Events
Pre-1600
*
379 – Emperor
Gratian elevates
Flavius Theodosius at
Sirmium
Sirmium was a city in the Roman province of Pannonia, located on the Sava river, on the site of modern Sremska Mitrovica in the Vojvodina autonomous province of Serbia. First mentioned in the 4th century BC and originally inhabited by Illyrians ...
to ''
Augustus'', and gives him authority over all the eastern provinces of the
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...
.
*
649 –
Conquest of Kucha: The forces of Kucha surrender after a forty-day
siege
A siege () . is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or by well-prepared assault. Siege warfare (also called siegecrafts or poliorcetics) is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict charact ...
led by
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 ...
general Ashina She'er, establishing Tang control over the northern
Tarim Basin in
Xinjiang
Xinjiang,; , SASM/GNC romanization, SASM/GNC: Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Sinkiang, officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People' ...
.
*
1419 –
Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a conflict between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France and a civil war in France during the Late Middle Ages. It emerged from feudal disputes over the Duchy ...
:
Rouen
Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine, in northwestern France. It is in the prefecture of Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one ...
surrenders to
Henry V of England
Henry V (16 September 1386 – 31 August 1422), also called Henry of Monmouth, was King of England from 1413 until his death in 1422. Despite his relatively short reign, Henry's outstanding military successes in the Hundred Years' War against ...
, completing his reconquest of
Normandy
Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy.
Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...
.
*
1511 – The Italian Duchy of
Mirandola surrenders to the Pope.
*
1520 –
Sten Sture the Younger, the
Regent of Sweden, is mortally wounded at the
Battle of Bogesund and dies on February 3.
1601–1900
*
1607 –
San Agustin Church in Manila is officially completed; it is the oldest church still standing in the
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
.
*
1639
Events
January–March
* January 19 – Hämeenlinna () is granted privileges, after it separates from the Vanaja parish, as its own city in Tavastia.
*c. January – The first printing press in British North America is ...
–
Hämeenlinna () is granted
privileges after it separated from the
Vanaja parish as its own city in
Tavastia.
*
1764 –
John Wilkes
John Wilkes (17 October 1725 – 26 December 1797) was an English Radicalism (historical), radical journalist and politician, as well as a magistrate, essayist and soldier. He was first elected a Member of Parliament in 1757. In the Middlese ...
is expelled from the
British House of Commons for
seditious libel.
*
1764 –
Bolle Willum Luxdorph records in his diary that a
mail bomb, possibly the world's first, has severely injured the Danish Colonel Poulsen, residing at
Børglum Abbey.
*
1788 – The second group of ships of the
First Fleet
The First Fleet were eleven British ships which transported a group of settlers to mainland Australia, marking the beginning of the History of Australia (1788–1850), European colonisation of Australia. It consisted of two Royal Navy vessel ...
arrive at
Botany Bay
Botany Bay (Dharawal language, Dharawal: ''Kamay'') is an open oceanic embayment, located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, south of the Sydney central business district. Its source is the confluence of the Georges River at Taren Point a ...
.
*
1795
Events
January–June
* January – Central England records its coldest ever month, in the CET records dating back to 1659.
* January 14 – The University of North Carolina opens to students at Chapel Hill, becoming the ...
– The
Batavian Republic
The Batavian Republic (; ) was the Succession of states, successor state to the Dutch Republic, Republic of the Seven United Netherlands. It was proclaimed on 19 January 1795 after the Batavian Revolution and ended on 5 June 1806, with the acce ...
is proclaimed in the Netherlands, replacing the
Dutch Republic
The United Provinces of the Netherlands, commonly referred to in historiography as the Dutch Republic, was a confederation that existed from 1579 until the Batavian Revolution in 1795. It was a predecessor state of the present-day Netherlands ...
.
*
1817 – An army of 5,423 soldiers, led by General
José de San Martín,
crosses the Andes from
Argentina
Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
to liberate
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
and then
Peru
Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
.
*
1829 –
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang (von) Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on Western literature, literary, Polit ...
's ''
Faust: The First Part of the Tragedy'' receives its premiere performance.
*
1839 – The
British East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...
captures
Aden
Aden () is a port city located in Yemen in the southern part of the Arabian peninsula, on the north coast of the Gulf of Aden, positioned near the eastern approach to the Red Sea. It is situated approximately 170 km (110 mi) east of ...
.
*
1853 –
Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi ( ; ; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for List of compositions by Giuseppe Verdi, his operas. He was born near Busseto, a small town in the province of Parma ...
's opera ''
Il trovatore'' receives its premiere performance in Rome.
*
1861 –
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 ...
:
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States
Georgia may also refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
joins
South Carolina
South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
,
Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
,
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 ...
, and
Alabama
Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
in declaring
secession
Secession is the formal withdrawal of a group from a Polity, political entity. The process begins once a group proclaims an act of secession (such as a declaration of independence). A secession attempt might be violent or peaceful, but the goal i ...
from the United States.
*
1862 – American Civil War:
Battle of Mill Springs: The
Confederacy suffers its first significant defeat in the conflict.
*
1871 –
Franco-Prussian War: In the
Siege of Paris,
Prussia
Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...
wins the
Battle of St. Quentin. Meanwhile, the French attempt to break the siege in the
Battle of Buzenval will end unsuccessfully the following day.
*
1883 – The first electric lighting system employing overhead wires, built by
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison (February11, 1847October18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventions, ...
, begins service at
Roselle, New Jersey.
*
1899 –
Anglo-Egyptian Sudan
Anglo-Egyptian Sudan ( ') was a condominium (international law), condominium of the United Kingdom and Kingdom of Egypt, Egypt between 1899 and 1956, corresponding mostly to the territory of present-day South Sudan and Sudan. Legally, sovereig ...
is formed.
1901–present
*
1901 –
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...
, Queen of the United Kingdom, stricken with paralysis. She dies three days later at the age of 81.
*
1915 –
Georges Claude patents the
neon discharge tube
A gas-filled tube, also commonly known as a discharge tube or formerly as a Julius Plücker, Plücker tube, is an arrangement of electrodes in a gas within an dielectric, insulating, temperature-resistant envelope. Gas-filled tubes exploit phen ...
for use in advertising.
* 1915 –
German strategic bombing during World War I: German zeppelins bomb the towns of
Great Yarmouth and
King's Lynn in the United Kingdom killing at least 20 people, in the first major aerial bombardment of a civilian target.
*
1917 –
Silvertown explosion: A blast at a munitions factory in London kills 73 and injures over 400. The resulting fire causes over £2,000,000 worth of damage.
*
1920 – The
United States Senate
The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...
votes against
joining the
League of Nations
The League of Nations (LN or LoN; , SdN) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference (1919–1920), Paris Peace ...
.
* 1920 – The
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is an American nonprofit civil rights organization founded in 1920. ACLU affiliates are active in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. The budget of the ACLU in 2024 was $383 million.
T ...
(ACLU) is founded.
*
1937 –
Howard Hughes
Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American Aerospace engineering, aerospace engineer, business magnate, film producer, and investor. He was The World's Billionaires, one of the richest and most influential peo ...
sets a new
air record by flying from Los Angeles to New York City in seven hours, 28 minutes, 25 seconds.
*
1941 –
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 ...
: and other escorts of convoy AS-12 sink Italian submarine with all hands northeast of
Falkonera.
*
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: The
Japanese conquest of Burma begins.
*
1945 – World War II:
Soviet
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 ...
forces liberate the
Łódź Ghetto. Of more than 200,000 inhabitants in 1940, fewer than 900 had survived the
Nazi
Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...
occupation.
*
1946
1946 (Roman numerals, MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1946th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 946th year of the 2nd millennium, the 46th year of the 20th centur ...
– General
Douglas MacArthur establishes the
International Military Tribunal for the Far East in Tokyo to try Japanese
war criminals.
*
1953
Events
January
* January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma.
* January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a Estonian government-in-exile, government-in-exile in Oslo.
* January 14
** Marshal Josip Broz Tito ...
– Almost 72 percent of all television sets in the United States are tuned into ''
I Love Lucy'' to watch
Lucy give birth.
*
1960 – Japan and the United States sign the
US–Japan Mutual Security Treaty
* 1960 –
Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 871 crashes near
Ankara Esenboğa Airport in Turkey, killing all 42 aboard.
*
1969 – Student
Jan Palach dies after setting himself on fire three days earlier in
Prague
Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
's
Wenceslas Square to protest about the
invasion of
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...
by 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 ...
in 1968. His funeral turns into another major protest.
*
1977 – President
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. (born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was the 38th president of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, Ford assumed the p ...
pardons
Iva Toguri D'Aquino (a.k.a. "
Tokyo Rose").
*
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 ...
– The last
Volkswagen Beetle
The Volkswagen Beetle, officially the Volkswagen Type 1, is a small family car produced by the German company Volkswagen from 1938 to 2003. One of the most iconic cars in automotive history, the Beetle is noted for its distinctive shape. Its pr ...
made in Germany leaves VW's plant in
Emden
Emden () is an Independent city (Germany), independent town and seaport in Lower Saxony in the north-west of Germany and lies on the River Ems (river), Ems, close to the Germany–Netherlands border, Netherlands border. It is the main town in t ...
. Beetle production in Latin America continues until 2003.
*
1981 –
Iran hostage crisis
The Iran hostage crisis () began on November 4, 1979, when 66 Americans, including diplomats and other civilian personnel, were taken hostage at the Embassy of the United States in Tehran, with 52 of them being held until January 20, 1981. Th ...
: United States and
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
ian officials sign an agreement to release 52 American hostages after 14 months of captivity.
*
1988 –
Trans-Colorado Airlines Flight 2286 crashes in
Bayfield, Colorado, killing nine.
[ ]
Copy at
Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University.
*
1990 –
Exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the
Kashmir valley in
Indian-administered Kashmir due to an
insurgency
An insurgency is a violent, armed rebellion by small, lightly armed bands who practice guerrilla warfare against a larger authority. The key descriptive feature of insurgency is its asymmetric warfare, asymmetric nature: small irregular forces ...
.
*
1991 –
Gulf War
, combatant2 =
, commander1 =
, commander2 =
, strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems
, page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...
:
Iraq
Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
fires a second
Scud missile into Israel, causing 15 injuries.
*
1993 –
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...
and
Slovakia
Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...
join the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
.
*
1995 – After being struck by lightning the crew of
Bristow Helicopters Flight 56C are forced to ditch. All 18 aboard are later rescued.
*
1996 – The barge ''
North Cape'' oil spill occurs as an engine fire forces the tugboat ''Scandia'' ashore on Moonstone Beach in
South Kingstown, Rhode Island.
*
1997 –
Yasser Arafat
Yasser Arafat (4 or 24 August 1929 – 11 November 2004), also popularly known by his Kunya (Arabic), kunya Abu Ammar, was a Palestinian political leader. He was chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) from 1969 to 2004, Presid ...
returns to
Hebron
Hebron (; , or ; , ) is a Palestinian city in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Hebron is capital of the Hebron Governorate, the largest Governorates of Palestine, governorate in the West Bank. With a population of 201,063 in ...
after more than 30 years and joins celebrations over the handover of the last Israeli-controlled
West Bank
The West Bank is located on the western bank of the Jordan River and is the larger of the two Palestinian territories (the other being the Gaza Strip) that make up the State of Palestine. A landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...
city.
*
1999
1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons.
Events January
* January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers.
* January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
–
British Aerospace agrees to acquire the defence subsidiary of the
General Electric Company, forming
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British Multinational corporation, multinational Aerospace industry, aerospace, military technology, military and information security company, based in London. It is the largest manufacturer in Britain as of 2017. It is ...
in November 1999.
*
2006 – A
Slovak Air Force Antonov An-24 crashes near
Hejce, Hungary, killing 42.
*
2007 – Turkish-Armenian journalist
Hrant Dink is
assassinated in front of his newspaper's Istanbul office by 17-year-old Turkish ultra-nationalist Ogün Samast.
* 2007 – Four-man
Team N2i, using only
skis and kites, completes a trek to reach the
Antarctic pole of inaccessibility for the first time since 1965 and for the first time ever without mechanical assistance.
*
2012
2012 was designated as:
*International Year of Cooperatives
*International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
Events January
*January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins.
* January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
– The Hong Kong-based file-sharing website
Megaupload is shut down by the
FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
.
*
2014
The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
– A
bomb attack on an army convoy in the city of
Bannu kills at least 26 Pakistani soldiers and injures 38 others.
*
2024 – The
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's probe landed on the moon, making Japan the 5th country to land a spacecraft on the moon.
*
2025
So far, the year has seen the continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudanese civil war, and the Gaza war. Internal crises in Bangladesh post-resignation v ...
–
Bytedance and sister companies were banned from the United States for "security concerns".
Births
Pre-1600
*
399 –
Pulcheria, Byzantine empress and saint (died 453)
*
1200 –
Dōgen Zenji, founder of
Sōtō Zen (died 1253)
*
1544
__NOTOC__
Events
January–March
* January 4 – In India, Maldeo Rathore, King of Marwar (now part of the state of Rajasthan) is tricked by counterintelligence spread by Mughal Empire, Mughal Emperor and Afghan Shah Sher Shah Su ...
–
Francis II of France (died 1560)
1601–1900
*
1617 –
Lucas Faydherbe, Flemish sculptor and architect (died 1697)
*
1628 –
Charles Stanley, 8th Earl of Derby, English noble (died 1672)
*
1676 –
John Weldon, English organist and composer (died 1736)
*
1721 –
Jean-Philippe Baratier, German scholar and author (died 1740)
*
1736 –
James Watt, Scottish chemist and engineer (died 1819)
*
1737 –
Giuseppe Millico, Italian soprano, composer, and educator (died 1802)
*
1739 –
Joseph Bonomi the Elder, Italian architect, designed
Longford Hall and
Barrells Hall (died 1808)
*
1752 –
James Morris III, American captain (died 1820)
*
1757 –
Countess Augusta Reuss of Ebersdorf (died 1831)
*
1788 –
Pavel Kiselyov, Russian general and politician (died 1874)
*
1790 –
Per Daniel Amadeus Atterbom, Swedish poet and academic (died 1855)
*
1798 –
Auguste Comte
Isidore Auguste Marie François Xavier Comte (; ; 19 January 1798 – 5 September 1857) was a French philosopher, mathematician and writer who formulated the doctrine of positivism. He is often regarded as the first philosopher of science in the ...
, French economist, sociologist, and philosopher (died 1857)
*
1803 –
Sarah Helen Whitman, American poet, essayist, and romantic interest of
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe (; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre. He is widely re ...
(died 1878)
*
1807 –
Robert E. Lee, American Confederate general (died 1870)
*
1808 –
Lysander Spooner, American philosopher and author (died 1887)
*
1809 –
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe (; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre. He is widely re ...
, American short story writer, poet, and critic (died 1849)
*
1810 –
Talhaiarn, Welsh poet and architect (died 1869)
*
1813 –
Henry Bessemer, English engineer and businessman (died 1898)
*
1832 –
Ferdinand Laub, Czech violinist and composer (died 1875)
*
1833 –
Alfred Clebsch, German mathematician and academic (died 1872)
*
1839 –
Paul Cézanne, French painter (died 1906)
*
1840 –
Dethloff Willrodt, American Civil War veteran and politician (died 1932)
*
1848 –
Arturo Graf, Italian poet, of German ancestry (died 1913)
* 1848 –
John Fitzwilliam Stairs, Canadian businessman and politician (died 1904)
* 1848 –
Matthew Webb, English swimmer and diver (died 1883)
*
1851 –
Jacobus Kapteyn, Dutch astronomer and academic (died 1922)
*
1852 –
Thomas Price, Welsh-Australian politician, 24th
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)
*
1863 –
Werner Sombart, German economist and sociologist (died 1941)
*
1866 –
Harry Davenport, American stage and film actor (died 1949)
*
1871 –
Dame Gruev, Bulgarian educator and activist, co-founded the
Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (died 1906)
*
1874 –
Hitachiyama Taniemon, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 19th
Yokozuna (died 1922)
*
1876
Events
January
* January 1
** The Reichsbank opens in Berlin.
** The Bass Brewery Red Triangle becomes the world's first registered trademark symbol.
*January 27 – The Northampton Bank robbery occurs in Massachusetts.
February
* Febr ...
–
Wakashima Gonshirō, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 21st
Yokozuna (died 1943)
* 1876 –
Dragotin Kette, Slovenian poet and author (died 1899)
*
1878 –
Herbert Chapman, English footballer and manager (died 1934)
*
1879 –
Boris Savinkov, Russian soldier and author (died 1925)
*
1882 –
John Cain Sr., Australian politician, 34th
Premier of Victoria (died 1957)
*
1883 –
Hermann Abendroth, German conductor (died 1956)
*
1887 –
Alexander Woollcott, American actor, playwright, and critic (died 1943)
*
1889 –
Sophie Taeuber-Arp, Swiss painter and sculptor (died 1943)
*
1892 –
Ólafur Thors, Icelandic lawyer and politician,
Prime Minister of Iceland (died 1964)
*
1893 –
Magda Tagliaferro, Brazilian pianist and educator (died 1986)
1901–present
*
1901 –
Dunc Munro, Scottish-Canadian ice hockey player and coach (died 1958)
*
1903 –
Boris Blacher, German composer and playwright (died 1975)
* 1903 –
Dyre Vaa, Norwegian sculptor and painter (died 1980)
*
1905 –
Stanley Hawes, English-Australian director and producer (died 1991)
*
1908 –
Ish Kabibble, American comedian and cornet player (died 1994)
* 1908 –
Aleksandr Gennadievich Kurosh, Russian mathematician and theorist (died 1971)
*
1911 –
Choor Singh, Indian-Singaporean lawyer and judge (died 2009)
*
1912
This year is notable for Sinking of the Titanic, the sinking of the ''Titanic'', which occurred on April 15.
In Albania, this leap year runs with only 353 days as the country achieved switching from the Julian to Gregorian Calendar by skippin ...
–
Leonid Kantorovich, Russian mathematician and economist,
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...
laureate (died 1986)
*
1913 –
Rex Ingamells, Australian author and poet (died 1955)
* 1913 –
Rudolf Wanderone, American professional pocket billiards player (died 1996)
*
1918
The ceasefire that effectively ended the World War I, First World War took place on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of this year. Also in this year, the Spanish flu pandemic killed 50–100 million people wor ...
–
John H. Johnson, American publisher, founded the
Johnson Publishing Company (died 2005)
*
1920 –
Bernard Dunstan, English painter and educator (died 2017)
* 1920 –
Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, Peruvian politician and diplomat, 135th
Prime Minister of Peru (died 2020)
*
1921 –
Patricia Highsmith, American novelist and short story writer (died 1995)
*
1922 –
Guy Madison, American actor (died 1996)
* 1922 –
Arthur Morris, Australian cricketer and journalist (died 2015)
* 1922 –
Miguel Muñoz, Spanish footballer and manager (died 1990)
*
1923 –
Dagmar Loe, Norwegian journalist (died 2024)
* 1923 –
Bob McFadden, American singer, impressionist, and voice-over actor (died 2000)
* 1923 –
Jean Stapleton, American actress and singer (died 2013)
*
1924 –
Nicholas Colasanto, American actor and director (died 1985)
* 1924 –
Jean-François Revel, French philosopher (died 2006)
*
1925 –
Nina Bawden, English author (died 2012)
*
1926 –
Hans Massaquoi, German-American journalist and author (died 2013)
* 1926 –
Fritz Weaver, American actor (died 2016)
*
1930 –
Tippi Hedren, American model, actress, and animal rights-welfare activist
* 1930 –
John Waite, South African cricketer (died 2011)
*
1931 –
Robert MacNeil, Canadian-American journalist and author (died 2024)
*
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 ...
–
Russ Hamilton, English singer-songwriter (died 2008)
* 1932 –
Richard Lester
Richard Lester Liebman (born January 19, 1932) is an American retired film director, who spent the majority of his professional life in the United Kingdom. He is known for the fast-paced, flamboyant directing he brought to his comedy films, mo ...
, American-English director, producer, and screenwriter
* 1932 –
Harry Lonsdale, American chemist, businessman, and politician (died 2014)
*
1933 –
George Coyne, American priest, astronomer, and theologian (died 2020)
*
1934 –
John Richardson, English actor (died 2021)
*
1935
Events
January
* January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims.
* January 12 – Amelia Earhart ...
–
Johnny O'Keefe, Australian singer-songwriter (died 1978)
*
1936
Events January–February
* January 20 – The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King Edward VIII, following the death of his father, George V, at Sandringham House.
* January 28 – Death and state funer ...
–
Fred J. Lincoln, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (died 2013)
* 1936 –
Ziaur Rahman, Bangladeshi general and politician, seventh
President of Bangladesh
President of Bangladesh (POB), officially the President of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is the head of state of Bangladesh and commander-in-chief of the Bangladesh Armed Forces.
The role of the president has changed three times since ...
(died 1981)
* 1936 –
Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, American singer, harmonica player, and drummer (died 2011)
*
1937 –
Princess Birgitta of Sweden (died 2024)
* 1937 –
John Lions, Australian computer scientist and academic (died 1998)
*
1939 –
Phil Everly, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2014)
*
1940 –
Paolo Borsellino, Italian lawyer and judge (died 1992)
*
1941 –
Tony Anholt, British actor (died 2002)
* 1941 –
Colin Gunton, English theologian and academic (died 2003)
* 1941 –
Pat Patterson, Canadian wrestler, trainer, and referee (died 2020)
*
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 ...
–
Michael Crawford, English actor and singer
*
1943
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
* January 1 – WWII: The Soviet Union announces that 22 German divisions have been encircled at Stalingrad, with 175,000 killed and 137,650 captured.
* January 4 � ...
–
Larry Clark, American director, producer, and screenwriter
* 1943 –
Janis Joplin, American singer-songwriter (died 1970)
* 1943 –
Princess Margriet of the Netherlands
*
1944 –
Shelley Fabares, American actress and singer
* 1944 –
Thom Mayne, American architect and academic, designed the
San Francisco Federal Building and
Phare Tower
* 1944 –
Dan Reeves, American football player and coach (died 2022)
*
1945 –
Trevor Williams, English singer-songwriter and bass player
*
1946
1946 (Roman numerals, MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1946th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 946th year of the 2nd millennium, the 46th year of the 20th centur ...
–
Julian Barnes, English novelist, short story writer, essayist, and critic
* 1946 –
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actress, and philanthropist, known primarily as a country music, country musician. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton's debut album ...
, American singer-songwriter and actress
*
1947 –
Frank Aarebrot, Norwegian political scientist and academic (died 2017)
* 1947 –
Paula Deen, American chef and author
* 1947 –
Rod Evans, English singer-songwriter
*
1948
Events January
* January 1
** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated.
** The current Constitutions of Constitution of Italy, Italy and of Constitution of New Jersey, New Jersey (both later subject to amendment) ...
–
Nancy Lynch, American computer scientist and academic
* 1948 –
Frank McKenna, Canadian politician and diplomat, 27th
Premier of New Brunswick
* 1948 –
Mal Reilly, English rugby league player and coach
*
1949
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 ...
–
Arend Langenberg, Dutch voice actor and radio host (died 2012)
* 1949 –
Robert Palmer, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2003)
*
1950
Events January
* January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed.
* January 5 – 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash, Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 ...
–
Sébastien Dhavernas, Canadian actor
*
1951 –
Martha Davis, American singer
*
1952 –
Dewey Bunnell, English-American singer-songwriter and guitarist
* 1952 –
Nadiuska, German television actress
* 1952 –
Bruce Jay Nelson
Bruce Jay Nelson (January 19, 1952 – September 19, 1999) was an American computer scientist best known as the inventor of the remote procedure call concept for computer network communications.
Bruce Nelson graduated from Harvey Mudd College in ...
, American computer scientist (died 1999)
*
1953
Events
January
* January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma.
* January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a Estonian government-in-exile, government-in-exile in Oslo.
* January 14
** Marshal Josip Broz Tito ...
–
Desi Arnaz Jr., American actor and singer
* 1953 –
Richard Legendre, Canadian tennis player and politician
* 1953 –
Wayne Schimmelbusch, Australian footballer and coach
*
1954 –
Katey Sagal, American actress and singer
* 1954 –
Cindy Sherman, American photographer and director
* 1954 –
Esther Shkalim, Israeli poet and Mizrahi feminist
*
1955 –
Simon Rattle, English-German orchestral conductor
*
1956
Events
January
* January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan after 57 years.
* January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, E ...
–
Carman, American singer-songwriter, actor, and television host (died 2021)
* 1956 –
Susan Solomon, American atmospheric chemist
*
1957 –
Ottis Anderson, American football player and sportscaster
* 1957 –
Roger Ashton-Griffiths, English actor, screenwriter and film director
* 1957 –
Kenneth McClintock, Puerto Rican public servant and politician, 22nd
Secretary of State of Puerto Rico
*
1958 –
Thomas Kinkade, American painter (died 2012)
* 1958 –
Altemio Sanchez, Puerto Rican serial killer and rapist (died 2023)
*
1959 –
Danese Cooper, American computer scientist and programmer
* 1959 –
Jeff Pilson, American bass player, songwriter, and actor
*
1961 –
Paul McCrane, American actor, director, and singer
* 1961 –
Wayne Hemingway, English fashion designer, co-founded
Red or Dead
* 1961 –
William Ragsdale, American actor
*
1962
The year saw the Cuban Missile Crisis, which is often considered the closest the world came to a Nuclear warfare, nuclear confrontation during the Cold War.
Events January
* January 1 – Samoa, Western Samoa becomes independent from Ne ...
–
Hans Daams, Dutch cyclist
* 1962 –
Chris Sabo, American baseball player and coach
* 1962 –
Jeff Van Gundy, American basketball player and coach
*
1963 –
Michael Adams, American basketball player and coach
* 1963 –
Martin Bashir, English journalist
* 1963 –
John Bercow, English politician,
Speaker of the House of Commons
*
1964 –
Janine Antoni, Bahamian sculptor and photographer
* 1964 –
Ricardo Arjona, Guatemalan singer-songwriter and basketball player
*
1966
Events January
* January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko.
* January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...
–
Sylvain Côté, Canadian ice hockey player
* 1966 –
Stefan Edberg
Jan Stefan Edberg (; born 19 January 1966) is a Swedish former professional tennis player. He was ranked as the world No. 1 in both men's singles and men's doubles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), one of two players in the ...
, Swedish tennis player and coach
* 1966 –
Lena Philipsson, Swedish singer-songwriter
*
1968 –
David Bartlett, Australian politician, 43rd
Premier of Tasmania
* 1968 –
Whitfield Crane, American singer-songwriter
*
1969 –
Edwidge Danticat, Haitian-American novelist and short story writer
* 1969 –
Luc Longley, Australian basketball player and coach
* 1969 –
Trey Lorenz, American singer-songwriter and producer
* 1969 –
Predrag Mijatović, Montenegrin footballer and manager
* 1969 –
Junior Seau, American football player (died 2012)
* 1969 –
Steve Staunton, Irish footballer and manager
*
1970 –
Steffen Freund, German footballer and manager
* 1970 –
Kathleen Smet, Belgian triathlete
* 1970 –
Udo Suzuki, Japanese comedian and singer
*
1971 *
The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses (Solar eclipse of February 25, 1971, February 25, Solar eclipse of July 22, 1971, July 22 and Solar eclipse of August 20, 1971, August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 1971 lunar eclip ...
–
Shawn Wayans, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
* 1971 –
John Wozniak, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
*
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, ...
–
Drea de Matteo
Andrea Donna de Matteo (born January 19, 1972) is an American actress who is best known for her role as Adriana La Cerva on the television drama ''The Sopranos'' (1999–2006), for which she received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Sup ...
, American actress
* 1972 –
Yoon Hae-young, South Korean actress
* 1972 –
Sergei Zjukin, Estonian chess player and coach
*
1973
Events January
* January 1 – The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union.
* January 14 - The 16-0 19 ...
–
Antero Manninen, Finnish cellist
* 1973 –
Yevgeny Sadovyi
Yevgeny Viktorovich Sadovyi (; born 19 January 1973) is a retired Russian Freestyle swimming, freestyle swimmer who won three gold medals at the 1992 Summer Olympics at Barcelona and was subsequently chosen by ''Swimming World magazine'' as the ...
, Russian swimmer and coach
*
1974 –
Dainius Adomaitis, Lithuanian basketball player and coach
* 1974 –
Frank Caliendo, American comedian, actor, and screenwriter
* 1974 –
Walter Jones, American football player
* 1974 –
Ian Laperrière, Canadian-American ice hockey player and coach
* 1974 –
Jaime Moreno, Bolivian footballer and manager
*
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. ...
–
Natalie Cook, Australian volleyball player
* 1975 –
Zdeňka Málková, Czech tennis player
*
1976
Events January
* January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 18 – Full diplomatic ...
–
Natale Gonnella, Italian footballer
* 1976 –
Tarso Marques, Brazilian racing driver
* 1976 –
Drew Powell, American actor
* 1976 –
Marsha Thomason, English actress
*
1977 –
Benjamin Ayres, Canadian actor, director, and photographer
*
1979
Events
January
* January 1
** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...
–
Svetlana Khorkina, Russian gymnast and sportscaster
* 1979 –
Byung-hyun Kim, South Korean baseball player
* 1979 –
Josu Sarriegi, Spanish footballer
* 1979 –
Wiley, English rapper and producer
*
1980
Events January
* January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission.
* January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...
–
Jenson Button, English racing driver
* 1980 –
Pasha Kovalev, Russian-American dancer and choreographer
* 1980 –
Luke Macfarlane, Canadian-American actor and singer
* 1980 –
Arvydas Macijauskas, Lithuanian basketball player
* 1980 –
Michael Vandort, Sri Lankan cricketer
*
1981 –
Paolo Bugia, Filipino basketball player
* 1981 –
Asier del Horno, Spanish footballer
* 1981 –
Lucho González, Argentinian footballer
* 1981 –
Maxime Laisney, French politician
* 1981 –
Elizabeth Tulloch, American actress
*
1982 –
Pete Buttigieg, American politician
* 1982 –
Mike Komisarek, American ice hockey player
* 1982 –
Jodie Sweetin, American actress and singer
* 1982 –
Robin tom Rink, German singer-songwriter
* 1982 –
Shane Tronc, Australian rugby league player
* 1982 –
Kim Yoo-suk, South Korean pole vaulter
*
1983
1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call.
Events January
* January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning of the ...
–
Hikaru Utada, American-Japanese singer-songwriter and producer
*
1984 –
Johnny Boychuk, Canadian ice hockey player
* 1984 –
Fabio Catacchini, Italian footballer
* 1984 –
Karun Chandhok, Indian racing driver
* 1984 –
Elvis Dumervil, American football player
* 1984 –
Jimmy Kébé, Malian footballer
* 1984 –
Thomas Vanek, Austrian ice hockey player
*
1985 –
Pascal Behrenbruch, German decathlete
* 1985 –
Damien Chazelle
Damien Sayre Chazelle (; born January 19, 1985) is an American filmmaker. He directed the psychological drama ''Whiplash (2014 film), Whiplash'' (2014), the musical romance ''La La Land'' (2016), the biographical drama ''First Man (film), First ...
, American film director, screenwriter, and producer
* 1985 –
Benny Feilhaber, American soccer player
* 1985 –
Esteban Guerrieri, Argentinian racing driver
* 1985 –
Rika Ishikawa, Japanese singer and actress
* 1985 –
Aleksandr Yevgenyevich Nikulin, Russian footballer
* 1985 –
Elliott Ward, English footballer
*
1986 –
Claudio Marchisio, Italian footballer
* 1986 –
Oleksandr Miroshnychenko, Ukrainian footballer
* 1986 –
Moussa Sow, Senegalese footballer
*1987 – Edgar Manucharyan, Armenian footballer
*
1988 – Tyler Breeze, Canadian wrestler
* 1988 – JaVale McGee, American basketball player
*
1990 – Tatiana Búa, Argentine tennis player
* 1990 – Shaunette Renée Wilson, Guyanese-American actress
*
1991 – Petra Martić, Croatian tennis player
* 1991 – Erin Sanders, American actress
*1992 – Shawn Johnson East, American gymnast
* 1992 – Logan Lerman, American actor
* 1992 – Mac Miller, American rapper (died 2018)
*
1993 – Erick Torres Padilla, Mexican footballer
* 1993 – João Mário (footballer, born January 1993), João Mário, Portuguese footballer
* 1993 – Ricardo Centurión, Argentine footballer
* 1993 – Walter Benítez (footballer), Walter Benítez, Argentine footballer
*1994 – Matthias Ginter, German footballer
* 1994 – Alfie Mawson, English footballer
* 1994 – Marvelous Nakamba, Zimbabwean footballer
*
1996 – Jakub Jankto, Czech footballer
*1998 – Emre Guler, Australian rugby league player
*
1999
1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons.
Events January
* January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers.
* January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
– Jonathan Taylor (American football), Jonathan Taylor, American football player
* 1999 – Donyell Malen, Dutch footballer
*2000 – Juan Miranda (footballer), Juan Miranda, Spanish footballer
*2001 – Kai Jones, Bahamian basketball player
*2002 – Reinier Jesus, Reiner, Brazilian footballer
*2003 – Felix Afena-Gyan, Ghanaian footballer
* 2003 – Ilaix Moriba, Guinean footballer
Deaths
Pre-1600
* 520 – John of Cappadocia, patriarch of Constantinople
* 639 – Dagobert I, Frankish king (born 603)
* 914 – García I of León, García I, king of Kingdom of León, León
*1003 – Kilian of Cologne, Irish abbot
*1302 – Al-Hakim I, caliph of Cairo
*1401 – Robert Bealknap, British justice
*1526 – Isabella of Austria, Danish queen (born 1501)
*1547 – Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, English poet (born 1516)
*1565 – Diego Laynez, Spanish Jesuit theologian (born 1512)
*1571 – Paris Bordone, Venetian painter (born 1495)
*1576 – Hans Sachs, German poet and playwright (born 1494)
*1597 – Maharana Pratap, Hindu Rajput king of Mewar (born1540)
1601–1900
*1636 – Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger, Flemish painter (born1561)
*1661 – Thomas Venner, English rebel leader
*1729 – William Congreve, English playwright and poet (born 1670)
*1755 – Jean-Pierre Christin, French physicist, mathematician, and astronomer (born 1683)
*
1757 – Thomas Ruddiman, Scottish scholar and academic (born 1674)
*1766 – Giovanni Niccolò Servandoni, Italian-French architect and painter (born 1695)
*1785 – Jonathan Toup, English scholar and critic (born 1713)
*
1833 – Ferdinand Hérold, French pianist and composer (born 1791)
*1847 – Charles Bent, American soldier and politician, first Governor of New Mexico (born 1799)
* 1847 – Athanasios Christopoulos, Greek poet (born 1772)
*
1851 – Esteban Echeverría, Argentinian poet and author (born 1805)
*
1853 – Karl Faber, German historian and academic (born 1773)
*
1862 – Felix Zollicoffer, American newspaperman, politician, and Confederate general (born 1812)
*1865 – Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, French philosopher and politician (born 1809)
*1869 – Carl Reichenbach, German chemist and philosopher (born 1788)
*
1874 – August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben, German poet and scholar (born 1798)
*
1878 – Henri Victor Regnault, French physicist and chemist (born 1810)
*1895 – António Luís de Seabra, 1st Viscount of Seabra, Portuguese magistrate and politician (born 1798)
1901–present
*1906 – Bartolomé Mitre, Argentinian historian and politician, sixth President of Argentina (born 1821)
*
1915 – Ernest de Munck, Belgian cellist and composer (born 1840)
*1929 – Liang Qichao, Chinese journalist, philosopher, and scholar (born 1873)
*
1930 – Frank P. Ramsey, British mathematician, philosopher and economist (born 1903)
*1938 – Branislav Nušić, Serbian author, playwright, and journalist (born 1864)
*
1945 – Gustave Mesny, French general (born 1886)
*
1948
Events January
* January 1
** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated.
** The current Constitutions of Constitution of Italy, Italy and of Constitution of New Jersey, New Jersey (both later subject to amendment) ...
– Tony Garnier (architect), Tony Garnier, French architect and urban planner, designed the Stade de Gerland (born 1869)
*
1954 – Theodor Kaluza, German mathematician and physicist (born 1885)
*
1957 – József Dudás, Romanian-Hungarian activist and politician (born 1912)
*
1963 – Clement Smoot, American golfer (born 1884)
*
1964 – Firmin Lambot, Belgian cyclist (born 1886)
*1965 – Arnold Luhaäär, Estonian weightlifter (born 1905)
*
1968 – Ray Harroun, American race car driver and engineer (born 1879)
*
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, ...
– Michael Rabin (violinist), Michael Rabin, American violinist (born 1936)
*
1973
Events January
* January 1 – The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union.
* January 14 - The 16-0 19 ...
– Max Adrian, Irish-English actor (born 1903)
*
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. ...
– Thomas Hart Benton (painter), Thomas Hart Benton, American painter and educator (born 1889)
*
1976
Events January
* January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 18 – Full diplomatic ...
– Hidetsugu Yagi, Japanese engineer and academic (born 1886)
*
1979
Events
January
* January 1
** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...
– Moritz Jahn (writer), Moritz Jahn, German novelist and poet (born 1884)
*
1980
Events January
* January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission.
* January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...
– William O. Douglas, American lawyer and jurist (born 1898)
*
1981 – Francesca Woodman, American photographer (born 1958)
*
1982 – Elis Regina, Brazilian soprano (born 1945)
*
1983
1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call.
Events January
* January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning of the ...
– Ham (chimpanzee), Ham, chimpanzee and animal astronaut, first hominid in space (born 1957)
*
1984 – Max Bentley, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (born 1920)
*1987 – Lawrence Kohlberg, American psychologist and academic (born 1927)
*
1990 – Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, Indian guru and mystic (born 1931)
* 1990 – Alberto Semprini, English pianist, composer, and conductor (born 1908)
* 1990 – Herbert Wehner, German politician, sixth Minister of Intra-German Relations (born 1906)
*
1991 – Marcel Chaput, Canadian biochemist and journalist (born 1918)
*
1995 – Gene MacLellan, Canadian singer-songwriter (born 1938)
*
1996 – Don Simpson, American actor, producer, and screenwriter (born 1943)
* 1997 – James Dickey, American poet and novelist (born 1923)
*1998 – Carl Perkins, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1932)
*
1999
1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons.
Events January
* January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers.
* January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
– Ivan Francescato, Italian rugby player (born 1967)
*2000 – Rúhíyyih Khanum, Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum, a Baháʼí Faith Hands of the Cause, Hand of the Cause of God and wife of Shoghi Effendi (born 1910)
* 2000 – Bettino Craxi, Italian lawyer and politician, 45th Prime Minister of Italy (born 1934)
* 2000 – Hedy Lamarr, Austrian-American actress, singer, and mathematician (born 1914)
*2002 – Vavá, Brazilian footballer and manager (born 1934)
*2003 – Milton Flores, Honduran footballer (born 1974)
* 2003 – Françoise Giroud, French journalist, screenwriter, and politician, Minister of Culture (France), French Minister of Culture (born 1916)
*2004 – Harry E. Claiborne, American lawyer and judge (born 1917)
* 2004 – David Hookes, Australian cricketer and coach (born 1955)
*2005 – K. Sello Duiker, South African author and screenwriter (born 1974)
*
2006 – Anthony Franciosa, American actor (born 1928)
* 2006 – Wilson Pickett, American singer-songwriter (born 1941)
*
2007 –
Hrant Dink, Turkish-Armenian journalist and activist (born 1954)
* 2007 – Denny Doherty, Canadian singer-songwriter (born 1940)
* 2007 – Murat Nasyrov, Russian singer-songwriter (born 1969)
*2008 – Suzanne Pleshette, American actress (born 1937)
* 2008 – John Stewart (musician), John Stewart, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1939)
* 2008 – Don Wittman, Canadian sportscaster (born 1936)
*2010 – Bill McLaren, Scottish rugby player and sportscaster (born 1923)
*
2012
2012 was designated as:
*International Year of Cooperatives
*International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
Events January
*January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins.
* January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
– Peter Åslin, Swedish ice hockey player (born 1962)
* 2012 – Sarah Burke, Canadian skier (born 1982)
* 2012 – Winston Riley, Jamaican singer-songwriter and producer (born 1943)
* 2012 – Rudi van Dantzig, Dutch ballet dancer and choreographer (born 1933)
*2013 – Taihō Kōki, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 48th
Yokozuna (born 1940)
* 2013 – Stan Musial, American baseball player and manager (born 1920)
* 2013 – Frank Pooler, American conductor and composer (born 1926)
* 2013 – Earl Weaver, American baseball player and manager (born 1930)
* 2013 – Toktamış Ateş, Turkish academician, political commentator, columnist and writer (born 1944)
*
2014
The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
– Azaria Alon, Ukrainian-Israeli environmentalist, co-founded the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (born 1918)
* 2014 – Christopher Chataway, English runner, journalist, and politician (born 1931)
*2015 – Justin Capră, Romanian engineer and academic (born 1933)
* 2015 – Michel Guimond, Canadian lawyer and politician (born 1953)
* 2015 – Ward Swingle, American-French singer-songwriter and conductor (born 1927)
*2016 – Richard Levins, American ecologist and geneticist (born 1930)
* 2016 – Ettore Scola, Italian director and screenwriter (born 1931)
* 2016 – Sheila Sim (Lady Attenborough), English actress (born 1922)
*2017 – Miguel Ferrer, American actor (born 1955)
*
2025
So far, the year has seen the continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudanese civil war, and the Gaza war. Internal crises in Bangladesh post-resignation v ...
– Jeff Torborg, American baseball player and manager (born 1941)
Holidays and observances
*Christian feast day:
**Bassianus of Lodi
**Henry (bishop of Finland), Henry of Uppsala
**Marius, Martha, Audifax, and Abachum
**Mark of Ephesus (Eastern Orthodox Church)
**Pontianus of Spoleto
**Wulfstan (died 1095), Wulfstan, Bishop of Worcester
**January 19 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
*Confederate Memorial Day, Confederate Heroes Day (Texas), and its related observance:
**Robert E. Lee Day (
Alabama
Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
, Arkansas,
Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States
Georgia may also refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
and
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 ...
)
*Bóndadagur, Husband's Day (Iceland)
*Kokborok Day (Tripura, India)
*Theophany / Epiphany (holiday), Epiphany (Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern and Oriental Orthodoxy), and its related observances:
**Timkat, or 20 during Leap Year (Ethiopian Orthodox)
**''Vodici'' or Baptism of Jesus (North Macedonia)
References
External links
BBC: On This Day*
Historical Events on January 19
{{months
Days of January