Events

Pre-1600

452 __NOTOC__ Year 452 ( CDLII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Herculanus and Sporacius (or, less frequently, year 1205 ' ...

or 453 – Severianus, Bishop of Scythopolis, is martyred in Palestine. * 1245 –

Thomas Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the A ...

, the first known

Bishop of Finland The Archdiocese of Turku ( fi, Turun arkkihiippakunta, sv, Åbo ärkestift), historically known as '' Archdiocese of Åbo'', is the seat of the Archbishop of Turku. It is a part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, and its see city is ...

, is granted resignation after confessing to torture and forgery. *

1440 Events January–December * February 21 – The Prussian Confederation is formed. * April 9 – Christopher of Bavaria is elected King of Denmark. * April – Murad II lays siege to Belgrade. The city is heavily damaged, but the def ...

– The

Prussian Confederation The Prussian Confederation (german: Preußischer Bund, pl, Związek Pruski) was an organization formed on 21 February 1440 at Kwidzyn (then officially ''Marienwerder'') by a group of 53 nobles and clergy and 19 cities in Prussia, to oppose the ...

is formed.

1601–1900

1613 Events January–June * January 11 – Workers in a sandpit in the Dauphiné region of France discover the skeleton of what is alleged to be a 30-foot tall man (the remains, it is supposed, of the giant Teutobochus, a legendar ...

– Mikhail I is unanimously elected Tsar by a

national assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the r ...

, beginning the Romanov dynasty of Imperial Russia. * 1797 – A force of 1,400 French soldiers invaded Britain at Fishguard in support of the Society of United Irishmen. They were defeated by 500 British reservists. *

1804 Events January–March * January 1 – Haiti gains independence from France, and becomes the first black republic, having the only successful slave revolt ever. * February 4 – The Sokoto Caliphate is founded in West Africa. * Febru ...

– The first self-propelling

steam locomotive A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, oil or, rarely, wood) to heat water in the loco ...

makes its outing at the Pen-y-Darren Ironworks in Wales. * 1808 – Without a previous declaration of war, Russian troops cross the border to Sweden at Abborfors in eastern Finland, thus beginning the Finnish War, in which Sweden will lose the eastern half of the country (i.e. Finland) to Russia. * 1828 – Initial issue of the Cherokee Phoenix is the first periodical to use the Cherokee syllabary invented by Sequoyah. * 1842 – John Greenough is granted the first U.S. patent for the sewing machine. * 1848 –

Karl Marx Karl Heinrich Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, economist, historian, sociologist, political theorist, journalist, critic of political economy, and socialist revolutionary. His best-known titles are the 1848 ...

and

Friedrich Engels Friedrich Engels ( ,"Engels"
'' The Communist Manifesto''. *

1862 Events January–March * January 1 – The United Kingdom annexes Lagos Island, in modern-day Nigeria. * January 6 – French intervention in Mexico: French, Spanish and British forces arrive in Veracruz, Mexico. * January ...

–

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

: Battle of Valverde is fought near Fort Craig in New Mexico Territory. * 1866 – Lucy Hobbs Taylor becomes the first American woman to graduate from dental school. *

1874 Events January–March * January 1 – New York City annexes The Bronx. * January 2 – Ignacio María González becomes head of state of the Dominican Republic for the first time. * January 3 – Third Carlist War &ndash ...

– The '' Oakland Daily Tribune'' publishes its first edition. * 1878 – The first telephone directory is issued in

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134 ...

. * 1885 – The newly completed

Washington Monument The Washington Monument is an obelisk shaped building within the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate George Washington, once commander-in-chief of the Continental Army (1775–1784) in the American Revolutionary War and ...

is dedicated. * 1896 – An Englishman raised in Australia, Bob Fitzsimmons, fought an Irishman, Peter Maher, in an American promoted event which technically took place in Mexico, winning the 1896 World Heavyweight Championship in

boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...

1901–present

* 1913 – Ioannina is incorporated into the Greek state after the Balkan Wars. * 1916 –

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

: In France, the Battle of Verdun begins. *

1918 This year is noted for the end of the First World War, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, as well as for the Spanish flu pandemic that killed 50–100 million people worldwide. Events Below, the events ...

– The last Carolina parakeet dies in captivity at the

Cincinnati Zoo The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is the sixth oldest zoo in the United States, founded in 1873 and officially opening in 1875. It is located in the Avondale neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. It originally began with in the middle of the ...

. * 1919 – German socialist Kurt Eisner is assassinated. His death results in the establishment of the Bavarian Soviet Republic and parliament and government fleeing

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and ...

, Germany. *

1921 Events January * January 2 ** The Association football club Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, from Belo Horizonte, is founded as the multi-sports club Palestra Italia by Italian expatriates in Brazil. ** The Spanish liner ''Santa Isabel'' bre ...

–

Constituent Assembly A constituent assembly (also known as a constitutional convention, constitutional congress, or constitutional assembly) is a body assembled for the purpose of drafting or revising a constitution. Members of a constituent assembly may be elected b ...

of the Democratic Republic of Georgia adopts the country's first constitution. * 1921 –

Rezā Shāh , , spouse = Maryam Savadkoohi Tadj ol-Molouk Ayromlu (queen consort)Turan Amirsoleimani Esmat Dowlatshahi , issue = Princess Hamdamsaltaneh Princess ShamsMohammad Reza Shah Princess Ashraf Prince Ali Reza Prince Gholam Reza Pri ...

takes control of Tehran during a successful coup. * 1925 – ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...

'' publishes its first issue. * 1929 – In the first battle of the Warlord Rebellion in northeastern Shandong against the Nationalist government of China, a 24,000-strong rebel force led by Zhang Zongchang was defeated at Zhifu by 7,000 NRA troops. * 1934 – Augusto Sandino is executed. * 1937 – The

League of Nations The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference th ...

bans foreign national "

volunteers Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...

" in the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlism, Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebeli ...

. * 1945 –

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

: During the Battle of Iwo Jima, Japanese

kamikaze , officially , were a part of the Japanese Special Attack Units of military aviators who flew suicide attacks for the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, intending ...

planes sink the escort carrier and damage the . * 1945 – World War II: the Brazilian Expeditionary Force defeat the German forces in the Battle of Monte Castello on the Italian front. * 1947 – In New York City, Edwin Land demonstrates the first " instant camera", the

Polaroid Land Camera The Land Camera is a model of self-developing film camera manufactured by Polaroid between 1948 and 1983. It is named after their inventor, the American scientist Edwin Land, who developed a process for self-developing photography between 194 ...

, to a meeting of the Optical Society of America. * 1948 –

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and ...

is incorporated. * 1952 – The British government, under

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...

, abolishes identity cards in the UK to "set the people free". * 1952 – The Bengali Language Movement protests occur at the University of Dhaka in

East Pakistan East Pakistan was a Pakistani province established in 1955 by the One Unit Policy, renaming the province as such from East Bengal, which, in modern times, is split between India and Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India and Myanmar, wit ...

(now

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mo ...

). *

1958 Events January * January 1 – The European Economic Community (EEC) comes into being. * January 3 – The West Indies Federation is formed. * January 4 ** Edmund Hillary's Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition completes the third ...

– The CND symbol, aka peace symbol, commissioned by the

Direct Action Committee The Direct Action Committee Against Nuclear War or the Direct Action Committee (DAC) was a pacifist organisation formed "to assist the conducting of non-violent direct action to obtain the total renunciation of nuclear war and its weapons by Br ...

in protest against the

Atomic Weapons Research Establishment The Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) is a United Kingdom Ministry of Defence research facility responsible for the design, manufacture and support of warheads for the UK's nuclear weapons. It is the successor to the Atomic Weapons Research ...

, is designed and completed by

Gerald Holtom Gerald Herbert Holtom (20 January 1914 – 18 September 1985Westcott, Kathryn (20 March 2008"World's best-known protest symbol turns 50"'' BBC.co.uk (News)'' (Retrieved: 21 February 2010)) was a British artist and designer. In 1958, he designed ...

. * 1965 – Malcolm X is gunned down while giving a speech at the

Audubon Ballroom The Audubon Theatre and Ballroom, generally referred to as the Audubon Ballroom, was a theatre and ballroom located at 3940 Broadway at West 165th Street in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It was built in 1912 ...

in Harlem. * 1971 – The Convention on Psychotropic Substances is signed at

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

. * 1972 – United States President

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...

visits China to normalize Sino-American relations. * 1972 – The

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

unmanned spaceship Luna 20 lands on the Moon. * 1973 – Over the

Sinai Desert Sinai commonly refers to: * Sinai Peninsula, Egypt * Mount Sinai, a mountain in the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt * Biblical Mount Sinai, the site in the Bible where Moses received the Law of God Sinai may also refer to: * Sinai, South Dakota, a plac ...

, Israeli fighter aircraft shoot down

Libyan Arab Airlines Flight 114 Libyan Arab Airlines Flight 114 (LN 114) was a regularly scheduled flight from Tripoli to Cairo via Benghazi that was shot down in 1973 by Israeli fighter jets after flying off course into prohibited airspace. On 21 February 1973, the Boeing 7 ...

jet killing 108 people. * 1974 – The last Israeli soldiers leave the west bank of the Suez Canal pursuant to a truce with

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning the North Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via a land bridg ...

. *

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

–

Watergate scandal The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal in the United States involving the administration of President Richard Nixon from 1972 to 1974 that led to Nixon's resignation. The scandal stemmed from the Nixon administration's contin ...

: Former

United States Attorney General The United States attorney general (AG) is the head of the United States Department of Justice, and is the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government of the United States. The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the p ...

John N. Mitchell and former

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...

aides H. R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman are sentenced to prison. *

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea; Nels ...

–

Aldrich Ames Aldrich Hazen "Rick" Ames (; born May 26, 1941) is a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer turned KGB double agent, who was convicted of espionage in 1994. He is serving a life sentence, without the possibility of parole, in the Fede ...

is arrested by the

Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice ...

for selling national secrets to the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...

Arlington County, Virginia Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county ...

. * 1995 – Steve Fossett lands in Leader, Saskatchewan, Canada becoming the first person to make a solo flight across the Pacific Ocean in a

balloon A balloon is a flexible bag that can be inflated with a gas, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, and air. For special tasks, balloons can be filled with smoke, liquid water, granular media (e.g. sand, flour or rice), or lig ...

. *

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...

– At least 17 people are killed and 119 injured following several bombings in the

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

n city of

Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River, in the northern part of Southern Indi ...

. * 2022 – In the Russo-Ukrainian crisis Russian President Vladimir Putin declares the Luhansk People's Republic and Donetsk People's Republic as independent from

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inva ...

, and moves troops into the region. The action is condemned by the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoni ...

Births

Pre-1600

921 __NOTOC__ Year 921 ( CMXXI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * March – Battle of Pegae: Bulgarian forces under ''kavhan'' (first ...

–

Abe no Seimei was an '' onmyōji'', a leading specialist of ''Onmyōdō'' during the middle of the Heian period in Japan.Miller, Laura. "Extreme Makeover for a Heian-era Wizard". ''Mechademia 3: Limits of the Human''. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Pre ...

, Japanese astrologer (d. 1005) *

1397 Year 1397 ( MCCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January – Mircea I takes back the throne of Wallachia. * February 10 – ...

– Isabella of Portugal (d. 1471) * 1462 – Joanna la Beltraneja, princess of Castile (d. 1530) * 1484 –

Joachim I Nestor, Elector of Brandenburg Joachim I Nestor (21 February 1484 – 11 July 1535) was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg (1499–1535), the fifth member of the House of Hohenzollern. His nickname was taken from King Nestor of Greek mythology. Biography The ...

(d. 1535) *

1498 Year 1498 ( MCDXCVIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar, the 1498th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 498th year of the 2nd millennium, the 98t ...

–

Ralph Neville, 4th Earl of Westmorland Ralph Neville, 4th Earl of Westmorland KG (21 February 1498 – 24 April 1549), was an English peer and soldier. He was the grandson of Ralph Neville, 3rd Earl of Westmorland, and the father of Henry Neville, 5th Earl of Westmorland. Family ...

, English Earl (d. 1549) *

1541 __NOTOC__ Year 1541 ( MDXLI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–June * February 12 – Pedro de Valdivia founds Santiago del Nuevo Extremo, whi ...

– Philipp V, Count of Hanau-Lichtenberg (d. 1599) * 1556 – Sethus Calvisius, German astronomer, composer, and theorist (d. 1615)

1601–1900

* 1609 – Raimondo Montecuccoli, Italian military commander (d. 1680) * 1621 – Rebecca Nurse, Massachusetts colonist, executed as a witch (d. 1692) * 1705 –

Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke, KB, PC (21 February 1705 – 17 October 1781), of Scarthingwell Hall in the parish of Towton, near Tadcaster, Yorkshire, was a Royal Navy officer. As captain of the third-rate , he took part in the Battle of T ...

, English admiral and politician (d. 1781) * 1728 – Peter III of Russia (d. 1762) * 1783 – Catharina of Württemberg (d. 1835) * 1788 – Francis Ronalds, British scientist, inventor and engineer who was knighted for developing the first working electric telegraph (d. 1873) * 1791 – Carl Czerny, Austrian pianist and composer (d. 1857) * 1794 – Antonio López de Santa Anna, Mexican general and politician, 8th

President of Mexico The president of Mexico ( es, link=no, Presidente de México), officially the president of the United Mexican States ( es, link=no, Presidente de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos), is the head of state and head of government of Mexico. Under the ...

(d. 1876) * 1801 –

John Henry Newman John Henry Newman (21 February 1801 – 11 August 1890) was an English theologian, academic, intellectual, philosopher, polymath, historian, writer, scholar and poet, first as an Anglican priest and later as a Catholic priest and ...

, English cardinal (d. 1890) * 1817 –

José Zorrilla José Zorrilla y Moral () was a Spanish poet and dramatist, who became National Laureate. Biography Zorrilla was born in Valladolid to a magistrate in whom Ferdinand VII placed special confidence. He was educated by the Jesuits at the Real Sem ...

, Spanish poet and playwright (d. 1893) * 1821 – Charles Scribner I, American publisher, founded

Charles Scribner's Sons Charles Scribner's Sons, or simply Scribner's or Scribner, is an American publisher based in New York City, known for publishing American authors including Henry James, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Kurt Vonnegut, Marjorie Kinnan R ...

(d. 1871) * 1836 –

Léo Delibes Clément Philibert Léo Delibes (; 21 February 1836 – 16 January 1891) was a French Romantic composer, best known for his ballets and operas. His works include the ballets ''Coppélia'' (1870) and '' Sylvia'' (1876) and the opera ''Lakm� ...

, French pianist and composer (d. 1891) *

1844 In the Philippines, it was the only leap year with 365 days, as December 31 was skipped when 1845 began after December 30. Events January–March * January 15 – The University of Notre Dame, based in the city of the same name, receives ...

– Charles-Marie Widor, French organist and composer (d. 1937) *

1860 Events January–March * January 2 – The discovery of a hypothetical planet Vulcan is announced at a meeting of the French Academy of Sciences in Paris, France. * January 10 – The Pemberton Mill in Lawrence, Massachusetts ...

– Goscombe John, Welsh-English sculptor and academic (d. 1952) *

1865 Events January–March * January 4 – The New York Stock Exchange opens its first permanent headquarters at 10-12 Broad near Wall Street, in New York City. * January 13 – American Civil War : Second Battle of Fort Fisher ...

– John Haden Badley, English author and educator, founded the

Bedales School Bedales School is a co-educational, boarding and day independent school in the village of Steep, near the market town of Petersfield in Hampshire, England. It was founded in 1893 by John Haden Badley in reaction to the limitations of con ...

(d. 1967) * 1867 – Otto Hermann Kahn, German banker and philanthropist (d. 1934) *

1875 Events January–March * January 1 – The Midland Railway of England abolishes the Second Class passenger category, leaving First Class and Third Class. Other British railway companies follow Midland's lead during the rest of th ...

–

Jeanne Calment Jeanne Louise Calment (; 21 February 1875 – 4 August 1997) was a French supercentenarian and the oldest human whose age is documented, with a lifespan of 122 years and 164 days. Her longevity attracted media attention and medical studies o ...

, French super-centenarian, oldest verified person ever (d. 1997) * 1878 – Mirra Alfassa, French-Indian spiritual leader (d. 1973) * 1881 –

Kenneth J. Alford Frederick Joseph Ricketts (21 February 1881 – 15 May 1945) was an English composer of marches for band. Under the pen name Kenneth J. Alford, he composed marches which are considered to be great examples of the art. He was a Bandmaster in th ...

, English soldier, bandmaster, and composer (d. 1945) * 1885 – Sacha Guitry, Russian-French actor, director, and playwright (d. 1957) * 1887 – Korechika Anami, Japanese general and politician, 54th Japanese Minister of War (d. 1945) * 1888 – Clemence Dane, English author and playwright (d. 1965) * 1892 – Harry Stack Sullivan, American psychiatrist and psychoanalyst (d. 1949) * 1893 – Celia Lovsky, Austrian-American actress (d. 1979) * 1893 – Andrés Segovia, Spanish guitarist (d. 1987) * 1894 – Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar, Indian chemist and academic (d. 1955) * 1895 – Henrik Dam, Danish biochemist and physiologist,

Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...

laureate (d. 1976) * 1896 –

Nirala Nirala, real name Syed Muzaffar Husain Zaidi ( ur, ) (8 August 1937 – 9 December 1990) was a Pakistani comedian and film actor. He only appeared in Urdu films made in Pakistan. His first film was ''Aur bhi gham hain'' (1960). His last ...

, Indian poet and author (d. 1961) * 1900 – Jeanne Aubert, French singer and actress (d. 1988)

1901–present

* 1902 – Arthur Nock, English theologian and academic (d. 1963) * 1903 –

Anaïs Nin Angela Anaïs Juana Antolina Rosa Edelmira Nin y Culmell (February 11, 1903 – January 14, 1977; , ) was a French-born American diarist, essayist, novelist, and writer of short stories and erotica. Born to Cuban parents in France, Nin was the d ...

, French-American essayist and memoirist (d. 1977) * 1903 –

Raymond Queneau Raymond Queneau (; 21 February 1903 – 25 October 1976) was a French novelist, poet, critic, editor and co-founder and president of Oulipo ('' Ouvroir de littérature potentielle''), notable for his wit and cynical humour. Biography Queneau w ...

, French poet and author (d. 1976) * 1907 – W. H. Auden, British-American poet, playwright, and composer (d. 1973) * 1909 –

Hans Erni Hans Erni (February 21, 1909 – March 21, 2015) was a Swiss graphic designer, painter, illustrator, engraver and sculptor. Born in Lucerne, the third of eight siblings, to a cabin cruiser engineer, he studied art at the Académie Julian in Par ...

, Swiss painter, sculptor, and illustrator (d. 2015) * 1910 – Douglas Bader, English captain and pilot (d. 1982) *

1912 Events January * January 1 – The Republic of China is established. * January 5 – The Prague Conference (6th All-Russian Conference of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party) opens. * January 6 ** German geophysicist Alfred ...

–

Arline Judge Margaret Arline Judge (February 21, 1912 – February 7, 1974) was an American actress singer who worked mostly in low-budget B movies, but gained some fame for habitually marrying. Early years Arline Judge was born in Bridgeport, Connecti ...

, American actress and singer (d. 1974) * 1914 – Ilmari Juutilainen, Finnish soldier and pilot (d. 1999) * 1914 – Zachary Scott, American actor (d. 1965) * 1914 –

Jean Tatlock Jean Frances Tatlock (February 21, 1914 – January 4, 1944) was an American psychiatrist and physician. She was a member of the Communist Party of the United States of America and was a reporter and writer for the party's publication ''Western ...

, American psychiatrist and physician (d. 1944) * 1915 – Claudia Jones, Trinidad-British journalist and activist (d. 1964) * 1915 –

Ann Sheridan Clara Lou "Ann" Sheridan (February 21, 1915 – January 21, 1967) was an American actress and singer. She is best known for her roles in the films ''San Quentin'' (1937) with Humphrey Bogart, ''Angels with Dirty Faces'' (1938) with James Cagney ...

, American actress and singer (d. 1967) * 1915 –

Anton Vratuša Anton Vratuša (born Vratussa Antal; 21 February 1915 – 30 July 2017) was a Slovenian politician and diplomat who was Prime Minister of Slovenia from 1978 to 1980, and Yugoslavia's ambassador to the United Nations.http://www.sazu.si/en/members/a ...

, Prime Minister of Slovenia (d. 2017) * 1917 – Lucille Bremer, American actress and dancer (d. 1996) * 1917 – Tadd Dameron, American pianist and composer (d. 1965) *

– John Rawls, American philosopher and academic (d. 2002) * 1921 – Richard T. Whitcomb, American aeronautical engineer (d. 2009) *

1924 Events January * January 12 – Gopinath Saha shoots Ernest Day, whom he has mistaken for Sir Charles Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta, and is arrested soon after. * January 20– 30 – Kuomintang in China hold ...

– Thelma Estrin, American computer scientist and engineer (d. 2014) * 1924 – Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwean educator and politician, 2nd

President of Zimbabwe The president of Zimbabwe is the head of state of Zimbabwe and head of the executive branch of the government of Zimbabwe. The president chairs the national cabinet and is the chief commanding authority of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces. The ...

(d. 2019) * 1924 – Dorothy Blum, American computer scientist and cryptanalyst (d. 1980) * 1925 –

Sam Peckinpah David Samuel Peckinpah (; February 21, 1925 – December 28, 1984) was an American film director and screenwriter. His 1969 Western epic ''The Wild Bunch'' received an Academy Award nomination and was ranked No. 80 on the American Film Institut ...

, American director and screenwriter (d. 1984) * 1925 – Jack Ramsay, American basketball player, coach, and sportscaster (d. 2014) * 1927 – Erma Bombeck, American journalist and author (d. 1996) * 1929 –

Chespirito Roberto Gómez Bolaños (21 February 1929 – 28 November 2014), more commonly known by his stage name Chespirito, or "Little Shakespeare", was a Mexican actor, comedian, screenwriter, humorist, director, producer, and author. He is widely re ...

, Mexican actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2014) *

1933 Events January * January 11 – Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand. * January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independence, against the wis ...

– Bob Rafelson, American film director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2022) * 1933 – Nina Simone, American singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 2003) * 1934 – Rue McClanahan, American actress (d. 2010) * 1935 – Richard A. Lupoff, American author (d. 2020) * 1935 –

Mark McManus Mark McManus (21 February 1935 – 6 June 1994) was a Scottish actor. He has played roles in British television series ''Sam,'' ''Bulman, The Brothers, Strangers,'' and ''Dramarama'' and starred in the feature film ''2000 Weeks''. He was best ...

, Scottish actor (d. 1994) * 1936 – Barbara Jordan, American lawyer and politician (d. 1996) * 1937 –

Ron Clarke Ronald William Clarke, AO, MBE (21 February 1937 – 17 June 2015) was an Australian athlete, writer, and the Mayor of the Gold Coast from 2004 to 2012. He was one of the best-known middle- and long-distance runners in the 1960s, notable for ...

, Australian runner and politician,

Mayor of the Gold Coast The Mayor of the City of the Gold Coast is presiding officer and public face of City of Gold Coast, the Gold Coast City Council, the local government, local government body of the Gold Coast, Queensland. The current Mayor is Tom Tate. The mayor ...

(d. 2015) * 1937 –

Harald V of Norway Harald V ( no, Harald den femte, ; born 21 February 1937) is King of Norway. He acceded to the throne on 17 January 1991. Harald was the third child and only son of King Olav V of Norway and Princess Märtha of Sweden. He was second in the l ...

* 1938 – Bobby Charles, American singer-songwriter (d. 2020) * 1938 –

Kel Tremain Kelvin Robin Tremain (21 February 1938 – 2 May 1992) was a New Zealand rugby union player and administrator. A flanker, he won 38 full caps for the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks, between 1959 and 1968, scoring nine tries. During th ...

, New Zealand rugby player (d. 1992) * 1940 – Peter Gethin, English racing driver (d. 2011) * 1940 – John Lewis, American activist and politician (d. 2020) * 1942 – Tony Martin, Trinidadian-American historian and academic (d. 2013) * 1942 – Margarethe von Trotta, German actress, director, and screenwriter * 1943 – David Geffen, American businessman, co-founded DreamWorks and Geffen Records * 1945 – Maurice Bembridge, English golfer * 1946 – Tyne Daly, American actress and singer * 1946 –

Anthony Daniels Anthony Daniels ( ; born 21 February 1946) is an English actor and mime artist, best known for playing in 10 '' Star Wars'' films. He is the only actor to have either appeared in or been involved with all theatrical films in the series, and ...

, English actor and producer * 1946 –

Alan Rickman Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman (21 February 1946 – 14 January 2016) was an English actor and director. Known for his deep, languid voice, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and became a member of the Royal Shakesp ...

, English actor and director (d. 2016) * 1946 – Bob Ryan, American journalist and author * 1947 – Johnny Echols, American singer-songwriter and guitarist * 1947 –

Olympia Snowe Olympia Jean Snowe (; born February 21, 1947) is an American businesswoman and politician who was a United States Senator from Maine from 1995 to 2013. Snowe, a member of the Republican Party, became known for her ability to influence the outco ...

, American politician * 1948 –

Bill Slayback William Grover Slayback (February 21, 1948 – March 25, 2015) was an American professional baseball pitcher. He appeared in 42 games, 17 as a starter for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Playing career After playing for Califo ...

, American baseball player and singer (d. 2015) * 1949 – Frank Brunner, American illustrator * 1949 – Jerry Harrison, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer * 1949 –

Ronnie Hellström Folke Ronnie Wallentin Hellström (21 February 1949 – 6 February 2022) was a Swedish professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He represented Hammarby IF and 1. FC Kaiserslautern during a career that spanned between 1966 and 1984 and ...

, Swedish footballer (d. 2022) * 1950 – Larry Drake, American actor (d. 2016) * 1950 – Sahle-Work Zewde, Ethiopian president * 1951 – Vince Welnick, American keyboard player (d. 2006) * 1952 – Jean-Jacques Burnel, English bass player, songwriter, and producer * 1952 – Vitaly Churkin, Russian diplomat, former Ambassador of Russia to the United Nations (d. 2017) *

1953 Events January * January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma. * January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a government-in-exile in Oslo. * January 14 ** Marshal Josip Broz Tito is chosen President of Yugosl ...

–

Christine Ebersole Christine Ebersole (born February 21, 1953) is an American actress and singer. She has appeared in film, television, and on stage. She starred in the Broadway musicals '' 42nd Street'' and ''Grey Gardens'', winning two Tony Awards. She has c ...

, American actress and singer * 1953 – William Petersen, American actor and producer * 1954 –

Christina Rees Christina Rees (born 21 February 1954) is a Member of Parliament who served as Shadow Secretary of State for Wales in the Shadow Cabinet of Jeremy Corbyn from 2017 to 2020. She has been MP for Neath since 2015. Rees was elected as a Welsh La ...

, British politician *

1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijiangs ...

– Kelsey Grammer, American actor, singer, and producer *

– Jake Burns, Northern Irish singer-songwriter and guitarist * 1958 – Mary Chapin Carpenter, American singer-songwriter and guitarist * 1958 –

Kim Coates Kim F. Coates (born February 21, 1958) is a Canadian–American actor who has worked in both Canadian and American films and television series. He has worked on Broadway portraying Stanley Kowalski in ''A Streetcar Named Desire'' and in the lead ...

, Canadian actor * 1958 –

Alan Trammell Alan Stuart Trammell ( ; born February 21, 1958) is an American former professional baseball shortstop, manager and coach and member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame as a player. His entire 20-year playing career in Major League Baseball ...

, American baseball player, coach, and manager * 1959 – José María Cano, Spanish singer-songwriter and painter *

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Ja ...

– Plamen Oresharski, Bulgarian economist and politician, 52nd Prime Minister of Bulgaria * 1960 – Steve Wynn, American singer-songwriter *

1961 Events January * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba (Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015). ** Aero Flight 311 (K ...

– Christopher Atkins, American actor and businessman * 1961 –

Elliot Hirshman Elliot Lee Hirshman (born February 21, 1961) is an American psychologist and academic who is the president of Stevenson University in Owings Mills, Maryland since July 3, 2017. Prior to Stevenson University he served as president at San Diego Stat ...

, American psychologist and academic * 1962 – Chuck Palahniuk, American novelist and journalist * 1962 – David Foster Wallace, American novelist, short story writer, and essayist (d. 2008) * 1963 – William Baldwin, American actor * 1963 – Ranking Roger, English singer-songwriter and musician (d. 2019) * 1963 – Greg Turner, New Zealand golfer * 1964 – Mark Kelly, United States Senator, American captain, pilot, and astronaut * 1964 – Scott Kelly, American captain, pilot, and astronaut * 1965 –

Mark Ferguson Mark Ferguson (born 28 February 1961) is a New Zealand-based Australian actor and television presenter. Biography Born in Sydney, Australia, Ferguson attended the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) and graduated in 1981. In 1982, he p ...

, Australian journalist * 1967 – Leroy Burrell, American runner and coach * 1967 –

Sari Essayah Sari Miriam Essayah (born 21 February 1967 in Haukivuori) is a Finnish retired racewalker and a politician, former Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and Member of Parliament since 2015. She is the president of the Finnish Christian Democr ...

, Finnish athlete and politician *

1969 This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon. Events January * January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco. * January 5 **Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...

– James Dean Bradfield, Welsh singer-songwriter and guitarist * 1969 – Aunjanue Ellis, American actress and producer * 1969 –

Petra Kronberger Petra Kronberger (born 21 February 1969, in Pfarrwerfen) is an Austrian former alpine skier, who participated in all disciplines. She was the first female alpine skier to win in all five World Cup events. Career Kronberger entered the World ...

, Austrian skier * 1969 – Tony Meola, American soccer player and manager * 1969 –

Cathy Richardson Catherine E. Richardson (born February 21, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and narrator from the Chicago suburbs in Illinois. She is the lead singer for the band Jefferson Starship Additional , December 3, 2011 and her own Ca ...

, American singer-songwriter and guitarist * 1970 – Michael Slater, Australian cricketer and sportscaster * 1970 – Eric Wilson, American bass player and drummer * 1971 –

Pierre Fulke Pierre Olof Fulke (born 21 February 1971) is a Swedish professional golfer who played on the European Tour. Early life and amateur career Fulke was born in Nyköping. He came to represent Eksjö Golf Club, situated in the province of Småland i ...

, Swedish golfer * 1972 – Seo Taiji, South Korean singer-songwriter * 1973 – Heri Joensen, Faroese singer-songwriter and guitarist * 1973 – Brian Rolston, American ice hockey player and coach * 1974 – Iván Campo, Spanish footballer *

– Scott Miller, Australian swimmer * 1976 – Ryan Smyth, Canadian ice hockey player * 1976 – Michael McIntyre, English comedian, actor and television presenter * 1977 –

Jonathan Safran Foer Jonathan Safran Foer (; born February 21, 1977) is an American novelist. He is known for his novels '' Everything Is Illuminated'' (2002), '' Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close'' (2005), '' Here I Am'' (2016), and for his non-fiction works ''Eati ...

, American novelist * 1977 –

Steve Francis Steven D'Shawn Francis (born February 21, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player. He was selected with the second overall pick of the 1999 NBA draft and was named co-NBA Rookie of the Year (along with Elton Brand) in his fi ...

, American basketball player * 1977 – Rhiannon Giddens, American musician * 1977 – Owen King, American author * 1977 –

Kevin Rose Kevin Rose is an American Internet entrepreneur who co-founded Revision3, Digg, Pownce, and Milk. He also served as production assistant and co-host at TechTV's ''The Screen Savers''. From 2012 to 2015, he was a venture partner at GV. ...

, American businessman and television host, founded

Digg Digg, stylized in lowercase as digg, is an American news aggregator with a curated front page, aiming to select stories specifically for the Internet audience such as science, trending political issues, and viral Internet issues. It was launch ...

* 1979 –

Pascal Chimbonda Pascal Chimbonda (born 21 February 1979) is a French former professional footballer who played as a right-back. Chimbonda began his professional career in 1998 with Le Havre, where he featured over 100 times combined for the club's first team an ...

, Guadeloupean-French footballer * 1979 – Shane Gibson, American guitarist (d. 2014) * 1979 – Jennifer Love Hewitt, American actress and producer * 1979 – Carly Colón, Puerto Rican professional wrestler * 1979 – Jordan Peele, American actor, producer, and screenwriter *

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – In ...

– Brad Fast, Canadian ice hockey player * 1980 – Tiziano Ferro, Italian singer-songwriter and producer * 1980 – Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, 5th King of Bhutan * 1980 – Justin Roiland, American animator, writer and voice actor * 1981 –

Floor Jansen Floor Jansen (; born 21 February 1981) is a Dutch singer and songwriter. She is the lead vocalist of Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish. Jansen first became known as a member of symphonic metal band After Forever, standing as their lead voca ...

, Dutch singer, songwriter, and vocal coach * 1982 – Andre Barrett, American basketball player * 1982 – Chantal Claret, American singer-songwriter * 1982 –

Tebogo Jacko Magubane Tebogo Jacko Magubane (born 21 February 1982) also known by his stage name Magubane da Franchiz (stylized as FranchiZ) is a South African house music, house DJ and Music Producer radio producer currently working for Munghana Lonene FM as the st ...

, South African DJ and producer * 1983 – Braylon Edwards, American football player * 1983 – Franklin Gutiérrez, Venezuelan baseball player * 1983 –

Mélanie Laurent Mélanie Laurent (; born 21 February 1983) is a French actress, filmmaker, and singer. The recipient of two César Awards and a Lumières Award, she is an accomplished actress in the French film industry. Globally, she is best known for her rol ...

, French actress * 1984 – Andrew Ellis, New Zealand rugby player * 1984 – David Odonkor, German footballer * 1984 – Marco Paoloni, Italian footballer * 1984 – James Wisniewski, American ice hockey player * 1985 –

Georgios Samaras Georgios Samaras ( el, Γεώργιος Σαμαράς, ; born 21 February 1985) is a Greek former professional footballer who played as a striker. Samaras started his career at OFI Crete, before moving on to Eredivisie side Heerenveen in 2001. ...

, Greek footballer * 1985 –

Jamaal Westerman Jamaal Akeem Westerman (born February 21, 1985) is a former American football defensive lineman who is currently a college football coach for Rutgers. He was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college foot ...

, American football player *

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal en ...

–

Charlotte Church Charlotte Maria Church (born Charlotte Maria Reed, 21 February 1986) is a Welsh singer-songwriter, actress, television presenter and political activist from Cardiff. Church rose to fame in childhood as a classical singer before branching ...

, Welsh singer-songwriter and actress * 1987 – Elliot Page, Canadian actor * 1987 – Eniola Aluko, English footballer *

1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...

–

Corbin Bleu Corbin Bleu Reivers (; born February 21, 1989), known professionally as Corbin Bleu, is an American actor and singer. He made his acting debut in the 2004 adventure comedy film '' Catch That Kid''. He has since appeared in the Discovery Kids d ...

, American actor, model, dancer, film producer and singer-songwriter *

1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of humanity on Earth, astrophysicis ...

– Mattias Tedenby, Swedish ice hockey player * 1991 – Joe Alwyn, English actor * 1991 – Riyad Mahrez, Algerian footballer * 1991 – Ji So-yun, South Korean footballer * 1991 – Devon Travis, American baseball player * 1991 – Suppasit Jongcheveevat, Thai actor * 1993 – Steve Leo Beleck, Cameroonian footballer * 1993 – Davy Klaassen, Dutch footballer * 1993 – Masaki Suda, Japanese actor *

– Tang Haochen, Chinese tennis player *1994 – Shon Seung-wan, South Korean singer * 1996 – Noah Rubin, American tennis player * 1996 – Sophie Turner, English actress *

1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shoot ...

– Metawin Opas-iamkajorn, Thai actor and singer

Deaths

Pre-1600

* 4 AD – Gaius Caesar, Roman

consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states throu ...

and grandson of

Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...

(b. 20 BC) * 675 –

Randoald of Grandval Saint Randoald (also ''Rancald'', ''Randaut'', d. 21 February 675) was prior of the Benedictine Moutier-Grandval Abbey (in modern-day Switzerland) under Germanus of Granfelden. ''Passio sancti Germani'' The ''Passio sancti Germani'' recounts the ...

, prior of the

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whic ...

of Grandval * 1184 – Minamoto no Yoshinaka, Japanese

shōgun , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamaku ...

(b. 1154) *

1267 Year 1267 ( MCCLXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By topic War and politics * February 16 – King Afonso III of Portugal and King Alfonso X of Castile ...

–

Baldwin of Ibelin, Seneschal of Cyprus Baldwin of Ibelin (died 21 February 1267) was the fourth of five sons of John I of Beirut and his second wife Melisende of Arsuf. He commanded the third '' battaile'' at the Battle of Agridi in 1232. In 1246, he was appointed Seneschal of Cypru ...

* 1437 –

James I of Scotland James I (late July 139421 February 1437) was King of Scots from 1406 until his assassination in 1437. The youngest of three sons, he was born in Dunfermline Abbey to King Robert III and Annabella Drummond. His older brother David, Duke of ...

(b. 1394; assassinated) *

1471 Year 1471 ( MCDLXXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January – Portuguese navigators João de Santarém and Pedro Escobar reach t ...

–

Jan Rokycana Jan Rokycana (also known in English as John of Rokycany and Jan of Rokycany; also known in Czech as Jan z Rokycan) (c. 1396 in Rokycany – 21 February 1471 in Prague) was a Czech Hussite theologian in the Kingdom of Bohemia and a key figure of t ...

, Czech bishop and theologian (b. 1396) * 1513 –

Pope Julius II Pope Julius II ( la, Iulius II; it, Giulio II; born Giuliano della Rovere; 5 December 144321 February 1513) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1503 to his death in February 1513. Nicknamed the Warrior Pope or t ...

(b. 1443) * 1543 –

Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi ( so, Axmed Ibraahim al-Qaasi or Axmed Gurey, Harari: አሕመድ ኢብራሂም አል-ጋዚ, ar, أحمد بن إبراهيم الغازي ; 1506 – 21 February 1543) was an imam and general of the Adal Sulta ...

, Somalian general (b. 1507) *

1554 __NOTOC__ Year 1554 ( MDLIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–June * January 5 – A great fire breaks out in Eindhoven, Netherlands. *January 11 ...

–

Hieronymus Bock Hieronymus Bock ( Latinised Hieronymus Tragus; c. 1498 – 21 February 1554) was a German botanist, physician, and Lutheran minister who began the transition from medieval botany to the modern scientific worldview by arranging plants by their re ...

, German botanist and physician (b. 1498) * 1572 –

Cho Shik Jo Sik (July 10, 1501 – February 21, 1572) was a Korean philosopher, poet, and politician during the Joseon Dynasty. He was a Neo-Confucian scholar who had a major influence on the Easterners and the Northerners. Life Jo sik was born in To ...

, Korean poet and scholar (d. 1501) *

1590 Events January–June * January 4 – The Cortes of Castile approves a new subsidy, the '' millones''. * March 4 – Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange, takes Breda, by concealing 68 of his best men in a peat-boat, to ...

– Ambrose Dudley, 3rd Earl of Warwick, English nobleman and general (b. 1528) *

1595 Events January–June * January – Mehmed III succeeds Murad III, as sultan of the Ottoman Empire. * January 17 – During the French Wars of Religion, Henry IV of France declares war on Spain. * April 8 (March 29 O.S. ...

– Robert Southwell, English priest and poet (b. 1561)

1601–1900

* 1677 – Baruch Spinoza, Dutch philosopher and scholar (b. 1632) * 1715 – Charles Calvert, 3rd Baron Baltimore, English politician (b. 1637) * 1730 – Pope Benedict XIII (b. 1649) * 1821 –

Georg Friedrich von Martens Georg Friedrich von MartensGeorg Friedrich von Martens should not be confused with F. F. Martens (1845–1909) a Russian diplomat and who was also an international lawyer, whose full name is sometimes given as Friedrich Fromhold von Martens (22 ...

, German jurist and diplomat (b. 1756) *

1824 May 7: The almost completely deaf Beethoven premieres his Ninth Symphony Events January–March * January 8 – After much controversy, Michael Faraday is finally elected as a member of the Royal Society, with only one vote against h ...

–

Eugène de Beauharnais Eugène Rose de Beauharnais, Duke of Leuchtenberg (; 3 September 1781 – 21 February 1824) was a French nobleman, statesman, and military commander who served during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. Through the second ma ...

, French general (b. 1781) * 1829 – Kittur Chennamma, Indian queen and freedom fighter (b. 1778) * 1846 – Emperor Ninkō of Japan (b. 1800) *

– Justinus Kerner, German poet and physician (b. 1786) * 1888 – William Weston, English-Australian politician, 3rd

Premier of Tasmania The premier of Tasmania is the head of the executive government in the Australian state of Tasmania. By convention, the leader of the party or political grouping which has majority support in the House of Assembly is invited by the governor of ...

(b. 1804) * 1891 –

James Timberlake James H. Timberlake (March 22, 1846 – February 21, 1891) was an American law enforcement officer, Civil War soldier, farmer and rancher who served as a deputy U.S. marshal for the Western District of Missouri. Timberlake is best known for bein ...

, American lieutenant and police officer (b. 1846)

1901–present

* 1919 – Kurt Eisner, German journalist and politician, Minister-President of Bavaria (b. 1867) * 1926 –

Heike Kamerlingh Onnes Heike Kamerlingh Onnes (21 September 1853 – 21 February 1926) was a Dutch physicist and Nobel laureate. He exploited the Hampson–Linde cycle to investigate how materials behave when cooled to nearly absolute zero and later to liquefy heliu ...

, Dutch physicist and academic,

laureate (b. 1853) * 1934 – Augusto César Sandino, Nicaraguan rebel leader (b. 1895) * 1938 – George Ellery Hale, American astronomer and academic (b. 1868) * 1941 –

Frederick Banting Sir Frederick Grant Banting (November 14, 1891 – February 21, 1941) was a Canadian medical scientist, physician, painter, and Nobel laureate noted as the co-discoverer of insulin and its therapeutic potential. In 1923, Banting and Joh ...

, Canadian physician and academic,

laureate (b. 1891) *

1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command French Army B, part of the Sixth United States Army Group in ...

– Ferenc Szisz, Hungarian-French racing driver (b. 1873) * 1945 – Eric Liddell, Scottish rugby player and runner (b. 1902) * 1946 – José Streel, Belgian journalist (b. 1911) * 1947 – Fannie Charles Dillon, American composer (b. 1881) *

– Duncan Edwards, English footballer (b. 1936) * 1965 – Malcolm X, American minister and activist (b. 1925; assassinated) * 1967 – Charles Beaumont, American author and screenwriter (b. 1929) *

1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – " Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * J ...

– Howard Florey, Australian pathologist and pharmacologist,

laureate (b. 1898) * 1972 – Zhang Guohua, Chinese general and politician (b. 1914) * 1972 –

Bronislava Nijinska Bronislava Nijinska (; pl, Bronisława Niżyńska ; russian: Бронисла́ва Фоми́нична Нижи́нская, Bronisláva Fomínična Nižínskaja; be, Браніслава Ніжынская, Branislava Nižynskaja; – Febr ...

, Russian-American dancer and choreographer (b. 1891) * 1972 – Eugène Tisserant, French cardinal (b. 1884) * 1974 –

Tim Horton Miles Gilbert "Tim" Horton (January 12, 1930 – February 21, 1974) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played 24 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Pitt ...

, Canadian ice hockey player and businessman, co-founded Tim Hortons (b. 1930) *

–

Alfred Andersch Alfred Hellmuth Andersch (; 4 February 1914 – 21 February 1980) was a German writer, publisher, and radio editor. The son of a conservative East Prussian army officer, he was born in Munich, Germany and died in Berzona, Ticino, Switzerland. M ...

, German-Swiss author (b. 1914) * 1982 – Gershom Scholem, German-Israeli historian and philosopher (b. 1897) * 1984 – Mikhail Sholokhov, Russian novelist and short story writer, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1905) * 1985 – Louis Hayward, South African-American actor (b. 1909) *

– Helen Hooven Santmyer, American novelist (b. 1895) * 1991 – Dorothy Auchterlonie Green, Australian poet, critic, and academic (b. 1915) * 1991 – Nutan, Indian actress (b. 1936) * 1993 – Inge Lehmann, Danish seismologist and geophysicist (b. 1888) *

– Johannes Steinhoff, German general and pilot (b. 1913) * 1995 – Robert Bolt, English dramatist (b. 1924) * 1996 – Morton Gould, American pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1913) *

– Gertrude B. Elion, American biochemist and pharmacologist,

laureate (b. 1918) * 1999 – Ilmari Juutilainen, Finnish soldier and pilot (b. 1914) * 1999 – Wilmer Mizell, American baseball player and politician (b. 1930) *2002 – John Thaw, English actor and producer (b. 1942) *2004 – John Charles, Welsh footballer and manager (b. 1931) *2005 – Guillermo Cabrera Infante, Cuban author, screenwriter, and critic (b. 1929) * 2005 – Zdzisław Beksiński, Polish painter, photographer, and sculptor (b. 1929) *2008 – Ben Chapman (actor), Ben Chapman, American actor (b. 1928) *2011 – Dwayne McDuffie, American author and screenwriter, co-founded Milestone Media (b. 1962) * 2011 – Bernard Nathanson, American physician and activist (b. 1926) *2012 – H. M. Darmstandler, American general (b. 1922) *

– Hasse Jeppson, Swedish footballer (b. 1925) *2014 – Héctor Maestri, Cuban-American baseball player (b. 1935) * 2014 – Matthew Robinson (snowboarder), Matthew Robinson, Australian snowboarder (b. 1985) * 2014 – Cornelius Schnauber, German–American historian, playwright, and academic (b. 1939) *2015 – Aleksei Gubarev, Russian general, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1931) * 2015 – Sadeq Tabatabaei, Iranian journalist and politician (b. 1943) * 2015 – Clark Terry, American trumpet player, composer, and educator (b. 1920) *2016 – Eric Brown (pilot), Eric Brown, Scottish-English captain and pilot (b. 1919) *2017 – Jeanne Martin Cissé, Guinean teacher and politician (b. 1926) *2018 – Billy Graham, American evangelist (b. 1918) *2019 – Stanley Donen, American film director (b. 1924) * 2019 – Peter Tork, American musician and actor (b. 1942) *2021 – Mireya Arboleda, Colombian classical pianist (b. 1928) * 2021 – Kevin Dann, Australian rugby league player (b. 1958)

Holidays and observances

*Armed Forces Day#South Africa, Armed Forces Day (South Africa) *Flag flying days in Norway#Full staff, Birthday of King Harald V (Norway) *Christian feast day: **Felix of Hadrumetum **Pepin of Landen **Peter Damian **

**February 21 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) *Public holidays in Vanuatu, Father Lini Day (Vanuatu) *Language Movement Day (

) **International Mother Language Day (UNESCO) *The first day of the Public holidays in Bhutan, Birth Anniversary of Fifth Druk Gyalpo, celebrated until February 23. (Bhutan) *The first day of the Tagum City#Cultural activities and festivities, Musikahan Festival, celebrated until February 27. (Tagum City, Philippines) *Feralia (Ancient Rome)

References

Works cited

External links

BBC: On This Day
*
Historical Events on February 21
{{months Days of the year February