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- 61 BC – Pompey the Great celebrates his third triumph for victories over the pirates and the end of the Mithridatic Wars on his 45th birthday.
- 1011 – Danes capture Canterbury after a siege, taking Ælfheah, archbishop of Canterbury, as a prisoner.
- 1227 – Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, is excommunicated by Pope Gregory IX for his failure to participate in the Crusades.
- 1267 – The Treaty of Montgomery recognises Llywelyn ap Gruffudd as Prince of Wales, but only as a vassal of King Henry III.
- 1364 – English forces defeat the French in Brittany, ending the War of the Breton Succession.
- 1578 – Tegucigalpa, capital city of Honduras, is claimed by the Spaniards.
- 1637 – 42-year-old Lorenzo Ruiz dies.
- 1717 – An earthquake strikes Antigua Guatemala, destroying much of the city’s architecture.
- 1789 – The United States Department of War first establishes a regular army with a strength of several hundred men.
- 1789 – The 1st United States Congress adjourns.
- 1829 – The Metropolitan Police of London, later also known as the Met, is founded.
- 1848 – The Battle of Pákozd is a stalemate between Hungarian and Croatian forces, and is the first battle of the Hungarian Revolution.
- 1850 – The papal bull Universalis Ecclesiae restores the Roman Catholic hierarchy in England and Wales.
- 1855 – The Philippine port of Iloilo is opened to world trade by the Spanish administration.
- 1864 – American Civil War: The Battle of Chaffin’s Farm is fought.
- 1864 – The Treaty of Lisbon defines the boundaries between Spain and Portugal and abolishes the Couto Misto microstate.
- 1885 – The first practical public electric tramway in the world is opened in Blackpool, England.
- 1907 – The cornerstone is laid at the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul (better known as Washington National Cathedral) in Washington, D.C.
- 1911 – Italy declares war on the Ottoman Empire.
- 1918 – World War I: Bulgaria signs the Armistice of Salonica.
- 1918 – The Hindenburg Line is broken by an Allied attack.
- 1918 – Germany’s Supreme Army Command tells the Kaiser and the Chancellor to open negotiations for an armistice.
- 1923 – The British Mandate for Palestine takes effect, creating Mandatory Palestine.
- 1923 – The French Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon takes effect.
- 1923 – The First American Track & Field championships for women are held.
- 1932 – Chaco War: Last day of the Battle of Boquerón between Paraguay and Bolivia.
- 1940 – Two Avro Ansons collide in mid-air over New South Wales, Australia, remain locked together, then land safely.
- 1941 – World War II: German forces, with the aid of local Ukrainian collaborators, begin the two-day Babi Yar massacre.
- 1949 – The Communist Party of China writes the Common Programme for the future People’s Republic of China.
- 1954 – The convention establishing CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research) is signed.
- 1957 – The Kyshtym disaster is the third-worst nuclear accident ever recorded.
- 1971 – Oman joins the Arab League.
- 1972 – China–Japan relations: Japan establishes diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China after breaking official ties with the Republic of China.
- 1975 – WGPR becomes the first black-owned-and-operated television station in the US.
- 1979 – The dictator Francisco Macias of Equatorial Guinea is shot by soldiers from Western Sahara.
- 1988 – NASA launches STS-26, the first mission since the Challenger disaster.
- 1990 – Construction of the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul (better known as Washington National Cathedral) is completed in Washington, D.C.
- 1990 – The YF-22, which would later become the F-22 Raptor, flies for the first time.
- 1991 – A Haitian coup d’état occurs.
- 1992 – Brazilian President Fernando Collor de Mello is impeached.
- 2004 – The asteroid 4179 Toutatis passes within four lunar distances of Earth.
- 2004 – Burt Rutan’s Ansari SpaceShipOne performs a successful spaceflight, the first of two required to win the Ansari X Prize.
- 2006 – A Boeing 737 and an Embraer 600 collide in mid-air, killing 154 people and triggering a Brazilian aviation crisis.
- 2007 – Calder Hall, the world’s first commercial nuclear power station, is demolished in a controlled explosion.
- 2009 – The 8.1 Mw Samoa earthquake results in a tsunami that kills 189 and injures hundreds.
- 2011 – The special court in India convicted all 269 accused officials for atrocity on Dalits and 17 for rape in the Vachathi case.
- 2013 – Over 42 people are killed by members of Boko Haram at the College of Agriculture in Nigeria.
- 2016 – Eleven days after the Uri attack, the Indian Army conducts “surgical strikes” against suspected militants in Pakistani-administered Kashmir.
- 2019 – Violence and low turnout mar the 2019 Afghan presidential election.
- 2019 – At least 59 people are reported dead due to monsoon rains in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, India. 350 people have died this year due to rain in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh.
Births on September 29
- 106 BC – Pompey, Roman general and politician (d. 48 BC)
- 929 – Qian Chu, Chinese king (Ten Kingdoms) (d. 988)
- 1240 – Margaret of England, Queen consort of Scots (d. 1275)
- 1276 – Christopher II of Denmark (d. 1332)
- 1373 – Margaret of Bohemia, Burgravine of Nuremberg (d. 1410)
- 1402 – Fernando, the Saint Prince, of Portugal (d. 1443)
- 1403 – Elisabeth of Brandenburg, Duchess of Brzeg-Legnica and Cieszyn, German princess (d. 1449)
- 1460 – Louis II de la Trémoille, French military leader (d. 1525)
- 1463 – Louis I, Count of Löwenstein, founder of the House of Löwenstein-Wertheim (d. 1523)
- 1511 – Michael Servetus, Spanish physician, cartographer, and theologian (d. 1553)
- 1527 – John Lesley, Scottish bishop (d. 1596)
- 1538 – Joan Terès i Borrull, Spanish archbishop and academic (d. 1603)
- 1547 – Miguel de Cervantes, Spanish novelist, poet, and playwright (d. 1616)
- 1548 – William V, Duke of Bavaria (d. 1626)
- 1561 – Adriaan van Roomen, Flemish priest and mathematician (d. 1615)
- 1574 – Ludovic Stewart, 2nd Duke of Lennox, Scottish nobleman and politician (d. 1624)
- 1602 – Algernon Percy, 10th Earl of Northumberland, English military leader (d. 1668)
- 1636 – Thomas Tenison, English archbishop (d. 1715)
- 1639 – William Russell, Lord Russell, English politician (d. 1683)
- 1640 – Antoine Coysevox, French sculptor and educator (d. 1720)
- 1674 – Jacques-Martin Hotteterre, French flute player and composer (d. 1763)
- 1678 – Adrien Maurice de Noailles, French soldier and politician, French Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 1766)
- 1691 – Richard Challoner, English bishop (d. 1781)
- 1703 – François Boucher, French painter and set designer (d. 1770)
- 1718 – Nikita Ivanovich Panin, Russian soldier and politician, Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 1783)
- 1725 – Robert Clive, English general and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Montgomeryshire (d. 1774)
- 1758 – Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, English admiral (d. 1805)
- 1766 – Charlotte, Princess Royal of England (d. 1828)
- 1786 – Guadalupe Victoria, Mexican general, lawyer, and politician, 1st President of Mexico (d. 1843)
- 1803 – Mercator Cooper, American captain and explorer (d. 1872)
- 1803 – Jacques Charles François Sturm, French mathematician and theorist (d. 1850)
- 1808 – Henry Bennett, American lawyer and politician (d. 1868)
- 1810 – Elizabeth Gaskell, English author (d. 1865)
- 1816 – Paul Féval, père, French author and playwright (d. 1887)
- 1832 – Joachim Oppenheim, rabbi and author (d. 1891)
- 1832 – Miguel Miramón, Unconstitutional president of Mexico, 1859-1860 (d. 1867)
- 1843 – Mikhail Skobelev, Russian general (d. 1882)
- 1844 – Miguel Ángel Juárez Celman, Argentinian lawyer and politician, 10th President of Argentina (d. 1909)
- 1853 – Luther D. Bradley, American cartoonist (d. 1917)
- 1863 – Hugo Haase, German lawyer, jurist, and politician (d. 1919)
- 1864 – Miguel de Unamuno, Spanish philosopher and author (d. 1936)
- 1866 – Mykhailo Hrushevskyi, Ukrainian historian, academic, and politician (d. 1934)
- 1876 – Charlie Llewellyn, South African cricketer (d. 1964)
- 1880 – Liberato Pinto, Portuguese colonel and politician, 79th Prime Minister of Portugal (d. 1949)
- 1881 – Ludwig von Mises, Austrian-American economist, sociologist, and philosopher (d. 1973)
- 1882 – Lilias Armstrong, English phonetician (d. 1937)
- 1885 – George Scott, English footballer (d. 1916)
- 1891 – Ian Fairweather, Scottish-Australian painter (d. 1974)
- 1895 – Clarence Ashley, American singer, guitarist, and banjo player (d. 1967)
- 1895 – Joseph Banks Rhine, American botanist and parapsychologist (d. 1980)
- 1895 – Roscoe Turner, American pilot (d. 1970)
- 1897 – Herbert Agar, American journalist and historian (d. 1980)
- 1898 – Trofim Lysenko, Ukrainian-Russian biologist and agronomist (d. 1976)
- 1899 – László Bíró, Hungarian-Argentinian journalist and inventor, invented the ballpoint pen (d. 1985)
- 1899 – Billy Butlin, South African-English businessman, founded Butlins (d. 1980)
- 1901 – Lanza del Vasto, Italian poet, philosopher, and activist (d. 1981)
- 1901 – Enrico Fermi, Italian-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1954)
- 1903 – Miguel Alemán Valdés, Mexican lawyer and civilian politician, 46th President of Mexico (1946-1952) (d. 1983)
- 1903 – Diana Vreeland, American journalist (d. 1989)
- 1904 – Greer Garson, English-American actress (d. 1996)
- 1907 – Gene Autry, American singer, actor, and businessman (d. 1998)
- 1907 – George W. Jenkins, American businessman, founded Publix (d. 1996)
- 1908 – Eddie Tolan, American sprinter and educator (d. 1967)
- 1910 – Bill Boyd, American singer and guitarist (d. 1977)
- 1910 – Virginia Bruce, American actress (d. 1982)
- 1911 – Charles Court, English-Australian politician, 21st Premier of Western Australia (d. 2007)
- 1912 – Michelangelo Antonioni, Italian director and screenwriter (d. 2007)
- 1913 – Trevor Howard, English actor (d. 1988)
- 1913 – Stanley Kramer, American director and producer (d. 2001)
- 1915 – Vincent DeDomenico, American businessman, founded the Napa Valley Wine Train (d. 2007)
- 1915 – Oscar Handlin, American historian and academic (d. 2011)
- 1915 – Brenda Marshall, American actress (d. 1992)
- 1916 – Carl Giles, English cartoonist (d. 1995)
- 1919 – Kira Zvorykina, Belarusian chess player (d. 2014)
- 1920 – Peter D. Mitchell, English biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1992)
- 1920 – Václav Neumann, Czech violinist and conductor (d. 1995)
- 1921 – John Ritchie, New Zealand composer and educator (d. 2014)
- 1921 – Albie Roles, English footballer and manager (d. 2012)
- 1922 – Lizabeth Scott, American actress (d. 2015)
- 1923 – Stan Berenstain, American author and illustrator (d. 2005)
- 1923 – Bum Phillips, American football player and coach (d. 2013)
- 1925 – Steve Forrest, American actor (d. 2013)
- 1925 – Paul MacCready, American engineer, founded AeroVironment (d. 2007)
- 1926 – Chuck Cooper, American basketball player (d. 1984)
- 1926 – Pete Elliott, American football player and coach (d. 2013)
- 1927 – Adhemar da Silva, Brazilian triple jumper and actor (d. 2001)
- 1927 – Sherwood Johnston, American race car driver (d. 2000)
- 1927 – Pete McCloskey, American colonel and politician
- 1927 – Barbara Mertz, American historian and author (d. 2013)
- 1928 – Eric Lubbock, 4th Baron Avebury, English lieutenant, engineer, and politician (d. 2016)
- 1928 – Brajesh Mishra, Indian politician and diplomat, 1st Indian National Security Advisor (d. 2012)
- 1928 – Nathan Shamuyarira, Zimbabwean journalist and politician, Zimbabwean Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 2014)
- 1930 – Richard Bonynge, Australian pianist and conductor
- 1930 – Colin Dexter, English author and educator (d. 2017)
- 1931 – James Cronin, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2016)
- 1931 – Anita Ekberg, Swedish-Italian model and actress (d. 2015)
- 1931 – Paul Oestreicher, German-English priest and theologian
- 1932 – Robert Benton, American director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1932 – Paul Giel, American baseball player and sportscaster (d. 2002)
- 1933 – Samora Machel, Mozambican commander and politician, 1st President of Mozambique (d. 1986)
- 1934 – Skandor Akbar, American wrestler and manager (d. 2010)
- 1934 – Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Hungarian-American psychologist and academic
- 1934 – Lance Gibbs, Guyanese cricketer and manager
- 1934 – Stuart M. Kaminsky, American author and screenwriter (d. 2009)
- 1934 – Lindsay Kline, Australian cricketer (d. 2015)
- 1935 – Jerry Lee Lewis, American singer-songwriter and pianist
- 1936 – Silvio Berlusconi, Italian businessman and politician, 50th Prime Minister of Italy
- 1936 – James Fogle, American author (d. 2012)
- 1936 – Hal Trosky, Jr., American baseball player (d. 2012)
- 1938 – Dave Harper, English footballer (d. 2013)
- 1938 – Wim Kok, Dutch union leader and politician, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (d. 2018)
- 1939 – Fikret Abdić, Bosnian economist and politician
- 1939 – Jim Baxter, Scottish footballer (d. 2001)
- 1939 – Larry Linville, American actor (d. 2000)
- 1939 – Rhodri Morgan, Welsh politician, 2nd First Minister of Wales (d. 2017)
- 1940 – Brute Force, American singer-songwriter
- 1940 – Carlos Morales Troncoso, Dominican politician, 34th Vice President of the Dominican Republic (d. 2014)
- 1941 – David Steele, English cricketer
- 1942 – Felice Gimondi, Italian cyclist
- 1942 – Madeline Kahn, American actress and singer (d. 1999)
- 1942 – Ian McShane, English actor
- 1942 – Bill Nelson, American captain and politician
- 1942 – Jean-Luc Ponty, French violinist and composer
- 1942 – Janet Powell, Australian educator and politician (d. 2013)
- 1942 – Steve Tesich, Serbian-American screenwriter and playwright (d. 1996)
- 1943 – Wolfgang Overath, German footballer
- 1943 – Lech Wałęsa, Polish electrician and politician, 2nd President of Poland, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1944 – Mike Post, American composer and producer
- 1945 – Kyriakos Sfetsas, Greek composer and poet
- 1945 – Nadezhda Chizhova, Russian shot putter
- 1946 – Patricia Hodge, English actress
- 1947 – Ülo Kaevats, Estonian philosopher, academic, and politician (d. 2015)
- 1947 – S. H. Kapadia, Indian lawyer, judge, and politician, 38th Chief Justice of India (d. 2016)
- 1947 – Gary Wetzel, American soldier, Medal of Honor recipient
- 1948 – Mark Farner, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1948 – Bryant Gumbel, American journalist and sportscaster
- 1948 – Theo Jörgensmann, German clarinet player and composer
- 1948 – Mike Pinera, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
- 1949 – George Dalaras, Greek singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1950 – Ken Macha, American baseball player and manager
- 1951 – Michelle Bachelet, Chilean physician and politician, 34th President of Chile
- 1951 – Pier Luigi Bersani, Italian educator and politician, 6th President of Emilia-Romagna
- 1951 – Andrés Caicedo, Colombian author, poet, and playwright (d. 1977)
- 1951 – Maureen Caird, Australian-New Zealand hurdler
- 1951 – Mike Enriquez, Filipino journalist and radio commentator
- 1952 – Roy Campbell, Jr., American trumpet player (d. 2014)
- 1952 – Gábor Csupó, Hungarian-American animator, director, and producer, co-founded Klasky Csupo
- 1952 – Richard Hodges, English archaeologist and academic
- 1952 – Max Sandlin, American lawyer, judge, and politician
- 1952 – Takanosato Toshihide, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 59th Yokozuna (d. 2011)
- 1953 – Warren Cromartie, American baseball player, coach, and radio host
- 1953 – Jean-Claude Lauzon, Canadian director and screenwriter (d. 1997)
- 1953 – Lawrence Reed, American economist and author
- 1954 – Uwe Jahn, German footballer and manager
- 1954 – Mark Mitchell, Australian actor
- 1955 – Ann Bancroft, American explorer and author
- 1955 – Gareth Davies, Welsh rugby player and academic
- 1955 – Joe Donnelly, American politician and lawyer
- 1955 – Benoît Ferreux, French actor and director
- 1955 – Gwen Ifill, American journalist (d. 2016)
- 1956 – Sebastian Coe, English sprinter and politician
- 1956 – Jenny Morris, New Zealand-Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1956 – Suzzy Roche, American singer-songwriter and actress
- 1957 – Chris Broad, English cricketer and referee
- 1957 – Sokratis Malamas, Greek singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1957 – Mark Nicholas, English cricketer and sportscaster
- 1960 – Julian Armour, American-Canadian cellist and educator
- 1960 – Kenneth Hansen, Swedish race car driver
- 1960 – Alan McGee, Scottish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
- 1960 – Hubert Neuper, Austrian ski jumper
- 1960 – John Paxson, American basketball player and coach
- 1960 – David Sammartino, American wrestler and trainer
- 1960 – Andy Slaughter, English politician
- 1960 – Carol Welsman, Canadian singer-songwriter and pianist
- 1961 – Julia Gillard, Welsh-Australian lawyer and politician, 27th Prime Minister of Australia
- 1961 – Stephanie Miller, American comedian and radio host
- 1962 – Roger Bart, American actor
- 1963 – Dave Andreychuk, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1963 – Les Claypool, American bass player, singer, songwriter, and producer
- 1964 – Brad Lohaus, American basketball player
- 1966 – Hersey Hawkins, American basketball player and coach
- 1966 – Ben Miles, English actor
- 1967 – Brett Anderson, English singer-songwriter
- 1967 – Sara Sankey, English badminton player
- 1968 – Patrick Burns, American paranormal investigator
- 1968 – Luke Goss, English actor
- 1968 – Matt Goss, English singer-songwriter
- 1969 – Erika Eleniak, American model and actress
- 1969 – DeVante Swing, American singer-songwriter, and producer
- 1969 – Aleks Syntek, Mexican singer-songwriter and producer
- 1970 – Russell Peters, Canadian comedian, actor, and producer
- 1970 – Yoshihiro Tajiri, Japanese wrestler and trainer
- 1970 – Natasha Gregson Wagner, American actress
- 1970 – Kushboo, South Indian actress and producer
- 1971 – Yitzhak Yedid, Israeli-Australian composer & pianist
- 1971 – Tanoka Beard, American basketball player
- 1971 – Mackenzie Crook, English actor and screenwriter
- 1971 – Theodore Shapiro, American composer
- 1972 – Oliver Gavin, English race car driver
- 1973 – Foivos Delivorias, Greek singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1973 – Shannon Larratt, Canadian publisher, founded BMEzine (d. 2013)
- 1973 – Scout Niblett, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1974 – Brian Ash, American screenwriter and producer
- 1974 – Matt Hullum, American actor, director, and producer, co-founded Rooster Teeth
- 1974 – James Lance, British actor
- 1975 – Albert Celades, Spanish footballer and manager
- 1976 – Darren Byfield, English-Jamaican footballer
- 1976 – Kelvin Davis, English footballer
- 1976 – Óscar Sevilla, Spanish cyclist
- 1976 – Andriy Shevchenko, Ukrainian footballer and politician
- 1977 – Eric Barton, American football player
- 1977 – Wade Brookbank, Canadian ice hockey player and scout
- 1977 – Debelah Morgan, American singer-songwriter
- 1977 – Jake Westbrook, American baseball player
- 1978 – Mohini Bhardwaj, American gymnast and coach
- 1978 – Gunner McGrath, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1978 – Karen Putzer, Italian skier
- 1978 – Kurt Nilsen, Norwegian singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1979 – Orhan Ak, Turkish footballer
- 1979 – Takumi Beppu, Japanese cyclist and manager
- 1979 – Artika Sari Devi, Indonesian model and actress
- 1979 – Shelley Duncan, American baseball player and manager
- 1979 – Jaime Lozano, Mexican footballer
- 1980 – Patrick Agyemang, English footballer
- 1980 – Dallas Green, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1980 – Zachary Levi, American actor and singer
- 1981 – Aris Galanopoulos, Greek footballer
- 1981 – Shane Smeltz, German-New Zealand footballer
- 1982 – Matt Giteau, Australian rugby player
- 1982 – Amy Williams, English skeleton racer
- 1983 – Lisette Oropesa, American soprano and actress
- 1984 – Per Mertesacker, German footballer
- 1985 – Calvin Johnson, American football player
- 1985 – Niklas Moisander, Finnish footballer
- 1985 – Dani Pedrosa, Spanish motorcycle racer
- 1985 – Magnus Gangstad Jørgensen, Norwegian music producer
- 1986 – Lisa Foiles, American actress and journalist
- 1986 – Mark Fraser, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1986 – Matt Lashoff, American ice hockey player
- 1986 – Isaac Makwala, Botswanan sprinter
- 1986 – Benoît Pouliot, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1987 – David Del Rio, American actor and director
- 1988 – Kevin Durant, American basketball player
- 1988 – Justin Nozuka, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1989 – Theo Adams, English photographer and director
- 1989 – Adore Delano, American drag queen and singer
- 1989 – Yevhen Konoplyanka, Ukrainian footballer
- 1989 – Aaron Martin, English footballer
- 1989 – Andrea Poli, Italian footballer
- 1989 – Fatima Lodhi, Pakistani social activist
- 1990 – Doug Brochu, American voice actor
- 1990 – Gerphil Flores, Filipina classical crossover singer and Asia’s Got Talent finalist
- 1990 – Lena Wermelt, German footballer
- 1991 – Adem Ljajić, Serbian footballer
- 1991 – Martin Jensen, Danish musician
- 1993 – Lee Hong-bin, South Korean singer
- 1993 – Viktor Romanenkov, Estonian figure skater
- 1993 – Oleg Vernyayev, Ukrainian artistic gymnast
- 1998 – Vera Lapko, Belarusian tennis player
- 1999 – Choi Ye-na, South Korean singer and dancer
Deaths on September 29
- 722 – Leudwinus, Frankish archbishop and saint (b. 660)
- 855 – Lothair I, Roman emperor (b. 795)
- 1186 – William of Tyre, Archbishop of Tyre (b. c. 1130)
- 1225 – Arnaud Amalric, Papal legate who allegedly promoted mass murder
- 1298 – Guido I da Montefeltro, Italian military strategist (b. 1223)
- 1304 – John de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey, English general (b. 1231)
- 1360 – Joanna I of Auvergne, queen consort of France (b. 1326)
- 1364 – Charles I, Duke of Brittany (b. 1319)
- 1382 – ‘Izz al-Din ibn Rukn al-Din Mahmud, malik of Sistan
- 1501 – Andrew Stewart, Scottish bishop (b. 1442)
- 1560 – Gustav I of Sweden (b. 1496)
- 1622 – Conrad Vorstius, German-Dutch Remonstrant theologian (b. 1569)
- 1634 – Henry Hyde, English politician and lawyer (b.c. 1563)
- 1637 – Lorenzo Ruiz, Filipino martyr and saint (b. 1600)
- 1642 – René Goupil, French missionary and saint (b. 1608)
- 1642 – William Stanley, 6th Earl of Derby, English politician, Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire (b. 1561)
- 1703 – Charles de Saint-Évremond, French-English soldier, author, and critic (b. 1610)
- 1800 – Michael Denis, Austrian poet and author (b. 1729)
- 1804 – Michael Hillegas, American politician, 1st Treasurer of the United States (b. 1728)
- 1833 – Ferdinand VII of Spain (b. 1784)
- 1862 – William “Bull” Nelson, American general (b. 1824)
- 1887 – Bernhard von Langenbeck, German surgeon and academic (b. 1810)
- 1889 – Louis Faidherbe, French general and politician (b. 1818)
- 1900 – Samuel Fenton Cary, American lawyer and politician (b. 1814)
- 1902 – William McGonagall, Scottish poet and actor (b. 1825)
- 1902 – Émile Zola, French journalist, author, and playwright (b. 1840)
- 1908 – Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis, Brazilian author, poet, and playwright (b. 1839)
- 1910 – Winslow Homer, American painter, illustrator, and engraver (b. 1836)
- 1913 – Rudolf Diesel, German engineer, invented the diesel engine (b. 1858)
- 1918 – Lawrence Weathers, decorated WWI Australian soldier (b. 1890).
- 1925 – Léon Bourgeois, French police officer and politician, 64th Prime Minister of France, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1851)
- 1927 – Arthur Achleitner, German journalist and author (b. 1858)
- 1927 – Willem Einthoven, Indonesian-Dutch physiologist and physician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1860)
- 1928 – John Devoy, Irish-American Fenian rebel leader (b. 1842)
- 1930 – Ilya Repin, Ukrainian-Russian painter and illustrator (b. 1844)
- 1937 – Marie Zdeňka Baborová-Čiháková, Czech botanist and zoologist (b. 1877)
- 1937 – Ray Ewry, American triple jumper (b. 1873)
- 1937 – Ernst Hoppenberg, German swimmer and water polo player (b. 1878)
- 1951 – Thomas Cahill, American soccer player and coach (b. 1864)
- 1952 – John Cobb, English race car driver and pilot (b. 1899)
- 1967 – Carson McCullers, American novelist, playwright, essayist, and poet (b. 1917)
- 1970 – Edward Everett Horton, American actor (b. 1886)
- 1973 – W. H. Auden, English-American poet, playwright, and critic (b. 1907)
- 1975 – Casey Stengel, American baseball player and manager (b. 1890)
- 1981 – Bill Shankly, Scottish footballer and manager (b. 1913)
- 1982 – Monty Stratton, American baseball player and coach (b. 1912)
- 1986 – Prince George Valdemar of Denmark (b. 1920)
- 1987 – Henry Ford II, American businessman (b. 1917)
- 1988 – Charles Addams, American cartoonist (b. 1912)
- 1989 – Gussie Busch, American businessman (b. 1899)
- 1989 – Georges Ulmer, Danish-French singer-songwriter and actor (b. 1919)
- 1993 – Gordon Douglas, American actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1907)
- 1997 – Roy Lichtenstein, American painter and sculptor (b. 1923)
- 1998 – Tom Bradley, American lieutenant and politician, 38th Mayor of Los Angeles (b. 1917)
- 1999 – Jean-Louis Millette, Canadian actor (b. 1935)
- 2000 – John Grant, English journalist and politician (b. 1932)
- 2001 – Mabel Fairbanks, American figure skater and coach (b. 1915)
- 2001 – Nguyễn Văn Thiệu, Vietnamese general and politician, 5th President of South Vietnam (b. 1923)
- 2004 – Richard Sainct, French motorcycle racer (b. 1970)
- 2004 – Patrick Wormald, English historian (b. 1947)
- 2005 – Patrick Caulfield, English painter and academic (b. 1936)
- 2005 – Austin Leslie, American chef and author (b. 1934)
- 2006 – Walter Hadlee, New Zealand cricketer and manager (b. 1915)
- 2006 – Michael A. Monsoor, American soldier, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1981)
- 2006 – Louis-Albert Vachon, Canadian cardinal (b. 1912)
- 2007 – Lois Maxwell, Canadian actress (b. 1927)
- 2007 – Yıldırım Aktuna, Turkish psychiatrist and politician, Turkish Minister of Health (b. 1930)
- 2008 – Hayden Carruth, American poet and critic (b. 1921)
- 2009 – Pavel Popovich, Ukrainian general, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1930)
- 2010 – Tony Curtis, American actor (b. 1925)
- 2010 – Greg Giraldo, American comedian, actor, and screenwriter (b. 1965)
- 2011 – Sylvia Robinson, American singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1936)
- 2012 – Hathloul bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Arabian prince (b. 1942)
- 2012 – Neil Smith, Scottish geographer and academic (b. 1954)
- 2012 – Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, American publisher (b. 1926)
- 2012 – Malcolm Wicks, English academic and politician (b. 1947)
- 2013 – Harold Agnew, American physicist and engineer (b. 1921)
- 2013 – Anton Benning, German lieutenant (b. 1918)
- 2013 – Pete T. Cenarrusa, American soldier, pilot, and politician, Secretary of State of Idaho (b. 1917)
- 2013 – Carl Joachim Classen, German scholar and academic (b. 1928)
- 2013 – L. C. Greenwood, American football player (b. 1946)
- 2013 – Bob Kurland, American basketball player and politician (b. 1924)
- 2014 – Miguel Boyer, Spanish economist and politician (b. 1939)
- 2014 – Andreas Fransson, Swedish skier (b. 1983)
- 2014 – Stan Monteith, American surgeon and author (b. 1929)
- 2014 – Luis Nishizawa, Mexican painter and educator (b. 1918)
- 2014 – John Ritchie, New Zealand composer and educator (b. 1921)
- 2014 – George Shuba, American baseball player (b. 1924)
- 2015 – Nawwaf bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Arabian prince (b. 1932)
- 2015 – Hellmuth Karasek, Czech-German journalist, author, and critic (b. 1934)
- 2015 – William Kerslake, American wrestler and engineer (b. 1929)
- 2015 – Jean Ter-Merguerian, French-Armenian violinist (b. 1935)
- 2015 – Phil Woods, American saxophonist, composer, and bandleader (b. 1931)
- 2016 – Miriam Defensor Santiago, Filipina politician (b. 1945)
- 2017 – Tom Alter, Indian actor (b. 1950)
- 2018 – Otis Rush, American blues guitarist and singer (b. 1934)
Holidays and observances on September 29
- Christian feast day:
- Rhipsime
- September 29 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. One of the four quarter days in the Irish calendar. (England and Ireland). Called Michaelmas in some western liturgical traditions
- Day of Machine-Building Industry Workers (Russia)
- Inventors’ Day (Argentina)
- Victory of Boquerón Day (Paraguay)
- World Heart Day
-
July 6 in History
- 371 BC – The Battle of Leuctra shatters Sparta’s reputation of military invincibility.
- 640 – Battle of Heliopolis: The Muslim Arab army under ‘Amr ibn al-‘As defeat the Byzantine forces near Heliopolis (Egypt).
- 1253 – Mindaugas is crowned King of Lithuania.
- 1348 – Pope Clement VI issues a papal bull protecting the Jews accused of having caused the Black Death.
- 1411 – Ming China’s Admiral Zheng He returns to Nanjing after the third treasure voyage and presents the Sinhalese king, captured during the Ming–Kotte War, to the Yongle Emperor.
- 1415 – Jan Hus is condemned by the assembly of the council in the cathedral as a heretic and sentenced to be burned at the stake. (See Deaths section.)
- 1438 – A temporary compromise between the rebellious Transylvanian peasants and the noblemen is signed in Kolozsmonostor Abbey.
- 1483 – Richard III is crowned King of England.
- 1484 – Portuguese sea captain Diogo Cão finds the mouth of the Congo River.
- 1495 – First Italian War: Battle of Fornovo: Charles VIII defeats the Holy League.
- 1535 – Sir Thomas More is executed for treason against King Henry VIII of England.
- 1557 – King Philip II of Spain, consort of Queen Mary I of England, sets out from Dover to war with France, which eventually resulted in the loss of the City of Calais, the last English possession on the continent, and Mary I never seeing her husband again.
- 1560 – The Treaty of Edinburgh is signed by Scotland and England.
- 1573 – Córdoba, Argentina, is founded by Jerónimo Luis de Cabrera.
- 1573 – French Wars of Religion: Siege of La Rochelle ends.
- 1614 – Raid on Żejtun: The south east of Malta, and the town of Żejtun, suffer a raid from Ottoman forces. This was the last unsuccessful attempt by the Ottomans to conquer the island of Malta.
- 1630 – Thirty Years’ War: Four thousand Swedish troops under Gustavus Adolphus land in Pomerania, Germany.
- 1685 – Battle of Sedgemoor: Last battle of the Monmouth Rebellion. troops of King James II defeat troops of James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth.
- 1751 – Pope Benedict XIV suppresses the Patriarchate of Aquileia and establishes from its territory the Archdiocese of Udine and Gorizia.
- 1777 – American Revolutionary War: Siege of Fort Ticonderoga: After a bombardment by British artillery under General John Burgoyne, American forces retreat from Fort Ticonderoga, New York.
- 1779 – Battle of Grenada: The French defeat British naval forces during the American Revolutionary War.
- 1801 – First Battle of Algeciras: Outnumbered French Navy ships defeat the Royal Navy in the fortified Spanish port of Algeciras.
- 1809 – The second day of the Battle of Wagram; France defeats the Austrian army in the largest battle to date of the Napoleonic Wars.
- 1854 – In Jackson, Michigan, the first convention of the United States Republican Party is held.
- 1885 – Louis Pasteur successfully tests his vaccine against rabies on Joseph Meister, a boy who was bitten by a rabid dog.
- 1887 – David Kalākaua, monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii, is forced to sign the Bayonet Constitution, which transfers much of the king’s authority to the Legislature of the Kingdom of Hawaii.
- 1892 – Three thousand eight hundred striking steelworkers engage in a day-long battle with Pinkerton agents during the Homestead Strike, leaving ten dead and dozens wounded.
- 1917 – World War I: Arabian troops led by T. E. Lawrence (“Lawrence of Arabia”) and Auda ibu Tayi capture Aqaba from the Ottoman Empire during the Arab Revolt.
- 1918 – The Left SR uprising in Russia starts with the assassination of German ambassador Wilhelm von Mirbach by Cheka members.
- 1919 – The British dirigible R34 lands in New York, completing the first crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by an airship.
- 1933 – The first Major League Baseball All-Star Game is played in Chicago’s Comiskey Park. The American League defeated the National League 4–2.
- 1936 – A major breach of the Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal in England sends millions of gallons of water cascading 200 feet (61 m) into the River Irwell.
- 1937 – Spanish Civil War: Battle of Brunete: The battle begins with Spanish Republican troops going on the offensive against the Nationalists to relieve pressure on Madrid.
- 1939 – Anti-Jewish legislation in prewar Nazi Germany closes the last remaining Jewish enterprises.
- 1940 – Story Bridge, a major landmark in Brisbane, as well as Australia’s longest cantilever bridge is formally opened.
- 1941 – The German army launches its offensive to encircle several Soviet armies near Smolensk.
- 1942 – Anne Frank and her family go into hiding in the “Secret Annexe” above her father’s office in an Amsterdam warehouse.
- 1944 – Jackie Robinson refuses to move to the back of a bus, leading to a court-martial.
- 1944 – The Hartford circus fire, one of America’s worst fire disasters, kills approximately 168 people and injures over 700 in Hartford, Connecticut.
- 1947 – Referendum held in Sylhet to decide its fate in the Partition of India.
- 1947 – The AK-47 goes into production in the Soviet Union.
- 1957 – Althea Gibson wins the Wimbledon championships, becoming the first black athlete to do so.
- 1957 – John Lennon and Paul McCartney meet for the first time, as teenagers at Woolton Fete, three years before forming the Beatles.
- 1962 – As a part of Operation Plowshare, the Sedan nuclear test takes place.
- 1962 – The Late Late Show, the world’s longest-running chat show by the same broadcaster, airs on RTÉ One for the first time.
- 1964 – Malawi declares its independence from the United Kingdom.
- 1966 – Malawi becomes a republic, with Hastings Banda as its first President.
- 1967 – Nigerian Civil War: Nigerian forces invade Biafra, beginning the war.
- 1975 – The Comoros declares independence from France.
- 1986 – Davis Phinney becomes the first American cyclist to win a road stage of the Tour de France.
- 1988 – The Piper Alpha drilling platform in the North Sea is destroyed by explosions and fires. One hundred sixty-seven oil workers are killed, making it the world’s worst offshore oil disaster in terms of direct loss of life.
- 1989 – The Tel Aviv–Jerusalem bus 405 suicide attack: Sixteen bus passengers are killed when a member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad took control of the bus and drove it over a cliff.
- 1990 – The Electronic Frontier Foundation is founded.
- 1995 – In the Bosnian War, under the command of General Ratko Mladić, Serbia begins its attack on the Bosnian town of Srebrenica.
- 1997 – The Troubles: In response to the Drumcree dispute, five days of mass protests, riots and gun battles begin in Irish nationalist districts of Northern Ireland.
- 1998 – Hong Kong International Airport opens in Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong, replacing Kai Tak Airport as the city’s international airport.
- 2003 – The 70-metre Yevpatoria Planetary Radar sends a METI message (Cosmic Call 2) to five stars: Hip 4872, HD 245409, 55 Cancri (HD 75732), HD 10307 and 47 Ursae Majoris (HD 95128). The messages will arrive to these stars in 2036, 2040, 2044, and 2049, respectively.
- 2006 – The Nathu La pass between India and China, sealed during the Sino-Indian War, re-opens for trade after 44 years.
- 2013 – At least 42 people are killed in a shooting at a school in Yobe State, Nigeria.
- 2013 – A Boeing 777 operating as Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crashes at San Francisco International Airport, killing three and injuring 181 of the 307 people on board.
- 2013 – A 73-car oil train derails in the town of Lac-Mégantic, Quebec and explodes into flames, killing at least 47 people and destroying more than 30 buildings in the town’s central area.
Births on July 6
- 1387 – Queen Blanche I of Navarre (d. 1441)
- 1423 – Antonio Manetti, Italian mathematician and architect (d. 1497)
- 1580 – Johann Stobäus, German lute player and composer (d. 1646)
- 1623 – Jacopo Melani, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1676)
- 1678 – Nicola Francesco Haym, Italian cellist and composer (d. 1729)
- 1686 – Antoine de Jussieu, French biologist and academic (d. 1758)
- 1701 – Mary, Countess of Harold, English aristocrat and philanthropist (d. 1785)
- 1736 – Daniel Morgan, American general and politician (d. 1802)
- 1747 – John Paul Jones, Scottish-American captain (d. 1792)
- 1766 – Alexander Wilson, Scottish-American poet, ornithologist, and illustrator (d. 1813)
- 1781 – Stamford Raffles, English politician, founded Singapore (d. 1826)
- 1782 – Maria Luisa of Spain (d. 1824)
- 1785 – William Hooker, English botanist and academic (d. 1865)
- 1789 – María Isabella of Spain (d. 1846)
- 1796 – Nicholas I of Russia (d. 1855)
- 1797 – Henry Paget, 2nd Marquess of Anglesey (d. 1869)
- 1799 – Louisa Caroline Huggins Tuthill, American author (d. 1879)
- 1817 – Albert von Kölliker, Swiss anatomist and physiologist (d. 1905)
- 1818 – Adolf Anderssen, German chess player (d. 1879)
- 1823 – Sophie Adlersparre, Swedish publisher, writer, and women’s rights activist (d. 1895)
- 1829 – Frederick VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein (d. 1880)
- 1831 – Sylvester Pennoyer, American lawyer and politician, 8th Governor of Oregon (d. 1902)
- 1832 – Maximilian I of Mexico (d. 1867)
- 1837 – R. G. Bhandarkar, Indian orientalist and scholar (d. 1925)
- 1838 – Vatroslav Jagić, Croatian philologist and scholar (d. 1923)
- 1840 – José María Velasco Gómez, Mexican painter and academic (d. 1912)
- 1843 – John Downer, Australian politician, 16th Premier of South Australia (d. 1915)
- 1856 – George Howard Earle, Jr., American lawyer and businessman (d. 1928)
- 1858 – William Irvine, Irish-Australian politician, 21st Premier of Victoria (d. 1943)
- 1865 – Émile Jaques-Dalcroze, Swiss composer and educator (d. 1950)
- 1868 – Princess Victoria of the United Kingdom (d. 1935)
- 1873 – Dimitrios Maximos, Greek banker and politician, 140th Prime Minister of Greece (d. 1955)
- 1877 – Arnaud Massy, French golfer (d. 1950)
- 1878 – Eino Leino, Finnish poet and journalist (d. 1926)
- 1883 – Godfrey Huggins, Prime Minister of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (d. 1971)
- 1884 – Harold Stirling Vanderbilt, American businessman and sailor (d. 1970)
- 1885 – Ernst Busch, German field marshal (d. 1945)
- 1886 – Marc Bloch, French historian and academic (d. 1944)
- 1887 – Marc Chagall, Belarusian-French painter and poet (d. 1985)
- 1887 – Annette Kellerman, Australian swimmer and actress (d. 1975)
- 1890 – Dhan Gopal Mukerji, Indian-American author and scholar (d. 1936)
- 1892 – Will James, American author and illustrator (d. 1942)
- 1897 – Richard Krautheimer, German-American historian and scholar (d. 1994)
- 1898 – Hanns Eisler, German-Austrian soldier and composer (d. 1962)
- 1899 – Susannah Mushatt Jones, American supercentarian (d. 2016)
- 1900 – Frederica Sagor Maas, American author and screenwriter (d. 2012)
- 1900 – Elfriede Wever, German Olympic runner (d. 1941)
- 1903 – Hugo Theorell, Swedish biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1982)
- 1904 – Robert Whitney, American conductor and composer (d. 1986)
- 1904 – Erik Wickberg, Swedish 9th General of The Salvation Army (d. 1996)
- 1905 – Juan O’Gorman, Mexican painter and architect (d. 1982)
- 1907 – Frida Kahlo, Mexican painter and educator (d. 1954)
- 1907 – George Stanley, Canadian soldier, historian, and author, designed the flag of Canada (d. 2002)
- 1908 – Anton Muttukumaru, Sri Lankan general and diplomat (d. 2001)
- 1909 – Eric Reece, Australian politician, 32nd Premier of Tasmania (d. 1999)
- 1910 – René Le Grèves, French cyclist (d. 1946)
- 1911 – June Gale, American actress (d. 1996)
- 1912 – Heinrich Harrer, Austrian geographer and mountaineer (d. 2006)
- 1912 – Molly Yard, American feminist (d. 2005)
- 1913 – Vance Trimble, American journalist and author
- 1914 – Vince McMahon Sr., American wrestling promoter, founded WWE (d. 1984)
- 1914 – Ernest Kirkendall, American chemist and metallurgist (d. 2005)
- 1915 – Leonard Birchall, Royal Canadian Air Force pilot (d. 2004)
- 1916 – Harold Norse, American poet and author (d. 2009)
- 1916 – Don R. Christensen, American animator, cartoonist, illustrator, writer and inventor (d. 2006)
- 1917 – Arthur Lydiard, New Zealand runner and coach (d. 2004)
- 1918 – Sebastian Cabot, English-Canadian actor (d. 1977)
- 1918 – Herm Fuetsch, American professional basketball player (d. 2010)
- 1918 – Francisco Moncion, Dominican-American ballet dancer, charter member of the New York City Ballet (d.1995)
- 1919 – Ernst Haefliger, Swiss tenor and educator (d. 2007)
- 1919 – Edward Kenna, Australian Second World War recipient of the Victoria Cross (d. 2009)
- 1919 – Ray Dowker, New Zealand cricketer (d. 2004)
- 1921 – Allan MacEachen, Canadian economist and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Canada (d. 2017)
- 1921 – Billy Mauch, American actor (d. 2006)
- 1921 – Bobby Mauch, American actor (d. 2007)
- 1921 – Nancy Reagan, American actress and activist, 42nd First Lady of the United States (d. 2016)
- 1922 – William Schallert, American actor; president (1979–81) of the Screen Actors Guild (d. 2016)
- 1923 – Wojciech Jaruzelski, Polish general and politician, 1st President of Poland (d. 2014)
- 1924 – Mahim Bora, Indian writer and educationist, recipients of the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian honour (d. 2016)
- 1924 – Louie Bellson, American drummer, composer, and bandleader (d. 2009)
- 1925 – Merv Griffin, American actor, singer, and producer, created Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! (d. 2007)
- 1925 – Bill Haley, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1981)
- 1925 – Gazi Yaşargil, Turkish neurosurgeon and academic
- 1926 – Sulev Vahtre, Estonian historian and academic (d. 2007)
- 1926 – Armando Silvestre, Mexican-American actor
- 1927 – Jan Hein Donner, Dutch chess player and journalist (d. 1988)
- 1927 – Janet Leigh, American actress and author (d. 2004)
- 1928 – Bernard Malgrange, French mathematician
- 1929 – Hélène Carrère d’Encausse, French politician historian
- 1930 – George Armstrong, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
- 1930 – Ian Burgess, English racing driver (d. 2012)
- 1931 – Della Reese, American actress and singer (d. 2017)
- 1931 – László Tábori, Hungarian runner and coach (d. 2018)
- 1932 – Herman Hertzberger, Dutch architect and academic
- 1935 – Candy Barr, American model, dancer, and actress (d. 2005)
- 1935 – Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
- 1936 – Dave Allen, Irish comedian, actor, and screenwriter (d. 2005)
- 1937 – Vladimir Ashkenazy, Russian-Icelandic pianist and conductor
- 1937 – Ned Beatty, American actor
- 1937 – Gene Chandler, American singer-songwriter and producer
- 1937 – Bessie Head, Botswanan writer
- 1937 – Michael Sata, Zambian police officer and politician, 5th President of Zambia (d. 2014)
- 1939 – Jet Harris, English bass player (d. 2011)
- 1939 – Mary Peters, English-Irish pentathlete and shot putter
- 1939 – Bruce Hunter, American swimmer (d. 2018)
- 1940 – Jeannie Seely, Grammy Award-winning country music singer-songwriter and Grand Ole Opry member
- 1940 – Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kazakh politician, 1st President of Kazakhstan
- 1941 – David Crystal, British linguist, author, and academic
- 1941 – Reinhard Roder, German footballer and manager
- 1943 – Tamara Sinyavskaya, Russian soprano
- 1944 – Gunhild Hoffmeister, German runner
- 1946 – George W. Bush, American businessman and politician, 43rd President of the United States
- 1946 – Fred Dryer, American football player and actor
- 1946 – Peter Singer, Australian philosopher and academic
- 1946 – Sylvester Stallone, American actor, director, and screenwriter
- 1947 – Roy Señeres, Filipino diplomat and politician (d. 2016)
- 1948 – Nathalie Baye, French actress
- 1948 – Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Canadian academic and politician, 26th Canadian Minister of Veterans Affairs
- 1948 – Brad Park, Canadian-American ice hockey player and coach
- 1949 – Noli de Castro, Filipino journalist and politician, 14th Vice President of the Philippines
- 1949 – Phyllis Hyman, American singer-songwriter and actress (d. 1995)
- 1949 – Michael Shrieve, American composer, drummer, and percussionist
- 1950 – John Byrne, English-American author and illustrator
- 1951 – Lorna Golding, Former First Lady of Jamaica
- 1951 – Geoffrey Rush, Australian actor and producer
- 1952 – Hilary Mantel, English author and critic
- 1953 – Nanci Griffith, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1953 – Kaiser Kalambo, Zambian footballer and manager (d. 2014)
- 1953 – Robert Ménard, French politician and former journalist
- 1954 – Allyce Beasley, American actress
- 1954 – Willie Randolph, American baseball player and manager
- 1958 – Jennifer Saunders, English actress, comedian and screenwriter
- 1959 – Richard Dacoury, French basketball player
- 1960 – Maria Wasiak, Polish businesswoman and politician, Polish Minister of Infrastructure and Development
- 1961 – Robin Antin, American dancer, choreographer, and businesswoman
- 1962 – Todd Bennett, English runner and coach (d. 2013)
- 1962 – Peter Hedges, American author, screenwriter, and director
- 1967 – Heather Nova, Bermudian singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1970 – Inspectah Deck, American rapper and producer
- 1970 – Martin Smith, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1972 – Daniel Andrews, Australian politician, 48th Premier of Victoria
- 1972 – Laurent Gaudé, French author and playwright
- 1972 – Greg Norton, American baseball player and coach
- 1972 – Zhanna Pintusevich-Block, Ukrainian sprinter
- 1974 – Zé Roberto, Brazilian footballer
- 1975 – 50 Cent, American rapper, producer, and actor
- 1975 – Sebastián Rulli, Argentine-Mexican actor and model
- 1975 – Amir-Abbas Fakhravar, Iranian journalist and activist
- 1976 – Rory Delap, English-Irish footballer
- 1976 – Ioana Dumitriu, Romanian-American mathematician and academic
- 1977 – Max Mirnyi, Belarusian tennis player
- 1977 – Makhaya Ntini, South African cricketer
- 1978 – Adam Busch, American actor, director, and producer
- 1978 – Tamera Mowry, American actress and producer
- 1978 – Tia Mowry, American actress and producer
- 1978 – Kevin Senio, New Zealand rugby player
- 1979 – Nic Cester, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1979 – Kevin Hart, American comedian, actor, producer, and screenwriter
- 1980 – Joell Ortiz, American rapper
- 1980 – Eva Green, French actress and model
- 1981 – Nnamdi Asomugha, American football player
- 1981 – Roman Shirokov, Russian footballer
- 1982 – Brandon Jacobs, American football player
- 1982 – Misty Upham, American actress (d. 2014)
- 1983 – Gregory Smith, Canadian actor, director, and producer
- 1984 – Zhang Hao, Chinese figure skater
- 1985 – Ranveer Singh, Indian film actor
- 1986 – David Karp, American businessman, founded Tumblr
- 1987 – Sophie Auster, American singer-songwriter and actress
- 1987 – Manteo Mitchell, American runner
- 1987 – Kate Nash, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress
- 1987 – Caroline Trentini, Brazilian model
- 1988 – Kevin Fickentscher, Swiss footballer
- 1990 – Magaye Gueye, French footballer
- 1992 – Manny Machado, Dominican-American baseball player
Deaths on July 6
- 371 BC – Cleombrotus I, Spartan king
- 649 – Goar of Aquitaine, French bishop
- 887 – Wang Chongrong, Chinese warlord
- 918 – William I, duke of Aquitaine (b. 875)
- 1017 – Genshin, Japanese scholar (b. 942)
- 1070 – Godelieve, Flemish saint (b. 1049)
- 1189 – Henry II, king of England (b. 1133)
- 1218 – Odo III, duke of Burgundy (b. 1166)
- 1249 – Alexander II, king of Scotland (b. 1198)
- 1415 – Jan Hus, Czech priest, philosopher, and reformer (b. 1369)
- 1476 – Regiomontanus, German mathematician and astrologer (b. 1436)
- 1480 – Antonio Squarcialupi, Italian composer (b. 1416)
- 1533 – Ludovico Ariosto, Italian poet and playwright (b. 1474)
- 1535 – Thomas More, English lawyer and politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (b. 1478)
- 1553 – Edward VI, king of England and Ireland (b. 1537)
- 1583 – Edmund Grindal, English archbishop (b. 1519)
- 1585 – Thomas Aufield, English priest and martyr (b. 1552)
- 1614 – Man Singh I, Rajput Raja of Amer (b. 1550)
- 1684 – Peter Gunning, English bishop (b. 1614)
- 1758 – George Howe, 3rd Viscount Howe, English general and politician (b. 1725)
- 1768 – Conrad Beissel, German-American religious leader (b. 1690)
- 1802 – Daniel Morgan, American general and politician (b. 1736)
- 1809 – Antoine Charles Louis de Lasalle, French general (b. 1775)
- 1813 – Granville Sharp, English activist (b. 1735)
- 1815 – Samuel Whitbread, English politician (b. 1764)
- 1835 – John Marshall, American captain and politician, 4th United States Secretary of State (b. 1755)
- 1854 – Georg Ohm, German physicist and mathematician (b. 1789)
- 1868 – Harada Sanosuke, Japanese captain (b. 1840)
- 1893 – Guy de Maupassant, French short story writer, novelist, and poet (b. 1850)
- 1901 – Chlodwig Carl Viktor, German prince and chancellor (b. 1819)
- 1902 – Maria Goretti, Italian martyr and saint (b. 1890)
- 1904 – Abai Qunanbaiuly, Kazakh poet and philosopher (b. 1845)
- 1907 – August Johann Gottfried Bielenstein, German linguist and theologian (b. 1826)
- 1916 – Odilon Redon, French painter and illustrator (b. 1840)
- 1918 – Wilhelm von Mirbach, German diplomat (b. 1871)
- 1922 – Maria Teresia Ledóchowska, Polish-Austrian nun and missionary (b. 1863)
- 1932 – Kenneth Grahame, Scottish-English author (b. 1859)
- 1934 – Nestor Makhno, Ukrainian commander (b. 1888)
- 1946 – Horace Pippin, American painter (b. 1888)
- 1947 – Adolfo Müller-Ury, Swiss-American painter (b. 1862)
- 1952 – Louis-Alexandre Taschereau, Canadian lawyer and politician, 14th Premier of Quebec (b. 1867)
- 1959 – George Grosz, German painter and illustrator (b. 1893)
- 1960 – Aneurin Bevan, Welsh-English politician, Secretary of State for Health (b. 1897)
- 1961 – Scott LaFaro, American bassist (b. 1936)
- 1961 – Woodall Rodgers, American lawyer and politician, Mayor of Dallas (b. 1890)
- 1962 – Paul Boffa, Maltese soldier and politician, 5th Prime Minister of Malta (b. 1890)
- 1962 – William Faulkner, American novelist and short story writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1897)
- 1962 – Joseph August, archduke of Austria (b. 1872)
- 1963 – George, duke of Mecklenburg (b. 1899)
- 1964 – Claude V. Ricketts, American admiral (b. 1906)
- 1966 – Sad Sam Jones, American baseball player and manager (b. 1892)
- 1967 – Hilda Taba, Estonian architect and educator (b. 1902)
- 1971 – Louis Armstrong, American singer and trumpet player (b. 1901)
- 1973 – Otto Klemperer, German-American conductor and composer (b. 1885)
- 1975 – Reşat Ekrem Koçu, Turkish historian, scholar, and poet (b. 1905)
- 1976 – Zhu De, Chinese general and politician, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (b. 1886)
- 1976 – Fritz Lenz, German geneticist and physician (b. 1887)
- 1977 – Ödön Pártos, Hungarian-Israeli viola player and composer (b. 1907)
- 1978 – Babe Paley, American socialite and fashion style icon (b. 1915)
- 1979 – Van McCoy, American singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1940)
- 1986 – Jagjivan Ram, Indian lawyer and politician, 4th Deputy Prime Minister of India (b. 1908)
- 1989 – János Kádár, Hungarian mechanic and politician, Hungarian Minister of the Interior (b. 1912)
- 1991 – Mudashiru Lawal, Nigerian footballer (b. 1954)
- 1992 – Marsha P. Johnson, American drag queen performer and activist (b. 1945)
- 1994 – Ahmet Haxhiu, Kosovan activist (b. 1932)
- 1995 – Aziz Nesin, Turkish author and poet (b. 1915)
- 1997 – Chetan Anand, Indian director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1921)
- 1998 – Roy Rogers, American cowboy, actor, and singer (b. 1911)
- 1999 – Joaquín Rodrigo, Spanish pianist and composer (b. 1901)
- 2000 – Władysław Szpilman, Polish pianist and composer (b. 1911)
- 2002 – Dhirubhai Ambani, Indian businessman, founded Reliance Industries (b. 1932)
- 2002 – John Frankenheimer, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1930)
- 2003 – Buddy Ebsen, American actor, singer, and dancer (b. 1908)
- 2003 – Çelik Gülersoy, Turkish lawyer, historical preservationist, writer and poet (b. 1930)
- 2004 – Thomas Klestil, Austrian politician, 10th President of Austria (b. 1932)
- 2004 – Syreeta Wright, American singer-songwriter (b. 1946)
- 2005 – Ed McBain, American author and screenwriter (b. 1926)
- 2005 – Claude Simon, Malagasy-French novelist and critic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1913)
- 2006 – Kasey Rogers, American actress (b. 1925)
- 2007 – Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, American author (b. 1939)
- 2009 – Vasily Aksyonov, Russian author and academic (b. 1932)
- 2009 – Robert McNamara, American businessman and politician, 8th United States Secretary of Defense (b. 1916)
- 2010 – Harvey Fuqua, American singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1929)
- 2011 – Carly Hibberd, Australian road racing cyclist (b. 1985)
- 2012 – Hani al-Hassan, Palestinian engineer and politician (b. 1939)
- 2013 – Lo Hsing Han, Burmese businessman, co-founded Asia World (b. 1935)
- 2014 – Alan J. Dixon, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 34th Illinois Secretary of State (b. 1927)
- 2015 – Jerry Weintraub, American film producer, and talent agent (b. 1937)
- 2018 – Shoko Asahara, founder of Japanese cult group Aum Shinrikyo (b. 1955)
- 2019 – João Gilberto, Brazilian singer-songwriter and guitarist, pioneer of bossa nova music style (b. 1931)
- 2020 – Charlie Daniels, American singer-songwriter, fiddle-player and guitarist (b. 1936)
- 2020 – Ennio Morricone, Italian composer, orchestrator, conductor, and trumpet player (b. 1928)
Holidays and observances on July 6
- The first day of San Fermín, which lasts until July 14. (Pamplona)
- Christian feast day:
- Maria Goretti
- Romulus of Fiesole
- July 6 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Constitution Day (Cayman Islands)
- Day of the Capital (Kazakhstan)
- Independence Day (Comoros), celebrates the independence of the Comoros from France in 1975.
- Independence Day (Malawi), celebrates the independence of Malawi from United Kingdom in 1964.
- International Kissing Day (informally observed)
- Jan Hus Day (Czech Republic)
- Kupala Night (Poland, Russia, Belarus and Ukraine)
- National Fried Chicken Day (United States)
- Statehood Day (Lithuania)
- Teachers’ Day (Peru)
-
June 18 in History
- 618 – Li Yuan becomes Emperor Gaozu of Tang, initiating three centuries of Tang dynasty rule over China.
- 656 – Ali becomes Caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate.
- 860 – Byzantine–Rus’ War: A fleet of about 200 Rus’ vessels sails into the Bosphorus and starts pillaging the suburbs of the Byzantine capital Constantinople.
- 1053 – Battle of Civitate: Three thousand horsemen of Norman Count Humphrey rout the troops of Pope Leo IX.
- 1178 – Five Canterbury monks see what is possibly the Giordano Bruno crater being formed. It is believed that the current oscillations of the Moon’s distance from the Earth (on the order of meters) are a result of this collision.
- 1264 – The Parliament of Ireland meets at Castledermot in County Kildare, the first definitively known meeting of this Irish legislature.
- 1265 – A draft Byzantine–Venetian treaty is concluded between Venetian envoys and Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos, but is not ratified by Doge Reniero Zeno.
- 1429 – French forces under the leadership of Joan of Arc defeat the main English army under Sir John Fastolf at the Battle of Patay. This turns the tide of the Hundred Years’ War.
- 1633 – Charles I is crowned King of Scots at St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh.
- 1684 – The charter of the Massachusetts Bay Colony is revoked via a scire facias writ issued by an English court.
- 1757 – Battle of Kolín between Prussian forces under Frederick the Great and an Austrian army under the command of Field Marshal Count Leopold Joseph von Daun in the Seven Years’ War.
- 1778 – American Revolutionary War: British troops abandon Philadelphia.
- 1799 – Action of 18 June 1799: A frigate squadron under Rear-admiral Perrée is captured by the British fleet under Lord Keith.
- 1812 – The United States declaration of war upon the United Kingdom is signed by President James Madison, beginning the War of 1812.
- 1815 – Napoleonic Wars: The Battle of Waterloo results in the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte by the Duke of Wellington and Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher forcing him to abdicate the throne of France for the second and last time.
- 1822 – Constantine Kanaris blows up the Ottoman navy’s flagship at Chios, killing the Kapudan Pasha Nasuhzade Ali Pasha.
- 1858 – Charles Darwin receives a paper from Alfred Russel Wallace that includes nearly identical conclusions about evolution as Darwin’s own, prompting Darwin to publish his theory.
- 1859 – First ascent of Aletschhorn, second summit of the Bernese Alps.
- 1873 – Susan B. Anthony is fined $100 for attempting to vote in the 1872 presidential election.
- 1887 – The Reinsurance Treaty between Germany and Russia is signed.
- 1900 – Empress Dowager Cixi of China orders all foreigners killed, including foreign diplomats and their families.
- 1908 – Japanese immigration to Brazil begins when 781 people arrive in Santos aboard the ship Kasato-Maru.
- 1908 – The University of the Philippines is established.
- 1923 – Checker Taxi puts its first taxi on the streets.
- 1928 – Aviator Amelia Earhart becomes the first woman to fly in an aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean (she is a passenger; Wilmer Stultz is the pilot and Lou Gordon the mechanic).
- 1935 – Police in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, clash with striking longshoremen, resulting in a total of 60 injuries and 24 arrests.
- 1940 – Appeal of 18 June by Charles de Gaulle.
- 1940 – The “Finest Hour” speech is delivered by Winston Churchill.
- 1945 – William Joyce (“Lord Haw-Haw”) is charged with treason for his pro-German propaganda broadcasting during World War II.
- 1946 – Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia, a Socialist, calls for a Direct Action Day against the Portuguese in Goa.
- 1948 – Columbia Records introduces the long-playing record album in a public demonstration at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City.
- 1953 – The Egyptian revolution of 1952 ends with the overthrow of the Muhammad Ali dynasty and the declaration of the Republic of Egypt.
- 1953 – A United States Air Force C-124 crashes and burns near Tachikawa, Japan, killing 129.
- 1954 – Carlos Castillo Armas leads an invasion force across the Guatemalan border, setting in motion the 1954 Guatemalan coup d’état.
- 1965 – Vietnam War: The United States uses B-52 bombers to attack National Liberation Front guerrilla fighters in South Vietnam.
- 1972 – Staines air disaster: One hundred eighteen people are killed when a BEA H.S. Trident crashes two minutes after take off from London’s Heathrow Airport.
- 1979 – SALT II is signed by the United States and the Soviet Union.
- 1981 – The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk, the first operational aircraft initially designed around stealth technology, makes its first flight.
- 1982 – Italian banker Roberto Calvi’s body is discovered hanging beneath Blackfriars Bridge in London, England.
- 1983 – Space Shuttle program: STS-7, Astronaut Sally Ride becomes the first American woman in space.
- 1983 – Mona Mahmudnizhad, together with nine other Bahá’í women, is sentenced to death and hanged in Shiraz, Iran over her religious beliefs.
- 1984 – A major clash between about 5,000 police and a similar number of miners takes place at Orgreave, South Yorkshire, during the 1984–85 UK miners’ strike.
- 1994 – The Troubles: Members of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) attack a crowded pub with assault rifles in Loughinisland, Northern Ireland. Six Catholic civilians are killed and five wounded. It was crowded with people watching the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
- 2006 – The first Kazakh space satellite, KazSat-1 is launched.
- 2007 – The Charleston Sofa Super Store fire happened in Charleston, South Carolina, killing nine firefighters.
- 2009 – The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), a NASA robotic spacecraft is launched.
- 2018 – An earthquake of magnitude 6.1 strikes northern Osaka.
Births on June 18
- 1269 – Eleanor of England, Countess of Bar (d. 1298)
- 1318 – Eleanor of Woodstock (d. 1355)
- 1332 – John V Palaiologos, Byzantine Emperor (d. 1391)
- 1466 – Ottaviano Petrucci, Italian printer (d. 1539)
- 1511 – Bartolomeo Ammannati, Italian architect and sculptor, designed the Ponte Santa Trinita (d. 1592)
- 1517 – Emperor Ōgimachi of Japan (d. 1593)
- 1521 – Maria of Portugal, Duchess of Viseu (d. 1577)
- 1667 – Ivan Trubetskoy, Russian field marshal (d. 1750)
- 1673 – Antonio de Literes, Spanish composer (d. 1747)
- 1677 – Antonio Maria Bononcini, Italian cellist and composer (d. 1726)
- 1716 – Joseph-Marie Vien, French painter and educator (d. 1809)
- 1717 – Johann Stamitz, Czech violinist and composer (d. 1757)
- 1757 – Ignaz Pleyel, Austrian-French pianist and composer (d. 1831)
- 1757 – Gervasio Antonio de Posadas, Argentinian lawyer and politician 1st Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata (d. 1833)
- 1769 – Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh, Irish-English politician, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (d. 1822)
- 1799 – William Lassell, English astronomer and merchant (d. 1880)
- 1812 – Ivan Goncharov, Russian journalist and author (d. 1891)
- 1815 – Ludwig Freiherr von und zu der Tann-Rathsamhausen, German general (d. 1881)
- 1816 – Hélène Napoleone Bonaparte, French daughter of Napoleon (d. 1907)
- 1816 – Jung Bahadur Rana, Nepali ruler (d. 1877)
- 1833 – Manuel González Flores, Mexican general and President (1880-1884) (d. 1893)
- 1834 – Auguste-Théodore-Paul de Broglie, French philosopher and academic (d. 1895)
- 1839 – William H. Seward Jr., American general and banker (d. 1920)
- 1845 – Charles Louis Alphonse Laveran, French physician and parasitologist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1922)
- 1850 – Richard Heuberger, Austrian composer and critic (d. 1914)
- 1854 – E. W. Scripps, American publisher, founded the E. W. Scripps Company (d. 1926)
- 1857 – Henry Clay Folger, American businessman and philanthropist, founded the Folger Shakespeare Library (d. 1930)
- 1858 – Andrew Forsyth, Scottish-English mathematician and academic (d. 1942)
- 1858 – Hector Rason, English-Australian politician, 7th Premier of Western Australia (d. 1927)
- 1862 – Carolyn Wells, American novelist and poet (d. 1942)
- 1863 – George Essex Evans, English-Australian poet and author (d. 1909)
- 1868 – Miklós Horthy, Hungarian admiral and politician, Regent of Hungary (d. 1957)
- 1870 – Édouard Le Roy, French mathematician and philosopher (d. 1954)
- 1877 – James Montgomery Flagg, American painter and illustrator (d. 1960)
- 1881 – Zoltán Halmay, Hungarian swimmer (d. 1956)
- 1882 – Georgi Dimitrov, Bulgarian compositor and politician, 32nd Prime Minister of Bulgaria (d. 1949)
- 1884 – Édouard Daladier, French captain and politician, Prime Minister of France (d. 1970)
- 1886 – George Mallory, English lieutenant and mountaineer (d. 1924)
- 1886 – Alexander Wetmore, American ornithologist and paleontologist (d. 1978)
- 1887 – Tancrède Labbé, Canadian businessman and politician (d. 1956)
- 1896 – Blanche Sweet, American actress (d. 1986)
- 1897 – Martti Marttelin, Finnish runner (d. 1940)
- 1900 – Vlasta Vraz, Czech-American relief worker, editor, and fundraiser (d. 1989)
- 1901 – Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia (d. 1918)
- 1901 – Llewellyn Rees, English actor (d. 1994)
- 1902 – Louis Alter, American musician (d. 1980)
- 1902 – Paavo Yrjölä, Finnish decathlete (d. 1980)
- 1903 – Jeanette MacDonald, American actress and singer (d. 1965)
- 1903 – Raymond Radiguet, French author and poet (d. 1923)
- 1904 – Keye Luke, Chinese-American actor (d. 1991)
- 1904 – Manuel Rosenthal, French conductor and composer (d. 2003)
- 1905 – Eduard Tubin, Estonian composer and conductor (d. 1982)
- 1907 – Frithjof Schuon, Swiss-American metaphysicist, philosopher, and author (d. 1998)
- 1908 – Bud Collyer, American actor and game show host (d. 1969)
- 1908 – Stanley Knowles, American-Canadian academic and politician (d. 1997)
- 1908 – Nedra Volz, American actress (d. 2003)
- 1910 – Dick Foran, American actor and singer (d. 1979)
- 1910 – Avon Long, American actor and singer (d. 1984)
- 1910 – Ray McKinley, American singer, drummer, and bandleader (d. 1995)
- 1912 – Glenn Morris, American decathlete (d. 1974)
- 1913 – Wilfred Gordon Bigelow, Canadian soldier and surgeon (d. 2005)
- 1913 – Sammy Cahn, American pianist and composer (d. 1993)
- 1913 – Sylvia Porter, American economist and journalist (d. 1991)
- 1913 – Françoise Loranger, Canadian playwright and producer (d. 1995)
- 1913 – Robert Mondavi, American winemaker and philanthropist (d. 2008)
- 1913 – Oswald Teichmüller, German mathematician (d. 1943)
- 1914 – E. G. Marshall, American actor (d. 1998)
- 1914 – Efraín Huerta, Mexican poet (d.1982)
- 1915 – Red Adair, American firefighter (d. 2004)
- 1915 – Robert Kanigher, American author (d. 2002)
- 1915 – Alice T. Schafer, American mathematician (d. 2009)
- 1916 – Julio César Turbay Ayala, Colombian lawyer and politician, 25th President of Colombia (d. 2005)
- 1917 – Richard Boone, American actor, singer, and director (d. 1981)
- 1917 – Jack Karnehm, English snooker player and sportscaster (d. 2002)
- 1917 – Erik Ortvad, Danish painter and illustrator (d. 2008)
- 1918 – Alf Francis, West Prussia-born, English motor racing mechanic and race car constructor (d. 1983)
- 1918 – Jerome Karle, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2013)
- 1918 – Franco Modigliani, Italian-American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2003)
- 1919 – Jüri Järvet, Estonian actor and screenwriter (d. 1995)
- 1920 – Ian Carmichael, English actor and singer (d. 2010)
- 1920 – Lode Van Den Bergh, Belgian author and academic
- 1922 – Claude Helffer, French pianist and educator (d. 2004)
- 1924 – George Mikan, American basketball player and coach (d. 2005)
- 1925 – Robert Beadell, American composer and educator (d. 1994)
- 1926 – Philip B. Crosby, American businessman and author (d. 2001)
- 1926 – Allan Sandage, American astronomer and cosmologist (d. 2010)
- 1926 – Tom Wicker, American journalist and author (d. 2011)
- 1927 – Eva Bartok, Hungarian-English actress (d. 1998)
- 1927 – Paul Eddington, English actor (d. 1995)
- 1928 – Michael Blakemore, Australian actor, director, and screenwriter
- 1928 – David T. Lykken, American geneticist and academic (d. 2006)
- 1929 – Jürgen Habermas, German sociologist and philosopher
- 1929 – Tibor Rubin, Hungarian-American soldier, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 2015)
- 1931 – Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Brazilian sociologist, academic, and politician, 34th President of Brazil
- 1932 – Dudley R. Herschbach, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1932 – Geoffrey Hill, English poet and academic (d. 2016)
- 1933 – Colin Brumby, Australian composer and conductor (d. 2018)
- 1933 – Tommy Hunt, American singer
- 1934 – Brian Kenny, English general (d. 2017)
- 1934 – Mitsuteru Yokoyama, Japanese author and illustrator (d. 2004)
- 1936 – Denny Hulme, New Zealand race car driver (d. 1992)
- 1936 – Barack Obama Sr., Kenyan economist (d. 1982)
- 1936 – Ronald Venetiaan, Surinamese politician, 6th President of Suriname
- 1937 – Del Harris, American basketball player and coach
- 1937 – Jay Rockefeller, American lawyer and politician, 29th Governor of West Virginia
- 1937 – Bruce Trigger, Canadian archaeologist, anthropologist and historian (d. 2006)
- 1937 – Vitaly Zholobov, Ukrainian colonel, engineer, and astronaut
- 1938 – Kevin Murray, Australian footballer and coach
- 1939 – Lou Brock, American baseball player and sportscaster
- 1939 – Jean-Claude Germain, Canadian historian, author, and journalist
- 1939 – Brooks Firestone, American businessman and politician
- 1941 – Roger Lemerre, French footballer and manager
- 1941 – Paul Mayersberg, English director and screenwriter
- 1941 – Delia Smith, English chef and author
- 1942 – John Bellany, Scottish painter and academic (d. 2013)
- 1942 – Roger Ebert, American journalist, critic, and screenwriter (d. 2013)
- 1942 – Pat Hutchins, English author and illustrator
- 1942 – Thabo Mbeki, South African politician, 23rd President of South Africa
- 1942 – Paul McCartney, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1942 – Richard Perry, American record producer
- 1942 – Carl Radle, American bass player and producer (d. 1980)
- 1942 – Nick Tate, Australian actor and director
- 1942 – Hans Vonk, Dutch conductor (d. 2004)
- 1943 – Barry Evans, English actor (d. 1997)
- 1943 – Raffaella Carrà, Italian singer, dancer, and actress
- 1944 – Bruce DuMont, American broadcaster and political analyst
- 1944 – Sandy Posey, American pop/country singer
- 1946 – Russell Ash, English journalist and author (d. 2010)
- 1946 – Bruiser Brody, American wrestler (d. 1988)
- 1946 – Fabio Capello, Italian footballer and manager
- 1946 – Maria Bethânia, Brazilian singer
- 1947 – Ivonne Coll, Puerto Rican-American model and actress, Miss Puerto Rico 1967
- 1947 – Bernard Giraudeau, French actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2010)
- 1947 – Linda Thorson, Canadian actress
- 1948 – Philip Jackson, English actor
- 1948 – Éva Marton, Hungarian soprano and actress
- 1948 – Sherry Turkle, American academic, psychologist, and sociologist
- 1949 – Chris Van Allsburg, American author and illustrator
- 1949 – Jarosław Kaczyński, Polish lawyer and politician, 13th Prime Minister of Poland
- 1949 – Lech Kaczyński, Polish lawyer and politician, 4th President of Poland (d. 2010)
- 1949 – Lincoln Thompson, Jamaican singer-songwriter (d. 1999)
- 1950 – Rod de’Ath, Welsh drummer and producer (d. 2014)
- 1950 – Annelie Ehrhardt, German hurdler
- 1950 – Mike Johanns, American lawyer and politician, 28th United States Secretary of Agriculture
- 1950 – Jackie Leven, Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2011)
- 1951 – Mohammed Al-Sager, Kuwaiti journalist and politician
- 1951 – Miriam Flynn, American actress and comedian
- 1951 – Ian Hargreaves, English-Welsh journalist and academic
- 1951 – Stephen Hopper, Australian botanist and academic
- 1951 – Gyula Sax, Hungarian chess player (d. 2014)
- 1952 – Tiiu Aro, Estonian physician and politician, Estonian Minister of Social Affairs
- 1952 – Denis Herron, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1952 – Carol Kane, American actress
- 1952 – Isabella Rossellini, Italian actress, director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1952 – Lee Soo-man, South Korean singer and businessman, founded S.M. Entertainment
- 1953 – Peter Donohoe, English pianist and educator
- 1955 – Ed Fast, Canadian lawyer and politician
- 1956 – Brian Benben, American actor and producer
- 1956 – John Scott, English organist and conductor (d. 2015)
- 1957 – Miguel Ángel Lotina, Spanish footballer and manager
- 1957 – Richard Powers, American novelist
- 1958 – Peter Altmaier, German jurist and politician, Federal Minister for Special Affairs of Germany
- 1958 – Gary Martin, British voice actor and actor
- 1959 – Joe Ansolabehere, American animation screenwriter and producer
- 1960 – Barbara Broccoli, American director and producer
- 1960 – Steve Murphy, Canadian journalist
- 1961 – Oz Fox, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
- 1961 – Andrés Galarraga, Venezuelan-American baseball player
- 1961 – Angela Johnson, American novelist and poet
- 1961 – Alison Moyet, English singer-songwriter
- 1962 – Lisa Randall, American physicist and academic
- 1963 – Dizzy Reed, American keyboard player and songwriter
- 1963 – Bruce Smith, American football player
- 1964 – Uday Hussein, Iraqi commander (d. 2003)
- 1964 – Patti Webster, American publicist and author (d. 2013)
- 1966 – Kurt Browning, Canadian figure skater, choreographer, and sportscaster
- 1966 – Troy Kemp, Bahamian high jumper
- 1968 – Frank Müller, German decathlete
- 1969 – Haki Doku, Albanian cyclist
- 1969 – Christopher Largen, American journalist and author (d. 2012)
- 1970 – Katie Derham, English journalist
- 1970 – Ivan Kozák, Slovak footballer
- 1970 – Greg Yaitanes, American director and producer
- 1971 – Kerry Butler, American actress and singer
- 1971 – Jason McAteer, English-Irish footballer and manager
- 1971 – Nathan Morris, American soul singer
- 1972 – Anu Tali, Estonian pianist and conductor
- 1972 – Wikus du Toit, South African actor, director, and composer
- 1973 – Julie Depardieu, French actress
- 1973 – Stephen Thomas Erlewine, American author and music critic
- 1973 – Ray LaMontagne, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1973 – Alexandra Meissnitzer, Austrian skier
- 1973 – Matt Parsons, Australian rugby league player
- 1973 – Gavin Wanganeen Australian footballer and coach
- 1974 – Vincenzo Montella, Italian footballer and manager
- 1974 – Sergey Sharikov, Russian fencer and coach (d. 2015)
- 1975 – Marie Gillain, Belgian actress
- 1975 – Aleksandrs Koļinko, Latvian footballer
- 1975 – Martin St. Louis, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1976 – Blake Shelton, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1978 – Wang Liqin, Chinese table tennis player
- 1979 – Yumiko Kobayashi, Japanese voice actress and singer
- 1979 – Ivana Wong, Hong Kong singer-songwriter and actress
- 1980 – Antonio Gates, American football player
- 1980 – Sergey Kirdyapkin, Russian race walker
- 1980 – Craig Mottram, Australian runner
- 1980 – Antero Niittymäki, Finnish ice hockey player
- 1980 – Tara Platt, American actress, producer, and screenwriter
- 1981 – Clint Newton, American-Australian rugby league player
- 1981 – Marco Streller, Swiss footballer
- 1982 – Nadir Belhadj, French-Algerian footballer
- 1982 – Marco Borriello, Italian footballer
- 1982 – Nathan Cavaleri, Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
- 1983 – Billy Slater, Australian rugby league player
- 1983 – Cameron Smith, Australian rugby league player
- 1984 – Nanyak Dala, Canadian rugby player
- 1985 – Chris Coghlan, American baseball player
- 1985 – Alex Hirsch, American animator and television producer
- 1986 – Edgars Eriņš, Latvian decathlete
- 1986 – Richard Gasquet, French tennis player
- 1987 – Omar Arellano, Mexican footballer
- 1987 – Moeen Ali, English cricketer
- 1988 – Elini Dimoutsos, Greek footballer
- 1988 – Josh Dun, American musician
- 1989 – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, French-born Gabonese footballer
- 1989 – Chris Harris Jr., American football player
- 1990 – Luke Adam, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1990 – Sandra Izbașa, Romanian gymnast
- 1990 – Derek Stepan, American ice hockey player
- 1990 – Christian Taylor, American triple jumper
- 1993 – Dennis Lloyd, Israeli musician, producer, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist
- 1994 – Sean McMahon, Australian rugby player
- 1994 – Takeoff, American rapper
- 1995 – Maxim Kovtun, Russian figure skater
- 1996 – Alen Halilović, Croatian footballer
- 1996 – Niki Wories, Dutch figure skater
- 1997 – Katharina Hobgarski, German tennis player
- 1997 – Latrell Mitchell, Australian rugby league player
- 1999 – Trippie Redd, American rapper
Deaths on June 18
- 741 – Leo III the Isaurian, Byzantine emperor (b. 685)
- 908 – Zhang Hao, general of Yang Wu
- 1095 – Sophia of Hungary (b. c. 1050)
- 1164 – Elisabeth of Schönau, German Benedictine visionary (b. c. 1129)
- 1234 – Emperor Chūkyō of Japan (b. 1218)
- 1250 – Theresa of Portugal, Queen of León
- 1291 – Alfonso III of Aragon (b. 1265)
- 1333 – Henry XV, Duke of Bavaria (b. 1312)
- 1464 – Rogier van der Weyden, Flemish painter (b. 1400)
- 1588 – Robert Crowley, English minister and poet (b. 1517)
- 1629 – Piet Pieterszoon Hein, Dutch admiral (b. 1577)
- 1650 – Christoph Scheiner, German priest, physicist, and astronomer (b. 1575)
- 1673 – Jeanne Mance, French-Canadian nurse, founded the Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal (b. 1606)
- 1704 – Tom Brown, English author and translator (b. 1662)
- 1726 – Michel Richard Delalande, French organist and composer (b. 1657)
- 1742 – John Aislabie, English politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (b. 1670)
- 1749 – Ambrose Philips, English poet and politician (b. 1674)
- 1772 – Johann Ulrich von Cramer, German jurist and scholar (b. 1706)
- 1772 – Gerard van Swieten, Dutch-Austrian physician and reformer (b. 1700)
- 1788 – Adam Gib, Scottish religious leader (b. 1714)
- 1794 – François Buzot, French lawyer and politician (b. 1760)
- 1794 – James Murray, Scottish-English general and politician, 20th Governor of the Province of Quebec (b. 1721)
- 1815 – Thomas Picton, Welsh-English general and politician (b. 1758)
- 1833 – Robert Hett Chapman, American minister, missionary, and academic (b. 1771)
- 1835 – William Cobbett, English farmer and journalist (b. 1763)
- 1860 – Friedrich Wilhelm von Bismarck, German army officer and writer (b. 1783)
- 1866 – Prince Sigismund of Prussia (b. 1864)
- 1902 – Samuel Butler, English novelist, satirist, and critic (b. 1835)
- 1905 – Carmine Crocco, Italian soldier (b. 1830)
- 1916 – Max Immelmann, German lieutenant and pilot (b. 1890)
- 1917 – Titu Maiorescu, Romanian critic and politician, 23rd Prime Minister of Romania (b. 1840)
- 1922 – Jacobus Kapteyn, Dutch astronomer and academic (b. 1851)
- 1928 – Roald Amundsen, Norwegian pilot and explorer (b. 1872)
- 1936 – Maxim Gorky, Russian novelist, short story writer, and playwright (b. 1868)
- 1937 – Gaston Doumergue, French politician, 13th President of France (b. 1863)
- 1942 – Arthur Pryor, American trombonist, bandleader, and politician (b. 1870)
- 1943 – Elias Degiannis, Greek commander (b. 1912)
- 1945 – Florence Bascom, American geologist and educator (b. 1862)[10]
- 1945 – Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr., American general (b. 1886)
- 1947 – Shigematsu Sakaibara, Japanese admiral (b. 1898)
- 1948 – Edward Brooker, English-Australian politician, 31st Premier of Tasmania (b. 1891)
- 1959 – Ethel Barrymore, American actress (b. 1879)
- 1963 – Pedro Armendáriz, Mexican-American actor (b. 1912)
- 1964 – Giorgio Morandi, Italian painter (b. 1890)
- 1967 – Geki, Italian race car driver (b. 1937)
- 1967 – Beat Fehr, Swiss race car driver (b. 1942)
- 1971 – Thomas Gomez, American actor (b. 1905)
- 1971 – Paul Karrer, Russian-Swiss chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1889)
- 1974 – Júlio César de Mello e Souza, Brazilian mathematician and academic (b. 1896)
- 1974 – Georgy Zhukov, Russian marshal and politician, Minister of Defence for the Soviet Union (b. 1896)
- 1975 – Hugo Bergmann, German-Israeli philosopher and author (b. 1883)
- 1978 – Walter C. Alvarez, American physician and author (b. 1884)
- 1980 – Terence Fisher, English director and screenwriter (b. 1904)
- 1980 – André Leducq, French cyclist (b. 1904)
- 1982 – Djuna Barnes, American novelist, journalist, and playwright (b. 1892)
- 1982 – John Cheever, American novelist and short story writer (b. 1912)
- 1982 – Curd Jürgens, German-Austrian actor and director (b. 1915)
- 1984 – Alan Berg, American lawyer and radio host (b. 1934)
- 1985 – Paul Colin, French illustrator (b. 1892)
- 1986 – Frances Scott Fitzgerald, American journalist (b. 1921)
- 1989 – I. F. Stone, American journalist and author (b. 1907)
- 1992 – Kofoworola Abeni Pratt, the first black Chief Nursing Officer of Nigeria (b. 1910)
- 1992 – Peter Allen, Australian singer-songwriter and pianist (b. 1944)
- 1992 – Mordecai Ardon, Polish-Israeli painter and educator (b. 1896)
- 1993 – Craig Rodwell, American activist, founded the Oscar Wilde Bookshop (b. 1940)
- 1996 – Endel Puusepp, Estonian-Soviet military pilot and politician (b. 1909)
- 1997 – Lev Kopelev, Ukrainian-German author and academic (b. 1912)
- 1998 – Felix Knight, American actor and tenor (b. 1908)
- 2000 – Nancy Marchand, American actress (b. 1928)
- 2003 – Larry Doby, American baseball player and manager (b. 1923)
- 2005 – Mushtaq Ali, Indian cricketer (b. 1914)
- 2005 – Manuel Sadosky, Argentinian mathematician and academic (b. 1914)
- 2006 – Vincent Sherman, American actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1906)
- 2006 – Joseph Zobel, Martinique-French author (b. 1915)
- 2007 – Bernard Manning, English comedian and actor (b. 1930)
- 2007 – Hank Medress, American singer and producer (b. 1938)
- 2007 – Georges Thurston, Canadian singer-songwriter (b. 1951)
- 2008 – Jean Delannoy, French actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1908)
- 2008 – Tasha Tudor, American author and illustrator (b. 1915)
- 2008 – Hans Steinbrenner, German sculptor (b. 1928)
- 2010 – Trent Acid, American wrestler (b. 1980)
- 2010 – José Saramago, Portuguese novelist Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1922)
- 2010 – Okan Demiriş, Turkish composer (b. 1942)
- 2011 – Yelena Bonner, Russian activist (b. 1923)
- 2011 – Frederick Chiluba, Zambian politician, 2nd President of Zambia (b. 1943)
- 2011 – Clarence Clemons, American saxophonist (b. 1942)
- 2012 – Horacio Coppola, Argentinian photographer and director (b. 1906)
- 2012 – Lina Haag, German author and activist (b. 1907)
- 2012 – Tom Maynard, Welsh cricketer (b. 1989)
- 2012 – Luis Edgardo Mercado Jarrín, Peruvian general and politician, 109th Prime Minister of Peru (b. 1919)
- 2012 – Alketas Panagoulias, Greek footballer and manager (b. 1934)
- 2012 – William Van Regenmorter, American businessman and politician (b. 1939)
- 2013 – Brent F. Anderson, American engineer and politician (b. 1932)
- 2013 – Alastair Donaldson, Scottish bass player (b. 1955)
- 2013 – Garde Gardom, Canadian lawyer and politician, 26th Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia (b. 1924)
- 2013 – Michael Hastings, American journalist and author (b. 1980)
- 2013 – David Wall, English ballet dancer (b. 1946)
- 2014 – Stephanie Kwolek, American chemist and engineer (b. 1923)
- 2014 – Johnny Mann, American singer-songwriter and conductor (b. 1928)
- 2014 – Claire Martin, Canadian author (b. 1914)
- 2014 – Vladimir Popovkin, Russian general (b. 1957)
- 2014 – Horace Silver, American pianist and composer (b. 1928)
- 2015 – Phil Austin, American comedian, actor, and screenwriter (b. 1941)
- 2015 – Ralph J. Roberts, American businessman, co-founded Comcast (b. 1920)
- 2015 – Danny Villanueva, American football player and broadcaster, co-founded Univision (b. 1937)
- 2015 – Allen Weinstein, American historian and academic (b. 1937)
- 2016 – Jeppiaar, Indian educationist, founder and chancellor of Sathyabama University (b. 1931)
- 2018 – XXXTentacion, American rapper (b. 1998)
- 2018 – Big Van Vader (also known as Vader) American professional wrestler (b. 1955)
- 2018 – Jimmy Wopo, American rapper (b. 1997)
- 2020 – Vera Lynn, English singer who was the “Forces’ Sweetheart” in World War II (b. 1917)
Holidays and observances on June 18
- Autistic Pride Day (International)
- Christian feast day:
- Bernard Mizeki (Anglican and Episcopal Church)
- Elisabeth of Schönau
- Gregorio Barbarigo
- Leontius, Hypatius and Theodulus
- Marina the Monk (Maronite Church, Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria)
- Mark and Marcellian
- June 18 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Foundation Day (Benguet)
- Human Rights Day (Azerbaijan)
- National Day (Seychelles)
- Queen Mother’s Birthday (Cambodia)
- Waterloo Day (United Kingdom)
-
June 4 in History
- 1411 – King Charles VI granted a monopoly for the ripening of Roquefort cheese to the people of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon as they had been doing for centuries.
- 1561 – The steeple of St Paul’s, the medieval cathedral of London, is destroyed in a fire caused by lightning and is never rebuilt.
- 1615 – Siege of Osaka: Forces under Tokugawa Ieyasu take Osaka Castle in Japan.
- 1745 – Battle of Hohenfriedberg: Frederick the Great’s Prussian army decisively defeated an Austrian army under Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine during the War of the Austrian Succession.
- 1760 – Great Upheaval: New England planters arrive to claim land in Nova Scotia, Canada, taken from the Acadians.
- 1783 – The Montgolfier brothers publicly demonstrate their montgolfière (hot air balloon).
- 1784 – Élisabeth Thible becomes the first woman to fly in an untethered hot air balloon. Her flight covers four kilometres in 45 minutes, and reached 1,500 metres altitude (estimated).
- 1792 – Captain George Vancouver claims Puget Sound for the Kingdom of Great Britain.
- 1802 – King Charles Emmanuel IV of Sardinia abdicates his throne in favor of his brother, Victor Emmanuel.
- 1812 – Following Louisiana’s admittance as a U.S. state, the Louisiana Territory is renamed the Missouri Territory.
- 1825 – General Lafayette, a French officer in the American Revolutionary War, speaks at what would become Lafayette Square, Buffalo, during his visit to the United States.
- 1855 – Major Henry C. Wayne departs New York aboard the USS Supply to procure camels to establish the U.S. Camel Corps.
- 1859 – Italian Independence wars: In the Battle of Magenta, the French army, under Louis-Napoleon, defeat the Austrian army.
- 1862 – American Civil War: Confederate troops evacuate Fort Pillow on the Mississippi River, leaving the way clear for Union troops to take Memphis, Tennessee.
- 1876 – An express train called the Transcontinental Express arrives in San Francisco, via the First Transcontinental Railroad only 83 hours and 39 minutes after leaving New York City.
- 1878 – Cyprus Convention: The Ottoman Empire cedes Cyprus to the United Kingdom but retains nominal title.
- 1896 – Henry Ford completes the Ford Quadricycle, his first gasoline-powered automobile, and gives it a successful test run.
- 1912 – Massachusetts becomes the first state of the United States to set a minimum wage.
- 1913 – Emily Davison, a suffragette, runs out in front of King George V’s horse at The Derby. She is trampled, never regains consciousness, and dies four days later.
- 1916 – World War I: Russia opens the Brusilov Offensive with an artillery barrage of Austro-Hungarian lines in Galicia.
- 1917 – The first Pulitzer Prizes are awarded: Laura E. Richards, Maude H. Elliott, and Florence Hall receive the first Pulitzer for biography (for Julia Ward Howe). Jean Jules Jusserand receives the first Pulitzer for history for his work With Americans of Past and Present Days. Herbert B. Swope receives the first Pulitzer for journalism for his work for the New York World.
- 1919 – Women’s rights: The U.S. Congress approves the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which guarantees suffrage to women, and sends it to the U.S. states for ratification.
- 1920 – Hungary loses 71% of its territory and 63% of its population when the Treaty of Trianon is signed in Paris.
- 1928 – The President of the Republic of China, Zhang Zuolin, is assassinated by Japanese agents.
- 1932 – Marmaduke Grove and other Chilean military officers lead a coup d’état establishing the short-lived Socialist Republic of Chile.
- 1939 – The Holocaust: The MS St. Louis, a ship carrying 963 Jewish refugees, is denied permission to land in Florida, in the United States, after already being turned away from Cuba. Forced to return to Europe, more than 200 of its passengers later die in Nazi concentration camps.
- 1940 – World War II: The Dunkirk evacuation ends: British forces complete evacuation of 338,000 troops from Dunkirk in France. To rally the morale of the country, Winston Churchill delivers, only to the House of Commons, his famous “We shall fight on the beaches” speech.
- 1942 – World War II: The Battle of Midway begins. The Japanese Admiral Chūichi Nagumo orders a strike on Midway Island by much of the Imperial Japanese Navy.
- 1943 – A military coup in Argentina ousts Ramón Castillo.
- 1944 – World War II: A hunter-killer group of the United States Navy captures the German submarine U-505: The first time a U.S. Navy vessel had captured an enemy vessel at sea since the 19th century.
- 1944 – World War II: The United States Fifth Army captures Rome, although much of the German Fourteenth Army is able to withdraw to the north.
- 1961 – Cold War: In the Vienna summit, the Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev sparks the Berlin Crisis by threatening to sign a separate peace treaty with East Germany and ending American, British and French access to East Berlin.
- 1967 – Seventy-two people are killed when a Canadair C-4 Argonaut crashes at Stockport in England.
- 1970 – Tonga gains independence from the United Kingdom.
- 1975 – The Governor of California Jerry Brown signs the California Agricultural Labor Relations Act into law, the first law in the U.S. giving farmworkers collective bargaining rights.
- 1979 – Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings takes power in Ghana after a military coup in which General Fred Akuffo is overthrown.
- 1983 – Gordon Kahl, who killed two US Marshals in Medina, North Dakota on February 13, is killed in a shootout in Smithville, Arkansas, along with a local sheriff, after a four-month manhunt.
- 1986 – Jonathan Pollard pleads guilty to espionage for selling top secret United States military intelligence to Israel.
- 1988 – Three cars on a train carrying hexogen to Kazakhstan explode in Arzamas, Gorky Oblast, USSR, killing 91 and injuring about 1,500.
- 1989 – Ali Khamenei is elected as the new Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran by the Assembly of Experts after the death and funeral of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
- 1989 – The Tiananmen Square protests are suppressed in Beijing by the People’s Liberation Army, with between 241 and 1,000 dead (an unofficial estimate).
- 1989 – Solidarity’s victory in the first (somewhat) free parliamentary elections in post-war Poland sparks off a succession of peaceful anti-communist revolutions in Eastern Europe, leads to the creation of the so-called Contract Sejm and begins the Autumn of Nations.
- 1989 – Ufa train disaster: A natural gas explosion near Ufa, Russia, kills 575 as two trains passing each other throw sparks near a leaky pipeline.
- 1996 – The first flight of Ariane 5 explodes after roughly 37 seconds. It was a Cluster mission.
- 1998 – Terry Nichols is sentenced to life in prison for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing.
- 2010 – Falcon 9 Flight 1 is the maiden flight of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which launches from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Space Launch Complex 40.
Births on June 4
- 1394 – Philippa of England, Queen of Denmark, Norway and Sweden (d. 1430)
- 1489 – Antoine, Duke of Lorraine (d. 1544)
- 1563 – George Heriot, Scottish goldsmith (d. 1624)
- 1604 – Claudia de’ Medici, Italian daughter of Christina of Lorraine (d. 1648)
- 1665 – Zacharie Robutel de La Noue, Canadian captain (d. 1733)
- 1694 – François Quesnay, French economist and physician (d. 1774)
- 1704 – Benjamin Huntsman, English inventor and businessman (d. 1776)
- 1738 – George III of the United Kingdom (d. 1820)
- 1744 – Patrick Ferguson, Scottish soldier, designed the Ferguson rifle (d. 1780)
- 1754 – Miguel de Azcuénaga, Argentinian soldier (d. 1833)
- 1754 – Franz Xaver von Zach, Slovak astronomer and academic (d. 1832)
- 1787 – Constant Prévost, French geologist and academic (d. 1856)
- 1801 – James Pennethorne, English architect, designed Victoria Park (d. 1871)
- 1821 – Apollon Maykov, Russian poet and playwright (d. 1897)
- 1829 – Jinmaku Kyūgorō, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 12th Yokozuna (d. 1903)
- 1854 – Solko van den Bergh, Dutch target shooter (d. 1916)
- 1860 – Alexis Lapointe, Canadian runner (d. 1924)
- 1861 – William Propsting, Australian politician, 20th Premier of Tasmania (d. 1937)
- 1866 – Miina Sillanpää, Finnish journalist and politician (d. 1952)
- 1867 – Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, Finnish general and politician, 6th President of Finland (d. 1951)
- 1873 – Nictzin Dyalhis, American author (d.1942)
- 1877 – Heinrich Otto Wieland, German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1957)
- 1879 – Mabel Lucie Attwell, English author and illustrator (d. 1964)
- 1880 – Clara Blandick, American actress (d. 1962)
- 1885 – Arturo Rawson, Argentinian general and politician, 26th President of Argentina (d. 1952)
- 1887 – Tom Longboat, Canadian runner and soldier (d. 1949)
- 1889 – Beno Gutenberg, German-American seismologist (d. 1960)
- 1903 – Yevgeny Mravinsky, Russian conductor (d. 1988)
- 1904 – Bhagat Puran Singh, Indian publisher, environmentalist, and philanthropist (d. 1992)
- 1907 – Jacques Roumain, Haitian journalist and politician (d. 1944)
- 1907 – Rosalind Russell, American actress (d. 1976)
- 1907 – Patience Strong, English poet and journalist (d. 1990)
- 1910 – Christopher Cockerell, English engineer, invented the hovercraft (d. 1999)
- 1912 – Robert Jacobsen, Danish sculptor and painter (d. 1993)
- 1915 – Walter Hadlee, New Zealand cricketer (d. 2006)
- 1915 – Modibo Keïta, Malian educator and politician, 1st President of Mali (d. 1977)
- 1915 – Nils Kihlberg, Swedish actor, singer, and director (d. 1965)
- 1916 – Robert F. Furchgott, American biochemist and pharmacologist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2009)
- 1916 – Fernand Leduc, Canadian painter (d. 2014)
- 1917 – Robert Merrill, American actor and singer (d. 2004)
- 1921 – Milan Komar, Slovenian-Argentinian philosopher and academic (d. 2006)
- 1921 – Bobby Wanzer, American basketball player and coach (d. 2016)
- 1923 – Elizabeth Jolley, English-Australian author and academic (d. 2007)
- 1923 – Masutatsu Ōyama, Japanese karateka (d. 1994)
- 1924 – Tofilau Eti Alesana, Samoan politician, 5th Prime Minister of Samoa (d. 1999)
- 1924 – Dennis Weaver, American actor and director (d. 2006)
- 1925 – Antonio Puchades, Spanish footballer (d. 2013)
- 1926 – Robert Earl Hughes, American who was the heaviest human being recorded in the history of the world during his lifetime (d. 1958)
- 1926 – Ain Kaalep, Estonian poet, playwright, and critic (d. 2020)
- 1926 – Judith Malina, German-American actress and director, co-founded The Living Theatre (d. 2015)
- 1927 – Henning Carlsen, Danish director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2014)
- 1927 – Geoffrey Palmer, English actor
- 1928 – Ruth Westheimer, German-American therapist and author
- 1929 – Karolos Papoulias, Greek lawyer and politician, 5th President of Greece
- 1930 – George Chesworth, English air marshal and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Moray (d. 2017)
- 1930 – Morgana King, American singer and actress (d. 2018)
- 1930 – Viktor Tikhonov, Russian ice hockey player and coach (d. 2014)
- 1931 – Gustav Nossal, Austrian-Australian biologist and academic
- 1932 – John Drew Barrymore, American actor (d. 2004)
- 1932 – Oliver Nelson, American saxophonist and composer (d. 1975)
- 1932 – Maurice Shadbolt, New Zealand author and playwright (d. 2004)
- 1934 – Monica Dacon, Vincentian educator and politician, 6th Governor-General of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- 1934 – Daphne Sheldrick, Kenyan-British conservationist and author (d. 2018)
- 1935 – Colette Boky, Canadian soprano and actress
- 1935 – Berhanu Dinka, Ethiopian economist and diplomat (d. 2013)
- 1936 – Vince Camuto, American fashion designer and businessman, co-founded Nine West (d. 2015)
- 1936 – Bruce Dern, American actor
- 1937 – Freddy Fender, American singer and guitarist (d. 2006)
- 1937 – Mortimer Zuckerman, Canadian-American businessman and publisher, founded Boston Properties
- 1938 – John Harvard, Canadian journalist and politician, 23rd Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba (d. 2016)
- 1938 – Art Mahaffey, American baseball player
- 1939 – Jeremy Browne, 11th Marquess of Sligo, Anglo-Irish peer (d. 2014)
- 1939 – Denis de Belleval, Canadian civil servant and politician
- 1939 – Henri Pachard, American director and producer (d. 2008)
- 1939 – George Reid, Scottish journalist and politician, 2nd Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament
- 1940 – Ludwig Schwarz, Slovak-Austrian bishop
- 1941 – Kenneth G. Ross, Australian playwright and screenwriter
- 1942 – Louis Reichardt, American mountaineer
- 1942 – Bill Rowe, Canadian lawyer and politician
- 1943 – John Burgess, Australian radio and television host
- 1943 – Sandra Haynie, American golfer
- 1943 – Tom Jaine, English author
- 1944 – Roger Ball, Scottish saxophonist and songwriter
- 1944 – Michelle Phillips, American singer-songwriter and actress
- 1945 – Anthony Braxton, American saxophonist, clarinet player, and composer
- 1945 – Daniel Topolski, English rower and coach (d. 2015)
- 1945 – Gordon Waller, Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2009)
- 1947 – Viktor Klima, Austrian businessman and politician, 25th Chancellor of Austria
- 1948 – Bob Champion, English jockey
- 1948 – Sandra Post, Canadian golfer and sportscaster
- 1948 – Jürgen Sparwasser, German footballer and manager
- 1949 – Gabriel Arcand, Canadian actor
- 1949 – Mark B. Cohen, American lawyer and politician
- 1950 – Raymond Dumais, Canadian bishop (d. 2012)
- 1951 – Leigh Kennedy, American author
- 1951 – Bronisław Malinowski, Polish runner (d. 1981)
- 1951 – Melanie Phillips, English journalist and author
- 1951 – Wendy Pini, American author and illustrator
- 1951 – David Yip, English actor and playwright
- 1952 – Bronisław Komorowski, Polish historian and politician, 5th President of Poland
- 1952 – Dambudzo Marechera, Zimbabwean author and poet (d. 1987)
- 1953 – Linda Lingle, American journalist and politician, 6th Governor of Hawaii
- 1953 – Jimmy McCulloch, Scottish musician and songwriter (d. 1979)
- 1953 – Susumu Ojima, Japanese businessman, founded Huser
- 1953 – Paul Samson, English guitarist and producer (d. 2002)
- 1954 – Raphael Ravenscroft, English saxophonist and composer (d. 2014)
- 1954 – Kazuhiro Yamaji, Japanese actor and voice actor
- 1955 – Val McDermid, Scottish author
- 1955 – Mary Testa, American singer and actress
- 1956 – Keith David, American actor
- 1956 – John Hockenberry, American journalist and author
- 1956 – Terry Kennedy, American baseball player and manager
- 1956 – Joyce Sidman, American author and poet
- 1957 – Neil McNab, Scottish footballer
- 1959 – Juan Camacho, Bolivian runner
- 1959 – Georgios Voulgarakis, Greek politician, 21st Greek Minister for Culture
- 1960 – Miloš Đelmaš, Serbian footballer and manager
- 1960 – Kristine Kathryn Rusch, American author
- 1960 – Paul Taylor, American guitarist and keyboard player
- 1960 – Bradley Walsh, English television presenter, comedian, singer and former footballer
- 1961 – El DeBarge, American singer-songwriter and producer
- 1961 – Ferenc Gyurcsány, Hungarian businessman and politician, 6th Prime Minister of Hungary
- 1962 – Krzysztof Hołowczyc, Polish race car driver
- 1962 – Zenon Jaskuła, Polish cyclist
- 1962 – John P. Kee, American singer-songwriter and pastor
- 1962 – Junius Ho, Hong Kong solicitor and politician
- 1963 – Sean Fitzpatrick, New Zealand rugby union player
- 1963 – Jim Lachey, American football player and sportscaster
- 1963 – Xavier McDaniel, American basketball player and coach
- 1964 – Sean Pertwee, English actor
- 1964 – Kōji Yamamura, Japanese animator, producer, and screenwriter
- 1965 – Mick Doohan, Australian motorcycle racer
- 1965 – Andrea Jaeger, American tennis player and preacher
- 1966 – Cecilia Bartoli, Italian soprano and actress
- 1966 – Vladimir Voevodsky, Russian mathematician and academic (d. 2017)
- 1966 – Bill Wiggin, English politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Wales
- 1967 – Robert S. Kimbrough, American colonel and astronaut
- 1968 – Roger Lim, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1968 – Niurka Montalvo, Cuban-Spanish long jumper
- 1968 – Al B. Sure!, American R&B singer-songwriter, keyboard player, and producer
- 1968 – Scott Wolf, American actor
- 1969 – Horatio Sanz, Chilean-American actor and comedian
- 1970 – Deborah Compagnoni, Italian skier
- 1970 – Richie Hawtin, English-Canadian DJ and producer
- 1970 – Dave Pybus, English bass player and songwriter
- 1970 – Izabella Scorupco, Polish-Swedish actress and model
- 1971 – Joseph Kabila, Congolese soldier and politician, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- 1971 – Mike Lee, American lawyer and politician
- 1971 – Shoji Meguro, Japanese director and composer
- 1971 – Karl Martin Sinijärv, Estonian journalist and poet
- 1971 – Noah Wyle, American actor and producer
- 1972 – Derian Hatcher, American ice hockey defenseman
- 1972 – Rob Huebel, American comedian, actor, producer, and screenwriter
- 1973 – Mikey Whipwreck, American wrestler and trainer
- 1974 – Jacob Sahaya Kumar Aruni, Indian chef (d. 2012)
- 1974 – Darin Erstad, American baseball player and coach
- 1974 – Andrew Gwynne, English lawyer and politician
- 1974 – Janette Husárová, Slovak tennis player
- 1974 – Buddy Wakefield, American poet and author
- 1975 – Russell Brand, English comedian and actor
- 1975 – Henry Burris, American football player
- 1975 – Angelina Jolie, American actress, filmmaker, humanitarian, and activist
- 1975 – Dinanath Ramnarine, Trinidadian cricketer
- 1975 – Alex Wharf, English cricketer
- 1976 – Kasey Chambers, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1976 – Alexei Navalny, Russian lawyer and politician
- 1976 – Nenad Zimonjić, Serbian tennis player
- 1977 – Dionisis Chiotis, Greek footballer
- 1977 – Alex Manninger, Austrian footballer
- 1977 – Roman Miroshnichenko, Ukrainian guitarist and composer
- 1977 – Roland G. Fryer Jr., American economist and professor
- 1978 – Robin Lord Taylor, American actor
- 1979 – Naohiro Takahara, Japanese footballer
- 1979 – Daniel Vickerman, South African-Australian rugby player (d. 2017)
- 1980 – François Beauchemin, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1981 – Jennifer Carroll, Canadian swimmer
- 1981 – Giourkas Seitaridis, Greek footballer
- 1981 – Natalia Vodopyanova, Russian basketball player
- 1982 – Abel Kirui, Kenyan runner
- 1982 – Ronnie Prude, American-Canadian football player
- 1983 – Romaric, Ivorian footballer
- 1983 – Emmanuel Eboué, Ivorian footballer
- 1983 – Olha Saladuha, Ukrainian triple jumper
- 1984 – Enrico Rossi Chauvenet, Italian footballer
- 1984 – Rainie Yang, Taiwanese actress
- 1984 – Ian White, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1985 – Leon Botha, South African painter and DJ (d. 2011)
- 1985 – Anna-Lena Grönefeld, German tennis player
- 1985 – Evan Lysacek, American figure skater
- 1985 – Lukas Podolski, German footballer
- 1985 – Oddvar Reiakvam, Norwegian politician
- 1987 – Luisa Zissman, English businesswoman
- 1987 – Mollie King, English singer-songwriter and model
- 1988 – Matt Bartkowski, American ice hockey defenseman
- 1988 – Kimberley Busteed, Australian model
- 1989 – Federico Erba, Italian footballer
- 1989 – Paweł Fajdek, Polish hammer thrower
- 1990 – Zac Farro, American singer and drummer
- 1990 – Evan Spiegel, American Internet entrepreneur
- 1991 – Lorenzo Insigne, Italian footballer
- 1991 – Matt McIlwrick, New Zealand rugby league player
- 1991 – Ben Stokes, New Zealand-English cricketer
- 1993 – Jonathan Huberdeau, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1995 – Shiori Tamai, Japanese singer
- 1999 – Kim So-hyun, South Korean actress
- 2004 – Mackenzie Ziegler, American dancer, singer, actress and model
Deaths on June 4
- 756 – Shōmu, Japanese emperor (b. 701)
- 863 – Charles, archbishop of Mainz
- 895 – Li Xi, chancellor of the Tang Dynasty
- 946 – Guaimar II (Gybbosus), Lombard prince
- 956 – Muhammad III of Shirvan, Muslim ruler
- 1039 – Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 990)
- 1102 – Władysław I Herman, Polish nobleman (b. c. 1044)
- 1134 – Magnus I of Sweden (b. 1106)
- 1135 – Emperor Huizong of Song (b. 1082)
- 1206 – Adela of Champagne (b. 1140)
- 1246 – Isabella of Angoulême (b. 1188)
- 1257 – Przemysł I of Greater Poland (b. 1221)
- 1394 – Mary de Bohun, wife of Henry IV of England (b.c. 1368)
- 1453 – Andronikos Palaiologos Kantakouzenos, Byzantine commander
- 1463 – Flavio Biondo, Italian historian and author (b. 1392)
- 1472 – Nezahualcoyotl, Aztec poet (b. 1402)
- 1585 – Muretus, French philosopher and author (b. 1526)
- 1608 – Francis Caracciolo, Italian Catholic priest (b. 1563)
- 1622 – Péter Révay, Hungarian soldier and historian (b. 1568)
- 1647 – Canonicus, Grand Chief Sachem of the Narragansett (b. 1565)
- 1663 – William Juxon, English archbishop and academic (b. 1582)
- 1798 – Giacomo Casanova, Italian adventurer and author (b. 1725)
- 1801 – Frederick Muhlenberg, American minister and politician, 1st Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (b. 1750)
- 1809 – Nicolai Abildgaard, Danish neoclassical and history painter, sculptor and architect (b. 1743)
- 1830 – Antonio José de Sucre, Venezuelan general and politician, 2nd President of Bolivia (b. 1795)
- 1872 – Johan Rudolph Thorbecke, Dutch historian, jurist, and politician, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (b. 1798)
- 1875 – Eduard Mörike, German pastor and poet (b. 1804)
- 1876 – Abdülaziz of the Ottoman Empire, 32nd Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (b. 1830)
- 1922 – W. H. R. Rivers, English anthropologist, neurologist, ethnologist, and psychiatrist (b. 1864)
- 1925 – Margaret Murray Washington, American Academic (b. 1865)
- 1926 – Fred Spofforth, Australian-English cricketer and coach (b. 1853)
- 1928 – Zhang Zuolin, Chinese warlord (b. 1873)
- 1929 – Harry Frazee, American director, producer, and agent (b. 1881)
- 1931 – Hussein bin Ali, Sharif of Mecca, Sharif and Emir of Mecca, King of the Hejaz (b. 1853/54)
- 1933 – Ahmet Haşim, Turkish poet and author (b. 1884)
- 1939 – Tommy Ladnier, American trumpet player (b. 1900)
- 1941 – Wilhelm II, German Emperor (b. 1859)
- 1942 – Reinhard Heydrich, German SS officer and politician (b. 1904)
- 1951 – Serge Koussevitzky, Russian-American bassist, composer, and conductor (b. 1874)
- 1956 – Katherine MacDonald, American actress and producer (b. 1881)
- 1962 – Clem McCarthy, American sportscaster (b. 1882)
- 1967 – Linda Eenpalu, Estonian lawyer and politician (b. 1890)
- 1968 – Dorothy Gish, American actress (b. 1898)
- 1970 – Sonny Tufts, American actor (b. 1911)
- 1971 – György Lukács, Hungarian historian and philosopher (b. 1885)
- 1973 – Maurice René Fréchet, French mathematician and academic (b. 1878)
- 1973 – Murry Wilson, American songwriter, producer, and manager (b. 1917)
- 1981 – Leslie Averill, New Zealand doctor and soldier (b. 1897)
- 1989 – Dik Browne, American cartoonist (b. 1917)
- 1990 – Stiv Bators, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1949)
- 1992 – Carl Stotz, American businessman, founded Little League Baseball (b. 1910)
- 1993 – Bernard Evslin, American writer (b. 1922)
- 1994 – Derek Leckenby, English musician (b. 1943)
- 1997 – Ronnie Lane, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (b. 1946)
- 1998 – Josephine Hutchinson, American actress (b. 1903)
- 2002 – Fernando Belaúnde Terry, Peruvian architect and politician, 42nd President of Peru (b. 1912)
- 2004 – Steve Lacy, American saxophonist and composer (b. 1934)
- 2004 – Nino Manfredi, Italian actor (b. 1921)
- 2007 – Clete Boyer, American baseball player and manager (b. 1937)
- 2007 – Bill France, Jr., American businessman (b. 1933)
- 2007 – Craig L. Thomas, American captain and politician (b. 1933)
- 2010 – John Wooden, American basketball player and coach (b. 1910)
- 2011 – Juan Francisco Luis, Virgin Islander sergeant and politician, 23rd Governor of the United States Virgin Islands (b. 1940)
- 2011 – Andreas P. Nielsen, Danish author and composer (b. 1953)
- 2012 – Peter Beaven, New Zealand architect, designed the Lyttelton Road Tunnel Administration Building (b. 1925)
- 2012 – Pedro Borbón, Dominican-American baseball player (b. 1946)
- 2012 – Rodolfo Quezada Toruño, Guatemalan cardinal (b. 1932)
- 2012 – Herb Reed, American violinist (b. 1929)
- 2013 – Walt Arfons, American race car driver (b. 1916)
- 2013 – Joey Covington, American drummer (b. 1945)
- 2013 – Hermann Gunnarsson, Icelandic footballer, handball player, and sportscaster (b. 1946)
- 2013 – Will Wynn, American football player (b. 1949)
- 2014 – George Ho, American-Hong Kong businessman (b. 1919)
- 2014 – Nathan Shamuyarira, Zimbabwean journalist and politician, Zimbabwean Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1928)
- 2014 – Sydney Templeman, Baron Templeman, English lawyer and judge (b. 1920)
- 2014 – Don Zimmer, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1931)
- 2015 – Marguerite Patten, English economist and author (b. 1915)
- 2015 – Leonid Plyushch, Ukrainian mathematician and academic (b. 1938)
- 2015 – Jabe Thomas, American race car driver (b. 1930)
- 2015 – Anne Warburton, British academic and diplomat, British Ambassador to Denmark (b. 1927)
- 2016 – Carmen Pereira, Bissau-Guinean politician (b. 1937)
- 2017 – Juan Goytisolo, Spanish essayist, poet and novelist (b. 1931)
Holidays and observances on June 4
- Birthday of Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim & Flag Day celebration of the Finnish Defence Forces (Finland)
- Christian feast day:
- Filippo Smaldone
- Francis Caracciolo
- Optatus
- Petroc of Cornwall
- Quirinus of Sescia
- Saturnina
- June 4 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Emancipation Day or Independence Day, commemorates the abolition of serfdom in Tonga by King George Tupou in 1862, and the independence of Tonga from the British protectorate in 1970. (Tonga)
- Flag Day (Estonia)
- International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression (International)
- National Unity Day (Hungary)
- Tiananmen Square Protests of 1989 Memorial Day (International)
-
May 25 in History
- 567 BC – Servius Tullius, the king of Rome, celebrates a triumph for his victory over the Etruscans.
- 240 BC – First recorded perihelion passage of Halley’s Comet.
- 1085 – Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo, Spain, back from the Moors.
- 1420 – Henry the Navigator is appointed governor of the Order of Christ.
- 1521 – The Diet of Worms ends when Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, issues the Edict of Worms, declaring Martin Luther an outlaw.
- 1644 – Ming general Wu Sangui forms an alliance with the invading Manchus and opens the gates of the Great Wall of China at Shanhaiguan pass, letting the Manchus through towards the capital Beijing.
- 1659 – Richard Cromwell resigns as Lord Protector of England following the restoration of the Long Parliament, beginning a second brief period of the republican government called the Commonwealth of England.
- 1660 – Charles II lands at Dover at the invitation of the Convention Parliament, which marks the end of the Cromwell-proclaimed Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland and begins the Restoration of the British monarchy.
- 1738 – A treaty between Pennsylvania and Maryland ends the Conojocular War with settlement of a boundary dispute and exchange of prisoners.
- 1787 – After a delay of 11 days, the United States Constitutional Convention formally convenes in Philadelphia after a quorum of seven states is secured.
- 1798 – United Irishmen Rebellion: Battle of Carlow begins; executions of suspected rebels at Carnew and at Dunlavin Green take place.
- 1809 – Chuquisaca Revolution: Patriot revolt in Chuquisaca (modern-day Sucre) against the Spanish Empire, sparking the Latin American wars of independence.
- 1810 – May Revolution: Citizens of Buenos Aires expel Viceroy Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros during the “May Week”, starting the Argentine War of Independence.
- 1819 – The Argentine Constitution of 1819 is promulgated.
- 1833 – The Chilean Constitution of 1833 is promulgated.
- 1865 – In Mobile, Alabama, around 300 people are killed when an ordnance depot explodes.
- 1878 – Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera H.M.S. Pinafore opens at the Opera Comique in London.
- 1895 – Playwright, poet and novelist Oscar Wilde is convicted of “committing acts of gross indecency with other male persons” and sentenced to serve two years in prison.
- 1895 – The Republic of Formosa is formed, with Tang Jingsong as its president.
- 1914 – The House of Commons of the United Kingdom passes the Home Rule Bill for devolution in Ireland.
- 1925 – Scopes Trial: John T. Scopes is indicted for teaching human evolution in Tennessee.
- 1926 – Sholom Schwartzbard assassinates Symon Petliura, the head of the government of the Ukrainian People’s Republic, which is in government-in-exile in Paris.
- 1935 – Jesse Owens of Ohio State University breaks three world records and ties a fourth at the Big Ten Conference Track and Field Championships in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
- 1938 – Spanish Civil War: The bombing of Alicante kills 313 people.
- 1940 – World War II: The German 2nd Panzer Division captures the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer; the surrender of the last French and British troops marks the end of the Battle of Boulogne.
- 1946 – The parliament of Transjordan makes Abdullah I of Jordan their Emir.
- 1953 – Nuclear weapons testing: At the Nevada Test Site, the United States conducts its first and only nuclear artillery test.
- 1953 – The first public television station in the United States officially begins broadcasting as KUHT from the campus of the University of Houston.
- 1955 – In the United States, a night-time F5 tornado strikes the small city of Udall, Kansas, killing 80 and injuring 273. It is the deadliest tornado to ever occur in the state and the 23rd deadliest in the U.S.
- 1955 – First ascent of Mount Kangchenjunga: A British expedition led by Charles Evans, Joe Brown and George Band reaches the summit of the third-highest mountain in the world (8,586 meters); Norman Hardie and Tony Streather join them the following day.
- 1961 – Apollo program: U.S. President John F. Kennedy announces, before a special joint session of the U.S. Congress, his goal to initiate a project to put a “man on the Moon” before the end of the decade.
- 1963 – The Organisation of African Unity is established in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
- 1966 – Explorer program: Explorer 32 launches.
- 1968 – The Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, is dedicated.
- 1973 – In protest against the dictatorship in Greece, the captain and crew on Greek naval destroyer Velos mutiny and refuse to return to Greece, instead anchoring at Fiumicino, Italy.
- 1977 – Star Wars (retroactively titled Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope) is released in theaters.
- 1977 – The Chinese government removes a decade-old ban on William Shakespeare’s work, effectively ending the Cultural Revolution started in 1966.
- 1978 – The first of a series of bombings orchestrated by the Unabomber detonates at Northwestern University resulting in minor injuries.
- 1979 – John Spenkelink, a convicted murderer, is executed in Florida; he is the first person to be executed in the state after the reintroduction of capital punishment in 1976.
- 1979 – American Airlines Flight 191: A McDonnell Douglas DC-10 crashes during takeoff at O’Hare International Airport, Chicago, killing all 271 on board and two people on the ground.
- 1981 – In Riyadh, the Gulf Cooperation Council is created between Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
- 1982 – Falklands War: HMS Coventry is sunk by Argentine Air Force A-4 Skyhawks.
- 1985 – Bangladesh is hit by a tropical cyclone and storm surge, which kills approximately 10,000 people.
- 1986 – The Hands Across America event takes place.
- 1997 – A military coup in Sierra Leone replaces President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah with Major Johnny Paul Koroma.
- 1999 – The United States House of Representatives releases the Cox Report which details the People’s Republic of China’s nuclear espionage against the U.S. over the prior two decades.
- 2000 – Liberation Day of Lebanon: Israel withdraws its army from Lebanese territory (with the exception of the disputed Shebaa farms zone) 18 years after the invasion of 1982.
- 2001 – Erik Weihenmayer becomes the first blind person to reach the summit of Mount Everest, in the Himalayas, with Dr. Sherman Bull.
- 2002 – China Airlines Flight 611 disintegrates in mid-air and crashes into the Taiwan Strait, with the loss of all 225 people on board.
- 2008 – NASA’s Phoenix lander touches down in the Green Valley region of Mars to search for environments suitable for water and microbial life.
- 2009 – North Korea allegedly tests its second nuclear device, after which Pyongyang also conducts several missile tests, building tensions in the international community.
- 2011 – Oprah Winfrey airs her last show, ending her 25-year run of The Oprah Winfrey Show.
- 2012 – The SpaceX Dragon becomes the first commercial spacecraft to successfully rendezvous and berth with the International Space Station.
- 2013 – Suspected Maoist rebels kill at least 28 people and injure 32 others in an attack on a convoy of Indian National Congress politicians in Chhattisgarh, India.
- 2013 – A gas cylinder explodes on a school bus in the Pakistani city of Gujrat, killing at least 18 people.
- 2018 – The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) becomes enforceable in the European Union.
- 2018 – Ireland votes to repeal the Eighth Amendment of their constitution that prohibits abortion in all but a few cases, choosing to replace it with the Thirty-sixth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland.
- 2020 – George Floyd, a black man, is killed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during an arrest when he is restrained in a prone position face-down on the ground for several minutes, provoking protests across the United States and elsewhere around the world.
Births on May 25
- 1048 – Emperor Shenzong of Song (d. 1085)
- 1320 – Toghon Temür, Mongolian emperor (d. 1370)
- 1334 – Emperor Sukō of Japan (d. 1398)
- 1416 – Jakobus (“James”), Count of Lichtenburg (d. 1480)
- 1417 – Catherine of Cleves, Duchess consort regent of Guelders (d. 1479)
- 1550 – Camillus de Lellis, Italian saint and nurse (d. 1614)
- 1606 – Charles Garnier, French missionary and saint (d. 1649)
- 1661 – Claude Buffier, Polish-French historian and philosopher (d. 1737)
- 1713 – John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute, Scottish politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1792)
- 1725 – Samuel Ward, American politician, 31st Governor of the Colony of Rhode Island (d. 1776)
- 1783 – Philip Pendleton Barbour, American farmer and politician, 12th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (d. 1841)
- 1791 – Minh Mạng, Vietnamese emperor (d. 1841)
- 1803 – Edward Bulwer-Lytton, English author, playwright, and politician, Secretary of State for the Colonies (d. 1873)
- 1803 – Ralph Waldo Emerson, American poet and philosopher (d. 1882)
- 1818 – Jacob Burckhardt, Swiss historian and academic (d. 1897)
- 1818 – Louise de Broglie, Countess d’Haussonville, French essayist and biographer (d. 1882)
- 1830 – Trebor Mai (né Robert Williams), Welsh poet (d. 1877)
- 1846 – Naim Frashëri, Albanian-Turkish poet and translator (d. 1900)
- 1848 – Johann Baptist Singenberger, Swiss composer, educator, and publisher (d. 1924)
- 1852 – William Muldoon, American wrestler and trainer (d. 1933)
- 1856 – Louis Franchet d’Espèrey, Algerian-French general (d. 1942)
- 1860 – James McKeen Cattell, American psychologist and academic (d. 1944)
- 1865 – John Mott, American evangelist and saint, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1955)
- 1865 – Pieter Zeeman, Dutch physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1943)
- 1867 – Anders Peter Nielsen, Danish target shooter (d. 1950)
- 1869 – Robbie Ross, Canadian journalist and art critic (d. 1918)
- 1869 – Mathilde Verne, English pianist and educator (d. 1936)
- 1878 – Bill Robinson, American actor and dancer (d. 1949)
- 1879 – Max Aitken, Lord Beaverbrook, Canadian-English businessman and politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (d. 1964)
- 1879 – William Stickney, American golfer (d. 1944)
- 1880 – Jean Alexandre Barré, French neurologist and academic (d. 1967)
- 1882 – Marie Doro, American actress (d. 1956)
- 1883 – Carl Johan Lind, Swedish hammer thrower (d. 1965)
- 1886 – Rash Behari Bose, Indian soldier and activist (d. 1945)
- 1886 – Philip Murray, Scottish-American miner and labor leader (d. 1952)
- 1887 – Padre Pio, Italian priest and saint (d. 1968)
- 1888 – Miles Malleson, English actor and screenwriter (d. 1969)
- 1889 – Günther Lütjens, German admiral (d. 1941)
- 1889 – Igor Sikorsky, Russian-American aircraft designer, founded Sikorsky Aircraft (d. 1972)
- 1893 – Ernest “Pop” Stoneman, American country musician (d. 1968)
- 1897 – Alan Kippax, Australian cricketer (d. 1972)
- 1897 – Gene Tunney, American boxer and soldier (d. 1978)
- 1898 – Bennett Cerf, American publisher and television game show panelist; co-founded Random House (d. 1971)
- 1899 – Kazi Nazrul Islam, Bengali poet, author, and flute player (d. 1976)
- 1900 – Alain Grandbois, Canadian poet and author (d. 1975)
- 1907 – U Nu, Burmese politician, 1st Prime Minister of Burma (d. 1995)
- 1908 – Theodore Roethke, American poet (d. 1963)
- 1909 – Alfred Kubel, German politician, 5th Prime Minister of Lower Saxony (d. 1999)
- 1912 – Dean Rockwell, American commander, wrestler, and coach (d. 2005)
- 1913 – Heinrich Bär, German colonel and pilot (d. 1957)
- 1913 – Richard Dimbleby, English journalist and producer (d. 1965)
- 1916 – Brian Dickson, Canadian captain, lawyer, and politician, 15th Chief Justice of Canada (d. 1998)
- 1916 – Giuseppe Tosi, Italian discus thrower (d. 1981)
- 1917 – Steve Cochran, American film, television and stage actor (d. 1965)
- 1917 – Theodore Hesburgh, American priest, theologian, and academic (d. 2015)
- 1920 – Arthur Wint, Jamaican runner and diplomat (d. 1992)
- 1921 – Hal David, American songwriter and composer (d. 2012)
- 1921 – Kitty Kallen, American singer (d. 2016)
- 1921 – Jack Steinberger, German-Swiss physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1922 – Enrico Berlinguer, Italian politician (d. 1984)
- 1924 – István Nyers, French-Hungarian footballer (d. 2005)
- 1925 – Rosario Castellanos, Mexican poet and author (d. 1974)
- 1925 – Jeanne Crain, American actress (d. 2003)
- 1925 – Eldon Griffiths, English journalist and politician (d. 2014)
- 1925 – Don Liddle, American baseball player (d. 2000)
- 1925 – Claude Pinoteau, French film director and screenwriter (d. 2012)
- 1926 – Claude Akins, American actor (d. 1994)
- 1926 – William Bowyer, English painter and academic (d. 2015)
- 1926 – Phyllis Gotlieb, Canadian author and poet (d. 2009)
- 1926 – Bill Sharman, American basketball player and coach (d. 2013)
- 1926 – David Wynne, English sculptor and painter (d. 2014)
- 1927 – Robert Ludlum, American soldier and author (d. 2001)
- 1927 – Norman Petty, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer (d. 1984)
- 1929 – Beverly Sills, American soprano and actress (d. 2007)
- 1930 – Sonia Rykiel, French fashion designer (d. 2016)
- 1931 – Herb Gray, Canadian lawyer and politician, 7th Deputy Prime Minister of Canada (d. 2014)
- 1931 – Georgy Grechko, Russian engineer and astronaut (d. 2017)
- 1931 – Irwin Winkler, American director and producer
- 1932 – John Gregory Dunne, American novelist, screenwriter, and critic (d. 2003)
- 1932 – K. C. Jones, American basketball player and coach
- 1933 – Sarah Marshall, English-American actress (d. 2014)
- 1933 – Basdeo Panday, Trinidadian lawyer and politician, 5th Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago
- 1933 – Ray Spencer, English footballer (d. 2016)
- 1933 – Jógvan Sundstein, Faroese accountant and politician, 7th Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands
- 1935 – John Ffowcs Williams, Welsh engineer and academic
- 1935 – Cookie Gilchrist, American football player (d. 2011)
- 1935 – W. P. Kinsella, Canadian novelist and short story writer (d. 2016)
- 1935 – Victoria Shaw, Australian-born American actress (d. 1988)
- 1936 – Tom T. Hall, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1936 – Rusi Surti, Indian cricketer (d. 2013)
- 1937 – Tom Phillips, English painter and academic
- 1938 – Raymond Carver, American short story writer and poet (d. 1988)
- 1938 – Margaret Forster, English historian, author, and critic (d. 2016)
- 1938 – Geoffrey Robinson, English businessman and politician
- 1939 – Dixie Carter, American actress and singer (d. 2010)
- 1939 – Ian McKellen, English actor
- 1940 – Nobuyoshi Araki, Japanese photographer
- 1941 – Rudolf Adler, Czech filmmaker:88
- 1941 – Uta Frith, German developmental psychologist
- 1941 – Vladimir Voronin, Moldovan economist and politician, 3rd President of Moldova
- 1943 – Jessi Colter, American singer-songwriter and pianist
- 1943 – John Palmer, English keyboard player
- 1943 – Leslie Uggams, American actress and singer
- 1944 – Digby Anderson, English journalist and philosopher
- 1944 – Pierre Bachelet, French singer-songwriter (d. 2005)
- 1944 – Charlie Harper, English singer-songwriter and producer
- 1944 – Robert MacPherson, American mathematician and academic
- 1944 – Frank Oz, English-born American puppeteer, filmmaker, and actor
- 1944 – Chris Ralston, English rugby player
- 1946 – Bill Adam, Scottish-Canadian racing driver
- 1946 – David A. Hargrave, American game designer, created Arduin (d. 1988)
- 1947 – Karen Valentine, American actress
- 1947 – Catherine G. Wolf, American psychologist and computer scientist
- 1948 – Bülent Arınç, Turkish lawyer and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey
- 1948 – Marianne Elliott, Northern Irish historian, author, and academic
- 1948 – Klaus Meine, German rock singer-songwriter
- 1949 – Jamaica Kincaid, Antiguan-American novelist, short story writer, and essayist
- 1949 – Barry Windsor-Smith, English painter and illustrator
- 1950 – Robby Steinhardt, American rock violinist and singer
- 1951 – Bob Gale, American director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1952 – Jeffrey Bewkes, American businessman
- 1952 – Nick Fotiu, American ice hockey player and coach
- 1952 – David Jenkins, Trinidadian-Scottish runner
- 1952 – Al Sarrantonio, American author and publisher
- 1952 – Gordon H. Smith, American businessman and politician
- 1953 – Eve Ensler, American playwright and producer
- 1953 – Daniel Passarella, Argentinian footballer, coach, and manager
- 1953 – Stan Sakai, Japanese-American author and illustrator
- 1953 – Gaetano Scirea, Italian footballer (d. 1989)
- 1954 – John Beck, English footballer, midfielder and manager
- 1954 – Murali, Indian actor, producer, and politician (d. 2009)
- 1955 – Alistair Burt, English lawyer and politician
- 1956 – Stavros Arnaoutakis, Greek politician
- 1956 – Larry Hogan, American politician, 62nd Governor of Maryland
- 1956 – David P. Sartor, American composer and conductor
- 1957 – Alastair Campbell, English journalist and author
- 1957 – Edward Lee, American author
- 1957 – Robert Picard, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1958 – Dorothy Straight, American children’s author
- 1958 – Paul Weller, English singer, songwriter and musician
- 1959 – Julian Clary, English comedian, actor, and author
- 1959 – Manolis Kefalogiannis, Greek politician
- 1959 – Rick Wamsley, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
- 1960 – Amy Klobuchar, American lawyer and politician
- 1960 – Anthea Turner, English journalist and television host
- 1962 – Ric Nattress, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager
- 1963 – George Hickenlooper, American director and producer (d. 2010)
- 1963 – Mike Myers, Canadian-American actor, singer, producer, and screenwriter
- 1963 – Ludovic Orban, Romanian engineer, and politician, 68th Prime Minister of Romania
- 1964 – David Shaw, Canadian-American ice hockey player
- 1965 – Yahya Jammeh, Gambian colonel and politician, President of the Gambia
- 1967 – Luc Nilis, Belgian footballer and manager
- 1967 – Mark Rosewater, Head designer of Magic: the Gathering
- 1968 – Kendall Gill, American basketball player, boxer, and sportscaster
- 1969 – Glen Drover, Canadian guitarist and songwriter
- 1969 – Anne Heche, American actress
- 1969 – Karen Bernstein, Canadian voice actress
- 1969 – Stacy London, American journalist and author
- 1970 – Robert Croft, Welsh-English cricketer and sportscaster
- 1970 – Jamie Kennedy, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
- 1971 – Stefano Baldini, Italian runner
- 1971 – Marco Cappato, Italian politician
- 1972 – Karan Johar, Indian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1972 – Octavia Spencer, American actress and author
- 1973 – Daz Dillinger, American rapper and producer
- 1973 – Molly Sims, American model and actress
- 1974 – Dougie Freedman, Scottish footballer and manager
- 1974 – Frank Klepacki, American drummer and composer
- 1974 – Miguel Tejada, Dominican-American baseball player
- 1975 – Blaise Nkufo, Congolese-Swiss footballer
- 1976 – Stefan Holm, Swedish high jumper
- 1976 – Erki Pütsep, Estonian cyclist
- 1976 – Ethan Suplee, American actor
- 1976 – Cillian Murphy, Irish actor
- 1976 – Miguel Zepeda, Mexican footballer
- 1977 – Andre Anis, Estonian footballer
- 1977 – Alberto Del Rio, Mexican-American mixed martial artist and wrestler
- 1978 – Adam Gontier, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1978 – Brian Urlacher, American football player
- 1979 – Carlos Bocanegra, American international soccer player, defender and Sports Executive
- 1979 – Sayed Moawad, Egyptian footballer
- 1979 – Caroline Ouellette, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
- 1979 – Sam Sodje, English-Nigerian footballer
- 1979 – Jonny Wilkinson, English rugby player
- 1979 – Chris Young, American baseball pitcher
- 1980 – David Navarro, Spanish footballer
- 1981 – Michalis Pelekanos, Greek basketball player
- 1981 – Matt Utai, New Zealand rugby league player
- 1982 – Adam Boyd, English footballer
- 1982 – Daniel Braaten, Norwegian footballer
- 1982 – Ryan Gallant, American skateboarder
- 1982 – Roger Guerreiro, Polish footballer
- 1982 – Justin Hodges, Australian rugby league player
- 1982 – Ezekiel Kemboi, Kenyan runner
- 1982 – Jason Kubel, American baseball player
- 1982 – Stacey Pensgen, American figure skater and meteorologist
- 1982 – Luke Webster, Australian footballer
- 1984 – Luke Ball, Australian footballer
- 1984 – Kyle Brodziak, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1984 – A. J. Foyt IV, American race car driver
- 1984 – Shawne Merriman, American football player
- 1985 – Luciana Abreu, Portuguese singer and actress
- 1985 – Demba Ba, French footballer
- 1985 – Gert Kams, Estonian footballer
- 1985 – Roman Reigns, American football player and wrestler
- 1986 – Edewin Fanini, Brazilian footballer
- 1986 – Yoan Gouffran, French footballer
- 1986 – Takahiro Hōjō, Japanese actor and musician
- 1986 – Geraint Thomas, Welsh cyclist
- 1987 – Timothy Derijck, Belgian footballer
- 1987 – Yves De Winter, Belgian footballer
- 1987 – Moritz Stehling, German footballer
- 1987 – Kamil Stoch, Polish ski jumper
- 1988 – Dávid Škutka, Slovak footballer
- 1988 – Cameron van der Burgh, South African swimmer
- 1990 – Bo Dallas, American wrestler
- 1990 – Nikita Filatov, Russian ice hockey player
- 1993 – James Porter, English cricketer
- 1994 – Matt Murray, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1994 – Aly Raisman, American gymnast
- 1995 – Kagiso Rabada, South African cricketer
- 1996 – David Pastrňák, Czech ice hockey player
Deaths on May 25
- 675 – Li Hong, Chinese prince (b. 652)
- 709 – Aldhelm, English-Latin bishop, poet, and scholar (b. 639)
- 803 – Higbald of Lindisfarne, English bishop
- 912 – Xue Yiju, chancellor of Later Liang
- 916 – Flann Sinna, king of Meath
- 939 – Yao Yanzhang, general of Chu
- 986 – Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi, Muslim astronomer (b. 903)
- 992 – Mieszko I of Poland (b. 935)
- 1085 – Pope Gregory VII (b. 1020)
- 1261 – Pope Alexander IV (b. 1185)
- 1452 – John Stafford, English archbishop and politician
- 1555 – Gemma Frisius, Dutch physician, mathematician, and cartographer (b. 1508)
- 1555 – Henry II of Navarre (b. 1503)
- 1595 – Valens Acidalius, German poet and critic (b. 1567)
- 1595 – Philip Neri, Italian priest and saint (b. 1515)
- 1607 – Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi, Italian Carmelite nun and mystic (b. 1566)
- 1632 – Adam Tanner, Austrian mathematician and philosopher (b. 1572)
- 1667 – Gustaf Bonde, Finnish-Swedish politician, 5th Lord High Treasurer of Sweden (b. 1620)
- 1681 – Pedro Calderón de la Barca, Spanish poet and playwright (b. 1600)
- 1741 – Daniel Ernst Jablonski, German bishop and theologian (b. 1660)
- 1786 – Peter III of Portugal (b. 1717)
- 1789 – Anders Dahl, Swedish botanist and physician (b. 1751)
- 1797 – John Griffin, 4th Baron Howard de Walden, English field marshal and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Essex (b. 1719)
- 1805 – William Paley, English priest and philosopher (b. 1743)
- 1849 – Benjamin D’Urban, English general and politician, Governor of British Guiana (b. 1777)
- 1895 – Ahmed Cevdet Pasha, Ottoman sociologist, historian, and jurist (b. 1822)
- 1899 – Rosa Bonheur, French painter and sculptor (b. 1822)
- 1912 – Austin Lane Crothers, American educator and politician, 46th Governor of Maryland (b. 1860)
- 1917 – Maksim Bahdanovič, Belarusian poet and critic (b. 1891)
- 1919 – Eliza Pollock, American archer (b. 1840)
- 1919 – Madam C. J. Walker, American businesswoman and philanthropist, founded the Madame C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company (b. 1867)
- 1924 – Lyubov Popova, Russian painter and illustrator (b. 1889)
- 1926 – Symon Petliura, Ukrainian journalist and politician (b. 1879)
- 1927 – Payne Whitney, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1876)
- 1930 – Randall Davidson, Scottish-English archbishop (b. 1848)
- 1934 – Gustav Holst, English trombonist, composer, and educator (b. 1874)
- 1937 – Henry Ossawa Tanner, American-French painter and illustrator (b. 1859)
- 1939 – Frank Watson Dyson, English astronomer and academic (b. 1868)
- 1942 – Emanuel Feuermann, Ukrainian-American cellist and educator (b. 1902)
- 1943 – Nils von Dardel, Swedish painter (b. 1888)
- 1948 – Witold Pilecki, Polish officer and Resistance leader (b. 1901)
- 1951 – Paula von Preradović, Croatian poet and author (b. 1887)
- 1954 – Robert Capa, Hungarian photographer and journalist (b. 1913)
- 1957 – Leo Goodwin, American swimmer, diver, and water polo player (b. 1883)
- 1968 – Georg von Küchler, German field marshal (b. 1881)
- 1970 – Tom Patey, Scottish mountaineer and author (b. 1932)
- 1977 – Yevgenia Ginzburg, Russian author (b. 1904)
- 1979 – Itzhak Bentov, Czech-Israeli engineer, mystic, and author (b. 1923)
- 1979 – Amédée Gordini, Italian-born French racing driver and sports car manufacturer (b. 1899)
- 1981 – Ruby Payne-Scott, Australian physicist and astronomer (b. 1912)
- 1981 – Fredric Warburg, English author and publisher (b. 1898)
- 1983 – Necip Fazıl Kısakürek, Turkish author, poet, and playwright (b. 1904)
- 1983 – Idris of Libya (b. 1889)
- 1983 – Jack Stewart, Canadian-American ice hockey player (b. 1917)
- 1986 – Chester Bowles, American journalist and politician, 22nd Under Secretary of State (b. 1901)
- 1990 – Vic Tayback, American actor (b. 1930)
- 1995 – Élie Bayol, French racing driver (b. 1914)
- 1995 – Krešimir Ćosić, Croatian basketball player and coach, Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer 1996 (b. 1948)
- 1995 – Dany Robin, French actress (b. 1927)
- 1996 – Renzo De Felice, Italian historian and author (b. 1929)
- 2003 – Sloan Wilson, American author and poet (b. 1920)
- 2004 – Roger Williams Straus, Jr., American publisher, co-founded Farrar, Straus and Giroux Publishing Company (b. 1917)
- 2005 – Sunil Dutt, Indian actor, director, producer, and politician (b. 1929)
- 2005 – Robert Jankel, English businessman, founded Panther Westwinds (b. 1938)
- 2005 – Graham Kennedy, Australian television host and actor (b. 1934)
- 2005 – Ismail Merchant, Indian-born film producer and director (b. 1936)
- 2005 – Zoran Mušič, Slovene painter and illustrator (b. 1909)
- 2007 – Charles Nelson Reilly, American actor, comedian, and director (b. 1931)
- 2008 – J. R. Simplot, American businessman, founded Simplot (b. 1909)
- 2009 – Haakon Lie, Norwegian politician (b. 1905)
- 2010 – Alexander Belostenny, Ukrainian basketball player (b. 1959)
- 2010 – Michael H. Jordan, American businessman (b. 1936)
- 2010 – Alan Hickinbotham, Australian footballer and coach (b. 1925)
- 2010 – Gabriel Vargas, Mexican painter and illustrator (b. 1915)
- 2010 – Jarvis Williams, American football player and coach (b. 1965)
- 2011 – Terry Jenner, Australian cricketer and coach (b. 1944)
- 2012 – William Hanley, American author and screenwriter (b. 1931)
- 2012 – Peter D. Sieruta, American author and critic (b. 1958)
- 2012 – Lou Watson, American basketball player and coach (b. 1924)
- 2013 – Mahendra Karma, Indian politician (b. 1950)
- 2013 – Nand Kumar Patel, Indian politician (b. 1953)
- 2014 – David Allen, English cricketer (b. 1935)
- 2014 – Marcel Côté, Canadian economist and politician (b. 1942)
- 2014 – Wojciech Jaruzelski, Polish general and politician, 1st President of Poland (b. 1923)
- 2014 – Herb Jeffries, American singer and actor (b. 1913)
- 2014 – Toaripi Lauti, Tuvaluan educator and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Tuvalu (b. 1928)
- 2014 – Matthew Saad Muhammad, American boxer and trainer (b. 1954)
- 2015 – George Braden, Canadian lawyer and politician, 2nd Premier of the Northwest Territories (b. 1949)
- 2015 – Robert Lebel, Canadian bishop (b. 1924)
- 2019 – Claus von Bülow, Danish-British socialite (b.1926)
Holidays and observances on May 25
- Africa Day (African Union)
- African Liberation Day (African Union, Rastafari)
- Christian feast day:
- Aldhelm
- Bede
- Canius
- Dionysius of Milan
- Dúnchad mac Cinn Fáelad
- Gerard of Lunel
- Madeleine Sophie Barat
- Mary Magdalene de Pazzi
- Maximus (Mauxe) of Évreux
- Pope Boniface IV
- Pope Gregory VII
- Pope Urban I
- Zenobius of Florence
- May 25 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Earliest day on which Arbor Day can fall, while May 31 is the latest; celebrated on the last Sunday in May. (Venezuela)
- Earliest day on which Children’s Day can fall, while May 31 is the latest; celebrated on the last Sunday in May. (Hungary)
- Earliest day on which Holiday of Saint Etchmiadzin can fall, while July 27 is the latest; celebrated on the 64th day after Easter. (Armenia)
- Earliest day on which Memorial Day can fall, while May 31 is the latest; celebrated on the last Monday in May. (United States)
- Earliest day on which Mother’s Day can fall, while May 31 is the latest; celebrated on the last Sunday in May. (Algeria, Dominican Republic, France (First Sunday of June, if Pentecost occurs on this day), Haiti, Mauritius, Morocco, Sweden, Tunisia)
- Earliest day on which Turkmen Carpet Day can fall, while May 31 is the latest; celebrated on the last Sunday in May. (Turkmenistan)
- First National Government / National Day (Argentina)
- Geek Pride Day (geek culture)
- Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Jordan from the United Kingdom in 1946.
- Last bell (Russia, post-Soviet countries)
- Liberation Day (Lebanon)
- International Missing Children’s Day and its related observances:
- National Missing Children’s Day (United States),
- National Tap Dance Day (United States)
- Towel Day in honour of the work of the writer Douglas Adams
-
April 10 in History
- 428 – Nestorius becomes the Patriarch of Constantinople.
- 837 – Halley’s Comet makes its closest approach to Earth at a distance equal to 0.0342 AU (5.1 million kilometres/3.2 million miles).
- 1407 – Deshin Shekpa, 5th Karmapa Lama visits the Ming dynasty capital at Nanjing. He is awarded the title “Great Treasure Prince of Dharma”.
- 1500 – Ludovico Sforza is captured by Swiss troops at Novara and is handed over to the French.
- 1606 – The Virginia Company of London is established by royal charter by James I of England with the purpose of establishing colonial settlements in North America.
- 1710 – The Statute of Anne, the first law regulating copyright, comes into force in Great Britain.
- 1741 – War of the Austrian Succession: Prussia gains control of Silesia at the Battle of Mollwitz.
- 1809 – Napoleonic Wars: The War of the Fifth Coalition begins when forces of the Austrian Empire invade Bavaria.
- 1815 – The Mount Tambora volcano begins a three-month-long eruption, lasting until July 15. The eruption ultimately kills 71,000 people and affects Earth’s climate for the next two years.
- 1816 – The Federal government of the United States approves the creation of the Second Bank of the United States.
- 1821 – Patriarch Gregory V of Constantinople is hanged by the Ottoman government from the main gate of the Patriarchate and his body is thrown into the Bosphorus.
- 1826 – The 10,500 inhabitants of the Greek town of Missolonghi begin leaving the town after a year’s siege by Turkish forces. Very few of them survive.
- 1858 – After the original Big Ben, a 14.5 tonnes (32,000 lb) bell for the Palace of Westminster, had cracked during testing, it is recast into the current 13.76 tonnes (30,300 lb) bell by Whitechapel Bell Foundry.
- 1864 – Archduke Maximilian of Habsburg is proclaimed emperor of Mexico during the French intervention in Mexico.
- 1865 – American Civil War: A day after his surrender to Union forces, Confederate General Robert E. Lee addresses his troops for the last time.
- 1866 – The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is founded in New York City by Henry Bergh.
- 1868 – At Arogee in Abyssinia, British and Indian forces defeat an army of Emperor Tewodros II. While 700 Ethiopians are killed and many more injured, only two British/Indian troops die.
- 1872 – The first Arbor Day is celebrated in Nebraska.
- 1875 – India: Arya Samaj is founded in Mumbai by Swami Dayananda Saraswati to propagate his goal of social reform.
- 1887 – On Easter Sunday, Pope Leo XIII authorizes the establishment of the Catholic University of America.
- 1912 – RMS Titanic sets sail from Southampton, England on her maiden and only voyage.
- 1916 – The Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA) is created in New York City.
- 1919 – Mexican Revolution leader Emiliano Zapata is ambushed and shot dead by government forces in Morelos.
- 1925 – The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is first published in New York City, by Charles Scribner’s Sons.
- 1938 – The 1938 German parliamentary election and referendum seeks approval for a single list of Nazi candidates and the recent annexation of Austria.
- 1939 – Alcoholics Anonymous, A.A.’s “Big Book”, is first published.
- 1941 – World War II: The Axis powers establish the Independent State of Croatia.
- 1944 – Rudolf Vrba and Alfréd Wetzler escape from Birkenau death camp.
- 1957 – The Suez Canal is reopened for all shipping after being closed for three months.
- 1963 – One hundred twenty-nine American sailors die when the submarine USS Thresher sinks at sea.
- 1968 – The TEV Wahine, a New Zealand ferry sinks in Wellington harbour due to a fierce storm – the strongest winds ever in Wellington. Out of the 734 people on board, fifty-three died.
- 1970 – Paul McCartney announces that he is leaving The Beatles for personal and professional reasons.
- 1971 – Ping-pong diplomacy: In an attempt to thaw relations with the United States, China hosts the U.S. table tennis team for a week-long visit.
- 1972 – Tombs containing bamboo slips, among them Sun Tzu’s Art of War and Sun Bin’s lost military treatise, are accidentally discovered by construction workers in Shandong.
- 1972 – Vietnam War: For the first time since November 1967, American B-52 bombers reportedly begin bombing North Vietnam.
- 1973 – Invicta International Airlines Flight 435 crashes in a snowstorm on approach to Basel, Switzerland, killing 108 people.
- 1979 – Red River Valley tornado outbreak: A tornado lands in Wichita Falls, Texas killing 42 people.
- 1988 – The Ojhri Camp explosion kills or injures more than 1,000 people in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pakistan.
- 1991 – Italian ferry MS Moby Prince collides with an oil tanker in dense fog off Livorno, Italy, killing 140.
- 1991 – A rare tropical storm develops in the South Atlantic Ocean near Angola; the first to be documented by satellites.
- 1998 – The Good Friday Agreement is signed in Northern Ireland.
- 2009 – President of Fiji Ratu Josefa Iloilo announces the abrogation of the constitution and assumes all governance in the country, creating a constitutional crisis.
- 2010 – Polish Air Force Tu-154M crashes near Smolensk, Russia, killing 96 people, including Polish President Lech Kaczyński, his wife, and dozens of other senior officials and dignitaries.
- 2016 – The Paravur temple accident in which a devastating fire caused by the explosion of firecrackers stored for Vishu, kills more than one hundred people out of the thousands gathered for seventh day of Bhadrakali worship.
- 2016 – An earthquake of 6.6 magnitude strikes 39 km west-southwest of Ashkasham, shakes up India, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Srinagar and Pakistan.
- 2019 – Scientists from the Event Horizon Telescope project announce the first ever image of a black hole, located in the centre of the M87 galaxy.
Births on April 10
- 401 – Theodosius II, Roman emperor (d. 450)
- 1018 – Nizam al-Mulk, Persian scholar and vizier (d. 1092)
- 1472 – Margaret of York, English princess (d. 1472)
- 1480 – Philibert II, duke of Savoy (d. 1504)
- 1487 – William I, count of Nassau-Dillenburg (d. 1559)
- 1512 – James V, king of Scotland (d. 1542)
- 1579 – Augustus II, duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (d. 1666)
- 1583 – Hugo Grotius, Dutch philosopher and jurist (d. 1645)
- 1603 – Christian, Prince-Elect of Denmark (d. 1647)
- 1651 – Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus, German mathematician, physicist, and physician (d. 1708)
- 1656 – René Lepage de Sainte-Claire, French-Canadian settler, founded Rimouski (d. 1718)
- 1704 – Benjamin Heath, English scholar and author (d. 1766)
- 1707 – Michel Corrette, French organist, composer, and author (d. 1795)
- 1713 – John Whitehurst, English geologist and clockmaker (d. 1788)
- 1755 – Samuel Hahnemann, German-French physician and academic (d. 1843)
- 1762 – Giovanni Aldini, Italian physicist and academic (d. 1834)
- 1769 – Jean Lannes, French marshal (d. 1809)
- 1778 – William Hazlitt, English essayist and critic (d. 1830)
- 1794 – Matthew C. Perry, English-Scottish American commander (d. 1858)
- 1806 – Juliette Drouet, French actress (d. 1883)
- 1806 – Leonidas Polk, Scottish-American general and bishop (d. 1884)
- 1827 – Lew Wallace, American general, lawyer, and politician, 11th Governor of New Mexico Territory (d. 1905)
- 1829 – William Booth, English minister, founded The Salvation Army (d. 1912)
- 1847 – Joseph Pulitzer, Hungarian-American journalist, publisher, and politician, founded Pulitzer, Inc. (d. 1911)
- 1864 – Eugen d’Albert, Scottish-German pianist and composer (d. 1932)
- 1865 – Jack Miner, American-Canadian farmer, hunter, and environmentalist (d. 1944)
- 1867 – George William Russell, Irish author, poet, and painter (d. 1935)
- 1868 – George Arliss, English actor and playwright (d. 1946)
- 1868 – Asriel Günzig, Moravian rabbi (d. 1931)
- 1873 – Kyösti Kallio, Finnish farmer, banker, and politician, 4th President of Finland (d. 1940)
- 1875 – George Clawley, English footballer (d. 1920)
- 1877 – Alfred Kubin, Austrian author and illustrator (d. 1959)
- 1879 – Bernhard Gregory, Estonian-German chess player (d. 1939)
- 1879 – Coenraad Hiebendaal, Dutch rower and physician (d. 1921)
- 1880 – Frances Perkins, American sociologist, academic, and politician, 4th United States Secretary of Labor (d. 1965)
- 1880 – Montague Summers, English clergyman and author (d. 1948)
- 1886 – Johnny Hayes, American runner and trainer (d. 1965)
- 1887 – Bernardo Houssay, Argentinian physiologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1971)
- 1889 – Louis Rougier, French philosopher from the Vienna Circle (d. 1982)
- 1891 – Frank Barson, English footballer and coach (d. 1968)
- 1893 – Otto Steinböck, Austrian zoologist (d. 1969)
- 1894 – Ben Nicholson, British painter (d. 1982)
- 1897 – Prafulla Chandra Sen, Indian accountant and politician, 3rd Chief Minister of West Bengal (d. 1990)
- 1900 – Arnold Orville Beckman, American chemist, inventor, and philanthropist (d. 2004)
- 1901 – Dhananjay Ramchandra Gadgil, Indian economist (d. 1971)
- 1903 – Clare Turlay Newberry, American author and illustrator (d. 1970)
- 1906 – Steve Anderson, American hurdler (d. 1988)
- 1910 – Margaret Clapp, American scholar and academic (d. 1974)
- 1910 – Helenio Herrera, Argentinian footballer and manager (d. 1997)
- 1910 – Paul Sweezy, American economist and publisher, founded the Monthly Review (d. 2004)
- 1911 – Martin Denny, American pianist and composer (d. 2005)
- 1911 – Maurice Schumann, French journalist and politician, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs for France (d. 1998)
- 1912 – Boris Kidrič, Austrian-Slovenian politician, 1st Prime Minister of Slovenia (d. 1953)
- 1913 – Stefan Heym, German-American soldier and author (d. 2001)
- 1914 – Jack Badcock, Australian cricketer (d. 1982)
- 1915 – Harry Morgan, American actor and director (d. 2011)
- 1915 – Leo Vroman, Dutch-American hematologist, poet, and illustrator (d. 2014)
- 1916 – Lee Jung-seob, Korean painter (d. 1956)
- 1917 – Jagjit Singh Lyallpuri, Indian politician (d. 2013)
- 1917 – Robert Burns Woodward, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1979)
- 1919 – John Houbolt, American engineer and academic (d. 2014)
- 1921 – Chuck Connors, American baseball player and actor (d. 1992)
- 1921 – Jake Warren, Canadian soldier and diplomat, Canadian Ambassador to the United States (d. 2008)
- 1921 – Sheb Wooley, American singer-songwriter and actor (d. 2003)
- 1923 – Roger Gaillard, Haitian historian and author (d. 2000)
- 1923 – Jane Kean, American actress and singer (d. 2013)
- 1923 – Floyd Simmons, American decathlete and actor (d. 2008)
- 1923 – Sid Tickridge, English footballer (d. 1997)
- 1923 – John Watkins, South African cricketer
- 1924 – Kenneth Noland, American soldier and painter (d. 2010)
- 1925 – Linda Goodman, American astrologer and author (d. 1995)
- 1925 – Angelo Poffo, American wrestler and promoter (d. 2010)
- 1926 – Jacques Castérède, French pianist and composer (d. 2014)
- 1926 – Junior Samples, American comedian (d. 1983)
- 1927 – Norma Candal, Puerto Rican-American actress (d. 2006)
- 1927 – Marshall Warren Nirenberg, American biochemist and geneticist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2010)
- 1929 – Mike Hawthorn, English race car driver (d. 1959)
- 1929 – Liz Sheridan, American actress
- 1929 – Max von Sydow, Swedish-French actor (d. 2020)
- 1930 – Claude Bolling, French pianist, composer, and actor
- 1930 – Dolores Huerta, American activist, co-founded the United Farm Workers
- 1931 – Kishori Amonkar, Indian classical vocalist (d. 2017)
- 1932 – Delphine Seyrig, Swiss/Alsatian French actress (d. 1990)
- 1932 – Omar Sharif, Egyptian actor and screenwriter (d. 2015)
- 1933 – Rokusuke Ei, Japanese composer and author (d. 2016)
- 1933 – Helen McElhone, Scottish politician (d. 2013)
- 1934 – David Halberstam, American journalist and author (d. 2007)
- 1935 – John A. Bennett, American soldier (d. 1961)
- 1935 – Patrick Garland, English actor and director (d. 2013)
- 1935 – Peter Hollingworth, Australian bishop, 23rd Governor General of Australia
- 1936 – John Howell, English long jumper
- 1936 – John Madden, American football player, coach, and sportscaster
- 1936 – Bobby Smith, American singer (d. 2013)
- 1937 – Bella Akhmadulina, Soviet and Russian poet, short story writer, and translator (d. 2010)
- 1938 – Don Meredith, American football player and sportscaster (d. 2010)
- 1939 – Claudio Magris, Italian scholar, author, and translator
- 1940 – Gloria Hunniford, British radio and television host
- 1941 – Harold Long, Canadian politician (d. 2013)
- 1941 – Paul Theroux, American novelist, short story writer, and travel writer
- 1942 – Nick Auf der Maur, Canadian journalist and politician (d. 1998)
- 1942 – Ian Callaghan, English footballer
- 1942 – Stuart Dybek, American novelist, short story writer, and poet
- 1943 – Andrzej Badeński, Polish-German sprinter (d. 2008)
- 1943 – Margaret Pemberton, English author
- 1945 – Kevin Berry, Australian swimmer (d. 2006)
- 1946 – David Angell, American screenwriter and producer (d. 2001)
- 1946 – Bob Watson, American baseball player and manager
- 1946 – Adolf Winkelmann, German director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1947 – David A. Adler, American author and educator
- 1947 – Bunny Wailer, Jamaican singer-songwriter and drummer
- 1948 – Mel Blount, American football player
- 1949 – Daniel Mangeas, French banker and sportscaster
- 1949 – Eric Troyer, American singer-songwriter, keyboardist and guitarist
- 1950 – Ken Griffey, Sr., American baseball player and manager
- 1950 – Eddie Hazel, American guitarist (d. 1992)
- 1951 – David Helvarg, American journalist and activist
- 1952 – Narayan Rane, Indian politician, 16th Chief Minister of Maharashtra
- 1952 – Masashi Sada, Japanese singer, lyricist, composer, novelist, actor, and producer
- 1952 – Steven Seagal, American actor, producer, and martial artist
- 1953 – David Moorcroft, English runner and businessman
- 1953 – Pamela Wallin, Swedish-Canadian journalist, academic, and politician
- 1954 – Paul Bearer, American wrestler and manager (d. 2013)
- 1954 – Anne Lamott, American author and educator
- 1954 – Peter MacNicol, American actor
- 1954 – Juan Williams, Panamanian-American journalist and author
- 1955 – Lesley Garrett, English soprano and actress
- 1956 – Carol V. Robinson, English chemist and academic
- 1957 – Aliko Dangote, Nigerian businessman, founded Dangote Group
- 1957 – John M. Ford, American author and poet (d. 2006)
- 1957 – Steve Gustafson, Spanish-American bass player
- 1957 – Rosemary Hill, English historian and author
- 1958 – Bob Bell, Northern Irish engineer
- 1958 – Yefim Bronfman, Uzbek-American pianist
- 1958 – Brigitte Holzapfel, German high jumper
- 1959 – Babyface, American singer-songwriter and producer
- 1959 – Yvan Loubier, Canadian economist and politician
- 1959 – Brian Setzer, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1960 – Steve Bisciotti, American businessman, co-founded Allegis Group
- 1960 – Katrina Leskanich, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1960 – Terry Teagle, American basketball player
- 1961 – Nicky Campbell, Scottish broadcaster and journalist
- 1961 – Joe Cole, American roadie and author (d. 1991)
- 1961 – Carole Goble, English computer scientist and academic
- 1961 – Mark Jones, American basketball player
- 1962 – Steve Tasker, American football player and sportscaster
- 1963 – Warren DeMartini, American guitarist and songwriter
- 1963 – Jeff Gray, American baseball player and coach
- 1963 – Doris Leuthard, Swiss lawyer and politician, 162nd President of the Swiss Confederation
- 1965 – Tim Alexander, American drummer and songwriter
- 1966 – Steve Claridge, English footballer, manager, and sportscaster
- 1967 – Donald Dufresne, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
- 1967 – David Rovics, American singer-songwriter
- 1968 – Metin Göktepe, Turkish photographer and journalist (d. 1996)
- 1968 – Orlando Jones, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
- 1969 – Steve Glasson, Australian lawn bowler
- 1969 – Ekaterini Koffa, Greek sprinter
- 1970 – Enrico Ciccone, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1970 – Leonard Doroftei, Romanian-Canadian boxer
- 1970 – Kenny Lattimore, American singer-songwriter
- 1970 – Q-Tip, American rapper, producer, and actor
- 1971 – Brad William Henke, American football player and actor
- 1971 – Indro Olumets, Estonian footballer and coach
- 1971 – Al Reyes, Dominican-American baseball player
- 1972 – Ian Harvey, Australian cricketer
- 1972 – Priit Kasesalu, Estonian computer programmer, co-created Skype
- 1972 – Gordon Buchanan, Scottish film maker
- 1973 – Guillaume Canet, French actor and director
- 1973 – Roberto Carlos, Brazilian footballer and manager
- 1973 – Aidan Moffat, Scottish singer-songwriter
- 1973 – Christopher Simmons, Canadian-American graphic designer, author, and academic
- 1974 – Eric Greitens, American soldier, author and politician
- 1974 – Petros Passalis, Greek footballer
- 1975 – Chris Carrabba, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1975 – Terrence Lewis, Indian dancer and choreographer
- 1975 – David Harbour, American actor
- 1976 – Clare Buckfield, English actress
- 1976 – Yoshino Kimura, Japanese actress and singer
- 1976 – Sara Renner, Canadian skier
- 1977 – Stephanie Sheh, Taiwanese-American voice actress, director, and producer
- 1978 – Sir Christus, Finnish guitarist
- 1979 – Iván Alonso, Uruguayan footballer
- 1979 – Kenyon Coleman, American football player
- 1979 – Rachel Corrie, American author and activist (d. 2003)
- 1979 – Tsuyoshi Domoto, Japanese singer-songwriter and actor
- 1979 – Sophie Ellis-Bextor, English singer-songwriter
- 1979 – Peter Kopteff, Finnish footballer
- 1980 – Sean Avery, Canadian ice hockey player and model
- 1980 – Charlie Hunnam, English actor
- 1980 – Shao Jiayi, Chinese footballer
- 1980 – Kasey Kahne, American race car driver
- 1980 – Bryce Soderberg, American singer-songwriter and bass player
- 1981 – Laura Bell Bundy, American actress and singer
- 1981 – Liz McClarnon, English singer and dancer
- 1981 – Michael Pitt, American actor, model and musician
- 1981 – Alexei Semenov, Russian ice hockey player
- 1982 – Andre Ethier, American baseball player
- 1982 – Chyler Leigh, American actress and singer
- 1983 – Jamie Chung, American actress
- 1983 – Andrew Dost, American guitarist and songwriter
- 1983 – Ryan Merriman, American actor
- 1983 – Hannes Sigurðsson, Icelandic footballer
- 1984 – Faustina Agolley, Australian television host
- 1984 – Jeremy Barrett, American figure skater
- 1984 – Mandy Moore, American singer-songwriter and actress
- 1984 – David Obua, Ugandan footballer
- 1984 – Damien Perquis, French-Polish footballer
- 1984 – Gonzalo Javier Rodríguez, Argentinian footballer
- 1985 – Barkhad Abdi, Somali-American actor and director
- 1985 – Willo Flood, Irish footballer
- 1985 – Jesús Gámez, Spanish footballer
- 1985 – Dion Phaneuf, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1986 – Olivia Borlée, Belgian sprinter
- 1986 – Fernando Gago, Argentine footballer
- 1986 – Corey Kluber, American baseball pitcher
- 1986 – Vincent Kompany, Belgian footballer
- 1986 – Tore Reginiussen, Norwegian footballer
- 1987 – Shay Mitchell, Canadian actress and model
- 1987 – Hayley Westenra, New Zealand soprano
- 1988 – Chris Heston, American baseball pitcher
- 1988 – Kareem Jackson, American football player
- 1988 – Haley Joel Osment, American actor
- 1990 – Ben Amos, English footballer
- 1990 – Andile Jali, South African footballer
- 1990 – Ricky Leutele, Australian-Samoan rugby league player
- 1990 – Maren Morris, American singer
- 1990 – Alex Pettyfer, English actor
- 1991 – AJ Michalka, American actress and singer
- 1992 – Jack Buchanan, Australian rugby league player
- 1992 – Sadio Mané, Senegalese footballer
- 1992 – Daisy Ridley, English actress
- 1993 – Sofia Carson, American singer and actress
- 1994 – Siobhan Hunter, Scottish footballer
- 1995 – Ian Nelson, American actor
- 1996 – Thanasi Kokkinakis, Australian tennis player
- 1996 – Audrey Whitby, American actress
- 1998 – Anna Pogorilaya, Russian figure skater
- 2001 – Ky Baldwin, Australian singer and actor
- 2001 – Noa Kirel, Israeli singer
Deaths on April 10
- 879 – Louis the Stammerer, king of West Francia (b. 846)
- 943 – Landulf I, prince of Benevento and Capua
- 948 – Hugh of Arles, king of Italy
- 1008 – Notker of Liège, French bishop (b. 940)
- 1216 – Eric X, king of Sweden (b. 1180)
- 1282 – Ahmad Fanakati, chief minister under Kublai Khan
- 1309 – Elisabeth von Rapperswil, Swiss countess (b. 1261)
- 1362 – Maud, English noblewoman (b. 1339)
- 1500 – Michael Tarchaniota Marullus, Greek scholar and poet
- 1533 – Frederick I, king of Denmark and Norway (b. 1471)
- 1545 – Costanzo Festa, Italian composer
- 1585 – Gregory XIII, Pope of the Catholic Church (b. 1502)
- 1598 – Jacopo Mazzoni, Italian philosopher (b. 1548)
- 1599 – Gabrielle d’Estrées, French mistress of Henry IV of France (b. 1571)
- 1601 – Mark Alexander Boyd, Scottish soldier and poet (b. 1562)
- 1619 – Thomas Jones, English-Irish archbishop and politician, Lord Chancellor of Ireland (b. 1550)
- 1640 – Agostino Agazzari, Italian composer and theorist (b. 1578)
- 1644 – William Brewster, English official and pilgrim leader (b. 1566)
- 1646 – Santino Solari, Swiss architect and sculptor (b. 1576)
- 1667 – Jan Marek Marci, Czech physician and author (b. 1595)
- 1704 – William Egon of Fürstenberg, German cardinal (b. 1629)
- 1756 – Giacomo Antonio Perti, Italian composer (b. 1661)
- 1760 – Jean Lebeuf, French historian and author (b. 1687)
- 1786 – John Byron, English admiral and politician, 24th Commodore Governor of Newfoundland (b. 1723)
- 1806 – Horatio Gates, English-American general (b. 1727)
- 1813 – Joseph-Louis Lagrange, Italian mathematician and astronomer (b. 1736)
- 1823 – Karl Leonhard Reinhold, Austrian philosopher and academic (b. 1757)
- 1871 – Lucio Norberto Mansilla, Argentinian general and politician (b. 1789)
- 1904 – Isabella II, Spanish queen (b. 1830)
- 1909 – Algernon Charles Swinburne, English poet, playwright, novelist, and critic (b. 1837)
- 1919 – Emiliano Zapata, Mexican general (b. 1879)
- 1920 – Moritz Cantor, German mathematician and historian (b. 1829)
- 1931 – Kahlil Gibran, Lebanese-American poet, painter, and philosopher (b. 1883)
- 1935 – Rosa Campbell Praed, Australian novelist (b. 1851)
- 1938 – King Oliver, American cornet player and bandleader (b. 1885)
- 1942 – Carl Schenstrøm, Danish actor and director (b. 1881)
- 1943 – Andreas Faehlmann, Estonian-German sailor and engineer (b. 1898)
- 1945 – Hendrik Nicolaas Werkman, Dutch printer and typographer (b. 1882)
- 1947 – Charles Nordhoff, English-American lieutenant and author (b. 1887)
- 1950 – Fevzi Çakmak, Turkish field marshal and politician, 2nd Prime Minister of Turkey (b. 1876)
- 1954 – Auguste Lumière, French director and producer (b. 1862)
- 1954 – Oscar Mathisen, Norwegian speed skater (b. 1888)
- 1955 – Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, French priest, theologian, and philosopher (b. 1881)
- 1958 – Chuck Willis, American singer-songwriter (b. 1928)
- 1960 – André Berthomieu, French director and screenwriter (b. 1903)
- 1962 – Michael Curtiz, Hungarian-American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1886)
- 1962 – Stuart Sutcliffe, Scottish artist and musician (b. 1940)
- 1965 – Lloyd Casner, American race car driver, founded Casner Motor Racing Division (b. 1928)
- 1965 – Linda Darnell, American actress (b. 1923)
- 1966 – Evelyn Waugh, English soldier, novelist, journalist and critic (b. 1903)
- 1968 – Gustavs Celmiņš, Latvian lieutenant and politician (b. 1899)
- 1969 – Harley Earl, American businessman (b. 1893)
- 1975 – Walker Evans, American photographer (b. 1903)
- 1975 – Marjorie Main, American actress (b. 1890)
- 1978 – Hjalmar Mäe, Estonian politician (b. 1901)
- 1979 – Nino Rota, Italian pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1911)
- 1980 – Kay Medford, American actress and singer (b. 1919)
- 1981 – Howard Thurman, American author, philosopher and civil rights activist (b. 1899)
- 1983 – Issam Sartawi, Palestinian activist (b. 1935)
- 1985 – Zisis Verros, Greek chieftain of the Macedonian Struggle (b. 1880)
- 1986 – Linda Creed, American singer-songwriter (b. 1948)
- 1991 – Kevin Peter Hall, American actor (b. 1955)
- 1991 – Martin Hannett, English guitarist and producer (b. 1948)
- 1991 – Natalie Schafer, American actress (b. 1900)
- 1992 – Sam Kinison, American comedian and actor (b. 1953)
- 1993 – Chris Hani, South African activist and politician (b. 1942)
- 1994 – Sam B. Hall, Jr., American lawyer, judge, and politician (b. 1924)
- 1995 – Morarji Desai, Indian politician, 4th Prime Minister of India (b. 1896)
- 1997 – Michael Dorris, American author and academic (b. 1945)
- 1998 – Seraphim of Athens, Greek archbishop (b. 1913)
- 1999 – Heinz Fraenkel-Conrat, German-American biochemist and physician (b. 1910)
- 1999 – Jean Vander Pyl, American actress and voice artist (b. 1919)
- 2000 – Peter Jones, English actor and screenwriter (b. 1920)
- 2000 – Larry Linville, American actor (b. 1939)
- 2003 – Little Eva, American singer (b. 1943)
- 2004 – Jacek Kaczmarski, Polish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and poet (b. 1957)
- 2004 – Sakıp Sabancı, Turkish businessman and philanthropist, founded Sabancı Holding (b. 1933)
- 2005 – Norbert Brainin, Austrian violinist (b. 1923)
- 2005 – Scott Gottlieb, American drummer (b. 1970)
- 2005 – Archbishop Iakovos of America (b. 1911)
- 2005 – Al Lucas, American football player (b. 1978)
- 2005 – Wally Tax, Dutch singer-songwriter (b. 1948)
- 2007 – Charles Philippe Leblond, French-Canadian biologist and academic (b. 1910)
- 2007 – Dakota Staton, American singer (b. 1930)
- 2009 – Deborah Digges, American poet and educator (b. 1950)
- 2010 – Casualties in the 2010 Polish Air Force Tu-154 crash included:
- Ryszard Kaczorowski, Polish soldier and politician, 6th President of the Republic of Poland (b. 1919)
- Maria Kaczyńska, Polish economist, First Lady of Poland (b. 1942)
- Lech Kaczyński, Polish lawyer and politician, 4th President of Poland (b. 1949)
- Anna Walentynowicz, Ukrainian-Polish journalist and activist (b. 1929)
- 2010 – Dixie Carter, American actress and singer (b. 1939)
- 2012 – Raymond Aubrac, French engineer and activist (b. 1914)
- 2012 – Barbara Buchholz, German theremin player and composer (b. 1959)
- 2012 – Lili Chookasian, Armenian-American operatic singer (b. 1921)
- 2012 – Luis Aponte Martínez, Puerto Rican cardinal (b. 1922)
- 2012 – Akin Omoboriowo, Nigerian lawyer and politician (b. 1932)
- 2013 – Lorenzo Antonetti, Italian cardinal (b. 1922)
- 2013 – Raymond Boudon, French sociologist and academic (b. 1934)
- 2013 – Binod Bihari Chowdhury, Bangladeshi activist (b. 1911)
- 2013 – Robert Edwards, English physiologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1925)
- 2013 – Olive Lewin, Jamaican anthropologist, musicologist, and author (b. 1927)
- 2013 – Gordon Thomas, English cyclist (b. 1921)
- 2013 – Angela Voigt, German long jumper (b. 1951)
- 2014 – Dominique Baudis, French journalist and politician (b. 1947)
- 2014 – Jim Flaherty, Canadian lawyer and politician, 37th Canadian Minister of Finance (b. 1949)
- 2014 – Richard Hoggart, English author and academic (b. 1918)
- 2014 – Sue Townsend, English author and playwright (b. 1946)
- 2015 – Richie Benaud, Australian cricketer and sportscaster (b. 1930)
- 2015 – Raúl Héctor Castro, Mexican-American politician and diplomat, 14th Governor of Arizona (b. 1916)
- 2015 – Judith Malina, German-American actress and director, co-founded The Living Theatre (b. 1926)
- 2015 – Rose Francine Rogombé, Gabonese lawyer and politician, President of Gabon (b. 1942)
- 2015 – Peter Walsh, Australian farmer and politician, 6th Australian Minister for Finance (b. 1935)
- 2016 – Howard Marks, Welsh cannabis smuggler, writer, and legalisation campaigner (b. 1945)
Holidays and observances on April 10
- Christian feast day:
- Fulbert of Chartres
- James, Azadanus and Abdicius
- Mikael Agricola (Lutheran)
- Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (Episcopal Church)
- William of Ockham (Anglicanism)
- William Law (Anglicanism)
- April 10 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Day of the Builder (Azerbaijan)
- Feast of the Third Day of the Writing of the Book of the Law (Thelema)
- Siblings Day (International observance)
- World Homeopathy Day
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February 27 in History
- 380 – Edict of Thessalonica: Emperor Theodosius I and his co-emperors Gratian and Valentinian II declare their wish that all Roman citizens convert to Nicene Christianity.
- 425 – The University of Constantinople is founded by Emperor Theodosius II at the urging of his wife Aelia Eudocia.
- 907 – Abaoji, a Khitan chieftain, is enthroned as Emperor Taizu, establishing the Liao dynasty in northern China.
- 1560 – The Treaty of Berwick, which would expel the French from Scotland, is signed by England and the Lords of the Congregation of Scotland.
- 1594 – Henry IV is crowned King of France.
- 1617 – Sweden and Russia sign the Treaty of Stolbovo, ending the Ingrian War and shutting Russia out of the Baltic Sea.
- 1626 – Yuan Chonghuan is appointed Governor of Liaodong, after leading the Chinese into a great victory against the Manchurians under Nurhaci.
- 1700 – The island of New Britain is discovered by Europeans.
- 1776 – American Revolutionary War: The Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge in North Carolina breaks up a Loyalist militia.
- 1782 – American Revolutionary War: The House of Commons of Great Britain votes against further war in America.
- 1801 – Pursuant to the District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801, Washington, D.C. is placed under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Congress.
- 1809 – Action of 27 February 1809: Captain Bernard Dubourdieu captures HMS Proserpine.
- 1812 – Argentine War of Independence: Manuel Belgrano raises the Flag of Argentina in the city of Rosario for the first time.
- 1812 – Poet Lord Byron gives his first address as a member of the House of Lords, in defense of Luddite violence against Industrialism in his home county of Nottinghamshire.
- 1844 – The Dominican Republic gains independence from Haiti.
- 1860 – Abraham Lincoln makes a speech at Cooper Union in the city of New York that is largely responsible for his election to the Presidency.
- 1864 – American Civil War: The first Northern prisoners arrive at the Confederate prison at Andersonville, Georgia.
- 1870 – The current flag of Japan is first adopted as the national flag for Japanese merchant ships.
- 1881 – First Boer War: The Battle of Majuba Hill takes place.
- 1898 – King George I of Greece survives an assassination attempt.
- 1900 – Second Boer War: In South Africa, British military leaders receive an unconditional notice of surrender from Boer General Piet Cronjé at the Battle of Paardeberg.
- 1900 – The British Labour Party is founded.
- 1900 – Fußball-Club Bayern München is founded.
- 1902 – Second Boer War: Australian soldiers Harry “Breaker” Morant and Peter Handcock are executed in Pretoria after being convicted of war crimes.
- 1916 – Ocean liner SS Maloja strikes a mine near Dover and sinks with the loss of 155 lives.
- 1921 – The International Working Union of Socialist Parties is founded in Vienna.
- 1922 – A challenge to the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, allowing women the right to vote, is rebuffed by the Supreme Court of the United States in Leser v. Garnett.
- 1933 – Reichstag fire: Germany’s parliament building in Berlin, the Reichstag, is set on fire; Marinus van der Lubbe, a young Dutch Communist claims responsibility.
- 1939 – United States labor law: The U.S. Supreme Court rules in NLRB v. Fansteel Metallurgical Corp. that the National Labor Relations Board has no authority to force an employer to rehire workers who engage in sit-down strikes.
- 1940 – Martin Kamen and Sam Ruben discover carbon-14.
- 1942 – World War II: During the Battle of the Java Sea, an Allied strike force is defeated by a Japanese task force in the Java Sea in the Dutch East Indies.
- 1943 – The Smith Mine #3 in Bearcreek, Montana, explodes, killing 74 men.
- 1943 – In Berlin, the Gestapo arrest 1,800 Jewish men with German wives, leading to the Rosenstrasse protest.
- 1951 – The Twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution, limiting Presidents to two terms, is ratified.
- 1961 – The first congress of the Spanish Trade Union Organisation is inaugurated.
- 1962 – Two dissident Republic of Vietnam Air Force pilots bomb the Independence Palace in Saigon in a failed attempt to assassinate South Vietnam President Ngô Đình Diệm.
- 1963 – The Dominican Republic receives its first democratically elected president, Juan Bosch, since the end of the dictatorship led by Rafael Trujillo.
- 1964 – The Government of Italy asks for help to keep the Leaning Tower of Pisa from toppling over.
- 1971 – Doctors in the first Dutch abortion clinic (the Mildredhuis in Arnhem) start performing artificially-induced abortions.
- 1973 – The American Indian Movement occupies Wounded Knee in protest of the federal government.
- 1976 – The formerly Spanish territory of Western Sahara, under the auspices of the Polisario Front declares independence as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.
- 1988 – Sumgait pogrom: The Armenian community in Sumgait, Azerbaijan is targeted in a violent pogrom.
- 1991 – Gulf War: U.S. President George H. W. Bush announces that “Kuwait is liberated”.
- 2002 – Ryanair Flight 296 catches fire at London Stansted Airport. Subsequent investigations criticize Ryanair’s handling of the evacuation.
- 2002 – Godhra train burning: A Muslim mob torches a train returning from Ayodhya, killing 59 Hindu pilgrims.
- 2004 – A bombing of a Superferry by Abu Sayyaf in the Philippines’ worst terrorist attack kills 116.
- 2004 – Shoko Asahara, the leader of the Japanese doomsday cult Aum Shinrikyo, is sentenced to death for masterminding the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack.
- 2007 – The Chinese Correction: The Shanghai Stock Exchange falls 9%, the largest drop in ten years.
- 2010 – An earthquake measuring 8.8 on the moment magnitude scale strikes central parts of Chile leaving over 500 victims, and thousands injured. The quake triggers a tsunami which strikes Hawaii shortly after.
- 2013 – A shooting takes place at a factory in Menznau, Switzerland, in which five people (including the perpetrator) are killed and five others injured.
- 2015 – Russian politician Boris Nemtsov is assassinated.
Births on February 27
- 272 – Constantine the Great, Roman emperor (d. 337)
- 1343 – Alberto d’Este, Marquis of Ferrara (d. 1393)
- 1427 – Ruprecht, Archbishop of Cologne (d. 1480)
- 1500 – João de Castro, Portuguese nobleman and fourth viceroy of Portuguese India (d. 1548)
- 1535 – Min Phalaung, Burmese monarch (d. 1593)
- 1567 – William Alabaster, English poet (d. 1640)
- 1572 – Francis II, Duke of Lorraine (d. 1632)
- 1575 – John Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp (d. 1616)
- 1622 – Carel Fabritius, Dutch painter (d. 1654)
- 1630 – Roche Braziliano, Dutch pirate (d. 1671)
- 1659 – William Sherard, English botanist (d. 1728)
- 1667 – Ludwika Karolina Radziwiłł, Prussian-Lithuanian wife of Charles III Philip, Elector Palatine (d. 1695)
- 1689 – Pietro Gnocchi, Italian composer, director, historian, and geographer (d. 1775)
- 1703 – Lord Sidney Beauclerk, English politician (d. 1744)
- 1711 – Constantine Mavrocordatos, Ottoman ruler (d. 1769)
- 1724 – Frederick Michael, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken (d. 1767)
- 1732 – Jean de Dieu-Raymond de Cucé de Boisgelin, French cardinal (d. 1804)
- 1746 – Louis-Jérôme Gohier, French politician, French Minister of Justice (d. 1830)
- 1748 – Anders Sparrman, Swedish physician and activist (d. 1820)
- 1767 – Jacques-Charles Dupont de l’Eure, French lawyer and politician, 24th Prime Minister of France (d. 1855)
- 1779 – Thomas Hazlehurst, English businessman, founded Hazlehurst & Sons (d. 1842)
- 1789 – Manuel Rodríguez Erdoíza, Chilean lawyer and politician, Chilean Minister of National Defense (d. 1818)
- 1795 – José Antonio Navarro, American merchant and politician (d. 1871)
- 1799 – Edward Belcher, British naval officer, hydrographer, and explorer (d. 1877)
- 1799 – Frederick Catherwood, British artist, architect and explorer (d. 1854)
- 1807 – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, American poet and educator (d. 1882)
- 1809 – Jean-Charles Cornay, French missionary and saint (d. 1837)
- 1816 – William Nicholson, English-Australian politician, 3rd Premier of Victoria (d. 1865)
- 1847 – Ellen Terry, English actress (d. 1928)
- 1848 – Hubert Parry, English composer and historian (d. 1918)
- 1859 – Bertha Pappenheim, Austrian-German activist and author (d. 1936)
- 1863 – Joaquín Sorolla, Spanish painter (d. 1923)
- 1863 – George Herbert Mead, American sociologist and philosopher (d. 1930)
- 1864 – Eemil Nestor Setälä, Finnish linguist and politician, Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs (d. 1935)
- 1867 – Irving Fisher, American economist and statistician (d. 1947)
- 1867 – Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Swedish composer and critic (d. 1942)
- 1869 – Alice Hamilton, American physician and academic (d. 1970)
- 1872 – Alexandru Vaida-Voevod, Romanian politician, Prime Minister of Romania (d. 1950)
- 1875 – Vladimir Filatov, Russian-Ukrainian ophthalmologist and surgeon (d. 1956)
- 1877 – Adela Verne, English pianist and composer (d. 1952)
- 1877 – Joseph Grinnell, American zoologist and biologist (d. 1939)
- 1878 – Alvan T. Fuller, American businessman and politician, 50th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1958)
- 1880 – Xenophon Kasdaglis, Greek-Egyptian tennis player (d. 1943)
- 1881 – Sveinn Björnsson, Danish-Icelandic lawyer and politician, 1st President of Iceland (d. 1952)
- 1881 – L. E. J. Brouwer, Dutch mathematician, philosopher, and academic (d. 1966)
- 1886 – Hugo Black, American captain, jurist, and politician (d. 1971)
- 1887 – Pyotr Nesterov, Russian captain, pilot, and engineer (d. 1914)
- 1888 – Roberto Assagioli, Italian psychiatrist and psychologist (d. 1974)
- 1888 – Lotte Lehmann, German-American soprano and actress (d. 1976)
- 1890 – Mabel Keaton Staupers, American nurse and advocate (d. 1989)
- 1891 – David Sarnoff, American businessman, founded RCA (d. 1971)
- 1892 – William Demarest, American actor (d. 1983)
- 1895 – Miyagiyama Fukumatsu, Japanese sumo wrestler (d. 1943)
- 1897 – Marian Anderson, American singer (d. 1993)
- 1899 – Charles Herbert Best, American-Canadian physiologist and biochemist, co-discovered Insulin (d. 1978)
- 1901 – Marino Marini, Italian sculptor and academic (d. 1980)
- 1901 – Kotama Okada, Japanese religious leader (d. 1974)
- 1902 – Lúcio Costa, French-Brazilian architect and engineer, designed Gustavo Capanema Palace (d. 1998)
- 1902 – Gene Sarazen, American golfer and sportscaster (d. 1999)
- 1902 – John Steinbeck, American journalist and author, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1968)
- 1903 – Reginald Gardiner, English-American actor and singer (d. 1980)
- 1903 – Hans Rohrbach, German mathematician (d. 1993)
- 1903 – Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Belorussian-American rabbi and philosopher (d. 1993)
- 1904 – James T. Farrell, American author and poet (d. 1979)
- 1904 – André Leducq, French cyclist (d. 1980)
- 1904 – Yulii Borisovich Khariton, Russian physicist and academic (d. 1996)
- 1905 – Franchot Tone, American actor, singer, and producer (d. 1968)
- 1907 – Mildred Bailey, American singer (d. 1951)
- 1907 – Momčilo Đujić, Serbian-American priest and commander (d. 1999)
- 1910 – Joan Bennett, American actress (d. 1990)
- 1910 – Peter De Vries, American journalist and author (d. 1993)
- 1910 – Genrikh Kasparyan, Armenian chess player and composer (d. 1995)
- 1910 – Kelly Johnson, American engineer, co-founded Skunk Works (d. 1990)
- 1911 – Oscar Heidenstam, English bodybuilder (d. 1991)
- 1912 – Kusumagraj, Indian author, poet, and playwright (d. 1999)
- 1912 – Lawrence Durrell, Indian-French author, poet, and playwright (d. 1990)
- 1913 – Paul Ricœur, French philosopher and academic (d. 2005)
- 1913 – Kazimierz Sabbat, Polish soldier and politician, President of Poland (d. 1989)
- 1913 – Irwin Shaw, American author and screenwriter (d. 1984)
- 1915 – Denis Whitaker, Canadian general, football player, and businessman (d. 2001)
- 1917 – John Connally, American lieutenant and politician, 61st United States Secretary of Treasury (d. 1993)
- 1920 – Reg Simpson, English cricketer (d. 2013)
- 1921 – Theodore Van Kirk, American soldier, pilot, and navigator (d. 2014)
- 1922 – Hans Rookmaaker, Dutch historian, author, and scholar (d. 1977)
- 1923 – Dexter Gordon, American saxophonist, composer, and actor (d. 1990)
- 1925 – Pia Sebastiani, Argentine pianist and composer (d. 2015)
- 1925 – Kenneth Koch, American poet, playwright and professor (d. 2002)
- 1926 – David H. Hubel, Canadian-American neurophysiologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2013)
- 1927 – Peter Whittle, English-New Zealand mathematician and theorist
- 1928 – René Clemencic, Austrian composer, recorder player, harpsichordist, conductor and clavichord player
- 1929 – Jack Gibson, Australian rugby league player, coach, and sportscaster (d. 2008)
- 1929 – Djalma Santos, Brazilian footballer (d. 2013)
- 1929 – Patricia Ward Hales, British tennis player (d. 1985)
- 1930 – Jovan Krkobabić, Serbian politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia (d. 2014)
- 1930 – Peter Stone, American screenwriter and producer (d. 2003)
- 1930 – Paul von Ragué Schleyer, American chemist and academic (d. 2014)
- 1930 – Joanne Woodward, American actress
- 1932 – Dame Elizabeth Taylor, English-American actress and humanitarian (d. 2011)
- 1932 – David Young, Baron Young of Graffham, English businessman and politician, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills
- 1933 – Raymond Berry, American football player and coach
- 1933 – Malcolm Wallop, American politician (d. 2011)
- 1934 – Vincent Fourcade, French interior designer (d. 1992)
- 1934 – Ralph Nader, American lawyer, politician, and activist
- 1935 – Mirella Freni, Italian soprano and actress (d. 2020)
- 1935 – Uri Shulevitz, American author and illustrator
- 1936 – Sonia Johnson, American feminist activist and author
- 1936 – Ron Barassi, Australian footballer and coach
- 1936 – Roger Mahony, American cardinal
- 1937 – Barbara Babcock, American actress
- 1938 – Jake Thackray, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and journalist (d. 2002)
- 1939 – Don McKinnon, English-New Zealand farmer and politician, 12th Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand
- 1939 – Peter Revson, American race car driver (d. 1974)
- 1940 – Pierre Duchesne, Canadian lawyer and politician, 28th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec
- 1940 – Howard Hesseman, American actor
- 1940 – Bill Hunter, Australian actor (d. 2011)
- 1941 – Paddy Ashdown, British captain and politician (d. 2018)
- 1942 – Jimmy Burns, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1942 – Robert H. Grubbs, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1942 – Charlayne Hunter-Gault, American journalist
- 1942 – Klaus-Dieter Sieloff, German footballer (d. 2011)
- 1943 – Mary Frann, American actress (d. 1998)
- 1943 – Morten Lauridsen, American composer and conductor
- 1943 – Carlos Alberto Parreira, Brazilian footballer and manager
- 1944 – Ken Grimwood, American author (d. 2003)
- 1944 – Graeme Pollock, South African cricketer and coach
- 1944 – Sir Roger Scruton, English philosopher and writer (d. 2020)
- 1947 – Alan Guth, American physicist and cosmologist
- 1947 – Gidon Kremer, Latvian violinist and conductor
- 1950 – Annabel Goldie, Scottish lawyer and politician
- 1950 – Julia Neuberger, Baroness Neuberger, English rabbi and politician
- 1951 – Carl A. Anderson, 13th Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus
- 1951 – Lee Atwater, American journalist, activist and political strategist (d. 1991)
- 1951 – Walter de Silva, Italian car designer
- 1951 – Steve Harley, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1953 – Gavin Esler, Scottish journalist and author
- 1953 – Ian Khama, English-Botswanan lieutenant and politician, 4th President of Botswana
- 1953 – Stelios Kouloglou, Greek journalist, author, director and politician
- 1954 – Neal Schon, American rock guitarist and singer-songwriter
- 1956 – Belus Prajoux, Chilean tennis player
- 1957 – Danny Antonucci, Canadian animator, producer, and screenwriter
- 1957 – Kevin Curran, American screenwriter and television producer (d. 2016)
- 1957 – Robert de Castella, Australian runner
- 1957 – Adrian Smith, English guitarist and songwriter
- 1957 – Timothy Spall, English actor
- 1958 – Naas Botha, South African rugby player and sportscaster
- 1958 – Maggie Hassan, American politician, 81st Governor and United States Senator of New Hampshire
- 1960 – Andrés Gómez, Ecuadorian tennis player
- 1960 – Johnny Van Zant, American singer-songwriter
- 1961 – James Worthy, American basketball player and sportscaster
- 1962 – Adam Baldwin, American actor
- 1963 – Nasty Suicide, Finnish musician and pharmacist
- 1964 – Jeffrey Pasley, American educator and academic
- 1965 – Noah Emmerich, American actor
- 1965 – Pedro Chaves, Portuguese race car driver
- 1966 – Donal Logue, Canadian actor and director
- 1966 – Oliver Reck, German footballer and manager
- 1966 – Baltasar Kormákur, Icelandic actor, director, and producer
- 1967 – Dănuț Lupu, Romanian footballer
- 1967 – Jony Ive, English industrial designer, former chief design officer (CDO) of Apple
- 1968 – Matt Stairs, Canadian baseball player and sportscaster
- 1969 – Gareth Llewellyn, Welsh rugby union player
- 1969 – Juan E. Gilbert, American computer scientist, inventor, and academic
- 1970 – Kent Desormeaux, American jockey
- 1970 – Patricia Petibon, French soprano and actress
- 1971 – Sara Blakely, American businesswoman, founded Spanx
- 1971 – Derren Brown, English magician and painter
- 1971 – David Rikl, Czech-English tennis player
- 1971 – Roman Giertych, Polish lawyer and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland
- 1971 – Rozonda Thomas, American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress (TLC)
- 1973 – Peter Andre, English-Australian singer-songwriter and actor
- 1973 – Mark Taylor, Welsh rugby player and manager
- 1974 – Carte Goodwin, American lawyer and politician
- 1975 – Aitor González, Spanish racing driver
- 1975 – Prodromos Korkizoglou, Greek decathlete
- 1976 – Sergei Semak, Ukrainian-Russian footballer and manager
- 1976 – Ludovic Capelle, Belgian cyclist
- 1978 – James Beattie, English footballer and manager
- 1978 – Kakha Kaladze, Georgian footballer and politician
- 1978 – Emelie Öhrstig, Swedish skier and cyclist
- 1978 – Simone Di Pasquale, Italian ballet dancer
- 1980 – Chelsea Clinton, American journalist and academic
- 1980 – Scott Prince, Australian rugby league player
- 1981 – Josh Groban, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor
- 1981 – Natalie Grandin, English-South African tennis player
- 1981 – Élodie Ouédraogo, Belgian sprinter
- 1982 – Ali Bastian, English actress
- 1982 – Pat Richards, Australian rugby league player
- 1982 – Bruno Soares, Brazilian tennis player
- 1983 – Devin Harris, American basketball player
- 1983 – Kate Mara, American actress
- 1984 – Aníbal Sánchez, American baseball player
- 1984 – Lotta Schelin, Swedish footballer
- 1984 – Akseli Kokkonen, Norwegian ski jumper
- 1985 – Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, Russian footballer
- 1985 – Braydon Coburn, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1985 – Vladislav Kulik, Ukrainian-Russian footballer
- 1985 – Asami Abe, Japanese singer and actress
- 1985 – Thiago Neves, Brazilian footballer
- 1985 – Brett Stewart, Australian rugby league player
- 1986 – Yovani Gallardo, American baseball player
- 1986 – Jonathan Moreira, Brazilian footballer
- 1986 – Sandeep Singh, Indian field hockey player
- 1987 – Scott Davies, English footballer
- 1987 – Bridie Kean, Australian wheelchair basketball player
- 1987 – Florence Kiplagat, Kenyan runner
- 1987 – Sandy Paillot, French footballer
- 1987 – Valeriy Andriytsev, Ukrainian wrestler
- 1987 – Maximiliano Moralez, Argentinian footballer
- 1988 – Iain Ramsay, Australian footballer
- 1988 – Dustin Jeffrey, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1989 – David Button, English footballer, goalkeeper
- 1989 – Lloyd Rigby, English footballer
- 1990 – Elijah Taylor, New Zealand rugby league player
- 1991 – Azeem Rafiq, Pakistani cricketer
- 1992 – Ty Dillon, American race car driver
- 1992 – Meyers Leonard, American basketball player
- 1992 – Filip Krajinović, Serbian tennis player
- 1992 – Ioannis Potouridis, Greek footballer
- 1992 – Jonjo Shelvey, English footballer
- 1995 – Laura Gulbe, Latvian tennis player
- 1998 – Todd Cantwell, English footballer
Deaths on February 27
- 640 – Pepin of Landen, Frankish lord (b. 580)
- 906 – Conrad the Elder, Frankish nobleman
- 956 – Theophylact, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople (b. 917)
- 1167 – Robert of Melun, English theologian and bishop
- 1416 – Eleanor of Castile, queen consort of Navarre (b. c. 1363)
- 1425 – Prince Vasily I of Moscow (b. 1371)
- 1483 – William VIII of Montferrat (b. 1420)
- 1558 – Johann Faber of Heilbronn, controversial Catholic preacher (b. 1504)
- 1558 – Kunigunde of Brandenburg-Kulmbach, German Noblewoman (b. 1524)
- 1659 – Henry Dunster, English-American clergyman and academic (b. 1609)
- 1699 – Charles Paulet, 1st Duke of Bolton, English politician, Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire (b. 1625)
- 1706 – John Evelyn, English gardener and author (b. 1620)
- 1712 – Sir William Villiers, 3rd Baronet, English politician (b. 1645)
- 1720 – Samuel Parris, English-American minister (b. 1653)
- 1735 – John Arbuthnot, Scottish physician and polymath (b. 1667)
- 1784 – Count of St. Germain, European adventurer (b. 1710)
- 1795 – Tanikaze Kajinosuke, Japanese sumo wrestler (b. 1750)
- 1844 – Nicholas Biddle, American banker and politician (b. 1786)
- 1887 – Alexander Borodin, Russian composer and chemist (b. 1833)
- 1892 – Louis Vuitton, French fashion designer and businessman, founded Louis Vuitton (b. 1821)
- 1902 – Harry “Breaker” Morant, English-Australian lieutenant (b. 1864)
- 1921 – Schofield Haigh, English cricketer and umpire (b. 1871)
- 1931 – Chandra Shekhar Azad, Indian revolutionary (b. 1906)
- 1936 – Joshua W. Alexander, American judge and politician, 2nd United States Secretary of Commerce (b. 1852)
- 1936 – Ivan Pavlov, Russian physiologist and physician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1849)
- 1937 – Hosteen Klah, Navajo artist, medicine man, and weaver (b. 1867)
- 1937 – Emily Malbone Morgan, American saint, foundress of the Society of the Companions of the Holy Cross (b. 1862)
- 1943 – Kostis Palamas, Greek poet and playwright (b. 1859)
- 1956 – Ganesh Vasudev Mavalankar, Indian lawyer and politician, 1st Speaker of the Lok Sabha (b. 1888)
- 1964 – Orry-Kelly, Australian-American costume designer (b. 1897)
- 1968 – Frankie Lymon, American singer-songwriter (b. 1942)
- 1969 – Marius Barbeau, Canadian ethnographer and academic (b. 1883)
- 1973 – Bill Everett, American author and illustrator (b. 1917)
- 1977 – John Dickson Carr, American author and playwright (b. 1905)
- 1980 – George Tobias, American actor (b. 1901)
- 1985 – Ray Ellington, English singer and drummer (b. 1916)
- 1985 – Henry Cabot Lodge Jr., American politician and diplomat, 3rd United States Ambassador to the United Nations (b. 1902)
- 1985 – J. Pat O’Malley, English-American actor and singer (b. 1904)
- 1986 – Jacques Plante, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1929)
- 1987 – Bill Holman, American cartoonist (b. 1903)
- 1987 – Joan Greenwood, English actress (b. 1921)
- 1989 – Konrad Lorenz, Austrian zoologist, ethologist, and ornithologist, Nobel laureate (b. 1903)
- 1992 – S. I. Hayakawa, Canadian-American linguist and politician (b. 1906)
- 1993 – Lillian Gish, American actress (b. 1893)
- 1998 – George H. Hitchings, American pharmacologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1905)
- 1998 – J. T. Walsh, American actor (b. 1943)
- 1999 – Horace Tapscott, American pianist and composer (b. 1934)
- 2002 – Spike Milligan, Irish soldier, actor, comedian, and author (b. 1918)
- 2003 – John Lanchbery, English-Australian composer and conductor (b. 1923)
- 2003 – Fred Rogers, American minister and television host (b. 1928)
- 2004 – Yoshihiko Amino, Japanese historian and academic (b. 1928)
- 2004 – Paul Sweezy, American economist and journalist (b. 1910)
- 2006 – Otis Chandler, American publisher (b. 1927)
- 2006 – Robert Lee Scott, Jr., American general and author (b. 1908)
- 2006 – Linda Smith, English comedian and author (b. 1958)
- 2007 – Bernd Freytag von Loringhoven, German general (b. 1914)
- 2008 – William F. Buckley, Jr., American author and journalist, founded the National Review (b. 1925)
- 2008 – Myron Cope, American journalist and sportscaster (b. 1929)
- 2008 – Ivan Rebroff, German vocalist of Russian descent with four and a half octave range (b. 1931)
- 2010 – Nanaji Deshmukh, Indian educator and activist (b. 1916)
- 2011 – Frank Buckles, American soldier (b. 1901)
- 2011 – Necmettin Erbakan, Turkish engineer and politician, 32nd Prime Minister of Turkey (b. 1926)
- 2011 – Duke Snider, American baseball player, manager, and sportscaster (b. 1926)
- 2011 – Gary Winick, American director and producer (b. 1961)
- 2012 – Ma Jiyuan, Chinese general (b. 1921)
- 2012 – Tina Strobos, Dutch physician and psychiatrist (b. 1920)
- 2012 – Helga Vlahović, Croatian journalist and producer (b. 1945)
- 2013 – Van Cliburn, American pianist (b. 1934)
- 2013 – Ramon Dekkers, Dutch mixed martial artist and kick-boxer (b. 1969)
- 2013 – Dale Robertson, American actor (b. 1923)
- 2013 – Adolfo Zaldívar, Chilean lawyer and politician (b. 1943)
- 2014 – Aaron Allston, American game designer and author (b. 1960)
- 2014 – Terry Rand, American basketball player (b. 1934)
- 2015 – Boris Nemtsov, Russian academic and politician, First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia (b. 1959)
- 2015 – Leonard Nimoy, American actor (b. 1931)
- 2015 – Julio César Strassera, Argentinian lawyer and jurist (b. 1933)
- 2016 – Yi Cheol-seung, South Korean lawyer and politician (b. 1922)
- 2016 – James Z. Davis, American lawyer and judge (b. 1943)
- 2018 – Steve Folkes, Australian rugby league player and coach (b. 1959)
- 2019 – France-Albert René, Seychellois politician, 2nd President of Seychelles (b. 1935)
Holidays and observances on February 27
- Christian feast day:
- Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows
- George Herbert (Anglicanism)
- Honorina
- Leander
- February 27 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- The second day of Ayyám-i-Há (Bahá’í Faith) (Note: this observance is only on this date in the Gregorian calendar if Bahá’í Naw-Rúz takes place on March 21, which it does not in all years)
- Doctors’ Day (Vietnam)
- Independence Day (Dominican Republic), celebrates the first independence of Dominican Republic from Haiti in 1844.
- Majuba Day (some Afrikaners in South Africa)
- Marathi Language Day (Maharashtra, India)
- World NGO Day
- International Polar Bear Day
-
January 27 in History
- AD 98 – Trajan succeeds his adoptive father Nerva as Roman emperor; under his rule, the Roman Empire will reach its maximum extent.
- 1186 – Henry VI, the son and heir of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I, marries Constance of Sicily.
- 1302 – Dante Alighieri is exiled from Florence.
- 1343 – Pope Clement VI issues the papal bull Unigenitus to justify the power of the pope and the use of indulgences. Nearly 200 years later, Martin Luther would protest this.
- 1606 – Gunpowder Plot: The trial of Guy Fawkes and other conspirators begins, ending with their execution on January 31.
- 1695 – Mustafa II becomes the Ottoman sultan and Caliph of Islam in Istanbul on the death of Ahmed II. Mustafa rules until his abdication in 1703.
- 1776 – American Revolutionary War: Henry Knox’s “noble train of artillery” arrives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
- 1785 – The University of Georgia is founded, the first public university in the United States.
- 1820 – A Russian expedition led by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen and Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev discovers the Antarctic continent, approaching the Antarctic coast.
- 1825 – The U.S. Congress approves Indian Territory (in what is present-day Oklahoma), clearing the way for forced relocation of the Eastern Indians on the “Trail of Tears”.
- 1868 – Boshin War: The Battle of Toba–Fushimi begins, between forces of the Tokugawa shogunate and pro-Imperial factions; it will end in defeat for the shogunate, and is a pivotal point in the Meiji Restoration.
- 1869 – Boshin War: Tokugawa rebels establish the Ezo Republic in Hokkaidō.
- 1880 – Thomas Edison receives a patent for his incandescent lamp.
- 1916 – World War I: The British government passed a legislation that introduced conscription in the United Kingdom.
- 1918 – Beginning of the Finnish Civil War.
- 1927 – Ibn Saud takes the title of King of Nejd.
- 1939 – First flight of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning.
- 1943 – World War II: The Eighth Air Force sorties ninety-one B-17s and B-24s to attack the U-boat construction yards at Wilhelmshaven, Germany. This was the first American bombing attack on Germany.
- 1944 – World War II: The 900-day Siege of Leningrad is lifted.
- 1945 – World War II: The Soviet 322nd Rifle Division liberates the remaining inmates of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
- 1951 – Nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site begins with Operation Ranger.
- 1961 – The Soviet submarine S-80 sinks when its snorkel malfunctions, flooding the boat.
- 1967 – Apollo program: Astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee are killed in a fire during a test of their Apollo 1 spacecraft at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
- 1967 – Cold War: The Soviet Union, the United States, and the United Kingdom sign the Outer Space Treaty in Washington, D.C., banning deployment of nuclear weapons in space, and limiting use of the Moon and other celestial bodies to peaceful purposes.
- 1973 – The Paris Peace Accords officially end the Vietnam War. Colonel William Nolde is killed in action becoming the conflict’s last recorded American combat casualty.
- 1980 – Through cooperation between the U.S. and Canadian governments, six American diplomats secretly escape hostilities in Iran in the culmination of the Canadian Caper.
- 1983 – The pilot shaft of the Seikan Tunnel, the world’s longest sub-aqueous tunnel (53.85 km) between the Japanese islands of Honshū and Hokkaidō, breaks through.
- 1996 – In a military coup, Colonel Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara deposes the first democratically elected president of Niger, Mahamane Ousmane.
- 1996 – Germany first observes the International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
- 2002 – An explosion at a military storage facility in Lagos, Nigeria, kills at least 1,100 people and displaces over 20,000 others.
- 2003 – The first selections for the National Recording Registry are announced by the Library of Congress.
- 2010 – The 2009 Honduran constitutional crisis ends when Porfirio Lobo Sosa becomes the new President of Honduras.
- 2011 – Arab Spring: The Yemeni Revolution begins as over 16,000 protestors demonstrate in Sana’a.
- 2013 – Two hundred and forty-two people die in a nightclub fire in the Brazilian city of Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul.
Births on January 27
- 1365 – Edward of Angoulême, English noble (d. 1370)
- 1443 – Albert III, Duke of Saxony (d. 1500)
- 1546 – Joachim III Frederick, Elector of Brandenburg (d. 1608)
- 1571 – Abbas I of Persia (d. 1629)
- 1585 – Hendrick Avercamp, Dutch painter (d. 1634)
- 1603 – Sir Harbottle Grimston, 2nd Baronet, English lawyer and politician, Speaker of the House of Commons (d. 1685)
- 1603 – Humphrey Mackworth, English politician, lawyer and judge (d. 1654)
- 1621 – Thomas Willis, English physician and anatomist (d. 1675)
- 1662 – Richard Bentley, English scholar and theologian (d. 1742)
- 1663 – George Byng, 1st Viscount Torrington, Royal Navy admiral (d. 1733)
- 1687 – Johann Balthasar Neumann, German engineer and architect, designed Würzburg Residence and Basilica of the Fourteen Holy Helpers (d. 1753)
- 1701 – Johann Nikolaus von Hontheim, German historian and theologian (d. 1790)
- 1708 – Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna of Russia (d. 1728)
- 1741 – Hester Thrale, Welsh author (d. 1821)
- 1756 – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Austrian pianist and composer (d. 1791)
- 1775 – Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling, German-Swiss philosopher and academic (d. 1854)
- 1790 – Juan Álvarez, Mexican general and president (1855) (d. 1867)
- 1795 – Eli Whitney Blake, American engineer, invented the Mortise lock (d. 1886)
- 1803 – Eunice Hale Waite Cobb, American writer, public speaker, and activist (d. 1880)
- 1805 – Maria Anna of Bavaria (d. 1877)
- 1805 – Samuel Palmer, English painter and etcher (d. 1881)
- 1806 – Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga, Spanish composer and educator (d. 1826)
- 1808 – David Strauss, German theologian and author (d. 1874)
- 1814 – Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, French architect, designed the Lausanne Cathedral (d. 1879)
- 1821 – John Chivington, American colonel and pastor (d. 1892)
- 1823 – Édouard Lalo, French violinist and composer (d. 1892)
- 1824 – Urbain Johnson, Canadian farmer and political figure (d. 1917)
- 1826 – Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin, Russian journalist and author (d. 1889)
- 1826 – Richard Taylor, American general, historian, and politician (d. 1879)
- 1832 – Lewis Carroll, English novelist, poet, and mathematician (d. 1898)
- 1832 – Carl Friedrich Schmidt, Estonian-Russian geologist and botanist (d. 1908)
- 1836 – Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, Austrian journalist and author (d. 1895)
- 1842 – Arkhip Kuindzhi, Ukrainian-Russian painter (d. 1910)
- 1848 – Tōgō Heihachirō, Japanese admiral (d. 1934)
- 1850 – John Collier, English painter and author (d. 1934)
- 1850 – Samuel Gompers, English-American labor leader (d. 1924)
- 1850 – Edward Smith, English captain (d. 1912)
- 1858 – Neel Doff, Dutch-Belgian author (d. 1942)
- 1859 – Wilhelm II, German Emperor (d. 1941)
- 1869 – Will Marion Cook, American violinist and composer (d. 1944)
- 1878 – Dorothy Scarborough, American author (d. 1935)
- 1885 – Jerome Kern, American composer and songwriter (d. 1945)
- 1885 – Seison Maeda, Japanese painter (d. 1977)
- 1886 – Radhabinod Pal, Indian academic and jurist (d. 1967)
- 1889 – Balthasar van der Pol, Dutch physicist and academic (d. 1959)
- 1891 – Ilya Ehrenburg, Russian journalist and author (d. 1967)
- 1893 – Soong Ching-ling, Chinese politician, Honorary President of the People’s Republic of China (d. 1981)
- 1895 – Joseph Rosenstock, Polish-American conductor and manager (d. 1985)
- 1895 – Harry Ruby, American composer and screenwriter (d. 1974)
- 1900 – Hyman G. Rickover, American admiral (d. 1986)
- 1901 – Willy Fritsch, German actor (d. 1973)
- 1901 – Art Rooney, American football player and coach, founded the Pittsburgh Steelers (d. 1988)
- 1903 – John Eccles, Australian-Swiss neurophysiologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1997)
- 1903 – Otto P. Weyland, American general (d. 1979)
- 1904 – James J. Gibson, American psychologist and academic (d. 1979)
- 1905 – Howard McNear, American actor (d. 1969)
- 1908 – William Randolph Hearst, Jr., American journalist and publisher (d. 1993)
- 1910 – Edvard Kardelj, Slovene general, economist, and politician, 2nd Foreign Minister of Yugoslavia (d. 1979)
- 1912 – Arne Næss, Norwegian philosopher and environmentalist (d. 2009)
- 1912 – Francis Rogallo, American engineer, invented the Rogallo wing (d. 2009)
- 1915 – Jules Archer, American historian and author (d. 2008)
- 1915 – Jacques Hnizdovsky, Ukrainian-American painter, sculptor, and illustrator (d. 1985)
- 1918 – Skitch Henderson, American pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 2005)
- 1918 – Elmore James, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1963)
- 1918 – William Seawell, American general (d. 2005)
- 1919 – Tom Addington, English captain (d. 2011)
- 1919 – Ross Bagdasarian, Sr., American singer-songwriter, pianist, producer, and actor, created Alvin and the Chipmunks (d. 1972)
- 1920 – Hiroyoshi Nishizawa, Japanese lieutenant and pilot (d. 1944)
- 1920 – Helmut Zacharias, German violinist and composer (d. 2002)
- 1921 – Donna Reed, American actress (d. 1986)
- 1924 – Rauf Denktaş, Cypriot lawyer and politician, 1st President of Northern Cyprus (d. 2012)
- 1924 – Brian Rix, English actor, producer, and politician (d. 2016)
- 1924 – Harvey Shapiro, American poet (d. 2013)
- 1926 – Fritz Spiegl, Austrian flute player and journalist (d. 2003)
- 1926 – Ingrid Thulin, Swedish actress (d. 2004)
- 1928 – Michael Craig, Indian-English actor and screenwriter
- 1928 – Hans Modrow, Polish-German lawyer and politician, 5th Prime Minister of East Germany
- 1929 – Mohamed Al-Fayed, Egyptian-Swiss businessman
- 1929 – Gastón Suárez, Bolivian author and playwright (d. 1984)
- 1930 – Bobby “Blue” Bland, American blues singer-songwriter (d. 2013)
- 1931 – Mordecai Richler, Canadian author and screenwriter (d. 2001)
- 1931 – Nigel Vinson, Baron Vinson, English lieutenant and businessman
- 1932 – Boris Shakhlin, Russian-Ukrainian gymnast (d. 2008)
- 1933 – Jerry Buss, American chemist and businessman (d. 2013)
- 1934 – Édith Cresson, French politician and diplomat, 160th Prime Minister of France
- 1934 – George Follmer, American race car driver
- 1935 – Steve Demeter, American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 2013)
- 1936 – Troy Donahue, American actor (d. 2001)
- 1936 – Samuel C. C. Ting, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1937 – Fred Åkerström, Swedish singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1985)
- 1940 – Ahmet Kurtcebe Alptemoçin, Turkish engineer and politician, 35th Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs
- 1940 – James Cromwell, American actor
- 1940 – Terry Harper, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
- 1940 – Petru Lucinschi, Romanian activist and politician, 2nd President of Moldova
- 1940 – Reynaldo Rey, American actor and screenwriter (d. 2015)
- 1941 – Beatrice Tinsley, New Zealand astronomer and cosmologist (d. 1981)
- 1942 – Maki Asakawa, Japanese singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2010)
- 1942 – Tasuku Honjo, Japanese immunologist, Nobel Prize laureate in Physiology or Medicine
- 1942 – John Witherspoon, American actor and comedian (d. 2019)
- 1942 – Kate Wolf, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1986)
- 1943 – Julia Cumberlege, Baroness Cumberlege, English businesswoman and politician
- 1944 – Peter Akinola, Nigerian archbishop
- 1944 – Mairead Maguire, Northern Irish activist, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1944 – Nick Mason, English drummer, songwriter, and producer
- 1945 – Harold Cardinal, Canadian lawyer and politician (d. 2005)
- 1946 – Christopher Hum, English academic and diplomat, British Ambassador to China
- 1946 – Nedra Talley, American singer
- 1947 – Björn Afzelius, Swedish singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1999)
- 1947 – Vyron Polydoras, Greek lawyer and politician, Greek Minister for Public Order
- 1947 – Cal Schenkel, American painter and illustrator
- 1947 – Philip Sugden, English historian and author (d. 2014)
- 1947 – Perfecto Yasay Jr., Filipino lawyer and Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines
- 1948 – Mikhail Baryshnikov, Russian-American dancer, choreographer, and actor
- 1948 – Jean-Philippe Collard, French pianist
- 1951 – Seth Justman, American keyboard player and songwriter
- 1951 – Cees van der Knaap, Dutch soldier and politician
- 1952 – Brian Gottfried, American tennis player
- 1952 – Billy Johnson, American football player and coach
- 1952 – Tam O’Shaughnessy, American tennis player, psychologist, and academic
- 1952 – G. E. Smith, American guitarist and songwriter
- 1954 – Peter Laird, American author and illustrator
- 1954 – Ed Schultz, American talk show host and sportscaster (d. 2018)
- 1955 – Brian Engblom, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
- 1955 – John Roberts, American lawyer and judge, 17th Chief Justice of the United States
- 1956 – Mimi Rogers, American actress
- 1957 – Janick Gers, English guitarist and songwriter
- 1957 – Frank Miller, American illustrator, director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1958 – James Grippando, American lawyer and author
- 1958 – Alan Milburn, English businessman and politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
- 1959 – Cris Collinsworth, American football player and sportscaster
- 1959 – Göran Hägglund, Swedish lawyer and politician, 28th Swedish Minister for Social Affairs
- 1959 – Keith Olbermann, American journalist and author
- 1960 – Fiona O’Donnell, Canadian-Scottish politician
- 1961 – Narciso Rodriguez, American fashion designer
- 1961 – Margo Timmins, Canadian singer-songwriter
- 1962 – Roberto Paci Dalò, Italian director and composer
- 1963 – George Monbiot, English-Welsh author and activist
- 1964 – Patrick van Deurzen, Dutch composer and academic
- 1964 – Bridget Fonda, American actress
- 1964 – Shahin Shahablou, Iranian photographer (d. 2020)
- 1965 – Alan Cumming, Scottish-American actor
- 1965 – Mike Newell, English footballer and manager
- 1965 – Ignacio Noé, Argentinian author and illustrator
- 1965 – Attila Sekerlioglu, Austrian footballer and manager
- 1966 – Tamlyn Tomita, Japanese-American actress and singer
- 1967 – Dave Manson, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
- 1968 – Tracy Lawrence, American country singer
- 1968 – Mike Patton, American singer, composer, and voice artist
- 1968 – Matt Stover, American football player
- 1969 – Michael Kulas, Canadian singer-songwriter and producer
- 1969 – Patton Oswalt, American comedian and actor
- 1969 – Shane Thomson, New Zealand cricketer
- 1970 – Bradley Clyde, Australian rugby league player
- 1970 – Dean Headley, English cricketer and coach
- 1971 – Patrice Brisebois, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
- 1972 – Bibi Gaytán, Mexican singer and actress
- 1973 – Valyantsin Byalkevich, Belarusian footballer and manager (d. 2014)
- 1974 – Ole Einar Bjørndalen, Norwegian skier and biathlete
- 1974 – Andrei Pavel, Romanian tennis player and coach
- 1974 – Chaminda Vaas, Sri Lankan cricketer and coach
- 1976 – Ahn Jung-hwan, South Korean footballer
- 1976 – Clint Ford, American actor, voice actor and novelist
- 1976 – Danielle George MBE FIET, Professor of Radio frequency engineering at the University of Manchester
- 1976 – Fred Taylor, American football player
- 1976 – Michael K. Winder, American businessman and politician
- 1978 – Pete Laforest, Canadian-American baseball player and manager
- 1979 – Rosamund Pike, English actress
- 1979 – Daniel Vettori, New Zealand cricketer and coach
- 1980 – Chanda Gunn, American ice hockey player and coach
- 1980 – Marat Safin, Russian tennis player and politician
- 1981 – Alicia Molik, Australian tennis player and sportscaster
- 1981 – Tony Woodcock, New Zealand rugby player
- 1982 – Eva Asderaki, Greek tennis umpire
- 1983 – Carlo Colaiacovo, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1983 – Paulo Colaiacovo, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1983 – Gavin Floyd, American baseball player
- 1987 – Katy Rose, American singer-songwriter and producer
- 1987 – Anton Shunin, Russian footballer
- 1987 – Ashley Grace, American singer-songwriter
- 1988 – Kerlon, Brazilian footballer
- 1989 – Alberto Botía, Spanish footballer
- 1991 – Christian Bickel, German footballer
- 1991 – Sebastine Ikahihifo, New Zealand rugby league player
- 1992 – Stefano Pettinari, Italian footballer
- 1995 – Harrison Reed, English footballer midfielder
Deaths on January 27
- AD 98 – Nerva, Roman emperor (b. 35)
- 457 – Marcian, Byzantine emperor (b. 392)
- 555 – Yuan Di, emperor of the Liang Dynasty (b. 508)
- 672 – Pope Vitalian
- 847 – Pope Sergius II (b. 790)
- 906 – Liu Can, chancellor of the Tang Dynasty
- 931 – Ruotger, archbishop of Trier
- 947 – Zhang Yanze, Chinese general and governor
- 1062 – Adelaide of Hungary, (b. c. 1040)
- 1311 – Külüg Khan, Emperor Wuzong of Yuan
- 1377 – Frederick the Simple, King of Sicily
- 1490 – Ashikaga Yoshimasa, Japanese shōgun (b. 1435)
- 1504 – Ludovico II, Marquess of Saluzzo (b. 1438)
- 1540 – Angela Merici, Italian educator and saint, founded the Company of St. Ursula (b. 1474)
- 1592 – Gian Paolo Lomazzo, Italian painter (b. 1538)
- 1596 – Francis Drake, English captain and explorer (b. 1540)
- 1629 – Hieronymus Praetorius, German organist and composer (b. 1560)
- 1638 – Gonzalo de Céspedes y Meneses, Spanish author and poet (b. 1585)
- 1651 – Abraham Bloemaert, Dutch painter and illustrator (b. 1566)
- 1689 – Robert Aske, English merchant and philanthropist (b. 1619)
- 1731 – Bartolomeo Cristofori, Italian instrument maker, invented the Piano (b. 1655)
- 1733 – Thomas Woolston, English theologian and author (b. 1669)
- 1740 – Louis Henri, Duke of Bourbon (b. 1692)
- 1770 – Philippe Macquer, French historian (b. 1720)
- 1794 – Antoine Philippe de La Trémoille, French general (b. 1765)
- 1812 – John Perkins, Anglo-Jamaican captain
- 1814 – Johann Gottlieb Fichte, German philosopher and academic (b. 1762)
- 1816 – Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood, English admiral and politician (b. 1724)
- 1851 – John James Audubon, French-American ornithologist and painter (b. 1789)
- 1860 – János Bolyai, Romanian-Hungarian mathematician and academic (b. 1802)
- 1880 – Edward Middleton Barry, English architect and academic, co-designed the Halifax Town Hall and the Royal Opera House (b. 1830)
- 1901 – Giuseppe Verdi, Italian composer (b. 1813)
- 1910 – Thomas Crapper, English plumber and businessman (b. 1836)
- 1919 – Endre Ady, Hungarian poet and journalist (b. 1877)
- 1921 – Maurice Buckley, Australian sergeant (b. 1891)
- 1922 – Nellie Bly, American journalist and author (b. 1864)
- 1927 – Jurgis Matulaitis-Matulevičius, Lithuanian bishop (b. 1871)
- 1931 – Nishinoumi Kajirō II, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 25th Yokozuna (b. 1880)
- 1940 – Isaac Babel, Russian short story writer, journalist, and playwright (b. 1894)
- 1942 – Kaarel Eenpalu, Estonian journalist and politician, Prime Minister of Estonia (b. 1888)
- 1951 – Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, Finnish field marshal and politician, 6th President of Finland (b. 1867)
- 1956 – Erich Kleiber, Austrian conductor and director (b. 1890)
- 1961 – Bernard Friedberg, Austrian scholar and author (b. 1876)
- 1963 – John Farrow, Australian-American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1904)
- 1965 – Abraham Walkowitz, American painter (b. 1878)
- 1967 – crew of Apollo 1
- Roger B. Chaffee, American pilot, engineer, and astronaut (b. 1935)
- Gus Grissom, American pilot and astronaut (b. 1926)
- Ed White, American colonel, engineer, and astronaut (b. 1930)
- 1967 – Alphonse Juin, Algerian-French general (b. 1888)
- 1970 – Rocco D’Assunta, Italian actor, comedian and playwright (b. 1904)
- 1971 – Jacobo Árbenz, Guatemalan captain and politician, President of Guatemala (b. 1913)
- 1972 – Mahalia Jackson, American singer (b. 1911)
- 1973 – William Nolde, American colonel (b. 1929)
- 1974 – Georgios Grivas, Cypriot general (b. 1898)
- 1975 – Bill Walsh, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1913)
- 1983 – Louis de Funès, French actor and screenwriter (b. 1914)
- 1986 – Lilli Palmer, German-American actress (b. 1914)
- 1987 – Norman McLaren, Scottish-Canadian animator and director (b. 1914)
- 1988 – Massa Makan Diabaté, Malian historian, author, and playwright (b. 1938)
- 1989 – Thomas Sopwith, English ice hockey player and pilot (b. 1888)
- 1993 – André the Giant, French professional wrestler and actor (b. 1946)
- 1994 – Claude Akins, American actor (b. 1918)
- 1996 – Ralph Yarborough, American colonel, lawyer, and politician (b. 1903)
- 2000 – Friedrich Gulda, Austrian pianist and composer (b. 1930)
- 2003 – Henryk Jabłoński, Polish historian and politician, President of Poland (b. 1909)
- 2004 – Salvador Laurel, Filipino lawyer and politician, 10th Vice President of the Philippines (b. 1928)
- 2004 – Jack Paar, American talk show host and author (b. 1918)
- 2006 – Gene McFadden, American singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1948)
- 2006 – Johannes Rau, German journalist and politician, 8th President of Germany (b. 1931)
- 2007 – Yang Chuan-kwang, Taiwanese decathlete, long jumper, and hurdler (b. 1933)
- 2008 – Suharto, Indonesian general and politician, 2nd President of Indonesia (b. 1921)
- 2008 – Gordon B. Hinckley, American religious leader and author, 15th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (b. 1910)
- 2008 – Louie Welch, American businessman and politician, 54th Mayor of Houston (b. 1918)
- 2009 – John Updike, American novelist, short story writer, and critic (b. 1932)
- 2009 – R. Venkataraman, Indian lawyer and politician, 8th President of India (b. 1910)
- 2010 – Zelda Rubinstein, American actress (b. 1933)
- 2010 – J. D. Salinger, American soldier and author (b. 1919)
- 2010 – Howard Zinn, American historian, author, and activist (b. 1922)
- 2011 – Charlie Callas, American comedian and musician (b. 1927)
- 2012 – Greg Cook, American football player and sportscaster (b. 1946)
- 2012 – Ted Dicks, English composer and screenwriter (b. 1928)
- 2012 – Jeannette Hamby, American nurse and politician (b. 1933)
- 2012 – Kevin White, American politician, 51st Mayor of Boston (b. 1929)
- 2013 – Ivan Bodiul, Ukrainian-Russian politician (b. 1918)
- 2013 – Stanley Karnow, American journalist and historian (b. 1925)
- 2014 – Pete Seeger, American singer-songwriter, guitarist and activist (b. 1919)
- 2014 – Epimaco Velasco, Filipino lawyer and politician, Governor of Cavite (b. 1935)
- 2014 – Paul Zorner, German soldier and pilot (b. 1920)
- 2015 – Rocky Bridges, American baseball player and coach (b. 1927)
- 2015 – David Landau, English-Israeli journalist (b. 1947)
- 2015 – Joseph Rotman, Canadian businessman and philanthropist (b. 1935)
- 2015 – Charles Hard Townes, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1915)
- 2015 – Larry Winters, American wrestler and trainer (b. 1956)
- 2016 – Carlos Loyzaga, Filipino basketball player and coach (b. 1930)
- 2017 – Emmanuelle Riva, French actress (b. 1927)
- 2017 – Arthur H. Rosenfeld, American physicist (b. 1926)
- 2018 – Ingvar Kamprad, Founder of IKEA (b. 1926)
- 2018 – Mort Walker, American cartoonist (b. 1923)
- 2019 – Countess Maya von Schönburg-Glauchau, German socialite (b. 1958)
Holidays and observances on January 27
- Christian feast day:
- Angela Merici
- Blessed Paul Joseph Nardini
- Devota (Monaco)
- Enrique de Ossó y Cercelló
- John Chrysostom (translation of relics) (Anglican, Lutheran, Eastern Orthodox)
- Sava (Serbia)
- January 27 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Day of the lifting of the siege of Leningrad (Russia)
- Liberation of the remaining inmates of Auschwitz-related observances:
- Holocaust Memorial Day (UK)
- International Holocaust Remembrance Day
- Memorial Day (Italy)
- Other Holocaust Memorial Days observances