Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors. Please consider supporting us by whitelisting our website.

Texas

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

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

Births on February 14

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

Deaths on February 14

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

Holidays and observances on February 14

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

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

On This Day

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

  • 1258 – Mongol invasions: Baghdad falls to the Mongols, bringing the Islamic Golden Age to an end.
  • 1306 – In front of the high altar of Greyfriars Church in Dumfries, Robert the Bruce murders John Comyn sparking the revolution in the Wars of Scottish Independence.
  • 1355 – The St Scholastica Day riot breaks out in Oxford, England, leaving 63 scholars and perhaps 30 locals dead in two days.
  • 1502 – Vasco da Gama sets sail from Lisbon, Portugal, on his second voyage to India.
  • 1567 – Lord Darnley, second husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, is found strangled following an explosion at the Kirk o’ Field house in Edinburgh, Scotland, a suspected assassination.
  • 1712 – Huilliches in Chiloé rebel against Spanish encomenderos.
  • 1763 – French and Indian War: The Treaty of Paris ends the war and France cedes Quebec to Great Britain.
  • 1814 – Napoleonic Wars: The Battle of Champaubert ends in French victory over the Russians and the Prussians.
  • 1840 – Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom marries Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.
  • 1846 – First Anglo-Sikh War: Battle of Sobraon: British defeat Sikhs in the final battle of the war.
  • 1861 – Jefferson Davis is notified by telegraph that he has been chosen as provisional President of the Confederate States of America.
  • 1862 – American Civil War: A Union naval flotilla destroys the bulk of the Confederate Mosquito Fleet in the Battle of Elizabeth City on the Pasquotank River in North Carolina.
  • 1906 – HMS Dreadnought, the first of a revolutionary new breed of battleships is christened and launched by King Edward VII.
  • 1920 – Józef Haller de Hallenburg performs symbolic wedding of Poland to the sea, celebrating restitution of Polish access to open sea.
  • 1920 – About 75 % of the population in Zone I votes to join Denmark in the 1920 Schleswig plebiscites.
  • 1923 – Texas Tech University is founded as Texas Technological College in Lubbock, Texas
  • 1930 – The Việt Nam Quốc Dân Đảng launches the failed Yên Bái mutiny in hope to overthrow French protectorate over Vietnam.
  • 1933 – In round 13 of a boxing match at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, Primo Carnera knocks out Ernie Schaaf. Schaaf dies four days later.
  • 1936 – Second Italo-Abyssinian War: Italian troops launched the Battle of Amba Aradam against Ethiopian defenders.
  • 1939 – Spanish Civil War: The Nationalists conclude their conquest of Catalonia and seal the border with France.
  • 1940 – The Soviet Union begins mass deportations of Polish citizens from occupied eastern Poland to Siberia.
  • 1940 – Cartoon characters Tom and Jerry make their debut with Puss Gets the Boot.
  • 1942 – World War II: Imperial Japanese Army capture Banjarmasin, capital of Borneo in Dutch East Indies.
  • 1943 – World War II: Attempting to completely lift the Siege of Leningrad, the Soviet Red Army engages German troops and Spanish volunteers in the Battle of Krasny Bor.
  • 1947 – The Paris Peace Treaties are signed by Italy, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Finland and the Allies of World War II.
  • 1954 – U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower warns against United States intervention in Vietnam.
  • 1962 – Cold War: Captured American U2 spy-plane pilot Gary Powers is exchanged for captured Soviet spy Rudolf Abel.
  • 1962 – Roy Lichtenstein’s first solo exhibition opened, and it included Look Mickey, which featured his first employment of Ben-Day dots, speech balloons and comic imagery sourcing, all of which he is now known for.
  • 1964 – Melbourne–Voyager collision: The aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne collides with and sinks the destroyer HMAS Voyager off the south coast of New South Wales, Australia, killing 82.
  • 1967 – The 25th Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified.
  • 1972 – Ras Al Khaimah joins the United Arab Emirates, now making up seven emirates.
  • 1984 – Kenyan soldiers kill an estimated 5000 ethnic Somali Kenyans in the Wagalla massacre.
  • 1989 – Ron Brown is elected chairman of the Democratic National Committee becoming the first African American to lead a major American political party.
  • 1996 – IBM supercomputer Deep Blue defeats Garry Kasparov in chess for the first time.
  • 2003 – France and Belgium break the NATO procedure of silent approval concerning the timing of protective measures for Turkey in case of a possible war with Iraq.
  • 2007 – Then Illinois senator Barack Obama announces his candidacy for president in the 2008 elections, which he later goes on to win.
  • 2009 – The communications satellites Iridium 33 and Kosmos 2251 collide in orbit, destroying both.
  • 2013 – Thirty-six people are killed and 39 others are injured in a stampede in Allahabad, India, during the Kumbh Mela festival.
  • 2016 – South Korea decides to stop the operation of the Kaesong joint industrial complex with North Korea in response to the launch of Kwangmyŏngsŏng-4.
  • 2018 – 19 people are killed and 66 injured when a Kowloon Motor Bus double-decker on route 872 in Hong Kong overturns.

Births on February 10

  • 1486 – George of the Palatinate, German bishop (d. 1529)
  • 1499 – Thomas Platter, Swiss author and scholar (d. 1582)
  • 1514 – Domenico Bollani, Bishop of Milan (d. 1579)
  • 1606 – Christine of France, Duchess of Savoy (d. 1663)
  • 1609 – John Suckling, English poet and playwright (d. 1642)
  • 1627 – Cornelis de Bie, Flemish poet and jurist (d. 1715)
  • 1685 – Aaron Hill, English poet and playwright (d. 1750)
  • 1696 – Johann Melchior Molter, German violinist and composer (d. 1765)
  • 1744 – William Cornwallis, English admiral and politician (d. 1819)
  • 1766 – Benjamin Smith Barton, American botanist and physician (d. 1815)
  • 1775 – Charles Lamb, English poet and essayist (d. 1834)
  • 1785 – Claude-Louis Navier, French physicist and engineer (d. 1836)
  • 1795 – Ary Scheffer, Dutch-French painter and academic (d. 1858)
  • 1797 – George Chichester, 3rd Marquess of Donegall (d. 1883)
  • 1821 – Roberto Bompiani, Italian painter and sculptor (d. 1908)
  • 1824 – Samuel Plimsoll, English merchant and politician (d. 1898)
  • 1842 – Agnes Mary Clerke, Irish astronomer and author (d. 1907)
  • 1843 – Adelina Patti, Italian-French opera singer (d. 1919)
  • 1846 – Lord Charles Beresford, Irish admiral and politician (d. 1919)
  • 1846 – Ira Remsen, American chemist and academic (d. 1927)
  • 1847 – Nabinchandra Sen, Bangladeshi poet and author (d. 1909)
  • 1859 – Alexandre Millerand, French lawyer and politician, 12th President of France (d. 1943)
  • 1867 – Robert Garran, Australian lawyer and public servant (d. 1957)
  • 1868 – Prince Waldemar of Prussia (d. 1879)
  • 1868 – William Allen White, American journalist and author (d. 1944)
  • 1869 – Royal Cortissoz, American art critic (d. 1948)
  • 1879 – Ernst Põdder, Estonian general (d. 1932)
  • 1881 – Pauline Brunius, Swedish actress and director (d. 1954)
  • 1883 – Edith Clarke, American electrical engineer (d. 1959)
  • 1883 – H.V. Hordern, Australian cricketer (d. 1938)
  • 1889 – Cevdet Sunay, Turkish general and politician, 5th President of Turkey (d. 1982)
  • 1890 – Fanny Kaplan, Ukrainian-Russian activist (d. 1918)
  • 1890 – Boris Pasternak, Russian poet, novelist, and literary translator Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1960)
  • 1892 – Alan Hale Sr., American actor and director (d. 1950)
  • 1893 – Jimmy Durante, American actor, singer, and pianist (d. 1980)
  • 1893 – Bill Tilden, American tennis player and coach (d. 1953)
  • 1894 – Harold Macmillan, English captain and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1986)
  • 1897 – Judith Anderson, Australian actress (d. 1992)
  • 1897 – John Franklin Enders, American virologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1985)
  • 1898 – Bertolt Brecht, German director, playwright, and poet (d. 1956)
  • 1898 – Joseph Kessel, French journalist and author (d. 1979)
  • 1901 – Stella Adler, American actress and educator (d. 1992)
  • 1902 – Walter Houser Brattain, Chinese-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1987)
  • 1903 – Waldemar Hoven, German physician (d. 1948)
  • 1903 – Matthias Sindelar, Austrian footballer and manager (d. 1939)
  • 1904 – John Farrow, Australian-American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1963)
  • 1905 – Walter A. Brown, American businessman, founded the Boston Celtics (d. 1964)
  • 1905 – Chick Webb, American drummer and bandleader (d. 1939)
  • 1906 – Lon Chaney Jr., American actor (d. 1973)
  • 1907 – Anthony Cottrell, New Zealand rugby player (d. 1988)
  • 1908 – Jean Coulthard, Canadian composer and educator (d. 2000)
  • 1909 – Min Thu Wun, Burmese poet, scholar, and politician (d. 2004)
  • 1910 – Dominique Pire, Belgian friar, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1969)
  • 1914 – Larry Adler, American harmonica player, composer, and actor (d. 2001)
  • 1915 – Vladimir Zeldin, Russian actor (d. 2016)
  • 1919 – Ioannis Charalambopoulos, Greek colonel and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Greece (d. 2014)
  • 1920 – Alex Comfort, English physician and author (d. 2000)
  • 1920 – Neva Patterson, American actress (d. 2010)
  • 1920 – José Manuel Castañón, Spanish lawyer and author (d. 2001)
  • 1922 – Árpád Göncz, Hungarian author, playwright, and politician, 1st President of Hungary (d. 2015)
  • 1922 – José Gabriel da Costa later known as Mestre Gabriel, Brazilian spiritual leader, founder of the União do Vegetal (d. 1971)
  • 1923 – Allie Sherman, American football player and coach (d. 2015)
  • 1924 – Max Ferguson, Canadian radio host and actor (d. 2013)
  • 1924 – Bud Poile, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 2005)
  • 1925 – Pierre Mondy, French actor and director (d. 2012)
  • 1926 – Sidney Bryan Berry, American general (d. 2013)
  • 1926 – Danny Blanchflower, Northern Irish soldier, footballer and manager (d. 1993)
  • 1927 – Leontyne Price, American operatic soprano
  • 1929 – Jerry Goldsmith, American composer and conductor (d. 2004)
  • 1929 – Jim Whittaker, American mountaineer
  • 1929 – Lou Whittaker, American mountaineer
  • 1930 – E. L. Konigsburg, American author and illustrator (d. 2013)
  • 1930 – Robert Wagner, American actor and producer
  • 1931 – James Edward Maceo West, American inventor and acoustician
  • 1932 – Barrie Ingham, English-American actor (d. 2015)
  • 1933 – Richard Schickel, American journalist, author, and critic (d. 2017)
  • 1933 – Faramarz Payvar, Iranian santur player and composer (d. 2009)
  • 1935 – Theodore Antoniou, Greek composer and conductor (d. 2018)
  • 1937 – Anne Anderson, Scottish physiologist and academic (d. 1983)
  • 1937 – Roberta Flack, American singer-songwriter and pianist
  • 1939 – Adrienne Clarkson, Hong Kong-Canadian journalist and politician, 26th Governor General of Canada
  • 1939 – Deolinda Rodríguez de Almeida, Angolan nationalist (d. 1967)
  • 1940 – Mary Rand, English sprinter and long jumper
  • 1940 – Kenny Rankin, American singer-songwriter (d. 2009)
  • 1941 – Michael Apted, English director and producer
  • 1944 – Peter Allen, Australian singer-songwriter, pianist, and actor (d. 1992)
  • 1944 – Frank Keating, American lawyer and politician, 25th Governor of Oklahoma
  • 1944 – Frances Moore Lappé, American author and activist
  • 1944 – Rufus Reid, American bassist and composer
  • 1945 – Delma S. Arrigoitia, Puerto Rican historian, author, educator and lawyer
  • 1947 – Louise Arbour, Canadian lawyer and jurist
  • 1947 – Butch Morris, American cornet player, composer, and conductor (d. 2013)
  • 1947 – Nicholas Owen, English journalist
  • 1949 – Nigel Olsson, English rock drummer and singer-songwriter
  • 1950 – Luis Donaldo Colosio, Mexican economist and politician (d. 1994)
  • 1950 – Mark Spitz, American swimmer
  • 1951 – Bob Iger, American media executive
  • 1952 – Lee Hsien Loong, Singaporean general and politician, 3rd Prime Minister of Singapore
  • 1955 – Jim Cramer, American television personality, pundit, and author
  • 1955 – Greg Norman, Australian golfer and sportscaster
  • 1956 – Enele Sopoaga, Tuvaluan politician, 12th Prime Minister of Tuvalu
  • 1957 – Katherine Freese, American astrophysicist and academic
  • 1959 – John Calipari, American basketball player and coach
  • 1960 – Jim Kent, American biologist, computer programmer, academic
  • 1961 – Alexander Payne, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1961 – George Stephanopoulos, American television journalist
  • 1962 – Randy Velischek, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1962 – Cliff Burton, American heavy metal bassist (d. 1986)
  • 1963 – Lenny Dykstra, American baseball player
  • 1964 – Glenn Beck, American journalist, producer, and author
  • 1966 – Natalie Bennett, Australian-English journalist and politician
  • 1966 – Daryl Johnston, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1967 – Laura Dern, American actress, director, and producer
  • 1967 – Jacky Durand, French cyclist and sportscaster
  • 1967 – Vince Gilligan, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1968 – Peter Popovic, Swedish ice hockey player and coach
  • 1968 – Garrett Reisman, American engineer and astronaut
  • 1969 – Joe Mangrum, American painter and sculptor
  • 1969 – James Small, South African rugby player (d. 2019)
  • 1970 – Melissa Doyle, Australian journalist and author
  • 1970 – Noureddine Naybet, Moroccan international footballer, central defender and manager
  • 1970 – Åsne Seierstad, Norwegian journalist and author
  • 1971 – Lorena Rojas, Mexican actress and singer (d. 2015)
  • 1972 – Michael Kasprowicz, Australian cricketer
  • 1973 – Martha Lane Fox, Baroness Lane-Fox of Soho, English businesswoman and politician
  • 1974 – Elizabeth Banks, American actress
  • 1974 – Ty Law, American football player
  • 1974 – Ivri Lider, Israeli singer
  • 1974 – Henry Paul, New Zealand rugby player and coach
  • 1976 – Lance Berkman, American baseball player and coach
  • 1976 – Keeley Hawes, English actress
  • 1977 – Salif Diao, Senegalese footballer
  • 1979 – Joey Hand, American race car driver
  • 1980 – César Izturis, Venezuelan baseball player
  • 1980 – Enzo Maresca, Italian footballer
  • 1980 – Mike Ribeiro, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1981 – Uzo Aduba, American actress
  • 1981 – Stephanie Beatriz, American actress
  • 1981 – Andrew Johnson, English international footballer, forward and club ambassador
  • 1981 – Holly Willoughby, English model and television host
  • 1982 – Justin Gatlin, American sprinter
  • 1982 – Tarmo Neemelo, Estonian footballer
  • 1982 – Hamad Al-Tayyar, Kuwaiti footballer
  • 1982 – Iafeta Paleaaesina, New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1983 – Vic Fuentes, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1984 – Greg Bird, Australian rugby league player
  • 1984 – Alex Gordon, American baseball player
  • 1984 – Kim Hyo-jin, South Korean actress
  • 1985 – Selçuk İnan, Turkish footballer
  • 1985 – Paul Millsap, American basketball player
  • 1986 – Jeff Adrien, American basketball player
  • 1986 – Josh Akognon, American basketball player
  • 1986 – Radamel Falcao, Colombian footballer
  • 1986 – Roberto Jiménez Gago, Spanish footballer
  • 1986 – Viktor Troicki, Serbian tennis player
  • 1987 – Jakub Kindl, Czech ice hockey player
  • 1987 – Facundo Roncaglia, Argentinian footballer
  • 1988 – Francesco Acerbi, Italian footballer
  • 1989 – Liam Hendriks, Australian baseball player
  • 1990 – Barbara Guarischi, Italian cyclist
  • 1990 – Choi Soo-young, South Korean singer-songwriter, actress, and dancer
  • 1991 – Rebecca Dempster, Scottish footballer
  • 1991 – Emma Roberts, American actress
  • 1992 – Haruka Nakagawa, Japanese singer and actress
  • 1992 – Reinhold Yabo, German footballer
  • 1993 – Max Kepler, German baseball player
  • 1993 – Filip Twardzik, Czech footballer
  • 1993 – Luis Madrigal, Mexican footballer
  • 1994 – Kang Seul-gi, South Korean singer and member of Red Velvet
  • 1995 – Carolane Soucisse, Canadian ice dancer
  • 1996 – Emanuel Mammana, Argentinian footballer
  • 1997 – Lilly King, American swimmer
  • 1997 – Chloë Grace Moretz, American actress
  • 1997 – Nadia Podoroska, Argentinian tennis player
  • 2000 – Yara Shahidi, American actress and model

Deaths on February 10

  • 547 – Scholastica, Christian nun
  • 1127 – William IX, Duke of Aquitaine (b. 1071)
  • 1163 – Baldwin III of Jerusalem (b. 1130)
  • 1242 – Emperor Shijō of Japan (b. 1231)
  • 1242 – Saint Verdiana, Italian recluse (b. 1182)
  • 1280 – Margaret II, Countess of Flanders (b. 1202)
  • 1306 – John “the Red” Comyn, Scottish nobleman
  • 1307 – Temür Khan, Emperor Chengzong of Yuan (b. 1265)
  • 1346 – Blessed Clare of Rimini (b. 1282)
  • 1471 – Frederick II, Margrave of Brandenburg (b. 1413)
  • 1524 – Catherine of Saxony, Archduchess of Austria (b. 1468)
  • 1526 – John V, Count of Oldenburg, German noble (b. 1460)
  • 1567 – Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, consort of Mary, Queen of Scots (b. 1545)
  • 1576 – Wilhelm Xylander, German scholar, translator, and academic (b. 1532)
  • 1686 – William Dugdale, English genealogist and historian (b. 1605)
  • 1755 – Montesquieu, French lawyer and philosopher (b. 1689)
  • 1782 – Friedrich Christoph Oetinger, German theologian and author (b. 1702)
  • 1829 – Pope Leo XII (b. 1760)
  • 1837 – Alexander Pushkin, Russian poet and author (b. 1799)
  • 1854 – José Joaquín de Herrera, Mexican politician and general. President three times (1844–1854) (b. 1792)
  • 1857 – David Thompson, English-Canadian surveyor and explorer (b. 1770)
  • 1865 – Heinrich Lenz, Estonian-Italian physicist and academic (b. 1804)
  • 1879 – Honoré Daumier, French illustrator and painter (b. 1808)
  • 1887 – Ellen Wood, English author (b. 1814)
  • 1891 – Sofia Kovalevskaya, Russian-Swedish mathematician and physicist (b. 1850)
  • 1904 – John A. Roche, American lawyer and politician, 30th Mayor of Chicago (b. 1844)
  • 1906 – Ezra Butler Eddy, American-Canadian businessman and politician (b. 1827)
  • 1912 – Joseph Lister, 1st Baron Lister, English surgeon and academic (b. 1827)
  • 1913 – Konstantinos Tsiklitiras, Greek long jumper (b. 1888)
  • 1917 – John William Waterhouse, English soldier and painter (b. 1849)
  • 1918 – Abdul Hamid II, Ottoman sultan (b. 1842)
  • 1918 – Ernesto Teodoro Moneta, Italian soldier and journalist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1833)
  • 1920 – Henry Strangways, English-Australian politician, 12th Premier of South Australia (b. 1832)
  • 1923 – Wilhelm Röntgen, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1845)
  • 1928 – José Sánchez del Río, Mexican martyr and saint (b. 1913)
  • 1932 – Edgar Wallace, English author and screenwriter (b. 1875)
  • 1939 – Pope Pius XI (b. 1857)
  • 1944 – E. M. Antoniadi, Greek-French astronomer and chess player (b. 1870)
  • 1945 – Anacleto Díaz, Filipino lawyer and jurist (b. 1878)
  • 1950 – Marcel Mauss, French sociologist and anthropologist (b. 1872)
  • 1956 – Leonora Speyer, American poet and violinist (b. 1872)
  • 1956 – Emmanouil Tsouderos, Greek banker and politician, 132nd Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1882)
  • 1957 – Laura Ingalls Wilder, American author (b. 1867)
  • 1960 – Aloysius Stepinac, Croatian cardinal (b. 1898)
  • 1966 – Billy Rose, American composer and songwriter (b. 1899)
  • 1967 – Dionysios Kokkinos, Greek historian and author (b. 1884)
  • 1975 – Nikos Kavvadias, Greek sailor and poet (b. 1910)
  • 1979 – Edvard Kardelj, Slovene general and politician, 2nd Foreign Minister of Yugoslavia (b. 1910)
  • 1992 – Alex Haley, American soldier, journalist, and author (b. 1921)
  • 1993 – Fred Hollows, New Zealand-Australian ophthalmologist and academic (b. 1929)
  • 1995 – Paul Monette, American author, poet, and activist (b. 1945)
  • 1997 – Brian Connolly, Scottish musician, lead singer The Sweet (b. 1945)
  • 2000 – Jim Varney, American actor, comedian and writer (b. 1949)
  • 2001 – Abraham Beame, American academic and politician, 104th Mayor of New York City (b. 1906)
  • 2001 – Buddy Tate, American saxophonist and clarinet player (b. 1913)
  • 2002 – Dave Van Ronk, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1936)
  • 2003 – Edgar de Evia, Mexican-American photographer (b. 1910)
  • 2003 – Albert J. Ruffo, American lawyer and politician, Mayor of San Jose (b. 1908)
  • 2003 – Ron Ziegler, American politician, 14th White House Press Secretary (b. 1939)
  • 2005 – Arthur Miller, American actor, playwright, and author (b. 1915)
  • 2006 – James Yancey, American record producer and rapper (b. 1974)
  • 2008 – Roy Scheider, American actor and boxer (b. 1932)
  • 2010 – Fred Schaus, American basketball player and coach (b. 1925)
  • 2010 – Charles Wilson, American lieutenant and politician (b. 1933)
  • 2011 – Trevor Bailey, English cricketer and journalist (b. 1923)
  • 2012 – Lloyd Morrison, New Zealand banker and businessman, founded H. R. L. Morrison & Co (b. 1957)
  • 2012 – Jeffrey Zaslow, American journalist and author (b. 1958)
  • 2013 – W. Watts Biggers, American author, screenwriter, and animator (b. 1927)
  • 2013 – David Hartman, American-Israeli rabbi and philosopher, founded the Shalom Hartman Institute (b. 1931)
  • 2014 – Stuart Hall, Jamaican-English sociologist and theorist (b. 1932)
  • 2014 – Shirley Temple, American actress and diplomat (b. 1928)
  • 2015 – Naseer Aruri, Palestinian scholar and activist (b. 1934)
  • 2015 – Karl Josef Becker, German cardinal and theologian (b. 1928)
  • 2015 – Deng Liqun, Chinese theorist and politician (b. 1915)
  • 2016 – Fatima Surayya Bajia, Indian-Pakistani author and playwright (b. 1930)
  • 2017 – Mike Ilitch, American businessman (b. 1929)
  • 2019 – Carmen Argenziano, American actor (b. 1943)
  • 2019 – Jan-Michael Vincent, American actor (b. 1944)

Holidays and observances on February 10

  • Christian feast day:
    • Austrebertha
    • Charalambos
    • José Sánchez del Río
    • Scholastica
    • February 10 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Feast of St. Paul’s Shipwreck (Malta)
  • Fenkil Day (Eritrea)
  • Kurdish Authors Union Day (Iraqi Kurdistan)
  • National Memorial Day of the Exiles and Foibe (Italy)

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

On This Day

February 6 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

February 6 in History

  • AD 60 – The earliest date for which the day of the week is known. A graffito in Pompeii identifies this day as a dies Solis (Sunday). In modern reckoning, this date would have been a Wednesday.
  • 1579 – The Archdiocese of Manila is made a diocese by a papal bull with Domingo de Salazar being its first bishop.
  • 1685 – James II of England and VII of Scotland is proclaimed King upon the death of his brother Charles II.
  • 1694 – The warrior queen Dandara, leader of the runaway slaves in Quilombo dos Palmares, Brazil, is captured and commits suicide rather than be returned to a life of slavery.
  • 1778 – American Revolutionary War: In Paris the Treaty of Alliance and the Treaty of Amity and Commerce are signed by the United States and France signaling official recognition of the new republic.
  • 1778 –New York became the third state to ratify the Articles of Confederation.
  • 1788 – Massachusetts becomes the sixth state to ratify the United States Constitution.
  • 1806 – Battle of San Domingo: British naval victory against the French in the Caribbean.
  • 1819 – Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles founds Singapore.
  • 1820 – The first 86 African American immigrants sponsored by the American Colonization Society depart New York to start a settlement in present-day Liberia.
  • 1833 – Otto becomes the first modern King of Greece.
  • 1840 – Signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, establishing New Zealand as a British colony.
  • 1843 – The first minstrel show in the United States, The Virginia Minstrels, opens (Bowery Amphitheatre in New York City).
  • 1851 – The largest Australian bushfires in a populous region in recorded history take place in the state of Victoria.
  • 1862 – American Civil War: Forces under the command of Ulysses S. Grant and Andrew H. Foote give the Union its first victory of the war, capturing Fort Henry, Tennessee in the Battle of Fort Henry.
  • 1899 – Spanish–American War: The Treaty of Paris, a peace treaty between the United States and Spain, is ratified by the United States Senate.
  • 1900 – The Permanent Court of Arbitration, an international arbitration court at The Hague, is created when the Senate of the Netherlands ratifies an 1899 peace conference decree.
  • 1918 – British women over the age of 30 who meet minimum property qualifications, get the right to vote when Representation of the People Act 1918 is passed by Parliament.
  • 1919 – The American Legion is founded.
  • 1919 – The five-day Seattle General Strike begins, as more than 65,000 workers in the city of Seattle, Washington, walk off the job.
  • 1922 – The Washington Naval Treaty is signed in Washington, D.C., limiting the naval armaments of United States, Britain, Japan, France, and Italy.
  • 1934 – Far-right leagues rally in front of the Palais Bourbon in an attempted coup against the French Third Republic, creating a political crisis in France.
  • 1951 – The Canadian Army enters combat in the Korean War.
  • 1951 – The Broker, a Pennsylvania Railroad passenger train derails near Woodbridge Township, New Jersey. The accident kills 85 people and injures over 500 more. The wreck is one of the worst rail disasters in American history.
  • 1952 – Elizabeth II becomes Queen of the United Kingdom and her other Realms and Territories and Head of the Commonwealth upon the death of her father, George VI. At the exact moment of succession, she was in a tree house at the Treetops Hotel in Kenya.
  • 1958 – Eight Manchester United F.C. players and 15 other passengers are killed in the Munich air disaster.
  • 1959 – Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments files the first patent for an integrated circuit.
  • 1959 – At Cape Canaveral, Florida, the first successful test firing of a Titan intercontinental ballistic missile is accomplished.
  • 1976 – In testimony before a United States Senate subcommittee, Lockheed Corporation president Carl Kotchian admits that the company had paid out approximately $3 million in bribes to the office of Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka.
  • 1978 – The Blizzard of 1978, one of the worst Nor’easters in New England history, hit the region, with sustained winds of 65 mph and snowfall of four inches an hour.
  • 1981 – The National Resistance Army of Uganda launches an attack on a Ugandan Army installation in the central Mubende District to begin the Ugandan Bush War.
  • 1987 – Justice Mary Gaudron becomes the first woman to be appointed to the High Court of Australia.
  • 1988 – Michael Jordan makes his signature slam dunk from the free throw line inspiring Air Jordan and the Jumpman logo.
  • 1989 – The Round Table Talks start in Poland, thus marking the beginning of the overthrow of communism in Eastern Europe.
  • 1996 – Willamette Valley Flood: Floods in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, United States, causes over US$500 million in property damage throughout the Pacific Northwest.
  • 1996 – Birgenair Flight 301 crashed off the coast of the Dominican Republic, killing all 189 people on board. This is the deadliest aviation accident involving a Boeing 757.
  • 1998 – Washington National Airport is renamed Ronald Reagan National Airport.
  • 2000 – Second Chechen War: Russia captures Grozny, Chechnya, forcing the separatist Chechen Republic of Ichkeria government into exile.
  • 2006 – Stephen Harper becomes Prime Minister of Canada.
  • 2016 – An earthquake of magnitude 6.6 strikes southern Taiwan, killing 117 people.
  • 2018 – SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy, a super heavy launch vehicle, makes its maiden flight.

Births on February 6

  • 885 – Emperor Daigo of Japan (d. 930)
  • 1402 – Louis I, Landgrave of Hesse, Landgrave of Hesse (d. 1458)
  • 1452 – Joanna, Princess of Portugal (d. 1490)
  • 1453 – Girolamo Benivieni, Florentine poet (d. 1542)
  • 1465 – Scipione del Ferro, Italian mathematician and theorist (d. 1526)
  • 1536 – Sassa Narimasa, Japanese samurai (d. 1588)
  • 1577 – Beatrice Cenci, Italian murderer (d. 1599)
  • 1582 – Mario Bettinus, Italian mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher (d. 1657)
  • 1608 – António Vieira, Portuguese priest and philosopher (d. 1697)
  • 1611 – Chongzhen Emperor of China (d. 1644)
  • 1612 – Antoine Arnauld, French mathematician, theologian, and philosopher (d. 1694)
  • 1643 – Johann Kasimir Kolbe von Wartenberg, Prussian politician, 1st Minister President of Prussia (d. 1712)
  • 1649 – Augusta Marie of Holstein-Gottorp, German noblewoman (d. 1728)
  • 1664 – Mustafa II, Ottoman sultan (d. 1703)
  • 1665 – Anne, Queen of Great Britain, Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland (d. 1714)
  • 1665 – Anne, Queen of Great Britain (d. 1714)
  • 1695 – Nicolaus II Bernoulli, Swiss-Russian mathematician and theorist (d. 1726)
  • 1719 – Alberto Pullicino, Maltese painter (d. 1759)
  • 1726 – Patrick Russell, Scottish surgeon and zoologist (d. 1805)
  • 1732 – Charles Lee, English-American general (d. 1782)
  • 1736 – Franz Xaver Messerschmidt, German-Austrian sculptor (d. 1783)
  • 1744 – Pierre-Joseph Desault, French anatomist and surgeon (d. 1795)
  • 1748 – Adam Weishaupt, German philosopher and academic, founded the Illuminati (d. 1830)
  • 1753 – Évariste de Parny, French poet and author (d. 1814)
  • 1756 – Aaron Burr, American colonel and politician, 3rd Vice President of the United States (d. 1836)
  • 1758 – Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz, Belarusian-Polish poet, playwright, and politician (d. 1841)
  • 1769 – Ludwig von Wallmoden-Gimborn, Austrian general (d. 1862)
  • 1772 – George Murray, Scottish general and politician, Secretary of State for War and the Colonies (d. 1830)
  • 1778 – Ugo Foscolo, Italian author and poet (d. 1827)
  • 1781 – John Keane, 1st Baron Keane, Irish general and politician, Governor of Saint Lucia (d. 1844)
  • 1796 – John Stevens Henslow, English botanist and geologist (d. 1861)
  • 1797 – Joseph von Radowitz, Prussian general and politician, Foreign Minister of Prussia (d. 1853)
  • 1799 – Imre Frivaldszky, Hungarian botanist and entomologist (d. 1870)
  • 1800 – Achille Devéria, French painter and lithographer (d. 1857)
  • 1802 – Charles Wheatstone, English-French physicist and cryptographer (d. 1875)
  • 1811 – Henry Liddell, English priest, author, and academic (d. 1898)
  • 1814 – Auguste Chapdelaine, French missionary and saint (d. 1856)
  • 1818 – William M. Evarts, American lawyer and politician, 27th United States Secretary of State (d. 1901)
  • 1820 – Thomas C. Durant, American railroad tycoon (d. 1885)
  • 1829 – Joseph Auguste Émile Vaudremer, French architect, designed the La Santé Prison and Saint-Pierre-de-Montrouge (d. 1914)
  • 1832 – John Brown Gordon, American general and politician, 53rd Governor of Georgia (d. 1904)
  • 1833 – José María de Pereda, Spanish author and academic (d. 1906)
  • 1833 – J. E. B. Stuart, American general (d. 1864)
  • 1834 – Edwin Klebs, German-Swiss pathologist and academic (d. 1913)
  • 1834 – Ema Pukšec, Croatian-German soprano (d. 1889)
  • 1834 – Wilhelm von Scherff, German general and author (d. 1911)
  • 1838 – Henry Irving, English actor and manager (d. 1905)
  • 1838 – Israel Meir Kagan, Lithuanian-Polish rabbi and author (d. 1933)
  • 1839 – Eduard Hitzig, German neurologist and psychiatrist (d. 1907)
  • 1842 – Alexandre Ribot, French academic and politician, Prime Minister of France (d. 1923)
  • 1843 – Inoue Kowashi, Japanese scholar and politician (d. 1895)
  • 1843 – Frederic William Henry Myers, English poet and philologist, co-founded the Society for Psychical Research (d. 1901)
  • 1845 – Isidor Straus, German-American businessman and politician (d. 1912)
  • 1847 – Henry Janeway Hardenbergh, American architect, designed the Plaza Hotel (d. 1918)
  • 1852 – C. Lloyd Morgan, English zoologist and psychologist (d. 1936)
  • 1852 – Vasily Safonov, Russian pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1918)
  • 1861 – Nikolay Zelinsky, Russian chemist and academic (d. 1953)
  • 1864 – John Henry Mackay, Scottish-German philosopher and author (d. 1933)
  • 1866 – Karl Sapper, German linguist and explorer (d. 1945)
  • 1872 – Robert Maillart, Swiss engineer, designed the Salginatobel Bridge and Schwandbach Bridge (d. 1940)
  • 1874 – Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, Indian religious leader, founded the Gaudiya Math (d. 1937)
  • 1875 – Leonid Gobyato, Russian general (d. 1915)
  • 1876 – Henry Blogg, English fisherman and sailor (d. 1954)
  • 1879 – Othon Friesz, French painter (d. 1949)
  • 1879 – Magnús Guðmundsson, Icelandic lawyer and politician, 3rd Prime Minister of Iceland (d. 1937)
  • 1879 – Edwin Samuel Montagu, English politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (d. 1924)
  • 1879 – Carl Ramsauer, German physicist and author (d. 1955)
  • 1880 – Nishinoumi Kajirō II, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 25th Yokozuna (d. 1931)
  • 1884 – Marcel Cohen, French linguist and scholar (d. 1974)
  • 1887 – Josef Frings, German cardinal (d. 1978)
  • 1890 – Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Pakistani activist and politician (d. 1988)
  • 1890 – James McGirr, Australian politician, 28th Premier of New South Wales (d. 1957)
  • 1892 – Maximilian Fretter-Pico, German general (d. 1984)
  • 1892 – William P. Murphy, American physician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1987)
  • 1893 – Muhammad Zafarullah Khan, Pakistani politician and diplomat, 1st Minister of Foreign Affairs for Pakistan (d. 1985)
  • 1894 – Eric Partridge, New Zealand-English lexicographer and academic (d. 1979)
  • 1894 – Kirpal Singh, Indian spiritual master (d. 1974)
  • 1895 – Robert La Follette Jr., American politician (d. 1953)
  • 1895 – María Teresa Vera, Cuban singer, guitarist and composer (d. 1965)
  • 1895 – Babe Ruth, American baseball player and coach (d. 1948)
  • 1898 – Harry Haywood, American soldier and politician (d. 1985)
  • 1899 – Ramon Novarro, Mexican-American actor, singer, and director (d. 1968)
  • 1901 – Ben Lyon, American actor (d. 1979)
  • 1902 – George Brunies, American trombonist (d. 1974)
  • 1903 – Claudio Arrau, Chilean pianist and composer (d. 1991)
  • 1905 – Władysław Gomułka, Polish politician (d. 1982)
  • 1905 – Jan Werich, Czech actor and playwright (d. 1980)
  • 1906 – Joseph Schull, Canadian playwright and historian (d. 1980)
  • 1908 – Amintore Fanfani, Italian journalist and politician, 32nd Prime Minister of Italy (d. 1999)
  • 1908 – Edward Lansdale, American general and CIA agent (d. 1987)
  • 1908 – Geo Bogza, Romanian poet and journalist (d. 1993)
  • 1908 – Michael Maltese, American actor, screenwriter, and composer (d. 1981)
  • 1910 – Roman Czerniawski, Polish air force officer and spy (d. 1985)
  • 1910 – Irmgard Keun, German author (d. 1982)
  • 1910 – Carlos Marcello, Tunisian-American gangster (d. 1993)
  • 1911 – Ronald Reagan, American actor and politician, 40th President of the United States (d. 2004)
  • 1912 – Eva Braun, German wife of Adolf Hitler (d. 1945)
  • 1912 – Christopher Hill, English historian and author (d. 2003)
  • 1913 – Mary Leakey, English-Kenyan archaeologist and anthropologist (d. 1996)
  • 1914 – Thurl Ravenscroft, American voice actor and singer (d. 2005)
  • 1915 – Kavi Pradeep, Indian poet and songwriter (d. 1998)
  • 1916 – John Crank, English mathematician and physicist (d. 2006)
  • 1917 – Louis-Philippe de Grandpré, Canadian lawyer and jurist (d. 2008)
  • 1917 – Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hungarian-American actress and socialite (d. 2016)
  • 1918 – Lothar-Günther Buchheim, German author and painter (d. 2007)
  • 1919 – Takashi Yanase, Japanese poet and illustrator, created Anpanman (d. 2013)
  • 1921 – Carl Neumann Degler, American historian and author (d. 2014)
  • 1921 – Bob Scott, New Zealand rugby player (d. 2012)
  • 1922 – Patrick Macnee, English-American actor and costume designer (d. 2015)
  • 1922 – Denis Norden, English actor, screenwriter, and television host (d. 2018)
  • 1922 – Haskell Wexler, American director, producer, and cinematographer (d. 2015)
  • 1923 – Gyula Lóránt, Hungarian footballer and manager (d. 1981)
  • 1924 – Billy Wright, English footballer and manager (d. 1994)
  • 1924 – Jin Yong, Hong Kong author and publisher, founded Ming Pao (d. 2018)
  • 1925 – Walker Edmiston, American actor and puppeteer (d. 2007)
  • 1927 – Gerard K. O’Neill, American physicist and astronomer (d. 1992)
  • 1928 – Allan H. Meltzer, American economist and academic (d. 2017)
  • 1929 – Colin Murdoch, New Zealand pharmacist and veterinarian, invented the tranquilliser gun (d. 2008)
  • 1929 – Oscar Sambrano Urdaneta, Venezuelan author and critic (d. 2011)
  • 1929 – Valentin Yanin, Russian historian and author (d. 2020)
  • 1930 – Jun Kondo, Japanese physicist and academic
  • 1931 – Rip Torn, American actor (d. 2019)
  • 1931 – Fred Trueman, English cricketer (d. 2006)
  • 1931 – Mamie Van Doren, American actress and model
  • 1931 – Ricardo Vidal, Filipino cardinal (d. 2017)
  • 1932 – Camilo Cienfuegos, Cuban soldier and anarchist (d. 1959)
  • 1932 – François Truffaut, French actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1984)
  • 1933 – Leslie Crowther, English comedian, actor, and game show host (d. 1996)
  • 1936 – Kent Douglas, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 2009)
  • 1938 – Fred Mifflin, Canadian admiral and politician, 19th Minister of Veterans Affairs (d. 2013)
  • 1939 – Jean Beaudin, Canadian director and screenwriter (d. 2019)
  • 1939 – Mike Farrell, American actor, director, producer, activist and public speaker
  • 1939 – Jair Rodrigues, Brazilian singer (d. 2014)
  • 1940 – Tom Brokaw, American journalist and author
  • 1940 – Petr Hájek, Czech mathematician and academic (d. 2016)
  • 1940 – Jimmy Tarbuck, English comedian and actor
  • 1941 – Stephen Albert, American pianist and composer (d. 1992)
  • 1941 – Dave Berry, English pop singer
  • 1941 – Gigi Perreau, American actress and director
  • 1942 – Sarah Brady, American activist and author (d. 2015)
  • 1942 – Charlie Coles, American basketball player and coach (d. 2013)
  • 1942 – Ahmad-Jabir Ahmadov Ismail oghlu, Azerbaijani philosopher and academic
  • 1942 – James Loewen, American sociologist and historian
  • 1942 – Tommy Roberts, English fashion designer (d. 2012)
  • 1943 – Fabian Forte, American pop singer and actor
  • 1943 – Gayle Hunnicutt, American actress
  • 1944 – Christine Boutin, French politician, French Minister of Housing and Urban Development
  • 1944 – Willie Tee, American singer-songwriter, keyboard player, and producer (d. 2007)
  • 1944 – Michael Tucker, American actor and producer
  • 1945 – Bob Marley, Jamaican singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1981)
  • 1946 – Richie Hayward, American drummer and songwriter (d. 2010)
  • 1946 – Kate McGarrigle, Canadian musician and singer-songwriter (d. 2010)
  • 1946 – Jim Turner, American captain and politician
  • 1947 – Bill Staines, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1947 – Charlie Hickcox, American swimmer (d .2010)
  • 1949 – Mike Batt, English singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1949 – Manuel Orantes, Spanish tennis player
  • 1949 – Jim Sheridan, Irish director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1950 – Natalie Cole, American singer-songwriter and actress (d. 2015)
  • 1950 – Timothy M. Dolan, American cardinal
  • 1950 – Punky Meadows, American rock guitarist and songwriter
  • 1952 – Ric Charlesworth, Australian cricketer, coach, and politician
  • 1952 – Viktor Giacobbo, Swiss actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1952 – Ricardo La Volpe, Argentinian footballer, manager, and coach
  • 1955 – Avram Grant, Israeli football manager
  • 1955 – Michael Pollan, American journalist, author, and academic
  • 1955 – Bruno Stolorz, French rugby player and coach
  • 1956 – Jerry Marotta, American drummer
  • 1957 – Andres Lipstok, Estonian economist and politician, Estonian Minister of Economic Affairs
  • 1957 – Kathy Najimy, American actress and comedian
  • 1957 – Simon Phillips, English drummer and producer
  • 1957 – Robert Townsend, American actor and director
  • 1958 – Cecily Adams, American actress and casting director (d. 2004)
  • 1960 – Jeremy Bowen, Welsh journalist
  • 1960 – Megan Gallagher, American actress
  • 1961 – Michael Bolt, Australian rugby league player
  • 1961 – Cam Cameron, American football player and coach
  • 1961 – Bill Lester, American race car driver
  • 1961 – Yury Onufriyenko, Ukrainian-Russian colonel, pilot, and astronaut
  • 1962 – Stavros Lambrinidis, Greek lawyer and politician, Minister of Foreign Affairs for Greece
  • 1962 – Axl Rose, American singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1963 – David Capel, English cricketer
  • 1963 – Scott Gordon, American ice hockey player and coach
  • 1963 – Quentin Letts, English journalist and critic
  • 1964 – Laurent Cabannes, French rugby player
  • 1964 – Gordon Downie, Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (d. 2017)
  • 1964 – Colin Miller, Australian cricketer and sportscaster
  • 1964 – Andrey Zvyagintsev, Russian actor and director
  • 1965 – Jan Svěrák, Czech actor, director, and screenwriter
  • 1966 – Rick Astley, English singer-songwriter
  • 1967 – Anita Cochran, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1967 – Izumi Sakai, Japanese singer-songwriter (d. 2007)
  • 1968 – Adolfo Valencia, Colombian footballer
  • 1968 – Akira Yamaoka, Japanese composer and producer
  • 1969 – David Hayter, American actor and screenwriter
  • 1969 – Masaharu Fukuyama, Japanese singer-songwriter, producer, and actor
  • 1969 – Tim Sherwood, English international footballer midfielder and manager
  • 1969 – Bob Wickman, American baseball player
  • 1970 – Per Frandsen, Danish footballer and manager
  • 1970 – Tim Herron, American golfer
  • 1971 – Brad Hogg, Australian cricketer
  • 1971 – Carlos Rogers, American basketball player
  • 1972 – Stefano Bettarini, Italian footballer
  • 1972 – David Binn, American football player
  • 1974 – Aljo Bendijo, Filipino journalist
  • 1975 – Chad Allen, American baseball player and coach
  • 1975 – Orkut Büyükkökten, Turkish computer scientist and engineer, created Orkut
  • 1975 – Tomoko Kawase, Japanese singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1976 – Tanja Frieden, Swiss snowboarder and educator
  • 1976 – Kim Zmeskal, American gymnast and coach
  • 1977 – Josh Stewart, American actor
  • 1978 – Yael Naim, French-Israeli singer-songwriter
  • 1979 – Dan Bălan, Moldovan singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1980 – Kerry Jeremy, Antiguan cricketer
  • 1980 – Kim Poirier, Canadian actress, singer, and producer
  • 1980 – Luke Ravenstahl, American politician, 58th Mayor of Pittsburgh
  • 1981 – Ricky Barnes, American golfer
  • 1981 – Calum Best, American-English model and actor
  • 1981 – Shim Eun-jin, South Korean singer and actress
  • 1981 – Alison Haislip, American actress and producer
  • 1981 – Jens Lekman, Swedish singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1981 – Ty Warren, American football player
  • 1982 – Tank, Taiwanese singer-songwriter
  • 1982 – Alice Eve, English actress
  • 1982 – Elise Ray, American gymnast
  • 1983 – Melrose Bickerstaff, American model and fashion designer
  • 1983 – Brodie Croyle, American football player
  • 1983 – Dimas Delgado, Spanish footballer
  • 1983 – S. Sreesanth, Indian cricketer
  • 1983 – Jamie Whincup, Australian race car driver
  • 1984 – Darren Bent, English international footballer, forward
  • 1984 – Piret Järvis, Estonian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1984 – Antoine Wright, American basketball player
  • 1985 – Ben Creagh, Australian rugby league player
  • 1985 – Kris Humphries, American basketball player
  • 1986 – Dane DeHaan, American actor
  • 1986 – Yunho, South Korean singer and actor
  • 1988 – Bailey Hanks, American actress, singer, and dancer
  • 1989 – Craig Cathcart, Northern Irish footballer
  • 1989 – Jonny Flynn, American basketball player
  • 1990 – Adam Henrique, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1990 – Jermaine Kearse, American football player
  • 1990 – Aida Rybalko, Lithuanian figure skater
  • 1991 – Tobias Eisenbauer, Austrian ice dancer
  • 1991 – Ida Njåtun, Norwegian speed skater
  • 1991 – Eva Wacanno, Dutch tennis player
  • 1991 – Fei Yu, Chinese footballer
  • 1992 – Víctor Mañón, Mexican footballer
  • 1993 – Teresa Scanlan, Miss America 2011
  • 1993 – Tinashe, American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress
  • 1994 – Charlie Heaton, British actor and musician
  • 1995 – Leon Goretzka, German footballer
  • 1995 – Sam McQueen, English footballer

Deaths on February 6

  • 743 – Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik, Umayyad caliph (b. 691)
  • 797 – Donnchad Midi, Irish king (b. 733)
  • 891 – Photios I of Constantinople (b. 810)
  • 1140 – Thurstan, Archbishop of York
  • 1155 – King Sigurd II of Norway (b. 1133)
  • 1215 – Hōjō Tokimasa, Japanese shikken of the Kamakura bakufu (b. 1138)
  • 1378 – Joanna of Bourbon (b. 1338)
  • 1411 – Esau de’ Buondelmonti, ruler of Epirus
  • 1497 – Johannes Ockeghem, Flemish composer and educator (b. 1410)
  • 1515 – Aldus Manutius, Italian publisher, founded the Aldine Press (b. 1449)
  • 1519 – Lorenz von Bibra, Prince-Bishop of the Bishopric of Würzburg (b. 1459)
  • 1539 – John III, Duke of Cleves (b. 1491)
  • 1585 – Edmund Plowden, English lawyer and scholar (b. 1518)
  • 1593 – Jacques Amyot, French author and translator (b. 1513)
  • 1593 – Emperor Ōgimachi of Japan (b. 1517)
  • 1597 – Franciscus Patricius, Italian philosopher and scientist (b. 1529)
  • 1612 – Christopher Clavius, German mathematician and astronomer (b. 1538)
  • 1617 – Prospero Alpini, Italian physician and botanist (b. 1553)
  • 1625 – Philipp Julius, Duke of Pomerania (b. 1584)
  • 1685 – Charles II of England (b. 1630)
  • 1695 – Ahmed II, Ottoman sultan (b. 1643)
  • 1740 – Pope Clement XII (b. 1652)
  • 1775 – William Dowdeswell, English politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (b. 1721)
  • 1783 – Capability Brown, English gardener and architect (b. 1716)
  • 1793 – Carlo Goldoni, Italian-French playwright (b. 1707)
  • 1804 – Joseph Priestley, English chemist and theologian (b. 1733)
  • 1807 – John Reid, Scottish general (b. 1721)
  • 1833 – Pierre André Latreille, French zoologist and entomologist (b. 1762)
  • 1834 – Richard Lemon Lander, English explorer (b. 1804)
  • 1865 – Isabella Beeton, English author of Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management (b. 1836)
  • 1899 – Alfred, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (b. 1874)
  • 1899 – Leo von Caprivi, German general and politician, Chancellor of Germany (b. 1831)
  • 1902 – John Colton, English-Australian politician, 13th Premier of South Australia (b. 1823)
  • 1916 – Rubén Darío, Nicaraguan poet, journalist, and diplomat (b. 1867)
  • 1918 – Gustav Klimt, Austrian painter and illustrator (b. 1862)
  • 1929 – Maria Christina of Austria (b. 1858)
  • 1931 – Motilal Nehru, Indian lawyer and politician, President of the Indian National Congress (b. 1861)
  • 1932 – John Earle, Australian politician, 22nd Premier of Tasmania (b. 1865)
  • 1938 – Marianne von Werefkin, Russian-Swiss painter (b. 1860)
  • 1942 – Jaan Soots, Estonian general and politician, 7th Estonian Minister of War (b. 1880)
  • 1951 – Gabby Street, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1882)
  • 1952 – George VI of the United Kingdom (b. 1895)
  • 1958 – victims of the Munich air disaster
    • – Geoff Bent, English footballer (b. 1932)
    • – Roger Byrne, English footballer (b. 1929)
    • – Eddie Colman, English footballer (b. 1936)
    • – Walter Crickmer, English footballer and manager (b. 1900)
    • – Mark Jones, English footballer (b. 1933)
    • – David Pegg, English footballer (b. 1935)
    • – Frank Swift, English footballer and journalist (b. 1913)
    • – Tommy Taylor, English footballer (b. 1932)
  • 1963 – Piero Manzoni, Italian painter and sculptor (b. 1933)
  • 1964 – Emilio Aguinaldo, Filipino general and politician, 1st President of the Philippines (b. 1869)
  • 1967 – Martine Carol, French actress (b. 1920)
  • 1972 – Julian Steward, American anthropologist (b. 1902)
  • 1976 – Ritwik Ghatak, Bangladeshi-Indian director and screenwriter (b. 1925)
  • 1976 – Vince Guaraldi, American singer-songwriter and pianist (b. 1928)
  • 1981 – Hugo Montenegro, American composer and conductor (b. 1925)
  • 1982 – Ben Nicholson, British painter (b. 1894)
  • 1985 – James Hadley Chase, English-Swiss soldier and author (b. 1906)
  • 1986 – Frederick Coutts, Scottish 8th General of The Salvation Army (b. 1899)
  • 1986 – Dandy Nichols, English actress (b. 1907)
  • 1986 – Minoru Yamasaki, American architect, designed the World Trade Center (b. 1912)
  • 1987 – Julien Chouinard, Canadian lawyer and jurist (b. 1929)
  • 1989 – Barbara W. Tuchman, American historian and author (b. 1912)
  • 1990 – Jimmy Van Heusen, American pianist and composer (b. 1913)
  • 1991 – Salvador Luria, Italian biologist and physician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1912)
  • 1991 – Danny Thomas, American actor, producer, and humanitarian (b. 1914)
  • 1993 – Arthur Ashe, American tennis player and sportscaster (b. 1943)
  • 1994 – Joseph Cotten, American actor (b. 1905)
  • 1994 – Jack Kirby, American author and illustrator (b. 1917)
  • 1995 – James Merrill, American poet and playwright (b. 1926)
  • 1998 – Falco, Austrian pop-rock musician (b. 1957)
  • 1999 – Don Dunstan, Australian lawyer and politician, 35th Premier of South Australia (b. 1926)
  • 1999 – Jimmy Roberts, American tenor (b. 1924)
  • 2000 – Phil Walters, American race car driver (b. 1916)
  • 2001 – Filemon Lagman, Filipino theoretician and activist (b. 1953)
  • 2002 – Max Perutz, Austrian-English biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1914)
  • 2004 – Gerald Bouey, Canadian lieutenant and economist (b. 1920)
  • 2005 – Karl Haas, German-American pianist, conductor, and radio host (b. 1913)
  • 2007 – Lew Burdette, American baseball player and coach (b. 1926)
  • 2007 – Frankie Laine, American singer-songwriter and actor (b. 1913)
  • 2007 – Willye White, American runner and long jumper (b. 1939)
  • 2008 – Tony Rolt, English race car driver and engineer (b. 1918)
  • 2009 – Philip Carey, American actor (b. 1925)
  • 2009 – James Whitmore, American actor (b. 1921)
  • 2011 – Gary Moore, Irish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (b. 1952)
  • 2012 – David Rosenhan, American psychologist and academic (b. 1929)
  • 2012 – Antoni Tàpies, Spanish painter and sculptor (b. 1923)
  • 2012 – Janice E. Voss, American engineer and astronaut (b. 1956)
  • 2013 – Chokri Belaid, Tunisian lawyer and politician (b. 1964)
  • 2013 – Menachem Elon, German-Israeli academic and jurist (b. 1923)
  • 2014 – Vasiľ Biľak, Slovak politician (b. 1917)
  • 2014 – Ralph Kiner, American baseball player and sportscaster (b. 1922)
  • 2014 – Maxine Kumin, American author and poet (b. 1925)
  • 2014 – Vaçe Zela, Albanian-Swiss singer and guitarist (b. 1939)
  • 2015 – André Brink, South African author and playwright (b. 1935)
  • 2015 – Alan Nunnelee, American lawyer and politician (b. 1958)
  • 2015 – Pedro León Zapata, Venezuelan cartoonist (b. 1929)
  • 2016 – Dan Gerson, American screenwriter (b. 1966)
  • 2016 – Dan Hicks, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1941)
  • 2017 – Irwin Corey, American comedian and actor (b. 1914)
  • 2017 – Inge Keller, German actress (b. 1923)
  • 2017 – Alec McCowen, English actor (b. 1925)
  • 2017 – Joost van der Westhuizen, South African rugby union footballer (b. 1971)

Holidays and observances on February 6

  • Christian feast day:
    • Amand
    • Dorothea of Caesarea
    • Hildegund, O.Praem.
    • Jacut
    • Mateo Correa Magallanes (one of Saints of the Cristero War)
    • Mél of Ardagh
    • Paul Miki and Twenty-six Martyrs of Japan
    • Relindis (Renule) of Maaseik
    • Vedastus
    • February 6 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (United Nations)
  • Ronald Reagan Day (California, United States)
  • Sami National Day (Russia, Finland, Norway and Sweden)
  • Waitangi Day, celebrates the founding of New Zealand in 1840.

February 6 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

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

Births on February 2

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

Deaths on February 2

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

Holidays and observances on February 2

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

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

On This Day

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

  • 1327 – The teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Isabella and her lover Roger Mortimer.
  • 1411 – The First Peace of Thorn is signed in Thorn (Toruń), Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights (Prussia).
  • 1662 – The Chinese general Koxinga seizes the island of Taiwan after a nine-month siege.
  • 1713 – The Kalabalik or Skirmish at Bender results from the Ottoman sultan’s order that his unwelcome guest, King Charles XII of Sweden, be seized.
  • 1793 – French Revolutionary Wars: France declares war on the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
  • 1796 – The capital of Upper Canada is moved from Newark to York.
  • 1814 – Mayon in the Philippines erupts, killing around 1,200 people, the most devastating eruption of the volcano.
  • 1835 – Slavery is abolished in Mauritius.
  • 1861 – American Civil War: Texas secedes from the United States.
  • 1864 – Second Schleswig War: Prussian forces crossed the border into Schleswig, starting the war.
  • 1865 – President Abraham Lincoln signs the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
  • 1884 – The first volume (A to Ant) of the Oxford English Dictionary is published.
  • 1893 – Thomas A. Edison finishes construction of the first motion picture studio, the Black Maria in West Orange, New Jersey.
  • 1895 – Fountains Valley, Pretoria, the oldest nature reserve in Africa, is proclaimed by President Paul Kruger.
  • 1896 – La bohème premieres in Turin at the Teatro Regio (Turin), conducted by the young Arturo Toscanini.
  • 1897 – Shinhan Bank, the oldest bank in South Korea, opens in Seoul.
  • 1908 – Lisbon Regicide: King Carlos I of Portugal and Infante Luis Filipe are shot dead in Lisbon.
  • 1918 – Russia adopts the Gregorian calendar.
  • 1924 – Russia–United Kingdom relations are restored, over six years after the Communist revolution.
  • 1942 – World War II: Josef Terboven, Reichskommissar of German-occupied Norway, appoints Vidkun Quisling the Minister President of the National Government.
  • 1942 – World War II: U.S. Navy conducts Marshalls–Gilberts raids, the first offensive action by the United States against Japanese forces in the Pacific Theater.
  • 1942 – Voice of America, the official external radio and television service of the United States government, begins broadcasting with programs aimed at areas controlled by the Axis powers.
  • 1942 – Mao Zedong makes a speech on “Reform in Learning, the Party and Literature”, which puts into motion the Yan’an Rectification Movement.
  • 1946 – Trygve Lie of Norway is picked to be the first United Nations Secretary-General.
  • 1946 – The Parliament of Hungary abolishes the monarchy after nine centuries, and proclaims the Hungarian Republic.
  • 1960 – Four black students stage the first of the Greensboro sit-ins at a lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina.
  • 1964 – The Beatles have their first number one hit in the United States with “I Want to Hold Your Hand”.
  • 1968 – Vietnam War: The execution of Viet Cong officer Nguyễn Văn Lém by South Vietnamese National Police Chief Nguyễn Ngọc Loan is recorded on motion picture film, as well as in an iconic still photograph taken by Eddie Adams.
  • 1968 – Canada’s three military services, the Royal Canadian Navy, the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force, are unified into the Canadian Forces.
  • 1968 – The New York Central Railroad and the Pennsylvania Railroad are merged to form Penn Central Transportation.
  • 1972 – Kuala Lumpur becomes a city by a royal charter granted by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.
  • 1974 – A fire in the 25-story Joelma Building in São Paulo, Brazil kills 189 and injures 293.
  • 1979 – Iranian Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returns to Tehran after nearly 15 years of exile.
  • 1989 – The Western Australian towns of Kalgoorlie and Boulder amalgamate to form the City of Kalgoorlie–Boulder.
  • 1991 – A runway collision between USAir Flight 1493 and SkyWest Flight 5569 at Los Angeles International Airport results in the deaths of 34 people, and injuries to 30 others.
  • 1992 – The Chief Judicial Magistrate of Bhopal court declares Warren Anderson, ex-CEO of Union Carbide, a fugitive under Indian law for failing to appear in the Bhopal disaster case.
  • 1996 – The Communications Decency Act is passed by the U.S. Congress.
  • 1998 – Rear Admiral Lillian E. Fishburne becomes the first female African American to be promoted to rear admiral.
  • 2002 – Daniel Pearl, American journalist and South Asia Bureau Chief of the Wall Street Journal, kidnapped January 23, 2002, is beheaded and mutilated by his captors.
  • 2003 – Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during the reentry of mission STS-107 into the Earth’s atmosphere, killing all seven astronauts aboard.
  • 2004 – Hajj pilgrimage stampede: In a stampede at the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, 251 people are trampled to death and 244 injured.
  • 2005 – King Gyanendra of Nepal carries out a coup d’état to capture the democracy, becoming Chairman of the Councils of ministers.
  • 2009 – The first cabinet of Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir was formed in Iceland, making her the country’s first female prime minister and the world’s first openly gay head of government.
  • 2012 – Seventy-four people are killed and over 500 injured as a result of clashes between fans of Egyptian football teams Al Masry and Al Ahly in the city of Port Said.
  • 2013 – The Shard, the sixth-tallest building in Europe, is opened to the public.

Births on February 1

  • 1261 – Walter de Stapledon, English bishop and politician, Lord High Treasurer (d. 1326)
  • 1435 – Amadeus IX, Duke of Savoy (d. 1472)
  • 1447 – Eberhard II, Duke of Württemberg (d. 1504)
  • 1459 – Conrad Celtes, German poet and scholar (d. 1508)
  • 1462 – Johannes Trithemius, German lexicographer, historian, and cryptographer (d. 1516)
  • 1552 – Edward Coke, English lawyer, judge, and politician, Attorney General for England and Wales (d. 1634)
  • 1561 – Henry Briggs, British mathematician (d. 1630)
  • 1635 – Marquard Gude, German archaeologist and scholar (d. 1689)
  • 1648 – Elkanah Settle, English poet and playwright (d. 1724)
  • 1659 – Jacob Roggeveen, Dutch explorer (d. 1729)
  • 1663 – Ignacia del Espíritu Santo, Filipino nun, founded the Religious of the Virgin Mary (d. 1748)
  • 1666 – Marie Thérèse de Bourbon, Princess of Conti and titular queen of Poland (d.1732)
  • 1687 – Johann Adam Birkenstock, German violinist and composer (d. 1733)
  • 1690 – Francesco Maria Veracini, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1768)
  • 1701 – Johan Agrell, Swedish-German pianist and composer (d. 1765)
  • 1761 – Christiaan Hendrik Persoon, South African-French mycologist and academic (d. 1836)
  • 1763 – Thomas Campbell, Irish minister and theologian (d. 1854)
  • 1796 – Abraham Emanuel Fröhlich, Swiss minister, poet, and educator (d. 1865)
  • 1801 – Émile Littré, French lexicographer and philosopher (d. 1881)
  • 1820 – George Hendric Houghton, American clergyman and theologian (d. 1897)
  • 1836 – Emil Hartmann, Danish organist and composer (d. 1898)
  • 1844 – G. Stanley Hall, American psychologist and academic (d. 1924)
  • 1851 – Durham Stevens, American lawyer and diplomat (d. 1908)
  • 1858 – Ignacio Bonillas, Mexican diplomat (d. 1942)
  • 1859 – Victor Herbert, Irish-American cellist, composer, and conductor (d. 1924)
  • 1866 – Agda Meyerson, Swedish nurse and healthcare activist (d. 1924)
  • 1868 – Ștefan Luchian, Romanian painter and illustrator (d. 1917)
  • 1870 – Erik Adolf von Willebrand, Finnish physician (d. 1949)
  • 1872 – Clara Butt, English opera singer (d. 1936)
  • 1872 – Jerome F. Donovan, American lawyer and politician (d. 1949)
  • 1873 – John Barry, Irish soldier, Victoria Cross recipient (d. 1901)
  • 1874 – Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Austrian author, poet, and playwright (d. 1929)
  • 1878 – Alfréd Hajós, Hungarian swimmer and architect, designed the Grand Hotel Aranybika (d. 1955)
  • 1878 – Milan Hodža, Slovak journalist and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia (d. 1944)
  • 1881 – Tip Snooke, South African cricketer (d. 1966)
  • 1882 – Louis St. Laurent, Canadian lawyer and politician, 12th Prime Minister of Canada (d. 1973)
  • 1884 – Bradbury Robinson, American football player and physician (d. 1949)
  • 1884 – Yevgeny Zamyatin, Russian journalist and author (d. 1937)
  • 1887 – Charles Nordhoff, English-American lieutenant, pilot, and author (d. 1947)
  • 1890 – Nikolai Reek, Estonian general and politician, 11th Estonian Minister of War (d. 1942)
  • 1894 – John Ford, American director and producer (d. 1973)
  • 1894 – James P. Johnson, American pianist and composer (d. 1955)
  • 1895 – Conn Smythe, Canadian businessman (d. 1980)
  • 1897 – Denise Robins, English journalist and author (d. 1985)
  • 1898 – Leila Denmark, American pediatrician and author (d. 2012)
  • 1901 – Frank Buckles, American soldier (d. 2011)
  • 1901 – Clark Gable, American actor (d. 1960)
  • 1902 – Therese Brandl, German concentration camp guard (d. 1947)
  • 1902 – Langston Hughes, American poet, social activist, novelist, and playwright (d. 1967)
  • 1904 – S.J. Perelman, American humorist and screenwriter (d. 1979)
  • 1905 – Emilio G. Segrè, Italian-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1989)
  • 1906 – Adetokunbo Ademola, Nigerian lawyer and jurist, 2nd Chief Justice of Nigeria (d. 1993)
  • 1907 – Günter Eich, German author and songwriter (d. 1972)
  • 1907 – Camargo Guarnieri, Brazilian pianist and composer (d. 1993)
  • 1908 – George Pal, Hungarian-American animator and producer (d. 1980)
  • 1908 – Louis Rasminsky, Canadian economist and banker (d. 1998)
  • 1909 – George Beverly Shea, Canadian-American singer-songwriter (d. 2013)
  • 1910 – Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme, Chinese general and politician (d. 2009)
  • 1915 – Stanley Matthews, English footballer and manager (d. 2000)
  • 1917 – José Luis Sampedro, Spanish economist and author (d. 2013)
  • 1917 – Eiji Sawamura, Japanese baseball player and soldier (d. 1944)
  • 1918 – Muriel Spark, Scottish playwright and poet (d. 2006)
  • 1918 – Ignacy Tokarczuk, Polish archbishop (d. 2012)
  • 1920 – Mike Scarry, American football player and coach (d. 2012)
  • 1920 – Zao Wou-Ki, Chinese-French painter (d. 2013)
  • 1921 – Teresa Mattei, Italian feminist partisan and politician (d. 2013)
  • 1921 – Peter Sallis, English actor (d. 2017)
  • 1921 – Patricia Robins, British writer and WAAF officer (d. 2016).
  • 1922 – Renata Tebaldi, Italian soprano and actress (d. 2004)
  • 1923 – Ben Weider, Canadian businessman, co-founded the International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness (d. 2008)
  • 1924 – Richard Hooker, American novelist (d. 1997)
  • 1924 – Emmanuel Scheffer, German-Israeli footballer, coach, and manager (d. 2012)
  • 1927 – Galway Kinnell, American poet and academic (d. 2014)
  • 1928 – Sam Edwards, Welsh physicist and academic (d. 2015)
  • 1928 – Tom Lantos, Hungarian-American academic and politician (d. 2008)
  • 1930 – Shahabuddin Ahmed, Bangladeshi judge and politician, 12th President of Bangladesh
  • 1930 – Hussain Muhammad Ershad, Indian-Bangladeshi general and politician, 10th President of Bangladesh (d. 2019)
  • 1931 – Boris Yeltsin, Russian politician, 1st President of Russia (d. 2007)
  • 1932 – Hassan Al-Turabi, Sudanese activist and politician (d. 2016)
  • 1934 – Nicolae Breban, Romanian author, poet, and playwright
  • 1936 – Tuncel Kurtiz, Turkish actor, playwright, and director (d. 2013)
  • 1936 – Azie Taylor Morton, American educator and politician, 36th Treasurer of the United States (d. 2003)
  • 1937 – Don Everly, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1937 – Garrett Morris, American actor and comedian
  • 1938 – Jimmy Carl Black, American drummer and singer (d. 2008)
  • 1938 – Jacky Cupit, American golfer
  • 1938 – Sherman Hemsley, American actor and singer (d. 2012)
  • 1939 – Fritjof Capra, Austrian physicist, author, and academic
  • 1939 – Claude François, Egyptian-French singer-songwriter and dancer (d. 1978)
  • 1939 – Paul Gillmor, American lawyer and politician (d. 2007)
  • 1939 – Ekaterina Maximova, Russian ballerina (d. 2009)
  • 1939 – Joe Sample, American pianist and composer (d. 2014)
  • 1941 – Jerry Spinelli, American author
  • 1942 – Bibi Besch, Austrian-American actress (d. 1996)
  • 1942 – Terry Jones, Welsh actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2020)
  • 1942 – David Sincock, Australian cricketer
  • 1944 – Petru Popescu, Romanian-American director, producer, and author
  • 1944 – Burkhard Ziese, German footballer and manager (d. 2010)
  • 1945 – Serge Joyal, Canadian lawyer and politician, 50th Secretary of State for Canada
  • 1945 – Ferruccio Mazzola, Italian footballer and manager (d. 2013)
  • 1945 – Mary Jane Reoch, American cyclist (d. 1993)
  • 1946 – Elisabeth Sladen, English actress (d. 2011)
  • 1946 – Karen Krantzcke, Australian tennis player (d. 1977)
  • 1947 – Adam Ingram, Scottish computer programmer and politician, Minister of State for the Armed Forces
  • 1947 – Normie Rowe, Australian singer-songwriter and actor
  • 1947 – Jessica Savitch, American journalist (d. 1983)
  • 1948 – Rick James, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2004)
  • 1950 – Mike Campbell, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer
  • 1950 – Ali Haydar Konca, Turkish politician, 4th Turkish Minister of European Union Affairs
  • 1950 – Rich Williams, American guitarist and songwriter
  • 1951 – Sonny Landreth, American guitarist and songwriter
  • 1952 – Owoye Andrew Azazi, Nigerian general (d. 2012)
  • 1954 – Chuck Dukowski, American singer-songwriter and bass player
  • 1956 – Exene Cervenka, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1957 – Mohammed Jamal Khalifa, Saudi Arabian businessman (d. 2007)
  • 1957 – Gilbert Hernandez, American author and illustrator
  • 1958 – Luther Blissett, Jamaican-English footballer and manager
  • 1958 – Eleanor Laing, Scottish lawyer and politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland
  • 1961 – Volker Fried, German field hockey player and coach
  • 1961 – Daniel M. Tani, American engineer and astronaut
  • 1961 – Kaduvetti Guru, Indian politician (d. 2018)
  • 1962 – José Luis Cuciuffo, Argentinian footballer (d. 2004)
  • 1962 – Tomoyasu Hotei, Japanese singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1962 – Takashi Murakami, Japanese painter and sculptor
  • 1964 – Jani Lane, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2011)
  • 1964 – Mario Pelchat, Canadian singer-songwriter
  • 1964 – Linus Roache, English actor
  • 1965 – Stéphanie of Monaco, designer, singer and princess
  • 1965 – Brandon Lee, American actor and martial artist (d. 1993)
  • 1965 – Sherilyn Fenn, American actress
  • 1966 – Michelle Akers, American soccer player
  • 1967 – Meg Cabot, American author and screenwriter
  • 1968 – Lisa Marie Presley, American singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1968 – Mark Recchi, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1969 – Gabriel Batistuta, Argentinian footballer
  • 1969 – Andrew Breitbart, American journalist, author, and publisher (d. 2012)
  • 1969 – Brian Krause, American actor and screenwriter
  • 1969 – Franklyn Rose, Jamaican cricketer
  • 1969 – Patrick Wilson, American drummer
  • 1970 – Yasuyuki Kazama, Japanese racing driver
  • 1970 – Malik Sealy, American basketball player and actor (d. 2000)
  • 1971 – Harald Brattbakk, Norwegian footballer and pilot
  • 1971 – Michael C. Hall, American actor and producer
  • 1972 – Christian Ziege, German footballer
  • 1973 – Andrew DeClercq, American basketball player and coach
  • 1973 – Óscar Pérez Rojas, Mexican footballer
  • 1974 – Walter McCarty, American basketball player and coach
  • 1975 – Martijn Reuser, Dutch footballer
  • 1976 – Phil Ivey, American poker player
  • 1976 – Mat Rogers, Australian rugby player
  • 1977 – Lari Ketner, American basketball player (d. 2014)
  • 1977 – Robert Traylor, American basketball player (d. 2011)
  • 1978 – Tim Harding, Australian singer and actor
  • 1978 – K’naan, Somali-Canadian hip-hop artist
  • 1979 – Valentín Elizalde, Mexican singer-songwriter (d. 2006)
  • 1979 – Jason Isbell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1979 – Juan Silveira dos Santos, Brazilian footballer
  • 1980 – Héctor Luna, Dominican baseball player
  • 1980 – Moisés Muñoz, Mexican footballer
  • 1980 – Otilino Tenorio, Ecuadorian footballer (d. 2005)
  • 1981 – Hins Cheung, Hong Kong singer-songwriter
  • 1981 – Christian Giménez, Argentinian footballer
  • 1981 – Graeme Smith, South African cricketer
  • 1982 – Gavin Henson, Welsh rugby player
  • 1982 – Shoaib Malik, Pakistani cricketer
  • 1983 – Heather DeLoach, American actress
  • 1983 – Kevin Martin, American basketball player
  • 1983 – Jurgen Van den Broeck, Belgian cyclist
  • 1984 – Darren Fletcher, Scottish footballer
  • 1985 – Dean Shiels, Irish footballer
  • 1986 – Jorrit Bergsma, Dutch speed skater
  • 1986 – Lauren Conrad, American fashion designer and author
  • 1987 – Sebastian Boenisch, Polish footballer
  • 1987 – Moises Henriques, Portuguese-Australian cricketer
  • 1987 – Austin Jackson, American baseball player
  • 1987 – Ronda Rousey, American mixed martial artist and actress
  • 1987 – Giuseppe Rossi, Italian footballer
  • 1988 – Brett Anderson, American baseball player
  • 1989 – Ricky Pinheiro, Portuguese footballer
  • 1991 – Kyle Palmieri, American hockey player
  • 1993 – Diego Mella, Italian footballer
  • 1994 – Joe Boyce, Australian rugby league player
  • 1994 – Harry Styles, English singer-songwriter

Deaths on February 1

  • 583 – Kan B’alam I, ruler of Palenque (b. 524)
  • 772 – Pope Stephen III (b. 720)
  • 850 – Ramiro I, king of Asturias
  • 992 – Jawhar as-Siqilli, Fatimid statesman
  • 1222 – Alexios Megas Komnenos, first Emperor of Trebizond
  • 1248 – Henry II, Duke of Brabant (b. 1207)
  • 1328 – Charles IV of France (b. 1294)
  • 1501 – Sigismund of Bavaria (b. 1439)
  • 1542 – Girolamo Aleandro, Italian cardinal (b. 1480)
  • 1563 – Menas of Ethiopia
  • 1590 – Lawrence Humphrey, English theologian and academic (b. 1527)
  • 1691 – Pope Alexander VIII (b. 1610)
  • 1718 – Charles Talbot, 1st Duke of Shrewsbury, English politician, Lord High Treasurer (b. 1660)
  • 1733 – Augustus II the Strong, Polish king (b. 1670)
  • 1734 – John Floyer, English physician and author (b. 1649)
  • 1743 – Giuseppe Ottavio Pitoni, Italian organist and composer (b. 1657)
  • 1750 – Bakar of Georgia (b. 1699)
  • 1761 – Pierre François Xavier de Charlevoix, French priest and historian (b. 1682)
  • 1768 – Sir Robert Rich, 4th Baronet, English field marshal and politician (b. 1685)
  • 1793 – William Barrington, 2nd Viscount Barrington, English politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (b. 1717)
  • 1832 – Archibald Murphey, American judge and politician (b. 1777)
  • 1851 – Mary Shelley, English novelist and playwright (b. 1797)
  • 1871 – Alexander Serov, Russian composer and critic (b. 1820)
  • 1893 – George Henry Sanderson, American lawyer and politician, 22nd Mayor of San Francisco (b. 1824)
  • 1897 – Constantin von Ettingshausen, Austrian geologist and botanist (b. 1826)
  • 1903 – Sir George Stokes, Anglo-Irish physicist, mathematician, and politician (b. 1819)
  • 1907 – Léon Serpollet, French businessman (b. 1858)
  • 1908 – Carlos I of Portugal (b. 1863)
  • 1922 – William Desmond Taylor, American actor and director (b. 1872)
  • 1924 – Maurice Prendergast, American painter (b. 1858)
  • 1928 – Hughie Jennings, American baseball player and manager (b. 1869)
  • 1936 – Georgios Kondylis, Greek general and politician, 128th Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1878)
  • 1940 – Philip Francis Nowlan, American author, created Buck Rogers (b. 1888)
  • 1940 – Zacharias Papantoniou, Greek journalist and critic (b. 1877)
  • 1944 – Piet Mondrian, Dutch-American painter (b. 1872)
  • 1949 – Nicolae Dumitru Cocea, Romanian journalist, author, and activist (b. 1880)
  • 1949 – Herbert Stothart, American conductor and composer (b. 1885)
  • 1957 – Friedrich Paulus, German general (b. 1890)
  • 1958 – Clinton Davisson, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1888)
  • 1959 – Madame Sul-Te-Wan, American actress (b. 1873)
  • 1966 – Hedda Hopper, American actress and journalist (b. 1885)
  • 1966 – Buster Keaton, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1895)
  • 1968 – Echol Cole and Robert Walker – sparking the Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike
  • 1970 – Alfréd Rényi, Hungarian mathematician and academic (b. 1921)
  • 1976 – Werner Heisenberg, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1901)
  • 1976 – George Whipple, American physician and pathologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1878)
  • 1979 – Abdi İpekçi, Turkish journalist and activist (b. 1929)
  • 1981 – Donald Wills Douglas, Sr., American engineer and businessman, founded the Douglas Aircraft Company (b. 1892)
  • 1981 – Geirr Tveitt, Norwegian pianist and composer (b. 1908)
  • 1986 – Alva Myrdal, Swedish sociologist and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1902)
  • 1987 – Alessandro Blasetti, Italian director and screenwriter (b. 1900)
  • 1989 – Elaine de Kooning, American painter and academic (b. 1918)
  • 1992 – Jean Hamburger, French physician and surgeon (b. 1909)
  • 1996 – Ray Crawford, American race car driver, pilot, and businessman (b. 1915)
  • 1997 – Herb Caen, American journalist and author (b. 1916)
  • 1999 – Paul Mellon, American art collector and philanthropist (b. 1907)
  • 2001 – André D’Allemagne, Canadian political scientist and academic (b. 1929)
  • 2002 – Aykut Barka, Turkish geologist and academic (b. 1951)
  • 2002 – Hildegard Knef, German actress and singer (b. 1925)
  • 2003 – Space Shuttle Columbia crew
    • Michael P. Anderson, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1959)
    • David M. Brown, American captain, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1956)
    • Kalpana Chawla, Indian-American engineer and astronaut (b. 1961)
    • Laurel Clark, American captain, surgeon, and astronaut (b. 1961)
    • Rick Husband, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1957)
    • William C. McCool, American commander, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1961)
    • Ilan Ramon, Israeli colonel, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1954)
  • 2003 – Mongo Santamaría, Cuban-American drummer and bandleader (b. 1922)
  • 2004 – Suha Arın, Turkish director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1942)
  • 2005 – John Vernon, Canadian-American actor (b. 1932)
  • 2007 – Gian Carlo Menotti, Italian-American playwright and composer (b. 1911)
  • 2008 – Beto Carrero, Brazilian actor and businessman (b. 1937)
  • 2012 – Don Cornelius, American television host and producer (b. 1936)
  • 2012 – Wisława Szymborska, Polish poet and translator, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1923)
  • 2013 – Helene Hale, American politician (b. 1918)
  • 2013 – Ed Koch, American lawyer, judge, and politician, 105th Mayor of New York City (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – Shanu Lahiri, Indian painter and educator (b. 1928)
  • 2013 – Cecil Womack, American singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1947)
  • 2014 – Luis Aragonés, Spanish footballer and manager (b. 1938)
  • 2014 – Vasily Petrov, Russian marshal (b. 1917)
  • 2014 – Rene Ricard, American poet, painter, and critic (b. 1946)
  • 2014 – Maximilian Schell, Austrian-Swiss actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1930)
  • 2015 – Aldo Ciccolini, Italian-French pianist (b. 1925)
  • 2015 – Udo Lattek, German footballer, manager, and sportscaster (b. 1935)
  • 2015 – Monty Oum, American animator, director, and screenwriter (b. 1981)
  • 2016 – Óscar Humberto Mejía Victores, Guatemalan general and politician, 27th President of Guatemala (b. 1930)
  • 2017 – Desmond Carrington, British actor and broadcaster (b. 1926)
  • 2018 – Barys Kit, Belarusian rocket scientist (b. 1910)
  • 2018 – Mowzey Radio, Ugandan singer and songwriter (b. 1985)
  • 2019 – Jeremy Hardy, English comedian, radio host and panelist (b. 1961)
  • 2019 – Clive Swift, English actor (b. 1936)
  • 2019 – Wade Wilson, American football player and coach (b. 1959)

Holidays and observances on February 1

  • Abolition of Slavery Day (Mauritius)
  • Air Force Day (Nicaragua)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Astina (Syrian Church)
    • Blessed Candelaria of San José
    • Brigid, patron saint of Ireland (Saint Brigid’s Day)
    • Verdiana
    • February 1 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest day on which Constitution Day can fall, while February 7 is the latest; celebrated on the first Monday in February. (Mexico)
  • Federal Territory Day (Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya, Malaysia)
  • Heroes Day (Rwanda)
  • Imbolc (Ireland, Scotland, Isle of Man, and some Neopagan groups in the Northern hemisphere)
  • Memorial Day of the Republic (Hungary)
  • National Freedom Day (United States)
  • The start of Black History Month (United States and Canada)

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

On This Day

January 20 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

  • 250 – Pope Fabian is martyred during the Decian persecution.
  • 649 – King Chindasuinth, at the urging of bishop Braulio of Zaragoza, crowns his son Recceswinth as co-ruler of the Visigothic Kingdom.
  • 1265 – The first English parliament to include not only Lords but also representatives of the major towns holds its first meeting in the Palace of Westminster, now commonly known as the “Houses of Parliament”.
  • 1320 – Duke Wladyslaw Lokietek becomes king of Poland.
  • 1356 – Edward Balliol surrenders his claim to the Scottish throne to Edward III in exchange for an English pension.
  • 1523 – Christian II is forced to abdicate as King of Denmark and Norway.
  • 1567 – Battle of Rio de Janeiro: Portuguese forces under the command of Estácio de Sá definitively drive the French out of Rio de Janeiro.
  • 1576 – The Mexican city of León is founded by order of the viceroy Don Martín Enríquez de Almanza.
  • 1649 – The High Court of Justice for the trial of Charles I begins its proceedings.
  • 1783 – The Kingdom of Great Britain signed preliminary articles of peace with France, setting the stage to the official end of hostilities in the American Revolutionary War later that year.
  • 1785 – Invading Siamese forces attempt to exploit the political chaos in Vietnam, but are ambushed and annihilated at the Mekong river by the Tây Sơn in the Battle of Rạch Gầm-Xoài Mút.
  • 1788 – The third and main part of First Fleet arrives at Botany Bay. Arthur Phillip decides that Port Jackson is a more suitable location for a colony.
  • 1839 – In the Battle of Yungay, Chile defeats an alliance between Peru and Bolivia.
  • 1841 – Hong Kong Island is occupied by the British.
  • 1877 – The last day of the Constantinople Conference results in agreement for political reforms in the Balkans.
  • 1887 – The United States Senate allows the Navy to lease Pearl Harbor as a naval base.
  • 1921 – The British K-class submarine HMS K5 sinks in the English Channel; all 56 on board die.
  • 1921 – The first Constitution of Turkey is adopted, making fundamental changes in the source and exercise of sovereignty by consecrating the principle of national sovereignty.
  • 1929 – The first full-length talking motion picture filmed outdoors, In Old Arizona, is released.
  • 1936 – King George V of the United Kingdom dies. His eldest son succeeds to the throne, becoming Edward VIII. The title Prince of Wales is not used for another 22 years.
  • 1937 – Franklin D. Roosevelt and John Nance Garner are sworn in for their second terms as U.S. President and U.S. Vice President; it is the first time a Presidential Inauguration takes place on January 20 since the 20th Amendment changed the dates of presidential terms.
  • 1941 – A German officer is killed in Bucharest, Romania, sparking a rebellion and pogrom by the Iron Guard, killing 125 Jews and 30 soldiers.
  • 1942 – World War II: At the Wannsee Conference held in the Berlin suburb of Wannsee, senior Nazi German officials discuss the implementation of the “Final Solution to the Jewish question”.
  • 1945 – World War II: The provisional government of Béla Miklós in Hungary agrees to an armistice with the Allies.
  • 1945 – World War II: Germany begins the evacuation of 1.8 million people from East Prussia, a task which will take nearly two months.
  • 1949 – Point Four Program a program for economic aid to poor countries announced by United States President Harry S. Truman in his inaugural address for a full term as President.
  • 1953 – Dwight D. Eisenhower is inaugurated as the 34th President of the United States of America.
  • 1954 – In the United States, the National Negro Network is established with 40 charter member radio stations.
  • 1961 – John F. Kennedy is inaugurated the 35th President of the United States of America, becoming the second youngest man to take the office, and the first Catholic.
  • 1969 – Richard Nixon is inaugurated the 37th President of the United States of America.
  • 1972 – Pakistan launched its nuclear weapons program, a few weeks after its defeat in the Bangladesh Liberation War, as well as the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.
  • 1977 – Jimmy Carter is inaugurated the 39th President of the United States of America.
  • 1981 – Ronald Reagan is inaugurated the 40th President of the United States of America. Twenty minutes later, Iran releases 52 American hostages.
  • 1986 – In the United States, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is celebrated as a federal holiday for the first time.
  • 1989 – George H. W. Bush is inaugurated the 41st President of the United States of America.
  • 1990 – Protests in Azerbaijan, part of the Dissolution of the Soviet Union.
  • 1991 – Sudan’s government imposes Islamic law nationwide, worsening the civil war between the country’s Muslim north and Christian south.
  • 1992 – Air Inter Flight 148, an Airbus A320-111, crashes into a mountain near Strasbourg, France killing 87 of the 96 people on board.
  • 1993 – Bill Clinton is inaugurated the 42nd President of the United States of America.
  • 2001 – George W. Bush is inaugurated the 43rd President of the United States of America.
  • 2001 – President of the Philippines Joseph Estrada is ousted in a nonviolent 4-day revolution, and is succeeded by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
  • 2009 – Barack Obama is inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States of America, becoming the first African-American President of the United States.
  • 2009 – A protest movement in Iceland culminates as the 2009 Icelandic financial crisis protests start.
  • 2017 – Donald Trump is inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States of America, becoming the oldest person to assume the office.
  • 2018 – A group of four or five gunmen attack The Inter-Continental Hotel in Kabul, Afghanistan, sparking a 12-hour battle. The attack kills 40 people and injures many others.

Births on January 20

  • 225 – Gordian III, Roman emperor (d. 244)
  • 1029 – Alp Arslan, Seljuk sultan (probable; d. 1072)
  • 1292 – Elizabeth of Bohemia, queen consort of Bohemia (d. 1330)
  • 1436 – Ashikaga Yoshimasa, Japanese shōgun (d. 1490)
  • 1488 – John George, Marquess of Montferrat, Italian noble (d. 1533)
  • 1488 – Sebastian Münster, German scholar, cartographer, and cosmographer (d. 1552)
  • 1499 – Sebastian Franck, German humanist (probable; d. 1543)
  • 1502 – Sebastian de Aparicio, Spanish-Mexican rancher and missionary (d. 1600)
  • 1526 – Rafael Bombelli, Italian mathematician (d. 1572)
  • 1554 – Sebastian of Portugal (d. 1578)
  • 1569 – Heribert Rosweyde, Jesuit hagiographer (d. 1629)
  • 1573 – Simon Marius, German astronomer and academic (d. 1624)
  • 1586 – Johann Hermann Schein, German composer (d. 1630)
  • 1664 – Giovanni Vincenzo Gravina, Italian lawyer and jurist (d. 1718)
  • 1703 – Joseph-Hector Fiocco, Flemish violinist and composer (d. 1741)
  • 1716 – Jean-Jacques Barthélemy, French archaeologist and numismatist (d. 1795)
  • 1716 – Charles III of Spain (d. 1788)
  • 1732 – Richard Henry Lee, American lawyer and politician, President of the Continental Congress (d. 1794)
  • 1741 – Carl Linnaeus the Younger, Swedish botanist and author (d. 1783)
  • 1755 – Sir Albemarle Bertie, 1st Baronet, English admiral (d. 1824)
  • 1762 – Jérôme-Joseph de Momigny, Belgian-French composer and theorist (d. 1842)
  • 1775 – André-Marie Ampère, French physicist and mathematician (d. 1836)
  • 1781 – Joseph Hormayr, Baron zu Hortenburg, Austrian-German historian and politician (d. 1848)
  • 1783 – Friedrich Dotzauer, German cellist and composer (d. 1860)
  • 1799 – Anson Jones, American physician and politician, 5th President of the Republic of Texas (d. 1858)
  • 1804 – Eugène Sue, French author and politician (d. 1857)
  • 1812 – Thomas Meik, Scottish engineer (d. 1896)
  • 1814 – David Wilmot, American politician, sponsor of Wilmot Proviso (d. 1868)
  • 1834 – George D. Robinson, American lawyer and politician, 34th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1896)
  • 1855 – Ernest Chausson, French composer (d. 1899)
  • 1856 – Harriot Stanton Blatch, U.S. suffragist and organizer (d. 1940)
  • 1865 – Yvette Guilbert, French singer and actress (d. 1944)
  • 1870 – Guillaume Lekeu, Belgian pianist and composer (d. 1894)
  • 1873 – Johannes V. Jensen, Danish author, poet, and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1950)
  • 1874 – Steve Bloomer, English footballer and coach (d. 1938)
  • 1876 – Josef Hofmann, Polish-American pianist and composer (d. 1957)
  • 1878 – Finlay Currie, Scottish-English actor (d. 1968)
  • 1879 – Ruth St. Denis, American dancer and educator (d. 1968)
  • 1880 – Walter W. Bacon, American accountant and politician, 60th Governor of Delaware (d. 1962)
  • 1882 – Johnny Torrio, Italian-American mob boss (d. 1957)
  • 1883 – Enoch L. Johnson, American mob boss (d. 1968)
  • 1883 – Forrest Wilson, American journalist and author (d. 1942)
  • 1888 – Lead Belly, American folk/blues musician and songwriter (d. 1949)
  • 1889 – Allan Haines Loughead, American engineer and businessman, founded the Alco Hydro-Aeroplane Company (d. 1969)
  • 1891 – Mischa Elman, Ukrainian-American violinist (d. 1967)
  • 1893 – Georg Åberg, Swedish triple jumper (d. 1946)
  • 1894 – Harold Gray, American cartoonist, created Little Orphan Annie (d. 1968)
  • 1894 – Walter Piston, American composer, theorist, and academic (d. 1976)
  • 1895 – Gábor Szegő, Hungarian mathematician and academic (d. 1985)
  • 1896 – George Burns, American actor, comedian, and producer (d. 1996)
  • 1898 – U Razak, Burmese educator and politician (d. 1947)
  • 1899 – Clarice Cliff, English potter (d. 1972)
  • 1899 – Kenjiro Takayanagi, Japanese engineer (d. 1990)
  • 1900 – Dorothy Annan, English painter, potter, and muralist (d. 1983)
  • 1900 – Colin Clive, English actor (d. 1937)
  • 1902 – Leon Ames, American actor (d. 1993)
  • 1902 – Kevin Barry, Irish Republican Army volunteer (d. 1920)
  • 1906 – Aristotle Onassis, Greek shipping magnate (d. 1975)
  • 1907 – Paula Wessely, Austrian actress and producer (d. 2000)
  • 1908 – Fleur Cowles, American author and illustrator (d. 2009)
  • 1909 – Gōgen Yamaguchi, Japanese martial artist (d. 1989)
  • 1910 – Joy Adamson, Austria-born Kenyan painter and author (d. 1980)
  • 1913 – W. Cleon Skousen, American author and academic (d. 2006)
  • 1915 – Ghulam Ishaq Khan, Pakistani businessman and politician, 7th President of Pakistan (d. 2006)
  • 1918 – Juan García Esquivel, Mexican pianist, composer, and bandleader (d. 2002)
  • 1918 – Nevin Scrimshaw, American scientist (d. 2013)
  • 1920 – Federico Fellini, Italian director and screenwriter (d. 1993)
  • 1920 – DeForest Kelley, American actor (d. 1999)
  • 1920 – Thorleif Schjelderup, Norwegian ski jumper and author (d. 2006)
  • 1921 – Telmo Zarra, Spanish footballer (d. 2006)
  • 1922 – Ray Anthony, American trumpet player, composer, bandleader, and actor
  • 1922 – Don Mankiewicz, American author and screenwriter (d. 2015)
  • 1923 – Slim Whitman, American country and western singer-songwriter and musician (d. 2013)
  • 1924 – Yvonne Loriod, French pianist and composer (d. 2010)
  • 1925 – Jamiluddin Aali, Pakistani poet, playwright, and critic (d. 2015)
  • 1925 – Ernesto Cardenal, Nicaraguan priest, poet, and politician (d. 2020)
  • 1926 – Patricia Neal, American actress (d. 2010)
  • 1926 – David Tudor, American pianist and composer (d. 1996)
  • 1927 – Qurratulain Hyder, Indian-Pakistani journalist and academic (d. 2007)
  • 1928 – Antonio de Almeida, French conductor and musicologist (d. 1997)
  • 1929 – Arte Johnson, American actor and comedian (d. 2019)
  • 1929 – Masaharu Kawakatsu, Japanese biologist
  • 1929 – Fireball Roberts, American race car driver (d. 1964)
  • 1930 – Buzz Aldrin, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut
  • 1931 – David Lee, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1931 – Hachidai Nakamura, Japanese pianist and composer (d. 1992)
  • 1932 – Lou Fontinato, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2016)
  • 1934 – Hennie Aucamp, South African poet, author, and academic (d. 2014)
  • 1934 – Tom Baker, English actor
  • 1935 – Dorothy Provine, American actress, singer, and dancer (d. 2010)
  • 1937 – Bailey Howell, American basketball player
  • 1938 – Derek Dougan, Irish-English footballer and journalist (d. 2007)
  • 1939 – Paul Coverdell, American captain and politician (d. 2000)
  • 1939 – Chandra Wickramasinghe, Sri Lankan-English mathematician, astronomer, and biologist
  • 1940 – Carol Heiss, American figure skater and actress
  • 1940 – Krishnam Raju, Indian actor and politician
  • 1940 – Mandé Sidibé, Malian economist and politician, Prime Minister of Mali (d. 2009)
  • 1942 – Linda Moulton Howe, American journalist and producer
  • 1944 – José Luis Garci, Spanish director and producer
  • 1944 – Farhad Mehrad, Iranian singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2002)
  • 1944 – Pat Parker, African American poet
  • 1945 – Christopher Martin-Jenkins, English journalist and sportscaster (d. 2013)
  • 1945 – Eric Stewart, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1946 – David Lynch, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1946 – Vladimír Merta, Czech singer-songwriter, guitarist, and journalist
  • 1947 – Cyrille Guimard, French cyclist and sportscaster
  • 1948 – Nancy Kress, American author and academic
  • 1948 – Natan Sharansky, Ukrainian-Israeli physicist and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Israel
  • 1949 – Göran Persson, Swedish lawyer and politician, 31st Prime Minister of Sweden
  • 1950 – Daniel Benzali, Brazilian-American actor
  • 1950 – William Mgimwa, Tanzanian banker and politician, 13th Tanzanian Minister of Finance (d. 2014)
  • 1950 – Mahamane Ousmane, Nigerien politician, President of Niger
  • 1951 – Iván Fischer, Hungarian conductor and composer
  • 1952 – Nikos Sideris, Greek psychiatrist and poet
  • 1952 – Paul Stanley, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1952 – John Witherow, South African-English journalist and author
  • 1953 – Jeffrey Epstein, American financier and convicted sex offender (d. 2019)
  • 1954 – Alison Seabeck, English lawyer and politician
  • 1955 – McKeeva Bush, Caymanian politician, Premier of the Cayman Islands
  • 1956 – Maria Larsson, Swedish educator and politician, Swedish Minister of Health and Social Affairs
  • 1956 – Bill Maher, American comedian, political commentator, media critic, television host, and producer
  • 1956 – John Naber, American swimmer
  • 1957 – Andy Sheppard, English saxophonist and composer
  • 1958 – Lorenzo Lamas, American actor, director, and producer
  • 1959 – Tami Hoag, American author
  • 1959 – R. A. Salvatore, American author
  • 1960 – Apa Sherpa, Nepalese-American mountaineer
  • 1960 – Scott Thunes, American bass player
  • 1960 – Will Wright, American video game designer, co-founded Maxis
  • 1963 – James Denton, American actor
  • 1963 – Mark Ryden, American painter and illustrator
  • 1964 – Ozzie Guillén, Venezuelan-American baseball player and manager
  • 1964 – Ron Harper, American basketball player and coach
  • 1964 – Jack Lewis, American soldier and author
  • 1964 – Kazushige Nojima, Japanese screenwriter and songwriter
  • 1964 – Aquilino Pimentel III, Filipino lawyer and politician
  • 1964 – Fareed Zakaria, Indian-American journalist and author
  • 1965 – Colin Calderwood, Scottish footballer defender and manager
  • 1965 – Sophie, Countess of Wessex
  • 1965 – Warren Joyce, English footballer and manager
  • 1965 – John Michael Montgomery, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1965 – Anton Weissenbacher, Romanian footballer
  • 1966 – Rainn Wilson, American actor
  • 1967 – Stacey Dash, American actress and television journalist
  • 1967 – Kellyanne Conway, American political strategist and pundit
  • 1968 – Nick Anderson, American basketball player and sportscaster
  • 1968 – Junior Murray, Grenadian cricketer
  • 1969 – Patrick K. Kroupa, American computer hacker and activist, co-founded MindVox
  • 1969 – Nicky Wire, Welsh singer-songwriter and bass player
  • 1970 – Edwin McCain, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1970 – Skeet Ulrich, American actor
  • 1971 – Derrick Green, American singer
  • 1971 – Gary Barlow, English singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer
  • 1971 – Ger McDonnell, Irish mountaineer and engineer (d. 2008)
  • 1971 – Jung Woong-in, South Korean actor
  • 1971 – Questlove, American drummer, DJ, and producer
  • 1971 – Wakanohana Masaru, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 66th Yokozuna
  • 1972 – Nikki Haley, American accountant and politician, 116th Governor of South Carolina
  • 1973 – Stephen Crabb, Scottish-Welsh politician, Secretary of State for Wales
  • 1973 – Queen Mathilde of Belgium
  • 1974 – David Dei, Italian footballer and coach
  • 1975 – Norberto Fontana, Argentinian racing driver
  • 1975 – Zac Goldsmith, English journalist and politician
  • 1976 – Kirsty Gallacher, Scottish journalist and sportscaster
  • 1976 – Michael Myers, American football player
  • 1976 – Gretha Smit, Dutch speed skater
  • 1977 – Paul Adams, South African cricketer and coach
  • 1978 – Salvatore Aronica, Italian footballer
  • 1978 – Sonja Kesselschläger, German heptathlete
  • 1978 – Allan Søgaard, Danish footballer
  • 1979 – Choo Ja-hyun, South Korean actress
  • 1979 – Will Young, English singer-songwriter and actor
  • 1980 – Karl Anderson, American wrestler
  • 1980 – Philippe Cousteau, Jr., American-French oceanographer and journalist
  • 1980 – Philippe Gagnon, Canadian swimmer
  • 1980 – Kim Jeong-hoon, South Korean singer and actor
  • 1980 – Petra Rampre, Slovenian tennis player
  • 1980 – Matthew Tuck, Welsh singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1981 – Freddy Guzmán, Dominican baseball player
  • 1981 – Owen Hargreaves, English footballer
  • 1981 – Jason Richardson, American basketball player
  • 1982 – Ruchi Sanghvi, Indian computer engineer
  • 1982 – Fredrik Strømstad, Norwegian footballer
  • 1983 – Geovany Soto, Puerto Rican-American baseball player
  • 1983 – Mari Yaguchi, Japanese singer and actress
  • 1984 – Malek Jaziri, Tunisian tennis player
  • 1985 – Marina Inoue, Japanese voice actress and singer
  • 1985 – Tanel Sokk, Estonian basketball player
  • 1987 – Janin Lindenberg, German sprinter
  • 1987 – Marco Simoncelli, Italian motorcycle racer (d. 2011)
  • 1988 – Uwa Elderson Echiéjilé, Nigerian footballer
  • 1988 – Jeffrén Suárez, Spanish footballer
  • 1989 – Nick Foles, American football player
  • 1989 – Washington Santana da Silva, Brazilian footballer
  • 1989 – Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1990 – Ray Thompson, Australian rugby league player
  • 1991 – Ciara Hanna, American actress and model
  • 1991 – Tom Cairney, Scottish footballer, midfielder
  • 1991 – Polona Hercog, Slovenian tennis player
  • 1991 – Jolyon Palmer, English racing driver
  • 1992 – Jorge Zárate, Mexican footballer
  • 1993 – Lorenzo Crisetig, Italian footballer
  • 1994 – Seán Kavanagh, Irish footballer, defender
  • 1994 – Lucas Piazon, Brazilian footballer
  • 1995 – Joey Badass, American rapper and actor
  • 1995 – Calum Chambers, English footballer, defender

Deaths on January 20

  • 820 – Al-Shafi‘i, Arab scholar and jurist (b. 767)
  • 842 – Theophilos, Byzantine emperor (b. 813)
  • 882 – Louis the Younger, king of the East Frankish Kingdom
  • 924 – Li Jitao, Chinese general of Later Tang
  • 928 – Zhao Guangfeng, Chinese official and chancellor
  • 1029 – Heonae, Korean queen and regent (b. 964)
  • 1095 – Wulfstan, bishop of Worcester
  • 1156 – Henry, English bishop and saint
  • 1189 – Shi Zong, Chinese emperor of Jin (b. 1123)
  • 1191 – Frederick VI, duke of Swabia (b. 1167)
  • 1191 – Theobald V, count of Blois (b. 1130)
  • 1265 – John Maunsell, English Lord Chancellor
  • 1336 – John de Bohun, 5th Earl of Hereford (b. 1306)
  • 1343 – Robert, king of Naples (b. 1275)
  • 1479 – John II, king of Sicily (b. 1398)
  • 1568 – Myles Coverdale, English bishop and translator (b. 1488)
  • 1612 – Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1552)
  • 1663 – Isaac Ambrose, English minister and author (b. 1604)
  • 1666 – Anne of Austria, Queen and regent of France (b. 1601)
  • 1707 – Humphrey Hody, English scholar and theologian (b. 1659)
  • 1709 – François de la Chaise, French priest (b. 1624)
  • 1751 – John Hervey, 1st Earl of Bristol, English politician (b. 1665)
  • 1770 – Charles Yorke, English lawyer and politician, Lord Chancellor of Great Britain (b. 1722)
  • 1779 – David Garrick, English actor, producer, playwright, and manager (b. 1717)
  • 1810 – Benjamin Chew, American lawyer and judge (b. 1721)
  • 1819 – Charles IV, Spanish king (b. 1748)
  • 1837 – John Soane, English architect, designed the Bank of England (b. 1753)
  • 1841 – Jørgen Jørgensen, Danish explorer (b. 1780)
  • 1841 – Minh Mạng, Vietnamese emperor (b. 1791)
  • 1848 – Christian VIII, Danish king (b. 1786)
  • 1850 – Adam Oehlenschläger, Danish poet and playwright (b. 1779)
  • 1852 – Ōnomatsu Midorinosuke, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 6th Yokozuna (b. 1794)
  • 1873 – Basil Moreau, French priest, founded the Congregation of Holy Cross (b. 1799)
  • 1875 – Jean-François Millet, French painter and educator (b. 1814)
  • 1891 – Kalākaua, king of Hawaii (b. 1836)
  • 1900 – John Ruskin, English painter and critic (b. 1819)
  • 1901 – Zénobe Gramme, Belgian engineer, invented the Gramme machine (b. 1826)
  • 1907 – Agnes Mary Clerke, Irish astronomer and author (b. 1842)
  • 1908 – John Ordronaux, American surgeon and academic (b. 1830)
  • 1913 – José Guadalupe Posada, Mexican engraver and illustrator (b. 1852)
  • 1915 – Arthur Guinness, 1st Baron Ardilaun, Irish businessman, philanthropist, and politician (b. 1840)
  • 1920 – Georg Lurich, Estonian-Russian wrestler and strongman (b. 1876)
  • 1921 – Mary Watson Whitney, American astronomer and academic (b. 1847)
  • 1924 – Henry “Ivo” Crapp, Australian footballer and umpire (b. 1872)
  • 1936 – George V of the United Kingdom (b. 1865)
  • 1940 – Omar Bundy, American general (b. 1861)
  • 1944 – James McKeen Cattell, American psychologist and academic (b. 1860)
  • 1947 – Josh Gibson, American baseball player (b. 1911)
  • 1947 – Andrew Volstead, American member of the United States House of Representatives (b. 1860)
  • 1954 – Warren Bardsley, Australian cricketer (b. 1882)
  • 1954 – Fred Root, English cricketer and umpire (b. 1890)
  • 1955 – Robert P. T. Coffin, American author and poet (b. 1892)
  • 1962 – Robinson Jeffers, American poet and philosopher (b. 1887)
  • 1965 – Alan Freed, American radio host (b. 1922)
  • 1971 – Broncho Billy Anderson, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1880)
  • 1971 – Minanogawa Tōzō, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 34th Yokozuna (b. 1903)
  • 1973 – Lorenz Böhler, Austrian physician and surgeon (b. 1885)
  • 1973 – Amílcar Cabral, Guinea Bissauan-Cape Verdian engineer and politician (b. 1924)
  • 1977 – Dimitrios Kiousopoulos, Greek jurist and politician, 151st Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1892)
  • 1980 – William Roberts, English soldier and painter (b. 1895)
  • 1983 – Garrincha, Brazilian footballer (b. 1933)
  • 1984 – Johnny Weissmuller, American swimmer and actor (b. 1904)
  • 1988 – Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Pakistani activist and politician (b. 1890)
  • 1988 – Dora Stratou, Greek dancer and choreographer (b. 1903)
  • 1989 – Alamgir Kabir, Bangladeshi director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1938)
  • 1990 – Barbara Stanwyck, American actress (b. 1907)
  • 1993 – Audrey Hepburn, British actress and humanitarian activist (b. 1929)
  • 1994 – Matt Busby, Scottish footballer and coach (b. 1909)
  • 1994 – Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, first Kenyan Vice-President (b. 1911)
  • 1996 – Gerry Mulligan, American saxophonist and composer (b. 1927)
  • 2002 – Carrie Hamilton, American actress and singer (b. 1963)
  • 2003 – Al Hirschfeld, American painter and illustrator (b. 1903)
  • 2003 – Nedra Volz, American actress (b. 1908)
  • 2004 – Alan Brown, English racing driver (b. 1919)
  • 2004 – T. Nadaraja, Sri Lankan lawyer and academic (b. 1917)
  • 2005 – Per Borten, Norwegian lawyer and politician, 18th Prime Minister of Norway (b. 1913)
  • 2005 – Jan Nowak-Jeziorański, Polish journalist and politician (b. 1913)
  • 2005 – Miriam Rothschild, English zoologist, entomologist, and author (b. 1908)
  • 2009 – Stéphanos II Ghattas, Egyptian patriarch (b. 1920)
  • 2012 – Etta James, American singer-songwriter (b. 1938)
  • 2012 – John Levy, American bassist and manager (b. 1912)
  • 2012 – Ioannis Kefalogiannis, Greek politician, Greek Minister of the Interior (b. 1933)
  • 2012 – Alejandro Rodriguez, Venezuelan-American pediatrician and psychiatrist (b. 1918)
  • 2013 – Pavlos Matesis, Greek author and playwright (b. 1933)
  • 2013 – Toyo Shibata, Japanese poet and author (b. 1911)
  • 2014 – Claudio Abbado, Italian conductor (b. 1933)
  • 2014 – Otis G. Pike, American judge and politician (b. 1921)
  • 2014 – Jonas Trinkūnas, Lithuanian ethnologist and academic (b. 1939)
  • 2015 – Edgar Froese, Russian-German keyboard player and songwriter (b. 1944)
  • 2016 – Mykolas Burokevičius, Lithuanian carpenter and politician (b. 1927)
  • 2016 – Edmonde Charles-Roux, French journalist and author (b. 1920)
  • 2018 – Paul Bocuse, French chef (b. 1926)
  • 2018 – Naomi Parker Fraley, American naval machiner (b. 1921)
  • 2020 – Jaroslav Kubera, Czech politician (b. 1947)
  • 2020 – Tom Fisher Railsback, American politician, member of the Illinois and U.S. House of Representatives

Holidays and observances on January 20

  • Armed Forces Day (Mali)
  • Army Day (Laos)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Abadios
    • Blessed Basil Moreau
    • Eustochia Smeralda Calafato
    • Euthymius the Great
    • Fabian
    • Manchán of Lemanaghan
    • Maria Cristina of the Immaculate Conception Brando
    • Richard Rolle (Church of England)
    • Sebastian
    • Stephen Min Kuk-ka (one of The Korean Martyrs)
    • January 20 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Heroes’ Day (Cape Verde)
  • Inauguration Day, held every four years in odd-numbered years immediately following years divisible by 4, except for the public ceremony when January 20 falls on Sunday (the public ceremony is held the following day; however, the terms of offices still begin on the 20th) (United States of America, not a federal holiday for all government employees but only for those working in the Capital region)
  • Martyrs’ Day (Azerbaijan)

January 20 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

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

Births on January 19

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

Deaths on January 19

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

Holidays and observances on January 19

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

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

On This Day

January 12 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

  • 1528 – Gustav I of Sweden is crowned King of Sweden, having already reigned since his election in June 1523.
  • 1554 – Bayinnaung, who would go on to assemble the largest empire in the history of Southeast Asia, is crowned King of Burma.
  • 1616 – The city of Belém, Brazil is founded on the Amazon River delta, by Portuguese captain Francisco Caldeira Castelo Branco.
  • 1808 – John Rennie’s scheme to defend St Mary’s Church, Reculver, founded in 669, from coastal erosion is abandoned in favour of demolition, despite the church being an exemplar of Anglo-Saxon architecture and sculpture.
  • 1808 – The organizational meeting leading to the creation of the Wernerian Natural History Society, a former Scottish learned society, is held in Edinburgh.
  • 1848 – The Palermo rising takes place in Sicily against the Bourbon Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
  • 1866 – The Royal Aeronautical Society is formed in London.
  • 1872 – Yohannes IV is crowned Emperor of Ethiopia in Axum, the first imperial coronation in that city in over 200 years.
  • 1895 – The National Trust is founded in the United Kingdom.
  • 1911 – The University of the Philippines College of Law is formally established; three future Philippine presidents are among the first enrollees.
  • 1915 – The United States House of Representatives rejects a proposal to require states to give women the right to vote.
  • 1916 – Both Oswald Boelcke and Max Immelmann, for achieving eight aerial victories each over Allied aircraft, receive the German Empire’s highest military award, the Pour le Mérite as the first German aviators to earn it.
  • 1918 – The Minnie Pit Disaster coal mining accident occurs in Halmer End, Staffordshire, in which 155 men and boys die.
  • 1921 – Acting to restore confidence in baseball after the Black Sox Scandal, Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis is elected as Major League Baseball’s first commissioner.
  • 1932 – Hattie Caraway becomes the first woman elected to the United States Senate.
  • 1942 – World War II: United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt creates the National War Labor Board.
  • 1945 – World War II: The Red Army begins the Vistula–Oder Offensive.
  • 1962 – Vietnam War: Operation Chopper, the first American combat mission in the war, takes place.
  • 1964 – Rebels in Zanzibar begin a revolt known as the Zanzibar Revolution and proclaim a republic.
  • 1966 – Lyndon B. Johnson states that the United States should stay in South Vietnam until Communist aggression there is ended.
  • 1967 – Dr. James Bedford becomes the first person to be cryonically preserved with intent of future resuscitation.
  • 1969 – The New York Jets of the American Football League defeat the Baltimore Colts of the National Football League to win Super Bowl III in what is considered to be one of the greatest upsets in sports history.
  • 1970 – Biafra capitulates, ending the Nigerian Civil War.
  • 1971 – The Harrisburg Seven: Rev. Philip Berrigan and five other activists are indicted on charges of conspiring to kidnap Henry Kissinger and of plotting to blow up the heating tunnels of federal buildings in Washington, D.C.
  • 1976 – The United Nations Security Council votes 11–1 to allow the Palestine Liberation Organization to participate in a Security Council debate (without voting rights).
  • 1986 – Space Shuttle program: Congressman Bill Nelson lifts off from Kennedy Space Center aboard Columbia on mission STS-61-C as a payload specialist.
  • 1990 – A seven-day pogrom breaks out against the Armenian civilian population of Baku, Azerbaijan, during which Armenians were beaten, tortured, murdered, and expelled from the city.
  • 1991 – Persian Gulf War: An act of the U.S. Congress authorizes the use of American military force to drive Iraq out of Kuwait.
  • 1998 – Nineteen European nations agree to forbid human cloning.
  • 2001 – Downtown Disney opens to the public as part of the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California.
  • 2004 – The world’s largest ocean liner, RMS Queen Mary 2, makes its maiden voyage.
  • 2005 – Deep Impact launches from Cape Canaveral on a Delta II rocket.
  • 2006 – A stampede during the Stoning of the Devil ritual on the last day at the Hajj in Mina, Saudi Arabia, kills at least 362 Muslim pilgrims.
  • 2010 – An earthquake in Haiti occurs, killing between 220,000 and 300,000 people and destroying much of the capital Port-au-Prince.
  • 2012 – Violent protests occur in Bucharest, Romania, as two-day-old demonstrations continue against President Traian Băsescu’s economic austerity measures. Clashes are reported in numerous Romanian cities between protesters and law enforcement officers.
  • 2015 – Government raids kill 143 Boko Haram fighters in Kolofata, Cameroon.
  • 2016 – Ten people are killed and 15 wounded in a bombing near the Blue Mosque in Istanbul.
  • 2020 – Taal Volcano in the Philippines erupts, and kills 39 people.

Births on January 12

  • 1483 – Henry III of Nassau-Breda (d. 1538)
  • 1562 – Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy (d. 1630)
  • 1576 – Petrus Scriverius, Dutch historian and scholar (d. 1660)
  • 1577 – Jan Baptist van Helmont, Flemish chemist and physician (d. 1644)
  • 1588 – John Winthrop, English lawyer and politician, 2nd Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony (d. 1649)
  • 1591 – Jusepe de Ribera, Spanish painter (d. 1652)
  • 1597 – François Duquesnoy, Flemish sculptor and educator (d. 1643)
  • 1598 – Jijabai Shahaji Bhosale, venerated mother of Indian king Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (d. 1674)
  • 1628 – Charles Perrault, French author and academic (d. 1703)
  • 1673 – Rosalba Carriera, Italian painter (d. 1757)
  • 1711 – Gaetano Latilla, Italian composer (d. 1788)
  • 1715 – Jacques Duphly, French organist and composer (d. 1789)
  • 1716 – Antonio de Ulloa, Spanish general and politician, 1st Spanish Governor of Louisiana (d. 1795)
  • 1721 – Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Prussian field marshal (d. 1792)
  • 1723 – Samuel Langdon, American minister, theologian, and academic (d. 1797)
  • 1724 – Frances Brooke, English author and playwright (d. 1789)
  • 1729 – Edmund Burke, Irish philosopher, academic, and politician (d. 1797)
  • 1746 – Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, Swiss philosopher and educator (d. 1827)
  • 1751 – Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies (d. 1825)
  • 1772 – Mikhail Speransky, Russian academic and politician (d. 1839)
  • 1786 – Sir Robert Inglis, 2nd Baronet, English politician (d. 1855)
  • 1792 – Johan August Arfwedson, Swedish chemist and academic (d. 1841)
  • 1797 – Gideon Brecher, Austrian physician and author (d. 1873)
  • 1799 – Priscilla Susan Bury, British botanist (d. 1872)
  • 1822 – Étienne Lenoir, Belgian engineer, designed the internal combustion engine (d. 1900)
  • 1837 – Adolf Jensen, German pianist and composer (d. 1879)
  • 1849 – Jean Béraud, Russian-French painter and academic (d. 1935)
  • 1853 – Gregorio Ricci-Curbastro, Italian mathematician (d. 1925)
  • 1856 – John Singer Sargent, American painter and academic (d. 1925)
  • 1863 – Swami Vivekananda, Indian monk and philosopher (d. 1902)
  • 1869 – Bhagwan Das, Indian philosopher, academic, and politician (d. 1958)
  • 1873 – Spyridon Louis, Greek runner (d. 1940)
  • 1874 – Laura Adams Armer, American author and photographer (d. 1963)
  • 1876 – Fevzi Çakmak, Turkish field marshal and politician, Prime Minister of the Turkish Provisional Government (d. 1950)
  • 1876 – Jack London, American novelist and journalist (d. 1916)
  • 1876 – Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari, Italian composer and educator (d. 1948)
  • 1877 – Frank J. Corr, American lawyer and politician, 45th Mayor of Chicago (d. 1934)
  • 1878 – Ferenc Molnár, Hungarian-American author and playwright (d. 1952)
  • 1879 – Ray Harroun, American race car driver and engineer (d. 1968)
  • 1879 – Anton Uesson, Estonian engineer and politician, 17th Mayor of Tallinn (d. 1942)
  • 1882 – Milton Sills, American actor and screenwriter (d. 1930)
  • 1884 – Texas Guinan, American entertainer and bootlegger (d. 1933)
  • 1889 – Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad, Indian-Pakistani spiritual leader (d. 1965)
  • 1890 – Johannes Vares, Estonian poet, physician, and politician (d. 1946)
  • 1892 – Mikhail Gurevich, Russian engineer and businessman, co-founded the Russian Aircraft Corporation (d. 1976)
  • 1893 – Hermann Göring, German commander, pilot, and politician, Minister President of Prussia (d. 1946)
  • 1893 – Alfred Rosenberg, Estonian-German architect and politician, Reich Minister for the Occupied Eastern Territories (d. 1946)
  • 1894 – Georges Carpentier, French boxer and actor (d. 1975)
  • 1895 – Leo Aryeh Mayer, Polish-Israeli scholar and academic (d. 1959)
  • 1896 – David Wechsler, Romanian-American psychologist and author (d. 1981)
  • 1899 – Pierre Bernac, French opera singer and educator (d. 1979)
  • 1899 – Paul Hermann Müller, Swiss chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1965)
  • 1901 – Karl Künstler, German SS officer (d. 1945)
  • 1903 – Igor Kurchatov, Russian physicist and academic (d. 1960)
  • 1903 – Andrew J. Transue, American politician and attorney (Morissette v. United States) (d. 1995)
  • 1904 – Mississippi Fred McDowell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1972)
  • 1905 – Nihal Atsız, Turkish author, poet, and philosopher (d. 1975)
  • 1905 – James Bennett Griffin, American archaeologist and academic (d. 1997)
  • 1905 – Tex Ritter, American actor and singer (d. 1974)
  • 1906 – Emmanuel Levinas, Lithuanian-French historian, philosopher, and academic (d. 1995)
  • 1907 – Sergei Korolev, Russian colonel and engineer (d. 1966)
  • 1908 – Jean Delannoy, French actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2008)
  • 1908 – Clement Hurd, American illustrator (d. 1988)
  • 1910 – Patsy Kelly, American actress and comedian (d. 1981)
  • 1910 – Luise Rainer, German-English actress (d. 2014)
  • 1912 – Richard Kuremaa, Estonian footballer (d. 1991)
  • 1914 – Mieko Kamiya, Japanese psychiatrist and psychologist (d. 1979)
  • 1915 – Paul Jarrico, American screenwriter and producer (d. 1997)
  • 1915 – Joseph-Aurèle Plourde, Canadian archbishop and academic (d. 2013)
  • 1916 – Ruth R. Benerito, American chemist and inventor (d. 2013)
  • 1916 – Mary Wilson, Baroness Wilson of Rievaulx, British poet and Spouse of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 2018)
  • 1916 – P. W. Botha, South African politician, 8th Prime Minister of South Africa (d. 2006)
  • 1917 – Walter Hendl, American pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 2007)
  • 1917 – Jimmy Skinner, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 2007)
  • 1920 – James Farmer, American activist, and politician, co-founded Congress of Racial Equality (d. 1999)
  • 1920 – Jerzy Zubrzycki, Polish-Australian sociologist and academic (d. 2009)
  • 1922 – Tadeusz Żychiewicz, Polish journalist and historian (d. 1994)
  • 1923 – Ira Hayes, American marine who raised the U.S. flag on Iwo Jima (d. 1955)
  • 1924 – Olivier Gendebien, Belgian racing driver and businessman (d. 1998)
  • 1925 – Bill Burrud, American television host, producer, and actor (d. 1990)
  • 1926 – Morton Feldman, American composer and academic (d. 1987)
  • 1926 – Ray Price, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2013)
  • 1928 – Ruth Brown, American R&B singer-songwriter and actress (d. 2006)
  • 1929 – Alasdair MacIntyre, Scottish-American philosopher and academic
  • 1929 – Jaakko Hintikka, Finnish philosopher and logician (d. 2015)
  • 1930 – Tim Horton, Canadian ice hockey player and businessman, founded Tim Hortons (d. 1974)
  • 1930 – Jennifer Johnston, Irish author and playwright
  • 1930 – Glenn Yarbrough, American singer and actor (d. 2016)
  • 1933 – Pavlos Matesis, Greek author and playwright (d. 2013)
  • 1934 – Alan Sharp, Scottish-American author and screenwriter (d. 2013)
  • 1934 – Mick Sullivan, English rugby player and coach (d. 2016)
  • 1935 – Teresa del Conde, Mexican historian and critic (d. 2017)
  • 1935 – Kreskin, American mentalist
  • 1936 – Jennifer Hilton, Baroness Hilton of Eggardon, English police officer and politician
  • 1936 – Raimonds Pauls, Latvian pianist and composer
  • 1936 – Brajanath Ratha, Indian poet and activist (d. 2014)
  • 1936 – Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Indian lawyer and politician, Indian Minister of Home Affairs (d. 2016)
  • 1937 – Shirley Eaton, English actress
  • 1938 – Qazi Hussain Ahmad, Pakistani scholar and politician (d. 2013)
  • 1940 – Bob Hewitt, Australian-South African tennis player
  • 1940 – Ronald Shannon Jackson, American drummer and composer (d. 2013)
  • 1940 – Dick Motz, New Zealand cricketer (d. 2007)
  • 1941 – Long John Baldry, English-Canadian singer-songwriter and voice actor (d. 2005)
  • 1941 – Fiona Caldicott, English psychiatrist and psychotherapist
  • 1941 – Chet Jastremski, American swimmer and physician (d. 2014)
  • 1942 – Bernardine Dohrn, American domestic terrorist, political activist and academic
  • 1944 – Hans Henning Atrott, German author and theorist
  • 1944 – Joe Frazier, American boxer (d. 2011)
  • 1944 – Cynthia Robinson, American R&B trumpet player and singer (d 2015)
  • 1945 – Maggie Bell, Scottish singer-songwriter
  • 1946 – Hazel Cosgrove, Lady Cosgrove, Scottish lawyer and judge
  • 1946 – George Duke, American keyboard player, composer, and educator (d. 2013)
  • 1947 – Richard Carwardine, English historian and academic
  • 1947 – Tom Dempsey, American football player and educator
  • 1947 – Sally Hamwee, Baroness Hamwee, English politician
  • 1948 – Kenny Allen, English footballer
  • 1948 – Anthony Andrews, English actor and producer
  • 1948 – Gordon Campbell, Canadian educator and politician, 34th Premier of British Columbia
  • 1948 – Brendan Foster, English runner and sportscaster
  • 1948 – William Nicholson, English author and screenwriter
  • 1949 – Kentarō Haneda, Japanese pianist and composer (d. 2007)
  • 1949 – Ottmar Hitzfeld, German footballer and manager
  • 1949 – Hamadi Jebali, Tunisian engineer, journalist, and politician, 19th Prime Minister of Tunisia
  • 1949 – Haruki Murakami, Japanese novelist, short-story writer, and essayist
  • 1950 – Sheila Jackson Lee, American lawyer, judge, and politician
  • 1950 – Göran Lindblad, Swedish dentist and politician
  • 1950 – Bob McEwen, American businessman and politician
  • 1950 – Dorrit Moussaieff, Israeli-Icelandic jewelry designer and businesswoman, 5th First Lady of Iceland
  • 1951 – Kirstie Alley, American actress and producer
  • 1951 – Chris Bell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1978)
  • 1951 – Rush Limbaugh, American talk show host and author
  • 1951 – Drew Pearson, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1952 – Phil Perry, American singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1952 – Ricky Van Shelton, American country singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1952 – John Walker, New Zealand runner and politician
  • 1952 – Walter Mosley, American novelist
  • 1953 – Mary Harron, Canadian director and screenwriter
  • 1954 – Howard Stern, American radio host, actor, and author
  • 1954 – Martin Kylhammar, Swedish professor of culture and society
  • 1955 – Tom Ardolino, American rock drummer (NRBQ) (d. 2012)
  • 1956 – Nikolai Noskov, Russian rock singer and singer-songwriter
  • 1957 – John Lasseter, American animator, director, and producer
  • 1957 – Jeremy Sams, English director, playwright, and composer
  • 1958 – Christiane Amanpour, English-born Iranian-American journalist
  • 1958 – Curt Fraser, American-Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1959 – B. Brian Blair, American wrestler and politician
  • 1959 – Per Gessle, Swedish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1960 – Oliver Platt, Canadian-American actor
  • 1960 – Dominique Wilkins, French-American basketball player and manager
  • 1961 – Simon Russell Beale, Malaysia-born English actor and historian
  • 1962 – Joe Quesada, American author and illustrator
  • 1962 – Richie Richardson, Antiguan cricketer
  • 1962 – Luna Vachon, American-Canadian wrestler and manager (d. 2010)
  • 1963 – François Girard, Canadian director and screenwriter
  • 1963 – Nando Reis, Brazilian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1964 – Jeff Bezos, American computer scientist and businessman, founded Amazon.com
  • 1965 – Raekwon, American rapper
  • 1965 – Rob Zombie, American singer-songwriter, producer, actor, and director
  • 1966 – Olivier Martinez, French actor
  • 1966 – Craig Parry, Australian golfer
  • 1967 – Vendela Kirsebom, Norwegian-Swedish model and actress
  • 1968 – Junichi Masuda, Japanese director, producer, and composer
  • 1968 – Heather Mills, English businesswoman, activist and model
  • 1968 – Mauro Silva, Brazilian footballer
  • 1969 – David Mitchell, English novelist
  • 1969 – Margaret Nagle, American screenwriter and producer
  • 1970 – Zack de la Rocha, American singer-songwriter
  • 1971 – Scott Burrell, American basketball player and coach
  • 1972 – Priyanka Gandhi, Indian politician
  • 1972 – Espen Knutsen, Norwegian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1972 – Paul Wilson, Australian cricketer and umpire
  • 1973 – Brian Culbertson, American pianist and producer
  • 1973 – Hande Yener, Turkish singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
  • 1974 – Melanie C, English singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1974 – Tor Arne Hetland, Norwegian skier
  • 1975 – Jason Freese, American saxophonist, songwriter, and producer
  • 1975 – Jocelyn Thibault, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1977 – Yoandy Garlobo, Cuban baseball player
  • 1978 – Luis Ayala, Mexican baseball player
  • 1978 – Maurizio Zaffiri, Italian rugby player
  • 1979 – Marián Hossa, Slovak ice hockey player
  • 1979 – Lee Bo-young, South Korean actress and model
  • 1979 – Grzegorz Rasiak, Polish footballer
  • 1979 – David Zabriskie, American cyclist
  • 1980 – Bobby Crosby, American baseball player
  • 1981 – Amerie, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
  • 1981 – João Paulo Daniel, Brazilian footballer
  • 1981 – Dan Klecko, American football player
  • 1981 – Angus Macdonald, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1981 – Luis Ernesto Pérez, Mexican footballer
  • 1982 – Paul-Henri Mathieu, French tennis player
  • 1982 – Hans Van Alphen, Belgian decathlete
  • 1982 – Dean Whitehead, English footballer
  • 1982 – Dontrelle Willis, American baseball player
  • 1984 – Daniel Sepulveda, American football player
  • 1984 – Jonathan Zydko, French footballer
  • 1985 – Artem Milevskiy, Ukrainian footballer
  • 1985 – Issa Rae, American actress, writer, director, producer and web series creator
  • 1985 – Borja Valero, Spanish footballer
  • 1986 – Kehoma Brenner, German rugby player
  • 1986 – Miguel Ángel Nieto, Spanish footballer
  • 1987 – Naya Rivera, American actress and singer
  • 1987 – Salvatore Sirigu, Italian footballer
  • 1988 – Claude Giroux, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1989 – Thiemo-Jérôme Kialka, German footballer
  • 1989 – Axel Witsel, Belgian footballer
  • 1991 – Pixie Lott, English singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress
  • 1991 – Matt Srama, Australian rugby league player
  • 1992 – Ishak Belfodil, Algerian footballer
  • 1992 – Samuele Longo, Italian footballer
  • 1993 – Zayn Malik, English singer-songwriter
  • 1993 – Simone Pecorini, Italian footballer
  • 1993 – Do Kyungsoo, South Korean singer and member of boy band EXO
  • 1995 – Sarah Mehain, Canadian Paralympic swimmer
  • 1995 – Alessio Romagnoli, Italian footballer

Deaths of January 12

  • 690 – Benedict Biscop, English scholar and saint, founded the Monkwearmouth–Jarrow Abbey (b. 628)
  • 914 – Ahmad Samani, Samanid emir
  • 947 – Sang Weihan, Chinese chief of staff (b. 898)
  • 1140 – Louis I, Landgrave of Thuringia
  • 1167 – Aelred of Rievaulx, English monk and saint (b. 1110)
  • 1320 – John Dalderby, bishop of Lincoln
  • 1321 – Marie of Brabant, Queen of France (b. 1256)
  • 1405 – Eleanor Maltravers, English noblewoman (b. 1345)
  • 1519 – Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1459)
  • 1665 – Pierre de Fermat, French mathematician and lawyer (b. 1601)
  • 1674 – Giacomo Carissimi, Italian priest and composer (b. 1605)
  • 1700 – Marguerite Bourgeoys, French-Canadian nun and saint, founded the Congregation of Notre Dame of Montreal (b. 1620)
  • 1720 – William Ashhurst, English banker and politician, Lord Mayor of London (b. 1647)
  • 1732 – John Horsley, English-Scottish historian and author (b. 1685)
  • 1735 – John Eccles, English composer (b. 1668)
  • 1759 – Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange (b. 1709)
  • 1765 – Johann Melchior Molter, German violinist and composer (b. 1696)
  • 1777 – Hugh Mercer, Scottish-American general and physician (b. 1726)
  • 1778 – François Bigot, French politician (b. 1703)
  • 1781 – Richard Challoner, English bishop (b. 1691)
  • 1829 – Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel, German philosopher, poet, and critic (b. 1772)
  • 1833 – Marie-Antoine Carême, French chef (b. 1784)
  • 1834 – William Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville, English academic and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1759)
  • 1856 – Ľudovít Štúr, Slovak philologist and politician (b. 1815)
  • 1861 – Václav Hanka, Czech philologist and author (b. 1791)
  • 1892 – James Caulfeild, 3rd Earl of Charlemont, Irish politician, Lord Lieutenant of Tyrone (b. 1820)
  • 1892 – William Reeves, Irish bishop and historian (b. 1815)
  • 1899 – Hiram Walker, American businessman, founded Canadian Club (b. 1816)
  • 1909 – Hermann Minkowski, Lithuanian-German mathematician and academic (b. 1864)
  • 1911 – Andreas Papagiannakopoulos, Greek journalist, judge, and politician (b. 1845)
  • 1916 – Georgios Theotokis, Greek lawyer and politician, 80th Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1844)
  • 1921 – Gervase Elwes, English tenor and actor (b. 1866)
  • 1926 – Austin Chapman, Australian businessman and politician, 4th Australian Minister for Defence (b. 1864)
  • 1934 – Paul Kochanski, Polish violinist and composer (b. 1887)
  • 1938 – Oscar Florianus Bluemner, German-American painter and illustrator (b. 1867)
  • 1940 – Ralph Hitz, Austrian-American hotelier (b. 1891)
  • 1940 – Edward Smith, English lieutenant, Victoria Cross recipient (b. 1898)
  • 1943 – Jan Campert, Dutch journalist and critic (b. 1902)
  • 1944 – Lance C. Wade, American commander and pilot (b. 1915)
  • 1958 – Charles Hatfield, American meteorologist (b. 1875)
  • 1960 – Nevil Shute, English engineer and author (b. 1899)
  • 1962 – Ariadna Tyrkova-Williams, Russian journalist and activist (b. 1869)
  • 1965 – Lorraine Hansberry, American author, playwright, and director (b. 1936)
  • 1967 – Burhan Asaf Belge, Turkish diplomat (b. 1887)
  • 1971 – John Tovey, 1st Baron Tovey, English admiral (b. 1885)
  • 1973 – Roy Franklin Nichols, American historian and academic (b. 1896)
  • 1974 – Princess Patricia of Connaught (b. 1886)
  • 1976 – Agatha Christie, English crime novelist, short story writer, and playwright (b. 1890)
  • 1977 – Henri-Georges Clouzot, French director and screenwriter (b. 1907)
  • 1983 – Nikolai Podgorny, Ukrainian engineer and politician (b. 1903)
  • 1988 – Connie Mulder, South African politician (b. 1925)
  • 1988 – Piero Taruffi, Italian racing driver and motorcycle racer (b. 1906)
  • 1990 – Laurence J. Peter, Canadian-American author and educator (b. 1919)
  • 1991 – Robert Jackson, Australian public servant and diplomat (b. 1911)
  • 1992 – Kumar Gandharva, a Hindustani classical singer (b. 1924)
  • 1994 – Gustav Naan, Estonian physicist and philosopher (b. 1919)
  • 1996 – Joachim Nitsche, German mathematician and academic (b. 1926)
  • 1997 – Jean-Edern Hallier, French author (b. 1936)
  • 1997 – Charles Brenton Huggins, Canadian-American physician and physiologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1901)
  • 1998 – Roger Clark, English racing driver (b. 1939)
  • 1999 – Doug Wickenheiser, Canadian-American ice hockey player (b. 1961)
  • 2000 – Marc Davis, American animator and screenwriter (b. 1913)
  • 2000 – Bobby Phills, American basketball player (b. 1969)
  • 2001 – Luiz Bonfá, Brazilian guitarist and composer (b. 1922)
  • 2001 – William Redington Hewlett, American engineer and businessman, co-founded Hewlett-Packard (b. 1913)
  • 2002 – Cyrus Vance, American lawyer and politician, 57th U.S. Secretary of State (b. 1917)
  • 2003 – Dean Amadon, American ornithologist and author (b. 1912)
  • 2003 – Kinji Fukasaku, Japanese actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1930)
  • 2003 – Leopoldo Galtieri, Argentine general and politician, 44th President of Argentina (b. 1926)
  • 2003 – Maurice Gibb, Manx-Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (b. 1949)
  • 2003 – Alan Nunn May, English physicist and spy (b. 1911)
  • 2004 – Olga Ladyzhenskaya, Russian mathematician and academic (b. 1921)
  • 2005 – Amrish Puri, Indian actor (b. 1932)
  • 2006 – Pablita Velarde, Santa Clara Pueblo (Native American) painter (b. 1918)
  • 2007 – Alice Coltrane, American pianist and composer (b. 1937)
  • 2007 – James Killen, Australian soldier, lawyer, and politician, 38th Australian Minister for Defence (b. 1925)
  • 2008 – Max Beck, American intersex advocate (b. 1966)
  • 2009 – Claude Berri, French actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1934)
  • 2010 – Daniel Bensaïd, French philosopher and author (b. 1946)
  • 2010 – Hasib Sabbagh, Palestinian businessman and philanthropist, co-founded Consolidated Contractors Company (b. 1920)
  • 2012 – Bjørn G. Andersen, Norwegian geologist and academic (b. 1924)
  • 2012 – Glenda Dickerson, American director, choreographer, and educator (b. 1945)
  • 2012 – Bill Janklow, American lawyer and politician, 27th Governor of South Dakota (b. 1939)
  • 2012 – Charles H. Price II, American businessman and diplomat, United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom (b. 1931)
  • 2012 – Jim Stanley, American football player and coach (b. 1935)
  • 2013 – Precious Bryant, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1942)
  • 2013 – Eugene Patterson, American journalist and activist (b. 1923)
  • 2014 – Alexandra Bastedo, English actress (b. 1946)
  • 2014 – Connie Binsfeld, American educator and politician, 58th Lieutenant Governor of Michigan (b. 1924)
  • 2014 – George Dement, American soldier, businessman, and politician (b. 1922)
  • 2015 – Trevor Colbourn, American historian and academic (b. 1927)
  • 2015 – Robert Gover, American journalist and author (b. 1929)
  • 2015 – Carl Long, American baseball player (b. 1935)
  • 2015 – Elena Obraztsova, Russian soprano and actress (b. 1939)
  • 2015 – Inge Vermeulen, Brazilian-Dutch field hockey player (b. 1985)
  • 2017 – William Peter Blatty, American writer and filmmaker (b. 1928)
  • 2017 – Graham Taylor, former Grimsby Town player and former manager of the England football team. (b. 1944)
  • 2018 – Keith Jackson, American sports commentator and journalist (b. 1928)
  • 2020 – Sir Roger Scruton, English philosopher, and writer (b. 1944)

Holidays and observances on January 12

  • Christian feast day:
    • Aelred of Rievaulx
    • Benedict Biscop
    • Bernard of Corleone
    • Marguerite Bourgeoys
    • Tatiana
    • January 12 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest day on which Lee–Jackson Day can fall while January 18 is the latest, celebrated on the Friday before Martin Luther King Day. (Commonwealth of Virginia)
  • Memorial Day (Turkmenistan)
  • National Youth Day (India)
  • Prosecutor General’s Day (Russia)
  • Zanzibar Revolution Day (Tanzania)

January 12 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

  • 532 – Nika riots in Constantinople: A quarrel between supporters of different chariot teams—the Blues and the Greens—in the Hippodrome escalates into violence.
  • 630 – Conquest of Mecca: The prophet Muhammad and his followers conquer the city, Quraysh surrender.
  • 947 – Emperor Tai Zong of the Khitan-led Liao Dynasty invades the Later Jin, resulting in the destruction of the Later Jin.
  • 1055 – Theodora is crowned empress of the Byzantine Empire.
  • 1158 – Vladislaus II, Duke of Bohemia becomes King of Bohemia.
  • 1569 – First recorded lottery in England.
  • 1571 – Austrian nobility is granted freedom of religion.
  • 1654 – Arauco War: A Spanish army is defeated by local Mapuche-Huilliches as it tries to cross Bueno River in Southern Chile.
  • 1693 – A powerful earthquake destroys parts of Sicily and Malta.
  • 1759 – The first American life insurance company, the Corporation for Relief of Poor and Distressed Presbyterian Ministers and of the Poor and Distressed Widows and Children of the Presbyterian Ministers (now part of Unum Group), is incorporated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
  • 1779 – Ching-Thang Khomba is crowned King of Manipur.
  • 1787 – William Herschel discovers Titania and Oberon, two moons of Uranus.
  • 1805 – The Michigan Territory is created.
  • 1861 – American Civil War: Alabama secedes from the United States.
  • 1863 – American Civil War: Battle of Arkansas Post: General John McClernand and Admiral David Dixon Porter capture the Arkansas River for the Union.
  • 1863 – American Civil War: CSS Alabama encounters and sinks the USS Hatteras off Galveston Lighthouse in Texas.
  • 1879 – The Anglo-Zulu War begins.
  • 1908 – Grand Canyon National Monument is created.
  • 1912 – Immigrant textile workers in Lawrence, Massachusetts, go on strike when wages are reduced in response to a mandated shortening of the work week.
  • 1917 – The Kingsland munitions factory explosion occurs as a result of sabotage.
  • 1922 – First use of insulin to treat diabetes in a human patient.
  • 1923 – Occupation of the Ruhr: Troops from France and Belgium occupy the Ruhr area to force Germany to make its World War I reparation payments.
  • 1927 – Louis B. Mayer, head of film studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), announces the creation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, at a banquet in Los Angeles, California.
  • 1935 – Amelia Earhart becomes the first person to fly solo from Hawaii to California.
  • 1942 – World War II: Japanese forces capture Kuala Lumpur, the capital of the Federated Malay States.
  • 1942 – World War II: Japanese forces attack Tarakan in Borneo, Netherlands Indies (Battle of Tarakan)
  • 1943 – The Republic of China agrees to the Sino-British New Equal Treaty and the Sino-American New Equal Treaty.
  • 1943 – Italian-American anarchist Carlo Tresca is assassinated in New York City.
  • 1946 – Enver Hoxha, Secretary General of the Communist Party of Albania, declares the People’s Republic of Albania with himself as head of state.
  • 1949 – The first “networked” television broadcasts took place as KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania goes on the air connecting the east coast and mid-west programming.
  • 1957 – The African Convention is founded in Dakar, Senegal.
  • 1961 – Throgs Neck Bridge over the East River, linking New York City’s boroughs of The Bronx and Queens, opens to road traffic.
  • 1962 – Cold War: While tied to its pier in Polyarny, the Soviet submarine B-37 is destroyed when fire breaks out in its torpedo compartment.
  • 1962 – An avalanche on Huascarán in Peru causes around 4,000 deaths.
  • 1964 – Surgeon General of the United States Dr. Luther Terry, M.D., publishes the landmark report Smoking and Health: Report of the Advisory Committee to the Surgeon General of the United States saying that smoking may be hazardous to health, sparking national and worldwide anti-smoking efforts.
  • 1972 – East Pakistan renames itself Bangladesh.
  • 1973 – Major League Baseball owners vote in approval of the American League adopting the designated hitter position.
  • 1986 – The Gateway Bridge, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia is officially opened.
  • 1994 – The Irish Government announces the end of a 15-year broadcasting ban on the IRA and its political arm Sinn Féin.
  • 1996 – Space Shuttle program: STS-72 launches from the Kennedy Space Center marking the start of the 74th Space Shuttle mission and the 10th flight of Endeavour.
  • 1998 – Over 100 people are killed in the Sidi-Hamed massacre in Algeria.
  • 2003 – Illinois Governor George Ryan commutes the death sentences of 167 prisoners on Illinois’s death row based on the Jon Burge scandal.
  • 2013 – One French soldier and 17 militants are killed in a failed attempt to free a French hostage in Bulo Marer, Somalia.

Births on January 11

  • 347 – Theodosius I, Roman emperor (d. 395)
  • 889 – Abd-ar-Rahman III, first Caliph of Córdoba (d. 961)
  • 1113 – Wang Chongyang, Chinese religious leader and poet (d. 1170)
  • 1209 – Möngke Khan, Mongolian emperor (d. 1259)
  • 1322 – Emperor Kōmyō of Japan (d. 1380)
  • 1359 – Emperor Go-En’yū of Japan (d. 1393)
  • 1395 – Michele of Valois, daughter of Charles VI of France (d. 1422)
  • 1503 – Parmigianino, Italian artist (d. 1540)
  • 1589 – William Strode, English politician (d. 1666)
  • 1591 – Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex, English general and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire (d. 1646)
  • 1624 – Bastiaan Govertsz van der Leeuw, Dutch painter (d. 1680)
  • 1630 – John Rogers, English-American minister, physician, and academic (d. 1684)
  • 1638 – Nicolas Steno, Danish bishop and anatomist (d. 1686)
  • 1642 – Johann Friedrich Alberti, German organist and composer (d. 1710)
  • 1650 – Diana Glauber, Dutch-German painter (d. 1721)
  • 1671 – François-Marie, 1st duc de Broglie, French general and diplomat (d. 1745)
  • 1755 – Alexander Hamilton, Nevisian-American general, economist and politician, 1st United States Secretary of the Treasury (d. 1804)
  • 1757 – Samuel Bentham, English engineer and architect (d. 1831)
  • 1760 – Oliver Wolcott Jr., American lawyer and politician, 2nd United States Secretary of the Treasury, 24th Governor of Connecticut (d. 1833)
  • 1777 – Vincenzo Borg, Maltese merchant and rebel leader (d. 1837)
  • 1786 – Joseph Jackson Lister, English physicist (d. 1869)
  • 1788 – William Thomas Brande, English chemist and academic (d. 1866)
  • 1800 – Ányos Jedlik, Hungarian physicist and engineer (d. 1895)
  • 1807 – Ezra Cornell, American businessman and philanthropist, founded Western Union and Cornell University (d. 1874)
  • 1814 – James Paget, English surgeon and pathologist (d. 1899)
  • 1815 – John A. Macdonald, Scottish-Canadian lawyer and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Canada (d. 1891)
  • 1825 – Bayard Taylor, American poet, author, and critic (d. 1878)
  • 1839 – Eugenio María de Hostos, Puerto Rican lawyer, philosopher, and sociologist (d. 1903)
  • 1842 – William James, American psychologist and philosopher (d. 1910)
  • 1843 – Adolf Eberle, German painter (d. 1914)
  • 1845 – Albert Victor Bäcklund, Swedish mathematician and physicist (d. 1912)
  • 1850 – Joseph Charles Arthur, American pathologist and mycologist (d. 1942)
  • 1852 – Constantin Fehrenbach, German lawyer and politician, 4th Chancellor of Weimar Germany (d. 1926)
  • 1853 – Georgios Jakobides, Greek painter and sculptor (d. 1932)
  • 1856 – Christian Sinding, Norwegian pianist and composer (d. 1941)
  • 1857 – Fred Archer, English jockey (d. 1886)
  • 1858 – Harry Gordon Selfridge, American-English businessman, founded Selfridges (d. 1947)
  • 1859 – George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston, English politician, 35th Governor-General of India (d. 1925)
  • 1864 – Thomas Dixon, Jr., American minister, lawyer, and politician (d. 1946)
  • 1867 – Edward B. Titchener, English psychologist and academic (d. 1927)
  • 1868 – Cai Yuanpei, Chinese philosopher, academic, and politician (d. 1940)
  • 1870 – Alexander Stirling Calder, American sculptor and educator (d. 1945)
  • 1872 – G. W. Pierce, American physicist and academic (d. 1956)
  • 1873 – John Callan O’Laughlin, American soldier and journalist (d. 1949)
  • 1875 – Reinhold Glière, Russian composer and academic (d. 1956)
  • 1876 – Elmer Flick, American baseball player (d. 1971)
  • 1876 – Thomas Hicks, American runner (d. 1952)
  • 1878 – Theodoros Pangalos, Greek general and politician, President of Greece (d. 1952)
  • 1885 – Alice Paul, American activist and suffragist (d. 1977)
  • 1887 – Aldo Leopold, American ecologist and author (d. 1948)
  • 1888 – Joseph B. Keenan, American jurist and politician (d. 1954)
  • 1889 – Calvin Bridges, American geneticist and academic (d. 1938)
  • 1890 – Max Carey, American baseball player and manager (d. 1976)
  • 1890 – Oswald de Andrade, Brazilian poet and critic (d. 1954)
  • 1891 – Andrew Sockalexis, American runner (d. 1919)
  • 1893 – Ellinor Aiki, Estonian painter (d. 1969)
  • 1893 – Charles Fraser, Australian rugby league player and coach (d. 1981)
  • 1893 – Anthony M. Rud, American journalist and author (d. 1942)
  • 1895 – Laurens Hammond, American engineer and businessman, founded the Hammond Clock Company (d. 1973)
  • 1897 – Bernard DeVoto, American historian and author (d. 1955)
  • 1897 – August Heissmeyer, German SS officer (d. 1979)
  • 1899 – Eva Le Gallienne, English-American actress, director, and producer (d. 1991)
  • 1901 – Kwon Ki-ok, Korean pilot (d. 1988)
  • 1902 – Maurice Duruflé, French organist and composer (d. 1986)
  • 1903 – Alan Paton, South African author and activist (d. 1988)
  • 1905 – Clyde Kluckhohn, American anthropologist and theorist (d. 1960)
  • 1906 – Albert Hofmann, Swiss chemist and academic, discoverer of LSD (d. 2008)
  • 1907 – Pierre Mendès France, French lawyer and politician, 142nd Prime Minister of France (d. 1982)
  • 1907 – Abraham Joshua Heschel, Polish-American rabbi, theologian, and philosopher (d. 1972)
  • 1908 – Lionel Stander, American actor and activist (d. 1994)
  • 1910 – Arthur Lambourn, New Zealand rugby player (d. 1999)
  • 1910 – Shane Paltridge, Australian soldier and politician (d. 1966)
  • 1911 – Tommy Duncan, American singer-songwriter (d. 1967)
  • 1911 – Nora Heysen, Australian painter (d. 2003)
  • 1911 – Zenkō Suzuki, Japanese politician, 70th Prime Minister of Japan (d. 2004)
  • 1912 – Don “Red” Barry, American actor, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1980)
  • 1913 – Karl Stegger, Danish actor (d. 1980)
  • 1915 – Luise Krüger, German javelin thrower (d. 2001)
  • 1915 – Paddy Mayne, British colonel and lawyer (d. 1955)
  • 1916 – Bernard Blier, Argentinian-French actor (d. 1989)
  • 1917 – John Robarts, Canadian lawyer and politician, 17th Premier of Ontario (d. 1982)
  • 1918 – Robert C. O’Brien, American author and journalist (d. 1973)
  • 1920 – Mick McManus, English wrestler (d. 2013)
  • 1921 – Gory Guerrero, American wrestler and trainer (d. 1990)
  • 1921 – Juanita M. Kreps, American economist and politician, 24th United States Secretary of Commerce (d. 2010)
  • 1923 – Jerome Bixby, American author and screenwriter (d. 1998)
  • 1923 – Ernst Nolte, German historian and philosopher (d. 2016)
  • 1923 – Carroll Shelby, American race car driver, engineer, and businessman, founded Carroll Shelby International (d. 2012)
  • 1924 – Roger Guillemin, French-American physician and endocrinologist, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1924 – Sam B. Hall, Jr., American lawyer, judge, and politician (d. 1994)
  • 1924 – Slim Harpo, American blues singer-songwriter and musician (d. 1970)
  • 1925 – Grant Tinker, American television producer, co-founded MTM Enterprises (d. 2016)
  • 1926 – Lev Dyomin, Russian colonel, pilot, and astronaut (d. 1998)
  • 1928 – David L. Wolper, American director and producer (d. 2010)
  • 1929 – Dmitri Bruns, Estonian architect and theorist (d. 2020)
  • 1930 – Ron Mulock, Australian lawyer and politician, 10th Deputy Premier of New South Wales (d. 2014)
  • 1930 – Rod Taylor, Australian-American actor and screenwriter (d. 2015)
  • 1931 – Betty Churcher, Australian painter, historian, and curator (d. 2015)
  • 1931 – Mary Rodgers, American composer and author (d. 2014)
  • 1932 – Alfonso Arau, Mexican actor and director
  • 1933 – Goldie Hill, American country singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2005)
  • 1934 – Jean Chrétien, Canadian lawyer and politician, 20th Prime Minister of Canada
  • 1936 – Eva Hesse, German-American sculptor and educator (d. 1970)
  • 1938 – Arthur Scargill, English miner, activist, and politician
  • 1939 – Anne Heggtveit, Canadian alpine skier
  • 1940 – Andres Tarand, Estonian geographer and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Estonia
  • 1941 – Gérson, Brazilian footballer
  • 1942 – Bud Acton, American basketball player
  • 1942 – Clarence Clemons, American saxophonist and actor (d. 2011)
  • 1944 – Mohammed Abdul-Hayy, Sudanese poet and academic (d. 1989)
  • 1944 – Shibu Soren, Indian politician, 3rd Chief Minister of Jharkhand
  • 1945 – Christine Kaufmann, German actress, author, and businesswoman (d. 2017)
  • 1946 – Naomi Judd, American singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1946 – Tony Kaye, English progressive rock keyboard player and songwriter (Yes)
  • 1946 – John Piper, American theologian and author
  • 1947 – Hamish Macdonald, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1948 – Fritz Bohla, German footballer and manager
  • 1948 – Joe Harper, Scottish footballer and manager
  • 1948 – Madeline Manning, American runner and coach
  • 1948 – Wajima Hiroshi, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 54th Yokozuna
  • 1948 – Terry Williams, Welsh drummer
  • 1949 – Daryl Braithwaite, Australian singer-songwriter
  • 1949 – Mohammad Reza Rahimi, Iranian lawyer and politician, 2nd Vice President of Iran
  • 1951 – Charlie Huhn, American rock singer and guitarist
  • 1951 – Willie Maddren, English footballer and manager (d. 2000)
  • 1951 – Philip Tartaglia, Scottish archbishop
  • 1952 – Bille Brown, Australian actor and playwright (d. 2013)
  • 1952 – Ben Crenshaw, American golfer and architect
  • 1952 – Michael Forshaw, Australian lawyer and politician
  • 1952 – Diana Gabaldon, American author
  • 1952 – Lee Ritenour, American guitarist, composer, and producer
  • 1953 – Graham Allen, English politician, Vice-Chamberlain of the Household
  • 1953 – Kostas Skandalidis, Greek engineer and politician, Greek Minister of Agricultural Development and Food
  • 1954 – Jaak Aaviksoo, Estonian physicist and politician, 26th Estonian Minister of Defence
  • 1954 – Kailash Satyarthi, Indian engineer, academic, and activist, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1956 – Big Bank Hank, American rapper (d. 2014)
  • 1957 – Darryl Dawkins, American basketball player and coach (d. 2015)
  • 1957 – Peter Moore, Australian rules footballer and coach
  • 1957 – Bryan Robson, English footballer and manager
  • 1958 – Vicki Peterson, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1959 – Brett Bodine, American NASCAR driver
  • 1959 – Rob Ramage, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1961 – Lars-Erik Torph, Swedish racing driver (d. 1989)
  • 1962 – Chris Bryant, Welsh politician, Minister of State for Europe
  • 1962 – Susan Lindauer, American journalist and activist
  • 1962 – Brian Moore, English rugby player
  • 1963 – Tracy Caulkins, American-Australian swimmer
  • 1963 – Petra Schneider, German swimmer
  • 1964 – Ralph Recto, Filipino lawyer and politician
  • 1964 – Albert Dupontel, French actor and director
  • 1965 – Mascarita Sagrada, Mexican wrestler
  • 1965 – Aleksey Zhukov, Russian footballer and coach
  • 1966 – Marc Acito, American author and screenwriter
  • 1967 – Michael Healy-Rae, Irish politician
  • 1968 – Anders Borg, Swedish economist and politician, Swedish Minister for Finance
  • 1968 – Tom Dumont, American guitarist and producer
  • 1969 – Manny Acta, Dominican-American baseball player, coach, manager, and sportscaster
  • 1970 – Manfredi Beninati, Italian painter and sculptor
  • 1970 – Chris Jent, American basketball player and coach
  • 1970 – Malcolm D. Lee, American director, producer, screenwriter, and actor
  • 1970 – Ken Ueno, American composer
  • 1971 – Mary J. Blige, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
  • 1971 – Jeff Orford, Australian rugby league player
  • 1971 – Chris Willsher, English singer-songwriter, drummer, and actor
  • 1972 – Christian Jacobs, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor
  • 1972 – Anthony Lledo, Danish composer
  • 1972 – Amanda Peet, American actress and playwright
  • 1973 – Rockmond Dunbar, American actor
  • 1973 – Rahul Dravid, Indian cricketer and captain
  • 1974 – Roman Görtz, German footballer
  • 1974 – Cody McKay, Canadian baseball player
  • 1974 – Jens Nowotny, German footballer
  • 1975 – Rory Fitzpatrick, American ice hockey player
  • 1975 – Dan Luger, English rugby player and coach
  • 1975 – Matteo Renzi, Italian politician, 56th Prime Minister of Italy
  • 1976 – Efthimios Rentzias, Greek basketball player
  • 1977 – Shamari Buchanan, American football player
  • 1977 – Anni Friesinger-Postma, German speed skater
  • 1977 – Olexiy Lukashevych, Ukrainian long jumper
  • 1978 – Vallo Allingu, Estonian basketball player
  • 1978 – Holly Brisley, Australian actress
  • 1978 – Michael Duff, Irish footballer
  • 1978 – Emile Heskey, English footballer
  • 1979 – Darren Lynn Bousman, American director and screenwriter
  • 1979 – Michael Lorenz, German footballer
  • 1979 – Henry Shefflin, Irish hurler
  • 1980 – Josh Hannay, Australian rugby league player
  • 1980 – Mike Williams, American football player
  • 1982 – Tony Allen, American basketball player
  • 1982 – Blake Heron, American actor (d. 2017)
  • 1982 – Son Ye-jin, South Korean actress
  • 1983 – Turner Battle, American basketball player
  • 1983 – André Myhrer, Swedish skier
  • 1983 – Ted Richards, Australian rules footballer
  • 1983 – Adrian Sutil, German racing driver
  • 1984 – Kevin Boss, American football player
  • 1984 – Dario Krešić, Croatian footballer
  • 1984 – Matt Mullenweg, American web developer and businessman, co-created WordPress
  • 1984 – Stijn Schaars, Dutch footballer
  • 1985 – Newton Faulkner, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1985 – Lucy Knisley, American author and illustrator
  • 1987 – Scotty Cranmer, American Professional BMX rider
  • 1987 – Danuta Kozák, Hungarian sprint canoer
  • 1987 – Daniel Semenzato, Italian footballer
  • 1987 – Jamie Vardy, English footballer
  • 1987 – Kim Young-kwang, South Korean actor and model
  • 1988 – Rodrigo José Pereira, Brazilian footballer
  • 1989 – Kane Linnett, Australian rugby league player
  • 1990 – Ryan Griffin, American football player
  • 1991 – Andrea Bertolacci, Italian footballer
  • 1992 – Dani Carvajal, Spanish footballer
  • 1992 – Lee Seung-hoon, South Korean rapper and dancer
  • 1993 – Michael Keane, English footballer
  • 1993 – Will Keane, English footballer
  • 1996 – Leroy Sané, German footballer
  • 1997 – Cody Simpson, Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor

Deaths on January 11

  • 140 – Pope Hyginus, Bishop of Rome (b. 74)
  • 705 – Pope John VI (b. 655)
  • 782 – Emperor Kōnin of Japan (b. 709)
  • 812 – Staurakios, Byzantine emperor
  • 844 – Michael I Rangabe, Byzantine emperor (b. 770)
  • 887 – Boso of Provence, Frankish nobleman
  • 937 – Cao, empress of Later Tang
  • 937 – Li Chongmei, prince of Later Tang
  • 937 – Li Congke, emperor of Later Tang (b. 885)
  • 937 – Liu, empress of Later Tang
  • 1055 – Constantine IX Monomachos, Byzantine emperor (b. 1000)
  • 1068 – Egbert I, Margrave of Meissen
  • 1083 – Otto of Nordheim (b. 1020)
  • 1266 – Swietopelk II, Duke of Pomerania
  • 1344 – Thomas Charlton, Bishop of Hereford and Lord Chancellor of Ireland
  • 1372 – Eleanor of Lancaster, English noblewoman (b. 1318)
  • 1396 – Isidore Glabas, Metropolitan bishop of Thessalonica (b.c. 1341)
  • 1397 – Skirgaila, Grand Duke of Lithuania
  • 1494 – Domenico Ghirlandaio, Italian painter (b. 1449)
  • 1495 – Pedro González de Mendoza, Spanish cardinal (b. 1428)
  • 1546 – Gaudenzio Ferrari, Italian painter and sculptor (b. c. 1471)
  • 1547 – Pietro Bembo, Italian poet, scholar, and theorist (b. 1470)
  • 1554 – Min Bin, king of Arakan (b. 1493)
  • 1641 – Juan Martínez de Jáuregui y Aguilar, Spanish poet and painter (b. 1583)
  • 1696 – Charles Albanel, French priest, missionary, and explorer (b. 1616)
  • 1703 – Johann Georg Graevius, German scholar and critic (b. 1632)
  • 1713 – Pierre Jurieu, French priest and theologian (b. 1637)
  • 1735 – Danilo I, Metropolitan of Cetinje (b. 1670)
  • 1753 – Hans Sloane, Irish-English physician and academic (b. 1660)
  • 1757 – Louis Bertrand Castel, French mathematician and philosopher (b. 1688)
  • 1762 – Louis-François Roubiliac, French-English sculptor (b. 1695)
  • 1763 – Caspar Abel, German poet, historian, and theologian (b. 1676)
  • 1771 – Jean-Baptiste de Boyer, Marquis d’Argens, French philosopher and author (b. 1704)
  • 1788 – François Joseph Paul de Grasse, French admiral (b. 1722)
  • 1791 – William Williams Pantycelyn, Welsh composer and poet (b. 1717)
  • 1798 – Heraclius II of Georgia (b. 1720)
  • 1801 – Domenico Cimarosa, Italian composer and educator (b. 1749)
  • 1824 – Thomas Mullins, 1st Baron Ventry, Anglo-Irish politician and peer (b. 1736)
  • 1836 – John Molson, Canadian businessman, founded the Molson Brewing Company (b. 1763)
  • 1843 – Francis Scott Key, American lawyer, author, and songwriter (b. 1779)
  • 1866 – Gustavus Vaughan Brooke, Irish actor (b. 1818)
  • 1866 – John Woolley, English minister and academic (b. 1816)
  • 1867 – Stuart Donaldson, English-Australian businessman and politician, 1st Premier of New South Wales (b. 1812)
  • 1882 – Theodor Schwann, German physiologist and biologist (b. 1810)
  • 1891 – Georges-Eugène Haussmann, French urban planner (b. 1809)
  • 1902 – Johnny Briggs, English cricketer and rugby player (b. 1862)
  • 1904 – William Sawyer, Canadian merchant and politician (b. 1815)
  • 1914 – Carl Jacobsen, Danish brewer and philanthropist (b. 1842)
  • 1920 – Steinar Schjøtt, Norwegian philologist and lexicographer (b. 1844)
  • 1923 – Constantine I of Greece (b. 1868)
  • 1928 – Thomas Hardy, English novelist and poet (b. 1840)
  • 1931 – James Milton Carroll, American pastor, historian, and author (b. 1852)
  • 1937 – Nuri Conker, Turkish colonel and politician (b. 1882)
  • 1941 – Emanuel Lasker, German mathematician, philosopher, and chess player (b. 1868)
  • 1944 – Galeazzo Ciano, Italian politician, Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1903)
  • 1947 – Eva Tanguay, Canadian singer (b. 1879)
  • 1952 – Jean de Lattre de Tassigny, French general (b. 1889)
  • 1952 – Aureliano Pertile, Italian tenor and educator (b. 1885)
  • 1953 – Noe Zhordania, Georgian journalist and politician, Prime Minister of Georgia (b. 1868)
  • 1954 – Oscar Straus, Austrian composer (b. 1870)
  • 1957 – Robert Garran, Australian lawyer and politician, Solicitor-General of Australia (b. 1867)
  • 1958 – Alec Rowley, English organist and composer (b. 1892)
  • 1958 – Edna Purviance, American actress (b. 1895)
  • 1961 – Elena Gerhardt, German soprano and actress (b. 1883)
  • 1963 – Arthur Nock, English-American scholar, theologian, and academic (b. 1902)
  • 1965 – Wally Pipp, American baseball player (b. 1893)
  • 1966 – Alberto Giacometti, Swiss sculptor and painter (b. 1901)
  • 1966 – Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indian academic and politician, 2nd Prime Minister of India (b. 1904)
  • 1968 – Moshe Zvi Segal, Israeli linguist and scholar (b. 1876)
  • 1969 – Richmal Crompton, English author and educator (b. 1890)
  • 1972 – Padraic Colum, Irish poet and playwright (b. 1881)
  • 1975 – Max Lorenz, German tenor and actor (b. 1901)
  • 1980 – Barbara Pym, English author (b. 1913)
  • 1981 – Beulah Bondi, American actress (b. 1889)
  • 1982 – Paul Lynde, American Actor and comedian (b. 1926)
  • 1985 – Edward Buzzell, American actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1895)
  • 1985 – William McKell, Australian lawyer and politician, 12th Governor-General of Australia (b. 1891)
  • 1986 – Sid Chaplin, English author and screenwriter (b. 1916)
  • 1986 – Andrzej Czok, Polish mountaineer (b. 1948)
  • 1987 – Albert Ferber, Swiss-English pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1911)
  • 1988 – Pappy Boyington, American colonel and pilot, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1912)
  • 1988 – Isidor Isaac Rabi, Polish-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1898)
  • 1989 – Ray Moore, English radio host (b. 1942)
  • 1990 – Carolyn Haywood, American author and illustrator (b. 1898)
  • 1991 – Carl David Anderson, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1905)
  • 1994 – Helmut Poppendick, German physician (b. 1902)
  • 1995 – Josef Gingold, Belarusian-American violinist and educator (b. 1909)
  • 1995 – Onat Kutlar, Turkish author and poet (b. 1936)
  • 1995 – Lewis Nixon, U.S. Army captain (b. 1918)
  • 1995 – Theodor Wisch, German general (b. 1907)
  • 1996 – Roger Crozier, Canadian-American ice hockey player, coach, and manager (b. 1942)
  • 1999 – Fabrizio De André, Italian singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1940)
  • 1999 – Naomi Mitchison, Scottish author and poet (b. 1897)
  • 1999 – Brian Moore, Irish-Canadian author and screenwriter (b. 1921)
  • 2000 – Ivan Combe, American businessman, invented Clearasil (b. 1911)
  • 2000 – Bob Lemon, American baseball player and manager (b. 1920)
  • 2001 – Denys Lasdun, English architect, co-designed the Royal National Theatre (b. 1914)
  • 2002 – Henri Verneuil, French-Armenian director and playwright (b. 1920)
  • 2003 – Jože Pučnik, Slovenian sociologist and politician (b. 1932)
  • 2007 – Solveig Dommartin, French-German actress (b. 1961)
  • 2007 – Robert Anton Wilson, American psychologist, author, poet, and playwright (b. 1932)
  • 2008 – Edmund Hillary, New Zealand mountaineer and explorer (b. 1919)
  • 2008 – Carl Karcher, American businessman, co-founded Carl’s Jr. (b. 1917)
  • 2010 – Miep Gies, Austrian-Dutch humanitarian (b. 1909)
  • 2010 – Éric Rohmer, French director, screenwriter, and critic (b. 1920)
  • 2011 – David Nelson, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1936)
  • 2012 – Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan, Iranian physicist and academic (b. 1980)
  • 2012 – Gilles Jacquier, French journalist and photographer (b. 1968)
  • 2012 – Edgar Kaiser, Jr, American-Canadian businessman and philanthropist (b. 1942)
  • 2012 – Wally Osterkorn, American basketball player (b. 1928)
  • 2012 – Steven Rawlings, English astrophysicist, astronomer, and academic (b. 1961)
  • 2012 – David Whitaker, English composer and conductor (b. 1931)
  • 2013 – Aaron Swartz, American programmer (b. 1986)
  • 2013 – Guido Forti, Italian businessman, founded the Forti Racing Team (b. 1940)
  • 2013 – Nguyễn Khánh, Vietnamese general and politician, 3rd President of South Vietnam (b. 1927)
  • 2013 – Mariangela Melato, Italian actress (b. 1941)
  • 2013 – Tom Parry Jones, Welsh chemist, invented the breathalyzer (b. 1935)
  • 2013 – Alemayehu Shumye, Ethiopian runner (b. 1988)
  • 2014 – Keiko Awaji, Japanese actress (b. 1933)
  • 2014 – Muhammad Habibur Rahman, Indian-Bangladeshi jurist and politician, Prime Minister of Bangladesh (b. 1928)
  • 2014 – Chai Trong-rong, Taiwanese educator and politician (b. 1935)
  • 2014 – Ariel Sharon, Israeli general and politician, 11th Prime Minister of Israel (b. 1928)
  • 2015 – Jenő Buzánszky, Hungarian footballer and coach (b. 1925)
  • 2015 – Anita Ekberg, Swedish-Italian model and actress (b. 1931)
  • 2015 – Chashi Nazrul Islam, Bangladeshi director and producer (b. 1941)
  • 2015 – Vernon Benjamin Mountcastle, American neuroscientist and academic (b. 1918)
  • 2016 – Monte Irvin, American baseball player (b. 1919)
  • 2016 – David Margulies, American actor (b. 1937)
  • 2017 – Adenan Satem, Malaysian politician and Chief Minister of Sarawak, Malaysia (b. 1944)
  • 2018 – Edgar Ray Killen, American murderer (b.1925)
  • 2019 – Michael Atiyah, British-Lebanese mathematician (b.1929)

Holidays and observances on January 11

  • Children’s Day (Tunisia)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Anastasius of Suppentonia (Roman Catholic)
    • Leucius of Brindisi (Roman Catholic)
    • Mary Slessor (Church of England)
    • Paulinus II of Aquileia
    • Pope Hyginus
    • Theodosius the Cenobiarch
    • Thomas of Cori
    • Vitalis of Gaza (Roman Catholic)
    • January 11 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest day on which Triodion can fall, while February 14 is the latest; celebrated 70 days before Easter. (Eastern Orthodox)
  • Eugenio María de Hostos Day (Puerto Rico)
  • Independence Resistance Day (Morocco)
  • Kagami biraki (Japan)
  • National Human Trafficking Awareness Day (United States)
  • Republic Day (Albania)
  • Carmentalia (January 11th and January 15th), (Rome)

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

On This Day

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

  • 49 BC – Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signalling the start of civil war.
  • AD 9 – The Western Han dynasty ends when Wang Mang claims that the divine Mandate of Heaven called for the end of the dynasty and the beginning of his own, the Xin dynasty.
  • AD 69 – Lucius Calpurnius Piso Licinianus is appointed by Galba as deputy Roman Emperor.
  • 236 – Pope Fabian succeeds Anterus to become the twentieth pope of Rome.
  • 1072 – Robert Guiscard conquers Palermo in Sicily for the Normans.
  • 1430 – Philip the Good, the Duke of Burgundy, establishes the Order of the Golden Fleece, the most prestigious, exclusive, and expensive order of chivalry in the world.
  • 1475 – Stephen III of Moldavia defeats the Ottoman Empire at the Battle of Vaslui.
  • 1645 – Archbishop William Laud is beheaded for treason at the Tower of London.
  • 1776 – American Revolution: Thomas Paine publishes his pamphlet Common Sense.
  • 1791 – The Siege of Dunlap’s Station begins near Cincinnati during the Northwest Indian War.
  • 1806 – Two British brigades occupy Cape Town after the Battle of Blaauwberg.
  • 1812 – The first steamboat on the Ohio River or the Mississippi River arrives in New Orleans, 82 days after departing from Pittsburgh.
  • 1861 – American Civil War: Florida becomes the third state to secede from the Union.
  • 1863 – The Metropolitan Railway, the world’s oldest underground railway, opens between Paddington and Farringdon, marking the beginning of the London Underground.
  • 1870 – John D. Rockefeller incorporates Standard Oil.
  • 1901 – The first great Texas oil gusher is discovered at Spindletop in Beaumont, Texas.
  • 1916 – World War I: In the Erzurum Offensive, Russia defeats the Ottoman Empire.
  • 1920 – The Treaty of Versailles takes effect, officially ending World War I.
  • 1920 – League of Nations Covenant enters into force. On January 16 the organization holds its first council meeting, in Paris.
  • 1927 – Fritz Lang’s futuristic film Metropolis is released in Germany.
  • 1941 – World War II: The Greek army captures Kleisoura.
  • 1946 – The first General Assembly of the United Nations opens in London. Fifty-one nations are represented.
  • 1946 – The United States Army Signal Corps successfully conducts Project Diana, bouncing radio waves off the Moon and receiving the reflected signals.
  • 1954 – BOAC Flight 781, a de Havilland DH.106 Comet 1, explodes and falls into the Tyrrhenian Sea killing 35 people.
  • 1962 – Apollo program: NASA announces plans to build the C-5 rocket launch vehicle, which became known as the Saturn V Moon rocket, which launched every Apollo Moon mission.
  • 1966 – Tashkent Declaration, a peace agreement between India and Pakistan signed that resolved the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.
  • 1972 – Sheikh Mujibur Rahman returns to the newly independent Bangladesh as president after spending over nine months in prison in Pakistan.
  • 1981 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensive, gaining control of most of Morazán and Chalatenango departments
  • 1984 – Holy See–United States relations: The United States and Holy See (Vatican City) re-establish full diplomatic relations after almost 117 years, overturning the United States Congress’s 1867 ban on public funding for such a diplomatic envoy.
  • 1985 – Sandinista Daniel Ortega becomes president of Nicaragua and vows to continue the transformation to socialism and alliance with the Soviet Union and Cuba; American policy continues to support the Contras in their revolt against the Nicaraguan government.
  • 1990 – Time Warner is formed by the merger of Time Inc. and Warner Communications.
  • 2007 – A general strike begins in Guinea in an attempt to get President Lansana Conté to resign.
  • 2012 – A bombing in Khyber Agency, Pakistan, kills at least 30 people and 78 others injured.
  • 2013 – More than 100 people are killed and 270 injured in several bomb blasts in Pakistan.
  • 2015 – A traffic accident between an oil tanker truck and passenger coach en route to Shikarpur from Karachi on the Pakistan National Highway Link Road near Gulshan-e-Hadeed, Karachi, killing at least 62 people.

Births on January 10

  • 626 – Husayn ibn Ali the third Shia Imam (d. 680)
  • 1392 – Johanna van Polanen, Dutch noblewoman (d. 1445)
  • 1480 – Margaret of Austria, Duchess of Savoy (d. 1530)
  • 1538 – Louis of Nassau (d. 1574)
  • 1607 – Isaac Jogues, French priest and missionary (d. 1646)
  • 1644 – Louis François, duc de Boufflers, French general (d. 1711)
  • 1654 – Joshua Barnes, English historian and scholar (d. 1712)
  • 1702 – Johannes Zick, German painter (d. 1762)
  • 1715 – Christian August Crusius, German philosopher and theologian (d. 1775)
  • 1729 – Lazzaro Spallanzani, Italian priest, biologist, and physiologist (d. 1799)
  • 1745 – Isaac Titsingh, Dutch surgeon, scholar, and diplomat (d. 1812)
  • 1750 – Thomas Erskine, 1st Baron Erskine, Scottish-English lawyer and politician, Lord Chancellor of Great Britain (d. 1823)
  • 1760 – Johann Rudolf Zumsteeg, German composer and conductor (d. 1802)
  • 1769 – Michel Ney, French general (d. 1815)
  • 1776 – George Birkbeck, English physician and academic, founded Birkbeck, University of London (d. 1841)
  • 1780 – Martin Lichtenstein, German physician and explorer (d. 1857)
  • 1802 – Carl Ritter von Ghega, Italian-Austrian engineer, designed the Semmering railway (d. 1860)
  • 1810 – Ferdinand Barbedienne, French engineer (d. 1892)
  • 1810 – Jeremiah S. Black, American jurist and politician, 23rd United States Secretary of State (d. 1883)
  • 1810 – William Haines, English-Australian politician, 1st Premier of Victoria (d. 1866)
  • 1812 – Georg Hermann Nicolai, German architect and academic (d. 1881)
  • 1828 – Herman Koeckemann, German bishop and missionary (d. 1892)
  • 1829 – Epameinondas Deligeorgis, Greek lawyer, journalist and politician, Prime Minister of Greece (d. 1879)
  • 1834 – John Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton, Italian-English historian and politician (d. 1902)
  • 1836 – Charles Ingalls, American farmer and carpenter (d. 1902)
  • 1840 – Louis-Nazaire Bégin, Canadian cardinal (d. 1925)
  • 1842 – Luigi Pigorini, Italian paleontologist, archaeologist, and ethnographer (d. 1925)
  • 1843 – Frank James, American soldier and criminal (d. 1915)
  • 1848 – Reinhold Sadler, American merchant and politician, 9th Governor of Nevada (d. 1906)
  • 1849 – Robert Crosbie, Canadian theosophist, founded the United Lodge of Theosophists (d. 1919)
  • 1850 – John Wellborn Root, American architect, designed the Rookery Building and Monadnock Building (d. 1891)
  • 1854 – Ramón Corral, Mexican general and politician, 6th Vice President of Mexico (d. 1912)
  • 1858 – Heinrich Zille, German illustrator and photographer (d. 1929)
  • 1859 – Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia, Spanish philosopher and academic (d. 1909)
  • 1860 – Charles G. D. Roberts, Canadian poet and author (d. 1943)
  • 1864 – Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich of Russia (d. 1931)
  • 1873 – Algernon Maudslay, English sailor (d. 1948)
  • 1873 – Jack O’Neill, Irish-American baseball player (d. 1935)
  • 1873 – George Orton, Canadian runner and hurdler (d. 1958)
  • 1875 – Issai Schur, German mathematician and academic (d. 1941)
  • 1877 – Frederick Gardner Cottrell, American physical chemist, inventor and philanthropist (d. 1948)
  • 1878 – John McLean, American hurdler, football player, and coach (d. 1955)
  • 1880 – Manuel Azaña, Spanish jurist and politician, 7th President of Spain (d. 1940)
  • 1883 – Francis X. Bushman, American actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1966)
  • 1883 – Aleksey Nikolayevich Tolstoy, Russian journalist, author, and poet (d. 1945)
  • 1887 – Robinson Jeffers, American poet and philosopher (d. 1962)
  • 1890 – Pina Menichelli, Italian actress (d. 1984)
  • 1891 – Heinrich Behmann, German mathematician and academic (d. 1970)
  • 1891 – Ann Shoemaker, American actress (d. 1978)
  • 1892 – Dumas Malone, American historian and author (d. 1986)
  • 1892 – Melchior Wańkowicz, Polish soldier, journalist, and author (d. 1974)
  • 1893 – Albert Jacka, Australian captain, Victoria Cross recipient (d. 1932)
  • 1894 – Pingali Lakshmikantam, Indian poet and author (d. 1972)
  • 1895 – Percy Cerutty, Australian athletics coach (d. 1975)
  • 1896 – Yong Mun Sen, Malaysian watercolour painter (d. 1962)
  • 1898 – Katharine Burr Blodgett, American physicist and engineer (d. 1979)
  • 1900 – Violette Cordery, English racing driver (d. 1983)
  • 1902 – Dobriša Cesarić, Croatian poet and translator (d. 1980)
  • 1903 – Barbara Hepworth, English sculptor (d. 1975)
  • 1903 – Pud Thurlow, Australian cricketer (d. 1975)
  • 1903 – Voldemar Väli, Estonian wrestler (d. 1997)
  • 1904 – Ray Bolger, American actor and dancer (d. 1987)
  • 1905 – Albert Arlen, Australian pianist, composer, actor, and playwright (d. 1993)
  • 1907 – Gordon Kidd Teal, American engineer and inventor (d. 2003)
  • 1908 – Paul Henreid, Italian-American actor and director (d. 1992)
  • 1910 – Jean Martinon, French conductor and composer (d. 1976)
  • 1911 – Binod Bihari Chowdhury, Bangladeshi activist (d. 2013)
  • 1911 – Norman Heatley, English biologist and chemist (d. 2004)
  • 1912 – Maria Mandl, Austrian SS guard (d. 1948)
  • 1913 – Franco Bordoni, Italian racing driver and pilot (d. 1975)
  • 1913 – Gustáv Husák, Slovak politician, 9th President of Czechoslovakia (d. 1991)
  • 1913 – Mehmet Shehu, Albanian soldier and politician, 22nd Prime Minister of Albania (d. 1981)
  • 1914 – Pierre Cogan, French cyclist (d. 2013)
  • 1914 – Yu Kuo-hwa, Chinese politician, 23rd Premier of the Republic of China (d. 2000)
  • 1915 – Dean Dixon, American-Swiss conductor (d. 1976)
  • 1915 – Cynthia Freeman, American author (d. 1988)
  • 1916 – Sune Bergström, Swedish biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2004)
  • 1916 – Eldzier Cortor, American painter (d. 2015)
  • 1916 – Don Metz, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2007)
  • 1917 – Jerry Wexler, American journalist and producer (d. 2008)
  • 1918 – Les Bennett, English footballer and manager (d. 1999)
  • 1918 – Arthur Chung, Guyanese lawyer and politician, 1st President of Guyana (d. 2008)
  • 1918 – Harry Merkel, German racing driver (d. 1995)
  • 1919 – Terukuni Manzō, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 38th Yokozuna (d. 1977)
  • 1919 – Milton Parker, American businessman, co-founded the Carnegie Deli (d. 2009)
  • 1920 – Rosella Hightower, American ballerina (d. 2008)
  • 1920 – Roberto M. Levingston, Argentinian general and politician, 36th President of Argentina (d. 2015)
  • 1920 – Max Patkin, American baseball player and clown (d. 1999)
  • 1921 – Rodger Ward, American aviator, race car driver and sportscaster (d. 2004)
  • 1922 – Billy Liddell, Scottish-English footballer (d. 2001)
  • 1924 – Earl Bakken, American inventor (d. 2018)
  • 1924 – Ludmilla Chiriaeff, Canadian ballerina, choreographer, and director (d. 1996)
  • 1925 – Billie Sol Estes, American financier and businessman (d. 2013)
  • 1926 – Musallam Bseiso, Palestinian journalist and politician (d. 2017)
  • 1927 – Gisele MacKenzie, Canadian-American singer and actress (d. 2003)
  • 1927 – Johnnie Ray, American singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 1990)
  • 1927 – Otto Stich, Swiss lawyer and politician, 140th President of the Swiss Confederation (d. 2012)
  • 1928 – Philip Levine, American poet and academic (d. 2015)
  • 1928 – Peter Mathias, English historian and academic (d. 2016)
  • 1929 – Tony Soper, English ornithologist and author
  • 1930 – Roy E. Disney, American businessman (d. 2009)
  • 1931 – Peter Barnes, English playwright and screenwriter (d. 2004)
  • 1931 – Rosalind Howells, Baroness Howells of St Davids, Grenadian-English academic and politician
  • 1931 – Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, Malaysian cleric and politician, 12th Menteri Besar of Kelantan (d. 2015)
  • 1931 – John Zizioulas, Greek metropolitan
  • 1934 – Leonid Kravchuk, Ukrainian politician, 1st President of Ukraine
  • 1935 – Ronnie Hawkins, American rockabilly singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1935 – Sherrill Milnes, American opera singer and educator
  • 1936 – Stephen E. Ambrose, American historian and author (d. 2002)
  • 1936 – Walter Bodmer, German-English geneticist and academic
  • 1936 – Robert Woodrow Wilson, American physicist and astronomer, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1937 – Daniel Walker Howe, American historian and academic
  • 1937 – Thomas Penfield Jackson, American soldier, lawyer, and judge (d. 2013)
  • 1938 – Donald Knuth, American computer scientist and mathematician
  • 1938 – Frank Mahovlich, Canadian ice hockey player and politician
  • 1938 – Willie McCovey, American baseball player (d. 2018)
  • 1939 – Jared Carter, American poet and author
  • 1939 – David Horowitz, American activist and author
  • 1939 – William Levy, American-Dutch journalist, author, and poet
  • 1939 – Scott McKenzie, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2012)
  • 1939 – Sal Mineo, American actor (d. 1976)
  • 1940 – K. J. Yesudas, Indian singer and music director
  • 1940 – Godfrey Hewitt, English geneticist and academic (d. 2013)
  • 1941 – Tom Clarke, Scottish politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland
  • 1942 – Graeme Gahan, Australian footballer and coach
  • 1943 – Jim Croce, American singer-songwriter (d. 1973)
  • 1944 – Jeffrey Catherine Jones, American comics and fantasy artist (d. 2011)
  • 1944 – Frank Sinatra, Jr., American singer and actor (d. 2016)
  • 1945 – John Fahey, New Zealand-Australian lawyer and politician, 38th Premier of New South Wales
  • 1945 – Rod Stewart, British singer-songwriter
  • 1945 – Gunther von Hagens, German anatomist, invented plastination
  • 1946 – Aynsley Dunbar, English drummer and songwriter
  • 1947 – George Alec Effinger, American author (d. 2002)
  • 1947 – James Morris, American opera singer
  • 1947 – Peer Steinbrück, German politician, German Minister of Finance
  • 1947 – Tiit Vähi, Estonian engineer and politician, 11th Prime Minister of Estonia
  • 1948 – Donald Fagen, American singer-songwriter and musician
  • 1948 – Bernard Thévenet, French cyclist and sportscaster
  • 1949 – Kemal Derviş, Turkish economist and politician, Turkish Minister of Economy
  • 1949 – George Foreman, American boxer, actor, and businessman
  • 1949 – Linda Lovelace, American porn actress and activist (d. 2002)
  • 1950 – Roy Blunt, American academic and politician
  • 1952 – Scott Thurston, American guitarist and songwriter
  • 1953 – Pat Benatar, American singer-songwriter
  • 1953 – Bobby Rahal, American race car driver
  • 1955 – Michael Schenker, German guitarist, songwriter, and producer
  • 1956 – Shawn Colvin, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1956 – Antonio Muñoz Molina, Spanish author
  • 1958 – Eddie Cheever, American race car driver
  • 1958 – Anatoly Pisarenko, Ukrainian weightlifter and trainer
  • 1959 – Chandra Cheeseborough, American sprinter and coach
  • 1959 – Chris Van Hollen, American lawyer and politician
  • 1959 – Fran Walsh, New Zealand screenwriter and producer
  • 1960 – Gurinder Chadha, Kenyan-English director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1960 – Brian Cowen, Irish lawyer and politician, 12th Taoiseach of Ireland
  • 1960 – John Mann, English lawyer and politician
  • 1960 – Benoît Pelletier, Canadian lawyer and politician
  • 1961 – Janet Jones, American actress
  • 1961 – Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Italian-American violinist, author, and educator
  • 1962 – Michael Fortier, Canadian lawyer and politician
  • 1962 – Kathryn S. McKinley, American computer scientist and academic
  • 1963 – Malcolm Dunford, New Zealand-Australian footballer
  • 1963 – Kira Ivanova, Russian figure skater (d. 2001)
  • 1964 – Brad Roberts, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1967 – Maciej Śliwowski, Polish footballer
  • 1969 – Simone Bagel-Trah, German businessperson
  • 1970 – Buff Bagwell, American wrestler and actor
  • 1970 – Alisa Marić, Serbian chess player and politician, Serbian Minister of Youth and Sports
  • 1972 – Mohammed Benzakour, Moroccan-Dutch journalist, poet, and author
  • 1973 – Glenn Robinson, American basketball player
  • 1973 – Félix Trinidad, Puerto Rican-American boxer
  • 1974 – Jemaine Clement, New Zealand comedian, actor, and musician
  • 1974 – Davide Dionigi, Italian footballer and manager
  • 1974 – Steve Marlet, French footballer, forward and coach
  • 1974 – Bob Peeters, Belgian footballer and manager
  • 1974 – Hrithik Roshan, Indian actor
  • 1975 – Jake Delhomme, American football player
  • 1976 – Adam Kennedy, American baseball player
  • 1976 – Ian Poulter, English golfer
  • 1978 – Johan van der Wath, South African cricketer
  • 1979 – Simone Cavalli, Italian footballer
  • 1980 – Sarah Shahi, American actress
  • 1980 – DeShaun Foster, American football player
  • 1981 – James Coppinger, English footballer
  • 1981 – Jared Kushner, American real estate investor and political figure
  • 1982 – Julien Brellier, French footballer
  • 1982 – Tomasz Brzyski, Polish footballer
  • 1984 – Marouane Chamakh, Moroccan footballer
  • 1984 – Trent Cutler, Australian rugby league player
  • 1984 – Ariane Friedrich, German high jumper
  • 1984 – Kalki Koechlin, Indian actress
  • 1986 – Kirsten Flipkens, Belgian tennis player
  • 1986 – Hideaki Ikematsu, Japanese footballer
  • 1986 – Kenneth Vermeer, Dutch footballer
  • 1987 – César Cielo, Brazilian swimmer
  • 1988 – Leonard Patrick Komon, Kenyan runner
  • 1988 – Vladimir Zharkov, Russian ice hockey player
  • 1989 – Emily Meade, American actress
  • 1989 – Kyle Reimers, Australian footballer
  • 1990 – Mirko Bortolotti, Italian racing driver
  • 1990 – Ishiura Masakatsu, Japanese sumo wrestler
  • 1990 – Cody Walker, Australian rugby league player
  • 1990 – John Carlson, American ice hockey player
  • 1991 – Chad Townsend, Australian rugby league player

Deaths on January 10

  • 259 – Polyeuctus, Roman saint
  • 314 – Miltiades, pope of the Catholic Church
  • 681 – Agatho, pope of the Catholic Church
  • 976 – John I Tzimiskes, Byzantine emperor (b. 925)
  • 987 – Pietro I Orseolo, doge of Venice (b. 928)
  • 1055 – Bretislav I, duke of Bohemia
  • 1094 – Al-Mustansir Billah, Egyptian caliph (b. 1029)
  • 1218 – Hugh I, king of Cyprus
  • 1276 – Gregory X, pope of the Catholic Church (b. 1210)
  • 1322 – Petrus Aureolus, scholastic philosopher
  • 1358 – Abu Inan Faris, Marinid ruler of Morocco (b. 1329)
  • 1552 – Johann Cochlaeus, German humanist and controversialist (b. 1479)
  • 1645 – William Laud, English archbishop and academic (b. 1573)
  • 1654 – Nicholas Culpeper, English botanist, physician, and astrologer (b. 1616)
  • 1698 – Louis-Sébastien Le Nain de Tillemont, French priest and historian (b. 1637)
  • 1754 – Edward Cave, English publisher, founded The Gentleman’s Magazine (b. 1691)
  • 1761 – Edward Boscawen, English admiral and politician (b. 1711)
  • 1778 – Carl Linnaeus, Swedish botanist and physician (b. 1707)
  • 1794 – Georg Forster, German-Polish ethnologist and journalist (b. 1754)
  • 1811 – Joseph Chénier, French poet, playwright, and politician (b. 1764)
  • 1824 – Victor Emmanuel I, duke of Savoy and king of Sardinia (b. 1759)
  • 1828 – François de Neufchâteau, French poet, academic, and politician, French Minister of the Interior (b. 1750)
  • 1829 – Gregorio Funes, Argentinian clergyman, historian, and educator (b. 1749)
  • 1833 – Adrien-Marie Legendre, French mathematician and theorist (b. 1752)
  • 1843 – Dimitrie Macedonski, Greek-Romanian captain and politician (b. 1780)
  • 1851 – Karl Freiherr von Müffling, Prussian field marshal (b. 1775)
  • 1855 – Mary Russell Mitford, English author and playwright (b. 1787)
  • 1862 – Samuel Colt, American engineer and businessman, founded Colt’s Manufacturing Company (b. 1814)
  • 1863 – Lyman Beecher, American minister and activist, co-founded the American Temperance Society (b. 1775)
  • 1895 – Eli Whitney Blake, Jr., American chemist, physicist, and academic (b. 1836)
  • 1895 – Benjamin Godard, French violinist and composer (b. 1849)
  • 1901 – James Robert Dickson, English-Australian businessman and politician, 1st Australian Minister for Defence (b. 1832)
  • 1904 – Jean-Léon Gérôme, French painter and sculptor (b. 1824)
  • 1905 – Kārlis Baumanis, Latvian composer (b. 1835)
  • 1917 – Buffalo Bill, American soldier and hunter (b. 1846)
  • 1917 – Feliks Leparsky, Russian fencer and captain (b. 1875)
  • 1920 – Sali Nivica, Albanian journalist and politician (b. 1890)
  • 1922 – Frank Tudor, Australian politician, 6th Australian Minister for Trade and Investment (b. 1866)
  • 1926 – Eino Leino, Finnish poet and journalist (b. 1878)
  • 1935 – Edwin Flack, Australian tennis player and runner (b. 1873)
  • 1935 – Charlie McGahey, English cricketer and footballer (b. 1871)
  • 1941 – Frank Bridge, English viola player and composer (b. 1879)
  • 1941 – John Lavery, Irish painter and academic (b. 1856)
  • 1941 – Joe Penner, Hungarian-American actor (b. 1904)
  • 1941 – Issai Schur, Belarusian-German mathematician and academic (b. 1875)
  • 1949 – Erich von Drygalski, German geographer and geophysicist (b. 1865)
  • 1951 – Sinclair Lewis, American novelist, short-story writer, and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1885)
  • 1951 – Yoshio Nishina, Japanese physicist and academic (b. 1890)
  • 1954 – Chester Wilmot, American journalist and historian (b. 1911)
  • 1956 – Zonia Baber, American geographer and geologist (b. 1862)
  • 1957 – Gabriela Mistral, Chilean poet and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1889)
  • 1957 – Laura Ingalls Wilder, American novelist (b. 1867)
  • 1959 – Şükrü Kaya, Turkish jurist and politician, Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1883)
  • 1960 – Jack Laviolette, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager (b. 1879)
  • 1961 – Dashiell Hammett, American detective novelist and screenwriter (b. 1894)
  • 1967 – Charles E. Burchfield, American painter (b. 1893)
  • 1968 – Ali Fuat Cebesoy, Turkish general and politician, 6th Speaker of the Parliament of Turkey (b. 1882)
  • 1969 – Sampurnanand, Indian educator and politician, 2nd Governor of Rajasthan (b. 1891)
  • 1970 – Pavel Belyayev, Russian pilot and astronaut (b. 1925)
  • 1971 – Coco Chanel, French fashion designer, founded Chanel (b. 1883)
  • 1971 – Ignazio Giunti, Italian race car driver (b. 1941)
  • 1972 – Aksel Larsen, Danish lawyer and politician (b. 1897)
  • 1976 – Howlin’ Wolf, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1910)
  • 1978 – Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Cardenal, Nicaraguan journalist and author (b. 1924)
  • 1978 – Don Gillis, American composer and conductor (b. 1912)
  • 1978 – Hannah Gluckstein, British painter (b. 1895)
  • 1980 – Hughie Critz, American baseball player and scout (b. 1900)
  • 1980 – George Meany, American plumber and trade union leader (b. 1894)
  • 1980 – Bo Rein, American football player and coach (b. 1945)
  • 1981 – Fawn M. Brodie, American historian and author (b. 1915)
  • 1984 – Souvanna Phouma, Laotian politician, 8th Prime Minister of Laos (b. 1901)
  • 1986 – Jaroslav Seifert, Czech journalist and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1901)
  • 1987 – Marion Hutton, American singer (b. 1919)
  • 1987 – David Robinson, English businessman and philanthropist (b. 1904)
  • 1989 – Herbert Morrison, American journalist and producer (b. 1905)
  • 1990 – Tochinishiki Kiyotaka, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 44th Yokozuna (b. 1925)
  • 1992 – Roberto Bonomi, Argentinian race car driver (b. 1919)
  • 1995 – Kathleen Tynan, Canadian-English journalist, author, and screenwriter (b. 1937)
  • 1997 – Elspeth Huxley, Kenyan-English journalist and author (b. 1907)
  • 1997 – Sheldon Leonard, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1907)
  • 1997 – Alexander R. Todd, Baron Todd, Scottish-English biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1907)
  • 1999 – Edward Williams, Australian lieutenant, pilot, and judge (b. 1921)
  • 2000 – Sam Jaffe, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1901)
  • 2004 – Spalding Gray, American actor and screenwriter (b. 1941)
  • 2005 – Wasyly, Ukrainian-Canadian bishop (b. 1909)
  • 2005 – Jack Horner, American journalist (b. 1912)
  • 2005 – Princess Joséphine Charlotte of Belgium (b. 1927)
  • 2007 – Carlo Ponti, Italian film producer (b. 1912)
  • 2007 – Bradford Washburn, American explorer, photographer, and cartographer (b. 1910)
  • 2008 – Christopher Bowman, American figure skater and actor (b. 1967)
  • 2008 – Maila Nurmi, Finnish-American actress, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1922)
  • 2010 – Patcha Ramachandra Rao, Indian metallurgist, educator and administrator (b. 1942)
  • 2011 – Margaret Whiting, American singer (b. 1924)
  • 2012 – Jean Pigott, Canadian businesswoman and politician (b. 1924)
  • 2012 – Gevork Vartanian, Russian intelligence agent (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – George Gruntz, Swiss pianist and composer (b. 1932)
  • 2013 – Claude Nobs, Swiss businessman, founded the Montreux Jazz Festival (b. 1936)
  • 2014 – Petr Hlaváček, Czech shoemaker and academic (b. 1950)
  • 2014 – Zbigniew Messner, Polish economist and politician, 9th Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland (b. 1929)
  • 2014 – Larry Speakes, American journalist, 16th White House Press Secretary (b. 1939)
  • 2015 – Junior Malanda, Belgian footballer (b. 1994)
  • 2015 – Taylor Negron, American actor, playwright, and painter (b. 1957)
  • 2015 – Francesco Rosi, Italian director and screenwriter (b. 1922)
  • 2015 – Robert Stone, American novelist and short story writer (b. 1937)
  • 2016 – Wim Bleijenberg, Dutch footballer and manager (b. 1930)
  • 2016 – David Bowie, English singer-songwriter, producer, and actor (b. 1947)
  • 2016 – George Jonas, Hungarian-Canadian journalist, author, and poet (b. 1935)
  • 2017 – Buddy Greco, American jazz and pop singer and pianist (b. 1926)
  • 2017 – Clare Hollingworth, English journalist (b. 1911)
  • 2020 – Qaboos bin Said, Ruler Of Oman (b. 1940)

Holidays and observances on January 10

  • Christian feast day:
    • Gregory of Nyssa
    • Leonie Aviat
    • Obadiah (Coptic Church)
    • Peter Orseolo
    • Pope Agatho (Roman Catholic)
    • William Laud (Anglican Communion)
    • William of Donjeon
    • January 10 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Fête du Vodoun (Benin)
  • Margaret Thatcher Day (Falkland Islands)
  • Majority Rule Day (Bahamas)

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

On This Day