Events
Pre-1600
*
1111 –
Henry V, King of Germany, is crowned
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans (disambiguation), Emperor of the Romans (; ) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period (; ), was the ruler and h ...
.
*
1204 –
Constantinople
Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...
falls to the Crusaders of the
Fourth Crusade
The Fourth Crusade (1202–1204) was a Latin Christian armed expedition called by Pope Innocent III. The stated intent of the expedition was to recapture the Muslim-controlled city of Jerusalem, by first defeating the powerful Egyptian Ayyubid S ...
, temporarily ending the
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived History of the Roman Empire, the events that caused the ...
.
*
1455 –
Thirteen Years' War: the beginning of the
Battle for Kneiphof.
1601–1900
*
1612 – Samurai
Miyamoto Musashi defeats
Sasaki Kojirō in a duel at
Funajima island.
*
1613 –
Samuel Argall, having captured
Pocahontas in
Passapatanzy, Virginia, sets off with her to Jamestown with the intention of exchanging her for English prisoners held by
her father.
*
1699 – The
Sikh
Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Si ...
religion is formalised as the
Khalsa – the brotherhood of Warrior-Saintsby
Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh (; born Gobind Das; 22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708) was the tenth and last human Sikh gurus, Sikh Guru. He was a warrior, poet, and philosopher. In 1675, at the age of nine he was formally installed as the leader of the ...
in northern India, in accordance with the
Nanakshahi calendar.
*
1742 –
George Frideric Handel's
oratorio
An oratorio () is a musical composition with dramatic or narrative text for choir, soloists and orchestra or other ensemble.
Similar to opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguisha ...
''
Messiah'' makes its world premiere in
Dublin
Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
, Ireland.
*
1777 –
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
: American forces are ambushed and defeated in the
Battle of Bound Brook,
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
.
*
1829 – The
Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 gives
Roman Catholics in the United Kingdom the right to vote and to sit in Parliament.
*
1849 –
Lajos Kossuth
Lajos Kossuth de Udvard et Kossuthfalva (; ; ; ; 19 September 1802 – 20 March 1894) was a Hungarian nobleman, lawyer, journalist, politician, statesman and governor-president of the Kingdom of Hungary during the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, r ...
presents the
Hungarian Declaration of Independence in a closed session of the National Assembly.
*
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 ...
: Union forces surrender
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter is a historical Coastal defense and fortification#Sea forts, sea fort located near Charleston, South Carolina. Constructed on an artificial island at the entrance of Charleston Harbor in 1829, the fort was built in response to the W ...
to Confederate forces.
*
1865 – American Civil War:
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most populous city in the state (after Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte) ...
is occupied by Union forces.
*
1870 – The New York City
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an Encyclopedic museum, encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the List of largest museums, third-largest museum in the world and the List of larg ...
is founded.
*
1873 – The
Colfax massacre: More than 60 to 150 black men are murdered in
Colfax, Louisiana, while surrendering to a mob of former Confederate soldiers and members of the
Ku Klux Klan
The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to KKK or Klan, is an American Protestant-led Christian terrorism, Christian extremist, white supremacist, Right-wing terrorism, far-right hate group. It was founded in 1865 during Reconstruction era, ...
.
1901–present
*
1909 – The
31 March Incident leads to the overthrow of Sultan
Abdul Hamid II.
*
1919 –
Jallianwala Bagh massacre:
British Indian Army troops led by Brigadier-General
Reginald Dyer kill approximately 379–1,000 unarmed demonstrators including men and women in
Amritsar
Amritsar, also known as Ambarsar, is the second-List of cities in Punjab, India by population, largest city in the India, Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab, after Ludhiana. Located in the Majha region, it is a major cultural, transportatio ...
, India; and approximately 1,500 injured.
*
1924 –
A.E.K., a major
Greek multi-sport club, is established in
Athens
Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...
by
Greek refugees from
Constantinople
Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...
.
*
1941 – A
pact of neutrality between the
USSR
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 ...
and Japan is signed.
*
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 � ...
–
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 discovery of
mass graves of Polish
prisoners of war killed by Soviet forces in the
Katyń Forest Massacre is announced, causing a diplomatic rift between the
Polish government-in-exile in London and 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 ...
, which denies responsibility.
* 1943 – The
Jefferson Memorial is dedicated in Washington, D.C., on the 200th anniversary of President
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (, 1743July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the United States Declaration of Indepe ...
's birth.
*
1945 – World War II:
German troops
kill more than 1,000 political and military prisoners in
Gardelegen
Gardelegen (; ) is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Milde (river), Milde, 20 m. W. from Stendal, on the main line of railway Berlin-Hanover.
History
Gardelegen has a Roman Catholic and three Evangelical c ...
, Germany.
* 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 ...
and
Bulgarian forces
capture Vienna.
*
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) ...
– In an ambush, 78 Jewish doctors, nurses and medical students from
Hadassah Hospital, and a British soldier, are massacred by Arabs in
Sheikh Jarrah. This event came to be known as the
Hadassah medical convoy massacre.
*
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 ...
–
CIA director
Allen Dulles launches the
mind-control program
Project MKUltra.
*
1960 – The United States launches
Transit 1-B, the world's first
satellite navigation
A satellite navigation or satnav system is a system that uses satellites to provide autonomous geopositioning. A satellite navigation system with global coverage is termed global navigation satellite system (GNSS). , four global systems are ope ...
system.
*
1964 – At the
Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...
,
Sidney Poitier becomes the first
African-American man to win the
Best Actor award for the 1963 film ''
Lilies of the Field''.
*
1970 – An
oxygen
Oxygen is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group (periodic table), group in the periodic table, a highly reactivity (chemistry), reactive nonmetal (chemistry), non ...
tank aboard the
Apollo 13 Service Module explodes, putting the crew in great danger and causing major damage to the
Apollo command and service module
The Apollo command and service module (CSM) was one of two principal components of the United States Apollo (spacecraft), Apollo spacecraft, used for the Apollo program, which landed astronauts on the Moon between 1969 and 1972. The CSM functi ...
(codenamed "''Odyssey''") while en route to the
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It Orbit of the Moon, orbits around Earth at Lunar distance, an average distance of (; about 30 times Earth diameter, Earth's diameter). The Moon rotation, rotates, with a rotation period (lunar ...
.
*
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, ...
– The
Universal Postal Union decides to recognize the
People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
as the only legitimate Chinese representative, effectively expelling the
Republic of China
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
administering
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
.
* 1972 –
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 ...
: The
Battle of An Lộc
The Battle of An Lộc was a major battle of the Vietnam War that lasted for 66 days and culminated in a victory for South Vietnam. The struggle for An Lộc, Bình Phước, An Lộc in 1972 was an important battle of the war, as South Vietname ...
begins.
*
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. ...
– An
attack by the
Phalangist resistance kills 26 militia members of the
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, marking the start of the 15-year
Lebanese Civil War
The Lebanese Civil War ( ) was a multifaceted armed conflict that took place from 1975 to 1990. It resulted in an estimated 150,000 fatalities and led to the exodus of almost one million people from Lebanon.
The religious diversity of the ...
.
*
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 ...
– The
United States Treasury Department reintroduces the
two-dollar bill as a
Federal Reserve Note on
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (, 1743July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the United States Declaration of Indepe ...
's 233rd birthday as part of the
United States Bicentennial celebration.
* 1976 – Forty workers die in the
Lapua Cartridge Factory explosion
The Lapua Cartridge Factory explosion () was an industrial disaster in an ammunition factory in Lapua, Finland on 13 April 1976. 40 workers were killed and 60 people injured. This was Finland's worst industrial disaster.
Explosion
The explosion ...
, the deadliest industrial accident in modern
Finnish history.
*
1996 – Two women and four children are killed after Israeli helicopter
fired rockets at an ambulance in
Mansouri, Lebanon.
*
1997 –
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods (born December 30, 1975) is an American professional golfer. He is tied for first in List of golfers with most PGA Tour wins, PGA Tour wins, ranks second in List of men's major championships winning golfers, men's m ...
becomes the youngest
golf
Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various Golf club, clubs to hit a Golf ball, ball into a series of holes on a golf course, course in as few strokes as possible.
Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standa ...
er to win the
Masters Tournament.
*
2006 – The
United Front for Democratic Change's
attack on the
Chad
Chad, officially the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North Africa, North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to Chad–Libya border, the north, Sudan to Chad–Sudan border, the east, the Central Afric ...
ian capital of
N'Djamena is repelled by the
Chadian army
*
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 ...
– A
fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a fuel in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products.
Flames, the most visible portion of the fire, are produced in the combustion re ...
destroys a homeless hostel and kills at least 22 people in
Kamień Pomorski,
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
.
*
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 ...
–
Salam Fayyad resigns as
Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority following an ongoing dispute with the President
Mahmoud Abbas
Mahmoud Abbas (; born 15 November 1935), also known by the Kunya (Arabic), kunya Abu Mazen (, ), is a Palestinian politician who has been serving as the second president of Palestine and the President of the Palestinian National Authority, P ...
.
*
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 ...
– Three people are killed in a
shooting in
Overland Park, Kansas
Overland Park ( ) is the largest city in Johnson County, Kansas, United States, and the List of cities in Kansas#Highest population listing, second-most populous city in the state of Kansas. It is one of four principal city, principal cities in ...
.
*
2023 – The house of
Jack Teixeira is raided in an investigation into
leaked Pentagon documents; he is arrested on the same day.
*
2024 – Six people and the perpetrator are killed and twelve others injured in
a mass stabbing at
Westfield Bondi Junction shopping centre in
Sydney
Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
, Australia.
*
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 ...
–
Rory McIlroy wins the
Masters Tournament, becoming just the sixth person to complete the
Grand Slam in golf.
Births
Pre-1600
*
1229 –
Louis II, Duke of Bavaria
Louis the Strict () (13 April 1229 – 2 February 1294) was Duke of Upper Bavaria and Count Palatine of the Rhine from 1253. He is known as Louis II or Louis VI following an alternative numbering. Born in Heidelberg, he was a son of Otto II W ...
(died 1294)
*
1350 –
Margaret III, Countess of Flanders (died 1405)
*
1506
Year 1506 (Roman numerals, MDVI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–March
* January 14 – The Classical antiquity, classical statue of ''Laocoön and His Sons'' is unearthed in Rome. ...
–
Peter Faber, French priest and theologian, co-founded the
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rome. It was founded in 1540 ...
(died 1546)
*
1519 –
Catherine de' Medici
Catherine de' Medici (, ; , ; 13 April 1519 – 5 January 1589) was an Italian Republic of Florence, Florentine noblewoman of the Medici family and Queen of France from 1547 to 1559 by marriage to Henry II of France, King Henry II. Sh ...
, Italian-French wife of
Henry II of France (died 1589)
*
1570 –
Guy Fawkes, English soldier, member of the
Gunpowder Plot (probable; died 1606)
*
1573 –
Christina of Holstein-Gottorp (died 1625)
*
1593 –
Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford
Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford (13 April 1593 (New Style, N.S.)12 May 1641), was an English people, English statesman and a major figure in the period leading up to the English Civil War. He served in Parliament of England, Parliament ...
, English soldier and politician,
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (died 1641)
1601–1900
*
1618 –
Roger de Rabutin, Comte de Bussy, French author (died 1693)
*
1636 –
Hendrik van Rheede, Dutch botanist (died 1691)
*
1648 –
Jeanne Marie Bouvier de la Motte Guyon, French mystic (died 1717)
*
1713 –
Pierre Jélyotte
Pierre Jélyotte (13 April 1713 – 11 September 1797) was a French operatic tenor, particularly associated with works by Rameau, Lully, Campra, Mondonville and Destouches.
Life and career
Born Pierre Grichon in Lasseube, he studied ...
, French tenor (died 1797)
*
1729 –
Thomas Percy, Irish bishop and poet (died 1811)
*
1732 –
Frederick North, Lord North, English politician,
Prime Minister of Great Britain
The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet, and selects its ministers. Modern pr ...
(died 1792)
*
1735 –
Isaac Low, American merchant and politician, founded the
New York Chamber of Commerce (died 1791)
*
1743 –
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (, 1743July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the United States Declaration of Indepe ...
, American lawyer and politician, 3rd
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 ...
(died 1826)
*
1747 –
Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans
Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans (Louis Philippe Joseph; 13 April 17476 November 1793), was a French Prince of the Blood who supported the French Revolution.
Louis Philippe II was born at the to Louis Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, Louis Phi ...
(died 1793)
*
1764 –
Laurent de Gouvion Saint-Cyr, French general and politician,
French Minister of War (died 1830)
*
1769 –
Thomas Lawrence, English painter and educator (died 1830)
*
1771 –
Richard Trevithick, Cornish-English engineer and explorer (died 1833)
*
1780 –
Alexander Mitchell, Irish engineer, invented the
Screw-pile lighthouse (died 1868)
*
1784 –
Friedrich Graf von Wrangel, Prussian field marshal (died 1877)
*
1787 –
John Robertson, American lawyer and politician (died 1873)
*
1794 –
Jean Pierre Flourens, French physiologist and academic (died 1867)
*
1802 –
Leopold Fitzinger, Austrian zoologist and herpetologist (died 1884)
*
1808 –
Antonio Meucci, Italian-American engineer (died 1889)
*
1810 –
Félicien David, French composer (died 1876)
*
1824
Events
January–March
* January 1 – John Stuart Mill begins publication of The Westminster Review. The first article is by William Johnson Fox
* January 8 – After much controversy, Michael Faraday is finally elected as a member of th ...
–
William Alexander, Irish archbishop, poet, and theologian (died 1911)
*
1825 –
Thomas D'Arcy McGee, Irish-Canadian journalist and politician (died 1868)
*
1828
Events
January–March
* January 4 – Jean Baptiste Gay, vicomte de Martignac succeeds the Jean-Baptiste de Villèle, Comte de Villèle, as Prime Minister of France.
* January 8 – The Democratic Party of the United States is organiz ...
–
Josephine Butler, English
feminist
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...
and
social reformer (died 1906)
* 1828 –
Joseph Lightfoot, English bishop and theologian (died 1889)
*
1832 –
Juan Montalvo, Ecuadorian author and diplomat (died 1889)
*
1841 –
Louis-Ernest Barrias, French sculptor and academic (died 1905)
*
1850 –
Arthur Matthew Weld Downing, Irish astronomer (died 1917)
*
1851 –
Robert Abbe, American surgeon and radiologist (died 1928)
* 1851 –
William Quan Judge, Irish occultist and theosophist (died 1896)
*
1852 –
Frank Winfield Woolworth, American businessman, founded the
F. W. Woolworth Company (died 1919)
*
1854 –
Lucy Craft Laney, American founder of the Haines Normal and Industrial School, Augusta, Georgia (died 1933)
*
1860 –
James Ensor, English-Belgian painter, an important influence on
expressionism
Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it rad ...
and
surrealism
Surrealism is an art movement, art and cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists aimed to allow the unconscious mind to express itself, often resulting in the depiction of illogical or dreamlike s ...
(died 1949)
*
1865 –
Lucie Lagerbielke, Swedish writer and painter (died 1931).
*
1866 –
Butch Cassidy
Robert LeRoy Parker (April 13, 1866 – November 7, 1908), better known as Butch Cassidy, was an American train robbery, train and bank robbery, bank robber and the leader of a gang of criminal outlaws known as the "Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch, ...
, American criminal (died 1908)
*
1872 –
John Cameron, Scottish international footballer and manager (died 1935)
* 1872 –
Alexander Roda Roda, Austrian-Croatian journalist and author (died 1945)
*
1873 –
John W. Davis, American lawyer and politician, 14th
United States Solicitor General (died 1955)
*
1875 –
Ray Lyman Wilbur, American physician, academic, and politician, 31st
United States Secretary of the Interior
The United States secretary of the interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior. The secretary and the Department of the Interior are responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land along with natura ...
(died 1949)
*
1879 –
Edward Bruce, American lawyer and painter (died 1943)
* 1879 –
Oswald Bruce Cooper, American type designer, lettering artist, graphic designer, and educator (died 1940)
*
1880
Events
January
*January 27 – Thomas Edison is granted a patent for the incandescent light bulb. Edison filed for a US patent for an electric lamp using "a carbon filament or strip coiled and connected ... to platina contact wires." gr ...
–
Charles Christie, Canadian-American businessman, co-founded the
Christie Film Company (died 1955)
*
1885 –
Vean Gregg, American baseball player (died 1964)
* 1885 –
Juhan Kukk, Estonian politician,
Head of State of Estonia (died 1942)
* 1885 –
György Lukács
György Lukács (born Bernát György Löwinger; ; ; 13 April 1885 – 4 June 1971) was a Hungarian Marxist philosopher, literary historian, literary critic, and Aesthetics, aesthetician. He was one of the founders of Western Marxism, an inter ...
, Hungarian philosopher and critic (died 1971)
* 1885 –
Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy, Dutch politician (died 1961)
*
1887 –
Gordon S. Fahrni, Canadian physician and golfer (died 1995)
*
1889 –
Herbert Yardley, American cryptologist and author (died 1958)
*
1890
Events
January
* January 1 – The Kingdom of Italy establishes Eritrea as its colony in the Horn of Africa.
* January 2 – Alice Sanger becomes the first female staffer in the White House.
* January 11 – 1890 British Ultimatum: The Uni ...
–
Frank Murphy, American jurist and politician, 56th
United States Attorney General
The United States attorney general is the head of the United States Department of Justice and serves as the chief law enforcement officer of the Federal government of the United States, federal government. The attorney general acts as the princi ...
(died 1949)
* 1890 –
Dadasaheb Torne, Indian director and producer (died 1960)
*
1891 –
Maurice Buckley, Australian sergeant,
Victoria Cross recipient (died 1921)
* 1891 –
Nella Larsen, Danish/African-American nurse, librarian, and author (died 1964)
* 1891 –
Robert Scholl, German accountant and politician (died 1973)
*
1892 –
Sir Arthur Harris, 1st Baronet, English air marshal (died 1984)
* 1892 –
Robert Watson-Watt, Scottish engineer, invented
Radar
Radar is a system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), direction ( azimuth and elevation angles), and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It is a radiodetermination method used to detect and track ...
(died 1973)
*
1894 –
Arthur Fadden, Australian accountant and politician, 13th
Prime Minister of Australia
The prime minister of Australia is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia. The prime minister is the chair of the Cabinet of Australia and thus the head of the Australian Government, federal executive government. Under the pr ...
(died 1973)
*
1894 –
May Brodney, Australian labour activist (died 1973)
*
1896 –
Fred Barnett, English footballer (died 1982)
*
1897 –
Werner Voss, German lieutenant and pilot (died 1917)
*
1899 –
Alfred Mosher Butts, American architect and game designer, created
Scrabble
''Scrabble'' is a word game in which two to four players score points by placing tiles, each bearing a single letter, onto a Board game, game board divided into a 15×15 grid of squares. The tiles must form words that, in crossword fashion, re ...
(died 1993)
* 1899 –
Harold Osborn, American high jumper and decathlete (died 1975)
*
1900 –
Sorcha Boru, American potter and ceramic sculptor (died 2006)
* 1900 –
Pierre Molinier, French painter and photographer (died 1976)
1901–present
*
1901 –
Jacques Lacan
Jacques Marie Émile Lacan (, ; ; 13 April 1901 – 9 September 1981) was a French psychoanalyst and psychiatrist. Described as "the most controversial psycho-analyst since Sigmund Freud, Freud", Lacan gave The Seminars of Jacques Lacan, year ...
, French psychiatrist and psychoanalyst (died 1981)
* 1901 –
Alan Watt, Australian public servant and diplomat,
Australian Ambassador to Japan (died 1988)
*
1902 –
Philippe de Rothschild, French
Grand Prix driver, playwright, and producer (died 1988)
* 1902 –
Marguerite Henry, American author (died 1997)
*
1904 –
David Robinson, English businessman and philanthropist (died 1987)
*
1905 –
Rae Johnstone, Australian jockey (died 1964)
*
1906 –
Samuel Beckett
Samuel Barclay Beckett (; 13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish writer of novels, plays, short stories, and poems. Writing in both English and French, his literary and theatrical work features bleak, impersonal, and Tragicomedy, tra ...
, Irish novelist, poet, and playwright,
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 1989)
* 1906 –
Bud Freeman, American saxophonist, composer, and bandleader (died 1991)
*
1907
Events
January
* January 14 – 1907 Kingston earthquake: A 6.5 Moment magnitude scale, Mw earthquake in Kingston, Jamaica, kills between 800 and 1,000.
February
* February 9 – The "Mud March (suffragists), Mud March", the ...
–
Harold Stassen, American lawyer and politician, 25th
Governor of Minnesota (died 2001)
*
1909 –
Eudora Welty, American short story writer and novelist (died 2001)
*
1911
Events January
* January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory are added to the Commonwealth of Australia.
* January 3
** 1911 Kebin earthquake: An earthquake of 7.7 m ...
–
Ico Hitrec, Croatian footballer and manager (died 1946)
* 1911 –
Jean-Louis Lévesque, Canadian businessman and philanthropist (died 1994)
* 1911 –
Nino Sanzogno, Italian conductor and composer (died 1983)
*
1913 –
Dave Albritton, American high jumper and coach (died 1994)
* 1913 –
Kermit Tyler, American lieutenant and pilot (died 2010)
*
1914 –
Orhan Veli Kanık, Turkish poet and author (died 1950)
*
1916 –
Phyllis Fraser, Welsh-American actress, journalist, and publisher, co-founded
Beginner Books (died 2006)
*
1917 –
Robert Orville Anderson, American businessman, founded
Atlantic Richfield Oil Co. (died 2007)
* 1917 –
Bill Clements, American soldier, engineer, and politician, 15th
United States Deputy Secretary of Defense (died 2011)
*
1919 –
Roland Gaucher, French journalist and politician (died 2007)
* 1919 –
Howard Keel, American actor and singer (died 2004)
* 1919 –
Madalyn Murray O'Hair, American activist, founded
American Atheists (died 1995)
*
1920 –
Roberto Calvi, Italian banker (died 1982)
* 1920 –
Claude Cheysson, French lieutenant and politician,
French Minister of Foreign Affairs (died 2012)
* 1920 –
Liam Cosgrave, Irish lawyer and politician, 6th
Taoiseach of Ireland (died 2017)
* 1920 –
Theodore L. Thomas, American
chemical engineer,
Patent attorney and writer (died 2005)
*
1922 –
Heinz Baas, German footballer and manager (died 1994)
* 1922 –
John Braine, English librarian and author (died 1986)
* 1922 –
Julius Nyerere, Tanzanian politician and teacher, 1st
President of Tanzania (died 1999)
* 1922 –
Valve Pormeister, Estonian architect (died 2002)
*
1923 –
Don Adams, American actor and director (died 2005)
* 1923 –
A. H. Halsey, English sociologist and academic (died 2014)
*
1924 –
John T. Biggers, American painter (died 2001)
* 1924 –
Jack T. Chick, American author, illustrator, and publisher (died 2016)
* 1924 –
Stanley Donen, American film director and choreographer (died 2019)
*
1926 –
Ellie Lambeti, Greek actress (died 1983)
* 1926 –
John Spencer-Churchill, 11th Duke of Marlborough, English businessman (died 2014)
*
1927 –
Rosemary Haughton, English philosopher, theologian, and author (died 2024)
* 1927 –
Maurice Ronet, French actor and director (died 1983)
*
1928 –
Alan Clark, English historian and politician,
Minister of State for Trade (died 1999)
* 1928 –
Gianni Marzotto, Italian racing driver and businessman (died 2012)
*
1929 –
Marilynn Smith, American golfer (died 2019)
*
1931 –
Anita Cerquetti, Italian soprano (died 2014)
* 1931 –
Robert Enrico, French director and screenwriter (died 2001)
* 1931 –
Dan Gurney, American race car driver and engineer (died 2018)
* 1931 –
Jon Stone, American composer, producer, and screenwriter (died 1997)
*
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 ...
–
Orlando Letelier, Chilean-American economist and politician,
Chilean Minister of National Defense (died 1976)
*
1934 –
John Muckler, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager (died 2021)
*
1937 –
Col Joye, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist
* 1937 –
Edward Fox, English actor
* 1937 –
Lanford Wilson, American playwright, co-founded the
Circle Repertory Company (died 2011)
*
1938
Events
January
* January 1 – state-owned enterprise, State-owned railway networks are created by merger, in France (SNCF) and the Netherlands (Nederlandse Spoorwegen – NS).
* January 20 – King Farouk of Egypt marries Saf ...
–
Klaus Lehnertz, German pole vaulter
*
1939 –
Seamus Heaney, Irish poet and playwright,
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 2013)
* 1939 –
Paul Sorvino, American actor and singer (died 2022)
*
1940 –
Mike Beuttler, Egyptian-English racing driver (died 1988)
* 1940 –
J. M. G. Le Clézio,
Breton French-
Mauritian author 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
* 1940 –
Vladimir Cosma, French composer, conductor and violinist
* 1940 –
Jim McNab, Scottish footballer (died 2006)
* 1940 –
Max Mosley, English racing driver and engineer, co-founded
March Engineering, former president of the
FIA (died 2021)
* 1940 –
Ruby Puryear Hearn, African-American biophysicist
*
1941 –
Michael Stuart Brown, American geneticist 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
* 1941 –
Jean-Marc Reiser, French author and illustrator (died 1983)
*
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 ...
–
Bill Conti, American composer and conductor
*
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 � ...
–
Alan Jones, Australian rugby coach and radio host
* 1943 –
Tim Krabbé, Dutch journalist and author
*
1944 –
Susan Davis, Russian-American social worker and politician
*
1945 –
Judy Nunn, Australian actress and author
*
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 ...
–
Al Green, American singer-songwriter, producer, and pastor
*
1947 –
Rae Armantrout, American poet and academic
* 1947 –
Mike Chapman, Australian-English songwriter and producer
* 1947 –
Jean-Jacques Laffont
Jean-Jacques Marcel Laffont (April 13, 1947 – May 1, 2004) was a French economist specializing in public economics and information economics. Educated at the University of Toulouse and the Ecole Nationale de la Statistique et de l'Administration ...
, French economist and academic (died 2004)
* 1947 –
Thanos Mikroutsikos, Greek composer and politician (died 2019)
*
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) ...
–
Nam Hae-il, South Korean admiral
* 1948 –
Drago Jančar, Slovenian author and playwright
* 1948 –
Mikhail Shufutinsky, Soviet and Russian singer, actor, TV presenter
*
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 ...
–
Len Cook, New Zealand-English mathematician and statistician
* 1949 –
Frank Doran, Scottish lawyer and politician (died 2017)
* 1949 –
Christopher Hitchens
Christopher Eric Hitchens (13 April 1949 – 15 December 2011) was a British and American author and journalist. He was the author of Christopher Hitchens bibliography, 18 books on faith, religion, culture, politics, and literature. He was born ...
, English-American essayist, literary critic, and journalist (died 2011)
*
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 ...
–
Ron Perlman
Ronald N. Perlman (born April 13, 1950) is an American actor. His credits include the roles of Amoukar in ''Quest for Fire (film), Quest for Fire'' (1981), Salvatore in ''The Name of the Rose (film), The Name of the Rose'' (1986), Vincent in th ...
, American actor
* 1950 –
Tommy Raudonikis, Australian rugby league player and coach (died 2021)
* 1950 –
William Sadler, American actor
*
1951
Events
January
* January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time (having lost the Second Battle of Seoul in September 1950).
* January 9 – The Government of the Uni ...
–
Leszek Borysiewicz, Welsh immunologist and academic
* 1951 –
Peabo Bryson, American singer
* 1951 –
Peter Davison, English actor
* 1951 –
Joachim Streich, German footballer (died 2022)
* 1951 –
Max Weinberg, American musician and bandleader
*
1952 –
Gabrielle Gourdeau, Canadian writer (died 2006)
* 1952 –
Jonjo O'Neill, Irish jockey and trainer
*
1955 –
Steve Camp, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
* 1955 –
Muwenda Mutebi II, current King of
Buganda Kingdom
* 1955 –
Safet Sušić, Bosnian footballer and manager
*
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 ...
–
César, Brazilian footballer (died 2024)
*
1958 –
Jean-Marc Pilorget, French footballer and manager
*
1959 –
John Middendorf, American mountain climber (died 2024)
*
1960 –
Rudi Völler, German footballer and manager
*
1963
Events January
* January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cove ...
–
Garry Kasparov
Garry Kimovich Kasparov (born Garik Kimovich Weinstein on 13 April 1963) is a Russian Grandmaster (chess), chess grandmaster, former World Chess Champion (1985–2000), political activist and writer. His peak FIDE chess Elo rating system, ra ...
, Russian chess player and author
*
1964 –
Davis Love III, American golfer and sportscaster
*
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 ...
–
Patricio Pouchulu, Argentinian architect and educator
*
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 ...
–
Mando, Greek singer
*
1967 –
Dana Barros, American basketball player and coach
* 1967 –
Michael Eisen, American biologist and academic
* 1967 –
Olga Tañón, Puerto Rican singer-songwriter
*
1970 –
Ricky Schroder, American actor
*
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 ...
–
Franck Esposito, French swimmer
* 1971 –
Danie Mellor, Australian painter and sculptor
* 1971 –
Bo Outlaw, American basketball player
*
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, ...
–
Aaron Lewis, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
*
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 ...
–
Bokeem Woodbine, American actor
*
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. ...
–
Lou Bega, German singer
*
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 ...
–
Jonathan Brandis, American actor (died 2003)
* 1976 –
Dan Campbell, American football player and coach
* 1976 –
Glenn Howerton, American actor
*
1977 –
Margus Tsahkna, Estonian lawyer and politician
*
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 ...
–
Carles Puyol, Spanish footballer
*
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 ...
–
Baron Davis, American basketball player
*
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 ...
–
Kelli Giddish, American actress
* 1980 –
Quentin Richardson, American basketball player
*
1982 –
Nellie McKay
Eleanora Marie McKay (born April 13, 1982) is an English–American singer and songwriter. She made her Broadway debut in ''The Threepenny Opera#United States 2, The Threepenny Opera'' (2006).
Early life and education
McKay was born in London ...
, British-American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress
* 1982 –
Ty Dolla Sign, American singer, songwriter, and musician
* 1983 –
Claudio Bravo, Chilean footballer
* 1983 –
Hunter Pence, American baseball player
*
1984 –
Anders Lindegaard, Danish footballer
*
1986 –
Lorenzo Cain, American baseball 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 ...
–
Steven De Vuyst, Belgian politician
* 1987 –
John-Allison Weiss, American singer-songwriter
*
1988 –
Allison Williams, American actress and singer
* 1988 –
Anderson, Brazilian footballer
*
1989 –
Josh Reynolds, Australian rugby league player
*
1991 –
Josh Gordon, American football player
*
1992
1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General.
* January 6
** The Republ ...
–
Jordan Silk, Australian cricketer
*
1993 –
Melvin Gordon, American football player
* 1993 –
Darrun Hilliard, American 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 ...
–
Kahraba, Egyptian footballer
*
1996 –
Marko Grujić, Serbian footballer
*
1997 –
Mateo Cassierra, Colombian footballer
* 1997 –
Kyle Walker-Peters, English footballer
*
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 ...
–
Alessandro Bastoni, Italian footballer
* 1999 –
András Schäfer, Hungarian footballer
*
2000
2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year.
Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
–
Rasmus Dahlin
Rasmus Erik Dahlin (; born 13 April 2000) is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman and Captain (ice hockey), captain for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). Having been referred to as the most talented player available ...
, Swedish ice hockey player
* 2000 –
Facundo Torres, Uruguayan footballer
*
2001 –
Neco Williams, Welsh footballer
*
2002 –
Karl Hein, Estonian footballer
Deaths
Pre-1600
*
548 –
Lý Nam Đế, Vietnamese emperor (born 503)
*
585 –
Hermenegild,
Visigothic
The Visigoths (; ) were a Germanic people united under the rule of a king and living within the Roman Empire during late antiquity. The Visigoths first appeared in the Balkans, as a Roman-allied barbarian military group united under the comman ...
prince and saint
*
799 –
Paul the Deacon
Paul the Deacon ( 720s 13 April in 796, 797, 798, or 799 AD), also known as ''Paulus Diaconus'', ''Warnefridus'', ''Barnefridus'', or ''Winfridus'', and sometimes suffixed ''Cassinensis'' (''i.e.'' "of Monte Cassino"), was a Benedictine monk, sc ...
, Italian monk and historian (born 720)
*
814 –
Krum, khan of the
Bulgarian Khanate
*
862 –
Donald I, king of the
Picts
The Picts were a group of peoples in what is now Scotland north of the Firth of Forth, in the Scotland in the early Middle Ages, Early Middle Ages. Where they lived and details of their culture can be gleaned from early medieval texts and Pic ...
(born 812)
*
989 –
Bardas Phokas, Byzantine general
*
1035
Year 1035 (Roman numerals, MXXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Europe
* March 23 – Battle of Cesar (near the village of Cesar, Portugal): The armies of Bermudo III, King of Ki ...
–
Herbert I, Count of Maine
*
1093 –
Vsevolod I of Kiev (born 1030)
*
1113 –
Ida of Lorraine, saint and noblewoman (born c.
1040)
*
1138 –
Simon I, Duke of Lorraine (born 1076)
*
1213 –
Guy of Thouars, regent of Brittany
*
1275 –
Eleanor of England (born 1215)
*
1367 –
John Tiptoft, 2nd Baron Tibetot (born 1313)
*
1592 –
Bartolomeo Ammannati, Italian architect and sculptor (born 1511)
1601–1900
*
1605 –
Boris Godunov,
Tsar of Russia (born 1551)
*
1612 –
Sasaki Kojirō, Japanese samurai (born 1585)
*
1635 –
Fakhr-al-Din II, Ottoman prince (born 1572)
*
1638 –
Henri, Duke of Rohan (born 1579)
*
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 ...
–
Richard Montagu, English bishop (born 1577)
*
1695 –
Jean de La Fontaine
Jean de La Fontaine (, ; ; 8 July 162113 April 1695) was a French Fable, fabulist and one of the most widely read French poets of the 17th century. He is known above all for his ''La Fontaine's Fables, Fables'', which provided a model for subs ...
, French author and poet (born 1621)
*
1716 –
Arthur Herbert, 1st Earl of Torrington, English admiral and politician (born 1648)
*
1722 –
Charles Leslie, Irish priest and theologian (born 1650)
*
1793 –
Pierre Gaspard Chaumette, French botanist, lawyer, and politician (born 1763)
*
1794 –
Nicolas Chamfort, French playwright and poet (born 1741)
*
1826 –
Franz Danzi, German cellist, composer, and conductor (born 1763)
*
1853
Events
January–March
* January 6 –
** Florida Governor Thomas Brown signs legislation that provides public support for the new East Florida Seminary, leading to the establishment of the University of Florida.
**U.S. President-elect ...
–
Leopold Gmelin, German chemist and academic (born 1788)
* 1853 –
James Iredell, Jr., American lawyer and politician, 23rd
Governor of North Carolina
The governor of North Carolina is the head of government of the United States, U.S. state of North Carolina. Seventy-five people have held the office since the first state governor, Richard Caswell, took office in 1777. The governor serves a ...
(born 1788)
*
1855 –
Henry De la Beche, English geologist and palaeontologist (born 1796)
*
1868 –
Tewodros II
Tewodros II (, once referred to by the English cognate Theodore; baptized as Kassa, – 13 April 1868) was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1855 until his death in 1868. His rule is often placed as the beginning of modern Ethiopia and brought an end to ...
of Ethiopia (born 1818)
*
1880
Events
January
*January 27 – Thomas Edison is granted a patent for the incandescent light bulb. Edison filed for a US patent for an electric lamp using "a carbon filament or strip coiled and connected ... to platina contact wires." gr ...
–
Robert Fortune, Scottish botanist and author (born 1813)
*
1882 –
Bruno Bauer, German historian and philosopher (born 1809)
*
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 ...
–
John Humphrey Noyes, American religious leader, founded the
Oneida Community
The Oneida Community ( ) was a Christian perfection, perfectionist religious communal society founded by John Humphrey Noyes and his followers in 1848 near Oneida, New York. The community believed that Jesus had Hyper-preterism, already return ...
(born 1811)
*
1890
Events
January
* January 1 – The Kingdom of Italy establishes Eritrea as its colony in the Horn of Africa.
* January 2 – Alice Sanger becomes the first female staffer in the White House.
* January 11 – 1890 British Ultimatum: The Uni ...
–
Samuel J. Randall, American captain, lawyer, and politician, 33rd
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
The speaker of the United States House of Representatives, commonly known as the speaker of the House or House speaker, is the Speaker (politics), presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the United ...
(born 1828)
1901–present
*
1909 –
Whitley Stokes, Anglo-Irish lawyer and scholar (born 1830)
*
1910 –
William Quiller Orchardson, Scottish-English painter and educator (born 1835)
*
1911
Events January
* January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory are added to the Commonwealth of Australia.
* January 3
** 1911 Kebin earthquake: An earthquake of 7.7 m ...
–
John McLane, Scottish-American politician, 50th
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 ...
(born 1852)
* 1911 –
George Washington Glick, American lawyer and politician, 9th
Governor of Kansas (born 1827)
*
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 ...
–
Takuboku Ishikawa, Japanese poet and author (born 1886)
*
1917 –
Diamond Jim Brady, American businessman and philanthropist (born 1856)
*
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 ...
–
Lavr Kornilov, Russian general (born 1870)
*
1920 –
Stefanos Streit, Greek jurist, banker and politician (born 1896)
*
1927 –
Georg Voigt, German politician,
Mayor of Frankfurt (born 1866)
*
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 ...
–
Konstantinos Demertzis, Greek politician 129th
Prime Minister of Greece
The prime minister of the Hellenic Republic (), usually referred to as the prime minister of Greece (), is the head of government of the Greece, Hellenic Republic and the leader of the Cabinet of Greece, Greek Cabinet.
The officeholder's of ...
(born 1876)
*
1938
Events
January
* January 1 – state-owned enterprise, State-owned railway networks are created by merger, in France (SNCF) and the Netherlands (Nederlandse Spoorwegen – NS).
* January 20 – King Farouk of Egypt marries Saf ...
–
Grey Owl, English-Canadian environmentalist and author (born 1888)
*
1941 –
Annie Jump Cannon, American astronomer and academic (born 1863)
* 1941 –
William Twaits, Canadian soccer player (born 1879)
*
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 ...
–
Henk Sneevliet, Dutch politician (born 1883)
* 1942 –
Anton Uesson, Estonian engineer and politician, 17th
Mayor of Tallinn (born 1879)
*
1944 –
Cécile Chaminade, French pianist and composer (born 1857)
*
1945 –
Ernst Cassirer, Polish-American philosopher and academic (born 1874)
*
1954 –
Samuel Jones, American high jumper (born 1880)
* 1954 –
Angus Lewis Macdonald, Canadian lawyer and politician, 12th
Premier of Nova Scotia (born 1890)
*
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 ...
–
Emil Nolde, Danish-German painter and educator (born 1867)
*
1959 –
Eduard van Beinum, Dutch pianist, violinist, and conductor (born 1901)
*
1961 –
John A. Bennett, American soldier (born 1936)
*
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 ...
–
Culbert Olson, American lawyer and politician, 29th
Governor of California
The governor of California is the head of government of the U.S. state of California. The Governor (United States), governor is the commander-in-chief of the California National Guard and the California State Guard.
Established in the Constit ...
(born 1876)
*
1964 –
Kristian Krefting, Norwegian footballer and chemical engineer (born 1891)
*
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 ...
–
Abdul Salam Arif, Iraqi colonel and politician, 2nd
President of Iraq (born 1921)
* 1966 –
Carlo Carrà, Italian painter (born 1881)
* 1966 –
Georges Duhamel, French soldier and author (born 1884)
*
1967 –
Nicole Berger, French actress (born 1934)
*
1969 –
Ambrogio Gianotti, Italian partigiano and priest (born 1901)
* 1969 –
Alfred Karindi, Estonian pianist and composer (born 1901)
*
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 ...
–
Michel Brière, Canadian ice hockey player (born 1949)
* 1971 –
Juhan Smuul, Estonian author, poet, and screenwriter (born 1921)
*
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. ...
–
Larry Parks, American actor and singer (born 1914)
* 1975 –
François Tombalbaye, Chadian soldier, academic, and politician, 1st
President of Chad (born 1918)
*
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 ...
–
Jack Chambers, Canadian painter and director (born 1931)
* 1978 –
Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, Nigerian educator and women's rights activist (born 1900)
*
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 ...
–
Markus Höttinger, Austrian racing driver (born 1956)
*
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 ...
–
Gerry Hitchens, English footballer (born 1934)
* 1983 –
Theodore Stephanides, Greek physician, author, and poet (born 1896)
*
1984 –
Ralph Kirkpatrick, American harpsichordist and musicologist (born 1911)
*1984 –
Dionysis Papagiannopoulos, Greek actor (born 1912)
*
1988 –
Jean Gascon, Canadian actor and director (born 1920)
*
1992
1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General.
* January 6
** The Republ ...
–
Maurice Sauvé, Canadian economist and politician (born 1923)
* 1992 –
Feza Gürsey, Turkish mathematician and physicist (born 1921)
* 1992 –
Daniel Pollock, Australian actor (born 1968)
*
1993 –
Wallace Stegner, American novelist, short story writer, and essayist (born 1909)
*
1996 –
Leila Mackinlay, English author and educator (born 1910)
*
1997 –
Bryant Bowles, American soldier and white supremacist, founded the
National Association for the Advancement of White People (born 1920)
* 1997 –
Alan Cooley, Australian public servant (born 1920)
* 1997 –
Dorothy Frooks, American author and actress (born 1896)
* 1997 – Voldemar Väli, Estonian wrestler (born 1903)
*1998 – Patrick de Gayardon, French skydiver and base jumper (born 1960)
*
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 ...
– Ortvin Sarapu, Estonian-New Zealand chess player and author (born 1924)
* 1999 – Willi Stoph, German engineer and politician, 2nd Leadership of East Germany, Prime Minister of East Germany (born 1914)
*
2000
2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year.
Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
– Giorgio Bassani, Italian author and poet (born 1916)
* 2000 – Frenchy Bordagaray, American baseball player and manager (born 1910)
*2004 – Caron Keating, Northern Irish television host (born 1962)
*2005 – Johnnie Johnson (musician), Johnnie Johnson, American pianist and songwriter (born 1924)
* 2005 – Phillip Pavia, American painter and sculptor (born 1912)
*
2006 – Muriel Spark, Scottish novelist, poet, and critic (born 1918)
*2008 – John Archibald Wheeler, American physicist and academic (born 1911)
*2012 – Cecil Chaudhry, Pakistani pilot, academic, and activist (born 1941)
* 2012 – Shūichi Higurashi, Japanese illustrator (born 1936)
*
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 ...
– Stephen Dodgson, English composer and educator (born 1924)
*
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 ...
– Ernesto Laclau, Argentinian-Spanish philosopher and theorist (born 1935)
* 2014 – Michael Ruppert, American journalist and author (born 1951)
*2015 – Eduardo Galeano, Uruguayan journalist and author (born 1940)
* 2015 – Günter Grass, German novelist, poet, playwright, and illustrator,
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 1927)
* 2015 – Herb Trimpe, American author and illustrator (born 1939)
*2017 – Dan Rooney, American football executive and former United States Ambassador to Ireland (born 1932)
*2022 – Michel Bouquet, French stage and film actor (born 1925)
* 2022 – Gloria Parker, American musician and bandleader (born 1921)
*
2024 – Faith Ringgold, American artist and author (born 1930)
*
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 ...
– Richard Armitage (government official), Richard Armitage, American diplomat and government official (born 1945)
*2025 – Mario Vargas Llosa, Peruvian novelist and writer,
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 1936)
*2025 – Jean Marsh, English actress and screenwriter (born 1934)
Holidays and observances
* Christian calendar of saints, feast day:
** Ida of Louvain
** Margaret of Castello
* April 13 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
* Songkran
** Songkran (Thailand)
** Water-Sprinkling Festival
* Vaisakhi (between 1902 and 2011)
References
External links
BBC: On This Day*
Historical Events on April 13
{{months
Days of April