Events
Pre-1600
*
1010 –
Ferdowsi completes his epic poem ''
Shahnameh''.
*
1126 – Following the death of his mother, queen
Urraca of León,
Alfonso VII is proclaimed king of
León.
*
1262 –
Battle of Hausbergen between bourgeois militias and the army of the bishop of
Strasbourg
Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...
.
*
1558 – The city of
Pori
Pori (; ; ) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Satakunta. It is located on the west coast of the country, on the Gulf of Bothnia. The population of Pori is approximately , while the Pori sub-region, sub-region has a population of a ...
() is founded by
Duke John on the shores of the
Gulf of Bothnia.
1601–1900
*
1658 –
Treaty of Roskilde: After a devastating defeat in the
Northern Wars
"Northern Wars" is a term used for a series of wars fought in northern Europe, northern and northeastern Europe from the 16th to the 18th century, primarily between the territorial rivals of the Swedish Empire, Tsardom of Russia, Poland–Lithuani ...
(1655–1661),
Frederick III, the King of
Denmark–Norway is forced to give up nearly half his territory to Sweden.
*
1702 –
Queen Anne, the younger sister of
Mary II, becomes
Queen regnant
A queen regnant (: queens regnant) is a female monarch, equivalent in rank, title and position to a king. She reigns ''suo jure'' (in her own right) over a realm known as a kingdom; as opposed to a queen consort, who is married to a reigning ...
of
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
,
Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
, and
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
.
*
1722 – The
Safavid Empire of
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 ...
is defeated by an army from
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
at the
Battle of Gulnabad.
*
1736 –
Nader Shah, founder of the
Afsharid dynasty
The Afsharid dynasty () was an Iran, Iranian dynasty founded by Nader Shah () of the Qirqlu clan of the Turkoman (ethnonym), Turkoman Afshar people, Afshar tribe, ruling over the Afsharid Empire.
List of Afsharid monarchs
Family tree
...
, is crowned
Shah of Iran.
*
1775 – An anonymous writer, thought by some to be
Thomas Paine, publishes "African Slavery in America", the first article in the American colonies calling for the
emancipation of slaves and the abolition of slavery.
*
1782 –
Gnadenhutten massacre: Ninety-six
Native Americans in
Gnadenhutten, Ohio, who had converted to
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...
, are killed by
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
militiamen in retaliation for raids carried out by other Indian tribes.
*
1801 –
War of the Second Coalition
The War of the Second Coalition () (1798/9 – 1801/2, depending on periodisation) was the second war targeting French Revolution, revolutionary French First Republic, France by many European monarchies, led by Kingdom of Great Britain, Britai ...
: At the
Battle of Abukir, a British force under Sir
Ralph Abercromby lands in Egypt with the aim of ending the
French campaign in Egypt and Syria.
*
1844 – King
Oscar I ascends to the thrones of
Sweden and Norway.
* 1844 – The
Althing
The (; ), anglicised as Althingi or Althing, is the Parliamentary sovereignty, supreme Parliament, national parliament of Iceland. It is the oldest surviving parliament in the world. The Althing was founded in 930 at ('Thing (assembly), thing ...
, the parliament of
Iceland
Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...
, was reopened after 45 years of closure.
*
1868 –
Sakai incident: Japanese
samurai
The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...
kill 11 French sailors in the port of
Sakai, Osaka.
1901–present
*
1910 – French
aviator
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators because they a ...
Raymonde de Laroche becomes the first woman to receive a
pilot's license.
*
1916 –
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
: A British force unsuccessfully attempts to relieve the siege of
Kut (present-day
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 ...
) in the
Battle of Dujaila.
*
1917 –
International Women's Day protests in
Petrograd mark the beginning of the
February Revolution (February 23 in the
Julian calendar
The Julian calendar is a solar calendar of 365 days in every year with an additional leap day every fourth year (without exception). The Julian calendar is still used as a religious calendar in parts of the Eastern Orthodox Church and in parts ...
).
* 1917 – 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 to limit
filibusters by adopting the
cloture rule.
*
1921 – Spanish Prime Minister
Eduardo Dato Iradier is assassinated while on his way home from the
parliament
In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
building in
Madrid
Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
.
*
1924 – A
mine disaster kills 172 coal miners near
Castle Gate, Utah.
*
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 ...
–
Daytona Beach and Road Course holds its first oval
stock car race.
*
1937 –
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...
: The
Battle of Guadalajara begins.
*
1942
The Uppsala Conflict Data Program project estimates this to be the deadliest year in human history in terms of conflict deaths, placing the death toll at 4.62 million. However, the Correlates of War estimates that the prior year, 1941, was th ...
–
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
: The
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies (; ), was a Dutch Empire, Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, declared independence on 17 Au ...
surrender
Java
Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...
to the
Imperial Japanese Army.
* 1942 – World War II: Imperial Japanese Army forces captured
Rangoon,
Burma
Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...
from
British.
*
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 ...
– The iconic
Volkswagen Type 2 "Bus" begins production.
*
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 ...
– A
Turkish Airlines Fokker F27 Friendship crashes into
Mount Medetsiz in the
Taurus Mountains of Turkey, killing all 11 people on board.
*
1963 – The
Ba'ath Party comes to power in
Syria
Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
in
a coup d'état.
*
1965
Events January–February
* January 14 – The First Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years.
* January 20
** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lynd ...
–
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
:
US Marines arrive at
Da Nang.
*1965 –
Aeroflot Flight 513 crashes during takeoff from
Kuybyshev Airport, killing 30 and injuring 9.
*
1966 –
Nelson's Pillar in Dublin, Ireland, is destroyed by a bomb.
*
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 ...
–
Philips demonstrates the
compact disc
The compact disc (CD) is a Digital media, digital optical disc data storage format co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. It employs the Compact Disc Digital Audio (CD-DA) standard and was capable of hol ...
publicly for the first time.
* 1979 – Images taken by
Voyager 1
''Voyager 1'' is a space probe launched by NASA on September 5, 1977, as part of the Voyager program to study the outer Solar System and the interstellar medium, interstellar space beyond the Sun's heliosphere. It was launched 16 days afte ...
prove the
existence of volcanoes on
Io, a
moon of Jupiter.
*
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 ...
–
Cold War
The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
: While addressing
a convention of Evangelicals, U.S.
President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...
labels the Soviet Union an "
evil empire".
*
1985 – A
supposed failed assassination attempt on Islamic cleric
Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah in
Beirut, Lebanon kills 80 and injures 200 others.
*
1988 –
Aeroflot Flight 3379 is hijacked by the Ovechkin family and diverted to
Veshchevo in 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 ...
.
*
1994
The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations.
In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
– A
collision at
Indira Gandhi International Airport kills 9 people.
*
2001 –
Space Shuttle ''Discovery'' launches on
STS-102, carrying the
Expedition 2 crew to the
International Space Station
The International Space Station (ISS) is a large space station that was Assembly of the International Space Station, assembled and is maintained in low Earth orbit by a collaboration of five space agencies and their contractors: NASA (United ...
.
*
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
– A new
constitution
A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed.
When these pri ...
is signed by
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 ...
's
Governing Council.
*
2010
The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
– Headlined by
Hulk Hogan and
Ric Flair,
TNA Wrestling moved its flagship program,
TNA Impact!, to Monday night. This effort to go "big time live" failed but is notable in the history of professional wrestling television.
*
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 ...
– In one of aviation's greatest mysteries,
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, carrying a total of 239 people, disappears en route from
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...
to Beijing. The fate of the flight remains unknown.
*
2017 – The
Azure Window, a natural arch on the
Maltese island of
Gozo
Gozo ( ), known in classical antiquity, antiquity as Gaulos, is an island in the Malta#The Maltese archipelago, Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Republic of Malta. After the Malta Island, island of Malta ...
, collapses in stormy weather.
*
2018 – The first
Aurat March (social/political demonstration) was held being
International Women's Day in
Karachi
Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...
, Pakistan, since then annually held across Pakistan and feminist slogan
Mera Jism Meri Marzi (
My body, my choice), in demand for
women's right to
bodily autonomy and against
gender-based violence came into vogue in Pakistan.
*
2021 –
International Women's Day marches in
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
become violent with 62 police officers and 19 civilians injured in
Mexico City
Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
alone.
* 2021 – Twenty-eight political institutions in Myanmar establish the
National Unity Consultative Council, a historic alliance of ethnic armed organizations and democratically elected leaders in response to the
2021 Myanmar coup d'état
Births
Pre-1600
*
1495 –
John of God, Portuguese friar and saint (died 1550)
1601–1900
*
1712 –
John Fothergill, English physician and botanist (died 1780)
*
1714 –
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, German pianist and composer (died 1788)
*
1726 –
Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe, English admiral and politician,
Treasurer of the Navy (died 1799)
*
1746 –
André Michaux
André Michaux (' → ahn- mee-; sometimes Anglicisation, anglicised as Andrew Michaud; 8 March 174611 October 1802) was a French botanist and explorer. He is most noted for his study of North American flora. In addition Michaux collected specime ...
, French botanist and explorer (died 1802)
*
1748 –
William V, Prince of Orange
William V (Willem Batavus; 8 March 1748 – 9 April 1806) was Prince of Orange and the last Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic. He went into exile to London in 1795. He was furthermore ruler of the Principality of Orange-Nassau until his death in ...
(died 1806)
*
1761 –
Jan Potocki, Polish ethnologist, historian, linguist, and author (died 1815)
*
1799 –
Simon Cameron
Simon Cameron (March 8, 1799June 26, 1889) was an American businessman and politician who represented Pennsylvania in the United States Senate and served as United States Secretary of War under President Abraham Lincoln at the start of the Ameri ...
, American journalist and politician,
United States Secretary of War (died 1889)
*
1804 –
Alvan Clark, American astronomer and optician (died 1887)
*
1822 –
Ignacy Łukasiewicz, Polish inventor and businessman, invented the
Kerosene lamp (died 1882)
*
1827 –
Wilhelm Bleek, German linguist and anthropologist (died 1875)
*
1830 –
João de Deus, Portuguese poet and educator (died 1896)
*
1836 –
Harriet Samuel, English businesswoman and founder the jewellery retailer
H. Samuel (died 1908)
*
1841 –
Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., American lawyer and jurist (died 1935)
*
1851 –
Frank Avery Hutchins, American librarian and educator (died 1914)
*
1856 –
Bramwell Booth
William Bramwell Booth, Order of the Companions of Honour, CH (8 March 1856 – 16 June 1929) was a British church and charity leader who was the first Chief of the Staff of The Salvation Army, Chief of Staff (1881–1912) and the second Genera ...
, English 2nd
General of The Salvation Army (died 1929)
* 1856 –
Colin Campbell Cooper, American painter and academic (died 1937)
*
1858 –
Ida Hunt Udall, American diarist and homesteader (died 1915)
*
1859 –
Kenneth Grahame, British author (died 1932)
*
1865 –
Frederic Goudy, American type designer (died 1947)
*
1879 –
Otto Hahn, German chemist and academic,
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 1968)
*
1886
Events January
* January 1 – Upper Burma is formally annexed to British rule in Burma, British Burma, following its conquest in the Third Anglo-Burmese War of November 1885.
* January 5–January 9, 9 – Robert Louis Stevenson ...
–
Edward Calvin Kendall, American chemist and academic,
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 1972)
*
1892 –
Juana de Ibarbourou, Uruguayan poet and author (died 1979)
*
1896 –
Charlotte Whitton, Canadian journalist and politician, 46th
Mayor of Ottawa (died 1975)
1901–present
*
1902 –
Louise Beavers, American actress and singer (died 1962)
* 1902 –
Jennings Randolph, American journalist and politician (died 1998)
*
1907 –
Konstantinos Karamanlis, Greek lawyer and politician,
President of Greece (died 1998)
*
1909 –
Beatrice Shilling, English motorcycle racer and engineer (died 1990)
*
1910 –
Claire Trevor, American actress (died 2000)
*
1911 –
Alan Hovhaness, Armenian-American pianist and composer (died 2000)
*
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 ...
–
Preston Smith, American businessman and politician,
Governor of Texas (died 2003)
* 1912 –
Meldrim Thomson Jr., American publisher and politician,
Governor of New Hampshire
The governor of New Hampshire is the head of government of the U.S. state of New Hampshire.
The governor is elected during the biennial state general election in November of even-numbered years. New Hampshire is one of only two states, along w ...
(died 2001)
*
1914 –
Yakov Borisovich Zel'dovich, Belarusian-Russian physicist and astronomer (died 1987)
*
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 ...
–
Eileen Herlie, Scottish-American actress (died 2008)
*
1921 –
Alan Hale Jr., American actor and restaurateur (died 1990)
*
1922 –
Ralph H. Baer, German-American video game designer, created the
Magnavox Odyssey
The Magnavox Odyssey is the first commercial home video game console. The hardware was designed by a small team led by Ralph H. Baer at Sanders Associates, while Magnavox completed development and released it in the United States in September ...
(died 2014)
* 1922 –
Cyd Charisse, American actress and dancer (died 2008)
* 1922 –
Carl Furillo, American baseball player (died 1989)
* 1922 –
Shigeru Mizuki, Japanese author and illustrator (died 2015)
*
1924 –
Anthony Caro, English sculptor and illustrator (died 2013)
* 1924 –
Sean McClory, Irish-American actor and director (died 2003)
* 1924 –
Addie L. Wyatt, American civil rights activist and labor leader (died 2012)
*
1925 –
Warren Bennis, American scholar, author, and academic (died 2014)
*
1926 –
Francisco Rabal, Spanish actor, director, and screenwriter (died 2001)
*
1927 –
Ramon Revilla Sr., Filipino actor and politician (died 2020)
*
1928 –
Lore Segal, American novelist (died 2024)
*
1930 –
Bob Grim, American baseball player (died 1996)
* 1930 –
Douglas Hurd
Douglas Richard Hurd, Baron Hurd of Westwell, (born 8 March 1930) is a British Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party politician who served in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major from 1979 to 1995.
A career diplomat and ...
, English politician
*
1931 –
Neil Adcock, South African cricketer (died 2013)
* 1931 –
John McPhee
John Angus McPhee (born March 8, 1931) is an American author. He is considered one of the pioneers of creative nonfiction. He is a four-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in the category General Nonfiction, and he won that award on the fourt ...
, American author and educator
* 1931 –
Neil Postman, American author and social critic (died 2003)
* 1931 –
Gerald Potterton, English-Canadian animator, director, and producer (died 2022)
*
1934 –
Marv Breeding, American baseball player and scout (died 2006)
*
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 ...
–
George Coleman, American saxophonist, composer, and bandleader
*
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 ...
–
Panditrao Agashe, Indian businessman (died 1986)
* 1936 –
Sue Ane Langdon, American actress and singer
*
1937 –
Richard Fariña, American singer-songwriter and author (died 1966)
* 1937 –
Juvénal Habyarimana, Rwandan politician,
President of Rwanda (died 1994)
*
1939 –
Jim Bouton, American baseball player and journalist (died 2019)
* 1939 –
Lynn Seymour, Canadian ballerina and choreographer (died 2023)
* 1939 –
Lidiya Skoblikova, Russian speed skater and coach
* 1939 –
Robert Tear, Welsh tenor and conductor (died 2011)
*
1941 –
Norman Stone, British historian, author, and academic (died 2019)
*
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 ...
–
Dick Allen, American baseball player and tenor (died 2020)
* 1942 –
Ann Packer, English sprinter, hurdler, and long jumper
*
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 � ...
–
Susan Clark, Canadian actress and producer
* 1943 –
Lynn Redgrave, English-American actress and singer (died 2010)
*
1944 –
Carole Bayer Sager, American singer-songwriter
* 1944 –
Sergey Nikitin, Russian singer-songwriter and guitarist
*
1945 –
Micky Dolenz
George Michael Dolenz Jr. ( ; born March 8, 1945) is an American musician and actor. He was the drummer and one of two primary vocalists for the pop rock band the Monkees (1966–1970, and reunions until 2021), and a co-star of the TV series ''T ...
, American singer-songwriter and actor
* 1945 –
Anselm Kiefer, German painter and sculptor
*
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 ...
–
Randy Meisner, American singer-songwriter and bass player (died 2023)
*
1947 –
Michael S. Hart, American author, founded
Project Gutenberg
Project Gutenberg (PG) is a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, as well as to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks."
It was founded in 1971 by American writer Michael S. Hart and is the oldest digital li ...
(died 2011)
*
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) ...
–
Mel Galley, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2008)
* 1948 –
Peggy March, American singer-songwriter
* 1948 –
Jonathan Sacks, English rabbi, philosopher, and scholar (died 2020)
*
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 ...
–
Teofilo Cubillas, Peruvian footballer
*
1951 –
Phil Edmonds, Zambian-English cricketer
* 1951 –
Dianne Walker, American tap dancer
*
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 ...
–
Jim Rice, American baseball player, coach, and sportscaster
*
1954 –
Steve James, American documentary filmmaker
* 1954 –
David Wilkie, Sri Lankan-Scottish swimmer (died 2024)
*
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 ...
–
Laurie Cunningham, English footballer (died 1989)
* 1956 –
David Malpass, American economist and government official
*
1957 –
Clive Burr, English rock drummer (died 2013)
* 1957 –
Billy Childs, American pianist and composer
*
1958 –
Gary Numan, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
*
1959 –
Lester Holt, American journalist
* 1959 –
Aidan Quinn, American actor
*
1960 –
Irek Mukhamedov, Russian ballet dancer
* 1960 –
Buck Williams, American basketball player and coach
*
1961 –
Camryn Manheim, American actress
* 1961 –
Larry Murphy, Canadian ice hockey player
*
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 ...
–
Leon Robinson, American actor
*
1965
Events January–February
* January 14 – The First Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years.
* January 20
** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lynd ...
–
Kenny Smith, American basketball player and sportscaster
*
1966 –
Greg Barker, Baron Barker of Battle, English politician
*
1968 –
Michael Bartels, German race car driver
* 1968 –
Shawn Mullins, American singer-songwriter
*
1970 –
Jason Elam, American football player
* 1970 –
Andrea Parker, American actress
*
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, ...
–
Matt Nable, Australian rugby league player and actor
* 1972 –
Lena Sundström, Swedish journalist and author
*
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 ...
–
Boris Kodjoe, Austrian-German actor
*
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 ...
–
Chris Clark, American ice hockey player
* 1976 –
Juan Encarnación, Dominican baseball player
* 1976 –
Freddie Prinze Jr., American actor, producer, and screenwriter
* 1976 –
Hines Ward, Korean-American football player
*
1977 –
James Van Der Beek, American actor
* 1977 –
Johann Vogel, Swiss footballer
*
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 ...
–
Nick Zano, American actor
*
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 ...
–
Tom Chaplin, English singer-songwriter and musician
*
1982 –
Erik Ersberg, Swedish ice hockey player
* 1982 –
Leonidas Kampantais, Greek footballer
* 1982 –
Keemstar, American YouTuber
* 1982 –
Kat Von D, American tattoo artist and model
*
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 ...
–
André Santos, Brazilian footballer
* 1983 –
Mark Worrell, American baseball player
*
1984 –
Yoshihisa Hirano, Japanese baseball player
* 1984 –
Ross Taylor, New Zealand cricketer
* 1984 –
Sasha Vujačić, Slovenian basketball player
*
1985 –
Maria Ohisalo, Finnish politician and researcher
*
1986 –
Chad Gable, American wrestler
* 1986 –
Thomas Morstead, American football player
*
1987
Events January
* January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency.
* January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade.
* January 3 – Afghan leader ...
–
Milana Vayntrub, Uzbekistani-American actress and comedian
* 1987 –
Jonathan Wright, Australian rugby league player
*
1988 –
Benny Blanco
Benjamin Joseph Levin (born March 8, 1988), known professionally as Benny Blanco (stylized in all lowercase), is an American record producer and songwriter. He is the recipient of the 2013 Hal David Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall ...
, American record producer
* 1988 –
Tommy Pham, American baseball player
*
1989 –
Robbie Hummel, American basketball player and sportscaster
*
1990 –
Kristinia DeBarge, American singer-songwriter and actress
* 1990 –
Asier Illarramendi, Spanish footballer
* 1990 –
Brandon Kozun, American-Canadian ice hockey player
* 1990 –
Petra Kvitová, Czech tennis player
* 1990 –
Kevin Zeitler, American football player
*
1991 –
Yoon Ji-sung, South Korean singer and actor
*
1993 –
Rui Machida, Japanese basketball player
*
1994
The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations.
In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
–
Claire Emslie, Scottish footballer
*
1995 –
Marko Gudurić, Serbian basketball player
* 1995 –
Isaiah Whitehead, American basketball player
*
1996 –
Kyle Allen, American football player
*
1997 –
Tijana Bošković, Serbian volleyball 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 ...
–
Nathan McSweeney, Australian cricketer
*
2003 –
Montana Jordan, American actor
*
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
–
Kit Connor, English actor
Deaths
Pre-1600
*
1126 –
Urraca of León and Castile (born 1079)
*
1137 –
Adela of Normandy, by marriage
countess of
Blois (born )
*
1144 –
Pope Celestine II
*
1403 –
Bayezid I
Bayezid I (; ), also known as Bayezid the Thunderbolt (; ; – 8 March 1403), was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1389 to 1402. He adopted the title of ''Sultan-i Rûm'', ''Rûm'' being the Arabic name for the Eastern Roman Empire. In 139 ...
, Ottoman sultan (born 1360)
*
1466 –
Francesco I Sforza, Duke of Milan (born 1401)
*
1550 –
John of God, Portuguese friar and saint (born 1495)
1601–1900
*
1619 –
Veit Bach, German baker and miller
*
1641
Events
January–March
* January 4 – The stratovolcano Mount Parker (Philippines), Mount Parker in the Philippines has a major eruption.
* January 14 – Battle of Malacca (1641), The Battle of Malacca concludes with the D ...
–
Xu Xiake, Chinese geographer and explorer (born 1587)
*
1702 –
William III of England
William III (William Henry; ; 4 November 1650 – 8 March 1702), also known as William of Orange, was the sovereign Prince of Orange from birth, Stadtholder of County of Holland, Holland, County of Zeeland, Zeeland, Lordship of Utrecht, Utrec ...
(born 1650)
*
1717 –
Abraham Darby I, English blacksmith (born 1678)
*
1723 –
Povel Juel, Norwegian civil servant (born c.1673)
* 1723 –
Christopher Wren
Sir Christopher Wren FRS (; – ) was an English architect, astronomer, mathematician and physicist who was one of the most highly acclaimed architects in the history of England. Known for his work in the English Baroque style, he was ac ...
, English architect, designed St. Paul's Cathedral (born 1632)
*
1844 –
Charles XIV John of Sweden (born 1763)
*
1869 –
Hector Berlioz, French composer, conductor, and critic (born 1803)
*
1872 –
Priscilla Susan Bury, British botanist (born 1799)
* 1872 –
Cornelius Krieghoff, Dutch-Canadian painter (born 1815)
*
1874 –
Millard Fillmore, American lawyer and politician, 13th
President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...
(born 1800)
*
1887 –
Henry Ward Beecher, American minister and activist (born 1813)
* 1887 –
James Buchanan Eads
James Buchanan Eads (May 23, 1820 – March 8, 1887) was an American civil engineer and inventor. He held more than 50 patents and was known internationally. He designed and built the Eads Bridge over the Mississippi River in St. Louis, which was ...
, American engineer, designed the
Eads Bridge (born 1820)
*
1889 –
John Ericsson
John Ericsson (born Johan Ericsson; July 31, 1803 – March 8, 1889) was a Swedish-American engineer and inventor. He was active in England and the United States.
Ericsson collaborated on the design of the railroad steam locomotive Novelty (lo ...
, Swedish-American engineer (born 1803)
1901–present
*
1917 –
Ferdinand von Zeppelin
Graf, Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin (; 8 July 1838 – 8 March 1917) was a General (Germany), German general and later inventor of the Zeppelin rigid airships. His name became synonymous with airships and dominated long-distance flight until the ...
, German general and businessman (born 1838)
*
1923 –
Johannes Diderik van der Waals, Dutch physicist and academic,
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 (born 1837)
*
1930 –
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) served as the 27th president of the United States from 1909 to 1913 and the tenth chief justice of the United States from 1921 to 1930. He is the only person to have held both offices. ...
, American politician, 27th
President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...
(born 1857)
* 1930 –
Edward Terry Sanford, American jurist and politician,
United States Assistant Attorney General (born 1865)
*
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 ...
–
Minna Craucher, Finnish socialite and
spy (born 1891)
*
1937 –
Howie Morenz, Canadian ice hockey player (born 1902)
*
1941 –
Sherwood Anderson, American novelist and short story writer (born 1876)
*
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 ...
–
José Raúl Capablanca, Cuban chess player (born 1888)
*
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 � ...
–
Cipto Mangunkusumo, Indonesian independence leader (born 1886)
*
1944 –
Fredy Hirsch, German Jewish athlete who helped thousands of Jewish children in the Holocaust (born 1916)
*
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) ...
–
Hulusi Behçet, Turkish dermatologist and scientist (born 1889)
*
1957 –
Othmar Schoeck, Swiss composer and conductor (born 1886)
*
1961 –
Thomas Beecham, English conductor and composer (born 1879)
*
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 ...
–
Harold Lloyd, American actor, director, and producer (born 1893)
*
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 ...
–
Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, American keyboard player and songwriter (born 1945)
*
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. ...
–
George Stevens, American director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1904)
*
1982 –
Hatem Ali Jamadar, Bengali politician (born 1872)
*
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 ...
–
Alan Lennox-Boyd, 1st Viscount Boyd of Merton, English lieutenant and politician (born 1904)
* 1983 –
William Walton, English composer (born 1902)
*
1993 –
Billy Eckstine, American jazz singer (born 1914)
*
1996 –
Jack Churchill, British colonel (born 1906)
*
1998 –
Ray Nitschke, American football player (born 1936)
*
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 ...
–
Adolfo Bioy Casares, Argentinian journalist and author (born 1914)
* 1999 –
Peggy Cass, American actress and comedian (born 1924)
* 1999 –
Joe DiMaggio, American baseball player and coach (born 1914)
*
2003 –
Adam Faith, English singer (born 1940)
* 2003 –
Karen Morley, American actress (born 1909)
*
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
–
Muhammad Zaidan, Syrian terrorist, founded the
Palestine Liberation Front (born 1948)
*
2005
2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
–
César Lattes, Brazilian physicist and academic (born 1924)
* 2005 –
Aslan Maskhadov, Chechen commander and politician,
President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria (born 1951)
*
2007 –
John Inman, English actor (born 1935)
* 2007 –
John Vukovich, American baseball player and coach (born 1947)
*
2009
2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
–
Hank Locklin, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1918)
*
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 ...
–
Simin Daneshvar, Iranian author and academic (born 1921)
*
2013
2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years).
2013 was designated as:
*International Year of Water Cooperation
*International Year of Quinoa
Events
January
* January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
–
John O'Connell, Irish politician,
Irish Minister of Health (born 1927)
* 2013 –
Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist-Schmenzin
Ewald-Heinrich Hermann Konrad Oskar Ulrich Wolf Alfred von Kleist-Schmenzin (10 July 1922 – 8 March 2013) was a Germans, German publisher and convenor of the Munich Conference on Security Policy until 1998. A member of the von Kleist family a ...
, German soldier and publisher (born 1922)
*
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 ...
–
Leo Bretholz, Austrian-American
Holocaust survivor and author (born 1921)
* 2014 –
William Guarnere, American sergeant (born 1923)
*
2015 –
Sam Simon, American director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1955)
*
2016 –
George Martin, English composer, conductor, and producer (born 1926)
*
2018 –
Kate Wilhelm, American author (born 1928)
*
2019 –
Marshall Brodien, American actor (born 1934)
* 2019 –
Cedrick Hardman, American football player and actor (born 1948)
*
2020
The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
–
Max von Sydow, Swedish actor (born 1929)
*
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 ...
–
Athol Fugard
Harold Athol Lanigan Fugard (; 11 June 19328 March 2025) was a South African playwright, novelist, actor and director. Widely regarded as South Africa's greatest playwright and acclaimed as "the greatest active playwright in the English-speaki ...
, South African actor, director, and playwright (born 1932)
Holidays and observances
*Christian
feast day:
**
Edward King (
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...
)
**
Felix of Burgundy
**
John of God
**
Philemon the actor
**
March 8 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
*
International Women's Day, and its related observances:
**
International Women's Collaboration Brew Day
References
External links
BBC: On This Day
*
Historical Events on March 8
{{months
Days of March