer (d. 1791)
  • 1736 – Enoch Poor, American general (d. 1780)
  • 1741 – Prince Benedetto, Duke of Chablais (d. 1808)
  • 1750 – Pierre-Nicolas Beauvallet, French sculptor and illustrator (d. 1818)
  • 1759 – Alexander J. Dallas, American lawyer and politician, 6th United States Secretary of the Treasury (d. 1817)
  • 1763 – Pierre Paul Royer-Collard, French philosopher and academic (d. 1845)
  • 1764 – Sidney Smith, English admiral and politician (d. 1840)
  • 1774 – Daniel D. Tompkins, American lawyer and politician, 6th Vice President of the United States (d. 1825)
  • 1781 – Siméon Denis Poisson, French mathematician and physicist (d. 1840)
  • 1786 – Charles Edward Horn, English singer-songwriter (d. 1849)
  • 1792 – Ferdinand Christian Baur, German theologian and scholar (d. 1860)
  • 1797 – Wilhelm Küchelbecker, Russian poet and author (d. 1846)
  • 1802 – Karl Zittel, German theologian (d. 1871)
  • 1805 – Karl Friedrich Curschmann, German composer and singer (d. 1841)
  • 1805 – Charles Thomas Jackson, American physician and geologist (d. 1880)
  • 1811 – Carlo Matteucci, Italian physicist and neurophysiologist (d. 1868)
  • 1814 – Anton Nuhn, German anatomist and academic (d. 1889)
  • 1823 – Jean Chacornac, French astronomer (d. 1873)
  • 1825 – Thomas Edward Cliffe Leslie, Irish economist and jurist (d. 1882)
  • 1825 – William Stubbs, English bishop and historian (d. 1901)
  • 1828 – Ferdinand André Fouqué, French geologist and academic (d. 1904)
  • 1828 – Nikolaus Nilles, German Catholic writer and teacher (d. 1907)
  • 1834 – Frans de Cort, Flemish poet and author (d. 1878)
  • 1836 – Luigi Tripepi, Italian theologian (d. 1906)
  • 1839 – Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis, Brazilian author, poet, and playwright (d. 1908)
  • 1845 – Samuel Griffith, Welsh-Australian politician, 9th Premier of Queensland (d. 1920)
  • 1845 – Arthur Cowper Ranyard, English astrophysicist and astronomer (d. 1894)
  • 1846 – Marion Adams-Acton, Scottish-English author and playwright (d. 1928)
  • 1846 – Enrico Coleman, Italian painter (d. 1911)
  • 1850 – Daniel Carter Beard, American author and illustrator, co-founded the Boy Scouts of America (d. 1941)
  • 1858 – Giuseppe De Sanctis, Italian painter (d. 1924)
  • 1858 – Medardo Rosso, Italian sculptor and educator (d. 1928)
  • 1859 – Henry Ossawa Tanner, American-French painter and illustrator (d. 1937)
  • 1862 – Damrong Rajanubhab, Thai historian and author (d. 1943)
  • 1863 – Max Wolf, German astronomer and academic (d. 1932)
  • 1864 – Heinrich Wölfflin, Swiss historian and critic (d. 1945)
  • 1867 – Oscar Florianus Bluemner, German-American painter and illustrator (d. 1938)
  • 1867 – William Brede Kristensen, Norwegian historian of religion (d. 1953)
  • 1868 – Edwin Stephen Goodrich, English zoologist and anatomist (d. 1946)
  • 1870 – Clara Immerwahr, Jewish-German chemist and academic (d. 1915)
  • 1870 – Anthony Michell, English-Australian engineer (d. 1959)
  • 1870 – Julio Ruelas, Mexican painter (d. 1907)
  • 1876 – Swami Kalyan Dev, philosopher  (d. 2004)
  • 1876 – Willem Hendrik Keesom, Dutch physicist and academic (d. 1956)
  • 1880 – Arnold Gesell, American psychologist and pediatrician (d. 1961)
  • 1880 – Josiah Stamp, 1st Baron Stamp, English economist and civil servant (d. 1941)
  • 1881 – (O.S.) Natalia Goncharova, Russian painter, costume designer, and illustrator (d. 1962)
  • 1882 – Lluís Companys, Spanish lawyer and politician, 123rd President of Catalonia (d. 1940)
  • 1882 – Adrianus de Jong, Dutch fencer and soldier (d. 1966)
  • 1882 – Rockwell Kent, American painter and illustrator (d. 1971)
  • 1883 – Feodor Gladkov, Russian author and educator (d. 1958)
  • 1884 – Claude Auchinleck, English field marshal (d. 1981)
  • 1887 – Norman L. Bowen, Canadian geologist and petrologist (d. 1956)
  • 1889 – Ralph Craig, American sprinter and sailor (d. 1972)
  • 1891 – Pier Luigi Nervi, Italian architect and engineer, co-designed the Pirelli Tower and Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption (d. 1979)
  • 1891 – Hermann Scherchen, German-Swiss viola player and conductor (d. 1966)
  • 1892 – Reinhold Niebuhr, American theologian and academic (d. 1971)
  • 1893 – Alois Hába, Czech composer and educator (d. 1973)
  • 1894 – Milward Kennedy, English journalist and civil servant (d. 1968)
  • 1896 – Charles Momsen, American admiral, invented the Momsen lung (d. 1967)
  • 1898 – Donald C. Peattie, American botanist and author (d. 1964)
  • 1899 – Pavel Haas, Czech composer (d. 1944)
  • 1903 – Hermann Engelhard, German runner and coach (d. 1984)
  • 1903 – Al Hirschfeld, American caricaturist, painter and illustrator (d. 2003)
  • 1905 – Jacques Goddet, French journalist (d. 2000)
  • 1905 – Jean-Paul Sartre, French philosopher and author (d. 1980)
  • 1908 – William Frankena, American philosopher and academic (d. 1994)
  • 1910 – Aleksandr Tvardovsky, Russian poet and author (d. 1971)
  • 1911 – Irving Fein, American producer and manager (d. 2012)
  • 1912 – Kazimierz Leski, Polish pilot and engineer (d. 2000)
  • 1912 – Mary McCarthy, American novelist and critic (d. 1989)
  • 1912 – Vishnu Prabhakar, Indian author and playwright (d. 2009)
  • 1913 – Madihe Pannaseeha Thero, Sri Lankan monk and scholar (d. 2003)
  • 1913 – Luis Taruc, Filipino political activist (d. 2005)
  • 1914 – William Vickrey, Canadian-American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1996)
  • 1915 – Wilhelm Gliese, German soldier and astronomer (d. 1993)
  • 1916 – Joseph Cyril Bamford, English businessman, founded J. C. Bamford (d. 2001)
  • 1916 – Tchan Fou-li, Chinese photographer (d. 2018)
  • 1916 – Herbert Friedman, American physicist and astronomer (d. 2000)
  • 1916 – Buddy O’Connor, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1977)
  • 1918 – Robert A. Boyd, Canadian engineer (d. 2006)
  • 1918 – James Joll, English historian, author, and academic (d. 1994)
  • 1918 – Eddie Lopat, American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 1992)
  • 1918 – Dee Molenaar, American mountaineer (d. 2020)
  • 1918 – Robert Roosa, American economist and banker (d. 1993)
  • 1918 – Tibor Szele, Hungarian mathematician and academic (d. 1955)
  • 1918 – Josephine Webb, American engineer
  • 1919 – Antonia Mesina, Italian martyr and saint (d. 1935)
  • 1919 – Gérard Pelletier, Canadian journalist and politician (d. 1997)
  • 1919 – Vladimir Simagin, Russian chess player and coach (d. 1968)
  • 1919 – Paolo Soleri, Italian-American architect, designed the Cosanti (d. 2013)
  • 1920 – Hans Gerschwiler, Swiss figure skater (d. 2017)
  • 1921 – Judy Holliday, American actress and singer (d. 1965)
  • 1921 – Jane Russell, American actress and singer (d. 2011)
  • 1921 – William Edwin Self, American actor, producer, and production manager (d. 2010)
  • 1922 – Joseph Ki-Zerbo, Burkinabé historian, politician and writer (d. 2006)
  • 1923 – Jacques Hébert, Canadian journalist and politician (d. 2007)
  • 1924 – Pontus Hultén, Swedish art collector and historian (d. 2006)
  • 1924 – Ezzatolah Entezami, Iranian actor (d. 2018)
  • 1924 – Wally Fawkes, British-Canadian jazz clarinetist and a satirical cartoonist
  • 1924 – Jean Laplanche, French psychoanalyst and academic (d. 2012)
  • 1925 – Larisa Avdeyeva, Russian mezzo-soprano (d. 2013)
  • 1925 – Stanley Moss, American poet, publisher, and art dealer
  • 1925 – Giovanni Spadolini, Italian journalist and politician, 45th Prime Minister of Italy (d. 1994)
  • 1925 – Maureen Stapleton, American actress (d. 2006)
  • 1926 – Fred Cone, American football player
  • 1926 – Conrad Hall, French-American cinematographer (d. 2003)
  • 1927 – Carl Stokes, American lawyer, politician, and diplomat, United States Ambassador to Seychelles (d. 1996)
  • 1928 – Wolfgang Haken, German-American mathematician and academic
  • 1928 – Fiorella Mari, Brazilian-Italian actress
  • 1928 – Margit Bara, Hungarian actress (d. 2016)
  • 1929 – Alexandre Lagoya, Egyptian-Greek guitarist and composer (d. 1999)
  • 1930 – Gerald Kaufman, English journalist and politician, Shadow Foreign Secretary (d. 2017)
  • 1930 – Mike McCormack, American football player and coach (d. 2013)
  • 1931 – Zlatko Grgić, Croatian-Canadian animator, director, and screenwriter (d. 1988)
  • 1931 – Margaret Heckler, American journalist, lawyer, and politician, 15th United States Secretary of Health and Human Services
  • 1931 – David Kushnir, Israeli Olympic long-jumper
  • 1932 – Bernard Ingham, English journalist and civil servant
  • 1932 – Lalo Schifrin, Argentinian pianist, composer, and conductor
  • 1932 – O.C. Smith, American R&B/jazz singer (d. 2001)
  • 1933 – Bernie Kopell, American actor and comedian
  • 1935 – Françoise Sagan, French author and playwright (d. 2004)
  • 1937 – John Edrich, English cricketer and coach
  • 1938 – Don Black, English songwriter
  • 1938 – John W. Dower, American historian and author
  • 1938 – Michael M. Richter, German mathematician and computer scientist
  • 1940 – Mariette Hartley, American actress and television personality
  • 1940 – Michael Ruse, Canadian philosopher and academic
  • 1941 – Aloysius Paul D’Souza, Indian bishop
  • 1941 – Joe Flaherty, American-Canadian actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1941 – Lyman Ward, Canadian actor
  • 1942 – Clive Brooke, Baron Brooke of Alverthorpe, English businessman and politician
  • 1942 – Marjorie Margolies, American journalist and politician
  • 1942 – Henry S. Taylor, American author and poet
  • 1942 – Togo D. West, Jr., American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 3rd United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs
  • 1943 – Eumir Deodato, Brazilian pianist, composer, and producer
  • 1943 – Diane Marleau, Canadian accountant and politician, Canadian Minister of Health (d. 2013)
  • 1943 – Brian Sternberg, American pole vaulter (d. 2013)
  • 1944 – Ray Davies, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1944 – Tony Scott, English-American director and producer (d. 2012)
  • 1945 – Robert Dewar, English-American computer scientist and academic (d. 2015)
  • 1945 – Adam Zagajewski, Polish author and poet
  • 1946 – Per Eklund, Swedish race car driver
  • 1946 – Kate Hoey, Northern Irish-British academic and politician, Minister for Sport and the Olympics
  • 1946 – Brenda Holloway, American singer-songwriter
  • 1946 – Trond Kirkvaag, Norwegian actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2007)
  • 1946 – Malcolm Rifkind, Scottish lawyer and politician, Secretary of State for Scotland
  • 1946 – Maurice Saatchi, Baron Saatchi, Iraqi-British businessman, founded M&C Saatchi and Saatchi & Saatchi
  • 1947 – Meredith Baxter, American actress
  • 1947 – Shirin Ebadi, Iranian lawyer, judge, and activist, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1947 – Michael Gross, American actor
  • 1947 – Joey Molland, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1947 – Wade Phillips, American football coach
  • 1947 – Fernando Savater, Spanish philosopher and author
  • 1948 – Jovan Aćimović, Serbian footballer and manager
  • 1948 – Ian McEwan, British novelist and screenwriter
  • 1948 – Andrzej Sapkowski, Polish author and translator
  • 1948 – Philippe Sarde, French composer and conductor
  • 1949 – John Agard, Guyanese-English author, poet, and playwright
  • 1949 – Derek Emslie, Lord Kingarth, Scottish lawyer and judge
  • 1950 – Anne Carson, Canadian poet and academic
  • 1950 – Joey Kramer, American rock drummer and songwriter (Aerosmith)
  • 1950 – Enn Reitel, Scottish actor and screenwriter
  • 1950 – Trygve Thue, Norwegian guitarist and record producer
  • 1950 – John Paul Young, Scottish-Australian singer-songwriter
  • 1951 – Jim Douglas, American academic and politician, 80th Governor of Vermont
  • 1951 – Terence Etherton, English lawyer and judge
  • 1951 – Alan Hudson, English footballer
  • 1951 – Nils Lofgren, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1951 – Lenore Manderson, Australian anthropologist and academic
  • 1951 – Mona-Lisa Pursiainen, Finnish sprinter (d. 2000)
  • 1952 – Judith Bingham, English singer-songwriter
  • 1952 – Jeremy Coney, New Zealand cricketer and sportscaster
  • 1952 – Patrick Dunleavy, English political scientist and academic
  • 1952 – Kōichi Mashimo, Japanese director and screenwriter
  • 1953 – Benazir Bhutto, Pakistani financier and politician, 11th Prime Minister of Pakistan (d. 2007)
  • 1954 – Már Guðmundsson, Icelandic economist, former Governor of Central Bank of Iceland
  • 1954 – Mark Kimmitt, American general and politician, 16th Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs
  • 1954 – Robert Menasse, Austrian author and academic
  • 1955 – Tim Bray, Canadian software developer and businessman
  • 1955 – Michel Platini, French footballer and manager
  • 1956 – Rick Sutcliffe, American baseball player and broadcaster
  • 1957 – Berkeley Breathed, American author and illustrator
  • 1957 – Luis Antonio Tagle, Filipino cardinal
  • 1958 – Víctor Montoya, Bolivian journalist and author
  • 1958 – Gennady Padalka, Russian colonel, pilot, and astronaut
  • 1959 – John Baron, English captain and politician
  • 1959 – Tom Chambers, American basketball player and sportscaster
  • 1959 – Marcella Detroit, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1959 – Kathy Mattea, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1960 – Kate Brown, American politician, 38th Governor of Oregon
  • 1960 – Karl Erjavec, Slovenian politician
  • 1961 – Manu Chao, French singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1961 – Sascha Konietzko, German keyboard player and producer
  • 1961 – Joko Widodo, Indonesian businessman and politician, 7th President of Indonesia
  • 1961 – Kip Winger, American rock singer-songwriter and musician
  • 1961 – Iztok Mlakar, Slovenian actor and singer-songwriter
  • 1962 – Shōhei Takada, Japanese shogi player and theoretician
  • 1962 – Viktor Tsoi, Russian singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1990)
  • 1963 – Dario Marianelli, Italian pianist and composer
  • 1963 – Mike Sherrard, American football player
  • 1964 – David Morrissey, English actor and director
  • 1964 – Dimitris Papaioannou, Greek director and choreographer
  • 1964 – Dean Saunders, Welsh footballer and manager
  • 1964 – Doug Savant, American actor
  • 1965 – David Beerling, English biologist and academic
  • 1965 – Yang Liwei, Chinese general, pilot, and astronaut
  • 1965 – Ewen McKenzie, Australian rugby player and coach
  • 1965 – Lana Wachowski, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1966 – Gretchen Carlson, American model and television journalist, Miss America 1989
  • 1967 – Jim Breuer, American comedian, actor, and producer
  • 1967 – Derrick Coleman, American basketball player and sportscaster
  • 1967 – Pierre Omidyar, French-American businessman, founded eBay
  • 1967 – Carrie Preston, American actress, director, and producer
  • 1967 – Yingluck Shinawatra, Thai businesswoman and politician, 28th Prime Minister of Thailand
  • 1968 – Sonique, English singer-songwriter and DJ
  • 1970 – Eric Reed, American pianist and composer
  • 1971 – Tyronne Drakeford, American football player
  • 1972 – Nobuharu Asahara, Japanese sprinter and long jumper
  • 1972 – Neil Doak, Northern Irish cricketer and rugby player
  • 1972 – Irene van Dyk, South African-New Zealand netball player
  • 1973 – Juliette Lewis, American actress and singer-songwriter
  • 1973 – John Mitchell, English guitarist, vocalist and songwriter
  • 1974 – Rob Kelly, American football player
  • 1974 – Craig Lowndes, Australian race car driver
  • 1974 – Flavio Roma, Italian footballer
  • 1975 – Brian Simmons, American football player
  • 1976 – Shelley Craft, Australian television host
  • 1976 – Mike Einziger, American guitarist and songwriter
  • 1976 – Nigel Lappin, Australian footballer and coach
  • 1977 – Michael Gomez, Irish boxer
  • 1977 – Al Wilson, American football player
  • 1978 – Thomas Blondeau, Flemish writer (d. 2013)
  • 1978 – Matt Kuchar, American golfer
  • 1978 – Cristiano Lupatelli, Italian footballer
  • 1978 – Gervase Markham, British software engineer (d. 2018)
  • 1978 – Dejan Ognjanović, Montenegrin footballer
  • 1978 – Rim’K, French rapper
  • 1979 – Kostas Katsouranis, Greek footballer
  • 1979 – Chris Pratt, American actor
  • 1980 – Michael Crocker, Australian rugby league player and sportscaster
  • 1980 – Łukasz Cyborowski, Polish chess player
  • 1980 – Richard Jefferson, American basketball player
  • 1980 – Sendy Rleal, Dominican baseball player
  • 1981 – Yann Danis, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1981 – Garrett Jones, American baseball player
  • 1981 – Brandon Flowers, American singer-songwriter
  • 1981 – Brad Walker, American pole vaulter
  • 1982 – Lee Dae-ho, South Korean baseball player
  • 1982 – Prince William, Duke of Cambridge
  • 1982 – Jussie Smollett, American actor and singer
  • 1983 – Edward Snowden, American activist and academic
  • 1985 – Lana Del Rey, American singer-songwriter
  • 1985 – Sentayehu Ejigu, Ethiopian runner
  • 1985 – Byron Schammer, Australian footballer
  • 1986 – Kathleen O’Kelly-Kennedy, Australian wheelchair basketball player
  • 1986 – Hideaki Wakui, Japanese baseball player
  • 1987 – Pablo Barrera, Mexican footballer
  • 1987 – Sebastian Prödl, Austrian footballer
  • 1987 – Dale Thomas, Australian footballer
  • 1988 – Allyssa DeHaan, American basketball and volleyball player
  • 1988 – Paolo Tornaghi, Italian footballer
  • 1988 – Thaddeus Young, American basketball player
  • 1989 – Abubaker Kaki, Sudanese runner
  • 1990 – Ričardas Berankis, Lithuanian tennis player
  • 1990 – Lunar C, English rapper
  • 1990 – François Moubandje, Swiss footballer
  • 1990 – Håvard Nordtveit, Norwegian footballer
  • 1991 – Gaël Kakuta, French footballer
  • 1992 – MAX, American singer, songwriter, actor, dancer and model
  • 1994 – Başak Eraydın, Turkish tennis player
  • 1996 – Tyrone May, Australian rugby league player
  • 1997 – Rebecca Black, American singer-songwriter
  • 1997 – Derrius Guice, American football player
  • 2011 – Lil Bub, American celebrity cat

Deaths on June 21

  • 532 – Emperor Jiemin of Northern Wei, former Northern Wei emperor
  • 866 – Rodulf, Frankish archbishop
  • 868 – Ali al-Hadi, the tenth Imam of Shia Islam (b. 829)
  • 870 – Al-Muhtadi, Muslim caliph
  • 947 – Zhang Li, official of the Liao Dynasty
  • 1040 – Fulk III, Count of Anjou (b. 972)
  • 1171 – Walter de Luci, French-English monk (b. 1103)
  • 1208 – Philip of Swabia (b. 1177)
  • 1305 – Wenceslaus II of Bohemia (b. 1271)
  • 1359 – Erik Magnusson, king of Sweden (b. 1339)
  • 1377 – Edward III of England (b. 1312)
  • 1421 – Jean Le Maingre, French general (b. 1366)
  • 1527 – Niccolò Machiavelli, Italian historian and author (b. 1469)
  • 1529 – John Skelton, English poet and educator (b. 1460)
  • 1547 – Sebastiano del Piombo, Italian painter and educator (b. 1485)
  • 1558 – Piero Strozzi, Italian general (b. 1510)
  • 1582 – Oda Nobunaga, Japanese warlord (b. 1534)
  • 1585 – Henry Percy, 8th Earl of Northumberland (b. 1532)
  • 1591 – Aloysius Gonzaga, Italian saint (b. 1568)
  • 1596 – Jean Liebault, French agronomist and physician (b. 1535)
  • 1621 – Louis III, Cardinal of Guise (b. 1575)
  • 1621 – Kryštof Harant, Czech soldier and composer (b. 1564)
  • 1622 – Salomon Schweigger, German theologian (b. 1551)
  • 1631 – John Smith, English admiral and explorer (b. 1580)
  • 1652 – Inigo Jones, English architect, designed the Queen’s House and Wilton House (b. 1573)
  • 1661 – Andrea Sacchi, Italian painter (b. 1599)
  • 1737 – Matthieu Marais, French author, critic, and jurist (b. 1664)
  • 1738 – Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount Townshend, English politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (b. 1674)
  • 1796 – Richard Gridley, American soldier and engineer (b. 1710)
  • 1824 – Étienne Aignan, French playwright and translator (b. 1773)
  • 1865 – Frances Adeline Seward, American wife of William H. Seward (b. 1824)
  • 1874 – Anders Jonas Ångström, Swedish physicist and astronomer (b. 1814)
  • 1876 – Antonio López de Santa Anna, Mexican general and politician 8th President of Mexico (b. 1794)
  • 1880 – Theophilus H. Holmes, American general (b. 1804)
  • 1893 – Leland Stanford, American businessman and politician, 8th Governor of California (b. 1824)
  • 1908 – Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Russian composer and educator (b. 1844)
  • 1914 – Bertha von Suttner, Austrian journalist and author, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1843)
  • 1929 – Leonard Trelawny Hobhouse, English sociologist, journalist, and academic (b. 1864)
  • 1934 – Thorne Smith, American author (b. 1892)
  • 1940 – Smedley Butler, American general, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1881)
  • 1940 – Édouard Vuillard, French painter (b. 1868)
  • 1951 – Charles Dillon Perrine, American astronomer (b. 1867)
  • 1951 – Gustave Sandras, French gymnast (b. 1872)
  • 1952 – Wop May, Canadian captain and pilot (b. 1896)
  • 1954 – Gideon Sundback, Swedish-American engineer, developed the zipper (b. 1880)
  • 1957 – Claude Farrère, French captain and author (b. 1876)
  • 1957 – Johannes Stark, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1874)
  • 1964 – James Chaney, American civil rights activist (b. 1943)
  • 1964 – Andrew Goodman, American civil rights activist (b. 1943)
  • 1964 – Michael Schwerner, American civil rights activist (b. 1939)
  • 1967 – Theodore Sizer, American professor of the history of art (b. 1892)
  • 1969 – Maureen Connolly, American tennis player (b. 1934)
  • 1970 – Sukarno, Indonesian engineer and politician, 1st President of Indonesia (b. 1901)
  • 1970 – Piers Courage, English race car driver (b. 1942)
  • 1976 – Margaret Herrick, American librarian (b. 1902)
  • 1980 – Bert Kaempfert, German conductor and composer (b. 1923)
  • 1981 – Don Figlozzi, American illustrator and animator (b. 1909)
  • 1985 – Hector Boyardee, Italian-American chef and businessman, founded Chef Boyardee (b. 1897)
  • 1985 – Tage Erlander, Swedish lieutenant and politician, 25th Prime Minister of Sweden (b. 1901)
  • 1986 – Assi Rahbani, Lebanese singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1923)
  • 1987 – Madman Muntz, American engineer and businessman, founded the Muntz Car Company (b. 1914)
  • 1988 – Bobby Dodd, American football coach (b. 1908)
  • 1990 – Cedric Belfrage, English journalist and author, co-founded the National Guardian (b. 1904)
  • 1990 – June Christy, American singer (b. 1925)
  • 1992 – Ben Alexander, Australian rugby league player (b. 1971)
  • 1992 – Arthur Gorrie, Australian hobby shop proprietor (b. 1922)
  • 1992 – Rudra Mohammad Shahidullah, Bangladeshi poet, author, and playwright (b. 1956)
  • 1992 – Li Xiannian, Chinese captain and politician, 3rd President of the People’s Republic of China (b. 1909)
  • 1994 – William Wilson Morgan, American astronomer and astrophysicist (b. 1906)
  • 1997 – Shintaro Katsu, Japanese actor, singer, director, and producer (b. 1931)
  • 1997 – Fidel Velázquez Sánchez, Mexican trade union leader (b. 1900)
  • 1998 – Harry Cranbrook Allen, English historian (b. 1917)
  • 1998 – Anastasio Ballestrero, Italian cardinal (b. 1913)
  • 1998 – Al Campanis, American baseball player and manager (b. 1916)
  • 1999 – Kami, Japanese drummer (b. 1973)
  • 2000 – Alan Hovhaness, Armenian-American pianist and composer (b. 1911)
  • 2001 – John Lee Hooker, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1917)
  • 2001 – Soad Hosny, Egyptian actress and singer (b. 1942)
  • 2001 – Carroll O’Connor, American actor and producer (b. 1924)
  • 2002 – Timothy Findley, Canadian author and playwright (b. 1930)
  • 2003 – Roger Neilson, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1934)
  • 2003 – Leon Uris, American soldier and author (b. 1924)
  • 2004 – Leonel Brizola, Brazilian engineer and politician, Governor of Rio de Janeiro (b. 1922)
  • 2004 – Ruth Leach Amonette, American businesswoman (b. 1916)
  • 2005 – Jaime Sin, Filipino cardinal (b. 1928)
  • 2006 – Jared C. Monti, American sergeant, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1975)
  • 2007 – Bob Evans, American businessman, founded Bob Evans Restaurants (b. 1918)
  • 2008 – Scott Kalitta, American race car driver (b. 1962)
  • 2010 – Russell Ash, English author (b. 1946)
  • 2010 – Irwin Barker, Canadian actor and screenwriter (b. 1956)
  • 2010 – İlhan Selçuk, Turkish lawyer, journalist, and author (b. 1925)
  • 2011 – Robert Kroetsch, Canadian author and poet (b. 1927)
  • 2012 – Richard Adler, American composer and producer (b. 1921)
  • 2012 – Abid Hussain, Indian economist and diplomat, Indian Ambassador to the United States (b. 1926)
  • 2012 – Sunil Janah, Indian photographer and journalist (b. 1918)
  • 2012 – Anna Schwartz, American economist and author (b. 1915)
  • 2013 – James P. Gordon, American physicist and academic (b. 1928)
  • 2013 – Elliott Reid, American actor and screenwriter (b. 1920)
  • 2014 – Yozo Ishikawa, Japanese politician, Japanese Minister of Defense (b. 1925)
  • 2014 – Walter Kieber, Austrian-Liechtenstein politician, 7th Prime Minister of Liechtenstein (b. 1931)
  • 2014 – Wong Ho Leng, Malaysian lawyer and politician (b. 1959)
  • 2015 – Darryl Hamilton, American baseball player and sportscaster (b. 1964)
  • 2015 – Veijo Meri, Finnish author and poet (b. 1928)
  • 2015 – Remo Remotti, Italian actor, playwright, and poet (b. 1924)
  • 2015 – Alexander Schalck-Golodkowski, German soldier and politician (b. 1932)
  • 2015 – Gunther Schuller, American horn player, composer, and conductor (b. 1925)
  • 2016 – Pierre Lalonde, Canadian television host and singer (b. 1941)
  • 2018 – Charles Krauthammer, American columnist and conservative political commentator (b.1950)

Holidays and observances on June 21

  • Christian feast day:
    • Alban of Mainz
    • Aloysius Gonzaga
    • Engelmund of Velsen
    • Martin of Tongres
    • Onesimos Nesib (Lutheran)
    • June 21 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Day of the Martyrs (Togo)
  • Father’s Day (Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Uganda, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates)
  • Go Skateboarding Day
  • International Yoga Day (international)
  • National Aboriginal Day (Canada)
  • Solstice-related observances (see also June 20):
    • Day of Private Reflection
    • International Surfing Day
    • National Day (Greenland)
    • We Tripantu, a winter solstice festival in the southern hemisphere. (Mapuche, southern Chile)
    • Willkakuti, an Andean-Amazonic New Year (Aymara)
    • Fête de la Musique
  • World Humanist Day (Humanism)
  • World Hydrography Day (international)

June 21 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

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

Births on May 18

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

Deaths on May 18

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

Holidays and observances on May 18

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

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

On This Day

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

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

Births on May 1

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

Deaths on May 1

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

Holidays and observances on May 1

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

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

On This Day

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

On This Day /
  • 404 BC – Admiral Lysander and King Pausanias of Sparta blockade Athens and bring the Peloponnesian War to a successful conclusion.
  • 775 – The Battle of Bagrevand puts an end to an Armenian rebellion against the Abbasid Caliphate. Muslim control over Transcaucasia is solidified and its Islamization begins, while several major Armenian nakharar families lose power and their remnants flee to the Byzantine Empire.
  • 799 – After mistreatment and disfigurement by the citizens of Rome, pope Leo III flees to the Frankish court of king Charlemagne at Paderborn for protection.
  • 1134 – The name Zagreb was mentioned for the first time in the Felician Charter relating to the establishment of the Zagreb Bishopric around 1094.
  • 1607 – Eighty Years’ War: The Dutch fleet destroys the anchored Spanish fleet at Gibraltar.
  • 1644 – The Chongzhen Emperor, the last Emperor of Ming dynasty China, commits suicide during a peasant rebellion led by Li Zicheng.
  • 1707 – A coalition of Britain, the Netherlands and Portugal is defeated by a Franco-Spanish army at Almansa (Spain) in the War of the Spanish Succession.
  • 1792 – Highwayman Nicolas J. Pelletier becomes the first person executed by guillotine.
  • 1792 – “La Marseillaise” (the French national anthem) is composed by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle.
  • 1804 – The western Georgian kingdom of Imereti accepts the suzerainty of the Russian Empire.
  • 1829 – Charles Fremantle arrives in HMS Challenger off the coast of modern-day Western Australia prior to declaring the Swan River Colony for the United Kingdom.
  • 1846 – Thornton Affair: Open conflict begins over the disputed border of Texas, triggering the Mexican–American War.
  • 1849 – The Governor General of Canada, Lord Elgin, signs the Rebellion Losses Bill, outraging Montreal’s English population and triggering the Montreal Riots.
  • 1859 – British and French engineers break ground for the Suez Canal.
  • 1862 – American Civil War: Forces under U.S. Admiral David Farragut demand the surrender of the Confederate city of New Orleans, Louisiana.
  • 1864 – American Civil War: The Battle of Marks’ Mills.
  • 1882 – French and Vietnamese troops clashed in Tonkin, when Commandant Henri Rivière seized the citadel of Hanoi with a small force of marine infantry.
  • 1898 – Spanish–American War: The United States declares war on Spain.
  • 1901 – New York becomes the first U.S. state to require automobile license plates.
  • 1915 – World War I: The Battle of Gallipoli begins: The invasion of the Turkish Gallipoli Peninsula by British, French, Indian, Newfoundland, Australian and New Zealand troops, begins with landings at Anzac Cove and Cape Helles.
  • 1916 – Anzac Day is commemorated for the first time on the first anniversary of the landing at ANZAC Cove.
  • 1920 – At the San Remo conference, the principal Allied Powers of World War I adopt a resolution to determine the allocation of Class “A” League of Nations mandates for administration of the former Ottoman-ruled lands of the Middle East.
  • 1938 – U.S. Supreme Court delivers its opinion in Erie Railroad Co. v. Tompkins and overturns a century of federal common law.
  • 1940 – Merkið, the flag of the Faroe Islands is approved by the British occupation government.
  • 1944 – The United Negro College Fund is incorporated.
  • 1945 – Elbe Day: United States and Soviet troops meet in Torgau along the River Elbe, cutting the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany in two.
  • 1945 – Liberation Day (Italy): The Nazi occupation army surrenders and leaves Northern Italy after a general partisan insurrection by the Italian resistance movement; the puppet fascist regime dissolves and Benito Mussolini is captured after trying to escape. This day was set as a public holiday to celebrate the Liberation of Italy.
  • 1945 – United Nations Conference on International Organization: Founding negotiations for the United Nations begin in San Francisco.
  • 1945 – The last German troops retreat from Finland’s soil in Lapland, ending the Lapland War. Military acts of Second World War end in Finland.
  • 1951 – Korean War: Assaulting Chinese forces are forced to withdraw after heavy fighting with UN forces, primarily made up of Australian and Canadian troops, at the Battle of Kapyong.
  • 1953 – Francis Crick and James Watson publish “Molecular Structure of Nucleic Acids: A Structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid” describing the double helix structure of DNA.
  • 1954 – The first practical solar cell is publicly demonstrated by Bell Telephone Laboratories.
  • 1959 – The Saint Lawrence Seaway, linking the North American Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean, officially opens to shipping.
  • 1960 – The United States Navy submarine USS Triton completes the first submerged circumnavigation of the globe.
  • 1961 – Robert Noyce is granted a patent for an integrated circuit.
  • 1972 – Vietnam War: Nguyen Hue Offensive: The North Vietnamese 320th Division forces 5,000 South Vietnamese troops to retreat and traps about 2,500 others northwest of Kontum.
  • 1974 – Carnation Revolution: A leftist military coup in Portugal overthrows the authoritarian-conservative Estado Novo regime and establishes a democratic government.
  • 1975 – As North Vietnamese forces close in on the South Vietnamese capital Saigon, the Australian Embassy is closed and evacuated, almost ten years to the day since the first Australian troop commitment to South Vietnam.
  • 1981 – More than 100 workers are exposed to radiation during repairs of at the Tsuruga Nuclear Power Plant in Japan.
  • 1982 – Israel completes its withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula per the Camp David Accords.
  • 1983 – Cold War: American schoolgirl Samantha Smith is invited to visit the Soviet Union by its leader Yuri Andropov after he read her letter in which she expressed fears about nuclear war.
  • 1983 – Pioneer 10 travels beyond Pluto’s orbit.
  • 1986 – Mswati III is crowned King of Swaziland, succeeding his father Sobhuza II.
  • 1988 – In Israel, John Demjanjuk is sentenced to death for war crimes committed in World War II.
  • 1990 – Violeta Chamorro takes office as the President of Nicaragua, the first woman to hold the position.
  • 2001 – Michele Alboreto is killed while testing an Audi R8 at the Lausitzring in Germany.
  • 2004 – The March for Women’s Lives brings between 500,000 and 800,000 protesters, mostly pro-choice, to Washington D.C. to protest the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003, and other restrictions on abortion.
  • 2005 – The final piece of the Obelisk of Axum is returned to Ethiopia after being stolen by the invading Italian army in 1937.
  • 2005 – Bulgaria and Romania sign accession treaties to join the European Union.
  • 2007 – Boris Yeltsin’s funeral: The first to be sanctioned by the Russian Orthodox Church for a head of state since the funeral of Emperor Alexander III in 1894.
  • 2015 – Nearly 9,100 are killed after a massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake strikes Nepal.

Births on April 25

  • 1214 – Louis IX of France (d. 1270)
  • 1228 – Conrad IV of Germany (d. 1254)
  • 1284 – Edward II of England (d. 1327)
  • 1287 – Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March, English politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (d. 1330)
  • 1502 – Georg Major, German theologian and academic (d. 1574)
  • 1529 – Francesco Patrizi, Italian philosopher and scientist (d. 1597)
  • 1599 – Oliver Cromwell, English general and politician, Lord Protector of Great Britain (d. 1658)
  • 1621 – Roger Boyle, 1st Earl of Orrery, English soldier and politician (d. 1679)
  • 1666 – Johann Heinrich Buttstett, German organist and composer (d. 1727)
  • 1694 – Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington, English architect and politician, Lord High Treasurer of Ireland (d. 1753)
  • 1710 – James Ferguson, Scottish astronomer and author (d. 1776)
  • 1723 – Giovanni Marco Rutini, Italian composer (d. 1797)
  • 1725 – Augustus Keppel, 1st Viscount Keppel, English admiral and politician (d. 1786)
  • 1767 – Nicolas Oudinot, French general (d. 1847)
  • 1770 – Georg Sverdrup, Norwegian philologist and academic (d. 1850)
  • 1776 – Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh (d. 1857)
  • 1843 – Princess Alice of the United Kingdom (d. 1878)
  • 1849 – Felix Klein, German mathematician and academic (d. 1925)
  • 1850 – Luise Adolpha Le Beau, German composer and educator (d. 1927)
  • 1851 – Leopoldo Alas, Spanish author, critic, and academic (d. 1901)
  • 1854 – Charles Sumner Tainter, American engineer and inventor (d. 1940)
  • 1862 – Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon, English ornithologist and politician, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (d. 1933)
  • 1868 – John Moisant, American pilot and engineer (d. 1910)
  • 1871 – Lorne Currie, French-English sailor (d. 1926)
  • 1872 – C. B. Fry, English cricketer, footballer, educator, and politician (d. 1956)
  • 1873 – Walter de la Mare, English poet, short story writer, and novelist (d. 1956)
  • 1873 – Howard Garis, American author, creator of the Uncle Wiggily series of children’s stories (d. 1962)
  • 1874 – Guglielmo Marconi, Italian businessman and inventor, developed Marconi’s law, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1937)
  • 1874 – Ernest Webb, English-Canadian race walker (d. 1937)
  • 1876 – Jacob Nicol, Canadian publisher, lawyer, and politician (d. 1958)
  • 1878 – William Merz, American gymnast and triathlete (d. 1946)
  • 1882 – Fred McLeod, Scottish golfer (d. 1976)
  • 1887 – Kojo Tovalou Houénou, Beninese lawyer and critic (d. 1936)
  • 1892 – Maud Hart Lovelace, American author (d. 1980)
  • 1896 – Fred Haney, American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 1977)
  • 1897 – Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood (d. 1965)
  • 1900 – Gladwyn Jebb, English politician and diplomat, Secretary-General of the United Nations (d. 1996)
  • 1900 – Wolfgang Pauli, Austrian-Swiss-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1958)
  • 1902 – Werner Heyde, German psychiatrist and academic (d. 1964)
  • 1902 – Mary Miles Minter, American actress (d. 1984)
  • 1903 – Andrey Kolmogorov, Russian mathematician and academic (d. 1987)
  • 1905 – George Nepia, New Zealand rugby player and referee (d. 1986)
  • 1906 – William J. Brennan Jr., American colonel and Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court (d. 1997)
  • 1908 – Edward R. Murrow, American journalist (d. 1965)
  • 1909 – William Pereira, American architect, designed the Transamerica Pyramid (d. 1985)
  • 1910 – Arapeta Awatere, New Zealand interpreter, military leader, politician, and murderer (d. 1976)
  • 1911 – Connie Marrero, Cuban baseball player and coach (d. 2014)
  • 1912 – Earl Bostic, African-American saxophonist (d. 1965)
  • 1913 – Nikolaos Roussen, Greek captain (d. 1944)
  • 1914 – Ross Lockridge Jr., American author and academic (d. 1948)
  • 1915 – Mort Weisinger, American journalist and author (d. 1978)
  • 1916 – Jerry Barber, American golfer (d. 1994)
  • 1917 – Ella Fitzgerald, American singer (d. 1996)
  • 1917 – Jean Lucas, French racing driver (d. 2003)
  • 1918 – Graham Payn, South African-born English actor and singer (d. 2005)
  • 1918 – Gérard de Vaucouleurs, French-American astronomer and academic (d. 1995)
  • 1918 – Astrid Varnay, Swedish-American soprano and actress (d. 2006)
  • 1919 – Finn Helgesen, Norwegian speed skater (d. 2011)
  • 1921 – Karel Appel, Dutch painter and sculptor (d. 2006)
  • 1923 – Francis Graham-Smith, English astronomer and academic
  • 1923 – Melissa Hayden, Canadian ballerina (d. 2006)
  • 1923 – Albert King, African-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (d. 1992)
  • 1924 – Ingemar Johansson, Swedish race walker (d. 2009)
  • 1924 – Franco Mannino, Italian pianist, composer, director, and playwright (d. 2005)
  • 1924 – Paulo Vanzolini, Brazilian singer-songwriter and zoologist (d. 2013)
  • 1925 – Tony Christopher, Baron Christopher, English trade union leader and businessman
  • 1925 – Sammy Drechsel, German comedian and journalist (d. 1986)
  • 1925 – Louis O’Neil, Canadian academic and politician (d. 2018)
  • 1926 – Johnny Craig, American author and illustrator (d. 2001)
  • 1926 – Gertrude Fröhlich-Sandner, Austrian politician (d. 2008)
  • 1926 – Patricia Castell, Argentine actress (d. 2013)
  • 1927 – Corín Tellado, Spanish author (d. 2009)
  • 1927 – Albert Uderzo, French author and illustrator (d. 2020)
  • 1928 – Cy Twombly, American-Italian painter and sculptor (d. 2011)
  • 1929 – Yvette Williams, New Zealand long jumper, shot putter, and discus thrower (d. 2019)
  • 1930 – Paul Mazursky, American actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2014)
  • 1930 – Godfrey Milton-Thompson, English admiral and surgeon (d. 2012)
  • 1930 – Peter Schulz, German lawyer and politician, Mayor of Hamburg (d. 2013)
  • 1931 – Felix Berezin, Russian mathematician and physicist (d. 1980)
  • 1931 – David Shepherd, English painter and author (d. 2017)
  • 1932 – Nikolai Kardashev, Russian astrophysicist (d. 2019)
  • 1932 – Meadowlark Lemon, African-American basketball player and minister (d. 2015)
  • 1932 – Lia Manoliu, Romanian discus thrower and politician (d. 1998)
  • 1933 – Jerry Leiber, American songwriter and producer (d. 2011)
  • 1933 – Joyce Ricketts, American baseball player (d. 1992)
  • 1934 – Peter McParland, Northern Irish footballer and manager
  • 1935 – Bob Gutowski, American pole vaulter (d. 1960)
  • 1935 – Reinier Kreijermaat, Dutch footballer (d. 2018)
  • 1936 – Henck Arron, Surinamese banker and politician, 1st Prime Minister of the Republic of Suriname (d. 2000)
  • 1938 – Roger Boisjoly, American aerodynamicist and engineer (d. 2012)
  • 1938 – Ton Schulten, Dutch painter and graphic designer
  • 1939 – Tarcisio Burgnich, Italian footballer and manager
  • 1939 – Michael Llewellyn-Smith, English academic and diplomat
  • 1939 – Robert Skidelsky, Baron Skidelsky, English historian and academic
  • 1939 – Veronica Sutherland, English academic and British diplomat
  • 1940 – Al Pacino, American actor and director
  • 1941 – Bertrand Tavernier, French actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1942 – Jon Kyl, American lawyer and politician
  • 1943 – Tony Christie, English singer-songwriter and actor
  • 1944 – Len Goodman, English dancer
  • 1944 – Mike Kogel, German singer-songwriter
  • 1944 – Stephen Nickell, English economist and academic
  • 1944 – Bruce Ponder, English geneticist and cancer researcher
  • 1945 – Stu Cook, American bass player, songwriter, and producer
  • 1945 – Richard C. Hoagland, American theorist and author
  • 1945 – Björn Ulvaeus, Swedish singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1946 – Talia Shire, American actress
  • 1946 – Peter Sutherland, Irish lawyer and politician, Attorney General of Ireland
  • 1946 – Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Russian colonel, lawyer, and politician
  • 1947 – Johan Cruyff, Dutch footballer and manager (d. 2016)
  • 1947 – Jeffrey DeMunn, American actor
  • 1948 – Mike Selvey, English cricketer and sportscaster
  • 1948 – Yu Shyi-kun, Taiwanese politician, 39th Premier of the Republic of China
  • 1949 – Vicente Pernía, Argentinian footballer and race car driver
  • 1949 – Dominique Strauss-Kahn, French economist, lawyer, and politician, French Minister of Finance
  • 1949 – James Fenton, English poet, journalist and literary critic
  • 1950 – Donnell Deeny, Northern Irish lawyer and judge
  • 1950 – Steve Ferrone, English drummer
  • 1950 – Peter Hintze, German politician (d. 2016)
  • 1950 – Valentyna Kozyr, Ukrainian high jumper
  • 1951 – Ian McCartney, Scottish politician, Minister of State for Trade
  • 1952 – Ketil Bjørnstad, Norwegian pianist and composer
  • 1952 – Vladislav Tretiak, Russian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1952 – Jacques Santini, French footballer and coach
  • 1953 – Ron Clements, American animator, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1953 – Gary Cosier, Australian cricketer
  • 1953 – Anthony Venables, English economist, author, and academic
  • 1954 – Melvin Burgess, English author
  • 1954 – Randy Cross, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1954 – Róisín Shortall, Irish educator and politician
  • 1955 – Américo Gallego, Argentinian footballer and coach
  • 1955 – Parviz Parastui, Iranian actor and singer
  • 1955 – Zev Siegl, American businessman, co-founded Starbucks
  • 1956 – Dominique Blanc, French actress, director, and screenwriter
  • 1956 – Abdalla Uba Adamu, Nigerian professor, media scholar
  • 1957 – Theo de Rooij, Dutch cyclist and manager
  • 1958 – Fish, Scottish singer-songwriter
  • 1958 – Misha Glenny, British journalist
  • 1959 – Paul Madden, English diplomat, British High Commissioner to Australia
  • 1959 – Daniel Kash, Canadian actor and director
  • 1959 – Tony Phillips, American baseball player (d. 2016)
  • 1960 – Paul Baloff, American singer (d. 2002)
  • 1960 – Robert Peston, English journalist
  • 1960 – Bruce Redman, Australian director, producer, and critic
  • 1961 – Dinesh D’Souza, Indian-American journalist and author
  • 1961 – Miran Tepeš, Slovenian ski jumper
  • 1962 – Foeke Booy, Dutch footballer and manager
  • 1963 – Joy Covey, American businesswoman (d. 2013)
  • 1963 – Dave Martin, English footballer
  • 1963 – David Moyes, Scottish footballer and manager
  • 1963 – Bernd Müller, German footballer and manager
  • 1963 – Paul Wassif, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1964 – Hank Azaria, American actor, voice artist, comedian and producer
  • 1964 – Andy Bell, English singer-songwriter
  • 1965 – Eric Avery, American bass player and songwriter
  • 1965 – Mark Bryant, American basketball player and coach
  • 1965 – John Henson, American puppeteer and voice actor (d. 2014)
  • 1966 – Diego Domínguez, Argentinian-Italian rugby player
  • 1966 – Femke Halsema, Dutch sociologist, academic, and politician
  • 1966 – Darren Holmes, American baseball player and coach
  • 1966 – Erik Pappas, American baseball player and coach
  • 1967 – Angel Martino, American swimmer
  • 1968 – Vitaliy Kyrylenko, Ukrainian long jumper
  • 1968 – Thomas Strunz, German footballer
  • 1969 – Joe Buck, American sportscaster
  • 1969 – Martin Koolhoven, Dutch director and screenwriter
  • 1969 – Jon Olsen, American swimmer
  • 1969 – Darren Woodson, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1969 – Renée Zellweger, American actress and producer
  • 1970 – Jason Lee, American skateboarder, actor, comedian and producer
  • 1971 – Sara Baras, Spanish dancer
  • 1971 – Brad Clontz, American baseball player
  • 1973 – Carlota Castrejana, Spanish triple jumper
  • 1973 – Fredrik Larzon, Swedish drummer
  • 1973 – Barbara Rittner, German tennis player
  • 1975 – Jacque Jones, American baseball player and coach
  • 1976 – Gilberto da Silva Melo, Brazilian footballer
  • 1976 – Tim Duncan, American basketball player
  • 1976 – Breyton Paulse, South African rugby player
  • 1976 – Rainer Schüttler, German tennis player and coach
  • 1977 – Constantinos Christoforou, Cypriot singer-songwriter
  • 1977 – Ilias Kotsios, Greek footballer
  • 1977 – Marguerite Moreau, American actress and producer
  • 1977 – Matthew West, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
  • 1978 – Matt Walker, English swimmer
  • 1980 – Ben Johnston, Scottish drummer and songwriter
  • 1980 – James Johnston, Scottish bass player and songwriter
  • 1980 – Daniel MacPherson, Australian actor and television host
  • 1980 – Bruce Martin, New Zealand cricketer
  • 1980 – Kazuhito Tadano, Japanese baseball player
  • 1980 – Alejandro Valverde, Spanish cyclist
  • 1981 – Dwone Hicks, American football player
  • 1981 – Felipe Massa, Brazilian racing driver
  • 1981 – John McFall, English sprinter
  • 1981 – Anja Pärson, Swedish skier
  • 1982 – Brian Barton, American baseball player
  • 1982 – Monty Panesar, English cricketer
  • 1982 – Marco Russo, Italian footballer
  • 1983 – Johnathan Thurston, Australian rugby league player
  • 1983 – DeAngelo Williams, American football player
  • 1984 – Robert Andino, American baseball player
  • 1984 – Isaac Kiprono Songok, Kenyan runner
  • 1985 – Giedo van der Garde, Dutch racing driver
  • 1986 – Alexei Emelin, Russian ice hockey player
  • 1986 – Thin Seng Hon, Cambodian Paralympic athlete
  • 1986 – Gwen Jorgensen, American triathlete
  • 1986 – Claudia Rath, German heptathlete
  • 1987 – Razak Boukari, Togolese footballer
  • 1987 – Jay Park, American-South Korean singer-songwriter and dancer
  • 1987 – Johann Smith, American soccer player
  • 1988 – James Sheppard, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1989 – Marie-Michèle Gagnon, Canadian skier
  • 1989 – Michael van Gerwen, Dutch darts player
  • 1989 – Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama, one of the highest-ranking spiritual leaders in Tibet
  • 1990 – Jean-Éric Vergne, French racing driver
  • 1990 – Taylor Walker, Australian footballer
  • 1991 – Alex Shibutani, American ice dancer
  • 1993 – Alex Bowman, American race car driver
  • 1993 – Daniel Norris, American baseball player
  • 1994 – Omar McLeod, Jamaican hurdler
  • 1995 – Lewis Baker, English footballer
  • 1996 – Mack Horton, Australian swimmer
  • 1997 – Julius Ertlthaler, Austrian footballer

Deaths on April 25

  • 501 – Rusticus, saint and archbishop of Lyon (b. 455)
  • 775 – Smbat VII Bagratuni, Armenian prince
  • 775 – Mushegh VI Mamikonian, Armenian prince
  • 908 – Zhang Wenwei, Chinese chancellor
  • 1074 – Herman I, Margrave of Baden
  • 1077 – Géza I of Hungary (b. 1040)
  • 1185 – Emperor Antoku of Japan (b. 1178)
  • 1217 – Hermann I, Landgrave of Thuringia
  • 1228 – Queen Isabella II of Jerusalem (b. 1212)
  • 1243 – Boniface of Valperga, Bishop of Aosta
  • 1264 – Roger de Quincy, 2nd Earl of Winchester, medieval English nobleman; Earl of Winchester (b. 1195)
  • 1295 – Sancho IV of Castile (b. 1258)
  • 1342 – Pope Benedict XII (b. 1285)
  • 1397 – Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent, English nobleman
  • 1472 – Leon Battista Alberti, Italian author, poet, and philosopher (b. 1404)
  • 1516 – John Yonge, English diplomat (b. 1467)
  • 1566 – Louise Labé, French poet and author (b. 1520)
  • 1566 – Diane de Poitiers, mistress of King Henry II of France (b. 1499)
  • 1595 – Torquato Tasso, Italian poet and songwriter (b. 1544)
  • 1605 – Naresuan, Siamese King of Ayutthaya Kingdom (b. c. 1555)
  • 1644 – Chongzhen Emperor of China (b. 1611)
  • 1660 – Henry Hammond, English cleric and theologian (b. 1605)
  • 1690 – David Teniers the Younger, Flemish painter and educator (b. 1610)
  • 1744 – Anders Celsius, Swedish astronomer, physicist, and mathematician (b. 1701)
  • 1770 – Jean-Antoine Nollet, French minister, physicist, and academic (b. 1700)
  • 1800 – William Cowper, English poet (b. 1731)
  • 1840 – Siméon Denis Poisson, French mathematician and physicist (b. 1781)
  • 1873 – Fyodor Petrovich Tolstoy, Russian painter and sculptor (b. 1783)
  • 1875 – 12th Dalai Lama (b. 1857)
  • 1878 – Anna Sewell, English author (b. 1820)
  • 1890 – Crowfoot, Canadian tribal chief (b. 1830)
  • 1891 – Nathaniel Woodard, English priest and educator (b. 1811)
  • 1892 – Henri Duveyrier, French explorer (b. 1840)
  • 1892 – Karl von Ditmar, Estonian-German geologist and explorer (b. 1822)
  • 1906 – John Knowles Paine, American composer and educator (b. 1839)
  • 1911 – Emilio Salgari, Italian journalist and author (b. 1862)
  • 1913 – Joseph-Alfred Archambeault, Canadian bishop (b. 1859)
  • 1915 – Frederick W. Seward, American journalist, lawyer, and politician, 6th United States Assistant Secretary of State (b. 1830)
  • 1919 – Augustus D. Juilliard, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1836)
  • 1923 – Louis-Olivier Taillon, Canadian lawyer and politician, 8th Premier of Quebec (b. 1840)
  • 1928 – Pyotr Nikolayevich Wrangel, Russian general (b. 1878)
  • 1941 – Salih Bozok, Turkish commander and politician (b. 1881)
  • 1943 – Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko, Russian director, producer, and playwright (b. 1858)
  • 1944 – George Herriman, American cartoonist (b. 1880)
  • 1944 – Tony Mullane, Irish-American baseball player (b. 1859)
  • 1944 – William Stephens, American engineer and politician, 24th Governor of California (b. 1859)
  • 1945 – Huldreich Georg Früh, Swiss composer (b. 1903)
  • 1961 – Robert Garrett, American discus thrower and shot putter (b. 1875)
  • 1970 – Anita Louise, American actress (b. 1915)
  • 1972 – George Sanders, English actor (b. 1906)
  • 1973 – Olga Grey, Hungarian-American actress (b. 1896)
  • 1974 – Gustavo R. Vincenti, Maltese architect and developer (b. 1888)
  • 1975 – Mike Brant, Israeli singer and songwriter (b.1947)
  • 1976 – Carol Reed, English director and producer (b. 1906)
  • 1976 – Markus Reiner, Israeli engineer and educator (b. 1886)
  • 1982 – John Cody, American cardinal (b. 1907)
  • 1983 – William S. Bowdern, American priest and author (b. 1897)
  • 1988 – Carolyn Franklin, American singer-songwriter (b. 1944)
  • 1988 – Clifford D. Simak, American journalist and author (b. 1904)
  • 1990 – Dexter Gordon, American saxophonist, composer, and actor (b. 1923)
  • 1992 – Yutaka Ozaki, Japanese singer-songwriter (b. 1965)
  • 1995 – Art Fleming, American game show host (b. 1925)
  • 1995 – Ginger Rogers, American actress, singer, and dancer (b. 1911)
  • 1995 – Lev Shankovsky, Ukrainian military historian (b. 1903)
  • 1996 – Saul Bass, American graphic designer and director (b. 1920)
  • 1998 – Wright Morris, American author and photographer (b. 1910)
  • 1999 – Michael Morris, 3rd Baron Killanin, Irish journalist and author (b. 1914)
  • 1999 – Roger Troutman, American singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1951)
  • 2000 – Lucien Le Cam, French mathematician and statistician (b. 1924)
  • 2000 – David Merrick, American director and producer (b. 1911)
  • 2001 – Michele Alboreto, Italian racing driver (b. 1956)
  • 2002 – Lisa Lopes, American rapper and dancer (b. 1971)
  • 2003 – Samson Kitur, Kenyan runner (b. 1966)
  • 2004 – Thom Gunn, English-American poet and academic (b. 1929)
  • 2005 – Jim Barker, American politician (b. 1935)
  • 2005 – Swami Ranganathananda, Indian monk and educator (b. 1908)
  • 2006 – Jane Jacobs, American-Canadian journalist, author, and activist (b. 1916)
  • 2006 – Peter Law, Welsh politician and independent member of parliament (b. 1948)
  • 2007 – Alan Ball Jr., English footballer and manager (b. 1945)
  • 2007 – Arthur Milton, English footballer and cricketer (b. 1928)
  • 2007 – Bobby Pickett, American singer-songwriter (b. 1938)
  • 2008 – Humphrey Lyttelton, English trumpet player, composer, and radio host (b. 1921)
  • 2009 – Bea Arthur, American actress and singer (b. 1922)
  • 2010 – Dorothy Provine, American actress and singer (b. 1935)
  • 2010 – Alan Sillitoe, English novelist, short story writer, essayist, and poet (b. 1928)
  • 2011 – Poly Styrene, British musician (b. 1957)
  • 2012 – Gerry Bahen, Australian footballer (b. 1929)
  • 2012 – Denny Jones, American rancher and politician (b. 1910)
  • 2012 – Moscelyne Larkin, American ballerina and educator (b. 1925)
  • 2012 – Louis le Brocquy, Irish painter and illustrator (b. 1916)
  • 2013 – Brian Adam, Scottish biochemist and politician (b. 1948)
  • 2013 – Jacob Avshalomov, American composer and conductor (b. 1919)
  • 2013 – György Berencsi, Hungarian virologist and academic (b. 1941)
  • 2013 – Rick Camp, American baseball player (b. 1953)
  • 2014 – Dan Heap, Canadian priest and politician (b. 1925)
  • 2014 – William Judson Holloway Jr., American soldier, lawyer, and judge (b. 1923)
  • 2014 – Earl Morrall, American football player and coach (b. 1934)
  • 2014 – Tito Vilanova, Spanish footballer and manager (b. 1968)
  • 2014 – Stefanie Zweig, German journalist and author (b. 1932)
  • 2015 – Jim Fanning, American-Canadian baseball player and manager (b. 1927)
  • 2015 – Matthias Kuhle, German geographer and academic (b. 1948)
  • 2015 – Don Mankiewicz, American screenwriter and novelist (b. 1922)
  • 2015 – Mike Phillips, American basketball player (b. 1956)
  • 2016 – Tom Lewis, Australian politician, 33rd Premier of New South Wales (b. 1922)
  • 2018 – Madeeha Gauhar, Pakistani actress, playwright and director of social theater, and women’s rights activist (b. 1956)
  • 2019 – John Havlicek, American basketball player (b. 1940)

Holidays and observances on April 25

  • Anniversary of the First Cabinet of Kurdish Government (Iraqi Kurdistan)
  • Anzac Day (Australia, New Zealand)
  • Arbor Day (Germany)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Giovanni Battista Piamarta
    • Major Rogation (Western Christianity)
    • Mark the Evangelist
    • Maughold
    • Philo and Agathopodes
    • Anianus of Alexandria
    • April 25 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • DNA Day
  • Flag Day (Faroe Islands)
  • Freedom Day (Portugal)
  • Liberation Day (Italy)
  • Liberation Day (South Georgia)
  • Military Foundation Day (North Korea)
  • Parental Alienation Awareness Day
  • Red Hat Society Day
  • Sinai Liberation Day (Egypt)
  • World Malaria Day

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

On This Day

March 13- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 1567 – The Battle of Oosterweel, traditionally regarded as the start of the Eighty Years’ War.
  • 1591 – At the Battle of Tondibi in Mali, Moroccan forces of the Saadi dynasty, led by Judar Pasha, defeat the Songhai Empire, despite being outnumbered by at least five to one.
  • 1639 – Harvard College is named after clergyman John Harvard.
  • 1697 – Nojpetén, capital of the last independent Maya kingdom, fell to Spanish conquistadors, the final step in the Spanish conquest of Guatemala.
  • 1741 – The Battle of Cartagena de Indias (part of the War of Jenkins’ Ear) begins..
  • 1809 – Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden is deposed in the Coup of 1809.
  • 1826 – Pope Leo XII publishes the apostolic constitution Quo Graviora in which he renewed the prohibition on Catholics joining freemasonry.
  • 1845 – Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto receives its première performance in Leipzig with Ferdinand David as soloist.
  • 1848 – The German revolutions of 1848–1849 begin in Vienna.
  • 1862 – The Act Prohibiting the Return of Slaves was passed by the United States Congress, effectively annulling the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 and setting the stage for the Emancipation Proclamation.
  • 1881 – Alexander II of Russia is assassinated.
  • 1884 – The Siege of Khartoum begins. It lasts until January 26, 1885.
  • 1900 – British forces occupy Bloemfontein, Orange Free State, during the Second Boer War.
  • 1920 – The Kapp Putsch briefly ousts the Weimar Republic government from Berlin.
  • 1930 – The news of the discovery of Pluto is announced by Lowell Observatory.
  • 1933 – Banks in the U.S. begin to re-open after the three-day national “bank holiday” mandated by the Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Emergency Banking Act.
  • 1943 – German forces liquidate the Jewish ghetto in Kraków.
  • 1954 – The Battle of Điện Biên Phủ begins with an artillery barrage by Viet Minh forces under Võ Nguyên Giáp; Viet Minh victory lead to the end of the First Indochina War and French withdrawal from Vietnam.
  • 1957 – Cuban student revolutionaries storm the presidential palace in Havana in a failed attempt on the life of President Fulgencio Batista.
  • 1969 – Apollo 9 returns safely to Earth after testing the Lunar Module.
  • 1979 – The New Jewel Movement, headed by Maurice Bishop, ousts the Prime Minister of Grenada, Eric Gairy, in a coup d’état.
  • 1988 – The Seikan Tunnel, the longest undersea tunnel in the world, opens between Aomori and Hakodate, Japan.
  • 1992 – The Mw  6.6 Erzincan earthquake strikes eastern Turkey with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe).
  • 1996 – The Dunblane massacre leads to the death of sixteen primary school children and one teacher in Dunblane, Scotland.
  • 1997 – The Missionaries of Charity choose Sister Nirmala to succeed Mother Teresa as their leader.
  • 2003 – An article in Nature identifies the Ciampate del Diavolo as 350,000-year-old hominid footprints.
  • 2012 – The Sierre coach crash kills 28 people, including 22 children.
  • 2013 – The 2013 papal conclave elects Pope Francis as the 266th Pope of the Catholic Church.
  • 2016 – The Ankara bombing kills at least 37 people.
  • 2016 – Three gunmen attack two hotels in the Ivory Coast town of Grand-Bassam, killing at least 19 people.

Births on March 13

  • 1372 – Louis I, Duke of Orléans (d. 1407)
  • 1479 – Lazarus Spengler, German hymnwriter (d. 1534)
  • 1560 – William Louis, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg, Dutch count (d. 1620)
  • 1593 – Georges de La Tour, French painter (probable; d. 1652)
  • 1599 – John Berchmans, Belgian Jesuit scholastic and saint (d. 1621)
  • 1615 – Innocent XII, pope of the Catholic Church (d. 1700)
  • 1683 – Johann Wilhelm Weinmann, German botanist (d. 1741)
  • 1700 – Michel Blavet, French flute player and composer (d. 1768)
  • 1719 – John Griffin, 4th Baron Howard de Walden, English field marshal and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Essex (d. 1797)
  • 1720 – Charles Bonnet, Swiss historian and author (d. 1793)
  • 1741 – Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1790)
  • 1763 – Guillaume Brune, French general and diplomat (d. 1815)
  • 1764 – Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1845)
  • 1770 – Daniel Lambert, English animal breeder (d. 1809)
  • 1781 – Karl Friedrich Schinkel, German painter and architect, designed the Konzerthaus Berlin (d. 1841)
  • 1798 – Abigail Fillmore, American wife of Millard Fillmore, 14th First Lady of the United States (d. 1853)
  • 1800 – Mustafa Reşid Pasha, Ottoman politician, 212th Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire (d. 1858)
  • 1815 – James Curtis Hepburn, American physician, linguist, and missionary (d. 1911)
  • 1825 – Hans Gude, Norwegian-German painter and academic (d. 1903)
  • 1855 – Percival Lowell, American astronomer and mathematician (d. 1916)
  • 1857 – B. H. Roberts, English-American historian and politician (d. 1933)
  • 1860 – Hugo Wolf, Slovene-Austrian composer (d. 1903)
  • 1862 – Paul Prosper Henrys, French general (d. 1943)
  • 1864 – Alexej von Jawlensky, Russian-German painter (d. 1941)
  • 1870 – William Glackens, American painter and illustrator (d. 1938)
  • 1874 – Ellery Harding Clark, American jumper, coach, and lawyer (d. 1949)
  • 1880 – Josef Gočár, Czech architect (d. 1945)
  • 1883 – Enrico Toselli, Italian pianist and composer (d. 1926)
  • 1884 – Hugh Walpole, New Zealand-English author and educator (d. 1941)
  • 1886 – Home Run Baker, American baseball player and manager (d. 1963)
  • 1886 – Albert William Stevens, American captain and photographer (d. 1949)
  • 1888 – Paul Morand, French author and diplomat (d. 1976)
  • 1890 – Fritz Busch, German conductor and director (d. 1951)
  • 1892 – Janet Flanner, American journalist and author (d. 1978)
  • 1897 – Yeghishe Charents, Armenian poet and activist (d. 1937)
  • 1898 – Henry Hathaway, American director and producer (d. 1985)
  • 1899 – John Hasbrouck Van Vleck, American physicist and mathematician, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1980)
  • 1899 – Pancho Vladigerov, Bulgarian pianist and composer (d. 1978)
  • 1900 – Andrée Bosquet, Belgian painter (d. 1980)
  • 1900 – Giorgos Seferis, Greek poet and diplomat, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1971)
  • 1902 – Hans Bellmer, German-French painter and sculptor (d. 1975)
  • 1904 – Clifford Roach, Trinidadian cricketer and footballer (d. 1988)
  • 1907 – Dorothy Tangney, Australian politician (d. 1985)
  • 1908 – Walter Annenberg, American publisher, philanthropist, and diplomat, United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom (d. 2002)
  • 1908 – Myrtle Bachelder, American chemist and Women’s Army Corps officer (d. 1997)
  • 1910 – Sammy Kaye, American saxophonist, songwriter, and bandleader (d. 1987)
  • 1910 – Kemal Tahir, Turkish journalist and author (d. 1973)
  • 1911 – José Ardévol, Cuban composer and conductor (d. 1981)
  • 1913 – William J. Casey, American politician, 13th Director of Central Intelligence (d. 1987)
  • 1913 – Sergey Mikhalkov, Russian author and playwright (d. 2009)
  • 1914 – W. O. Mitchell, Canadian author and playwright (d. 1998)
  • 1914 – Edward O’Hare, American lieutenant and pilot, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1943)
  • 1916 – Lindy Boggs, American educator and politician, 5th United States Ambassador to the Holy See (d. 2013)
  • 1916 – Jacque Fresco, American engineer and academic (d. 2017)
  • 1920 – Ralph J. Roberts, American businessman, co-founded Comcast (d. 2015)
  • 1921 – Al Jaffee, American cartoonist
  • 1923 – Dimitrios Ioannidis, Greek general (d. 2010)
  • 1925 – Roy Haynes, American drummer and composer
  • 1926 – Carlos Roberto Reina, Honduran lawyer and politician, President of Honduras (d. 2003)
  • 1929 – Zbigniew Messner, Polish economist and politician, 9th Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland (d. 2014)
  • 1933 – Mahdi Elmandjra, Moroccan economist and sociologist (d. 2014)
  • 1933 – Gero von Wilpert, German author and academic (d. 2009)
  • 1935 – David Nobbs, English author and screenwriter (d. 2015)
  • 1938 – Robert Gammage, American captain and politician (d. 2012)
  • 1939 – Neil Sedaka, American singer-songwriter and pianist
  • 1941 – Donella Meadows, American environmentalist, author, and academic (d. 2001)
  • 1942 – Dave Cutler, American computer scientist and engineer
  • 1942 – Mahmoud Darwish, Palestinian poet and author (d. 2008)
  • 1944 – Terence Burns, Baron Burns, English economist and academic
  • 1945 – Anatoly Fomenko, Russian mathematician and academic
  • 1946 – Yonatan Netanyahu, American-Israeli colonel (d. 1976)
  • 1947 – Lesley Collier, English ballerina and educator
  • 1947 – Beat Richner, Swiss pediatrician and cellist (d. 2018)
  • 1947 – Lyn St. James, American race car driver
  • 1949 – Ze’ev Bielski, Israeli politician
  • 1949 – Sian Elias, New Zealand lawyer and politician, 12th Chief Justice of New Zealand
  • 1950 – Bernard Julien, Trinidadian cricketer
  • 1950 – Charles Krauthammer, American physician, journalist, and author (d. 2018)
  • 1950 – William H. Macy, American actor, director, and screenwriter
  • 1951 – Charo, Spanish-American singer, guitarist, and actress
  • 1952 – Wolfgang Rihm, German composer and educator
  • 1952 – Tim Sebastian, English journalist and author
  • 1953 – Andy Bean, American golfer
  • 1953 – Michael Curry, 27th presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church
  • 1954 – Valerie Amos, Baroness Amos, Guyanese-English politician and diplomat
  • 1954 – Robin Duke, Canadian actress and screenwriter
  • 1955 – Bruno Conti, Italian footballer and manager
  • 1955 – Glenne Headly, American actress (d. 2017)
  • 1955 – Olga Rukavishnikova, Russian pentathlete
  • 1956 – Dana Delany, American actress and producer
  • 1957 – John Hoeven, American banker and politician, 31st Governor of North Dakota
  • 1957 – Moses Hogan, American composer and conductor (d. 2003)
  • 1958 – Mágico González, Salvadoran footballer
  • 1958 – Rick Lazio, American lawyer and politician
  • 1958 – Caryl Phillips, Caribbean-English author and playwright
  • 1959 – Dirk Wellham, Australian cricketer
  • 1960 – Adam Clayton, English-born Irish musician and songwriter
  • 1960 – Joe Ranft, American animator, screenwriter, and voice actor (d. 2005)
  • 1963 – Vance Johnson, American football player
  • 1964 – Will Clark, American baseball player
  • 1966 – Chico Science, Brazilian singer-songwriter (d. 1997)
  • 1967 – Andrés Escobar, Colombian footballer (d. 1994)
  • 1967 – Pieter Vink, Dutch footballer and referee
  • 1970 – Tim Story, American director and producer
  • 1971 – Annabeth Gish, American actress
  • 1971 – Allan Nielsen, Danish international footballer, midfielder and manager
  • 1972 – Common, American rapper and actor
  • 1973 – Edgar Davids, Surinamese born Dutch international footballer midfielder and manager
  • 1973 – Bobby Jackson, American basketball player and coach
  • 1974 – Thomas Enqvist, Swedish tennis player and sportscaster
  • 1975 – Mark Clattenburg, English football referee
  • 1976 – Troy Hudson, American basketball player and rapper
  • 1976 – Danny Masterson, American actor and producer
  • 1978 – Tom Danielson, American cyclist
  • 1978 – Kenny Watson, American football player
  • 1979 – Johan Santana, Venezuelan-American baseball player
  • 1979 – Cédric Van Branteghem, Belgian sprinter
  • 1980 – Caron Butler, American basketball player
  • 1982 – Nicole Ohlde, American basketball player
  • 1983 – Kaitlin Sandeno, American swimmer
  • 1984 – Geeta Basra, Indian actress
  • 1985 – Alcides Araújo Alves, Brazilian footballer
  • 1985 – Emile Hirsch, American actor
  • 1986 – Neil Wagner, South African-New Zealand cricketer
  • 1987 – Marco Andretti, American race car driver
  • 1987 – Andreas Beck, German footballer
  • 1988 – Furdjel Narsingh, Dutch footballer
  • 1989 – Holger Badstuber, German footballer
  • 1989 – Marko Marin, German footballer
  • 1989 – Robert Wickens, Canadian racing driver
  • 1990 – Anicet Abel, Malagasy footballer
  • 1991 – Daniel Greig, Australian speed skater
  • 1991 – Tristan Thompson, American basketball player
  • 1994 – Gerard Deulofeu, Spanish footballer
  • 1995 – Mikaela Shiffrin, American skier
  • 1998 – Jay-Roy Grot, Dutch footballer

Deaths on March 13

  • 1202 – Mieszko III the Old, king of Poland (b. c. 1121)
  • 1271 – Henry of Almain, English knight (b. 1235)
  • 1415 – Minye Kyawswa, Crown Prince of Ava (b. 1391)
  • 1447 – Shah Rukh, Timurid ruler of Persia and Transoxania (b. 1377)
  • 1573 – Michel de l’Hôpital, French politician (b. 1507)
  • 1601 – Henry Cuffe, Politician (b. 1563)
  • 1619 – Richard Burbage, English actor (b. 1567)
  • 1711 – Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux, French poet and critic (b. 1636)
  • 1719 – Johann Friedrich Böttger, German chemist and potter (b. 1682)
  • 1800 – Nana Fadnavis, Indian minister and politician (b. 1742)
  • 1808 – Christian VII of Denmark (b. 1749)
  • 1823 – John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent, English admiral and politician (b. 1735)
  • 1833 – William Bradley, English lieutenant and cartographer (b. 1757)
  • 1842 – Henry Shrapnel, English general (b. 1761)
  • 1854 – Jean-Baptiste de Villèle, French politician, 6th Prime Minister of France (b. 1773)
  • 1873 – David Swinson Maynard, American physician, lawyer, and businessman (b. 1808)
  • 1879 – Adolf Anderssen, German mathematician and chess player (b. 1818)
  • 1881 – Alexander II of Russia (b. 1818)
  • 1884 – Leland Stanford Jr., American son of Leland Stanford (b. 1868)
  • 1885 – Giorgio Mitrovich, Maltese politician (b. 1795)
  • 1901 – Benjamin Harrison, American general and politician, 23rd President of the United States (b. 1833)
  • 1906 – Susan B. Anthony, American activist (b. 1820)
  • 1912 – Eugène-Étienne Taché, Canadian engineer and architect, designed the Parliament Building (b. 1836)
  • 1921 – Jenny Twitchell Kempton, American opera singer and educator (b. 1835)
  • 1936 – Francis Bell, New Zealand lawyer and politician, 20th Prime Minister of New Zealand (b. 1851)
  • 1938 – Clarence Darrow, American lawyer and author (b. 1857)
  • 1943 – Stephen Vincent Benét, American poet, short story writer, and novelist (b. 1898)
  • 1946 – Werner von Blomberg, German field marshal (b. 1878)
  • 1962 – Anne Acheson, Irish sculptor (d. 1882)
  • 1965 – Vittorio Jano, Italian engineer (b. 1891)
  • 1965 – Fan Noli, Albanian-American bishop and politician, 14th Prime Minister of Albania (b. 1882)
  • 1971 – Rockwell Kent, American painter and illustrator (b. 1882)
  • 1972 – Tony Ray-Jones, English photographer (b. 1941)
  • 1975 – Ivo Andrić, Yugoslav novelist, poet, and short story writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1892)
  • 1976 – Ole Haugsrud, American sports executive (b. 1900)
  • 1983 – Paul Citroen, German-Dutch illustrator and educator (b. 1896)
  • 1990 – Bruno Bettelheim, Austrian-American psychologist and author (b. 1903)
  • 1995 – Odette Hallowes, French nurse and spy (b. 1912)
  • 1996 – Krzysztof Kieślowski, Polish director and screenwriter (b. 1941)
  • 1998 – Judge Dread, English singer-songwriter (b. 1945)
  • 1998 – Hans von Ohain, German-American physicist and engineer (b. 1911)
  • 1999 – Lee Falk, American cartoonist, director, and producer (b. 1911)
  • 1999 – Garson Kanin, American director and screenwriter (b. 1912)
  • 2001 – John A. Alonzo, American actor and cinematographer (b. 1934)
  • 2001 – Encarnacion Alzona, Filipino historian and educator (b. 1895)
  • 2002 – Hans-Georg Gadamer, German philosopher and scholar (b. 1900)
  • 2004 – Franz König, Austrian cardinal (b. 1905)
  • 2006 – Robert C. Baker, American businessman, invented the chicken nugget (b. 1921)
  • 2006 – Jimmy Johnstone, Scottish footballer (b. 1944)
  • 2006 – Maureen Stapleton, American actress (b. 1925)
  • 2007 – Arnold Skaaland, American wrestler and manager (b. 1925)
  • 2009 – Betsy Blair, American actress (b. 1923)
  • 2009 – Alan W. Livingston, American businessman (b. 1917)
  • 2010 – Jean Ferrat, French singer-songwriter (b. 1930)
  • 2011 – Rick Martin, Canadian-American ice hockey player (b. 1951)
  • 2014 – Reubin Askew, American sergeant, lawyer, and politician, 37th Governor of Florida (b. 1928)
  • 2014 – Edward Haughey, Baron Ballyedmond, Irish businessman and politician (b. 1944)
  • 2014 – Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, Sierra Leonean economist, lawyer, and politician, 3rd President of Sierra Leone (b. 1932)
  • 2014 – Icchokas Meras, Lithuanian-Israeli author and screenwriter (b. 1934)
  • 2015 – Al Rosen, American baseball player and manager (b. 1924)
  • 2016 – Hilary Putnam, American philosopher, mathematician, and computer scientist (b. 1926)
  • 2017 – Amy Krouse Rosenthal, American author (b. 1965)
  • 2018 – Emily Nasrallah, Lebanese writer and women’s rights activist. (b. 1931)

Holidays and observances on March 13

  • Christian feast days:
    • Ansovinus
    • Gerald of Mayo
    • James Theodore Holly (Episcopal Church (USA))
    • Nicephorus
    • Roderick
    • March 13 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Kasuga Matsuri (Kasuga Grand Shrine, Nara, Japan)
  • National Elephant Day (Thailand)
  • Africa Scout Day

March 13- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

On This Day /
  • 1229 – The Sixth Crusade: Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, signs a ten-year truce with al-Kamil, regaining Jerusalem, Nazareth, and Bethlehem with neither military engagements nor support from the papacy.
  • 1268 – The Battle of Wesenberg is fought between the Livonian Order and Dovmont of Pskov.
  • 1332 – Amda Seyon I, Emperor of Ethiopia begins his campaigns in the southern Muslim provinces.
  • 1478 – George, Duke of Clarence, convicted of treason against his older brother Edward IV of England, is executed in private at the Tower of London.
  • 1637 – Eighty Years’ War: Off the coast of Cornwall, England, a Spanish fleet intercepts an important Anglo-Dutch merchant convoy of 44 vessels escorted by six warships, destroying or capturing 20 of them.
  • 1781 – Fourth Anglo-Dutch War: Captain Thomas Shirley opens his expedition against Dutch colonial outposts on the Gold Coast of Africa (present-day Ghana).
  • 1791 – Congress passes a law admitting the state of Vermont to the Union, effective 4 March, after that state had existed for 14 years as a de facto independent largely unrecognized state.
  • 1797 – French Revolutionary Wars: Sir Ralph Abercromby and a fleet of 18 British warships invade Trinidad.
  • 1814 – Napoleonic Wars: The Battle of Montereau.
  • 1861 – In Montgomery, Alabama, Jefferson Davis is inaugurated as the provisional President of the Confederate States of America.
  • 1861 – With Italian unification almost complete, Victor Emmanuel II of Piedmont, Savoy and Sardinia assumes the title of King of Italy.
  • 1873 – Bulgarian revolutionary leader Vasil Levski is executed by hanging in Sofia by the Ottoman authorities.
  • 1878 – John Tunstall is murdered by outlaw Jesse Evans, sparking the Lincoln County War in Lincoln County, New Mexico.
  • 1885 – Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is published in the United States.
  • 1900 – Second Boer War: Imperial forces suffer their worst single-day loss of life on Bloody Sunday, the first day of the Battle of Paardeberg.
  • 1906 – Édouard de Laveleye forms the Belgian Olympic Committee in Brussels.
  • 1911 – The first official flight with airmail takes place from Allahabad, United Provinces, British India (now India), when Henri Pequet, a 23-year-old pilot, delivers 6,500 letters to Naini, about 10 kilometers (6.2 mi) away.
  • 1930 – While studying photographs taken in January, Clyde Tombaugh discovers Pluto.
  • 1930 – Elm Farm Ollie becomes the first cow to fly in a fixed-wing aircraft and also the first cow to be milked in an aircraft.
  • 1932 – The Empire of Japan creates the independent state of Manzhouguo (the obsolete Chinese name for Manchuria) free from the Republic of China and installed former Chinese Emperor Aisin Gioro Puyi as Chief Executive of the State.
  • 1938 – Second Sino-Japanese War: During the Nanking Massacre, the Nanking Safety Zone International Committee is renamed “Nanking International Rescue Committee”, and the safety zone in place for refugees falls apart.
  • 1942 – World War II: The Imperial Japanese Army begins the systematic extermination of perceived hostile elements among the Chinese in Singapore.
  • 1943 – World War II: The Nazis arrest the members of the White Rose movement.
  • 1943 – World War II: Joseph Goebbels delivers his Sportpalast speech.
  • 1946 – Sailors of the Royal Indian Navy mutiny in Bombay harbour, from where the action spreads throughout the Provinces of British India, involving 78 ships, twenty shore establishments and 20,000 sailors
  • 1947 – First Indochina War: The French gain complete control of Hanoi after forcing the Viet Minh to withdraw to mountains.
  • 1954 – The first Church of Scientology is established in Los Angeles.
  • 1955 – Operation Teapot: Teapot test shot “Wasp” is successfully detonated at the Nevada Test Site with a yield of 1.2 kilotons. Wasp is the first of fourteen shots in the Teapot series.
  • 1957 – Kenyan rebel leader Dedan Kimathi is executed by the British colonial government.
  • 1957 – Walter James Bolton becomes the last person legally executed in New Zealand.
  • 1965 – The Gambia becomes independent from the United Kingdom.
  • 1970 – The Chicago Seven are found not guilty of conspiring to incite riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention.
  • 1972 – The California Supreme Court in the case of People v. Anderson, (6 Cal.3d 628) invalidates the state’s death penalty and commutes the sentences of all death row inmates to life imprisonment.
  • 1977 – The Space Shuttle Enterprise test vehicle is carried on its maiden “flight” on top of a Boeing 747.
  • 1979 – Richard Petty wins a then-record sixth Daytona 500 after leaders Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough crash on the final lap of the first NASCAR race televised live flag-to-flag.
  • 1983 – Thirteen people die and one is seriously injured in the Wah Mee massacre in Seattle. It is said to be the largest robbery-motivated mass-murder in U.S. history.
  • 1991 – The IRA explodes bombs in the early morning at Paddington station and Victoria station in London.
  • 2001 – FBI agent Robert Hanssen is arrested for spying for the Soviet Union. He is ultimately convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.
  • 2001 – Sampit conflict: Inter-ethnic violence between Dayaks and Madurese breaks out in Sampit, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, ultimately resulting in more than 500 deaths and 100,000 Madurese displaced from their homes.
  • 2003 – Nearly 200 people die in the Daegu subway fire in South Korea.
  • 2004 – Up to 295 people, including nearly 200 rescue workers, die near Nishapur, Iran, when a runaway freight train carrying sulfur, petrol and fertilizer catches fire and explodes.
  • 2007 – Samjhauta Express bombings occurred around midnight in Diwana near the Indian city of Panipat, 80 kilometres (50 mi) north of New Delhi, India.
  • 2010 – WikiLeaks publishes the first of hundreds of thousands of classified documents disclosed by the soldier now known as Chelsea Manning.
  • 2013 – Armed robbers steal a haul of diamonds worth $50 million during a raid at Brussels Airport in Belgium.
  • 2014 – At least 76 people are killed and hundreds are injured in clashes between riot police and demonstrators in Kiev, Ukraine.

Births on February 18

  • 1201 – Nasir al-Din al-Tusi, Persian scientist and writer (d. 1274)
  • 1372 – Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Egyptian jurist and scholar (d. 1448)
  • 1486 – Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Indian monk and saint (d. 1534)
  • 1516 – Mary I of England (d. 1558)
  • 1530 – Uesugi Kenshin, Japanese daimyō (d. 1578)
  • 1543 – Charles III, Duke of Lorraine (d. 1608)
  • 1547 – Bahāʾ al-dīn al-ʿĀmilī, founder of Isfahan School of Islamic Philosophy (d. 1621)
  • 1559 – Isaac Casaubon, Swiss philologist and scholar (d. 1614)
  • 1589 – Henry Vane the Elder, English politician (d. 1655)
  • 1589 – Maarten Gerritsz Vries, Dutch explorer (d. 1646)
  • 1602 – Per Brahe the Younger, Swedish soldier and politician, Governor-General of Finland (d. 1680)
  • 1609 – Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon, English historian and politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (d. 1674)
  • 1626 – Francesco Redi, Italian physician (d. 1697)
  • 1632 – Giovanni Battista Vitali, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1692)
  • 1642 – Marie Champmeslé, French actress (d. 1698)
  • 1658 – Charles-Irénée Castel de Saint-Pierre, French philosopher and author (d. 1743)
  • 1732 – Johann Christian Kittel, German organist and composer (d. 1809)
  • 1745 – Alessandro Volta, Italian physicist, invented the battery (d. 1827)
  • 1814 – Samuel Fenton Cary, American lawyer and politician (d. 1900)
  • 1817 – Lewis Armistead, American general (d. 1863)
  • 1836 – Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Indian mystic and yogi (d. 1886)
  • 1838 – Ernst Mach, Austrian physicist and philosopher (d. 1916)
  • 1846 – Wilson Barrett, English actor, playwright, and manager (d. 1904)
  • 1848 – Louis Comfort Tiffany, American stained glass artist (d. 1933)
  • 1849 – Alexander Kielland, Norwegian author, playwright, and politician (d. 1906)
  • 1850 – George Henschel, German-English singer-songwriter, pianist, and conductor (d. 1934)
  • 1855 – Jean Jules Jusserand, French historian, author, and diplomat, French Ambassador to the United States (d. 1932)
  • 1860 – Anders Zorn, Swedish artist (d. 1920)
  • 1862 – Charles M. Schwab, American businessman, co-founded Bethlehem Steel (d. 1939)
  • 1867 – Hedwig Courths-Mahler, German writer (d. 1950)
  • 1870 – William Laurel Harris, American painter and author (d. 1924)
  • 1871 – Harry Brearley, English inventor (d. 1948)
  • 1883 – Nikos Kazantzakis, Greek philosopher, author, and playwright (d. 1957)
  • 1885 – Henri Laurens, French sculptor and illustrator (d. 1954)
  • 1893 – Maksim Haretski, Belarusian prose writer, journalist and activist (d. 1938)
  • 1890 – Edward Arnold, American actor (d. 1956)
  • 1890 – Adolphe Menjou, American actor (d. 1963)
  • 1892 – Wendell Willkie, American captain, lawyer, and politician (d. 1944)
  • 1896 – Li Linsi, Chinese educator and diplomat (d. 1970)
  • 1898 – Enzo Ferrari, Italian race car driver and businessman, founded Ferrari (d. 1988)
  • 1898 – Luis Muñoz Marín, Puerto Rican poet and politician, 1st Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (d. 1980)
  • 1899 – Arthur Bryant, English historian and journalist (d. 1985)
  • 1903 – Nikolai Podgorny, Ukrainian engineer and politician (d. 1983)
  • 1905 – Queenie Leonard, English actress (d. 2002)
  • 1906 – Hans Asperger, Austrian pediatrician and academic (d. 1980)
  • 1909 – Wallace Stegner, American novelist, short story writer, and essayist (d. 1993)
  • 1914 – Pee Wee King, American singer-songwriter and fiddler (d. 2000)
  • 1915 – Phyllis Calvert, English actress (d. 2002)
  • 1916 – Jean Drapeau, Canadian lawyer and politician, 37th Mayor of Montreal (d. 1999)
  • 1919 – Jack Palance, American boxer and actor (d. 2006)
  • 1920 – Bill Cullen, American game show panelist and host (d. 1990)
  • 1920 – Rolande Falcinelli, French organist, pianist, composer, and pedagogue (d. 2006)
  • 1921 – Mary Amdur, American toxicologist and public health researcher (d. 1998)
  • 1921 – Oscar Feltsman, Ukrainian-Russian pianist and composer (d. 2013)
  • 1922 – Eric Gairy, Grenadan politician, 1st Prime Minister of Grenada (d. 1997)
  • 1922 – Helen Gurley Brown, American journalist and author (d. 2012)
  • 1922 – Allan Melvin, American actor (d. 2008)
  • 1925 – George Kennedy, American actor (d. 2016)
  • 1925 – Halit Kıvanç, Turkish journalist and sportscaster
  • 1925 – Ghafar Baba, Malaysian politician (d. 2006)
  • 1926 – Wallace Berman, American painter and illustrator (d. 1976)
  • 1927 – Luis Arroyo, Puerto Rican-American baseball player, manager, and scout (d. 2016)
  • 1927 – Fazal Mahmood, Pakistani cricketer (d. 2005)
  • 1927 – John Warner, American captain, lawyer, and politician, 61st United States Secretary of the Navy
  • 1928 – Rex Mossop, Australian rugby player and sportscaster (d. 2011)
  • 1929 – Len Deighton, English historian and author
  • 1929 – André Mathieu, Canadian pianist and composer (d. 1968)
  • 1931 – Johnny Hart, American cartoonist, co-created The Wizard of Id (d. 2007)
  • 1931 – Toni Morrison, American novelist and editor, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2019).
  • 1931 – Swraj Paul, Baron Paul, Indian-English businessman and philanthropist
  • 1931 – John Ryden, Scottish footballer, centre half (d. 2013)
  • 1931 – Bob St. Clair, American football player (d. 2015)
  • 1932 – Miloš Forman, Czech-American actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2018)
  • 1933 – Yoko Ono, Japanese-American multimedia artist and musician
  • 1933 – Bobby Robson, English international footballer, inside forward and international manager (d. 2009)
  • 1933 – Mary Ure, Scottish-English actress (d. 1975)
  • 1934 – Skip Battin, American singer-songwriter and bass player (d. 2003)
  • 1934 – Dave Dunmore, English footballer, centre forward
  • 1934 – Audre Lorde, American poet, essayist, memoirist, and activist (d. 1992)
  • 1934 – Paco Rabanne, Spanish-French fashion designer
  • 1936 – Jean M. Auel, American author
  • 1938 – Manny Mota, Dominican baseball player, coach, and sportscaster
  • 1938 – Sadanoyama Shinmatsu, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 50th Yokozuna (d. 2017)
  • 1938 – István Szabó, Hungarian director and screenwriter
  • 1939 – Claude Ake, Nigerian political scientist and academic (d. 1996)
  • 1939 – Bobby Hart, American singer-songwriter
  • 1939 – Marlos Nobre, Brazilian composer
  • 1940 – Fabrizio De André, Italian singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1999)
  • 1940 – Prue Leith, English restaurateur and journalist
  • 1941 – Herman Santiago, Puerto Rican-American singer-songwriter
  • 1941 – Irma Thomas, American singer
  • 1943 – Graeme Garden, Scottish comedian, actor, and author
  • 1944 – Pat Bowlen, American businessman (d. 2019)
  • 1945 – Judy Rankin, American golfer and sportscaster
  • 1946 – Michael Buerk, English journalist
  • 1947 – Dennis DeYoung, American singer-songwriter and keyboard player
  • 1947 – Eliot Engel, American educator and politician
  • 1948 – Sinéad Cusack, Irish actress
  • 1948 – Bruce Francis, Australian cricketer
  • 1948 – Keith Knudsen, American singer-songwriter and drummer (d. 2005)
  • 1949 – Gary Ridgway, American criminal, Green River Killer
  • 1950 – Nana Amba Eyiaba I, Ghanaian queen mother and advocate
  • 1950 – Cristina Ferrare, American model, actress, author, and television host
  • 1950 – John Hughes, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2009)
  • 1950 – Cybill Shepherd, American actress and singer
  • 1951 – Queen Komal of Nepal
  • 1951 – Isabel Preysler, Filipino-Spanish journalist
  • 1952 – Randy Crawford, American jazz and R&B singer
  • 1952 – Maurice Lucas, American basketball player and coach (d. 2010)
  • 1952 – Juice Newton, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1952 – Bernard Valcourt, Canadian lawyer and politician
  • 1953 – Robbie Bachman, Canadian rock drummer
  • 1953 – Derek Pellicci, English-Australian drummer
  • 1954 – Charlie Fowler, American mountaineer, author, and photographer (d. 2006)
  • 1954 – Paul Rendall, English rugby player
  • 1954 – John Travolta, American actor and producer
  • 1955 – Cheetah Chrome, American musician
  • 1955 – Miles Tredinnick, English singer-songwriter and playwright
  • 1955 – Lisa See, American writer and novelist
  • 1956 – Ted Gärdestad, Swedish singer-songwriter (d. 1997)
  • 1956 – Bidzina Ivanishvili, Georgian businessman and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Georgia
  • 1957 – Marita Koch, German sprinter
  • 1957 – Vanna White, American model and game show host
  • 1959 – Jayne Atkinson, English-American actress
  • 1959 – James Metzger, American businessman and philanthropist
  • 1960 – Andy Moog, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1960 – Greta Scacchi, Italian-Australian actress
  • 1963 – Rob Andrew, English rugby player and cricketer
  • 1964 – Matt Dillon, American actor and director
  • 1964 – Paul Hanley, English drummer and songwriter
  • 1965 – Dr. Dre, American rapper, producer, and actor
  • 1966 – Phillip DeFreitas, Dominican-English cricketer
  • 1967 – Roberto Baggio, Italian footballer
  • 1967 – Colin Jackson, Welsh sprinter and hurdler
  • 1968 – Molly Ringwald, American actress
  • 1969 – Tomaž Humar, Slovenian mountaineer (d. 2009)
  • 1969 – Alexander Mogilny, Russian-American ice hockey player
  • 1970 – Susan Egan, American actress and singer
  • 1970 – James H. Fowler, American political scientist and author
  • 1970 – Raine Maida, Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1970 – Massimo Taibi, Italian footballer
  • 1971 – Thomas Bjorn, Danish golfer
  • 1971 – Merritt Gant, American guitarist
  • 1972 – Fabian Picardo, Gibraltarian lawyer and politician, 7th Chief Minister of Gibraltar
  • 1973 – Shawn Estes, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1973 – Claude Makélélé, French footballer and manager
  • 1974 – Carrie Ann Baade, American painter and academic
  • 1974 – Jamey Carroll, American baseball player
  • 1974 – Radek Černý, Czech international footballer, goalkeeper
  • 1974 – Ruby Dhalla, Canadian chiropractor and politician
  • 1974 – Julia Butterfly Hill, American environmentalist and author
  • 1974 – Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Russian tennis player
  • 1974 – Jillian Michaels, American fitness trainer and author
  • 1975 – Gary Neville, English footballer and coach
  • 1976 – Leilani Munter, American race car driver and environmentalist
  • 1976 – Chanda Rubin, American tennis player
  • 1976 – Bernadette Sembrano, Filipino journalist
  • 1978 – Josip Šimunić, Croatian footballer
  • 1979 – Tinu Yohannan, Indian cricketer
  • 1980 – Aivar Anniste, Estonian footballer
  • 1980 – Nik Antropov, Kazakhstani-Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1980 – Regina Spektor, Russian-American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer
  • 1981 – Andrei Kirilenko, Russian basketball player
  • 1981 – Alex Ríos, American baseball player
  • 1981 – Ivan Sproule, Northern Irish footballer
  • 1981 – Larry Sweeney, American wrestler and manager (d. 2011)
  • 1982 – Juelz Santana, American rapper and actor
  • 1982 – Christian Tiffert, German footballer
  • 1983 – Jermaine Jenas, English international footballer, midfielder, pundit
  • 1984 – Carlos Kameni, Cameroonian footballer
  • 1985 – Anton Ferdinand, English footballer
  • 1985 – Lee Boyd Malvo, Jamaican-American murderer
  • 1985 – Jos van Emden, Dutch cyclist
  • 1986 – Robert DeLong, American singer-songwriter
  • 1986 – Marc Torrejón, Spanish footballer
  • 1987 – Cristian Tănase, Romanian footballer
  • 1988 – Changmin, South Korean singer-songwriter, dancer, and actor
  • 1990 – Didi Gregorius, Dutch baseball player
  • 1990 – Cody Hodgson, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1991 – Sebastian Neumann, German footballer
  • 1991 – Henry Surtees, English race car driver (d. 2009)
  • 1994 – Jake Trbojevic, Australian rugby league player
  • 1994 – J-Hope, South Korean rapper, dancer, singer-songwriter

Deaths on February 18

  • 675 – Colmán, bishop of Lindisfarne
  • 814 – Angilbert, Frankish monk and diplomat (b. 760)
  • 901 – Thābit ibn Qurra, Arab astronomer and physician (b. 826)
  • 999 – Gregory V, pope of the Catholic Church (b. 972)
  • 1139 – Yaropolk II, Grand Prince of Kiev (b. 1082)
  • 1218 – Berthold V, duke of Zähringen (b. 1160)
  • 1225 – Hugh Bigod, 3rd Earl of Norfolk, Norman nobleman
  • 1294 – Kublai Khan, Mongol emperor (b. 1215)
  • 1379 – Albert II, duke of Mecklenburg (b. 1318)
  • 1397 – Enguerrand VII, French nobleman (b. 1340)
  • 1405 – Timur, Turco-Mongol ruler (b. 1336)
  • 1455 – Fra Angelico, Italian priest and painter (b. 1395)
  • 1478 – George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence, English nobleman (b. 1449)
  • 1502 – Hedwig Jagiellon, duchess of Bavaria (b. 1457)
  • 1535 – Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, German magician, astrologer, and theologian (b. 1486)
  • 1546 – Martin Luther, German priest and theologian, leader of the Protestant Reformation (b. 1483)
  • 1564 – Michelangelo, Italian sculptor and painter (b. 1475)
  • 1654 – Jean-Louis Guez de Balzac, French author (b. 1594)
  • 1658 – John Villiers, 1st Viscount Purbeck, English courtier (b. c. 1591)
  • 1683 – Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem, Dutch painter (b. 1620)
  • 1695 – William Phips, governor of Massachusetts (b. 1650)
  • 1712 – Louis, Dauphin of France, (b. 1682)
  • 1743 – Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici, Italian noble (b. 1667)
  • 1748 – Otto Ferdinand von Abensberg und Traun, Austrian field marshal (b. 1677)
  • 1772 – Count Johann Hartwig Ernst von Bernstorff, Danish politician (b. 1712)
  • 1778 – Joseph Marie Terray, French economist and politician, Controller-General of Finances (b. 1715)
  • 1780 – Kristijonas Donelaitis, Lithuanian pastor and poet (b. 1714)
  • 1788 – John Whitehurst, English geologist and clockmaker (b. 1713)
  • 1803 – Johann Wilhelm Ludwig Gleim, German poet and educator (b. 1719)
  • 1851 – Carl Gustav Jacob Jacobi, German mathematician and academic (b. 1804)
  • 1873 – Vasil Levski, Bulgarian activist, founded the Internal Revolutionary Organization (b. 1837)
  • 1880 – Nikolay Zinin, Russian organic chemist (b. 1812)
  • 1893 – Serranus Clinton Hastings, American lawyer and politician, 1st Chief Justice of California (b. 1814)
  • 1902 – Charles Lewis Tiffany, American businessman, founded Tiffany & Co. (b. 1812)
  • 1906 – John Batterson Stetson, American businessman, founded the John B. Stetson Company (b. 1830)
  • 1910 – Lucy Stanton, American activist (b. 1831)
  • 1911 – Billy Murdoch, Australian cricketer (b. 1854)
  • 1915 – Frank James, American soldier and criminal (b. 1843)
  • 1923 – Alois Rašín, Czech economist and politician (b. 1867)
  • 1931 – Milan Šufflay, Croatian historian, author, and politician (b. 1879)
  • 1931 – Louis Wolheim, American actor and screenwriter (b. 1880)
  • 1933 – James J. Corbett, American boxer and actor (b. 1866)
  • 1938 – David King Udall, American missionary and politician (b. 1851)
  • 1942 – Albert Payson Terhune, American journalist and author (b. 1872)
  • 1945 – Ivan Chernyakhovsky, Russian general (b. 1906)
  • 1956 – Gustave Charpentier, French composer (b. 1860)
  • 1957 – Dedan Kimathi, Kenyan rebel leader (b. 1920)
  • 1957 – Henry Norris Russell, American astronomer, astrophysicist, and academic (b. 1877)
  • 1960 – Gertrude Vanderbilt, American stage actress (b. c. 1885)
  • 1964 – Joseph-Armand Bombardier, Canadian inventor and businessman, founded Bombardier Inc. (b. 1907)
  • 1966 – Robert Rossen, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1908)
  • 1967 – J. Robert Oppenheimer, American physicist and academic (b. 1904)
  • 1969 – Dragiša Cvetković, Serbian lawyer and politician, 17th Prime Minister of Yugoslavia (b. 1893)
  • 1973 – Frank Costello, Italian-American gangster (b. 1891)
  • 1976 – Wallace Berman, American painter and illustrator (b. 1926)
  • 1977 – Andy Devine, American actor (b. 1905)
  • 1978 – Maggie McNamara, American actress (b. 1928)
  • 1981 – Jack Northrop, American engineer and businessman, founded the Northrop Corporation (b. 1895)
  • 1982 – Ngaio Marsh, New Zealand author (b. 1895)
  • 1989 – Mildred Burke, American wrestler and trainer (b. 1915)
  • 1990 – Richard de Zoysa, Sri Lankan journalist (b. 1958)
  • 1993 – Jacqueline Hill, English actress (b. 1929)
  • 1995 – Eddie Gilbert, American wrestler (b. 1961)
  • 1995 – Bob Stinson, American guitarist (b. 1959)
  • 1997 – Emily Hahn, American journalist and author (b. 1905)
  • 1998 – Harry Caray, American sportscaster (b. 1914)
  • 2001 – Balthus, Polish-Swiss painter and illustrator (b. 1908)
  • 2001 – Dale Earnhardt, American stock car racer and team owner (b. 1951)
  • 2001 – Eddie Mathews, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1931)
  • 2003 – Isser Harel, Belarusian-Israeli intelligence officer (b. 1912)
  • 2006 – Bill Cowsill, American singer and guitarist (b. 1948)
  • 2008 – Alain Robbe-Grillet, French director, screenwriter, and novelist (b. 1922)
  • 2009 – Tayeb Salih, Sudanese journalist and author (b. 1929)
  • 2009 – Miika Tenkula, Finnish singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1974)
  • 2010 – John Babcock, Canadian soldier (b. 1900)
  • 2012 – George Brizan, Grenadian politician, 9th Prime Minister of Grenada (b. 1942)
  • 2012 – Elizabeth Connell, South African-English soprano (b. 1946)
  • 2013 – Kevin Ayers, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1944)
  • 2013 – Jerry Buss, American chemist and businessman (b. 1933)
  • 2014 – Mavis Gallant, Canadian-French author and playwright (b. 1922)
  • 2014 – Kristof Goddaert, Belgian cyclist (b. 1986)
  • 2014 – Nikhil Baran Sengupta, Indian art director and production designer (b. 1943)
  • 2014 – Maria Franziska von Trapp, Austrian-American singer (b. 1914)
  • 2015 – Cass Ballenger, American lawyer and politician (b. 1926)
  • 2015 – Jerome Kersey, American basketball player and coach (b. 1962)
  • 2016 – Abdul Rashid Khan, Indian singer-songwriter (b. 1908)
  • 2016 – Pantelis Pantelidis, Greek singer (b. 1983)
  • 2017 – Ivan Koloff, Canadian wrestler (b. 1942)
  • 2017 – Norma McCorvey, American abortion rights activist; Plaintiff, Roe v. Wade (b. 1947)
  • 2017 – Clyde Stubblefield, American drummer (b. 1943)
  • 2019 – Alessandro Mendini, Italian designer and architect (b.1931)

Holidays and observances on February 18

  • Christian feast day:
    • Bernadette Soubirous (France)
    • Colmán of Lindisfarne
    • Flavian of Constantinople
    • Geltrude Comensoli
    • Simeon of Jerusalem (Western Christianity)
    • February 18 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Dialect Day (Amami Islands, Japan)
  • Independence Day, celebrates the independence of the Gambia from the United Kingdom in 1965.
  • Kurdish Students Union Day (Iraqi Kurdistan)
  • National Democracy Day, celebrates the 1951 overthrow of the Rana dynasty (Nepal)
  • Wife’s Day (Konudagur) (Iceland)

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

On This Day

February 11 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 660 BC – Traditional date for the foundation of Japan by Emperor Jimmu.
  • AD 55 – The death under mysterious circumstances of Tiberius Claudius Caesar Britannicus, heir to the Roman empire, on the eve of his coming of age clears the way for Nero to become Emperor.
  • 1534 – Henry VIII of England is recognized as supreme head of the Church of England.
  • 1659 – The assault on Copenhagen by Swedish forces is beaten back with heavy losses.
  • 1794 – First session of United States Senate opens to the public.
  • 1808 – Jesse Fell burns anthracite on an open grate as an experiment in heating homes with coal.
  • 1812 – Massachusetts governor Elbridge Gerry is accused of “gerrymandering” for the first time.
  • 1823 – Carnival tragedy of 1823: About 110 boys are killed during a stampede at the Convent of the Minori Osservanti in Valletta, Malta.
  • 1826 – University College London is founded as University of London.
  • 1840 – Gaetano Donizetti’s opera La fille du régiment receives its first performance in Paris, France.
  • 1843 – Giuseppe Verdi’s opera I Lombardi alla prima crociata receives its first performance in Milan, Italy.
  • 1855 – Kassa Hailu is crowned Tewodros II, Emperor of Ethiopia.
  • 1856 – The Kingdom of Awadh is annexed by the British East India Company and Wajid Ali Shah, the king of Awadh, is deposed.
  • 1858 – Bernadette Soubirous’s first vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Lourdes, France.
  • 1861 – American Civil War: The United States House of Representatives unanimously passes a resolution guaranteeing noninterference with slavery in any state.
  • 1873 – King Amadeo I of Spain abdicates.
  • 1889 – Meiji Constitution of Japan is adopted.
  • 1903 – Anton Bruckner’s 9th Symphony receives its first performance in Vienna, Austria.
  • 1906 – Pope Pius X publishes the encyclical Vehementer Nos.
  • 1919 – Friedrich Ebert (SPD), is elected President of Germany.
  • 1929 – Kingdom of Italy and the Vatican sign the Lateran Treaty.
  • 1937 – The Flint sit-down strike ends when General Motors recognizes the United Auto Workers trade union.
  • 1938 – BBC Television produces the world’s first ever science fiction television programme, an adaptation of a section of the Karel Čapek play R.U.R., that coined the term “robot”.
  • 1942 – World War II: Second day of the Battle of Bukit Timah is fought in Singapore.
  • 1953 – Cold War: U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower denies all appeals for clemency for Julius and Ethel Rosenberg.
  • 1953 – The Soviet Union breaks off diplomatic relations with Israel.
  • 1959 – The Federation of Arab Emirates of the South is created as a protectorate of the United Kingdom.
  • 1970 – Japan launches Ohsumi, becoming the fourth nation to put an object into orbit using its own booster.
  • 1971 – Cold War: the Seabed Arms Control Treaty opened for signature outlawing nuclear weapons on the ocean floor in international waters.
  • 1979 – The Iranian Revolution establishes an Islamic theocracy under the leadership of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
  • 1990 – Nelson Mandela is released from Victor Verster Prison outside Cape Town, South Africa after 27 years as a political prisoner.
  • 1990 – Buster Douglas, a 42:1 underdog, knocks out Mike Tyson in ten rounds at Tokyo to win boxing’s world Heavyweight title.
  • 1997 – Space Shuttle Discovery is launched on a mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope.
  • 1999 – Pluto crosses Neptune’s orbit, ending a nearly 20-year period when it was closer to the Sun than the gas giant; Pluto is not expected to interact with Neptune’s orbit again until 2231.
  • 2001 – A Dutch programmer launched the Anna Kournikova virus infecting millions of emails via a trick photo of the tennis star.
  • 2008 – Rebel East Timorese soldiers seriously wound President José Ramos-Horta. Rebel leader Alfredo Reinado is killed in the attack.
  • 2011 – Arab Spring: The first wave of the Egyptian revolution culminates in the resignation of Hosni Mubarak and the transfer of power to the Supreme Military Council after 17 days of protests.
  • 2013 – The Vatican confirmed that Pope Benedict XVI would resign the papacy as a result of his advanced age.
  • 2014 – A military transport plane crashes in a mountainous area of Oum El Bouaghi Province in eastern Algeria, killing 77 people.
  • 2015 – A university student was murdered as she resisted an attempted rape in Turkey, sparking nationwide protests and public outcry against harassment and violence against women.
  • 2016 – A man shoots six people dead at an education center in Jizan Province, Saudi Arabia.
  • 2017 – North Korea test fires a ballistic missile across the Sea of Japan.
  • 2018 – Saratov Airlines Flight 703 crashes near Moscow, Russia with 71 deaths and no survivors.

Births on February 11

  • 1380 – Poggio Bracciolini, Italian scholar and translator (d. 1459)
  • 1466 – Elizabeth of York (d. 1503)
  • 1535 – Pope Gregory XIV (d. 1591)
  • 1568 – Honoré d’Urfé, French author and playwright (d. 1625)
  • 1649 – William Carstares, Scottish minister and academic (d. 1715)
  • 1657 – Bernard Le Bovier de Fontenelle, French poet and playwright (d. 1757)
  • 1708 – Egidio Duni, Italian composer (d. 1775)
  • 1764 – Joseph Chénier, French poet and playwright (d. 1811)
  • 1776 – Ioannis Kapodistrias, Greek politician, 1st Governor of Greece (d. 1831)
  • 1800 – Henry Fox Talbot, English photographer and politician, invented the calotype (d. 1877)
  • 1802 – Lydia Maria Child, American journalist, author, and activist (d. 1880)
  • 1805 – Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, Native American-French Canadian explorer (d. 1866)
  • 1812 – Alexander H. Stephens, American lawyer and politician, Vice President of the Confederate States of America (d. 1883)
  • 1813 – Otto Ludwig, German author, playwright, and critic (d. 1865)
  • 1821 – Auguste Mariette, French archaeologist and scholar (d. 1881)
  • 1830 – Hans Bronsart von Schellendorff, Prussian pianist and composer (d. 1913)
  • 1833 – Melville Fuller, American lawyer and jurist, Chief Justice of the United States (d. 1910)
  • 1839 – Josiah Willard Gibbs, American physicist (d. 1903)
  • 1845 – Ahmet Tevfik Pasha, Ottoman soldier and politician, Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire (d. 1936)
  • 1847 – Thomas Edison, American engineer and businessman, developed the light bulb and phonograph (d. 1931)
  • 1855 – Ellen Day Hale, American painter and author (b. 1855)
  • 1860 – Rachilde, French author and playwright (d. 1953)
  • 1863 – John F. Fitzgerald, American politician; Mayor of Boston (d. 1950)
  • 1864 – Louis Bouveault, French chemist (d. 1909)
  • 1869 – Helene Kröller-Müller, German-Dutch art collector and philanthropist, founded the Kröller-Müller Museum (d. 1939)
  • 1869 – Else Lasker-Schüler, German poet and author (d. 1945)
  • 1874 – Elsa Beskow, Swedish author and illustrator (d. 1953)
  • 1881 – Carlo Carrà, Italian painter (d. 1966)
  • 1897 – Emil Leon Post, Polish-American mathematician and logician (d.1954)
  • 1898 – Leo Szilard, Hungarian-American physicist and academic (d. 1964)
  • 1900 – Ellen Broe, Danish nurse, pioneer in nursing education (d. 1994)
  • 1900 – Hans-Georg Gadamer, German philosopher and scholar (d. 2002)
  • 1900 – Jōsei Toda, Japanese educator and activist (d. 1958)
  • 1902 – Arne Jacobsen, Danish architect, designed Radisson Blu Royal Hotel (d. 1971)
  • 1904 – Keith Holyoake, New Zealand farmer and politician, Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1983)
  • 1904 – Lucile Randon, French Supercentenarian
  • 1908 – Philip Dunne, American screenwriter (d. 1992)
  • 1908 – Vivian Fuchs, English explorer (d. 1999)
  • 1909 – Max Baer, American boxer and actor (d. 1959)
  • 1909 – Joseph L. Mankiewicz, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1993)
  • 1912 – Rudolf Firkušný, Czech-American pianist and educator (d. 1994)
  • 1914 – Matt Dennis, American singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 2002)
  • 1914 – Josh White, American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1969)
  • 1915 – Patrick Leigh Fermor, English soldier, author, and scholar (d. 2011)
  • 1915 – Richard Hamming, American mathematician and academic (d. 1998)
  • 1917 – Sidney Sheldon, American author and screenwriter (d. 2007)
  • 1920 – Farouk I, King of Egypt (d. 1965)
  • 1920 – Daniel F. Galouye, American author (d. 1976)
  • 1920 – Billy Halop, American actor (d. 1976)
  • 1920 – Daniel James, Jr., American general and pilot (d. 1978)
  • 1921 – Lloyd Bentsen, American colonel and politician, United States Secretary of the Treasury (d. 2006)
  • 1921 – Ottavio Missoni, Italian hurdler and fashion designer, founded Missoni (d. 2013)
  • 1923 – Antony Flew, English philosopher and academic (d. 2010)
  • 1924 – Budge Patty, American tennis player
  • 1925 – Virginia E. Johnson, American psychologist and academic (d. 2013)
  • 1925 – Kim Stanley, American actress (d. 2001)
  • 1926 – Paul Bocuse, French chef (d. 2018)
  • 1926 – Leslie Nielsen, Canadian-American actor and producer (d. 2010)
  • 1930 – Roy De Forest, American painter and academic (d. 2007).
  • 1932 – Dennis Skinner, English miner and politician
  • 1934 – Mel Carnahan, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician, Governor of Missouri (d. 2000)
  • 1934 – Tina Louise, American actress and singer
  • 1934 – Manuel Noriega, Panamanian general and politician, Military leader of Panama (d. 2017)
  • 1934 – Mary Quant, British fashion designer
  • 1934 – David Taylor, English veterinarian and television host (d. 2013)
  • 1935 – Gene Vincent, American singer and guitarist (d. 1971)
  • 1936 – Burt Reynolds, American actor and director (d. 2018)
  • 1937 – Ian Gow, British Member of Parliament who was assassinated by the IRA (d. 1990)
  • 1937 – Bill Lawry, Australian cricketer and sportscaster
  • 1937 – Eddie Shack, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1937 – Phillip Walker, American singer and guitarist (d. 2010)
  • 1938 – Bevan Congdon, New Zealand cricketer (d. 2018)
  • 1939 – Gerry Goffin, American songwriter (d. 2014)
  • 1940 – Mick Staton, American soldier and politician (d. 2014)
  • 1941 – Sérgio Mendes, Brazilian pianist and composer
  • 1942 – Otis Clay, American singer-songwriter (d. 2016)
  • 1943 – Joselito, Spanish singer and actor
  • 1943 – Alan Rubin, American trumpet player (d. 2011)
  • 1944 – Mike Oxley, American lawyer and politician (d. 2016)
  • 1944 – Joy Williams, American novelist, short story writer, and essayist
  • 1946 – Ian Porterfield, Scottish footballer and manager (d. 2007)
  • 1947 – Yukio Hatoyama, Japanese engineer and politician and Prime Minister of Japan
  • 1947 – Derek Shulman, Scottish singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1951 – Mike Leavitt, American politician, 14th Governor of Utah
  • 1953 – Philip Anglim, American actor
  • 1953 – Jeb Bush, American banker, politician and Governor of Florida
  • 1953 – Tom Veryzer, American baseball player (d. 2014)
  • 1954 – Wesley Strick, American director and screenwriter
  • 1956 – Didier Lockwood, French violinist (d. 2018)
  • 1959 – Roberto Moreno, Brazilian race car driver
  • 1960 – Richard Mastracchio, American engineer and astronaut
  • 1962 – Tammy Baldwin, American lawyer and politician
  • 1962 – Sheryl Crow, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1964 – Sarah Palin, American journalist, politician and Governor of Alaska
  • 1964 – Ken Shamrock, American martial artist and wrestler
  • 1965 – Vicki Wilson, Australian netball player
  • 1968 – Mo Willems, American author and illustrator
  • 1969 – Jennifer Aniston, American actress and producer
  • 1969 – Andreas Hilfiker, Swiss footballer
  • 1969 – John Salako, Nigerian-English footballer, manager, and sportscaster
  • 1971 – Damian Lewis, English actor
  • 1972 – Steve McManaman, English footballer
  • 1973 – Varg Vikernes, Norwegian guitarist and songwriter
  • 1974 – Nick Barmby, English international footballer, midfielder and manager
  • 1974 – D’Angelo, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1974 – Jaroslav Špaček, Czech ice hockey player and coach
  • 1975 – Andy Lally, American race car driver
  • 1975 – Callum Thorp, Australian cricketer
  • 1975 – Jacque Vaughn, American basketball player and coach
  • 1976 – Tony Battie, American basketball player and sportscaster
  • 1979 – Brandy Norwood, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
  • 1982 – Ľubomíra Kalinová, Slovak biathlete
  • 1982 – Neil Robertson, Australian snooker player
  • 1983 – Rafael van der Vaart, Dutch international footballer, midfielder
  • 1984 – Maarten Heisen, Dutch sprinter
  • 1984 – Marco Marcato, Italian cyclist
  • 1984 – Maxime Talbot, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1985 – Šárka Strachová, Czech skier
  • 1987 – Luca Antonelli, Italian footballer
  • 1987 – Juanmi Callejón, Spanish footballer
  • 1987 – Ellen van Dijk, Dutch cyclist
  • 1987 – Brian Matusz, American baseball player
  • 1987 – Jan Smeekens, Dutch speed skater
  • 1988 – Vlad Moldoveanu, Romanian basketball player
  • 1990 – Javier Aquino, Mexican footballer
  • 1991 – Nikola Mirotic, Spanish basketball player
  • 1992 – Lasse Norman Hansen, Danish track and road cyclist
  • 1993 – Ben McLemore, American basketball player
  • 1994 – Dansby Swanson, American baseball player
  • 1996 – Jonathan Tah, German footballer

Deaths on February 11

  • AD 55 – Britannicus, Roman son of Claudius (b. 41)
  • 244 – Gordian III, Roman emperor (b. 225)
  • 641 – Heraclius, Byzantine emperor (b. 575)
  • 731 – Pope Gregory II (b. 669)
  • 824 – Pope Paschal I
  • 1141 – Hugh of Saint Victor, German philosopher and theologian (b. 1096)
  • 1503 – Elizabeth of York (b. 1466)
  • 1626 – Pietro Cataldi, Italian mathematician and astronomer (b. 1548)
  • 1650 – René Descartes, French mathematician and philosopher (b. 1596)
  • 1755 – Francesco Scipione, marchese di Maffei, Italian archaeologist, playwright, and critic (b. 1675)
  • 1763 – William Shenstone, English poet and gardener (b. 1714)
  • 1795 – Carl Michael Bellman, Swedish poet and composer (b. 1740)
  • 1829 – Alexander Griboyedov, Russian poet, playwright, and composer (b. 1795)
  • 1862 – Elizabeth Siddal, English poet and artist’s model (b. 1829)
  • 1868 – Léon Foucault, French physicist and academic (b. 1819)
  • 1898 – Félix María Zuloaga, Mexican general and unconstitutional interim president (1858 and 1860-1862) (b. 1813)
  • 1901 – Milan I of Serbia (b. 1855)
  • 1917 – Oswaldo Cruz, Brazilian physician and epidemiologist (b. 1872)
  • 1918 – Alexey Kaledin, Russian general (b. 1861)
  • 1931 – Charles Algernon Parsons, English-Irish engineer, invented the steam turbine (b. 1854)
  • 1940 – John Buchan, Scottish-Canadian historian and politician, Governor General of Canada (b. 1875)
  • 1940 – Ellen Day Hale, American painter and author (b. 1855)
  • 1942 – Jamnalal Bajaj, Indian businessman and philanthropist (b. 1884)
  • 1947 – Martin Klein, Estonian wrestler and coach (b. 1884)
  • 1948 – Sergei Eisenstein, Russian director and screenwriter (b. 1898)
  • 1949 – Axel Munthe, Swedish doctor (b. 1857)
  • 1958 – Ernest Jones, Welsh neurologist and psychoanalyst (b. 1879)
  • 1963 – John Olof Dahlgren, Swedish-American soldier, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1872)
  • 1963 – Sylvia Plath, American poet, novelist, and short story writer (b. 1932)
  • 1967 – A. J. Muste, Dutch-American minister and activist (b. 1885)
  • 1968 – Howard Lindsay, American playwright (b. 1889)
  • 1973 – J. Hans D. Jensen, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1907)
  • 1975 – Richard Ratsimandrava, Malagasy colonel and politician, President of Madagascar (b. 1931)
  • 1976 – Lee J. Cobb, American actor (b. 1911)
  • 1976 – Alexander Lippisch, German pilot and engineer (b. 1894)
  • 1977 – Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, Indian lawyer and politician, President of India (b. 1905)
  • 1977 – Louis Beel, Dutch academic and politician, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (b. 1902)
  • 1978 – James Bryant Conant, American chemist and academic (b. 1893)
  • 1978 – Harry Martinson, Swedish novelist, essayist, and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1904)
  • 1982 – Eleanor Powell, American actress and dancer (b. 1912)
  • 1985 – Henry Hathaway, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1898)
  • 1986 – Frank Herbert, American journalist and author (b. 1920)
  • 1989 – George O’Hanlon, American actor and voice artist (b. 1912)
  • 1993 – Robert W. Holley, American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1922)
  • 1994 – Neil Bonnett, American race car driver (b. 1946)
  • 1994 – Sorrell Booke, American lieutenant, actor, and director (b. 1930)
  • 1994 – William Conrad, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1920)
  • 1994 – Paul Feyerabend, Austrian-Swiss philosopher and academic (b. 1924)
  • 1996 – Amelia Rosselli, Italian poet and author (b. 1930)
  • 2000 – Lord Kitchner, Trinidadian singer (b. 1922)
  • 2000 – Roger Vadim, French director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1928)
  • 2002 – Frankie Crosetti, American baseball player and coach (b. 1910)
  • 2002 – Barry Foster, English actor (b. 1931)
  • 2004 – Shirley Strickland, Australian runner (b. 1925)
  • 2005 – Jack L. Chalker, American author (b. 1944)
  • 2006 – Peter Benchley, American author and screenwriter (b. 1940)
  • 2006 – Ken Fletcher, Australian tennis player (b. 1940)
  • 2006 – Jackie Pallo, English wrestler and actor (b. 1926)
  • 2008 – Tom Lantos, American lawyer and politician (b. 1928)
  • 2008 – Frank Piasecki, American engineer (b. 1919)
  • 2009 – Estelle Bennett, American singer (b. 1941)
  • 2009 – Willem Johan Kolff, Dutch-American physician and academic (b. 1911)
  • 2010 – Heward Grafftey, Canadian businessman and politician (b. 1928)
  • 2010 – Alexander McQueen, English fashion designer, founder of his eponymous brand (b. 1969)
  • 2011 – Chuck Tanner, American baseball player and manager (b. 1928)
  • 2012 – Siri Bjerke, Norwegian politician, Norwegian Minister of the Environment (b. 1958)
  • 2012 – Aharon Davidi, Israeli general (b. 1927)
  • 2012 – Whitney Houston, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress (b. 1963)
  • 2013 – Rick Huxley, English bass player (b. 1940)
  • 2014 – Alice Babs, Swedish singer and actress (b. 1924)
  • 2014 – Tito Canepa, Dominican-American painter (b. 1916)
  • 2014 – Fernando González Pacheco, Colombian journalist and actor (b. 1932)
  • 2015 – Roger Hanin, French actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1925)
  • 2015 – Bob Simon, American journalist (b. 1941)
  • 2015 – Jerry Tarkanian, American basketball player and coach (b. 1930)
  • 2016 – Kevin Randleman, American mixed martial artist and wrestler (b. 1971)
  • 2016 – Zeng Xuelin, Thai-Chinese footballer and manager (b. 1929)
  • 2017 – Fab Melo, Brazilian basketball player (b. 1990)
  • 2017 – Jaap Rijks, Dutch Olympian (b. 1919)
  • 2018 – Vic Damone, American singer, songwriter and actor (b. 1928)
  • 2018 – Asma Jahangir, Pakistani human-rights lawyer and social activist (b. 1952)
  • 2018 – Jan Maxwell, American stage and television actress (b. 1956)
  • 2018 – Qazi Wajid, Pakistani drama actor, writer and artist (b. 1930)

Holidays and observances on February 11

  • Christian feast day:
    • Blaise Eastern Orthodox liturgics
    • Cædmon, first recorded Christian poet in England, circa 680 CE (Anglicanism)
    • Gobnait
    • Gregory II
    • Lazarus of Milan
  • European 112 Day (European Union)
  • Armed Forces Day (Liberia)
  • Evelio Javier Day (Panay Island, the Philippines)
  • Feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes (Catholic Church), and its related observance
    • World Day of the Sick (Roman Catholic Church)
  • Inventors’ Day (United States)
  • National Foundation Day (Japan)
  • Youth Day (Cameroon)
  • International Day of Women and Girls in Science (UN Women)

February 11 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

February 7 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /

February 7 in History

  • 457 – Leo I the Thracian becomes emperor of the Byzantine Empire.
  • 987 – Bardas Phokas the Younger and Bardas Skleros, Byzantine generals of the military elite, begin a wide-scale rebellion against Emperor Basil II.
  • 1301 – Edward of Caernarvon (later king Edward II of England) becomes the first English Prince of Wales.
  • 1313 – King Thihathu founds the Pinya Kingdom as the de jure successor state of the Pagan Kingdom
  • 1497 – In Florence, Italy, supporters of Girolamo Savonarola burn cosmetics, art, and books, in a “Bonfire of the vanities”.
  • 1783 – American Revolutionary War: French and Spanish forces lift the Great Siege of Gibraltar.
  • 1795 – The 11th Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified.
  • 1807 – Napoleonic Wars: Napoleon finds Bennigsen’s Russian forces taking a stand at Eylau. After bitter fighting, the French take the town, but the Russians resume the battle the next day.
  • 1812 – The strongest in a series of earthquakes strikes New Madrid, Missouri.
  • 1813 – In the action of 7 February 1813 near the Îles de Los, the frigates Aréthuse and Amelia batter each other, but neither can gain the upper hand.
  • 1819 – Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles leaves Singapore after just taking it over, leaving it in the hands of William Farquhar.
  • 1842 – Battle of Debre Tabor: Ras Ali Alula, Regent of the Emperor of Ethiopia defeats warlord Wube Haile Maryam of Semien.
  • 1854 – A law is approved to found the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. Lectures started October 16, 1855.
  • 1863 – HMS Orpheus sinks off the coast of Auckland, New Zealand, killing 189.
  • 1894 – The Cripple Creek miner’s strike, led by the Western Federation of Miners, begins in Cripple Creek, Colorado, United States.
  • 1898 – Dreyfus affair: Émile Zola is brought to trial for libel for publishing J’Accuse…!.
  • 1900 – Second Boer War: British troops fail in their third attempt to lift the Siege of Ladysmith.
  • 1900 – A Chinese immigrant in San Francisco falls ill to bubonic plague in the first plague epidemic in the continental United States.
  • 1904 – A fire begins in Baltimore, Maryland; it destroys over 1,500 buildings in 30 hours.
  • 1940 – The second full-length animated Walt Disney film, Pinocchio, premieres.
  • 1943 – World War II: Imperial Japanese Navy forces complete the evacuation of Imperial Japanese Army troops from Guadalcanal during Operation Ke, ending Japanese attempts to retake the island from Allied forces in the Guadalcanal Campaign.
  • 1944 – World War II: In Anzio, Italy, German forces launch a counteroffensive during the Allied Operation Shingle.
  • 1951 – Korean War: More than 700 suspected communist sympathizers are massacred by South Korean forces.
  • 1962 – The United States bans all Cuban imports and exports.
  • 1974 – Grenada gains independence from the United Kingdom.
  • 1979 – Pluto moves inside Neptune’s orbit for the first time since either was discovered.
  • 1984 – Space Shuttle program: STS-41-B Mission: Astronauts Bruce McCandless II and Robert L. Stewart make the first untethered space walk using the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU).
  • 1986 – Twenty-eight years of one-family rule end in Haiti, when President Jean-Claude Duvalier flees the Caribbean nation.
  • 1990 – Dissolution of the Soviet Union: The Central Committee of the Soviet Communist Party agrees to give up its monopoly on power.
  • 1991 – Haiti’s first democratically elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, is sworn in.
  • 1991 – The Troubles: The Provisional IRA launched a mortar attack on 10 Downing Street in London, the headquarters of the British government.
  • 1992 – The Maastricht Treaty is signed, leading to the creation of the European Union.
  • 1995 – Ramzi Yousef, the mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, is arrested in Islamabad, Pakistan.
  • 1997 – NeXT merges with Apple Computer, starting the path to Mac OS X.
  • 1999 – Crown Prince Abdullah becomes the King of Jordan on the death of his father, King Hussein.
  • 2009 – Bushfires in Victoria leave 173 dead in the worst natural disaster in Australia’s history.
  • 2012 – President Mohamed Nasheed of the Republic of Maldives resigns, after 23 days of anti-governmental protests calling for the release of Chief Judge unlawfully arrested by the military.
  • 2013 – The U.S. state of Mississippi officially certifies the Thirteenth Amendment, becoming the last state to approve the abolition of slavery. The Thirteenth Amendment was formally ratified by Mississippi in 1995.
  • 2014 – Scientists announce that the Happisburgh footprints in Norfolk, England, date back to more than 800,000 years ago, making them the oldest known hominid footprints outside Africa.
  • 2016 – North Korea launches Kwangmyŏngsŏng-4 into outer space violating multiple UN treaties and prompting condemnation from around the world.

Births on February 7

  • 574 – Prince Shōtoku of Japan (d. 622)
  • 1102 – Empress Matilda, Holy Roman Empress, and claimant to the English throne (probable; d. 1167)
  • 1478 – Thomas More, English lawyer and politician, Lord Chancellor of England (d. 1535)
  • 1487 – Queen Dangyeong, Korean royal consort (d. 1557)
  • 1500 – João de Castro, viceroy of Portuguese India (d. 1548)
  • 1612 – Thomas Killigrew, English playwright and manager (d. 1683)
  • 1622 – Vittoria della Rovere, Italian noble (d. 1694)
  • 1693 – Empress Anna of Russia (d. 1740)
  • 1722 – Azar Bigdeli, Iranian anthologist and poet (d. 1781)
  • 1726 – Margaret Fownes-Luttrell, English painter (d. 1766)
  • 1741 – Henry Fuseli, Swiss-English painter and academic (d. 1825)
  • 1758 – Benedikt Schack, Czech tenor and composer (d. 1826)
  • 1796 – Thomas Gregson, English-Australian lawyer and politician, 2nd Premier of Tasmania (baptism date; d. 1874)
  • 1802 – Louisa Jane Hall, American poet, essayist, and literary critic (d. 1892)
  • 1804 – John Deere, American blacksmith and businessman, founded Deere & Company (d. 1886)
  • 1812 – Charles Dickens, English novelist and critic (d. 1870)
  • 1825 – Karl Möbius, German zoologist and ecologist (d. 1908)
  • 1834 – Alfred-Philibert Aldrophe, French architect (d. 1895)
  • 1837 – James Murray, Scottish lexicographer and philologist (d. 1915)
  • 1864 – Arthur Collins, American baritone singer (d. 1933)
  • 1867 – Laura Ingalls Wilder, American author (d. 1957)
  • 1870 – Alfred Adler, Austrian-Scottish psychologist and therapist (d. 1937)
  • 1871 – Wilhelm Stenhammar, Swedish pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1927)
  • 1873 – Thomas Andrews, Irish shipbuilder and businessman, designed the RMS Titanic (d. 1912)
  • 1877 – G. H. Hardy, English mathematician and geneticist (d. 1947)
  • 1878 – Ossip Gabrilowitsch, Russian-American pianist and conductor (d. 1936)
  • 1885 – Sinclair Lewis, American novelist, short-story writer, and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1951)
  • 1885 – Hugo Sperrle, German field marshal (d. 1953)
  • 1887 – Eubie Blake, American pianist and composer (d. 1983)
  • 1889 – Harry Nyquist, Swedish-American engineer and theorist (d. 1976)
  • 1893 – Joseph Algernon Pearce, Canadian astrophysicist and astronomer (d. 1988)
  • 1893 – Nicanor Abelardo, Filipino pianist, composer and teacher (d. 1934)
  • 1895 – Anita Stewart, American actress (d. 1961)
  • 1901 – Arnold Nordmeyer, New Zealand minister and politician, 30th New Zealand Minister of Finance (d. 1989)
  • 1904 – Ernest E. Debs, American politician, California State Assembly member, Los Angeles city councilman, and a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (d. 2002)
  • 1905 – Paul Nizan, French philosopher and author (d. 1940)
  • 1905 – Ulf von Euler, Swedish physiologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1983)
  • 1906 – Puyi, Chinese emperor (d. 1967)
  • 1906 – Oleg Konstantinovich Antonov, Russian engineer, founded the Antonov Aircraft Company (d. 1984)
  • 1908 – Buster Crabbe, American swimmer and actor (d. 1983)
  • 1908 – Manmath Nath Gupta, Indian journalist and author (d. 2000)
  • 1909 – Hélder Câmara, Brazilian archbishop (d. 1999)
  • 1909 – Amedeo Guillet, Italian soldier (d. 2010)
  • 1912 – Russell Drysdale, English-Australian painter (d. 1981)
  • 1915 – Teoctist Arăpașu, Romanian patriarch (d. 2007)
  • 1915 – Eddie Bracken, American actor and singer (d. 2002)
  • 1916 – Frank Hyde, Australian rugby player, coach, and sportscaster (d. 2007)
  • 1919 – Jock Mahoney, American actor and stuntman (d. 1989)
  • 1919 – Desmond Doss, American army corporal and combat medic, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 2006)
  • 1920 – Oscar Brand, Canadian-American singer-songwriter and author (d. 2016)
  • 1920 – An Wang, Chinese-American engineer and businessman, founded Wang Laboratories (d. 1990)
  • 1921 – Athol Rowan, South African cricketer (d. 1998)
  • 1922 – Hattie Jacques, English actress (d. 1980)
  • 1923 – Dora Bryan, English actress and restaurateur (d. 2014)
  • 1925 – Hans Schmidt, Canadian wrestler (d. 2012)
  • 1926 – Konstantin Feoktistov, Russian engineer and astronaut (d. 2009)
  • 1926 – Bill Hoest, American cartoonist (d. 1988)
  • 1927 – Juliette Gréco, French singer and actress
  • 1927 – Vladimir Kuts, Ukrainian-Russian runner and coach (d. 1975)
  • 1927 – Lalo Ríos, Mexican actor (d. 1973)
  • 1928 – Lincoln D. Faurer, American general (d. 2014)
  • 1929 – Jim Langley, English international footballer, full back and manager (d. 2007)
  • 1932 – Gay Talese, American journalist and memoirist
  • 1932 – Alfred Worden, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut (d. 2020)
  • 1933 – K. N. Choksy, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician, Sri Lankan Minister of Finance (d. 2015)
  • 1934 – Eddie Fenech Adami, Maltese lawyer and politician, 7th President of Malta
  • 1934 – King Curtis, American saxophonist and producer (d. 1971)
  • 1934 – Earl King, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (d. 2003)
  • 1935 – Cliff Jones, Welsh international footballer, winger
  • 1935 – Herb Kohl, American businessman and politician
  • 1935 – Jörg Schneider, Swiss actor and author (d. 2015)
  • 1936 – Jas Gawronski, Italian journalist and politician
  • 1937 – Peter Jay, English economist, journalist, and diplomat, British Ambassador to the United States
  • 1937 – Juan Pizarro, Puerto Rican baseball player
  • 1940 – Tony Tan, Singaporean academic and politician, 7th President of Singapore
  • 1941 – Kevin Crossley-Holland, English author and poet
  • 1943 – Eric Foner, American historian, author, and academic
  • 1943 – Gareth Hunt, English actor (d. 2007)
  • 1945 – Gerald Davies, Welsh rugby player and journalist
  • 1946 – Héctor Babenco, Argentinian-Brazilian director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2016)
  • 1946 – Sammy Johns, American country music singer-songwriter (d. 2013)
  • 1946 – Pete Postlethwaite, English actor (d. 2011)
  • 1946 – Gérard Jean-Juste, Haitian priest and activist (d. 2009)
  • 1949 – Jacques Duchesneau, Canadian police officer and politician
  • 1949 – Joe English, American drummer and songwriter
  • 1950 – Karen Joy Fowler, American author
  • 1953 – Dan Quisenberry, American baseball player and poet (d. 1998)
  • 1954 – Dieter Bohlen, German singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1955 – Rolf Benirschke, American football player and game show host
  • 1955 – Miguel Ferrer, American actor and director (d. 2017)
  • 1956 – John Nielsen, Danish racing driver
  • 1956 – Mark St. John, American guitarist (d. 2007)
  • 1957 – Carney Lansford, American baseball player and coach
  • 1958 – Giuseppe Baresi, Italian footballer and manager
  • 1958 – Terry Marsh, English boxer and politician
  • 1958 – Matt Ridley, English journalist, author, and politician
  • 1959 – Mick McCarthy, English footballer, manager, and sportscaster
  • 1960 – Robert Smigel, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1960 – James Spader, American actor and producer
  • 1962 – Garth Brooks, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1962 – David Bryan, American keyboard player and songwriter
  • 1962 – Eddie Izzard, English comedian, actor, and producer
  • 1963 – Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, American Naval officer and astronaut
  • 1964 – Ashok Banker, Indian journalist, author, and screenwriter
  • 1965 – Chris Rock, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1966 – Kristin Otto, German swimmer
  • 1968 – Peter Bondra, Ukrainian-Slovak ice hockey player and manager
  • 1968 – Sully Erna, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1968 – Mark Tewksbury, Canadian swimmer and sportscaster
  • 1969 – Andrew Micallef, Maltese painter and musician
  • 1971 – Anita Tsoy, Russian singer-songwriter
  • 1972 – Robyn Lively, American actress
  • 1973 – Juwan Howard, American basketball player and coach
  • 1974 – J Dilla, American rapper and producer (d. 2006)
  • 1974 – Nujabes, Japanese record producer, DJ, composer and arranger (d. 2010)
  • 1974 – Steve Nash, South African-Canadian basketball player
  • 1975 – Wes Borland, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1975 – Alexandre Daigle, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1975 – Rémi Gaillard, French comedian and actor
  • 1976 – Chito Miranda, Filipino singer-songwriter
  • 1977 – Tsuneyasu Miyamoto, Japanese footballer
  • 1978 – David Aebischer, Swiss ice hockey player
  • 1978 – Endy Chávez, Venezuelan baseball player
  • 1978 – Ashton Kutcher, American model, actor, producer, and entrepreneur
  • 1978 – Daniel Van Buyten, Belgian football player
  • 1979 – Daniel Bierofka, German footballer and coach
  • 1979 – Tawakkol Karman, Yemeni journalist and activist, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1979 – Sam J. Miller, American author
  • 1981 – Darcy Dolce Neto, Brazilian footballer
  • 1981 – Lee Ok-sung, South Korean boxer
  • 1982 – Osamu Mukai, Japanese actor
  • 1982 – Mickaël Piétrus, French basketball player
  • 1983 – Sho Kamogawa, Japanese footballer
  • 1983 – Christian Klien, Austrian race car driver
  • 1983 – Federico Marchetti, Italian footballer
  • 1984 – Trey Hardee, American decathlete
  • 1985 – Tina Majorino, American actress
  • 1988 – Ai Kago, Japanese singer and actress
  • 1989 – Nick Calathes, Greek basketball player
  • 1989 – Elia Viviani, Italian cyclist
  • 1989 – Isaiah Thomas, American basketball player
  • 1990 – Gianluca Lapadula, Italian footballer
  • 1990 – Dalilah Muhammad, American hurdler
  • 1990 – Steven Stamkos, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1991 – Ryan O’Reilly, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1992 – Sergi Roberto, Spanish footballer
  • 1992 – Ksenia Stolbova, Russian figure skater
  • 1992 – Maimi Yajima, Japanese singer and actress
  • 1993 – Chris Mears, English diver
  • 1994 – Riley Barber, American ice hockey player
  • 1995 – Roberto Osuna, Mexican baseball player
  • 1996 – Pierre Gasly, French racing driver
  • 1997 – Nicolò Barella, Italian footballer

Deaths on February 7

  • 199 – Lü Bu, Chinese warlord
  • 318 – Jin Mindi, emperor of the Jin Dynasty (b. 300)
  • 999 – Boleslaus II the Pious, Duke of Bohemia (b. 932)
  • 1045 – Emperor Go-Suzaku of Japan (b. 1009)
  • 1065 – Siegfried I, Count of Sponheim (b. c. 1010)
  • 1127 – Ava, German poet (b. 1060)
  • 1165 – Marshal Stephen of Armenia
  • 1259 – Thomas, Count of Flanders
  • 1317 – Robert, Count of Clermont (b. 1256)
  • 1320 – Jan Muskata, Bishop of Kraków (b. 1250)
  • 1333 – Nikko, Japanese priest, founder of Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism (b. 1246)
  • 1520 – Alfonsina de’ Medici, Regent of Florence (b. 1472)
  • 1560 – Bartolommeo Bandinelli, Florentine sculptor (b. 1493)
  • 1603 – Bartholomäus Sastrow, German politician (b. 1520)
  • 1626 – William V, Duke of Bavaria (b. 1548)
  • 1642 – William Bedell, English bishop and academic (b. 1571)
  • 1693 – Paul Pellisson, French lawyer and author (b. 1624)
  • 1736 – Stephen Gray, English astronomer and physicist (b. 1666)
  • 1779 – William Boyce, English organist and composer (b. 1711)
  • 1799 – Qianlong Emperor of China (b. 1711)
  • 1801 – Daniel Chodowiecki, Polish-German painter and academic (b. 1726)
  • 1819 – August Wilhelm Hupel, German-Estonian linguist and author (b. 1737)
  • 1823 – Ann Radcliffe, English author (b. 1764)
  • 1837 – Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden (b. 1778)
  • 1849 – Mariano Paredes, Mexican general and 16th president (1845-1846) (b. 1797)
  • 1862 – Francisco de Paula Martínez de la Rosa y Berdejo, Spanish playwright and politician, Prime Minister of Spain (b. 1787)
  • 1864 – Vuk Karadžić, Serbian philologist and linguist (b. 1787)
  • 1871 – Henry E. Steinway, German-American businessman, founded Steinway & Sons (b. 1797)
  • 1873 – Sheridan Le Fanu, Irish author (b. 1814)
  • 1878 – Pope Pius IX (b. 1792)
  • 1891 – Marie Louise Andrews, American story writer and journalist (b. 1849)
  • 1897 – Galileo Ferraris, Italian physicist and engineer (b. 1847)
  • 1919 – William Halford, English-American lieutenant, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1841)
  • 1920 – Alexander Kolchak, Russian admiral and explorer (b. 1874)
  • 1920 – Charles Langelier, Canadian journalist, judge, and politician (b. 1850)
  • 1921 – John J. Gardner, American politician (b. 1845)
  • 1937 – Elihu Root, American lawyer and politician, 38th United States Secretary of State, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1845)
  • 1938 – Harvey Samuel Firestone, American businessman, founded the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company (b. 1868)
  • 1939 – Boris Grigoriev, Russian painter and illustrator (b. 1886)
  • 1942 – Ivan Bilibin, Russian illustrator and stage designer (b. 1876)
  • 1944 – Lina Cavalieri, Italian soprano and actress (b. 1874)
  • 1959 – Nap Lajoie, American baseball player and manager (b. 1874)
  • 1959 – Daniel François Malan, South African minister and politician, 5th Prime Minister of South Africa (b. 1874)
  • 1959 – Guitar Slim, American singer and guitarist (b. 1926)
  • 1960 – Igor Kurchatov, Russian physicist and academic (b. 1903)
  • 1963 – Learco Guerra, Italian cyclist and manager (b. 1902)
  • 1964 – Sofoklis Venizelos, Greek captain and politician, 133rd Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1894)
  • 1968 – Nick Adams, American actor and screenwriter (b. 1931)
  • 1972 – Walter Lang, American director and screenwriter (b. 1896)
  • 1979 – Josef Mengele, German SS officer and physician (b. 1911)
  • 1986 – Cheikh Anta Diop, Senegalese historian, anthropologist, and physicist (b. 1923)
  • 1990 – Alan Perlis, American computer scientist and academic (b. 1922)
  • 1990 – Alfredo M. Santos, Filipino general (b. 1905)
  • 1991 – Amos Yarkoni, Israeli colonel (b. 1920)
  • 1994 – Witold Lutosławski, Polish composer and conductor (b. 1913)
  • 1996 – Phillip Davidson, American general (b. 1915)
  • 1999 – King Hussein of Jordan (b. 1935)
  • 1999 – Bobby Troup, American actor, pianist, and composer (b. 1918)
  • 2000 – Doug Henning, Canadian magician and politician (b. 1947)
  • 2001 – Dale Evans, American singer-songwriter and actress (b. 1912)
  • 2001 – Anne Morrow Lindbergh, American author and pilot (b. 1906)
  • 2003 – Augusto Monterroso, Guatemalan author (b. 1921)
  • 2005 – Atli Dam, Faroese engineer and politician, 5th Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands (b. 1932)
  • 2006 – Princess Durru Shehvar of the Ottoman Empire (b. 1914)
  • 2009 – Blossom Dearie, American singer and pianist (b. 1924)
  • 2010 – Franco Ballerini, Italian cyclist and coach (b. 1964)
  • 2012 – Harry Keough, American soccer player and coach (b. 1927)
  • 2013 – Krsto Papić, Croatian director and screenwriter (b. 1933)
  • 2014 – Doug Mohns, Canadian-American ice hockey player (b. 1933)
  • 2015 – Billy Casper, American golfer and architect (b. 1931)
  • 2015 – Marshall Rosenberg, American psychologist and author (b. 1934)
  • 2015 – Dean Smith, American basketball player and coach (b. 1931)
  • 2015 – John C. Whitehead, American banker and politician, 9th United States Deputy Secretary of State (b. 1922)
  • 2017 – Richard Hatch, American actor (b. 1945)
  • 2017 – Hans Rosling, Swedish academic (b. 1948)
  • 2017 – Tzvetan Todorov, Bulgarian philosopher (b. 1939)
  • 2019 – John Dingell, American politician (b. 1926)
  • 2019 – Albert Finney, English actor (b. 1936)
  • 2019 – Jan Olszewski, Polish politician, 3rd Prime Minister (b. 1930)
  • 2019 – Frank Robinson, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1935)

Holidays and observances on February 7

  • Christian feast day:
    • Richard the Pilgrim
    • Blessed Eugénie Smet
    • Blessed Pope Pius IX
    • Chrysolius
    • Egidio Maria of Saint Joseph
    • Colette of Corbie
    • February 7 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Orthodox Church Typically observed on the Sunday closest to January 25 (O.S.)/February 7 (N.S.)
  • Independence Day (Grenada), celebrates the independence of Grenada from the United Kingdom in 1974.
  • National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (United States)

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