Events

Pre-1600

438 Year 438 (Roman numerals, CDXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Theodosius and Glabrio (or, less frequently, ye ...

– Roman emperor Theodosius II publishes the law codex

Codex Theodosianus The ''Codex Theodosianus'' (Eng. Theodosian Code) was a compilation of the laws of the Roman Empire under the Christian emperors since 312. A commission was established by Emperor Theodosius II and his co-emperor Valentinian III on 26 March 429 a ...

590 __NOTOC__ Year 590 ( DXC) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 590 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era bec ...

– Khosrau II is crowned king of Persia. *

706 __NOTOC__ Year 706 ( DCCVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 706 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era b ...

– Byzantine emperor Justinian II has his predecessors Leontios and Tiberios III publicly executed in the Hippodrome of Constantinople. *

1002 Year 1002 (MII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * January 23 – Emperor Otto III dies, at the age of 22, of smallpox at Castle of Pater ...

– At an assembly at Pavia of Lombard nobles,

Arduin of Ivrea Arduin ( it, Arduino; – 14 December 1015) was an Italian nobleman who was King of Italy from 1002 until 1014. In 990 Arduin became Margrave of Ivrea and in 991 Count of the Sacred Palace of the Lateran in Rome. In 1002, after the death of Em ...

is restored to his domains and crowned King of Italy. * 1113 – Pope Paschal II issues '' Pie Postulatio Voluntatis'', recognizing the Order of Hospitallers. * 1214 – During the Anglo-French War (1213–1214), an English invasion force led by

John, King of England John (24 December 1166 – 19 October 1216) was King of England from 1199 until his death in 1216. He lost the Duchy of Normandy and most of his other French lands to King Philip II of France, resulting in the collapse of the Angevin Empi ...

, lands at La Rochelle in France. *

1493 Year 1493 ( MCDXCIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January 19 – Treaty of Barcelona: Charles VIII of France returns Cerdagne a ...

– While on board the '' Niña'', Christopher Columbus writes an open letter (widely distributed upon his return to Portugal) describing his discoveries and the unexpected items he came across in the New World.

1601–1900

1637 Events January–March * January 5 – Pierre Corneille's tragicomedy ''Le Cid'' is first performed, in Paris, France. * January 16 – The siege of Nagpur ends in what is now the Maharashtra state of India, as Kok Shah, the ...

– Ferdinand III becomes

Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans ( la, Imperator Romanorum, german: Kaiser der Römer) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period ( la, Imperat ...

. *

1690 Events January–March * January 2 – The Ottoman Empire defeats Serbian rebels and Austrian troops in battle at Kaçanik Gorge, prompting more than 30,000 Serb refugees to flee northward from Kosovo, Macedonia and Sandžak to the Aus ...

–

Constantin Cantemir Constantin or Constantine Cantemir (1612–1693) was a Moldavian nobleman, soldier, and statesman who served as voivode between 25 June 1685 and 27 March 1693. He established the Cantemir dynasty which—with interruptions—ruled Moldavia p ...

, Prince of Moldavia, and the Holy Roman Empire sign a secret treaty in Sibiu, stipulating that Moldavia would support the actions led by the House of Habsburg against the Ottoman Empire. *

1764 1764 ( MDCCLXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday and is the fifth year of the 1760s decade, the 64th year of the 18th century, and the 764th year of the 2nd millennium. Events January–June * January 7 – The Siculicidium is ...

– The city of St. Louis is established in Spanish Louisiana (now in Missouri, USA). *

1798 Events January–June * January – Eli Whitney contracts with the U.S. federal government for 10,000 muskets, which he produces with interchangeable parts. * January 4 – Constantine Hangerli enters Bucharest, as Prince of Wa ...

– The Roman Republic is proclaimed after Louis-Alexandre Berthier, a general of

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

, had invaded the city of Rome five days earlier. *

1835 Events January–March * January 7 – anchors off the Chonos Archipelago on her second voyage, with Charles Darwin on board as naturalist. * January 8 – The United States public debt contracts to zero, for the only time in history. ...

– Serbia's Sretenje Constitution briefly comes into effect. *

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: Confederates commanded by Brig. Gen. John B. Floyd attack General Ulysses S. Grant's Union forces besieging Fort Donelson in Tennessee. Unable to break the fort's encirclement, the Confederates surrender the following day. *

1870 Events January–March * 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 Broo ...

– Stevens Institute of Technology is founded in New Jersey, US, and offers the first Bachelor of Engineering degree in mechanical engineering. *

1879 Events January–March * January 1 – The Specie Resumption Act takes effect. The United States Note is valued the same as gold, for the first time since the American Civil War. * January 11 – The Anglo-Zulu War begins. * Janu ...

– Women's rights: US President Rutherford B. Hayes signs a bill allowing female attorneys to argue cases before the

Supreme Court of the United States The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...

. *

1898 Events January–March * January 1 – New York City annexes land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York as the world's second largest. The city is geographically divided into five boroughs: Manhattan, B ...

– The battleship explodes and sinks in Havana harbor in Cuba, killing about 274 of the ship's roughly 354 crew. The disaster pushes the United States to declare war on Spain. *

1899 Events January 1899 * January 1 ** Spanish rule ends in Cuba, concluding 400 years of the Spanish Empire in the Americas. ** Queens and Staten Island become administratively part of New York City. * January 2 – **Bolivia sets up a c ...

–

Tsar Nicholas II of Russia Nicholas II or Nikolai II Alexandrovich Romanov; spelled in pre-revolutionary script. ( 186817 July 1918), known in the Russian Orthodox Church as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer,. was the last Emperor of Russia, King of Congress Polan ...

issues a declaration known as the February Manifesto, which reduces the autonomy of the Grand Duchy of Finland, thus beginning the first period of oppression.

1901–present

1909 Events January–February * January 4 – Explorer Aeneas Mackintosh of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition escaped death by fleeing across ice floes. * January 7 – Colombia recognizes the independence of Panama. * Januar ...

– The Flores Theater fire in

Acapulco Acapulco de Juárez (), commonly called Acapulco ( , also , nah, Acapolco), is a city and major seaport in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, south of Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semicircular bay and has bee ...

, Mexico kills 250. *

1923 Events January–February * January 9 – Lithuania begins the Klaipėda Revolt to annex the Klaipėda Region (Memel Territory). * January 11 – Despite strong British protests, troops from France and Belgium occupy the Ruhr area, t ...

– Greece becomes the last European country to adopt the Gregorian calendar. *

1925 Events January * January 1 ** The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria. * January 3 – Benito Mussolini makes a pivotal speech in the Italia ...

– The

1925 serum run to Nome The 1925 serum run to Nome, also known as the Great Race of Mercy and The Serum Run, was a transport of diphtheria antitoxin by dog sled relay across the U.S. territory of Alaska by 20 mushers and about 150 sled dogs across in days, saving th ...

: The second delivery of serum arrives in

Nome, Alaska Nome (; ik, Sitŋasuaq, ) is a city in the Nome Census Area in the Unorganized Borough of Alaska, United States. The city is located on the southern Seward Peninsula coast on Norton Sound of the Bering Sea. It had a population of 3,699 recorded ...

. *

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 ...

– In Miami, Giuseppe Zangara attempts to assassinate US President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt, but instead shoots Chicago mayor Anton J. Cermak, who dies of his wounds on March 6. *

1942 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Declaration by United Nations is signed by China, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union, and 22 other nations, in wh ...

– World War II: Fall of Singapore. Following an assault by

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

ese forces, the British General Arthur Percival surrenders. About 80,000 Indian, United Kingdom and Australian soldiers become

prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held Captivity, captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold priso ...

, the largest surrender of British-led military personnel in history. *

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 Nor ...

– World War II: The

assault An assault is the act of committing physical harm or unwanted physical contact upon a person or, in some specific legal definitions, a threat or attempt to commit such an action. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may result in crim ...

on Monte Cassino, Italy begins. * 1944 – World War II: The Narva Offensive begins. *

1945 1945 marked the end of World War II and the fall of Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan. It is also the only year in which nuclear weapons have been used in combat. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. Januar ...

– World War II: Third day of bombing in Dresden. *

1946 Events January * January 6 - The 1946 North Vietnamese parliamentary election, first general election ever in Vietnam is held. * January 7 – The Allies recognize the Austrian republic with its 1937 borders, and divide the country into f ...

– ENIAC, the first electronic general-purpose computer, is formally dedicated at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. *

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 2022. * January 2 – Luis ...

– Gerald Lankester Harding and Roland de Vaux begin excavations at Cave 1 of the Qumran Caves, where they will eventually discover the first seven Dead Sea Scrolls. *

1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Black Saturday in Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, becomes m ...

– King George VI of the United Kingdom is buried in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. *

1954 Events January * January 1 – The Soviet Union ceases to demand war reparations from West Germany. * January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting. * January 7 – Georgetown-IBM experiment: The fir ...

– Canada and the United States agree to construct the

Distant Early Warning Line The Distant Early Warning Line, also known as the DEW Line or Early Warning Line, was a system of radar stations in the northern Arctic region of Canada, with additional stations along the north coast and Aleutian Islands of Alaska (see Proj ...

, a system of radar stations in the far northern Arctic regions of Canada and Alaska. *

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 ...

– Sabena Flight 548 crashes in Belgium, killing 73, including the entire United States figure skating team along with several of their coaches and family members. *

1965 Events January–February * January 14 – The Prime 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 Lyndo ...

– A new red-and-white maple leaf design is adopted as the

flag of Canada The national flag of Canada (french: le Drapeau national du Canada), often simply referred to as the Canadian flag or, unofficially, as the Maple Leaf or ' (; ), consists of a red field with a white square at its centre in the ratio of , in ...

, replacing the old Canadian Red Ensign banner. *

1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 10, and August 6). The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history. Events Ja ...

– The

decimalisation Decimalisation or decimalization (see spelling differences) is the conversion of a system of currency or of weights and measures to units related by powers of 10. Most countries have decimalised their currencies, converting them from non-decimal ...

of the currencies of the United Kingdom and Ireland is completed on

Decimal Day Decimal Day in the United Kingdom and in Ireland was Monday 15 February 1971, the day on which each country decimalised its respective £sd currency of pounds, shillings, and pence. Before this date, the British pound sterling (symbol "£" ...

. *

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...

– Sound recordings are granted U.S. federal copyright protection for the first time. * 1972 – José María Velasco Ibarra, serving as President of Ecuador for the fifth time, is overthrown by the military for the fourth time. *

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 bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...

– The drilling rig '' Ocean Ranger'' sinks during a storm off the coast of

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

, killing 84 workers. *

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 ...

– Soviet–Afghan War: The Soviet Union officially announces that all of its troops have

left Left may refer to: Music * ''Left'' (Hope of the States album), 2006 * ''Left'' (Monkey House album), 2016 * "Left", a song by Nickelback from the album ''Curb'', 1996 Direction * Left (direction), the relative direction opposite of right * L ...

Afghanistan. *

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...

– The Visegrád Group, establishing cooperation to move toward free-market systems, is signed by the leaders of Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland. *

1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...

– Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer is sentenced in Milwaukee to 15 terms of life in prison. * 1992 – Air Transport International Flight 805 crashes in

Swanton, Ohio Swanton is a village located in Fulton County, Ohio, Fulton and Lucas County, Ohio, Lucas counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 3,897 at the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census. Total area is 8.90 km2 (3.44 sq mi). History ...

, near Toledo Express Airport, killing all four people on board. *

1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...

– At the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in China, a Long March 3B rocket, carrying an Intelsat 708, veers off course and crashes into a rural village after liftoff, killing somewhere between 6 and 100 people. * 1996 – The Embassy of the United States, Athens, is attacked by an antitank rocket, launched by the Revolutionary Organization 17 November. *

2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...

– The first draft of the complete human genome is published in '' Nature''. *

2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...

–

Protests against the Iraq war Beginning in late 2002, and continuing after the 2003 invasion of Iraq, large-scale protests against the Iraq War were held in many cities worldwide, often coordinated to occur simultaneously around the world. After the biggest series of demon ...

take place in over 600 cities worldwide. It is estimated that between eight million and 30 million people participate, making this the largest peace demonstration in history. *

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

– Two trains collide in the Halle train collision in

Halle Halle may refer to: Places Germany * Halle (Saale), also called Halle an der Saale, a city in Saxony-Anhalt ** Halle (region), a former administrative region in Saxony-Anhalt ** Bezirk Halle, a former administrative division of East Germany ** Hall ...

, Belgium, killing 19 and injuring 171 people. *

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

– Three hundred and sixty people die in a fire at a Honduran prison in the city of

Comayagua Comayagua () is a city, municipality and old capital of Honduras, located northwest of Tegucigalpa on the highway to San Pedro Sula and above sea level. The accelerated growth experienced by the city of Comayagua led the municipal authoriti ...

. *

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 fact ...

– A meteor explodes over Russia, injuring 1,500 people as a shock wave blows out windows and rocks buildings. This happens unexpectedly only hours before the ''expected'' closest ever approach of the larger and unrelated asteroid 2012 DA14. *

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...

– Sixty people drown and hundreds are missing after a boat sinks on the Congo River near the village of Longola Ekoti, Mai-Ndombe Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Births

Pre-1600

1377 Year 1377 ( MCCCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January – Battle of Đồ Bàn: Trần Duệ Tông, Trần dynasty Emper ...

– Ladislaus of Naples (d. 1414) *

1458 Year 1458 ( MCDLVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar, the 1458th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 458th year of the 2nd millennium, the 58th year ...

– Ivan the Young, son of Ivan III of Russia (d. 1490) * 1472 – Piero the Unfortunate, Italian ruler (d. 1503) * 1506 – Juliana of Stolberg, German countess (d. 1580) *

1519 __NOTOC__ Year 1519 ( MDXIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar, the 1519th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 519th year of the 2nd millennium ...

–

Pedro Menéndez de Avilés Pedro Menéndez de Avilés (; ast, Pedro (Menéndez) d'Avilés; 15 February 1519 – 17 September 1574) was a Spanish admiral, explorer and conquistador from Avilés, in Asturias, Spain. He is notable for planning the first regular trans-oceani ...

, first Spanish Governor of Florida (d. 1574) *

1557 __NOTOC__ Year 1557 (Roman numerals, MDLVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–June * March – The Takeda clan Siege of Katsurayama, besiege Kat ...

– Alfonso Fontanelli, Italian composer (d. 1622) *

1564 Year 1564 ( MDLXIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–June * January 26 – Livonian War – Battle of Ula: A Lithuanian surprise attack result ...

– Galileo Galilei, Italian astronomer, physicist, and mathematician (d. 1642)

1601–1900

1612 Events January–June * January 6 – Axel Oxenstierna becomes Lord High Chancellor of Sweden. He persuades the Riksdag of the Estates to grant the Swedish nobility the right and privilege to hold all higher offices of governme ...

– Paul de Chomedey, Sieur de Maisonneuve, French soldier, founded Montreal (d. 1676) * 1627 – Charles Morton, Cornish nonconformist minister (d. 1698) *

1638 Events January–March * January 4 – **A naval battle takes place in the Indian Ocean off of the coast of Goa at South India as a Netherlands fleet commanded by Admiral Adam Westerwolt decimates the Portuguese fleet. **A fleet of 80 ...

– Zeb-un-Nissa, Mughal princess and poet (d. 1702) *

1705 In the Swedish calendar it was a common year starting on Sunday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–March * January 8 – George Frideric Handel's first opera, ''Almira'' is p ...

–

Charles-André van Loo Carle or Charles-André van Loo (; 15 February 1705 – 15 July 1765) was a French painter, son of the painter Louis-Abraham van Loo, a younger brother of Jean-Baptiste van Loo and grandson of Jacob van Loo. He was the most famous member of a su ...

, French painter (d. 1765) *

1710 In the Swedish calendar it was a common year starting on Saturday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–March * January 1 – In Prussia, Cölln is merged with Alt-Berlin b ...

– Louis XV of France (d. 1774) *

1725 Events January–March * January 15 – James Macrae, a former captain of a freighter for the British East India Company, is hired by the Company to administer the Madras Presidency (at the time, the "Presidency of Fort St. Ge ...

– Abraham Clark, American surveyor, lawyer, and politician (d. 1794) *

1734 Events January– March * January 8 – Salzburgers, Lutherans who were expelled by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Salzburg, Austria, in October 1731, set sail for the British Colony of Province of Georgia, Georgia in North America ...

– William Stacy, American colonel (d. 1802) *

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 Autonomous Region ...

– Alexandre-Théodore Brongniart, French architect, designed the Paris Bourse (d. 1813) *

1748 Events January–March * January 12 – Ahmad Shah Durrani captures Lahore. * January 27 – A fire at the prison and barracks at Kinsale, in Ireland, kills 54 of the prisoners of war housed there. An estimated 500 prison ...

– Jeremy Bentham, English jurist and philosopher (d. 1832) *

1759 In Great Britain, this year was known as the ''Annus Mirabilis'', because of British victories in the Seven Years' War. Events January–March * January 6 – George Washington marries Martha Dandridge Custis. * January 11 &ndas ...

– Friedrich August Wolf, German philologist and critic (d. 1824) *

1760 Events January–March * January 9 – Battle of Barari Ghat: Afghan forces defeat the Marathas. * January 22 – Seven Years' War – Battle of Wandiwash, India: British general Sir Eyre Coote is victorious over the Fr ...

– Jean-François Le Sueur, French composer and educator (d. 1837) *

1809 Events January–March * January 5 – The Treaty of the Dardanelles, between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Ottoman Empire, is concluded. * January 10 – Peninsular War – French Marshal Jean ...

– André Dumont, Belgian geologist and academic (d. 1857) * 1809 – Cyrus McCormick, American journalist and businessman, co-founded International Harvester (d. 1884) *

1810 Events January–March * January 1 – Major-General Lachlan Macquarie officially becomes Governor of New South Wales. * January 4 – Australian seal hunter Frederick Hasselborough discovers Campbell Island, in the Subantarctic. * Janua ...

– Mary S. B. Shindler, American poet, writer, and editor (d. 1883) *

1811 Events January–March * January 8 – An unsuccessful slave revolt is led by Charles Deslondes, in St. Charles and St. James Parishes, Louisiana. * January 17 – Mexican War of Independence – Battle of Calderón Brid ...

– Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, Argentinian journalist and politician, 7th

President of Argentina The president of Argentina ( es, Presidente de Argentina), officially known as the president of the Argentine Nation ( es, Presidente de la Nación Argentina), is both head of state and head of government of Argentina. Under Constitution of Ar ...

(d. 1888) *

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 of ...

– Charles Lewis Tiffany, American businessman, founded Tiffany & Co. (d. 1902) *

1820 Events January–March *January 1 – Nominal beginning of the Trienio Liberal in Spain: A constitutionalist military insurrection at Cádiz leads to the summoning of the Spanish Parliament (March 7). *January 8 – General Maritime T ...

– Susan B. Anthony, American suffragist and activist (d. 1906) *

1825 Events January–March * January 4 – King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies dies in Naples and is succeeded by his son, Francis. * February 3 – Vendsyssel-Thy, once part of the Jutland peninsula forming westernmost Denmark, becomes a ...

– Carter Harrison, Sr., American lawyer and politician, 29th

Mayor of Chicago The mayor of Chicago is the chief executive of city government in Chicago, Illinois, the third-largest city in the United States. The mayor is responsible for the administration and management of various city departments, submits proposals and r ...

(d. 1893) *

1834 Events January–March * January – The Wilmington and Raleigh Railroad is chartered in Wilmington, North Carolina. * January 1 – Zollverein (Germany): Customs charges are abolished at borders within its member states. * January 3 � ...

– V. A. Urechia, Moldavian-Romanian historian, author, and playwright (d. 1901) *

– Demetrius Vikelas, Greek businessman and philanthropist (d. 1908) *

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. * Janua ...

– Titu Maiorescu, Romanian philosopher, academic, and politician, 23rd Prime Minister of Romania (d. 1917) *

1841 Events January–March * January 20 – Charles Elliot of the United Kingdom, and Qishan of the Qing dynasty, agree to the Convention of Chuenpi. * January 26 – Britain occupies Hong Kong. Later in the year, the first census of the i ...

– Manuel Ferraz de Campos Sales, Brazilian lawyer and politician, 4th President of Brazil (d. 1913) *

1845 Events January–March * January 10 – Elizabeth Barrett receives a love letter from the younger poet Robert Browning; on May 20, they meet for the first time in London. She begins writing her ''Sonnets from the Portuguese''. * January 23 ...

–

Elihu Root Elihu Root (; February 15, 1845February 7, 1937) was an American lawyer, Republican politician, and statesman who served as Secretary of State and Secretary of War in the early twentieth century. He also served as United States Senator from N ...

, American lawyer and politician, 38th United States Secretary of State, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1937) *

1847 Events January–March * January 4 – Samuel Colt sells his first revolver pistol to the U.S. government. * January 13 – The Treaty of Cahuenga ends fighting in the Mexican–American War in California. * January 16 – John C. Frémont ...

– Robert Fuchs, Austrian composer and educator (d. 1927) *

1849 Events January–March * January 1 – France begins issue of the Ceres series, the nation's first postage stamps. * January 5 – Hungarian Revolution of 1848: The Austrian army, led by Alfred I, Prince of Windisch-Grätz, enters in th ...

–

Rickman Godlee Sir Rickman John Godlee, 1st Baronet (15 February 1849 – 18 April 1925) was an English surgeon. In 1884 he became one of the first doctors to surgically remove a brain tumor, founding modern brain surgery. Early life Godlee was born in Up ...

, English surgeon and academic (d. 1925) *

1850 Events January–June * April ** Pope Pius IX returns from exile to Rome. ** Stephen Foster's parlor ballad "Ah! May the Red Rose Live Alway" is published in the United States. * April 4 – Los Angeles is incorporated as a cit ...

– Sophie Bryant, Irish mathematician, academic and activist (d. 1922) *

1851 Events January–March * January 11 – Hong Xiuquan officially begins the Taiping Rebellion. * January 15 – Christian Female College, modern-day Columbia College, receives its charter from the Missouri General Assembly. ...

– Spiru Haret, Romanian mathematician, astronomer, and politician, 55th Romanian Minister of Internal Affairs (d. 1912) *

1856 Events January–March * January 8 – Borax deposits are discovered in large quantities by John Veatch in California. * January 23 – American paddle steamer SS ''Pacific'' leaves Liverpool (England) for a transatlantic voyag ...

– Emil Kraepelin, German psychiatrist and academic (d. 1926) *

1861 Statistically, this year is considered the end of the whale oil industry and (in replacement) the beginning of the petroleum oil industry. Events January–March * January 1 ** Benito Juárez captures Mexico City. ** The first steam-p ...

– Charles Édouard Guillaume, Swiss-French physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1938) * 1861 –

Alfred North Whitehead Alfred North Whitehead (15 February 1861 – 30 December 1947) was an English mathematician and philosopher. He is best known as the defining figure of the philosophical school known as process philosophy, which today has found applicat ...

, English mathematician and philosopher (d. 1947) *

1873 Events January–March * 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 ...

– Hans von Euler-Chelpin, German-Swedish biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1964) *

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 &ndas ...

– Ernest Shackleton, Anglo-Irish captain and explorer (d. 1922) *

1883 Events January–March * January 4 – ''Life'' magazine is founded in Los Angeles, California, United States. * January 10 – A fire at the Newhall Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, kills 73 people. * Janua ...

– Sax Rohmer, English-American author (d. 1959) *

1890 Events January–March * January 1 ** The Kingdom of Italy establishes Eritrea as its colony, in the Horn of Africa. ** In Michigan, the wooden steamer ''Mackinaw'' burns in a fire on the Black River. * January 2 ** The steamship ...

– Robert Ley, German politician (d. 1945) *

1892 Events January–March * January 1 – Ellis Island begins accommodating immigrants to the United States. * February 1 - The historic Enterprise Bar and Grill was established in Rico, Colorado. * February 27 – Rudolf Diesel applies for ...

– James Forrestal, American lieutenant and politician, 1st United States Secretary of Defense (d. 1949) *

1893 Events January–March * January 2 – Webb C. Ball introduces railroad chronometers, which become the general railroad timepiece standards in North America. * Mark Twain started writing Puddn'head Wilson. * January 6 – Th ...

–

Roman Najuch Roman Najuch (15 February 1893 – 1967) was a professional tennis player and teacher based in Germany. He was born in a location of today's Poland belonging to the Russian Empire at that time. His family moved to Germany, caused by revo ...

, Polish professional tennis player (d. 1967) *

1897 Events January–March * January 2 – The International Alpha Omicron Pi sorority is founded, in New York City. * January 4 – A British force is ambushed by Chief Ologbosere, son-in-law of the ruler. This leads to a puniti ...

– Gerrit Kleerekoper, Dutch gymnast and coach (d. 1943) *

– Totò, Italian actor, singer, and screenwriter (d. 1967) *

– Georges Auric, French composer (d. 1983) * 1899 – Gale Sondergaard, Danish-American actress (d. 1985)

1901–present

1904 Events January * January 7 – The distress signal ''CQD'' is established, only to be replaced 2 years later by ''SOS''. * January 8 – The Blackstone Library is dedicated, marking the beginning of the Chicago Public Library system. * ...

– Mary Adshead, English painter (d. 1995) * 1904 –

Antonin Magne Antonin Magne (; 15 February 1904 – 8 September 1983) was a French cyclist who won the Tour de France in 1931 and 1934. He raced as a professional from 1927 to 1939 and then became a team manager. The French rider and then journalist, Jean Bo ...

, French cyclist and manager (d. 1983) *

1905 As the second year of the massive Russo-Japanese War begins, more than 100,000 die in the largest world battles of that era, and the war chaos leads to the 1905 Russian Revolution against Nicholas II of Russia (Shostakovich's 11th Symphony i ...

–

Harold Arlen Harold Arlen (born Hyman Arluck; February 15, 1905 – April 23, 1986) was an American composer of popular music, who composed over 500 songs, a number of which have become known worldwide. In addition to composing the songs for the 1939 film ...

, American composer (d. 1986) *

1907 Events January * January 14 – 1907 Kingston earthquake: A 6.5 Mw earthquake in Kingston, Jamaica, kills between 800 and 1,000. February * February 11 – The French warship ''Jean Bart'' sinks off the coast of Morocco. ...

– Jean Langlais, French organist and composer (d. 1991) * 1907 – Cesar Romero, American actor (d. 1994) *

1908 Events January * January 1 – The British ''Nimrod'' Expedition led by Ernest Shackleton sets sail from New Zealand on the ''Nimrod'' for Antarctica. * January 3 – A total solar eclipse is visible in the Pacific Ocean, and is the 46 ...

–

Sarto Fournier Sarto Fournier (15 February 1908 – 23 July 1980) Obituary, age 72. was a Canadian politician. He served as mayor of Montreal from 1957 to 1960. Biography Born in East Broughton, Quebec to a family of Quebecois and Italian-Canadian orig ...

, Canadian lawyer and politician, 38th Mayor of Montreal (d. 1980) *

– Miep Gies, Austrian-Dutch humanitarian, helped hide Anne Frank and her family (d. 2010) *

1910 Events January * January 13 – The first public radio broadcast takes place; live performances of the operas '' Cavalleria rusticana'' and ''Pagliacci'' are sent out over the airwaves, from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York C ...

– Irena Sendler, Polish nurse and humanitarian,

Righteous Gentile Righteous gentile may refer to: * ''Noachide'', a gentile who follows the Seven Laws of Noah * ''Ger toshav,'' ("resident alien") gentile (non-Jew) living in the Land of Israel who follows the Seven Laws of Noah * Righteous Among the Nations Ri ...

(d. 2008) *

1912 Events January * January 1 – The Republic of China (1912–49), Republic of China is established. * January 5 – The Prague Conference (6th All-Russian Conference of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party) opens. * January 6 ...

–

George Mikes George Mikes ( hu, Mikes György, ; 15 February 1912 – 30 August 1987) was a Hungarian-born British journalist, humorist and writer, best known for his humorous commentaries on various countries. Life George Mikes ( Hungarian: ) was born ...

, Hungarian-English journalist and author (d. 1987) *

1913 Events January * January 5 – First Balkan War: Battle of Lemnos (1913), Battle of Lemnos – Greek admiral Pavlos Kountouriotis forces the Turkish fleet to retreat to its base within the Dardanelles, from which it will not ven ...

– Erich Eliskases, Austrian chess player (d. 1997) *

1914 This year saw the beginning of what became known as World War I, after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austrian throne was Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, assassinated by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip. It als ...

– Hale Boggs, American lawyer and politician (d. 1972) * 1914 – Kevin McCarthy, American actor (d. 2010) *

1916 Events Below, the events of the First World War have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 1 – The British Royal Army Medical Corps carries out the first successful blood transfusion, using blood that had been stored and cooled. * ...

– Mary Jane Croft, American actress (d. 1999) *

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 ...

– Allan Arbus, American actor and photographer (d. 2013) * 1918 – Hank Locklin, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2009) *

1919 Events January * January 1 ** The Czechoslovak Legions occupy much of the self-proclaimed "free city" of Pressburg (now Bratislava), enforcing its incorporation into the new republic of Czechoslovakia. ** HMY ''Iolaire'' sinks off the c ...

– Ducky Detweiler, American baseball player and manager (d. 2013) *

1920 Events January * January 1 ** Polish–Soviet War in 1920: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20. ** Kauniainen, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its own ma ...

– Endicott Peabody, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 62nd Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1997) * 1920 – Eio Sakata, Japanese Go player (d. 2010) *

1922 Events January * January 7 – Dáil Éireann (Irish Republic), Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes. * January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éirean ...

–

John B. Anderson John Bayard Anderson (February 15, 1922 – December 3, 2017) was an American lawyer and politician who served in the United States House of Representatives, representing Illinois's 16th congressional district from 1961 to 1981. A member o ...

, Swedish-American lawyer and politician (d. 2017) *

– Yelena Bonner, Soviet-Russian activist (d. 2011) *

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 hol ...

– Robert Drew, American director and producer (d. 2014) *

–

Angella D. Ferguson Angella Dorothea Ferguson (born February 15, 1925) is an American pediatrician known for her groundbreaking research on sickle cell disease. Early life and education Angella Dorothea Ferguson was born in Washington, D.C. to George Alonzo Fergus ...

, American pediatrician *

1927 Events January * January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith becomes the first Director-General. * January 7 * ...

– Frank Dunlop, English actor and director * 1927 – Harvey Korman, American actor and comedian (d. 2008) * 1927 – Yehoshua Neuwirth, Israeli rabbi and scholar (d. 2013) *

1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhanov, J ...

– Joseph Willcox Jenkins, American composer, conductor, and educator (d. 2014) *

1929 This year marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in a worldwide Great Depression. In the Americas, an agreement was brokered to end the Cristero War, a Catholic ...

–

Graham Hill Norman Graham Hill (15 February 1929 – 29 November 1975) was a British racing driver and team owner, who was the Formula One World Champion twice, winning in and as well as being runner up on three occasions (1963, 1964 and 1965). Despite ...

, English racing driver and businessman (d. 1975) * 1929 – James R. Schlesinger, American economist and politician, 12th United States Secretary of Defense (d. 2014) *

1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be ...

– Bruce Dawe, Australian poet and academic (d. 2020) *

1931 Events January * January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics. * January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa. * January 22 – Sir I ...

– Claire Bloom, English actress * 1931 – Jonathan Steele, English journalist and author *

1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...

–

Jimmy Bloomfield James Henry Bloomfield (15 February 1934 – 3 April 1983) was an English football player and manager. He made nearly 500 appearances in the Football League, including more than 300 in the First Division with Arsenal, Birmingham City and West H ...

, English footballer and manager (d. 1983) * 1934 – Graham Kennedy, Australian television host and actor (d. 2005) * 1934 – Niklaus Wirth, Swiss computer scientist, created the Pascal (programming language), Pascal programming language * 1934 – Abe Woodson, American football player and minister (d. 2014) *1935 – Susan Brownmiller, American journalist and author * 1935 – Roger B. Chaffee, American lieutenant, engineer, and astronaut (d. 1967) * 1935 – Gene Hickerson, American football player (d. 2008) *1937 – Gregory Mcdonald, American author (d. 2008) * 1937 – Coen Moulijn, Dutch footballer (d. 2011) *1940 – İsmail Cem İpekçi, Turkish journalist and politician, 45th List of Ministers of Foreign Affairs (Turkey), Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 2007) * 1940 – Hamzah Haz, Indonesian journalist and politician, 9th Vice President of Indonesia *1941 – Florinda Bolkan, Brazilian actress * 1941 – Brian Holland, American songwriter and producer *

– Jack Dann, American-Australian author and poet * 1945 – Douglas Hofstadter, American author and academic *

– John Trudell, American author, poet, and actor (d. 2015) * 1946 – Clare Short, English civil servant and politician, Secretary of State for International Development *1947 – John Adams (composer), John Adams, American composer * 1947 – Marisa Berenson, American model and actress *1948 – Art Spiegelman, Swedish-American cartoonist and critic *1951 – Markku Alén, Finnish racing driver * 1951 – Melissa Manchester, American singer-songwriter and actress * 1951 – Jane Seymour (actress), Jane Seymour, English-American actress, producer, and jewelry designer *

– Tomislav Nikolić, Serbian politician, 4th President of Serbia * 1952 – Nikolai Sorokin, Russian actor and director (d. 2013) *1953 – Ernie Howe, English footballer and manager * 1953 – Lynn Whitfield, American actress and producer *

– Matt Groening, American animator, producer, and screenwriter *1955 – Janice Dickinson, American model, agent, and author *1956 – Desmond Haynes, Barbadian cricketer and coach * 1956 – Ann Westin, Swedish comedian *1958 – Chrystine Brouillet, Canadian author * 1958 – Tony McKegney, Canadian ice hockey player * 1958 – Matthew Ward (singer), Matthew Ward, American singer-songwriter *1959 – Ali Campbell, English singer-songwriter and guitarist * 1959 – Brian Propp, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster * 1959 – Hugo Savinovich, Ecuadorian wrestler and sportscaster *1960 – Darrell Green, American football player * 1960 – Jock Hobbs, New Zealand rugby player (d. 2012) *1962 – Milo Đukanović, Montenegrin politician, 29th Prime Minister of Montenegro *1964 – Chris Farley, American comedian and actor (d. 1997) * 1964 – Leland D. Melvin, American engineer and astronaut * 1964 – Mark Price, American basketball player and coach *

– Craig Matthews, South African cricketer *1967 – Jane Child, Canadian singer-songwriter and producer * 1967 – Syed Kamall, English academic and politician * 1967 – Craig Simpson, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster *1969 – Birdman (rapper), Birdman, American rapper and producer *1970 – Shepard Fairey, American artist and activist *

– Alex Borstein, American actress, voice artist, producer, and screenwriter * 1971 – Renee O'Connor, American actress, director, and producer *

– Jaromír Jágr, Czech ice hockey player *1973 – Kateřina Neumannová, Czech skier * 1973 – Amy van Dyken, American swimmer *1974 – Miranda July, American actress, director, and screenwriter * 1974 – Ugueth Urbina, Venezuelan baseball player * 1974 – Alexander Wurz, Austrian racing driver and businessman *1975 – Serge Aubin, Canadian ice hockey player and coach * 1975 – Annemarie Kramer, Dutch sprinter * 1975 – Brendon Small, American animator, producer, screenwriter, and actor *1976 – Brandon Boyd, American singer-songwriter * 1976 – Óscar Freire, Spanish cyclist *1979 – Hamish Marshall, New Zealand cricketer * 1979 – James Marshall (cricketer), James Marshall, New Zealand cricketer *1980 – Conor Oberst, American singer-songwriter *1981 – Heurelho Gomes, Brazilian international footballer * 1981 – Matt Hoopes, American singer-songwriter and guitarist * 1981 – Rita Jeptoo, Kenyan runner * 1981 – Diego Martínez (Mexican footballer, born 1981), Diego Martínez, Mexican footballer * 1981 – Vivek Shraya, Canadian singer and songwriter *

– Shameka Christon, American basketball player * 1982 – James Yap, Filipino basketball player *1983 – Don Cowie (footballer), Don Cowie, Scottish footballer * 1983 – David Degen, Swiss footballer * 1983 – Philipp Degen, Swiss footballer * 1983 – Russell Martin (baseball), Russell Martin, Canadian baseball player *1985 – Serkan Kırıntılı, Turkish footballer *1986 – Valeri Bojinov, Bulgarian footballer * 1986 – Johnny Cueto, Dominican baseball player * 1986 – Laura Sallés, Andorran judoka *1987 – Jarrod Sammut, Australian rugby league player *1988 – Tim Mannah, Australian-born Lebanese rugby league player * 1988 – Rui Patrício, Portuguese footballer * 1988 – Papu Gómez, Argentine footballer *

– Ángel Sepúlveda, Mexican footballer *1993 – Ravi (rapper), Ravi, South Korean rapper *1994 – Sodapoppin, American Twitch streamer and Internet personality *1995 – Megan Thee Stallion, American rapper *1997 – Derrick Jones Jr., American basketball player *1998 – George Russell (racing driver), George Russell, English racing driver

Deaths

Pre-1600

* 670 – Oswiu, king of Northumbria (b. c. 612) *

– Leontios, Byzantine emperor * 706 – Tiberios III, Byzantine emperor * 815 – Ibn Tabataba, Zaydi anti-caliph * 956 – Su Yugui, Chinese chancellor (b. 895) *1043 – Gisela of Swabia, Holy Roman Empress (b. 990) *1145 – Pope Lucius II, Lucius II, pope of the Catholic Church *1152 – Conrad III of Germany, Conrad III, king of Germany (b. 1093) *1382 – William de Ufford, 2nd Earl of Suffolk (b. c. 1339) *1417 – Richard de Vere, 11th Earl of Oxford, English commander (b. 1385) *1508 – Giovanni II Bentivoglio, tyrant of Bologna (b. 1443) *1600 – José de Acosta, Spanish Jesuit missionary and naturalist (b. 1540)

1601–1900

*1621 – Michael Praetorius, German organist and composer (b. 1571) *

– Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1578) *1738 – Matthias Braun, Czech sculptor (b. 1684) *1781 – Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, German philosopher, author, and critic (b. 1729) *1818 – Frederick Louis, Prince of Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen (b. 1746) *

– Henry Hunt (politician), Henry Hunt, English farmer and politician (b. 1773) *1839 – François-Marie-Thomas Chevalier de Lorimier, Canadian rebel (b. 1803) *1842 – Archibald Menzies, Scottish surgeon and botanist (b. 1754) *1844 – Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1757) *

– Germinal Pierre Dandelin, Belgian mathematician and engineer (b. 1794) *1848 – Hermann von Boyen, Prussian general and politician, Prussian Minister of War (b. 1771) *

– Pierre François Verhulst, Belgian mathematician and theorist (b. 1804) *1857 – Mikhail Glinka, Russian composer (b. 1804) *1869 – Ghalib, Indian poet and educator (b. 1796) *1885 – Gregor von Helmersen, Estonian-Russian geologist and engineer (b. 1803) * 1885 – Leopold Damrosch, German-American composer and conductor (b. 1832) *

– Dimitrie Ghica, Romanian lawyer and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Romania (b. 1816)

1901–present

– Lew Wallace, American author, general, and politician, 11th Governor of New Mexico Territory (b. 1827) *1911 – Theodor Escherich, German-Austrian pediatrician and academic (b. 1859) *

– Lionel Monckton, English composer (b. 1861) *

– H. H. Asquith, English lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1852) *1932 – Minnie Maddern Fiske, American actress and playwright (b. 1865) *

– Pat Sullivan (film producer), Pat Sullivan, Australian animator and producer, co-created ''Felix the Cat'' (b. 1887) *1939 – Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin, Russian painter and author (b. 1878) *1956 – Vincent de Moro-Giafferi, French lawyer and politician (b. 1878) *1959 – Owen Willans Richardson, English physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1879) *

– Laurence Owen, American figure skater (b. 1944) *

– Nat King Cole, American singer and pianist (b. 1919) *1966 – Gerard Antoni Ciołek, Polish architect and historian (b. 1909) * 1966 – Camilo Torres Restrepo, Colombian priest and theologian (b. 1929) *1967 – Antonio Moreno, Spanish-American actor and director (b. 1887) *1970 – Hugh Dowding, 1st Baron Dowding, Scottish air marshal (b. 1882) *1973 – Wally Cox, American actor (b. 1924) *1974 – Kurt Atterberg, Swedish composer and engineer (b. 1887) *1981 – Mike Bloomfield, American guitarist and songwriter (b. 1943) * 1981 – Karl Richter (conductor), Karl Richter, German organist and conductor (b. 1926) *1984 – Ethel Merman, American actress and singer (b. 1908) *1988 – Richard Feynman, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1918) *

– María Elena Moyano, Peruvian activist (b. 1960) * 1992 – William Schuman, American composer and academic (b. 1910) *

– McLean Stevenson, American actor (b. 1929) *1998 – Martha Gellhorn, American journalist and author (b. 1908) *1999 – Henry Way Kendall, American physicist and mountaineer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1926) *2000 – Angus MacLean, Canadian commander and politician, 25th Premier of Prince Edward Island (b. 1914) *2002 – Howard K. Smith, American journalist and actor (b. 1914) * 2002 – Kevin Smith (New Zealand actor), Kevin Smith, New Zealand actor (b. 1963) *2004 – Jens Evensen, Norwegian lawyer, judge, and politician, Minister of Trade and Shipping, Norwegian Minister of Trade (b. 1917) *2005 – Pierre Bachelet, French singer-songwriter (b.

) * 2005 – Sam Francis (writer), Sam Francis, American historian and journalist (b. 1947) *2007 – Walker Edmiston, American actor (b.

) * 2007 – Ray Evans, American songwriter (b. 1915) *2008 – Johnny Weaver, American wrestler and sportscaster (b. 1935) *

– Jeanne M. Holm, American general (b. 1921) *

– Cyril Domb, English-Israeli physicist and academic (b. 1920) *

– Sanan Kachornprasart, Thai general and politician (b. 1935) * 2013 – Ahmed Rajib Haider, Bangladeshi atheist blogger *2014 – Thelma Estrin, American computer scientist and engineer (b. 1924) * 2014 – Christopher Malcolm, Scottish-Canadian actor, director, and producer (b. 1946) *2015 – Haron Amin, Afghan diplomat, Afghan Ambassador to Japan (b. 1969) * 2015 – Arnaud de Borchgrave, American journalist and author (b. 1926) * 2015 – Steve Montador, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1979) *2016 – George Gaynes, Finnish-American actor (b. 1917) * 2016 – Vanity (singer), Vanity, Canadian-American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress (b. 1959) *2017 – Stuart McLean, Canadian radio broadcaster (b. 1948) *2019 – Lee Radziwill, American socialite (b. 1933) *2020 – Caroline Flack, English actress and TV presenter (b. 1979)

Holidays and observances

* Christian feast day: ** Beatification, Blessed Michał Sopoćko ** Claude de la Colombière ** Faustinus and Jovita ** Oswiu ** Quinidius ** Sigfrid of Sweden ** Thomas Bray (Calendar of saints (Episcopal Church), Episcopal Church) ** Walfrid ** February 15 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) *Earliest day on which Family Day (Canada), Family Day can fall, while February 21 is the latest; celebrated on the third Monday in February. (parts of Canada) *Earliest day on which Washington's Birthday can fall, while February 21 is the latest; celebrated on the third Monday in February. (United States) * International Duties Memorial Day (Russia, regional) * John Frum Day (Vanuatu) * Liberation Day (Afghanistan) * National Flag of Canada Day (Canada) * Parinirvana Day, also celebrated on February 8. (Mahayana Buddhism) * Singles Awareness Day * Statehood Day (Serbia) * Susan B. Anthony Day (Florida, United States) * The ENIAC Day ( Philadelphia, United States) * Total Defence Day (Singapore)

References

External links

BBC: On This Day
*
Historical Events on February 15
{{months Days of the year February