Events
Pre-1600
*
753 BC –
Romulus founds
Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
(
traditional date).
*
43 BC –
Battle of Mutina:
Mark Antony is again defeated in battle by
Aulus Hirtius, who is killed. Antony fails to capture
Mutina and
Decimus Brutus is murdered shortly after.
*
900 – The
Laguna Copperplate Inscription (the earliest known written document found in what is now the
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
): the Commander-in-Chief of the
Kingdom of Tondo, as represented by the Honourable Jayadewa, Lord Minister of
Pailah, pardons from all debt the Honourable Namwaran and his relations.
*
1092 – The
Diocese of Pisa is elevated to the rank of metropolitan
archdiocese by
Pope Urban II
*
1506 – The three-day
Lisbon Massacre comes to an end with the slaughter of over 1,900 suspected Jews by Portuguese Catholics.
*
1509 –
Henry VIII ascends the throne of England on the death of his father,
Henry VII.
*
1526
Year 1526 (Roman numerals, MDXXVI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–March
* January 14 – Treaty of Madrid (1526), Treaty of Madrid: Peace is declared between Francis I of France and ...
– The last ruler of the
Lodi dynasty,
Ibrahim Lodi is defeated and killed by
Babur in the
First Battle of Panipat.
1601–1900
*
1615 – The
Wignacourt Aqueduct is inaugurated in
Malta
Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...
.
*
1782 – The city of Rattanakosin, now known internationally as
Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...
, is
founded on the eastern bank of the Chao Phraya River by King
Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke.
*
1789 –
John Adams
John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Before Presidency of John Adams, his presidency, he was a leader of ...
sworn in as first
US Vice President (nine days before George Washington).
* 1789 –
George Washington's reception at Trenton is hosted by the Ladies of Trenton as he journeys to New York City for his
first inauguration.
*
1792 –
Tiradentes, a
revolutionary leading a movement for
Brazil's independence, is
hanged, drawn and quartered.
*
1796 –
War of the First Coalition: In the climax of the
Montenotte Campaign,
Napoleon Bonaparte decisively defeats the army of Piedmont at the
Battle of Mondovi, leading to Piedmont's surrender a week later and decisively turning the Italian campaign in France's favor.
*
1802 – Twelve thousand Wahhabis
sack Karbala, killing over three thousand inhabitants.
*
1806 –
Action of 21 April 1806: A French frigate escapes British forces off the coast of South Africa.
*
1809 – Two Austrian army corps are driven from
Landshut by a
First French Empire army led by
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
as two French corps to the north hold off the main Austrian army on the first day of the
Battle of Eckmühl.
*
1821 –
Benderli Ali Pasha arrives in Constantinople as the new
Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire; he remains in power for only nine days before being sent into exile.
*
1836 –
Texas Revolution: The
Battle of San Jacinto:
Republic of Texas forces under
Sam Houston defeat troops under Mexican General
Antonio López de Santa Anna.
*
1856 –
Australian labour movement: Stonemasons and building workers on building sites around Melbourne march from the University of Melbourne to Parliament House to achieve an
eight-hour day.
*
1894 – Norway formally adopts the
Krag–Jørgensen bolt-action rifle as the main arm of its armed forces, a weapon that would remain in service for almost 50 years.
*
1898 –
Spanish–American War: The United States Navy begins a blockade of
Cuba
Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
n ports. When the
U.S. Congress issued a
declaration of war on April 25, it declared that a state of war had existed from this date.
1901–present
*
1914 –
Ypiranga incident: A German arms shipment to Mexico is intercepted by the U.S. Navy near
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entit ...
.
*
1918 –
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 ...
:
German fighter ace
Manfred von Richthofen, better known as "The Red Baron", is shot down and killed over
Vaux-sur-Somme in
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
.
*
1926 –
Al-Baqi cemetery, former site of the mausoleum of
four Shi'a Imams, is
leveled to the ground by
Wahhabis.
*
1934 – The "Surgeon's Photograph", the most famous photo allegedly showing the
Loch Ness Monster, is published in the ''
Daily Mail'' (in 1994, it is revealed to be a hoax).
*
1945 –
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 ...
:
Soviet
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
forces south of Berlin at
Zossen attack the
German High Command headquarters.
*
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 ...
– The
U.S. Weather Bureau records that a
tornado
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with the surface of Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, although the ...
which struck
Timber Lake, South Dakota was , among
the widest tornadoes on record.
*
1948 –
United Nations Security Council Resolution 47 relating to
Kashmir conflict is adopted.
*
1950 – The
Nainital wedding massacre occurs, killing 22 members of the Harijan caste.
*
1952 –
Secretary's Day (now Administrative Professionals' Day) is first celebrated.
*
1958 –
United Air Lines Flight 736 collides with a
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
fighter jet near
Arden, Nevada in what is now
Enterprise, Nevada.
*
1960 –
Brasília, Brazil's capital, is officially inaugurated. At 09:30, the Three Powers of the Republic are simultaneously transferred from the old capital,
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...
.
*
1962 – The
Seattle World's Fair (Century 21 Exposition) opens. It is the first
World's Fair in the United States since World War II.
*
1963 – The first election of the
Universal House of Justice is held, marking its establishment as the supreme governing institution of the
Baháʼí Faith
The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the Baháʼí Faith and the unity of religion, essential worth of all religions and Baháʼí Faith and the unity of humanity, the unity of all people. Established by ...
.
*
1964 – A
Transit-5bn satellite fails to reach orbit after launch; as it re-enters the atmosphere, of radioactive
plutonium in its
SNAP RTG power source is widely dispersed.
*
1965 – The
1964–1965 New York World's Fair opens for its second and final season.
*
1966 –
Rastafari movement:
Haile Selassie of
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...
visits
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...
, an event now celebrated as
Grounation Day.
*
1967 – A few days before the
general election in Greece, Colonel
George Papadopoulos leads a
coup d'état, establishing a
military regime that lasts for seven years.
*
1972 – Astronauts
John Young and
Charles Duke fly
Apollo 16's
Apollo Lunar Module to the Moon's surface, the fifth NASA
Apollo Program
The Apollo program, also known as Project Apollo, was the United States human spaceflight program led by NASA, which Moon landing, landed the first humans on the Moon in 1969. Apollo followed Project Mercury that put the first Americans in sp ...
crewed lunar landing.
*
1975 –
Vietnam War: President of
South Vietnam Nguyễn Văn Thiệu flees
Saigon
Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) ('','' TP.HCM; ), commonly known as Saigon (; ), is the most populous city in Vietnam with a population of around 14 million in 2025.
The city's geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the largest is Saigo ...
, as
Xuân Lộc, the last South Vietnamese outpost blocking a direct
North Vietnamese assault on Saigon,
falls.
*
1977 – ''
Annie'' opens on
Broadway.
*
1982 –
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
:
Rollie Fingers of the
Milwaukee Brewers becomes the first
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...
to record 300 saves.
*
1985 – The compound of the militant group
The Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord surrenders to federal authorities in Arkansas after a two-day government siege.
*
1987 – The
Tamil Tigers are blamed for a
car bomb that detonates in the
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
n capital city of
Colombo, killing 106 people.
*
1989 –
Tiananmen Square protests of 1989: In Beijing, around 100,000 students gather in
Tiananmen Square to commemorate Chinese reform leader
Hu Yaobang.
*
1993 – The Supreme Court in
La Paz, Bolivia, sentences former dictator
Luis García Meza to 30 years in jail without parole for murder, theft, fraud and violating the constitution.
*
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 ...
– Five suicide car bombers
target police stations in and around
Basra
Basra () is a port city in Iraq, southern Iraq. It is the capital of the eponymous Basra Governorate, as well as the List of largest cities of Iraq, third largest city in Iraq overall, behind Baghdad and Mosul. Located near the Iran–Iraq bor ...
, killing 74 people and wounding 160.
*
2010 – The controversial
Kharkiv Pact (Russian Ukrainian Naval Base for Gas Treaty) is signed in
Kharkiv, Ukraine, by
Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev; it was unilaterally terminated by Russia on March 31, 2014.
*
2012 – Two trains are involved in a
head-on collision near
Sloterdijk, Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, killing one person and injuring 116 others.
*
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 ...
– The American city of
Flint, Michigan switches its water source to the
Flint River, beginning the ongoing
Flint water crisis which has caused
lead poisoning in up to 12,000 people, and at least 12 deaths from
Legionnaires' disease
Legionnaires' disease is a form of atypical pneumonia caused by any species of ''Legionella'' bacteria, quite often ''Legionella pneumophila''. Signs and symptoms include cough, shortness of breath, high fever, myalgia, muscle pains, and headach ...
, ultimately leading to criminal indictments against 15 people, five of whom have been charged with
involuntary manslaughter.
*
2019 –
Eight bombs explode at churches, hotels, and other locations in
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
on
Easter Sunday, killing at least 269.
*
2021 –
Indonesian Navy submarine
KRI Nanggala (402) sinks in the
Bali Sea during a military drill, killing all 53 on board.
Births
Pre-1600
*
1132 –
Sancho VI,
king of Navarre (died 1194)
*
1488 –
Ulrich von Hutten, German religious reformer (died 1523)
*
1523 –
Marco Antonio Bragadin, Venetian lawyer and military officer (died 1571)
*
1555 –
Ludovico Carracci, Italian painter and etcher (died 1619)
1601–1900
*
1619 –
Jan van Riebeeck, Dutch founder of
Cape Town
Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...
(died 1677)
*
1630 –
Pieter Gerritsz van Roestraten, Dutch-English painter (died 1700)
*
1631 –
Francesco Maidalchini, Catholic cardinal (died 1700)
*
1642 –
Simon de la Loubère, French mathematician, poet, and diplomat (died 1729)
*
1651 –
Joseph Vaz, Sri Lankan priest, missionary, and saint (died 1711)
*
1652 –
Michel Rolle, French mathematician and academic (died 1719)
*
1671 –
John Law, Scottish economist (died 1729)
*
1673
Events
January–March
* January 22 – Impersonator Mary Carleton is hanging, hanged at Newgate Prison in London, for multiple thefts and returning from penal transportation.
* February 10 – Molière's ''comédie-ballet ...
–
Wilhelmine Amalia of Brunswick-Lüneburg (died 1742)
*
1713 –
Louis de Noailles, French general (died 1793)
*
1730 –
Antonín Kammel, Czech violinist and composer (died 1788)
*
1752 –
Pierre-Alexandre-Laurent Forfait, French engineer, hydrographer, and politician,
French Minister of Marine and the Colonies (died 1807)
* 1752 –
Humphry Repton, English gardener and author (died 1818)
*
1774 –
Jean-Baptiste Biot, French physicist, astronomer, and mathematician (died 1862)
*
1775 –
Alexander Anderson, Scottish-American illustrator and engraver (died 1870)
*
1783 –
Reginald Heber, English priest (died 1821)
*
1790 –
Manuel Blanco Encalada, Spanish-Chilean admiral and politician, 1st
President of Chile
The president of Chile (), officially the president of the Republic of Chile (), is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Chile. The president is responsible for both Government of Chile, government administration and s ...
(died 1876)
*
1810 –
John Putnam Chapin, American politician, 10th
Mayor of Chicago (died 1864)
*
1811 –
Alson Sherman, American merchant and politician, 8th
Mayor of Chicago (died 1903)
*
1814 –
Angela Burdett-Coutts, 1st Baroness Burdett-Coutts, English art collector and philanthropist (died 1906)
*
1816 –
Charlotte Brontë, English novelist and poet (died 1855)
*
1837 –
Fredrik Bajer, Danish lieutenant and politician,
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 1922)
*
1838 –
John Muir, Scottish-American environmentalist and author (died 1914)
*
1854 –
William Stang, German-American bishop (died 1907)
*
1864 –
Max Weber
Maximilian Carl Emil Weber (; ; 21 April 186414 June 1920) was a German Sociology, sociologist, historian, jurist, and political economy, political economist who was one of the central figures in the development of sociology and the social sc ...
, German economist and sociologist (died 1920)
*
1868 –
Alfred Henry Maurer, American painter (died 1932)
* 1868 –
Mary Rogers Miller, American author and educator (died 1971)
*
1870 –
Edwin Stanton Porter, American director, producer, and screenwriter (died 1941)
*
1874 –
Vincent Scotto, French composer and actor (died 1952)
*
1882 –
Percy Williams Bridgman, American 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 (died 1961)
*
1885 –
Tatu Kolehmainen, Finnish runner (died 1967)
*
1887 –
Joe McCarthy, American baseball manager (died 1978)
*
1889 –
Marcel Boussac, French businessman (died 1980)
* 1889 –
Paul Karrer, Russian-Swiss 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 1971)
* 1889 –
Efrem Zimbalist, Sr., Russian-American violinist, composer, and conductor (died 1985)
*
1892 –
Freddie Dixon, English motorcycle racer and racing driver (died 1956)
*
1893 –
Romeo Bertini, Italian runner (died 1973)
*
1897 –
Odd Lindbäck-Larsen, Norwegian Army general and war historian (died 1975)
*
1898 –
Maurice Wilson, English soldier, pilot, and mountaineer (died 1934)
*
1899 –
Randall Thompson, American composer and academic (died 1984)
1901–present
*
1903 –
Luis Saslavsky, Argentinian director, producer, and screenwriter (died 1995)
*
1904 –
Jean Hélion, French painter (died 1987)
* 1904 –
Odilo Globocnik, Italian-Austrian
SS officer (died 1945)
*
1905 –
Pat Brown, American lawyer and politician, 32nd
Governor of California (died 1996)
*
1911 –
Ivan Combe, American businessman, developed
Clearasil (died 2000)
* 1911 –
Kemal Satır, Turkish physician and politician (died 1991)
*
1912 –
Eve Arnold, Russian-American photojournalist (died 2012)
* 1912 –
Marcel Camus, French director and screenwriter (died 1982)
*
1913 –
Norman Parkinson, English photographer (died 1990)
*
1914 –
Angelo Savoldi, Italian-American wrestler and promoter, co-founded
International World Class Championship Wrestling (died 2013)
*
1915 –
Garrett Hardin, American ecologist, author, and academic (died 2003)
* 1915 –
Anthony Quinn, Mexican-American actor (died 2001)
*
1916 –
Estella B. Diggs, American businesswoman and politician (died 2013)
*
1918 –
Eddy Christiani, Dutch singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2016)
*
1919 –
Don Cornell, American singer (died 2004)
* 1919 –
Roger Doucet, Canadian tenor (died 1981)
* 1919 –
Licio Gelli, Italian financer (died 2015)
*
1922 –
Alistair MacLean, Scottish novelist and screenwriter (died 1987)
* 1922 –
Allan Watkins, Welsh-English cricketer (died 2011)
*
1923 –
John Mortimer, English lawyer and author (died 2009)
*
1924 –
Ira Louvin, American singer-songwriter and mandolin player (died 1965)
*
1925 –
Anthony Mason, Australian soldier and judge, 9th
Chief Justice of Australia
* 1925 –
John Swinton of Kimmerghame, English general and politician,
Lord Lieutenant of Berwickshire (died 2018)
*
1926 –
Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
, Queen of the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
and
her other realms (died 2022)
* 1926 –
Arthur Rowley, English footballer, manager, and cricketer (died 2002)
*
1927 –
Ahmed Arif, Turkish poet and author (died 1991)
*
1928 –
Jack Evans, Welsh-Canadian ice hockey player and coach (died 1996)
*
1930 –
Hilda Hilst, Brazilian author, poet, and playwright (died 2004)
* 1930 –
Silvana Mangano, Italian actress (died 1989)
* 1930 –
Dieter Roth, German-Swiss illustrator and sculptor (died 1998)
* 1930 –
Jack Taylor, English footballer and referee (died 2012)
*
1931 –
Morgan Wootten, American high school basketball coach (died 2020)
*
1932 –
Slide Hampton, African-American trombonist and composer (died 2021)
* 1932 –
Elaine May, American actress, comedian, director, and screenwriter
* 1932 –
Angela Mortimer, English tennis player
*
1933 –
Edelmiro Amante, Filipino lawyer and politician (died 2013)
* 1933 –
Easley Blackwood, Jr., American pianist, composer, and educator (died 2023)
* 1933 –
Ignatius Zakka I Iwas, Iraqi patriarch (died 2014)
*
1935 –
Charles Grodin, American actor and talk show host (died 2021)
* 1935 –
Thomas Kean, American academic and politician, 48th
Governor of New Jersey
*
1936 –
James Dobson, American evangelist, psychologist, and author, founded
Focus on the Family
* 1936 –
Reg Fleming, Canadian-American ice hockey player (died 2009)
*
1937 –
Gary Peters, American baseball player (died 2023)
* 1937 –
Ben Zinn, Israeli-born American academic and former international soccer player
*
1939 –
John McCabe, English pianist and composer (died 2015)
* 1939 –
Sister Helen Prejean, American nun, activist, and author
* 1939 –
Reni Santoni, American actor (died 2020)
*
1940 –
Jacques Caron, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
* 1940 –
Souleymane Cissé, Malian director, producer, and screenwriter
*
1941 –
David Boren, American lawyer and politician, 21st
Governor of Oklahoma (died 2025)
*
1942 –
Geoffrey Palmer, New Zealand politician, 33rd
Prime Minister of New Zealand
The prime minister of New Zealand () is the head of government of New Zealand. The prime minister, Christopher Luxon, leader of the New Zealand National Party, took office on 27 November 2023.
The prime minister (informally abbreviated to P ...
*
1945 –
Srinivasaraghavan Venkataraghavan, Indian cricketer and umpire
* 1945 –
Mark Wainberg, Canadian researcher and HIV/AIDS activist (died 2017)
* 1945 –
Diana Darvey, English actress, singer and dancer (died 2000)
*
1947 –
Al Bumbry, American baseball player
* 1947 –
Iggy Pop, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor
* 1947 –
John Weider, English bass player
*
1948 –
Gary Condit, American businessman and politician
* 1948 –
Paul Davis, American singer-songwriter and musician (died 2008)
* 1948 –
Josef Flammer, Swiss ophthalmologist
* 1948 –
Dieter Fromm, German runner
*
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 ...
–
Patti LuPone, American actress and singer
*
1950 –
Shivaji Satam, Indian actor
*
1951 –
Tony Danza, American actor and producer
* 1951 –
Michael Freedman, American mathematician and academic
* 1951 –
Bob Varsha, American sportscaster
* 1951 –
Steve Vickers, Canadian ice hockey player
*
1952 –
Gerald Early, American author and academic
* 1952 –
Cheryl Gillan, British businesswoman and politician,
Secretary of State for Wales (died 2021)
*
1953 –
John Brumby, Australian politician, 45th
Premier of Victoria
*
1954 –
Ebiet G. Ade, Indonesian singer-songwriter and guitarist
* 1954 –
James Morrison, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
* 1954 –
Mike Wingfield, South African academic and scientist
*
1955 –
Murathan Mungan, Turkish author, poet, and playwright
*
1956 –
Peter Kosminsky, English director, producer, and screenwriter
* 1956 –
Phillip Longman, German-American demographer and journalist
*
1957 –
Hervé Le Tellier, French linguist and author
* 1957 –
Herbert Wetterauer, German painter, sculptor, and author
*
1958 –
Andie MacDowell, American model, actress, and producer
* 1958 –
Yoshito Usui, Japanese illustrator (died 2009)
* 1958 –
Michael Zarnock, American author
*
1959 –
Tim Jacobus, American illustrator and painter
* 1959 –
Robert Smith, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
*
1961 –
David Servan-Schreiber, French physician, neuroscientist, and author (died 2011)
*
1963 –
Ken Caminiti, American baseball player (died 2004)
*
1965 –
Fiona Kelleghan, American academic, critic and librarian
*
1969 –
Toby Stephens, English actor
*
1970 –
Rob Riggle, American actor and comedian
*
1971 –
Michael Turner, American author and illustrator (died 2008)
*
1973 –
Steve Backshall, English naturalist, writer, and television presenter
*
1974 –
David Peachey, Australian rugby league player
*
1976
Events January
* January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 18 – Full diplomatic ...
–
Petero Civoniceva, Fijian-Australian rugby league player
*
1977 –
Gyula Koi, Hungarian scholar and educator
* 1977 –
Jamie Salé, Canadian figure skater
*
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 ...
–
Virginie Basselot, French chef
* 1979 –
James McAvoy, Scottish actor
*
1980 –
Tony Romo, American football player and announcer
*
1983 –
Tarvaris Jackson, American football player (died 2020)
* 1983 –
Kim Wall, British sprinter
*
1988 –
Ricky Berens, American swimmer
* 1988 –
Jencarlos Canela, American singer-songwriter and actor
*
1989 –
Nikki Cross, Scottish wrestler
*
1992 –
Isco, Spanish footballer
* 1992 –
Joc Pederson, American baseball player
*
1994 –
Ludwig Augustinsson, Swedish footballer
*
1996 –
Arianne Hartono, Dutch tennis player
*
1997 –
Mikel Oyarzabal, Spanish footballer
*
1998 –
Jarrett Allen, American basketball 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 ...
–
Choi Hyun-suk, South Korean rapper
*
2003 –
Xavi Simons, Dutch footballer
*
2007 –
Princess Isabella of Denmark, daughter of
King Frederik X and
Queen Mary of Denmark
*
2008 –
Hyein, South Korean singer
Deaths
Pre-1600
*
234 –
Emperor Xian of Han
Emperor Xian of Han (2 April 181 – 21 April 234), personal name Liu Xie (劉協), courtesy name Bohe, was the 14th and last Emperor of China, emperor of the Han dynasty#Eastern Han (25–220 AD), Eastern Han dynasty of China. He reigned from ...
, Chinese emperor (born 181)
*
586 –
Liuvigild, king of the
Visigoths
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 kingdoms, barbarian military group unite ...
*
847 –
Odgar, Frankish archbishop of
Mainz
Mainz (; #Names and etymology, see below) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, and with around 223,000 inhabitants, it is List of cities in Germany by population, Germany's 35th-largest city. It lies in ...
*
866 –
Bardas, ''de facto'' regent of 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 ...
*
941 –
Bajkam, ''de facto'' regent of the
Abbasid Caliphate
*
1073 –
Pope Alexander II
*
1109 –
Anselm of Canterbury, Italian-English archbishop and saint (born 1033)
*
1136 –
Stephen, Count of Tréguier Breton noblemen (born )
*
1142 –
Peter Abelard, French philosopher and theologian (born 1079)
*
1213 –
Maria of Montpellier, Lady of Montpellier, Queen of Aragon (born 1182)
*
1329 –
Frederick IV, Duke of Lorraine (born 1282)
*
1400 –
John Wittlebury, English politician (born 1333)
*
1509 –
Henry VII of England (born 1457)
*
1557 –
Petrus Apianus, German mathematician and astronomer (born 1495)
*
1574 –
Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (born 1519)
*
1591 –
Sen no Rikyū, Japanese exponent of the tea ceremony (born 1522)
1601–1900
*
1650 –
Yagyū Jūbei Mitsuyoshi, Japanese samurai (born 1607)
*
1668 –
Jan Boeckhorst, Flemish painter (born )
*
1699 –
Jean Racine, French playwright and poet (born 1639)
*
1719 –
Philippe de La Hire, French mathematician and astronomer (born 1640)
*
1720 –
Antoine Hamilton
Anthony Hamilton Privy Council of Ireland, PC (Ire) ( – 1719), also known as Antoine and comte d'Hamilton, was a soldier and a writer. As a Catholic of Irish and Scottish ancestry, his parents brought him to France in 1651 when Cromwellian ...
, Irish-French soldier and author (born 1646)
*
1722 –
Robert Beverley, Jr., English historian and author (born 1673)
*
1736 –
Prince Eugene of Savoy (born 1663)
*
1740 –
Thomas Tickell, English poet and author (born 1685)
*
1758 –
Francesco Zerafa, Maltese architect (born 1679)
*
1815 –
Joseph Winston, American soldier and politician (born 1746)
*
1825 –
Johann Friedrich Pfaff, German mathematician and academic (born 1765)
*
1852 –
Ivan Nabokov, Russian general (born 1787)
*
1863 –
Sir Robert Bateson, 1st Baronet, Irish politician (born 1782)
*
1900 –
Vikramatji Khimojiraj, Indian ruler (born 1819)
1901–present
*
1910 –
Mark Twain, American novelist, humorist, and critic (born 1835)
*
1918 –
Manfred von Richthofen, German captain and pilot (born 1892)
*
1924 –
Eleonora Duse, Italian actress (born 1858)
*
1930 –
Robert Bridges, English poet and author (born 1844)
*
1932 –
Friedrich Gustav Piffl, Bohemian cardinal (born 1864)
*
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 ...
–
Allama Muhammad Iqbal, Pakistani National philosopher and poet (born 1877)
*
1941 –
Fritz Manteuffel, German gymnast (born 1875)
*
1945 –
Walter Model, German field marshal (born 1891)
*
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 ...
–
John Maynard Keynes, English economist and philosopher (born 1883)
*
1948 –
Aldo Leopold, American ecologist and author (born 1887)
*
1952 –
Leslie Banks, American actor, director and producer (born 1890)
*
1954 –
Emil Leon Post, Polish-American mathematician and logician (born 1897)
*
1956 –
Charles MacArthur, American playwright and screenwriter (born 1895)
*
1965 –
Edward Victor Appleton, English-Scottish 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 1892)
*
1971 –
François Duvalier, Haitian physician and politician, 40th
President of Haiti (born 1907)
*
1973 –
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 ...
(born 1894)
* 1973 –
Kemal Tahir, Turkish journalist and author (born 1910)
*
1977 –
Gummo Marx, American vaudevillian and talent agent (born 1892)
*
1978 –
Sandy Denny, English singer-songwriter (born 1947)
* 1978 –
Thomas Wyatt Turner, American biologist and academic (born 1877)
*
1980 –
Alexander Oparin, Russian biochemist and academic (born 1894)
* 1980 –
Sohrab Sepehri, Iranian poet and painter (born 1928)
*
1983 –
Walter Slezak, Austrian-American actor and singer (born 1902)
*
1984 –
Marcel Janco, Romanian-Israeli artist (born 1895)
* 1984 –
Hristo Prodanov, Bulgarian engineer and mountaineer (born 1943)
*
1985 –
Rudi Gernreich, Austrian-American fashion designer, created the
monokini (born 1922)
* 1985 –
Tancredo Neves, Brazilian banker and politician,
Prime Minister of Brazil (born 1910)
*
1986 –
Marjorie Eaton, American painter and actress (born 1901)
* 1986 –
Salah Jahin, Egyptian poet, playwright, and composer (born 1930)
*
1987 –
Gustav Bergmann, Austrian-American philosopher from the Vienna Circle (born 1906)
*
1990 –
Erté, Russian-French illustrator (born 1892)
*
1991 –
Willi Boskovsky, Austrian violinist and conductor (born 1909)
*
1992 –
Väinö Linna, Finnish author (born 1920)
*
1996 –
Abdul Hafeez Kardar, Pakistani cricketer (born 1925)
* 1996 –
Jimmy Snyder, American sportscaster (born 1919)
*
1998 –
Jean-François Lyotard, French sociologist and philosopher (born 1924)
*
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 ...
–
Buddy Rogers, American actor (born 1904)
*
2003 –
Nina Simone, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and activist (born 1933)
*
2005 –
Zhang Chunqiao, Chinese writer and politician, member of the
Gang of Four (born 1917)
*
2010 –
Gustav Lorentzen, Norwegian singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1947)
* 2010 –
Juan Antonio Samaranch, Spanish businessman, seventh
President of the International Olympic Committee (born 1920)
* 2010 –
Kanagaratnam Sriskandan, Sri Lankan-English engineer and civil servant (born 1930)
*
2011
The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
–
Catharina Halkes, Dutch theologian and academic (born 1920)
*
2012 –
Doris Betts, American author and academic (born 1932)
*
2013 –
Shakuntala Devi, Indian mathematician and astrologer (born 1929)
* 2013 –
Leopold Engleitner, Austrian
Holocaust survivor, author, and educator (born 1905)
*
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 ...
–
George H. Heilmeier, American engineer (born 1936)
* 2014 –
Win Tin, Burmese journalist and politician, co-founded the
National League for Democracy (born 1930)
*
2016 –
Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actor (born 1958)
*
2017 –
Ugo Ehiogu, English footballer (born 1972)
*
2018 –
Nabi Tajima, Japanese supercentenarian (born 1900)
*
2019 –
Polly Higgins, Scottish barrister, author and environmental lobbyist (born 1968)
*
2024 –
Terry A. Anderson, American journalist (born 1947)
*
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 ...
–
Pope Francis
Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...
(born 1936)
Holidays and observances
* Christian
feast day:
**
Abdecalas
**
Anastasius Sinaita
**
Anselm of Canterbury
**
Beuno
**
Conrad of Parzham
**
Holy Infant of Good Health
**
Shemon Bar Sabbae
**
Wolbodo
**
April 21 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
*
Natale di Roma (Rome)
Plutarch
Plutarch (; , ''Ploútarchos'', ; – 120s) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo (Delphi), Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He is known primarily for his ''Parallel Lives'', ...
, '' Parallel Lives - Life of Romulus''
12.2
(from LacusCurtius)
*
Parilia (ancient Rome)
*
Civil Service Day (India)
*
Grounation Day (
Rastafari)
*
National Tea Day (United Kingdom)
*
National Tree Planting Day (Kenya)
*
San Jacinto Day (Texas)
References
Sources
*
External links
BBC: On This Day*
Historical Events on April 21
{{months
Days of April