Events
Pre-1600
*
254
Year 254 ( CCLIV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Valerianus and Gallienus (or, less frequently, year 1007 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 254 for th ...
–
Pope Stephen I
Pope Stephen I ( ) was the Bishop of Rome from 12 May 254 to his death on 2 August 257.Mann, Horace (1912). "Pope St. Stephen I" in ''The Catholic Encyclopedia''. Vol. 14. New York: Robert Appleton Company. He was later Canonization, canonized a ...
succeeds
Pope Lucius I
Pope Lucius I was the bishop of Rome from 25 June 253 to his death on 5 March 254. He was banished soon after his consecration, but gained permission to return. He was mistakenly classified as a martyr in the persecution by Emperor Valerian, whi ...
, becoming the
23rd pope
The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...
of the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
, and immediately takes a stand against
Novatianism
Novatianism or Novationism was an early Christian sect devoted to the theologian Novatian () that held a strict view that refused readmission to communion of '' lapsi'' (those baptized Christians who had denied their faith or performed the formal ...
.
*
907 –
Zhu Wen
Emperor Taizu of Later Liang (), personal name Zhu Quanzhong () (December 5, 852 – July 18, 912), né Zhu Wen (), name later changed to Zhu Huang (), nickname Zhu San (朱三, literally, "the third Zhu"), was a Chinese military general, mona ...
forces
Emperor Ai into abdicating, ending the
Tang dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...
after nearly three hundred years of rule.
*
1191 –
Richard I of England
Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199), known as Richard the Lionheart or Richard Cœur de Lion () because of his reputation as a great military leader and warrior, was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ru ...
marries
Berengaria of Navarre
Berengaria of Navarre (, , ; 1165–1170 – 23 December 1230) was Queen of England as the wife of Richard I of England. She was the eldest daughter of Sancho VI of Navarre and Sancha of Castile. As is the case with many of the medieval ...
in
Cyprus
Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...
; she is crowned
Queen consort of England
The English royal consorts listed here were the spouses of the reigning monarchs of the Kingdom of England, excluding joint rulers William III of England, William III and Mary II who reigned together in the 17th century.
Most of the consorts we ...
the same day.
*
1328
Year 1328 ( MCCCXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.
Events
* January 17 – Louis the Bavarian is crowned Emperor at Rome's St. Peter's Basilica. Being excommunicated by the Pope, the ceremony is carried ...
–
Antipope Nicholas V
Nicholas V, born Pietro Rainalducci (c. 125816 October 1333) was an antipope in Italy from 12 May 1328 to 25 July 1330 during the pontificate of Pope John XXII (1316–1334) at Avignon. He was the last antipope set up by a Holy Roman Emperor.
...
, a claimant to the
papacy
The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...
, is consecrated in Rome by the
Bishop of Venice.
*
1364
Year 1364 (Roman numerals, MCCCLXIV) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–December
* February 15 – Joint kings Magnus IV of Sweden, Magnus Eriksson and Haakon VI of Norway, Haakon Magnusson ...
–
Jagiellonian University
The Jagiellonian University (, UJ) is a public research university in Kraków, Poland. Founded in 1364 by Casimir III the Great, King Casimir III the Great, it is the oldest university in Poland and one of the List of oldest universities in con ...
, the oldest
university
A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...
in Poland, is founded in
Kraków
, officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
.
*
1497
Year 1497 ( MCDXCVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–December
* February 7 (Shrove Tuesday) – Followers of Girolamo Savonarola burn thousands of "immoral" objects, at the '' Bonfire ...
– Pope
Alexander VI
Pope Alexander VI (, , ; born Roderic Llançol i de Borja; epithet: ''Valentinus'' ("The Kingdom of Valencia, Valencian"); – 18 August 1503) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 11 August 1492 until his death ...
excommunicates
Girolamo Savonarola
Girolamo Savonarola, OP (, ; ; 21 September 1452 – 23 May 1498), also referred to as Jerome Savonarola, was an ascetic Dominican friar from Ferrara and a preacher active in Renaissance Florence. He became known for his prophecies of civic ...
.
*
1510
Year 1510 (Roman numerals, MDX) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–March
* January 23 – An 18-year-old Henry VIII of England jousts anonymously at Richmond, London, Richmond, Surrey ...
– The
Prince of Anhua rebellion
The Prince of Anhua rebellion, or the Prince of Anhua's uprising, refers to the uprising led by Zhu Zhifan, Prince of Anhua, against the reigning Ming emperor, Zhengde Emperor. This rebellion, which took place in Ningxia, one of the nine milita ...
begins when
Zhu Zhifan
Zhu Zhifan (died 1510) was a prince of the Ming dynasty, belonging to a minor branch of the Zhu Zhan family. Zhu Zhan was the sixteenth son of the Hongwu Emperor, the founder and first emperor of the dynasty. In 1492, he inherited the title of P ...
kills all the officials invited to a banquet and declares his intent on ousting the powerful
Ming dynasty
The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...
eunuch
Liu Jin
Liu Jin (1451–1510) was a Chinese eunuch who held significant power in the government of the Zhengde Emperor of the Ming dynasty from 1506 to 1510. He was part of a group of eunuchs known as the " Eight Tigers" who had served the Zhengde Emperor ...
during the reign of the
Zhengde Emperor
The Zhengde Emperor (26 October 149120 April 1521), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Wuzong of Ming, personal name Zhu Houzhao, was the 11th List of emperors of the Ming dynasty, emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1505 to 1 ...
.
*
1551 –
National University of San Marcos
The National University of San Marcos (, UNMSM) is a public university, public research university located in Lima, the capital of Peru. In the Americas, it is the first officially established (Privilege (legal ethics), privilege by Charles V, ...
, the oldest university in the
Americas
The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.''Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sing ...
, is founded in
Lima
Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...
, Peru.
*
1588
Events
January–March
* January 22 – Pope Sixtus V issues the papal bull '' Immensa aeterni Dei'', a major reorganization of the Roman Curia creating 15 congregations of cardinals, including the Congregation of the ''Index ...
–
French Wars of Religion
The French Wars of Religion were a series of civil wars between French Catholic Church, Catholics and Protestantism, Protestants (called Huguenots) from 1562 to 1598. Between two and four million people died from violence, famine or disease di ...
:
Henry III of France
Henry III (; ; ; 19 September 1551 – 2 August 1589) was King of France from 1574 until his assassination in 1589, as well as King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1573 to 1575.
As the fourth son of King Henry II of France, he ...
flees Paris after
Henry I, Duke of Guise
Henri I de Lorraine, Duke of Guise, Prince of Joinville, Count of Eu (31 December 1550 – 23 December 1588), sometimes called ('Scarface'), was the eldest son of François, Duke of Guise, and Anna d'Este. His maternal grandparents were Ercole ...
, enters the city and a
spontaneous uprising occurs.
*
1593 – London playwright
Thomas Kyd
Thomas Kyd (baptised 6 November 1558; buried 15 August 1594) was an English playwright, the author of ''The Spanish Tragedy'', and one of the most important figures in the development of Elizabethan drama.
Although well known in his own time, ...
is arrested and tortured by the
Privy Council for libel.
1601–1900
*
1743 –
Maria Theresa
Maria Theresa (Maria Theresia Walburga Amalia Christina; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was the ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position suo jure, in her own right. She was the ...
of Austria is crowned Queen of
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...
after defeating her rival,
Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles VII (6 August 1697 – 20 January 1745) was elector of Bavaria from 26 February 1726 and Holy Roman Emperor from 24 January 1742 to his death. He was also King of Bohemia (as Charles Albert) from 1741 to 1743. Charles was a member of th ...
.
*
1778
Events
January–March
* January 18 – Third voyage of James Cook: Sea captain, Captain James Cook, with ships HMS Resolution (1771), HMS ''Resolution'' and HMS Discovery (1774), HMS ''Discovery'', first views Oahu, Oʻahu th ...
–
Heinrich XI, count of the
Principality of Reuss-Greiz
The Principality of Reuss-Greiz (), officially called the Principality of the Reuss Elder Line () after 1848, was a state in the German Empire, ruled by members of the House of Reuss. The Counts Reuss of Greiz, Lower-Greiz and Upper-Greiz () we ...
, is elevated to
Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
by
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
Joseph II (13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from 18 August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 29 November 1780 until his death. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Francis I, ...
.
*
1780
Events
January–March
* January 16 – American Revolutionary War – Battle of Cape St. Vincent: British Admiral Sir George Rodney defeats a Spanish fleet.
* February 19 – The legislature of New York votes to all ...
–
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
: In the largest defeat of the
Continental Army
The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Co ...
,
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint of South Carolina's coastline on Charleston Harbor, an inlet of the Atla ...
is taken by British forces.
*
1797
Events
January–March
* January 3 – The Treaty of Tripoli, a peace treaty between the United States and Ottoman Tripolitania, is signed at Algiers (''see also'' 1796).
* January 7 – The parliament of the Cisalpine Repu ...
–
War of the First Coalition
The War of the First Coalition () was a set of wars that several European powers fought between 1792 and 1797, initially against the Constitutional Cabinet of Louis XVI, constitutional Kingdom of France and then the French First Republic, Frenc ...
:
Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
conquers
Venice
Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...
.
*
1808
Events January–March
* January 1
** The importation of slaves into the United States is formally banned, as the 1807 Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves takes effect. However Americans still continue the slave trade by transpor ...
–
Finnish War
The Finnish War (; ; ) was fought between the Gustavian era, Kingdom of Sweden and the Russian Empire from 21 February 1808 to 17 September 1809 as part of the Napoleonic Wars. As a result of the war, the eastern third of Sweden was established a ...
: Swedish-Finnish troops, led by Captain Karl Wilhelm Malmi, conquer the city of
Kuopio
Kuopio ( , ) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of North Savo. It is located in the Finnish Lakeland. The population of Kuopio is approximately , while the Kuopio sub-region, sub-region has a population of approximately . It is the mos ...
from Russians after the
Battle of Kuopio
The Battle of Kuopio was fought between Swedish and Russian forces at Kuopio in Northern Savonia on 12 May 1808 during the Finnish War.
Background
As a result of the victory at Pulkkila Sandels could commence operations to the south and hara ...
.
*
1821
Events
January–March
* January 21 – Peter I Island in the Antarctic is first sighted, by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen.
* January 26 – Congress of Laibach convenes to deal with outstanding international issues, particularly ...
– The first major battle of the
Greek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. In 1826, the Greeks were assisted ...
against the
Turks is
fought in
Valtetsi.
*
1846
Events
January–March
* January 5 – The United States House of Representatives votes to stop sharing the Oregon Country with the United Kingdom.
* January 13 – The Milan–Venice railway's bridge, over the Venetian Lagoon betwee ...
– The
Donner Party
The Donner Party, sometimes called the Donner–Reed Party, was a group of American pioneers who migrated to California interim government, 1846-1850, California in a wagon train from the Midwest. Delayed by a multitude of mishaps, they spent ...
of
pioneers departs
Independence, Missouri
Independence is a city in and one of two county seats of Jackson County, Missouri, United States. It is a satellite city of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the largest suburb on the Missouri side of the Kansas City metropolitan area. In 2020 Unite ...
for
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, on what will become a year-long journey of hardship and
cannibalism
Cannibalism is the act of consuming another individual of the same species as food. Cannibalism is a common ecological interaction in the animal kingdom and has been recorded in more than 1,500 species. Human cannibalism is also well document ...
.
*
1862
Events
January
* January 1 – The United Kingdom annexes Lagos Island, in modern-day Nigeria.
* January 6 – Second French intervention in Mexico, French intervention in Mexico: Second French Empire, French, Spanish and British ...
–
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
:
Union Army troops occupy
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge ( ; , ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It had a population of 227,470 at the 2020 United States census, making it List of municipalities in Louisiana, Louisiana's second-m ...
.
*
1863
Events
January
* January 1 – Abraham Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation during the third year of the American Civil War, making the abolition of slavery in the Confederate States of America an official war goal. The signing ...
– American Civil War:
Battle of Raymond: Two divisions of
James B. McPherson's
XVII Corps turn the left wing of
Confederate
A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...
General
John C. Pemberton's defensive line on
Fourteen Mile Creek
Fourteen Mile Creek, shown as Fourteenmile Creek on federal maps, is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed May 19, 2011 creek in Clark County, Indiana, close to Charlestown, ...
, opening up the interior of
Mississippi
Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...
to the
Union Army during the
Vicksburg Campaign
The Vicksburg campaigns were a series of maneuvers and battles in the Western Theater of the American Civil War directed against Vicksburg, Mississippi, a fortress city that dominated the last Confederate-controlled section of the Mississippi ...
.
*
1864
Events
January
* January 13 – American songwriter Stephen Foster ("Oh! Susanna", "Old Folks at Home") dies aged 37 in New York City, leaving a scrap of paper reading "Dear friends and gentle hearts". His parlor song "Beautiful Dream ...
– American Civil War: The
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes more simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania (or the 19th-century spelling Spottsylvania), was the second major battle in Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's 18 ...
: Union troops assault a Confederate salient known as the "Mule Shoe", with some of the fiercest fighting of the war, much of it hand-to-hand combat, occurring at "the Bloody Angle" on the northwest.
*
1865
Events
January
* 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 – Unio ...
– American Civil War: The
Battle of Palmito Ranch: The first day of the last major land action to take place during the Civil War, resulting in a Confederate victory.
*
1870
Events
January
* January 1
** The first edition of ''The Northern Echo'' newspaper is published in Priestgate, Darlington, England.
** Plans for the Brooklyn Bridge are completed.
* January 3 – Construction of the Brooklyn Bridge be ...
– The
Manitoba Act
The ''Manitoba Act, 1870'' ()Originally entitled (until renamed in 1982) ''An Act to amend and continue the Act 32 and 33 Victoria, chapter 3; and to establish and provide for the Government of the Province of Manitoba.'' is an act of the Parli ...
is given the
Royal Assent
Royal assent is the method by which a monarch formally approves an act of the legislature, either directly or through an official acting on the monarch's behalf. In some jurisdictions, royal assent is equivalent to promulgation, while in othe ...
, paving the way for
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...
to become a
province of Canada
The Province of Canada (or the United Province of Canada or the United Canadas) was a British colony in British North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, in the Report ...
on
July 15
Events Pre-1600
* 484 BC – Dedication of the Temple of Castor and Pollux in ancient Rome
* 70 – First Jewish–Roman War: Titus and his armies breach the walls of Jerusalem. ( 17th of Tammuz in the Hebrew calendar).
* 756 &ndas ...
.
*
1881 – In North Africa,
Tunisia
Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...
becomes a
French protectorate.
*
1885 –
North-West Rebellion
The North-West Rebellion (), was an armed rebellion of Métis under Louis Riel and an associated uprising of Cree and Assiniboine mostly in the District of Saskatchewan, against the Government of Canada, Canadian government. Important events i ...
: The four-day
Battle of Batoche
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
, pitting rebel
Métis
The Métis ( , , , ) are a mixed-race Indigenous people whose historical homelands include Canada's three Prairie Provinces extending into parts of Ontario, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and the northwest United States. They ha ...
against the Canadian government, comes to an end with a decisive rebel defeat.
1901–present
*
1926
In Turkey, the year technically contained only 352 days. As Friday, December 18, 1926 ''(Julian Calendar)'' was followed by Saturday, January 1, 1927 '' (Gregorian Calendar)''. 13 days were dropped to make the switch. Turkey thus became the ...
– The Italian-built airship ''
Norge
Norge is the Norwegian (Bokmål and Riksmål), Danish and Swedish name for Norway.
It may also refer to:
People
* Kaare Norge (born 1963), Danish guitarist
* Norge Luis Vera (born 1971), Cuban baseball player
Places
* 11871 Norge, asteroid
...
'' becomes the first vessel to fly over the
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth's rotation, Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True North Pole to distingu ...
.
* 1926 – The
1926 United Kingdom general strike
The 1926 general strike in the United Kingdom was a general strike that lasted nine days, from 4 to 12 May 1926. It was called by the General Council of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in an unsuccessful attempt to force the British government ...
ends.
*
1932
Events January
* January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel.
* January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...
– Ten weeks after his
abduction, Charles Jr., the infant son of
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Augustus Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974) was an American aviator, military officer, and author. On May 20–21, 1927, he made the first nonstop flight from New York (state), New York to Paris, a distance of . His aircra ...
, is found dead near
Hopewell, New Jersey
Hopewell is a borough in Mercer County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Centrally located within the Raritan Valley region, this historical settlement (and its neighboring township of the same name) is an exurban commuter suburb of New York ...
, just a few miles from the Lindberghs' home.
*
1933
Events
January
* January 11 – Australian aviator 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 independen ...
– The
Agricultural Adjustment Act
The Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) was a United States federal law of the New Deal era designed to boost agricultural prices by reducing surpluses. The government bought livestock for slaughter and paid farmers Subsidy, subsidies not to plant ...
, which restricts agricultural production through government purchase of
livestock
Livestock are the Domestication, domesticated animals that are raised in an Agriculture, agricultural setting to provide labour and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, Egg as food, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The t ...
for slaughter and paying
subsidies
A subsidy, subvention or government incentive is a type of government expenditure for individuals and households, as well as businesses with the aim of stabilizing the economy. It ensures that individuals and households are viable by having acce ...
to farmers when they remove land from planting, is signed into law by President
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...
.
* 1933 – President Roosevelt signs legislation creating the
Federal Emergency Relief Administration
The Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) was a program established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933, building on the Hoover administration's Emergency Relief and Construction Act. It was replaced in 1935 by the Works Progre ...
, the predecessor of the
Federal Emergency Management Agency
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Exec ...
.
*
1937
Events
January
* January 1 – Anastasio Somoza García becomes President of Nicaragua.
* January 5 – Water levels begin to rise in the Ohio River in the United States, leading to the Ohio River flood of 1937, which continues into Feb ...
– The
Duke and Duchess of York are crowned as
King George VI
George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of In ...
and
Queen Elizabeth Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elisabeth or Elizabeth the Queen may refer to:
Queens regnant
* Elizabeth I (1533–1603; ), Queen of England and Ireland
* Elizabeth II (1926–2022; ), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms
* Queen B ...
of the United Kingdom in
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British m ...
.
*
1941
The Correlates of War project estimates this to be the deadliest year in human history in terms of conflict deaths, placing the death toll at 3.49 million. However, the Uppsala Conflict Data Program estimates that the subsequent year, 1942, wa ...
–
Konrad Zuse
Konrad Ernst Otto Zuse (; ; 22 June 1910 – 18 December 1995) was a German civil engineer, List of pioneers in computer science, pioneering computer scientist, inventor and businessman. His greatest achievement was the world's first programm ...
presents the
Z3, the world's first working programmable, fully automatic computer, in Berlin.
*
1942
The Uppsala Conflict Data Program project estimates this to be the deadliest year in human history in terms of conflict deaths, placing the death toll at 4.62 million. However, the Correlates of War estimates that the prior year, 1941, was th ...
–
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
:
Second Battle of Kharkov
The Second Battle of Kharkov or Operation Fredericus was an Axis powers, Axis counter-offensive in the region around Kharkov against the Red Army Izium bridgehead offensive conducted 12–28 May 1942, on the Eastern Front (World War II), Easter ...
: In eastern Ukraine,
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
forces under Marshal
Semyon Timoshenko
Semyon Konstantinovich Timoshenko (; ; – 31 March 1970) was a Soviet military commander, Marshal of the Soviet Union, and one of the most prominent Red Army commanders during the Second World War.
Born to a Ukrainian family in Bessarabia, ...
launch a major offensive from the
Izium
Izium or Izyum (, ; ) is a city on the Donets River in Kharkiv Oblast, eastern Ukraine that serves as the administrative center of Izium Raion and Izium urban hromada. It is about southeast of the city of Kharkiv, the oblast's administrative cen ...
bridgehead, only to be encircled and destroyed by the troops of
Army Group South
Army Group South () was the name of one of three German Army Groups during World War II.
It was first used in the 1939 September Campaign, along with Army Group North to invade Poland. In the invasion of Poland, Army Group South was led by Ge ...
two weeks later.
* 1942 – World War II: The U.S.
tanker SS ''Virginia'' is torpedoed in the mouth of the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...
by the .
*
1949
Events
January
* January 1 – A United Nations-sponsored ceasefire brings an end to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. The war results in a stalemate and the division of Kashmir, which still continues as of 2025
* January 2 – Luis ...
–
Cold War
The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
: The
Soviet Union
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
lifts its
blockade of Berlin.
*
1965
Events January–February
* January 14 – The First Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years.
* January 20
** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lynd ...
– The Soviet
spacecraft
A spacecraft is a vehicle that is designed spaceflight, to fly and operate in outer space. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including Telecommunications, communications, Earth observation satellite, Earth observation, Weather s ...
''
Luna 5
''Luna 5'', or ''E-6 No.10'' (Ye-6 series), was an uncrewed Soviet spacecraft intended to land on the Moon as part of the Luna programme. It was intended to become the first spacecraft to achieve a soft landing on the Moon, however its retrorocke ...
'' crashes on the
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It Orbit of the Moon, orbits around Earth at Lunar distance, an average distance of (; about 30 times Earth diameter, Earth's diameter). The Moon rotation, rotates, with a rotation period (lunar ...
.
*
1968
Events January–February
* January 1968, January – The I'm Backing Britain, I'm Backing Britain campaign starts spontaneously.
* January 5 – Prague Spring: Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Cze ...
–
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
:
North Vietnamese
North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV; ; VNDCCH), was a country in Southeast Asia from 1945 to 1976, with sovereignty fully recognized in 1954 Geneva Conference, 1954. A member of the communist Eastern Bloc, it o ...
and
Viet Cong
The Viet Cong (VC) was an epithet and umbrella term to refer to the communist-driven armed movement and united front organization in South Vietnam. It was formally organized as and led by the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, and ...
forces attack
Australian troops defending
Fire Support Base Coral.
*
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. ...
–
Indochina Wars:
Democratic Kampuchea
Democratic Kampuchea was the official name of the Cambodian state from 1976 to 1979, under the government of Pol Pot and the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK), commonly known as the Khmer Rouge. The Khmer Rouge's capture of the capital Phno ...
naval forces
capture the
SS Mayaguez.
*
1978
Events January
* January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213.
* January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd ...
– In
Zaire
Zaire, officially the Republic of Zaire, was the name of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1971 to 18 May 1997. Located in Central Africa, it was, by area, the third-largest country in Africa after Sudan and Algeria, and the 11th-la ...
, rebels occupy the city of
Kolwezi, the mining center of the province of
Shaba (now known as Katanga); the local government asks the US, France and Belgium to restore order.
*
1982
Events
January
* January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00).
* January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C. ...
– During a procession outside the shrine of the
Virgin Mary
Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...
in
Fátima, Portugal
Fátima () is a city in the concelho, municipality of Ourém and Santarém District, district of Santarém in the Oeste e Vale do Tejo Region of Portugal, with 71.29 km2 of area and 13,212 inhabitants (2021). The homonymous Freguesia, civil ...
, security guards overpower
Juan María Fernández y Krohn before he can attack
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005.
In his you ...
with a
bayonet
A bayonet (from Old French , now spelt ) is a -4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ... , now spelt ) is a knife, dagger">knife">-4; we might wonder whethe ...
.
*
1989
1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...
– The
San Bernardino train disaster
The San Bernardino train disaster (sometimes known as the Duffy Street incident or the 1989 Cajon Pass Runaway), was a combination of two separate but related incidents that occurred in San Bernardino, California, United States: a runaway trai ...
kills four people, only to be followed a week later by an underground gasoline pipeline explosion, which kills two more people.
*
2002
The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
– Former US President
Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...
arrives in
Cuba
Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
for a five-day visit with
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban politician and revolutionary who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and President of Cuba, president ...
, becoming the first
President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...
, in or out of office, to visit the island since the
Cuban Revolution
The Cuban Revolution () was the military and political movement that overthrew the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista, who had ruled Cuba from 1952 to 1959. The revolution began after the 1952 Cuban coup d'état, in which Batista overthrew ...
.
*
2003
2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater.
In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War.
Demographic ...
– The
Riyadh compound bombings
Two major bombings took place in residential compounds in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on 12 May 2003, 39 people were killed, and over 160 wounded (mostly Westerners) when bombs went off at three compounds in Riyadh—Dorrat Al Jadawel, Al Hamra Oasis ...
in Saudi Arabia, carried out by
al-Qaeda
, image = Flag of Jihad.svg
, caption = Jihadist flag, Flag used by various al-Qaeda factions
, founder = Osama bin Laden{{Assassinated, Killing of Osama bin Laden
, leaders = {{Plainlist,
* Osama bin Lad ...
, kill 39 people.
*
2006
2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification.
Events
January
* January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute.
* January 12 – A stampede during t ...
–
Mass unrest by the
Primeiro Comando da Capital
The Primeiro Comando da Capital ("Capital's First Command", , PCC) is a Brazilian organized crime syndicate. According to a 2023 ''The Economist'' report, the PCC is Latin America's biggest drug gang, with a membership of 40,000 lifetime members ...
begins in
São Paulo
São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...
(Brazil), leaving at least 150 dead.
* 2006 –
Iranian Azeris interpret a
cartoon
A cartoon is a type of visual art that is typically drawn, frequently Animation, animated, in an realism (arts), unrealistic or semi-realistic style. The specific meaning has evolved, but the modern usage usually refers to either: an image or s ...
published in an Iranian magazine as insulting,
resulting in massive riots throughout the country.
*
2008
2008 was designated as:
*International Year of Languages
*International Year of Planet Earth
*International Year of the Potato
*International Year of Sanitation
The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
– An
earthquake
An earthquakealso called a quake, tremor, or tembloris the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they ...
(measuring around 8.0 magnitude) occurs in
Sichuan
Sichuan is a province in Southwestern China, occupying the Sichuan Basin and Tibetan Plateau—between the Jinsha River to the west, the Daba Mountains to the north, and the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau to the south. Its capital city is Cheng ...
, China, killing over 69,000 people.
* 2008 –
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE; ) is a Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Homeland Security. ICE's stated mission is to protect the Un ...
conducts the
largest-ever raid of a workplace in
Postville, Iowa, arresting nearly 400
immigrants
Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as permanent residents. Commuters, tourists, and other short- ...
for
identity theft
Identity theft, identity piracy or identity infringement occurs when someone uses another's personal identifying information, like their name, identifying number, or credit card number, without their permission, to commit fraud or other crimes. ...
and document fraud.
*
2010
The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
–
Afriqiyah Airways Flight 771
Afriqiyah Airways Flight 771 was a scheduled international Afriqiyah Airways passenger flight from Johannesburg, South Africa to Tripoli, Libya. On 12 May 2010 at about 06:01 UTC+2, local time (04:01 coordinated universal time, UTC) while on ap ...
crashes on final approach to
Tripoli International Airport
Tripoli International Airport () is a closed international airport built to serve Tripoli, the capital city of Libya. The airport is located in the area of Qasr bin Ghashir, from central Tripoli. It used to be the hub for Libyan Airlines, ...
in Tripoli, Libya, killing 103 out of the 104 people on board.
*
2015
2015 was designated by the United Nations as:
* International Year of Light
* International Year of Soil __TOC__
Events
January
* January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
– A
train derailment in Philadelphia, United States, kills eight people and injures more than 200.
* 2015 – Massive
Nepal earthquake kills 218 people and injures more than 3,500.
*
2017
2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly.
Events January
* January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
– The
WannaCry ransomware attack
The WannaCry ransomware attack was a worldwide cyberattack in May 2017 by the WannaCry ransomware cryptoworm, which targeted computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system by encrypting data and demanding ransom payments in the form ...
impacts over 400,000 computers worldwide, targeting computers of the United Kingdom's
National Health Services and
Telefónica
, S.A. () is a Spanish multinational telecommunications company with registered office and headquarters located in two different places, both in Madrid, Spain. It is one of the largest telephone operators and mobile network providers in the ...
computers.
*
2018
Events January
* January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency.
* January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
–
Paris knife attack: A man is fatally shot by police in Paris after killing one and injuring several others.
*
2024
The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
– Middle/End of the
May 2024 Solar Storms, the most powerful set of Geomagnetic storms since the
2003 Halloween solar storms.
Births
Pre-1600
*
1325 –
Rupert II, Elector Palatine (died 1398)
*
1401
Year 1401 ( MCDI) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–March
* January 6 – Rupert, King of Germany, is crowned King of the Romans at Cologne.
* January 12 – Emperor Hồ Quý Ly ...
–
Emperor Shōkō
was the 101st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'')称光天皇 (101) retrieved 2013-8-28. His reign spanned the years from 1412 through 1428.
Genealogy
His personal name ...
of Japan (died 1428)
*
1479 –
Pompeo Colonna, Catholic cardinal (died 1532)
*
1496 –
Gustav I of Sweden
Gustav Eriksson Vasa (12 May 1496 – 29 September 1560), also known as Gustav I, was King of Sweden from 1523 until his death in 1560. He was previously self-recognised Protector of the Realm ('' Riksföreståndare'') from 1521, during the on ...
(died 1560)
*
1590 –
Cosimo II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
Cosimo II de' Medici (12 May 1590 – 28 February 1621) was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1609 until his death. He was the elder son of Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and Christina of Lorraine.
For the majority of his 12-year rei ...
(died 1621)
1601–1900
*
1606
Events
January–March
* January 9 – The Black Nazarene, a statue, arrives in Manila from Mexico.
* January 24 – Gunpowder Plot: The trial of Guy Fawkes and other conspirators, for plotting against Parliament and James I o ...
–
Joachim von Sandrart, German art-historian and painter (died 1688)
*
1622
Events
January–May
* January 7 – The Holy Roman Empire and Transylvania sign the Peace of Nikolsburg.
* February 8 – King James I of England dissolves the Parliament of England, English Parliament.
* March 12 – ...
–
Louis de Buade de Frontenac
Louis may refer to:
People
* Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name
* Louis (surname)
* Louis (singer), Serbian singer
Other uses
* Louis (coin), a French coin
* HMS Louis, HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy
Se ...
, French-Canadian soldier and politician, third
Governor General of New France
Governor General of New France was the vice-regal post in New France from 1663 until 1760 and the last French vice-regal post. It was replaced by the British post of Governor of the Province of Quebec following the fall of New France. While t ...
(died 1698)
*
1626
Events
January–March
* January 7 – Polish–Swedish War (1625–1629), Polish-Swedish War: Battle of Wallhof in Latvia – Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden, defeats a Polish army.
* January 9 – Peter Minuit sail ...
–
Louis Hennepin
Louis Hennepin, OFM (born Antoine Hennepin; ; 12 May 1626 – 5 December 1704) was a Belgian Catholic priest and missionary best known for his activities in North America. A member of the Recollects, a minor branch of the Franciscans, he travel ...
, Flemish priest and missionary (died 1705)
*
1670
Events
January–March
* January 17 – Raphael Levy, a Jewish resident of the city of Metz in France, is burned at the stake after being accused of the September 25 abduction and ritual murder of a child who had disappeared ...
–
Augustus II the Strong
Augustus II the Strong (12 May 1670 – 1 February 1733), was Elector of Saxony from 1694 as well as King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1697 to 1706 and from 1709 until his death in 1733. He belonged to the Albertine branch of the H ...
, Polish king (died 1733)
*
1700
As of March 1 ( O.S. February 19), where the Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 11 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 17) ...
–
Luigi Vanvitelli
Luigi Vanvitelli (; 12 May 1700 – 1 March 1773), known in Dutch as (), was an Italian architect and painter. The most prominent 18th-century architect of Italy, he practised a sober classicising academic Late Baroque style that made an ea ...
, Italian architect and engineer, designed the
Palace of Caserta
The Royal Palace of Caserta ( ; ) is a former royal residence in Caserta, Campania, north of Naples in southern Italy, constructed by the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies as their main residence as Kingdom of Naples, kings of Naples. The complex ...
and
Royal Palace of Milan
The Royal Palace of Milan () was the seat of government in the Italian city of Milan for many centuries. Today, it serves as a cultural centre and it is home to international art exhibitions.
It spans through an area of 7,000 square meters and i ...
(died 1773)
*
1725 –
Louis Philippe I, Duke of Orléans
Louis Philippe I, Duke of Orléans (12 May 1725 – 18 November 1785), known as ''le Gros'' (the Fat), was a French royal of a cadet branch of the House of Bourbon. The First Prince of the Blood after 1752, he was the most senior male at th ...
(died 1785)
*
1739
Events
January–March
* January 1 – Bouvet Island is discovered by French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier, in the South Atlantic Ocean.
* January 3 – A 7.6 earthquake shakes the Ningxia Hui Autonomou ...
–
Johann Baptist Wanhal
Johann Baptist Wanhal (12 May 1739 – 20 August 1813) was a Czech composer of the Classical period. He was born in Nechanice, Bohemia, and died in Vienna. His music was well respected by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joseph Haydn, Ludwig van Beetho ...
, Czech-Austrian organist and composer (died 1813)
*
1754 –
Franz Anton Hoffmeister, German composer and publisher (died 1812)
*
1755 –
Giovanni Battista Viotti
Giovanni Battista Viotti (12 May 1755 – 3 March 1824) was an Italian violinist whose virtuosity was famed and whose work as a composer featured a prominent violin and an appealing lyrical tunefulness. He was also a director of French and Italia ...
, Italian violinist and composer (died 1824)
*
1767 –
Manuel Godoy
Manuel de Godoy y Álvarez de Faria Ríos (12 May 1767 – 4 October 1851), 1st ''Prince of the Peace'', 1st ''Duke of Alcudia'', 1st ''Duke of Sueca'', 1st ''Baron of Mascalbó'', was the First Secretary of State of the Kingdom of Spain from ...
, Spanish field marshal and politician,
Prime Minister of Spain
The prime minister of Spain, officially president of the Government (), is the head of government of Spain. The prime minister nominates the Spanish government departments, ministers and chairs the Council of Ministers (Spain), Council of Mini ...
(died 1851)
*
1774 –
Ellis Cunliffe Lister, English politician (died 1853)
*
1776
Events January–February
* January 1 – American Revolutionary War – Burning of Norfolk: The town of Norfolk, Virginia is destroyed, by the combined actions of the British Royal Navy and occupying Patriot forces.
* January ...
–
José de La Mar
José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced very differently in each of the two languages: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ).
In French, the name ''José'', pronounced , ...
, Peruvian military leader, President of Peru (died 1830)
*
1777
Events
January–March
* January 2 – American Revolutionary War – Battle of the Assunpink Creek: American general George Washington's army repulses a British attack by Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis, in a second ...
–
Mary Reibey
Mary Reibey née ''Haydock'' (12 May 177730 May 1855) was an English-born merchant, shipowner and trader who was penal transportation, transported to Australia as a convicts in Australia, convict. After gaining her freedom, she was viewed by he ...
, Australian businesswoman (died 1855)
*
1803
Events January–March
* January 1 – The first edition of Alexandre Balthazar Laurent Grimod de La Reynière's ''Almanach des gourmands'', the first guide to restaurant cooking, is published in Paris.
* January 4 – William Symingt ...
–
Justus von Liebig
Justus ''Freiherr'' von Liebig (12 May 1803 – 18 April 1873) was a Germans, German scientist who made major contributions to the theory, practice, and pedagogy of chemistry, as well as to agricultural and biology, biological chemistry; he is ...
, German chemist and academic (died 1873)
*
1804
Events
January–March
* January 1 – Haiti gains independence from France, and becomes the first black republic.
* February 4 – The Sokoto Caliphate is founded in West Africa.
* February 14 – The First Serbian uprising begins th ...
–
Robert Baldwin
Robert Baldwin (May 12, 1804 – December 9, 1858) was an Upper Canadian lawyer and politician who with his political partner Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine of Lower Canada, led the first responsible government ministry in the Province of Canada. ...
, Canadian lawyer and politician, third
Premier of West Canada (died 1858)
*
1806
Events
January–March
*January 1
** The French Republican Calendar is abolished.
** The Kingdom of Bavaria is established by Napoleon.
*January 5 – The body of British naval leader Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, lies in state ...
–
Johan Vilhelm Snellman
Johan Vilhelm Snellman (; 12 May 1806 – 4 July 1881) was an influential Fennoman philosopher and Finnish statesman, ennobled in 1866. He was one of the most important 'awakeners' or promoters of Finnish nationalism, alongside Elias Lönnr ...
, Finnish philosopher and politician (died 1881)
*
1812
Events
January–March
* January 1 – The ''Allgemeines bürgerliches Gesetzbuch'' (the Austrian civil code) enters into force in the Austrian Empire.
* January 19 – Peninsular War: The French-held fortress of Ciudad Rodrigo Siege ...
–
Edward Lear
Edward Lear (12 May 1812 – 29 January 1888) was an English artist, illustrator, musician, author and poet, who is known mostly for his literary nonsense in poetry and prose and especially his limerick (poetry), limericks, a form he popularised. ...
, English poet and illustrator (died 1888)
*
1814
Events January
* January 1 – War of the Sixth Coalition – The Royal Prussian Army led by Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher crosses the Rhine.
* January 3
** War of the Sixth Coalition – Siege of Cattaro: French gar ...
–
Adolf von Henselt, German pianist and composer (died 1889)
*
1820
Events
January–March
*January 1 – A constitutionalist military insurrection at Cádiz leads to the summoning of the Spanish Parliament to meet on March 7, becoming the nominal beginning of the "Trienio Liberal" in History of Spain (1 ...
–
Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale (; 12 May 1820 – 13 August 1910) was an English Reform movement, social reformer, statistician and the founder of modern nursing. Nightingale came to prominence while serving as a manager and trainer of nurses during th ...
, Italian-English nurse, social reformer, and statistician (died 1910)
*
1825 –
Orélie-Antoine de Tounens, French lawyer and explorer (died 1878)
*
1828
Events
January–March
* January 4 – Jean Baptiste Gay, vicomte de Martignac succeeds the Jean-Baptiste de Villèle, Comte de Villèle, as Prime Minister of France.
* January 8 – The Democratic Party of the United States is organiz ...
–
Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Gabriel Charles Dante Rossetti (12 May 1828 – 9 April 1882), generally known as Dante Gabriel Rossetti ( ; ), was an English poet, illustrator, painter, translator, and member of the Rossetti family. He founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brother ...
, English poet and painter (died 1882)
*
1829
Events
January–March
* January 19 – August Klingemann's adaptation of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's '' Faust'' premieres in Braunschweig.
* February 27 – Battle of Tarqui: Troops of Gran Colombia and Peru battle to a draw.
* Marc ...
–
Pavlos Carrer
Pavlos Carrer (also Paolo Carrer; ; 12 May 1829 – 7 June 1896) was a Greek composer, one of the leaders of the Ionian art music school and the first to create national operas and national songs on Greek plots, Greek librettos and verses, as ...
, Greek composer and educator (died 1896)
*
1839
Events
January–March
* January 2 – The first photograph of the Moon is taken, by French photographer Louis Daguerre.
* January 6 – Night of the Big Wind: Ireland is struck by the most damaging cyclone in 300 years.
* January 9 – ...
–
Tôn Thất Thuyết, Vietnamese
mandarin
Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to:
Language
* Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country
** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China
** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...
(died 1913)
*
1840
Events
January–March
* January 3 – One of the predecessor papers of the ''Herald Sun'' of Melbourne, Australia, ''The Port Phillip Herald'', is founded.
* January 10 – Uniform Penny Post is introduced in the United Kingdom.
* Janu ...
–
Alejandro Gorostiaga, Chilean colonel (died 1912)
*
1842
Events
January–March
* January 6– 13 – First Anglo-Afghan War – Massacre of Elphinstone's army (Battle of Gandamak): British East India Company troops are destroyed by Afghan forces on the road from Kabul to Jalalabad, Afghan ...
–
Jules Massenet
Jules Émile Frédéric Massenet (; 12 May 1842 – 13 August 1912) was a French composer of the Romantic music, Romantic era best known for his operas, of which he wrote more than thirty. The two most frequently staged are ''Manon'' (1884 ...
, French composer (died 1912)
*
1845
Events
January–March
* January 1 – The Philippines began reckoning Asian dates by hopping the International Date Line through skipping Tuesday, December 31, 1844. That time zone shift was a reform made by Governor–General Narciso ...
–
Gabriel Fauré
Gabriel Urbain Fauré (12 May 1845 – 4 November 1924) was a French composer, organist, pianist and teacher. He was one of the foremost French composers of his generation, and his musical style influenced many 20th-century composers. ...
, French pianist, composer, and educator (died 1924)
*
1850
Events
January–March
* January 29 – Henry Clay introduces the Compromise of 1850 to the United States Congress.
* January 31 – The University of Rochester is founded in Rochester, New York.
* January – Sacramento, Ca ...
–
Henry Cabot Lodge
Henry Cabot Lodge (May 12, 1850November 9, 1924) was an American politician, historian, lawyer, and statesman from Massachusetts. A member of the History of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served in the United States ...
, American historian and politician (died 1924)
* 1850 –
Frederick Holder
Sir Frederick William Holder (12 May 185023 July 1909) was an Australian politician who served as the first speaker of the Australian House of Representatives from 1901 to 1909. A member of the Free Trade Party and later an independent, he ser ...
, Australian politician, 19th
Premier of South Australia
The premier of South Australia is the head of government in the state of South Australia, Australia. The Government of South Australia follows the Westminster system, with a Parliament of South Australia acting as the legislature. The premier i ...
(died 1909)
*
1859 –
William Alden Smith, American lawyer and politician (died 1932)
* 1859 –
Frank Wilson, English-Australian politician, ninth
Premier of Western Australia
The premier of Western Australia is the head of government of the state of Western Australia. The role of premier at a state level is similar to the role of the prime minister of Australia at a federal level. The premier leads the executive br ...
(died 1918)
*
1863
Events
January
* January 1 – Abraham Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation during the third year of the American Civil War, making the abolition of slavery in the Confederate States of America an official war goal. The signing ...
–
Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury, Bengali writer, painter, violin player and composer, technologist and entrepreneur (died 1915)
*
1867
There were only 354 days this year in the newly purchased territory of Alaska. When the territory transferred from the Russian Empire to the United States, the calendric transition from the Julian to the Gregorian Calendar was made with only 1 ...
–
Hugh Trumble, Australian cricketer and accountant (died 1938)
*
1869
Events January
* January 3 – Abdur Rahman Khan is defeated at Tinah Khan, and exiled from Afghanistan.
* January 5 – Scotland's second oldest professional football team, Kilmarnock F.C., is founded.
* January 20 – Elizabe ...
–
Carl Schuhmann, German gymnast, wrestler, and weightlifter (died 1946)
*
1872
Events January
* January 12 – Yohannes IV is crowned Emperor of Ethiopia in Axum, the first ruler crowned in that city in over 500 years.
*January 20 – The Cavite mutiny was an uprising of Filipino military personnel of Fort S ...
–
Anton Korošec
Anton Korošec (, ; 12 May 1872 – 14 December 1940) was a Yugoslav politician, a prominent member of the conservative People's Party, a Roman Catholic priest and a noted orator.
Early life
Korošec was born in Biserjane (then Duchy of Styr ...
, Slovenian priest and politician, tenth
Prime Minister of Yugoslavia
The prime minister of Yugoslavia ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, Премијер Југославије, Premijer Jugoslavije) was the head of government of the Yugoslav state, from the creation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1918 until the ...
(died 1940)
*
1873
Events January
* January 1
** Japan adopts the Gregorian calendar.
** The California Penal Code goes into effect.
* January 17 – American Indian Wars: Modoc War: First Battle of the Stronghold – Modoc Indians defeat the Unit ...
–
J. E. H. MacDonald, English-Canadian painter (died 1932)
*
1874
Events
January
* 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: Battle of Caspe &n ...
–
Clemens von Pirquet
Clemens Peter Freiherr von Pirquet (12 May 187428 February 1929) was an Austrian scientist and pediatrician best known for his contributions to the fields of bacteriology and immunology.
Career
Born in Vienna, he studied theology at the Universit ...
, Austrian pediatrician and immunologist (died 1929)
*
1875
Events
January
* 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 the year (Third C ...
–
Charles Holden
Charles Henry Holden (12 May 1875 – 1 May 1960) was an English architect best known for designing many London Underground stations during the 1920s and 1930s, the Underground Electric Railways Company of London's headquarters at 55 Broadwa ...
, English architect, designed the
Bristol Central Library (died 1960)
*
1880
Events
January
*January 27 – Thomas Edison is granted a patent for the incandescent light bulb. Edison filed for a US patent for an electric lamp using "a carbon filament or strip coiled and connected ... to platina contact wires." gr ...
–
Lincoln Ellsworth
Lincoln Ellsworth (May 12, 1880 – May 26, 1951) was an American polar explorer, engineer, surveyor, and author. He led the first Arctic and Antarctic air crossings.
Early life
Linn Ellsworth was born in Chicago, Illinois on May 12, 1880. His ...
, American explorer (died 1951)
*
1885 –
Paltiel Daykan, Lithuanian-Israeli lawyer and jurist (died 1969)
*
1886
Events January
* January 1 – Upper Burma is formally annexed to British rule in Burma, British Burma, following its conquest in the Third Anglo-Burmese War of November 1885.
* January 5–January 9, 9 – Robert Louis Stevenson ...
–
Ernst A. Lehmann, German captain and pilot (died 1937)
*
1889
Events January
* January 1
** The total solar eclipse of January 1, 1889 is seen over parts of California and Nevada.
** Paiute spiritual leader Wovoka experiences a vision, leading to the start of the Ghost Dance movement in the Dakotas ...
–
Abelardo L. Rodríguez, substitute president of Mexico (died 1967)
* 1889 –
Otto Frank
Otto Heinrich Frank (12 May 1889 – 19 August 1980) was a German businessman, and the father of Anne Frank. He edited and published the first edition of her diary in 1947 (subsequently known in English as ''The Diary of a Young Girl'') and adv ...
, German-Swiss businessman and Holocaust survivor; father of diarist
Anne Frank
Annelies Marie Frank (, ; 12 June 1929 – February or March 1945)Research by The Anne Frank House in 2015 revealed that Frank may have died in February 1945 rather than in March, as Dutch authorities had long assumed"New research sheds new li ...
(died 1980)
*1892 – Fritz Kortner, Austrian-German actor and director (died 1970)
*1895 – William Giauque, Canadian-American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1982)
* 1895 – Jiddu Krishnamurti, Indian-American philosopher and author (died 1986)
* 1897 – Earle Nelson, American serial killer and rapist (died 1928)
*1900 – Helene Weigel, Austrian-German actress (died 1971)
1901–present
*1903 – Wilfrid Hyde-White, English actor (died 1991)
*1907 – Leslie Charteris, English author and screenwriter (died 1993)
* 1907 – Katharine Hepburn, American actress (died 2003)
*1908 – Nicholas Kaldor, Hungarian-English economist (died 1986)
*1910 – Johan Ferrier, Surinamese educator and politician, first President of Suriname (died 2010)
* 1910 – Dorothy Hodgkin, English biochemist, crystallographer, and academic, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1994)
*1911 – Charles Biro, American author and illustrator (died 1972)
*1914 – Howard K. Smith, American journalist and actor (died 2002)
*1918 – Mary Kay Ash, American businesswoman, founded Mary Kay, Mary Kay Cosmetics (died 2001)
* 1918 – Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, Julius Rosenberg, American spy (died 1953)
*1921 – Joseph Beuys, German sculptor and illustrator (died 1986)
* 1921 – Farley Mowat, Canadian environmentalist and author (died 2014)
*1922 – Roy Salvadori, English racing driver and manager (died 2012)
*1924 – Tony Hancock, English actor, producer, and screenwriter (died 1968)
*1925 – Yogi Berra, American baseball player, coach, and manager (died 2015)
*1928 – Burt Bacharach, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer (died 2023)
*1929 – Sam Nujoma, Namibian politician, 1st List of Presidents of Namibia, President of Namibia (died 2025)
*1930 – Jesús Franco, Spanish director and screenwriter (died 2013)
*1935 – Felipe Alou, Dominican-American baseball player, coach, and manager
* 1935 – Johnny Bucyk, Canadian ice hockey player
*1936 – Guillermo Endara, Panamanian lawyer and politician, 32nd List of Heads of State of Panama, President of Panama (died 2009)
* 1936 – Tom Snyder, American journalist and talk show host (died 2007)
* 1936 – Frank Stella, American painter and sculptor (died 2024)
*
1937
Events
January
* January 1 – Anastasio Somoza García becomes President of Nicaragua.
* January 5 – Water levels begin to rise in the Ohio River in the United States, leading to the Ohio River flood of 1937, which continues into Feb ...
– Beryl Burton, English cyclist (died 1996)
* 1937 – George Carlin, American comedian, actor, and author (died 2008)
*1939 – Reg Gasnier, Australian rugby league player, coach, and sportscaster (died 2014)
*1940 – Norman Whitfield, American songwriter and producer (died 2008)
*
1942
The Uppsala Conflict Data Program project estimates this to be the deadliest year in human history in terms of conflict deaths, placing the death toll at 4.62 million. However, the Correlates of War estimates that the prior year, 1941, was th ...
– Ian Dury, English singer-songwriter (died 2000)
*1944 – Chris Patten, English academic and politician, 28th Governor of Hong Kong
*1945 – Alan Ball, Jr., English footballer and manager (died 2007)
* 1945 – Ian McLagan, English keyboard player and songwriter (died 2014)
*1946 – Daniel Libeskind, American architect, designed the Imperial War Museum North and Jewish Museum, Berlin, Jewish Museum
*1947 – Michael Ignatieff, Canadian journalist and politician
*1948 – Steve Winwood, English singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist
*1950 – Bruce Boxleitner, American actor and author
* 1950 – Gabriel Byrne, Irish actor, director, and producer
* 1950 – Billy Squier, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
*1951 – George Karl, American basketball player and coach
*1952 – Domingos Maubere, East Timorese Catholic priest and activist (died 2025)
*1957 – Lou Whitaker, American baseball player
*1959 – Ving Rhames, American actor
*1962 – Emilio Estevez, American actor
* 1962 – Brett Gurewitz, American guitarist and songwriter
*
1965
Events January–February
* January 14 – The First Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years.
* January 20
** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lynd ...
– Mark Thomas (sprinter), Mark Thomas, British sprinter
*1966 – Stephen Baldwin, American actor
*1967 – Bill Shorten, Australian politician
*
1968
Events January–February
* January 1968, January – The I'm Backing Britain, I'm Backing Britain campaign starts spontaneously.
* January 5 – Prague Spring: Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Cze ...
– Tony Hawk, American skateboarder and actor
*1969 – Kim Fields, American actress
*1970 – Jim Furyk, American golfer
* 1970 – Samantha Mathis, American actress
* 1970 – Mike Weir, Canadian golfer
*1972 – Rhea Seehorn, American actress
*
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. ...
– Jonah Lomu, New Zealand rugby player (died 2015)
*1976 – Bruno Lage, Portuguese football manager
*1977 – Graeme Dott, Scottish snooker player and coach
* 1977 – Maryam Mirzakhani, Iranian mathematician (died 2017)
*
1978
Events January
* January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213.
* January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd ...
– Malin Åkerman, Swedish-Canadian model, actress, and singer
* 1978 – Jason Biggs, American actor and comedian
*1979 – Steve Smith Sr., American football player
*1980 – Rishi Sunak, English politician
*1981 – Rami Malek, American actor
*1983 – Domhnall Gleeson, Irish actor
* 1983 – Yujiro Kushida, Japanese wrestler and mixed martial artist
*1986 – Emily VanCamp, Canadian actress
*1987 – Lance Lynn, American baseball player
* 1987 – Kieron Pollard, Trinidadian cricketer
* 1987 – Darren Randolph, Irish footballer
*1988 – Marcelo Vieira, Marcelo, Brazilian footballer
*
1989
1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...
– Eleftheria Eleftheriou, Greek Cypriot singer, musician, and actress
*1990 – Florent Amodio, French figure skater
* 1990 – Etika, American YouTuber and live streamer (died 2019)
*1992 – Erik Durm, German footballer
*1993 – Timo Horn, German footballer
*1996 – Fabrice Olinga, Cameroonian footballer
* 1996 – Kostas Tsimikas, Greek footballer
*1997 – Frenkie de Jong, Dutch footballer
*1998 – Mo Bamba, American-Ivorian basketball player
*1999 – Hiroki Itō (footballer, born 1999), Hiroki Itō, Japanese footballer
*2001 – Issa Kaboré, Burkinabé footballer
*2005 – Zach Benson, Canadian ice hockey player
*
2006
2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification.
Events
January
* January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute.
* January 12 – A stampede during t ...
– Vasilije Adžić, Montenegrin footballer
Deaths
Pre-1600
* 805 – Æthelhard, archbishop of Canterbury
* 940 – Eutychius of Alexandria, Eutychius, patriarch of Alexandria (born 877)
*1003 – Pope Sylvester II, Sylvester II, pope of the Catholic Church (born 946)
*1012 – Pope Sergius IV, Sergius IV, pope of the Catholic Church (born 970)
*1090 – Liutold of Eppenstein, duke of Carinthia
*1161 – Fergus of Galloway, Scottish nobleman
*1182 – Valdemar I of Denmark, Valdemar I, king of Denmark (born 1131)
*1331 – Engelbert of Admont, Benedictine abbot and scholar
*1465 – Thomas Palaiologos, Despot of Despotate of the Morea, Morea (born 1409)
*1490 – Joanna, Princess of Portugal, Joanna, Portuguese princess and regent (born 1452)
*1529 – Cecily Bonville, 7th Baroness Harington, English noblewoman (born 1460)
*1599 – Murad Mirza (son of Akbar), Murad Mirza, Mughal prince (born 1570)
1601–1900
*1634 – George Chapman, English poet and playwright (born 1559)
*1641 – Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford, English soldier and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (born 1593)
*1684 – Edme Mariotte, French physicist and priest (born 1620)
*1699 – Lucas Achtschellinck, Flemish painter (born 1626)
*
1700
As of March 1 ( O.S. February 19), where the Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 11 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 17) ...
– John Dryden, English poet, playwright, and critic (born 1631)
*1708 – Adolphus Frederick II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Adolphus Frederick II, duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (born 1658)
*1748 – Thomas Lowndes (astronomer), Thomas Lowndes, English astronomer and academic (born 1692)
*1759 – Lambert-Sigisbert Adam, French sculptor (born 1700)
*1784 – Abraham Trembley, Swiss zoologist and academic (born 1710)
*1792 – Charles Simon Favart, French playwright and composer (born 1710)
*1796 – Johann Uz, German poet and author (born 1720)
*1801 – Nicholas Repnin, Russian general and politician, Governor-General of Baltic provinces (born 1734)
*
1842
Events
January–March
* January 6– 13 – First Anglo-Afghan War – Massacre of Elphinstone's army (Battle of Gandamak): British East India Company troops are destroyed by Afghan forces on the road from Kabul to Jalalabad, Afghan ...
– Walenty Wańkowicz, Belarusian-Polish painter (born 1799)
*
1845
Events
January–March
* January 1 – The Philippines began reckoning Asian dates by hopping the International Date Line through skipping Tuesday, December 31, 1844. That time zone shift was a reform made by Governor–General Narciso ...
– János Batsányi, Hungarian poet and academic (born 1763)
*1856 – Jacques Philippe Marie Binet, French mathematician, physicist, and astronomer (born 1786)
*
1859 – Sergey Aksakov, Russian author and academic (born 1791)
*1860 – Charles Barry, English architect, designed Upper Brook Street Chapel, Manchester, Upper Brook Street Chapel and the Palace of Westminster (born 1795)
*
1864
Events
January
* January 13 – American songwriter Stephen Foster ("Oh! Susanna", "Old Folks at Home") dies aged 37 in New York City, leaving a scrap of paper reading "Dear friends and gentle hearts". His parlor song "Beautiful Dream ...
– J. E. B. Stuart, American general (born 1833)
*
1867
There were only 354 days this year in the newly purchased territory of Alaska. When the territory transferred from the Russian Empire to the United States, the calendric transition from the Julian to the Gregorian Calendar was made with only 1 ...
– Friedrich Wilhelm Eduard Gerhard, German archaeologist and academic (born 1795)
*1876 – Georgi Benkovski, Bulgarian activist (born 1843)
*1878 – Anselme Payen, French chemist and academic (born 1795)
*1884 – Bedřich Smetana, Czech composer and educator (born 1824)
*1897 – Minna Canth, Finnish journalist, playwright, and activist (born 1844)
*1900 – Göran Fredrik Göransson, Swedish merchant, ironmaster and industrialist (born 1819)
1901–present
*1907 – Joris-Karl Huysmans, French author and critic (born 1848)
*1916 – James Connolly, Scottish-born Irish socialist and rebel leader (born 1868)
*1925 – Amy Lowell, American poet and critic (born 1874)
*1931 – Eugène Ysaÿe, Belgian violinist, composer, and conductor (born 1858)
*1935 – Józef Piłsudski, Polish field marshal and politician, 15th Prime Minister of Poland (born 1867)
*1944 – Max Brand, American journalist and author (born 1892)
* 1944 – Arthur Quiller-Couch, English author, poet, and critic (born 1863)
*1956 – Louis Calhern, American actor and singer (born 1895)
*1957 – Alfonso de Portago, Spanish bobsledder and racing driver (born 1928)
* 1957 – Erich von Stroheim, Austrian-American actor, director, and producer (born 1885)
*1963 – Richard Girulatis, German footballer and manager (born 1878)
* 1963 – Robert Kerr (athlete), Robert Kerr, Irish-Canadian sprinter and coach (born 1882)
*1964 – Agnes Forbes Blackadder, Scottish medical doctor (born 1875)
*1966 – Felix Steiner, Russian-German SS officer (born 1896)
*1967 – John Masefield, English poet and author (born 1878)
*1970 – Nelly Sachs, German poet and playwright, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1891)
*1971 – Heinie Manush, American baseball player and coach (born 1901)
*1973 – Frances Marion, American screenwriter, novelist and journalist (born 1888)
* 1973 – Art Pollard, American race car driver (born 1927)
*1981 – Francis Hughes, Provisional IRA hunger striker (born 1956)
*1981 – Benjamin Sheares, Singaporean professor and politician, second President of Singapore (born 1907)
*1985 – Jean Dubuffet, French painter and sculptor (born 1901)
*1986 – Elisabeth Bergner, German actress (born 1897)
*1992 – Nikos Gatsos, Greek poet and songwriter (born 1911)
* 1992 – Robert Reed, American actor (born 1932)
*1993 – Zeno Colò, Italian Olympic alpine skier (born1920)
*1994 – Erik Erikson, German-American psychologist and psychoanalyst (born 1902)
* 1994 – John Smith (Labour Party leader), John Smith, Scottish-English lawyer and politician, Labour Party (UK), Labour Party leader, Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom), Leader of the Opposition (born 1938)
*1995 – Adolfo Pedernera, Argentine footballer and manager (born 1918)
*1999 – Saul Steinberg, Romanian-American illustrator (born 1914)
*2000 – Adam Petty, American race car driver (born 1980)
*2001 – Perry Como, American singer and television host (born 1912)
* 2001 – Didi (footballer, born 1928), Didi, Brazilian footballer (born 1928)
* 2001 – Alexei Tupolev, Russian engineer, designed the Tupolev Tu-144 (born 1925)
*
2003
2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater.
In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War.
Demographic ...
– Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, French-American diplomat (born 1933)
*2005 – Ömer Kavur, Turkish director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1944)
* 2005 – Martin Lings, English author and scholar (born 1909)
* 2005 – Kai Setälä, Finnish physician and professor (born 1913)
* 2005 – Monica Zetterlund, Swedish actress (born 1937)
*
2006
2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification.
Events
January
* January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute.
* January 12 – A stampede during t ...
– Hussein Maziq, Libyan politician, Prime Minister of Libya (born 1918)
*
2008
2008 was designated as:
*International Year of Languages
*International Year of Planet Earth
*International Year of the Potato
*International Year of Sanitation
The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
– Robert Rauschenberg, American painter and illustrator (born 1925)
* 2008 – Irena Sendler, Polish nurse and humanitarian (born 1910)
*2009 – Antonio Vega (singer), Antonio Vega, Spanish singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1957)
*2012 – Jan Bens, Dutch footballer and coach (born 1921)
* 2012 – Eddy Paape, Belgian illustrator (born 1920)
*2013 – Gerd Langguth, German political scientist, author, and academic (born 1946)
*2014 – Cornell Borchers, Lithuanian-German actress and singer (born 1925)
* 2014 – Marco Cé, Italian cardinal (born 1925)
* 2014 – H. R. Giger, Swiss painter, sculptor, and set designer (born 1940)
* 2014 – Sarat Pujari, Indian actor, director, and screenwriter (born 1934)
* 2014 – Lorenzo Zambrano, Mexican businessman and philanthropist (born 1944)
*
2015
2015 was designated by the United Nations as:
* International Year of Light
* International Year of Soil __TOC__
Events
January
* January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
– Peter Gay, German-American historian, author, and academic (born 1923)
*2016 – Mike Agostini, Trinidadian sprinter (born 1935)
*
2017
2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly.
Events January
* January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
– Mauno Koivisto, Finnish banker and politician, ninth President of Finland (born 1923)
*
2018
Events January
* January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency.
* January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
– Dennis Nilsen, Scottish serial killer (born 1945)
*2020 – Aimee Stephens, American funeral director and R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes Inc. v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, U.S. Supreme Court litigant (born 1960)
*
2024
The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
– Mark Damon, American film actor and producer (born 1933)
*2024 – David Sanborn, American saxophonist (born 1945)
*2024 – A. J. Smith, American football executive (born 1949)
Holidays and observances
*Christian feast day:
**Blessed Joanna, Princess of Portugal, Joan of Portugal
**Crispoldus
**Dominic de la Calzada
**Epiphanius of Salamis
**Gregory Dix (Church of England)
**Saint Modoald, Modoald
**Nereus, Achilleus, Domitilla, and Pancras
**Patriarch Germanus I of Constantinople (Eastern Church)
**Philip of Agira
*International May 12th Awareness Day, International ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia Awareness Day
*International Nurses Day
* J. V. Snellman Day or the Finnish Heritage Day (Finland)
References
External links
BBC: On This Day*
Historical Events on May 12
{{months
Days of May